Civic enough?

The beauty that strolled on the road and got your head turning is back again. Its more sexy, oozing out energy and is more efficient. It has a lot to offer under the hood but as always its too expensive to tame a beauty like that, making it a beast. There is nothing like a free meal, after all!! A price tag of around 24 Lacs makes it looks like a sexy brunette molded in a Versace studded with Diamond rings.

Yeah Civic Hybrid is launched and how? Definitely exterior is the same stylish, sharp and mouth-watering. But its engine has changed and so have the gadgets. The Instrument panel wears a different look and simply makes life luxury. The best part of the whole deal is the Hybrid engine.

However, over a talk I heard my brother saying "With that golden price tag, I would rather go for a more aggressive car like BMW or something". Came as a harmony to me. Seems like the government is still adamant on giving these cars some space on the already crowded streets of Metros like Mumbai, Delhi. They are taxing with glory (104% as import duty). That makes this environment friendly vehicle out of reach for most of the people and thus drives down the volume. Its like a rolling ball. When less people buy it and wear the Green tag, it still has little impact on the whole purpose of going hybrid.

Its like selling the word green and taxing every alphabet of it at the price of Gold. Government should welcome this kind of a move with tax cut and promote other OEMs to come up with this technology. After all the perto-based PSUs can sustain the pressure for not too long. Anybody listening??

e Building

Here are a few things I observed the Indian IT companies are doing right.

1. Catching them young: Your target work-force is yet to enter the ripe age for performance. But they can be tapped by the competitors and you want the best from the campuses. You visit the campus in pre-final year and start with Pre-placement talks (PPTs, as they are termed) and impress the crowd. Show them the on-site opportunities, grab their minds by throwing some big names and show them a rosy picture of life in the company. Dont get me wrong. I dont have anything against the companies. Just that I am free right now.

2. Greasing the minds with money: So you find out that the mall culture has boomed and so has the desire to spend money in the fresh minds. You offer them a package that they cant refuse. Its liking buying them for good. Well now that you have got them in, what should be done to keep them involved? A quick solution. Offer them a salary hike even before they join. That builds a loyalty factor and gives free brand-building a face. Win-winning strategy.

3. Impressive Infrastructure: So if you ask anyone on the street what does India lack in and the answer before your question is finished will be "Infrastructure". Its a proven fact that humans love lavishness, scale of sizes and glitter. Make the factories look more bigger, space-like and there you have it employees would be talking about the brand more than the values it is based on. Make the cafeterias look like another episode of Jetsons and serve with a smile!!

I am sure these are not the only driving factors. But they are good enough to get the best brains. The strong systems, core marketing teams and sky-rocketing clientile list makes IT in India what it is right now. It surely has changed the outlook towards job across industries now and I hope this is just the begining.

Faves from Fight Club...

1. Fuck off with your sofa units and strine green stripe patterns, I say never be complete, I say stop being perfect, I say let... lets evolve, let the chips fall where they may.
2. Tomorrow will be the most beautiful day of Raymond K. Hessel's life. His breakfast will taste better than any meal you and I have ever tasted.
3. Tyler Durden: [pointing at an emergency instruction manual on a plane] You know why they put oxygen masks on planes?
Narrator: So you can breath.
Tyler Durden: Oxygen gets you high. In a catastrophic emergency, you're taking giant panicked breaths. Suddenly you become euphoric, docile. You accept your fate. It's all right here. Emergency water landing - 600 miles an hour. Blank faces, calm as Hindu cows.
Narrator: That's, um... That's an interesting theory.
4. I am Jack's smirking revenge.
5. All the ways you wish you could be, that's me. I look like you wanna look, I fuck like you wanna fuck, I am smart, capable, and most importantly, I am free in all the ways that you are not.
6. Tyler Durden: It's only after we've lost everything that we're free to do anything.
7. Tyler Durden: You're not your job. You're not how much money you have in the bank. You're not the car you drive. You're not the contents of your wallet. You're not your fucking khakis. You're the all-singing, all-dancing crap of the world.
8. Tyler Durden: The first rule of Fight Club is - you do not talk about Fight Club. The second rule of Fight Club is - you DO NOT talk about Fight Club. Third rule of Fight Club, someone yells Stop!, goes limp, taps out, the fight is over. Fourth rule, only two guys to a fight. Fifth rule, one fight at a time, fellas. Sixth rule, no shirt, no shoes. Seventh rule, fights will go on as long as they have to. And the eighth and final rule, if this is your first night at Fight Club, you have to fight.
9. Tyler Durden: The things you own end up owning you.
10. Marla Singer: she's like the scratch on the roof of your mouth that would heal if you just stop tonguing it, but you can't.
11. You met me at a very strange time in my life.

