M&M

There's this new movie that's getting released - Across the Universe...
It's no secret that I am no Movie buff. But what I definitely am, is a Music freak. And a die-hard Beatles fan..

The reason I got interested in this Movie was that it had all Beatles songs (covers, but never mind...). Check out the list - Girl, I am the Walrus, Strawberry Fields Forever, All You Need is Love, Across the Universe (obviously), and my eternal favourite - Hey Jude.

It may not really make sense to look forward to a Movie for its songs. And I don't really care how well or otherwise the Movie does. But considering that the makers seem to have spun the whole Movie around the songs that I've grown up listening, I dearly wish that they haven't made a mess out of it.





~K.

It's all a lie....

People say it's a small world... It's not. It's huge...
Don't trust that statement.

It's not a small world....

~K.

Bang Bang...!!!

A friend told me about this shooting range in town. So I thought I'd check out the site before checking out the place itself. The following got me hooked...

UNIVERSAL FIREARMS SAFETY RULES

1. All guns are ALWAYS loaded

2. Never point a gun at anything you are not willing to destroy

3. Keep your finger off the trigger until your sights are on the target

4. ALWAYS be sure of your target and what is behind and beyond it.


More when I shoot some myself....

~K.

Fridays!!!

One of the most beautiful sounds in the English vocabulary... Comes second only to Free Food and of course Free Drinks!!!

Here in Seattle, the only thing I dislike about Fridays is that we are the last time zone in the world to reach Friday evening. We lag behind every other place in the world. Right now it's around Friday, 4:30 pm PST... Some of my friends in EST have already got out of office and are driving down to someplace fun! My friends in India might already have had their Friday night parties, and would probably be enjoying the aftermath of those... or maybe sleeping blissfully, dreaming about it. And me, well... I am still in office.. anticipating the party tonight!!

This friend of mine (also in PST) says the good thing about this time zone is that while people would be nursing their hangovers, we will still be getting drunk! Ahhh... now THAT is a thought to raise a toast to!

All ye people in the leading time zones, enjoy your weekend. While you guys start your work next Monday or maybe gear up for it, I'll still be having mine!

On that note, Cheers!!

~K.

Learning to Fly...

One of the 5 things I wanted to do if I had the money was taking flying lessons.. Oh well, I did get some lessons last weekend.. even though this wasn't what I had in mind.
Let me share some of these here.

Let me set things straight - the scope of this article is NOT to get into the reasons that actually caused these learnings to come by. This is just to serve as a reminder of my ... ahem... let me call it.. a momentary lapse of reason. Just to ensure that I don't get into such a situation again.

Anyway, here goes... Things to remember when taking a flight to anywhere -

1. Check the flight timing - Let me rephrase that a little - Don't just check the time... also whether it's AM or PM. You don't want to reach too early or too late. Both are equally bad. (Been there done that)
2. Plan your travel to the airport - Depending on the typical traffic situation of the route you are going to take, include a 30 minute to 1 hour buffer in your travel time to the airport. It's okay to reach an hour earlier and wait at the airport than to reach in the nick of time, miss your flight and wait a lot more than just an hour for the next flight.
3. Do a Web / Tele Check-In whenever possible - If you don't have any check in luggage, a web or a tele check in can make a world of difference. You get to skip the line to get the boarding pass and head straight to the security check line; where you can also, incidentally, ask to be accommodated earlier if you are too close to your flight's departure time.
4. Travel light - It's best if you can do without any piece of baggage to be checked in. If so, your Web/Tele Check in can do wonders for you.
5. Check your options (just in case) - If you still do manage to miss your flight (I wouldn't be the one blaming you), be sure to check all your options. The list may include buying a new ticket, getting yourself rebooked or even cancelling your ticket. Be informed with all options and the time and cost impact of each. Make sure you count your money and make the right decision. I was thankful for the salary getting credited on time before finding myself stranded at the airport. Next time I may not be that lucky.
6. Count your blessings - That, I think, is the most important and should underline all the troubled situations you land in (even those involving a broken ipod ;-)). Blessings could mean having money in the account. It could mean having friends you can call at 11 in the night, 2 in the night, 6 in the morning and so on (Remember 24 hour friendship?). It could mean having a nice book to read while spending your time in an airport terminal. It could also mean finally being able to reach your destinations instead of never being able to travel. There are a million things that are still right with the world even if a couple of them are not. Remember to be thankful for those. I still am. :-)

