A Doer's Chronicles!

The ever-enduring Anecdote

2011-12-08T00:47:00.001-06:00

As he changes flights across different airports over the past couple of days, VK recalls the reminiscences of the his first journey overseas. August 3rd of 2006, in his life, will be a date that he'd never forget. VK, just like many others in his class, was not too sure of what he wanted to do after he graduated from college and decides to take the momentous choice of most of the Engineers manufactured in Hyderabad.

Just like several others, it was the first time VK was taking a flight to a different destination and just like a thousand others, he was the first in his family to visit the US of America. VK started getting stuff together as the date of his next big step in life neared, bids the final byes to the earnests and still does what he is best at; introspection! "Is this what I really want to do? How different would I be, after I go there? Am I ever coming back?" was the only track on VK's mind despite the fast nearing leap.

Considering the 64 limit on the luggage, VK tried to pack every useless thing that he thought was sensible which included Vim Supreme bar, Rin detergent and the gas stove lighter. Yet, the dude overloaded with some extra stuff and could sneak in through the luggage check in point with the help of influential contacts, which as you know, very well works in India! All the hugging and kissing ceremony was past the security gates and VK entered the terminal dragging the not-so-light cabin baggage, for the first time in his life.

He had to go through the security check point 3 times before VK was clear of everything, as he planned to stuff a few more things in his 8 pocketed cargo pants which could not fit into the over-weight bags. Not sure of what a boarding pass was and unmindful of the distinction between an itinerary and a receipt, VK saved every document that was given to him. While he gets the notification of the first flight getting delayed, VK had no clue of what his next step had to be. Concern-less, he laid there, lost in a world of aimless gaze.

Finally, the moment ticked, when he boarded the enormous, good for nothing and an antiquated flight run by Air India. A saree clad "aunty" rushes towards his seat and questions: "Whose bag is this?" In a spooky voice, VK replies "Mine". "Do you think this is an RTC bus", she asks - the bag was not fit in properly in the cabin; so he casually left it like that (This incident makes him laugh even today :) ). The next thing that VK remembers was looking at the window as he was about to experience his first leap into the sky and then he fell asleep. When he opened his eyes, VK was in London!

VK never knew when the food was served, nor he knew who was sitting beside him. Sloppily, he got up from his seat, walked towards the restroom and realizes that he opened a wrong door, turned the other side and realized that this one is equally small. Not too sure of how to operate the latch, not very keen on using the Western style commode; VK managed to finish the ritual and get back to his seat. Twiddling with the bulky bags, VK finally reached Norfolk airport. The much helpful ISA's volunteers figured out where he was, despite his lousy miscommunication and showed VK, a place to sleep.

The wonderful students already living there, complained about his unbearable odor and advised him to take a shower very politely. He used one of their phones and informed his family and friends that he reached safely and hit the bed. VK woke up after 14 hours and found everything as different as he could ever imagine. He couldn't eat anything at home as no one cooked during weekends and he was reluctant to buy food from outside as he was still in the phase of Dollar to Rupee conversion. Three days later, he had the food that he was longing for and then the struggle for jobs on-campus start.

And then, life moved on .....

Ever since then, VK always tried his best to help every student that he could and fed every student that he hosted.

An Unforgettable Short Journey

2011-11-13T15:11:00.001-06:00

6 weeks, for me, is a short time to get acquainted with someone to actually miss the fun after I leave them. You guys were so awesome, each of you in your own individual way, that you took place in my Blog's Wall of Fame ;). Being in a non-vibrant, activity-less, selfish community for the past 3.5 years, I was very much in need of a positive environment and I could find that solace in you guys. All my initial apprehensions of being in a corporate world and that too among desis was shrugged off when we stared hanging out together.

I wouldn't have asked for better set of people! In you, I found a person who talks just like my brother, a person who looks, talks and dances just like my dad, a person who always reminds me of my girl friend, a "Man of Substance", a loudspeaker who is the heart of the gang, a person who can be as cool as a moose, a person who masters the art of living and the first of my friend's babies that I took in my arms.

If the front row had awesome listeners, the 2nd row had amazing note-takers and the 3rd row had non-stop munchers. Inspite of a few setbacks, all of us were so tight that none of the 5 new people stood a chance to join us, despite Karen's multiple efforts :D. If someone had to master the art of collaboration during exams or plan events in a short time with the least resources, then they have to learnt from us. It was my pleasure to have known each one of you and I'm glad that I've met you guys at a much needed point in my life. Thanks for making this period so memorable.

As the wise always quote, All Good things come to an end and so did ours! Here's to the awesome 6 weeks well spent and all the good times we had together.

Cheers!

--
Choteshwar ;)

With the Photographer

2011-11-09T15:17:00.008-06:00

I don't know how many of you have heard of the short story "With the Photographer" by Stephen Leacock but I just stumbled upon the title while I have been sitting duck through the fritter of photographers floating around on the internet. One should understand the distinctive line between Photographer and lens-bearer. Just carrying a DSLR around doesn't make anyone an ace craftsman, I say that because I've been there and done that.

Thanks to the affordable prices of DSLRs, half of my friends on Facebook own them. Everyone of them has a showcase and samples would be added every now and then until you acknowledge their creativity. Even then, after you carefully choose one photo that really caught your eye and appreciate them for it; it only gets worse. They feel much proclaimed and start clicking everything that they see. In those artistic escapades to explore their creative side, they spook, alarm, rag and leave you with no choice but to watch these common ones:

Yes its me! The most common photograph that I come across. How natural is it for everyone to feel that they are the first ones to explore this angle of their creative side. I'd rather give my camera to someone else and get a good portrait of myself rather than hiding behind the lens.

If you wanted to show just the camera, why do you to bother to take your car out? Don't you have a bigger mirror in your bathroom?

Oh! Those beautiful flowers. Agreed, they are beautiful. There are atleast 3 trees in every street so I wouldn't care even if those beautiful flowers on those gorgeous trees have a pleasant sky in the background.If you really like the world to look that beautiful, how about planting a tree?

There is a similar creed that exists that live on Macro photography. I know it takes a lot of patience and pain to get those but I really don't care because I can see it with my naked eye. I appreciate their effort but could anyone please acknowledge my artistically challenged brain?

Riser and Setter. I know Sunrise and Sunset are beautiful and I like them too but I feel they can be much appreciated when you see them naked, I meant with naked eyes? Probably, this is the most common photograph that everyone captures. Behind the trees, Amidst the clouds, Over the waters, Inside the valleys being the various 'jhalaks'.

The Hallow. Are you kidding me? A floor lamp, Lamp Post, Street light? Is that all theycan think of? Just like Dal Tadka, they add a Black & White or Sepia effect to it to make it look special but it is still the same lame lamp.

If this picture resembles someone's mood, they should probably talk to someone to get over it; uploading pics like these would depress others including them.

Fall is here! This phenomenon is more prevalent among the ones living in the US as this is the first time they notice leaves off trees. I don't know what particularly irks their interest but they seem to be fascinated about this aspect.

The depth, focus and other terms that they quote might sound amazing and wonderful but they should realize that I can find thousands of such images on Google.

Colorful India! Suddenly people find India and its streets very colorful. Never did they turn their heads to peep towards the slums or laborers. These people are busy earning their living and the lens-men are busy capturing their lives, that too in a colorful tone.

With the many photo editing softwares, they can now colorize an old man with his sutta or a rag picker busy with his activities. What is so fascinating about a stray dog or a parked bicycle at the doorstep for that matter? Sometimes they make me feel that I cannot appreciate anything.

The Weapon! Finally, they introduce all of us to the tool which they have been using to drive us crazy all these times. When I look at it, I wonder how beautiful life could have been if they didn't invent Digital cameras in the first place or if the DSLRs costed a fortune.

The craziness doesn't stop with photographs, does it? They have emerged into the era of short-film making now and I don't want to get started on how well they suck at that.

I've used DSLR for a little bit and realized that there are people who could do a much better job than me and some of them were my friends. But the rest of them, like me, still try to force creativity out of themselves even though it doesn't exist in them. People, Live and Let live!

Why are we Cynophobics?

2011-10-08T12:09:00.001-05:00

FYI, Cynophobia refers to being afraid of dogs (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cynophobia)

When I say "We", I'm not generalizing all the Indians; so do not pounce on me. It struck that I should blog about this when I saw a colleague of mine talking about her beloved dog when she was asked to give a 5-minute random presentation on something. She started her presentation with the statement "How many of you are Dog owners and the presenter herself was the only person to raise the hand, as most of the audience were Desis. Everytime I walk with a group of desis on the streets, we pass by a dog and the next thing I see is people changing their walking pattern and they tend to move away from the dog. Devilishly, I muse those moments and laugh it off sometimes recalling how heroically they have been walking before that encounter :). While some of them are not dog-lovers, most of them are intimidated when a dog walks towards them.

While I'm not a dog lover either, I'm particularly not a dog hater too; not that I don't like pets but I like them more in other's houses. When I tell my white colleagues / friends that I have never had a pet before in my life, they give me an amazed look. Is it that bad not having a pet? They ask me, not even a dog? The next question on my mind, "Not even a Dog? Do you expect me to tame a Polar Bear?" I end up saying that more than 60% of the Indian households do not have a pet only to see them even more jolted. The basic thought behind their daze is "How can a person not have a pet?". Well, you would not ask that question if you grow up in a neighborhood where most of the stray dogs are feral and that we don't have Dog-bite laws.

A childhood friend of mine once said "I'm not fretful of the dog, but the 14 injections that I need to take around my belly button." In the back of my mind, I always wondered why are we so Cynophobic? Why do we see a "Beware of Dog" board outside the houses which have dogs as pets, and most of the times all they have is a Pamoranian. Why does every parent scold their their child when they bring in a pup from the roadside? Why does our instinct asks us to walk away from a pet, bet it a cat / dog / bird when it walks towards us? Why do we have instructions about remedies for Dog bites on the back of every text book? (People who have studied State Syllabus in A.P would understand that)

When I question myself, I feel that we are afraid of the fact that most of the stray dogs are feral or semi feral which is likely why we are afraid of dogs. And seeing enough of them chasing you while you are driving, you don't feel like raising one in your home. The well known fact that most of the dogs are not vaccinated doesn't help either. And the icing on the cake would be the stories from people who were bit by one of them and when they show the scar on their body because of that. Irrespective of all these, I never had a pet at home because I never wanted Dogs hair on my bed, couch, floor and elsewhere. I come across people who try to educate me on why a pet is important in life, but I always felt that it is an added responsibility to support another life and I'm not ready for it.

Mera no. aa gaya

2011-09-23T15:29:00.000-05:00

It is time for Lawrence to lose its biggest hater. If you don't know the news yet, I'm moving out of Lawrence on October 2nd, seeking a better job in Pleasanton, CA. I'll be in Boston for 5-6 weeks and will be heading to CA after that. Yes, that means I'll be living with Madhuri. Infact, we are working for the same company now :). Thats a two way treat for me. I get to live with Madhuri and I finally get to escape from Lawrence. This might sound rude, but I'm happy that I'm moving out.

Be it for the geographic location or the type of people that dwell in this place, I was never able to associate myself with this town. That makes it easy for me, not to miss something gravely after I leave this place. Moving in from the East Coast with a vibrant Desi community to Mid West was a major compromise and I felt bad everytime I had to drive 8 hours to visit some place other than Clinton Lake and everytime I had to find sensible people to live / hangout with.

I finally realized that the town is uniquely archetypal and I'm a misfit here. I was just pondering over my 3+ yrs of stay in Lawrence and the things I'd miss the most would be Student Rec Center, Zen Zero, Volleyball, Dandiya and a few sane minions that I wouldn't name. That makes me feel sad, for the social person like me, I never acquainted with anyone so much that I'd actually call them every week and talk hours together as I do with my college / Grad School friends. Maybe it is good because I got to spend time with Madhuri and know her even better!

Ok, I can keep raving for rest of the day but I wouldn't. On a positive note, I thank 2010 and '11 KUCIC teams for having me over and here's me cheering you guys for all the work you have done / did. Everyone can comment and critique from the sidelines but no one really knows what it takes to organize events for a community where majority of its population is passive. Thanks to CREW Network and KU for offering me a job when I needed it the most, even though I got paid in peanuts.

To every person I met in Lawrence, you have helped me prosper by not being anything like me and the people I found solace in, thanks for being in Lawrence atleast for that short period of time. To all the Graduate and Undergraduate "Jayhawks", good luck with your stay here and fare well with the likes of your friends and do better than your seniors. If you need me anytime, you know where to find me (Gmail, Phone, Facebook etc.,) and I'm ready to help as always.

With Cameraman Murali, Blogger Vishnu, Lawrence, KS ;)

Adieu!

8 years and who am I

2011-09-15T12:17:00.004-05:00

A post totally about the College Blues.

It was around this date, 8 years ago, that I entered the gates of an amazing institution; amazing for not its structure or infrastructure but for the people it gave me. Transferring from a relatively new college to this better established institution was an easy decision to make but was not sure if it was the right one. But, the memories that live within me make me feel that my decision could never be any better. These blues are random and frequent but have been re-visiting me lately. I know I already posted my ramblings about this before in Moments of my Life, but it keeps getting back to me everytime I see my friends getting together or visiting the college campus.

