Taking things for granted!!

In many ways I feel that friendships can take your life to another level. The improvements in your own life can occur if you have great company (not necessarily like-minded). Quite often I feel that and... now its kinda proved that we as individuals do not understand the amount of love and respect we have for others until we know and/or feel that we will not be able to meet and talk to them anymore (like before). We assume that and we take our friendships for granted.

Recently I had to face that harsh truth about life that couple of my friends whom I have known for quite some time now will not be able to have contact with me like before. I would not be able to visit them like before (whatever little contact I had) and I would not be able to have a drink with them (again whatever little time we spent)

Life is an exceptional teacher. We run behind money (applies to most in the IT world), we run behind recognition of our superiors @office and when we are thinking that we are building a career in this, what goes out un-noticed is that we spend very little or no time with the people whom we call friends and time which we used to take to hang out.

I am devastated at this point to know that I might never see them again but I am also happy that the choice made was the right one considering the position. Things will move on and I will get back to the normal (if you can call it) routine of my life. The reason I am devastated is that I never expressed that love for them. In most ways, I am not the person who does that. Hell I cant express how much I love my parents or my sister or my nephew. I guess I am not good at that so why try it. But somewhere it bites me that I should have done it in some sorts. I understand that this is not reciprocated from the other side as well but I think that feeling is very mutual.

Interesting part is the time that would come now. I still remember my first visit to the US where I was all alone and most of the time I would feel home sick. Out here I feel sick of home!! well that would be another story realistically speaking... Anyways... coming back to the point when I was feeling that way, I used to make various calls back home to ensure I had someone to talk to... to relieve my feeling of loneliness. As days went by, the frequency of those calls diminished and by my third visit to US, it had come to a single call when I reach there and a call when I leave US to come back to India. The point being, people would move on in life and knowingly or unknowingly everyone has the power to adjust to the present.
I understand that my friends would probably make a call when they get there or none at all but I cherish that feeling of being there for them and which in this case would be forever.

Love you Bu's. Miss you guys.

Ride my way!!

There are stages in life when you would want something very badly and don't have proper resources... There are stages in life when you have the resources but you don't have the drive to go ahead with your dreams... It has to just come together and come good in order to do what you ever wanted.

Whenever you hear a person that he traveled to the Himalayas where he rode a bike to reach the top... or he drove till Pondy, most of us would wish... damn... why didn't I think about that... or why didn't I push myself to do that... answer is called as Drive!! you just lack it... or worse you are in a denial mode!!

When the CTO of my newly joined company, Manny, told me that he traveled the breadth of the US on his bike along with his son, that made me feel how come these Americans or any foreigners for that matter have so much of free time... The answer is No... they get it DONE!! rather they make free time for themselves.

Ever since my childhood when I first laid my hands on my uncle's Royal Enfield Bullet, I knew what I wanted and what I would be riding when I had the resources. It has been 7 gratifying years on my ride and I have loved every second of it. This point of fact was realized when the CTO of my company pointed out and said... Nice Ride... It was a waft of air which made me realize.. yeah that is special ride that I have... and what all I have done to achieve that. It was not that no one has ever told me or talked to me regarding my bike... It's just that those people meant nothing to me... Mostly people who are surely shattered by the rising prices would question me about mileage or just be impressed and say nice ride!!

Fill it, Shut it, Forget it!! 

It is seriously a white elephant!! No matter how much you feed it... hunger wouldn't die... So stop bothering about the fuel prices... If you wanted a ride which would have given you 80+ kms per litre of petrol, you wouldn't dream of owning a Bullet!!

Keep it neat and clean!!

Either hire a person or do it yourself... but weekly cleaning and bi-weekly polish is a must.

Ownership!!

No matter what you do, even if he is the best friend... you would rather give your life than giving your bike for a ride!! Sorry but that's a fact about most Bullet owners. They do not Share!! You would rather ruin your friendship than ruining your bike!! In that sense I am a little lucky cos most of my friends don't own a Bullet and all of them do not even question me about borrowing my bike!! Thank God for that!!

Apparently the 'Drive' needed to get a Royal Enfield Bullet was always there but it just took some time for me to realize what I need to sacrifice to achieve it. Dreams take long to realize... but once they do... they are really worth it.

Carnatic Music: Not a forgotten art anymore!!

Music is an art form, the elements of which are sound and silence. The emotion that results out of music affects not only the performer, but also in the listener. It is as easy for a person to lose onself in singing, as in listening.
From the ancient times of Purandara Daasa, Tyagaraja and Muthuswami Dikshitar to the modern world of Dr. Balamuralikrishna, Smt. M. S. Sheela and Dr. T. S. Sathyavathi, people who bring this art in to the world as well as practice it are treated with respect. Be it instrumental or vocal, Carnatic music is regarded as the best in the world when it comes to the complex compositions as well as simple subtlety in it.
The origin of music, people say was from the nature. It was amusing to the human mind to hear and mimic the sounds of nature which included the sounds of birds and animals. For example, Imagine a simple tap on the wood by the axe of a wood cutter with equal intervals of time can create “Taala”. Throw in the sounds of birds chirping and you can get the music of the nature. Of the saptaswaras (seven primary notes), each note is said to be emanating from a particular animal. For example, the cuckoo (kokila) sings in the ‘panchama’ and the elephant (pikaH kUjati panchamam … niShAdam bRimhate gajaH). Thus, the various sounds that Nature gave us became ‘swara’s (Musical sound of a single note: Sa-Re-Ga-Ma-Pa-Dha-Ni) hence forming a Raaga which then makes music.
In the ancient times, it was tough for common people to study or seek music. It was the “Pitamaha” of Carnatic music, PurandaradAsa, who simplified the teaching process and helped even a common man attain this peace. Even Saint Tyagaraja’s ‘kriti’s are egalitarian. Our Haridasas brought music to the masses with their kirtanas that were universally appealing.
Carnatic music is sought about these days as therapy also. It is something that people go after to get some peace of mind. Listening to the scores of instruments like a Santoor or Bansuri will definitely calm the nerves. Carnatic music even attracts foreign students (in turn their culture) not only to practice it but to study the various raagas and efficient ways of mastering it. The influence of our culture in Carnatic Music is equally influencing the people around the world as much as the western culture in our society. This is very positive since it makes people of our generation to take the best of both worlds and make it their own. The formation of the Fusion music in which East meets West is one such discovery of this century. Dr. L Subramaniam is one such artist who is more in to Fusion of Carnatic and Western music.
Music Philanthropist Mr. T V Sairam (Mumbai’s commissioner for Central Excise), in his book “Healing with Music” says that practitioners of Carnatic music are fully aware of the power and influence of the raagas as a balm for the mind. He further clarifies that "Some raagas such as Darbari-Kanhara, Khamaj and Pooriya were strongly recommended by ancient vaids for defusing tension of the mind, particularly during episodes of hysteria. Hypertension is another health ailment that responds positively to music. Raagas such as Ahirbhairav and Thodi have been recommended for patients with high blood pressure. On the other hand, low blood pressure is healed with the Raaga Malkauns, believed to have supernatural energy.”


