Signing off 2007

Wish you all a very happy new year..
i am taking a small break from my work starting today, and will be back on Jan 2nd. Will keep checking the blogs once in a while, but frequency will be very much reduced...
So peeps, herez wishing you all a fantabulous new year ahead. Have a safe and smashing New Year bash...
And if you are going to get sloshed, please keep your hands off the car/bike keys, and drink responsibly....
Signing off now... see ya all @ next year...

The end of a warrior

She was a warrior, and the end came too soon.
My 2 cent worth of flowers and tears, on your memory.
You will live in peoples heart....

Memories Of Madison

I had so much to blog about, but was not in amood to sit down and scribble,
and then i got this tag from Lena. thnk u lena, for giving me something to blog
about :)
The rules of thsi tag - from Lena's blog.


1. Put your music player on shuffle mode. My pearl is always in shuffle mode :P
2. For each question, press the next button to get your answer.
3. You must write the name of the song no matter what - no cheating ;) - wish i
could do with some cheating...


IF SOMEONE SAYS "IS THIS OKAY?" YOU SAY?
Country roads by John Denver.



Almost heaven, west virginia
Blue ridge mountains, shenandoah river
Life is old there, older than the trees
Younger than the mountains, blowing like a breeze

Country roads, take me home
To the place, I be-long



WHAT WOULD BEST DESCRIBE YOUR PERSONALITY?
Right on Time (Red Hot Chili Peppers)

One shot all I need
Ive got rhythm when I bleed
til death do us part
Break my heart so I can start

(hm.. where is this tag going??? )

WHAT DO YOU LIKE IN A GUY/GIRL?
Radio Nowhere by BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN

I was trying to find my way home
But all I heard was a drone
Bouncing off a satellite
Crushing the last lone American night


now, wait a minute - what does THIS means?

HOW DO YOU FEEL TODAY?
Locked Up by Akon

Locke'd up they wont let me out
and I had a long day in court shit stressed me out
wont give me a bail can't get me out
now im headin to the county gotta do a bit here



hm.. at last, something not so bad - yeah, i want to go out for a ride...
feeling locked up in my cube.. :)


WHAT IS YOUR LIFE’S PURPOSE?
Must get Out by Maroon5

I’ve been the needle and the thread
Weaving figure eights and circles round your head
I try to laugh but cry instead
Patiently wait to hear the words you’ve never said

Yeah - true to the lone wolfe - the nomad heart :)

WHAT IS YOUR MOTTO?
Who the fuck is alice by Smokie


yeah,that kinda describe my attitude at times :)


WHAT DO YOUR FRIENDS THINK OF YOU?
Exodus by Bob Marley

Exodus, movement of Jah people, oh yeah
Open your eyes and let me tell you this
Men and people will fight ya down (Tell me why?)
when ya see Jah light
Let me tell you, if you're not wrong (Then why?)
ev'rything is alright


Hm.. sorry floks, cant make out anything form this one...



WHAT DO YOU THINK OF YOUR PARENTS?
Anywhere for You by Backstreet Boys

I'd go anywhere for you
Anywhere you asked me to
I'd do anything for you
Anything you want me to


yeah - i will go anywhere, do aanything for my parents :)

WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT VERY OFTEN?
Stairway to Heaven by Led Zeppelin

There's a lady who's sure all that glitters is gold
And she's buying a stairway to heaven
And when she gets there she knows if the stores are closed
With a word she can get what she came for



well, i sure not think about heaven often.


WHAT IS 2+2?
Bailamos by Enrique Iglesias

Tonight we dance,
I leave my life in your hands.
We take the floor,
Nothing is forbidden anymore
hm.. a song i love..

DO YOU THINK OF YOUR BEST FRIEND?
I'll Never Break Your Heart by Backstreet Boys.


Baby I know your hurting
Right now you feel like you could never love again
Now all I ask is for a chance
To prove that I love you
From the first day
That I saw your smiling face


man, this is sooo true. I hurt ehr badly and broke her trust.. and ever since
that fateful day, i am working on it, and yeah - this is what i feel - I'will
never break your heart again...


WHAT DO YOU THINK OF THE PERSON YOU LIKE?
Outlaw torn by Metallica

And now I wait my whole lifetime
For you
And now I wait my whole lifetime
For you

I ride the dirt I ride the tide
For you
I search the outside search inside
For you

this is good ;)


WHAT IS YOUR LIFE STORY?
I Believe I Can Fly by R.Kelly

I used to think that I could not go on
And life was nothing but an awful song
But now I know the meaning of true love
I'm leaning on the everlasting arms

If I can see it, then I can do it
If I just believe it, there's nothing to it


this is so true - if I just believe it, there is nothing to it :)
hm.. this tag is not so bad as it seemed first...

WHAT DO YOU WANT TO BE WHEN YOU GROW UP?
Hotel California by Eagles

On a dark desert highway, cool wind in my hair
Warm smell of colitas, rising up through the air
Up ahead in the distance, I saw a shimmering light
My head grew heavy and my sight grew dim
I had to stop for the night
There she stood in the doorway;
I heard the mission bell


hm.. a hotel for me? not a bad idea ;)

WHAT DO YOU THINK WHEN YOU SEE THE PERSON YOU LIKE?
White Christmas by Kenny G

I'm dreaming of a white Christmas
Just like the ones I used to know
Where the tree tops glisten and the children listen
To hear sleigh bells in the snow

hm...


WHAT DO YOUR PARENTS THINK OF YOU?
We Didn't Start the Fire by Billy Joel

We didn't start the fire
It was always burning
Since the world's been turning
We didn't start the fire
No we didn't light it

ROTFL.. Hilarious, this one :)



WHAT WILL YOU DANCE TO AT YOUR WEDDING?

For an Angel by Paul Van Dyk

hm.. only if i get an angel ;-)



WHAT WILL THEY PLAY AT YOUR FUNERAL?

All Good Things Come To An End by Nelly Furtado

this one is good :)


WHAT IS YOUR HOBBY/INTEREST?

You are still the one by Shania Twain.

(When I first saw you, I saw love.
And the first time you touched me, I felt love.
And after all this time, you're still the one I love.)

Looks like we made it
Look how far we've come my baby
We mighta took the long way
We knew we'd get there someday

hm.. intresting, but cant make out anything from it...

WHAT IS YOUR BIGGEST SECRET?

Cleanin Out My Closet by Eminem

me and cleaning out my closet? nah - it is full of skeltons...

WHAT DO YOU THINK OF YOUR FRIENDS?

Fre Loop by Daniel Powter

I'm a little used to calling outside your name
I wont see you tonight so I can keep from going insane
But I don't know enough, I get some kinda lazy day
Hey yeah

free loops? and my friends??? hm..

WHAT SHOULD YOU POST THIS AS?
Memories Of Madison by David Mclauchlan.

man, it took me some time to get it done... but yeah - had fun doing it.
Am too lazy to find ppl to tag, so, if anyt one feels like, do pick it up. next time i get a tag, i will make sure i tag some of my friends...

jingle bells jingle bells...

Itz the time again...
the cold evenings, the festivites...
the joy and warmth which fills the air...
every one is in the mood to celebrate...

I wish you all a merry christmas....
may santa gets you all the goodies you hoped for...

The joy and warmth of friendship...

Long time back, i heard a saying - distance is to love what wind is to fire - it annuls the feeble, but accelerates the mighty.
I think it is almost same for friendship - there are friendships which have grown thicker and thicker no matter where you are or what you are doing, and there are many friends who fades away to oblivion once you stop contacting them.
But at times, how ever hard you try, you do loose contacts with some close friends - and that is what happened between me and Ranji.
Ranji and I met during our BSc days, and it didn’t take much time for me to realize that she is a wonderful friend. But man, wasn't she reserved. It took me ages to make her come out of the shell, but by the end of the year, we where pretty thick friends.
After our BSc, we kept in touch through phone for some time, and then she moved from her home to hostel for her MSc, and I went to hostel for my MCA. Mobiles where not so popular, and she didn’t had a mobile at that time, so, i was unable to keep in touch with her for some time. After few months, when she finally managed to get a land line number to contact her, she gave me the number and we kept in touch but soon, she finished her course, and went to some other place for higher studies and I shifted to Bangalore, and we both lost the contacts.
After long time, through some of my friends i came to know that she got married and became a mother, but i was unable to find her mobile number.
So, it took me completely by surprise when i got her call last Friday night. She traced my mobile number through some of our common friends and called me - and it didn’t even take one minute for us to go back to our old frequency.
Lot of water have gone under the bridge after we spoke to each other last, but, we realized that nothing have actually changed for us. It is the best Christmas gift I got - the joy and warmth of friendship.

just like that

I know most of you have seen or at least heard this already - man, this song rocks.
Especially, when you see a good, smooth road with no traffic, and as she read my mind, pearl picks up this song.

Weather woes

Lousy is not a word enough to describe the weather we @ Bangalore are treated with for the last few dayz.. It is cold, and it rains. Fine, nothing much wrong in that. But when it rains the whole day - not really rain, but a spitter-spatter rain just to make you wet and make sure you don’t go out and have a nice time - it sucks.
The only thing i like is, it is a good weather for riding, and i really enjoy the rides.
but then, my clothes are not drying, my gloves and shoes are damn wet so that i cant wear them, my riding coat is also wet - man, enough of this rain. Please - please give us some decent weather.

