Random Musings...

Theory of Relativity...

2011-12-11T19:25:00.009+05:30

Doesn't time seem to stop when you are in your hometown..

Take today for example. I woke up at 7am. Was out of my house in half hour. Met a friend and went to a relative's place. Then got my hair cut and joined my sister for getting greeting cards. Finally shopped for a Christmas Star. Reached home. and finished off writing the Christmas cards and the stars. Did all this by 1am.

Really wish I could find a job in my home town...

French Toast..

2011-08-13T15:25:00.003+05:30

French Toast is a very simple to make breakfast item. It can be made as both a sweet as well as a savory dish. Stuffed French Toast is basically two pieces of French Toast that have been stuffed with bananas, strawberries or other fruit. It is usually topped with butter, maple syrup or powdered sugar.

To make French Toast, take two eggs and beat them lightly. To it, add half cup milk, a few drops of vanilla essence and half a teaspoon of cinnamon powder. (if powdered cinnamon is not at hand, just boil the milk with broken pieces of cinnamon stick and strain it; which is what I did. Remember to cool the milk to room temperature before using it; else it’ll cook the beaten eggs). Mix well.

Take bread slices, dip them in the mix and place on a very lightly greased (egg ensures it won’t stick) frying pan or girdle. Cook until both sides are browned. Use slightly older bread as it’ll be dry and will prevent the toast from getting too soggy and breaking off.

The cooked slices can be served with a variety of toppings such as jam, butter, honey, maple syrup, ketchup etc... It can also be topped with powdered sugar, fruit or syrup.

Important to have it hot. Tastes bad when cold.

Puttu...

2011-07-25T11:23:00.004+05:30

Couple of days back I made puttu. Puttu is a very common mallu breakfast dish. It can be made with both rice as well as wheat flour. Puttu with hot steaming kadala curry or sweet banana and a cup of hot tea brings back so many memories. It is a very simple and healthy dish consisting of the flour with layers of grated coconut, steamed in a cylindrical vessel called puttu-kutti.

pic courtesy: HOTDishes

To make puttu, slowly add warn water with a little salt to the flour till it forms tiny lumps. Fill the puttu-kutti with it, adding layers of grated coconut in between. Once fully filled, close the top of the puttu-kutti and load it over the vessel and steam it till done.

Other variations include, steaming it in bamboo stems or coconut shells (chiratta puttu)

Well, since I donot have a putti-kutti, I opted for the easy way out which is buying a pack of instant puttu-podi. Just add equal quantity of hot water to the powder and stir for a minute with a fork. Leave for it to set for five minutes and its done. It tastes pretty much like a normal puttu except I didn’t add the grated coconut. Sprinkled it with sugar and had it with bananas.

Nowhere like the homemade ones, but craving satiated for time being!!

Quickie Dinner..

2011-07-21T22:42:00.001+05:30

Was too lazy to labour for dinner. Just boiled rice, lentils and peas with salt to taste.

Had it with curd and some tangy tomato pickle.

Yum...

Healthy (read bland) Pasta...

2011-07-13T17:03:00.005+05:30

After gorging on beef and going Godzilla on pastries couple of days ago, I’d decided to cut down on calories and tried making an oil free pasta. Very simple to make and not too bad on taste; though my friend told me it was quite bland to her tastes (you can add pepper to make it spicy)

Boil the pasta in good amount of water (about 4 times the quantity of pasta) with salt to taste. Boil veggies and keep them aside. Use a colourful mix of veggies like carrot, peas, capsicum etc.. Since I was going fat/oil free I didn’t make the traditional white sauce. I plainly reduced milk with corn starch and for taste added a spoon of Maggi mushroom soup powder. Mix the boiled pasta and the vegetables with the sauce and you’re done!!

Quick & Easy Pancakes!!

2011-07-12T12:07:00.003+05:30

I love pancakes. The sweet and eggy taste makes for a perfect lazy Sunday breakfast.

Not made them from scratch yet and the few times that I’ve made them, I’ve used Betty Crocker Pan Cake Mix. The recipe on the box is quick and simple.

Beat eggs and milk together and then slowly sift in the flour; all the while stirring so that lumps are not formed. Mix well to make a smooth batter.

Heat a pan and pour in a ladle of batter onto it. Spread the batter by turning the pan. Do note that the pan needn’t be greased as the egg in the batter prevents it from sticking (as explained by a good ole friend). Cook on one side till the topmost layer of the batter solidifies and then flip it. Cook till it turns a warm yellow.

Have ‘em hot with fruits, honey, maple syrup or strawberry syrup.

Whenever I make pancakes I usually make copious amounts of batter so that I can satiate my cravings as soon as they come. It can be stored for upto 4 days in the fridge.

Attempt No:1

2011-07-11T21:32:00.011+05:30

So here's a snapshot of my first attempt..

I think its important to be a good photographer first. Though I've been trying to photograph food for sometime, I'm nowhere near what the pros do. In fact, the only decent snap I have to date is that of a strawberry tart taken at Le Pain Quotidient which I've uploaded in the previous post.

I started out to make Rice, Dal and a vegetable curry but ended up with something quite different.

Pressure cook equal parts of rice & dal with enough salt and vegetables (in this case peas & carrots) with a spoon of bisibele bath powder (I used the MTR one). Its not the purest way to make the dish. Heck! even the recipe on the packet calls for elaborate measures. But for a single guy on his first attempt and that too trying to finish off in 20mins flat, this will do. And hey, it did taste decent..

I usually get hungry when I cook, so I made a snack too. Just cut up some mushrooms and braise them in white wine (the cheapest ones like Dia will do) with a dash of ginger-garlic paste. Spread it on dry roasted bread to get a quickie bruschetta. It did make for a good snack while cooking the rest of the meal..

For the side dish, I made a simple vegetable curry. Just boiled peas and carrots and reduced them in a gravy of tomato and sauteed onions. Also added the leftover braised mushrooms to it..

Voila! and dinner was served..

Seasoned food writers might turn in their graves, but this is my version and I'm sticking to it and am here to stay!!

World here I come..

* attempt the above at your own risk

Trying something new...

2011-07-10T20:50:00.002+05:30

Like I said in my earlier post, I'm trying to do something new.
My first try is at food writing. I actually do know a bit about food and keep myself updated with the restaurant scene in Mumbai. But its actual writing that I have a problem with..

Anyway, made a start with an experimental dish I made a couple of days ago. Meticulously took photos also of the same. Though I made a big blunder of not photographing the actual finished product..

More on that later..

A new start..

2011-07-07T22:14:00.002+05:30

Ok.. This I hope, is an earnest attempt to revive my blog.

Presently am in a rut.. The job sucks and I can't seem to find another one. Nothing interesting's going on. Desperately trying to divert my energies to something productive or creative..

Dug up the junk in my storage and brought out my colors and sketch book.
Not started on it though. Nor in a mood to read anything. Am mulling some ideas.

Will soon narrow on something. Hoping the blog will have something to do with it..

Let see...

It's the Most Amazing eXperience

2010-03-17T00:16:00.002+05:30

went to watch Alice In Wonderland today... My first IMAX experience... Man! I was bowled over... Kicking myself in the butt for not watching Avatar at IMAX...

A Navi Mumbaikar reacts...

2010-03-12T16:57:00.005+05:30

DB just sent me this link of an article that came in HT coupla months back.. I can so totally relate to it.. But unlike the author, I'd like to think that Navi Mumbai does have quite a few places to hangout..

Burn it Up.

