A drop in my ocean of memories

Who are you?

2011-09-29T19:11:00.001-07:00

Blogging? What's that? Well that's how long I've been out of touch. My work life and home life had kept me away from this. So what makes me resume? It's surely my new environment and new ppl I am meeting everyday.

Day starts too early and strangers remain habitual strangers at the bus stop. Ppl come in different attires some good some bad. Ppl come in different moods- happy sad tensed angry hurried. The good thing about observing strangers is that they look different each day.

So the more you spend time with self, the more introspective you become. So what do we do to be different each day? Either situations drive us or we should drive the situations. But I'm sure most of us will agree the former is true and easy to make the situation a scapegoat for the decisions we take.

So where's the link here? The parallel argument would be a question posed here. Do you want people to see you the way you are or the way you want to be seen? Any answers ppl?

Paradoxical!!

2010-09-04T10:05:00.000-07:00

Today will be the last day of my 4th term of MBA. Seems like I have been in this college for ages knowing every place in LIBA. If I turn around and see what I have done during the past 15 months I just cannot count. So many ups and downs. So many people. Fun and Grief! Nightouts and dreams! Events and classes! Innumerable instances to remember and which would give a smile or a tear. Yet suddenly a realization strikes. I have only 7 more months to utilize this awesome life to the fullest! I may not get a college life back. Doesn’t this look like a speech people give at the end of the college life? It is a realization bit sooner than expected to try not to miss the rest of the life in college. Sometimes we feel, 2/3 of the course is over too soon. Sometimes like I mentioned it has been an epic in the college. Paradoxes are common. Is it best not to analyze more? Then either the brain or the mind is to be cheated. There is no win-win situation to this. Human brain is much more complex than we know! Either we pretend not to know this fact and stay happy or accept this and ponder over!!

No one can eat just one!

2010-03-02T00:38:00.001-08:00

At last, finally, Thank god….. I squeezed out a part of day to write something for myself and the world to see. This is part of my daily activity in my college right now. It was so rare initially, and then became occasional and now it has become quite regular. Well… If you still are wondering about what I am speaking, it is about Lay’s chips. I remember when I was in 3rd std, when we went to Kodaikanal. That was a wonderful day! The first time I ate Uncle Chips (or at least that is the time I remember eating it for the first time). It was spicy, yummy and hot. The best snack on a cold terrain. It was a specialty item for everyone. Buy a packet or two and share it with 5-6 people happily. I do not even remember seeing the packet on the plains. As time went by, it was getting widely available down the hill and still it was an occasional snack because it was considered to have high calories, packaged food and an easiest way to become fat. Yeah! We all tried avoiding it listening to parents’ words. I was too obedient to offend. Once in a while it was actually good to eat and it had importance. But off late, in my college canteen, it is the most sold item because everybody has at least a packet of Lay’s 5Re packet on an average every day. Unbelievable isn’t it? Yeah and am one among the crowd. We have Lay’s not because it is yummy and tasty anymore. That perception of Lay’s exists no more because it is readily available in plenty. If you ask me why I am consuming it every day? I would say – it acts as a substitute for the tasteless food I get in hostel or canteen. If I have my rice with Lay’s I feel satisfied that I am eating something tastier than my own food. It is just for the sake of completion of my lunch :). And I do not care about the calories or anything because that is the only palatable food we get.

Started in 1938, it has come a long way down in the market. What makes Lays still go up the ladder in the Growth stage and not reaching its maturity? It is just potato chips with various condiments on it? When people in India especially have got so many cheaper substitutes, Lay’s still remain the best selling brand. The tweens’ market is growing exponentially. It is just a 5 Re investment well within the pocket money they get. That is the convenience of small packets. People complain on the quantity (I do) yet consume everyday. It is almost a monopoly in places like colleges where you do not get unbranded snacks or smaller sized packets. That is one of the strategies which makes Lays tick.

