Random Ramblings.........

Jiyein Kyun.....

2011-07-11T04:58:00.007-04:00

Song Title: Jiyein Kyun....
Singer(s): Papon

Movie: Dum Maaro Dum (2011)
Music Director: Pritam Chakraborty
Lyricist: Jaideep Sahni
Director: Rohan Sippy

Starring: Abhishek Bachchan, Bipasha Basu, Prateik Babbar, Aditya Pancholi, Rana Daggubati

Jiyein Kyun Lyrics

Na aaye ho, na aaoge
Na phone pe, bulaoge
Na shaam ki, karaari chai
Labhon se yun, pilaoge
Na aaye ho, na aaoge
Na din dhale, sathaoge
Na raat ki, nashili bai
Sey neend mein jagaoge
Gaye tum gaye ho kyun
Yeh raat baaki hain
Gaye tum gaye ho kyun
Saath baaki hain..
Gaye tum gaye hum tham gaye har baat baaki hain
Gaye kyun..
Toh Jiyein kyun..
Na aaye ho, na aaoge
Na dooriyan, dhikhaoge
Na thaam ke, woh josh mein
Yun hosh se, udaoge
Na aaye ho, na aaoge
Na jhoot se, sunaoge
Na rooth ke, sirhane mein
Remote ko, chupaoge
Gaye tum gaye ho kyun
Yeh raat baaki hain
Gaye tum gaye ho kyun
Saath baaki hain
Gaye tum gaye hum tum gaye har baat baki hain
Gaye kyun..
Toh Jiyein kyun..
Aankh bhi tham gayi na thaki
Raat bhi na bhati na kati..
Yeh raat bhi cherti marti
Neend bhi lutt gayi chin gayi
Raat bhi na sahi na rahi..
Yeh raat bhi laazmi zaalmi
Gaye tum gaye ho kyun
Yeh raat baaki hain
Gaye tum gaye ho kyun
Saath baaki hain
Gaye tum gaye hum tham gaye har baat baaki hain
Gaye kyun..
Toh Jiyein kyun..
Gaye kyun..
Jiyein kyun..
Ye…..ye…
Jiyein kyun..
Na aaye ho, na aaoge
Na phone pe, bulaoge
Na shaam ki, karaari chai
Labhon se yun churaoge

Simple Pleasures

2011-06-27T03:59:00.004-04:00

It’s been quiet in this corner of the web lately. I have been quite busy and actually pretty lazy about posting something on my blog. Inspiration has been eluding me and so has time (though the part about time is just an excuse). But I am back, and I am alive!!!

Is Life hectic or do we make it so? Life becomes so mundane and mechanical after sometime……it is left to us to make it interesting and having a blast with Life!!! After all, Life is all about what we make it and I choose to make it wonderful and BEAUTIFUL!!! People always strive and work really hard for big goals in life, which I totally get is really important for a person, but in the process we forget to really enjoy the “simple pleasures” of life. I truly believe that it is the small things that matter the most. In this blog I am putting forth my list of “simple pleasures”, maybe you can comment and state some more that I might have missed..........Here goes:

A perfect cup of coffee
Sleeping in without feeling guilty about it
Feeling the wind in my hair as I zip by in my Nova (my 2 wheeler)
Walking in the beach with the waves lapping at my feet
Conversation with my best friend over a cup of perfect coffee
Hanging out at the beach with my buddies
Enjoying my favorite chocolate all alone
Getting flowers and small presents for no reason at all
A kiss or hug from a kid
A handwritten letter
A genuine compliment (giving or receiving)
Driving with my favorite song at full volume and me singing along at my highest pitch
Enjoying a perfectly tasting dish that I cooked and not caring what others think about it
Bubble bath
Reading my favorite books all over again
Getting wet in the first rain of the season
The smell of the dry and parched earth when the first rain hits it
Lazing around in my PJs and watching old movies for a whole day
Dancing like no one is watching
Long walks with someone i love
Butterflies and bear hugs
Singing along with the music player when your favorite songs are playing
Hot brownie with vanilla ice-cream
Listening to an old favorite song out of the blue
Watching the rain
Laughing out loud
A random email from old friends
Puppies
Lying on grass and gazing at the star-studded sky
A bunch of Red Roses
Holding hands
Long walks
Smell of fresh baked cookies
Eating warm freshly baked chocolate chip cookies
Eating your favorite ice-cream after a long long time
Finding long forgotten cash in my pocket
A Bubble bath
First flowers of spring
Smell of freshly washed cotton sheets
Doing something nice for someone, just because you can do it
Long drives at midnight.

Hope these remind you of your simple pleasures in life. If they do, please share it with me and go ahead and have these pleasures atleast one a day to keep yourself lively and happy!!!

As Years Fly By.......

2010-12-19T18:53:00.007-05:00

It was a chance encounter,

Not “Love at First sight” for sure.

The dawn of something sweet,

And my life wasn’t the same anymore!

Days and months flew by,

Our Friendship grew and grew.

I realized how deep I cared,

But the feeling I felt was new.

I was thinking about you,

Sleep was a lost event,

When I wasn’t talking to you,

And we had a conversation to my heart’s content.

It wasn’t until the future came at us,

I feared that you fly away like a dove,

It hit me then, what I was in-

A peerless and priceless love.

The minutes without you seemed endless,

I could only hope to see you more,

The seconds with you timeless,

To make the moments last furthermore!

The times I was with you,

Made my heart complete.

I knew one thing for sure,

My life without you would be obsolete.

And now, we love just the same,

As it grows day by day.

I stare deep into your precious eyes,

Yet, I am speechless as to what I should say!

Happy 2nd Anniversary Darling!!!

Similar but Unique........

2010-09-04T13:43:00.004-04:00

As my dear friend Pradeep said in his post, Every person's Life is the same. We are born, we study, get married, settle in life and die. But each person is made unique by experiences, lessons and decisions.

I am not defined by my Dad or my Husband,

I am not defined by my gender or creed,

Who am I?

I am what my experience has made me.

I am what life has taught me.

Life's tribulations have made me strong.

The simplicity and beauty of Life has taught me to be hopeful.

I choose to be defined by my passion.

I choose to be defined by my strength

I choose to be defined by my optimism.

I choose to be defined by my laughter.

I choose to be defined by my LOVE for LIFE!!!

I am who I choose to be!

Behne De (Let me flow......)

2010-04-27T21:57:00.004-04:00

Rahman does it again! Rahman's composition, Gulzar Saab's awesome lyrics and Karthik's striking vocal performance, makes this a scintillating number! A dark song, that actually makes you feel at the core of your soul, what he sings!!! Simple Superb!

Here are the lyrics:

Arre aankh se boond gira koi
Chingari ka tukda jala koi
Umeed ko aag laga zara
Sehra ki pyaas bujha zara..

Umeed ko aag laga zara
Sehra ki pyaas bujha zara..
Ghan itna baras ke galne lagoon
Main paani ke upar tarne lagoon...

Behne de mujhe behne de mujhe behne de
Behne de ghanghor ghata behne de paani ki tarah
Saagar mein jaa girna hai behne de nadiyaa ki tarah
Shart lagi hai mar jaane ki jeena hai toh pyaar mein...

Deh kahi bhi ho mera, jaan rakhi hai yaar mein,
Beh jaa beh jaa, hai saagar ka kehna,
Beh jaa beh jaa, hai nadiyaa ko behna,

Patte se tapakti boond ki aawaz sunai di thi
Nadiyaan mein tapk aur gum ho jaa, beh gaya beh gaya.
Jo rah gaya rah gaya.

Behne de mujhe behne de..

Mera pal pal ang ang bhar diya,
Tune jaan pe junoon sa kar diya,
Mera hai kya jo main haar doon,
Jaan teri hai tujh pe vaar doon.

Doob gaye jo suna hai saare
Tere dere aate hai,
Dil ke chullu mein bechare,
Doobkiya gote khaate hai,

Beh jaa, beh jaa, Chal tod kinaare ko,
Beh jaa, beh jaa, dhar le majdhaare ko,
Chingaari uda ke raakh se, ek boond gira ke aankh se,
Chalne ka ishara kar gaya
Kar gaya kar gaya
Sab bhar gaya bhar gaya....

Valentine's Day!!!

2010-02-13T23:05:00.004-05:00

Happy Valentine's Day People!!! Valentine's Day is a national holiday dedicated to "Love". This celebration of Love has been going on since the 19th century. Contrary to common belief, this is not just a day for Lovers. It is a day to spend with all your loved ones! Some might say that "Love", does not need a day dedicated to it, and that everyday is a dedication to Love. True, but in the very busy, routine and mechanical lives that we have people often tend to forget how important it is to tell how much you love a person. So I think, one this special day, we should take the time and care to say "I Love You!".

So go ahead and profess your LOVE to your loved ones ~ parents, friends, siblings, spouse, grandparents~ everybody who has made a difference to your lives!!!

To Maintain a Healthy Level of Insanity!

2010-01-22T16:31:00.004-05:00

The following was forwarded to me by a friend and I couldn't stop laughing for the next 20 mins after I finished reading it. This should definitely be read by everyone and have a laugh. So go ahead and ROFL!!!

Disclosure: This is not my work, it is copied!!!

This is definitely full disclosure..........

To Maintain A Healthy Level Of Insanity, do the following.......
1. At Lunch Time, Sit In Your Parked Car With Sunglasses on and point a Hair Dryer At Passing Cars. See If They Slow Down.

2. Page Yourself Over The Intercom. Don't Disguise Your Voice!

3. Every Time Someone Asks You To Do Something, ask If They Want Fries with that.

4. Put Decaf In The Coffee Maker For 3 Weeks . Once Everyone has Gotten Over Their Caffeine Addictions, Switch to Espresso.

5. In the Memo Field Of All Your Checks, Write ' For Marijuana.

6. Skip down the hall Rather Than Walk and see how many looks you get.

7. Order a Diet Water whenever you go out to eat, with a serious face.

8. Specify That Your Drive-through Order Is 'To Go'.

9. Sing Along At The Opera.

10. Five Days In Advance, Tell Your Friends You Can't Attend Their Party Because You have a headache.

11. When The Money Comes Out The ATM, Scream 'I Won! I Won!'.

12. When Leaving the Zoo, Start Running towards the Parking lot, Yelling 'Run For Your Lives! They're Loose!'.

13. Tell Your Children Over Dinner, 'Due To The Economy, We Are Going To Have To Let One Of You Go.'

And The Final Way To Keep A Healthy Level Of Insanity................

14. PICK UP A BOX OF CONDOMS AT THE PHARMACY, GO TO THE COUNTER AND ASK WHERE THE FITTING ROOM IS.

Send This To Someone To Make Them Laugh. It's Called...THERAPY
Enjoy The Ride, Life is Short!

Festivals of India: Makara Sankranthi

2010-01-13T17:17:00.012-05:00

Sankranthi is a festival that I have always looked forward to celebrate when I was a kid. It is a festival that comes after almost 3 months of Diwali. It is also a festival where I was always given new clothes to wear, so I was always looking forward to it. Another part that I loved about this festival was kite flying. I used to have immense fun with my cousins and friends in flying kites, having a competition with others and trying to cut (“patang katgayi!!!”) others’ kites and then flying those kites in front of them. Though as a kid, I knew very vaguely as to why we celebrated this festival, over the years I learnt a lot about the traditions and the reasons behind them. Here I share what I know.

