A Spanish castle

Strenght in numbers or knowledge

2010-01-03T17:41:00.008+05:30

Spartans are believed by many as the greatest warriors of all time. Their battle of Thermopylae - where a small number of warriors succeeded in holding the invading army of millions. Shouldn't the invading army have won the battle because they outnumbered their enemy ? History has always beaconed the fact that great armies have lost to small smart and focused army.
During a day off, an argument erupted between dad and me. He took the lead when he said " the current generation has the number but lacks the intent.The learning curve in you folks is flat with no curiosity in whatever field you're pursuing.The bread winning act of yours is tilted in favor of greed. Job hopping is cool rather than polishing your skills. This lackluster behavior will bring down the fallacy that Indian economy will sky rocket". I, immediately retreated !
Next few hours, I wondered, questioned, critically pondered. Yes. He was right. We're making merry when the party is on. We don't know when the lights are going to go out. Are we prepared for the darkness? can we battle it out ?
Examining the current scenario - getting into a B grade professional college is what one needs to get into a routine of drawing a fat paycheck for nothing. Corporates are desperate to hire young graduates to show off their strength to their clients in the West. India is a emerging market, not denying the fact, but we cannot remain emerging for another century. Before 1990 brain drain was the talk of the nation. Since the reforms in India, the employment sector brought the much needed aura to the Indian middle class. But for the dreams to remain footed in India, the working force has to uproot from its current ideology and face up to the west. We need to prove to the world, we are indeed an land for innovation and quality, not just a land for cheap and abundant labor.
Philippines and Brazil are growing in stature. First tide of change is slowly sweeping below our feet.The current generation has to brace up and stand firmly grounded, else will surely be washed away.

Healthcare trickling in changes

2009-12-19T21:34:00.007+05:30

The human body, diseases and disabilities has always left me pondering. I witnessed this man at a private hospital who's lower half of the body was completely in a vegetative state. The whole span of time I was at this vast institutions, my thoughts were marred by intervening thoughts.My astonishment- the fee charged by such a large institution for all the out patients was a meager Rs 20. The hospital does provide all the facilities any top notch hospital in the west would provide. The sheer number of patients at the hospital was a testimonial to the cost effectiveness of the facility. We've come a long way in health care and can beat any western countries on all medical challenges.The rural health care is still in infancy but these are repercussions of people incubated problems than the government policies.The rural population also does not appreciate a enthusiastic doctor. He most of the times draws flack for being caring. At home health care institutions have created a niche for themselves. They have created a biz system where the needy are served and still stay profitable. Doesn't that a commendable feat ? The Indian health care system's pinnacle would be the day when Narayana Hrudayalaya starts service on the American soil. The time is ripe for Indian government to encourage research in the field of medical electronics and a national grid systems. It would be boon the day when a mammoth sonic scan device is replaced by a hand held device, connected via telecommunication network to the national backbone. This sure will put the rural health care on a sledge of needed reforms. Of all these changes, will the doctor get a better paycheck than a fresh graduate at a sundry call center. Apathy indeed !!

Newbie is fun; expert is respect .

2009-12-13T23:00:00.009+05:30

I was buzzed by a message from my friend. the tone was exhilarating . It read "I completed my first epidermal today". Wow !! it should have been some herculean task. Google search shot up tons of pages on this topic. I then shot back a colorful message to her so as to affirm I am impressed ! The first or the debut moments are always cherished and special. It always stays in memory and always a favorite topic to discuss with friends for a long time. The joy has no bounds if you've put in time and effort to achieve your feat. All of us would have enjoyed the first success in whatever field we pursue [can't control my gig - my first hello world program]. but I wonder - we keep repeating the activity which over time turns from feat to mundane routine. The metamorphosis into guru, punter or domain expert, but the joy , does it vanish ? over a period , we get robotic; the subconscious mind takes supremacy. Don't we like doing newer tasks ? The apt contradiction is we need experts in any field for the subjects advancement. Don't we need CERN for advanced research and university laboratories for curious minds. Am not concluding but my inclination over the known truth, it's self's attitude !!!

Hard to realize

2009-12-04T21:20:00.007+05:30

Couple of months back; I added another age ring to my body. Virtually the unhealthy fat around is adding layers over time. Feel the wind of change has enveloped me. I feel old !! When I look into the proud eyes of my parents; I pat myself. But I cannot imagine the trouble and pain my parents have gone thru to raise me. The phrase "your shoes wear down slowly than your parents" sticks out.
Each mundane activity pushes me into realization. Recently to improve strength in my legs, I started to run up a slope. The amount of fatigue the muscles bear is astonishing. My mum had in her entire pregnancy had to walk up the hill. The only drawback of staying put in a scenic mountain top house on the western ghats.Expecting mommies now have the liberty and comforts.More luxuries at their disposal seeds more pain points. I wonder how would my mums life would have been if she had dial a restaurant facility. At least when feeling pukish, she did not have the mammoth task of braving the smell in the kitchen. Maybe its payback time. For all the troubles silently enjoyed, make them proud of their off spring. At least give them no chance to rap me in filmy style " maine tumhe 9 mahine apne kok me rakha, pala, posa and aur tum, eik kalank ho " . Uff !! spared myself .

Run as fast as you can ...

2009-11-01T20:34:00.001+05:30

Friday evening; aspects of weekend was too soothing. Before I could ceremonially end my day, a news ticker caught my attention. Indian Space Research Organization’s moon mission has been fruitful as NASA had discovered water molecules. I wrapped my day and headed home. The news was fantastic indeed; but what is more intruding for a modern day man. Can I address them as modern Cro-Magnon? Though archeological findings hint that they are our nearest ancestors who lived the earth thousand of years ago. Modern day man and Cro-Magnon share similarities. We are always trying to improve communication means and save our planet by envisaging green. Cro-Magnon men also had a continuous urge to improve upon their communication and equipped tools to survive extreme weather and starvation. We at our organization are always trying to improve communication networks and provide better assurance of services. There is also equal concern on reducing the carbon footprint. Current communication networks are legacy systems and have multitude of overlapping legacy and future proof networks. Indeed converged and all one future proof network will make magic. It would indeed aid in reducing carbon footprint of communication service providers. Even with all the earth friendly activities around; the question still lingers. The evolution of Cro-Magnon left Neanderthal extinct. It’s the mirage we’re glaring into. We try to see a better planet, lot safer and secure. Modern technology can relay fury episodes of planet earth faster across the globe but can only be a bystander to the face changing event. Should we run as fast as we can or look back; learn from history and make amends for the modern day man to walk the earth for millions of years to come?

vroom

2009-07-16T22:53:00.004+05:30

Vroom to modern people is more about style than anything considerable.On a fine trip to Mysore my mom who was relaxing on the rear seat; suddenly commented at a tempo truck carrying family who were squatted on the truck floor and having a spin. It stuck me to look around, and to find out what incentive people have in owing their dream wheels...
A busy traffic junction is the right place to complete this write. As I parked my bike and stood over for 5 minutes figuring out what people felt with their dream motors. First a swanky Audi came by. I could not hide my smile; chauffeur driven with a hung go lady at the rear seat. I could see her moving her eyes from one end to other. My guess, she felt the pain at the sight of other women folk driving on their own. My this short particular note at the traffic junction started on the right note.
This write needs the next big motor in city,the auto. Auto is for sure an essential element on our roads. But there could be some unsaid and filthy reason auto serves. Some people take pride in talking about auto rides, government officials hire auto to go for a shave and couple take an auto as they think it gives them some space.
Two wheelers that constitute the major part of the automobile sector in India. No doubt it serves just the purpose. One thing that could be commented on are the bikes that don't have a silencer. The screeching sound ; where the rider intends to draw attention of the women folk, can't say if it does.
BMTC, it serves and i simply loved to travel in it during the college days. Only time i fret was during exams when the bus always used to be late on schedule. But if you intend to bond and get practical, the best place is namma bmtc.
As I made my move, i had just one notion on my mind. The fellows who have fun while driving are too busy in life to immerse, the rest is just a show that goes on with no applause.

Oh boy !! its a buoy

2009-06-20T20:06:00.000+05:30

Whats the perfect cocktail

2009-06-13T19:40:00.002+05:30

Dull Saturday ; dull for the only reason for me being sick and tied down to do nothing useful.But wait; i believe falling sick is body's way to getting the biological cycle on to the right track. Its been a tough 4-5 weeks on a trot. But it was my own indulgence to get into. I enjoyed it all the way but maybe my body was tired and without any workout. Its that natural recovery mechanism; without our knowledge does the magic spawns. 3 months in Germany and touring like a nomad; was sure a fresh air - like a fresh lemony scent of a linen. Its been long since I played or got injured. Have forgotten the pain that comes along any sport. Its been long since I put pencil to paper and created cartoons.
Its the known and extensively researched topic that what all a human does, what he wants is linked to the incentive he see in doing so. If the incentive can be replaced by anything more simple and easy; thats what gets into his routine. I've known a friend, who was obese. The incentive of waking up early and going for a jog is less attractive than skipping meals over meals. So she ends up skipping meals.
So in every act of ours, it directly translates to 'incentive' we derive out of. It happens to me too and i laugh to myself and try to come up a incentive for my thoughts.
Its the astonishing prowess of human brains that we miss to identify. One of my alter ego is in a state of discontent . The reason is simple but tough. The very fact being too rational is weighing things down. The incentive every situation for my friend to pursue goals is immediately negated by the ability of quick rational thinking. When the 'incentive' is bogged down, the cocktail of a energetic life looses its fizzzzzzz . Salute the prowess of the human brain !!!!

