On some days, someone has to wait.
They have no choice, but to wait.
But if one has willfully selected that option to wait,
And despite knowing that, if that someone cannot wait,
Then that someone should have chosen premium shipping option to avoid wait.
:-) Can't just wait till Friday.
signing off,
Imagine this. You have gone places, have taken a lots of beautiful photos with your flashy digital cameras and have come back home gleaming. Isn't it fun? :-)
That unfortunately, my friend, is where the fun ends. You'd agree to this, especially if you have tried to sort out all those photos in your 256 MB card. The digital camera is a useful tool for the ease of use and cost per photo stats. But when it comes to sorting out those humongous pile of photos, you are left really helpless.
You know what I'd like to want? I'd like to have a camera, to which, after taking this picture-
Crater Lake:
Lake - from Lodge place
A mountain and it's reflection in the Diamond Lake
On the road
A peak from the boat in Diamond lake
The lemon rice, which I did not prepare.
Now what is the phone number of Canon's R&D dept?
signing off,
I learned it the hard way today. Even though we did manage to finish 3 parathas each, and my roommate did say, "ok", I got to admit they were pathetic. Here are some pointers that all you bachelor boys can pick from me and avoid the obvious embarassment. You got to make sure that -
1. You drain out the boiled potatos completely before smashing them. Don't let the batter be wet. If it is loose, you could add rice flour/corn flour to it. I did not have any of these, so I added wheat flour. The result was not too bad, but it was not too good too. Ever heard of prevention being better than cure?
2. You don't put too much garlic or too much onion in the batter. If it is too much, then you'll have to add bit more potato. If you do that, you'll have to keep the batter for the next day to make aloo wada. :-)
3. While rolling, don't use excessive flour on the dough. If you do, please wipe the extra flour off it before putting the paratha on the pan. But use a bit more oil. That way it would become soft and not papad-like.
But here are few good things I did -
1. Grate your onion and garlic in a mixer, instead of chopping with a knife. That way it would become a smooth mixture and the sharp edges of cut onions will not cut through your paratha while rolling. And just the right quantity of onion does make parathas delicious, unlike my sister's thinking who screamed through the phone - "Who puts onion in aloo paratha?"
That's it? Just one good thing? Yeah I told you it was pathetic. I'll try to be good next time. That is if next time my roomie allows me to do it :-)
signing off,
This is amusing.
So this man predicts his own death. And these leading news channels believe it. And they air him for straight 7 hrs.
Tch. Tch. Tch. I keep missing these comedy shows.
Btw, if you don't know, I have predicted my own death long ago. I am going to die in the first half of this century. Now should I contact ABC or CNN?
signing off,
I am tired. That is mainly because of lack of proper sleep on weekends. Now if you don't know what proper sleep is, try to call me on weekends at 12 in noon. If I answer in first 3 rings, please conclude that I am not getting proper sleep. :-)
But last two weekends have been quite hectic. We drove to Crater Lake for the weekend of 9th. Then I went to LA to meet my friend on next weekend (of 16th). And if you want to crunch most of the things like I did in those two days, you'd be tired no doubt. Unless you happen to be sleeping in your cubicle in weekdays. I could have done that, but my manager sits very close to me and he might come investigating if he hears me snoring.
signing off,
To my naive mind, it seemed, a revolution was at hand. But suddenly something happened ...
[...]
I learnt something that day. What, I am still to decipher.
-Siddharth in Hazaaron Khwaishein Aisi. [don't recollect the entire/exact dialogue. Will be glad if someone has it]
That is how I am feeling right now after, well, 10/10. Are we really making our opinions quite prematurely too?
Talking of revolution, we did take a revolution last weekend around the Crater Lake in OR. That was a ultimate experience! Some writeup on that soon. Till then, have a look at this pic. And no, it is not a wallpaper downloaded from national geographic. It is the snap one of us has taken :-)
signing off,
It might seem to some, that money can buy you everything. But it cannot ever buy you self esteem. Not definitely after what those guys have resorted to with the fake bloggers and ridiculous acts. Even if IIPM were at par with other institutes as they have claimed, in this situation it looks like they will have to try real hard to get back the credibility, if at all there was one.
