I wake up one n a half hour earlier than the scheduled time to reach my destination. And the first thing I do, is not to use Jane... but to put on an episode or two, to which am gonna get ready to. Earlier, I used to have my companion, my sister who would dance before she'd leave for work.
Now that am alone, it’s all television.
As I look outside the window of my car, I find the glorious building standing tall, newly shined by workers who use a swing to make all fourteen floors of its body-Pretty and Shiny, home to many people's happiness.
Beneath its beautiful exterior, hiding the traits of a lying, manipulative, sick boyfriend.
I remember the day the first time I saw it, fresh out college and a relationship. And it turned my stomach.
Walking up the stairs, I get glances, which tell me, "oh look at this young one stepping outta a chauffeur driven car." Also lecherous glances of business “executives" who look at me trying to bend a little to see under my top or beneath my skirt.
The glances they get back are not kind.
Taannnnnnnnnnnngggggggggg.... You enter the building after an X ray scan of all your belongings. Right, like anyone would want to do anything to this building.
Ahhhh, the rusty metal doors of the lift which happen to have their victims marked out for the day. Well, Videocon Towers has got scores of people, rushing in and out of the building but the lifts always manage to stir them out of their reverie.
And so I enter, not fearing its metal clasps on my hard earned clothes and wait for number 4.
Ms. Kone, the electronic voice of the most annoying ever, will not leave a moment to make her presence felt. And so she echoes through the 3 and half inches of confined space saying-" Please allow the door to close.”
And if that wasn't enough, she goes further-" This lift is from Kone". Okay biatch. This is your turf. Your space.
I don't have one.
Our office doesn't have a concept of doors or cubicles or even assigned terminals. Anybody can steal your lip balm, kajal, water,your favorite pen.... Or the terminal you were working on till you looked away.
Right. And with me, enter caked girls smelling of perfume and nicotine. Carrying caffeine in their hands, I figure they are the ones who woke up today at 3 am to be in office, look pretty, not let their curls out of place and deliver an audience, the morning bulletin.
A fake smile here, an acknowledgment there and when Ms. Kone has told us to allow the doors to close a third time, Mr. bald spot with the sickest dressing sense comes and stands next to me.
I try and touch the close button but too late, his two heavy thighs have made their way into the lift.
Great, nobody can catch him. Not God. Not his mother. Or his girlfriend. No, he doesn't have one.
Not even Ms. Kone.
Come on girl, be pink, be a girl.
It's us versus them.
As he seems to think of the lift as his second home, he exchanges pleasantries and niceties as if we are all at his place. Obviously, this is it. This is what got him his post. Sucking up and sucking hard. He was good at playing with words. I should know that. One should see his artful tactics that govern work.
Man, run for some shelter.
As am quite tall, I can’t hide behind any of the foul smelling ICICI “executives", an option for some of my friends. Great. So I show some attitude by checking myself in the mirror and pick number 7 as my destination while he addresses someone else.
You see its not so much about work or the lack of it, but the desire to pass him a smile, the guy who is responsible for ruining so many of my evenings just doesn't seem to be strong. Don't you want an appraisal, I ask myself. Not like this, says the honest, hard working angel in my head who believes in Karma. You’ll get your bit.
No you won't, says the practical one...Its all about niceties and PR. You better suck it up, put your chest out, fling your hair, and all of those 32.
I notice my hair looks nice. Unfortunately, in a fraction of nano second, he catches my eye.
Uh-oh! The narcissist in me has cost me this. This is why God told us to never be taken up by our appearances, they only do your harm.But I am not even good looking, says the angel.
Here we go.
“Hi -----, how are you doing?"
So what’s its gonna be? Be humble or just a mumble? Before my head gives me answer, I flash my 32 teeth smile, wishing him a good morning and a terrible life.
No, that’s not enough. He prods me further."
So what’s plans for today? I hope you have some good ideas for today's show, we really should see some good numbers."
Ya we do, or your tushy, which beats Bangladesh, will be set on fire.
Before I could reply, he steps out of the lift. Well, if you didn't want an answer, then why ask a question? I hope the juice he has in his hand, spills on his crotch and looks like he just wet himself. No.Too mild.
I hope the juice he just gulped is expired and it gives him the loosies. No, I want....
Woah...There he was, trapped in the arms of my gal pal, struggling to get his 2 rupee coat made of metal out of Ms Kone's hand. So much so, that he dropped his drink, skids on it and falls on the slippery in- betweens.
Burning bra's together in the sixties finally pays off in technorama with an electronic whiff of a woman trapped inside a speaker.
She had watched me worked nights, days and evenings with hundreds of others whom he never thanked once. She heard my constant bitching, not without reason, and she had heard a hundred others.
All this while, Ms. Kone has been watching. And unpredictably, she chose the harshest way to put him down.
And make my knees go weak with glee.
When bad boys need to be spanked, all the bad girls come out to clap their hands together.
Monday, June 22, 2009
Angels and Demons
First things first, it’s too late to be reviewing this movie. In spite of the “blessed” strikes, Angels and demons has come far from it’s release.It maybe late for a review but it’s never too late for a perspective.
I never managed reading both the Dan Brown sellers. I saw both the movies. The first one made less sense to me. Maybe it was horrid or maybe it was ignorance. I don’t plan on talking or blaming it. Dan Brown has been often regarded as a “beach read” author – the kinds who churns out a higher concept, slightish adventures that could help you pass a 7 hour flight. Take for example, Angels and Demons the film has everything from the plot, to the the writing, to the history, to the direction, to the performances – executed to utter competence.
The plot : Angels and Demons has the returning Tom Hanks as the symbologist Robert Langdon. He is called upon by the Vatican to investigate the kidnapping of four roman cardinals who turned missing during the vote in of a new pope. A bomb well not exactly a bomb but antimatter with a standard battery life has been planted somewhere in the Vatican city and it is up to Langdon, a female scientist Vittoria and the priest Camerlengo Patrick McKenna to figure out clues and find the bomb in order to save the cardinals and Vatican city. It is a race against time and orthodox tradition. The plot points towards the ancient sect Illuminati, a group of academics and intellectuals who has an age old feud with the Catholic church.