Hmmm.. that's the list for now. Something tells me I should take a print of this and hang it somewhere near me so that I always know things to do and those not to do. And given the number of times I keep traveling to places, something like this is one of the best gifts I can give to myself!!

That felt good. I hope I have better, safer and more punctual journeys from now on.... Bon Voyage!

~K.

To Pod or not to Pod...

Yesterday, I broke my iPod... and along with it, my heart.

The battery had gone dead. And so I ordered a battery replacement kit online. While trying to remove the old battery, the chord which connects the back cover to the hard disk broke.
Damn!

I'm depressed.

Life without music... is SO not happy...


~K.

July 23rd...

... is Amit's birthday. 28th birthday I think. Grammatically, the sentence should be - July 23rd would have been Amit's 28th birthday. But who cares about stupid grammar when all you can think of is a dear friend who is no more.

For those who didn't know him - that's him.

True Punjabi. Mad about Punjabi music. And Rajma Chawal. And Chicken. And Whisky. And Beer. And yes, Onions! Play any Punjabi song and he'd break into an impromptu Bhangra. Oh, and yes, also mad about Biking! Dude went to the highest motorable road in India, Leh, on his bike.

At work, a total stud in Oracle and Java! He used to treat Oracle with the familiarity that would be second to only the creators of it.

So full of life that I still can't imagine him without any. So I think of it this way - I shall never ever be able to imagine him getting old and ailing and the other degenerations that come as a part of aging. He is Forever Young!


Oh well, I'm planning to have a party Sunday night for the life that was Amit. You're invited!



ps: Amit, I'm sure heaven is too peaceful a place for you, bro! Hope you're back on earth driving someone else mad with your antics!!! Cheers to you!!
And hey.. if you're back as a girl this time... Mundeyaan ton bach ke rahin!!! ;-)
Lotsa love,
Kali.

Happiness is....

I don't know if anyone can ever really define that... But here's to the innumerable small things that make us happy throughout the day... We may notice them... or not... but well... if you find yourself smiling reading even one of these, you know what I mean...

• Looking at the beautiful weather and spending your time imagining yourself enjoying the outdoors instead of working...
• Having furtive conversations in the office with your friends while everybody else is working...
• Suppressing your smile / laughter in above conversations...
• The traffic signal turning green from red just as you approach it...
• No queue in the bank...
• The store you are in playing a song that you love...
• Singing in the bathroom...
  
• Finding a mail waiting for you when you reach home...
• Getting a surprise...
• Giving a surprise...
• Finding the right snacks in the vending machine...
• No crowd at the gym...
• Having a good workout...
• The TV at the gym is playing a movie / serial you love...
• A nice shower after a good workout...
• The temperature of the water is "just right"... :-)
• Journeys with people you like... (Road trips... bus journeys... flights... walks... just about anything.. )
• Smiling at a kid and the kid smiles back...
• Spending time with your friends doing nothing...
• Laughing your guts out with friends...
• Having a good cry with your friend...
• Stealing books / music / movies from friends and not giving them back...
• Getting back books / music / movies that you lent to friends... ;-)
• Sitting at the restaurant talking with friends even after the bill has been paid...
• Sending messages at midnight and getting a call back...
• Getting messages at midnight and giving a call back...
• Knowing that a friend you haven't spoken to in a long time is doing well...
• Getting a call or a mail from that friend...
• Silly "Girl Talk" with your room mate... (I don't know if boys do that too... and well... it doesn't really matter anyway)
  
• Suddenly getting the words of a song you've been trying to remember for a long time...
• A good coffee... (I am incorrigible when it comes to this!!!)
• Catching yourself smiling for no reason at all...
• Dancing.
• Flowers.
  