India is bustling with life

2009-06-05T20:40:00.001+05:30

It was wholesome 3 months in Germany; with every weekend headed out to countries that have the border agreement in the Schengen agreement.All was a dream. The day i was back in Bangalore; i could feel the difference. The difference at first was the air. My first breath at Bangalore international airport, my senses reacted to the dirt in the air.
But the second day; i realized the biggest difference. The life. Yes. the life was good and peaceful in Germany. Clean air, ultra quality of infrastructure and no frill life. What the place lacks is 'life'. The place has no life. Energy level is below zero.
The place comes to a wild party every Friday night and during football games. The wildness comes
not by itself but alcohol. The truth is very starking ; its alcohol's influence thats brings about
the frenzy all around.
In India its a different story all together. India wants to develop and there are lots of hustle to
earn and live better. This urge to go a long way brings forth the energy...

Buda-pest a budding

2009-04-17T23:27:00.005+05:30

Budding Budapest; just in terms of stepping into the world space and make its voice heard. The name Buda-Pest is not catchy at all, but the place is sure a bombastic place. Wonderful Buda and an amazing Pest. Long struggle for a country that has lost on many fronts being suffocated in the tyranny of Turks, Nazi, Soviets ... A struggling economy but the high spirits of the people is worth a mention.Impressed was i by our tour guide lady Ms.Bea. Her childhood was tough and in a time when emotions where high and voices suppressed. The Soviet had stripped them of their glory. The vent to the anger- cut the star out of their flags.

The city with the river Duna, central station Kaletti and my favorite station Blaha luza ter. The metros have been planned exceptionally well with the routes criss crossing the tram lines. The opera house, the Margret island, cable bridge are the pride of the city. Legend goes that the architect of the cable bridge was so amazed by his work that he announced that he would jump off the bridge and die if anyone ever pointed out a mistake in his creation. But his fears came true when one young kid pointed out that the lion's statues installed on the bridge did not posses tongues. The architect eventually jumped into the river to give up his life. The place is full of legends as i came across two more. While walking by a bronze statue of a unknown, it struck to me that the whole piece was dark but only the pen he was holding was brightly shining. The other being the statue of a king on a horse. The horse's balls were in all glory. In both the cases the legend goes that luck and success come along by rubbing the things ... hmmmmmm ..

Bea stressed on the fact that Hungarians are very hospitable and witty. The statue of liberty that stands on a mountain top to symbolize the liberty from Nazi. The locals call the statue the bottle cork opener lady.

The city has lots of secrets and every family has a story to tell about a loss of their loved ones either in WWII , the revolution again the Soviets or the innumerable wars. The memories are still fresh here with the anger clear about the country who supressed thier independance. Bea even remembers days when the sole entertainment means was blocked by the Soviets. She was just 6 then. The parliament is a magnificient building with lots of memories again. The parliament was build in a grand fashion to show the distractors that Hungary is well capable. The courtyard has bullet marks of the bloodiest incident in Hungarian history when Soviets opened fire on a peaceful protestors. The dead were college students. The parliament has 2 more grand building opposite to it. The present parliament was the choosen winner amoung the three building. Hungarians are the salute to their resilience. First Christianity was forced for survival and then the blunder continued. A day awaits in future when the Hungarian Florints will make way for the Euro. Again Florint was coined by their Italian king who liked Florence more than anything else. Hungary will be on its feet to raise its head well above in the EU.

Paris- not so fresh at all

2009-03-28T02:54:00.004+05:30

As the train chugged off, it was very disappointing for the most awaited train journey. I was on board a Thalys to Paris from Cologne in Germany. The appearance of the train and the hype surrounding it; sounded like a must travel train. But once in; wham.. its pretty normal to my liking. Pink colored crammed seats and lots of irritating announcements and slow pace. Lucky me; i met a music band ' Blick Bassy and they were making music. Joined them and the ride was immersed in experimenting sounds. Once i alighed out of the train in Paris, i was welcomed by sights of assault riffle weilding police. My eyes searched for billboards to see if i had indeed landed in Paris. Why and for what threat that a very peaceful public railway station have so many cops wth their fingers pressed against the trigger to gun down anyone in a blink of an eye. If this was not enough; the usual fresh air in Europe smelled of human urine all round. Simple conclusion- any European country with just a lil more populus city is all messed up. Felt a pride running through me - India which is so populous is so far better than Paris districts. Not even a million years will people pee in all possible public location in India. Its generally that one pee wall that all men go in search of to pee. oooooofffffff !!!!
To awade this smelly situation, i ran down to the metro and i see a fist figting crowd. People swearing at each other, gays and lesbians having a day out.. hmmm!
The city is surely a visit; yes only for the all metal Eiffel tower; but not in my wildest dreams that i would vote it better than The Taj. Yes, the second must visit is the Lourve. Apart from the must two, i dont see any great and interesting in Paris.
One thing that you would be engrossed into without the knowledge is the mixed crowd.

A fresh drape

2009-03-21T00:43:00.003+05:30

Did I lay foot on ground in Europe or wheels? This is the question that comes up on my Facebook profile status updates. Honestly, yes. Its been a travel of great distances in the 4 weekends i have got a chance to be away from office. I love traveling and there is no stopping me. But at the end of so many miles of extensive travel; a round of different cultures and people being served every weekend. Its like a fresh drape on bed with a lemon flavor. The air left my lungs refreshed left my thoughts searching way beyong current times. The time spent here has been more fulfilling for the soul.

Swept away by Salzach

2009-03-17T00:27:00.002+05:30

Hey hurry up !! a hurried and colonel voice of my friend called out. She added ' u guys are so slow; look at me , am fitter and faster'. I was walking down the cobbled streets of Salzburg, aroused in the city where life at every corner would leave the spectator amused. Even the ghettos were inviting. With such attention seeking environment , i could not match my steps with the friend of mine. Salzburg, Mozarts birthplace and the city dwelling around the river Salzach. The river, the brides over the river, people and lots of Indians put this place on the most memorable list of places. Stiegel beer, Mozart, castles, Salzach river, alps and the topping - light drizzle of rain . The perfect cocktail for a stranger. The city is a accoustic marvel.Every nook and corner had 'awesome' musicians playing on their guitar or a violin to make a living. The accousitcs of the city made the music even more engrossing. Europe has already been an best trip with music all around. I'm loving it... kept saying to myself. Artistic independance is so evident and the pursuit of fine arts.
The city of Salzach... a city to fall in love all over again and again ....
Wrapping up with Mozart's words 'Neither a lofty degree of intelligence nor imagination nor both together go to the making of genius. Love, love, love, that is the soul of genius.'

Squeezing through every corner of journey

2009-03-14T01:29:00.004+05:30

Maktub, a simple word possibly originated from the Arabic world and possibly brought into common limelight by the novel Alchemist. There is no comparison of the book with the word that denies all boundaries. There are lots of supporting and defecting opinions. Its open to the descretion of any human mind that can think beyond the visible. It would have been a give away that i believe in this all powerful word and i do. It happens day in and day out. Life and daily chores turn up the way that it is to be. Last week the very time as i type this , we were on our way to the next city from my staying place to board a train to Salzburg. The trip was on and all plans done and executed well. The air of happiness was all evident that led to my friend to leave his backpack with all possible critical resources in it. We were left at the railway station to fetch the bag and let the train leave us behind. By the time the possession of the bad was with us; mind was decided to head out to Berlin . From no where the plan changed in a matter of minutes and we were travelling on the apposite direction.None of us could alter the course of the events that time was unfolding for us.
The trip in Berlin was an events let in circular motion. The trip was memorable in all aspects and throughly enjoyed. Standing in Berlin the epicentre of the world wars, i felt a strong sense of i being part of the then world war. Thats some insights...
The trip came out of the blue and had no plans of places to visit and things to do .. Now thats the fun of being a traveller where one is left to fend for himself with a map and some hand signals to request help and directions form only German speaking poplulation. The couple of hours needs a mention; standing in the Allianz Arena; i was no mood of return, I didn't want to return back home. But we had a couple of more places to cover. We dashed out and made it to couple of places. From no where, me and my friend felt the urge to catch up with a 3D movie. The movie was for 45 mins and we had 15 mins to make it to reach the railway station and board the train back home. We scrapped through every part of the jounrey and its worth a look back ....

Colonozation

2009-03-06T19:18:00.005+05:30

Colonization , the word that the whole world is familiar with. But ever wondered how colonization progresses engulfing the surroundings with it. I never did ; but had been a witness to a situation in Dusseldorf, Germany. I'm put up in a single bed room apartment. Couple of days back 7 random Indians lodged themselves in the same apartment as mine.The next morning i am woken to melodies of subrabatha( south indian devotional song) . It was pleasant to hear but till date; the apartment was silent and pleasant. But today it seems to be colonized. The noise levels were unusually high. The same evening i come in to be breezed by the smell of frying spices. Oooff !! it was just a matter of a day for the entire ambience of the appartment to change. The night was a headbanger with some string of Hindi ( Himesh's ) songs screeching out of rooms. Huh !!! this is how a environment is invaded and colonized in just matter of days ...

Vaccum suction

2009-03-03T19:32:00.003+05:30

Have an serious urge to write. But am fumbling with a concept to base this writing. This is a weird situation where the urge to write makes you restless. After forcing myself not to write some nonsence, i finally could not control my urge to write and so started off. Am still thinking as to what is the topic for this piece. Hmm !!! i kept this window open for a long while .. Too many processes running ; but shall wait for a worthy hot issue ....

Chilly night out ....

2009-02-26T16:28:00.005+05:30

A night to remember !!! and this night was spent in the spine chilling cold in Amsterdam and Edinhoven. The time spent at the railway station was nearly 8 hours for a 4 hours train journey. The plan was to freak out till late night in Amsterdam and then take the train back to Germany at 3 am. Didnt know what we would be getting into ! some unexpected incidents forced us to wait for the train at the railway station; as early as 10 pm. Now the big hurdles was awaiting for us... no seats to rest our tired legs. What a tourist hotspot railway station without a waiting lounge .. am i expecting too much of a international destination . I wanted some benches to sit and wait for my trian . Damn i was cursing the authorities. I was all messed up and i needed some place to rest . I was desperate and ended up on some stairs leadng upto the platform. These stairs leading were like ducts oozing chilly bone crushing air. I was desperate and my friend too. So we ended up sitting in the duct and catching up with some sleep for 4 hours. We were clearly in someother world. The sounds of the trains passing was aplified and we would wake up to find ourselves safe under the platform. The eyes would glue again to continue our trip in dreams. The 3rd friend could not sit and had no better job to do.He went around reading all the train listings. By the time we woke up from our deep slumber he was well versed with Dutch vocabulary. Finally he woke us up to take us to a better place. And it was the lift; the lift served basement to the platform. We all got into the lift and took to the platform and slept in the lift for the next couple of hours till out train arrived.