The Happy Man…

2010-03-05T18:31:00.000+05:30

Everyday I take the 8:12 local from Vashi to Andheri. It’s an uncomfortable 1:10 hr journey on a crowded train and I meet a lot of people on the way. Among the regulars is one man, about 28-30 years old, always in 2nd last compartment. Gets in before me and alights at Vile Parle. He has his 4 friends who get in along the way.

Never before have I seen someone who is so happy. He’s always smiling and laughing. And cheerful to the hilt- which is quite difficult in a crowded Mumbai local where there just enough room for one to stand and breathe for the hour long journey.

What makes him so cheerful? I wonder every single time…

SMS Mishap

2009-10-24T16:07:00.005+05:30

A message intended for a close buddy which I accidently sent to my boss:
"Hey, buzz me tonight if you are free...
Itching to bitch and gossip. ;) "

To which he replied:
"Do not worry!
You can call me tonight and we can bitch and gossip..."

Like they say in the mastercard commercials..
Having a boss with a sense of Humour...
Priceless...

2009-09-28T13:55:00.000+05:30

Vidyarambham...

2009-09-28T13:40:00.002+05:30

Hari Shree Ganapathaye Namaha

Happy Death...

2009-08-27T15:14:00.000+05:30

I had a wonderful time the past few days.. went about town with a coupla good buddies.. ate some really good food and downed a coupla mugs of beer and just went about the city walking along the victorian structures of south Mumbai, window shopping here, reading a book there, haggling with a hawker and gazing at passers by.. in short I was happy…

So happy that I wish I had died.. I’ve started to think that maybe it is best to die when you are happy…

“Happy Death” a point I’m beginning to ponder…

Too much too fast...

2009-08-15T08:57:00.003+05:30

Things around me are changing too much.. and too fast..
and there's that distinct feeling that this time its taking a turn for the worse..

Dunno what to do..

anyway, Happy Independence Day people!!

10 steps to enjoy a bubbly in the most unclassiest way possible…

2009-07-22T17:08:00.002+05:30

1. Buy a good bottle of white wine
2. Ensure that the bottle has a long nose and that the cork is really tight
3. Conveniently lose the corkscrew
4. Start uncorking with the next best tools such as the nail cutter and a screwdriver
5. Do a such shoddy job that the cork comes out in bits and pieces
6. Finally, push the cork into the bottle out of sheer frustration of not being able to get the bloody thing out
7. As wine glass is not available, use an ordinary glass tumbler
8. Pour the wine in; only to discover bits and pieces of cork merrily floating around
9. (and now the icing on the cake) Rush to the kitchen, get the tea strainer to filter out the cork pieces
10. Enjoy !!

Thank god, the girl who was with me was a sporty gal pal and not someone yours truly was trying to impress ;)

Souvenier...

2009-05-05T23:21:00.004+05:30

Was lazing around the resort all through.. Didn't get any time to shop... So something that I randomly picked out from the gift shop at Holiday Inn in the few minutes that I got between check-out and coach drop...

Blissful Goa...

2009-05-05T23:01:00.004+05:30

3 Days away from work... an absolute bliss...

What the future holds...

2009-04-08T20:33:00.003+05:30

Last week, we were all in Mumbai for the monthly team meeting. Boss had taken us all out to dinner at Tendulkars after the meeting.. Along with the bill came some fortune chocolates.. This is what they had to say...

I guess I should start believing in such stuff coz tomorrow I am indeed travelling and going home ;)

Gosh.. I'm old...

2009-03-24T22:11:00.005+05:30

A few hours back DB just told me that the median age of India was 24.8 years.. I turned 25 last September.. That makes me older that half of the country's population..

Boy! am I disturbed or what!!

and the day comes to an end....

2009-02-14T23:24:00.002+05:30

and this was my Valentine.....

2009-01-30T19:17:00.000+05:30

remember the time when you were in kindergarten. you'd meet this kid you know nothing about and ten seconds later you'd end up playing like you've known each other all along... thats because you just needed to be yourself then...

On secrets.. truths untold and opening up...

2009-01-18T02:51:00.003+05:30

Its 3 in the morning and I've still not gone to sleep. The post is inspired by a coupla things that happened today.

My roomie introduced me to PostSecrect a few days back. The posts were such a revelation... and I kept thinking how it would feel to open up and reveal one's secrets... It certainly takes quite a load off one's mind.. I vividly remember the last time I did that.. Was in the 2nd year of college.. A lazy Sat (or was it Sunday...) when I revealed my biggest secret to J.. something I'd been trying to get off my chest for 8 long years... We talked for a long time that night.. and hell did I cry... but at the end of it all I was glad I did that... else, would have been crushed and consumed by it all... Thanx mate ;)

Just finished watching 'Almost Famous'; one of the really good movies I've seen in a long time. There is this scene towards the end of the film where the protagonists are all in a private plane caught in really rough weather. Impending doom, they all start blurting out their innermost secrets...

What would it feel like to reveal all of your secrets.. I mean all of it; every single detail; even the ones that you try to keep away from yourself. Would others judge you too much? Would one be treated as a social outcast? All possible.. Or is it because our secrets also have a role in defining who we are??

PostSecret.. here I come...

Irony...

2008-12-27T22:00:00.000+05:30

camping in a protected bird sanctuary gorging on fried chicken and drinking kingfisher...

Season's Greetings...

2008-12-25T10:01:00.002+05:30

I'm so angry I wanna kill someone...

2008-12-24T19:12:00.003+05:30

The past 24 hours has been one of the worst in my life. Certain things have happened which has left me tired, exhausted and devoid of any motivation. I've been so angry I wanna kill someone...

It was finally blogosphere that has come to my rescue... Was contemplating a few courses of action.. Am now thinking otherwise... After reading two entries; one by a close friend and another by my best friend. Even without asking, the universe has conspired to bring advice my way.

Bhadra
Narendran

Thanks a lot J.
and BN, DB & MK.

stumbling...

2008-11-22T21:19:00.003+05:30

Isn't it great when we stumble upon something and suddenly like what we've discovered.. be it a book, or a dish or a song or some place to some hithero undiscovered part of your attic or backyard... I've always loved stumbling upon stuff..

"Stumble Upon" was one of my favourite passtimes while in bschool.. esp through some really boring lectures.. of late, I've rediscovered stumbling.. I randomly type urls and see what's in store.. two such sites which have kept me busy for the past coupla hours are:

http://www.grumblemagazine.com/
http://www.bloodyhell.com/

While the former has some write ups which make for interesting reading while the latter has jokes/ anecdotes with liberal doses of sarcasm thrown in..

I'm so bloody tired

2008-11-10T23:24:00.002+05:30

I'm feeling so lazy... I'm so tired... Don't feel like working at all... In fact I don't feel like doing anything at all... For timepass, watched Sweet Home Alabama. now am feeling all homesick...

Big wheels keep on turning
Carry me home to see my kin
Singing songs about the Southland
I miss Ernakulam once again

Sweet home Ernakulam
Where the skies are so blue
Sweet Home Ernakulam
Lord, I'm coming home to you

... Sigh ...

Am not able to sleep.. Not able to read... Not able to make contact... Not able to talk... just plain lethargy and a pretty much queasy feeling...

2008-11-09T10:33:00.002+05:30

Doing something ironical...

2008-11-09T09:20:00.003+05:30

I'm really really sleepy and tired. And I absolutely hate cricket. Even I'm not sure why I woke up early on a sunday and came all the way to VCA stadium to watch the match. Well, its kinda exciting though. Might as well enjoy the day!

neat.. ain't it!!

2008-10-26T18:35:00.002+05:30

a lil something I saw on a recent trip to Bangkok

crossing the silver jubilee...