And in case someone is reading this, these views are entirely my own and nothing to do with my employer, girl-friend, parents, goldfish, laptop or bicycle.
signing off,
There are different theories on what a time machine is and what would it look like if incepted. If you ask me, the time machine just looks like a small, circular and translucent plastic disk which you can play on either a CD player or your computer. For there is nothing like a song that takes me back in memory lanes.
Just the other day something made me rethink on this. I was listening to Kannathil Muthamittal's title song performed by Chinmayee. For those who don't know, it is one of the brilliant albums by A R Rahman for a very sensitive movie by Mani sir. This song always takes me back to a seat no 7 of the II AC compartment of Bangalore-Chennai Madras mail. It has been almost 3½ years to that journey, now that I think about it, but still it is as vivid as if I had been sitting on that window seat restlessly at 1 AM listening to this song again and again and again just yesterday night. And I did not stop until my third set of batteries were drained out of charge.
And who can forget Dil Deewana from movie Maine Pyar Kiya? I guess I should have been fifth standard when that song was a rage. And when I used to return from school, almost without fail our murphy radio used to play this song. Just as 7:05 Marathi news was an indicator for us to start for the school (and 7:15 news would mean we are too late!), this Lata Mangeshkar classic turned out to be my personal benchmark for something breezy, not just because of it's warming lyrics, but more so because of it's association with the closure of those excruciating school hours.
Then there is Bin Tere Sanam by Udit Narayan and Kavita Krishnamoorthy. It takes me to my cubicle in Bangalore office where I spent days searching for that song online (trying different loopholes in the system which did not allow downloading songs) just because I needed it for someone. But those efforts were all worth it considering that lovely song. That did teach me a thing or two about bending the rules! :-)
Another song is a Marathi song. It goes like "Hiravya hiravya rangachee jhade ghanadaT, Sang _____ (not sure what this word is) disto kasa khandyaLyacho ghaat!" I dunno which movie is that one from, but whenever I think about it, even though that song, as far as I remember, is picturized in a train, a premier 118 NE rushing madly on winding downhill roads comes to my mind. Now I think, this transformation in transports might have been because when our tv's speakers were not working, we used to watch the movies while playing cassettes our new Sony 2 in 1 and this might have one of those unfortunate fusion moments.
Of course, another worth mentioning item (pun not intended) is, Thanda Thanda Panee by Baba Sehgal, which was my first stage appearance (as a part of chorus, mind you) in my school days. Yeah, yeah, I know, don't give me that look. Things do happen at that age!
signing off,
Ability to use a tool is so important these days. Even gorillas are feeling the heat. :-)
Their manager would be happy with this month's metrics.
Link courtesy Amit Varma.
signing off,
They are showing Gladiator on tbs this Friday. Now tbs network is famous for comedies. Like Friends, Everybody Loves Raymond, Sex and the City, Seinfeld and the list goes on. But Gladiator is not a comedy movie, you'd argue. No sir, it ain't so even for tbs. But the way they are showing the promos is quite funny! They initially show some gladiators fighting soldiers and animals and then camera zooms on Russel Crowe while narrator says, "If your parents named you Maximus Decimus Meridius, you'd be a little ticked off too!" Then da da da da and finally Maximus says "I'll have my vengeance!"
Considering your situation, had Crowe been wearing Elvis dress it would have been very funny, but still it is pretty darn funny. Go, nku, have yourself a laugh. Not that loud though!
signing off,
My friend the man himself, has tagged me recently. Surrounded by various asset management teams these days, I mistook that for a J-Tag. Now for those who don't know a J-Tag, you can drop me a mail for an elaborate answer. I don't want to waste my blog space in work related stuff.
So coming back to the tagging business. I have been blogging for a year now so I know quite many things about tags. I also know that I should not blurt out the truth while responding to tags. But for my dear readers which include many respectable names, I resist that temptation and here are the answers, in all random order (but if you do intermittently feel some tensile force on your lower appendages, I am pulling your leg):
5 bands I know all the words to: Blame my ears. They cannot even decipher Bappi Lahiri's clearly uttered words. How can you expect them to know anything else? But after using googleing with some of the randomly heard words and patching other missing sentences, I can say I know quite many words of Backstreet's Boys and Britney Spears. If only I knew that they were bad singers before investing so much time in this ... tch tch tch
5 places I'd run away to: Kitchen, Bathroom, Bedroom, Balcony and Terrace. In short home. On more serious note, given a choice I'd run to Goa (with all vj people), Munnar, Mumbai, any riverbank to walk upon and any seashore.
