DUB FX gig @ Blue Frog Mumbai

So before I go ahead and blog about this super amazing gig that happened at Blue Frog on Tuesday night at Blue Frog, I need to give you a taste of what DUB FX is all about? Check out this video of his Courtesey the Dewarists (Dewars) http://www.facebook.com/DewarsIndia

Well yea, you can go ahead and Wiki him up too. But truly what he's all about I got to know from this blog that I stumbled upon

http://sumofchange.blogspot.com/2010/01/music-monday-dub-fx.html

Before I went there, I hadn't heard DUB FX, and didn't know much about his music. Frankly, I just knew he's an Australian BeatBoxer. But when I went to Blue Frog, they were showing this video and I really struck a chord with his one statement.

"Don't do something, someone else thinks. Stick to your beliefs, never try something someone else thinks, it's fake and people will see through it." I totally agree with that, not just in music but whatever you do in life.

So there he was, with his gig, started off with a really racy number grooving to it...everyone really caught up with music at that instant. Next Up he got on to the stage, his fiance The Flower Fairy... She was really amazing too, especially the way she emoted her music and expressed herself with great emotions. That was like a really good couple doing great music out there. The entire house was shaking and dancing to their moves, raising their hands and really sticking to the rhythm and the beat.

Well, you thought that's what the gig is all about?? No wait... there was some great fusion... coming your way. Sabir Khan with his Sarangi turned his magic on and Rhys with the saxophone blew our minds! They even played, beatboxed and saxophoned the famous track I always loved from the movie 'The GhostBusters' We had everyone shouting, who you're gonna call "Ghostbusters' :)

All in all it was truly an experience to remember..

Love, Life, Philosophy, etc...

So one of the most interesting things that happen to you in life... You realize you are not the only one of your own kind. You start feeling that the world is something that is designed for a beautiful collection of spirits, souls who are enchanted by the beauty of it's own reach. Sometimes when you think about certain things, you keep wondering... Oh my god, "I was the one who thought about this thing..."

You think, "Oh man, how similar my thoughts are... to that person..." You keep wondering as the conversation keeps on progressing. You imagine why... why didn't I meet this person before. What was he/she doing all her life? Where was he/she? One of the most important things that we have never discovered, nor tried to analyze... It's a simple fact, a fact that if explained properly..will make you wonder... How did this not occur to me? How can this ever happen?

So many times, once an incident has happend, you keep telling yourself.. How lucky you have been to have achieved something, met someone, fallen in love with someone or got married to somebody. Some people believe in destiny, fate, GOD or for that matter simple occurrences called coincidence. Well, the truth to the matter is it's a simple fundamental of 'Six Degrees of Seperation' , " Korean Red Circle Philosophy"

You might be wondering what I'm talking about, you might be thinking to yourself, I'm either drunk or half mad... Well, maybe not.. You might even be relating to many aspects of this. Unlike, what happens in Bollywood, movies or for that matter in your romantic novels and college love stories.. these are facts.. Truth that you cannot ignore.

Some has to probably do with Murphy's law... and in this context, reverse Murphy's law. Basically in Murphy's law, "Everything that has to go wrong, will go wrong!" How many times, have you thought of carrying an umbrella because it will rain and left it, cause you think it won't be needed. And that is when it rains. How many times do you take a shorter queue realizing the longer queue will take longer to finish? And end up waiting in the shorter queue, while the other queue finishes first...

It's the same fundamental, only in this case, whatever has to go right, goes right and as said by Ralph Waldo Emerson,  "Once you make a decision, the universe conspires to make it happen."

That's what is this life all about... Ultimately no matter what, if you are destined to meet, you will end up meeting at those points as stated by the ' Korean Red Circle Philosophy" The most amazing part is that you end up looking at a reflection of yourself and realize that you were meant to be. You start connecting dots and realize... this was destined to happen. Has that happened to you? I'm sure it has... Right?

Imagine so many things falling in place especially after you have connected the dots and analyzed that this was all part of a conspiracy, a great huge conspiracy with various connections ingrained... a conspiracy by the universe!!! I believe in these concepts. I'm not sure why. Probably because of so much that has happened to me in life... But truth be told, more important is us, realizing small facts, to connect those dots and learn. Be it, love, life, death or anything... It's all a simple philosophy at the end of the day...

"Life is what you get in return for your belief...  A belief that you exist because you are meant to be..." What say?

How I fought Corruption & so can you...

Ok, before I go on and blog about an incident that happened to me let me clarify a few points. Also since this account is detailed, it may seem to be long, however the issue is certainly something you guys would have a view on. So please bear with me.

1. We all may or may not have faced corruption, given in to temptation or have taken that as an option to ease our tasks. Let me confess I have in the past, once or twice... So I have been guilty...

2. I chose not to complain or crib in this post, but to just tell you a few points that could help you if you are in a situation like this. What your choice is later is completely up to your convenience. But the truth to the matter is, if you try, it's not difficult to resist it.

3. Lastly, I have not chosen to fight individuals in this incident and hence not revealing location / place where it happened. You also have the option of fighting it out in the court of law. But I have not done that as I don't consider myself to be completely devoid of corruption in my life so far and yes, we all may have made mistakes, lied, cheated been corrupt for we all are human including the person who is involved in the situation. The idea here was to fight the issue not the person. I may or may not have impacted the person in a positive or a negative way, however the idea was to do it the right way because I want to start making a change, moving forward and hope to succeed every time. I'll try. What happens next.. only time will tell. Fight the issue, not the people...

Here goes the story:

Well, I had to go to the Police Station to register a complaint of a lost National Savings Certificate which I had bought from a post office six years ago. Since I had lost it, I needed to file an NC / Complaint and procure a Certificate / Document also known as a 'Praman Patra' to produce in the post office to then follow a lengthy procedure of 1 or 2 months to get my money back.

So all that was required from the Police Station, was that certificate.

Question: What does one need to do to get that document?

Answer: He/She needs to file an NC/Complaint. Sign there and get it.

What happened here:

Me: Sir, I need to file a complaint of a lost NSC. I need a certificate / receipt of the complaint from you to show it to the post office.

Cop: (Asks a lot of questions, shows me some documents, affidavits so to speak, tries to understand whether I know the law or not... I comply and pretend to be ignorant and let him lead the conversation.) He deduces I'm ignorant and gives me his pitch.

He says, "You'll need an affidavit from a lawyer which will state all these points and then we will give you a certificate!

Me: Are you sure? But the post office told me, I just need to file an NC and then you'll issue me the certificate.

Cop: Forget what they said, I'm telling you this.

Me: So do you know where I can find a lawyer?

Cop: You go and find. I don't know anyone here.

Then the conversation get's interrupted, someone else comes and another cop comes to him. He asks me to sit aside in a chair and that he'll deal with me in a bit. (Probably a ploy to make me anxious. His first attempt to negotiate a deal out of me)

Cop: Kulkarni, ithe ya (Come here)

As I walk up to him, he looks at all the documents I carry along with me. (NSC Photocopy, My ID Proof and a written application in Marathi)

Cop: Me ek bolu ka tumhala? (Shall I tell you something?)

Me: Yes please tell me. (By this time I anticipate what he is going to say)

Cop: You'll go to get an affidavit done from a lawyer. How much will the stamp paper cost?

Me: I don't know sir.

Cop: Rs. 100, And do you know how much would the lawyer's fees be?