Terror in the back-yard

2009-02-22T19:32:00.001-08:00

Two days back there was a multi-cylinder blast just behind my hostel. Do you think I sound so casual? Well, you are right then. I am going to explain the reason behind it. It was around 11:45 pm and I was watching a movie. All of a sudden I heard some thunder like sound. I thought someone must be loading or unloading some heavy goods because there were no signs of rain. I felt the building vibrating. But I could not think of anything serious that time. Five minutes later the power went off. Then I suspected something unwanted happened. When I went out, all girls had come downstairs. People were panicky. Some said it was a blast somewhere. Some did not know. Then our hostel guardian told it was a cylinder blast in a Gas Agency just behind our hostel. I shuddered at the very thought of being so close to a terrible accident. I was feeling heavy inside though I was not afraid. We were waiting till the guardian told it was safe to go back and the power came. The entire building was fuming. I still did not recover from hearing the news just then we heard another blast- now loud and clear, scary enough. I then realized how one would feel to be near a bomb-blast. Surprisingly, most of the girls who screamed at the sound here were quite brave. Brave enough to gossip and have fun, brave enough to laugh at a nasty joke thrown by someone. It was extremely infuriating. How can such people become the saviours of India? Just imagine our country in the hands of these people. Even the guys (Software Professionals) who were staying in the nearby areas were going for a midnight stroll around the streets watching the activity and quickly changing the chat topic to something funny. They looked quite amused. Probably something entertaining was happening. No one had the slightest intention of giving a helping hand. I had a feeling that youngsters of today may not seem quite serious unless something serious happens. But I was wrong. They are never serious about anything anytime. I could see the real attitude of the generation I am living in. It was more painful than the incident itself. More shocking was this part of the episode where two policemen with their rifles were going home(supposedly)after their duty in their bike. They just noticed the commotion there and a laundry person told them that there was a cylinder blast and fire a few yards away. The policemen sincerely listened to him and then rode away to their original destination. So whom do we believe in times of need?

So now do you understand why I sounded so casual? Because the whole environment around me was casual. No one had a percent of feeling of remorse- which is the least thing we could have done at that moment. Even in the place of accident, hundreds of people were watching the operation. I was reminded of the Operation Cyclone, where a special group of police was necessary to control the crowd outside instead of helping the commandos inside. Similar situation here. Police had to control the crowd and commotion rather than help the fire extinguishing personnel. The positive point here is no one panicked. The negative point here is everyone was quite normal as if nothing has happened around. Oh yes! They had something to talk about whole night and the next day and the day after.

A walk for a good cause

2008-12-03T02:08:00.001-08:00

I always wanted to do something different from my routine in the weekends. Last weekend was special. It was the 10 K run – a marathon organized in Hyderabad for various causes. The cause was originally Health, Fitness and Environment. But unfortunately it was transformed into one single cause – Fight against Terrorism.

So many employees from various IT companies, NGOs, school and college students participated in the event. The people who usually wake up at 9 or 10 on Sundays were present at the People’s plaza sharply at 6:30. It was a real festive ambience. I was so proud to a part of thousands of people running for some good cause. The scarlet color was Omni-present and everyone seemed to be cheered up involuntarily. No one had the apprehensions of whether they would be able to cover the entire distance in one go. They all wanted to participate and nothing else was in their minds.

It was a beautiful winter morning with no pollution of sound or air around us. The Marathon started at 7:30 and we all started our journey wanting whole-heartedly to complete it atleast within 2 hrs. We were mutually motivated and none of us were feeling tired. First kilometer was the longest. Later we got used to the distances. We were not waiting for the next milestone. Here and there, they had arranged for some rock bands to keep us away from exhaustion. The whole walk or rather run was around the Hussain Sagar Lake. Once in a while there were diversions to extend the length of the road to 10kms. We usually have a notion that people take the easiest path to complete the task. But none of them took the shorter route. Everybody was so sincere that they obeyed the directions, knowing that crossing the 10 cm tall divider would cost them nothing.

I was jogging alone for almost half of the marathon. Surprisingly I was not feeling bored neither did I fall into introspection. I was observing the outside world. I was feeling euphoric to be amidst hundreds of good people. In spite of all the attacks happening around me I felt a sense of unity and humanity the world is preserving. I discovered some beautiful architecture on the way, which was never an item in the list of Must-See places in Hyderabad. The whole task of 10K run was made much easier by these natural elements.

We could spot the 1km (Remaining) mark sooner than expected. It was really a joyous moment when we crossed the chequered flag. Everyone has won in this event or atleast that was the feeling we all had. The entire journey ended in just an hour and a half. I did not feel any tiredness or pain for the whole day. It all started the next day but made sure I went to office. 

The crux of the event is the endurance, belief in oneself and above all the pride of participation. If anyone possesses these qualities, he or she can go to farther not only in this kind of marathon but also in the marathon of life. Waiting for the next Marathon! Three cheers to Hyderabad and the 10 K foundation!!!!

It is not Mumbai- It is India

2008-12-01T21:48:00.000-08:00

Terror rocks Mumbai. It was not a bomb blast or hijack but an open firing. A big question against Indian Security. There is no certainty of life the next second. Thousands of lives are at stake. This event has shattered the minds of every citizen of India more than any other incident that had ever taken place in Mumbai for the past 10 to 15 years. Mumbai had always shown solidarity and resilience against these attacks and as always comes back to normal the very next week. Yes, this can be acceptable and appreciated if it was the first, second, third or fourth time. But definitely not forever.

