Saturday, April 26, 2008

Pune पुणे

Likhna hai.....kya likhoon......kya bacha hai.....kya tha.....hmm......lets see agar kuch mil jata hai.....

Let's talk about my recent Pune visit -


  • Well, I may not be the best person on insights on Pune , but would like to share my experience .Visited Pune,for the first time for the -second round .
  • Stayed at a place very near to the railway station - Shivaji Nagar. First thing noticed was - No helmets !! Speeding vehicles zooming in from every corner. Chaos ! 
  • Girls or to be more refined - Females, wearing a "Refined"version of a "Hijab"(Kattar muslim women wear to cover there head). Almost all are clad in this .Top it all,they wear glares..so,no scope left to see the faces !! 
  • There was a reason for wearing one - Pollution and protection against Sun and Dust !! Accepted !
  • Next,a word called as " Peths" was doing the rounds. Peth is the general name for a locality in old Pune..some female said ! Some of the Peths are named after the days of the week. OK. get it.
  • On recommendation visited , Dagdusheth Ganpati & Shanivar Wada ! Liked them !Went to FC (Fergusson College to meet someone ).Nice college. !!Ate vada-pau & (िचवडा). 
  • All familiar & popular food chains like Pizza Hut, McDonalds, Subway, KFC, Dominos, Pizza Express, Smokin Joe's etc have their presence in Pune..why not !!
  • Hinjewadi was a personal favorite. Peace and serene.All in all a good limited exposure !!




**

PS -  This is one of my first initial posts when I started writing and sharing . Now, when I look back in time , gosh !! I have traveled a long distance and the journey has been really special - because of dear readers like you  . Thank you !

**

Friday, April 25, 2008

Our Mother - The Earth

Yes ! She's the one who actually handles you and gives you whatever you need.
Ever realised , what did she asked in return from you ? NO.
Who has the time to even give a thought about her needs.......So,busy.....we all are...so alone she always was.

How many of us recall that we recently celebrated EARTH DAY ? EARTH DAY - WHAT'S THAT ,dude ? Was it a holiday ? Never heard about it ?

Poor you.......This what we call sheer lack of concern.Ask you when is the next Indo-Pak cricket match...bang comes in the reply

Earth Day is held every year on the - 22 April . REMEMBER IT THE NEXT TIME.

What were you suppose to do ? Virtually NOTHING . Practically EVERYTHING.

From Tokyo to Togo, to the flagship event on the National Mall in Washington, DC and 7 other U.S. cities,from Kuwait to New Delhi, millions of people around the world were united behind a Call for Climate, the "global warming action" theme. Hundreds of events were popping up all over the globe and April 22 would be a memorable Earth Day,they said. Everyone would be asking people to call their government and urge significant and equitable action on climate change.Every individual was asked to play a role of a lifetime.

What can you do,now ? You as in INDIVIDUAL ? A LOT . They say charity begins at home so why not start from YOUR home.

OK.So,what is it that you can do !?

Start with the easy ones...Just 1 thing.....as of now....

Reuse your plastic shopping bags: use them as trash so as not to buy others that are more energy wasting; use them for storage.
Use paper bags rather than plastic bags when you are given the choice.
Use reusable grocery bags, which always have a lower environmental impact.

Just this one step of the many would go in a long way to save our earth.

LETS SAY NO TO PLASTIC.

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

......HOIST THE SAILS!

Four billion years ago
Our lonely Earth
Set sail on cosmic seas
Guided by an unseen hand
Of nature, God or chance.

As life evolved
Through endles eco-cycles
Man was born, destined
To destroy or enrich
the Precious Ship.

And now his hand
Has seized the tiller
But his ear has not
Yet caught the Captain's
Quiet command.

The sails are down, the ship becalmed,
Its fragil life at stake.
No longer do we ride the gentle swells of
Silent seas and breathe
The fragrant air.

Broken are the rhythms
Of our cyclic plants
And other living things.

But now the Captain speaks again
Our quiet thoughts at last reveal his voice.

"Hoist the sails, Earth Man.
Set them for celestial winds.
Hold the tiler firm,
The course ahead is clear."

Be He nature, God or chance
His voice is heard
And we shall heed
The Captain's quiet command.

