Remember??

1. Do you remember the breeze that you enjoyed sitting on a bench with your friend and talking about something stupid or serious?
2. Do you remember the happiness of seeing someone whom you always want happy smile while they enter a room and look at you?
3. Do you remember holding hands as you walk on the road without even thinking about it twice?
4. Do you remember being foolish while buying your gift for your first love?
5. Do you remember the shiver through you as you looked at your loved one after a long time even though you met her/ him last evening?
6. Do you remember the long walk that seemed shorter than a walk in your room?
7. Do you remember the end of the evening as the talks started getting more interesting?
8. Do you remember that desire to meet someone constantly by forced accidents and smiling over it on your way back and still feeling lucky?
9. Do you remember the comfort of being with a person whom you knew in a group of people?
10. Do you remember the moment when you both realized something and there was no need to talk any more?
11. Do you remember the smile on your face when you saw that someone get up in the morning when you called and instead of hearing 'Hello' you hear a 'Smile'?

Just remember those moments because you would come back to them later on in life and you would want to enjoy them in your thoughts again!!

A Walk through desert

As the small young feet dragged themselves in the sand, all he could think of was how he had spent his evening by the river once. He had met some new people who had come there with their kids and they had shown some interest in him. They shared their games with him and also enjoyed a dip in the river. They had searched for shells under water and he could still feel the multi-colored shells which he believed were God-sent.

However, he was far away from that spot now and though the memories were drenching his heart wet his feet were slow as they walked through the dunes of a hot blooded desert. The desert had never been this hot for a while and neither had it been so calm and lonely. He remembered how excited he was when he first stepped in the cold sand on the morning before. He had also thought that if he can survive this experience he would have something to look forward to. What, he was uncertain! But something that he would love and live for.

He remembered that his journey began with 3 people who called themselves 'Gypsies', word he found familiar though he had heard it for the first time. His young skin had never felt so cold before though he had come from an icy land in the North. A gypsy recommended him to walk bare feet if he wanted to enjoy his life in the future. He could not connect the dots until he let his naked feet touch the sand. He loved the feeling so much that he threw his shoes away and started to run as fast he could.

As the Sun started fading away in the horizon leaving behind sparks of orange he realized that it was evening. He had walked so much that he could not feel his feet and suddenly with sand turning colder he felt a shiver run through his spine, feet first. He remembered the words of that gypsy 'Do not stop until you see a drop'. However, he was very tired and could not continue any longer in that harsh cold which gripped him like her own child. He remembered his mother like never before and wished that if only he could touch her face once.

Haunted

The door had been kept open. He knew that he had laundry to pick up and should not take more than 10 minutes and he thought it is not enough time for anyone to sneak in and moreover the neighborhood was calm and people were sober.

It was an apartment on the 4th floor and though old building had been recently renovated. The walls were painted in cream color, however the stairs were left brown, aged. They were so old that even the owners had assumed it as an original color.

As he walked in the enclosed confinement of the passage he was humming a song, an old hindi classic. Something that was haunting in its essence and which reminded him of his own haunted dreams. He had always seen someone observing him when he hummed that song. He saw an old woman who hid behind a wall and had a grin on her face as she saw him do his activities. This would scare him so much that he would run closer to his parents as a kid, when he saw her smiling and observing. First he thought it was an old protecting soul who had come to see that no harm happens to him. However, as days went he would shiver by just the thought of it.

Tonight as he walked through the passage he saw the old woman. However, she wasn't observing him from a distance she was way too close to him. He could feel her walking with him and he walked faster as he approached the end of the passage. He felt as if roof is way to closer than ever before. He looked up and saw her looking at him, observing with same grin as he had dreamed her.

Story a dream has to tell..

A recurring dream can be inferred as a dream that haunts you every night it strikes you. Though you know what's coming your way the effect and haze of dreamland makes it impossible to come out of it. A dream that sends that shrill down your spine!!

I see a constant dream where I see small multicolored balls. They are bouncing across the walls of my mind and gravity has its effects. However, they decrease in size with time initially and pose as if they would disappear. Suddenly, they start to grow as they bounce back and forth. Their size seems to define the volume of the space. Next thing I remember is they disappear and room is empty.

Phase-II starts with me running in space and I run as if some one's life depends on me and I have to get there to open a safety lock. Suddenly I feel that I am the prey and something is chasing me. I run like a machine only difference is I don't get anywhere. I feel like running in a vacuum with no friction and no ground. The sense of losing the grip is evident in my efforts without gaining any momentum. Frustrated and scared I wake up and don't know what to infer from these dreams, if anything at all.