2008-09-29T07:25:00.001+05:30

How I hate working on Sunday...

2008-08-31T15:46:00.002+05:30

Well, another beautiful Sunday down the drain.. Gosh! I really hate working on holidays. But such is fate (or my job rather).. Anyway, I was not about to let go so easily..

So after I met my team members in the morning and wrapped up the pep talks by noon, I slowly set off for home; to finish preparing for my meeting tomorrow. But, the beautiful sidewalks of Nagpur lured me into a walk which later turned to a totally aimless amble.. The city is really beautiful.. and before I knew it, there I was in front of CCD. And it suddenly started to drizzle... the perfect icing on the cake..

So here I am, sipping a hot cuppa.. at my fav haunt in Nagpur.. part working.. part blogging..

Hoping to finish off a good chunk of work before my roomie (who also ended up working today) turns up.. Planning to go watch Rock On! in the evening.. really need to destress myself...

Home Sweet Home...

2008-08-16T07:07:00.002+05:30

Just entered Kerala an hour ago. It looks absolutely gorgeous. Its rained the night before. All I can see are vast expanses of paddy fields and the place has exploded with a million hues of lush lush green. Man! This truly is 'God's own country'

Celebrating I-Day

2008-08-15T19:44:00.000+05:30

For the first time in my life I am celebrating independence day while on the move. Am going home after a long gap. Am on the kerala express which will take me home by tomorrow morning.nothing much in celebration so to say.not even a tri-colour to wave. Just a smug feeling and proud to be an Indian!
Vande Mataram...

Watching history in the making...

2008-08-11T12:15:00.000+05:30

Just watched Abinav Bindra shoot his way to winning the country's first individual Olympic Gold medal... Felt great to watch history being made...

And life is beautiful again...

2008-07-29T22:33:00.003+05:30

After a month and a half of waiting, whining, incessant calls to NOKIA Care and threats to go to consumer courts.. I finally got my phone back...

Realisations after a phone under repairs...

2008-07-18T09:08:00.006+05:30

My first phone was a Nokia 3100; one which had a glow-in-the-dark border and looked like a lil devil with horns in the dark. I absolutely loved it. But felt the need to upgrade, what with all the peer pressure and friends flaunting the latest models. Last Dec, I switched to the Nokia5700 XpressMusic. Again I knew I had a great catch. Good OS, nice looks, great features, fantastic music and above all, very few people had it unlike the ubiqitious NSeries which every TDH has these days.

Back to the topic at hand, I was on a market visit, a few weeks ago when it started acting up. The keys got jammed; the OS went haywire and I eventually had to take it to Nokia Care and was told that I'd havta wait for a month to get it back. D-day is yet to arrive; I'm missing my phone and it was a huge stepdown switching to a 1100. I used to listen to the radio a lot while travelling and I'm missing that as well. And the added burden of taking my digicam on every market visit.

I was really proud of the fact that I had over 300 contacts in my phone book. And used to self congratulate myself on the fact that I was in touch with a lot of people, right from my school days. But I started realising one thing. Many people with whom I was really proud to 'be in touch with' never called; not ever once. Not a soul from my school days and just two of my best friends from college. Did people really forget or was everyone tied up with work-promotions and all that crap?? Or on a more alarming/depressing/demotivating note; did it say more about me than the 'firnds' I'm cribbing about?? I couldn't help but wonder...

But on the plus side, I had a few surprises as well. People I never thought would call, actually gave me a buzz. And most of all, I realised that I have a lot of good friends from work. Coz it was my friends from work who first started buzzing me when my calls stopped. Guess, I need jolts like these to keep me grounded in reality...

A strange dream...

2008-07-12T13:44:00.000+05:30

I had a dream.. (wow! feeling a lil like Martin Luther King when I say that). Anyway, I had a strange dream yesterday. I dreamt that I was playing tennis with Novak Djokovic.
What could it mean? When I am one person who is far removed from sports.

A need to get organised...

2008-07-11T22:30:00.000+05:30

Today I decieded that I will not work after 6pm. So I shut the laptop and ventured out. It'd been a while since I went to CROSSWORD. So decided to go there.

The book I have been reading got sold out. So there was no real point in spending too much time. Really wanted to pick up a few books. But already I have a jam packed schedule and a few books left to finish. So decided againt it and spent a good amount of time flipping through a coffee table book on Cocktails.

Anyway, didn't leave empty handed. Bought a spiral bound notepad. Ive been putting off a lot of work, some big some small for a while. Time to get organised. Now if only I moved my ass and started writing down stuff to do in my "Things to Do" book. If only I could overcome this sudden bout of procrastination.

Well maybe tomorrow :)

a renewed hatred for rains...

2008-06-22T18:20:00.000+05:30

Why did it have to rain on a Sunday.. of all the bloody days of the week, it just had to rain today.. and that too right after I got dressed and was about to leave the house...
Well, now I'm all bored just watching random movies on my laptop

Grrrrr... I just loathe the rains!

Inspired...

2008-06-10T00:10:00.000+05:30

Had just wrapped up work in the evening... my roomie's boss was visiting and so he'd be late... so decided to watch Before Sunrise for the nth time... this is one movie which I love to watch over and over again...

dunno whether it was the movie or the pile of Outlook Travellers spread on floor, the travel bug just hit me... it hit me strong and hard... all of a sudden I had this urge to go somewhere, just to get away... eventually wrote a mail to my 3 best friends from college suggesting a trip! really hope atleast one would reply in the affirmative...

The Good Run Continues...

2008-06-08T19:59:00.005+05:30

Well, the Sunday turned out to be pretty good. Went to watch Aamir at the newly opened Inox. We reached a good 20mins late, but there was hardly anybody at the theatre. People were probably flocking for the multistarrer SarkarRaj. Anyway, we had just settled down when suddenly it was the interval. With a running time of 90mins, the movie was pretty short by bollywood standards. And I had a doubt whether it was a copy of Cellular. But it wasn’t and actually turned out to be a pretty good movie. Good background score, convincing performance by the fresh face Rajiv Khandelwal and an amazing cinematography that captures the essence of arterial Mumbai.

Went book shopping at CROSSWORD later, followed by a good cup of coffee at CCD before returning home. Also strolled along near the All Saints Cathedral at Sadar on the way. It had just drizzled and the placed looked all green and fresh! Picked up two books today: How Starbucks saved my Life (highly recommended by a good ole buddy) and Tokyo Cancelled (just liked the theme).

Hope they turn out to be good. Dunno how much of time I’ll get to read coz the coming week is jam packed with work. Hoping to catch a lil time while I’m traveling on my tour…

pics courtesy- http://i.indiafm.com/firstlook/aamir.jpg; http://www.readinggroups.co.uk/books/default.aspx?id=30464; http://juergenalker.com/blog/2007/09/16/starbucks-saved-my-life/

its Sunday!!!

2008-06-08T12:00:00.003+05:30

Yay! its Sunday (finally)... and I'm not working for a change... I'm actually doing nothing... just ambling about the house, listening to the radio and calling people randomly... feels good actually.

Woke up early morning today.. Being a bachelor and having a job that keeps me away from home most of the time; cleaning takes a low priority. Decided to clean up the house in the morning. I was lifting a pile of mags that has been lying on my table like forever; and to my horror, there was an entire ant colony nesting underneath it. Now they're everywhere. Even, inside my laptop. Am waging a losing war. But, give up! I will not...

A bookworm gets happy!!

2008-05-28T21:46:00.003+05:30

The day started with a powercut, which resumed after a gap of 4weeks. Couple of hours later my laptop got discharged and the power was not due for another 3 hours. Decided to do some market visit. Went to a different part of the city today; where I've never been before.

