First blog of 2009!!

Two months are about to end in 2009 and I was suddenly made to take a walk back and reminisce on the memories of 2008… and as I remembered each moment, each achievement, each happiness, each sorrow of 2008, I thought of putting that onto my blog. After all, that’s where my ‘Reflections’ over Life was supposed to be placed …

Now most of readers would be wondering and eager to know the heartening event that took me back to the past !!!

The trigger was a mail from my HR Department that I need to submit my Appraisal form to my Supervisor by end of the month !!! That means, I had to jot down every single little achievement that I did during the entire FY 2008-09 without mentioning the mistakes that I made.. (I think my mistakes would be in my Appraiser’s Appraisal form as to what all mistakes he found out !!)

Anyways, lets leave the work-part aside as I don’t want to discuss work at blog !! Overall, the year 2008 treated me quite well… or should I say, pampered me quite well !!

2008 was a year when I got two Promotions !! One at Office work-place and another more importantly, moving onto to new phase of life… Moving on from bachelordom to marriage !! Most part of the year was spent thinking about the pre-marriage plans, wedding arrangements, travel plans etc etc .. and had fun planning it !!!

2008 was a year when I had my frequent visits overseas.. Madrid seemed to be second home… It was boring at times and felt lonely and home-sick .. but then, looking back now, it appears to have some wonderful moments of exploring a new place on the Mother Earth..

2008 was a year when I started blogging… I am not sure whether I can say that I did justice to the blogger’s world by being here.. Not been active as much … but then, better be something than nothing..

2008 was a year with failed resolutions !! Except starting a blog, I was not able to complete any of the other resolutions !! As a result, my 2009 resolutions list starts with an Opening Balance of unfinished (or rather, un-started resolutions of 2008)… Hope to do work out seriously in that respect..

Now, 2009 started off well and the last two months have been really great ….

Achievements of 2009 :

1) Bought a car - Had been thinking of getting one for quite some time.. but never was really persuasive.. so now after lots of thinking and analysing, I can now say that on Opening Balance of 2008 resolutions is done with !! These days, I could be spotted with Roshni in side-seat, driving across Thane honing my driving skills... Also happened to take a long drive till Pimpri ...

2) Participating and completing the Half-Marathon (21.097 km) – Wanted to make a statement to prove my fitness .. not to anyone but to Myself .. (Another one from 2008 done with!!)

3) Enrolled for a Gym !! (This one, I have been doing from last many years and like all those years, I have had just 7 training sessions till time of the post!!)

There are many many more moments for 2009 ..but I guess, I will stop now and get back to writing my Appraisal form which has better chances of me getting some salary raise or justifying my current levels!!

Leaf, Tree and the Wind

I received this mail and found it pretty thought-provoking.... Also tried to find out the real source of this write-up which seems to be in circulation since quite some time....

*********************

Tree
People call me “Tree”.
I had dated 5 girls when I was in Pre-U. There is one girl who I love a lot but never dared to go after. She didn’t have a pretty face, good figure or an outstanding charm. She was just a very ordinary girl. I liked her. I really liked her. I liked her innocence, her frankness, her intelligence and her fragility. Reason for not going after her was that I felt somebody so ordinary like her was not a good match for me. I was also afraid that after we were together all the feelings would vanish. I was also afraid other’s gossip would hurt her.
I felt that if she were my girl, she’d be mine ultimately & I didn’t have to give up everything just for her. The last reason, made her accompanying me for 3 years. She watched me chase other girls, and I have made her heart cry for 3 years.
She was a good actor, and me a demanding director. When I kissed my second girlfriend, she bumped into us. She was embarrassed but smiled & said, “Go on!” before running off. The next day, her eyes were swollen like a walnut. I did not want to know what caused her to cry. Later that day, I returned from soccer training to get something & watched her cry in the classroom for an hour or so. My fourth girlfriend did not like her. There was once when both of them quarreled. I know that based on her character she is not the type that will start the quarrel. However, I still sided my girlfriend. I shouted at her & ignored her feelings and walked off with my girlfriend. The next day, she was laughing & joking with me like nothing happened. I know she was hurt but she did not know deep down inside I was hurt too.
When I broke up with my fifth girlfriend, I asked her out. Later that day, I told her I had something to tell her. I told her about my break up. Coincidentally, she has something to tell me too, about her getting together. I knew who the person was. His pursuit for her had been the talk of the School. I did not show her my heartache, just smiles & best wishes. Once I reached home, I could not breathe. Tears rolled & I broke down. How many times have I seen her cry for the man who did not acknowledge her presence?
During graduation, I read a SMS in my hp. It said, “Leaf’s departure is because of Wind’s pursuit. Or because Tree didn’t ask her to stay”

