Tuesday, July 18, 2006
Saturday, July 15, 2006
Friday, July 14, 2006
Zidane !
What happened to Zidane saddens me. I did not watch the world cup in it's entirety and am definitely not a football fan. But I happened to catch the overtime in the final match of this dull edition of the world cup (before falling back to sleep btw) and what happened was certainly something which is now common in the world of sports.
Yes, he head-butted that "poor" guy and yes it was an unwelcone act from this great hero of this supposedly great game (I am sorry I cannot acknowledge it's greatness simply because the whole world thinks that way. And that's only because I have never followed it. It might be of course.) but give the guy a break for God's sake. You will see what I mean when you read this. I sincerely believe that a method has to be established to trap and punish players who resort to verbal abuse to get their way. Verbal abuse inflicts as much damage as physical abuse, perhaps only more. Verbal abuse distracts players, poisons their mind and renders them unable to perform to their fullest ability. Isn't that what physical abuse does too and hence is considered red-card worthy?. Then why punish only those who resort to physical abuse?.
I applaud France and its Prime Minister for welcoming their hero home with the glory and affection he deserves. You cannot discredit a man of his stature for something which was not his fault.
As for Italy winning, I have my doubts about their worthiness after watching this :)
I am in a violent mood today. Dare you not abuse me verbally !
Yes, he head-butted that "poor" guy and yes it was an unwelcone act from this great hero of this supposedly great game (I am sorry I cannot acknowledge it's greatness simply because the whole world thinks that way. And that's only because I have never followed it. It might be of course.) but give the guy a break for God's sake. You will see what I mean when you read this. I sincerely believe that a method has to be established to trap and punish players who resort to verbal abuse to get their way. Verbal abuse inflicts as much damage as physical abuse, perhaps only more. Verbal abuse distracts players, poisons their mind and renders them unable to perform to their fullest ability. Isn't that what physical abuse does too and hence is considered red-card worthy?. Then why punish only those who resort to physical abuse?.
I applaud France and its Prime Minister for welcoming their hero home with the glory and affection he deserves. You cannot discredit a man of his stature for something which was not his fault.
As for Italy winning, I have my doubts about their worthiness after watching this :)
I am in a violent mood today. Dare you not abuse me verbally !
Thursday, July 13, 2006
Mumbai !
It pisses me off! It pisses me off so bad that I want to hit someone, someone from Mumbai preferably. What illusion are these people living under? Over 150 people were dead and several injured in the latest Mumbai blasts but what is the common refrain! - "Don't worry, Mumbai will be back on its feet tomorrow.", "Mumbai people are resilient! Mumbai rocks!". Oh my god! I can't believe my ears when I hear people say this. It's as if mumbaites and perhaps the whole of India is waiting eagerly for some tragedy to befall on this once great city just so that they can get up, give a standing ovation, pat Mumbai on its back and say "Well done Mumbai! Once more have you survived a terrible tragedy and stumbled back to your feet. Congratulations! keep it up!". Fuck you all ! 150 people are dead! can't you see that? tomorrow it might be you!
It's not the Mumbai spirit, it's apathy is what it is!. Force the government's hand to take more security measures, perhaps educate the people on how to watch out for the perpetrators of these heinous acts, be alert citizens... this is what people should be thinking. But nooo!! Mumbai people think "Oh this is so terrible! but not to worry, this won't happend to me and my family, so let this reside in my memory as a figment of somebody's imagination and let's go on living our life.. and Oh! by the way so that the rest of the world doesn't think we are such cowards that we cannot try for a safer environments for our loved ones, let's give this apathy a glorious term - ah! I know.. the Mumbai Spirit !!". It is nauseating.
When I was googling for some information on Mumbai Blasts, I came across this site which is dedicated to Mumbai Blasts. It's called the Mumbai Blasts Homepage.. wow! Do I hear Mumbai people thinking.. so cool.. we have a site dedicated to our oh so great city! Atleast there's somebody who agrees with me (and lo behold! it's a mumbaite!). He articulated what's boiling inside me well (better than me). I haven't taken his permission yet to quote him but couldn't resist. If he refuses I may take it off.
"No one i know has been physically affected by the blast. But my father was in *** hospital that day - some conference stuff. and he described the grusome scenes: He satyed there till midnight with te resident doctors....X-ray dept. He had never seen anything like
this....In the CT-MRI scans, he saw that someone's kidneys, liver all split....robs punctured the
lungs....he came home at around 2:30 AM....he wasnt able to eat for the whole day.
The next morning i switched on the TV and the fuckers were barking something about the spirit of Mumbai--- i say its already dead. Because we have resigned to the fact that life must go on and there is nothing we can do about it.
