Cedric786

Republic Day – January 26

2012-02-05T20:37:00.001+05:30

Colors saffron, white, and green,
With a navy blue Ashoka Chakra in between,
This is the pattern of the national flag of India.
A result of the sacrifice of countless great souls,
The tricolor represents the struggle in achieving India's greatest goals.

Saffron symbolizes courage and sacrifice,
White indicating truth, unity, and peace,
Green standing for faith and fertility,
All in one flag reflecting India's ethnicity.

Mumbai - The Local Train

2011-12-11T12:02:00.001+05:30

Travelling in a Mumbai train,

One can observe most commuters’ faces in anger and pain.

Hardships of the people living in this city is for all to see,

A humble living for their family seems to be their only plea.

The cost of living is high for no good reason,

What will one buy and what will one save.

Half of one’s life goes in travelling through these crowded trains,

A sound sleep is all they desire at the end of the day.

Is that too much to expect in this earthly life?

Some of us have so much; still our desires never cease to end,

If only we could all retrospect, and think of all that we have.

Will it not make our life richer… with happiness?

The journey from another hard day at work and travel has almost ended,

However, even as you reach your destination you are pushed around and out from the moving train.

You just think of the day that was as you walk the final steps towards home,

Moreover, you start preparing yourself mentally for the next day, when you would recommence your journey.

Yes, it is the crowded train once again.

The Christmas Season

2011-12-11T11:09:00.002+05:30

It is that time of the year again,
When children hang stockings on Christmas Eve.
They wake up eagerly the next day,
As gifts from Santa Claus is what they all expect to receive.

Now that I have developed into (what I think of myself as) a mature adult,
I try to find the true meaning of the Christmas season every passing year.
For some people this is the season of the spirit of giving,
While for some, it is a time to be merry and have no fear.

Just as our professional and personal goals change year after year,
The reason for celebrating the Christmas season continues to evolve.
I am a bit confused on how to celebrate my first Christmas as a married man,
How I wish Santa, could come a bit early, and resolve the dilemma in which I am.

Connecting with GOD

2011-08-30T12:25:00.000+05:30

(This article written by me was published in the August-September issue of the Our Lady of Egypt Church Parish Bulletin, Olep Flight)

The last decade has seen a spurt in the use of mobile phones. Mobile phones have become a big necessity in our lives. From starting our day with the alarm ringing on our mobile phone to wake us up, to reminders for birthdays, anniversaries and meetings, no other instrument has been able to control us so much as this small hand held device. Just think about it.

Using the mobile phone, one can constantly stay in touch with family and friends at our fingertips. One message or one call is all it takes at times to catch the attention of the opposite person. The mobile phone has been one of the most interesting inventions. Moreover, this has helped us all to connect with each other.

Most of us Christians visit the Church to attend the service. While some of us visit the Church daily, most of us only attend the Sunday service. Why do we visit the Church? Well, most of us do it so that we can connect with GOD. While some of us do it, just to fulfill our religious obligations.

Anyways, the reason is not important here. Once a person decides to attend the service, it is the responsibility of the person to ensure that he or she does not, directly or indirectly cause inconvenience to the congregation.

I am not going to talk about the dressing part here that is not what I want to do. However, coming back to mobile phones, I fail to understand that if a person has decided to come to Church to connect to GOD, why that person cannot switch off the mobile phone. I know we will have some excuses for that too. Important calls, urgent messages, and so on. Valid reasons one might say.

However, I am sure that every mobile phone on earth has an option to keep the device on Silent mode. If the call or message is so important or urgent when we are in Church, why do we not use this feature then? At least, it will not cause inconvenience to the faithful, who are a large number, gathered in the Church.

From my personal observations in the recent past, most of the time the mobile phone beeps, the device belongs to an adult or an elderly person. More often than not, they do not know how to use the mobile phone features, and struggle to switch off the device or keep the device in silent mode for that matter. Children nowadays are more knowledgeable in handling such devices, and at least they use the silent mode feature at a minimum in the Church.

I hope I have not offended anyone’s feelings with all that I have written. I just wanted to state my perspective, which is, “Once you are in Church, you decide for yourself, you have come there to CONNECT with whom?”

This one is for you, Sister.

2011-08-28T15:58:00.003+05:30

Growing up as a kid involved a lot of fun,

As I had two siblings and I was their loved one.

My sister was quite elder to me and hence was very protective of me as a kid,

Hence, I felt like she was my second mom and about that, I am candid.

She being the eldest sibling and I the youngest, ninety-nine percent of the time we always got along,

Hence, whenever I had fights with my elder brother, I got all the support even if I was in the wrong. :-)

My sister used to experiment a lot in her recipes, and I enjoyed watching her cooking,

However, the best part was her recipes turned out good every time, about that I am not lying.

She got married when I had just completed my schooling,

So living a life without her presence at home, I started adapting.

At a time, when I was growing into adolescence and increased feelings for the opposite sex,

I missed my sister's presence, started lacking the confidence to interact with girls and at times was feeling like a wreck.

Someone did say that time is the best healer, and this definitely seemed the case,

As I grew into a man, everything in life started falling in place.

Now that I am married, and look at the way you have brought up your two kids,

I can only sense what you might be feeling, as to you more than a brother I was a kid.

I had just started scribbling few lines thinking about you on my writing pad,

Here I am thanking you SISTER, for all the good times we had.

Who will help me carry him?

2011-08-21T12:01:00.002+05:30

The movie Gladiator that released in the year 2000 had quite a few good dialogues. However, the sequences of dialogues towards the end of the movie always makes me emotional.

After a fight between Maximus the main protagonist of the movie and Commodus the emperor of Rome, where both men die, the following dialogues follow.

Lucilla: Is Rome worth one good man's life? We believed it once. Make us believe it again. He was a soldier of Rome. Honor him.

Gracchus: Who will help me carry him?

[Gladiators surround the body of Maximus and carry him out of the arena]

The dialogue “Who will help me carry him?” reminds me of the times I have had to carry a few men in my family to their final resting place. It is definitely not a good feeling. In the last 5 years, this has happened quite a few times already.

Charles Dias, My Dad, 2006
Victor Fernandes, My Uncle, 2007
Eric Sequeira, My Cousin’s Husband, 2010
Philip Dias, My Uncle, 2010

I can just say "May Their Souls Rest In Peace".

Today

2011-08-14T18:21:00.001+05:30

Exactly a year since the time, we first met.

Exactly 100 days since the time, we got married.

The first part you remembered, the second I did.

:-)

White Mischief

2011-07-30T12:51:00.000+05:30

(This poem written by me was published in the quarterly edition of the Avaya Newsletter - Khabrilal)

Be content

2011-07-24T12:06:00.005+05:30

A pair of eyes to observe properly,

A pair of ears to hear clearly,

A pair of hands to get a lot of work done,

A pair of feet to walk and meet new people in the journey of life.

However, you have only mouth and that is for one good reason.

The words that you speak cannot be taken back and hence have the potential to make or break a relation,

You already have realized the damage that you could do with one mouth; imagine the trouble you would land yourself in with two.

Similarly, in life try to be happy with all that you have, you will surely get what you deserve.

In other words, thank GOD for all that you have and trust GOD for all that you need.

A drop is all it takes at times...

2011-07-18T13:14:00.005+05:30

A drop of which no one wants to shed.
Blood

A drop of which is awaited by the person waiting to quench his/her thirst.
Water

A drop of which at times indicates joy or pain.
Tear

A drop of which signifies some physical effort.
Sweat

A drop of which signifies the start of a new season.
Rain

A drop is all it takes at times to indicate something BIG. Life teaches us many lessons that are so simple to understand, that we treat it like a small drop because they appear insignificant at that time. However, we fail to understand the impact of the same until that small drop becomes a huge ocean in our lives.

A Sign of Changing Times

2011-07-17T18:22:00.002+05:30

To hear one's inner voice, a person does not go about locating answers inside oneself, but goes to a location outside called the Echo Point.

Not yet...

2011-07-08T22:41:00.005+05:30

Have i been the perfect son that every mother desires?
Not yet.

Have i really been a good brother to my siblings?
Not yet.

Have i been the best colleague anyone could have at work?
Not yet.

Is my faith in God strong enough?
Not yet.

Has everything around me changed for the worse?
Not yet.

Have people lost faith in my abilities?
Not yet.

My time will surely come.
So don't come me out yet. Not yet....

(Thought of writing this poem while watching the movie Gladiator)

Beautiful season

2011-07-08T19:53:00.005+05:30

The beautiful season has made its presence felt,

Everything around has blossomed to its fullest.

Different shades of green is all that i see,

How i wish this season would not cease.

The cool weather makes one feel so nice,

Wish you were around to add some spice.

Nothing seems more pleasant than the season of monsoon,

Really a nice season to cherish just after my honeymoon.

(Wrote this while travelling from Pune to Mumbai in the Intercity Train)

A New Journey

2011-02-17T14:43:00.001+05:30

Walking alone I have managed to come only this far,

Now I need a partner for the long journey ahead.

Someone who could be there always to direct me on the right path,

Moreover, in whom I could find support when I fall down and have faith.

Together as we travel, life’s going to throw up many difficult moments,

Some with lots of joy and some of miserable pain.

Coming out triumphs together in this journey is what we should aim for,

As this will definitely make the ride all the more pleasurable than explored alone before.

Family

2010-12-22T10:39:00.001+05:30

This one word really means so much to each one of us. I am sure this word has the potential to bring a smile on each individual’s face, when he or she thinks about his family members. From the time we are born till the time we breathe our last, most of us are blessed with a family around us.

Parents lay the core foundation for any family. In most societies family is the principal institution for the socialization of children. Being brought up in a middle class family, I really appreciate the core values instilled in me and my siblings by my parents.

The word family also brings to our mind many other attributes such as love, selflessness, sacrifice, happiness, pain, comfort and so on. My entire life, i have seen my father put in long hours at work so that he could afford quality education for his children. I have seen my mother, a homemaker, not only nurture us physically, but also nurture us in every aspect of life.

In today’s world, we see more of small nuclear families. Both husband and wife work hard to make ends meet and to see to it that they can afford the best of everything in life for their children. However, children seem to be less appreciative of the effort put in by their parents and of the material things that they possess. Bringing up a family with good values has never been tougher than it is today. The role of the family prayer (Rosary) thus becomes so much more important now.

As Christians saying the Rosary together has always been an important aspect of our lives. The power of prayer should never be underestimated in one’s life. Parents should definitely encourage their children to participate in the Rosary everyday. However, at the same time I feel that parents should never force their children to pray. Children should be lovingly taught about the importance of God in their family. In today’s times I really feel that a family that stays together can only do it because of God and their attitude towards saying the family prayer together.

The above article written by me was published in the Christmas issue of the Our Lady of Egpyt Church bulletin (Olep Flight).

Funny Moments

2010-07-20T10:38:00.002+05:30

It was really funny to see my mom yawn, soon after i yawned. I noticed it happening twice.

Tribute: Mr. Eric Sequeira

2010-01-19T12:36:00.003+05:30

I had written this write-up as a tribute to my cousin brother-in-law who was very close to me and my family members. He died of a massive heart attack at the age of 51 on 17th January 2010.

I Mr. Cedric Dias would like to speak a few words on behalf of the Sequeira and Dias families. Forgive me if I do breakdown during this tribute. Mr. Eric Sequeira was one of the closest brother-in-law’s the Dias family has ever had. As I speak of Mr. Eric I would also like to remember another person, my dad, Mr. Charles Dias who passed away 3 years back. Both these men lived in Vasai at a certain stage in their lives. They got along really well during the time they lived. These men were simple and down to earth in every sense of the word. Be it in their dressing sense, their attitude, behavior, humor or whatever.

These men had core family values instilled in them. They went out of their way to see to it that their immediate family members were not deprived of any benefits inspite of their not so good financial situation. However, that did not stop them from helping others. Whenever, any family members or friends needed any help or advice, they could surely depend on them.

