Jaipur calling...

Mubarake tumhe ki tum... Kisi ke noor ho gaye...
Kisi ke itne paas ho... Ki sab se door ho gaye....
Hows it goin people!

Started wid 2 lines from the brilliant song of yesteryear “Ajeeb Dastaan Hai Ye”, coz several peers from my school and college days r getin married... May they hav long happy married lives! And their spouses too ;-) Cheers everybody!

Here I am... this is me, there’s nowhere else on earth I’d rather be...

Sorry for driftin away wid one of my fav English tracks. Returnin to d topic - Here I am, bac from the HSBC Asset Mngt. (AMC) 160 people program at Le Meridien, Jaipur. This annual offsite with the tagline “Get Set Go” and the theme “Focus” was between 15-17th Aug, 08 and it was a gala affair, both for the employees from all over India as well as us, the facilitators and consultants. Before I hit the accelerator and start rambling on about the fundoo events thr, leme start at the beginin n tell u abt a few thins on the way...

As I hurtled down the Mumbai-Pune expresway to catch the IC flight to Jaipur from Mumbai on the 15th noon, I tuned to the radio and heard the song “aaya hai raja logo re logo....” blaring from the speakers. Have u heard it? Weird song, na! Anyways, thrs a line “shero ka main hu sher yaaro” n guess wat I saw as I looked outa d window – a Syntel hoarding wid a lion! Hehe... creepy coincidence...

A smile came to my face as I was reminded of fun times as an undergrad at CCD on FC Road whr d tv was on mute and jukebox was belting away songs in all languages and tones. V used to match d two and hav a hearty laugh as d tv showd sumthin very decent and d lyrics wer profane and funny! Similar to MTV lipsync. Its cool n its crazy n it’s a whole lot of fun. Top it up wid the Channel V Bai... hehe, funny woman fishin, throwin knives and makin jalebis, all in a typical navvari/kashta... Hats off to innovativeness! Speakin of which, hav u seen d condom ad on Channel V? It starts wid a typical Indian lifestyle, whr evrythin is kept coverd and protected in plastic coats, rite frm d remote control to car seats to mobile phones... And thn d punch-line : y nt ur masculine vitals ;-)

What did I see in Jaipur? Several majestic elephants, a not-so-tiny mouse, monkeys and cows, camels, dogs and cats... It was like a pakka zoo! Other than that a Hanuman temple as I was reciting the hanuman chalisa (coincidence strikes again), the Hawa Mahal which has 180+ windows thru which women in old times used to glance out on the streets unseen by human eyes from below, Amer fort and jostling, colorful markets. As Le Meridien is outside Jaipur city, I got a dose of sightseeing each time I cruised from ITC Sheraton (whr v wer put up) to the hotel for the program.

AMC is a young, creative, energetic group. They had skits on one day, team building (our session) the next day, and a conference the last day. It was fun to conduct all the activities and meet people from various locations and backgrounds. This being my first offsite as a hardcore, efficient and independent Associate Consultant, it was a tough task for me to set up the activities and assist in the facilitation and administration. However, I think I did reasonably well given my lead faculty’s appreciative comments, my sweating frame and aching back. All a wonderful scheme for the Pajama Party d same night...

Madeira (aka alcohol urf daru) reduces inhibitions and gives u courage. To say it is one thin; to experience it, another! It really helps you forget your aches and pains, plus assists u to bestow cheerful smiles upon acquaintances, strangers and adversaries alike. Getting high is d perfect excuse to :
- Realize all your age-old ambitions and dreams,
- Approach cute, young strangers and strike conversations,
- Compliment your boss on facilitating, networking and connecting skills.

Probably a few mo thins that I wudnt mention here ;-)

However, the point is, music and food and alcohol was flowing. Thr was a troupe of dancers who gave the audience a visual treat, and everyone enjoyed themselves to the core. Three cheers for the coordinators and event managers! Hip hip... hurray!

After the great nite, twas no ez task to catch the morning flight to Mumbai. I managed, of course, and here I am now... Reminiscing about the trip as I get bac to whr I’d let off... A fantastic experience! Including the free seating hullabaloo on the departing flight and the drunken-hungover journey over the returning one...

