Happy New 2013

I was so confident about the Mayan calendar especially after watching Apocalypto just before 21st.  Adding to that, Nostradamus also let me down.  Check out the video below.  

Nostradamus prediction on Gangnam dance

I was clicking continuously on the PSY video in YouTube to add up to 1 billion views.  I was more disappointed because on 22^nd I did not know what to do and much more than that, had to continue to hear the cruel story from Delhi.

As the year comes to an end, I start wishing for a healthy, wealthy and peaceful year for everybody.  Pity me, my peace was at stake.  My workplace declared Jan 1^st as working day!  Thankfully, the HR policies are like the loop holes in the Indian judicial system.  The more you know law; it would be more advantageous for you.  I am not going to office. 

This time period of the year has been the toughest for me always, particularly the last couple of years.  2012 is not different anyhow.  Nothing could make peace in me.  All my activities during this period are restrained to the bare minimum of a human being.  I have been trying very hard to overcome these times but I end up getting nasty.  This year I decided not to react on anything and I am engulfed.  But, taking some time out for self and looking back, I realize that 2012 although disappointed on the 21^{st ;)}, has given me lot of wonderful moments.  My FB and Twitter timelines tell that very happily.  I am immensely happy while I write this.  I am immensely happy that all the “kuthu” songs that I have liked for some time now are playing inside my head in a looped playlist.  Reason is that a very dear friend has told me to look back at some happy moments whenever life gives lemon in hands.  That will help us to make lemonades.  So, I go back to look few of them.  I recommend the same to everyone who wants lemonades out of the lemons that life gives.  No matter what ever happens, every phase in life is a passé. 

I was scared of few things while the year started but then somehow I decided to face them. One of them is below.  This unknown friend of mine Dnyaneshwar Ajabe and Ravishankar made this memorable.

Looking back there are some more moments and of course they are with my friends around.  Many Many thanks to all those who have been part of my journey!  You all rock..!

What are we doing here?

On a usual lazy Sunday, I was experimenting something with my mobile and laptop.  I get involved in things related to troubleshooting in PCs / Mobiles for hours until I get any resolution.  At that time, there were few kids around who came from neighborhood.  They were in between the age group 10-14, not more than that for sure.

The elderly of them asked me, “Are you an IT professional?”  Her question came bang on.  I had a lot of hesitation in saying yes as I never wanted to be one among the IT crowd and always used to say that I am a Media professional.  How long could I keep telling the contrary thing, for IT industry is the one which gives me the monthly salary!

So, I answered “Yes” to her.  She went silent and no questions more than that.  I got puzzled and wanted to ask why! But asked in a different manner, “How did you know that I am an IT professional” – what she answered shocked me.

She said – “You IT professionals always are engaged with mobile and laptop all the time.  My parents also do the same; they have no time for their family”

I could not continue concentrating with what I was doing.  She was not more than 14 years old.  But, her answer had much depth in it; she was very much concerned and was missing something terribly!  I took her answer as a lesson or maybe it’s a lesson for all of us who don’t know what “priorities in life” or “balancing” is all about!

Now, there would be few to argue with me saying that, I will realize how tough it is while I get into the wagon wheel of career and parenting.  May be yes! But, there are few basics in which we should not fail like, not bringing in work life to home, spending quality hours in home and so on.  Guess that’s where people fail.  It isn’t rocket science like writing codes or approving budgets right!!  And amusingly, it all happens for people working in IT industry alone.  We are so possessed with this IT tag and that’s why we even wear our office id tag around all the time. (Read my rumblings here)

God bless us!

Its not just about the bike

It all started while Johnny and I were waiting for bus, back to home in Tambaram bus stand.  We were in 6^th standard then.  My first memory of seeing a Royal Enfield bullet was then.  With the deafening thump, my first impression of it was that, it’s a heavy duty bike.  Those were the days while Yezdi and Rajdoot were also on roads.  But I happen to spot the bullet alone often and the thump grew in me.  Apart from the thump the Royal Enfield logo engraving was the next which drew my attention.  Slowly I happened to hear more and more about the vehicle.  The most common words were ‘robust’, ‘reliable’, ‘tough’.  It should have got ingested in my mind about the vehicle then!

