the flowering cactus!!

On Hibernation,Boredom et al...

2010-11-18T15:46:00.000-08:00

It seems like a decade ago that the cactus felt the blossom.However,its never too late for the blossom,be it au milieu d'hiver ou au mileu d'automne!

TFC has been a vent to the leaking brain that prevented oxidation and corrosion of the rut below.Post marriage,the migration to the US etc has managed to immerse the creative juices into chores that never occurred to moi earlier.

Living with silent taunts from friends,ignorant relatives and colleagues for not being "functional" professionally by choice is definitely not easy.One learns to overcome that with patience.Yes, missing all the professional credentials and opportunities at the peak of my career and age makes me feel miserable at times.

The fun is to remain optimistic and find the most opportune moment in time to turn the tide to your favour.The metal of person is determined with the struggles he overcomes and not through the number of competitors he beheads or trails ahead of him.I guess,we would not have had Abraham Lincoln in the American History had he surrendered to the failures in his personal and professional life,isn't it? There is always something to look from an open window of the world's panorama.

In the pass two years (wasted as some might want to think) I have had the privilege to accompany my soulmate Rohan,learn different ways of working and etiquette across the globe,pottery,house keeping,cooking,trekking (yes,me and treks!!) and human resource management.I have no regrets about the wonderful experiences that have made me mature over time.I shall always owe a lot to these 2 odd years for my entire lifetime.

I chose to face the tide and decided to start a catering & event management entrepreneurship of my own with my husband Rohan's support.It is a new beginning.With disciplined engineering oriented childhood,civilized graduation and management (hons)it would be a challenge for sure.But,I m ready to take on this plunge with a tiger's courage!

Not opting for the easy road was my preference.The road that I might have taken against my wishes on a red carpet.But a bed of roses or velvet each have its own reasonable price.

Opportunities have to be created not passed on,isn't it? So,all of those who have the dedication,determination and desire to fight,replace you swords (tongues to cut through the mean world) with actions.You are,therefore you stand!!

tfc

An Inspired Big Fat Muffin :P

2009-09-29T18:17:00.000-07:00

Its astonishing and extremely bewildering how the likes of a workoholic can turn into a big fat bean bag,full of blueberry/chocolate chip muffins,gelatos,cheese of all classes and kind,fried fries,chips,chicken and Californian waters (registering water retention to the already dumpy bag of food).A perfect appetite for a newly-wed couple,migrated to the US of A to make a fortune,eventually transforming into "fatso-ouch-so-couch-so potato" glued to the Tulsta (Ikea's 99$ winner throne for our epic credit historybuilding process) and 4 set of lap desks (Courtesy:Dell,Apple,Hp).Fortunately,we thought we saved a fortune by not getting the big,flat screen idiot box into the apartment.Not is long lived the feeling of saviour for comes the summers and our parents hop in and the fifth box shall be introduced to us as well!

Lot of sarcastic stuff,isnt it? Factual though,believe it or not.

This post would sound contradictory though since we are going to read and relish together some foody thoughts!

Something very inspiring and encouraging to this muffin was a tete-a-tete with "Julie & Julia"-the movie starring Meryl Streep as Julia Child (the lovely actress from Kramer Vs Kramer,which was re-made in Hindi as Akele Hum Akele Tun) and Amy Adams as Julie Powell.This is a true story based on Julie Powell's novel.

Julia Child,a huge American lady ,married at 40 to Paul working for the American Embassy in France learns professional cooking and struggles successfully through publishing of huge volumes of her books on french cooking.Her lively nature,determination and creativity make her unique and extremely lovable.

Julie,a failed writer is bound by a thankless job in a crowded city who often finds solace in cooking after a busy day.She has an understanding and encouraging husband who suggests her to beging blogging and re-discovering her talent as a writer.Julie undertakes that through this blogging mission she would make all the recipes (524) in Julia Child's cookery book (withing 365 days) and write the experiences of the same on the blog.The blog becomes an instant hit with the American household adorning Julie her due fame and encouragement.It helps her become a better human being and a descent cook.Julie begins to idolize Julia Child but is extremely jolted to receive staunch dislike from her through the press.However,she realizes that Julia has helped her grow as a person,professional and cook too!

I just find this thought irresistible.How about following Julie? Would it help me get some solace and shear joy of creativity through cooking and writing?

Who could be my Julia Child? Manjula Aunty (manjula's kitchen),Vah chef (vahrevah.com),Sanjeev Kapoor (Khana Khazana),Vishnu Manohar (Mejwani-Rangatdar recipes),Tarla Dalaal....lot of them! But,I have one name of a homely authoress who found a prestigious seat in the kitchens of my mother,grand-mother,aunts,my mother-in-law and cousins.She is the very honourable Smt.Kamlabai Ogale who penned "Ruchira".

So,will begin my quest once I receive a copy of the book from India in sometime.Till then,wait and watch :P

But,for the time being here's the link the cookery blog: http://cookwithmoi.blogspot.com/

TFC!

Vista:Indian Shores in United States Of America

2009-06-04T09:10:00.000-07:00

USA has always been a country much larger than life for a naive Indian cosmopolitan.Hence,the exclusively golden "Aura" around the country of immigrants.However,settling in an alien country was more of a myth than a dream.Myth for the shear mysterious "Halo" around this nation for the strength,power,wealth and progress it has shown over the years.

15 years ago,visiting US as a traveler was fun.The fun of being to the foreign country at 11 was really wonderful.The clean streets,huge malls,buttery roads,no power outages,Mac D's,Pizza Huts were like "Eureka".Years later,India has progressed in all these departments and hence the "surprise" effect is lost.

Most American Indians are reticent and carry a sense of superiority.Apart from their wheatish colour and expressive eyes,there is nothing Indian within them.Sad to see that.The fake accent,the loud expressions (OMG,WOOPS etc) have replaced the believably Indian exclamations (Aai ga,Hey Ram! etc).Wicket keeper Nayan Mongia had made "Aai Ga" the international battle slogan.Kids from Indian descent disregard their relatives.Its difficult for our "Dadi" or "Aji" to get "I hate you so much" from a toddler of their own blood and skin.
Indifference is ruining our Indianness.Being to India once a year,buying Indian grocery from a NRI,worshiping Indian gods (in warehouse temples) are mere symptoms of being losely Indian.

Many of fellow Indians decide to leave this country while their kids are young.Seems like they are running away from some sort of infectious disease.

Standing in the patio of my apartment,a beautiful vista of Desis could be seen in a perspective,perfectly unbiased.I often feel that adversities must make it easy to prioritize and select.The culture and "sanskar" in which the Gen Next would grow is to be chosen by the parent.The parents often have an identity crisis,unable to accept what is foreign yet difficult to reject it.Acceptance by the Firangs (no offense intended) here is very important to stay here peacefully and amicably.

Weaving good things together, the scenic Indian shores would be alive at Monterrey or Hawaii.Its difficult,but ain't impossible! Lets adopt,adapt and help others do the same as well.If firangs can,why cant we? Most Indian restaurants are occupied with foreigners (non-Indians,we are foreigners here),who relish our food and eat the way we do with hands! Lot of women and men here could be spotted with Lucknowi Kurtas and hand printed Rajasthani shirts.But,they are still comfortable with their minis and jeans.Could we not do that as well?

