Movie wid Mommy

Movie with mommy.. sounds pretty much like the show, Kofee with Karan!! U bet! It was just a couple of days back when I fought with my prolonged illness to go for a movie with Mommy, Dad, and my lil bro. He is not as little as you think he might be after reading this. The movie was the latest bollywood flick, Jab We Met. One of the primary reasons for my wanting to watch this flick was that it was directed by a director whose name has just slipped out of my mind. I guess its the holiday mood thats hitting me and I am unable to recollect silly things. Argghhh... before I digress from the topic, let me come back to the movie. I can put it as one of the finest ones that I have seen. Looks very close to the heart with some fantabulous acting prowess displayed by the leading actors. To be honest, I have never liked the two... Shahid and Kareena. But there was something too good in this moview. Shahid, with all his recently gained maturity, impressed me with his charm which is still there, much after the movie. Not to forget, his dancing skills which were tapped to the maximum. Then there was Kareena. I liked her bubbly , chirpy madness which I feel, was the highlight of the movie. Overall, it was a typical flick..old wine in a new bottle sort of a thing. But then the freshness of the movie is what charmed me the maximum. A must watch, I must say!

Back Home

Great being back home amidst fun and frolic after what seemed like an eternity to me, 10 months to be precise! Things have changed in my hometown to an extent which baffled me a lot, I must say. Miss the old laid-back place. Nevertheless, its simply fantabulous being back!! Yippee!!

Che Guevera - the icon of socialist revolutionary movements

Motorcycle Diaries - an autobiographical book by the great revolutionary, Ernesto "Che" Guevera. This is the story of the journey of Guevera alongwith his friend, Alberto Granado through South America and how these two youngsters realise about the vagaries of the life of the poor. Its about the development of Guevera's political outlook and can very well be said to be the foundation of what is referred to as one of the biggest revolutions in the world.

Inspiration or Plagiarism

With all apologies to the music director Pritam..

Check out two of his tracks from the movies Darling and Bhool Bhulaiyaa. They are called hasaye bhi .. and labon ko.. very alike. I know every music composer has a style of his own but then this is outrageous. The same tune, the same melody, only different lyrics. Can we call this piracy or is it just redundancy? Can someone plagiarise his own creation? Rather , would that qualify as plagiarism in the first place? A question that needs to be answered.. I guess a better option would be to make sure that each composer gets to work only for fixed number of movies.. At least that would prevent repetition..whaddasay?

Something that really touched me..

The other day, one of my colleagues mailed me this poem when he got to know about my strong liking for words that rhyme..Needless to say, its an amazing one! I loved it and so here it is..

Strength and Courage

It takes strength to fit in.
It takes courage to stand out.

It takes strength to feel a friend's pain.
It takes courage to feel your own pain.

It takes strength to hide your own pains.
It takes courage to show them.

It takes strength to endure abuse.
It takes courage to stop it.

It takes strength to stand alone.
It takes courage to lean on another.

It takes strength to love.
It takes courage to be loved.

It takes strength to survive.
It takes courage to live.

The Soul Of My Life

Music is the soul of my life. Melodies and heart-touching lyrics stir up the most genuine of emotions in me, enough to sustain for a long time, if not for a lifetime. What I am speaking would probably make no sense to any sane person but that’s what the case is.. the intangible feeling that music generates in me is something too inexplicable. These lyrics, the melody, the tune has permeated into my senses to a great degree. It is the reason for my seeing the silver lining to every cloud. These have become so very much a part of me that its because of this music that I feel complete..that my life seems beautiful. Some melodies are like the people we meet.. they come into our life and make it complete. But they are as elusive as the rainbow after the rains, as the sand on the seashore that I try to hold in my hands. I try to hold on to every single pleasure that I derive from this but I realise its ephemeral. Such is the irony of life and the melody that evades within..

A forwarded mail

The other day, I got another of the forwarded mails on my office id. And I was terrified reading this mail. More than terrified, I felt pathetic about the entire episode of a Bangalore based call centre employee being raped and murdered by a fake cab driver. One thing that I fail to understand is why cant these girls use their brains before a taking a step towards unknown danger and lifelong tragedy? Its not that they are to be blamed wholesomely..its of course the wicked f*****g guys who treat women as nothing more than an object for satisfying their physical urges (bloody sex maniacs that they are) but then at the same time, its also true that girls forget about the issues that they can face trusting unknown people. That’s one side of the coin. There are another set of victims who fall prey to the people they trust, mostly their boyfriends. Not to forget abuse at the household which is all the more tormenting. Its time the fairer sex raises their voices against the rising crimes and of course, the society has to be with them in this.

Arise and Awake!!

A lot of things that I wanna do..

There is a whole gamut of things or activities that I have been wanting to do. Sadly enough or giving credit to my inherent laziness, I havent been able to do any of those. In fact, I have lost a lot of the energy and the ever-spurting enthusiasm that I used to have..shucks, man! I need to regain my self and become the real me.

1. First and foremost, I want to get back to my original self and start writing the way I always used to. Not that I dont write anymore but my thoughts on my writing isnt that great anymore.
2. Also one thing that I would want to do is revive my painting skills(amateurish, but still..who cares)!
3. Make some name and fame(guess the moolah comes alongwith) and certainly in an unconventional way.
4. Give way to all the tensions in the(my) world.
5. Find out time the way I used to for Rotary (didja ever tell ya that I am a member of Rotary Club??)
6. Umm..what else?? Do some extensive reading on Marketing - my first love.
7. And last but certainly not the least, join a gym.. get rid of those flabs(reduce somewhat if I cant get back to what I was a year back). Have made enough excuses now :(

Phew!! That was some scary list..hope to start on with it soon. Cheerz!

When dreams shatter...

