GAVI THINKING LOUD

THE REST OF ME

2019-06-06T15:13:00.005-07:00

I know it’s here
Looking right into my eye
I still don’t let go
I still don’t say bye

It’s not that easy
It’s not my choice to make
I tried and tried
Knowing what was at stake

There is a place unknown
Sealed from all
In it i hide the real me
Who even today, refuses to fall

they think they have me
They think i quit
But Did they ever try to ask
how much of me is it?

This place where lies,
The Rest of me
That’s the place i want to be
This life and every life i ever see!

MERA BHARAT MAHAN!

2013-11-22T09:37:00.002-08:00

Na Baapu rahe, Na unki laathi,
Desh ko toh loothe bas Ek Party.
Madam ne jo bajayi Seethi
Aur Sardar ne mari Gulati!

Garib Roye bhuk se behal
Raja aur Kalmadi maalamal.
Mantri kha gaye Koyla aur Chaara
CBI bhi Congress se haara.

Na shanti he na sukh
Aam Aadmi ke naseeb mein sirf dukh.
Bahu beti ki izzat hui chal'li
Sheila Boli, "sabse acchi meri Delhi"!

Modi ne di pappu ko thakar
Bola "mein hoon sabse hatkar".
Bole Advani zor se " jeetao sirf BJP ko,
aur karne do raj RSS ko"!

Nitish ne badli apni chaal
NDA ka hua bura haal.
Mamta ne badaya dosti ka haath
boli, "sab loothein milke saath".

Anna ji ne virodh kiya,
Sabne uska saath diya.
Satha ke moh se koi bacha he bala?
Kejriwal bola, "aap anshan karo, mein politics mein chala"!

Sone jaisa desh he mera,
Pyar mein uske anek hue lahoo louhan,
Sau mein se nineanve behman,
Phir bi mera bharat Mahan!

Rape-The inhuman act!

2013-04-18T12:00:00.001-07:00

Rape, as defined by the dictionary means, 'the crime of forcing another person to submit to sex acts, especially sexual intercourse'. But in reality, it means much more. It means traumatizing a girl mentally and physically to such an extent that she gets nightmares about it all her life. She feels so insecure to walk alone, and trusting another man in the future becomes her biggest fear. And what was her fault? It's only that a sex-starved monster failed to control his sexual desires and made her a prey of his lust!

We hear of rapes every coming day. Every rape leaves another family begging desperately for justice, hoping to see some stringent laws and praying that no other girl meets the same fate as their daughter or sister. But what happens in the end? The monster is released on bail or sometimes just walks scot free if he has some political clout. The brutality of the Delhi rape haunts the whole nation even today. I am sure, even animals would have not committed such an act even with their worst of enemies!

Our society has always been conservative about sex and other topics related to it. We live in a sex-starved India, where we consider things like prostitution as social evils but on the other hand have free and unrestricted access to porn and adult magazines. The "sex-starvation" of our society is being used openly as a marketing tactic as well. Every product is being advertised by a hot looking babe, sometimes skimpily dressed. Our films have made it a norm to have one item number at least, proving the common belief "sex sells"!

According to Maslow's Hierarchy of needs, Sex is one of the Physiological need along with food, water, air and sleep. Every individual, after a certain age, feels the need to have sex. But not all are able to keep this urge under control. And watching porn or the sexist ads only increases the libido and the uncontrollable urge manifests itself in the form of rape! India is no alien to sex or the pleasures and complications associated with it. Our's is the land where Kamasutra was born and sex was considered as a sacred act. But over a period of time, due to its misuse and misunderstanding, sex has become a social stigma. Something that everybody does behind closed doors, but is reluctant to accept!

The best alternative to get rid of this growing sex starvation would be to legalize prostitution. Controlled prostitution with proper norms, health check-ups for the sex workers and proper hygiene would help to provide an outlet to these men who find it extremely difficult to control their rising libido and target innocent girls. So also, having strict laws or even capital punishment for a rapist would prove to be a strong deterrent and the person will be forced to think twice before committing this act.

Many of the rapes take place since our children have less or absolutely no sex education. It's high time we speak openly with our children about all these things and educate them. It's very important that a child, especially girls are taught to distinguish between a caring "touch" and the one which is an attack on her dignity. It is indeed sad to see that in our land, where woman is worshipped, is becoming increasingly unsafe for women and they are being treated as an object of personal satisfaction. Even children are not spared and their childhood and innocence is devoured by the lust of some animals in the garb of human beings!