Leaf
People call me Leaf.
During the 3 years of Pre-U, I was on very close terms with a guy as buddy kind. However, when he had his first girlfriend, I learnt a feeling I never should have learnt - Jealousy. Sourness to the extreme limit. They were only together for 2 months. When they broke up, I hid my happiness. But after a month, he got together with another girl.
I liked him & I know he liked me. But why won’t he pursue me? Since he loves me why he didn’t he make the first move? Whenever he had a new girlfriend, my heart would hurt. After some time, I began to suspect that this was one-sided love. If he didn’t like me, why did he treat me so well? It’s beyond what you will normally do for a friend. I know his likes, his habits. But his feelings towards me I can never figure out. You can’t expect me a girl, to ask him. Despite that, I still wanted to be by his side. Care for him, accompany him, and love him. Hoping that one day, he will come to love me. Because of this, I waited for him. Sometimes, I wondered if I should continue waiting. The pain, the dilemma accompanied me for 3 years.
At the end of my 3rd year, a junior pursues me. Everyday he pursues me. He’s like the cool & gentle wind, trying to blow off a leaf from a tree. In the end, I realized that I wanted to give this wind a small footing in my heart. I know the wind will bring the leaf to a better land. Finally, leaf left the tree, but the tree only smiled & didn’t ask me to stay.
Leaf’s departure is because of Wind’s pursuit. Or cause Tree didn’t ask her to stay.

Wind
Because I like a girl called leaf. Because she’s so dependent on tree, so I have to be a gust wind. A wind that will blow her away. When I first met her, it was 1 month after I was transferred to this new school. I saw a petite person look ing at my seniors & me playing soccer. During ECA time, she will always be sitting there. Be it alone or with her friends, looking at him. When he talks with girls, there’s jealousy in her eyes. When he looked at her, there’s a smile in her eyes. Looking at her became my habit. Just like, she likes to look at him.
One day, she didn’t appear. I felt something missing. I can’t explain the feeling except it’s a kind of uneasiness. The senior was also not there as well. I went to their classroom, hid outside and saw my senior scolding her. Tears were in her eyes while he left. The next day, I saw her at her usual place, looking at him. I walked over and smiled to her. Took out a note & gave to her. She was surprised. She looked at me, smiled & accepts the note. The next day, she appeared & passes me a note and left.
It read, “Leaf’s heart is too heavy and wind couldn’t blow her away.”

“It’s not that leaf heart is too heavy. It because leaf never want to leave tree.” I replied her note with this statement and slowly she started to talk to me & accept my presents & phone calls. I know that the person she loves is not me. But I have this perseverance that one day I will make her like me. Within 4 months, I have declared my love for her no less than 20 times. Every time, she will divert away from the topic. But I never give up. If I decide I want her to be mine, I will definitely use all means to win her over. I can’t remember how many times I have declared my love to her. Although I know, she will try to divert but I still bear a small ray of hope.
Hoping that she will agree to be my girlfriend. I didn’t hear any reply from her over the phone. I asked, “What are you doing? How come you didn’t want to reply?” She said, “I’m nodding my head”. “Ah?” I could n’t believe my ears. “I’m nodding my head” She replied loudly. I hang up the phone, quickly changed and took a taxi and rush to her place & press her doorbell. During the moment when she opens the door, I hugged her tightly.

