a stupid's random thoughts

Closed

2009-09-01T09:13:00.002+05:30

During past few months, I was thinking of closing this blog. Rather, I want to end the stupidity part and randomness and give it a direction and thought.

Change is essential ingredient of life. I want to bring that in all aspects. To start with, I am closing this blog and starting a new blog on wordpress.

I am very much thankful to everyone who has dropped by this blog and commented. I am happy to say that I got at least two friends just because of this blog. I hope I will find many more friends at my new blog too.

Though I am closing this blog, I am not deleting the contents of it. The older posts and comments section will be still open.

You are welcome to visit my new blog here and change your RSS subscriptions accordingly.

What alphabet do you hate?

2009-08-27T09:56:00.004+05:30

Do you have any special alphabet that you hate and you want to disable that in your keyboard? It's easy to do. Of course, you must be using Fedora. All you need to do is the following.

1. Log in as super user.
2. Open the file /etc/inputrc. You will see the following two lines.

#do not bell on tab-completion
#set bell-style none

3. Uncomment the first line and put the specific alphabet at the starting of that line.
4. Save the file and restart your machine.
5. Now, try typing that letter.

We, at our office, have found this accidentally. All this happened because one of my colleague wants to disable those annoying system beeps. To do that, one has to uncomment the second line in the above file. Accidentally, she has uncommented the first line too, and the letter 'd' stopped working on her keyboard. Our system administrator had a tough time to figure it out, but yours truly has cracked it using his instincts ;-)

breakfast conversation

2009-08-26T09:01:00.003+05:30

A: How are things?

B: hmm... it's all blank and dark for me right now... I am struggling to get some clarity of what i want to do, and what i can do...

A: sometimes... it is better to do what we can do... *I mean safe...

B: of course, yes. But, what if it's not exciting?

A: *U don't have an option... but you can give it a try with the other option in parallel... if it doesn't clash...

B: That's true, there is no other option. I think i need to do more brainstorming.

A: yeah... so... we have to do something to feed ourselves...

B: WHAT'S THE POINT is my frequent self-question...

A: I know... that is mine also... but I always avoid it... 'cos there is no answer...

B: hope we didn't become too senile for this age! :-(

A: hmm... i guess... if we convince ourselves... that this is what we wanted to do... at least for limited period of time... and keep the remaining period... open... and start giving real ourselves... it should work fine..

B: agreed :-)

B: i can see that, we have to organise our thoughts and dreams as beautifully as a cleanly organized house, otherwise it's just a mess!

A: It is... I agree with you... 100%

A: hmm.. only thing is.. we should be ready to take failure..

B: that's true. just a random question... is there a failure or success concept for LIFE, in general?

A: I'm giving myself... "more than 10% success..." as the base line... :) I'm happy to fail 89.999% for the 10% success...

B: I like it :-) Good day ahead!

A: You too :-)

PS: this is a conversation between two friends... almost in same phase of life and thinking about what's going on!

life... huh, not again!

2009-08-20T09:09:00.002+05:30

“Life is what happens to you while you're busy making other plans”

- John Lennon

PS: I read this quote somewhere and found quite touching!
PPS: I am not getting anything else to put in here ;-)
PPPS: By the way, have a nice time!

Man woman make love ;-)

2009-07-30T14:19:00.003+05:30

Wait a minute... this post is nowhere related to man, or woman, or for that matter, love making! A while ago, when we met for a short discussion, one of my colleague told about these funny commands in linux!

1. man woman
result: No manual entry for woman

2. make love
result: *** No rule to make target `love'. Stop.

yes, that made our day ;-)

flash back...

2009-07-28T13:22:00.004+05:30

28th July, 2005... exactly, four years back we have entered IISc main building, the place where many dignitaries, and renowned scientists have done their pioneering research! I happened to meet one of the best pals of my life there. I am more than happy that it hasn't changed a bit in these years.

Today, it reminds me of that funny attire of mine, when I entered the registration office. Neatly tucked full sleeves shirt, polished shoes, neatly shaved face, and those innocent looks... huh, it was funny. After two years of stay, there were no signs of in-shirt, clean shave or polished shoes! and no more innocent looks too ;-)

It kinda of joy to recollect those memories!

what else?

2009-07-16T08:36:00.002+05:30

On phone...

A: hi B!
B: how are you man?
A: I am fine, how about you?
B: cool, going good!
A: what else?
B: nothing much!
A: OK.
B: what else?
A: nothing new!
B: hmmm...
A: and?
B: you have to tell...
A: hmmm... nothing new!
B: OK. what else?
A: as usual, nothing... Just life is going on!
B: OK then!
A: Yup, bye
B: bye!

This is how my conversations are going on these days! Does that mean, nothing is happening in life? Or does that mean, I/people forgot to converse? Or is life simply that monotonous?

PS: I am about to start one more boring day at office ;-)

life... work...

2009-07-15T20:12:00.005+05:30

There's nothing of any importance in life—except how well you do your work. Nothing. Only that. Whatever else you are, will come from that. It's the only measure of human value. All the codes of ethics they'll try to ram down your throat are just so much paper money put out by swindlers to fleece people of their virtues. The code of competence is the only system of morality that's on a gold standard.

PS: excerpt from Atlas Shrugged #2

naked!

2009-07-14T09:05:00.003+05:30

She looked at him in the exact moment when he turned to look at her. They stood very close to each other. She saw, in his eyes, that he felt as she did. If joy is the aim and the core of existence, she thought, and if that which has the power to give one joy is always guarded as one's deepest secret, then they had seen each other naked in that moment.

PS: I was reading Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand... Sometimes, her writings and expressions take the readers to the ecstasy!

it troubles...

2009-07-06T11:43:00.003+05:30

Many of us, since childhood, have some dreams/aspirations. We take different paths to reach those goals or fulfil those aspirations. As expected, the usual hurdles, partial successes, failures, and other jugglery will be there in the path. As time progresses, we reach to such state that we are too engrossed in solving the temporary issues and forget the theme of our basic goals.

If one of our good old friends call up and ask about what's the status of so -and-so goal, it blows us like anything! Because, we are already drifted too much from the roots and getting carried away by the winds and storms! It troubles... very badly!

PS: is the good old friend, your inner-self?

light scribbles - Photographic weekends #28

2009-06-19T13:56:00.001+05:30

Coins - Photographic weekends #27

2009-06-12T09:25:00.001+05:30

it hurts...

2009-06-12T08:30:00.005+05:30

At every point in life, we make certain choices. Some of those may have really bad consequences. If one looks back, he/she can see that those consequences are natural for those choices/decisions. Of course, natural! But, it hurts...

PS: some random words from a conversation with one of my buddies!

spilled - Photographic weekends #26

2009-06-05T13:20:00.002+05:30

Colorful tomatos - Photographic weekends #25

2009-05-29T16:37:00.003+05:30

Colors - Photographic weekends #24

2009-05-23T17:28:00.003+05:30

random words from my blog

2009-05-14T20:21:00.003+05:30

I tried wordle.net to create this one. Just for fun!

daddy or grandfather? - Photographic weekends#23

2009-05-08T10:00:00.005+05:30

Shot this one at Krushnai water park, Pune. Body language and the way of expression of this little boy, were really amusing! For more photos of kids, visit my flickr page.

golden shower - Photographic weekends #22

2009-05-01T15:07:00.003+05:30

Golden shower trees are in full bloom these days... I can see these everywhere... struggled with my SONY DSC-H50 to focus these yellow flowers...