Spirit of Mumbai, i believe, is nothing but a concoction of sterile innocence and absurdity, and
false building of hopes....There are reasons why people go to work the next day - they need that salary cheque, or that wad of cash....Its not spirit stupid, its fear of 'no work, no pay.'
What will happen? Considering the 'spirit' of Mumbai, people will go to work the next day, and the days after, and finally within a fw weeks, the dead will become only statistics, and the government will set up committiees and will wait for the reports....In the meanwhile, we will hear the stupidest reasons for the blasts - gujrat riots, general dicontent, poverty among muslims.... and the cycle will repeat...it has repeated 6 times since 1993
Dumb spirit of Mumbai - what could be more convenient for Government? Normalcy resumes Look at what happened in US - 9/11 - in its aftermath, was there normalcy? or was there the talk of spirit of NY? no. instead there was the united blasting of intelligence failures and the impotency of govt...whether they should have attacked afghanistan is a different story...Here, the govt took a long time in trying to blame the terrorists... that soft our
govt is...cant even build a national rhetoric SIMI is banned in India. What the fuck was its chief doing givin press interviews 2 days after the blasts in Mumbai? Spirit of India? no. i think it is this that makes India a soft target...
Lemme know what you guys think
yeah yeah, i know you may call me cynical, but really, i too believed till now in the 'spirit' of mumbai -- but what has that spirit given? not even false hopes that this wont repeat. coming to think of it, the above cycle that i mentioned has repeated 6 times -- so did the 'spirit' give the message to teh terrorists that mumbai will not stop come what may? no. else they
would have chosen some other targets. Infact, it presents India as a soft target...it reduces the pressure on govt to step up the security measures..."
People just never stop amazing me.
And you know what? if and when a mumbaite read this, his/her first reaction won't be "He might have a point" but would rather be "F***in b****rd how dare he abuse Mumbai and its people. Doesn't he know how great we and the city yaar. Where does he live? Iska to patta abheech katna padega"..
God help us all..
Edit: Oh! I almost forgot.. to quote someone I know.. "Why don't they understand that the city will be back to normal tomorrow morning?" .. So what man? so what? It's not about Mumbai and it's "spirit".. It's about the scores of people dead.. nobody outside Mumbai cares about its spirit. We are just happy that we live in relatively safer environs. Thank you, but please keep this "spirit" to yourself.
It's not the Mumbai spirit, it's apathy is what it is!. Force the government's hand to take more security measures, perhaps educate the people on how to watch out for the perpetrators of these heinous acts, be alert citizens... this is what people should be thinking. But nooo!! Mumbai people think "Oh this is so terrible! but not to worry, this won't happend to me and my family, so let this reside in my memory as a figment of somebody's imagination and let's go on living our life.. and Oh! by the way so that the rest of the world doesn't think we are such cowards that we cannot try for a safer environments for our loved ones, let's give this apathy a glorious term - ah! I know.. the Mumbai Spirit !!". It is nauseating.
When I was googling for some information on Mumbai Blasts, I came across this site which is dedicated to Mumbai Blasts. It's called the Mumbai Blasts Homepage.. wow! Do I hear Mumbai people thinking.. so cool.. we have a site dedicated to our oh so great city! Atleast there's somebody who agrees with me (and lo behold! it's a mumbaite!). He articulated what's boiling inside me well (better than me). I haven't taken his permission yet to quote him but couldn't resist. If he refuses I may take it off.
"No one i know has been physically affected by the blast. But my father was in *** hospital that day - some conference stuff. and he described the grusome scenes: He satyed there till midnight with te resident doctors....X-ray dept. He had never seen anything like
this....In the CT-MRI scans, he saw that someone's kidneys, liver all split....robs punctured the
lungs....he came home at around 2:30 AM....he wasnt able to eat for the whole day.
The next morning i switched on the TV and the fuckers were barking something about the spirit of Mumbai--- i say its already dead. Because we have resigned to the fact that life must go on and there is nothing we can do about it.
Spirit of Mumbai, i believe, is nothing but a concoction of sterile innocence and absurdity, and
false building of hopes....There are reasons why people go to work the next day - they need that salary cheque, or that wad of cash....Its not spirit stupid, its fear of 'no work, no pay.'
