LAKSHYA

Festival of lights!!

2011-10-04T16:03:00.001+05:30

Festival of lights!!, a photo by NChoudhary on Flickr.

Dedicated to my fav festival :)

one night in an oilfield

2011-09-07T16:39:00.001+05:30

one night in an oilfield, a photo by NChoudhary on Flickr.

Few of my clicks while on work. This was clicked somewhere in Saudi Arabia

Schlumberger

2011-08-22T21:57:00.001+05:30

Schlumberger, a set on Flickr.

Ramdhari Singh Dinkar

2011-08-04T23:30:00.003+05:30

Just in a random mood of Hindi poetry. Just reminded of these awesome lines by Dinkar. How truthful they are considering the current chaotic politics in this country!!

रे रोक युधिष्ठर को न यहां
जाने दे उसको स्वर्ग धीर
पर फ़िरा हमें गांडीव गदा
लौटा दे अर्जुन भीम वीर
कह दे शंकर से आज करें
वे पृलय नृत्य फ़िर एक बार
सारे भारत में गूंज उठे
हर हर बम का फ़िर महोच्चार।

humayun darwaza, old fort

2011-07-13T18:26:00.001+05:30

humayun darwaza, old fort, a photo by NChoudhary on Flickr.

few pictures of old fort. check out my flickr photostream for more pictures of old fort :)

Cannaught place with baoli

2011-07-12T15:02:00.001+05:30

Cannaught place with baoli, a photo by NChoudhary on Flickr.

Agrasen ki baoli. For more pictures check out my flickr photostream

Qutub landscape

2011-07-08T12:14:00.001+05:30

Qutub landscape, a photo by NChoudhary on Flickr.

up above the clouds!!

2011-07-08T12:10:00.001+05:30

up above the clouds!!, a photo by NChoudhary on Flickr.

View from the base of Qutub Minar. I am in love with this pic :)

India gate

2011-07-04T11:55:00.002+05:30

India gate, a photo by NChoudhary on Flickr.

Countless times I have tried to capture India gate. Guess after all the hard work finally I am able to do justice with this picture :)

Via Flickr:
The India Gate is the national monument of India. Situated in the heart of New Delhi, India Gate was designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens. It is composed of red sand stone and granite.

Stuck in Dubai

2009-06-24T09:23:00.003+05:30

I am back after exactly 7 weeks completing one complete hitch in Kuwait. I was introspecting now why I tool so many days to write the next blog .. may be because I was too busy or may be too tired n lazy to do anything after coming back from work. Whatever be the reason, these 7 weeks have been quite happening .. lets have a look ..
- have faced numerous sand storms .. I guess now they dont matter anymore
- 7 complete weeks without alcohol .. I guess the longest time since I started drinking
- Loved driving Land Cruiser .. although it sucks to maintain the speed below 50
- ...

While way back to India .. lost my mobile phone on the flight. Still waiting for official confirmation from emirates that I have lost it. I guess red wine after 7 long weeks did the trick. Still waiting .. will update!!

Kuwait

2009-05-11T20:53:00.002+05:30

After nearly 4 months I am finally back to work and assgned to Kuwait crew 3302. Had a happening incident already when was not allowed to board the flight due to some "OK to Board" status. However finally I have made it to the crew.

I would state am utterly disappointed with the desert. Was expecting big sand dunes but its gravel plain!! Was greeted by dust storm in the morning and once a few moments back as well. I cant feel any part of my body not covered with sand :)

The work starts tomorrow. Hopefully will be fun!!

Viva Ronaldo !!

2009-05-06T01:38:00.002+05:30

Rome .. here we come .. I am writing this blog while match still in progress. If their is no astonishing turnaround Manchetser United are heading to Rome with Barcelona or Chelsea expected.

Cristiano Ronaldo again proved today why he is the best player on the planet. After this scorching volley at porto, he once again sent home a bullet of a free kick and of a swift counter attack with Rooney. This season has been uneventful by his standards this season, still he is EPL top scorer and 25 goals to his name!! wow!!

In between, Darren Fletcher has received a red card, for a brilliant tackle, the referee has been disappointing. He has been one of the top performer this season and now he will miss the dream CL final at hime, What a pity!! Can we appeal a CL red card? Dunno!!

Will wait for the final outcome to post this .. 2 mins + injury time to go!!

Wooooha .. Gunners gunned down!!

Bhooka Naan ...

2009-04-29T09:30:00.002+05:30

Came across this link on Times of India website. I guess now with KKR performing so bad seems buchanan bashing wont stop either. Please read this

http://blogs.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Addictions/entry/why-kkr-coach-john-boka

God bats for India

2009-04-28T13:15:00.006+05:30

Truly said Cricket is the religion and Sachin is god. They way Sachin batted yesterday against Kolkata Knightriders, I guess all the speculations about he is past his prime have subsided. Media, Fans, Bloggers and everyone else even having slightest of interest in the game have been showering praises on him.

That majestic pull against Ishant for six, reminding of something similar against Andy Caddick in WC 2003 and the towering six of Mendis which went outside the stadium, making the mystery spinner forget all this tweaks and turns were pure vintage tendulkar, class apart.

Had read an article a few months back by Peter Rebouck on cricinfo, about how cricket will never be the same when he quits the game. Cricket is religion in India just because Tendulkar comes out to bat. There have been Dravids and Gangulys in Indian cricket but no one has been able to match the aura of the god. He is the man who unites this deeply divided country. When he is batting, no1 cares who is around, we are all Indians. At common places you can easily observe the difference in attendance when he is batting and he is out.

If you are a cricket fan I bet your ultimate desire is India winning the world cup with Tendulkar playing a majestic inning. When he retires there will be Dhonis, Sehwags and Yuvrajs but I doubt I have seen someone in this younger generation who can fill his boots. For fans like me, for whom cricket matters because Tendulkar playes this game, cricket will never be the same once he quits. I agree people will move on but the little master padding up and coming out to bat will be missed by all. The cricketing world will be overwhelmed when he quits and world will see a

farewell which no1 has ever seen.

I came across a very interesting post on Facebook, a collection of comments people have made about Sachin Tendulkar. I have copied it here for you guys.

PS: Offcourse this misses the legendary one form The Don himself "He bats like me"

@Hashim Amla:

"Nothing bad can happen to us if we're on a plane in India with Sachin
Tendulkar on it."
Hashim Amla, the South African batsman, reassures himself as he boards a
flight
------------------------------ ------------------------------ ----------------------------
@yaseer hameed:
"Sometimes you get so engrossed in watching batsmen like Rahul Dravid
and Sachin Tendulkar that you lose focus on your job."
------------------------------ ------------------------------ ----------------------------
"To Sachin, the man we all want to be"
- What Andrew Symonds wrote on an aussie t-shirt he autographed
specially for Sachin
------------------------------ ------------------------------ ----------------------------
Beneath the helmet, under that unruly curly hair, inside the cranium,
there is something we don't know, something beyond scientific measure.
Something that allows him to soar, to roam a territory of sport that, forget us,
even those who are gifted enough to play alongside him cannot even fathom.
When he goes out to bat, people switch on their TV sets and switch off their
lives "
BBC on Sachin
------------------------------ ------------------------------ -----------------------------
But the finest compliment must be that bookmakers would not fix the odds
or a game - until Tendulkar was out.
------------------------------ ------------------------------ -----------------------------
"Tuzhe pata hai tune kiska catch chhoda hai?" Wasim Akram to Abdul
Razzaq when the latter dropped Sachin's catch.
------------------------------ ------------------------------ ----------------------------
@Brian Charles Lara again
Sachin is a genius. I'm a mere mortal.
------------------------------ ------------------------------ ----------------------------
"We did not lose to a team called India...we lost to a man called
Sachin" -
Mark Taylor, during the test match in Chennai (1997)
------------------------------ ------------------------------ ---------------------------
@M. L. Jaisimha:
"The more I see of him the more confused I'm getting to which is his
best knock."
------------------------------ ------------------------------ ---------------------------
@McGrath:
"The joy he brings to the millions of his countrymen, the grace with
which he handles all the adulation and the expectations and his innate
humility - all make for a one-in-a-billion individual,"
------------------------------ ------------------------------ ---------------------------
@Wife Anjali:
"I can be hundred per cent sure that Sachin will not play for a minute
longer when he is not enjoying himself. He is still so eager to go out
there and play. He will play as long as he feels he can play,"
------------------------------ ------------------------------ ---------------------------
@ HAYDEN -
"I HAVE SEEN GOD, HE BATS AT NO.4 FOR INDIA"
------------------------------ ------------------------------ ---------------------------
"Even my father's name is Sachin Tendulkar."
Tendulkar's daughter, Sara, tells her class her father's name after the
teacher informs them of a restaurant of the same name in Mumbai
------------------------------ ------------------------------ ---------------------------
KUMBLE : I am fortunate that I've to bowl at him only in the nets!
------------------------------ ------------------------------ ---------------------------
@ Shahrukh Khan -
quoting Shahrukh from an interview

