Will I be missed?...

So just to clarity, I am not being self-centered in THIS post - really.

Well I have my exams going on. Therefore have taken 7 days off from work. It made me wonder if work would be more chaotic without me there. It will be a little bit I am sure seeing how we 'seniors' are needed to be around not just to help get routine work done but also to help troubleshoot any problems anyone has.

Anyway I realised that if I were at a 'lower level', I would have loved the feeling of being missed and believing that the world was falling apart cause I wasn't there to help hold it up. But now being at a higher level I feel the need to be totally dispensable. I want that my juniors are so good that they can totally do without me and can actually do what I would normally do (outside their job function), at least to some level.

I think the success of any management person has to be how well he / she actually trained his / her team members to handle their job and also crisis situations. Many people may not agree and maybe I'll be proved wrong in the future but for now this is my core belief. Sure I am a long way off in getting my team into being the best bunch around but I am hoping we will get there.

What a loser...

How many times have you looked into the mirror and said - what a loser?

Happens not as often as it should in my case. But anyway most of the time it's because I have a plan of action but I don't follow through on it - mostly for reasons of being too afraid of the consequences that will follow my actions.

I got fooled - and howwwww...

Ya ya I fell for an April Fools Joke but it was no ordinary joker.

I fell for Gmails - Gmail Paper Joke.

I am contemplating suing Google for all the embarrassment it cause me cause I actually went around telling people about it. Just cause one is the biggest advertising company in the world or whatever, it doesn't mean one can do whatever they like. 'Do No Evil' my ass.

To read my whole advertising perspective on it, you can check out my post on my PPC Blog.

Khwab hai toh mujko na utha - jhooth hai toh mujko na batah...

Whatttttttttttttttt a songgggggg.

I can't stop listening to it.

So since it was my nick I got a couple of people asking me if I was in love hehe.

Love these two lines cause they resonate so well in every situation that seems like it too good to be true - Khwab hai toh mujko na utha (If this is a dream don't wake me up). Jhooth hai toh mukjo na batah (If it's a lie don't tell me).

The song is from the movie - Ek Chalis Ki Last Local.

The Indian Team doesn't disappoint....

The cricket team and their World Cup result - doesn't disappoint me at least .

I was sitting back and thinking about why it is that I am neither sad, angry, upset, or feeling any other emotion, at hearing that India is out of the World Cup and I realised that it's because I didn't expect anything out of the Indian Team. Of course it is shameful that we didn't make it to the top 8 but seeing the way we have been playing, we didn't deserve to.

The faces of the men in blue should be blackened and they should be taken around the on donkey back with a garland of shoes round their neck. (Don't remember from where the description or the picture is but I have always associated it with shamefulness).

Being in the 'marketing' line myself though, I couldn't help but think about the kind of investments companies would have made in buying air time, creating special endorsements, having special promotions, etc all surrounding the world cup. It will end up being such a big flop show for all of them.

And like I always say - the most tragic part of the whole deal will be that we all will forgive and forget and the team will perform the same way in the next World Cup....

The Cab Ride...

So I get out at my station at 9:15 p.m. today and it's already super late but the best part is that there is no bus and the cabs are not going to toward where I live, I over heard a few people asking before I got to the cab line. Anyway I also start asking cause there is nothing better to do. As luck has it, a cabbie agrees and I'm getting in when this girl or young woman asks if I can drop her off on the way. I say 'ya sure' and we get in and she says 'there is this one lady who is trying since a really long time to get a cab and she isn't able to, shes going where you are headed, if you don't mind I'll ask her to join.' I am like okay sure.

Now while I like the idea of saving on petrol consumption and money, I am not comfortable with traveling with strangers like that.

Anyway what is so interesting about the cab ride is that in 10 minutes I actually learned this girls name, what she did for a living (designer), which area she worked in, where she was staying, that she was from out of town, how she finds traveling a pain. She got to know the area I live, where I work - company and location, that I work till pretty late, the location of where my office was previously, my preference of trains, etc.

Obviously there is some things that won't be surface level but for instance, her inviting the lady who desperately wanted to get to where I was going, revealed something about this girl to me. The fact that I didn't accept her money or the money of the other lady (I would have paid the full amount any which way) must have made her form some opinion about that too.

We meet to many people in our day to day life, either in ordinary or extra-ordinary situations, and all can have some impact on our life, if we like. For instance, I couldn't help but think what it must be like to be single, working, living in a hostel but listening to that girl or rather young lady cause even though she looked 20, I am assuming she must have been at least 23 - 24.

I also couldn't help thinking the relief the other woman must have felt to be getting to where she had to go fast. Also the happiness she might have had for getting a free ride (she could afford a taxi but not everyday, if you know what I mean). So I impacted her life for 15 minutes today more than she did mine but there is still a lesson there for me to learn - to try and give people 'lifts' if they 'seem alright'.

Pyar ki yeh kahani suno...

It's a song.

What's interesting though is that a few people actually asked me to tell them the story.

Anyway the song is from the movie Honeymoon Travels Pvt. Ltd. I thought it would be good cause it had K K Menon and Sandhya Mridul in it and those two usually do good 'hatke' films. Anyway heard bad reviews so will only watch it on VCD.

Don't know why I like the song so much, it's not the usual kind of music I would listen to. Anyway it's a cool song. Check it out if you can. Also Resham has a review on it.

The customer isn't dumb - she's your boss...

Was reading the Womens Day Special of Economic Times a week or two ago and came across an article on how marketers need to realise how their target audience is changing. It started by saying David Ogilvy once wrote - 'The customer isn't dumb-she's your wife'. The writer (don't remember his name right now) was talking about how women are changing their world today - they are independant, confident, career oriented etc. Therefore there is a need to adapt and change marketing strategies. So he spoke about how Fair & Lovely use to show ads of a girl getting rejected by a prospective groom in an arranged marriage situation because she was dark but today all these fairness creams are either showing women becoming fair and having guys falling all over or getting the jobs of their dreams.
There were a few more examples but what was also interesting was how the writer said that the entrance of television actually lead to such a strong change in how women are percieved and how women actually did change thank to tv. He specifically mentioned Rajni and Lataji as turning points. Here were women characters who were crafted as being smart, self-confident, and ready to fight for what they believed.
Anyway I found the article very interesting. It made tons of sense too because it so real and 'obvious'.
Of course the article ended with the writer saying - If David Ogilvy was writing a book today, he might have said - The customer isn't dumb - she's your boss.

Change

Inevitable

Conferences and Seminars

Attended my first ever work related conference on the 16th of March - The Digital Marketing Conference 2007.
Since it's work related, the details can be found on my PPC related blog.

Why I do mention it though is because it was very interesting. While the discussions and speakers weren't as good as expected, it got great insight into a lot of things. Sometimes things get you thinking on a track you didn't even know existed.

Anyway what I was also excited about was that I went up to a few 'big shots' and spoke to them. No that anyone would really remember me, but I got a feel of what networking would be like. Also realised that for those of us who aren't talented enough, talking with the speakers is easier because there is some foundation for starting a conversation. Either building on something they said, asking a question or opposing what they said.

Also realised that there is a need to bring more 'clients' or prospective clients into such conferences as a majority of the audience was people from agencies, who already know about the business and didn't learn anything super. Advertising such event properly is very important.

On the whole it was a super experience. Next time though, I wish more people would talk in a lot more detail about mobile marketing.

A Suitable Boy...

1474 pages

Investments 2...

Ya now this one is about real money investments. [I had to do a little tax planning this year - still can't believe I am in the tax payers bracket]. Anyway Mutual Funds it was but my Dad generally bought out the topic of Life Insurance since the broker was a little free today (poor chap was working on a Sunday - but this is the kind of advantage you get of having strong relationships with the people around you. He didn't mind coming to us at a time that was convenient to us).

Now LIC has these schemes that range from 10 year to 25 year. You keep paying a fixed level of premium. I totally dreaded the idea of getting an insurance policy mainly because of the duration of these schemes. Sure I can afford an investment of a couple of lakhs over the next couple of years but the idea of spreading that money out over even 10 years is a horrible idea. The agent was suggesting a 15 year plan and I sure as hell don't want to work for another 15 years. At least not the way I am working right now. I don't want a salary. I either want money from a personal business or through smart investing. Of course for both I need funds and expertise which will only accumulate over some time but the idea of having to work for so long is just horrible. I am already dreaming of vacation in Phuket (staying at a 5 star hotels) sipping mocktails on a beach.
It's the same though that's not letting me think of getting a home loan or even moving out or going abroad so soon. I will have to keep working to cover up those expenses.

Anyway we all keep dreaming of the life we can't have (right away). Lets hope that I find a job I love and that it pays well.

So sitting with the broker 'uncle' today I decided that will do some more investing in the next financial year and do it before July or so, instead of having my money rot in a savings account at the bank. He mentioned some good investment funds and I think I should be the proud owner of a few soon. Of course there is risk involved cause they are all linked to the equity markets but I am greedy and want as much money as I can get, fast....

Investments...

No this post isn't about the stock markets.

My sis and I were at a book fair and she was talking about this book that she really liked but didn't pick up because it cost Rs.700. I told her "Why is it that you look at 700 bucks as a stand alone price or as money compared to something cheaper. Look at it as an investment. If it will help you with the course you are doing, you should pick it up."