With a population of over a billion, it is next to impossible scrutinizing movement of every individual in India. So it does not make any sense comparing India with US for example. They had also faced a similar mishap during the Twin Towers attack. So how long do you think the media or the politicians were blaming the security breach there? There is no time to blame each other in this scenario. It is high time that we get into action and curb terrorism. This is beyond politics, beyond religion and beyond Indo-pak feud. All we need is to ignore all the differences in religion, status, borders and ideologies and fight against the terrorism minority who are spread all over the world.

The Home-Minister has stepped down, there is a hanging Govt in Maharashtra, Rahul Gandhi is partying while the operations in Mumbai were in a crucial stage, Ritesh Deshmukh and RGV were having a stroll in the Taj Corridor, the information regarding the illegal entry of people in the Indian Territory taken easy by the officials. We blame everyone for the incident. These were a handful of people. What were the others doing? Is it practical to call everyone and enquire about the carelessness?

Whatever happened has happened. It is time to join hands. No BJP or Congress or Jananta Dal can ameliorate the situation. Only we as Indians can do it. It is election time. Do not vote the party. Vote the individuals. Vote if you believe that the person can bring you out of the unprotected shell to the protected space. Do not vote the famous people just because you feel that bad is better than worse. Vote the not so famous people who strive hard for the betterment of the society.

Media is helping us identifying the right people and the wrong people to elect. We should definitely make use of these things. Though at times, they get carried away by showing the gossips and celebrities, they stand up when there is a crisis. They point out every costly mistake a leader makes.
Salute the heroes who fought till every weed was removed. Every citizen should feel responsible for the things happening around and the time will come when everyone of us feel safe to go anywhere in the country.

No where to go

2008-11-17T04:07:00.000-08:00

Hi everyone,
Just to keep in touch with my writing, I was searching for a topic to write. Then I bumped over one of the blogs written by some Shenoy. To tell you the truth, there were blogs which meant absolute sense and a few others which had no relevance to me but still found interesting. Maybe, this blog would be of no relevance to you or not even interesting. Still..

I was supposed to write the CAT(not the Administrative Tribunal) and IIFT in Hyderabad. The centers were somewhere in Abids and Koti. My roommate accompanied me to search them so that I need not roam around on the D days. I had the centers located on the Google maps (So thoughtful of me isn't it?). We took a road to reach the first destination and came back to the main road taking another one. The route to and fro second centre was a bit more confusing. Lady Luck guided us through the correct lefts and rights and brought us to the place where we had to catch the bus.

So what happened in the meanwhile? It was a sheer irony. I had great dreams of roaming in the cities of some part of Europe taking a map with me, struggling to ask the route to the passers-by, enjoying every inch of my walk and the sceneries, doing a great deal of window-shopping. And the reality was I was roaming with the map in the crowded city of Hyderabad, struggling to walk on the road, cursing the city and the weather, couldn't even find the windows. Then I gave a self-consoling monologue- “This is just the starting. Mera Number bhi aayega!!” .

But then I realized, this is the charm and spirit of any Indian city, this is the reality, this is the place where I can be happy the rest of my life. It would actually be strange with no people around, no buzzing streets. I can of course enjoy Europe for so many days but how long can I stay in the fairy-land? I should return home. So we decided to board the bus back to the hostel. The long stroll though not as dreamt of, was still beautiful and refreshing.

Some questions are not to be answered

2008-09-01T22:40:00.000-07:00

1) Why does Africa, having world’s biggest gold and diamond mines, also have the highest degree of poverty and mal-nutrition?

2) Why do the machines invented make life easier today and dangerous tomorrow?

3) If Black is not a color then why are the Black called the colored people?

4) If Indians were one of the earliest civilized people, why didn't they travel east or west before the others visited India?

5) Why does the US after facing all the tornadoes and hurricanes every year not get poorer year by year?

6) How would the world have been if everyone gets everything without using money?

7) Have the developed countries stopped developing? If not, does it mean that they are developing countries?

8) If Green IT is today’s buzz word, won’t it be better to stop running computers? Won’t the world become greener after that?

9) If brain has Grey cells but not Black and White, does it mean that it does not answer Yes or No?

10) Finally, if man is a part of nature and nature is punctual why isn’t man?

So how is life?