Makara Sankranthi is a very important festival in Andhra Pradesh. This festival is celebrated in different parts of India by various names like Pongal in Tamil Nadu, Lohri in Punjab and by many other names in other parts. Though, different states celebrate it with distinct traditions and various names, everybody essentially celebrates the end of winter season and the start of harvest season. It is celebrated every year on January 14th. Makara Sankranthi marks the transition of the sun from the Tropic of Cancer to the Tropic of Capricorn or from Dakshinayana to Uttarayana. The movement of the sun from one zodiac sign to another is called Sankranthi and as the sun moves into Capricorn zodiac known as Makara in Telugu, this occasion is names as Makara Sankranthi.

In Andhra Pradesh, this festival is celebrated for three days, 13th, 14th and 15th January. Houses are spruced up and women-folk vie with each other displaying their drawing skills in a variety of eye-catching and artistic Colorful Rangoli or “Muggulu” in their neatly swept front-yards sprinkled with cow-dung water (or sometimes just plain water). “Gobbemmalu” or balls of cowdung decked with marigold flowers are placed on the rangoli. “Gangireddu” or “Basavanna” - a decked up bull, “sannai mellalu” - people playing instruments and “buda-bukkalu” - dressed up artists go around houses singing songs and collecting gifts and alms during these days.

The first day (13th Jan) is celebrated as Bhogi festival in the honor of Lord Indra, “the God of Clouds and Rains”. Lord Indra is worshiped for good rains which will give an abundance of harvest and thereby bring prosperity to the land. The Puranas state that it was on this day that Lord Krishna lifted the Govardhana Mountains on his little pinky finger. The day starts off very early with the whole household coming together to light a bonfire out of old clothes, firewood, cow-dung and useless household articles. This bonfire is called “Bhogi Manta” and it is lit before the traditional oil bath. The significance of the bonfire is to keep warm during the last lap of the winter and also to burn out the old and start afresh! This day is a special day for the kids. Kids are decked with new clothes and jewelry. In the evening, all the elders bless them by pouring small fruits called “Bhogi Pallu” on their heads.

The second day (14th Jan) is celebrated as Makara Sankranthi. We call it “Pedda Panduga” or the Big Festival. Traditional food items like chakkera pongali, bobbatlu, gaarelu, ariselu, pulihora are made. In the telangana region of Andhra Pradesh, kids and elders alike spend the day flying kites, having competitions with kite flying. The sky looks colorful with kites of different colors, shapes and sizes being flown by everybody till the evening.

The third day (15th Jan) is celebrate as Kanuma or “Pasuvula Pandaga”. The festival is dedicated to cows, bulls and buffaloes that are a part of the rural economy in India. On this day the cattle are bathed and decorated with turmeric and saffron. They are taken to the temples and pujas are performed.

2010-01-11T16:29:00.002-05:00

"I Can feel and enjoy my Sadistic Pleasure at seeing one of my old friend turned enemy really fat...... I am allowed to be bitchy to people who are completely horrible to me for no reason!"

Happy Anniversary Darling!!!

2009-12-19T09:51:00.001-05:00

Our wedding anniversary brings to mind
The happiness and joy you’ve brought to me,
Sweet memories--the laughter and the tears,
Devoted love you give abundantly.

The place I want to be is close to you;
There’s ecstasy and peace in your embrace.
I know that I can cope with what life brings,
As long as I wake up to see your face.

You’re all I ever wanted, and much more.
I look at you and I still get a thrill.
Our marriage is the best thing in my life;
I love you deeply, madly, and I always will.

The Country has gone to the Politicians......err to Dogs

2009-12-09T18:05:00.006-05:00

Telangana literally means “land of the Telugus”. This was originally the telugu speaking region of the erstwhile princely state of Nizams or Hyderabad. This region consists of the Deccan Plateau, which includes the districts Warangal, Adilabad, Khammam, Mahabubnagar, Nalgonda, Rangareddy, Karimnagar, Nizamabad, Medak and the State Capital, Hyderabad.

There have been mentions of the Telangana region in the Mahabharata, Ramayana and also in the history of the Kakatiyas.

The history of the separate Telangana State Movement is as old as our country. Though India became independent, The Nizam of Hyderabad wanted to retain his territory and did not want to join the government of India. But the State

In 1953, Jawaharlal Nehru appointed the States Reorganization Commission to prepare for the creation of states on linguistic lines which was popularly known as Fazal Ali Commission. This commission was not in favor of merging Telangana with Andhra, but the central Government ignored its recommendations and unified Andhra Pradesh on November 1^st, 1956, as the language spoken in both these regions in Telugu.

In 1969, the Telangana Movement was launched, by selfish political leaders, who defected from Congress, to gain assembly seats. Students were agitated and used as pawns in this movement and as many as 360 students lost their lives during this period. The same politicians, after gaining electoral success, gave up the agitation in 1971 and rejoined the Congress for safe political haven.

In 1990s, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), promised a separate Telangana State if it came to power, but after electoral success this promise could not be kept due to opposition form its coalition partner Telugu Desam Party (TDP). But this time along the movement gained a lot of momentum by year 2000, which led to the creation of a new party called Telangana Rashtra Samithi which is lead by Kalvakuntla Chandrasekhara Rao popularly known as KCR.

All through history it can be seen that this issue has been time and again used by power-hungry politicians to agitate innocent students and people into loyally fighting and giving their lives for their selfish reasons and then obscuring the subject after achieving their objectives. The poor victims are the people and students who get into these kinds of political games.

USA has three times the area of India and has 50 states. We already have 29 states and 6 union territories, out of which Kashmir is under dispute with Pakistan and Arunachal Pradesh is in dispute with China. KCR started a fast-unto-death to get a separate Telangana State, 10 days back amid speculations as to whether he was really fasting or not! (Click here to get that news snippet!) Tension and violence mounted in Hyderabad and Telangana regions, on account of his fasting and center not giving in to his demands, so much so that again many students were injured severely. The Joint Committee of Students had called for a rally “Chalo Assembly” on Dec 10^th, 2009. But finally the Central Government had to give in to the demands of KCR and initiated the creation of a Separate Telangana State in the early hours of Thursday, before the rally even began.

This just goes to show that, in this country blackmail and hunger strikes can get any and every work done! I know many people say that even Sri Potti Sriramulu did the same thing to get a separate Andhra Pradesh state, but the case in point is completely different. Potti Sriramulu was a Indian Revolutionary, who took part in the Salt Satyagraha and fought against the discrimination to the Harijans. in an effort to unify telugu speaking people and to preserve the unique culture of the Telugu people, he attempted to force the Indian government to listen to the public demand to create and unify the Andhra Pradesh state on the linguistic lines. Will KCR be compared to this person??? Is he even worthy of that comparison???

In this internet age, where the world is coming together, mutual co-existence is critical and a nation can flourish only with unity, people in India are still bent on the “Divide & Conquer” rule!

Are the Telangana people really suffering a set-back by merging and living as a single state? Are they being discriminated by anybody? Are they losing anything precious? How will the separation of state give them anything? Money that can be used to build imfrastructure or to improve a common man's life will be put to use in building a new state and a new capital if it comes to that. So much of effort going to waste!

It is the Selfish political mongers who continue to separate you and me on the basis of money, caste, religion and finally they have come down to Region! Where will this stop???

Facts of Life!

2009-11-30T13:23:00.004-05:00

"Life isn't like a Jar of Chocolates, its more like a Jar of Jalapenos; What you do today might burn your butt Tomorrow!"

Insane Love!!!

2009-11-16T16:58:00.007-05:00

I wanted to try and see if I could tell a story in just 150 words. So here goes my first attempt. Please do leave your comments and let me know what you think of my effort.

Picture Courtesy: Chapter 56

The mad guy and his dog were ever present at the station. Nobody knew why.

He had first noticed her when he was getting his monthly train pass. They had locked their eyes for several seconds and he knew he was a victim of “Love at First Sight”. They would board the same train and get off at the same stop. He would wait for her everyday and board the train together. They looked at each other but never really spoke. Months passed, and one day she doesn’t turn up at the station. He waited two full days at the station for her without going to work. On the third day, he saw her picture in the newspaper; she had died two days ago in front of the station in a freak accident! Her last words were, “I love him!” pointing towards the station. He started laughing insanely.

My Current Faves

2009-11-13T15:26:00.004-05:00

Give me some Sunshine!

Saari Umr Hum
Mar Mar ke jee liye
Ek pal to ab humein
Jeene Do Jeene do

Saari Umr Hum
Mar Mar ke jee liye
Ek pal to ab humein
Jeene Do Jeene do

Saari Umr Hum
Mar Mar ke jee liye
Ek pal to ab humein
Jeene Do Jeene do

Na Na NA
Na Na NA

Na Na NA
Na Na NA

Give me some Sunshine
give me some rain
Give me another chance
wana grow up once again

Give me some Sunshine
give me some rain
Give me another chance
wana grow up once again

Kandhon ko kitabon
Ke bojh ne jhukaya
Rishvat dena to khud
Papa ne sikhya
99% marks laaoge to
ghadi varna chadi

Likh likh pada
hatheli par

Alpha beta gamma ka chaala
Concentrated H2so4
Ne Poora Poora bachpan jala daala

Bachpan to gaya
Jawani bhi gayi
Ek pal To ab humein
Jeen Do jeene do
Bachpan to gaya
Jawani bhi gayi
Ek pal To ab humein
Jeen Do jeene do

Saari Umr Hum
Mar Mar ke jee liye
Ek pal to ab humein
Jeene Do Jeene do

Na Na NA
Na Na NA

Na Na NA
Na Na NA

Give me some Sunshine
give me some rain
Give me another chance
wana grow up once again

Give me some Sunshine
give me some rain
Give me another chance
wana grow up once again

Na Na NA
Na Na NA

Na Na NA
Na Na NA

Uppenantha Ee Premaki

Pallavi

uppenantha ee premaki
guppedanta gunde emito
cheppaleni ee haayiki
bhashe enduko
tiyyanina ee bhadhaki
uppu niru kantademito
reppapaatu dooranike viraham enduko
ninnu chuse ee kallaki
lokamanta inka enduko
rendu aksharala premaki enni sectionlenduko..

i looooooooove you..
na oopiri aagipoyina
i looooooooove you..
na praanam poina..||2||
uppenantha ee premaki
guppedanta gunde emito
cheppaleni ee haayiki
bhashe enduko

Charanam 1

kanulalokostavu kalalu narikestavu
seconukosaaraina champestavu
manchula untavu manta pedutuntavu
ventapadi na manasu masi chestavu
tisukunte nuvvu oopiri posukunta aayuve cheli
guchukoku mullula mari gundello saraasari

i looooooooove you..
na oopiri aagipoyina
i loooooooooove you..
na praanam poyina..
uppenantha ee premaki
guppedanta gunde emito
cheppaleni ee haayiki
bhashe enduko..