PS: I have recently started a photo-blog with my friend, Sravan, who became a proud owner of a Nikon D40 recently. Visit here!

Up... up... and above - Photographic weekends #21

2009-04-24T10:12:00.003+05:30

Captured this one at Colva beach, Goa. Though its momentary, how good it feels when we are flying in the air!

Mission 'amla fruits'

2009-04-14T16:59:00.003+05:30

Today, while we were having post-lunch walk. We saw one amla tree and we want to pluck some, but there was no route to climb up the tree. I asked for permission from the house (tree) owners. Mario has planned for this pyramid. Sivaram and myself have formed the base. Suvarna has taken the photos. All of us have relished them while continuing our post-lunch walk. Had fun!

...with love - Photographic weekends #20

2009-04-04T20:10:00.002+05:30

I shot this one at Janjira Fort, around 150km from Pune.

hOLi है!

2009-03-31T17:11:00.003+05:30

This was made with collective effort of our team members on the day of HOLI. Thanks to all of them for getting their hands colorfully dirty to materialize my crazy thought!

Ghostly me - Photographic weekends #19

2009-03-20T09:22:00.004+05:30

I was experimenting with the shutter speed settings... so is this ghostly photo with 3 seconds of exposure.

PS: I haven't clicked anything interesting lately. So is this funny thing ;-)

You fall, I lift - Photographic weekends #18

2009-03-13T08:55:00.003+05:30

Shot this one in Kashid beach, near Alibaug, Maharashtra.

PS: Can anyone tell me why a falling/setting Sun always comes out as an ellipse, instead of a circle?

Free time? - Random thoughts #2

2009-03-09T16:39:00.002+05:30

For the last few weeks, I have been hearing news about the layoffs and other awful effects of global recession. Some of my friends, including my wife, have expressed their fears of getting laid off. If I am not sounding harsh, I feel all this fear is just because we are not prepared, really! We are habituated to this lifestyle with comforts and fat salaries, and started taking them for granted. I feel that most of the times, most of our time is spent, most inefficiently, by most of us.

I know few exemplary friends whose learning curve is always in growing direction. I often wonder what makes them so consistent in doing that. To my horror and disbelief, one of these exemplaries has expressed a fear of getting extinguished with the current learning speed. With his consistency and religious regularity, if he says like that, where am I? A difficult question to ask myself. Instead of passing time with social networking sites like orkut, twitter and gossiping on gtalk, the same time can be used for more constructive things. If we are prepared for the worst and ready with necessary weapons in our arsenal, I think, even the ugliest possible situation in life becomes manageable. All this is an outcome of reading Seth Godin's post.

If we have free time, we should feel blissed and make best out of it!

Programming blues - Random thoughts #1

2009-03-04T16:38:00.004+05:30

Being a computational researcher, most of our time is spent in writing programs. When we do a thing repeatedly or for a long time, our thought process and henceforth the ideas get moulded in that language. Here are some such random things!

1. When I see people, there are different kinds of smiles. If smile is considered as base class, cunning_smile, deceiving_smile, healthy_smile, encouraging_smile, lifeless_smile etc. are the derived classes. When I think like this, I am involuntarily giving a gentle_smile.

2. When I want to get up early in the morning, I put my alarm into an infinite for loop, with 10 minutes as snoozing time. Of course, the loop will be ultimately broken by my wife. How it's broken depends on many factors, though ;-)

3. Whenever (most of the times) I don't feel like going for jogging, I comment that activity for the day.

4. When I am preoccupied with too many things, I tend to forget certain things. I blame this on insufficient memory, and give a segmentation fault. There can be unexpected response due to uncleared cache etc.

5. Most often, I take too long to boot up in the morning.

6. Few things like washing clothes, arranging house etc. are simply declared in the program, but never defined or executed!

7. Improper allocation of resources (like time, money etc.) will lead to the decreased efficiency of the program (life)!

Now, this is being terminated due to insufficient time!

A bit of paradise - Photographic weekends #17

2009-02-27T11:29:00.002+05:30

Location: Munnar, Kerala.

Valentines forever - Photographic weekends #16

2009-02-14T20:54:00.001+05:30

I captured this memorable shot near Mulshi dam today. The way this mother and daughter have dressed in red was impressive and it suited to the occasion.

Happy valentines day to all of you!

Random thoughts on randomness...

2009-02-04T16:35:00.004+05:30

Being a random boy, I was searching for some random things on this vast space of internet. This is where I found some random posts about randomness written by my random friend Krishna. Well... as you can see from his posts, everything is deterministic with some governing rules. But, we perceive them as random just because of our inability to find out those governing rules. I am totally amused at these thoughts, and I totally agree with this perception. Though it looks random, I guess there has a lot of sense and meaning to it. As I try to apply this rule to life, in general, it looks completely random and out of scope. If we try to observe it from a higher level, we may actually find some sense of these governing rules, which may guide/help us in leading it in a desired direction. I guess, I am generating random thoughts here ;-)

PS: I just got a random thought that I would start a series of "random thoughts". Followed by it, I've just randomly decided to write something about beauty in my next post.

Sunset or sunrise? - Photographic weekends #15

2009-01-30T16:21:00.004+05:30

Shot this one during trip to Matheran, last weekend. I had to exploit both optical and digital zoom facility of my camera, for capturing this view.

Rubiks cube family... expanding!

2009-01-27T14:12:00.007+05:30

I have been friends with this wonderful puzzle game since mid 1999. During those days this simple fact, that it can be rotated in all 3 directions without breaking, has made me so fascinated towards this game. I remember how desperately I've played with this on the very first day. It took almost a month for me to completely solve this. Huh, what a joy that I've felt when I've completely solved this. Mathematically, the total permutations of a solvable (3×3×3) original cube is given by: or 43 quintillion, in short. Highly unimaginable to list all those configurations by hand. The facts and figures of this game are always interesting. When I read that there are people who can solve this game just in 7.08 seconds I couldn't believe it. There is an extensive mathematical research that has taken place on how to solve Rubik's cube. It was found that any random configuration of the cube can be solved in just 26 steps. You can read the article here, quite mathlicated though! Well... that's just the tip an iceberg.

One fine day, when I was browsing for information on Rubik's cube, I came to know that there are 4X4X4 and 5X5X5 versions are available with fully functional models. Recently I have seen videos of 7X7X7 and 9X9X9 version of the game in fully functional form. What an amazing design. Just try to imagine its internal design. You'll surely come out with an expression of wow.

No... that's not all of it. There are softwares available to play the game online. If you are too bored and have already solved the smaller versions like say 9X9X9 manually, you can play the higher versions virtually. I was dumbstruck to see the videos of how people have solved up to 100X100X100. Checkout here to see how 20X20X20 is solved.

No... that's not all of it yet! There is a whole family of twisty games which come in various shapes (see the video of dodecahedron here, and read about Pyraminx here), sizes and complexities. I feel like buying all of those and try solving one by one! Huh, too high an ambition for an amateur like me!

Bottom line is... we humans, though very lazy, though very arrogant, though very egoistic and blah blah blah, are blessed with this powerful brute force. I guess, that's what is making us understand this mother nature step by step. If nature is not this beautiful and complicated, all our research efforts, and life in general, will lack motivation.

Cars and colors - Photographic weekends #14

2009-01-23T14:11:00.002+05:30

Life can be funny!