What will happen? Considering the 'spirit' of Mumbai, people will go to work the next day, and the days after, and finally within a fw weeks, the dead will become only statistics, and the government will set up committiees and will wait for the reports....In the meanwhile, we will hear the stupidest reasons for the blasts - gujrat riots, general dicontent, poverty among muslims.... and the cycle will repeat...it has repeated 6 times since 1993
Dumb spirit of Mumbai - what could be more convenient for Government? Normalcy resumes Look at what happened in US - 9/11 - in its aftermath, was there normalcy? or was there the talk of spirit of NY? no. instead there was the united blasting of intelligence failures and the impotency of govt...whether they should have attacked afghanistan is a different story...Here, the govt took a long time in trying to blame the terrorists... that soft our
govt is...cant even build a national rhetoric SIMI is banned in India. What the fuck was its chief doing givin press interviews 2 days after the blasts in Mumbai? Spirit of India? no. i think it is this that makes India a soft target...
Lemme know what you guys think
yeah yeah, i know you may call me cynical, but really, i too believed till now in the 'spirit' of mumbai -- but what has that spirit given? not even false hopes that this wont repeat. coming to think of it, the above cycle that i mentioned has repeated 6 times -- so did the 'spirit' give the message to teh terrorists that mumbai will not stop come what may? no. else they
would have chosen some other targets. Infact, it presents India as a soft target...it reduces the pressure on govt to step up the security measures..."
People just never stop amazing me.
And you know what? if and when a mumbaite read this, his/her first reaction won't be "He might have a point" but would rather be "F***in b****rd how dare he abuse Mumbai and its people. Doesn't he know how great we and the city yaar. Where does he live? Iska to patta abheech katna padega"..
God help us all..
Edit: Oh! I almost forgot.. to quote someone I know.. "Why don't they understand that the city will be back to normal tomorrow morning?" .. So what man? so what? It's not about Mumbai and it's "spirit".. It's about the scores of people dead.. nobody outside Mumbai cares about its spirit. We are just happy that we live in relatively safer environs. Thank you, but please keep this "spirit" to yourself.
Friday, June 16, 2006
What my birthdate means !
| Your Birthdate: March 10 |
 Independent and dominant, you tend to be the alpha dog in most situations. You're very confident, and hardly anything ever shakes you. Mundane tasks tend to drain you - you prefer to be making great plans. You are quite original. When people don't "get" you, it bothers you a lot. Your strength: Your ability to gain respect Your weakness: Caring too much what others think Your power color: Orange-red Your power symbol: Letter X Your power month: October |
Sunday, June 04, 2006
Life: Update
You would think that one would update his blog when he is relatively free. But no, such things do not happen. Even when the person is absolutely jobless during his weekends and should spend time constructively reading books (which he misses) and writing more, he would rather stare at his computer day and night, downloading stuff from the internet and what not.
Below you will find a post which this person had started almost 3 months ago in the heat of frustration and anger over the university. You will find that its incomplete and this is only because 3 months have been enough to change the author's viewpoints and he cannot recall the emotions of that time required to complete the post.
Speaking of downloads, this person found a new thread of timepass called "Scrubs". Its a TV series featuring a hospital and the quirky doctors and staff in it. Scrubs-ER duo is analogous to the AllyMcBeal-ThePractice. Its a really funny and touching TV series and I would recommend it to anyone who has the time for such worthless pursuits.
Speaking of pursuits, this person has started his internship in Mentor Graphics Corporation and has already completed two weeks of it. He is posted in Wilsonville, Oregon which is on the west coast below Washington and above California. The place is scenic and breathtaking. He is enjoying it a lot and can't believe his good luck in landing such a great job with a superb group. The people in the group are brilliant and make their interns very comfortable. The company knows how to take care of their employees and this person already has several testimonials to that effect. In short this person is having a great time.
Speaking of having a great time, this person rented a car last weekend (for which his company paid even when not asked for!) and decided to explore the place. He went to the Evergreen Aviation Museum and the next day, Multnomah Falls. It was amazing to see the SpruceGoose and the B2 Bomber side by side. It was an overwhelming experience. Check out the photos here. The person you will see in front of the falls is Willy Joseph who is his current roommate.
This person will not be able to visit India this summer because of his internship commitments (in other words: greed). He will be in India in december most probably.
This was meant to be an update of his life. He should be posting more. Pray for him.
Below you will find a post which this person had started almost 3 months ago in the heat of frustration and anger over the university. You will find that its incomplete and this is only because 3 months have been enough to change the author's viewpoints and he cannot recall the emotions of that time required to complete the post.
Speaking of downloads, this person found a new thread of timepass called "Scrubs". Its a TV series featuring a hospital and the quirky doctors and staff in it. Scrubs-ER duo is analogous to the AllyMcBeal-ThePractice. Its a really funny and touching TV series and I would recommend it to anyone who has the time for such worthless pursuits.
