Flashback 2009

This is basically going to be my last post this year, I am leaving for my hometown tomorrow evening and would be back early next year. I want this post to reflect all the happening throughout the year. This is going to be a long post so I apologize in advance. But this post will track all the important events that took place in the year 2009.

The year started superbly for me, I was in GOA and it was a fabulous trip and I enjoyed each and every moment. I then came back all set to buy a new car for myself. On the 22nd I became a proud owner of Maruti Suzuki Swift Vxi. I had always loved this car and finally it was mine so it was a great feeling and a great beginning to the year.

February is always special, not for Valentines day but because my birthday is on the 8th of Feb. It was a eventful birth day as my parents joined and we went to the famous Mela of Surajkund. In March we paid a surprise visit to our parents on occasion of Holi and I went there by road in my new car. The total distance covered in going to and coming back from Allahabad was approx 1700 kms. My sister and brother-in-law accompanied me in this trip. My Grandfather (Nana ji) was overwhelmed by this act and he felt proud for me.

April began with a bang with Yashpal, one of my best friend, got married to the love of his life Anju on the 3rd of April. It was such a relief, all the investment made over the years finally gave results. We had planned a Water Rafting trip at Rishikesh starting on the 12th of April and everything was ready but God had different ideas. My Nana ji died on 11th night and we were plunged into deep sorrow. My mother is the only child and I had lost my Nani ji as early as 1994 so with the death of Nana ji, my mother had lost both her parents and she was shattered.

I was very attached to my Nana Ji and could not digest it. Also the fact that I was worried about my Mother and that she was all alone made me visit her very frequently in the months of May and June. That made these two months very hectic and I was like deserted. But as it is said that time heals everything, we also came out of the situation and returned to our normal lives but the loss was irreparable.

In the second week of July, 10th to be precise, Yashpal left FirstRain and joined Sapient. I was very happy for him at the same time there was a fear that we would not be working together anymore. I went to Shimla in the first week of August with my sister, brother-in-law and his friends. It was a great trip for two major reasons. One we were relieved of the scorching heat of Delhi and two it has been a while since I had an outing and it was a refreshing trip.

September brought a sad news for all of us at FirstRain as Harshal decided to quit. He was a one man army and his shoes are too big for any common man to fill into. His sheer presence was a influencing factor and we miss him and his services even today. He has subscribed to my Blog and I am sure he will read this so I take this opportunity to thank him for all the guidance and support.

October brought my parents back to Delhi to celebrate the second birthday of my nephew Daksh on the 4th of October, it was scheduled to be a grand party but things did not shape up and we ended up having a small family dinner at the Country Inn and Suites, Ghaziabad. It was a great place with great food and we had loads of fun. It was at this point of time we realised that time flies, it seems as if it was just yesterday when Daksh stepped into this world. God Bless you sweetu. I also visited Allahabad in October to be home with my parents on Diwali. We were not in the best of moods and Diwali was not celebrated as we do generally. It was more of a custom that we followed.

November marked a great change in my life as my parents Gifted me a house in Sector 5 Vasundhara, Ghaziabad in Olive County. The deal was finalized and the payments were settled on the 14th of November so I considered it as my Children's Day Gift. It was a feat that we were trying to achieve for sometime and finally got it done. A great relief and yes a great asset. I also visited home with my room mates on a weekend and enjoyed ourselves in the city. We also visited famous places in Allahabad and also took a dip in the Holy Ganges, Sangam to be precise. November also marked the marriage of one of my oldest friends Rishi.

It has been a eventful year to say the least, I have seen good times and bad and the best part of it is that the year is still not over. I have already had a busy last week with friends. I had a blast on Christmas and I have great plans for the coming new year eve. I guess I would be busy welcoming new year and am sure will not be able to catch hold of my Laptop. So a HAPPY NEW YEAR in advance, will be back early next year and then I shall post a formal New Year post, till then take care and enjoy !!!.

Merry Christmas

It has been a good day for me, happening would be more appropriate. I was up early as I had booked tickets for 3 idiots starting at 10:00 in the morning. The sacrifice of getting up early was very well rewarded as I saw the best movie of 2009 in 3 Idiots. Then it was a good lunch at home with my room mate followed by a sound sleep and a much needed rest. I also received several calls from friends and colleagues. Some of my very old friends from Allahabad called me and made my day. It has been an eventful day to say the least.

My Christmas celebrations ad started yesterday in office where we had a small party to celebrate Christmas. We played some games, had cakes and pastries and really enjoyed. I have uploaded a video clip from the office celebration. It has been a busy week and things are getting hotter, I already have plans for each day now till the 3rd of January and I am really excited about it.



I would also like to wish all my readers, family members, relatives and friends Merry Christmas and pray to God to grant them their wishes and help them achieve whatever they strive for. It is a festival of gifts and I gift you all my friendship well I guess that is the best I can dish out at this point of time. Close your eyes and see if Santa comes, he may not be present physically but he is there for sure we just need to believe.

3 Idiots - A must watch

I have watched 3 Idiots and I can easily say that this is the best movie of 2009. It has everything that a movie needs to be a super hit. Romance, Suspense, Humor and seriousness are all very much part of this movie needless to say that this movie also has a beautiful message that it tries to convey to the viewers : 'Wo kaam karo jo tumhe accha lage'. This movie is very lively and there is no dull movement in the movie, you will be laughing almost throughout the movie. But then suddenly the movie makes you very serious and the transition is beautifully handled.

Based on the Novel by Chetan Bhagat, 3 Idiots does full justice to the story narrated in the Novel. It is very closely aligned with the concept of Chetan but it has been enhanced by the creative team of Vidhu Vinod Chopra. Amir Khan is at his best once again, Sharman Joshi looks cool and I was like surprised by the acting of Mahadevan. All in all a great film that has almost everything that you would associate with a movie. Even the name of characters are beautiful:
* Amir Khan as Ranncchoddas Shamalaldas Chanchad (Rancho)
* R. Madhavan as Farhan Qureshi
* Sharman Joshi as Raju Rastogi
* Kareena Kapoor as Pia Sahastrabuddhe
* Boman Irani as Viru Sahastrabuddhe

There is a character named Chatur, another very important character named 'Phunsuk Wangdu'. The songs in the movie are really cute and fit into the scenes superbly. The movie, like Taare Zameen Par, prepares a emotional web around the viewers and keep them glued to the story line. The music, choreography, locations, costumes all are just perfect. There is a sequence in the movie which reinstate the fact that it is a movie, all other 160 minutes make you feel part of it.

I loved the '5 point Someone' and I loved the movie and I give it a 5* rating. I feel that this is easily the best movie of 2009. It is a must watch and if you miss it, you would feel something missing when you walk into the New Year. Stop reading and go out to watch this spectacular piece of work.

Did She Complain ?

This is a question that I have asked myself a few times since last week. Last week I paid visit to Neetu Sharma, a friend of mine, who was recently married. It was good to see her after a long time and I was surprised to see her in a saree and wearing the ornaments and 'Sindoor'. She was looking so different and decent, I was shocked. I always believe that make up and dress can change the way you look and my belief was confirmed when I saw her. We spent good two to three hours together at her place and it was a really nice feeling.

I had a good time, I met her family after a gap of almost two years, her younger brother had gained a lot a weight and height as compared to the last time I saw him, Hema, her sister was talking very professionally and I was very very happy. But then there was one thing that was continuously troubling me, I could read her eyes complaining, feeling sad for the fact that I did not attend her wedding. Yes, I did not attend her wedding and I am sorry for that but there were circumstances that kept me away from reaching the wedding place. I could feel the thing doing rounds in mind. No she did not complain but I felt like she did and I felt bad.

I am really a loser when it comes to friends and I made her unhappy. It has been playing all over me and even though I am excited about my plans for this New Year, I thought I would publicly apologize to her and say 'I am Sorry'. Sometimes you just do not get to do exactly what you want to. This is just my guilt that I writing this post, she has not complained. Had she complained, it would have been easier for me but by her noble act she has actually forced me to write this post. Congratulation Neetu, have a great married life ahead, may God be with you always. Enjoy !!!

The Road Map to New Year

I have spent this weekend basically planning my activities for the next 2 weeks leading into the New Year. It has been a marathon discussion thread involving my close friends and relatives. I have been on Cloud 9 the entire day and things look pretty bright. Ifs and Buts have not yet been answered but the program is almost final. I also have my tickets done none are confirmed but should get confirmed till the date of journey.

