Happy New Year - Make all your days memorable.

Incidentally, I see that there were no blog updates by me during the last year - 2009. A lot has changed last year. Relinquishing my US dream run midway, I chose to move to India for good. This land showed me a lot of opportunities although none was up for grabs. I will remember one thing though that I tried. I tried not only in pursuing new opportunities but also in understanding one and all of the society I live in, today. I witnessed the untimely demise of a leader who knew how to keep everyone under one shroud. I see how things change when the replacement isn't quite bold but a mere show of sincerity.

Lastly, there is one thing that I surely want to take credit for - realizing the power of two.

*Picture was taken during our recent New Delhi trip in Nov '09

Best Buy in India

Don't be too excited. It's not the original Bestbuy (www.bestbuy.com). It's the same brand name and the same logo that has been copied/plagiarized or rather "inspired" as the notorious copy king of Bollywood Anu Malik puts it as. As opposed to the original concept of getting electronics from the US store, you get groceries from the store in India :)

The original chain :



The copied Version :



I was pleasantly surprised first when I saw this store but later found it funny and took a pic on my cell cam.

The endoscope camera in a "pill"

Pop this pill, and eight hours later, doctors can examine a high-resolution video of your intestines for tumors and other problems, thanks to a new spinning camera that captures images in 360 degrees. Developed by the Japanese RF System Lab, the Sayaka endoscope capsule enters clinical trials in the U.S. this month. Don't worry, at around $100, the cam is disposable, so patients can simply flush it away :)

Courtesy : www.engadget.com
Details at : Popsci

Jodhaa Akbar - Jashn-e-Baharaa, What it is all about!

When I first heard this song, it was just like an other passing song. I definitely liked the more energetic song the Azeem-o-Shaan in the beginning. Things change when you see the movie, as it is the case with all Allah Rakha Rahman's works. JEB was sang by Javed Ali who had been singing since 2000 but shot to fame after this masterpiece for the movie Jodhaa Akbar. Picturized on Jodhaa (Aishwarya Rai) and Akbar (Hrithik Roshan), the song conveys a sense of joy in grief. Starts off with "Kehne Ko".. bringing the poignant irony to the seemingly pleasant mind.


The literal translation* is like this:

Kehne ko jashn e bahara hain
To say, its like a celebration of spring/beauty/elegance
Ishq yeh dekh ke hairaan hai
Love is amazed to see this all

Phool se khushboo khafa khafa hain gulshan mein
Fragnance is annoyed (shying away) with the flower in the garden
Chupa hain koi ranjh fiza ki chilman mein
There is an unseen grief/conflict in the veil of the happy surroundings
Saare sehmay nazaare hain soye soye waqt ke dhaare hain
The scene around is filled with silence, Time drifts into a slumber/sleep
Aur dil mein khoyi khoyi si baatein hain
Some lost memories remain in the heart

Kehne ko jashn e bahara hain
To say, its like a celebration of spring/beauty/elegance
Ishq yeh dekh ke hairaan hai
Love is amazed to see this all
Phool se khushboo khafa khafa hain gulshan mein
Fragnance is annoyed with the flower in the garden
Chupa hain koi ranjh fiza ki chilman mein
There is an unseen grief/conflict in the veil of the happy surroundings

Kaise kahein kya hain sitam
How would I say what is pain
Sochte hain ab yeh hum Koi kaise kahe who hain ya nahi humare?
I keep thinking about it now, that how would I know if she belongs to me or not?
Karte to hai saath safar faasle hain fir bhi magar
Though we journey together, yet there are some distances between us
Jaise milte nahi kisi dariya ke do kinare
Just like how two banks of a river never meet
Paas hai phir bhi paas nahi, Humko yeh ghum raas nahi
We are so close yet so far, I cannot accept this despair at all
Sheeshe ki ek deewar hai jaise darmiyaan
Its like a wall of glass that divides us in between

Saare sehmay nazaare hain soye soye waqt ke dhaare hain
The scene around is filled with silence, Time drifts into a slumber/sleep
Aur dil mein khoyi khoyi si baatein hain
Some lost memories remain in the heart