And lo! there it was.. CROSSWORD.. my fav bookstore. Never knew there was one in Nagpur.
Now I know how my weekends will be. Can't wait for my next Sunday afternoon...

A wish unfulfilled...

2008-05-27T23:25:00.001+05:30

Work takes me to Mumbai once every month. I rarely get time to roam around as I usually reach by the last flight of the day and leave by the first flight out. But one of the good things is my company guest house at Prabhadevi. Right beside the beach, the GH is on the 10th floor offering stunning views of the upcoming Bandra-Worli sealink.

Now there is this certain actress (well, not among the top heroines but more of an item number gal; but what the heck!) who lives on the 7th floor. Every time as I take that elevator and the indicator show "7", I wait, patiently, praying... that at least for once, it opens… opens to her... But nah! not happened in last five months..

But optimistic; that I am... one day... one great day... one fine day... the day of all days... those sliding doors will part.... Jannat!!!

Finally a Good Weekend...

2008-05-25T21:52:00.000+05:30

Of late, work has always kept me busy with me ending up working on most Sundays.
This particluar weekend was different. Had to come down to Bombay for a meeting with my boss. Friday night; dinner party at Not Just Jazz by the Bay. I do prefer the adjoining Pizzeria coz it is open you can feel the sea breeze. Nevertheless, the dinner was grrr8.

Had loads of work on Saturday as well and by the time we got out of office it was 10 in the night. But a friend suggested we go to this place called Oven Fresh for dinner. Another round of Italian, puurfect.

Met a good ole friend for lunch today. Felt really good to see her. Its been almost a year since we last saw each other. I just love the momos at Noodle Bar and we went there for lunch. Great company, great food and booze for lunch. Man! I really had a good time. Also picked up a bottle of Red Wine and the latest Chetan Bhagat on the way.

Hoping to get more time to read. Got a few books to finish off before my next round of book shopping.
And my increasing weight.. is something that I reaally should start worrying about now.

Home… Sweet Home…

2008-03-23T12:36:00.006+05:30

There was a time, when all I wanted was to travel. Now that I’ve traveled quite a bit, all that I want to do is return home… Gosh! I’m so homesick these days.

I'm sitting here in the boring room... It's just another rainy Sunday afternoon… I'm wasting my time, I got nothing to do (yeah, yeah, I’ve borrowed this from the Yellow Lemon Tree song; but hey! Its actually kinda true)

Anyway, just started browsing through my photo album. Started missing Kochi all over again. All I want to do is watch sunset while walking along marine drive munching on peanuts... take a boat ride…or spend a lazy Sunday afternoon ambling along the streets of Fort Kochi, watching the fishermen work the Chinese fishing nets with ships sailing in the background.. Just feel the wind in your hair and taste the salty air… Oh! How I wish I was home right now…

pics taken from my cell during my previous visit home last Christmas

Vidarbha...

2008-03-22T10:36:00.011+05:30

courtesy: my trusty NOKIA 5700

Sunday, bloody Sunday..

2008-03-16T09:11:00.002+05:30

Well, I'm sick with life. Job's giving me a lot of pressure of late and I'm bored to death.
Have nothing to do and I'm stuck in my hotel at Raipur. Am not feeling like going out also. Was contemplating whether to get out of bed and go for breakfast. Decided against it, as there is a good 2hours before the coffeshop closes for breakfast. Was flipping through channels. Nothing interesting to watch. Then stumbled upon Zee Studio where Meredith Wilson's: The Music Man was going on. Watching the musical has certainly lifted my spirits. Its been a while since I've seen a good musical. Planning to watch The Sound of Music and Singing In The Rain once I reach home and get my CD collection. Hope, my Sunday.. bloody Sunday turns out to be a Musical Sunday...

2008-02-14T15:14:00.002+05:30

pic courtesy: http://imgs.xkcd.com/comics/valentines_day.jpg

I have...

2008-02-03T16:48:00.000+05:30

* a messy room
* unwashed dishes
* clothes to clean
* an unmade bed
* a sore throat
* bloodshot eyes
* told all my secrets when my sister called up
* scrapped random people yesterday night
* a bloody hangover...

I am soooooo.. drunk

2008-02-03T00:50:00.000+05:30

My first JC meet just got over...
Gave a treat to my team today...
There's a certain chaarm in crrashing into your apatrment in the middle of the night toatlly senseless and start blogging..

Boy! Am I druunk ot whaaat!!!

Those old moves....

2008-01-26T22:35:00.000+05:30

Was watching TV after a really long time... By some strange coincidence, I went watching dance shows all evening.. Started with one of my all time favourite, Boogie Woogie on SONY... There was an amazing composition by a team from Vadodara... really superb... then there was some show on SURYA TV, Vodafone Taka-Timi on Asianet and Rangoli on SURYA... Felt really good to watch some good performances...

When was the last time I went berserk and danced like no one was watching?? (or dance when no one was watching)... I really don't remember... Have got so tangled up with my job that I really don't get to do the things that I really care for... I stopped reading also for the past few weeks...

Am a mess right now... Hope I see clarity soon...

pic courtesy: http://www.purepartydjs.com

Merry Christmas everyone!!!!

2007-12-25T11:28:00.000+05:30

image credit: http://moderntypewriter.wordpress.com/2007/11/25/the-jolly-old-fellow/
http://www.smartmobileassets.com/images/merry-christmas.jpg

Brainfall.. some I agree, some I don’t

2007-11-30T15:11:00.000+05:30

What City Should You Live In?

You should live in Paris. The city of lights will appeal to your appreciation of beauty and romance. You are a lover and a poet by nature, and Paris' sensitive charms will be a perfect match for yours.

Yeah! I do like a place that is full of art, architecture, culture and fine dining. But I wud always prefer a city close to the sea. The farther I move inland I somehow feel all suffocated and claustrophobic.

Which Disney Hero Are You?

You are Beast. You are ugly on the outside but those who know you well have learned that underneath your exterior is a marvelous prince. Your warmth and patience are your greatest qualities and they have helped you make loyal friends. Protect your friends well because they will soon repay you in full.

I’m hurt!! ;)

Which Friends Character Are You?

You are Chandler. You're funny and that's why people like to have you around. You're also a great friend, and when someone you care about is in trouble, they know to come to you for some level-headed advice followed by some sharp sarcasm.

Me! Chandler! Naah.. I even retook the test and still ended up with chandler.
This I totally disagre.. though I do relate to all 6 of the friends characters in one way or the other (don't we all do, at least at some levels) I totally resemble the Gellers the most. I'm pretty much geeky like Ross and love to give gyan sessions on all sorts of topics. But I’m most like Monica..I am a cleanliness freak and am obsessive compulsive about things being in their rightful place. There aer a lot of things that we have in common.

Which Hogwarts House Would You Be In?

The Sorting Hat would put you in Ravenclaw. You are wise, perceptive, and quietly brilliant. You may not always be noticed right away, but you are widely respected for your humor and brains.

No reaction here.. I'm pretty much indifferent.. but I’ve always had this fascination for Slytherin.. the dark side is not without its own appeal I must say…

Which Harry Potter Character Are You?

You are part Harry. You're a loyal and courageous friend. You'd do anything to protect the people you love, especially if it'll get you a break from class for a little while.

You are part Hermione. You're a bookworm always in search of answers. When pressed, however, you can always be counted on to put away the books and help your friends.

I’m ecstatic!

Which College Major Should You Be?

Your major should be part Business. You believe confidence is everything, and nothing's more important than a first impression. Success is measured in dollars and your attitude's going to make you very successful. All that's left is to choose which I-Bank to work for after you graduate.