So here is the synopsis of what I have planned for this year end. I have a friend to visit this Christmas and I will be spending the entire day with his family. Then on Saturday, the 26th, I have to meet a old and very dear friend of mine whom I have not paid a visit for months. I guess it would be a day long activity as both of us have so much to talk. Sometimes I feel proud that I do not have a girl friend hence I have time and holidays at my disposal to utilize. But then I also miss the fun and feeling that was present when I was in a relationship. Coming back to the topic, I have to go to office from Monday, the 28th, to 30th and then I would be off to Varanasi where I would stay till the 2nd before I catch a train back to Delhi.

The plan is final and I do not see any changes happening obviously god willing. I am all very excited about celebrating the New Year eve with my family and relatives. It is going to a huge gathering with almost all of our relatives sure to come. I have spent good part of yesterday and almost the all of today on my phone deciding and finalizing the dates and programme. Airtel should thank me :) Now when I am done and return back to daily routine, I find myself lagging behind, I have loads of work to finish this coming week and I am not sure about the work load in the week after Christmas as well.

Nothing comes for free and I will have to earn my good time by working real hard, but then it becomes impossible to work when your mind is doing something other that what you want it to do :). Even the last year, I had a great time when we went to Goa to celebrate Christmas and New Year. This year the excitement begins a little late but the fun would be the same. Yipeee!!!

Vodafone Zoo Zoo

The Zoo Zoos have been playing all over me for long now. I have been bowled over by the concept introduced by Vodafone and I really appreciate the thought process that is being applied to product promotion. The concept is really beautiful and it highlights the efforts of the creative team. I am a fan of the Zoo Zoos from the time they were introduced and my love for them grows each time a see a advertisement featuring the Zoo Zoo.

There are several Zoo Zoo advertisements but my favourite is the 'Divert Calls' one. I have watched it several times but there is something special about this one that I find it as good as new each time I watch it and it makes me happy. I never get the feel that it is the same advertisement that I have seen so many times. You can watch all the 25 Zoo Zoo advertisements here and decide which one is your favourite. God Bless the Zoo Zoo community.

The Other Side of 'Bheegi Billi'

'Bheegi Billi', the famous animated character airing on 9XM channel has made me think differently. I enjoy watching it as much as you people do but I find something a bit more serious being conveyed silently. Have you ever imagined why the cartoon always ends up on the losing side and why has it been named 'Bheegi Billi' ?. Well even I never thought about it but just today morning while the show was running I tried to analyse it and was shocked with the conclusions I reached.

People love to laugh on others problem and that is exactly what happens with the so called 'Bheegi Billi'. It fails in whatever it tries to do and people see the lighter side of it. But if you think deeply it has been designed in such a manner so that people love it. So can we say that we are very mean and laugh at others problem. I apologize if I am taking a light subject too seriously but this thought crossed my mind and really disturbed me. Why we prefer to laugh at others problem ? Human nature is the simplest answer that I can think of. But then there should be something more.

This thought was sparked when I saw the show, I am in no way criticising the concept of 'Bheegi Billi' but then why not the 'Badshah Bhai' which also plays on the same channel is as popular as 'Bheegi Billi'? . There are a few questions that haunt me and I still don't have answers to. If any one of you has a answer that could guide me to a proper conclusion I will be happy to know.

But all said and done the 'Bheegi Billi' is a beautiful concept and is one of my favourites. So the next time you watch this show just take what it tries to show or depict and do not try to analyze it in depth as I did otherwise you may also end up writing a good for nothing post and confuse yourself even more.

Yuvraj Celebrates his BirthDay in Style

Yuvraj Singh celebrated his birthday today by getting himself the Man Of The Match award in the second T20 match of the India - Sri Lanka series. The birthday boy scored 60 of just 25 balls and also took 3 wickets for 23 odd runs and presented India with a win and levelled the series. This has also been the highest run chase in T20 cricket. This has been one hell of a birthday for Yuvraj and I am sure he would remember this for long time.

I guess this is probably the best way to celebrate your birthday when you make the entire nation proud of you and get the acclaims. It has been a perfect innings to say the least. Well done mate you have made us all proud. Happy Birth Day !!!

Adieu Ahmad Shajee

'Adieu' was the subject of the mail that Ahmad sent us just before leaving the office premises once and for all. Yes yesterday was Ahmad's last day in office, and we will miss him in office as a colleague, senior and an excellent professional. His knowledge base was wide and skill set so vast that he could work with the same integrity and comfort at almost all the layers of the project. He would be missed by the company and all of us who have ever worked with him.

Ahmad stayed for more than 5 years in office and he was one of the seniors with whom I loved to work. He was always ready to help me or others whenever we needed. For the last few months I was working closely with Ahmad and after he resigned, I was given the major part of knowledge transfer. I can say that I worked closely with him and was very impressed with him and the way he handles things. His contributions are second to none.

The company has lost a great servant and would miss his services. But that is all part of life, Ahmad decided to move on his personal career and I guess we need to accept it. We were proud to have him as a part of the team and wish him all the best for his future endeavors. I pray to God to grant all of Ahmad's wishes and help him as always to excel in each and every field of life. May God bless you and keep you in good health.

Rocket Singh - Salesman Of The Year

I am just back after watching this movie and I must confess that this movie has really impressed me. This is proved by the fact that as late as 2:45 am I am up to write this blog post. The movie lacks the masala that we tend to associate with Hindi movies these days but it deals with a mature subject line. The movie is a bit slow but the story is so touching that if you are as emotional as I am then you may find yourself attached to movie even more.

The comic punches in the movie is good and it demonstrates the fact that we need not always take the wrong way to get successful. It basically underlines the statement that you don't need to be selfish and manipulative to be successful. It is the hard work that you put in and the honesty and dedication with which you carry your activities finally frame your future.

I find this movie very motivating especially for people who are not so good at studies or who are struggling to get a job that gives them peace of mind as well as pocket full of money. Accepting the fact that this is also a movie there are a few things that we need to understand that in the real life you are not going to achieve things as easily as your hero does in the movies. It very silently also communicates that you should never cheat people and never use people as ladders to move ahead. It emphasizes that all the employees in a particular company are human beings and should be treated equally and not like a bunch of animals.

I believe that movies such as this are a good concept and should be promoted. The entertainment value of the movie may be lesser compared to other films but still it is a good piece of work. Ranbir once again proves his worth with some brilliant acting and the decorates i.e. the heroines also make you go WOW! at times. Overall a good movie and I suggest you should give it a try, it is worth it.

From Biryani, Sawaiyan to Double Fried Lamb

It has indeed been an eventful day for me because I was a on a food riot almost all of the day. It all started from 11 in the morning when we feasted on delicious Biryani and Sawaiyan which Ahmad brought for us as a treat for Bakra Eid. He was on leave the early week and joined back on Tuesday, the party was due so we got the treat today. I must say that the we all ate more than our diet. Our stomach were full but we wanted to have more. Then we also tasted sawaiyan as we were already full. It was a great experience and we all enjoyed the food.

We almost skipped our lunch as we didn't have any scope for anything, also with the beautiful food that we had, the lunch was appearing tasteless. Now if you think this is enough, I must say it was just the beginning for the things to come.

We have Eugene with us these days from the US office and there was a plan to take him to lunch but it did not materialize so it was conveyed to me in the evening that we are going out for dinner with him. I was like ready to call off and went to talk about the same. I was then told that the venue is Golden Dragon and my manager knew that I would not stop if there is Chinese on the Menu. I was left with no other option but to join them.

We left office at around 6:30pm for a drink and dine party at Golden Dragon, Gurgaon. It was an awesome party with me drowned in Chinese food all over again. There is something about Chinese food that I find all the dishes that I have eaten so many times still new and good and I feel excited eating them. Chinese food is my weakness and for long now but I guess this is one weakness that I can live with. All said and done it has been a great day and could be called a food festival. It would be appropriate if I end the post saying 'I AM LOVING IT!!!'.

Who wants to be a Politician

We all are very familiar with the question What do you want to become ? as most of us have been asked the same questions. All of us had our own answers which were basically driven by the heroes in our life. For instance I remember wanting to become Akshay Kumar after watching Mohra and Sachin Tendulkar so many times. The general answers were Doctor, Engineer etc etc. Have you ever heard any child saying that he/she wants to become a politician. I bet I have never heard.

