my voice

Just heard..

2012-01-18T13:15:00.000-08:00

Marriage is now a euphemism for Dating...

Looking beyond the war...

2012-01-11T10:14:00.000-08:00

A couple of months ago, I read this wonderful book "The Dressmaker of Khair Khana." It was a courageous tale of a woman (eventually a group of women) who survived in the most unreal circumstances by sheer determination, grit and tons of courage.

The book made me think about the life that real people live behind those rugged mountainous terrain shrouded by the smoke of war. In short, the book had piqued my interest in the subject of Afghanistan and its people and since then I have been trying to read, watch and see anything that talks to me about Afghanistan through its people, who still have needs and desires, dreams and hopes just like us.

And in the last one week itself, I have come across this wonderful FRONTLINE documentary "Opium Brides," which I think has drawn some inspiration from the book "Opium Nation" by Fariba Nawa and just today, while working on a story I found this incredible project by David Gill - "Kabul A City At Work."

And I am game for more. Any good suggestions?

Random thoughts..(2)

2012-01-09T14:38:00.000-08:00

There was a time when happiness was measured in smiles and laughter, in togetherness and bonds, in moments of uninhibited joy...............

.......And then the times changed and the scales were weighed down by money...

Do we need these reasons to hate?

2012-01-04T12:14:00.000-08:00

It is astonishing how man can find a reason to hate. There are so many boundaries, so many man-made barriers, so many differentials that you just get trapped into one of them somehow or the other and get lost in the maze.

As a kid growing up in the times of communal riots, I thought religion was perhaps a great divide and that men fight over religion, even though that is one of the most paradoxical things to do.

Then, as I was debating the idea of religious divide, I was confronted with a land where people's mistrust was rooted in race. So it was not religion, but color and race that became the tools. It took me back to the horrific World War that had the genesis of race-based annihilation.

Eventually, over the years I have realized that men always find ways to discriminate. If not on the basis of religion then color, if not that then language or petty things like caste, creed or the omnipresent status and class.

Are we humans designed to not like people who don't look, talk or feel like us? What breeds hatred? And does everything need to have a hierarchy? Can it not be that all religions, all race and all languages are equally best? (I say "Best" because good has not been good enough so far..)

Random thoughts...

2011-12-08T09:33:00.001-08:00

There is always someone smarter than you out there...

Farewell to thee.......my Hero!!

2011-09-15T09:35:00.000-07:00

I had to write this one. After all it is his last ODI match on Friday and I cannot not write this post.

It all started 15 years ago, when I first saw him play and since then my liking for him may have taken several crazy forms, but my respect for him never faded.

I love him, adore him and will always respect him for who he is: my hero Rahul Dravid!

P.S: A more emotionally charged post will be written when he takes a final retirement from the game.

India shows the way to the world yet again!

2011-08-17T12:18:00.000-07:00

Two contrasting scenes in a span of two weeks have got me thinking and at some level swelled my heart with pride.

The London Riots and the protests in India supporting Anna Hazare.

The reasons for both these events may be different, but the underlying sentiment is definitely the same - dissatisfaction with the government.

While the British youth chose to loot and riot and even kill, the Indian youth has chosen the non-violent, persistent way of getting heard! Yes, the rioters got all the attention they wanted, but in the end, nobody understood or tried to focus on the root cause of their sudden uprising. They probably lost all support from people all over the world.

Kudos then to the Indians and the Indian youth for showing the world that we are a country of non-violence and we can do a lot of things that the world can learn from! We don't need to pelt stones and rob people and make lives miserable to fight a battle against the system.

Bravo!

War and peace....

2011-08-16T13:27:00.000-07:00

I got a Kindle last Christmas and wanted to read something special on it and for whatever reason, I chose Leo Tolstoy's "War and Peace." I had other options like Great Expectations, A Tale of Two Cities and some other classics among others, but I wanted to read a Tolstoy book. I had heard so much about them and seen them on practically every "top 10 books of all time" list. With much expectation and must I say intrigue I started the process. Well I call it a process because that is what it became. Generally I do not take more than a few days, at most a few weeks to complete a book, if it is too lengthy or too intense in subject. But it took me full 6 months to conquer "War and Peace." The number of characters, their daily activities, their inter-personal relationships, the history, geography and the wars themselves - they were so minutely described and some scenes so vivid that I found myself completely absorbed in the scenes. I felt like it was all happening in front of my eyes and I had to keep the book aside to pull myself out of it, to absorb everything that I had read. It is a wonderful book with a simple story, but it is not the story that is important, it is the significance of everything else - the life of those times, the war, the lifestyle and society of two cities, the conditions of men who fought the war, perceptions of people, youth, exuberance, love, self esteem and much more. There will never be enough words to describe a book like "war and peace." So all I can say is that I am glad that I read it. It just made me aware of so many things about a faraway land, but it also taught me that in the end, human emotions are the same everywhere.