The world has changed and so has our lifestyle and our dressing. I do agree that modesty is a distinct feminine virtue and trampling our culture and blindly aping the west by women is not acceptable. But it's disgusting to see that even in this modern, civilized and educated India, a female in western clothes is looked upon with perverted thoughts and her morality is degraded even without touching her. We have a rich culture. A culture that dates back to centuries and something we can feel proud of. Our culture and our values teach us to respect a woman. As the saying goes:

yatra nāryastu pūjyante ramante tatra devatāḥ|

yatraitāstu na pūjyante sarvāstatrāphalāḥ kriyāḥ ||

Which means, 'The divine are extremely happy where women are respected ;where they are not, all actions (projects) are fruitless'!
Its time the Government and the concerned authorities take this seriously and come up with ways to make our land safe for our women.

Voting for a change......being wise or taking a risk?

2013-04-13T03:05:00.001-07:00

The Lok sabha elections are round the corner. The political parties have already started their gimmicks to woo their voters. The mud-slinging, allegations and counter allegations is what everybody is using to get their share of limelight and of course the precious support!

As I analyze the political situation in India, It has taken a giant slump and has turned from bad to worse, from nasty to ugly and from dirty to pathetic. When all seems lost, the country sees a faint hope in the guise of the Aam Aadmi Party marshalled by none other than Arvind Kejriwal. Having a reputation of a social activist, an honest and educated person. This Man has begun the herculean task of changing the system in this "corrupt-to-the-hilt" country! After parting ways with the anti-graft crusader, Anna Hazare, Kejriwal has come a long way, and managed to carve a niche for himself in the hearts of the people, specially the youth. Going tangent on Anna's ideas that corruption can't be fought by entering politics, Kejriwal has decided to take the corrupt politicians head on.

The mission is tough and the hurdles are many. But Kejriwal claims to change the entire system and do away with corruption that has weakened the democratic fabric of our country. Now the question that arises is, Is it really possible? The answer to this lies in the future. But the promises the AAP make are indeed a music to the ears. The Right to Recall, The right to reject, A strong Jan Lokpal and corrupt ministers to be jailed within six months. This bears a close resemblance to a Chinese Cell Phone packed with all the latest features, some you can only dream of, but then the credibility of it still remains a big question! Power is known to corrupt. Be it the Kings from the Old testament, some great leaders or even the employees in a government office. All seem to fall weak when the temptation of becoming rich and wealthy knocks their door. Even if the AAP manages to win some seats in the coming Lok sabha elections, It would be almost impossible to exercise control on all their candidates. Specially When the financially more powerful bigwigs like the Congress and Bjp are out to derail Kejriwal's entire mission. The promises made by Kejriwal are too good to be true. since half of them seem impractical and the remaining half will not get the approval.

But, in the current situation, Kejriwal stands a very good chance of proving himself and putting his ideals into practise. The two major contenders, The Congress and the BJP failing to impress the nation in some way or the other. Where on one side, the Congress rule has been marred by so many scams and every second person in the Government has his name associated with some crime or the other. The congress has lost the moral right to rule the nation. With Manmohan Singh being labelled as the weakest P.M and with rahul Gandhi being considered immature for the PM's post, the future of the Congress in India seems to be bleak. At the same time, its Competitor, the BJP is no different. With some serious infighting and never ending leadership issues the dearth of good administrators is clearly visible in the BJP. Also projecting Modi as the P.M candidate has done BJP more harm than good and has raised serious questions over its secular image. With NDA's coalition partners openly expressing their displeasure over Modi, the BJP has found itself in a tight spot.

I have followed and supported Anna's movement very closely. And I hold great respect for him and his team. Arvind Kejriwal being one of them. but now politics will be a real test for Kejriwal and his supporters and it's important that they come out clean. As it is said, "politics is world's second oldest profession , but it bears close resemblance to the first". It will be a acid test for the Aam aadmi Party to enter politics and still remain clean with so much of filth surrounding them. Their inexperience, ideal promises and unrealistic goals might be a bit difficult to digest for the modern voter. But looking at the current affairs and the sorry state of India, I do believe that Kejriwal and his team should be given a chance. That might help in bringing about the much desired change in India, but, if you think that they can change the face of the nation within a fortnight by flashing their magic wand....Then you are in for a big surprise!

THE NEW DAWN!

2012-08-19T10:35:00.000-07:00

In the times of despair

with the tears of hurt.

those piercing memories,

A soul covered with dirt.

The scene is dull,

lacklustre and demeaning.

I struggle to sport a smile.

Loneliness accompanies me mile after mile.

This cloud lacks the lining

i try hard to see one.

I wish i could rewind

and get things undone!

Not much left to cherish

not much left to uphold my pride

A meaningless life

with no luck to ride!

I still have my head high

to bow, my courage does refuse.

i choose to fight my fear,

as i tell myself...the dawn to this night is near!

BOLLYWOOD FAILS TO IMPRESS!