Did I tell u I saw Singh is King (whatever d spellin wid triple n’s and double g’s) last week. Twas ok if u left ur brains home. Poor Ranvir Shorey cud’v done wid a betr role, n Akshay n Katrina r as fresh as ever. Awaiting Phoonk this Friday...

The latest update... India won a bronze in wrestling at the Beijing Olympics! wowow... Abhinav Bindra set up quite a record wid his gold in Shooting... may d gud times roll!

Catch ya later then!
Adios!

An Everlasting Smile...

We can’t force ourselves to love, or to withhold love. At best, we can curb our actions. The heart itself is beyond control. That is its power... And it’s weakness... - The Palace Of Illusions

Well well well... Chilly mornings Pune’s got, I wake up wid a sniffle each day as I leave d warmth and coziness of my blanket and start the tedious process to get ready for work. I have a horrible cold (anybody got d Guinness for sneezing 12 times in a row in under 2 minutes?) I think I ought to change my name to Droopy with d expression dat m carryin around all day...

Draupadi’s doin wel; not really actually, coz if a reader is moved to tears after reading her “Cheerharan” then u can only imagine how she must have felt whn she was at d receiving end... Man, I don’t blame her one bit for hating her husbands and family and cursing everyone present in Duryodhan’s court. Dat’s how a woman’s life and emotions are. She can do anything to protect the ones she loves, but men (sorry to all you male readers here, but dat ain’t ur personal fault, ur jus made dat way!), all they can think of is themselves, their word and their gain. Anyway, d book is magnificent, so if u can muster a lil patience and passion, it’s worth a read. Divakaruni's style makes d words come alive, and even stories you'v heard before take on a new meanin and intensity. I DON’T want to finish it, but I dnt think dat’s gona b possible at d rate at which m gobblin d pages... Jus cant stop reading! 290 down already, barely 70 left, and it’s been hardly 2 weeks (wid lil leisure time to read, if I may add)...

Talking about recommendations, people ask interesting Qs on LI, and its great to c so many people have a gud sensa humor and philosophy whn they answer... Being an expressive, talkative types (dnt u all kno dat so wel by now?!) I luv goin onto the LI Q-A section and asking and answerin Qs wise and silly. If u’v been smart n strong enuf to endure my blog, then m sure u’d like dat, too ;-)

My office is bang opposite Jeevan-Jyot school for negatively exceptional kids. So, I get to hear the national anthem and Vande Mataram everyday. It’s wonderful :-) Its also very nostalgic whn I hear d dum-dum-dum of drums and chan-chan-chan of d lejhim as the kids are practicing. Reminded me of my schooldays, which now seem light years away, tho its been barely 7 years. Looking outa my office window one afternoon, I saw a girl throwin a fit. At first it was scary, then heart-rending, and finally pitiable. Why does God make people like this? Why does God make their families suffer like this? Why does any bad happen in the world? Is it coz bad people need to atone for their bad deeds, or is it to prevent something worse?

Probably d best way to start respecting Life and loving your own, is to visit sucha school or hospital. D sick and wounded wid their partly achin and partly smiling faces will immediately make u feel grateful and blesd for all dat u have... Which one personally never thinks is enuf...

Reminds me of a movie I saw d day before yesterday on HBO – The Net 2.0. I was channel-surfing after work, and stumbled upon this movie where an American gal (the protagonist, Hope Cassiddy) is not satisfied wid her life, and has no family except for a boyfren. She gets a job offer to work in Istanbul, Turkey, and against her bf’s pleas, she grabs d chance wid both hands. Then wat follows is a crazy series of events (for us and Hope), which is actually carefully choreographed by the Master-Mind. Hope finds respite in a freaky over-helpful driver Osman (“Ozzmann”) and a charming airhostess Roxelena, but dats lil help as she is robbed of her identity, charged wid murder and robbery, and plus some impostor taking her place. (A wake-up call for all of us who think our lives are forever and our lives are ours and everyone knows us. Coz when u hav no ID to prove your existence, thn ur as gud as invisible, worse ur a criminal...) The movie was thrillin and I cudnt take my eyes off d screen (except to dash off n fill a few buckets during d break, whn my mum was yellin coz of d water shortage these days). A good movie, albeit wid a few Bollywood misgivings (especially d scene whr a woman is stabbed in broad daylight and foolish Hope pulls out the bloody knife from her stomach). But d pace, unpredictability and striking accent (both Turkish and English) make up for it. As does d gorgeous actress and her cute smile :-D