I was pretty surprised that we do not think about politics as a career. It is nothing to do with the pros and cons of it, it is much to do with the thought process of the society. We want to become what we look up to and what we believe is a career of dignity. Politics sadly does not fall under this group and is hence ignored. The manipulations and tricks that we associate with politics these days does not even leave it as a option for the upcoming generations. If you think otherwise try communicating to your parents that you want to join politics and their reaction will confirm.

I guess this is enough to say that the Political circle in our country is not up to the mark or even that it is so bad that no body wants to get into it. But then I want to question if there is no inflow of fresh talent in political arena how do we expect things to improve. For long now the politics is inherited rather than anything else. There is no change happening as the same families continue to work and they do in almost the same way. It is high time that we rise to the occasion and put our hands up and start contributing for the betterment of the society.

I guess we need to have a clear political system devoid of corrupt politicians and majorly no involvement of criminals. This can only be achieved by a collective effort and not by individual heroics of one special man. Let us join hands today and pledge to save our society and country from the evil hands and make our country a better place to live in. Though I know it is easier said than done.

Dell XPS Studio Disappoints

Yesterday I visited a DELL showroom and I must say I was disappointed by the looks of the XPS Studio Laptops. They have enhanced on technology and all but the appearance has just been thrown out of the window. Though I was pretty impressed with the configuration they are offering for a price of 70,000 odd the looks just kept me away from actually purchasing them. If yoy have seen the classic XPS and then you see the new XPS you will be also disappointed.

Infact the Sony Vaio series has impressed me, usually their system were expensive for the configurations but now the V- Series looks good. You get Intel Core 2 Duo P8700(2.53) with 3MB cache and 1066 Mhz Bus Speed and 3GB of RAM for 50,000. It also had Windows 64-bit Operating System.

I was almost certain that I would take home a DELL XPS but now I think my mind is changing and I am getting more attracted by the Vaio. As the options increase so does the confusion. I am not pretty sure what I would do but it is going to be a tough call when I actually have to decide upon it.

Which Is Fine

I have almost heard the phrase 'Which is Fine' a thousand times in the last week or so. It has really been like an addition to the job responsibilities but I don't know how to get out of it. It all started as a joke when Deepak and I decided to tease a person who used this phrase almost all of time for all the things. We decided that we would use his own phrase against him and make him taste the same sickness that we do when he repeats the phrase. But the thing has now taken a broader scope than we ever imagined. The entire team is using this phrase and it has actually become part of every conversation. You can judge this by the fact that my blog post on Aarna got 'Which is Fine' as a comment.

But then they would say 'It is OK' which also happens to be second favourite and hot phrase. It is really a funny feeling and you cannot get the humour till the time you are involved in it. We have a tradition of giving people the taste of their own thing. It started with 'Poor and Hungry' by Jitender and we ended up using the same phrase for him.

It is such a cool thing that we people take these small things and see the lighter side of it and use it as a means to be happy and enjoy. I also love the fact that there is intimacy within our team and no one feels bad. We spend the entire day playing pranks on each other and that keeps us cool calm and collected and let us work.

Couldn't Resist, It had to come...

Virender Sehwag has actually compelled me to write this post, it has been a stunning performance and I must confess that I have missed the innings of a lifetime. I have always admired Virender Sehwag's style of batting but this innings in particular has made me a bigger fan of his. The ease at which he plays and all those over the top shots that he plays so fearlessly makes him a force to recon. I would like to quote the words of my friend Jitender 'Test average of 52, strike rate of 80, 6100 odd runs, its fine he is not consistent otherwise no test team would have played India'.

I find his comments very true, Sehwag has always been criticised for not shouldering the responsibility, throwing away his wicket at crucial times, not being consistent and what not. I would like you guys to take a look at his records here. His records speak for him. The match against Sri Lanka today has just re - emphasised the fact that Sehwag is a dangerous batsman and is a nightmare for any bowler. Look at Muralitharan's bowling analysis 20 overs 119 runs @5.95 per over and we are talking about the bowler with the maximum number of wickets in Test Cricket. Also if you followed Sehwag's progress from 180 odd to 200 he took just an over for it.

This has been a mind blowing innings and the best part is that it is not over yet. Also the pace at which Sehwag has got his run has left him with so much time in the match that he can actually go on and score even 400 runs. I wish he can just go for it. Even if he fails, I believe he has done his bit and has given India the chance to win the test match and sit on top of the ICC Test Cricket Ranking. Cheers !!!

Official welcome of 'AARNA'

Ankush was blessed with a baby girl on the 8th of November. It was a great news for us and we were all very happy for him. The angel 'Aarna' had stepped into this world and brought along with her immense happiness specially for Ankush and Pooja. We were all very excited and a party was on the cards. Ankush decided to spend some precious time with his daughter and make himself comfortable with the fact that he was promoted by the almighty and thus remained on leave for the next week. I guess you deserve at least a week time with your family and loved ones and just concentrate on what possibly could turn out to be the best day in your life.

The day Ankush joined back, we were all there to congratulate him and were interested in getting a sneak at the baby's pic that he had with him. We were also happy for the fact that there would now be a party. We people just wait for any occasion or reason which can give us the opportunity to enjoy and party. But in all this we forgot that we are employees of a company and that our job assignments were barely giving us time to enjoy and party. So we were just counting days and working hard so that we can actually plan a party. Finally yesterday we decided to gather at Ankush's place and enjoy ourselves. It was middle of the week but still we enjoyed till late hours. I reached home at around 3:00 in the morning. We really had a good time and enjoyed ourselves.


Now on a serious note after we have had fun and enjoyed ourselves, I congratulate Ankush and Pooja once again and I pray to God to keep the child and parents in good health always. I also wish this is just the lucky charm that everyone needs in life and it will take Ankush and his family a long way into achieving their dreams. May God bless you and be with you always.

MONEY matters

All of us remember the slogan by the 'Master Card' group. There are some things money can't buy for everything else there is Master Card. I have been pondering over this statement for a day or two now and I have concluded that the society today believes that money is the most important thing so the slogan can be re-phrased as 'There are somethings that money cannot buy, for everything else there is Money'. I have been trying to analyze the importance of money and I was surprised with the answers that I got.

In my opinion money is very important and it is directly proportional to the happiness in most cases but then actually are a few things that money cannot buy. By the grace of God, I have sufficient amount of money needed to live a decent life but I do not have many friends and money cannot get me good friends. I live away from my home, as my nature and place of work require me to, money cannot make me feel home. I am also not saying that I do not have the urge to get more money. I also wait anxiously for the bonuses to be declared and appraisals announced. Still I believe that money is not everything.

As a matter of fact I am willing to work on a reduced pay structure if I can get a job in my domain some place near to my hometown so in my case there are things that are more important than money. I can positively also say that the same holds true for most of you. But then I find myself almost all of the time trying to analyze the things that I need to do and the amount of money that I need to get these things done and also on the sources that would give me money. The biggest thing is the heavy home loan that I have that plays on my mind and has sparked me to write this post. I truly understand the importance and power of money but still believe that it is not everything. What say you ???

How to Craft a Blog Post Title ?

Recently I been facing a problem when it comes to decide titles for my blog post. I want to keep my titles attractive and interesting. Somehow I am not satisfied with the titles that I put up on my posts. I have been struggling to appropriately title my post then suddenly I understand the mind set of Shakespeare when he wrote 'As You Like It'. When such a great man had trouble finding a suitable title who the hell am I ?

I guess the title is very important as it is the first impression and more often than not it decides whether you read through it or just let go of it. But then I also do not want the title to be just anything interesting, it should also be able to properly represent the content that follows. I do not know how to get the titles.

The easiest way I believe is to pick up the first few words of the post and keep it as title followed by ... I tried to but then I did not like the looks of it so decided against it. I am actually very fussy and want things to be perfect for me before I can let it out for others to see or read. As a result I spend more time thinking for a appropriate title for my post than I actually do to write a post. So next time if you think that the title is not good enough and there could be a better title do let me know.

How To Be Successful ?

"There are two things that prevent us from achieving our dreams: believing them to be impossible or seeing those dreams made possible by some sudden turn of the wheel of fortune, when you least expected it. For at that moment, all our fears suddenly surface: the fear of setting off along a road heading who knows where, the fear of a life full of new challenges, the fear of losing for ever everything that is familiar." quoted Paulo Coelho in "The Devil And Miss Prym".