I still remember my apprehensive first day at BVRIT. Following an hour long rocking journey in the hogtied bus, I entered the dry yet beautiful campus. If the set of classmates I always hung out with was of one kind, the set of people I traveled with was an amazing group altogether. I remember all the days when the walk from the classroom to the buses was horrifying, avoiding eye contact with the Seniors so that I don't get ragged. Nor did I ever forget the numerous assignments I wrote, not mine but the seniors'. I sometimes wonder, had I put in a little thought behind what I was writing, I'd have scored a few extra marks in my 2nd year ;).

When I roll the reel backwards and see how I have transformed over these 8 years with some introspection involved, I see:

- I don't skip my last two hours of classes for football anymore.
- I don't have any friends around me who are up for random things at random times
- Nobody stops in front of my house late in the night and honks me to step out
- I'm more materialistic now
- People don't join me for a movie or an outing on weekends anymore instead they ask me not to disturb them on weekends
- My 'girl' friends don't call me in the middle of night to rant off their petty issues
- I don't get to go on those long drives with my buddies anymore
- I don't wait for the week to begin anymore, instead I wait for it to end.
- I don't have to tiptoe to get out during the nights so that my parents don't wake up
- I don't have to use the excuse of Combined Studies to watch EPL
- I do attend some of those Fresher's parties but nothing like the ones we had in Pubs
- My humor is not as witty as before because now, I have a girl friend :P
- My laid back levels have dropped or should I say "I'm mature!"
- I don't need to worry whats in my Senior's pocket anymore :)
- I don't have friends who circulate the porn CDs anymore, I just find it by myself on the internet :P

And a few things that still didn't change are:

- I still have friends who work on MY homeworks
- I still play some sport everyday
- I still have the extra vigor for anything fun
- I still dance like Nobody's watching
- I still sit in the last two rows in a classroom / auditorium
- I still live off the food in restaurants and other joints
- I still don't booze or smoke
- I still earn my Pocket money :D

If I ever get a chance to relive my life, I'd rewind it back to my Engineering days because that is when I started to live my life. All the amazing people in my life were found at this place. If I learnt living life from my friends, acquaintances turned into friends because of the seniors who ragged the balls out of us. If it were not for them, I would have definitely missed the mystic pieces of my life. But as Robert Frost summarized life into 3 golden words, I absolutely relate my life to thee and find solace in them.

Cheers to ya'll and Fare well. :)

Why I didn't join you in supporting Anna Hazare

2011-09-02T11:22:00.000-05:00

The title doesn't mean that I'm against him, I just don't support him nor do I encourage others doing it. If his methodologies not matching my Marxist ideologies is one reason, A person of no note carrying a baton that he/she supports Anna Hazare is another reason. You get so vehement just because a person stood up for a cause? What about the number of people that stand up for you? What about the Border Security Force that protect your asses day in and day out, why didn't you feel the necessity to show your concern to them? What about the several social activists who have been pursuing attention for a social cause, why didn't you ever care to reach out to them?

Don't tell me corruption is the only evil bride that is haunting us! I didn't join this movement because I didn't want to be a MEDIA WHORE just like the others. Media might well be serving as the binocular eyes for my perceptual vision but I have got a brain of my own. I'm sad for everyone who has lost it. One suggestion that I can willingly offer is "Open your eyes without closing your mind". You need someone famous to come up and awaken you that something is wrong in this country? Or is it that you were living in the world of self-denial all these times? You would read thoroughly about a guy who is portrayed as a hero by the newspapers and the Media channels but would never care about a person whose fight for a cause is manifested as just a situation.

What about all the Greenpeace India activists who have been protesting against environmental issues. Their fight, off course, is for your benefit too. Did you ever submit a petition on their behalf? Did you ever donate anything towards their activities? They do not have a Anna or a Bedi but they surely have an equally mightier heart and they fight for an equivalent social cause. What about Janaagraha? Their protest was even more persistent than Anna's movement, why didn't you find a need to charter their protest as well? I'll tell you why, because neither did the issues have a political backing nor did any Newspaper / TV media find it scintillating.

Till date, they have been functional because of the realistic and practical ideologies behind their protest and the support of a few socially responsible people (who didn't need someone else shake you up and unite to fight against corruption) who found these organizations worthwhile. I feel sorry for them as there was no one who stood up for them while they were arrested.

I have nothing against Anna Hazare but why are we showing a tendency to rally behind a person and not a cause? If you are falling prey to this new concept of patriotism, fueled by media, by fancing those "I'm Anna, are you?" events and "I support Anna Hazare" badges on facebook or fasting at home in support of Anna's protest; I call you "Half_brain-Dead". Half because you are still fighting for a cause here.

If this is a concern that bothered me all the time, legitimacy of the Jan Lok Pal is another issue which I wouldn't want to write about as I'm afraid it might spam my Blog :P.

Jai Hind.

Confessions of a non-alchoholic

2011-08-12T11:45:00.001-05:00

On a Friday night at a local sandbar;

Waitress: What can I get for you?
Me: Water, thanks!
Waitress (the look on her face): What a loser! (And she never shows up)

I've never believed that a non-alcoholic would have confessions too. For a person like me, I should be an aggressive drinker considering the people I have lived with, the friends I hang out with and for that matter seeing my dad who loves his drink times with his bosom pals. Somehow, it is a deep rooted infliction within me that doesn't let me drink. It is not that I hate being among a group of druk people or I dislike people who drink but I just can't see myself drinking, be it wine, beer or any breezers for that matter.

When I say I don't drink, I don't mean that I am uptight. I enjoy life in my own way, I have my own ways of busting out my stress and I don't need a medium to express my emotions. Without drinking, I'm still much sociable than most of my alcoholic friends if they think it is easy to socialize with a drink in hand. It is not a religious restriction or a lifestyle that somebody imposed on me but it is a personal choice.

Sometimes I feel left out when I'm with a group of people where everyone drinks but then I quickly come back to normalcy because it doesn't need a huge effort to strike up a conversation. I mildly giggle when I'm given the drinks menu along with the dinner menu, thinking thats not me. The whole situation gets much complex when I attend social gatherings with people from work as most of them drink and I usually go with the monologue "Just water for me, thanks".

Some people ask me why I don't drink, and I answer "To imbibe or not is a personal choice". Actually, I can be more silly than the people who are drunk. When I dance, I dance my heart out which I bet most of you cannot even while you are dead drunk. And yes, I remember every word you speak and I never bitched about it other than reciting it back to you and sharing a few laughs. Gladly, I've never been a social pariah when it comes to parties which has drinks. While some people are prejudiced about offering their liquor snacks to the non-drinkers, I gladly offer my soda to mix it with their booze, I beat you down with my attitude here.

Finally, I have always been proud of being determined and sticking to my ideals and hence no remorses. Cheers to all the boozers and the non's. Next time, when you call for a toast, remember that they call it cheers to celebrate but not decimate! I don't stop befriending you because you are thin, fat, ugly, black or bad because you are still a part of my life and I cherish it :)

The Smoke and Mirror that is no more

2011-07-29T11:23:00.001-05:00

If you know how I used to look 4 years ago, you would definitely follow my grief on this huge, yet small piece of life which has gone missing. Have you ever seen the character on 7UP's bottle? Fido Dido, that is exactly how I looked ;) and having said that I was never depressed because I still felt good about myself and the people around me. May be it is my attitude that saved me from getting bullied or picked on by the "good-looking" people. I always felt splendid as I didn't have to think twice before I eat or read the calories per serving on everything I eat. Not that I do now, but just saying! And weirdly, I never felt like going to a gym or working out to put some mass on; just like I ignore warming up before I play.

I don't know why I was smitten by the act of hitting the gym after I came to Lawrence, but it had become a part of my daily lineup, later in 2010. To avoid being a typical workout newbie, I avoided the mirrors in the gym so that I can get the job done and get out. I hate gaping myself at the mirror for hours together but I couldn't escape the wrath of this monster who came into Madhuri's bedroom in August 2010. I'm not very good in dimensions but it was half the size of the Table-tennis table. It was hung in such a fashion that anybody passing by that room canot resist looking at themselves in the mirror.

It all started with random sojourns and soon I realized I started admiring those tiny little curvaceous bumps on those once-decumbent arms. I very well knew that I was not building that fast but the mirror has been serving as the Smoke and Mirror in my life and was showing me what I was not. Even though, I knew that I was looking at the fabricated me, I was feeling good about myself which kept me motivated to go to the gym, come rain or shine. It was aberrant, but it was my friend because it was doing no harm, rather it was doing good by propelling my determination.

I gradually befriended it and made my stop overs count. I shared my muses with Madhuri but she smiled it away considering it to be kiddish. Last month, I had to sell it away to someone as Madhuri moved out and it was too huge to be carried along with me. Even after she left, I have been working out but never did anything motivate me as much as it did. Now I have noone who could tell me how well the dumbbells have been working one me. I still eat, play, workout and sleep but nothing feels as good as it tickled my inner, falser but bigger me ;)

A letter of probe

2011-07-13T15:18:00.000-05:00

Dear Dr. Manmohan Singh,

I am Vishnu Kamisetty, a 26 year old citizen of the Republic of India who is smitten by grief, seeing Mumbai bleeding through its roots. I was one of those numerous people who read and circulated those emails which read 'Most eligible Prime Minister' and had all your achievements listed. I believed in you so much that whenever someone criticized you of not commenting on several issues or not taking actions against the fraudulent cabinet ministers, I laughed at the people for their ignorance. But today, I sense that I am one among those fools who still believe in your capabilities.

While I write the next few lines, I still understand that you are in a 'Easier said than done' position. I was really glad when you accepted to serve the country as the Prime Minister because I was under the delusion that a person of your caliber, a personality of your experience and a scholar of your abilities could mould the future of this nation. Time and again, there have been flaws in the administration and I, just like several fellow citizens, vindicated those assuming that we have a better day ahead. Today, I stand in a day of agony, holding none other than you responsible for it.

Why You? Just as a parent is responsible for safeguarding his / her family, you are the one we turn to if we have any problems. I'm growing apprehensive day after day, about my family, friends and colleagues across India. For that matter, I'm concerned about my future too. No one would like to closely follow the scrolling news to see if their dear ones are alive or not. Innocent lives are being lost at the cost of your negligence. Had you pressurized on getting leads from Ajmal Kasab's case or had you devoted some amount of the scandalized resources towards National security, we would have saved atleast a few lives if not all.

I totally understand how valuable human life is and so should several others, for everyone of us to live in harmony. If they don't, it is our responsibility to scourge the wrong-doers. How long do you plan on feeding Ajmal Kasab and keep him alive? I reluctantly think that a few lives could have been saved if there was action taken on him. Do you need someone to pierce through your heart and walk away to remind you that you are hapless? These words might be spears of anguish but they come after they have been patiently tamed for several years. You'd know what I'm talking if you walk in the streets without any security ties. How would you feel, yes that is how secure an average Indian citizen feels.

I do not want to be just another person who criticizes the government, I want you feel responsible and take action. If a small group of dysfunctional heads can target a huge nation like us, how should a 64 year old Democratic, Secular and Socialist Sovereignty react to them? What would you do if some vandal hurts someone in your family? I don't know about you but I'd rather die striking back teaching them a lesson so that they don't hurt anyone else rather than consoling myself to get compromised with the situation. It is not just you that should feel guilty for all this, all your cabinet ministers who have been busy nourishing their bank accounts from the scammed money and all the indirect leaders who have been affecting the functioning of the government ought to feel guilty.

With all due respect, I believe that you'll live up to our expectations.

Thank you,
Vishnu Kamisetty.

Who is D.K. Bose?

2011-07-06T10:27:00.000-05:00

Ever since I watched the promo, I wanted to see what the song was all about and after I saw the movie, I wonder who is D.K. Bose and why is he running.

Is it Shiney Ahuja running after his maid servants or is it Swamy Nithyananda running after his female devotees?
Is it Anna and Co., running after the Lok Pal bill or is it Baba Ramdev fleeing from his camp in a Salwar kameez?
Is it Rahul Dravid running and scoring elegantly in Test Cricket or Sania mirza running hard to exit from the 2nd round of Wimbledon?
Is it our Honorable Prime Minister running away from the media avoiding facing questions or is it the media itself running after useless coverage.
Is it the Telangana leaders who are trying hard to make the best profits out of the worst situations or is it the other group of politicians competing to gather in Tihar jail?
Is it Julian Assange trying to save Wikileaks from falling into the hands of the faulty governments or is it the common man revolting against Anarchies?
Is it the U.S Navy seals who were chasing Osama or is it the Indian Govt. who are still hunting for leads on the 26/11 attacks?
Is it the Delhi women who are trying to save themselves from getting abused or is it someone warning the Bachelors from getting hitched?
Or, or, or, may be it is just me trying to run away from Kansas.

