Thinking Out Loud !!

Life or something like it

2010-03-08T17:32:00.002-06:00

I wrote this during the August of 2003...thought I would share it here..

" HE was walking down the empty ROAD. Never thought about it being so calm and eerie. It was on the morning that same day that HE experienced an irratating traffic jam on his way to his DESTINATION. But he wanted it now, desperate for some traffic because he had to get home and fast. But there isn't a single soul in sight, what happened to the stray dogs, isnt every road in his country supposed to have one or two of them?

Oh! why did he ever take the decision to stay back. Why was he so confident that he would get back home somehow at such an hour of the night and from such a place he is in. Bad one, a really bad decision. He had no choice though. Was forced into this. Could he really oppose the PERSON who forced him into doing this. NO WAY. Could cost him dearly. So here he is, walking back home long way away with a mission not accomplised.

It was then it flew by, lightening fast, amazing velocity. It startled,shocked and jolted him like what a sudden sound of a siren does to a thief at work. He was knocked down the road by its forceful movement. Unhurt though. Coming back to his senses he wondered what that THING was, Could it have been a plane,those small ones u watch in the movies, or is it.. come now, he cant think that way. Ghosts, spirits? Stupidity. What was it then? HE was left wondering on the still empty road."

The "ROAD" : BannerGhatta Road, B'lore.
The "DESTINATION" : Honeywell Technologies Solutions Lab,B'lore
The "THING" : A Car!! at 130 - 140 kmph ,HE has never seen anything like that before.
The "hour of the night" : 3:00 night/early morning which ever way the reader wants to take it.
The "PERSON" : His Mentor, a real stud.
And finally the "HE" : Me of course, the one and only stupid intern

Every Rose

2010-01-19T16:25:00.009-06:00

He walked and walked

through endless deserts

Lost in time

didn't care

To suddenly find her

standing in a garden

Holding a pail of water

separated by a path of roses

Only when he took his first step

did he realize,

That every rose has its thorn

As he winced in discomfort

he looked into her eyes

And saw a pain

far greater than his

Step by step

takes him closer

All that matters

is to make her smile

A lifetime together or not

only time will tell

(true story of a dear couple)

I just won't

2009-11-26T23:11:00.006-06:00

Hey
I can say that, I can say this
I can say a lot of things

That I will never leave your side
That I will always be there for you
That you will have my hand to hold on to,
my shoulder to rest on and
my heart to keep forever.

That you will have too much of happiness to worry about.
That you will have someone driving you crazy everyday with love and care.
That you will become so addicted to the freedom he gives you, you cannot leave his side.

Seriously I can say that, I can say this. All the above and much much more.
But Hey, why would I say all that when I have decided to let you experience it and see for yourself.

No, I am not saying anything to you. I just won't.

A Privilege

2009-11-08T14:34:00.002-06:00

I lost my father. Not my birth father but the person who brought me up since I was three. My mom's dad and my grandfather. A person of exemplary character and great values. A sincere, efficient and kind doctor who had helped hundreds over a career spanning 40 years. A loving grandfather who taught me everything I know, who is the inspiration and reason for what I am. I lost him. We lost him. It was sudden, unexpected and cruel. Everyday is a constant struggle now. Sanity being elusive since then. Sadness thats permeates every cell of the body and becomes a permanent part of the mind. Amidst all the complex and disheartening and disorienting thoughts there is only one thing that I am sure of. It's been a privilege. To have known him. To have lived with him. To have spent 20 years with him. It's been a huge privilege. Have known that all along and realize it more now. He was and is a great man and there are very few like him. To have lost both parents as a kid, to have overcome numerous hardships and become one of the greatest and most well-known doctors of his time, to have remained so modest, unselfish, helpful and hard-working all his life it takes so much will-power and mental fortitude. It's just impossible to be like him. He is one of the most hardworking persons I know. Even to his last day. A common snippet out of his life: He used to haul 10 gallons of water by foot everyday from the wells to the families in his village on a 15km round trip before he went to school. And many more like that.

I miss you grandpa. I miss you so much.

Ramble On!

2009-09-29T00:29:00.012-05:00

At the request of a close friend I have decided to put together all 'that' stuff I write under a new tab.

In chronological order:

Gladly a 'Have'

2009-09-27T05:07:00.005-05:00

For the past fifteen days I have been spending my days at the hospital in my hometown. I am writing this from the same hospital. The first 10 days were spent waiting outside the ICU. And the remaining in a hospital room. The thing with the ICU as we know is you are not allowed inside except during the visiting hours. So everyone who has a family member or friend inside will have to wait outside. They should always have someone available 24/7 who could get medicines, lab tests and other necessary stuff. I do that while anxiously waiting for the recovery.

Since this is a supposedly super-specialty hospital patients with all kinds of ailments visit here. The emergency room is open 24 hours which is not so common in my city. The nearest seats to the ICU are located at the entrance to the hospital in the outside patio. It is not as far as you might think. A hundred feet perhaps.

I get to watch what happens and who comes and goes everyday. There was an accident emergency last week and the guy was rushed in with broken bones and cuts and blood all over. Not a sight one would want to see. Thankfully he is fine now and will recover in time. In the ICU there was a patient admitted because of a heart problem. Came in due to a stroke. His name was Rama something. His brother along with his wife brought him here. They put him on all the necessary equipment and life support etc and looked like he will survive fine. Then there was a old lady named Rani. She was admitted in the ICU last week. I do not know why. Her family was here at the hospital day and night waiting for some good news. Then there is a diabetic patient who went in to a coma and regained consciousness recently. But she cannot recognize anyone. She just stares at you. One of the staff members and her husband(I guess) put her in a wheel chair and take her out for fresh air in the evening. They wheel her around in the front patio where I sit. They keep talking to her hoping she will comprehend something. Occasionally she starts crying out aloud and they try to calm her down. No one knows why she does that. She is still not talking nor recognizing anyone. Yesterday I heard screams from her room. People were trying to keep her awake and not let her drift off into oblivion again. Not sure what happened after that.

In about two weeks we spent close to Rs. 2 lakhs(2,00,000) for the treatment and are still paying by the day. For a middle class employee that is an year's salary. Since there is no or little medical insurance here in India people pay it out of their pockets. Since we are fortunate enough to afford it we are able to do it. But what about the common man. I will tell you what happened.

Rama, the guy who was admitted in the ICU could not afford it any more after 3 days. He was forcefully discharged since they could not pay the bills. His family shifted him to a government hospital where people are treated for free. But they do not have the same equipment nor the space to admit everyone. Don't know what happened to him. The old lady Rani could afford it but the doctors gave up on her saying there is nothing more they can do for her. For a week or more all her family members spent their lives outside the ICU waiting for the inevitable to happen. Yesterday when I reached the hospital they weren't there.