The Lone Horse

A wanderer I am, in my soul
At each dawn I found myself
Different from the last desk.

Alone through the nook and corners
Through the streets and alleys
Through the rivers and streams
I wander, to find the formless

Amidst of this human jungle
But alone, stands
Alone I am, as an isle in an ocean
I stand, but travels, to seek the formless
Alone I am, in my soul

A solitary traveler, I am
For I know the masks of
Society is not for me.

Barbeque nation @ Koramangala

I have been to Barbeque nation at Indiranagar, and i quite love the experience. So, when they opened done of their branch at Koramangala, which is near to my office, i was all eager to try it out. So, yesterday we all - a team of 6 - went to have a barbeque dinner.

I called early to book a table and after making the booking, when i reached the place, there was no mention of my booking. But they promptly gave us a table, so, though it was a small hiccup, full marks for giving us a table promptly.

Food fare is quite the same, four vegetarian skewers and four non vegetarian skewers, and some thandoori verities. The mushroom tasted a bit different than what they server at Indiranagar, but other than that, all the dishes tasted consistently good. The lamb sheek kebab was a bit dry, but rest of the palate was fine.
I had a glass of Sula reserve with the starters - it is high time they start serving some imported good wines. Not that Sula is not good - make no mistake, Sula reserve is one of the finest reserve you can buy in India, made by an Indian winery, but I would like to see a bit more choices.

After feasting on the starters, we where not in mood for the buffet - but the spread was good nonetheless. I had a bit of fish in lemon and butter with soem breads, and it tasted good.
The Gulab Jamuns was really wonderful, and same with the burgundy caramel. By the time we finished the dinner, I was barely able to walk back to my bike. A very filling experience indeed.

The staffs are really courteous, and makes sure your grill never stays empty. The live band was nice, they did some good numbers (and one of them - my favorite - who the fu*k is Alice). If you are looking for good grills plus a good dining experience, head out to Barbeque nation, but make sure you call up and book you table in advance.

Quotes - a quick blog.

One of my friends asked me to single out my most favourite three quotes, and i thought it is a good idea to post it here.

1) “A man can be destroyed but notdefeated.” From Old man And the Sea by Hemingway

2)"I stand at the end of no tradition.I may, perhaps, stand at the beginning of one"From The Fountainhead by AynRand

3)" I SWEAR BY MY LIFE AND MY LOVE OF IT THAT I WILL NEVER LIVE FOR THE SAKE OF ANOTHER MAN, NOR ASK ANOTHER MAN TO LIVE FOR MINE" From Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand

Now, after reading this, if you feel like, post three of your favourite quotes in the comments section, or @ ur blog.

Tag again...

Here goes one more of the tags - this time, itz from Harini. Lo and behold – 8 facts about --xh-- aka aNoop

I love snakes: yeah, you read it right. i love to pet snakes, and like to catch them with my hands.

I sleep very little: usually, I go to sleep by 1.30-2.00 and get up by 5.30-6.00, but if needed, i can go on days with just 0.45 minutes sleep. Nights are for online life, reading and gaming. Sleeping is something i do when i get bored.

Michael Schumacher: The only person’s poster I ever used to decorate my room wall. He is god of Speed. Period.

Read: I love reading, and read everything but romance. a crazy HP fan, reads HP and Kafka and Ludlum and anything in between.

Kite: I love flying kites. And no, i don’t mind people staring at me :P For me, going to beach is - flying kites, making sand castles, getting wet, flying kites again and popcorns. No, you are not supposed to kid me over this.

Chocolates and ice creams: Love them, and can eat tem all the time. I find it very hard to share chocolates and ice creams. so, be nice - don’t ask me to share. :)

Babies: I am extremely good with babies. I even know how to bath newly borns. I love playing with them and coochicooing them.

PJs: have a knack of cracking the worst PJs no one can understand. I prefer to say that My jokes are of a different kind, which needs sophisticated sense of humor to understand, than just labeling them as PJs. And, i laugh at jokes even when no one else laughs.

Now, i am suppose to tag some of my friends, but this time, i am taking a leaf from harini - I tag you all who read this blog... :)

Weekend rant (warning - long boring post)

I was getting ready to finish my work early and have a nice Friday night out when my PM sneaked on me and asked with all the sweetness he can muster 'aNoop, you have to stay back today a little bit late'.
Oh, fu*k - little bit means i cannot leave before 9.00. but as luck may have it, one of the juniors screwed up the code big time and when we set all the things straight and at last i switched off my work station it was almost 11.00 - i was damn hungry and furious - furious coz i missed a nice Friday night, and now i don’t even get food anywhere. Took Jeevs from the basement parking and ripped him all the way to old madras road.
After a bit of cool air, my head was cool, and i was thinking of my options of getting some chow (other than cooking - i really don’t relish cooking a dinner after reaching home by 11.30 pm). Just to try my luck, i stopped my bike at Infinity techpark - they have some eateries and stores inside the park, and some of them where still open.
Decided to check out Indijoe Resto Pub - and had a perfectly done Jack Daniels steak and some lemonade - and that changed my mood big time. Who ever said that the way to a means heart is through food has got some wits.

A haircut was long overdue, so, Saturday morning i went to Star and Sitara to get my hair fixed - one of the guys there - Ravi - is wizz with his hands, so I spend almost 2 hours and he made me almost presentable (yeah, we guys can also sit and get fixed - it is only that usually we don’t admit it in public) and then I went to meet my friend Vikrant and his newlywed wifi Amrutha. Vicks spent some time looking around for a girl and at last, he found a real nice match. We had a nice Lunch at ChilliPepper and after a long afternoon, I ended up at JNC Coffeday to meet my biking buddies. Most of them are making big plans for riding out during the coming holidays - and i will be at b'lore. After the meet and a nice spot of dinner at CasaPicola with LJ and his wifi Tana (a very sweet duo, i want to add), I came home and crashed.

Sunday I woke up late - by 7.00 and fixed a simple breakfast - strong coffee, dosa and sambar and after lazing around, went to my friend Shivaram’s pad. Made lunch there and read some books, spent almost all the afternoon and then went to attend a wine tasting session at Chancery Pavilion hotel. It was organized by Taste and Travel, and man, it was fantastic - we got to taste some of the best wines from Sula, along with superb food.

all in all, a hectic, but smashing superb weekend. and oh, did i tell you about the phone call? Friday night, after i reached home, i received a call from Sophia - one of the most important persons in my life. I was dying to get her call, and we talked for almost 1 hour. That realy really made my day. Well, hold on, not just day, it made my whole month.

pretty...

Mid week blues

Today is Wednesday - two more days to go for weekend. I have read at many places about Monday morning blues. But strangely, i never felt Monday morning blues. To say the truth, I always look forward for Monday mornings after the weekend.

But come Wednesday, and I do feel blue - thinking that i need to managed two more days before weekend. But, to look at the brighter side - it is just two more days. :-)
It is already New Year - people and places are already putting up decorations to welcome the new year and Christmas - and I am yet to finalize my plans. I and my cousin planned to visit some relatives this weekend, but today when i called him, he is taking bed rest - slip disk. what a rotten way to spoil a weekend.

Few days back I got a mail from HungryBangalore saying that they have selected me as the reviewer of the month. Today I got their news letter. You can read the news letter here. I am waiting for their gift - hope they send me a lunch/dinner voucher:-D
You can read the review here.

Last weekend I was out of town - I went to Kerala. Itz been almost 2 months since I visited my home, and my bullet. I was planning to fix the switch gear of Bullet Electra on her (mine is a STD 350) but it didn’t work out. I took her out for some small rides - I didn’t get time for long rides this time.
And oh, I lost 7.5 kgs of weight in last one month :-D With all the eating out I do, this is sure an achivement ;-)

New Year resolutions

I was tagged by Shalini to do the New Year resolution.
New-year is just around the corner. Itz time for holidays, parties, and New Year resolutions.
Most of my friends says they take resolution to break them. I have not seen many who stick to the resolution and make it come true, but that is not the point. The point is to make up our mind and make resolutions. That is the fun part.
I was not so different; i used to make resolutions and after 1 or 2 weeks, used to break them promptly. But during my MCA, we had a New Year resolution festival - every one was given a tag which we have to wear, and we have to write our New Year resolution in the tag so that every one can read it. I was late to fill up the tag, and last moment, while thinking up of making some resolutions, suddenly this one came to my mind - 'I Stand'.
Simple, but true - I stand for what I am and what I believe. That was the last time I made the New Year resolution. From then, it is always the same - My resolution is that i will stand. Every year i reinforce the resolution. So, this year also, let me reinforce my resolution "I Stand"

I tag Meghz, LJ, rajani and Kuttibalu and anyone who want to take it.. :)

Thinking

Snippets

Me: No, he is not there at home. I went after him, and saw him, but he said he is busy.
He: No way, when i left home, he was there. should have been around. i will go and fetch him.
Me: i SAW him and talked to him. he said he si busy.
He: he was at home when I left. Let me go and I will fetch him.
Me: *exasperated* he is NOT AT HOME.
He: I will go and fetch him
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
It is tough talking to a deaf man.