Charanam 2

chinukule ninu taaki merisipotanante
mabbule pogesi kaalcheyyana
chilakale ni paluku tirigi palikaayante
palakane lekunda paateyyana
ninnu kori poolu taakite narukutanu poola totane
ninnu chuste unnachotane todesta aa kallane

i loooooooooove you..
na oopiri aagipoyina
i looooooooooove you..
na praanam poyina..||2||

uppenantha ee premaki
guppedanta gunde yemito
cheppaleni ee haayiki
bhashe yenduko

Tu saath Ho

Tum Saaath Ho Kya Baat Hai
Kitni Hasseen Chahat Ki Yeh Suruwat Hai Kaise Kahun
Kyun Aajkal Behke Hue Dil Ke Mere Jazbaat Hai
Zamana Yeh Roke Na Abb Khuda Khuda Khuda
Kabhi Mil Ke Honge Na Hum Juda Juda Juda...
Tujhse Mera Haaaann Vada Raha Haaannn Haaaan

Phele Kabhi Dhadka Na Thatum Se Mila To Dil Gaya
Raatein Khile Subha Haseen Saaath Tera Jo Mil Gaya
Sach Mein Kahoon Tere Siva Meri Koi Manzil Nahi
Mujhko Yakeen Aye Humsafar Koi Safar Muskhil Nahi
Khud Ko Sanam Roka Magar Bas
Mein Nahi Maan Ke Mere Haalat Hai
Kaise Kahunkyun Aajkal Behke Hue Dil Ke Mere Jazbaat Hai

Tere Kadam Jaise Chale Peeche Tere Mein Chal Padu
Jis Raah Pe Chalte Hue Tu Jo Mude Main Bhi Mudu
Aankhon Ne Jo Dekhe The Woh Khawbon Ki Tum Tabir Ho
Haathon Mein Hai Leekhi Mere Tum Woh Haasen Taqdeer Ho
Vaada Kiya Khai Kasam Chootega Na Haathon Meinjo
Yeh Haath Hai Kaise Kahun Kyun Aajkal
Behke Hue Dil Ke Mere Jazbaat Hai
Zamana Yeh Roke Na Abb Khuda Khuda Khuda
Kabhi Mil Ke Honge Na Hum Juda Juda Juda...
Tujhse Mera Haaaann Vada Raha Haaannn Haaaan

Life as Such!

2009-11-04T18:15:00.003-05:00

Life has taken a complete new turn for me, with marriage and studies towards a doctoral degree. I have been having a leisure life ever since I completed my masters studies last year and was just job hunting all through the second half of 2008. Then I got married and since the economy was so bad, I abandoned the job search and turned towards applying to universities for PhD studies. Though the leisure life is great, it actually gets me depressed. I was really happy when I got admit into PhD program in Materials Science Engineering department in the Univ of Utah, and got hired by Mike to work on Solar cells research. I started working on the research during summer 2009, and my classes started from fall 2009. Life started getting busy since June, but it became downright hectic from August.
People always tend to have an impression that, studying is the same as working. So many women are working and taking care of home, so it is no different. But studying, esp. Doctoral studies are so much different. It is pretty much like working, studying and taking care of home. So we have to juggle, work (research work, coz my prof is paying me!), classes, assignments and exams (cause I have to keep up my grade!) and also take care of my home. Add to this schedule, my extra-curricular activities and it gets insane!

At times it becomes really difficult to juggle all these three and also have a social life. I am good at prioritizing my tasks, but this sometimes happens at the expense of my home-care. I am really glad Sree is so understanding, and helps me out at home, but still there are so many things left undone because I am not able to get to them ever. Even after working all week and weekend, I am never done, I am always playing catch-up with my studies, home-care and also my research. Over time this leads to frustration build-up. It is really important to not get this frustration build up and blow out like a volcano. It has bad effects on your work as well as life. So to fight it out, I talk to Sree about my day and what really bothers me and I also have my friend Liz at school to confide in. I also make sure I have fun times and dates with my hubby, and this is a wondrous stress-buster.
It really helps out to talk with people who are in the same situation and come up with ideas that will help make life easier. One such blog is FlyWorkingLady....a retort from working women. which is hosted by a wonderful friend of mine. Look up this blog for tips and ideas to get through a busy life.
I might have just talked about the crappy things about a busy life, but it has its advantages too. There are so many things that you learn, make new friends, learn to cope with different things that come your way and finally get experience which is the biggest lesson of all. I would rather be busy and happy, than be not busy and depressed. So till the next time, be busy and happy!

Who am I? What am I?

2009-10-30T15:49:00.003-04:00

I am a REBEL – this is the answer that comes to my mind when I think of this question. I am and have been a rebel all through my life. This is not just a statement that is being made to sound or look cool, it is a fact. From the moment of my birth, to the present and beyond I am an eternal rebel! My parents thought they were going to have a boy, but viola – it turned out to be me! Be it traditional norms or societal norms, for me rules are meant to be broken. I take thrill in breaking the usual norms and being right in doing what I do. I hate doing anything in life without taking a risk. For me: a life that doesn’t take a risk, is a life not worth living! I am not your usual girly-girl.

I am techno-savy, love cars, love fixing things with my hands, hate sitting around gossiping, love to have a drink with friends, love watching sports, keep up-to-date on news, hate watching soaps, love carpentry, loves outdoors, enjoys cooking and can laugh out loud with my guy friends. Confused?? Well don’t be! This is the kind of girl that I am, a complete rebel to the definition of a girl! This is shown in my love tattoos as well. They have always been a complete no-no in my family, but I am the first one to get one (now I have three). It is kinda like proclamation to my rebel nature. This rebelliousness is also deeply incorporated into my thought process too. Every single thing that I learn, I learn with the question: why should only that be right? It helps me keep my mind open to other possibilities, no matter how bizarre they might be. This helps in my analytical ability and builds up my logical capacity. I am a practical and down-to-earth person who loves to defy norms in life!

Independence Day

2009-08-23T19:28:00.010-04:00

I was supposed to post this on August 15th, but then as always I am late posting it. Though late, here goes my post!
As soon as we hear “Independence Day”, there are many things one is reminded of. It always reminds me of the things we used to do for the day at school. For one, there was always Marching (called the March Past) for all the houses (groups, kids were divided into) of the school, neatly following their House Leaders who followed the Head School Girl and other office holders. There was always prize distribution for the various competitions that took place months before the event, chocolate distribution and not to forget the Flag hoisting ofcourse. The celebration of Independence Day was actually predated by loads and loads of practice by the kids and the organizing of this stuff by the Teachers. I was always an integral part of this, being the Band leader and one who conducted the March Past and then later the Head Girl.
Even after I got out of school I always made it to the Flag Hoisting ceremony on this day, even these past three years after coming to the US of A. It one of those days when I feel totally proud of being an Indian. This year there was flag hoisting followed by some good patriotic music at the Hindu Temple in Salt Lake City. Here there was this professor at the University who addressed the gathering, and he voiced my thoughts, thoughts which I am going to share here.
What does it mean to be an Indian? I have heard people say many a time that though they live in another country, their heart is still Indian. What exactly do they mean by that? Does it mean that, they still eat Indian food, still wear Indian attire, continue to drink chai, play cricket, eat pani puri, and poke their noses into other people’s lives? Or does it have a completely different meaning. Well, I feel it all the above and also there is much more to it.

I guess for me being Indian is taking pride in being the largest democracy in the world, being the first to establish a University (remember the Takshashila University?), being the country who gave birth to such wonderful legends as Aryabhatta, a great mathematician and astronomer was the person to tell world about the decimal system and gave the world the number “zero” (without which the mathematics and physics as we know today wouldn’t exist), as Sushruta, a doctor to have performed the first surgeries in the history of medicine and as Rabindranath Tagore, a great poet and artist. These are but a few examples which is the tip of the iceberg, but it does feel proud to be a part of a nation with such a rich and a wonderful past. It is also about taking pride in the fact that we achieved Freedom from the British empire and establishing our own democracy 62 years ago, thanks to wonderful people and leaders like Shahid Bhagat Singh, Chandra Sekhar Azad, Raj Guru, Mahatma Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru, Bal Gangadhar Tilak, Subash Chandra Bose and many more great leaders.
I would just like to take this moment to remember every wonderful and unique Indian who made history and Indians who continue to make history in their respective fields and congratulate them on being Indians and say that I am Indian with all my Pride!

Jai Hind!!!

SkyDiving!!!

2009-08-20T22:09:00.003-04:00

Diwakar and I had always wanted to do skydiving. It was always in the back of our mind, and we were always planning for it, but never really getting to do it. I had actually wanted to give Diwakar a surprise for our anniversary (not wedding, proposal!), but couldn’t. Then after I got my first paycheck from University of Utah, I decided to surprise Diwakar. I decided on a date, made appointments for both of us and gave Diwakar a gift certificate. He was really surprised, and excited!
I don’t know how Diwa was feeling, but I started getting nervous, as we started to drive to the Drop Zone! We went to the drop zone and had tto sit through a 20 min video which showed the basics of doing tandem jump and then we had to sign off (literally signing papers taking all the responsibilities for the risk taken during the jump) our lives to the people with whom we would be doing the tandem jump.
Then we put our gear on and were waiting to get into the plane. The plane wasn’t big, just enough to hold about 10 people in it. It was fitted with a see-through door and I was sitting right next to it, getting a view of how high we were going. And with the increase in altitude, my heart rate was also increasing.
Finally we had reached an altitude of 13,500 feet, from where we are supposed to jump. There was a professional skydiver who plunged through the plane before me. Then, the camera-man who would be shooting my skydiving adventure jumped ahead and was waiting for me to jump. Then Chris (my tandem skydiver) and me crawled ahead to the door and jumped making a back-flip. I was nervous till that moment, but once we jumped and the ethereal beauty the land and the salt lake in the distance hit me. The amazing experience of flying in the air and the beauty of the earth just blew away all the fear from my head. Not for a moment did I have that fear or nervousness after the jump. I was thoroughly enjoying myself, taking in the experience. We had about a minute of free-fall, and then Chris deployed the parachute. After the parachute was deployed, we did 360 degree and 720 degree turns, which would look like we are spiraling down the sky. It was fun, cause Chris let me handle the parachute. And then we had a perfect landing. Check out my video and pictures……

I would suggest everybody to go through this, because it’s a once-in-a-lifetime experience. You will not only experience flying, but also get a unique prospective about Earth and also about your Life!

Common Sense pretty Uncommon???

2009-07-10T23:50:00.001-04:00

I was on the university shuttle to get to my lab. On the bus was this guy who was in deep conversation with the bus driver. They were deep in conversation. Apparently even that guy was a bus driver for a couple of years before he became a student. They were talking about they experiences and telling each other anecdotes. During their conversation, the guy said “Students for all the knowledge n wisdom they have, do not have minimum common sense that they aught to have!”. This set me thinking.
What the guy was said was true to some extent. Common sense is getting to be really uncommon. Whether a person is well educated or not, common sense seems to be scarce among people. I wonder why? A well-educated person is assumed to really have presence of mind and loads of common sense, but when it comes to practical things in life, they somehow fall short. Is this because they have many things on their mind or that their mind is tuned to the lofty concepts of their education?? Is this a plausible explanation?? And if it is, how far is this true? Or is there some other reason for this. Does anybody have an explanation to this???
This also brings to question another popular myth. People have for generations assumed that education and refinement of character (samskaaram) of a person go together. But I beg to differ, just because a person is educated does not give us any guarantee that, that person has an honorable character. History has given us many examples where this has been proven to be wrong. Take for example, Saddam Hussein or Hitler - both really well-educated men, but with completely blotchy and sadistic characters. So, in my opinion, just education cannot imbue common sense or good character into a person. His upbringing, surrounding environment, society where he was brought up and many more things play an important role. Does anybody have anything else to add to this?

