Trees of Thoughts

The View

2010-09-10T07:50:00.001-07:00

from panda's apt..looked breathtaking in the evening light.

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Full moon at mall

2010-08-25T20:27:00.001-07:00

just beautiful..couldn't capture it on my camera

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floating on boise river

2010-08-05T11:15:00.001-07:00

less than seven feet of water. It was a pleasant afternoon.

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Mobile blogging

2010-07-29T12:35:00.001-07:00

writing has slowly evolved from the random scribbling in the depths of pre-historic cave walls to qwerty keypads of my new htc aria. this is my first blog in a while and nothing less than the fact that it is on an android phone with useless data pulan has forced me to do this. After multiple tyops and backspaces, i have been able to compose this masterpiece. now to hit the publish button....

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Three Strikes

2010-04-11T11:08:00.000-07:00

Other day, my friend and i were discussing. He is in a new relation and he was telling me, how you can easily miscommunicate in chat. No better way to say: the same words can mean different things. I feel that in a relation (not to sound too much like the worst female Carrie Bradshaw), your first strike is when you miscommunicate over chatting. You call up to explain yourself. Later, you miscommunicate over the phone. You apologize face-up. The last strike is when you miscommunicate directly and that's it, you are OUT!

Skiing

2010-02-06T12:53:00.001-08:00

Going Skiing in a few minutes. Last time i went it was fun and a lot of falling on the ass. That was back in Seattle. I was super confident that i will be skiing the slopes like i was born on them with a silver skiis attached to my feet. Reality is rude. And, i don't like waking up. Any way, i have some tricks stuck under my sleeves this time and i hope to one-up its this afternoon.

Fun while driving

2009-10-18T09:14:00.001-07:00

We all have our share of close shaves with the law enforcers when we are on the road. A few days ago, at a potluck party, we were sharing some very interesting stories of desis being stopped for "reckless" driving. I thought i will share some of these stories that had us in splits.

A friend of another friend was fresh off the boat and was driving around some college town. He found stopping at stop signs annoying and used to stop only if he deemed life threatening. One fine deserted afternoon he zipped through eight or nine stop signs and caught the attention of a cop. The cop happened to be in civilian clothing and was off-duty and he still followed him. According to the cop, he HAD to see the guy who could just discard stop signs with such remarkable disdain :).

Another friend of a friend was driving around on a Texas highway and was pushing close to 100. He saw an emergency vehicle pull up behind him with its lights flashing. He pushed the speed higher to allow the emergency vehicle to go faster and eventually go to Austin. At this point, he was at an intersection and was suddenly surrounded by half a dozen cop cars. He decided to take matters into his own hand, so he got down to explain his situation to the cops. You can imagine how those guys responded but you have to give this guy points for being proactive :D

I have a few others which we will talk about later.

Inspiring

2009-10-08T19:31:00.000-07:00

The story of William Kamkwamba. I watched his interview with Jon stewart and it was very moving. Loved the folksy way, africans talk about some of these things. "man..where was this google all this time?"!!

Anger

2009-09-26T10:01:00.000-07:00

Incredible as it is, amusing it is that we are outraged a great deal of our current lives. From the tiniest point that is out of line (on the line for Serena) to deeply sinister points that get us outraged. Ofcourse, "being outraged" gets a lot of attention because it is entertaining to those who are not. I do not think it is just a liberty or the pastime of the jobless, with so much news circling around us, we get to see and hear that almost everyone is outraged about something or the other. For those who do not have voice such as the polar bears, someone else does the job. Darwin might be wrong in that if we did evolve from apes, how come those guys do not argue so much? :p..it is a stupid point, but how else will you get your daily dose of saying Preposterous! And, that is like a three or four syllable word

Books to read

2009-08-02T11:07:00.000-07:00

Now. I am done with my PhD (thank you, you can sit down now), i have a little bit more time to follow-up on my other interests. I am moderately avid reader and, often when i drop my wife at the mall for shopping, i sneak into Borders to scan some new books. While driving home this afternoon, i tuned my radio to NPR (i think it was NPR), i came across a segment called Dialogue. By chance, they had the Pulitzer prize winner Frank McCourt on. Frankly, i did not know him so i would like to admit that right away (unlike that hypocritic dog point5). It was a really good segment and i am intrigued now. His book Angela's ashes is up next on my to-read list. He also recommends two other books: No great mischief and By the lake. These two books are probably fiction but it has been a while since i have read good fiction. I have been sick for a while reading sidney sheldon, john grisham and all those desi writers.

Twitter

2009-03-22T13:16:00.001-07:00

Look who's following me :)

Snow Chains

2009-03-21T11:45:00.000-07:00

Most of my writing is supposed to be on my thesis, and between job, a wife and two unborn kids where is the time to work on the blog? Couple of months ago, i (we) moved to Boise after a semi-eventful road-trip from state college to Idaho. We started right around christmas time and the weather was a bitch and that is to say the least. Only driving across Iowa, on the second day of the trip, was the most scary part. We had started late in the afternoon, after lunching with Sindhu's friend, and by the time we are getting across Iowa it was around 5 in the evening. With day light receding faster than my cricketing shots at PCG, a very thick fog surrounded us. I could not see two feet in front of me and my eyes started to hurt so much. I soon developed a headache and could barely see infront of me and i didn't know if we were on the road or off it. Thanks to the Iphone, we somehow found a hotel nearby. Frankly, the signs posted on the interstate did say there were hotels nearby but still we did look it up on the iphone. That night, several drivers were driven off the road through a combination of fog and sleet. I-80 was shut-off and we survived to tell the tale (to whoever would listen). I think i am now an expert in winter driving and next time, i will tell you about driving with snow chains.

One day

2008-11-15T12:16:00.000-08:00

This December, I wouldn’t be able to go to India due to a variety of reasons. But, I miss my home in the ever popular Adilabad. Despite being December, the relatively warm weather invites me to lounge lazily in the veranda. With a nice cup of tea. Tea in the U.S isn’t the same as in India. Watching stray dogs bark at fictional threats and chasing each other. I could sit and do nothing, absolutely nothing. Eat, sleep, and watch Indian movies in vibrant theatres without having to drive for 4 hours, cricket matches on TV with all the idiotic commentary. I wish life would return to its glorious simplicity one day.

Google Chrome

2008-09-04T14:33:00.000-07:00

I like Seinfeld's comment that as humans we like to watch other humans. Last night, while working i was reading a personal blog on phdcomics and i liked the light style of detailing trivial things about cecilia's life. There was an undefinable innocent charm in the writing that had me hooked reading about someone's life. Long have i tried to write something witty and of forced interest, but reading the blog i felt the compelling story flowing in the form of mundane details. Here is your quota of mundanity, i am blogging from the new kid on the browser block: Chrome. I love it for its simplicity

Order up

2008-08-31T08:54:00.001-07:00

It is a very internal thing, watching fresh off the boat desis order at the restaurants in the US. Using complicated hand gestures to point to condiments at Subway to asking for noodles at McD's, a handful of instances that insight into our collective assured ordering skills.

A few years ago, when we still liked Denny's, we were sitting around a table and at the end of the table was seated a bugger from the heartland of tamilnadu. A monolingual for most of his life, he was a simple man of few words (in English). While placing an order, he was offered a choice of breads: White, wheat or rye. Confronted with this staggering set of choices, he stuttered, "Yeah, yeah, that only!", leaving the waitress bemused.

A few weeks ago, we were seated in Chilli's, and my friend was suffering from an upset stomach. He tried to order a salad, and we all know how good desis are with salads. I will refrain from naming the person, but lets call him Shiva prasad. So, shiva took the bold step to order salad, a hitherto unknown territory for desi guys. And, like all dogs exiting their territories, he was facing the daunting task of choosing between several unknown dressings. It appeared he would soon drown in the frothing lake of shame, embarrassment and dirty sniggers, he spluttered Olive oil.

A few days ago, i was at a local cafe trying to order something apart from tea and a cookie. I tentatively pointed towards a stack of bagels. The barista asked me what kind? And with my years of accumulated experience, i said i don't mind any kind. Apparently, that wasn't still good. Surprise me, i continued. That seemed to do the trick, she said, i will give you my favorite. I topped it off, with a that's my favorite kind too!. Phew! I now understand why several NRI's are heading back home to a more assured and in-control ordering experience

Cricket@Olympics, Discuss

2008-08-17T20:15:00.001-07:00

Men love playing with balls. No matter the size of the ball, men simply love playing with balls. Kicking, hitting, smashing, dunking, lofting, juggling are all kinds of wildly popular formats when it comes to balls. A gentelman once noted that as you grow up, the size of the ball you play with goes smaller. So, given this inherent enthu in most people, how do you popularize cricket elsewhere in the world? Gilli suggested that we take the game to Olympics. Some other bloke suggested No! go with twenty20, i say WTF? We cannot retain attendance with the regular teams, and you want to get other teams? Remember, when west indies was one of the greatest? I heard that most of the carribean guys go for baski these days, since it pays more money. True. Despite our unbelievable population, we only produce a Sachin in a zillion decades. Why? No money in cricket. Till now. With IPL having a sensational start, i hope we will be able to see more stars.

P.S: What happened to all the IPL Stars? Why aren't they on the list of probables?

Fascinating

2008-08-02T10:39:00.000-07:00

Don't you think the word Click is awesome? It has an undefinable charm about it, the way it jumps out of your mouth. Cleek!! Fascinating word. Absolutely.

Dark side of the story : Harry potter in Grad school

2008-07-28T17:19:00.001-07:00

A few days ago, or a few weeks ago, i watched the movie transformers. Apart from the cool effects, what struck me most was the ending. The main character would be like, we are here..we are waiting. I kind of felt it was like a grad student thingy, you know? Like you know, we will beep a message to other grad students, saying: We are still here, we are waiting...to graduate. Well, anyway, dumbel door was out of country for a conference or something, so just chilled out for most of the summer. He is always full of stupid ideas when he returns from conferences. Just last summer, he returned from the Spanish conference and went around, " I am gay!". Sigh. Anyway, me considering asking the dark lord to be my co-advisor. Some people said he can really kill you in your defense. hehe

Salad eaters

2008-07-18T05:37:00.000-07:00

Last evening, in a passing discussion phase, Vikhayat (too difficult to spell man!) said that desis do not eat salads. You would agree immediately. I had a post on similar lines a little while ago. You don't find any chinese eating salads. Except for Pandas. Panda bears are the only chinese who would love a salad

Proxy

2008-07-16T06:23:00.000-07:00

Back in IIT, we had to attend atleast 75% of the sem classes. Oh! the fun in putting proxy for your friends. I didn't know it would come in handy even for movie stars and politicians!