Next stop Edinhoven, 5 am. If Amsterdam was a experience, i am scrambling for words to describe this experience. Early morning bone crushing cold and the station security forced us to move out of the station as the station would be closed for the next couple of hours. C'mmon !! we have a connecting train and we are not supposed to wait at the railway station. We were pushed out. When we came out we realized that it was all carnival day out. We were greeted by some drunk men and women. My friend who was a lil dizzy chose a place on the pavement and dozed off. The other guy found a nearby phonebooth which we eventually used to stay indoors to shield from the cold. Another 3 hours of wait and finally the train arrived and it was a 4 hour journey to reach back home.

Bloggers beware

2009-02-24T19:33:00.000+05:30

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/India/Bloggers-can-be-nailed-for-views/articleshow/4178823.cms

Amsterlande

2009-02-23T22:58:00.007+05:30

Its been just 4 days on my Euro trip. I had just 2 things on my mind; the best tonic for life - work harder and party harder. After couple of days at office; once the butterflies had settled down; i had all my brains behind the party places ....

The came the trip to Nederlande and the trip was for just 24 hours. I did'nt wanna sleep overnight but travel and feel the world around. It all started off well in a bus to Amsterdam. As expected the trip was sure a story out from the Eurotrip movie. I found my way into the bus and found myself a place to rest my bottom. Then my sleepy co-passenger opened his eyes enough to stop me from sitting down and added that the seat is wet. Damn hiam man ! i turned around to my friend and told the situation in Kannada so that none understand my angst over the situuation. As i innovated to keep my bottom dry and settle down; the co-passenger looked at me and said 'tamil' . Huh ! pardon me .. what ? I thougth he was from Lebanon and wanted to talk to me. Then realized he was Ankur Pandey from Lucknow who had studied in Karnataka. My cursing in Kannada seemed to him like Tamil. Cool man ! nice was to make friends .... the next couple of hours of the bus journey we connected well and spoke about all that guys do ....

He aligned off at Edinhoven, bid adieu and my journey continued.

Next stop Amsterdam. Sure the place impressed right away. There were cycles all around. It was sunny and cold. The centraal area was crowded with travellers like us . A poster stuck out like a sore thumb in the delight. Then i realized that nudity in public is a legal affair there. Ooof ! that was some rude shock. Coming from the land of Ram sene and Shiv sene, this hard reality was a pleasant suprise. Bought a one day pass to get lost on the streets. It was a different routine in Dutch. As night fall came early, we went around to some of the best places to get the view under the lights.

We knew of this district which Amsterdam boasts about - The red light district. As we approached this area i was supriced to see all the tourists who had come to city were there. Sure the women loved the place. They were the ones who were the most revelers. I understood the importance of liberty that India doesn't have when it comes to women rights.

Sex sells!!!! its sold here open without any strings attached. Alcohol and drugs !!! i realized it the hard way that the drugs ( prescribed and regulated by the govt) is sold in all places.

On a whole the place is sure to come with the person you love and not to visit like stags !!!

Rollercoster

2009-02-18T01:56:00.004+05:30

Its 2 AM; sitting in the lounge at the swanky Bangalore International airport, sipping over a hot cuppa to stimulate me to write this stuff. huh ! too boring an introduction for a write. But looks like i am writing in sleep.

As i take in the aroma of the cuppa and arouse my senses i feel the drastic change that has engulfed me. Had heard the old adage, times and tides wait for no man and they change course with an blink of an eye. Sure man ! i realized it in the last couple of months.

Okies ! this incident needs a mention; my friend who is travelling with me has disappeared into the rest room for the last 45 mins, wondering what he is up to ?

Last months of my life were life and death lived each moment. Realized and lived with the thoughts of Buddha who always said ' life and death are part of each passing moment' . I found myself pinned against the wall, luck whipping me and success eluding. Good courage , i ain't know from where i learnt this art of patience and persistence; things started to roll. Some godly intervention for sure. It has to be !

Now i have a road map, a clear one. I can see where i am heading to. My direction boards are all leading to one way . Its right forward !!!

The silent force

2009-02-05T16:58:00.003+05:30

The happenings around us are so weird and surprisingly different from how we want it to be. We expect a cat and it tuns out to be jumbo jet. Even worse, when we find ourselves in deep dark hole, suddenly a ray of light emerges from a source the most unexpected. Ever wondered how all this happens ? I used to wonder, feel puzzled, get confused as to from where did the change come my way. Who send it ? Was it my loved ones who did it behind the back, but that is not at all possible in all cases.. so who sends me the savior ?
Is it the silent third force that works out the magic for us ? We intend to do it a certain way and it turns out topsy-turvy. We have no one to blame nor no one to appreciate, but things happened the way that is best for us . We simply put in our best efforts and it turns out the best possible outcome for us. The third force that is always acting on every situation , sometimes you can feel it being with you, sometimes you dont. But keep the company of the third force with you, you'll always be rendered the right path...

Change be it

2009-01-21T11:20:00.002+05:30

Change be it ! People around the world are talking about change. Tees, coffee mugs, posters and all varieties of merchandise are cashing on this new found phrase. Its not a new found phrase but a phrase which has found new momentum all thanks to Prez Obama.
Just look around and you'll notice the world is changing , people evolving and everything seems volatile. But even people fret over the thought of change and some even sweat and lose sleep. Yaaa ! Mr.Obama has rendered great momentum to the phrase. As i pen this , i have a smile that wants to hide itself from being noticed. The reality is that even i think twice before accepting the changes in my life. On couple of occasions i even wanted to rewrite the way things were spanning out. Even the most seasoned people whom i thought to be as strong as a granite proved fragile. There was no dilemma but just angst over the tide of time. Change ! thats inevitable, but put in perspective how each one of us react to it and you'll notice the intricacies associated with change.
Some changes engulfs all self. Some spirals into a tornedo of sorts affecting lives of those who come in its path. The devastation is completely dependent on the individual as to how he handles the change. Some changes are time churned out and some are a conscious decision that one individual wants to make. With every age ring addition, priorities changes, circumstances changes and mainly environemetn changes; sure one might opt for a decision but alas ! he should have a good understanding how his decision would hamper his family and his loved ones.
As you read; would like to put my thougth straight - if you gut says to follow a instinct ( both are the same :) ) trust self and follow that. But the chosen path would mean a slightest alteration in other peoples life; make sure you convey them that the time is ripe for you to shed your old outlook for a new one but dont create a melodrama to satisfy your ego with retaining your good image. Hold on to your decision with a gentle smile all the way and wait for the day the other soul would appreciate what you did...
Obama spiraled me into thinking all about this .. huhh

ooof ! its chaotic

2009-01-20T16:37:00.003+05:30

Day break is generally depicted as a cock crowing. I till date haven't had an first hand experience to validate that. Hope its not just a theory from the past. Bangaloreans wake up to different activities other than cock crowing. Its either the screeching auto's or the street hawkers who are out early in the morning with their sell. The chaotic life starts then onwards. If by chance there is any temple around, you sure would begin your day with devotional songs; to say you would be forced to.
Most would love to start their day with a hot coffee - in the fresh air. enjoying the early morning bliss. But i say , our city chaos is more fun than early morning fresh air experience.
The most chaotic place is our roads. I have awesome fun seeing bikers and cars fighting the way to stay inches ahead of each other.If you are planning to distress yourself at a multiplex, then drop that plan and get out into the K.R market. Sure, the place is gonna take the steam out from you...
Its the best place for artists , i stress that only artists can and will have a good time as they are the ones who have an eye to seek fun out of chaos. In all the hustle bustle lies lives of so many intricately bound, i might find proper orientation a lil alien...

Call 101

2009-01-17T18:48:00.002+05:30

We all would have seen the three digit emergency services number viz 100,101 and 102 at all local telephone booths. Ever wondered how effective these emergency services are ? Are the people behind the staunch emergency system really alert, equipped with the right sense of problem solving and dedication ? Will calling 101 or any other emergency services save lives ?

Lets take a scenario- ISRO sounds a warning to the governments home ministry informing about a disaster, better known as a solar storm. How would the home ministry react to this ?
This storm has no date of arrival and no scope of predicting the extent of damage it can do on mankind. So how do you think that our emergency system will respond to ?
To add to our woes, our infrastructure is still primitive, egging for some renewal from our busy go easy babus. Will a poor infrastructure and a negligent system in place, what would happen when such a lethal solar storm swamps our city ?
Yeah ! this is not a dream of mine- this is reality lurking around the corner. This solar storm would leave a damage that would take days, months or years for the life of the common man to be back on regular routine. Its time : need a equipped emergency services !

Check this out : http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2006/03/0306_060307_sunspots.html

chip chip...

2009-01-15T19:30:00.001+05:30

Psychic - how many you have ?

2009-01-15T16:22:00.002+05:30

Multiple psychic disorders... people would be familiar with this term. It was brought into limelight in a filmy way. The actual reality may be startling. But has anyone given a sufficient thought in our day to day life as to how many psychic do we possess ? When i mean psychic; it is the different internal voices or the different self that are active at a time in our mind. Simple case scenario; the easiest that each one can relate to - one self decides to wake up early, the other self supports it with reasons. When the time comes the next morning to wake up the third self disagrees and when we finally wake up, the fourth self slams the other three self for not living up to the promise. So how many self are involved at a given time ?
This multiple voices is the main issue concerning each individual. This very fact of different self being alive at the same time , the quality of our decisions, the directions we take are mostly distorted. We even fail to listen to our gut feelings altogether. Listening to multiple voices withing is sure going to distort our decision making, but am not a psychic expert as to judge how effective or destructive they would be... Its up to u !