Me: I don't know sir.

Cop: Rs. 200, Also Rs. 100 for typist to write the affidavit.

Me: Is that so? *Me thinks, he thinks, I'm from Alibag*

Cop: So, what I can tell you is... something for your convenience, we can get this sorted out. See you'll have to pay at least Rs. 500 to them anyways, now we all know how our duty is. Konhi pan ek paisa aso kivhan shambhar rupaye aso, kadhi tyaala nahi nai bolnar. (Whether it's 1 rupee or 100 rupees no one of us would say no to it.) His own way, convincing himself, or rather me of what he's doing is okay and acceptable. Which maybe right in his own point of view.

Me: *Now I've got him* So how much do I give you?

Cop: It's upto you.

Me: Sir, I'm telling you the truth, right now I've only 80 Rs. in my wallet. (Trying to find out how much he would quote, which he never did)

I again got interrupted by another issue he attended, in fact, this was another girl who had lost her blackberry and this cop had dismissed her and her mom, stating some technical reason. Probably she knew someone in the Police Station, a higher up and immediately there was another Inspector out there. He scolded this constable and told him to get the NC/FIR/Complaint done and give them the certificate. The same thing I needed too.

Now, the devil inside me started running wild. I realised, there is no affidavit required and he was just trying to CON me, in fact trying to make his case strong so that I cave in and give him the required amount of bribe, which he had not yet quoted.

So this is what I decided to do:

I thought of getting it on my mobile camera and then decide what to do with it. I also thought to myself.. "Shall I give him the money and then get my work done?" But then I thought, what's the point?? Ok, I'd probably have to wait and maybe pay more for the lawyers fees... but wait, it's just not required in the first place. So I decided to go with my plan.

I waited there, stealthily, my mobile camera on shooting some random clips, whatever was going inside the Police Station... Still.. waiting and the cop is yet to call me to continue our conversation... But no luck... he is still busy with the other issue... I'm trying as much as possible to avoid being caught. i.e Hoping no-one notices I'm recording on my mobile camera.

Then the cop calls me...

I get up and start walking up to him and suddenly, there is another cop who comes from behind.

Cop 2: Give me your camera.

Me: Here...

Cop 2: Stop the recording.

Me: It's stopped

Cop 2: What did you shoot?

Me: Nothing as of now, just random shots...of people talking (I handed over my mobile to him. I admitted immediately what my objective was.)

Suddenly another guy joins him, there is another cop who comes. They start convincing Cop 2, that I was shooting for a while now... as if I'm the criminal now... I don't think there is a prohibition/criminal law against taking pictures / shooting inside the police station, however I didn't think it would be an issue as I co-operated and gave them my mobile.

Cop 2: Why were you shooting?

Me: Ask this guy (Cop1), I said.

Then I explained the situation and told him, he was asking for a bribe... blah blah and blah. By this time there was panic on Cop 1's face and at the same time he pretended to be angry. He was also trying to emotionally blackmail me by saying, this is what you did hah, talked sweetly and tried to nail me.. blah blah n blah.

Anyways, I showed him all the videos, deleted them even though I had not really got any evidence. While watching the video with my mobile in his hands, Cop 1's hands were literally shivering. Anyways, I don't blame him. He is not really the issue. Cop 2 was smart and knew they are in a soup and politely requested me to delete the video, not that it would matter.

First thing is first, the Cop misguided me, told me I'd need an affidavit for something I did not. We all know this was his pitch/ploy to get me to pay him the bribe. Secondly, he also openly asked me for bribe, however without actually quoting the amount. What I want to say is, I've been to a police station earlier, for a similar incident in college, where I lost my ID Card. Back then, proper procedures were followed and I didn't have to bribe anyone. So you know...

If this incident would not have happened, maybe I'd have caved in, or maybe not... I may have been wrong in actually doing what I did. But then again, maybe not. You guys tell me. At that point in time, that is what I did, for my convenience. I'm guilty of that. It may seem as though I actually tried to corner them using my freedom of speech, right to expression or maybe not.

Maybe I'd have spent unnecessary 500 bucks on an affidavit that was not needed. But the real question is how can we avoid paying them a bribe?? Now this incident may be restricted to that individual. I'm sure I may not or should not generalize by saying, the entire dept. is corrupt. That is completely an individual opinion. What he's doing maybe right or wrong. I'm not even arguing that point. I was able to do what I did, could have been because of many reasons which others may not be in a position to do. That is not really the question... The real question is.. the system, a system which we all keep blaming and do nothing about. The question is, is it his fault that he asks bribe? Or is it the system that is faulty. Doesn't increase their pay, doesn't care for their safety. They have to fight such a battle.. In the wake of 26/11 we all asked these questions. Is it their fault that all of them are not well off and don't have the luxury or comfort, which many have? Or is it just the peer pressure that all cops have to give in to? Does everyone who approach them encounters the same or they treat every case differently? Because I had the money and because he felt that I will give him the money? or he just did that to all...

Also, these are questions always asked and we all ending up saying the same thing, I used to as well. 'It's the system, it's the people, its the cops or for that matter it's the government.  I realized today it's no one but 'US.' Not all, but the ones who succumb to convenience and end up encouraging them to take bribe. So in a nutshell, here are a few things you should know:

1. Be aware of the law. If you don't know anything.. use Section 4 of RTI (Right to Information Act) and find out what is really the case. It's a little longwinded sometimes, but it can work.

2. If you can, refer to websites of your local police you will find a lot of guidance. I did that as an after thought.

3. Show some patience if you have the time, else you will always cave in.. Like I've before and I admit to being guilty of that.

4. Lastly, don't be afraid of the Police. They are here to "Protect and Serve" If possible do your research and then go ahead as per procedure.

Do let me know what you guys feel?

Wall Street - Money Never Sleeps - My review

Okay, so I don't usually do movie reviews on my blog, even though I'm an avid movie-geek or a buff with about 150 GB of movies on my HDD to prove it, it's jut not my cuppa generally to review movies as I enjoy most movies from a very script point of view rather than the whole package / direction, screenplay, casting blah blah and blah. Anyways so I decided to write a review on this movie for a few reasons, mainly to do with the simple fact that I've been highly impressed by Oliver Stone's original version and the  flamboyant character of Gordon Gekko. I mean come on who wouldn't be especially during the era when being a stock trader, smoking Cuban cigars, having a flashy Merc / Limo and wearing a suit to work was any young man's fancy. Ok, maybe I'm not as old as you guys think, but certainly Wall Street is part of my 150 GB collection and I loved it to the core.

So yes, I do enjoy trading on the Dalal Street and I'm always thrilled by stock markets and related news, movies, books etc. So while we wait for Madhur Bhandarkar probably to make our own version of the Wall Street where we see a completely different Gordon Gekko, after being sentenced to 8 years of prison for insider trading. The movie starts with Gordon Gekko getting out in 2001 after finishing his sentence. Flash forward to 2009 where Gordon has published a book Is Greed Good? and is tired of the corporate life, he has become a preacher so to speak.

Then the movie zooms to a young man's life, Jake Moore (played by Shia Lebouf) who is a hot shot trader working with one of the best investment firms in NYC. He is certainly the kind of a trader who thinks of Gordon Gekko as a  role model while having a father figure in Louis Zable the head of his firm, played by Frank Langella. So the story moves on when his firm goes under and Louis Zable the father figure commits suicide.  What Jake later realizes is that the firm went under because of rumors circulated by one of the rival firms headed by Bretton James (played by Josh Brolin).