Today I talked to one of my friends and I could make out that she was very low on confidence and that the fear of failure was all over her. I ran down my memory lane and tried to remember this quote, I had to finally search my library to pick out the book and read the beautiful words. I liked them so much and they were perfectly matched for the situation so I decided to put them here.

I would also like to quote another snippet from the same novel, "Whenever you want to achieve something, keep your eyes open, concentrate and make sure you know exactly what it is that you want. No one can hit their target with their eyes closed." I guess if you have confidence on yourself and you will surely succeed in life. It is the fear of failure that keeps us away from achieving our goals. I would like to conclude with a beautiful quote of Shiv Khera : "Winners don't do different things, they do things differently."

Weird Games on Facebook

There is something about the games on facebook that attract me towards them and every time I play one, I make it a point that I am not going to take any of these stupid games any more but somehow I just fall for them all over again. Today I saw a game 'Get your next date', the name itself was so tempting that I decided to play it. As usual the results really put me off, I tried my luck three times and all three times I got the name of a family member. I once again decided not to play any of these games ever again.

But I played again, yes the game was so tempting that I had to go. I saw one of my friends result on my wall 'Date of the day' is Megan Fox. The big fan that I am of Megan Fox just dragged me to it. I played it and got some ugly result which I could not even publish to my wall. I had played it to get Megan Fox and I was not willing to stop before I get her as my Date of The Day. So I tried and finally got it. Yes I did, it is very easy from the page where you get your result and if you decide not to publish the result you get an option which says select another... so I selected another and another till I got Megan Fox and then I published it on my Wall with a message as if it came up by itself and that I am so surprised it actually did.

After I did all this I laughed at myself and also at several others who actually do the same and then feel surprised with the result. This is really weird but it is also fun. It is a good way to keep yourself busy when you want to be comfortable on your bed, a quilt covering the lower half of you and a hot coffee mug by your side. As I sip my cup of coffee, I play one of these games and feel good about it.

Marriage Fever

It is that time of the year when the marriages are at their best and everyday you encounter atleast a couple of marriages. As per my understanding this is almost the end of the season may be a week more to go. But I must confess many of my relatives, friends and colleagues got married this season. The best thing was the marriage of one of my best and oldest friend Rishi Kumar who got married on the 21st of November. It was a great wedding and I really enjoyed each and every moment of it. Though it was a very hectic tour for me. I left for Allahabad on 20th night and was back in Delhi on the 23rd morning leaving me with almost no time to rest. But then I guess you have to pay this price nothing comes easy and free.

Even this 27th I was to visit a marriage in Allahabad but could not go for several reasons, official work being the major cause. I also has a marriage in my relation on the 28th and my entire family went there, I missed that one too. It takes so much out of you to attend these marriages but then I also feel sad if I am unable to attend them.

The story of marriages started with the marriage of Neetu Sharma, a friend from my old company and one of the earliest friend that I made in Delhi, but the marriage was on Thursday and I was unable to attend it as I got occupied in office plus the fact that I would not know many people there also kept me back. Still I wanted to be there.

As all these marriages passed by I was thinking about the marriage of a very close friend of mine Yogesh. We are eagerly awaiting the news of his marriage. Every time he comes back from his hometown we are all like What ??? and he just smiles and nods away. It is high time sir ji get married.

My Children's Day Gift

I consider myself so blessed and lucky to have such beautiful, caring and loving parents. Yes, it is a fact that all parents love their children like anything and they are always ready with a helping hand. But my case is a bit different, this children day my parents booked a 2 BHK flat in Olive County Vasundhara, Ghaziabad for me. This is the best gift that I have ever been gifted with. I am extremely happy and wanted to thank them for this gesture.

We had actually decided upon a house and the final settlement and the formalities took place on the 14th of November so I accepted it as a Children Day gift from my parents. I am very excited about the fact that I own a house but at the same time the pain of home loans and EMIs make me a worried man. I can now get the joke when people say that if they win a lottery, they will use the prize money to re-pay the loan that they have on their head. I must confess that it is a very bad feeling and always plays on my mind. But still I am now a proud owner of a beautiful house in Delhi NCR.

It would not be long before I move into my house and therby move out of the mess and pressure that the landlords pose. There are few landlords who are very good by heart but I have been with some very cunning people so I am also happy to walk out from them.

A big thank you to my parents for making me feel special and giving me the gift of my life. The only thing missing now is 'gharwali' and hope I will get one soon ;)

'Super Sachin'

I am a big fan of Sachin Tendulkar and I believe that his achievements are second to none. I could resist from writing when I read the great words of Shobhaa De for Sachin Tendulkar. You can read it here. It is the best article about Sachin that I have read in some time now. It actually sums up everything and I loved it. It is a must read.

I would also like to Congratulate him for completing 20 years in International Cricket. For your refernce I am posting a few links that shows you some facts about Sachin.
ODI Awards
Achievements of Sachin.
Awards

Student versus Professor

After having failed his exam in "Logistics and Organization", a student goes and confronts his lecturer about it.

Student: "Sir, do you really understand anything about the subject?"

Professor: "Surely I must. Otherwise I would not be a professor!"

Student: "Great, well then I would like to ask you a question.

If you can give me the correct answer, I will accept my mark as it is and go. If you however do not know the answer, I want you give me an "A" for the exam. "

Professor: "Okay, it's a deal. So what is the question?"

Student: "What is legal, but not logical, logical, but not legal, and neither logical, nor legal?"

Even after some long and hard consideration, the professor cannot give the student an answer, and therefore changes his exam mark into an "A", as agreed.

Afterwards, the professor calls on his best student and asks him the same question.

He immediately answers: "Sir, you are 63 years old and married to a 35 year old woman that is legal, but not logical. Your wife has a 25 year old lover, which is logical, but not legal. The fact that you have given your wife's lover an "A", although he really should have failed, is neither legal, nor logical."

An Apology Letter to My Stomach

I would start with a question to all you folks who read my blog, which part tongue or stomach you think is more important ?. Well if you analyze the question and think about it like seriously, the second thought that comes to mind is that both are important. Yes I said second thought because the first thought would definitely be that you are an Idiot.

I know this is a foolish question but it has been all over me since last weekend. We have been on a food riot almost the entire week and things have not eased till date. Every time I eat some spicy food, my taste buds and tongue likes it but I can actually feel my stomach revolting. But I am thankful to my stomach for holding up as beautifully as it did.

As I write this post I have home cooked chicken ready to be had and I will honor it just after I finish writing this post. I am a food freak and I love eating lots of food. But since the last week or so I have had too much to eat and trust me I am still hungry for more. People around me who know me well would agree when I say this. I must confess that I already have plans of some lovely food as I am to visit my sister next weekend.

I would like to publicly apologize to my stomach for overburdening it with heavy rich and spicy food. But I am afraid to say that even after all these efforts I am unable to disappoint my taste buds and the food festival will continue. So if you want some come get some.

Story of Anonymous Comments

There have been a sequence of events when I have recieved comments on my blog, from 'anonymous' users, that were not very pleasant. I am always open to criticism but I hate when people scribble rubbish and post it without their names. It was just yesterday when I recieved a comment on one of my posts by this anonymous user which was very rudely written and was full of crap. I was shocked to read such strong and vulgar words posted on my blog and that really pissed me off. I believe that if you have to write such strong words then you should be bold enough to post it in your name. Yesterday was the second instance when this has happened. I must confess it is a really bad feeling when someone tries to abuse you publicly. I am still unable to understand why people take out their frustration in such cheap manner.

I am also open to people criticising my blog posts, and I would love to improve in the areas that I may be lacking. I never intend to target a person or thing in my blog, the posts are generally based on my personal experiences so I cannot justify such actions by people. I would say that some people have used my post to take out their frustration. I pitty such people and feel sorry for them. But this won't help you guys be very clear about it.

Bug the life out of irritating callers

Almost all of us have been a victim to the irritating calls for the purpose of credit cards, mobile schemes, insurance, loan etc etc. So here are Ten ways to stop those credit card sales, mobile companies, insurance calls from irritating you:

1 After the telemarketer finishes speaking, ask him/her to marry you.

2 Tell the telemarketer you are busy at the moment, and ask him/her, if he/she will give you his/her home phone number so you can call him/her back.

3 Ask them to repeat everything they say, several times.

4 Tell them it is dinnertime, BUT ask if they would please hold. Put them on your speaker phone while you continue to eat at your leisure. Smack your food loudly and continue with your dinner conversation.

