darryl's den

A beginning in the end...2011!!!

2011-11-07T14:52:00.000+05:30

2011 has been quite a bummer for me. Its October now and I havnt been on a single bike trip with my buddies. Reason being that first of all after my accident in January, it took forever to get my bike fixed, considering the super service that I got from Royal Enfield and secondly, fact of the matter is that we all have been very busy and just do not find enough time to plan for one. Every time a plan has been made it just does'nt seem to work out. And since my Percept days most of us have moved on to other agencies and co-ordination becomes a pain, but we managed to make a few trips last year.

I came across a few fellow Enfield owners in my new office and there was some glimmer of hope that was poking me in my head, that maybe we all could plan a trip one day. Anyway since I was new in the organisation I wouldnt know if few of them went on a road trip. But then some how a colleague of mine asked me whether I would be interested in going on one. I had some other plans for the weekend, but then I knew I really wanted to go for this one. 1st of October was the date and we decided to go somewhere close to Bombay, we decided to go to Lonavla which is some 80-90 odd kilometers from here.

As usual we decided to leave around 7AM, and knowing us Indians follow the IST we finally began our journey to Lonavla at 8AM from Vashi. Whats amazing was that we had 6 Enfield's and 3 Unicorns, and the best being we had one woman rider amongst us. I've always admired women who ride bikes, they are much better than women who drive cars. It was an amazing feeling that we had so many riders amongst us and it felt good to be back on the road on my Enfield. It was almost after 10 months that I had gone on a long ride with fellow bikers. Its a feel good factor for me since this is my favourite thing to do on weekends, though its not possible to do it every weekend, but nevertheless it was awesome.

We reached Lonavla around 11.30AM and we were looking for a place to park ourselves. I suggested we go to this beautiful place called Pavna Lake which is an artificial lake with scenic beauty all around it. The climate around the lake is cool and it was the perfect place to chill after riding for a couple oh hours. Once we reached Pavna lake it was just breathtaking, the greenery, serene beauty, the awesome feeling amidst nature. Its just a lil surprising to know that a place like this exists in Lonavla, considering all the other favorite, super-crowded places like Bushi Dam, Lions Point, etc...

This was a perfect place for us to photoshoot our bikes, it was just amazing lining our bikes in a certain order to be photographed. Everyone just got busy snapping their machines in every possible angles. It looked like a harley had come to town and everyone was going ga-ga over clicking pictures of it. I too got into the mode of clicking pictures of my Enfield, trying different angles, etc. Well you never get to see 6 Enfield's parked amidst the lush greens that often now... do ya???. In the end it was time to head back home, since the afternoon heat was getting to us and our tummies were growling for some food.

Well its never too late for a looong ride, though I missed going on one during the monsoons, that would have really been the icing on the cake if that had to happen. Its a super awesome feeling riding in the rains, hope I get to keep the momentum going from now on, i.e one bike trip every month to a new destination.

Ride safe....

Road Rage..!!!!!

2011-08-01T19:08:00.007+05:30

Off late, there have been numerous reports on the way our infamous roads get repaired or redone. Especially during the monsoons the situation gets worse, and this happens year after year. Don't exactly know what the BMC's intentions are when they go about constructing new roads or flyovers. The newspapers are flooded with the no. of potholes in the city. They give a deadline of getting them repaired and once the repair work is done, another rain deluge worsens the situation. Add to that the no. of vehicles which ply the roads, just damages the roads no end.

I recently had a small incident, thanks to the stupid manhole covers, no I didn't have an accident, but my bike was damaged because of the amazing maintenance work done by our BMC. The damaged concrete manhole covers punctured my tyre & my tyre rim was damaged. Who the fuck is gonna pay for this now, obviously not the BMC. They are not bothered what happens to the public at large, just interested in filling their pockets through the illegal contract given to the construction agencies.

People travelling in cars, bikes, auto-rickshaws are the ones who bear the brunt everyday travelling to their work places. The worst thing is that every year there is some or the other road repair or digging that happens which inconveniences the public at large, and its during the monsoons that it is at its peak. The major roads are concreted, and there is some sigh of relief for a temporary period of time. Its not for long that this newly concreted road gets the drilling machine piercing its hard ass surface.

What irritates me more is that the way the maintenance work is carried out, there is no sort of quality control that happens. After a certain road is dug, be it concrete or regular tar, the repair work is guaranteed to worsen. There is no sense or restoring the dug road to its original appearance. The bumps will not disrupt traffic, rather the careless attitude is that its done at the end of the day. There is no consideration to the thousands of vehicles which will be going over these bumps, cause the BMC have forgotten that these vehicles are driven by humans, and one more bump will not cause much of harm. This lackadaisical attitude is irks me a lot... Grrrrr!!!!