Cog-nizance

2008-07-13T11:02:00.000-07:00

I am yet to meet a desi who is subtle and sarcastic but doesn't get on your nerves. I have looked, looked in a lot of places. Even in a mirror.

FYE*

2008-05-25T08:18:00.000-07:00

Right under the probing glare of your supervisors, you can, once in a while, afford to steal a laugh. It feels good.

Overheard in NY

PS: For your entertainment. It's probably some shop name somewhere.

Sad on Earth but Happy at Home

2008-03-28T17:10:00.000-07:00

Let me explain. Before you start your day, you would typically scan through daily News. Most of the times, it is riddled with unhappy events across the globe. It is outright depressing. The News organizations probably thrive on this, i do not know. When i mention this to anyone, the instant response is "Well, there is so much good going.No one focuses on that". I too believe that is true, so i think we should find the local newspapers full of such trivial, happy, amazing stuff happening all around us.

At first glance

2008-03-22T10:25:00.001-07:00

On a recent visit to the sunshine state, california, i got down at Sanfranscisco. Supposedly at the forefront of progressive thought, my perception of SFO is predominantly based on common cultural notions (South park et al :p). I enter the restroom and find paper towels and hand dryer and guess which one was most used. So much for all the buzz about being tree huggers.

And, on a nice morning just towards the end of spring break, my wife and i were visiting Pittsburgh. Just as we got onto I-99, i had a great urge to visit Tyrone. It is a really beautiful place and looks spectacular (in all seasons) as you drive past it. We stopped at Burger King and i paid my regular visit to the restroom. These guys also had both paper towels and dryer and i was pleasantly surprised to find that everyone was using the dryer. So much for being low key and still thoughtful. I was reminded of the age old truism that empty vessels make more noise. I used the dryer and was about to exit, when i noticed that the towel dispenser was infact empty.

Funny

2008-02-01T17:14:00.000-08:00

that how at IIT, we used to have problems with the mess when we had good food available three times a day! Why does the past taste so yummy?

Pack your bags

2008-01-29T07:55:00.000-08:00

In the book, "At the center of Storm!", ex-CIA direcetor George Tenet talks about how in some high level peace talks when things got stalled, people would pull "Pack your bags" trick. They would just literally pack their bags and put them out in the hotel lobby and the opposing party would relent immediately. I found it really amusing that such trick would work even at such "mature" levels. And, not just those guys, what did the Indian team do in Sydney controversy? And, now look how it worked.

Blogistics

2008-01-20T11:54:00.000-08:00

More than 95% of bloggers have a love-hate relation with their blog (totally made-up statistic). For more than 70% of those, the blogging experience has spilled over a couple of years. As i said previously, i would like to see what kind of insights would numbers yield about your relation with your blog.

1. Significant changes such as new job, relationship status changes can affect your blogging frequency (In other words, no time)

2. Your own guilt or peer induced (why aren't you blogging these days, my friend?)

3. Narci or Nazi about your own writing

4. Phasing out of Blogger novelty can reduce a blog's appeal to both the writer and reader.

In 2005, on average the number of blog posts used to be 11 and by 2006, the average number of blogs(per month) dropped to 4.5 (1.5 in 2007). Several of the factors pull and push the trend to an equillibrium. De-Mystification of blog appeal would be followed by an increase in peer pressure to maintain the blog circle (an increase in number of blog block and similar musings). Your own writing undergoes subtle changes. I used to write extremely short posts, too short to even contain a point(!). Now, i tend to write larger posts. The contrary might be true in your case. It is quite interesting to notice the cumulative effect of all these factors and the myriad of questions it gives rise to. Can such a strong trend be reversed? What single force can upset this equillibrium? Or would several blogs just crawl to their grave?

I Wish

2008-01-18T16:39:00.000-08:00

As kids, we probably stared wide-eyed at things you were drawn to. I don't recall doing anything at all about that feeling. Till years, i didn't realize how much i yearn cricket. One day, someone asked me what my dear wish was. Play leather ball cricket just popped out of my mouth. That summer, i got my wish. I admit i was afraid of playing "hardcore". I loved it (despite my performance).

The number of visits to Malls has exploded since i have been married but i find myself letting the wife loose and drift towards Barnes and Nobles. I have begun to like more non-fiction books. Freakonomics is a terrific book, and was exactly the kind of book i have been waiting to read. It reveals several underlying phenomena hidden beneath the ordinary looking through "right questions". I am in search for that question, that can reveal the underlying worms.

I used to remember my dreams pretty well, over the past couple of years not so much. A recent hypothesis suggests that dreams are virtual reality simulations to prepare you for some dire situations. Your brains keeps noting potential threats and processes them in your dreams. People find they react with astonishing speeds with their instincts flaring when under attack, and that ability supposedly is gained through dreams. Practice well by sleeping a lot :)

Up Next >>

2007-12-20T08:56:00.000-08:00

Recent studies have suggested that human evolution hasn't stopped after all. In a discussion with a friend of mine, i had surmised that evolution has switched gears and is occurring at a different scale. We always talk about how technology is shaping our lives, i guess we are glimpsing evolution in action. In discussions such as these, it is probably a good idea to talk about key factors such as cultural evolution (race intermixing), new economic forces(india and china), global environment, scientific breakthroughs and emerging political scenarios (Middle east, rise and fall of dictators, nuclear arms). In a medley of all these factors, is the ever increasing presence of the global information net aligning and altering ideologies. Books can and have be written and i haven't read many of them. These are all my perceptions and i would like to match them with books and experiences.

The latest news that triggered me is the highly affordable one lakh people's car. I think that this would have serious implications both on energy consumption of our nation, technological development. I don't think people would get to their destinations any faster. Since, the bottleneck in our country is the road and traffic and not means of communication. And as always, balancing forces might come into picture to save the day. For example, people with cars might realize we need for much better roads and till the perceptions become widely prevalent and affect voter psyche, nothing would be done about it.

These are just knee-jerk observations, anyinputs and thoughts can help clarify things and give something concrete.

Must Read

2007-12-05T16:12:00.001-08:00

Brilliant story . It is one of the sites, i check regularly and this story along with a few others listed below are my favorites. He has written a book which is coming out in May, i think and i am definately getting it. Go, waiter!

Seduction

Best of non-fiction

Something Life-Like *

2007-11-22T10:34:00.000-08:00

The first fall of snow came about the same time as it always does (Atleast for the last four years of my stay in US). Thanksgiving time. We slowly weaved our way through the I-80 traffic, we were discussing the depressing set of news items cropping up lately. A state in Mexico drowned. A whole state. Cal on fire! Winds and Hurricanes. Quakes on the east side of the world. And, terror in between. I wonder if we hear more of this often these days because of the broader access. I wonder.

On a lighter vein, i was subjected to the karmic cosmos (cosmic karma thingy). In Cal, i went to taco bell and made fun of the girl behind counter by trying to order burger. Its some comedian's joke which i saw on the internet and tried it out. It was really funny. Anyway, today i went into Arbys and ordered (regularly) a burger. He said we don't have burgers here! and i ordered something else and started to leave. Even before, i left some other customer was like "Did he just order a burger?". "Yeah, we get some asking such questions". I tried to retort but all i could was glare but they were looking in a different direction so it didn't really help.

PS: Flicked from a status message

Drifting Thought

2007-11-03T12:27:00.000-07:00

Tommorrow is promise, eternal.
Today is potential, infinite.
Someday, there wouldn't be a tommorrow and all you got is just this day

Bright Side of the Story - In light of things

2007-10-21T17:38:00.001-07:00

We entered the dimly lit tent together. Though attendance for the post-day battle presentations has been dimming, the class size was still quite large. I spotted a distant, rare two seater in a corner, we were in luck. Negotiating through the rapt audience, we settled ourselves in the cozy confines and flicked open our laptops. The speaker was some olderly gentleman, showing some excel graphs and powerpoint slides on some weird collateral damage equation. A great deal of boasting, and strategizing takes place in these meetings. We, however, are careful not to offer too much advice in the fear of axing our own foot, so to say. I remember once my dear friend started ranting about some war funda, you know, to boost his credentials, and he was stuck in putting the same funda loop. Painful. But luckily, he got away with it and I was able to convince him to just remain silent. He has been practicing his brooding face for a while and looks like its working. Presently, I see him peering at his screen with a bemused expression. My own laptop hasn’t been able to catch any signal. I bet its some stupid lame video on youtube. I nudged him with my knee and he showed me what he was looking at. No wonder Voldemort was afraid of Dumbledore, I guess he was homophobic. At this point, I felt the speaker pause and his eyes on me. I expertly rearrange my smirk to the ever beautiful brooding one and return his gaze. Yet, another trick that I need to pass on.

Bright Side of the Story - Part I

2007-10-04T09:13:00.000-07:00

As the dust settled, the view of the distant horizons became clearer to the eye. Not that it mattered. Out of the corner of my eye, I see a horse drop a cart load of $#*. I return my gaze to the kneeling figure, in front of me. Arjuna got up after tying his shoe lace and wrinkled his nose. May be he glimpsed the shitty action not far from our vantage point. He scratched his beard, adjusted his toupee and looked at me with reverent eyes. I could practically see him begging for my god level fundaes. I silently mulled, pretending to chew the non-existent gum in my mouth. I felt I cannot lie to this man. There were bigger things here at hand. I notice my protégé quiver at the sight of gathering forces.

“I cannot fight this war”

“I know”, I say blandly. I could have worded it better. He opens his mouth but the words won’t come out. Okie, that one I stole from eminem. But, he gaped for a long while.

“Is it because of your relatives on the other side?”, I helped him. He latched onto it like a moth onto a flame. Fatal but useful.

”Yeah, that’s it. I can’t fight my own relatives”. Brilliant and yet simple. The trick was how to convince the others that this indeed was the reason. They would see through it like a moth sees a flame (I think I am stretching this moth thing a little too far).

“How about others?” he surprises me sometimes with his shocking insights. This time, I choked for words. We need more time, but unfortunately, that’s exactly we are running out of. Well, we are running out of ideas, as well but you get the drift.

Another reason

2007-09-09T15:10:00.000-07:00

Apart from lethargy, lack of ideas, writer's block, a blogger can potentially shy from blogging just by reading high quality blogging by some of the web-famous ones. I call this phenomenon : reader's shock. Excellent reading material sometime inspire you but there is an equally good chance of you getting shocked into silence. These deterrents are all collectively put down as blogger's block. I have turned reader's shock on its head by blogging about it. :p

On a tangential note, Vernon God Little is an excellent read. Superb piece of literature. I had started reading this book, about an year ago and couldn't continue and put it aside. According to wiki, 35% of the people (who polled) couldn't finish the book. Its a small book and has been written very differently. It takes time to get used to it.

