The wedding it was !!!

Even after living in south India for nearly 2 years, I still had not attended any function out here. Probably I have most of the my friends from north India. Finally it was 6th march and I had an invitation from my friend to attend the his marriage, a southie friend. I was a little excited to attend first south Indian wedding ceremony and anxious to know how would it be? (after all, I had heard from lotta people saying “Its different”.) That 'different' word was blinking in my head again n again.(Tell any Indian something different or don't do something and they will spend full day thinking about it and finally doing it).
So it began, I joined my other mates to go to the wedding. As usual, despite of deciding over meeting 7 o'clock we met at 8:15 (Indian are pro in missing the right timings and yeah they never miss it). We reached the venue late, as expected didn't find a place to park. And we ended up parking right below the 'No Parking' board (Yes, we like breaking rules).
We entered in the hall, a soft music (ta tan tan ta ta tann) welcomed us, for first few moments, I was a bit confused, why the guys out there were playing a really sad song on such an auspicious occasion instead of a some rock himesh songs (ones played at punjabi weddings which make sure that you have come to the wedding or party). Moving forward was a little uncomfortable (for northie surely). Waiting in a queue to meet couple like FCFS. I never saw such a queue in north India.(I think northie don't believe in any queuing system, yeah they are all netas). After meeting the couple, I was finally relieved, (like who stands in a queue to meet newly weds :)).
Next we headed for which we had gone there for : Dinner. The most significant difference I found was there was no buffet, it was pangat (just heard this name from someone). The southie marriage would be easily one of the most economical ones compared to those happen in north (Dowry apart :)). Yeah, there was queue for dinner even. After finding a place for a dinner, another shocker: instead of a plate, a banana leaf was kept in front of us. As soon as the leaf came people started washing it (Donno but I kinda found it weird and was bit sceptical, aint these leafs washed?). So the dinner started: Dosa, chutney, sabji ….. I took one of each thinking that I will have them later if required. My southie friend was taking 2/3 of each of them, (I was surprised, why is he taking all at the same time, thought he was really hungry). I finished up quickly the items served and was waiting for second round of all those stuffs. But nothing was moving. Finally, I saw rice coming, I refused it, thinking I will first finish the starters and then will go for rice. After waiting for some time (why nothing is coming back again?), I asked some waiter our there for dosa, he said something in kannada furiously. (Donno if he considered that as an insult, but yeah sometimes it helps if you donno local language as even when someone is yelling at you, it doesnt matter much). I asked one of my southie friend that why are items not coming up. He replied every item comes only once. I was like, what the hell? (How can someone limit food in wedding). Immediately he replied everything is done and only last round of rice is left. Now that gave shocker to me. Last round and that even of rice (Now I came to know why he was taking 2/3 pieces of each items in the beginning). Some fella served some rice but this time I was prepared, I asked the rice twice (Yeah, I had to compensate somewhere) Before I finish rice, people around me were already leaving their places. I was like, wait 'm still having my food. I wrapped everything I had. (Is this some fast eating competition, and I am beaten by almost everyone?). I never had food so quickly in my life. I suppose in the time I had my complete dinner, northies don't even finish their first starter. So I quietly left the wedding hall. So that was it from my first southie wedding experience. A bit confused what really happened there.
None the less, after coming home when I thought about it, (though bit surprised), I liked it. It was altogether a different experience. It gave me opportunity to understand different culture (May be I'll use this experience to patao some southie :)). I was feeling much closer to this culture. I got to know what a southie marriage is like and felt happy that I could connect with it. One more thing I liked about it is, people here are more disciplined, organized and economical (Queue to meet new weds, for food / sufficient food instead of having 50-60 items where people cant even eat all and waste most of it and asking each other "Kahan tak liya?"). More than this I realized that, though we are different in lifestyles, we are all together united by some external force which makes us feel that we are part of this(Probably culture). Demographic boundaries can only separate us in terms of religions, climate, customs, languages and traditions, but not the way we think. I feel culture of India is an amalgamation of diverse sub-cultures spread all over the country where nothing is superior than other. Somewhere I feel, all these arts, dance, music, paintings, marriages, festivals, costumes have originated from same culture (Indianism may be, in IT language have same base class). Ultimately, though we are demographically divided, we are culturally united !!!
Important Lesson learnt: Food items are served only once, so take what you want in one shot.:)

Dry Jokes: Spice of the life !!!