For eg. when the government announced that skywalks be constructed at every station making it convenient for the commuters to walk freely, few were constructed, some the foundation was laid and later on demolished because of public outrage or some protest. Today the status of these skywalks is that its barely used and TOI carried a picture with a cow resting on one of them. All that money gone down the drain, nothing new that has happened!

When will this end, frankly speaking....NEVER....... cause this is the BMC's way to keep the employment circle running, else we would have half of the population unemployed. The citizens are going to suffer with every year and the no. of people travelling by car will also never see a drop. Things are just gonna worsen day after day. Flyovers will be constructed, new roads being developed and the perpetual road repair works.... will continue till we die..... I see no hope of our infrastructure ever seeing an improvement....PERIOD!!!

2011 Highlight... My Middle Finger!!!

2011-02-04T12:47:00.017+05:30

2011, a brand New year. We look forward to new ambitions, new desires, challenges, aspirations to push ourselves so that we make the best of what will be offered to us in the New Year. I too was looking at it with renewed vigour, 2010 was an OK year for me, but then it wasn't that bad either. My resolution was to ensure that I come out of my laziness which had dragged me into the ground in 2010, had to push myself and ensure I don't repeat another 2010.

I was on vacation in Goa, quit my job and was looking forward to the new place where I had got in. I had ample of time to unwind my tired mind before I get into the rat race again. A week of madness n mayhem in Goa, with a dash of relaxation just to be a lil considerate to my body, and another week at home lazing around waiting for my first day at the new place. Was thinking to myself, I must be the luckiest person to get a long break in-between jobs, and was being mesmerized with the whole thought. Its just a great feeling to actually be relaxed when you know that you are gonna slog your ass off in your next job. So its refreshing and you have an opportunity to rejuvenate yourself before the next rat race.

On the 5th day I left late from office and was heading home on my Enfield bullet, since I've been traveling to office on the bike ever since I started my career. I was riding down the new King's Circle flyover, when I had to change lanes due to some maintenance work on the street lights and get onto the next flyover. I was behind a four-wheeler, so I decided to overtake from the left side. I looked in the left mirror just to check if there is any vehicle coming from the left side, before I could look back on the road, I hit something really hard. I was seeing the sky & the road turning upside down, rolling over in the middle of the road. Me lying on the road with the bike a few meters away from me I knew I was in deep shit. I knew it was a bad accident, I got up on my own and started looking at the damage on me, couple of riders stopped to help me and check on me. Slowly the pain was saying hi and I was looking at the injuries to me, my right hand middle finger was bleeding from the nail, my left leg ankle was paining and I was struggling to take a step ahead. My left shoulder was in excruciating pain and I was hoping I hadn't cracked my shoulder. So I tried to lift it but with a lot of pain and difficulty I managed to move it up, and I was hoping it wouldn't be a hairline fracture.

Other riders help me walk to my bike while others lifted it, and I was assessing the damage caused due to my 3 seconds of looking into the mirror. It was fucked up and I knew for the second time it was a bad ass accident. I was just wondering why now, at the beginning of the year do I get punished, what did I do that gave me such a jolt. I called up a friend who lived close to where the accident had taken place, he helped get to the doc, and after telling him where I was hurt, I realized I might have fractured my right hand middle finger.

The next day I visited the hospital, and got an x-ray done. The doc confirmed it was a fracture and that I would have to undergo surgery to get it fixed. Monday morning was my appointment for the surgery, I was calm since the doctor had said that it would be a 25min procedure and it would be a local anesthesia. As I watched the doctor drill wires in my finger, I was reminiscing my fateful accident and just wasn't able to get over it. I took me a few days to get over the whole episode of my accident since it would just keep coming in my head.

Its been 3 months since the accident and even today while my bike is still at the garage getting repaired, I pass through the accident spot at Sion everyday and pray that i'm really fortunate that I escaped the accident with only a minor finger fracture, though its consequences I will have to live for the rest of my life...

Drive / Ride safe people, it aint worth it... Trust me on this.

No (B)road sense whatsoever...!!!

2010-11-30T11:35:00.023+05:30

I've always wanted to write about this, but just could never gather my thoughts on the same. It still remains the same but I will write it somehow. It has been there in my head like a brain tumour for a really long time.

I primarily travel to office on a motorcycle, just like the other people riding who look like ants on the roads from a distance. I agree the best & the fastest way to travel to work are the caterpillar like local trains. Bikes make it more convenient since you are at your own disposal, i.e. you can leave for home whenever you want to, because you don’t have to depend on any other modes of transport and it doesn’t depend on a particular time that you have to leave.

