FUNNY SLICE!!!!!!

India!!!!!!!!!!!!! Where do I begin from? I have suddenly discovered a patriot with in me. May be its because of the fact that I pretty much have nothing to do these days. But considering the fact that I am a die-hard optimist, so much so that even an empty glass at times seems to be full, I would love to believe that its genuine love for my nation.On a serious note, I think I have started observing the intricate details that have surrounded me for ever. I believe that, if anything, I was only oblivious to them till very recently. This is a very interesting incident that I think I must share with you all. Just about a few days back, a day before Diwali to be precise, Maha and I decided to get adorned for the upcoming event. So, it began with a visit to a barber. More out of a tradition, we have this custom of eating mouth-watering pani-puris at JHAMAS after a cut. But unfortuately, due to the exceedingly huge demands for sweets, the counter was closed. So there we were, caught in no-man's land, between our age old tradition and our fate. After a few nerve-cracking moments, Maha who undoubtedly is the Rashmi Uday Singh when it comes to the road side food in Mumbai and believe me, his selection and more importantly the knowledge of the precise geographical details of the most novice of the vendors is impeccable. No GPS system can match this guy's innate quality to spot that priceless needle in a stack of hay. Anyways, we spotted a sandwich shop. Very quietly we made our steps to the shop, which was more like a rickety table barely balancing on its 31/2 legs. Everything was spread on this modest little piece of wood. We ordered, to which I must confess that I was very sceptical more for the taste than quality. There went my two slices in the toaster, packed with tomatoes, potatoes, onions...blah blah..it was so stuffed that I vitually felt like the poor vegetables were being squeezed and strangled.......reminded me of VLCC for some reason....so there it was,my sandwich.Hot,crisp and served.What happened next was unbelievable. This guy gets a call on his mobile, which is hardly surprising these days in Mumbai. I have had many embarassing moments, but there's one that I distinctly remember. I bought a Nokia 6600 about 2 yrs ago. Back then, it was kinda new in the market and I like any other guy of my age loved to flaunt it. This ended one day when in a local train I saw a vendor selling the cheapest pen that you would get in Mumbai and talking over the phone parallely. No points for guessing which model it was. That day I gulped in the pride that I carried in flaunting my cell. Coming back to this Sandwichwaala, after talking over the phone he suddenly started packing his stuff and within a matter of seconds he was off and I was left standing there,facing this wall in front of me like an idiot, in the mddle of nowhere with a sandwich in my hand and an enforced smile on my face. After a few moments, the rats slowly came out of their burrows( not that rats stay in burrows, but here they actually did). We asked them in a very surprised tone, quite obviously, the reason for his sudden disappearance. He informed us that he got a call from his brother, who had information that BMC's vehicle was on its way towards them. For the unaware ones, BMC confiscates these guys' entire stalls, as it is illegal to sell on the roads without a prior permission. What impressed me, was the entire organisation skills of this nexus.Can you imagine how efficiently the state of Maharashtra could function if we adapted and excercised similar skills. I was mesmerized by the information network these guys shared. I for one was left there, stunned. I just couldn't help but believe that what a wonderful job of crisis management would a team like this do. As I left the place that very day and the guy prepared to set-up his shop again, I imagined what a mutli- crore market this is. This is the face of Mumbai that is known to the students and innumerable other workers in Mumbai, who thrive on the foods served on these wooden planks. I salute India.......this country never fails to surprise me, be it with its subtle gestures of unbounded love, examples of atrocious actions based on religious beliefs, passion.....the list is endless.

SHUBH DIPAWALI!!!!

Hello everyone......This post is going to be short and sweet...Well, I just spent a whopping 4 hours on the net, and trust me, I still couldn't figure out why....I know there are many more noble men and women out there who quite share the same feeling..... anyways, through this post I would like to wish everyone a very prosperous, colourful and most importantly a safe Diwali. Hope you all have a lot of fun this weekend.

Cheers!!!!!

The Bike Effect!!!!

