View from the coach of an Indian Rail

02.12.2010 - Day 5 - India Trip 2010, Coach HA1, Kashi Vishwanath Express

I think I am a mobile blogger. Most of my articles have been on the go. Sitting in front of the computer, staring at the screen doesn't seem to do the creative me as much good as a variety of random surroundings do.

Like now, I am on way from Delhi to Rampur to my grandparents' place, experiencing a collage of many firsts. First of those firsts being the AC First Class in the Indian railways. Having never been on such a coach before, this moment was one in the current trip I was eagerly looking forward to. After all, I wanted to know how different could AC First be to a normal AC Two tier or AC Three tier.

Well, as I found out, the first obvious difference is a red color base for the seats and berth, a step away from the blue colored berths in the other classes. And they are slightly bigger as well. Furthermore, facilities such as plug points are meant to add to the experience (although for some reason my phone started misbehaving as soon as I plugged it in and therefore had to remove it to write this). A little signboard indicating whether the toilet at the end of the coach is vacant or occupied adds to the list of things which are not necessities, but are present to make you feel important (and probably cater to the lazy you, lest you have to walk back from the toilet realizing it's occupied). In it's entirety though, it's a rather comfortable coach and my next few hours promise to be quite relaxing.

To top it off, my Bua gave me two packs of Uncle Chipps, among other things, to last the journey. The interesting part is for all the Uncle Chipps fans out there, who knew of just two of its oldest flavours - in the green and blue packets. A new packet now awaits you, of hot-pink color, and called "Chacha Ka Chinese" flavor. Now don't ask me why Chacha happens to be Chinese, or how hot-pink is related to either chacha or Chinese! The taste though happened to be quite likable. Perhaps a little chillier than the normal green colored pack which unfortunately doesn't seem to get the privilege of any endorsement from chacha,bua, or masi. Come to think of it, this new flavor should have ideally been named "Chacha Ka Chilly Chinese" flavor, thereby taking the alliteration to a level all too extreme.

*****

As I sit now content on a packet of Uncle Chipps, and look out the window to see a myriad of images in the evening sun, earphones blaring out songs, a thought strikes me.

The typical Indian rail is a perfect epitome of the country and it's people. Coaches range from Sleeper classes to Two tiers to AC chair cars, yet are all interconnected, pulled by the same engine. As are the people traveling in them, who all hail from backgrounds as diverse as these coaches, but are headed to the same destination.

And the railway station further reflects this, where while you have a woman attending to her barefooted kid, standing a few steps away is a man with a high-end suitcase, and sunglasses donned to protect even his eyes.

In spite of this, when it arrives on the platform, they all get onto the same train, and are linked in a way even they may be unaware of.

As I type this, and my compartment companion in front me turns his laptop on, I wonder how many in this very train even have the ability to write in the first place.

Yet, we all head into the same direction, with the same setting sun watching this blot of blue coaches moving throw the same green meadows.

No wonder they call this Incredible India.

A Moment of Childhood

01.12.2010 - Day 4 - India Trip 2010, On way to Bengaluru International Airport, Bangalore

Visiting relatives and friends is something all of us look forward to (well, almost all of us). Being a part of someones's lives for a few days, fitting your piece in their jigsaw of life, it all adds to the aura of a family visit.

What's added to that aura and made my trip to Bangalore even more memory-etching has been the effervescence of an 8-year old and a 4-year old, who I feel proud to mention, happen to dote on me. At times, their love is truly humbling. I personally love all kids; believing that their innocence is unmatched by any. Words said by them are the purest and most heartfelt. And without any malice or manipulation, they still manage to capture. Capture the imaginations of so many around them.

Seeing my cousins live their life, I was reminded of times I had spent in my childhood. While my uncle wakes my cousin brother up with songs played on the CD player, Papa used to awaken me with the lure of a cricket game on the terrace. The bustle of the morning when the washroom and dressing table become the most prized place in the house; the rush to finish off the remaining few chocos in the bowl; and the run to the bus with a sandwich in hand. The simple things that seem a bother at that age, including the sharing of that personal pizza with your sibling, are now lost in the maze of childhood, only to be replaced by worries bigger.

Now, as I sit reflecting in the bus, making my way to the Bengaluru International Airport to catch my flight to the northern part of India, a defining moment from the past few wonderful days in this equally lovable city, remains with me. Nothing before or since has seemed even remotely as touching as this gesture.

My 4-year old cousin brother came up to me, signaling he wanted to share a secret, and whispered softly in my ears, "Toshi Bhaiya, you know something. You are the best."

Bangalore or Bengaluru - gets to the best of us.

28.11.2010 - Day 1 - India Trip 2010, Purva Riviera Bangalore

A city so modern, yet traditional. Being the IT hub of India, and in many aspects, of the world, its people continues are still confused about calling it Bangalore or Bengaluru. Amidst all this, the city surges ahead into the modern world.

It so happened that after a time so long that it slips my mind, I entered India and did not touch down at the Indira Gandhi Internatinal Airport at New Delhi. The destination this time was different – it was Bangalore.

The sights and scenes of the city as such make for an intriguing watch. Even a by-lane would have a shop boasting of teaching you the skills of Java, Linux, or C++, which would apparently make you the ultimate software pundit. One would not be reprimanded for believing that every child born here had the pre-requisite knowledge of programming taught from the womb of his mother. The interesting bit though is the equally well interspersed presence of Kingfisher boards and its kind, pretty much all over the place.

*****

My first day here in this trip started with a visit to the Indian Institute of Management Bangalore (IIM-B) campus. Its funny how one needs to visit a place to realize its value. Approaching my last semester of undergraduate study, a visit to IIM-B showed me what there really is to achieve. The last seven semesters at NUS have been a stepping stone, but merely just that. What’s there to achieve was what lay in front of my eyes this morning. A kind of flame rekindled, a desire to keep yearning. A dream to study in the top management institute of India. A desire which I hope to write in this very space one day in the future, was fulfilled.

However, it has to be said the highlight of the day was taken by the dietary pleasures. Dinner at a place called Barbeque Nation. The entire concept is a winner. Have a grill on your table and ‘cook’ your own food - a formula for instant success. Throw in a live band, and the perfect ambience, and the dining experience makes for a completely unforgettable one.

Its just taken me one day and one night, and I think I am in love already. I think its Bangalore. It does that to the best of us.

Friendship?

Sometimes I wonder whether some of the friendships you have really are friendships. It so often happens that a third party informs you of some element that you overlooked in the purity of friendship, and the entire thought process changes drastically.

Why is it so difficult for a guy and a girl to be just friends? Why does a third angle always come into place? I was strictly of the view that such things are of days gone by, but it was a rude awakening for me that some skeptics still exist.

In fact, on second thoughts, the biggest skeptics of a pure friendship between a guy and a girl are the very two people involved in it.

And your "social network" leaves no stones unturned to turn that fledgling flame of doubt into a full blown fire. Your friendship is talked about behind your back, people are pretty darn convinced that either one is "trying" hard for the other. Basically, there is a talk about every aspect that can be used to find ulterior motives.

Such talks are all a little pointless, and often for gossip's sake. But what such ignorance doesn't realize is the harm it may be causing a pure friendship.

Get well people. Learn to accept a guy and a girl as just friends. You may be wiser of it.

