Arbit Stuph!!!

Useful eh?

2009-07-26T15:38:00.000-07:00

And just to use Blogger as a bookmark - if you are as hard pressed as I am for time, then here's what you need to make that killer presentation http://www.dack.com/web/bullshit.html

Hehe :)

--Kartik.

Staffing maketh the man ;)

2009-07-26T00:32:00.000-07:00

So I overheard this conversation between a pretty young wannabe secretary and a garishly attired man(gentle?) and it ran something like this:Let's call the Guy G and the Lady L. And my thoughts and observations would be starred *like this*

G: So, tell me something about yourself.

L: *fluttering eyelashes* - Well, I can do a lot of things you know. If only you would take me up on your staff, I'd be more than willing to demonstrate it. Sir.

G: Hmm Impressive, you're very direct aren't you?

L: My Mom's taught me the tricks since I was young Sir. That way you know, I'd fit in perfectly in a staff of the stature of ..

G *interrupts* - well all thats fine - Let's see what you can actually do.

L: Like I said Sir, I am very good. I am very flexible. You won't have any fitment problems. I can even show you some of my credentials. Just that I'd rather you let me demonstrate it you know. It might not take more than one working session. You don't even have to worry about fitment. I have been researching about your staff and there's a fair deal of information about it on the internet. I even talked to a few of my secretary friends about it. They all say I will definitely do exciting things once I am on your staff. In fact I am competitive about remuneration too!!

G: *rubbing his hands gleefully* Good Good - I cant wait to rev you up, get you started you know. The last one, she wouldnt even .. wait a minute - the internet... did you say the internet? Information about my staff on the friggin internet? Where? I mean this is the first time I am hearing of something like this. I run the show and I don't even know my staff was interviewed?

*Boyy I didn't know staffs were interviewed either :)* *Am beginning to crack up at this point*

L: Well Sir - that must be a joke. Your staff is pretty famous in the circuit. All those accomplishments. The revenue, the talent, the whole halo around your staff.

*Wow!! An angelic staff now, a magic wand eh?* *Am I perverted or are these people plain obtuse*

G: Whatever. Let's forget about the interview for now. You know, these days, difficult times and all. I have to be honest with you. I like to keep my staff in top shape. Size shouldn't matter. Efficiency should. Any staff worth its salt ought to have the capability to stretch itself, contract, you know - the whole thing about preparing your staff for emergencies..? So.. am talking about the works.. and I expect nothing but full co-operation from my staff members.

*Yeah! Right about the efficiency and did I just hear member?*

L: Oh Sir - you are so profound. But I would like to differ on your view about the staff size. I would think that a minimum size - call it optimum - is essential to keep day to day activities running. After all, If you take me up on your staff, I would also double up as a ..

*Double up?? - wow! Is this a job interview or some kind of double entendre winner-takes-it-all game?* * Or is it some kind of covert recruitment for umm particularly questionable activities* - At any rate, I sure remember my Forsyth [or Harold Robbins] hehe*

G: Hmm I see. So you prefer the staff matters in a rigid vein don't you? I mean you just said you were flexible and now..*raises eyebrow*

L: Well Sir, if you want my hands anywhere near your staff, I thought it would be a good idea to let you know that I am top notch at my job and I'd like to be on top of things. And yes about the staff - it was just an opinion. However, in the past, I have worked on staff sizes that were small and honestly their output didnt measure up to expectations..Nevertheless I would like to hear more about your staff. I have worked with staffs of varying sizes so I just wanted to size yours up .. for lack of a better word you know...

G: Very well said. Well My entire staff is skilled, loyal, well endowed - basically - the perfect example of well oiled machinery.Okay L - you have the job. And just hear? I am going to make you see my staff, experience !! And before we get to work - I'll get you acquainted with my staff. Let's hope you like what you see.

*At this point, I beat a hasty retreat from the scene - of course "doubled up" :P*

PS - This is entirely a work of fiction and I have nothing against any profession whatsoever - including, but not limited to, secretaryship or its kind. Any view expressed here is the authors desperate attempt to appear smart and humourous and is in no way derision of any kind, actual or perceived. The readers (if any) are requested to exercise caution while going through the writeup and are advised to be considerate with the author for while writing this, the author was sleep and food deprived and was feeling generally lost.

--Kartik.

A malefic innocence...

2009-05-23T12:36:00.000-07:00

My highly sophisticated artificial intelligence enabled cyber crawler tells me that I have not been posting regularly :) . And when I do - it is generally a simple brain dump - or so I have been led to believe. Pah! So anyway, there's this little something that I have been working on and I thought I should "out" an excerpt, if you will, to the junta out there. So here goes:

Oh by the way, I kind of realised that a certain part of my brain was roused into living by witnessing a dance form (but more on that later).

[--Begin]

Rivulets of grimy sweat streamed down her teary cheeks. Apparently she had been crying. But more importantly, she had been thinking - as an inviolable sense of guilt swept across her mind.