That’s what I want to talk about more than the movie, the age old fight between science and religion. Have they started to co-exist? There are a few theories and few answers to everything. There is no proof although. It is true that majority of people now embrace both science and religion. They seem to use different parts of their minds for each of these, with no or hardly any interconnection between these parts. At least we no more associate bad weather, illness to curses; or earthquakes, storms and eclipses to angry gods.
The conflict has been there right from the 16th century. Both theologians and scientists presume different things and continue to think the way they do. Laplace, dedicated his entire life to finding answers and died exclaiming : “What we know is nothing, what we don’t is immense!”
The truths hidden are greater than our being, generations have passed by and the answers are still not clear. What I have learnt over the years is wisdom in this sentence : “God helps those who help themselves.” I remember my sister praying for 2 hours before every exam…she was never helping herself that day. But till day, she claims that the prayers were answered. My mom is a strong believer in the almighty, the puja in my house has every idol right from all the Hindu gods to Gurunanak and also Jesus. I have wondered if her prayers have any significance, but then who am I to question her faith. My husband dwindles in his belief, I see him praying but never in a temple, but then faith continues to govern our lives.
There has always been a divide and the two groups never saw eye to eye. In the seventeenth century, Galileo stood trial, was found guilty and spent the last eight years of his life in house arrest over the issue of geo centrism. When Darwin's Origin of Species was published, people were divided among those who supported evolution and those who opposed it. Heated and sometimes hostile debates were commonplace. Even today the controversy continues. A Brief History of time is an attempt to explain a range of subjects in Cosmology, including the Big bang, black holes, and light cones to the non specialist leader. Its main goal is to give an overview of the subject but, unusual for a popular science book, it also attempts to explain some complex mathematics. There are no conclusions but it comes very close to answering the so called questions.
I have seen one miracle in my life which is probably to personal to pen down. But that made me realize that if nothing else, we got to keep the faith. If nothing else, we need to bow are head and if nothing else there is no point in the arrogance since there is so much we don’t even know.
I have no ways of structuring this article. It seems as confused as my mind is and as strong as my faith is.
Coming back to the movie, it’s definitely something worth seeing. It is a treasure hunt that takes place in the Vatican and that’s what makes it so enthralling. The performances are strong and the actors remain true to their characters. Rated PG-13 for sequences of violence and disturbing images, Angels and demons has surpassed it’s prequel. A must watch, I say.
Thursday, June 18, 2009
"Drink from me and live for ever..."
Frankly, I was surprised that most people had not heard of this 1994 star-studded (by today's standard) movie adaptation of Anne Rice's best-selling novel. A stellar cast consisting of the likes of Tom Cruise, Brad Pitt, Kirsten Dunst, Antonio Banderas and Stephen Rhea is certainly mouth-watering. And Neil Jordan's "Interview with the Vampire: The Vampire Chronicles" does not disappoint on this count.
This is a story about vampires...oh yes, those creatures who have sharp teeth, drink blood, and sleep in coffins. But no...contrary to popular perception, they don't fear ordinary light, crucifixes or the stake through the heart. But they too have their Achilles Heels - one should not drink the blood from a dead body, ordinary light may not harm them, but sunlight is deadly. And so is fire...
This is a story about vampires...and if you thought this was a run-of-the-mill horror film, you're grossly mistaken. For "Interview..." is a grand story-telling experience - lavish and grandiose in its application. "Interview..." is a story of love, betrayal (of one's own soul), cruelty, treachery and the inner struggles of an "immortal with a mortal soul". Daniel Mallory (Christian Slater), a newspaper reporter manages to lure Louis (Brad Pitt) to relate the story of his life. Louis was an 18th century Louisiana planter, who after the death of his wife and child, is out looking for death. A chance encounter with the vampire Lestat (Tom Cruise) alters his life once and for all. Lestat offers him the choice of being young and immortal for ever, and he readily accepts it to become a vampire and a companion to Lestat. However, he still possesses a soul that hesitates to kill humans and is tormented by his choice.
In his loneliness, he turns a little girl Claudia (Kirsten Dunst) into a vampire, with Lestat's help, and the three of them start a life together as a family. As years pass by, Claudia matures into a woman, but is imprisoned in the body of a 12 year old. In despair, she plots to kill Lestat and with Louis, runs away to Paris in search of more vampires. In Paris, they meet some of their own kind - Armand (Antonio Banderas), Santiago (Stephen Rhea), and their coven, who run the "Theatre des Vampires", a society of vampires that masquerades as actors killing their victims on stage as part of well-orchestrated plays. However, their past catches up with them.
This movie is all about its two leading actors. Brad Pitt has the more difficult role as the conscience-ridden Louis, brilliantly conveying his emotions through his eyes. But Cruise steals the show. As the supremely evil Lestat, he is brilliant and chillingly exudes a devilish charm. Kirsten Dunst as the 12-year old Claudia is good enough, but struggles to portray the role of a young woman trapped in a child's body (a role which is really difficult to carry out). The others, though they have shorter roles, do justice to their part. The movie has high production values. For a story set across centuries, it travels at a good pace, never boring the viewer, thanks to the brilliant screenplay. The scenes are brilliantly executed. Some of them really stand out in your mind - the constant verbal duels between Lestat and Louis, the drama scene in the theatre where the vampires kill a helpless young woman in front of an unsuspecting audience, the gruesome murder of Madeleine and Claudia at the hands of the vampire society, by exposing them to the rays of the rising sun, and Louis donning the role of the grim reaper to wreak his revenge on the vampires - to name a few.
"Interview..." is definitely not for the weak-minded or the average cinema-goer, who would balk at the thought of the constant gushes of blood on the screen - be it from all the bites on the neck or from the rats who are fed upon frequently by the lead cast. This one is for the movie buffs who appreciate the cinematic values on screen.
Drink from me and live forever...
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
PaRt 4
(By Vish)
I have been to quite a few hill stations in my life, but I can safely say that Patni Top is by far the best! To be honest, I don't have words to do justice to this place. I shall only say that it should feature in the 'Places to visit before I die' list. If you don't have one then please start asap cuz life is too short to waste by holidaying at the same spots over and over again.
