DeepBlue's Web Log

Bin Tere......

2012-01-15T21:51:00.008+01:00

है क्या ये जो तेरे मेरे दरमियान है
अनदेखी अनसुनी कोई दास्तान है
लगने लगी, अब जिंदगी खाली.. है मेरी..
लगने लगी हर सांस भी खाली ..... खाली

बिन तेरे, बिन तेरे, बिन तेरे
कोई ख़लिश है हवाओं में बिन तेरे....
बिन तेरे, बिन तेरे, बिन तेरे
कोई ख़लिश है हवाओं में बिन तेरे.....................

मैं तेणु समझावां की...
ना तेरे बाजों लगदा जीं

मैं तेणु समझावां की...
ना तेरे बाजों लगदा जीं
तू की जाणे प्यार मेरा
मैं कराँ इंतज़ार तेरा
तू दिल तू यूँ जान मेरी .....

Tu jaane na.....

2011-09-28T23:00:00.003+02:00

कैसे बताये क्यूँ तुझको चाहे... यारा बता ना पाये

बातें दिलों की देखो जो बाकी... आँखें तुझे समझाये

तू जाने ना....

मिलके भी हम ना मिले तुमसे ना जाने क्यूँ

मिलों के है फासले तुमसे ना जाने क्यूँ

अनजाने है सिलसिले तुमसे ना जाने क्यूँ..

सपने है पलकों तले तुमसे ना जाने क्यूँ...

ख़यालों में लाखों बातें यूं तो कह गया... बोला कुछ ना तेरे सामने

हुए ना बेगाने भी तुम होके और के .... देखो तुम ना मेरे ही बने...

अफ़सोस होता है... दिल भी ये रोता है.... सपने संजोता है...पगला हुआ....

सोचे ये.... हम थे मिले.... तुमसे ना जाने क्यूँ...
मिलों के हैं फासले ...तुमसे ना जाने क्यूँ....

It is such a pity in life when you can't tell the one person you miss the most ... how much you miss him...

Ishqiya

2011-07-26T20:22:00.000+02:00

अरे हुजुर इश्क करके दिखिए तो ज़रा,
बेमौत मरने का नशा ही कुछ और है...

- courtesy a close friend

Cracks in the Crystal Ball

2011-06-28T22:19:00.011+02:00

Drinking wine and thinking bliss, is on the other side of this
I just need a compass and a willing accomplice
All my doubts that fill my head are skidding up and down again
Up and down and round again, down and up and down again.

Oh, I've had my chances and I've taken them all.
Just to end up right back here on the floor.
To end up right back here on the floor.

Pennies in a well, a million dollars in the fountain of a hotel.
Fortune teller that says maybe you will go to hell.
But I'm not scared at all...hmm hmm hmm hmm hmm

The cracks in the crystal, the cracks in the crystal ball.

Sometimes you think everything is wrapped inside a diamond ring
Love just needs a witness and a little forgiveness
And a halo of patience and a less sporadic pace and
I'm learning to be brave in my beautiful mistakes.

Oh I've felt that fire and I've been burned
But I wouldn't trade the pain for what I've learned
I wouldn't trade the pain for what I've learned....

But the fact is that.... I am scared...

Sadly....

2011-06-26T00:39:00.003+02:00

I don't want to lose you
but I don't want to use you
just to have somebody by my side. I don't want to hate you,
I don't want to take you
but I don't want to be the one to cry.

And that don't really matter to anyone anymore.
But like a fool I keep losing my place
and I keep seeing you walk through that door.

But there's a danger in loving somebody too much,
and it's sad when you know it's your heart you can't trust.
There's a reason why people don't stay where they are.
Baby, sometimes, love just aint enough.

Now, I could never change you
I don't want to blame you.
Baby, you don't have to take the fall.
Yes, I may have hurt you, but I did not desert you.
Maybe I just want to have it all.

It makes a sound like thunder
it makes me feel like rain.
And like a fool who will never see the truth,
I keep thinking something's gonna change.

But there's a danger in loving somebody too much,
and it's sad when you know it's your heart you can't trust.
There's a reason why people don't stay where they are.
Baby, sometimes, love just aint enough.

And there's no way home
when it's late at night and you're all alone.
Are there things that you wanted to say?
And do you feel me beside you in your bed,
there beside you, where I used to lay?

And there's a danger in loving somebody too much,
and it's sad when you know it's your heart they can't touch.
There's a reason why people don't stay who they are.
Baby, sometimes, love just ain't enough.

Baby, sometimes, love... it just ain't enough.
Oh, Oh, Oh, No

What a weekend...

2011-05-08T17:31:00.003+02:00

It has been.. Bought my first Apple product and my first bicycle!

Well, yea I did own an ipod shuffle for a brief period of time when I
was at IBM - but that doesn't really count. IBM had handed out these
shuffles to mark some occasion and so I got hold of one! But
apparently, it had some flaw (there were even rumors that it was a
duplicate and not an original, but whatever) and so they recalled it.
By the time the original or may be a different gift came in, I was out
of IBM and so.... I lost it. So, technically though this is my second
Apple product, it is logically the first one I own (since I bought it!)
I bought an Apple 4G, 8GB Ipod .. for a good deal of course ! :)

And then, I also bought a bicycle. Again the same case. I rode a
bicycle when in school, but it belonged to my mom. So I was just
using it. And then I upgraded myself to a two-wheeler and then a car
going by the usual teenage progression map (I think it was so, in those
times). So never got a chance to ride a bicycle again!
But now that I am in the bicycle hub of the world.. The Netherlands..
I thought it WAS TIME I owned one too. So started.. the search for
the right bike.. and with my blessed height and the un-excusable plea
of not knowing the local language (Dutch) to scour the local ebay...
it really was a search ! But I finally nailed that too and am a proud
owner of a 2 wheeler with 18 gears and a basic (plan to refurbish
later) basket in the front :)

Of course.. the ordeal starts now when I try to take it to work.
Having my legs aching apart from my work-numbed mind is gonna
be fun... Look forward to it ! :)

Love...

2011-04-14T00:03:00.002+02:00

Even if I dont speak the words...
when my heart skips a beat,
when my eyes sing and dance,
when I giggle and laugh,
when I shiver and retreat,
Or when I just hold your hand

I hope you hear me say ... I Love You ...
in many different ways... (sometimes not on all days :P)...
But I Do.. Muah.

Itane RaavaN, Kitane Raam

2011-04-08T22:20:00.000+02:00

किस रावण की काटूँ बाहें, किस लंका में आग लगाऊँ।
दर-दर रावण, दर-दर लंका, इतने राम कहाँ से लाऊँ।

The current situation of Indian Politics and Democracy in this country !
Takes another Gandhian to wake this nation up (me included) to do
something about it !!

On a song....

2011-04-06T23:26:00.000+02:00

आज फिर जीने की तमन्ना है....

आज फिर मरने का इरादा है....

Sab kuch.....

2011-03-25T21:44:00.002+01:00

सब कुछ लूटा के होश में आये तो क्या हुआ...

दिन में अगर चराग़ जलाए तो क्या हुआ ...

Well, don't you feel that way sometimes?
When you leave everything that matters to you behind and

are running after something that will not stay with you forever?

Earlier Poetic Attempt - III

2010-04-21T22:57:00.002+02:00

कधीतरी वेड्यागत वागायला हवे
अलगद वारयावर तुला सोडायला हवे
स्वैर आभाळात हरवतो स्वतःला
की घरट्याची पाउलवाट शोधतोस ते पहायला हवे

Earlier Poetic Attempt - II

2010-04-21T22:53:00.004+02:00

मी वाट पाहते तुझी असं तुला कधी वाटलंच नाही
आसवांनी भिजलेला रुमाल तुला कधी दिसलाच नाही

Earlier Poetic Attempt - I

2010-04-21T22:50:00.003+02:00

रविवारी रात्री जीव घाबरला होता खूप... अंधार होता जिकडे तिकडे, सगळं चिडीचुप....
त्या दिवशी तुझी वाट पहिली खूप, उशीर झाला तुला तेव्हा मनात होता पूर

Perils of living abroad

2010-04-10T22:54:00.004+02:00

Working in a developed country, new experiences,different cultures,
high standard of living, comforts that cannot be taken for granted if
you live in a developing nation, a house on the beach... Most people
see and think these things when working abroad concerns.

Yes, these and more, are the benefits - tangible or intangible that
come with working in a developed nation. BUT... what people fail
to notice is the new struggles, the frustration,at times the lack of a
system and others that ALSO come as a package deal!

