Now this sucks!
I haven’t been doing any online purchases or taking any online surveys or anything online for that matter that demands my yahoo email id, which is more of a private and personal email id of mine which I would like to maintain in a formal way.
But these net goons somehow succeed with their hoaxes in successfully implanting those “sick-at-subject”, “nerve-racking”, “unbelievably-agonizing”, “fairly-spooky” SPAM emails onto my innocent inbox!
Well, after reading the instructions over and over again for nearly half an hour, about how to classify an email as a Spam, and what happens to the emails that are marked as Spam, I chose to do that on those weedy emails that kept pestering me for a really long time; which I gathered was because of those online purchases that I did in U.S early this year.
Unfortunately, these mails kept returning to my inbox after a while……with those big bold irritating subject lines that read “Confirm your Free IPod Nanos, Free Plasma TVs, and what nots?!”
Repeatedly, I kept marking these mails and many such mails as SPAM, only to receive them as always, a couple of days later. I couldn’t a figure a way out of these SPAMMERS, when none of my friends complained of such a bad experience with yahoo!
Wondering if I was doing something wrong, I checked my SPAM email settings, only to see the following information made available to me promptly!
For messages SpamGuard identifies as Spam:
check-box:1 Immediately delete these messages upon receipt. (Note: If you choose this option, you will not be able to review the messages before they are deleted.)
Mark Spam + Not Spam
When I mark a message as Spam, in addition to deleting the message:
check-box:2 Add the sender's email address to my blocked addresses list.
In both the cases mentioned above, the check-boxs' have been selected, yet to my surprise I keep receiving spam emails in my inbox while my bulk folder remains naively empty!
Grrr…….. Why the heck is this happening to Saloni’s email id…????
Friday, June 29, 2007
Monday, June 25, 2007
Attitude determines the Altitude!
As I woke-up for the music of rain, which came in from the rain water splashing on the asbestos sheet that was laid beside the corridor that’s no more than an extended shed for parking the vehicles in front of my present home. Wow! What a wonderful change of weather thats gotta be after those hot & fuming sunny days!
Groggily, I got up and stepped out into my veranda to take a peek of street which was already buzzling with activities of the morning crowd and traffic, amidst that heavy downpour.
It was first of the month and the milk-man of our colony was standing a minute or two longer in front of each of his customers’ house ringing his bicycle bell harder and louder so as to imply that it was his Pay-Day!
Wives, mothers and maids of Businessmen, Software professionals, Teachers, Doctors of the colony were having a tough time to catch hold of the milk bowl, the umbrella and also the money that needs to be paid for the milk-man. Although it was not a sight to be laughed at, but it was quite funny to look at each of their expressions in trying to save themselves from getting drenched, getting dirty with the mud & dirt on the road, and also trying to save the milk from the rain water.
It was my mom’s turn too to perform the same custom, lucky her she dragged me along to hold the umbrella for her. And so, with the last quota of the day's yawning leaving my mouth, I went down with my mom to do the needful. She paid him some 1000 bucks which included two 500 rupee notes and some change.
The milk man hurriedly took the money and stuffed it in his jacket pocket, when from no where there was a wind that whisked his rain-cap off his head…. Poor thing, he hooked his bicycle in its stand and then ran to pick his cap up and wore it back on this head and gave me a contented smile, in the event totally missing out on the two 500 rupee notes, he received from my mom, that just fell-off his jacket pocket when he bent down.
Off he went without even taking a second look at the place, when I had to run to pick up the money from the mud, wipe it as cleaner as it could get with my wet hands and yelled at the top of my voice to catch his attention. Startled, he halted and turned around giving me a confused & questioning expression on his face.
Puffing and gasping for breath I ran up to him to give his 1000 bucks and told him what had happened. Even in that rain, I could see his eyes glistening and getting moist with overwhelming emotions of gratitude.
He thanked me and told that I had saved him that money which would be the school fees of his youngest daughter. I felt happy for the good deed and the good rain that led to this little sweet instance that I cherish till date.
Thursday, June 14, 2007
Fundamental Flaw
It’s such a strange feeling that cannot really happen to everyone, but yes, there are a few that go through this purely because they are highly emotional in character and a wee bit sentimental about the relationships that they fall into and realize with a sudden stupor, the sad demise of their relationship one fine morning, which had been leisurely falling apart for a while now, even without their knowledge.
Is this because the parties involved are quite careless about the way the relationship is getting molded to or is it because they never really wanted it to take a shape in their life making them get entangled with its surrogate mother (of all problems) called Long-Term-Relationship (aka)“Marriage”.
Even the most passionate lovers, go through a phase where they get to see their relationships getting shattered to pieces right in front of their eyes, yet they are so helpless about it. Call it some kind of disability, affliction or even chicken-heartedness, but this has for some reason, (to be more specific of late) become the ground rule for all those relationships that go “unknown” or “unnamed” or “non-existent” with the course of time.
I really don’t want to take a gender bias here. But as I have always seen and experienced through the closest of my buddies, in 76% of these cases the girls’ turnout to be pure hypocrites. Believe me I am a feminist and yet I am here to blare-out this blunt truth to everyone and anyone who would read this.
That said, now is it true that;
“The more passionate a relationship is the more prone it is to falter?”
Is this because the parties involved are quite careless about the way the relationship is getting molded to or is it because they never really wanted it to take a shape in their life making them get entangled with its surrogate mother (of all problems) called Long-Term-Relationship (aka)“Marriage”.
Even the most passionate lovers, go through a phase where they get to see their relationships getting shattered to pieces right in front of their eyes, yet they are so helpless about it. Call it some kind of disability, affliction or even chicken-heartedness, but this has for some reason, (to be more specific of late) become the ground rule for all those relationships that go “unknown” or “unnamed” or “non-existent” with the course of time.
I really don’t want to take a gender bias here. But as I have always seen and experienced through the closest of my buddies, in 76% of these cases the girls’ turnout to be pure hypocrites. Believe me I am a feminist and yet I am here to blare-out this blunt truth to everyone and anyone who would read this.
That said, now is it true that;
“The more passionate a relationship is the more prone it is to falter?”
“Why does a relationship fade off or at the least get tainted with time, didn’t someone say it’s the other way round?”
“Does this mean the relationship itself is not a right one to be christened as one of those flawless, soothing, blissful bonds between two sexes?”
The superciliousness with which people get into a relationship is the culprit I would say as that’s the reason why two souls that couldn’t be separated at one point of time are desperate to get-away at any cost after a while. While its easier to blame it all on the pompous couple, its not just that which takes the credit to create this disgruntle amongst the pair.
Demanding physical intimacy and/or sexual needs are other reasons why the relationship touches both the peak and dip of the bell-curve with a click of fingers.
Two complete strangers having extremely distinct thought processes and unique success factors and exclusive achievement criteria set for their lives, meet each other. The initial attraction takes all that’s required to keep them busy in knowing more about the other person and it’s a sweet jog with no sweat at C/O Paradise, cloud-nine, heaven’s colony, world of sweet intoxication.
The next level comes in as a harbinger of the erosion that has already began showing its gory face, in the name of “Misunderstandings” of both minor and major class. The intimacy between the two starts diminishing, with exchange of arrogant dialogues slowly resulting in contorted faces and the finally loathing to even looking at each other’s face at one stage, when the saturation point is reached and there’s no more flexibility or elasticity left in the band of life. The spectrum ends there with a massive full stop in the highest font, bold and underlined in red.
Papers Signed and Exchanged…
Court Orders Declared…
Physical freeness accomplished…
But mentally stuck in deep-shit of the past-life….
“YOU ARE BUSTED!!! GAME OVER!!”
The life’s curtain is drawn before them with a dreadful laugh!
Dad and Determination!
Around 2.30pm last afternoon, I kicked my bike to life and sped past all the noon-time share-autowalas and other traffic in a mad-rush to reach home as fast as I could, reason being; My dad was heading back to Chennai after his 5 days stay with us in Hyderabad since Saturday morning.
This is habitual now for almost an year ever since my family shifted to Hyderabad (with the exception of my dad of course) sometime in June 06.
For some reason this time round, my entire family was pretty sentimental about my dad leaving. We have all been asking him to stay with us forever; calling quits to his year long residual service, but in vain. With 40 long years of experience as one of the most sincere and dutiful Government Officers working day-in and day-out, without failing a wee bit in his daily contractual obligations and responsibilities; my dad has seen his worst and the best his career and life could offer him.
He is a man of supreme character possessing a noble and kind heart, which, he always extends towards the fellow human beings. I haven’t heard him saying “NO” to anyone for any favor that he has been asked for. He is an epitome of hard work and a quintessential living example of dedication and devotion blended with loyalty towards his work.
Honestly, it gives me goose-bumps if I start admiring his dedication towards his work and his thrive to keep going at it even after all these years. Where as I, with, close to 3 years of work-life in software industry feel as if I am over-n-done with this crappity-crap of a worrisome and annoying work environment, with obvious occupational hazards like :
- Endlessly jabbing at the key-board in a monotonous way.
- Staring at the bland tri-colored monitor with teary eyes.
- Blabber mouthing the same organizational bullshit over and over again.
- Mentoring the new team members with the same run-of-the-mill code.
- Yapping about the same kind of lunchtime gossips and politics.
- Bad-mouthing the bosses for their biased or partial managerial strategies.
- Cursing the clients for their immature decision making techniques.
- Cringing over your better performing (especially opposite sex) counterpart.
- Sticking an ear to the mobile phones and muttering something or the other, useful or useless, meaningful or meaningless, needful or needless for almost 24X7.
- Fake smiles, Fake sincerity, Fake honors, Fake promises and Fucking Fake everything.
Not that any of these are ever a part of the Government Service, I would rather say otherwise. But its all about the endurance with all these formidable occurrences on and off and still going good after forty dear long years..
For all of us know, Service in Government makes one encounter all those filthy rats of corruption that go berserk when caught under the desk or recede into thin air unnoticed when wedged awkwardly in a litigation. With all the pressure situations and mounting political influence ruling the roles of the key officials who directly report to the so called “Government” it’s a tough task to abide and stand still without falling apart. And thanks to the almighty that my dad maneuvered a brave demeanor on all occasions in all these years.
OMG! I can’t even imagine my stature with old age reckoning and taking-over me when I am 50 odds aged, let alone not losing the strive to work, that too the with the same mind-numbing, same tedious, same boring, same mundane, same dreary, same hopelessly unexciting job!
Hats off to my Appa for his determination and the ever green sense of perfection towards his work!
May the force be with him, to keep him going at it; as long as he wishes! :-)
Thursday, June 7, 2007
CATS ARE NOT DOGS UH?!
I came across an article this morning on the Featured section of Yahoo home page. , which flashed an innocent face of a cute-looking deep brown kitten with most of her face deliberately hid behind a pillow....and the title read "5 Tips for New Cat Owners"
Well, However interesting or otherwise this might sound... I cannot disagree that Cats being treated as Dogs does happen in our very own households too...
Haven't we seen our aunts/grannys suggesting that we eat/wear/do what our elder cousins or sisters or brothers in the family do.... For all you know, they can't even stand each other for one full minute.
On the otherhand, It's such an irony that the importance given to an Ambassador of the Animal Kingdom is seemingly at the higher end, as a result of which the expected quantities of respect, significance and even an acknowledgement of presence & existence at a bare minimum is being relinquished for the fellow human beings......
For some strong reason I dislike other living beings given prime importance over human beings.... I have a simple question to ask...
If you are DEAF,DUMB & BLIND enough not to Listen, Speak and See the difficulties of your own kinfolks what best would you achieve by being so nice, cozy and sweet to a living being that is one step below your standards; possessing just five off the six faculties of senses....
For those who would still want to read the article that I am talking about right here..... Scroll down and Help yourself...........
1. Do your homework. The decision to get a cat may have been unplanned and emotional, but the care of that cat can’t be impulsive. Talk to your veterinarian, read books by qualified experts, and learn about this new family member. Start off by being properly informed about what cats need, and you’ll see your relationship blossom as your kitty grows into a well-socialized, well-behaved feline.
2. Start out with the right equipment. There are so many litter boxes, litters, scratching posts, toys, and beds -- and the list goes on. How do you know what your cat needs? Resist the urge to buy a product based on its human appeal. Think Like a Cat and look at a product from your cat’s point of view. For example, a covered litter box is designed to hide the sight and odor of its contents from us. Unfortunately, the cover also traps the odor in the box, making it unpleasant for the cat. An uncovered box that’s the right size for your cat would be in line with what Fluffy would choose if she had control of your wallet. Use that same Think Like a Cat eye-view when deciding on other products. Is that scratching post appealing to you because it’s small and easily hidden in a corner? If so, that decision may cost you some damage to your furniture, because Fluffy would prefer something tall and sturdy.
3. Make your home cat-safe. This is crucial when a cat comes into the home. Dangling electrical cords are enticing to a playful cat, so you should firmly secure all wires. Plants pose another danger, and almost all houseplants are toxic to cats. Remove plants that are harmful, or use a bitter anti-chew spray made especially for plants (found in pet supply stores.) A dangling window-blind cord is another potential hazard. Cats also love to crawl into tight hiding places, and that could mean trouble if you close a closet door or dresser drawer and kitty is stuck in there. You’ll find lots of helpful products in the baby safety section of your local home improvement store. Many of these products will help the new cat owner as well. Cats can get into things you’d never suspect they were capable of, so safety is of the utmost importance.
4. Make your home cat-friendly. It may be hard for a cat to resist scaling the curtains or prancing across the top of the bookcase. Cats love to climb, leap, pounce, and balance. This is normal cat behavior, so don’t reprimand your cat for doing what comes naturally. Instead, provide acceptable outlets for that behavior by having cat trees, perches, and scratching posts in order to make your environment cat-friendly. Provide areas for safe exploration, cozy naps, climbing, jumping, playing, and just plain fun!
5. Remember -- your cat is not a dog. I know it may seem obvious, but you’d be surprised how many times I see cats eating dog food or being bathed in dog shampoo. Use food and other products that are specifically designed for cats. Many products that are safe for dogs are not safe for a cat’s sensitive skin. When it comes to food, cats require more fat and protein, so if Fluffy eats Fido’s food, she won’t be getting enough of the nutrients she needs.