2009-01-23T09:50:00.005+05:30

I did some crazy thing a week ago. We are around 100+ heads in our office and there are only 4 urinals available. Because of the air-condition or just the natural urge, people do visit these so frequently. Lately, I got so frustrated with the way they spill it there. I don't know how many companies do the job of pasting instructions of how to use western toilets, but somehow I felt that there is a need to instruct about how to use urinals properly. I got this idea of putting up a funny-poster somewhere, and pasted the following poster.

Everybody was coming and asking the admin-person about who has pasted that. Huh, I think people are not ready to stop spilling. Instead they are insecure about their manhood. Read more about this insecurity here. Yesterday, one of my colleagues has drawn a cartoon depicting the situation. I am posting it here, just for fun!
Have a fun-filled Friday!

Back from hibernation!

2009-01-21T15:52:00.003+05:30

I think, it's more than six months after I have written anything that is substantial here. Reasons could be many. Post-marriage blues, laziness, busyness, retrospection, tiredness, blah blah blah... Many a times, I felt that my posts are looking too personal and mundane! Also, I observed that people write more when they are out of comfort zone. As far as non-professional blogs are concerned, blogs have become venting points. Personally, I could see that many of my previous posts are just out of frustration, depression and some such nonsense!

I am happy to see regular visitors to my blog, despite of my continuous trash! I started photographic weekends series just to make sure that this blog remains (attr)active. Now, I am back from hibernation and joining the regular bloggers!

Wish me all the best and keep visiting!

By the way, those who can read Telugu can visit my Telugu blog here.

Innocence doubled - Photographic weekends #13

2009-01-16T21:36:00.002+05:30

Shot this one during Mahabaleshwar trip last weekend! I could visualize these two little girls as those described in the story "Little girls are wiser than men" by Leo Tolstoy. These twins have doubled the childhood innocence!

Solitude or loneliness? - Photographic weekends #12

2009-01-09T15:46:00.001+05:30

Shot this during Sinhagad trek a week ago... Amidst many colorful flowers and plants, I found this one amusing! Sometimes, we are not sure if our mood belongs to solitude or loneliness!

PS: I have become more and more lazy these days. May be because of my resolution to reduce my laziness and extra pounds. Hope I will update regularly! By the way, I wish all of you a very happy new year!

Yellow again - Photographic weekends #11

2008-12-19T09:21:00.002+05:30

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

2008-12-13T20:23:00.001+05:30

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

2008-12-05T16:05:00.003+05:30

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

2008-11-28T09:09:00.003+05:30

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

2008-11-21T10:11:00.003+05:30

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

2008-11-14T08:45:00.002+05:30

PS: idea is borrowed from PHD.

Black & White light - Photographic weekends #5

2008-11-07T13:49:00.001+05:30

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

2008-10-31T15:44:00.004+05:30

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

2008-10-24T09:25:00.007+05:30

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

2008-10-17T17:00:00.004+05:30

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

2008-10-10T14:56:00.004+05:30

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... ... ...

2008-09-16T15:57:00.005+05:30

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...

2008-08-22T12:00:00.004+05:30

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...

2008-08-06T15:29:00.004+05:30

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...

2008-07-24T13:53:00.005+05:30

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...

2008-07-09T14:19:00.001+05:30

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...

2008-07-02T16:33:00.002+05:30

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!!!

2008-07-01T16:38:00.002+05:30

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...

2008-06-26T17:59:00.003+05:30

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...

2008-06-11T09:04:00.009+05:30

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!

2008-06-04T10:36:00.002+05:30

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!

2008-06-01T12:03:00.006+05:30

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?

2008-05-19T13:42:00.005+05:30

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!!!

2008-05-04T12:24:00.005+05:30

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

2008-04-15T09:53:00.005+05:30

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

good morning...

2008-04-06T07:10:00.019+05:30

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...

2008-03-27T17:40:00.001+05:30

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...

2008-02-28T15:56:00.002+05:30

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...

2008-02-19T17:39:00.004+05:30

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

2008-02-14T14:21:00.002+05:30

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

2008-01-31T16:15:00.001+05:30

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???

2008-01-12T12:04:00.001+05:30

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...

2008-01-11T15:42:00.002+05:30

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...

2008-01-07T14:04:00.001+05:30

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!!!

happy new year!!!

2008-01-01T17:34:00.001+05:30

Another year has passed... goodbye old year and welcome new year!!! what did I do for the new year eve... I've gone for a disco... had party... chosen a slim petite girl as my partner and danced a lot... and rock and roll... huh, pretty fancy dream!!! I didn't do any of these... while the train that was carrying me was heading towards Secunderabad, I was dreaming about my meet with D the next day!!!

It's simply another day of the life... only the calendar changes its digits, announcing that another year has successfully gone, good or bad, sweet or bitter!!! but, somewhere at the corner of the mind, we feel like we are crossing some milestone... suddenly, we feel conscious about what we've accomplished in the last year, and how better we can make the coming year... so many resolutions, that will most probably fade out faster than the newly arrived number of the year!!! and... it's the same life... not big change... routine, as usual!!!

Unlike the previous year, I prefer staying without making any resolutions... when the resolutions themselves keep changing everyday, what's the point in making one at all??? Preferably, I would like to make myself more comfortable internally, smile healthily, and breath easy...

I wish you all a new year ahead with good luck, joy, happiness and strength to materialize the dreams!!!

rev'iisc'ed

2007-12-20T12:27:00.001+05:30

happy graduates, with old friends after the convocation...

this tree is one of my friends at IISc ;-)

after a gap of five months, we have revisited IISc on the occasion of convocation... met all our old friends, those green surroundings, each and every plant, fallen leaves, new buildings, the work place, good old adviser, tea-board, coffee-kiosk, faculty hall, and last but not the least... the bird-watching session ;-)

It was a different feeling altogether... I felt strange when I received the degree certificate... though the certificate has no practical importance, except that it gives us a proof that we actually have done masters... there is something more to it... it reminded me of those first few days after we entered the institute... our expectation levels of life were really high, and we have tremendous confidence and fire inside to achieve anything under the earth... the two years of stay, for good or bad, has brought lot of changes in all our lives...

there were so many sleepless nights, thinking about future and working for the assignments... there were good, bad, sweet, bitter and funny moments... this short trip to our institute has brought back all those memories, tickling our heart... we got a chance to look back how we used to live here... how different we are now, compared to the secured and yet pressurized lives at IISc... I wish I have an opportunity to go back two years into the past and relive those couple of years, in a better way!!!

...reminds me of you!!!

2007-12-12T12:44:00.001+05:30

the wind in my alley, the dust in my eyes,
the chill on my dirty raincoat...
reminds me of you!!!

a song half-written, a story untold,
an old man traveling alone...
reminds me of you!!!

the empty city streets that don't dream anymore,
an old midnight quiet that don't sound like before,
the bitter sweet memory of a home-made wine,
the elegy of an old sunshine...
reminds me of you!!!

red brick wall against the gray sky,
stands with the head held high,
reminds me of you!!!

the old post cards, the fragrance of plum,
the rusted kerosene lamp...
reminds me of you!!!

an undying smile that heeds through the door,
a rolling stone circus that don't sound like before,
an amazing grace that chosen empty soul,
the tree that never grows old...
reminds me of you!!!

source: lyrics of one of the beautiful songs from the movie "Bow Barracks forever"

last night...