Speaking of pursuits, this person has started his internship in Mentor Graphics Corporation and has already completed two weeks of it. He is posted in Wilsonville, Oregon which is on the west coast below Washington and above California. The place is scenic and breathtaking. He is enjoying it a lot and can't believe his good luck in landing such a great job with a superb group. The people in the group are brilliant and make their interns very comfortable. The company knows how to take care of their employees and this person already has several testimonials to that effect. In short this person is having a great time.
Speaking of having a great time, this person rented a car last weekend (for which his company paid even when not asked for!) and decided to explore the place. He went to the Evergreen Aviation Museum and the next day, Multnomah Falls. It was amazing to see the SpruceGoose and the B2 Bomber side by side. It was an overwhelming experience. Check out the photos here. The person you will see in front of the falls is Willy Joseph who is his current roommate.
This person will not be able to visit India this summer because of his internship commitments (in other words: greed). He will be in India in december most probably.
This was meant to be an update of his life. He should be posting more. Pray for him.
Piled Higher and Deeper
http://www.phdcomics.com
Never thought sad truth could be told in such a poignant manner. I guess I feel the same way when I read phdcomics as a new office-goer would feel reading Dilbert and actually relating to it for the first time.
I started reading this comic 2 days back and boy is it addictive. I have already finished 703 strips and the number 703 only because Jorge Cham is on his PhD Winter 2006 Tour and doesnt contribute to his strip on a regular basis. Most of you reading this who are not pursuing graduate studies will not relate to the comic just as I can't still relate to Dilbert. But if you wanna know what kind of life grad students lead, then there cannot be a better indicator than this strip.
Its true to the dot. The sustenance on Ramen noodles, there being no life outside the lab, professors treating you like dirt and making you feel miserable and a low life.
Procrastination - now that's a word which has become an integral part of my vocabulary after coming here. Is it grad school which does this to you or is it a phase which everyone goes through? If the answer is yes to the former alone, then why? My reasoning would be that somehow grad school doesn't enthuse and doesn't drive a person enough to overcome the constant tempatation to slack off, to not do anything and leave everything for tomorrow.
"I think I will start my own company. Anyways I don't get to implement my ideas here!", said I, to which a to-be-PhD friend of mine replied, " Then do a PhD ! You can most definitely excercise your ideas there." Can I? After encountering professors and their sick attitudes here I am least inclined to believe that.
I came in with a passion for technology, a passion to learn, and to implement my ideas. The University of Michigan has very effectively nipped any ideas/passion I may have had in its very bud. I have become this person who now detests any mention of the word tech, who will do anything to get away from it asap.
(Started writing this long back.. will finish sometime..)
Monday, April 03, 2006
An apple a day keeps the love doctor away?
I know this is going to invite very sidey comments, but still.. had to put it up.. found it in one of the apples I have at home.
Sunday, April 02, 2006
Guess who got a foosball table baby !!
Yipppeee !!!
Yesterday, we actually got a foosball table home ! Can you believe that ?! an actual foosball table ! Our dear roommate Siddharth "Fundingwalla" Athreya gave us a pleasant surprise and bought this amazing table for $60 only. Its a steal for 60 bucks.
Anyway, we have been at it since yesterday. Hours and hours of backbreaking foosball play. The point of this post of course is to make all of you extremely jealous ! heeheehaahaahooo (evil laugh). I hope I achieved that purpose.
Yesterday, we actually got a foosball table home ! Can you believe that ?! an actual foosball table ! Our dear roommate Siddharth "Fundingwalla" Athreya gave us a pleasant surprise and bought this amazing table for $60 only. Its a steal for 60 bucks.
Anyway, we have been at it since yesterday. Hours and hours of backbreaking foosball play. The point of this post of course is to make all of you extremely jealous ! heeheehaahaahooo (evil laugh). I hope I achieved that purpose.
In any case, if any of you stay in Ann Arbor and wanna play a game or two, you are always welcome to 11B1. Yes Arnab, that means you ! :).
(Aside: notice the really cool effect when u scroll up and down and look at the bottom pic)
Wednesday, March 29, 2006
My blog goes public.. well.. almost..
Dear All,
For some insane reason, i have decided to make a part of my blog public. I have removed the personal stuff and retained stuff which might interest general junta. Actually, i was never confident of my writing and therefore didnt want to make it public. But recently i showed it to a certain someone and she said that it was pretty decent. So, i thought - "Why not!". In any case, i felt like writing again and write stuff which public needs to know. Hence the IPO :).
Keen eyes will notice that all my posts have been put up at approximately the same time but on different dates. I wonder why... hmm.. :)
So there it is.. shekisms.blogspot.com .. yet-another-blog.. do leave comments - good or bad.. i welcome criticism and would like you to point out things which would improve my writing.. or in general if u just want to give me gaalis, thats also ok..