There are so many things we do but don't realise they are really investments. A lot of 'unproductive' work also could be an investment because we don't really look at the benefits of such activities over a longer duration.

I could watch a TV show and think it was just entertainment but I could actually learn from it. For instance while watching Lost, I kept trying to figure if they were writing the story as they went along or whether they had the main plot already put down and was just adding new loops to it. I personally think it's the former. But it is still interesting to see how the story keep turning and how different things gain importance at different points in time. Also I learned some slang (don't know if that's any help cause I sure as hell won't be young enough to talk in slang when I am in the US - if ever) and learned how characters need to be.

Of course most people don't have that kind of perspective cause they might not be interested in such details. But still I don't think it would be a total waste to watch TV for example. It also help hold conversations. Not with intellectual who think the idiot box is for idiots but with 'normal' people sure you can.

Anyway Tom read my nick and said 'investments you say, I'm listening' lol had to tell him it wasn't about 'those kind' of investments. He was the only who very aptly concluded what should be considered as investments - according to him an investment - 'only works if it'll be worth more.' Which brings us to 2 important points -
1) How do you measure returns and
2) What time frame are you looking at.

He concluded that everything you do then has some returns to it even if it is to satisfy a silly urge but you should know why it is you are doing what you are doing which is brilliant cause it just means that you should be conscious at all times of what you are doing and why you are doing what you are doing.

I do wish I was smart when I was younger like some of these online friends of mine...

Anyway so next time you do something, figure out if it was a good investment (of your time, money, efforts, emotions, etc) or not.

Tired...

Ever had those days when you were tired and couldn't figure out why?

Practice...

Just gave my prelim exams and I am glad I did. They weren't important cause a lot of students didn't even turn up but I am glad I had at least a 10% seriousness about them.

Apart from the fact that I got to figure that a lot of the stuff I have to study, I have already studied sometime in the past. And apart from realising that our economics portion is horrible and that I need to open my book and at least get through reading a complete chapter. Any chapter.

The most important thing I realised was the importance of practicing. I haven't written a complete exam in years now and I had forgotten the importance of time, the importance of being neat, the importance of writing a lot, the importance of good quality dhap.

I wouldn't have thought about any of these things unless I had given this exam. Just like old days, my 'answer 1' usually took more than the amount of time that was needed to be allocated to it. This sounds small but I am sure at the end of the day, just keeping this in mind will help me score at least 4 -5 points more. Small things make big differences at times.

So practice is good (if not necessary). I look forward to practicing stuff more...

Contd. from previous post

In case you are interesting in the history of earthquakes -

17 July 2006:

A 7.7 magnitude undersea earthquake triggers a tsunami that strikes a 200km (125-mile) stretch of the southern coast of Java, killing more than 650 people on the Indonesian island.

27 May 2006:

Nearly 5,000 people die when a magnitude 6.2 quake hits the Indonesian island of Java, devastating the city of Yogyakarta and surrounding areas.

1 April 2006:

Seventy people are killed and some 1,200 injured when an earthquake measuring 6.0 strikes a remote region of western Iran.

8 October 2005:

An earthquake measuring 7.6 strikes northern Pakistan and the disputed Kashmir region, killing more than 73,000 people and leaving millions homeless.

28 March 2005:

About 1,300 people are killed in an 8.7 magnitude quake off the coast of the Indonesian island of Nias, west of Sumatra.

22 February 2005:

Hundreds die in a 6.4 magnitude quake centred in a remote area near Zarand in Iran's Kerman province.

26 December 2004:

Hundreds of thousands are killed across Asia when an earthquake measuring 8.9 triggers sea surges that spread across the region.

24 February 2004:

At least 500 people die in an earthquake which strikes towns on Morocco's Mediterranean coast.

26 December 2003:

More than 26,000 people are killed when an earthquake destroys the historic city of Bam in southern Iran.

21 May 2003:

Algeria suffers its worst earthquake in more than two decades. More than 2,000 people die and more than 8,000 are injured in a quake felt across the sea in Spain.

1 May 2003:

More than 160 people are killed, including 83 children in a collapsed dormitory, in south-eastern Turkey.

24 February 2003:

More than 260 people die and almost 10,000 homes are destroyed in Xinjiang region, in western China.

31 October 2002:

Italy is traumatised by the loss of an entire class of children, killed in the southern village of San Giuliano di Puglia when their school building collapses on them.

26 January 2001:

An earthquake measuring magnitude 7.9 devastates much of Gujarat state in north-western India, killing nearly 20,000 people and making more than a million homeless. Bhuj and Ahmedabad are among the towns worst hit.

12 November 1999:

Around 400 people die when an earthquake measuring 7.2 on the Richter scale strikes Ducze, in north-west Turkey.

21 September 1999:

Taiwan is hit by a quake measuring 7.6 that kills nearly 2,500 people and causes damage to every town on the island.

17 August 1999:

An magnitude 7.4 earthquake rocks the Turkish cities of Izmit and Istanbul, leaving more than 17,000 dead and many more injured.

30 May 1998:

Northern Afghanistan is hit by a major earthquake, killing 4,000 people.

May 1997:

More than 1,600 killed in Birjand, eastern Iran, in an earthquake of magnitude 7.1.

27 May 1995:

The far eastern island of Sakhalin is hit by a massive earthquake, measuring 7.5, which claims the lives of 1,989 Russians.

17 January 1995:

The Hyogo quake hits the city of Kobe in Japan, killing 6,430 people.

30 September 1993:

About 10,000 villagers are killed in western and southern India.

21 June 1990:

Around 40,000 people die in a tremor in the northern Iranian province of Gilan.

7 December 1988:

An earthquake measuring 6.9 on the Richter scale devastates north-west Armenia, killing 25,000 people.

19 September 1985:

Mexico City is shaken by a huge earthquake which razes buildings and kills 10,000 people.

28 July 1976:

The Chinese city of Tangshan is reduced to rubble in a quake that claims at least 250,000 lives.

23 December 1972:

Up to 10,000 people are killed in the Nicaraguan capital Managua by an earthquake that measures 6.5 on the Richter scale. The devastation caused by the earthquake was blamed on badly built high-rise buildings that easily collapsed.

31 May 1970:

An earthquake high in the Peruvian Andes triggers a landslide burying the town of Hungary and killing 66,000 people.

26 July 1963:

An earthquake measuring 6.9 on the Richter scale strikes the Macedonian capital of Skopje killing 1,000 and leaving 100,000 homeless.

22 May 1960:

The world's strongest recorded earthquake devastates Chile, with a reading of 9.5 on the Richter scale. A tsunami 30ft (10m) high eliminates entire villages in Chile and kills 61 hundreds of miles away in Hawaii.

1 September 1923:

The Great Kanto earthquake, with its epicentre just outside Tokyo, claims the lives of 142,800 people in the Japanese capital.

18 April 1906:

San Francisco is hit by a series of violent shocks which last up to a minute. Between 700 and 3,000 people die either from collapsing buildings or in the subsequent fire.

Source : BBC News

Also find out how earthquake work and about the working of other natural disasters.

What's up with all the earthquakes?...

Another earthquake (measuring 6.3) rocked Indonesia yesterday (March 6th). It hit the island of Sumatra and close to 70 people are dead.
Indonesia sits on the Pacific Ring of Fire.

Indonesia is already having a pretty bad year. Below are the disasters that have hit Indonesia in the last few years -

March 6: An earthquake strikes Sumatra Island, killing at least 70 people and damaging hundreds of buildings.

- March 3: Landslides triggered by days of heavy rain kill at least 40 people in eastern Indonesia.

- Feb. 1: Rivers in the capital, Jakarta, burst their banks, submerging parts of the city in water up to 12 feet deep, killing 57 and displacing 450,000.

- Dec. 29, 2006: A ferry sinks in a storm, killing more than 400 people in the Java Sea.

- Dec. 23, 2006: Heavy rain touches off floods that kill more than 100 people and displace over 400,000 on Sumatra.

- July 17, 2006: An earthquake triggers a tsunami off Java island's southern coast, killing at least 600 people.

- June 19, 2006: Floods and mud flows kill up to 300 people in southern Sulawesi province.

- May 27, 2006: An earthquake in central Java kills at least 5,800 people and injures more than 36,000.

- May 2006: A series of explosions spew hot ash down the slopes of Mount Merapi, forcing 15,000 villagers to flee.

- May 2006: A mud eruption at a drilling shaft on Java displaces more than 11,000 people and inundates villages and factories, spewing a million oil drums of muck a day.

- Jan. 4, 2006: Some 200 people are killed in a landslide on Java.

- March 28, 2005: More than 900 people are killed and tens of thousands are left homeless when an earthquake hits Nias, Banyak and Simeulue islands off the coast of Sumatra.

- Dec. 26, 2004: An earthquake sets off a tsunami that kills more than 160,000 people in Indonesia, mostly in Aceh province on Sumatra.