Germans win over a disintegrated Portugal Side

It started with a message from Viki about whether I am following the match tonight. Just coming back from a great dinner with AD, I was quite uncertain of which teams are playing. AD confirmed it was Ger vs Por. Something exciting!! Clash of contenders!!

Got home. Turned on the TV and Portugal was down 2-0. WWT? Is it for real. I thought I read it with a drunkard's eyes. But the reality refused to budge even when I rubbed my eyes twice and focused on the score board. Germans were ruling the defenseless star-studded Portugal side.

Half time and Germans charged 2-0. And then the rather lame side started looking a bit more aggressive. And then it happened the first goal from Portugal side. A brilliant one scored by the band-wagon of the team. A ray of hope, crowned the face of Scholari, Mr. experienced coach. He was delighted and punched the air more than the times he would have punched his pillow on a rather bad day. While he was deeply submerged in the hopes, Ballack had a perfect position for a goal that would provide a bigger lead. Ricardo had nothing else to do but to watch at the passing checked black and white bullet.

Germans had increased the pace of their attack. Though Portugal had maximum possession in the second half, Germans had capatilised on majority of the opportunities. The passes from Petit, Ronaldo, Deco, Nani were close to perfection but what lacked was application. A day when they would have scored easily over Germany they played like a disintegrated unit. A team which had all the big names of the game, was not a team anymore. And when Germans were leading 3-1, the 2 replacements worked magic. With around just 7 minutes remaining Germans were shocked with the 2nd goal from Portugal. However, with less time remaining, and in spite of 4 minutes of stoppage time, Portugal failed to find the equalizer. They were knocked out by the Germans, in a game that they thought they ruled. With sad faces on Portugal side, Germans had the last laugh.

Who's next???

A great link

Was wondering if I should post this link. Would that be ethical? But aint this my blog? And I loved reading this guy writing his stories like bestsellers of the shelves. So here is the link. Enjoy madi. Hope that the genuine reader of my blogs (Is anybody listening?) dont migrate.

http://mydayzwithmyself.blogspot.com/

Attention Readers: Share the posts or blogs you enjoyed the most and get a free car.

PS: Didnt you see the asterisk yet? Right there on the car? Yeah I know its small, but its there.

PS2: Dude your posts rock and hope you wont pull me in the court for this. Rather pay me my royalty. :)

WWTs...

Ok fine, I don’t have any work right now. So what? I finished it well ahead of deadline and waiting for more. In the free time I was thinking about ‘WWT’ moment of yesterday. WWT? ‘What Was That?’ So thought of listing down a few so that I can come back to them sometime later in life.

· Was walking to the photo studio to get some urgent photographs for some blah blah blah. Got down from the bus and increased the volume of my iPod as the magic of ‘Matrix Reloaded’ tracks spreads in the air. While crossing the road I started feeling that in reality I am not here at this moment and I am just dreaming about the whole situation. Looked at the onlookers and saw a fair girl crossing the road, something like the programmed chick from Matrix. And then it happened. I was brought back to reality by a sudden rush of wind of a passing vehicle. It swooshed so fast that I felt like it had hit me. ‘I am here for sure and I might have realized it by the pain in my body if not for a moment. What was that?’ And that was it.
· I am enjoying the late nights. Not that I hated them. But college days had sharp 12 O’clock endings. If exams would overshadow casual theme of the system, it would get beyond 12.30 AM sometimes. Not that I am doing anything that’s helping mankind or something, but late night dose of Russell Peters or some high volume songs keep me yearning for more. It’s a good time to enjoy UEFA. Quite exciting to see the clashes of former World champions struggling to stay in the final pool of 8 teams. However, in the dreamy vision of the morning I can only think of ‘What was that?’ Another day at work knocks me down.
· I am having more of WWTs at my work. But this is not a healthy forum for them. At least for now. They are better left alone.