Now comes the interesting part, Jake Moore is in a serious relationship with a news reporter / blogger Winnie, Winnie 'Gekko' (played by Carrie Mulligan) yes, she is Gordon Gekko's daughter who hasn't spoken to her father and shares an estranged relationship with him. Jake, forms a pact albeit a secret one with Gordon to get him back with his daughter, in the process trying to reconcile and take revenge from Bretton who of course shares the same kind of rivalry with Gordon, a thing from his past... Well, I won't say much for the details will certainly be interesting enough for you to watch the movie and I wouldn't want to spoil your fun. Will Gekko really get back to his daughter and regain her trust? Will Jake be able to take revenge of the death of his father figure is something you gotta watch out for yourself.

What I really enjoyed was how well the stock market terminology and jargons are properly used in the movie. The relationship between Jake and Winnie is very real and the scenes they share on the screen really hold strong. What I'm not really fascinated by and think made the difference for me between an okay / good movie and an excellent one was that it did not keep you on the edge of the seat. Especially with a few scenes for that matter from the Stock market. If you are a trader, you would want to have the excitement of the market portrayed on the screen to really bet on some money in the theatre for that matter. That was lacking. The ending could have been a little better for me although I'd say it was a good movie, it lacked the intensity and the depth of the original from 1987!

One for Childhood of India...

This one is dedicated to Childhood of India on Facebook!

Where have those days gone? When life was so simple. When Sundays were so exciting and we used to enjoy watching cartoons in the morning on DD1. Where have those days gone when we used to dump the school bag as soon as we come home and remove our ties and go out playing cricket in your school uniform? Where have those days gone when Friday evenings felt like a mini vacation about to come... Those days when we used to hang out on the terrace and play board games till it was dark... Where have those days gone when hide n seek, lagori, double spice, (dabbaispice), sonsakhli and slow cycling was what your weekend was all about.Where have those days gone when Ganesh chaturthi mean't staying up all night, hanging out with friends, playing cards while we stayed awake and practice for various performances we put together during the society's annual function during Ganesh Utsav. Where have those days gone when, DD2 was all about Funtime during the vacations. The Giant Robot, Shazam, Laurel & Hardy, Dennis the Menace and lots more...

Where have those days gone when we were happy and content watching Jungle Book, Duck Tales & Tales Pin on Sunday mornings and not to worry about what's on TV??? Those days when getting cable TV was a luxury for people. Where have those days gone when we used to rent video games in the vacation and play Super Mario for hours... fight amongst each other on how long each one of us gets to play the game. Where have those days gone when we used to buy Big Babool chewing gum for the comic strip that used to be free along with it... Where have those days gone when we used to borrow money from our uncle to eat pepsicola packed in plastic pouches that were worth 25 paise, 50 paise and 1 Rupee. Where are those days when we used to play chor police especially during Diwali, shooting using the guns to burst firecrackers. Where have those days gone when watching WWF was one of the best things and playing the Trump game with the cards of those wrestlers even better.

If I could talk about the things that I miss from my childhood, this post would just go on and on... I'm sure there are so many things I've missed out on. Where do you think these days have gone?? When we look at today's kids.. what do you think has replaced those days?? Think... Think....

What are the things that you guys miss??

Relaxed at the F-ROW

I'd been hearing so much about the F-ROW at INOX lately. It was tweeted out through @art_of_chilling and I even got clues & updates from their www.fostersblog.in & Facebook page . My curiosity got the better of me. I decided to go check it out with my friends. We all thought what better way there could be to have fun on Friday evening than to watch a movie and to check out what this F-ROW was all about!! So we arrived at Garuda mall, INOX, Bangalore in the evening. And know what, we got to relax ourselves in this fundoo lounge before the movie could begin!! We had gone for the first day show of “ I Hate Luv Storys.”

The lounge was only meant for people who had bought F-ROW tickets! We actually got to relax our feet there on foot massagers to boot!! We all chilled there for 10 minutes before the movie began. Once we went in, our F-Row seats had these cool cushions on them. Man, it was so comfy to watch the movie that way! It almost made me feel like I was relaxing and watching the movie at home! And that's not all...there were Foster's key chains and wet tissues for us to take!! Everything was so great - the best time I've ever had watching a movie!! You can even win these tickets on the Fosters Facebook page. All you gotta do is upload a cool and creative “F”pic that you spot and the most creative one wins 2 tickets!! Ain't that awesome? I'm definitely gonna return next weekend to experience the F-ROW again with my buddies!! You guys should too!

I'd been hearing so much about the F-ROW at INOX lately. It was tweeted out through @art_of_chilling and I even got clues & updates from their www.fostersblog.in & Facebook page . My curiosity got the better of me. I decided to go check it out with my friends. We all thought what better way there could be to have fun on Friday evening than to watch a movie and to check out what this F-ROW was all about!! So we arrived at Garuda mall, INOX, Bangalore in the evening. And know what, we got to relax ourselves in this fundoo lounge before the movie could begin!! We had gone for the first day show of “ I Hate Luv Storys.”The lounge was only meant for people who had bought F-ROW tickets! We actually got to relax our feet there on foot massagers to boot!! We all chilled there for 10 minutes before the movie began.Once we went in, our F-Row seats had these cool cushions on them. Man, it was so comfy to watch the movie that way! It almost made me feel like I was relaxing and watching the movie at home! And that's not all...there were Foster's key chains and wet tissues for us to take!! Everything was so great - the best time I've ever had watching a movie!! You can even win these tickets on the Fosters Facebook page. All you gotta do is upload a cool and creative “F”pic that you spot and the most creative one wins 2 tickets!! Ain't that awesome? I'm definitely gonna return next weekend to experience the F-ROW again with my buddies!! You guys should too!

Thanks to http://www.fostersblog.in :-)

Now I truly know what Art of Chilling means...

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WoW!! What a truly chilled out Party it was... Indeed, I reached there at about 1:00 PM and could listen to the awesome music playing and the view was so #OMG. Amazing beach, seafacing hotel, poolside barbeque, lotsa people chilling out in style while mingling amongst each other. It was some party! As soon as we stepped in it was time for beer to flow!!! Indeed, beer barbeque and babes. That was truly the Foster's Art of Chilling. The DJ was playing some nice house music to chill us out. It was sunny and hot of course... but guess what, GODs wanted in on the Art of Chilling too. They sent down the rains at GODSPEED!!! Heavy and the pool was already overflowing... Abundance of chill and yet, it didn't dampen anyone's spirit. Some took shelter in the shade while others chilled out, playing pool volleyball. What I really enjoyed was of course the chill out ambience, the music and the beer of course... Truly made me relax and unwind after a long week that went by...

Art of Chilling Sunday!!! Here I Come....

Sunday afternoon! Sweltering Heat! Humid Atmosphere? NO Freakinnnn Way! With Art of Chilling on your side... you got nothing to worry about. I'm going to go to the Foster's Art of Chilling party! Yay! Juhu, Sea Princess here I come!!!. I've heard a lot about them and seen a lotta ADs on TV. It's time for me to check it out in person! I''m hoping it's as chilled out as it looks like on TV :-)  Sit back, relax and unwind listening to the soothing music, gorging on Yummy Barbeque, maybe a dip in the pool. This is certainly my way of relaxing on a Sunday especially after a long long week that went by.  Truly they know what the art of chilling is all about. I dug out a few snaps courtesy the  Foster's Blog to find out about AOC as they call it and boy would you not want to Chill out in style like this?