Source : Guardian Unlimited

Recent Indonesian quakes -

6 March 2007: Magnitude 6.3 quake hits Sumatra, at least 70 dead

18 December 2006: Mag 5.7 quake hits Sumatra, seven dead

17 July 2006: Tsunami from Mag 7.7 quake off Java kills 500

27 May 2006: Mag 6.2 quake near Yogyakarta kills 5,000

26 December 2004: Tsunami from Mag 9.1 quake kills 130,000 in Sumatra

Source : BBC News

Exams are so damn easy to give...

As compared to other things. Sometimes I think exams are more easy than day to day things we do.
Papers are predictable. There is ample choice. You study and you get the deserving results.
Real life isn't so cool.

A Holi Dream

Well I don't remember my dreams usually but many years ago on Holi I saw the most vivid dream and one that I actually remembered. Now though some details of it has been forgotten but I still hold it dearly cause I actually remembered it. Please note that this was way before the Tsunami and the 26/7 flooding in Mumbai. It was on Holi and that's why I call it a Holi Dream

Anyway it's was obviously caused because the children in the next building were making a lot of noise while playing on their building terrace. I realised because the first thing I did is actually go to the balcony window and look out lol.

So none of this will make sense unless I give a few details of my balcony view. I don't live next to the sea but because we are on a small hill sort of thing, and by living on the top floor we get a view of the sea from our balcony windows (West). Because of top floor advantage we don't have a building right outside our window but there are a few taller building slightly out. Hate them cause they actually do block some of the view. The buildings right next to out are one and three floors below ours.

So anyway my dream starts with a storm (ya I was so loving it) but the funny thing is we were actually sleeping through it. All we did was close all the windows. The rain was first lashing at the windows. It kept pouring all night and the sea level started rising. All the fishermen got back to shore and swore that the tide would come in and we would all be wasted away so they started building an embankment to keep the sea out. Obviously it didn't work as the water kept rising and started over flowing. The good folk then just ran cause obviously being on the coast wasn't the wisest thing. Anyway the water level keep rising and with it come big waves. The waves are so big that they start hitting our windows. Obviously the area is getting flooded but the water isn't high enough to affect us.
So I wake up in the morning (in my dream) because I hear lots of voices and I look out and look straight down at the building where all he noise is coming from (slightly to the left). There are people on the terrace walking around with their pants rolled up, filling buckets of water and throwing the water off the side of the building. My eyes then move down to the streets where there is about 3 - 4 feet of water (all dirty brown water) just collected and not going anywhere.

So I'm standing there thinking 'wow some storm' and move my gaze up to see the sea. And what do I see - one (or maybe two) of the tall buildings is GONE and in it's place is standing this huge ship. I even remember it was blue, grey and white and had Damania written on it. I think I had seen the picture of that ship in the newspaper a few days before the dream. And I am thinking there is no way this is happening. And if feels so real because I woke up right.

Haha so anyway I ACTUALLY wake up and run out to the balcony and look out and it's a normal day and the kids on the neighbouring terrace are having fun with their 'pichkaris', water balloons and colours.

What a dream. Not because it was so crazy but because it was so vivid.

Happy Holi

The good ol' days - except they weren't so good...

Yup that's correct

Ya I'm failing Eco again...

Ya that's what is going to happen. I wonder if I will even write as much as the two sides I did in the last exam.

Anyway this whole thought got me thinking about how discipline is so important. Sure these are internal college exams and don't count for much but it's a wrong reason not to study hard enough. The fact that I signed up for the course, I should have some dedication toward it. I could always say that I am so much busier with work and that it needs more of my time etc. But that's a BS excuse. It's not super difficult to take 30 minutes a day to read everything I need to study. It's not hard to sit on the weekends and get in 4 hours of studying. But I don't do that. Neither do most of the people I know.

Sure effort put in is directly related to perceived benefits. But commitment is a whole different field. If you decided to do something, there has to be some level of dedication. Even if you realised that you made a mistake right at the start about the commitment.

Commitment...discipline...dedication...perspective...maturity....

Okay so yes I know I am doing everything and anything but hit my books which I should be.

Ill go study :( [It was never this tough - I have changed]

Interesting Conversations...

Well I had a rather long phone conversation yesterday - (a long phone conversation isn't really unusual but a phone conversation is - was never a phone person and don't think I will ever be).

Anyway lots of interesting discussions took place. In a way we discussed strategies, plans, ideas, people, attitudes, approaches, gossip, and lots more.

Everything is about lessons and there was lots there -
1) Keep going even after you believe you have done better than you could.
2) Nothing is a secret
3) Companions are companions but are important.
4) Everyone has a set of strengths, some people were meant to deal with people while others were meant to sit in their corner and do their thing.
5) All factors needn't change, if a few are changed smartly, the output can be profitable.

When I have more time, I'll write more.

Face to a Name...

:)

It as a good day.

I got to meeting a couple of people today, I knew only remotely.

It's nice to build relationships. It's nice to know people have your back.

Confrontation...

I don't know why but all my life I have tried to avoid confrontations as much as possible. Human confrontation that is. Confronting your fears etc is something totally different. The definition I am going by is - a hostile disagreement face-to-face.

I think it's because I never forgot people who were nasty (thankfully not too many people are nasty to me - which I find strange actually cause it's not like people who are nasty are only nasty toward some). I don't think I would forgive such people either. The memory of their actions would stay with me no matter how cordial we were on the surface or how much 'closer' we would have become after a span of time.

All confrontations have some bad blood involved. There is always something that someone doesn't like. But there are instances when a confrontation is very important. It might be selfish or it might be the exact opposite but honest things have to be said to people. And obviously these honest things will not be accepted very well.

I have realised that to improve personally, I need to confront people (who need confrontation) more often and I will.

If you haven't watched Lost, you're missing out on good stuff...

Just finished watching Season 2 and it's so mind blowing.
I think everyone should check the show out. It really messes with your head cause you keep wondering what's going on.
It's a show that has real good mystery. It's being made really well.

Got to study got to study got to study...

Yup I have got to study.

Who would have thought going back to books would be so tough. I mean I use to be a good student. Super lazy but still good. Sure I could have done much better if I had worked harder but that's a different story. Now I find that it's so difficult to concentrate. I guess when you are a student the core work of your life is to study so you end up doing it well but when you have other 'jobs' and have to study at the same time, the other work gets priority.

Anyway I hate our education system because only now when I work do I understand half the non sense that I studied because it all was in my books when I was 16.

My question is - What is the point of doing something when there is no real significance of doing that thing, at that point in time? It's like reading Don Quixote when you are 10.

The Bigger Picture...

Do you see it? I usually don't and I realise that I need to.

So what is the bigger picture? Is there a limit to how big the bigger picture can be? Is there always a bigger picture? Do you absolutely need the bigger picture? Is 'the bigger picture' just a management jargon? Are you going to fail if you can't see the bigger picture? Do you become a visionary if you see the bigger picture? Do you have to be a visionary to see the bigger picture? Is there always a bigger picture? And if there is, do you always need to see it?.....

See nothing is as simple as it seems...get the picture?

Happy Commercialization Day...

Well talk about rotten luck. Was writing this really good post and my comp hung and had to restart it. Lost the post. Funny thing is I am more sad than I am angry.

Anyway will try and re-write as much as I can remember.

Was sure that I had written a post on Valentine's Day last year - Same nick, different year.
Different year, different sentiments? No.

Though when I read the previous post it sounds very harsh. Maybe I had just heard a news story about sales of Hallmark, Archies and the likes.

So do I believe in love this year? Nope. Do I support Valentine's Day? Nope. Do I think we are stupid? Yes.

Anyway read 3 lines of this article, which I am assuming would have been interesting, which said that environmentalists now are lashing out at V Day because of increased sale of flowers in the UK. These flowers get imported so there is a huge cost attached to them. Financially and environmentally too. One more reason to boo Valentine's Day hehe.

Anyway it makes me think about why it is that we get so caught up in our daily routine lives that we don't have 'special' days everyday of the year. Is it that we don't know how to manage our lives? Don't know how to prioritize? Is it that we expect too much when we expect life to be more special? Is it inbuilt into our systems that we will only be grateful for things once we have lost them? Is it that we think we will have tomorrow to do what we should have done today and couldn't?

Lots of questions...no answers.

I can most probably see next year's post (if I am still blogging then). Same nick, different year. Maybe I will say something like, I was in a pensive mood that day. Different year, different mood.

Why it's hilarioussssssssss...

Okay so let me be honest - if I don't say the prank was super hilarious then I have to admit that it was super embarrassing.

Hilarioussssssss

Now I don't like thinking of myself as gullible, who does? But I have to admit I fell for this one.
Now you do have total permission to laugh on this one but do note that I felt like such a fool when it was all over.
What's even worse is that EVERYONE was in on this one and I fell for it BADLY.

Okay so a colleague of mine comes across this website that gives a free demo for, out going mobile text messages (sms). Don't know how the website or technology works but I guess it allows you to type out a message and send it to a number of your choice.
So I get the following message on my cell phone from 'BJS' - 'Hi, u have won a New Moto Razr 4 buying a Motorola Phone nd also using d ringtone Phone Uthao Phone Uthao.Contact 98-------- (an actual mobile number) 4 collecting ur phone'

Yes I know how stupid to even read a message like this but still I went around the office showing this to some people cause I thought it was hilarious that I get a message saying that I will win a new Moto Razr for buying one already. So I even go ask our tech guy if they are doing some testing and stuff but he says no (I don't think he was in on it)

Anyway Bhavna insists that I should call the number up and see what happens. I obviously say I won't do any such thing, so she asks me for the number and dialed it on her phone and when it was ringing was shoving her phone at me to talk when someone picks up. I said no out right. So someone answer the number and says 'Welcome to 'BJ Technologies', how may I help you' in a damn weird accent. So Bhavna then passes on the phone to Binda who starts talking to this female (on speaker).