And with that - I think I need some time of my "social network", what with exams and rather pointless discussions. Adios.

Analyze? Nah...over-analyze!

Human tendency is to over-analyze their things. It's interesting to note that this leaves our minds occupied for more than half the time we think we are doing 'nothing'. If this ability puts us at an advantage over other animals, well it also leads to time consumed, sometimes rather unnecessarily over things petty enough. The intuitive nature of animals puts them at a relative ease of making decisions, partially because they do not 'make' decisions.

Impulse is the name given to actions taken in a hurry, and the many proverbs in our languages caution us against these very actions. It's worth a thought though, how many of the decisions from history support this over-analysis procedure?

On the contrary, the over-analysis of actions may prevent something from progressing or materializing. 

Funnily though, I get a feeling that I may have just spent an entire blog entry explaining the cons of over-analysis, while doing exactly that over the entire length of this entry. Ah well, a case for an article on hypocrisy sometime soon perhaps?

Zest

They say the creative types need something to inspire their creativity. The last couple of months saw me lose that zest to write. And let me be honest with you, that left a gaping hole in me, which I had conveniently hidden somewhere in the dark corner of the inner self.

Last week however, I may have just found that willingness, that urge to write, be heard, be noticed perhaps. A few status message updates on facebook and a couple of tweets later, I realized it was time to blog again. And with this realization, it dawned on me that for some strange reason, I always feel this "zest" to write when I am about to bang head on into this barricade called "exams".

 *SIGH*

And then there was the Final Year...

"Baithe hain mil ke, sab yaar apne, sabke dillon mein armaan yeh hai..."

The above phrase originates from a few lines of one of my all-time favorite songs - "papa kehte hain". I fondly remember this song as the background score from the video of my first birthday. The funny thing though, is that it has taken me all of 20 years and a bit to begin understanding it.

As I enter the final year of university, the realization hits me, that each day from now on would be vastly different come the same time next year. And as is wont to human nature, the true value of something is realized only when it seems to be slowly slipping through our fingers. With the final year looming large, the time spent in university thus far comes back to mind, and lingers on slyly. The memory lane wants to be traveled in, and some memories tempt to be traversed again.

Every time I think of the last three years of university life, I find just one constant defining the roller-coaster ride of changes occurring in college. FRIENDS. Invariably, friends who have entered your life, who have remained with you throughout, and at times gone away only to come back closer; they are the ones making and breaking these memories. Oft it is said that the days spent in university are unforgettable; that they define who you are, and how you face life ahead. It would not be unfair then to attribute that to the people who come with their stories, and meet you, to become a part of your own story. That story which in itself has evolved over these three years.

Ponder upon your own life, and think of your friendships. Surely there would be some which have lasted the distance, and some which haven't. College epitomizes the change of friendships and interaction between people. And all this is what makes you smile when you look back on these formative years, fondly after a decade or two.

Having come from home, it was friends who provided the home away from home. Those whom we could be ourselves with, without bothering to care who thought what. Cooking food together, breaking glasses together (surely all of you remember that!), and driving the security guards mad at 12am at least 20 times a semester. These are the things that will define National University of Singapore, PGP, and in general university for me. Surely it will be similar for most of you too.

At the current point of time, there are some of us NUS Final Year Indian students, who have a secured job, those who are interning trying their level best to secure one, those who see a testing time with many job interviews and applications ahead, and those who have their eyes set on further education. Despite the seeming variation in career paths, all of us share the same feeling - that of being the senior most students in college now. And with this feeling comes the longing for more time, the hunger to make this last year the best of them all. That in essence, is what final year is all about.

Welcome friends, to Final Year! Let's make every day in the coming year a Friendships' Day special!

Address of Dreamland

That time of night, when you fall back on the comfort of your loving bed, sometimes leisurely reflecting on the day, at others letting yourself be devoured by that ever so tempting bed in a relaxed trance; that is the time when the address of dreamland is run through my head.

The semi asleep state provides the perfect mode for me to think of all things which barely cross my mind throughout the day. A reel, where I am the protagonist in various situations, is played in my head, and from this set of scenes, I get the address of my dream for that night.

Enhancing this further is soft background music which slowly lulls me into this dreamland, further taking me to that night's dream...

Given I wrote this post during one such time, I must be Shakespearean tonite. So long folks, thou shalt hear from me tomorrow then!

The Twist of the Lazy Sunday

Its amazing how a tiny little life can change the entire atmosphere of the house. The sense of anticipation following the birth of a new one, with the endeavour to care for it defines the way nature works. What makes it better is if there is a surprise element associated with it!

We have had an aquarium at home for over ten years now. Through the course of this journey, fish have come and unfortunately left us. A new fish from the aquarium market would always bring in excitement and add a new sense of dynamism at home. But the worst part of the entire aquarium-owning experience is removing a fish from the aquarium, and instead of hopping and jumping in the net, it remains still, with its fin drooped ever so softly on its body. A symbol of perfect serenity, but one that brings with it a tinge of pain. The death of a fish creates another change in the aquarium vibrancy, and with it moves on the cycle of the aquarium in the house.

This was what constituted the cycle of our aquarium. Till today that is.

This morning, amidst a lazy Sunday here in Singapore, I was having my favourite "Uncle Chips", and indulging in yet another rather hilarious episode of "Comedy Circus", when I get a call from Indonesia. And the message conveyed got my lazy Sunday lifting its head up from the drowsiness. The aquarium at home had been the birthplace of tens of fish - the two Angel Fish now had at least another 25 little lives with them in the fish tank!

Wow! Where from did this event enter the pre-existing cycle of the aquarium that we had been through thus far? The palpable excitement inherent in the tone of my family members there, brings with it a desire to take the next flight into Indonesia, and be a part of the new vibrancy. The entire home environment has taken an upswing, and my best friend Google must be rather surprised at being bugged with random phrases to the like of "newly born fish in aquarium", "how to care for new born fish", "new born angel fish". That too on a day that was, prior to this, looking as happening as a turtle race.

So now as I spur my brain engine to life from its Lazy Sunday mode, and along with my best friend ponder on the most pertinent question of the hour, of how to prevent the new school of fish from from the dark suction forces of the tank pump, I shall leave you with a photo which was the first thing I asked my sister for upon hearing the news!

The tiny black things are the little ones!

Excitement

For me, new equals excitement. Nothing seems to increase the excitement levels as much as a new beginning, a new venture, a new place, a new...well, you know what I mean.

So, given that logic, a new internship would suggest that the excitement levels are very high. On the back of a 24-week internship, this one brings with it new opportunity, and a renewed zest and enthusiasm. On the eve of this new internship, I remember the same evening the day before the previous internship that has just ended. The anticipation of the unknown; the anxiety of the uncertain - its the same mixture of feelings that seem to play kabaddi in the mind.

These new beginnings bring with them new expectations. Expectations from self, from others, and from the internship. What these expectations also bring is, perhaps the most important of all, the will to go on, use the opportunity, such that when I look back 10 weeks from now, reflecting back on the weeks would bring a content smile on the face.

The D-Day!

Its been a while, and again, apologies wont suffice. But it was THE DAY last week. Read on to experience a part of it yourself.