P.S: The wedding was fun and i will upload a few pics as soon i see them

My Big Fat Gult Wedding

2007-08-14T20:38:00.000-07:00

Very soon, i would be saying, "Yeah, i just had the lunch my wife packed me!". You get it, right?

Wedding site link : Sindhu _ Karthik Click on events link on the right side

Jerk

2007-08-12T12:26:00.000-07:00

I mean Knee Jerk. This age has been rightly called the information age. With more information available, there is increasing likelihood of misconstrued opinions and parroted opinions. Its common knowledge that the more you read and watch a certain wing of opinion, you tend to get polarized accordingly. Plus, there is also more freedom and opportunity to voice your own vaguely constructed, high-sounding opinion. Like its said, opinion is like a #*(%@), everyone has one. And, now you can air it as well.

I enjoy discussions, but, I find myself trying to put fundaes then paying close attention to what’s been said. I am glad that it has changed over the past few years. Very often, I find myself just catching the train of thoughts from my fellow conversationist. Partly, I am thinking what to say next and partly gloating over my previous statements. This listening handicap is the backbone of incessant knee-jerk comments and opinions.

What's up?

2007-08-07T22:46:00.001-07:00

I routinely do a "I know what you did last summer" kind of thing. Just to recollect what and where i have been around, when earth was some where around here , roundabout last time. Under the same pretext, i would like to share a few links with you. Summer movies are a big part of the entertainment. Some of them have been extremely disappointing. POC!! i hope they don't make 7 parts like they say they would. Spidey wasn't upto the mark. Infact, only Bourne seemed to be up to the challenge. I simply loved the ultimatum. And, for all who loved the Supremacy, here is something you should check out. As long as you are on the site, check out these links, space them out throughout the day.

Lux Aeterna - Composed by clint Mansell (Requiem for a Dream)

Vidhata talupana - One of the best gult songs ever. Try and follow the flute piece

God's Debris - This isn't a video but a book by Scott Adams(Dilbert comics). Very novel idea, if you have time, then read it. Short book about 150 pages.

I read Harry Potter 7 and it was really nice. I will update some more links once i remember. Sare na?

Apocalyptic Battle Update: Adilabad vs. Pachar. Pachar still down. www.wunderground.com : Type Adilabad to get the Weather details about the place. According to the site, Pachar doesn't even exist. Aha!!

You got Smug!

2007-07-27T17:38:00.001-07:00

Are you staying up late worried you might be smug? How do I know if I am smug? Is there help out there? Who do I talk to? Is there a cure?

The first thing you need to realize that smug is, indeed, a widely prevalent disease. It can spread through verbal or visual contact. Affected persons have to be dealt with delicately and if possible, sarcastically. The smug “bug” is known to commonly affect graduate students, typically towards the end of their graduation period. The exact cause for the bug is currently under research. Baseless speculation can however offer damning insights. Long years of fatiguing, pointless research under the steely gaze of advisor, excess peer and beer pressure, internship or job at a well known company. These are just a few factors that can increase risk of infection. In some rare cases, you are just born that way. Accept it.

Has your friend been acting smug lately? Spending too much time at Starbucks? Talking to a friend who has the smug disorder can help save his life. Yes, his life. Smug females are extremely rare. If the smug bug isn’t dealt with properly, it can lead to a full blown social catastrophe. The patient (!!) walks around victimizing people, the act commonly known as Smugging.

Are you Smug? Take the Smug test! A series of ten questions to diagnose, put down by smug victims, experts and others. Coming soon

This post is to bring awareness about Smugness as apprehended by Suresh. I implore fellow bloggers to narrate their experiences in short posts. Consider this as a tag, if you will.

Origin

2007-07-03T19:50:00.000-07:00

Ciao (say chow or see ya o) means "i am your servant.." or something of that general sense. The other day, while composing an email, i was curious about this word and wiki'ed it. Wiki kicks ass with all its interrelated links. I am probably acting like someone who just discovered the joy of P.C.

I used to take so much pride in showing off my computer programs to my hostel people. When someone used to drop by my rooom, i used to click some buttons here and there till a clever window pops up. Recently someone did that to me and i was sheepishly reminded of those innocent, pain-in-the-ass days.

A couple of more passing comments are eluding me, right now. I will just update them as and when i remember. Ciao

Update 1 : I have had many entertaining moments going through my childhood friend Antony's blog. Its lot of interesting stuff put together. Good for reading during breaks and relaxing.

Reading material

2007-06-30T19:29:00.000-07:00

Who discovered the line, "Once upon a time". I think it was shakespeare. Simply brilliant. I like my new work space. Laced with interesting cuplets of work, i have developed a few browsing habits. Did you know that internet addiction is on a rise? Point5 mentioned it on a passing note sometime. At my last home, there was no internet (no A/C, etc...). I was okie with it for a lil while but eventually i missed it a lot.

Once i reach the office, i start out with slashdot, eetimes and my email. Reading your email for a limited number of times (4-5) in a day enhances your productivity. I consciously shed the habit of compulsive email checking. After paying the regular visit to the blog links to see for any updates, i return to work. As the day progresses, i eventually wear out and open the unread text. I realize that it doesn't matter what i read, or how intellectually stimulating or entertaining any of the blogs. I have just grown accustomed to reading them. In fact, i am a lil tired of reading stimulating material. I just want some stuff thats totally worthless. Whatever it is. Give it to me. And, in return, i am giving you this post. Wake up all you stupid, lazy bloggers. Write anything

Olchintal Recipe

2007-06-10T15:45:00.000-07:00

"Necessity is the mother of invention",this is one of the proverbs that always led me to do various experiments as well as disaster. It was a tiring thursday evening and i was hungry and wanted to cook something and dint know what to cook something really tasty .Then an idea striked me why not try something new with the old techniques so i tried this new recipe "Olchintal Recipe " which made me feel that cooking is not that hard ..
[combination of onion,tamarind,aloo ].

Cuking time : 15-20 minutes

Ingredients : [2 members]

Aloo : 2

onion : 1/2

Green Chilli : 2 -3 [accordingly ]

Ginger Garlic paste : 1/2 tbsp

Tamarind paste : 1-1.5 tbsp

Red chilli powder : 2 tbsp

Salt : to taste

oil

turmeric : 1/2 tbsp

mustard ,jeera and cumin seeds

Coriander : to garnish

Method:

First micro wave aloo for 8-10 minutes
Peel the aloo and mash it
Take a frying pan add oil once it is heated add mustard ,cumin and jeera .
Add turmeric and saute well
Now add green chillies and the onions and saute them until they turn into golden brown
Now add the mashed aloo and mix well
Mow add the tamrind solution
Add little water as per the requirement
Add salt and red chilli powder
Cook it for 3-4 minutes
At the end garnish coriander

Serve it with rice or chapathi it tastes yummy !!!!

This is a quick and easy recipe for any novice cook !!!

Guilt

2007-05-31T17:50:00.000-07:00

Folsom is full of steep slopes. It’s a joy biking down them but eventually you have to come back up. Kind of like ups and downs of life, perhaps? Too cheesy a comparison. After a hard day’s work, I stepped out into the hot, refreshing sun, only to find my rear wheel flattened. I have accumulated two bikes over two summers of interning. And, both have their rear tires flattened. A cheesy coincidence.

Early next morning, I begin to walk towards my work (place). For trivial reasons, I feel a lil queasy for not having a car. I swirl these thoughts slowly as I walk down, take a right and keep going. A little ahead on my walk, my queasiness starts rising. It’s the judging cross. A traffic junction, where people wait to hand out judgements with quick darting glances. I request for the walk signal and stand with my head hanging. Each passing second, I feel the mercury rise. I scan the distant horizon trying to dodge the visuals jabs and the inner howls. Its tough being centre of attraction.

As I move away and walk up the graceful path, there is a kid’s park. The air is full of shouts and laughter. Not a single whisper.

“Hiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii!” says a bright voice seated on a tiny tricycle
“Hi!” Says I
“Where are you going?” continues
“I am going to work”, not sure if they know what work means
“Where is he going?” asks his friend joining in the small talk
“Home”

One by one, a handful converge towards me. They greet and converse like old friends. I keep walking, talking.

“ok….i will see you later then”, they say and wheel off to play a little more. Their intrigued stares comforted me a million times than those searching glances pained. Its hard when you are judged, but many-a-times its your own head doing the judging. But, at times, you really feel the difference when you are being judged and when you aren’t. The tiny encounter washed and I am ready for my walk back home. It takes about half hour.

P.I.T.L.A

2007-04-05T21:32:00.000-07:00

Today morning, i woke up to see the depressing flurries again. I slunk back into the covers and slept a couple of more hours. I remember not too long ago, i was walking up beaver street. It looked like Spring had finally arrived. For once, the backpack felt light and my steps even lighter. I stopped near the traffic signal listening to the lovely bird sounds. Only to realize that the sounds were from some machine on the traffic light. A few frames later, i heard similar sounds and looked up. To my dismay, it was from a couple of birds. And then the machine again. I was totally confused and finally realization dawned on me. The birds thought the machine was some kind of bird because it was emitting similar sounds.

Anyway, i haven't seen a single desi character eating salad for a lunch here at penn state. The emphasis is on I have not. I believe that chinese are similar to us in their extraordinary love for their cuisine. So, i was kind of surprised to see a chinese student having salad for lunch. Probably that will be the closest, i would ever come to see a desi thulping salad. I used to have salad at Intel, but thats a different thing. A good discussion point is how food relates to the culture of your place. I have a vague inkling but nothing concrete to bring out a nuanced discussion :). Four years at penn state, i have tried making the dish which is the title of this post. And, i have cupped miserably and spectacularly. Finally, i was able to conjure this very simple dish after elaborate discussions with the head chef(my mom). This post is getting too big. I had one last point. We were grading an exam the other day and after a few hours, one of the profs remarks, "This is a blood bath. It makes Passion look like a tea party. Mel Gibson should be filming this". :D

Still for a second

2007-03-24T09:52:00.000-07:00

This is kind of a personal post. Hope you can chip in with similar thought-shots along the process.The timeline for the musing is about a couple of years, years that are beyond me. On a certain road-trip to California last year, i was near a dusty gas station in Utah. Located on a small cliff overlooking a dry expanse of land, its desolate look was scorching. I stood at the edge of the hanging and admired the arid scenario. Just the look of the dry land made me thirsty. Thats just an image. Now to the actual post.

Life surges in so many convoluted ways. At many a times, i wished to pause and look at it still by still. It freezes for a second and then melts away. So, on a bored tutoring night, i took a few of my images and made a collage. A few images are borrowed.