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At the end of the party... I'm sure I'm going to be as chilled out as these images suggest!!! Brrrr... Freezingg... Chilling out is the best thing to do eh???

What would your way of Art of Chilling be???

Art of Chilling = #awesomeness

[caption id="attachment_450" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Foster's Art of Chilling @ Home with #IPL Finals"]
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A couple of days ago, I was invited to one of the most amazing parties hosted by Foster's Art_of_Chilling. Yea, they had thrown a party for many people who won contests through Art of Chilling @ Home contest run throughout the month through various mediums. Lucky winners were given a splending time to chill out at home while watching the IPL finals @ Home while Foster's arranged for a nice time for them and their friends. Amazing food, barbeque, friends, and of course chilling out with Foster's. What more do you want now? Since everyone was in a mood of having a truly relaxing time, so did I!!!

With a lot of friends, watching the IPL matches has been always the deal. But this could be never better where Foster's went to their house and chilled out. I was thankful to be part of such an amazing party where I chilled out with so many friends who liked cricket and of course with #CSK  winning the Finals, it was truly an amazing experience watching the beautiful trophy being lifted by our super cool captain 'Dhoni'

Now I truly know what Art of Chilling means. :-)

Forever... and ever....

A special day for you again my love

I know you’ve been waiting for it

I have given you gifts before, I know

But the most important thing is yet to come

A promise that is only for you my love

A promise I make on this special day

To love you forever and ever as always

How much I love you I really can’t say

With these few words I hope to be

In your heart and soul as always…

Life

[caption id="attachment_439" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Life..."][/caption]

It’s amazing how life is… Funny, ironic, strange, beautiful, sad, happy, painful, joyful. There are so many different shades to this wonderful creation of God and gift to mankind. Life has always been the most haphazardly painted picture created by God and yet in its own way it looks so brilliant. It’s just this abstract that one fine day He decided to create and give these shades in its most awestruck way. It was like one day he decided to make this painting for him to cherish for centuries to come and yet there were so many different ways of looking at this painting each and every day. Every single day the shades of life kept changing. The shades that already were to life kept on adding and making the painting even more beautiful. Sometimes I wonder what the inspiration behind this painting was.

So many of us artists look for different reasons, different seasons and different kinds of inspiration to create our art. I wonder what God’s inspiration was, when he decided to create this amazing masterpiece called ‘Life.’ Every one gets inspired with the most miniscule things in life. Everybody looks at different angles of life in itself to get inspired. Little joys, people, things, incidents… These are the things that we human beings get inspired by in life. So I wonder what kind of an inspiration it might have taken for this inspirational phenomenon called Life… to come into existence.

© Copyright 2010 Srini. All rights reserved

Who am I? (Mee Kon?)

[caption id="attachment_217" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="#Mumbaiforall"][/caption]

• *Inspired after reading a letter to SRK by Arindham Bandhopadhyay – http://bit.ly/b4keb7
  
  
  
  

• I'm not Hindu, Im not Muslim nor do I say that I'm an Indian...

• I'm a human being first and I empathize with all that you have written. You may be right in asking him all the questions you have asked. But simply understand when someone says love thy neighbors, they don't mean love thy criminals and terrorists in the neighborhood. Yes he or she may have preference to his or her religion, but if they were over the country, then he wouldn't have been part of Movies like Chak De... But that might be just politics of its kind and you may be right or not. But the true question is you are opposing 1 such person, but what are you doing to make a difference honestly to change the situation besides writing provocative articles in your newspaper. What are you really doing without being in power for these many years. Why??? Because the people of your state don't want you to be in power. As Anant Gadgil rightly said, addressing Uddhav and Raj 'Both of the brothers want to marry the same girl, 'Marathi manoos.' but the girl doesn't want to marry them.'

• But then I'm an Indian and the kind, who feels proud every time he goes to watch a movie at a cinema hall and sees 'Bharatbala's' Siachen Glacier 'National Anthem;' Literally get Goosebumps every time. I'm the same human who doesn't believe in any Labels. I'm the same so called 'South Indian' who has not been born in Mumbai or Bombay as I was attached to it while I was a kid always, but lived here forever.I’m the same kind of human who writes Mumbai for hometown on Orkut, Facebook or Twitter while creating an account, cause home is where the heart is.

• I’m the same human whos favorite play is P.L Deshpande’s ‘Ti Fulraani.’ It’s another story that it is adapted from a classic English movie. I am the same human who feels there are bigger issues of the state that he lives in that could be addressed like the farmers of Vidarbha, and their plight. I’m the same human who enjoyed dal bhati and waangyachi bhaaji in a small village of Pimpri gavli and thought of the hard labour the farmers go to get you this kind of food.

• I'm not a Marathi even though my last name sounds like one 'Kulkarni.' I'm the same human who when meets a cop in Mumbai, at first instinct speaks in Marathi because I can 'fluently.' And probably to avoid any trouble. Only because of what 'lables' everyone has set. I’m the same human who used to struggle in his childhood to learn Marathi or write Marathi for that matter, but worked hard to write brilliant nibandhs and score a decent 65 in S.S.C at Marathi.  I’m the same human who did not know the kanaas and the matraas of Marathi but learnt it from my mom, who again was born in Aamchi Mumbai.  But some people still had problems with the likes of her and they still do. Simply because her parents were from another state and had come down from another state to simply earn a living. Im the same Human who saw Muslims cheering after India won a cricket match in the same place, and hated some of them who cheered for Pakistan in the same place. I’m the same human who has loved someone from another religion and understood and learnt their religion, while understood many things about my own religion. I’m the same human who sees these people hate everyone but themselves…

• I’m the same human who ate with these ‘Indian’ might I stress, Muslims and lived with 4 of them in a small room. I’m still the same human who enjoys watching Zee Marathi and not Udaya TV, (Can’t relate to it) which by the way shows programmes belonging to my ‘state’ or the so called state that my parents were born in.  I still enjoy Marathi naataks and take my mom so that she enjoys her heritage.

• And I am the same human who hates every single terrorist from the land of our neighbours for spreading the terror inside our country. I’m the same human who hates terrorist within our ‘state’ who don’t hate Muslims or Christians, but someone who isn’t like them. I’m the same human who believes that this world is and will be a beautiful place, yet, doesn’t know when it will come to an end because of hatred like this. No the country doesn’t deserve to be loved for they have terrorism within their country and hate amongst themselves and bomb blasts within their sects. No the country probably doesn’t need to be loved because of all the hate, terror, violence, bloodshed they have caused. But what about ‘humans’ who are not part of this state by birth.

• If somebody accuses SRK of putting his religion ahead of his country on what basis do w e do that?. So my real question is to those who call Maharashtra, Maaza Rashtra. My question as a human being is… Who stops them or for that matter who will stop them when one day they decide to ‘BAN’ me from living here because I am a ‘human’ being but my roots don’t belong here.

• What about these ‘self proclaimed Tigers’ and protesters belong to the same community who would put their ‘State,’  ‘language’ before their country? Kasli dadagiri ho tumchi?