For some insane reason, i have decided to make a part of my blog public. I have removed the personal stuff and retained stuff which might interest general junta. Actually, i was never confident of my writing and therefore didnt want to make it public. But recently i showed it to a certain someone and she said that it was pretty decent. So, i thought - "Why not!". In any case, i felt like writing again and write stuff which public needs to know. Hence the IPO :).
Keen eyes will notice that all my posts have been put up at approximately the same time but on different dates. I wonder why... hmm.. :)
So there it is.. shekisms.blogspot.com .. yet-another-blog.. do leave comments - good or bad.. i welcome criticism and would like you to point out things which would improve my writing.. or in general if u just want to give me gaalis, thats also ok..
Wednesday, October 19, 2005
I want to be God...
I want to be God.
Yes, thats what i said..
I want to be God.
No, thats not what i mean..
I said, "I want to be God."
Right?
Wrong.
I want to be God, not "God" !
--
I don't want to be omnipotent. That would corrupt me.
I don't want to be omniscient, for theres more joy in pursual of knowledge than in the possession of knowledge itself. I want every day, every moment to be a learning experience. I don't want to be complete.. If i was, then i would be God.
I want to be God.
I want to be all-forgiving. Coz the power to forgive Is God.
I want Joy. Joy is God.
I want to find true love. Coz then i would have found God.
Music is God. Coz it uplifts you.
Children are God. Coz they are so pure.
You are God. Coz you have so many things to teach me.
---
"Do you think you are God?"
I don't think so. But i would sure i want to be. I don't understand what's wrong with wanting to be God. God is not all about absolute power (but it may be about absolute uncorrupted power). God is about so much more. God is at peace with himself. He is one with the universe and there is nothing in this world which irks him. He is in a state of nirvana. Why wouldnt you want to be in that state?
I don't think its not possible to be God. He is not something which you cannot be. It is tough yes, (very tough i should say) but not impossible for sure. There is so much we can learn from him. Theres so much he can do. Oh what fun it must to be God!.
You may smirk. But..
I want to be God.
Yes, thats what i said..
I want to be God.
No, thats not what i mean..
I said, "I want to be God."
Right?
Wrong.
I want to be God, not "God" !
--
I don't want to be omnipotent. That would corrupt me.
I don't want to be omniscient, for theres more joy in pursual of knowledge than in the possession of knowledge itself. I want every day, every moment to be a learning experience. I don't want to be complete.. If i was, then i would be God.
I want to be God.
I want to be all-forgiving. Coz the power to forgive Is God.
I want Joy. Joy is God.
I want to find true love. Coz then i would have found God.
Music is God. Coz it uplifts you.
Children are God. Coz they are so pure.
You are God. Coz you have so many things to teach me.
---
"Do you think you are God?"
I don't think so. But i would sure i want to be. I don't understand what's wrong with wanting to be God. God is not all about absolute power (but it may be about absolute uncorrupted power). God is about so much more. God is at peace with himself. He is one with the universe and there is nothing in this world which irks him. He is in a state of nirvana. Why wouldnt you want to be in that state?
I don't think its not possible to be God. He is not something which you cannot be. It is tough yes, (very tough i should say) but not impossible for sure. There is so much we can learn from him. Theres so much he can do. Oh what fun it must to be God!.
You may smirk. But..
I want to be God.
Saturday, September 24, 2005
Leisure
What is this life if, full of care,
We have no time to stand and stare.
No time to stand beneath the boughs
And stare as long as sheep or cows.
No time to see, when woods we pass,
Where squirrels hide their nuts in grass.
No time to see, in broad daylight,
Streams full of stars like skies at night.
No time to turn at Beauty's glance,
And watch her feet, how they can dance.
No time to wait till her mouth can
Enrich that smile her eyes began.
A poor life this if, full of care,
We have no time to stand and stare.
WH Davies
-- One of my all time fave poems
We have no time to stand and stare.
No time to stand beneath the boughs
And stare as long as sheep or cows.
No time to see, when woods we pass,
Where squirrels hide their nuts in grass.
No time to see, in broad daylight,
Streams full of stars like skies at night.
No time to turn at Beauty's glance,
And watch her feet, how they can dance.
No time to wait till her mouth can
Enrich that smile her eyes began.
A poor life this if, full of care,
We have no time to stand and stare.
WH Davies
-- One of my all time fave poems
Friday, September 16, 2005
Is Music God ?
I went to a ganesh pooja today. Me being me, i wasnt really interested in the pooja as such. Just wanted a break. But i guess subconsciously i was looking for peace of mind which has been robbed of me in the past few days/weeks.