Phew!!!! ........ "I dont like PETS even at Zoos or Museums!!" ......
Well, However interesting or otherwise this might sound... I cannot disagree that Cats being treated as Dogs does happen in our very own households too...
Haven't we seen our aunts/grannys suggesting that we eat/wear/do what our elder cousins or sisters or brothers in the family do.... For all you know, they can't even stand each other for one full minute.
On the otherhand, It's such an irony that the importance given to an Ambassador of the Animal Kingdom is seemingly at the higher end, as a result of which the expected quantities of respect, significance and even an acknowledgement of presence & existence at a bare minimum is being relinquished for the fellow human beings......
For some strong reason I dislike other living beings given prime importance over human beings.... I have a simple question to ask...
If you are DEAF,DUMB & BLIND enough not to Listen, Speak and See the difficulties of your own kinfolks what best would you achieve by being so nice, cozy and sweet to a living being that is one step below your standards; possessing just five off the six faculties of senses....
For those who would still want to read the article that I am talking about right here..... Scroll down and Help yourself...........
1. Do your homework. The decision to get a cat may have been unplanned and emotional, but the care of that cat can’t be impulsive. Talk to your veterinarian, read books by qualified experts, and learn about this new family member. Start off by being properly informed about what cats need, and you’ll see your relationship blossom as your kitty grows into a well-socialized, well-behaved feline.
2. Start out with the right equipment. There are so many litter boxes, litters, scratching posts, toys, and beds -- and the list goes on. How do you know what your cat needs? Resist the urge to buy a product based on its human appeal. Think Like a Cat and look at a product from your cat’s point of view. For example, a covered litter box is designed to hide the sight and odor of its contents from us. Unfortunately, the cover also traps the odor in the box, making it unpleasant for the cat. An uncovered box that’s the right size for your cat would be in line with what Fluffy would choose if she had control of your wallet. Use that same Think Like a Cat eye-view when deciding on other products. Is that scratching post appealing to you because it’s small and easily hidden in a corner? If so, that decision may cost you some damage to your furniture, because Fluffy would prefer something tall and sturdy.
3. Make your home cat-safe. This is crucial when a cat comes into the home. Dangling electrical cords are enticing to a playful cat, so you should firmly secure all wires. Plants pose another danger, and almost all houseplants are toxic to cats. Remove plants that are harmful, or use a bitter anti-chew spray made especially for plants (found in pet supply stores.) A dangling window-blind cord is another potential hazard. Cats also love to crawl into tight hiding places, and that could mean trouble if you close a closet door or dresser drawer and kitty is stuck in there. You’ll find lots of helpful products in the baby safety section of your local home improvement store. Many of these products will help the new cat owner as well. Cats can get into things you’d never suspect they were capable of, so safety is of the utmost importance.
4. Make your home cat-friendly. It may be hard for a cat to resist scaling the curtains or prancing across the top of the bookcase. Cats love to climb, leap, pounce, and balance. This is normal cat behavior, so don’t reprimand your cat for doing what comes naturally. Instead, provide acceptable outlets for that behavior by having cat trees, perches, and scratching posts in order to make your environment cat-friendly. Provide areas for safe exploration, cozy naps, climbing, jumping, playing, and just plain fun!
5. Remember -- your cat is not a dog. I know it may seem obvious, but you’d be surprised how many times I see cats eating dog food or being bathed in dog shampoo. Use food and other products that are specifically designed for cats. Many products that are safe for dogs are not safe for a cat’s sensitive skin. When it comes to food, cats require more fat and protein, so if Fluffy eats Fido’s food, she won’t be getting enough of the nutrients she needs.
Phew!!!! ........ "I dont like PETS even at Zoos or Museums!!" ......
Thursday, April 26, 2007
Minutes of Meeting.....
When someone said, There are other things in office premises that can actually happen, I would have been the last one to believe it some two point five years ago.... But not any more!
Instead of asking me why... you would rather read the following.....
The only dismal thing that can match remotely to learning “Garbage Disposal Techniques” are my office gossips. Now - I do know it very well don’t I? What with my notion of perfecting the art of story telling, I am always super-keen to yarn the incidents with a little nuance of austerity and loads of subtle sarcasm as some might call it.
Well yes, for those that are alcoholics of work and those that aren’t, office is an inevitable part where maximum of their active time is being spent on work or on other things – they get to choose!
By far, in the closely knit clan of veteran software professionals, most of their life’s interesting incidents, both pleasant and unpleasant seem to happen in their office times.
In a cubicle of 6, more than 3 are either in love or about to get married or already married after going through the saga of “I came, I saw, and I conquered the love!”
And for the rest of the 2 or 3 that are no more than bottled specimens labeled as “Chemically Ineffective”, have nothing interesting in life to do, as neither could they fall in love with someone apart from themselves nor could they stop themselves from brooding over or bickering about their (happy) counterparts.
Eight hours of work demands 3 coffee breaks and one lunch break.
And these are probably the most monumental time at work where in gossips across Accounts/Projects/Cities/States/Continents are being discussed.
“Hey, wow your turquoise blue beads necklace is looking amazing on you!”
“Wow, what a vivacious olive green nail paint color Rev has launched yesterday…. did you get a chance to see that new commercial on the TV?”
“Oh boy, did you check-out Harry’s new Tuxedo in last evening’s episode? Wasn’t he looking stunning?”
“BTW, Lisa dumped that Wild-Life Photographer boy friend of hers and is into this young businessman that visits her place often during the evenings…. Hmmm… I just happened to peep outside my window and he was there at her doorstep loaded with big gifts and flowers. Boy, he’s quite something that she’s laid her eyes on!”
“Tina got married to Arijeet last weekend, neither of their families is aware of this and you know what????? She is been put-up at Arijeet’s place even before they were married…that’s something her parents should not be…………..”
And………Kweek kweek kweek kweeek kweeek …screeching away like an audio tape that’s lets out a sound when fast forwarded.
Well, obviously there are these moderately handsome guys who almost every time pass these chemically-ineffective creatures aisle, just to ensure that they’re being checked-out for at least half a dozen times on an average in a day, which gives them pure kick to derive pleasure out of and bloat about an inch or two with the pumped-up ego!
Couple of such days, and then these chemically ineffective creatures struggle hard to concentrate on their work, but end-up failing at it miserably almost always………
Pantries are entries for budding love…
You get into this pantry trying to get a mug of coffee for yourself but
not-so-accidentally bump into this smart guy who’s trying to get his drink too and then happens the introduction scenes, followed by periodic coffee breaks as a port for checking the guy out (or Vice versa) and then getting to know each other. And then getting married to each other or at least one step closer to it.
Similarly, Lunch hours are the times for these software buddies in unlocking the zip-locs, which result in the eye-locks; from there progress further on to lip-locks and eventually turn them into wed-locks.
And there are these Classical Office Romances, that which are truly geeky.
Endlessly tapping away on the keyboard, and staring hard to blindness into the monitor, to give out the best deliverables and staying over the night for completing such tasks, for which obviously a company is more important than food. And a subtle relationship blooms there, sprouting from a sweet admiration at each others dedication towards work and moves further on to the next stages. Man, this cant really be avoided…...No wait, if that ever happens that would only make them retarded or stuck in a time warp and or clueless, or all three together, welcoming them as a highly dignified golden member of the “Club of Insane Genre”.
Every relationship that a man and woman shares, are bound have some unwritten yet mandatory rules. If you fall for someone who’s extremely far better qualified and in a high designation, your chances are abysmally low with that person for he/she would always look for someone who’s at the least on the same levels with him/her. And then there are these snobbish, high-hat crowds that don’t gel well with the floor-ticket cases. For them any resemblance to the filmdom or an association with the tabloid world, both living and dead is an utmost insult and a longstanding one in that order!
Office is indeed a colorful place to begin your life or rather look out for beginning your life, if I must put it right!
Instead of asking me why... you would rather read the following.....
The only dismal thing that can match remotely to learning “Garbage Disposal Techniques” are my office gossips. Now - I do know it very well don’t I? What with my notion of perfecting the art of story telling, I am always super-keen to yarn the incidents with a little nuance of austerity and loads of subtle sarcasm as some might call it.
Well yes, for those that are alcoholics of work and those that aren’t, office is an inevitable part where maximum of their active time is being spent on work or on other things – they get to choose!
By far, in the closely knit clan of veteran software professionals, most of their life’s interesting incidents, both pleasant and unpleasant seem to happen in their office times.
In a cubicle of 6, more than 3 are either in love or about to get married or already married after going through the saga of “I came, I saw, and I conquered the love!”
And for the rest of the 2 or 3 that are no more than bottled specimens labeled as “Chemically Ineffective”, have nothing interesting in life to do, as neither could they fall in love with someone apart from themselves nor could they stop themselves from brooding over or bickering about their (happy) counterparts.
Eight hours of work demands 3 coffee breaks and one lunch break.
And these are probably the most monumental time at work where in gossips across Accounts/Projects/Cities/States/Continents are being discussed.
“Hey, wow your turquoise blue beads necklace is looking amazing on you!”
“Wow, what a vivacious olive green nail paint color Rev has launched yesterday…. did you get a chance to see that new commercial on the TV?”
“Oh boy, did you check-out Harry’s new Tuxedo in last evening’s episode? Wasn’t he looking stunning?”
“BTW, Lisa dumped that Wild-Life Photographer boy friend of hers and is into this young businessman that visits her place often during the evenings…. Hmmm… I just happened to peep outside my window and he was there at her doorstep loaded with big gifts and flowers. Boy, he’s quite something that she’s laid her eyes on!”
“Tina got married to Arijeet last weekend, neither of their families is aware of this and you know what????? She is been put-up at Arijeet’s place even before they were married…that’s something her parents should not be…………..”
And………Kweek kweek kweek kweeek kweeek …screeching away like an audio tape that’s lets out a sound when fast forwarded.
Well, obviously there are these moderately handsome guys who almost every time pass these chemically-ineffective creatures aisle, just to ensure that they’re being checked-out for at least half a dozen times on an average in a day, which gives them pure kick to derive pleasure out of and bloat about an inch or two with the pumped-up ego!
Couple of such days, and then these chemically ineffective creatures struggle hard to concentrate on their work, but end-up failing at it miserably almost always………
Pantries are entries for budding love…
You get into this pantry trying to get a mug of coffee for yourself but
not-so-accidentally bump into this smart guy who’s trying to get his drink too and then happens the introduction scenes, followed by periodic coffee breaks as a port for checking the guy out (or Vice versa) and then getting to know each other. And then getting married to each other or at least one step closer to it.
Similarly, Lunch hours are the times for these software buddies in unlocking the zip-locs, which result in the eye-locks; from there progress further on to lip-locks and eventually turn them into wed-locks.
And there are these Classical Office Romances, that which are truly geeky.
Endlessly tapping away on the keyboard, and staring hard to blindness into the monitor, to give out the best deliverables and staying over the night for completing such tasks, for which obviously a company is more important than food. And a subtle relationship blooms there, sprouting from a sweet admiration at each others dedication towards work and moves further on to the next stages. Man, this cant really be avoided…...No wait, if that ever happens that would only make them retarded or stuck in a time warp and or clueless, or all three together, welcoming them as a highly dignified golden member of the “Club of Insane Genre”.
Every relationship that a man and woman shares, are bound have some unwritten yet mandatory rules. If you fall for someone who’s extremely far better qualified and in a high designation, your chances are abysmally low with that person for he/she would always look for someone who’s at the least on the same levels with him/her. And then there are these snobbish, high-hat crowds that don’t gel well with the floor-ticket cases. For them any resemblance to the filmdom or an association with the tabloid world, both living and dead is an utmost insult and a longstanding one in that order!
Office is indeed a colorful place to begin your life or rather look out for beginning your life, if I must put it right!
Sunday, April 22, 2007
Nice Anomaly
I can’t believe Ms. Libra actually had a longest possible argument and a serious squabble with one of her closest buddies sometime ago on a phrase which sounded pretty much close to an Oxymoron.
The phrase in subject that led to a serious discussion between them being “Nice Anomaly”
Well, the source of this phrase dates back to November – 2006 when, She had to point out a defective scenario in her project-work and drafted an arm-length email to her manager, for which her manager responds back saying, “It’s a Nice Anomaly”.
Exactly, here’s where it all started….
Ms.Libra tried to reason why it’s an Oxymoron.
Mr.Scorpio would not agree that it’s an Oxymoron and he had his own sweet reasons justifying his stand.
When it gets to an argument both Scorpio and Libra are pretty much bent-up on winning over the other and each of both, prove to be very crotchety, about the other one not accepting their way of throwing some light on things inclined to their perceptions which each assume to be the near perfect one.
Libra’s way of looking at it:-
An anomaly is an abnormality or a malfunction or a defective or faulty behavior.
How something that’s defective can be nice?
How something that’s faulty can look or sound nice?
How something that’s wrong can be nice?
Here are the following oxymoron’s that substantiate Libra’s point
Awfully Pretty
Almost Ready
Terribly Nice
Well… here goes a classic one … “No Comments!”
Scorp’s way of looking at it:-
An anomaly is something abnormal yes, but it also means irregularity or a difference.
Something that’s irregular need not have to be defective. Similarly, something that’s different need not have to be defective or malfunctioning.
Anomaly can be thought of as a strange happening….an unusual behavior.
Think about this example…
Someone having 6 fingers…doesn’t make them defective or flawed, instead it makes them different from the rest of the world and probably a unique one at it!
Well, that makes sense too… but shouldn’t decisions always be based on the statistical data or on the basis of an opinion poll?
Can we say there are no clear statistics to support either result as a norm?
Well, that’s a tough question to provide an affirmative with a 100% endorsement.
Dictionary references are below….
Anomaly:- a deviation from the common rule, type, arrangement, or form.
Nice:- pleasing; agreeable; delightful, amiably pleasant: a nice visit.
Based on the above meanings provided, we can assume a “Speculative Inference”*** as follows:-
"An Anomaly, Which is a deviation from the common rule or form, can also be pleasing or pleasant or delightful or NICE."
Thus, a “Nice Anomaly” cannot really qualify to be an Oxymoron, but it doesn’t fully endure to be thought of or considered otherwise, is what Ms. Libra feels.
Now, The Scorp being a true Scorp will not agree to this…
But the truth is no-one really knows if a “Nice Anomaly” is an oxymoron or not!
