Yellow again - Photographic weekends #11

Somehow, these little flowers are really soothing in look... they look like treasures scattered in the grass and other unnoticed areas. Shot this during one of the treks we did recently! By the way, I am yet to produce a good quality miniature!

Auto-mated road - Photographic weekends #10

We have visited Charminar today... I found this view quite interesting! I was wondering how these people are so good at managing through these roads, amidst the unending chaos!

Lost in paradise - Photographic weekends #9

Shot this during a mini-trek we did last Friday... Weather was so good that we forgot everything and played like kids for a while... You can see Mario, my colleague, engrossed in enjoying the beauty of nature!

Shining and soothing - Photographic weekends #8

Shot this on last full-moon night! I was amazed at the way my cam is able to show few craters and other details on Moon's surface!

Happy weekend!

Growing and glowing - Photographic weekends #7

I could capture this, from my balcony, on one of the beautiful mornings! Thanks to my wife for waking me up so early in the morning!

Out of focus? -Photographic weekends #6

PS: idea is borrowed from PHD.

Black & White light - Photographic weekends #5

I tried to capture a glowing bulb, by reducing aperture, increasing the shutter speed, and focusing manually! Color mode is not set to B&W, though the shot looks like black and white one!

Eying on me? - Photographic weekends #4

I have shot this one while trying manual focus feature of my SONY DSC-H50 camera... I am worried about my camera as my wife is getting frustrated because of my obsession for this camera ;-) I am in love with this one because of its rich features!

PS: this beautiful eye belongs to her... I thank her for the million dollar pose!!!

Cloned colleague - Photographic weekends #3

This is my first attempt to create cloned photograph through GIMP, not perfect though. I am amazed at the multiple clones done by people, in so many creative ways! I will try once again for a better output and post it later.

PS: I am getting my camera in another 4 days... I am excited!

Angels in yellow - Photographic weekends #2

These are little flowers that I see on my way to cafeteria every afternoon... So small are these flowers, but give lot of inspiration and energy to smile!!!

Watching rain - Photographic weekends #1

Inspired from Phographic Fridays series by Chandoo, I am starting this series from today! By the way, soon I am going to get my own digital camera with 15X optical zoom!!

This snap is shot at Top Station in Munnar, Kerala during my honeymoon trip!

27... ... ...

alas! I am 27 now... Unlike last year, I am much happier and feeling complete this year! thanks to my wife, for making it a very special day for me, in her own style.

P.S: Let me see how different this year would be!

married...

Amidst the bright lights... beautiful flowers... pleasant fragrances... pandits' chantings... smiling guests... and blessing friends... I have got married to Umakalyani, the love of my life!!! I thank one and all who have wished me good luck, personally and electronically!!!

Invitation...

Dear all,

after 27 years of bachelor (err... unmarried) life, I am finally getting married to Umakalyani, on 15th August, at Visakhapatnam. I would be glad if you can make it to my wedding.

yours truly,
Gopal

trip to jog falls...

We made yet another weekend trip... this time, a bit longer!!! my future wife, Kalyani, along with her group of friends, has planned this trip... jog-falls is located in north Karnataka... it is said to be the largest water falls in the country... nearby places to be visited are...

Honnavara: a beach cum water-falls location... the beach here is extremely beautiful, and untouched... you can play from morning to evening without any disturbance!

Murudeshwar: located near a beach... famous for its largest Shiva statue in the country...

Here are some of the snapshots, taken during the trip...

Jog-falls... though not in their full flow!!!

Backwaters near Murudeshwar...

Shiva statue, located in Murudeshwar...

PS: special thanks to Pavan, who has taken the initiative for this trip, and planned with utmost care!!!

hope...

i was standing in my balcony... looking into the sky... there were clouds... moving hastily... there were stars... shining and smiling... showering the rays of beauty... there was one star... shining brighter than the rest... i felt some joy... joy that is inexplicable... i closed my eyes... i could still see that star... then, it was shining even more... there was a smile on my face... something that i never had before... something that i may not have in future... i can still imagine that star... still there... shining bright... shining forever... smiling forever... i have a hope... hope that i will reach there... someday!!!

happenings...

it's almost an year after i started earning... huh, what did i achieve... just adding another year to my lost years?? or in other words, is it just deletion of one more year from those that i still have?? whatever!!! another year has passed... and this corporate life really sucks! so what? life never stops for our convenience... keep moving... keep getting sucked... or keep feeling you are great!!! or keep cribbing... life still goes on!!!

i got shifted to new house recently... decent locality, fresh air, and modern interiors... though the rent is almost 30% of my in-hand salary, i love this flat, which is almost near to the one i use to dream about!!! unlike last time, i managed to avoid yet another sucker class... brokers!!! thanks to house owner for designing the interiors so well and handing over the house to me in a clean shape...