If you work (or have worked) in a places like US and UK where you have
considerable communities living and working and providing support
and who speak English, will not relate to my point. Whereas if you have
lived anytime in the European nations or the south east Asian or
pacific countries like Japan, South Korea, you will definitely
(relate to my point)!

Language is a major barrier in these nations. Giving due credit to
the minority speaking English, it is still a struggle in your day to day
life that you go through. Everything from filing you visa to setting
the thermostat in your house takes effort. You may laugh at the
latter but you will get the point at the end of this post :)

Firstly, these nations are highly mechanized, automated - call what
you may. So some of the gadgets are totally new to you and you first
try to learn how to use it (forget customizing it to your needs). This
thermostat in my new house is very sophisticated and customizable
as per your daily routine, starting from the time you wake up. Fine.
But to understand what is what and set it - is a task, believe me!
The manuals are with me - but pray if I understand a word of Dutch.
(My German does come to my rescue a bit but I still struggle. )
Imagine the plight of complete novices moving,for the very first time,
to a land that does not have English as its first language!
God save his/her soul.
My best friend, Google, does help me most times - but sometimes he too
cannot do much. Some people just don't want you to understand them :)

Home is just one issue which can be handled. However the other stuff that
goes with it can sometimes cannot be. There are all these different taxes
which you haven't heard of in your country! Garbage collection tax! Man
what is that and WHY is that?! (Of course that is something that can be tried
in India to help clean up the streets.) But the point is how do I know how
much I pay if I stay in that house for only 3 months?! Then there is this
segregation of garbage which can be understood only by the Dutch literate.

The transport announcements - you never know if the tram you are
waiting for is going to arrive or no. There are offers and schemes that the
lady on the counter recites - but they are useful only if you can make out
what she is saying! An God forbid if you are a vegetarian!!
Try to figure out the snack you are buying is eggless... and you will be
playing dumb charades some times :)

Of course its not all that bad. The thrill of new experiences keeps you going.
But legal, financial and municipal stuff does make you wish that the whole
world would speak a common language! There would still be other things
that could add to my excitement and adventure. Did I hear Amsterdam?! :)

too much of everything

2010-04-07T22:01:00.002+02:00

Is too much of everything bad... including love?!

Curious coincidences

2010-04-05T23:34:00.003+02:00

Wherever I go.... my family follows :)

Well, I had moved to Bangalore and a couple years later
my bro moved to Chennai and then to Bangalore.

I moved to Germany (and then NL) and my youngest bro
took up school in France. And now the other one is now
coming to Germany for a coupla months initially.

So.. looks like my family loves me a lot OR... they know me
too well to let me alone .. hehe :)
Anywho.. its good to have family around. I'm loving it!!

Change of state

2010-03-30T21:49:00.002+02:00

Finally moved into my spacious (well, in comparison with
my earlier studio, yes!) 1 bedroom apartment by the beach.
Still no sign of internet in this developed nation and despite
the earlier tenants having one at the same address!
Surfing on some unsecured wireless.

So change of state is because there is change in the state of my
mind. New things obviously excite everyone (for me, even more :P).
But especially the task of unpacking and arranging and setting up a
house have been one of my favorites, I realise now. Did you
wonder that the same things appear in a different light when you
unpack them? Well, try it next time. So there's a new thrill, new tasks,
new to-do's, more shopping :D Just feels great.. and the view is adding
to this pleasure of mine.

Coincidence?

2010-03-29T22:08:00.003+02:00

My home in Munich was at the base of the Alps (not literally dude).
My current home in The Hague is a stone's throw away from the sea.
My new home is literally on the beach.
So I am moving towards the sea.. closer and closer... I think it is
symbolic of my growing fondness towards taking the plunge, eh?!
hehe.. keep pondering.

Strange

2010-03-28T23:25:00.002+02:00

Strange it was that though today was an hour shorter for me
(I woke up and had already lost an hour thanks to DST), I
managed to do a lot more than I could have in a regular day.
Hmmm.. secret to achieving more - Have less time??

Moving Day is nearing

2010-03-28T22:51:00.002+02:00

Shifting homes is never an easy task no matter which country!
Packing, cleaning, unpacking, cleaning, arranging, rearranging,
cleaning.. ahh the cycle never ends for a few days.

I have lived in my current studio for only 6 months, but man, it
is still tough to move out hassle free. I am fearful moving into the
new place this week due to all the tasks that await me there :(

But I am happy with my new place. It is fantastic. A bigger 1 bedroom
apartment with a view of the sea.. right on the boulevard on the beach.
Its just fab... Cant wait :)

Spring is here

2010-03-21T23:06:00.003+01:00

The season of spring,
Weather seems to sing
Lovely lovely days
are coming our ways

Spring is finally here and it feels great. Gone are the overcast skies and the sun shines bright. Up and about on my feet, cos my dear, the time is right. :)

If you want to ever experience what human hibernation is,
you should visit the northern parts of the world in summer
and wait until its Spring. The snow seems to push everyone deeper into their hearths and there is hardly any activity. The moment the sun starts shining bright for a couple of days in March and you see those sleeping beauties wake up and show their might. It was so absolutely funny to walk out of my door and see so many people I never knew lived next door. (Ofcourse, I too hibernating, but well..) It was so great to see so many people on the streets, kids frolicking in the parks, bikers riding their bikes in full glory.. It was so refreshing.

The best part however, was mother nature. Its amazing to see the change around when the sun starts shining. Its like a switch turned on... and tak,tak, tak... everything around dons a new look. Flowers blooming every place you look, green carpets everywhere, trees looking like still waking up from their deep sleep... its amazing.

Here is one capture from around Den Haag this Spring.

Lazy?

2010-03-18T19:39:00.002+01:00

I think the advances in technology have made the new
generation lazy. I say from my personal experience as
well as that of others.

Our parents are still more active and more willing to go
the extra mile to achieve something - it may be something
as simple and ordinary like getting a refund back from the
shopkeeper. We on the other hand just shush it away..'Ah,
well, how does it matter, we have enough of it already'.
We have abundance of those items that were not readily
available to the previous generation. So we don't care and
chase other,bigger (in our opinion) things in life.

Well, everything has its pro's and con's. You just have to be
wise to make your choice.

Schade!

2010-03-14T22:25:00.003+01:00

On second thoughts ,if women have to write this in the national
daily, it looks like they are asking for too much. Pity!

Equality Matrimonials

2010-03-14T21:53:00.006+01:00

Time has brought in many changes.. in the world, in technology,
our work and our personal relationships as well.

A good example, if I may say, I saw today was a change in the
matrimonial section of the national daily. Here's the link.
It shows a true reflection of the change women have undergone or
let me say the urban/working woman has undergone in recent times.
Today's woman talks about equality on all fronts.. at work and in their
personal relationships. Look at the, I wouldn't say demands, but
expectations - and they are fair.

Today, when the woman also comes back home after a hard day's work
it is unfair to expect her to attend to all the domestic chores. She needs
support from her partner to keep herself sane in an insanely fast world.
You may say thats the problem of a nuclear family. And NO, joint family
is not a solution. They may work for some, not all. Joint families have
their own set of problems and most times it becomes an issue in itself,
mostly due to the generation gap of elders. I wouldn't say the previous
generation is regressive but it is difficult for them to understand the
characteristics of the current world and adapt themselves to it. It is
unfair too to expect that from them. So the median way is the best way.
Live nuclear but think 'together' when required.

The new woman also wants to retain her identity, her freedom, her money
even. I must say that the men of this generation too are adapting and this
isn't a big problem. They just need to stand a little more firm on it when
the bigger family comes into picture. But still not bad.

All today's women want is to not have to undergo a sea of change cos of
one change in their marital status, having a man who earns his living and not
just a salary, whom she can respect and expect the same back, a little give
and take and lots of love. In the end its all about understanding and adjusting
to each other's needs of time, space and goals - and that goes for both.
Its not too much to ask for or is it?

Gourmet cook

2010-03-10T22:51:00.002+01:00

They say - "necessity is the mother of invention"...
In these times where humans have all they NEED but WANT more..
I say - "boredom is the mother of invention".

You have everything you need .. but does that motivate you to
try out new things? Nope!
You get bored of the things you have... does that motivate you to
try out new things? Yep!

