Colors

i miss you

noreply@blogger.com (sawan) — Sun, 15 Jan 2012 16:40:00 +0000

picture courtesy: http://static.desktopnexus.com

the moon looks alluring today

stars glorifying her beauty

the chill in the winter breeze

comforting my moist eyes.

the light from the search tower

hides the darkness from me

silence of the night intensifies my breathe

the race against my heartbeat is on.

recorded messages, photographs

her presence in my life is sealed

not even she can steal her from me

my wall, my desk, she claims all space!

i crave for a hug, the warmth was missing

she was teasing me, talking to me, in my laptop

i re-lived my memories, technology helps

but how would I feel those soft lips again?

she talks to me everyday

i am addicted to her voice

the sun doesn't set for me

unless I hear her say 'I love you'

have you ever fought with your self

to determine if you are fine or not?

have you ever tightened your grip

in fear of loosing some one in crowd?

seeking re-assurance should be a crime

why else would pain be correlated with it?

why else would this night deny me sleep?

why else would anxiety fail my trust?

the moon looks alluring today

stars glorifying her beauty

the chill in winter breeze soothes me

i know you are mine, I just miss you!

Merry Christmas

noreply@blogger.com (sawan) — Fri, 23 Dec 2011 21:20:00 +0000

shepherds

while in their fields

a bright glow hit the sky

then angels came to calm their fears

in life

singing

in words they shared peace, love and joy

night never seemed so bright

His soul was pure

Amen.

Attempted a Mirror Cinquain for the first time.

Cinquain -> a form with one 5-line stanza in a syllabic pattern of two, four, six, eight, two.

Reverse cinquain -> a form with one 5-line stanza in a syllabic pattern of two, eight, six, four, two.

Mirror cinquain -> a form with two 5-line stanzas consisting of a cinquain followed by a reverse cinquain.

dilli reloaded

noreply@blogger.com (sawan) — Sat, 19 Nov 2011 18:01:00 +0000

A year back I was in Delhi and that was my first visit to the capital. Today I live her again.

There is something that connect November, Delhi and myself! I've loved this month last year and I love it this year. The chill in the morning, the crowd,cycle rickshaws, a/c marcopolos! I was in new Delhi metro station at 6:45 in the morning and there was this big queue for the security check! 6:45 in the morning! When I was in Hyderabad, 6:45 was still considered as night.

Every single soul is busy. No one even has time for a smile! Autorikshaw stand is a place where you could learn your basics of bargaining and amateurs can sharpen their skills! You might not see high rise buildings as often as you expect to see in a place like Delhi. But, do not go by the shape and size of the shop. I saw this one shop which looked like a part of a row house and I wont think twice before labeling it as a place were you would get average quality shoes : a place were you could bargain for pretty looking shoes but not branded ones - you get the tune, don't you? My friend says she checked out a sandal there and it seems that the one she saw was worth 8000! I learned not to label a shop with its looks :-) its Delhi, luxury comes at different size and package :-)

Chole Batura is one thing I don't miss eating when I am in Delhi. The best Chole I've had, I've had it from Delhi. Any one who love food should definitely visit Karims! Dilli is incomplete without visiting this paradise of food. The journey itself is such a change! The rush at chandni chauk, the rikshaws, the life - its something you should experience. I loved it! Know dilli well? More suggestions? Pour it out, I am game for food :-)

I couldn't travel much this time and I don't regret! I've had my share of happiness and excitement, more than I could ask for. If you are some one who would appreciate modern architecture, you might not want to miss Gurgaon. Especially the metro tide to Huda. The moment you enter Gurgaon, you could feel the difference. All what you see is buildings, elegant ones.

Any one who knows Delhi from soul is welcome to send me a list of places I should visit - places to see, food to experience, culture to feel.

I've experienced this south vs north fights or rather south vs Delhi fights, but if I have to associate one word with Delhi - it would be LOVE. Today I live my life, tomorrow I die again! But that would not be the end. its just the wait for life and the wait - its really exciting I tell you :)

My First Car

noreply@blogger.com (sawan) — Sat, 29 Oct 2011 11:30:00 +0000

The firsts are always special for us. The first photograph, the first school, the first friend, the first love, the first fight, the first vacation, the first date, the first what not! We never run out of words when we talk about our firsts :) So here I am, writing about my first car. Yes, I am excited!

Hyundai EON is small for sure, but it still looks like a car (unlike Nano). It competes with the entry level segment that includes Maruti Alto and Chevrolet Spark. So why didn't I go for Alto or Spark? Alto looks more like a refined version of Maruti 800 and honestly I was bored looking at it for 10 years. It was a tough choice to leave the Maruti family and enter the Hyundai for one reason - Maruti had never let us down. Be it the maintenance or the performance it has always lived up to the expectations. Spark - I never got a convincingly positive feedback. However I would refrain from giving a negative feedback myself for one reason - I have not driven a Spark.

Hyundai EON inherits its looks from Hyundai i10 and Verna. The fluid look definitely has not lost its grace in the small package. The plastics used are of fair quality and the AC is incredible. The higher end variants Magna and Sportz houses advanced features such as power steering and power windows, in built stereo system with ipod connector and aux cable. Safety features including Anti-lock Braking System, EBD etc are missing from Hyundai EON although driver side airbag on EON Sportz ensures that EON is the safest car in its class. The unique digital gear shift indicator helps attain maximum optimum gear usage and best possible fuel efficiency. Alternate Management System allows control of power supply to a battery depending on the load and thus reduces fuel consumption and improves entire performance.