He-1: I need you to turn the log before you start the chainsaw.
He-2: I am not sure; you may not get correct measurements.
He-1: just turn it like I say
(He-1 with the help of He-3 turns the log)
He-1: Now now. Just keep it like this, and start the chain saw.
He-2: I say, you won’t get good panels if you cut it like this. Don’t blame me if the wood panel breaks.
He-1: It is something strong to say. DO cut it like this, I am sure I will get good wood panels.
(He-2 starts the chain saw and starts cutting the log to make wood panels. After the third one, He-1 asked him to increase the thickness a small bit and lo and behold, all the bad part of the log is out in just one panel. All the other panels are very good)
He-1: now, what do you say?
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
Experience itself is not enough. You should know how to apply the knowledge you gained from the experience.

Autumn..

Autumn...it have arrived
The trees are deep in a slumber...
And the park benches...all alone...
Yesterdays colorful sunset is now tomorrows hope
People have put on a heavy face; Or is it the heavy dress...
Long cots, mufflers, caps...
Yesterday we were friends; But now heavy silences have fallen between us...
And I begin to wonder ”is life only a rat race?"
If only we don’t have deadlines...
Or, is the hustle and rush our own way to protect our life
From understanding the truth - that our life cannot be complete...
Am not sure...
Retrospection - should I examine my mind? Or should I examine my life???
Am confused...and am restless...
A faceless stranger, I am to myself...

Things I Like/Enjoy doing

small small things in life,like
wind
sun
sky
clouds
grass
flowers
trees
mist
cold
watching the rain
playing in mud
walking in rain
milking the cow
plowing the land
walking in the paddy fields
swim
collect pebbls from the river
bed
people
rush
shopping malls
traffic jam
automobies
talking to ppl
listening to ppl
day dreaming
long drives
country roads
trail roads
asphalt roads
winding roads
forrest
rolling hills
watching birds
Floating in water (espacially in river)
playing with kids
cooking
being with friends
messing up with computers
playing in linux
graphics designing
clicking photos
lying on grass, seeing the sky
sleeping in the class
surprizing the people
watching fishes swim
watching traffic
fist fighting for fun
work
defeating deadlines
cracking jokes
laughing
helping others
giving unwanted advice
watching f1 race
being with my family
painting the town red with my friends
star gazing
talking to self
the list is endless.....in short, I am in love with my life

yesterday evening...

What is the BEST thing to end a busy working day with? For me, nothing more than a ride in the rain. Now rains are almost back to their cozy little place, and they don’t visit b'lore often. But yesterday while I was on the way back, it began to drizzle slightly. As soon as I took my turn from the highway, I stopped my bike, removed my jacket, gloves and helmet and just roamed around - getting wet in the light drizzle - and to keep me company, Pearl kept on playing some of my favorite tracks.

Nothing beats getting wet in a rain - if you are riding, the better :-) and, did i tell you about the smell? The smell of earth after rain - this is one smell which can drive me crazy (the other one is the smell of colocasia flower after rains). It is now getting colder here, and I love when it is cold.
During November - December, it is too much fun to have a steaming hot glass of strong filter coffee early in the morning, from the tea stall - the early morning chill and hot coffee goes exceptionally well together.

The Bike I would love to have...

The Bike I want -
500cc -750cc, twin, with around 70-80 bhp on tap. Preferably a dualsport, or a sport tourer.

Why do i want -
Can take it where ever I want, and can cruise @ 150 easily, with occasional visits to 200 kmph region.

Things I need on the Bike -
HID,dc electricals, points for attaching luggage rack/bungee chords,good horns, good quality tyres.

My Budget -
2.5 to 3 laks.

Mode of payment -
Part down payment, Part finance.

Service -
Would be great if it is a DIY bike like Royal Enfield, but you cannot have the cake and eat it too. Good availability of spares, and knowledgeable mechas who dont insist to change every thing to fix the problem. Basically, some one who analyses and sorts out the problem than someone who just change the whole part fix a small problem. (When the bolt which holds the chain cover came off, the authorized Honda workshop asked me to change the whole swing arm instead of just welding the bolt back. That was the last time I visited the place for my bike)


Current wish -
A dual sport version of Honda CBF150 for 75-80K INR

the little blue book of life

Got a fwd email abt life – the things in bracket are my responses . A kind of small retrospection.

-----


Have a firm handshake.
(I do that)

Look people in the eye.
(I do this also)

Sing in the shower.
(yup, I do)

Own a great stereo system.
(yeah - I have one)

If in a fight, hit first and hit hard.
(this is something life taught me in heard way, and I never forget this lesson)

Keep secrets.
(my closet if full of skeletons )

Never give up on anybody. Miracles happen
everyday.
(yeah, sometimes Miracles do happen)

Always accept an outstretched hand.
(yup, am game for that)

Be brave. Even if you're not, pretend to be.
No one can tell the difference.
(thatz true)

Whistle.
(no matter how hard I try, I cant whistle properly. But who the hell gives a damn? i do whistle :-D)

Avoid sarcastic remarks.
(something for me to work on)

Choose your life's mate carefully. From
this one decision will come 90 per
cent of all your happiness or misery.
(yeah - thatz why am still looking ;-) )

Make it a habit to do nice things for
people who will never find out.
(hm..sometimes i do this)

Lend only those books you never care
to see again.
(sigh, this is something I need to do BIG time)

Never deprive someone of hope; it might
be all that they have.
(true - this is something i care a lot)

When playing games with ! children, let
them win.
(yup, dose that)

Give people a second chance, but not a third.
(no second chance - if you are not going to lead, get the hell outta my way)

Be romantic.
(oh yeah, i am)

Become the most positive and enthusiastic
person you know.
(yes, i am)

Loosen up. Relax. Except for rare life-and-
death matters, nothing is as important as it
first seems.
(true - another thing life taught me)

Don't allow the phone to interrupt important
moments. It's there for your convenience,
not the caller's.
(agree 100%)

Be a good loser.
(not yet mastered the art - still trying to get it correct. But one day, I will)

Be a good winner.
(I think I am)

Think twice before burdening a friend with
a secret.
(thinks more than twice with some friends, but with some, no need to think at all :) )

When someone hugs you, let them be the
first to let go.
(does that)

Be modest. A lot was accomplished before
you were born.
(true)

Keep it simple.
(need to be better in this too)

Beware of the person who has nothing to
lose.
(yeah - big time. Have been in that shoe for lot of times, so, i know how it is)

Don't burn bridges. You'll be surprised how
many times you have to cross the same
river.
(true)

Live your life so that your epitaph could
read, No Regrets
(Agree 100%. and i do live like this)

Be bold and courageous. When you look
back on life, you'll regret the things
you didn't do more than the one's you did.
( yup - always trying to minimize them - as said earlier, no regrets)

Never waste an opportunity to tell someone
you love them.
(yeah - something very rare to come across)

Remember no one makes it alone. Have a
grateful heart and be quick to
acknowledge those who helped you.
(true)

Take charge of your attitude. Don't let someone
else choose it for you.
(Never - I would have been long dead before someone chooses my attitude for me)

Visit friends and relatives when they are in
hospital; you need only stay a few minutes.
(Yup)

Begin each day with some of your favorite
music.
(yeah, almost always)

Once in a while, take the scenic route.
(dose it often - in fact, when ever I can)

Send a lot of Valentine cards. Sign them
'Someone who thinks you're terrific.'
(sigh!, have given only 2 valentine cards till date)

Answer the phone with enthusiasm and
energy in your voice.
(yeah - who likes to be greeted with a sloppy, irritated hello)

Keep a note pad and pencil on your bedside
table. Million-dollar ideas sometimes strike at
3 a.m.
(i have a pen and a book :P)

Show respect for everyone who works for a
living, regardless of how trivial their job.
(this is again something which i does care a lot)

Send your loved ones flowers. Think of a
reason later.
(haven’t send any one flowers till now - have given a few to some when i go visiting them)

Make someone's day by paying the toll
for the person in the car behind you.
(never tried)

Become someone's hero.
(i think I am ;-) )

Marry only for love.
(marry for money - No thanks, I will stay single. If there is no love, what is teh point of marriage? )

Count your blessings.
(Always)

Compliment the meal when you're a guest
in someone's home.
(sure - it works wonder and makes them happy)

Wave at the children on a school bus.
(it sure is a nice thing to do)

Remember that 80 per cent of the success
in any job is based on your ability to deal
with people.
(yeah - need more work on that)

Don't expect life to be fair.
(never - as Calvin says -I know, but why isn’t it ever unfair in my favor? ;-) )

to keep me company during my rides...

After lot of dilly dallying, yesterday I went to SP road and blew up some dough to get a MP3 player.
I got a shiny, small black Creative Zen Stone Plus - 2GB, with a 9.5hr battery backup.

It is small, and easy to use. No hassles like iPOD (if it was not for the iTune thingy, i would have picked up an iPOD long time back). I was looking for something small, which can give me company during my long rides, and is easy to operate. This comes in a small black package is an additional bonus.
I hereby christen her Pearl. (Shayad a bit too much girile, eh? )

Goal...

I was thinking about watching this movie for long time, and at last, when I got some free time yesterday, i decided to watch it.

For those who want the short version of review - if you like football, or if you like Johnny boy, go and watch it. it is worth a watch.

Now the long version:
Goal is not Chak de. In my opinion, comparing Goal and Chak de is like comparing oranges and apples coz both are grown on trees. The only element they both share is the sport. Goal is a good movie in itz own regard.
The story is kind of ok, and sometimes, predictable. But that doesn’t make this movie boring. What glued me to the screen is the technical expertise with which the football matches are choreographed. It can’t get real that this - you will never feel that you are watching a made up match, and we really feel the thrill of watching the match. The scene at the locker room – where the coach shows them the posters and the mirror, man, I like it.