• Hugs.
  

And well.. a lot many more... I need to get out of office to enjoy a couple of these small things... else maybe I'd have written some more...

Anyway... if by now you do know what I mean, lemme know some of yours too...

Keep smiling!! :-)

~K.

Vanity is me.....

I've noticed this quite often now. Whenever I post a blog which (I think) is good... I don't post another one until quite some time... Maybe I'm waiting for people to read it and comment on it... or I want that post to be the first one that I read whenever I visit the page myself.... I don't quite know yet..

But well... that's how it is....


And ya... my new name is Modesty Blaise .... ;-)

Have a wonderful weekend!! It's just 2 days away... :D


~K.

I've come to look for America....

Pride -

Day before yesterday was the 4th of July.. Or should I say THE 4th of July. And like most of the typical tourists, I went to NYC to watch the fireworks. Let me add for the sake of information, my current state is somewhat handicapped as I have a sprained ankle (courtesy tennis) and though it happened last Sunday, I still hobble along my way with a slight limp.

Now, back to ummmm.... yesterday. Me and about 15 of my other colleagues went from Stamford to Manhattan for the fireworks. It was raining and we hoped that the display won't be cancelled. To our relief it wasn't. We were completely enraptured by the 30 minute show. The sky was bright with some lovely patterns - stars, cubes even smileys. :-) The way it was synchronized was, in one word, Brilliant! Suddenly there went a shot through the dark clouds and the next moment there was a burst of light above us. Looked like a really close view of the stars. And we felt like kids, clapping and cheering at all those lovely patterns. And after it was all over, I was left thinking - Here's a nation which takes pride in herself. And this is not just evident from the fireworks celebrating her independence. It's just about everywhere. It's in the way people live, work, the way they take care of their families and friends and even visitors like me. They show their best to the world, because that's what they believe they are.

All that long walk on the sprained ankle and standing to watch the fireworks for a half hour didn't feel as strenuous after all. And yes, I was impressed. So, Happy Birthday America!!!

*******

And Prejudice (??) -


Yesterday, the 5th, I was travelling from NYC to Miami. To meet my friend. (One of the best in the world!!) . I reached the airport well in time. And was waiting like all other passengers for the boarding to be announced. While I waited, I pulled out the book I had been reading - The Punjab Story. Finally, when the boarding was announced, I walked to the gate (with the still swollen ankle). Just before I reached the gate, a lady pulled me over for a security check. Not everyone was checked. I complied. They checked my laptop bag and my handbag. And I was frisked. I asked what the reason was for this "special treatment", but I was asked to proceed without an answer. Yes there were a few more in this line, but I couldn't quite make out the common factor. Was it because I was carrying 2 bags.. I don't think so. Was it because of the book I was reading? Or simply my Indian looks? I wouldn't know. 'Coz they never told me. And I was too disgusted to ask further questions.

And now, to all my very dear friends who have been trying to convince me to take up a job here and settle down in the US, this is my answer. I'd rather be a first class citizen in my own country even if I have to live with a few inconveniences here and there, than stay here in comfort, but never belong...

*******

... And Affection. -


Same day - July 5th. Seated next to me in my flight was an old gentleman, also going to Miami. He seemed to pick up conversations with utmost ease. And so I followed suit again. An interesting fellow I must say. He asked me where I was from; and when I told him I was from India, the conversation turned towards topics ranging from food to places in India to music in India (we even talked about Apache Indian!!) and even mindsets of Indian men and women. And let me clarify, it was him who was doing most of the talking. He had seemed a little flirtatious at first. Like most men here are. But flirting or not, he ended up giving me quite a few pieces of advice. Things that I always knew, but never really thought about. Coming right after the disparaging incident at the boarding gate, this was a most welcome change. And I thought - that's another face of the country called America.