The post wouldn't be complete without mentioning the staff of KTC Hyundai. They were extremely supportive and helpful during all the phases including selection / decision making / buying. On a special note, I would thank Sreekumar (staff of KTC Hyundai, Palakkad) for making this entire process easier! Hopefully the relationship with the Hyundai family would GO ON smooth :)

Ex Show Room price of Hyundai EON:

Hyundai EON D Lite Rs. 2,73,599

Hyundai EON D Lite Optional Rs. 2,95,761

Hyundai EON Era Rs. 3,16,027

Hyundai EON Magna Rs. 3,41,360

Hyundai EON Magna Optional Rs. 3,51,494

Hyundai EON Sportz Rs. 3,76,827

Na Tomatina for Bengaluru

noreply@blogger.com (sawan) — Sun, 18 Sep 2011 14:27:00 +0000

Karnataka Chief Minister D V Sadananda Gowda has ordered cancellation of ‘La Tomatina’ fest scheduled to be organized at Bangalore Palace Grounds on September 18 and also at Mysore. There is a huge cry on this in social media with people debating for and against the fest.

I am sad that this fest stays cancelled.

Its not because I cant throw tomatoes; throwing tomatoes is still not banned in India! There would always be a chunk of senseless people forming a group against anything that's happening, regardless of its impact - that's politics. But then, the educated youth? At least they should have the sense of understanding the effects and implications before crying out loud.

Yes, I agree that we are talking about wastage of Tomatoes (for the sake of a debate, lets forget the fact that the event was using tomatoes which were not edible).Alright, so all you humanitarians gather and cry peace. Help the poor, feed them and stop wastage. Noble indeed! The event stay cancelled. Now what? How many do I see feeding the poor? How many of you noble souls fed 1 poor today? I would really love to know.

The event stay cancelled. All the farmers who were expecting huge profits by selling off tons of market rejected tomatoes would not get the money promised. The tomatoes would still go waste, not in palace grounds though. Victory for the poor! In a country where food grain is stored by the government only to be disposed off as waste, at least tomatoes had to be saved. For those noble souls who doesn't read the news completely (as rightly suggested by my friend, Mr.Blunt) and react by reading only headlines - food wasted in FCI godowns in the last few years could have fed 2500 lakh + families for 10 years or more.Now do your best, google it and please read it completely this time.

I appeal to the representatives of Kolar district tomato growers, the few environmentalists and the NGOs who called on the Chief Minister in Bangalore on Friday to request cancellation of the La Tomatina festival to please distribute 60,000 kg tomatoes (the expected wastage as suggested by Jayanagar BJP ML B N Vijayakumar) among the poor and prove the passion and dedication they have towards their fellow beings. You owe at least that much to the farmers and the poor!

My sincere sympathy to the organizing committee of the fest and to all like minded souls in and around Bengaluru.

Green-O-Con(test) – Week 2

noreply@blogger.com (sawan) — Wed, 14 Sep 2011 15:05:00 +0000

entwined is our life, like this path - parting ways in hope of meeting again!

Camera: Canon Powershot SX 125 IS

Location: Malampuzha, Palakkad District, Kerala.

EkTitli.Org is a unique voluntary initiative where we showcase all the Positive and Constructive work happening in the ‘Green and Clean Space’. [Know More, Follow Us] Rustic Art is a brand of Organic, Natural & Handmade products in exotic fragrances. They are here to spread the ‘organic’ word. [Know More, Follow Us] GingerChai an online magazine brewed by passionate writers. Join,Let’s sip thoughts! [Know More]

Samsung Galaxy Tab IndiBlogger Meet #galaxytab750

noreply@blogger.com (sawan) — Sun, 11 Sep 2011 08:08:00 +0000

-> the poem is an acrostic <-

sailing through the crowd unknown,
amazed by the energy in me
meeting friends was on the cards!
sanctity is how I feel today
unsung tales of affinity.
novus ordo mundi awaits,
gathering of bloggers, I say!

goldfinch stole the show for the day
amassing the brains behind the blogs
love for the t-shirts and tabs talked
a few hearts smiled meeting friends
xenophilics had their best time,
young minds interacting with vibrant souls!

technology beautifies our dream
arouses imagination and make us crave.
beauty as it is, the tab won my heart!

I got a chance to have a look and feel of the newly launched Samsung Galaxy Tab 750 at the indiblogger meet Sep, 2011 held in Bangalore. Android Honeycomb 3., multi tasking & split view support should tell you what Galaxy Tab 750 means! For some one who live a social life 24*7, this 10.1" piece of gadget is like a dream come true! 3G support, HPSA, WXGA TFT LCD, NVIDIA Tegra 2 processor are just words which would be forgotten, but the feel you get when you touch this beauty would remain! The Social and Reader hub just enriches the experience. Its like the engineers were in a good mood while designing this wonder! Its a piece made with love and happiness 'cos it shares a smile on every face who feels it.