The conversation is something like this -

Weird Accent : Welcome to BJ Technologies
Binda : Ya who is this
WA : This is BJ Technologies
Binda : What?
WA : BJ Technologies.
B : What is this? Is it a company
WA : Yes Madam
B : Where are you located?
WA : Andheri East
B : Okay, I got a message from you people saying that I have won a moto razr.
WA : Okay can you please give me your name and I will check my database.
B : Deepali
WA : Right madam your name is there, so you have won a phone.
B : How have I won this phone?
WA : By lucky draw madam.
B : How was my name picked
WA : From names in our database. Can you come collect the phone today?
B : Where do I have to come?
WA : Saki Naka
B : No I don't think I can come there and pick it up. Can you deliver it to me?
WA : What is your address?
B : 123, abc def (gives the office address)
WA : I am sorry can you repeat
B : 123, abc def, got it?
WA : Yes madam
B : ghi jkl mno pqr (completes the address)
WA : Okay madam we will deliver it to you. You will be available between 9 am and 3 pm at this address tomorrow right? (it's a friday)
B : No not tomorrow, can you send it on Monday.
WA : Okay we will send it on Monday, you will be available between 9 am and 3 pm right?
B : Yes (pause) How are you going to send it
WA : We have our own courier company.
B : Okay what is your name?
WA : (Name) some name that I don't remember.
B : Okay thank you, bye.

Suddenly Binda , Bhavna and all are asking me how I won this. And I am like "how would I know? I don't know. Maybe it's got to do with the place I bought my phone from. Don't know where it is from though, maybe I'll call home and ask if the phone was purchased that BJS.

So I called my sis up (ya it looks very stupid a move, right now). And ask her the name of the company and whether it's BJS. She says she doesn't know and can check the bill for me. She ask why and I tell her the story of the SMS. She finds out that I haven't purchased the phone from any such company. So I tell her it's okay.

Everyone around now is asking me how these people knew not only that I have a new phone (which is a VERY big deal in itself), but also know that I have this ring-tone. Miss B comes up with the theory they must have got my number when I downloaded that ring tone. But I tell them I didn't download it and it just got forwarded. Anyway we all get back to work.

After about 30 mins I get a second message from BJS saying -
Thank you for returning our call and confirming your address. Please send us a DD for Rs. 12000 as a membership to BJ Tech. Thank u and welcome to BJ Club.

I am then thinking shit man - nothing in life comes for free - how depressing. And kinda sad that I am not going to get a new phone. Then I worry about whether they will actually send the phone before the DD reaches them. Yes I know - the whole incident is very stupid. Anyway I think why go through the headache on Monday morning so I reply to the second message saying 'I'm not interested' but the message fails (this is just an outgoing message demo). So I think chuck it, I got better things to do right now and that Monday morning might be painful cause I might have to get on the phone and fight with someone about how I wasn't told I was suppose to be a member and the membership number.

So I am working and after another 30 minutes I get a call from BJ Technologies (same weird accented female) asking me to confirm the address. So I say start walking out of my room cause it's too noisy saying 'ya I'm not interested'. What I don't realise is that while I am walking toward the main door, the whole bunch of people are standing around. The female starts to say something else and I realise that the voice is coming from the phone and also from around. I turn around to see the gang and I see it's Priyanka talking to me on the phone. LOL. And as soon as I realise everyone bursts out laughing.

Ah well I haven't had too many pranks played on me (thank god otherwise people might realise how gullible I am). But it wasn't super fun when everyone was standing around laughing. And I mean everyone. And all of them were in on it from the start man.

Anyway what I am happy about is that it was well executed. Also everyone acted it fantastically. Bhavna with her eagerness to get me my new 'free' phone (btw BJS are her initials - yes I know that you are also realising that I am gullible AND stupid). Binda for having that whole conversation with the weird accent woman. And Priyanka for being the weird accent lady. Very well executed.

Hats Off.

I refused to play in your tragedy...

To & Fro by Mattafix.
Fantastic song.
Where is the connection? This is a line from their song.

R.I.P. Bahadur - The best liftman there ever was...

My earliest memories of going up and down in the lift have images of Bahadur. The short Nepali guy who would keep blinking his small eyes all the time. He was always at work when his shift was there. We troubled him a lot on days we went and sat on the building terrace. Would keep telling him to lock up just before his shift ended at midnight, and he would oblige.

He was also the most efficient lift man there was. It might sound like I'm crazy, but he would actually stand properly in his corner, open the doors faster than the other guys, switch on the fan before pressing the floor button.

He was such a strong part of this building that many of my relatives from abroad would actually enquire if was actually still around, how he was, etc.

He use to also tell me that I should walk up by chairs to lose some weight :)

You will be missed Bahadur

Chance pe dance

I hate BAD people who are opportunists.

Thanks...

Thank you to everyone who took the effort to remember my birthday and took the extra effort to wish me.
And thanks to everyone also who realised it was my birthday and took the extra effort to wish me.

It was fantastic receiving so many calls and SMS's this year.

I swear I will make it a point to wish people on their birthday.

Thanks to everyone at office too for letting me get away with one song, that too sung in a group. And the cake cutting too, on my birthday and not on a Friday.

Also just for the record - I don't view birthdays as days to celebrate. Any day that makes you think of your past and your future is a depressing day.

All we have is dreams...

Yes I corrected it to 'all we have are dreams' - thanks to Nisha whose question to me was - what sort of english is this -this is the same person who put up a sign saying 'Please cover your heads at the puja' - lol my aunt just asked her one question too - so how many heads do you have Nisha?

Anyway was watching a movie - Between Strangers - and don't know but I held on to the line. At least it's food for tough...

HTML is a nightmare...

Well was trying to change the code (template) of my blog and was super frustrated because I would have to make a change, save it, publish it, check the blog, check out if the change I wanted was done or not, if not then figure out what changed, go back to the template and undo the change, publish and then change something again.

Don't have to bother with that anymore because the new blogger allows customization in a very simple way....

You're Beautiful...

For those who don't know, 'you're beautiful' is a song by James Blunt. I love it but I don't know why.

Anyway lyrics of songs make the most interesting nick names at times because it makes people wonder what is up. I mean instead of 'you're beautiful', I was going to put up 'we shared a moment that will last 'till the end', which would have got tons of people asking me what the hell I was talking about haha. Or even 'but it's time to face the truth, I will never be with you'. At least some of my friends would have pinged me asking me about whom I was talking.

Anyway try and check out the song. The lyrics of the song are -

My life is
brilliant.

My life is brilliant
My love is
pure.
I saw an angel.
Of that I'm sure.
She
smiled at me on the subway.
She was with another man.
But I won't lose no sleep on that,
'Cause
I've got a plan.

You're beautiful.
You're beautiful.
You're beautiful, it's
true.
I saw your face in a crowded place,
And I
don't know what to do,
'Cause I'll never be
with you.

Yes, she caught my eye,
As we walked
on by.
She could see from my face that I was,
Fucking
high,
And I don't think that I'll see her
again,
But we shared a moment that will last 'till the
end.

You're beautiful. You're beautiful.
You're beautiful, it's true.
I saw your face in
a crowded place,
And I don't know what to do,
'Cause I'll never be with you.

La la la
la la la la la la

You're beautiful. You're
beautiful.
You're beautiful, it's true.
There must be an angel with a smile on her face,
When she
thought up that I should be with you.
But it's time to
face the truth,
I will never be with you.

Dedication without passion?...

Is it possible to have Dedication without Passion?

I think so...

Is it possible to have Satisfaction without Passion?

I think so...

Is it possible to have Happiness without Passion?

I don't know...

Marriages, Marriages & more Marriages

And again I repeat myself -

Indians are obsessed about marriages.

I attended a sangeet party last night and about a week ago came to know that a colleague is engaged and will be married sometime this year, and also have a friend who will be married next month. I also got news of school friends (not in touch with them so heard from a friend I happened to bump into) - one of which got engaged this December, another got married a few months ago.

In the next 2 - 3 years, I would have heard of so many more people I know, getting married. I most probably will get invited to some too. And I can't help but think this is soooo wrong.
I mean how can anyone get married because -
1) They are of marriageable age
2) They want to get 'settled down'
3) They want to have children
4) They are lonely and want companionship
5) They won't find a better prospect.
6) They want financial security - and any other security
7) They want their partner to be only theirs.
etc etc etc

Now there is nothing wrong with these reasons if you want to get married period. But people want to get married and be happy too. I mean really if you do something so drastic (life altering), for reasons that are so wrong, then how are you going to he happy?

I believe that people don't even understand what a marriage is. It's not an institution, it's not a spiritual bonding, it's not a way to make someone more loyal. If you ask me what a marriage is, I would tell you in two words what a marriage really is. It is a legal agreement. That's it - nothing more and nothing less. It legitimizes a relationship.