5 Tell them that all business goes through your agent, and hand the phone to your five year old child.

6 Tell them you are hard of hearing and that they need to speak up.... Louder... Louder... Louder!

7 If they start out with, "How are you today?", say "I'm so glad you asked, because no one these days seems to care, and I have all these problems.... ........."

8 Tell them to speak very slowly because you want to write every word down.

9 Cry out in surprise, "Helen, is that you? I've been hoping you'd call! How is the family?" When they insist they are not Helen, tell them to stop joking. This works especially well if the telemarketer is really MALE.

10 Tell the ICICI call centre guy to call on your office number - and give him the HSBC call centre number.

PS: These points have been compiled by Deepak Kumar thanks to him.

Google Now Sells Ice Candies

This is an amazing picture that goes to show the popularity of Google. It also demonstrates the mindset of the business man who tries to cash in the things that are famous. But this in my opinion is really awesome. I was so moved by this picture that I immediately decided to put it up here and just let people dwell over it.

I have always been a fan of the Indian thought process and the various amazing sequences that people come up with in order to sell their products. The amount of thinking that goes into such ideas is simply unbelievable.

I rate this particular work as one of the best as this idea was not evolved or originated by any professional but a simple man who sells ice candies. I also think that this picture should make google proud as they have actually entered the heart and mind of common man and not only a specific class or kind.

PS: This picture was sent to me by a very dear friend Yogesh Kumar so a big Thank You to him.

Microsoft Windows 7 for Rs 40 only.

Windows 7 was released to manufacturing on July 22, 2009 and is available for a cost of Rs 40 - 250 in Lucknow city of Uttar Pradesh. The news is shocking and goes to show the amount of piracy that is present in the country. About 50,000 pirated DVDs of Microsoft Windows 7 are estimated to have been sold here since the official launch on Oct 22, generating unaccounted business of around Rs 50 lakhs (nearly $100,000). The legal version of the new operating system launched by Microsoft Corp costs between $150-$300 (Rs 7,500 - 15,000) in the international markets. The company, however, tagged its prices 20 percent below international rates in India, where it is available in the Rs 6,000-Rs 11,000 range through official channels.

Piracy has been a known curse and we are getting more and more into it rather than walking out of it. Well if you take the buyers side then you believe that if a person gets a software for 250 rs then why would he pay 6,000 for the same, I personally know lots of people who use pirated versions of Operating Systems. In practical life, if you go for assembled computers, a good configuration with cost you maximum of 25,000 rupees with all equipments. Now if a free copy of an Operating System is available with a friend, would you ever go to buy the genuine version for 6,000 or so?. The answer is pretty obvious and is 'NO'. What should be done to prevent piracy? is a mystery question and no one has an answer to it.

Windows 7 has a lot of new features and after looking into it you can easily make out the effort and cost that must have gone into building it. If they don't get the price they demand, it is actually harsh on them and is like asking too much for almost nothing. Let us hope that this piracy issue ends soon, but at the same time I am also worried realising the fact that I may have to pay close to 7,000 rs for my copy of Operating System in the future or I need to learn Linux ;).

Orkut versus Facebook

Social Networking sites have been a hit for some time now. Orkut was the one which started it all and now there are several such sites, Facebook being the most famous amongst the other. I have an account on both these social networking sites and I have noticed that I have actually enjoyed Facebook more than Orkut. I don't have any specific reason for it but I guess we were tired of the ages old format and looks of Orkut. I could not see any major change that Orkut underwent since its launch in January 2004, if I recall properly I can only remember the limit of pictures being increased from 12 to 10,000 and few other security related changes where we can select a bunch of friends who can view the pictures and videos that are uploaded.

Due to these factors the fan following of Orkut was on a down slope for some time now. I can easily say that the competition of Orkut grew since Facebook gained popularity. The concept of Live Feeds that Facebook has is one really cool thing and makes you feel connected. Also the lightening speed with which you can upload pictures and videos to facebook is really good. I am in no way criticising Orkut but I believe that they need to change if they want to survive.

I took this matter up as I read that Orkut has actually released a new version where it has tried to catch up with the latest features and provide faster and easier access to friends. It has also provided the 'automatic friend finder' feature and a more interactive Activity Stream that is similar to status message update of Twitter and Facebook. This is a delayed change and should have happened earlier. It would not be easy to drag people back if they have called it quit from Orkut. But as they say Better Late than Never let us just wait and watch how much impact this new version has. In any case we always have the option to chose the one which we find easier and convenient.

A Friend in Need

Since our childhood we have been taught 'A Friend In Need Is a Friend Indeed' but as I have grown up and had a insight into the society I disagree with the statement on most occasions. I can bet on my life for few of my friends and I have blind faith on most of them but what I have experienced lately is that the intensity that we used to associate with friends has gradually been reduced. The statement can very well be re-phrased as 'A Friend Only In Need'. I am sorry to say this but this is exactly what I have experienced. People these days are very practical and have no emotional attachment. It is good to be practical but to an extent, when it goes over the line it could be termed as selfishness.

I have a few friends and I know I can count upon them for any and everything. I am a very emotional person and get involved with people very easily. All those close to me, even my colleagues at office would agree to this. I always try to give my best to everything and I always try to do things that I think are correct. I may be wrong sometimes but generally I have seen I have made few very tough but good decisions. In 'about me' type of tags you will find me saying 'I know what I am', I understand my limitations and try to work within them.

I feel really sorry when I see Friendship getting a new definition these days. I think it is high time that we learn the tracts to the society to survive in it. But I feel ashamed when a pious relation like friendship is also made for a purpose and once the purpose is over, so is the friendship. I have been really lucky to have friends who are what they are and they don't pretend to be friends. I can now understand the basis behind 'A known enemy is better than an unknown friend', and also believe in the phrase 'Better an open enemy than a false friend'.

Phew ...

There are so many things in life that seem OK till the time you actually think about it. The same thing has happened with me, I have been doing a task religiously for a period of at least a year and now when I am made to think about it I feel really pitied. But then there are some things which are out of your control and you just have to live with it. But for me things are getting worse and they are actually taking a bad shape. I am very worried and I know there are people around me who are trying to help me and they understand what I am going through. Some of them have experienced it themselves and some have seen things like this happening around them.

I really sit with folded hands and pray for the best thing to happen. It is at this point of life when we feel so helpless, everything is out of reach, you are the point of discussion and the only thing that you can do is sit and watch. I am really pissed off and feel mentally sick. I am all bugged up and find myself in a mess that is almost impossible to clean.

My father has always taught me to be strong in such situations and try to see the better side of things, so I believe that once I am out of this dilemma I will be a stronger person mentally and would have a better and clear vision of things to come and then I can easily decide about my future path. I hope things fall in place soon and I walk out of this dull phase of life like a fighter. Till then it is like all over me.

My Blog just got Richer.

"BTW, I think your blog is excellent and I am subscribed to it. I am sure you will keep me updated about your life (and about FirstRain happenings) through it." were the words that gave me immense pleasure and made me feel proud. I bet those who know him would agree with me when I say that he does not praise something just for the sake of it. The quote is an excerpt from a mail that I received from Mr. Harshal Pradhan. It is like a dream come true when you know that a person of stature of Harshal has subscribed to your blog.

It has been a while since I have received this mail and I have been willing to write this post but something was keeping me back. I now feel burdened with extra responsibility as I know there is someone who is reading my blog and I don't want to disappoint him. I love when people post their comments on my blog posts as that shows people are involved with me and that gives me the push to write even more. But this mail is the best that has ever happened to my blog. I really feel blessed and elated. Thanks sirji for such motivating words, you have really motivated me to write more quality stuff. You have always been a person whom we have looked up to and actually worshipped. I bow down to salute you Sir...

Big Boss Season 3

I must confess that Big Boss 3 has found a new customer in me. I have never been in favour of such shows that only display the cunningness of the so called superstars that participate in it. But I have started following Big Boss season 3 religiously. I thought about it like seriously and thought Amitabh Bachchan for sure has had a influence then Raju Srivastava is a personal favourite, I have loved Aditi almost all of my life, Shamita...the Mohabbatein girl...gosh, the heat of Sherlyn Chopra... aren't these things enough. I bet this is more than enough.