• I only have one question. Maybe not as important as the questions Mr. Bandopadhyay has asked  SRK nor as relevant to the comments he has made, but for the people who are protesting against #MNIK  one question..

• Who am I? or Whom do I need to be, to live in a place where I was not born, but love it the same way than anyone else would. Who am I ‘Mumbaikar, Indian, Human or just a creature of this universe created by GOD, Bhagwaan, Allah, Dev or an omnipresent force that no one knows of yet.

• I’m not a Hindu.. I’m not a Muslim… I’m a Human and I am an Indian and of course a Mumbaikar… Yet I  am confused…

• Kharach, Mee kon? (Who Am I?) Ha ek chotaa sa prashna aahe? Always is…

• 
  
  © Copyright 2010 Srini. All rights reserved

#1411 Tigers Left in India

Hush

• She stood on the edge


• overlooking the valley.


• Her elegant frame silhouetted


• in the moonlit night.


• Her intense eyes,


• Pregnant with grief and pain.


• Her gaze,


• Penetrating into the quite lugubrious abyss.


• The maelstrom inside her,


• resounding in the stillness of the night.


• Nothing is moving, not even the dewdrops


• hanging precariously from the leaves.


• A small cub rests in peace


• cuddled between her paws.


• It’s body cold as ice.


• They had been there together


• just one night


• both mother and child.


• Slowly she slumps beside the lifeless child


• and licks the furry body.


• Tucking it closer with her paws


• she embraces it for One last time.


• The forest watches quiescent.

- A poem by Tikuli.

• She is the ‘Royal Bengal Tiger’ #1411Tigers left in India… What are we doing about it? I kept reading these tweets off late. I thought to myself. What can we do about it? Just keep spreading the message to all tweeples and others through social networking sites.  Okay I do that… what next? What is going to happen? I mean come on. So you ask me to spread the message about saving tigers. But what is the situation? Does anybody bother to find out.. Did you? I mean do we really understand what the gravity of the situation is. So I tried to do a little research and find out how I could contribute in this cause and what is really happening. You can do too. Read about it. Publish it in your blog. Have visitors visit and spread the awareness. TV and other media is in for the cause. Your choice whether you want to join or not! Or you can stand in the middle of the road and say ‘STOP POACHING.’ But would it really matter to the people who are? I don’t know. But it’s worth a try.

• When I was 10 years old my dad bought me a collection of books from ‘Childcraft’ They had a book in it Book no 5 if I remember correctly. It was called ‘The Animal Kingdom’ I guess. Internet back then was only used by U.S Army if I know or not invented either. My source of wisdom and knowledge were books like these or ‘The encyclopedia’ which he had brought along with this set. Anyways, in the book there were pie charts like these below. Red stood for extinct and blue for remaining.

• Soon the state for Our Bengal Tiger would be like the last pie chart. No one has realized that ‘ The Bengal Tiger’ will merely be a photograph in a Children’s educational book or listed as extinct animal on Wikipedia and Google. So to know what the Tiger is all about and spread the message across, here are some key facts that I think we should know about:

• The Bengal tiger, or Royal Bengal tiger (Panthera tigris tigris[1], previously Panthera tigris bengalensis), is a subspecies of tiger, found in India, Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan, Burma, and southern Tibet.

• According toWWF there are about 2,100 Royal Bengal tigers in the wild today, including 1,411 in India, 450 in Bangladesh, 150 in Nepal, 100 in Bhutan, as well as a number in Burma and China.

• The Bengal tiger has been a national symbol of India since about the 25th century BCE when it was displayed on the Pashupati seal of the Indus Valley Civilisation. On the seal, the tiger, being the largest, represents the Yogi Shiva's people.

• It  is true and will remain true is that it hasn’t stopped completely.  In 2006, India's Sariska Tiger Reserve lost all of its 26 tigers, mostly to poaching.

• In 2009, the Panna Tiger Reserve also reported that there weren't any tigers left within the sanctuary due to excessive poaching. Which is why we are speaking up for this campaign! That’s where we come into the picture!

• The Indian Wildlife Protection Act of 1972 enables government agencies to take strict measures so as to ensure the conservation of the Bengal tigers.

• Tiger scientists in India, such as Raghu Chundawat and Ullas Karanth, have faced a lot of criticism from the forest department. Both these scientists have been for years calling for use of technology in the conservation efforts. Chundawat, in the past, had been involved with radio telemetry (collaring the tigers).

• "India has to decide whether it wants to keep the tiger or not. It has to decide if it is worthwhile to keep its National Symbol, its icon, representing wildlife or not!

• Also check out the statistics below to find out what was the plight of the tigers in 1994 and how it has reduced. All thanks to the awareness generated by people like us. But has not STOPPED.

• In January 2008, the Government of India launched a dedicated anti-poaching force comprising of experts from Indian police, forest officials and various other environmental agencies.

Year	- Tigers Killed
1994	- 95
1995	- 121
1996	- 52
1997	- 88
1998	- 44
1999	- 81
2000	- 53
2001	- 72
2002	- 43
2003	- 35
2004	- 34
2005	- 43
2006	- 37
2007	- 27

• But the true question is What can ‘you’ and ‘me’ ‘the common man’ really do to save #1411 Tigers remaining. Here’s what.

• Join all communities and forums on networking related to Save Our Tigers , Save Tigers


• Reach out to your friends who in turn will reach out to their friends who will educate people who aren’t aware of  ‘Poaching’ We have to shout out.


• Write about it.. Text your friends.


• Reach out. Let the poachers be afraid of the revolution against them.


• Check out these links to help. I did.
  
  
  
  • http://bit.ly/77QKW
  
  
  • File a petition online - http://bit.ly/bsqddr
  
  
  • http://bit.ly/bsqddr
  
  
  
  

• “Save Her for She needs your protection.” Let her be the National Emblem and not just a symbol on some flag. What do you think? What else can we do? Let us all know and be proud of the fact that we are making an effort... Leave your comments! :-)

• © Copyright 2010 Srini. All rights reserved

Eleven

• It had been six months since Somesh was unemployed. He tried hard to get a new job, but was unsuccessful. Somesh had worked as a hotel manager for more than eight years of his life. Tall with broad shoulders and muscular built; he had a strong jaw line. His short hairstyle with fine shades of grey and a trimmed moustache made him look all the more charming and anyone who heard him speak would certainly be impressed by his style and pleasing personality. Usually dressed in a slick black suit that bore a logo of his hotel, a red tie, he looked dashing as ever. His rimless glasses gave him a more sophisticated look and his smile would make you feel at ease. Most clients who talked to him felt comfortable and mostly dealt with him with their requests.

• He had been doing well, but they fired him because he could not please a female client of his, who was staying at the finest five star properties in town. Something he wouldn’t do for any amount of money that was paid to him, for he was faithful to his wife Saritaa, whom he loved a lot. The client accused Somesh of theft and got him fired. That was the beginning of his struggle. His struggle that brought a lot of disrepute in the hotel industry for him, which is very closely-knit in a city like Mumbai and your reference checks could do as much harm as the people knowing each other in this line of business. Somesh had a four-year-old daughter and a sixty five year old mother to look after. His wife had stopped working after she had given birth to Ritu, and had been a stay at home mom since then. He was not comfortable to ask her to start working again and he was bothered, as he was unable to secure a job in the market even a couple of levels down. He had tried many places but his bad luck and even worse reference check always made him lose face. These six months that he had been looking for a job had drained him off his self-belief if not anything else.