A couple of days ago a middle-aged man came and sat down beside me. I thought he was waiting on someone too. After a while I realized he was mumbling to himself. I looked at him and saw him trembling. He had tears in his eyes. I asked him what happened. Mr. Sai tried to compose himself before telling me his story. His mom was admitted in the hospital a month ago because of some brain ailment. The doctors started a treatment and it was going on. Today the doctors told him that the treatment is not working and her ailment is incurable. Over the last one month, Mr. Sai has scraped out every single penny he had and borrowed more for his mother's treatment. He spent his life's savings on the treatment. Initially the doctors were very hopeful that they can cure his mother. Now they say they cannot do anything. Grief that his mom is not going to survive, frustrated that he cannot do anything about it, angry that doctors did this to him and helpless and broke Mr. Sai did not know what to do. He looked like a man who does not lose his calm in public. Looking at him struggle was so painful I cannot even begin to describe it. A helpless situation where is there is no hope.

Of course there were tons of people who got cured, who came in with pain and left happier and healthier. That's what is noble about doctors. I always believe that the happiness one gets in the relief of pain is the best one. Like with every profession not all doctors are good and not all are bad. I have come across compassionate ones and outright rude ones. Efficient ones and sloppy ones. It's like that in every profession. Here, the hospital's deceit is not so obvious to the normal eye. But believe me it is there. Just cannot be proven easily. What worries me the most is the medical costs and rich-poor divide. What about all those people who cannot afford it. What about people who cannot pay Rs. 10,000 a day? Do they have to accept the inevitable and leave their fate to God. There is no choice, is there?

In the world of Haves and Have Nots I am glad I am a Have. And I am going to generate as many of them as I can.

Traffic in the sky

2009-09-11T22:50:00.005-05:00

Heard it a month ago by chance and fell in love with the song and Jack Johnson's voice. Soothes you, makes you feel and nice song to run in the background. Though he sings it for a different reason.

Today

2009-08-31T00:04:00.005-05:00

Fond thoughts

Happy moments

How much fun it used to be

How much special it used to be

The beautiful face

The lovely smile

My eternal void

Have a great day today

Khronicle - IV

2009-08-15T20:45:00.014-05:00

Nihaal and Sanjana...continued from Khronicle - I

Click here for the complete series.

Sanjana walked into the classroom and took the fourth bench in the second row. Cool. No disappointment today. The professor walked in and started off rambling about something about how to write SQL queries. Amidst listening to the prof and taking notes he stole as many glances as he can of her. The Professor still talking. Whatever. He looked at his sidey who was totally engrossed in the lecture and diligently taking down notes. Good. He could compare notes later. Nihaal zoned out. What should he write her next. When should he tell her who he really is.

---------------

Hi Sanjana,

How are you doing? Hope all is fine back at BITS.

You should be starting with your economics this semester right?

I never understood what this dual degree of yours is all about.

Nitin told me about it. Master's first and then Bachelor's.? Weird.

I am doing good. My college had started too. We don't have the semester system like you.

It goes on for the whole year. These days I come to this net center to check mails and browsing. Internet at home is so slow. It takes a long time to just open the home page.

I am going to the sai baba temple with my parents and sis this weekend.

Do you know the Sai baba temple. It's closer to your house I think.

Don't get fried in your hot summer there at Pilani. I heard it's very hot there.

I got to go now.

Keep in touch,

-Nihaal

---

Hi Nihaal,

I was busy while sending the previous mail and so I have

typed the wrong address. Only today I came to know that the mail returned.

Yeah,infact what Nitin had said is correct.

We can get any of the B.E degrees if we take M.sc as our first degree

provided u get enough score in the institute exams.

It's like they see the students performance in the tests that were

conducted here and then offer a

dual degree.They offer this only after the first year.

Once the dual is offered they don't change it again.Or to be more specific

it's difficult to change it.So we study for five years and get two

degrees.One is M.Sc Economics and the other is B.E Electronics in my

case.

I have heard about your college many times.

So Nihaal you check your mails in the cyber centre.

I think it's a bit irritating thing because the access in these centres is

very slow.

Here these days I am often coming to ipc to spend time mailing.

Because its very cold in the ipc because of the air conditioner.

Whereas if we go out it appears as if we have gone to hell directly from

the heaven.

We don't have any tests till 29th.

So vetti life till then.

So u can happily enjoy your week end with your parents right.

What is your sis doing?

That's all for now

Bye

Sanjana

----------------------

It's been almost a month since their 5th sem started. Her birthday's approaching. He wanted to get her something. Too early to buy her anything? What should he get her. How can he send it to her with a fake return address of their hometown while he is Pilani. Should talk to Nitin on how she would react.

How, when and what are the questions now.

Lie and wait...

2009-08-04T23:45:00.003-05:00

Even before you know me
To talk, to see, to meet
To like, to love, to live
To fight, to forgive, to laugh
To share, to care and more
I lie and wait for you...

MBA in Europe Vs America(Read USA)..!!

2009-07-23T22:13:00.016-05:00

Following are excerpts from a conversation between Senior MBAs, MBAs and wannabe MBA graduates. I found it interesting and also a little enlightening. So I thought I should share it on my blog:

The emails are in chronological order...

1. S:
Subject: Europe Vs America(Read USA)

I see a lot of questions related to European universities vs American Universities in the groups. I do not have any good story on that but I have come across this wonderful article about Europe Vs America in general..

The author in the article has explained it all in this link http://www.nybooks.com/articles/17726 . I am sure this would clear a lot of questions about the comparison

Regards

S

Replies to the above email follow..

2. Anup:
Subject: Europe Vs America(Read USA) - A Rebuttal
I read this article with interest. Thanks for sharing it. However, while it does its share of global MBA bashing, the article does not focus on the reasons why we gather on our forums here. I offer a few:

Having experienced working in Europe and the US, I can speak for both continents.

if you get an MBA, and want to use the MBA, the US really allows one to push the limits of one's capabilities. I do wonder why America cannot produce good coffee, and why so many young blacks end up in prison.

But there are some other facts that we should consider:

America does lead the way in corporate and personal giving (Europe outside of the UK has little or no corporate giving although individuals are quite charitable)
It is a nation where most people do want to get married and raise children (and do so at a very high rate) thereby emphasizing the importance of both family and religion
I have European friends who came here, and had handicapped children and are amazed by the wealth of options for unfortunate children - social services for children in this country are simply unmatched in Europe
If you have medical insurance you will get the best healthcare in the world.
It has created a galaxy of Indian achievers while Europe has largely failed because of the low glass ceilings almost everywhere
While blacks are imprisoned in large numbers due to a combination of slavery, guns and drugs, and racism and racial profiling is a reality, a black man is President (something that is unlikely to happen in Europe)
Several famous American institutions have been run by Indians or have Indians at very senior levels (Citigroup, Merrill Lynch Investment Bank, McKinsey) and most have Indians at top levels, we are hardpressed to find anyone at a European institution
Rarely do I find any Indian living his or her life in Europe ever say that they are proud to be French or British or German. In the US it is pretty common to find Indians who came here and will say that.
While Europeans get charity, America invented social entrepreneurship. This movement is changing the way we think about poverty. Global Health is a movement that is being driven out of technology that immigrants are building here, to help change the way things work in India

Europe is so much fun if you don't aspire to go far professionally - because there are so many hangups with Europe (Its because it is such an old civilization, who you are, where you grew up, who you know matters so much more). But if you want to reach for the stars with your MBA or your PhD, win a Nobel Prize, or run a multibillion dollar corporation, then go to America.