Leaf departure is because of Wind pursuit. Or because Tree didn’t ask her to stay…

A day less ordinary...

The day began with me waking up and rushing to the TV looking for the update on Taj/Oberoi/Nariman terrorists fiasco.. It seemed status-quo to where v left at night before v slept...

Further during the day, all discussions revolved around which channels we saw during the previous day as offices were closed.. colleagues quoted the media channels and their various desparate attempts to keep the viewers glued to their respective channels...

Around lunch-time, some colleagues were frantically running and talking on fones.. appeared to be some fresh gun shots fired at CST Stn.. this was followed by more rumours of some more gunshots and bombs at various other locations and hotels.... I also did my 'civilian duty' by smsing about 10 odd near-dear ones who were expected to in and around those 'gunned' areas.. Well, at the end, it all happened to be a rumour and I, a part of the grapevine!!

Soon it was 3 pm and a mail from HR Dept came for a sanctioned "Early Leaving" keeping in mind the problems in the city.. I started thinking whether to use the local trains.. But..would that be safe?? Can't there be gunned men seated in the train waiting to open fire on unknowing passengers or maybe bombs planted under the seats..

So I thought to wait in the office till 6 for my contract bus ..(at least, only the stations and hotels have been targetted and buses might be safe!!).. As most of the colleagues were leaving, we wished each other a 'Happy and Safe Journey' back home.. And no body saw the intended satire in the wishes... Maybe that was an 'apt' good-bye greeting!!

I chose to leave office only minutes before the scheduled bus time.. Didn't want to risk standing on the road and getting a bullet shot from a speeding vehicle!! Also I decided to avoid the window seat in the bus for reasons explained above...

Now I am back home..watching channels seeing the ongoing battle between the terrorists and our brave soldiers..be it the Army, police, NSG, RAF etc etc.. Channels show the increasing count of the deceased civilians as well as the soldiers...And i sit back and ponder over cup of tea -

"I am safe for the day.. My family, friends are also safe today.. Now lets pray for another day tomorrow.. Every day is a battle..for mere survival.."

God Bless All..

Regards

Sunil

p.s. Couldnt think of any preaching or spiritual ideas.. My mind is just not prepared for any.. I am just too happy (or rather contended) to survive one more day !! Hoping all this to end soon.. to be followed by the over-used and much-politicised term/jargon of "The Undying Spirit of Mumbai" ;-)

Marital Bliss !!!

Its been a fairly long time since my last post.. and how things have changed.. some for the better and some not so-fine!!!

Sensex was trading at around 14K levels (& some of my portfolio continued to be in green!!)… Now its 9K and its all blood-red :-(
Worrying about the safety of my deposits at ICICI Bank used to invoke laughters…
The 1-lakh car was going to roll-out from Singur in West Bengal.. Sanaad was not a visible place on the Indian-map…
Raj Thakeray was not yet arrested & Mumbai life was on…
..etc etc etc etc …. Life moves on !!!


And amongst all good and bad things happening elsewhere, a very special & wonderful event happened in my life too … Lost my bachelordom..(or is it bachelor-hood??!!).. I know, there are many who would feel the last two sentences contradictory.. but not so for me..


……….


….


The day was Anant Chaturthi … the 14th of September 2008..

Dressed in a traditional dhoti (mundu), I walked on stage.. no sign of her

The ceremony started with my panditji guiding me in inviting and seeking the Gods blessings for a happy life ahead… still no sign of her

Half hour gone since I am on stage with well-wishers watching me making some signs with my hands over the holy pyre …. And still… no signs of her

Finally, there was an announcement and … there she is .. walking towards the mandap.. typical keralite saree-makeup and all.. my my…. Did I say she looked beautiful !!!
After that, it was again more vidhis.. and then .. I tied the sacred thread across her neck… as the world stood up to greet us with flowers, claps etc…

So then.. there.. on that very dias where I had walked into as a single-ton/bachelor, in a hour and half, I walked down with a beautiful wife by my side !!!

I have attended many many weddings.. but this one was special.. as it starred “me” ;-)

So that’s summing it all… I am a married man now !!!