Before you start expecting a million things out of this shockingly low populated village, let me tell you the one nd only thing to do here. It is called.. Wait for it.. Umm.. NOTHING! Yes, you got that right! You will be shocked to know how much you can actually achieve while doing absolutely nothing (on purpose, mind it!). However, You need to know the trick cuz there is a very fine line between being bored and being extremely happy within!
People say that I am an extrovert and a social person and I don't deny it, but not many know that I am not scared of being alone either. Sometimes you need to be alone to get in touch with your real self. Not the person ur parents/lover/colleague/friends/relatives think or assume you are.. But the one you have known since you were born. I wonder why so many people get worried at the prospect of being 'alone' when the fact is you are spending time with one person who has known you the longest and most - yourself! My guess would be that they get confused between being alone and being lonely. Yea! That's gotta be the reason else they would actually look forward to being with potentially their best friend and confidant!
A lot of things happened during these two days. Men in blue lost all hopes for retaining the world cup, Indian women's team got themselves a spot in the world cup semifinals, mum tried a new Chinese dish, dad ate without any suggestions to the chef or any complains, brothers surprise plan for his wife flopped big time, I smiled throughout the stay without flinching even once!
Unfortunately, my personal experiences cannot be expressed in words. But, fortunately, I am returning completely refreshed and with a whole new perspective towards life!
Life is simple... Indeed! :-)
Ps: Take a trip soon!
Pss: Smile!
Psss: Spoil yourself and all your loved ones!
Pssss: Support the Indian womens cricket team.. They have more balls than the men in blue! (No pun intended)
I have been to quite a few hill stations in my life, but I can safely say that Patni Top is by far the best! To be honest, I don't have words to do justice to this place. I shall only say that it should feature in the 'Places to visit before I die' list. If you don't have one then please start asap cuz life is too short to waste by holidaying at the same spots over and over again.
Before you start expecting a million things out of this shockingly low populated village, let me tell you the one nd only thing to do here. It is called.. Wait for it.. Umm.. NOTHING! Yes, you got that right! You will be shocked to know how much you can actually achieve while doing absolutely nothing (on purpose, mind it!). However, You need to know the trick cuz there is a very fine line between being bored and being extremely happy within!
People say that I am an extrovert and a social person and I don't deny it, but not many know that I am not scared of being alone either. Sometimes you need to be alone to get in touch with your real self. Not the person ur parents/lover/colleague/friends/relatives think or assume you are.. But the one you have known since you were born. I wonder why so many people get worried at the prospect of being 'alone' when the fact is you are spending time with one person who has known you the longest and most - yourself! My guess would be that they get confused between being alone and being lonely. Yea! That's gotta be the reason else they would actually look forward to being with potentially their best friend and confidant!
A lot of things happened during these two days. Men in blue lost all hopes for retaining the world cup, Indian women's team got themselves a spot in the world cup semifinals, mum tried a new Chinese dish, dad ate without any suggestions to the chef or any complains, brothers surprise plan for his wife flopped big time, I smiled throughout the stay without flinching even once!
Unfortunately, my personal experiences cannot be expressed in words. But, fortunately, I am returning completely refreshed and with a whole new perspective towards life!
Life is simple... Indeed! :-)
Ps: Take a trip soon!
Pss: Smile!
Psss: Spoil yourself and all your loved ones!
Pssss: Support the Indian womens cricket team.. They have more balls than the men in blue! (No pun intended)
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
Monday, June 15, 2009
Shake-a-Myster's Top 10
Hello Hotties and all our readers at TTTW..
Am back..and back with a BANG! For all those who do not know me - I am Shake-a-Myster a.k.a. Abhishek - the less hotter but equally witty version of the Siddhanti sisters.
I have been away ...away for quite sometime ..swamped by the conundrums and the hectic schedule of my business, the lickonomics of my International Business MBA - and at times busy travelling to expolore the unexplored.
I was urged to get back by Pragati and was overwhelmed to see the amazing response the blog has witnessed in the last 6 months - way to go guys..
To start with..I dedicate this post to the first half of 2009 and am gonna pen down the ten most amazing moments while I was away from writing:
10. Sangeet - thats that nick name given to Prateik's new found love by my DAD. Her real name is Ragini. (prateik is my younger brother)
9. Singapore's bird eye view from my 32nd floor room at the PAN PACIFIC. www.panpacific.com/singapore
8.The Jacuzzi onboard the Super Star Virgo - BLISS! top deck, crystal clear waters of the Straight of Mallaca
7.MBA from IIFT - Passed First Sem! - Kudos to all my batchmates and the invigilators
6.Prateik's 88 % in CBSE boards - He is gunning to become a rocket scientist and go to NASA!
5. Prateik in distress - After his jet ski crashed amidst high tide in the indian ocean and he thought he would die(guys..this is funny..he was wearing a life Jacket) and btw..he still complains of chest pains due to salt deposits in his body...LOL..Hillarious
4. Renovation of our lovely villa in Delhi - finally done! kudos to Mom and Dad ---you can visit in person with prior appointment and interview - Rights of Admission Reserved...and you know what -- our home is called PRATEEKSHA (named after my Mom's boutique - Mrs. Bacchan liked my Mom's work so much that she couldn't resist stealing the name)
3. GOA Reunion with Hoosiers - (Hoosiers is the mascot of Indiana University..that's where I graduated from) --I haven't had so much Vodka ever--and Capriosca was at its best!
2. Kandooma Resort, Maldives - Dawn of 2009 --check this out http://www.kandooma-maldives.com/ sun kissed beaches, white sand, azure waters - HEAVEN
1. ESCAPES - My newest brainchild ! --A travel portal to be launched during the first week of July. Keep watching this space for more...
Will write again..
PEACE
Am back..and back with a BANG! For all those who do not know me - I am Shake-a-Myster a.k.a. Abhishek - the less hotter but equally witty version of the Siddhanti sisters.
I have been away ...away for quite sometime ..swamped by the conundrums and the hectic schedule of my business, the lickonomics of my International Business MBA - and at times busy travelling to expolore the unexplored.
I was urged to get back by Pragati and was overwhelmed to see the amazing response the blog has witnessed in the last 6 months - way to go guys..