2-3 years later there was a girl who rode the bike royally in my neighborhood!  She was Jeeva’s cousin.  Its Jeeva’s dad bike, the whopping 350kg vehicle with the gear-shifts at the right side and the kick lever doubling as the gear lever!  She rode it with ease!  I started telling around that I want to ride a bullet.  But then, I never knew to bicycle too.  I was the target for amusement.

4-5 years passed. Meanwhile, I came to know that the machine is made in Chennai.  Nothing else was required for me to admire it more.  My passion grew for the bullet.  To beat the amusement, I wanted to own one.  I decided.  To add to the glory, I though it deserves a royal treatment while owning and my way of doing it was to buy it with full cash and no loan.  There started the journey of waiting along with the desire to ride one. 

I started doing more research on Royal Enfield and it was the brand I chose, while Nisha mam gave us the first assignment on the very first day I joined college.  Then I discovered that Narayanan was riding a bullet.  Thunderbird was it, with the 350cc engine.    A new vehicle, he had flicked it from his brother and brought it to college.  I managed to grab the keys from him saying I can ride it! Touched 80kmph!  It was really like kite flying.  But the moment I halted the bike, I had no strength in my muscles to park it in its centre stand.  It was fun for Narayanan!

Then after few years, it was Abu, driving a bullet.  A really well maintained old one it was.  The vehicle reflected his love towards it.  All these people made an impact with their bullets.  Indirect Inspirations!

Almost no one believed me that I can ride a bullet and they all joked on my physical appearance that I cannot ride a bullet and I should first learn to park it with its centre stand.  With all this going around me, Bhargav owned a bullet too.  I used to bug him asking for a ride.  One fine day, a small injury in his leg after a cricket match prompted him to hand over his bullet to me.  It was a good 25km distance for me to ride.  There were opponents to Bhargav’s decision to hand it over to me.  He began to become indecisive.  To add to it, it was about to rain as well.  While others were opposing me, I went through and said him strongly, that I can handle.  That’s it…! After some time I was thumping in the road.  It was a heavy rain but I never stopped.  The thump kept me going in the Grand Trunk Southern road.  I drove it straight inside home literally dashing the gates.  And that was the day all the jokes stopped.

Now…

I own a 500cc bullet from Royal Enfield.  It storms! Worth the wait all these years!  It continues to draw admiration and respect from all.  Rural, urban, A class, B, C, D and whatever classifications may exist.  It just rocks and mostly, the next generation is also admiring it.  And now, Rahul gets inspired from me.  The legend passes on.  

Re-define Honesty, God, Stupidity

Re-define "Honesty"

This sweeper lady had found cash of around INR 2.3mn in the AC coach of a train and had handed over it to the Railway Protection Force as a good Samaritan. 

Now, my question to her or whoever concerned is why did she return the (entire) money? I would have supported her if she had taken a bundle for herself and returned the remaining.  If I would have seen it, I would have taken a bundle as a token of a self-reward / a fine for leaving the the 2.3mn rupees in train.  

I am sure if the money was from savings over the years, it would have been in bank and not carried in hand.  I sincerely doubt that this money is a part of some illegal transaction.  So, a self-reward does not break the honest trait of the individual.  Moreover, I think the sweeper is a religious / spiritual person which had made her to return the money honestly.

Hence, I request the so called religious / spiritual gurus, leaders to make an amendment in the respective sections of honesty which would enable people like this lady to live a grand life for a day or two.

Re-define "God"

Its a diamond crown worth around 15mn INR (as reported), donated to Madurai Meenakshi temple.  I have not read yet who the donor is.  Somehow, few donors do not do their donations publicly.  Temples also have this policy of not disclosing the donor names.  Why should people donate anonymously or the temple not disclose their names?

Why do they donate to temples in the form of jewels?  It stays there in that form for a long time helping none.  God is always great even without a single penny in hand.  That money can be used for many other purposes for the development of the society.

Rather, if people donate for education it would be better for the society or government should bring the policy that people can donate towards education anonymously.  

Why don't all the temples get converted to schools like how it was once upon a time!?

Re-define "Stupidity"

I don't know if I am the only one who feels that this ad is stupid.  

Stupid for it says Mt Everest as "Just a pile of stones".  I went to their FB page and posted in their wall, to remove the ad from all its appearance - there was a swift response - they removed my wall post.  

If I was the copywriter, I would have shown more stupidity by showing the earth under the shoe and say "Ju Ju bi...the world is just a pebble stone".

Images Source: TOI