All in all... not just a brick in the wall... but well... a wall for sure. And though the grass is much greener on the other side, it's a pasture I wouldn't really like to wander...


~K.

ps: the title is inspired from the S&G song - America.

HAHAHAHA.......

People are funny.... really funny.... they get SO sentimental about things... you know... take things personally and stuff....
Check out this link... it's some reviews about the movie that got released last month or so I think... Cheeni Kum... (less sugar... I should like it... I like less sugar... ;-) )... check out the reviews... people seem SO let down by the movie.. i almost pity them... i would more if i could stop laughing...
http://www.nrilinks.com/entertainment/movies/reviews/BW1687.asp

I dont know how the movie is... I haven't seen it yet... Wasn't even planning to.. But after reading this.. I guess it's atleast worth a download... ;-)

Have a great weekend!!


~K.

I HATE music

I hate the power that it has over me. I hate the way it controls my display of emotions. Things that I would generally digest, music expels out of my system like an emetic.

If I listen to music when I'm happy, I get this unstoppable urge to sing loudly and dance. And I cant sit straight in the office anymore. If I listen to music when I'm sad or feeling lonely, I get depressed. I think of all things that make me sad and then I cry. And I refuse to see the happiness that I might have around me.

People who claim that music brings them up when they are down, makes them feel good when they are sad and so on, are either fooling themselves or maybe not listening to the right kind of music. Because when you do, it just intensifies your emotions. Or let me speak for myself. It does that to me. It exposes me to what I'm really thinking even when I am capable of hiding it from my own self. So I keep listening to music as one of those really intimate activities that I don't share with everyone. To me, it is one of the most harmful addictions that I could get into. Though I do claim to hate it, I wouldn't dare to dream of a life without music.

To whoever recognized the first notes and identified them as music, go to hell!! And then listen to music. I hope it makes you feel better...


~K.

Cuidado... A Reprise....

Just realized a couple of days back... that this dude on the Wet Floor sign... the one in yellow... reminds me of Yossarian.... (of the Catch 22 fame.. )

Was telling a friend about it... and he disagreed.. so I thought I'd put it up for general public comments!!! :D

This pic btw... is from the Empire State Building... I don't know... but I just had to take it... ;-)


~K.

Playing Cinderella..

This is my 3rd weekend here... and the 1st that I'm actually spending in good (??) ol' Stamford... and with nothing to do and nowhere to go it becomes a lil tough to spend time. And there's just this much that you can watch TV or surf the net looking for absolutely nothing. And in a country like US which has 4 time zones, you gotta check your watch before you call friends in other zones.. (esp those in opposite coasts) So... what did I do?
Went to Macy's. God bless that store!! I just went around the store trying dresses I had no intention of buying or couldn't afford even if I wanted to buy!!! Man... I must have tried some of the prettiest things I've ever worn in my life. Way out of my budget. But so wonderful that I actually thought of saving until I can afford them. Sigh.... I wish I could have taken a snap in all of those beautiful dresses. Don't think I can go again tomorrow... will probably try some other store... ;-)
Anyway.. until the next "trial" comes along.... hmmm... sweet dreams, princess!!


~K.

WHAT?????

I just changed my blog layout and THAT's when i noticed.... Only 3 blogs this year???? Damn!!!


~K.

Cuidado! Piso Mojado

That's one of the first warnings that you get when you land in the US... provided you visit the restroom that is. What does it mean? Caution! Wet Floor. :)

Oh well, here I am, back again in the US. For the third time. This time in Connecticut. Just 40 miles North of one of my favourite cities in the world, NYC. What's more? I might be relocated to another place during the course of my stay here in the US.
When I was coming here, my thoughts ran way back to my childhood days... As a kid, I wanted to travel a lot. I wonder now if I should have asked for money. Anyway, here's the moral... wishes do come true. If you are smart, you provide the extent (or scale) of realization of your wish in the wish itself. (something like - I want to travel for a maximum of 100000 miles for a maximum of 10 years). And you'll be more specific in terms of the company you want with you. (hint - I want to travel with my mom and dad and sis and bro-in-law and nephew and friends.. something like that). Want more? How about the mode of travel and how much you want to pay out of your own pocket and where you want to stay? Well well.. I think you are getting the hint now.