Disgrace

2009-01-14T22:10:00.002+05:30

Metro construction is on a snails pace but felling of trees is on a mach speed...

2009-01-14T22:08:00.001+05:30

Who's smarter

2009-01-14T12:59:00.002+05:30

Brought up in wilderness of the western ghats, i grew up listening to crickets chirping. The sounds were so sedative to fall asleep. Childhood was more of a rock and roll festivities, activities ranging from fishing for tadpoles with a piece of cloth to climbing school buildings to fetch the cricket ball. when i sit back and recollect the pain i endured after each accident or a fall from a height; i pity todays children who are engrossed in the tech gadget world. They are simply hooked on to the artificial games on mobile phones or a xbox. I have had close encounters with different species of snakes to bees and what not. Cycling in the mountains wearing no protective wear to protect from injury, collecting mushrooms from the forest, hide and seek in the woods- that was sure a episode from a Night Shymalan's physo saga. My childhood was different and relishing.

Its a long wait

2009-01-13T11:02:00.003+05:30

Its a adage where learned men advised novices to be wise by adopting a outlook of patience, hard work and trust in self. Bhagvatgita quotes “Karmanye vadhika raste maa faleshu kadachan”. I learnt this from my Hindi teacher way back in the 90's and didn't realize the prowess. Things that i learnt then are bearing fruits now. Though priorities have changed, outlook has galloped way beyong recognition with the past; still the past struggles have added a next gen weapon to my armour. Its been a long wait for things to get in line to what i wanted the life to be. Sure life always sprung surprises. All surprices were either rude or bitter experieces. Earlier i used to fret and even remember staying away from the source of concern. Nature is the best motivator ; only if one has the eye to notice the subtleness. I have come a long way and still waiting... i know i am standing up to the situation with my feet firmly put on the ground never to be shaken again...

Heaven and hell

2008-12-29T15:17:00.003+05:30

Heaven and hell... a resounding topic to write about post a emotional bankruptcy. Has been long since i posted anything. Ancient times till date, people have always believed and worshipped the practice of feeding and praying the dead. Its believed if the dead are not fed during different moon phases, the family would be cursed and the generation following would be born corrupt. Wow! That’s some means of instilling fear to make some living for the priests. Doesn't it sound similar to what our naxalites do?

Another system of belief that has been sustained from 5000 years is the belief of the soul ejecting out of the human body and availing a gate pass into hell or heaven. Here, its not just the soul's deed that is gonna decide which pass it should be benefited with but the sponsors who are put on the ground do. Their duty is to follow the instructions laid out from a priest. If the last rites and every death anniversary are performed righteously under the supervision of priest, the passage of our passed away soul to heaven will be granted. Looks like a visa process...

Do we need to wait for our soul to depart to visit the hell or heaven? Artists can portray any concept to a layman and they have done so. Hell being in the core of the earth and heaven in the sky. When Russians launched a moon mission, the astronaut radioed back to earth that he could not spot any heaven. So where is hell? Or heaven if any one can guess...

Ironically heaven as well as hell is right here right now. Each one of us goes through the hell and heaven in a 24 hours day. When we are all elated we feel light and find ourselves on cloud 9. That’s heaven. When things are going awry, we feel sunk and battered. That’s hell my friend...

Does Innovative ideas stem from need ?

2008-12-03T18:06:00.004+05:30

Today’s world relies more on innovation more than any staple requirements. Innovative food, innovative beverages, innovative captaincy by Dhoni, innovative product launch, innovative...

The common man would get to notice all these jargons thrown around. He would not understand a innovative idea that is gonna transform the wall street to wealthiest street. He simply wants a life made simple and less complex. Bringing forth the labyrinth, is innovation making life less complex? Today’s innovative products come with host of configurations and settings that a common man would fret to understand. Where does innovation stem from ? Does it stem from the need to have an easy place to live or rather does it stem from the need to carry out an activity?

Today's competitive companies push for innovation just for more market place, higher number of patents under its belt and for some arm twisting tactics. So whom does all this innovation aid? Does the common man is benefited so much as invention of fire did to the Stone Age men?

A loud and clear no. Innovation surely has to be directed towards solving common problems. Innovative behemoths have failed to deliver one innovative idea to solve the garbage menace. One unfortunate day, on route to office, my bike had a flat wheel. As i sat waiting for my bike to get ready, I was stunned by the actions of a young kid. He was sure a poor lad- it was evident. His problem or the problem definition was clear. He had a worn out bicycle tyre and sure he cannot afford a new one. He shouted a ‘hi’ to the garage owner; as he wanted to use his resources to get his wheel serve him for some more days. He went around picking up 'waste' and in some time had a idea to have the tyre ready. I stayed put admiring this young mind at work. The kid had a need and he had no easy money to pay for it. He came up with an idea. The start reality was evident...

Independence at what cost ?

2008-11-17T11:57:00.003+05:30

It was a pleasant Sunday; usual sundry daily buzz. Evening, past the Bangalore book festival, a stage where kids were enacting a drama. The background score and the body language of those tiny nuggets into the world of theater was a keystone; i halted in my walk towards some hot beverages and started following the play. It was simple in the start, a teacher describing our independence war and how people laid down their lives for the nation. The play was very well interwoven with example of different independence struggles. I went round to get myself a hot ( watery) cup of tea for self as the play was getting too predictable. After munching over some hot chilly snacks and tea, i pulled up a chair and rested my tired legs. As i looked around, some real theater loving people had their eyes glued to the stage. I looked up, worried parents drooling over their child's immense pain. On repeated questioning and pampering the kid does not budge. The worried parents take him over to his teacher; who in the last days have been answering the kids questions regarding the fight to independence. That is when i understood it was not just a independence struggle theme play but independence was inter woven in the play which had a bigger theme than independence.
Even after the teachers insistence , he does not blow over his emotions and when the emotions take him over , he signs to the world his pain, his despair, his loss and ...
The song took over the crown like a thunderstorm, there was silience and heads nodding, hands covering up the tears before someone notices them. My emotions were stirred and anger thrust upon self. In the play, the kid breaks down into a emotinal song - composed by Hamselekha. Sure that song got such a ovation.The kid questions the destiny where once people laid down their lives for the sake of the very independence which is in jeopady now, he raises a hammer of questions as he cannot suppress his pain over the loss of dear friend who would have been killed in a serial bombings. None can answer him, NONE.

Yes ! we could

2008-11-06T22:05:00.003+05:30

Barak Obama delivered a power packed speech; the one that resonated the spirit and the emotions that was present in the all historic speech by Martin Luther King. What drove them to come up with an all emotional speech. Basically they believed in what they preached and were not driven by party doctrines or capilistic money lending coroporate honchos.
I have voted twice till now and all the time i have voted with the just the people common sentiment and not by the fact that who would take the realm of power. Does it really matter here in India ? Has anyone ever seen a powerful speech in recent past ? My parents recount the speeches that late Rajiv Gandhi used to usher on his audiences.But recent times, the polictical speeches are mostly to show off the mass following - take note 'the masses who participate are brought in from remote villages like cattle crammed in a truck. Does it mobilize the right masses for the country to embark on a developement ? Taking a leaf out of our Karnataka coalition politics, as Mr.Yeddi.... ( don't know what spelling our CM is carrying now as he's a staunch beliver in non sense ) was taking oath as CM in the 20-20 competition, some folks who were holding the BJP placards when asked replied about the function as a ceremony where Mr.Yeddy... will leave his old small chair and buy a new BIG CHAIR. Should we put faith in these folklore and hope that one day villages and farm will be the greatest contributor to GDP. Yes ! i would ( dont know when )
Other stark differnce in Obamas talk and our politicos talk. Our leaders post a successful win go on striking for photos that would go on to beatify our land for long and then they would preach over and over as to keeping their manifeto alive. What differently Obama did- he didn't utter a thing as to what his goverment in power would do rathe mobilized the people to joing hands to build America to what they dream of. It is the perfect way a leader has to be . Strangely most of the so called leaders fail to do so. Its not about executing all that was printed in the election manifesto a year back but inspiring the people to come out to build the nation.
Would like to end with a irony, when a successful industralist went to the RBI after heeling under the economic meltdown and asked for help, he got a reply " Why did you grow so fast ? "

Passion to perform

2008-11-02T22:27:00.002+05:30

Passion to perform; how many of us have it in us ? let me take you through our daily routine and past, make sense of this very profound phrase ' passion to perform '.
We all study professional courses, why do we ? do we have great plans on our minds when we study engineering to send a shuttle to Pluto or do we have a burning desire to come with a permanent vaccine to any killer disease as a medical student. We all want to land in a plum job that would finance a expensive car, more expensive fuel and stuffs to impress girls . Do we perform in the same organization with fervor and dedication ; do we proactively do our duties and go that extra mile to bring laurels the organization that pays for our pizzas, movies, car and so on.
As Kumble bid adieu to international cricket, Indian cricket lost a passionate cricketer. As UPA ousted Dr.Abdul Kalam, the nation lost a passionate President. A glimse through the past and we have inumerable real life heroes who had the passion to perform. They would not have lived to cherish what they acheived but what they pursued had a great impact. If the soldiers figiting the Kargil battle did'nt have the passion towards the nation, we would have now being engulfed in a civil war within with LOC stretched till Haryana. If Sir.M.Visvesvaraya didn't have the passion we would not have had his legacy of engineering and a wonderful UVCE.
Imagine a world, its a far away imagination. Let me narrower down the radius to our imediate surrouding. If each one of us performs our tasks with passion, what would we achieve and in what time frame . WOW ! it would be like a God's own courtyard where things are clear, pure and fresh.