PS: I am eagerly waiting for my love of life to accompany me in the new flat ;-)

yet another weekend trip!!!

To beat the monotony, our CRL roadies have hit the roads to make yet another trip... this time, the location is Lohagad fort, which is located around 55km from Pune... the ride was quite memorable, and the trek was enjoyable!!! few of the snapshots taken there!

Pune poetry...

There are a few ways to look at life in Pune. Through the eye of the Mumbaikar: 'It's dead, it is as rural as hell, just an extension of our great metro, where people retire and live in retro, wish we could buy a flat here, in a safe housing colony and remember to live'.

But who could tell the train-tired Mumbai man, that a few more like him and we'd have no place to live, scream, fight at 80kmph on the expressway.

The other way is via the eye of the visitor. They complain and complain, they say the food is bad, the roads are gone, rents are high and there's nothing called money's worth, and that the city is average, plagued by sloth. And they do all the complaining while they walk on cool bylanes of the university or when they stand in civil queues at our talkies. After the walk of the movie, they have more to complain, but they keep it for another walk, another film, another day.

PS: I found these meaningful lines from Pune Mirror. These lines truly reflect our Pune life and empathize with most of us Puneites out here!!!

first monsoon trip...

After two months of soaring temperatures, monsoon has finally hit... cool winds, humid air, beautiful clouds, refreshing rain... and so are joyful thoughts... we've hit the roads again on our bikes, covering more than 180km one side to reach Harihareshwar, a beach cum hill spot... the ride was excellent... roads were not so good, though... but, the risky bike ride for such a long distance, and on ghat roads with excellent scenic beauty was something worth experimenting! I am uploading few good views taken amidst the journey...

happy monsoon season!

when caste, religion's no bar, register here!

the search for a life-partner... how important and necessary in life! rather, how uninteresting life would be, if there isn't somebody to share with? huh... we, as human beings, like many other animals around, share life with somebody of opposite sex... but, the basic difference is that animals find their mates with instinct, while we crave for so many factors to match before finalizing our mate... how pathetic? unlike in the olden days, the average age of a male or female to get married has come up to twenty five years now... that means, a quarter century... in this long period, with so many interactions and acquaintances, it's quite natural to like somebody to the extent of having confidence of sharing life with! but, is this all? are we respecting our instincts? i guess, NO!

a decent job... nice appearance... good family background... influential circle... fixed assets... color... caste... religion... location... the list never ends... the most sickening thing when it comes to human relationships is: why the hell the girl and the guy should be of same caste/religion to share their lives? i've come upon this interesting news today... somebody out has taken initiative to encourage junta to go ahead with their partner-search beyond the societal boundaries! something really good is happening out here!

hassle-free traffic... a dream!

I have been living in Pune since ten months... as I expressed my first feelings towards this city, this is one of the badly polluted city with complete failure at public transport system and poorly maintained roads... Within last ten months, I could see there is tremendous number of vehicles added to the already choked traffic... mostly the roads are occupied with four-wheelers... When I was doing my graduation in Visakhapatnam, commutation was really really comfortable... there are good number of buses, running from everywhere to everywhere and the buses were maintained very clean!!! But, here the situation is quite different and we are never sure of boarding a bus where comfortable journey is assured! almost all buses are over-crowded with people hanging from foot-boards!!!

With international prices already touching a dreadful $130 per barrel, owing and maintaining a personal vehicle is already becoming a luxury... it is highly unimaginable to think about how a common man can survive this scenario... I think, we can solve this problem if we can impose/follow certain simple rules!

Firstly, there should be a well-organized public transport system in all cities... If some company/institute is having more than a fixed number of employees, they should provide commutation facility at reduced prices... this will not seriously impact their overall profits and at the same time, can increase the productivity due to the regularized timings of employees!

Secondly, four-wheeler vehicles should be heavily taxed for using most of the space on the roads... If you can observe for an hour or so, standing at a traffic junction, more than 80% of the cars are seated with only one passenger... imagine, how much space and fuel will be saved if 60 cars are replaced with one bus!