I like two songs - the dhan dhana dhan goal (the scene where all the players sing this before starting the match is just awesome - you feel the spirit when you watch the scene) and Ishq Ka Kalma. Billo rani is okeyish - no great shakes.

Watch it, for the movie it is. Chak de used sports to portray patriotism; Goal used patriotism to portray spirit of football. I am glad to see movies based on sports - a change from teh run-of-the-mill love stories and thrillers.

Goal gets a 3.5 out of 5 rating from me. (And if anybody is wondering which is my favorite - chakde or goal; it is Goal without doubt)

Review - Chateau Indage Figueira

Chateau Indage, one of the largest wine makes in India launched a premium port wine - Figueira, lately and I picked it up last day, with a packet of roasted peanuts from Foodworld.

Though I love wines, I have not tasted much port wines, and so, I was a little skeptical of the taste and pairing, and since port is considered as a dessert wine, decided to have it with roasted spicy peanuts.

Figueira is a ruby port, produced from the grapes from the Sahyadri Valley in the Chateau Indage vineyards. Some other famous wines from the same valley are Chantilli, Riviera, Joie' and Vin Ballet - just to give a rough idea about the quality of grapes.

The color is ruby red, and the aroma is quite strong. The wine packs 18% alcohol, and is quite strong. The first sip gives a nice burning feeling, quite unlike the other wines. The wine tastes smooth and not overly sweet, and leaves a nice after taste.
If i have to pick up port, I will definitely choose Figueira over the other cheap, sweet ports.

And oh, the Peanuts’ went well with the wine.

The middle name meme

I saw this tag here.

The rules of the tag are:
1. The rules must be mentioned in the beginning of the tag.
2. You must list one fact that is somehow relevant to your life for each letter of your middle name. If you don’t have a middle name, use the middle name you would have liked to have had.
3. At the end of your blog post, you need to choose one person for each letter of your middle name to tag. Don’t forget to leave them a comment telling them they’re tagged, and to read your blog.

My middle name is my dad's name and is very short - Sasi. So, here goes -

S - Sasi, my dad. he is the coolest guy I have ever come across, and is a super dad. Calm, collected, and confident. Love to do things and get his hands dirty than to order around, and never advices, but shows things by doing them. A terrific rider and driver, and a very good sportsman.

A - Automobiles: When i was at school, my mom and dad had an accident. The first question I asked my dad after the accident was - "howz the scooter?" now, that should tell you something - I love anything with an engine and wheels. And yeah, I am a somewhat competent DIY guy also.

S - Speed: i love speed, and when i get a empty stretch or a track, i unleash the power of the bike/car i ride. But, I never speed when there is traffic or when road conditions are not favorable. See, i am a sensible rider.

I - Independence. I can live without food, water or whatever, but try giving me orders and ask me to live confined to a set of laws, and am sure you will never succeed.

I am not tagging any one, but any of you like it, do take it and do it @ your page.

Curry Spice - Restaurant review

Yesterday my plan was to meet a friend after office, but it didn’t materialize -
and i was not in a mood to go home and pass a quite evening. So i went to see
Sooraj and hanged around with him till 9.30 at his shop. After closing down, we
both went to checkout Curry Spice.
Curry Spice is situated at Indiranagar 80FT road, and looks like a rundown or
not-so-well-kept place from outside. Don’t let it fool you - what wait you
inside is one of the best fare I have ever had in Bangalore.
The interior is cozy, and main stage is taken by two huge LCD screens playing
sports - something you wont expect in a place like this. The service is prompt,
and with every drink you order, you get a complimentary plate of snacks on the
house.

On Sooraj's recommendation I tried stuffed mushroom tikka - they where just awesome. Soft, supple mushrooms filled with a bit of fiery green chutney filling. For main course, we settled for a bread basket of assorted breads and paneer tikka masala. When the food came, we where immersed in some serious discussion, but when i put the first bite in my mouth, i suddenly stopped talking - the paneer tikka was that good. Right amount of spice, a slight sweet after taste and soft and juice paneer done to the right extent - I can say with confidence that it is one of the best vegetarian food i have ever tasted in
Bangalore. A dine out at curry spice for two will set you back by around 350 - 400 with out drinks. I find the wine and breezer priced slightly high, and not sure about the other drinks. They offer a verity of cocktails and mock tails, but again, I didn’t try any of them - so, i cannot tell you how they fare. But if I can go by the food they offer, there bar wont let you down.
Spotting the hotel is easy - it is bang on the 80 Ft road, just above theMaruthi driving school and parking space won’t be much of a problem.
My rating - 7.5/10 - I will keep visiting the place again.

an update...

Fixed my comp yesterday night. Now i am online again. Woo hoo... :-D
had to re-install XP and configure whole lot of softwares, and that took half of my night time - but at last, she is all up and running, and I am a happy soul now.

On the other hand, Sunday went really well - went out with friends and had a very nice lunch from Bombay Post, helped one of my friend to get some retail therapy and had around 70 km ride on almost empty ring road.

I was browsing through my pc to free up some HDD space, and came across this letter. I wrote this letter as a reply to one of the mails in one the biking clubs i belong to - I think this is the second most emotional letter I have ever written in my life (the first was a letter to my ex, before we fell in love, and no - it was not a love letter :P)

RE: [silver-bullets] what ticks u abt rides?


Many people have asked me this question. Why do I ride? Why don’t I go by car or by bus if I want to see places? Why don’t I just use bus or train? Why do I ride when it rains?

At first I used to answer these questions patiently - trying to make sense to those who asked me these questions. That was the dayz when I started riding.

Then I realized that it doesn’t matter. It doesn’t matter whether it makes sense to others or not. It doesn’t matters whether I gave a satisfactory reply or not. What all matters is just that I want to ride; and I will ride. So I stopped answering, and started smiling when I hear the question.
But once in a while I too sit back and ponder - what makes me ride? Why am i so maddeningly love with everything on wheels?

What makes me take out my bike and roam around during full moon nights? What makes me take off my jacket and ride out when the rain kisses the grounds? What makes my heart skip a beat when ever I come across a virgin mud track? What makes me give a high when I open up the throttle and feel the wind gush past my face? What makes me sing out loud and pushes me to cloud 9 when ever I see hairpins?


Is it because -
I love the freedom my bike gives me
I love the feel of wind on my face
I love the thought that I have the power to control something dangerous 'SPEED'. (Yeah, it is plain EGO, ;-D)
I love roads - tarmac, trails, potholes, twisties, drag strips what ever it may, it never fails to ignite my imagination
I love engines, and love to work on them. When i ride, I get a chance to be one with my machine.
Or, is it because I love the coffee after hours of non-stop riding.


I don’t know. Hell, the only thing I know is, I just LOVE to ride :-D

[ i am having a bit of writers block - hell, i don’t know whether i can call it that - i just don’t feel like writing, but want to do a blog. so this dig from past. if you are reading this, you have got some patience. thank you for putting up with my rants]

My First Award

Wow, I got an award - the first in my backpack. thank you meghz, for this award.
I really feel happy to get my first award, and I pass this award to
Shre - Diva La Vie
Aarthi - Lost in Utopia
Rajani - The Pensive

this award 'Be the Blog' is a work of mark and the code for this badge can be found at MeAndMyDrum

weekend plans - ruined.

Sometimes, things just like to loose your cool.
Yesterday, after a not-much-busy Friday, i went to my friends place to fix his bike and his comp. fixed his bike and tried to fix a HDD which was not detecting - the bloody thing is that, only slave HDDs are detecting in his pc. No matter what pin configuration you use, or cable you use, all the HDDs are detected as slaves. The comp just refuses to recognize a HDD as master. And to top it off, the disk manager won’t recognize more than one HDD. His pc is not that old, and it should not have any problems recognizing multiple HDDs, but, we are speaking of XP, so, anything can happen.
I was getting late for my usual weekend chat with my sis, so, i left his place and after a good biriyani @ a local joint, rushed home.
Reached a bit late, booted my box and wham - she coughed, sneezed and what do i see - the BOD (blue screen of death). I booted her again; she again coughed, sneezed and gave up on me. Damn.
Tried booting her again, but she was not in a mood to humor me - first she stopped recognizing my two HDDs /(i have 3 HDD and a DVD-R) and after a lot of coaxing, i was able to take her past the POST screen, but only to find out that the boot loader is corrupt. To top it off, i don’t have my XP cd with me. What a beautiful way to start my weekend. No comp means no songs - aarrggghhh....
at times like this, i really think - why the hell reliance don’t make drivers for Linux for their USB modem? it is only for that i am stuck with XP.
Morning got up a bit late, and before i start cooking, tried to play channel V - and lo - the cable operator have switched channels again, and channel V, MTV and VH1 are no where to be seen. But thankfully, my favorite CN and Nickelodeon where intact. After a re-tuning of the cable box, i got Channel V, MTV and VH1 - at the end of the spectrum, with screen full of those ugly colorful dots. But itz ok with me coz i don’t watch TV - i just hear TV. So, cranked up the volume level and started cooking.
After finishing my daily chores, sat with XBOX to kick some ass - some street fighter game - i don’t like role playing games, but i didn’t had any new racing games to play. And this stupid game wants me stand on my head, sing at the top of my voice and clap my hands to take me to next level – or may be i am just not skilled enough. Any way, it made me really loose all my control, so i switched it off and sat with Nietzsche and a bottle of cold breezer. Now the sun is down, I am just back from a walk, and peeped into this net cafe to get my daily dose. No regular peeps to net world till i fixes my pc. Have a nice weekend, folks.