India is right here within US in US of A.We,Ranades have decided to go that extra bit to remain Indians who accept goodies in the western culture.The freedom,liberties,technological approaches,working methods,human resource development strategies/policies,the legal impositions,education etc are worth applying and not merely applauded.

Could you guys offer help to help yourself?

Hope to hear from all the fellow Indians irrespective of their present place of residence or citizenship :)

If Yan Can,Yen Can,so Can TFC!!

2009-06-01T15:46:00.000-07:00

Past 3.5 months of hibernation or so-called "Sanyaas" from blogging have been really great.The intermediate posts were just to avoid any turnaround of readers (if there exist any!)

Anyway,the EAD process is through.TFC can finally breathe a sigh of relief and plunge into the Americano skies for different vocational adventures.Hopefully,the recession should permit "The Indian Cactus" survive its current amicably on an indifferent Americaine mane .

The cookery blog is gearing up to face the challenges of taste buds (should we say "bugs"?,:P),stronger with every passing day.

Its unbelievable! Never thought that cooking would become one of my lead passions (perhaps,to run some meat for sailing through the "sansar")! All those years of education never allowed my one-track meso-brain to float on other branches of creativity.

Submissions,Books,Exams,Vivas,Thesis,Presentations seemed to blind the vision blocking the beautiful vista opening premises to impress (quite literally) and enchant beloved ones.

It was rather easy to answer the jury than to respond to a very casual question ("so,do you know how to cook?") from a relative.TFC would exclaim to herself "Ughh,but is it not it enough to be a gold medalist?" It would be the case with most educated girls around.

If Yan Can,Yen Can,why can't moi? Decided to take it up as a challenge and trying every day to better.This is a competion against one's own records,setting standards of potential and capability.The style of cooking need not be the best,but unique in its own right.Yes,edibility for healthy survival is important when cooking is under trial.Fortunately,my husband seems determined to consume most of the food cooked at home (and more so, reluctant to eat out :P).Occasionally,Mr Pinto (Rohan's friend,name changed for official reasons)also notices SunMan's (Oops,Oracle:read:post 20th April,2009) regularity in bringing a tiffin to the office.

The mad programmer prefers spicy Maharashtrian cuisine and relishes sweets.Making spicy delicacies was a tougher task than anything else.The meals are modest and weakly spicy in mother's kitchen while R's mom stays oceans away with the spicy cuisine! It became quintessential to develop a style to suit our taste buds.But,it has been fun! Steaming idlis to baking cakes or broiling tikkas/fish or rolling rotis/puris,blending shakes or chutneys and making noodles,biryanis,coconut barfis/mysore pak/gulabjamuns/kheer...cooking has been a roller coaster ride! One can't be a winner all the time.Some unfortunate dishes dish you out,but its all part of the game!!!

Apart from cooking,spending sometime painting and embroidering stuff too! Painting would not be unusual but embroidery is typically abnormal with someone like moi-meme!

It would all seem a politicians blabber,but as soon as the master-piece under construction is complete,will put pictures of it here!

Till then chao,
TFC!

The two of US :)

2009-04-01T12:24:00.000-07:00

Deja-Vu!

2009-03-22T20:53:00.000-07:00

Almost a month in Sunnyvale ,CA,USA.The place is quite beautiful,quiet and green.The topiered landscapes,huge avenues,cold weather,scarcity of population,unavail of pollution and inconvenient transportation systems are an alien feature to someone who has spent 25 odd years of life in an Indian cosmopolitan with excellent communication network,full of noise,commotion,pollution as well as population.There cannot be any other city like Bombay,c'est n'est pas?

One cushioning thought is that there are Indians,Indians & more Indians around.This place is nothing less than Little India,Singapore (@ Sharangoon Road).Our apartment rarely sees a Firang walk into its walking bays.The chaat corners,Mithaiwalas,Indianized Chinese stalls,Moughlai or Punjabi restaurants,Udupi's,P.N Gadgil Jeweller's...name it and it's here.Nothing short of deja-vu!

It's a bit boresome after my husband leaves for office since that keeps me and the house to struggle for the whole day.Me with my fairly contemporary yet Indian ways and the apartment with 70's style Americanized ways are trying to adjust to the weird cultures;hoping for the ends to meet! However,in the trunk period TFC awaits the EAD and planning to start a "cookery blog" to earn some bread for living before facing the realities of recession to grab a decent job! Will keep you posted so that the readers could get ready to buy some gas or constipation relievers:)

TFC.

Terror Terrifies Tarrots!

2008-12-02T21:38:00.000-08:00

This fortnight has been very momentous,to me as well as to India.This blog shall unveil the most unforgettable incidences in the history of mankind that I have lived as well as survived in the last 25 odd years.

Commencing with India's historic win over the Aussies made the Indians proud whereas retirement of Jumbo and Dada moistened our eyes for we would miss them on field of game for a very long time.The inflation rates lowered their heads and welcomed the slashed fuel prices.Ah! what a relief for the frequent air travelers!

Lots happening on the personal front too.30 year old Gagan Ganpule (my first cousin) took charge as the Captain of the ship in Merchant Navy which was an ideal tribute to our 95 year old granny who passed away in August early this year.

Neel,the newest handsome nephew walked into our lives on 17th Nov,2008 with a storm and has blown me over completely!

Finally,the most awaited final year results [for M.Arch (const. mgmt)] arrived and the university declared a student called Manasi V.Ganpule who missed her distinction by 7 marks topped the university bagging a gold medal by the hands of the Giovernor of Maharashtra State! Wow,seems like self praise but as my father put it,"the originality,conviction and effort in my thesis has finally paid off handsomely,so a praise of appreciation is well deserved!"

Success and failure are relative to the bench mark of measure,almost reflecting the national sensex. Struggles make the journey more comforting as they strengthen you to face the world and yourself too! In the plight of failure,most often one tends to overlook the roots and gets burdened with sour fruits.Dignity is to rise after a fall and continue to do so at all times in life.Fearing a fall and being cautious isn't being psychopathic.Its to ensure that execution and planned procedures are in sync.The most is in your efforts but the rest is better left to the unseen yet experienced god all around and within us.

This is one of the most precious moments of honour in my life when my parents were proud of me.I can never erase the pain that hurt or wounded them several times.My relatively small and modest achievements can hopefully cure their worries.

After a preamble of a wonderful fortnight comes the darkest Wednesday (26th Nov.2008) in the history of Bombay.The night when terror conquers the city without any prior intuition and alarming killing almost 200 civilians and myriad personnel from branches of army etc.

Taj ,Oberoi Towers and Cama Hospital being victimized by terrorists killing alive innocent women and men transforming their remains into heap of ashes after bombing.The media reporters exploring and instigating the public to panic more.The entire network systems crashed and communication was at a standstill.

Mankind has become hostage to terrorism.Americans resort to war for oil reserves under the cover of rescuing several innocent lives in Iraq but never uproot the ammunition systems in P,AF,U nations. In crisis too politicians are busy muddling each others acts.How many of these politicians have sons or daughters in the armed forces or IAS/IPS? Perhaps,none.Most of their children are spoilt rich brats spending national income into pubs,luxurious hotels etc.The less said the better.But,politicians still move on with their faux melodramae and "we" blindly fall pray to their subtle exteriors.

