Disturbed

I live in house with people (my roomies, those bastards!!!) who can sleep through an air raid. On the other hand, I am cursed. I rarely need over 6 hrs of sleep in a day and I get up to the faintest sound.

Infact the only time I do get "deep sleep" is just after a sumptuous breakfast...tsk tsk...a sad thing when u spend 5 days a week in office!!!

So on the advise of a friend, I decided to prepare a list, of "disturbing" sounds which have been successful in making my sleep life.. a living hell!!! aka it was her way of telling me .... ur "disturbed" :P

1. Anything beyond a whisper in my room qualifies for noise.
2. TV in any room of the house. This includes the light from the tv, if it enters my room.
3. The dastardly door bell.
4. Any alarm (including my roomies). On numerous occasions, it requires me to wake the intended person up in the other room.(i like to use leg :P )
5. Kitchen utensils have wreaked a havoc in my sleep life.
6. Walking in my room, is sufficient!!!
7. Shower/flush/tap
8. Plastic packet not kept inside and hence flying about because of the fan in my room.
9. laptop being closed (not shutdown)
10. Mobile ringtones being played anywhere in the house.
11. Dog bark...but doggys r ok. Kinda used to it after Snubby :)
12. Constant staring into my face while I sleep. Again, thats Snubby, 5.30 in the morning begging fr a walk :P
13. Sunlight, moonlight, tube light, mobile light, bulb.

And whats most disturbing lately is snoring, yes, my own snoring and the occasional mumbling in my sleep!!! Well, I wake up when I do that as well :)

The 2nd Degree :)

I am a South Indian but haven't lived much in South India. However, the 6 years I did stay converted me more into a "anna" than I could have imagined.

To the point that, I enjoy the slight twang in my style of talking, I smiled endlessly when I first listened to the ISRO scientists doing a countdown to the Chandrayaan, I cant do without rice, I absolutely cant live without Idly and Dosa and very recently completed my last "South Indian Brahmanical" duty by securing admission towards a 2nd educational degree.

But I realised the symbolic importance of this 2nd degree even before I completed my 1st. I was sitting on my usual spot in the kitchen eating dosas when I asked my mother, "what if I don't want to study anymore. I think I have had it with engineering". Almost immediately I heard, "are you crazy Raghu. Don't talk stupidly. You have to study. You need the 2nd degree". And that when I started to wonder, "why?". I then realised that like all mothers, amma was specially worried about the bride hunt, lest I don't find one myself. As an above middle class South Indian brahmin, that was almost a prerequisite (in many cases)...the 2nd degree.

She even went to the extent to asking the astrologer about my further studies, and guess what he said, "no"... blasphemy!!!
So what if I love meat, not got the sacred thread ceremony done or for the fact that I am an atheist (some say agnostic...who cares!!!). Nothing can be more radical than not getting that PG degree.

Well, it took me 2 jobs and over 3 years of corporate life to realize its importance. Now that I have secured admission into the 2010 MBA batch of Indian School of Business (ISB), Hyderabad, I cant stop smiling at the relief I have probably given amma :)

P.S: She still insists its not true :)

another day for the tiger !!!

Had a meeting today…by far the fastest one I have had in a year. It went something like this:

Manager1, 2 and 3: Good evening
Me: Good morning
Manager1: So I remembered you this morning …hahaha …..it was snowing.
Me: Hahaha, I hate that weather…. Is it snowing bad?
Manager1: Yes a little … it snowed 2 inches in front of my house
Manager2: 3 here
Manager3: Likewise
Me: Darn… just because my calendar says so., I know its winter.
Manager1, 2 and 3: Hahaha
Manager1: My shoulder hurts after all the snow I removed last night, I think I’ll use the snow blower today.
Manager2: I haven’t use one for the last 1 year…my son does it now-a-days.
Me: Hahaha
Manager1: Nitin I don’t think I have anything to discuss today.
Manager2: Hey note that u’ll need to start working on the numbers on XXX supplier as well, I have told him to send u the data.
Me: Will do. Thanks.
Manager3: As for me, I had a chat with you yesterday….guess its status quo as of now.
Me: Hmmm…so should we wrap it up for now
Manager1, 2 and 3: Yes yes…
Manager1: Go grab a beer. Let’s touch base next week.
Me: You too guys. Have a great day.