So.. boredom in the kitchen is the mother of inventive dishes.
Like today... made "dhirada".. a typical maharashtrian pancake
made of besan (bengal gram flour) and the staple onion and chillies.
Add to it a touch of all purpose flour (for lack of rice flour) and bingo!
A little pudina-green chilli chutney added the required zing to my
boring dinner. Came out yummy :)

Either way

2010-02-23T21:28:00.002+01:00

You get tired... When you have too much to do..
You get tired... When you have not much to do..
Either which when you get tired... you are getting OLD! :-)

Boriyat

2010-02-22T23:01:00.003+01:00

Realised today that I have suddenly lost interest in
reading.. and even writing. :-(

Have a huge Marathi book with me - which I fought for -
but just not able to pick it up and read. Same with writing..
Havent written much in this year so far.

Ofcourse I have been busy. Had been to Germany to visit my
bro who was on business there. (Had a much awaited visit to
Heidelberg.) Then my youngest bro was with me until today..
so yeah. But this is nicht gut.

:-)

2010-02-03T21:57:00.002+01:00

होंठ पे लिए हुए.... दिल की बात हम
जागते रहेंगे और... कितनी रात हम
मुख़्तसर सी बात है... तुमसे प्यार है...
तुम्हारा.... इंतज़ार है....
तुम..... पुकार लो....

दिल बहेल तो जाएगा.... इस ख़याल से....
हाल मिल गया तुम्हारा.... अपने हाल से....
रात बेकरार थी...बेकरार है....
तुम्हारा.... इंतज़ार है....
तुम..... पुकार लो....

Celestial Connections

2010-01-27T23:26:00.003+01:00

or Kismat Konnections...

I am a firm believer that everything happens for a reason.
You meet people for a reason and that though you may not
notice the reason right away, eventually it will be clear.
Ofcourse, there are still things that happened and people I
met - the reason for which I do not know yet. But nevertheless,
the belief stays.

Just happened to revisit some of the old times and thought of it.

Trigger

2010-01-24T20:32:00.002+01:00

manatale bhaav saare bandist aahet othan maage
bhavanancha baandh sutayla havet mag aathavaninche dhaage

Growing slow and steady

2010-01-16T20:16:00.001+01:00

Looking at my blogging history it appears that I have
been a turtle... slow and steady.

The number of posts from 2007 have steadily increased
and I hope I keep the pace this year too :)

A New beginning

2010-01-16T20:12:00.002+01:00

with a new year, new resolutions, new goals..
Wish you all a fantastic 2010 and hope you get
what you really need and may you enjoy the struggle
to get what you just want :)

It was a long break from blogging. Took a good vacation
in December and though snow and bad weather played
havoc with some of my plans - all in all - had a relaxing
2 weeks.

M back to getting used to the rut of regular life... yea, mid
Jan is a tad too late - but if you get an awesome vacation, it
does that. :)

Whats new with you?

Opinion Poll

2009-12-03T21:47:00.002+01:00

The best relationship is one in which your love for each other
exceeds your need for each other.

Agree?

Currently Reading...

2009-12-01T22:27:00.003+01:00

"2 States" by Chetan Bhagat.... AND "ek shunya mi" by Pu.La. Deshpande

Well, the first is my first of Chetan Bhagat's books and I must say he has a
flair for writing or what! :) His book is just irresistibly addictive and I just
cannot keep it down... so I search for any 5 minute break that I get and try
to read as much as I can.. even if it is walking ! :)

Well, two reasons... first, he is GOOD!
Second, I connect to what he writes... I had a boyfriend while I was at IIM
and it just brings back fond memories of that time and it just feels awesome :)
(I know my current boyfriend wont like this statement, but ... )
So... its just nice... may be the guys out there will say its too mushy...
but hey.. I am a woman.. I like it :D

Lone woman standing

2009-11-30T21:47:00.003+01:00

I dont think men realise how hard it is to be the lone woman
standing.. no they would never know.

They takes so many things for granted that its easy to miss the
efforts a woman has to put in to be standing alongside them.

Well lets start with the basics.. her attire. Too long - she's labeled
boring and too short makes you a too loose. So you wear a
slightly low neck tee and you have men hardly listening to what
you have to say.. lower attention span.. :)

Once they get past it they will judge you for what you speak and how
you speak. Soft will make you weak and a little strong will make you
too aggressive! What the hell ?!

Your status... the first thing to check will be her ring finger and if thats
missing then they will ask you out. And if you turn them down, well,
you have a hidden enemy for the rest of your time in that project.
For guys, its the done thing to flaunt their married status and kids.
A woman asking to adjust the timings to take care of her home and kids
will make her a liability.

The jokes... are incessantly on the wife, the girlfriend, the mother or the
bitchy lady boss. Whoever noticed that men too do the same?
Language is another issue. Swear words (all mostly based on woman) are
like interjections in any statement they make... so casual. Men get
irritated when they have to mind their language around a lady!
Btw..I have never understood why all the swear words are based on a woman.

And these are only some superficial points I made.

Standing as the lone woman many a times in my career so far has sadly, still
not taught me how to tame a man at work.. no, doesnt mean I know how to
do it in my personal life.. but it is surely something that oughta be learned in
order to crack into the group and get access to the same information that men
have.

Being pally doesnt help.. neither does being girly... or classy..
Is it that men still have not warmed up to the idea of a woman working
shoulder to shoulder with them and being equally successful?

And the Champagne flew

2009-11-29T19:12:00.005+01:00

finally at 11:30pm on Saturday night :)
A relieved lot enjoyed the drink with laughter and fun
and light banter over the tough times in the recent past.

For me... now starts the phase of adjusting with the inlaws..
the defects that might get reported when the system goes
live on Monday! I hope they aren't too tough.

It will also see me trying to get the fine balance between
work and home... that is defects and new releases.
Its gonna be an exciting time ahead.

Oh Christmas vacation.. where art thou? :)

Ironing out creases

2009-11-22T22:37:00.003+01:00

No matter how boring the weekly task of ironing my clothes
is, I realised today that I like it.

The reason? Well, that is the time when your mind is initially
focused on ironing out the creases and making sure the shirt
looks wrinkle free n stuff... but eventually the monotony of the
task sets in and puts you in semi-trance. You start thinking about
the various creases in your life and ways how to iron them out.
Will the steam work, should it be just less hot, or should you just
put it on maximum heat? Sadly, it doesn't have an option of soft
heat or a caring pull that will straighten out the situation.
But well, you get the point.

Indian men

2009-11-20T23:50:00.002+01:00

are hypocrites !

This is fact that I have to live with for the rest of my life!
Cos I am going to be with Indian men in my personal life
as well as professional.
Wont talk about the personal part, but the professional
discrepancy was there for more than me to see today.

I have been raising a couple of points since the time I moved
into this project regarding the way the team operates and
carries itself at a client site. That was the first resistance I
met - saying I was new and should not be bringing in too many
reforms all at once, which was a valid point. But the same
behaviour has become rampant now and has spread across
many teams. So we call for another meeting and I raise my
voice again. This to much dismay makes my male colleagues
(who are indians) uncomfortable of having a lady speak more
strongly than they and that our bosses agree to my point...
no matter how valid it is. It has also resulted in me being
infamous to a certain extent for moving the team out of the
comfort zone. All that is lacking is a formal protest!

Then we have a big shot lady manager here, who is Dutch,
and she has a reputation of being strict and well, not ruthless
exactly, but authoritarian. She is known to openly slam mistakes
and caring two hoots about who she is dealing with.

When I was discussing this with my team member, he was all
praises for her. I did a small test on him to check if the same
will work had she been an Indian working with Indians. The
answer was an expected "No.. it would not work!"

This is so unfair. Indian men do not mind a foreigner (lady)
bossing around and on them.. but the same done by an Indian
lady would not go down well with them. This is so absolutely
ridiculous.

I understand that this boils down to the Indian culture and roots
and upbringing and stuff... but men working abroad are exposed
to so much more than what they have been in their childhood.
They are also much more capable of thinking on their own,
judging what is right or wrong, where to draw the line between
personal and professional and the works. But this has not changed
the way they think! :-(
The so-called Indian values are so imbibed in them that they do
not take anything outside of that as acceptable and will openly
rebel!

Whoever said life is fair!

The Wedding Prep

2009-11-19T22:05:00.002+01:00

The wedding prepations are on in full swing....

Its a one time event and takes all it takes.
The pre-wedding, the wedding, the post-wedding..
the after-care..
You need to make sure the venue is right..
the food is there.. the guest list... the entry passes...
the accomodation... the rituals... the rehearsals...
man.. does it ever end?

Its on 27th of this month... goraj muhurta..
Be there...