Calmly she rose, intent on prolonging her inevitable descent into the depths of a moral abyss gouged out by serial wanton acts that she would participate in with gay abandon. From her resolve sprang an instinctively preservative, all consuming self sympathy -a sense of righteousness sinking in to exonerate every vile act or thought of hers.

While to the untrained eye, each such act or thought would have guaranteed a one way ticket to eternal damnation - not so for her. She would not be cowed down by moral diktats - not this once at least. Not never. Hell, she had seen worse and had managed to extricate herself from slipping into a miasma of remorse, albeit temporary.

This too would pass - she said to herself as she rubbed her cheeks vigorously. The red in them returned. She was happy. Atleast from the outside things looked better. Rosy.

She shrugged and strode swiftly towards the parking lot, dismissing any and all remonstrative inputs her conscience would strive to make. Not that these thoughts perturbed her in any manner which would cause more than manageable discomfort.

Just that she liked looking at herself in the mirror.

--Kartik.

[--End]

Disabling anon comments

2009-03-13T06:50:00.000-07:00

Folks, I am disabling anonymous comments to the posts in here for reasons that should have been fairly obvious. So yeahh.

-Kartik.

Arbit Stuph - again :)

2009-03-08T16:48:00.000-07:00

I like the song - "Yeh Delhi hai mere yaar" from the movie Delhi -6.
I want to go visit Delhi very bad. So bad its driving me bonkers. But am not very sure if I should.
I finished three books this weekend. Master of life skills by Vijay Nair, The Associate by Grisham and The Final Reckoning by Sam Bourne. Quick work. Satisfying!! On to Feluda now - Volume 2. Need to wrap this up too. If only I had this appetite - for books closer to my line of work ;) *sigh* Or should I consider aligning my line of work with my appetite :) hehe. All in good time. And God willing. But these are not the best of times so shush! :(
PS - I know - I am an insufferable pompous [fill in with expletive of your choice].
I am hungry. I want baked beans on toast, eggs - sunny side up, orange juice, espresso - a tall glass if it can be arranged and a nice oatmeal porridge. See - I told you. Am hungry. And umm I think I am rambling. My tummy's rumbling. And that, ladies and gentleman, was a cheap, lowlife attempt at appearing wiser than thou. And thats what it shall remain. An attempt.
I am decidely weird. Aren't I?
I am on my third red bull and nth umm :)
This is a good time to wake up, but am awake - if you know what I mean.
The economy sucks.
This is not the best of times I've seen. No siree!!
I want to write stuff. Loads. Anonymously.
I want a digital camera. A DSLR.
I am going to Bangalore and then on to a couple of holy places. Perspective building. Introspection. It's one of those things.
I entered a competition. Let's see if I win!!! More on that later. Another post (and a series of posts) - if it happens.
In the recent past, someone close, very close to me said extremely nasty things to me, about my family, about my community. It hurt. And what hurt more is somewhere I actually asked for all of it.
I am torn apart between inclination, logic, affection, intuition, belief, proof, pattern, evidence, insecurity , fear, hope, joy, grief, and a host of other things which I have never faced before and I hope I will never have to again. Ever.
I am in love with the notion of "Delhi".
If one walked into my room right now, it would be an ethereal experience.
I like most of the songs of Delhi 6 :)
I wish I were in high school again.
I composed a song recently. Roomie doing the guit, me doing the guit and Lead vocals. No drums. Twas decent.
Same roomie just startled me (to think I wrote about it somewhere above).
Am I psychic? Or psychotic? Is there a difference :P
I so miss the ability to forget things at will. See, people, this is where a computer scores over humans. Of course we are supposed to control the computer and make ermm arrangements to have the "to be forgotten" data removed. But when we ask for a similar arrangement - all we get from them well wishing, holier than thou junta is - time...Time my son. Give it time.
That, my dear conduit to Godliness, is exactly what I do not have the luxury of. Time eh? Bah!
I do not want my parents to age. I wish they didn't have health issues.
I miss Thatha.
I miss Thatha very much.
I want a Mac - a shining new Mac.
Sachin just plastered the Kiwis. And I missed the treat. Seems like the doctor's been servicing Sachin's engines rather well :) Or maybe mid life crisis is.
When you shave, why is there a greenish tinge all over? The face I mean :)
Makes one look - forget it - but green is for what? Martians? And to think a couple more days of the outgrowth and it looks black?
I am abnormal. I am weird. (Ok I spelt it wierd first). As I always do. Dangit!!
Why does Chris Isaak's "Wicked Game" do this to me. Everytime.
Jack Daniels - Save me!!
My rooms a mess. An unholy, godforsaken mess.
I bet you umm 10 bucks you wouldn't want to see my ever burgeoning to-do list - running and in life.
Not that I'd show it to you either.
Not that you asked for it yeah?
Sometimes, I wonder. Whether I should wonder at all in the very first place.
PS - The woman in "Wicked Game" is simply H.O.T.
I love pointless tautology. Just proves that I am messed up there *points upward*
Learnt that you should either be a prick or a pushover. The "in between" thing has not worked very well. And I think I am more of a prick. With a conscience. ;)
Am I writing way too much. I must be.
Oh yes, on a parting note, "Be careful what you ask for - you might actually get it."
Ok back in a while.
Hmm?