** Special thanks to Parijatha for helping out with the content and proof reading.

The Transition!

As I start writing my latest blog, the room is calm... no sound... The lights and the fan which used to run non stop for an entire day is now kinda confused by the silence... Simba, my dog can never make her wake up at 8:30 in the morning by barking out loud... nor will he see her hugging him or making him eat his breakfast whilst she sits by his side... Things have changed and how... 
Every girl has her moments in life... biggest ones are HER first Love... Marriage... Kids... it goes on... but of course for a girl who is more of a shy & reserved types... Marriage is a huge thing!! This is about one such girl...
I had always thought that this time would come in my life sooner than later that my parents and I will have to get my lil sister married... I didn't know that it would come in such a hurry... Further more... when we started renovating our home in that very time, little did we know that my sis would be engaged in less than a month!! Huge surprise that... Anyways now that the things are little settled, I can look back as the greatest achievement personally to my family that we could hold things together.
She was never a party goer... she has a pretty close knit people whom she goes out with... very conservative... and when she finally thought this dude was the person... we were thrilled... I was happy cos I un-cannily knew when I met Raveendra the first time that he was down to earth, cool... More I talked to him... more did I find out that he is a meticulous planner and executor of that plan... straight forward and easily said... Simple!! Probably never can anyone get a better animal for husband who can be so understanding in their first meet and patience is as if flowing in his blood along with the RBCs!!
So she got engaged in December and we all thought we had plenty of time to get things moving and get things done. Mom being orthodox wanted all the right things at right time... We started planning and little did we know, Raveendra was already planning for things to come after the marriage. I was amazed by the thought process. He rented out a place... while we were getting invitations printed... He was getting his furniture done when we were listing out people to call for the wedding...
Meantime... my little sister was very busy moving all over bangalore for obvious girly dreamy things... make up, dresses and slippers and dresses matching those slippers Jesus whats with girls and matching slippers god knows!! I would rather she did all the same with her would be hubby!! Anyways thats her call to take...
Finally the day arrived and it flew... Little can I remember now what happened those few days when I feel now that I was literally running blind but getting things done somehow. 
Now sittin in the portico I just sometimes feel I should try re-collect some intricate details but i cant... May be thats for another story altogether... Peace out!!

From scratch to stitches and back!!

How does it feel to start a relationship from scratch... Imagine happening the same on a consistent basis... hard isn't it... HE was apparently facing the same...
SHE always used to be pleasant with him... wishing him good morning... smile when he saw her... talk to him when he talked to her... but not the first person to start a conversation... only if she had a problem or only when she really wanted to talk!!
Wanting a relationship always demands patience which HE had that in plenty... So he usually kept quiet about all that was happening... It was really hard for him to reset whenever SHE used to talk to him as if she spoke to a stranger... even when they wud have shared a coffee the previous evening...
All he wanted really was a friend whom he could talk to but one leads to another and HE was now really interested in this girl... but confused at how to move forward..
The conversations that would occur were usually very nice and pleasant and it would be on topics that both would love to talk about. There was once a day when he took her out for lunch and suddenly it started to rain... It didn't stop for the next 2 hrs and he had the most beautiful time which he thought he would remember for his life time... There were many lunches and many coffees hence forward... Whenever he discussed HER with his friends, there were mixtures of opinions... some would say that she was good in using people around her... some would say that she really liked him and he should probably take it to the next level... He was being more patient in letting himself understand this girl better... He would listen to his friends and then he used to sit still thinking about what next when he had an enchanting evening wid her... and then the next day... everything would come crashing down on him...
His friends would always advise him... No one won a lottery without buying a ticket... or atleast having it... dude when u want a relationship... U shud be ready to be taken for granted... Just a test... but HE always used to feel... ok... but how long?!!
The day arrived when he wanted to guts it out and let her know what he thinks and when that came... He went around his place to get her nice gift and then planned to say it that weekend when he met her... She accepted the gift rather in a very immature manner and asked him whether She could give them to someone who could use that... and that he knew was kinda nail in the coffin... When he told her finally... that He liked her very much... she didnt even waste a minute in letting him know that she had a steady relationship with another guy... That was the final nail...
HE still talks to this girl in a very pleasant way but now knows where and how to keep his distance. She... even now tries to get things done from him... only HE ain't falling no more!!

Shraddha - A play that makes u think!!