The last time I shed tears was during my dad’s death. This has been the next. This is how me and my family members have really valued both these people. I guess all of you people who have interacted with either of these men, will definitely agree with what I have just said.

I know that no amount of words would be enough to comfort the immediate family members. However, I also do believe that time is the best healer. Hence, I request all of you present here to remember the Sequeira and Dias families in your prayers in this their hour of grief.

I know that Eric’s presence will be greatly missed by one and all. Hence, I feel that the best way to deal with his absence is to live life with the values that he stood for. Cheers.

26/11: A Year Later

2009-11-26T09:56:00.000+05:30

Lessons Learnt: None

Life a Journey

2009-10-13T20:41:00.000+05:30

Life is a journey, enjoy the ride.

Make the most, leave aside your pride.

Time is short, the journey will end.

So try your best & do make amends.

It’s better to slow down,

Than to regret later.

Else, you will have no one around.

And deep within the pain would be greater.

The Fern and the Bamboo

2009-10-01T23:14:00.006+05:30

By Paul C. Kerr

One day I decided to quit. I quit my job, my relationship, my spirituality. I wanted to quit my life. I went to the woods to have one last talk with God. "God", I said. "Can you give me one good reason not to quit?" His answer surprised me “Look around", He said. "Do you see the fern and the bamboo?" "Yes", I replied. "When I planted the fern and the bamboo seeds, I took very good care of them. I gave them light. I gave them water.

The fern quickly grew from the earth. Its brilliant green covered the floor. Yet nothing came from the bamboo seed. But I did not quit on the bamboo. In the second year the Fern grew more vibrant and plentiful. And again, nothing came from the bamboo seed. But I did not quit on the bamboo". He said. "In the third year, there was still nothing from the bamboo seed. But I would not quit. In the fourth year, again, there was nothing from the bamboo seed.

But I would not quit. He said. "Then in the fifth year a tiny sprout emerged from the earth. Compared to the fern it was seemingly small and insignificant. But just 6 months later the bamboo rose to over 100 feet tall. It had spent the five years growing roots. Those roots made it strong and gave it what it needed to survive. I would not give any of my creations a challenge it could not handle." He said to me. "Did you know, my child, that all this time you have been struggling, you have actually been growing roots. I would not quit on the bamboo. I will never quit on you.

Don't compare yourself to others." He said. "The bamboo had a different purpose than the fern, yet, they both make the forest beautiful." "Your time will come," God said to me. “You will rise high!" "How high should I rise?" I asked. "How high will the bamboo rise?" He asked in return. "As high as it can?" I questioned. "Yes." He said, "Give me glory by rising as high as you can."

I left the forest and brought back this story. I hope these words can help you see that God will never give up on you.

Never regret a day in your life. Good days give you Happiness. Bad days give you Experiences. Both are essential to life. Keep going. Happiness keeps you Sweet, Trials keep you Strong, Sorrows keep you Human, Failures keep you Humble, Success keeps You Glowing, But Only God keeps You Going! Have a great day! The Sun is shining!! God is so big He can cover the whole world with his Love and so small he can curl up inside your heart.

Tomorrow...another Today

2009-08-30T14:26:00.005+05:30

Our innocence was at its very best,

When we looked at everything without any answers,

There was a time when even though we were not able to identify colors,

Our life was so truly colorful in every little sense.

In life’s pursuit we may have come a long way,

But what have we really gained and what have we left far away,

Do we regret anything or have we just resigned to the fact,

That all those memories are now passé and life has to go on the way it is.

When was the last time we treasured true peace within,

Or when was the last time we did not spoil our today for fear of tomorrow,

Do we have any answers or we’ve just stopped thinking about all this.

Nothing in life comes easy,

And it’s difficult to see everything in black or white,

But what are we gaining anyways, when at the end of the day you feel uneasy,

About the day that passed and what might be in store the next day.

Definitely there would be many incidents that would coz us a lot of dismay,

However, belief in oneself is all that matters at the end of the day,

It’s best to take things the way they come, and enjoy life to the fullest,

Rather than ruining another day, the tomorrow which would be another T:-)DAY.

James 1:22-25

2009-06-14T19:29:00.002+05:30

Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. But the man who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it—he will be blessed in what he does.

What’s in News?

2009-05-24T01:06:00.004+05:30

Did you hear the latest? That female’s character is not good at all.

What was she thinking when she decided to spend time with her guy and his friends out that night.

She deserved it, she literally asked for it. What else justifies all this?

I heard she was seen smoking and drinking off late. Which girl from a good family will have all these habits?

These guys come from well known families, and were having a boy’s night out.

This girl might have been a real slut. Just look at the way she’s providing minute details to the media about the sequence of events that night.

It’s all over the place; she’s just trying to get some cheap publicity.

She’s just ruining the life of these 4 guys, when the first thing is she should not have been out that night alone.

As it is, evidence has proved that there are no signs of struggle on the body of the accused.

She seems to have enjoyed it, and now is making a fuss.

Verdict:
Case goes on for some time with just some sleazy headlines in the newspaper. A year passes by. Everything is forgotten. Accused deemed innocent. Victim made to feel Guilty.

Girls

2008-09-06T23:19:00.003+05:30

Someone just happened to look at my articles the other day,
And after glancing through some she had this to say,
“Why is it, that girls are the inspiration for most of your poems”,
For a moment I was caught unawares and wondered what was her problem.

It took me a minute or two and I did come out with my one liner as usual,
Don’t worry I did not respond saying this was because I am Heterosexual,
I just said I could not help it as for some time now they were the one’s who drove me crazy,
And that rhyming lyrics were definitely my tribute to them for making my mind hazy.

Those Days

2008-09-03T19:54:00.004+05:30

Those were the days when we craved for so many things,
However, controlling those desires was just part of the learning.
There were so many wishes that we wanted to be fulfilled,
But with what we had, it was best to remain contented.

Do you remember those days or have you forgotten the past,
I know you want to stay for the moment and have a blast,
Agreed, it’s been a long time since those days have passed,
But I guess you will enjoy the present even more, if you realize what all you have surpassed.

It’s good to actually remember what your roots are,
I know you might think am I preaching and wonder if this guy’s being bizarre.
I certainly feel moving ahead in life is one thing,
But remembering your past definitely increases your zing. … for the future.

Still Walking.......

2008-08-29T23:44:00.000+05:30

Walking on a road that never seems to end,
Don’t know what I am going to achieve as I feel I have no intend.
Hoping someone would come along and inspire me on my path,
As I don’t want to reach a stage wherein I end up facing my own wrath.
In between all this I just close my eyes at times & think of those good old memories that made my day,
Coz if not for them, the distance I had covered till now would be nothing short of disarray.

White Mischief

2008-06-08T09:49:00.004+05:30

White was the color she chose to wear that day,
Second glance was definitely on, once our eyes were set her way.

Getting closer to her would have probably been on every guys mind,
Coz after watching her, one could definitely not pretend to be blind.

For a moment I thought, how lucky were the strands of hair flowing around her face,
Coz with the blowing wind, they were surely the lucky ones being felt by her & set in place.

Suddenly she just turned back and gave a smile which looked so mischievous,
And believe me I had no option but to reciprocate, as it was kind of infectious.

I am still trying to figure out what made her smile in my direction,

U don’t think much about this, coz I am just writing rhyming verses for my blog collection. :-)

Pleasant Weather

2008-06-07T16:30:00.007+05:30

It really feels so nice in this pleasant weather,
How I wish we could spend some quality time together.
I am not sure if to this desire of mine you would accede,
So give it a thought & let me know coz I am not gonna plead.
Remember, times spent together are worth its weight in gold,
Coz beautiful memories of this will definitely not unfold.

The Light of the Body

2008-06-01T09:37:00.001+05:30

The eye is the lamp of your body; when your eye is clear, your whole body also is full of light; but when it is bad, your body also is full of darkness.

Luke: 11:34

Reflection

2008-05-11T11:14:00.005+05:30

Living in this world, for some reason is getting darker in every sense,
Don’t know why for few moments of pleasure people end up selling themselves,

Do these people not feel ashamed of looking at their reflections in the mirror?
Or have they even started ignoring their image to get away from their worst possible fears,

Wonder how these people could be humans to not have any feelings of guilt,
But I hope sooner than later their luck runs out and they are made to pay for being so full of filth.

Feels like Spring

2008-05-03T12:05:00.003+05:30

It's getting so unbearable day by day,
Just feeling like running far way,
Water droplets trickling down slowly but steadily,
How i wish all our worries could also drain so easily.

Donno if it’s the heat inside that’s burning more,
Or it’s the scorching sun that’s causing the outpour,
Whichever is true, does not matter anymore,
Coz I have to overcome it & swim towards the shore.

Life really does seem so cruel at times,
But the joy it gives is so much worth the ride,
Once you learn to overcome the pain, there seems no stopping,
Life then even with the heat surely feels like spring.

The Heart of Man

2008-04-27T15:11:00.000+05:30

He said to them, “Are you so lacking in understanding also? Do you not understand that whatever goes into the man from outside cannot defile him, because it does not go into his heart, but into his stomach, and is eliminated?” (Thus He declared all foods clean.) And He was saying, “That which proceeds out of the man, that is what defiles the man. “For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed the evil thoughts, fornications, thefts, murders, adulteries, deeds of coveting and wickedness, as well as deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride and foolishness. “All these evil things proceed from within and defile the man.”

Making Amends

2008-04-16T15:12:00.002+05:30

It's true that at one point of time we really blended a lot,
And there was nothing else but each other that we thought
about,
But there were also so many times when we even fought,
That left us so agitated, heartbroken and distraught.

After all this:

She said she will be always be there as a true friend,
And that is what i always hoped that she would never pretend,
However we do know with time all good things come to an end,
So don't know why after all this she starts making amends.

Terrible Feeling

2008-04-13T11:35:00.001+05:30

She got up that morning and looked at her face,
And soon after she covered her face with disgrace,
She was ashamed for what happened the previous night,
And for some reason she felt nothing was gonna get right.

She tried her best to muster courage and forget that night,
However those dark moments were not moving out of sight,
It was such a stage where even she was ashamed at her plight,
However it was really very difficult to expect her to fight

The guys who landed her in this situation had been so cruel,
That her body starting burning simliar to scorching fuel,
She tried figuring out, how on earth she landed in this mess,
And it really hurt her in knowing that even her fiance was involved in all this.

She looked at the mirror now, hoping something would seriousl y change,
And very soon after she felt a huge splash across her face,
She started feeling breathless for a few moments after that,
And that’s how she got up from a terrible dream, and the worst possible way for her day to start.

Walking on a path...

2008-04-13T11:28:00.001+05:30

Walking on a path that never seemed to end,
Got company from a girl who ended up becoming my close friend.

A walk that seemed just meaningless at first,
But my worries she drained & I no longer felt the thirst.

Like a beautiful angel with wings she saved me from falling,
If not for her, I donno at this point where I would be crawling.

Inspite of all that you have done, I am sorry for the hurt,
I hope one day I can prove how much our friendship is worth.

What is Love?

2008-01-20T15:48:00.000+05:30

Quote from the movie Little Manhattan:

Love isn't about ridiculous little words. Love is about grand gestures. Love is about airplanes pulling banners over stadiums, proposals on jumbo-trons, giant words in sky writing. Love is about going that extra mile even if it hurts, letting it all hang out there. Love is about finding courage inside of you that you didn't even know was there.

This movie involves 2 kids staying in Manhattan. There’s a ten year old boy Gabe who finds his first love in the form of his former kindergarten mate, the eleven years old Rosemary. The way he deals with the situation at home between his parents who are about to be divorced, and the new found feelings for this girl have been truly portrayed well. This movie's really worth watching. The performances by the child actors is really brilliant. The quote above really explains what love is all about.

Wearing a color...

