In my earlier post I'd spoken about the global family. I was reminded, again, of the melting pot that the world is becoming, by someone I met today. This person is of Chinese origin, is French by nationality and works for an Indian software company!
Again, nothing unusual I'm sure... but I still found it interesting
December 15, 2008
November 08, 2008
Barin damage of a different kind
Unexplicably, I have spent the last 45 minutes reading brain numbing bollywood gossip from some random tabloid-like website. Its similar to the experience I had when, again inexplicably, I ended up reading a mills & boon. I could almost feel my limited quantity of grey cells gasping for breath and eventually some of them did fizzle out.
From all these little snippets about almost every aspect of celebrity life, I conclude that there must be people employed in the task of just collecting these from whatever fleeting source they can. This essentially would involve continuously stalking celebrities, hanging around places where you can possibly hear some news about them, hunting down their friends-relatives-neighbours-doodhwaala-dog-whatever. Ming boggling.
From all these little snippets about almost every aspect of celebrity life, I conclude that there must be people employed in the task of just collecting these from whatever fleeting source they can. This essentially would involve continuously stalking celebrities, hanging around places where you can possibly hear some news about them, hunting down their friends-relatives-neighbours-doodhwaala-dog-whatever. Ming boggling.
October 17, 2008
is it true...
That the people with the guiltiest conscience feel the need to claim their innocence the loudest?
http://www.barbaraknott.net/Ravihome.html
http://www.barbaraknott.net/Ravihome.html
September 14, 2008
But why....
In spite of growing up in a city that was plagued by communal riots I never really felt the effects of it or saw the horrors of it, let's just call it being fortunate enough to live in an area where the riots didn't cause the havoc they did in the main city. They were always stories you heard or saw in news.
Today terrorism has the same 'distant' effect but that I guess is because of luck or good chance. But today it struck a little closer home to shake me up a bit - I was reading where all the Delhi blasts occurred and one of the areas was the McDonald's and Prince Pan corner in GK market, where I happened to hang out numerous times while studying in Delhi. Just like how today there must have been a regular crowd of college students just out enjoying a weekend. Only I was lucky enough to be not one of them. But what about the ones that weren't? People like me, unaware and happy go lucky, just out with friends for a good weekend. It gives me goosebumps to think of it.
But that starts another train of thought....
Have we become so indifferent that only when something affects us directly do we realize the seriousness of it? And do we do anything about it except shake our heads and 'strongly condemn' such actions like our politician do? Will it take something worse than this to stir us out of our stupor? And more frighteningly, is it just a matter of time before that 'something worse' happens?
Today terrorism has the same 'distant' effect but that I guess is because of luck or good chance. But today it struck a little closer home to shake me up a bit - I was reading where all the Delhi blasts occurred and one of the areas was the McDonald's and Prince Pan corner in GK market, where I happened to hang out numerous times while studying in Delhi. Just like how today there must have been a regular crowd of college students just out enjoying a weekend. Only I was lucky enough to be not one of them. But what about the ones that weren't? People like me, unaware and happy go lucky, just out with friends for a good weekend. It gives me goosebumps to think of it.
But that starts another train of thought....
Have we become so indifferent that only when something affects us directly do we realize the seriousness of it? And do we do anything about it except shake our heads and 'strongly condemn' such actions like our politician do? Will it take something worse than this to stir us out of our stupor? And more frighteningly, is it just a matter of time before that 'something worse' happens?
September 12, 2008
Globalization...
Working in the IT industry that's one word I get to hear as many times as I breathe in a day. But right now I refer to the fact that everyone in my family is in a different part of the world - Meerut, Pune, Connecticut, Geneva - yet emails, phones, chats have really rendered the distance redundant. Of course it will be true globalization when teleportation becomes a reality!
But for now the globally spread family, I'm sure, will also become as common a trend as Globalization has become in the IT world, if it hasn't already.