Dry Jokes: Spice of the life !!!

Call them dry jokes, bad jokes, sad jokes, poor jokes, pakau jokes.. and whatever you want to call them !!.. The jokes are of the level which irritate you to the core and puts you in a condition where you are confused whether to laugh or cry. Accepted, all the derogatory terms you use for them and you look upon them. But whats the sole purpose of the jokes : Laugh or at least smile, isn't it? Then how does it really matter if they are sad ones or the pro ones.The problem I find people accepting them is they compare these jokes with the ones delivered by pros. But we need to understand these jokes are well written, scripted and edited by pros. And in real life you really don't have time for all of these things. Jokes delivered on shows or TV are delivered by likes of raju shrivastav, else imagine Bobby Deol delivering stand up comedy or Amrish puri delivering some comedy dialogue .. nah !! just doesn't fit in. The problem is we take joke seriously. I never understood this that how a joke can be serious, but that's the way we take it.
Our day-to-day life has become so busy that we really don't have time to look at ourselves. The daily routine of mails, office, networking, bugs, designs blah blah has simply taken away the most important thing that all of us want to achieve ultimately : Happiness. The week days are just full of tasks and routine and week ends may be some movies, outing and chatting. But the question is where is the spice? So aint these so called “Dry jokes” spice of the life? And the bigger question I want to ask those who call them 'Pjs' or whatever, how many jokes do u really remember really have brought smile on your face. But I am sure, you laugh more on the dry ones. Ask yourself and you will simply remember tons of dry jokes which you would cherish (From 201 bus number to long hair) all included. Just imagine how many time you laughed on those joke while saying those are dry jokes and how many liters of blood you would have gained out of it.
Time, is changing so we are, but the only thing that remains constant is :to be happy. People go for laughter therapy in the morning to laugh. I really pity them they don't even have friends who can make them laugh at least once in day. How many moments do you remember when you are laughing to the core except when u watching some movies, or laughter shows – one or two? Not even that. People take pride that they don't crack “Pjs”, the problem is they never crack jokes forget about they cracking any adjectives jokes like Pakau or something. When you are hungry even a bread and pickle does the job of chicken when you are empty stomach. The day is not far when schools, organizations etc will make it necessary to have laughter session once a day.
Lets have a different angle to these PJs all together. I somehow find that these people are creative and have lateral thinking, or who else can even relate a Rs201 bill to Indira Nagar bus, or confuse Egg roll with movie role, or tiger with tiger biscuits and tons and tons of them.
Let them be irritating or whatever you wanna call them. One thing is sure, these jokes are surely the spice of 21th century life.

Global War(m)Ning? – Time to get serious.

After writing two crap posts back to back, I thought I should take my posts seriously and write something serious once in a while. So I started thinking what I should write on (as I know nothing more than crap). We are living in the 21st century today, there are a lot of things happening around us in this society, environment or more broadly, the world, and almost all these issues affect us in some way or other way. Choosing just one issue of importance was really difficult, but the issue that I sound me most alarming was Global Warming. So here is what this problem is all about:

The issue of Global Warming, undoubtedly, has assumed a vital role in the world today because it affects not just me, or you, or the society, but it affects the entire world.
Global Warming, as used in the popular context, is a scientifically controversial phenomenon that attributes an increase in the average annual surface temperature of Earth to increased atmospheric concentrations of Carbon Dioxide and other gases.

Human Beings are being too lenient when it comes to taking care of the earth or the environment and has entered a brand new relationship with the earth. The constant and increasing pressures we are exerting threaten our planets ability to sustain life itself.
Change in the way we live, and the way we think has to be brought about, and we have to take better care of the environment if we want to have a better future for ourselves and our generations to come. Global warming is the most urgent environmental problem that the world will face in the next decade and the next century and this is an issue of utmost importance and concern.

Scientists around the world are warning us that global warming poses a major threat to our future quality of life. Right now, the rate of global warming may be 100 times faster than it has ever been.