Currently Readin

2009-11-18T21:52:00.001+01:00

"दास डोंगरी राहतो " by गो नी दांडेकर

Its about this great saint called Ramdas.
He was Chhatrapati Shivaji's guru, mentor.

So far an interesting read.

Have you

2009-11-18T21:50:00.001+01:00

ever thought, why addition is easy and subtraction so difficult?

Another status message

2009-11-17T17:12:00.001+01:00

put up by my friend on her gtalk.

"If you didn't try, then don't repent..
Cos you didn't try when you had the chance to hold it."

Man, is it cryptic or what :)

Found another one...

2009-11-12T21:06:00.002+01:00

another lookalike I mean.
Man... can you believe it.. ! :)
This place is like a backup of the world!

Freedom

2009-11-10T23:37:00.002+01:00

is Priceless !

Was watching the "Jailed Abroad" series on NGC.
It had this episode on an American woman jailed
in Cuba for carrying cocaine.

No matter where you are stuck... in a boring job,
a dead-end marriage, in your head, in the quicksand...
everybody realises this at some point or the other...
that Freedom is truly Priceless.

Dog days

2009-11-08T14:01:00.003+01:00

Spoke to my dog yesterday.

He obviously doesnt speak much.. but we had a good
conversation. He kept looking for me underneath the
computer table (cos we were talking over the internet :P)
and just sat there for a long time listening to my blabber
and responding in his own ways. :)

Oh he does miss me... and I miss him sooooo much :(

lol......

2009-11-05T22:02:00.001+01:00

मांजर आणि नवरा; कुठेही नेउन सोडला, तरी संध्याकाली घरीच परत येतो

A friend put this as his status message and it means...

"A cat and a husband... leave them in damn part of this world...
but will eventually return home in the evening. "

Lookalikes

2009-11-02T20:07:00.003+01:00

This is the weirdest place I've been..
I see so many lookalikes around... thats strange and
kinda eerie. Seen 4 so far who look so so similar to
people I know..
Hmmm wonder how many more to go ;)

Another one from the fantastic duo

2009-11-01T21:56:00.002+01:00

Sandeep Khare and Salil Kulkarni.

The previous post is a famous song of theirs.
Posting a stanza from another awesome song on the
life of a common god-fearing person.

धुतलेला सात्विक सदरा, तुटलेली एकच गुंडी
टकलावर अजून रुळते ... अदृश्य लांबशी शेंडी
मी पंतोजीना भ्यालो, मी देवालाही भ्यालो
मी मनात सुध्धा माझ्या... कधी दंगा केला नाही

Tried to translate.. but sorry.. some day.

Incredible India

2009-10-28T20:50:00.002+01:00

in Den Haag.

Saw a couple of trams and buses advertising the
incredible that is India! Felt good. :-)

हे भलते अवघड असते

2009-10-24T09:53:00.003+02:00

हे भलते अवघड असते

गाडी सुटली, रुमाल हलले, क्षणात डोळे टचकन् ओले
गाडी सुटली, पडले चेहरे, क्षण साधाया हसरे झाले

गाडी सुटली, हातामधुनी हात कापरा तरी सुटेना
अंतरातली ओली माया तुटूदे म्हटले तरी तुटेना

का रे इतका लळा लावुनी नंतर मग ही गाडी सुटते
डोळ्यांदेखत सरकत जाते आठवणींचा ठिपका होते

गाडी गेली फलाटावरी नि:श्वासांचा कचरा झाला
गाडी गेली डोळ्यामधल्या निर्धाराचा पारा फुटला

हे भलते अवघड असते... हे भलते अवघड असते...
कुणी प्रचंड आवडणारे... ते दूर दूर जाताना...
डोळ्यांच्या देखत आणि नाहीसे लांब होताना...

डोळ्यातील अडवून पाणी... हुंदका रोखुनी कंठी...
तुम्ही केविलवाणे हसता अन् तुम्हास नियती हसते...
हे भलते अवघड असते...

तरी असतो पकडायाचा... हातात रुमाल गुलाबी...
वार्‍यावर फडकवताना... पाह्यची चालती गाडी...
ती खिडकीतून बघणारी अन् स्वतः मधे रमलेली...
गजरा माळावा इतुके... ती सहज अलविदा म्हणते...
हे भलते अवघड असते...

तुम्ही म्हणता मनास आता, हा तोडायाचा सेतू...
इतक्यात म्हणे ती - माझ्या कधी गावा येशील का तू?
ती सहजच म्हणुनी जाते... मग सहजच हळवी होते...
गजर्‍यातील दोन कळ्या अन् हलकेच ओंजळीत देते...
हे भलते अवघड असते...

कळते की गेली वेळ... ना आता सुटणे गाठ...
आपुल्याच मनातील स्वप्ने... घेऊन मिटावी मूठ...
ही मूठ उघडण्यापूर्वी... चल निघुया पाऊल म्हणते...
पण पाऊल निघण्यापूर्वी... गाडीच अचानक निघते...
हे भलते अवघड असते...

परतीच्या वाटेवरती गुदमरून जड पायांनी...
ओठावर शीळ दिवाणी... बेफिकीर पण थरथरती...
पण क्षण क्षण वाढत असते... अंतर हे तुमच्यामधले...
मित्रांशी हसतानाही... हे दु:ख चरचरत असते...

हे भलते अवघड असते….

Time flies

2009-10-18T19:48:00.002+02:00

It did atleast last week. Blinked and.. I am here..
on a Sunday already :(

Moved into my new apartment on Monday eve and was
busy setting it up. Finally, stopped living out of my suitcases.
Work has been hectic too .. and its absolutely nothing but
work for around 9 hrs in the day in the least.

Hoping for a slightly better week this one.

Eventful day

2009-10-11T15:52:00.002+02:00

Friday was. Got myself registered at the IND in the morning.
Went to check out some houses in the afternoon. Everything
is awfully expensive out here. :( So booked a pretty expensive
apartment at the end of the day - could do nothing about it :(

And then in the evening went to a Casino.. that was interesting.
Made 20 euros out of nothing :) paid for my pizza that night :)

Thats all... more later.

Off again...

2009-10-03T20:24:00.003+02:00

to The Hague, Netherlands this time.

It appears now (to my mom) that Goddess Durga
didn't want to let me go before Kojagiri (5 days after
Dusshera, since she is 'prasanna' on me). The logicial
explanation to this (as per me) is that I postponed it
by 2 months and then the consulate delayed it by
another 2 weeks and here I am... being showered with
blessings from the Goddess :)

Whatever, I hope she smiles down on me through my
next stint as it is a challenging one. I have a gut feel
though that I am gonna shine brilliantly through this
one .. as always .. hehe ;)

Den Haag (or The Hague as it is known in English) is a
cosy sea side city, an hour's drive from Amsterdam.
I visited it earlier this year and liked it instantly. NL
in general has more genial feel to it than Germany, which
is a little uptight.Anywho. The Hague is the pseudo capital
of the NL and hosts almost all of its royal and government
offices. It is home to around 150 international organisations
including the UN orgs and others.

So this time my target is to cover the Nordic countries...
though I will have to wait until Feb/Mar for the cold to
be bearable for me. I don't think I will be able to manage
to eat a reindeer till then.. but lets see :)

Cheeni kum hai...

2009-09-23T19:28:00.002+02:00

cheeni kum hai...
thodi thodi tujh me hai kum...
kum kum hai...

Trying to reduce my sugar intake u see..
M too sweet anyway.. :P

A Sun kissed Night

2009-09-15T22:14:00.004+02:00

The quiet Night
whispers into my ear
asks me for things
I can no longer bear

I told her a few
and she sighed
to my surprise
then she cried

She can't see
the one she loves
If he is around
she has to leave
For it can't be Night
if it is day
Will be the end
she hears them say

Shocked, I hear
soothe her a little
Uncontrollable
weak and brittle

A ray of light
comes into Night
Travels north
Where its always light
She finds him
the one so missed
Nature's wonder
a Night sun kissed

Kutte... Kaminey

2009-09-15T21:33:00.004+02:00

There is this dialoge in the recently released "Kaminey"
which goes something like...
"One doesn't get screwed by the path one chooses... but
rather by the path not chosen"

Well, if you analyze this further you will notice that if you
choose a path, then obviously you are not choosing the
other (unless you are a mentally-handicapped convict
with no choice but to serve your sentence).
So you will get screwed for not choosing path B.