Jennifer Lopez's "On the Floor" has music resembling an old Hindi song..

2011-07-14T14:51:00.000-07:00

I recently heard J-Lo's latest single featuring Pitbull called "On the Floor" and something told me that I had heard the theme music somewhere.... So, after racking my brain for some time, I realized that the song's interlude music piece is similar to the theme music of the song "Sochna Kya Jo bhi Hoga.." from Ghayal - a 1990 Hindi movie featuring Sunny Deol.

Here are the 2 songs:

J-Lo's 2011 song: "On the Floor"

Ghayal - 1990: "Sochna Kya.."

Tracking the treasure

2011-07-04T08:51:00.000-07:00

Since this interesting piece of news came July 1, 2011, about the discovery of billions of rupees worth of treasure unearthed in a temple in Kerala, I have been wondering what will be the fate of this money. Will it be squandered or put in safe hands and made good use of. While the inspectors are still evaluating the total worth of the treasure, I am going to keep a diary of the events to see how far and where this trail of gold reaches.

June 27, 2011: Treasure found in Sree Padmanabhaswamy temple, Thiruvananthpuram, Kerala. The security has been upped and the complex has been sealed by the authorities.

July 4, 2011: Inspectors are evaluating the total worth of the treasure that includes gold coins, jewelry, statues, precious stones etc. Initial estimates : ~ 75000 crore rupees / $17 billion

July 5, 2011: Vault A is being inventoried. "A golden idol of Mahavishnu was found among other things. (Source: The Hindu). Vault B remains to be opened and inventoried.

July 5, 2011: The Hindu reports that Kerala chief minister has said that the treasure belonged to the temple and the authorities are going to decide how to use it.

July 27, 2011: The Supreme Court has ordered that the treasure found at the temple will now be filmed and photographed.

Aug 15, 2011: A group of priests who performed an astrological exam of the treasure have said that Vault B should not be opened as it could only be opened by "God." The five remaining vaults have already been opened. (Source: deccan chronicle)

Are you married?

2011-04-14T10:53:00.000-07:00

A few years ago, while I was going for lunch with a friend, I saw a college classmate of mine standing right outside the cafeteria door along with other guys. As he saw me, he approached me and guess what was one of the first questions he asked me? "Have you gotten married [yet]?" Well! I gave him an answer, but not before I squirmed at the question. Why should it matter to anyone whether I am married or not? I almost did not want to talk to him after that point. But then, he is not alone. There have been several people who have asked me that question - directly, indirectly, right-into the conversation, way-later in the conversation. And in some cases it may seem a natural path to continuing the conversation, but most of the times it is not. Isn't it quite clear that if you are my friend, you would know whether I am married or not and if you don't know, it is because I don't think it is important for you to know. And must you ask that question the first thing when you meet someone? Will your conversation depend on whether the person is married or not? Call me a snob, a "whatever" you may, but I really think it is quite rude to poke that question in someone's face!

Oh! These commentators!

2011-01-27T19:12:00.000-08:00

So I was watching this semi-final match between Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer and was so irritated with the commentators of that match. Federer may be God to you, Mr. Commentator 1 and Mr. Commentator 2, but there are people who watch the match for other players too. No, I don't think he is perfect, and no I don't think that he "rarely shows his emotions." In fact I think he shows his emotions most when things don't go his way. If you would please comment on the proceedings of the match in a fair and balanced way, it would make the viewing more enjoyable. Tennis is not about Federer and how he plays, his style, his fitness, his forehand or his emotions! There is always someone else who is playing against him and make sure you have some positive things to say about him. I am amazed that in a match where he lost in straight sets, the commentators first talked about how Federer was playing "some lose shots" then how "he is the more fit player," lest the match go to 5 sets, then how "he has some problems with Novak's player box," to "he is switching his game plan now," to "he has taken a break now to recollect his thoughts." PLEASE!! It is not about Federer all the time. He is a good player, but if on a day someone else is doing better, you can atleast say a few kind words to him and give him some credit for his game.