Very soon, the earth may become hotter than at any time in human history, and all this because we haven’t taken care of the environment properly. Observations collected over the last century indicate that the average land surface temperature increased by 0.45 C – 0.6 C. The effects of temperature increase can be very drastic, and cannot be fully isolated. Many meteorological models suggest that such increases in the temperatures result in increased precipitation and rising sea levels. It is this increase in the earth’s temperature which has resulted in the melting of Glaciers in various places. Melting of glaciers has very ill effects. It causes land erosion and results in flooding of places and also increases the level of the seas. It is predicted that if global warming continues at this rate then all the coastal regions of the world would be submerged and this will affect me drastically since I live in a coastal city. This will result in the loss of various important harbours of the world and will damage the beautiful coastlines. Measurements and estimates of sea level show an alarming increase in their levels during the 20th century.

Floods and droughts associated with global warming can undermine our health in
other ways. The heat that is produced can damage our crops. The temperature will allow
our crops to be infected with diseases and infestations such as pests and weeds. By
destroying our crops, this can lead to malnutrition worldwide. With the weather being so
intense, this can alter our water cycles. With the extra water condensing, this will lead to larger downpours. While the oceans are heating, so is the land. If the land heats up, dry areas can become highly perched. When parching enlarges, the pressure gradients can cause winds to develop, leading to turbulent winds, tornadoes, and other powerful storms. With altered pressure, global warming can affect where storms, floods, and droughts occur. Due to global warming, the levels of Green House gases are also on the rise, and this is affecting the global temperature as well.

Many national governments and international organizations continue to raise concerns about global warming. Most countries are firmly committed to strengthening international response to risks of adverse climate change. We, as individuals of the society also must take up matters in our hands and take care of the environment by keeping it clean, pollution free. We must realize that if we do not treat the environment properly, then the outcome of the ill treatment will drastically affect us only, and it is going to be us human beings only who will be at loss. Hence we must contribute to protecting our earth and keeping Global warming in check so as to make this world a better place to live for us and our generations to come.

P.S: Obviously for writing this blog I had to refer to some sites, so here are my resources:

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Global_warming

www.globalwarming.org/

A day to remember

A day to remember,
People say patience is the most important thing in the life. And I was losing it as every now and then I was anxious about the reading the diary of the same company mate. I was curious to know what the fellow did on the year end. Rocking Party! Nah surely not looking at his last Sunday just 2 days before 31st Dec. I was sure that the fellow would have had the boring year end (as if he can count number of people getting in and out of bus, he can do anything) but didn’t know what was making me curious about reading his diary for 31st Dec. I no longer had his diary to peep in and I was cursing myself for that. After thinking for one complete day , finally I got an idea to extinguish my curiosity, Steal it! As decided, on 1st January I reached the office at 7am before anyone came so that I could easily take the diary from his desk drawer. I turned to his desk and just picked up the diary from his desk drawer (Don’t know why he never locks it even when he has got such a precious thing inside it). And before anyone could see me I opened the diary and jumped to the last day of his diary. “What?”... The stuff written there was just unbelievable!
“31 Dec 2008,
I know dude you will read my diary that’s why I intentionally have not written anything for 31 Dec.”
“Gosh, how did he come to know that I have read his diary?” I called him to say sorry about all that happened and I was not disappointed, the fellow simply said that all was fine and even told me where is the actual diary page of his 31st after my repeated requests. “In second drawer below Java book”, I gave myself a wining look and thumps up. Here is how his final day of the year was:
As usual I got up at 10AM. I knew it was the last day of the year and I had decided to pass it like just another day. Probably I was the one who was looking the most for the year to end. No not because it would have given me some reason to party but I really wanted to end this year. The one of the sucking year in my life was about to end and may be one of the sucking year of most of the people of India with thousands of guys lost jobs due to global recession, investors just crumbled to ground, rise in interest rates, high inflation rate, 7-8 bomb blast in metro cities of India, and what a grand end to all this, Terrorist attack in Mumbai. Everything had just gone wrong for me on personal level in the last year and I am sure same will be true for many people (if not many people at least investors, job seekers, Ganguly and Federer will agree with me). I was sure if given a chance many people on this earth just would like to rewind the 2008 so that they can make the year they are saying good bye “From Sucking year to Rocking year!”
So rather than thinking much about next year resolution or rewinding last year I thought it would be better if I go to office quickly and come back home early. When I reached my desk I found a gift on my table, 2 big Cadbury chocolates. And it banged on my head “Santa Banta game”. The game had started on 25 Dec (Christmas). Everyone was asked to pick up a chit. Rules: The name that will be on the chit will be known as Banta for the chit picker and the chit picker will be called Santa for that Banta. Santa needs to give gifts to his Banta till the end of the year making sure that Banta doesn’t come to know who his Santa is and Banta needs to guess his Santa at the final event on year end. The Santa was also supposed to give his Banta riddles and puzzle so that Banta can find out his Santa. To make game interesting organizers also added that Santa can give his/her Banta a task which he/she has to do what is asked. The game didn’t sound interesting to me a lot as it looked like childish game (what a boring game? The guessing of Santa seems to be inspired from SRK’s new flick ‘Tujhme Santa dikhta hai’) and so I had not taken it seriously and neither had I bothered to give any gifts to my Banta nor I expected one from my Santa. But as I had finally got gift from my Santa I thought of getting something for my Banta and I rushed to the nearest gift shop. Don’t know why I was not finding any gift for my Banta (May be because my Banta wasn’t a gal) and I finally selected a pen set for him (Engineers cant think more than stationery) and so called ‘secretly’ kept it on my Banta's desk.
At around 3pm the event for ending Santa Banta game started. I thought it’s just a formality to end this game but when I came to know that people were really excited about it . I just said to me “You suck! As people who are much elder that me are taking this childish game in such a sportive manner and I am keeping me aloof from it as though I am a 60 yr old fellow.” The game started and people started guessing their Santa’s name. The game was becoming really interesting as people started solving their puzzles and riddles along with doing what their Secret Santa had asked them to do (I was feeling the greatest looser of the world by involving much in the game from the time it started). So I thought of enjoying game as much as possible at least in the final event of it. The whole game came as a surprise package for me as it wasn’t expected to be so interesting as it was going now for me. And maybe I was laughing from inside after long time rather than just giving a fake smile. I was feeling like I am entering into my older life which I had left somewhere.
As the game was just ending I heard a bursting of water balloon on the back of my head and within no time I saw myself completely wet with water (I had just one look to give, WTF?). That time may be the fellow who did it didn’t realise what his new game will enter into. I saw everyone was just running here and there as the fellow had 5-6 water balloons in his hand and he was randomly throwing on the people (unfortunately I was the first victim). I don’t know why but I just felt like utilising on the opportunity and poured full water bottle on the guy. (Not in rage but just to make his game to continue. May be to give his action a reaction so that Newton’s law is not defied). And the full office after that within 5 min. was full of water. All the bottles were empty and people were just trying all the items in which they can get water and pour on others (Guys were ready with that water gun which nearly had range of more than 10feet). As the game was getting uglier, finally my CTO took the centre stage to tell people that office has got lot of laptops so stop the crap, it was a sad ending but his last line just rejuvenated everyone. “Let’s play the proper water balloon game on the terrace!” and he threw the last water balloon in his hand in the random direction. I just could not believe that but he was serious about that and had even got 100 of balloons for the same.
We were all armed up with ammos (though they were water balloons foer that time they were no less than nuclear missiles for me) within no time, everyone was scared of them. Within 20 minutes we filled up 100 balloons with water and were ready for a big combat. I was not able to believe I would be playing a water balloon game at the age of 21 but everything around me was just happening so fast that I was seeing myself standing in the battle ground with 5 water balloons in my hand.