RATM

A very good song by RATM:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fkuOAY-S6OY&feature=fvw

Killing in the name of!

Illusion called 'Privacy'

In this age of ‘You-Twit-Face-ogle’ it’s getting increasingly difficult to contain your information private. With more information readily available from various sources may it be business related information or government data, ‘Privacy’ is an illusion. Though security measures are highly recommended and applicable, violation of it is probable for future benefits.

Marketing firms are being more aggressive as the need to understand and analyze competitive strategies is of utmost importance. Basic product information is now obtained through re-engineering and surveys are getting less effective. With shopping malls, pharmacy stores, banks and vending machines becoming more user friendly a lot of data is accumulated. Data available can be requested by insurance firms, automotive companies or next door marketing firm in order to customize their offerings for each customer’s need at the right moment. This is a new age of utility offerings; ‘offer as is consumed’ is the new key punch line while proposing cost savings.

How sensitive can a consumer be then to her/ his own data? As the race to acquire more information to segment customer base aggravates, customers become more ignorant of their information or is it? More and more web 2.0 applications are offering security features at customer’s disposal. They can tweak the security features and make their identity less/ more public. However, with customer trying to do this, firms are taking more interest in places where customers have no control. Loyalty plan data for various firms is an immense pool to dive into and offers lot of advantages ranging from private selection of menus to basic information. It’s time to think whether your privacy really private??

some portion of me

lying on the floor, on a lazy gloomy day

pushing the air, carving faces in the clay

trusting inner instinct, feeling glee

carry no baggage, just let it be

fighting the rains, with an open umbrella

showing a poker face to that random fella

twisting the twigs as you search for the key

enjoy the moment, just be

inviting memories with an open arm

laugh on strangers, but you mean no harm

and searching for another route to flee

or a reason to stay, just to be

watching the trees sitting in a car

thinking of friends from so far

covering the wheels, that's a real me

decorating moments, glad to be me

Notes...

An evening. Puzzled, confused! Restlessness is overshadowing the moments and I fail to understand why. There is a variety of reasons for this to happen, which I do not think I should discuss here.

I have been reading this novel 'Sphere' by Michael Crichton. The best part of the novel is that I know what is coming but the way it is brought up is very shocking and different. The characters in the story have been developed very well as the pages turn.

I am using Pandora more often, the reason being that songs and singers are better linked. Eddie Vedder Radio created on Pandora is a fave. Wonder why the concept of Pandora took so long to develop? I searched for a Bollywood version of the same and could not find any.

With trip for India planned, I am thinking more about it. Looking forward to that trip, would be an understatement. With festivities beginning back home comes a lot of excitement and nostalgia.

Enjoy every step!

Weekend update

So the longest weekend ever in my school life is coming to an end! 4 days in a row can't get any better. Though most of it was spent amongst friends, shopping or reading a Sci-fi novel 'Sphere', it was much more than that.

American football: This was fun to watch. However, let me squeeze in another experience called Tailgate. Tailgate is a pre-game get together where people come together, grill some food and drink some beer. Its more of bonding and networking opportunity. People are on a high to hit the game and otherwise on the food and drinks. Though it was raining my classmates had enthu to gather in a parking garage and enjoy some air-time. Fun!!

Getting to American football. It was a game that BC dominated against Kent State school. They demolished them 21-0 by the second quarter. Yellow and Maroon supporting BC overcrowded even the sky. As the 2 big screens in the stadium flashed we were understanding the game. I am 23.89% more comfortable with the game now!

Soccer: I would have proudly said 'football' while in India, Soccer was a game of fun today. Though some jokes were cracked by American and Mauritian friends on IST, I was trying to convince that we have a good crowd heading and it will be a great game. With 4 players on either side, it was a fast moving game. With both the teams scoring 7 goals each, it was down to the golden goal. The last few minutes were roller-coaster ride. We attempted thrice and almost hit the pole once, but we lost it to white-T-team.

So, overall a good weekend! Now let me get back to the book. Adios!!

Pop-goes-the-cork!!

Has this ever happened to you? You have been sliced and pushed down with so much of pressure that you hardly find time to breathe. To top it off, you get stuffed in all the aspects of life such as your professional, personal, too-personal and social sides covered in deep-sh** and you cannot even run away and face them with all the weapons you have in your store, is the only option.

