INTERPRETER OF MELODIES.....

ROSHOGOLLAS AND INTERNET ON "B"HODA-FONE , ANYONE ? :-)

2012-05-18T23:47:00.000+05:30

Being a Bengali, often subjects you to misconceptions .... like ....

1. The allegation that you eat fish all the time (We are not eternal Piscevores ...Spare us please !!! )

2. After the movie "Kahaani" was released ...I have been pestered with cat-calls of "Bidaaa Madam" ... (Not all of us have Roshogollas in our mouths while speaking :-( )

and lastly....

3. The gaff that insinuates that we Bengalis "EAT" everything...including water... (DO NOT punish me for my ancestor's lingual errors)

If you are wondering how the above mentioned laments are related to Mobile Internet / Vodafone and are already making me out to be a crazy loony toon ... then let me stop you right there and tell you about a "BAA-N-GALI" parody that underscored the fact that Mobile Internet was Fun-Tastic to say the least...

It all began on a lazy evening in the Satellite city of Navi Mumbai, when I was regretting my decision of shaving off my goatee, when my Phone blared out....

My grandfather (whom I address as Dadu and who addresses me as "nanaji" ) let out a large snort akin to the one he reserves for Mamata's Banerjee's goof-ups and Sourav Ganguly's fielding bloopers ("He jaa-aast caaaant field, tha-aat one !! ") and hollered out ,"I weeel throw your phone out of the window...Even the prime minister of India d-aaa-s not get as many calls as you do "...

To this I flashed a smile that would floor any woman (at-least that is what I felt) and sat down next to my mother and my grand-father on the bed along with my iPhone and my iPad...

I placed the iPad in front of my Mother and introduced it with a flourish ... "This is the iPad...."

"Ehhh ??? ", she said , "Is this a three dimensional mouse-pad? "

I mentally bashed my head on Chris Gayle's biceps five times over and then turned to my mom with another charming smile on my face...

"This is a tablet Mamoni !!! Its a very smart device and it lets you have fun ", I said...

"You mean that it helps you waste time ..." , she retorted...

"Wait...", I quickly downloaded Angry Birds from the Vodafone Vstore onto my iPad and observed my Grandfather's and Mother's faces as the iPad merrily chirped away the trademark opening tune...

"Hehehehehehehe....", along came my younger brother and plonked his tiny Angry Bird stuffed toy on my iPad... I captured the moment with my iPhone and uploaded it instantly on Facebook ,not realising that my friends would declare it to be one of the most iconic pictorial mobile uploads in their lifetime...

"What ees this ??", queried my grandfather in a tone similar to Darth Vader (Star Wars)...

"Ever plucked mangoes out of trees with your catapult in your village, when you were a young boy?", I asked.

"Yes, I de-eed", he remarked cautiously...

"Well then ... give this a go", I smiled and slid it over to him .. He watched with amazement as I showed him how to topple the green hobogoblins and monkeys over...

Ten minutes later, my Grandfather was sitting up on the bed with his knees drawn close to his chest and fingers blazing away on the iPad while my mother was firing away on all cylinders on my iPhone...

"Moni...I have finished th-ee-s level as well", my grandfather bellowed. "Wait a moment Bapi", my mother responded, " I am almost done as well"..

I was trembling with laughter from the inside...To see these two grown-ups , who were severely critical of my "smart-devices", just a few moments ago, have so much fun while using them , was a sight that could most certainly NOT be purchased with a MasterCard...

Suddenly my iPhone beeped and the following screen popped up...

"Who is this Deepika ??? ", my Mother roared like a lioness, "And is that a baby ??? Whose baby is this ?? "

"Girlfriend...girlfriend !!!" , my brother squeaked, dancing about like the little Vodafone pug....

"Shut up...", I whispered..."She is my friend Mamoni", I gulped...

"What a pretty little baby ...This is her niece and this is an online Application called Whatsapp ! It helps me chat with my friends and share pictures, music and other stuff"

By then my Grandfather's interest had been piqued and he was bending over my phone to investigate who this Deepika really was...

"By the way Mom, do you want to create an e-mail ID ? " I ventured, trying to divert the topic away from my girl-friend and the CBI style inquisitions..

My Mom smiled " You dont have to be shy son..I know who she is...She is the one you stay up talking all night to .. :-) "

"Yeah !!!", I blanched... "Vodafone ...Cheap local calling..." I blabbered... Sheesh !!! My mom could give Sherlock a run for his money...

I then sat down with her and via my Gmail App .... created my mom's first e-mail ID - supertuhina@gmail.com

I placed my hands over her hands and helped her slowly type out her very first e-mail to her friend Kalpana..

This was what she wrote :

Hi Kalpana,

I am writing this mail to you using my son's i-pad. Please e-mail me on this address from now on.. Are onions and tomatoes cheaper in the market near your place. Do let me know. How are your husband and in-laws doing ?

Lots of Love,

Tuhina

:-)

After she ended with a smiley and pressed the "send' button, she looked at me, grinning from ear to ear and said, "Wow ...this was fun :-) "

"Oh Yeah Mom !! You just echoed the topic that might help me win a MacBook and enjoy the rest of my life watching movies on it with my head on Deepika's lap", I thought...

"What eeees theeees ? "...My grandfather's exclamation, jerked me out of my pleasant reverie and made me pay attention to him....

I shuffled over to him , only to notice that his was pointing at the DLF-IPL icon...

"Oh this ??", I said non-chalantly, "this is an application that gives you ball-by-ball updates and streams the match live onto my phone".

"The Match ??? Li-bh-e??? On theee-eees?", he asked...his eyes wide with wonderment..

I launched the application and was faced with a familiar situation ten minutes later..
My grandfather was sitting on his haunches as usual and hurling the choicest abuses at Ganguly...

"He let this ball go through...bhhetw-eeeen his leeee-ggs...Stupeee-eed fool", my grandfather ranted..
He then looked up from the mobile screen and smiled at me "Theees eees fun :-) "

I desperately pushed the recurring images of me, with my head on Deepika's lap along with my fantasy prize (The Macbook), out of my head, and smiled back at him.." Of Course it is :-) "

"Let me show you something else folks...", I announced.

I rushed over to the kitchen...handed the iPad over to my bewildered Grandmother, launched Skype, instructed her to keep staring at it and then rushed back...gathered my mom and grandfather before the iPhone and launched Skype...I screamed at my younger brother to help my grandmother accept the call...

"Hello Tulu !!!!! (my grandmother's nick-name) " , my grandfather squealed...gawking at delight on seeing my grandmother, who almost dropped the i-Pad out of fright, "Are you cooooking feee-eeesh? "

We all had a hearty laugh while my younger brother explained stuff to my nervous grandmother (so that she would'nt start believing that the India TV's Baba's words were true...)

" I now have a gift for you Dadu !! " I intoned...

"Whae eee-ees it ?" he asked..

I moved quickly...as quick as a cheetah...and downloaded a song from the Vodafone Gallery (can you believe it...?? Just for Re 1 ??????) and played it over my phone's speakers...

The notes of the song "Ekla Cholo Re" floated across the room in Amitabh's baritone....

"Aaaaaah " said my grandfather with his eyes closed ... "Oooomi-taaa-bh er ki gola !!!!" (which when translated into English means "What a good voice Amitabh has !! " )

While he was lost in the song, I downloaded the Adobe Ideas app on my iPad and taught my mom how to draw using her fingers...It was as if she had rediscovered her childhood again :-)

This is what she drew :-)

My Grandfather on the other hand smartly took the iPad from her hand and dedicated the following masterpiece to me :-)\

(What he meant what that I had forgotten to pay him my Society's monthly fee which was charged for my Bike Parking privileges)

"Talking of money...", I said ,"Here is how I am going to make you rich today", I told my grandfather...

He gawked as I transferred his monthly grocery expenses via net-banking and whispered ,"eee-ees it safe ?" into my ear...

"Bhel", he said , after we were getting up to have dinner, "Nanaji, theee-ees was fun...we should do it more often :-) ...Here...have a Roshogolla !! " , he said, with a twinkle in his eye, "Your Bhoda-fone connection seems to be good".

"Its "V"odafone Dadu !!", I said, "Not "Bho"dafone :-)"

"But that is what I said ...Bhodafone", replied my Grandfather quizzically.

"Never mind", I smiled and said as we left for dinner..

BTW..This is what I drew on my turn :-) ["Is this a jooojoo?", my grandfather asked. " No its a "ZooZoo"..", I remarked ]

Now, if your Bengali grandfather says "eeet eees fun "...I can assuredly say that "Mobile internet on Bhodafone ees fun :-) "

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If you doubt a Bengali blogger (and his family's) sanity..please "bhi"sit www.vodafone.in/fun

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Images - Internet is fun on Vodafone : Courtesy - Vodafone

This post has been submitted as a part of the "Internet is fun" on Vodafone contest , powered by Vodafone and Indiblogger.

DRUNK ON "VOD" KA NET :-)

2012-05-17T23:30:00.001+05:30

Disclaimer : This post is a work based on true facts (You'd better trust me !!! ). Names, characters, places and incidents are either products of my imagination or creativity or have been used blandly (because I am a lazy bum !! ). Any resemblance to actual events or locales or persons, living or dead, is entirely intentional and maybe the result of me bribing you, to use your ideas for this post.

If Mark Anthony would have been present during the mobile-internet era, I am sure he would have hollered out "Facebook !!! Real Time Chatting !!! and Countless Apps !! Lend me your ears !!! " instead of his regular "Friends, Romans and Countrymen" eulogy...

I remember the good old days when I used to be a part of my college debating team. The most common norm when a speaker used to introduce his / her speech, was to pick up an important phrase or word that was a part of the topic and then define it according to the Oxford / Webster dictionary... (which then was followed by boos from the crowd along with popcorn being tossed into the air as a mark of protest against the lame start)

Since there is no chance of me being booed or swamped with popcorn, I ll adopt this methodology and define "FUN" according to some sources that I found convincing....

I ll hit you with two quotations :

"Fun is the enjoyment of pleasure" [Kinda kinky :-) ]

"Fun is an absolutely primary category of life, familiar to everybody at a glance right down to the animal level." : Johan Huizinga

If I take these two quotations apply it to the fascinating world of Mobile Internet,then I can instantly divide the entire landscape into four parts....

1. Its fun when your favourite things are affordable and cheap (For eg...My mom hosted a dinner party to celebrate the fact that she had purchased Onions from a grocer, for an amount , 5 Rupees cheaper than the one who usually supplies it to her)

2. Its fun when something is portable and accessible on the go (For eg...It is rumoured that one of my friends went throughout the IPL IV season without taking a bath or moving out of the house because he believed that his beloved team [Mumbai Indians] would perform badly if he abandoned the TV screen....later he switched to 3G and never abandoned his Mobile screen)

3. Its fun when a digital device can convey emotions (For eg..

One of my other friends had this weird ritual of kissing his mobile cause he believed that the kissing the kissie emoticon [sent by his girlfriend over Whatsapp] was the best way of believing that he was kissing her goodnight..