Although many seem to be saying “No” with not much of supporting evidence to rationalize their argument….Our Ms.Libra isn’t really up to believing it for some strong intuitive feeling that she has towards this phrase.
Hail the manager who came-up with this and ask him what he feels!
And the argument continues……………..
L:- “COFFFFFFFEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE….”
S:- “TOFFFFEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE……”
P.S: *** "Speculative Inference" also qualitifes to be an oxymoron!!
subject to discussion, Conditions Apply..........
The phrase in subject that led to a serious discussion between them being “Nice Anomaly”
Well, the source of this phrase dates back to November – 2006 when, She had to point out a defective scenario in her project-work and drafted an arm-length email to her manager, for which her manager responds back saying, “It’s a Nice Anomaly”.
Exactly, here’s where it all started….
Ms.Libra tried to reason why it’s an Oxymoron.
Mr.Scorpio would not agree that it’s an Oxymoron and he had his own sweet reasons justifying his stand.
When it gets to an argument both Scorpio and Libra are pretty much bent-up on winning over the other and each of both, prove to be very crotchety, about the other one not accepting their way of throwing some light on things inclined to their perceptions which each assume to be the near perfect one.
Libra’s way of looking at it:-
An anomaly is an abnormality or a malfunction or a defective or faulty behavior.
How something that’s defective can be nice?
How something that’s faulty can look or sound nice?
How something that’s wrong can be nice?
Here are the following oxymoron’s that substantiate Libra’s point
Awfully Pretty
Almost Ready
Terribly Nice
Well… here goes a classic one … “No Comments!”
Scorp’s way of looking at it:-
An anomaly is something abnormal yes, but it also means irregularity or a difference.
Something that’s irregular need not have to be defective. Similarly, something that’s different need not have to be defective or malfunctioning.
Anomaly can be thought of as a strange happening….an unusual behavior.
Think about this example…
Someone having 6 fingers…doesn’t make them defective or flawed, instead it makes them different from the rest of the world and probably a unique one at it!
Well, that makes sense too… but shouldn’t decisions always be based on the statistical data or on the basis of an opinion poll?
Can we say there are no clear statistics to support either result as a norm?
Well, that’s a tough question to provide an affirmative with a 100% endorsement.
Dictionary references are below….
Anomaly:- a deviation from the common rule, type, arrangement, or form.
Nice:- pleasing; agreeable; delightful, amiably pleasant: a nice visit.
Based on the above meanings provided, we can assume a “Speculative Inference”*** as follows:-
"An Anomaly, Which is a deviation from the common rule or form, can also be pleasing or pleasant or delightful or NICE."
Thus, a “Nice Anomaly” cannot really qualify to be an Oxymoron, but it doesn’t fully endure to be thought of or considered otherwise, is what Ms. Libra feels.
Now, The Scorp being a true Scorp will not agree to this…
But the truth is no-one really knows if a “Nice Anomaly” is an oxymoron or not!
Although many seem to be saying “No” with not much of supporting evidence to rationalize their argument….Our Ms.Libra isn’t really up to believing it for some strong intuitive feeling that she has towards this phrase.
Hail the manager who came-up with this and ask him what he feels!
And the argument continues……………..
L:- “COFFFFFFFEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE….”
S:- “TOFFFFEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE……”
P.S: *** "Speculative Inference" also qualitifes to be an oxymoron!!
subject to discussion, Conditions Apply..........
Simile and Metaphor
I was talking to a good friend of mine this morning and found myself groping around with the usage of Similes and Metaphors!
For heaven’s sake, I had almost forgotten what was a “Simile” or a “Metaphor” was for that matter!
[Pal - My Friend & Sal - I, Me, Myself & Saloni]
Sal: “ So what exactly is a Simile? ”
Pal: “A simile is the comparison of two unlike things using the word 'like' or 'as', e.g. an example of a simile would be “As big as a bus” says my dear friend with a proficient cadence of clarity and cognizance.”
With embarrassment painting my cheeks red, I was chagrined of my oblivious mind.
Nevertheless, I cheerfully offered a bunch of Similes, as if to imply my effervescent memory had suddenly found its lost lost family!
Sal: “Hey, I remember it all now…… listen to these…
For the starters:- As agile as a monkey (That’s you! HeHe) and As big as an elephant (That’s me! HaHa)
So here's another one....
Right now, I’ve got an eye “as black as coal” because of the blow that you just gave me, making me feel as “as blind as a bat”, but I am “as brave as a lion” so I am not going to be troubled by all these and my heart is “as cold as ice” and I can be “as cunning as a fox” too, with which I am sure to make you feel “as crazy as a loon”………..”
Pal: “Stop it right there!!!!!!!!!!! I have already gone crazy, don’t even try any further please…..”
Sal: “Oh.. But I haven’t completed it… I was only trying tell that I “SO” understood the usage of Simile.”
Pal: “Yeah..Right(Ugghh!)..”
Sal: "okie.. Alright lets move on to Metaphor then?"
Pal: "Yes, very gladly, But on one condition…"
Sal: "(Doubtfully) what would that be?"
Pal: "I don’t want to be a victim of yet another spell of your “Playing with the words”…rather “Playing with Simile/Metaphors!”......."
Sal: "(Defensively), But I was only trying to say that I remembered it all! "
Pal: "tut.. tut… "
Sal: "(Disapprovingly), FINE! I am not gonna speak anything. I am DUMB listener. Go on Mister!"
Pal: "There you go! Completely missing out on what I was going to say! "
Sal: "Well, Whatever it is, I said, IT IS OKAY & You can GO ON."
Pal: "Alrightoo Madame… If that’s what you want, That’s what you’ll get!"
Sal: "yeah, thanks… So, what is a metaphor?"
Pal: "A metaphor is like a Simile or almost like a Simile. That's because it is a comparison that is made between things, which is not always likely or obvious."
Sal: "However, I remember, the explicit use of the word 'like' or 'as' which we see in a simile, would not be used in a metaphor which is rather a comparison of two unlike things using the verb "to be"…. Is that right? "
Pal: "Perfect!"
Sal: Pat myself…. & Gleefully "Thanks!"
Pal: "Hence, a metaphor sounds more forceful and suggestive, but is still very common in speech. Basic Rule: If a sentence uses the words "is like" or "is as", it is usually a simile; if it uses the word "is", without "as" or "like", it is usually a metaphor."
Sal: "Hmmm… Right!"
Pal: "So Can you think of an example of a Metaphor?"
Sal: "Sure why not… Here it is… the most famous one “Apple of my eye ".........."
Pal: "Good one, These Metaphors are similar to Similes – except they do suggest a comparison but do not make it explicitly. We often use metaphors without realizing it. For instance, when we say that your Teachers 'bark a command' at you, you are comparing them to a dog, and hence engaging in metaphor!"
Sal: "That was very profound!"
Pal: "Cool. So, if I say “You are the light of my life” …What comes to your mind? "
Sal: "Ummm… Yes, This actually roots back to a word that originated because of its usage in Egypt, Greece, and Rome in the good old ancient days like almost in 8000 B.C."
Pal: "Whoa…. What’s that now?"
Sal: "Well, A Sandal…but a real dirty and battered one for you!"
Pal: "Heeyyy, I was trying to test your knowledge on Metaphors.... come on… That one was a METAPHOR babe!"
Sal: “Oh realllyyy????? How come you couldn’t think of any other example for Metaphor dude? And you want me to buy that this was the only thing that first struck you, when there are much mundane ones like “Food for thought” or “Apple of my eye.”
Pal: “okay alright, alright.. I give-up!! I can never win over an argument with you!!”
Sal: “You better realize it….”
Pal: “Okay, Here you go, lets finish this conversation in a nicer note..
Here’s a short list of distinguishing characteristics on Simile/Metaphor that I read in a book recently.
"A metaphor is an equation where a simile is an approximation."
"A metaphor can always be greatly extended, while a simile quickly reaches its limits."
"The words like or as are widely known hallmarks of the simile - but there are so many faux similes bearing these hallmarks that further appraisal is always needed."
"A metaphor dies of exhaustion; a simile just gets more and more tired."…...............”
Sal: “Hmmm, now that was some interesting info! Thanks Dude!”
Pal: “Anytime for you Maam!”
Sal: "Thank You Sir!"
For heaven’s sake, I had almost forgotten what was a “Simile” or a “Metaphor” was for that matter!
[Pal - My Friend & Sal - I, Me, Myself & Saloni]
Sal: “ So what exactly is a Simile? ”
Pal: “A simile is the comparison of two unlike things using the word 'like' or 'as', e.g. an example of a simile would be “As big as a bus” says my dear friend with a proficient cadence of clarity and cognizance.”
With embarrassment painting my cheeks red, I was chagrined of my oblivious mind.
Nevertheless, I cheerfully offered a bunch of Similes, as if to imply my effervescent memory had suddenly found its lost lost family!
Sal: “Hey, I remember it all now…… listen to these…
For the starters:- As agile as a monkey (That’s you! HeHe) and As big as an elephant (That’s me! HaHa)
So here's another one....
Right now, I’ve got an eye “as black as coal” because of the blow that you just gave me, making me feel as “as blind as a bat”, but I am “as brave as a lion” so I am not going to be troubled by all these and my heart is “as cold as ice” and I can be “as cunning as a fox” too, with which I am sure to make you feel “as crazy as a loon”………..”
Pal: “Stop it right there!!!!!!!!!!! I have already gone crazy, don’t even try any further please…..”
Sal: “Oh.. But I haven’t completed it… I was only trying tell that I “SO” understood the usage of Simile.”
Pal: “Yeah..Right(Ugghh!)..”
Sal: "okie.. Alright lets move on to Metaphor then?"
Pal: "Yes, very gladly, But on one condition…"
Sal: "(Doubtfully) what would that be?"
Pal: "I don’t want to be a victim of yet another spell of your “Playing with the words”…rather “Playing with Simile/Metaphors!”......."
Sal: "(Defensively), But I was only trying to say that I remembered it all! "
Pal: "tut.. tut… "
Sal: "(Disapprovingly), FINE! I am not gonna speak anything. I am DUMB listener. Go on Mister!"
Pal: "There you go! Completely missing out on what I was going to say! "
Sal: "Well, Whatever it is, I said, IT IS OKAY & You can GO ON."
Pal: "Alrightoo Madame… If that’s what you want, That’s what you’ll get!"
Sal: "yeah, thanks… So, what is a metaphor?"
Pal: "A metaphor is like a Simile or almost like a Simile. That's because it is a comparison that is made between things, which is not always likely or obvious."
Sal: "However, I remember, the explicit use of the word 'like' or 'as' which we see in a simile, would not be used in a metaphor which is rather a comparison of two unlike things using the verb "to be"…. Is that right? "
Pal: "Perfect!"
Sal: Pat myself…. & Gleefully "Thanks!"
Pal: "Hence, a metaphor sounds more forceful and suggestive, but is still very common in speech. Basic Rule: If a sentence uses the words "is like" or "is as", it is usually a simile; if it uses the word "is", without "as" or "like", it is usually a metaphor."
Sal: "Hmmm… Right!"
Pal: "So Can you think of an example of a Metaphor?"
Sal: "Sure why not… Here it is… the most famous one “Apple of my eye ".........."
Pal: "Good one, These Metaphors are similar to Similes – except they do suggest a comparison but do not make it explicitly. We often use metaphors without realizing it. For instance, when we say that your Teachers 'bark a command' at you, you are comparing them to a dog, and hence engaging in metaphor!"
Sal: "That was very profound!"
Pal: "Cool. So, if I say “You are the light of my life” …What comes to your mind? "
Sal: "Ummm… Yes, This actually roots back to a word that originated because of its usage in Egypt, Greece, and Rome in the good old ancient days like almost in 8000 B.C."
Pal: "Whoa…. What’s that now?"
Sal: "Well, A Sandal…but a real dirty and battered one for you!"
Pal: "Heeyyy, I was trying to test your knowledge on Metaphors.... come on… That one was a METAPHOR babe!"
Sal: “Oh realllyyy????? How come you couldn’t think of any other example for Metaphor dude? And you want me to buy that this was the only thing that first struck you, when there are much mundane ones like “Food for thought” or “Apple of my eye.”
Pal: “okay alright, alright.. I give-up!! I can never win over an argument with you!!”
Sal: “You better realize it….”
Pal: “Okay, Here you go, lets finish this conversation in a nicer note..
Here’s a short list of distinguishing characteristics on Simile/Metaphor that I read in a book recently.
"A metaphor is an equation where a simile is an approximation."
"A metaphor can always be greatly extended, while a simile quickly reaches its limits."
"The words like or as are widely known hallmarks of the simile - but there are so many faux similes bearing these hallmarks that further appraisal is always needed."
"A metaphor dies of exhaustion; a simile just gets more and more tired."…...............”
Sal: “Hmmm, now that was some interesting info! Thanks Dude!”
Pal: “Anytime for you Maam!”
Sal: "Thank You Sir!"
Wednesday, April 11, 2007
On a Friday evening with “S”
Phew. The week's finally over. I am really glad. This week was a pretty heavy one. And, the good part is: the storm's finally over. So I can breathe easy!
There were tons of deadlines to be met by today. It’s good that I met all of them on time. The mad rush was done and over by 4pm today. Suddenly, things took a leisurely pace.
So I returned home with an exuberant mood, full of energy to do some good amount of talking that I always wanted to do with S.
S and I sat on the lounge to just chill and talk. It was great. I love being able to just sit down and enjoy great company.
We had a guest at home, one of S’s old schoolmate and she was all so happy about getting her first job…so ‘S’ was catching up with her and I was into my weekly clean-up activity. An hour later she left and then I and ‘S’ were in the hall trying to watch some TV. Neither of us is an ardent TV watcher, with the exceptions of course given in for “FRIENDS” & “Everybody Loves Raymond” !
Half hour past we were talking about general things on what’s going on presently in each others life and what are the short term milestones and stuff like that and suddenly we were both hungry. Eh heh! Our stomach was grumbling with full-force and just about ready to start a third world war with us demanding sustenance. So we decided to grab something from outside rather than cook & loose the residual energy cells that were keeping us active. That decided, we pulled our coats from the coat-stand and sneaked into our shoes and locked the door behind us and got onto the elevator to set-out for a food-hunting. It was very cold outside; temperature was close to -2 degree Celsius. And we kept walking on those long deserted lanes hoping to find a place to extinguish our fire of hunger as soon as possible.