2007-12-18T21:09:00.000+05:30

Written really long back..just thought of publishing the same.

Wearing a color that looks green to my eye,
Here's a girl who will surely give you a high,
Hope you guys will agree and not deny,
That it would be difficult today to say her good bye.

To accompany her dressing sense there's a sweet smile,
Hence being around her today would be worthwhile,
So just keep some time of your day aside,
Coz who knows when next u will find a girl so versatile.

Batti Bandh: What's all the fuss about?

2007-12-15T09:47:00.000+05:30

'Mumbai Unplug: Batti Bandh' is a youth movement that aims at raising awareness on global warming. It has urged citizens to switch off electrical appliances in the city from 7.30 pm to 8:30 pm on Saturday 15th December 2007.

I have been hearing a lot about this since the last one month or so. Newspapers have been covering articles on the same..about how people can be a part of this cause..also at the same time giving ideas as to what they could do during this 1 hour..I just really can't understand what the big deal about this 1 hour..is..We people living in Mumbai are really not aware of the situation faced by our colleagues staying in the distant suburbs of Vasai and beyond on the Western line or even beyond Thane on the Central line..People staying out there are facing load shedding for about 7 hours on an average daily...That's almost 1/3rd of the day..While this movement which is talking about shutting down electrical appliances for an hour seems to be getting too much of unnecessary coverage...

The founder member of this movement states that “There's a lot one can do during Batti Bandh. When was the last time you cleared your throat for a round of antakshari or brushed up your acting skills? When was the last time you played dumb charades in a dark room? ". Some people are even planning to have candle-lit dinners. What excuses we need for voluntarily switching of power...a cause for global warming..

In that sense my fellow colleagues in the distant suburbs are doing so much in regards to global warming...Though not voluntarily...they are still not using power for 7 hours a day...And they don't get so much publicity either.

I still remember the 6 years i stayed in Vasai. Each day of our lives was planned according to power. Mom waking up early and grinding masala in the mixie, so that she could face no problems in her cooking if power went off later...Updating all our relatives to not give us surprise visits coz we might not be able to cook non-veg food for them ..coz the electrical appliances would not be of any use for grinding the masala and other stuff ..

It's really a terrible situation out there....Parents wake up their kids at 6 A.M ..and suddenly when they tell them to wash their face in the bathroom..the power goes off..When the working parents have to cook for their kids for the afternoon before they leave for work ..there is no power..Coz if the power goes off at 6 or 7 am..it would only come after 3 hours..And when the parents return from work travelling in those nightmare trains..what do they see..No power yet again...Power goes at 5 P.M and comes only at 8 or 8:30 P.M ...and believe me this is not fixed either..7 Hours of power cuts keep on changing daily..2day power might go off at 5 P.M. , 2row might go an hour earlier or later...How do you plan for all this?

Do the people staying in the distant suburbs want to sing Antakshari daily or have candle light dinner daily...NO....I really don't feel we need to give such silly and stupid reasons for a one hour voluntarily power shutdown..There are people living in difficult and worse situations close by. I really don’t think I would like to be a part of such a movement.. I have already had my share of Antakshari’s and Candle–Lit dinners over a period of 6 years when I happened to be a resident of those distant suburbs..:-)

Enrique Iglesias - I Have Always Loved You

2007-12-05T22:24:00.000+05:30

Since the beginning of time
Since it started to rain
Since I heard you laugh
Since I felt your pain
I was too young, you were much younger
We were afraid of each other's hunger

I have always loved you
There's never been anyone else
I knew you before I knew myself
Oh my baby, I have always loved you

Since we kissed the first time
Since we slept on the beach
You were too close for comfort
You were too far out of reach
You walked away, I should have held you
Would you have stayed for me to tell you?

I have always loved you
There's never been anyone else
I knew you before I knew myself
Oh my baby, I have always loved you
Years go by in a matter of days
And though we go separate ways
I never stop dreaming of you
I have always loved you

When you call it makes me cry
We never made time for you and I
If I could live it all again
I'd never let it end, I'd still be with you
Oh God, I miss you

I have always loved you
There's never been anyone else
I knew you before I knew myself
Oh my baby, I have always loved you
Years go by in a matter of days
And though we go separate ways
I never stop dreaming of you
I have always loved you

Human Desires

2007-11-19T22:16:00.000+05:30

Human desires are like the world of the dead - there is always room for more.

Man & Woman

2007-11-09T17:16:00.000+05:30

Gen. 2:18, 21-24

The Lord God said, 'It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him'...and while he was sleeping, he took one of the man's ribs and closed up the place with flesh.

Then the Lord God made a woman from the rib he had taken out of the man, and he brought her to the man. The man said, 'This is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called 'woman,' for she was taken out of man.' For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and they will become one flesh.

Marriage

2007-10-21T15:41:00.000+05:30

Genesis 2:24
For this cause a man shall leave his father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife; and they shall become one flesh.

The other day i attended a marriage ceremony after a really long time. And after being a part of the ceremony and celebrations i realized what i had missed on for so long. The priest who preached the sermon narrated true life incidents in such humour that the entire crowd in the church just burst into laughter at times. He did stress on the importance of God & Prayer in a successful married life.

One of the humorous jokes which i had heard before but nonetheless brought a smile went something like this:

A married couple had an argument some days back and they hadn't been talking to each other since then. However, they were giving each other written notes. One evening the husband gave his wife a paper where it said: "Wake me up tomorrow morning at 7 am.” The next morning the husband woke up and saw that it was 9 am. He got very angry, but as he turned around he found a note on his pillow saying: "Wake up honey, it's 7 o'clock!"

Also after going to the hall the compere out there also had some advice for the husband. He said if you want to have a successful married life, honestly accept when you are in the wrong to your wife. And when you are right............. just stay quiet.

It's really wonderful being part of such a wonderful ceremony...The vows which the husband & wife take in the church wherein the groom says: I (...), take you (...) to be my wife. I promise to be true to you in good times and in bad, in sickness and in health. I will love you and honor you all the days of my life. And the bride responds by saying: I (...), take you (...) to be my husband. I promise to be true to you in good times and in bad, in sickness and in health. I will love you and honor you all the days of my life.

Marriage is really one of the most wonderful events in a person's life. Someone has rightly gone on to say that "Remember that a successful marriage depends on two things: Finding the right person and being the right person". Love between couples is definitely important; however i feel a happy married life surely calls for a lot of commitment and concern for each other.

So what do you guys feel?

Thoughts..

2007-10-19T22:41:00.000+05:30

The bus is empty,
My thoughts are not,
You are the beauty,
To whom stranger am not.

Thinking of you ain't a duty,
Which i don't regret a bit,
Coz memories of you are not just sweet,
They are the best of the lot.

Living the Mobile way...

2007-10-13T23:24:00.000+05:30

The other day i happened to be at a bus stop near Santacruz signal in the evening. There was a couple and their child who were sitting on the road behind the bus stop. The woman was cooking food in the open by lighting wood and papers. I cannot even call them slum dwellers as there was basically nothing around them for cover. That's when i seen the husband speaking on the cell phone and then passing on to his wife. It looked really strange and people at the bus stop definitely gave them a glance or two. Sensex crossing the 18k mark and all doesn't make much sense to me. Don’t know if i can even say India Shining or whatever makes a difference to this road side family. Really can’t understand how these guys afford a cell phone when their lives itself is MOBILE living on different streets of Mumbai every day…

What's in a SMILE?.....

2007-10-04T20:38:00.000+05:30

It's really a pleasure watching you smile,

Though my PJ's are really sad most of the time,

It really feels as if the day has not been worthwhile,

When you are at a distance away from me a mile...

Ur smile could really brighten up anyone's day,

And this is not something i am pretending to say,

So remember a smile from u is wat some people eagerly wait for,

Hence getting to be around you, i consider myself lucky all the more...

So please keep smiling is all i can say....

Smile and the World Smiles with U

2007-09-29T19:17:00.000+05:30

I have recently started knowing a girl, who manages to smile all the time,
And i really feel she should consider herself lucky that this is not a crime,
Coz if that were the case then she would spend her entire life behind bars,
As i really feel it is too much to expect her to breakdown into tears.

She told me if i wrote something about her, it has to be definitely good,
And that is something which i could not have misunderstood,
So i guess she has a clue that it's her smile which i would talk about,
As this is definitely something which i tell her day in and day out.

See girl i have hardly known you for a few days,
And whatever i have said is in terms of your praise,
So let your smile be a kind of a blaze,
That shines brightly and intensively in every passing phase. :-)

Green Zone :-)

2007-08-18T18:34:00.000+05:30

This is a story of Mr. A and Miss. B,

And this has really got nothing to do with me,

So enjoy your time reading this crap,

Before Miss. B comes n gives me a slap.

Dressed in colors so bright green,

A n B are out here to be seen,

Colors that catch the attention of one and all,

They have really come here to have a ball.

Don't know if we’re going to see them dance,

But if they surprise us that's our best chance,

So be on your toes to have a glance,

Coz Miss. B is waiting to mesmerize Mr. A with her hypnotic trance.

Hey Miss.B & Mr. A, Hope you don't take my poems too seriously....

Freedom..

2007-08-11T12:24:00.000+05:30

Colors saffron, white and green,
With a Ashoka Chakra in between,
Result of the sacrifices of countless great souls,
Representing the struggle in achieving India's greatest goals.

With Saffron symbolizing courage and sacrifice,
And White indicating truth, unity and peace,
Also Green standing for faith and fertility,
All in one flag indicating India's versatility.

Amazing Grace

2007-08-11T11:55:00.000+05:30

This girl's really got amazing grace,

That's in addition to go along with her beautiful face,

Memories of such people are difficult to erase,

As it's hard to find someone else to replace.

Decorating herself is something she hates,

Gifted natural beauty is something already on her plate,

It's a nice feeling to have such a person as a friend,

Life without knowing them is hard to comprehend.

Bored...

2007-08-03T19:40:00.000+05:30

Life is really getting so boring,

Though there's nothing worth deploring,

From my side i am hardly exploring,

So life's just moving on instead of soaring.

Work is actually so hectic that it consumes most of my time,

Not writing since long on my blog makes me feel like i have done a big crime,

Even when i am writing this i donno what's going on in my head,

Hence i just thought of writing two verses which will simply rhyme.

Mother Dearest

2007-07-10T20:44:00.001+05:30

This poem on Mothers was forwarded to me in a mail. I think its really worth a glance n hence have put up the same on my blog.

An excellent poem on MOTHER, the greatest ever personality Almighty created for humanbeings and other living creatures:

I was a just-born and she was thirty-one,

Though we were we, we were one.

I would cry out in Latin and she would respond in Greek,

I would learn nothing but she never got tired to teach.

I was surrounded by monsters eager to pull my cheek,

But they would vanish the moment i was wet and weep.

She would come running and hold me in her arms,

As if i had won the contest of the charms.

Now I was able to walk and chew,

Hey, i was two.

I and she could now understand each other,

I was her everything and she needed no other.

I would try to walk and fall down,

But knowing she was with me, the fear of getting hurt was now gone.

We still could not converse that effectively,

But she would understand my needs so easily.

I could now roam about free,

Because now i have turned three.

I was ready to join a new world,

My academic life was now gonna mould.

She would dress me as best as a prince,

But when i would come back, she would need at least an hour to rinse.

I was now able to talk,

I was a ferry and she was my dock.

I still remember the child, whose shirt I had tore,

Hey buddy, i have turned four.

I now came home a little late,

Nevertheless finding her waiting at the gate.

She would hug me and carry me in her arms,

It felt like flying through the farms.

We now did the homework together,

I would spoil the home and she used to work.

Years passed and now i was fifteen,

And with each year i would forget to lean.

I wouldn't care for what she said,

Because now i had become mean.

She would ask me to study for a good future,

But i was busy in a different culture.

Now i had many shes in my life,

I dreamed of having one of them as my wife.