Humne jo tha nagma suna, dil ne tha usko chuna
The song that I had heard was chosen straight from the heart
Yeh daastan hume waqt ne kaisi sunayee
But time hummed a different tale for us
Hum jo agar hai ghumgeen, who bhi udhar khush to nahi
If I am sad in here, even she is not happy there
Mulaqato mein hai jaisi ghul si gayee tanhayee
Loneliness has filled up our meeting
Milke bhi hum milte nahi, Khilke bhi gul khilte nahi
We meet but we don't unite, the flowers bloom but they don't blossom
Aankho me hain bahaarey, dil mein Khiza.
My eyes envision Spring, but my heart senses the Autumn

Saare sehmay nazaare hain soye soye waqt ke dhaare hain
The scene around is filled with silence, Time races into a slumber/sleep
Aur dil mein khoyi khoyi si baatein hain
Some lost thoughts remain in the heart

*includes my interpretations, credits to a user Smita, and an other website.

Highlights of T20 world cup cricket 2007 finals India Vs Pakistan

Twenty20 World Cup 2007 FINAL - India Vs Pakistan

What a match it was! It made my day, week, month and the year. Year started off when I bought an LCD TV just to watch the world cup in March. Got pained seeing the sight of India getting kicked out of world cup then. But, what a turn around it was for the youngsters barring the Tendulkars, Gangulys and Dravids in the fast paced form of the game. Needless to say, I AM DELIGHTED!!

Mostly optimistic, but being a little practical too, I got pissed off watching the IBNlive videos of the cricket discussion with Chris Cairns, Kris Srikanth and others after the marvellous victory over the ever proud Aussies. They were getting too carried away then. I am sure they would also be speechless watching the course of the game during the FINALS of T20 at Johannesburg, SA.

But whatever it be, in the end it was a rollercoaster ride. Superman at SIX flags would only come second to this match. India just WON the cricket WORLD CUP!!!! Yeah, it is CRICKET

India 157/5 (20/20 ov) Pakistan 152 (19.3/20 ov) Man of the Match : Irfan Pathan (16/3 4.0 Overs, Malik, Afridi, Arafat)

The Climax (Long Weekend - An Anti Climax?)

This is in continuation to the previous blog. Those who didn't read it earlier, do check it out first.
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Leaving us no choice, we took the bus shuttle back to the dock. There were just three of us in the bus and an other old lady who probably is a resident of the island. For a second, it beckoned on to me that we were the same guys who cracked the JEE and there should be something that we could do. While Raghav was busy making fun of me and Jumpy was busy looking into no man's land, I was having a bemused face. My cellphone's battery died right then and hurriedly took Raghav's phone thinking of calling the insurance company. I never was in such a situation and I thought there could be something that they could help with. An experienced Jumpy turned it down quoting rather logical reasons.

Jumpy's phone rang and my idea bulb glew. It was the moment of truth. Optimistic people we were, Jumpy and I were excited :) I was surprised to see Raghav in the same usual inebriated state making fun of me yet.

It was 905PM. Upon reaching the dock, we hurriedly went into the ticket office. This guy at the counter, after listening to our story, suddenly pose a funny expression, looking behind us. For a moment, we were utterly confused.. not sure if he was being sarcastic, but when turned around, we realized that the bus driver was standing right infront, holding both of our (Raghav and I) cellphones in his hands. Can it get any worse, we thought! "Thank you thank you thank you so much" were the words.

It was the time for us to implement our plan. We informed the guy at the counter where our keys were. It was just across the street from the place where the island's docking place was. Asked him if he could arrange somebody at the other end to get it for us by the next ferry! He right away agreed to help us. Somebody actually went there at our bikes in the island and was on the phone with me but guess what, he kept telling me that he cannot find the keys. I was like... 'look right there .. just right there.. oh please... I am sure... ' etc., and bingo .. comes a reply "This must be your lucky day. You will get your keys in the next and last ferry".

There goes our Hi-Fis again. Nothing else would have brought us so much happiness. Walked into a restaurant and had a filling dinner and few beers (not me) while we waited for the next ferry to arrive. The ferry finally reached at 10:30PM. One after another, everybody disembarked from the dock and very soon, there was none around. Tension mounted in me, but finally this ticket office guy came out and had a word with the captain and there he gets my keys!! Hurray.... we got the keys!!

Now, where is the anti-climax?

We turn back smiling ......... and all of a sudden, Raghav yells at us saying his Canon High Res Camera is missing! He forgot his camera 'somewhere' in the island :)

Long Weekend - An Anti Climax?