What happens when dreams shatter? It leaves you with much more than just an ache. Yes..dreams which you have nurtured since from time immemorial, probably ever since you could think sensibly..when they shatter, well, the pain is just beyond measure. And the pain glorifies when the realisation dawns that there isnt much that you can do about it. I don’t quite like talking about failures, mine or whosover but then this time its different. A little too frustrating probably that I felt only writing it down would easen things a wee bit, if not wholly. The longest dream that I have had in my life seems to have sunk without a trace and I have had to forego ir for reasons – some mentionable and some not so mentionable. But I guess this is what life is all about.. giving away your dreams for the people who matter the most. That’s what is the beauty of the life that we live.

Stupid ramblings

I love a lot of things which go unmentioned in our lives.. and they constitute my thought process for some part of my routine day at work when I don’t have much work to do..thats when I try to stop my mind to wander aimlessly but sadly enough, it does!!!
Currently am thinking of Caramel Custard, Chocolate Fantasy and the like.. not to forget going home and sleeping away to glory..blab blab blab

Everything you desire..

Another of those genre of books as Chetan Bhagat's much coveted Five Point Someone, Everything you desire is a story spanning across the 21 months at IIM Bangalore. Written by Harshdeep Jolly, an IIM passout himself, this is his debut into the literary arena. And its a decent read..I must say! Not as interesting as Five Point Someone though but definitely a better read than most of the other books of the same genre. I felt the author made it a little drag towards the middle giving unnecessary details about literally anything and everything that happens in IIM. Could have been a much better read had the author thought about these finer points. But still, a time pass read!

Chak De...

Last weekend, I checked out the latest Bollyywood pot boiler Chak De casting the King Khan. Going to the movie with my Kunal was a reminescent of those days back at home when we never missed a Shah Rukh Khan flick. As kids, we were totally fascinated the aura, the enigma, and the charm that oozed from his persona. It all started with Baazigar, if my memory doesn't fail me and ever since me and Kunal were a li'l more than awed with his acting. Though of late, I am sure we have also been damn critical of his over-the-board acting skills and over-confidence. Anyway, I don't wanna get into those intricacies now. What I want to write is about the movie, Chak De India.. It sure has appealed to me a lot more than I expected.

Honestly speaking, I didn't expect this off-beat story to click the way it has. And for a change, its not just because of King Khan but due to a combined effort of all the new actors.. the way the regional features have been portrayed is certainly worth appreciation. The vernacular touch sure made the movie pleasurable throughout and needless to say that this was one movie in long times which I found to not too stretched. Well, umm, I would rather not mention anything more about the movie. Its better to check it out for oneself and then will share the same opinion as me!

Office Office

A week away from office at home would have sounded exciting to me as well but that wasnt the case last week. On bed rest , not able to do anything is certainly not a very exciting propostion for me at anytime..but whatever it maybe, the reasons were terrible. I was on exile from work , thanks to the acute pain in my pain and of course, my doc's strictest advice to be on bed rest.. I did nothing..And that nothingness really screwed up my otherwise-hyperactive mind and body.. For a change, I thought it would have been more at peace had I been at work..All I did was sleep like anything and not to mention the constant state of deliriousness that I was in..I guess the medicines have taken their toll on me.. I am in office today, much against my will and the movement that my body is permitted to.. yet, this busy feeling and work is relaxing my nerves for sure.. I guess anyone can figure out that I am rambling not because there is a need to but for the heck of it!! Who cares anyways!! As long as it calms me down...

Roger Federer has done it. He has equalled Bjorn Borg's record of 5 consecutive Wimbledon titles. Once again, it was Federer defeating the French Open winner Rafael Nadal, for whom winning the ever-elusive Wimbledon remained just a dream. It took Federer a marathon 3 hrs 45 minutes and 5 sets to listen to..Game..Set..Match!

Chup Chup Ke..

Not the movie.. I am talking about the song.. the song from the movie Bunty aur Babli..an amazing piece of soulful music sung in the mellifluous voice of Sonu Nigam. Man, I love this track! I have been listening to this song for the past half an hour or so and it reminds me so very much of my days back in the hostel in Bhubaneswar. That's where I had seen the movie with friends and hadnt liked it much..but this track, there is something about it that has a calming effect on me. Finally, a two-day old continual headache seems to be disappearing.. In fact, there was a point of time when me and my best friend, Jeet wanted to do some similar con acts sans the romance, of course..The craze lost its fizz in a few days but the memory is etched in my mind. Cheerz!!

Infosys acquiring CapGemini???

IBM has acquired PriceWaterhouse Cooopers to bedeck its consulting business and now the news is that Infosys is contemplating acquiring the European Consulting Major CapGemini to rake up its consulting business unit. It seems Infosys is finally going shopping spending the billions it has pooled in the past. But the question is something else? Is the deal feasible in first place? Infosys - would this Indian behemoth be able to acquire a company as diverse and widespread like CapGemini? Not to forget that Infosys' turnover is $3.1 billion as compared to CapGemini's $10.35 billion. Whatever may be the case, the very rumour of this acquisition has made the CapGemini's stocks go bullish. The only thing is that if this deal materializes, Infosys will surely succeed in making a mark in the international business market.

Googliness

You can make money without doing evil – says the first Google truth which holds the essence of the company started by Larry Page and Sergei Brin. Google India has been voted as the third best place to work in 2006. As we wonder what makes Google have a workplace the way it has, several things come into the forefront. Things like a great work atmosphere wherein work is coupled with breaks to suit oneself do enhance a person’s efficiency. At a place where the employees are supposed to possess what they call “Googliness”, the culture is that of blending work with life. The BW cover story “Workplaces that make you smile” highlights some of the features that make Google one of the most coveted for workplaces. The most striking feature of this company is the diversity that is present here, both in terms of culture and previous work experience. Smartness, passion for technology, and optimism for working towards the future are the criteria that are sought after in a potential Google employee. In fact, Google India has bolstered up the recruitments in India. So all those potential and wannabe Google guys, remember just one thing, it’s the idea that has made Google the place that it is.