Nowadays jobs aren’t the 9 to 5 types where you had a fixed time to get to office and a fixed time to leave for home, but yes reporting to office at a particular time doesn’t change. Anyway this is not my topic for discussion, its something else. It’s about following certain road ethics a certain sense of civility while you on the road. I’m not talking bout observing traffic/road rules while riding/driving, it’s something which is not taught to you in driving schools.

With nearly a hundred new vehicles hitting Bombay's roads and add a couple hundred of 2-wheelers, the ever increasing demand for cars & bikes aren’t going to come down. The soaring fuel prices don’t make a huge impact on the demand. Owning a car or a bike is more like a status symbol, ironically more than a necessity in today’s world. Due to this, we always come across traffic jams, endless bumper-to-bumper traffic in this cosmopolitan called "Bombay". The innumerable flyovers doesn’t help ease the traffic because of the increasing demand of new vehicles. And also the perpetual road-digging that happens at regular intervals.

Due to these traffic jams the 2-wheelers resort to riding on the footpaths, pavements next to the roads causing a huge inconvenience to the pedestrians. This behaviour is not acceptable when you are invading others spaces. Me being a biker, at times break certain traffic rules, but completely avoid riding on the footpath since that’s not my space to ride. If I was a pedestrian and if I find 2-wheeler riders riding on the footpath it wouldn’t be a nice moment. People don’t realise that there are old people, women & children walking on the footpath which is supposed to be a safe place while walking on the roads, and with this kind of behaviour its no less dangerous than the road itself. The psyche of Bombay is that of a fast-paced city, the city that never sleeps, blah blah blah, in a way reflects in each and every citizen living, even on me, and this makes us very impatient. And being a Bombayite, I wouldn’t deny the fact. Every person is in some kind of rush to get back home, to work, to meet his/her Girl/Boyfriend, to deliver something, etc. etc. And being in a kind of rush all the time people resort to taking to the footpaths to get ahead and save some time, but eventually are held by a traffic signal. Thank god the four-wheelers don’t have the luxury to do the same.

All this happens with causing greater inconvenience to the innocent pedestrians walking on what's their space and it entirely belongs to them only. Who are the fucking riders to take it away from them, why do they deserve this invasion of their space? This matter may seem very miniscule, but then why should the pedestrians suffer. The traffic cops just keep ignoring this, infact there has been a few times where I have seen a cop or two on a bike using the footpath to go ahead. If they resort to such practices, the pedestrians would go to incase there is an accident on the footpath. It’s a cliché conclusion that the law protectors become the law breakers, and this doesn’t help grow the trust & faith that the public would want to have on the cops.

People in India don’t have the basic civic sense to respect other peoples spaces, and this irritates me no end. There have been times when a senior irate pedestrian was stopping all the bikers from riding on the footpath, but the bikers weren’t paying any heed to the pedestrian. Why should someone go out of his way to do this? Cause he was retired, nothing more to do in life, that’s the respect we have for our elders.

And this will keep continuing, neither the Cops/Traffic Police will do anything about this nor the infamous Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) will do anything to stop this. We the people will always be subject to such inconveniences for the rest of our lives. Bombay will always be subject to such a behaviour from its inhabitants cause even if we keep raving " Yeh Hai Bombay Meri Jaan" we never give it a second thought to make it a better place for ourselves and others to live in. We, the selfish citizens are to blame...

Meter Jam... Who we kidding guys???

2010-10-13T11:52:00.003+05:30

Well in its second campaign the so called “Meter Jam” probably didn’t have much of an effect, neither did the first one which happened on August 12, 2010. Well they would probably argue with numbers and say that we got the required support from Bombayites. What I fail to understand is who the fuck are we talking to guys and who are we trying to fool... ourselves!!!!

I may sound pessimistic in my blog, but then this is Bombay guys, nothing changes. Rock bottom… it wont and it will never ever. It has been a bold initiative, but not forgetting the basics need to be clear here. We live in a city where everybody looks out only for himself and nobody else; they don’t give a fucking damn. People are so involved with themselves that they don’t even stop to help out an accident victim in their daily hustle-bustle of getting to work and then returning home. Our lives revolve around a routine which cannot be hampered in anyway, unless the system fails (Public Transport) on that day.