Life on weekdays – then and now.

Then:
Get up at 5.30. wait wait - to get up, first you need to sleep - and how can you sleep when you are gaming/ photoshopping/reading all the night? Okies.. Then let me re-phrase it - take bath by 5.30, and by 6, go to canteen for the morning dose of cups of black coffee.
Siphon as much as you can, read news papers, and return to room. Wake up the pc from snooze mode, play music, and visit friend’s rooms. Return back by 7.45; get dressed and out to canteen by 8.00.
From 8.30 to 1.00, sit in the class and enjoy the life as much as you can - pass chits, sleep, play checkers, and talk, but never attend the class. 1.00 to 2.00 - time for lunch.
2.00 to 4.00 - sleep in the class or play with comp if it is lab hours. At sharp 4.00, Run out of classroom to canteen and then go, change and play or roam around.
6.00 - time to get back, bath, and get ready for the class. 6.30 - 8.00 - be in the class, and enjoy as much as you can. 8.00 - time for dinner, and then, the real day starts till next day early morning.

Month end - empty purse, try to live on pennies till next month starts

Now:
Get up at 5.30, work out, read news paper, take bath and out to office by 7.30. 8.00-8.30 - breakfast and read news papers. 8.00 to 1.00 - get bored at office. 1.00 to 2.00 - lunch and a small walk. From 2.00 - till work ends - @ office (unless it is a Friday – Fridays are for going out and partying) Go home, if any energy is left, cook and then go online/read. 1.00 am - sleep

Month end - empty purse, try to live on pennies till next month starts

Humph! When it is all said and done, life haven’t changed much - it’s all about living on empty purse :-)

just like that

"Without question,the greatest invention in the history of mankind is beer.
Oh, I grant you that the wheel was also a fine invention, but the wheel does
not go nearly as well with pizza."
~ Dave Barry

When you are bored, and you have lot of time at hand, what do you do? - Well, in my case - I browse and try doing memes whenever I come across something interesting. It keeps my sleep away, and creates the impression that i am busy working ;-)
While hopping from one blog to other, I saw this meme @ 'lost in wonder' and since I didn’t had anything else to do, i tried my hand at it.

It is called the house meme, and is bout things at your home.

1. What kind of SOAP is in your bathtub right now? BRUT
2. Do you have any watermelon in your refrigerator? No
3. What would you change about your living room? I would add one more book shelf,
a bean bag and a recliner. May be a flower vase too.
4. Are the dishes in your dishwasher clean or dirty? I dont have a dish washer -
and i was dishes as soon as i finish cooking.
5. What is in your fridge? Water, milk, lemons, one bottle of Bacardi Breezer,
one carton Orange juice, assorted vegetables, tomato sauce, tamarind, chili,
leftovers and ice cubes
6. White or wheat bread? Wheat or grain
7. What is on top of your refrigerator? Nothing
8. What color or design is on your shower curtain? No shower curtain
9. How many plants are in your home? None.
10. Is your bed made right now? Yes.
11. Comet or Soft Scrub? Don't have either.
12. Is your closet organized? Somewhat.
13. Can you describe your flashlight? Blue Everdey 2-cell.
14. Do you drink out of glass or plastic most of the time at home? Coffee mugs and
glass.
15. Do you have iced tea made in a pitcher right now? Nope.
16. If you have a garage, is it cluttered? No garage - though i would love to have
one.
17. Curtains or blinds? Only mosquito nets.
18. How many pillows do you sleep with? Don’t use pillows while sleeping.
19. Do you sleep with any lights on at night? no.
20. How often do you vacuum? I have a lady who sweeps the home every day.
21. Standard toothbrush or electric? Standard.
22. What color is your toothbrush? White and green.
23. Do you have a welcome mat on your front porch? Yes.
24. What is in your oven right now? Don’t have an oven.
25. Is there anything under your bed? My exercise things, tools, and a suitcase
26. Chore you hate doing the most? Ironing and washing the dishes
27. What retro items are in your home? My comp and a Casio personal cassette player.
28. Do you have a separate room that you use as an office? nope.
29. How many mirrors are in your home? One.
30. Do you have any hidden emergency money around your home? not much.
31. What color are your walls? kind of ivory.
32. Do you keep any kind of protection weapons in your home? I have lot of things
which can be used as weapons, but don’t keep anything for the sake of protection.
33. What does your home smell like right now? Nothing much - morning the house
smells of rose or sandalwood – depending on the agarbathi I use.
34. Favorite candle scent? Anything with a nice scent will do.
35. What kind of pickles (if any) are in your refrigerator right now? Green lime and
chilly, tuna fish.
36. What color is your favorite Bible? Black.
37. Ever been on your roof? Yes.
38. Do you own a stereo? Not at where I live now.
39. How many TVs do you have? None. My Pc doubles up as my TV.
40. How many house phones? One, but never uses it(don’t even know the number).
41. Do you have a housekeeper? Nope.
42. What style do you decorate in? My style.
43. Do you like solid colors in furniture or prints? depends.
44. Is there a smoke detector in your home? No.
45. In case of fire, what are the items in your house which you’d grab if you only
could make one quick trip? My DSLR, keys of both bikes and wallet.

I tag Meghana to do this meme.

Kerosine Lamp

Took this long time back, with my friends canon Powershot. Saw this while browsing through Flickr.

weekend tales...

I was kind of adamant that I had to make some curry with coconut milk this weekend. But the first issue was - I don’t have a coconut scrapper. And, i want a particular type of coconut scrapper, which I can fix on my kitchen slab.
So, this Friday, i left office early and went to Reliance fresh to get some vegetables - picked up two coconuts, a packet of mushroom and some other supplies. Then I went searching for my elusive coconut scrapper. After nearly asking around a dozen of shops, I got it at last from one shop at Tippasandra market.
i was happy that at last i got all the things to make coconut milk, but when I reached home and opened the bag, I realized that i forgot to pick up one bag from Reliance fresh - My coconuts are sitting safely at reliance fresh counter.
I consoled my saying that I can buy a coconut from local market, so i went ahead with fixing the coconut scrapper - only to found out that the base is not proper and cannot be fixed by simply turning the screw. After some hammering and leveling, I fixed the scrapper with the help of a rubber piece, and went to sleep.
Saturday I woke up early and went to Temple (yeah, i am a good boy) and on teh way back, I picked up one coconut, and decided to make 'Pulingary' and Mushroom masala. 'Pulingary' is a simple Kerala dish, and you don’t need much culinary skills to make it. After cracking open the coconut with the help of a slab of granite and scrapping one half of it, I inaugurated my mixer grinder. After almost 2 furious hours at kitchen, I made rice, Pulingary and Mushroom masala. Contrary to my expectation, the mushroom masala turned out to be utterly delicious.

Now, my next item to do in order to have a good weekend - spending time with Arwen (by the way, Arwen is by 1978 model Royal Enfield STD 350). Itz been almost 2 weeks since I kicked Arwen to life, so, I was looking for some small resistance, but nothing made prepared me for what was in store. After the usual dusting, carburetor cleaning and sparkplug cleaning, I kicked her, but to my utter dismay, she refused to sputter into life. After some diagnosis, I found out that there is no spark from the plug. Rats.. Now, I need to strip her and fix her. Time was running short for my usual weekend meeting with my fellow riders, so I stripped her till the coil, and checked the points and timer, and found them perfectly ok. So, the problem is somewhere else, and i need almost another day to fix her.
Went to meet my friends by 6, and while we where busy chatting, I got a call from Vicks - man, I almost forgot that Vicks bachelor party was happening that day. Said a quick goodbye to all by 9.30 and reached Bageecha at Marathahally before 10 and had a rocking time there.
Sunday went to meet M (I have put that under the blog what is "care?") and before saying boo, my weekend was over. Now, waiting for next weekend...