Thirdly, subsidy on petrol should be strictly removed... of course, this may come as a blow to all two-wheelers and most of the four-wheelers... Since no public organization is solely depending on petrol and most of the petrol use is for personal use, there is no point in giving petrol at subsidized price!

Fourthly, a well-organized road-routes would be a good solution... if the routes are organized to streamline heavy vehicles, public vehicles, and personal vehicles, according to the traffic statistics, most of the traffic congestion can be overcome! just building flyovers is not a solution, but building them effectively in less time at the correct locations is more important!

I often dream of a place... where the roads are maintained really clean... traffic rules are followed strictly... there is a clean and well-organized public transport system... and people of all classes of the society use buses instead of personal vehicles for reaching offices! I wish I can see this dream gettig materialized before I leave this planet!

chivariki migiledi?

Lately, I have not been watering my plant in the blogger's park... Except regular visits to see how others are grooming theirs, I didn't contribute much to this beautiful place... Though it's only three weeks after my engagement, I have been observing a lot of changes, both personally and professionally, in my life... I will leave all those details to later posts... For time being, I will share with you a good old telugu novel, namely CHIVARIKI MIGILEDI (which means, "what'll be left ultimately"), by Buchi babu, written in late 1940's...

The story is all about an idealist, caught with so many unanswered questions about life... He is constantly under distress, puzzled by the enigmatic rules of love, hatred, people, society and life in general... Of course, there is no proportion of breathtaking excitement or sexual enthrallment in this novel... what really impressed me is the way the author has portrayed the roles... There are numerous thoughtful statements in the novel, like: "Marriage is like a maze, those who are outside try to go inside, and those who are inside will try to go outside", "The fallen leaf, and the thirsty crow teach me philosophy", "when you don't know what you really want, you will develop hatred. At the end, even the realization that you don't need anything will abolish that hatred".

So, what's left ultimately? those who know how to read telugu, and are patient enough to go through those countless number of philosophical paragraphs, can read the novel... and those who can't read telugu, nor have the patience, may know the truth by experiencing and analyzing their real life!

engaged!!!

I heard the statement "Marriages are made in heaven" so many times... Over the years, I was more and more reluctant to accept this and tried my level best to get somebody I knew... It seemed very odd and unrealistic to think about how people accept somebody through arranged marriages, having only one or two hours of discussion before making any decision... Practically, I have given my level best to win my loved one's heart and convince my parents... Though, I've partly succeeded in both, somehow, things didn't get materialized... At the end of the day, I have fallen deeply in love (that too at first sight) with this pretty girl, apparently chosen by my parents... Yes, I am engaged... I am literally on top of the world to see myself so happy and joyous... Wating for the day to tie the knot!!!

ad-sense! #1

i came upon this beautiful and nicely done ad yesterday... i felt that this ad has succeeded in making an impression!

good morning...

huh, somehow i've finally conquered my laziness to getup early in the morning... watching the sunrise will always bring some sort of joy and energy to me... a bit of hard work with my sony ericsson mobile camera...

interpreter of maladies...

It looks like this corporate life is sucking all my creative juices... no social networking sites, no blogs, no online chats... huh, week starts on monday morning, and comes to a halt only on friday evening... no breaks, no pauses... what the hell???

meanwhile, i am enjoying the only recreation i can find these days... "reading". I came across this wonderful collection of short stories by Jhumpa Lahiri, Interpreter of maladies... as it is written on the cover page, "Jhumpa Lahiri is the kind of writer who makes you want grab the next person you see and say Read this! She's a dazzling story teller with a distinctive voice, an eye for nuance, an ear for irony. She is one of the finest short story writers I've read"

100 bucks to save an hour...

After owning a two-wheeler, I was thinking about how to deal with a traffic police if he tries to stop me and do all nonsense. I have managed to get a learner's license before buying my two-wheeler. Though I am a decently good rider, I am a little skeptical about my managerial skills on road, particularly at the signal points. Whenever there is a traffic police, I used to avoid eye contact with him and try to look more experienced and careless about his existence. Of course, I found this to be useful, because whenever he picked up some random victims, I was not there among them. Finally, I had my first encounter last weekend. It all happened due to my fat-friend who has wrongly instructed me to take a right turn at Sancheti Hospital junction. I found nobody taking right turn at that junction, so paused for a while before coming to a decision. Meanwhile, the traffic constable, having an eye on me, waved me his hand. Having wrongly interpreting that hand signal, I took a right turn. That made the fish directly fall in the net.