Books I read

The Kite Runner – Khaled Hosseini
Khaled Hosseini’s debut novel, it is a brilliant piece of reading exploring into human relationships. Friendships, love, life, understanding – it has it all! Its about a young boy Amir, living in Afghanistan and his varied experiences in life that go about making the person that he is. It is in fact, a heart-rendering story of Amir’s friendship with his father’s servant’s son set in the country which in the process of getting destroyed. This epic tale speaks about the relationship between fathers and sons, between friends, betrayal, and finally, redemption.

Daddy-Long-Legs – Jean Webster
I picked up this book wholly on a friend’s suggestion and needless to say that I loved it. Its is charming story of a girl, Jerusha Abott and her life at school and college. Very unseemingly though, it is sweet love story and that’s certainly revealed only at the end of the story. The letter format makes it simple and an interesting read. These are the letters of the young girl, on the brink of womanhood to her benefactor who in the end, we get to know, is the person she is in love with.

The Mayor of Casterbridge – Thomas Hardy
A tragic story of a simple farmer, Michael Henchard, and his relationship with his daughter, I loved the emotions brought to the forth by Hardy. Once again, he displays his literary genius with this novel. I had picked up this novel solely for the author and was very impressed with his style of writing as well as the story. Rightly regarded as Thomas Hardy’s best tragic novel ever.

Q & A – Vikas Swarup
Again , it’s a book which I picked up on my friend’s suggestion. The story is very well written and has a touch of sarcasm and tongue in the cheek humour. It has all the elements that can go in the making of a typical Bollywood flick – love, revenge, betrayal, action, violence, suspense, thrill et all. The use of technical jargon and sophisticated language makes the story more gripping and somewhat melodramatic. Inspite of this, its is one of the most touching stories that I have ever read.

Jonathan Livingston Seagull – Richard Bach
It is a fable presented in a novel style. About a seagull learning about life and its different faces like self-perfection and self-sacrifice. It has a very philosophical and metaphysical touch. Basically, it makes you exemplify your talents and then reduce the shortcomings to a miniscule dot to achieve more and more in life.

The Old Man and the Sea – Ernest Hemingway
Another fable in the novel form, the old man and the sea has had many interpretations by critics. It is a sort of battle between an old, experienced fisherman and a giant marlin said to be the biggest catch of his life. One can also see the relationship between the teacher and student i.e. the old man and Santiago.

The Alchemist – Paulo Coelho
No specific reasons why I chose to read this book except for the fact that it was in the best seller list for quite a long time. That’s how I chose to read this fable which urges a person to follow his dreams and is guided by the Alchemist in his journey to find the treasure. A nice read!

Five Point Someone: What not to do at an IIT – Chetan Bhagat
An amazing story of three friends and their lives at IIT. Fantabulously told and made comic to the very end. Again, a must read!

The Namesake – Jhumpa Lahiri
This book is what I would say, a little too hyped up. Its about the perpetual identity hassles faced by immigrants. They try to maintain as well as get rid of their identities from their roots and in the process, they end up leading a life of internal and societal conflicts. Such is the character, Gogol in the novel. I personally enjoyed the bitter-sweet relation between Gogol and his father. A very poighnant depiction of Indians in the US.

Tuesdays with Morrie – Mitch Albom
I had heard a lot about this book before I actually read it. Refreshingly fresh and original, Albom has succeeding in creating an endearing novel which strikes a chord in the hearts of all who read it. Again about Albom’s relationship with his teacher and mentor, Morrie.

In the Name of Honour – Mukhtar Mai
I was aware of the media buzz involving the gang rape of a Pakistani woman named Mukhtar Main and that’s the sole reason I picked up this book once this came on the stands. After having read this book, I feel that this lady deserves all the respect and admiration one can ever get. IT shows Pakistan as a barabaric country where women are assaulted, beaten, burnt, and raped just to settle down scores. I liked the book inspite of the fact that it was not so well written as Mukhtar Mai’s unsophisticated words were translated and this book was a result of that.

Catcher in the Rye – J. D. Salinger
Essentially a narration by the protagonist, Holden Caulfield, this novel is a scandalous depiction of teenage frustration and sexuality. It was surrounded by controversies all the time for its overt use of issues like prostitution, alcohol, indecent language etc. Overall, a good but a very depressing read!

The Indian Youth of Today

The youth of today is not what we would expect them to be.They arent the types who would loiter around squandering away their parents' money. For them, getting settled is of utmost priority. No longer are Engineering and Medicine the only preferred careers. Career options like law, journalism, management etc are the more sought after than ever before. The youth unabashedly accepts of not being caught up in the vagaries of smoking, drinking and other ill habits. It has absolutely no qualms for accepting that it believes in the existence of a Supreme Power and fate. We have a majority of the youth agreeing to their parents' choices as regards to everything, be it a career option or the person to get married to. No longer does the youth wants to escape the responsibilities of the family or should I say the joint family. Doesnt all this seem so very different from the previous generation. It sure does! The youth is not carried away by superfluous things and wants to rethink the very essence of its life with its family.

Not just this, the aspirations of the youth has jumped by leaps and bounds. They are no longer satisfied with the simple pleasures attached with the 9 to 5 job (Its almost non-existent these days). The youth doesnt mind stretching himself/herself beyond what he/she can sustain as long he is making it well in the performance appraisals and also swap companies without attaching any emotions to any company. He wants to do a lot of social and developmental work alongwith the day-to-day job. At the same time, he doesnt mind leaving abroad for higher studies or for better options. In fact, I myself, know quite some people who have or are in the process of immigrating for the sake of better options. A lucrative career is the thing that is most coveted for by today's youth.