)

4. Its fun when you can virtually be at places where you physically cannot be present and when you can brag about your sense of direction to women (For eg.. My cousins chat with each other using Apple's Facetime, wearing their boxers because it temporarily creates an illusion, wherein they believe that that they are in the same room and not thousands of miles apart)

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Now, let me...with much aplomb ,akin to Shekhar Suman introducing his ummmm somewhat "wonderful" show nowadays) tell you why Vodafone manages to emulate Yuvraj Singh and tonk a full monty of sixes in the Mobile Internet sphere with respect to the above enlisted points....

When was the last time that you downloaded songs legally and that too, for Re 1??? It is as great as watching a movie with Scarlet Johansson in it only to find out that Megan Fox plays the baddie... When was the last time you downloaded wallpapers (like the one I have posted below :-) ) and Videos for Re 1? As far as I know...not before now.. Downloading music and videos whenever and wherever you want to at affordable rates (remember...my mom and the onions :-) ) and blocking your parent's scoldings out (at the cost of being rude), adds pizazz to your hand-held device... I LOVE downloading my apps from the Vodafone VStore because I get to pay for them in Indian Rupees :-) The convenience is much appreciated by lazy customers like me :-)

I still remember the day when I spilt coffee on my boss's lap...knocked over his "USB" fan and then socked my colleague where it hurts :-) No..it was not a "I am fed up with my work" rebellion...It was my reaction when Manchester United drew 3-3 with Chelsea after being 0-3 down...and I was catching all the action live on my iPhone in my boss's cabin...I have had serious FUN posting stuff on-line on my Facebook community wherein I have daily altercations with my friends who support other clubs....We fight, slaughter, abuse and quarrel like a bunch of rowdy dogs until we all have a good laugh at the end of it... I have danced with my colleague (wearing a pink lungi) when we watched Chennai Super Kings win an IPL match after hitting a six off the last ball...only to be scolded by a grandpa in a pair of pink"er" boxers, who told us off for screaming too loudly. Streaming is smooth and un-interrupted on Vodafone 3G...which is another reason to dance happily :-)

I had the most AMAZING time during my trip to Goa !!! Our hotel was horrible, I lost my sun-glasses in the sea (which was then miraculously retrieved by my friend as the tide plonked it into his arms while he was swimming), we visited the most shady nightclub and missed our return train only to come back in a luggage train...but every moment was filled with laughter and some great company :-) These moments were captured by me using my iPhone and edited using the iMovie app....the video now resides on Youtube (where it was uploaded after numerous requests) and is the source of wonderful memories (like Dhoni tonking the World Cup winning 6 and Rooney scoring the wondrous overhead goal against Manchester City)...Uploading was nice n smooth over Vodafone's 3G network :-)

I have been rescued several times over when I am touring proper Mumbai ( I have as much knowledge about the streets as Ronaldo has about cricket) because of my Sat-nav and Google Maps App. At times when I am hopelessly lost and cannot figure out the way, I always have a friend I can turn to.... I do not have to address random strangers as "bhaiya" [in Mumbai it is considered offensive] and be encountered with glares, or disgusted looks by people who take an objection to being called "uncle" (cause they are young at heart) when I ask them for directions... It is fun imagining yourself to be the sprightly arrow on the map as you squirm around and try to reach your objective...the big pin...its similar to solving a puzzle...

It is fun to witness the blurring of physical boundaries when I call my friends over Skype and talk as if President Obama is going to pay our phone bills (which he would be happy to, considering Vodafone's economical Internet packs) .... Its brilliant to see my baby niece coo and gurgle and unknowingly aim a jet-stream of pee right at the phone-camera :-)

What do I derive from Vodafone's slogan "Power to you? "...

I think that it helps you beat the rat race in many ways and be a smarter worker...It helps you to converge a world of possibilities, avenues and intricate threads into your pocket / the palm of your hand / under your pillow (while sleeping :-) ) In short it helps you to embrace F-U-N...

So you dont have to do this anymore :-)

Let me re-frame William Blake's masterpiece "Tiger" for you, as an ode to Mobile Internet (my apologies to you Sir William, but a Macbook is at stake here !!!)

Mobile Internet...burning bright...

On our mobile screens..both day and night...

What addictive app or song

Could frame thy fun-filled symmetry...

In what distant land or skies

Burnt the fun-filled bonfire of thine?

Using Whatsapp did we aspire..

To beat BBM did we desire...

And what Angry Birds..And what Temple Run...

Could make time pass with loads of fun...

And when thine Maps began to greet..

Blessed were the lost visitors with cars or on feet..

When the world...updated their statuses...

And tweeted to one another from all the cracks and crevices..

Did you smile, your work to see..

Did he who made the "Fart Sound" app, make thee?

Mobile Internet...burning bright...

On our mobile screens..both day and night...

What addictive app or song

Could frame thy fun-filled symmetry...

To round it off, let me pay heed to my dear friend who has been religiously poking me with a thumb tack from behind and asking me to present proof that this post was written using my Mobile phone...

There you go ...

If you are from the 18th century and have arrived here in a time-machine, or if you wish to know why Internet on Vodafone is fun (in-case you did not read the above mentioned points I have been screaming myself hoarse about) ...please/kindly do visit www.vodafone.in/fun

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Images :

"Internet is fun on Vodafone" - Courtsey : Vodafone

This post has been submitted as a part of the "Internet is fun" contest on Indiblogger.

AROUND MY "V"ORLD IN 80 MINUTES....

2012-05-14T23:00:00.000+05:30

"The only reason why people get lost in thought, is because it is unfamiliar territory"

This was more or less my predicament before I was inducted into the world of mobile Internet and before I undertook that fun-filled journey that changed my "V"orld forever.

I will now undertake the task of assigning names to all the characters in my plot, a little differently from what Jules Vernes assigned to his motley group of thrill-seekers in his book "Around the World in 80 days".

1. Myself : Silly-eous Dog [SD] (Phileas Fogg - in the original novel) - Owns an iPhone.

2. Nagarajan Parasuraman : Pass-the-ball-out [PB] (Passepartout - in the original novel) - Owns a Nokia Lumia.

3. Deepika Shrivastava : Aao-na [AN] (Aouda - in the original novel) - Owns a Nokia C3.

(Left to right : Pass-the-ball-out, Aao-na, Silly-eous Dog)

(P.S : So that it becomes easier for you to visualise the story :-D )

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6:00 PM - Sunday

Silly-eous Dog and his faithful accomplice, Pass-the-ball-out, are engaged in a "serious" game of Kick-my-Boss, on their mobile phones while sipping on Bournvita.

SD : Hahahahaha ... Look Pass-the ball-out, I have cut my boss into tiny pieces using a Samurai Sword...

PB : I have bettered you Sir, I have punctured him using millions of pins and have given him the most horrible wedgie ever hahahahahahaha

SD : Cheers Pass-the-Ball out !!!!

[Tries to clink glasses, but ends up spilling the drink onto Pass-the-ball-out's pink pants]

PB : Damn Sir !!! To clean Brown stains on pink pants is a feat as impossible as removing Sachin Tendulkar from the current Indian Team.

SD : Enough Pass-the-ball-out...I am fed up of your Sachinisms !!! [Goes for a violent swig of Bournvita , but discovers that he has spilt all of it] BTW, any idea of what the score is ?

PB : Just a moment Sir... [Checks the score using the Cricbuzz app] Mumbai Indians are on top Sir !! Sachin has scored a fifty !!!

SD : Hehehehehe [Gloats gleefully]

Suddenly Justin Bibier's "Baby" blares out from Silly-eous Dog's phone.....

PB : Is this your new ring tone Sir ?

SD : Yes, I downloaded it last night, amazingly fast...Vodafone's download speeds are great !!!

PB : [sniggers and snorts into his Bournvita] Baby indeed....

SD : [conversing with Aao-na] Hello....yes....Hi Aao-na :-) ....I am at home...What? You want a green jade neck-piece?...But the only two neck-pieces I know about are the hang-man's noose and my bachelor's tie...I was only joking Dear...Of course, I am not crazy...My Mother had me tested !!! You need it in 80 minutes ??? Why ??? Oh !! So that loon is celebrating her birthday tonight... No No No No No Dear !!! Did you hear loon ?? I said "boon"...I meant , "What a boon that she is celebrating her birthday tonight !!!" I ' ll get it for you in 80 minutes flat, don't you worry...bbye..."

PB : I understand that we have a quest ahead of us..

SD : Yes indeed !!! my faithful accomplice...There will be a day when mankind will fall in the search for green jade necklaces ...but not today...There will be a day when wolves will howl...but not this day !!!! There will be....

PB : [Interrupts] Sir, is this Shakespeare ?

SD : No Pass-the ball-out !! This is Aaragorm's speech from Lord of the Rings- Return of the King..I was downloading it from YouTube..Here..Have a peek..

PB : Extremely good picture quality Sir !! and may I add, what fast downloading speeds !!!

SD : What did you expect ? Its Vodafone 3G! I told you so :-) Now lets get cracking...we need to find a green jade necklace and buy it !

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6:10 PM

SD : [Screaming] COME OUT OF THE BATHROOM PASS-THE-BALL-OUT !!! HOW LONG ARE YOU GOING TO TAKE ???????

PB : Something is wrong with the Bournvita Sir !! [groans]

[Silly-eous's phone beeps]

SD : Hmmmm... A Whatsapp message from Aao-na... Hmmmm... So this is what the neckpiece should resemble [Looks at the image and scratches his head] Cool...atleast I know what to refer to :-)

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6:20 PM

SD : [Screaming] HOW MUCH LONGER ???

PB : Let me put on a pair of jeans atleast!! You have ruined my pink pants if your memory fails you Sir ! I' ll be as quick as Sachin between the wickets !!

SD : [bellows] I' LL KILL YOU !!!!

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6:30 PM

SD : Thank goodness, we are finally outside ! I ll just check Google Maps to find a jewellery or trinket store ! [grumbles] Sports Stores and Grocery Stores I can handle but this.... [shivers] Aaahh !!! We are in luck, there is one in Sector 29...Hurry Pass-the-Ball-out !!! [Kisses his phone]

PB : I just checked the bus routes on Google Sir !!! Bus number 529 should plonk us right in the heart of action...

SD : [affectionately / grudgingly ] Sometimes you amaze me Pass-the-Ball-out :-)

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6:40 PM

SD : How long is this infernal bus ride going to last ???? And what exactly are you upto Pass-the-ball-out??