How to write a random post - War what is it good for?

2007-03-09T06:49:00.000-08:00

On a nice cold evening, i got down at the lovely looking patee library. It looks like an ancient roman building with little light filled windows. I chose to step down one stop earlier to avoid the student surge that typically happens at this particular stop. With snow covered layers deducted a few kelvin from the atmosphere, i began my stroll towards the great student massacrre(tutoring). Looking around, i began to observe things to gather fodder for the next post. There was a certain sense of serene randomness that i so desperately want to incorporate. So here goes,

- Add surprise elements. If there are no surprise elements, that itself can be the big surprise. Either way you have them, where you want

- Make an absolute mess of it. I mean total carnage. Walk into the realm where all logic breaks down. The plus side is you don't have to think too hard for such stuff.

- Watch several south park episodes to get inspired. Remember the golden statement by Eric Cartman "The first law of physics says anything fun costs atleast eight dollars".

- Talk about famous celebs doing mundane things. Probably you could explore what would have happened if buddha was a little lazy. I will do a small thing next time.

Since, we spoke about the DOs of randomness, the "don't" is to make a list of random thins. Lists are a strict no-no :D

The small world

2007-03-06T13:12:00.000-08:00

The world is so small. I am actually related to this story. Do you remember the time when a salesman walks in to sell Joey the En-pedia? All these days, i used to laugh at all those Jon Stewart's jokes on Novak. "Gotta go through Novak, people". And, i used to laugh along with suppressed sheepishness. If you have no clue of what's going on, i am talking about Valerie Plame. And, the reason this is small world, because she was from Penn State!!! Ofcourse, i was just three years old then.

New York Slice

2007-03-03T10:16:00.000-08:00

We had come visiting the fiance's brother for a day at his place in NY. It was about 9 in the night when we took the sub to his place. We met a middle-aged couple with a cute kid in his buggy. They probably noticed the tension in my face and started their comforting small talk. A bangladeshi couple. It was remarkable how similar we look but for the small nuanced differences, still. At our stop, we bid adieu and walked out.

Early next morning offered a crisp, cool breeze as we made towards port authority. As we hopped onto the 46 bus, i plugged in the metro card to cover charges. The machine spat the card back at me. I had a few dollar bills but the bus driver informed me it wouldn't work. Seinfeld rates public speaking as the most dreaded thing to do. I had to resort to beg for some metro card on a New York bus. I passed several stony glances and head swivels before one of them handed me his metro card. I thanked profusely and paid him in the now-useful bills.

Half an hour later, we were nearing our destination. They say life comes full circle, when it does it makes you look like an idiot sometimes. Sometimes, it gets you glow with two beaming buttons of eyes and an easy elastic smile. We were at the sub station, bright and busy, refilling the empty metro card. On my left, i saw a huge NY lady trying to purchase a ticket. For some reason, the machine was being reluctant and she was bordering panic. She slammed her huge palms right and left, as if the machine was a stubborn child hanging on to dear ticket. I whisked out a couple of dollar bills and handed them to her.

"Oh thank you. Believe me, i am a good person". To this day, i don't know why she said that. I am not acting all smug for helping her out, but i did feel happy.

Dry and Dusty

2007-01-23T18:23:00.000-08:00

I saw death hurtling towards me as her soft fingers clutched me fiercely. The driver dodged yet another monster truck on a single lane highway. Foul obscenities floated outside the open driver window and wafted away in the wind. Never to find their intended recepient. During the routine december migrations to India, we often find ourselves scared to death during these routine commutes. The symphony of blaring horns becomes a part of our existence. You can imagine my surprise when i noticed that our driver hadn't used the horn even once. I mention this to him, saying "I'm impressed". You drive like an american, i say. He flashes me toothy grin, and says " I used to drive the class C automobiles". I raise my eyebrows and nod along to hide my autognorance. Over the course of the commute, i notice another couple of things. The cassette player(yeah!) is hanging out of its box. I silently toy with it for a while and my glance surges towards the rearview mirror. There isn't one. As we dodge another mobile, i confirm with him my lingering suspicions

Snow White

2006-12-07T10:53:00.000-08:00

I woke up with a start, a glance at the cell phone revealing that i had overslept. The blinds of my window were drawn horizontal. As the groginess cleared from my eyes, the view infront slowly settled in to focus. Wisps of snow hung in the air, like they were placed in position. The illusion only broken and reformed as they gently swayed in the light wind. A bare tree with arms stretched out stood across me, the snow settling on its rough fingers. It has been preparing for this moment all fall. Closer to my window lay a few stubborn shrubs. Stubborn to let go off their leaves. No short shrubs shed leaves, did you see that? The short are always stubborn (Nature's rule). I thought about the squirrels. And, on cue, i see them huddled underneath the cosy shrubs. The wind blows harder and the snow flakes are whisked away. As the wind winds down, the flakes settle into a new pattern. I will go do some work, then.

Green Grass

2006-12-06T07:10:00.000-08:00

A lazy guy once said the grass is always greener on the other side. He didn’t want to go all the way to the other side. When I was at my intern, I missed school so much. The laid back atmosphere and the feeling of home exerted a far greater pull than ever. A few of my friends have graduated from school and started working. There are nuanced differences in their work culture and they have been thriving accordingly. What stuck me most is the job of an old friend of mine. He works like a consultant and the job seems to be tailor-made for him (black goggles inclusive). He works far less time, gets good projects on his resume, excellent pay, paid travel across cities. He works in the south of the country during winter and north during summer. Pakka Vagabond.

Jobs as a rule are meant to be routine. We spend one-half of our day doing the most routine thing. The other day on History channel, there was a show about how this guy came up with an instrument (something like a violin), learnt how to play it and perfected it. That was his life. There is no point in this post, just couple of things I want to talk to you about. Drivel, if you will.

God's own voice

2006-11-10T17:10:00.000-08:00

Inspiration. It comes in many forms. A mean act revulses the mind, and you seek to damage control. A dirty kitchen top pushes your hand towards the hand towel for a brisk wipedown. A clean act or a simple innocent thought snowballs to a phenomenon.

Image from www.despair.com

The fortunate witness its force. Like hurtling down a torrid rapid, you still feel the energy and control. The difference lies in the twilight minutes. With the exhaustion seeping through each pore, do you feel content and bliss. I am amazed at its many faces. Sometimes, it is a like sharply etched face of a warrior. And, at times, gentle and comforting, like the face of a mother. Here's to inspiration.

Abba please

2006-10-23T11:09:00.000-07:00

The other day on TV, i heard this statement. "You love me. Since, i am a bundle of contradictions". It is a sensational statement. It is being bold about your weakness. If you feel around a little with the thought process, you would see some characteristic traits that do not go with others. Someone was telling me the other day, you can't be angry if you are lazy. Very true. I wonder if you can be an optimist, if you are an introvert.

Another sentence which is a contradiction in itself is "Familiarity breeds contempt". So true, a number of desist posts have been around ( Shifty seats, sweaty palms?). You don't have to look far for contradictions though. How many non-desi blogs do you visit? in terms of non-technical stuff i.e. for general browsing. I bet it is a very high percent. At some level, we feel comfortable and be able to associate with the content. Familiarity brings contempt and content.

Moment

2006-10-16T08:20:00.000-07:00

Feeling a little chilly, i set aside my laptop to turn up the heater a teeny higher. Rubbing my palms to generate that extra ounce of heat, i slowly stretched myself and walked towards the dusty glass door facing the lawn. A lush green lawn,a slow slope with trees sprinkled randomly, awaits my gaze.The stunning fall colors in the making.Far on the right lies an empty basketball court. Three squirrels are playing cutely. One in each corner. I never knew they were so active all through. Occasionally, they would pause and see what the other guys are upto and then go back to playing. Each passing moment and they unfurl a new trick. In the background, a pakistani band is zipping up another pseud number. My thoughts, inevitably, move towards evolution. An elegance that took a million years to manufacture. A few minutes suffice to appreciate, a lifetime amounts to zilch to comprehend.

Melodrama

2006-10-13T10:23:00.000-07:00

As i typed in the url for blogger, the familiar saline tinge nestled on my tongue. The rush of blood pounding the temples as i keyed in the blogger password. Retrieving the pass-word from the hazy layers of memory, i once thought lost forever. Hee hee, i am a reasonable fan of the geico ADs.

In the next few minutes, i want to unload a few things onto your plate. A couple of weeks ago, i was in a passing discussion and i was intrigued by a word that popped out of it : Passive aggression. What a remarkable handle. Another is ADD. A scientific way to judge people.Or an innovative set of excuses.

"Why don't you organize the tournament totti?"
"I really can't focus, i have ADD. Also, i am PA so i find it demeaning to do such things" :p. Speaking of ADs and ADDs, this would be just like your "Chew it over Twix" kind of thing. Add hypocrisy into the mix and you get the complete man.

A tangential question on the same topic. Lets say if you could be invisible for a day (no more, may be a little less), what would you do. Killing, hitting me are most straightfoward answers.So, spare them. What else?

The Seasonales

2006-09-26T07:52:00.000-07:00

As i walked into the room, he skillfully converted the yawn into a hearty laugh. He was watching "Everybody loves Raymond!". He took a parting shot at me as i walked towards the refrigerator. "Machaan!! THIS is comedy". When i first came to US, a little over three years now, i used to watch a lot of Friends (like the Tom Hanks character in Terminal). I used to watch the 7:00 show and catch the repeat at 11:00 too. My over-the-board enthu put off some of my luke-warm Friends fan friends. Over the years, i grew out of it, moving from one comedy to another.

In the first year, i was naive and wide-eyed (occupational hazzard of having too much beauty around you.Go Penn State!!), i used to watch Friends. Slowly, i moved towards more satirical and less saccharine Seinfeld. The edgy south park, fake news Daily show followed next. When south park originally aired, people couldn't take it apparently. Too gross. Just like the way, i feel about Drawn together? And, yet again, as life changes and new things happen, may be, someday, i will be able to assosciate with "Everybody loves Raymond" :D.

Upnext : Has Pointy really become mature? Or is he just being at his hypocritical best? Find out in The Filthy Hypocrite, upnext :))

Gone in 60 seconds

2006-09-15T11:16:00.000-07:00

On a nice bright afternoon, i was making my way towards the department. The road looks deserted and i see a desi character walking down on the other side of the road. He gave a cursory glance in my general direction and i immediately see the wheels in motion. He is now having a tough time to avoid saying Hi!. Have you been the situation? The trademark signature of the situation is that the victim looks in random directions till he crosses the direct horizontal line connecting you two. At the line, he involuntarily looks straight ahead thus avoiding the embarassing situation of having to say Hi across the road. This nugget of social interaction gives a wealth of chances to play whatever pranks you like to play on the victim. Let me offer some suggestions

- Run toward the victim with arms and legs flailing. Panting, stop and discuss the weather.