Your major should be part Art. You are sensitive, creative, and you don't follow established rules. Unfortunately, you'll have to follow some rules if you ever want that promotion at Starbucks.

Finally some indication that I didn’t make a grave mistake of doing an MBA.. coz I’ve constantly had this feeling that I am in the wrong place.. I’ve had an aptitude for science and tech stuff and my heart always felt for art…

More such stuff @ Brainfall.com
pics courtesy:- brainfall.com

A wanderer once again...

2007-11-03T10:40:00.000+05:30

After spending a good (extremely extremely good) 3 weeks in Bangalore, I'm on the move again... But somehow, I feel really bored this time.. Its just for a week but still I feel tired and lonely... One moment you are surrounded by friends; I mean really good friends and then you are alone again...

Not able to cope up with this sudden change... Can't wait for this trip to end so that I can go back to Bangalore...

Into the land of Tipu Sultan…

2007-10-30T20:38:00.000+05:30

During the first week of my job, my company arranged a trip for all the trainees to Mysore. It was my second trip to the place but we went to more places this time as one of us knew the place very well. The best sight is Mysore is Tipu’s palace which gets lit up at night. It is an amazing sight to watch. But since we had to return to Bangalore early, we had to give that sight a miss…

St. Philomina’s Church

Tipu’s Palace

Mysore Zoo

Chamundi Hills

Good Ole Mumbai…

2007-10-29T14:04:00.000+05:30

I had a dream yesterday night that I was back in Mumbai… Traveling on the Mumbai locals, listening to the peppy Malishka on RedFM. I have many good memories of the 6 weeks that I’d spent there… And staying at the posh Cuffe Parade was an experience indeed… the 10^th floor apartment at Maker Towers offered stunning views of the city; from the grand sunrise in the morning to the lit up marine drive in the night….

and I didn’t even havta get up from my bed to enjoy all this ;)

More of Agra...

2007-10-27T15:50:00.000+05:30

After the Taj visit, we also went for a short visit to Akbar's fort...

One of the many windows from which the Taj can be seen in the distance...

Wah Taj!

2007-10-27T14:13:00.000+05:30

Sometime back, I was posted in Agra for a month. And towards the end of my stint, I finally found the time and more importantly the right mood to take a trip to he Taj...

I entered through the large gateway and caught the first glimpse of the famed monument; expecting to be thrilled and awed.. but I felt nothing...

the whole trip was a big disappointment and the only thing that made me sit up and take notice was the workmanship and the amazing dexterity with which the carvings were made with a great degree of perfection and similarity...

and so, a weary me came back to my dingy hotel room and uploaded the snaps. and lo! the awe and wonder suddenly appeared out of nowhere... the snaps were great and the Taj looked awesome in the pics...

I the underdog...

2007-10-22T19:01:00.001+05:30

The feeling is there... I can't ignore it... Of late I’ve really begun to feel like I am the underdog… my best friend's voice rings loud and clear... "you are a loser Rakesh!! you are just a loser" of course, he was just kidding then… now all of a sudden, it all seems so true; so real...

Well, can it really be true... What could be the reason??

Depression… running out of steam... or is it just Monday morning blues… I do not know… and I do not wanna know… coz I am scared… really really scared… of what the real reason could be………………………………………………………………..!!

Creativity!!

2007-10-19T10:54:00.000+05:30

a lil old but hilarious nonetheless. More such creative pieces here.

pic courtesy: hummerlimousine

backwasss timepassss

2007-10-10T10:44:00.000+05:30

If you have nothing better to do and are bored to the core.. u might as well do this…. Have fun guessing ppl’s age….

ageproject

A rat in the rate race....

2007-10-09T16:02:00.000+05:30

Of late, this quote keeps coming to my mind... you might win the rat race, but you are still a rat..

and I've just started the race... or have I?? when do we exactly join the rat race.. while we start work? or did it start from the moment we entered school and struggled to get those marks and win all those competitions....

pic courtesy: too much coffee man

Bihar Blues...

2007-10-05T13:04:00.000+05:30

A couple of months back, I stepped into the big bad corporate world. I joined one of the leading FMCG companies in the country.. Now one thing about the sales & marketing profession is that you get to travel a lot...

From being a person who has hardly stepped out of his home state (save for a coupla visits to Bangalore and TamilNadu), I got to travel to a whole lot of places... have been literally living out of the suitcase (well, a backpack & a duffel bag in my case) for the past few months... My current project has taken me to Haryana, Rajathan, UP and finally Bihar... (I've some beautiful pics of the Taj and some forts in Rajasthan which I'll upload soon)

And so that's how I ended up in Bihar.. The beginning was pretty bad, with my train arriving a good 7.5 hrs late... and due to flooding, I had to switch cabs twice before finally reaching my hotel... But things were not as bad as I had thought them to be... My work has taken me to interior regions of the state... It is very beautiful.. acres and acres of lush green paddy fields meet the eye... reminded me a lot about Kerala (except that there were no Coconut trees here)...

It was my first time visiting a flood affected area.. Felt really bad for the people... Crops were destroyed, they homes ruined and livestock gone astray... the only place that was not water logged were the roads and so one could find, people living on the roadside on temporary tents and their cattle tied to the nearby trees... Hope the situtation improves soon...

Despite a few mishaps.. such as the cow that charged at me while I was in Arrah (Bhojpur) or the one at the wholesale market in Gaya where my foot got stuck in a foot deep trench of slush and cow dung and vegetable waste... (and quite a few more) it was a good trip... I got loads of info for my proj... professionally, it was a good learning experience and above all I got an idea about how the other side of India lives... they are not concerned about the Sensex touching 17K.. or about whether India will win the next match.. it is a fight for survival for them.. when will I get my next square meal... how will I rebuild my home... how will I find grass for my cattle...

Amid all the rejoicing about India Shining, the booming economy and the India@60 charade.. spare a thought for these poor souls...

Now what makes this worse for me personally is that I myself will not do anything about it... A blog or two and a nagging feeling for a few days.. But then its back to busy life in Bangalore going on to my next proj and an endless effort to meet those all important KRAs and rake in the moolah... yeah! I'm indeed a rat in the rat race...

that knotted feeling in my stomach...

2007-09-26T14:54:00.000+05:30

I'm really feeling strange.. of late, I've been travelling alone from one place to the next, everyday.. I guess this lonliness can do all sorts of things to you...

I really don't know what to do.. its just work work and more work... from one unknown place to the next... I guess, the wanderlust spark that I had in me has died down... All I can think of these days is settling down in one place for good...

[I want to write more on this... get it out of my system... but the freak sitting near to me in the cafe can't stop peeping... gosh, I feel violated.. lol ;) ]

things going good... things going baaaaddd.....

2007-03-11T23:45:00.000+05:30

a day of mixed emotions actually.. anyway, its been ages since I've posted anything.. thought I'd do something about it.. and as usual, I hope to be more regular this time round as well....

went back to college after a while... its been a while since I've seen a good round of quizzing.. felt good to see the old folks... walking along those familiar paths, once again with ma old buddies...

Went to see a movie today.. its been almost a year since I've been to the movies with Anas... quite a contrast to 3 years ago when a movie a week was the norm... this time we went to an old theatre near his native place... no a/c, no balcony, no dolby and the works... but the simplicity of it all was a welcome change... the movie was kaiyoppu... a good friend tells me it is partly based on director Renjith's life story... the star-cast was refreshing... felt good to see Neena Kurup after a long gap... the first half of the movie is awesome... Renjith creates an atmosphere filled with literature and mature romance... but the second half is quite the anti-thesis... felt really strange after coming out... am seeing another movie Anyar just get out of the kaiyoppu mode...