*'novus ordo mundi' (latin) means 'new world order'. the phrase has been used here hoping that events like this would help the blogger community to unite and evolve thus giving rise to a dramatic change in the world's social thinking.

phoenix

noreply@blogger.com (sawan) — Tue, 06 Sep 2011 16:48:00 +0000

photo courtesy: a friend
(this poem is written from a girl's perspective)

you held me when i was low

showed me the beauty of the world

stole colors from the rainbow

fuelled my dreams with it

the rain drops doesn't amuse me any more

bound by your love, i cant free myself

my screams went unheard in the darkness

the silence, the desolation is alarming

those mushy songs which kills me now

filled me with you when my days were green

your heartbeats made me feel secure

when i got suffocated within my walls

you held my hands, made me yours

promised to share your surname

what do i call myself today?

i forgot that i too had a name!

this smoke filled room reminds me of you

smothering, tears blurring my vision.

the smell of whiskey still lingers

the unfinished bottle thrown casually

with every passing day my life unfolds

my friends help me regain the trust

i loved you and i still do

but you went off when i told you not to

i pity you if you feel you've won over me

the wounds have only made me stronger

i would rise like a phoenix and i would stand

i trust my love, myself. i breathe.

the Dancer

noreply@blogger.com (sawan) — Thu, 25 Aug 2011 21:12:00 +0000

expression of passion, rhythm in her moves

language of her eyes, wail of desire!

mudras - blessings of the divine

the smile on her lips, it soothes me.

jhumkas, aesthetic ornamentation to her face

swaying to the tune of my heartbeat

her feet, soft yet in pace

swinging to the music of her mind

the garment - red, gold and black

enriching the grace of her aura

the dancer who set the stage on fire

she is beauty personified!

the girl i met in train

noreply@blogger.com (sawan) — Mon, 11 Jul 2011 12:31:00 +0000

curly hair, crimson shades

conscious, composed, elegant

wouldn't smile, i wasn't that scary!

long slender legs, turns every head

'a cup of chai' rests on her lap

a few pages turned, keystrokes on her cell

nails, finely shaped, miss the paint

fingers without rings, single?

plays with her hair,

big wide eyes, calm, gorgeous

the checks on her shirt

casual, reflects her persona

wonder what's her name

wonder how she sounds

the one who made me write,

the girl i met in train!

a bridge to hope

noreply@blogger.com (sawan) — Thu, 19 May 2011 22:51:00 +0000

photograph courtesy: Khushboo Pandia

its been almost five months that Ive blogged. It's pure lack of inspiration or blame it on my mechanical life which refuses to see inspirations. Today, I felt a need to communicate to a friend. What better way than my blog :) Ive tried to play with numbers here. The note consists of ten stanzas starting with a stanza of 10 lines and ending with one with a single line.Hope you like it :)

to breathe was an effort

my lungs bled in strain

twines held my hands in place

depriving the freedom it pleads

the room was dark, as dark as death

or so my blindfold sang

i quenched my thirst, with wine red blood

which oozed out of my soul

in pain, in fear, I found retreat

wrapped my anxiety with a smile

memories - i talk to them till i bleed again

the pain, the blood, the helplessness -

is fate, they convince me

I laughed and cried, I loved my world

the darkness shielded me from truth

you talked to me, spent days with me

yet lived in a world apart

you heard me laugh, thought i was blessed

but failed to see my tears

then he came, broke my shield

took me to his world so bright

my eyes bled, not in strain

in fear of facing the sun

the twines were gone, the blindfold too

he held me facing this bridge

the wind was mild and smelled of rose

his breathe had a rhythm divine.

i held his arm, looked below

for the heat was burning my eyes!

golden yellow leaves veiled my scars.

the butterflies smiled,

bees sang a song in my ears

the road was wet, so was trees

did the sky weep for me?

the birds put me in a trance

the lake took away my past

the dying woods healed my anguish

rays of the sun were now soothing

warming me from the chill of darkness within

i felt the beauty of my heartbeats!

'this is the bridge to hope', he said

waking me from my thoughts

'walk through this and you'll be fine,

your faith shall show you way'

his voice faded away.

my trembling legs took a step

the wood responded with a screech

I held the rail, another step

and I felt the joy of a smile

he was true, my world has changed

the steps i took with him,

its beautiful; i love my life for sure!

a few steps back, darkness ruled

now its bright and warm and gay!

be with me; open your eyes my friend!

at times all you need is a little trust, self respect and confidence on your decisions. It's easy to see the beauty of the world, you just have to open your eyes :)

untitled

noreply@blogger.com (sawan) — Wed, 05 Jan 2011 21:34:00 +0000

picture courtesy : http://sumaspage.wordpress.com/

a time to forget whats gone by

to relish the presence and look forward

when few drops of whiskey take your nerves,

last thing to happen was to loose your morale!

fireworks depicting art in the sky

cheers and cries ringing in my ears

cameras flashing, strangers hugging

when the world uttered one loud phrase

a perfect beginning is what i wished

a new year with happiness all around!

but alas! you had a different reel in hand

a crowd hungry for the heat of fantasy

when all around prayed for a better tomorrow

some, in the crowd, prayed for some mercy!

a mob, u feel, is your strength

pity on your manhood and self respect

she might be divorced, widowed or alone; but

she is a woman, not a toy of pleasure!

those few seconds changed my prayers

a perfect beginning is what i wish

a new year with happiness all around

where men of honor make me proud!

TOI Bangalore edition, on 31st December 2010 had warned all girls not to be on MG/brigade road after 5 in the evening. Despite the warning some girls did show up and the night of celebration turned ugly for them. Helpless souls could do nothing but to silently witness these girls being molested by a crowd of hooligans. Men in uniform did come for their rescue, but by that time some minds were left shaken. its still a man's world, sadly not every man act like a MAN!

dilli

noreply@blogger.com (sawan) — Mon, 13 Dec 2010 21:26:00 +0000

lost in dreams, i fly

over the city that bridges two different worlds!

vanity in her eyes made me prurient

enthralled by her antiquity!

yester-years have failed to possess the

opulent wisdom and plush historical wealth!

urbanization has bruised her face

revealing the brutality she has gone through.

serenity is bliss!

monuments that depict love

interiors which tease our creativity

lanes unwinding scrolls of myth

embracing a culture, history left for us.

shades of winter showed its charm

woollen clothes were new to me!

a paradise I'd love to re-experience

the capital city was a dream,

I'd love to watch again!