Kannada is us

2008-11-02T17:00:00.004+05:30

Karnataka was born out of more than 3 princely states post independence. Thanks to Mr. Urs we have such a nice name as karnataka. Political mileage was given a boost with the official announcement of Kannada language being given a classical language. There is no doubt Kannada is a rich language with wide varieties than what is its root. But what will the status bring forth ? will it give a razor edge to KRV like MNS or improve the schools to impart the best of Kannada literature that will churn out literates who's work will be aped in other European languages. What more will happen ? The day for Karnataka the 'Kannada Rajyotsava'; for the festivities the government spent around 2 crore rupees. Does that all Kannada is to get out ? Is it done and over ?

Deepawali - share happiness ...

2008-10-28T15:10:00.004+05:30

Deepawali or Diwali ; the most awaited festival for any Indian. It sure brings in joy, color to life, money to some and lots of fun if you have the right people to spend the Diwali.
But what does Diwali mean to an average city dweller ? is it to pray God and thank him for all the luxuries and money he has showered upon; or have gourmet of food, wear wonderful clothes or what is it anyways ? To me , for any urban dweller, Diwali is a means to show case his wealth and buying power. As i walk around the narrow streets of the city, seeing all the little ones shooting away their toy gun with cape rolls, kids bursting silly crackers ( a small pack which has 100 crackers in it ) and real tough ones taking the buzz out of the dangerous ones. Again and again I'm brought to the reality when the same age group kids- from a different social background, come to the same streets to take home the leftovers, the half burnt crackers and what ever they could salvage out of the garbage on street braving the chilly night and the barking dogs. My point to all those who celebrate Diwali- the festival of joy, 'will you give away crackers worth Rs 100 to these kids and jump up saying - i have spread happiness ? '. Will you ?
I have seen very affluent families shoo away these children. As i say affluent, take note that very family would have bought 50K roll crackers - 6 pieces, 2 each for 3 days of Diwali. To my dismay, i find it common that common man discusses in city buses, on a corner tea shop as to how the state government employees make that extra easy buck to make it big this Diwali for their family. This is one part of the darker Diwali for those underprivileged kids. Beware, people reading would shout back at me with vengeance saying ' we are not em, we do dedicate '. This fact would go as a loud guffaw, signing off a exchequer for some amount to a charitable institution does not drive home the point that one has contributed in spreading happiness .if FM comes with a tax rebate on such a initiative where a India citizen gives away crackers worth Rs100 and collects a receipt from the kid and he can later file for returns, i bet the kids would get so affluent that they would go on to have a Diwali for a month.

Seed sown in 1957.

2008-10-25T16:51:00.003+05:30

K.Kamaraj, the Gandhi of southern India, as he was passionately called. How many can recollect who this great politician is ? He was chief minister of TN and hailed as one of the best politician and leader of free India. What is that one seed he sowed that has bestowed good upon India ? He was instrumental in introducing the mid-day meal scheme in government managed schools in rural TN .It should not be tough to guess his intentions ; then free India was bundled down by castism, socio-economic divide, language barriers and what not. pardon me; these are present today; as i write this MNS would be rampaging in Mumbai, Bajrang dal would be on a rapeing spree(-eeee) and what not .
Kamaraj took upon the free mid-day meals to make sure all castes are brought together and have good healthy food. Good spirit of the political scenario since his demise in TN that this small scheme has seen the light all the while and has laid a profound effect on the socio situtation in TN. Today, this scheme is a world acclaimed scheme which the central government acting the supreme court order ( YES ! supreme court has to interfere; else nothing happens ) has made it mandatory for every state government to implement it. Its now christened as the common minimum program. But look upon in Karnataka, it has taken a different shape; it has spiralled into a successful business venture - can definitely say that. ISKON along with donations from corporate biggies are providing meals across Bangalore. The scale of opertion, the monetary planning are impeccable. Looking upon the scheme that was sown in 1957 or so; has now a very successful governemnt policy. Thanks to the FMs tax rebate on social spendings, more and more corporates are joining in to donate.Now the scheme not just provides healthy meals but also provides iron suppliments and regualr deworming. Of late, a good goverment scheme that deserves a applaud.

Things that are creating news ...

2008-09-26T13:07:00.007+05:30

Any person who is serious about his daily dose of current affairs would get into a loud guffaw at the glance of daily news on either print or electronic media. The matters that are making news in the foreign affairs section " US citizens bedazzled by Sarah Palin's frame less spectacles ", a even bigger one " Sarah Palin wears beads hearing to meet Afghan President". Wow ! that was some piece of news that i wanted to read first thing in the morning.
The local news- in their daily dose, must have a entry with keyword 'techie'- techie commits suicide, techie dies , techie drinks coke in a feeding bottle... it goes on and on. Are all this a alien act that only a techie can do ? is only techie a mortal being that his natural or accidental death is covered in detail; they even mention his hair color and even described in detail by their correspondent who gives the audience a detail report on his intimate clothing.
In the Independent India media once played a major role in getting our nation into what it is today and that fact needs a accolade. Current news hungry media is ready to cover anything and feed it live to households with flashes glaring at you " Breaking News ". What are the news that are tagged as breaking - Sallu-SRK's spat, Amitabh's pony to Bipasha's midriff. what category will serial bomb blasts that rip the city be in ? . People who has to act post a breakout a news don't. But the media gets some really famous personalities from the jungles of Amazon to debate over the issue and keep the debate going till some thing new comes on to change topic.

Friends .. gone are those days

2008-09-26T09:47:00.002+05:30

When i was growing up in a small town in the Western ghat, seldom did i realize what i would be missing in the hustle-bustle of the metro. the labyrinthine realities of life stuck me pretty soon... sure life in a metro is
Life's on a roller coaster ride with a mac3 speed , people hop in and hop out. Some leave behind memories to cherish for a lifetime and some teach lessons in life that make you wiser. I remember, it used to be a routine affair when dad's friends used to come home on a regular basis. It was a very lovely feeling to have someone at home for lunch or dinner.
Now that in Bangalore, its just my childhood friends who occasionally drop by. Rest all are very busy in life. I didn't want to follow suite the rest; but now have fallen to the fallacy.I too have resorted to stay away from friends homes, still now i lament on doing so.
The thing i realized, people walk in our lives for a reason, when the purpose is solved, they move on. inadvertently they would have a new reason and a new friend to cater to it. It comes down hard at you and if you this kind of a person who nourishes friendship very seriously, be ready for taking a mental beating. I tried to reason this with lots of friends- i am rarely lucky to have the same bunch of friends who started their kindergarten together till date with priorities not changed. All my friends had similar reasoning and they too had fallen in the fallacy of live for the present and move on. It surely is the best bet on a game board of life. But as a human one needs some trustworthy and cherish able friends who can be counted on any situation.
My dad has still the very best friends of yesteryear's. All reading this would agree all our parents have . But we are used to shoot a text when a dear friend calls . " in a meeting, will call later" and the call is never returned.
All reading this would not agree but still holds truth in modern days of networking.

Rivers do change course...

2008-09-20T20:23:00.004+05:30

Going by the Hindu beliefs, the moola(birth place) of any river is worshiped across many parts of the country. Some times even you get a splash of that fresh water; it is considered as if your sins are washed away like a no-nonsense detergent advertisement.
From there on its the river, its tributaries: major and minor ones that shape the life of a river. Does it ring any bells ? Isn't our life like a river ?
From our birth to the point where go meet the sea; when we decide to become the common man. Its the choice we make as to when we want to become a common man. A stupid common man as the protagonist in the latest Bollywood flick calls. Yes, once a common man, life becomes mundane and the day to day routine is just a mechanical process.
But even the river chooses its path. It makes it own way. There are rivers that irrigate all the way they reach the sea and some cause destruction all the way. It becomes to be known as a curse rather than a blessings. Our destiny is also something similar; we choose the path we want to pursue, do we take a short cut to reach the sea or take the road less traveled, unraveling mysteries.We need to realize the fact that all are given the same blood-flesh combination, all have the same biological clock and have just 24 hours a day to accomplish our dreams. There has to be the spark in us to change the course of our journey to deviate to do what it would keep us going. Yet, we have to serve the common purpose of life, earn a living, attend to our parents and set up a family of our own. But doing all these , it does not deter any one of us to stop and keep asking questions again and again- "what next ? ".
The path we take and time we want to go on till we become a common man is all in our control. One can sure control the direction of our destiny if not our destiny et-al.

When will we get over the 'why me' syndrome ?

2008-09-14T20:11:00.002+05:30

Over the past zillion of years, the earth has gone through all kinds of transformation and changes that has shaped the current earth we live. The face of the earth has gone through so much ripping changes. People then, who went through the transformation of the earth would certainly not have asked the question 'why me'. They would have been so bound to the very emotional bondage with the folklore that held them together that they would have fought the very distress together. Remember the men from Sparta ? 300 odd strong men held their people safe from a million invaders.
The changes that came up then has resulted in such a colorful world we live in. The people who migrated to survive the ice age have given such a diverse touch to every race in the world. So all would agree changes are inevitable and are always good.
I would agree that embracing changes over a cup of coffee is not easy and definitely not a child's game. Its takes steel of a character to overcome and fight it. We; the modern era man- just sleep over the change as a child buries his face under the blanket when having a bad dream.
Modern India is faced with truck loads of problems. Not just one truck load, but all trucks in India will not be sufficient to carry the burden. The whole centre of gravity as to why we are not coming over the situation is due to a silly syndrome 'why me '.
Bomb blasts rip thru our lives as a day to day affair. What we do is to pay respect to God and thank him for keeping me away from the fateful place. But have we in the last months; stood up and pulled the strings and made a right noise. Have we taken measures We just can't sit back and expect the government to do all the necessary. We need to make them listen. Post the 9/11, within a span of 2 weeks, a terrorist attack law was passed from the US assembly without any hiccups and there has been no attack since. Here its the ruling government who has to act while the opposition tries to ridicule the party in power and let the common man die day in and day out. I haven't raised my voice to this fall out of system, have you ?