Federer Loves 15!

2009-07-07T00:10:00.008-04:00

Pre-Match Review:

A look at the statistics show that, out of 20 matches so far, Andy Roddick has lost 18 to Federer, in the past nine years. What Andy has to do in this match is equivalent of climbing a cliff with absolutely no gear to help him. He has to fight and win over Federer, who is all set to make history by winning the 15th Grand Slam title to become Tennis’ Greatest Player ever.
This match is of epic proportions on many levels. Just by turning up to the match, Roger will have broken the record of Ivan Lendl by appearing in his 20th Grand Slam final. He is also the first to contest in seven consecutive Wimbledon Finals in a row. This is also his sixth consecutive Grand Slam Final.

The achievements and records of Federer seem to dwarf what Roddick has achieved in his tennis career. But Roddick has been the best American tennis player since Sampras and Agassi stopped playing, maintaining his ranking in the top-ten for the past eight years.

He has a new coach, Larry Stefanki, who has done wondrous things in the past. At the start of this year, we saw a much leaner and fitter Roddick than we ever saw before. And his game is the best he has ever played. Although no match to him in regards to the titles won, Roddick is a threat and Federer knows this.

Post-Match Analysis:

There were many who predicted that Roddick was no match to Federer and that the match would be completed in less than an hour. How wrong were they!!! The first set that Roddick took, made everybody wonder if this final was also going to take a turn like last year’s final, where Nadal played and triumphed over Federer. But in the second set tiebreak, Roddick had already garnered four set points. He had four opportunities to take a two-set lead over Federer in the Wimbledon final. But with three backhand winners, one un-returnable serve and an ace later, the score was one set apiece. In those few minutes during the second set, Federer had made his point that he had come to win his 15th Grand Slam title.

This year at Wimbledon, we could see Federer play with this old confidence, cool and composure, that Nadal had managed to shake when he defeated Federer in the epic Wimbledon final last year. This match was definitely not one of Federer’s most brilliant ones, but it was Federer at his most aggressively determined for sure. Federer had gone back to basics; he had gone back to the Old Roger who would not let anyone pass him.

Roddick had reinvented himself in the last six months, with a new coach, new diet, new fitness regime and improved game. But he was simply not a match enough for Federer who was going for the kill. It was not an easy win at all. Roddick tried to throw everything that he knew at his Swiss rival, but Federer was unshakable.
That this was going to be a contest between two great gladiators was evident from the opening game. The statistics were no consideration on this day. Roddick matched Federer stride for stride, shot for shot, ace for ace as they raced through the opening set. In the opening set, Federer stood at break point four times and each time Roddick fought back. He could not have tried harder or played better. At the end of four sets, the score was two sets a piece, and it was evident to everybody that this match was going to be a fight to the last. The final set had to be extended to 30 games in all to get to the championship point, since neither of them was going to lose his serve. Finally in the 29th game, the long match and the mental pressure took its toll, and a fatigued Roddick wavered. Federer was quick to grab the opportunity and win the Championship.

This match was of epic proportions for various reasons: Federer hit 50 aces in this match, a career best. A record number of 30 games were played in the final set of the Wimbledon Finals. Federer broke Sampras’ Record and made a new record of winning 15 Grand slam titles and still counting. He reclaimed his No:1 ranking. But he did not establish all these records easily. He had to face an indomitable Roddick and defeat him. One can’t help but feel sorry for Andy. He had given all that he had in the game, but just fell short of winning. He was trying hard to keep his emotions in control. He said, “I am sorry Pete, I tried to hold him off!” to Sampras who was in the first row of the Royal’s Box. It would have been a disappointment, if the match was not what it turned out to be. Though Roger is the Champion, Andy is the sure winner!

Now that the pressure to make history is off Federer’s shoulders, he will continue to play, enjoy tennis and in the process continue to win many more titles.

This and That.....

2009-06-17T16:28:00.006-04:00

Been ages since I blogged. Not that I dont have any topics, but due to lack of time. I started my PhD research at Univ of Utah, and getting used to the travel, studies and work at home is eating away all my time. There are loads of topics that I want to blog about, but they are all in my head. So here I am trying to unload them. Before I can start out any one topic, I would to finish up with a bunch of them that I would definitely want to talk about, but which took place a long time back. So pardon me, if the topics I am discussing are too old.

First and foremost, What the heck was wrong with America to vote Kris Allen as the American Idol? I mean he is no match to Adam Lambert who is the most creative and amazing rock star that America has seen in a long time. Kris doesn't even have half the creativity or talent. I was surprised to see that he was saved and Allison and David Gokey were eliminated. I was shocked when he was declared the winner. This is a Talent competition and the most talented person does not win! America, the so called "Free Nation" is still stuck in the old-school traditions. America doesn't even vote and get a talented person to win a competition based solely on talent. They have to put that guy's lifestyle also to test too. Adam Lambert will definitely be a success with or without the American Idol Title, but that is not the point. No matter how much success he gets, he will always be known as the guy who did not win the American Idol. People do tout that winning doesn't matter, but in such cases it does! In protest to this, I have vowed never to listen to or buy any of Kris Allen's Albums.

The IPL Semi-Finals and Finals: Gilly and his boys played amazing cricket that was a feast to the eyes for the millions of cricket fans. Both matches were how matches should be, nail-biting to the last minute. I was ecstatic when Deccan Chargers won the match against Delhi Dare-Devils after losing to them in the previous match against them. After that spectacular win, I was sure the match against Royal Challengers Bangalore would be cake-walk, but Anil Kumble and boys made the Final even more interesting and amazing. Well, Kudos to Gilly for such a great captaincy and to his boys for such a wonderful cricket playing.

French Open: The most amazing one yet (obviously, because my favourite player won it finally!!!). The only grand slam that was denied to Roger Federer all these years is finally his. And this win is all the more sweeter, because this win has put him on par with Pete Sampras with the equal number of Grand Slam titles won! Yippeeeeeeee. It was an emotional presentation ceremony for Federer. He had been trying to win the French Open all these years and he had not won anything after the Olympics last year. In his tears we could see the determination, hard-work and mental strength that he put in to win this year's French Open. It was awesome to watch!!!

Chinglish Beats Hinglish - Part 1

2009-05-07T00:11:00.011-04:00

Welcome for Coming???

The Key to Existence is Pushing........Never heard that one before........

Really???

I promise, I won't, but where are you???

China "MAKES" Children toooooo..........

Have a careful suicide....

I am NOT paying to get my FOOT trimmed......definitely NOT!!!

TO BE CONTINUED......
On the one hand I was really surprised to see Allison leave the show. I was so sure Kris would leave, after his abysmal performance of a Beatles song yday. Am seriously disappointed to see Allison leave. She is a great singer and performer. American Idol has really lost a great artist.
On the other front, it was a wonderful match between the Mumbai Indians and my fave the Deccan Chargers. I was disappointed to see DC lose the last 3 matches after a wonderful start. The team rankings give absolutely no clue as to who might win the IPL, though it does tell us that KKR are the definite losers!!! Well, we just have to wait and watch.......On this note I sign off tonight.

Indian Premier League Zindabad!!!

2009-04-22T18:16:00.008-04:00

Disclaimer: I am not an expert in cricket or on IPL. This post is just a result of my musings and opinions. So, do not judge me on my meager knowledge.

It has been almost a year and a half since I have watched any cricket. Last year during the inception and the first season on IPL, I was busy finishing off my thesis, trying to graduate and many other things, so I did not really follow the matches and their outcomes. Thanks to My3, I am in the loop with this year’s IPL. First of all it feels awesome to be able to watch some cricket after such a long time. I agree its going to take time to get used to the new players and their game. Not that I have the total know-how about the game, I wouldn’t know the difference between an in-swing and a Yorker. I am still learning in that aspect ;), thanks to my darling hubby (it still feels weird to call him that….).
Ever since I was a kid, I have remembered watching cricket at home. Gauri aunty used to make Payasam and Gulab Jamun (Indian desserts) every time India won a match. Now, IPL is completely new ~ it’s like an old game in a new packaging. It’s a lot more cricket to watch for the cricket fanatics (read as Indians here), but the advantages don’t end here. There is loads of international exposure for the Indian players from the A and B teams. On the other side, the practice that the Indian players get playing the IPL is really good. The stats of the players on IPL would really help the BCCI in picking out the better players for the Indian Cricket team. It also has its entertainment value what with the cheerleaders dancing at the matches and the theme songs of the teams featuring the Bollywood stars.

IPL is surely god-sent for us Indians. Coming to today’s match of Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) Vs Deccan Chargers (DC), the team DC was amazing from ball 1. They had amazing batting line up, tremendous fielding and really good bowling with R.P.Singh as the highlight who took the Purple Cap for the highest number of wickets in the match, which has made him the highest wicket taker in the tourni to date. I was surprised to see Dravid play aggressively in this match. I haven’t seen him play this way ever till now. He has always been the one who plays a very consistent, slow game which is a way to always keep-safe the wicket. But this play of aggressiveness with only runs as the main goal is a new and a great side of him. Now he has the lead in the highest number runs in the tourni to date :D.
All in all, a wonderful way for me to get back into the cricket loop. I will surely have a lot of cricket to watch for the next 35 days, since we have bought to watch all the matches from now on. Thanks a lot My3 for reminding me about this.

Click here to get all the dish about IPL and click here to watch the free streaming of the matches (Courtesy: My3 :D).

Cricket Jai Ho!!!

I Miss you my Friend.........

2009-04-19T23:49:00.004-04:00

“What makes a person dearer is not the happiness you feel when you meet them, but the emptiness you feel when they are not around us.” ~ a true statement, don’t you agree? Not a single day goes by when I don’t think about my dearest friends. For a person *read as me* who is not close to anybody in the family, friends are “Be all, end all”. I am the person who knows that “The only thing constant in life is Change”, but I never thought that people, especially friends change in regard of how we relate to each other.
Well, agreed that we have all got married and there is more to life for each of us than it was before, but does that does not mean that, our perspective of life and persons change? Then why should the way we relate to each other change? I do know that “Some friends come for a reason and some come for a season”, but I had never thought that this particular friend I am talking about ever came for a season. I always knew that this friend had come to be my dearest n most beloved one for life. This friend walked into my life out of the blue and changed my whole world. All thorough my earlier life, I was looking for a particular kind of person, one who would listen to me, one who would care for me, one who would always be there for me. I was tired of always being the one to understand everybody else around me, of trying to listen to others, of catering to every need of others around me. I wanted somebody to listen to me, to care for me, to understand me completely. Don’t get be wrong here, I am the attention seeking-kind, but then everybody needs to be pampered sometime in life, right? But after years of searching, I had finally given up that there was no such kind of person for me. I was living my life, drab n dreary that it was at this time, lost in depression, living my life one day at a time, all but forgotten about my search, when all of a sudden this person walks into my life.
It was like sunshine on a bleak wintry morning, and slowly but steadily, my life changed ~ just the way cold, bleak depressing Winter gives way to bright, warm n shiny Summer. My happiness knew no bounds and my life was worth living with a smile on my face and a spring in my step. I have no idea what kind of an impact my friendship had on this person, but we were (and are to this day) the best of friends. We met in the very last year of our engineering and we often thought that we had wasted 3 years of college without meeting each other.