Fifteen vain minutes would have trudged by, and we were still fruitless in our search, and the climate was getting more and more chilly & windy making us barely able to step forward and walk. Groping with intent eyes hitherto, I jumped out of joy at the first sight of success that came our way after 20mins of tiresome scrutiny.
There was this McDonalds board glowing bright in that dark and windy Chicago night, around 2 blocks away, which lit up my eyes with a glow like a treasure trove of gold, platinum and diamonds being found! I nudged S and pointed to the direction of Our-Treasure-Trove and we were tempted to buy some food right at that second... which we did after 5 more minutes –which was spent in reaching that place. We both got one each of veg & cheese sandwiches. Well ya, sure shot it weren’t enough and I ended up having an additional French Fries and Sprite combo pack while she went for a Thunder Apple pie. I got a bite of the pie and it was triple delicious…Better than the best one could ever have laid their mouths on (For consuming food of course!). It was really tasty and delicious…Ummm….. Yummy…… That was the closest to heaven experience that I had in the recent past…
S and I were chatting while we were together just then on our way back home. Talking to S is so easy. There’s no effort required. I am very comfortable around her. We were talking about the future and what it might hold. I found out that both of us are super idealistic. We have dreams which we will have lotsa difficulty fulfilling. Anyways, I wanna wish S good luck! Am very sure S can accomplish and achieve what she wants if she puts her mind to it. She’s got the skills and the brains.... She’s got a damn cool temperament, which one hardly finds in youth of today’s world. She’s what you call a Gem-of-a-Person. She’s real witty, real cool and smart brains who can get things easily done in her own way – Not the materialistic sort, if you know what I mean!
Well, of late I am not finding S as cheerful as she used to be in the beginning. I can feel something is terribly wrong and it’s just that she hasn’t chosen to open-up yet about it.
It makes me feel bad sometimes at such junctures where in you are left clueless about what exactly should your next step be towards lending a helping hand to someone you know whom you love is in deep trouble. I wanted to bring on the topic somehow; although she always makes sure that she talks about my work, my day, the climate today, my taking care of health and other stuff. I wanted to be stubborn for a change now, so I just slightly hinted on saying that work’s getting hectic for me and might lead to an extent of staying back late in office or working too late into the night.
She responded with her usual “oh that’s so sad… but don’t worry it’s gonna pass shortly, things will be alright soon”, I immediately jumped on to my question understanding that this is the best time to pick-up talks about things happening in her life.
“So how’s it with you… what are your plans after your graduation? Do you intend to go for higher studies or you wanna go back to your parents and start practicing?”
There was a long pause, a deep sigh and then comes an answer. “Well, ya I haven’t decided as yet. I wanna get to my parents though, cos I aint doing a jackshit here except for wasting all my savings, that’s gonna make me bankrupt soon. So, if not for anything else at least for the heck of cost-cutting I would fly back to my parents.”
Crap she’s so shallow. I need to help her, in turn help myself cos she’s the only good soul around and I don’t want her to go back to her parents because of some COST-CUTTING-FUCKING-CRAP; Money should never be a deciding factor in ones life. Why are people always handicapped with financial matters? Talk More...Talk More…. Someone inside me was yelling at me… And I wouldn’t get even the world’s worst thing ever as a topic to discuss. My mind just went totally blank!
Suddenly, I feel overwhelmed with tears just fighting to burst out of my eyes; I just wanted to dig my face deep into her lap and sob-it-out. She’s probably one of the very few people that I met here who has contributed to my rational self. I just cannot let her go-poof all at once when there’s so many things that are happening at work life and I’ve been speaking to her barely in the past couple weeks that was no more than an infuriating rush-of-life.
So, at last I muster all my strength and try to put in words cautiously the subtle message of my not wishing her to go, which had been looming large in front of me, ever since she spoke-out about her future plans.
“So…you’ve decided to back to home? What about your job? Chicago’s probably got better opportunities for you, a job with a good pay and stuff.. Not that you wouldn’t have considered it, but just curious to know.. did you try applying here?”
“Ah, right… Ummm.. I …Hmm… Ya I have applied to a couple of places though… but haven’t heard from any of them so far.. So, its not bad news, but its just “No News”.. so, Ummm I’m kind of thinking more on the lines of trying my hand at full length for job search once am back at my home town.”
And then, she wouldn’t look at me… Now I am at a loss for words, I just couldn’t think of anything else more to speak. She puts her arm around my shoulder giving me a quick squeeze and telling me that everything’s gonna be alright and that I am to visit a bunch of places before the pleasant climate changes its face.
She would never buy-in my idea of going back to home; In fact, she even made me write an email to my boss asking him to extend my stay out here so that I can get to know more of this place and have some good time before I return.
We had a lovely time on the New Years, watching the Fireworks all night at the river bank and walking down all the way in the stone-cold night exploring the colossal and bright-lit streets of downtown Chicago and talking about the opportunities in US and back at home. Those were days to be cherished for the rest of my life. I am generally not this kind to break down with tears…. But today I badly wanted to cry for someone who is so nice, so pure and so good in heart and mind you, this is not just an acquaintance. We had grown to be good, pretty good friends…
I was walking at a much slower pace in the gray patches of my memory lanes while in reality the time was clicking away… and we were just sitting there, staring at the space with that impending silence eating our souls….. No words to exchange… I knew I was losing her…..She knew she was going away from me…sometimes, you just can’t do anything about people walking out of your life.
- On a note, of losing one of the brightest feathers of my cap!
There were tons of deadlines to be met by today. It’s good that I met all of them on time. The mad rush was done and over by 4pm today. Suddenly, things took a leisurely pace.
So I returned home with an exuberant mood, full of energy to do some good amount of talking that I always wanted to do with S.
S and I sat on the lounge to just chill and talk. It was great. I love being able to just sit down and enjoy great company.
We had a guest at home, one of S’s old schoolmate and she was all so happy about getting her first job…so ‘S’ was catching up with her and I was into my weekly clean-up activity. An hour later she left and then I and ‘S’ were in the hall trying to watch some TV. Neither of us is an ardent TV watcher, with the exceptions of course given in for “FRIENDS” & “Everybody Loves Raymond” !
Half hour past we were talking about general things on what’s going on presently in each others life and what are the short term milestones and stuff like that and suddenly we were both hungry. Eh heh! Our stomach was grumbling with full-force and just about ready to start a third world war with us demanding sustenance. So we decided to grab something from outside rather than cook & loose the residual energy cells that were keeping us active. That decided, we pulled our coats from the coat-stand and sneaked into our shoes and locked the door behind us and got onto the elevator to set-out for a food-hunting. It was very cold outside; temperature was close to -2 degree Celsius. And we kept walking on those long deserted lanes hoping to find a place to extinguish our fire of hunger as soon as possible.
Fifteen vain minutes would have trudged by, and we were still fruitless in our search, and the climate was getting more and more chilly & windy making us barely able to step forward and walk. Groping with intent eyes hitherto, I jumped out of joy at the first sight of success that came our way after 20mins of tiresome scrutiny.
There was this McDonalds board glowing bright in that dark and windy Chicago night, around 2 blocks away, which lit up my eyes with a glow like a treasure trove of gold, platinum and diamonds being found! I nudged S and pointed to the direction of Our-Treasure-Trove and we were tempted to buy some food right at that second... which we did after 5 more minutes –which was spent in reaching that place. We both got one each of veg & cheese sandwiches. Well ya, sure shot it weren’t enough and I ended up having an additional French Fries and Sprite combo pack while she went for a Thunder Apple pie. I got a bite of the pie and it was triple delicious…Better than the best one could ever have laid their mouths on (For consuming food of course!). It was really tasty and delicious…Ummm….. Yummy…… That was the closest to heaven experience that I had in the recent past…
S and I were chatting while we were together just then on our way back home. Talking to S is so easy. There’s no effort required. I am very comfortable around her. We were talking about the future and what it might hold. I found out that both of us are super idealistic. We have dreams which we will have lotsa difficulty fulfilling. Anyways, I wanna wish S good luck! Am very sure S can accomplish and achieve what she wants if she puts her mind to it. She’s got the skills and the brains.... She’s got a damn cool temperament, which one hardly finds in youth of today’s world. She’s what you call a Gem-of-a-Person. She’s real witty, real cool and smart brains who can get things easily done in her own way – Not the materialistic sort, if you know what I mean!
Well, of late I am not finding S as cheerful as she used to be in the beginning. I can feel something is terribly wrong and it’s just that she hasn’t chosen to open-up yet about it.
It makes me feel bad sometimes at such junctures where in you are left clueless about what exactly should your next step be towards lending a helping hand to someone you know whom you love is in deep trouble. I wanted to bring on the topic somehow; although she always makes sure that she talks about my work, my day, the climate today, my taking care of health and other stuff. I wanted to be stubborn for a change now, so I just slightly hinted on saying that work’s getting hectic for me and might lead to an extent of staying back late in office or working too late into the night.
She responded with her usual “oh that’s so sad… but don’t worry it’s gonna pass shortly, things will be alright soon”, I immediately jumped on to my question understanding that this is the best time to pick-up talks about things happening in her life.
“So how’s it with you… what are your plans after your graduation? Do you intend to go for higher studies or you wanna go back to your parents and start practicing?”
There was a long pause, a deep sigh and then comes an answer. “Well, ya I haven’t decided as yet. I wanna get to my parents though, cos I aint doing a jackshit here except for wasting all my savings, that’s gonna make me bankrupt soon. So, if not for anything else at least for the heck of cost-cutting I would fly back to my parents.”
Crap she’s so shallow. I need to help her, in turn help myself cos she’s the only good soul around and I don’t want her to go back to her parents because of some COST-CUTTING-FUCKING-CRAP; Money should never be a deciding factor in ones life. Why are people always handicapped with financial matters? Talk More...Talk More…. Someone inside me was yelling at me… And I wouldn’t get even the world’s worst thing ever as a topic to discuss. My mind just went totally blank!
Suddenly, I feel overwhelmed with tears just fighting to burst out of my eyes; I just wanted to dig my face deep into her lap and sob-it-out. She’s probably one of the very few people that I met here who has contributed to my rational self. I just cannot let her go-poof all at once when there’s so many things that are happening at work life and I’ve been speaking to her barely in the past couple weeks that was no more than an infuriating rush-of-life.
So, at last I muster all my strength and try to put in words cautiously the subtle message of my not wishing her to go, which had been looming large in front of me, ever since she spoke-out about her future plans.
“So…you’ve decided to back to home? What about your job? Chicago’s probably got better opportunities for you, a job with a good pay and stuff.. Not that you wouldn’t have considered it, but just curious to know.. did you try applying here?”
“Ah, right… Ummm.. I …Hmm… Ya I have applied to a couple of places though… but haven’t heard from any of them so far.. So, its not bad news, but its just “No News”.. so, Ummm I’m kind of thinking more on the lines of trying my hand at full length for job search once am back at my home town.”
And then, she wouldn’t look at me… Now I am at a loss for words, I just couldn’t think of anything else more to speak. She puts her arm around my shoulder giving me a quick squeeze and telling me that everything’s gonna be alright and that I am to visit a bunch of places before the pleasant climate changes its face.
She would never buy-in my idea of going back to home; In fact, she even made me write an email to my boss asking him to extend my stay out here so that I can get to know more of this place and have some good time before I return.
We had a lovely time on the New Years, watching the Fireworks all night at the river bank and walking down all the way in the stone-cold night exploring the colossal and bright-lit streets of downtown Chicago and talking about the opportunities in US and back at home. Those were days to be cherished for the rest of my life. I am generally not this kind to break down with tears…. But today I badly wanted to cry for someone who is so nice, so pure and so good in heart and mind you, this is not just an acquaintance. We had grown to be good, pretty good friends…
I was walking at a much slower pace in the gray patches of my memory lanes while in reality the time was clicking away… and we were just sitting there, staring at the space with that impending silence eating our souls….. No words to exchange… I knew I was losing her…..She knew she was going away from me…sometimes, you just can’t do anything about people walking out of your life.
- On a note, of losing one of the brightest feathers of my cap!
Monday, April 9, 2007
What’s the STATUS?
After a long break I wish to pen-down my thoughts that had been randomly strewn across my grey cells for sometime now.
Wanted to name this article/post/scribble whatever you wish to call it as “Corporate Crap”, but airing it publicly on that name would probably make it look like a raw wound being rubbed-in rigorously with salt.
With a deep sigh, a loud “anyways & big deal” and a quick shrug of my shoulders…. I set out for this write-ur-heart out (no-) contest competing all alone, shredding even the last strand of trepidation curling over-my-forehead in the name of sweat-beads ……
What happens when two most frustrated souls meet each other over a cup of the most insipid coffee, one would ever get to taste…..”$%#$%#%$%$ Dooom-Daasshh-Duffff !@#$% **&%^$%#%#$#$@#%%@$” – Well, those were various forms of vexation taking the phonetic means of enunciation, and that piece of text enclosed in quotes, is probably what would have appeared in those chat-dialogue boxes that usually appear over the person or character in the scene, that we get to read in our childhood comics if at all this short story would ever be made a comic.
Well, this time around I don’t have a counterpart to talk this one out, so I decided to print it on papers.
My Monday morning 9am begins with the following and my Friday evening 11pm ends with the following, trying to follow my highness’s orders for the day to complete my tasks assigned for the day which includes multi-tasking, parallel processing, conscientious and diligent output, robust performance and last but never the least, high-quality and timely delivery of the product.
Did you do this?
Did you do that?
Was this updated?
Was that updated?
When will this be done?
This needs to be completed by today, end of day can this be done?
How much more to go?
Do you think this can be done?
A status check every five minutes once is way too much to abide by…. With the bunch of above listed questions tossed at a maddening frequency making me go berserk!!
And that leaves me at crackers!!!!!!! guhhh!!!!! Darrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrn…… Give meeeeee a breaaaaaakkk!!
Wanted to scream at my supervisor left-right-n-center for not having given me an inch space to move around, breathe-out … [Well, breathe-in at my ease even for that matter!]