• Today lady luck shone upon Somesh, he was selected for the final round of interviews at one of the decent hotels in Mumbai. ‘The Intercontinental Grand’ around the corner, a few blocks away from ‘Not Jazz by the Bay,’ overlooking the sea face of Marine Drive. The place was located strategically, had many elite customers, and offered a real retreat for them. Although he was being interviewed for a different post, one that probably paid him lesser than what he was earning before, he was more than happy to take up this job. He set out in search of a new ray of hope; one that he felt would end up on a positive note. Early that morning he had an egg white sandwich and orange juice. He wore a light blue shirt and his lucky tie; he set out for the interview. His looked oozed an amount of confidence that would probably change the face of his struggling life and give him a new beginning. One that he desperately wanted, much similar to that night four years ago, a night he would remember throughout his life.

• ***

• “Saritaa, I’m here sonu’ He said as she was being taken into the maternity ward.

• They had waited for nine long months and the doctor had warned them earlier that there might be complications as Saritaa was very thin and had struggled a lot throughout these nine months. She was slender and even though almost as tall as Somesh she drooped a little bit. Over the nine months, she had taken good care of herself and somehow managed to gain some weight, yet she struggled to a certain extent. She had long hair before marriage but she trimmed it post her three months into pregnancy. Having had to deal with hair loss as well. There were many such frustrations that she dealt with each passing moment in those months. Every day seemed like a huge struggle for Saritaa with several tests being conducted, Somesh tried his best to ensure that utmost care was given to his lovely wife who looked even more beautiful while she was pregnant. That entire wait had ended after these nine months. Saritaa was screaming loudly inside the maternity ward, right from the time her contractions started. This was one pain and suffering she had anticipated and was trying hard to hang in there. All the suffering, she knew would ultimately bring her joy that has no definition.

• He took the ten o clock train fairly packed with regular office goers. He had to travel from Borivili all the way to Churchgate, from where he would walk by to ‘The Intercontinental.’ He caught the train as it came into the platform. It was a starting train; he hopped in real quick and found himself a seat next to the window where he could relish the breeze. It was humid that day as it was the onset of monsoon and just last night there was rainfall that made the weather more humid. Even though he could smell the whiff of fresh earth after an odd shower or two, he could also feel the heat and humidity intensified especially after the rain had come and gone. Now the sun was shining bright in the sky and he hoped his fortune would too, as this day ended. He was thinking a lot and trying to figure out how he would get this job and how he hoped that there was no reference check, at least for the job that he had applied for. He decided not to give the reference of his last job and show gap in his resume, anyways there was a gap of six months. So he decided to take a risk hoping it would pay off. The train started its journey and he was all set to go wage his battle and come out victorious. He thought a lot about all the pain that he had gone through, all the uneasy moments that he had had. In the past, he had suffered a lot because he had been extremely honest. A little tact this time, he hoped would probably get him what he needed. It was not as though he was robbing a bank or slitting someone’s throat. He wondered how these six months of staying at home had made him a different person altogether. A person that he had become especially with his principles and limits that he had followed all his life. This was something he had to do and this was the time for him to make it or break it. Maybe this tweaking would benefit him and not really do any harm to anyone else. Anyone else he knew at least.

• “No harm done,” he said as he started to read the newspaper to ward off his fretful moments.

• ***

• “Ahhhh, Somu.” She yelled as the pain was getting excruciating…

• She was struggling, exulting in the labour room besides Somesh. She was in so much pain that she bit Somesh several times on his arm. She just could not take the suffering, something she had prepared herself for. While she was in pain, Somesh was getting even more concerned. Desperate to know what the result would be! He really was hoping that his wife gets relieved of the pain soon.

• “Sonu, I’m here. It’s going to be okay,” he kept telling here, as he stroked her back and caressed her hair while the doctor and the nurse was busy delivering the baby.

• Somesh had reached Churchgate and he woke up from his slumber. He had gone to sleep while reading the newspaper. He realized he had reached his destination the minute he was awakened by the buzzing commuters trying to jump into the running train to get their share of window seats. He got down, went to the public toilet to freshen up. He washed his face, tucked in his shirt, readjusted his tie and combed his hair neatly. Finally wore his specs that he had carefully removed and kept aside.

• “All set, you can do it Somesh. You are the man.” He thought, pepping himself up.

• He went to the hotel and waited in the lobby for more than half an hour, then, he was called to fill a form and other interview formalities that needed to be done. By the time all was done, it was about lunch. So he had to wait for an hour or so before they interviewed him. He called his wife from the lobby and told her that he would not come home before 4:00 PM. As he sat there, his nervousness growing, he was waiting, patiently looking at a small wall clock in the lobby that had an antique yet a classic touch. It was the wall clock with a pendulum, ticking away to glory and he was watching the pendulum go back and forth. It gave a strange feeling of time that was so precious. Every time the pendulum swung, he tried to count how many times it swung a minute, is when he would realize, how much every second is worth. The lobby had a nice pair of chandeliers, which matched the ambience of the soft sandalwood paint. One would generally get the feeling of being in a place that had the tranquility, which could last for eternity. But in Somesh’s case, it was otherwise. Every little second that passed by and every time the pendulum swung, it killed him, for his anxiety grew. He was hoping this day would bring him immense joy and open a window of opportunity to fulfill all the dreams he had set for his sweet little ‘Ritu.’ The Directors who were going to interview Somesh were busy in the boardroom let alone taking an interview, they had not had their lunch up until 4:30. Somesh thought of giving another call to his wife and letting her know that he would not come home until 6:30. But a sweet voice interrupted his thoughts.

• “Are you ready for your interview Somesh?” Priya from HR asked Somesh and he nodded in affirmative. He looked up signaling to God and hoping that this day turns out to be a day that he would never forget. He prayed anxiously and hoped that this eleventh day of the month would end his suffering finally.

• “Eleven was a good number,” He thought to himself, being a firm believer of Lord Ganesha.

• Eleven is the number that suited him and something that gave him respite amidst all the fretfulness. Soon the interview started and his anxiety converted itself to a little bit of pressure but later on eased itself out. They were interviewing him for an hour at least. He had to also give them some practical demonstration of certain fine skills that needed to be possessed by a line manager which by the way was something Somesh had mastered over the time but since he’d not stepped into those shoes for a long time, he felt a little rusty.

• Meanwhile the anxiety had transferred on to Saritaa, who was at home and it was way past evening. Her husband had not yet come home nor had he called. She was wondering what had went wrong and why Somesh did not call her up as she was getting really worried about him. She had finished all her chores, washed the clothes put Ritu off to sleep and cooked dinner as well. Usually she went to the park with Ritu and Somesh’s mother, but today his mother had gone to stay with one of her cousins so she was all alone and feeling all the more apprehensive. She was trying to ward off her angst by watching television. Usually packed with the same old boringsoaps full of twists and turns which you would get used to by now especially after watching so many of them. She was surfing the channels when she happened to tune into a news channel.

• “Seven bomb blasts in a span of eleven minutes! Terror strikes Mumbai again…”

• ***

• “Doctor, when will this pain be over?” she asked as she struggled to deliver the baby.

• The doctor told her in front of Somesh that there were some complications, the baby had changed its position and it was an awkward situation for them to get this through.

• “We may have to do a cesarean.” She said to Somesh.