I changed a lot which she did not teach,

She would try to hug me but i was out of reach.

She still waited for me at the gate,

But i would look at her with utmost hate.

She would be awake till late in the night,

Because i wasn't home, i was in a fight.

She had so much to scold, but she never did say,

Hoping to find me better the next day.

Time went on and now i am grown,

Lost in the world of my own.

I and she, between us have a river,

I have left her for my career.

When i was young, for me, she sacrificed her ambitions,

But i don't care, i now have my own mission.

I am not with her now, i am in a different city,

She is so old now but i don't even pity.

She needs me now but i am nowhere to find,

In the race for appraisal, i have become blind.

In a few years from now, i will be two,

There will be in my life someone new.

Then i'll forget even to bother,

I am her son and she my Mother.

Janne hum kya payenge...

2007-07-06T11:35:00.000+05:30

Socha na tha ki aise bhi koi din ayenge,

Ab aye ho itni door say tum, to chalo gaur farmayee.

Unko samjhate samjhate ham khud bhool jayenge,

Agar woh samhaj gaye toh shayad hum jannat payenge.

Project plan banathe banathe din kat jayenge,

Patah nahi yeh plan implement karne ke liye waqt kaha se layenge.

Kehthe hai ki project accha ho toh pahnayenge tumhe har,

Magar agar kuch galtiya hui ya pakdi gayi toh honge tum halal.

Waiting for....

2007-07-05T14:06:00.000+05:30

Rah mein ruke the hum unke,

Woh nahi ayi or nahi hue hum unke.

Ladkiya kehthi hai ki bhaag khul gaye unke,

Nahi hue woh hamare aur na hum unke.

Nothings Gonna change....

2007-07-01T20:23:00.000+05:30

Second weekend in a row it has rained so heavily,
And just as before all things came to a stand gradually,
The system in place here has hardly learnt any lessons,
And it’s the people who have to face the brunt of their inactions.

Before the monsoons arrived they went ahead and declared,
"We are completely geared for the rains" is what they proclaimed,
This statement is made every year much to the amusement of viewers,
As a huge per cent of the roads is dug up and waiting for completion.

It really doesn't seem like things are going to improve in any way,
As the corrupt officials have started taking the common man for granted in every way,
Not owning up for the mess is something everyone seems to be doing nowadays,
So Mumbai's days as a developed city, is being taken to the cleaners with every passing day.

How about some Maths in LIFE?

2007-06-25T21:29:00.000+05:30

These are some quotes i received some time back in a forwarded mail. It sounded very interesting, and hence of thought of putting the same on the blog.

ROMANCE MATHEMATICS

Smart man + smart woman = romance
Smart man + dumb woman = affair
Dumb man + smart woman = marriage
Dumb man + dumb woman = pregnancy

OFFICE ARITHMETIC

Smart boss + smart employee = profit

Smart boss + dumb employee = production

Dumb boss + smart employee = promotion

Dumb boss + dumb employee = overtime

SHOPPING MATH

A man will pay $20 for a $10 item he needs.

A woman will pay $10 for a $20 item that she doesn't need.

GENERAL EQUATIONS & STATISTICS

A woman worries about the future until she gets a husband.

A man never worries about the future until he gets a wife.

A successful man is one who makes more money than his wife can spend.

A successful woman is one who can find such a man.

HAPPINESS

To be happy with a man, you must understand him a lot and love him a little.

To be happy with a woman, you must love her a lot and not try to understand her at all.

LONGEVITY

Married men live longer than single men do, but married men are a lot more willing to die.

PROPENSITY TO CHANGE

A woman marries a man expecting he will change, but he doesn't.

A man marries a woman expecting that she won't change, and she does

DISCUSSION TECHNIQUE

A woman has the last word in any argument.

Anything a man says after that is the beginning of a new argument.

HOW TO STOP PEOPLE FROM BUGGING YOU ABOUT GETTING MARRIED

Old aunts used to come up to me at weddings, poking me in the ribs and cackling, telling me, "You're next." They stopped after I started doing the same thing to them at funerals.

Life: Enjoy the Ride

2007-06-16T19:40:00.000+05:30

I watched a movie called Along Came Polly starring Ben Stiller & Jennifer Aniston this weekend. It's a movie that released way back in 2004. Along Came Polly happens to be a very hilarious comedy. However even this comedy movie had a serious dialogue which delivered a message..

The line that i am talking about is this: "It's not about what happened in the past, or what you think might happen in the future. It's about the ride, for Christ's sake. There is no point in going through all this crap, if you are not going to enjoy the ride. And you know what... when you least expect something great might come along. Something better then you even planned for. "

These lines really means so much in terms of our daily life, don't they?

Is that YOU?

2007-06-09T20:33:00.001+05:30

A Smiling Face,
That could brighten up anyone’s Day,

Those stunning Eyes,
Which speak more than Words,

That Glance of yours,

Which could make anyone DANCE to your tunes,

That typical sound in your Laughter,

Which keeps coming in the mind thereafter,

That’s enough I can say about YOU,
Coz this is just another person who’s crazy about your Natural Looks.

Written in the B.E.S.T Bus

2007-06-07T22:08:00.000+05:30

Sitting in the crowded bus,
Here i am perspiring with fuss.
Traffic here only adding to the mess,
I am trying my best to overcome the stress.

Suddenly a girl dressed in yellow catches my eye,
With looks so simple, don't feel like saying goodbye,
After a while she gets up and makes a move,
That's when i start wondering what she's up to.

Realize a bit later that she just got up to purchase the ticket,
Coz she returned few seconds later just to find a comfortable seat.
Sooner than later she got up once again and my joy was short-lived,
As this time i guessed it right, because it's her stop that had arrived.

There is seriously nothing going on in my mind,
Just thought of writing a crap poem that would rhyme,
My stop is just about to arrive and i am making a move,
So till the next time you visit my blog, hopefully my poems would improve.

Testing of Your Faith

2007-06-01T21:34:00.000+05:30

Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.

—James 1:2-4

Goodbye...

2007-05-26T11:12:00.000+05:30

Some relations are doomed from the very start,
Hence it’s better to move ahead than break hearts apart.

The effort involved in maintaining the relation is really not worth it,
Hence it’s time to take a sensible decision, and then amicably split.

Such decisions are really not easy to take,
But it’s better than having a daily heartache.

So it’s better to thank the opposite person for the good times one has shared together,
And then continue living life, hope for better times ahead, and move on forever.

Mother's Day

2007-05-13T10:18:00.001+05:30

Most children will express their emotions to their Mom today,
Coz today across the world is being celebrated as Mothers Day.

Women around the world really have to go through a lot of agony and pain as compared to men,
And even the birth of a newborn which gives them so much joy is achieved only after tremendous labor pain.

Never knew my Mom was so strong as have seen in the last 8 months or so,
Coz before that had always seen her living her entire life in Dad's shadow.

The pain she had seen Dad go through is really very difficult to erase,
And tears are the only thing she expresses in front of us at Dad's resting place.

There is really something about these ladies which cannot be measured,
And words can hardly express the appreciation which they truly deserve.

Mothers across the world really deserve many blessings from GOD above,
Coz without them being around, we would have hardly understood the meaning of LOVE.

Glimpse of things to come..

2007-05-12T14:48:00.000+05:30

The last time round when i had written the article on Alistair Pereira, i tried to express my opinion on what i felt was a wrong verdict. The laborers who were sleeping on the footpath had become victims of this guys drunken driving. I have highlighted the word "Footpath" as that's where these guys were sleeping.

However with every passing day, it seems that some of these laborers are taking public anger over the judgment as a victory for themselves. After sleeping on the footpaths, these guys have taken their sleep a bit further and now have started sleeping on the roads. Nowadays while on my way to work, i see that a large number of these guys sleep on the roads. I don't think anyone would, and can justify this action of theirs. Just as I always felt, footpaths are one place where the person driving a vehicle should not stray on. Similarly i feel, roads are one place where these laborers should not sleep on.

It's true that firstly footpaths or roads are not for sleeping.. And that the concerned authorities may have given them some leeway by allowing them to sleep on the footpaths.. But if people start sleeping on the roads i donno what next...do we need flyovers everywhere, so that these roads can be left open for the guys to sleep. I just received a mail a couple of days back wherein the photo suggests a new test for driving license in Mumbai... I think that's just the way the scene may look like, when in the near future you apply for a driving license in Mumbai....

Easier said than done...

2007-05-02T18:05:00.000+05:30

Have heard all of this n more, but the fact is, its difficult.

You know u really love someone when u want him or her to be happy, even if his or her happiness means that you're not part of it.

If the person u love doesn't love u back, don't be afraid to love someone else again, for you'll never know unless u give it a try.

The greatest irony of love is letting go when u need to hold on and holding on when u need to let go.

Loving people means giving them the freedom that they choose to be and where they choose to be.

For all the heartaches and the tears, for gloomy days and fruitless years, u should give thanks, for u know, that these were the things which helped you grow.

Wat do u have to say?

Life Moves On....

2007-04-21T14:58:00.000+05:30

She Is Pretty,
She Is Smart,
She Is Quite Witty,
She Touches Ur Heart.

Life Is Adaptable,
Life Is Beautiful,
Life Is Not Foreseeable,
Life's Very Blissful.

She Is Full Of Life,
But Life's Not Only She,
So Life Just Carries On,
As Her Decision Was Foregone.

Blood on His FACE

2007-04-15T17:30:00.000+05:30

Alistair gets 6 month for killing 7 people

FRIDAY THE 13TH PROVES LUCKY FOR PAREIRA

The headline in yesterday's newspaper was worth a stare,

As this involved the infamous guy in news named Alistair,

7 laborers lost their lives after this guy's rash driving,

But just 6 months of jail term is what he got for his striking.

This is not the first time a rich brat has got away,

And this shows how our judicial system is unfair,

Officers involved screwed the case with their investigation,

And this has bailed out Alistair and brought him elation.

The persons who died in this accident involved daily wage workers,

Hence an appeal against this judgment is just not round the corner,

Everyone who has been following the case knows the trial was not fair,

However with the system in place right now its fun for guys like Alistair.

PRICE FOR OUR SINS

2007-04-08T10:38:00.000+05:30

"For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life" -- John 3:16

PINK

2007-04-04T21:07:00.000+05:30

Dressed in a colour which is so bright pink,

Here is a girl who will surely make you blink,

Strands of silky hair flowing on her face,

Certainly good enough for a male to give her a chase.

What's Cooking... Contd

2007-04-01T11:48:00.000+05:30

I had never eaten Rajma around 7 months back. However after staying in Pune for 6 months and trying out various vegetarian cuisines, this was one dish i enjoyed a lot. I prefer having it as a substitute for non-vegetarian food. So today i did try my hand at cooking the same.

The following is the recipe for Rajma Masala:

Ingredients:

Rajma = 1 Cup
Onion = 2
Tomato = 2
Ginger-Garlic paste = 1tsp
Cumin seeds = 1/2tsp
Green Chilly= 2
Turmeric powder = 1/2tsp
Coriander powder = 1/2tsp
Red chilli powder = 1/2tsp
Garam masala = 1/2tsp
Oil = 2tbsp

Salt

Procedure:

Wash the beans properly and soak it in water overnight.
Rinse and Drain the beans before cooking the following day.
Boil the beans in a pressure cooker till it gets soft enough.
Heat oil in a vessel.
Add cumin seeds and ginger-garlic paste and cook it till it turns brown.
Add finely sliced onion, chopped tomato, green chilly, red chilli powder, turmeric, coriander powder, and salt and cook for about 5 minutes.
Add the boiled beans along with its water and simmer for about 10–15 minutes.
Finally add the Garam masala powder and simmer for another 5 minutes.
Ready to serve with cooked rice or rotis.

So do try your hand at cooking this once.

Confused

2007-04-01T00:28:00.000+05:30

Liking & Loving are two words that are related so closely,

That we end up confused while using these words mostly.