A tryst with the city of pearls

noreply@blogger.com (sawan) — Sat, 13 Nov 2010 07:27:00 +0000

Six months after moving to Bangalore, today I am back at the city of pearls! So, how does it feel? Amazing! Hyderabad has something attached to it which makes it special. The wider roads, the garden of chillies, rocky hills, water bodies, hoardings in Urdu, every view from the bus as we entered the city, gifted me memories.

The first time I visited this city in early 2006, I did not like it much. It was summer and people who have visited this place during summer would know the reason! It took more than a year for me to get accustomed to this place. Five years after my first visit, it was hard for me to relocate to another city. The language - Hyderabadi Hindi, the people, the kebabs, world famous hyderabadi biriyani, those gorgeous eyes hiding behind the hijabs, how could anyone not fall in love with this place?

I cant wait to savour each of my moment here. Lots of people to catch up with, some work and loads of food! How I missed the nawabi khana! I am here for two days. I ll head back to Bangalore on Sunday evening. So till we meet again, miss you Bangalore :)

-title unknown-

noreply@blogger.com (sawan) — Sat, 06 Nov 2010 04:04:00 +0000

picture courtesy : http://bit.ly/KWwe7

colors, sprayed along the canvas of the sky

tune of the crackers reverberating in my ears

the clouds of smoke camouflage this world,

another day spent in your thoughts!

Bangalore IndiBlogger Meet 2010

noreply@blogger.com (sawan) — Sun, 03 Oct 2010 23:20:00 +0000

Five months after I attended the first Indiblogger meet of my life, in Hyderabad, today I walked in to the seventh floor of Fortune Park JP Celestial, Bangalore to meet Renie and team yet again! The first impression was not as good as what I had in Hyderabad - thanks to the 60 minutes motorcycle ride through the unknown streets of Bangalore, struggling to find our way to the venue.

It was a pleasure to meet Renie, Anwin, Anoop, Vineet, Bala, Rashmi and the entire team yet again. Was Nafisa in there? :O The reception looked more techie with the presence of gorgeous gadgets with HP label printed on them! The registration counter sure looked better than what we had in Hyderabad and looked lovely with the presence of the bubbly young ladies of the Indiblogger team!

The hall was as expected, crowded. 274 registered entrants - now that's what I call a real offline meet! Being new to the city, the excitement of being with so many fellow bloggers was building up. To add to the excitement, I spotted Vinay, Shravan and Aparna in the crowd. Ive known them only through their blogs, meeting them in flesh and blood was an experience worth mentioning! Abhinav and I found ourselves seated towards the farther row from the screen.

The '30 seconds of fame' made us clap at commendable introductions, laugh at ridiculous self promotions and drool at gorgeous girls. The youngest blogger present was 14 years old and the oldest has seen 62 years of life. I got a chance to meet the brain behind "asklaila.com" and his cute little one. There were professional content writers, creative managers, photographers and a handful of people who respected their work. As an irony, most of the people present described their work as "crap", something which I found sad to hear.

I am still in love with the interface Indiblogger has created lately. This screen inspired me to fiddle with my phone a few times. Amazing is the advancement of technology in the communication arena!

I took a few minutes break from the session to appreciate this beauty. The HP ePrint web-connected all-in-one cloud printer is a marvel of technology. Think of a situation were you click a photograph with your mobile phone, forward it to an email id and the photograph gets printed on a stand alone printer! No more laptops or software, no restrictions on proximity - printing is a breeze, just like sending an email! I tested this machine personally and verified the quality of the prints. Its amazing!

This time the event was not all about fun. There were a lot of "gyaan" sessions as well. People talked about technology, languages, civic sense and responsibilities, helping RTO find polluting vehicles and what not. The Indiblogger team made sure that the microphone passed hands before the crowd gets bored, something which made the sessions more effective!

The introduction rounds have made people glue to their seat. It was time to take a walk, to meet people and to say 'hi'! Yes, the Interaction round was on its way, with yellow chart papers and sketch pens. When it comes to sketch pens, there is only one name which comes to my mind, Rashmi :)

It was a wonderful experience to meet such a diversified crowd in such a short time! This half day experience has added at least two more names in my friends list - something which I appreciate about such an event.

The tiring interaction session was followed by a coffee break. I had the best coffee in my four months of Bangalore life, thanks to the catering wing of Fortune Park JP Celestial. The samosas weren't bad either! :)

Thats Abhinav, myself and Shravan sharing a lighter moment. The best thing about any bloggers meet is the awareness it create, the thought that it shares suggesting that there indeed is life among the words shared in the lifeless medium. To meet the person who wrote the poetry which stroke a chord in your heart, to meet some one who shares his/her thoughts with you, to meet some one who made you think you are in love - its an experience enjoyed by blessed souls. Next time you get an opportunity, DO NOT miss it.

This post wouldn't be complete without this photograph. R, if you read this, know that your smile is contagious. It makes the people around you feel good. It wraps you with an aura of friendliness. Thanks for the extra t-shirt :) Bless you!

The major attraction of the event! I loved the wordings in this edition of the t shirt. Quality wise, I would stick to the one I got in Hyderabad. Having said that, I am happy to have received my share of the symbol and I am waiting eagerly for a chance to flaunt it :)

With that its time to ring the closing bells. Time for me to hit the bed! You guys wait, you got to comment before you leave!

Have a good day folks. Communicate, Smile and Live your life!