We see that the youth of India is today is making it big as far as the carrer is concerned but the sorry state of affairs is that India is still one of the poorest of nations and doesnt have much to offer in terms of the conditions of living. Can that be changed? Well, it would surely need a lot of revamping to be done to the existing systems.

All CEOs should blog

Blogging is a new fad in India..gaining immense popularity among the youth. People enjoy reading blogs and more often than not, regard of them as something meant only for entertainment. The general perception still remains that blogging is an activity done by morons (read jobless people) or the IIT-IIM deadly duo nerds. Seldom do people realise that there is more to blogging than just entertainment. I would say its a right mix of infotainment. Yes ..thats what I am talking about...using blogging to popularize business and perform other important work.

Business blogging is something which is creating news in the States and Europe. The companies use blogging not just to fetch customers but also to retain them by improving their brand image. This is the power of blogging which Indian companies havent seemed to realise as yet. There are hardly a few blog-savvy companies and corporate people in India. And even a lesser few who are of the view that blogs can be used by any business, big or small, to reap benefits from them. The CEO of a very famous website in India firmly believes that all CEOs should blog because it not only brings in customers but also helps in building up or strengthening an already existing image of the company. Indian companies have to change their mindset towards blog and thats going to help in bringing in a lot of good to the Indian business scenario.

My trysts with Vikrant and the AC

Vikrant and his unfaltering love for the AC is an important ingredient of my office life. One might wonder whats the connection? Well.. its like whenever Vikrant is, so is the AC or should I say the other way round (with no offence to the brain behind the Hutch ad saying "wherever you go, our network follows"). There are at least 11 occasions (dont really know why I have that number) each working day where there is a tussle (a smiling one though, thanks to the Vikku Bhai's cheerful and radiant face). Such incidents add humour and spice to our otherwise boring and dull life at the office. Not that we dont enjoy our work or something like that, its just that things are so very different from my previous company that it has actually taken me some time to adjust to the newer surroundings. But such titbits do make the time at the office a little laughter filled and days-go-by...

Life ke side-effects

Wandering from place to place has become the latest addition to my list of roles and responsibilities at my job. Yeah, thats what it is..my machine has gone for a toss. It failed to perform anything that would let me continue with my work. For the past 5 days, I ve been looking out for machines which are unoccupied so that I can work. Right from my senior's machine to the conference room and finally to the server where I am actually posting this...the journey has been quite something. Now that my machine is undergoing some treatment in the ICU (its being formatted), I have some free time at my disposal.. All this did unnerve me at some time but at the end of it all, its a nice experience... hee hee! There I go again..starting of on irrelevant things at the most relevant times.. My senior says, I have a good attitude towards problems. I take them in my stride.. Man! That was quite some boost my lost morale..U might as well ask me why a lost morale.. well, things havent been too great in my life... I stand at crossroads in my career and wonder what to do! Each day passes with a hope that I am making the right decision.. God, help me! I read sometime back, we put an order for what we need the most in front of the Almighty and also give him the requirements... well, he does listen to it! Does he relally listen to our incessant ramblings? So why is it that my prayers are going unanswered? God, Please listen to this poor soul who is petrified and lost in this mortal world.

India's most admired people

Power to influence, prominence in media, and leadership qualities were the parameters for conducting an opinion poll to find out about India’s 50 Most Admired People. The overall scores showed Amitabh Bachchan topping the charts followed by S-S-S-Shah Rukh Khan and then “Bengal Tiger” Saurav Ganguly. Sonia Gandhi emerged as the most admired lady followed by Aishwariya Rai and Sania Mirza.

So what is it that makes the Big B the most admired Indian? Why is it that he is still able to give the young lot a run for their money? Its his charisma and unfettered charm that extends beyond the 70 mm screen. He is undoubtedly the Big Badshah of Indian celluloid. Not to far behind is the K-K-K-King Khan. He is all that Big B isn’t. What I mean is that “modesty” is certainly not his middle name. A little more grounded to the earth and he would have definitely been the most coveted for actor of the tinsel town. Nevertheless, he has been able to woo the audiences with his charm and histrionics.

There are others who feature in this list..people who have made it really big in their respective fields – Anil Ambani, L.N. Mittal, Aishwariya Rai, Barkha Dutt, Narayana Murthy and their likes. A noticeable thing about the list was that more than 25% of the people featuring on it were from the tinsel town. The others were from the fields of sports, politics, business, and a couple of media persons. Sadly enough, no one from the intelligentsia..no one from the academia. Where are all the great and talented writers and artists? Is the common man inspired only by people from Bollywood or the national craze – Cricket? Do people like Medha Patkar or an Amartya Sen do make a difference? Does anyone know about the contributions of these people? What happened to people like P.Chidambaram and Jhumpa Lahiri et al? It is a very sorry state of affairs that we think of entertainment tycoons as the most admirable personalities. Not that I don’t enjoy watching movies. In fact, I am quite a movie buff myself and love to unwind myself watching some flick. But then I really am not too inspired by them and certainly don’t think that they are the most admirable people. I do think that people like Medha Patkar, Jhumpa Lahiri, Barkha Dutt et al have given a new face to Indian women. Ah-well.. I am already sounding like a hard-core feminist and so I feel it would be wise to stop now.

The Pursuit of HappYness

The other day I was watching this movie starring Will Smith-The pursuit of happiness. Boy oh boy !! Did I like the movie? Well, needless to say, I loved it...I loved simply everything about..it was so very close to life..real not reel. The problems in our day to day lives were put across so beautifully. A thoughtful movie indeed! But the movie just didnt end within the stipulated 2 hours. It left in a deep contemplative and pensive mood. I started to ponder about things in my life. What I perceive as happiness at a point of time changes completely after sometime. Then everything seems so very vague and lost. It would be needless to say that life makes me follow different dreams...having achieved one, I start in the pursuit of another one. So I am the mortally petrified soul seeking happiness but never contended with whatever she gets. I guess that quite very well sums up my motto..ALL I WANT IS EVERYTHING..tough and practically impossible, aint it? Yeah, even I realise that but then arent dreams the beginning of the reality? They surely are for me. Phew! Looks as if I am suffering from something which could be called "Verbal Diarrhoea".