- Call the victim, this is the right time. Watch how the reactions change :)

Ofcourse, you could sometimes be on the other end and be dishing out the same treatment to someone else. In case, the other guy is trying to implement the running act on you, your only option is to run him out. If he runs to this side, you run to the other side. This might be a little blatant but he asked for it.

A Cranky Message

2006-09-09T10:56:00.000-07:00

My cellphone screamed silently, its tiny face suddenly illuminated as a response to the suppressed scream. I returned the call at the end of my class and a movie plan emerged from the rubble. Crank is a pretty good movie with violence and humor interspersed brilliantly. Its a different story told differently. After, the movie and dinner at a stupid indian restaurant, we were sauntering down to meet a couple of friends at another restaurant. The topics drifted towards voice mails and messages.

Until a few weeks ago, i used this idea to con people. My VM started with "Hello", a brief pause. "Helloooooo"..another pause "Hellllllllloooooooooooo"..another pregnant pause and then "Ha ha..i am not in right now, please leave me a message and i will get back to you!!". I am glad to anounce that quite a few people have been tricked. Suckers.

The same day afternoon (as the first para), subbu called me up. I picked up the call and said, "Hey, leave me a message and i will get back to you". But, ofcourse, subbu didnt buy the whole thing :). I will try it on someone else. I will have to wait for a few more rings, this time though. The goal is to create ultimate confusion of whether it is voice message or is it me!!!

My actual voice message greets, "Hey, you know what to do". In response, i got this message today.

"Umm.yeah, i am a dumbo
I don't know what to do
even, then, the question
is whether to do or not to do
but what i like to do is to do you. bye"

Out of curiosity, what does your VM say?. I heard someone had "Kaun hain be?" in a gruff say. Some might have "Yeah, tell me...".

PS: Also, check pointy's post on Voice mail

Interspersed

2006-09-08T14:26:00.000-07:00

Every morning, i religiously check rediff.com. I feel most of the stuff they have is bS but i still read the entertainment section. Lately, they have discussions on which Don songs are better and stuff like that. I feel kishore da's song wins downright. (M)Udit sounds lame in comparison. I also had doubts of whether SRK would be able to pull-off a Don but after hearing his voice in the Main Hoon Don (Na), may be he can.

A good indication of how much other people's opinion matter to you is if you listen to raaga songs based on the number of stars it has.

Another rediff feature has been have you spotted a celebrity thing. A few weeks back, i was in Cal and there is a gult restaurant enroute work. I used to visit that place quite often and thulp. The restaurant had a very shabby look to it and the food wasn't exactly top-notch. One evening i landed up there a little late and the place was kind of stacked up with human beings. And, as i was about to leave, i see her. Trust me she doesn't no where close to what she is on screen. I was quite appalled but i did shout her name out loud :)

My brain has been leaking ideas. I had sat down to right a post on ten random things i had thought off and i notice that only one thing has remained :(

Digital Interlude

2006-09-04T16:08:00.000-07:00

Today, on the field, one guy walks up to me and introduces himself by his town name. Introductions can get really tricky and I , for one, suck at them big time. I have never woven intricate love stories nor have I done bungy jumping. Each time I open my mouth, it is like a random statement juxtaposed with the previous one. And, you shook your head (for a variety of reasons) and have tried to give it some form of coherent semblance.

Destiny makes perfect sense to some. For them, its like a blank. When its time, you know what to fill it with. This guy has been dreaming, thinking, and penning rendezvous stories since he heard the name blog. Where any guy would be twiddling his thumbs to write even one, he churned out four harry-met-sally stories to roaring approval from the fairer sex. A tag of pure fiction firmly attached with each of these.

Allow me to introduce to you, a very apt and cute couple: Adi and Rohan :). Two pieces put together through blogspot. Possibly, for the first time ever. If you see them together, you would agree with me. That it does make a lot of sense.Err..that’s all.

PS: I would let Rohan weave the story with the finer details? Hee hee, I just wanted the honor to introduce.

On a seemingly connected note. May be it is that time of the year, i don't know.

2006-08-16T21:43:00.000-07:00

A good friend of mine said,"Dude time is flying". It looks like just the other day, i was on the other side of the country. The past four months i have crossed several lines and things do look different from the other side. You know the saying, "The grass always looks greener on the side".

Euphemism

2006-08-06T16:01:00.000-07:00

I like the word and thats what its meant to be. In an answer to the numerous emails and messages i received to clarify what Jack hole meant. Its an euphemism built to characterize hybrid species who are both jack asses and ass*%&#s. Feel free to brand.

A scene at the restaurant.
"Um..hi! can i have th..those pan cakes?", he said pointing to the round objects
"You mean the waffles?"
"yeah..yeah..that only".

Such a desi thing to do.Read this funny desist take by JC on the travelling desi. A desi through the eyes of another is, more often than not, utterly disrespected and even loathed. Except ofcourse, your close circle of friends. A loosely related idea is the comfort level of your humor, in your language. Many of my friends, who thrive on subtle sarcastic humor divined through their native language, come across as tongue tied when using the lingua pura.

The desist word of the month: brownies..

The Jack Hole Doosra

2006-08-02T20:59:00.000-07:00

Hi!!

It feels really awkward even to type down these few words. My fingers flicking to the backspace way too often. The mouse hovering over the Cancel icon. I am in Cal these days. And, would be heading back to State college in three weeks time. Interspersed with weekend trips to San jose, cricket matches, movies, food fests and some other stuff.

Bike, Train and the Station
A couple of weekends ago, i was at Sanjose. The heat wave had just entered from the western door (only to romp across the states and now on the eastern exit). I stepped out of the nauseating train, on to the burning bay station.I was waiting for the dark lord to come pick me up. A muscular guy with an expression like kid strolled past me. He looked mentally challenged. "I like that smile, my man", he said shaking my hand. I concurred and turned around to look around. He picked up a left cigarette stub and flicked open his lighter. I briefly glanced and looked away. Seeing shiva pull up, i picked up my bag and was about to proceed. Suddenly, a searing pain on my right thumb and i shook it vigorously, instinctively.A small pin size mark on my thumb, sore and red in colour. The mankid(?) ran out into the station. And, i couldn't help but wonder....and Shiva said, "It's all a hoax". I wondered which part of the story is a hoax.

Near the bay, car becomes bekaar

A few hours later, after a heavy lunch at the usual stopover, we were making our way towards the Bayquarium (Bay Aquarium). Somewhere before hitting CA 1, we were winding down a busy downhill. And, i spot a red cop wagon streak across the highway intersection. Events cascaded and the car infront of the car ahead of us screeched to a halt. Shiva braked hard and we slammed into the vehicle infront of us. No bouncy airbags appeared to welcome us, though (probably hintative to the damage extent). A cheerful session with the cops, a thousand dollar poorer shiva were the by-products of my first accident.

Beaten in the flight, a lil before
A day later and three movies down, i was at a conference. With the aid of the professional culter (susu) and PP, i started back to the jet center a DVD player, a few t-shirts and other goodies richer. I took the train down to Santaclara from Sanfran. Luckily, i spotted a cab and asked that guy to take me to the jet center. Unsurprisingly, it was a desi. The name tag read Harbhajan Singh. After i got on, he said that the jet center was right opposite to the train station. I couldn't believe that i misread the doosra from this singh.

The home stretch involved a bike ride and a mile hike. I used almost all modes of transportation. If you could add a bay cruise to the list, you get the whole set. But, an incomplete set and trip has its own charm.

The final apocalyptic battle

2006-07-15T15:48:00.000-07:00

All those who thought that truth and good will prevail, please raise your hand. Ah, yes! i see a couple of hands at the back of the room. Well, for the rest of the suckers, who went:

"Dude, he is from Adilabad! he doesn't know anything"

"You are a goddamn adilabadi"

"How many houses are there in your shitty (City)? Apart from your house and the stable"

During many booze nights (err..), there used to be discussions such as these when people ran out of worthwhile topics or whenever i was around. The battle between pachar and Adilabad, Sagar and Adilabad ends here.

1) Wikipedia : Adilabad vs Pachar

2) Googlefight : Adilabad kicks Pachar's ass!

Peace.

Secrets

2006-07-11T20:52:00.000-07:00

I step out of the moviehouse into the cool, breezy night. A little dazy, i walk towards my bike parked near the rail station. The clouds around my head are in stark contrast to the clear starlit sky. Today is the full moon and it hung low in the sky with a gentle smile. As i wind up a gentle slope, the grass sprinklers decide to wake up. Slowly spluttering, they spray out a misty water sheet across the lawn. During day time, if you would ride past these same sprinklers you would see an ephemeral rainbow running infront of you. The point, however, is not about sprinklers or cloudless skies.

As i cut across the misty water sheets, i was wondering about the movie i just saw. Davinci Code. I am a big admirer of mysteries and secrets. It still amazes me how history is ridden with secrets. If only we take care to straighten a few things when we are here, right now! If jesus had an orkut profile, and if he had updated his profile status to committed before the crucifixion, none of this would have ever happened. Though, i am nowhere close to be what he was, i have done the smarter thing. And, my children, there would be no more of those intriguing puzzles for you to solve ;)

Dear Homeless fellow,

2006-06-28T17:56:00.000-07:00

Unsure, uncertain is their smile
Amused, i stare for a lil while
Wonder what they make of me
somewhat like an old tree?

I guess i should have read the signs earlier.I was an enthu cutlet during my younger days. i despised lazy, easy goers.Always wondered, rather despised slackers

Appalling was the thought
sad memories it brought
of times when
i was more like them

And here i stand, with a bowl in hand, and a guitar with four strings. No kid grows up with dreams of becoming a homeless person. Well, almost no kids . Here and there, you might find a hard-working kid with such aspirations. Are these guys orphans and unattached, by rule. Would you ever know someone, who later in life becomes a home less? (Don't answer that)

I seriously don't have anything better to post.So, i dug up an old post.

Nostalgia

2006-06-22T23:23:00.000-07:00

I am in the bed usually pretty early to make it to office by decent timings. However, a small incident that happened today. Life is pretty damn strange. Today, i chanced upon someone, and it has opened the long locked doors of nostalgia. And, it smells pretty fresh. Like the early morning dew. I remember biking through the foggy winter mornings to reach ganga reddy sir's tuition. Next to the biggest school in Adilabad. I can hear voices, no one else can now. I just want these words to be written down here as a reminder of a few precious innocent things, which i thought were lost long ago. Thank you, God :)

What goes round?