C1=constable1, C2=constable2, G=our good old author.
Let me put the conversation in English for convenience.

constable(C): ^%*^(_)(_)*^#^$%&((*)(&^^*%*&^*(_) (he is speaking something in Marathi)
G: Hindi or English please.
C1: No right turn here... park your vehicle aside.
G: (puzzled***) But, I didn't take right turn. You only motioned me to come this way!!!
C1: Show me the lisence.
G: I have recently given my driving test. I am expecting it soon. Here is the receipt.
C1: (taken the receipt, confirming his earning from me) Yeah, this will do.
G: Hey, come on... I didn't take turn on my own, you misdirected me.
C1: Do you think I am mentally retarded to direct you wrongly. Come, and talk to our inspector.
G: Uff... **parks the vehicle aside and headed towards C2**
C2: What's your name?
G: That's written on the license receipt!!!
C2: that's smart. Don't you know right turn is not allowed here.
G: I know, but your constable only misdirected me to here.
C2: Is he mental to do so?
G: You should be knowing this!
C2: Do you have PUC certificate?
G: Here it is!!!
C2: When did you take this?
G: that's written on the certificate!!! I don't have time. tell me how much you want. I will pay and go!!!
C2: This PUC is expired. You have to pay 800 rupees as fine for this.
G: I know that PUC's validity is for six months. and, it is only 5 months old.
C2: No, now it is seventh month after your PUC is issued.
G: *gurrrrrr* Come on, months and their count don't change for your convenience.
C2: *pretends to be counting his fingers* no, already seventh month is running.
G: *Let me show you, idiot* Here is the list of months names in order. Now, agree that my PUC is still valid.
C2: What's your name?
G: *fuming* this is second time you are asking me this question!!!
C2: Look mister, fine for wrong turn is 600 rupees.
G: That's smart. I know, I didn't commit a mistake. Tell me how much you want now?
C2: 200.
G: No, 100..
C2: OK, let me accept this for now.
G: Can I take right turn now???
C2: You can do anything now...
G: *I wish I have the power to slap you once*

Cursing my fat-friend for wrong directions and scolding myself for blindly following constable's hand-signals, I left the place (obviously, in the wrong direction). Still, I feel that I've managed it pretty well. Because, I was on my way to HSBC bank for paying credit card bill, failing which I will be charged at least 500 rupees as interest!!!

PS: Moral of the story, when you are caught by traffic constable, don't hesitate to bargain as quickly as possible. Because, the climax of this kinda story will almost always leads to paying bribe to this guy!! May god bless our country!!!

musings of a loony bachelor...

what does a working lonely bachelor do during weekends? sleeps for long hours, to escape from the loneliness that surrounds due to lack or work and company... eats restaurant food, trying something different, only to discover that there are worse things in life... cleans the room if it is unbearably disorganized, of course, only to get it disorganized again in few hours... washes cloths if they are stinking too much... makes food on his own (that includes great task of mixing hot water into those countless instant mixes), and get bored of that too... tries wearing new dresses although the wardrobes are already stuffed to 200% of their capacity... does lot of work outs, to look fit and healthy... watches sunrise, sunset, full-moon and those beautiful stars... and yes, the bird-watching session too...

huh, the list never ends... but, the underlying fact is that "no matter how much/many other things we possess/pursue, life is always boring without somebody to share with"

Happy Valentines day

A bell is no bell 'til you ring it,
A song is no song 'til you sing it,
And love in your heart
Wasn’t put there to stay -
Love isn’t love
'Til you give it away.

Source: ~Oscar Hammerstein, Sound of Music.

Erich Segal

I was introduced to Erich Segal's novels a couple of years back. The first book is "Love Story", which I took one day to finish. The book has thrown me into a kinda trance for the next couple of days. It's not just the story line, but the way the emotions are expressed in the book that makes one feel heavy and light at the same time. I think, he is one of the best authors who has the skill of touching the readers' hearts at their deepest.

If you are a kind of person who likes walking under the snow, still feeling warmth inside with the past memories... if you are the kind of person, who dream with your eyes open... if you are/were in love with somebody... if you have experienced the pain of separation... if you are ambitious and emotional at the same time... then, you must read all of these books by Erich Segal!!!