Liking someone generally takes a hell of a time,

While Loving someone happens instantaneously most time.

Loving a person after Liking is commonly heard,

While Liking a person after Loving sounds absurd.

Some say to love someone is to love unconditionally,

But the fact is that saying is not easy to follow actually.

After liking a person, one would definitely not want to be the cause of their hurt,

But to prevent it from happening invariably, one should always stay alert.

There's no point blaming the opposite person for any mess,

When the feelings to that person are not really expressed.

Liking a person is something i have felt and have expressed,

But loving that person is something i have left unaddressed.

Difference between liking and loving has left me confused.

And it really seems i have come out of this more bruised.

Grow Up: Media

2007-03-25T09:59:00.000+05:30

Don't know what one should say after hearing such crap. Passing the buck is fine. But not to this extent.

Who is responsible for India's loss in the first match of the World Cup to Bangladesh? Is it Dravid, Chappell, Sachin, or Sehwag. No it's Mrs. Indira Gandhi. How come? I thought she had died long back. Tell me how is she to blame? Fool, don't you know it was she who created Bangladesh!

However the way TV news channels and newspapers cover news nowadays, even this has earned its place on some channels and papers. What more can one say about way the media portrays itself nowadays.

Another news item i have mostly heard on some popular news channels. A person has died somewhere, the person hosting the news asks his news reporter at the funeral site, " Waha pe kya mahaul hai" (How is the atmosphere around there). Obviously the reporter would not say, "Yaha pe khushi ka mahaul hai" (People are celebrating his death here). Hearing such crap and breaking news inside people's homes has really showed the level of news coverage nowadays.

Actions Misguide Sometimes

2007-03-24T22:06:00.000+05:30

The other day while coming back from office, my bus was stuck in traffic as usual. The bus then halted at the signal for some time. I was sitting at the window seat and that's when i noticed this traffic policeman who caught attention from everyone around.

Unlike the regular traffic policemen we see everyday, this guy happened to be very animated in his actions. The way he was moved his body and gave directions just reminded me of Billy Bowden (International cricket umpire from New Zealand who is considered the best in terms of his animated actions on the cricket field). He was whistling continuously and loudly, waving his arms around. Suddenly everyone in the bus and on the road had their eyes set on him. This just went on for 3-4 minutes. Even the people in the surrounding buildings were looking at him from various floors.

Everyone was appreciating the way he was going about his work. I was even tempted to take a video of him from my mobile camera. As i did not want others in the bus looking at me if i did this, i avoided the same. So you can only imagine the effect this traffic policeman had on everyone. People were just smiling around. However the events that followed this i never expected. It made me realize that what i had seen was only because there was some special occasion.

Suddenly a fleet of cars arrived, followed by various Police vehicles. Some important ministers or foreign dignitaries were passing though that road, probably on their way to the international airport. Everyone realized then that the events that we watched earlier was just an act for the "big persons" who passed by. The following 2 days i just could not notice that animated traffic policeman .

One can't blame the Traffic Policeman; he was just doing his job to impress his superiors, just as an employee in his office would do to impress his seniors. Anyways on the lighter side it's that time of the year when most companies give their employees the annual raise which he or she deserves. Hopefully the superiors are watching their employees the year round, and not getting impressed by their "actions" just before appraisal time.

Relations

2007-03-18T16:02:00.000+05:30

Relations can be inherited by birth or formed in the natural course,
However what matters in the end is there should be no remorse.

Maintaining relations with one and all is kind of a challenge in every sense,
And the feeling one derives after achieving this is really very immense.

There are also some relations that are forgotten in the due course of time,
But it is not something like a person has committed a heinous crime.

Ideally relations need to be strengthened with every passing day,
But invariably in today's world most relations seem to be going astray.

Time is something which is really needed for maintaining a relation,
Coz without that cracks would definitely start appearing in its foundation.

Just boasting about one's so called relations is really not enough,
Coz what matters in the end is who stands by U when you're in the rough.

How Related are U?

Happy Birthday DAD!

2007-02-17T15:54:00.000+05:30

(18-02-1941 to 31-10-2006)

A year back we really did not think about this,

That a year from then you would give us all a miss.

Missing you in person is something we will all have to live with,

Hence your thoughts are something we always look up to indeed.

You lived a life that was really so simple in every sense,
And thinking about it gives a pleasure which is really immense.

The pain which you had to endure in your final days was not what you deserved,

However the resolve which you displayed even then was something unheard.

Returning to your house was something you desired for long,

However seeing you very tired GOD decided to call you along.

Wishing you in person now, is something that has ended,

Hence by celebrating your life, we will have to be contented.

Happy Birthday DAD!

Jealous Guy

2007-02-11T20:16:00.000+05:30

She came into my life unknowingly,

Played a role in my decisions unintentionally,

By being part of my life she changed my mentality,

Hence i am really sorry for the times i hurt her personally,

Not having her as a Valentine, is something i will have to live without,

But losing her as a friend, is something which i really do not want.

The lyrics below are of one of my favorite track: Jealous Guy by Roxy Music. I always try to relate with this song.

I was dreaming of the past,

And my heart was beating fast,

I began to lose control,

I didn´t mean to hurt you,

I´m sorry that I made you cry,

I didn´t mean to hurt you,

I´m just a jealous guy.

I was feeling insecure,

You might not love me anymore,

I was shivering inside,

I didn´t mean to hurt you,

I´m sorry that I made you cry,

I didn´t want to hurt you,

I´m just a jealous guy.

I was trying to catch your eye,

Thought that you were trying to hide,

I was swallowing my pain,

I didn´t mean to hurt you,

I´m sorry that I made you cry,

I didn´t mean to hurt you,

I´m just a jealous guy.

So remember if u want to maintain a relation:

It's really important for the other person in ur life to love u as u love that person.

An interesting reflection

2007-02-09T13:53:00.000+05:30

(This is the second article on my blog which i have not written. I liked reading it from a forwarded mail and hence publishing the same.)

Slow Down Culture......Pl find time to read it.....its worth it

It's been 18 years since I joined Volvo, a Swedish company. Working for them has proven to be an interesting experience. Any project here takes 2 years to be finalized, even if the idea is simple and brilliant. It's a rule.

Globalize processes have caused in us (all over the world) a general sense of searching for immediate results. Therefore, we have come to posses a need to see immediate results. This contrasts greatly with the slow movements of the Swedish. They, on the other hand, debate, debate, debate, hold x quantity of meetings and work with a slowdown scheme. At the end, this always yields better results.

Said in another words:

1. Sweden is about the size of San Pablo, a state in Brazil.

2. Sweden has 2 million inhabitants.

3. Stockholm, has 500,000 people.

4. Volvo, Escania, Ericsson, Electrolux, Nokia are some of its renowned companies. Volvo supplies the NASA.

The first time I was in Sweden, one of my colleagues picked me up at the hotel every morning. It was September, bit cold and snowy. We would arrive early at the company and he would park far away from the entrance (2000 employees drive their car to work). The first day, I didn't say anything, either the second or third. One morning I asked, "Do you have a fixed parking space? I've noticed we park far from the entrance even when there are no other cars in the lot." To which he replied, "Since we're here early we'll have time to walk, and whoever gets in late will be late and need a place closer to the door. Don't you think? Imagine my face.

Nowadays, there's a movement in Europe name Slow Food. This movement establishes that people should eat and drink slowly, with enough time to taste their food, spend time with the family, friends, without rushing. Slow Food is against its counterpart: the spirit of Fast Food and what it stands for as a lifestyle. Slow Food is the basis for a bigger movement called Slow Europe, as mentioned by Business Week.

Basically, the movement questions the sense of "hurry" and "craziness" generated by globalization, fueled by the desire of "having in quantity" (life status) versus "having with quality", "life quality" or the "quality of being". French people, even though they work 35 hours per week, are more productive than Americans or British. Germans have established 28.8 hour workweeks and have seen their productivity been driven up by 20%. This slow attitude has brought forth the US's attention, pupils of the fast and the "do it now!".

This no-rush attitude doesn't represent doing less or having a lower productivity. It means working and doing things with greater quality, productivity, perfection, with attention to detail and less stress. It means reestablishing family values, friends, free and leisure time. Taking the "now", present and concrete, versus the "global", undefined and anonymous. It means taking humans' essential values, the simplicity of living.

It stands for a less coercive work environment, more happy, lighter and more productive where humans enjoy doing what they know best how to do. It's time to stop and think on how companies need to develop serious quality with no-rush that will increase productivity and the quality of products and services, without losing the essence of spirit.

In the movie, Scent of a Woman, there's a scene where Al Pacino asks a girl to dance and she replies, "I can't, my boyfriend will be here any minute now". To which Al responds, "A life is lived in an instant". Then they dance to a tango.

Many of us live our lives running behind time, but we only reach it when we die of a heart attack or in a car accident rushing to be on time. Others are so anxious of living the future that they forget to live the present, which is the only time that truly exists. We all have equal time throughout the world. No one has more or less. The difference lies in how each one of us does with our time. We need to live each moment. As John Lennon said, "Life is what happens to you while you're busy making other plans".

Congratulations for reading till the end of this message. There are many who will have stopped in the middle so as not to waste time in this globalized world.

So how slow are you living?

Life so Cruel

2007-01-20T16:25:00.000+05:30

Name: Flight Lieutenant Ronald Kevin Serrao

Age: 26 Years

Birthday: January 17th 1981

Deathday: January 18th 2007

Married on: April 29, 2006

Married to: Flight Lieutenant Deepika Dadlani Serrao

I just came to know about this person 2 days back. I had heard the news on T.V. about a guy who had lost his life flying an IAF aircraft. I ignored this news as we have so many IAF aircrafts meeting with accidents nowadays. However my sister updated me that this person happened to be from our native place, and hence i referred a site for more details on him. Reading about him made me feel life is so cruel at times. Why did he deserve to die in this manner?

This guy was killed while taking part in a live air-to-ground firing exercise in Jaisalmer district of Rajasthan. His father John Serrao was a Lieutenant Colonel (Retired) and his mom Jessica Serrao was a doctor. He had not even completed 5 years with the IAF, but his life did come to a tragic end.

It felt even worse reading his Orkut profile because we had people scrapping him on the 17th of January, wishing him on his birthday and the very next day people were writing scraps that involved condolences on his death. Life can change within such a short span of time. Don't know why GOD decided to call him at this early age. He had got married just about 8 months back to Flight Lieutenant Deepika, don't know what life has in store for this family now.

Here are some details of their profile which really ticked the funny bone in me:

Name: Ronald Kevin Serrao

Passions: Deepika

Sports:I'm game for anything...

Activities: Try me out....i'm ready

Books:I prefer them closed...or better still...in a library

Music: Can dance to any tune...

Movies: There are much better things to do in a hall ...I could never pay attention to one....;-)

Cuisines: Aaah..now u'r talkin...love to eat...donno y some people call me a carnivore though...

Job description: I always wanted to fly high in the sky ..so there i am...

Career interests: Aviation n aviation alone...d sky is my home...

Ideal match: Got one already

First thing you will notice about me: Everything

In my bedroom you will find: What do do expect....a football field???

Name: Deepika Dadlani Serrao
About me: Have you seen beauty with brains....its me

Activities: Love travelling...esp with kevin
Music: Crazy bout any kind of music..esp the kind kevin plays for me..

TV shows: Don't have time to watch the telly when kevin's around..

Movies: If only i could get my eyes off my husband...
Cuisines: Anything made by kevin
First thing you will notice about me: Kevin

Turn offs: Anyone other than kevin

My idea of a perfect first date: Just kevin

From my past relationships i learned: Kevin is the best

Five things i can't live without: kevin, kevin, kevin, kevin, kevin
In my bedroom you will find: kevin

What more can i say or write about what i have read of him. May his soul rest in peace and may his family come to terms with his loss, which would definitely take some time.