Media,one of the most powerful weapons to enlighten the society has also become a part of the dirty politics with almost every known channel representing a political sect and hence its mandatory as well as obligatory to sing heroics of them while provoking the others to make contradictory statements to ingredient the Breaking News syndrome.

In an hour of crisis when NSG and other armed forces faced 60 hours of turbulence to save the Taj,we must reunite as Indians.Its time to help and integrate to stand as one,against inhumanity induced by terrorism for truce & human virtue to live a hundred million centenaries for centuries to come.

Indianism is the only religion which signifies our love for the motherland and gratitude towards those martyr's who bleeded to safeguard us.Major Sandeep Unnikrishnan,Hemant Karkare,Ashok Kamte,Sadanand Date and many others who lost their lives fighting like a lion for ensuring a lively survival for us deserve a big salute.Thank-you is too indifferent to be said to those who made the light of today possible for us.

Media even tried to instigate the "Marathi manoos campaign" (read:targeting only north Indians and not bengalis/southies) by MNS in this turbulence.FYI,these are top personnel from various armed forces of IPS & IAS cadre.Very few north Indians are qualified as IAS or IPS.Sometime ago,CET answer sheets for IAS examinations in Bihar & UP were published and quite self explanatory for why north Indians are often into jobs where application of mind or language is far from closer.No offense intended.

One rotten mango does not make the entire dozen spoilt. Dr Kiran Bedi and many other north Indian have done commendable works in their own professional premises.Job opportunities in a particular region are meant for them ,not for migrants.

India is one of the largest successful democracies in the world where we identify,suggest,select and elect our representatives.We need to elect qualified professionals from various branches of art,science,philosophy & technology to build the infrastructural systems of modern India who would not only ensure methodical planning but also its execution in the procedural formats to avoid delays in savior of citizens from crisis.

If the old politicians have worn out,we have to replace them without waiting further time and money.Lets exercise the powers authoritatively to develop this magna chaos of democracy.

Terrorist is an outcome of constant ignorance,hatred,anguish and hardships suffered by an individual or to sections of individuals beloved.Terrorism needs to be eliminated.Terrorists would never be born if terrorism survives but only inside the graveyard.What needs to be uprooted completely for betterment of entire human race is the psyche that gives rise to terrorism.

Rich have been affected by terrorism for the first time in India. Hopefully, this would generate pressure on the government (ruling & opposition) to respond to the crisis where actions would have certain momentum to arrive at relevant results. Michael Jackson might be known for his religion change gimmicks but his song "Heal the world" must remind us of curing the ruptures within us.Let's heal the world,share the pain , cure the wounds and make this world a better place to live.Bombing nations is not the solution but a consequence that shall commence the beginning of the end of this beautiful mystery called universe.

Perseverance and patience might have been invalid instruments to win but definitely not obsolete.They need some repair without any depreciation!

In this cloud of pain and agony celebrating personal happiness is far from possible.Pledging hereby to make a difference as a professional to my country and wait for others to join a league of Indians who would want to become politicians,economists,military men,legal experts and forensic or other technical experts.Optimism never deters with cynicism.

Iam determined,are you?? Celebrations can wait,national loss is incompensable.

TFC.

Who Am I?

2008-10-24T10:38:00.000-07:00

Am I just a lonely "I" beheaded on island of egos?
Is my mirror image true to reality?
"Who am I?" is the quest for identity.

A crystal of dew,
A salty drop of tear,
Float of a waxy leafed Lotus,
Mirage of the Desert,
Victim of effort & labour,
Devastation of floods,
Life for a survivor,
Who am I? (water)

Am I basically a debtor , creditor or giver?
Is pride in me a maker or a breaker?
"Who am I?" is a sloppy old wandering trekker.

The pollutant in deoxygenation,
The swinging minutes in pacemaker,
The flutter in lashes & leaves,
The flight of the eagles,
The wind before the storm,
The brisk fragrance of breeze-shy petals,
The virgin magma in the sand dune,
Who am i? (air)

Am i the aesthetics of movement of time?
Is the time not truely the essence of change in me?
"Who am I ?" is a search of keeping changes grounded in me.

The turbulent volcano,
The heat in midst of a volatile argument,
The woolen warmth in winters,
The smoke out of the last remains of mankind,
The dearth of scorching furnaces,
The anguish in claustrophobic hearts,
Who am I? (fire)

Am i worth the hatred of partitioning diplomacy?
Is the pain of endothermic outburst an expression of self indulgence?
"Who am I?" is the bitter fruit of seeds once sown.

The green mother of selfless fruitfulness,
The violent quaking tremor,
The shrinking replica of discomfort,
The absorbing shelter to the sins of mankind,
The gravity of thought,The bund midst of the oceans & seas,
The pot to store & serve,
Who am I? ( earth)

Am I sustainable to reforms in the speedy world?
Is the change a significance of invalidation of my identity?
"Who am I?" a trigger back to square one in this crisis of validity.

TFC

A Home Away From Home.....

2008-10-21T21:07:00.000-07:00

A friend met me over a chat conversation on internet,
To introduce to me a vision I was blinded with,
A view of a homesick toddler wanting to go back to childhood,
Might it seem impossible to those who have forgotten to rejevenate their life for sake of livelihood!

He requested in a humble yet persuasive tone,
"Build me a home,Build me a home"
In the lush greens of motherly arms,
In plush lap of the fields,
In the blooming smiles of buddies,
Midst of swaying trees,dancing crops to the monsoon songs of my sisters swinging a heavenly flight.

A dwelling not merely,
But,an enlightenment replicating my soul,
Hiding simplicity within it's hearth with long & open courtyards,
A porch to nostalgia,
A garden essaying my childhood,
A comfort to the frames in the family room,
Tantalizer to the taste buds of low lying kitchen,
A tranquility to soul in the neatly lined bedrooms,
"Oh,Dear builder, build me a home,away from home!"

A mother in disguise of subtility,
A father to humanity,
A brother to hospitality,
A sister to care and kindness,
A search so mythical,
A demand so selfish,
"Still,dear builder,build me a home...away fom home"

A symbol of trust & mirror to reality,
A shoulder to cry & lean on,
A shelter I cringe for,
A granny singing a lullaby to shut me away from the world's demanding & illusive strings,
A maid who tamed my tantrums to the matured handsome advisory,
A home that gives me a slap at the stint of immaturity,
"Hey builder,build me a home,build me a home,away from home!"

TFC

The last post...

2008-10-06T00:36:00.000-07:00

"After a spell of in depth contemplation,self-interrogation and self introspection,it occurred to me that there is no more ink to generate thoughts and run this blog with sanity with fresher thoughts.In contrast to other blogs ,this blog appears to be uninteresting,irrelevant ,inconsistent & disconnected.Would require some time to restore the ink to pen my thoughts.Hence,taking an official break from blogging.Would resume soon.Thanks to the readers for being patient readers and encouraging my blogs at various times.For now,let thy be my last blog post".

Love,
TFC

"US"

2008-05-08T22:22:00.000-07:00

After Amu,my school friend,it's my chance to announce a secret!
Any Guesses? Well,I am also going to be Mrs.Someone soon! Here is a quick crux of all the Wh's for all!

Till 23,life was about me,myself,I. It started changing only towards the end of 2006.That's when "US" happened.

Rohan & I began our journey then with perhaps a very predictable future but unsure destinations.Doors opened for adventure that never was a skin to our characters.Thanks to US we explored the hidden zeal and adventure within.With Rohan around,colours splashed through every orifice.