--Kartik.

Random

2009-02-02T04:19:00.000-08:00

So a bunch of folks [most of them good friends] from work got awards for the splendid work that they had done. And true to my nature of jumping in at the opportunity at writing, I wrote them a small poem [?] And here it is:

With sprightly steps and a will so strong,
The warriors all then strode along,
With the tides so high and the seas so deep,
You knew - you had your word to keep,
You toiled , you strove, you marched as told,
And asked when one, you gave tenfold,
Now the peak is yours and the glory too,
Godspeed to you, Godspeed to you !!

Yeah Yeah I know - inane stuff :)

Mine!!!

2008-11-30T20:17:00.000-08:00

A little something *just* occured to me and when I searched it - I found, to my utter joy (ohhh the joy of cheap thrills) that noone else has laid claim to it and hence I proclaim myself to be the one who has come up with this ummm pithy "quote" [if you will :)]

"A moral victory is often a practical defeat (and vice versa)"

** takes a bow ***

PS - I know I am lame :)

I am doing a freakin tag !!!

2008-08-16T12:25:00.000-07:00

So - A feeble attempt at getting back to blogging actively. Maybe I could try my hand at something dry, something which doesnt involve thinking - something which I can dole out readily - off the top of my head - so here goes:
I am doing a tag - courtesy Ananya.
There - I've done it. I've done a friggin tag. I have defiled my blog by doing something which is apparently only for the minnow bloggers. Well, go ahead, smirk your hearts out. Like I care about what anyone thinks about what I do here. Eh?
Bah!

The tag:
Fragrance you are wearing right now:
F by Salvatore Ferragamo
Edit: These days it is Eternity - Calvin Klein

Fragrances you have with you right now:
Okay - this one DID make me think - Here goes:
Burberry Touch - house of Burberry.
F - Salvatore Ferragamo.
Selection - Hugo Boss.
XY Hugo Boss.
Black - Kenneth Cole
Eternity - Calvin Klein
Paco Rabanne.
Silver Black - Azzaro.
Azzaro Classic.
Drakkar Noir.
Deep - Davidoff.
Weekend - Burberry.
Black XS - Paco Rabanne.
Edit: Jazz - from the House of Yves Saint Laurent
Edit: M7 - Yves Saint Laurent
Edit: Armani Code - Thanks to a very dear friend of mine.
the odd Gillette etc.
Umm Disclaimer: Ananya touched upon something which is both an obsession and a hobby - perfumery. So umm I couldn't help but oblige.

Have you ever waxed:
Umm - no. Never. I am ramrod straight :D
Disclaimer #2 - I am very strongly opinionated about what constitutes non straight behaviour and waxing is a decidedly blunt indicator of umm non-straightedness, if you will.

What are you wearing right now:
You wouldn't want to know ;)

Which celebrity do you have the hots for these days?
Hots? Aesthetic admiration is what I would call it :) Umm that would be Chitrangada Singh.

Last movie you watched:
Would be Hotel Rwanda - third time.

Last thing that found it's way down your throat?
Umm - *thinks mischievously* Is this a trick question? Is there a link between a presumably non-straight preoccupation like perfumery and the question above?
Or is it an innocent(but decidedly twisted) way of asking "What did you eat last?" :) Well the answer would be - Parle G and Black Coffee.

What is your biggest focus for this year:
Surviving. In all senses of the word. Reskilling. Shaping Up. Tons of stuff. Ohh focus should be more like a few items yeah? Prioritization, If you will huh? Umm Not for me. I multitask. And I daresay I am darn good at it.

What is irking you at the mo?
That I am doing this bloody tag even though I know I will regret it. Soon.

What will you be doing after you finish the tag:
Cleaning my room. Running through my to-do list.

Reason you are doing this tag:
1) I have been EBM'ed by Ananya to do this.
2) In the hope that it would revive the writer in me. Have succumbed to the double whammy of procrastination and writers block.

Phew!!!

--Kartik.

A Brand New Day: A Brand New Beginning!!!

2007-10-01T18:09:00.001-07:00

Warning: Abnormally long post (could be - I just started writing and something tells me - I might take a while to sign off :) )

So here I am at last!!! So much for the promises that I'd blog regularly. Nevertheless, I am going to write something about a few Issues that I've vowed to work upon (apart from, of course, my usual ramblings).

1.)
A health Issue - rather nagging(annoying, if you will) has screwed up my bio rhythm. Of course, apart from the usual effects on one's health, in my case, I see a cascading effect on my life, my workplace and so on.
Challenge #1 - Tide this over - ASAP and get back to a "normal" state of being.
Challenge #2 - Refocus efforts on reskilling and work.

2.)
A personal issue - is making life rather surprisingly difficult. Some might choose to say that I am complicating things by focussing on the past, but this is how it is.
Challenge #3 - Take a stand - execute without guilt, remorse and pity.
Challenge #4 - Stay clinical, stay objective, stay brief - to the point. Stay "black and white".