Terror strikes...

The past few weeks/months would have been busy time for the terrorists with numerous bombs being detonated across Ahmedabad, Surat and Bangalore. Also yesterday, I read about a bomb blast in Istanbul, Turkey killing atleast 17 people

Time and again, our security has breached. As these bombs are being unearthed one after the other, cant help but imagining that, at this moment, there would be some people working endlessly producing more of those.

It makes me wonder what the mind of terrorist will be like. What is it that would make them heart-less and so immune to the pain and suffering they are causing? Whose battle are they fighting? As can be seen in any of the bomb-cases, it was not a big-explosive and was not capable of resulting in many deaths.. They were not aimed at mass-killing but were aimed at a different & more dangerous level of killing … of the spirit, of the zeal to live, of the freedom to live

The terrorists have chosen to attack where it hurts the most – the Heart. They have succeeded in inflicting fear in our hearts… fear of moving around freely, fear of losing the loved one.. The bombs do not just take numerous lives but they take away the ‘life’ from so many other lives, connected with the deceased. How many wives become widows, husbands widowers, children rendered orphans, parents losing their child, losing dear friends.. For all those affected, the world changes in an instant..

May the souls of the departed rest in peace and I pray to God to give strength to the families and friends of the deceased

And hope the security personnel get to some strict action against these men of terror.

Tidbits from my world..

It’s been a month since last blog. Not that, I don’t have anything to write. These days, I am all “eyes and ears” to whats happening nearby and whether the same can be converted to some blog !! Have to admit, this Blog-thing has ensured that mind doesn’t doze off!! So there have been many things on which I had thought of scribbling something on, but somehow couldn’t manage the time and resources to do that..

So let me just summarise few of the events in my life in the past month.. none-the life changing or life-threatening ones.. but still, worth mentioning!!

Pune (July 11-12)
Been to Pune with Friends for marriage of Aakanksha… Had a wonderful time…. Wish her a Happy Married Life !!

Returned on 12th in car and .. that’s when .. our car got stuck !!

Had studied in school that “terrestrial craters are formed when a large meteorid, asteroid or a comet smashes into a planet”. We started wondering which one of these three were responsible for the big hole that was found in between the road near Shilphata just off the Mumbai-Pune Expressway enroute to Dombivli… But it turned out to be a fourth factor - the “efficiency of the work done by the governmental authorities” !! And there were plenty of such craters on this road, so much that a satellite picture may even think that they are capturing the images of the moon

After we exchanged our customary “niceties” on the governmental apathy, we had to get down and lift the car from the hole and put it back on track. All this ensured we spent about 1.5 hours in the filthy water that had filled in that “crater” !!

Kerala (July 16-20)
Been to Kerala to meet my grandmothers and my great-grandmother as well as other relatives to seek their blessings before my marriage, as they won’t be able to grace the occasion… Was a short and good trip
.... Plenty much to talk of Kerala .. maybe in another blog !!

Flight to Madrid via Paris (July 22)
Just a routine flight back to what-has-been-recently ‘my second home’, Madrid… since April, this was my fifth visit to the city!!
For the first time though, I traveled by Air France coming through Paris. Two mentionable things in the trip:
a) Saw Yuvraj Singh at the Mumbai airport. He walked past me, not once but twice, maybe in a desperate attempt to grab my attention. But then, I chose not to get disturbed as I can’t be talking to everybody naa, leave alone giving batting advices to all !!
b) As I was traveling via Paris, I was hoping to see the only major attraction, I have heard and seen in movies – the Eiffel Tower. Well, I did manage to see it.. but from some 3,000 ft above the ground… Maybe that’s too far off to actually admire its beauty.. as all I could recollect from that Wonder-of-the-World was the numerous electric towers back in India !!

That’s me for now .. at Madrid.. busy with the Spanish life... and so on and so forth.. till I write again…

Adios

Sunil

Barcelona in 6 hours !!