In life you got to the things for the right reasons. And you must understand what is right and what is logical.

What is the right reason to get married? Well I don't know but for me it's none of the above. I think IF I EVER did get married it would be because everyone around me would be forcing me to marry the person I was living in with and I would finally give up to get some peace of mind.

And let me not get started about HOW people get married.
Man soooooo much money spend on a few days worth of rituals and partying. Not cool. I am sure I could go on a world trip, thrice over, with the kind of money spent on some of the weddings I have attended recently.
I understand 'celebrating' and all of that but this is totally insane, especially in todays day and age when people get divorced so quickly.
Anyway we Indians - we will always be obsessed with marriage.

So many serial killers suddenly?...

Well the real question isn't about so many serial killers, as much it is as 'suddenly'.
And that isn't a real question either.

Because there are lots of sickos out there. And a lot of serial killers. (I am sure there are so many murders that haven't been traced to be a 'signature' of a serial killer as yet.)

It's just that as a nation we choose to believe that serial killers, paedophiles don't exist amongst us. We don't believe things like child molestation, incest, cannibalism etc happen.

And when something as big as what happen in Noida, becomes breaking news, everyone eats it up cause it's so 'unbelievable'. And then the new channels go on this crazy mode where all they talk endlessly about is serial killers. And then the police also SUDDENLY start finding serial killers everywhere.

I think we have to start believing that there are BAD things out there. That people who look 'normal' might have 'conditions' that many of us don't understand. It's about time we realized that things 'like these' aren't just a phenomenon in the West and that all this stuff doesn't happen because 'those people' are 'dirty'.

If you don't believe the problem exists, how will you find a solution?

No TV :'(

I already have borderline depression...

Lost track of Lost this year because of the stupid ban on Star Movies in Mumbai.

Now I am loosing track of Law and Order SVU *sob*

I was also just getting hooked onto Grey's Anatomy...

Have to start taking tough stands...I have to do the dirty work...

Got a promotion and realised that I now have a more 'organizational' thought process. Obviously part of my responsibility is to see that the organization succeeds not just my projects but I never realised that I would be taking this so seriously.
I was taking decisions everyday when I was running projects but those were easy decisions. The decisions I have to make now are tough decisions because now my job is more about 'people management'. I am going to be having a lot of meanings and telling people where and how they are screwing up. And maybe also the consequences of their mess ups.
Well it is dirty work but I will do it...

Helping Hands are better than Praying Lips...

Good intentions, without actions, are useless.

Evolution...

Don't know if I have written about this already, but I totally believe in the theory of evolution, not mainly because it makes the most sense but because I can see with my own eyes that everything is evolving. Evolving today, evolving now. What was a hundred years ago, isn't the same today. Look at diseases becoming more virulent, look at diseases jumping animals, look at new diseases like SARS, this is all because viruses are evolving.

Anyway I also believe Evolution of one thing causes a chain reaction. If evolutions of something, doesn't cause a reaction, I believe that which has evolved will either change again or will perish. That which has evolved and survived, has made other things also evolve.
Also evolution isn't necessarily of living, breathing, growing species. It also happens in inanimate objects. My whole though on evolution started up because we were talking about 'gratuity' in office. Now my knowledge on gratuity and other taxes is very limited but I know that you will get gratuity back, if you work for 5 years with a company. I couldn't help but think how archaic this law was, especially today and especially in the newer industries and especially in the bigger cities. Today job security is never top of mind. Professionals today are confident in their ability to get jobs. What people look for is better salaries, better job satisfaction, better work culture. This requires many times to switch jobs, which obviously means that people will not be at any company for 5 years. Bottom line, the work environment is changing. The law should be changed so that the 'aam aadmi' or 'salaried middle class' don't feel like they are being robbed of their hard earned money.

Will this happen? I don't know when but I do believe that the law will have to change. It will have to evolve...

0 ambition...

I have been asking myself all sorts of questions but like always come up with nothing.
The first of the questions was the easiest and I have a satisfactory answer. The rest I am still struggling with. This line of question is being pursued because I believe I have no ambition but a lot of ability, and that ability is useless unless there is ambitions. While goals and targets are just as good to see you get to some place, if you have no ambition you don't have goals unless someone sets them for you. The problem, with someone else deciding your goals is that unless they want lots done by you, you will never realise your true potential and never your heart's desire.


1> Are people born with ambition?
I never believe that people are born with anything. Strong believer of nurture over nature. The only thing you really get from parents are physical - features, illnesses, etc. Things like attitude, personality etc, I believe we pick up as we go along and therefore I don't believe that people are born with ambition.

2> Can you develop ambition?
Obviously. Cause if you aren't born with it, it's something that you will develop. This lead me to the more correct question of whether ambition could be developed consciously. Consciously meaning developing ambition with the intent of developing ambition.

3> Assuming ambition can be developed consciously, how does one develop it?
This I still can't figure. Keep working at something? Set goals for self that are difficult? Look at what you might like doing and do it even if it's not something you do regularly? A little of all of the above? I don't know...I wonder if I ever will.

The Chill

Got out of my office building this evening at around 8 p.m. and realized how cool (even cold) it has suddenly become. Of course the entrance to the building has this very high ceiling and these wide walls and therefore the wind really blows there but even as I was sitting the rickshaw, I nearly shivered cause not only was it windy but it was a cold wind.
I feel unhappy that I am in an air conditioned room all day long and am missing out on this fantastic weather. Even when I am home it's either in my room in front of the comp or in the hall in front of the TV - makes me feel guilty about having a terrace.
Maybe this should be my new year resolution - to enjoy 30 mins of fresh air either early in the morning or at night when I am at home. Lets see I'll give it a shot from tom.

Happy New Year

Happy New Year people...

For me (even though December 2006 has been so super) -

No New Year Resolutions - stopped making those a few years back when I realised I don't keep them.

No desires or expectations - except not feeling bad about 2007 getting over, on 31st Dec 2007.

No hopes or dreams - never had any. But if in 2007 I accomplish great things I will be happy.

No goals or ambitions - going with the flow as always.

Though I do wish that all your hope and dreams become realities and that you can accomplish all your ambitions and succeed in all your resolutions.

Have a great 2007.

No I am not partying tonight.

Well not just tonight but I never party on New Years.

Actually I never party - unless it's like an office party - which rarely happens. (lol don't get invited to parties of 'friends').

I don't really see the point of going to parties. I don't drink. I don't dance. I hate dressing up. I don't like dark dingy places with bad ventilation. And I sure as hell don't like the idea of spending money for doing things I don't like.

If I have to 'hang out' with friends, I'd rather do it over coffee / lunch / dinner. For me hanging out means catching up or discussing stuff. So hanging out obviously wouldn't happen in a disco.

About it being New Year's Eve and all of that...I have one word for it - Commercialization. What the big deal what day it is? If you pay anything more than usual for a 'special occasion' it's commercialization.

Anyway I don't understand why people party on the 31st of December. It's actually a day to be sad. I am always depressed on the last day of the year...

Last day of 2006 :'(...

Ya I am always sad when a year ends.



Time just flies too fast....

"We do not seek to be a trend. We seek to matter."...

Found the line on a blog entry and found it very interesting. I think not only the line but also the post not only real substance but deep insight. I mean today everyone wants to be a trend-setter or a trend-follower. Nobody seems to really care about what ads value.
Also when you do things to be a trend-setter, there might be huge success in the start, with minimal cost, but in the long run only those that provide real value last.
I know this sounds too much like corporate talk but it really covers every aspect of life.

Make a wish - its simple...

If you could make one wish for the world, what would it be?

http://www.gifter.org/index.php/million-dollar-blog-post/

1 Comment Wish = $1 to Charity

All you got to do is go and make a wish for the world.
Two minutes to think of what you really want for the world, type it out and submit it at GIFTER.ORG and a charity will get $1.
Two minutes to help someone who needs help...
I think it's worth it.

Disaster time - No water tomorrow...

There is going to be no water supplied tomorrow to the entire city (Mumbai) because of extensive piping work that will be carried out, to help the city get more water on a regular basis.

Firstly let me tell you something I find hilarious but I know it's the right thing to do. My house already had all buckets filled with water. Now usually when we know water is going to go, we fill up only that very morning, but I guess since this is going to be BIG and for the whole day, and therefore everyone is going to fill their water, the tank will get empty sooner than we can imagine.

Secondly, I am so totally going to hate this and therefore calling it disaster time. I mean call me a snob or whatever you like but not having RUNNING water for even a few hours is 'painful'. This is going to last a whole 12 hours.

Thirdly I am terrified about the work not getting done in the alloted time. I mean when has the BMC or any body for that matter promised something will get done on a certain day at a certain time and it actually happens that way?

Fourthly -
I feel soooooooooo totally blessed for getting water 24 hours a day. I also do realise how much I might actually be wasting but I love my running water. If water ever became scare, I would look at it as a luxury and indulge in it. The same with electricity. I feel very blessed for having electricity 24 hours a day too. I am thankful for the ability to put on the AC, 365 nights a year if I want to. To watch television at will. To read a book at 3 a.m....