2012-07-09T10:58:00.001-07:00

Bollywood and its glamour captivates us all. It also plays a very important role in shaping our society and to some extent our lives! The influence, good or bad is felt across all the spheres of the society. Bollywood has till date gifted us with some great movies and some amazing actors whose memories will be everlasting.

We grew up watching Vijay Deenanath Chauhan from Agneepath, Mogambo from Mr. India, Raj and Simran from DDLJ and the latest being Ranchoddas Shaymaldas Chanchad from 3 idiots. All these films and many more like these were considered to be classics of a unique genre which etched a permanent place in our heart and mind.

Time has changed and so has Bollywood. The quality of films is on a downward trend. What is more disheartening is that, the essence of the films has now moved from "substance" to "skin". No wonder, A film without a Munni or Sheila crashes at the box office. The dearth of ideas in Bollywood has reached to an extent that the starlets from the tinsel town can no longer make the flop films work....the star cast should include a PORNSTAR!

Today it appears that Bollywood has lost its identity and is no longer a brand that would mesmerize all its lovers. Creativity has become a scarce resource in Bollywood. Film makers are rather skeptical about their abilities or may be too lazy to explore new subjects and come up with ideas of their own. They rather prefer Re-making a hit film from the south which would help them earn quick bucks!

Gone are the days when people would research on a particular subject for years before making it into a movie. The latest trend is simple. Borrow a hit movie from the south and simply replace Surya or Vijay with Aamir or Salman! There is no harm in remaking a film, but the problem arises when we overdo it. Thanks to the success of some South remakes, these days even the popular movie channels like Zee Cinema and Sony Max broadcast Tamil and Telugu films dubbed in Hindi!

Be it Surya, Vijay or Mahesh Babu. All are great actors in their respective industry and I hold high respect for them after watching their movies. But is it sensible to coax our bollywood actors to ape them in every movie? Ghajni, Wanted, Singham, Bodyguard and many more to come. It's high time our talented film makers like Shyam Benegal, Sanjay Leela Bhansali, Madhur Bandarkar in particular and all the others in general put on their thinking hat and come out with something authentic lest all we would get to hear is ENNA RASCALLA...MIND IT!! .

WHAT HAPPENED THAT DAY?

2012-03-22T10:36:00.003-07:00

I say it’s simple

I and my instinct did fumble

I chose to go the wrong way

But still they ask “what happened that day?”

The day it rained black

Made me think “am I so slack?”

I just kept my safety at bay

And they ask “what happened that day?”

It caused hurt and pain

An act without a thought wasn't sane

With a hopeless heart I lay

All they cared was “what happened that day?’

The truth is bitter

But still I utter

It was a blunder I say

And still they ask “what happened that day?”

The fault is mine

And it imposed a heavy fine

With my blood all I pay

But still they doubt “what happened that day?”

Time has healed

Every skin that was peeled

But I still can’t let the memories away

Coz’ they keep asking me “what happened that day?”

GOA NEEDS YOU!!

2012-02-04T18:15:00.001-08:00

Its election time once again. The fate of our politicians now lies in our hands. No wonder, they have started their gimmicks to woo the voters. Its the time when they are at their best and can go to any extent to get your vote in their kitty!

Off-late money and booze has been flowing like water in Goa. They have once again started coming to our doorsteps. The same old promises, the same old talks and the same old tactics. That's because they know, we are the same old people who once voted them to power in spite of their bad record and poor performance. But the biggest question that faces us today is "Are we so foolish that we fall prey to these bluffs every time?

How can a criminal, a corrupt and selfish politician even dream of winning the elections. Well, the mantra is quite simple......wine and dine them or warm their pockets or promise them something big! when a scam or a crime was exposed involving a politician, we swore by the Gods that we would not bring them to power again, but sadly, we don't remember all that during the elections.

people are at their wits end to make politics their family profession. Is it that only one family in Goa understands politics? or is it that, the future of Goa is entrusted only in their hands? But people will still vote for them.

My heart cries when I see the plight of my beautiful Goa. Its ruined and they still want to ruin it further.....their greed is just endless! I am quite certain that, by now many writings like this have already started making rounds in the local dailies, blogs and Facebook groups. But until someone ponders on it and acts rationally, this blog post is a mere waste of time.

Its your Goa, its my Goa. We have had enough. We have been let down too many times. Let us join hands to save our "Goem". Spread the word. say NO to corrupt candidates. Say NO to criminals and a big NO to dynasty politics!

Let us understand that we have a responsibility towards our state. Voting is our right and voting is our medium to fight back. Wake up the Goan inside you. Vote for a change, Vote for a better future and above all Vote for a BETTER GOA. Its the time to act!