Que: Who do you think as most important celebrity ?
Shahrukh: There was a big party where stars from bollywood and cricket
were invited. Suddenly, there was a big noise, all wanted to see approaching
Amitabh Bachhan.
Then Sachin entered the hall and Amitabh was leading the queue to get a
grab of the GENIUS!!
------------------------------ ------------------------------ ----------------------------
@Navjot Singh Sidhu:
India me aap PrimeMinister ko ek Baar Katghare me khada kar sakte
hain..Par Sachin Tendulkar par Ungli nahi utha Sakte..
------------------------------ ------------------------------ ----------------------------
@waqar younis:
He can play that leg glance with a walking stick also .
------------------------------ ------------------------------ ----------------------------
A banner once said-' I WILL SEE GOD WHEN I DIE BUT TILL THEN I WILL SEE
SACHIN ' that quiet defines Sachin-The greatest.
------------------------------ ------------------------------ ----------------------------
Sachin Tendulkar has often reminded me of a veteran army colonel who has
many medals on his chest to show how he has conquered bowlers all over
the world -- Allan Donald
------------------------------ ------------------------------ ----------------------------
And i remember reading in one of Allan Donald's interview. This
interview was in Cricket Talk and 7-8 yrs ago.

I was bowling to Sachin and he hit me for two fours in a row. One from
point and the other in between point and gully. That was the last two balls of the over and
the over after that we (SA) took a wicket and during the group meeting i told Jonty (Rhodes)
to be alert and i know a way to pin Sachin. And i delivered the first ball of my next over
and it was a fuller length delevery outside offstump. And i shouted catch. To my
astonishment the ball was hit to the cover boundary. Such was the brilliance of Sachin. His
reflex time is the best i have ever seen. Its like 1/20th of a sec. To get his wicket better not
prepare. Atleast u wont regret if he hits you for boundaries.
------------------------------ ------------------------------ ------------------------------ ------------------
Peter Rebouck - aussie journalist:
On a train from Shimla to Delhi, there was a halt in one of the
stations. The train stopped by for few minutes as usual.
Sachin was nearing century, batting on 98. The passengers, railway
officials, everyone on the train waited for Sachin to complete the
century.
This Genius can stop time in India!!
------------------------------ ------------------------------ ------------------------------ -----------------
Andy Flower:
There are 2 kinds of batsmen in the world. One Sachin Tendulkar. Two all
the others.

Sports Review :)

2009-04-27T14:52:00.002+05:30

PFA Awards were declared yesterday and what a tribute to Ryan Giggs. The glittering career he has had, being the most successful player in English football, he truly deserves it. Although many people might argue that he should not have got that award for this seasons display, I think the impact he has had in important matches, most importantly completely outshining Lampard, Ballack and company at old trafford, he deserves it. If united win the two trophies this season to play for, I guess he will be in line to be awarded Knighthood. Sir Ryan Giggs .. sounds good !!

Had a look at the PFA team of the year as well and seems fine to me. Although I am bitterly disappointed with my favorite player "Wayne Rooney" missing out again in the list. Since last 3 years united have dominated the list, still rooney hasn't featured once. I agree Torres has been excellent and truly deserves it, while anelka was the leading goal scorer till last weekend, should be in the list for central strikers role. But rooney offers much more extra, a total team player which any coach in this world will like to have :)

Apart from it, I am religiously following FakeIPL blog and loving it. The guy is truly a genius and the nicknames are awesome. Still wondering who is Mangal Pandey thou in this latest post. Any clue about that?

IPL may not be generating the same TRP's as last year, still after a few rain interruptions and one sided affairs, the excitement is back. Recently almost every match has been close calls, down to last over of the second innings. Last year powerhouses like Rajasthan. Chandigarh and Chennai are struggling while Hyderabad and Delhi and rocking the table. I am betting on Chennai or Delhi, lets see how it goes!!

Last but not the last there is something amiss from this years formula 1. Traditional powerhouses like Ferrari, Mclaren and Renault are struggling badly and Brawn and RedBull are setting up the times. Common Ferrari, a win at Barcelona please!!

pain in the ass !!

2009-04-23T13:24:00.002+05:30

Facebook updates
Liverpool & Rafa Benitez .. second to only facebook updates
Ever increasing number of network invitations
Tactical breaks, DLF Maximum, Citi moment of success :P
My wait for the next assignment !!
Daily routine .. refer to my previous post

Childhood memoirs

2009-04-16T21:55:00.005+05:30

Just for fact, a saw a milkman feeding thums up to his pregnant cow give her relief. Can you imagine this thing happening say 15 years back? Not a chance !!

Was wondering how much the world has changed in last 24 years of my existence. There is a stark contrast between our childhood and one experienced by kids now a days. What people from our generation experienced, things that were integral part of our childhood are more or less left only in the back of our mind. I would like to list a few ...

Naagraj and Super Commando Dhruv .. am not sure they are as popular now a days!!
Watching "rukawat ke liye khed hai" on Doordarshan :)
Endless discussions on Tendulkar vs rest and who is the best !! Discussing that in every spare moment we got during school hours. I will be with Tendulkar any day!!
Byomkesh bakshi .. desi answer to Sherlock Holmes :P
Nirma jingle and "maan gaye deepika jee .. apki parkhi nazar n nirma super .. dono ko"
Collecting trump cards of wrestlers and cricketers from Big Fun / Boomer / Big Babool
Old telephone sets ... I dont remeber any specific term .. anyways U know what I am talking about .. and thinking cordless phones were so cool :)
Contessa on road used to make our day .. the coolest car ever :)
Street Hawk :) .. Wud miss anything to catch it on Sundays !!
Rangoli n Chitrahaar .. :D .. most awaited
Rotating those antennas to get proper signal for Doordarshan ... not in Patna, but for sure in Netarhat, in the jungles of Jharkhand
Lamberetta .. the scooter even we used to think antique :)

Still trying to remember a few more. Any more ideas?

democracy ka mahaparv :)

2009-04-13T10:05:00.003+05:30

What a time to be in Bihar. The election fever is rising as the dates are coming closer. The fun part is what you get to read in the local news papers. Politicians trying to woo voters with taunts on rivals. i would list a few of my favourites:

नरेन्द्र मोदी: कांग्रेस 125 वर्ष पुरानी बुढ़िया पार्टी है, जवान भाजपा को वोट दें|
प्रियंका गाँधी: क्या मैं, राहुल और सोनिया बूढे लगते हैं?
नरेन्द्र मोदी: आज से बुढ़िया नही गुडिया पार्टी बोलूँगा|

लालू: नीतिश को जेरो पे आउट कर दूँगा चुनाव में|
नीतिश: लालू ख़ुद जीरो है इसलिए हीरो (संजय दत्त) को लेके चुनाव प्रचार करते हैं|

Will come up with a few more soon. The point is what spicy things you get to read in regional hindi newspapers, you will never get in elite Times of India / HT.
Guys subscribe for a month and grab your copy now. :)

Uphill task on the cards !!

2009-04-08T13:24:00.003+05:30

I cant believe this is the same Manchester United defense which kept 11 consecutive clean sheets in the premier league. May be players were damn tired after the Aston Villa game. Whatever be the reasons but fact of the matter is we allowed Porto 2 away goals, so crucial in the champions league.
Sloppy defending and out of sorts midfield for major part of the match may cost us the trophy.

ManU now face an uphill task at Porto in a weeks time, and they have to do what no other teams has done before this season, beat Porto in Porto.

The ammunition at our disposal, Ronaldo, Rooney, Tevez, Giggs etc can turn the things around, but we will have to play like champions :)

We can do it, this is the philosophy of the club and fans believe in it.
Viva Ronaldo & Win at porto :)
cheers !!

back on top !!

2009-04-06T01:36:00.004+05:30

I am in wonderland and just thrilled how Macheda turned and fired home the last gasp equalizer to send Red Devils back on EPL summit. What an eventful weekend as EPL action resumed. Yesterday Liverpool scored in injury time and ManU returned favor today.

I thought we were in control when Ronaldo scored his first goal but all credit to Aston Villa to lead 2-1. What happened after 75 minutes was stuff of dreams. I was too bloody nervous thinking losing streak will be 3, the squad however showed grit, wtf if we had 6 7 first team players missing through injury and suspension. All thanks to Ronaldo and Macheda, two wonder goals out of no where, we are back on top. Thats the ManU spirit!!

