Belvedere Park

I live in a corporate jungle called Belvedere Park. My apartment is just amongst the 270 odd apartments situated in this multistory building complex. And I am one amongst the thousand plus of its resident. I believe the feeling of being part of a society ends here. I don’t know the name of my neighbor and doubt if they could say anything different about me. I wouldn’t be surprised if they don’t know about my existence altogether. I will still give them benefit of doubt. After all, anyone can guess that an apartment is occupied by seeing at the fresh news paper lying in front of its door every morning.

I get up every morning listening to the screeching sound of our door bell. It’s our maid. We have instructed her to not leave any stone unturned to wake us up every morning at 6:45am. She comes from some far away locality. I wonder how she managed doing it day after day without fail during those chilly winter mornings.

Every time I enter the building complex, the guard at the entrance looks at my face carefully and tries his best to record a picture of mine in his memory. It’s a tough job. There are just too many of us. Our nomadic ways of existence that we fondly call ‘geographical mobility,’ have ensured that people from my tribe ‘the new age go-getters’ keep changing their abodes before the guards start finding a familiarity in our face. I pity those guards. They have not yet got themselves upgraded for linked-in age.

I eat, that is when I eat, at the nearest food court. Sometimes if I feel lazy, I order food from some of the nearby restaurants. It’s expensive and it’s inhuman. Sometimes I lose my appetite at the apathy that the restaurant boys and delivery boys show while providing me my food. How I miss my stay in Europe on such occasions. The warmth that the service people showed there was the main reason we survived 3 harsh months living on just bread jam, fruits and subways. Why am I complaining so much! I can cook and I should have done it when the things are so bad. I ask myself this question again and again. I cannot find a reasonable answer.

My apartment is on the 15^th floor. From the balcony of my apartment, the car parking of our building complex appears to be a showcase filled with matchbox toys. I’m not a big fan of heights. It takes you away from reality. Time I spent in the lift is the most awkward of the moments of my existence here. I enter the lift. He (or she) enters the lift. If anyone is in the most brilliant of the moods, there will be a smile exchanged. And then there is silence. Nobody will speak even a single word. Wait for your floor, which in my case is the 15^th (or actually just 14^th as there is no 13^th floor by design and vastu reasons) seems like eternity. Makeshift jogging track is a better place in that aspect. You see somewhat familiar faces there if you are regular. But, is regularity my thing? Well no!

There is more to my life than just the cribs above. Let me be very frank that I don’t blame it entirely on the people or the culture here. I am equally responsible for the way things are turning out to be. It’s a 6 month long transit break for me before I move on to the next location (which mostly will be a more permanent place, so to say). Life shall be more settled then. Till then, I will continue my tryst with Gurgaon.

These thoughts have been in my mind for long, just that today I got the enthu to pen them down for future reference.

Staying Alive

Last fortnight or so has been hectic. Work - Family - Friends and things in between sums up to my life in recent time really well. Interestingly, all of them are giving me a high now. Yesterday, I had a long chat with my sister. The mood during the conversation has raised my hopes of getting back to life faster than what it appeared in last couple of months or so. Mom and Dad seem to have kept themselves busy. Good and bad, it's one way for them to get back to life (again faster than what I had imagined it will take). It's not the best way out, but then I have no other solution either. So let the music play!

India - SA was a heart-breaking moment. But then India - Aus made up for it. And what better way to make up for all your sins in past than sending the arrogant Aussies back with a humiliating defeat in WC quarter finals. I am excited about the Semis now. Looking forward for a historical event on 30th. :D

My camera has been taking lots of mobile phone screen shots in last couple of weeks. I can imagine how much it would have abused me for doing that. I know, I have to take it out to the beautiful Old Dilli and bring it back to life. Don't worry my love 550D; we are going there soon.

Vo din ab dur nahi hai.. Ab dilli dur nahi hai...

Delhi, Agra and Dry heat of Gurgaon

Taj is beautiful. If not the most beautiful thing in this world, it still belongs to the top rung of beauties in this world. Qutub Minar and India Gate belong to the same league, in my opinion. It's not just the architecture. It's the mix of architecture, folklore, national pride and collective imagination that comes with combination of these.