*pic credits- nowrunning, indiaglitz

Gosh! I am so naive...

2006-12-19T22:11:00.000+05:30

Dunno why.. but I have become all the more docile these days.. And because of this tendency of mine to get uncomfortable at the slightest instance, I always tend to agree with people.. and lo! people have taken advantage of me.. why am I so naive??

and of late it has been happening quite often.. I really must stop trying to please everybody...

"depressed"... for no reason at all....

2006-11-24T18:18:00.000+05:30

Dunno when it actually hit me... I realised it around 7 in the evening yesterday during the Advertising & Sales Promotion class, when my prof was discussing about the Nerolac ads... I suddenly felt depressed... not quite recovered yet... the midnight walk didn'y help either...

Anyway, have kept the F.R.I.E.N.D.S routine on a halt... Into Prison Break these days... Finished Season 1.. Season 2 seems interesting.. Can't wait to get back to my room to watch more... Apart from the reason that the show is pretty good and one additional reason is that the protagonist is a structural engineer for a change, not yet another computer geek or electronics genious....

Gotta go.. time for class....

Swimming, Diwali, my Autobiography & a Reunion

2006-10-23T10:49:00.000+05:30

Its been a while since my last post... Well, quite a few interesting incidents has happened since then... Classes have been more or less irregular with sudden bouts of free days followed by intense schedules... My B'day came and went... Made a fool of myself volunteering to dance along with an Odissi danseuse during a SPIC MACAY event... had a great time dancing the Raas during Navrathri... and a few more other incidents... had made a few entries... but never came round to completing them and so those posts never saw the light of the day...

Coming to the recent past, I've not been having any classes for the past few days... not doing anything constructive though... Have been trying my had at Sudoku, for which I suddenly developed a liking last week... Else, I've been watching Coupling episodes back-2-back...

Friday evening, we went to Sea Queen for dinner... Our original plan was Fortune but due to a wedding reception, their restaurant was fully booked... Anyway, I saw my old college-mate there... Was seeing her after a long time... felt good... By the time we were done with dinner, which saw heated debates on the topic of champagne and the accuracy of wikipedia, it was nearly midnight... Sea Queen is facing the Calicut beach and offers a fantastic view... Before heading back to campus, we went for a long walk on the beach... The sea was pretty rough and feeling the mist rise as the waves lashed onto the rocks was amazing... The dinner was also significant coz me and a close friend of mine made up after a fight which had happened sometime back... It was good to start speaking with him again...

On Saturday, went to NIT swimming pool in the morning.. quite ironic that in the four years that I've studied there, the only instance when I visited the pool was during a treasure hunt... I still did not swim that day... But next time I well... Anyway, the good thing was that we had our lunch from the NIT Canteen that day... I simply love their shell-fish preparation... I used to gorge on those during my engineering days...

We had our Diwali celebrations that evening... The campus looked beautiful, all lit up... Especially the 'circle' near my hostel... The pooja was short for a change... And we had a lot more sweets this time round... The fireworks were a little less grand when compared to last time, but we had great fun nonetheless...

Sunday, was spent watching Coupling and trying to write my autobiography... Not that I'm interested in publishing my life story or anything... It was part of a course Discovering Self and was meant to be more like an introspection... But man, it is really tough... I could muster up just a few pages after sitting for 3 hours straight... Anyway, dropped it the moment I heard that the submission deadline was extended owing to the mid-term exams which starts tomorrow...

And so, I went out again yesterday evening... It was a mini reunion of sorts...We met at the beach... I am a beach person... I can spend hours sitting there, feeling the wind in my hair (which is falling faster than an avalanche) and just staring out into the sea; with the sounds of the gulls and that salty/fishy scent... Just four of us mallu civilians from college... Bino, Akku and Mithun... It was good to meet the guys once again... We talked for quite sometime... Bino has become the numero uno when it came to gossips and info... By the time I returned to campus, it was almost time for dinner...

Resumed watching coupling and studying a bit... Ok, I think I better wind up... Got a big exam tomorrow...

So long then....

Gosh.. I feel sooo.. happy

2006-09-26T02:08:00.001+05:30

Man.... I really do feel a lot happy today... Am I drunk... Nope... Have I doped? definitely not... Dunno why I feel great!..... Discovering Self course has been a great experience.. Am greatly enjoying it...

Decided to go over to Taj for dinner as they were having a Punjabi Food Fest and we also wanted to show our friends from France who are on student-exchange from ESCP EAP, Paris; a taste of Punjabi cusine... The food was good.. I normally donot like the Taj food, but greatly enjoyed it this time... and we went in the Sumo rather than the usual jeep.. so the return journey with the cold night-time air was intoxicating... man.. I am on a high!!

FROM TOP LEFT...

That's myself; Akshaye; Anchit; Frederic; Chinmay; Paro; Rita; Bala; Anne; Bivudh; Arka & Kiran

Hellew Coffee...

2006-09-16T14:44:00.000+05:30

For a change, time is going pretty slow these days. My classes won't begin until Tuesday and so I have loads of time to spare. With Orkut and tonz of movies on the campus server, passing time has never been an issue :)

Anyway, got bored of hanging around the hostel all day and so went to the city with Siam (my friend) yesterday. He had to buy a shirt. Since time was not at all an issue we went to a lot many stores, before settling on a blue striped shirt from the Indian Terrain showroom. Tried looking for a shoe for myself, but got scared off when I saw the price tag on a particular Adidas shoe which I really liked... Maybe in another year, when I start earning a buck, I would get my hands on one...

Many of the shops were still giving out their Onam discount offers in a last minute attempt to finish off stocks.. So, I finally bought an electric kettle. Having subject myself to the horrors of the canteen coffee for over a year, it was time I finally yield to the pressures of my tummy and buy a coffee maker.. Since, a coffee maker was a tad bit expensive, I settled for this 1.8l electric kettle. Bought, a pack of Nescafe and some sugar from the local shop... And now its coffee time!! (even though it is DIY...)

Also, went to Al Bake to round up our trip. We were pretty tired after all the walking and so gorged on Shawerma. Arabic food never tasted better... And today, as I sit typing this, my mind is already thinking of options for tonite...its been raining cats and dogs for the past few days and so going out options are limited...hmmm... praying for a really bright idea to click...

Back with a BaNg... (i hOpe)

2006-09-12T23:18:00.000+05:30

Its great to be back... musing at random...

A lot of things have happened in the past few months... Came back from Calcutta.. fell in love in Kerala again... monsoons started... and a hectic 4th term came and went... went for a 3 day trekking trip (though we spent a good amnt of time sleeping in the tents)... Onam came and went... and finally I await the starting of yet another term tomorrow... hope it is not as action packed as the one that just got over... Hopefully I'll get time to breathe (and blog; of course!) coz I have taken only the min: credits this term... hoping to catch up on a lot of things like jogging; sleeping; blogging; movies; calling up friends; movies; books and a helluva lot more...

What prompted me to write today was the train journey from home by the Mangala express... unlike all my previous trips, this time the train was actually on time and the compartment was nearly empty... after reading a couple of articles from the latest issue of Outlook Traveller (yep, I'm an armchair traveller - BIG TIME)... I just started looking out through the window... It had started to drizzle and the landscape was all clean and green... man! Kerala is gorgeous...