Viva Ronaldo & ManU for EPL & Champions League :)

Liverpool and Chelsea, show us what you have got!!
Cheers !!

8 x 10 Tasveer

2009-04-04T09:53:00.003+05:30

13B, Aa Dekhen Zara n now 8 x 10 Tasveer !! Bollywood's tryst with time shifts continue ..

8 x 10 is Aa Dekhen Zara with real actors ..

and offcourse Akshay's mom is the killer !!

go for nano !!

2009-04-02T11:33:00.002+05:30

Finally nano is on display and I was lucky enough yesterday to had a detailed look at it. To me it seems to be an ideal city car, but for sure no way for highways. Test drives are not allowed as of now, so can't comment about engine performance but by looks its really cool.

Contrary to the size it has ample boot space. Smartly designed, no matter you are on driver / passenger seat, its way more comfortable than alto / zen / 800. I am 5' 11'' and I felt quite comfortable inside. But the boot space is small and you can hardly put in a laptop bag or a small suitcase.

But for indian roads, where traffic hardly moves above 50 in peak hours this is the car to go for :)

for what?

2009-04-01T20:22:00.002+05:30

Read newspaper today .. "Aishwarya Rai Bachhan" receives Padma Shri from President Pratibha Patil.

Since then I am trying to think for what? All because Samajwadi Party is supporting the UPA in the center? The Padma award are a mockery now !! After ministries, this is a new way to satisfy your alliance partners I guess.

Why should Aishwarya get it anyway apart for the reason of being Big B's bahu?

1. Remove a few Bhansali movies and with SRK, I can't even count a good movie of her .. is her contribution to Indian cinema that great? She is not that great an actress anyways!!

2. Brand ambassador in Hollywood .. common .. now way .. we have been reading quite a bit about her hollywood projects .. well I cant remeber of except 2 mins in Pink Panther 2. :)

3. For living her life to the fullest, having countless affairs and then marrying abhishek for bachhan surname? I guess this is the real reason.

I wonder what PR activity can do for u !! :D

what a pity!!

2009-03-30T02:56:00.000+05:30

AdSense on my blog is promoting Congress :(

To hell with the hand!!

Innocence lost !!

2009-03-30T01:52:00.005+05:30

Yesterday I came across this article on Times of India. The link is http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/IIT-classes-from-Std-VII-6-years-before-test/articleshow/4328947.cms

I am still wondering why the f**k do you need 6 years to prepare for JEE? When I was preparing for JEE, preparation from class 9 was rare, now its common. But from class 6 .. outrageous. Our education minister talks about a hell lot of things like quota / increasing the significance of school education, I would love to hear something from him on this issue.

I am thinking when this country will come out of the clutches of these greedy bastards who are killing innocence just to be rich. Can you imagine a class 6 / 7 student reading calculus n rotational motion? I was discussing with a few of my friends and we concluded may be a time will come soon "jab bachha maa ki kokh se nikale to papa bolen .. aaj FIITJEE ka test hai n kal Brilliant ka .. preparation start kar do" . One went overboard n said we should start preparing ourselves for our kids JEE.

Parents please think hundred time before killing ur child's bachpan!! They don't even know in the first place that they want to be engineer, forget about IIT. I first heard about IIT and JEE when my cousin cleared it, i was in class 7th. I came to know about the format of JEE etc when I had given my board exams and was mulling over what to do. I took maths just bcoz I hated Bio.

Think about the pressure now a days on children as well as on parents. For parents, one way or the other it has become a status symbol (I agree it was earlier as well, in our times, but the divide between IITian n non IITian was not this wide). I guess every1 will agree that most of us have heard a hundred time from out mom n dad .. how Mr. X's son / daugter is doing so good in academics and u r gud for nthin. Those endless comparisons, when u didn't even had a shot at the goal used to bug a lot. Sports / extra currics where taken as good for nothing stuff (this conception changed when I joined IITD, still the part of the country I belong to academics is the only thing you work on).

In these times I can simply pity on those innocent children. I will thank god that I was not born 10 - 15 years later!! This kind of sucking exercise will simply kill the creativity. I will request all parents to think on these few points before pushing ur sweet little kid on this mental torchure:

Do they need a coaching institute before Class 11?
Is starting for JEE before your class 10 board actually needed at all?
Every career counsellor is son of a b***ch, do you need their advice?
Do coaching institutes and schools prioritize on ur child or their revenues?
Stop doing what every1 else is going.
You are the best person to judge your child
Being an IITian is not end of the world!!
Don't compare your them with anyone else .. under pressure they are bound to crack
All decisions you take before the kid is mature enough, can make or break their lives
Do your homework first ..

Oooh .. that was 10 tips on good parenting!! Enough for the day!!

xoxo

UPA ki maa ka ..

2009-03-28T23:44:00.003+05:30

Was crossing the "Safdarjung Flyover" a few days back .. saw election poster from congress party. Can u beat this - 3 people standing in the poster, 1st for sure Sonia Gandhi followed by Rahul and then our poor PM Mr. Manmohan Singh. I felt ashamed, is this the country I am living in? This is absolutely mockery of democracy!! Our PM is just a pawn, nothing else. The ruling coalition's poster should have Mr. Singh first any day man!!

The UPA calls itself secular!! wtf !! are they really? who was behind the 1984 sikh riots? who is using extremists for their election campaign, they guy who issued Rs 25 crore fatwa for uncle sam? they can use any venom in their election speech and when Varun Gandhi speak .. inki g***d fat jati hai !!

kahe ka secular or kahe ka communal .. all i want is no hatred .. no terror .. Today I think twice whenever I go out to a crowded place, I feel scared whenever shweta is driving alone, I feel scared for my parents in Patna when people around know about my job. I can not take it anymore. I will vote!! I want to end this spineless government which can't ensure security. The best thing that has happened to Indian Cricket IPL is now shifted to SA, when I was planning to watch all Delhi matches. bullshit .. accept you guys have been failures enriching your coffers n forgetting about common man and there security. I wish a few MP's were at Taj n Trident.

Another thing is the new coalitions forming everyday. Heard Lalu, Mulayam n Ramvilas are against congress now. My viewpoint is this is just a propaganda to cut so called forward votes from the NDA. I am no racist and please don't think otherwise. But these guys are assured of the cast based votes because of their mass appeal. Congress has no existence in UP n Bihar, if it goes all alone it will cut even if by slight percentage, the votes of BJP n JDU. After elections, anyways they are going to combine. And I just pray Miss Mayawati / Lalu / Mulayam are not out next PM. Think about them representing India in UN Assembly at NYC

All I want is Narendra Modi to be our next PM!! anyone in?

Guys .. think what might happen if u don't vote .. do you want to live in the country where these guys are making mockery of democracy?

PS: Yaad aaya .. guys go and watch "Gulaal" to learn more about democracy. The best movie I have seen in recent times, by far!!

"Nothing" is possible

2009-03-28T23:21:00.002+05:30

I have never been so berozgaar!! People say nothing is impossible but I know its possible .. I am doing it since last November apart from a month when I was on training. All thanks (touch wood) to global financial crisis, although layoff may be still on the horizon!! Just have a look at my daily routine:

07 30: wake up n read newspapers

08 30: go upstairs, wake up shweta, have breakfast

09 00: drop her to office

10 00: come back and n think about today's agenda, check all my e-mail accounts and social networking sites, snoop into every1's profile, check for sports updates on soccer / cricket / F1 / tennis on skysports / espnstar .. literally checking all updates .. :)

12 30: meal, music on Bose dock ...

01 00: itunes n music files update

01 30: matinee movie time :D

04 30: check for updates on gmail/ FB/ orkut/ linkedin .. small nap after that

06 00: take bath, start for shweta's office

07 30: wait outside doing absoulutely nothing by the time she is free, when she comes out plan for the evening :D

08 00: meeting friends / shopping / dinner / saas bahu serials

11 30: think about what significant thing i did today ..

12 00: time to sleep

I bet, how many of you can do this. If this is not doing nothing what is it?

Rab ne bana di jodi

2008-12-30T11:53:00.002+05:30

Their is nothing ordinary about the extraordinary story of an ordinary jodi. Aditya Chopra should stop proclaiming that. Apart form Mr. Surender Sahni, I work for Punjab power .. lighting up your life their is nothing ordinary about this ordinary jodi.
Anushka Sharma looks good and the script sucks as much. The film is predictable from the start and apart from a few songs, Salim n Suleman disappoints.
This was not at all expected from someone who gave us Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge .. like Mohabbatein this sucks as well!!