“Being the lonely traveler has its own advantages. For starters, you can decide where to go, what to see, what not to see, how much time to spend etc etc without any debate. Further, in an eventuality of your decision backfiring (as the case maybe, sometimes!!), you don’t have to hide your face from any angry comments from anyone. Also, there are chances of modifying your travel plans somewhere in the middle of it…”

So were my thoughts as I happily booked the tickets for a high-speed Train from Madrid to Barcelona this Sunday. But along the journey, between the various photos and videos, I started feeling like talking to someone, telling him/her about the thoughts, making a joke out an incident etc etc.. After all, what’s a joke, if it doesn’t have anyone to laugh at?? Well, I could have narrated the entire incidents to someone over phone, but alas … I am neither JK Rowling nor Agatha Christie nor anyone of those famed writers to make the listener visualize the picturesque… so all I could manage in the telephonic conversation was terms such as “wonderful beaches filled with more-wonderful people, beautiful monuments, nice gardens, stunning sceneries, fascinating aquarium etc etc etc”

Let me just put-down some thoughts that criss-crossed my minds through the journey -

Besides the thrill of seeing a new city, what made me take up this trip was to experience the high-speed tube trains. Imagine the trains go at a speed of about 250-300 km per hour!! It just takes under 3 hours to cover the distance of Madrid-Barcelona. Had seen the trains in numerous movies and enjoyed the scenes… It was a good comfortable ride .. but then .. a word of caution – If you are one of the persons who like to enjoy the sceneries outside, this one is not for you!! As, one second you see a thing, and by the time you register it in your mind, you are few kilometers away from it!!

Barcelona has a special bus services for its tourists. There are three ring-routes (named Red, Blue and Green Lines) on which the Buses ply. You can purchase a day’s ticket and can hop-on and hop-off from one bus to another. The Red-route takes you to the Northern Barcelona with various cathedrals, Castles, musuems etc besides going to the world-famous Football Stadium. The Blue and Green routes take you to the Southern side.. to the beach-front

I decided to take the Beach-route first as I was pretty bored of seeing the cathedrals, museums, castles etc etc. Nothing wrong with them, but I had already seen many in Madrid and adjoining country-side so I thought to give it a miss and venture on the beach side. I also took a rope-way to have an aerial view of the city alongside the sea.. It was awesome.. Up on the hillock, I could see the Barcelona port which boasts of many cruise-liners as well as the normal ship-service to Italy etc. Barcelona boasts of a wonderful beachfront and hoardes of tourists come here (especially during summers) to soak up the sun. And what I saw there was also not below expectations!! ;-) And I hope everyone agrees that beaches are not meant for fully-dressed people, as they run a grave risk of getting their clothes wet !! So lets move ahead….

Then I went to an Aquarium where they had created a “under-sea” walk where you walk through an glass-covered enclave with sharks and other kinds of marine creatures sailing above you and besides you.. It was fantastic .. Also, I met an Indian family from Delhi there who seemed to be having a good time on a Europe tour

After having seen plenty much of South and time remaining for my return-trip, I thought of going North with only one thing in mind – the Barcelona Football Stadium. I didn’t visit any other places and just saw them on the open-roof buses as I thought I could have more and more time in the Stadium. That’s were my decision backfired !!! I reached the Stadium at 2:45 pm and got to know that it closed at 2:30 :-( Having not-seen any other places in the North, I couldn’t even see this one !! Going all the way back to see some more places was not a good idea as I could risk missing my train. So I reached the train station around 3:45 (with my original train timings at 6:30!!) However, I managed to pre-pone my tickets to 4:30 pm ..and hence by 7:15 pm, I was back home!!

Well, that was exactly how I felt when I reached Madrid.. felt like home.. as over the past few months, this city doesn’t seem stranger to me .. I know most of the places around.. I have even showed some tourists the way to certain places.. I might even be in many photos taken by the tourists as I roamed across the streets!!

So that’s the story… bit lengthy one.. but considering that I put down an entire day and an entire city for you, I think I was in fact on the shorter version… As I said before, I am not a talented writer to make you visualize things.. For better information on Barcelona, you can do some googling!!