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 ???