And guess what, this afternoon I was reading Mitch Albom's Tuesdays with Morrie and there I go again. It added on to my reflective splurge into life and happYness. Gawd! Do I need something else now? There is a part in the novel which I really liked..Here it goes!

"Life is a series of pulls back and forth. You want to do one thing, but you are bound to do something else. Something hurts you, yet you know it shouldn't. You take certain things for granted, even when you know you should never take anything for granted. A tension of opposites, like a pull on the rubber band. And most of us live somewhere in the middle."

I fee so much truth in the above written thought. I really do!

depressing and sad

As I posted the previous post, I just realised how depressing I have started to sound in the past couple of months. 2007 has sure been bad for me till now. Is this jus the prelude to something I dread or just what I dread...I fail to comprehend..

I wish...

Its a strange feeling that I am going through. I seem to be having a what-you-would call a normal life but then it sure is incomplete. Things seem vague and meaningless at some point of time. I fail to understand the reason as to why I have this weird feeling but I guess I am yet to delve into the innermost recesses of my mind to figure that out. That sounds complicated, doesnt it? I know that as well. I am basically missing getting the emotions , I feel. Emotions that would drive away all the tensions that i go through day in and out. I wish I could just turn back time and get away to the period when I led a protected life sans all the problems and issues that one can ever come across. I wish I could just get back to Mom and Dad and feel secure as I once was..away from people and the hurt that I was feeling each time I was expecting something from these so-called friends and well-wishers. But then I realise, good ol days are gone and reality transcends onto me in the most cruel manner. I wish... (would continue on this once I am done with the work I do for my bread and butter)

An all time favourite

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fLp63WBV-Ic

A few good quotes..

Authentic marketing is not the art of selling what you make but knowing what to make. It is the art of identifying and understanding customer needs and creating solutions that deliver satisfaction to the customers, profits to the producers and benefits for the stakeholders.
Philip Kotler

The customer is not a moron. He is your wife.
David Ogilvy

If the circus is coming to town and you paint a sign saying "Circus Coming to the Fairground Saturday," that's advertising. If you put the sign on the back of an elephant and walk it into town, that's promotion. If the elephant walks through the mayor's flower bed, that's publicity. And if you get the mayor to laugh about it, that's public relations. If the town's citizens go the circus, you show them the many entertainment booths, explain how much fun they'll have spending money at the booths, answer their questions and ultimately, they spend a lot at the circus, that's sales.
Unknown

What helps people, helps business.
Leo Burnett

Advertising is the art of convincing people to spend money they don't have for something they don't need.
Will Rogers

few of my favs..

YOU VE GOT MAIL... Roy Orbison

Dream, when you're feeling blueDream, that's the thing to doJust watch the smoke rising rise in the airYou'll find your share of memories there

So dream when the day is throughDream, and they might come trueThings never are as bad as they seemSo dream, dream, dream

CITY OF ANGELS... Goo Goo Dolls

And I'd give up forever to touch you Cause I know that you feel me somehow You're the closest to heaven that I'll ever be And I don't want to go home right now

And all I can taste is this moment And all I can breathe is your life Cause sooner or later it's over I just don't want to miss you tonight

And I don't want the world to see me Cause I don't think that they'd understand When everything's made to be broken I just want you to know who I am

And you can't fight the tears that ain't coming Or the moment of truth in your lies When everything feels like the movies Yeah you bleed just to know you're alive

And I don't want the world to see me Cause I don't think that they'd understand When everything's made to be broken I just want you to know who I am

I don't want the world to see me Cause I don't think that they'd understand When everything's made to be broken I just want you to know who I am

Wanderlust

I was back from office and a few social obligations... meeting up a friend even when I barely had the stamina to romp around after my usual hours at the office. Meeting up people when you want to spend sometime alone can be such a pain in the neck. Its not that I detest socializing or something like that...In fact, I am more of a social animal than an introvert as I already might have sounded to be. But then, there are times when I feel the necessity of being all alone..to myself.

As I moved back to my apartment, I wondered what was it that I wanted to do. I realised watching a movie would probably hush off my long-existing issues. I headed for the nearest DVD store and picked up a couple -- Erin Brockovich and New York Waiting. There is a reason for me picking up the first one.. somebody complimented me on having the similar determination and grit as Julia Roberts in Erin Brockovich. That sufficed to trigger my interest to watch the movie. And the second one...well, that was something I picked up by my instincts. A romantic affaie..the movie was way ahead of being just another romantic mushy love story. It illuminates the effects of lovesickness and wanderlust. Sad, intense and sensitive- thats what I would say about this flick that I saw.

Even after watching the movie, I really couldnt cheer myself up. Thats when I treated myself to a smoke and some lovely intoxicating music.. I am just imagining myself in what I would call the beginning of a low phase. Hopefully, I get out of this soon.

The Big Bad World..

As I get to my work as every other day, I sit at my workplace basking in the glow of the compliments of the people around me. Now thats something that can be credited to my new makeover...not a major one but certainly a welcome change. I got my hairstyle changed and lo.. there was a downpour of compliments from people I expected and also from people I barely speak to. But at the end of it all, there is something else on my mind.

Are looks all that matters? I presume they do because till date, we still give a glance to someone who is looking great. But no... I am digressing! What I am trying to put across is the notion that looks help people go a long way. Is it true? I sit...I ponder ...and I do think there is an ounce of truth in it , if not a tonne of it! I have seen my classmates using their external beauty and their charms to their advantage during the placement season. Something which is so academia gets a touch of bias based on external features. I dont blame them .. i guess its the fault of the teachers and the corporate people who actually make the students believe that this indeed is the easy way out. I am sure a lot of people will agree with me when I say that making it successfuk isnt anymore just about having good academics only.