I eventually had to mute the commentary to enjoy the match! Remember people watch it to enjoy and not to get irritated.

Poor man's pride

2011-01-05T13:15:00.000-08:00

...And with those thoughts, he sat there, transfixed to the ground, clasping the object close to his chest, hoping the earth beneath would swallow him. Even though water continuously wet his face, he still felt the heat that engulfed his cheeks and body. He did not want to see the world and wished that the world could not see him too....

a few minutes ago..

And just when he was reflecting on how he would cope with this situation, his eyes fell on a piece of plastic that was now out of shape and partially covered with muck, lying near an open drain. As he rushed to pick it up he couldn't control his emotions on looking at the now distorted object. He felt crushed, dejected and helpless. He looked at the crumpled thing in his hand and then at the drain and couldn't help comparing himself with the dirt and sewage that flowed in the drain. "Is my value more than this? Am I not a respectful man?" he thought to himself.

a few minutes ago..

He stood there for sometime, still stunned by what had happened. Somehow he swallowed his humiliation and slowly picked up his cycle and inspected the damage, roughly calculating the costs. He knew that the repairs would mean either no food, or long walks in the sweltering heat for several days.

a few minutes ago

"@$@%%#$" "#%#%#^#^$!@" After making sure that their inflated egos were not compromised, they sped off on the motorbike. And people, who had so far enjoyed the events surrounding its principal characters, now suddenly realized their need to rush to their chores and left him alone - to agonize in his misery.

a few minutes ago

"SLAP!!" The thunderous sound quietened the busy road for a split second. His cheeks turned a deep red and even before he could open his mouth in protest, he was bulldozed by another resounding "SLAP!!" He couldn't speak. He held the tears that welled up in his eyes and looked around to seek support, with his pitiful eyes, from the curious onlookers who had now gathered to take part in the drama that would make their otherwise monotonous day somewhat eventful. But he soon realized that help was not at hand because he was not "important" for people to spend their time fighting for his cause. He was just an ordinary man, and knowing that anymore protests would mean more insults, he meekly withdrew his protests.

a few minutes ago

"@#$@#" "#$@^*" "Can't you see?" growled the pillion rider. The rider in the front seat joined him adding, "#$%^$@" "What do you think you are doing?" "But, I was on my side...," the man tried to say in his defense. "#@@#%" "Oh! so now you want to argue with me," the pillion rider said aggressively. "I'll hit you one tight slap and you will know whose mistake it is, you @#@$%#$." "Talk to me properly saa...," the man said. "I am not abusing you then why do you.........."

a few minutes ago

After a minute of unconsciousness, he found himself lying on the road, he and his cycle intertwined with each other in a way that it took him sometime to separate his limbs from the steel. Just as he was scanning himself for any wounds, he saw two men - a motorbike rider and his pillion - looking at him with expressions that turned from nervousness to anger.

a few minutes ago

He was jauntily riding his cycle, smiling to himself the joy that he would see on her face, the happiness that she would feel and the contentment that he would get from seeing her so happy. He felt good about being able to bring happiness to her, about fulfilling one of her long-standing wishes. To her, he was a hero, a man whom she held high in esteem. And he wanted to live up to that. It had not been easy, but he had worked twice as hard and slept many hungry nights for this. And today was the day for which he, and she, had waited so long. Her face kept coming in front of her as he slowly pedaled at the side of the road. "Oh I can't wait to....WHAAAMMMM!!

a few minutes ago

This was the first real gift that he was buying for her and he was thrilled to have it. She had waited for it for more than six months and now finally it was going to be in her hands. He knew that she was not very demanding and unlike others, rarely asked for anything. This was special and he wanted it for her. He had put almost all his savings from last six months into it and now that it was in his hands, he took a moment to admire it and then carefully placed it in his bag.

a few hours ago

"You will get it for me today, won't you?" she asked him in a voice that was mixed with anxiety, curiosity and apprehension all at the same time. He just smiled, neither confirming nor denying. "Tell me, won't you get me that 'talking doll' from the shop?" she cried again, this time with more emotion. Hari Ram, a factory-worker, who was working double shifts and secretly saving money for the doll, affectionately looked at his daughter and said ..."Yes."