We have gone through our paths in life (whatever they were meant to be), shared our loves, disappointments, dreams and goals and have always managed to constantly keep in touch, in the exact same way as we were when we were together in the same city, as if we there was no difference with places, times and circumstances in life. Now, the times have changed. I do not know if it is the change in the circumstances or it is in the perspectives or something else, but I really miss my friend. I miss my friend each n every day so much, that it’s like a constant heartache. I can do nothing to bridge this gap that has come between us. I can do nothing but wait for things to get better, things which have gone awry for which neither of us are at fault. I love you my friend with all my heart!!! And I really miss you, there is an emptiness without you in my life. Nobody but you can fill up the hole in my heart.

Creativity or the Lack of it.

2009-04-17T14:49:00.003-04:00

I always thought I could write. At some point in my life I knew that I could, when I was filling notebook after notebook with poems and stories. But now I really doubt myself.
At the time, when I was finishing up my grad school and I had months (God know how many more….) of endless time on my hands, I thought I could spend more time on my blog, I could write my thoughts and opinions and also work on some stories. Oh how wrong I was!!! My wedding planning, details and my constant job search were high on my priority list and those took up most of the time. I know what you are thinking, mere excuses………that is true. When you have nothing to write about, or when you start to question your own ability that’s what you go after ~ excuses. These days I seriously doubt my creativity or should I say the lack of it. Nothing remotely good coming out of my brain n heart, and that is really bugging me.

I have been racking my brain and keeping away from posting on my blog waiting for a good thought to come my way and to build on it. It is as elusive as the corruption free politician in India. But now I have come to understand one particular thing. Thoughts and ideas flow only when you keep writing. The flow gets stumped as soon as you stop. So here I am starting to write whatever comes to my mind and hoping that my creative juices start to flow as before (keeping my fingers crossed here…). Do pray for me too!!!

On the other front, I am seriously disappointed to see that Anoop is one of the bottom three for the third consecutive week. I thought he did really well last week and I was surprised to find him there. I agree he is not as good as others like Adam, Danny or Allison, but he is good. Is this due to the fact that he is of Indian origin and is not getting any votes? I think so. On the other note, History was made when the Judges decided to save a contestant for the first time since the beginning of the show ~ saving Matt. Was it a wise decision? Well that remains to be seen.

Blind Alley!

2009-04-10T00:59:00.001-04:00

There was this one time when I was at the eye doctor’s for a routine check up. The doctor put some eye drops to get my eyes diluted and asked me to keep my shut for the next two hours. Well that was the first time I really understood the blind man’s world, well as much as we able-bodied person’s can. But imagine living your whole life like that, not being able to see any color or the beauty of the world.
Well I had new-founded respect for the blind after watching American Idol, esp the Elimination Round yday. It was really difficult to understand the position Scott was in, being in the limelight, but not really being able to see it and enjoy it. A definite tragedy to lose him, and even a greater surprise of seeing him lose to Lil and Anoop.

Balancing Act!!!

2009-04-02T18:47:00.003-04:00

I never thought I was the kind of person who would fall in love. I was much too involved in other aspects of my life to even think about what love was. Even at the mention of it I used to laugh at people who mentioned it. But I was totally unawares when it slowly crept into my life. Things little thought of before, become a whole new priority in life afterwards. What an irony!!!
Not that I am complaining, far from it. It just crosses my mind every time, as to just how this wonder ever happened in my life. To everyone who asks me and hears my love story, it is a common one - friends to best friends and then something more…..yes quite simple and a typical filmy love story. But when it comes to being a part of that, and the very fact that I am one of the major players is an enigma in itself. For most of the part, I believe I am a very difficult person to spend life with, a person who has her whims and fancies. I am fun to spend couple of days or even couple of days with, but a whole lifetime ~ I think is an altogether a different ball game.

I am a very independent person, who has learnt to live life on her own terms. Anything that doesn’t seem to suit my principles or my idea of life, it irks me. Till now life has taught me many things, but this aspect of being in a relationship and spending all my time and life with this whole other person is a complete foreign territory.
Don’t get me wrong here. I am not saying that I dislike this, but it sure is taking me an awful lot of time to get adjusted to. I love being in this phase of life and learning more and more bout the guy I love and myself. But then again, sometimes I look back and see that I have changed myself for this other person in my life that I sometimes can’t seem to know who I am. This scares me the most.
I mean is it so necessary to alter yourself so much that you can’t seem to remember who you were?? I am all for working things out between each other, but completely changing yourself ~ No ways!!!
I know for sure that I will find my balance, but I just hope that comes by real fast.

Loud Music!!!

2008-11-12T19:07:00.002-05:00

Sometimes all you want to do is put on the music loud and just keep working out in the gym. So loud that, it would blow out every other thought out of your brains and all you can experience is the throbbing muscles in your body. The only thing that is left is the feeling of pain everyplace in you, which is welcome and feels much better than the agony of the heart!

Journey of Our Love!

2008-11-05T13:06:00.001-05:00

Born apart and living our lives that were a mystery,

Till our paths crossed and the rest was history.

I wasn’t on the lookout for you, I am sure,

It was Time’s Magic, and life was not the same anymore.

Here we are, two people in love,

Happy just being with one another.

Not knowing where the destiny lies,

But pretty sure the journey would be made together.

I am really glad for the day,

When you reached for my hand and touched my heart!

Craziness in Our Friendship

2008-08-02T02:29:00.010-04:00

I know I have not been blogging for ages. Well it has been a couple of hectic months. First My3’s trip to Orlando, then my trip to Seattle (where I had my Engagement Function) and then my job searches. Then there have been calls to India all through the time to discuss and plan about my upcoming marriage with my parents. Whew!!! Amidst all this, I feel completely guilty about not being able to blog. Finally I have been able to make some time. There are too many topics now that I wanna write about. Lemme tackle one post at a time.
First of all I would like to write about my best friend’s trip to Orlando. It had been long overdue, but finally she could make it. My3, best friend is too small a word for her. She has been a part of my life for almost decade now. People often ask if we ever fight, and when I think back, it always strikes me that we never did fight and it is impossible that we ever will. And this is only because both of us are so innately comfortable with each other, just the way you are comfortable with yourself. And do you ever fight with yourself?? No, right!!! Well, that’s us in short.

I had been planning and saving since long for My3’s trip to Orlando. We had so many plans of doing various things when we got together, like getting identical tattoos, shopping my school’s goods and talking about important, as well as inconsequential things. I had not gone to some of the famous theme parks in Orlando, and had definitely wanted to see those with her. I had planned to take her to KSC, Disney Epcot, SeaWorld and definitely to the beach (as that is our fave place in the world). And when we are together, it definitely is going to be a movie a day. I wanted to make sure both of us had a wonderful vacation.
It is really hard to describe the time we have when we are together. Its fun, its crazy, its soulful, its silly, its petty, its priceless.………it’s everything!!! Well, the nite she came we were up all nite talking n laughing till our bellies hurt. The next day I took her to UCF campus to show her around and also to buy the tickets to the theme parks as we get student discount. The campus was empty as it was semester holidays. She liked my campus and then we went to the school bookstore to buy UCF goodies. My3 had told me that she wanted to buy and wear UCF stuff, coz I studied there. That was really sweet of her, coz I felt happy that atleast somebody was feeling proud of me doing masters. We bought a couple of tees and a sweatshirt. Then after dinner, we went to watch the movie “baby mama”. I didn’t think the movie would offer much, but I was surprised by how much I laughed. It is a complete chick flick, but really hilarious. Now after the movie is over, at around 1-30 pm My3 feels like having an ice-cream…………….just like the good ol’ days in Vizag. I took her to McDees and got her an ice-cream, and then listening to our fave music and singing along at the top of our voices we got home………….to more talking and sleeping pretty late into the nite.
Next day we went to Kennedy Space Center (KSC). It was fun checking out the place where all those satellites are launched and also looking at the life-size launchers………amazing I tell you. There was this new satellite launch experience ride that they had. It was really gr8……….just like any other simulation ride, but still……..it was jus gr8 (for the simple reason that it was my3 and me together ;) ). From KSC, we went to the Cocoa Beach. It’s a 10 minute drive from KSC. We were missing Vizag beach and I was really looking forward to go to the beach with My3, as we both have a special place for the beach in our hearts. It was fun getting wet in the waters and posing for pics, some came out really well I must say. Then driving back to Orlando, we freshened up a lil and then as usual, we headed for a movie…….with Hari joining us this time. After the movie, as usual my3 wanted a milk-shake, went to steak n shake, got us milkshakes and ended up at home, to as usual more chit-chatting (Yes,we got loadssssssssss to talk about, ny problem with tht???).

The next day we were going to Disney’s Epcot. As usual, my3 is always late in waking up. The one thing I hate is that everybody around me loves to sleep, where as I can never sleep for more than 6-7 hours. I really despise sleeping for longer than that, but contrary to that everybody else in my life just loves to sleep, not matter the time and place. And my3 is one such person. I really have a hard time waking her and making her get ready. Finally at around 12 we reached Disney Epcot. As customary in Summer, Epcot was having its Flower Show. All around there were flowers of various colors. We were going around checking out the different exhibits, most of them were for kids, when we saw that different Disney characters were giving out autographs. We went straight there and stood in line, and were quite excited coz we watched many Disney cartoons since we were kids. When we were in line, we saw a guy, who was damn cute. Though he was with his wife and daughter (2 year old), we couldn’t take our eyes of him. And its my policy that, if your boyfriend/husband is not around in a radius of 50 m, for all practical purposes you are single. So unashamedly we were line marofying to this guy for almost an hour when we were waiting in line to meet the characters.

When it was finally our turn to meet the characters, it was super fun. Each of the characters gave aa nice hug and posed with us for photographs, we had a blast! Imagine how much kids would love to have that experience. Then, we saw the different shows in epcot and by the time we got to the different countries around the lake it was bout 4-30 in the evening. We were supposed to pick a spot around the lake and sit in that spot by 7-15 coz the fireworks would start at 9, and after 7-30 it would be difficult to get a spot. So, we went and saw the displays of different countries in 90 mins and we picked a really nice spot and spent the rest of the time talking. It never ceases to amaze me that no matter what or where, we always have so much to talk and share. The fireworks were amazing, just the way Disney is famous for. By the time it was done, it was 10-00 and we were heading back home. My3 had downloaded this Thai horror movie “toll gate”, so after we got home and freshened up, -Hari, My3 and me- were watching that movie with the whole house in darkness. My3 and me, we love watching horror movie in the dark. It’s a different kind of experience. The movie was ok, not much scary but it was fun watching it with My3 and Hari. And again as usual we slept at around 3 am in the morning.
The next day, the program was to get our tattoos. The tattoo place is near downtown, we drove down there after lunch and spent almost half an hour deciding on the design of the tattoo. Then My3 remembered that she forgot her state id at home. Hari helped us out there by picking up My3, taking her home and dropping her back at the tattoo place. In the mean time I got my tattoo done. And then My3 got hers done. We got a tattoo on our left hand wrist. The tattoo is a word in mandarin script which means crazy/insane, and on the top with our initials inlaid is a ladybug. It was really fun and exciting getting identical tattoos and I love seeing my tattoo even today.