UTT GOENKARA ZAAGO ZA

TUJEM MOT TUJEM HATIAR

TUM KORINAKAI TACHO VYAPAAR

TUJEM GOEM TUM SAMBHALL

MAAR XIKKO KORUN NIALL

FOTKIREA MONXANK TUM BULONAKA

TUJEM GOENKARPONN TUM VISRONAKA!!!

AN YEAR INTO MY SECOND LIFE!

2011-12-03T00:08:00.002-08:00

Life, they say is a gift. But how many of us actually realize it? I never understood its worth, until last year, when i very nearly lost it.

4th of december 2010, the day i would never forget, for it thought me the truth about life...the hard way. My ship was on the way to Turkey and as we were transiting the picturesque bosphour straits. A tragedy struck me. I had an accident onboard. My face and my upper body smeared with boiling heavy oil with a temperature more then 125 degrees!

I winced in pain as the oil spread over my face including my eyes. 40 percent of my body covered with dreaded second degree burns!! The pain was unbearable. My mind filled with a myriad thoughts. will I ever recover? will I get my old face back? will I be able to see again? and the most important....will I come out of this alive?

After a night of excruciating pain on board, I was admitted to a hospital in Turkey. Ten days on the hospital bed, and I got an opportunity to picture my life. Things I've done and things I always wanted to do. There was so much to be done. I wanted a few more days. It was too early to close my eyes for eternity. But then God had different plans. He blessed me with a second life. it was nothing less than a miracle. It was he who healed me and gave me a second chance to live my life to the fullest!

Its been a year now, but the memories still haunt me. The pain, the trauma has left a deep scar in my mind. But there are a few soothing memories as well, like the stunningly beautiful Turkish nurses who treated me and the delicious kebab meal I relished on the day I was discharged. When I reached home, my face looked pretty messed up. there were a few stubborn wounds which refused to heal after so many days. But then there was a hope in my mind that kept me going and helped me to recover to this extent!

Life is too short. And living it with remorse, grudge and anger is like shortening it even further. It's important we live our life in a way it is to be lived. Do not worry about the future or be sorry about your past, Because you don't know what the next moment has in store for you.

Today, by God grace I have recovered fully. I want to thank each and every person who stood by me during my bad times.

And finally, not everyone is lucky to get a second life. Live the one you have to the fullest. So that, the day it ends, you are overwhelmed with a feeling of joy and fulfillment rather then regrets!

GOA SPEAKS

2011-08-18T21:27:00.000-07:00

I am a Goan
and proud to be one
I love my Goa
the land of sea, sand and sun!

But now, they've ruined it all
To satisfy their greed
They are a bunch of thieves
The most selfish and corrupt breed.

I've had enough!
no more I can take
I no longer need promises and vows
Which are like them, empty and fake.

Elections are near,
people's power they fear.
with wine and wealth they will try to woo,
But i want 40 NEW FACES AND NO RELATIVES TOO!!

Friends-a precious gift!!

2011-08-09T10:28:00.000-07:00

We all love making friends. Some of these just get lost in time, but then some remain and become a part of our lives. I am very fortunate to be blessed with a few good friends in my life. Friends who have stood by me in times of tests and who have supported me all the way. No doubt, I am always on a lookout for an opportunity to hangout with them, and I got one recently. Yes, that's right! I am talking about the friendship day!! It was a perfect reunion with my buddies that brought back memories which were so special and irreplaceable.

As decided, we met in Margao, and as usual, i reached a bit too late. "You know the traffic and the bad roads. Its so difficult to drive"! I tried to justify myself. But in vain. I had given this same excuse too many times now and my friends were expecting it this time. What followed was a series of 'special compliments" which I always used to receive whenever I would keep them waiting. Some new and some the same old and familiar ones. But they did improvise on their "special compliments" over the years.

After a short session of gossip and pulling each others legs, we decided to head for north. The drive was amazing. I must say, Goa surely looks more picturesque and beautiful when you are with your friends. Now we were in Goa's capital city to celebrate friendship day....but without any plan! While we were figuring what to do, all eyes were focused on me being the geek of the group. I thought hard and luckily i remembered INOX. Thats it....we had a plan. We would watch the movie zindagi na milegi dobara. The movie was awesome and it lived up to the hype. More than anything I just loved the music.

The movie was over and we decided to go for a quick bite. The decision was unanimous. All fingers pointed towards the Caculo Mall. KFC!!!!! My mouth watered even before reaching there and my friends were no different. We ordered for a bucket and pounced on it like a hungry lion attacking its prey. As we munched through the tasty chicken, my mind wandered down that memory lane, where we would enjoy a similar meal during our college days. Only difference being there was a simple rice plate and the complimentary sweet lime juice. Time has passed but my friends remain the same and their company still remains priceless. It's been a giant leap from college to company, from fun to work and pocket money to salary, but this bond of friendship still remains unchanged!