Spot the Difference

2007-01-07T18:35:00.000+05:30

Saddam Hussein:

He happened to be the president of his country for a period spanning more than two decades,
However the fear which he generated among his own people was more than any other head of state.

Arab nations admired him as a leader, who dared to defy Israel and the West,
However some called him a barbaric dictator who should be finally laid to Rest.

Efforts from different world leaders failed in his persuasion,
And his regime was finally overthrown by a United States invasion,

His capture by the U.S. forces resulted in the start of his persecution,
And justice was finally delivered to his people in the form of his execution.

George Bush:

He is currently the president of his country for a period which is nearing two terms,
However the fear which he generates among Islamic countries is more than any other head of state.

Western nations consider him as a leader, who defied the United Nations and rest of the West,
However most of the Arab countries and other nations think of him only as a good speaker and for his similarity to a chimpanzee at best.

Efforts from different world leaders in going to war failed in his persuasion,
And hopefully his regime will be finally overthrown by a United States election,

Hopefully his capture by the Islamic Terrorists result in the start of his persecution,
And justice will be finally delivered to the civilians families who died in Iraq & Afghanistan in the form of his execution.

Physically or Mentally Raped

2007-01-01T17:53:00.000+05:30

Recently i happened to watch a Marathi movie on one of the cable channels in Pune. The movie was titled Saatchya Aat Gharat (At home before seven). The movie was based on a true life incident and the end posed a question to all men watching it.

The story revolved around the rape of one of the girl students in Pune University by a fake police man. The incident not only covers the incident and its effects, but also the culture which the youth of today seem to blindly follow as modern.

The victim in this case happened to go out with her so called boy friend to a remote location at around night time. A person who impersonated as a cop, caught the two when they happened to get cozy. He then demanded their identity cards. As the couple did not have the same, the guy was told to get the ID card. The Cop then raped her in the guy's absence.

The fallout of this incident was the boy friend did not want to enter any relation with the girl, as she had been raped. The guy was concerned about the reaction of his family and society members if he were to enter into marriage with this female who had been "RAPED". A group of friends who were their classmates tried their best to convince the guy not to ditch her. However the guy posed a hypothetical question to one of his friends about what would he have done if he were in his place and his girl friend was raped.

The guy seemed to have no answer and he said as the question was hypothetical in nature he did not think it was necessary to answer the same. This guys girl friend then realized that the person who she thought was worth marrying, did not have the appropriate answer to what would he have done if she was raped.

The movie thus shows how the society has still not changed in regards to its outlook towards woman, especially when the woman happens to be a rape victim. There are a number of other issues which the youth of today can relate through this film.

However the one question posed by the guy, seems to have left a real imprint on my mind. What would i have done if my girl friend was raped? Would i ditch her, just because she is no longer a virgin? Is virginity the only issue for a boy to love a girl? Does a guy only love a girl for her physical features? What would i or you have done if the girl in this case was not our girlfriend and happened to be your wife, sister, or some relative.

This issue has made me think, but i feel the society needs to have a convincing answer. Do you have one?

James Blunt - You´re Beautiful Lyrics

2006-12-24T17:24:00.000+05:30

This is a very cool song. I feel the words in this song express what we males feel sometimes after watching a beautiful girl pass by.

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, Flying 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 lala 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.

(The video is available on: http://www.virgin.net/music/musicvideos/jamesblunt_yourebeautiful_hi.html)

Global Warming

2006-12-17T16:57:00.000+05:30

Roads that had been flooded by floods in Dubai

Increase in the average temperature of the Earth's atmosphere is known as global warming,
However with the signs being so evident still we are showing no signs of transforming.

With every passing day its becoming clear that we humans are to blame for this mess,
But we are definitely not doing anything worth and the problem is just growing in excess.

Desert impacted by the heavy rains in U.A.E last week

Expected effects of global warming are many and various, both for the environment and for human life,
However on this issue the influential countries of the world for their personal gains are still in strife.

Major cause of global warming is the carbon dioxide released when fossil fuels like oil and coal are burned for energy,
Hence cleaner cars and cleaner power plants are some of the most important factors that can help overcome a major tragedy.

Vehicles that were damaged because of the water accumulation

Countries including the United States and United Kingdom are witnessing their worst summers,
While countries like the United Arab Emirates that have been deserts are witnessing floods.

Its high time where in all countries reach a common agreement on ways to tackle this issue,
And give mother nature the necessary treatment which for long has been overdue.

TIME TO PONDER

2006-12-16T14:54:00.000+05:30

Currently it's that time of the year again,

Where most of us are trying to ascertain,

What we have achieved in the year that passed by,

And how to implement things, that would give our careers a high.

Its definitely a good time to ponder,
Before our minds begin to wander,
And try to plan and put things in place,
Before we end up making the new year a waste.

Meaning of life becomes clear when it's planned,

Some setbacks on the way should just be a motivation to understand,

That life is something similar to holding sand in our hand,

Which when held tightly is lost completely without our command.

Some of us would find different ways in getting solutions,
While some of us would go to the extent of making resolutions,
It's only the inner resolve that matters in the end,
Without which one can end up with only amends.

JESUS (LOVE) IS THE REASON FOR THE SEASON

2006-12-10T13:04:00.000+05:30

Once, long ago, there was a young boy who lived in a distant land called Tandow. He was a cheerful lad with not a care in the world. A special friend had he, the little blue hummingbird. Now this little boy didn't have a lot of great friends, but the little bird and the boy were inseparable friends. The boy loved the little hummingbird so, he built him a home. The bird also loved the boy and would follow him wherever he would go. As time went by their love grew and grew.

Then one day the young lad met a pretty young girl in school. The girl had long blonde hair, blue eyes, and a cute little smile. This was about the time of the biggest dance of the year. All the boy could think about was how he would love to take the girl to the dance. He gathered his courage all day and at the end of school confronted the girl and asked her to go with him to the dance.

Now this young girl was very popular and felt she did not want to be seen with the boy who cared for her so, but she did not want to hurt his feelings and so figured out a way to avoid saying no or yes. She told the boy if he brought her a red rose she would allow him to escort her to the dance. This hurt the little boy because he knew that in the land of Tandow there had never been a red rose, in fact the only roses in the land of Tandow were white.

On the way home the boy kept mumbling to himself why couldn't she have asked for a white rose. There were hundreds of them in his front yard. Feeling sorry for himself the boy didn't even notice his friend the hummingbird fluttering above him. Now the bird loved him so, that it could tell instantly the boy was troubled. The bird hovered closer as the boy mumbled on home. Now the bird knew why the bird was so troubled.The bird could not rest all the night long, it pondered all night, a solution to the boy's problem.

Finally as the sun began to rise the answer to how the bird could help his best friend entered his mind. The little blue hummingbird flew to a rose bush and searched for a large rose with a stem bearing thorns directly above it. Now the bird chose a thorn and with all the power in his wings cast his small body against the sharp thorn. It entered with great pain, as the tear drops of blood fell upon the white petals of the rose.

Now as the boy was ready for school, as he left the house he saw a red rose, he could hardly believe it, he ran to the bush and plucked the red rose. In his excitement he failed to notice the lifeless little body that lay below the bush in a puddle of blood.

Happy as could be, he began with his red rose on his way to school. Before he got there some other boys playing football in a field called to him and asked him to come and play. His first thought was, no, he had something more important to do. But they begged him and said they really needed him to even the teams. He looked at the rose, then them, then back at the rose. He said to himself. Ah!!! she didn't really want to go with me anyway. Then, throwing the rose down, the boy went and played football.

You've probably already figured out the allegory...

1. The boy is each of us.
2. The humming bird is Jesus Christ.
3. The girl is eternal life.
4. The rose is the atonement.
5. The football game is the worldly things we sometimes feel are so important.

The message for the season; It’s a time of year to give the world something more just than presents from the store. Love is God. Live in love. Start the day with love. Spend the day with love. End the day with love. This is the way to God. Only the person who is filled with love will be dear to the Lord. Let us all spread Love and make Jesus the reason for the Season.

(This was the 49th post on my blog. However this was the first one which i had not written. I had read this article on my colleagues blog: http://ramcomendonca.blogspot.com/. With his permission i have published the same article on my blog, as the main purpose of this article was to convey the right message to the people reading this. )

My Mummy Strongest

2006-11-18T20:16:00.000+05:30

There is a person who in the last 2 months has had to really slog,

Hence i thought it was very worth mentioning her on my blog.

I never knew this lady was really so strong from inside,

Coz every setback for him in hospital she took in her stride.

She lived her entire life under his shadow,

But throughout his suffering she did not mellow.

Every single day she was there with him in hospital,

And do believe me that in itself is very brutal.

With every passing day his health condition started looking very grim,

But still she managed to never break down a single day in front of him.

It was always expected that his passing away would bring out all the tears she had so long controlled,

And despite efforts by one and all there was no better person from whom she would get consoled.

I know she will miss his presence every single day of her life,

And that is something one can't help as she was his wife.

Hopefully with time she will come in terms with his loss,

Coz that is something in words we won't be able to put across.

Every moment that we fell down its you we used to clutch,

For everything you have been to us mom, thank you very much.

I know that words don't express everything one feels. However i think i did manage to express some things she had been through in the last 2 months.

What's Cooking?

2006-11-12T13:54:00.000+05:30

I always wanted to learn cooking and i have tried out small things every now and then. Going to China and watching my colleague George cook so easily, motivated me to learn cooking. Hence 2day i decided to cook a complete meal for myself as i was alone at home. So i decided to cook chicken masala, rice, and tomato curry. I had the recipe for chicken masala so i went ahead accumulating the ingredients for the same.

Chicken Masala (Time: 1:30 minutes)

Ingredients:
Boneless chicken pieces, 500 gm
Chilli Powder, 1 tea spoon
Ginger-Garlic paste, 2 tea spoon
Oil, 4 table spoon
Salt, 1 table spoon
Onion, 2 medium sized
Tomato, 2 medium sized
Potato, 1 medium sized
Green Chillies, 3
Coriander leaves, according to requirement
Water, according to requirement
Chicken Masala, 3 tea spoon

Preparation:
Marinate 500 gm of chicken pieces with 1 tea spoon of chilli powder, 1 tea spoon of ginger-garlic paste, & salt. Keep this as it is for 1 hour. Fry 2 chopped onions in 4 table spoon oil. Add 3 chopped green chillies. 1 tea spoon ginger-garlic paste, & 3 tea spoon of chicken masala. Fry this stuff for 2 minutes. Add marinated chicken, 2 chopped tomatoes, water, chopped potato, and coriander leaves. Cook for 30 minutes. Ready to be served.

Tomato Curry (Time: 15 minutes)

Ingredients:
Tomato Puree, 2 table spoon
Onion, 1 medium sized
Coriander leaves, according to requirement
Water, 200ml

Preparation:
Heat 200 ml water for about 5 minutes. Add 2 table spoon of Tomato puree and stir it in the heating water. Add chopped onion pieces and coriander leaves to this mixture. Boil this mixture for about 10 minutes. Ready to be served.

Cooked Rice (Time: 25-30 minutes)

Ingredients:
Rice, 300 gm (according to requirement)
Water, 500 ml
Salt, 1 tea spoon ( Change according to rice quantity)

Preparation:
Heat water for about 10 minutes in a utensil. Wash rice 3-4 times to clean it properly. Add rice to this boiling water, and add 1 tea spoon of salt. Stir occasionally. Heat this mixture till rice becomes sufficiently soft. Turn off the gas, and drain the water from the utensil. Keep this drained rice for about 15 minutes. Ready to be served.

Hoping that the food has tasted good enough so that i can continue my attempts at cooking.

TRIBUTE

2006-11-11T11:20:00.000+05:30

The last 2 months or so have really been bad,
As its been a very painful time for my loving dad,

He looked hale and hearty just a few months back,
But all his sickness and suffering just took us aback.

Never ever thought my dad would have to endure such pain,
But in the end it seemed he had to go through this without any gain.