The colours of trust,love,honesty,togetherness,belief and faith that had disappeared from my world.For all those who have been hounded for the last one and half years about the mysterious man inspiring most of the posts here,now you sure have answers,ce n'est pas?

The leap hasn't been easy...from just an acquaintance to a good friend to the best friend and then eventually my soulmate...we have come a long way from where we started.

The distance of more than 950 air miles was never a problem.It seemed impossible to bridge the cliff between Bangalore and Bombay,but it became easier because our destinies were connected by the great man above! Cannot thank him enough!The most dreaded word of an independent,relatively contemporary,snobbish urban chic is "we".

But,with Rohan, "I" never controlled the "we" in "us".It was different for sure. Having Rohan as a partner, is one of the very few good things that have happened to me.

If there exists anything called "love at first sight"...Voici,voici !

His wit,intelligence,simplicity,modesty,innocence,charm,anxiousness to beget knowledge ,zest to excell better than perfection and impatience (at times) have over and over again bowled me over. There is a lot more to learn and endure of RoRa (Rohan Ranade)!(Read:He is taken!)

Fortunately, both of us believed that to be able to be in a relationship both of us need to fight,care,argue,console,understand,compromise and consider each other.To be able to adore someone even after having diagonally contradictory views on matters is "companionship".

Both of us as his mother puts it are poles apart...he loves computers while cactus loves to do without them...iF R tends to orange,M tends to blue...Not to forget the Salman Khan Vs Diya Mirza freak and fetish..Seafood is a complete no no for him while someone suddenly becomes a glutton...so on and so forth! So,decision making was tough!

Finally after long spells of self-interrogation and contemplation we decided to confess and get committed to each other with the blessings of our parents.Both the set of parents and Ashwin (Rohan's brother) have been extremely understanding and supportive of all our decisions.

For a girl, marriage brings a variety of experiences both emotional & practical.The new life ahead is a journey that WE will travel together...may be struggling for survival or rebelling against the flow but together for sure! Isn't it inherent when Soul mates happen?

Therefore,looking forward to all the arguments and fights over petty reasons, the consoling that follows after that, the surprises and all the joys of companionship. Amen!

I wished to share my happiness personally,but time & nature don't permit me to do so.But,for most who have known me through thick and thin have in their own way helped me emerge as a better person.

Finally,we got engaged on the 8th of july,2008.The wedding updates would be posted soon!Watch out for this space!

TFC !

The soulmate...

2008-05-06T00:31:00.000-07:00

Mates don't meet all that often,
Souls don't interact unless otherwise spiritual,
Eternity does not strike a chord for affinity,
Innocence remains too far to seem close to reality,
Trust and faith would oppose existence of an identity,
Self-assertion replaces conviction disturbing stability,
Full of conspiracy and selfish conjunction for desires of longetivity,
Unless soulmates happen!

It's all very easy and pre-defined to develop a liking,
Difficult is to accept and confess the adorance,
It's simple to fall in love but most likely a difficulty to confess commitment,
Words or simply the lack of it might truly be the reason,
Nither a language nor a song will bring the unsaid to said,
A customized conspiracy shalt not awaken the hearts,
Demon within glistening the evil of thoughts,
Unless soulmates happen!

Promises are made to be broken,
Silence maintained as a self-righteous token,
The brunt of jealousy shalt ruin all the fun,
Apathic virtues and selfish wisdom barrier the happiness,
The traces of estrangeship flagged on every heart,
The grass on the other side would always appear in blossom,
Victory and triumph are the emotions so rotten,
Unless soulmates happen!

Stressing the words to prove a point,
Seperation and distress is most likely outcome,
Wounded souls hurt and pessimistic,
The nebula shadowed by the nebulous nigh,
Glutton's greed for more of rustic gallore,
The blue sky- seemless yet seeming not enough,
The rise and fall is all that fate seems,
Unless soulmates happen!

The sun and the moon play the game of mates,
Commoners fail a notice of the two souls playing hide and seek,
The night falls and the ego alarmingly wakens the sun's pride,
The subtle beauty de la lune sure gets blotted with the spots,
The two spend the night crossing guns,
As the night proceeds to dawn;their laughter fills the air around,
The fluttering lashes of the shy moon bid the smiling sun for a bright day ahead,
Unless we identify....the soulmates happen to dampen the worldly spirits!

Green emeralds,
Blue saphires,
Lusty desires and moutaining ambitions,
Shine,rise and blossom only till the beauty of black exists,
The grays in temprament,The blues in time and desserted tides,
Allure us to be the destination,
Until soulmates happen!

Friends in smiles away by miles,
Distances near stretched so far,
Lone world would always seem apart,
Past would be grim,
Future would be a relief of sigh,
Nights would bring in only the dark,
Soulmates happen in the midst of heat and sun,
On a bloomy night with a distressed instinct,
Blowing away all the charred emotions,
That's when soulmates happen!

Soulmates share the joy of togetherness,
The symbiosis of two distinct worlds,
The urge to shed a tear and wipe it too,
The desire to admit,accept,confess and commit,
Soulmates win and lose only to themselves,
Selflessness and art of giving virtue,
That's the magic of mates once they happen!

TFC!

Bollywood wed-locks

2008-04-21T04:57:00.000-07:00

"Marriages are made in heaven and broken on earth"-MG,April 21,2008,A.D.

Bollywood ambassadors this and media promotes it all for a price! B-town marriages have always bewildered the common man.Normally, an average Indian gets married and finds the likes of Madhubala to Matondkar and from Dilip Kumar to SRK in the spouse one is with till end of retirement of one's life.Commoner finds a soulmate in the respective spouse and even the utterance of the D word shatters one's conviction;though society is changing it shall require some time to break the conservative cultural ties.

However,glamour world has different concepts and definitions of marriage.The bigger the wedding,more the pompousness and higher the extravagance amazonic is the likelihood of the relationship not going a long way unlike the beliefs and ideologies of an average midlle class educated and cultured adult.We do have many legendary couples in the industry who have been together through thick and thin.Dilip saahab and Sairaji,Anil Kapoor and Sunita,Sunil Dutt and Nargis,Kumar Gaurav and Namrata Dutt,Rajendra Kumar and his wife,SRK and Gauri...but all these couples either have a non-filmi counterpart or have been out of the limelight for a while.Amitji and Jaya ji have had their share of swings in a married life of more than 35 years (Abhishek is 30+ guys).

Had it not been for the patience and perseverence of the two of them we would have seen Big B and Jayaji attending and exiting via seperate doors their only son'e wedding.But,media made their share to drift them apart which wasn't very successful.Malaika-Arbaaz,Amir-Reena,Saif-Amrita,Saif-Rosa(since they were in live in)...so may of them have gotten into the brigade of b-town failed marriages.

The press usually projects the very spicy side of the relationships gone sour,but hardly researches on the root cause.Have been observing and reading these articles since I was 16.Thoughts have run almost in all vague directions tangential to logic most of the times. All the credit goes to my middle class upbringing."Most of these weddings are either to attract public glare and media attention so that a worn out career gets revitalized while others fall prey to the professional hazards arising out of affairs,link-ups,lack of trust,degrading moralities and darkening conscience " said a journalist friend once. Could it be true?, quickly questioned myself and statistics subsided all my querries at once.