I have not watched Big Boss from the first day itself, it all started when I found myself in the middle of a conversation about Big Boss. People were discussing, laughing, criticising and doing all sort of stuff and I felt like a total looser. It was like there was a total solar eclipse at noon and I didn't notice it. That day I went home and watched this Reality Show for the very first time and I must confess I liked it. Though I am in no way saying that whatever is shown is good but is lots of masala and fun to watch. The fact that I could see so many activities going on and the various acts performed by the celebrities make me enjoy the show.

I have been watching it regularly now and I also feel involved when I am in a discussion that happens around Big Boss. I seriously find almost every person talking about this show these days. It has definitely gained lots of popularity, I couldn't believe that I am actually writing this post. It is fun to watch it to say the least. I loved the 2010 Calender shoot and the 'Bhojpuri' version of the Jack and Jill recited by Raju Srivastava in the last episode. Watch the video on You Tube.

For I Felt Like It

Staying away from home, I have developed a habit of staying up late and as a result of that I am still awake while all others in the house are fast asleep. Unable to sleep and devoid of my laptop and internet I feel cut off from the world. So just to keep myself busy I decided to write something, though I would not be able to post it till Wednesday (21st October) evening when I reach my flat in New Delhi.

It has been 3 days since I am in Allahabad and they all have been so eventful. I don’t remember a dull moment till now. This period where I am sitting and writing a post all alone could be considered the dullest moment of my trip. I have really enjoyed meeting so many relatives and friends whom I miss otherwise. It was so nice to actually meet some people after a time gap of almost a year. I have actually exceeded the number of people that I planned to visit when I decided about coming to Allahabad.

Today evening I met my old teacher, Mr. Harimohan Singh, who is a Professor at the Allahabad Agriculture Institute, Naini and teaches Computer Science to B.Tech, BCA and MCA students. He is one person who is responsible for keeping me attached to the computer field and I believe he has been a major factor behind my success in this field. It is always a honor to meet him and he reminds me of the old days when I used to dream about working with an MNC as a developer. He always believed in me and made me believe that I have what it takes to be a success in this field. I feel really grateful to him for the support that he provided me when I needed it the most.

It is going to be a tough day tomorrow as my parents have a working day and I would be left alone in the house, also my friends have gone back so I would be left pretty much on my own for the first half or till my mother comes back at around 13:30. I am also very tired and I really feel the need to sleep so I am going to my bed and hope the stress and strain that I have had through out the day gets the better of me and I get a good sleep. Good Night and take care.

My Analysis of 2 States

I finished reading 2 States and I enjoyed each and every line of it. I would like to warn the people who have been in love they should not read this book as they may just brake down into tears. It is a great novel with a beautiful plot that unfolds at the best pace possible. Though this is not the same class as ‘Five Point Someone’ but it certainly re- establishes the sense of maturity that Chetan shows while describing any subject. There are melodramatic sequences into the novel but they don’t go over the head and could be accepted.

In short I would say it is 270 pages of complete fun and you won’t be able to leave it once you start reading. I had a great time reading it and I believe it has lived up to the expectations. The characters, their description are spot on. Even the story is so simple that you feel so attached to it and believe it is your story. It references so many instances of our college life that each one of us has faced at least a couple of times. Also you never have to pressurize you mind to remember the characters and sequences. I would give it a 8 on a scale of 10.

I have been a fan of Chetan since I read ‘Five Point Someone’ and this had made me a bigger fan of his writings. I wish that he keeps on getting these books out more frequently for readers like me to benefit. Every time I think that now he talked about all stages of his life and what would be next but to my surprise he comes out with another beautiful subject crafted from within the same time period. The description that he gives of the South Indians and Punjabis is excellent and I could see the faces of few of my relatives and friends who fall in the aforesaid category. I would recommend each one of you to grab a copy of this book as soon as possible and read it you will definitely enjoy it. I bow down to the master and his beautiful work.

Finally ...

I have been waiting for this moment for long now. I am about to leave for my home. It is such a great feeling and I find myself so exited that I am actually waiting for the clock to cross 19:00hrs so that I can leave. I have made the last minute preparations and my bag is finally settled. I have had a great day so far and I am sure it is going to end as happily as it started.

I didn't have anything special planned for today as I wanted to give myself a lot of time to think about my journey. I have planned everything, I have my list ready for who I have to meet and which places I have to visit. I also have scheduled a good amount of time that I would love to spend with my parents. I have planned to make this trip a really good one where I want to meet several people and friends.

Though this Diwali we will miss my Grandfather whom we lost this April but I have made it a point to not allow my Maa feel his absence by doing so many things that he would have done if alive. He was always involved in all the activities that we carried out at home. Although I know that nobody can be replaced but we can try to step into his shoes.

With so many things planned and not much time on my side I move for Allahabad and wish that all my plans succeed and I get to spend some quality time with my family and friends. This is all for now, I'll be back on Wednesday morning till then Happy Diwali Enjoy !!!

2 States : Chetan Bhagat

I have liked Chetan Bhagat's way of writing and admired all three of his works. He has recently released his latest book titled '2 states The story of my marriage'. Upto now Chetan has never written anything about his wife so I really waiting to get a copy and read it. I hope this would be as good as his other work and would not dissappoint. I googled for this new book and I hit upon the synopsis of this book and that has made me really excited and now I am waiting eagerly to get my hands onto it and read it but it would not be before Saturday that I would be able to get my hands on it.

The Synopsis of the book goes as under:

Love marriages around the world are simple:
Boy loves girl. Girl loves boy.They get married.

In India, there are a few more steps:

Boy loves Girl. Girl loves Boy.
Girl’s family has to love boy.
Boy’s family has to love girl.
Girl’s Family has to love Boy’s Family.
Boy’s family has to love girl’s family.
Girl and Boy still love each other. They get married.

Welcome to 2 States, a story about Krish and Ananya. They are from two different states of India, deeply in love and want to get married. Of course, their parents don’t agree. To convert their love story into a love marriage, the couple have a tough battle in front of them. For it is easy to fight and rebel, but it is much harder to convince. Will they make it?

The story sounds interesting, go read it and enjoy it. I would certainly post my reactions as soon as I am finished with the book. I am really looking forward to it.

It had to come...

There were too many activities which attracted me towards them and I wanted to write so much but I was really busy this week and did not get time to write. I was so disturbed mentally due to the situation that I was pushed into. I am still not over it but I am a bit relieved as now I have defined a protocol for myself and which I pledge I would honor going forward. I have made such protocols earlier also but they were overridden. This time I am more determined and hopefully I would not break it. Let us talk a bit more sense now.

I came across an article which read Washing hands can save 400 children everyday: UNICEF and really liked it. I though about it and concluded that if these simple steps can help the world in such a big way we should try and follow it. Even if they do not yield the results as claimed they are in no way harming our lives. Let us give it a try and see if it helps. I really appreciate the work being done by organizations such as WHO and UNICEF and would love to contribute if I get the opportunity.

Another important event that happened last week was the Birthday of my nephew 'Daksh'. It was his second birthday and we had planned a large party but somehow things did not work out and we ended up making it a very small event with only our parents presents for the occasion. We went to Country Inn and Suites, Ghaziabad for party. We had also ordered a Pineapple Cake which was amazing. It was a real good time and it helped me regain my confidence and mood after the depressing state of mind that I was pushed into. We were sort of bored as we were not able to celebrate the occasion as we wanted to but it was a good event nevertheless.

There were many other things that I would have loved to share but they are not as significant now as they were when they took place. I think this post has combined a few posts as I wanted to post each of the topic mentioned separately but they look good together so I leave it like that.

Happy Diwali !!!

Diwali or the festival of light is just around the corner. I have been preparing all along the week for the same. I will be going home tomorrow night to celebrate with my family. I would like to take this opportunity to wish all of you a very very happy Diwali and wish that this festival brings peace and prosperity to each of our lives.

I have just finished packing for my trip. It has been a hectic week in office, majorly due to the fact that my Manager was on leave hence I had added responsibilities that otherwise I leave to him, so I didn't get time to actually build up my tour. But now I am happy and raring to go, we also have a small function planned at office today so things are looking good.

It is that time of the year when the entire country unites to celebrate the beautiful festival of lights. The 'diyas', the sparkling lights, the sound of crackers and the atmosphere of Ganesha - Lakshmi poojan could be seen all around. New clothes, sweets, lovely and rich food and the company of parents, friends and other loved one make it a moment to cherish.