2007-12-10T13:45:00.001+05:30

last night... I was sleeping in my bed room... slowly, I started hearing some murmuring from somewhere... suddenly, those voices became clear... now, I could hear them properly... it's a female voice... laughing loudly, and crying in between... I suspected that it must be one of those girls from the next door... I got up and opened the door to see if everything is alright... nobody was there on the stairs... still, the voices are there... I guess, there was a male voice too, making some strange sounds... I went downstairs to see if somebody was there... the apartment security door was wide open and the watchman was nowhere around... something must be really wrong... a sudden chill went down my spine... I went out to find out from where the voices are coming... nobody was nearby, but I saw a short girl, dressed in white gown, walking away from the apartment gates... she must be around 16-18... I could hear her sobbing... I was cursing my watchman for not being there, and I started walking faster to reach her... no idea what I wanted to inquire her, but my curiosity didn't allow me to go back to my flat... I kept walking, and she was walking even faster... but, the sobs were still there... I have gained pace and started running towards her... I was even shouting at her to stop... but, no response from her side and she kept on running... I was panting like anything, and I was damn so tired to run in that midnight, all alone on the empty dark road... finally, she has stopped and I have reached her in another minute... something at the back of my mind was telling me "go back you idiot, it's not your business to care for an unknown girl, at this hour of the midnight"... I've slowly gathered up my courage and asked her, who she was and what she was doing there... she has turned back suddenly... oh my god!!! I was sweating all over my body...

huh... thank god, that was a nightmare!!! and everything was alright... and there was a bottle of water besides my bed to quench my thirst... uff... I think, I should stop watching thriller movies!!!

this is how one can kill time (of others)!!!

2007-12-03T14:03:00.001+05:30

nimoi thai, kal blaz surm dianz!!! plai triu kloptambas lalab?? moshi kalai surmi vebli grai dol... wina kolpi mentdz indei :-) u kibr tiy, thal sum grani slay? nil kolpi thai triu kloptambas vebli.

anybody knows what this means? even I don't know... on one of those boring occasions, I got this idea through aprilslady and thought that I should give it a try... I have typed whatever I feel like... but, I have taken care to include punctuation marks here and there to deceive people... Out of 16 people I sent this mail, eight people have replied... in different ways!!!

Surya: baboi .......... entidhi emi ardham kaledhu :D (Oy my god... what is this? I didn't understand anything!!!) ha hha, it seems he didn't understand that this is a joke...

Girish: what is this? what happened? he is always too bothered about my mental health :-(

Deepika: eee baasha enti babu?????? (what's this language dude?) that's typical Deepika's response!!!

Arun: Hai Gopal, I tried to crack this but not at all useful. First thru Google translater and then second after rearranging... What is this first anyway?? Tell me some hint to crack this... that's how IISc scientists try to solve everything under the earth, no matter whether the solution exists or not!!!

Uday: entidi?? (what is this?) looks like he is annoyed with this confusing message!!!

Sivaram: this is too good!!! Siva always takes any new thing with a positive attitude!!!

Deepa: didnt understand anything :( tell me which language Deepa is too keen in learning foreign languages these days... looks like my experiment has aroused some enthusiasm in her!!!

Aarthi: helo.. what language is this?something wrong with u!! huh, yet another person who is suspecting my mental health!!!

I think the rest of the people might have thought it was one of those junk mails they receive every day... or they are too busy to give it a try... or they are too scared to ask for what it really means :-)

sweet november...

2007-11-26T20:19:00.001+05:30

winter in November is a bliss... watching out from the window pane on a cold night, listening to some old melody, will always bring back those romantic memories... especially, I like those childhood days, where we were awaken early in the morning, and were taken to the well in our old house, for a head bath with that cold water... huh, that was really chilling and painful for the first dip... once that first was over, even that cold water feels like a little warmer than the air... I remember "kaartheeka pournami" on which, we used to fast for the whole day, occasionally pestering mom for some eatables, and do pooja in the night, watching the moon in the mirror... Of course, I didn't see anything meaningful in that whole process... but, something surreal was there in that ritual... a whole bunch of sisters-in-law, brothers-in-law, grandmas, grandpas, uncles and aunts of three generations were together... people were not that selfish or adamant about privacy and stuff... their boundaries were a little broader... now, the scenario has changed... we rarely attend any function... we hardly know our relatives... we hardly dare to step out of this concrete jungle to visit those wonderful, good-old places... everything has changed in the name of well-being... in the name of corporate race... here we are, with lonely hearts yearning for a hand to solace and a soul to rely on... so sweet is this November... bringing back those memories!!!

mummy, i need your love!!!

2007-11-22T15:07:00.001+05:30

yesterday morning, when i was drinking tea along with my colleague, in front of my office building, i have seen a lady coming towards the office building... she was carrying her son in her hands... from her looks, i realized that she was looking for somebody... and my guess was right... another lady has come out from the first floor of the building and started chatting this and that with the first one...

the baby boy was so cute with his chubby cheeks, curly black hair, shining baby fat and those charming glistening eyes... the second lady was trying to make friends with this boy... he has hesitated for a while and took his time to make sure that she is not an evil creature... finally, he said his name in his own discrete syllables and shifted to the second lady's hands...

two minutes passed... i took no notice of them, chatting with my colleague... i heard the baby boy crying for her mom, from the car he was sitting in, "mommeeee... mummeee.... come with me to home... i don't want to go alone"... incidentally, it was clear to me that the first lady was not a visitor but a working woman in the same office building... this reminded me of those hell like residential school days, way back when i was ten years old, and how badly we used to wait for our parents on every weekend... though this boy is not in a residential school, i guess his situation is worse than ours... the hell with this corporate race, making these children miss the tender touch of their mothers, and hence making them emotionally lagging...

i wish i had some time to go and spend with this boy!!!

I wonder...

2007-10-30T21:41:00.001+05:30

It is my usual habit to halt at the local road-side kulfi vendor, along with my roomies, to savor the luxury of the dessert... Keeba was buying kulfis for us... I have noticed a pretty woman standing near that shop, while her husband was attending a phone call sitting on his bike... I guess, she must be around 27-28... she wore a red saree in north-Indian style... she has that fair complexion with a color that can only be obtained by mixing gold and sandal wood color... she was stunningly beautiful and absolutely perfect in looks... I kept gazing at her without my conscience... in a couple of seconds, she has noticed this... a momentary feeling of discomfort appeared on her face, followed by an expression of happiness... I could observe that she is faintly trying to hide her smile, closing her lips... huh, that was really amazing... she looked like a star to my eyes... I don't know whether thinking/looking like this is insane or irrational on my part... but, the beauty in front of my eyes was really mesmerizing... her expressions shifted between smiling, naughtiness, teasing, admiration, happiness and so on so many times in those couple of minutes before we came out from that shop... her hubby was still on phone... after walking a bit, I asked Keeba, "shall I go back and buy another kulfi?"... he understood me and said yes... ha hha, somehow I didn't go back... but, as the couple passed us by on their bike, she has given the same naughty smile on her face while looking back at me...

I wonder what is hidden in that smile... I feel jealous for her husband's luck... I guess, that calls for a disturbed sleep tonight!!!

weekend masti...

2007-10-24T20:07:00.003+05:30

hill with flowers...

koyna river...

during boat shire in koyna river...

view from the ghat roads...

now... this is called beauty of nature!!!