Pls note: This story is inspired by a real life event that I witnessed for a fraction of a second: 2 men slapping a poor, hapless man whose tear-filled eyes caught my attention as I zipped past him with my friend.

kudos!... the commonwealth men and women

2010-08-17T08:35:00.001-07:00

Since the day India won the bid to host the 2010 Commonwealth games, media has been in a frenzy! But it crossed all borders this year - the year when India is set to host its BIGGEST event so far. There has been one horror story after the other.......corruption, blah, blah and more blah blah! Yes it is the role of media to bring to light malpractices in the system, but to write and report only about expose is not journalism! Somewhere, somehow the Indian media has assumed that digging into the dirty boxes of politicians and bureaucrats is true journalism. But I beg to differ. Journalism is about presenting the good and the bad equally. I am sure there are enough good stories about the CW games. There must be umpteen number of men and women who have worked hard, working hard and will work hard to make the games a success. Has even one publication or news agency bothered to write about that! Harping on the negative all the time only brings bad name to the nation. It is this one-sided reporting of Indian media that has given the rest of the world a reason to point finger at us! It is a shame that such a big industry, full of some very creative and respectable people, cannot write one positive thing about an event that means so much for the country! I am sure that no matter how successful the games are, media will still find many holes in the success story and highlight them. But may I please request you to, for some time, look at the positives and cheer the magnificent efforts of the many people who have got us this far! Journalism is for the citizens and for once you can do us a favor by talking about some extraordinary citizens..

Chetan Bhagat???? an author????

2010-04-24T19:23:00.000-07:00

If Chetan Bhagat is an author, so am I and so is anybody who can write a few sentences in English.
To me, he is a businessman- a shrewd marketing guy who knows how to milk the masses. Why am I suddendly talking about him? Well, it is not sudden, I have been thinking about this for some time now- in fact I've had a few arguments about his credibility with some of my friends. However, this time, as someone talked highly about his recent book, (I don't remember its name, but it is the one about a North-South love story) I decided to write why I think Mr. Bhagat is nothing more than a gimmick!
The general argument in his favor is that he has initiated a lot of young people into reading! Really??? I don't think the Indian masses are so deprived of good content that they need Mr.Bhagat to bring them closer to the books! I consider myself a fairly avid reader and I have never felt the need of a cheap potboiler to keep me busy. There is an immense treasure of good Indian writers- from Tagore and Premchand to Vikram Chandra and Jhumpa Lahiri. There are gems in every language, every genre that will appeal to most people. The reason Mr.Bhagat is probably popular or is claimed to be popular is because he creates this huge marketing propaganda around his books (his recent drama during the 3i release is a case in point) that generates enough interest in his work. Moreover, we have a huge population and considering that when and how many do you call a lot, when do you start calling a book a "bestseller", who reviews these books, who determines that people are enjoying his books? These are all unanswered unknowns that together create an impression that he is a phenomenon! Moreover, I think that most serious book lovers/readers have long left him for good. The language, the sentence structure and grammar in his books is so naive and the plot so thin that any school kid can write a story. And I can say this because I have his first 2 books and that was enough for me to understand his quality and stop reading him. His choice of populist topics, his short, crumb like sentences and his forewords, where he never fails to let people know that he is an MBA grad from one of the premier schools of India are all symbols that scream to me that he is not an author, he is just practising what he learnt at his MBA school!
The fact that he is making millions is only more proof that investing in an MBA degree is the best bet in today's times!

picturing India......