The next day we went to sea world. My3’s first roller coaster ride in the USA was the Kraken in Sea world. We sat on the first seat of the ride and it was amazing. We also went on the “Trip to Atlantis” ride……….it was just fun. My3 being an avid animal lover………she just loved the shows by Shamu, the killer whale,the dolphins and the other trained animals. We had a fun day and the next day My3 was heading back to Boston.
There has never been a day when My3 is on time, whether she is to catch a flight or even to a movie. In the same way, she is late for her flight to Boston and just barely made it. It was indeed sad to see her go, but then we had to get back to our respective lives. And it is not like that we really miss each other, coz whatever we are always a part of our lives. Whether we are speaking to each other everyday or not speaking for a couple of weeks, we just start off where we leave it at and no explanations are ever required.
In this life, I am really grateful for the friends that I have……….My3, Abu, Diwakar, Bhagath, and Pradeep. And this post is a special tribute to My3, my Darling, the best part of my life…………….Love u loads sweetheart…………..Muaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!!!!!

Thesis Defense

2008-04-27T23:35:00.000-04:00

April 23rd, 2008 ~ a day that I will remember for a long time to come. This is the day that I successfully completed my thesis defense. I know, many of you would say that this is not a great achievement because there are many others who are doing it, during the completion of their Master’s Degree, I agree. But it is still a special occasion for me, because never in my life did I imagine that I would obtain a higher degree, let alone my Engineering degree.
In the past few months, when I was working on my thesis, there were many a times when I thought I would quit and felt like I couldn’t do it. But with the help of Bhagavan Mavayya, Diwakar and sometimes plain retrospection, put me back onto the path of completing it.
When the day finally came, I was really tensed, not about the presentation but about the kind of questions that might be asked, and whether I can answer them or not. But once I started with my presentation, I was feeling quite confident. Then suddenly a professor on the committee (Dr. Raj) said if he could interrupt me. My heart started beating faster, I said he could. He asked a question, and when I could answer it an continue with my presentation, I felt better and confident and the rest of the presentation and the question answer session that continued went pretty smoothly. There was a point where, I did not understand the question that was posed to me, but my advisor (Dr. Heinrich), helped and made me answer it correctly. This went on for an hour and twenty minutes. There were times, when I just wanted to finish off with my thesis and also thought that it was an average thesis-nothing spectacular about it, but when one of the professors commented that the way it was written, is really simple and easy to understand, my heart filled with pride.
Then my advisor asked everybody else except the committee to leave, as they had to reach a decision about approving my thesis. I was waiting outside, making small chat with friends. Time was ticking by, 5 mins, 10 mins. By the time it was 15 mins, my heart started beating at an alarming rate and I was panicking. After about 20 minutes, my advisor opened the door and was smiling and saying that congratulation were due to me as the thesis was approved. I wanted to jump up and down and hug everybody. That’s how I felt. I was grinning all day long, and shared the news immediately with Bhagavan Mavayya, Diwakar and my family. I just wished they were there with me at that moment to share the happiness.

Approval...........

2008-04-20T00:12:00.003-04:00

Approval………a mere word, but which creates havoc in lives. A person needs the approval by people around him. Now don’t get me wrong. Its not the kind of approval, that you get for work or job. It’s the approval of being a person, being one among them. Does it really bother everybody if they are approved or not? There are some people who effortlessly can just slip into any group and be recognized as one of them in no time. Then there are others for whom this may seem like a nightmare. How do I define myself? I am like the former lot, where it just comes normally that I can just be a part of a group. But then at times when the pressure is really on me to be liked, I tend to become the latter. Now is this a problem with everybody, or is it just me? I am not saying I am like Monica (in Friends), wherein I feel that everybody should like me. But then, when I really make an effort, I feel that everything I do is going wrong and that leads to panic……….complete and total panic. Sometime I see people who are just innately comfortable with everything and everybody, which I find quite difficult at times. This is the consequence of loving oneself completely (self-love) which also gives a lot of confidence in one-self.This I seem to have trouble with, but trying it to overcome, which I am sure I will. Does a person really need approval from people??? Isn’t it enough to know for yourself and your loved ones that, you are right in your own way?? I do …………………and there I rest my case………

This and that.........

2008-04-18T00:11:00.000-04:00

It’s been ages since I have visited my own blog let alone posting something. It is the obvious ramification, when you are so damn busy with something else (or at least that’s the impression that I am trying to create). I felt like posting something today, I have many topics on which I wanna write, but I just don’t have the energy nor the creativity to go thru it right now. So here I am rambling on with what is on my mind.
I am so frikking tired, that I can hardly seem to be able to keep my eyes open. But it gives me immense pleasure that I have done a good days work. It is feels really great to be busy and working hard (or is it hardly working???) towards something, which you can’t wait to finish (am talking bout Masters). Well I am glad I am finishing off my Masters next week. I never thought I would be able to do it ever. But here I am on the last lap of it, and I just hope everything goes well without a hitch. I am just keeping my fingers crossed and praying real hard. Well, that is what is on my mind right now…….and here is goes into my blog. Will get back to it with some more interesting posts and stories in the near future…………till then……Have a great life!!!

New Music Player!!!

2008-04-09T01:48:00.003-04:00

Now you can listen to my favorite music as you browse my Blog. Hope you enjoy the songs. There are only few now, will add more in the time to come. Happy browsing and blogging if you are a blogger.

Knife or Gun???

2008-04-02T17:33:00.003-04:00

It is Wednesday, the day of market - by the students, for the students - outside the Student Union,at my Univ. And I see signs that say “Marijuana is safer than Alcohol” and “Legalize Weed”! What the hell is that supposed to mean now,that a Knife is safer than a Gun or that a snake is a better pet than a scorpion?? People here are so danm confused about things in life that at one point you start pitying them. What is wrong with these “goras”, anyways??? They think that life is only about booze, weed and sex, especially during their undergrad years. Please somebody go and talk to them, that there is more to life!!!

Seeing the Silver lining in the worst of times........

2008-03-30T22:28:00.004-04:00

Hey, well I believe for the last couple of posts, I have been quite a schmuck, all pessimistic about things that have been going on. Well, most times in life are like that, but is that really an excuse to feel low?? "Eternal optimist" that I am, I feel that no matter what life dishes out to me, with the right attitude and my faith in God, I need to enjoy the wonderful life that has been given to me to the maximum. And I really regret not being able to live up to the mark for the past few weeks. I have also learned in the past few weeks, that no matter what the life that I have is mine to live irrespective of the people whom I love and share my life with. I have certain promises and commitments to life that have been in place since time long. Nothing is going to change, not my parents, not my friends and not even my future family. So why should I look for support from outside during my low times too?? We come to life and die all alone, so why do we need a support system for the life between?? The only support that I am going to take is from my all time best friend, GOD, the one who gave me this Life!!! Amen……

Life Sucks!!!

2008-03-29T01:40:00.002-04:00

I did something which should have put me in a good mood. I bought a laptop table that needs to be put together and I put it together myself without anybody’s help. Agreed that it is not much, but still I was proud of the work that I did. I am the kind of a person who really loves to make things with my own hands. I know, I know, putting together pre-made pieces of furniture is not exactly making something from scratch, but hey it’s a start. And I am really proud of my work. Check out my work for yourself. Pretty good huh??? Well then you must be wondering as to why I am not feeling good about myself. It so happens that it is human nature to share your proud or sad moments with people you love, but what happens when you are all alone and absolutely nobody is there with you to share anything. I guess you get my point. Life with all its ups, downs, challenges, silly things, happy and sad moments, seems only worth living if you have someone you love (friends and soulmate) to share it with. Here I am stranded in the most crowded and wonderful city, surrounded by people, but I still feel lonely and forsaken. I yearn to go to a place where people love me, care for me and miss me when I am not around. i hate to be around people who cant even spend a minute on something else other than themselves and their lives. Well so much for a wish which can hardly be granted, when all you have got is yourself. Really Life Sucks, Doesn't it??

Mind Power or No Power!!!

2008-03-28T00:36:00.000-04:00

My mind is so exhausted with working on my thesis and trying to comprehend the vast data that I am producing, I hardly seem to be able to get anything creative out of my head. Why is it that it seems completely impossible to even produce anything remotely good, when the mind is so swamped with other things? I mean isn’t the mind supposed to work double and triple shifts no matter what. It just comes as a blow to my ego (Oh yaa…………..i too have an ego….some think I have too much, some think I have none……….but lets not talk about that now………that’s a topic for another day), that I can’t churn out something good. Oh well, even the best of the best have their bad days………….I am having my bad weeks or should I say months…..

Thesis—is it meant to be or not??

2008-03-26T01:21:00.001-04:00

I have been working on my thesis from the start of the spring semester, but it hardly seems to have moved an inch. You can’t really try to see what the fault for this stand-still is, cause there aren’t any. Its just that many things contribute to it. But what scares me most is the question as to whether I can pull this thing off or not. It all seems ok and nice when I am working on the TEM or analyzing the data and doing experiments. But when it comes down to putting all these efforts on paper, I am mighty afraid. Yes, me too, who is supposed to be good at writing (yeah, right!!!). The thing that is bugging me most is that, even after working in my field, which is quite vast, I seem to be completely lost. Is it the subject that is so vast or am I plain dumb??? Well these are the kind of questions that keep haunting me, and I guess will keep doing so for quite some time in my life. So it comes down to the big question……………

Holi Hai!!!!!

2008-03-23T23:47:00.003-04:00

Holi, the festival of colors, a time to have fun. Today we in UCF, Orlando celebrated Holi with abandon. It was a wonderful experience, having fun with friends and making new friends while coloring your life. I just wish my closest friends were there to enjoy such a wonderful time with me. We, the committee members of Sangam had organized this event of Holi at Lake Claire, Orlando with colors, pizza and music. A crowd of 50-60 people turned up. It was a major success. Everybody had fun with colors and also dancing to the music. I couldn’t have asked for a better way to celebrate this Festival of Colors. A wonderful way to end this wonderful day was to have dinner with my friends here. I made dinner and then had dinner with my friends, ashu, pradeep,his parents, hari, subash, suraj n jyoti at ashu's place. The highlight was, everybody liked my Cooking :D...........I couldn't have asked for more on this beautiful day!!! I just wish all my days were as satisfying and happy as today......Well here ends my day..........Good nite and Happy Holi everybody!!!!

Pulsar Mania!!!

2008-03-15T11:36:00.001-04:00

Sachin--Knight or not.........