I just hope that this doesnt remain the case. For as I learn the games of the corporate world, I realise its a lot more than just talent. I just hope I dont join the bandwagon and move ahead on the basis of my hardwork and talent rather than any other ancillary things.

Subah Subah...

Subah subah yeh kya hua
Na jaane kyun ab main hawaon main chal raha hun...

Listening to these words does give a spring to every step that i take. I was walking down the hill from my place to office this morning and had plugged in my handsfree so that I could enjoy some music on the radio. They were playing this song and needless to say, it made my day! The music, the lyrics , the rhythm...everything is so very refreshing. Actually, one needs to listen to feel the soothing effect that it has!

Wish life was as pleasant all the time!

A nice piece of reading...

The story of the painting, The Last Supper, is extremely interesting and instructive. The two incidents connected with it afford a most convincing lesson on the effects of right thinking or wrong thinking in the life of a boy or girl, or of a man or a woman.The Last Supper was painted by Leonardo Da Vinci, a noted Italian artist; and the time engaged for its completion was seven years. The figures representing the twelve Apostles and Christ himself were painted from living persons. The life-model for the painting of the figure of Jesus was chosen first.When it was decided that Da Vinci would paint this great picture, hundreds and hundreds of young men were carefully viewed in an endeavor to find a face and personality exhibiting innocence and beauty, free from the scars and signs of dissipation caused by sin.Finally, after weeks of laborious searching, a young man nineteen years of age was selected as a model for the portrayal of Christ. For six months, Da Vinci worked on the production of this leading character of his famous painting.During the next six years, Da Vinci continued his labors on this sublime work of art. One by one fitting persons were chosen to represent each of the eleven Apostles; space being left for the painting of the figure representing Judas Iscariot as the final task of this masterpiece. This was the Apostle, you remember, who betrayed his Lord for thirty pieces of silver, worth in our present day, currency of $16.96.For weeks, Da Vinci searched for a man with a hard callous face, with a countenance marked by scars of avarice, deceit, hypocrisy, and crime; a face that would delineate a character who would betray his best friend.After many discouraging experiences in searching for the type of person required to represent Judas, word came to Da Vinci that a man whose appearance fully met his requirements had been found in a dungeon in Rome, sentenced to die for a life of crime and murder.Da Vinci made the trip to Rome at once, and this man was brought out from his imprisonment in the dungeon and led out into the light of the sun. There Da Vinci saw before him a dark, swarthy man; his long, shaggy and unkempt hair sprawled over his face, which betrayed a character of viciousness and complete ruin. At last, the famous painter had found the person he wanted to represent the character of Judas in his painting.By special permission from the king, this prisoner was carried to Milan where the picture was being painted; and for months he sat before Da Vinci at appointed hours each day as the gifted artist diligently continued his task of transmitting to his painting this base character in the picture representing the traitor and betrayer of our savior. As he finished his last stroke, he turned to the guards and said, "I have finished. You may take the prisoner away."As the guards were leading their prisoner away, he suddenly broke loose from their control and rushed up to Da Vinci, crying as he did so, "O, Da Vinci, look at me! Do you not know who I am?"Da Vinci, with the trained eyes of a great character student, carefully scrutinized the man upon whose face he had constantly gazed for six months and replied, "No, I have never seen you in my life until you were brought before me out of the dungeon in Rome."Then, lifting his eyes toward heaven, the prisoner said, "Oh, God, have I fallen so low?" Then turning his face to the painter he cried, "Leonardo Da Vinci! Look at me again for I am the same man you painted just seven years ago as the figure of Christ."This is the true story of the painting of The Last Supper that teaches so strongly the lesson of the effects of right or wrong thinking on the life of an individual. Here was a young man whose character was so pure, unspoiled by the sins of the world that he presented a countenance of innocence and beauty fit to be used for the painting of a representation of Christ. But within seven years, following the thoughts of sin and a life of crime, he was changed into a perfect picture of the most traitorous character ever known in the history of the world.

hate #^^&*^*(%%#@#^$%$@

Oh! How I hate this uncertainty that prevails in almost everything that goes on around me. Its this monotony of having things about you to depend on others that makes it all the more pitiable. All these incidents wherein I am subject to the whims of people whom I barely know and sometimes I dont know at all make the situation plaintive. Why is that I have to be dependent on a person for something inspite of the fact that I am the one who has to go about making efforts for the same?? I fail to understand this ...this irony of life!!

BOOBOO

This is BOOBOO... funny name, I know!! Well, he is the reason of my unconditional happiness once I am back home from the tiring and monotonus humdrum of my office life. I love him... he is really cute and has a Big Mouth...ha ha ha !!

WoRds

There can be two things in life. One- you let your heart rule over the rationale mind and two- following what your heart says, irrespective of the fact that its right or wrong. I fail to realise at times, which is better. I think...I muse...I ponder...but the dilemma still prevails. I haven't been able to figure out what would give me the long-elusive happiness and peace of mind.
I guess I want to break free. Free from all the bonds-- the bonds of obligations, the bonds of the society and all.. For once, I want to follow my instincts and follow them wherever they take me. I want to believe my heart. I want to just not think about the consequences and do something I have always wanted to do.
This is the right time for surging ahead with my unfulfilled thoughts.Oh my!! I wish it was easy! Just doing things your heart says and not having to think about its pros and cons.I want to feel the joy of letting my heart rule. But then , am I asking for too much? Am I being too selfish? No. I am not. All I am trying to do is just be the person I am without any complexities, inhibitions and without the fear of losing.
And you know why all this is happening? Essentially because of my own feelings, my desires, my wishes. I want to hear.. want to read..words which would brighten up my life. Words that would turn even the most gray of days into the most bright ones. Words that would make even summer seem like spring. Words that would give that "zing thing" to every step that I take.Words that would change the meaning of my existence....Words that I have been longing to hear!!