2008-07-15T22:17:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone,
Long since i wrote a blog. Was so pre-occupied with the happenings in my own life that I did not find time to analyse what was happening and express myself here. But now I found time because I recently read a short passage while going through an aptitude paper. Usually such passages never influence people because it is read on only one purpose which is mechanical- to score more marks. But somehow I was influenced by this and suddenly the way I look at myself and my life changed.

This was the first line of the passage..
Goethe, a German philosopher once had mentioned that one should not do what he does not like and must try hard to succeed in life doing what he really wanted to do. Otherwise there is no meaning in life doing things for others' happiness.

I was exactly having the same opinion and was really obsessed with thoughts that I was not doing what I really liked. This made me read the passage with interest rather than with purpose. But the following lines of the passage was a turning point. The author who had mentioned Goethe was actually opposing it. He wanted to convey that you should start liking what you do. Well... I really thought it was nonsense. But i couldn't help circumspecting this fact. We usually don't end up easily doing what we like and that is practically not possible as soon as you wish. It really takes a hell lot of time to fullfill your desires.

In the meantime, if you start worrying about the truth that "This is not what I always wanted", life becomes miserable and I personally faced it. But what if I started to like what I do.. Won't I be happier than what I was? This is what the author concluded. Though he did not like doing certain things in life and was compelled to do it several times as a routine, he had started to like doing them and the result was his own happiness. I had to agree with him and I did not have a choice.

A few days later there was a quote from another big philosopher which supported the author's argument. In Aristotle's words- "Start loving your work. You will never have to work again in your lifetime". This is the sense of practicality. This actually changed the way I looked at my life before reading the passage. Now I feel much happier and peaceful than before.

But this does not mean that one has to stop his journey towards one's desires. Looking this way will only make you optimistic towards your ambitions. When you are happy doing whatever you did not like, then imagine the bliss you would get out of doing what you like. Looking at life from this perspective makes the world a beautiful place to live in.

Natural wonders

2008-06-14T02:58:00.000-07:00

Nature really brings serenity to the person who writes about it and later to the readers. So with a mutual advatageous intention, I am going to write about the discipline that the nature showcases through various movements around us. For eg., the timely monsoons, the non-stopping motion of planets at the same pace around the sun, Kurunji flowers blossoming once in 14 years and so on... One such wonder is the migration of birds.

Birds have a biological clock inside which tells them the exact time to start migrating from one place to another in hopes of survival and food. It is an amazing truth that they travel in the same season every year without missing the day. They also make it a point to return to their homeland soon after their work(survival) in the foreign land is over. They sort of maintain the balance of their stay in all the places they migrate.

If punctuality is a characteristic of discipline, then order and responsibility too are a part of discipline. I always used to look up the sky for the migratory birds forming a V-pattern to maintain a sense of direction. They look exquisitely beautiful to watch them in comparison to the totally-out-of-discipline humans around us. Have you ever wondered why these birds are taking the V-shape and why are they so disciplined unlike the cattle which move in herds and not lines?

Well, the whole query has a beautiful scientific and logical explanation. It is the responsibility of the lead bird(the bird at the tip of V) to face the wind and maintain the direction. All the other birds follow the leader. Such an orderly way of flying enables them to communicate the landing,direction and emergency which will be lacking in the flock of birds. The lead bird changes on a rotating basis. After the lead bird gets exhausted the bird right behind it takes the responsibility. This is to ensure that every bird gets equal amount of rest before they take up its job again. The least strain in flying is to the last two birds in the V. No bird leaves the group to go alone. If any bird gets injured, the entire V lands in a place to look after it. They never let anyone alone or lost. Who told birds have peanut sized brain and no sixth sense???

So next time you notice such a wonderful phenomenon, don't just appreciate it but respect it. The beauty, intelligence and responsibility surely do deserve to be honored.

The perennial source of happiness

2008-05-21T01:11:00.000-07:00

Life is too short so live the maximum of it. This is a common saying in which each word makes a perfect sense. Though I have been living every moment of my life I did not think deeply about this until I saw a French movie, Amelie. This movie actually portrays the life of a simple girl next-door who derives pleasure out of small petty things around her. One another example is the little boy Ishaan in Taare Zameen Par in which he keeps staring on every beautiful treat that the nature offers but later ends up getting scoldings. So I just felt like comparing my experiences with these people's. It happened to be true that I am also in the habit of noticing the beautiful things around me which others have failed to notice.

Stones
Wherever I go, I like collecting stones. Sounds bizzare?? Yes! Any stone that looks a bit different to me I keep it in my bag and bring it home. I show to my mom with great pride. "Look, I have got something special today". The stones may be round, square, shapeless in blue,violet,pink,green or sometimes multi-coloured. They are actually precious stones for me. I can say it is invaluable because i love them more than the diamonds and rubies. Value after all is one's own perspective. May be this was why I wanted to be a Geologist. Also I like the sound when a pebble is dropped into water. Then following it are the ripples which are formed. I can keep on watching these till there are no stones left to drop.