Monday it was, but the morning blues were conspicuous by their absence. As is often the case in movies, an unusual calm had prevailed the entire morning, indicative of the (potential) storm to follow. It was what is more commonly known amongst students as the D-day. Some want it to come soon and get over with. Others want it to come as late as possible. Yet others hope for miracles whereby the calendar manages to skip that day altogether. Given NUS's reputation, that was as likely as the NUS results' servers crashing and erasing all stored data. 

For all the claims of progress that mankind boasts of, it still is surprisingly susceptible to seemingly miniscule entities. The entire "results experience" emphasizes on this very fickle-minded human. Technology has made advances, and now students are saved the trouble of hopping over their classmates' shoulders in the hope of finding their names slotted in the preferred list at the notice board. Instead, one can be in the comforts of his chair, with conveniences such as music playing aloud, and the cold air of the AC, while checking his results on the laptop. But such is the selfishness of man, that if you listen closely, in some cases you may just realize that the music playing in the background actually happens to be a holy song, probably being played for the first time that semester. More often than nought, the room would also have the lingering smell of incense sticks, indicative of prayers having been offered a while before sitting to check the results.  

The machine human proudly show off during normal circumstances (laptop/computer), controls the mind during these dire times. Its status is elevated to that of the "know-all", about to reveal a few letters that can seal the fate for a few years to come at least. To counter this uncertainty of the "know-all", various ways have been employed, but somehow these are grouped into one label - Superstition! Those who are supposedly superstitious though, will never understand all the fuss about it. After all, if something works, why not try it again? No matter be it your favourite pose while checking the results, or the amount of force with which the mouse is clicked! 

Oh and while we are at it, why leave out the latest feature added to the D-day by NUS - The SMS service. It was told those subscribing for it would receive their grades before the release on the web. Now, I did not subscribe for this (and do I wonder why?), but those who did, had the privilege(?) of getting theirs at 7.20 am. What a start to the day! No wonder some people left a certain NUS SMS unread the entire morning! 

Such is the irony of life, the first six letters of the alphabet with a few mathematical operators inexplicably placed after them, can determine one's mood for an entire day, and sum up an entire semesters hardwork (or the lack of it) in a Short Messaging Service text!

Women- have trouble understanding them? So do I!

I am completely aware that by writing this post, I run the risk of being called a male chauvinist pig. But such an interesting topic cannot be ignored now can it?

What is the one thing all of us associate women with? Talking of course. Do note that "talking" in most cases is a euphemism for gossiping! That is not to suggest that guys do not gossip. Surely they do, but think carefully, and you will realize that most often than naught, a woman is the gossip partner for a guy. You hardly find just two guys gossiping! In the case of ladies though, its an inherent talent us men can never match up to. Why do you think the makers of Gossip Girl stuck with name? Try imagining something sounding as horrifying as Gossip Guys! Sounds disgusting doesn't it?

Put two from the feminine gender together, and sparks are sure to fly. Interestingly, age doesn't seem to matter either. Two two-year olds together, and certain talks about their dolls making food, or how the pink suits the barbie more than the red are often heard. Same is the case with two teenage girls, the only difference being that the dolls in their talks are replaced by real people!

Take today for example. I was in the MRT, when I saw a group of three girls, not more than 15, talking animatedly about some guy who "can be really asshole when he is asshole, and can be really nice when he is nice"! (trust me, I have not exaggerated, this is word to word what I heard!) The funny thing was, the tone they used was reminiscent of a time in India, when I had heard two old ladies criticizing their daughter-in-laws.  No wonder they say old habits die hard!

My Day Goes "What The...?!"

Some days start and end with just one phrase-"What the F". And thankfully, these days are few and far in between. Unfortunately for me though, today was just one of those days.

Scheduled to meet a property agent in the morning for a second viewing of an apartment we had seen yesterday, my father, sister, and myself arrived at the designated place. The agent though either thought we were nutcases, or had short-term memory loss. Or maybe he thought we did. But whatever the reasoning, he was quoting the prices at an increased rate of $200. Didn't know such a sudden bout of inflation had hit this lah-lah land!

His behaviour too was weird and somewhat unceremonious today. You know what I have realized? That property agents are the most fake people one could deal with, and more so when you are the tenant. Pardon my stereotype, but this stems only through my experiences with them.

The middle part of the day was quite the contrary to the beginning though, with a final deal being struck with the current landlord for a renewal of the house lease. Relief writ on our faces, we went for an outing to the Singapore Flyer, followed by a rendezvous at the Marina Barrage.

However, Marina Barrage is one place where one should think more than twice if you dont have the luxury of a car. For all the scenic sights it has to offer, the transportation back from the place is a real pain.

Firstly, on weekends the most irritating dialogue upon dialing 65521111 (Comfort CityCab!) is "we are experiencing a high call volume, please hold the line while our customer service executive comes on line". And if by chance you are lucky to get one to talk to you soon enough, the drivers tend not to know the existence of this place and ask for the nearest building near Marina Barrage. Am I supposed to tell them that all the buildings around the area are still under construction? So I spent half an hour trying to guide the cab driver the way to the entrance of the place, only to discover that it was a MaxiCab which was making its way towards us. Hence, a new booking, a new cab, and a new driver. Fortunately, he did not seem to require spoon-feeding of directions.

All-in-all, the day was rather irritating at times. But I hope against hope, that while Team India is currently playing a must-win match against the Windies, I do not literally end the day with "What the F!"

JP Morgan Corporate Challenge : An Experience - 5.6 km of Corporate Life

Today was an experience truly one of its kind. Never before have I seen executives, managers and associates all unite in such harmony. To make those who run the havoc and cause all the running around in offices, do the running themselves is something rather remarkable. And thanks to J.P Morgan Chase; they lived up to their name and made 300 plus companies "chase" each other in a 5.6km course.

If you thought Singapore is a small island, you had to be present to witness the exhibition of its commercial prowess, if nothing else. 11400 professionals ended the office day early to be a part of this extravaganza. Adding to the flamboyance were the creatively (and in some cases not so creatively) designed running tees. I guess a running tee tells as much about a company as does its annual report. Not surprizingly then some of the most appealing designs came from the likes of Bank of America Merril Lynch, SAP Asia, J.P. Morgan itself, and others. Their tees made one wish they were running for them instead, in possession of such designs.

Some companies though took creativity to another level altogether. One such company, Apos, dealing with back and knee therapies , was a league apart with their tees. They actually had varying tees with different phrases at their backs, the likes of "having back pain due to all the running? Come to us", "back giving you trouble with the running? Don't worry we are here", etc. What they managed to do was launch a massive advertising campaign amidst 11400 people, without literally spending a penny extra (apart from the cost of the tees and registration fees), that left an impression in the minds. To top it, they also ran away with the best- designed tee prize.

Another phrase which I personally liked was on the shirt of the American Embassy Team. "RUN FOR YOUR LIFE" is a quote often used in times of danger, fear. But on the tees of this team, they had a picture of a running man, and his heartbeat next to him. The double meaning connotation struck me as brilliant. It was another double meaning which made the entire purpose of this event clearer to me. JP Morgan, by organizing such an annual event had hit gold. On the face of it, they were creating awareness of a healthy lifestyle. But subtly, the three aspects that matter in a corporation and its growth; reputation, networking, advertisement, all were enhanced through one such event. Indeed, the marketing and events team must be given due credit for such a masterstroke.