After the pooja there was a performance by some guys on the flute, tabla et al. I stood there listening, half expecting to get bored to death by the bhajan music. But i guess again my subconscious knew better. I stood there listening to the music, absolutely transfixed. It wasnt like i had never heard the kind of music before... it was just that standing there, something struck me. That music is god. why? u ask. Well music gives u the kind of peace of mind which nothing else can. It uplifts your soul and makes the world rosier for that fleeting instant of time. You just lose yourself in the music and suddenly there is nothing more pure than your soul at that time. And you feel like you have discovered another world... as if God is suddenly close to you, stroking your hair and telling you - "everything will be alright my son. may the strength be yours". Now what more could one want out of life?!. Music gives you joy and being truly joyous is perhaps paying the biggest tribute to God you can. For me thats attaining nirvana.
No wonder i feel so jealous of these music guys! :)
Ta da dee..
After the pooja there was a performance by some guys on the flute, tabla et al. I stood there listening, half expecting to get bored to death by the bhajan music. But i guess again my subconscious knew better. I stood there listening to the music, absolutely transfixed. It wasnt like i had never heard the kind of music before... it was just that standing there, something struck me. That music is god. why? u ask. Well music gives u the kind of peace of mind which nothing else can. It uplifts your soul and makes the world rosier for that fleeting instant of time. You just lose yourself in the music and suddenly there is nothing more pure than your soul at that time. And you feel like you have discovered another world... as if God is suddenly close to you, stroking your hair and telling you - "everything will be alright my son. may the strength be yours". Now what more could one want out of life?!. Music gives you joy and being truly joyous is perhaps paying the biggest tribute to God you can. For me thats attaining nirvana.
No wonder i feel so jealous of these music guys! :)
Ta da dee..
Thursday, July 21, 2005
Vrroomm.....
Driving is perhaps one of the predominant vicarious pleasures a man indulges in.
And it is! (for me atleast).
When i am driving, i forget about the whole world, my worries, my everything. Its like i am the king of the world for that small amount of time, when i have control over everything and anything. Of course it helps that i have a 1.6 Litre superfast fast machine at my disposal which leaves most of the cars on road biting dust :). I guess thats what gives men the thrills with the wheels - the fact that they are in total control of a beast which is as capable of giving you thrills as it is of spreading destruction. You can use the thing like a toy and make it do whatever you wish it to do.
They say that the real character of a man comes out when he is behind the wheels. I have observed myself when i am driving and find that this theory could well have some substance. I tend to overtake and outspeed vehicles when the roads are busy and especially when it seems to be a challenge to do so, but when the roads are empty i prefer travelling at very normal speeds. Also, when i am driving a socially concerned, well mannered person steps in who gives way to people, respects all traffic laws (except the speed limits of course), drives carefully and is a model of a citizen :D. I guess i love Bangalore too much and when everybody is breaking all the laws without any concern for the city or its citizens, then i feel i have some responsibility to see that atleast i don't contribute to its woes.
But night driving is not my thing certainly. Especially when driving back to the house in the night at high speeds, when the street lights are dim and near-absent. Its almost as if i am driving blind. People crossing the roads are nothing but fleeting shadows in those zero-light conditions. Oncoming vehicles are identified only by their high-beamed head lamps and if one of them doesnt have them on, then god bless them! Its a miracle actually that i reach home everyday without any near-shaves or nerve-shattering experiences.
Driving is certainly not a pleasurable experience in the current Bangalore infrastructural conditions but its thrills are way too much to even consider giving it up.
And it is! (for me atleast).
When i am driving, i forget about the whole world, my worries, my everything. Its like i am the king of the world for that small amount of time, when i have control over everything and anything. Of course it helps that i have a 1.6 Litre superfast fast machine at my disposal which leaves most of the cars on road biting dust :). I guess thats what gives men the thrills with the wheels - the fact that they are in total control of a beast which is as capable of giving you thrills as it is of spreading destruction. You can use the thing like a toy and make it do whatever you wish it to do.
They say that the real character of a man comes out when he is behind the wheels. I have observed myself when i am driving and find that this theory could well have some substance. I tend to overtake and outspeed vehicles when the roads are busy and especially when it seems to be a challenge to do so, but when the roads are empty i prefer travelling at very normal speeds. Also, when i am driving a socially concerned, well mannered person steps in who gives way to people, respects all traffic laws (except the speed limits of course), drives carefully and is a model of a citizen :D. I guess i love Bangalore too much and when everybody is breaking all the laws without any concern for the city or its citizens, then i feel i have some responsibility to see that atleast i don't contribute to its woes.