Good to see many good things happening in the life of my close friends. Hearty congrats to all of them. This is me signing off from this place promising that I would be back soon.

PS: Time for tea now!!! Got any WWTs? Post them. Would add them in my next post.

Sing a song

Sing for outer space, so deep inside.
Sing for your heart, an untamed flight.
Sing for yesterday, a new experience
Sing for a better future, an unknown science.

For today has all the moments,
Enough to steal, all the minds.

Sing for a better place, a beautiful sight.
Sing for a new journey, a passionate delight.
Sing for the childhood, an open heart.
Sing for a song, your own part.

For sunshine is as pleasant
as gripping your child's hand.

Sing for a glimpse, driving you crazy.
Sing for the euphoria, clear yet so hazy.
Sing for the story, a grave irony.
Sing for the climax, sing for the glory.

For sweetness in life is a precious gift,
a widespread wing, for the big hit.

Free

Not always will time stay.
Not always will the kids play.
Its the change that is blurry,
perspective makes special ordinary.

Think beyond the chains,
the world exists.
The road travels beyond senses.
let yourself be free of fences.

Pun Intended...Murphy's laws

Just ponder through the following Murphy's laws and have a great laugh at them when you remember the examples to relate them with.

If anything can go wrong, it will

If there is a possibility of several things going wrong, the one that will cause the most damage will be the one to go wrong

If you perceive that there are four possible ways in which something can go wrong, and circumvent these, then a fifth way, unprepared for, will promptly develop

Left to themselves, things tend to go from bad to worse

Nature always sides with the hidden flaw

Everything goes wrong all at once.

In nature, nothing is ever right. Therefore, if everything is going right ... something is wrong.

It is impossible to make anything foolproof because fools are so ingenious.

Nothing is as easy as it looks.

Whenever you set out to do something, something else must be done first.

A valuable dropped item will always fall into an inaccessible place (a diamond ring down the drain, for example) - or into the garbage disposal while it is running.

You will always find something in the last place you look.

The other line always moves faster.

In order to get a loan, you must first prove you don't need it.

If you fool around with a thing for very long you will screw it up.

When a broken appliance is demonstrated for the repairman, it will work perfectly.

When in doubt, mumble. When in trouble, delegate.

If you want something bad enough, chances are you won't get it.

He who angers you controls you, there-fore you have no control over your anger.

Whatever you want, you can't have, what you can have, you don't want.

With the incoming draught in peak news, Indian media has got a new way of keeping the viewer locked. However, the question is whether there is nothing significant in Indian public’s life or whether the sub-class “Politicians” has no interesting topics. Even the sponsors for these channels have money to fund these interesting clippings. Finally, the viewer has to pay directly or indirectly!!!

Its back...

And it starts raining again in the beautiful city of Mumbai. The first day started with a bang. Something like “This is Sparta” from the movie 300! With the lights flashing through the wet pane of my bus, I think how much has happened in this last year. Life has changed so much for me, you and for all. For later!!

Monsoon’s back, its like homecoming. Bigger than the time when the Indian T20 team came back and landed. Without any controversies it’s here to shine the streets. This is probably a good time to visit this part of India since its rains like ‘There’s-no-tomorrow’ and it gathers pace everyday. The evenings are spent with family or friends indoor, gazing, sipping coffee and silence. Remember the xcitement of opening your new book in the first lecture of the season? The feeling is synonymous. Its congruent and in-synch with passion of this city.

Places to visit:

1. Marine Drive on a rainy afternoon.
2. Juhu beach when its raining heavily and enjoy your unlimited serve of ‘Parathas’.
3. Any ice-cream shop when you are drenched in water and re-strapping your trousers.
4. Lonavala in the midst of clouds kissing the roads.
5. Empty local trains on a lazy afternoon with friends and catching the droplets.
6. In the kitchen where the fresh lot of ‘Mirchi-bhajiyas’ are made.
7. On the rear seat of a bike singing songs.

Its an awesome time to enjoy an awesome town. Are you game?

Quest for perfection

Life has become more of a thirst for perfection. No matter where you go your eyes want perfection in everything they observe. Nothing wrong you will say.