Bollywood Rewind

2011-06-24T17:26:00.002-05:00

In 1970's we ousted America as the largest producer of films and secured the name Bollywood and ever since we have been producing films to be a part of the rat race. Some of them churned money, some earned awards and a few spread awareness while most of them gave birth to a new culture. As the saying goes, Life is not a movie, they initially directed movies to show people what they always dreamt in their life and their little amusements. Then they kept producing, re-producing and finally de-producing such films. We are now at a stage where we appreciate movies that are much closer to real life, you don't think so? Why was "Page 3" acclaimed?

Since its inception, Bollywood has been through several transformations. I know when people say Change is Good, but is it really? In this case, I'm puzzled! Also, they say Old is Gold. But again, I don't completely agree. I was not present in the 70s nor did I watch all the movies that were ever produced. But I think I have watched enough movies, significantly more than the normalcy, to do the judgement. Lawrence, KS makes me search for all kinds of scummy movies to avoid dawdling and over the past few days I was wondering, is this how screwed up the industry is?

I remember my dad making me watch movies like Yarana and Sholay while I was growing up and we enjoyed it passionately. I wonder what the kids of next generation get to watch with their dads - Dostana? Ram Gopal Varma ki Aag? or some movie in which Akshay Kumar is still a hero doing stunts? Thanks to technology, we are atleast able to secure the prints of those Good Old movies.

And don't even get me started on the songs, which are the spices of our cuisine called Bollywood. Gone are the days of Ghazals, sweet lyrics and shayaris; All we are left with is 'Hard Kaur'ed music and dhin chak dhin chak beats. The other day, I was listening to this song, Char Bhaj gaye hein and was thinking to compose my own song. It is easy pals, grab some Homophones and put it at the end of each stanza. Make a khichdi by using some cool hippy words like rock, disco, party, chick as the fillers and boom, you are a rockstar right there. I do, I really do enjoy that song and that is what baffled me - what the heck is happening? The other day, I was listening to radio online and Iheard this song Karma is a bitch and the song was stuck in my head for the whole day - not a good sign for Monday morning, is it? They also have this new strategy of bringing in non-Indian singers like Snoop Dogg, Lady Gaga and Akon to compose Bollywood Music; don't you think it is something like Pizza Kolhapuri or Kashmiri Lasagna?

Much unlike the yester years, the beauties cannot do the acting and the "Actresses" are not considered beautiful, so we pretty much have to make a choice. Back then they had beauties like Helen perform the item songs. Now, lead heroines have to compete for those numbers. And they compensate their unmatchable dancing skills with skimpier clothes. However, some actors did take dance seriously and carried Mithun's dance steps to a completely different level. Thank God, we were not stuck with the Jumping Jack and several others of that era. But along with that, they bring their chiseled six packs which they ought to show in every song possible - yes you can call me jealous!

But whatever might be the season, somethings in bollywood never change:

Salman Khan strips his shirt off atleast once in all his movies
Actors still don't grow moustache until and unless the director insists and they get paid extra for that
Akshay Kumar still does Slapstick comedy and always has stunts in his movie - irrespective of the genre
Kapoors and Khans still comprise a major part of the industry
90% of the movies are hero-oriented
Sunny Deol can still kill 200 people in one take
Rajeev Masand still doesn't know how to review films
Every hero has a fan base - including Uday Chopra, Tushar kapoor, Zayed Khan and Fardeen Khan
There'll be a fancy song in which the hero and his heroine would be on a mountain or a valley out of nowhere
There will be a doctor or a police or a lawyer or all the three in most of the movies.

Cheers to Bollywood!

Take that Ms. Banerjee

2011-06-11T16:47:00.001-05:00

This post is in response to Ms. Madhuri Banerjee's 5 Guys every woman should have. I was utter shocked to see a renowned and responsible journalist misconstruing a noble act of five brothers and an eternal sacrifice made by one of the noted chaste woman in Hindu mythology. Your post might have talked about the 5 guys a woman must have but mis-portraying Draupadi to be lucky and walking with a different person after every sunset makes me question your credibility. You probably have to revise your knowledge on this subject before you even think about it.

1st thing - She was shared among the five husbands because of the vow that Kunti had imposed on the five brothers. Kunti (woman) imposed it and the Pandavas (Men) abode by that, respecting their mother. But, one has to never forget that the same scriptures mentioned Draupadi bearing just one son (Abhimanyu) with Arjuna who won her in the swayamvara. Do you know what must have gone through the mind of a woman when she is asked to share 5 husbands and the men simply fall for that vow imposed on them by another woman? You wanted to support your non-sensical post about a woman having 5 men in her life before she gets settled with one, quoting the example of Draupadi? - Can anyone get more foolish than that?

As far as your post is concerned, there are men who fit in all the 5 categories you mentioned, PERFECTLY! Stop fooling yourself and come out of the virtual world called self-denial. The man who can treat you like a woman is standing right next to you, kissing you good night every single night and tugging you safe into the blanket every day. This coin called Relationship has another facet as well, if you ever wanted to flip it. You named just 5 types of guys a woman should be with, I can start counting on the different types of woman a man must be with before he settles with one and the counter never stops.

Did you ever read this phrase:

Karyeshu Dasi, Karaneshu Manthri;

Bhojeshu Mata, Shayaneshu Rambha;

Roopeshu lakshmi, Kshamayeshu Dharitri;

Satkarma Nari, Kuladharma Pathni

It is a verse from Neethisaram, in praise of women! It clearly classifies every aspect of how a woman should be and people like you wouldn't understand because you think you are much ahead of the philosophy and ethics in life. Do you think, making Chick Flicks or authoring posts like these make you sound Uber cool? You may well be cool but would never master the Art of being a Woman. There is difference in living life and leading life and neither you nor people who admire your post / work would understand that. It is way out of your league!

And yes, I forgot to throw some light on the contrasting side, the >5 types of women that men should have

1. A girl who doesn't have a lot of expectations from him.

2. A woman who doesn't nag about everything all the time

3. A woman who can let him be at peace

4. A woman with lesser mood swings

5. A woman who can cook well and feed him, sometimes if not daily

6. A woman who can let him be himself

7. A woman who allows him to talk without thinking twice

8. A woman who is unselfish and not over protective

9. A woman who doesn't pester him to talk out everything

10. A women who can understand that Men don't enjoy Window shopping

I can keep writing all day, but I feel that it is a mere waste spending more time to revert back to you. I have other useful things to do in life. I am glad I don't have as many complaints about women in my life as you do (about men in your life)!

Adieu!

Facebook-ology

2011-05-27T12:42:00.001-05:00

The much needed post for the wellness of the Cyber mankind. I don't want to wake up everyday to see my facebook page filled with idiocy that I don't really care about and so do several others who are just there to find their long lost friends or may be for some casual ball. Urban Dictionary, my Dutch Uncle, terms "Facebookology" as 'The knowledge of whats going down on Facebook'. A couple of people asking me to blog about this and Sapota's mere frustration made me think about the Facebookology. Over the past few months, I was analyzing the spectrum of my friends on facebook. I couldn't resist but categorize them into gangs:

1. Fervent Faction: People in this gang are always upto something. There are people who 'like' every status message they come across; there are people who add every person they just stare at, you just smile at them on the road and there'll be a friend request even before you go home; there are people who are crazy about one particular thing and keep hammering their passion on the rest of the junta. We don't really care, you see!

There is a small group of people within this gang who are really curious on who visited their profile and who tagged them. They try all the different apps that are available on facebook, "Your Top follwers", "Who you would kill you", "Who is your best friend". "What would be your future". Damn it, don't you really know who your best friend is, do you need an app for that?

2. Jobless Jarheads: People in this gang never know what facebook is all about. They assume it to be a toy box. They are too idle to kill the time. They share every video they see, even though it was uploaded on the internet in the Stone Age and everyone else has already shared it like a thousand times. They think, think, think and think and then decide to spend their time wisely, they create a Farmville or a Cityville account. If that is a guy, he would create Mafia wars account because he is too masculine to design farms. They don't stop there, they feel privileged to show their farm layouts and city planning on facebook and the people whom I'd like to really appreciate are the ones who actually open those photos and 'Like' them.

And if they are too wise, they would start asking facebook which celebrity do they look like and who would be their life partner. Ok, I'd take the liberty to tell you that you are acting like an Ass now (whether you take that to be a donkey or the behind, it is upto you). You might do it for fun, but we plead you to create a private account for that, add people who could tolerate those activities and share your feelings there. We respect your privacy.

3. Spamming Syndicates: The subgroups in 1 & 2 and a few other people comprise this gang. All they know is clicking on the link which comes across their way. They something interesting about them, "Your best friend", "Your top follower", "Yo XXXXX you were tagged in this video". People in this gang are really self indulgent which is why I think are always after the word"You/Your". And Ta Da! they are all over facebook posting spam. And finally, we see a sorry message at the end of the day asking us not to click. Thank you, We are not as foolish as you were!

4. Barging Barrens: People in this gang are the ones who keep the facebook server up and running all the time. They are keen on updating their status every hour. If they have nothing to say, they post !@#$%^&. And you don't feel like hiding their updates because they are too dear to you. Now, there is a small fraction of this gang which does not post crazy special characters but they'd crash land into every possible place in the neighborhood and "Check-in". If you are with a group of friends and hanging out after a long time, we understand. But if you are alone, busy doing nothing at some cinema hall or shopping mall, who cares?

Sapota predicts that there would be days when people will start updating their statuses to "Just had breakfast", "Just had coffee at Starbucks", "Window shopping at XYZ Mall with Tom, Dick and Harry". He says "He has much bigger problems to worry about".

5. Juvenile Jammers: People in this gang are just out of high school and they think they are too old for myspace or orkut. It would have been much better if Zuckerberg regulated the access only for .edu email addresses. He could have weeded out all these High School Graduates who do nothing but tag people in crazy photos or continuously access the useless apps on facebook. The other day it took 10 minutes to remove all the crazy tags I was associated with. Time is not a matter, patience is!

6. Legitimate Laggers: I termed them 'Laggers' because people often tend to forget to notice any updates from people in this Gang. And that is because rest of their screen's real estate has been occupied by the rest of the gangs above. These people try to spread general awareness or share interesting articles but noone really cares because they are fed up with the numerous scumming. And hence doesn't show up in the News Feed. It also includes the people who are victims of the 5 groups above and the sole reason they are on facebook is to know how and what their friends are doing. But sadly, all they say is Horoscopes, Paul the Octopus's updates, Which Celebrity are you, Top viewer of your profile and every possible useless piece of crap.

Some people implode within themselves, some laugh at the rest, some bitch about them, some feel worried and people like me BLOG. Share it! To the change, fellas!

The eternal Black Hole called Job Search

2011-05-20T13:11:00.000-05:00

Everyone in this world goes through this phase atleast once unless the person is really wealthy and aimless in life. Surprisingly, I have been getting back to this phase every year since 2004. It never gets rid of me and I never get tired of it and the irony is we get along pretty well. I have now become a Master at Job Searching techniques and I sometimes end up thinking that I should probably start a firm that would help others with Job Search. I still ace up my sleeves when it comes to job search, sometimes I have been lucky and sometimes it has been hard on me. Speaking Chronologically:

May 2004 - After finishing 2nd year of college, I feel that I'm a grown up and should stop pestering my parents for my luxuries and I am on the roads searching for some part-time jobs. Dubiously following Sapota's advise - I take up a "Faltoo" job where my earnings hardly met my necessities.

January 2005 - I decide to take another path and start tutoring while I study for my GRE and earned quite a bit but that ended very soon when the high school kid finished his High School.
May 2006 - Straight out of college, I decide to pursue Masters. Having found a 3 months leisure, I attended several interviews for Call Center jobs and failed and finally ended doing Event Management.
August 2006 - I come over to the US, my hunt for on-campus jobs and assistantships start; I was the first one to start and the last one to end up with one.
December 2007 - Realizing that I would have enough time for next Summer, I search for the jackpot Internships and off campus jobs
June 2008 - I decide to move out to Kansas and start searching for jobs in KANSAS
2009 - Tired of working Part time, I search for a full time job (all year long)
2010 - The search continues
2011 - Madhuri leaves Kansas and now I'm searching again

A typical day during this phase would include atleast 10 emails saying that you application has been rejected and atleast 50 of them saying that "We have received your resume". Whilst I'm not qualified for most of them, rest of them do not like "International Aliens". I'm still not tired of wearing the Black suit over and over to look professional. As an insult to an injury, I graduated from Grad School in 2008 which I feel is the worst time that one could ever graduate. I have composed thousands of emails, formatted my resume atleast 20 times and tailored 50 different cover letters to suit different jobs but I still feel I'm an under-achiever. I ruled out speculations regarding 3-page resumes, skepticisms about international hiring and still I find myself nowhere closer to those numerous job postings floating out there.

Everytime, I talk to someone - I get to hear "I hear the Job Market is good these days"! Hell yes, Can't you see I'm working on 5 different jobs simultaneously, Do you care for one? It looks to me like 1000s of my emails and 10,000s of my applications are just going down the drain. They set out in the right direction, but they never are reverted - just like the ships entering the Bermuda Triangle and never coming back. Some said, your resume is still being reviewed, some said the position has been offered to someone else, some said they closed the position, very very few said they'd offer me the position and most of them never responded. I always wondered why they responded back using Postal mails to say that I was not selected for the interview process. Some people, however, make it look like a cake walk off course through the back door referrals while some join the racketed firms with no option left and take up a challenge disguising 5-15 years of their life. These people should enter the Ripley's Believe it or not contest.