After sweating it out in front of my PC and reading the incomprehensible defect description over a million times now in my defect logs….“Nobody understands!!” – I put my hands up and with a dull, given-up-nod I blurt out in a desperate measure to knock some sense into my boss’s head who gives me prolonged, but of absolutely no-use lectures on “How to Effectively Resolve Issues”. Just so I know, it was a futile effort into a deaf man’s ears!
I was getting sick and tired of this indefinite-listen-only syndrome that was getting to the levels of a malignant disease which would eat me alive one day.
I have to do something, which I know is not the right thing to do, only because my supervisor wouldn’t understand that one always got to choose the best over the worst.
And come to think of it, I have been doing this almost always and I just didn’t feel like doing it all over again. I loathed myself for NOT being able to be in a position which demanded power and which MADE me do something that I felt was right, rather than listening to bullshit and doing the same in my work all the time.
I was thoroughly exacerbated! This is it!! I decide, I give up, Lock my computer pick my handbag and walk down to the parking lot. Once there, I was busy kick-starting my bike as I always do, but this time at a single go with all the anger and frustration piled up at the kicking feet and with one of those powerful strokes of mine, I even succeed at it, thus, waking my vehicle to a loud & roaring life!
I drove like a maniac... with out paying attention to any of the traffic signals that were on... and eventually ended up getting caught by a traffic cop! I paid the fine for not following the traffic rules and at that; I suddenly realized that I was supposed to send the updates to my onsite…..Holy cow! I returned back to office... BACK to SQUARE one... telling my nosy supervisor that I had just been out for a coffee break....
What a whacko life one’s gotta live?!
I tell you dude, Alls not-well that never-ends-well!!!!!
Wanted to name this article/post/scribble whatever you wish to call it as “Corporate Crap”, but airing it publicly on that name would probably make it look like a raw wound being rubbed-in rigorously with salt.
With a deep sigh, a loud “anyways & big deal” and a quick shrug of my shoulders…. I set out for this write-ur-heart out (no-) contest competing all alone, shredding even the last strand of trepidation curling over-my-forehead in the name of sweat-beads ……
What happens when two most frustrated souls meet each other over a cup of the most insipid coffee, one would ever get to taste…..”$%#$%#%$%$ Dooom-Daasshh-Duffff !@#$% **&%^$%#%#$#$@#%%@$” – Well, those were various forms of vexation taking the phonetic means of enunciation, and that piece of text enclosed in quotes, is probably what would have appeared in those chat-dialogue boxes that usually appear over the person or character in the scene, that we get to read in our childhood comics if at all this short story would ever be made a comic.
Well, this time around I don’t have a counterpart to talk this one out, so I decided to print it on papers.
My Monday morning 9am begins with the following and my Friday evening 11pm ends with the following, trying to follow my highness’s orders for the day to complete my tasks assigned for the day which includes multi-tasking, parallel processing, conscientious and diligent output, robust performance and last but never the least, high-quality and timely delivery of the product.
Did you do this?
Did you do that?
Was this updated?
Was that updated?
When will this be done?
This needs to be completed by today, end of day can this be done?
How much more to go?
Do you think this can be done?
A status check every five minutes once is way too much to abide by…. With the bunch of above listed questions tossed at a maddening frequency making me go berserk!!
And that leaves me at crackers!!!!!!! guhhh!!!!! Darrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrn…… Give meeeeee a breaaaaaakkk!!
Wanted to scream at my supervisor left-right-n-center for not having given me an inch space to move around, breathe-out … [Well, breathe-in at my ease even for that matter!]
After sweating it out in front of my PC and reading the incomprehensible defect description over a million times now in my defect logs….“Nobody understands!!” – I put my hands up and with a dull, given-up-nod I blurt out in a desperate measure to knock some sense into my boss’s head who gives me prolonged, but of absolutely no-use lectures on “How to Effectively Resolve Issues”. Just so I know, it was a futile effort into a deaf man’s ears!
I was getting sick and tired of this indefinite-listen-only syndrome that was getting to the levels of a malignant disease which would eat me alive one day.
I have to do something, which I know is not the right thing to do, only because my supervisor wouldn’t understand that one always got to choose the best over the worst.
And come to think of it, I have been doing this almost always and I just didn’t feel like doing it all over again. I loathed myself for NOT being able to be in a position which demanded power and which MADE me do something that I felt was right, rather than listening to bullshit and doing the same in my work all the time.
I was thoroughly exacerbated! This is it!! I decide, I give up, Lock my computer pick my handbag and walk down to the parking lot. Once there, I was busy kick-starting my bike as I always do, but this time at a single go with all the anger and frustration piled up at the kicking feet and with one of those powerful strokes of mine, I even succeed at it, thus, waking my vehicle to a loud & roaring life!
I drove like a maniac... with out paying attention to any of the traffic signals that were on... and eventually ended up getting caught by a traffic cop! I paid the fine for not following the traffic rules and at that; I suddenly realized that I was supposed to send the updates to my onsite…..Holy cow! I returned back to office... BACK to SQUARE one... telling my nosy supervisor that I had just been out for a coffee break....
What a whacko life one’s gotta live?!
I tell you dude, Alls not-well that never-ends-well!!!!!
Thursday, March 1, 2007
Sunday, January 14, 2007
Going Crazy!!!!!!
LIFE – what is it all about??
Working your ass-out compromising your basics & ethics? Like those 7 hours of sleep that your system demands and 3 meals that your appetite cries for!
Why do you have to work so much? Are you money-minded?
Heck! No…….. comes the answer from with-in..you can see me dressed in the shabbiest way possible when at home and bordering on the lines of “decent” to make me look better from the guy who sits by the river-bridge walkway with a notice board against his knees which reads “Hungry and Cold – Please Help” - when am at office.
Well, does that mean am such a stasher?
Of course not!
Show me the direction… Goddammit!!
I am sounding stupid to myself… I make no sense at all in cribbing out loud to myself, I am a fool and I didn’t even know… For long I’ve been thinking that I am a smart-ass, Ha! Hell… I am so not one!! Just so I know…….Phew!
Holy Cow! I just didn’t write… Did I? Had I been thinking, I wouldn’t have done that to glorify my presently stinking status to worsen many folds!
Come on!!! GOD!!!! I plead temporary insanity. And I’m not even exaggerating that it has been PURELY insane lately.
Million bizarre questions haunting me day-in & day-out…Driving me crazy to nuts!
What am I thinking and why am I even thinking all of these now?
As I hear someone say “Age-Factor” – Is that what it really is?
Am I old? Oh ya, know that I am not a kid who’s just learning to crawl, but then I am not too old either to be thinking of all these annoying stuff that fills in my mind like those never divestible stains that stick to your wash-basin's sides….
Zoooooppppppppp… Right this moment this is what is going on inside my mind which is no lesser than an uncontrollable train of emotions running frequently connecting to all stations around the world for quite some time now….
Can we really list out all the qualities that we like in someone? Or accept them as who they are? Definitely accept them as who they are, not who I think they can be. Who they can be really depends on both of the couple. Grow together... mentally and emotionally... as one entity... inseparable... am I lying to myself? Do I really feel that way? Can I really tolerate all his weaknesses and make them as my own? Can I be a rock in a storm and let him lean on at times of strife? Can I turn my head inside out to do something special for him sometimes? Can I make him feel loved and cherished after long years of marriage? Love has no pride...how true is it? What is love? What is pride? Are they really separable, or is it just the way it is...? do you really have no pride, no pride at all when you are in love? Has anyone ever focused on the moment when they first got to know each other during their fight? Or focused on who's right, who's wrong?....('please stop... I love you'. You think the person next to you will listen, I mean REALLY LISTEN!) is it just me feeling this way?! …shit…that’s enough…there goes my mind again.
Somebody get me a GUN!
Working your ass-out compromising your basics & ethics? Like those 7 hours of sleep that your system demands and 3 meals that your appetite cries for!
Why do you have to work so much? Are you money-minded?
Heck! No…….. comes the answer from with-in..you can see me dressed in the shabbiest way possible when at home and bordering on the lines of “decent” to make me look better from the guy who sits by the river-bridge walkway with a notice board against his knees which reads “Hungry and Cold – Please Help” - when am at office.
Well, does that mean am such a stasher?
Of course not!
Show me the direction… Goddammit!!
I am sounding stupid to myself… I make no sense at all in cribbing out loud to myself, I am a fool and I didn’t even know… For long I’ve been thinking that I am a smart-ass, Ha! Hell… I am so not one!! Just so I know…….Phew!
Holy Cow! I just didn’t write… Did I? Had I been thinking, I wouldn’t have done that to glorify my presently stinking status to worsen many folds!
Come on!!! GOD!!!! I plead temporary insanity. And I’m not even exaggerating that it has been PURELY insane lately.
Million bizarre questions haunting me day-in & day-out…Driving me crazy to nuts!
What am I thinking and why am I even thinking all of these now?
As I hear someone say “Age-Factor” – Is that what it really is?
Am I old? Oh ya, know that I am not a kid who’s just learning to crawl, but then I am not too old either to be thinking of all these annoying stuff that fills in my mind like those never divestible stains that stick to your wash-basin's sides….
Zoooooppppppppp… Right this moment this is what is going on inside my mind which is no lesser than an uncontrollable train of emotions running frequently connecting to all stations around the world for quite some time now….
Can we really list out all the qualities that we like in someone? Or accept them as who they are? Definitely accept them as who they are, not who I think they can be. Who they can be really depends on both of the couple. Grow together... mentally and emotionally... as one entity... inseparable... am I lying to myself? Do I really feel that way? Can I really tolerate all his weaknesses and make them as my own? Can I be a rock in a storm and let him lean on at times of strife? Can I turn my head inside out to do something special for him sometimes? Can I make him feel loved and cherished after long years of marriage? Love has no pride...how true is it? What is love? What is pride? Are they really separable, or is it just the way it is...? do you really have no pride, no pride at all when you are in love? Has anyone ever focused on the moment when they first got to know each other during their fight? Or focused on who's right, who's wrong?....('please stop... I love you'. You think the person next to you will listen, I mean REALLY LISTEN!) is it just me feeling this way?! …shit…that’s enough…there goes my mind again.
Somebody get me a GUN!
Monday, November 27, 2006
The Showstopper!
The situation and the circumstances in which u have to refuse a person something might vary greatly from one situation to another. So u may need to adapt to the situation. However, it is essential to keep the basic governing rule the same – be courteous. There is no need to alter your stand if you are justified in refusing. If you are convinced of your justifications, be firm in your refusal but try not to hurt a fellow human being with harsh words.
“You can only go halfway into the darkest forest; then you are coming out the other side.
We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit” - Aristotle
"Rules, the very mention of the word make u want to revolt and break through. Do this, do that, do not do this, do it only this way and not that way… an endless list. Rules, especially those formulated by others and imposed upon you make you want to defy them. We are forever looking for loopholes to escape from them.
People deride rules as–and-when they are posed. More often than not many are not so permissive to accept the rules posed in favor of the society or community or thyself.
There are many things we use today that have been a result of some great ideas pursued relentlessly by those who conjured them up.. Each and every one of these ideas faced ridicule and criticism when first voiced. One must know that, it is the persistent endeavor that ensured making some of the dreams come true.
Numerous other dreams may have withered at the offense posed in opposition to them and more often than not human race is renowned for having lost many a workable idea at the altar of ridicule.
For today’s life beacons for the most substantial survival attitude from its inmates, A positive attitude has a very strong influence on the mentality and motivation necessary for setting a goal to live and achieve it.
An inevitable emergency could possibly happen to anyone, anywhere. When confronted with an unexpected survival situation man has the potential to overcome many challenges, beat incredible odds, and come out as a survivor. But what is survival anyway?
Survival is the art of surviving beyond any event. To survive means to remain alive - to live. Survival is preparing oneself and being ready in taking any given circumstance, accepting the same, and trying to improve it, while sustaining your life until u can get out of the situation. And most importantly, survival is a state of mind. One definitely must be in the proper frame of mind to survive an unplanned situation. Survival depends a great deal on a person’s ability to withstand stress in emergency situations.
A strong desire to continue living is a must as far as your mindset goes. Ur brain is without doubt your best survival tool. It is your most valuable asset in a survival situation. It isn’t always the physically strong who are the most effective or better at handling fear in emergency situations. Survival more often depends on the individual’s reactions to stress than upon the danger, terrain, or nature of the emergency. To adapt is to live. Mental skills are much more important than physical skills in survival situations.
When times of crisis strike you, all you have to do is to decide with in seconds whether you are gonna say yes or no to the problems that’s gonna end up hounding you!
It resides with what you are gonna do with the problem…You decide to stick to it or discard it instantly at the face of it. Well to deal with the problem would mean your strict presence and your 100% attention to resolve the problem every time it resurfaces.
Choosing to ignore things would only mean that you are very weak to confront your self or others when it comes to crisis management.
Look at your self before you look at others…think …plan…decide and then execute.
Keeping a positive mental outlook is for certain the most important aspect of survival.
But then expecting the positive attitude to serve as the back up factor all the time cannot be practically true. Things do take their own stride in playing its role in ones life. So preparing for the worst and hoping for the best might probably help to some extent.
Controlling your fears and maintaining your balance is always good.
Dedicating this to no one in particular – But to the thin, shapeless AIR….
“You can only go halfway into the darkest forest; then you are coming out the other side.
We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit” - Aristotle
"Rules, the very mention of the word make u want to revolt and break through. Do this, do that, do not do this, do it only this way and not that way… an endless list. Rules, especially those formulated by others and imposed upon you make you want to defy them. We are forever looking for loopholes to escape from them.
People deride rules as–and-when they are posed. More often than not many are not so permissive to accept the rules posed in favor of the society or community or thyself.
There are many things we use today that have been a result of some great ideas pursued relentlessly by those who conjured them up.. Each and every one of these ideas faced ridicule and criticism when first voiced. One must know that, it is the persistent endeavor that ensured making some of the dreams come true.
Numerous other dreams may have withered at the offense posed in opposition to them and more often than not human race is renowned for having lost many a workable idea at the altar of ridicule.
For today’s life beacons for the most substantial survival attitude from its inmates, A positive attitude has a very strong influence on the mentality and motivation necessary for setting a goal to live and achieve it.