2006-06-22T17:31:00.000-07:00

The shorter, crisper version of the game. Recently, there has been a diminshing charm towards blogging. Subdued whispers have grown in decibels. I can't tell the future, but so can't you. Numerous introspections have been around about why I blog. Not just me, each and every blogger who has an account has done that. Why do you write what you write? Words filled with hypocrisy, slander, anonymity, hidden meanings, inane remarks, desperate whims flying at the rate of more than ten thousand a second. Did you ever notice that when someone says the word "blog", you are reminded of a spherical thing? Like a blob? Or is it just me.

Dark Side of the Story

2006-06-19T20:49:00.000-07:00

I landed up the train station a good fifteen minutes before the train departure. The station looks pretty crowded. It must be that time of the year. My friends and I decided to spend a week at the Disney land. A few of us were very excited about the breakfast buffet with mickey. The nazguls wanted to put a road trip on their bikes but I was a little reluctant to do that. Those f*ers say it is because I don’t have a license. I disagree. See, for me, trains always have been a getaway from the mundane boring life of tower-gazing. Also, there is always the exciting prospect of meeting someone, you know. On the pay-per-view palantir, I recently got to see a great movie. In the movie, some chick is gonna miss her train and is putting thug fight to catch the receding train. And, suddenly, this guy leans out of the train and extends his arm. The scene gave me goosebumps. Ever since, I have been enacting this scene in my mind. And, hence, the early arrival and the reserved seat next to the door.

Rarely, things work to perfection. As the train began to roll-out, I saw her running. Director’s cut. Galadriel, in her flowing white gown, she looked like a million bucks. As she started running, a thought struck me. What if in the process of getting her on-board, she yanks me out of the train. Hmm…as if to answer my thoughts, I found a thick black rope lying next to the door. She grabbed the rope, and I realized what the rope was.
Interestingly

Sarcastic Spin

2006-06-06T21:50:00.000-07:00

Post number 150.

Sarcasm is a beautiful thing. It has striking resemblance to off-spin. Another theory that is a product of extensive travelling on the road is that any ANY two things in this universe are connected. Like for example, marriage and gravity. It doesn't suggest acceptable intelligence level, if you are unable to comprehend the connection. Appreciating and being sarcastic is a sign of intelligence. Dogs don't understand sarcasm.(It is not advisable to give it a shot). Its an art like off-spin. If done correctly, it has you in two minds. Some people push it to the extent of being offensive and obnoxious.And, a few innocent ones have no idea it was a doosra.

Anyway, the other day i was biking back from work and i saw a young rattle snake on the grass.Just one feet away from my foot.I couldn't believe it.I didn't pause to examine the snake.This is the first time i have seen a real snake.Quite freaky. A lot of rattle snakes live around our area. And, there goes my dreams of being a star-gazer.Its titan time(ten-ten) and i have to wake-up early tomm :).

Reservations - a resurgent India or beyond common sense : a take by an elusive critic with a high backlift

2006-06-01T23:10:00.000-07:00

I am very tired and people say your mind is the most clear when the body is exhausted. This post, therefore, is a direct contradiction to the same.That reminds me of a theory we (Shiva and I) had come up with. It is universal and contradictory in every bit. See if you disagree.

Every theory has pros and cons.Including this.

Anyway, i was at San Jose on the mem day weekend. Visiting dark lord and co. It was good fun. We got to watch three movies on three days. One Hindi (with sub-titles for shiva), One Gult (again), One Tam. We could only manage the 12'o clock night show reminiscent of IIT days.

Fan-aa. Though, i am a die-hard aamir fan, i left the theatre feeling a little void and desperately trying to find something positive about it. It was difficult but you could find a few elements here and there. Its okie for a one time watch. Kajol looks stunning and flows fluidly through the movie.

Godavari. Another feel good movie. It had made shiva realize the kind of girl he wants to marry.I love kamilinee. She speaks so much with her eyes, a rare quality to be found in the actresses these days. A real treat to watch and i suggest it to all non-gults as well. The film needs a good editing though. Especially, the parts with the hero.

Pudhu-pettai. Nayi Basti for the uninitiated. Making of a don, which reminds you of all the godfathers, velu nayakans. Although, the director has a few scences borrowed from Godfather, it has been rendered very artistically. The bloodshed is la- kill bill. Crimson goes really well with black and white. The ending was a confused mess (for me).

Heri-Pheri-II might be a good comedy. But, i would love to see another aamir-salman comedy. Something on the lines of andaz apna apna. More on this later.Its getting late and tomm is Friday.

Assorted

2006-05-24T17:27:00.000-07:00

On the way home, i come across the urban waterfall. You know what i mean? Like you would be going on a gentle stream with trees on the sides and leaves floating on the side. And, suddenly, you come across a mighty, surging waterfall. The equivalent of a calm, quiet street leading to a heavy traffic one :p. Allow me to make up a story here. Part of it is truth and part of it fiction. So, as i was biking across from the gentle to the rougher side, i see the light go from green to orange. Under the delusion of being a superman, i pump extra enthu into biking and try to get across before the signal changes its mind. However, the way destiny has it, i was caught with my pants half-down (Its an expression). I brake hard (with both hands) and am caught between two eager soccer moms going opposite directions. A stunt i learnt as a kid came in handy to save my dear life.I jump and stand on the bike. One leg on the handle, one on the seat and balance for a brief nanosecond. I grab the pole to my right, let go off my bike, twirl and land in rajnikanth style. Only to find the cycle crash land on me in south park style. Kenny dies :)

Outside the hospital was a sign, "If you don't find this funny, you are really sick!". Hee Hee Hee

Start by cogging

2006-05-11T21:00:00.000-07:00

A dusty bridge helped us cross over a beautiful stream. This stream cut across knee-deep grass. Grass that is really green and makes you feel like lying down and sleep for an hour or two.But, then the grasshoppers and other insects wouldn't let you. And, there, randomly adorned were SP cows. Shiva and i started discussing about social relations these cows must be having. It probably doesn't make sense for them to build strong friendship. You know, today you see bill and tomm he is missing. Then the other day, bob is gone. It doesn't make much sense.

Anyway, The day we were starting on our road trip, i decided to give my driver's test. And, all those of you, who have seen the Matrix know what happens to Neo when he first tries to jump across :p. Everyone fal(i)ls. Hee hee.

Scooting cross-country, it is very hard to miss the changing geography, ecology and all those vague things. Simply put, what you see around you changes. When we were (www) driving through colorado, i lay in the navigator seat with all the mess around me. Junk food, maps, laptop, CDs, batteries. One thing that constantly was on my mind, was that in case of an accident all these junk would impale me (with the air bags, ofcourse).

And, then, i realized how the whole cow story applies to even humans. Yeah, sure, the time frame is different but we too know we are going to exit someday. That doesn't stop us from making friends, building families. Well, so much for the random theory and the argument.

PS: I stil have to put forth the un-arguable theory and a few puns. That will be last of the road trip BS :)

PPS : I just realized that my blog is exactly over an year old.So, the title :)

On the road

2006-05-04T20:16:00.000-07:00

Greetings! Friends, fellow bloggers and Idiots! Greetings from Folsom :).

With the expectation of finding a dry, tree-less land, we entered California on the fifth day of our road-trip. I was pleasantly surprised to find quite a few mountains with lush green cover. Now, that you have a picture of where I am, it might be a good idea to get over with the post. It has been a good break from research. Some might argue that it has been quite a while, since I have done anything in that direction. And, I, for once, would agree. I should probably say that it has been a guiltless break for the gult from the east of the west. Long drives are decent chances for deep contemplation. Provided you are capable of contemplating deep. We discussed a wide range of topics: from girls to universe and black holes. Shiva and I have something in common, we are lazy. No planning. Only jamit can give us a run for the money. Any situation that turns up needs to be fixed on the fly, only on the fly. No cameras, no accommodation, no nothings. The pacific coast is going to turn up in a short while, and it is famous for its beautiful pacific coast highway.

On the way, we passed through Las Vegas. Even as we entered Nevada, the first thing we saw a line of casinos. Rest of the states boast of one stupid thing or other. Nevada had a in-your-face welcome. Soon, we reached LV and the first sight was an absolute stunner. The road approaches through two hills, winding down to up. As you approach the road-top, the valley opens up expansively within the two hills window. Ordinarily, you would have many such expanding plains enclosed within mountains. Our own state college is such a happy valley. However, in case of LV, it was spectacularly different. We reached LV sometime in the late hours of the day (sometimes called the night). And, right there, was a valley with millions and millions of lights. I was so glad I didn’t have a camera. With cameras, you miss out on the actual thing happening, right now. You always want memories for later. Stupid cameras.

I have a few insightful discussions to post.May be on the weekend. You guys keep it real.

A couple of things...

2006-04-24T10:58:00.000-07:00

Even in the midst of neck-deep things, we somehow find a moment or two of respite. I would be moving to the west coast over the next week. I am excited about the whole thing.I shall update my blog. Long, long ago i used to put up links for new blogs i stumble across. I didn't exactly stumble across these.Anyway, i found them nice and imaginative.

Kiran
Murali

See you soon.Take care :)

Before and After

2006-04-21T06:41:00.000-07:00

When two days feel like the exact number of days, it means that you have been there every second of it. Every sleeping moment spent in dreaming, every waking moment wishing this weren’t a dream. The intention of this post is to chronicle a few things that still remain etched after the whole weekend tense rinse. As is the norm, I like to write short posts. Single line stories are ideal. However, the weekend action requires me to look at different things. So, I have decided to split up things into a few sub-posts. I will try to keep flow coherent and the contents vague.

The result of the tournament did have a strong impact on me. Why else would I indulge in such long post? Last year, I had just a single post saying “Just Got Screwed”. So, if you are looking for some suspense full of turns, twists go read some Nancy Drew: p!!

According to me there are a couple of ways of looking at life . No, I will not preach or punish with fundaes. I thought it was a really great way of spreading your palms and telling things. You can either view your life as a continuum with glitches and upsets at random points. Or you can view it as recurring themes and events, with mediocrity to fill up the space. Some believe in the former, some in latter, some in both, some in none. The weekend tournament was a glitch, upset for some, an event for some and mediocrity for others. People from far flung places (LA, Texas, Illinois, NJ, Delaware etc….), from different nations all came together to play, what men play: Cricket.