My take on 50 things to do before I die

Meghana taged me to do this meme. Since i had some time @ my hand, i thought why not do it now. So here is my list of 50 things to do.
01. Ride to Leh on Bullet.
02. Do a around the India trip on a bullet.
03. Do the complete Himalaya belt on bullet.
04. Go for a road trip across US on a Harley.
05. Cross Australia on a Buell or KTM.
06. Own a Ducati 1098 and MV Augusta F4Tamburini and do track days on them.
07. Meet Michael Schumacher, Ayn Rand and Richard M Stallman.
08. Become the test driver for Ferrari passenger cars.
09. Race a Ferrari F1 car.
10. Build a super bike from scratch.
11. Self modify a Contessa to produce over 1000 bhp power and win drag races.
12. Gift my dad and mom a Rolls Royce and a harley Davidson.
13. Learn to fly a fighter jet.
14. Experience Mach III speed in a fighter jet.
15. Fight for my country.
16. Learn professional photography.
17. Learn to bake.
18. Learn to handle a barbeque grill and organize a barbeque party for all my online friends.1
9. Learn to make my own dress.
20. Learn to make a shoe.
21. Learn to speak, write and read French, German,Italian and Greek .
22. Learn reverse engineering and reverse engineer windos XP/Vista to get the code.
23. Contribute to Open Source movement.
24. Own my own business empire
25. Learn salsa.
26. Read all the books I ever want.
27. Teach at Harvard.
28. Build a super computer
29. Go for a around the world trip with my Dad in a 4WD Jeep/Land Rover/Hummer H1.
30. Make my dad and mom feel like King and Queen at their old age.
31. Break land speed record.
32. Visit Utah Salt Flats.
33. Build a research laboratory for my brother
.34. Do bartending at a party.
35. Make a shelter home for the roadside people.
36. Rehabilitate all the homeless people i see on roads.
37. Gift a diamond to my mom.
38. Make my future wife a princess.
39. Race with my future kids.
40. Eliminate begging from the world.
41. Make my children study without ever letting them know the pressure to perform and get
high grades.
42. Go on a month long hiking inside a jungle, without any kind of electronic gadgets
43. Build a big township so that all my friends can stay together.
44. Make India proud about me.
45. Be a master wine connoisseur.
46. Enjoy all cuisines in the world.
47. Cook and server a moonlight dinner for my wife .
48. Visit all the 7 world wonders.
49. Participate in Dakar rally and Raid-de-Himalaya.
50. Learn bird calling

Memories – a page from my college life

Inspired by the blog of Aarthi-Lost in Utopia

PUC or Pre degree was the best time to enjoy college life. You are just out of school, and all the freedom and color of campus life is sure a heady cocktail which can knock you out till the exams wakes you up.
I have a weird habit - i sleep very little at night - i am happy with just 45 minutes of sleep - anything less than that, and i feel tired next day. But if i attend a seminar of class, I will slowly drift into sleep. Anyway, I didn’t fight this habit coz it helped me always pass teh boring class hours.

During my Pre-Degree first year, I used to sit in 1st bench - with my gang (that is the last time I sat in 1st bench) and to sleep well, i used to open my book and sleep in the pretext of reading the book - especially in Zoology class. I was sure that my zoology teacher know this, but he is letting it go unnoticed (now, don’t ask me how did I knew that - I just knew it) Every thing was fine till the notice came for the PTA (Parents-Teacher-Association - an association created to harass the poor students and put a big blooper in the otherwise excellent college life) and to my worst horror, i was assigned to my Zoology teacher. I was sure that I am going to a good dose from him, and to make the things worse, my dad - for the first time- decided he will attend the meeting instead of my mom. On the D day, i was really tensed up, and was waiting my turn - literally shivering inside. At last my turn came and with a thumping heart, i went to meet him. After the usual exchange of pleasantries, he told my dad "I am really proud of your son. From the moment I start taking class till I finish, he will not even look away from his text book. Anoop, keep this habit - you are concentrating in my class, and it will help you to pass the exam in flying colors" man, can’t say what relief I felt that day. I promised my dad that I will keep 'concentrating' in the class and kept the word ever after ;-)

'Curious as a cat'--An interesting meme from Justamotehroftwo

This meme is from justamotheroftwo. If any of you feel like picking it up, please leave a comment - would love to read.
1) Which one person would you choose to understand you better?
One of my cousin sister. I just want her to know that I love her next to my parents, i really respect her.
2) What do you think is the best age to be? Why?
My current age. I enjoy every moment of my life - I am out of college, working and single. not much tensions, and all the fredom I want.

3) Of all the people you know, who would be the easiest to seduce? Why?
hm.. tough question. I have never tried seducing anyone till now (yup - thatz true - life sucks ;-) )
4) What's the best advice you didn't heed?
How to live my life - it is MY life, and when i want an advice, I will ask.

5) Show and Tell. What comes to mind first when you see this picture? Or, tell a story if it reminds you of one.



22.5 minutes before I have to wake up. darn, i love early morning sleep during winter.

What is “Care?”

M – age 27 – is an average Indian. He doesn’t drink, doesn’t smoke, doesn’t hang out in pubs, and is a man of simple tastes. Works in a prestigious research firm, and pretty well settled in Bangalore – owns a flat, bike and all the stuff. Last year he decided to get married. His mom saw a girl from him, who’s family is known to them, and he and the girl talked and both said yes for the marriage, and they got married.
Fast forward to November 2007. Itz been six months after marriage – he is happy, and so is she – well, at least, there is any other reason to think otherwise. One day, out of the blue, he gets a call from his father-in-law that he want to take his daughter to her home urgently, and Madhu said ok. Two days after that, he gets the news that she want to get divorce from him. The reason – she says he is not caring for her. M is shattered, and really don’t know what to do.

M is a very close friend of mine – I know him for past 11 years, and let me tell you – he is a sweet guy. I can give him a clean chit blindly. I have seen him through many crisis and happy times, so, for me, it is very hard to buy what she says. So, I started going deep to find the root. And I don’t really know what to say when I got the clear picture.

Let us call her A, the wife of M. She just finished her MSc and wanted to do further studies. M got her admission to the course she wanted and she was to join the classes from this month last. M goes for work by 7.45 and comes back by 4.15. Saturday is half working day for him, and Sunday he takes A out and usually has food from outside. They go to attend parties and visit friend’s places too. A have never told M that she is unhappy, not give him any reason to suspect anything. M has never scolded her, nor did say no to anything A tell him. Among her friends circle, she always painted a rosy picture about M. In fact, one of the close friends of A told me that she was the only ‘happy’ housewife among them. Her only grouses about M where – M didn’t buy a car, and M doesn’t talk to her while taking her out. M stays near to his office, and don’t drive a car. He recently brought a flat, and never gave much thought about buying a car. Before the wedding, A’s parents offered to buy a car for them as a wedding gift, but he politely declined that. A never told him that she want a car. He doesn’t talk while riding a bike – well, I don’t know much people who talks while riding, and I strongly recommend to all that while riding you should not talk, but keep your concentration on road. She never told him this too. But these two things she told to her neighbors/friends.
Now all of a sudden she is telling that he is not caring for him. So, does caring means buying a car and talk to her while riding? He, being a sensible guy, asked her to come to counseling to sort out if she have any problems with him, but she is not ready for that. When she asked for divorce, he told her that he can wait for six months – if she ever wants to come back, she can. If she still wants a divorce after six months, he is ready. But she is adamant that she wants a divorce immediately. At last, he decided to grant her her wish, and M and A is now undergoing divorce procedures.

I strongly believe if A told M what she felt, or told M to change, he would have been more than happy to oblige. Why can’t she just communicate in plain words? I simply don’t know. And, I think A is an as***le to behave like this. Guys like M don’t grow on trees. If any one of you who read this can find a rationale behind A’s behavior, please comment.

he rips till he is R.I.P

the wind whispers
and he fly his metal steed
where eagles dare, he roams
chasing the midnight sun
playing hide and seek with clouds
singing on top of his voice
his growling exhaust note
the smell of burned rubber
sweet fatigue of unbridled passion
the soul of rebel
the metal made of sin and sweat
the molten tarmac, the numb hands
the lashing rain, the scorching sun
the howling crowd, the lone water well
he grips, breaks and rips again
dancing with the devil
touching the cheek of death
saying a prayer and keeping a steady hand
he rips till he is R.I.P

Of things and rings...

What will you feel when you lose someone who was with you all the time for last 12 years? Who saw your ups and downs? Whom you trusted with you trust and fears?

I used to wear a ring on my ring finger - a simple metal ring of Lord Guruvayoorappan (an incarnation of Lord Krishna). For the past 12 years, I have never worn any other ring, nor have I left it. But last day, the ring broke. The current ring was with me for more than three years, and now, the kind of ring I wear is no longer available in market. So, for the first time in the last 12 years, I am not wearing a ring.
My ring was my faith, my personal temple and yeah - i do feel vulnerable without it. But, as with everything, this will also pass. If there is anything that life has taught me, it is this three words - "Life goes on"
Last day Jeevs crossed 30K mark. It is his 2nd b'day on saturday. He have been my most trusted steed ever since he came to my possession - tough, smooth and reliable. I think I will do a post about him soon.

Zahir and the reflections...

This time, I knew the D'vali weekend was going to be a long and lonely one. All my friends around - whom I used to bug at unholy hours- where off to their home towns, and my pocket was empty due to some mad but enjoyable rides I did last week. So, the only option was to get some books and play some games on my Xbox.

I went to Landmark to pick up thus Spake Zarathustra, and saw the Zahir on the next shelf. I was thinking of buying it for a long time, so I picked it up along with the other book.

I took the book to read on Saturday after my lunch, and by evening, I finished it - on one sitting. I was not able to put it down once I start reading it, and it was like a big revelation for me.

I always take pride on the fact that I ma a happy man. Whatever happens, you won’t see me in a frowning mood. But of late, I was not feeling happy, and for the first time, my friend Kite saw worry lines on my face. Yeah, I was unhappy, and was very unhappy about that. The worst part was that, I could not make out why I am unhappy.

But no more. Zahir give me the question and the answer and some more. While reading Zahir, I realized that I don’t love any one. Yeah, I love my parents, I love my kid bro and many of my friends, and I absolutely love my bikes and camera. But, I don’t have that 'special' one to love. Till my 10th standard, I was a dumbo. When I joined for PUC, I started reading, and exploring - Ayn Rand, Kafka, Capra, Neruda, Wodehouse, Hesse, Stephen king, Dennis, Astrix - I got many friends and they helped me to re-write my life script.