I feel that a Father and son's relationship is most complex yet interesting... Many of us might feel... guys usually get along with their mothers better than their dads... in most case its true... for all of us... mother always means love and affection... and dad means respect (decision maker in the family)... love will be there somewhere for dad... but we are too shy to get it out and say it loud... I have never done that so I know how it is if you feel the same...
This past weekend... ie on 27th June 2010... I became over-whelmed with emotions to see my friend Vj (Vinayak Joshi - Radio Jockey in Radio City 91.1 FM) direct a play and dedicate to his beloved. This apparently is a national award winning drama. I could relate many things that Vj said through his play... I had taken my parents who had their own experiences played out in front of their eyes... At some point or the other everyone in the room could recognize the character played by Prabhakar Rao as themselves and Vinayak as their Dad. At one such occasion my mother had tears when she saw dad giving money to his son who would be on his way to another city... She remembered her dad giving her money when she used to go to college and I could see tears in her eyes. Since this was the first time I saw a play... I was totally blown away by the artistic thinking and different dimensions a play could give you and make u understand a concept in a simple humorous way. I also loved the video that started the play where two people speak about their beloved dad who are not in this world... very touchy... and the video in the end symbolizes how the generations before us are adjusting to the existing culture and how people are closing this generation gap!!
The song Nischinthanaagabekanthi... is one of the best tracks I have heard in recent times... The theme for the play makes you hum it for a long time... ever so much in the spirits of the message given out by the play...

My Dad always had a soft corner for my sister... Oh how MAD I used to get at that... no matter she being the culprit... I used to always be blamed for it... I grew up hating my sister for this... She had unknowingly convinced my grandparents that I was Ravan!! I somehow started liking being the demon that I was... being hated was easy... being unpredictable was fun!! But then as we grew older... I started feeling that it wasn't that way... people tend to be like that with girls because any given day.. they are not going to stay at their parent's place... they eventually will get married... Not only that we usually lack the maturity to think why people bring in discipline at an early age to children... All is well now... Personally speaking... now... dad and I... sometimes we are together when we pull someone else's leg (usually its my mom or sister)... other times having huge arguments about getting things done... It would always be his pride against my ego... or likewise... Some other times... no time to talk!! Or even if we have a chat its just to the point... and beeep... the phone is cut!! Anyways... I love my sister more than anyone in my life now... and for dad... I have my respects as he is the decision maker!! well not all the time... now that mom is equal in that position!!

Here was an attempt to say to our generation that guys... wake up... stop taking parents or any relationship for granted... well taking for granted to a certain extent symbolizes love and affection... but we do need to put a line to it... I am very thankful to Vj for bringing in this message loud and clear!!

Team - Vinayak Joshi (Dad), Prabhakar Rao (Son), Nakshatra (Prankster), Tejas (Prankster), Ajit Thandur (Teacher), Manohar Joshi (Videography), Raja (Guitarist), Varijashree, Some wonderful tracks from Varun Pradeep (Music Director), absolutely brilliant soul dancing from Umesh (Choreography), Abhishek (Lighting), Arun murthy (Lighting), Sudhee (Cameraman), Siri, Poornima sukumar, Manujunath, Ashish acharya, Pradeep, Shreedhar Rao, Shreevatsa HK, Suraj, Shadakshari, Kiran shreedhar, Bizi Kumar, Rudreshvaraiah, Uma maheshwara, Santosh, Manju, Ahmed, Adda gang, buzzin-town and Joshi Chitra productions.

PS: Please forgive me if I have missed anyone!!

Rayarannu kandaaga!! - Memorable day... (28th May 2010)

Rao actually means "Someone who is in an esteemed position... Someone called with dignity... who commands respect..." I am not saying this because my surname is Rao... Unfortunately my surname was lost when my Dad wrote his name in SSLC exam nomination forms and he became Muralidhar ever since... and my fate was sealed without the surname which I dutifully kept it myself... In-fact 'Raya' meant King... 'Rayaru'(plural form) was what they used to call people who were mostly zamindars or of higher caste!! This was 100-200 years back... now it has become Rao!! and mostly used in South India and Maharastra. For that matter an exception is... Rao Iftikar you can call him South Indian although he is a paki fast bowler... sorry for that poor joke!!

Anyways... this surname thing meant a lot when I talked to a person who was an inspiration to my Dad!! Most of you would have seen him on TV years back... He was mostly playing roles of a politician... or a villainous role mostly.. U might ask whats the difference... anyways... He is elder brother to Dattatreya ('Mayamruga' fame!!) I have never seen a person who can command that kind of respect other than my grandfather... gentle yet very much in control of what he is saying and doing... Suddenly the surname factor hit me...

My Dad used to always talk about his writings which was one of his first few works... "SomaNNana Stockninda" novel (articles) used to be published by "Karmaveera" magazine long back... my Dad being an avid reader that he is... usually would look forward for these articles... This had so much of influence on my Dad that he used to relate/read out certain instances from those articles to me... I was surprised how he could remember... Well.. last month... it was my Dad's Bday on April 23rd... I wanted to gift him something special... unusual... no flowers... no cakes... no celebration at home... nothing that would make him forget that it happened after some time... but something to cherish for a long time...

I started searching for this person back in march this year... worst part was that the publisher of the book had passed away and there was no stock at all... phew... My weekends would always be going around Bangalore searching for this book...then came facebook to the rescue... I somehow got in touch with many people who started my search again... Finally I got his residence number from a friend in facebook Beesu... one of premiere theater and film actor... now co-producer... I started talking to the one and only H G Somashekar Rao!! Such a humble person... at first he asked me many questions but I requested to meet him in person and then answer all his queries...

So on May 29th, I took my Dad who had absolutely no idea where he was going and met SomaNNa in person... Wat a feeling!! I have never seen my Dad so excited and happy... SomaNNa read out some of his newspaper columns for us... My Dad in turn stated some verses from his novel... very impressive indeed considering he never read the novel and all he read were excerpts from the magazine... SomaNNa asked me how did I come to know where he lived and I had to tell him the whole story right from the very beginning... He was over-joyed... When I told him that at one instant I went to a book store I forgot his name as well as the book's name... he couldn't stop laughing... It was an hour long meeting with many many experiences shared...

My Dad got all SomaNNa sir's works personally autographed!! Prob dated as the best gift I could ever think of giving it to him... Now Dad also has SomaNNa sir's residence number as well so that he can call him up anytime he wishes...