I guess this movie was made by Adi to raise quick money, thinking obviously SRK and YashRaj Banner will attract crowds anyway. Is YashRaj in this much of deep shit and trying hard to make up for the losses by a string of shitty movies in last 2 years? :D

Please don't waste your money and time. May be YRF should start campaigning for donations form people ... rather than making movies ..

Rating: 2/5

Paranthe wali gali

2008-12-30T11:45:00.001+05:30

Ever heard of the famous "Paranthe Wali Gali" at chandani chowk? I m sure the answer is yes. Last Saturday I went to explore the much famous paranthes, you can think of the fact how much of an effort I can make for good food. My last visit down their, may be more than 2 years back, had turned out not be a pleasant one. I had matar paratha with hardly a trace of matar in it, on top of it they were fried.

This time then I went there determined to come out of my confort zone of Aloo, Gobhi n Matar paratha and try something new. I ordered Papad and Matar paratha and had to wait for around 15 mins due to a long queue of foreigners out there. However wait was worth it. Although some people may not like the fired paratha, I found the two flavours heavenly. The "Kele ki chutney" served in the plate was awesome and "Kohda" and "Aloo Gobhi" were decent. I will recommend one of the two paratha for sure whenever you are next in chandani chowk.

The thing that won my heart was "Special malai wali lassi" served in a "Kulhad". Without a doubt this was the best lassi I ever had and for sure will go to that shop whenever I visit chandani chowk. If you opt to have it, please do not forget to scratch the malai out of the kulhad walls with a spoon, worth it take my word.

And all that fun at damn cheap price .. I spent a total of 100 bucks on all of that .. :D

Ratings

Paratha: 3.5/5
Lassi: 5/5

Karim's Jama Masjid .. simply superb

2008-12-16T22:28:00.004+05:30

A long cherished desire was about to be fulfilled and i was anxious will it be up to what i had heard about. We took a rickshaw from Chandni Chowk and through the extremely crowded roads of walled city .. trust me an experiance in itself .. we finally reached gate no 1 of jama masjid. After a few enquiries we finally reached legendary Karim's Jama Masjid which is accesible only through a cramped lane. On the first look i looked to me as just another dhaba, kinda which i frequently see around railway stations in patna. I just thought wtf .. why is it that famous.

However once inside i forgot all that shit. The walls are decorated with newspaper coverages dated long back having recommendations from food critiques and their reviews. Their were a handful of foreigners enjoying authentic Mughlai cuisine. I had a look at the menu and the first thought came into my mind was "what the hell .... damn cheap!!"

Anyway it was snacks time, we ordered chicken tikka, tandoori chicken and mutton barra. Trust me .. forget KFC .. this was finger licking good. I cant describe mutton barra in words, tandoori chicken was without spice and damn good which chicken tikka is always evergreen anyway. We got some mutton biryani packed which I am having right now even after a tank full of food, and even this is as good as others. However the best thing was "Kheer" served in earthen pots, the best one I ever had in my life. Got a few pots packed as well. :)

I am an out n out foodie, i dont give a shit to ambience and little to serive quality. All that matters is the taste on my tongue. On that parameters if i would rate Karim's I ll give them 4 out of 5 .. and a 5/5 specially for kheer. If u like even a tiny bit of sugar, this is a must have whenever you got to a Karim's. Do go their and have a nice time. I agree its a pain in the ass to reach thr but trust me it will be worth it. And if u need any navigation help .. u can reach me anytime. :D

Year diary 2008!!

2008-12-11T11:58:00.002+05:30

Its been almost a year i have posted. Not bcoz of an uneventful year, but because of sheer laziness. To be precise i can assume 2008 to be the most eventful years of my life. Lets have a close look:

Convocation .. finally passed out of IIT with dual degree :)
Got to see 2 out of 7 wonders of the world .. The Taj Mahal and The Pyramids .. Now i realise why the are truly the wonders of the world. planning to visit a few of rest 5 next year.
Awestruck in Dubai .. be it the structures namely Burj Dubai and Burj al Arab .. Ski Dubai .. awesome roads .. AC bus stops .. road signs in malyalam. I ll recommend everyone to go there for a week atleast.
Nile crusie in Cairo .. in the night its awesome ..
Joined Schlumberger WesternGeco .. sitting idle now after crude price shock ..
Enjoying the multicultural life at work place
Started eating beef
Enjoying different cuisines in the crew .. south african, egyptian, thai to name a few ..
Business class travel on emirates .. upgraded for Dubai - New Delhi
Tried quite a few beers, spirits and wines .. Poika (Irish banned drink .. got hit by a 30 ml peg when belive me i can drink a few) Hoogarden, Stella, Becks, Budwiser, Luxor, Shakara (Beer) JD, Chivas (12y & 18y), Johhny Walker (Black, Red and Green), Jameson, Black Dog (Whiskey), Baileys, Wines form France, Romania, Egypt and India .. well right now i can remember this much .. can bet thr are atleast 15 more .. :D
Eid celebrations, Karaoke, Wii at the crew ...

Well i guess this much is gud enough for 2008 to be an eventful year. Looking forward to make 2009 better.

XOXO

saare zamin pe

2008-01-28T10:56:00.000+05:30

well the title inspired by the great movie reflects the condition of indian investors as of now. The way the market is volatile this indeed is true.
now coming back to the movie .. i would say after a long long time i have seen a movie which awakens your thought. i think everyone especially teachers and parents will think about children in a different matter from now on!!
this makes me think one thing .. in 21st century .. how much capacity bollywood has to change our thoughts? I remember how much our anti reservation stir was inspired by Rang De Basanti. And this time limiting to myself i think Lakshya gave me a new direction to think.
However in our typical masala bollywood stuff always the protaginist comes above the law and uses his judgement to decide a guilty and take necessary action. With whistling from all corners of the hall the question to be asked is will this in any case make us a law abiding citizen? just think about it!!

secondly i would like to comment of the Bharat Ratna controversy. In my perception the person who deserve the highest civilian honour are Sachin Tendulkar and Ratan Tata. When he bats .. irrespective of his form .. people watch . without thinking which cast or creed the other person belongs to. He has made cricket a religion in this country. And Ratan Tata just for "nano - made in, by & for India"

call of the tour ..

2008-01-07T11:53:00.000+05:30

aussies suck!! no sportsman spirit. first when u know u r out .. u wont walk ..
second .. ask glenn mcgrath n steve waugh .. wtf they were doing .. was in not sledging??

Bucknor .. the sucker ..

2008-01-05T13:26:00.000+05:30

somebody go and advise him to take retirement. We would have most probably won the sydney test. Even today .. look what he did on clark's dismissal!! How come he is in ICC elite panes is the question to be asked!!

what a year it was ...

2008-01-02T13:51:00.000+05:30

2007 ... the most happening year for me ..
recalling some of the incidents which affected me ..

India crashing out of the ICC Cricket World Cup in march .. was sad like anything
2. India winning the T20 world cup .. watching the roller coaster final @ New Friends colony .. celebrating Indian win with slogans like "India ghode pe, Pakistan l***e pe"
Lucky me .. job offer from Schlumberger
Stone falling on my head while coming back from Bhawan complex .. vaishno devi trip
Cleared GATE
Nil House Day dance ... performance by 2007 pass outs followed by nilbulls
New levels of general awareness after UPSC preparation
Manchester United in rocking form .. win EPL after a gap of 3 years
Kimi Raikkonen wining the F1 drivers championship .. beware .. red horses are back!!
Narendra Modi wins Gujrat Elections .. yipee
Met a rickshaw wala .. double MA!!
Still struggling with my LAKSHYA!!

N imagine how 2008 starts ..
Jan 1 .. Video ipod ... what a way to kick of the new campaign

Some comments .. from other websites ..

2007-12-24T12:04:00.000+05:30

1.
Why you commit be it terrorism, be it luring the girl of other communities or any heinous crime the world can never think eve, the all is as per Allah. We Indian do not require your madrasa teaching, as average Indians do not study fundamentalism teaching from Islamic jokers.

Can anyone tell a place in the world, where Muslims lives and the place is peaceful.

Modi is person who challenged and retaliated to Islamic criminals like you and Gujarati the patriots, their history is very bright have supported Modi. India requires PM like Modi to save our future generations and Islam also.

Yes, Govt should allow these Islamic criminals to prosper further so that they can plan for new crime.

What a criminal mentality. Without local Islamic support no crime is possible. Godhra was highly pre-planned, supported by almost entire community. In how many occasion you criminals have challenged the Mullah, Maulvi etc. asked to close down Madrasas, behaved like human, asked to stop the Haz subsidy the tax payers money, discarded personal law replace by uniform civil law etc. etc.

You people are enjoying and destroying the resource of the country as well as the rights of real minorities. Muslims are not minorities as per any definition of the civilized world.