Just recollect Shweta Tiwari-Raja Choudhary (the same couple who showed a lot of sobbing and melodramae on Nach Baliye) split and "tamasha" that did print rounds a couple of weeks ago,where are they anyway? May be on their so called rejevenation trip to Seychelles.About a year and a half ago Karisma(that's the way she likes to be known) and her Apollo guy wanting to split up over his ex and disowning their daughter samaira...blah blah!Well,all of these celebs were spotted together at various times romancing and swinging in each others arms!

Not all the break-ups are projected immaturedly.Years ago Kaka and Dimple separated but still remain friends.Dimple even campaigned for kaka when he was fighting an election.Javed Akhtar (the one of Salim-Javed jodi) also remains friends with Ms .Irani and penned lyrics for her first directorial venture Armaan.Interestingly,media never writes about Shabana's relationship with Farhan or Joya nither her friendship with Javed's ex. May be there is nothing to create a spoof out of it.Dharam Paaji and Hemaji got married several years ago.His first legal wife still remains to be with him.The support that she has extended to keep the Deol family integrated is phenomenal.Everyone talks about Esha-Ahana-Hema and Dharamji but never about Prakash aunty and Dharamji.

Media is supposed to present to people the good out of everything unconventional,isn't it?Suniel and Mana Shetty continue to be together,but no one ever documents the secret of their forever romance.Would it not be much interesting to know how celebs conquer the pressures and refrain seperation?Sanjay Dutt and Rhea potrayed the perfect couple for the last so many years (even during Sanjay's trial).Sanjay's first marriage to Richa had failed but his daughter Trishala survived to see her 50+ father getting married third time to a girl a little older than herself! Sanjay Dutt,the actor is terrific but has a very bad personal record that links him to narcotics,illegal businesses and criminal sins leading to traitorship.Media made Sanjay the criminal who was more known to wear a blue shirt for trials than any of his records!

On the other hand,Abhi-Ash who got married exactly a year ago had an extremely high profile wedding (hoping they are still together).Though the media often potrays a vexing image of Ash and Big B together wearing almost matching outfits and the bahu and sasur jodi hand-cuffed,still wishing the newly couple togetherness for always (media must learnt to be a bit patient than merely observant)

Anyway,let bollywood enjoy and entertain themselves with their on and off relationships.Don't bother the straighforward common man! A simple fruit seller on streets would be more concerned about his sales than knowing about any celebrity break-up or link ups.Having rifts in marriages is normal,but the media hype is maddening! Dear media-ns,please don't create a mystic hype around these page three biggies,let them have their own way! Don't rotten the morales of the society with excess scandalization of their first,second or third marriages or affairs.Every couple goes through a phase of struggle in their relationship.

The reasons could be internal or external,but one needs to accept that they exist though in different exponential forms.Those relationships which stand the test of time are eternal.Public disclosure of love is easy,to endure it through every phase in life is difficult.

Our culture is based on certain values,traditions and customs.Yes,there are rituals and traditions that personally many wont approve or appreciate.It's here in l'Inde that marriages are considered once and forever.They are not a repetitive syndrome.

Hoping very optimistically that we don't have more wed-rocks because of the media hype around the celebrities! Amen!

TFC.

You,Me Aur Hum..!

2008-04-18T22:22:00.000-07:00

The last movie that was watched had been Taarein Zameen Par so,just wanted to watch a movie that was either better than or at par with it.

You,me Aur Hum was the most talked about movie in town ever since it's launch and even after release it did not fail to create waves. Its a good movie to watch but lacks the speed and gradual pace of progression of events.One more of the directorial debuts from B-Town hero.

The statistics of actors turning directors being successful has been a bit confusing.Sunny tried it with Dillagi and Bhagat Singh failed to get noticed,Rishi & Randhir din't generate the kind of raves with Heena and Aa Ab Laut Chalein as Raj Kapoor did,Kamal Hassan has always been successful at most of his attempts in most of the premises he has dabbled with.Aamir has proven with Lagaan & TZP that he is not just a good producer but a promising director too.King Khan chose to play safe and became a successful producer of all movies under Yashraj style but with different directors (or shall we say with KJo only?).

Anyway,let's talk about You,Me Aur Hum!
The movie begins with quotations on love and relationships,which create the perfect antidote for cynicists haunting reason for love!

Kajol potrays Piya the girl with memories of her father and liquor chocolates and a bitter youth because of her broken family.Ajay is a psychiatrist and has struggled to achieve the success and fame as a doctor.A series of scenes that tell a tale of the two falling in love and getting married in the first half while the second half is the most serious yet gripping one.Kajol & Ajay handle their roles with great maturity.Piya is an alzeimer's patient and Kajol potrays the helplessness of loss of identity,the trauma of being put through and putting her husband as well as their son Aman through tough times is nerve cracking.Ajay scores once again and proves that his acting prowess is strong enough to resist the Khans,Kumars and Roshans talents.He has successfully potrayed a sensible,modern yet emotional man of today well rooted and dedicated to his traumatized wife.

Kajol,your father must be a proud man sitting up there for you have proved your mantle once again as an actor of substance.You have left the audience seeking for more of you in such roles!

The movie lacks to catch up pace and the progression of events is very slow.Reminded me of Khamoshi-the musical which also had some wonderful performances,good music but lacked pace.The first half could have well been comprehensive or precise.Because,though both Mr & Mrs D are fine actors playing 20's romance does not quite gel with their ageing lines.

The rest of the cast that includes fine actors like Divya Dutta & Sumeet Raghvan don't have much to deliver but do their job well.Isha Sharvani ,the Kisna girl is unfortunately playing a dumb bimbette who only burns alive while needed for a dance (for obvious reasons),but she has been wasted.

Vishal Bharadwaj,had great expectations from him after Omkara,particularly "oh sathi re",but the title and the adnan sami number are the only saviours.The dance numbers are just about average and cannot really match with Chalia re of Tashhan.

The movie gives an office goer like me a trip to emotional ride.

Though,i was looking for something sensible ,You me aur hum does not get little close to Aamir's TZP! TZP is a million dollar movie made with sensitivity and connects with every child in every adult or a teenager or even a toddler.All of us have been through some awkward moments like these during our school days,haven't we?

Ajay you are one my favourite actors in B-town ,however this time Aamir's taken a platinum for his directorial debut! Best of luck AD for the future!

TFC

Make hay while the sun shines...

2008-04-15T22:19:00.000-07:00

"My father was obviously born in the wrong generation. For his first test for the country in 1961, he got a cheque of Rs 150. When he was part of the historic 1971 win in West Indies and England, he got the princely sum of Rs 750 per match. Contrast..." -Rajdeep Sardesai,CNN-IBN.

Mr.Sardesai,I agree but disagree too.

The era when your father played cricket advertising was not in vogue.People barely had televeison sets at home.Cricket was a source of entertainment for people,today it has become a livelihood.Most of the cricketiers are not very highly educated nither do they work for any big/small organization.AK,JS,RD are an exception to this rule,but not completely uninterested in minting money.The sportsmen are richer and invest hugely in hotels,s/w businesses etc.Nothing wrong with it,it's just like the transformation of a seed into a fruit! The world has changed.So,let them enjoy and earn while they are in limelight.If they did not,then who would the media chase to crack a "breaking news"?