And, soon I got my first soul mate. She was never my lover - but a friend and lots more. We where together for few years and said goodbyes when the time came. And then I fell in love. She was not the best, but she was the one I liked. So I asked for her hand, and we where in deep love for next few years. Those few years saw us through many things - both happy and sad. And at last we both realized we where not made for each other. So, almost one year back, we parted our ways. Honestly, I was happy when we parted our ways - I got lot of time and freedom which I was missing. And from then, I am living my life to itz fullest, knowing that one day another girl will come in my life and my bachelor life will bid me good bye.
But almost one year down the line, I started to realize how empty my life was. Like the author says in the book ", I set off for a stroll around the city. It was a particularly lovely night, the streets were deserted, the bars and restaurants still full of life, and everything seemed utterly calm, orderly, pretty, and yet suddenly…suddenly I realized that I was utterly alone"

Now, the book has given me the problem, and the solution. Since I know the solution, I am free to act upon it any time, and no - I am not going to fall in love again. The book put my mind back to rest, and when I finished the book, I could sense the happiness in me. I was really happy, and I am back to the happy self again.

a random tag i picked up...

A tag, which I picked up from happy_go_lucky

1. Pick out a scar you have, and explain how you got it.
One on my right eye brow. Got it in a knife fight at a local bazaar. well, for peeps who don’t believe that, got it whn my cous scared me with this scary mask whn i was 6 yr old. I fell down and got a nice scar and my cous, he got beating of his life from his dad. Poor cous.

2. What does your phone look like?
Silver and blue, place, boring - it is not even color.

3. What is on the walls of your bedroom?
Posters, but keep changing them.

4. What is your current desktop picture?
Buell Ulysses, yellow color.

5. Do you believe in gay marriage?
Yup

6. What do you want more than anything right now?
more and more open roads. want to get out and ride


7. Last person who made you cry?
don’t remember, people don’t usually make me cry (shh..but sometimes, movies or books do)

9. What is your favorite perfume/cologne?
nothing.

10. What are you listening to?
Led zapplin, Paul Van dyke, LCMD, Aaja Nachle, OSO and Saavariya

11. Do you get scared of the dark?
nope

12. Do you like pain killers?
don’t like them, but hey, they do help me often. So, no hard feelings towards them.

13. Are you too shy to ask someone out?
Not at all

14. If you could eat anything right now, what would it be?
hm.. what about roasted turkey?

15. Who was the last person who made you mad?
itz a project mate from our US office. Stuipd people. they should take a course in common sense.

16. Who was the last person who made you smile?
my friend Sophia

17. Is someone in love with you?
Nope. not in da market ;-)

D'vali through eyes of Moi.

D'vali through eyes of Moi.

(Moi is my camera - Nikon-D40)























click here to see the full album

Light

Light...

unniyum unnide achanum

this is something i scribbled today - Itz in malayalam.

anantharam...
unni padiyirangi
padikkal nikunna mavineyum
melle veesunna choodu kaatineyum
kozinja mullapoovukaleyum saakshiyakki
avan aa illi vathil chari vachu

ini pandego pacha pidicha aa thodiyum
thenoorum manpazam veezthiyirunna chakkaramavum
mani kilukki odi nadannirunna sunandini payyum
avanu anyam

kathil kinnaram pozichirunna aa puzakadavum
chiveedukal thalamittirunna idavazikalum
vaziyarikile transformarum
ini avanu ormakal maatram

unniyude achan innu happyanu
keesa niraye kaasu kitti
taravadu irunnidathu puthiya flat varunnu
allengilum ee pazaya veedokke enthina?
unniyo? paavam unni 'flat' aayi.

in search of...

Suddenly, I woke up from my sleep
No, it was not the howling of wind,
Nor hooting of owls, or a strange step in the attic
But I woke up, and realized -
of all the things I lost,
I miss my mind most

She was pure and white,
Not the pale white of death, but the white of a flame
But that was then, and time changed
Lust and pangs of desire
The aberrations of pure and unadulterated

Somewhere along the path, I kept her safe
And she kept her word
- She kept her safe from me, my lust

When I went looking for her
I saw a heap of ashes with some dying embers
And she was already free
Left the cage long time back
And what left of her,
was strange to me.

( inspierd from the quote "Of all the things Ive lost, I miss my mind the most" by Mark Twain )

diwali weekend

It was a long weekend. Some times, all the best laid plans may get spoiled by some unseen small things. Like that, my plan to celebrate Diwali with my friends didn’t happen. So I was at home for the full three days. Finished reading 'The Zahir' and man, it is one of the best books I read about love.

After reading the book, I realized that I am not man enough to love a lady like the guy loved. But nevertheless, I will try my best.

The other book I am reading "Thus Spake Zarathustra" by Frederic Nietzsche is a kind of expedition or pilgrimage, and I plan to complete it slow. I first read it during my college days and now, after a long time, I am re-reading it.

Other than books, I spend time for cooking. I made Pearl Spot fry and some other dishes.

Friday and Saturday evenings i spent by walking around and watching all the fire works. The sky was like a coloring box, and the atmosphere was fun filled and joyous all around. I have taken some snaps, and will try to upload it soon. This time, many of the shots where done in RAW mode, so it will take some time for me to pre-process it and upload.

This weekend saw a new addition to my home - a pearl white Fridge, and i plan to add some more additions like that soon. This pretty much sums up my last weekend - not so bad, after all.

Living by it

Living by it - A Short film on Harley-Davidson's www.livingbyit.com.

It's an inside look at living outside the norm.

Our own Bullet is not much different from HD in this regard. Both are not just motorcycles, but a culture, religion and way of life.

By Right or by Choice?

According to a recent survey published by India Today, 76% of men think it's their right to have sex with their wife. Of these, 74% fall in between the ages of 21 and 30.I was quiet surprised to read this. I never think it is the right of husband to have sex with his wife - sex should happen with mutual consent. I think marriage happens between two persons, and they need to work to generate mutual trust and emotional and physical fidelity.Trust is not something which comes in a pack - you need to work to achieve it. and when there is mutual respect and trust in a relation, the foundation will be strong to face many storms.

Money

I was going through Ishrah's blog and thought I will just post here what i consider as the most eleqount expression about the value of money I have ever come across.
this passage is from the novel Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand and is spoken by Francisco d'Anconia.
heard Bertram Scudder, outside the group, say to a girl who made some sound of indignation, "Don't let him disturb you. You know, money is the root of all evil—and he's the typical product of money."Rearden did not think that Francisco could have heard it, but he saw Francisco turning to them with a gravely courteous smile."So you think that money is the root of all evil?" said Francisco d'Anconia. "Have you ever asked what is the root of money? Money is a tool of exchange, which can't exist unless there are goods produced and men able to produce them. Money is the material shape of the principle that men who wish to deal with one another must deal by trade and give value for value. Money is not the tool of the moochers, who claim your product by tears, or of the looters, who take it from you by force. Money is made possible only by the men who produce.Is this what you consider evil?"When you accept money in payment for your effort, you do so only on the conviction that you will exchange it for the product of the effort of others. It is not the moochers or the looters who give value to money. Not an ocean of tears nor all the guns in the world can transform those pieces of paper in your wallet into the bread you will need to survive tomorrow. Those pieces of paper, which should have been gold, are a token of honor—your claim upon the energy of the men who produce. Your wallet is your statement of hope that somewhere in the world around you there are men who will not default on that moral principle which is the root of money. Is this what you consider evil?"Have you ever looked for the root of production? Take a look at an electric generator and dare tell yourself that it was created by the muscular effort of unthinking brutes. Try to grow a seed of wheat without the knowledge left to you by men who had to discover it for the first time. Try to obtain your food by means of nothing but physical motions—and you'll learn that man's mind is the root of all the goods produced and of all the wealth that has ever existed on earth."But you say that money is made by the strong at the expense of the weak? What strength do you mean? It is not the strength of guns or muscles. Wealth is the product of man's capacity to think. Then is money made by the man who invents a motor at the expense of those who did not invent it? Is money made by the intelligent at the expense of the fools? By the able at the expense of the incompetent? By the ambitious at the expense of the lazy? Money is made—before it can be looted or mooched—made by the effort of every honest man,each to the extent of his ability. An honest man is one who knows that he can't consume more than he has produced."To trade by means of money is the code of the men of good will.Money rests on the axiom that every man is the owner of his mind and his effort. Money allows no power to prescribe the value of your effort except the voluntary choice of the man who is willing to trade you his effort in return. Money permits you to obtain for your goods and your labor that which they are worth to the men whoobtain for your goods and your labor that which they are worth to the men who buy them, but no more. Money permits no deals except those to mutual benefit by the unforced judgment of the traders. Money demands of you the recognition that men must work for their own benefit, not for their own injury, for their gain, not their loss—the recognition that they are not beasts of burden, born to carry the weight of your misery—that you must offer them values, not wounds—that the common bond among men is not the exchange of suffering, but the exchange of goods.Money demands that you sell, not your weakness to men's stupidity, but your talent to their reason; it demands that you buy, not the shoddiest they offer, but the best that your money can find. And when men live by trade—with reason, not force, as their final arbiter—it is the best product that wins, the best performance, the man of best judgment and highest ability—and the degree of a man's productiveness is the degree of his reward. This is the code of existence whose tool and symbol is money. Is this what you consider evil?"evil?"But money is only a tool. It will take you wherever you wish, but it will not replace you as the driver. It will give you the means for the satisfaction of your desires, but it will not provide you with desires.Money is the scourge of the men who attempt to reverse the law of causality—the men who seek to replace the mind by seizing the products of the mind."Money will not purchase happiness for the man who has no concept of what he wants: money will not give him a code of values, if he's evaded the knowledge of what to value, and it will not provide him with a purpose, if he's evaded the choke of what to seek. Money will not buy intelligence for the fool, or admiration for the coward, or respect for the incompetent. The man who attempts to purchase the brains of his superiors to serve him, with his moneyreplacing his judgment, ends up by becoming the victim of his inferiors. The men of intelligence desert him, but the cheats and the frauds come flocking to him, drawn by a law which he has not discovered: that no man may be smaller than his money. Is this the reason why you call it evil?"Only the man who does not need it, is fit to inherit wealth—the man who would make his own fortune no matter where he started. If an heir is equal to his money, it serves him; if not, it destroys him.But you look on and you cry that money corrupted him. Did it? Or did he corrupt his money? Do not envy a worthless heir; his wealth is not yours and you would have done no better with it. Do not think that it should have been distributed among you; loading the world with fifty parasites instead of one, would not bring back the dead virtue which was the fortune. Money is a living power that dies without its root. Money will not serve the mind that cannot match it. Is this the reason why you call it evil?"Money is your means of survival. The verdict you pronounce upon the source of your livelihood is the verdict you pronounce upon your life. If the source is corrupt, you have damned your own existence. Did you get your money by fraud? By pandering to men's vices or men's stupidity? By catering to fools, in the hope of getting more than your ability deserves? By lowering your standards? By doing work you despise for purchasers you scorn? If so, then your money will not give you a moment's or a penny's worth of joy. Then all the things you buy will become, not a tribute to you, but a reproach; not an achievement, but a reminder of shame. Then you'll scream that money isevil. Evil, because it would not pinch-hit for your self-respect? Evil, because it would not let you enjoy your depravity? Is this the root of your hatred of money?"Money will always remain an effect and refuse to replace you as the cause. Money is the product of virtue, but it will not give you virtue and it will not redeem your vices. Money will not give you the unearned, neither in matter nor in spirit. Is this the root of your hatred of money?"Or did you say it's the love of money that's the root of all evil?To love a thing is to know and love its nature. To love money is to know and love the fact that money is the creation of the best power within you, and your passkey to trade your effort for the effort of the best among men. It's the person who would sell his soul for a nickel, who is loudest in proclaiming his hatred of money—and he has good reason to hate it. The lovers of money are willing to work for it.They know they are able to deserve it."Let me give you a tip on a clue to men's characters: the man who damns money has obtained it dishonorably; the man who respects it has earned it."Run for your life from any man who tells you that money is evil.That sentence is the leper's bell of an approaching looter. So long as men live together on earth and need means to deal with one another—their only substitute, if they abandon money, is the muzzle of a gun."But money demands of you the highest virtues, if you wish to make it or to keep it. Men who have no courage, pride or self-esteem, men who have no moral sense of their right to their money and are not willing to defend it as they defend their life, men who apologize for being rich—will not remain rich for long. They are the natural bait for the swarms of looters that stay under rocks for centuries, but come crawling out at the first smell of a man who begs to be forgiven for the guilt of owning wealth. They will hasten to relieve him of the guilt—and of his life, as he deserves.