Modi is a terrorist can only be the invention of Islamic criminals

You have raised the word HINDU, do you know about your ancestors.

2.
Three cheers for Narendra Modi.. The first one for showing Sonia Gandhi and her son their right place... second cheer is for winning on "Development" plank... third cheer for winning against all odds including that of hostile media.. I think it is time now for all the politicians, Muslim community and the media to stop crying or barking at Modi for his alleged role in 2002 riot. Instead they should appreciate his riot free tenure and offer constructive criticisms. Now regading the comments of Sonia Gandhi on Merchants of Death, has she forgotten that death toll of our Sikh brethern when Indira Gandhi was killed. Has she forgotten the hundreds of Pandits in Kashmir killed by Muslim terrorists in the last so many years. What happened to poor victims in Assam killed by ULFA which was initially patronized by Congress. Unless the Congress is eliminated from the Indian political scene, the dirty politics will continue to bother Indian democracy. And what is surprising is that not a single congress leader was seen in any of the TV channels yesterday. Jayanthi Natarajan, supposed to be from my State, Tamil Nadu where not even her own party men know was present in "Aajtak" for five minutes and then ran away. Perhaps they have no explanation to offer how Modi overcame all the odds.

Top Gun ... Maverick Modi

2007-12-24T11:32:00.000+05:30

The verdict is out and people have already started Mr. Modi's national ambitions. The so called secular congress still thinks it has won morally. Still making 2002 riots as election issue, the congress still is trying to split hair. Just look at the way they are protecting Jagdish Tytler and other 1984 riot accuse make the picture clear how communal is secular congress.

I don't think this party has any any relevance now. Its a national shame that they are in power. However this can be attributed to their sustained effort to keep large rural population uneducated. It has always been playing minority politics with soaps and soaps for minority community and backward castes. The core point is where will the 70% of Hindus forming the majority are? They are divided and not aggressive .. result congress in power. And i think what Mr. Modi is doing is consolidating in majority politics .. and then making development an issue. He is first Gujarat CM to ensure riot free elections in his term. Imagine the way Gujarat is growing ... highest growth rate in India. Only this development work has made him overcome huge anti incumbency. This election he has not won because of polarization .. but because of work he has done in the last 5 years. Ensuring Narmada waters in villages, electricity and employment and corruption free Gujarat he is now an icon for other politicians.

I would also like to share some perceptions i have about Mr. Modi
1. Modi is not anti muslim but he is against those who are anti India. dont mix religion with terror. And the congress party which has soft corner for one Mr. Afjal of parliament attack fame, awarded death penalty by SC, (still not executed) has no right to remain in power. They have played very badly the Maut ke Saudaagar card!!
2. Safety of Muslims: they have been more secure under Modi. after godhra can you site any one incident where muslims have been targeted.
3. Muslims are prospering in Gujrat more than any other state. I belong to Bihar and the so called Muslim - Yadav leader Mr. Lalu comment on their condition in the state?

I read today on rediff. com "Modi has never visited the dargah. It is a stone's throw away from the BJP office but he has never bothered to come. He abhors Muslims. He does not want to be seen in our company." Well i would like to ask my Muslim brothers that how many of you visit temples? i haven't seen any.

Mr. modi is a new breed of nationalist .. with integrity and aggression. And the simple point is he is not accommodating. He is autocratic but he delivers. So congress men please shut up!!

what a finnish ...

2007-10-23T17:00:00.000+05:30

The best season ever for formula 1. As far as i can recall never have been a title 2 way .. with the great Michael Schumacher dominating the circuit like anything. The Brazilian Grand Prix was an eye candy .. and the way The flying finn and Felipe Massa drove those two Italian Horses ....Ferrari is back after two lull seasons ..

Pity Alonso and Hamilton .. Both were happy that their team mates didn't won the drivers title .. U two let McLaren down .. no doubt on that part. On the other side .. what a team mate mass has been .. letting the iceman pass him in the last two races .. ideal team layer ..

yipee ... red horses are back .. beware Renault and McLaren!!

back again!!

2007-05-30T00:41:00.000+05:30

Its been exactly a month after i am back on blogger. as i had mentioned in the earlier posts that the mood to write a blog becomes irresistible during exams, and after that the drives just vanishes. Since 9th my exams are over, i have watched at least 4 seasons of friends, some other soap operas and revised quite a handful of movies. but .. no blogs!!

First i should mention some of the things that have occurred first time in my life. I managed my highest over SGPA, to add to that in my toughest semester. Also as a shock i walked away with my answer script after computer networks paper, even i cant believe it!! I got my first A grade in IIT. Many more .. this is not the best platform to mention them.

Coaching for civil services exam begins this friday. enjoying the last few days to the fullest before the toughest year begins!!

Ooooh Aaaaah Australia!!

2007-04-29T05:49:00.000+05:30

Wat should i write about the australian team. The way they have dominated the world cricket in last 9 10 years has been amazing!! Look at their world cup record in last 4 editions. .. 4 finals ... 3 wins ... 29 match winning streak!! Simply amazing!!!

The way they have won the world cup this time has turned me in their fan list. It has been a long long time i have supported virtually all the underdogs ... supporting every team to win against aussies. Still quite a few have a happy ending!! So from now on ... Ooooh Aaaaah Australia!!

Hats of to them again!! and bbye to Glenn McGrath (i have wanted all the batsmen to have a go at him, again quite a few succeed) and Brian Lara (whom i regard as the best test batsman i have ever seen).

back again

2007-04-23T15:18:00.000+05:30

Finally i am back ... after a long long time. quite a lot has happened in these 25 odd days although this has been quite a tough week in terms of work load.

To start with the shocking news that KLS (IIT night canteen) will discontinue its operation inside the campus from may 15th. Considering the fact by the time a new tender will be floated and awarded by IIT authority will take at least two months, its gonna be a major problem during summer vacation. Need to hunt for an alternative!!

A boring electrical engineering farewell. All but 3 profs absent. DJ equipments dont working when the crowd gets in the mood!!

My introduction to theatre. Watched "City of Djinns" based on a novel by William Darlymple of the same name and starring Tom Alter and Zora Sehgal. What a play!! Have decided to watch theatre plays whenever get a chance.

Nilgiri houseday. For the first time in 4 years "Warden ne chul nahi machayee". Junta dances to the tunes of makeshift DJ till 11 30. Best House Day ever!! "Kheench" reminded us of the four glorious years at nilgiri, sharing our spoofs and "ch******ps" with juniors.

Last but not the least "A cockroach" found in Rajma at Sip-n-Bite. Complaint lodged. Planning to move to consumer court.

Now tell we can 25 odd days can be more happening than this!!

dunno where this country is heading!!

2007-04-02T15:18:00.000+05:30

Yesterday i met a rickshaw wala ... after he dropped me to my destination he put forward something which really made my eyes wet. The most disheartning fact was he was a rickshaw wala even after being double MA in History and Political Science. I can accept the argument that he might not be an MA from a decent university. Still a degree is a degree afterall. Its a real shame for us and the government, when the economy is booming we dont have jobs for the educated youth. Forget those who arent graduates.

My friend took his contact detail and promised him for help. His bid us bbye and never forgot to wish "Good Night" before leaving.

I thank god for giving me everything i needed to be what i am now. I have decided from now on i wont be thinking for a second what i lack. I dont intend to say that the pursuit of happiness should end but u should also be very much satisfied for what u have achieved till date.

shame shame india

2007-03-24T01:30:00.000+05:30

What a shitty performance ...
once Ricky Ponting had said in an interview .. "India is a team which can never win a world cup"
I do agree now .. no world cup matches
better luck in 2011!!!

Bob Woolmer is dead!!

2007-03-19T00:04:00.000+05:30

Well what a loss!! The man who along with Hansie Cronje transformed the south african cricket and introduced the concept of fielding in international cricket is dead.
May he rest in peace. Hats off to Pakistani Cricket and their internal poltu .. they didnt changed under his regime!!

Water is solid

2007-03-18T14:24:00.000+05:30

Nice movie ... worth watching once for sure ...
Theme is good ... and so is the star cast. Lisa Ray finally seems to have got some acting talent after her debacle in bollywood. While watching Seema Viswas act was a treat. Gives a feeling how many underrated an actor she is. John is so so .. seems to have same expression all the time.
But the heart and soul of the movie is "Chuhiya". What a performance by an 8 year old!! The way she has played a eight year old widow ... and her innocent questions about the society and traditions keep rocking the theater.
Went in thinking a heavy movie by content but was quite wrong. Chuhiya steels the show. If u havent seen in .. time to get ut tickets right now. Do expect a few wet eyes and a silent theater by the way.