All is not perfect with America. It will never be, but it strives to do good. Its a chaotic country where surprisingly, even with the great social inequalities of the nation, people generally follow the law. Europe has good coffee and good art, and a life of leisure. Its closer to India, prettier looking,. While learning about fine cheese and wine, and speaking a new language, one can start to mistake those things for what truly matters in life - being accepting of people around you, the importance of family, God, honest hard work, and building and making things that will move the global civilization forward.

:-)
Anup

3. Raul:
Re: Subject: Europe Vs America(Read USA) - A Rebuttal
A European (British) company with an Indian origin chap at the helm in the recent past would be Vodafone.. although one could of course argue that Arun Sarin rose through the ranks in the US (before becoming the Vodafone CEO, he headed Vodafone US for a few years along with being in the top echelons of other US telecom players)

I don't have enough knowledge about the boards of the top companies of the world to be able to comment on whether this is an exception rather than the rule. But Vodafone quickly hit me when I read the mail below, so I thought I'd mention it :)

Regards
Raul

4. Anup:
Re: Subject: Europe Vs America(Read USA) - A Rebuttal
Arun Sarin is an American citizen...

5. Raul:
Re: Subject: Europe Vs America(Read USA) - A Rebuttal
Yes, all those caveats were attached with my email. He is an American citizen but he's also a first generation Indian from IIT-KGP who then went to Haas etc. I got the impression (perhaps my bad) that you were saying that European companies (thanks to their culture etc) have an inbuilt glass ceiling against outsiders rising to the top and it seemed to me that Mr Sarin's example was at least an exception to that. I completely agree there will always be exceptions and maybe the Americal seal on his passport made the difference, maybe Vodafone is a different kind of company, I have no idea :)

There are other examples as well, LN Mittal perhaps..

Also, to put my GMAT analysis essay practice to good use, India has been sending a larger ratio of its smarter kids to the US compared to Europe over the past half century. Even the gross numbers are higher but the divide becomes really, really big if you start looking at "smarter" kids, perhaps differentiating by their undergrad college. As a disclaimer, I haven't actually crunched the numbers but this seems like a fairly obvious fact to me. Sampling just my batch at BITS, hardly anyone went to Europe.

Some go for an MBA, others go for an MS and stick around for an MBA. (I'm only talking of MBAs since this is a MBA forum). US has been (and still is in some ways) the land of hope for the whole world, India is no different. Thirty years ago, everyone knew Harvard Business School, who knew INSEAD? So I think it's only natural that the number of Indian origin people making a mark in world business through the USA track is going to be higher. Some of the top b-schools in Europe (Judge, Said etc) are also relatively new, they were set up in the 90s, maybe their gradutes haven't yet gotten the time you need to rise to the top of your industry!

I haven't worked in either Europe or US so I can speak for neither continents :). But just taking the rebuttal at face value, I feel that some portions of the rebuttal can be rebutted as well! I'd love to discuss this further and perhaps get to know the opinion of others as well because the objective of this exercise is to learn from the experiences of others in the group, who have seen more of the world than I have :)

In good faith, meaning well and a little tongue-in-cheek,
Raul

6. AD:
Re: Subject: Europe Vs America(Read USA) - A Rebuttal

I realize that this is not adding much to our forum ...... but ...

I have to agree with a lot of what Anup says. Having lived here for over 10 years, at a professional level there is very little by way of glass ceiling. It is truly remarkable how free a business community America provides. And the US remains at the cutting edge of management science, so if you want to do an MBA and see the impact of it, the US is quite the place to be.

But lets also be real ... corporate giving is more often than not a facade, a sort of jail pass, a PR tool and a smoke screen. A way to convince ourselves and more importantly policy makers, that we're not so greedy after all! :) True charity, like truly nefarious things are done in quiet. Beware the corporation that advertises how amazingly giving it is. What is the point anyways? Why should corporations "give", when corporations are owned by shareholders? Surely the shareholders could make better choices reg where the money ought to go. This is not to say that corporate charity is always a bad thing, but lets also not kid ourselves silly.

And also, America strives to do good? Anup, I respect you so much but that came out of left field. Yes, America does do good from time to time, but America for all its wonders is also the world's most hegemonistic country, and its quite amazing how clueless the average American is about that. How many canards have been sold in the name of "doing good" or "spreading freedom across the world". Its remarkable how *easily* Americans are able to shurg off 100s of thousands of innocent lives that have been sacrificed in the name of "freedom" (read" OIL). The white man's burden all over again. The American dream is truly remarkable and yet we have to face that the sustenance of the American dream is also inextricably linked to several dreams being crushed around the world on a daily basis.

Having ranted about this, I have to say that America still gives us hope that the system allows change to happen. I'm yet to see the change at a fundamental level, but change can be affected here in small arenas, unlike some other countries where there is absolutely no hope. And that alone is cause for cheer.

If I sound cynical. I'm happy to discuss this 1on1 with anyone who thinks I'm completely deluded.

AD

7. RT:
Re: Subject: Europe Vs America(Read USA) - A Rebuttal
Raul, I think there are some valid points in your argument but when you say Europe, I'd like you to exclude UK out of it and consider only mainland Europe.
The examples you've given - Vodafone, Mittal Steel are both UK-based companies and owing to our colonial history, there's a prominent presence of Indians in the UK, with some of them even in the British Parliament.

I think everyone remembers Arcelor board's reaction and the fuss created by the Luxembourg and French governments when Mittal Steel tried to takeover Arcelor, just because it was an "Indian" company, and even though Mittal Steel had the ability to acquire the whole company, they only managed to create a merger, whereas I guess it was a different scenario in the case of Corus Steel's acquisition by Tata Steel.

So, atleast for us, Europe and UK aren't the same.
--
Regards
RT

8. Raul:
Re: Subject: Europe Vs America(Read USA) - A Rebuttal
Ah yes... like I said before, I haven't worked in either Europe or USA but this makes plausible sense to me. I've seen language barriers bringing with it baggage of other kinds even in India.

Thanks!

Regards
Raul

End.....

You Cheater!

2009-07-17T17:50:00.003-05:00

You come over, brighten up my life.
Show me what its like to be fun
Make me party, play and laugh out loud
And then come midnight Monday, you ditch me.:(

Love them. Hate them.

2009-07-12T11:44:00.007-05:00

Kate: I fucking hate him.
Me: Not more than I hate her I am sure.

Kate: No. I thought I had seen it all. But boy! Did he show me something last time or what.
Me: I thought I would pass out by the end of it. She just kept going on and on. I was able to see the sun, the moon, the planets and all the stars at once.