PB : Am ordering a pair of pink pants online Sir ! Its so easy n fun n convenient !

SD : [grumbles] You and your pink pants !!!!! By the way...you are sitting on a wad of bubblegum that someone left sticking to your seat...

PB : AAAARRRRGGGGHHHH !!!!!

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6:45 PM

SD : [rushing into the shop] Hurry up Pass-the-ball-out !!! Excuse me Sir ! Would you be having a neck-piece that looks something like this picture ?

SHOPKEEPER : Of Course ! We have this piece packaged and imported from Hong-Kong. 300 rupees Sir ....

SD : Hmmm... Are you sure about the price ?

SHOPKEEPER : Yes Sir ! you wont find a cheaper piece in any of the surrounding shops...

Silly-eous fiddles with his phone...

PB : What are you up to Sir ?

SD : [whispers] Keep him distracted..I am downloading an app...

PB : [whispers] Okay... [loudly] Is there a shop that sells pink pants around here ?

SHOPKEEPER : Ehhh ?????

SD : Shut up Pass-the-ball-out !! Am done with the downloading !! [mutters] Vodafone 3G jai ho !! [turns to the Shopkeeper ] Well my dear friend...could you hand me the box ?

The shopkeeper hands over the packed neck-piece box to Silly-eous who scans the box with his cell..

SD : You are a convincing liar... I ll give you that :-) I scanned your box bar-code with this amazing app called RedLaser and found out that the MRP is Rs 180 only :-) Do you think that I am a doodle in pink pants to fall for your lies and your custom made MRP sticker??? eh ??? [shows the cell to the shopkeeper]

SHOPKEEPER : [gulps and surrenders meekly] So sorry Sir !!! Take it for Rupees 150 but please dont bad-mouth our shop !!!!

SD : Hmmmm...Deal...Gift wrap the box please !!!!

PB : Sir !! You are a genius !! This is so cool !!! It was so much fun looking at the shopkeeper's face !!

SD : I try Pass-the-ball-out... I try :-)

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7:00 PM (20 minutes from zero hour)

SD : All is lost Pass-the-ball-out !!! We cant reach Aao-na's place in time.... No bus can reach her house within 20 minutes and there is not a single auto-rickshaw to be seen...I will be slaughtered [weeps] I have failed!! I am ruined....

PB : Worry not Sir !! I have summoned a cool cab :-) Apparently there is an app to check whether there are any cabs in the vicinity and summon them to your location. The cab is already on its way :-) Infact...there it is :-)

SD : If there was a noble prize for an accomplice, I would cover it with pink confetti and offer it to you right away :-) Let us clink ibeers :-)

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7:15 PM

SD : Well, we are almost there :-) What a fun-filled day Pass-the-ball-Out :-) Our Vodafone powered Mobile Internet has been of great help...has it not ? :-)

PB : Of course Sir ! But there are two things it did not help us with... 1. Manchester United lost the title and 2. You have forgotten the neck-piece at the shop....just like Sachin kept missing out on his hundredth hundred !!! there are no apps for these disasters :-)

SD : [hollers] PASS-THE-BALL-OUT !!! YOU INFERNAL BUFFOON !!!!

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"You will be served better if you are reading this blog post on your mobile device as I have written it via one :-) "

This blog post has been submitted as an entry for the "INTERNET IS FUN ON VODAFONE CONTEST" powered by Vodafone and Indiblogger.

Thank you Deepika, Nagarajan and Vodafone :-) Here is power to you at www.vodafone.in/fun

Images : Courtsey Vodafone

INTERNET ON SADDA - PHONE...WORKS BEST WITH VODAFONE :-)

2012-05-09T01:45:00.000+05:30

Statutory Warning : Laughter is subject to your mood. Please check your bladder, patience level and phone for messages before investing (your time !!! )

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When you are singing "You and I, in this beautiful world" and skipping on the green grass under the blue skies with your smartphone :-) , you are surely suffering from the IIFOV (Internet is fun on Vodafone) Syndrome.

Internet on smart-phones and mid-tier phones has certainly opened up a plethora of engaging and exciting gateways that can transmit you to worlds full of music, videos, news, games and lot more.... With the advent of 3G in India, "Munni" can be "badnaam" and "Sheila" can be "jawaan", not only on the multiplex screens/TV/Desktops , but also on the smart-phone of a Bollywood music connoisseur who is travelling from Vashi to Bandra via AC bus :-)

Here is how, in all actuality, according to me , Internet on Vodafone is fun , because Internet on Sadda (Read : my) Phone, works best with Vodafone :

We all know how much fun , the Big Fat Indian Wedding is....Sweat, Fire, Laddus and Loose Dhotis aside, a wedding in the family, is one hell of an event. My girlfriend's sister attended her brother's wedding live from Los Angeles via Skype...The element that streamed the happy pictures from the Himalayan Republic to Uncle Sam's backyard, was an iPhone 4, dutifully carted around by relatives to capture the action over Vodafone's robust 3G network that penetrated even the the underside of the buffet table (where the groom's shoes were hidden) . She witnessed everything first hand and even tried to touch her brother's face, carried away by all the emotions.(After some time she realised that it was futile because it was actually the PHONE she was touching). She laughed and cried and had the most memorable time.

I booked a movie ticket for the most kickass movie in recent times..Avengers (!!!!!), in my boss's cabin via the Book My Show app and availed the Vodafone Tuesday Movie discount offer, while my other colleagues were engaged in activities like nose digging, bird watching and throat clearing...I then came outside, downloaded the Movie trailer while I poured myself a coffee from the vending machine, downloaded "Temple Run" while I bent down to tie my shoe-laces and asked my girl-friend out for the movie over "WhatsApp" ..by the time I reached my cubicle...Now this is serious fun :-)

Challenged the big, beefy co-worker (who was stealing credit for all my work) to a bout of Modern Combat 2 over our iPhones and derived every bit of the sadistic pleasure that was on offer, as I slaughtered his army with a ruthlessness that is only reserved for Hide n Seek biscuits (when they fall prey to my cruel stomach on a late night snacking mission). I laughed my head off maniacally for the next few weeks whenever he crossed my cubicle... only to see him whimper with terror and resentment.

Created my slides for this post using my phone, uploaded them to my Picasa Web Album over Vodafone's wonderful network with superior uplink capabilities, poked two absconding friends on Facebook, commented on Manchester United's abysmal performance on Twitter and engaged in a verbal duel with my friends...(so much so, that our abuses would have given Queen Elizabeth a heart-attack and would have driven a stake into the heart of Shakespeare in his grave), downloaded this beautiful song that I heard on the radio (while I waited for my Maggie to cook ), emailed my friend some long-pending stuff and checked out a new shop to buy Manchurian Masala from (cause according to my mom, our local grocer was ripping us off !!! the Blasphemy !!! ) using Location Based Services ...and finally streamed the episode of "Bade Achche lagte Hain" so that my Mom could be at peace after having missed it the previous day (cause she was threatening make me wash my stale pile of used clothing right away !!!)

And finally (phew !!!), I used Mobile Banking to transfer money to my mom's account , used "WhatsApp" to inform her that my Brother's tution fees for the next semester was now aggregated (only to hear her bless me :-) ), shot a picture of the local lassi wala and tagged my friends in it, only to have them arrive at the location within the hour and create fond memories of our entire group sporting "lassi moustaches" (which was uploaded as our Cover picture on Facebook soon-after), looked up a couple of emergency quotes for a toast at a friends wedding (THANK YOU GOOGLE !!!) and found my way home after looking up the BEST bus timings (GOOGLE !!! I AM A FAN !!! MARRY ME !! ) and plonking myself in the home-ward bound AC Bus.....

Now, that is why I think "Internet Over Vodafone" is good, great and serious fun. I 'd love all my readers to spare a few more seconds and have a dekko at the slide show below. In my own mad, funny (read : pathetic) and innocent (yeah right !!! ) way, I ll try and end with some of Ravi Shastri's favourite dialogues that have been moulded to suit this post....

" Internet over Vodafone...has travelled like a tracer bullet. They have the license to go the full monty here and THEY HAVE DONE IT !!!! Ten Dosas and Uttapams to you , Vodafone !!!! " :-)

If you want to ignore whatever I have written and try to sue me in court for indecent "expo...." oops !!! I meant ...indecent promotion, I suggest that you go to www.vodafone.in/fun and confirm the truth in my blabberings. Here's power to you :-)

Thank you Vodafone and thank you, Deepika Shrivastava :-)

Cheers and Ciao...

Images :
Internet is fun on Vodafone - Courtsey : Vodafone

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This blog post has been submitted as an entry for the "INTERNET IS FUN ON VODAFONE CONTEST" powered by Vodafone and Indiblogger.

MY SMART PHONE'S WIFE : VODA-NET

2012-05-04T17:05:00.000+05:30

I am back :-) After a long hiatus :-) The intermediate time space was wonderful. I enjoyed my blog-less sabbatical like an archaeologist who has stumbled upon a new Raptor fossil.

I made a few acquisitions in the interim ... notedly an iPhone and...its grown up cousin...the iPad. As a concerned device parent, I immediately began my search for a suitable bride that would transform my gadgets into powerful Jedi Knights (I am on an exaggeration trip here, so, please bear with me :-) )

Since I am a stickler for quality, I stick with Vodafone for most of my telco needs...And even in this regard, I consume their internet data packs at a frenzied pace, faster than rabbits can multiply (Thank you, Navjot Singh Siddhu :-) ) Mostly it is the Rs 99 for 1GB of data, pack, that I go for...It more than covers my browsing and entertainment needs...

The thing about Vodafone that makes me so loyal to the brand is the plethora of services that they provide in an encapsulated customer-delight centric package. That is what makes Internet over Vodafone fun :-)

Since the entire country has jumped onto the 3G bandwagon, one cannot but feel tempted to be a part of the revolution...and I more than count on the Zoozoo masters for my 3G needs. Fast, dependable and excellent..Vodafone 3G is a class apart from other operators..

I ll now cut to the chase and talk about the benefits, like Gandalf the Grey talks about "Frodo Baggins" :-)

1. I gave my old Nokia smart phone to my mom (who after hours of vehement protests regarding her inability to handle "such a big phone" , conceded defeat and accepted my offer) and set her up with one of the applications that is creating such a huge ripple across the app space... "Whatsapp" !!!! Now my mother is online 24 x 7 and keeps me updated about her work (she is a librarian) by sharing pictures of her workplace and sends me recorded audio notes that consist of scoldings to make me eat on time and dire warnings that keep from speeding home on my bike.