That's when nostalgia hit me... about a long lost friend of mine... well, not exactly long lost coz we met sometime back.. but nonetheless long-lost... a friend who meant a whole lot than just a mere friend... we really did connect at a much deeper level... but that was "then"... what happened to all those feelings? somewhere along the way, we grew apart... now the distance is too unfathomabale to revive that old passion we had... friend, I really miss you... friend, I wish you were here with me... friend, I wish we could take all those long walks like we used to... friend, I wish we could talk for hours like we used to... friend, I wish we could play pranks like we used to... friend, how I wish you were beside me at this very moment... Oh! if only wishes would come true... if only....

what a walk...

2006-05-30T18:32:00.000+05:30

well... I did take a walk and boy was it good or what... IIMC is blessed with a lake and by the time I reached its banks it was refreshingly windy... a jolly good experience, I'd say...

Inspired?? Sure I am... but not enuff to make me work.. Maybe a good dinner will fix that.. Plng to eat out and give the mess a miss...

In need of some inspiration...

2006-05-30T17:30:00.000+05:30

Dunno how much longer I can hold on. The Calcutta weather is as horrible as it can get. The words hot and humid get a whole new meaning here...

Got lots of work left to be done. But what to do, me not just feeling right. Not even the least bit inspired to do an ounce of work. Maybe I'll go for a walk. That might just be the right receipe to cool off my nerves...

teri khubsoorti main hum Fanaa ho gaye...

2006-05-27T22:51:00.000+05:30

AAh.. what a day... went to watch Fanaa today... due to the muliplex issue, had to go to a local theatre. With a melee of local crowds cheering and old plastic seats, the theatre was a far cry from the cozy (but ridiculously expensive) INOX theatre where we usually go... but the movie more than made up for all that...

With fantastic locations in Delhi and Poland, it is a real visual treat.. Fanaa is the story of Zooni (Kajol) a blind Kashmiri girl who falls in love with Rehaan (Aamir Khan) a tour guide with a dark secret on her maiden trip to Delhi...

Well, the story ain't that great.. nothing novel and easily predictable.. but the performances are fantastic.. Man, Kajol looks absolutly fantastic... Fanaa seems to be a perfect comeback film for her... And Manish malhotra has worked his magic again with the costumes...

And I never realised Aamir Khan was that old.. esp in all the closeup shoots in the beginning... Also wish there was more of Shruti and Kiron Kher... Two very lovely ladies...

Me, an out and out Kajol fan... waiting eagerly for her next release...

And Now.. I'm a beauty contest judge...

2006-05-14T22:45:00.000+05:30

Well well... its not every day that one gets to be a beauty contest judge... Isn't it...

Of late I've been frequenting Crosswords, a bookstore in the shopping hub of Calcutta. Coz, its one store that allows you to read to your heart's content, for a long as you want, without chucking you out even if you don't buy a thing. Plus its got an inhouse coffee shop.. Great combination, ain't it folks..

After doing my usual rounds, I was sitting down on one of their cute lil cubical cushioned stools, browsing through some DVDs when a beautiful girl approached me with a cute smile and one of those mechanical "Hellow Sir" greetings..

"I'm doing a survey for a beauty contest, and I would like you to give me a little help.."(sure!) She hands me a sheet which has headshots of about 20 contestants.. "Sir, (all smiles) all you need to do is look through the photographs and choose the contestant whom you think is the most beautiful, stating you reason.." Dudes, how can I say no to such an offer! That too coming from a girl who was no less beautiful...

Eventually I chose one who had this big dreamy eyes... And with that she took the sheet back.. flashed her smile again.. and scooted off hunting for more men..

So, that's been my lil stint with the pageant industry.. as for the girls, may the best contestant wins...

What killed the video star?

2006-05-05T15:21:00.000+05:30

Yawn.... its a lazy summer afternoon... Ever since a bug bit me a couple of days back leading to a series of allergic reactions, I've been a lil grumpy. I look really funny though. A very normal right side of the face, as opposed to a red, swollen and chubby left side. All this has reduced my wanderings pretty much within the hostel itself. Because I can't show up at the office looking like this, I've been doing my project from my lil non-descrpt room in a hostel at IIMC.

Anyway, coming back to the topic at hand.. well, I was getting tired of sitting in front of the computer all morning. Decided to give my poor sick self a lil break. Dashed to the Coffee Day Xpress outlet just outside my building, grabbed a Cappuchino and rushed back to the safety of my room. (Calcutta is very hot these days to venture out in the afternoons). Put on an ole fav of mine... "Video Killed the Radio Star" by The Buggles

This song has the ditsinction of being the first video to be played on MTV on its debut at 12:00 am on the first of August 1981.

Was googling for a pic for this post when I came across this interesting link. Incidently, a parody of the same song was released in 2001.. "Internet Killed the Video Star".. Its pretty neat. Do check it out.

Well, as for me.. I better get back to work.. :)

On haunting memories and things that can't be undone...

2006-04-17T21:24:00.000+05:30

Life is a roller coaster ride.. With many ups and downs.. In its wake, life brings along many instances that remain etched in our minds as memories.. memories to live by.. memories to reflect on.. memories that lift your spirits and those that haunt you for the rest of you life..

Some people say that things happen for a reason.. But I don't know why such an incident happened. Is it so hard to resist temptation? Or is it that I have grown so weak that I have absolutely no will power and contol over my emotions..

Reflecting back, I am still not sure how it all started.. What went wrong.. Was I wanting it all along.. and was it an explosion of repressed emotions.. Was it wrong.. Or is it just another event in the bigger scheme of things.. what will happen of me now..

Worse, its not the first time that this has happened.. And yet, I am not able to come to terms with it.. not able to acknowledge that it happened.. dunno how I was able to shrugg it off as if nothing happened.. Its high time for a "talk"...

Dear friend.. I am sorry that it happened.. and believe me if it could be undone, I would try my best.. but your silence is killing me.. and this guilt is too heavy a burden to carry on my shoulders..

But one thing I'm sure about, that this memory will haunt me for a loong time from now.........

Cattle Mutilations....

2006-03-09T20:41:00.000+05:30

Was watching some ole episodes of X-files... That's how I got some info abt cattle mutilations

Ctrl C- Ctrl V...... abracadabra...

Cattle Mutilation Phenomena refers to thousands of cases in North America where cattle have been found mutilated under abnormal circumstances. Many mutilated cattle have been found marked with fluorescent paint, probably to help identify them in the dark.
The cows are found dead (although the cause of death is undetermined), exsanguinated (all their blood has been removed). Precise "laser-precision" cuts are observed in the mutilated cattle. They have had certain organs surgically removed from their bodies. Often their reproductive and rectal organs have been removed.
Abnormally high radiation levels have been detected near the dead animals when they are found, and scavengers will not touch the carcass. There are no footprints leading to or from the cows. There is evidence (clamp marks on the animals' legs) that the cattle were taken from their habitats and mutilated elsewhere. Sightings of UFOs and strange, unmarked, black helicopters coincide with many cattle mutilation cases.
Some people suspect our government as being behind this as some sort of biological warfare plan. Yet this is a world phenomemon.
The marks found on the animals are not consistent with attacks by predators such as wolves or coyotes.
In many cases the owners hear nothing at the time of the mutilation which is usually at night.
All organ removal and incisions are done with surgical precision, and in some cases the evidence of cauterization along the incision lines has led investigators to believe the use of some sort of high heat cutting device has been administered, suggesting the strong possibility of a laser.
Bones are also clearly cut with no bone fragments around the cut.
The body of the animal is totally drained of blood yet there no trace of blood is found, no signs of a struggle, footprints or tire tracks found anywhere on the ground around the body.
The typical cattle mutilation has shown repeatedly, huge oval shaped incisions around the jaw bone and in most cases the exposed jaw is completely removed, and the tongue removed from a precise incision deep in the throat. Also observed is the additional removal of at least one (1) eyeball, the udders on the female are most always removed and the sexual organs on both sexes are also most always removed.
UFOs and strange black unmarked helicopters have been linked with these mutilations since they have been sighted at the same time in the same area where the mutilated bovines have been found. There have been reports about UFO's lifting the animal off the ground. No one seems to have a valid reason as to the link between the multilations and the ET's.