Now instead, if you choose the unchosen path, ie path B,
you are still choosing one and not choosing the other (path A)
... which means that you will still get screwed (for not choosing
path A this time).

So no matter which path you choose, "getting screwed" is
a given, regardless of the path chosen. Hence the above
statement is proved wrong.

But another axiom overrules all other theories in the movie
and that is "Life is a bitch" ("Duniya bahot kutti hai" or something
to that effect).... The important improvisation coming from the
theorem I proved wrong is "any which way"...

So moral of the movie... "Life is a bitch... any which way".. :)

Loved this one instantly

2009-09-11T18:08:00.002+02:00

Silly is a natural state - Serious is what you are forced to do
until you can be silly again.

"You can't eat the scenery"

2009-09-07T20:47:00.006+02:00

....is what my travel partner said on the second day of our trip to the
beautiful coastline of Maharashtra. If you overlook the acco and the food I
would say the trip was good. The journey was a walk in the clouds...
literally. Winding roads, large water bodies, lush green mountains, clouds
floating by your side, numerous waterfalls - small and big, the rough and
tough terrain of the Sahyadri's, the adventure of the Ghat roads - what more
does one need to feel like being in heaven?! It was a beautiful drive.

Our accomodation was far from that. Listen to this.
Going by the "new improved" look of the tourism corporation of Maharashtra
and on recommendations from a few friends who have stayed in MTDC
resorts earlier, I did the blunder, well, a mistake to be honest, of booking a
room in a MTDC resort. The charges looked like that of a good hotel in town
and I dreamt of a beautiful sea-facing room with rich carpets and plush
sofas. (Too dreamy after my trips in Europe.. ah even the cheapest hotels
were so good and the staff so cordial. The breakfasts were lavish and kept
you going for hours.Aaah.) Alas, the govt never lets us forget the problems
faced by a developing nation. It was a basic room with bare minimum
amount of hygiene maintained ( I still doubt it). The bed was a concrete slab
covered with marble - yes, don't faint - as a reminder perhaps to increase
the tourism to the state of UP. The matresses, well let's just say the marble
bed would have been softer. The curtains looked like they had been washed
when the leftover marble was brought from Agra. The lights were hardly
there to make the setting more natural (eerie?!) The toileteries - I gave
myself a pat on the back for taking my own set with me. And this saga
continues into the kitchen. The restaurant on site serves you with any dish
on the planet - as long as you stick to their 10 item menu :) And what does it
take to make sandwiches btw? Well, not much if you have bread. (Imagine
me crying hoarse for not getting fish on a trip to the coast... I can't either..
but here I am.. dreaming about fish after a 2 day beach trip :( ) All this
excellent service and food comes at a cost and it was well worth the
stupidity I had displayed while booking this place. So, though the location
of the resort was good everything else left much much much more to
improvisation. We kinda renamed MTDC as "More Torture from Devil's
Corporation". I think this one suits.

What was surprising was though the "no meat, no drinks, no evil (, no living
;))" period was over and we could officially start eating meat - we just
couldn't find fish anywhere on the coast. Not in Harihareshwar, not in
Shrivardhan and neither in Dive agar. Nope. It was highly disappointing.
Dil ke armaan.... samandar me beh gaye. (So I dug into the first fish item I
saw after returning to base. May be the fish were touring too.)
Anyway, so thats the tragic story of my fishing trip.

But like I said earlier, the drive more than compensated for the food fiasco.
The drive from Harihareshwar to Shrivardhan and further on to Dive agar
was along the coast and it was amazing to drive with the hills on one side
and the sea on the other. The beaches as expected were dirty due to
monsoon and not worth setting foot on. Visited a couple of historic temples
around and it was time to head back.

Will post pictures soon.

What an 'org'y ;-)

2009-09-02T06:20:00.003+02:00

Dirty minds... stop salivating. Its nothing like you think
it is .

I was meeting a friend for lunch and he being a great host
that he is.. took me to his, hold your breath... Office Cafetaria.
Yea.. but as you can guess from the title of this post, it wasn't
that bad :)

For startes, the place was clean, did not stink as much as the other
cafetaria's I have visited, the food was great and to top it all ...
it was FREE. Yep. This org he works in provides free food to its
employees.. be it at breakfast, lunch or dinner. But the quality
wasn't compromised . So it was great. I heard of the org also
promoting healthy snacking options with fruits.

Off late, after listening to a few of my friends and after being to this
jaw-dropping (literally!) cafetaria I am coming to a conclusion that
Indian org's have a lot to learn to catch up with the MNC's.

Proud Owner

2009-08-17T18:58:00.002+02:00

of a house ... finally ! :)

Well it was a long fight... a 2 month long fight with the
builder. I didnt expect to have to fight with a builder of
such repute.. but .. they are all the same.
I am still not so satisfied with the final touches and am
in full mind to see the workings of a consumer court.

Anywho..

and then there was more...

2009-08-13T17:31:00.001+02:00

Down with throat infection.. and I pray hard it stays at that..
what will the biggest scare of the century gripping Pune
currently.. Swine Flu... when will it "flew"???

Tragedy of errors.

2009-08-12T19:41:00.005+02:00

Well, not exactly a tragedy, but life for some strange reason
isn't as cool as it used to be until I landed in Pune. :-(
So many chores to attend to, issues, work, traffic, colleagues
... ah... and sometimes they all converge to make me explode
like a nuclear bomb. :)

Thought

2009-08-05T20:09:00.002+02:00

वाट चुकते की आपलं पाउल चुकीचं पड़तं ?

- Is the path wrong or the decision of choosing that path?

Monsoon Madness

2009-08-04T21:03:00.003+02:00

Well, it was madness to the 'T'. Was one helluva ride :)

Started at 5:30 am on a lazy Sunday morning (and that
meant I had to wake up at some ungodly hour) and ended
at around 8 pm the same day, thankfully. There were
around 15-20 other jobless people ready and raring to go
Except for the virtually non-existent roads in the villages
the ride was smooth and was a joy. Every small village you
visit bears the sign "Pradhanmantri gram sadak yojana"..
and it is literally that.. you can hardly see a gram of tar in
these far flung places. It was also educational - no, I didn't
learn anything about how windmills operate and are good
for the earth or so - but what I did learn was that I am a
spoilt urban resident. It has been ages since I rode pillion
on a bike and it was extremely difficult to get used to it.
My sense of safety has so heightened after my short stint
abroad - it made the ride worse.. for the person driving :)
Ofcourse the usual signs of spoilt citizens like electricity,
good roads, communication lines, easy access to the
global market etc were absent and thats when I realised
I was spoilt :)

What I brought back with me were the innocent smiles and
the curious looks on the faces of many kids (and adults alike)
lining the path of our drive.. that is something that is hardly
visible in the urban areas. Kids today are so grown up they
hardly have any curiosity and adults are so busy that they
forget to smile at the simple joys of life.

Though most of the 350 odd km's we drove in one day were
good, the 200 odd kms of rough/hilly terrain killed my back.
Thankfully there were no breakdowns or accidents (in our group).
So, would I like to go back on more such adventures... Sure,
why not! Its fun, its thrilling, it sharpens your risk taking nature
and pushes you to try out daring adventures even more ... despite
the screwed back.

Tired

2009-08-01T09:19:00.002+02:00

With the multitasking I am doing since being back.
And to top it was the task of filing IT Returns.

I decided to fill it up on my own this year... but alas!
The govt's policy of alleviating unemployment starts
with the ITR form. They have made it so complex and
tricky that an individual cannot fill it out on his/her own
(if you are not the "naak-ki-seedh me chalnewala" types) -
without the help of an expert! So finally went to the expert
and did my bit to help the govt in their "reduce unemployment"
drive.

I hoped to relax on Saturday...but sigh... there's work to
do today as well :-(

I hope to have fun tomorrow though. My friend is a member
of the Bullet (Royal Enfield) club in town and we are gonna
enjoy the "Monsoon Madness" event. It's an event sponsored
by Suzlon and I am excited to catch up on the windmills in
India. Excited to be using my camera again after a long break.
:-)

Sign of the times?

2009-07-28T20:17:00.003+02:00

"LIAR"..... is what I called a friend whom I haven't spoken to
in QUITE some time now, when he told me that he missed
talking to me.

Well, I know he isn't lying. The current pace of life and the
weird problems we face these days makes us so depressed (!?)
that we go into our shells so deep that even we don't realize
how depressed we are. How many times have you promised
to call a friend and have not done it for like weeks or even
months? Can you count the number of occasions you have
turned down an offer to socialize cos you didn't feel up to it?!
There can be many such examples, but I think you get the point.