He struggled all his life without any personal gain,
However his beliefs and ideas will definitely not go in vain.

When people are alive and healthy we take their presence for granted,
Its only when they pass away we wish if he/she would not have departed.

There were so many things i wanted to learn from him,
However by his physical absence this possibility looks grim.

I know it is no good pondering over what brought him death,
Hence am looking forward to doing things that would have made him happy before his last breath.

Earlier when dad was healthy and fine i had written an article on him. Click Dad to check that post.

DAD (18.02.1941 - 31.10.2006)

2006-11-02T16:38:00.000+05:30

I had started writing this article as I sat with dad during his critical period in the ICCU of Nanavati Hospital. For those who don’t know, my dad had been diagnosed with multiple complications after being admitted to hospital. This was dads 45th day in hospital.

My dad was very fine till about the first week of September. However after I left for Pune, my dad had got himself admitted to Asha Parekh hospital for some tests after he had complained of chest pain. During his 6 day stay in this hospital he was diagnosed with chronic renal failure. In simpler terms it meant 90-95% failure of the kidneys. The only solution for this was performing an operation for setting up a fistula in the forearm by which he would need to undergo dialysis for his entire life by coming to hospital 2 days in a week. The doctors had updated that the fistula was not required at the moment and so they discharged him after specifying some medicines.

During the period of 4 days after being discharged from hospital, my dad developed rashes on his entire body. He complained of chest pain again and had vomiting and so the local doctor was called home a couple of times. On the following Sunday afternoon he complained of severe chest pain and hence we moved him to Holy Spirit Hospital. The doctors after performing some initial tests confirmed that he had some complications in his heart and immediately admitted him to the ICU. During this period his Fistula operation was done, however the chest pain increased once dialysis had started. As Holy Spirit Hospital did not have a Cardio Unit he was moved to Nanavati Hospital. My dad had been in Holy Spirit for about 12 days.

After being admitted in the ICCU of Nanavati Hospital, the doctors performed an Angiography operation which is needed to check if there are any complications in the heart. This operation confirmed that my dad had 3 blocks in his heart which was the cause of chest pain. So the doctors suggested a Bypass Surgery which would get rid of these blocks and we agreed for the same. The 72 critical hours after the operation passed peacefully, however because of his kidney problems some complications arose. He developed swelling around his stomach and the doctors passed this off as nothing serious. They treated this with some medicines; however my dad was wreathing with pain for more than a week. The doctors said that because of his multiple problems of Diabetes, Blood pressure, Bypass Surgery and Kidney problems some complications may have taken place. During his 23 stay here in Nanavati Hospital he was admitted in ICCU for about 75% of the time.

We had thought that after having come out of that 72 critical hours after Bypass he would recover. However God had something else planned for him. Till the 40th day we had hopes that he would be discharged and we could take it home. However the problems intensified during his last 5 days and he even did not have the strength to speak. The doctors had left hope on the 44th day and seeing the pain and agony he had gone through during these days, even I prayed that to god to give him death. My dad always wanted a peaceful death; however god had some other plans. On the 44th day in hospital he was put on ventilator because of his breathing problems. Me and my cousin sister stayed that night in hospital.

His Blood Pressure had started dropping throughout the night despite of strong medications from the nurse to prevent this. At about 4:40 A.M on October 31st the screen which indicates the Oxygen showed zero, and a red line came on screen with a sound and my dad just banged his head on the left side and he passed away. This was the first time I had seen someone dying and believe me it was not a good feeling. The nurses and doctor ran into the ICCU at the moment but it was a bit late. They tried their best to bring him back to life, however it was not possible.

The doctor then broke the news to me and I informed my brother and sister firstly. I then called my cousins and my Dads elder brother and wife went home and broke the news to mom. It was a very hard time for the entire family. After being in hospital for so many days everyone expected him to get well so that we could bring him home. My Mom had stood like a rock with him during the entire 45 days. She did not break for a single moment until the 44th day. It was expected that she would show all her emotions on his death and she cried her heart out.

One thing I will regret is that we could not bring dad back home alive. My dad was always telling in hospital to take him back home. When we told him we would take him home once he recovers, he always said I know that you people will take me straight to the Cemetery and no where else and that proved the case. The last 45 days were physically, mentally, and financially exhausting for all in the family. However my brother left no stone unturned in his recovery. It was only possible due to my brothers help that dad managed to get all this treatment.

We will miss dad’s physical presence every day of our lives. However his thoughts and beliefs will definitely guide and strengthen us throughout our lives.

What's in NEWS?

2006-09-17T20:46:00.000+05:30

Reading a newspaper has always been an addiction,
But news nowadays is being published without conviction.

Personal lives of many is being used as a subject,
And i hope about these the editors become more circumspect.

Beckham's wifes growing bust size is being used as a vice,
And this is just being done to sell news with some spice.

Rape and murders are being addressed in a very cheap manner,
And i guess its time even these newspapers have a censor.

Newspapers nowadays contain more information about the people who go to party,
And if you compare every other day's newspaper you will hardly see any variety.

I have been really avoiding reading newspapers of late,
Becoz in selling news the newspapers have started showing their true trait.

Just felt like writing

2006-09-09T15:09:00.000+05:30

I have not written a poem since a pretty long time,
And this is something i really missed as a pastime.

I guess one needs a topic that is really motivating,
Coz the best comes out when you associate with that thing.

Most of the poems i had written when i was really inspired by a girl,
And that was the time when thinking about her made my mind swirl.

I think poems are ones feeling that are felt by the heart,
And that is something i could not write with a broken heart.

But it's been a good time as i tried to come out of this situation,
And hopefully i'll get better topics to handle my emotion.

Note: Its important for the other person in ur life to love u as u love that person.

Windows of the World

2006-08-25T13:47:00.000+05:30

This Sunday morning Sunil and his relative Joe decided to visit Shenzhen, the place where I and George were staying. We decided to meet at a place called Windows of the World which is a major tourist attraction here.

I and George went to visit them at the railway station. This place is known as Windows of the World because it has replicas of all the worlds’ famous monuments. At the entrance it self there was a replica of the Ashoka Chakra. As we entered this place, I did not realize it was so big, but at the end, even one complete day was not enough to watch all the monuments. We seen replicas of the White house, Twin towers, Sydney harbor, Niagara Falls, Statue of Liberty, Taj Mahal, Leaning Tower, Egyptian pyramids, Buckingham palace, and so on.

There were restaurants inside this place. So we had lunch at one of these food joints. I and Joe did not enough the food that much. This was the second bad experience if I may say with the food here. We had ice-cream and then continued visiting all the monuments. We tried removing our snaps with all these replicas. In between a Chinese girl wanted to remove her snap with me, for which I willingly agreed. There was also this father who wanted to remove snaps of his kid with us.

A day’s visit to this place was really not enough. We were taking breaks between all these sightseeing. Sunil had brought a lot of biscuits and cakes, which was a welcome refreshment on this trip. The number of monuments that were created were breathtaking and it had taken a lot of investment and effort to achieve this final result. This place truly deserves the attention of visitors and native alike. In between we also saw an Indian arrow shooting place. Here we had to pay a fee for purchasing the bows and arrows. I for one only managed to hit the target once in my ten attempts and that to at my tenth attempt. It was a feeling like: Better late than never.

We decided to attend our day by attending one of the final programs for the day. It was a stage show and they were performing acts related to the history of different countries. It was a truly enjoyable day and was worth every Yuan we paid for this visit.

Hong Kong

2006-08-24T15:45:00.000+05:30

I and George had to renew our visas and so we had to visit Hong Kong. So we decided to go on 29th July. Abdul also decided to accompany us as he knew this place better.

So we met at Shi Ji Juan station at about 10:20 A.M. I and George had taken a bus to reach this station. From Shi Ji Juan station we took a metro train for Luo Hu. This journey took us about 40 minutes. This place is the border between China and Hong Kong and one needs to go through the immigration formalities here. Once we finished with all the necessary formalities of immigration, we decided to see some shopping malls in HK. So we caught a train for East Tsim Sha Shui. This took us another 40 minutes or so.

As it was already lunch time, we decided to convert the currency in HK Dollars and visited an Indian restaurant. We had rice, dal and chicken tikka here. (I know your mouth would be watering now, what with me always updating you about the food I had.) After lunch we went to some shopping malls. George wanted to purchase a digital camera, so he got a pretty good one here. I realized that HK was a really expensive place for shopping. All international brands were sold here and there were no sales right now. I did not want to return empty handed so purchased some toys for my niece and nephew.

We then caught a ferry to go to the main HK Island. Some of the biggest apartments were in this place; it was an 88 storey building. This place really looked spectacular at night. We then went to McDonalds and after visiting some places nearby decided to return for home. In terms of shopping, this place was not fruitful as clothes out here were really very expensive. I think if I ever were to visit HK again, I should make it a point to be there when there are heavy sales or else only if I am a millionaire.

Relationship Problem

2006-08-23T21:49:00.000+05:30

During the conversation in Sunil’s house, we happened to come across some topic which was a bit funny in nature. Because of the Chinese government’s one child policy, many problems will arise in the near future.

Out here as the son/daughter is the only kid in the house, relations such as brother or sister don’t exist. Because the kid’s parents do not have any brother or sister of their own, the kid has no cousins. After the kid becomes old enough to marry, and when he marries he has no brother-in-law or sister-in-law as his wife had no brothers or sisters. So other than the grandparents on either side the kid has no other relations. So effectively a family comprises about 7 people. (Grandfather (2), Grandmother (2), Husband, Wife, and Kid). People here don’t follow any religion and also no one is interested in politics.

People here are only concerned with their economy and development. (Actually the root of problems in India which if I may say, religion and politics actually doesn’t exist there.) Another problem is China’s aged population. Husband wife have to effectively support a family of 7. Rising costs are adding to their burden.

Even though I see many advantages I also see an equal number of disadvantages. The kids out here are a pampered lot. The one child policy may help keep the population in check, but with no religion and small families and no brother-sister love, the kids become very arrogant.

The kids have not heard of god and have never felt brother-sister love. Can we live this way?

ENGLISH KORNER (18/07/06)

2006-08-23T21:47:00.000+05:30

Last week while having lunch in the office I and George met David. He asked us if we were from India and we had a good conversation. He asked us if we could join him and others for a discussion which they have once a week. We decided to accept his invitation for the following week. They have this meeting every Tuesday after office hours in one of the meeting rooms.

As the following week Abdul also joined us, we 3 went to attend this discussion. They welcomed us by giving a round of applause and said they were really happy to welcome their Indian brethren. There were about 15-20 people here. This group calls themselves the English Corner. We formally introduced ourselves to them and they did the same. During this discussion I came to know why the staff in this company had English names. The company’s policy is such that when a person joins the organization they provide them with an English name. It sounds very strange, coz who would like to be known by a name which he/she had no relation with till they completed their graduation. This policy was in place so that when foreigners would come to their company it would be easier for them to remember the English names rather than the Chinese one.

The people out here were very excited to know about India. Some of the questions might sound ridiculous, but these were really asked. I am just stating some of these here.

Q1) Does real life in India differ from reel life? (This was asked specifically because they had seen girls and boys singing and dancing in Indian movies.)
Q2) If a boy has more money can he marry more than one wife?
Q3) Why do Indian girls win so many beauty contests?
Q4) Does the husband pay money to the bride while getting married or vice-versa?
Q5) How many servants does an average indian have in the house?

Some of their questions had us in splits, while for some we just didn’t have any answer. Though most of these guys speak in broken English, it’s encouraging to see them learning a language even though they know that it would hardly be used in the market there. Some of these guys were just learning so that they could communicate with foreigners and understand them. I know it would be difficult for these guys to improve their language as they hardly have access to English media. But did someone say, Nothing in life comes easy.