~Anonymous

Thursday, April 24, 2008

Birthdays - Either you remember before time or next year on time !

Costa Coffee ....on of my deary places....as they say a lot can happen over a cup of coffee....remember. A LOT.
Kind of a make-break situation.... :-)

Sunday evenings are usually free , so was out with my gang.....abridged in number....was enjoying my regular one ....and then...

A couple ( according to me when A men and A women are together for a coffee cup better to call them as a company rather than individuals )....came in. Looked like it was there usual rendezvous.

Since, light travels faster than sound,people appear brighter before you hear them speak.

Acha.....so,they sat somewhat next to us and even before the AC could cool them off...she started......."This is the second time in two years .You missed it again ."

Generally,its a "gandi-baat" to listen to people's talk, but when they say at "surround" sound's the ears catch them .LOUD AND CLEAR.

Thought,he missed it again by not asking her father about there future. :-)

(...Apne beti ka haath mujhe de do...Uncle.....aka Future FIL .....Plz.......)

But,NO.

Galat Jawab. He missed her birthday.......and by how many days......
of what I heard....by 2 minutes.....

Pat came the reply....." I messaged you at 12 but,somehow never reached .

Oh brother....the door bell or your mobile phone will always ring when you are in the bathroom......Same with your birthday message.

"So,it never got delievered"- he WANTED TO ask...On this she said-"there is something called as delivery reports".

Oh my......somebody help this poor soul out.....kya hua....agar late ho gaye toh.....atleast he thought in his thoughts about her and wished her "happy birthday". So,what if the message never came.....This is direct dil-dil link.

NO.This is next-gen. If you miss you loose.

Birthdays are important.I agree.More important to wish also.But,does it really matters if you're late....may be genuinely late.No second chance. WHY ? When you say you understand the opposite person more than you do then why a pinch of time-lag nicks the relation that critically. There are times,when people don't remember there own birthdays.These are the people who remember "your"Birthdays. Religiously. But,galti toh ho jaati hai. Most important thing is wishing from your heart. Even if you forgot or you're late ,make a point to wish . This will be more than "wishing on time".

What say....this is what I follow.........or rarther started to follow after a few heavy doses :-(

And, the next time you message make sure you call.That's better & safe.
Atleast you have the right to say I gave you a call which got termed as a "missed call". Your Job done.

One call once a year....not a big-ticket na......to rekindle the relation.

And I'll like to add . DON'T MENTION THE WORD - TREAT . Come on . Are you that hungry to get one. Your job is to wish "janamdin mubarak" . FINISH. No hopefulnesses !

Rest,the birthday person is healthy enough to ask you if would like to have one.


Let me remember -- who's birthday is coming.......hmmmm........still time..........

Jab "they" Met

First came a call ....then a wedding ecard......next the sweet box......?? Foxed ! I was !

But,not for so long.I figure out things quite fast.QUITE,indeed. So,my good old "bat-ball" friend and my Big B was getting married ! I thought since it was April,so I may be heading towards becoming a -"Bakra",anytime. But,its not always true what you think. So,hold your thoughts ..

Yes.He was.How could he ? So soon ? ok ......not that soon.....but still.......

So,the next question or rather conformation was "who's that girl" ?? You never know when people say...No. No girls.Its a....... Better left than said.

So,it was her.....yes....yes......I remember....but,how did this all happen ? So soon ?

The story goes back to one of my deary places - Rajasthan ! [Whenever you in India ,do visit this state.....and for those who are here....whatz kiboshing you ? ]

Raj(aka Rajnesh) met Rashmi at one of our trips to Jaipur.The place where we stayed was near her home. Sometimes,it just get clicked....for no rhyme or reason. They saw ,he asked ,she was a bit hesitant but,it had to.She agreed to take us through a "guided"tour of the city.And yes.....we loved the city and he loved the guide. On our last,day we visited her home.....Ok......The parents were somehow brought into the network......(you see Indians are very good at-"jugaad") :-)

Look who's saying...

Met them at there place for lunch.....yummy it was....before leaving handed over some token of thanks and LEFT.

That was it.