It was a trip with great anti-climax. It started when I overheard Jumpy planning to go to Boston on Sunday, all alone after our previous day's night-out at a certain club in NYC. I had nothing great planned for the remaining part of the long weekend and so jumped in to travel along with Jumpy. With our sleepless heads yet active torsos, we started off in my Bimmer at around 5PM from Princeton to Boston and managed to reach our destination in less than 5 hours. Hurray! We did manage to cross George Washington bridge pretty fast.

A sumptuous dinner made with lamb, some crazy stuff and we were off to the next day. After a lot of planning, Jumpy, Raghav and I still managed to start late (by 3hrs) at 11:00AM from Westborough, MA to Cape Cod, MA. Didn't need a jet to defy the google maps estimated time of 150 minutes but the BMW did it for us in less than two hours. It was nothing like usual : a fully booked parking lot, a huge multi-storeyed ferry overlooking the perfect scenery that holds the Martha's Vineyard and not so unusual desi visitors.

Boarded the ferry and we were all set to the island - Martha's Vineyard along with some unique and beautiful visitors - the pigeons that followed our ferry. It was a 45 minute ride but, the time flew off like I was on a call with someone special. Oh yeah, I am pretty much addicted to my cellphone but hmm... haven't found that someone special though. The Vineyard welcomed us with gusts of wind that flew Northeast. We had just two more hours for the next ferry back to Cape Cod and then we could head back to Boston/NJ. But we decided otherwise and planned to board one ferry later, at 7:15PM.



Car-borne, Ferry-borne and then we chose to be Bike-borne. It had been 8 years since I last rode a bike, aka the Indian bicycle. Arms tightened, legs stiffened, bellies protuded and thus began our bike journey down south to two far ends of the island. Though there wasn't any sweat that was shed, believe me, it was stressful driving against the severe wind. Our first destination Oak Bluffs was reached in less than an hour but the journey that followed latter to Edgartown was the toughest. It was never ending and so we took a pit-stop into a supposedly no man's land (beach) but we kinda intruded the privacy of many couples. Facing strict adversities, we had to leave the stop and headed to Edgartown again.

Cutting the long story short, we headed back to our boarding place (Wood's Hole) after Edgartown. Time was ticking and so we had to let go our plan to visit the South Beach. And, there went three desperate souls trying to reach Wood's Hole by 715PM to catch the second last ferry (The last ferry leaves at 945PM). Jumpy kinda led the way but it was a marathon trail back home and so he eventually followed us. Signs of despair was evident when there was just 10 minutes left and the bike gear wouldn't exceed two. I almost wrote it off and Jumpy, it seems lost enthusiasm much in advance. Raghav, the hyper energetic hare made it to a wrong destination and had to come back to the real bike rental shop which is when he saw the tortoise (myself) making it at 718PM.

Where were the bike keys?? The ferry was still right at the dock and it was 5 minutes past the scheduled time. I hurriedly looked all my pockets that were full of crap, my car keys, camera and some maps. The curse of the vineyard gave in and I found my keys; they were with Raghav. We had no stamina left in us but we just couldn't let go the ferry. A cinematic end it was .. to the journey in the vineyard, we yelled, jumped our way towards the ferry and the security at the dock signaled to the captain. There we go, we jumped in glory, pounced on the opportunity in no time and boarded the ferry and there we sailed back home. Oh wait, this isn't the climax.



Though we were tired and had sore bums, stiff muscles, we had a great time gossiping while going back to the shore. We didnt really board the return ferry by showing the tickets and so we saved our tickets. Returned them for a full refund of $21*3 after cooking up some story to the lady at the ticket office. We basically told her that our girl friends decided found some other guys at the island and so we had three unused tickets...not really :) Later, we boarded the bus shuttle and head back to the parking lot letching at some desis. It was 840PM. All was well until the hell broke lose as we walked towards our car in the parking lot which is when I realized that my car key was missing!!!! Fast recap.. remember the junk I encountered when I was trying to find my bike key? I removed the junk and placed it on the bike while I searched for the key!! Gosh oh Gosh.... F*** oh F*** ... and there goes an endless tirade.

What to do? The next ferry to the island leaves at 915PM. The bus shuttle takes 10 minutes to reach the dock. What did we do?? Clueless minds, we were. The looks on the faces of Raghav and Jumpy were priceless.

To be continued...