The game started without any strategy (though we tried to make one) but I was not able to decide on whom I should burst my balloons as no rivals and no so close friends were there. So I decide to catch up the funniest and the ever enjoying fellow of the group. The game was about to start and everyone was looking for the target. 1…2…3 … “Pichhhhak” ….. I was the first one to burst the balloon. (Maybe because I could not hold back my excitement and was eagerly waiting for something like this for long time) …. “Gosh! ” my first hit and it was nowhere but on the face of CTO himself. (How on the earth my aim can be so (wrongly) accurate, I was just feeling myself like Abhinav Bindra) I was just looking for the place for hiding from CTO but he didn’t seem to care much and continued with game. Everyone was running randomly (With half of them not knowing their team members, they ended up bursting balloons on their teammates only) and game got over in 60 seconds (Which while filling those 100 balloons I thought will last for 60 minutes).
I just loved it and wished the game never ended (I was not able to believe that I was the one who was wishing in morning to end the day as fast as possible and now was wishing for some more time in the day). As the game was over everyone was left with only one thing, Dance. And what I was hearing was unbelievable; yes it was Ma Ma Mass! and we really danced like Ma Ma Mass (Thanks to the Telgu guy in group. He even told me the meaning of the song which i didnt know for last 4 years now .. in short (Meaning) My shirt is mass ... my paint is mass ... my look is mass ... whtever i do is mass). For the first time after long time I was not thinking but simply doing something I really wanted to do. I was just engulfed in dancing and enjoying each and every moment of it. Suddenly there was a splash of water on my head and when I looked back it was my CTO who had kept his last balloon for me and was smiling looking at me. I loved it even though being attacked at the last as it showed me how the childish things can bring smile on face. The games just changed my perception towards the childish things. And I was just feeling foolish as last Sunday I simply wasted in pursuit of happiness (Concert, Mall, Movie) when I could have found it in such childish games and small-small things in life.
So even if the year was not that good, the last day of the year had surely ended as a good day for me and it had taught me one important thing “Don’t look for happiness and quality time pass around you, just convert small-small things and events of life into a quality time pass and ultimately it will make your full life happy. Everything is in mind”. Finally I had found peace at the end of the year and when going to bed at night I had only one thing in my mind “A day to remember and live everyday like this day in the next year! "
................... And probably I had found my New Year resolution”

Just another day

Just another day,

A year back the same guy was looking for the best future and why not? The guy has great achievements, great nature, huge friends circle, never mind attitude and everything a person can dream of having to have a great future ahead. The time was just so less for him with all his activities. The Sundays were just fabulous with bunch of things to do and week days were just awesome adventures. The Sunday used to open with the note that “Oh god I have got to do so many things and why you have given only one Sunday in a week.” From chatting with friends to going into great technical/non-technical discussion, watching a an old cricket match to a great thriller movie, from pulling friends leg to solve his complicated scenario which he has been drained into, each and every angle of life he was living to the fullest.

Time has changed and so as the life. The life has come long way in last one year. The same fellow is an employee in a company from an always enjoying student. Gone are those days when the guy was not even liable to himself and used to make plans just on the eleventh hour. Now he just says one thing every day, thinking about his past “Those were the best days of my life!” The same guy just lives the day as ‘just another day of life’ rather than ‘Yes! It’s another day’.

I just want to tell you an excerpt from his diary which he had forgotten at my desk yesterday. I just wanted to rush through his full diary as it was the diary of one of the most qualified and happy going guy of my company. So I opened the last page of his diary which happened to be his last weekend i.e. Sunday and believe me I just couldn’t open the other pages of his diary as first page I read itself told me his story of life and how he was giving fake smile to the outer world portraying himself as the happiest fellow in the world. So here it goes:

Today I got up in the morning, and may be I can say it as early afternoon (10:30AM). As I got up thinking it as just another day of weekdays I peeped into newspaper and what did I read “Times Of India 28^th December 2008 Sunday” and ultimately the thing strike him “It’s a Sunday!”. I just looked into mirror and said only three alphabets “WTF?” and continued “Oh God, Why there is a Sunday in a week” (I can’t imagine and the same guy was saying this). The half of the day passed in sleeping and thinking in what should he do today? The random thoughts started coming to my mind, Am I the same guy who was wishing for seven Sundays a week? What has gone wrong in my life that enjoyment is just confined to one other movie or one more nap? I have all the time in this world but what is that thing which changed the way I am leaving today? What? Why? How? Which? Who? And all the questions were just coming from nowhere in my mind. To to get out of that scary thought process I just stepped out of the house and the journey for finding a time pass and peace of mind for Sunday began for nowhere? I got out of my house to find something outside where I can pass quality time and live the life I used to live just a year back.