To start with..I dedicate this post to the first half of 2009 and am gonna pen down the ten most amazing moments while I was away from writing:
10. Sangeet - thats that nick name given to Prateik's new found love by my DAD. Her real name is Ragini. (prateik is my younger brother)
9. Singapore's bird eye view from my 32nd floor room at the PAN PACIFIC. www.panpacific.com/singapore
8.The Jacuzzi onboard the Super Star Virgo - BLISS! top deck, crystal clear waters of the Straight of Mallaca
7.MBA from IIFT - Passed First Sem! - Kudos to all my batchmates and the invigilators
6.Prateik's 88 % in CBSE boards - He is gunning to become a rocket scientist and go to NASA!
5. Prateik in distress - After his jet ski crashed amidst high tide in the indian ocean and he thought he would die(guys..this is funny..he was wearing a life Jacket) and btw..he still complains of chest pains due to salt deposits in his body...LOL..Hillarious
4. Renovation of our lovely villa in Delhi - finally done! kudos to Mom and Dad ---you can visit in person with prior appointment and interview - Rights of Admission Reserved...and you know what -- our home is called PRATEEKSHA (named after my Mom's boutique - Mrs. Bacchan liked my Mom's work so much that she couldn't resist stealing the name)
3. GOA Reunion with Hoosiers - (Hoosiers is the mascot of Indiana University..that's where I graduated from) --I haven't had so much Vodka ever--and Capriosca was at its best!
2. Kandooma Resort, Maldives - Dawn of 2009 --check this out http://www.kandooma-maldives.com/ sun kissed beaches, white sand, azure waters - HEAVEN
1. ESCAPES - My newest brainchild ! --A travel portal to be launched during the first week of July. Keep watching this space for more...
Will write again..
PEACE
Sunday, June 14, 2009
Part 3
By Vish
13th June '09, 0530hrs (never mind!)
I didn't need the alarm or dad's intense stare to wake me up today. In fact I woke him up by giving him the same treatment! Payback is such a bitch! He he.
We hired a cab for the rest of our stay in Jammu state and as per the instructions, he reported to duty sharp at 0700hrs (go figure!). Today's itinerary was pretty exciting as we were visiting Vaishnav Devi and then heading straight to Patni Top, which is considered to be next best to Srinagar. FYI, our original plan was to visit Srinagar but cuz of some sex deprived, jobless and frustrated Pakistanis no one is allowed in the Summer capital of J&K. (Yes! Srinagar is summer capital and Jammu is the winter capital for the state. You would have known had you paid attention to the subject rather than the teacher! Perverts!)
It started drizzling when we left and for some reason it bothered mum. According to her the Helicopter wouldn’t work if its raining! Yes, my mum has a logic for everything. And Yes, we were gonna take the 'Chopper' to cut short the distance by 11.6kms. Sandeep, our cab driver, was the most polite and informative fellow. In fact I wonder whether he’s a fulltime guide who’s making some easy money by driving people around. He made sure the drive to the helipad was lovely, not that he had to try hard cuz the weather was way too beautiful to pay any attention to the sometimes bumpy ride. But you couldn’t ignore the potholes completely as the car's stereo used to konk off with each jerk! Lol.. No kidding! Twice the RJ tried to ask some question for her listeners but was muted automatically by the wonder car only to play 'Teri ore' and 'Tera suroooooooor'!
Food for thought: what will happen to Himesh bhai if he sat in this car for few hours? *Devilish grin*
90minutes drive and one chai break later we were at the Sanjhi Chhat ie the helipad! I couldn’t wait to be in the 'copter and to the credit of Pawan Hans employees, they made sure we were ready to fly within 15 minutes! DUUUUDE! They made me sit next to the pilot! Are you kidding me? Excitement was as far as Bombay and fear was all over me just like Ghajini ruled over Rab ne bana diya chu.. I mean Rab ne bana di jodi! It was a very strange experience to be honest, I was smiling from ear to ear and yet I had stomach cramps! Even after being in an aeroplane a million times, this was completely new! I bet sardarji pilotji's caller tune is 'I believe I can fly'... That's all it was - flying!
3 minutes and 17 seconds was all that our sardarji pilot required to drop us to our destination. From here it was 2.5kms walk to the temple. I, being practical, suggested horseback ride. You guessed it right, the suggestion was shot down by mum by saying 'Maata himmat degi'. It was an amusing statement cuz she cant walk that well. Yea, couple of knee surgeries does that to you. I tried to convince her but gave up soon!
This was it! We were moments away from Maata and it actually cleared my mind of all the usual clutter. It has been a long time since I felt this way. It was a different feeling and I was enjoying it to the core. Took us an hour to reach the check point and for some reason I was only reflecting on my life in the past decade be it social, private or professional. This walk was no different from any of those. I knew my destination and I was taking steps, slow at times and rapid at others, to get there. Isn't that what we all do? Set a target and go for it? To get that desired job? For that one special person? Being in shape and looking attractive? Everything might seem simple now only to start looking impossible a minute later. Anyway, we eventually got to the VIP entrance. Mum was struggling and was feeling the immense pain in her legs, dad was tired too but not once did he lose the straight face or mums hand. I might find myself at war with him in day to day life but to be honest I will be smiling in my grave if I manage to be half the man he is.
We took the army gate to enter the queue for the darshan and soon we were part of those who were waiting in the line for hours. Strange how money holds more value than prayers and devotion. There were all kinds of people rubbing shoulders in the queue saying Jai mata di, louder every single time. It reminded me of the little rascal in the train. I would never know why I got pissed off at that poor guy when I was no different! In fact to think of it, he was crying cuz no one around his understood his language, I on the other hand scream when I am happy (cricket), sad(emotional setback), angry(traffic) or ecstatic(happiness). Its weird how my mind was in different zone when ideally I should have been thinking bout the list of things I wanted from God or bout everything that I had to thank her for. Mum was really struggling now but like dad she kept her pain in control and kept walking towards the tunnel.
Some facts bout Vaishnav devi temple. Its not like any other temple that you might have seen till now as there is no statue or photo of god kept inside. You have to walk inside a tunnel, where the police will rush you as if u were in jail and they were taking a count after a field day. Once u do reach THE place, you will have less than couple of seconds to, one, look at the right spot to pray, two, remember everything that you wanted to ask/thank, three, bend over and pay respect, four, ignore the push from others, five, get the most important tikka on your forehead, six, pray to other two gods present with her (Vaishnav Devi is accompanied with Kali Mata nd Sarasvati Mata) and last but not the least, lose yourself in her presence. Oh Yes! It really doesn’t get better than this.