The whole application process starts with Google searching for jobs in my area and the process goes to an extent that I end up at wikipedia searching for local companies with Careerbuilder, Linkedin and several others being the usual pit stops. Rarely, I make it to the interview process and then the merry begins. It starts with "Tell Me about yourself" and it ends with "You'll hear back from us soon". I'm tired of answering the questions: What are your strengths and weaknesses and I'm falling short of instances that would explain situations when I had a problem at work and how I overcame it. Yes, I am a team player and I love conversations. No, my bosses never had any complaints against me and never did I cause any problems to my co-workers. I know A, B, C, C++, JAVA, COBOL, VB, .NET, SAP, TCP/IP, YAMAHA 2.5 and everything that you can name and you can pay me just 25K an year.

Good Luck to the folks who are in searching phase and applause for the ones who have been through it successfully.

2 hours minus Technology

2011-05-11T11:46:00.002-05:00

This dude I'm talking about is alone right now and has scheduled several appointments over the 1st half of the day on a cloudy Wednesday. He owns a car which needs to be serviced, has a Debit card and its PIN has been locked out and a Sony Ericsson C 905 with a shattered screen and as the menu card reads, today's special is fever + nausea. Apparently, he realized that he has to catch up with a lot of things that were being pushed over a few weeks but what he didn't realize was that he had planned too much for the next 2 hours.

After a night full of rigorous coughing and non-stop sneezing, he reluctantly wakes up, showers and decides to go to work, only after finishing those tasks. While brushing his teeth, quickly grabs a pen and writes down the list of things that need to be done. Grunting at the new guy who has been shouting directly to Chennai without using the phone, he cursed himself for having found a new roommate. He then did what he is usually best at, plan the order of doing things. After listing down few of the many to-do things, he set out hoping to complete all the listed tasks. After he drove for a mile, he realized that he forgot his antiquated cell phone at home. Without giving it a second thought, he decided to drive further and complete each of his tasks one after the other. And the story starts here!

He directly goes to the Service Center, drops his car off for an Oil Change and a few other fixes. He manages to get a ride in his own car to downtown where he could get and moving most of his works. He first visits the library to renew a books and realized that it didn't open until the next 1 hour, so he had no other option than returning the books through a dump. He then decides to walk to the one of the banks which was one of the few tasks and felt the deficit of a 50 oz weight in the left side of his jeans. He missed it because he could have avoided walking alone and staring at Spring deserted pavements and traffic lights. Dawdling and ambling, he finally approaches the bank, tries to open the door swiftly and no sooner he notices the "Hours of Operation" in-scripted right by the handle.

Ta-Da! Only if he had a phone, he could have survived the boring Wednesday morning waiting 30 more minutes for the bank's door to open. Or, he could become the Alladin to chant Khul-ja-Simsim. The latter one was impossible and the former one far too possible. As he was counting the number of cars that passed by him, sitting on the side steps, a stranger from the nearby gas station walks up to him. He extends his hand out to him, greets him, and introduces himself as David and his opening line was "I am not the David in the Bible". By now, this dude has judged the new dude who was in his mid fifties to be a homeless guy who was waiting to rant away his ramblings. As expected, he turned out to be one. For a change, he was a well-informed homeless man. They both talked about ethics, mythology and politics. As a matter of fact, he was just listening while the old man kept saying. He again wondered, while still pretending to listen to the man very keenly, how could he forget his phone. Just before 9.00 AM the man left and he made this dude promise him that he'll attend the "Jazz House" while he played Ukelele tonight.

As the doors opened, he got his work done at the bank and set right out for the next thing on his list, to another bank. As he was feebly walking, he now realizes that he hadn't brought Gatorade which could have given him some energy to walk the couple of streets to reach to the bank. By the Grace of the Holy Mother, he reached there, got his work done. He comes out, walks to the bus stop and he realizes that he does not have the Bus Route Map to now when and where to board the bus. After waiting for a couple of minutes, he decides to take the '11' no. bus (11 -> two legs) and starts walking. He gets weaker and weaker as he walks and finally reaches the service center. He was on his own after that but look at how he could have saved time with technology.

He could have used the phone to know the timings of the Banks or the Library
He could have walked to the bus stop and take the bus instead of walking all the way
He could have avoided the intellectual discussion with the aged man
He could have called the Service Center and arranged a pickup from Downtown.

The dude in this post has not given me the rights to disclose his real name. But you know who :D

The Name Game

2011-05-06T17:01:00.004-05:00

A lazy Sunday morning, something wobbles by my pillow while I'm still cozied under my comforter and no later I realize it is my cell phone that is vibrating, dragging me out from my hard earned Weekend sleep. In a blunt voice: I say Hello and the other person on the line says: "Is this Shake-it?" FYI Ladies and Gentleman, my full name is 'Shakti Vishnu Teja Kamisetty', the whole underlined part counted as my First Name. I sprung up from my sheets and said "Who?" She resumed her jumbling and started saying "Can I speak to Shake-it Kiss-i-maa...". Now I was totally up on my feet and said "You might want to stop right there! My name is Shakti Kamisetty and you can call me Vishnu (very sternly for an early morning's 11.00 AM call)."

If this was my encounter, some of my friends had their share of funny experiences as well. "Sai Kamineni", the good friend and then roommate of mine, visited his Graduate Advisor and the first question that popped out from his big head was "Are you Kameena?". Within his mind, Sai cursed, "Tu Kameena, Tera baap Kameena, tera poora khandaan kameena" but couldn't raise a word. He calmly corrected the advisor and walked out. This guy Vamshi from Kansas sadly told me how his name was butchered sometimes. Sometimes he called "Wash-me" and sometimes "Wameesh". My name was anagram-ized several times too, calling me "Vunish", "Vunashi" and what not. I always wondered why can't they simply follow the syllables; pronouncing We-issh-nu is no rocket-science!

While some people tailor their names accordingly so that they don't feel ridiculed, some people make sure they are called correctly. Yogesh, a guy I know cut short his name to "Yo" and that made people ask his name thrice instead of twice. Madhuri, tailored it to "Maudri" as people are ignorant of the "dh" syllable. Vidya Shankar challenged a gora, that he'd give him $10 if he got his name right the 1st time and made it simple by asking him to call him "V". I, at times, used the name "Victor" instead of "Vishnu" esp. at Taco Bell and Mc. Donalds to make their life easier but I stopped doing that after I was made realize by Madhuri. So now, I fall under the category of people who make sure they are called correctly - "Vishnu with a V".

Nevertheless, I had problems with my name even before I came to the US. My name was too long to be entered into the High School Certificate. I was amazed to see that it was longer than 24 characters and as usual, puzzled, I asked my parents "Why 3 names while I am just one person?" I am sure many of you have some funny experiences too, would love to listen!

We, The NRIs

2011-04-15T12:48:00.003-05:00

This is about you guys, oh sorry! This is about us (a fairly large percentage of us), who leave their motherland with uncertain aspirations and much certain fascinations. We don't know how good / bad it would turn out to be but we definitely anticipate a change and here we are, with a much changed perspective. I am no judge to decide if that is boon or bane but I definitely say that it is a pure case of glibness.

We always support Anna Hazare and several other against corruption but we forget the fact that we paid a bribe to get our passport verified with the police department.
We earn in Dollars, Yen and Pounds and never deem about charity in Rupees.
We happily question the integrity of the political leaders while we never step forward to lead a community / student organization in the first place.
We accuse the system even before we are in it.
We envision a brighter India and boast about it to everyone around but seldom think of supporting an organization that does it.
We outdo others (you know who!) in Racism. Moreover, we are sexists, ageists and prejudiced based on everything possible.
We don't know how does it feel to Volunteer because we never do it. We are the most selfish people.
The only place we raise our voice is on Networking Sites.
We are the biggest promoters of piracy.
We make the best use of Google search and never say thanks. We watch videos on youtube but never hit 'Like'. You read my whole article but never comment on it :P
We talk, accuse, judge and never act!
We want everything "Spicy"
Gatorade is our new substitute for Water
Finally, We always dream about returning home and never actually do it. Hence the name, Never Returning Indians!

Keep it up!

The new Dronacharya

2011-04-07T13:22:00.000-05:00

I faced one question from everyone while I was growing up and I believe most of you had similar questions posed to you: "Beta, bada hoke, kya banega?" (What do you wish to be after you grow up?) Sometimes, I just passed that question as I never knew what was in store for me and sometimes I said I wanted to become IAS officer which was a common trend when I was a kid. While some thought I was serious as they believed I had the caliber, I laughed it off as I was not sure if I was prepared enough to pass my slip test the next day. And with my sardonically ground breaking General Knowledge, I know I was aiming at the obviously unachievable.

As I met new people and sailed through different phases of life, I was getting better at knowing what I was good at and what I was terrible at. Everyone I met helped me to gain a perspective of my life and my parents made it even easier for me, by imbibing the most positive values in me. Having 'it' in me is one aspect while realizing my strengths is an absolute different thing and Madhuri made me realize the obvious strengths I had. The last couple of years, I have been trying to get to the point where I always have foreseen myself. I never had a blueprint chalked out, but I had an obscure image of where I would see myself after 10 or 20 years. Especially, the state I am in right now, at a professionally thriving phase, I needed someone to look up to who thinks on the same grounds as I do.

On April 2nd, 2011, I realized that he was the person I always had been thinking of. I then forfeited all my neutral opinions on this person. There was a time when I doubted his selfish attitude in scoring runs, but after I saw him cheered by a billion hearts en masse, I ruled out every minor skepticism I bared. If someone is carrying you on their shoulders all around the field, if people are cheering every move of yours (either you bat, bowl, field or just even walk), if you are respected with Honorary Doctorates from multiple institutions; you are not just any athlete! It was really amazing to see everyone cheering him when he fielded, although the only thing he did was stop the ball and that too normally. I can't think of anyone else who enjoys a similar privilege.

I still believe that it is not just your batting expertise that brings you all these admirers but it is the disposition that you carry around, the way you maintain your ground, the lifestyle you lead and much importantly the humble attitude you possess. I was entirely spellbound when I saw the youngsters carry you on their shoulders and when the crowd gave you a standing ovation during the post-match celebrations. You should really have something spectacular in you to win so many hearts and this day, Sir, I idolize you as my Dronacharya. Having said that, I didn't mean I wanted to be a pioneer in Cricket but I shall practice being humble when I get famous. Unlike you, I was never adept in anything I did but today, I take an oath that I'll be useful to my country at some point in my life and the direction of my ambition would be - To be remembered by several people around me, who would celebrate my victory as theirs and absolutely love me for who I am.

I have had people in my life who admire me as a good Friend, a good Leader, a good Senior,a good Athlete, also as a good Human but I now dream of being 'like' Sachin! You are the only person after my Dad, I totally look up to in most of my deeds. Not just for scoring tons of runs but for the MAN you are; for the athletic ability you possess at the age of 37; for the social responsibility you display; for the ground you maintain; for the way you never ignore your admirers. Take a bow Master!

I don't know if I could get this to you ever but I hope to see your comment someday :).

Yours Faithfully,
VK (Remember these initials!)

Hub of Innocent joys -> War Zone

2011-03-11T12:25:00.000-06:00

Not once in my 26 years of life, did I ever regret the fact that I come from the city of Hyderabad - The city of Pearls, The city of Hearts , The city of verve, The city of vivacity and The city that is looked up by several other places in the world. For the first time, I feel sorry for myself for having lived among people who are senseless and heartless. I wandered around every nook and corner of Hyderabad and always loved the composite culture and beauty of the city. I spent the adolescent years of my life in Basheerbagh which is just adjacent to the Burgula Ramakrishna Bhavan (just 10 minutes of walk from Secretariat, Tank Bund, Necklace Road and Himayat Nagar).

I walked atleast a 100 times on the Tank Bund even before most of the surrounding areas weren't developed. There was no Viceroy Hotel, Buddha hadn't secured his place yet in the waters, water in the Hussain Sagar was clean and there were no eateries alongside. By that I meant that I had seen it in the most original state. I can safely recall most of the weekends where my parents used to drive us brothers on the much reliable Bajaj Chetak to the Tank Bund and show us the city. I remember the times when we used to park the scooter at a point and just stroll down the lawns across the 2.3 kms stretch, stopping at each statue of the famous personalities and reading the description underneath the statues (Both in Hindi and Telugu to improvise our reading skills). Sometimes my dad used to narrate a story on one of those eminent people on how they impacted the society. I grew up reading and listening to stories about each and everyone of them. I also remember the days I repeated the names of each person in order, on my way back from school and I was right everytime I attempted. That is how I am associated with those figures.

Yesterday, when I heard the news, I realized that I was raised among the people who could bring the lives of all the great personalities like Sri Annamacharya, Sri Sri, Kandukuri Veeresalingam, Gurajada Apparao, Sir Arthur Cotton and 8 others into their scummy Regional Differences. I felt bad for myself and pity for the agitators having lost their brains. I felt numbness in my eyes when I watched the footage and I wanted to express my anguish which was felt deep within.