My point is by searching only for a perfect companion, perfect music, perfect home and perfect job we are losing any scope of indulgence in creativity. We keep our thoughts beamed through the glass of other's vision and what they would consider as perfect. We drink the beer holding the glass in a perfect way thus losing an opportunity to discover a new style. Our word selection is perfect, thus obstructing the flow of a poetry. When we hear the hero say "Perfection ko improve karna mushkil hain" (It is difficult to improve perfection) we cannot stop ourselves saying Cool. We calculate perfectly how many words to say even when we are talking with our companion and thus avoid adding a new dimension to the whole process of companionship.

I am not against perfection. Someone had said "Work done 97% perfectly is good enough to start a new one". However, in a rush to prove, to impress or to grow we select dream of perfection over dream of creativity. Just imagine how the world would be if everything is perfect? Yeah it will be perfect!! But then will it be fun? Will you be able to give an excuse of getting late because of a traffic jam? Will you love the sweet made by the nukkad halwaai over your mother's blend of creativity? Its not such a tough thing if you look at the bigger picture. You might impress hundreds but forget to diversify your own skills and limit experiences. Its up for grabs, take it or leave it. Why am I searching for a perfect ending to this thought process?

Open page...

Have you ever felt that what you read, listened to or watched could easily have been your thoughts? Something that comes naturally to you is presented in a precisely similar way?

Well, that's the time you feel that the whole story was there, right in front of you. For a time longer than you can ever imagine. It was a sketched image of a bridge which would have linked two diverse banks of reality. All that was needed was some time with the thought.

Thoughts are the most that we live with. We are nothing but thoughts and we don't give them enough time. Why? Now here I can have a long list of 1023 reasons. However, once the thought is taken up by someone its no longer yours though it might own you for an eternity. Its so disturbing for a few people when thoughts are mis-used by someone for they are being mis-used is the inner-feeling.

Ponder well on what you are thinking and give your sub-conscious thoughts a good amount of time. As imprinted in 'The Alchemist' sub-conscious has the power to make the whole Universe conspire for you. So thoughts you are and thoughts are re-born but tapping the energy and life is what makes them come alive, forever.

Something precious

Once you have the skill of feeling things that other person is describing, life becomes more than a reality. You can enjoy life on a different canvass and enjoy the dripping drops of moments to a greater extent. The shivers, thuds, goose bumps, texture of things and feel of surrounding environment transforms life. Its better to live life like this so as to enjoy life's offerings more than the reality.

I am glad we are walking this distance together. For not many people have people close to their heart, never let go of this established thread. Else what will remain will be the ash of moments we shared and though ash makes glass, its after the essence has perished to the last atom of its existence.

Just hold hands and enjoy the rhythm music offers for thats happening, its all real.

Time came calling

And then the time came calling.
When it was a normal day, just stalling.
For I never had thought of this day as mine.
I always cared for it cheaper than the petty old dime.

When the days came, I enjoyed life as it came.
Postponing worries for the last rains, woes.
And then when I stared back in darkness
I saw loneliness and the beast’s soldiers.

Draped in shadows in their black veils, they
charged for they were His messengers finding my way.
They looked in my eyes and I saw both angel and demon.
Wait was a cancer and I couldn’t wait to be One.

The ripened time had gone sour and I was Trojaned.
To hold its arm as if it was my lover’s.
I held it tightly, close to me like never before
For death came visiting and the day was mine.

Fading shades of Nostalgia

The emotional urge of visiting and re-visiting the past is so strongly needled in our tattooed brains that we just drag ourselves in the dungeons of illusions. The colors of happiness, success, love, pain, wrath and fear linger in the hearts, for the past has so many different window panes to see through. The tall buildings built on the pillars of memoirs are surely the best architectural witnesses of our choices. Remember the dome of security that you had carved with the chisel of love? It still stands and show me the colors you got for the evening!!

The hurled stone in the water still has ripples to be offered which can quake the reality of your world. The stamped coin lying on the train track is still hot by the heat and friction and has the fragrance of the early morning. The climbing hill still has the same gradient in your mind that it had when you got scarred as you fell down. The dark clouds, the floating logs, twisting and hugging leaves, the wet scent of first rains, little steps of your sibling, story with happy endings and the pregnant mango tree are still engraved in some corner of your mind, ready to be unleashed. The settled dust on the past is just like the magic casted by a magician on a childish summer afternoon. All it takes is a brush and a mind of child and not any great archaeologist.