Kate: I feel abused by him. Yes! he used me for his sadistic pleasures.
Me: My whole opinion of her changed in one day. She is not what she seems to be. All nice and polite when you first meet her. The cute smile and the pleasant attitude. Crap, I was taken for a ride big time.

Kate: And to think we were going to enjoy it. Fuck that.
Me: We are both such fools you know.
Kate: Yeah, get robbed and get tortured at the same time.

Me: Here they come. Catch you later if I am still conscious.
Kate: Nooooo..I hate the son of bitch. Later then.

Fucking Personal Trainers!!

Things of Beauty

2009-07-07T00:59:00.024-05:00

I just realized I write most of my blogs the day I go out on my night time bike rides. Not only that, it's also when there are important things to do in the morning and its too late in the night to spend any more time in front of the computer on a weekday. But well who cares. Here goes the rambling.

After a very hectic long weekend I came back tired from work today and dozed off watching the television. Woke up to my find my sis cooking dinner for me. Sweet. Went out in to the balcony expecting to find the heat strike my face with its fury but stepped in to a much cooler evening with a full moon in the sky.

Didn't need any other reason. Hopped on to my bike and took off into oblivion. When I go out for my solitary rides I generally seek two things. Either peace or the adrenaline-rush. My morning rides I generally pick out routes which are busy during the day. I like to watch those roads and their surroundings calm and quiet before the day takes off. Peace. For my night time rides I pick lonely, straight and faster routes. My bike can easily reach speeds up to 140mph(225kmph). The Adrenaline Rush. Anyway, tonight I rode for almost an hour. Both the calmer routes and the busier routes through downtown. It was a cool and clear night. The roads with less streetlights were best because the full moon lit up the entire place. I got my heart pumping and also the quiet towards the end. Can't help but post a picture of my bike :D

Which brings me to my next point. Does everyone enjoy the beauty of nature. I always thought the answer to that question is Yes. Not until recently when I bumped into someone. It happened when we both were standing on a hill(Mt. Bonnell) over-looking the Colorado river and a better part of Austin.

G: Do you come here often?

Me: Yeah.

G: Why do you come here?

Me: I like the view of the river and the green hilly side. But mostly for the sunset.

G: I wish I could say the same.

Me: Why do YOU come here?

G: Because its quiet and peaceful here.

Me: That is true. That helps enjoy the view even more.

G: Not for me.

Me. Why do you say that?

G: I am one of those people who cannot appreciate the beauty of nature as you all do.

Me: Don't you like this kind of nature(pointing to the river etc) ?

G: No. It's not that. I have never been able to see what other people see when they look at a mountain or the sea and say "Gosh, it's so beautiful". To me mountain is a mountain. The sea is a vast expanse of water. I traveled to a lot of places during my life. Most of the famous sights. Nothing touched me like people say its does. I could only appreciate the calm and serenity. Nothing of beauty.

Me(surprised): This is the first time I heard someone say what you just said. I do not know what to say. Where do you find beauty then?

G: Oh, I do find a lot of things beautiful just like everyone else does. I find all wildlife beautiful, also paintings, music etc etc. It's just the rocks, water, valley, blue skies, sun-sets etc that I cannot appreciate.

Me: Well, you have the quiet you need and you can enjoy that.

G: Thank you. There are very few people like me. So I am just curious about when I see others like you here. That's the reason I asked you the first question.

Me: That's OK. There is so much more in this world you could relish having with or around you. I am S by the way.

G: I am G. Nice meeting you.

And we talked about this and that for a while until I left. At that moment I wanted to tell her how how unlucky she was but looking back at it later, I realized she isn't. For one she doesn't know what she is missing. And there are so many others things of beauty in this world, do blue skies and deep valleys matter that much. Love, between a mother and a child, a husband and a wife, a dog and his master. There is beauty in the happiness that we all enjoy, in the relief of pain, in the satisfied need of the want. There is beauty in a zillion other places. Well, instead of calling her unlucky I feel myself lucky to have the ability to enjoy the beauty of that part of nature.

Okay enough rambling, I realllly have to go to bed now. Here are few pics I took as part of my Cloud gazing recently from my apartment( I call it Clazing :D )

Good Night!

Of Images and Words

2009-06-25T00:42:00.005-05:00

Fall semester 2001. After a unsual day of "attending" classes on my way back from FD-I I stopped over at my friend Sirish's room which is the first room on the new wing downstairs facing the workshop in VK bhawan, which also is the closest room to one of the better redis at BITS. Redi is a road side chat and snack cart each hostel has.

We ordered sam(osa)-chat at Nagarji's redi along with shikanjis and took them to his room. We started lachhafying as usual about this and that. Nothing in particular. What I distinctintly remember about that day was his big speakers, the album "Images and Words" by Dream Theater playing on them and the time spent idling away to glory that evening.

We listened to the album a number of times that day. Esp the numbers "Pull me Under" and "Wait for Sleep". Until I dragged myself back to my room.

Another remainder of good times. If you haven't heard Dream Theater or that album and if you are even remotely interested in rock music do check out "Images and Words". The music will stay with stay with you.

Pull me under:

How to get out of a boring class?

2009-06-17T21:38:00.001-05:00

Absolutely Random

2009-06-17T21:26:00.003-05:00

Milk Peda.Fully stretched chair made into a bed.The snowball with the long left bookmark.Empty Eco-fina. Confused as footrest.Lady in the red top and the blue jeans who does not trust her husband. The cover left open. Single green sponge dumbell. Man with trousers made of green drapes.Indifferent mid-section.Yellow suspenders.Lady in the black top and blue jeans.Not gonna interrupt no more.Bose.Ok what?.No seriously OK what?

The Hangover - short review

2009-06-07T11:18:00.006-05:00

An awesome time pass. I haven't laughed so hard in a movie for a long time. Its hilarious. esp the Allen character. A must watch for the comedy movie lovers. Be aware that the movie has got its share of perversion and offensive content.

Rating: 4/5

What a fool!

2009-06-05T18:17:00.005-05:00

To think that I need only come halfway hoping to see you there

To think that I could make those poles apart meet one another
What a fool I had been

To think that each moment we spend together means so much more
To think that you will feel it and you will accept it
What a fool I have been

To think that I will be normal seeing you tonight
To think that you won't be normal seeing me tonight
What a fool I will be

To think that I sat down to write about something else
To think that the ponder was about something else
Oh! What a fool I am :(

T.K.O.K - III

2009-05-14T22:57:00.020-05:00

(Third Khronicle in the series. Click here to read the first two)

Rahul and Suchi...

Every BITSian loves music nites. They are some of the best music performances a BITSian will get to see in his/her life time. This one wasn't any different. It was the month of August, the first music nite of the sem and as always it drew a huge crowd except for those inexplicable ghotus.

Rahul and Suchi were at that music nite. Both were enjoying it the same. Suchi with a little apprehension. Rahul with a little eagerness.

"She is one of the prettiest juniors and she is equally vain about it" said his wingie to Rahul and other friends before they left for the music night.