3.)
Act on my ever burgeoning "To Do/To Accomplish in life" list.
Challenge #5 - Collate, Prioritise and start executing on the same.

4.)
Related to #1. - Stay away from a nocturnal bio rhythm. Need to force myself to bear, to adapt and to change.
Challenge #6 - Deliver the goods and fast.

5.)
Reskilling myself, deciding on a future course of action and executing.
Challenge #7 - Setting a timeline and sticking to the plan of action.

6.)
Challenging myself every day. Several years ago, a mentor of mine had told me - KS, if you wish to stave away boredom, monotony of life and stagnation - keep taking a new challenge head on each day.
Challenge #8 - Keep challenging myself every day. It could be solving a Sudoku puzzle, lifting 50 Kg weights with one hand, wearing Green Trousers to work ..anything, any darned thing in God's Green Earth.

7.)
Staying unemotional when getting emotional is not required. Sometimes, (most of the times - these days), I tend to get emotional, soft and gush with concern when it is really uncalled for.
This leads to people getting ample opportunity to exploit me(sometimes under my nose, and , with my knowledge).
Challenge #9 - Get clinical, Stay clinical, objective and call a spade - a spade.

QOTD: In God I trust, the rest - bring me data!!!

Oh and of course!!! - I have decided to reopen a blog of mine - a Tech blog on MSDN.
Here's the URL(slyly increasing my "linked by" metrices) - http://blogs.msdn.com/kshankar

Do visit (for mundane tech. stuff and for all things geeky).

I am back folks!!!

---Kartik.

Edit: I wanted to add some sense into my blog and so AdSense :)

Ok - bad joke. Well, I was actually wondering if this thing is any good - AdSense I mean and so I want to kinda play around with it - yet again.

PS. If the usage of AdSense in my blog annoys you for some esoteric reason, please feel free to email me a gift cheque - Thank you very much :)

Whew!!!

2007-04-15T03:32:00.000-07:00

Well, well, well lots have happened since the time I last posted.
I've moved to a new company now.
Loads of changes. Lifestyle, attitude, spiritual and so on...
My sister's now royally hitched - as in married to one hell of a good guy!!
Am so happy for her .. although this now means a lot of shared time :)
Well, I guess it's part of playing this game called life.

Ok.. to cut a long story short.. I just wanted to write something to break this jinxed phase of zero blogging. Its actually my lazy backside that needs to take all the blame for this .. hehe.

I was casually browsing through blogs and found one yesterday. Some of the poem couplets written were really impressive and I couldn't help but challenging myself if I could do it again.. you know.. rapid composing. A couple of years back and I was an avid (rabid?) writer. So, well, I thought of challenging myself to see if I still had it in me to write a few rhyming lines in a couple of minutes and this was what came out. Am not sure if it makes any sense to anybody other than me, but yeahh, I've made my point - to myself.

Will post again.. later.

Of friends spurned and foes earned
Of life cast away...
Of peace denied and blinded eye
Its all there in life - Fie!!!

A face thats seen it all
A face: "far away" ------------> :)
Mind grappling with mind...
I tell thee ---> make way.

For, in battles fought and faces sought -----> :)
I say again and mark me thee.
The one you seek is inside you..
The one - The one that'll set you free.

Indeed is sweet the joy of life..
Faces you'll see.. faces galore.
Life's not all sorrow and strife..
Hark my words.. I'll tell you more...

Well, thats what - Life.. is good.

Signing off for now.

-Kartik.

I love you Thatha...

2006-06-16T16:58:00.000-07:00

To Thatha - with love...Your "Best Boy in the world"

How can I even dare to think that I'd be able to put into words what you mean to me and me to you...

I am trying to write what I would call even by exaggerated terms - a feeble attempt at capturing the enigma that is you...

I still remember when I was a kid of 2-3 years, I would stick around with you more than Amma and Appa.To me you meant, mean and will mean the world - more.

I remember...

How you used to pick me up from school when the entire area was waterlogged and nobody would take the responsibility of
bringing the 4 year old kid back home. I remember how I used to clutch your fingers feeling secure in the feeling that my
Thatha's there and that I am in the hands of someone who loves me - unconditionally.

How you used to shield me from Amma's cane and Appa's scoldings by taking the blame of eating that extra piece of chocolate
on yourself.

How you carried me on one hand and my tricycle on another just to give me a good time when you had a health problem
yourself..

How you used to buy me the "chiclets" chewing gum which I so craved for cos it was the in thing back then and how you bore
the brunt of having to hear Amma saying that you're spoiling me...

How you used to give me those one rupee coins for the video games that I used to love..

How you took the blame of breaking the Swani Undial accidentally when I had done it to "steal" money for eating kulfi..

How you used to hide foodstuff for me when I was not allowed them..

How you used to take my side no matter what I did..