Clouds
I like watching the clouds and imagining shapes which matches some real-world things around me. And sometimes my conclusion ends up in an Amoeba. :) You can infact make a short film out of the movement of clouds in 10 minutes. It makes me very excited and thoughtful. I am a good dreamer. Day-dreamer you can say. Imaginations are so powerful that you may never even think of it happening in real life.

Dogs
I love dogs though I have never grown one. If I am given a choice of seeing boys and dogs in an instance i would probably choose to see dogs :) I have even decided to resign my job after 40 or 45 to stay at home and grow a dog. Wherever I go, if I see a dog that looks clean I never hesitate to tough and play with it. Though I know that I may never see it again or even if i see i may not be able to recognize it. But I make sure that I have lived those 5 minutes of my life. And I get so many such 5 minutes. You can get instant gratitude and affection from that animal. So probably if you are walking alone in the road you can make friends easily. There is no question of trust you see :)

Birds
I love travelling and have been travelling long distances since I was born. Train journey is a perfect time to notice the world around you because you have nothing else to do. Well, I sleep during the nights because it is too dark outside to notice anything. Morning time, people say it is the most boring part of any journey. But had you done what I have been doing so far, you would not feel the boredom. You would have probable seen the electric lines along the track. But have you ever seen the beautiful birds that sit on these lines? Not those ordinary birds which you see in the cities. Villages are rich in fauna. I still have them photographed in my brain. Wow!! Nature really makes you wonder how these colours are ever produced. Orange, Yellow, Sky blue, Purple, Red etc and also imagine the permutations and combinations of these colors. You don't have to go to a bird sanctuary and see the specific birds that migrate there. You have a jumbo-size bird sanctuary in your reach where there are no limitations of species u can watch.

Going places by merely talking
You never have to estimate the practicality or feasibility for talking :). Whenever I see programs in Travel and Living or NDTV good times or any program that shows adventures or travel or food, my roommate and I start discussing about our "imaginary trip" to the places shown. We actually plan how to get there, which season to go, what food to eat, what sports we have to participate, how to travel there so many such discussions. So we actually travel to these places, live there just by talking for one hour. We plan about bungee jumping, rafting, tree houses,bloody mary,black forest, a cosy hotel, snow capped mountains and what not!! At the end of discussion we actually feel as ecstatic as we have really traveled to those places. It is really a wonderful experience.I have lived that one hour without spending a penny. Who knows! When I really go to these places later in your lifetime, I will definitely remember the discussion I had earlier not knowing this would really happen. That would make me even happier.

Planets
Whenever I am able to see the sky I watch the planets. The easiest way to identify the planets from stars is that they don't twinkle. The one planet I am sure everyone can find is Mars because it is orange in color. So I try to locate it and compare with the snapshot of its position in my mind. Of course the snapshot is relative to the position of moon :). Voila!! I became an astronomer. :) :)

These are actually very few of the thousands of small pleasures I derive my happiness from. I live every moment of my life when I don't work or sleep. You can try many such methods to keep you, your mind and your imaginations active and healthy.The source of happiness is around you and you just have to identify it. After all what we want in life is happiness in us and around us.

PS: I have not given much importance to the language. Please do not mind.. :P

Home sweet home

2008-05-13T04:39:00.000-07:00

I have now experienced almost one year of hostel life. I can just quote these times as the purple hours of my life. I had never been in hostel till I finished my college. I was safe and protected in my parents’ nest. Then came the time to fly out of the haven into the big-big world that was waiting for me. I was never scared of staying in a hostel or repining about it. I was ready to face the outside world. Everything was new here- the place, the language, the lifestyle, the people, the atmosphere and above all my job.

Now leaving beside my job and city, let me take only my life at hostel. Adapting to this new cosmos took me some 3 to 4 months. I was feeling lonely away from home and college friends. Slowly I became one among them or rather I can say they took me into theirs. My initial reserved attitude gradually changed. Since everyone else was elder to me, all my room- mates (9 ppl) started treating me like their kid sister. I was feeling protective again. I realized that God never lets anyone alone. All my apprehensions about how I am going to stay alone vanished because I was not alone anymore. Some of my hostel mates became more than friends with whom I was able to share all my joys and sorrows and discuss about my life and career. They turned to be my philosophers and guides. I got inspired from their experiences.