"Then let's go see how thadi she is" said Gopol, who thought he was the leader of the group and on most occasions was. :)

The group of friends reached the audi and amidst having fun kept out an eye for her arrival.

Suchi came in with a couple of her wingies and had no idea of what awaited her. She had her doubts about attending the nite after all the attention she has been getting from seniors.

"OK, here she comes" announced a junior to the group. Now someone's got to go get her. So who do they turn to. They turn to Ajay. Ajay who had claimed to have already "talked" to her before.

Ajay approaches. Suchi realizes what she is in for, curses herself for coming. And mentally prepares for what is to come.

"So enjoying it so far?" asks Ajay.

"Yeah"

"Why don't we step outside for a bit. Some of my friends want to meet you"

"OK" said Suchi thinking "As if I have a choice!"

A part of the original group started following Ajay and Suchi outside. Gopol, Rahul, Nihaal and a few others.

The group started walking towards the temple. Somewhere between the temple and the C-lawns the group stopped and the questioning began.

"Intro" said Gopol.

"My name is..." started off Suchi.

Once she finished her intro she was asked another question, then another and it went on.

Rahul remained a by-stander to all the action. Checking her out. Still waiting to see all the self-conceit and thadi that she is yet to exhibit. But nothing came along. She answered everything as plainly as she can. No vain, no swollen head, nothing. Rahul's opinion begun to change.

"Maybe she isn't what they claim her to be"

He stepped in a little closer to Suchi. Looked at her key chain. Asked her for it. Took it and put it in his pocket. And asked her to collect it later.

Rahul had absolutely no idea what that simple act of taking Suchi's key chain would lead to. Absolutely no idea!

To be continued...

By the way...

2009-05-09T12:57:00.002-05:00

***Update***
Sorry all.. The lake and the NBA took up most of my time today and now work :(

A new Khronicle coming your way this weekend...! Watch out. :)

So far so good...

2009-05-09T12:19:00.004-05:00

After working for around 60 hrs by Friday this week I got out for work Friday afternoon to play volleyball for a March of Dimes event at my company. It was a volleyball league of one of my friend's Org and he roped me in at the last minute because one of their team mate was a no-show. Accepting to play turned out to be a great decision. One, it gave me an excuse to get out of work coz' I totally burned out this week and Two, I LOVE playing volleyball. I have been playing for more than 15 years now. It was hot as hell as usual. We played in the heat for 4 hours straight with small breaks between each match. Since we played from the beginning till the end you have to guess that we kicked some serious a$$. Yeah, we won it, alll the way, with some close calls on the way. It was awesome fun.

But wait, my great weekend so far didn't start with that. I had new visitors to my blog(swats included) who left me comments and words of encouragement. It's amazing how the web and all the referencing works. Because when I started out this blog I didn't tell anyone. I was writing for fun thinking whoever stumbles upon it will read it. But some time after I started writing Ramana some how found out I have been blogging and then it caught up. After that I shared my blog link with maybe 25% of my friends but now there are many others who stop by for a quick read. Feels good.

So after that volleyball happened and I came back home all tired and tanned(if at all my god-given brown monkey face can get any more tanned!!) Quick rest and then hit the gym for a reason I don't why. Came back home and went to my Salsa class. I recently moved from Level 1 to Level 2 Salsa and Swing. Yesterday's was a great level 2 class and I got kudos from our instructor.(who by the way is verrry cute ;-) )

And then after some NBA action went out to watch Star Trek with my friends and liked it. Here is the my Facebook review of the movie:

"Right when you think you have seen it all they do something better.. The movie's a "graphic"al extravaganza. Real good sound effects and of course the aliens :) Worth a watch."

And then morning today went out to play football(American) with my league team. Lovely day today and we had a great time playing in the mild sun. I came back home with cuts to my nose, mouth and right foot but it was totally worth it :). We had one heluva time.

And did I mention that I have been driving only my bike all along everywhere and left my car out to gather dust. Man, every time I ride it is an awesome time. You've got experience it to know what I am talking about. All 150 hp of it, The take-off to the landing, the cut-offs ;-) and the speed. It feels so goooooood....

Let's see what the rest of the weekend has in store for me. See ya.

Damn

2009-05-03T05:33:00.003-05:00

OK. Second Sunday in a row that I woke up at 5.A.M which seriously is very unusual for me. No idea why this is happening to me but nevertheless I am going to make good use of it. I am going out for a ride on my Gixxer.. :) Here is a pic...

Back

2009-04-28T13:40:00.003-05:00

The relief was short-lived
The hauntings have come back
I thought I finally lost her
But she came back tonight
All the pain and
All the agony
I shall relive forever...

T.K.O.K - II

2009-04-03T10:09:00.028-05:00

(Second Khronicle in the Series)

Vivek and Sarah...

August 1999, In front of Faculty Division-III, at the intersection of roads on either side of Ram Bhawan, First day of orientation for the incoming batch of 99, Some time after lunch.

"This is where we decided to meet, right?" Vivek was talking to himself.

Vivek and Sarah had been friends for a quite some time now. Vivek had found Sarah's address in the pen pals section of the Tinkle comic book during their 12th grade. He wrote to her like he wrote to others around the country. She responded and soon they became pen pals. They came to know each other well. Family, friends, and mostly hobbies. They wrote to each other about their daily lives, talked about movies, their native languages. It was two teenagers finding a friend over snail mail. Writing to each other and waiting for the reply was exciting to them. It was fun.

Towards the end of the 12th grade they had both applied to BITS, Pilani, one of the best engineering schools in India. Both had aspired to study there even before they knew each other. They both got the admissions. They told each other about it. They were thrilled and happy about it. It also happened that they got in to the same discipline. They both accepted their admissions. And reached Pilani from two different parts of India.

There is something about meeting a pen pal for the first time. Only who have experienced it know the feeling. The excitement, the thrill of meeting him/her in person. It's like all those exchanges and talks have come to fruition. :-)

Right before they left for Pilani they decided when and where to meet up.

"I hope she is as cute as she looked in the photographs" thought Vivek like most teenagers his age. Sarah by far was the prettiest of all his pen friends. Which made her bearable too when compared to others. More mature and less frivolous than most girls her age. Or else how could she meet his high standards.

So here he was waiting for Sarah to show up. And he waited.

To be continued...

Have no fear...

2009-03-22T00:36:00.010-05:00

Go on the stage, have no fright
Step in the room, without the light
Raise up to them, for a fight
Surprise yourself, you might

Before you leave...