Good luck to all the poor souls who are not use to facing stinky dirty loos. Good luck to the poor folks who couldn't fill up enough buckets, vessels etc and had to forgo some daily activity. Good luck to those who finally realize how difficult life can be without their daily water supply (if they do get to realize it). Good luck to you and good luck to me.

Merry Christmas

No I didn't party last night.

Who would have ever thought?...

Ever sat back, thought about something and smiled cause you realized that you witnessed (or were a part of) something you didn't think possible?

Well it actually happen a lot to me, and I believe it's because a lot of times I have these notions that would be correct assumptions but are not.

The most recent case being of this guy who works where I work. He's the quiet type and the most you will hear from him is a 'hi how are you?'. The kind of guy who either is an introvert or only friendly (but still quiet) with people he is comfortable with. Now who would have thought that this guy would be such a great dancer? Not me. Of course he had to be pulled out of his shell but once he started dancing, all of us had our jaw on the floor. And not only does Kevin dance very well, he actually makes other people dance well too. Just goes to show that you shouldn't jump to conclusions based on half knowledge.

Thanks Kevin, I had a blast.

Tell me, what becomes of us...? http://www.hemanginigupta.blogspot.com/2005/06/train-to-chennai.html...


I would suggest you first read the blog entry - Train to Chennai. It truly brings to light a reality that all women face. Sexual harassment happens allllll the time. The only thing is that we don't want to call it that cause then we have to accept that it happened. A man falling all over you in a bus or brushing past you 'cause of too many people' around is something that makes every woman uncomfortable, or at least it should. And what do we women do? We move up front in that bush, we write off the asshole as also being squashed and having no option, we try and look away when people are staring, we half run when being eve teased. Too many men get away with harassment and it is not right. I admire women who make a noise and get men who mess with them into trouble. I am the kind who would go and stand ahead in the bus, or someone who will say 'what are you looking at' mildly instead of saying 'I'll poke your eyes out *******'.

I do think the first step is to call all this crap sexual harassment and to put more men behind bars.

Of course the bigger issue if of a bully and people who can't stand up to one. Being vulnerable isn't the best position to be in, and I think we shouldn't make the mistake with our children that our parents made with us. We must realise that standing up and shouting loud is the right think to do, knowing full well that we might be in a little more trouble than we otherwise would have been, if we ran away, but that at the end of the day we won't be ashamed of how we reacted....

Love Google

Won an Ipod (shuffle).

And yes there is a connection to Google.





Mysteries suck.

Hate Meetings

Most meetings are only a waste of time...

We actually had a meeting about - having future meeting....can it get any more pathetic?

Have you lived in Second Life?

Was wondering what it would be like to be a citizen of Second Life.
Didn't do much research but membership if free - I thought it was like an invite thing.
Maybe I'll be a second lifer soon - but knowing me I'll be bored of it soon...

If I were Abhishek, I would never have made the mistake of acting in D2...

Hritik was oh sooooo totally MIND BLOWING in Dhoom2.

Whether it be his look, his scenes, his stunts, his acting - it was all perfect (Also all his muscles - totally perfect).

A Good Years - Swades' inspiration?...

I caught A Good Year (the movie- there is also a novel) with a friend who bought to my notice Swades shared a lot of similarities with this movie. And the more I think about it, the more its true. While Swades might be wound round the protagonists whole Indianess and A Good Year talks more about the protagonists life as a boy, the base story for both seems to be the same. Maybe this kind of story is very common but here the similarities pretty strong.
Only Ashitosh Gaikwad would be able to tell us if he wrote his movie after he read 'A Good Year'.

Too many colours...

Well for once I am posting something on this blog that hasn't been my msn nickname.
Anyway I apologize if you see too many different colours for links on the blog. Was trying to change the template and play around with stuff but since I dont know html or any design coding, things didn't go as planned hehe.

Stop Shouting

Well the incident is a few days old so my anger of that moment has long since ebbed.

But it make me realise that humans are horrible at dealing with their emotions.
We can hardly control our anger and fear. We don't know what to do with our euphoria and misery. All our positive energies get wasted on unless things and all our negative energies just spread and contaminate everything around us.

Well also I was getting yelled at by my mom, who believes I am not responsible enough. I wont totally disagree with that because she isn't totally wrong, but the problem with her approach was that, she thinks it will help when it wont. I am 23 but I get treated as if I were 2 or 3.

Also this nick has significance because I use to yell and scream a lot. I have a very bad temper and a very 'harsh' way of expressing it....but I don't shout anymore. I don't know how come. I guess I am either too tired, too pre-occupied or just more tolerant. And sometimes it even make me smile to think about how easily I might have 'blown up' but how quickly the feeling to lash out, actually disappeared...

It's strange.

Transit

Saw this interesting movie on VH1 called Transit. Now it was nothing earth shattering but it does a great job of showing you how easy it is for AIDS to spread. And also what kind of pre-concieved notions we have about the disease.

If I write a review - I'll put down the link here.

Stay Smart - Stay Safe

World AIDS Day today.

Someone once asked me about what the scariest thing would be for mankind. I thought of Dooms Day scenarios - of meteors hitting the earth, of global warming melting ice caps and submerging all land, of world war 3 with nuclear weapons, etc etc.
A few years ago I thought up the worst scenario possible. Imagine AIDS spreading via mosquito bites. Better still imagine AIDS becoming an air borne disease. The reason this scenario is the worst possible is because it is the most realistic and also the soonest possible occurrence. I mean how long does it take for a virus to mutate? A few years? A few decades?

While researchers are hard at work trying to find a cure, we people are being stupid and spreading the HIV virus very rapidly. I am sure that within a decade there will be a medical cure - one that will kill the virus or even maybe immunize us, not one that will only help us live a little longer. But the reality of today is that millions of people are dying because of AIDS, millions are suffering everyday and millions are catching the disease every year.

3 things make me not only question how foolish we are but also make me upset.
1) We could be destroying a cure to this by cutting down the Amazon forest the way we are.
2) Maybe if we were more open as a nation, India wouldn't be facing the 'crisis' it is facing today. We need to talk about AIDS, we need to see that our kids are educated about it.
3) AIDS is neither a truck drivers disease only nor a disease only of a super rich girl who acts like a slut. It can happen to anyone.

It is all planned

Read my conspiracy theory - Unrest in Maharashtra - Mumbai

Going nuts over Rahul Sharma's Maya

Firstly nick names that don't make others thinks 'Whatsssss going on????' are totally useless.

Anyway Rahul Sharma is the, oh so very, eligible bachelor (or at least was a few months ago - not sure right now though) and obviously therefore, Maya isn't his women after whom I have gone nuts. Its the title of his latest song. It keeps getting played on Channel V and its soooooooo super. Sunidhi Chauhan has done the female vocals for this song. Man is she talented or what?

Anyway I totally love Rahul Sharma's latest stuff because it's a beautiful fusion of Santoor music with a very modern / western mix to it. Makes the music alive and much more appealing (to people like me who aren't into classical music too much).

Try and get a copy and listen to it (that is if you cant be glued to Channel V all day long).

It's now or never

Future promises are empty promises...

I don't want any promises. If it's in front of my eyes it's real otherwise it's just a phantom. Now matter how beautiful / handsome / charming / irresistible this phantom is, it's still just a phantom.

I don't want phantoms, I want tangibility.

I don't have a stomach for BS. I don't have a stomach for promised big dreams. I don't have a stomach for imagined things....

Waiting for G

No G isn't my boyfriend - don't have one.
G isn't my girlfriend either - don't have one of those either.

G is Google.

Naah don't worry I am not silly enough to image they would offer me a job - so it's not a job offer from Google that I am waiting for.

I am waiting for Google to do a deep crawl of my blogs...

Ya sometimes there are anti-climaxes - you just gotta live with it.

Days go by

Days go by
And nothing changes...



So...
one must create change...

So pissed and I can't understand it

Well I know this wont sound like anything major but that day I really WAS pretty pissed. Not anymore cause its already been a while.

Anyway so I got my results for my term exams back and guess what ... an additional answer booklet in my marketing paper was missing. It must have got torn off. Luckily it just had 1 answer - but if it was there I would have got at least 5 - 6 marks giving me a total for around 29 - 30 (out of 50 - in case someone thinks I am such a retard). Now these exams don't count so it doesn't really matter so I am not going beserk about this.

Now the whole 'I cant understand it' is cause firstly these exams are not important so it doesn't matter whether I got a 20 or a 30. Secondly and more importantly I didn't study seriously. I mean for crying out loud I wrote 2 sides in my economics paper cause I didn't know a thing. I knew I was failing (first time in my life and unfortunately I find myself indifferent but again to something that I shouldn't be indifferent towards). Well I actually got 6 out of 50. Which in all honestly is more than I expected. So to put the missing 5 marks for my marketing paper into perspective - it doesn't make sense that I am suddenly bothered about those marks but it still made me angry and upset that I didn't get the 5 marks I deserved and which I worked for.

To cut a long story short - We humans are funny - we don't mind getting nothing if we don't make and effort but if we made and effort and don't get paid for it, we get pissed off - whether our effort matters or not, whether it makes a major difference to our lives or not - we still get pissed off.

Side Effects

Not just pyar ke...
But sab ke...

Everything we do has some side effects right.
We might call these reactions to our actions - consequences or anything else but the fact remains that whatever we do has some kind of negative effect if not on us then on someone else.