Rajdeep, we are in the 21st century where land sells at a higher cost than of gold and professionals get what they demand.Not very long ago (@ 2 years)when the cactus graduated as an architect and was haunting jobs enthusiastically.Our genre thought at least 10 times before quoting for the expected salary but just a year later we saw our juniors demanding for a salary at least 2 times our intial salary. An aunt of mine who graduated years ago as an architect from Sir.JJ found it amuzing that an intern today earns about 10 times more than what she did in those days.Time value of money is the name of the game!

My father aged 66 and a half, could have purchased a wonderful flat in Parsi Colony at dadar at 20 thousand grants 35 years ago,today 35,000 would buy him only 7sq ft of the same flat! Every inch costs.He was 31 years old then and could not afford to buy it.
Aujourd 'hui,a 31 year old earns much more than 35,ooo Rs and can perhaps dream of buying it,but definitely only in the distant suburbs or satellite towns of Bombay or any other metros in India.

Lifestyle has changed considerably.Luxuries like A/C,laptops,computers,air-travel,imported cars,hotelling,shopping for impulsive goods have become necessities to keep in pace with the fast moving world.Life today has demands beyond food,shelter and clothing.

Where time value of money has escalated,value of time has depreciated to certain extent for one survives to earn and make hay for earning!Remember,lost time never comes again!
Sad part of this is lack of sensitivity towards humanity.Use of branded products has crammed India markets and local goods have been depressed to losses. Anyway,more on that some other time!

Till then,Make hay while the Sun shines!

TFC.

This day that year:14th April,1891

2008-04-14T22:15:00.000-07:00

"My final words of advice to you is educate,agitate and organise; have faith in yourself.With justice on our side I do not see how we can lose our battle.For ours is the battle not for wealth or for power.It is a battle for freedom. It is a battle for reclaimation of human personality".So be the words of Dr.Bhimrao Ambedkar.

In today's context we all have to free ourselves from addictions,stress,violence,corruption,
poverty,illiteracy,depression (economic & emotional). The question is are we successfully achieveing it?

Anyway,Let's remind ourselves of the great man Dr.Babasaheb Ambedkar.

Today,14th april 2008 on his birth aniversary we proudly remember Babasaheb for the mantle he possessed,the aura he created out of almost nothing and obviously for his relentless contribution towards upliftment of mankind. He is a hero in his own right.
If it weren't for him we,Indians would have never learnt fair,unbiased right to freedom & right to seek justice.

May be India no longer could be identified as "sone ki chidiya",but the untouched shine and immortal value of the sons & daughters of India like Dr Saheb shall keep the tri-colour flying high always!

He was the pioneer who worked for the upliftment of his countrymen and encouraged education setting an example of himself as the survivor as well as the winner of all obstacles in his way.Had he been alive today,he would have been disappointed with poverty,illiteracy and unfair practices still being practiced in India. All his life he strived hard to eliminate these stigmas from the brows of mankind.
He was in true sense a "bharat ratna"-the jewel/gem of India! I bow down to him for his preseverence,patience and pragmatism to emerge a winner against the current.

Imagining his hardships in this century bring tears of pride & sorrow at the same time.
Sorrow for no one could treat a human like an animal,pride for he appertains to the creed of Humanity and belonged to every rebel against injustice,cruelty or superstition.

In that light the cactus makes a humble request to all countrymen to not just glorify and celebrate the person that Babasaheb was but also encourage and practice his virtues.Babasaheb or as a matter of fact any of the great men/women of India would be contented if we at least work for the dream India they had conceptualized.

Lokmanya Tilak,Veer Savarkar,Agarkar,Justice Ranade,Raja Ram,Mahatma Phule ,Dhondo Keshav Karve ,Justice Gokhale have all worked for abolishment of cruel practices like sati,bali and child marriage.Its imporatnt that we practice than preach,we inherit the genetics of such great men who were born in our countryland.

The cactus is reminded of a dialogue from "Chak De" that the coach of Indian women's hockey team says,"mujhe na state dikhai dete hai,na sunai dete hai,sirf India hi sunai deta hai,dikhai deta hai". We all feel proud of national heroes,don't we? If in every little way possible,we could make a difference by our deeds to the mankind,we will make our heroes proud of us!

This day that year, a jewel war born,lets make a conscious effort to keep its value intact!

TFC

to be a child again!

2008-04-10T01:29:00.000-07:00

Got this image from Amu's album.Isn't the baby cute? Just look at those fists held close to heart as if they hide a treasure.Nothing and never could anything be as pure and pacifying as this!

Just wish I could live the life of a baby once again...miss the ceralacs and the fragrance of Johnson & Johnson baby soap and powder or the attention from every one around for little action done! Really miss not being as spontaneous and lively as before!How happy would i be to be a baby again!

It used to be a pride to self-proclaim oneself as a grown up.Testing & wearing all the cosmetics on the dressing table or draping mother's saree turning it round & round until it looked like a quilt folded drowning all my height and then some self admiration on looking into the mirror...the mirror was never so wonderful! Must have been barely 1.5 years when i started to talk...

OMG! people must have been irritated with me and my tactics to gain attention calling almost everyone in our middle class apartment at Chembur (btw,the cactus was born on 19th may,1983 at the Joy hospital located in a very up-market area in Chembur).

My baba used to tell me stories from epics like Mahabharata,Ramayan,Shivcharitra or the usual tales of Birbal or those from Panchatantra.By the age of 5 the cactus almost believed that her father knew krishna,bheem,arjun,shivaji,ram & hanuman personally.He has a very distinct knack of story telling which most of the young children that I have known enjoy.

My parents enriched my childhood giving an opportunity to listen to the likes of geet ramayan , V.P Kale or P.L Deshpande.Uknowingly they have helped me to understand our culture ,traditions & customs better.Our small house in Chembur had a small balcony where I used to play during rains.It used to be such an awaited activity of the year! That balcony was an alcove of all memories of my childhood....all silly games & homework would have been so boring had I sat inside the house!

Childhood was so much fun...a carefree life! No stress,no inhibitions and no apprehensions...life was much easier than now! Then even a P.T or math exam seemed to be a big Tension!

In the 21st century things have changed...children enter the rat race and persuaded to compete with or without their consent. Children are more pragmatic and matured to take challenges.Unfortunately,they grow up too early loosing their innocence & curiosity to this competitive world.Vacations to our genre meant escape from studies , eating mangoes and enjoying with cousins.We did manage to study and score inspite of this "time waste" programme.Pray,a day must not come when I have to tell my children to not enjoy their vacation and attend tuitions at age 4!Keeping fingers crossed!

TFC

Causes & Consequences of Delay in Surface Transport Projects

2008-04-04T21:09:00.000-07:00

Introduction:

Construction projects could be undertaken by the public, private and international sectors or any combination of these three. Public sector projects are usually initiated by the government for the welfare of public deploying the resources generated through taxes , revenues etc collected from the people. These projects can be classified broadly into two namely, infrastructural & residential. The infrastructural projects include transport & communication , amenities , power plants , dams etc. They have a huge financial outlay and are vital in developing the nation and building a stronger national economy.

Delays in such projects obstacle the way of national progress .

Many construction projects are subject to delays, which can have severe financial penalties for contractor, subcontractor or client. Unfortunately , “delays” have become a repetitive syndrome and affect the entire national economy.