How could they forget Veeresalingam's effort to curb Sati? Pothana's work in Telugu literature? Sir Arthur Cotton's dedicated life to Prakasam Barrage? They possibly forgot the fact that they wouldn't have been existing on this earth if Sati was not curbed and one of their grand mothers or great grandmothers had to sacrifice her life during that time. They must have ignored the truth that the grains that they are feeding on is a result of the Dam built by Arthur Cotton who is no way linked to India. Did they even forget that Annamacharya was just a devotee of the Lord that everyone of us pray? This is what one gets after they do so much to the society. The same hypocrites who associated the establishment of YSR's statues in a various parts of the city have lead the groups to demolish the statues of the more respectful people who made an impact on the Telugu society. Why don't they dare to touch the statues of NTR or YSR? Don't they have balls to do that?

Besides, after all the damage was done, our great political leaders enter the arena and declare the Million March - "A SUCCESS"? I was pondering over it all night and was shocked to see some TRS leader speaking on TV9 - justifying the acts of vandalism. I was checking out the news today and people commented on various articles on the internet saying "There is nothing called telugu pride. This is sychopathic imagination of andhrites." I assumed that the people who can access internet should have been well educated and I was shocked to see many such people backing the vandals. Once again, I went into stealth mode for being living among them for 22 years.

Dr. J.P's speech on the tragedy was so emotional, I was moved; You should listen to that. A senior from my school said this in Telugu

Telugu jathi siggutho tala dinchukunna vela....Telugu saahitya ownatyanni chatina annamayyanaa meeru nela koolchindi..Telugu vaari raacharikanni ellalaku chupina Sri Krishna Devarayala vaarina meeru mattubettindi...Telugu aadabidda roudramunu teliyaparichina veera Rudramma naa meeruu....auraa...siggu sigguuu

Shame on you people who instigated this and people who support this!

My First Crush and the first Love Letter

2011-01-14T09:52:00.000-06:00

Did you ever write a love letter to someone? Who was the first woman / girl you had a crush on? I was pondering over these two things early in the morning today. I made sure I blog about it after I wake up from my dream and here I am.

Every guy passes through this phase. If not, you might want to relive your younger years once again. Talking about me, being born notorious :P, I had my first crush at the age of 12 and my first love letter at the age of 7. Oh yes, you read that right! I know it has to be the contrary but my Love Letter came much before I had a serious crush on someone.

I don't remember if that was due to the after-effects of a movie that I saw the previous day or watching someone do it but I did this when I was in Class 3. I opened my Notebook and on the Hardback (Cardboard cover after the last page), I wrote "I LOVE ". I didn't disclose her name here for obvious reasons. It was as if I was making a statement, rather than writing a Love Letter. I went home in the evening and as usual my mother starts flipping the pages of my notebook for the day's classwork and 'Bang' suddenly I remember that I inscribed these famous writings on my notebook. My looks were wandering around the corners of the room (as usual) looking for an apt lie (explanation).

In stern, she questions me "What is this?"
Me: What? (As if I don't have the tiniest hint of whats going on)
Me: "I LOVE " (I read it aloud), "Who wrote that?" :D
She: "Looks like you wrote that, thats how your handwriting is"
Me: I told her that someone might have forged that in my book as I didn't know who did that ;)

I couldn't perceive her thoughts with my budding Mind reading skills but I was quite sure that she got convinced. You know haw hard it is for a 7 year old to understand whats going on in the mind of a person who is 3 times older to you and that too a woman. Well, that day, I escaped narrowly and my notebook was changed but I still remember that incident. The irony of the whole episode is I am still a good friend of that girl and I never wrote a Love Letter per say after that. :)

Does anyone of you has a crazier story, I'm listening!

Yeh Dil Maange more

2010-12-15T12:32:00.000-06:00

I was a kid, I wanted to ride my father's scooter
I was young, I wanted a bike for myself

I was in college, I wanted football shoes (studs)
I was about to graduate, I wanted to earn money so that I can spend it with no bounds
I graduated from college, I wanted to run away from my past for a while
I was into University, I wanted to be a leader
I was Graduating from University, wanted my degree to be useful (Academic Project)
I was 23, I wanted a Girl Friend
I graduated, I wanted a job
I had loans, I wanted a full-time & well paid job
I am a Database Administrator, NOW I want to interview people for other jobs.

This journey of wanting something at every stage of life has helped me achieve it. I can't think of anything that I missed out on, other than #2. And I'm sure the list keeps growing with my unquenched and random desires.

I'm not aimless but ambitious. I'm not egoistic but have an attitude. I do not seek pride but enjoy recognition. If you know what I mean!

Wow, my impromptu abilities are taking a spark. :)

Relationships vs Expectaions

2010-11-29T17:00:00.000-06:00

Motivated by the writings of one of my friends on her wall.

root cause of all frustrations in life is expecting something from another person....let it be happiness, honesty, fidelity, etc......

I've always believed in this but never tried to rub my thoughts on anyone. I was just thinking how a person models himself / herself per the society. You expect your friend to call you back after you call him once, you expect your friend to understand you when you are in distress, you expect someone else to clean up your mess and you expect someone to come change the political system.

When one's expectations are reduced to zero, one really appreciates everything one does have - Stephen Hawking!

With expectations come dejections, followed by suppressed emotions and then ultimately leading to frustrations. Finally, it boils down to blame game on who didn't live upto whose expectations. It starts at a petty issue, grows to an argument and ends at hostility. Some people would be able to comprehend on what leads to the all the mess while some feel good crying out to the assumed guilts.

A teacher has expectations on a student, Parents have expectations from their children, Girls expect a lot from their boy friends / husbands and a citizen has expectations on the leaders and everyone of us expects a lot to happen out of destiny. All these times, I had this simple question on my mind. Why raise expectations and feel dejected while you can shrug all this and make the other person feel the same. :)

Another side of this coin would be to forgo the disappointments while still building up expectation on people or situations. This is what I do, A piece of free advice.

Take a Bow! Maa

2010-05-16T03:35:00.000-05:00

Friday Morning, after I park my car, I had to walk uphill for about 10 mins to go to work. I was planning to redial to my home to continue the conversation on the phone with my mom (I love calling her AMMA) which ended a couple of minutes before that, due to some inconsistent wireless connection. My dad who wasn't present during my previous call had just arrived and learnt from my mother that I got this new job offer where I wouldn't be earning much.

I didn't anticipate much appreciation from my dad for cracking the 2 interviews to get this offer past some 40 qualified applicants. This was based on my previous experiences on my accomplishments. As soon as he got the chance to talk to me, he said "Mom just told me about your new job offer. They are paying you very less, Aren't they?" For a quick second I was taken aback as the kiddo inside me was waiting for a pat on my shoulder instead of a question like this. More faster, I gained back my normal senses and replied to my dad that I have not yet accepted the offer as it was not a reasonable one and the discussion extended.

After 9 minutes of talk, I was almost about to enter my office and my mom hinted to my dad that he had to congratulate me first and my dad did! Now, that brings a smile! :) (I'll tell you what brings this smile in my next paragraph). My mom grabs the phone real quick, smiles for a second or two (You know you can hear the smiles of your dear ones, even though you can't see them), then says, "This good news is just like raining in Hot Sun!" (It is bad summer in Hyderabad).

That smile was not because of my accomplishment being recognized by my dad but because of my moms gesture. She really knew how the kid inside me has to be handled. I always felt that I'm a grown up and for that moment I didn't feel shy calling myself a kid. :). (After all, as my mom says, "Dilli ki Raju aina ... Thalli ki kodukuve - "You are still a mamma's boy, even if you are an Emperor"). She made sure that I was not feeling low at the end of the conversation and I'm sure she does it to everyone in the family. I was just amazed at the way they strike the balance in the family, the way they understand our emotions and the way they make us feel secure.

This post is dedicated all the moms including my mother, Madhu and Lakshmi Aunty who have been taking care of me as their son. I owe big time to all the ladies to who took care of me, which is an endless list and Take my Bow!

After all this happened, I never felt bad that my dad didn't applaud in the beginning. I felt good that he was thinking beyond the scenes about the consequences so that I'm safe and Happy. Dad, the next post is coming your way! :)

The Dearth of a HOME

2010-04-09T16:24:00.000-05:00

Every living being including birds and mammals need a shelter to make their 'living' existing. Even the cuckoo which does not build a nest lays its eggs in the nests of other birds and the snake seizes the ant hills for its dwelling. All these natural occurrences signify the universal fact that you are the KING of your own home when you actually have a home for yourself. Imagine yourself living as a tenant and I bet you would definitely feel the difference when you are living in your owned property.

Doesn't it give the confidence that it is YOURS? Could your family or relatives come and support you personally when you are living far away across the seas?

Somehow I feel that most of the losses that the Deccan Chargers have faced this season could be accounted for the above mentioned reason. The Dearth of a HOME!

I was watching the game between RCB and DC which was held in Bangalore the other day. Every single ball, I heard the cheers 'RCB', 'RCB'! Even the batsman on the pitch couldn't hear what the non-striker was saying. Somehow, I felt that having a home ground would have helped the Chargers to win a couple of matches. It is not just the field conditions that contribute to the team victory but the fan factor is the main thing that boosts the morale of a player on the field. Well, the case is completely different if Sachin is batting, he would get applauds from every corner of the world ;)

All this started with the Telangana Agitation; it is high time that the government takes some decision on this. I congratulate all the activists in this significant accomplishment. 1st you drive all the corporate investors out, next is the turn for tourists. Doing all this, we might still be able to secure a separate state and ensure that the younger generation do not face the current problems but choosing violent options, we are also responsible for halting the progress of the state each day.

I then came across this wonderful campaign by the Hyderabadis, I loved the way they portrayed their love for the game; imagine someone calling off a Bandh for snatching IPL from Hyderabad! There was this article which supported my view :).

Those who are under the impression that T-state agitation is not the reason for IPL snub. On alighter note, I found this amusing video :P

Irrational Male Homophobia

2010-03-18T09:39:00.000-05:00

"Do not put your arm over another man's shoulder!", the first word of caution that I got on the day that I stepped on this LAND OF OPPORTUNITIES! Ever since, I kept observing people (both desis and videsis) and their perspectives on this. Just as everyone else, I adapted myself to all the surprising unwritten rules of the society. Initially, I was laughing at the different ways people try to limit themselves to a particular group of entities (living beings / interests / whatever..).

Baba Ranchod das Chanchad said ... "Be an American while in America". I tried being the same by keeping some of my friends at a distance while talking or not allowing them to walk closer to me. I remember insisting Keral, my friend, not to lay his arms on my shoulder when he was new to this deviant regulations. At first, I missed India, I was so used to hang around with my friends and somehow I had this strange feeling of warmth when someone puts his arm on my shoulder (It used to give me a sense of feeling that person actually cares for me).

One day, in the downtown of Lawrence, Kansas ... I found two guys belonging to a particular sect, roaming around hand in hand. Just like anyone else ... I was staring at them and that is when I realized that I was not being ME. I discerned that it is high time I roll back all the impositions on me and I cursed myself for practicing Americanism (which I'm not!). I realized that I was imposing the baseless myths upon myself. I sensed that I was scaring away the real ME who used to love the gesture of roaming around with friends (Guys). All the myths seemed absolutely meaningless to me.

Have a girl in you group when there are more than three guys hanging out

Do not wear pink , light blue and all the other color restrictions (These colors are better than hanging naked, ain't it?)

Refer guys as Buddies if they are your friends and Girls as Friends

Wow .... this list doesn't seem to end

And then I decided to protest this attitude by sporting all the colors that suit me, irrespective of the color (pink, blue or rainbow colors). I actualized my decision when one day a person at my workplace commented about my pant. She was trying to tell me that black jeans are meant for GAYS and she was wondering why was I wearing Black colored Jeans (She knows that I have a girlfriend). I had to accost her remark saying that "All that you need to wear a jeans is a pair of legs and I have them". It does not make sense to me to live by the rules framed by someone whom I don't know, in certain aspects.

Tit-Bits

2010-02-16T16:24:00.000-06:00

Banging my head on the desk right now, to thwart the Jet Lag off my mind. This struggle has been going on for the past couple of hours. My very sympathetic boss guessed this in the morning and said "I am sure you would be having jet lag and I will not expect any productive work from you today". With such zero relentlessness, it becomes even more difficult for me to shed it off and I am trying blogging to do that part for me.

I just came back from India after a short trip of 3 weeks. Life in those 3 weeks was like a Digital Equalizer for me (sometimes refreshing and sometimes gloomy). A few snippets on the situations in India and Hyderabad in specific (Might serve as a musing corner for those who haven't been home since long).

First things first, every morning I wake up with a pre-decided food menu on my mind for the rest of the day. I draft the same to my mom and she fed me like a li'll kid. I should say I lived life king-size in this aspect. Most of my friends being in the U.S, I had spent most of the time with family unlike the last time.