NO.I was wrong.In this "mobile" + "e-world" nothing is impossible.The numbers and emails had already been exchanged.They were on the others gtalk/messenger's list. Wow !Now thats fast. !

So,after trying and talking for almost 1+ years.....Raj said...Lets get it done. I asked so,where's the girl from..( see I hardly remember )..He said you know her.I was like....Ok.....let me check my database.

No results found.....So...now what. He said its "that" girl whom we met at "that" place ....... ?~

Oh.....oh......ho......Sheeee....... How come? When ? Why ? ....all ????? (remembered)

He said....."bus ho jata hai"....and I didn't want to say....."Kaash"

You see,there very few people...who take this much of [risk]....they talk,they try,they work out...and yes-they made things happen. Sometimes,it's better to say your feelings rather than ponder over and over thinking - I know - The answer is "NO".

Be positive,give your best ,in a refined manner and never know when you might be sitting next to your someone and getting clicked !

It happens in a fraction of a second and faster than you can ever imagine.

So,before the train leaves....share your thoughts....so,that you have less "baggage" to take home.

Khama gani.....Rajasthan Padharo....


[PS-Her little sister who is now a Docotor was really cute.And what more she gave me Rajasthani "kadaai" shirt.]

Wednesday, April 23, 2008

ARMY - THE TRUE WAY OF LIFE

I have always respected the people who serve the nation. These are the really heroes.
On my way to Mumbai, I had the privilege of sitting with a Major who was travelling to meet his family. He was impressive,as they always are. We shared some good thoughts and he narrated an incident to me of his army training days.

He told me that in Army training you get up at 4 am and do your shave. EVERYDAY. uddi baba

Once,he was on top of a hillock for some activity work where he thought no one would come to check .Also ,his commanding officer was not in at the base camp. So,he thought lets LEAVE THE SHAVING TODAY.

Little did he knew what awaited him .In the noon , a chopper having his CO AND GOC-C came to there camp. Everyone was called in. -See this is what happens when you think you're so smart.-

The CO asked the Major why he hasn't shaved . He was mum.
The CO told him to get a stone ( not a "pathar") and bring it in. Major went out ,bought in the stone .The CO ordered "rub this on your face" till I the time I think you're done.

People,you're quite "enlightened" to infer what happened. His face was bleeding,marked by severe rashes and cuts.PAINFUL TO THE CORE.

The Major told me that was day and till today NO MATTER WHAT HAPPENS,WHERE I AM ,I ALWAYS SHAVE REGULARY & religiously.NEVER HAVE I MISSED IT.

Huh !! people like me should learn something....I was speechless...because I HATE TO SHAVE.
Gosh ! now this is what only ARMY CAN TEACH YOU .

Jai Hind !
Proud of our Army !

RELATIONSHIPS



Many of my "personal"gang members always come up to me and say -


"Yaar - Ek ladki hai.Bahut pasand karta hoon.But she's a Muslim". END.
"Dost- There is a project manager of mine whom I really like.Only problem is she's too OLD. (agewise) .She also likes me,but ,kambhakht age ! I am 6-7 years younger to her. END.
"Karan-There is someone whom I met online. Chatted ,exchanged numbers and now,we great friends.May be we can settle down.But her parents want to her to get married this year.I need to do my PG and will be in a positon to say yes ,after two years only . END.


These are just some of the taglines people use. If you take a look ,evenly,all these stories....ok.... relations have ENDED.


Why ? What happened ? Where did it went wrong ? What will happen now ?


Huh ! Lots of questions.....


See,it all depends upon you ! You're the ONE who started , who felt happy, who spent time with the other and now you're in a deadlock. So,any easy way out - YES . BAHAR AA JAO. END.


No- it might seem an easy way, but rest assured one of you is going to loose.One of them would cry.One of them would even die.One of them would never be the same again.One of them would never feel like talking to the other one.


WHY ONE OF THEM ? WHAT ABOUT THE OTHER ? WILL HE/SHE go off that easily.May be,but,not that easily.The pain will be there,so will the memories and so will be the BAD moments. What caused all this severe sufferings........yes ! You thought it right. Its YOU.


Had you been clear,focussed and true to yourself this wouldn't have happen ! We get into the sea and let sea swim us around. WHY ? Atleast try swimming......why always yes to everything...say NO sometimes ....