5 favorite tv shows: Man, now you are asking good questions. I love Takeshi's Castle with Javed Jafferey's commentary on Pogo tv. Also it's grandpa version which used to air on DD metro in Fun Time (I forgot its name!). Malgudi Days to copy from the tagger. Giant Robot was quite cool. Everybody Loves Raymond is nice too. For Debra especially :-) And Shaanti. The original soap opera the episodes of which, I still remember, we used to discuss in school!
5 years ago: I was on a high. Don't misunderstand. Not on high heels. But you know that time in third year engineering when everything till now has gone your way, you have good grades, good rapport, good job in hand (though job in software was something nagging me - which I have now settled in :-)). And probably I could not have expected the shocks which just came in few months after. But overall, good times.
5 snacks: I am not a food buff, I have realized these days. If you eat samosa with gajar sabji as filling and panipuri with peanuts, you'd not blame me for not being so. But old habits die hard. I truly like kanda pohe with good tea, idli (preferably from Krishna Cafe) with good coffee (from same place), Parle G with good tea, vada pav with mirchi & with good tea. For those who don't understand kanda pohe, it is avalakki bath for Bangalore and poha for northies. Dunno about other regions too well. And vada pav is aloo bonda + bun (with pun).
5 favorite toys: My mobile phone was closest to me. It was Nokia 8210 model, with no frills attached. But man I used to love it. Right now it is with my friend thousands of miles away. I miss you buddy. Next in line is tv remote. I love switching channels and trying to figure out the program/advertisement/song or whatever the idiot box is showing in 1.38 s interval in between. Next I used to like my walkman while I used to listen to my cassettes. I still remember I used to go everywhere with my walkman on and people used to laugh at me. But I never cared, or in fact I could not have cared while listening to music. Then I like my earphones. I cannot imagine myself without them any time of day. Even now I have them on! Last but not the least, I like rolling pin and knives. To make rotis that is.
5 things I'd never wear in public: My birthday suit. Orange trousers. Fluorescent green shirts. Kilt. Poncho. Why was that question asked? I'd never know.
One year ago: Everything was 5 till now. Suddenly it has come down to one. My mind wonders why. But you should not ask why here. So one year ago. I guess I was preparing for two upcoming birthdays, first and ninth. I remember, on first birthday the birthday boy treated us in Amoeba bowling alley and then lunch at Angeethi's. Also it was kind of a year ago that I started out this blog. So I'd have been busy writing, deleting, adding, correcting, typing, erasing, improvising, clipping and stuff.
5 things I'd do with $100 million: I'd get myself a home in good enough locality, get myself a tv, computer, broadband internet, good cable connection, dvd player, some hollywood+bollywood movies, good snacks (which I mentioned above), a couch. And then I'd go out for a stroll.
Yesterday: I started writing this blog.
5 greatest joys: Sleeping is quite a joy. Not many people admire it. But even better joy, to copy from some forward, is waking up at some insane hour at 7:00 AM and finding out that you can sleep for 15 more minutes! Bliss! I love walking too. Without any destination, just set out for some direction and keep walking. Especially with friends. Being with friend has brought some of the happiest moments for me. Then as I have realized recently, I love giving surprises. To myself. And then I love watching people smile. That's a recent development.
Ten years ago: I guess I was in 11th standard. Being a nerd. Trying to figure out how the hell can I understand those JEE problems.
What is this blog about? May be you will be able to tell me better. Especially after reading all this.
I refuse to pass on the tag. Because of my policy on forwards. :-) Didn't you read word Nerd somewhere?
signing off,
When you want to write a macro to combine all the data in 105 different Excel spreadsheet, you name it Sub MergeData(). What if it behaves like its fiendish friend Submerge Data()?