So just like that it was over. Half hour in cab to the station, 30 hours in train to Jammu, hour and half to reach Katra, 3 minutes in the helicopter, hour walking to reach the VIP entrance, and then the final wait in the queue. All this for less than 3 seconds in her presence! Every second was worth it!
Now I am in the cab and we are heading to Patni top. Quite looking forward to visiting the second best place in Kashmir. I have found few answers during this trip. The most important one about success! I did everything needed to reach the top, enjoyed the few seconds of achieving my target and then glowed in the after effects. But the new thing that I experienced today was that you have to keep in mind that one day you will have to get back to square one and you will be judged by all from the way you do it! I loved every second of the way back. Will I replicate the same in my life? I hope I do :-)
PS: we stayed for half day in Jammu, more about it when I return to this city of temples on Monday!
Friday, June 12, 2009
Part 2
(by Vish)
Traveling in train can be quite an experience, if taken in the right spirit. I didnt! Nd hence every passing second was pissing me off! We werent even halfway to our destination nd I was ready to get off, cudnt handle these stupid co-passengers!
Three magazines, one pack ciggarettes nd few rounds of cards later, we were ready for dinner. Btw mum's a fabulous cook nd I can bet on my life that noone can make a better non veg dish than her. So I forgot everything nd served myself a big fat mutton piece. Mr. n Mrs. Jignesh Shah were really ticked off at the sight of me digging into the once alive creature! To be honest I was really tempted to offer them some.. Maybe tmrw I will! Hehe
It was time to get back to my third grade second class seat. Its strange how the whole look of a train changes when u walk from a 'sophisticated' airconditioned surroundings to a 'down grade' second class envionment. I mean how dare the Gujju family offer me theplas nd khakras when barely 10 minutes back two from the same culture were trying to give me a heart attack!
I was kept awake by the little monster's cries.. I think he was trying to communicate with his buddies left behind in Bombay! I wud love to know whr was he getting the energy to take his screams higher every ten seconds!
Heres an idea, why dont we make a car that runs purely on babyscreams? I mean we 'Indians' are producing these little rascals by the dozens, so why not make some use of em in the bargain? I hope no chinese hakka noodle is reading this.. Back off!
After changing my seat for the convinience of my co-passengers, I finally found one middle birth to sleep. I think I got an hours shut eye before someones laughter woke me up. This was different you know, full hearted laugh which always ended with a sad sigh! Took a peek towards the toilet area nd found 4 middle aged men having a merry time with handful of bidi's nd desi daaru. I stood there for a bit, had one ciggie before offering one to the laughing dude, he looked like a story teller. Sitting in the middle with, now, 6people surrounding him. 'Dhanyawaad baabu.. Ab aap harari bidi lo.. Specially Manali se laaye hai.. Kadwi nahi lagegi aapko' How cud I not try it after this explanation? Soon I gave my entire cigg packet in exchange of the gold leave bidi's nd within no time I was sharing the 'homemade' daaru as well. You must try this combination, with the exact bunch of people, at this exact time, in this exact train! Oops.. You cant! Suckers.. Hehe
These guys never run out of stories nd they have one for practically anything nd everything! Some you may doubt, some may leave u speechless nd then some which will make u roll on the floor laughing ur guts out!
One dude was traveling to Vaishano Devi cuz his mother wanted to visit the god herself, but she died of some kind of disease a year back. I was trying to click some snaps from my phone before he said 'Babu us wakhat hame 20 hajaar ki zaroorat thi maa ko bachane ke liye par hamare kheto ki fasal kharab ho gayee.. Bichari apne pote(grandson) ka mu dekhe bina hi mar gayee'. I had bought this phone exactly a year back nd it costed me exactly 20K!
One fairly oldish man was visiting his beloved god for the fourth occasion, this time he was sure that he would be able to muster the remaining 12.5 thousand rupees he needed to pay off the agriculture loan nd wont let it extend for another year. I lost 12.5K last friday in poker!
The youngest of the lot had quite a few stories as well. One reminded me of Slumdog Millionaire.. His name is Pawan nd he travels int he train everyday from Paanipat to Ambala nd back, cleaning the garbage that we civilized people thrown on the floor. He does this cuz his sister is too young to work, his mother works on the field nd he doesnt know who his father is or was. By default he is the man of the house now nd is very proud of making a daily average of Rs 100. He is 7 !! I will be 27 in one months time nd I blow Rs 100 on my smokes everyday!
Three of them didnt know their birthdates but the rest 5, including myself, are born in the month of July!
After the daaru nd bidi session was over, I cudnt help but feel the luckiest among this crowd. I looked arnd nd everyone was in snoring away to glory, maybe dreaming of a perfect world. I, on the other hand, I cudnt sleep at all. Am I really that lucky? Maybe.. Maybe not!
Traveling in train can be quite an experience, if taken in the right spirit. I didnt! Nd hence every passing second was pissing me off! We werent even halfway to our destination nd I was ready to get off, cudnt handle these stupid co-passengers!
Three magazines, one pack ciggarettes nd few rounds of cards later, we were ready for dinner. Btw mum's a fabulous cook nd I can bet on my life that noone can make a better non veg dish than her. So I forgot everything nd served myself a big fat mutton piece. Mr. n Mrs. Jignesh Shah were really ticked off at the sight of me digging into the once alive creature! To be honest I was really tempted to offer them some.. Maybe tmrw I will! Hehe
It was time to get back to my third grade second class seat. Its strange how the whole look of a train changes when u walk from a 'sophisticated' airconditioned surroundings to a 'down grade' second class envionment. I mean how dare the Gujju family offer me theplas nd khakras when barely 10 minutes back two from the same culture were trying to give me a heart attack!
I was kept awake by the little monster's cries.. I think he was trying to communicate with his buddies left behind in Bombay! I wud love to know whr was he getting the energy to take his screams higher every ten seconds!
Heres an idea, why dont we make a car that runs purely on babyscreams? I mean we 'Indians' are producing these little rascals by the dozens, so why not make some use of em in the bargain? I hope no chinese hakka noodle is reading this.. Back off!