How both of us went to that cheap barber shop and got ourselves that wierd haircut ;)

How you jumped for joy when I won the best debater of the district, best quiz contestant and best out-going student, you were
my only family member around..

How your eyes welled up with pride when I got my NTSE scholarship...

How you used to pay up for the glass panes that I had broken in a stupid cricket match..

How you used to hug and console me when Amma used to be particulary hard on me...

How you used to look into my eyes, that look, which only you and I know, feel and understand...

How you controlled your hunger for the sake of eating with me...

How you used to wait till 2:00 am and beyond till I got back home from work...

How you used to give me the extra rupees so I could use the Auto instead of the public bus and how you used to walk instead..

How you used to tell me in "our" way that Amma is coming and that I should stop doing "that" :)...

How you used to wake me up every morning so I could be on time...

How you used to sit with me during study time so I could revise and not feel lonely..

How you used to patiently listen to me explaining Integral Calculus when you didnt have a clue..

I love you.

How you used to walk those long walks with me...

How you've lived the major part of your life doting on me, loving me, sheltering and protecting me...

You did all of this for me Thatha..

And now, today, when you are not in the best of health, what am I doing for you??
Nothing.

I am sitting pretty here, 600 odd kilometres away and keep procrastinating a visit on the pretext that it's a strenuous journey.

I just wish that I could take away all your pain on myself...

I just wish that I could take it all away...

Just this once...

And me, all of 23 years of age and counting, just look at me Thatha, my eyes water even though I am not an emotional person.It waters for you...

I salute you Old man, I love you so much, in a way no one can love anybody else.

I salute you.

With love,Your "Best Boy in the world"

Ye Hai Meri Kahani

2006-06-16T16:32:00.000-07:00

I've been hearing this song from the movie Zinda.. am hooked on to it.
Heard it in a team outing we had today - poolside and all and this song is so so getting to me, in a good way of course.

---KS.

Okay!!

2006-06-03T16:25:00.000-07:00

Managed to salvage some pride there.
A few improvements and I guess I'll be home.

BlogSpot Screwed up my Blog.

2006-05-24T14:31:00.000-07:00

My Blog's screwed :(

I gotta look for an alternative now :( :(

Trying ta recover my posts.

---KS.

Go I know not where - Want I know not what - Russian Saying.

2006-05-21T17:50:00.000-07:00

Sometimes I lie awake at night, and I ask, "Where have I gone wrong?" Then a voice says to me, "This is going to take more than one night." - Charlie Brown

I have this very unusual habit(unusual by my standards) of ruminating endlessly on/about something when it catches my fancy. The above quote is one such example.
I mean just read it once man, doesn't it remind you of something, somewhere, in your life.
Where you wish that once just that once you could go back, set that thing right and things would be Ok.

Fact is I didn't sleep the whole of last night - was kinda setting my room right.
Only endless cups of liquor tea, music (and emm well yeah forget it) and force of habit kept me going. And now, I am thinking of going for work, getting my stuff done fast and then scramming back home to get dozing. Hmm Can life get more bizarre!!?

Which brings me back to what I was thinking of - in fact a host of things - all of which it is not possible to enumerate in one single post. Boyy am I rambling?? Guess I am and I guess too (and not far from the truth) that I am not making much sense(not to myself at least).

Arbit:
=====
Is Tatu a "non-straight" band?
Will Kaif be axed?
Will I send out assignments for my team members well before they get their backsides to work?
Will I go for work?
Will my sister be the same loving sister she is after she gets married?
Will i be able to zero in on what I want?
Will I get what I want after knowing what I want?
Why does liquor tea taste better than black coffee?
Why does coffee with milk taste better than tea with milk?
Why am I getting addicted to Orkut?
Is this a tag I am doing?
Why am I 23?
And why not 15?
Why don't I get roomies who'll play cricket with me instead of watching Asianet all friggin day??
Why does that Chick from the gym look at me 'that' way?
And not "that" way? (LOL)

Maan - I am arbit!!!

---KS.

Message from 919866154851

2006-05-03T11:41:00.000-07:00

dammit!! Its so warm here in hydy and the power cut aint helping a bit. Ok- dis is me 1st post 4m mah celfone.
-ks.

Has this happened to you?

2006-03-25T13:00:00.000-08:00

I have some work, some urgent work in fact which requires my presence at around 09:30 - 12:30 and here I am blogging away to glory, keeping myself awake, just for the one reason viz. If I do sleep, then I'll sleep over the deadline.

Just imagine!! I am keeping myself awake cos I know for a fact that I won't wake up even If I am awake, if I go to sleep. I love sleeping(after eating ie) and such is my love for shut-eye that I know it is overpowering. Sometimes I feel ashamed of myself, but till such time that I am confident of waking up when I have to as opposed to when I want to, I'll Break this habit.

And that's one more reason, I love Linkin Park's Breaking The Habit.

Maybe some of you could coax me into losing this habit, but men have tried and so have women, and so have I, but I just can't manage to lose the inertia maaan.. Dammit !!

I can stay days without getting shut-eye, but once I sleep, I lose it, I lose the damn plot and thats the end of that.