2010-04-11T21:38:00.000-07:00

This blog is actually about my experiences during my time on the streets for my photojournalism class. (yes I am finally learning to take good pictures!) Anyway, so one of the assignments was to take "environmental potraits" basically take interesting pictures of people doing something and that was fine until we were asked to take pictures from 4 different angles....that meant that we had to engage the subjects. So, as I set out on my adventure, I soon realized that clicking random people on the road is just not the same as having an indoor setup--which was required for the assignment, that people here have issues with privacy, that people are not very open to being clicked.......and I ended up clicking the following: a street musician, a guy selling balloons on a busy corner, a drummer by the river and a magazine kiosk owner! Basically people who did not care much about their privacy....though I must admit that one of them was a bit hesitant initially but reluctantly agreed. And my inability to get any picture of a person with a real prop inside a shop or a house made me realize one thing- that I now understood why photographers across the world go to Africa and India and other developing nations to shoot. It is in these places that you see people- people who make interesting subjects, people who are colorful not just in appearances but also in what they do. But most importantly because they are naive.....how much a hard-working farmer or a mason or an auto driver would know or think about a photograph breaching his privacy? Not much! Compare that to the people in the Western world where everybody is so conscious of their privacy and makes sure that it is not violated! Photographers here make sure that they ask their subjects if they are comfortable being clicked....I cannot say if they do the same elsewhere....it is a whole different ball game.

The most awe-inspiring picture is that with a human face and we, Indians happily provide that face! Today, while scouting for subjects for my own assignment, I finally understood why India is one of the favorite locales for every photographer....it is not just the astounding landscapes, but the palette of naive people who are only too happy to be clicked that attract them!

the Haves..............................................and the Have nots!!

2010-04-05T20:10:00.000-07:00

The gap between the haves and the have nots in India is increasing at a mind boggling rate! What else can explain the distance between a $370 million IPL team and some kids near Allahabad eating mud cakes for survival! It is not even shameful anymore.........it is much beyond that. I feel helpless and don't know how I can help those starving kids and at the same time I don't know what I can do to bridge this huge disparity. At times I wonder if people have stopped bothering about things around them. The new way of life that has a lot of money......money that we get at a very young age now has turned us all into selfish, insensitive, unnerved individuals. We don't have time to stop and look at the sidewalks to see if someone needs our help, nor do we have a heart to feed a hungry child. There is something that we all can do, but I am sure there is always some excuse waiting for us round the corner........'i am in a hurry,' 'i don't want to feel embarrassed,' 'i don't want to give to the people begging on the roads,' 'i alone cannot improve the system,' 'i don't have so much money to give to everyone.'
I don't think we need to do big things at once.......small steps go a long way in solving problems....a small gesture, a tiny act of kindness can feed a kid and fill a mother's heart with gratitude and happiness. I am not preaching anyone to shun entertaining themselves and stop watching IPL(though I have), but I would definitely say that if those with tons of money are acting miserly it does not mean that we have to ape them.......we have always been a country where we share every small morsel of food with the other hungry people.......why can't we do it now......times have changed a lot........but have we changed as much? and do we really need to change that much?It is us who need to extend our hands to those who need us......aren't they a part of "incredible and shining India?"

phir..sur nahin mila mera tumhara

2010-01-30T00:27:00.000-08:00

It has been 3 days and I still think I should have not seen it. It has left such a bad taste that I feel annoyed at myself having seen it. Yes, I am talking about the "Remix version" of mile sur mera tumhara. An iconic song that was so simple, charming, hummable and feel-good patriotic is completely ruined in its new avatar.

How I ended up watching it? Well my roommate told me about it and I was curious, like everyone else, to see it.But lo and behold! After watching that seemingly never-ending 2 part series on you tube, I felt cheated and insulted. My first reaction was- "What was that?" Are these people serious? Where is the soul of the song? In order to modernize it they have completely bared it to the threads! The old one had many voices but one soul- one rhythm. It beautifully captured the essence of unity in diversity- many languages but one emotion. I am still scratching my head to figure this one out! And no it is not because the song is immensely creative and lesser mortals cannot get its underlying theme- it is just because it is plain trash!

It looks like a personal photo shoot of Bollywood- a place where everyone is trying to showcase their personal styles. Look at some of them and you'll know what I mean. The bulk of the video is made up of these painted faces and then as if a part of sudden realization, there are the 3 Olympic medalists making a brief apperance towards the end! And the most disgusting part is that the armed forces are relegated to a "dikhana hai isliye dikha dete hain" last few seconds!

To me personally that was the most disgusting part. People who protect us day and night-die for us, without us even remembering them, are included as fillers- and that too at the cost of those irritatingly hypocrite filmstars who lead an unreasonably cushy life.
I am still wondering how someone can get past the idea that a bunch of money spinning, tantrum throwing entertainers deserve more credit than a battalion of soldiers who endure the greatest hardships and still lead humble lives-Isn't the Republic Day more about honoring the real heroes?

being a journalist...