Plus add to it, my football friends who keep pinging me whenever their damned clubs have triumphed against Manchester United or my female friends who send me pictures of the "pretty pair of shoes on sale" that they happened to stumble across in the mall :-)

In essence, I feel like a spider, sitting at the centre of my web, that entangles all my near and dear ones...whenever someone quivers..I can feel the tremors :-) Sounds kinda gross, doesn't it? But I hope you get the picture (I can imagine the language purists going , "Ermmm ... no...we dont get it" )

Vodafone's Connectivity and download speeds makes downloading apps a breeze.....It might seem to be a very generic and boring use-case...but trust me, it is so much easier to instantly download the app onto your device if a friend recommends their favourite game or app during a hang-out session.Football scores, Cricket Scores, News and blogs are now much easier to access...

For eg. After watching an episode of "The Big bang Theory", I downloaded this "Whipcrack" app, that is a fun tool to use when you want your colleagues to pay attention. All you have to do is jerk your hand (holding the phone of course) in a whip-like motion..and you will be the proud producer of the most authentic whip sound ever produced by a digital device :-) Its kinda fun to wield the whip (if you know what I mean :-) )

2. Where would the world be without Angry birds?? or games like Temple run ??

Using Gamecenter, I can post my scores online and have the satisfaction of beating my friends (evil cackle)

3. I simply could not write a post based on this topic without including :

As I am a Facebook addict and my posts and status updates are as important to me as a drug addict's little box of cocaine, the internet on my phone gives me the power to be online and be socially-virtually present all the time :-) I am sure this is one of the major benefits that everybody enjoys... Posting pictures and sharing them is quick and fast, thanks to Vodafone's superior uplink network.

This coupled with sat-nav, GPS and photo-tagging are some of the services that I frequently use whenever I am on foot or exploring. They are extremely useful tool to possess if you are in an unknown location and if you suffer from the I-AM-PAINFULLY-SHY-AND -I-CANT-ASK-RANDOM-STRANGERS-FOR-DIRECTIONS syndrome.

4. Now when it comes to Videos :-) I have a hobby for creating music videos and poetry recitals ( I am a straight Poetry lover :-) ) ... (Find me on youtube@superabhik).. Sharing Videos over Facebook and email becomes a treat...Getting reviews and comments from my friends about my videos is so much more easier...Catching the latest trailers and clips on Youtube is convenient and a great way to pass time (when you are travelling in AC buses with an hour to kill). The streaming quality is superior thanks to Vodafone's strong GSM coverage.

5. Accessing E-mails and responding to them has become one of my most favourite features on my phone. What's the big deal about it? :-) Let me explain....

It is ok if you are using a common email service provider like Gmail, but when you are using an exclusive office mail client like IBM Lotus Notes, the scenario takes a 360 degree phase shift. Having a permanent internet connection and a Lotus application means that I can access my office mails any-time and anywhere...and can promptly reply much to the chagrin of my office mates who can only access their mails only via their office desktops....It is also a lot of fun to reply to mails, late at night, and poke fun at your friends by telling them that you stayed back late ;-D

I realize that my points are now progressively getting generic and boring and might be putting my readers to sleep...therefore, I will present my last and most touching point :-) (I am a shameless sympathy gainer ;-) )

6. One of my very good friends who went abroad to study, stumbled upon me by happy accident recently (No, he HATES FB [unbelievable !!!] ). This happened via an app called Draw Something (Yes, I suffer from OCAUD- Obsessive Compulsive App Using Disorder :-D ). My friend, who has an iPhone as well, was using the app, when he asked the system to find him a random opponent for a game. The system then delved into its database and selected me as an opponent (Yayyyyy !!!! ) Nowadays, we play almost a couple of hours a day and I have had the chance to ask him for his e-mail address. I love happy endings :-) (I am sounding like a girl in pink shoes now !!!! )

Internet over Vodafone is the perfect match for my mobile device...I have my family and friends near me, my favourite apps..a couple of swipes away and a host of services that make my day a lot easier...fun and naughtier :-)

PS : I happen to have a Vodafone connection by coincidence..Go to www.vodafone.in/fun and find out how you can be a happy father/mother-in-law to your mobile device and the internet :-)

CIAO :-)

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This post has been submitted as a part of the "Internet is fun" contest powered by Vodafone and Indiblogger.

Of Playbooks and Plays

2011-08-24T17:52:00.000+05:30

Delhi provides a fascinating advantage for me that Mumbai does not... Resourceful friends :-) That apart .... getting my hands on the new Blackberry playbook was easier than I expected. Now being an iPad owner as well, I was immediately taken aback by the size difference.The playbook is almost 2/3 rds the size of my iPad and size wise, almost put me off at the first glance.

But what surprised me the most was the OS that powered this unassuming little thing. QNX developed by a Canadian Software firm was one of the most delightful mobile operating systems I had ever used up to date...I have jostled with Andriod, iOS, Symbian, Linux and Windows and therefore can proudly say that I am well aware of the pros and cons that each of them has to offer....

The ring-master is a dual-core, 1GHz TI OMAP processor that's efficiently caressed and used by the QNX OS. QNX is a decidedly efficient and water-tight operating system that fuels everything from alien-space ships to, well, little black tablets...

A five megapixel camera juts out the back, while a three megapixel module handles front-facing duties. That later is tucked under the glass and situated just above the seven-inch, 1,024 x 600 display that will threaten neither rods nor cones when on maximum brightness. It does, however, deliver lovely clarity and good viewing angles.

Graphics are taken care of by a PowerVR design, which quite handily offloads video decoding and gaming acceleration from the processor, enabling this thing to decode and display 1080p video over HDMI while still crawling along quite smoothly and running productivity apps on the seven-inch display. Not a hint of dithering or pixelation, of course. Apps load quickly, tend to be impressively responsive, and switching from one to the next is effortless.

To switch from one app to the next you can swipe inward from the left or the right, which pops the app out of full-screen and lets you move forward or back in the queue. A tap then maximizes your new favorite app. Or, a swipe up from the bottom gives you an even higher-level view of your running apps, which you can again zing your way through. Grabbing one and throwing it upward sends it to the garbage collector, or you can tap the tiny X that appears next to its name.

It's something of a serious tablet when compared to the competition running software from Apple and Google and, while it certainly has games, its biggest strengths are rather more boring. It does a really great job at displaying PowerPoint presentations, for example, and has the security chops to keep last quarter's dismal sales figures from falling into the wrong hands....

An impressive battery life of upto 7 hours (my iPad beats that...10 hours hahahahahaha ) lets it do its thing.

Over all, a great thing to pair with your blackberry handset (I do not have one Sob !!! :-( Symbian Zindabad !!!) but I managed to get hold of a friend who has one and used the impressive BRIDGE feature...

All in all....a nice little treat....(I stole adoring glances at it while it was tucked away in my bag :-) )

Now talking about plays..... (Again...thank you Delhi :-) )...

If you ever can (unlike me who had front row passes *gloating laugh* ) watch Frankenstein by Danny Boyle....It is in one word STUNNING !!!!!!!!!!!!

The use of technology to bring the stage to life is absorbing, riveting and super to say the least....

Cumberbatch (top left) alternates roles with Lee Miller (Top right) in Boyle's production who play both Frankenstein and the monster. The stage adaptation is a far cry from Mary Shelly's novel that I had received for standing first in class VI (lol)

Miller, however, strikes me as the more disturbing and poignant monster, while Cumberbatch undoubtedly has the edge as the scientist.

Danny Boyle's extraordinarily haunting production is set on the notion of alternating the two leading actors in the roles of Frankenstein and his brilliant handiwork.The role-reversal makes deep thematic sense because it highlights the irony whereby the son becomes the father, the slave the master.

It is a hell of a production. This taut, thrilling play runs to its awful conclusion without an interval, indeed with hardly a moment for breath.

I nearly fell out of my seat at the shock bridal-chamber scene. Twice.

As for now, I am recovering from the shock of having seen a masterpiece and twiddling away at the playbook with my thumbs...

Not often that you get to see the Playbook and a play based on a book all in the same time span, do you?? :-)

CIAO all :-)

SEPTEMBER....

2010-10-23T17:34:00.000+05:30

I recently felt an urge to go and purge myself of all emotions bereft of any remorse J Granted that this emotion does not come knocking on your door everyday….but when it does…you do end up with a lump in your throat… I ended up typing some familiar lines on my laptop….I felt like sharing them with nobody in particular…so I decided to share it with everyone :-)

Wait until you are finally set free…
Don’t you worry, life will carry on…

Just take it slowly…

Cause the love you used to feel, is still there inside…
It may be a faded photograph, but I know that you care…

So don’t hide…
If you are scared….I am here beside you…
If you get lost…I am here to guide you…
I ll give you peace when peace is fragile…
Love is all the good in you…
Love is peace when peace is fragile….

How the time passed away…

All the troubles that we gave

And all those days we spent out talking to each other by the window pane..

Has it all gone to waste?

All the promises we made….

One by one, they vanished just the same…

All the things I still remember

Summers never look the same

Years go by and time just seems to fly

But the memories remain

In the middle of September

We still play out in the rain…

Nothing to lose but everything to gain…

Reflecting now on how things could've been

It was worth it in the end…

Now it all seems so clear

There is nothing left to fear

So we made our way by finding what was real…

Now the days are so long

That summer's moving on…

Reach for something that's already gone…

We knew we had to leave this town

But we never knew when and we never knew how…

We would end up here…the way we are

All the things I still remember

Summers never look the same

Years go by and time just seems to fly….

But the memories remain…

.In the middle of September

We still played out in the rain

Nothing to lose but everything to gain…

Reflecting now on how things could've been

It was worth it in the end….

I realized that I was part of a relationship…that was so, so pure, passionate and unique that I felt blessed to have been a part of it….
What can one do…when he loses love ? :-)
Mope and wait….
Mope and wait….
:-)
Cheerio….

EYESPEAK....

2009-08-21T16:45:00.000+05:30

I keep sitting lost in your thoughts...
I keep asking myself the same questions over and over again...
I wanted to say so much to you...
You are cuter than before :) ...
I want our eyes to do the talking...I want our eyes to communicate our heart's messages...I want us to get lost in each other's eyes...

I just want to keep looking at you...
I want time to freeze...
I do not know what to say and what not to say...
I want you to understand what I cannot say...

My only wish is that you remain mine forever...
I want you by my side in reality...I have dreamt of it enough already...
I just want to lose myself in your eyes....

The moon and all the stars pale in comparison to you...
They reflect your radiance, your glow...
I do not know whether I will ever get this opportunity again...
Nobody has seen tomorrow...
Let us share the path which leads us into the future...
I do not want to have any regrets..
This is what love actually means..

When the eyes speak and the heart listens...

Missing you T :(

SKETCHES....OF AN HOUR GLASS...GRAINS FROM BEYOND THE MEMORY TRAIN..