Why is our infrastructure crumbling ?

2008-09-02T16:40:00.008+05:30

Is it a mere question of 'why is our infrastructure crumbling ?' . Is it a easy poser ?
Yes . many of you reading would certainly answer positive. In retrospective, i put forth an argument , our basic fundamentals is to be blamed. It is our very own nature and genetic behavior that is leading to such a situation. It is just a one off situation where i am growling over the infrastructure. The problem is rampant in many cases and not just infrastructure...
Are we to blame for the debacle; yes ! each soul in India is to be held guilty of the state every system that is failing to behave as expected.
But among all the glaring systems that are failing, there are a couple of systems that are apt to be part of any top B-school's case study viz the dabbawallas of Mumbai, any milk distribution network and newspaper network. These systems work with great pinnacle of efficiency.
The other systems are rampant with people putting their grey cells to full capacity to find out ways to exploit loopholes.This reminds me, is there any place or any form for exception that people don't exploit ? My dad rushed me to the other day, he was clearly elated ; i wondered what great has happened . He shook me and said' sonny, a bank has raised its interest rates to 11% for senior citizens. park your money in that bank in your uncles name who is well qualified to draw 11% interest and it would be tax free. I looked upon the fact; just smiled at the thought of the genome we are all comprised of.
What parallels i am trying to surface out of this explanation. Our infrastructure is maintained by large bodies, who contract it to third party and the chain goes on. When the actual work is to start, the contractor who would have been rejected on grounds of shoddy work in the last assignment gets to play his dirty tricks to get back the slipping out contract. Again, the very person who would stand against the crumbling infrastructure; has inadvertently created a shoddy road.
This dilemma is sure shot going to continue for a long time to come. Its like a child's game of ping pong. Hope we one fine day derive courage to break this dilemma and have a system where no one ever does wrong.

What would be a honest opinion ?

2008-08-03T18:38:00.005+05:30

This day; as i was browsing the web , i came across one of a small passages that illustrates like this - i might get some wordings wrong here; reader discretion is requested to make the right meaning out of it.
i quote " the UN has asked its member states whether they are serious about the food crisis ? The latest survey as done by the UN shows that - Africa doesn't know what food was and Asians didn't know what honest meant. In Europe they didn't know what shortage meant,The Middle east didn't know what solution meant and in South America they didn't know what please meant. And in North America they didn't know what the rest of the world meant...
As i read this, i was bewildered by the fact this survey had any consequences or not. But it did mean a lot. It hit the nail on the head. What the survey spoke about is in reality; a true fact and the rest of the world; our fellow inhabitants are ... ignorant, do i say that? or they are too comfy in their own beliefs.
In the last weeks editorial; a report brought forth the reality of how some communities are dwelling on eating clay cakes as staple food; same time, here back in Yeshwanthpur, tomatoes were strewn on the streets as a protest. Isn't the contrast a stark reality of what our world is about ?
G8 met and the outsiders to G8, what do we call them G5, comprising of the emerging markets, India, Brazil and so on . The G8 is pressing for a cleaner and pollution free environment from the emerging markets. But on their part; they will not do anything. They simply put want to demonstrate their superiority and say "we save the world " .
There is a huge economical crisis looming large on the world. Who will do their bit to solve this ? the developed nations or the VETO nations cannot do anything. The emerging markets are booming and it is suffocating them. They simply want to pass on the ball.
Its more like we doing our bit and the rest will fall in place ? do we belive we can ...

We are the descedent's of the oldest civilization.

2008-07-31T22:18:00.000+05:30

It is believed and extensively studied and reported that the civilization in Harrappan days - dates back to 6000BC; was eloquently planned and executed. The cities had extensive and simple planning. They never had any kind of technology to support their plans nor they had the resources we have today.
But why ? echo it again ' But why ?' . We being the descendent's from the great civilization have such a horrific planned city. Is it we have been genetically modified ?
Are u ?

Live where the heart is ....

2008-07-27T21:15:00.004+05:30

The days of professional college were a different aura of life for me. The other professional colleges in the rank of top 10 engineering colleges had this tag of being a hip-hop and a happening place. When i made a conscious decision to join UVCE, i knew what i was getting into. The whole of college life was modest and the surrounding was truly education friendly. No brats from the management quota and from the payment seat . It was a humble days and it was great insight into what life is ; we didn't realize it then, but now when i look back, i do !
Next, came my way , campus placements. We all were excited about landing a plum job. We all managed to get too. Then life took a turn again as a curve in a wine bottle. The days in college used to have the best hang outs. Added advantage for us was that our college was in the famous "majestic" of Bangalore. The fun ; foot board borne I and my friend would keep a look out at all the cinema halls as to which has a lesser jobless people for the tickets and at the next juncture when the bus would slow down, we both would have landed and rushed to the queue for a wonderful Kannada movie. Sometimes, after entering we used get the rude shock of just we being the lone audience for the show. BVK cross roads were our usual shopping streets; we never got to know what all ghettos we had visited.
What happened after we all landed a plum job ? it seems like a transformation something from a scifi movie. Our usual adda shifted to Inox and shopping to Shoppers shop or Westside. I never realized what i was missing until recently ; thanks to my dad who till date hasn't liked the ambiance at Inox. He feels claustrophobic. His favourite pick in Bangalore our very own "Kapali". A movie watching experience at kapali is different. While i was walking down some ghettos in Mamoolpet; i felt that spark in me that i used to nurture when i was in college. Then the usual black and white flash back.
always ; the spark in us lives in what we enjoy the most and not we portray as we enjoy ....

You know why we have potholes on roads ?

2008-07-22T10:24:00.000+05:30

Dud to dude or vice-versa ?

2008-07-22T10:17:00.001+05:30

Right here ; right now. What next ?

2008-07-20T19:36:00.004+05:30

Man has come a long way from the prehistoric era. The day after the big bang and the era post it when the planets took shape and created this wonderful earth and the planet system. From being a single celled organisms to the more complex animals; we are now a most advanced species the earth has ever witnessed.
But wait a minute; before concluding what we are compared to the what our prehistoric species where, don't we need to look back and see what has changed since then. The prehistoric men and women lived in harmony under a small roof and closely knit community. In the earlier days when farming was little known fact; they highly depended on the meat that any animal could provide, What would happen if the current trends continue when the once and currently considered rice bowl of the world have reduced the production of rice and wheat. Yes, to some reality the production has reduced and some we have too many mouths to feed and less land to produce food.
Ain't i getting into a mood of being cynical of the past and the present. Then the men used to produced simple tools from the rocks found here and there. But today; the sophisticated tools still exist, only to 'kill' innocent lives. where have we come from then ?
Today's world is affluenza stricken. The moral is low; the greed is the order of the day. Then the days when the innovation was the order of the day. Newer and newer things were created from the bare hands. Today ; research and innovation is just limited to the noble men at research institutes. Rest of the crowd are just satisfied in the monotonous life, sulking now and then at the boredom they face.
This era will end one fine day; might be some millions of years from now. I would love to foresee how the current mankind will survive such a devastation. Earlier men survived because they had this survival instinct. Do we have it ? if we had it they would have been no kidnap and murders based on racial differences.
though mankind has made strides of advancement; we have come a long way, we have a long way to go too.

Its pizza time ....

2008-07-08T21:05:00.002+05:30

oil dosen't get replesnished likes lakes after monsoon.

2008-07-06T21:58:00.003+05:30

Its been a regular activity for me; apart from the daily mundane activities, to check the crude oil prices in the world market. I too wanna zip my car through the city roads and go on a long drives to the distant places. I wished to; though i can afford to now; but looks stupid on face.
If the current trend continues, sure the oil prices will skyrocket and all the commodities and services that are dependent on oil and other natural resources will rise, straining the already over burdened consumer. Who is to blame for this debacle ? yeah ... west points fingers at India and China for over using oil to sustain growth and are the Indians thinking about what next ?
couple of months from now, the digital board at the gas station will read - petrol Rs 100 only . Imaging a world without a critical resource is tough and frightening.
The west in the coming days is sure going to press the Indian government to reduce the carbon footprint in India. The terms that the west is going come up with is and will spell doom for the exporters. where does the CO2 come form ? major contributer is the automobiles , but when the fuel to drive it becomes scarce, I'm optimistic the carbon over the Asian atmosphere is going to come down drastically. But still the crux of the situation remains unanswered . what would happen to the means of transportation ?
It takes decades for automobiles manufacturers to come up with fuel efficient and hybrid models. the wait is long and nobody knows whether it will be fruitful or not.
The best approach ahead till some new transportation technology comes up that is going to revolutionize the way we move around, we only can use oil sensibly. Is public transport the solution. It is the best solution provided the corporation pull up the socks the deliver the services that is just on papers and advertisements. The fares has to be smartly planned where everyone gains. With every raise in the fuel prices the public transport is the first to raise its fare. I don't understand if the public transport gets as costlier as the price of fuel, what is the leverage a common man is going to gain using the public transport. When i have to visit a friend who stays next block, i end up paying Rs 14 for a two way journey whereas for the same route on my bike i would have burnt Rs 5-6.
But one thing for sure, this skeptical nature of the consumer will help reduce the supply shortage in the days to come. Hope people don't switch from petrol to diesel variants of vehicles.
People, start praying the commodities god some good omen in the coming days ....

India Inc : is it loosing the lusture ?