These relations are very fragile.If you loose from either ends they break.if you hold them so tight,you get cut. YES.THEY NEVER HEAL.NEVER.


So,remember what you want.What you look for.

No matter what caste/creed/religion/ages/locations you're different..try to be true to that ONE PERSON YOU WANT TO. People make and give judgements so quickly that life's get changed even before time changes them.


So,people,say your heart out to that PERSON whom you feel like talking/sharing all your worries ,whom you feel that IF HE/SHE IS WITH YOU YOU'RE COMPLETE.DONT EVEN THINK OF ANYTHING ELSE BUT THAT PERSON.MAKE / GIVE REASONS THAT MAKE YOUR "YES" MORE mighty THAN YOUR "NO".


Say na say na....whatever you wanna say....dont be chup-chap.......because - SILENCE KILLS .AND YOU LOOSE.


Difficult to tell what loving is like; Impossible to tell what missing is like; May you never miss whom you luv & may whom you luv miss you always.


Nature has given you a face. But, you have to provide the expression. Be careful! Your Each Expression will leave an impression in others heart.......

Parents.Who am I to say....ANYTHING

An associate of mine at work- Suparna,recently,left home ! NO.She didn't got married ! Neither was she planning to do sometime soon :-)

She needed someone to talk and there was - Karan .She had a terrible argument with her parents over some issues ( you can guess....the problems of our "NEW" next-gen people).

And she did not bow down.

Instead said all she could to her parents and made them feel as if they were nothing and she no longers needs them now.Out they can go.


What did I suggest ! ? Ha.....I gave her a tight slap....No.I felt like giving one.

I just asked her one thing - DO YOU LOVE YOUR PARENTS ? She took app. 3 minutes to answer.Can you imagine -I saw. This was the real problem. She lost it.


How can / could one require TIME to say -I love my parents.

I just wanna say that -THEY ARE EVERYTHING. NO ONE IS LIKE THEM NO ONE WOULD EVER BE ONE LIKE THEM.

The real problem was as always communication. If you dont talk / share truly ,then better shut up.She wanted to express / say something to them,realised lets leave ,said something other and chaos...what occured !

Always remember parents are NEVER WRONG. THEY MIGHT BE A LITTLE ILL-TIMED , BUT,THEY ARE ALWAYS RIGHT. YOU MAY NOT BE IN A POSITION TO nod your head to what they say / said, but,over time you would be the FIRST one to approve of them.

So,NEVER fight with your parents. NEVER argue.


Saying Sorry won't kill your 10 years in this short life.

You always loose to them.ALWAYS.

So ,RESPECT AND LOVE BECAUSE IF THEY ARE NOT THERE THEN YOU'RE NOWHERE.

Hope to see the change soon.....sunrise is what I prefer.

[What about Suparna]- YES.She did say sorry. She cried.She learnt. That's what matters !

Vikrant and or may be H.

Vikrant aka Viks is a friend of mine.Got through an Architecture College in Delhi.

Facebook came in.
He joined the newly formed community of his new college. Interacted with some fellow members and SENIORS or "baapji" as they are called.

Liked a senior who happens to be smaller in age than him.

Sit down.Chill ! Just 1 year.

H-->Harpreet -

He got confused so did I. Punjabi names are baffling ,sometimes.

She's a girl !
He initiated the talk ,started talking about here and there and ENUFF.
She thought that he was so desperate to be a friend of her's and pat came the reply !

I am your senior and......STOP !

Poor Viks......what wrong did he do if he wanted to talk to her , have friendship with her,may be help her in someway....all pious thoughts.......he initiated ,he added,he talked...and did all possible things he could ...but,all went for a SIX !

Ah ! It Sux - such is life dearies...people ( GIRLS ) take you wrong here many times ! I never seem to understand -WHY ? What's the matter girls ?

If we(men) don't initiate, you get angry,if we don't talk, we get fired up,we dont scrap/poke/message you ,you delete us ....WHY poor "us" ??

Viks....asked for my "gyaan" .I was straight. If "H" is not interested then FAIR. Neither be you.

He got it right ,this time.A beautiful friendship which may have started was cut into pieces.