I would like to thank Dharmashree, Abhishek SN, Mrs. Indira Sundar (Sundara Prakashana) and finally Beesu Suresh for their help provided... invaluable indeed!!

Le Roi Est Mort, Vive Le Roi!!

"The King is back!! Ajeya... You are the King of this gang!!... The way he carries himself... The way he makes his decisions... He definetely is the King!!" These were the words told by someone close to me... Prahlad uncle. I didnt know what to say really... I repeated... I am the King??!!... then it gives me the power... power to decide... power to be responsible for others... Have I been running away from them... Have I been ignoring them... may be yes... more than i actually know...

This past week... a decision I had taken 2 years before... came back to haunt me... and haunt it did for 3 days... One thing I couldn't understand is that people whom I called friends... who left me high and dry came back and started apologizing for things they dont even remember what they did or why it went so wrong between us... The toughest part was to think what they wanted from me now... what next... why now... why me?! This time I gave it a thought... and boy am I happy with the result or what...

It took a lot out of me in thinking on how to get back... because even this time I had given a mouthful to everyone and I still had the same kind of anger I did 2 years ago... but then Ani came to the rescue... She started simply by stating the experiences we have shared with the group and the happiness... She assured me that she would stand beside me with whatever decision I took... When I had a chat with my mother... she explained me how difficult it had been for her for the past two years talking to people she loved so much and telling them not to visit her at our home just because she feared for me... I lost my hunger listening to my mother... Never had I thought that my decision would hurt so many people... I still had loads of love for them in a corner which I failed to recognize because I was so blinded by anger... I decided to leave my ego out of this and to get back to the people I loved so much...

I called Shatta the day before Nidhi's marriage and I apologized to him... He answered one of my question when he said "You are still hanging on to the reason for our separation while people are thinking beyond it..."

The marriage was a huge success and I finally met all of them... Everyone had one thing on their lips... Glad you are back!! Dhara said... "You are my husband's friend... and mostly people would just be a hi-bye types and mind their own business... even though we have just met just a handful of times... I really like you so much and you have a place in my heart... This again might be because of the way you are!!"

All my life I have thought and practised one thing... All or Nothing... Yes or No... all boolean but it works for me... Very complicated for many but I minus the emotional content from the decision I take on anything... I may be right or wrong... but then its only a perception... This was my thinking and will be... but I shall have to make certain amendments to this rule of mine... I always believed that its easier to gain and very hard to lose friends... because its as if you are tearing your heart out... In taking this decision to leave my friends alone... I left people who really cared for me and loved me... and whom even I missed and loved too... I have never seen so many happy faces...

A special mention of my sister ani... in this entire episode... who was instrumental in making me take the right steps towards this re-union... She is all grown up now and lot more mature than what people think she is!! And ofcourse hemibu and rajibu who are always present next to me all the time...

Le Roi Est Mort Vive Le Roi means... The King is Dead... Long live the King!!

The Wait!!... a Decision...

HE was struggling at his office because he had to leave in another 10 mins to go meet his girl whom he used to drop every day from her office to a nearby bus stop... Not that SHE couldn't manage that but this was their only time to discuss... plan... rather just talk about their day and peace out... They used to be on phone for almost 2 hrs a day but still this meeting was very much needed for both.

It was raining... and November rain that was... he left his office at 5:30 PM... only to reach her office at 6:20 PM... she expected him to be there by 6 PM... damn... as always he wanted an excuse... well... rain it was!! He had the fastest road bike... still couldn't be on time when she needed him... well most of the cases... but he used to make the effort!!. She used to tell him... for every mistake that he committed he would be forgiven but the incident would not be forgotten!!

He started dialing her number and there was just ringtone at the other end... she did not pick the call... Has she already gone to the bus stop... can't be!!... He dialed again... no luck... well... he couldn't go inside her office as she had strictly told him not to go there... Lets try this one more time... She picked up the call eventually and could only muster three words... In a meeting!! before she hung up on him...

In every relationship you come across a time where you have to make a decision that would eventually mould your relationship based on it. He decided to wait for her... in the rain.. shivering... The decision was that he had taken the responsibility to wait for her no matter what... this, in long term, even meant that he shouldn't complain when he waited for her later... he wouldn't complain even if she didn't come... He thought over all these things in a matter of minutes and decided to WAIT... She eventually came out of her office at 8:15 PM... hugged him... sorry I couldn't come out of the dreaded meeting soon enough... why didn't u go home?!!?... he didn't reply nor did he complain... I love you so much he said and as usual dropped her to the bus stop...

After several years... HE has now realized that SHE loved him more that evening... She loves him even today but things are way different now... She is a mother of two and happy with her family... They still keep in touch and talk... only HE didn't realize that the WAIT was a DECISION of a LIFETIME!!

Friday night fever...

Enthralling was the word that came to my head when it finished...

Well for starters, we got the passes for a concert that held in Palace grounds on 27th Oct friday night... It had my favorite singer Raghu Dixit, Parikrama and Farhan Akthar singing!

The show must have started 45 mins earlier... thanks to da rain... it was late... but the wait was worth it and more...

In any concert, I really love the start when the artists are getting ready... usually the guitarist, drummers, violinists... will have a go... and what they do is something totally out of the book... and those innovations will make the atmosphere ready for more... and this was the same on friday evening as well... lead guitarist of raghu dixit's band and the violinist were out of the world in displaying what they can do!!

Raghu began the show with amazing number "Hey Bhagwan!"... (I am checking my videos to see what next!!) "Mysore se aayi!"... and then came a number I hadnt heard before... beautiful... "Gudu Gudiya seedhi nodo..." and the introduction to this song was hilarious... but in the middle of the song there was a commotion and the organizers (and the police who graced the occasion for a while!!) had to reduce the volume since there was another performance going on next to where we had this rock concert... Raghu took on them displaying great courage and sang for the crowd... involving everyone of us in his songs... He sang many more numbers like ambar, khidki and a kannada track "Ee Thanuvu ninnade" from "Psycho" fame.... Awesome... The best part was the combo of guitar (base, rhythm and electric) along with the violin!! The extension provided to all the songs in the end was fabulous... fantastic music... Raghu thanked the audience and thanked parikrama for lending their guitar... nice gesture indeed...