Love Story: A beautifully written love story between a brilliant plus rich Oliver Barrett, and a decent plus independent Jenny. The story is romantic, funny and tragic too. Unlike other books of this author, this one is written in a brief and lucid style. The reader will be left with tears, if he happens to identify the depth of the story. The novel ends with a nice line, "Love means not ever having to say you're sorry."

Oliver's Story: A sequel to "Love Story", where our protagonist, Oliver, tries to find her dead Jenny in another girl. In the process of internal struggle, to forget Jenny and accept this new girl, Oliver ends up in staying alone in life. That's a kind of portraying a fact that once there was a full-fledged relationship with somebody, it's highly unlikely to find another relationship with the same intensity. It left me so heavy and gloomy for more than a week after reading.

Man, Woman and Child: Yet another emotional world, explored from the point of view of a boy, who was born as a result of his father's infidelity towards his legal wife. It's quite unclear why a happily married man/woman will commit to some temporary attraction. But, the underlying fast might be that we are still one among the other species which are driven by instincts than by morals or conscience. A well written story of the boy's world.

The Class: I felt more close to this novel. A story of five graduate students of Harvard University of the same class. Too much of intelligence and talent, too many expectations out of life, too much of frustration, too much of ego, too much of emotional agony... these are the common qualities that are seen among all the roles that are portrayed. One who has studied at premiere institutes, where everyday is a battle of life, would better identify themselves in this novel. I personally felt that this one is the most grand among all these six novels.

Acts of Faith: Do I love god more, or do I love you more? A constantly nagging question. This story is basically about three people, who are struck in the strict beliefs of their corresponding religions. Does love has any boundaries? Does it goes beyond religion and faith? Something is clear at the end. Nothing is absolute. It's all internal happiness that matters!!!

Doctors: How do you feel about a penis? Is it just another organ that functions for biological activities, or someway different? Well... "DOCTORS" is all about the lives of medical students, who undergo hell like training to accustom to the dead and alive in the same way. There is a beautiful relationship that's shown between Laura and Barney. They are brought up in the same locality. The pursued the same course. They explored relationships with others. They took more than twenty years to realize that they love each other, than anybody else! And, by the way, if you are planning to become a doctor, it is advisable to read DOCTORS before you actually go for that profession!!!

That's briefly about Erich Segal's novels. I am looking for his other two latest books, PRIZES, and LOVE ONLY. But, unfortunately, they are not yet available in Indian book stores. All these books are worth buying, reading and keeping in the shelves for our next generation to read and relish!!!

wonder why???

On this lousy office hour on a weekend, I came upon this thought provocating post by Anjali, about the growing incompatibility between the brides and grooms in arranged marriages!!! May god help us, poor souls who can't break those barriers, and just can't sit comfortably inside the barriers mourning for the broken hearts!!!

yummy yummy...

after five long months of boring food outside, we have finally started cooking on our own... it's not boring after all... in fact, it is quite interesting to experiment on whatever knowledge we have... so far the culinary experimentation is going fine... and I am so very happy that I am proving myself to be a good cook (an important habit that one has to have to become a good husband in future)... here I am with my favorite dish 'upma', in a mouth-watering quality, prepared by me last night!!! what else is needed for a good dinner? of course, a good company!!! anybody wants to taste this? you should come to our house ;-)

taare zameen par...

Have you ever been punished for not doing maths homework? Have you ever been told that your hand-writing is like Greek and Latin? Have you ever bunked school and roamed on roads? Have you ever hidden your marks sheet from parents and got a false signature on the progress report? Have you ever been placed in residential school and you waited for your parents' visit on the weekend so desperately? Did you ever feel so difficult to button your shirt or tie your shoe-lace in the childhood? Have you ever been compared to your classmate or brother about your school performance and belittled? Have you ever felt that you can do nothing, in spite of the material support provided by parents? Have you ever yearned for the affectionate touch/embrace from parents? If your answer is 'yes' to at least one of these questions, here is a wonderful movie you should watch and feel!!!

Aamir Khan has proved himself to be good as a director too... With too many touching scenes, pointing at the faults of parents bringing up the children, the story proved to be a timely eye-opener for those who put too high expectations on their children. Darsheel Safary's innocent face with his too long teeth is too cute and fit for the role... Shankar Mahadevan's music is an added credit for the success of the movie...

If you have not yet watched the movie, don't miss it... thanks to Government of India for making the movie tax-free!!!