The first thing I did was, I caught the bus which I myself didn’t know where it was going (Filmy style) and got the ticket for the last stop of the bus so that I can get anywhere I think is the place for good time pass. The time passed really fast in the bus (I never knew if you sit in the window sit of entrance and keep counting number of people getting in and out, you can have one of the useless time pass of the world). Finally after an hour in bus I thought of getting down as the game no longer remained interesting. So I got down at the next stop and the place happened to have a garden nearby. I had not been to any garden in last complete year so I decided to go to garden as I thought it could be an ideal place for me to have a peace of mind from those ‘W’ questions or at least it would make me forget about my current life.

The best thing I could think of in garden was to stroll around as all the benches were booked (Advance booking) by lovers and old people being a Sunday(The worst thing is lovers will sit on a bench and at the end 2 people will block the space of 4 people). So I preferred to walk in the garden rather than disturbing those happy couples, while strolling through the greenery and seesaws finally I saw a board in the corner of garden (In such a position and situation as if the owner of Board didn’t want to show that board to anybody) and the full board was written in kannadika except last line which read like “kannadiaka Classical Music Concert” after 5minutes of thinking I got into the hall (The guy doesn’t know the damn thing about music so forget about classical and kannadika classical and he is the same guy who used to say classical music sucks as it has no spice and now just after year later the guy is in hall which is playing same music). I got into the hall from back door but to my dismay it happened to be the front door of hall and I ended up sitting in the first row. Looking for some peace of mind, I found that that as the ultimate peace for the people who do not understand ABC of music as for them just music is playing on and they don’t have to understand it like others who are actually there. After 30 minutes of ultimate boring I just looked back in astonishment that how can people come to such a concert and the scene I saw was horrible. No one sitting behind me was below 60 age and were just engulfed in music, they were not even looking at my (looking back) face. I decide to step out and asked some fellow who was reading the board that what’s written on it in Kannada. The fellow just shouted “It’s not kannada, Its Tamil” And then after me saying him sorry he continued “The music concert is by the Greatest Kannadika classical musician”. And again I said “WTF?” (If this is the best how will be the worst?) Thank God that guy just didn’t look at me back.

I got out of the park and looked for some other place for peace. I caught one more bus and said same thing to the conductor “last stop!” Another half an hour of same game (I was just loving it! as if i was doing something really great) and finally I saw a mall and decided to get down as I thought not peace of mind ,but could at least find some time pass there. Roaming around the mall, Looking for good gals (May be chics) which I had not done for long time now, Group of friends chatting which I don’t have any more here, looking at the way a mother telling her child how bad the ice-cream could be (with one ice cream in her hand), looking at the people bargaining for things and I was just seeing myself in those faces with thoughts why am I not there?

After half an hour strolling in the mall alone, I found out roaming has just not remained the ultimate enjoyment thing which I was looking for and then I finally decided to my go for same old way of time pass Movie, after trying out two failed attempts at park music concert and mall roaming may be i was nnot ready to take one more risk. I went to counter and just said the fellow there “Give the ticket of any movie with least audience” and so I ended up sitting for a Tamil movie (The language he doesn’t even know).

After third failed attempt to do a quality time pass with one of the worst movies, I stepped out of the mall. It was already 9 in the night, so I just decided to go back to home. I got into bus and this time with specific address. After reaching home I just said one thing to myself “Just another weekend over in pursuit of happiness and better luck next time”

time to catch cat

the blog has become a common thing life? ... n why not ? .... it gives u freedom to express ur feeling .... so whts the best way ... write abt most happening event of india ... CAT .... all engg.,commerce grads trying to grab sits at most prestigious B-schools in india .... when nearly 99.5% ppl know tht thy r not going to make it into iims .... tht the spirit .....
all those get success say its hardwork and intelligence and all those who cant make "Its my bad luck/ it wasnt my day/ n many more" ..... but the fact is in relative system ... sumone has to get 0%tile n sumone 99.99 .... so just chill as only 2more days to go for CAT .... n crack it ..... n if u cant .... thr is always next trial ....
Best Luck ....