Total duration 4 mins :-) . And I stayed back for this call!!!

alone...

He is feeling alone....

Having always been the person who said he was happier alone, he just realised its not true and all it took was a song.

A song in his head for over two years, he did not know the name, the composer, the scale. No search keys. It was a classical piece, he knew that. He had even shamelessly hummed it to people, hoping someone knew it. But all he found were bemused faces staring back at him.

Now after more than two year, he has found it. It was Pachelbel's Canon in D Major. He puts the song on repeat and puts on his headphone. He has already heard it more than 9 times now and with every passing minute, its like sinking into an endless bean bag under a moonlit night, every note sucking him deeper, calming him. Its like life in slow motion. He want to scream it out to someone...he finds no one...

Meet no 2 - Flickr Group 11-10-08

I organised a flickr meet last week. Venue: Dadar phulmarket and Dadar Fishmarket.

The best turnouts so far - 16 in all including a firang :). Our events now on will be covered by the elite "Delhi Flickr Club - DFC".

The experience was simply awsome...the flower market was a treat to the eyes and the fish market...well... a treat to the ears...perhaps :P "organised chaos" ... to actually sum it up.

The best part was the people in the market did not shy away from the pic...infact few were only to happy to pose :) all in all...perfect morning (we started at 7am , left home at 5.30am :P )

above and below are a few pic of the gang. For pic by me visit my flickr link on this blog :)

Flickr Group

Spent this Sunday with a bunch of people I met on a flickr....The Photography Club of Mumbai. Meeting for the first time today we were a group of 8: 6 guys and 2 gals ....

Profiles: ENT Surgeon from Australia, Statistician from Morgan Stanley, a software engineer, a Marketing professional, NSE analyst, Freelance Editor and of course Business Consultants (me:) and my roomie).

We met up at 11am and started from the CCD near Sterling. With no definite route, we moved around town through crazy unknown roads (we actually were zigzagging the route...because i remember being in Ballad Estate, Dalal Street, Asiatic Library, Mehta road, etc etc etc.)

We were attacked my dogs on 2 occasions :P (poor mutts got pissed when a few of us sat down to take a pics in the middle of "their" road)

Mondy's was our refueling station -a couple of beers and some good pasta. Our final hault was Gateway of India before turning back. All in all, good day :)

Discovering photoshop!!!

Yes people...me have discovered photoshop... and some (pratap, gowish, vivek, etc etc) may say "at last" :P

So to experiment with it, me decided to try me hand on a few pic me had taken earlier...

P.S: I have only reached the "cut copy paste" feature yet....but then...its a start!!! way easier than doing it screen shot> paintbrush> word> screenshot> paintbrush...hehehehe :)

Aimlessly walking around on the weekend, 30-08-08

A few things (^) u usually dont pay attention to in Mumbai. Had to dip the exposure, a couple of clicks, to prevent the signboards and the roof of the building from coming in the frame.

the song in my head, "I walk the lonely streets on the boulevard of "Mumbai" dreams..."

I luv this day!!!

drunk and back ... :D been a while ...has'nt it :D
celebrating with a couple of shots of glenfiddich in my system and I have reached my "happy place" ........one of the best days in a while....
an awesome performance appraisal, rated among the top of the group, amma finally agreeing to letting me buy a car (hopeful still), entering the top 10 list in Accenture F1 teams, India winning the Asia cup (Affy later corrected me... so it was the Idea cup...who really cares... :) :) hic), I planning to join a gym... anymore of "wow" situations I just might aswell start believing in god... :) :)

Manor, 09-08-08

old friends, unlimited tandoori chicken with beer and pouring rain...that's the best way I could describe my weekend!!!

Travelling to Manor ("ma","noar"), might have been the worst journeys I have been on over the last 2 year. The potholed NH8 highway kept bringing back the disgusting question "Is this why I paid an additional 50K tax this year???."

But the destination was well worth the trip... Manor is a tiny village on the way to Ahmedabad, about 130km from Mumbai. There ain't much to see there...so if u ever go down there...don't bother to look fr some thing exciting... just walk around the village, and let your eye feast on the green around you...

opps..all b/w pics...damit..I am sorry :P

Old Mumbai, 04-08-08

This weekend, I spent wandering around the Muslim populated areas of Mumbai. The regions around Mohamed Ali Road, have some of the oldest buildings and its absolutely lovely feeling when u walk into them. The winding wooden staircase, the cobwebs, the huge meter boards and the dim lighting, all add to the charm.

a window in the fort

This pic means a lot to me...

in a nut shell, it defines the new India...