An inevitable emergency could possibly happen to anyone, anywhere. When confronted with an unexpected survival situation man has the potential to overcome many challenges, beat incredible odds, and come out as a survivor. But what is survival anyway?
Survival is the art of surviving beyond any event. To survive means to remain alive - to live. Survival is preparing oneself and being ready in taking any given circumstance, accepting the same, and trying to improve it, while sustaining your life until u can get out of the situation. And most importantly, survival is a state of mind. One definitely must be in the proper frame of mind to survive an unplanned situation. Survival depends a great deal on a person’s ability to withstand stress in emergency situations.
A strong desire to continue living is a must as far as your mindset goes. Ur brain is without doubt your best survival tool. It is your most valuable asset in a survival situation. It isn’t always the physically strong who are the most effective or better at handling fear in emergency situations. Survival more often depends on the individual’s reactions to stress than upon the danger, terrain, or nature of the emergency. To adapt is to live. Mental skills are much more important than physical skills in survival situations.
When times of crisis strike you, all you have to do is to decide with in seconds whether you are gonna say yes or no to the problems that’s gonna end up hounding you!
It resides with what you are gonna do with the problem…You decide to stick to it or discard it instantly at the face of it. Well to deal with the problem would mean your strict presence and your 100% attention to resolve the problem every time it resurfaces.
Choosing to ignore things would only mean that you are very weak to confront your self or others when it comes to crisis management.
Look at your self before you look at others…think …plan…decide and then execute.
Keeping a positive mental outlook is for certain the most important aspect of survival.
But then expecting the positive attitude to serve as the back up factor all the time cannot be practically true. Things do take their own stride in playing its role in ones life. So preparing for the worst and hoping for the best might probably help to some extent.
Controlling your fears and maintaining your balance is always good.
Dedicating this to no one in particular – But to the thin, shapeless AIR….
Monday, November 20, 2006
So much for a VISA Stamping!!!!!!!!!!!!
3.55am Mom: Saloniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii get up.... its 4am, you got your Stamping today and you’re still sleeping like a lazy donkey!!!!!!!
3.55am Saloni: Hmmm...hmmmm....Ya ma will get up.. gimme 5 mins... 4.00am - Brrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr... goes the alarm....groggily I stretch out my hand from underneath my cozy covers and hit the alarm clock angrily to silence.
4.05am - Finally, I make up my mind to get outa bed and got up to do some stretch outs....
4.10am - I switched off the A.C pushed away the screens to see the outside climatic conditions and was for a minute taken-aback at the sight of the heaviest down-pours happening blissfully at that early hour of the day.
4.11am - Hmmmmmm... with a deep sigh... I push the curtains back to its place and break into a little jog to attend to my first nature's call of the day!
4.17am - I get out of the loo, having cleared my bowels and try to peek into my bedroom once again to catch-up with a little nap for few minutes.
4.21am Mom: SALLLLLLLLLOOONNIIIIII Where the heck are you??????? Stillll on bed???? Get up you dumb ASS!!!!!
4.21am Saloni: uh-oh!...rghh....errr...uummmm... No mommm...I am up already...and in the restroom brushing... I run into the restroom with my toothbrush and paste and shut the door so softly that she doesnt end up hearing the door-bolt.
4.27am - I am out in my balcony sit-out area with a steaming mug of filter coffee, home made; mom made; fantasized with the purest blend of morning coffee, Suprabhadham (The Morning Raga of almost all the south-indian homes), a beautiful rain and a dim lit street with a couple of early morning birds chirping the dense old mango tree of my neighbor’s.
4.30am - Looked up at the sky, the clouds were clearing up on the east while they were taking in different forms of thick dark grey masses along the west.
4.35am - I found out an elephant, a sun flower, a bucket, a cone ice-cream and a woman holding a baby in those dark patches of clouds....
4.36am Mom: - How long will you take to finish your coffee??? Your hot water is ready... Go get that oil bowl, lemme apply that to your hair, you have ample time, so wash off the oil thoroughly, n don’t be in a hurry...but make sure you are out by 5.15am at the max.
4.37am - I nod my head in agreement and went in to get the bowl.
4.38am - With the usual wish-lists submission to the god and blessings from her end, she worked with her expert hands to apply the warm gingely oil mixed with methi seeds & curry leaves, deep down my scalp, giving me a feel of heaven.
4.39am - with a loud pat on the head, as a finishing note she asked me get-set-go to have my bath.
4.40am - I went in, Took my time to do the best to my hair with the bowl of shikkakai powder and made sure that i was out by 5.20am. Two loud bangs on the washroom door and one call for time-check were a part too, which i shouldn’t fail to make note of.
5.27am - I am out with my formal pants (deep purple) and brand new off-white (Van Heusen) shirt.
5.30am - dried my hair, tied it up neatly. Smeared some cold cream and applied the same on my face. Sprayed the deodorant.
5.45am - Time to pray - 10mins here, Lighted the lamp, chanted the slokas that I knew, Decorated the idols and picture frames of gods with flowers. Prostrated in front of god.
5.50am - Took the akshadai, Came upto dad and mom, and took their blessings as well.
5.55am - Honk from driver, to indicate that the car is ready.
5.57am - Kissed mom, wore the sacred ash on my fore head, one last glimpse at the puja room, Took my purse, docs and walked down the staircase with dad to get into the car.
6.13am - Arrival at the U.S consulate office
6.14 - waited inside the car till 6.45am as it was too early to get to the queue(Well there wasnt any queue at all for that matter!!! )
6.45am - Stood in the queue 7.20am - handbag screening and security checking done.
7.35am - Was made to wait in chairs for the documents checking.
8.15am - All BEP candidates were called separately and were sent in directly to the Visa interview building, where in couple of Indian consulate officers segregated my documents and handed over the entire original and Xerox of my educational/job related documents.
8.40am – Was waiting for my green folder to come back to me with the VISA information slip (Green one for L1 Blanketers to be filled in by the Indian officers).
9.30am – Was given my folder and was sent into counter number 1 for both the index finger prints.
9.50am – Was sent into counter number 4 where in a female consular was to interview me.
The interview is as follows:-
I step forward and place my original educational and job related documents on the counter slab that’s laid in front of me and smile at the officer.
Saloni: Good Morning Officer! How are you?
Officer: I am fine. Thank you. How are you?
Saloni: I am doing good.
Officer: So you are a candidate of Blanket L1?
Saloni: yes, that’s right. Officer: What’s the purpose of your visit?
Saloni: To work with XXXXY.
Officer: And where’s your XXXXY office is U.S?
Saloni: It’s at ZZZZ, PPPPP State.
Officer: Is that the Headquarters’ of XXXXY?
Saloni: Yes, it is.
Officer: So what’s your type of work there?
Saloni: I’ll be there to carry-out the implementation of my project.
Officer: What is your project?
Saloni: WWPPPP. It’s a customer support representative application designed for credit card customers.
Officer: Okay… why have you been chosen for this role at your onsite office?
Saloni: I am a credit cards specialist, possessing a rich experience of 21months in the cards domain. Hence I have been selected for this role.
Officer: How long would your stay be?
Saloni: For 3 years from now.
Officer: Okay Saloni, Congrats, you are through with your VISA, you would be receiving your passport on the mailing address mentioned by you, I hope its your office address.
Saloni: Thanks Officer.Yeah, That’s right. It’s my office address.
Officer: Before you leave, May I know your educational qualification Saloni?
Saloni: I am a YYYY in XXXX.
Officer: Um hmm.. Do you have an onsite supervisor at your onsite location?
Saloni: Yes, I do. Officer: okay that’s it then. You are through. Congrats again.
Saloni: Thanks officer. Have a good day and Bye.
10:02am: I collect my documents and walk out of the consulate office.
10:06am: On the streets of Anna Salai, elated with happiness. Informing the same to my dad who was waiting outside the US consulate office.
It was absolutely cool, with no issues at all, provided you are not NERVOUS, STAMMERING, SWEATING ALL OVER THE PLACE, PUFFING & GASPING FOR BREATH AS IF YOU JUST FINISHED SPRINTING SOME 100meters TRACK EVENT. LOST/CONFUSED FACE.
3.55am Saloni: Hmmm...hmmmm....Ya ma will get up.. gimme 5 mins... 4.00am - Brrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr... goes the alarm....groggily I stretch out my hand from underneath my cozy covers and hit the alarm clock angrily to silence.
4.05am - Finally, I make up my mind to get outa bed and got up to do some stretch outs....
4.10am - I switched off the A.C pushed away the screens to see the outside climatic conditions and was for a minute taken-aback at the sight of the heaviest down-pours happening blissfully at that early hour of the day.
4.11am - Hmmmmmm... with a deep sigh... I push the curtains back to its place and break into a little jog to attend to my first nature's call of the day!
4.17am - I get out of the loo, having cleared my bowels and try to peek into my bedroom once again to catch-up with a little nap for few minutes.
4.21am Mom: SALLLLLLLLLOOONNIIIIII Where the heck are you??????? Stillll on bed???? Get up you dumb ASS!!!!!
4.21am Saloni: uh-oh!...rghh....errr...uummmm... No mommm...I am up already...and in the restroom brushing... I run into the restroom with my toothbrush and paste and shut the door so softly that she doesnt end up hearing the door-bolt.
4.27am - I am out in my balcony sit-out area with a steaming mug of filter coffee, home made; mom made; fantasized with the purest blend of morning coffee, Suprabhadham (The Morning Raga of almost all the south-indian homes), a beautiful rain and a dim lit street with a couple of early morning birds chirping the dense old mango tree of my neighbor’s.
4.30am - Looked up at the sky, the clouds were clearing up on the east while they were taking in different forms of thick dark grey masses along the west.
4.35am - I found out an elephant, a sun flower, a bucket, a cone ice-cream and a woman holding a baby in those dark patches of clouds....
4.36am Mom: - How long will you take to finish your coffee??? Your hot water is ready... Go get that oil bowl, lemme apply that to your hair, you have ample time, so wash off the oil thoroughly, n don’t be in a hurry...but make sure you are out by 5.15am at the max.
4.37am - I nod my head in agreement and went in to get the bowl.
4.38am - With the usual wish-lists submission to the god and blessings from her end, she worked with her expert hands to apply the warm gingely oil mixed with methi seeds & curry leaves, deep down my scalp, giving me a feel of heaven.
4.39am - with a loud pat on the head, as a finishing note she asked me get-set-go to have my bath.
4.40am - I went in, Took my time to do the best to my hair with the bowl of shikkakai powder and made sure that i was out by 5.20am. Two loud bangs on the washroom door and one call for time-check were a part too, which i shouldn’t fail to make note of.
5.27am - I am out with my formal pants (deep purple) and brand new off-white (Van Heusen) shirt.
5.30am - dried my hair, tied it up neatly. Smeared some cold cream and applied the same on my face. Sprayed the deodorant.
5.45am - Time to pray - 10mins here, Lighted the lamp, chanted the slokas that I knew, Decorated the idols and picture frames of gods with flowers. Prostrated in front of god.
5.50am - Took the akshadai, Came upto dad and mom, and took their blessings as well.
5.55am - Honk from driver, to indicate that the car is ready.
5.57am - Kissed mom, wore the sacred ash on my fore head, one last glimpse at the puja room, Took my purse, docs and walked down the staircase with dad to get into the car.
6.13am - Arrival at the U.S consulate office
6.14 - waited inside the car till 6.45am as it was too early to get to the queue(Well there wasnt any queue at all for that matter!!! )
6.45am - Stood in the queue 7.20am - handbag screening and security checking done.
7.35am - Was made to wait in chairs for the documents checking.
8.15am - All BEP candidates were called separately and were sent in directly to the Visa interview building, where in couple of Indian consulate officers segregated my documents and handed over the entire original and Xerox of my educational/job related documents.
8.40am – Was waiting for my green folder to come back to me with the VISA information slip (Green one for L1 Blanketers to be filled in by the Indian officers).
9.30am – Was given my folder and was sent into counter number 1 for both the index finger prints.
9.50am – Was sent into counter number 4 where in a female consular was to interview me.
The interview is as follows:-
I step forward and place my original educational and job related documents on the counter slab that’s laid in front of me and smile at the officer.
Saloni: Good Morning Officer! How are you?
Officer: I am fine. Thank you. How are you?
Saloni: I am doing good.
Officer: So you are a candidate of Blanket L1?
Saloni: yes, that’s right. Officer: What’s the purpose of your visit?
Saloni: To work with XXXXY.
Officer: And where’s your XXXXY office is U.S?
Saloni: It’s at ZZZZ, PPPPP State.
Officer: Is that the Headquarters’ of XXXXY?
Saloni: Yes, it is.
Officer: So what’s your type of work there?
Saloni: I’ll be there to carry-out the implementation of my project.
Officer: What is your project?
Saloni: WWPPPP. It’s a customer support representative application designed for credit card customers.
Officer: Okay… why have you been chosen for this role at your onsite office?
Saloni: I am a credit cards specialist, possessing a rich experience of 21months in the cards domain. Hence I have been selected for this role.
Officer: How long would your stay be?
Saloni: For 3 years from now.
Officer: Okay Saloni, Congrats, you are through with your VISA, you would be receiving your passport on the mailing address mentioned by you, I hope its your office address.
Saloni: Thanks Officer.Yeah, That’s right. It’s my office address.
Officer: Before you leave, May I know your educational qualification Saloni?
Saloni: I am a YYYY in XXXX.
Officer: Um hmm.. Do you have an onsite supervisor at your onsite location?
Saloni: Yes, I do. Officer: okay that’s it then. You are through. Congrats again.
Saloni: Thanks officer. Have a good day and Bye.
10:02am: I collect my documents and walk out of the consulate office.
10:06am: On the streets of Anna Salai, elated with happiness. Informing the same to my dad who was waiting outside the US consulate office.
It was absolutely cool, with no issues at all, provided you are not NERVOUS, STAMMERING, SWEATING ALL OVER THE PLACE, PUFFING & GASPING FOR BREATH AS IF YOU JUST FINISHED SPRINTING SOME 100meters TRACK EVENT. LOST/CONFUSED FACE.
Wednesday, June 7, 2006
Adventure of "Guindy - Tambaram" 7.30am Unit! - Relived!