2009-03-15T20:58:00.006-05:00

Before you leave

sit with me
talk to me

laugh with me
fight with me

have the coffee
relish the brownie

make me poor
close the door

return my heart :(

Fear of the Dark

2009-03-14T17:45:00.004-05:00

My 1st or 2nd OASIS at BITS. 2 AM or later. A late night prof show by Parikrama. All of us slumped in our seats at the rear end of the auditorium. The band starts playing "Fear of the Dark" by Iron Maiden and the auditorium comes alive. We come alive, we stand up, we can't believe it, we run to the front to the pit, we join the chorus, we head bang, we dance, shout and are exhausted by the end of it. This was a song which thoroughly initiated me into the world of rock music. I have been listening to Metallica, Nirvana etc but haven't had heard much of Iron Maiden until then. Boy! what a song, what a performance. What a stiff neck for the next two days :)

I recently had the awesome privilege of attending the live concert by Iron Maiden in Houston. It was mind blowing and I enjoyed every bit of it. Though I love most of their other hits "Fear of the Dark" holds a special place always. Reminds me of that fun-filled night with dear friends and good ol' rock music performances at the BITS audi.

Note and ;-)

2009-03-13T18:42:00.002-05:00

Tons and tons to do lately...and a super sore shoulder. Can hardly type... just kidding about the "hardly" part! Will be back soon with a new post...its not like I have a million people waiting for it or something.. hehe..

And yeah.. a couple of days back I heard my neighbors have wild rampant sex which is unusual because they hardly do it these days...OK OK I don't know about that..must be new neighbors..who cares.. hehe.. :) :)

T.K.O.K - I

2009-03-04T23:18:00.016-06:00

(First Khronicle in the Series)

Nihaal and Sanjana...

He was nervous and he was surprised he was feeling that way.

"She doesn't even know me. I shouldn't feel these jitters" He kept saying to himself though he picked the best shirt he had in his closet. Wore it along with his faded jeans. Then clean shoes and took off for his favorite class that semester with a single book in his hand.

Faculty Division I was a 5 min walk from his dorm. That was where his class was held. During that walk all that happened during the last month of summer vacation came back to him. The best part mostly.

He had become email pals with a girl from his batch. She did not know it was him. He had been introduced to her by a mutual friend(Nitin) through emails but as someone else.

He had first seen her during their first week of college. It was Dr.P.C.Pande's Mechanics of Optics class and everyone had come in early to reserve seats for the common hour. As he walking into the class he saw her start to come out of the class after reserving a seat by placing her book on one of the benches. They were other students in the class waiting for the crowd to fill in. As he walked past the bench she had reserved he casually noticed her name on her book.

After that he had seen her many times in different classes and at various places on campus. He just knew her name and her major.

Two years had gone by. During an evening chat with Nitin, a friend of two years her name came up during the conversation. And it had all started then. Nitin looking at it as prank. He looking at it as he-didn't-know-what-it-is-going-to-be.

And now here he is, email pal for over a month. Still hadn't told her the truth. Back from vacation. She still thinking she is mailing to a new friend studying at a local college in her hometown.

He felt no guilt. He knew it would be soon that he would tell her about it all and they would be normal friends. His were good intentions.

The excitement came back. He would be seeing her for the first time this semester. It felt different. Should it? He wasn't sure what to make of it. He knew she took that class too. It was the only common class they had that semester. And this was the one he planned on attending regularly.

It was one of those rare times after his first month of college that he landed up this early for a class. He went in. Did not take the first seat. No point in trying to look back over your shoulder. He took the second to last bench in the second row. He sat down, checked if he could cover the whole class without drawing undue attention and then he waited. He waited for her to show up.

To be continued...

Wish it happened :(

2009-03-03T22:30:00.011-06:00

Hold my hand Dad
when the sun comes up

Hold my hand Dad
before you leave me at school

Hold my hand Dad
when I stood first for the first time

Hold my hand Dad
after I kicked ass at the game

Hold my hand Dad
when I cried for lost love

Hold my hand Dad
when I made you proud

I wish I had had my Dad
to do all that for me

Cherish yours...

The Root of it All..!

2009-02-26T10:16:00.006-06:00

Plunging stock prices, the highest rate of unemployment, forecasts of deepening depression, massive layoffs blah blah blah. What the heck is all this. Been seeing the same shit for over an year now and it sure doesn't look like it's gonna get better. So under a massive amount of stress and frustrated with the fact that me and my friends have to bear the brunt of someone else's mistakes I started thinking about the actual root cause of this all.

Yes, we all know the reasons for the crash and what lead up to it. But what could have prevented this other than government regulation or less-greedy bankers or "smart" American people...? We could always do with more Meredith Whitneys but that would have to be a huge number and they have to be a forceful community on Wall street and in the government.

How about the Americans minding their own business or be less cocky about how they go about trying to acquire resources outside the US. Would have saved them tons and tons of money spent on defense, offense, counter-that, counter-this blah blah blah.... No, they had to go around the world and poke everyone in their asses.

Anyways, thinking about it all, during one of those Eureka moments I realized what really went wrong and why we all landed up in such a pickle. Its the Native Americans I tell you!!. Yes it is entirely their fault. If only they had evolved faster than they did, if only they had used the tremendous amounts of resources in the North American sub-continent they would have had at least a chance to defend themselves against the early invaders and sealed the freaking country off from further intrusions. Nah. they took their own sweet time and look what the world has come to because of that.

Arey, the least they could have done is have more sex and densely populate the country. Numbers would have won in the end over the British, Portuguese and all the people from that other continent who could not mind their own business and are clearly the winners in the who-pokes-more-worldwide-ass competition. Huh.

Kanulu Terichina Kanulu Musina

2009-02-22T23:28:00.010-06:00

3rd year of college, waking up and walking out in to a lovely spring day on the front wing located upstairs of Budh bhawan(my dorm/hostel) listening to the song Kanulu therichina Kanulu moosina from the movie Anandam I saw my girlfriend ride on her bike across the road in front of my hostel towards the insti(BITSian slang for college). At that time I was hopelessly, hopelessly in love with this girl. Too happy to see her I just watched her ride by from one end of the hostel to the other. Did not feel like calling out to her. The song was playing on my PC, I woke up a little early than usual. None of wingies were up at. The sun was shining right on to me. It was beautiful. It was magical. It was a moment to treasure. That is why I shall never forget what this song reminds me of.

(The song is about two lovers who just realized they are in love and cannot stop thinking about one another.. The video is hilarious though!)

By slightly they meant lightly..!

2009-02-13T14:33:00.007-06:00

I had been sleeping close to or on the floor for an year or so now. So I decided enough is enough I shall get myself a really comfortable huge mattress.

I started searching online seriously, I mean seriously, for deals on mattresses in and around my zip code. After a couple of sites I landed up at a local site which had postings from different sources at a single place.

I started my process of elimination on the list and somewhere down the line I see this posting:
"Full-sized mattress. 20-year warranty. Like new. Slight urine smell...!"

Man I just couldn't stop laughing after that. I was so immersed in the search that that posting really got to me. Damn, it still makes me laugh. :)) Slight urine smell. hehehe..:))

Intrigued about it I copied it over and searched for the text in google and it turned out that some one had copied it from a jokes site. :)

I should say that joke made my otherwise boring day. The picture above is indeed of my really comfortable huge new mattress.

While I was on that jokes site I stumbled upon the following one which I wanted to share with you all.

Clinton, Bush and Washington... Sinking Ship

""Bill Clinton, George W. Bush and George Washington are on a sinking ship.