I need some sleep :-)
signing off,
They say I have got to finish the story in 55 words. By the way, how many lines can you write in 55 words? 4? 5? How can I write a story in just 4 lines? I need more space. Why should I stop at 55? Are they going to... HEY!! Don’t snatch my pen! (55 words)
Come to think of it, I can try.
She sensed it first. Today he was not the person she remembered so well. Outspoken. Jovial. “What’s the matter?” she asked him kindly, thinking excitedly, “Don’t I really know that?”
“Listen, I’ve got to tell you something.”
“Go on.”
“You sure?”
“Hmm.” Mummy, here it comes!
“Tanu, there’s a cockroach on your dress.”
“Ye… Noooooooo!!!!” (55 words)
signing off,
Though I am saying this, I don't want the game to win. Let it rain for one more day and we would have a new Ashes champions. If Australia manage to get past 450 in first innings and they have three-four sessions to have a go at English batting line, I predict they're going to win. But just for the way England have played this whole summer, I want them to win. And don't forget they are without Jones, who I daresay would not have allowed Australia to reach so far. Let me clear that I am not against Aussies. They have deserved to win on so many occasions. But this time they remind me of the Indian side which hosted Aussies sometime in 2003. Both India then and Aussies today have underestimated their opponents. And almost all software professionals today will vouch for their disastrous lives after underestimation.
Just a half day of drizzle would be sufficient, God. In case you are wondering where to get the water from, just cut down on some showers in Mumbai. Now, wouldn't that be a win-win situation? :-)
signing off,
Ever since I became a programmer (don't fret, it ain't nothing bad!), I had a small dream, of visiting Microsoft, some way or other. Thanks to my friend in Redmond who is working for MS, it came true this long weekend. It was indeed memorable, not exactly as I'd have liked, but for our visits to the two floors in a building - fifth and fourth.
For a moment when C, my friend, after exiting 405 (or it might have been 520, as it is, I am bad at road names, so don't expect anything better in road numbers) drove me towards some deserted streets I thought he was taking me his home. Then he crossed a signal and took right turn and said, this is Microsoft. I was not obviously prepared for this! Man I was at Microsoft office! Then he drove me to his office, showed things around and we went home. Nothing memorable in this, if you are thinking what bakwaas nku is writing.
Then we went to an Indian restaurant - Kanishka, to have some good food. C's friend V, who was with us for dinner, offered us invitation to play. I agreed and we decided to meet at the office again. Me n C left for office after some more loitering. It was a clear night for playing too, I thought. We entered the building and realized C did not know where to go. He took a gamble and set for fifth floor remembering someone had mentioned number 5 sometime. The fifth floor was obviously the wrong one. The first look told us that. But he said let me show you around. And while we roamed there, the big brother somewhere had noticed us. Because suddenly a security guard sprang from nowhere and asked us our IDs. I did not have any of course. So he took down my name from my debit card. And ordered us to leave. While leaving it occurred to C that all the security was because their biggest boss must sit on the fifth floor!! To think of it, I was so close to catch just a glimpse of his office! I cursed my luck for ruining the chance. But at least his floor, nonetheless, I consoled myself!
Now we go to the fourth floor which is our destined place. And here it is. The second dream (for a gaming addict like me) come true in a single night. The XBox! Too much I say! It has a big 42" screen TV attached to it and I can actually play with joysticks, which I have not done since we broke our Nintendo after playing games like Tournament Fighter and Aladin and Nemo during school days. We don't play as much here, because we have to go out tomorrow morning at 10 and it is already 11:30 PM. We just have a dash at Halo 2 and leave the place.
For the 3 days leave I had, I could have gone anywhere in US if I had planned a little bit more. But only for these two hours or so, I am happy I chose Redmond!
signing off,
I don't always boast about my memory, but usually I remember almost all birthdays. My boisterous and sarcastic self is prompt in making me realize that I usually remember birthdays if the person happens to be a girl. Ignore that taunt. But today I almost forgot a birthday. So here is my message to the birthday boy.