The only blip of the entire event occurred from the least expected of all quarters. Upon the completion of the race, there were tents for each participating company, where along with the usual bananas and 100 Plus, were strawberries, vegie pies, grapes, and...BEER! I guess its true then, corporate life simply does not exist without alcohol! So much for all the healthy living and 5.6 km!

Oh, and for those who are left wondering, yes all these thought were flowing through my mind while I was huffing and puffing my way through 5.6km!

Choice (I) : College life and Friends

'Spoilt for choice' is a phrase depicting riches. However, at times it is these riches which spoil a person. Such is a story of three friends. Friends who were the closest you'd find in high school, and their friendship journey through college, where they were educated in lessons more than just academic.

***

Haven't you ever wondered why it is so often the case that of hundreds of people you meet and work with throughout your life, only a select few end up being there forever? And even then, equation with them too has its ups and downs. We are said to be the most adaptable species on this planet, and this I would think is the sole factor for our ability to 'move on' as we like to call it. But with some people, as you would have realized yourselves, that isn't even an option.

"Keep in touch! I am so sure you wont write a single mail, whereas I will bug you with continuous ones!" was what one friend had said to him when he had last seen her. Its funny though how the sands of time tend to fade friendships into mere existence akin to sand castles, present but weak. New settings, new friends, new environment add to the pre-existing geographical distances.

The initial glamour of college life (those yet to experience it, yes, its only INITIAL. Movies always misguide!) did not get to these friends. Thanks to facebook, orkut (yup, this is the prehistoric setting before facebook publicly murdered orkut), and in general the web based mailing and chatting, these friends managed to keep that closely knit bond intact.

But, inevitably as some would call it, chinks did start appearing in the relations. Though all three of them knew that they were there for each other should the need arise, new college friends constituted most of the time set aside for friends. Those three way conversations on gtalk metamorphosized into two separate two way ones. Where once two hours were spent chatting the time away, now finding two minutes to send an SMS seemed tough. And all three of them were to be equally blamed.

The story which started off as that of trying to keep in touch had reached a point of hoping to keep in touch. And those who have gone through such a transformation, would agree that it is not necessarily a very nice place to be in.

(to be continued...)

Choice

To begin with, I owe an apology to those who have been visiting the blog in anticipation of finding a new article, only to be disappointed by the infrequency of new posts over the last three weeks. Reasons have been more than one.

Firstly, exams were the talk of the town. Although I did not have to sit for more than two exams this semester, the very fact that I was doing a full day internship (still am) meant that I had hardly read through the lecture notes in the first half (and a bit more) of the semester in the first place. That left me eight weeks of backlog, another four tutorials, along with understanding complex concepts..and you can do the maths yourself! You get the situation right?

The second reason, was the creation of a parallel blog. This though is a cooperative blog, which some friends and myself have got together for with the vision of making the world read (actually, its to fulfill our passion for writing!). For the greater good of blog-iety and catering to those needing their monthly dose of humour, techism, life, and general randomness, we have brought to you the Hodgepodge Rostrum- http://www.hodgepodge-rostrum.blogspot.com/, where we currently have the Pardesi Dhaba running. So be welcome, come to the Dhaba and experience the rich desiness (for the convenience of those Hindi-cally challenged Desi is a term for Indian. And please do not have that look on your face, I am warranted at least one sentence of advertisement of my own creation in this blog, aint I?!)

But this post is not all about the other blog. I have felt something over the course of absence from this blog, which I would like to share today, as well as in the coming days, and this would form the core of the coming few entries on this space.

As is often the case with something new, a lot of my time and effort went into the initial setup of the other blog. I tended to neglect this blog, and not suprisingly, the guilt factor made its presence felt within a few days. This is a reaction many have to face, and that too in such a variety of aspects in life that I would be surprised if you aren't surprised. When one is married, it must be ensured that the parents are given the same attention they were given before. Having a girlfriend/boyfriend should be followed by friendship not being forgotten. While making new friends, the old ones must be held even closer. Life experiences deal with all such situations. Think about it, similar situations would have hit you in your lives. I known of people who have had to face them as well. The series of the next few posts would be inspired from these occurrences, and touch upon the finer nuances in life of CHOICE...

A setback is a setup for a comeback!

Always helps in motivating me! :)

Much use of the Indian Product League (IPL)

Mr. Modi finds himself in a DLF maximum mess, and he needs numerous citi moments of success to come out of this Karbon Kamaal catch of the BCCI. He sure must be wishing he could hide in that much publicized MRF Blimp or Fly Kingfisher out of the country, while also cursing himself for tweeting on his Maxx Mobile!

Modern Humpty!

"Humpty dumpty sat on the wall,

humpty dumpty had a great fall..."

This is as far as most of us get. So we decided , lets do a humpty of our own! And this is where our own element comes in!

"Upon the fall she heard a call,

come over one come over all,

Its neither a banquet, nor is it a mall,

yet be assured that you'll have a ball,

For it is that rostrum which stands tall!"

Lauching 21st April 2010, 7.30pm (Singapore Time)

at a laptop near you!

www.hodgepodge-rostrum.blogspot.com

New Venture..

Nothing is as exciting as a new venture, because its in the beginning that the enthusiasm is highest. The anxiety mixed with the eager anticipation makes it an experience you have to live through to understand. The potential of something new seems huge, and its the work that goes into it which determines the magnitude of success it reaches!

A new creation for the people, by your people (us)! Its five different time zones coming together! Its HODGEPODGE!

I was "Expecting" you...

Expectation is a funny old thing. Inwardly, we all desire great things to be expected of us, to be a part of high expectations of people. What we fail to realize is that expectation is a coin with two sides. When tossed up too high, it flips to its ugly side, and showing its two-faced nature, transitions from motivation to burden...

Its the one factor which has the capacity to push you on to greater things, yet also bring you crashing down, because horrifyingly (or not) it manages to make you your own competitor. Invariably, expectation originates from one's own work in the past, thereby setting a bar which he/she is expected to reach everytime.

And this is the cue for negativity to start creeping in. The fear of failure, people's unfulfilled hopes, the reactions of people; such thoughts clutter the mind. Its much easier to create an (positive) expectation than to maintain it over a period of time.

Think about it, there must be something that even you are expected to do almost always. How would it feel when this burden is relieved? When no one reminds you that this is the end result expected? When you are assured no one would resent you being unable to live up to the expected lines? Think about it...

"Expectation should occur with your own belief in yourself, rather than that of others"

Repenting...

(This is something I had written sometime back. Hence the reference to time here may not be relevant anymore)

Its funny how being in a group affects you. When you want to do something that you would not do otherwise, there is this mysterious vigour and courage to pursue it when like-minded people come together. Maybe this is what they call synergy, which can be positive or otherwise. Whatever it was, I think I experienced it today, and for some reason am not feeling too good about it now.

There are certain principles in life that every individual has, and many a times opportunities present themselves, which beckon one to forego those principles that bind him. One such principle which I follow and have always followed, and that too ardently (until the last few days), is that of diplomacy. Yes, there is a section of people with whom I can afford to forget diplomacy, but in general I have believed in conducting myself with dignity in public.

Then what caused me to lose this poise and stoop so low? I have no idea, but when I was an accomplice in the deed, the longer I stayed accomplice, stronger this guilt presence seemed to get. By the end of it, I was averse to the idea of even performing the deed, but that tiny little inner part, which we often call "the devil's advocate," probably allowed me to think otherwise.