Baby Steps with HDR

My first attempt to create a HDR

No E,Pure PvD

I love this one...

The new BIG boy

The Big Boy is on the way. With 30 BHP and a light weight engine which boasts less friction, I am sure he will smoke some serious rubber. The new bullet Electra comes with EFI, Unit Construction Engine, and some other changes, but as per those who rode it, the bike manages to retain itz character and thump.

I am sure the bike will appeal to a wide range of customers, and I hope it will keep the money bags at Enfield motors ringing. For me, I don’t fancy buying one - but I would certainly love to ride one to see how the bike feels. The news in grapevine is that India will have to wait some time before we see this machine in a showroom near to us – initially it will be offered only in UK, but we will get a 350CC counterpart.

(All the pics, Courtsy - www.motomag.com. Click here or here to see more pics)

Martin Kobe

Martin Kobe's paintings are surrealistic architectural renderings, which , the viewer will feel, that will collapse at any moment. Vibrant, modern, sharp and clean, Kobe’s paintings uses restrictive set of hues - reds, greens and blues.
I like the way he paints shadows - they give his work a certain character and depth.
<white cube>
Kobe’s paintings reference architectural modernism, and its emphasis on sheer horizontality, open-plan living, and visually bisecting lines as much as the seamless set architecture of popular science fiction. Interior and exterior views are compressed using interlocking horizontal planes. Sharp, vertiginous walls and ceilings inter-cut with balconies, picture windows and coulisses, leading the eye around the canvas. Kobe’s palette is vibrant but with each painting, the overall hues are restricted, either a tight range of deep reds, silver blues or acid greens that enhance the emptiness in the work: utopia devoid of the mess of the everyday.
Kobe makes his paintings using many layers of paint, built up to create chromatically varied and rich areas of colour that are kept in place by masking tape. In this way, there is an element of painterly collage, of different viewpoints, buildings and trajectories being compressed together in one image. The buildings are sometimes unfinished, without roofs or walls, provisional support structures that are like scaffolds for the picture itself. Different areas of the paintings are handled in different ways – mostly, it is applied in a perfectly smooth, flat manner, the blocks of colour working against the depth or reduction of space in the composition. At other times, it is modulated – a rectangular mirror pool of water, for example, is mottled and indistinct, since the paint has been dragged or squeezed onto the surface.
white cube

OSO or Saawariya?

The war between these two films is reaching the climax - and the final 48 hour count down have started (according to TOI).
Today when I opened the paper, it really made me astonished to read that professional bookies are accepting bets on these movies - a bet to see which movie will do better in Box Office. And according to the news paper, some 'old hats' of movie business have said that OSO have trumped the pre-publicity game by linking Deepika Padukone with Dhoni and with the spin scene of SRKs six packs.
It is fun to watch the frenzy, and the animated discussions of movie buffs, and though I don’t know ABDC of this film thing, I enjoy songs... Songs from Saawariya are a definite hit, but for me, the chart topper is Dard-e-Disco from OSO.
So, what do you think? Which movie will make the cut? OSO or Saawariya?

KTM to India???

India's second-largest motorcycle maker Bajaj Auto Ltd has acquired a 14.5 percent stake in Austria's KTM Power Sports, one of Europe's largest sports motorcycle manufacturers, it was announced Monday.KTM will provide the know-how in the joint development of water-cooled 4-stroke 125cc and 250cc engines, to be used as the basis for products from both companies.Bajaj will take over the sales of KTM products in India and Southeast Asia, opening up the Asian market for the Austrian producer. Bajaj acquired the KTM stake through its 100 percent-owned Dutch unit for Rs.3 billion ($76.3 million), the company said in a statement.KTM CEO Stefan Pierer welcomed the development, saying the cooperation was a great chance to 'strengthen the KTM Group in its sustained growth strategy in a global environment'.KTM is listed on Vienna's stock exchange and reported revenues of 599.1 million euros ($866 million) in the previous business year.Bajaj Auto Ltd ranks among the world's top five motorcycle producers, reporting revenues of 2.9 billion euros ($4.1 billion) and 220 million euros ($318 million) consolidated net profits.
--source - advrider
When will I see a KTM @ a Bajaj delership? one thing is sure - Beg,borrow or steal, i will most probably get my hands on one when they come to India. What more can a off-road dreamer like me can ask...

Golconda Chimmeny - restaurant review.

Today after a long time, I caught up with my long time friends couple Suni and Jini.
Over cups of leisurely morning tea, we caught up with each others life and when it was time for lunch, we decided to dine at Golconda Chimmeny, at Marathahally.
It is easy to reach the restaurant - it is on the road side, and so the parking space is not so
easy to find out, especially when the place is full.
The weather was pleasant, so We chose to sit on the terrace. The interiors are of a pleasant tone of green, with dabs of terracotta. The place have a cool air, and though yopu sit on the terrace, the city traffic don't disturbs you - well, at noon at least. I am not so sure how the jam packed Marathahally road will treat you in the evenings.
We ordered Paneer Tikka and Kalmi Kebab for starters, nd it took a lot of time to reach us. The meat of the kebab was done perfectly - juicy, but not overdone- But the masala was on a bit of high side. The paneer was soft and tender, and was done nicley, with the perfect amount of spices. On Suni's recommendation, we ordered Hydrabadi chicken (they call it Zabardast Chicken, and I am really at loss to understand the connection), Mixed veg kuruma and butter nan. I had a bit of high expectation about the food after having the starter, but when we bite into the main course, i realized that it doesn't even come near to starters.
To begin with, the butter nan was crispy - more like roasted nan. the Hydrabadi chicken was good, but not exceptional. we fished out almost half a load green chillies from the curry, but surprisingly the curry was not spicy.
the meat pieces ranged from well done to crispy, but the taste was good. The mixed veg kuruma - guaranteed by the restaurant people to be medium spicy - turned out to be sweet enough for a dessert.
The most bizarre thing happened when I tried to pay the bill using my card - they said they don't accept the card since the terminal have some problem, but when I told him a bit firmly that we don't have cash, and he should have warned us that card is not acceptable before we start our food, he silently took my card and presented me the bill. It should have been a very weird terminal - only to work when you really ask it to work.

the service is efficient, and the whole experience, pleasant. I will give Golconda Chimmeny 3 out of 5.