For the "well" wishers (pun intended), that's something to rejoice about. Just don't forget that warning though - Cuidado! Piso Mojado!!


~K.

Honey I.. er... shrunk the world???

I don't know who did... but someone did for sure...

A group of my very close friends had a reunion in NY.. ( a reunion without me???? Damn! !*&&?*%$$#%#!*) And they had a lot of fun... which goes without saying.. lotsa friends together... after a long time... one of them married... so his spouse needs to be initiated to what all the group has been up to... and that too in NY!!!
And they were kind enough to upload the snaps and send them to the lesser mortals... While flipping through the snaps I suddenly found a face which seemed familiar... and it turns out that a guy I'd met during college days in one of the college fests is the friend of the married couple... wow!!!
Wow point number 2... I see a pic of this lady who is again familiar... A quick visit to some of the sites I keep frequenting reveals that she is a girl whose blogs I've been reading a lot... and getting some inspirations from... (Amrita's musings) is a grad school friend of one of my friends again....
Whew!!! It gets tiring virtually running into friends...

And I say to myself... Is the world becoming too small or are there too few people in it???

I hope I am present in the next such reunion... wherever in the world it happens...
Amen!!!


~K.

Yet another Book Review

Name of the book - Nineteen Eighty Four
Author - George Orwell

Description* - Nineteen Eighty Four is the classic novel of our time. A powerful warning against the evils of a totalitarian state and a passionate plea for human liberty, it paints an appalling picture of love crushed by terror. Big Brother, Newspeak, Doublethink and the Thought Police are part of a world to which Orwell looks forward with spine-chilling accuracy - a world which some say is with us now.

(Most importantly) My views -
Was reading Nineteen Eighty Four last week. After a long time read something so disturbing. I don’t know exactly what it was about that book that hit me so hard, but I felt myself going through all the instances where I had my happiness with me, in me, and yet I lost it. What was depressing was that I could remember each of those instances to the minutest of details. And my failure to hold on to them. I could see all those events happening in front of me all over again. And all I could do was stare like a witness to my own life. I couldn’t put myself in my own position and change things. Funny (if you might call it funny) part is that even the time when those things actually happened, I knew what I was going to lose. Hated to see myself losing all over again.

I don’t know why, but for some reason the song Iris is coming to my mind now –

All I can taste is this moment
And all I can breathe is your life
Coz sooner or later it’s over
I just don’t want to miss you tonight.

..........................................................................................................................................

The My views section came out while I was mailing a friend about what I thought about the book. I might not even have read it had he not mentioned the book in yet another one of our weird conversations and sold me on it (the book.. not the conversation). Many Thanks.
And of course, the guy who lent me the book. My project mate. Another avid reader. That's the least I can say of someone who read this book when he was in class XI. Hats Off!! And Thanks too!!

Anyway, acknowledgements apart, the book "Nineteen Eighty Four" is a FANTASTIC read. It is depressing and strong. And lingering. Read it if you get it. And if you dare.



~K.

* - Taken from the cover of the book.

High Five!!!!

Read this here at Amrita's blog. And welll.... I got Tagged.
I've been working on this for about a week now... And finally I'm almost done!!

Here we go. My milestones -

Ten Years Ago
1. I was 14 years old.
2. My Class X board exams were the most important thing for me.
3. Had some awesome friends.
4. Geekism was THE way to be.
5. Backstreet boys and Boyzone were the definition of music.

Five Years Ago
1. I was STILL a teenager.
2. Suffered my first heartbreak and wondered if love really was all bull.
3. My sister got married and I realized love isn't all bull.
4. Made some awesome friends.
5. Got enrolled in the School of Rock ;)

Last One Year
1. Started writing on this blog. (or was it year before last.. hmmmm... )
2. Thought a lot. (Man... is that or is that an achievement)
3. Finally got a couple of bosses worth admiring!!!
4. Went to US twice and made some (more) awesome friends..
5. Became a proud Mausi of a darling little boy!!!