This post is an ode to all my fellow bikers. I am sure many of you must have had the privilege of riding a bike. I wanna share the following lines with all those who have felt the milestones fly by in an instant, have embraced the curves that the most treacherous of roads have to offer. Believe me guys, biking can be a very stirring experience. I am at my most introspective sitting on my mean machine, hand in hand. Try it, if you have never done it. Watch the markers on the road disappear underneath your wheel. Clouds performing their ever so characteristic erratic dance form. Lights changing their shades without any notice. You are there my friend, right on the centre stage. The wind in your face and the world swishiiiiiiiiiiiiiiing by is a feeling to reckon with.

You got a life to live, I know...........but if you wanna live a dream, get hold of a few horses, unleash them and feel the passion.
CHUK DE PHATTE!!!!!!

As I close my eyes,
the light seeps in through,
shimmering like an arrow,
brightness at its best true!!!!

The wind slams then,
gently very gently caresses my face,
teasing with its embrace,
it wants its presence felt,

Motion is relative,
slave of the eye,
dropping with the wind,
then running with the eye.

Man you are, indeed.
Riding your dream, riding your luck,
riding what you believe in.
For a change, its not time.

Thank every jerk, kiss every corner,
the tar has been kind.
Appreciate the perfection around. You should.
Only it offers the glimpse of what you are out to find.

What a Week!!!!!

This week has been a rather special one. After a very long time I felt that seven days did not do justice to a week. The feeling that I shared with my brain in its adoloscence, when I often wept in despair, grumbled and questioned the end of a week. This feeling was prompted by the fact that I would have a whole lot of relatives coming down on any given weekend. In a 'childishly' innocent and nobly inquisitive voice, I would often ask my dad about why a good weekend had to ever end. A weekend that promised countless happy hours( and no...I am not talking about the pubs in Mumbai!!!!!!!!!!), one that meant long hours of directionless chats, prolonged 'champi session'. Even tea got a promotion with the end of friday, for it would be served in tall glasses for the coming two days. This week comprised of similar emotions. It began with a happy news. After spending six nervous weeks, I finally got an admit for my MS. I can't explain why, but it gave me a sense of excitement, responsibility, apprehension, happiness, and I loved the feeling that something struck so many strings of emotions with in me. Suddenly, things seemed to fall into the groove. The next thing , I got a call from 'Infosys', which was a pleasant surprise. Not that it is going to change anything, but the confidence that it gave with the fact that there are people who want to stand up, point a finger at you and call a bid. It is a nice feeling to be 'wanted', re-assuring for some reason. Then came the news of my sis getting a job in Canada, which really was a great news. The excitement doubled over the weekend as I had the oppurtuinity to watch Brian Charles Lara play live in front of me at Mumbai. The game turned out to be a Half-day international rather than an ODI, but what the heck......I never bought the ticket. Yeah, I got a freaking Rs.10,000/- complimentary ticket, and no I am neither week at maths here nor do I have a keyboard mal-function.Even though the Carribean flavour din't last long on the pitch, the Srilankan batting was pretty fun to watch. I could not have asked for more next. But this is one of those 'adolo....weekends' that I mentioned. The night was spent in Mumbai's best located falt, 13 A Purnima, Malabar hill. In front of my eyes, I had the Queen's necklace. One could actually count the number of street lights between the Air-India building and the Girgaum Chowpatty.It struck me then and there why a person would ever be willing to pay 30,000 for a square foot. I have no doubts now. So there I was, standing in the balcony, sipping good old kingfisher, six cans of it, and when I felt that I had moved upto the 20th floor, I realised that it was time for me to step back a little awayfrom the balcony. To end this beautiful week, I had my cousin sister, Dolly didi coming down to India, I would get to see my youngest 'bhanja', Kush. It was awesome meeting them today. This Diwali is going to be a lot of fun, with so many of my relatives at home.As ironical as it may sound, through the process of writing this blog, I have realised that there was a part with in me which actually wanted this week to end, for the coming week sounds like even more fun......well what can I say? Some may call me selfish........but I call it................... 'ONLY HUMAN'.