To a serious photographer, it may be full of flaws (the yellow tarpaulin in particular and the composition in general :) )

But to me, it shows the determination... As small a symbol as it may be, its a symbol of a new emergent India... a desire to change, to break the chains (the barb wires in the pic)...a country selectively and slowly, shedding its past to define a new way...

It maybe be a tiny step into making a difference (some may argue that I am reading too much into the pic)...but little drops of water make up an ocean ....don't they?

PS: I was a little "happy" when I wrote this...needless to say I guess :P

street photograpy...my new fetish :P

From the rick...some pics are best left out of focus :)

Dotted for extra pleasure :P
the dark passage...
writings on the wall

U'v come a long way...

Pen,Raigad 20-08-08

This weekend, I found myself in Pen, Raigad. A small town, 70km from mainland Mumbai. Contrary to what I read while I planned this trip, its not a sleepy village by any stretch of the imagination...its a decent sized town actually.
Pen is famous for its intricately carved Ganesh idols and with the festival approaching near, my friend and I, armed with our cameras, decided to take this trip and see the charged atmosphere for ourselves.

Literally every galli had ganapathi's flowing by the dozen and in various stages too. These are a couple of places we visited...

I went in to ask permission from the owner of this place, if I could shoot a few pic...not the best idea if u ask me... supposedly the electrcity had just returned and this meant, the spray painting work had to be completed. And with the dispatch truck expected in the evening, he did not want us to distract his workers.

With this he allowed me only 10 min inside. Thankfully, the workers let me stay for a good 30 min :)

A few other pic I took there before heading out...The one with the kid is by far my favourite :) Just luv the twinkle in his mischievous eyes.

Our way back... my friend was doing over a 100kmph, and the second I got a straight road, I asked him to slow down a little and not overtake for a while...the idea was to capture the speed...

Mahalakshmi, Mumbai 05-07-08

These are a few pic I took near Haji Ali, Mumbai this afternoon. The heat was a killer and what better way to cool down...

This guy down here is supposed to be the "don" when it comes to diving (well, thats what the chaps in the above pics said :D) He actually came running half way down the steet behind me executing this summersault!!! O ya... and I forgot...he was on "desi daaru"... brilliant :P

One of the "patrons" of the show. You can see him in the second pic as well :)

Lonavala 29-06-08

These pics were taken on my 14km walk at Lonavala. I managed to cover "Bushi Dam" and a couple of sightseeing spots that came after the dam. I got caught in the rain a few time and was practically soaking wet by the end of it. Luckily, I managed to protect my camera :P

Too exhausted to walk downhill, I managed to hitch a ride back on a Tata 407 tempo. It was filled with labourers from Assam and West Bengal. After scaring them with my broken Bengali, I got a few pics :D

Fat Snubby!!!

It struck me suddenly how this "fat wonder" was never mentioned in my blogs. So I decided to compensate it with bunch of the best pics I have.

Ladies and gentlemen.I present to u .................FAT SNUBBY!!!!

P.S. Note the characteristic "pink tongue out of the face" look. He has that look whenever he is in a naughty mood :P

Marine Drive 14-06-08

My romance with Mumbai continues. I was in South Mumbai this weekend. First stop, Cafe Shaheen. The chicken and mutton biriyani here can put even the best 5 star hotels to shame and all for 60 bucks. So after devouring 1 plate of the former and washing it down with a Thums Up(Yes, in Mumbai,Thums Up still rules the "roost"....pun intended), I continued on my walk to Marine Drive.

In 30 odd minutes, I was there. The weather was unusually windy and everytime the waves crashed into the rocks, it sent a spray of water into the crowd. And not just people, even the crows seem to be having a blast there. Never before have I seen a crow do a hover. They would launch themselves into the air, hover for a while, then a few would either dive to the ground or lift up and be thrown 50 mts away.

For the 1 hour or so I was there, this spectacle didn't stop. I tried taking a few snaps lying down on my back, hoping to catch a crow perform the hover. I managed to get a few of them with there silhouette against the bright sun.