The way of the world....?

Satisfaction

Nope it's not the kind you are thinking :P

Isn't it funny how our minds seem pre-conditioned to think in a certain direction. I mean the best example I can think of is the word 'protection'. Which again makes me thinking whether there is pre-conditioned unconscious thought or whether we are being 'programmed' to associate things because we are bombarded by the same kind of messaging all the time.

Anyway this post isn't about the human brain, imagination, pre-conceived notions, etc etc etc. It's about being satisfied. Satisfied at / with what. Well I kept saying I will write about Anita Desai's Fasting, Feasting and I finally did. The posts are broken into Part 1 and Part 2.

I now have satisfaction. And unfortunately how it is, is how it always was and how it will always be - lasting for a very short while.

Which websites do you follow?...

Wanted to get a good list of quality sites to maybe add to my feed reader but only Vivek gave me the 2 sites he follows. Thanks Vivek.

Vivek's suggestions - MarketingSherpa [I love this site too and don't know why but I am a fan of Anne Holland too] and www.adotas.com

ms dewey

If you have really good bandwidth check out www.msdewey.com

Well since I'm into SEM, this is very very interesting. And Microsoft coming up with something like this is even bigger - it just goes to show that not only are they dedicated toward search but they are trying new things to bring in a variety of users. Of course why wouldn't they, its big business.

Anyway this is far away from being a everyday search engine cause it's tooooooo slow. But if they can fix that, I am sure lots of people will enjoy browsing there at least when they are searching in leisure.

The other thing that's interesting is that they must have spent soooo much time on this. Lol just try google, gmail, microsoft, bill gates and any other terms and you will see what I mean.

Back to the grind

Had 4 days off for Diwali and Eid.
They came
and they went
:(

How I wish life was one long vacation....

Happy Diwali

Ya I know I am posting really late and it doesn't really matter but still I thought at least I can wish people and tell them how Diwali was this year. Like I have already said, I totally love Diwali. Mainly because of the fireworks and holidays (I think I use to love the holidays when I was a kid and the fireworks in recent years since I don't get too many days off from work. Also fireworks now are really cool. Only love the ones that go up in the air like rockets and blow up. The 'chakris', 'anars', etc I find a total waste).
Anyway this Diwali I was ill :( but I still did watch a lot of fireworks at night. Also called up and wished quite a few people. I am sure some of them were surprised that I was alive lol and I was glad to know they were alive too. I missed the 'puja' in the house which is okay cause the best part of the puja is the 'mithai' (sweets) anyway which you get even after the puja (prayers). Actually while the pujas don't hold any significance for me, I still enjoy them. Of course if you asked me if I would carry them out, I wouldn't. While I would love the idea that by doing certain rituals Goddess Lakshmi (The Goddess of Wealth) would bless me, I don't quite believe life works that way so why bother.

Anyway I had 4 days off from work and I royally missed school when I would get at least 20 days leave. So I also missed some other things that I usually do before Diwali. Like the 'rangoli' for example. Usually start and help my sis and mom out for a while and then leave it for them to finish up but since I was working on the day they started out, I didn't do one bit of it. Also this year I didn't do any cleaning of my stuff - mom cleaned everything - not that I am complaining or anything hehe.

Anyway I miss the good old days. And thankfully when Diwali comes around at least I feel like a kid again, watching 'crackers' burst, shutting my ears and running when I know someone has lit a 'bomb', being awe struck at the lights and sounds that these dazzling fireworks create. It a good time of year.

1 Day to go :D :D

Ya I did do the whole count down thingie...it was one day till Diwali and not one day till I left my job lol - thanks tarana I had a real good laugh on that day.

2 days to go :D :D

Haha count down to Diwali.
Love the festival. Will tell you why later...

Yay yay yay....Diwali will be here soon :D

Well what can I say - I just LOVEEEEEEEEE Diwali.
Sure I don't like the noise and air pollution but man I love firework - feel like such a kid when I'm watching them (especially the ones that go up like a rocket and blow up - damn I wish I knew the names of such things).
I would NEVER personally burn crackers because of the pollution and also cause there is tons of better stuff one can do with that money but it's free to watch right.

Also love all the lights all around - shops are lit up, lanterns hang all around, diyas are lit - it's just great - truely festive.

And then the poojas and mithais are another thing. Sure I am totally not into ceremonies and rituals especiallyyyyy religious ones but still it's always fun. The chanting and the aarti and all these other funny things we do. Sure they might hold no essence for me in my 'modern' life but even I can't help but appreciate that such things have a history. They are a part of where we came from.

Well I usually don't do what most do on Diwali (or rather my family). We don't neccessarily buy something new and we don't usually buy gold [but mom does full house cleaning every year without fail :)]. We don't go meeting relatives (don't have too many around). We don't distribute gifts etc either but Diwali is still always great fun.

Where is my life...

Yup I got no life....don't laugh cause you got no life too...
What do you do all day? Wake up - rush to get to work (or school or some other place) - do what you are suppose to do at this place - leave get back home or go somewhere and meet the same people, talk about the same things, give advice you don't believe, complain when you know it will do nothing but make you feel worse, etc etc etc.
I am not anti-routine, or anti-work or anti-friends or anything but when will there be any real pleasure from the external/internal environment you are in?

Drama drama and more drama....

What is life without some drama?

Dilruba

Well no not about a dilruba but the Dilruba song by Kailash Kher
If you haven't heard it yet - you MUST

I love Kailash Khers current few songs from his album Kailasa. All 'teri deewani', 'tauba tauba' and 'dilruba' are totally amazing. This sufi kind of style really suits Kailash Kher. I am not a big fan of his movie songs but a total fan of these 3 songs. Will try and listen to more from this album.

There is also something about the videos....not that I understand all completely but they seems to fit.

Ahhhh I miss college...

I really do. I know what you're thinking - 'but shes back in college to doing that stupid masters'. But it's different. I still have work. The student life was great - especially in college. Was never fond of my school life and in college the additional benefit was I was doing commerce. It's the most useless degree on earth and therefore very easy.
That was the life - no responsibilities (other than getting decent grades - and decent is not even very high), no stress (except for 12 days - one week before the exam and the week of the exams), no failures (failling in commerce is next to impossible), no super management issues and dealing with people (only had to worry about whom to get notes from and therefore be good to them - lol I'm kiddingggggggg was never that kind of person. Haha though this year I did that - took some notes from a female in class I didn't even know). Anyway life never gets as good as it was. That's why it's important to enjoy the present. Make the most of it today because tomorrow you will look back and wish you were back in yesterday. But you can never get back time....

And again I see the divine...

Was totallyyyyy surprised at how many people actually pinged me to ask what I was on about.

Anyway before you get ideas - lightning and thunder are what I consider divine (with a few other things too). I have written posts previously also but I don't know why I have no problem repeating myself. The feeling I get in the pit of my stomach is just unbelievable. Its like a feeling of being somewhere else - being transported to a place that exists but you can't see it. Being high and not having anything else in my mind for those few seconds...totallyyyyyyy divine.

I'm not going through a weird phase, I really am weird...

Okay I'll be honest - this isn't original. A friend of my had her nick as "I'm not going through an odd phase, I really am odd" and I told her I loved it and that I planned to steal it. Lol so I did only I changed odd to weird because that fits better.

I am different and I have no problems accepting that.

It's not bad, it's not good...it just is.

Damn how could I have forgotten - sorry and congratsssssss ghin

Well an online friend of mine got married LAST MONTH and I so totally forgot to wish her.

So dedicated my nick to her.

[Btw Ghin if you would have invited me and giving me a ticket to fly down to attend the wedding I would never have forgotten hehe ;) ]

May ghin and kams life be filled with all the happiness they seek.

Congrats guys...

Do I worry too much, or do others worry too little?...

I was thinking a lot about what I would write in this post but I came to the conclusion that - I worry too much.

How I wish life was one long vacation...

Need I say more ?

Why does he think he is such a stud?

Why do some people (who are real losers) believe they are Gods gift to mankind?

Trying to avoid every mistake can be the biggest mistake

Well every now and then I read The Daily Motivator, and I must admit a lot of what Ralph Morston says makes so much sense. I will be honest - I barely read The Daily Motivator every day but whenever I do, I find it insightful.

To get your dose of Ralph Morstons wisdom, please visit www.greatday.com

To get a dose of my litte wisdom, please visit www.note2self-things2remember.blogspot.com

Go with it

Life can be great when you simply go with it. Instead of excessive worrying or endless analyzing, just make your choice and then move forward with it.

Your first instinct is often your best one, because it comes from your authentic self. When you start taking a lot of other conflicting opinions and perspectives into account, your options quickly shrink.

Certainly it pays to think things through, and to consider the advice of others. Just don't let it all dilute the passion that can energize your life.

Trying to make the perfect decision can often lead to no decision at all. Trying to avoid every mistake can be the biggest mistake, because you also avoid getting anything done.

Though you can plan for the future, you cannot precisely predict it. So go ahead with the best you have, and you'll be completely able to deal with whatever may happen.

Even though it has no guarantees, this day is an incredible opportunity. So step confidently, enthusiastically forward with a smile on your face and go with it.

-- Ralph Marston

Extinct is forever...