But for now the globally spread family, I'm sure, will also become as common a trend as Globalization has become in the IT world, if it hasn't already.
August 15, 2008
O Canada
Is it ironic or just pure chance that on a day when most people are wallowing in patriotic fervour I've decided to blog about some good ol' Canada days?
Well, c'est la vie I guess. I decided to write this because I was chatting with Bidisha about some of the crazy times we've had in University and that set me thinking. I don't intend to make this post a very nostalgic, sappy one but if it does turn out to be one.. my apologies!
University: (Starring - Pooja, Juvi, Josh, Bidisha, Tara, 'The network')
- Cody Hall and the quad: life in windsor began here. Landed up in Cody Hall residence at 1 am, one week after classes had begun! 2nd Floor lounge, Juvi's room and the quad were the scenes of the collective crimes of Josh, Juvi and Pooja. We did pay for all the ruckus we created when the head Resident Assistant made us create 'silence in the halls' posters. What a terrible punishment :D. Cody was inhabited by a bunch of colourful characters, at least that's what it seemed like to me. I'm sure they also found the strange foreign student equally weird.
- CAW student centre: the place to stay awake the whole night just before midterms or exams. Most of the time was of course spent socializing with other (strangely enough mostly Indian) students, going over to 7 Eleven every two hours to fuel up, sleeping at odd angles on artfully arranged seats and at odd mad moments having food fights.
- Riverside: outside class and outside the CAW I was mostly to be found at the riverside rollerblading, biking, hanging out (literally) at the monkey bars. Met Bidisha here the first time the day after I landed. There was an awesome fireworks display every last wednesday of June to commemorate the Windsor-Detroit international freedom festival.
- Shwarma joints: open till 5 am, suited my insomniac ways perfectly. The amazing baklava was a big incentive too.
- Partington avenue: offcampus life began here. Met BD here the second time , she lived in the apartment below ours, and thus began our partington adventures with Tara as the third star. Partington was the scene of "sun, moon, water, land", backyard bbqs, 2003 Cricket World Cup matches (collectively bought by Indians & Pakistanis @ $35 per match), network dramas, watching pirated Hindi movies rented from the "Indian store' run by the Bangladeshi aunty.
- coffee counter at Marche: work started at 7 am. I can't believe I used to make it there early enough to grab a coffee and croissant before my shift started - having a monster for a manager might have had something to do with it though. I guess all the cookies and nescafe's newly introduced chai-tea I scarfed made up for the early start.
- the crocodile grill: on campus grill, open till 11pm and thus the food source for my unlearned Indian stomach that never got used to the idea of getting done with dinner by 7 pm. I survived on grilled cheese sandwiches from here for the first few months and when I could eat larger portions of meat - spicy chicken burgers washed down with lots of coke. Needless to say, after one year of Croc dinners, I never regained the thin frame I'd brought to Canada.
...
so that was about university life. Oh and there were classes too - the best part of those being that you could eat and drink in them, call the prof by name, sneak out of class, blatantly walk out of them sometimes, and that almost all midterms were multiple choice.
Well, c'est la vie I guess. I decided to write this because I was chatting with Bidisha about some of the crazy times we've had in University and that set me thinking. I don't intend to make this post a very nostalgic, sappy one but if it does turn out to be one.. my apologies!
University: (Starring - Pooja, Juvi, Josh, Bidisha, Tara, 'The network')
- Cody Hall and the quad: life in windsor began here. Landed up in Cody Hall residence at 1 am, one week after classes had begun! 2nd Floor lounge, Juvi's room and the quad were the scenes of the collective crimes of Josh, Juvi and Pooja. We did pay for all the ruckus we created when the head Resident Assistant made us create 'silence in the halls' posters. What a terrible punishment :D. Cody was inhabited by a bunch of colourful characters, at least that's what it seemed like to me. I'm sure they also found the strange foreign student equally weird.