Cute smile... Have you ever seen how beautiful people look whn they smile? Any face, contorted or stunning, chubby or pale, fair or dark... (u get it don’t u?!!) It’s like sunshine streaming down n brightenin up d place, whn a person smiles... I’ve hardly seen few folks who actually look horrifying whn they smile... The rest... All Mr and Ms. Worlds in their own right! C’mon, m sure you can manage one right this minute... No-one’s watching... and even if they are, y do u give a horse’s ***... My my my... YOU’RE LOOKING FANTASTIC... Once more, buddy!! You can do it again! As I read somewhr - keep smilin, makes ppl wonder wat ur upto ;-)

So keep up d grin n show those pearly whites!
Kya aap closeup karte haiiiiiiiiiii...

Brings me to the end of yet anodr post. Have a grrr8 weekend n I’l c u again soon!

Luv,
Anuja

Love's Labor Lost

A wonderful line by a simple wise guy that captured the essence of all I’ve felt thus far in life... "I travel away so far... but still I don’t forget anything...."
And a poem by yours truly that puts the details in a nutshell...

I start loving too easily,
I get attached too soon;
Though it’s a boon initially,
It ends in nothing but gloom.

I become the other, I give all I got,
In dark wilderness, at love a shot;
A hundred aches and setbacks,
Every step a prayer for mercy;
Bearing in my heart a million cracks,
Bleeding on thorns woven into coats lacy.

Each time I trip, I vow to watch
Where I set my foot,
But when I see a cozy face,
My sensibility gets a boot.

With hope I wear a smile so wide,
Feeling “THIS time it’s for keeps”;
Not realizing this is yet another ride,
And sorrow again in heaps...

I wish I’d take a break,
And stop messing life for you,
Leave you to your ideal self,
And in the bargain, be happy, too.

Is it why they say, in love you FALL?
The list of smiles so petty,
And grievances Eiffel tall...

HAPPY FRIENDSHIP DAY!
Lonely Princess

Update!

What’s worse?
Loving someone you can’t forgive?
Or loving someone you can’t have?

Hey people!
(Sorry about the title, cudnt think of an apt one. Suggestions highly solicited)

I’ve been thru a few blogs lately, and man, have they been superloaded! I mean they’r so content-heavy and intended to disseminate knowledge in the author-respective domains, that I feel quite the fool for writing about my mundane experiences and crazy rambles. I guess I have a lot more nothing to do than most people, and this nothing gives me a lot more vent-worthy knowledge and intuition than it does to non-writing folks...

I wasn’t feelin particularly peaceful and happy yesterday, and in my upset state, looking for a victim, I found one in the form of a neighbor who was throwing stones to scare away a cat perched on top of her flat ledge. She wasn’t exactly ‘innocent’, and she did deserv d lashing I gave, as her carelessly flung pebbles wer hitting the cars standing below with possible threat of getting dented. Tho my yelling gave me temporary relief, and a sense of righteousness, I mentally was feeling guilty of having hurt her... And today whn I saw her avoidin my gaze, I had an impulse to set thins right... I did, and m feeling so much better... Indeed, merely speaking a few words of love and care beats any temporary satisfaction you get by expressin anger.

I’m currently reading The Palace of Illusions by my fav author, Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni. It’s a luvly book, one that captures the essence and drama of the Mahabharata from a woman’s point of view – Draupadi - d unwanted gift of Gods to the king Drupad, adored sister of Dhrishtadyumna (hope I spelt dat rite), princess of Panchaal (“Panchaali”), wife to the 5 Pandavas, friend to Krishna, secret admirer of Karna... and with a hundred other descriptions and anchors. My mum luvs mythology and can recite entire sagas by heart, so it makes fun discussions as both of us share this stuff dat m reading... Its amazing, m actually looking forward to reading d complete epic whn I get d time... It’s so full of interesting mini-stories; stories of vengeance, stories of intelligence and wit, stories of humor, and stories of anger and pain, stories mystic, stories of victories and loss, stories of birth and stories of death. A perfect blend of all the human emotions intertwined with non-human abilities and qualities. I wish I cud share a few stories wid u, bt each has its own history and widespread links, so they wouldn’t make sense altogether whn I narrate them in isolation and brevity. Besides I think I bored you enuf wid Shantaram ;-)