As the boat sinks, George Washington heroically shouts, "Save the women!"

George W. Bush hysterically hollers, "Screw the women!"

Bill Clinton's asks excitedly, "Do we have time?""

Oh..How I Wish...

2009-02-09T12:02:00.012-06:00

I wish I could write the most romantic of poems
to describe those beautiful eyes of yours

I wish I could write the most romantic of poems
to describe that sensuous smile of yours

I wish I could write the most romantic of poems
to describe that stunning body of yours

I wish I could write the most romantic of poems
to describe that generous heart of yours

I wish I could write the most romantic of poems
to describe my ever lasting love for you

But all I can do is
close my eyes
think about you
and feel Heaven...

I want a ticket to anywhere!

2009-02-08T02:00:00.005-06:00

November of 2003. I was working as an intern at Honeywell in Bangalore. My mentor just set my ass on fire and took off. I had a deadline to complete this super-crazy code by tomorrow. I had a big fight with my g/f the evening before. She was complaining about how insensitive I've become during my internship since I was spending more time at work and less time on the phone with her.

So I was sitting in front my computer in this lonely corner on the 5th floor of the Uranus building thinking about what to do. I wear my headphones and the music settles in the back of my head helping my brain come up with the right code for the algorithm I had to implement. And that's when "Fast car" by Tracy Chapman came on... I couldn't remember seriously listening to this song before but that day it just took out everything off my head.

"Fast Car" kept me going straight until I finished my work at 3am in the morning the next day. Tired and exhausted but very happy with what I achieved I left for home. Unfortunately I had to walk back home since I could not find any public transportation at that time. But it didn't matter. I was a Fast Car heading in to neverland..! Oh yeah my mentor and my other teammate patented our algorithm after I left Honeywell for College..! :) And the fight with my g/f....Er..that's another story..!

Between the first and second quarter..!

2009-02-03T22:46:00.006-06:00

"I love french fries mommy!" said the 5-year-old standing alongside his mom in the queue at McDonald's.

"Sure honey. Do you also want nuggets dear?" asked his mom.

"Yes. I like chicken nuggets too" replied the little master.

She got what he wanted and food for herself.

She then walked out with the take-out bag, tucked him in his seat, seat belt and all, opened up his nuggets and french fries for him, got into the driver's seat and started driving. He started eating his fries. He was loving it.

She drove out the parking lot, got on to Parmer lane and went west. After a block she took the left only lane to get on to Metric Blvd. The light was red. So they waited.

At that light there was a homeless guy dressed in rags holding a placard saying "Anything will help. Very hungry".

The kid looked at the homeless guy, asked his mom what was written on the placard. His mom told him.

After about 30 seconds or so, he said to his mom "Mommy, can I give that homeless guy my fries and nuggets..please?"

His mom did not know what to say. She saw that he barely touched his nuggets and had eaten only a few fries.

He then said "I am not hungry anymore. He can have it."

She said "OK honey", took the bag, lowered her window and called the bum over to give him the food.

As she was giving the bag the kid wanted her to give the guy his drink too. She did as he wanted. The homeless guy thanked her and the kid again and again and started eating and drinking right away.

Overwhelmed with pride she pulled her son closer and gave him a kiss on his forehead.

And that was when I reached out for my wallet looking for dollar bills.

--Happened between the first and second quarter of the Super Bowl XLIII

Luck By Chance

2009-01-31T01:10:00.010-06:00

Just back from watching the Hindi movie "Luck By Chance" starring Farhan Akhtar, Konkana Sen Sharma and a great ensemble of other actors. The movie is an insider look into all that goes into making a movie in the "hindi film industry" and not "Bollywood" as Dimple Kapadia calls it. And it indeed was a really good look.

Enjoyable, witty, insightful, overload of maxims from everyone ranging from Farhan to Sharukh Khan(!) and at times boring this is a genuine multiplex movie. I would have loved to watched it at the PVR cinemas at The Forum, Bangalore.

Special Mentions:
For a debutant director, Zoya Akhtar: Great job.

Farhan Akhtar: Matching up to Konkana is an achievement in itself..Though I still think he was better in "Rock On"

Rishi Kapoor: Hilarious as Romi Rolly, the producer.

Isha Sharwani: CUTE CUTE CUTE

Hrithik, Dimple, Aamir, Sharukh, Abhishek etc: Thanks for your presence in the movie. No thanks to Kareen though. I hate her..!

Happy Birthday to Me..!

2009-01-30T13:49:00.009-06:00

I recently celebrated my 27th birthday. It was a great day for me but not so good for the economy and the employees of the world. But that bloodbath has been happening for a long time now. So it did not deter me from celebrating my birthday.

I had three cakes to cut and eat at different places on the occasion of my birthday. I found it overwhelming and am very happy about it. Thanks to Denver, Zaheen, Salman, Uzaira, Raajit, Abha, Prathamesh, Juily, Harsh, Anoop, Satyu, Adhitya, Sekar and Shradha, Subashree and all my friends(esp the invisible colors) who made this birthday another memorable one.

Looking back at it all I realized that I spent my last five birthdays in five different cities. Cities which are miles apart(and even continents). With five different batches of friends in five different cities. One of them was at home back in AP after 7yrs. Life rocks dude..! I am truly blessed to have so many friends. I adore all my friends. Old and new, kind and cruel, all of them..!

To top it all one of my friends Ramana dedicated his new paiting to me. He is an amazing artist. I've seen his work first hand and you would be blown away by his work. Here is the link to the post about the painting.

I am indeed a very lucky person I tell you. I have such wonderful friends I sometimes envy myself. :D

All in all, I came out happier, thankfuller and fatter from this one..!

Dawson..Rose Dawson

2009-01-24T16:01:00.006-06:00

I happened to watch the Titanic today again after almost 10 years. Not that I haven't had many chances to watch it. I just wanted to preserve the experience I had when I saw it the first couple of times.

So I was watching it and towards the end one of the stewards asks Kate Winslet her name for the survivors' list and even before she answers him I could recall her reply the exact same way she does. I had absolutely no clue how I did that. I didn't think I would remember Jack's last name from 10 years ago. But yet I could. To me this in fact proves how much a movie can impact someone. All that had happened earlier in the movie - the romance, the love, the grief, the tragedies everything rolled itself into one tiny little memory of a dialogue for me and it was this "Dawson..Rose Dawson".

I am sure there are many more influences as such stored away. Brad Pitt's "Tyler Durden" from the movie "Fight Club" is one I can recall from the top of my head.

The Khronicles of Kryptonia - T.K.O.K

2009-01-23T22:47:00.018-06:00

I've been wanting to write about friends and some episodes of our lives over the years which influenced me and kinda lead to where we are now.

This is a placeholder for all those Khronicles of Krypotonia. (T.K.O.K)

Most of these had happened during college at BITS Pilani.. Best days of our lives.