It was exactly a year ago when sitting cosily in my office chair wondering about my future project (I had just finished then current assignment - or someone else had taken over, I don't exactly remember), I suddenly remembered about my blog. It is a fact that I had started blogging much before than that, on rediffblogs (I don't even remember the url!), but without any considerable progress. Then I had tried blurty too. But I didn't like it too much. Trying to give up on blogs, life was dull, somber and totally un-happening. Then I tried blogger and I kinda liked it. So I continued with it. And here we are after a year together, when my blog says, "Well, we haven't fared that bad, have we?" and my sarcastic self does not agree.
Coming back to the title, it is not me who I am portraying as a true man for forgetting a birthday, but it is my blog, for kicking my south end and telling me that it is his birthday. No woman can do that, believe me. And I am not likely to forget this again. Why did it have to be ghatotkatch?
signing off,
.. is Debra. Man, isn't she gorgeous! Everybody might be loving Raymond, but I sure hate him.
signing off,
Damn that fate. It's second year in running that I will not be home for Ganesh Chaturthi. What did I do to deserve this Ganapati bappa?
Looks like I am not the only one away from home this year though. Not counting that lucky #$%$#& Invinci. My sis will not be home for the first year for Ganesh Chaturthi, when she's enjoying in London with her hubby. My sis-in-law is out to her parent's place for some time now too, for some special reasons this time. Looks like my uncle, aunt, elder uncle, elder aunt, dada, didi n of course mom dad are the only one out there for the puja. Not exactly the full house I'd say!
I said this last year, I am saying it again. I am missing all the fun out there. I'll definitely try to be there next year. Let me be there next year. (nku falls on his already paining knees and says) Plueeezzz!!
signing off,
You know what was the first thing that I did when I arrived in US on last Sunday? Apart from stepping out of the Boing 777, coming out of airport, booking a cab, arriving at Federal Way at around 12 PM, finding that the hotel cannot let me in before 3 PM, because they don't have the vacancies, dumping my luggage at the reception, going out for quick bite, having a foot long Sub-Way sandwich and a large Pepsi, coming back to find my manager waiting at the hotel to pick me up and take me to his home for lunch?
Well, I watched Swades at his house. Yep. The same Shahrukh Khan movie in which he quits his lucrative job in US and goes back to India.
Shame, isn't it? :D
signing off,
Initially the plan was to write something or anything I can from each of the airport I visit. But then you must have heard what happened to the girl who went to shop and did not take her pet chimpanzee along with. (Of course you haven't heard of her and there is no connection whatsoever between these two incidents.)
So first I am on the way to the Bangalore airport. I am in good mood too, because I am very much ahead of schedule (my flight is at 1700 and my cell phone shows time 1430). Though I cannot deny that I am somewhat anxious thinking of what lines would best describe my current feelings. Save some taunting from my eternally sarcastic friend Dis, that those feelings being more about my latest crush (she's not my crush ok!) than the flight I am about to take, I am on top of the world. I am dragged to the reality when I am informed that my Indian Airlines flight is cancelled and I am being put in the next flight to Mumbai at 2015 or something. Of course it is a bad news and it puts anything related to blogging out of my mind. The travel consultant from my office calls me saying he has blocked a ticket on some other airlines which leaves at 1800. It is more bad news because that would mean that I wouldn't have much time in Mumbai to meet everyone who is coming despite of rains and weak health to see me off. But as they say, I don't have much of choice. After I get my boarding pass, I think to jot down something on my notebook so that I can copy paste that stuff at next airport, but my pen is out of ink and my notepad is "checked in".
At Mumbai airport the scenes aren't much better. We have reached the international airport at about 2025. My parents, uncles and few friends are waiting for me outside the airport. I told them to wait till I check in my stuff and come back. I am sure it won't take much time. And sure enough when I complete the procedures for check in and get the boarding pass from the beautiful Thai Airways attendant, the big information screen is showing time 2100. Now I am informed that I cannot go out of the airport building when I have completed check in. I have almost started to curse them, when I see my family coming up at the visitor's lounge. So for next half an hour or so I am with them, discussing my itinerary and my possible reaching time. When it is almost 2130, I leave them for immigration and customs clearance. I complete that and search for any machine remotely resembling computer with internet access. There is no trace of it. Now, did I really expect one to find there?