Hence , a study of causes and consequences of delay in public sector-long span surface transport projects would be of use in attempting an analysis and proposing a solution.

The aim ,objectives,scope & need for such a study could be summarized as below:

Aim :

To define & determine delay and its causes for long span surface-transport projects in public sector and to study the causes & consequences of delays through investigative survey.
Thus, to derive or develop or suggest an approach or method or tool in the form of a module or a template or flow chart that shall eventually provide for minimizing or eliminating delays.

Objectives:

#To conduct an investigative survey through various levels of the industry.
#To determine and define avoidable and unavoidable delay.
#To determine the variables of delays in surface transport projects through investigation.
#To determine the exponentials of the variables thus established.
#To compare the delay patterns or causes in public and private sectors through documentation.
#To develop a system to check and alarm the possible delay at various junctures.
#To propose a module or template to eliminate or minimize the delay in different situations. Scope

The research shall include the study of the causes and consequences of delay in public sector projects through investigative survey. The chosen area of study shall be of (estimated) long span – surface transport projects in the public sector.
The surface transport projects for purpose of this study shall only include roads, highways, subways, bridges or fly-overs.

Need of the study:

*There has not been much work on the subject to which one can refer to though various techniques are discussed in different works.
*The roads , highway , bridges etc construction involves huge investments and capital sum gets blocked for a longer period than estimated duration of project . This leads to escalation of cost and time . Public sector works suffer tremendously due this.
*The transport networks build communication between various places within and outside the country. The efficiency of transport systems determines the success of a nation. The connectivity between cities, town and villages helps in reducing the distances and travelling time too. Delay in transport projects damages the communication and affects trade & commerce . A lot of inconvenience is caused due to this to the traffic congestions , excavations etc to the general public.

Method of study :

The study shall be conducted in the phases mentioned below:

Phase 1: Literature Review and establishing the aim and objectives of the study.
Phase 2: Formulation of questionnaires and conducting a survey through various sections of construction industry.
Phase 3: Analyzing the survey and determining the variables of delay and their exponentials.
Phase 4: Comparative studies and documentation.
Phase 5: Analysis of the case study results.
Phase 6: Developing an approach on basis of the results obtained and determining the features and pattern of working of the module to be suggested.
Phase 7: Installing the model and observing the working.

TFC

The Spring & the Sun!

2008-04-04T02:44:00.000-07:00

"The flowering cactus.....the renaissance of Baroque basking in Sun in the wonderful journey called life...."

The renaissance of the Baroque signifies renewal , change , modification , rejuvenation of the ugliest , unattractive , massive , unartistic ,dumb and thorny"cactus" in the company of the ever smiling,charming , suave ,witty ,lovable yet naughty Sun in this journey of life which is so fulfilling at every rise and every dusk.The Sun has inspired and initiated a string of events and coloured the life into a rainbow....the rainbow that does not need the rains to pour or the clouds to thunder.

The blog of the cactus also has undergone a similar change...a long awaited make-over! All thanks to the niceties of the Sun....here's an era of fulfillment and aspirations.The new look of the blog is just a replica of the true state of the cactus...happy and contented. Orange and blue adorning the exact vibrance and exquisiteness to the blog depicting the play of colour in the dull and thorny life of the cactus.The Sun looks it's best when a little orange and spreads its virtue of giving when surrounded by the blue...dispersing the sadness , hardships and wild life of the cactus.

The spring has finally dawned in the life of cactus.This summer like the rest of photosynthetics Cactus will experience the blossom.For a change the thorns will smoothen and yield a flowerly off-spring.

The cactus is here to gain...as procastinated earlier 2008 is her year...a year she would want to mark the renaissance...the contentment and yes the undying source of strength in the Sun!

Cheers to the Spring & the Golden Sun!

TFC

Mangroves

2008-04-02T00:20:00.000-07:00

Q.How can the actions of an educated polluter causing fatal to mangroves be best explained by an uneducated occupationist?

R."If there are no mangroves , then the sea will have no meaning.It is like having a tree without roots,for the mangroves are the roots of the sea..." words of a Thai fisherman on Andaman Coast.

TFC :Bowled over the response of an uneducated pepper haired layman? Well,I certainly am considering that environmental imbalance is prima facia concern in present scenario and the fraternity of huma race is busy,uninterrupted defforesting the green ladden lands reclaiming to construct some more jungles of concrete...Oops! Eco-friendly Concrete and eco-structure with LEEDS certification!

Resourceability of a Resource!

2008-03-31T21:34:00.000-07:00

"Resources" are the fundamental element of any function to be able to deliver the estimated or expected deliverables to the desired exponentials in and for the given time and conditional constraints.
A resource could mean a human resource , cash , equipment , material ,time etc.

In myriad management books by Koontz and the other management Gurus we are hammered with the jargonous fundas on importance of a resource , it's appropriate utilization and remuneration etc.
Managers are supposed to spend magnum time over resource planning , scheduling and usage to achieve the most for minimum cash outflow of the organization's treasury ,aren't they?

Mis-managed managers do just the opposite prooving all the characteristic requisites of a manager to be patient ,encouraging ,motivating the "team spirit" a faux passe.

Resources (particularly human) have different and disctinct talents and potentials.Lethargic resources believe that the organization has employed them to use the interenet , telecoms, stationary , electricity and other assets for a handsome remuneration. Those who believe that they were born to work find it extremely difficult to find time to remain idle and enjoy the spaciousness of their A/C office.Such blokes often even overlook the window besides their seat or the change of their chair etc.To such "useless" resources work is not a barter for remuneration and perks its their passion for enjoying life.

There have been instances where people who develop an instant and spontaneius apathy and nausea for work when it arrives spend time searching alternatives on work escape routes.The workoholics like my friends Rohan & Bharat work for the pleasure that they derive out of it and often finish their work much before time. They don't really intend to encourage the lazy resources but end up completing their work for they tag it as a challenge when the deadlines are right over your head!

People need to understand that the overhead costs must always be kept minimum by optimal usage and allocation of the budgets for each overhead. Resource must be a source of generating worthwhile output for the remuneration given and not just another head contributing to the idle eating head count of the organization.

I feel nothing but guilty at usage of the internet or A/C for personal purposes in office.Perhaps, that's all because of my upbringing where I saw my dad walking down or taking up a taxi for every single visit that was not official. No wonder that it must have appeared foolish insisting my manager for the job description when I had to sit idle for 3 days out of the first five days in office!

Agreeing with Lara (a colleague) who told me that it hit her so many times in the past year "why did they employ me if there wasn't any work for me?" Believe me I have been struggling to answer this question for the past 12 days.Well,may be this is what is it takes to be "corporate".

Thus, A true corporate is the one who:
1.Is busy all the time : with personal calls , chats, surfing.
2. Is the one who only pretends to work and appear busy all the time during office hours.
3.Is the one who stays at the office after office hours creating an image that he/she is a contributing employee.
4. Is the one who wears the latest branded apparel and is a master in red-tapism.

Well , Ashwin had once written a blog on the desired verdict of his loved ones on his 50th birthday...just praying that if I live for so long....the only thing wish would be to hear is that "may be she is not very smart , not very beautiful ,not very intelligent but she is dedicated ,determined and disciplined"!
Will certainly publish what they actually have to say ...watch out for this space for more on it later!