The finger licking KFC chicken was followed by a session of gossiping about things ranging from tedious work, nagging bosses and off-course, blind dates! The celebration ended with a game of pool. The friendship day was over, but not until we promised to celebrate it in a similar manner in the coming years.

They say "life is only as good as the people you have in it"! Our friends are an important part of our lives. Their influence plays a major role in molding and shaping our lives. Friendship day is over, but the scent of friendship still lingers around and will continue to do so till i live. This post is dedicated to all my friends who were my strength, my support and my guiding light. Today I thank God for making you all a part of my life. May he strengthen our friendship every coming day and help it overcome the test of time!! love you all...May God bless you.

Because...i am a Goan!

2011-07-25T10:59:00.000-07:00

The incidents that happened in the last few days are really worth discussing. The strongman of benaulim or rather the self-proclaimed strongman of benaulim is in news again. this time its for his daughter.

the reputation of these alemao's is not hidden from anyone. time and again they have kept the government hostage to fulfill their selfish demands and this time it was no different. they threatened to resign. and why? because valanka was disqualified!

such incidents have surfaced in the goan politics time and again. these are the same "people's representatives" we elect after standing in long ques at the election booths. with lots of expectations and hope in our hearts and what do we get in return? they dissappoint us to the fullest and make goa their private property.

this current state of goa is really pathetic and goa looks no better then an orphaned child. many of our people have been disgusted to the core and have decided they have had enough. and no wonder, we see the voter's turnout is going down with every election. people feel its a waste of time and do not want to be abettors to this large scale destruction of Goa.

i do agree with their thinking. we are disappointed , we have been cheated and made fools. why should we vote for them? or what difference will my vote do? well, i must say, our 'smart' people have a valid point. but just one question, what is the difference between you and the corrupt selfish politician? both are responsible for the destruction of goa. one is doing it directly and the other one is not doing anything to stop it! So do you have the right to point fingers at them? can you demand for a better life? can you complain about the pot holes, the inflation, the fuel prices or the crime rate? well, the answer is certainly NO!

during the elections we see candidates who seem to be known figures and we end up voting for them, or we vote because of his money or the unlimited food and booze. it doesn't really matter if the candidate has pending criminal cases against him. but what about the new candidates, the ones with a clean record but not much popular? why do we neglect them? just because they don't spend money or they lack that sweet tongue?

instead of wasting your votes and then complaining about the happenings in goa, why cant we come out openly in support of these candidates? why cant we say "No" to the criminals and crooks? its time we give them a real taste of democracy.

by not voting we are only wasting our precious votes. lets put it this way, if 45% of the voters(average turnout these days) can vote and elect a corrupt and a "good for nothing" government, imagine what the remaining 55% are capable of. but they preferred not to vote and rather sit in the comforts of their homes and curse the politicians. when i see this plight of goa, my heart cries in pain. i dont want to see my goa in ruins, but i want goa to be developed, to be advanced and be an example to every other state in india.

its my strong decision, a decision taken in anguish, a decision without fear . i will vote, i will fight and i will protect my goa. because......I AM A GOAN!!

WITH A TEAR IN MY EYE!

2011-07-06T03:44:00.000-07:00

The clock just stopped ticking,

Tears just filled my eyes

The land was painted with blood

And the wind was filled with cries.

I stood there trying to beat the grief

Trying to harden my heart.

For what I just heard

Almost ripped me apart.

I couldn’t believe I lost him

In a way I never even thought

It shattered every bit of me

To console myself a battle with me I fought.

They say a bullet pierced him

Deep down in his heart

Killing him within moments

With death pain and suffering playing their part.

What do I have to live for?

My world eclipsed with endless sorrow

I know not what to do

How to step all alone into tomorrow.

DEDICATED TO THE BEREAVED FAMILIES OF THE 26/11 MUMBAI TERROR VICTIMS.

THE ALMIGHTY

2011-02-10T03:04:00.000-08:00

On the sixth day you created me

In this world so huge and colorful!

You own me and this world, you say

But I defy your rules each and everyday.

I rule the world with glory.

With my intelligence and thought

I change the landscape, the mountains and all,

I build structures that would never fall.

With my weapons so deadly destructive

The worst dangers I can face

No matter what comes my way

I never fail to clinch the race.

Then rose a storm mighty powerful,

That wiped to the hilt man’s achievements’ slate.

Spoke a voice “Do not be vain O man

I am the lord who fills your plate”.

Seafarer-the unique species!