A GOOD WEEK (23/07/06)

2006-08-22T21:24:00.000+05:30

George’s college friend Sunil Philip was staying in a place called Guangzhou which was about 3 hours away from our apartment in Shenzhen. He happened to return to this place after a vacation in India. So we decided to meet him on the weekend of 22-23rd July.

(Picture left to right: George, Me and Sunil)

I and George left on Saturday morning at about 10:30 A.M and we reached Guangzhou at about 2 P.M. We needed a bus and 2 trains to reach this place. Sunil came to receive us at the station. We clicked some snaps near the station and then took a cab to his apartment. The flat which he stayed was on the 20th floor of a 30 floor apartment. His apartment was the best that I had ever seen. A Chinese maid had cooked chapattis, baigann ka bhartha and potato vegetable. After having a good meal Sunil took us to a place called Beijing Lu, this is a very good place for shopping. All international and local brands are sold out here. I was hardly able to control myself and I purchased many clothes. We were there here for about 3 hours, and then we went to a shopping mall. Most shopping malls here are at least 4- 6 floors. We spend an hour here and then went to a Muslim restaurant.

The food was good. I had beef kebabs, mutton kheema, chicken with cashew nuts and afghani bread. (Is your mouth watering?) The staff here were of the border areas and one could mistake them for Russians or Kashmiris. After having this heavy meal we returned home around midnight. We watched T.V and I slept at about 2 P.M after we had our gossip. However George and Sunil happened to sleep after 4 P.M.

The next day morning we all got up late, had a light breakfast and then went out to see some other shopping malls. We had lunch in a Hunan restaurant. The menu included beef mixed with some vegetables, rice and soya pannier and some mixed vegetables. After this we visited one of the biggest malls in Asia. After this we went to Sunil’s office. He was the manager of this office and so he had the keys. We then sat for an hour and then went to his apartment. We left at about 6:30 P.M. Sunil came to leave us to the station. We reached our apartment at about 10 P.M.

This was the best weekend I had in China, and I hope this is the first of many.

A Week in China (16/07/06)

2006-08-22T21:14:00.000+05:30

It’s been a week since I landed in China, and I have really enjoyed my stay till now. At the start of this trip I knew that food was going to be a problem here. However one week has passed and I have not yet had an upset stomach. Every evening my colleague George cooks vegetables and rice for dinner. So this was like having home made food. In the afternoon at workplace we order meat curry and rice. This food is spicy just like our Indian food. So the food in fact has been very good.

(Picture top row left to right: George, Me, Allan, Abdul. Bottom row left to right: Carrol, Grace, Joline and Jessie)

My office timings here are 8:30 A.M to 5:45 P.M, Monday to Friday. There are some company buses that leave at 8 A.M, about 5 minutes from our apartment. So I wake up daily at 6:40 A.M and have bread and jam, bananas and a glass of vitamin C juice. Every evening when we return from work, we head straight to the supermarket, purchase some vegetables and some necessities and then return home. Because George takes care of the cooking, I only bother to fill my stomach.

The workplace is good. The first thing we do after entering the office is access the Internet. There is an Internet Café in the office, as we are not allowed to send mails from our work seat. Lunch is from 11:45 A.M to 1 P.M. The lights go off prior to lunch indicating that’s it’s a lunch break. People here finish their lunch in 15-20 minutes and take a nap. People here bring their sleeping stands to office. They just open these and go to sleep. Other than the 4-5 people we interact with, the others don’t really speak English. People here only speak the local language, so if we have to communicate with them, it’s definitely not possible.

Shopping at the supermarket is easy coz all products have their price tags displayed. It is better if one is able to locate the product he/she wants than to try asking for a product. Allan our project lead has provided us with 3 sheets of translation. It basically contains some information in English along with its Chinese translation. So if we want to know which bus goes from any place to our apartment we just show that paper to the people at the bus stop. Allan has been really very helpful. From the first day itself he has been helping us out in many ways.

The only scare I had this week was during the Mumbai blasts. Because of the time difference between India and China, (China is 2:30 hours ahead of India) I had already gone to sleep. George happened to watch the English news channel, so he woke me up o update about the same. I called up home soon after to find out about their safety. By next day evening I was able to confirm that all my friends were safe. It’s sad that about 200 or more innocent people lost their lives, but it was good to know that people continued with their lives as usual the very next day. Cheers to Mumbai’s never say die attitude. God is there to do justice to what is right and wrong. I know that he is watching all of this.

Just want to end this article as it starts to rain here. I think its going to be a wet weekend. But I don’t think it’s going to have an impact on us as we have to just eat, sleep and watch T.V. for the next 2 days. Bye for now.

First Two Days in China (09/07/06)

2006-08-22T21:04:00.000+05:30

I was going to China via Bangkok and hence I knew in advance that the journey would be a bit hectic. George Abraham from the Bangalore division gave me company from Bangkok International Airport. After we finished with all the immigration formalities in HK and China, we finally stepped into China. We needed 2 flights, a bus and a car to reach our apartment in Shenzhen. As soon as we had stepped at the taxi stand after alighting from the bus, Allan from the client company was waiting for us with a placard displaying our names. He took us in a local taxi to the apartment we would be staying.

The apartment we were going to stay was a fully furnished house. It had a T.V, Fridge, Microwave, Dishwasher, Washing Machine, Cooking Gas and a Geyser. There were 3 bedrooms, I and George decided on our rooms while in the mean time Allan went to get some drinking water for us. Allan was heading the international marketing division for the product they were developing. I took bath and then had Maggie noodles which George had cooked in the microwave. In the evening Allan took us to one of the employee’s house who stayed near our apartment. This females name was Grace and Allan was updating me that she was unmarried and was pulling my leg. Grace offered us coconut juice and we then went out for dinner. The people in China have their dinner by 6:30 – 7 P.M.

The hotel which they took us was only providing chopsticks, so Grace went out to a shop to purchase spoons and forks. Allan ordered mutton, beef, chicken and some vegetables. I just had mutton fry and rice, as I did not like the way the rest of the food was cooked. I felt bad in a way as I did not want them to feel that I was not enjoying their food. But being the first day I was trying to avoid having an upset stomach. We went to one of the supermarkets and then came back home to end what was our first day in China.

Sunday morning we both got up quite late. I had jam and bread for breakfast. George then gave me some cash and told me to purchase rice and cooking oil from the supermarket. I managed to purchase this after performing some actions as the people out here doing speak Chinese. After coming home George cooked some rice and added some cooking masala which he had brought from India. In the evening Allan came to our house and took us to some different supermarkets. We did some basic shopping and returned home. Think will have sausages tonight. That’s all for the first 2 days in China.

Ni hao (Hello)

2006-07-05T15:44:00.000+05:30

A good opportunity has finally come my way,
And with this i hope my career will make headway.

For a project my company would be sending me to china,
And i hope i can execute my work with good stamina.

My boss says i was really destined to have this opportunity,
And this makes me feel that with this company i'll have a good affinity.

He says he would be banking on my commitment to this company,
And i hope the loyalty i show in years to this organization would be many.

I never had expected such an offer to come my way so fast,
And things are really looking much better than the past.

It's been only two months but i'd really like to admit,
That i am already thinking of making my life at Commit.

(Image Courtesy: http://www.chinasoft.com.au/images/nihao.jpg)

THANKS DAD

2006-07-01T12:11:00.000+05:30

I am a person, who does not believe in specifically celebrating a certain day,
Hence am writing this poem after the occasion has already passed our way.

The occasion i am talking about is International Fathers Day,
And this is a topic that really concerns everyone anyway.

Fathers are generally really strict from the outside,
But the emotions that they have for us will never subside.

They face hardships all their life, so as to make our lives less stressful,
And when we achieve success in our lives, it really makes them blissful.

One thing they expect from us, is to be really very careful,
And that in no way , the family name is turned disgraceful.

Most of the things we asked them, they always tried to manage,
And now the only thing they expect from us, is to care for them in their old age.

Thinking about the times i've hurt him, makes me feel sad,
And such behavior from my side, is definitely very bad.

For everything you've been to me i am very glad,
And i just wanna say to you, thank you loving dad.

I GIVE A DAMN...

2006-06-28T11:36:00.000+05:30

It's easy to identify when one is being avoided,
And this happens when people around u are a bit undecided.

This is what certain people have started making me feel,
And this can be spotted when people appear unreal.

Back stabbing is something i really dislike,
And this is something from me they are unlike.

I give a hell to this kind of behavior,
Coz with this one shows he/her is inferior.

There's a limit really to forgive and forget,
But i try my best to overcome this target.

I always thought i was a guy, who is jealous,
But with their behavior they really appear very callous.

This poem has been written in a fit of anger,
But don't get scared of me coz ur life is not in danger.

I as a person don't have a habit of talking behind peoples back, but have seen this behavior in many people. Why can't people tell what problems they have to the opposite person directly on the face than talking behind his/her back. It should not matter if the opposite person would get hurt. It is 10 times better than talking behind peoples back. What do u think?

TIME

2006-06-26T22:43:00.000+05:30

What if each one of us is given 1440 rupees daily and all the money has to be spent on that day itself, because if you tried saving money for the next day, the money would disappear. You would then try to spend the money on things that could make your life comfortable or that could make you happy.

Similarly each one of us has 1440 minutes of time allotted to us daily. How much use do we make of this? Every minute that passes is lost, as one cannot hold time. However this time can be used to make people around us happy and to achieve things in life. Why do we hurt or try to create enmity between people, when the same time can be used for the betterment of people.

Why can't we spend our time as carefully as we do with money? Time is the most precious gift allotted to each one of us equally. One can achieve many things if time is well utilized. I really give a damn to what people talk behind my back, as i feel they are making a fool of themselves or are just showing how inferior they are. Instead it would be better for these people to utilize their time properly and see to it that what they deserve they get than to get something and not deserve it.

Do you agree?

A GOOD WEEKEND

2006-06-25T22:40:00.000+05:30

Last weekend i and my college friends decided to meet at churchgate station and we had a good time catching up on those college days. We went about walking here and there, before finally watching Gateway of India, and having a good meal at Bade Miyan (Bade Miyan is in between Taj & Colaba Causeway, you can eat on the road or in your car and its open till the early hours of the morning.) That week turned out really well, so i decided in advance that even this weekend i would not stay at home.

Saturday morning the first thing i did was to attend a months mind mass at Holy Family Church Andheri, and i did happen to meet most of my relatives there. I then went to visit my school friends in Kalina whom i had lost touch in between when i shifted to Vasai. It really feels so good to stay in touch with friends with whom we definitely had a good time. I decided on saturday evening that on sunday morning i would leave for Vasai and meet my old building friends and relatives out there.

I did meet my relatives and i even had lunch at my cousin's place there. I met my friends in the morning and we decided to go to Suruchi Beach in the afternoon. So after lunch we around 10 guys wearing our shorts and with a football and bat and balls decided to leave for that spot. This place is around 15 minutes away from my earlier residence in Vasai. So we decided to catch hold of 2 autowalas and after some bargaining managed to convince them to accommodate 5 of us in each auto with a fare of Rs.10 per person.

Being a Sunday this place was very crowded. Parents with their children, boyfriends and girlfriends all seemed to be there. We located a spot at one end of the beach and decided to play football first. So we made two teams of 5 a side each and started with the game. Though i managed to score the first goal of this match, we eventually lost 3-2 when we decided to stop the game. We guys happened to be tired within the first fifteen minutes; i wonder how these footballers manage to play for 90 minutes.

Afterwards we just decided to clean ourselves by going in the water, though none of us was interested in swimming. My friends did manage to play a prank on me, though i was the one who had initially started with this when i lived there. We finally decided to leave for home at around 6 P.M. I then left for Kalina and promised to meet them again more often than i did this time. When i stayed for Vasai for 6 years, we hardly went for such outings.

It was definitely a good weekend and overall a good week. I did get an offer from my current company for a visit to China in early July. So the week ended with a bang for me as it had begun. Hope to have similar good weeks in my life.