Have a shot ... Intelligence Quotient

2007-03-18T10:54:00.000+05:30

Whats the similarity ... or say common link between these ..

Sony Ericson Walkman Phone
Euro coins
Four course meal at Pizza Hut
Nishabd
Water
"Hisaab"
Rickshaw and the barking dog
Thrashed Nokia 3315 (at least ten times)
Tata Indicom handwash
GTalk
Kajal

chakra gaye ... try kariye ..

Net Curbs at IITB

2007-03-13T16:53:00.000+05:30

How many times in your school days you have written an essay on "Science & Technology: Boon or Curse?". Even not only in school, we see so many articles touching this topic in news papers and magazines.

Today i went thru the news that Internet Access in all IITB hostels, saying addiction to surfing, gaming and blogging was affecting students academic performance, making them reclusive and even suicidal. So its stands barred for a whole 12 hours!! Strange but true. How many of you will agree with me that in most of the cases of decline in academic performances, net facility has been a major factor, and this is true across i think all IIT's. We waste quite a lot of time on orkut and other similar sites. People have been so busy playing computer games that they don't have time for physical activities. People want to acquire skills of driving in a virtual circuits or killing villagers using eagle warriors, over other outdoor games.

It's an open debate which can never be convincing for the discussion to settle. But i think this is a positive move by the IITB administration so that people start socializing again. Hell not on orkut but in the real world. What's your say?

Some More

2007-03-08T21:07:00.000+05:30

Some more gems!!
Try to figure out the meaning yourself!!

जो लगी समंद में, धुआं ना पर्गत होये
सो जने जो जर्मुआ, जाकी लगी होये

ऐसी वाणी बोलिये, मुं का आप खोये
अपना तन शीतल करे, औरन को सुख होये

बड़ा हुआ तो क्या हुआ, जैसे पेड खजूर
पंथी को छाया नहीं, फल लागे अतिदूर

बुरा जो देखन मैं चला, बुरा ना मिल्या कोये
जो मन खोजा अपना, तो मुझसे बुरा ना कोये

चिन्ता ऎसी डाकिनी, कट कलेजा खाये
वैद बिचारा क्या करे, कहां तक दवा लगाए

धीरे धीरे रे मन, धीरे सुब कुत्च होये
माली सींचे सो घर, रितु आये फल होये

दुःख में सिमरन सब करे, सुख में करे ना कोये
जो सुख में सिमरन करे, तौ दुःख कहे को होये

जब तुन आया जगत में, लोग हँसे तू रोये
ऐसे करनी ना करी, पचे हँसे सब कोये

कंकर पाथर जोड़ के, मस्जिद लिया बनाय
तन चढ़ मुल्ला बांग दे, क्या बहरा हुआ खुदेय

मंगन मरण समान है, ना मांगे कभी भीख
मंगन से मरना भला, येह सतगुरु की सीख

Rahim and Kabir ke Dohe

2007-03-08T20:38:00.000+05:30

Some rare gems.

रहिमन धागा प्रेम का, मत तोड़ो चटकाय
टूट से फिर ना जुडे, जुडे गाँठ पद जाये

Don't allow the delicate thread of love (between individuals) to snap. Once it snaps, it cannot be rejoined and if you do rejoin it, there is a knot in it.

रहिमन बदन को देख के, लघु ना दीजे दार
जहाँ काम आये सुई, क्या करे तलवार

When you are introduced to an important/rich person, do not ignore or forget your poor friends. For if, for example, you need a needle to successfully complete a job, of what use is a sword!

खीर सर ते कात्ये, मलियत लॉन लगये
रहिमन करुए मुख को चाहियत ईही सजाये

To cure a bitter cucumber,we cut its head off and rub in salt. To cure a bitter mouth we should apply the same remedy

जे रहीम उत्तम प्रकृति, का करीत सकत कुसंग
चन्दन वीष व्यापत नही, लिपटे रहत भुजुंग

How will evil corrupt, he who has an excellent character? After all does the sandalwood become poisonous by having snakes lie around its trunk?

कही रहीम सम्पति सगे, बनत बहु बहु रीत
बिपति कसोती जे कसे, ते ही सांचे मीत

People will find many many ways to be related to fortune. But only he is a true friend, who stands by you in misfortune

रहीम वे नर मर चुके, जे कहू मंगन ची
उन्ते पहेल वे मुई, जिन मुख निकसत नही

He who has to beg is no longer a man। But those who refuse were never men to begin with.

मीठा सब से बोलिए, फैले सुख चहुँ ओरे!
वाशिकर्ण है मंत्र येही, ताज दे वचन कठोर !!

Meaning we should speak sweet (politely) to every one। This mantra is called washikaran because it overpowers others so give up harsh words!!Easier said than done but the truth remains that politeness always wins।

Nishabd

2007-03-03T11:59:00.000+05:30

What's worse than watching a movie, spending 3 hours when you have seen the same story a few days back in flat 30 minutes in another one? The punchline is "Nishabd is sad". As far as the story goes more or less its the Anil Kapoor's story of "Salaam-e-ishq". Kudos to Tushar for making us watch that movie, although all of us fully aware of what to expect!!

Talking about the movie, i must mention Amitabh Bachhan is strong and Jiah Khan suits the role well. The story is new but what really sux is the script. Its boring with same soundtrack playing every five minutes its too irritating. Now something to cheer about. Thanx to the cameraman and the costume designer, you have some eye candy for sure. And if you keep imagining what Mandal is doing right now u ll do just fine.

So better avoid it .. if not possible just "Take Light"

Memoirs from the past ...

2007-03-01T14:34:00.000+05:30

In this fast track life when i look back at my past, there are quite a few things to be remembered whole of my life. I can bet thats its true for each n everyone out there. For example me learning riding a bicycle is a tale in itself. similarly be it mischiefs in the classrooms, fighting with my little bro anywhere anytime, my passion for cricket (It exists even today but the level has gone down considerably), Pete Sampras was one of the favourite (to a level that i m not able to accept the fact that Roger Federer can emulate Sampras ), my problems when the hostel life started, Four beautiful years spent at Netarhat, all are things i will cherish whole of my life.

Some of my interests have died (reading sports magazines, watching hell lot of bollywood stuff), some have continued (cricket and tennis worth mentioning) and some are newly acquired (F1, soccer, Novels, Blogs :D). But one of my interest that has really died, and believe me i rue a lot is my love for Hindi Literature. Thanx to blogging I came across many blogs writing about Hindi Classics made me think about it. Till i was in 10th i was quite an avid reader of Hindi novels and poetry. After that 3 years thanx to JEE i completely lost track on them. After coming to IIT it has been English all the way.

One thing worth mentioning is that I haven't anyone of the IIT junta interested in Hindi although the literature is as good as English. Agree that English is way more important for career aspects, do we not appreciate and read classics of our mother tongue too? Way back in class 5 i first read a Hindi Poetry book, thanx to my grandpa. It was Jayashankar Prasad's "Leher". Since then i read many timeless classics be it Ramdhari Singh Dinker's "Rashmi Rathi" or "Hunkaar", Harivanshrai Bachhan's "Madhushala" (all poetry), Many classics of Premchand like Godaan, "Sevasadan" or "Mansarovar" all parts. But my favourite that time were Sharatchandra's classics like "Parineeta", "Charitraheen", "Choti Bahu" etc.

Those days are gone. Now nor i don't get time neither i have access to these books. So i have decided that i ll try to rekindle my love for Hindi.To start with I am posting one of my favourite poems "Jo beet gayi so baat gayi" by Harivanshrai Bachhan. He wrote this poem to move on in his life after his wife's death. Go through the poem and see if you can appreciate the lyrics. Contact if you don't understand any word.

Jo Beet gayi, so baat Gayi

Jeevan Main Ek Sitara Tha

Maana Vah Behad Pyara Tha
Vah Doob Gaya To Doob Gaya
Ambar Kay Aanan Ko Dekho
Kitne Iskay Taare Toote
Kitne Iskay Pyare Choote
Jo Choot Gaye Fir Kahan Mile
Par Bolo Toote Taaron Par

Kab Ambar Shok Manata Hai

Jo Beet Gayi So Baat Gayi

Jeevan Main Vah Tha Ek Kusum
They Us Par Nitya Nichavar Tum
Vah Sookh Gaya To Sookh Gaya
Madhuvan Ki Chaati Ko Dekho
Sookhi Kitni Iski Kaliyan
Murjhaayi Kitni ballriyan
Jo Murjhayi Woh Fir Kahan Khili
Par Bolo Sookhe Phoolon Par
Kab Madhuban Shor Machata hai

Jo Beet Gayi So Bat Gayi

Jeevan Main Madhu Ka Pyala Tha
Tumnay Tan Man De Daala Tha
Wah Toot Gaya To Toot Gaya
Madiralya Kay Aangan Ko Dekho
Kitne Pyale Hil Jaate Hain
Gir Mitti Main Mil Jaate Hain
Jo Girte Hain Kab Uthte Hain
Par Bolo Toote Pyalo Par
Kab Madiralaya Pachtata Hai

Jo Beet Gayi So Baat Gayi

Mridu mitti ke hain bane huye
Madhu ghat phoota hi kartein hain
Laghu jeewan leke aaye hain
Pyale toota hi karte hain
Phir bhi madiralay ke andar
Madhu ke ghat madhu ke pyale hain
Jo madakta ke mare hain
Woh madhu loota hi karte hain
Woh kachcha peene wala hai
Jiski mamta ghat pyalon par
Jo sachche madhu se jala hua
Kab rota hai chillata hai

Jo beet gayi so baat gayi

Vella ...