Frustrating...Really.

---KS.

The South Indian Maami :)

2006-03-24T13:49:00.000-08:00

This is the first part of a series of articles(?) that me's gonna put up.
I've been a part of all of these ahem.. experiences and so what you're gonna read is a first hand account :)

The US Maami :)
================

Circa 2004
Avi and me were walking down Gariahat Road near a small shop dealing with Egg Rolls and Noodles.
We chanced upon a "well endowed lady with gray hair, kanjeevaram saari, nose ring on both sides of the nose, a large pottu(bindi), a bifocal, AND the ubiquitous shopping bag.

This lady was known to me as G Maami and this was someone who would smirk at the very mention of the word Onion/Garlic and Non-Veg was blasphemy!!!

She was with another person(with much the same physical characteristics - later on I would know that it was G Maami's daughter).

I decide to play polite and say "Hello, Do you remember me? I used to come to your house when Mom used to attend Bhajan classes, I am so and so's son yadda yadda..and after speaking at length about my ancestry, she shows signs of recognising me :)

Then the maaminess takes centre stage.

G: "Aamam da kanna, you were so small the last time I saw you"

(Me: (thinking to myself, Yeah like I could help it - I was caught trying to kill a few ants - what could I do man, I was bored - in a crowd of clone maamis trying to appease Lord Muruga with hair raising cacophony.)

G: I heard you had been to the US, is that true?
Me(thinking: what would you want it to be, what a dumb ass question? )
Aloud: Yes Maami, that is correct.

G: Oh!! You should visit time's square - Yit is Funtastick.
Me: Oh I see, I am glad that you liked it, I liked it too.

G: Where were you put up?
Me: New Jersey, Boston and NY City.

G: And you found it nice no? Lot's of Indian girls your age, very luvly experience no kanna?
Me:(thinking: She is 65+ and still does'nt let go)
Aloud: Yes, of course, it is, but I got bored somewhere down the line.

G: Bored - a ? What are you saying? I yenjoyed yevery bit of US.
Modern people like us should yappreciate you know.
Yit is a lovely place, I say!!
Me: Ah, that's right.

G's daughter butts in. Let's call her D.

D: Aamam, what have you done?
Me: I am sorry I didn't get your question aunty. ( :( )

D: I was asking you what you studied?
Me: Answers.

D: Oh I see, these days wopputunites are more, I say.
Even my husband is an engineer, but he works for XYZ in Ranchi.
Me: (Not knowing what kind of expression I should push on to my face)
aloud: Oh -- Ah -- I .. er.. I see.

G: Wokay, we must leave.
D: (doesn't want to give up)
D: to Avi - What have you done?
Avi looks at me and gives me the 'is-this-done-the-same-done-that-she -meant-with-you look), Masters in Stats. Aunty.
D: Oh!! I see, and where do you work, by the by ( Duh!! )
Avi: Answers.
D: See, I told you opportunities are better these days and she looks at G.

Meanwhile, I observe that G is gorging on an onion roll.
Me: Aunty, I gather you like onion rolls?
G: Oh yes da kanna, I picked up this habit in the US.

Me: Ok Aunty, gotta go..

G, 65+, Tamil Bhajan lead singer, used to hate onions, used to preach so in fact.
D, not worth talking about her.
Me: hapless onlooker and partial participant in a maami onslaught.

Maan!!!

Routine Stuff :)

2006-03-24T13:41:00.000-08:00

3:24 AM : A software geek pounding away at his comp, battling- matching his wits with Boris Spassky on ChessMaster 5000. Then Quake III (It rocks!!!). Then Counter Strike...and so on.

Gosh!! it's almost 8:00, time to go for work Duh!

BTW, it's 3:24 Am now here in India.

---KS.

Mohe Rang de Basanti Chola.......

2006-03-23T04:13:00.000-08:00

Soul Stirring …

Today is the 23rd of March. Same Day in 1931 witnessed the sacrifice of the Great Indian Legend Shahid Bhagat Singh, Sukhdev and Rajguru.

Let's pay our tributes to them

""SHAHID DIN CHIRAYU RAHE""

Bhagat Singh's last petition
====================

To The Punjab Governor :

Sir, With due respect we beg to bring to your kind notice the following:
That we were sentenced to death on 7th October 1930 by a British Court, L.C.C Tribunal, constituted under the Sp. Lahore Conspiracy Case Ordinance, promulgated by the H.E. The Viceroy, the Head of the British Government of India, and that the main charge against us was that of having waged war against H.M. King George, the King of England.

The above-mentioned finding of the Court pre-supposed two things:

Firstly, that there exists a state of war between the British Nation and the Indian Nation and, secondly, that we had actually participated in that war and were therefore war prisoners. The second pre-supposition seems to be a little bit flattering, but nevertheless it is too tempting to resist the desire of acquiescing in it. As regards the first, we are constrained to go into some detail. Apparently there seems to be no such war as the phrase indicates. Nevertheless, please allow us to accept the validity of the pre-supposition taking it at its face value. But in order to be correctly understood we must explain it further.