Aren’t d rains funny? I mean they’re here one moment n gone d next... But do we need them? Lord, m sick of these power cuts already! D load-shedding sched reads 6 hours a day, can u believ dat?!! Fortunately, dats nt hapg yet (touch wood!), but I hope d monsoon dsnt dismay d farmers n villagers much... Me? I’m ok either ways, as long as d rains dnt mess my plans n wanderings! It’s great to watch d downpour parked in d balcony, sippin hot ginger tea. But it aint so delightful when u riding wid glasses, shuddering at d screeching brakes, struggling to avoid a few bumps n basically trying to get home in one piece...
Wat m I upto? Nuthin much; jus d usual office n home merry-go-round. Settled into the “working adult” sched so nuthin too exciting or unpland occurring. However, getting up early is sumthin dats jus as painful as d gud ol’ days. To tear yourself up from the warm sheets and set foot on d cool floor (thank god I got house slippers!) is a terrific nightmare. Hey, m watchin Hole in d Wall on Pogo these days. It’s a fun, timepass prog whr guess wat?! Thr is a wall n thrs a hole in it n 2 teams have to pass thru d hole using different strategies and combinations. D witty Cyrus Sahukar is hosting it, so u can get a few laughs thr.

Rest... Linked-in is going gung-ho as is surfing for work n pleasure. Job goin well, too. Creating a module for confidence building at the moment. Looking forward to a 130-participant HSBC program at Le Meridian, Jaipur in mid-Aug. They say d hotel’s got grounds huge enuf to play elephant polo! Hollering WOW....
By d way, eclipse on rite now... so stay indoors till 6 pm IST n dnt eat or drink or do anything... u cud read d Hanuman Chalisa if u wanta obey my mum... here's d link for d fast food gen ;-)http://hanumanchalisa.org/cha.htm
Keep d grin up!
Muuuaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhh
Anuja

Dard-e-Disco

I have two best friends, Mr. S and Ms. L,
Others cause controversy, with them I gel so well...
They’re at ease with me, and in me they reside,
Hidden in a corner, they always “take my side”.
When life’s filled with joy, S takes a vacation,
But when the joys dwindle, he runs to handle my desolation.
Ms. L’s a sweetheart, with me in every crowd,
A silent part of me, in situations noisy and loud.
I can’t say I love them, I’d prefer to be without...
But they come without my bidding, for the rest I need to scout.
They’re notorious for bringing tears, they weaken men of honor;
Yet they’re amazing teachers, and for none a foreigner.

I have two best friends, Ms. L and Mr. S...
Their names you’ve heard before, Sorrow and Loneliness...

Hi ppl!
All ado abt fun n laughter, n thr v go forgetin sumthin cald sadness exists... Here is a post on d not-so-lucky times in life...

Have u noticd dis? Whn sumthin sad n unusual happens (a death or failure, for example), irrespective of how u actually feel, ppl keep finding ways to proclaim how disturbd u r… They keep askin if u ok, and this actually makes u feel mo upset. Evrythin u say or do is perceived as not-normal, and wat is especially irrit8g is whn ppl ask u to talk or cry it out... They care a devil’s a** abt ur grievance, n in fact, they scratch ur healed wound by recalling d pain... All fake behaviors under d name of obligation and goodness. A sufferer needs to speak, maybe to vent, maybe to share. Not to be judged, not to be analysed and evaluated. One cant b expectd to cry forever, tears dry away... one can feel d pain decades later, bt tears... Rather dan drawin conclusions abt situations and conditions, it wud b so much better is ppl askd for, told n believd d truth! As my ex-colleague says (Hi Andy!) “to ASSUME is to make an ASS of U and ME”… Pretty profound, eh? ;-)