I admit I may have been wrong in being a part of it in the first place, but then admitting the mistake and recognizing it as a mistake is the first step in correcting it. I am sure all of us at some point of time or another, have made a mistake which we have gone on to repent in time. Maybe its a ritual every human is subjected to, that helps him strengthen his core principles in the first place. At least I know that now onwards I will not be losing the diplomacy which I had so tactfully betrayed over the last few days. Ultimately, the saying below is true, and experience is probably its best teacher:

"The true value of something hits us when we lose it..."

MRT - Mission 'Run Time'

"Aye bhai zara dekh ke chalo

Aage hi nahi peeche bhi

Daayein hi nahi bayein bhi

Upar hi nahi...neeche bhi"

Mission: Singapore MRT

Desired aim: get a seat for a comfortable journey

Practical aim: get to the centre of the coach, thereby increasing the probability of getting a seat during the course of the journey

More practical aim: get your arse into the coach!

Alliances: those in the 'Shaktimaan'-ish red superhero costume. 

Alliances' Superpowers- loud voice and a love for the center of the coach.

Enemies: fellow commuters in the MRT, most wearing formals when they enter the train, which end up needing ironing by the time their they emerge out upon the completion of their journey. 

Enemies' Superpower- ability of three to squeeze into a place meant for one in the coach.

(Disclaimer: The above information holds true Monday to Friday 7am-10am and 4pm-7pm. Public holidays are an exception)

Main chahe yeh karoon main chahe woh karoon meri Murphy!

We've all heard that rules are meant to be broken, but what we are talking about here is a universal law which has acquired a status that is above all such petty statements. Basically, this law can never be "broken", because it is given (negative) credit for practically every situation one faces. I am quite intrigued with its originator, and if asked to hazard a guess, am sure he would have been a great lawyer (wait, was he a lawyer in the first place? -googles Murphy's Law, and is shocked to discover he was an Aerospace ENGINEER!- Since when did engineers start making laws? Was that the first and the last time an engineer made a law?).

Those who still havent figured out towards whom my obvious reference is, well you probably need a Murphy Law of your own! Welcome to the world of Murphy.

Defining Murphy's Law would be a pain, simply because it is a general term used for any situation whatsoever! Come to think of it, in which scenario is Murphy's law actually applicable? It definitely wasn't intended to be used as a filler for any problem we face, was it? -- Stuck in traffic when you are already late for your flight? Murphy's law. Missed your bus by half a minute when you need to attend a scheduled meeting in office? Murphy's law. The exam you knew you would ace gets postponed? Murphy's law. A bunch of empty cabs go by when you don't need one, and none when you are looking to hire one urgently? Yep, you guessed it right; Murphy's Law yet again!

I have come to pity poor old Murphy. Not only has his law been turned into a joke, what he probably did write in the first place has very conveniently been modified and altered to suit the people. So is Murphy's law the scapegoat, or is it the logic behind a pathetic situation we happen to find ourselves in? Laws generally form the reasoning behind certain occurences, but the common person these days uses this particular law in a tone which borders more on irritation than admiration.

Noticing that Murphy has become an integral part of our daily life, why do we not award him with a post-humous Nobel Prize or something? I reckon he too deserves accolades which the more celebrated names of his time, such as Newton and Einstein did. And you know why? Because although there is absolutely no formula to memorize, no complexity involved in understanding it, no trick questions asked on it, and no exams based on it, YET when it strikes, it still manages to screw us!

I.N.S.P.I.R.A.T.I.O.N

"Inspiration inspite of insipidness is an inspiring instance indeed"- yours truly

Being inspired is great, but being the one inspiring is a virtue unmatchable. Through one's talks, works, or mere companionship, the impression left on a person can change his outlook in life completely.

Over the last few days, it has struck me that there are many things I wish to be able to do, and do them well. Quite a few of them are because I look upto people already proficient in the field. Few of us are fortunate enough to be inspired, and a fraction of those who are, are lucky to know their source(s) of inspiration. This post is a little note to convey to mine that apart from warranting a spot in my blog, they have created a little space of their own in my mind simply for the passion they have for what they do...

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The idea of starting a blog first appealed to me in June 2008. However, without much inner push, thats what it remained, just an idea. Until I started following Swati's blog regularly. It was her blog, and the free flowing writing in it, which inspired me to initiate a blog of my own. And although its just been a month, the blog now feels a part of me; my own space where I can express my feelings freely, without the fear of judgement. (importing my posts to facebook though does eat at that particular freedom, but its equally interesting to note people's reactions there)

The inspiration for writing however, came from my grandfathers. While one constantly encourages me to write and develop this skill, the other himself has developed his skills such that not only does he write like a professional, his speeches and way of talking too is one of the best I have come across.

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Khoob jamega rang jab mil baithenge teen yaar; Tarang, Dance, and me. Yes, I can afford the luxury of saying this now, but when people initially discovered I was dancing in Tarang, I could sense an element of surprize. "Where from thy inspiration to dance" you ask? To that I just say one word- Akash. It now often is the case that his name has become synonymous with dance, at least in my mind. His passion for dance is one I have not witnessed personally elsewhere. Many people have hobbies, but to pursue it selflessly and take it to the next level such that it classifies as passion, is a quality very few possess. Being his friend, I have been fortunate to witness his growth in the field over the last two years. And although in my first year I wouldn't have imagined saying it, simply because of his sheer brilliance in the field, he has actually improved in terms of professionalism of his dance and choreography. The ever present urge to improve is what differentiates good from great. And I sincerely hope this urge and the passion for dance remains as strong, if not stronger in the future.

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Nature is beautiful, but the real beauty lies in being able to capture this beauty. That is the true art in photography. And I have to confess I have many friends who are more than decent at it. A few of them however are a league apart; Satyam, Nidhi and Shruthi. Their brilliance lies in the ability to identify those scenes which are lost to most of us in the camouflage of the background, and then turn them into award winning ones. In simpler words, rather in facebook language, that would translate into the fact that if they happen to be in your friends' list, you would find yourself tagged in pics that exceed even your own expectations of yourself! There used to be a time when I was of the opinion that a good camera equates to a good photo, but that has obviously changed, and brought with it a new urge in me to learn this art.

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Come to think of it, everyone has an inspiration of their own, be it in any field. All the people mentioned have been my sources of inspiration in their respective fields, and someday I too aspire to be an inspiration for people (that is if I am not one already!)



P.S Other sources of inspiration are still being searched for, in an attempt to unravel the mystery of my love for cycling and singing!

Cricket with Commercials...or Commercials with Cricket?

Its that time of the year again, when we cheer for a South African over an Indian, just because he happens to be wearing the colours of a team claiming to represent a region in India. We feign ignorance and pretend to forget that the opposition Indian players are the same whose performances we cross our fingers for, at times pray for when their names are in the team sheet of Team India.

The Indian Premier League is a unique concept, the only problem with it being that it is an entire lift off from the much patronized Indian Cricket League. Subhash Chandra must be wondering why he does not have contacts in the BCCI. If he had, by this time his name would have been splashing across papers as a certain Lalit Modi's is these days.