So, what you do is learn the skill of fighting in all the rings or war-fields and all of a sudden you blink and it all disappears! Its like you are standing in the middle of a ghost-Detroit-town and everything and everyone’s gone. You have the same puzzled look and peace masks as your enemy. Staring into the Sun till it transforms into the cold dark look of a moon-less sky you are horrified by the missing action.

Well, all you need to do is kiss the worries good-bye, smile and enjoy the free time at hand. Force yourself into that discomfort and watch the movies with popping corn in your hand. Take it easy!

Watch out! She has the power

As I walked out of the McDonald opposite my office, I noticed some construction work on the other side. I had just munched on two great snack wraps and was digging deep in my teeth, searching for the lost taste. I waited patiently and watched a few cars zoom past me. It was not uncommon to have a few stares.

The light turned Green for me and I started walking at an easy pace. As I crossed half the distance I saw that construction on the other side had slowed down the traffic completely. People were getting impatient and were looking at their watches. I saw a lady talking something as she steered her car in the middle lane. She looked in a hurry and I was doing what I do best when stuck in traffic. I was looking at the cars and sketching a few thoughts in my head. As she came closer to the crossing line I backed out even more, just to be safe.

She pushed the pedal, brake pedal and looked at me. Gave me a smile and waved indicating me to cross the road. I smiled, whispered 'Thank you', as I waved back. I saw cars following her, a little impatient. 'She had the power and she used it for some one's benefit' I thought as I reached the other side.

"If you want to test a man's character, give him power" - Abraham Lincon.

Need for speed!

I know the title of the post reminds you of a game which you used to play late in the nights, thinking that the morning would not come and you would continue playing. But parents played spoil-sport to it! Fantastic gaming marvel it was from EA sports!

Well, this is literal. No matter what I do, I enjoy speed. May it be biking (Beat Goes on), running or the latest passion, cycling. It is like an addiction which keeps on increasing no matter how hard I try to control. I remember missing the 5th gear in a Yamaha bike back in India, when I had experienced one of the most authentically freaked out night. Never had I experienced something like that, nor will I, EVER!

Cycling has been growing steadily with so many Biking trails around and so many PRO-bikers around. I tried racing with two of them yesterday. No match at all! They kept cruising far away the more I tried. Finally, I declared that I am dead and they disappeared as if nothing else mattered to them. However, its a sport that I used to enjoy back in my school days and which has been found again. Not that I have a light alloy based frame, but what I have is a tool to carve out memories.

Whatte-fun!! :)

Lets walk beyond distance

saw the moon painting the landscape

as I walked into the sea.

it was sharing all its thoughts

as if it was a part of me.

creating shadows on the pathway,

we both talked of sanity.

i pulled my sheets, she covered with stars,

wishing all the dreams to see.

purity, love and joy we talked,

we also talked about morality.

pain, hatred and lost passion we talked,

we spoke of insecurity.

they come, they go, dark in the moonlight,

holding hands behind the tree.

they live in heartbeats, thoughts,

and eyes for someone else to see.

just look in my eyes when you feel left out,

or when silence speaks as a bumble-bee.

hold my hand and walk outside the darkness,

lets think beyond you and me.

Alert!!

Well, don't jump out of the seat, not yet!

I became wind today. Well not really, but almost. OK fine almost almost. (Stop looking at me like that). I had a great bicycle ride today. My colleague at the new work place is a pro-biker, as I had mentioned. So I decided to check my limits. I had never got a road this clear earlier, not even in Boston. So I went like a crazy dog who is unleashed and has only an evening to live. It was a small bike ride of 9 miles and man was it fun!

Good that the Sun stays out here till 9 pm and that gives so much extra time to do new things. The start was slow and as I tasted blood (read speed) there was no looking back. 9 miles of ecstasy. Like jack outside the box without any strings attached!

When was the last time you had so much fun!

Status Update

So I have shifted to Dallas, Texas for a couple of months for an internship. I was on paid vacation for the rest of the holidays. This internship came as a sweet breeze and here I am.

I have not explored the city much but its evidently different than Boston. Actually, there is always a common fibre between places and a lots of differences. Let me share the differences part. I was welcomed by a very hot breeze. It was like going back to Nagpur in summer. While 80 deg F felt hot in Boston, here I am soaked in 105 deg F. The point is that it is hot here but I don't think very different because experience back home.