2008 – a dreadful start inspite of a wonderful midnight eve party… I fell frm a rickety bike, nt once bt twice in d same nite… bruisd n achin all over I was in bed for almost a week. I had had a nasty bump on my head, causin me to lose consciousness and then amnesia for a few minutes. I cant tell u how I felt. Its one of d most incredible experiences of my life. I asked my partner (who was ridin) where we were comin frm. Given our witty dispositions and freaky interactions, he thot I was kiddin, but his lopsided grin took a hike when he saw my deadpan face. I cud rem my family n personal details, bt I had lost memory of wat hapd d last couple of hours. I cudnt even rem my fren’s tel number, which I dialled almost 10 times a day! He helpd me recall, bit by bit, but I was still in shock. Wid a bleeding lip and a scarred body, I went home d next day, n u can imagin watta HAPPY new year it was for my parents… Thankfully, my MRI reports wer normal, but me and my parents had a tough time grappling wid d days dat followed whrein I used to black out and feel dizzy… I can c dis as if it hapd yday… Leme tell u, losin ur memory and regainin it beats anything else u’v ever felt in dis world! ;-) Not a must-experience, mind you! God be with you...

My second brush with adventure (how I wish it were exciting and fun) came on d way to Vellore (TN, India), whr I was headed with my MA batchmates for a Counselin program at d Christian Counseling Centre. My companions will probably give u a betr version, coz I was in a daze throughout… Deep in slumber on d train to Chennai, I got off d middle berth widout regainin my consciousness entirely. In a bid to be helpful to some fellow-travelers, I attemptd to fix d berth, and broke my palm-skin on d notch dat holds up d berth. I still cringe as I recall d pain dat shuttled thru my arm. I started bleedin and walked to d door to wash up. The next thin I kno m being lifted up by my frens frm d train floor. Apparently I’d passed out. The hypothesis is dat blood flow wasn’t complete to my brain as I was in a sleepy state, and hence, the incident. I fear to think o d conseqs had I fallen on d oder side of d basin… Commotion ensued, and I apparently did sum weird stunts scarin evrbdy and stallin d train for an hour at a station on d way. The TC personally went to get me some antibiotics, which I (un)fortunately nevr used; thanks anyways man, if u ever read dis! Also thanx to Sakshi, Harshada, Namrata, Aparna and d rest… (Sala, ye toh vote of thanks hogya!)

Well, I do believ in luck n stars and planets... And I believ in astrology and kundli... Now seems my really bad time... So, all you good folks pray for me, and lets hope d worst is over...

Salam aleikum...
Wa-aleikum-as-salam!

(Peace be with you ...
And with you be peace)

- Anuja

Life...

Wassup buddies!

I read sumwhr, dat d worst thin in life is whn someone u know becomes someone u knew… I can only nod my head whn I think of dis statement… Thr r so many ppl who I considerd close, but mebe dat wasn’t a mutual feelin coz many drifted away never to return, and those dat did, wer so changed, dat it was hard to say I knew thm once…A small town guy, someone who I knew was a seed dat’d blossom very soon to proportions unimaginable… And he did… So much so dat nw whn I luk at him, v hav a Blackberry n a laptop n decades of unshared experiences between us… Life has changed, v hav chngd… And thrs no getg bac…

Anywaysssss....
Ready for some Shantaram? M sorry guys, r u bored wid dis rant of mine? But I cant help it, some lines frm d book jus tch a nerve dat I nd to giv it a space on my blog… Pls bear wid me… So, GDR says, sometimes v do d wrong thin for d rite reasons. We need to ensure dat d reason is right, and we need to admit wat v r doin is wrong… Dnt lie to urself dat u did d correct thin… Thr r also times whn u do d wrong thin for wrong reasons, and times whn u do d rite thin for d wrong reasons…. V shud b honest enuf to axpt d nature of d reason n our action… Evrythin u have done, are doing, or are planning to do wil fall in one of these categories. B honest enuf to axpt, and willin to change, if possible. And u’l experience more peace and calm widin…