2009-06-06T02:16:00.000+05:30

My little brother and a sleepy eyed me :) His tummy is the softest pillow in the world :D

In front of the historic Char Minar

All at sea :D , literally and figuratively :D

Sachit, me and Gaurav obviously find a flower vase something to gawk and stare at...because the Loch Ness monster is now extinct :D

Looking out of the window is the cheapest ticket to a theater full of memories and recollections :)

There are times when you want a bigger slice of the pie :D and the world is your stage... That's something (from the left) which Sachit, Usha and I decided to do this year :D

Doing something different for wellllllllllll... the very first time in my life :)

The family (they are friends no more, they are family :D ) that went with me to IBS, Hyderabad.

The most innocent and adorable and the cutest part of my family :D

Arziyaan ................. :)

2009-06-04T01:11:00.000+05:30

I have written all my prayers on my face and have come before you,
What should I ask for ? I think you know what I desire....
My lord, My god.....
My Lord, My Creator

My brain is full of cracks my lord....
Repair it, revitalize it....

I have been created by you, you can erase me, I bow before you...
Repair it, revitalize it.....
Whoever has come and bowed before you,
You have filled them with unbound happiness my Lord...
They came in search of a glass of water and you provided them with the entire river.....
You showered them with gems, you drenched them with the rubies of contentment...
My Lord, My God ......

My brain is full of cracks my lord....
Repair it, revitalize it....

Whoever has come and bowed before you ,
You have filled them with unbound happiness my Lord...
A sweet smell fills our noses....
We become addicted to that heavenly perfume...
Your magic is as smooth as silk...
I am in awe of it....
I became aware of it when I stepped into your alley my lord..
That the perfume was always within me..
I just had to awaken and smell it....

My brain is full of cracks my lord....
Repair it, revitalize it....

I know how to break down and get blown away by the winds of time,
I also know how to recognize your presence...
Give me shelter my lord, I want to stay under your shadow forever...
If you refuse me....I will permanently dissociate and disappear...

My brain is full of cracks my lord....
Repair it, revitalize it....

I have wished for several things,
I have dreamt about many things and tried to accomplish those dreams,
When you came before me my lord, I could not look you in the eyes...
I bowed before you and suddenly...all my dreams were accomplished....

My Lord, My God...

My brain is full of cracks my lord....
Repair it, revitalize it....

Bring my loved one close to me,
Bring the one I love close to my heart...
May the person I love be mine...
May I love that person unto death......

My Lord, My God....

My brain is full of cracks my lord....
Repair it, revitalize it....

To watch the video of Arziyaan : Follow the link by clicking on the star row: ***********

AND...THE OSCAR... I MEAN ZE ABC AWARD GOES TO....

2009-05-31T02:20:00.000+05:30

The award list :

* For Pseudo Intellectual , the bestest girl I know and adore :D . Your blog inspired me to start blogging in the first place :) Thank you :)

* For INsanely sane....surviving qualmless and Pseudo Intellectual :

* For my special "No Mute spectator " :) :

* Finally...for MADS MAD MESS !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :

This in my humble capacity, is my appreciation for people who really make blog reading pleasurable :)

CIAO ALL :)

S

2009-05-30T15:14:00.000+05:30

It was when I first saw you....that I really felt good about myself :) You were singing on stage and you looked ever so beautiful with your eyes shining and your hair billowing in the soft breeze... I cannot understand why my heart thumped when I picked up your register which you had forgetfully abandoned in the Electrical Networks lab. I did not have the courage to give it back to you, so I passed it on to my friend who did the honors :)

It was when I saw you dancing on stage during the college festival that I realized how beautiful you really are... I had goosebumps and I could only watch on, my eyes wide apart and my body numb to the world...the feeling was ethereal :)

It was when we first met.... and I was a mess, stammering, blabbering non sense and staring down at my toes....

I still remember the time we spent together.. just the two of us in one of the empty rooms in college, where we talked for hours....where we communicated so much in those lovely snatches of time...

It was when I held your hand to help you climb onto the stage during this college festival.....

It was when you put your head on my shoulder after your dance performance telling me that you are so nervous... It was when you blushed when I congratulated you for winning :)

It was when I gave you a rose with a broken stem :D before we went on stage to host an event together :)

It was the hour we spent outside our classes after bunking our lectures :)

It was the concern I felt when you left for home so very late that one night

It is what I feel when whenever we meet......

Sigh.... Tis can never be :)

Just wanted you to know S :)

I am missing you and I care about you :)

HEART ACHE............. :(

2009-05-30T05:09:00.000+05:30

This post has been written just to let out my bottled up emotions out .... cause today , the long night cum dawn of the 29th of May is f***ing my brains out :(

I do not not what to do :(

I have written one post already ...... :(

I feel terrified...for an unknown reason, I am scared beyond words, I am so very restless, I cannot lie down and go to sleep :( I just cannot close my eyes peacefully....even death would be welcome :(

I am missing you J..... I am really missing you a lot :( .. I messaged you yesterday night but you did not reply... I so so want to meet you again and make you laugh over the cup of coffee we promised ourselves 3 years ago. I remember that you once asked me to have a cuppa@CCD, but due to unavoidable circumstances I could not join you. I promise you that we will have a cup soon in each other's company...All the same I am missing you so very much.. I hope that you are smiling girl :) Deja Vu' :)

I am thinking about you Sitanshu. I am thinking about the cricket we played outside your house, the times when we solved those mock IIT papers at each other's houses, am thinking about the time I watched Dil Chahta Hai at your house and felt that our friendship could last the apocolypse, I am missing the way you used to end up outside my house on your Activa and call out to me from under my window, I am missing the times when we used to meet up during the morning assemblies, I am shedding tears on remembering the one time when you landed up at my house to teach my brother on the eve of his maths paper even though it was pouring cats and dogs, I am looking at the diary you gifted me and I cannot control my sobs :( You mean everything and a lot to me brother..... I am missing you so very much :( I cannot wait to see you again :(

I am thinking about you F, you are not picking up the phone...Are you ill, are you unwell ?? Has your mood gotten better ?? Missing you dear :( Wanna meet up with you as soon as possible.. and give you the hug I should have given previously :) I hope that the sweet girl is smiling :)

I am thinking about you too S, why are you so sweet to me ? I think ,we both know that we do not have a path in front of us which we can cross together.. Still, I care about you a lot :) am missing you horribly as well :( although I keep seeing you from time to time :)

Missing you Dad, am really horribly missing you :) Please come back soon and scold me... I want you to beat me up :) but please sit down and laugh with me while watching the news channels together.... Missing you dad :( I wanna hug you as soon as you come..Do not worry...Everything will be fine :)

I am missing you Usha, your big brother needs to see you smile everyday... and that is not happening :(

Sorry for imposing this on you people :( I am feeling very lonely and sad :( I do not know what to do :(

This post lifted some grief of my chest for the time being.......

SHE...

2009-05-30T00:37:00.000+05:30

Why cant I just forget her ?? I just cannot seem to get over her :( I try hard to get away, start over afresh...but then I realize...that I just love her too much...After a fight, my mind tells me to break off contact for 5 months, my heart tells me to stop being foolish because it knows that my sabbatical will not last 5 minutes :(

I get jealous when she mentions her crush, when she goes out with other guys and has a good time... I honestly admit it... I am not possessive nor am I a dog in the manger...Since she is not mine, I do not have any reason to be jealous or feel irritated when she talks about the lovely time that she spent . Sigh ! I guess she would have to be in my shoes to feel what happens...It is like a little pin prick inside my heart .... :( I just cannot help it... It is involuntary... I know other people have more of a right to be with her and I am the least worthy among them all...but still... I hope and I hope ....

I am so in love ...the love outlasts the pain... She tells me to let go, be selfish, harbor no hopes, "try to learn", compartmentalize and not care so much for her :(
I do not want to regret and tell myself on my deathbed that I could have given her more love and care than I am presently giving her right now :) If you do not do all the above mentioned things when you meet the love of your life, then when in hell are you going to do it ??
I know that she is the one.....Sigh...It gets so hard and lonely when she is sad or behaving brusquely with me for any reason :( I love her so very much.... I always want to see her happy... I want her to know that whatever happens... I will always be there...and I want her to look inside her heart...She might listen to it and she might also come to know about the things she does which hurt me the most...foremost of them being "no hugs" *wry smile*

Sigh ! sometimes... I wish she was mine....sometimes I wish she was mine.... :(
What can i say ? I just love her so much :( and nothing can change it...She is the most beautiful person in the world for me :) I wish she knew what she means to me... I just wish.... :(

I AM........ SO VERY SORRY :(

2009-05-28T02:58:00.000+05:30

This post is dedicated to the author of INsanely Sane...Surviving qualmless ,to my adorable T and friend Sitanshu :D

When the wind often blows from the lime trees to the brick walls,
And I am on the move...alone ...with music as my companion...
There are times when I feel that I have not done justice to someone's heart walls...
The walls which need to be strengthened by an understanding, a fusion....

For there are times after my wet hair has dried and I am nibbling on biscuit crusts,
Someone's thought knocks at my memory bank, someone calls out to me....
Someone asks me to know them for what they are, someone asks me to justify their trust,
I know I have partied with Blunder and Heartlessness, my two least favorite enemies...

From accusations that I know will hurt my most precious love,
From bitter words that I know will create a rift between us....
I have drawn an inner strength that sets me free like a dove,
A desire to acknowledge that someone who rides my heart's bus....

Here I fall before you on my knees..and pour out my heart with it's many fractions...
And acknowledge that you have been always the one to hold me when I am shaking...
You have always been patient, though hurt, loving though pained by my actions...
I have been the heartless doubter, the one who has always suspected your genuine feelings..

I am so sorry, my life, my adorable one...I cringe when I look back into the past...
I miss you my friend, the one who always has a smile and words of encouragement to lend,
I love my angel, I respect you my friend and I adore you my brother..who is with me steadfast...
Without the love I get from all of you...my life would truly reach a sad end.....

THE WORLD IS ROUND ... FOR PEOPLE WITH BALLS :D

2009-05-25T02:00:00.000+05:30

Welcome :D Let me roll out a pink carpet for all of you, my readers :D Since the world has gone alarmingly metro sexual, I figured out that pink would be the order of the day... Let me introduce myself :) My name is Carrot....
No funny jokes about the name :) It has been given to me by someone very special. Thanks a ton T :) Do NOT ask me what she was thinking of ,while giving me this vegetative name..According to me,I think that I am tall, I do go orange-ish red when people ask me about my devil like thick eyebrows and I am physically handsomely endowed ( I do not know if you got this one :D )...

Anyway....