Next on the scene was Parikrama... Now for those who haven't heard rock music and parikrama in particular might feel that Nitin Malik screams a lot and stuff... but then he is brilliant in doing that... I have loved all his shows that I have been to and this dude can sing... His opening song was a blast but I bet more than half of the crowd were waiting for Farhan rather than wanting to watch Parikrama sing... until parikrama's violinist took center stage!! and people had to momentarily forget Farhan for a while there... The one thing I would like to add is that one of parikrama's guitarist didnt look that he belonged to the stage at all... that was kinda sad part but then these guys had been testing sound since morning and it showered in the evening taking away precious time for their concert... need to give them credit for hangin in there...

Farhan Akhtar is a brilliant artist if I say so... because there are very few people in the industry who can sing as well as he can and act as well as he can... even direct movies like him... He is a perfect package. He had the same kind of clothes which he wore in "Luck by chance" simple but trendy... But then... all these promotions has made his voice tire a bit... cos he couldnt hit the highs on the song "Where the streets have no name - U2" which he sang well though... To very much crowd's displeasure, he sang only one song from "Rock on" and that was just the title track from the movie... people really wanted more hindi songs... but then he had already prepared certain songs and... well any ways it was a good show...

After the concert, the food at chung wa was awesome... thus ending an eventful day at a high note!!

Meet the bu's!!

Sometimes feel that I should write about a subject.... but then... I don't usually find time to think on a subject as much as I have time to write about the days I have been through... Many may feel that I usually hand out lavish praises to my near and dear ones but I feel that this is not true as these praises come straight from the heart... no pretensions...

Coming back to the topic... saturday... I happened to meet two of my closest friends... I lovingly call them the bu's!!... perfect couple...

My friendship with rajibu (jibu) goes back... way back... to just 5 years... hehehe... but then it seems longer... I happened to be in US for the first time... and I knew he would be coming to US and to the same hotel after 9 days... Actually I didnt even know him then... but when we met eventually I was overjoyed since I was almost down and out in that place... Rajiv sensed this and gave me much needed advise to keep my positive energy. I will never forget that. Jibu became a close friend when we got a friend's place for rent. Here we had a deal every morning without even talking that I would make the breakfast and he would do the dishes... served us well... I learnt that behind that sense of humor there was a very methodical, practical, decisive... man if ever I had seen one. I have learnt many many precious things from him that has made me be the person I am today!

Hemibu... well we were friends even before we met!! and when we met, I was too shy to talk... (The day she came for Agile Interview!!) we were not at all introduced but then we both knew each other!! Hemibu was jibu's fiancee when jibu and I were in USA... I had sacrificed my room to jibu and used to sleep in the hall since he would be busy with hemi and her calls most of the night and I didnt intend to be kabab mein haddi!! May be when jibu used to talk about the day he has been thru... my name would have slipped more often than not because I was such an idiot at that time!! Well... with jibu's training!! (:-p), I was a changed man by the end of that trip!! and I pledged to be excessively happy hence forward!! May be all this were in detail posted to hemi!! So we kinda knew eachother before we actually met...
The best part about a friend's wedding is that all the other friends who happen to know eachother casually will become closer... This is what happened when Joshi bhai got married... Hemi, Jibu and myself became fast friends thanks to tat!!. Hemi is funny, articulate, and most tolerant creature. She can be hurt very easily but wid jibu and me around can come out of it as well and she will be her chirpy self in not more than 10 mins!!

I strongly feel that both bu's and me have a I love the bu's for the simple reason that they love me more!! They know everything about me and its viceversa... even with our busy schedule, we keep in touch and make sure we meet up atleast once in two weeks!! depends more often than not how much of work jibu has!! :-p

Simba's Day Out...

I can't generalize this very much... I hope it is the same way across the world... The word "relaxation" applies to any living thing... when we relax... we progress... we think... and stop worrying... There is a huge difference in anything we do when we relax!! This little word was acknowledged even by my buddy Simba (my Dog! in case you are reading for the first time!!) when I took him for a short trip to a farm house this past weekend...

Vivi and I planned adhoc(best way to do things!) that we needed a break from the city and hence we hit the road on sunday morning! and we took simba along with us as well... We already had kitty waiting for us at the farm house... He had a nightmare of a travel story to tell us how he got there because of traffic on the NH-04!!

When we reached the destination, simba was left alone to have fun... and fun he had...

After a sumptuous (exaggerate please... if you feel!!) breakfast, we walked around the farm to check out a new artificial fountain that was being built... very nice indeed...

Simba was too excited and had the expression like... "You are supposed to tie me up... aren't u??!!... are you sure..." all the time... We managed to even see what hunting instinct a dog has... The care-taker had left all the chickens out... when we asked him to put them all inside since simba was outside... thankfully he obliged... but then there was one chicken which was missing... Simba was playing around until we saw him crouching and slouching carefully and very close to the ground... waiting for an onslaught... and when it came... we were almost too late... The chicken was shrieking in fear... it was very funny in the end since simba didn't know what to do with it... may be even he was kinda taken aback at a thing which made strange noises when held... Apart from this one incident, he behaved himself through out... One other incident where he came searching for us while Vivek and I were exploring was very nice...

The best part about this farm is that people are so hospitable and they treat you like family... It shows in the way they take care of us... well... after another super lunch, we took simba to the nearby lake... hesitant at first, he then took on water and was doing underwater stunts before we leave... very nice indeed... We had time to visit kitty's farm where he grows ragi and beans... and take loads of pictures... The funniest pic being kitty and his farm's caretaker both smiling...

We came home by 7:30 PM with some funny incidents with strangers (can't state them here!) who were bugged by kitty on the way back... memorable day for simba indeed!!