They are a photographer's dream come true. I have had a couple of good dates with these in last couple of months. I am loving my time in Delhi now. While Gurgaon is still dry (and now very hot), Delhi is vibrant and lively. Food is another plus in Delhi's favor.

Another three months before I move back to field. These three months are going to be eventful to say the least. Looking forward to them.

Delhi Diaries Slideshow

Delhi Diaries Slideshow

Avadh ki ek shaam

Lucknow minus its garbage reminds me of my European experience. The city is filled with historical and political monuments and there is a strange obsession with erecting tall statues. There are huge green patches of gardens in mid of the city. Many a offices and government buildings boasts of big domes. This is all so European.

Most of the credit should go to none other than the Big Sister. History is being made here. City has caught up with an obsession with buildings with tall facades. Boundary walls are high. Guards are always on vigil. I wonder whom are they guarding? The elephants? Soon this city will boast of having the most number of elephants. Kanjiranga National park must be feeling threatened today.

I am surely enjoying the Avadh experience. Pani Batase with variety of Pani, Batase with Dahi Chatni, Kachori (which in my language were more like Poori than a Kachori), Garama garam kesariya doodh with rabadi... and yes malai kulfi - I could not have asked for more. My 550D has captured it all. Forever.

The evening has just begin. I know Lucknow has a lot more to offer than just these.

Gurgaon - A Second Chance

If my first encounter with Gurgaon was during the hottest month of the year, second one happens to be in the coldest one. The city has not changed a bit though. For me, it is as cold as it has always been. It's a strange feeling. I find faces more families than ever [I think I can attribute this to my sudden transfer from Hubli to here]. Still the warmth, that I felt in any other place I have been so far, is missing here. It's too early to decide; I can tell myself at this moment. I will give Gurgaon a proper second chance. Every city deserves this.

there is a song for every occasion

I finished reading "Anything for you ma'm" by Tushar Raheja a couple of days back. I liked the book because it is a simple and nice read. I picked up one idea from the book and that is 'there is a song for every occasion...' Indeed it is the case in my life too. Some of these songs got hard-coded in my memory. These are songs that remind me of some of the most special moments of my life. Every time I hear them now, they remind me of a time that is preserved well in my memories. Here is a compilation of some of those gems.

1. Heaven by Bryan Adams: I first heard this song in one of the meeting cum parties during Rotaract Club (of RVCE) days. It just stuck to my mind for weeks. It's a reminder for me today of the golden days of my college life. I owe a lot of the time that I spent there in the company of my Rotaract gang. It's my dedication to the same.

2. Free falling by Tom Petty: My first venture into adventure. Bungee jumping in Bangalore. I did not know how it would feel before I jumped. I climbed the stage, released my hand, bent forward and told the volunteer to release me. There was a free fall and before I could realize anything I was hanging from a rope. The adrenaline rush was over in just 5-10 seconds. Still throughout this experience there was one song that kept playing inside me. Free Falling indeed was the song for this occasion.

3. Pal by KK: Well, this one is not difficult to imagine. For every single person who has gone through a college or hostel farewell, this is the song. It makes you smile; it brings tears in your eyes. It's a song that you will singalong with your friends no matter how bad a singer you are. It's my memories of the farewell from Indore, RVCE, Bangalore, IIMA and don't know how many other such occasions.

4. Clock by Coldplay & Bitter Sweet Symphony by The Verve - Those were the days when Joyesh blessed us with his company. Endless loops and piles of clothes in the room. Joyesh sitting on top of everything. These are some moments you have to experience to really enjoy them. I was really lucky enough to have them. I really mean it.

5. All good things come to an end by Nelly Furtardo - This was the only song that was playing in my mind when I boarded the Lufthansa flight for Mumbai at Paris Airport.EuroTrip is an unforgettable part of my life. It came to an end that day. I can and will go to Europ again. But it will be never be the same.