The dashboard of forgotten fantasies still blinks high in the dark night and it has so much to add to. The crooked finger of your grandpa which you held more tightly than your dropping candy on a summer afternoon can never be forgotten. Angry voices in your head when you were torn between your head and heart as a child, still emerge through the grey clouds of youth. Fear of losing those you loved most is still as gripping as the memory of a train blast.

Though the past has so much to offer, it becomes necessary to move on. For the present holds so many promises for a new future just like a beautiful virgin lady. Though the taste of your grandma's recipe is still deliciously tasty what your future offers is what you can have. For by-gones are by-gones. Holes on a sea shore, whirlpools in the water, casted shadows on a dark night, early morning light in the winter. Blind alleys in a new town, first page of a new handbook, impression of the wooden ruler, chalk dust in eyes, demanding friends, stomach-aching laughter are all yours just like pillars of a dome.

After B comes C

Ok! I know the title would be looked as a something like red umbrella on a summer morning. But its quite apt if you think of it. And I am surely not talking about elementary English or B schools here.

I had been a great follower of the Canadian romantic singer BAD (Bryan Adams). Not that I have stopped listening to his great compositions which start from climbing Empire State to Running the night to get back to the lover. Its just that I have added another flavor of a band called as Coldplay. Some people will say that they don't sing well, I cant agree more for a few songs but the words that they color their songs with are like a blessing in disguise. You can so easily connect with them that you feel like you could have written something similar.

Yellow is one such song. The lyrics give goose bumps difficult to keep to yourself. When I heard the simple yet profound words like 'I drew a line, I drew a line for you,..., and it was all Yellow' I was lost in the beauty of simplicity. The strumming of strings is so evident that you feel the vibrations and if you have seen the video you remember the changing background as the song progresses. Feels like remembering your first morning after somebody said 'Yes' to you, rays entering your window and the warmth they bring on a winter morning. However simple an idea is, if put across better it can surely 'turn into something beautiful'.

Happened to watch the video of 'In my place' today. Again an example of how the band is gaining popularity. Just watching the mellowed Whiteness in the room is so appealing. Clouds walking through the crack of your door, occupying the space, feeling the emptiness with sheer love. The pain in the voice singing 'Crossed lines that I shouldn't have crossed' is as shrilling as the noise of a hammering nail. Something scratching against your window but you like it for the pain it imparts in the evening orange. 'Come back and sing it to me' is what your heart will sing out when the music pauses just before the lines start.

X & Y, is another master-piece, literally. You will say its very painful. Yes it is but the desperation to stop the ticking bomb exploding is evident in the wordings and approach for it is AWESOME. Music again wins hands down. You will have the same feeling of 'Vertigo from U2' just that it wont be as loud. A perfect song on a Sunday morning with nothing but your bike to accompany you. Ok, thanks for reminding me again that I don't have one. :)

Every song gives a feeling of floating in the pool when the rains falling in your eyes. Something like poking ray on a Saturday afternoon, straight through the drapes on the window. I am sure that with every dropping second the fan following of this band is growing leaps and 'Ka-chings'. But they deserve every penny of a sensitive fella on the street. Complete 'Paisa-Vasool'.

PS: Watch the video of 'Don't Panic'.

From the movie...

Movie Name: Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind

Words: Sand is overrated.It's just tiny little rocks.

Richard Bach in ILLUSIONS

There is no such thing as a problem without a gift for you in its hands.
You seek problems because you need their gifts.

A Fight Within..

I am fighting with myself, fighting for you.
Fighting the dark clouds surrounding my mind.

I am fighting myself, fighting for dreams.
Fighting the fight till my end.

I am fighting with myself, fighting for peace.
Fighting the wind that toppled the king's empire.

I am fighting with time, fighting to win myself back.
I feel like a soldier pulled in a battle to be killed.

I am fighting your words deep in my head.
For they go deeper than the core.

I fight the dark shadows in my dreams.
Its evil to keep up this fight.

Your smile reflect the smiles in my thoughts.
I fight them in the dark room of being me.

I fight the fight that we fought.
I am tired of it all, staring back within.