Many animal mutilations are now being blamed on the animlas called Chupacabras who have yet to be captured and researched. Animal victims are found with a puncture hole in their neck and blood drained.

Pretty murky, huh!!
click here or here or here or here to get more info...

"Quarter Life Crisis"

2006-02-20T15:01:00.000+05:30

There's been a lot of things that I wanted to speakout but always feels tongue tied when I try to do it... Well, here's something which my friend forwarded to me.. the guy has exactly written down my thoughts.. In a way it makes me glad to know that I'm not the only one....

>>"Being a twenty-something">>

It is when you stop going along with the crowd and start realizing that there are many things about yourself that you didn't know and may not like. You start feeling insecure and wonder where you will be in a year or two, but then get scared because you barely know where you are now.

You start realizing that people are selfish and that, maybe, those friends that you thought you were so close to aren't exactly the greatest people you have ever met, and the people you have lost touch with are some of the most important ones. What you don't recognize is that they are realizing that too, and aren't really cold, catty, mean or insincere, but that they are as confused as you. You look at wat ur studying or ur job... and it is not even close to what you thought you would be doing, or maybe you are looking for a job and realizing that you are going to have to start at the bottom and that scares you.

Your opinions have gotten stronger. You see what others are doing and find yourself judging more than usual because suddenly you realize that you have certain boundaries in your life and are constantly adding things to your list of what is acceptable and what isn't. One minute, you are insecure and then the next, secure. You laugh and cry with the greatest force of your life. You feel alone and scared and confused. Suddenly, change is the enemy and you try and cling on to the past with dear life, but soon realize that the past is drifting further and further away, and there is nothing to do but stay where you are or move forward.

You get your heart broken and wonder how someone you loved could do such damage to you. Or you lie in bed and wonder why you can't meet anyone decent enough that you want to get to know better. Or maybe you love someone but love someone else too and cannot figure out why you're doing this because you know that you aren't a bad person. Getting wasted and acting like an idiot starts to look pathetic. You go through the same emotions and questions over and over, and talk with your friends about the same topics because you cannot seem to make a decision. You worry about loans, money, the future and making a life for yourself... and while winning the race would be great, right now you'd just like to be a contender!

What you may not realize is that every one reading this relates to it. We are in our best of times and our worst of times, trying as hard as we can to figure this whole thing out.

Its called "Quarter-life Crisis." nothing is constant......except change. wats life without a few risks? keep playin the game! "

What would you do if I sang out of tune....

2006-01-11T01:20:00.000+05:30

Man, it was a good day...Spent a lot of time watching "The Wonder Years"

It was too good...Nw a bit nostalgic...wanna write more, but got to catch more episodes...

Bobanum Molliyum...

2005-12-16T00:12:00.000+05:30

Finally, my end terms got over..Phew! what a relief.

Today, my friend passed on this link, to a treasure trove of Bobanum Molliyum cartoons.

It was really great to read once again those catoons that one loved as a child. I still find them really enjoyable. Mind you, I've still not finished reading it....Have been reading them since evening...Might as well go well into the night!!

Pathimoonnu Kannara Palam....

2005-12-14T12:29:00.000+05:30

A couple of weeks back I had attended a discussion hosted by a leading Malayalam daily at Cochin. The long travel from Calicut to Cochin was the best part though. Their sub-editor of the Calicut edition, with whom I was travelling, proved to be a jovial company.

We had long discussions about a lot of things ranging from politics to art to history...One such anecdote he told me was about the thirteen arched Kannara Palam in Kazhuthuruti in Kollam district.

Nestled in the verdant hills is this thirteen arched railway bridge, a legacy of the British Raj. He says, though the place is far away from civilization, it is a very beautiful ride, offering stunning views of the ghats.

And all those who have watched Anantabhadram can get a glimpse of this beauty captured beautifully by Santosh Sivan.

I'm hoping that I get a chance to visit the place during the upcoming Christmas hols.

He told me lots of other interesting stuff...Those, in later editions...

To know a lil bit more abt the bridge, click here.

Kalaripayattu....

2005-11-20T02:13:00.000+05:30

Today, we had a splendid kalaripayattu show performed by CVN Kalari of Calicut. For the uninitiated, kalaripayattu is the ancient martial art form of Kerala. Years of rigorous training impart an amazing amount of co-ordination and dexterity to its patrons. And the best part of any demo is the one having the urumi which is a highly flexible, snake like sword; which many a times had severed the head of the very person wielding the sword !! check out the pics...

To know more about it click here or here or here or try this wiki link

Engg dayz....

2005-11-19T01:24:00.000+05:30

Just now someone sent out a video on our LAN....Snapshots from the 4 years of engineering life ...man, it was too good....

The conclusion goes on like this....

A life which is to end

Only when I am no more

A life which transformed me

A fighter to the core

A season of love and friendship

For eternity which will last

In my future to follow

I will long to relive this past

Memories of this part of journey

I'll carry all life long

Memories of those precious moments

Which made my life a beautiful song

My eyes go teary

Emotions fill my heart

As my days left here are few

Now its time to bid adieu.

Chasin your dreams...

2005-11-18T01:22:00.000+05:30

The world belong to dreamers...ain't it? And everyday, we hear stories about them...Those who flout all conventions; those who dare to break free from all societal norms and once they do, they fly..up..up and away....

A friend of mine told me about a friend of his; "Pawan" who quit his studies to pursue his first love - acting. And today, at the young age of 23, he's one of the who's-who in theatre. With an impressive list of successful productions to his kitty, this is one dude to watch out for. To know more about him, click here.

Anantabhadram...

2005-11-14T22:37:00.000+05:30

Last week, I finally got time to go for a movie with my friends from college; 'twas just like the old times...movie follwed by dinner in the company of friends... The movie in question was Anantabhadram the latest mallu picture of Santosh Sivan. Well, here again you can see Santosh's magic with what he does best; not direction but cinematography.

He does wonders with his camera. Stunning picturisation and good background score does a lot of good to this thriller. Added to that is the brilliant performance by Manoj K Jayan; he really looks every inch the sinister 'durmanthravadi' he portrays. But I was a bit disappointed with Riya Sen who was more of an object. All she does is screaming (u c, her mind is controlled by Manoj) and walking around in a trance. And the songs can simbly be forgotten.

Well the movie is all about a village in Kerala plagued by the actions of an evil wizard who wants to take revenge and also get hold of the powerful nagamanikkam the magical gem of the snake gods. And then our hero (Prithiviraj) who comes all the way from the US to fulfill his mother's dying wish to spread her ashes near the holy pond where she used to light lamps during navarathri (phew!!); comes in and saves the day...

Believe me, I've given a very sketchy description of the movie; but it is worth a see.

A visit to an ole friend...

2005-10-30T23:03:00.000+05:30

Well..today was a bit different..."but each day is" one might ask? Anyway, I finally got time to go out and visit my best friend today. Seeing him after quite sometime...

Sitting in my room... watching the slight drizzle through my balcony, I think... nostaligia engulfs me... yup..one of those trips down the memory lane. We sure did have a lot of fun. As Bryan Adams sings...Those were the best days of my life....