Talkin abt life, right n wrong, I watchd Aamir d odr day. A small flick wid small content bt huge implications. It is d epitome of d Hindu-Muslim war dat has been ragin for centuries now. D movie has d power to make u feel, which is d best thin any phenomena – livin or dead, can do to u… Starrin d TV superstar Rajeev Khandelwal, d movie is a tale of a Muslim doc who returns to “aamchi Mumbai” aftr studyin abroad to c his family. D punchline is “wud u still screen me so intensely if my name was Amar n nt Aamir?!” – d line d protagonist uses when d airport official grinds him at checkout. However, d storyline wud best b described by dis particular scene in d movie whr thrs a toy and a person winds d key to make d toy work, and prods it whn it dsnt, and finally pushes it away whn its non-functional… D same way, Aamir is coerced to follow a million silly instructions (which r nt actually silly, as he later find out) n jus askd to run throughout d city d minute he exits d airport. Its sickening and saddenin in turns; d way the anonymous caller commands his existence n behavior… One wonders how resignd n helpless one is in d face of fate. V’r mere puppets in d hands of destiny n circumstances can mould us any way they wish. Especially d scene whr Aamir tries to protect a bag (a glarying and horrifyin red!) dat holds d key to his and his family’s freedom n wellbeing. D way he requests and says “bhaijaan” to hoodlums who r wrenching d bag away frm him… painful! Not enuf to draw tears, bt certainly heartrending… Rajeev dsnt hav to work too hard to act naturally, coz d plot is such dat it automatically brings out d relevant emotion in u – fear, heplessness, sorrow, anger, frustration, desperation… n dat entire gamut of negative feelings dat comprise life… However, d end is quite predictable. Sari bollywood movies ki ek hi problem… D minute u hear Aamir means “leader”, u kno thrs a martyr in d makin… A decent attempt to portray d state of Muslims who r shunned in India (dno y v keep stressing on dis aspect, I’v got Muslim frens n thrs no ill-will betwn us!) n driven against their choice to join d Holy War (“Jihad”), how d person behind d reins is brainf***ed n cant think logically n positively, hw innocent ppl get branded as terrorists n their sacrifice remains unknown, unspoken, unappreciated... Not a must-watch, bt if its on cable n u’v got time to spare, thn go for it. It’s on d 18th of July, I think... dno wat time n channel, bt hell! Do a lil homework, folks!!

Well, m doin gud, thnx for askin ;-) nuthin much hapg, my new workplace is pretty relaxd... Thr r times whn I discover thins in bits n spurts n d rest is jus chill-time... V conduct OBLs n team interventions, so whn I join d offsite, it’s a lot of fun n learning. Like d last time thr wer lotsa activities on teambldg, n dis time tho d theme remains d same, v’r gona do adventure stuff like rafting n rappelling... Lookin forward to it!

Chillax people!
Muuuaaaaaaaahhhh!
Take care, coz I care....
- Anuja

Geet Gaata Chal...

Hiya buddies,
Here are 2 poems, both based on luv. But the themes r different. One is by yours truly ;-) and d odr is by someone special for his someone special! Its ur guess now which is writn by who! Lets set u sleuths to sum work…

Poem 1…U duno how badly I need u here wid me,
I need u more dan anything, I need to breathe.
How do I stay warm widout u to hold me tight,
I wish I was in ur arms and evrythin was right.
I mis u so much n I cant wait to c ur face,
Coz whn v r together, my heart begins to race.
Whn m wid u its like no1 can come in my way,
Even whn v’r apart, I think abt u all day.
I wish I cud tel u exactly how I feel,
But words cant explain, this feeling is jus too real…

Poem 2…If I had a day to live,
And I knew tomr I’d die;
I’d hold u close oh baby,
And a million tears cry.
Tears for dreams you gave,
And tears for my fate;
Tears coz I know u…
And tears coz v met late.
I’d ask u to smile,
I’d tell u I luv u,
I’d say sorry, m going…
But I’ll alwes b wid u…
Any gueses???
Awrite the second one’s mine… But I’d like ur comments on both!

A note from Shantaram - Jealousy, lik d flawd luv dat bears it, has no respect for time or space or wisely reasoned argument. It can raise d dead wid a single spiteful taunt or hate a perfect stranger for nuthin more dan d sound of his name…

And finally, thot for d day! A fanatic is someone who wont change his mind and cant change the topic! Hehe…

Have a gud day!
Anuja