- CAW student centre: the place to stay awake the whole night just before midterms or exams. Most of the time was of course spent socializing with other (strangely enough mostly Indian) students, going over to 7 Eleven every two hours to fuel up, sleeping at odd angles on artfully arranged seats and at odd mad moments having food fights.
- Riverside: outside class and outside the CAW I was mostly to be found at the riverside rollerblading, biking, hanging out (literally) at the monkey bars. Met Bidisha here the first time the day after I landed. There was an awesome fireworks display every last wednesday of June to commemorate the Windsor-Detroit international freedom festival.
- Shwarma joints: open till 5 am, suited my insomniac ways perfectly. The amazing baklava was a big incentive too.
- Partington avenue: offcampus life began here. Met BD here the second time , she lived in the apartment below ours, and thus began our partington adventures with Tara as the third star. Partington was the scene of "sun, moon, water, land", backyard bbqs, 2003 Cricket World Cup matches (collectively bought by Indians & Pakistanis @ $35 per match), network dramas, watching pirated Hindi movies rented from the "Indian store' run by the Bangladeshi aunty.
- coffee counter at Marche: work started at 7 am. I can't believe I used to make it there early enough to grab a coffee and croissant before my shift started - having a monster for a manager might have had something to do with it though. I guess all the cookies and nescafe's newly introduced chai-tea I scarfed made up for the early start.
- the crocodile grill: on campus grill, open till 11pm and thus the food source for my unlearned Indian stomach that never got used to the idea of getting done with dinner by 7 pm. I survived on grilled cheese sandwiches from here for the first few months and when I could eat larger portions of meat - spicy chicken burgers washed down with lots of coke. Needless to say, after one year of Croc dinners, I never regained the thin frame I'd brought to Canada.
...
so that was about university life. Oh and there were classes too - the best part of those being that you could eat and drink in them, call the prof by name, sneak out of class, blatantly walk out of them sometimes, and that almost all midterms were multiple choice.
August 11, 2008
When it rains... it pours.
It has to be the mother of all traffic jams when it takes 2 and a half hours to cover the 7 km stretch from my house to office.
August 07, 2008
Sunflower
In our company there is a raggedy little dog which the security guards have kindly quasi-adopted. Nothing unusual in that, it seems to be a common occurence across the country, having a stray 'pet' dog and group ownership. The difference is that while most of these dogs have standard names like Tommy, Moti, Sheru, Tuffy (on the fancier side) our resident ragamuffin has been lovingly named Sunflower by the guards!
I don't about you, but that's just about the most unusual doggie name I've ever heard of, not to mention the most droll. The logic can't be questioned - Sunflower's (!) coat is a patchy yellow-orange and white which obviously reminded the enthusiastic guards of a sunflower. I don't know what variety has orange and white petals but in their defence, their intentions were noble!
I don't about you, but that's just about the most unusual doggie name I've ever heard of, not to mention the most droll. The logic can't be questioned - Sunflower's (!) coat is a patchy yellow-orange and white which obviously reminded the enthusiastic guards of a sunflower. I don't know what variety has orange and white petals but in their defence, their intentions were noble!
July 31, 2008
baalti woes...
I never thought this would happen in Pune.. but I've been relegated to the role of filling buckets full of water every evening because of the severe water crisis in this city. To top that there is a 24 hour power outage starting at 6 am tomorrow. Help!
May 29, 2008
The cold coffee wars.
Onset of summer:
The 'T point' counter in our cafeteria..canteen really...makes a smart move and starts serving cold coffee. A delicious concoction of cold milk, coffee, cream, ice, a dollop of chocolate sauce for good effect and even a bit of chocolate powder thrown in so that we get VFM. All this served in a medium sized, disposable cup for 12 bucks.
Summer is in full swing; temperatures soar as does cold coffee demand:
T point guy is beginning to get demands for cold coffee from 9 am! He's running a monopoly, if he ain't feeling like serving cold coffee then you ain't getting to drink any. Cold coffee is not available before noon and T point doesn't give a damn if you don't like waiting.