Well we ended up talking about The Body Shop the other day and I happened to remember the only 2 things I own from there. Both were a gift given to me by my cousin from HK when she came visiting yearsssssssss ago. I don't remember how long its been but its been very long a minimum of 7 years already if not more. Anyway my cousin said that she thought this would be a perfect gift for me - because I was so much into the environment and natural stuff and all of that.

Anyway these 2 things are a wallet and a pencil box. They are both purplish and have images of animals on them. Its sort of a set. But I always liked the wallet more than the pencil case. Maybe because it was more useful.

Anyway both of these have a line on them - EXTINCT IS FOREVER.

Now I don't remember these items everyday anymore because I don't use them. They are kept somewhere in a never opened drawer in my cupboard and therefore I don't contemplate on the line anymore. Which of course is really sad because the line is great. Extinct is really forever. And we somehow don't realise how hard hitting that is. We never look at things so harshly but we should. Whenever we look at extinction all we think about is the Dodo bird and maybe the whales, sharks and tiger.

Well while its true that tigers, sharks, etc face the danger of extinction, currently, there are approximately 1000-1100 species of birds and mammals that are facing extinction. If invertebrates and plants are included, the total number of species in imminent danger is around 20,000. If we look at the past - It is estimated that about 125 species of birds and 60 species of mammals have become extinct since 1600.

The rate of extinction of species has risen dramatically and we should really sit back and think about why and what we can do about it. We cannot deny that humans are of major cause of species extinctions. We take over their natural surrounding and build what we need to build. I am not against progress and all of that but we never really sit and see LONG TERM IMPACT of our actions. We look maybe 2 - 3 years down the line but not a 100 - 200 years from now. Which is when the lack of certain plants/animals will come back to haunt us. Not only are we destroying natural environments but are also polluting our surrounding horribly. This pollution is only affecting us but affecting all the species around too.

They say that in the jungles of the Amazon and Congo Basins, there are plants that might hold the cure to cancer. Herbal remedies for our fatal illness maybe locked somewhere in these rich forests and what are we doing? Boosting the lumber industry in such regions. Its about time we realised the true cost of our actions.

I gotta stop

Well remember my post which spoke about how I keep repeating stuff. Well apparently I am the only one. And even if other people have their own 'line' its not like my case cause in my case I have way too many lines.
The situation is so bad that even my boss asked me the other day - 'Tell me something Deepali - How Many Times Do You Say "You Know". I think this is way toooo much. Even now while typing I keep feeling this urge to type 'well' and somehow I put it down and realise I have already used it 2 times in the post and any more would be too much.
Well the situation is so bad cause EVERYONE is teasing me about this. Well we all have our quirks right - so this is mine or atleast I think I can say that. And I said 'well' again...aghhhhh

Some of my lines are -
It Depends
You Know
You gotta be kiddin me
Oh come on
Theek hai
Chalta hai
Achaaa tu theher
That is correct
I'll be honest
Supposedly
I assume so - or I would assume so

Apologies

if the last few posts of mine are badly written. I feel the flow sucks but sorry with no computer to do this at leisure, I am just putting down things as they come to mind...

Ganpati is here again

Well that's right - 11 days of frenzied pujas and devotion is back this year. And every year around this time I keep marveling at how wonderful it is that Mumbai celebrates this festival with so much revelry, forgetting daily routines and the aches and pains they bring. Celebrating the arrival of their favourite god. Celebrating for they believe a new day has come. Celebrating because they think that things will change... Devotion of this sort baffles me - but who says I have to understand?
Anyway by day 11 I am usually worrying about the sea - the creatures in it. Its the same with all festivals it seems. Can there really be any salvation for people who pollute the air and water? How can people show their happiness and feel joy at the cost of nature?
I see so many women every now and then, in the trains throw things out into the river just before Bandra station - its okay to pray and chant some things you don't understand - and believe that this will take you to heaven but its not okay to believe that you will go to hell for dirtying the rivers and the seas? Affect the life of marine organisms...
Well I agree that people need a release - they need their Ganpatis and their Lakshmis. They need to forget everything but prayer for few days. They need to dance and sing. But it doesn't need to happen like this.

Anyway I can go on and on. But since I am talking about Ganpati - what saddens me this year to see all these pandals with beautiful ganesh idols inside is that their entrances have pictures of politicians. I mean what the hell why does politics even have to enter a festival and ruin it?
Also like last year, this year too I will most probably not go to any pandal to 'maatha teko'. I don't see what bowing in front of an idol can do for me - if I don't believe it will do anything at all. And like last year my mom is going to be pissed and my sis is going to be a real pain about it. All I would say is bigggg deal. What makes these 11 days more special than others? Just cause we choose them to be? That doesn't make any spiritual sense now. Shouldn't all 365 days be special is the question I always ask - to which I get no satisfactory answer everrrrrr....

Independence Day

[Ya I know 15th August was 10 days ago but home comp's not working, so couldn't post]

Well its just Independence Day and not 'happy independence day' or 'another independence day', because what's added before or after depends on a lot of things. Of course I don't wish to get into that. Why the nick then? Well every time Independence Day comes around I feel its like a birthday. The one day everyone contemplates something about their life. Either the previous year or the last few years or their whole life or the coming year or coming whole life. That's but natural, seeing the sort of day it is. But somehow everytime Independence Day comes around, I actually think about India, its 'freedom', the struggles of its people in the past and the present, etc etc.

Of course not much changes every year - I end up thinking of corrupt politicians, scams, over population, illiteracy, schemes that never seem to work, poverty, unemployment, farmers who commit suicide, slum lords, and a whole list of everything that's wrong with this country - to that list, this year I have added floods and bomb blasts too.
I don't believe this is the India our forefathers envisioned. I don't think this is the India anyone wanted or even wants. Sure we are shining, sure we are the rising star, sure we get compared to China but what are the ground realities? How many Indians are happy? How many Indians are free? Is the India of 2006, the India freedom fighters died for? Are we today worthy of those people dreams, aspirations, hope, death?

The biggest tragedy of it all is that we are part of a county that has such a rich heritage. Such a deep history. A culture that could surpass many, and we do nothing with that. Our past is something we see no value in. Neither do we appreciate the past nor do we think enough about it. Take a small example of yoga. How many of us here are gaga over yoga? Yoga is getting a real hype now only because its gone to the west and become so famous amongst the westerners. We are a totally useless bunch...

The British might have taken a lot away from us, but like the irony that life sometimes like to throw in our face - our strongest weapon in today's economic warfare is something the British bought to us and gave us, whether we wanted it or not - the English language. Haha I cant wait to see China in the next 5 - 8 years, when majority of their 'contributing' population will be english speaking. Where will India be? Watching on TV how members in the Lok Sabha throw things on one another, not able to watch TV because some dude things that everything should be censored, shitting bricks cause we will be importing not only wheat but other food grains too...

We could also have an India that is actually flourishing. An India that thriving. An India that the rest of the world is jealous of. What do we need to get there? I think there is only one thing needed - accountability in our political system. You don't do your job well, your outta here. If we don't have strong, charismatic, visionary leaders, we wont get anywhere.


On the note of freedom - What is freedom anyway? I don't seem to be able to figure. In my mind one has freedom only when one can live life on his/her own terms. How many of us can do that? Very few I think. Sometimes it's not possible to be free, but unfortunately most of us believe that we don't need such freedom. Everything else must come before self. I don't believe in this philosophy. The 'Individual' must come before everything else. By the self coming first here I don't mean politicians filling their pockets. It's all about knowing who you are and standing up for who you are. Fighting for what you believe in. Being open minded enough to take the world in but also being tolerant enough to realise that the world doesn't revolve around you. Buckling down under pressure because other people say something or believe something is not cool. Its not something anyone should accept. Actually nothing should just be accepted. Everything must be realised. Haha, I can already imagine my mom and aunts cringing... we have no future I tell you, not unless we start thinking differently.

Anyway I'm going on a totally different tangent here - will write something more on 'independence day' sometime in the future. Maybe next year....

Home comp's busted :(

Bas ek pal

Well of course this comes from the song and therefore the movie...
But I like the though of it...bas ek pal...just a moment....
life can change in just a moment...
tragedy can strike in just a moment...
magic can happen in just a moment...
an opportunity can be found or lost in a moment...
a brainwave takes a moment...
all i need is a moment...just a moment...bas ek pal

Why why why why

Firstly I was totally surprised that no one asked me what my nick meant. Usually there are atleast a couple of people who comment / answer very strange nicks.
Anyway the 'why why why why' is because I have realised and now days reminded very often that there are certain phases or and actions that I keep repeating - examples - 'you have got to be kidding me', 'the funda is', 'apparently', etc etc.
Now I would think there is nothing wrong with something like this, cause everyone has their own style but now it seems to me that most people dont do such things and therefore when I do, its funny for a bunch of them.
The hilarious things though is this too happens in phases. So today and for the next 2 weeks I will keep saying 'oh come on' and then after 2 weeks it will be 'thats such BS' and then after 2 weeks it will be 'there is NO way'....
Ah well 'the funda is' that 'apparently' 'there is no way' to term this as only my nakhras so 'come on' stop all this BS and let me live in peace...

We all need to do our own thing...