The real me..

Hmmm... almost 2 weeks since the last time I blogged. I really dunno what has been keeping me tied up but then for the first time eve, things havent been too good ever since I have come down to Pune. I dont feel the zeal to write , the way I used to since the past few days and the reason is inexplicable. I wish I could help myself. But then certain things are beyond your own wishes...what I have thought is that I am gonna start being my same self. Otherwise I am really going to hate myself for having changed into something which isnt the Real Me..

Reason...

Yeah..as I had said I would be writing about this person with whom I had a nice journey from Pune to Berhampur. We actually started talking to each other pretty late into the 30 hour journey that I had. Probably the reason being that both of us skeptical to break the ice. I had this gut feeling that I had seen him somewhere though I didn’t remember when and where. Finally after he told me that he is a student in XIMB, I realized I had seen his snap in some of the snaps that Jeet had shown me as few from the JLTs that they have. There are certain things for which I would remember this journey and this guy as well! The things that I would remember are:

Ø The oldest kid, Anisha shouting twinkle twinkle …into my ears at the top of her voice just because Manas asked her to.
Ø Anisha eating up half of my snickers…booo hooo hooo and me not being able to do anything.
Ø Manas devouring the newspaper “Mid Day” in the initial hour of the journey.
Ø Me and Manas handling kids all day and watching Lage Raho Munnabhai with them on his lappy so that the kids remain silent – A mini theatre.
Ø Me talking a lot to Kaushik , to door-karofy the initial boredom.
Ø Me about to miss my train on the Vijayawada station because of my looking out for the AS 1 compartment and Manas pulling my leg constantly after that.
Ø Me and Manas having an enriching conversation about careers today especially MBA and the pros of doing it at the so called “right time” standing at the door of the compartment.
Ø Manas running out of the Vizag station to get ciggies and also getting a storehouse of junk and the lady beside us actually thinking that he had gone out for the latter.
Ø Me having toblerones, snickers, dairy milk and ferrero rocher throughout the journey.
Ø Smelling nappies all day and night!
Ø Meeting CB after more than 6 months at the Secunderabad station early morning and eating Dairy Milk.
Ø Manas showing me the amazing snaps of XIMB and his b’day party and dance videos so that I don’t sleep off.
Ø The whopping number of coffees that I had in the journey.
Ø Not to forget, me relishing my chicken biriyani on the first night and Manas staring at it continually like a glutton.
Ø Me, Manas and the lady having a nicey discussion about MBA, married life and not to forget saas-bahu serials and kids at 10 in the night.
Ø The other guy trying to get really nice to me and he trying to pull Manas down all the time… had a ball of a time seeing 2 guys hitting back at each other with vengeance.
Ø Me thinking about going to CCD – aha, how I am missing that!
Ø Manas and me finally having a nice talk just before reaching Berhampur – a discussion that didn’t make much sense to me. What I mean is that a guy speaking up so much about himself in just a single meeting.
Ø Me reminded of Situ just because of the way Manas spoke and carried himself.
Ø Surprisingly enough, Manas asking me right on my face if I am single and also saying that he has broken off from a year old relationship.
Ø Me and Manas discussing about a common aim of setting up a small and part –time business of content development once done with out MBAs.
Ø Discussing life in XIMB and common friends – Anurag, Akhil, Anunay and Jeet.
Ø Manas confessing that his initial impression of me was that I was a Bengali and a person heavily into reading et al.
Ø Manas requesting me for some toblerones which I couldn’t deny.
Ø The bachas crying incessantly throughout the journey and Kaushik asking me to shut them up , rather to ask them to lower their volume.
Ø Dad giving me 1000 and 1 instructions till I reached home.
Ø Discussing places like Pune, Shirdi, Bangalore, Vizag and the backwaters of Kerala.
Ø Manas striking up a conversation with a guy and he offering him ciggies which seemed like heavenly manna to him at that point of time.
Ø The 10 month old boy staying more with me rather than his momma and the 4 year old girl becoming Manas’ GF – he he he !
Ø Manas asking me if I would have pulled the chain to stop the train had he missed it on the Vizag station since I was his co-passenger.

There is a lot more that I can write about my journey but then the most important fact that holds true was that I was missing something.. I wish I knew what exactly was I missing. Still, I would remember this journey as one of the most enjoyable journeys that I have had in my life.

Pune to Berhampur

Voila! The day was finally here and I was going home after a span of a little more than 4 months. It was for the fast time that I was this far from home and that too for such a long time. Not to forget the fact that I was gonna go back home from job… The journey started off on a rather disappointing note. In the sense that I had gotten used to the busy schedule of my office to such an extent that I could barely imagine myself not doing anything for around 8-9 days. Though this was what I had been wanting for the past few days. I boarded the train and was a wee bit dejected to see a couple of mommies around with 4 kids and a guy who seemed to merge a lot with the ambience. Kids ranging from 10 months to 4 years, well, this journey was gonna be something. I thought! I love kids , playing with them et al but then having to be with 4 at the same time for the next 30 hours did scare me a little. I was all geared up to fight this. I took out my novel and started reading it with all the attention that I could ve in the midst of what looked like a mini crèche or something like a play school. I was reading this novel "In the name of honour” by Mukhtar Mai, a latest bestseller which is creating waves across the world. very oon, it was supper time and there I was, savouring my biriyani. Thanks to the aunties and kids around me, I had to catch up with some early sleep. Did I mention that half of the time, I was busy talking to a friend, naa I didnt!! I woke up really soon as compared to the general standards, at around 7. Hyderabad station was due in half an hour and I had to meet my college days ka friend, CB. It was really nice of him.. waking up early on a sunday morning and coming all the way to meet me. I just couldnt figure out what I could do after that, so I decided to get into a mid-morning siesta and I climbed up to the top berth. As I did so, I realised something strange that the guy beside me, who had been chatting almost all night was sleeping with his head and legs interchanging sides quite a number of times throughout the time that he slept. I woke up during lunch time and played with those toddlers around me. Not to forget those long conversations with Kaushik. Well, this is when my cell got switched off and I had to resort to people around me for some conversation. The guy in red ... now starts our interactions. There are certain things that I observed about him, that he slept like a hog and that he was amazingly good with the kids. Seriously, even better than me!! As we started talking , we realised that we had quite some common friends and a few common ambitions. Amazingly enough, theres so much for me to write about this sweet-bitter rendezvous that I think it would be better if I talk about it in my next post. Anyways, my journey wasnt all that bad!! In fact, a very different one!!