2010-12-21T23:24:00.004-08:00

Hey guys!! its my first post after a long time. hope you like this one. this post is dedicated to the millions of seafarers worldwide who fight the perils of the sea evry coming day. Its their 'never say die' attitude that keeps them going and helps them to come out of the worst of situations.

It was a warm evening and our ship was swiftly transiting the gulf of aden. Everything was normal until we got a distress call from a chemical tanker just behind us.

They were being attacked by the dreaded pirates!!!! The voices turned into cries. We could hear people crying for help over the vhf. The cries continued for sometime and then there was a creepy silence. After a while we heard a nearby US warship responding to their call. But it was too late, the pirates had already boarded the ship.......The ship was hijacked!!

Piracy is jus one of the problems being faced by seafarers worldwide. Gone are the days when merchant navy was looked upon as a profession with a difference. There was a time when seafarers where known for the three w's, i.e wealth, wine and women. But thats history now. The tight schedules, strict pollution norms and crimes against seafarers have only added to their woes.

When we work on the ship, we are totally cut-off from the outside world. emails or phone calls being the only link with the extenal world and our families. Its a tough life out there. Not to mention the forces of nature, there are times when people on board dont sleep for days due to bad weather! And to make matters worse, even during our leave we are made to do courses, give exams and udergo upgrdations.

My aim is not to discourage people from joining this field, rather i would suggest you get the stars out of your eyes and face the truth before you join this profession.

sometimes, when i think of all this, i wonder what is that one thing that seperates out the seamen from the rest of human race. what is that thing that makes them so different from others and then one day a thought struck me.

when god created man, he must have created men, women and then he must have created the third one ---the seamen!

The three angels!

2010-03-22T21:41:00.000-07:00

It was 1 o'clock in the afternoon. My neice jus came running in the hall and she said "switch on the tv". It was time for her favourite cartoon "chotta bheem". I switched on the t.v and she asked me to watch it with her. to which i hesitantly obliged. She started telling me the names of all the characters and I was really surprised to see her knowledge about her favourite cartoon character. It turned out to be quite and interesting episode and i ended up watching it til the end!

I feel most of us love children. And I would say am very fortunate to be blessed wit the gifts of two neices and a nephew in my life. I always cherish the moments i spent with them coz them tend to take me in a different world altogether. Down that memory lane when I too was a kid like them playful, and naughty unaware of the competition and challenges I would face as i grow up. A child always brings happiness in a family and m sure a sweet smile from a child can brighten up your worst of days! They say "every new child born is a sign that god still loves the world". Its been a pleasure to watch them grow infront of my very own eyes. The first look, the first step n first word all these priceless memories which i would never want to forget.

As we grow up, the child within us starts dying and we forget to appreciate the wonderful things in life. There are more regrets then dreams and fear takes the place of hope. No doubt, childhood is the best time of our lives. As we grow up, the child within us gets subdued and we feel

ashamed to bring it out. Remember guys, it is not always a sign of immaturity to laugh over a joke, to get wet in the rain, to sing even if you u don't have the best of voice, to fight for chocolates and to watch cartoons once in a while.

This post is dedicated to the three sweet little angels in my life nicole, dayle and daniel who not only brought joy and happiness in my life but also helped in rejuvenating the child inside me. love u lots muahhhhhhhhhh!!

TIDE OF DESPAIR

2010-02-13T07:23:00.000-08:00

HAPPINESS IN YOU I FOUND,

LIFE WITOUT SORROWS AND SADNESS

YOU MADE MY LIFE SO PRETTY

BEFORE YOU EVERYTHING LOOKED SO EMPTY!

YOU NEVER ACCEPTED ME

THOUGH I LOVED YOU TRULY

I STILL DON’T KNOW MY FAULT

AND YET YOU TREAT ME RUDELY.

I ASKED YOUR LOVE FROM ALMIGHTY

BUT DISSAPOINTED I WAS AGAIN

IN THIS BATTLE OF LOVE

ONLY DEFEAT IS WHAT I GAINED!

STANDING ON THIS COAST OF LIFE

WATCHING EACH WAVE OF SORROW WITH LOVE

ASKING GOD IN A PRAYER:

WHY HE MADE MY LIFE A TIDE OF DESPAIR;

KNEELING BEFORE THE ALTAR

TO ALMIGHTY GOD I PRAY

IF MY LOVE FOR YOU IS TRUE

TO MAKE YOU MINE ATLEAST SOMEDAY!

happy valentine's day 2 all my readers, if you are already a casualty of d cupid, well! hav a gud time with ur valentine n if ur not then better luck next time!