But night driving is not my thing certainly. Especially when driving back to the house in the night at high speeds, when the street lights are dim and near-absent. Its almost as if i am driving blind. People crossing the roads are nothing but fleeting shadows in those zero-light conditions. Oncoming vehicles are identified only by their high-beamed head lamps and if one of them doesnt have them on, then god bless them! Its a miracle actually that i reach home everyday without any near-shaves or nerve-shattering experiences.
Driving is certainly not a pleasurable experience in the current Bangalore infrastructural conditions but its thrills are way too much to even consider giving it up.
Wednesday, July 20, 2005
So you are going to Amrika?!
Yes i am going to "AMRIKA" ! and for the umpteenth time, on the 16th of August.
Ever since i got an admit into an "AMRIKAN" university a few months ago, i have been inundated with advice from all round the globe, especially from the whos-"who?!"s - of my family and "friends".
First it was regarding my visa appointment date, where many friends adviced me to not take it on a friday especially in chennai coz it was supposedly an "open day" when most visas got rejected and in chennai there was this feared muslim lady (in a burqa for added effect) who hardly ever issued any visas!
Of course during those times of turmoil and confusion i gobbled up all the advice i got and actually took it seriously. So when the usual twist of fate landed me with an appointment on a friday in chennai, my anxiousness knew no bounds!. As the visa date approached, my anxiousness gave way to indifference-what with all the paperwork, forms and documents!. At the visa counter, i could hardly stop myself from yawning in front of the visa officer! But as fate would have it, i landed with a visa after the easiest and shortest interviews of all times.
I should have been happy.... but......
- "So when are u leaving?" - Yes i know its a perfectly normal question to ask but not when it is asked for the 5th or the 6th time (literally) by the same person!. Its as if the guy has goes into an automaton mode upon seeing me and this is the only seemingly intelligent question he can conjure up! My response to this has of course become similarly automated now and its just "mid august" even though i now know its 16th August.
- "So have you got any scholarship?" - Now how do i respond to this question, tell the truth, be brief and save my face at the same time?! So its just - "I havent yet!" and leave the rest to their imagination.
- "Be verryy careful over there.. Amrikan women just love indian boys coz they spend a lot of money running behind white skin!" - Arre yaar after paying for my fees and the rest, i wont have enough money to even spend on my own brown skin, let alone somebody else's white skin, so i think u can safely stop worrying abt that now.
- "Ah, cho chad, Amrikan women run from indian boys there coz they become very serious after a one-night stand! What will you do ?!" - Come my dear.. have you met my "above" friend? i have a feeling you two have lots to share with each other.
As if all this unsolicited advice was not enough, loads of people have told me how i should go there, make a handsome living and never come back to India. Unfortunately, an equal number or more have told me to not even think abt staying back in the US, but pack my bags at the earliest, upon completion of my education, and come to India.
Now how do you expect a guy to go to the states with an unbiased and open mind amidst all this nonsense of advices? The killjoys take away the very basic joy of discovering things on your own.
But this constant deja vu of a conversation takes the cake:
U: "So which university have u got admission into?"
Me: "University of Michigan - Ann Arbor, uncle."
U: "Michigan.. hmm.. yes yes, thats a verrry reputed university"
[A moment of silence and deep thought]
U: "Uh... is it in Amrika ?"
Me: " !! ..........................."
----------
Everybody seems to be so excited about me going abroad. Why amn't i ?
Ever since i got an admit into an "AMRIKAN" university a few months ago, i have been inundated with advice from all round the globe, especially from the whos-"who?!"s - of my family and "friends".
First it was regarding my visa appointment date, where many friends adviced me to not take it on a friday especially in chennai coz it was supposedly an "open day" when most visas got rejected and in chennai there was this feared muslim lady (in a burqa for added effect) who hardly ever issued any visas!
Of course during those times of turmoil and confusion i gobbled up all the advice i got and actually took it seriously. So when the usual twist of fate landed me with an appointment on a friday in chennai, my anxiousness knew no bounds!. As the visa date approached, my anxiousness gave way to indifference-what with all the paperwork, forms and documents!. At the visa counter, i could hardly stop myself from yawning in front of the visa officer! But as fate would have it, i landed with a visa after the easiest and shortest interviews of all times.
I should have been happy.... but......
- "So when are u leaving?" - Yes i know its a perfectly normal question to ask but not when it is asked for the 5th or the 6th time (literally) by the same person!. Its as if the guy has goes into an automaton mode upon seeing me and this is the only seemingly intelligent question he can conjure up! My response to this has of course become similarly automated now and its just "mid august" even though i now know its 16th August.
- "So have you got any scholarship?" - Now how do i respond to this question, tell the truth, be brief and save my face at the same time?! So its just - "I havent yet!" and leave the rest to their imagination.