After changing my seat for the convinience of my co-passengers, I finally found one middle birth to sleep. I think I got an hours shut eye before someones laughter woke me up. This was different you know, full hearted laugh which always ended with a sad sigh! Took a peek towards the toilet area nd found 4 middle aged men having a merry time with handful of bidi's nd desi daaru. I stood there for a bit, had one ciggie before offering one to the laughing dude, he looked like a story teller. Sitting in the middle with, now, 6people surrounding him. 'Dhanyawaad baabu.. Ab aap harari bidi lo.. Specially Manali se laaye hai.. Kadwi nahi lagegi aapko' How cud I not try it after this explanation? Soon I gave my entire cigg packet in exchange of the gold leave bidi's nd within no time I was sharing the 'homemade' daaru as well. You must try this combination, with the exact bunch of people, at this exact time, in this exact train! Oops.. You cant! Suckers.. Hehe
These guys never run out of stories nd they have one for practically anything nd everything! Some you may doubt, some may leave u speechless nd then some which will make u roll on the floor laughing ur guts out!
One dude was traveling to Vaishano Devi cuz his mother wanted to visit the god herself, but she died of some kind of disease a year back. I was trying to click some snaps from my phone before he said 'Babu us wakhat hame 20 hajaar ki zaroorat thi maa ko bachane ke liye par hamare kheto ki fasal kharab ho gayee.. Bichari apne pote(grandson) ka mu dekhe bina hi mar gayee'. I had bought this phone exactly a year back nd it costed me exactly 20K!
One fairly oldish man was visiting his beloved god for the fourth occasion, this time he was sure that he would be able to muster the remaining 12.5 thousand rupees he needed to pay off the agriculture loan nd wont let it extend for another year. I lost 12.5K last friday in poker!
The youngest of the lot had quite a few stories as well. One reminded me of Slumdog Millionaire.. His name is Pawan nd he travels int he train everyday from Paanipat to Ambala nd back, cleaning the garbage that we civilized people thrown on the floor. He does this cuz his sister is too young to work, his mother works on the field nd he doesnt know who his father is or was. By default he is the man of the house now nd is very proud of making a daily average of Rs 100. He is 7 !! I will be 27 in one months time nd I blow Rs 100 on my smokes everyday!
Three of them didnt know their birthdates but the rest 5, including myself, are born in the month of July!
After the daaru nd bidi session was over, I cudnt help but feel the luckiest among this crowd. I looked arnd nd everyone was in snoring away to glory, maybe dreaming of a perfect world. I, on the other hand, I cudnt sleep at all. Am I really that lucky? Maybe.. Maybe not!
Happy Birthday Shake-a-Myster
Wish you a very happy birthday bro!
Love,
~Your hottest sisters...!!~
Shake-a-Myster is a guest blogger and not a regular on TTTW.
Interesting facts about him :
1). He is also known as Abhishek.
2). He looks handsome even without hair on his head.
3). He is a travel monster.
4). He came up with TTTW!!!
5). He is extremely nice!
You can find his posts here :
Have a fabulous day!
God Bless!
Thursday, June 11, 2009
Journey the the heavens! Or so I thought..
The post below is Vish's(dowggie's) writing. Am just posting his travelogues till his journey ends.
The day finally came, today we make a trip to visit the one of the most elusive yet highly worshipped Hindu gods. They say 'chalo bulawa aaya hai, maata ne bulaya hai' nd even before one can finish this line, someone else will throw a dice specifying, rather forcing the fact that you can not visit her untill she wants! I used to wonder on the latter statement but as I sit in this train, which takes 30 hours to reach, I have more than accepted that its the fact and no one can do anything about it!
Little background on this trip. We visited the temple around 12yrs back in a group of 20 odd relatives from all parts of India. This time again, everyone was suppose to go plus some more. As it turns out, after 3 months of planning, its only ma, pa and me who are traveling and rest all are stuck with some or the other 'unavoidable' reasons. This justifies the loooong train journy cuz it would have been fun had everyone joined in. Not so much fun now! I found out little too late, somewhat like a mouse after biting the cheese placed nicely in the trap!
Coming back to the present day... The alarm went off at 0630 hrs (that's 6 30 in the morning you morons). Took me precisely 10 seconds to get outta my bed - not cuz I wanted to, but cuz I cud sense dad standing within a feet of me! Morning tea wasn't required cuz I was up and about like a watch dog, strange how dad's method of waking me up still works even after finishing school over a decade ago! Moms constant comments didn't phase me as I went about packing my bags while brushing my teeth. Yea, I am multi tasking! Nd Yea, I pack just before I leave! An hour later we were on our way to the station, I dun remember when I stopped replying to dads questions.. Maybe when he asked me why I needed the laptop! If only you knew dad, If only!
So here we were, standing the borivali station at 0810hrs (that's 8 10 am, idiots!) And mom had a sudden attack of realization! I would have have chosen other words, but cmon guys, shez my mum! She said 'kitni bheed haina bombay main.. Dekho saari local trains full hai itni subah bhi'. I know it wasn't anything major and nothing more than just an effort for small talk. But cmon mum - I expected better! Something like taking a flight straight to Jammu or at least till Delhi! Ignoring her comment I asked dad about the total travel time. He looked at mum and said we'll reach tomorrow.. No exact number, no approx time either. The mouse just kept coming close n closer to the trap!
Train arrives and we all take our seats, dad still cribbing bout the laptop and mum checking out everyone in the neighbouring births. Its as if I have tattooed it in my destiny that 'I shall have at least one constantly crying infant and one ridiculously old couple'. Today the old couple turned out to be gujrati's, lets call them Mr. N Mrs Jignesh Shah (FYI I find them the most obnoxious and senseless travelers) and the baby, aka baby monster, belonged to a punjabi family, aka Kapoors (This should be fun!).
The journey begins and with it the hauling of the BM. I think he needed something to drink. How dumb! Whats the point of crying son, just tell dad u want whisky on the rocks, looks the Kapoor Sr starts his drinking session with a morning cup of tequila shot! Jr dude kept crying even after gulping down a gallon of milk and some. I wonder why is it illegal to slap these lil maniacs to shut em up! Cmon wouldn't u beat the hell outta your dog if it kept barking no matter what u tried? I would!