6. Ain't no mountain high enough - Aditya got us addicted to the movie Remember the Titans. This song from the soundtrack of the movie will always play whenever I think of the monster of the computer monitor that Aditya had in hostel and where we had our share of many Hollywood classics.

7. Havana by Kenny G - They had come as exchange student to RVCE. One of those Chinese student practiced for this song the whole night when we were fighting rains to get venue for Vybhav ready. We actually pulled it off. So did that guy who played the song with unmatchable enthusiasm on the Vybhav stage. That Vybhav was an experience in itself. Thank God we did it. And we really did it well.

Continues...

Endless Loop

Joyesh, my neighbor in RVCE hostel and then later room mate at the-hangar, has a peculiar habit of putting one song in his media player play-list and playing it in loop for days and nights.From Clocks to Bitter Sweet Symphony, we heard a variety of songs. And we liked them. I started liking them. It's one peculiar thing about music for me. If I hear some song again and again, I end up liking it in most cases. It's the effort to listen to something repetitively, that defines my song selection.

Endless loops defined my music choice. And now I am part of an endless loop. Of highs and lows. 'Such is life,' anybody would say. Stuck in an endless travel is a life full of choices. Every decision I am making is having a long term implication now. How and when it became like this? I was never needed to bother when I bunked my school for a day or two. I decided to runaway from home and landed in Bangalore to do my engineering. Nobody asked me anything. And I did not bother anyone.

Today when I look around, I see a web of restrictions holding me hostage in a world of limitations. A world where my choices are not just mine. Atleast their implications are not. I cannot remain isolated too. I am stuck. Floyd's 'Comfortably Numb' is what I can think of now. Incidentally that song got added to my list because of an endless loop too.

Suggest A Book

Results for Suggest a Book poll done through FB status msg.

Hard boiled wonderland and the end of the world by Haruki Murakami

Any book by Haruki Murakami

The Great Indian Novel by Shashi Tharoor

Blue Ocean Strategy :D

The Bhagwat Gita By Eknath Esawaran

Tamil Pulp Fiction by Rakesh Khanna and Pritham K. Chakravarthy

Picture of Dorian Gray

Marketing Management by Philip Kotler :)

Wheel of Time

The Brothers Karamazov

Krambhadparya (jain fundamental) also available in English or Bhartesh Vaibhav (Epic, 4 vols.)

IIMA Famous 'Black Book' :)

To kill a mockingbird

The Immortals of Meluha

Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy

And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie

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Thanks Yash, Komal, Piyush, Modh, Anoop, Sapta, Poorva, Pradeep, Arpit, Paul, Richa, Shelly, Surabhi, Prasanjit, Balakrishna, Shubendu...

Little Moments

Traveling across length of the country to attend precious moments in life of people who are precious to you.

Getting high on hukkah when others around you are sloshed in alcohol.

The feeling of going home after a long time.

Reading a funny love story because she wants you to do that.

A brilliantly designed and executed personalized tshirt.

Buying chocolates for her whenever wherever you can.

Spending a night with friends remembering college days.

Admiring beauty of nature and the air hostess in the indigo flight.

Listening to your favorite music whenever wherever you want to.

Stretching your physical, emotional and mental limits to do everything possible to live such moments again and again.

Life is beautiful.

With its Little Moments of Joy.

Happy Diwali

I saw a couple of kids painting a house. My first reaction was of pity. Child Labor is a rampant phenomenon in most of the markets I visit. But then when I looked at them closely, I realized my mistake. They were painting their own house. They were preparing for the festival celebrations.

Last Sunday, everyone at my home was also on a cleaning mission too. Next step would have been to prepare sweets. My mom did not tell me about it. Festivals are no big fun if the children are not back home. The conversation with mom clearly highlighted this feeling. I was still thinking what will I be doing during festival time. I can not go home. Not that I am forced to be here, but somehow I have to make this choice. A difficult choice indeed. It's been long since I have celebrated any festival at home. So it should not have been such a big deal. But somehow I am feeling that this one indeed is a big deal.

I have to make sure that I do something worth the harshness of the decision I have taken. Looking for suggestions. Anyone?