Hyderabad has changed so much,

More and more number of flyovers
Increased traffic -> Increased pollution
Drastic increase in the number of apartment complexes
About 100% price rise on almost everything
Roadside Beggars have stopped taking 1 Rupee coins
Every Kirana store is now an authorized dealer for prepaid calling cards and everyone including rag pickers have cell phones and sometimes high-end ones.
Most of the playgrounds vanished and gully cricket is still alive.
A couple of big malls in the city, very big ones.
Night life is awesome now, even at 2.00 AM the roads are busy and hotels are crowded.
If the politicians are bored, they call for a 'bandh' which has become quite casual of late.

Overall, one might face a culture shock if they are visiting Hyderabad after a log time.

Recession's Repercussions

2009-12-17T14:24:00.000-06:00

Years from now, one evening on a weekday, a child would return from school, throws his bag away on the sofa, and gets ready to join his friends in a game of cricket. His mother, who just sees all his moves, warns her laadla: "Padle beta nahin tho Recession ka shikhaar ban jaaayega". Her caveat would not have been baseless, she would have been a victim herself to the 'Recession 09'.

Not being an absolute believer of the Media, I was not very concerned when I read the news: It's Official: U.S in a Recession. I considered the genuineness of the news to be 30% and apportioned 70% to the media hype. Whenever I read the news saying: XYZ company about to costs by terminating jobs of 500, 1000, 2000 employees, I always wondered, how come I don't come across a single person who has lost his job recently. That gave me another reason to criticize Media, which I bet most of the people would do.

Days passed by as more unemployement hit the news. Every day I read the news, atleats one major company used to creep up the headlines. All throughout this phase I never encountered anyone who lost their job. One fine day, in July I believe, when the Networking giant Sprint / Nextel laid thousands of employees and that is when I encountered people hit by recession. There were recent graduates, experienced professionals, international immigrants with families .. everyone. They had to try umpteen ways to surf through the recession wave.

While some had to lose their jobs, several had to wait and are still waiting to find one. I know people who have graduated in May 2008 and are still on the hunt. One of my friend had to go back to India as she was finding it tough to handle herself without a job here. She was a Graduate from Clemson and believe me she is so good at coding but she never found one that could suit her profile. A very close friend of mine was laid off even after his H-1 was sponsored and approved by his employer. And the one that awed me the most was, one of my friends was supposed to get wedded this November and the marriage was stalled because the groom had lost his job in the U.S and he could not travel to India because of Immigration problems.

I know there would have been many others who are experiencing the heat, as a matter of fact, I am myself one of them. My dad always keeps asking me: "Hows the situation there? Has it been any better?" and I believe most of you would have been facing the same question from your dear ones. Do not lose hope brothers, the monster does not beam over us for too long and hope everyone would fall out of the wrath very soon.

The Inglorious Countrymen

2009-12-08T12:27:00.000-06:00

A furore over a deep rooted issue; ringing back to 1946, when the Nizams rule was just fading. The last Nizam ruler never wanted Hyderabad to be merged into Indian Union as he wanted the princely state of Hyderabad to be governed by the Nizams. Pressurizing the annexation of the Hyderabad state into Indian territory, the Indian Central government sent an army to finish this task and finally on 17 September 1948, the state was declared as integral territory of the Indian Union. The basic motto behind this instigation is SELFISHNESS of the Nizam ruler. After the 1st elections in 1952, Burgula Ramakrishna Rao was elected as the Chief Minister of the Hyderabad State. Being aware that he was not to lead the new State, he exhibited great foresight, spirit of sacrifice and statesmanship in agreeing to merge Telangana with Andhra State to give birth to Andhra Pradesh.

The disputes over this region were never buried and they were stirred once in a decade by some or the other SELFISH politicians. Remember this, no one else raised this issue other than the leaders in the opposition party. Once they are into the ruling side, they forget all the promises and priorities on their agenda. The Seperate Telangana State Movement in 1969 was reasonable as there was agitation behind the movement that the people of Telangana were deprived of their rights and that they were exploited of their resources. Despite electoral successes, some of the new party leaders who then supported the Separate state for Telangana, gave up their agitation in September 1971 and, much to the disgust of many separatists, rejoined the safer political haven of the Congress ranks. You can find the SELFISHNESS of the politicians here again.

After 1969, the movement was again provoked by BJP and they could not keep up their pre-election promises, again due to SELFISHNESS. Start of the 21st century saw a new start to this movement with the establishment of a new party called TRS with the single point agenda of creating a separate Telangana state, with Hyderabad as its capital lead by Kalvakuntla Chandrasekhar Rao popularly known as KCR. Since last week, the tension has mounted in the city of Hyderabad with the ruthless acts of Mr. KCR. It was a good decision that he went on a hunger strike and decided to take the Gandhian way. Inspite of breaking his fast, unnoticed, he still claims to be on hunger strike and disguises the role of an able leader, which he is not.

The student bodies at Osmania University, Hyderabad went on a strike and called for a bandh which I bet , would have been causing immense trouble for all the employees, students, tourists and many others including the 'Telanganites'. It is a well known fact that the strike and bandh were stirred by the political bodies, the student leaders are well gripped by these youth associations who would have been promised a party ticket and a MLA seat post their electoral win. Now, it is these SELFISH student leaders and youth associations which are benefited from all these riots and processions. I wonder how people get engrossed in all these stuff which hinder the economical, industrial and financial progress and stumble the state of balance in a state.

You might want to quiz yourself with the following questions if you feel that there is a need for a separate state for Telangana:

Were you ever deprived of quality education because of migrants from other parts of the state?
Have you ever been a victim of racism shown by other people?
Did you ever lose a job because another person from a different region was preferred on regional basis?
Who cultivates the cereals and pulses that you eat daily?
Where does all the steel come from?
If there is justice in your demand for a separate Telangana, then there is justice in Kashmir being claimed by Pakistani's as well. Do you welcome this?
Do you have able leaders who can govern the state without SELFISHNESS?

You are living in a modern world where mutual co-existence is critical and a nation can flourish only when there is unity among its subjects. I was born in Eluru but right from the 2nd month I was brought up in Hyderabad, I have lived in Rezimental Bazaar in Sceunderabad which is a 'Basti' where 'Bonalu' cleberations are usually at their best and also in 'Malkajgiri' which is no less a core-Telangana region. I was never deprived of any rights as an individual. I believe that it all depends on the social awareness and your maturity levels.

I was surprised to see that there was a procession here in the US as well, in support to the 'Jai Telangana' movement . You feel that there is a need for a separate Telangana state, good! And I believe the basic reason you want that is because you feel that 'Telanganites' are treated as under-privileged and their resources are being exploited, Right!? Remember that you are an Indian Immigrant in US and how do you feel if they do not provide the opportunities that you are enjoying currently?

Finally, for all the hardcore fans and supporters of Mr. KCR, here is a small snippet.

While widening my view over this issue, I found a few links which I thought, you'd be interested in looking at:

I do not intend to hurt anyone's feelings. I just spoke my heart out. Its not that I'm against the separation of Telangana. I just wanted to make an effort to make people realize that there are many cons associated with it. I just don't want people from other states or countries to 'laugh' at us.

JAI HIND.

Soccerholics then .... Titans now

2009-11-25T15:36:00.000-06:00

I have just returned to my desk after a Pre-Thanksgiving lunch in the conference room. Nancy , who is a proud mother of Daniel who plays for the Lawrence Free State Soccer team (Fire birds), arranged the snack for all of us. She played the soccer video cd which was given to each of the students who was graduating from the high school. She does this kind of stuff everytime, she keeps updating the staff members about the game fixtures / results, she shares the photos in which Daniel is captured playing. By the time I finished watching the entire video, it left me with nostalgia and I pondered over a few thoughts.

My parents never really thought about watching me playing soccer. They really don't know what sort of a player I am. They never let me down when I wanted anything, their answer was always a Yes, either it is summer coaching cap in Class 5,6,7 or participation in tournaments at Bits Pilani (for 2 consecutive yrs) or Football Selections in Anantapur. But I always wished they watch me playing. It was not only with my parents, many of the parents (in India) do not choose to be present at a camp or a match when their childre show their talent. Probably, this might be one of the factors because of which most of the athletic talent gets burried before it raises to a good level. I never had any of the girls watch it either. I had so many friends among girls in engineering, they all knew that I loved playing football and I'm good at it, but never did any of them intended to come and watch us play. The only people who showed up to the field were juniors and my friends. (They were plenty of support to us). We used to drive to different places to support other teams (cricket, basketball, volleyball) and they used to cheer us when we used to play tournaments.

The video also stirred up Nostalgia in me, I got back to all those moments when we used to celebrate / grieve upon victories and defeats. I used to bunk the last two clases eveyday not to miss out any chance of playing a game. Not just me, but I used to provoke a couple of others to join me. We used to play inside the classroom during lunch breaks, sometimes the ball used to go out of bounds and it scared the girls a couple of times ;). I cried non-stop for 30 mins when we lost the final match against ECE during my 1st yr. I used to save all my money that I earned to buy a good pair of studs. We collected donations to buy the balls as the P.E.T (Pithapuram) was a big headache in providing the eqipment for us.

We named ourselves "Soccerholics" after we gained some self-confidence that we could make a good team. As a team, we never had any significant victory outside our college but the passion for Football never really died. Everyone was as enthusiastic as I am which gave me the extra inch to do all this. The team name was eventually changed to Titans and I read that they had a few victories under their belts and I was glad to hear that. I felt very good everytime I see a new person joining us on the ground. Just that it gives me more and more satisfaction to meet people who have similar interests just as I do.

Ever since I bid farewell to BVRIT, I thought I'd never get a chance to play soccer again. But friends keep me alive by showing me alternatives. I very well remember my last days in VA when we played soccer with 10 people in each team, I never thought I could see myself getting such a wonderful farewell. If it was Keral, Sai and Polu in ODU, it is these Jayhawks here in KS. Cheers!

Being late than ever but still ON TIME!

2009-11-19T15:24:00.000-06:00

I know its not just me. I know that none of you are always punctual, okay atleast half of you guys; okay lets make a deal, most of you try to be punctual but you get late at times. I'm a guy who idolizes people who are punctual, I also try to be punctual but I end up failing all the times. I won't say that I'd be the last one to be present at a meeting or last one to come to the office but I'm almost always late for most of the schedules (be it office or meeting friends or a movie ).

The last weekend, I overslept until 10.00 and 11.00 AM, taking full advantage of the weekends. Sunday night's sleep bossed over me, by not allowing me to see the clock until 8.45 AM. I heard the alarm, I muted its voice considering it to be my arch rival since ages and i thought all this was in my dream. At 8.45 AM I smell something is not right and I wake up to see if the earth has stopped rotating (Its always easy to blame others ;)) . The next thing I remember is waking up Madhuri and giving her the breaking news that we are going to be late to our respective offices. Surprisingly, her brian worked faster than mine (:p) and asked me to call my boss and intimate him that I'd be late to work and so did she.

Having decided to report to work at 9.00, I thought I had ample time to get ready but somehow by the time I reached my office, I didn't have a second to spare. I was there in the office exactly at 9.00. I was so happy that I was on time to office after so many days but then realized the fact that I was actually an hour late.

No matter how early I wake up, I end up reaching late to work. Sometimes it is the traffic but most of the times its just me! At 7.00, I push away all the snoozes and try to barge into the real world from my dreamy senses. At 7.15, I merrily brush my teeth and chalk out the plan for the rest of the day while in shower, which will keep me occupied until 7.40. That is when I realize that I still need time for sipping my coffee and gulping my breakfast, if any! Finally, I curse myself for starting off at 7.55 and ending up at my desk at 8.05 or 8.10.

The whole concept of running behind time dates back to school and engineering days . I know how I used to pedal my bicycle so fast that I would not be marked late for the first period in school. Even after I grew up, I had to walk at least a mile to catch the bus to college and I used to run all the way to the bus stop in 3 minutes. Sometimes, when things get much worse, I used to ask my dad to give me a ride to the bus stop and as expected my dad used to scold me all through the way until I board the bus. Sometimes I used to take the riding seat, so that my dad doesn't get enough time to scold me (I drive pretty fast, so half the time my dad used to hang onto the pillion tightly ;))

But I am still proud of myself for managing so many things while I drive. Wearing my socks and shoes, looping my belt, talking to parents / friends back home ..... and I'm still surviving because of the fact that:

The new guy @ Work

2009-11-03T12:40:00.000-06:00

Just as I do every evening, I went to work at I.P and I see this new face, glancing everyone and everything with a bland expression. When I refer bland, I intend to say zero / nil / null. A few minutes later, I overheard the conversation between Raja and Madhuri, he asked her to train this new guy on board. We were asked to teach him everything right from serving to cleaning the tables.

Initially, that guy looked very perplexed. I can understand how one feels on his 1st day at a new workplace, so all of us tried to bring him into the comfort zone. After a couple of days he was doing okay and that is when I could see the real picture. This guy is basically a Gujju and has the typical accent (the ---- ne ---- suffix). As in, "aap ne kaha na" is pronounced as "aap ne kaha neeee(nay)" and he mixes that with English. Just after interacting for a couple of hours, Madhuri asked him if he knew how to speak English :D

Everyone gave him their share of tips and advices and then there was a day off for me while Madhuri had to work that day. That day she comes and explains this scene: " I was giving him the dishes to be served at the table and the next order was Chicken Tandoori (usually it is served on a hot plate, so it has to be handled carefully). Accidentally, he burnt his finger and just as any Indian does, he put that finger in his mouth! The next minute a couple of customers entered the restaurant and he ended up showing them where to sit. Can you guess how he directed them to the table????