2008-03-05T19:43:00.005-05:00

Ever since the British Prime Minister has hinted that Sachin should be awarded the honorary Knighthood by the Queen, speculation has been rampant about whether or not he should accept it.
Nobody will deny the fact that our very own "Master Blaster" is the best and one of a kind cricketer. His records talk for themselves and without doubt he has contributed much to the game of cricket.He has been honored by the Indian Government with the Arjuna award and also with the Bharat Ratna more recently. Now he is being considered for honorary knighthood by the British empire, which if he accepts will put him in the same league as Sir Don Bradman,Sir Richard Hadlee etc. He would have to kneel before the Queen of England and accept the knighthood and the honorary title of "SIR" before his name.
There were other Indians who were awarded the honorary knighthood, like Rabindranath Tagore and Sunil Gavaskar, but they politely refused it. As many consider, it is not stipulated anywhere in the constitution of India that people have to refuse this knighthood. We are a democratic and a republic country, and everybody is equal. But people have refused this award due to the whole history that we have with England and that the Queen is not our Head of State, and frankly speaking why the hell should somebody kneel in front of her. Monarchy has ended a long time back, but here they are still keeping up with their preposterous traditions.
Considering the fact how much Sachin loves our country, I personally think he would too politely refuse this honorary knighthood. He doesn't need England's recognition to tell the world he is the best, every person who watches, follows, loves cricket, knows that Sachin is the best there ever can be in this game. And thats that!!! Now here comes another question of as to whether talent needs to be recognised or not, but well thts another thought for another blog. If awarded, this would be a wonderful present for the little master, though whether he accepts it or not is a different issue. This speculation will end on April 21st, 2008 the Queen's birthday when the recipients get this honor. Anybody and everybody who has a say on this please take my Poll at the right side of my blog which is open till 21st April and lets see if Sachin R Tendulkar goes with the crowd or against it.

Nuvvostanante.....Nenoddantanaa....

2008-02-26T23:24:00.002-05:00

Memorable Moments......

2008-02-22T03:04:00.006-05:00

Sleeping beside me on my bed, and gently nudging me awake from my slumber....
talking about things that are important and silly things that make me feel dumber....
a mighty number we had to fight ....
but we couldn't just stay out of each other's sight.....
"lets agree to disagree" you always said.........
but that was never to be i always bid.......
no matter how hard it was to walk your way........
I did it for you as i had nothing else to say.......
You always said "Out of Sight , Out of Mind".......
But I made sure Our "hearts grow fonder over distance yonder".........
What is this special bond that makes us stick together........
I would say it was Love that nobody else cares to bother........

The beauty of Mathematics.........

2008-02-21T13:57:00.003-05:00

I got this in a fwd mail and thought it was worth sharing............

1 x 8 + 1 = 9
12 x 8 + 2 = 98
123 x 8 + 3 = 987
1234 x 8 + 4 = 9876
12345 x 8 + 5 = 98765
123456 x 8 + 6 = 987654
1234567 x 8 + 7 = 9876543
12345678 x 8 + 8 = 98765432
123456789 x 8 + 9 = 987654321

1 x 9 + 2 = 11
12 x 9 + 3 = 111
123 x 9 + 4 = 1111
1234 x 9 + 5 = 11111
12345 x 9 + 6 = 111111
123456 x 9 + 7 = 1111111
1234567 x 9 + 8 = 11111111
12345678 x 9 + 9 = 111111111
123456789 x 9 +10= 1111111111

9 x 9 + 7 = 88
98 x 9 + 6 = 888
987 x 9 + 5 = 8888
9876 x 9 + 4 = 88888
98765 x 9 + 3 = 888888
987654 x 9 + 2 = 8888888
9876543 x 9 + 1 = 88888888
98765432 x 9 + 0 = 888888888

Brilliant, isn't it?

And look at this symmetry:

1 x 1 = 1
11 x 11 = 121
111 x 111 = 12321
1111 x 1111 = 1234321
11111 x 11111 = 123454321
111111 x 111111 = 12345654321
1111111 x 1111111 = 1234567654321
11111111 x 11111111 = 123456787654321
111111111 x 111111111=12345678987654321

Now, take a look at this...

101%

From a strictly mathematical viewpoint:

What Equals 100%?

What does it mean to give MORE than 100%?

Ever wonder about those people who say they are giving
more than 100%?

We have all been in situations where someone wants you to
GIVE OVER 100%.

How about ACHIEVING 101%?

What equals 100% in life?

Here's a little mathematical formula that might help
answer these questions:

If:

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

Is represented as:

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22
23 24 25 26.

Then:

H-A-R-D-W-O-R- K

8+1+18+4+23+15+18+11 = 98%

And:

K-N-O-W-L-E-D-G-E

11+14+15+23+12+5+4+7+5 = 96%

But:

A-T-T-I-T-U-D-E

1+20+20+9+20+21+4+5 = 100%

THEN, look how far the love of God will take you:

L-O-V-E- O-F- G-O-D

12+15+22+5+15+6+7+15+4 = 101%

Therefore, one can conclude with mathematical certainty
that:

While Hard Work and Knowledge will get you close, and
Attitude will get you there, It's the Love of God that
will put you over the top!!!

Words, Words and more Words.......

2008-02-20T19:26:00.004-05:00

Words have always been my friends. My solace in times of distress, my outlet in frustrations, my companion in loneliness. Words on their own are nothing, but when backed by feelings, they are everything. But for the past few months, words have been eluding me. There are too many things that I want to talk about, but words just dont seem to come to me now-a-days. Its like trying to hold sand in my fists.....the harder i try to hold on to it.....the faster it slips away....the same way.....i try to put my thoughts and feelings into words....the harder it is to get it out......My well of creativity has completely dried out and I miss writing my poems, short stories and my thoughts. And this is one of the pathetic attempts to get back......

2007-11-02T10:29:00.000-04:00

Happiness is a choice that requires effort at times......

This Poem left me Speechless!!!

2007-10-24T23:39:00.000-04:00

Poem courtesy: Sree
Photograph Courtesy: Me

Tooooo many things going on!!!!!

2007-10-23T11:36:00.000-04:00

Its been ages since I have blogged and I dont seem to get a suitable topic to start. But then I thought, its my blog........shud I have a particular topic??? Well What the hell, lemme jus ramble on..............Well for the past few days I have been having these thots......I hardly seem to have time to be able to update myself on the current affairs.....or even get to do the stuff that I want to...... Where is all the time going??? I am not getting enough sleep, I am not getting any work done, I am not getting any slimmer and still the time is flying by................What the hell is happening???
Well, I am going to the Lab and working, but the "working" does not seem to be enough.........I am working out at the gym.......but am not getting any slimmer..........and I am sleeping......But again not enough.......and at the end of the day I am so damn tired!!! Am not able to concentrate on what I am doing.....too many things going on in the mind......its kinda difficult to keep track of everything....... It just seems that no matter what I do, I am not getting any result.....It is kinda depressing...........and I am getting all the more cranky due to this.........and guess what the first thing happens when I am like this?? I start losing temper for no reason with my best friends and loved ones..........which will just make me all the more miserable............Where is the start and end of this circle???? arrrrrrrrrrrgggggggggghhhhhhhhhhhhhh....................I hate it when I am like this..............Well I thot I wud be able to figure out something when I write all this..........and I think I have............next post in a couple of days when I feel a lot better about my self!!!

How Cynical am I ?

2007-07-30T12:52:00.000-04:00

You Are 32% Cynical

Generally you give people the benefit of the doubt. But there are exceptions.
You buy into many of the things that mainstream society believes, but you're not anybody's fool.

How Cynical Are You?

How Scary Am I???

2007-07-30T12:49:00.001-04:00

You Are a Little Scary

You've got a nice edge to you. Use it.

How Scary Are You?

How Weird Am I???

2007-07-30T12:44:00.000-04:00

You Are 50% Weird

Normal enough to know that you're weird...
But too damn weird to do anything about it!

How Weird Are You?

Fear of Success!!!

2007-07-10T16:03:00.001-04:00

I was browsing through some newspapers on the net and I came across an astrology forecast which was talking about "Fear of Success", and that got me thinking. This feature is the result of my random thoughts about this topic........I have no idea if it is any use or not........but read on if it intrigues u and let me know what you think too..........

The nearer your destination, the less sure you are that you actually want to arrive. Is this normal? Or is this fear only harassing a few of us? I really have no idea to that question, cause when you look at people, everybody seems confident on the outside (I do too!), but why should anybody have fear of success?? Fear of Failure I understand, but fear of success???

Sometimes the fear of success is a lot stronger than the fear of failure. But what is it that brings about this fear of success?? Well, this fear of success is very unique, and it arises due to various reasons. It can arise when we are genuinely creating change, it can arise when we think that after all the sacrifices and the changes we have made, we doubt if the goal will be worth it eventually. It might also arise due to the fact that we might think we are not worthy of that success and that some one else is better equipped and better talented than us to get this success and deal with it.

But what ever the reason might be, this fear is there and that has to be tackled in order to succeed and to sustain this success.......Success is a tricky thing. It differs from person to person with their perception, and with this also changes the fear of it. I personally think this fear stems from the very human nature which is afraid of change. People are so used to the relationships they have with people around them, the atmosphere and the protective environment around them that the very thought of change in any of these triggers a fear and a stubbornness that wants no change, hence no success.

As we all know, change is the law of nature, and who ever embraces change is sure to succeed in his path...........and thus it is with this eagerness and enthusiasm that we should get over our fear of success and go forth to succeed in our goals................

I hope I made at least some sense.........Well here I end this topic.......

Words straght from the heart of my sweetheart!!!

2006-09-13T17:44:00.000-04:00

For you My Love on your Birthday,

I hope there is never
a need for you to wonder
how strong and deep
my feelings are for you.
We may have changed a little,
grown a lot,
but what's been constant
is how much i need you in my life...

If my words
sometimes fail me,
always remember
what's in my heart~
You stir my soul......
and always will!

Happy Birthday with all My Love!!!

Birthday Wishes of my Darling!!!

2006-09-13T17:28:00.000-04:00

Happy Birthday my Love!!!

I want to be the blue skies in your grayest days,
the sweet dreams in your loneliest nights,
the melody of love in your life's songs.......

I want to be the one to warm your world and
brighten every corner of your day,
to shield you from hurts and
dissapointments and sorrow...

I want to be the one to bring you joy,
to sing your praises....
to love you as no one
has ever loved you....
to love you as beautiful as
you have loved me....

"Wish you a Happy Birthday nanna,
I hope you spend as many birthdays as you can with me!!!"

Yours loving,
Sree

Right or Wrong???

2006-05-24T00:10:00.000-04:00

What is right and what is wrong? How do you know a decision you have taken to be right or wrong? Does the way you justify it tell you or the end result tell you? Does the society decide or do you decide?
Why is it so difficult for us to know what we do is right? I am being boggled by all these questions……have any of you got an answer? Well as far as I am concerned, what ever my heart tells me to do is right……..but then again, what is the proof that it is always right? None at all…….just a fact reinstated by experience.
What is important when taking is decision is to remember, an revise the commitments you have towards life, and to know how this decision is going to affect it……that is what is all that matters………well this is as much I can think or talk bout this mind-boggling matter………well it definitely doesn’t answer any of the first questions yet…………………………have to see if life can tell me the answers………….

Happy Anniversary darling!!!