No, don't give me the standard excuse of not having enough time.
Didn't you have time when you were young? Traffic is not a good
enough reason either. You will beat the peak-hour traffic if you
desperately want to go some place. Phone-bills? There are cheaper
ways to keep in touch these days. So you see, there is no reason
for us to not keep in touch. But we don't! And its everybody.. for
some reason or the other.

Have our lives becomes so unbearable? Have we become so numb
that we don't want to put efforts to revive it? I know some of you
might say we do socialize on occasions... a wedding, a party, a picnic
or a funeral. But it stops at that doesn't it ? Not to mention how exhausted
we are at the end of it all. How many times do we actually meet/call
up friends and come back satisfied after a 5 min chat?
It used to happen more often earlier than now.. no?

Or is it just me in my age-blues?! :-) Donno.

Whatever... I miss the heart-to-heart with a simple soul... the
laughter and fun and the serious talks over ultimate Margarita's :-(
The silver lining numbs the pain a little for now.. Hope to catch up
on good ol' times in the Coffee Houses of Holland soon ;-)

Very nice

2009-07-27T19:33:00.002+02:00

खर्च झाल्याचं दुख्ख नसतं, हिशोब लागला नाही की त्रास होतो।

Drive me Krazzy

2009-07-25T19:13:00.015+02:00

I know, I know, I am talking too much about the traffic in India.
But as much of a pain that it is driving around here it is as much fun
involved when you look at it objectively.

The funniest event is when the back of a car has a sticker posted onto
it saying "I follow traffic rules, do you?!" is breaking a traffic rule. Its
hilarious to scream at the unsuspecting driver who thinks (s)he is the
one who is on the right side of the road.. er, rule.

The usual drama involving pedestrians crossing the roads has different
variations. There are the brave (read arrogant) ones who just cross
without blinking their eye and expect the traffic to come to a screeching
halt as they go about their normal business. And then there's the meeker
or a little sophisticated variety which stretches out its hand in a stop sign
to the oncoming traffic. Well, it works only sometimes in India. And
then there are the in-betweens - the ones who cannot decide whether
they should cross or stay put. They are the ones who cause most accidents
on the roads :) They should just know that a (wo)man oughta do what a
(wo)man oughta do and should JUST DO IT! Alas, they keep moving back
and forth on the road leaving the driver confused and wondering whether
(s)he should accelerate or should hit the breaks. If you are a good judge
(of people AND of traffic OR are a reckless driver) you will get it right and
there will be no confusion. But if you are not, then the resulting chaos is
hilarious when you look back. Notice it next time.

I am a firm believer that every road in India NEEDS to have a road divider.
Its just too unmanageable otherwise for crossing the street as well as to
drive. But putting up 2 feet high road dividers has not helped either what
with people putting in all their effort to climb it up and get to the other
side and cross the road. Whats funny is that it will take almost the same
effort to go to the nearest road crossing and cross the street. (Well, I am
almost certain its going to be as difficult there as well, but its good for
the traffic to know where to expect people popping up suddenly.
Its kinda expecting the unexpected! ) :)

Apart from people and vehicles the other most common (as per foreigners)
entity to be found on Indian streets is cattle. To be honest I never noticed
cattle on the street until after my first visit abroad years back. :) I swear.
But yes, the 'forener's' are correct here. You will see a single cow/buffalo
or an entire herd ruminating lazily in the middle of a crowded street, totally
oblivious to the deviations the world has to make for them.
There are also street dogs running behind any vehicle they think suspicious
and barking at them with all their energy to prevent them from entering
their territory again. That's the kind of security people on the street have
- totally natural and reliable!

Then there are the modern, educated, hip, sophisticated cattle on the
street - the ones driving whilst talking on their cell phones or the ones
who do not understand what "Yield" means or the ones who care a damn
about splashing rain water on unsuspecting targets walking on the street
or driving a two wheeler or the ones driving throwing all caution to wind
and driving in the mind numbing belief that they own the road - caring
two hoots for the mere mortals. Well, who says education educates a man ?!

This is already a long post but I couldnt end it without talking about the
daily dose of rallies, protests, morchas, VIP visits, road diversions, road
work-in-progress, broken traffic lights, sudden changes in routes or
religious marches? These are the motivations for a young man in India
to become a Formula One driver. Where else could one get so much practice ?!
I think we should have more of these since these are clearly not enough.

Nuff said! Its surprising that despite all this you won't see as many
accidents as you would expect to in day to day transactions. It's
minimal and usually with very less casualty. The other benefit of the
Indian traffic system is that it is a very active form of meditation.
The driver is totally aware of all his senses and has all his concentration
on his driving. (The swearing and stuff is part of the meditation,
kindly do not take it otherwise.) How could I forget the laughs you
get out of revisiting some of the events that happened during your
drive, the live action sequence unfolding right in front of you, the
intense drama, watching the police in action and at the end the
expressions of the unhappy car-owner - are some things money
cannot buy. Priceless!

So go get your daily dose of meditation and get going! Happy journey :-)

Its a tough drive

2009-07-24T19:44:00.003+02:00

in Pune. Moving back to my hometown after so many years
I fail to recognise its changed face. The first time I drive into
any area anytime now is a confusing experience. The roads
have changed and there are flyovers in places unimaginable
and there are one ways and what have you.
So I drive like I am totally new to that place though I know
I still am familiar.

The perils of development in a developing nation.

The time has come.

2009-07-23T20:15:00.002+02:00

To make a tough choice.. of whether to go with your heart
or with your head.

I have always been a practical person, so the choice is clear.
But there are times in life, esp after a hard time, when you want
to follow your heart without caring too much about what might
follow. And that is the toughest choice.

It is even more difficult to listen to your heart when you have been
listening to your head all the time. :-)

Anywho... I've made my choice and I know my next destination now :)

As long as it is black .. or white.

2009-07-19T20:42:00.002+02:00

I think slowly my wardrobe is turning black and white
and I plan to do something about it.
But its more a modified case of "Any customer can have a car
painted any colour that he wants so long as it is black".
So I need to keep a tab on myself whenever I pick up a
piece of non-color :-)

On deeper thought, do you think life is fun if it is plain black
and white and no gray? I think it will be simple, yes, but intereting-
I don't think so. It will be mechanical, predictable and boring.

Meet the parents

2009-07-16T19:44:00.001+02:00

is an interesting event... er, movie. :)

Aah...

2009-07-12T13:48:00.005+02:00

Some encounters with parents are always embarassing, no?!
Well, I had an embarassing encounter yesterday and I surprised
myself by not wriggling out of it, cos I was sure of myself :)

So, at the end I came out happy listening to the echo of my
resounding "Yes' :-)

Absence, y'no...

2009-07-09T18:57:00.002+02:00

makes the heart grow fonder :-)

I couldn't get closer to experiencing it than now :)

Go Federer

2009-07-05T20:24:00.002+02:00

It was time it happened!
Fedex creates history with his 15th Grand Slam Title.

The absence of Rafa was felt but Roddick's tough fight
blunt the pain a bit. What a a fight.

Impossible is nothing, eh?!

मुखवटा

2009-07-04T20:30:00.003+02:00

तो हसला नी मी हसले
तो रुसला नी मी रडले
त्याच्या बोलण्यात मन गुंतले
नी मी मलाच हरवून बसले

चिंब भिजुनही कोरडीच राहिले
मुखवट्याचे अश्रु का कधी ओले निघाले ?

The week that was... er, is!

2009-07-04T20:00:00.007+02:00

Man, what a hectic week.
If I had any inkling of having to repay an entire laid-back month,
with interest in a week... I wouldn't have opted for an easy going
month! Believe me you!!

The week was a little short of four weddings, what with such
elaborate functions held and making it mandatory for the close
relatives to attend :-( I absolutely detest elaborate but brain
-numbing rituals of which no one can make head or tail out of.
Its just plain waste of time.

Well, getting back on track.. the week saw me commuting to Mumbai
on two consecutive days for stuff I had parceled from Germany. The
drive on the second day on the express-way was awesome. Just loved
it. But hated the (again, mind-numbing) procedures that we had to go
through to lay our hands on our own stuff. Me and my friend went
with the minimal expectation (of a simpleton you would say) of having
to sign on a document on receipt of our luggage, like we do in the case
of a courier. But that was the biggest balloon to have burst on my face :)
Not only did we have to travel to Mumbai for two days in a week but also
had to go through the entire process of customs and excise complete
with pestering agents, not-so-friendly govt officials, dirty and dingy
offices and at the end opened bags! Yep, the locks on our bags were broken
when they were delivered. Luckily since we hadn't moved any expensive
stuff we didn't lose anything. But it was a lesson learnt and if you haven't
learnt it yet, you aren't smart enough.
So next time you want to move your stuff from abroad - DON'T!!