Today I am talking about balls...errr.... I mean people with balls.... errr.. I mean people who make a living out of balls....ummmm ...people who play with balls :D

I am talking about, the funny side of Cricket and Football :D

The IPL Season 2 just ended...and I literally mean just...am blogging 4 hours after it did :) Congratulations Deccan Chargers :D though you broke mine and T's heart together today :)

I was laughing my head off when I saw VVS Laxman grinning broadly and coming up to receive his winner's medal..What did he do during the whole tournament ?? Play in two games and fail miserably in both of them :D In fact the Deccan Chargers found more stability in their line up after resting him. All he did for the remainder of the tournament was sit on the grass in their dug out ( he was not even offered bench space ) and wrap himself up as snugly as he could in a blue blanket. Yeah he did stand next to Gilchrist during the prize distribution and grin broadly like a father who has just heard his new born child say "IPOD " :)

RP Singh, the purple cap winner was grinning broadly from his ear to his oily hair as he went up on stage to receive the purple-gold cap... During his entire duration of stay on the podium, he was like a man who does not know what to do with a porno magazine that has been forced into his hand :D
He wore the decorative cap approximately 7 times and took it off each time realizing his foolishness and grinning sheepishly. Yet he repeated this act over and over again...forcing me and Dad to double over with laughter and Mom to stare at us with the "Mad men, I tell you " look :)

Vijay Mallaya was devasted as he slowly drained one beer bottle after another and with moist eyes fled to Monaco to cheer his Force India F1 team on,after hugging Katrina Kaif for the trillionth time in the tournament. He left his entire crate of beer to Anil Kumble who chased Robin Utthappa around the park, flinging one bottle after another at his head. It was Mark Boucher who got Kumble to calm down and sneakily fled with the entire crate after bribing RP Singh with a bottle, who was so happy that he started twirling his shirt around which hit Andrew Symonds in the face. Symonds then chased RP Singh around the park in what was mistaken to be a victory lap by the fans many of whom swore that they heard Symonds bellowing a victory chant which sounded like "Maaki" or "Monkey".....

Cricket is a funny game....Men with sticks hit balls chased around by people who aim to hit the sticks or catch the ball :D It truly is a "manly" game :D ,although women are catching up, it will always retain it's mannish tinge :D Everybody has a ball...errr...I mean a good time :)

Balling up errr... I mean moving on to football...

Didier "Dog bra" errr... I am sorry ,Drogba, has recieved an honory doctorate from the UNIVERSITY OF DIVING AND MOANING, somewhere on the planet Pluto... I mean the man was an absolute joke against Barcelona in the CHAMPIONS LEAGUE semifinal...and his tirade consisting of 'F' words staring directly into the camera was a matter of deep shame to the football community. It was later learnt that he got a call the very next day from the BJP who said that they wanted him to be their star campaigner and dole out hate speeches :D

Liverpool manager Rafa Benitez was seen dancing inside Anfield with his players. When asked about the reason ,he simply stated that Manchester United were about to lose Tevez to him. Suddenly there was a hail of sticky chewing gum pellets many of which hit Rafa on the face. It was later learnt that Sir Alex Fergusson was firing them from above the stadium in his hot air balloon :D

That will be all for a mild dose of the laughing gas since this was the introductory post...Get ready for a serious fart the next time :D

CARROT'S AWAY :D

MANCHESTER "UNITED" AT LAST...........................

2009-05-22T19:10:00.000+05:30

Manchester United sealed a third successive Premier League title by getting the point they needed against Arsenal - but the Old Trafford celebrations only started after an afternoon gripped by tension.

Sir Alex Ferguson's side knew a draw would ensure they equalled Liverpool's long-time record of 18 titles, but Arsenal ensured they did not earn their prize without a fight.

Robin van Persie and Cesc Fabregas both wasted opportunities to drag the title race into its final week and leave United with more work to do at Hull City on the last day of the season as nerves jangled in the closing stages.

But United's defence, so often the bedrock of their success this season, delivered another clean sheet when Ferguson needed it most and Old Trafford erupted in ecstasy at the final whistle as an 11th Premier League success was confirmed.

Old Trafford title win extra special - Rooney

Wayne Rooney missed United's best chance with a first-half header, and there was an intriguing cameo when Old Trafford voiced its resounding disapproval when the popular Carlos Tevez was substituted in what could prove to be his final home appearance.

But nothing could overshadow United's achievement - or the joy of players, fans and management - as the presentations were made after the final whistle with club captain Gary Neville lifting the Barclays Premier League trophy.

United saw off a stirring challenge from an improving Liverpool this season to once again set the standards their rivals must meet, despite a stumble when defeats against Rafael Benitez's side and Fulham threatened to undermine their challenge.

And as so often during this campaign, United got the result they needed when not at their most fluent, with the industry of Darren Fletcher and the defensive solidity of Nemanja Vidic taking centre stage as Arsenal kept Rooney and Cristiano Ronaldo on the margins.

More to come from young side - Giggs

United's squad were introduced individually as the presentations began, but the biggest ovation of all was reserved for Ferguson, whose hunger, drive and desire have again been the inspiration for this triumph.

And as the pyrotechnics flashed around Old Trafford, Ferguson could start the preparations for further glory as he attempts to make United the first club to successfully defend the Champions League when they meet Barcelona in the final in Rome.

Tevez's spectacular equaliser at Wigan earned him a starting place ahead of Dimitar Berbatov - with Ferguson clearly unmoved by continued speculation surrounding the Argentine's future.

Andrey Arshavin was restored to Arsenal's side after illness, and he saw plenty of possession in a first 45 minutes that saw Arsene Wenger's side acquit themselves far better than when the pressure was on in the recent Champions League semi-final against United.

The Russian provided an inviting cross for Van Persie after 13 minutes, but he headed off target with United's defence unlocked.

United's response was a Rooney header from John O'Shea's cross four minutes later. He should have at least tested Arsenal keeper Lukasz Fabianski, but directed a low header just wide.

Arsenal had a foothold in the game without putting United's defence under concerted pressure, but there was enough on show to subdue the atmosphere of anticipation inside Old Trafford.

United had one final opportunity as the interval approached, but Ryan Giggs, who would later collect his 11th Premier League title medal, shot well over the top after good work on the left flank by Rooney.

Van Persie had already been booked for a reckless challenge on Ronaldo, and he was fortunate to escape with a lecture from referee Mike Dean early in the second half for another poor tackle, this time on Patrice Evra.

United had struggled to create clear-cut opportunities, but Fabianski had to be alert on the hour to block Tevez, with Ronaldo firing the loose ball yards over the bar.

It was the final contribution for Tevez, who was replaced by Ji-Sung Park. Ferguson's decision was not well received by Old Trafford, in fact it was met with open derision as the popular striker made his way to the touchline.

Tevez milked the situation for all it was worth, waving to all sides of the ground in apparent farewell - going a step further by acknowledging the fans after taking his place on the bench.

Ronaldo thought he had scored the goal that rubber-stamped the title with 12 minutes left, but his 20-yard angled free-kick dipped just wide with Fabianski beaten.

We did it the hard way - Carrick

Fabregas almost stunned Old Trafford with seven minutes left and the clock ticking down towards the title triumph. He found space inside the penalty area but, to widespread relief from the home support, could only find the side-netting.

Van Persie then shot straight at Van der Sar as United looked to have settled for the stalemate that would see them retain their crown.

The Dutch striker gave Old Trafford one final scare when his free-kick was bravely blocked by Michael Carrick.

Seconds later, referee Dean sounded the final whistle and United were crowned champions again.

Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson:
"The great challenge now is to try to win it next year because that would be something special.

"A 19th league title would give us a special place in the club's history."
Man Utd reaction in full

Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger:
"United are worthy champions. They did well in every single competition and that is very difficult.

Defensive record the difference - Wenger

"It was a very interesting championship. I think United won it because they got more points at home than any of the other teams in the top four.

"Our ambition was to win the game. United were very cautious, and we did not find an opening.

"We lacked sharpness and quality in the final third but overall we dominated the game.

"United's strength is to defend well and that is what they did today."

Details courtesy : BBC Sports

*************************************************************************************

I was delirious, maddened beyond happy comprehension.... If there were any active volcanoes present anywhere in the vicinity of Mumbai , I would have bound up all the horrible Liverpool and Chelsea fans (who have been nothing short of lice in my hair for the past 10 months trying to suck my blood and brand me with a red hot iron proclaiming that Liverpool/Chelsea were going to win the Premier League this time) and flung them into the boiling hot lava..................

Anyway, I am the one laughing the loudest and grinning the widest at the end.... Liverpool fans end up being Livery Livered, The Blues end up drinking Dormex and the Gunners finish with a cannon poking up their a**es and a bazooka pointing up Arsene Wenger's backside :) I do not hold anything against these fine teams but their "loyal" fans who whip my backside everyday in the Lecture halls whenever Manchester United slips up :) Be at peace brothers...while I rob the candy store... CIAO all...

UPDATES

2009-05-15T03:08:00.000+05:30

I am supremely fit and agile after quite a long time :) If scoring goals and running continuously for about 2 hours on a football pitch without tiring is not a proof of the qualities I mentioned, then I am afraid that Laloo Prasad Yadav has joined the BJP.

Manchester United are going to Rome... I cannot stop grinning from ear to ear... The preachers and practicers of democratic football have triumphed and the communist practicers ie Chelsea (who else ) have been smashed out of the tournament by Barcelona :) Double joy :)

I was asked out by this certain girl this week :) who suggested that we 'visit a mall' . A mall on a first date ???? The very thought was enough to make me imagine that the Kolkata Knight Riders will be reaching this year's final :) So, I politely declined :)

Annnnnnnnd my exams are starting from the 19th

I have to run :) Scold me people !!! for not studying :)

COCKTAIL.....

2009-05-10T15:41:00.000+05:30

Blood..flowing thicker than custard in my veins.......
Power coursing larger than the Andromeda through my body....
Courage moving greater than the Pacific into my heart
Tears gushing faster than a tornado from my eyes....

I have written a few metaphorical comparisons for an unknown reason.....

These are difficult times....

These are difficult days....

You give grace in a world that doesn't sleep at all...
You give me grace in a place that I have never been to before...
That is why I will never be alone....

Precision, brilliance at the time of need.... the strength to extract that extra bit and reach the heavenly stage to prove yourself once again ......

When gold turns to brass and the tiger loses its speed and skill......when riches turn to dust and the warriors are defused and poisoned....

When a stained finger does not require washing...when a single act of participation can raise a million hearts and retract the fingers of blame...When a stained finger..brings a smile and not a frown to the bearers of a great nation....

OVER YOU................ WHAT ABOUT NOW ???

2009-05-10T15:21:00.000+05:30

Now that it's all said and done,
I can't believe you were the one
To build me up and tear me down,
Like an old abandoned house.
What you said when you left
Just left me cold and out of breath.
I fell too far, was in way too deep.
Guess I let you get the best of me.