Let us declare that the state of war does exist and shall exist so long as the Indian toiling masses and the natural resources are being exploited by a handful of parasites.
They may be purely British Capitalist or mixed British and Indian or even purely Indian. They may be carrying on their insidious exploitation through mixed or even on purely Indian bureaucratic apparatus.

All these things make no difference.

No matter, if your Government tries and succeeds in winning over the leaders of the upper strata of the Indian Society through petty concessions and compromises and thereby cause a temporary demoralization in the main body of the forces.

No matter, if once again the vanguard of the Indian movement, the Revolutionary Party, finds itself deserted in the thick of the war.

No matter if the leaders to whom personally we are much indebted for the sympathy and feelings they expressed for us, but nevertheless we cannot overlook the fact that they did become so callous as to ignore and not to make a mention in the peace negotiation of even the homeless, friendless and penniless of female workers who are alleged to be belonging to the vanguard and whom the leaders consider to be enemies of their utopian non-violent cult which has already become a thing of the past; the heroines who had ungrudgingly sacrificed or offered for sacrifice their husbands, brothers, and all that were nearest and dearest to them, including themselves, whom your government has declared to be outlaws.

No matter, it your agents stoop so low as to fabricate baseless calumnies against their spotless characters to damage their and their party's reputation.

The war shall continue.

It may assume different shapes at different times. It may become now open, now hidden, now purely agitational, now fierce life and death struggle. The choice of the course, whether bloody or comparatively peaceful, which it should adopt rests with you.

Choose whichever you like. But that war shall be incessantly waged without taking into consideration the petty (illegible) and the meaningless ethical ideologies. It shall be waged ever with new vigour, greater audacity and unflinching determination till the Socialist Republic is established and the present social order is completely replaced by a new social order, based on social prosperity and thus every sort of exploitation is put an end to and the humanity is ushered into the era of genuine and permanent peace. In the very near future the final battle shall be fought and final settlement arrived at.

The days of capitalist and imperialist exploitation are numbered. The war neither began with us nor is it going to end with our lives. It is the inevitable consequence of the historic events and the existing environments. Our humble sacrifices shall be only a link in the chain that has very accurately been beautified by the unparalleled sacrifice of Mr. Das and most tragic but noblest sacrifice of Comrade Bhagawati Charan and the glorious death of our dear warrior Azad.

As to the question of our fates, please allow us to say that when you have decided to put us to death, you will certainly do it. You have got the power in your hands and the power is the greatest justification in this world. We know that the maxim "Might is right" serves as your guiding motto. The whole of our trial was just a proof of that. We wanted to point out that according to the verdict of your court we had waged war and were therefore war prisoners.

And we claim to be treated as such, i.e., we claim to be shot dead instead of to be hanged. It rests with you to prove that you really meant what your court has said.

We request and hope that you will very kindly order the military department to send its detachment to perform our execution.

Yours'

BHAGAT SINGH

Source: Email Forward.

PS. When I went through the above text, I started visualizing how it would have been at the time, How would have Bhagat Singh felt, the rush of adrenalin, the intense and unadulterated feeling of pride and attachment to one's mother land.

Gave me Goose Bumps.

Jai Hind.

Taking Recourse to Chanting HIS name.

2006-03-20T08:15:00.000-08:00

Jai Hanuman.

http://www.hanuman.com/cha.html

For a detailed translation of the HANUMAN CHALISA.

May HIS force be with me.

---KS.

Confusions in the mind of an even more confused geek!!

2006-03-20T07:37:00.000-08:00

Okay, What Next?

As the days pass by, I keep wondering... what next???
Do I go ahead and keep piling degree upon technical degree, adding to this ever burgeoning repository, certificates like PMP, XYZ certified manager, ABC certified Yadda Yadda Programmer
-OR-
Do I worm my way up into the hallowed portals of a B-School as a panacea to all my problems.
-What do I want?

Answer: Freedom.
I want to do what I want to do, when I want to do that and in whichever way I want to do that.

Okay, this mightn't be exactly possible, but I could even settle for something which is two paces behind.

When I surf the web, listen to colleagues, look at oddball managers getting paid obscene amounts of money
[ :( ], I often wonder, am I taking my life at the right pace, am I enjoying my life? Am I simply listening to a brain which has started locomoting languorously in a make-believe world?
What the heck is going on?
Why are things so chaotic? Or is it that I am trying to make sense of/in a world which is by nature - not given to stability, orderliness and predictability.
Or am I simply mouthing what is already known to us.

In fact, I do not even know if I've made even an iota of sense in myramblings above.

---Hoping to get myself a direction which my mind, body and soul all look forward to move in.

What the Heck!!

2006-03-16T02:46:00.000-08:00

I am so pissed off – I could kill a horse… literally!!!Dunno what’s zzactly doing this to me, but yeah – pissed off I am!!I am bored.Frustrated.In a ‘can’t be bothered’ mood.And I am testing the email to blog feature of blogger.:(Will update more when I get back home.