• There was utter silence in the room. Even as the news continued to play on the television, Saritaa could hear nothing. She was deafened with a silence that took her out of the frame. She was petrified. For minutes she couldn’t move, she just lay there sitting on the couch with a chain of thoughts surging her brain and flooding her with all the nightmares that she had ever dreamt of. All of those dreadful images just struck her and paralyzed her in the mind and in body.

• She slowly regained composure and tried a little bit to think. What should she do? The first thing that she thought of was to call him up on his cell phone and soon she realized that he had forgotten it at home.

• “What to do? What do we do doctor?” Somesh asked the doctor as Saritaa overheard. The doctor asked Somesh to calm down. She said everything is under control.

• “I know there are complications, but don’t worry she’ll make it through and so will the baby.”The doctor went out to get some more medicines and surgical tools while she asked the nurse to take care of Saritaa.

• Saritaa didn’t know what to do. She thought of calling Somesh’s mother and try to find out if he had called her at her cousin’s house. But she stopped herself; she did not want to take that risk, as her mother in law was a heart patient.

• The fact that she has not called up yet, means she may not be aware of the blasts that have occurred. She thought of trying to get a resolution herself before taking any drastic steps. She just could not imagine it had to be this day that Somesh had to go for the interview, cursing herself for not reminding him to take the mobile. By the time the interview might have been over, he would be coming back in one of these trains. Though Somesh didn’t travel first class, her heart was still thumping not knowing where her husband, her life her soul mate was. Most of the bombs were placed in First class compartments that is what she heard on the news. She began to think of many other things. Things that she did not want to think of. She tried calling Somesh’s friends and asked if he had called him. Most of them said they have not heard from him for a long time. They offered help and said will call her if he called them. She just did not know what to do. She could not even remember the name of the hotel that Somesh had been to for the interview. She was trying hard to remember but she felt numb.

• ***

• “These painkillers should help you reduce the pain. But you will also feel a little anesthetized” The doctor told her.

• So desperate she was that she did not know what to do. She was scared. Scared stiff! Worried, if her husband had been one of those caught in the blast? She started crying, for that was the only emotion that whizzed out of her, being overwhelmed by the amount of thoughts that hovered around her mind. With the tears, rolling out of her eyes and the loud crying even Ritu woke up and she sensed the pain that her mother was going through and she started weeping as well. After a while of shedding her emotions out, Saritaa wiped the tears off her face and became grittier. She regained her composure and thought with a calm mind. What is the most logical thing that she could do at this moment? What was it that could either make her find the name of the hotel that Somesh had been to or get the contact number for that place.

• She began going through Somesh’s files. She razed through the closet as she began looking for interview letters, brochures or anything that could help her recollect the name of the hotel. But to her disdain, she found nothing. Her determination became stronger with this failure and she tried to think of more means and ways of trying to get to her husband. That is when it struck her; Somesh had called her in the afternoon on her cell phone. Maybe that could give away his location. It seemed like a landline and could be a nearby location. She had her fingers crossed, dialed the number and waited with desperation. Desperation, that either meant a world full of emptiness or an utmost delight never imagined ever in her life. Maybe experienced it once before.

• “Good Evening, Intercontinental Grand. How may I help you?” a sweet voice of a young receptionist buzzed Saritaa’s ears as soon as the call was connected.

• She was relieved to a certain extent for the voice reduced her stress a little bit. She got through the hotel and yes, now she remembered the name as well. How could she forget this place? ‘The Intercontinental’ around the corner, a few blocks away from ‘Not Jazz by the Bay’ overlooking the sea face of Marine Drive. A place, that Somesh and Saritaa frequently visited during their early years of courtship. The romantic sunset and how they held hands while they saw the Sun go down and the time stood still while they enjoyed each other’s company.

• “I’m calling for Mr. Somesh Ahuja; he had been there today for an interview. I was wondering if you could tell me if he’s still there or if he’s left” She stuttered as she spoke to the receptionist, eager to know about her husband.

• “Let me check the register and I’ll tell you.” She flapped through the pages of the register where everyone had to sign in and out every day as they came for interviews. Saritaa kept tapping her fingers on the dining table as the receptionist was looking for Somesh’s name in the register.

• “Oh there it is, hmmm, well mam, strange… It’s 7:30; usually interviews don’t go this long.” She replied. She said she‘d check with the interview co-coordinator as HR would have left by now and then she’d call her back. Saritaa said she will call back in ten minutes and hung up the phone. Those ten minutes again took her back to the miserable moments and thoughts that surrounded her mind and that is when she went inside the kitchen. A place, which also had a small temple of their own with Lord Ganesha’s idol kept besides other deities. She began to pray hard and as she did, her faith in Him began to rise. She began to feel a great bit of comfort and her confidence rose. She recited her prayers for ten minutes and was about to call up the hotel again, when her cell rang.

• ***

• “Wow… my baby girl.” Somesh said as he looked at his beautiful baby while Saritaa could feel it.

• She could feel the baby coming out and the pain easing out slowly. Minutes later Ritu was born, she slowly contracted and eased her grip on Somesh’s hand. She was exhausted, tired out of the three and a half hours of labour that she had gone through. Every sweat on her body and every blood that she shed made her feel that it was all worth it. Even before she could see her daughter, the nurse took her away to follow the regular practices. Saritaa was so exhausted that she went in deep slumber the minute the laborious process was done with. Later that morning the doctor introduced Saritaa to a sweet little part of her own. Her wailing sound was the sweet sound of music to her ears and meant the world to her. She was so happy that she did not know how to rejoice this moment of happiness. That is when her tears rolled out to fall on Ritu’s nose while she was still sleeping in the warmth of her mother’s arms.

• “Saritaa, I’m so sorry… I couldn’t call” a voice that eased her so much that she couldn’t control her emotions that she just screamed with happiness followed by tears of joy. It was Somesh on the phone. He had taken a long while because there were many other candidates as well and they did not allow anyone to step out, due to restrictions best known to the management. He was unaware of the happenings outside and couldn’t even imagine what his wife must have gone through all this while. Finally, both of them were relieved and the relief that they shared was something both of them did four years ago. A moment that gave her the feeling that motherhood was something she wanted and something she will treasure for life. A day both of them will not forget ever. The eleventh day of July, a day that would end his suffering finally. He got the job and he stuck to it for several years. No harm done indeed. Yes it was the tweaking that had helped him get through this job, but at the end of the day, no harm was done as he was the best candidate for this job and he deserved it more than anyone else in that room on that day.

• A day where he jumped into a window of opportunity to fulfill all the dreams he had set for his sweet little ‘Ritu.’

• Copyright 2009 Srini. All rights reserved

Always in my heart

• I’ve been through this feeling before,


• Why do I think it’s not difficult anymore?


• I know what you’ve given me so far,


• Is something special yet bizarre.

• I know you think I’m crazy,


• Crazy for you my baby.


• Never thought I’d be like this one day,


• In your heart I’m here to stay.

• Deep in my heart I thought of this,


• When you touch me I feel the bliss.


• Now I know that the world is mine,


• With you on my side & I’m on cloud number nine.

• Once I’m with you I lose all my fear,


• When I see you smile, you make me cheer.


• I feel so good in your company,


• You make my day bright and sunny.

• The more I think, the more I feel you,


• Together I know, we’ll make it through.


• This has been quite a start I know,


• You’ll be in my heart wherever I go.