Employees get irritable with lack of choices in canteen; a new counter opens; and what do you know - it serves cold coffee as well! Tension in the T Point camp:
New counter guy (he wasn't marketing savvy enough to brand himself) serves cold coffee in a nice tall glass; doesn't adulterate with too much ice but lacks the fancy chocolate sauce/powder combo. On the upside - he's always willing to serve it when you feel like having it. On the downside - 20 bucks for a glass. ouch.
Competition is heating up; T Point and New Counter Guy begin undercutting the competition:
Now T point has cold coffee whenever you want it too! With the chocolate sauce/powder intact. No lessening of the ice though.
Things are getting murky:
New Counter Guy might not know branding, he certainly knows pricing. Its cold coffee, anytime, without too much ice, in a nice tall glass - For FIFTEEN bucks!
As of yesterday:
T point has invested in a brand new set of shiny tall glasses. The cold coffee is available at all times and the price - still 12 bucks.
What will New Counter Guy do?
... watch this space!
The 'T point' counter in our cafeteria..canteen really...makes a smart move and starts serving cold coffee. A delicious concoction of cold milk, coffee, cream, ice, a dollop of chocolate sauce for good effect and even a bit of chocolate powder thrown in so that we get VFM. All this served in a medium sized, disposable cup for 12 bucks.
Summer is in full swing; temperatures soar as does cold coffee demand:
T point guy is beginning to get demands for cold coffee from 9 am! He's running a monopoly, if he ain't feeling like serving cold coffee then you ain't getting to drink any. Cold coffee is not available before noon and T point doesn't give a damn if you don't like waiting.
Employees get irritable with lack of choices in canteen; a new counter opens; and what do you know - it serves cold coffee as well! Tension in the T Point camp:
New counter guy (he wasn't marketing savvy enough to brand himself) serves cold coffee in a nice tall glass; doesn't adulterate with too much ice but lacks the fancy chocolate sauce/powder combo. On the upside - he's always willing to serve it when you feel like having it. On the downside - 20 bucks for a glass. ouch.
Competition is heating up; T Point and New Counter Guy begin undercutting the competition:
Now T point has cold coffee whenever you want it too! With the chocolate sauce/powder intact. No lessening of the ice though.
Things are getting murky:
New Counter Guy might not know branding, he certainly knows pricing. Its cold coffee, anytime, without too much ice, in a nice tall glass - For FIFTEEN bucks!
As of yesterday:
T point has invested in a brand new set of shiny tall glasses. The cold coffee is available at all times and the price - still 12 bucks.
What will New Counter Guy do?
... watch this space!
May 18, 2008
Bangalore diary.
I spent the most of last week in Bangalore and came to the conclusion that all the drivers on Bangalore streets are possessed by the 'pscyho driver' demon. Of course everyone talks about the bad traffic in Bangalore like they've done a PhD in it, so I figured I might as well join the legion.
Since I have no friends in Blore I thought it would be a fairly boring visit but the cab driver not only scared me witless with his driving skills but also gave me some quick facts on Bangalore, demonstrated his complete knowledge of the city's traffic patterns, provided a brief autobiography of himself and gave me a crash course in the Telegu film industry(cab driver was Telegu, it turns out). "NTR very good hero madam! Son of NT RamaRao, very big man. Chiranjeevi malum? Telegu soooperstar. I failed grade 10 because I used to go watch every movie of his. First day, first show madam!" All this while doing a little jig to the very loud kannada song that was playing on radio.
So apart from work, my spare moments were spent in praying for my safety while I was in the cab. The second last day I thought I'd mastered my fear and I foolishly decided to experiment with the experience of sitting in an auto. It turns out the cab experience was only the kiddie roller coaster. The REAL monster was the auto driver, who had the idea firmly planted in his head that he was playing a live version of Need for Speed.
Though you could say I survived unscathed through my visit, the three new white hair strands on my head beg to differ!