Honda - my new love!

noreply@blogger.com (sawan) — Thu, 23 Sep 2010 06:20:00 +0000

Finally the new love of my life has arrived! She made me wait for 12 days before I could have a glimpse of her. Better late than never. I am so much in love with her :) All of a sudden Bangalore roads seem better!

She is Pearl Nightstar Black. The booking experience was nice. I booked her from Saphire Honda, Jayanagar, Bangalore on 8th of September. The expected date of delivery was 28th. I got a call on 21st informing me that my beauty has arrived :) After a night shift, "tired and sleepy" was the last thought I had. The urge to see her landed me on the showroom 20 mins after I got the call :) The paper works were done in an hour and the wait began.

She was at the godown, dressing up! I saw her at 1.30 in the afternoon, and boy, it was love at first sight! I took her home, gave her food and took her for a small ride in the city. I guess she loved Bangalore as much as I do! I got her name [read as registration number] that evening. Her birth certificate [read as registration smart card] is yet to come.

Specs time:

Weight/ Measurements:

Kerb weight: 138 kg

Fuel tank capacity: 12 litre

Wight: 754mm

Length: 2073 mm

Height: 1085 mm

Ground clearance: 162 mm

Wheelbase: 1328mm

Chasis:

Chasis: Advanced Design Dimond Frame

Tyre type: Tubeless

Front suspension: Telescopic fork

Rear suspension: Mono suspension 3 step adj

Rear tyre: 110/80 17- M/C 57P

Front: 80/100 17-M/C 46P

Rear Brake tyre: Disc 220 mm dia

Front Brake tyre: Disc 240 mm dia

Engine & Transmission:

Transmission: Constant Mesh, 5 speed gear

Gear shift pattern: 1 Down- 4up

Engine: Air cooled, 4 Stroke, SI endine

Torque: 1.3kg@ 6500 rpm

Displacement: 149.1

Net Power: 14 bhp@ 8500 rpm

Air filter: viscous paper filter

Carbuerator/ fuel injection: Carb

Starting system: self

Electricals:

Chain case: Half

Mileage: 60

Lgnition: Digital CDI (Multi Mapping)

Headlamp: Halogen 12V 35/35 W

Battery: 12V-4AH Maintenance Free

Inst panel: Digital

She has 17 inch alloy wheels, tubeless tyres, five speed transmission, digital instrumentation, and rear disc brake.She has shed 8kg from her prototype[read as unicorn] and looks sleek and sexy! The riding position is more comfortable compared to its competitiors on the same segment. Gear shifting is a breeze and power is commentable. But due to the super soft gear i sometimes put it in neutral from first while taking off. Have to get used to it :) You cannot make out if the engine is running at lesser RPM, its so silent! The monoshock suspension could be adjusted to 3 modes - hard, medium and soft. Couldnt share much of a long riding experience since I just covered 50+ km and she is just one day old.I guess, for the money you pay - she is worth the buy. But if you are some one who says "how about some goodies, what are you giving for free?", then be ready to hear this from the dealers "This is Honda sir, nothing is free here" :) you got to buy all the accessories. How ever i wouldnt recommend the extended warranties that the shop keepers offer. The warranty stands void if you dont service the bike from the honda svc during the waranty period [read as 5 years] :P

So wear your riding gear and befriend the road. Happy riding! :)

Experienceing Bangalore!

noreply@blogger.com (sawan) — Sat, 22 May 2010 20:48:00 +0000

If you are new to Bangalore and if you are coming from a city like Hyderabad, the first thing you'll notice is the weather! Bangalore has an awesome weather, atleast for me. The short drizles make the city look beautiful during the day.The cold breeze makes it even better at night! I am in love with the weather here.

Accommodation is one thing which I have not found yet. Thats scarey given the fact Ill have to vacate the guest house any day this week :( I do not know th city yet. From experiance this is what I found about locations:

* Bhannarghatta road: Not Recommended! [even if u get a palace on rent for cheap price, avoid this location if you working in E City. Travelling is such a pain!]

* Koramangla : Highly Recommend! This place has a good connectivity with the rest of Bangalore. Travelling to and from E City should be easier from here! Koramangla is slightly expesive compared to other locations Ive been to.

* E City: Not Recommended! This is one advice I have been consistently getting from every one around and from day 1! Do not stay in E City. It would look comfortable for a few months and later you get a feel that you are trapped in a corporate jungle!

* BTM Layout: Highly Recommend! I havnt been to this place personally, but who ever visited this place for searching accomodation has good words about it.

* Yellahanka: Not Recommended! Not sure if it spells correct. As far as Ive heard of this place, its easier to get an accomodation here and its cheaper, but its really very far!

* HSR Layout: Recommended! Not visited the place personally. Got lots of reccomendations about this place though :)

* Madiwala : Not sure! This place is awesome in terms of connectivity. Since I hail from Kerala, this place is awesome in terms of food as well! We have lots of Kerala messes and restraunts here. But in terms of quality of flats, this place doesnt come near BTM or Koramangla. We have old flats here an most of them have a PG kind of look [from what Ive seen]. Since I wish to get a feel of home from where I am gona live, I would rather not recommend this place!

As I said, I still havnt figured out where to stay, so if anyone of you have suggestions, I would be glad to read them in the comments section!