2010-01-06T16:44:00.000-08:00

It was 6 months ago that I came to Chicago on a full scholarship to study at the prestigious Medill school of journalism at Northwestern University. To say that I was making a transition will be an understatement. I was leaving my cushy, well-paying job for a profession that is not so lucrative and probably not so safe either. However, it was time for me to do what I wanted to do and be happy doing it.
And happy I am! In the last 6 months I have met some amazing people.But what has fascinated me most is the tremendous amount of power a journalist has in affecting the lives of people around her. There is so much going on all around and as a journalist you have to keep a tab of almost everything. Also it is not something that you can do sitting in a corner of a air-conditioned building. It is so much hands-on, so much like on-the-streets and that is fun because that is when you see the real people and real lives. It is not mechanical- it is so much more human. The satisfaction you get on meeting people and unraveling their stories- being able to give voice to someone's story - that feeling of being able to help someone reach out to people is beyond compare. More than anything I love walking- walking and observing- walking and absorbing-all that I can.
I know I am doing the right thing because I am happy and am enjoying it. There is never a dull day and most of all I wake up every morning knowing that I will learn or experience something exciting.

An evening with Jeffery Archer

2009-05-18T08:57:00.000-07:00

One of the advantages of living in a 'happening' city like Bangalore is that a lot of interesting events do 'happen'. So, today morning when I was casually skimming the newspaper I saw an advertisement about Jeffery Archer's promotional event in 'The Landmark' bookstore and like all the other promotional events this one excited me too. But, there was more than one reason this time for me to get excited, it was all about books, a chance to listen to an author-LIVE and in person! Could I miss the opportunity? No, of-course not! So, I decided I would go and since it was scheduled at a convenient 7 o clock in the evening there was no way I could have had an excuse. I set out at around 6:20 (the place being only 3 kms away from my home) and reached at around 6:40. However, little did I know that I was heading to the wrong place because the event was organized at the not so 'happening' mall in another area which incidentally had also opened a 'Landmark' store! So, only after spending 10 mins in the wrong place I realized and headed to the other store (which was thankfully only 3 kms away!) and luckily reached just in time. Now came the man- Lord Jeffery Archer. He was dressed like any elegant man his age would and the packed audience gave him a standing ovation. He started by giving a brief synopsis about his new book-Paths of Glory and then about his life as a author- how he gave up the House of Commons- wrote a book, 14 publishers rejected it and the 15th published only 3000 copies! His anecdotes were very interesting and his antics kept the audience in splits! Then came the question-answer round which was very interesting and engaging. It was good to see the young and the old excitedly asking him questions and Jeffery (don't call him Jeff! he is not an American yet!) answered them with lot of insight and interest. I loved the way he interacted with his audience. Next was time for the audience to get their books autographed by him and he generously promised everyone that he would not leave till he signed the last book! The crowds loved him and his very down-to-earth mannerisms. I loved him too but no, I didn't wait to get a book signed by him. Why? Because, I went to see what authors look like in person! (ok, I know its not a good reason!) But, seriously, I went because it was a great opportunity for a book enthusiast like me to be in the company of a great storyteller. There was no other reason. I am not one of his numerous fans- infact I haven't even read any of his books-not even Kane and Abel! And yes, that is the truth! But inspite of that, I had a great time listening to his experiences and sharing my evening with Lord Jeffery Archer.

the pleasure of reading!

2009-04-22T11:20:00.000-07:00

I am a self-confessed book buff! If you give me the option between a book and anything else chances are that I would grab the book and absorb myself in the realms of black and white any day! And no, it is not that i have suddenly started reading books. As far as I can remember, I picked up reading when I was 10 years old and moved to this new school which had a big and well-stocked library. Back then, we girls used to compete to see who reads more books in the Nancy Drew series. This competition at times made me read Ms. Drew's adventures when I should have actually read history or chemistry! Anyway, from then on, I picked on every book that I could lay my hands on- magazines, comics, old novels from my mom's treasure trove and some really cheap sellers! As time went on and I read more and more, I learnt to sift the good from the bad. A good example is Mills & Boons- I just read one and knew that I can never read any more of them! College didn't give me a lot of time to read (there were several other things waiting to be explored!) but post college, I have been reading at break-neck speed and the more I read the more yearn to read more. Having read a lot of suspense thrillers, I am now focusing on classics, social documentaries and non-fiction stuff. I am yet to foray into autobiographies and spirituality! Books have been a tremendous source for me to understand the world, our society, human emotions, complex relations and have helped me channelize and structure my thoughts!
Now that I am earning, I have also become a proud collector of few books including classics like Les Miserables, The Stranger, A Tale of Twin Cities, 1984 etc and plan to own a mini-library some day.