Other posts

Untitled.jpg

The Hungry and The Tired

PS: In the News

The Hungry and The Tired

2006-04-20T06:56:00.000-07:00

The whole atmosphere at the ground was picnic-like. It was both hot and windy. People weaving in and out over the weekend, people perched on the IST tower during research breaks. I always loved games under the huge flood-lights. I remember during on of the matches (finals, I think), I was standing near the huge light pole. I happened to glance up (since I wasn’t doing much anyway) and saw the giant light lamps. Suddenly, I was remembered of south park. Kenny dying because of “accident”. I promptly relocated myself a little deeper in the field. The next instant my eyes glowed as brightly, as I saw ajay’s stump uprooted by pointy’s ripper. Many think that that instant was the turning point of the match. I agree. Pointy, despite all his shortcomings, reeled in the aristocrats (rohan’s team).Tired horses (dogs) stamping, stuttering all the way to the finish line. If I had to pick one reason, why I love to play these guys is the fight they put in. All their matches were close. The culmination, undoubtedly, was the semi-finals. The teams were tied and these guys scraped in due to fewer wickets.

“Haven’t you ever felt that rush?”, asked matter with the shake of fist and head in tandem.Earlier in the match, someone (many) had pointed at his suspect bowling action. I thought many people were being unfair to him. During the match, the accusations really got to Matter. On one occasion he threw down the stumps with such force, charan was almost impaled by the cartwheeling stump. I have felt the rush, but you need the required talent to back the rush too! See what I am saying?

In other stand-out features, susu hitting ajay for a flat six on the off. Ajay and Nishant affecting the last ball runout to scrape to finals. Charan whacking a dancing nishant non-chalantly for a six in the finals. Sathya’s one-handed catch plucked out of thin air. Matter rattling the middle stump on the first ball he delivered.

Untitled.jpg

2006-04-20T06:54:00.000-07:00

“So, what’s your team name?”
“Untitled.jpg”
“Oh”. A valiant attempt at controlling the funny feeling in the stomach resulted in smirks and smiles. “Why?”
“Hmm. It’s a convoluted funda. I will tell you once the whole thing is done”
“Even your team-mates were laughing at the name”
“…”
“The commentator said: I wonder what he was watching when he came up with the name”
“The commentary was really fundoo. Don’t you think?” Skillful diversion in conversation is something they don’t teach you in school.

The whole tournament is a simple renaming process. Yeah. It is like Right-click. We come in as untitled and end up as champions.jpg. That’s the file name on my computer. Well, I thought it was a pretty good name (Southern accent of Tom Hanks)

Right back at you..

2006-04-14T10:35:00.000-07:00

Its been almost an year since a great debacle. Life is full of surprises, pleasant and unpleasant.You know, i never thought i would play more cricket here in the US than i did in India.What? i already told you that? Several times? Err...well..redundancy is a good to clarify and re-assert certain things.

A great man once said that talent times seriousness is a constant. I am very serious about this tournament. More than probably it deserves? Last time, there was a crisis. In the big semifinals, i didnt step up.Whether i would have delivered or not was an entirely different question.But, i didnt step up to bowl the last over, resulted in two successive sleepless nights.I know how ricky ponting probably felt after he dropped the urn.;)

Well, its that time of the year again.And, the space and time between this and the next post would be more important to me than anything else.More important than the candidacy which i cleared this week.I am officially a PhD.Pray for our team (not optional)

Gult

2006-04-10T09:51:00.000-07:00

"There are two kinds of people in this world.Gult people and Good people", said a friend of mine. Ever since, i set my foot in iit, i have been subjected this question with suprising intensity,"Are you a gult? haan..tell me are you a gult?". Close to the point that, "You don't look like a gult" has become a compliment of sorts. Remarks like "Its okay, you know.Its okay to be a gult" are common in gult-depleted circles.Seripaladi(Say-Ri-Paal-adi).It is hard to define my people in a straightforward douglas adams "mostly harmless" sort of way.

A few qualities that do or do not apply to us, in general.There are no ambitious gults.I haven't bothered to look for one. Down-to-earth? yes. Some are even below ground zero. Smart and sexy? yes and no. Adorable? only few,only as kids. Lazy? We are in no rush to be world-dominators. Stubborn? I think the previous precludes this one.You can't be lazy and stubborn.May be you can.Who cares.Gult metrosexual is a myth.Those don't exist. We are open to threesomes.As long as the couple is lesbian.

None of these statements can be corroborated with hard facts, but then , we don't believe in saying anything concrete.Including the previous statement.

PS: If you don't know who gults are, i don't know how you can find out about such things. Also read this amazing piece: The attractive gult

And, did you know that the first result MSN search gives for the query,totti, is my blog site. Not Francesco totti but me!!! i find it very surprising and pleasing.

Eloquent

2006-04-07T13:23:00.000-07:00

I would love to tell you things like,"What do you call a person who is bald and bats left-handed?". Alas! (it has been a while since i have come across this word), i don't have such things to say.However, if you have some good jokes, please do share.It has been a while since i have a good one.

I noticed that in bollywood, heroines don't die tragic deaths. Talk about equal rights to men and women. I think true independence will be when men and women are both able to die equally on-screen. In QSQT, both of them die.I don't think that counts.

A guy is walking down the road. Mid-thirties. He is talking quite animatedly on his cell phone. As he passes me, he inclines his head, in a hello kind of way. I return the favor.Suddenly, his phone starts ringing.His face turns red. Soliloquy? Such a rookie mistake. You always have to keep the phone in silent mode, when you do that. I walk away into the sun, shaking my head.

What else? yeah..Got hold of the fanaa trailer.Looks like its on autopilot for a blockbuster. It looks like DilSe on the backdrop of Black.

Rain

2006-04-03T18:58:00.000-07:00

And, suddenly, it started raining. I ran into the shelter, removed my jacket, and donned the bag and the coat on top of it. Slowly, I began my walk back home. It is, like I said, a short walk towards home. I don’t know why but rain always ripples some long lost memories. Things, I never knew were racked up in my mind. It is a steady rain and you could see the green freshness emanating from the land. My eyes feel clear in days. The wind is mild and gentle too. It is f*ing romantic. I pass the nearby gas station, pausing to see for lurking automobiles and walk up the slope. A murky rivulet is flowing down the slope with astonishing speed. Suddenly, my ears are filled with distant laughter and shrieks. Mud soaked arms and legs, seven cousins howling and “singing”. Paper boats, sand dams, filthy pools, pruned fingers. My shoes are soaked in water, as I trudge up to the river top. A sudden desire seizes me and I whisk out my notebook. I flip to the back and tear out three sheets. I sit on my knees, in a corner, with the book balanced and try to make a paper boat. It comes naturally, like I made them everyday, till today. I float six of them down the river, two big, four small. The small ones run off like little children followed by the somber adults. I watch them till they I can, and step out of the corner. Something hard hits me and I am airborne; a bolt of lightening strikes and I vanish into the thin air. What are the chances.

Assorted - II

2006-03-30T11:54:00.000-08:00

Day dreaming has been past time pastime of mine. It seems a long time back that I used to day dream. Casa mentioned on pointy’s blog about day dreaming. I said something along the general lines mentioned above. Suddenly, a stern voice started speaking, “A fire has broke out in the building. Please find the nearby exit. Do not use the Elevator”. I have never been in a building on fire. Not even seen a building on fire. Rubbing my hands in glee, I picked up my laptop and ran downstairs. I don’t have pyromaniac tendencies just a lil crazy about things I wish to witness, now and then. Once when I was at iitm, I witnessed earthquake in the hostel. It was eerie feeling.

If I could, I would get rid of the word hypocrisy. What the hell does it even mean? It is too severe a word to brand people with. “Oh, he is such a hypocrite”. He says one thing and does something else. It happens all the time. Did it ever happen to you, that you brand some hypocrite and the next day evening you find yourself running for the president?

Some people are of the opinion that the word eve-teasing is too romantic a word. It doesn’t signify the nature of the crime. I agree. One way to get back at the eve-teasers is to pain them by calling them gay. Eve-teasing is gay. I am not trying to make light of this serious issue. Please bear that in mind. Not after what happened in Lucknow. I think if we see a bunch of guys paining females, get back at them.

A pretty woman in her late twenties walks to the neighboring grocery store. Her four year old tags along. On the corner is a homeless guy, peering through the dusty glass windows. A sneer ripples within her and she passes him quickly. She just needs to pick up a few things for dinner tonight. As she walks out laden with bags on one hand, and her son on the other, she sees a young guy with soft brooding eyes leaning on the pole. She looks up and smiles pleasantly.
“You like kids?”, he says nodding towards the young one.
“Oh..you know, he is a little monster”, she says drifting along.
“I could help you make some of those”, spat a contortion on his face.
“Is that how you got your brother?” said the homeless guy, appearing suddenly from nowhere.

Hee Hee Hee

2006-03-27T11:45:00.000-08:00

It was around at 1:00 A.M on a moonless night.Not that it matters if the bloody moon was up there or gone partying somewhere. Out in the deepest of my dreams, it came to me why some people can't sleep at night. It is because that even your dreams are boring.Yep. You are so bored with your dreams, that sleep evades you. These things do have tendency of laughing back in your face.So, not just your dreams are boring, my dreams are boring too.

All idiots make sweeping generalizations

Hee Hee Hee, i woke up at this point, mused for a while and went back to sleep smiling.Morning brought new news.Sus was checking the mail and found an arrest issued on the name of dark lord.I am proud of him.I always wanted a criminal roommate.My wish has partly come true.I would have been happier if... :).Touchwood.

PS: Check this out : Pointy Secret Revealed ;) (www.postsecret.com)

Dark side of the Story : Love thy neighbor

2006-03-26T13:49:00.000-08:00

"So.Did you ..err like Kingkong?", i asked, innocently, i hope.
"Aaa..you are trying to be funny..aa? Uncle is being funny", sneered the king.
On the rearview mirror of my horse, i see the confused look on the child's face. And, on yours too? Allright.

Well, after a long hard night's work at the tower, i headed down for a relaxing day. The nazguls had gone partying somewhere except, ofcourse, the king. So, we were talking about this and that, when there was a gentle knock on the black back door. A little messenger from the neighboring tower had come visit us. She looked tense and held out a parchment.

If you ever cared to look up the history of dark lords, rarely would you find the words generous, carefree, helpful, kind to describe our kind. We even dress in black and red. And, here was a farishtey.An angel sent to set the record straight.

King and I started off immediately on our horses. With the little angel trailing us (rearview mirror funda). I felt expansive. A great deal of thoughts were buzzing through my head. Should i make speech at the task completion? One of the hazards, of the expansive moods is uncalled-for comments and retorts (Line 1).

When we reached our destination, the place left my heart cold. The neighbor had asked me to get a bail of cold beer. No wonder the ex-dark lords turned cruel. "Love thy neighbor as thy". I couldn't feel much love for my stupid neighbor.Neither did the King.

"Can i see your id please?"
"Dark lords don't carry ids". I don't photograph well.
"..."
"Here, take mine", said the king
"..."