Once I got my first kiss, life at Pune became more comfortable and enjoyable... my long lasted dream of roaming on a bike and going for long rides has come true... recently, we had two trips... on the first weekend, we have visited Balaji temple located in Narayanpur around 45km from Pune... early morning ride on Pune-Bangalore highway was too good... leaving aside whether one believes in god or not, the place is worth watching... moreover, unlike many other temples, this one is being maintained very clean... an exact replica of Tirupati Balaji temple... all corners of the temple are being maintained with so much of care... they are cleaning the area with vacuum cleaner... not using any haarathi or kumkum to maintain the cleanliness... unlike other temples, you can get a free laddu for free here... security is tight and the place is extremely pollution-free and clean... if anybody is planning to get married in a temple and also want the place to be clean and noise-free, i guess this is the right place!!!

the following weekend, we risked with a long ride on bikes... we have travelled around 400km in two days... visited places like Panchgani, Mahabaleshwar, Tapola etc... if one starts early in the morning from Pune, the ride on those misty roads will be awsome... going through the tunnel of around 1.5km span will leave one with a feeling like travelling in a video game... the highway is four laned, and two-lanes sometimes... after travelling around 60km from Pune, there will be a ghat road, which is a single line two-way road, which spans around 20 plus km, offering you spectacular view of the surround greenery... once the ghat is road is over and the road is straight, there will be a right turn which leads to Panchgani... the road, though not comparable to highway, is good enough for a comfortable ride... once Wai is crossed, ghat road starts again...

Things that must not be missed there...

Parachute gliding!!! they charge 1500 bucks per person, but the feeling of flying with wings is worth more than what they charge... once, gliding starts, the floating feeling is really awsome... one can comfortably call their loved ones from the sky... it is a different experience altogether!!!

Table land... finding a flat land on a hill top, that too at an altitude of more than a kilometer is rare... this table land, located at Panchgani spans more than 3-4 square kilometers... one can see the beauty of the nearby river and greenery from there... no matter how sunny is the day, you won't get sweatting or thirsty... the cool breeze will relax us like anything!!!

Tapola... again, one has to travel around 25km from Mahabaleshwar on ghat roads to reach this place... the ghat road is almost completely traffic-free... the ride is too comfortable and thrilling... one should not miss the freshly made tea by the local grandpa... on the way, there is a point called "siva darshan", from where the river can be viewed in the best angle!!! the road reaches an end at the boating point... the 45 minutes boat shire in the koina river is worth trying... one should not miss the sunset view from any of those ghat road turnings... instead of going for hotels in the Mahabaleshwar, we have chosen to stay in Puja farm house, located in the middle of Tapola and Mahabaleshwar... the night stay is too cool... there is nothing but cool breeze, silence, moonlight, and those melodies by nightingales!!! one cannot escape those memories of loved ones if it so happened that they come here without them!!! perfect location for a honeymoon ;-)
Pratapgarh fort... around 22km from Mahabaleshwar... this place, where shivaji used to rule long ago, is worth visiting... butter milk served here should not be missed... there will be lot of spring water streams on the ghat road way to this place from Mahabaleshwar... it will be interesting to see the strongly built fort and their architectural marvel in those good old days!!! there are places where you can have fun of trying horse riding!!!
if one has the energy to ride on bikes for two days continuously, and has a heart to feel the beauty of nature, this trip is worth making... October to May is the right time to make this trip... Now, I have started liking Pune life... not because Pune is good, but being the places around Pune are good!!! All you need to enjoy life here are, good pay, bunch of friends, bikes and a little bit of enthusiasm!!!

this thing called love...

2007-10-23T08:40:00.002+05:30

LOVE... some people simply say it's just a four letter word and it's----- bosh!!! on the other hand, the same four letter word occupies the whole thought process for some!!!

this thing called love... makes one admire even a falling flower... makes one to kiss the ugliest kid... makes one smile even at the extremely difficult times... makes one to hug the tiniest gift that reminds the loved one, and feel as if that's the greatest possession on the earth... makes one sleepless even after a tiresome day... makes one feel nothing is important... makes one wonder how life would have been if this is not there... makes one discover the different person in himself/herself... makes one see beauty in everything that comes their way!!!

this thing called love... makes one feel jealous... makes one feel the distress... makes one frustrated... makes one feel nothing else is important... makes one blind to realities... makes one deaf to conscience, and listen only to heart... makes one go crazy at times... makes one so sad and down... makes one wonder why he/she is still alive and for whom... makes one behave so silly and possessive... makes one forget the self and yearn to be somebody else... makes one laugh at oneself for all that stupidity... makes one fearless to death!!!

this thing called love... is so mysterious!!!

shades of life...

2007-10-22T10:05:00.002+05:30

things are going in right direction and comfortable pace... when there is nothing to think or nowhere to direct the thoughts, surroundings make us wonder... everything around us will be interesting... here are some of the things that caught my attention during last few days...

i was in a fast food centre along with my roomies on a fine evening... krish was ordering pani puri and anji was busy on phone... there came a charming young man, with a thickly grown beard, focused eyes, and a serious look... a boy of around 10-12 years was asking him to help him some money... this is a very common scene... what is interesting is the way the young man responded... he asked the boy why he needs that money... the boy answered that he is hungry... this young man told seriously that he won't give money but he can buy whatever he wants to eat for that hour... boy answered jubiliantly that he wants to eat panipuri... young man asked whether he needs one plate or two... the boy told he wants two plates of punipuri... the young man got down from his bike and bought two coupons and gave it to the boy and rushed out of the scene instantly... my salute to this young man!!!

on another day, we were roaming on the busy roads of shanivarpet... at one of the signal points, there stopped a couple on a bike... uncle was looking fair and handsome... more than that, he was looking happy... aunt was a bit plump and chubby, wearing a light colored silk saree... while uncle was looking this side and that, catching glimpses of those shortly dressed girls around, aunt passed her hands gently through her hubby's hair and pulled his cheeks... she whispered something in his ears and i could see the tickling sensation that he felt... how lucky is this guy!!!

i was in an auto towards my office on one of those busy mornings... the road was slightly slippery due to the previous night's drizzle... some guy was going on a bike ahead of our auto... he looked very energetic and a healthy expression was there on his face... moments later, his bike got slipped and the fallen bike dragged him on the road to almost 100 metres on the road... there was no consciousness... only his body was giving shaking with pulses... while i tried to get out of the auto (though i don't know what i should/can do), the auto driver scolded me and paced the auto to drop me at the destination... how dramatic and uncertain is our life!!!

good morning!!!

2007-10-17T10:59:00.002+05:30

getting up early in the morning is a difficult task... but, it has some advantages if we can make it... some of the snaps that i have captured the other day during sunrise... thanks to my "first love", Sony Ericsson w830i...

sunrise view from NDA area, near Chandini Chowk, Pune

bamboo bushes with a backdrop of sunlight...

nice place to go for a walk, early in the morning...

18 facts no one wanted to know about me...

2007-10-01T09:11:00.002+05:30

1. Pick out a scar you have, and explain how you got it.

A small scar on my chin which is visible when i don't shave for long time ;-) i got it when i was 5, during one of those overconfident attempts to prove my marathon skills ;-) I remember those days when my classmates used to make fun of me seeing that bandage on my chin in the shape of a cross!!!

2. What does your phone look like?

It's a black colored rectangular parallelepiped with edges curved... buttons showing kannada letters along with numbers... moreover, it looks like my sweetest companion who never bothers me holding it as i wish ;-)

3. What is on the walls of your bedroom?

There was a spider at the corner of the ceiling, resting peacefully in its newly built house after my recent attack during the last weekend... perhaps, it won't bother even if i attack it the next time too!!!