Diwali celebrations start with the traditional Ganesha Lakshmi pooja and is followed by burning crackers and meeting relatives and exchanging gifts. It is believed that Lakshmi is the Goddess of money and prosperity and brings prosperity to the people who worship her. Overall this is a great festival and is celebrated by all. I would like to conclude by once again wishing all you a Happy Diwali.

Barack Obama gets 2009 Nobel Peace Prize

In a shocking decision President Barack Obama has won the Nobel Peace Prize for 2009. It has been a decision designed to encourage his initiatives to reduce nuclear arms, ease tensions with the Muslim world and stress diplomacy and cooperation rather than unilateralism. The question that comes to my mind straight away is 'Since when have we started giving Nobel Awards for encouragement'. This is a ridiculous decision, I am in no way denying the efforts that he has put in to 'change the International Climate' but the question is what has he really accomplished that he gets this award.

As I googled the news I found most of the people having the same opinion as me. I would like to clarify that I am a big fan of Obama and his policies but Nobel Prize just went over my head and I am not able to digest the fact. I also read few comments on this decision and liked a few. The most interesting one was from my school friend Rahul "Obama wins Nobel Peace Prize.. I mean, like, really?? Gandhi didn't get one for what he did in 50 years and Obama gets one for the past 9 months?! Sheeeesshhh!!".

I have even read the arguments given by the members of the jury in favour of Obama and trust they all are factually correct but somehow I am unable to digest it. It is noteworthy that The committee has taken a wide interpretation of Nobel's guidelines, expanding the prize beyond peace mediation to include efforts to combat poverty, disease and climate change. The decision has come as a surprise to many but let us hope that the decision forces and influences Obama to carry forward his good work with more thought and interest.

Delhi - Gurgaon Toll Tags Rules Revised

The Rules governing the Delhi - Gurgaon Express Way [NH 8] Smart Tag have been modified just lately. The scheme running on them till now was simple and very justified. The Monthly scheme would cost you 540 rupees then each trip would cost you 9 rupees for a period of one month. If the amount lapses before the expiry of month then you need to get it recharged but if you do not consume the total 540 within a months time, you can continue using the tag without getting it recharged and then the toll amount would be 18 rupees(which is what you pay if you do not have a tag along with you). This was a good and reasonable scheme where you pay less value for one month and then utilize the remaining money at 18 rupees.

Under the revised scheme the total value has been retained as 540 but another clause of validity has been added. Also they have introduced the concept of 'Trips'. So under the new rules when you recharge your tag with 540, you get 60 trips free i.e. @9 rupees per trip. But the big thing is that you need to recharge the tag within 30 days in order to carry forward you balance, if any. If you get your tag recharged after a period of 30 days then the amount that was remaining on your tag will cease to exist.

People like me who only make 40 - 44 trips per months considering we have 5 days working basically end up losing the money for 18 - 20 trips. Even if I get my tag recharged before the month ends and carry forward my balance how would I ever redeem it ?. What I can see is that the toll just got costlier for us. This change in scheme just goes to show that the concerned authorities have targeted the tag users to generate revenue. I am assuming that most of the people who commute from Delhi to Gurgaon have 5 days working and would all be suffering.

Wonderful Wednesday !!!

Wednesday's have always been lucky and good for me. It might just be a coincidence but it is a fact that I have always enjoyed Wednesdays. Today also being a Wednesday proved to be a good day for me. I was really enjoying the challenging task that I was assigned in the office. It was after a few days that I really enjoyed my work. I prepared some good food for myself and my friends who live along with me. I also booked the tickets to go and attend the marriage of one of my best friends in Allahabad. Things were falling in shape from the very beginning and have continued till now.



'A Wednesday' also happens to be one of my favourite movies, for three basic reasons. One I watched it with my parents and sister and two the mind blowing performance of Naseeruddin Shah and three the story of the movie. Wednesday also marks the end of first half of the week and indicates that the weekend is near which makes it a sort of milestone and thus provides it some importance. There are so many things that I feel are associated with Wednesday and make it special. It is a lucky day for me, you may call me superstitious but the fact remains that Wednesday has always been a good day for me for one reason or other.

Sodexho Meal Passes Help Improve Health !!!

This is the weirdest title that I can think of, well I guess it happens when you try to write after a long gap. It has been some times since I have written something largely due to paucity of time and sometimes due to lack of high speed Internet. But it is safe to assume that things are better now, the fact that I am actually writing is a proof in itself.

Coming back to the title, it is not actually as simple as it appears to be. There are so many things that this title hides under it. We get Sodexho meal passes as part of our salary and these passes are distributed quarterly in advance. So we got our meal passes for the months of October, November and December. I actually don't see any advantage of these meal passes but for the fact that these saves us from income tax.

There are lots of places where I can utilize my meal passes. Bercos - Dwarka being my favourite followed by YO! China and McDonald. These passes also work at Food Bazaar, so I went to Big Bazaar - Ambience Mall, Gurgaon on my way back from office and got myself lots of things which included Juices, Health Drinks and Fruits. This is a practice that I generally follow. I get all the fashionable food and beverages using my meal passes and it gives me immense pleasure when I consume these items. As I don't have to pay in cash I feel as if I am getting all those stuff for free. Plus the fact that I have actually utilised my meal passes in a proper way also makes me feel good.

The prices of some item are slightly more than what I would have to pay for them if I take them from a general store but then I will have to pay the shopkeeper in cash. The best thing is I can buy almost anything with these passes. I purchased Fruits, Shaving cream, Deodorants, Maggi, Chocolates to name a few items. They are very helpful and it would not be wrong if I say that Sudexho Meal passes improves my health as it helps me consume lots of Juices and Fruits that otherwise I may not purchase.

War of the Titans

Yes, I am talking about the war that has been sparked between two technological giants, Microsoft and Google. At this point of time Microsoft is valued at $222 billion and Google at $149 billion. Google has gained on the market value of Microsoft. One of the most interesting things that has happened is the announcement by Google that it is going to launch its own Operating System called Google Chrome. This is not the browser but actually a new Operating System. No doubt that it will take a lot of time for Google to gain momentum, but one thing that can help them is the quite large price tag that Microsoft has ended up having on Windows in order to grow their revenue and it leaves them vulnerable when Google says that they would make a quality operating system focused on today's Internet use and do it FREE.

Even if we compare the Google Docs, Google Text and Google Spreadsheet with the Microsoft Office, though cannot compete to the functionality that MS Office provides but they can make improvements over the years. Also Google provides all these features for free is a huge advantage to Google. Microsoft has also realised the same and thus it introduced Bing as a search engine in competition to Google.

The war is definitely on, it is good for us as we shall have more options to choose from. It is also good when there is competition as then both the giants will have to work hard to beat the other. At this point Microsoft stands ahead of Google but things may change very soon. I am so very excited and am enjoying this Cold War and waiting for it to get more intense. It is eventually going to be good for us as users irrespective of the fact who wins as we shall be the winners anyways.

Google Gmail Loses Contacts

Within a period of one month, Google Inc's web based service Gmail suffered its second high profile technical problem. I saw a message appearing on the top of Gmail that read "Gmail is temporarily unable to access your contacts. You may experience issues while this persists." Before this there was an outage of Google services for which Google said "the outage was due to some of its routers becoming overloaded during a routine upgrade". They even called it a big deal on their official blog. Then it was last Tuesday that Google News was not available for nearly two hours.

It is really surprising that Google has undergone such outages so frequently. We generally do not expect players like Google to be down and out. I believe that Google is one of the most used website that is presently available. Google's GMail has millions of users attached to it, it also has lots of other services to offer to almost all type of people. But as an ardent fan of Google I personally believe that such mishaps do happen and should just be ignored. But we cannot say the same for Google as it is the one which has accustomed us to almost 100% up time. I firmly believe that they would rectify the little flaw that might have just crept in and would be back to their helping self pretty soon.

Tendulkar verses Rest Of the World

ODI centuries: INDIA - 163, Australia - 146, Pakistan - 141, W.Indies - 130, Sri Lanka - 98, England - 90, South Africa - 85, New Zealand - 70 AND SACHIN - 44. I read this line and it made me take a bow to salute the aura of the great man, Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar. The statistics outline the number of centuries hit by all the players combined for a country and the individual effort of Sachin Tendulkar. This is an amazing stat that shows the amount of dominance that Sachin has on world cricket. He has been a great servant to the game of Cricket and his contributions to the Indian Cricket has been second to none. The only thing lacking in his marvellous career is a World Cup Victory and we hope that he gets his wish in the coming Work Cup.