Travel to home town has been another thing which brought me to Bangalore! Now I am nearer to Kerala. In Hyderabad I had to depend on One train [Sabari express] which run dailey and which is full almost on any given day! The journey took almost 22 hours! Bangalore is better with atleast 3 trains and 40 plus busses going to Kerala! But booking a ticket was not as easy as I have imagined! I had to travel to Kerala this weekend [21st] and wow, no tickets available in the trains! No tickets available in the busses as well [remember the count was 40 plus!!] Then through an agent I got my ticket to kerala. Now the return journey? No tickets available on any mode of transport on Sunday night! Got special permission to be away from desk on Monday and what do I find? There is just one ticket waiting for me on a mOnday night! So I booked it - the last seat, God knows how the journey is gona be!

Now, the reason for my relocation to Bangalore: my New job! Infosys is awesome! Atlast the campus! I am yet to get a feel of the work culture and process, but the campus sure looks worthy of the change! I spent almost 18 hours in campus these days! No, not at desk, in the campus!! The job looks challenging as of now, looking forward to interact with the team and fall in now with the process :) Infy has spent so much in maintaining greenery around the campus which is GOOD! We even have monkeys and cute birds in the trees near our food courts :) so much close to nature, i say! its really refreshing! There are 50 buildings in the campus of which I guess 9 are food courts! Any one here works in E City? Lets meet :)

Oh, forgot to mention, my lazy lazy blog completed 100 posts with the last note! So this is the 101st post :)

have a happy time friends and smile! :)

Good bye Hyderabad

noreply@blogger.com (sawan) — Fri, 07 May 2010 14:20:00 +0000

In December 2005, Sabari Express took me from Palakkad, Kerala to Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh - a journey which changed my life, perceptions and career graph! Four and a half years of fun, laughter and mood swings comes to an end! Today, Sabari Express takes be back to Palakkad for a vacation before I start my next journey. I would miss the city, a city which I know better than my home town. I would miss the exotic food, the beautiful people and Hyderabadi hindi. This journey is for good, a long vacation at home, ghar ka khana, some time with my beautiful niece! After a week I start another journey, another train would take me to Bangalore. Is this for good? let time decide!

Being Real: UniverCell Bloggers' Meet, Hyderabad.

noreply@blogger.com (sawan) — Wed, 14 Apr 2010 02:39:00 +0000

You have lived a virtual life in the real world. Ever tried having a real life in the virtual world?

Now you could tickle your wits offline! How? Irritate Renie to a level that he go down on his knee and promise to conduct a bloggers meet in your city! I attended one in Hyderabad this month and boy, it was fun! Do not get scared by the length of the post, trust me, there wont be much to read. Photos would do the talking for now and I shall think loud with some snaps :)

A small introduction to the event: Indiblogger meet happened on Sunday April 11, 2010 - 2:30 PM at Fortune Select Manohar, Hyderabad. The official page claimed 150 bloggers would come under one roof, I seriously doubted the number! I mean, Renie and his team thought that 150 bloggers would move their sorry ass on a Sunday afternoon when the outside temperature would be anywhere above 35 degrees?

I see the indiblogger team laughing at my instinct! A full house? WOW! Yes, we had a full house at the meet, bloggers from different background with different perceptions sat together in a room for three hours! In one line – “its an experience I would cherish till I attend another bloggers meet”.

This is how registration happened. A small group dressed in black greeted us at the registration counter. The first thing I noticed: The stack of t-shirts kept for distribution! I did notice the gorgeous lady at the counter. The guys who gave her company looked healthy which made me decide that staring at the t-shirts is a better option! Registration was piece of cake, you enter your email id and whoa, u r in!

This screen gave live feeds of the arrival of guests, the indiblogger tweets and blog updates. Technology! Who writes code for you? Renie, whats the hiring strategy of indiblogger? :O

Say hello to the organizers!

30 seconds of fame! Did some one keep the time? This was a treat! Some bloggers were shy, some reminded me of politicians. We had people writing about the older generation and we had people writing about new born kids! The blogger in picture is an ex googler, a hardcore techie! A few bloggers were interesting, others did shameless self promotion! So what did I get from all this? A good laugh and one realization: Blogsville is definitely a different planet! It’s like playing a game. You control your avatar, live a second life. The three hours we spent there in blood and flesh, we were real! Walking mortals of those unknown avatars. We had all out limitations. So did I miss my laptop? Maybe!

This was the show stopper! The interaction time.

These charts were given to us along with one sketch pen each. We would have to hang these charts around our neck and go meet people! We meet people, talk, try to know them in a minute or so [experts we are, aint we?] and then?

Comment of course!! We scribble our thoughts on their chart and they return the favor. Idea! Who is heading your creative team? [wide eyes]

More and more snaps here since this was the essence of the meet. Some one with a professional camera took a photo of a gorgeous lady signing my chart. Renie didn’t put it with the rest! Bad Renie [cries].

thats my chart!!

Yeyyy!! This was one session which I wouldn’t have missed :) Fooooood!! Hungry kya?

Quiz time!! Riyaz teased my brain! So did I know the answer for any of the questions asked? Does it really matter?, forget it :)

Update:

Nafisa, you were the one responsible for the arrangement of venue? Good work friend!

Alright, so the meet comes to an end and so does the post! Tired? Have a sip of your favorite drink and move your sorry ass to the comments page now! :)

Cheers to all, cheers to life!

**All photos stolen from Renie's photo stream!

random updates

noreply@blogger.com (sawan) — Fri, 19 Mar 2010 20:35:00 +0000

i havnt been here for long now. i have no excuses to give. i wasnt that busy. it was not writer's block. i wasnt ignoring social life. it wasnt "silence mode". ter were so many things happening all of a sudden that it took time for me to realize what's happening, to sort it out and to make myself stable. so now that ive said that, here is a list of updates for all those who missed me and for all those who forgot to miss me :P

Update #1 : Would write solaris [scsa] paper soon. bought the voucher.