2008-07-04T21:33:00.004+05:30

India rising; India shining. These are one of two adjectives that were used to describe when Indian markets and economy were booming. The youth was and is considered to make India a powerhouse. But with just one swing of the pendulum has brought to the fore the Indian mindset and the ruling minds( the politicians-they do have; they just don't want to waste the resource on common man's good; conserve it for some coalition politics) inability to cope.
SENSEX 20K and rising, FII and FDI were pouring in, INR strengthened against the $ , the list goes on. The joy was short lived. As the government failed to capitalize on this and let the skeptical nature of the world markets rule. The coalition government was in the fore of saving the government rather than making sure the fuel for the sustained growth is still there.
I am reminded of a primary class Science question . The questions goes like this - 'what would happen to a glittering copper vessel left in the open without any cover of protection ?'
Yeah, all would get it right, the vessel looses its lusture to the pollution as a layer of pollutant in the form of copper sulphate gets formed on the surface henceforth corroding the metal underneath.
Doesn't the situation look similar with India ? Everything about India was going great guns. India was sure shining. Then came the bad politics of the government; they passed on the blame from one pillar to other and did nothing to protect the economy. India is at the brink of changing the world over, it is estimated that by the year 2020, world will be facing the shortage of manpower and India will be in excess of youth manpower. The chance is here to rule the world. But to achieve the unachievable, the right decisions has to be done at the right time that would bear fruit in the coming decades. There is potential to be tapped , but who will do it ?
The biggest question if answered can give insights to what would follow - ' will our politicians put their personal ego in front or the national interest ?'.

Tirupathi- endurance.

2008-06-29T19:23:00.003+05:30

Tirumala, atop the 7th mountain is the God Venkataramana's temple, and the place sure makes you feel the presence of God. The journey from Tirupathi to Tirumala is just 22 kms but the view en route is breathtaking. The steep slopes of the mountains and the picturesque landscape will leave you gasping. The shrine is a well maintained, planned and executed . The temple authorities have put the technology to its best use with fingerprinting and camera shots to identify a pilgrim at the temple. The temple has lived up to the most sought after shrines in South India. The most liked part of the temple is the 'people' who throng to get a glimpse of the lord. Thats all, a glimpse what these pilgrims get of the lord. The sea of people waiting outside to get a glimpse is so vast that the temple authorities drag and leave the people with just seconds for them to pray to the lord. every corner in the temple you'll hear not the chanting of any sanskrit slokas but the temple authorities rendering their duties by pulling people shouting 'randi, randi '.
By the time one gets to the main part of the shrine his endurance would have been tested and the body would have taken so much that it would require a couple of days to recover. But the atmosphere in the temple makes it so special that you'll find the want to go again to brave the crows and the never ending queue. The 'queue' is the most prominent thing one will find in Tirupathi. Once set foot on Tirupathi one has to go through the queue to get the ticket to the darshan. This queue will be nothing less than what to expect at the temple. The next queue is the main one to visit the temple and that is sure to take hours to reach the culmination of divinity.
The long queues, enduring pull and push in the queue and sometime hostile environment, and finally the divinity makes this pilgrimage always a cherish able ones and leaves the person enthralled for more in the near future.

A unique role model... a different kind.

2008-06-03T21:04:00.003+05:30

Indian household to corporate boardrooms, a young one at home to a new recruit at office is always encouraged to have a role model on mind. or by far, try to emulate or excel than the role model.
A teen, at his best when posed to answer a question like the one, his mind would spontaneously flicker from a BollyWood superstar to a T20 cricketer, and these role models are bound to change with every box office hit and a IPL season, this uncertainty will sure remind any Science grad the 'sinusoidal' wave.
I shall refrain myself from the concept of pulsating sinusoidal current waves and get the attention back to the role model. For me, i have never had any role model whom i tried to emulate. I drew motivation from things around, very basic in nature; but with profound effect.
One such common substance; readily available in nature, present in more than one form, i am sure you would have guessed it right. Yes i am talking about 'water' .
Water, a simple substance, formed when two molecules of hydrogen combines with one molecule of oxygen to form H20. Being so simple in its form and structure, its properties are immense. Not to miss, its uses, does any one have a complete list ? . Animal kinds existence is standing on the very foundation of water.
Let me try to correlate some of the properties of water that any human who has the ability and art to appreciate smaller things that nature has to offer. Yes, i call this an art as not all mortals can appreciate these smaller elements in nature.
All those fun loving people will known when a dive into a water pool goes wrong, our body gets a hammering. Its all because of surface tension of water. It simply says, when we are united, its going to be a painful en devour to penetrate us. Again, if you dive with your fist clasped and pointed, then we would be able to penetrate the water, simply said, when approach is right, its easy going. Making an announcement - Dontcha mess with me .
We all would have played with throwing pebbles over water, where the pebble would take multiple hops before sinking to the bottom. In the same way, it would be so easy if we were able to do away with negative thoughts and later there would be no remnants of it left. This is the strength of cohesion and adhesion.
Doesn't 'water' justify why it is called the basic building block of life ...

It was a close shave rather than a hair cut.

2008-05-25T18:30:00.003+05:30

Today morning-I was stretching my body in front of the mirror after waking up from deep slumber and i noticed that i was at my shabbiest best. I decided to get the hair done so that it gives me a better look.
As i entered the living room, noticed that my dad was almost glued to the TV set. I went close putting on my glasses to get a clear view, then came to mind that it was the election poll result relay. Then without my knowledge, i too was standing there watching the proceedings shifting my eyes from one half of the TV to the other- dad had TV on in the the picture-in-picture mode.
After a little while i went out to get my hair done. For a change went to the best saloon in my locality, a jazzy saloon aptly named 'style n style'.
As i entered i noticed a familiar sight as from my home. All the so called hair stylists were glued to the TV as bystanders watch a cricket match on a road side electronics store. It didn't occur to me that it was a wrong time to surrender my head to the stylist. I was soon to realize that.
I had to get his attention to get my hair done. As he started to work on my hair, the TV telecasting a live relay of the polls result started showing a debate between a party spokespersons. This guy got very excited as a radio active element would get when bombarded with protons. He stared to vent his anger on his scissors and i was feeling the pain. I looked at him in a submissive way conveying ' annaaa, guruuu, methigeee' . But that didn't seem to pacify him. The work was almost done when listening to the debate this person started to murmur all the abusive words from the Kannada slang. The final nail was when he couldn't control his angst and burst out with a flurry ' nim ak***'. I looked at the mirror and thought the hair was good to carry on for a month. I thanked him and made my way out with having been close to a clean shave.

Why are we less research oriented ?

2008-05-07T17:24:00.002+05:30

Being put to a school where 'project work' was a day to day activity that was needed to have a better grades on the report card; it was always fun to play around doing these Social, Science and what ever project that was given to us. Project ranging from a working model of Hirakud dam to The Stonehenge. We did it all with the limited resource we could get for free. Then came my foray into Engineering where innovation and creativity met a sad demise. Projects were mostly downloaded from some open source repo, as investing time in doing was considered fruitless for the invigilators who assessed the projects never appreciated and the grades allotted used to be disappointing.
Today when i look back at those days when the innovation drive that was there amongst us friends, is no where to be seen now. The boys along with whom i created all those different projects at school are now just some robotic geeks working on some services projects to a customer in the west. The lust for creating newer things and the greed to succeed by coming out with innovative idea, is all history. Research is the last thing anyone wants to pursue. The area of work or interest, is always neglected with a reason that research is for the academia and not for mortals like us. Can't we indulge in some research projects, publish journals and file an IPR ?
The major reason for this indifference the education structure where free minds are never respected. College dropouts like Larry Page would never have been offered a job in a reputed company in India , reason, he's a dropout and his academic aggregate doesn't satisfy the criteria set by the HR. How insane is this situation where Engineers are produced like from a brick furnace. Engineering is never practiced. We have been made into a being where we passed our Engineering just by preparing for our examination. Luckily I didn't have any aid in terms of a model paper. Hoping the education systems goes for a revamp where research is given its due respect at the grass root level, hope to see India churning our more and more intellects with PhDs.

Rice says Indian consume more rice.

2008-05-07T16:52:00.003+05:30

UPA government was caught on the wrong foot when Rice made a statement saying that India and China are consuming more rice catapulting into a food crisis for US. Bush was not to be left behind; he followed suite pointing out that Indian middle class have accumulated so much wealth that they seek to buy more nutritious food resulting in a food crisis in US. Our strong ministers in power were swift to respond or to put it 'hit back'. But, the skeletons lie in our own cupboard. With spiraling food prices and surging inflation that is warning to put all our economy out of gear; the ministers who hit back at the US administration, was more a misnomer.
But the stark reality; that only we know, can be seen on the land of plenty. The middle class has to search through the price list to settle down a cheaper food to buy for the daily consumption; forget about nutritious food daily.
The Finance minister, who is capable of some logical and immaculate planning was already out with the plans to curb inflation. But his ensembles were not ready to bulge for some team play. They atypical of characters from the Indian soap, swayed away from the finance ministers plan. The rest of the ministers wanted to set a benchmark in their realm of power rather than coordinate to tame the trouble. The saying " too many cooks, spoils the broth" has got a new lease of life; thanks to our ministers.
To add to the mayhem, RBI is doing all it could do and ending up doing nothing to bring calm to the storm. Fiscal and goverment policy making bodies should not indulge in multitasking decision making. It doesn't sow the seed for a better future nor does it cut down the weeds.
Like the scene from the movie Lagaan, people was watching the sky in hope of the summer rains to bring respite to life.

IPL: Where is the loyalty?