Anyways, once the train catches some momentum, Dad hands me my ticket and asks me to go and get it signed by the TC. Quite surprising! Why? I'll tell you! When three people are traveling, u don't need to individually get the ticket checked. He goes on 'Oh yea, we couldn't get u in the same compartment.. Ur reservation is in the seventh bogey from here. Its in second class' Ladies n gentlemen, That's how u trap a Mouse! So like an obedient kid, after almost half hour of shelling from both sides, I make my way to find my authorized seat! I finally reach the compartment after crossing 5 ac, 1 cooking and one stinking second class bogey. Guess what! Another fucking hauling monster, this time belonging to a joint family of 9 - all Mr and Mrs jignesh shah's! I waited for the TC for bout 45minutes, hungry for food and cigarettes! I thought I looked decent enough to pass as just another passenger but for some reason these idiots kept staring at me! Only comparison that I can think of would be the way everyone looked at Paulomi in roadies! The only difference - This is Hell down under, within, all around me!
Whats worse you ask? Its only 1200hrs - only 4 fucking hours have passed!!!
The day finally came, today we make a trip to visit the one of the most elusive yet highly worshipped Hindu gods. They say 'chalo bulawa aaya hai, maata ne bulaya hai' nd even before one can finish this line, someone else will throw a dice specifying, rather forcing the fact that you can not visit her untill she wants! I used to wonder on the latter statement but as I sit in this train, which takes 30 hours to reach, I have more than accepted that its the fact and no one can do anything about it!
Little background on this trip. We visited the temple around 12yrs back in a group of 20 odd relatives from all parts of India. This time again, everyone was suppose to go plus some more. As it turns out, after 3 months of planning, its only ma, pa and me who are traveling and rest all are stuck with some or the other 'unavoidable' reasons. This justifies the loooong train journy cuz it would have been fun had everyone joined in. Not so much fun now! I found out little too late, somewhat like a mouse after biting the cheese placed nicely in the trap!
Coming back to the present day... The alarm went off at 0630 hrs (that's 6 30 in the morning you morons). Took me precisely 10 seconds to get outta my bed - not cuz I wanted to, but cuz I cud sense dad standing within a feet of me! Morning tea wasn't required cuz I was up and about like a watch dog, strange how dad's method of waking me up still works even after finishing school over a decade ago! Moms constant comments didn't phase me as I went about packing my bags while brushing my teeth. Yea, I am multi tasking! Nd Yea, I pack just before I leave! An hour later we were on our way to the station, I dun remember when I stopped replying to dads questions.. Maybe when he asked me why I needed the laptop! If only you knew dad, If only!
So here we were, standing the borivali station at 0810hrs (that's 8 10 am, idiots!) And mom had a sudden attack of realization! I would have have chosen other words, but cmon guys, shez my mum! She said 'kitni bheed haina bombay main.. Dekho saari local trains full hai itni subah bhi'. I know it wasn't anything major and nothing more than just an effort for small talk. But cmon mum - I expected better! Something like taking a flight straight to Jammu or at least till Delhi! Ignoring her comment I asked dad about the total travel time. He looked at mum and said we'll reach tomorrow.. No exact number, no approx time either. The mouse just kept coming close n closer to the trap!
Train arrives and we all take our seats, dad still cribbing bout the laptop and mum checking out everyone in the neighbouring births. Its as if I have tattooed it in my destiny that 'I shall have at least one constantly crying infant and one ridiculously old couple'. Today the old couple turned out to be gujrati's, lets call them Mr. N Mrs Jignesh Shah (FYI I find them the most obnoxious and senseless travelers) and the baby, aka baby monster, belonged to a punjabi family, aka Kapoors (This should be fun!).
The journey begins and with it the hauling of the BM. I think he needed something to drink. How dumb! Whats the point of crying son, just tell dad u want whisky on the rocks, looks the Kapoor Sr starts his drinking session with a morning cup of tequila shot! Jr dude kept crying even after gulping down a gallon of milk and some. I wonder why is it illegal to slap these lil maniacs to shut em up! Cmon wouldn't u beat the hell outta your dog if it kept barking no matter what u tried? I would!
Anyways, once the train catches some momentum, Dad hands me my ticket and asks me to go and get it signed by the TC. Quite surprising! Why? I'll tell you! When three people are traveling, u don't need to individually get the ticket checked. He goes on 'Oh yea, we couldn't get u in the same compartment.. Ur reservation is in the seventh bogey from here. Its in second class' Ladies n gentlemen, That's how u trap a Mouse! So like an obedient kid, after almost half hour of shelling from both sides, I make my way to find my authorized seat! I finally reach the compartment after crossing 5 ac, 1 cooking and one stinking second class bogey. Guess what! Another fucking hauling monster, this time belonging to a joint family of 9 - all Mr and Mrs jignesh shah's! I waited for the TC for bout 45minutes, hungry for food and cigarettes! I thought I looked decent enough to pass as just another passenger but for some reason these idiots kept staring at me! Only comparison that I can think of would be the way everyone looked at Paulomi in roadies! The only difference - This is Hell down under, within, all around me!
Whats worse you ask? Its only 1200hrs - only 4 fucking hours have passed!!!
Cheers!
25 years to the greatest game ever.
My feelings aren’t easy to pen down for the most simple and addictive concept that was created way back in June 1984. It was originally designed and programmed by Alexey Pajitnov while he was working with the Academy of Science in Moscow. I think it’s one of greatest gifts Russia gave the world of gaming.
The game or one of its various variants is available for nearly every video game console and computer operating system, as well as on devices such as
graphic calculators, mobile phones, media players ad PDAs.
The best part about the game is that it is fairly simple, you position randomly selected blocks to form lines. It’s simple because of the objectivity of the game. At the same time its complex because of the math behind it. Till day, there is no supercomputer on Earth that could accurately predict which block is going to come next. Every single game is different. The goal although, always remains the same.
The scoring formula for the majority of Tetris products is built on the idea that more difficult line clears should be awarded more points. For example, a single line clear in Tetris Zone is worth 100 points, while a back-to-back Tetris is worth 1,200.