This is not to suggest that I detest the Indian Premier League, or do not watch its matches. Being a cricket fanatic, following such a revolutionary tournament becomes a sort of responsibility. But I do wish at times that it was more conducive to pleasurable viewing for the normal cricket fan. At the moment, when I turn on the television and watch a match currently under way, what I notice is something as follows:

The bright jerseys add to the already dynamic ground sights and sounds. But behold, what meets my eyes makes me wonder whether this is a cricket match, or a supermarket. Every inch of the player jersey is crammed with as many product logos as is possible such that the jersey colour is still distinguishable. Shoulders, upper arm, shoulder blade, chest. Very few body parts are spared (thank goodness for those which are!). Even the cap has a product glaring out at the you from both the sides. As the IPL grows from 8 teams to 10, 60 matches to 90, I would not bet against the logos spreading onto the stomach, lower back, thighs, legs and the pads donned on the feet. That would be some sight eh? And surely the advertisement costs would vary given the location of display. For example for a product, getting a place on the pads would mean dishing out more money, given that there would be more advertisement opportunities during the replays for LBWs.

Another thing that intrigues me is how every aspect of the game has been commercialised. Oh sorry, almost every aspect. Although they have the DLF maximum, Citi moment of success, and the new entrant, Karbonn Kamaal Catch, they still have scope for the Pepsi-Dil-Maange-More direct hit, Mountain Dew bouncer, HappyDent White maiden over, and the most highly priced Videocon Run. Hence teams would then score 154 Videocon runs, and win by 5 LG wickets. If we were to go absolutely crazy, we could have the Lays bowled, Aquafina stumping, and Phillips run out, but lets leave that to those big brains who run the entire circus.

And spare a thought for the circus masters-the commentators. Do they not mind becoming salesmen during the tournament? The new strategi-oops- Max Mobile Strategic Time-Out is an example. The commentators have not yet been able to train their minds that it the Max Mobile time out, and not as boring a thing as a simple strategic time out. And no, we do not snigger when the commentators correct themselves half way through saying "strategic timeout". But I am sure they will learn by the next year, until they have a few more new things to catch up on.

Also, the good old days had one or at max a couple of advertisements in between overs. The IPL however, has one or at max a couple of advertisements on a screen in the stadium between balls. I guess this is what people relate modernization and generation gaps to.

Anyways, let me get back to watching the Comedy Circus now. The only relief offered is that the players themselves are genuine, and have not yet changed their names to Uncle Chips Anil Kumble, Masafi Dale Steyn, Alpenleibe Shane Warne, and the likes.

And to all those who thought I went overboard with the description, I was just following the same exaggeration formula applied by the administrators of this tournament. But let me give it to them, after all:

"The whole thing is that ki bhaiya sabse bada RUPAIYA"

A New Day Has Come....

Sometimes you wake up in the morning, and things just feel, (b)right. All the negativity which was there in the mind till last night when you closed your eyes to signal the end of the day, seems to disappear into that unknown land where dreams are originated during sleep, and you look forward to the day ahead. I dont know what makes this morning different from the rest, but I presume this is what people mean when they say "have a bright start to the day."

Its interesting that these days are few and far in between. Most days, we keep cursing everything from classes to job, for waking us early in the morn. What we don't realize is that the sunshine we blame for burning us too glaringly during the day is actually pleasant in the morning. The traffic light which continues its functions unperturbed in spite of our disgusted looks when our bus just misses the green signal to stop at the red, actually looks beautiful as its colors undergo transition from green to red via yellow. Its funny how you happen to get the perfect place at the station to enter the MRT, while other days getting to the train is equivalent to a 100m dash with human hurdles, often ending with a crushed shirt and breathlessness.

To put this in context for the technically adept, this is the morning when your iPod gets in the most amazing songs on its shuffle list without the help of GENIUS.

Things which seem petty and merge into the background on other days stand out and show their worth during these days. People walking on the road seem more cheerful and content, and there is an inherent feeling of wishing each of them a loud and cheerful "Good Morning!" Or maybe its just your perception which changes for the better during such a morning.

The following lines from a song which is playing in my iPod at the moment seem apt for this kind of day:

"Sab kuch alag hai, sab kuch naya hai....Kuch toh hua hai, kuch ho gaya hai....

Rang chamkile saare lagte hain....raah mein bikhre taare lagte hain...phool ab zyaada pyaare lagte hain.."

(and for those wondering, I am not talking about a morning after Sachin Tendulkar has won India another game the previous night, although that too would have a similar effect on the people of India in general!)

A Humour's Guide to Dummies!....Err...

I know I know. Too much emo stuff over the weekend. I did promise you all that I would be trying to get a laugh from you in each blog entry. But then again, I started writing this primarily for myself. To be able to communicate my feelings with myself first, and in the process with the world. The last few days were a little low mood-wise, thereby reflected in the blog.

But I did realize, and received some feedback from those who happen to read the blog, that some humour should be incorporated. Point noted. So then I started thinking (yes yes, I can sense your surprise on the recent development of this ability of thinking. Not to worry, this phase too shall pass, and I will be back to my senseless thinking-less ways!) I thought about what makes an article humourous. Is it the style in which it is written? Or the choice of words it comprises? Maybe its the sentence structure? For all you know, it may just be the author, and the reader's brain's automatic perception of that person as a clown!

So I set out in search of the perfect way to include some humour in otherwise emotional articles. I called upon my most trusted friend. I have no idea what its parents were thinking when they gave him this name, but yeah I call him Google, as do many others. Gets a giggle out doesn't it? I tell him the same thing, but he doesn't listen. In fact, he now has several siblings all originating from this giggle-inducing name. They can (g)Talk, (g)Mail, (g)Wave, (g)Chrome and have recently learned to Buzz too! Anyways, for the first time in practically forever, I got very little help from this guy. Shocked? I was too!

To lower the desperation levels, I even sought help from "A Dummy's Guide to Including Humour in your Blogs," but alas it was so useless that all I was left saying was"main joker to nahi, lekin aye haseen maine dekha jab bhi tujhko mujhko comedy nahi aai". (translating this would take an eternity, because basically, I am no poet and this is a very distorted version of a couplet written by some guy. Interestingly the original version of the couplet has gone on to become the first words that a person ought to speak in India before showcasing his talent in the poetry arena)

Having been failed even by the Constitution of Comic Blogs itself: A Dummy's Guide..., I had given up hope, and was sulking in my deep philosophical thoughts. I would have much rather preferred sulking in the condominium swimming pool on a Saturday evening with heart-warming sights and sounds, but for the 'Hands-and-Mouth Disease'! Now what kind of a name is that? 'Hands-and-Mouth Disease', seriously? If I allow my imagination to run wild, which I will not because this is a family blog (till now), I can probably write a novel on what this disease is all about!

So yeah, sulking I was, when I happened to chance upon two of my fellow friend bloggers! Introducing to you, Swati Gupta and Ramasubramanian Sivasankar (Shiv to his dear ones)! (drum roll begins....but fades almost instantly)

These are two people, who manage to make you laugh even with normal sentences. Now, I am not sure whether they mean to do so, or if its an accident which incidentally happens many times, but what matters in the end is the humour present in their blogs. Inspiring their readers to laugh till they cry, these two have to be the biggest comedians in the world of blogging!