2006-05-12T15:44:00.000-04:00

Darling Sree,
Its been two years since we have professed love for each other, and in rememberance of this day I dedicate the song "tu hi meri shab hai...." to you. The lyrics spell out exactly what I feel for you honey............the lyrics go like this....
" Tu hi meri shab hai, subah hai, tu hi din hai mera,
tu hi mera rab hai, jahan hai, tu hi meri duniya.
tu waqt mere liye, main hoon tera lamha,
kaise rahega bhala, hoke tu mujhse judaa.

aakhon se badhke tujhe, dil pe maine likha,
tu bangaye hai mere jeene ki ek wajah.
teri hasee, teri adaa,
auro se hai, bilkul judaa.

tu hi dil hai mera...
tu hi meri duniya...."

Love is a decision not an emotion or feeling,that if made from the heart will outlast anything... and I decided on this day 2 years back that I would live the rest of my life with you or no one else. I love you more than anything else in my life, and I want to grow old with you sweetheart.
Yours and only yours forever,
Your dumbu

Romance--what is it??, Is it really true??

2006-05-11T00:42:00.000-04:00

Romance--what is it?? This question stemmed in my mind after isaw the movie "Kate & Leopold" and my reaction that "why doesnt things happen so in real life? There is nothing remotely romantic happening in life ever". If seen in the dictionary, you would find it to be a synonym of love. But if you ask me I would give it a different definition. Romance is the feeling of being a cherished person, a person worthy of attention, a person who is the most important part of your life. This is a special feeling, where you feel you are the most beautiful person in the world and this is necessry in everybody's lives...........guess i have gone too much on the emotional side, but this is true. Well coming back to our Romance.......is it so difficult to be romantic??? I agree that there are a million things to think, to do, and going on in the mind, but i believe we can still be romantic in different ways. I mean an extra thought into things you always do is enough to make somebody's day bright n cheerful. Is it so difficult to do that? I wonder, cause I have seen so many people do it easily and with flair. Well that is my point of view, and the question still remains..............My point is just remember...."To the world you may be one person,but to one person you may be the world!"

B.E.A.Utiful Day!!!

2006-04-04T10:04:00.000-04:00

What a B E A Utiful weather it is!!! The Sun seems lazy to wake up. The gentle breeze is making sure it stays asleep, and let the pleasant atmosphere prevail for a longer time. The chirping of the sparrows, the tweetings of other birds, the serenity of the water in the lake...........It was just awesome. I was cycling down to work at my own leisure as I was a lil early. I wish My Jaan was with me, it was a perfect Romantic moment, but alas no. The beauty of nature around us that God has created for us makes me wonder, Are we taking enough time to enjoy the life that is a gift to us? Or are we so entangled in our own worlds that we do not even have time to appreciate the small beauties of Life? Worth more than a Thought, Ain't it??

the one and only sheikra!

2006-03-15T23:41:00.000-05:00

the 200 ft drop!!!
the aerial view of sheikra!

2006-03-15T23:34:00.000-05:00

A Day in Busch Gardens……………….

I had been told by many that the Busch gardens was quite famous all over United States for its roller coaster rides, and I was looking forward to go to this theme park. And finally the plan was being formed to go on the start of the spring break. The day before spring break, i.e. 10th march, I went to the ticket counter in our school to buy the tickets (we get special offers at school for students), but they were out of the tickets. I was disappointed that I might not be able to go to Busch gardens as the ticket counter will be closing for the spring break, and it is really a tough job convincing my BF again for this trip. But the guy at the ticket counter asked me to check back again in a couple of hours. After a few hours, my called my back saying that he had bought the tickets and that we were going the next day. I was excited beyond words.
Next day morning, we were on our way to Tampa. The ride as usual was fun with music, n cheerful bantering between friends. We reached at 11 am and we were on our first ride “Gwazi” by 11-30. Gwazi is two wooden tracks intertwined into the Southeast’s largest and fastest double wooden roller coaster. Boasting more than 1.25 million board feet of lumber, Gwazi’s Lion and Tiger tracks offer two distinct ride experiences. It is named after a fabled lion which has a tiger’s head. Being a roller coaster fad, I loved every moment of it. On the way to “Scorpion”, we saw elephants and many crocodiles. As the name suggests you feel the “sting” of Scorpion's terrifying 60-foot drop and 360-degree loop at incredible speeds. It was just amazing, albeit a very small ride. Then we were on our way to “Kumba”. The name means ROAR in the African dialect and as the name suggests the ride is quite a blood-curdling roar. After the initial thrill of an initial 135 foot drop, you will plunge from 110 feet into a diving loop, feel a full 3 seconds of absolute weightlessness while spiraling 360 degrees, and tear through one of the world's largest vertical loops.
After the most enjoyable “Kumba”, we headed to the lockers from the “congo station” to “Nairobi station”, where we left our stuff and had lunch, I had prepared “yellow rice” for all of us. There my friend had ordered large coke, only realizing that “Large” here was equivalent to a huge barrel!!! All of us together finished off the “peepadu” coke. Well then we also had to see the animal life in the gardens as it is one of the premier zoos featuring more than 2000 animals. We took the “Skyride”, the cable car there and saw the different animals like hippo, bison, deer, zebra, giraffe, a host of different species of birds, elephants, lions and the rest.
After we got off at the disembarking point of the “Skyride”, we headed to the one and only “Sheikra”, but once we got there Kishore, convinced us to get on to a smaller water-ride called the “Stanley Falls Flume” saying that after this supposedly composed n calm ride we would enjoy the most amazing ride of “Sheikra”. We were waiting in the line for this particular ride for almost an hour, but it was worth the ride as the ride was really cool and fun, as we were shouting at each other in the different boats that we were. It is a splashing trip in a log, that ends in a 40-feet drop that surely drenches you in water.
Finally we were all ready to go for the one and only “Sheikra”. Hari was like, “brathiki unte batanilu ammukovachu” and he didn’t come for the ride. We went and stood in the line waitng for our turn, and while we were waiting, diwakar was describing it and giving us the shivers.
Sheikra carries riders up 200 feet at 45 degrees, then hurtles them 70 mph back toward the ground at a 90-degree angle. It is the first coaster of its kind in the Americas and only the third in the world. SheiKra is the first dive coaster to incorporate an Immelmann loop, a water feature, and a second 90-degree 138-foot drop through an underground tunnel. SheiKra also includes a 360-degree climbing carousel. 3,188 feet of steel track offers a total ride time of just over three minutes.
It takes u up to 200 ft at a real slow pace which builds up the thrill in u. and when it reaches the top, the carriage stops exactly at an angle where you have a clear view of the ground 200 ft below you and also the aerial view of the whole of tampa! It scares the shit out of you, the only thing that keeps going in your mind is, “shit! I am 200 ft up in the air and I am going to fall vertically! What if I die?”. I had the same feeling when I went bungee jumping in mysore. All the harness was fastened and the instructor there had asked me to jump, it scared the shit out of me…….i mean I was up at a height of a 10 floor building and this guy is asking me to jump jus like that, but I loved the adrenaline rush when I did that bungee jumping. And I felt the same thing when I went down the vertical drop and the inverted loop of the “sheikra”. The feeling is just amazing, something which cannot be described in words. I just love it and I want to experience it again and again and again. It’s a one of its kind in the US of A.
Crazy that I am about the roller coaster rides………..i haven’t had enough of them, I would like to go on them again, and feel that adrenaline rush and the unpredictability of the rides. Life itself is a rollercoaster ride………and its precisely why I Love Life!
Well that ends my trip to Busch Gardens. I couldn’t have pictures of the rides as we had left the camera and cell phones everything in the lockers…….but it was one heck of a day!!! I just have one pick at the entrance of the “Sheikra”, as a token of remembrance of conquering it.

My Friend...A tribute to my Friends

2006-03-10T12:33:00.000-05:00

........Friend! hmm.....What is a friend? When ever I get this question the quote that immediately jumps up to me is Aristotle's........it said "What is a Friend? A single soul dwelling in two bodies"

I couldnt agree with it more. It tells everything that I feel about friends and friendship. If I was asked the same question I would say friendship is everything to me....and I mean it. Though how much of a good friend I have been I cant say. And in my life I have seen that a good friend is worth more than a passel of relatives. My favorite definition of a friend is....a friend is a person with whom you can be yourslef without any pretense, with whom you can absolutely talk about everything under the sun. And age is absolutely no bar when it comes to friendship. I believe the start and finish of any relationship is friendship.
I am really happy I have been blessed with four such wonderful friends, and I cant imagine my life without them.
To those wonderful people in my life, I just want to tell that I love you a lot and I cherish you and your friendship a lot!

Shero shayari.....

2005-08-06T06:08:00.000-04:00

Khuda se koi baat anjan nahi hoti,
Insan ki bandagi beimaan nahi hoti,
Kabhi toh maanga hoga aapne 1 pyaara sa dost,
Warna yun aapki humse pehchaan nahi!!!!

(this was a reply given by a friend of mine)

Kuch cheezen bina maange hi mil jaati hain ,
Zindagi yun hi haseen nahin ban jaaati hai ,
Maang ke bhi duniya mein kya mila hai kisi ko
Aapse hamari pehchaan toh ho hi jaati .

(this was my reply to the above one)

Pehchaan toh huyi hai milne milane se,
Mulaaqat toh huyi aapke aane se,
Aap na sahi, humne toh maanga tha,
Dua dethe hain hum us waqt ko jab aapne lift ko roka tha.

Remebering you...

2005-06-06T00:46:00.000-04:00

Remembering you……
You were in my mind when I woke up this morning…
And I have been thinking about you all day long…
Remembering your smile, your voice,
The sound of your laughter…
Remembering the little things we have shared
And how long it will be before we are
together again with a time to share even more…
I can’t think of anything or anyone but you today…
I guess I am missing you,
More than I usually do……
Remembering you always,

Forever

2005-06-06T00:43:00.000-04:00

Forever………..
Forever I will think of you…
Forever I will care…
Forever I’ll remember…
All those times we shared…
I try to forget you, but I couldn’t dare…
Although you broke my heart,
In the broken pieces, you are still there…
Forever is too long a time,
I have to accept you are no longer mine.
Will forever end one day???
Will my torn heart ever mend???I hope one day I could say,
Forever just finished yesterday…
But I know its not going to happen forever…

Forever yours,

my love............

2004-10-29T16:30:00.000-04:00

I love the way u talk to me................makes me feel I have someone to talk to
I love the way u look at me...............makes me feel I am beautiful
I love the way u tease me..................makes me feel I am fun to be with
I love the way u irritate me...............makes me feel I belong to u
I love the way u advice me...............makes me feel I have u to guide me
I love the way u share ur joys with me............makes me feel u enjoying telling me
I love the way u confide in me.................makes me feel u need me
I love the way we laugh together................
I love the way we have fun together..........
I love it just being with u...................cause I dont need to pretend with you............I can be myself..........................and I know that no matter what, you are always there for me...........
but what I dont seem to like now is this distance between us honey....................I seem to be lost without you......but......I know that life is full of meetings and separations............................I am going about my life normally.................but I keep retreating to a small special place in my heart where I have kept all our memories.................and I am happy...............................I just have this to say to you my darling.................
"I WILL LOVE YOU TILL MY HEART BEATS AND EVEN AFTER IT STOPS..................."
.........................will you remember me when I die?????