A TEARFUL TALE

2010-01-25T06:05:00.000-08:00

As I walked a busy road

This sorrowful sight I saw

A tender boy with open palms

Begging desperately for some alms

Giving him a coin I asked about him

I am nothing; nothing for this world he said

There’s nobody to worry about me

And nobody to see if I am fed and clad

I am somebody’s “leftover” they say

Doomed in a gutter to die

And today asking for alms

On this road I lie

I sleep on a dirty footpath

Sometimes dogs and drunkards share my place

Far from those fortunate people

Who spend their nights on cozy linen and lace.

He then looked at the sky and sighed

Looking very weak and pale

I just tried to console him

As his tears testified the tearful tale

Titanic-the world remembers.

2010-01-20T06:46:00.000-08:00

Titanic was an engineering marvel. People firmly believed that its unsinkable, until it sank during its maiden voyage in 1912. The titanic incident gave a wake up call to the shipping fraternity. And what followed was a series of investigations, analysis and regulations which also include the SOLAS( safety of life at sea). This is a regulation that sets guidelines for the construction of a ship. thereby, ensuring that we don't have another titanic. Recently, i got an opportunity to visit the Southampton Maritime museum in Southampton. Here the Titanic has been immortalized in the form of pictures and artifacts. This post is dedicated to the Titanic. Here are some pictures that take u back into the Titanic era and give u an insight of the greatness and hype associated with it!

The Titanic was conceived in 1907 and met with disaster in 1912

It was the beginning of the twentieth century, a time of optimism and progress. The transatlantic transport of passengers, cargo, and mail was brisk and competitive. In the spirit of this competition, managing director of the White Star Line, J. Bruce Ismay, engaged the Belfast shipbuilding company of Harland & Wolff to build three leviathans that would become the largest moving objects created by man. The three Royal Mail Ships were to be called Olympic, Titanic, and Gigantic. (Not to tempt fate, later the Gigantic's name would be changed to Britannic.) The ships were to be virtually identical in size and structure, but Titanic was to be the true shining star.

Titanic’s keel was laid on March 22, 1909. For the next twenty-six months, Harland & Wolff’s shipyard workers labored nine hours a day, six days a week, to construct her massive hull (98/0001.A1). The White Star flagships would have both reciprocating steam engines, the norm for the period, and a turbine engine to power the center of three propellers. Moreover, a double-plated bottom and a sophisticated system of watertight compartments provided the utmost in security.

On May 31, 1911, her superstructure completed, Titanic slipped gracefully into the River Lagan launched on twenty-two tons of tallow, train oil, and soap, and was towed to the fitting out basin. It was now time for the three thousand carpenters, engineers, electricians, plumbers, painters, master mechanics, and interior designers to fit the Titanic with the latest in marine technology and the most sumptuous fixtures and furniture. Finally, on April 2, 1912 she was ready. Certified seaworthy, Harland & Wolff handed her over to the White Star Line and the Royal Mail Triple-Screw Steamer Titanic departed for her place in history.

BLues of the "men in blue"

2010-01-14T00:59:00.000-08:00

The idea tri nation cup has jus ended with sri lanka as the deserving winners. it was yet another humilating defeat for the men in blue. And this has come at a time when our national sport is in doldrums and is wandering like an orphaned child. oh!!! for those of u who thought that cricket was our national sport well it is not. It is Hockey. Cricket is a craze in India and it has resulted in neglecting and deprioritizing the other sports which include hockey. The BCCI boasts to be one of the richest cricket boards in the world, no wonder even the top politicians are fighting to get a chunk of it! over the years cricket has turned out to be a bussiness rather then a sport. the cricketers are being treated as demi-gods. They are minting money like anything and speeding around in their ferraris n audis, a loss or win is of least importance to them. I am a ardent fan of sports n follow all sports ranging from F1 to tennis. I am not against cricket but i feel it is overrated in our country. These people are only interested in the money involved and have no love for the game. If that was not the case then we wouldnt have had so many t20 matches at the cost of test cricket. Test cricket which is considered to be the supertlative form of this sports is slowly dying. Thanks to so many T20 tournaments which include d ipls n d champion leagues etc.

Even after spending so much money and giving the players the best of facilities the performance of team india has been very very inconsistent n sometimes pathetic. Apart from the world cup win in 1983 and the t20 world cup, there have been no remarkable performances by our team. I really pity those hordes of cricket fans who spend hours before the televisions hoping that their team will play to their potential, but it turns out to be such an anti-climax in the end!! Its obvious that will never stop supporting our team but lets not neglect our other sports. coz if this step brotherly treatmnent persists, the other sports will slowly but surely become extinct in india and will be left with only the inconsistent, undependable and unreliable MEN IN BLUE!

Go Goa!