2007-02-26T21:59:00.000+05:30

Just have a look at my previous two posts and no points for guessing how busy i am right now. Its one of the times when u really don't know what to do. I was visiting other blogs, got links for Visual DNA and Cyborg (thanx anjul!!) and wasted no time in posting on mine too :D.

Right now i am struggling with what to do. I can watch a movie as my comp has a bug, no one knows why!! The sound goes off after u start watching a movie or play an audio file after sometime. So all excitement goes off. I have assignments but i don't wanna do it now as i hate coding. And as always i don't wanna study in any case.

A few minutes back i watched "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind." Even thou i was fighting a war with my comp, it was worth. What a beautiful movie. One of the best i have ever seen. I agree most of you have already seen it, if not its time.

Dunno what to do. Vella hoon main ........

I am what I am

2007-02-26T21:39:00.000+05:30

My DNA

2007-02-26T21:29:00.001+05:30

Read my VisualDNA™ Get your own VisualDNA™

U gotta see this!!

2007-02-23T21:42:00.000+05:30

well guys check this out ..
Daddu ki Amanat

Feedback compulsory

The new two rupee coin!!

2007-02-17T15:52:00.000+05:30

I was reading The Hindustan Times a few days back when I came through a news about the new two rupee coins issued by RBI. It claimed that the new coins were creating trouble for the blind. People were not able to figure out the denomination of the coin. For people who haven't got a chance to see that coin can see the two sides in this pic. Its made of stainless steel instead of nickel.

Well thats not the real reason for me to touch this topic in my post. This news reminded me one of an experience with my friend involving the new coin. I got this coin from a Delhi metro ticket counter and i incidentally showed it to my friends. As my brain generates crap 24 X 7 i told her that its a two euro coin. She kind of believed it and asked me very innocently .. then why "INDIA" appears on the coin? I replied "bcoz its available in India". She was as happy to see the coin in her hand as an infant seeing her mother. Then the obvious question came "main yeh coin rakh loon?" I immediately obliged.

After reading the newspaper i wasn't able to control my laughter. A thought came into my mind was that if people having vision can get confused god save the blind. Later on i went on to told her that it wasn't a Euro, upto you to imagine the scene after that. But this incident will always remain in my memoirs, thats for sure.

PS- Believe it or not this is a 100% true story, no fiction. Its upto intelligent readers to think and figure out who the other character of this story is!!

minor-o-mania

2007-02-16T13:47:00.000+05:30

This is the high time for IITD students!! this is one of the rarest times when u see them serious. but this is also high time to show their creativity and extra curricular talents too.

Adrenaline rushes through my veins when so called "junta" starts counting for minors. i can bet this is true for most of the guys over here. Your desire to play gully cricket increases exponentially and it is at its peak during the minors. Even after strict instructions from our warden, not to play cricket during minors, we played for almost two hours yesterday :D This is the time when u fantasize to write blogs, makes u think what will you write in your blog next. U think how to customize your blog and your other websites. U check your inbox almost every hour and check for online friends in your messenger. U check news websites every half n hour. U constantly check on LAN if new episodes of your favorite TV series are now available. Even if not this is the high time to get interested in some of the other TV series!!

To add to your woes some of the important sports matches are held during our exam time too. We watch each and every match cricket match involving India. Hardly a worry if our next minors are scheduled during the ICC Cricket World Cup, eventually the world cup will be over when our Majors start. Me being an avid soccer fan and with my favorite team Manchester United hitting top form, for me its absolutely impossible to resist soccer too. F1 starting a few weeks from now add to the woes.

If we do some introspection into the matter we know why it happens. The problem is not with us, its with the system. If they schedule our exam every 35 days, with those 35 full of assignments and term paper submissions, quizzes blah blah its quite natural for 4000 innocent creatures in the campus the urge to destress themselves. One of the most important things i have learned in IIT is how to relax when you are most stressed. "Chill maarna" thats the IIT lingo ha smade us ulti chill to a level that even tomorrow i have an exam for which till date i don't even know the exact course, i am writing this blog and constantly thinking what more to add to this post. rightly said "Jeena isi ka naam hai"

The Discovery of India

2007-02-15T12:09:00.000+05:30

This post is a tribute to one of the classics in Indian writing in English. I read this book last year itself and submitted a term paper on this very book. One of my main reasons to opt for Indian Writing in English was to read this book. I am posting parts of my book review this time.

..Gives an understanding of the glorious intellectual and spiritual tradition of (a) great country
-ALBERT EINSTEIN

This book has acquired the status of a classic since it was first published in 1946. It unfolds the panorama of India’s past and seeks to analyze the sources and strength of India’s national personality and how she fits into the modern world. It is the fascinating story of a celebrated Indian’s quest for the spirit of India which has resulted in the continuity of a cultural tradition through five thousand years of history. In this work of prodigious scope one of the icons of Indian history unfolds the panorama of India's rich and complex past, analyzing the Indian history from prehistory to the last years of British colonial period.

The book is a humble tribute to the great Indian culture, honored by the tradition of unity in diversity, and blessed by the life of some of the most famous people on earth like Mahatma Gandhi, his beloved friend Jawaharlal Nehru and a lot more like them. It was written over a period of five months when Jawaharlal Nehru was imprisoned in the Ahmadnagar fort. The book is one of the best works of the writer, and is dedicated to his colleagues and co- prisoners in Ahmadnagar fort prison camp. As far as my one line review is concerned I would say this is one of the most beautiful books that I have come across. What makes it an essential reading is not the content but the way the content is presented. Contrary to the popular belief that the book is mere a fact sheet of Indian history, this book is discovery of India from the authors mind and his vision. Through this book Nehru brings alive an ancient culture that has seen the flowering of worlds great traditions of philosophy, science and art, and almost all its major religions. His visions and analysis makes Discovery of India an essential reading for every Indian. This book glorifies the Indian civilization in such a way to generate a belief that our forefathers were part of the greatest civilization the mankind has ever seen.

The discovery of India- what a beautiful name? The title selection is awesome and the content truly justifies the title. It runs through the roots of our country. We love our India more than anything. But in our India, we welcome all, and so through our India, we love the whole world. This spirit of the people of our country is the same reason that led to this book being written. The book is the result of many years of work by Nehru, during his years in prison. That is exactly what the book starts with. His years in the prison cell, counting the number of days he would have to wait to get outside and fight for the freedom oh his country. His mind searches for an answer to his loneliness, the relation between the past and the present and the philosophy of life. The second chapter of the books is about the relationship with his wife, her death, and his thoughts of death. These are two chapters of the book that give us a very good idea of Jawaharlal Nehru, not as the prime minister of India, but as a human being.

Chapter 3 - the quest. This is the very essence of the book begins. The panorama of Indias past, nationalism, the search for India, the Bharat Mata, the variety and unity of India all these reflect the beauty and glory of the Indian civilization. Reading through the pages, one can easily tell the difference between the India that is being talked about in the book and the India of the present. Whichever is the best is a matter of the individual mind, but one thing is for sure, the glory of the Indian civilization, can never be equaled in any way by the modern society of our country.

Chapter 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9 beautifully describes the history of India. One can easily guess what most of the readers will do reaching chapter 4. They will skip the section, because people have interest in the subject. Although I was in love with history and especially history of India, most people used to sleep in the class. But any reader can read without any boredom through the entire text. The fact is that the book is not like any history text we have read. Here, we dont come across a bunch of facts, which is the worst part of history, to recollect all the years and names. But this book combines that with the visions of the author, so readers are enlightened by the knowledge on the culture and tradition on India and at the same time, they are not going to be starved of their enthusiasm.