Yesterday
1. I wrote the CAT yet again.
2. Thought again.
3. Found out I wasn't as scared of exams as I thought I was.
4. Realized there's still SO much I haven't done yet.
5. I realized I want to stay 24 all my life.

Five Things Planned for the Next Five Years
1. Study.
2. Get into a field of work I can relate to.
3. Read a classic.
4. Fall in love.
5. Stay 24.

Five Yummy Things
1. Pancakes at IHOP.
2. Eggs.
3. A meal of Arhar ki Dal, Chawal, Bhindi ki Sabzi and Dahi. (The kind mom n dad make)
4. Good, hot, coffee. (less sugar please)
5. Chicken or Fish curry. (The kind sis makes :) )

Five Songs I know by Heart
Ooooohhhh.. there are SO many!!!!!!
1. Hey Jude, I wanna hold your hand, We can work it out (and so many other Beatles songs)
2. Shine on you Crazy Diamond, Comfortably Numb, Wish you were here, Hey you, Coming back to life (lotsa Pink Floyds too!)
3. Lakdi ki Kathi :)
4. Kesariya Balam (The Lekin version :) )
5. Kajrare... (almost... but ummm... never mind!!!) ;)

Five Things I'd do if I had the Money
1. Travel all over India.
2. Travel all over the World.
3. Take flying lessons.
4. Quit working.
5. Write a book and not worry about its sale.

Five Places I Escape to
1. Music.
2. Shower.
3. Bed.
4. Balcony.
5. Books.
6. Gym.
7. Sea shore.

Five TV Shows
These are the ones I used to like watching. Nowadays I'm a victim of CAS.
1. Whose line is it anyway.
2. Yes Minister.
3. Faulty Towers.
4. Everybody Loves Raymond.
5. The Wonder Years.

Five Things I Can't Live Without
1. Water.
2. Food.
3. Humour.
4. Music.
5. Sleep.

Five Things I Can Live Without
1. Coding. :)
2. White Chocolates. (I still don't know just where is the chocolate in it... :P)
3. A Swiss bank account
4. Cold (running nose... blocked nose... aaaarrrggghhh.. how I hate cold!!!)
5. My Mustang... ;)

Five Favourite Cuisines
Now this is too much. All food is my favourite. Nope... no discrimination against food.
Lemme try nonetheless -
1. Mom cooked food.
2. Dad cooked food.
3. Sis cooked food.
4. Anything non veg.
5. Anything veg.

Five Best Places to Visit
1. Home (in Delhi)
2. Home (in Bangalore)
3. Nainital, Uttaranchal (beautiful hills, wonderful air... heaven)
4. Friends' places. (Doesn't matter who or where or when... it's called 24 hr friendship!!)
5. New York

Your turn. Same questions. :)

~K.

Walk of Life!

I love rains, despite the messy muck and mucky mess that they bring up after they're gone. But does that matter? Recently I discovered that the mucky mess isn't the only kind of mess that rains can put one into.

Last weekend I was walking back from a friend's place to mine. It was raining. And I was glad. Had been such a long time since I'd walked in the rain. Part of the luggage that I was carrying was my laptop. But, I do declare, it didn't even strike me once to protect it from all that water. I reached home, happy. Even messaged my friend how wonderful a walk I'd had. An hour or so later, I checked my laptop. Conked! And no, it didn't even say goodbye.

Had quite a thoughtful weekend. Thinking about what to do, what to say when asked. Will I be liable for it. Will I be held responsible for it... You know... the works.
Finally what it came down to was me returning the laptop to the office. My work gets hampered a little. I may lose the flexibility (convenience) of working through different offices until I get a replacement next week. I may have to spend 4 hours a day in my daily commuting to and from office. Quite a few cons I must say.

And yet... I still want to walk in the rain.

So help me God.

*Amen*


~K.