2010-01-08T11:00:00.000-08:00

Goa is considered to be one of the best tourist destinations. But over the years it has become famous for all wrong reasons. Recently, at the heathrow airport, i came across a pamphlet promoting tourism in goa. It read 'Go Goa...365 days holiday destination'. But below these words there was a picture of a female clad in a bikini riding a jet ski. offcourse, this makes the promotion more attractive. but wat are we projecting goa as? a tourist destination or a sex hub? Many tourists specially the domestic ones have got a bad picture of goa in their minds. they only think that goa is another thailand in india. the picture besides this text is also from one of the website promoting tourism. Offlate our hon'ble tourism minister announced that scantily clad females shall not be used in ad campaigns. It was very encouraging to read his comments in todays newspapers. Hope you keep up your word Mr. Minister! we goans have a rich culture and in no way support or encourage nudity. it is the need of the hour that the wrong image that has been projected everywhere is changed for good. n let people know goa for reason it is best known for "nature, culture n hospitality!"

MY DREAM

2010-01-06T11:40:00.000-08:00

it appears so faint,

but i know it’s for real.

i climb everyday the rocky path

the flame of hope flickering in my heart.

i know i will get there

no matter if bruised and battered

i will make my own way

even if all hopes shattered.

hurdles seem never ending

moving forward a tough test

but it only fails to deter me

‘coz i always give my best.

the world thinks i’m insane

wish they only had my sight!

then would they know

even a dream can give sleepless night.

i know i cant wait

for what i lost i cant rue

i have to climb uphill

if my dream has to come true!

AAL IZ WELL

2010-01-05T21:10:00.000-08:00

its been quite sometime since i watched a movie with my frens. but yesterday i gt dis oppurtunity n i was determined nt 2 miss it. it was the much talked abt movie "3 idiots". v finally managed 2 get d tickets on d second attempt. as expected the movie was running houseful. has 2 be afterall its a aamir khan movie! the movie began on a slow note, bt den it proved 2 b a real enterntainer. it kept the audience glued 2 their seat until d last moment. d comedy is really one of d best n quite sensible. so also the gadgets n machines shown in the movie are real n practical unlike the old hindi movies which showed machines n gizmos that would even overshadow einstien n newtons inventions:-)

abt the music, it failed to impress me, except for the song 'give me some sunshine'. really gud song with excellent lyrics. sung by suraj jagan n dialouge by sharman joshi. the producer vidhu vinod chopra has done a commendable job. so also all the actors were outstanding including boman irani(my all time favourite). i personally feel this movie is nt goin to cut much ground in our society where everyting is a race. bt it is definitely a very good movie and worth watching.

dogui bodmas??

2010-01-05T00:09:00.000-08:00

hey guys, wishing u all a very happy new year. its bye bye 2009. a year that proved 2 b mixed bag, joys n sorrows, achievements , failures, recession n much more. bt i wud lik 2 highlight d incident dat tuk place jus at the fag end of d year. yes, its d controversial cd produced by calvert gonsalves. many of u lik me wud hav nt even known dat a cd lik dis existed if we hd not seen it in d headlines. and those of u who hav heard it wud definitely term it as a controversial one!

and as one wud expect there was a big hue n cry created 4rm all directions n also by people who didnt even know wat d cd contained! i dont intend to hurt the sentiments of anyone, bt i jus hav one question were d protests carried out in a correct manner? did we use the correct means 2 express our anger? stone pelting, torching of shops, damaging property is this the rite method? we hate rss n bajrang dal coz they resort to violence n r inhumane in their approach, den wat do we call dis? its our right to protest against wrong but is dis the way?

its a pity that we are adopting the same culture we hate the most. lets hope dat dis year brings prosperity and joy 2 our land of goa and things like dis never happen again. yesterday is history, tomoro is mystery, u have only 2day 2 live for make d most of it. all d best n cheeeers...

shine like stars!

2009-12-26T06:26:00.000-08:00

hey guys! wish u a merry christmas. It was a gr8 chrstmas as usual. it began with d midnite mass. fortunately for me dis time the mass got over b4 i expected. but it was the theme for the mass that caught my eye. "shine like stars". sounds quite simple rite? but when i started pondering on it, i understood the depth n vastness of it.

no doubt, all of us are blessed wit some talents or other. many ppl use them really well. but there are some who dont even kno abt the unique talents they posses n der r sum who don use them at all. guys, wats the use of havin dem wen u don use them at all? sum of us wil b surprised to kno wat all v r capable of. sum ppl lack d confidence to use their talents wereas sum are jus 2 lazy. in bothd cases v r wasting the god given gifts n only offending our creator. v r all like stars n v hav d glow of our talents vit us. bt d onus is on us as to hw v spread d glow. any talent no matter how big or small is a god given gift n needs 2 b respected. so on dis chrstmas let us all try n use our talents in d best possible way n thank god for his gifts......all the best...go shine like stars.