4. What is your current desktop picture?

A romantic snapshot showing an young couple french kissing each other... interesting part is that their faces are not visible in the snapshot... only their tongues and their expressions!!!

5. Do you believe in gay marriage?

he hhe... no idea!!!

6. What do you want more than anything right now?

An "yes" from my girlfriend ;-)

7 . What time were you born?

Around 6:30 on a september evening... my mother tells a lot about the dreadful cyclone that was there, and how they have struggled to arrange for minimum amount of lighting and food in that bad weather... exactly 24 years later, my nephew was born with same astral configuration... incidentally, the cyclone, power cut and other scenes repeated just like mine... now, this is called coincidence!!!

8. Are your parents still together?

YES... the very first thing that makes me believe "wonders do take place in real life too"... :p

9. Last person who made you cry?

my father... too much of caring to bear... he always talks as if my age is assumed my age reduced by 20 years!!!

10. What is your favorite perfume / cologne?

perfume??? cologne??? i don't use eigher... but, the other day, when i was on the escalator in shopping mall, a girl was standing besides me... that fragrance is still in my nostrils... awsome!!!

11. What kind of hair/eye color do you like in the opposite sex?

As long as there is enough hair and no baldness, color doesn't matter... of course, i hate those fluorescent shades that these hi-fi girls are wearing these days!!!

12. What are you listening to?

One of my colleague was explaing about his achievements in the recent project to his teammate... uff... boring!!!

13. Do you get scared of the dark?

my answer is "No" as long as there are no mysterious sounds around... i am comfortable in darkness combined with silence!!!

14. Do you like pain killers?

pain killers??? so stupid... the pain that can be killed by a pain killer doesn't need to be killed... and the pain that really kills you can never be killed by a pain killer!!!

15. Are you too shy to ask someone out?

again my answer is "no" as long as the other person is not too shy to say "yes" :p

16. If you could eat anything right now, what would it be?

hmmm... this looks like a mouth-watering question... i would like to eat the "pesarattu" made by mom, with lot of ginger, garlic, chilli, jeera and other stuff!!!

17. Who was the last person you made you mad?

aaaahh... that is none other than one of my colleague, who just can't stop talking about anything under the earth, without even faintest idea of what that actually means :-(

18. Who was the last person who made you smile?

someone who has sent me the funniest message in the morning!!!

PS: I have taken up this tag from silverine

snapshots from hell... the end!!!

2007-09-23T15:11:00.001+05:30

it's more than two months after I have left my alma mater, Indian Institute of Science... some memories to conclude the snapshots from hell...

it was 27th July'05, a cold morning in Bangalore, that we set our first foot in IISc... we are very much delighted to find few enthusiastic senior students, who came to receive us from the railway station... I know none of those sitting with me in that cab, which took us to the institute... while many of the then current students were walking here and there with books in their hands and glow in their faces, we were sitting on our luggage in front of the hostel office, just like refugees, waiting for the registration... all the delusions that we will be given hi fi rooms were shattered when we entered into those old hostel rooms, where visibility was poor, walls were seeping, and bathrooms unattended!!! of course, those rooms were still prestigious as they have given shelter to many great minds over the last many decades... the whole day went by in trying to make contacts with the new faces, finding the routes etc... we were given a welcome address the very next day in the faculty hall... the scenario faintly resembled the welcome address for John Nash and his batch mates in the movie "A beautiful mind"... we were thrilled to know that the institute was an outcome of the discussion of JRD Tata with Swami Vivekananda a century ago (you can have more information here)... and we were here, to carry on with the standards, and do something... all the faces were very enthusiastic, bright, and nervous at the same time... on the very first day, we were told by the faculty that life at iisc will be hectic, just like hell... and they have proved the same, as days and months passed!!! so, that was the starting point, with lots of hopes, dreams and expectations...

a semester passed by... there were countless situations where we felt all alone... first time in my life, i got less than 10 marks for a test conducted for 100 or so... how can this situation be compared to my four years of undergraduate life where i have never scored below 80 percent... ha hha, that's what we were supposed to learn at this place... learn that life is not a bed of flowers... i have seen almost all of my batch mates crying to tears when they perform badly or got bad grades... i even remember the day i sobbed in front of my seniors that i wanted to leave this place and do something else, rather than continuing with this poor performance and harsh criticism by professors...

well... we sustained finally, and changed the course of our direction... came out of those high expectations from oneself and started taking life a bit easier, while still putting a little bit of effort to meet the requirements... as another semester is finished and we were announced that there is no more course work, we got wings all of a sudden... there was lot of free time and space... institute started looking more beautiful... the same roads, the same trees, the same buildings, and the same people... but, something has changed inside... since the worst period was over, our eyes started to recognize the beauty of this place and its importance in life...

the coffee board, the tea kiosk, the department corridor, the TMC canteen, the gym-cafe, the aerodrome, and the jubilee park... every corner of the institute has its own connectivity with us... the much awaited placement session lasted for a couple of months, leaving us in trance... finally, everybody has got selected and finished thesis work and presentations... some satisfied with their performance, some left with bitter experiences with the whole degree, and some with no feeling at all... at last, the two years of iisc life is over!!! only those memories, lessons, affections, and relations are left...

only after leaving the institute, that we realized how beautiful the life at iisc was... though i have addressed the institute as hell, it was the most beautiful place that i have ever lived... so, that calls for the end of the snapshots from hell!!!

PS: also read snapshots1 , snapshots2

few hours without a mobile...

2007-09-22T13:29:00.001+05:30

just now, i had a training class of 3 hours duration... haaaa... such a boring thing to do on a weekend... cuddling in the rug till the rug, reordering the flat, cleaning my FIRST KISS until it shines, or whatever on the earth will be more exciting on a weekend than coming to office to attend a lousy seminar... as soon as i was out of the conference room, i was searching for my mobile... my portable, cute, shining, small friend who never bothers me irrespective of how i handle that... uff, i forgot it at my flat... almost, like losing one of my limb... I can't send some funny thought to my colleague, about the boring lecture... i can't hear my loved one's voice... i can't play games... ooops... few more hours without my mobile, that too in the conference room :-(

life can be funny...

2007-09-20T09:50:00.001+05:30

the other day, some X was talking to me... this is to know how wild guesses could be...

X: sooooo, you are miste...r Krissshnaa???
G: no, I am Gopal...
X: oh... I thought you must be Krishna... sooooo, you have finissshed your doo..ctorate???
G: no, I did my masters...
X: oooh... masters innnnn compu..ter science???
G: no, masters in chemical engineering...
X: oooh... ok ok... sooooo, yoooou did your masters from IITB???
G: no, I did from IISc...
X: soooo... you went to masters after sommmmmme work experience???
G: no, I went directly after my undergrad...
X: soooo... you must be from UP... right???
G: no, I am from AP...
X: ooooh... i thought you are from UP... sooo, where in AP???
G: Kakinada
X: Kakinada??? it is near Hyderabad... right???
G: nooooo... it is near Visakhapatnam...
X: ooooh... Visakhapatnam is in AP???
G: hmmm... one of the beautiful cities of the state!!!
X: ok Gopal.... if you have any doubts, you can come to me for clarifications...
G: sure... i will come to you anytime if i have doubts...
X: no... not any time, but sometimes!!!

ufff... there ends the conversation ;-)

can we be more sensible?