- "Be verryy careful over there.. Amrikan women just love indian boys coz they spend a lot of money running behind white skin!" - Arre yaar after paying for my fees and the rest, i wont have enough money to even spend on my own brown skin, let alone somebody else's white skin, so i think u can safely stop worrying abt that now.
- "Ah, cho chad, Amrikan women run from indian boys there coz they become very serious after a one-night stand! What will you do ?!" - Come my dear.. have you met my "above" friend? i have a feeling you two have lots to share with each other.
As if all this unsolicited advice was not enough, loads of people have told me how i should go there, make a handsome living and never come back to India. Unfortunately, an equal number or more have told me to not even think abt staying back in the US, but pack my bags at the earliest, upon completion of my education, and come to India.
Now how do you expect a guy to go to the states with an unbiased and open mind amidst all this nonsense of advices? The killjoys take away the very basic joy of discovering things on your own.
But this constant deja vu of a conversation takes the cake:
U: "So which university have u got admission into?"
Me: "University of Michigan - Ann Arbor, uncle."
U: "Michigan.. hmm.. yes yes, thats a verrry reputed university"
[A moment of silence and deep thought]
U: "Uh... is it in Amrika ?"
Me: " !! ..........................."
----------
Everybody seems to be so excited about me going abroad. Why amn't i ?
Sunday, July 17, 2005
Pining for Bangalore
Yes i stay in Bangalore and No i dont stay in Bangalore anymore. There are 2 ways of looking at this-factual and emotional.
Factual - I now stay in a place called Sahakaranagar which is at the border of Bangalore! In fact theres a sign on the road 3 km from my house towards city which says "Bangalore City Limits!". It takes me an hour to get to anywhere in the central city and once i am out, i prefer to come back only in the night... rather-just one trip a day to the city. When i leave home its invariably - "I am going to Bangalore!". Life is at a standstill right now especially after staying in a place for 8 years from where Brigade Road was a stone's throw away!My friends are all in that area and its a pain now to travel all the way and meet them, (even though i have a car) given the Bangalore traffic. So basically it no longer feels like i am living in Bangalore.
Emotional - Bangalore is no longer what it used to be! It used to be such a lovely place with lovely weather, lovely people et al. But it has changed drastically over the past 2-3 years. I put the blame squarely on the software companies which continue to pour thousands of people (literally) into Bangalore every single year! Yes i know u must be saying - This guy doesnt care abt developement and growth. Of course i do, but not at the cost of the ruin it is causing to Bangalore!. I mean its just not the traffic which has gotten worse but everything. People have lost their manners. People coming in here from all over India refuse to imbibe the true Bangalore culture but only attempt to inculcate the pseudo-western attitudes that Bangalore is famous for....and man do they fail miserably!. Bad roads, loads of people, loads of vehicles, zero road sense, government apathy.. all these combined have made Bangalore a place where people like me no longer want to live in! I would rather move and settle down in some remote place with some peace and quiet. Not for me the Bangalore of today and the Bangalore of the yore can neve come back. So...basically it no longer feels like i am living in Bangalore...........
Sigh!
Factual - I now stay in a place called Sahakaranagar which is at the border of Bangalore! In fact theres a sign on the road 3 km from my house towards city which says "Bangalore City Limits!". It takes me an hour to get to anywhere in the central city and once i am out, i prefer to come back only in the night... rather-just one trip a day to the city. When i leave home its invariably - "I am going to Bangalore!". Life is at a standstill right now especially after staying in a place for 8 years from where Brigade Road was a stone's throw away!My friends are all in that area and its a pain now to travel all the way and meet them, (even though i have a car) given the Bangalore traffic. So basically it no longer feels like i am living in Bangalore.
Emotional - Bangalore is no longer what it used to be! It used to be such a lovely place with lovely weather, lovely people et al. But it has changed drastically over the past 2-3 years. I put the blame squarely on the software companies which continue to pour thousands of people (literally) into Bangalore every single year! Yes i know u must be saying - This guy doesnt care abt developement and growth. Of course i do, but not at the cost of the ruin it is causing to Bangalore!. I mean its just not the traffic which has gotten worse but everything. People have lost their manners. People coming in here from all over India refuse to imbibe the true Bangalore culture but only attempt to inculcate the pseudo-western attitudes that Bangalore is famous for....and man do they fail miserably!. Bad roads, loads of people, loads of vehicles, zero road sense, government apathy.. all these combined have made Bangalore a place where people like me no longer want to live in! I would rather move and settle down in some remote place with some peace and quiet. Not for me the Bangalore of today and the Bangalore of the yore can neve come back. So...basically it no longer feels like i am living in Bangalore...........
Sigh!
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