The next day, after I came in to the restaurant, I taught him how to accompany customers to the table with a smile on their face and how to greet them. He started to receive them at the door the very next moment with a broad smile which never ends until they get seated (Just like the Happy Dent White ad). He was standing there next to the table just like the traffic signal. I am sure the customers might have had a hard time with this guy around.

Added to all this, he walks as if he was former Mr. India with heights of attitude and does not want to follow anyone's order. He does not care to turn back and see if everything is fine at the table once the food is served. He needs his assistant (ME) to go and see if everything was okay. With zero body hygiene , he feels like he is the celebrity there at I.P.

These days, I made another striking observation. Whenever someone walks into the restaurant, he ogles at them until they get seated and order something to eat. Non-desis would definitely get offended with this behaviour someday and I'm sure he's gonna get it really bad. I pity Boss's condition, the numerous ways he has been trying to lose his business. Someday it would go to the docks and the start of that is right there merrying around in the restaurant.

Yes! I'm a Family Man!

2009-10-28T15:07:00.000-05:00

This post would be apt for anyone who would like to criticize their friends after he/she entered a relationship and started neglecting you, no matter how dear you are.

If you think that I'm not sparing time towards you as I did before just because another person has entered my life, then you can surely call me a Family Man! I'll feel honored. If I had the same intentions to avoid/neglect you I'd have done it the very next day I entered into relationship with her. For that matter, I'd have done that even during the 4 years of engineering life when so much of stuff was going on. Remember! I never stopped talking to any of my friends or visiting them.

Had I been a Family Man, I'd have stopped talking to everyone including Sai, Keral, Venu and everyone else. I'd rather lead a secluded life with my girl friend instead of planning trips with all you guys. Yes, I had cut down the time drastically that I used to spend on phone calls but is it being a Family Man, the only reason for that? Don't you think your actions were a major reason for that? So what do you expect from me? Keep pampering you for all the shit that you have been doing for the past couple of years even after the numerous suggestions that I gave you. I believe, no one would have given you so many suggestions as I did, I can bet on that, neither Manoj, Prathima, Ajay nor Madhuri. You lost the right to scorn me of my behavior towards you.

I have to keep pleading you to come over to Kansas to stay with me and you chose to stay in Houston, fine! You go to Atlanta not once but twice, fine! Its your choice. You get ready to spend money for the wedding gift for Deepthi, fine! And you don't have money when I ask you if you can join me in Virginia! That was the day I stopped adoring you. Don't link all this to the India trip, I already warned you not to have so many expectations from that trip as it was the 1st time that I was seeing her in person after we got committed to each other and I had to spend time with my parents as well.

Dude, even now I am ble to squeeze in time for everything, including phone calls but the only thing is I need some personal space too. All I wanted from you was to support me by understanding my concerns and it always ended up the other way round, me supporting you.

Had you ever tried, handling so many responsibilities at a single time? Did you ever have any kind of problems in your family while you were here in U.S? Did you clear off your loans, first of all do you have any? Did you ever spend time towards games /sports?

If you answered 'Yes' to all of them and still you are able to manage time as I'm doing, then I'm definitely the 'Jhoru-ka-Ghulam' as many say. But I can proudly say that she does not allow me to be one nor do I choose to be. Grow up! Start accepting few things. Did I ever behave with Venu like this, but we both have a healthy friendship going on. Stop cribbing about things like a typical girly GIRL!

Somethings will never change

2009-09-24T12:27:00.000-05:00

It has been more than a forty years and some people never changed.

The whole background story is written here for a better understanding of the post.

In short:

Long ago, a few years after Indian Independence, the hottest discussion on board was the issue of National Language for the newly formed Hidustan / India. A few politicians had taken a different guard when there was a debate on emulating Hindustani (Hindi) as the National Language of India.Of them, one of the key personalities was Mr. M. Karunanidhi.

Politicians then, had foreseen that there might be danger posed to Dravidian languages esp. Tamil if Hindi was imposed as a first langauge on the South Indians. They immediately protested on Hindi being declared as a mandatory medium to conduct business. They were afraid that Tamil and Tamilians would have no individual future if Hindi was imposed as a first language on them, which actually makes sense to me. Had been Hindi was followed, ignoring their respective regional languages, India would have lost so many dialects with time.

The struggle went on for over a decade and finally it was declared that Hindi would be the National Language and has to be instructed in schools and other educational institutions at some level. However, having considered all the dispraties associated with having one common platform for communcation among the diverse Indian population, the Government of India declared that business and other meetings can be proceeded in English or any regional language for that matter. Having said that, they wanted every Indian to be well-literarate in the National Language as well. So they made Hindi to be a mandatory subject during the secondary education level.

However, Tamilians did not like this idea and they boycotted Hindi as a medium of instruction. I have heard people saying that they were subjected to injustice which I completely disagree.

Its not just you who were asked to practice Hindi. Every state under the Republic of India were asked to do so. I agree that it is by the strong dedication of Mr. Rajagopalachari and others that we secured the right to continue using our respective Regional Languages for communication and we are all grateful to them for that. But that does not mean that you insult your national language by boycotting it.

Years after everything is so modernized and everyone is busy in their fast-moving world, this renowned politician digs out baseless issues and stirs the media on the same. Read this. The matter does not end there. Youngsters who don't even know what the situation was, decades before, think that they were cheated without even knowing the ace of base. They feel insulted and that is the reason they qoute when someone asks the, "Why is that you don't know Hindi" or "How come you don't follow Hindi" which sounds purely absurd to me.

It is nothing that I have something against them but think outside the box!! And my sincere plea to the leaders would be to STOP POLITICIZING THIS ISSUE FURTHER!!

Heights of 'News'lessness

2009-09-02T10:27:00.000-05:00

Without having much choice on what kind of news I want to read / see, I started following the CNN IBN Live website for the National and International news of late. Initially, I was pretty much impressed with the quality of the news that they were providing. With the recent popularity that it has gained through the Live TV on the internet, I could see the gradual commercialization of the website.

They do not allow me to read the news anymore, its like visiting their website for advertisements, not for the NEWS.

The advertisements creep on to the news sections, you have to close them individually to view the headlines. Okay now, I am patient enough to close all the ads and see the headlines and there it is, in headlines "Obama can cook Dal and admires Cricket". Oh Sorry! Forgive me for closing all the pop-ups for this sick headline news. The advertisements make more sense than this kind of news. I could not resist myself from going into detail, as I wanted to see the vital content behind this headline which fueled it up to the front page (My bad!).

I agree Mr. Shahrukh Khan is well known celebrity and a high profile Indian citizen. But, is he more admirable or than Rev. Dr. Kalam? You have no issues on frisking respected Dr. Kalam while boarding the flight but it is a sensational news for the media to cash if Mr. Khan is stopped on a foreign soil on security grounds. This time, I counted the number of days it was on the website before the issue went completely unseen. Trust me, it was on the web site for 7 full days. This time I did not make the mistake of dwelving into the main content. I hated it!

I've stopped visiting the CNN IBN website (not completely though - I vist that on weekends). I'm follwoing Google News and am happy about that.

This happens only in America

2009-08-27T11:18:00.000-05:00

Did anyone wonder, there are certain weird / absurd / interesting (whatever you call it) in America which no one can atleast think of.

Only in America......can a pizza get to your house faster than an ambulance.
Only in America......are there handicap parking places in front of a skating rink.
Only in America......do drugstores make the sick walk all the way to the back of the store to get their prescriptions while healthy people can buy cigarettes at the front.
Only in America......do people order double cheese burgers, large fries, and a diet coke. (Funniest of all :D)
Only in America......do banks leave both doors open and then chain the pens to the counters.
Only in America......do we leave cars worth thousands of dollars in the driveway and put our useless junk in the garage.
Only in America......do they use answering machines to screen calls and then have call waiting so that they won't miss a call from someone they didn't want to talk to in the first place.
Only in America......do they buy hot dogs in packages of ten and buns in packages of eight.
Only in America......do they have drive-up ATM machines with Braille lettering.
Only in America......do they play the whole game using hands and call it Football.

The Hyderabad

2009-08-18T11:24:00.000-05:00

Woh radhey shyaam ki pani puri, woh chit chat ki chaat,
Woh Softy ki ice cream, Wah usme thi kuch baat.

Woh pulla reddy ki mithai, woh kamat ka dosa,
Woh Gokul ki pav bhaji aur Ramser ka samosa.

Woh local bus ka 'suffer', woh tank bund ki hawa,
Woh dutch roses ke kante aur lumbini park ka sama.

Woh december ki zara si sardi, woh baarishon ke mahiney,
Woh garmi ki chuttiyan, jab chute te they paseeney.

Woh holi ki masti, woh navratri ka garba,
Woh divali ke patakhe aur ganpati ka shor o sharaba.

Woh necklace road ka mohol, woh Gandipet ki leheren,
Woh doobte suraj ka nazara, Wah uske kya kehene.

Woh Best Bakers ke curry puff, woh blue sea ka chai,
Woh Garden(restaurant) ke lukmi biscuit, woh galliyon ka "rabdi
malai".

Woh bachpan key yaaden, woh PT kaa khel,
Woh Indira park ke jhaadiyan, jahaa hothey they mel.

Woh Minerva ka hot coffee cup aur Shopers shop mein shopping,
Woh James Street ka nazara aur Ameerpet ki building.

Woh Sangeet cinema ke queue, woh black ki pink ticket,
Woh Parade ka maidan, jahan bachche practice karte hain cricket.

Itni cheezen kehene ke baad, aur kitni karoon mein abaad,
Yeh shehar hain mera apna, jiska naam hai H Y D E R A B A D!!!

Ise chodke kahaan jaye, ise chodke kya hum paaye..
bache rahe hai char din, manzile nayi.. bichde raahe......

Moments of my LIFE

2009-05-27T14:45:00.000-05:00

Running towards 25, I was thinking I spent one whole quarter of my life unnoticed. I have struggled for a few years and had fun during the rest of my lifetime and was trying to jot down all the memorable phases that I have been through and here are a few:

1. Final Match between CSE and CSIT: 20th January 2006.

The 1st biggest moment that I remember and I cherish forever is the Final Football match between CSE and CSIT when I was in doing my Under graduation. Man, what an awesome feeling it was!

Any Man's Finest Hour is That moment, When he had worked His heart out in a Good Cause and lies Exhausted in The field of Battle;Victorious!

I still remember the day when CSE lost to ECE in the final match when I was in the 1st year of my college and I promised my seniors that I would bring back the pride to the department someday.

Things changed every year and I never got a chance to fulfill my dream. But when I was made the captain of my team, I believed that if not this time, then NEVER and that is what pumped up the adrenaline in my team. I had faith in my boys and they vested their belief in me and the penalties decided it all. I was in shock after we won. That is one moment that I would never forget all throughout my life.

2. Love of my LIFE: 18th September 2007

After a few major setbacks, I never ever wanted to enter into a relationship. I happened to meet this girl in my college (Man, that is why I love BVRIT ... my whole life revolves around it), I never used to leave a chance to tease her. I never thought or atleast had a trace that I would fall in love ( or become a friend for that matter) with the person whom I never liked once.

And thanks to ODU too for this, for it could not have happened if I have not been involved in the activities so much that I stopped talking to her and realize about it later when my fingers almost burnt :P

Now I feel that I am complete with her. I still can remember that day when I took 4 hours to just tell her that I have feelings for her! It took 2 full months for me to realize that the person whom I used to talk to for the past 5 years was something much bigger than mere friendship, thats a different story altogether :D.

3. Journeys in 2L: September 2002 - May 2006

Every day right from the start date of my college till it ended, was a different day. If not in the college, in the bus. I have never seen a jubilant set than these guys. A perfect mix of masti and maturity. Expelling a lecturer out of a college is not an easy task and we did kicked that BATMAN out of the college which was a message sent accross that ... Do not mess with 2Lians...

Not a single day did I sleep in the bus nor never let anyone else sleep peacefully :P. From Movies to politics, WWE to daily serials.. everything under the sky was discussed or rather debated. Ragging, Teasing, Celebrations were very much prevalent everyday. The fact was accepted by our juniors too.

And I love my college the most for the fact that It has blessed me with the best of friends and the love of my life.

4. Norfolk Times: August 2006 - July 2008

I was always under the impression that I would miss the 2Lians very badly but the Monarchs never let me down when it comes to living my life. If ever in my life, I get a chance to study again, it would be people like you whom I'd chose. You guys rock!

Out of Virginia, now I'm nowhere amidst people who don't know the essence of living life. I definitely miss all you guys. You made my life even more colorful.

Concluding this post does not mean that I have no other special moments; these are some of the moments which I would never forget. I am still happy and fun-loving.