Fix You by Coldplay

When you try your best but you don't succeed
When you get what you want but not what you need
When you feel so tired but you can't sleep
Stuck in reverse

And the tears come streaming down your face
When you lose something you cannot replace
When you love someone but it goes to waste
Could it be worse?

Lights will guide you home
And ignite your bones
And I will try to fix you

And high up above or down below
When you're too in love to let it go
But if you never try you'll never know
Just what you're worth

Lights will guide you home
And ignite your bones
And I will try to fix you

Tears stream down your face
When you lose something you cannot replace
Tears stream down your face
And I

Tears stream down your face
I promise you I will learn from my mistakes
Tears stream down your face
And I

Lights will guide you home
And ignite your bones
And I will try to fix you.

Just follow your heart

Continuing from Enter at your own risk

Dreamers and revolutionaries have one thing in common - they think from their heart. It gives wings to their aspirations. This is what defines them and differentiates their lives and existence from millions others who live on this planet. If heart rules their dreams, it also rules their actions. This aspect can be dangerous at times and has been the prime reason for fall of many. Emotions are those drugs which can make you do unimaginable tasks but can be harmful in a long run. It's the price we pay for the adrenaline rush that comes when swimming against the current.

He found himself in the same trap.

Continued...

Enter at your own risk

"Enter at your own risk," read the warning sign at the entrance of the hallway. It would have deterred others; but he was not like the others. For him the sight of the word 'risk' was an invitation. Kids like him generally do not stick to common sense. Some might think of them as arrogant youngsters who enjoy defying age old wisdom. Old is gold; and it is the age of silicon.

So he entered and was surprised to find that he was not alone. Of course, he was not to be alone. There were many like him. They all belonged to a generation that saw the light of life around Emergency time. They had grown up listening to Floyd, seeing Sachin making history, enjoying LOTR and Harry Potter on big screen and of-course facebooking and tweeting their heart out.

It was going to be exciting for sure. And he had company to share his thrill with. Existence of so many like him was a proof that he was not an outlier. He was not looking for any such approval though.

The Captain of the ship painted a rosy picture of things to come. They all had crossed the first hurdle and there was no need of any more warnings. He geared them up with all the possible ammunition and let the engine roar. The ship of their life was sailing now. Their fortunes and life attached to each other. They had imagined this moment many a times.

continued...

Year of Marriages

GMBC inc. had declared the year 2010 as the 'Year of Marriages'. The nomenclature is pretty much self explanatory. However, fortunately or unfortunately, we seem to have chosen a very ambitious target. It is certain now that we will have to stretch some deadlines. Managers we are and will always be. Sticking to time lines is not our cup of tea.

However, for me, this tenth year in the new millennium is still turning out to be a year of marriages. Everybody seem to be in hurry to lose his/her single status. So much so that the joke is that I cannot seem to find a date for my marriage 'coz all of them this year have been already booked by my friends. Winds don't seem to change direction in early months of next year either. 

[Time for a detour to satiate those nagging ones amongst you who, like my mom, have troubled me a lot with the question about my marriage.
Guys and gals,
This is to certify that this post is intended just for general discussion and has no mention or discussion about any probable dates for my marriage. Anything resembling such a date is purely coincidental.
End of detour]

Such a jam packed schedule brings with it some very practical issues which will put my learnings from engineering and management to good use. Here is just a brief list of the major concerns for me:
1. Resource Allocation: limited amount of leaves need to be distributed in an efficient way to utilize them to the fullest and attend maximum number of marriages for everyone's satisfaction.
2. Shortest Path Algorithm: Remember traveling salesman problem? Well, I am the protagonist today in all literal or practical senses and trying to solve it today when planning my travel arrangements.
3. Resource Sharing: Ethnic and party wear and of course credit cards to extract maximum purchase points and cash back returns.
4. Negotiations: specially with boss for leaves and with everyone else who are still in the planning phase.

But no worries Sumana, Chandu, Manan, Piyush, Sandeep, Ankit, Bora, Manoo, Charlee, Chawla and others who have not yet finalized the dates!! I am going to be there.

Cheers to the Year of Marriages...