Effects of Tetris on the brain - According to intensive research from Dr. Michael Crane and Dr. Richard Haier, et al. prolonged Tetris activity can also lead to more efficient brain activity during play. As Tetris players become more proficient, their brains show a reduced consumption of glucose, indicating more efficient brain activity for this task.
There are 125 million different versions of this game. It still remains simple and the classic version still rules. There are no characters, no shooting, and no complicated story lines. What it brings to you is peace of mind. For me, tetris has been one of the greatest stress busters for over 10 years now. With the peace, it also gets with it concentration and focus. You blink and the block decides not to fit anymore. The concentration and focus levels keep going up as the pace increases.
The long history of Tetris resulted in a Guinness World Record awarding the franchise nine world records in the Gamer's Edition. These records include, "Most Ported Video Game", "Game With the Most Official and Unofficial Variants", and "Longest Prison Sentence for Playing a Video Game", which is held by Faiz Chopdat, who was jailed for four months for playing Tetris on his cell phone while on a flight to Manchester, England. He refused to stop playing after being repeatedly warned by the cabin staff.
I know I could have been fired for playing tetris all day long once. Luckily I didn’t. I wish I could say I got my boss hooked on to it. That wouldn’t be a fact then. The thin line isn’t that easy to cross in a post which is so based on facts and is so close to my heart.
I have been stuck to the classic version and I know I kick ass at it.
I know the history and I know what it means to me.
And if ever there is a tetris tournament, please let me know about it. Feel free to leave comments on what the game means to you. It has helped me calm down and get the focus many a times.
Finally, we’re all still playing tetris and will continue on it. I play it several times a day. I will make my kids play it. I have seen several people getting hooked on to it. It’s one of the greatest icons in history of the gaming world. Every geek and non geek plays it. If you haven’t yet played it:
Tetris 1.6
Hey if you’d excuse me – it’s time for a break…
PS : Thanks to wiki !
My feelings aren’t easy to pen down for the most simple and addictive concept that was created way back in June 1984. It was originally designed and programmed by Alexey Pajitnov while he was working with the Academy of Science in Moscow. I think it’s one of greatest gifts Russia gave the world of gaming.
The game or one of its various variants is available for nearly every video game console and computer operating system, as well as on devices such as
graphic calculators, mobile phones, media players ad PDAs.
The best part about the game is that it is fairly simple, you position randomly selected blocks to form lines. It’s simple because of the objectivity of the game. At the same time its complex because of the math behind it. Till day, there is no supercomputer on Earth that could accurately predict which block is going to come next. Every single game is different. The goal although, always remains the same.
The scoring formula for the majority of Tetris products is built on the idea that more difficult line clears should be awarded more points. For example, a single line clear in Tetris Zone is worth 100 points, while a back-to-back Tetris is worth 1,200.
Effects of Tetris on the brain - According to intensive research from Dr. Michael Crane and Dr. Richard Haier, et al. prolonged Tetris activity can also lead to more efficient brain activity during play. As Tetris players become more proficient, their brains show a reduced consumption of glucose, indicating more efficient brain activity for this task.
There are 125 million different versions of this game. It still remains simple and the classic version still rules. There are no characters, no shooting, and no complicated story lines. What it brings to you is peace of mind. For me, tetris has been one of the greatest stress busters for over 10 years now. With the peace, it also gets with it concentration and focus. You blink and the block decides not to fit anymore. The concentration and focus levels keep going up as the pace increases.
The long history of Tetris resulted in a Guinness World Record awarding the franchise nine world records in the Gamer's Edition. These records include, "Most Ported Video Game", "Game With the Most Official and Unofficial Variants", and "Longest Prison Sentence for Playing a Video Game", which is held by Faiz Chopdat, who was jailed for four months for playing Tetris on his cell phone while on a flight to Manchester, England. He refused to stop playing after being repeatedly warned by the cabin staff.
I know I could have been fired for playing tetris all day long once. Luckily I didn’t. I wish I could say I got my boss hooked on to it. That wouldn’t be a fact then. The thin line isn’t that easy to cross in a post which is so based on facts and is so close to my heart.
I have been stuck to the classic version and I know I kick ass at it.
I know the history and I know what it means to me.
And if ever there is a tetris tournament, please let me know about it. Feel free to leave comments on what the game means to you. It has helped me calm down and get the focus many a times.
Finally, we’re all still playing tetris and will continue on it. I play it several times a day. I will make my kids play it. I have seen several people getting hooked on to it. It’s one of the greatest icons in history of the gaming world. Every geek and non geek plays it. If you haven’t yet played it:
Tetris 1.6
Hey if you’d excuse me – it’s time for a break…
PS : Thanks to wiki !
Tuesday, June 2, 2009
What just happened?
Whaaa?
Just checked the stats and the visitor count increased...Well well !
Congrats to the non-bloggers and me!
Welcome to the new people... a "prettier and juicier" welcome once you people write something and prove your worth on TTTW!
Till then, the car number game...
I was a big fan of a particular radio station in Delhi. Actually of a particular RJ... Ginni. Super woman...I learnt this game and it helped me pass a lotta time en route Delhi-gurgaon.
This game can be played with any car number provided there is no zero in it. The basic idea is to reduce any 4 digit number to a 0 by doing basic arithmetic operations.
For eg. :
7855
8-7 = 1
5/5 = 1
1-1 =0
8432
4-3 = 1
cube root of 8 = 2
2/2 = 1
1-1 =0
Let the TP begin!
If you don't know what TP means... I am glad that we are friends!
Good night! I have worked way too much today...
Just checked the stats and the visitor count increased...Well well !
Congrats to the non-bloggers and me!
Welcome to the new people... a "prettier and juicier" welcome once you people write something and prove your worth on TTTW!
Till then, the car number game...
I was a big fan of a particular radio station in Delhi. Actually of a particular RJ... Ginni. Super woman...I learnt this game and it helped me pass a lotta time en route Delhi-gurgaon.
This game can be played with any car number provided there is no zero in it. The basic idea is to reduce any 4 digit number to a 0 by doing basic arithmetic operations.
For eg. :
7855
8-7 = 1
5/5 = 1
1-1 =0
8432
4-3 = 1
cube root of 8 = 2
2/2 = 1
1-1 =0
Let the TP begin!
If you don't know what TP means... I am glad that we are friends!
Good night! I have worked way too much today...
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