Since I have no friends in Blore I thought it would be a fairly boring visit but the cab driver not only scared me witless with his driving skills but also gave me some quick facts on Bangalore, demonstrated his complete knowledge of the city's traffic patterns, provided a brief autobiography of himself and gave me a crash course in the Telegu film industry(cab driver was Telegu, it turns out). "NTR very good hero madam! Son of NT RamaRao, very big man. Chiranjeevi malum? Telegu soooperstar. I failed grade 10 because I used to go watch every movie of his. First day, first show madam!" All this while doing a little jig to the very loud kannada song that was playing on radio.
So apart from work, my spare moments were spent in praying for my safety while I was in the cab. The second last day I thought I'd mastered my fear and I foolishly decided to experiment with the experience of sitting in an auto. It turns out the cab experience was only the kiddie roller coaster. The REAL monster was the auto driver, who had the idea firmly planted in his head that he was playing a live version of Need for Speed.
Though you could say I survived unscathed through my visit, the three new white hair strands on my head beg to differ!
May 08, 2008
The same song...
Awesome song, amazing lyrics - The same song by Susheela Raman . I heard it first when the credits of "The Namesake" were rolling.. and immediately loved it.
Lyrics:
How many roads have I wondered?
None, and each my own
Behind me the bridges have crumbled
No question of return
Autumn leaves like discarded dreams
trampled underneath a tide of careless feet
it's the same song playing
everywhere I go
it's like an army marching right through me
Nowhere to go but the horizon
where then will I call my home?
summer spent, in the high grass
or just fragments, ransacked memories
dark river snakes, across this murky hall
boatman sings his downstream melodies
How many roads have I wondered?
None, and each my own
Behind me the bridges have crumbled
where then will I call my home?
May 02, 2008
someone who steals petri dishes?
I learnt something interesting today (ok fine yesterday, but that's nitpicking) - I found the word that means 'the smell of rain on dry ground' - it's petrichor! Here's more on it..
It does have a funny ring to it though.
It does have a funny ring to it though.
May 01, 2008
je fais du roller...!
I'm learning french.. and I got my roller blades delivered to me finally - hence the title.
Now all I need to do is find a place in Pune where I can roller blade....
If anyone knows any I'd be grateful for some help!
Now all I need to do is find a place in Pune where I can roller blade....
If anyone knows any I'd be grateful for some help!
April 20, 2008
the after effects of the annual party....
It happened again last night. I locked my keys inside the car. Usually (yes this is a common occurence) that doesn't make me panic because I know I can go home and get the spare set. Well this time I made sure that I locked my house keys inside the car as well.
Even that wouldn't have made me panic because even though it was 1 am, my cousin would've had to suffer a little and wake up to open the door for me. Well this time it just so happened that my cousin was out of town.
Even that would've been fine because my landlord lives in the apartment across from ours. So apart from raising hell for waking him up at 1 am no damage done really. Well this weekend my landlord had decided to go to Bombay for a few days. ....
So my options were:
At least if someone asks me why there is half a plastic ruler stuck inside my car front door I'll have a pretty good story to tell.
Even that wouldn't have made me panic because even though it was 1 am, my cousin would've had to suffer a little and wake up to open the door for me. Well this time it just so happened that my cousin was out of town.
Even that would've been fine because my landlord lives in the apartment across from ours. So apart from raising hell for waking him up at 1 am no damage done really. Well this weekend my landlord had decided to go to Bombay for a few days. ....
So my options were:
- smash car window - get keys - voila!
- leave the car - go back home - break into my house (how?) - get spare set - voila!
- leave car - go to mugdha's house - come back next morning with mechanic - pacify pissed off restaurant owner whose parking I'd usurped - pray he hasn't damaged the car - force the lock - get car keys - voila! oh and miss my 9 am class in the process.