The whole written and unwritten history of India is given in the book. The Indus valley civilization, the coming of the Aryans, Hinduism, caste system, the continuity of the great Indian culture, name it and it is in the book. The epics, the Mahabharata, the Bhagavad-Gita, Buddha, Ashoka and through all the people, the books and the contemporary records of the time, we get a complete picture of India through the ages. The dawn of the medieval period and the golden era of the Gupta dynasty give a good insight of Indias foreign relationships with the people of Iran, Greece. Then there is the answer to the most perplexing question of Buddhism in India. That is the fact that even though the religion was started in India, the larger part of Buddhism in India merged with Hinduism the book gives a detailed picture of the times. Through the Arabs, the Mongols we come to the golden time of the Mughal Empire. And the lives of Babar, Akbar, the Marathas, all flash before our eyes, as we are led to the colonial times of the British rule, with all the minute details. The path takes through the times when the British came as traders to India and later went to build a colonial empire. The dawn of the national movement, and what better way to learn about it than through the words of the man who along with Gandhi trembled the colonial rule. This is best section of the book in my view. We get all the bits and pieces of history of the country and this is a must read for all the Indians.

As I mentioned earlier, there is a difference between learning the details from the history books and reading the book of a man who have gone through the experience. Here we see the pain, the nationalism, the human spirit, and we feel all the feelings that were experienced by the people in the national movement when they gave their lives for the welfare of the country. The few unarmed citizens of the country who trembled the mighty British Empire, which, at the time was the peak of its glory. The chapters give us a beautiful insight into the friendship between Gandhi and Nehru, the role of Gandhi, M. A. Jinnah, the coming of the Second World War and the final phase of the freedom movement after the war. The book however cannot go any deeper into the freedom struggle as it was written a decade before India got her independence.

This beautiful book was even adopted for a television documentary by Shyam Benegal with Roshan Seth as Jawaharlal Nehru. Just like the book this series still remains on of the notable TV series in Indian television history. It brings to life the history of India from the earliest times known-- Indus Valley Civilization to the Aryans to the present day India, covering epics like Ramayana, Mahabharata and works of Kalidas. There have been tele serials that have lasted longer, that have presented the epics in a greater detail, but none could match the depiction of a detached narrator in the background. Like the book the series is too simply superb.

A must read for Indians and especially for those who have an interest in Indian History, Culture and traditions. :)

3 down .. 3 more to go

2007-02-14T17:54:00.000+05:30

Last two weeks have been one of the most hectic of my IIT life. I never expected life will be this hectic when i opted for Electrical Engineering way back in 2003. Since then I have fought an epic battle with filters, fields, transistors, amplifiers, bode plots, modulations, networks blah blah. Although i survived it, the war has been so intense that i have hardly any energy left to pursue a career in technology. So the conclusion is although I am struggling to find my lakshya one thing is for sure, I wont be going for a technical job. :)

Last week i had three assignments submission and as my run of bad luck continues, all were coding assignments. I don't know why, but when it comes to coding i have always struggled. Algorithms and puzzles have always been exciting but when it comes to coding ... it has always made me run for my money. Anyways somehow i managed to complete all of them before deadlines. [:D]. But as always in IIT, when u are done wid ur stuff another one comes calling. This time it was GATE. Another rendezvous with the enemy i am fighting battle with from almost 4 years. Then minors came calling. 3 are over and 3 more to go. Now finally i find some time to relax and so comes the post. Next exam starts sat 1 pm.

Apart from my personal matters it has been a very eventful week in some other matters of my interest, alma matter being cricket. All cricketing nations announced their world cup squad. As far as Indian team is concerned its what everyone was expecting. Their has been a debate about inclusion of Virender Sehwag in the team, was quite expected. But the major disappointment for me has been the inclusion of Anil Kumble. He has been a match winner and is so in test cricket but i dont think he is a utility player for ODI's. Romesh Powar was the best Indian spinner this season by par and was better than kumble be it batting. bowling or fielding. He should have been their.

Apart from that it has been a busy week for India Inc too. Aditya Birla Group's takeover of Novellis for $6 billion, just after TATA's takeover of Corus has created the concept of Indian Multinationals and Indian firms have proved that they are competitive enough to take on the challenge. As a consumer entry of Vodafone into Indian market acquiring Hutch for $19 billions will make Indian mobile market more competitive.

Time to go for now. ll be back soon. Happy Valentines!!

Black Friday

2007-02-10T12:38:00.000+05:30

Imagine how serious i am about my career!! My GATE exam is tomorrow, Sunday, February 11 and minors from Tuesday. Still i wasn't able to resist the highly controversial and critical acclaimed movie about the 1993 bombay bomb blast, Anuarg Kashyap's Black Friday based on a book of same name by M. Hussain Zaidi. I was dying the see the movie since i read in newspapers about the movie being banned by the government, claiming that it can affect the trial of the serial blasts.

Behind 1993 bomb blast lies a story and black friday does justice with that. For me the wait was worth waiting. The movie starts with the 12 serial blasts starting with Bombay Stock Exchange. Then it slowly unfolds the conspiracy behind the blasts and Mumbai police cracking the case. The story of the blasts in not the only highlight of the movie. It highlights the corruption in Indian administrative system too. The way RDX, in such a huge quantity was brought from Dubai, and the way officials were bribed to make the blasts a success is nerve cracking. Although the story is slow and some of the scenes are repeated, i ll say the script is tight and you will never find the movie boring. Another important point must to mention is the power of Police. The way Mumbai police cracks the case, everyone will accept that if the police is given a free hand in all the cases without any political interference it can crack each n every case in a matter of time. The Mumbai police is even more glorified in the way KK Menon and all the side characters have acted and how difficult the life is for them. Mumbai police needs a pat for this case. A job well done for them even after many of their officials were too in the nexus of the blasts.

Some of the scenes in the movie are airbrushed with creativeness. Entry of Dawood Ebrahim is solid and quite matches with his personality. KK Menon dipping his head in a bucket full of water after a tough torture session shows how hard the life is for the cops. Even some torture scenes mainly to frighten the convicts are really well made. Apart from the main protagonists Tiger Memon and The cop leading the investigation, played by K.K. Menon, the supporting star cast too deserves an applause. Their facial expressions superbly matches with the scenario.

In the final chapter movies goes in the past and explores the reasons behind the blasts. The aftermath of Babri Masjid Demolition and subsequent riots in Mumbai led to the blasts. It explores the whole conspiracy and proves the nexus between Pakistani intelligence agency ISI and the D Comapny and other "bhailog" in Dubai. How Tiger Memon brainwashes young muslims and how they get training by the ISI in pakistan are some of the points you must watch out the movie for.

Overall it was time and money both well spent and i don't think in any of the reviews the movie will get less than 4 stars. It was a treat and remains a treat to remember!!

Last but not the least how can i forget mentioning the background music and songs by Indian Ocean. The way movie ends urging both hindus and muslims to stop violence in influence of their religious leaders, Indian Ocean has provided one of their best soundtracks and do justice to a great movie with a great epilogue soundtrack .. "Arrey ruk ja re bande ......."

Rightly said by Mahatma Gandhi .. "An eye for an eye makes the whole world blind"

Lakshya

2007-02-08T11:35:00.000+05:30

Well guys .. i m in too. Although this is my .. i think 3rd or 4th blog ... i stopped posting after 2 or 3 posts in all the previous ones!! Well this time am more than determined to continue posting for a long long time. will see later .. kya hota hai ...

About the title of the blog .. well from past 2 3 months .. since the placements procedure begun for my B.Tech batch mates i am struggling wid what i wanna be in my life. And to be very fair .. i am thankful to god that i opted for a dual degree course .. giving me one extra year to think abt it. About the title of the blog .. bcoz i wz very much inspired by the movie "LAKSHYA." For me it was one of the best bollywood movie ever made. In the way the protagonist of the movie struggles with what is the ultimate goal of his life .. i find myself in the similar situation too .. except i lack a Priety Zinta !! :D

The million dollar question still remains unanswered.. how do u decide wat u wanna be in ur life..

Is it the money you will get?
The work profile?
The satisfaction you will get every night when u go to bed?
Or how easily you can achieve a particular goal?

The money .. honestly whether u deny or accept has to be a criteria, may not be the foremost. It shld always do justice to ur talents. Work and satisfaction will always be important for a person with good intellect. And people think about the 4th one too!!

Will i be a good consultant? or a good trader? or i ll be successful in academics? Join civil services or some humanitarian organization like UN or some NGO? with so many carrer options in hand the future is confusing!! And even after so many brain storming sessions with my friends and family members.. the question still remains unanswered!! Well thats the beauty of future!!

This reminds me of one of the evergreen songs..
"Papa kehte hain beta naam karega .... magar yeh to koi na jaane hai meri manzil hai kahan?"