2007-09-18T17:04:00.002+05:30

since last four days, all the roads and main centers are occupied with ad hoc Ganesh temples... keeping aside the sentiments of people, it is surprising to see the way the whole process is being celebrated... within a span of 1km of roadway, there are more than five points where these ad hoc devotional places are arranged... all of the groups are competing with the size of the statue that is erected there... not just the size of the status, but the wattage of the speakers they arrange... lord Ganesha himself can answer where the hell these people got permission to play those loud speakers, right in the middle of busy residential area!!!

lord Ganesha, whose statue is located at the nearest point to the speakers, must have already gone deaf for lifetime (in fact, for his whole life cycles to come) and he can no longer hear the pleas of people, in spite of his large ears!!! sadly enough, there is no single song that is devotional... day starts much before 5AM with a song "meri naseeb mein tu hi tu" followed by "sexy lady on the floor" and so on...

lord Ganesha must be muttering to himself "sudharjaa beta"when he sees the 'pujari' staring at the display by a modern-dressed young girl who came to offer pooja... funny enough is the publicity on display for the people who are organizing these things...

every time I see these ganesha idols being worshipped, i only think the fate of these man-made forms of god being thrown at the local dump yard after the nine days event :-( needless to mention about the stringent security needs to avoid any casualties between people, who always try to find reasons to fight!!!

I dream for the day when people celebrate the 'spirit of unity' as their religion, 'brotherhood' as the motto and 'live and let live' as their policy...

my FIRST KISS...

2007-09-15T15:40:00.001+05:30

finally, i have got a bike of my own... honda shine featuring 125cc, 10.3 bhp, 65kmpl... I have named it as my FIRST KISS... boo hoo to Pune public transport ;-)

jab kabhi...

2007-09-13T21:05:00.001+05:30

jab kabhi chand na ho... andheri raat ho...
darna kum hoga mujhko... agar tum saath ho...

jab kabhi baadal chaaye... ya ghani barsaat ho...
hogi khushi har ek boond mein... agar tum saath ho...

is jahan mein koi mera ho bhi ya na ho...
har ek lamha bhar jayega roshini se...
bas agar tum saath ho...

jab kabhi aansoo aaye... ya buree saugaat ho...
muskuraaloonga main to phir bhee... agar tum saath ho...

tum yahaam ho to saari duniya hi idhar...
saare armaan khwab saare ban gaye hai ab tumhaari ek nazar...

jab kabhi dil ghabraaye... saamne maat ho...
jeet ke main dikhlaaoonga... agar tum saath ho...

jab kabhi hansde aalam... khushiyom ki baaraat ho...
zindagi hogi jannat... agar tum saath ho...

boring...

2007-09-12T16:09:00.002+05:30

BoRinG bOrInG BOriNg boRInG BoRiNg bORinG BOrRInG boRInG BoRiNg bOrInG BOrInG boRInG BoRiNg bORinG bOrInG BOriNg boRInG BoRiNg boRInG BoRiNg BoRinG bORinG BOrRInG boRInG BoRiNg bOrInG bOrInG BOriNg boRInG BoRiNg bORinG BOrRInG boRInG BoRiNg BOriNg boRInG boRInG BoRiNg BOriNg boRInG BoRiNg bORinG BOrRInG boRInG BoRiNg bOrInG bOrInG...

the namesake...

2007-09-11T09:44:00.002+05:30

I have read this touching novel 'the namesake' recently, which kept me reading to the end in one stretch... A story about an Indian family shifted to the land of opportunities, America, and settled there... Ashoke, the father of the protagonist Gogol, met with a dreadful accident during his train journey, when he was reading the short stories by Nikolai Gogol... the same accident, which almost takes him to the doors of the death, motivates him to move to a foreign land to pursue his higher studies... he gets married to a bengali girl, Ashima, during his Ph.D and builds his own world there in that foreign land...

Ashoke names his son by the name of his favorite author, Gogol, the book of whom he was reading during that dreadful accident that haunts him throughout his life... Gogol, along with his sister Sonali (gradually converted to Sonia due to her American ambiance) grows up with a mindset of considering himself truly American... Later, Gogol officially changes his name to Nikhil after numerous embarrassments and other inner feelings... Then onwards, the story goes on describing how he goes to India with his parents, how he hates that ambiance, his two unsuccessful love affairs, his father's sudden death, and finally his unsuccessful marriage with a girl names Moushumi, who turns out to be unfaithful to him... Finally, his mother moves to her motherland leaving Gogol and Sonia to their individual lives...

Jhumpa Lahiri, the author of this novel, starts this story with Ashima's feelings when she was expecting a child... the story takes the readers to their innermost self, dwells out those memories of childhood, points out our way of behaving with parents, and finally the intricate difficulties of typical metro/cosmopolitan lifestyle... a novel worth reading at least once, which leaves us with a nice feeling... just like feeling the touch of a dew drop after a chillingly cold winter night!!

PS: thanks to Deepa, who has gifted this book to me!!!

pune...

2007-09-07T13:40:00.001+05:30

surrounded with greenery, Pune is a medium sized city with a lifestyle of its own... somebody who lived in a city like Bangalore for quite sometime and shifted to Pune without having any local acquaintances, is likely to get cheated by auto drivers, at least once... minimal knowledge of hindi is a must for a smooth survival here... few goodies about this software city that i have observed so far...

first and foremost thing to be noticed is its pleasant climate... we can feel like in an air-conditioned room most of the time... though monsoon season brings some irritation along with its beauty, it is quite comfortable weather to live in...

wherever you go in the city, there are always some buddy shops selling native marathi dishes like vadapav, poha etc. one can't help admiring the taste of vadapav if he takes it in a good stall... tiffins in a road side buddy are much more reasonable in prices and better in taste compared to that is available in restaurants... and the food is hygeinic too...

the 'dahi handi' event that takes place on janmashtami is celebrated too good here... the spirit of unity, tradition, and strength are well displayed... it's an awsome event that should not be missed...

people are never too much bothered about traffic rules here... people might be too time conscious to follow the rules, i guess ;-) even then, the mishaps are very few, since people are showing a suitable driving sense to assure enough safety...

last but not the least, gender bais is not found that much here... no separate seats or entrances for gents and ladies in public buses and other common modes of commutation...

except the poorly maintained public transportation, muddy roads on rainy days, and dusty atmosphere on a sunny day, this is a nice place to spend joyously... provided, one has enough money to afford!!!

unanswered...

2007-08-27T18:35:00.001+05:30

when the rest of the world is moving ahead... moving ahead on a path that never ends... passing through a myriad of phases... leaving everybody puzzled... not knowing the answer for 'what next?'...

when the rest of the world is moving ahead... i am here... i am here, standing still... puzzled with those countless emotions... those countless feelings... unidentified pains... and, unanswered questions...

the dew drop hanging on the lonely leaf of the banyan plant, grown from the corner of my balcony, is making me wonder... making me wonder 'how this tiny thing has acquired so much of beauty out of nowhere?'

the dog lying besides the road, its leg half crushed by the ruthlessly blind city bus driver, and its hunger never fully satisfied, is asking me... asking me 'in what way you are better than me?'

the golden colored cleavage of the girl in a violet silky top, casually exposed by her while standing in the checkout counter of the grossery store, is questioning me... questioning me 'why the hell are you gaping at me? you don't have an invitation here'

the shapeless awkward stone, lying besides a busy traffic road, decorated with fresh garlands, turmeric and incense sticks, is troubling me... troubling me with a thought 'when will these people be self-reliant rather than blindly worshipping some silly stones'

the clear sky in the night after a day full of rain, with its romantic blue color and added decoration of stars, is throwing me a puzzle... a puzzle 'where is your destination among these stars?'

the last leaf on the unnamed tree in front of my college building, turned to brown and dry after its trimphant longer life than its peers, and finally falling to the ground, is inquiring me... inquiring me 'you will be like me someday. when shall we meet?'

updates...