- chase down maruti owners - pray their keys work (they don't) - give up
At least if someone asks me why there is half a plastic ruler stuck inside my car front door I'll have a pretty good story to tell.
April 06, 2008
think, thinking, thunk!
This is my third attemp at learning french...somebody would think I'd get the hint by now. But to all ye of little faith out there.. I've learned the magic mantra this time - the secret of it all, the elixir of life, the fountain of youth, el dorado, the answer to life, the universe and everything.
It is.....
.......
ready for it.... ?
.........
......drummmmmm rooollllll........
"THINK in French"!!!!!!
TAAADAAAAAAAAHHHHHH!
So now the tough part is over - discovering the big secret. Now the rest is simple. I'm going to start thinking in French. Easy-peazy!
p.s. There's a slight hitch in this plan - if I don't know French in the first place, how will I think in French? If I don't think in French, how will I ever learn French?
It is.....
.......
ready for it.... ?
.........
......drummmmmm rooollllll........
"THINK in French"!!!!!!
TAAADAAAAAAAAHHHHHH!
So now the tough part is over - discovering the big secret. Now the rest is simple. I'm going to start thinking in French. Easy-peazy!
p.s. There's a slight hitch in this plan - if I don't know French in the first place, how will I think in French? If I don't think in French, how will I ever learn French?
March 29, 2008
The beginning
This blog was created due to this sudden whim I had of publishing my thoughts, ideas and opinions to a larger audience.
All the previous posts were on this other combined blog I contribute to, when suddenly I had an identity crisis and decided to brave it out all by myself. Anyway, so some of the previous posts might sound a little disconnected or kind of look out of place.
For anyone who had read my earlier posts - inspite of my earlier misgivings, I do have a car now. And also I'm not as much of an alcoholic as I make myself out to be.
Since my thought process is mostly random and non linear I find it impossible to write on one theme so I thought it best for it to remain 'unpredictable'. Of course I also borrowed the phrase from one of my favourite songs :)
All the previous posts were on this other combined blog I contribute to, when suddenly I had an identity crisis and decided to brave it out all by myself. Anyway, so some of the previous posts might sound a little disconnected or kind of look out of place.
For anyone who had read my earlier posts - inspite of my earlier misgivings, I do have a car now. And also I'm not as much of an alcoholic as I make myself out to be.
Since my thought process is mostly random and non linear I find it impossible to write on one theme so I thought it best for it to remain 'unpredictable'. Of course I also borrowed the phrase from one of my favourite songs :)
February 09, 2008
regionalism
While most sane peoplee in the world are trying to fight issues l ike terrorism, are protesting against racism and general baseless discrimination .... we have Mr. Raj Thackeray having his goons beat up people from UP and Bihar for 'corrupting Bombay's Maharashtrian-ism' by no other means than simply living in Bombay! These are poor auto drivers, taxi drivers - people who contribute to bombay being bombay as much as anyone - maharashtrian, south indian, north indian, any indian, hell even non Indian.
Incidents likee these make me feel that I live in a country that occasionaly..or rather too many times... goes back to medieval ages marked by barbarism of a illogical and illiterate sort.
Sorry Mr. Freidman.. we don't live in a flat world. ....yet. We seem to live inside our own bubbles... which when popped are forced to face an ugly reality that we don't want to be part of.
Being proud of your culture - state, community, national, religious - for some reeason has become synomous with a paradoxical paranoid defense of it by attacking whatever seeems to threaten it. Isn't that what undermines it the most?
Incidents likee these make me feel that I live in a country that occasionaly..or rather too many times... goes back to medieval ages marked by barbarism of a illogical and illiterate sort.
Sorry Mr. Freidman.. we don't live in a flat world. ....yet. We seem to live inside our own bubbles... which when popped are forced to face an ugly reality that we don't want to be part of.
Being proud of your culture - state, community, national, religious - for some reeason has become synomous with a paradoxical paranoid defense of it by attacking whatever seeems to threaten it. Isn't that what undermines it the most?
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