Update #2 : Joined MBA. its a one year course for working professionals.

Update #3 : Resigned from current job. Would soon leave the city.

Update #4 : Would be relocating to Bangalore in 2 months. [Frenz in B'lor, wud need ur help/advice/suggestion to search for an accomodation]

Update #5 : Gona attend the Sun International Conference. Keynote Speaker: James Gosling. Excited!

Update #6 : Went for a tamil movie after long. Havnt seen Avatar yet. Wish to see LSD & The book of Eli. Reviews anyone?

Update #7 : Bloggers meet @ Hyderabad [Fortune Select Manohar] on Sunday April 11, 2010 - 2:30 PM. r u coming?

more updates soon. sorry, i havnt read ur posts. i would be doing that really soon. luv u all :)

Happy Valentine's Day

noreply@blogger.com (sawan) — Sat, 13 Feb 2010 21:04:00 +0000

[ Pic Courtesy : enragedinfliction ]

Valentine's Day has always been special. Whether you are single or committed, happy or sad, healthy or weak, V Day is definitely not like any other day. It brings us happiness with the presence of our loved ones, memories, dreams or atleast hope. For some, it might even gift pain. Not every memory brings a smile on us! Good or bad, it definitely brings a different emotion tagged to it. So here we are, experiencing another V Day! It definitely brings on memories in me. I am not sad, not happy either. But i feel good, good to have beautiful memories to cherish. With so many wedding bells ringing around me, I definitely cant hide my smile! When you have a lot of positive energy around you, you cant escape from it even if you want to :) I wish each and every friend who is preparing to take the big step, a very very happy, romantic, fun filled and prosperous married life.

[ Pic Courtesy :strangeprogram ]

Thirty two years ago, when Love Marriage was not a "happening thing", when the social circle was not so open to relationships and when Internet or mobile phones did not help the man meet his lady, two individuals fell for each other. Their love for each other was so deep that it broke the social norms that prevailed and they took the decision to stay for each other through out. Together they have shown me what love is. Dad and Mom, a very happy Valentine's Day to you!

Friends, in the midst of celebration, lets take a break of 2 mins, offer silent prayers to all those lovely souls who parted us in yesterday's bomb blast in Pune. lets pray for the speedy recovery of all those who got injured and lets pray that unfortunate incidents like this does not repeat. I wish all my friends a very happy and safe Valentine's day.

Smile, Love, Play, Use a Condom :)

an abstract phase called life

noreply@blogger.com (sawan) — Sun, 24 Jan 2010 21:32:00 +0000

[picture courtesy : Felilly [Devianart]

I stand facing the holy gate today

A bridge separating me from my haven

On the other end

I see the holy men set to choose my destiny!

Destiny - the word has always scared me.

the world I lived was so complicated

I muddled through, not knowing where my steps took me.

you said I never did it right.

you said I was still a kid and need to be guided

you never had faith in my decisions

you never allowed me to dream

you never had answers to my questions

Questions which meant life to me

I had you with me all my life

when I had to buy those color pencils

when I looked at that pretty frock with desire,

when I smiled shy to that cute boy in class,

in my teens, when privacy was denied to me

when I had to choose on my career, my life,

you were there observing, instructing, commanding

telling me how wrong I was every time

and how blessed I am to have you to guide.

you lived my life when I had one

and now, when I stand here, lifeless

I am alone, no one to instruct, to guide!

they called me stupid, insane

for I cut my vein, lay indifferent.

they say I ended my life for nothing

when did I have a life of my own?

I stand facing the holy gate today

a bridge separating me and my destiny

on the other end

I see the holy men set to choose my destiny!

yet again, some one else decides for me.

parents, you lived your life all way through. you’ve seen the good and bad of decisions taken. its human to have the urge to go back and correct the steps taken. please never let that urge kill your child's happiness. do not live their life. every moment you take from them, you are living your second life and they are loosing their first.

children, every moment of survival is tough. you could choose to fight and write your own destiny or to obey the rules of nature. today might gift you tears, tomorrow there is hope. dont let your tears stifle your future.

swamiye sharanamayyappa

noreply@blogger.com (sawan) — Thu, 14 Jan 2010 18:58:00 +0000

Note: Long post ahead. If you dont have time, please look at the pics and read the last line :)

Finally I made it!! I visited the temple of Lord Ayyappa. It was an experience worth mentioning. I feel so different. I feel so good!

Sabarimala Sri Dharmasastha Temple is the most famous and prominent among all the Sastha Temples. The pilgrimage begins in the month of November and ends in January.Mandala pooja (November16,2009) and Makaravilakku(Jan.14th) are the two main events of the pilgrim season. The temple stays closed during the rest of the year except for the first five days of every Malayalam month and during Vishu (April).

Certain customs are to be strictly observed if one has to undertake a pilgrimage to Sabarimala. The devotees are expected to observe austerities for 41 days prior to the pilgrimage. This begins with wearing of a special Mala( A garland made of Rudraksha or Tulasi beads). In general from then they are to refrain from meat, fish, alcohol, tobacco, sex, using foul words, refrain from hair cut and shaving. They should visit the local temples regularly and only wear plain black, blue or saffron colored traditional clothing.

Sabarimala is one of the most visited piligrim centres in the world with an estimated 45 - 50 million devotees coming every year. The world's second largest annual pilgrimage (after Hajj in Mecca) is reported to be to Sabarimala.However no female between the age of 10-50 are allowed to visit this temple. Among many other reasons the fact that core story attributed to Lord Ayyappa prohibits the entry of the women in the menstrual age group.