My personality thereby is getting more and more matured. I am now able to take sensible decisions on my own, manage money that I earn and channelize my thoughts to fulfill my dreams. This sense of self-controlled independence makes me feel proud of myself because I am safe in this path to success which my parents always wanted. Yes, I do sometimes feel nostalgic. It is natural. But that makes me emotionally stronger. My circle of close friends is becoming bigger day by day. So I have not lost anything is this estranged world. I have discovered myself in this home away from home more than what I did at my home itself.

Strangers will never be strangers always. They may one day make you befriend the stranger in you.

This was just a little feeling I sense everyday. To keep this alive forever I am publishing it here. I hope many of you would have had similar experiences in life.

Goa- The paradise of India

2008-04-29T05:30:00.003-07:00

After so much of serious talks, philosophy and grief, let me share my most recent exhilarating experience when I went to Goa with my colleagues. It was actually a pleasure trip with a reason. A teammate plus a good friend of mine was to tie her wedding knot in her hometown (Goa - fortunate for us J ). The master plan thus started. Who all, what are all the places, how much, when and how were the so many questions that were arising initially. As we started getting answers gradually, the day of departure came. Initially I was a bit apprehensive of how the people around me will be. Because only two of them were close to me and I was doubtful if I will be able to mingle with everyone. I had to destruct the corporate wall between us and construct a friendly bridge between each of us to make my doubts meaningless. Good that the others had also done their homework.

The journey actually started with my friend twisting her leg before even boarding the bus thereby resulting in a badly swollen ankle. It looked so dangerous that we all suspected a fracture. The bus journey was quiet ok. We can't expect anything more in a 15 hour journey. The route to Goa was through Karnataka and Maharashtra in the Western Ghats. It is really blissful to see the jungle-laden roads early in the morning. Since I am used to watch birds throughout train or bus journey it was a damn good feast to my eyes. I was able to see beautiful birds which I have neither heard of nor seen so far not even in photos. My my! Goan wildlife is so rich.

After a partially sleepless night finally we reached the destination- the city of Mapusa. Surprisingly none of us were tired. We were all eager to start the tour. The bride had booked rooms for us in a hotel near her house. After a sumptuous lunch (Being a vegetarian, I had nothing special to eat there), we followed the itinerary under the hot sun. We first went to Vagator beach. As we had so many other places to cover we just took photos on the rocks (where my parents wouldn’t allow me to climb) and waters and started to leave. We could see a fort on top of a mountain adjacent to the sea and we decided to explore that. We actually thought there must be some sort of road till the fort. But no! J The driver dropped us at the bottom of the hill and asked us to climb. Fortunately I and my friend (only girls) were not girly-girly types. We loved to climb. She had the will-power to trek with her swollen ankle. Kudos to her! We trekked for 15-20 mins only to find a dilapidated fort with no habitation. But surely the climb was worth because we could have a nice look at the beautiful sea below.

Next we went to Baga beach. I first thought it was just another beach. But the climax there which I am about to narrate made that place very special. Two from our group went for para-sailing. I was not much interested in that. Then we wanted to go for the “BANANA RIDE”. This was actually a task in Roadies 5.0. There was a banana shaped floating object which can take 5 people. It was then pulled by a motor boat. After pushing the banana a little into the water, the guy asked us to take our hands off the support when he pushes us into the water. Well, we all thought he is just giving the general safety tips. Then we saw a similar group in the middle of the ocean with the BANANA capsized. We understood the ride but it was too late. The same fate (that was the feeling we all had at that point) struck us. We were in the water searching for the floor in vain. We then swam back to the BANANA and embarked on it, only to face the repeat telecast twice again. Atlast the task was over. We swam back to the shore with such a pride of achieving something great. We all became heroes in 5 minutes. Yes fate was transformed to ecstasyJ.

Later we went to the Calangute beach(the first Goan beach I had seen in my last visit). Nostalgia struck me. It reminded of my times with dad and mom at the same place. After playing in the sea for a long time, we went to the main city Panjim for window shopping. People in big cities would have never seen such a calm and peaceful shopping center. It was a real pleasure to walk without someone before you. Then we went to a river cruise showcasing the excerpts of Goan culture.

Back in hotel we were chatting till 1 midnight after a small skit enacted by my friend knowing that the next day is also going to be hectic. I can never forget that night and the drama J.

The next day we went to the bride’s house for a small function and set out for South goa tour. But the day was very smooth with not much of happenings. A usual sort of trip. The only change was we all became very friendly as the hours passed by. Teasing each other, taking funny photos and so on. The gradual change happened without our knowledge and the closeness exists till date. We had dinner in friend’s house where they treated us very well and we felt at home. Then we went back to hotel to utilize the time left in chatting.