Whew!! Am Back :)

2006-03-14T10:19:00.000-08:00

Dragon Force !! Yeah Thats the name.
Man, it's been just a couple of hours since I started listening to them and believe me, they are a good team.
Was listening to 'Apostles of Darkness' a music only number and the tune was so haunting that it aroused in me instincts of all kinds.
Picture this:
You feel:
Nostalgic
Inspired
Intrigued
Pumped up
... *ALL* at the same time.

Now thats's the kind of stuff I am talking about.

Cut to my current state of mind.

Some oddball bozo is making a visit to my workplace and my Boss tells me:
What time can I expect you K?
And i go - 'umm, 9:00, maybe'
To which this 'boss' replies, 'AM or PM'
Can it get any more cornier than this.

Add to this a very dreary phase I am going through, and what you get is unadulterated misery :(
Duh!!

Okey Dokey, Limewire Zindabad - I am totally and completely in love with Limewire.
You guys can call me primitive, but the UI coupled with the vast number of er.. downloadables that it gives me access to make it one of my favourite toys :)

Ah!! I am a happy man tonight.

Some more work---done !!!

2006-02-11T21:24:00.000-08:00

Okay-- Just got done with mending my bi-cycle. The bugger took two bucks. :(
In Calcutta, it would take a maximum of 50p. This is a whole lot more.
Savings!!! If things go on this way, what's to become of my dream house (lol).

Ok, on a serious note, Hyderabad is full of people waiting to swindle unsuspecting customers, mostly IT junta. Their premise, when confronted, is that the "IT peepul" earn well and hence it will not hurt 'em if they pay a bit more.

This attitude (which dates back to the Nizam of Hyderabad-- and probably beyond) is deeply rooted in the very psyche of the majority of Hyderabadis.

For all it's e-governance initiatives and cyber-affinity, corruption is rife in every nook and cranny of this city.

Standard Disclaimer: All that I just said is my personal opinion. The city of Hyderabad is of course, charming and beautiful. Hope my detractors are mollified.

Oh BTW, Fundamental Rights - Indian Constitution - (freedom of speech and expression)

Footnote: In my view, the person who perpetrates a wrong deed openly is more honest than one who claims to be transparent but does the dirty work behind the scenes.
In the latter case, the corruption quotient(if such a thing exists) is just way more sophisticated.

Footnote #2. Something I found while Googling on Hydy. Click HERE.

Okay-- Nuff said,, I've been awake for quite some time now.
Gotta go and hit the sack.

Adios Amigo.
Catchya folks later.

Burp!!! All in a matter of two hours :)

2006-02-11T19:09:00.000-08:00

Well, in addition to the "general" psychotic rantings, I will be using this place to record my progress in two major tasks that I've charged myself with:
(i) Disciplining myself.
(ii)Getting my backside on a seat in a B-School of good standing.
As of now, I am looking at the IIM's (premier B-Schools in India) and ISB. Later on, I might take a look at B-Schools outside India.
Okay, we're digressing.
Stuff I gotta take care of:
(i) Being on time for work.
(ii) Adhering to my to-do list.
Incidentally, my to do list is a specimen of sorts. It has shown a marked propensity to grow inordinately long.In addition it also has to bear the brunt of abject negligence by it's creator.
This, should change. Will, infact.
(iii) Time management. Putting an end to mindless procrastination.

--- The time now is 8:58 AM - Sunday, Feb 12th 2006.
PS. I had promised to meet a friend of mine at 8:30 AM in front of "Jayam Tiffin Center" to gorge on Vadas.
Well I might as well add another action item on my agenda.
I need to stop eating immodestly. I do wish to reduce weight, but the mind AND body show neither a remote inclination towards spartan fare, nor do they appreciate *any* attempts at rationing food intake.

So there we go.
(iv) Check food intake. (ROTFL) and mend that bi-cycle of yours.
(v) Join a gym.
(vi) Use the stairs instead of using the elevator.

Hey... See what I mean by "the-to-do-list growing inordinately long"

--- :)
--KS.

Who would believe it?

2006-02-11T18:45:00.000-08:00

It took me all of a couple of hours to decorate my new toy - this darned blog that you're looking at. Okay - I admit the work is amateurish at best, but then, I am accountable only to God and myself.
Like they say, ONLY GOD can judge me. :) and He's on my side, GOD I mean.

So-- for now, this is how this blog's gonna look like.

Finally, I've started it again !!

2006-02-11T16:58:00.000-08:00

Hello (Blog) world!!

In true blue techie tradition, I am re starting my blog with the lines "Hello World", albeit with a slight twist. :)

I've seen several blogs in and around blogosphere with a lot of content where the frequency of posting is high, the content is engrossing yada yada yada but somehow the blogger kinda starts slowing down.

It's my promise to anybody who cares to listen.
This blog will be updated atleast once a week.
That now, is a promise I make to myself. (edit: which I have evidently broken and it lies - untended, battered, tattered and mangled beyond recognition).