The Zahir- A story of Love and Realization

“The Zahir” meaning ‘the present’ or ‘unable to go unnoticed’ is one of the best works of Coelho. The novel has both spiritual and philosophical touch to it. Its about this man, the protagonist and his quest for discovering his own self. It centers on the narrator-a best-selling novelist’s search for his wife. Having enjoyed all the privileges that a man can, thanks to money and his celebrity-hood, he realizes that his life is now confronted with some of the most unpredictable questions. Esther, his wife for ten years has disappeared from their home and immediately he is suspected of foul play by the authorities and the press. Unable to comprehend Esther’s inexplicable disappearance, he is forced to re-examine both his marital relationship and his own life. The narrator has questions aplenty which have no answer. Was Esther kidnapped or did she decide to part ways with him after having a failed marriage? Eventually, his only link in Esther’s disappearance is Mikhail, his wife’s friend. Then the narrator starts his journey- his quest to find out his wife. Like Coelho’s other stories, this one too focuses on journey. During this journey, he discovers a lot about life and love and its various faces. It is then that he realizes about his obsession for his wife, rather than his love. All this does make him a much more enlightened human being who is continually traveling in the pursuit of his dreams. Man can fulfill his own dreams and destroy them too. That’s exactly what the author tries to and in fact, successfully portrays in this beautiful novel of human emotions and continuous enlightenment of an individual. The narrator understands the worth of what he had long taken for granted only after losing it to time and is left without an answer to his questions.

More to add to my favourites...

More of my favourites... a lovely coffee , fire n ice, sparks and not to forget, a lovely moonlit night by the beach!! How I long for a holiday!!!

Things that make me happy!!!

Yeah.. these are few of those things that make me happy... babies or kids, coffee with the people I like and of course, walks in the rain...

I love my life!

Almost midnight and I am actually lost in my thoughts... thoughts that wander past everything.. i wish I cud actually give words to my thoughts!!! I was thinking about what makes me happy...
I love the fact that I am going home after 4 days. I love the cutie pokeman character that i brought... I love when I dont let people talk and I keep on talking over coffee... I love when my flatmate cracks amazing jokes. I love it when I listen to my favourite songs... I love it when I get to dance for my favourite songs.. I love it when i see people smiling due to me, even if it is at my silly antics... I love my li'l brown skirt. I love the walk that I went for the other day all alone. I love this time when I can actually see the moon shine its way into my room through the transparent window panes.I love the chilly winds of the Pune winter. I love a lot of other things which I cant put into words and would rather not mention on this public forum. I really am loving my life.. I am!!

GAmuT oF EmOtiOnS

Life finally seems to settle down in Pune. I have my old friends coming over one by one. Suman is here and my weekend was as different as it could have been. I wanted to have my friends around me so that I could speak my heart out whenever I felt like.Bhatia and Gandhi are here and their presence is definitely a good thing. And very soon, Sanchari is gonna be here. That would mean good ol times coming back like a whiff of fresh air....

Strangely enough for me, I ve been really choosy about being with people ere in Pune. I fail to understand the reason of my scepticism, why I dont feel like meeting new people. Strange coz its so very unlike me! An extrovert that I am! But then , I guess its all due to the few cases of deception that I ve had to face ever since I ve moved outta home. Old friends are there and eventually, there are just a couple of new ones in the last four months that I ve been in Pune- Vrushali and Kaushik. Somehow, I can be myself with these two, without the fear of them being judgemental. Not to forget the amazing sense of humour both of them are endowed with. I love the late night talks with Vrushali the most and the coffee sessions with Kaushik. That at least does add some zing to my otherwise monotonous life.

I find solace in painting and writing(blogging to be more precise). Thats what i ve been doing in the recent past. Peace is what I seek. I go through a gamut of emotions regarding my life. Jus wish I would be able to clear up things soon. The bottomline , I believe, is my loneliness. And I dunno whats gonna help me get over it. Maybe a vent for all my feelings... Amen!

Amazing reviewz

My Boss has just sent my storyboard and its much better than the first one he reviewed a little more than four months back. He had been quite exasperated reviewing that one. Luckily, that isnt the case this time. He has reviewed my storyboard and that is something which I expected out of it. The comments that he gives seem so obvious when I am reading it now but why dont they ever seem that obvious when I am boarding myself?? I guess this is the way I will get to learn about the intricacies that my job needs. And you know what, I have kinda started to admire my Boss all the more with each board of mine that he reviews.Seriously, I really wanna think on the same lines as he does. And God only knows how many years thats gonna take me! Whatever it may be, I just wanna look into the things, rather storyboards with the same finesse and perfection that he does!!

Sach Hui...

Pyaar dekar tune mujhko dee hai tune zindagi
tu mila hai to mila hai mujhko har khushi
teri nazar main jabse
lee hai panaah is dil ne
tabse yun lagne laga ....

Lovely words, arent they? These are the from a song of a latest hindi flick that I saw. Very different from the ah-so-typical hindi movies that hit the screens. The words touched an innermost chord in my mind. So very expressive and yet so implicit. I am sure anyone who listens to it will feel the same as I do...