But what amused me the most were people who were tickled pink(it includes the barber in the pic) , when they saw me lying down on the pavement with the camera trying to take the "crow pics" :D

The rest of the evening was much of drag and not worth mentioning. Therefore .........tada!!!!

The colours of Van Gogh!!!

Mysore skys on a single evening.

The Finger :) :) :)

do I have an eventful life or what.....first it was my screwed up back and the ride to India on a wheelchair........now its my "bloody" finger.........quite literally.

I was moving into my new pad @ Mumbai....the unpacking was getting tiring and I was beginning to sweat real bad....so me went to take off me shirt and ...........bang....... me hand hit the fan.....which needless to say was on full speed :) :)

Now Mumbai has one problem.....yes, just one.....the ceilings are too god damn low....and to top it, when one puts a false ceiling, it gets even lower......so, as I was saying.....the blow created a cut....deep enough for two stitches.

.....now for the cool thing ..... I find it much easier to show some one my finger and get away...... with a sympathy, of all the things.... :) :)

Bald and the Beautiful :) :) :)

I had two options ...... no hair (courtesy dad) or premature grey hair (courtesy mom)......I got the former .......... thank the good lord I didn't get both :)
So now that I am blessed with this sparsely populated foliage over my head, which only seems to be getting thinner every year, I found myself spending considerable amount of time in the departmental stores looking for the right shampoo....you know..... miracle types.
My rommie saw me in one such situation, and being type who has "been there and done that" (he is bald), decided to share his wisdom on hair loss. He said I was in what he describes as the Stage 2 and that as time goes no I shall progress from one stage to the other only to end up with his version of "eternal peace" a.k.a Stage 4.
The stages as he mentioned were:
Stage 1. - Denial
Stage 2. - Trial
Stage 3. - Frustration
Stage 4. - Acceptance
So now with this new found knowledge, I decided save myself the time and the money of Stage 2 and 3. I decided that if its meant to be, so be it. I shall use all the gels in the world, spike up my hair, try and grow it longer than 1.5cm (which has been my hair style for over 7 years)......in one final act of defiance ....go down in a blaze of glory.......... or so in a nutshell, "make hay while the sun shines"
...... and then......... it happened..........
Dove launched a new hair fall control shampoo....I am now 2 weeks into it and yes..........hoping for a miracle !!! : ) :)

The Darjeeling Limited

My first and possibly, the only movie review I'll ever write.

My head is still buzzing with the slow humming music, a tune which can do wonders when drunk:) The movie is ....hmmm....let me think of the right word.....DISTURBED ...and I like it. Its got no beginning and no end. It stops as abruptly as it starts. To be very frank...it stops exactly as it starts.

The story ....I think......... is about 3 brothers in search of their mother in India. They meet each other on a train in India and thats where the story begins. The story takes some crazy twists and turns, including a touching scene where they rescue 2 of the 3 boys from drowning. Thee scene in the village has practically no words spoken, yet leaves u a little moved.

It end with them meeting their mother near the Himalayas, only to return without her. The story end with them running to catch the train again......

I luved the movie and from this review its amply clear....I have no future as a movie critic.....but hey thats y I am an Analyst :) :) :)

Simm"b"ly :)

Just a bunch of snaps I took!!! For no reason what so ever....

....colours of Mumbai in monochrome!!!!

I am back......back to the 7.18 am and the 6.42pm locals, the vada pavs and the cutting chai, to the city with the eternal "frog skin" feeling (courtesy 90% hubidity), to sounds of "pudhe chaala pudha chaala" all day everyday, to the only Indian city that never sleeps ..... yes .......I am back in Mumbai :) :) and this time for good!!!!!!!!!!!

Maggi and me

I felt nostalgic yesterday....... I had just had my last "Maggi", the last of 15, I brought from India...that meant just one thing........"mama I'm coming home" :) :) :)

I actually very consciously kept the last one for the last Sunday in US.

It feels like just yesterday, when I landed here and this big African-American immigration official looked me in the eyes and asked...." so how much Maggi you got in there????" When I replied 5....he went "that's it".....I then said "family packs", only to hear a sigh of relief from him. It was more like, "he just like the rest of them" :) :)

Must have really baked his noodles for a long time (pun intended) when he asked me, "tell me something, how expensive is this thing all you guys bring from India?"

On hearing the prices his jaws literally dropped and then with a big smile he let me go.