The next day was the main reason for which we were all there. The wedding. It went on smoothly with traditional Goan food. It was then time to leave. We bid a sorrowful goodbye to the place with plans of buying a house in Goa to settle down after retirement. Who knows! It may happen one day. The whole trip was a success.

Will dreams come true?

2008-04-08T04:01:00.000-07:00

This is the topic which has been in my mind for the past few years. I have always had a negative opinion of one particular country in the world- Uncle Sam as it is fondly called. It had the advantage of becoming a developed country right from the beginning because it did not suffer any invasions. The people who migrated there were already civilized except for the few Native Americans. And it was not difficult to civilize the minor population. It was like the migrants wanted to escape from the conservative Europe in which each country had a strict culture to follow. The opinion which I formed is that there is no proper culture in the US. Anyone can live as he or she wishes. They do not have any restrictions or rules. They can even rule the whole world if they want to. They can also order the other countries of the world to sign treaties drafted by them. But the underlying fact is that a part of treasure looted from India had helped in making the country richer day by day. They had the initial capital needed to prosper.

Probably India is the only country which opposes these treaties. Thanks to the Non-alignment policy that India is maintaining. India was the first country to resist the rule of the British. India chose to be conservative even after centuries of influence from the Europeans. A daily scene in India looks different from the rest of the world. The Indians were the only people who have not tried invading any other country in the rest of the world. They were not interested in the fortune of other kingdoms in the world. The outlook may have changed because of the open economy but still nothing much has changed in the foundation. The few things that have changed are:

The number of people getting educated from universities abroad.
The fashion which has drastically changed.
The number of NRIs earning for other countries.
The increased number of divorces.

These are some of the changes which I can quote as important. So can you say that these changes are for good? I can say a big NO. The first four are clearly an influence of American culture. We are becoming independent a little more than what is necessary. We choose a career which is more lucrative thereby result in ourselves earning for some other country than our own. The bonding in marriage is becoming weaker day by day because there is always an option of divorce. Since these are becoming common everywhere people don’t think twice before getting separated. Yes, these are all the influence of our increasing interaction with the Americans.

Now you know why I had formed a negative opinion on America. But as days went by I started thinking from another angle because I did not want to be a prejudice. Why should I just blindly tell that it is America is the reason for this worsening culture of India? The Americans are living their own life. Why should we adapt their culture in any place? It is in our hands to choose which part of their culture we can adapt so that everyone is happy. This perspective paved way for me to comprehend the optimistic characteristics of the Americans.

I can ask just one question to make you think seriously. Are you doing what you really wanted to do in your life? Is this job is your first priority in the list of your interests? This makes you happier than anything else you would have wished to do? If I ask these questions to myself it is definitely NO. Because I was interested in Zoology, Paleontology, Geology, archaeology and stuffs like that which make me closer to the nature. But in India I can see that these fields have no scope or that’s what I heard when I spoke about these things. So I just could not pursue my career in any of the fields I like. And like any other youngster of India I ended up here in this concrete world trying to interact with a fabricated machine. Yes, I agree it serves me daily bread and I am getting richer day by day. I am able to buy anything I want and my parents are happy. These are materialistic comforts. But what about my personal satisfaction? I have not made anyone happy by typing some code which will make some impact (if any) on the people whom I will never ever know. What I actually wanted in life and what am I now. Totally away from the track and I have no chance of going back to the fork where I got lost.

I joined an engineering college just like the other few hundreds of thousands of people who dreamed of earning a fortune, buying a house, buying a car. These dreams can be fulfilled now. But my inner conscience is not contended. In India agriculture being the main occupation is not considered as high as the so called “professional jobs”. I can’t understand why? People starve day and night just to provide food to the citizens. It is even more difficult than what I am right now doing in office. But they earn meager sums compared to me. The sad part is the upcoming generation is not taking up farming as a job. Villages (our backbones.. is this what they are called?) are turning into cities thus losing their identity.

So why did I mention about America in this context? Coming back to that point, US is the fulcrum of all the IT boom that is happening today. But it is not true that most of the people are in Silicon Valley. The truth is most of the people are doing what they actually wanted in life. They become musicians, dancers, zoologists, paleontologists, geologists, actors, painters, forensic scientists, agriculturists, sports men/women, etc. These are some of the myriad opportunities they create by doing whatever they want.