It’s Raining here so madly today (yes, madly I say cause it wasn’t a rain of the normal sort) as if to imply that, the Rain-God however, had decided to let go of his longstanding anger on being so mean to us -- and so he goes splashing and drenching frenziedly, every nook and corner of the oven-baked Land stretches and the sun-tanned terraces of the multi-storied buildings that distinctively stand proof for the overtly populated, ever – buzzing and westernized proviso of this once traditionally enriched and culturally enhanced metropolitan mega-city of mine – The Chennai. Rainy days are definitely a feel good factor and a welcome change for us, who are, always open to the chastisements of sizzling and searing Universal God of Light – The Sun! Eventually taking sometime to roll back to the past reminds me of an almost adventurous rainy day experience that I had five years ago! It was 1999 mid-October and yet again not-so-surprisingly it was pouring down so hard and heavy (I bet hailstones included which I probably didn’t take much time to notice) just to add more to my most renowned and exemplary late-start to the railway station to catch my “Guindy-Tambaram” 7.20a.m Electric Train. I was doing a half-run and half-jog journey across the 100ft road to reach the sub-way and find my way thru’ the tunnel that was crammed with office-goers, college-goers, school-goers, market-goers and business-seekers all heaped up under the single roof of a lengthy stretch in vain tries to be saved from getting sodden by the heavy down pour.
The same sub-way which used to look like a creepy under ground place for all sorts of illegal (business) dealings on all those sunny afternoons was unbelievably over populated with a strong stench of unwashed socks of the school kids huddled towards the corner of the narrow passage-way peppered with the reek of moisture, sweat, unwashed clothes, unwashed bodies and what not’s?! It was 7.13 already and I was still at the threshold of the sub-way and I had a long way to go, though buying a ticket wasn’t a problem because I had my train-pass with me, so that process at least was a time-saver! In the menacing crowd that was unsuspectingly manhandling me from all four directions in their desperate measures to find room in the constricted space available, I was trawling to find my way out of this deadliest trap with quick-glances at my digital sports watch once in 15 seconds and even quicker prayers coming out of my mouth naturally at the time of crisis such as this to get into the 7.20 unit & even hoping to empty my last minute ditch effort at that as long as it serves the purpose in the end to find me in my train!! Slowly trudging my way through the messy mass I was getting restless....and suddenly like a gust of wind from nowhere with a quick-push from a group of ladies behind me I was shoved towards the egress of the eternal sub-way! At the first rush of the fresh air, I thanked the almighty for letting me survive the Tunnel-Effect Syndrome! But then that definitely was not all there was to it! Well in fact it wasn’t even half of what it took to make this incident a wholesome adventure as I called it before! Now comes the most intriguing part where I am to choose between two options: Either taking the long route of walking another furlong surpassing the heavy road-side traffic or to do a high-jump across a 4 and a half feet high wall amidst all the unknown and unauthorized bushes and shrubs and not to mention with a nostril-flaring thick odor of the fluid-downloads done (at morning, noon and night) by our fellow humans in and around the area. For once, being lightweight and athletic did help me in a real-time situation such as this, to go in for the high-jump option, which almost none of the girls who travel by the same transport media as that of mine fail to choose. After having achieved a successful time-saving tactic, I look at my mega sized sports watch to make sure that its still working having lived quite a strong hit against the half demolished side parapet wall. Thanks to god the watch is intact! Defiant as always as I am to my mother’s advise right from rising early from my bed in the mornings to starting out early to reach the railway station in time, as usual it was cringe time to hurriedly recoil all the advises of 'amma' while maintaining a fast gait across the railway gate towards the steps to my platform, I must appreciate myself at managing a prayer cum time-check all at once…oh gosh! It showed 7.23. I split into a quick run down the steps now praying that I don’t end up falling-down face first stepping in a slippery pool of idle waters formed at both ends of every step due to the mad-rain fall…in the past how many ever hours it had been raining for…but thanks to my Reeboks it was very much firm to give me all the grip that I needed to do a safe-landing. Guess I was too young back then to have managed such a remarkable speed. Therefore I reach my platform, and let out a sigh of relief at the notice of my usual train-mates.
A couple of college girls, a vegetable-vendor and a 40yr old lady who works for the “Tambaram” sub-registrar's office. It was that dainty lady who first acknowledged my last minute inclusion in the prolonged wait for the train and ensured me with a soft pat on my shoulder that I haven’t missed it and that the train is delayed due to the wash-out of the tracks at the basin-bridge. Now…Another creep begins to unveil its face slowly when it was not even 2 minutes since I felt happy at having kept up the time before the train reached the station. It was “Will I be able to reach my college on time; which is at 8.30 am?” And it takes 1hr to reach Tambaram especially.... when it’s raining like this.... it would take a quarter more extra to reach Tambaram from where I am to walk again for about 10 minutes to reach my destination! And I immediately skip into a mental arithmetic of approximate arrival time of my train at Tambaram from 7.27am which was what my watch displayed at that point. I was damned sure to be late for a minimum of at the least 10 minutes to at the max GOD KNOWS! Anyways gathering some more energy to withstand the loud and disgraceful barks of my college gate keeper and instructor and the stifled ridicule of my own class-mates as a topping to everything that I had gone through for the past half an hour or so made me emulate a shiver followed by the real one that was due to chillness of the climate and my wet dress. In utter distaste at the mental picture of being ridiculed and yelled at, I feel a sudden urge to hop down the railway crossing and get back to home and produce a leave letter the next day at college saying that I was sick with fever or had a bad stomach pain that kept me immobile. But then that again was an even more irritating procedure, as I must produce a prescription to the college authorities so as to make them believe that I wasn’t being dishonest about my fever. Hell with that. At least going late stopped with few warnings and a minor ridiculing. Consequently, I decide going to college somehow as a much better and a saner option. 
With in the next 10 minutes the train comes puffing and gasping, with maximum possible number of passengers foot boarding and clinging to the windows of every compartment from the first to the last as fast as a buffalo walking in the rain. My instinct tells me not to get into this train but as I have no other go if I loose this train…My gut warns me again at least, not this compartment; My usual one. The ladies compartment. But who dares wins, I tell myself - It's going to be crowded only for the next few stations to come but after Airport it’s going to be all right, so I decide to dare. As fast as I can manage, I push across the trampling, squashing, tumbling bunch of ladies fighting with their full force, yelling on top of their voices to find a place inside…I take pride in spotting just the right spot on that compartment - just near the entrance, but not too near. I let myself into the two straps of my legendary black bag and rest my back with a semi-cushion effect that my bag gave my back resting atop the partition between two sitting enclosures.
The next station comes even before I could start feeling comfortable with the convenient place that I found for myself. So I feel all the more happy…thinking after all this isn’t as bad as it looked a few minutes before. Just then from the station by which the train had just stopped emerged a crowd of ladies that I never imagined could fit in 5 compartments of the train.
A female with a hefty built and an unfriendly appearance with a funny face skewed in the process of chewing what looked like a truck load of tobacco grumbled and cursed at the new faces in the compartment for snatching her private little place (the one facing the entrance where my bag and in turn by back was rested upon) that according to all virtual non-existent rule books belonged to her…and showed her full-frustration at placing a huge jute basket full of vegetables on my right foot. Apparently, that took me few minutes to gather my strength to react to the acute pain on my right foot, as a result of the mercy bestowed upon by the hefty-lady!
I tell her she had conveniently rested the basket on my foot and she retorts back asking “Vera yenga vechhi tholayaradhu?? Ingadhan moochu vidakuda yedam illye?” [Meaning:“where the hell am I to put it then? There is no place here to breathe even!”]
Hurriedly without wanting to hear another verbatim to be blurted out from the dear lady I keep my big-mouth shut and indulge in the process of slowly releasing my foot from underneath the heavy vegetable-basket inch by inch. In what looks like a few decades, the train reaches the next station.
To me it only means more crowd. But the hefty lady some how managed to shove in a few lean & wiry girls who work for the leather company next to airport and got herself some place to stand by me comfortably, looking down she pushed the basket towards herself and said “Romba valikuda papa? Vera edamey illayema na yenna panrathu ?”
[Meaning: “does your feet pain real bad? What am I to do dear there was no place around”]
I was taken by total surprise, at her sudden concern about my hurt foot and beamed at her with an assurance that I am perfectly ok and that it didn’t hurt much when in fact it did hurt very badly with a numb-some pain that I was going through I couldn’t actually gauge the depth of the damage done to my poor little tail ender toes.
Having received my endorsement about the state of my hurt leg, she switched on to her ranting again about the new crowds during rainy times giving the usual passengers a big time trouble because of lack of space and about her morbid profit rate at selling these vegetables on a heavy–set day such as this and what wud she do if the rain continues this way spoiling the meager money that she was making.
Although I nodded, I was wondering what a world it is…we wish, pray, chant, do Pooja’s and perform Yagnya’s wishing for rain but here we are when the rain decides to drench us as an answer to all the Pooja’s and Yagnya’s carried out in favor of the same, We LAMENT & CRIB about it. Just another perfect example to the fact, that, Life is always a mishmash of ironies and paradoxes. A sudden jerk of the train brought about with the blow its whistle got me back to the practical world where I found the lady next to me grinning and saying “yenna papa na sollradhu sari dhaney?”
[Meaning “what dear, don’t u think I am right?”]
Well apparently I didn’t know what she was referring to as I had lost myself in my thoughts about rain and its consequences. So I manage with a grin in return and a nod, which made her feel, pleased and kept her happy at that. With that blow of the whistle, I was expecting the next station to approach very soon. Unfortunately which never happened for the next 15 minutes, and I was getting restless, at last when inquired, I was told that the train was waiting for the clearance and it seemed like the dangling half-dead signal had totally broken down last night as a result of the wind blowing at some hundred and odd kmph. Very Insightful – I think – and feel pissed off! After what seemed like hours (Actually 15 or so minutes) we got the manual clearance from the station guard who was late for the day (because of the mad-rain...Ha Ha) and had no knowledge about the knocked down signal, got threats for being reported to his higher authorities for failing in his duties by few of the furious passengers.
Having done all that the train got back to life again and my heart was pounding and racing more than the speed of the train because as for now I was already running late for about 20 minutes and I had 1 more station to go. The rain hadn’t slowed down all the while and amidst all the pushing and pulling and hodge-podge of the crowd there were shouts and screams of missing and broken umbrellas…. Thankfully I was wearing a jacket so wasn’t running the risk of losing one or breaking one.
And the train stops abruptly; definitely meaning it’s not the station where I was supposed to get down and did not move an inch for the next 20 minutes. By now I definitely was undergoing a repetitive stress injury because of the excessive load on my shoulders as a result of my the trekking bag stuffed with my engineering drafter, Chart pipe, books, lunch, water bottle and other college essentials. I was holding on to the central pole at the entrance as if my life depended on it.
Actually it did! The train starts moving (just after my feet go numb and I can feel a 'spring' in them) only to stop midway, a few yards from where it had started to move. Another twenty minutes in the middle of nowhere. I try to perfect my transcendental patience practice. It just doesn't work. I give up.
Every inch of my body either aches or feels funny. I feel absolutely hopeless. And then it was time to get another announcement --- Due to some engine choke-out we were told that the train wouldn’t move any further and that we were to go by walk for about 1 km to reach the last station, which was also my destination – Destination Tambaram! How did I know that something as worse as this was waiting for me in this train journey making my gut feeling come true that I got at the first look of this train propelling itself as slow as it could to reach my boarding point? Nothing worse than being a skeptic, I tell myself…. Too ghostly I say! I start thinking about who said, "Thank God I'm an atheist."
And I find no answer to that so I give up. I surpass. Now, all I can do is eagerly wait for the moment I'll be pushed down by the raging and growling crowd jostling me all over and put me back to square one to trudge my way to my destination once again – just the way it had all started !
Sunday, March 26, 2006
Series of Accidents
The morning bus that leaves at 8.15am from our stop was not all set for a shocking picture that was waiting for us at that half-blind curve before we had another 2kms to cover the last lap of our not-so-F1'ish race to reach office that Tuesday.
It was a gruesome scene of a man lying right in the middle of the road with his head almost severed from the neck and squashed out on the top to bring out all the contents in the most grisly way possible. Lying by his side was a battered bi-cycle and a cloth-bag contents of which were strewn around languidly. It was all fresh and new – the food he had brought for his lunch and his slaughter as well.
Should it be the tanker lorry driver or should it be the cyclist himself who has to be held responsible for this brutal outcome?
I couldn’t digest the picture of this cruel accident that hit me hard; pulling out a strong chord linked to my heart and pushing out all the enthusiasm I had saved in for that Tuesday morning... IT was plainly disastrous!
What’s with these late night and early morning drivers that they’ve taken for granted, the roads that they drive on is completely theirs and that they care the least for others who unfortunately happen to take the same roads to reach their earthly destination but end-up finding their eternal one!
It was a gruesome scene of a man lying right in the middle of the road with his head almost severed from the neck and squashed out on the top to bring out all the contents in the most grisly way possible. Lying by his side was a battered bi-cycle and a cloth-bag contents of which were strewn around languidly. It was all fresh and new – the food he had brought for his lunch and his slaughter as well.
Should it be the tanker lorry driver or should it be the cyclist himself who has to be held responsible for this brutal outcome?
I couldn’t digest the picture of this cruel accident that hit me hard; pulling out a strong chord linked to my heart and pushing out all the enthusiasm I had saved in for that Tuesday morning... IT was plainly disastrous!
Believe me I couldn’t have 2 of the 3 meals for that day and anymore than a glass of milk for that night. The same continued for the rest of the week as well..
The very same day while was traveling back to my home taking the last bus for the day which happens to be the one at 11.30pm – I was shocked yet again when I had to see an almost similar accident – but this time the victim was a calf, the horrifying sight of this calf being crushed to an extent that its innards were squeezed out and laid in an awkward position with its eyes half-open in the middle of the same highway, just a couple of kilometers away from the previous accident scene.
And it didnt end here either.... After getting down at my stop from my office bus, I had to get across the road to walk though an alley which would lead me to my home. There was hardly any traffic at that point of time and more so on that not-so-trafficked road that I was trying to cross. I would have crossed the first half of the road, when I suddenly saw a Qualis from nowhere speeding towards me at 80-90kmph on that deserted road, and for a second I thought I was dead.
Hell! It took me one full minute to assimilate the miraculous escape that I had from an accident that would have seen at least one of my leg severed!