2007-08-21T17:10:00.001+05:30

again, it is been long after updating the blog. now, i am able to see the real corporate life. every morning, i get up with a wish "today, i will write something". by the time i reach my office, the horrible bus journey and the gloomy office ambiance makes me sick and skip the act of writing! yes, that's how the past three weeks have gone out of my hands. few updates!

reading Fountain Head by Ayn Rand. i must say that i fell literally in love with this book. beautifully portrayed characters like Dominique, Roark, Wynand etc. are really wonderful. at first, i was wondering why a person needs eight complete years to finish a novel. but, when i am actually going through each page and each line, everything was so perfectly written. i was beaten... beaten many times on my opinions by many situations in this novel. but, at the end, it's a lovely experience.

visited Lonavala with my friends. This is a place, around 65km from the Pune city. filled with green lush and cloudy hills, this is must place to visit. monsoon is adding addtional beauty to it. it's a beautiful feeling when the clouds actually cross your body and drench you with the condensed rain drops. added to these beauties, the journey on the expresshighway connecting Pune and Mumbai is awsome.

it's my dream of buying the bike AVENGER since long. but, i guess i will not be able to afford it with my present financial status. still have couple of weeks to travel in these lousy Pune buses before enjoying the ride on my own bike.

slowly, life at Pune is getting OK... waiting for some more good moments from this Pune life!

new life...

2007-07-26T08:38:00.001+05:30

it's almost more than three weeks after my last post... nothing new to think about but everything new to experience... finished my masters with flying colors... of course, that ended with painful process of giving send off to friends and leaving my good old institution with a heavy heart...

joined in the job, for the first time in my life... lost in understanding this corporate world... Pune life is exactly opposite to what i imagined it to be... i imagined it to be a cool, peaceful and pleasant city... on the other hand, people are really in a hurry here... costly room rents, poorly maintained traffic, loads of pollution, buses without name plates, dust always flying on the roads and so on...

a beginning to my new life, i guess!!!

reminiscences...

2007-07-01T11:52:00.001+05:30

Two years of stay at IISc has come to an end with this week... too many wonderful moments to count... lots of fun... personally, everybody in our batch has decided to take a break from studies... leaving the institute one by one... i can see that this place is being deserted... of course, that is only to be filled back with fresh and energetic faces... here I am, introducing all my batch mates... who shared joy, happiness and difficulties together...

Lakshmanan: most sincere of all... never compromises when it comes to rules and regulations... "work is worship" is his philosophy of life... this is first time I am seeing "sincerity personified"...

Girish: a man with standards... highly difficult to convince him... notorious for his red-hottedness... his regular attire is in a long lab coat that covers his whole body ;-)

Marimuthu: another work-minded master piece with signs to prove the Darwin's theory of evolution... known for his broadcasting abilities and 24x7 working capability... aspires to be a professor at IITM in future...

Santosh: ever-smiling smart boy with incredibly high passion for fotos, food, and fashion... highly informative... recently started dreaming of getting a beautiful girl as his life-partner...

Gajendra: known for his witty humor and take-it-easy lifestyle... doing research on viral dynamics, ranging from bird-flu to HIV... let's see what will be the outcome of his research...

Vadhana: Miss.Confused... that's the title given to her by people... truly a n-dimensional personality (n is slowly approaching infinity) with a multidimensional walk...

Anjaneyulu: typical filmy-lover hailing from guntur... eagerly waiting for some producer to prove his directing abilities... his physique suits his name... gigantic in style, and magnanimous by nature...

Kalyan: looks can be deceptive... one of the highly confused... known for the massive transportation skills on his bazaz bulldozer... he is the one whom i've tortured during my stay at IISc...

Alok: this half-smiling 27year old boy works as scientist at DRDO... recently caught with phonomania, spending at least 6 hours per day chatting with his would-be wife... god bless that girl ;-)

Mahendra: short man with greatest power... incredibly charming and alarmingly regular with his routine... never deviates from the track... all of us are waiting to go to his marriage...

Mathew: yeah... here is our Mr.M... highly notorious for his PJ's... sincere at work and simple at heart... truly jovial company... heading to BPCL to take rest for a couple of years...

Arun: Mr. Crack Jack... a person hard to decipher... his passion for exploring of technical knowledge is adorable... eating brains, watching naruto, and solving sudoku are his passions...

Aarthi: truly inspiring... stubborn in a notoriously positive way... one of the very few who made a permanent impression on me... truly genuine scientist in her own way... 32-bit smile is her trade mark ;-)

Krishna: intelligence blended with absent-mindedness... this fellow ranks the first who tortured me for the last two years... i often wonder how nothing but technical junk stays in his brain!!!

That's all about my batchmates in a nutshell... i am still unable to believe that our masters program has already completed... and all of have started our journey to different corners of the country to live the real life... shifting from protected zone to self-protecting zone... five/ten years down the line, hopefully, some of us will be hailing as eminent personalities!!!

EARTHLINGS!!!

2007-06-21T00:14:00.001+05:30

yesterday, i watched this documentary EARTHLINGS shown in our centre for ecological sciences... the documentary is all about how we, human beings are exploiting animals for different needs... food, meat, companionship etc... the whole documentary is divided into five different sections... i couldn't watch the whole documentary... in fact, i was really startled to see the way those animals are butchered/murdered just for fulfilling the food requirements of mankind... those are not even given anaesthesia before butchering... a documentary worth watching... i bet, anybody sensible enough can't eat non-vegetarian food with that liking after watching this documentary... it is really sickening to know that millions of animals are killed daily in USA itself just for supply of food...

PS: i've strongly decided to be vegetarian from now onwards!!! watch this documentary, and i bet you will feel the same!!!

Two more friends!!!

2007-06-20T21:03:00.002+05:30

i've got two more friends... one is rubik's revenge and the other is professor's cube... while it took one month for me to solve rubik's cube (3X3), it is taking days just to do two colors on professor's cube...

important thing to note here is that i didn't buy any of these two... professor's cube is sent by Praphul after seeing my post on rubik's revenge... it's a nice feeling to know that there are people who are willing to spend money for somebody whom they don't even know personally... thanks a lot Mr.Praphul... i owe you a treat... not just for the professor's cube, but also for those long philosophical discussions through mails... and for proving that money doesn't matter but the intentions do matter!!!

rubik's revenge is sent by deepika, my friend and philosopher... thanks a lot buddy! you made my hours busy with this cute gift!!! let me see how many days i will take to solve these things :-)

expressions!!!

2007-06-12T22:51:00.001+05:30

hmmm... looks beautiful!

this one is really nice!!!

amazing!!!

oops!

baap re!!!

pchhh...

there comes another one!!!

PS: These are the expressions given by the author during one of those bird-watching hours at the tea-board of our institute. Thanks to the photographer Krishna.