At the end - THEY DONT TALK NOW.ANYMORE."You never give 3 chances to anyone...then why "H" ,he said. Agreed bro.!

See this is what happens. Life is short and friendship is forever. The better you realise the cool you're.

Little did - "H" knew that Viks was already engaged to his..........I can't tell.....see she just lost a GEM. Poor girl !!

PS-Had some seniors from her batch who gave some bad reports about her to him."Panga galat le liya"-he said. This also added in the decision making.

See your batch backfires on you..........

VARANASI ( Banaras ) - The city of ' thugs ' until Modi ji wins

Many people would fume over the title - I did.But,this is a FACT.

Commonly known as Benares or Banaras  /  Kashi city , lies where the Varuna and Assi rivers,in its north and south, respectively, flow into the river Ganga.



Ahilya Ghat by the Ganges - Varanasi
Came to the city for some personal work and the first impression what I got was - 'LOOT MACHA DO'.


The main culprits of this "title" are the 'auto rickshaws and cycle rickshaws' folks . They charge what they feel like.They instantly recognize that you're an outsider & so 'LOOT LO'.

People from the un"glamoured" parts of the country come here to work.But,they have actually degraded the city . They argue with you and yes , they wont bow down that easily.

WORST PART is you just can't travel without them.

The roads are all bloody red- HOW ? Because of the world famous "BANARSI PAAN" . People eat this 24*7 ,spit and then again eat . The roads are the best places to do the honors & and then there is traffic - ONLY HORNS - from all sides.

No riwaaz of helmets .Stray dogs & cattle's travel with people , feet to feet. Gosh ! Its all crazy.

Now the good ones.

When you are here , some of the must visits places include : 


  • Old Kashi temple ; 
  • New Vishwanath temple at BHU ; 
  • Durga Temple; 
  • Sankat Mochan ;
  • Buddha Shanti Stupa &  
  • BHU Campus


Varansi has atleast 84 Ghats . A boat ride costs only a INR 50 , but, people or "MAJI'S" as they call locally will charge you INR 350-INR 500 may be 1000. Give them a tight fatka and then'll you'll enjoy the ride. Ghats are unclean.All the litter is thrown into the holy ganga & its better to see the ghats from a boat than to make a personal visit.

Must watch is the ganga aarti in the evening . Its divine & really good !

You'll find more tourists then Hindu's though  :-(




Food is usual. For shopping - the famous Banarsi saris and suits made by Muslim weavers. are something out of the world . 

The best place to stay in Varanasi - is the  The Taj -Nadesar Palace .



Others like - The Ramda Inn, Surya , Hotel Shalimar , Clarks , JHV Mall ( where you have McD ) are all located in the posh area of Varanasi Cantt  . Safe and secure place. 


**

On a lighter note , I have high hopes from Narendra Modi that when he contests the Lok Sabha elections from here in 2014 not only will he win but will also make sure Varanasi starts its journey of development and progress . 


**

Thugs means  . 

Nights - Is it really dark outside..... ???

Now this is for our aam junta.....Bole toh Public

Nights - RAAT...
I know.....many things stirke in and out of your mind....the second you here the word - NIGHT.

Aaj ki raat,night outs,raat ka nasha........and and......list goes on.

But,there is more to Nights just as there is another sky above the blue one.

In todays "Kalyug" thing have change ,so have the nights. It's lost its "original charm" and regained the "not so wanted" status. In India,things are always ahead.Be the minds,the thoughts and yes,the Nights !

A recent increase in the number of "dark"incidents have let many a think -
IS IT REALLY SAFE OUTSIDE YOUR HOME ?
According to me,DEPENDS. Depends on what safety you are really talking about ?

We can't have Police/armed guards for everyone.Even the ones who have are more in danger than the formers. So,it all comes back to YOUR ALERTNESS or in Indian term - vigilance !

A heavy word....huh....

Some recent occurrences in and around NCR and incidents almost all over India , have made the public think -WHAT DO WE DO ? Virtually-Nothing you can do....Practically ,THER ARE SOME.
People ,especially girls-->are more unfortunates . Well,there are "n" number of safety forethoughts doing the rounds.It all comes to you.
What is it that you think would beseem you the most ?