Well, I never saw it coming.
I should've started running
A long, long time ago.
And I never thought I'd doubt you,
I'm better off without you
More than you, more than you know.
I'm slowly getting closure.
I guess it's really over.
I'm finally getting better.
And now I'm picking up the pieces.
I'm spending all of these years
Putting my heart back together.
'Cause the day I thought I'd never get through,
I got over you.

You took a hammer to these walls,
Dragged the memories down the hall,
Packed your bags and walked away.
There was nothing I could say.
And when you slammed the front door shut,
A lot of others opened up,
So did my eyes so I could see
That you never were the best for me.

Well, I never saw it coming.
I should've started running
A long, long time ago.
And I never thought I'd doubt you,
I'm better off without you
More than you, more than you know.
I'm slowly getting closure.
I guess it's really over.
I'm finally getting better.
And now I'm picking up the pieces.
I'm spending all of these years
Putting my heart back together.
'Cause the day I thought I'd never get through,
I got over you.

Well, I never saw it coming.
I should've started running
A long, long time ago.
And I never thought I'd doubt you,
I'm better off without you
More than you, more than you know.

Well, I never saw it coming.
I should've started running
A long, long time ago.
And I never thought I'd doubt you,
I'm better off without you
More than you, more than you know.
I'm slowly getting closure.
I guess it's really over.
I'm finally getting better.
And now I'm picking up the pieces.
I'm spending all of these years
Putting my heart back together.
Well I'm putting my heart back together,
'Cause I got over you.
Well I got over you.
I got over you.
'Cause the day I thought I'd never get through,
I got over you.

Shadows fill an empty heart
As love is fading,
From all the things that we are
But are not saying.
Can we see beyond the scars
And make it to the dawn?

Change the colors of the sky.
And open up to
The ways you made me feel alive,
The ways I loved you.
For all the things that never died,
To make it through the night,
Love will find you.

What about now?
What about today?
What if you're making me all that I was meant to be?
What if our love never went away?
What if it's lost behind words we could never find?
Baby, before it's too late,
What about now?

The sun is breaking in your eyes
To start a new day.
This broken heart can still survive
With a touch of your grace.
Shadows fade into the light.
I am by your side,
Where love will find you.

What about now?
What about today?
What if you're making me all that I was meant to be?
What if our love, it never went away?
What if it's lost behind words we could never find?
Baby, before it's too late,
What about now?

Now that we're here,
Now that we've come this far,
Just hold on.
There is nothing to fear,
For I am right beside you.
For all my life,
I am yours.

What about now?
What about today?
What if you're making me all that I was meant to be?
What if our love never went away?
What if it's lost behind words we could never find?

What about now?
What about today?
What if you're making me all that I was meant to be?
What if our love never went away?
What if it's lost behind words we could never find?
Baby, before it's too late,
Baby, before it's too late,
Baby, before it's too late,
What about now?

HYDERABAD BLUES, MOONS, GOONS AND TOONS.....

2009-05-04T15:05:00.000+05:30

Hi everyone, a big hug to N and a bigger hug to T :) ....... I am back from Hyderabad :) The jewel of the Deccan.... and boy ...do I have loads to tell you :) I was selected for the Young Achiever's Program 2009 organised by IBS Hyderabad and was among the top 200 in this nationwide talent hunt... Before you think that I am a nerd with nothing better to do .... let me tell you that the exam was given by about some thousands of students who had nothing better to do on a Sunday morning than solve a paper on aptitude, general knowledge and English before the phenomenon known as the IPL started.

It was sweltering hot in Hyderabad...... and I literally survived on 7 UP and Slice..... In fact I used to pass out aerated carbonated piss during my nightly visits to the toilet... so high was my soft drink intake :)

The mornings at IBS used to be fun. We had to wake up and breakfast before 9:30 am. Our lazy Mumbai group consisting of

from left to right : Harshit, Pushkar and me, found it extremely difficult to adapt to the surroundings. We felt like a slowly diminishing species of dinosaurs trapped inside a world of punctual golden langurs who were always hopping on their tails to reach the lectures as punctually as possible.

I used to wake up somehow by 9:00 am , somehow lurch to Pushkar's door and bang the daylights out of it. Pushkar used to stumble to the door, pull it open and utter his famous dialog "Yaar, thoda so lete hain, do boond paani pila de", pull his towel ( yes his towel and not his blanket) over his head and fall asleep again......

We used to somehow awaken him, rush to the breakfast hall by 9:20 , grab ourselves a bite or two and speed off to our lecture hall :)

Will let you in on more about the fascinating trip tomorrow as I have to set out on some urgent work.....Sorry for leaving you midships :) CIAO

It's been .... a 100 HTML coded text cocoons full of joy :)

2009-04-13T19:08:00.000+05:30

It's that feeling which is so often described as indescribable.... I ll give you a slight hint .......

And Michael Clarke, the blonde bombshell from South Australia has scored his first hundred against India on Indian soil... What a moment !!! What a player !!!

And Cristiano Ronaldo has hit the ground running.... When you get such a ball, of such high quality inside the 6 yard box, you have no other choice....that ball had "hit me" written all over it.. He did not place it...he put his foot through it...he smashed it and it stayed hit...because sometimes you know that today I have to go out and get myself a hundred and Cristiano's has done exactly that...A 100 for himself and a hundred priceless goals for Manchester United........

Without boring all of you any further :) I ll just say it... a 100 posts... And I am not proud of it at all :) surprised ??? It is because I temporarily retired from blogging in the interim otherwise I would have been very close to the 150 mark by now... I saw a dearth of topics and I could not blog just for the sake of it...so a sabbatical was in order and I am glad to say that I am back refreshed.

One of the biggest advantages of having girls as your friends is that..... your sixth sense can go for an extended vacation to Idaho. Girls have these magical sixth, seventh , eighth, ,nine....errrr... infinite senses which they put to severely good use. Girls also attach importance to several things of avoidable importance such the plastic Slice bottles which they use to carry water in. One Ms S forgot her bottle, went half the way home and then realised that she was missing the bottle which held the magical elixir. I was called up and told to hunt it down and preserve it. When I did return it to her, her entire face lit up and she smiled and beamed widely..... So much happiness for something which can easily replaced with a Fanta bottle :) Beyond my comprehension :)

What do I look for in girls ??? What attracts me to the beautiful and fairer+stronger sex ?? It all lies in the eyes and the smile... I look for depth and a complete reflection of the girl's inner self in the eyes. The eyes are a give away about one's character and they are indirectly connected with the smile. If the smile reaches the eyes, breaches the pupils like a ship gently touching the shore creating little wavelets of warmth then there is seldom anything lovelier...... When girls smile...the feeling is indescribable and if you have ever made a girl smile the moment is truly treasureable. I believe that if I am unemployed and homeless in the near future ( looking at the recent recession hit market, it is a strong possibility :) ) , I can make a living out of making girls smile..... it would be rewarding and eternally satisfying...

I have seen lots and hundreds of girls smiling... ( contrary to some people's belief that I have not seen many girls ) but only two have taken my breath away and I literally mean it ( I was not clutching at my throat and gripping the sides of a table in the throes of suffocated death :) ) These smiles made me stop breathing for a moment just to admire their sheer beauty. It appeared as if breathing would disturb the beautiful moment... One smile belongs to my Mom... My mother is beautiful and she has an amazing smile...she smiles and the world lights up for me dispelling all my tensions and pressures for a brief period. I try about almost everything possible to make her laugh as often as possible which includes me approaching her in my bathing towel and pleading with her to bathe me because I feel that I look fairer when she scrubs all my dirt off :) . The other smile belongs to this certain Ms T. Now her smile...FLATTENS me.... She holes my liner and makes me believe that angels and fairies exist in reality. I would sell myself to make her smile :) My gimmicks to make her smile include reading snatches of text from medical tablet strips abruptly between conversations ( a miserable failure :( ) and cracking horrible and lame jokes at frequent intervals. Hey T.. if you are reading this... I know you must be smiling, right ??? Yup, I can already see those beautiful lips curving into the most stunning smile I have ever seen :)

It is clear the I am missing someone.... Shucks... just when I thought that my 100 th post would be about the colour of LK Advani's underpants..... I am confused... I am afraid to sing JAI HO and apprehensive about rendering BHAI HO.... I am bewildered about Varun Gandhi's speech which I wholeheartedly mistook to be a delivery from a monkey king asking his primate subjects to learn salsa..... I am half expecting Advani to come out with a statement "I do the cha cha like a sissy girl" :) I have gone bonkers :) raving mad... a 100 posts needs celebration.... somebody open a bottle of Fanta apple.. Go ...bite :) CIAO

Requiem for a dream, infestation of the brain for satisfaction.............

2009-04-12T14:11:00.000+05:30

His steps were slow and unwavering. as he reached his destination, an abandoned cottage shaped shed, he paused for a while and sniffed the dusk air..There was still some time left..He occupied a bench and revelled in the fading light..Thoughts were racing like a dog with a burnt tail through his head. His hands reached up to scratch his chin and cheeks... His fingers met with resistance provided by his facial hair. It had been a long time since he had shaved. A trickle of blood coursed down his jaw and splattered onto his shorts. Distracted he looked down to see his hands...Bloodstained........His eye right eye was swollen, the lid bloody and the pupil barely recognizable.....

The hand that had caused the injury was still lying at his feet. Severed.... the lifeless fingers seemed to beckon... Seething he kicked the lifeless hand away.....Power...was intoxicating....Liquor like addiction rather...Momentary discern caused by the firefly caused him to stop and notice it through his good eye..... Violence was supreme... the essence of crushing something so fragile and consuming it.... The raw hunger was insatiable... transcending beyond comprehension...stretching out of the reach of logic and confinement of one's passion to burst free.

The moon seemed to be hesitant. Pity was self loathing and the mystical was rampant. The aura was full of energy and the air was charged with electricity........

Requiem for a dream, infestation of the brain for satisfaction.............

The moon revealed itself......

The transformation was underway.... Man gave way to the untamed....Reasoning , logic and care gave way to passion , unbridled hunger and animal instinct.....

The werewolf was an embodiment of man's will to break free, explore unprecedented horizons and howl out it's rebellious message to the world....

With a swish of the tail, he bounded out of the shed and disappeared into the night...

[ NOTE : Images for representational purposes only ]

MY SECOND LIFE AND MY EXTENDED FAMILY......

2009-03-26T19:35:00.000+05:30

ZEPHYR 2009 is finally over and I am feeling the pangs of loss....I am missing the atmosphere of room number A -316 and every time I pass the door to our cell, I turn out of instinct and bump into the locked door :) It has become a ritual over the past 2 weeks to wistfully smile and continue up the stairs and enter my lecture room for a change :)

What can I say about my family ??????