But the drive compensated for it to some extent. It was just beautiful
to drive in the rains next to mountains kissing the clouds and making
it so romantic. :-)

End of a hectic week? You would think! Still have some other chores
to attend to... but am looking forward to it. Well, I have my reasons :-)

Another one

2009-06-23T20:28:00.002+02:00

पुरूष धड पत्नीचा नसतो आणि आइचाही नसतो॰
तो स्वतःचाच, त्याचा असतो॰
तो वेळेचा विचार करतो, न्याय-अन्यायाचा नाही
ह्या क्षणी आपल्या सोयीचं काय आहे इतकंच तो
पाहतो॰

- An excerpt from the marathi book Sakhi,
by Va. Pu. Kale.

Another one from my diary

2009-06-23T07:26:00.005+02:00

अशी असावी ती
फुलासारखी नाजूक
तरी काट्यांवरही चालणारी
कमळासारखी कोमल
तरी चिखलातही उमलणारी

अशी असावी ती
माझ्यात सामावून जाणारी
तरी स्वतःचे "मी" पण जपणारी
मुक्त जीवन जगणारी
तरी माझे "मी"पण जपणारी

Driving in India isn't scary

2009-06-22T19:39:00.007+02:00

Is what I think... after one year of my involuntarily self-imposed curfew
on driving.

I finally gave up on my efforts (atleast for the time being on some of my
initiatives) of not increasing my carbon foot-print. The public transport
system in Pune is horrendous and that would be an understatement. The
buses are from the stone age, the bus-stops (where the buses hardly stop btw)
from the iron age and showing all signs of it, the routes if you could decipher
would fetch you a prize in a puzzle competition, the staff being the royals on
service to mere mortals at their mercy!

No, the local trains are no better. Well, they do stop at the stations, but are
so overcrowded that I couldn't take the train that I used to a couple of years back.
The same train that used to appear so spacious and airy and comfortable was
choc-a-bloc with people bringing in the fragrances of their land that make your
nose shrivel up in the luxury that is offered only in a few malls in India.
India's population is growing up so fast it is increasing the burden on the
infrastructure at exponential rates!

And the monsoon playing truant didn't help one bit. The monsoon setting in is
going to open up another pandora's box! With the extreme heat going on it was
impossible to reach office or home without having drenched your clothes in
sweat. (Well, yeah I know I am exaggerating, but it is not very far from the truth)

So after all the efforts to not add to pollution I took my vehicle out on the mean roads
of Pune. Contrary to my fear and anticipation, it wasn't that tough driving on Indian
roads again. The roads in most parts of the city are fantastic and offer a good drive.
Yes, driving discipline left a lot more to be expected but still not that bad. The
left-hand/right-hand drive confusion can also be cleared up quickly and you can
have a smooth sail. It took me approx 45-50 minutes to cover a distance of I would
say 25km. Not bad, eh!

All in all was a good decision to drive the car. I hope to do car-pooling in the near
future to get rid of my guilt (and ofcourse some of the leg pain that exists due to
the strenuous drive) :-)

Drive Safe and Follow Traffic Rules.

One from my diary.

2009-06-21T20:23:00.005+02:00

स्त्री म्हणजे विश्वकर्त्यानं आपल्या पहिल्याच साखरझोपेच्या वेळी
टाकलेला एक हळूवार निश्वास वाटतो मला॰ त्या निश्वासांत पुरुषाच्या
जळणाऱ्या मनाला शांत करण्याची प्रचंडा शक्ति असते॰ स्त्रीच्या प्रेमळ
सहवासात माणूस जगाचं क्रौर्य विसरु शकतो, अपमानाचे कडू घोट
पचवू शकतो, नव्या परक्रमाचे पर्वत उभे करू शकतो॰ तरुण मनाला
ज्याची नेहेमीच ओढ़ असते असं जीवनाच्या वाटचालीतलं सर्वात
मोक्याचं ठिकाण॰

- An excerpt from the Marathi book "Mrityunjay"
by Shivaji Sawant

First mover's advantage??

2009-06-17T18:24:00.001+02:00

I wonder why people expect the other person to
make the first move always?!!

Nostalgia

2009-06-07T17:36:00.002+02:00

As usual the restless soul was upto generating work
and keeping oneself occupied all through the weekend.

So while at that I tripped upon some long lost items of
my creation. It was so nice to see those diaries and cards
and stuff - it took me a time gone by and still made me feel
so fresh.

Was very heartening to read the notes in my slam book from
my friends at school and work. It was hilarious to moving.
And so was the diary where I penned down lines which had
moved from the books I was reading or the poems/Sher's I
found interesting. Some of them can be truly revisited any
number of times without a hint of boredom.

aaah.... good ol' times :)

Finally

2009-06-05T20:20:00.002+02:00

My prayers have been answered and it has rained in Pune.
Aaah... the rains made it so much better... its cool and nice
but a tad too warm for monsoon :) Nevertheless.

I wish

2009-06-03T20:34:00.002+02:00

I wish I had more friends in my hometown.

Most of my friends from work are based in Bangalore,
where I used to work. The ones from school/college
are all abroad mostly. The ones from my current
organisation... whom am I kidding :)

Have only 3 friends in town.. of which one is a visiting
friend.. hehe... so he doesn't technically count. The
other is one with whom I can discuss only career and
the last one is a little more fun, but he is out of town.

So... any ideas... or wanna stop-by? :)

It is sooooooooooooooooooo...........

2009-06-02T20:07:00.001+02:00

Bloody hot out here!!

God, please send the monsoon soon... :)

I'll be back...

2009-05-31T15:04:00.002+02:00

Zoooo... I am back in India... to the gentle heat and pristine
surroundings.. hehe... :)
Yea its far far away from the scene above but I hope it becomes
that way some day. But its HOME and I love being back.

So starting the proceedings for my next location now...
and I hope its DE again.

lol....

2009-05-10T00:43:00.003+02:00

War es Treue oder Sehnsucht?
War es Treue oder Sehnsucht?
Jahrlang habe ich auf dich gewartet
Doch nie hast du mir offenbart
was du mir heute endlich sagst

Hilflos weinte mein Herz im Stillen
Was soll ich nur tun?
Denn ganz plötlich ich est liebe

If you happen to translate this to Hindi, you will rofl :)
And if you dont, ask me.. I will tell you what it means.

Chicken!

2009-05-06T22:59:00.001+02:00

Butter chicken was delicious.

No, I didnt cook it, my roomie did.
And was it good or was it good ! :-)

Just too good. He earlier also cooked chicken achari
and it turned out much more delicious than the one
served in the best hotel in town!

Muaaah! :)

Suisse

2009-05-04T22:51:00.000+02:00

Jaane na kahan wo duniya hai
Jaane na wo hai bhi ya nahi
Jahan meri zindagi mujhse
Itni khafa nahi...........

I know... its in Switzerland :-)

But......

2009-04-29T22:15:00.005+02:00

The sambar I cooked today ... kicked some ass! :-)

The most delicious sambar I have ever cooked.
And the recipe for the curious...

Dal - depends on how many ppl you want to feed
Moong Dal - depends on how much you like it

Cook it in a pressure cooker of your choice.

1. In a pan heat oil (of your choice and as much as you like).
2. Splutter mustard seeds, dried red chill and a little fenugreek
seeds.
3. Then add the garlic and let it brown.
4. Then add onions and fry them as much as you want :)
5. Then come in tomatoes and again let them sog as much as it allows.
6. Then add tamarind paste as per your taste and water.
7. Add turmeric powder, sambar powder and chilli powder to taste.
8. Add salt as much as your guests can digest.
9. Cover it and let the mixture cook.
10. After around 5-10 minutes or (50 if you like!) add the cooked dal.
11. Let it boil for 5 minutes.
12. .... And its ready to eat.

See.. its so easy - all it takes is knowing your taste and that of your guests.
:-)

Guten Apetit.

My first disaster in the kitchen

2009-04-29T21:47:00.003+02:00

was a pasta dish I tried :-(

It turned out edible but not so lip-smacking good.
Was disappointed. I think I should look at some good
cookery shows about pasta making.