While Swati has subtle humour arising from a rough yet catchy writing style, Shiv has something in his sentences which induce laughter in the reader. Don't ask me what that something is, because had I known, I would be able to include humour in my Blog articles too! I do want to mention though, that they are equally capable of writing thought provoking articles as well, and in doing so conveying messages of importance of certain places, people, and experiences to their readers. From the top of my mind, I can think of  the exceptional article Shiv wrote on the importance of Orissa and the people from there (http://ramaplusplus.blogspot.com/2009/01/orissa.html), and the recent amusing experiences Swati has shared of her return trip from Canada (http://sila-berhati-hati.blogspot.com/2010/01/cuba-diaries-2.html). I could go on inflating their egos, but I am not being paid for using my Blog to advertise theirs!

At the end of it all, what has my research yielded thus far? I have discovered blogs with humour in them, but I still do not comprehend the art of including humour in my blogs. Darn! I need to keep the search going! Could someone please help me with this ''Humour's Guide to Dummies?" ....Err...that didn't sound correct now did it?

Longing...

"Yuhin kat jayega safar saath chalne se...ki manzil aayegi nazar saath chalne se..."

Maturity comes with age. Thats oft mentioned. But what about the maturity which comes ahead of age, forced on you by circumstances? Is that maturity enjoyable? Is it even welcome?

These random thoughts have been stemming from my recent experiences and feelings emerging from them. Going for your sister's public dance performance should be a moment of pride, yet why is this feeling diluted by another feeling, that of longing? The longing for the presence of a guiding and reassuring hand. At this age, its difficult enough to handle your own self with care. Add to that, setting an example for your sister, reducing her loneliness, ensuring all is going smoothly in her school. All this when she herself has been less than an year into her new school.

But my feelings must be incomparable to what she must be going through. To be able to adapt to such a drastic change in lifestyle, and without a murmur of a whine, I feel amazed as to how strong my sister is. Was I so strong when I was her age? For that matter, am I so courageous even now? This outpour of emotions clearly suggests I am not. All I used to do at her age was crib about the difficulty level of IB. What never occured to me was that they were after all exams, and life is a whole lot more than exams. She is coping with this unique situation of life so well. Touch-wood.

I am aware you would be thinking I am going overboard with my reactions. After all, how difficult can it be staying with your sister in a city where you have stayed alone for two years? Surely having your own sibling along would be so much more exciting than staying alone? Yes, but you see the mind, being its usual selfish self, determines its mood not on who is currently present, rather whose presence is lacking. Having seen a better way of life with Mummy staying here in singapore, and papa here on most weekends, nothing else seems acceptable to the mind now. It longs for the entire family to stay together again, or at least Ria staying with Papa and Mummy so as to ensure that her most crucial academic year also has the same parental support which many of us are fortunate enough to take for granted.

I am sure all this is also happening for a reason. As Harivansh Rai Bacchan said, "Man ka ho toh accha, man ka na ho toh aur bhi accha" (if what you desire happens, thats good. However, if something that you want does not happen, then its even better.) The logic behind this is that if something is not going your way, then the One watching us is writing the script. And he can never want anything bad for you.

But you know what intrigues me? How this feeling of longing knows no political boundary, requires no visa, and can be felt simultaneously in Indonesia and Singapore...

From house to home: a journey in the city of Jakarta

"Nagme hain, shikhwe hain, kisse hain, baate hain...Baatein bhool jaati hain, yaadein yaad aati hain..."

I dont know whether it has happened with you or not, but there is a certain time in life where everything is seemingly perfect. Moving on in life, this time acquires that special place in our memories, where we visit it often. Sometimes this particular phase becomes a boon, and we remember it to give us the endurance to overcome current obstacles and experience a similar time. At other times, it becomes a bane, causing us to be left entangled in it when things currently do not seem to be going the way we want it to go. The length of this phase notwithstanding, goodness of life during this time makes us yearn for it over the entire course of our future.

The fickle-mindedness of the human mind is shown by our tendency to associate success and failure, happiness and unhappiness, good times and bad times, with external factors. In this process, we forget that there is one similarity throughout the variety of such times; OURSELVES.

Similarly, I associate Apartment Simprug Indah with the change in times for the better. Wont to normal human nature, we gave Simprug a major portion of the credit for this change and still consider it to be one of the luckiest houses for us to have stayed in. Within an year of moving into Simprug, Papa got transferred to Jakarta within the same organization. As is often said, no matter how hard we try, the things destined to happen will ultimately happen, and at their own time. There was hardly any scope of this transfer of Papa's, but it did materialize, thereby changing the times to come and making Jakarta the place where we didn't only stay, but also had a home.

The change gave our lives the boost it needed after two years of living apart. It was akin to staying at hostel, and we looked forward to our trips back to Sumatra, away from the then perceived horrible city of Jakarta. Throughout these years, Mummy became our support, and we tried to become hers. But upon Papa's transfer, we saw Jakarta like we had never before. The city which we used to associate with loneliness, had turned over its image in our minds, and become the place which it is know as throughout the rest of the world. A cosmopolitan city. We were introduced to movie theatres, malls, and most importantly, family life in this city. Somehow, the Jakarta where we stayed the first two years, seems distinctly different to the Jakarta we stayed in thereafter. And this distinction in our minds is present even till today.

From Jakarta, I completed the four most important academic years in a student's life, 9th till 12th. We went for our first Europe tour from Jakarta. My future career path was determined in Jakarta, and I came to NUS from Jakarta. It now resembles to me the place where I would want to go again. The place where I would want to work. The city where we associate many good times with. The tough times that we went through in the initial couple of years seem remote, yet not forgotten.

It is exactly this memory of the wonderful change that we had experienced in Jakarta, which I am looking to for hope now. The situation is similar now, with Jakarta having been replaced by Singapore, and my schooling replaced with my sister's. These Jakarta memories provide me the hope that things will change for the better here as well. There will be better times in Singapore, and I hope to write in this very blog an year down the line, that Singapore too provided us the image changeover which Jakarta had once done...

A lonesome view of Jakarta...

"Dil na ummeed nahi, Na kaam hi toh hai....lambi hai gham ki shaam, magar shaam hi toh hai...."

To say that the first year in Jakarta was difficult would be a massive understatement. Life had changed considerably. Where once we had a 8 seater car in our garage at our own disposal, we now had to think twice even before taking a cab. Loneliness was such that the main door that closed on our return from school at 3.30pm, was most likely to open only to let us out the next morning at 6am when we left for school.

The people of the condominium added to the gloomy aura, with no replies to usual pleasantries in the main lobby. Hell, even meetings in lift would be greeted with frowns and turned-away faces.

I have to admit though that the view from the apartment was worth forgetting such incidents. It was similar to the main body of an essay, thereby minimizing such behaviour of people into mere footnotes. Half the flat was facing the sea, and being on the 12th floor, the sea breeze was more than soothing.

One thing which kept me occupied during this phase was school. To be honest, I dont know whether I realized that my parents had sacrificed their lifestyle for the sake of my education, or not, but I needed to vindicate it with results. Not that it was a well thought conscious effort, but I was lucky that I could help in the situation within my capacity.

Defining Gandhi Memorial International School in my life would be interesting. It started off as the fourth school of my life, transformed into my high school, and ended as my alma mater, in the process becoming one of the two schools where I spent the longest time. The beginning of this journey was rough, more so in terms of acceptance by peers, as is often the case at such an age. There always are people though who come and make you feel comfortable. It was then that Siddharth became the friend which I needed to blend into the new school. I guess I never have paid my gratitude to him for being there, but thanks Sid, it meant a lot. And touch-wood, our friendship still is the same, probably even better and I hope it remains this way!