I handed the money. He took it silently and then said,
"He showed me the id..and you gave me the money"

They should really add patience to the list of our features. Sigh.

Interlaced

2006-03-12T07:57:00.000-08:00

I am obsessed with visualization. Pictures pounding on each other. Sidling against each other, some move rapidly and some slithering gently. Each picture assosciated with many thoughts.

* I wonder.I really, really wonder

These days, i am stuck in a big song loop. Usually, at our house, charan is the one who is stuck on songs like that. And we , charan and i, are diametrically opposite ends, i never thought i would get stuck on a song. This song is sung by dolly parton. Oscar nominee.

Freedom

2006-03-09T11:27:00.000-08:00

Yesterday was a night for revelation. It would be far from truth if i would say that i wasn't aware of the filth i jot down("Trees of thoughts"). My earlier writings used to be things about different things in my life.Like when i got a D in a course.Or a particularly devastating field day in cricket. Or when someone complimented me on something. Off late (like for the last six months), i have been drifting more towards story. Fiction diluted with wee bit of facts. No, it is not just you. Even i am repulsed, by the stupid, psychotic imagery i try to project. A good indication would be link on Mudit's blog. It used to be totti's BS.Now, it says Totti's Psycho BS. And, like gandhi, mudit is rarely far from truth.I just have to stay away from "short stories".

Freedom

2006-03-07T13:30:00.000-08:00

It is a strange feeling when a stranger sacrifices his life for you. You are not you anymore. A certain expectation surrounds you.Parting words haunt. In this case, there were no jitters, which accompany when i first meet a stranger. Yeah, sure they were stammers.But, that is not the point.

"Hey..Don't feel bad...this was meant to be...please..tell them..". And, he handed me his wallet and a ring.

Also, as you have probably seen in countless movies, it is difficult to convey such strong news to anyone.Even to your enemies. And, i am not specatcular at conveying tragic news. I stand at the wooden entrance, for what seems like an eternity. I would never be able to muster enough courage, even if i just stood there for months.I knock the door and enter. What i see melts my heart. An old lady on a cot. A young woman in her twenties, washing a set of clothes.Both draped in white saris.A morose looking chap sat in the corner, playing violin. I deliver the parting words and give them his wallet and the ring. They point me to his table. I slowly lumber towards his room, walk up to the table.I don't usually go around snooping people's tables.And, especially, dead ones. However, this particularly note looked intriguing.

PCG - Once upon a time...

2006-02-28T09:02:00.000-08:00

Luz Falicix

2006-02-26T13:07:00.000-08:00

A quick glance at the watch revealed that i would be couple of minutes short to catch my bus.I brush past a couple of people,in the men's room, mumbling sorry. I usually take the 5:32 back home. Most often than not, the bus is brimming with people. I swipe my pass and stand at the entrance. Behind the yellow lane.

Two cute girls were sitting in the couple of seats,in front of me.I stood facing them. One of them looked up and gave me a quick smile. I returned the compliment. She whisphered something to her friend and they both started smiling. Unaccustomed to such gigglings, i looked away and started observing the road and signs.

After a few minutes, the girls regained their composure. The one on the left, whisked out her cell phone. Her friends were sitting across on the other side. I shifted a little so she could take a pic of her friends. Click.Thanks. She showed it to her friend. She pulled out a digicam, this time!!! Click.Thanks.I was wondering if she is gonna whip out a video cam to record the proceedings. I shot them a quick smile, and they giggled back.

On the way home, i was replaying the whole incident and then i realized! I shook my head furiously, reached down and pulled up my fly.

Ordeal

2006-02-24T08:19:00.000-08:00

Dry sunlight filled the room. Oblique shadows trailing dusty objects. The two of them sat still, lost in their own worlds. Silence sat in between them, periodically glancing this way and that way. A smile, would be highly inappropriate.

He leaned forward to say something. Arms placed on knees, expression undecipherable. The other looked away. Of late, it has been happening too often. Way too often, for either of them to be comfortable.

"Umm..Listen..I have something to tell you"
"I know"
"We can't go on like this forever"
"It wouldn't last long anyway, right?"
"It is the freakin attitude that matters"

Silence still sat in between. It could definately use a glass of water, though.

Lost in Translation

2006-02-22T09:15:00.000-08:00

It is much like the say, Love is blind. So, is the one i got married to. Not physically blind, per se. Blind behind a veil of ignorant, know-it-all demeanor. I wouldn't know, atleast for another few centuries, how his actions altered the course of history. Until i read the book on americas.

"I want to be an explorer, honey". He said with his usual air of pomposity. Adjusting his piraty-scarfs in the mirror from munich.
"uh-huh". Mirrors, i guess, are too slow to capture the quick exaggerated look on my face.Slight adjustements to the facial contours, to what seems like a smile. Encouraging, i hope.

"You know, we always hear about this place.India.I want to find out what's the deal with it". I cough to cover up the rising layers of laughter. This man, who gets lost in his own bedroom wants to find out India.

"Your father still owes me a small fortune on your dowry.Do you think he will get me a boat". Sure. He will even conjure a crew for you. Just to prove a point.

The big day arrives. Capt.Columbus ( he wouldn't allow us to address him otherwise) sets out on his maiden journey with his "brave" crew. I wish i could show you the outfit he chose.(you can google for it). Hoisting himself up, he threw us a salute.

"Gentlemen, Lets go find her. Up and away". He said, pointing in the exact opposite way.

Finally...

2006-02-20T11:57:00.000-08:00

2.5 Million People

2006-02-19T14:58:00.000-08:00

This is where it happened.

Taken over

2006-02-15T07:17:00.000-08:00

I don't know what happened.But, somehow, someone has just freaking deleted my latest post.

With the help of a good friend (Google), i have been able to re-conquer my digital territory.It has been marked mine. *Muhahahah* :p

I thought i would move away from blogging, slowly.But, just this small thing, has made me realize i miss it a lot. Still, lack of ideas has prohibited any scribblings. So, i will just jot down a few random things with too much fuss on creativity.

This morning, i got couple of emails from my childhood friends. Inviting to their marriage (seperate marriages). It is so amazing, how time slips past you. It is like, just yesterday, i remember them with... its hard to place finger on these things. It is like the feeling when your kid brother/sister is all grown up.Quite amazing.

How about a mind experiment? Close your eyes.NO! not yet you idiot. After you finish reading this, imagine an image of someone.A regular, general face. Of someone you don't know anything of. You shouldn't even know that person exist. So, does this person really exist or did your mind capture that image sometime, unnoticed? You see? Oh.if you don't get it, Forget it.

Ontology

2006-02-03T09:29:00.000-08:00

Hee Hee Hee. Check this out. Elegant Slacker

Walk with me

2006-02-01T11:50:00.000-08:00

The other day, i was walking up from IST to HUB. The way is a good ten minutes and i have nothing to do, while i walk. I like playing some stupid, silly games. Like, if someone is walking alongside with me.I will call him/her up and we would talk on the phone, walking side-by-side.Well, this time there was no one next to me. You can talk to yourself, only for a little time.After that, you find yourself boring too. I laughed out loud.A couple of scared squirrels ran up the trees and looked down upon me with a frown. I threw a look of disdain and kept moving.

Well.I decided i would just stare at the person i meet. A person i already knew. As i kept my trot towards HUB, it so happened i meet my advisor. I could see him from a good 20 feet. Smiling, i looked away. Glanced up and down to see if i could find someone else i knew.Nope. Game is a game.You gotta stick to the rules. I could feel the heat on my neck, my face. I lifted my head and just stared. A perplex on his face. A growing concern.I could feel my expressions rearrange already. Conflict contorting on my face reflecting from my prof's face.A couple of feet away, and it looked i would break down.I started running, laughing.

Connected

2006-01-25T08:08:00.000-08:00

I wonder how you would feel once you meet your soul mate. Would you hear an orchestra blaring like in Main hoon naa(n)? This is the closest I got to finding one. And, by some cruel twist of luck, it was taken away. We met at a restaurant I frequent. She wasn’t a usual in these parts. We clicked instantly. She was smart and I was funny. Close to midnight, she left me with dreamy eyes filled with vacant expression. Her number jotted down on the back of the cheque. It is four in the morning and I begin to miss her already. With a smile, I flip open my cell and begin dialing. With every ring, my pulse rises a little higher. Eager with anticipation. Would she be as excited as I am? Or would she be pissed?

“Hey! Its me?”
“Wha..t…who’s this?” yawns some idiot’s voice.
“Um..sorry. I think I got..”
Feels like being doused with cold water. At four in the morning.

Let me read your hand!

2006-01-21T11:48:00.000-08:00

On a certain lazy sunday evening, after demolishing the whole day with a string of good and bad movies, we sat down exhausted. With ideas scarce of where to go next, bowling and pool also didnt extract much excitment from the drained out punks. Things drifted towards idle, mindless browsing and i sat staring at my hands (No, it is not a fav pastime of mine.Thanks for asking, though). Palmistry intrigues me. It always amazes me how people come up with these theories. Looks very fishy to me. Fate and destiny stuff.That evening, we just sat there and made judgements about each other.

"You see this line? It means you are very lazy"
"A weak heart line.You will have beautiful wife but sad relationship"
"You will have atleast 3 affairs outside marriage"
"i have seen such lines only in call girls"

It is said that you start out with your left hand lines and whatever you make out of it is shown in your right hand. Fate and Destiny. So, our hand lines would change as time passes.Your right hand probably changes a lot more than the left.So, we took a sample space of four pairs of hands. I will leave the images somewhere.On the group webpage or some random place.And leave it at that. After a few years, may be 5 to 10, if it strikes me and i remember this thing, i will go check on it and see.

Dark musings

2006-01-13T12:54:00.000-08:00

Life certainly gains a perspective when i look at a barren land. The mere sight of me seemed to lift the little left spirit in the poor, dry eyes. The place looked haunted and a light,hollow wind seemed to whine around.All the time. A hissing sound brought my attention back from the dark musings that enveloped elbow-high over my head. A pale image issued forth, black fumes emanating from its mouth.It was mouthing some fast words to the servant, who seemed to bow down further.The weight of the words dragging him earthbound.The pale figure turned towards me and hissed, "They are here all the time!"
"Poor guys!", i gasped involuntarily.

--------------------------------

On a silent saturday evening, i sat forlornly in a dim corner of the tower.Out on the plain, were the dazzling damsel and the moron. How do girls always end up with idiots? i bemused.Smug looks on the idiots surpass tolerance levels in any sane being.Let alone me.May be those idiots don't know they are member of the elite idiotic community.Probably not elite.We are all over the place. Wish i didn't know i was an idiot.Sigh.