I am just envious of them. For e.g. India with its rich flora and fauna and cultural heritage can create many opportunities to people who are interested in it. Or probably it is we who have to do whatever we wish and create opportunities to others. India with its culture and brains can create wonders if people really pursue their interests as careers. So if you come across people who are really interested in doing something just encourage them to continue in the same field and don’t lure them into typical professional arenas.

Just imagine India leading in all aspects!! Sounds great isn’t it? It is not difficult in harnessing the talents of so many people in India. If you think the population of India is a drawback for its development, then let us make it as our strength. Success lies in transforming weaknesses into strengths.

The world yesterday

2008-03-13T05:23:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone,
I am writing a blog for the first time in my life. Solitude always makes us introspect.Thereby I concluded that my mind is overloaded with opinions on the current world. So it is better to use a pensieve to keep these wonderful thoughts never forgotten. I will just take a tour of the happenings and articles which made me look at this world in awe. Not only me, many of you would have experienced these feelings in the same circumstances.

Let me start from my childhood. I was always too happy to see the water coming out from the hand pump. I had to wait for my chance in a queue with my mom and then hang over the handle putting all my strength to draw water. It was a great success in the end. :)Contended sleep..
Those days we did not have a telephone at home. Not that we could not afford it but that we won't find a telephone everywhere. Yes, i am going to tell my ecstatic feeling when i first used a telephone from my own house to say "hello" to dad. Thanks to the technology I thought.

No computers those days. We used to wait for letters.. spend hours to think and write letters. The arrival of postman induces a tickle in your mind. What were your cousins doing and what were their plans for holidays. A small scribble at the corner of the letter to show their entire love and affection. Wasn't that enough to make you happy?
I used to finish my homework as early as possile and run out to play with my friends. The fresh air energizes our bodies (though i dint think about these at that age). We used to climb trees, play hide and seek hiding in the branches and at the end of the day we will be tired with wounds all around.. yeah proud to get hurt. This of course won't stop my daily activities of playing.

Then we bought a car. My first car. Wow that day was wonderful. I told my friends proudly that we have bought a new car. I used to wash and wipe the car with love and it was great fun.
Then came the era of computers. I remember having a computer at home when i was in 4th standard. Pretty early when compared to others. That computer did not have a harddrive. I needed a floppy to boot the system. A floppy to play Prince in that. Slowly harddrives came into picture. Black and white turned to color. DOS to Windows. Just imagine how happy we would have been at that time seeing this drastic changes.. Again Thanks to technology.

In summers my place is usually very hot and with the power-cuts it made it worse. But we were still happy trying to while away time playing carrom or some board games or anthakshari. Then came my first AC and first inverter to wash out all the worries of summer. And ya I was very excited and relaxed. But I still miss the close moments i spent with parents. Now I never know the feel of power cuts or heat. I just stay at home and watch TV. And if there is a problem in AC or inverter we curse the poor machines and the whole world for being cruel to us. I did not get an opportunity to curse when there was no machines around me.

Then the internet which opened me into the huge big world outside by the click of a mouse. That was a commendable evolution in the field of communication. Then the emails.. Then my FIRST mobile phone. That was actually a dream come true.. So there is a paradox here.. What about the earlier happiness i had mentioned? Letters and playing and telephones? Yep all that happiness were gone. When I was in college i was glued to the mobile and computer highly interactive in the software world.. But where did the physical living people go? Well.. I can still say I was happy(not caring about the people standing near me).
CD became a DVD and now a Blue Ray. Its all the same round thing externally.

Now I got bored of mobiles and computers with new technologies coming out every other day. Nothing seems to surprise me a big deal like any of the above mentioned things did.I just started missing the letters and cards with decorations and love I used to get long back. I miss the physical proof of my beloved ones. Everything is just 0s and 1s stored in my computer or some huge google or yahoo server.. Yeah!!! Those boxes are not even mine. With all those effervescent beginnings is this not a dull phase of my life?

My another observation is like a lot of people of my generation have all the luxuries in life. Car, house, more than a cell phone, laptops and name it we have. I am thinking about the next generation kids who are born with all these luxuries. Now what on earth can make them happy? When I got used to the technological advancements in 20 yrs, the next generation is already in the midst of the advanced world. Won't they be missing the small small happy things which we used to get when we were young? I really pity them because all these are just a history to them. Nobody bothers about history right? They really have to learn the always-boring history of science while we have experienced it. We can't forget. But memorized data is always volatile :P.

Kids now don't expect small things. They expect things larger than life. I am afraid we must be able to face them in future and provide their so called BASIC needs. It is after all our duty like our parents did to us. Expecting the unexpected.

These are the bits and pieces of my mind put together in this page. If you have anything to support me or tell against me please let me know..