Like they say, "there is always light at the end of the tunnel", life did start to take an upswing. We should have guessed the turn of events for the better, from the moment a certain event occurred- The Cricket World Cup 2003! Seemingly, to lift our moods (at least my mood), the Indian team did extremely well, giving us a memorable one month and a bit. The shift in mood created then would become more decisive during the coming few months, leading into our second year of Jakarta.

Come the second year in Jakarta, and we had shifted house, moving away from the apartment which symbolized loneliness in our lives, to a new apartment. The vibrancy reminded us that there are people around to socialize with, get along with, meet up with; in other words, we seemed to have landed back on earth from an alien planet. Having almost 70% of its occupants as Indians, the condominium helped in us getting the company of people which we had lacked for the major part of last year. The coming two years spent in this apartment form one of the most memorable parts of my formative years, where almost everything that we had wished for came our way. God had listened to us, and bestowed our reward for patience and endurance on us...

(to be continued)

Current Situation = sucks

Ok, I officially HATE the current situation. I just think that some solution needs to be come up with and fast. I hope the one who fixes things and can repair anything in the world, is reading this blog.

Life's tantrums...

Often there are times in our lives, when the over cliched 'going gets tough' phrase doesnt seem just a phrase any more. These times may seem never ending and too long for our liking, but by the end of it, help us become stronger for the experience of having overcome them. Fortunately, I have had many opportunities at becoming strong in this way.

Being a closely knit family, spending time together was something we gave utmost importance to, and it was a joy for us. My mother says, 'families which share a meal together remain together'. Yet, a time did come when we had a decision to take, and that was the year 2002. Life had thrown its first tantrum at us...

The school in Kerinci-Sumatra where Papa was posted, was an International school, but only till Grade 7 due to the relatively weak student strength. Although happy at going up the classes, I did have bouts of anxiety as I was nearing grade 7. What next? Will I too have to leave my parents at a tender age of 12? Up until that point, all the expatriate employees had either shifted their families to their home countries, or sent their children away to boarding school upon completion of their 7th grade. Either way, the child was going to be separated from one if not both of his parents. Having grown up in a protected way by them, staying away from my parents was an idea complely alien to me.

It was then that I glimpsed the obvious brilliance of my parents for the first time, and on retrospection, the collective decision made seems such a master-stroke.

Jakarta, although the capital of Indonesia, was strangely, an unexplored avenue in such cases. People went back to India, yet no one before us had tried shifting their families to the capital. The differences between the two places had their own pros and cons; India was home with relatives aplenty, but Jakarta was the same country comprising more forseeable meeting opportunities with Papa. The risk taker within us took the step forward, and a new journey had begun, where we set out to conquer the unexplored land of Jakarta...

(to be continued)

Screw them

These delivery people need to get their behavior right. What the hell do they think of themselves? Man, you have come to deliver a product to your customer's house, have some courtesy. Your behaviour continues in this vain, and your customers will dwindle, thereby leading to a cut in your freaking salaries. We shall see who says goodbye to whom and doesnt get a reply then.

Get your behaviour right, will only help you in the future! :@

ए मेरे दिल तू गाये जा...

'Music is a part of my life' is a sentence heard in abundance when a reality show contestant needs to make an impression in the minds of the people with the all empowering handphone in their hands. It always does seem to work, and if by any chance it doesn't, then there always is the AV featuring their mothers and hometowns along with a few tears rolling down the cheeks here and there.

However, in my case, I am no aspiring singer in a TV show trying to convince people to vote for me (I would love to learn classical singing though, but thats for another day) and I still say that 'Music is a part of my life'. Without music, I dont know how I would manage to spend a day, forget weeks or months.

Music has this uncanny habit of lifting my mood instantly. Depressed and down, music is the saviour I turn to. Strangely, I have this habit of associating songs to the times I am experiencing in real life. For instance, throughout my grade 10, I used to listen to just Swades songs, in a walkman and repeat the songs until I had heard the album at least 5-6 times continuously! The time studying was spent well, and now whenever I hear any song from Swades, I get transported to my 10th grade and its memories.

Oh, that mentions another interesting aspect of my connection with music. I cannot study without music. Throughout my high school, I could study only if music was playing. Developing the taste for music started then, and it still hasnt subsided. And I realise I have reached the correct place it seems...in the MRTs in Singapore, almost one in every three people have ear plugs seperating their current state of being pushed around in the public transport, from their musical world!

Music, what would I do without you?! Thank goodness for the advances in technology and creation of ipods, allowing me to be connected to my beloved music through the thick and thin of the singapore public transport!

First Blog, an experience of its own!

Aah, I knew it! An amateur blogger, and its more than evident on the first post. No title! How foolish! Well, I guess it can be classified as special though, a unique first Title-less blog entry! What an entry into blog-iety!

Also, being ever the politically correct person I always am, a few disclaimers coming your way:

- anything which is intended to be aimed at a specific person, will be obvious to him/her

- almost all the stuff written will be controversy free

- those who mean something to me, be it family or friends, should expect to be mentioned in the blogs rather frequently (directly and indirectly)

- a few leg pulling activities can be expected now and then, after all I have to live upto the trust Shakespeare has placed on me as an entertainer!

I also happened to realize that if I want to make it big and climb the ladder of blog-iety, I would need to make myself cooler. Not that I don't already think I am cooler than the rest, but adding to the coolness wont hurt. So for the greater good of blog-iety, unveiling:

PaarT!!

With that, I take your leave, but worry not, the PaarT will continue to rock and see you all tomorrow!

Love to all!

PaarT

Its become a trend now hasn't it? Blogging the day's activities, writing blogs to create awareness. Superstars use it as a medium to reach out to their fans. To the extreme of anonymous people having used this new form of media to stir up controversies in cricket matches and teams (read fakeiplplayer)!

My pull towards blogging has been present for a while now, but the same old apprehension of starting something and leaving it half way always provided the inertia that Newton has so famously talked about.

Shakespeare said the World's a stage, and I guess entertaining others becomes an unsaid prerogative for us. So I have decided to start off with a blog I can call my own, and try to be regular in it! Through these blogs, I intend to write about anything and everything under the sun, but as I have been knighted an entertainer through one random Shakespeare thought, I will try to get a laugh out of all those who read it on most occasions. No promises though. I do manage to become all thoughtful and mature once in a blue moon, and those days you would probably get a large dose of philosophy coming your way.

And anyways, I personally think all the famous quotes which we manage to insert everywhere right from Literature essays to lecturing our siblings, are all accidental in the first place. No one would say things having the foresight of knowing that random people are going to be quoting them in the future. Hence, I have convinced myself to believe that unknowingly or otherwise, I too will manage to write a few phrases through these blog entries which will happen to catch someone's attention and warrant usage as future quotes!

Finally, if I really had to thank an event apart from my own self for convincing me to overcome the initial indecision and start these blogs, it has to be Chetan Bhagat. This guy and his latest novel '2 States' have become my all time favourite (at least for the next few months). So, here's a toast to you Chetan and to myself for finally starting something which I knew I always wanted to do...WRITE! (in any case, I think its the second best thing I do after 'talking')