About some of the best friends I have made over a period of three months......

About people, whom I know will have my back covered, will support me, who will never forget what we shared, who will laugh at my lousy imitations and who will always be a phone call away....

I will get down to thanking all my friends who made me breathe during the past three months....

Abhishek Patil : I have found a brother in you. Thank you so so much for advising me on how to go about my studies, thank you for telling me that girls are not worth all the pain we guys go through even though you are screwed up yourself and both of us are floating on the same boat :) .. Thank you for all those memorable sponsorship trips,where we covered the length and breadth of Mumbai and I observed your "lucrative offers" :) Thank you for the double trip to Siddhivinayak and the introduction to Bhajji Pav :) Love you brother, I will be there for you always :) Just return the shorts which you borrowed from me :)

Kameshwar K Kaza (extreme left) : Man, you have all my respect and all my admiration...How could you stay so calm and focussed even in pressure cooker situations? You rarely lost your cool, you always encouraged us, indulged us and made sure that we were like one big family. Zephyr 2009 was more 'we' than 'us' and a majority of the credit goes to you for achieving it.
Thank you for educating me on sponsorships....you are my guru and I am forever indebted :) Thank you for letting me be your main anchor and telling me that "The stage is all yours, go handle it !!! "...you will never know how much confidence these words infused in me...Thank you for saving my ass on numerous occasions and being there when I wanted you to save it :) I have so much to say but I am running short of words..you are are the coolest Cultural Secretary our college has ever produced..... period :) A big hug for my elder brother :)

Rakesh Teja : (extreme right) You taught me how not to take out my anger on people who have nothing to do with it. Its a valuable lesson and I have taken it to heart. You my brother, are a focussed genius :) Thank you for lending us your laptop on our sponsorship trips, thank you for all the nights that you stayed up and made sure that our flexes, banners, walls, posters and shirts echo with the true spirit of Zephyr. I have nothing but respect and love for the most creative person in the entire Zephyr team.... We want you for this year as well (Clear your 4th year..... and give us an appointment for next year :) )

Saurabh Joshi (The sweaty guy with the dhol :) ) : My most passionate friend and brother in the entire Zephyr team. You have spent every nerve, sinew, blood droplet and ounce of fat in your body to take Zephyr to new heights. I can actually call you my Zephyr mentor because life at Zephyr started with knowing you :) Thank you for being so patient with an upstart and volatile person like me :) Dont worry brother, we will nurture the plant which you so carefully planted. Your words will always be with me :) We will definitely have Euphoria on stage next year, that is my promise and I will remember your 2 golden words for a long time to come "MC ":)

Krithiga AKA Amma : She is the most adorable person I came across in the Zephyr team...She is my second mother :) and one of most warmest individuals around. Thank you for caring about me, listening to all my problems (mostly love related ones ) Thank you for bearing with the stubborn and rude SOB that I am :) Thank you for flashing that warm smile even in the face of adversity. It gave me so much courage at times. You will go places my second Mom...Do not forget to call me to your wedding :) Beat your husband up as regularly as you can :) and try to miss me ...because I will miss you a lot..You are truly my heroine for Zephyr 2009 because you worked your socks off and gave it everything that you have. You have my respect for that...Shine in life and keep smiling :)

Shruti Pathak (extreme left) : You are the most energetic member of our group, or rather should I say, the boy of our group :) Thank you for the double tiffins :) They were yummy and always satisfied me to the core :) Thank you for sharing so much with me, for all the appointments that you fixed, for all the "You are looking very pretty" times that we shared :) ,for all the "it's ok" sentences that you passed on....Thank you for being you, bubbly.....and smiling (with the occasional headaches and mood swings :) ) . Take care Shruti and keep smiling that warm smile :)

Usha AKA Toto :) (to my left) : Where do I begin about my youngest sister?? :) The baby of our group :) One look at her told me that I wanted to adopt her as my younger sister. She is cute, bubbly, adorable, warm, gullible and everything that one wants a sister to be...Thank you for those discussions about love :) about our love interests, our likes, dislikes and basically thank you for standing by me throughout Zephyr :) It really meant a lot to me....and I ll have you know that your elder brother will always be with you, protecting you and laughing with you :) Work hard this time and we will enjoy another Zephyr together :)

Rohit Pant ( Squatting down,left) : The Casanova and playboy :) The guy who told me that there were some girls out there who liked me :) (And I thought it was a distant dream, one that would be fulfilled in another billion years). You have everything going for you brother, you are smart, confident and hardworking. Just stay focussed and you will shine brilliantly :) Thank you for telling me that I need to dilute my intense look :) Will miss you brother :)

Nitesh Jha (Squatting down,right) : Our new cultural secretary :) Focussed, no non sense and determined. You have all my support for this time brother. Together we will make Zephyr, a force to reckon with. Thank you for coloring the toilet basins red with your pan masala eruptions and rendering "gulabi aankhen" wonderfully ,even with your mouth full of errr....things :)

Shomik Dasgupta (standing, extreme right) : Fuck you , you professional scoundrel :) You deserve a big hug and lots of admiration. You certainly have won mine, because you handled yourself with dignity and never got irked even though I made fun of you countlessly before our team mates. You are truly a patient individual and the amount and quality of work that you put in ,deserves plaudits. I may curse you on your face brother :) but I am always there for you and I know that I can trust you with my life... You are truly one of my best friends...Please take care of me :) I need your support and guidance and I hope that you do brilliantly in the near future :)

Rakesh Kamath (To the left of Shomik) : You really are a proper gentleman Rakesh :) Calm, proper, composed, disciplined and always good humored. It really was a pleasure working with you right from our EESA times :) Thank you for being the only guy besides Kaza and Joshi whom I haven't fought with in the Zephyr Cell. Take care brother :) You have a bright future ahead of you :)

Rahul Pathak (To the left of Rakesh) : You really are a funny man :) You can be so damn witty even without trying to..... Thank you for all the laughs that you provided us with, thank you for selflessly helping out, working hard, keeping us awake at night and being an elder brother for us third year students :) Will miss you bhai :)

Manas Agarwal (Extreme left) : You have to work hard this year brother, am entrusting you with the job which Teja has so splendidly performed. You have big boots to fill. But knowing your dedication and sincerity towards the job at hand, I think you will do a fair job :) Thank you for those countless Rs 100 loans ( I think I still owe you 100 bucks, but then what's money between friends ??? :) ). You are one of my oldest friends and I think I need not say anymore :)

Gourav Agarwal (Centre) : What do I need to say?? :) About you my brother :) I have shared countless dreams with you :) I will not say much now. You are a gem...Dont lose yourself. Let us work together and touch the stars next year.....I will write a book about you then...For now..continue to be one of my best friends :)

For Sonali, Sandesh, Mithun ,Yogesh ,Anuj and Kushal...........I do not have have your pics :( ....I promise to put them up as soon as I get my hands on them.... Nevertheless....

Sonali : The ultimate ultrasonic generator :) Thank you for being so patient with me and thank you for the numerous and countless appointments that you fixed up :) Looking forward to next year :)

Sandesh : Our able treasurer :) You worked really hard man. Your dedication is unmatched and the amount of work that you have done is laudable... "Bol bol why did you ditch me ???" :). Will miss you brother :) Can you stay back and help us with the cheques and sponsorships next year as well ??? :) You can still stamp the Zephyr IDS with same love and care you used this time :) All the best for your future brother :)

Mithun : You dastardly Liverpool fan :) You are hilarious brother....Looking forward to Zulu bars and intense looks the next year as well...Thank you for all those fun times...and the crap jokes :) WIll never forget them....You have a heart of gold :) Keep it :)

Anuj : Our house keeping incharge :) Kuchch mangaya hai kya ??? :) Looking forward to continuing our friendship and the Zephyr bond brother :)

Kushal : Another guy who worked his socks off...thank you for all the hard work that you put in....really appreciate your dedication and focucs :)

Yogesh : Great job with the website dude :) Need you next year as well :) Be prepared to scrub your ass :) and btw.... Thanks for the OSHO clip :)

ANNNNNDDDDDD I would like to thank my hosting team.....

Anisha Mule : (BTW that is me yakking away during the debate :) ) You deserve all my attention Anisha. Thank you for being so sweet and understanding. I still feel so guilty about the countless number of times that I ditched you :) but then we managed to win the Debate this time around. I am proud of you :) We will try to win again next year as well :) and as for your hosting abilities :) there is nobody I would have liked to host MnM other than you cause seeing you there on stage comforted me :) You have improved by leaps and bounds and you really are a lovely individual...warm, funny :) , caring and fun to be with :) Stay this way....always :) and I promise you that there will be no further ditching and that I will always talk to you after removing both my earphones :)

Bageshree : I have always taken you for granted :) and told you to host events at the drop of a hat without prior information :) Thank you for being so sporting and taking up the challenge. You have done admirably well this year. You have improved consistently with each outing and I am very proud of you :) You are all ready for center stage next year :) Just remember to "lend me your ears" :)

Sonia Kulkarni : Last but not the least :) I come up with the ultimate beauty and the beast pic (I really am looking like an ugly vampire :) ) Hmmm... where can I start about you Sonia ?? :) I never quite remember how our friendship started but I treasure it. You dance fabulously well, you are our Miss Zephyr, you are improving with your hosting duties :) and your nervousness is slowly slipping away :) Stay focussed towards your GRE and your little black box full of words (I feel tempted to steal it :) ) and keep smiling...you know that you have a priceless and lovely smile, right ?? :) Try to "play the football" :) and stay the lovely individual that you are... Thank you for trying to make me dance (I failed miserably though :) ) ....Looking forward to good times ahead :)...You are a multi talented individual...you are bound to shine :)

At the end of it all :) A big, warm thank you to all the above mentioned people :) Its been one heck of a ride and I think that all of us have come out winners :) Feeling emotional right now :) Too many memories :) God bless all of you ... Feel proud because we all are......ZEPHYRITES :)

I AM BORN....AGAIN :)

2009-03-15T14:08:00.000+05:30

The time has now come to decide whether I am an utter fool or a fool who is utterly ridiculous. I am distracted to say the least. The past plays a very important part in my life and I am desperate to zone myself out of my historically mad annals. I am feeling childish again and my heart is throbbing with a sense of adventure and excitement that I had known several years back.

It's that old familiar feeling and I love it. I am impatient and befuddled all at once. I am looking forward to some particular time slices and I am warming myself up to the knowledge that I am falling down a deep well once more.

I am 3 posts away from a 100. Time has flown and I cannot help but look back in fondness upon my work. There are some great memories involved and I am nostalgic for more reasons than one :)

Until I have some fresh things to say.... I think that I will lie back and grab myself a sandwich or two :) Cheerz :)