In general, I suggest -->
Please don't travel late nights in Delhi or anywhere else. IT'S NOT COOL,anymore now!

OK....but what about work/late night shifts/parties.....yes....things have changed.....A LOT.


Recently,after a small sojourn, I reached at 11:10 pm at Delhi Railway Station....metro was over....I had someone to pick me up.......:-)

BUT,what if I had to go alone ? Yes ! Men do get scared.After all humans have become the biggest threat to humanity.

A friend of mine working in Gurgaon has to go back to her place at Mayur Vihar.Everyday.Imagine how scared her family and friends would be !
It's just not safe out there.

Options left-

Bus sevice at 11 pm. NO.
AUTOS - PREPAID OR POST ONES - BOTH THE SAME..
Work Cabs - You know them better than ME.
Own transport - You can drive after a wearing day and be safe...great !!!

--I don't recommend late night journey ,unless you have someone with you.
--If you're out and have no option but,to come late....INFORM...your near ones ....the place where you're going ,friends etc....
--Keep your mobiles charges....more, keep spare batteries
DON'T SEND SMS-->CALL
--Learn martial arts .Tough. :-)
--Peppermint sprays.Handle it carefully.

--If you're driving alone,make sure ,you dont stop at anything but,your destination.

--NO LIFTS. NO WINDOWS DOWN.NO UNLOCKED DOORS. NO GETTING INTO ARGUMENTS. LEARN YOUR ROUTES.

[YES ,I AGREE IT'S GOOD TO HELP PEOPLE ,BUT RAAT KE 1 BAJE IT'S BETTER TO HELP YOURSELF]

--ALWAYS remember the NUMBERS of your nearest police stations /PCR.

I believe in destiny ,so try your best......Baaki........!!

BE CAREFUL WHILE DRIVING. STAY SAFE.

PS- Doing all the above things won't ensure your 100% safety.But,yes,after reading this,it would let you act in a more "watchful" way the next time you're OUT @ NIGHT.

Return Journey !

This was the best part of the trip !
SWARNA SHATABDI -what better way to come to DELHI from Jalandhar than a Shatabdi.
It leaves Jalandhar at 6:05 pm....and reaches Delhi at 11:00 pm.

I got a WS (window seat)yyyiippeee....
But,a short lived one.....now there are two seating types in the train -
row 1 - 2 seats PASSAGE 3 seats
I was in the 3 seats one WS.
When I saw,there was a family of three already sitting down...parents and a "cute"daughter'...thought they had gone but,I also was not safe....cute baby...

The little girl told me "aap wahan beth jao....plz.....I love this seat.....and what did I say....WHEREZ YOUR SEAT,BABE !

It was just next in the 2 one's and yes a WS.
I was more than happy to make her happy!
~was waiting that who was to sit with me in the side seat ~

WAIT !!

Jumpin was served , mineral water,a hot samosa and a sweet from Amritsar's famous NOVELTY SWEETS - old memories sweetly comes by........... yummmy

We reached Ludhiana....old memories,again :-(

and a girl...may be a lady came and sat with me :-) She was wearing this corporate attire and yes- a DELL LAPTOP + N73 WHAT MORE !??
She sweetly said "Hello...I am Avantika.....Would you mind if I use the plug-point given. Now all Shatabdi's have a plug point in the seat passage near WS.So,I said sure.
She plugged her laptop....and started working...:-( :-(
After sometime...she said...ok now can you put the mobile on charging...Aur koi Hukum .

Now it was my turn...after sharing the usual nuts-buts I asked her to give me some gyaan on DELL LAPTOPS AND N73....and she said the full review....It was a good talk....

Soup was served......too salty......and then the dinner.....She was coming from Amritsar after attending a wedding.... OF HER CLOSE ONES .....

bus...aur kya.....she said she has a daughter of 6 months.. Rhea..and I said give her a hug from my side.... :-) Nice journey...the train was fast

The train was on time ...but,it was really late.........post 11 pm and delhi roads..........

Aloha on the Ganges

2021 has been occupying to start with. It felt as if January had 365 days and not just 31 days. Have met some lost souls, some damaged soul...