Note: Look at my Shelfari bookshelf to see my books and my reviews on them.

hosur road- a well planned disaster!

2009-04-07T07:11:00.000-07:00

Anyone of you who has ever lived in Bangalore or visited it would definitely have heard of 'Hosur Road'. It is one of the most important roads of the 'garden city', connecting Bangalore to Hosur in Tamil Nadu (that was the original intention of tarring this road in the first place!). Cut to 2009 and this road is under major revamp; reason being that with the IT revolution came (the now famous) Electronic city, which was laid out on the then outskirts of Bangalore and Hosur road (with a stretch of about 13 kms) became the only link to it from the city! Now, this section of the hosur road is where an elevated highway is being constructed to tackle the unnerving traffic jams. And, now, that my office has shifted back to this road, I have more reason to feel annoyed than pleased. And here is why: Apart from the elevated highway which runs to a length of about 10-11 kms the basic hosur road has also been widened (many illegal buildings been razed to ground!). Very commendable indeed. There are subways being built at major junctions!(again very commendable!) but the road which is wide enough to be a 4 laner has been divided into 2 segments. And here is the disaster. The main road has 2 parts to it; the left being built about 6 inches higher than the right one and in between these 2 segments lies the bus stop! So, if lesser mortals like you and me have to take a bus, you have to cross a road, stand on that thin strip and hope that you don't get crushed from the vehicles that speed by on either side of you! (see the pic!) What is worse is the criss-cross of these vehicles (typical indian road scene) from the right to the left, leaving you praying to God to save you for one more day!
It is nothing but horrendous planning by the authorities that has resulted in such chaos and no, there are clearly no signs of better days ahead.

5 things that life away from home taught me....

2009-03-26T08:28:00.000-07:00

5 things that life away from home taught me and how I have fared in each of them!

1. Do not borrow money: Hmm.... so Shylock wasn’t really giving gyan to his son when he was leaving home for a foreign land. Shylock’s words “never lend nor borrow money” are really the mantra to live without any hassles!
How much have I been able to live with this sound advice- well pretty badly….I still owe a lot of money to a lot of people and yes some people do owe me a lot of money!!

2. Take everything with a pinch of salt: Now, as a kid I took everything for a face value. I mean I believed everything as I was told (almost always!) It takes a while to sense that everybody is out there to get the best deal for themselves and put their own selves in the best light….so there is some truth and some false in everything! (like I said, almost always!)
How I fare: I am still learning the art!

3. Get Independent: Life away from home does teach people to be independent. The simple reason being that you have to pay your own bills, manage your money, handle the plumber and the electrician on your own and at times end up going to the hospital on your own! You take your own decisions, choose your own house, room-mates everything!
How I fare: Very well indeed!! I am certainly a pro in this!

4. Adapt to the situation: If you miss home food, you simply wont get it! It is as simple as that. You learn to live with whatever you have which actually is a big lesson for life! Moreover, when you live with strangers or friends or friends of friends you simply accept and adjust a few things and compromise on the others. If you don’t, well it is going to be hard time for you!
How I fare: Well, pretty good.

5. Home is where the heart is: Living away from home brings the priorities of life into perspective. It just makes you realize how much important home, family and close ones are to us. The warmth, food, love- everything becomes a very cherished and important part life and we look forward to go home as much as possible. The initial anxiety to experiment and survey independent life invariably shapes into a desire to be home!
How I fare: I would love to be home anytime, any day any moment!

16 and still counting!