TFC

A man's day out: "to be" or "not to be"-the first man of the "White House"

2008-03-31T20:50:00.000-07:00

Bill Clinton has been one of the personal favourites ..not for the controversies associated with him...but for perhaps the root of all those controversies....this man's charm and elan have had blown me over and over again.

Days are never the same , more than a decade and half ago Mr Bill was standing tall with Chelsea and Hillary besides him waving to all the Americans for the support and love that he was showered with to become the most handsome looking President of the U.S of A!

The suave looking Bill must have never in his dreams desired to stand besides the presidential candidate of the fairer sex and gender promoting her....pleading to the people of America for "votes" ; particularly when the lady in spotlight was none other than Hillary Clinton-his own femme!

Hillary could be the perfect choice for the president of the world's most influential and powerful country.The role model to millions Hillary is better known as a great advocate of law , the personified epitomy of serenity,perseverence,patience and tolerance.

US -known to be the most modern and liberal amongst all the nations . Mais,countries like India,United Kingdom ,Bangaladesh etc.who are normally considered to be very orthodox and conservative (male dominated society syndrome) have been nominating & electing women in the most envious as well as prestigious positions.This is America's opportunity to join the league.Best of luck Hillary!
The link below is an insight into the US presidential elections and the chance of Mr.Bill to be or not to be the "first man of the house" of his "first and official lady of life!"

http://www.latimes.com/video/autoStart=true&topVideoCatNo=default&clipId=2338224

TFC

Kick- off !

2008-03-27T21:24:00.000-07:00

Been ages since my last blog was uploaded so blasted my blog readers amusement with 2 blogs thereof...all written some time ago but posted them today.Its been nearly 5 months :have not really found time to write....sound very ridiculous...but was nither busy assisting P.Chidambaram for the drafting of a very political-pre-election propaganda budget nor was I with Raj celebrating "jailhood" on the V-Day!I

nstead I was busy with my dissertation on "delays"...a subject that was well suited for the viva voce which were apparently postponed from one-to the other to eventually the month of March! Know for sure that the honourable jury cracked me well for sure....but then who said that it's easy to deal with dolts of LSR ?!

The year began with a social and highly awaited personal visit to the orange city...never knew that Khindsi lake could give a run to "banganga talao"!March 17,2008 I began my career in construction management with a MNC "Archetype" currently located in the hub of "model hunt pageants" in the midst of Ness's campus in BDMC ,Wadala! Its was hardly a little less than a week that my weekends were locked because of Holi! My office guys did put a bit of colour on me...(one out of the only three times that colour has ever touched me!)

Had I a choice...would have personally banned Holi...not for the cause but simply for the way it is played in India.Well,this thought might not go down to well with too many that we know but then India is s free country and one can have opinions on anything, isn't it?

Concerned about the tonnes of women and senior citizens who travel by trains and other public or private transport systems and have to face the very unexpected egg shells, balloons , water buckets with colours and waste of all possible types unheard...and the worst part is that people want this abuse to be tagged under the flavour of holi!

Personally, it's all too starnge when people cause injury and fatal to the sensitivities of common man touting "bura na mano holi hai!"If not mistaken, Holi is supposed to be the end of evil and marks the commencement of all good things...does that really mean that one does all kinds of wierd things?

Perhaps, people feel that it is only after this that they are supposed to be well-behaved and good! But,had it been like that there would not have been accidents during Diwali...Dassera...Ganpati....Baisakhi ...Christmas or otherwise.How I wish that Holi was celebrated for all 12 months of the year by practicing the true essence and message of such a wonderful festival which is to be human , fair , unbiast , honest , dedicated and cordial.Well,I would really want my children to love Holi...but for the reason that Prahlad lived for!

Keeping my fingers crossed and wishing a wonderful holi to all! All for now...got to go for a meeting!

TFC

The girl who loves the shadow...

2008-03-27T21:14:00.000-07:00

The girl who loves the shadow,
The shadow of the tree she appertains to,
The advocacy that has been the crescendo to aggrandize her small world,
Shadow she idolizes so much not for it's grandeur but for being the amateur in a lone world of hers,
Moments that glistened her childhood memories forming the chunk of the alcove in her life,
She learnt to love the imperfection in the perfection under the amenity of the shadow.

The almanac flipped through and the girl of yesterday turned into a lady of the morrow,
The world was a bit blunt and ruthless to her for they blamed her to be the overshadowed by the shadow,
She was persuaded to ponder if she was victimised and her talent been compared to the mights of the tree,
Worldly premises made her acrid and unfortunately apathic too,
The girl who once loved the shadow,no longer played under it's roof,
The girl was no longer the girl she was,she was no a lady but too aloof!

The girl strived hard to make her own destiny,
The destiny she felt fell crashed under the widespread of the tree,
She managed to rebel,but lacked finesse and pragmatism,
The falls were tougher than those she perceived,
Until one day that she was struck with a cadence,
An Apostle revived her wounds and made her to ambit for the moments she treasured in her life,
She kept restrospecting for days and months but could not gather anything beyond the wonderful moments that she owed to the shadow,
Bolted was she to acknowledge and accept,but the apostle was her own soul who still loved the tree and the shadow.

The girl transformed into a women in no time,
May not be called an amazon exactly but certainly rid of the baggage in her almira,
She realized how lucky she was to be associated with the tree and the shadow,
The journey there forth was easier though not a smooth ride,
But,atleast she was n't running behind illusions,
Her goals were set and she was focused,
This time she din't chase the shadow,she borrowed it's company forever.

The year ahead is her year,the year in which her search for identity will reach it's destination,
The search and effort that would make the tree and the shadow proud of her,
The shadow not the sign of her,rather she being the reason of existence for the shadow,
The girl is just one like us,
The new year is just a platform for her aspirations to set free,
She might fall,she might manage to stand in struggle,the strength shall still remain to be her shadow.

TFC

bon aniversaire....to a new you!

2008-03-27T21:06:00.000-07:00

i whispered a little prayer yesterday,
as softly as i could,
just as loud as the almighty could hear me aloud,
a wish beyond the worldly praises of self-rejevenation,
for the young prince who arrived on a magical conjuration,
of the heavenly confluence of the oranges and blues,
laying his way through the architectural avenues,
walking with the scripts in java of the "coder",
he became a solace of the congruity.

praying for sometime i paused,
breathing heavily was a deep voice,
but,not voice merely,
who said what could want to pray for the "narcissus"himself?
for he is the spring flower blossoming in the midst of a windy rain,
and only someone auracious could bless him,
i agreed and the echo dispersed in the dark,
leaving me to wonder and haunt again,
spreading my hands to gather something that i could offer you.

in the struggle to search i almost quizzed all the pockets of my shirt,
and i decided not to pray,
but,to offer you instead with the least i am left with,
and the best that i could dare to offer you,
a selfish wish to gift,
as better as it gets young prince,
may you be born again as the charming young prince,
to damper the drab summers,
to shower the spell of your wits on the noodles like us!

by the onset of nigh-mid-morning of closure1st june,
when the streets had turned dark along with the dogs had no spark,
the creepers were cribbing for nothing,
i saw a notification on the orkut home,
striking chords were the mid-night clock hands,
clapping a bit of clatter and it dawned upon me,
oops! its all that i need to do,
and this is what the worthiest men would do,
without a word more,
i wished you a happy birthday to you!!

TFC