Amma ... I'm sorry

2009-02-27T16:28:00.000-06:00

Ever since I was born, you never let me feel low, you always tried to see me happy, you did your best to help me achieve all my dreams, you have guided me through the right path by making me abide by the righteous values that you always taught me. You are awesome mom!!

Now, I wonder, how could you manage waking up earlier than us, make food for all of us, work for extra hours and sleep only after we all went to bed. And, never did you forget to give us all the care that we needed, despite of the tiring days. I wish I could be of some help to you when you really needed me.

Here are the days, the testing times, that anyone would never like to go through. And there I am, far across the seas, in a place where all I can do is just call you up and ask if everything was alright. Even if something unusual happened there is nothing I could do except for a few soothing words. I feel sorry for myself that I am not there by your side to take care of you at this point of time. I am eagerly waiting to return home and take all the burdens and tensions off your shoulders. Just give me some time to plan something so that there would be no jinx in the future.

For the Desis out here, my suggestion to you is to get back to your family as early as possible. There's money everywhere but friends and family are NOT.

Think about it

2009-02-12T21:26:00.000-06:00

Watch the video and if you need the lyrics ... It has been attached below. I found it online and felt very refreshing after I finished reading through the whole thing.

If I could offer you only one tip for the future, "sunscreen" would be it.

The long-term benefits of sunscreen have been proved by scientists,

whereas the rest of my advice has no basis more reliable than my own meandering experience.

I will dispense this advice NOW!

Enjoy the power and beauty of your youth.

Oh, never mind.

You will not understand the power and beauty of your youth until they've faded.

But trust me, in 20 years, you'll look back at photos of yourself and recall in a way you can't grasp now how much possibility lay before you and how fabulous you really looked.

You are not as fat as you imagine.

Don't worry about the future.

Or worry, but know that worrying is as effective as trying to solve an algebra equation by chewing bubble gum.

The real troubles in your life are apt to be things that never crossed your worried mind,

The kind that blindside you at 4 pm on some idle Tuesday.

Do one thing every day that scares you.

Sing

Don't be reckless with other people's hearts.

Don't put up with people who are reckless with yours.

Floss

Don't waste your time on jealousy.

Sometimes you're ahead, sometimes you're behind.

The race is long and, in the end, it's only with yourself.

Remember compliments you receive.

Forget the insults.

If you succeed in doing this, tell me how.

Keep your old love letters.

Throw away your old bank statements.

Stretch

Don't feel guilty if you don't know what you want to do with your life.

The most interesting people I know didn't know at 22 what they wanted to do with their lives.

Some of the most interesting 40-year-olds I know still don't.

Get plenty of calcium.

Be kind to your knees.

You'll miss them when they're gone.

Maybe you'll marry, maybe you won't.

Maybe you'll have children, maybe you won't.

Maybe you'll divorce at 40.

Maybe you'll dance the funky chicken on your 75th wedding anniversary.

Whatever you do, don't congratulate yourself too much,

or berate yourself either.

Your choices are half chance.

So are everybody else's.

Enjoy your body.

Use it every way you can.

Don't be afraid of it or of what other people think of it.

It's the greatest instrument you'll ever own.

Dance

Even if you have nowhere to do it but your living room.

Read the directions, even if you don't follow them.

Do not read beauty magazines.

They will only make you feel ugly.

"Brother and sister together we'll make it through,

Someday a spirit will take you and guide you there

I know that you're hurting but I've been waiting there for you

and I'll be there just helping you out

whenever I can..."

Get to know your parents.

You never know when they'll be gone for good.

Be nice to your siblings.

They're your best link to your past and the people most likely to stick with you in the future.

Understand that friends come and go,

but with a precious few you should hold on.

Work hard to bridge the gaps in geography and lifestyle, because the older you get,

the more you need the people who knew you when you were young.

Live in "New York City" once, but leave before it makes you hard.

Live in "Northern California" once, but leave before it makes you soft.

Travel

Accept certain inalienable truths:

Prices will rise.

Politicians will philander.

You, too, will get old.

And when you do, you'll fantasize that when you were young,

prices were reasonable, politicians were noble, and children respected their elders.

Respect your elders.

Don't expect anyone else to support you.

Maybe you have a trust fund.

Maybe you'll have a wealthy spouse.

But you never know when either one might run out.

Don't mess too much with your hair or by the time you're 40 it will look 85.

Be careful whose advice you buy,

but be patient with those who supply it.

Advice is a form of nostalgia.

Dispensing it is a way of fishing the past from the disposal,

wiping it off, painting over the ugly parts and recycling it for more than it's worth.

But trust me on the sunscreen.

"Brother and sister together we'll make it through,

Someday a spirit will take you and guide you there

I know that you're hurting but I've been waiting there for you

and I'll be there just helping you out

whenever I can..."

Everybody's Free, Everybody's Free

To Feel Good!

Child Marriage

2008-08-08T08:43:00.000-05:00

Neither am I a Social reformer nor this is a controversial post. It is all about My best friends's wedding. I did not spell it wrong; it is indeed "Best Friends's" wedding. Two of my very good friends are getting married this weekend and this post is being published to convey my love for them and to show them that I am really missing all these moments.

Both the bride and the groom have been good pals of mine for the past 6 yrs and we cherish all the moments we have spent together. Madhuri, the bride is definitely a kiddo by nature and venu, the groom looks like a school-going boy by posture and hence the title, CHILD MARRIAGE.

How I wish I could be there to attend their wedding, off course from the bride's side[:P].

Dear Venu and Madhuri,
Our hearty congratulations to both of you and we wish you good luck for the years ahead.

Guys, I need a favor from whoever had read this post. Can you please post a scrap on orkut or send them a message to their e-mail address (I have attached the details below). This is the only thing I can do, being miles and miles away from them. And thanks for posting the greetings
Bride: Madhuri
Orkut: http://www.orkut.com/Profile.aspx?origin=is&uid=11436785079104392032
E-mail: gmadhuri523@gmail.com

Bride groom: Venu
Orkut: http://www.orkut.com/Profile.aspx?origin=is&uid=4842286491369595658
E-mail: muttevivenkatvenu@gmail.com

Life @ Norfolk

2008-08-05T09:26:00.000-05:00

Had started this post on Friendship Day (1st Sunday of August) and am finishing this post today after I have graduated from Old Dominion, now thats a filmy finish. I'm sure that I'm not going to return to Norfolk and even if I return, I am not going to see all my friends together again.

I still remember my early days in the US; I felt so pissed of - tired of the boredom with bland life and coming across unusual people. It took me a couple of months to adjust to the all-new atmosphere. And now, after a couple of years, I realize that I was blessed with so many good people around and such wonderful learning experiences. Every time I surf through the hard drive of my computer, I pause for a while and cherish all the memories by gazing at the pictures.

Finding good roommates is not very common amongst the DESIS, but I feel proud saying that I lived with the best of them (either it is in 814 W or 1069 W). Never had a fight, nor a complaint and the credit goes to them for bearing me for 2 fantastic years. Then come the people of 819 W, where I used to spend most of my time( I should say that was my habitat). Kudos to all the wonderful cooks in that home who entertained hogs like me and Sai.

I would never forget the people I came across, during my life at Norfolk. The days when we worked hard for our assignments, the days we hanged out together, all the birthday parties and every other moment at Norfolk is worth cherishing for me. From Sai to Puli (Phani), Vijay Mara to Vijay Sekhar, from Navneet (Bhikshu gaadi chelli) to Vijetha; I am going to miss everyone. I would never get a chance to see the Ganesh Mahotsav nor the cricket matches and I am sure I would never like to perform on stage on again :(

Like every other university, I had never-ending assignments, mind-boggling exams and courses that tested my patience. But then, I also had unlimited fun, ever-enthusiastic friends, excellent learning experiences and interesting internationals to mingle with. The activities on and off campus would constantly remind me about my past and would never give me a chance to forget any of the days spent in Norfolk.

How would I forget the birthday celebrations which would last for 3 hrs at least, the ‘VEENA’ step and Satthi’s cake eating ceremony? The concept of lighting the candle with cake on the guy’s head, introduced by Vardhan and me is still being followed as a tradition. No decorations, no gifts, no invitations; a small hint that someone has his birthday the next would bring all the guys get together.

All those cricket and volleyball matches would have never been so wonderful without Madhu(Gunner) and Vamsi. They just make the game more entertaining by making it controversial for a single ball or a single run. On the smaller note, cricket in the parking lot at 819 West used to remind me of the ‘gully’ cricket in India. And playing cricket in winter with the protective gear on was more fun.

I always had a dream of leading a team and believed in giving it back to the community and Satish and Nakul helped me do this by involving me as a part of the executive ISA team, thanks to them. The people who helped me fulfilling my dream were my team members, volunteers and the members. Thanks to them for admiring me for what I was and for what I did. I hope I met most of your expectations.

Someone quoted, you do not expect returns for all your good deeds and neither did I. But when I was asked to serve the Search Committee as the only Student Representative for the whole University, I was speechless and never imagined that I had recognition at the higher levels. Thanks to Dr. Roseann Runte for giving me that wonderful opportunity, it was a life-time experience to work with such esteemed people.

All the late night parties, all night gaming, TGI Fridays, troublesome professors, hell-like courses, supportive friends, fun-filled moments would always be missed for my life-time. This post could have stirred up some emotions within you and that is how I feel every time I think about you guys. Thank you all for making my life so wonderful.

MISS YOU ALL.

Future is yours ...... Just believe in yourself

2008-03-07T08:44:00.000-06:00

There comes a time in your life when you realize that if you stand still, you will remain at this point forever. You realize that if you fall and stay down, life will pass you by. Life's circumstances are not always what you might wish them to be. The pattern of life does not necessarily go as you plan...

Beyond any understanding, you may at times be led in different directions that you never imagined, dreamed, or designed. Yet, if you had never put any effort into choosing a path or trying to carry out your dream, then perhaps you would have no direction at all.

Rather than wondering about or questioning the direction your life has taken, accept the fact that there is a path before you now. Shake off the "why's" and "what if's" and rid yourself of confusion. Whatever was-- is in the past. Whatever is-- is what's important. The past is a brief reflection. The future is yet to be realized. Today is here.

Walk your path one step at a time-- with courage, faith, and determination. Keep your head up, and cast your dreams to the stars. Soon your steps will become firm and your footing will be solid again. A path that you never imagined will become the most comfortable direction you could have ever hoped to follow.

Keep your belief in yourself and walk into your new journey. You will find it magnificent, spectacular, and beyond your wildest imaginations.

Happppy Days

2007-10-08T04:10:00.000-05:00

"I swear in the name of my dear ones that I would speak truth and nothing else but truth" (Statement good only for this post though:P)

This post might be quite contrary to my previous post, but this is how I feel right now. I have never been so elated previously, trust me, I heard people saying that they are on Cloud Nine but I always wondered how it would be if you are on one, this does not mean that I was always struck with problems. But now I can feel that so called "CLOUD 9". I feel that it is a very small word to epitomize myself.

I can sense the self confidence that has been generated within myself. I can feel the immense energy and vigor being developed within myself. I feel much lighter now. I started sharing my interests and feelings with people. Thanks to all those people who helped me reach to this stage. The credit is totally theirs'.

I never thought that life would be so amazing, everything falling in place, step by step advancement in life.... Getting the right partner for the life is the most crucial part and the most essential thing, this is what I feel. And when you are sure that you were gifted what you always dreamed of, imagine where you would be standing. I do not know about the rest of the world but I place myself on top of the world with that very person who made me feel so special.

Projecting a single personality in two completely different, contrasting cast is almost next to impossible. Okay now, now try answering these question by yourself:

1. Did you know that you are not that "inexpressive" as you feel you are?
2. Have you ever felt the "inner-side" of yours?
3. Did you ever experience that there is some person on this earth who takes care of you just as your mother does?

Answer these questions and there you are, yes..... this is what I am exactly going through.

Have always had a thought that I was always happy and now I realize that I am more happier and that too from my inner side... started wearing a smile that comes right across 'MY'self..

I am not sure of why I am posting all this but wanted to pen down about how I feel when I am really happy... the thirst is not yet quenched... wanted to express some more.. but I will keep writing and writing and writing and am sure that I'll never stop..... :)

2007-07-10T16:02:00.000-05:00

I am no good person

2007-07-10T15:10:00.000-05:00

22 and odd years on this earth, I think that should be ample enough to appraise myself. I have come accross different people, different minds, different mentalities, different thoughts; extrimities of their own kind, and those include me too. I know I can easily put myself into other's shoes, I also know I can alleviate the worst of the situations that my friends come across, and i also know that I spread smiles around when I talk to my affiliates.

The only thing I don't know is why do I get complaints that I don't reveal myself.

I know that I do not reveal myself but what do I do.... I am helpless, I don't do that deliberately. I have never come accross any scintillating things in my life that needs expression. The few wonderful memories that I had, have always been expressed to everyone that I knew. But I don't spare my people if they try to act in they same way that I do. :P

Finally,

I've never been a good son
I've never been a good brother
I've never been a good friend
I've never been a good student
Neither been a good leader.

What I always try to be is a good ME.