I was still feeling the throb in my left knee where I got a close-contact of the Qualis brushing past me. I screamed behind the car with whatever swear-words I could muster-up at that moment, only to see the trailing tail-lights getting far & out of my visibility zone.
What’s with these late night and early morning drivers that they’ve taken for granted, the roads that they drive on is completely theirs and that they care the least for others who unfortunately happen to take the same roads to reach their earthly destination but end-up finding their eternal one!
"Please do not destroy lives even if you cant save them!"
Monday, March 13, 2006
Precision at Pronunciation
I hate this creature that comes to me every morning at my desk just to cross-verify how well I pronounce a particular English word. Belonging to south has given me the best gift of its own prominent drawl on practice of my language.
I agree upon the fact that my English is heavily inflected with a strong southern scent but that should definitely not be a reason for discrimination among others, in the public, on the roads, in the workplace and at all possible arena of mockery that’s available to some, who are constantly impertinent and ever ready to brazen you down even at the least prospect that comes deliberately or by sheer luck on their way…
These cheeky guys often forget the fact that, they are improper, incomplete and highly unacceptable in many ways of their own! Yet, they don’t hesitate to pull that delicate string of disparagement and conduct as though they are the lords or masters of the land of contempt or so they think and behave…
Inmates of the planet of precision they are…..Aren’t they?
Wonder what sort of a sickening, perverted pleasure they should be drawing out this utter nonsense pulled up at people all the time!
Anyways, as a matter of fact, oflate I’ve been struggling a lot to utter few words due to their mystifying phonetic effects, very recently I had forgotten that brinjal was articulated as “Brinj-al” and not “Brinj-ol” and I have no clue of what had come over me, I had been pronouncing it “Brinjol” until recently I felt a little weird about the way I was pronouncing it and got it clarified from a friend of mine…
Hmmm..this very thing about “Yellow” came up today morning with this above mentioned irritating personality I am talking about bugging my life to high hell.. I had lost my beautiful yellow colored deer embossed coffee mug a couple of days ago and have been asking about it to every person that comes into my sight….And so I go to this person which on an after thought I feel is the most awful blunder I had committed till date, to report and enquire about the same, with a weak expectation that he might have taken it as part of one of those usual uninteresting pranks of his!
But I was caught totally off-guard when he repeatedly asked me to repeat the color of the mug, which I presume according to him, I was voicing it as “ELLOW” and not “YELLOW”…and there I was standing bolted to the ground with enormous amount of anger built-up in me and at the same time feeling pathetic about the fact of being unable to voice it for the only reason that he was a senior to me!
He for nuts can’t say ‘sss’ and ‘shhh’ properly and there he is trying to make fun of my accent and usage of my words…
Anyways nothing more to say…Hope people realize very basic things like “Before pointing your finger at the other person always remember there are three that are pointing towards you!”
But….I don’t follow it myself that strictly …Do I… a Big Question Mark ?
I agree upon the fact that my English is heavily inflected with a strong southern scent but that should definitely not be a reason for discrimination among others, in the public, on the roads, in the workplace and at all possible arena of mockery that’s available to some, who are constantly impertinent and ever ready to brazen you down even at the least prospect that comes deliberately or by sheer luck on their way…
These cheeky guys often forget the fact that, they are improper, incomplete and highly unacceptable in many ways of their own! Yet, they don’t hesitate to pull that delicate string of disparagement and conduct as though they are the lords or masters of the land of contempt or so they think and behave…
Inmates of the planet of precision they are…..Aren’t they?
Wonder what sort of a sickening, perverted pleasure they should be drawing out this utter nonsense pulled up at people all the time!
Anyways, as a matter of fact, oflate I’ve been struggling a lot to utter few words due to their mystifying phonetic effects, very recently I had forgotten that brinjal was articulated as “Brinj-al” and not “Brinj-ol” and I have no clue of what had come over me, I had been pronouncing it “Brinjol” until recently I felt a little weird about the way I was pronouncing it and got it clarified from a friend of mine…
Hmmm..this very thing about “Yellow” came up today morning with this above mentioned irritating personality I am talking about bugging my life to high hell.. I had lost my beautiful yellow colored deer embossed coffee mug a couple of days ago and have been asking about it to every person that comes into my sight….And so I go to this person which on an after thought I feel is the most awful blunder I had committed till date, to report and enquire about the same, with a weak expectation that he might have taken it as part of one of those usual uninteresting pranks of his!
But I was caught totally off-guard when he repeatedly asked me to repeat the color of the mug, which I presume according to him, I was voicing it as “ELLOW” and not “YELLOW”…and there I was standing bolted to the ground with enormous amount of anger built-up in me and at the same time feeling pathetic about the fact of being unable to voice it for the only reason that he was a senior to me!
He for nuts can’t say ‘sss’ and ‘shhh’ properly and there he is trying to make fun of my accent and usage of my words…
Anyways nothing more to say…Hope people realize very basic things like “Before pointing your finger at the other person always remember there are three that are pointing towards you!”
But….I don’t follow it myself that strictly …Do I… a Big Question Mark ?
Chai.. Chai…Chai….
This post came into existence after a reasonable amount of inspiration that I gathered from my T-shirt quote which read “Chai.. India’s National Drink… Stronger than Vodka, Healthier than Rum, Cheaper than Scotch!”
Hmmm… Very Insightful… pondering on the same lines, relating the above quote to a few real life instances of mine, leads me to an affirmative conclusion on the simple and plain truth about the ever refreshing, revitalising and of course the most sought after hot-drink of the Rest-of-the-India (with the exception of south where in still our trade-mark “Filter Kaapi” continues to rule).
Living in the warm & vibrant western India, in the capital city of Maratha Empire, which is closely associated with the great warrior Shivaji, for an year and a half now (to be more specific) has made me learn and speak fully-qualified sentences in our good-old national language with which my basics were very wobbly & shaky as a result of my only Prarthmic level (meaning Primary education which included reading and writing of Hindi alphabets and numbers up to 100) prior knowledge of the language.
Unfortunate for me, could be because of being a stiff “Thamizhachhi” since the day I remember having gained the faculty of senses, my primary Hindi wasn’t of much help to manage with my day-day talks with the shop-keepers, vegetable vendors, laundry men, servant maid, auto-walas and all the other assorted people of our everyday life!
With lots of difficulty, erring every time with Genders/Tenses/Names of and about living or dead people and existing or evacuated things… Now after 16 months, At least I am sure I can comprehend the language very well to get its full implication, which was nothing more than a meaningless cluster of phonetics thrown at me randomly, before; when I had just stepped in to this all new West-India life in late 2005…
I remembered the day when I made fun of a new class mate of mine in my school who was from Kuwait and knew no more than “Yenku Taamil little little teriyum” – Read it phonetically the way it’s spelled to get the original sound effect of it!
Believe me I was made fun of, the same way I made fun of this guy at my school… when I said “mujhe hindi thoda thoda aati hai” – on hearing that there was an effect of a laughter bomb being blasted successfully and people plunged into the pool of laughter for the next how many ever minutes they can manage in the deafening Laughter-Mania.
(Adappavi makka… Yarukku theriyum thoda thoda atha hai or thodi thodi athi hai nu sollanumnu???) -
Come on dude… I was trying to get gender specific here… Atha – Male , and Athi – Female…. And I frankly didn’t know thoda(meaning little in English and Konjam in Tamil) also had a gender attached to it types…
(Adi-aathi yellam nasama pocchu… keli pecchukku aalayachu!)
Anyways, marching back to our actual topic of the day… Chai…
Apparently, I wasn’t impressed much with the taste of tea as long as I was a pure chennaiite, with no sniff of an outside state, caught in the air that my nose was inhaling ever since I was born.
My first experience with the typical Maharashtrian Chai happened to be in a renowned tea-stall that was the talk of the area in a place called Laxmi Road where all the youth went in for their colossal salwar/chudidhar shopping here in Pune.
It was a perfect blend of Adhrak(Inji), Elaichi(Yelakai) and an awesome flavor of tea-leaves which made the fresh brew taste heavenly – I was simply blown away!
With the taste of this masthi chai still lingering on my senses and taste organs, I got desperate when I looked at the board, having the name Chai marked Rs.4/- at my office canteen’s menu list on my first day of office at breakfast.
As swift as I could, I got the coupon and made sure to be the first in the long queue that was waiting there to pick up their breakfast plates and the tea with nothing more than a flat or grim expression on their faces which I couldn’t relate to before but am very clearly able to now!
“Hey Sal, maybe they traveled a lot before reaching in here, so they are tired or they must be sleepy, so never mind” – I tell myself that and find a comfortable seat with my tea cup with a lot of expectations and anxiousness to take in the wonderful combination of the early morning nature’s beauty and taste of the best brew of the most awaited chai – (after that first experience of mine).
Sitting there…. I took the first ever and most unforgettable ever sip of that most insipid tea by far, giving me a sense of shock and realization at the same time about the T.E.A that I had in that stall and the tea that I had in my canteen!
I gave up on the idea of tasting a good tea after that day until recently, driven forcibly by one of my colleagues to visit a Tupri (Nammuru Potti-Kadai) where the tea was popular in the 5kms radius of the IT Park of which my office was a part of.
I was hesitant and was almost expecting a similar experience that I had long ago on my day-one at canteen… But to my surprise, the first sip of the cutting (half-glass) chai gave me the old revere that I had for the tea I tasted in the Tea-Stall at Laxmi Road.
I was very happy and felt rejuvenated at my unexpected rendezvous with this miniature-heaven in the name of “Tupri” which still continues to feed me with exotic blend of tea that I always longed for!
Finally, Alice found her wonderland, where she would get her unlimited supply of the “National Drink” which costs Rs 2/- per cutting and Rs 3/- per full-glass.
Thanks to my dear colleague who’s onsite right now.
Hmmm… Very Insightful… pondering on the same lines, relating the above quote to a few real life instances of mine, leads me to an affirmative conclusion on the simple and plain truth about the ever refreshing, revitalising and of course the most sought after hot-drink of the Rest-of-the-India (with the exception of south where in still our trade-mark “Filter Kaapi” continues to rule).
Living in the warm & vibrant western India, in the capital city of Maratha Empire, which is closely associated with the great warrior Shivaji, for an year and a half now (to be more specific) has made me learn and speak fully-qualified sentences in our good-old national language with which my basics were very wobbly & shaky as a result of my only Prarthmic level (meaning Primary education which included reading and writing of Hindi alphabets and numbers up to 100) prior knowledge of the language.
Unfortunate for me, could be because of being a stiff “Thamizhachhi” since the day I remember having gained the faculty of senses, my primary Hindi wasn’t of much help to manage with my day-day talks with the shop-keepers, vegetable vendors, laundry men, servant maid, auto-walas and all the other assorted people of our everyday life!
With lots of difficulty, erring every time with Genders/Tenses/Names of and about living or dead people and existing or evacuated things… Now after 16 months, At least I am sure I can comprehend the language very well to get its full implication, which was nothing more than a meaningless cluster of phonetics thrown at me randomly, before; when I had just stepped in to this all new West-India life in late 2005…
I remembered the day when I made fun of a new class mate of mine in my school who was from Kuwait and knew no more than “Yenku Taamil little little teriyum” – Read it phonetically the way it’s spelled to get the original sound effect of it!
Believe me I was made fun of, the same way I made fun of this guy at my school… when I said “mujhe hindi thoda thoda aati hai” – on hearing that there was an effect of a laughter bomb being blasted successfully and people plunged into the pool of laughter for the next how many ever minutes they can manage in the deafening Laughter-Mania.
(Adappavi makka… Yarukku theriyum thoda thoda atha hai or thodi thodi athi hai nu sollanumnu???) -
Come on dude… I was trying to get gender specific here… Atha – Male , and Athi – Female…. And I frankly didn’t know thoda(meaning little in English and Konjam in Tamil) also had a gender attached to it types…
(Adi-aathi yellam nasama pocchu… keli pecchukku aalayachu!)
Anyways, marching back to our actual topic of the day… Chai…
Apparently, I wasn’t impressed much with the taste of tea as long as I was a pure chennaiite, with no sniff of an outside state, caught in the air that my nose was inhaling ever since I was born.
My first experience with the typical Maharashtrian Chai happened to be in a renowned tea-stall that was the talk of the area in a place called Laxmi Road where all the youth went in for their colossal salwar/chudidhar shopping here in Pune.
It was a perfect blend of Adhrak(Inji), Elaichi(Yelakai) and an awesome flavor of tea-leaves which made the fresh brew taste heavenly – I was simply blown away!
With the taste of this masthi chai still lingering on my senses and taste organs, I got desperate when I looked at the board, having the name Chai marked Rs.4/- at my office canteen’s menu list on my first day of office at breakfast.
As swift as I could, I got the coupon and made sure to be the first in the long queue that was waiting there to pick up their breakfast plates and the tea with nothing more than a flat or grim expression on their faces which I couldn’t relate to before but am very clearly able to now!
“Hey Sal, maybe they traveled a lot before reaching in here, so they are tired or they must be sleepy, so never mind” – I tell myself that and find a comfortable seat with my tea cup with a lot of expectations and anxiousness to take in the wonderful combination of the early morning nature’s beauty and taste of the best brew of the most awaited chai – (after that first experience of mine).
Sitting there…. I took the first ever and most unforgettable ever sip of that most insipid tea by far, giving me a sense of shock and realization at the same time about the T.E.A that I had in that stall and the tea that I had in my canteen!
I gave up on the idea of tasting a good tea after that day until recently, driven forcibly by one of my colleagues to visit a Tupri (Nammuru Potti-Kadai) where the tea was popular in the 5kms radius of the IT Park of which my office was a part of.
I was hesitant and was almost expecting a similar experience that I had long ago on my day-one at canteen… But to my surprise, the first sip of the cutting (half-glass) chai gave me the old revere that I had for the tea I tasted in the Tea-Stall at Laxmi Road.
I was very happy and felt rejuvenated at my unexpected rendezvous with this miniature-heaven in the name of “Tupri” which still continues to feed me with exotic blend of tea that I always longed for!
Finally, Alice found her wonderland, where she would get her unlimited supply of the “National Drink” which costs Rs 2/- per cutting and Rs 3/- per full-glass.
Thanks to my dear colleague who’s onsite right now.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)