I have heard many criticism against Sachin extending to the fact that he is not a team player and he never performs in crunch situations or when the team needs him the most. I would like to re frame this statement to say that when Sachin has performed there was not much need of the others and he had won the match convincingly that there was no pressure at all. His statistics are the dream figure for any cricketer. He is respected by all cricketers world wide and has been christened 'GOD' by his fans in India.

I thank him for bringing us pride and entertaining us throughout his carer, he has achieved almost all the feats and we wish that India win the next World Cup with Sachin playing a major role in it. That should be the proper end to a fabulous carer, he has been a role model, ideal for many players and has brought great pride for our country.

Fake Currency In India

Fake currency issue is not new to the Indian Economy, it has been there for some time now. Sources believe counterfeit currency worth Rs 169,000 crores (Rs 169 trillion) is in circulation in the country. This is a very sensitive issue and needs to be taken care of and dealt with great care. I believe the government, banks and the Reserve Bank of India are all in denial mode when dealing with the issue. That attitude has to change. Instead of denying the facts they should stand up together and act against it.

The RBI gets to know when an entire series of currency notes has been faked. The RBI should immediately withdraw the series once such things happen. The Banks follow a process where they simply destroy the fake currency when it comes to them. They should instead lodge a police complaint and try to reach the origin of the problem. The police shall also refrain themselves from troubling the person who has reported such a problem. That should solve the problem to a great extent.

I believe the Government importing ink and paper for currency is one major issue and a weak link. Why can't we manufacture these within the country. It is also believed that the Pakistan's Inter-Service Intelligence directorate is allegedly a key player in this menace, thwarting attempts by Indian security agencies to crack down on the racket. It is always the common man who suffers. If you by chance get hold of fake currency, you will end up paying it from your pocket. It has a direct impact on us, we need to stand up aginst it.

Comedy Of Errors

I have read it several times 'you better be careful what you say because it might turn around on you' but yesterday I experienced it for the first time. Though in my case the situation has not taken a bad shape and it has remained as a good joke but things might have worsened.

Here is how it all started, while I was in Allahabad last month, I was caught by this very irritating person about whom we have the concept that you better you accept what he says else you are inviting trouble. He asked rather announced that I am working for Tech-Mahindra, I was not in mood for arguments so I just remained silent and things were left there. Now a old student of mine whom I taught in Aptech Allahabad Centre added me as a friend on Orkut. He then sent me a scrap which read 'Sir Aap Tech Mahindra mein hain plz give me your contact number'. Then this friend of mine who has this habbit of religiously following my scrap book read the scrap and assumed that I have actually joined Tech Mahindra without informing him.

I casually called this person yesterday and he asked me why didn't I inform him about joining Tech Mahindra, I was also in a jolly mood so carried on the conversation without letting out the truth. He told me that Tech Mahindra has a office in Noida, I agreed. He further said that you must have got a good pay increase. On this point I extended myself and told him that I am directly going client side [London] and shall be leaving India by Deepawali for a minimum period of 8 months. This person was shattered and was so depressed hearing that I shall be out of India for 8 months that he decided to come over to my place and as I write this post he is on his way to my residence.

My remaining silent for that minute in Allahabad has led to such a great story revolving around me. It is fun but I feel sometimes it may take ugly shape. I have not yet decided what I will do when this person comes to my place, I will tell him the truth but not before I tease him a bit.

Have You Changed My Password ?

I was shocked to read a mail with 'Your Yahoo! password was changed' as subject. The contents of the mail read "The password for your Yahoo! ID was recently changed. You don't need to do anything, this message is simply a notification to protect the security of your account. Your new password may take a few moments to become active. If it doesn't work on your first try, please try it again later." I was totally unaware of the fact that I had changed my password. Actually I had not changed it.

This is a real strange mail that I received and was surprised. I then strolled through my memory to check if I had given out my password to anyone but to no avail. Infact I had changed my password some 10 days back so it was not very difficult to remember if I had given it to anybody. How could this have happened, is the question that I am unable to answer. The message body said that "1. Someone changed your password on 10/09/2009 at 11:04AM. Please sign in to your Yahoo! account to confirm you still have access after the change." I could not access my account so I reset my password and even changed the security question. Lets see what happens now. If anyone of you has any idea what might have prompted this do let me know.

To add to my wounds, even my GMail password is gone, I have this GMail account through which I access Facebook, Orkut and Gmail has also been lost. This is the 3rd time in a span of over a month that my GMail password has been rejected. I don't know if someone changed it or I am having problems remembering things. It has been a day of surprises, but none of them so far has been good. I am totally fed up with this mess, boy I need to get over it as soon as possible, it is killing me from inside.

Another Feat for Mahendra Singh Dhoni

Indian skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni has topped the list of world's 10 top earning cricketers compiled by Forbes. The list also includes four other players from the sub-continent — Sachin Tendulkar, Yuvraj Singh, Rahul Dravid and Sourav Ganguly. Dhoni is at the top of the chart with an earning of $10 million, followed by Tendulkar at the second spot with earnings worth $8 million in the list of 'The World's Top-Earning Cricketers'.

The list is as follows:

1. Mahendra Singh Dhoni with $10 million
2. Sachin Tendulkar with $8 million
3. Yuvraj Singh with $5.5 million
4. Rahul Dravid with $5 million
5. Andrew Flintoff with $4 million
6. Saurav Ganguly with $3.5 million
7. Ricky Ponting with $3.5 million
8. Kevin Pieterson with $3 million
9. Brett Lee with $3 million
10. Michael Clark with $2.5 million

The figures here tell us that there is no recession when it comes to cricketers. The IPL earnings also played an important role, and the heavy money involved in IPL has had a direct impact on the ranking. Out of the top 10 in the list of 'The World's Top-Earning Cricketers', 8 played the IPL.

It is good to note such good figures in times of recession where we really appreciate such news which shows the growing economic conditions. But this time things are a bit different, the wealth is getting concentrated to a few individuals and thus the flow of money is being restricted. Still I feel satisfied and content that the Indians are sitting pretty on top of the snobbish Aussies.

Teacher's Day

Indians have always respected and idolized their teachers. Earlier, we used to call them 'Guru' and now 'Sir' or 'Madam' but the role of teachers has remained the same. They were, are and will continue to be our guiding light, creating conditions conducive to our overall development. We will always be thankful to them for their constructive support. It is as an expression of this gratitude only that we celebrate Teacher's Day in India.

Teacher's Day is a tribute to the hard work and devotion of the teachers all year long, to educate a child. On this day, we gratefully remember the great educationist, apart from honoring all the teachers that have made our life much more knowledgeable and fulfilled, as serving as our beacons of light. Indian Teacher’s Day is dedicated to Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan, who was a zealous advocate of education and one of the greatest scholars and teachers of all times, apart from being the first Vice President and the second President of India. As a mark of respect to this phenomenal teacher, his birthday came to be observed as Teacher’s Day in the country.

We used to have a great function at school level to celebrate teacher's day and to honor the hard work that our teachers put up just to make our future bright. I take this opportunity to thank all my teachers and wish them a very Happy Teacher's Day. I shall always be grateful to them for helping me develop and reach the place where I am today. I thank them for believing in me and making me believe that I can.

10 Kms Long Traffic Jam on N.H. 24

The jam started when the residents of Ghaziabad protesting the demolition of unauthorised colonies on the bank of river Hindon and neighbouring areas blocked traffic and hurled stones at police. They also set afire vehicles, blocked traffic and indulged in heavy stone-pelting on Saturday. They set ablaze 6 vehicles of on N.H. 24 near Vijay Nagar.

Atleast 25 people were injured, which included seven policemen, in this act of violence. This sparked long traffic hurdles and there was a massive traffic jam which got extended to 10kms. It was also known that Police swung batons and fired teargas shells to scatter the protesters. The residents also say that there were air firings but the officials denied it.

It is a very shameful thing that such incidents just keep happening across the country for no basic reason, also the people who got injured or the vehicles that were set ablaze had nothing to do with the situation. Things such as this always harm the general public and trouble the common man. The people who had been victim to such violent acts were common people who just happened to be caught at the wrong place and at the wrong time. I think it is high time that we grow up and act more sensibly and be more responsible so that incidents like these don't happen again.