Erumeli (a small town in Kottayam district, Kerala) is a place, which is revered by both Hindus and Muslims. That’s because the place is famous for its Sastha Temple andVavar Mosque Vavar is believed to be a close friend of Sri Ayyappa. The vavar swamy mosque is situated right opposite the entrance of the Kochambalam (little temple, Erumeli) where there is an idol of Sri Ayyappa. The pilgrims, after paying obeisance at the Kochambalam, come out dancing, dance into the Vavar swamy mosque, shouting out their traditional chants and with the accompaniment of a musical band with drums and nadaswaram. Then they come out and dance their way through the streets of Erumeli to the Big temple (Valiyambalam).

Okies, that's some info about Sabarimala. Now about my trip!! I started my journey on 10th. I went to a temple to fill my irumudi. lrumudi is the only travelling kit which a pilgrim carries on his head during the pilgrimage. Only those who observe fasting for 41 days are allowed to carry it. Without the Irumudi one is not allowed to step onto the holy 18 steps at the Sannidhanam. This bag is in two compartments - the Munmudi (the front part) and the Pinmudi (the back part) & the opening at centre. The front portion is reserved for keeping all the puja articles and offerings to the deity. The rear part is meant to hold the pilgrims' personal requirements for the journey. No pilgrim, except the Royal Family of Pandalam, is permitted to ascend the `Pathinettam Padi' without carrying an irumudi on the head.

I started my journey from Palakkad, my home town, at around 3 in the evening. Somehow I felt that time was moving very fast!! Usually when ever i travel in bus from palakkad to cochin which is about 150 km, i feel tired! This time though the journey of about 360 km felt like anything but tiring!! I reached Holy Pampa at 12 midnight. Took a dip in Pampa river and I felt all fresh!! Lord Ayyappa (Sri Dharmasastha) appeared to the Pandalam Raja as a child on the banks of the Pamba River. The Pamba River has been venerated as Dakshina Ganga (The Southern Ganges), and devotees of Lord Ayyappa believe that immersing oneself in the Pamba is equivalent to bathing in the Holy Ganges River. Bathing in the river, believed to absolve one's sins, is a requirement before commencing the trek through the forest to the Ayyappan Temple atop Sabarimala.

I started the trek at 12.30. It was cold, but I felt good. The trek was tough indeed. I had to stop at 5 places to catch my breathe before I reached sannidhanam. The devaswam board has done a good job! there are atleast 5 cardiac centres and 8 oxygen clinics on the way to sannidhanam. For youngsters [especially IT guys] I would advice you to start doing cardiac exercises for minimum 40 mins a day, atleast 30 dyas prior to visiting the temple. Treking with irumudikette is not that easy :)

I reached sannidhanam at around 3 in the morning. 6 km uphill from pampa. The darshan starts at 4 in the morning. So i waited in queue till 4. At 4, the temple opened with Ayyappa Suprabhatham sung by K.J.Yesudas. The queue moved fast. By the time I reached in front of the 18 holy steps, I was so excited!!

Sabarimala temple complex mainly comprises of the Holy Eighteen Steps (PONNU PATHINETTAMPADI) in the front side for ascending to the upper thirumuttom, the main temple of SREE DHARMA SASTHA, shrines of KANNIMEL GANAPTHY and NAGARAJA. The pilgrims with IRU MUDI KETTU alone are permitted to ascend the Holy Eighteen Steps. The sacred 18 steps (Ponnu Pathinettampadi) are covered with `Panchaloham'(a preparation of special metals and mortar). The inner meaning of these 18 steps is as follows:-

The first five steps represents the Five Senses(Panchendriyas) ie visual, auditory, olfactory, gustatory and tactile. These signify theortal' nature of one's body. The next eight steps represents the eight Ashtaragas viz Kama, Krodha, Lobha, Moha, Madha, Maltsarya, Asooya, Dhumb(Love, Anger, Avarice, Lust, Pride, Unhealthy Competition, Jealousy and Boast fulness). The next three steps represents the three Gunas (nature-born qualities), Satv, (perspicuity, discernment) , Rajas (activity, enjoyment) and Thamas (inactivity, stupor). The last two steps represents Vidya (Knowledge) and Avidya (Ignorance).

It is believed that, those who detaches themselves from all these worldly pleasure, can see the Lord Ayyappa in real sense. It is considered that after climbing up these eighteen steps reverently, one symbolically detaches oneself from all the worldly ties that bind one physically and mentally to the world . It is only then that a person will be in a receptive condition to be one in consonance with the concept of 'The Ultimate Creator'.

I touched all 18 steps and I felt like never before! The steps led me to the main temple. I had a good dharshan of 5-10 seconds. The feel that you get cannot be explained. No words could represent the peace and calmness i felt at that moment. Its an experiance I would always cherish. Then I had dharshans of Malikappurathamma and Nagaraja.

I started downhill at around 10 in the morning. The way downhill was more dangerous than the way uphill!! Walking through that path without slipppers made me think that this is how we wash our sins!! :) I reached back Pampa by 11.30. Had lunch from there. The went to Nilakkal where my bus was parked. I started my journey back at 2.30 in the afternoon. On my way back I visited Chakkulathukavu Shri Bhagavati temple, ambalappuzha SriKrishna temple and Guruvayoor temple. Watched kathakali at guruvayoor!! It was long journey and I reached back at 7 in the morning.

I took a dip in the Holy river of Pampa, touched 18 Holy steps, had a glimpse of Ponnambalavasi, I feel pure now!