• You, the best babe, I adore you!

© Copyright 2008 Srini. All rights reserved

Thank You

• I know it’s been long overdue.


• I just didn’t know how time flew


• I know now, something that should


• Make me feel, Oh so good!

• It’s been a long time since I’ve


• Thought about this, but I just


• Couldn’t think of words so few,


• That would best describe you.


• Sometimes you were the best,


• Sometimes you gave us a real test


• And most of the times I know,


• You were better than the rest!

• With great motivation you made


• Me fight hard for the goals


• Always knew I couldn’t get


• With your help I always got


• What I really wanted.

• Well, now I know what to say,


• To lord with my heart, I pray.


• For loads of success to you,


• Thanks a ton and May God bless you!

© Copyright 2008 Srini. All rights reserved

I'll Tell you why

In reply to Amberlee Watson's 'Why?''

• Why is my name always floating in your head?


• You are in love with me, that's why!

• Why do you dream about the possibilities of the future ahead?


• Because it's a dream that will come true, that's why!

• Why do you wait? Why do you dream?


• Why do you bother with this sort a thing?

• Why will you make this possible?


• Why will you work hard for something that may not be possible?

• Cause you know it's worth it, that's why!


• Why is my name always on your lips?

• Why do I live in your heart and make it beat fast?


• Cause you know I'm the only one, that's why!

• Why do you cry within and smile from the outside?


• Cause when I meet you never will have to cry, that's why?

• When will God let your happiness being?


• When will he let us meet?

• Why does he want us to be apart for so long?


• When will he grant the opportunity for our longing to be gone?

• Now that's one thing, I can't tell you WHY?


• But I know this, Why YOU? Why ME?


• Cause that's destiny baby, that's why!

© Copyright 2008 Srini. All rights reserved

My true affection

• All that I think about you is true,


• All that I feel about you is true,


• This life, this love & the passion...


• A whole lot of joy and affection,


• I feel this emotion in my heart, I know.

• All that I felt about you is true,


• All that I dreamt about you is true,


• This life, this love & the passion...


• A whole lot of madness and conviction,


• I know this truth in my heart, I know.

• All that I heard about you is true,


• All that I speak about you is true,


• This life, this love & the passion...


• A whole lot of flawlessness & perfection,


• I see this beautiful painting, I know.

• All that I believe about you is true,


• All that I imagine about you is true,


• This life, this love & the passion...


• A whole lot of beauty & attraction,


• I’m so glad you are mine & I love you.

© Copyright 2008 Srini. All rights reserved

Illusion - Adventures of a reluctant messiah - Richard Bach

• I read this book first when I borrowed it from one of my close friends. I knew right then that this is a book for keeps. So I decided to pick up a copy for myself. It’s a very short book and truly inspiring. After a long time I’m writing a review for such a book. This is a short read and at the same time has a lot of magic. Magic that can make you think about the kind of stuff that most people don’t believe in. The kind of stuff that most people just imagine about.

• Richard Bach, the barnstorming aviator, meets Don Shimoda, another barnstormer, and they strike up a friendship. Shimoda seems to be able to do things that are impossible and Bach discovers that Shimoda has stopped clinging to the bottom of the river, and Bach wants to join him. He discovers a Messiah Manual which has no page numbers. You simply flop it down and it opens to the right page for you at the moment. As a result Illusions is peppered throughout with quotes from the manual, a fact that makes this novel into a Messiah Manual of its own. Shimoda, if he were writing this, would caution you that the same is true for every book you open or that falls off a shelf in front of you, you are destined to read from that page or that entire book. There are no accidents, only intended events that we don't understand at the time that they occur. Here's an example: I was writing this and suddenly the bottom half of my computer monitor filled with horizontal stripes which extended up to the top, but stayed clear enough in the middle of the screen for me to close up my jobs. I'm back with a new 20" monitor to replace the broken 17" one. Looking at all the new space this bigger screen provides for me to get my work done, I'm beginning to understand why the old one gave up when it did, just at the right time.

• This is the kind of book that you want to give out to someone especially when there’s an occasion that calls for inspiration. Occasions where one sees a different horizon and a dimension of life. Most admiring fact about this book is that you can relate to the things that he says and they are so simple that even a four year old will understand his philosophy. A philosophy well told in the form of the examples and the story in the book.

• Here are a few quotes from the book.

• You teach best what you most need to learn. Thus a Teacher, so also a Learner. I discovered long ago that in any situation the person assigned the role of teacher is learning as much or more than the learners. This is the one that I relate to very well. I learnt this long time but when I read the book I realized how true this was.

• Here's a test to find whether your mission on earth is finished: If you're alive, it isn't. And if you're alive, then every statement you make about what is true for you in your life is a statement of limitation because your mission is not finished. Statements of limitation are simply expressions of the way your life has been, up until now.

• All in all this book has so many profound thoughts that you will keep them in your closet and use them in life on many a occasions. So a must read especially if you are interested in spiritual as well as motivational book. Happy Reading!

The Time Machine - H.G. Wells

• Who doesn’t know this book? One of the best fictions written ever. Of course a lot of other works, movies have taken ‘inspiration’ from this concept of the Time Machine. But what H.G Wells had thought of in the 18th century is truly remarkable, other books of which were written a long time ago have actually materialized into scientific realities. So he definetely was a man of vision. He has written papers on Nuclear Energy way before Hiroshima and Nagasaki, we all must have seen Hollow Man; it definitely is a concept he wrote of in the ‘Invisible Man’

• I thought of going back and reading this book once more. It is definitely gripping even though in today’s world we’ve seen so many sci-fi movies that we may not be captivated by the idea of reading this book and enjoying it’s thrill... But trust me once you get into this sci-fi thriller u’ll really enjoy, it. But yes if you have already watched the movie, then it’s a lot better than the book. But you have to remember that this book was written two centuries ago.

• It talks about a ‘Time Traveler’ that’s his name in the book. He’s a scientists who actually invents the Time Machine. When he displays a small model to his fellow scientists they think it’s a joke. Well to prove them right, he goes ahead and uses the actual model and goes ahead in the future. The machine The criterion of the prophecy in this case is influenced by the theory of "natural selection." Mr. Wells' vision of the "Sunset of Mankind" was of men so nearly adapted to their environment that the need to struggle, with the corollary of the extermination of the unfit, had practically ceased. Humanity had become differentiated into two races, one the Eloi, race of childlike, simple, delicate creatures living on the surface of a kindly earth; the other, the Morlocks, a more active but debased race, of bestial habits, who lived underground and preyed cannibalistically on the surface-dwellers, who they helped to preserve, as a man may preserve game. The Eloi, according to the hypothesis of the Time Traveller, are the descendents of the leisured classes; the Morlocks of the workers. All this is in the year 802,701 A.D.

• THE TIME MACHINE, despite certain obvious faults of imagination and style, is a brilliant fantasy: and it affords a valuable picture of the young Wells looking at the world, with his normal eyes, and finding it, more particularly, incomplete. At the age of twenty-seven or so, he has freed himself very completely from the bonds of conventional thought, and is prepared to examine, and to present life from the detached standpoint, views it all from a respectable distance; but who is able, nevertheless -- an essential qualification to enter life with all the passion and generosity of his own humanity. It’s a good read, which has an open ending and I the sequel can only be written by H.G. Wells who knows maybe he’ll ‘TIME TRAVEL’ and do that for us...