Disclaimer: Though based on true events, all names have been changed to preserve the true identity of the characters. Treat everything as fiction. I mean no offense nor love nor hatred to anyone feeling those emotions. :-)

Here you go:
Khronicle- I
Khronicle - II
Khronicle - III

Khronicle - IV

Violet Hill by Coldplay

2009-01-23T22:31:00.004-06:00

The first time I heard this song I was getting out of bed after long lazy sleep at Sirish's place over at Colorado last winter. I did not know what song it was. It just started over in Pandora.

It happened to be in winter with snow all around(window overlooked a sunny snowy day) and the song started of referring to December and all that mellow rock music combined with acoustic rhythms, it kinda gave a wonderful feeling to wake up on a holiday.

After that day I've listened to this song tons of times in the last one month. Definitely a beautiful song.

Marley & Me - Woof woof!

2009-01-23T22:13:00.004-06:00

A must watch for dog-lovers. When I agreed to watch this film with one of my friends I thought I signed up for another typical chick flick. It turned to be more than a chick flick.

Marley & Me is the funny, sweet and touching story of a couple who move through different stages of marriage along with their dog Marley. The movie is funny when its funny and dramatic when it is dramatic. Owen and Jennifer had their chemistry playing the couple. I particularly liked the character played by Owen Wilson as the funny and patient husband cum dog-owner.

Watch it on DVD if do not want to dish out money at the theatre. If you are a dog-lover you will definitely love it.

As for me it re-iterated why I would not a get a pet whose life expectancy is less than that of humans..!

Vaseegara

2009-01-21T01:05:00.004-06:00

Back in college this was one of those songs which made me want to fall in love. :)

This song by far is one of the best tunes I've ever listened to. Would mostly attribute that to "single" life, pleasant evening, happen to see my crush a while ago etc :)

I don't know why but I used to ask most for my female friends if they could sing this song. 3 of them did sing it for me at different times during my time at college(my girl-friend never sang it though which I now think is good in a way!). Thank you girls. You are the best.

An awesome song. Good memories.

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button - Life's Precious!

2009-01-21T00:38:00.007-06:00

I would love to say that this is another must-watch movie but it sure was long(wasn't expecting it) which kinda made it a drag towards the end. But that and only that is the single negative aspect of the movie.

Everything else is just great. The acting, the technical achievements, the story itself is so refreshingly "curious" that it makes you hang on to it until the last minute. The anticipation of how the passion between Benjamin Button and Daisy is going to unfold had me engrossed.

I never thought of Brad Pitt as a great actor(read Russel Crowe, Tom Hanks) but in The Curious Case of Benjamin Button he did a pretty good job.

Apart from the entertainment factor the movie subtly made me think about life in general. How valuable and terminal it is. How beautiful and painful it is to experience the full circle of love and life.

Every moment in your life is precious. Make the best of it.

Movies

2009-01-21T00:24:00.007-06:00

Everyone who knows me know that I watch a lot a movies. I am totally sucker for any half-decent movie out there. From chick-flicks to horror movies, anything goes. Watching them back-to-back is one of my favorite past times. The more friends for company the more merrier it is.

Here are my reviews to date:

Gran Torino
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Marley and Me
Luck By Chance - Hindi

Gran Torino - A Must Watch

2009-01-20T23:52:00.009-06:00

A MUST watch movie. "Mr.Kowalski" played by Clint Eastwood is hilarious and serious at the same time. His ultra-racist and cocky attitude is offset by his righteousness.

Looking back at it I am surpsried how much I had laughed during the movie. I was expecting a serious typical Eastwood-directed movie(Million Dollar Baby) but there was dialogue which made my laugh my hearts out.

Go watch it today.

My Tunes

2009-01-17T00:18:00.013-06:00

There is no life without music. Period. Often I wonder how mankind would survive without music. From Mozart to Metallica everyone has music which influences them in a multitude of ways. Music simple rocks..!!

There are often those songs which have a slightly greater influence on you. Songs which bring back memories - loving, happy, festive, bittersweet, sad, nostalgic and even headache-generating memories. Following are some of them from my life(not complete yet):

Traffic in the sky - English
Pull Me Under - English
Fear of the Dark - English
Kanulu Terichina - Telugu
Violet Hill - English
Vaseegara - Tamil
Tum Ho Toh - Hindi
Fast Car -English

Talk to the Hand !!

2009-01-12T18:19:00.007-06:00

Here's a list of the best gadgets at the 2009 Consumer Electronics Show(CES) according to CNN:

1. Touch Watch Phone: A watch you can talk to..!
2. iRiver Wave-Home networking device
3. Sony Vaio Lifestyle PC
4. Motorola Aura cell phone
5. Polaroid Instant Digital Camera
6. Livescribe Pulse smart pen
7. The Sharper Image's MP3 player keychain
8. Jensen JCR-290 alarm clock

Also check out the new Dell Adamo!!! which kicks some serious a$$.

Fantasies and Politics

2009-01-06T01:14:00.005-06:00

Like most people living in the country I'm currently residing in, the fantasy bug had bitten me too and I have been on 4 Fantasy leagues for quite some time now - 2 NFL and 2 NBA.

Being relatively new to the world of football(read: American and two years) I got ruled over by veterans in the game. But, basketball, Oh yeah basketball baby..Been following the NBA(and of course playing) since high school. So despite being my first time I am kicking a$$ in my "fantasy" basketball league.

You know what would be cool and complicated,... "Fantasy politics"! Have a dream team of politicians in the country or across the world and give them points based what they achieve. How many bills they voted for and how effective those bills were. Have a panel of experts give scores. Things like How "green" is a senator?( I mean the environment-friendly green..!), How infamous one is based on scandals etc. Of course there is no entertainment value for this for most people and people younger than me(who are the majority of the ones whoe play fantasy games) would definitely hate it. But hey, this is my blog and my idea.. :P

Anyways enough rambling. Ciao.

Is it Love or Coffee??

2009-01-06T00:57:00.006-06:00

"It can be hot..It can have an intensity like you've never felt before searing deep in to your flesh...your tender, vulnerable so easily-hurt flesh...

So be sure to ask for a protective sleeve when you pick up your coffee..may be ask another one to slip over your heart...!"

House of the Future

2009-01-05T21:45:00.008-06:00

Highlights: Hit a button on your toothbrush and your health information is relayed onto your mirror.

Lowlights: A boring, I mean boooring anchor.

Video link: House of the Future
Also check out: Hotel of the Future which I think is cooler than the house(and a better anchor)

Tum Ho Toh

2008-12-22T22:25:00.019-06:00

Some beautiful lyrics I have heard in recent times are from the song "Tum Ho Toh" from the movie "Rock On" (Hindi). It is hard to find songs with good and sensible lyrics these days.

"Jo tum ho toh
Ye lagta hai
Ke mil gayee har khushi

Jo tum na ho
Ye lagta hai
Ke har khushi mein kamee

Tumko ko hai maangti ye zindagi...."

Wish to see more songs like these.

Freedom

2006-07-13T00:17:00.001-05:00

What is freedom