My Quest for a better life... Thanks to Dr JP!

At the end of the Quest the major finding about the entire episode is that PEACE can be found from with in and no where else... we should just go ahead and find it... FAITH is something we need to have that we can find that peace from with in! Deep isn't it... but true

This past year I was suffering from various issues... firstly I had joined a company where I didn't wish to be in... with that I had started developing symptoms and eventually got gastroenteritis. I happened to try many ways to heal this but none successful...

I met Dr. Jayaprakash Narayan (shortly as Dr. JP) in march 2008 and mainly because I had lost hope in all other forms of medication and had lost hope that I would get better thanks to many people who said that the gastroenteritis problem was permanent... only Dr JP thought otherwise... He not only helped me get rid of my issues in a matter of very short time... he gave me counselling that has made me what I am today... Dr. JP told me that I had to reduce my weight and that is the major cause of all the issues I had... He is the start of the Quest that I was after... actually that I am still after... and the goals keep on increasing...

By then I had joined the company that I am in now... AOL... where I found some very nice people who shared the same feeling about fitness... My gym trainer Naveen in AOL is such a motivator who not only keeps fit himself but gave some nice advice... Good company really helped me to keep it going... and that was present in AOL where I found my friends (Vivi, G5, to some extent Vinance!! ) being fitness freaks!!

For any building... the foundation needs to be good... I guess I had read that somewhere so un-knowingly I started building the foundation!! I ran for 40 minutes everyday on a treadmill and did reps of smaller weights... crunches and elliptical... for 2 hrs everyday for 2 months... when I lost over 10 kgs... Big thanks to Naveen...

The next phase was interesting as it included loads of convincing myself!! I met a friend Vinay who told that he learnt swimming and had lost lot of weight... Hydrophobic that I was... it was really tough to convince myself that I could do this... Somehow I joined and completed the course of 21days in may this year... and I have been swimming ever since from 5 AM to 6 AM in the morning... regardless of the weather and conditions... The result is amazing... I lost the fear of water and lost lot of weight too... The whole routine that I have managed to keep alive has definitely given me rich dividends... I have not only lost close to 28 kgs... I have made some very nice friends along the way... The end result is the personality and positive attitude that I have developed in the past year is a byproduct of the efforts that have gone in towards it.

Dr. Jayaprakash Narayan:

I have to thank Dr. JP for his faith in me. There are many other things that make him a great man... His Ayurvedic treatment and counselling has solved many complex cases where the patients have been left to nothing by other medications... When I met him yesterday, I was talking to a person whose brother had an accident 3 months ago... Her brother, all of 26 yrs, had lost speech and couldn't walk... The orthopedic specialist who used to come to their home couldn't help him... and the case was almost closed when they came to Dr. JP. By and large most doctors usually give up or give reference for another specialist... but Dr. JP took this challenge and the results are there to see... This guy came walking to his clinic for a consultation and answered many questions that was asked.

Another case was of a central govt employee whose gross motor skills was solved... He had to literally convince the patient's family so that he can treat. Dr. JP has solved many cases which can be called miracles yet he is modest and has the humility to take GOD's name in whatever he does. He is the 4th generation of Ayurvedic specialists in his family and has practiced ayurveda for over 30 yrs now.

In the end all I have to say is that treatment can be given by any doctor but Peace, Faith that the issues can be resolved is given by some. Dr. JP is one such man! and I am happy to be his friend.

Made in Heaven!

Someone I know (with a colorful name!) once commented that "Pairs are made in heaven"... that made me think.... How does this person know that... or for that matter how does anyone know that pairs are made in heaven?
Its always WE who decide on what kind of person we want as our counterpart for life! isnt it?

Btw... yes, i do agree in some terms that pairs (read as marriages) are made in heaven in a more spiritual way (watever spirituality left in me!!) but then the effort should always be from our side in firstly recognizing and then seizing the oppurtunity to go ahead and express our feelings to them. They may not agree in the beginning because everyone is circumspect and that is human nature... but in time, they "may" accept that your feelings are true and will be with you for the rest of your life together!
There are many things in life which we cant explain... one of them is this... some are lucky enough to find love at their first attempt and some keep on trying till they settle down for something that can be considered as a compromise in life... and then there are some for whom all these dont matter... for them its a discovery... They love to find out what their partner is after they get married...
The next question that lies ahead of us is what makes a guy and a girl like each other and how they go about building their liking in to a relationship... well... may be the chemistry of the brain is such that we try to find out what we lack as a character... in the other person and get attracted to that part in most of the cases... this is very generic way of saying but i believe this is very much the way it goes...

Weekend bonanza - Trip to adventure camp!!

To say that Vivek would have killed me if I had missed this trip would be an understatement... This particular trip had been planned and executed in perfection to think back on it now... kudos to the karate king... Btw the gang was 5 AOLites... Vivek, Sriram (G5), Vinay, Guru and urs truly along with Kitty and his friends Vinay and Vinay G!! We had three Vinays to begin with and worse part... 2 of them was Vinay G!! No confusion as our Vinay was already called as Vinance!! (Vinay from our Finance team!!) and the other two known as Vinay and G respectively!!
We started at 1 PM IST on 27th June Saturday... which is as all u guys know... 2 PM... on our bikes… we had 2 Victors, a pulsar 150 and my Bullet. We were hit by bad rains and bad roads for the latter part of the trip reaching the destination... and could only manage to reach the place called as Shrishti Adventure camp (This place is 45 acres of farm land and mountains - http://shristiadventures.com/) which is near Dabaspet, Shivagange by 5:30 PM
Firstly almost everyone was starving and kitty made sure there was some food arrangement done as soon as we reached... very thoughtful of him... After the light snacks, all of us trekked a short while for about 1 hr bare foot!! Not a very sane idea... but we feared that our shoes would get sunk in the mud which was way too thick... anyways... When we came back we readied ourselves for the night bonanza which included another round of snacks, drinks, bon fire and kitty special... dance programme!! G5 was at his best making fun of everyone including the localities’... the best part was greeting people wid wassup!! or How u doin!! People were making faces at him... like who is this guy acting crazy! But that didn’t stop him from wishing and greeting everyone in the true NRI fashion!! Vivek and myself were better off the smoke less end of the bon fire... :-) Vinay was busy boozing and having a dialogue here and there and Guru was busy explaining Nostradamus theory about 2012 when he is totally flushed! All this while we were having the time of our lives... We were having so much fun... we were laughing in our sleep! :-)
Sunday morning started for us at 7:30 AM and we went on another trek this time... shoes ON!! This was better and a bigger trek than the previous evening... We tried rope climbing and swings!!... We visited the cottages and other places which are pretty much high profile and not so cost effective for us... but of course better facilities... We also visited the temple in the farm house... and back for a sumptuous lunch and bread omlette just after that!! That takes some doing... lol... We had the ride of our life on our bikes as we took exactly an hour for the return journey! Kept an average of above 70 kmph!!
The facilities and the hospitality (food was fantastic!!) provided were more like what we do to our relatives rather than outsiders!! That was the respect which they gained from us. Kudos to all those people who work in shrishti adventure camp. It was a journey to remember for a long long time...!!