The place where I am staying is owned by an Indian professional and is a brand new place which makes my stay better. It is definitely good to be in a new place, starting a new story or listen to a new song.

I borrowed a bicycle from a friend and it feels good. Though I borrowed it to beat the stupid waiting time for buses but it is a tool to explore the new places. I am excited to ride a bike after a gap of more than 9 years. Whatte fun!!! Moreover, my team mate at work is an expert biker and has done long trails of more than 50 miles. That makes having a bicycle even more valuable, just to talk at least!

That's news from my side. Will keep posted. How are you doing?

Message in a bottle

What if? There are so many of those. This one's different.

If I had a chance to send myself a message, before five years what that message would be? Would it be about 'how to' and 'how not to'? Off course. Here goes.

Nilesh,

Hi, this is a message from future. From the year 2009 when you were enjoying summer holidays of your first year MBA from Boston College.

The first thing that I want to tell you is that stop taking life so seriously and enjoy the moments as they come. Life would be a roller-coaster ride, it has been like that for everyone you are no exception. The magnitude of the downfalls would seem bigger like a mountain. However, you would see the morning Sun and still believe in love. You would still be surrounded with problems which would seem bigger than reality, a blown up version. You would still admire beauty in the rains, smiles and simplicity. You would still care about people and would be ready to do anything it takes. People would still mis-understand you and judge you by your actions, incomplete image. Here in Boston, you would still find familiarities with people and be surprised by the differences.

The second thing is that start dreaming big. Its an important step towards making life better. Dream in all possible ways, as you would read that "Dream is an exercise bicycle for the mind." So flex your mind and learn many different things in life. Love your music, write more often, read more books, spend more time cooking. Coupled with all these activities start dreaming big. Explore your boundaries and keep pushing them, far enough to engulf everything. Make the sky your canvass.

The final thing would be to keep re-visiting yourself. Write something and be amazed about what you had written and how different your thoughts were at that point in time. You would meet people who would care-less and care the most about you. You would find many friends who would walk with you and some who would change their tracks with time. There are enough reasons for you to believe in yourself and your thoughts. However, you would also be puzzled trying to absorb others' thoughts. Don't run behind them, rather enjoy the company and make memories.

Yours,

Nilesh.

PS: Enjoy every step.

Next BIG thing???

What would be the next most talked about thing in technology space? i-phone was the last boom that changed the way we communicate. Business combined with personal life. Life made complete with more choices or you can say more confusing. Its a weapon, beware what you are using it for.

However, with the space left open for sometime I am forced to wonder what would be the next BIG thing. Companies like Google, Apple and Microsoft are fighting their breath off to capture markets or rather revolutionize the way things are done. Microsoft, though, has been on the hindsight in this race and Google capturing the Internet arena and Apple taking the electronics space.

So post your response to what you think would be the next big thing or post your comments on 'what makes companies like Apple or Google sell themselves?'

finding a cure

the grip of my hand, addicted

to the dropping sand.

Feeling the loss of the travelling trees,

paying homage to the planted seeds.

cursing the sad words that form me,

my poems and form my destiny.

I feel like I am walking away 

if not from the world, then atleast me. 

Packed in a bag

i dried up all the oceans today.

the quench of thirst pinched me again,

the reflections of stars made me jealous.

i walked up the stream today.

i had heard them say,

its going to rain on top of the hill.

i ran the last yard today.

i had that coming for me

since a life or longer.

i heard the death speak today.

i had the life walk with me,

but it was just getting too dark here.

i heard the footsteps today.

it was just another evening,

like the last one.

i feel happiness become me today.

for i have left the past on its own,

it was packed in a bag, just in case. 

Guaranteed Lyrics

Guaranteed

On bended knee is no way to be free
lifting up an empty cup I ask silently
that all my destinations will accept the one that's me
so I can breath

Circles they grow and they swallow people whole
half their lives they say goodnight to wive's they'll never know
got a mind full of questions and a teacher in my soul
so it goes...

Don't come closer or I'll have to go
Holding me like gravity are places that pull
If ever there was someone to keep me at home
It would be you...

Everyone I come across in cages they bought
they think of me and my wandering
but I'm never what they thought
got my indignation but I'm pure in all my thoughts
I'm alive...

Wind in my hair, I feel part of everywhere
underneath my being is a road that disappeared
late at night I hear the trees
they're singing with the dead
overhead...

Leave it to me as I find a way to be
consider me a satellite for ever orbiting
I knew all the rules but the rules did not know me
guaranteed...