2009-03-23T08:08:00.000-07:00

Most people (even those who know me) say that I am not at all a people's person! However, I beg to differ. And here is why. Apart from the friends and relatives that each of us proudly displays, I have another list to boast of! It is the list of all the girls that I have lived (shared apartment, hostel rooms etc) with for last 9 years. And yes, it is a pretty long list! The list is important in the context because, had I not been a people's person it would have been absolutely impossible to have survived a decade of 'away from home life' with people of myriad backgrounds from across the length and breadth of the country! When I first stepped into the hostel way back in 2000, I virtually left my cocoon to swim in the sea of people of myriad backgrounds, beliefs, languages and perspectives. Since then I have gone through the phases of initial hesitation, gradual acceptance to the current 'way of life!'. I have certainly seen it all. With each of them I have had differences of opinion, fights, moments of delight and sorrow. There have been times when we have stuck together in difficult times, supported each other in stressful hours, helped and relied in times of need, bonded like best buddies, shared clothes, played same sports, partied on the weekends, cooked food etc etc... What has been more interesting is that I have had the opportunity to live with a punjabi, a tamilian, a kannadiga, a goan, a bengali, a girl from MP, an andhraite, an Oriya, a Bihari, a Mumbaite...phew! and yes irrespective of how my relationship with the girl was, my experiences with them have certainly expanded my horizons and given me a peek into their unique customs and traditions. Some have parted amiably while some left with bitter tales behind them but one thing which remains true is that each girl has left an indelible mark in my life making me more mature and tolerant and adding dimensions to my perspectives. So, here goes a toast to all those 16 girls who have formed a slice of my life and have contributed (knowingly or unknowingly) to my growth as a human being!

I got the power!!

2009-03-11T11:25:00.000-07:00

Ever since I turned 18, I have this desire to exercise my power! Unfortunately, I have never been able to do so even once because since the time I turned 18 I have been living away from home. Living away from home for last 9 years, in different cities made me busy in things that would have otherwise be taken care of by my parents and then there were studies, projects assignments and deadlines to take care of. So, basically, cutting a long story short, I never got a chance to show my might! This year however, I had decided that come what may I will not miss this opportunity. After all its once in 5 years that I get this chance. So, I steeled myself to go through the tedious bureaucratic process, long queues and disinterested babus. So, I started with the first step which surprisingly was easy or at least made easy by the amazing team of jaago re! (which provides information on various forms, registration details, dates etc.). Then, I took all the required documents (which included 2 simple forms, an address proof and an age proof) to the designated office. Now, while I was still grasping my surroundings and preparing myself to spend hours in the decadent office, one babu called me and very politely inquired about my business at the place. He (may there be many more like him!) analyzed my form and helped me by taking it to his colleagues , speaking to them on my behalf and lo! my job was done in less than 15 minutes! As I thanked him and came out with the receipt in my hand, I was smiling because finally I have the power- the power to vote (what else were you thinking!) and in the coming elections I am going to exercise this power! Are you going to do just the same?

For all you folks who still havn't got themselves registered. It is very simple. Visit www.jaagore.com for more details. The website is really helpful for first timers.

hope and little sugar

2009-03-09T23:12:00.000-07:00

I wanted to start my first post with something nice and positive because in all the negativity that we live in today, a little positive beginning does not hurt. At the same time I didn't want to be preachy because I know there are a lot of others to do that. I just want to recount a small story here that occurred a few months back. One evening as I was walking back home (which is a 10 minutes walk through the market area), I saw a young mother of two trying to keep the attention of her kids away from the mouth-watering pani-puris being sold near by. Needless to say, the young mother was poor and did not have enough money to indulge them in this luxury. However, she made a frail attempt to go to the shopkeeper and hand him the whatever little money she had to buy her kids their desired food. The shopkeeper refused and the teary-eyed children and the embarrassed mother came back to where they were sitting. As I witnessed the scene, I debated what I could do for them. For a minute I thought that I can buy the children some stuff but the thought of doing something in front of so many people deterred me and I walked past them but the eyes of the children could not take me more than 10 steps away from them. I went to the shopkeeper and handed out a 10 rupees note and asked him to feed the kids.
The happiness and elation on the face of those kids told me that it didn't matter what people around me think, it didn't matter where I was standing. All that mattered was those grateful eyes of a mother and the content faces of those children.

It doesn't take a lot to make people around you happy. It took me a mere 10 rupees and 5 minutes to give happiness to some people. I know there is a lot of anger, dissatisfaction, negativity and selfishness around us but its not that bad only if we keep hope and add a little sugar to the lives of people around us.