MJ - No more!!

Michael Joseph Jackson 29th August 1958 - 25th June 2009
To many people who are born in 70s and 80s... I think Michael Joseph Jackson will have a discreet and definite place in their hearts... The place given to the great entertainer and musician... For anyone who has the slightest knowledge of music... be it rhythm... technique in singing... like knowledge of octaves... etc... MJ is GOD!!
I have never heard a POP icon... who besides being a freak of nature!!... could influence so many people around the world by his music and lyrics... He could have been the face of UNICEF if he cud have kept his personal life in better shape...
I loved the album "BAD" since that was my first cassette that I got... I don’t even remember which class I was studying... but i remember the casette being almost worn out as it played in the music player so many times in a day!! I still love the song Speed Demon for the beats... I used to read the lyrics and tried syncing lips (difficult even now! :-p) for the songs! Then came the rest of songs and I had bought each and every cassette... Dangerous was having an absolute awesome front cover wid MJ's eyes and all kinds of animals and birds in it!! loved counting them!! :-p His latest and prob last album History had songs "Earth Song", Blood on the Dance Floor", "Stranger in Moscow" which is one video I love to see!!
The tribute to MJ:
All the news channels and all the portals (.com, .de, .uk) in the world had a setback after the world had the news that he is no more... that says! Twitter/BBC... etal... No one was able to handle the traffic... We had been trekking this past sunday and I was playing MJ all the way in the trip... that was my tribute to the great man!
His death while tragic when he was on the verge of a comeback tour... and writing new songs... referring to poems of Tagore (as told by Dr Deepak Chopra), is again mowed by controversy like so many icons... This happens to be a bigger tragedy... who's next!!

Conquer your fears...

When I was a kid my dad used to take me swimming... that would make u think that I knew swimming all along isnt it... negative... I used to just keep a watch on his clothes and wait for him to complete his laps!! :-p But I definetely had the great desire to learn swimming and learn it well so that I could let go of my fears... I was a hydrophobic to the core... although i used to enjoy beaches wid my friends whenever we were in goa or any such places... but primarily I was afraid of water... Similar to my fear to water was my fear of heights... so much so that I used to make all kinds of excuses to quit on my friends who used to plan trekking trips... It all had to end... and how...

Well it all started in april... when one of my colleague introduced me to his friend, who had started going to a summer swimming camp near RPC layout... I was kinda interested as I thought that swimming camp is mainly for kids... I was so wrong... I took the dive on this matter and the moment i kept my toes in water I was thinking the same old thing again... "Did I commit another mistake in my life... " Apparently not... after about 30 minutes inside water the instructor finally had my attention and I started obeying him... and letting go of my fears...

It took Ramesh (our instructor) just 3 days to teach us how to control our breath and float and our group of 20 odd people were enthu enough to take the dive in 12ft in just under that very week... that was amazing... So what if the classes cost us 2300 Rs, I got so many contacts and made so many friends in a space of those 21 days that I did not even bother thinking about the amount even though its rough!!

Meantime after the classes got over I have been swimming early in the morning from 4:45 AM till 6 AM every single day since... and made new friends as the group I was primarily involved had their own reasons to quit... except for Manju...

We now have a group of 8 to 10 people (depending on their punctuality ofcourse!!) and are being taught the key techniques in swimming to go the distance and not be tired... our coach is a person named Nagaraj sir who is a business man who is one of the finest swimmer and diver I have ever seen!! So much for my swimming now that I can hit about 10 laps (1 km) an average each time i step in... Thats something to improve upon!!

This new found strength and determination in me has made me climb new heights... well... I was never a go getter when it comes to heights... used to make me real nervous wreck... but ever since I have joined this group, my strenght has increased but my stamina has gained by leaps and bounds and for the very first time in my 3 or 4 attempts I was able to conquer Shivagange mountain which is near Tumkur...

Thanks to my swimming group I am, what I am today!!... In these three months I have not only conquered my fears but also have found a new personality in me!!

Buddy for life!!

Have you ever wondered how pet owners feel about their friends for life... I always used to wonder and longed for that feeling...

After waiting for more than 20 years for that time, I eventually got the perfect occasion... my dad's retirement... for which I had planned for more than couple of years as mentioned in my earlier post... well this was one amongst that....

This friend of mine was born on 31st March 2009... irony is that one year back I had quit my previous company for a better life and this year I have better company!! if you understand what I mean... Well "Simba", my Golden retriever came to our home on a saturday afternoon... I fell in love with this ball of fur the moment I saw him and my pal Vivek helped me get him home...

I have waited so long to post regarding him because I had to get my thoughts together... but apparently I dont have time to pen down any thoughts because of him!! He constantly demands time and attention!