2008-05-04T21:17:00.005+05:30

Indians by far and large, from pre-historic times to the present, have had and have the problem of deciding on a loyalty they stand for. In the past when the dynasties grew to the best possible state the loyalties changed hands and the supreme dynasties that were the home to many early civilizations of the world are today just part of the history books. Imaging how they different things would have been if the loyalties hadn't changed; the civilizations would have matured to such a level that the human race today would have been at a better place to what it is today.
In the present, an average Indian is lost in the maze of staying put and firm with a loyalty. A non Maharastrian who's serving the state , will be frightened to death whenever he see a ID card that displays "MNS". Does he have the liberty to show his loyalty to his soil to which he serves day in and day out. The situation is not just limited to Mahasrastra, the same hell like situation every non kannadiga have to go through whenever the "KRV" is up in arms.
To add to this ever increasing list of loyalties dilemma , our sporting cultural body, BCCI has thrown in a new surprise, "IPL"; what is this game all about ? there had never been a cricket club called Royal Challengers Bangalore, so where did Veeeejay start it? Veeejay is what the dear cheerleaders of RCB call the liquor baron and the RCB franchise owner Vijay.
India, a cricket frenzy nation, has to now decide to cheer for India or cities or the state .
Day one of the IPL; the stage was set, sure Veeejay was sure to deliver a punch that would let every single soul in the stadium intoxicated. But as the match started, the loyalties swayed from Kolkata to the hometown, from Dravid to Dada. but once these stars were back in the pavilion, the crowd has just one thing to watch out for . The Veeejay's ladies, Washington Redskins as they went about their business, they went on doing pom-pom.
Has the loyalty taken roots ? clearly; NO. We still love Sachin rocketing the ball over and out of the stadium, even when it is against the home team. With so many odds stacked against, will the IPL succeed in getting the loyalties working and churn out the much needed money.
As we today, seraph through Wikipedia to know the past , IPL would sure to become a page in Wiki. Or atypical to our Bollywood flicks, can the IPL get stronger, taller and smarter in the epang, opang, japand style. Need to wait for the second edition of the tournament.

Internet, is it just for urban dwellers ?

2008-03-23T21:17:00.001+05:30

The most acquainted essay topic for any school going kid would be definitely ‘Is technology a boon or a bane? ‘ . I fret over the situation when a little one would approach me and ask this question. My impromptu would be ‘bulls eye, technology is a boon’. I fret only if the child cuts me short and shoots back a simple question ‘why do then farmers keep committing suicides, can’t the modern day technology save their lives?’ I am sure; I would go cold as I don’t have a reason. Being a responsible citizen and an Engineer by profession, I can’t pass the burden of guilt to someone and wash my hands of it. The one thing that should hurt the Indian conscience is the continued suicides of farmers. Those who fill our granaries, find themselves in the spot of bother crop failure over failure.

In the modern era of technology, where internet is the corpuscles of life, the newspapers, the media, the magazines all are in the race to educate the city resident on things pertinent to urban dwellers. I want to draw attention; are there any comparable sources of information available to our farmers? Indian farmers rely on mostly informal and unreliable sources for information. Farmers are ignorant about the advancements the agriculture sector has achieved over the years. They are ignorant as to how to tap the market, appropriate crop practices, and list goes on. Farmers should be given a platform where they could have access to the mined data. Surveys conducted year after year, suggest just one aspect; ignorance and lack of sources of information. The hesitation of the private banks and the telephone companies to add a farmer as a customer, where the companies go scat free by violating the fundamental law of “Universal service obligation” is also a fact to worry.

Indian’s Bull Run continues, the number of Bollywood releases is also sky rocketing but the farming sector is in want of a blessing. Its high time for us to react, shouldn’t we play a role in providing our farmers with a level playing field?

CAT, IIT-JEE, PM-PD, CET.. The latest

2008-03-14T17:15:00.000+05:30

The world knows that the one of the toughest entrance test is the CAT. But the world doesn’t know the fact that city that houses one of the prestigious college IIM-B, a even more tougher entrance is being carried out.

It’s neither a university entrance nor any medical college entrance. It’s an entrance test being conducted by Shri Deve Gowda clan. What’s the prize? Tickets for the upcoming elections.

The questionnaire contains all but only questions related to the family matters of Shri Deve Gowda and nothing to do about the party or the state as a whole. Party workers are facing an uphill task to clear the toughest exam of their life; rumor mills are ringing with news that some of the famous and established couching institutes are coming up with programme for the JDS-entrance.

With this test in place, they have inadvertently given a boost to the latest television promotional ad of Tata tea. The ad that has won the compliments of the critiques and the advertising fraternity as a whole runs its ad with a tag line - ' subah utto nahin, jagoo re ' (don’t get up from sleep, but be awakened!). Sure the ad makes more sense now.

The elections are just around the corner, the battle lines are being drawn. Some more infrastructure woes to continue or will be forced by the centre to use this as a baton in the upcoming elections against the former government. With such smart politics being played in the state, how well the entrance exam is pave way for some smart politicians who can win the confidence of people and be active in the state politics as well.

A trip across Northen India.

2008-03-11T20:59:00.005+05:30

As we woke up to the commotion in our compartment, we realized that we had reached our first destination on a 10 day long trip across northern India. We, a bunch of six crazy heads were at Agra. We were caught on the wrong foot as the cold welcomed us. But the enthusiasm of the first day on our trip; just enveloped us in a warm feeling, as a magic the first sip of vodka does to our body.
We were too Bangalored that we simply accepted the hospitality that the Agra’ites had to offer, only later to realize that they had left a deep hole on our pockets. A first people management lesson learnt. The city that boasts of having the Wonder of the world, a symbol of beauty and love, in its backyard, the city is in shambles. Poor infrastructure coupled with lack of facility, leaves a shallow in spite of the magnificent beauty.
Next our journey took us to Mohali. If Agra cold was a trailer, the cold came back to test our resistance and kept reminding us ‘ abhi picture katam nahi hua mere bhai’ . Chandigarh holds a special place in our memory, it hosted the wedding of our friend. We had awesome fun, as a pack of loose heads we danced the night away.
As the time drew close to board a bus to the next place, on a serious note I have to raise a toast to the City Corporation and politics there for the place it is. Wide and cruising roads, spacious bus stands and even the local buses were welcoming. The –sandra,-palya, -nagara are a strict no no, areas are demarked as sectors, only need, remember the sector numbers .
We boarded a PunBus, the aptly christened, the Punjab Road Corporation services. The journey was to culminate at Amristar. As the journey took off on some smooth roads, the sight outside was even more pleasing. The mustard crops, the canals, the dhabas. I kept humming ‘chakna chakna’ all the way.
As we neared Amristar, the conductor made a beeline to us and slowly whispered, take a auto and reach for the community hall for your stay. We were glad we got a piece of gyaan and can make a descent stay at Amristar. As we jolted down from the bus, a swarm of rickshaw-wallas pounded on us. It took a while to spot our luggage as it was firmly strapped to the rickshaws across the rickshaw stand. But all this was erased from our memory at the first sight of the Golden Temple. I stood there, dumbstruck, spell bounded, amazed and a long list of adjectives cannot describe the freshness the temple had. I felt a spurge of godliness around me. Apart from the holy temples of Tirupathi and a temple back home, I had never felt the presence of God. Trying hard to describe the feeling, I can draw parallels with the desert soaking in the rain.
After the mesmerizing Golden temple, we moved on to the Wagah border. As we reached the spot, the border was more a fair than a border between two arch rivals.
Finally it was time for us to bid adieu to Punjab as we left for Himachal Pradesh. It was all guys troop at the famous honeymoon spot, Shimla. The trip had taken its toll on us, we opted to hit the bed to some peaceful sleep. As we reached Delhi, we had a train to board back home. The flock wanted to go shopping in Delhi and nothing more stuck to us. We managed to squeeze in some places before evening, one being the Lotus temple. Though it was more an architectural beauty than some religious place, the worship place was more made for the liking of me for the silence and the serenity, away from the bustling and crackling of Hindu temples. The last stop on our trip was to go all out to drain our pockets at the Karol bagh market. Phew ! the place was chaotic with shopping opportunities galore. We heaved a sigh of relief we weren’t accompanied by any of our lady friends. It would have sure been a roller coaster ride from one lane to the other.
Finally, after a 8 long days away from home, we were headed home by Rajdhani express. The journey was like having an ice cream in a cone. The first few bites and the last bite with the cone always taste the best.

Hindustan meri jaan

2008-03-05T19:50:00.001+05:30

I was at arms distance with the international border of India and Pakistan, precisely; at the Wagah border. I was so close to set foot on a foreign land without my passport being stamped, but, the amount of funfair the border is, I had to wait for the sun to set before I could inch closer to gate and sneak my vision into the far land of Pakistan. Staring at the grandeur gate, I tried to spot that one stark difference that stands out about Indians and Pakistanis. One thing that was quite evident on the other side of the border, all sexes wear the same Patiala pants.
As I hopped on to the auto rickshaw to get back to Amristar, my brains were working like that of an eagle to zero in on that one difference. Eureka! It stuck to me.
While I was seated on the Golden jubilee stand basking in the electric atmosphere that was around me with people shouting ’vande mataram’ from the deepest curves of their intestines, to the ladies dancing to the best of Bollywood music. I could see a stark contrast on the other side. A lone old man waving a Pakistan flag, like the cricket frenzy Pakistani chacha(uncle). The rest of the crowd; clearly we outnumbered them, were seated as if it was a mourning ceremony and not a retreat parade.
Though both countries embarked on a mission as independent countries some 60 years ago, you don’t need a microscope to clearly see what our past governments have achieved and what they have lost over the same time.
After the dark ages of India, post 1991 we have come a long way, both economically as well as socially. There are quite a number of loopholes where fingers can be pointed at, but, even gold mining leaves behind sludge. I’m sure we are on the formula 1 track. Only wish, the people on the helm of power, don’t miss the crucial turns to take the crucial lead in the race.
What is that stark naked differences that I have been chasing around this prose, I saw ladies dancing in joy at the border, what’s the state of women on the other side? They are still reeling under the rule of the radical Islamic groups where a rape is seen as a sin by the victim. The argument, the victim (read- sinner) spotted with unrelated men.
In our homeland, malls, supermarkets, hypermarkets, retail chains are sprouting like mushrooms after a torrential monsoon rains. On the contrary, our neighbors are craving for some cheap wheat which happens to be their staple diet.
We sing to the tune of ‘chak-de’ which has become the de-facto of a sports anthem, cricketers on the other side are caught up in a soup because their sporting calendar has been disturbed due to turmoil on their homeland. To reinstate how desperate Pakistani cricketers are, Younis Khan went on record to say, Pakistani crickets expected more pay in the forthcoming IPL. We surely are in a better place and it’s gonna get better with time.
I only wish, India regains its long lost title ‘ sone ki chidiyaa’( a golden bird ) .