But the pasta ration is over and I dont think I will try it
out any soon :) Thank God (goes my roomie).
There's a nice place in the city center that has awesome pasta
I heard.. will try that out some day and then try out my hand again.
Surprisingly I HAD tried making pasta back in India and it had
turned out pretty well.. Anyway.. There's always a next time

Today's special - Kadhi Pakoda

2009-04-21T22:25:00.003+02:00

If actions are anything to go by, I will not have to write anything more if
I show a pic of my finger licking roomie after eating the kadhi pakoda
I made today evening :)

First try and well worth the praise :) Not bad eh!

Clarity

2009-04-20T20:12:00.002+02:00

The clouds of uncertainty are gone and there is light :)

Looking for another project now. Not sure of my release date yet.
Will be clear soon.

Hoping to get my next exciting opportunity sooooon.

Easter Weekend Trip - Part I

2009-04-19T21:24:00.010+02:00

Had an amazing long weekend during Easter holidays. Went around Belgium
and Netherlands and the trip was really fantastic.

Landed in Brussels, BE and headed straight to Rotterdam, NL in a cute Fiat 500.
The journey was not long and was an easy drive on NL roads. Belgian highways
reminded me of some of the old highways in India - rough, patchy and dented.
NL highways were smooth as butter and driving thro'out the NL was a lovely
experience.

Rotterdam was a totally different from what I expected. Sky-scrapers, modern
architecture, jazzy offices - no this wasn't what I expected in Europe! :) So was
quite an evening walking around town marveling at the modern landscape.

Next day was reserved for Keukenhof - the famous Tulip Gardens of NL. Was so
excited about visiting this place that every minute delayed felt like I was gonna
miss something there. Thanks to the online tickets we bought we didn't have to
waste time in the long queues outside. From the moment one enters the garden
to the time one gets out - one is total awe of nature. The manicured landscape of
the garden is inviting and makes you want to spend more time with nature. The
thousands of different varieties of tulips - I can't even begin to describe. Till the
time I visited Keukenhof, I had only one picture of the tulip in my mind. After this
visit I am a little more conversant and if you don't ask me the botanical names I can
even tell you what all kinds :) Also saw the famous tulip farms on the way and they
were just like I imagined them! Sigh, couldn't get closer to them :(
So after a long day marveling, wondering and saluting nature headed back to
Rotterdam.

Then came the most tiring day of the entire trip. Hadn't planned it that way, but
since there was a car at disposal - made the most of it. Headed towards Delft - a
scenic, picturesque town on the way to Den Haag. It is known most for the blue and
white ceramic ware or Delftware as its called. It was a treat to the eyes watching
the cute little windmills in blue and white. Delft like most of NL has lot of canals
inside town and of course small little bridges over them.

After this lovely detour the next stop was Den Haag or The Hague. It used to be the
capital in earlier times and houses a lot of offices even today. The beach was choc-a-
-bloc with people and so was the parking, of course with cars. After spending some
time with Nord See (North Sea in English) we headed north to Amsterdam.

Amsterdam was an eye opener - literally. ;) Well before we go there let me also
mention - it reminded me of Mumbai. The central station looks very similar to
VT (or the new CST). The crowds are also similar -well demographically Indians
are a minority like the foreigners are back at CST. But the crowd is as much. It was
difficult to walk without nudging or being nudged. To get a respite we took the
Canal ride. It was cool looking at Amsterdam, its buildings, the various districts,
the people, their boat offices and homes (yes people do work out of their boats - how
cool is that!). It was in that ride that I came to know about the amusing central
station. It apparently is built on some 9000 wooden poles and amazes one no end of
how much rail traffic it handles day in and day out! Now comes the eye opener part.
Visiting the red light district of Amsterdam is a kind of ritual every tourist performs
while in Amsterdam. I was no exception. After a brief search we reached the narrow
alleys of the district. And I couldn't keep my eyes shut... lol. They were beautiful
women, barely clad, standing in the window of their one-room apartments waiting
for customers or negotiating with probable ones. That was a bold display and no
trace of shame or shyness to it. There were tons of people around flocking to see
these beauties and they were generous enough in giving them what they came for!
There was no turning back after this and so I headed to a show. Contradictory to my
gut feel I wasn't grossed out at all. It was pretty well done and even had acts like in
a regular theater act. There were sections to please different sets and to ensure
everybody went back happy - lol. So I came out with a smile on my face rather than
a grimace - and that was a pleasant surprise.

It was a long night already and the way back to the hotel in Rotterdam was even
longer. I enjoyed Amsterdam and would like to experience more of it some day again
- and this time a visit to a 'coffee shop' will NOT be missed. ;)

Thats the NL trip. Will write about the BE part soon. So long..

The Uncertainty of the times

2009-03-31T22:26:00.003+02:00

is UNSETTLING.

Recession has officially reached my German client
as can be seen from their actions.Europe anyway sees
things 6 months late, so here I am - unsure of my job,
unsure of my stay here and hoping that things will
improve SOON.

Lets hope for the best.

Headstone Hunters

2009-03-27T19:50:00.002+01:00

Apparently, this is what will be written on my headstone - if I get
buried and not cremated that is :)

"NO VACANCY"
You are one of those people that others will remember at places
away from the grave site.. One of those people that the rest of us
will think of everytime a joke is told or something brilliant happens..
You may not get flowers on your grave, but you will be thought of
everytime a glass is "clinked"... I'm surprised you even took the time
to take the quiz!

Who knows...

What do you think btw?

Spring in my feet

2009-03-23T13:31:00.003+01:00

Spring is officially here as of last Friday.
But the weather hardly shows any sign of it.

Its funny the way the weather reflects our moods,
its nice and bright and sunny on the weekends and
dull and gloomy on the weekdays.

Talk about a conspiring universe eh! :P

Unravelling your other side

2009-03-22T22:09:00.007+01:00

I have been experiencing newer aspects of myself since the time I moved to Europe.
It has more to do with the need to do so rather than wish.

The biggest change is me in the past 10 months has been my growing fascination
towards cooking. Believe me you, someone who had "a good cook" as a criteria for
zeroing on her could-be husband - this is a huge huge change!
But like I said, it has more to do with the need.

It is so absolutely difficult to eat German food EVERYDAY. Sorry Deutschland.
And the Indian food options are not that great. Well you may say something is better
than nothing, but you should try it yourself before you recommend it to me. Besides
being unreasonably priced it is as far apart from authentic Indian cuisine as the moon
from the earth. (Of course there is '1' good restaurant which I love, but it is not one
where one could go every week without pinching your pocket.)

So the last resort - cook your own meal. I did have a penchant for cooking and
whatever I tried out back home turned out finger-licking good :) Honestly. But I could
do that only once in a while. No, no, don't doubt my ability to recreate magic every
time, cos I can. It was just I was lazy. And who will not be! When you have so many
different options available!! I had a cook (who to be honest didn't churn out as good
food as I did, but like I said I was lazy to cook everyday), there were fine restaurants
nearby(not to mention they were affordable), you had home delivery service
available, you had tons of options of snacks to choose from, you could visit a friend's
place if you craved for some authentic dish from that part of India - so why would
anybody have to cook?!!!! Ah, the luxury that is India! :)

So now I have moved from that phase to this phase where I cook almost EVERY
day! Well, I DO cook everyday, sob, sob. (Yea my roomy does cook, but the mess
he leaves back is too much for me to handle. So I let him be most times) Anyway.
So like at other things, I am good at this too. Hehe. My inherent creativity has
cooked up dishes I could never imagine possible from me. And I am getting good
at it day by day.Necessity is the mother of invention they say. In the case of the
kitchen one could say boredom is the mother of innovative dishes.

Cooking your own food has its own pros you see. For one you can always believe
what you are eating, unlike at the restaurants. Secondly, you KNOW it is
hygienic and don't have to believe the hypocritical certificates the restaurant
flaunts. You always have the choice to "order" your own dish unlike where you
have to pick from "1,2,3". I think you get the point. So.. I am enjoying my time
in the kitchen. I ain't cooking any story here, honestly I am :)

So long... until next time, Guten Apetit.

Happy Holi

2009-03-11T22:09:00.004+01:00

to you all.

I was missing out on splashing colors and water balloons
this day and ofcourse "Puran Poli".
Thanks to the wife of a colleague who thought of the brilliant
idea to surprise us all by getting Gulaal to our work place :)
Yeah it was fun dusting it off over and over and eventually
just letting the tikka stay so you dont get splashed all over again.

That was fun. :)