There are many things I got to know about my own family... like how complimentary my parents are... for example when I got the pup, I had expected dad to blow the roof but he was calm and accepted it but mom blew the roof which was never the expected and guess who came to the rescue! Dad... he had the experience of raising a dog when he was a kid which was no surprise in the way he is handling simba now... And after a week, when dad turns a little impatient guess who calms him down... mom... who used to have her hands at her ears and scream her lungs out when simba used to wander near her is the one who feeds him everyday in the morning and night and is also the one who calms my dad when simba is too playful (which is actually all the time!!)

I must say that I under-estimated my family's commitment to my buddy... actually they are doing amazing!! He keeps my dad occupied pretty much entire day he is around home and my aunt is totally fond of him... My sister who was so afraid of dogs... now pets him and he listens to her command!! (well... not always!!) The time I was giving to my family has increased ever since my buddy has come home and he demands everybody to talk to him and play with him!! He responds to the sound of my bike and expect to cuddle him everytime I am around him... He even understands that he should not go near my mother because she is afraid of him... but and my mother somehow forget that part during his breakfast and dinner!! Ani... who used to run a mile from dogs... now feeds him with her hand... has gone to such an extent of loving him that she prepared cake when he barked for the first time!! lolz... amazing!!

It has enlightened me in many ways that having pet is a good thing but accepting its responsibility is so huge a task... Its not that simple... you have to be more patient and develop that 6th sense which makes you understand a being that doesn't understand your language!

Overall amazing feeling and I better not forget to thank Dr Manjunath Shinde, Vivek, Sriram(G5) , Kitty and my family for their support...

Read... Remember... Recollect...

I always remember one say from my lecturer... Read, Remember and Recollect!! well it always worked when I was in college but I didnt know that it applies in real life this way!!

When I first saw this dude and talked to him... I thought he was just a geek but there was always that air of confidence in his speech and mannerism which made me think that I shud get to know this person better and that he is the person who will be called a "friend for life"... if it was meant to be... and friend for life he is to me... Sharad Awasthi...

In the course of time... say 6 months of his stay in our company, I got to know that we share the same passions... music, photography... u name it... but the fact is that he is still better than me in all of those passions I have (except singing!!) and has the taste to make his passions richer!!

He is GOD in selecting great music... especially in trance and lounge... He was the person who introduced me to that kind of music which I might have heard but didnt know what its called!!

He also introduced me to Photography... I had the right equipments but was not sure of myself to take pictures of that quality!! I owe him that...

We spent some quality time together and what time we had... we went to Nandi hills where we took tons of pictures and then I took him to Ranganthiptu where we took the boat ride... I am sure he will never forget them.. I can't!!

After packing up the night before, I got to his place at 7:30AM next morning, as promised on sunday... Little did we know that his plane had already left 7 hrs before!! He had missed his flight to singapore... but had to wait another 14 to get on to another flight... (That made his day worse because he almost took the brunt from his wife!!) lolz...

I always wanted him to visit my place one last time before he leaves and wat a way to get ur wish!! It was amazing as Neelu even read my thought and blurted the same words on my face!!

I was really content of helping my friend and his wife to the airport the same night after we had an amazing time at my place!!

Now settled in singapore, we exchange mails and calls more often than not... but yes, the worst part is whenever I see a bajaj eliminator and a back pack... a dude of similar build, invariably the thought goes back to the best days in office for me... I read in to that situation... I go back rememberin the good old days... recollect the wonderful times we have had...

One last hurray!!

Dad's retirement today... 37 years in a single company!! BEML... the company responsible for what he is today and what we are today as family.. comes to an end... well... wat a day... probably as a son... once in a lifetime kinda day... It’s amazing for our generation to have such a day... since we will not be able to give our children that kind of an experience but who knows what will happen in the future... anyways
Well I was also a part of one of the most revered man's retirement that was Mr Ramaswamy Iyengar who was the father figure in my mother's office (LIC of India)... It was quite accidental that I was present that saturday as I was passing by her office and happened to know that it was his last day in office... People spoke great things about him... and the respect oozed in every word they said... quite an experience
I always knew that my Dad was well respected but how much is what I got to see... It was overwhelming... Btw I had prepared for this day for a long time now... almost 2 years and when that day came.. I had goose bumps all over... I am sure my dad had too! He apparently couldn’t stop smiling… wonderful to see that… We went on the inspection round of the hospital which he showed with great pride… I am really proud to see his achievements and was very much privileged.
Well in the first place my dad had to give some reason to leave (retire)... what more than my marriage!! as his utmost important family commitment. I was impressed by that but then when people asked me about it I said it’s my mother's constant issue getting up at 4 AM in the morning which would be put to sleep!!
There were many people unhappy (Infact everyone including his boss CMO!) that they are going to miss their AO sir (Administrative Officer) Many staff were telling me that its sad to know that there will not be their loved AO sir ordering, teaching or guiding them anymore... But unfortunately thats the way it is... life has to move on.. Someone else will live up to the challenge of administering a hospital and could improve upon what my Dad has done so far... People were voicing their opinion that their AO should stay for another year or so except two of the doctors... Dr Mythili and Dr Shanti who talked some sense... Talking more about the respect it was evident the way people came till the gate (including the Chief Medical Officer CMO, my Dad's boss!) to give a grand send off and the gifts that they gave told the story! One Mr Mahesh had gifted with a writing in it which quotes "To the greatest person who is responsible in guiding me to the right path... this is my small gift to you". People did 3 cheers for AO sir when we left the building… mesmerizing!!
They say that engineers are problem solvers... but my Dad is a born engineer (Science grad in education) and his Degree in Personnel management was put best in use all these years in professional and personal front!
Well as of now and now onwards for my dad, "Relaxing" is of the highest priority and atlast the day has arrived when my Dad's going to see the sun after it is up above in the sky rather than greeting him...
As I was about to go to sleep, my Dad who was watching IPL cricket, laughed and said... "Well... I have given my alarm clock some rest!!!" and his retirement has just sunk in!!
No time for anything else today I thought...