The clock near the transfer counter at the Bangkok international airport reads close to 0500. It tells me that I have almost 2 hours before my next flight. But now I am in a different country and the procedures at the check-in take longer and longer. Sir, can I have your passport please? To which country are you traveling? Have you traveled before this? Do you want window seat or aisle? This is the only question she does not ask and offers seats 64B and 30B for my next two flights. I am not in any mood to argue and get the window seats at this hour of the day. I ask the lady about possibility of checking emails at the terminal. Yes sir. We do have computers with internet facilities. Do you have .... Some words pass me without any recognition. That might have been because I was bit sleepy I think. So keeping a blank face, I ask: Can you please repeat that? Thailand Currency Sir, do you have it? I obviously don't have it. Before telling anything, she says but it will accept only Thailand Currencies. I say, great. Now I need to find some money exchange counter over this very long terminal and I have to catch the flight too. "Forget about blogging now", my realistic mind tells my overtly romantic one. "You are not going to forget about this experience very soon. You can write your blog in the next country." "Yes Sir. Done."
I am very much tired now. The initial curiosity about long distance flights is wearing off. And the inevitable jadedness is coming into me. But I am reminded on my task. This is the last but one stop, I tell myself. South pole or bust. So I approach the pretty lady at the information desk at Tokyo's Narita Airport with some sense of determination. But as I do so, I realize that the time there is almost 1600. So back in India it would have been 1230. So instead of asking her about the internet kiosk, I ask her about placing an international call. As per her suggestion, I decide to purchase a calling card which would possibly help me calling up a few more numbers. (and no Dis, it ain't her number.) The lady declares that in any case the nearby shops would not accept any currency other than Yen and if I have to purchase in USD, I will have to walk to Terminal 2 where all the duty free shops are located. "It's just 10 min walk, Sir." By now sleep has receded off my eyes and I feel suddenly fresh. I start the journey towards Terminal 2. After some 1.5 km walk, I find the money exchange counter. I purchase Yens for $5 and go to the calling card vending machine. The machine has only 3 calling cards varieties, with minimum being ¥1000. Now with ¥544, purchasing calling card is out of question. And I am too tired to go back all the way to money exchange counter. So I decide to call up using payphone. I can only talk for 2 min for ¥500. But nevertheless I feel happy to have at least spoken with them. In that state of hysteria, I forget all about internet enabled computer. It is when I reach the gate 33 to board my flight, I see a computer. I still have some time before 1710, so I decide to give it a shot. But unfortunately, I only have ¥44 left and the computer is asking me for at least ¥250 for 10 min. It is not your fate to write a blog today, I tell myself in rather resigned mood. But there is one more city left, and you can do it there. Thanks for reminding, I say, and board the flight.
After finishing the breakfast at about 1010 in the flight, the pilot declares our arrival at Tacoma airport of Seattle. I am already ready with all the things I can do for the immigration interview. I have read and re-read all the information I have filled in I-94, I check and re-check my passport, visa and things like that. I keep checking stuff for about 3 min. The actual interview takes less time than that. The officer, surprisingly, does not ask me anything of much importance. Just a few casual questions and I am off for customs. Now UA876 is a Boing 777 flight and there are lot of people on it. Multiply it by two and you have number of luggage bags that are rolling on the conveyor belt before me. This is my first long term trip outside India (come to think of it, first trip outside India), so good thing is that I have all new bags purchased specifically for it. But bad thing is that I am not very much accustomed to those yet. I have also not placed my name and address on any of them because I am told they will not last for these many hours the way the airlines crew handle the bags. So while I keep recollecting the color of the bags and their makes, they pass me twice. Finally when there are only a few people left at the luggage claim, I get those bags and proceed to the customs. It doesn't take more time than immigration either and I enter the United States of America.
signi.....
Hey, wait wait wait. What happened to the blog you were supposed to write? You could have easily done it at the Tacoma airport! You had American currency, you had all the time you could spend, and what not!
Yes sire. This is the same blog I started writing at the Tacoma airport. But because I was not feeling energetic there, I just logged on to my blogger account, created new blog, logged off and left for Federal Way. It is only now when I could complete and clear it for release. Thanks for reading!
signing off,