Thousands colour the city everyday in the trains, building, walls, elevators, sometimes other people (I’m not talking bout the festival Holi!!!) from various heights that too. The clean-up Mumbai drive must have instilled a lil of civic sense in all of us but then as I said before, Yeh Bombay hai meri jaan!!! Sudhrega nahi kabhi…

The cabbies, auto guys know that people will use their services and can hold us ransom for the same, cause ultimately it’s we who need them and not the other way round. I agree we are their bread n butter, but with a population of 13.5 million and with more than 2.5 lac + rickshaws & 1.2lac taxis plying the road they are never gonna run short of people requiring their services. A few thousand people who decide not to use their services is hardly gonna create any effect. How will it matter to them in any way? Its not even close to a freaking pin prick.

The only people who will benefit out of this “Meter Jam” fiasco are the people who have thought of this and they probably own cars to travel to work or where ever. Have they ever used the Public Transport in their entire existence? They have got the required mileage out of this so called “Meter Jam” and all will be forgotten in a few months, I repeat it will not make any difference to the cabbies & autos’ life even if this was repeated twice every month. The attitude of these people (Autos & cabbies) will never change, they are their own bosses behind the wheel and they will be the ultimate decision makers on where to go and where not to. And we will keep ranting about their attitude for the rest of our lives. The traffic cops don’t do shit about it, people complaining about it through email n SMS is an alternative, but then its not gonna impact anything. Even if a cop gets you a cab, the cabbie will go ahead a lil distance and ask you to get off, and will say no to your destination.

In conclusion I don’t see much happening on this front, I don’t know whether it will ever change, people who are used to autos & cabs will always use them till they can afford a transport of their own. Autos n cabbies will always say no… they think it’s their right to deny... but when they wear that uniform its their duty to serve the public!!!

Another bike tripin my travelogue...

2010-10-01T16:17:00.007+05:30

Another bike trip in my travelogue,
A new destination with memories for a dialogue.

An avenue to rejuvenate our tired brain.
Helps us load off the weekly strain.

Our bikes leaving behind dust n' spray,
Thumping into nature's scenic frames.

Leaving behind a picturesque trail,
Hoping we would re-visit, someday again.

At the break of dawn we move in form,
Not knowing what lies in this rainy storm.

The sunshine was at its peak,
Losing our way and going miles away,
We finally took our long awaited leak.

Lil that it rained,
Made us slip and sprain.
Riding to our destination became kind of a pain.

Heading back the next day,
Hoping it would be a smoother sway.

Nursing the straights & curves
The rain kept pouring along the kerbs.
Holding on to our hysteric urges.

As we reached within city limits,
Was time to say goodbye to the breathtaking sights,
Riding amidst the clouds & nature’s scapes.

Lil did we realize, we were back to our hibernating graves.
Coming back to traffic jams & traffic snarls,
Wondering what all that noise was for.

Moving like snails, we made our way,
Hoping a new place, welcomes our grace.

Two punctures... two accidents.... One Destination!

2010-07-22T22:09:00.012+05:30

The monsoons in Maharashtra are a treat, especially for the ones who love what Mother Nature has to offer. With the ample mountainous ranges in the state, the whole landscape has a green cover which can be best enjoyed during the rainy season. And what better way to enjoy these natural beautiful sights, than to ride your bike through the long highways passing villages, green pastures, scenic mountains, and sometimes waterfalls besides the highways.

My group of biker friends decided to make a trip to Bhandardara, 160KM from Bombay ahead of Igatpuri in the month of July. Since it’s become a ritual amongst us to make a bike trip once every month. This was the first trip we were going to make during the monsoons, and the danger element kept staring at us ever since we decided to make this rainy trip, cause a bike, a far away destination, unpredictability of rains & slippery wet roads all adds up to one hell of a risky ride. But then no bike ride is complete without the element of danger. That’s what pushes us I guess!!!

So we decided to leave for Bhandardara at 7:30AM on Saturday, 17th July 2010, and as usual we got delayed due to unforeseen circumstances. We were five guys leaving from various places in Bombay and our meeting point was Mulund (West) toll-naka on the Eastern Express highway. My friend leaving from Goregaon, gets a puncture and has to get his tyre fixed, another friend leaving from Juhu meets with a minor accident, which damages his gear lever, which adds up to the delay. Since I had to tank up my bike and fill air, I go to the local tyre-puncture guy and to my surprise even I had a puncture in my rear tyre. Another half hour added to the delay. The four of us finally meet up at the toll-naka at 9.15AM and we head towards our destination. We pick up the fifth guy from Thane and we begin our journey with excited emotions.

On our way we get a few light showers, but nothing to slow us down. The atmosphere was cool with a light drizzle, enjoying the scenic landscapes all around us. We had our smoke breaks, breakfast stop, pee stops and we were within touching distance of our destination. We got further delayed when we realized we overshot the turn to Bhandardara by 30Kms. But we didn’t care since the roads were so mesmerizing that we stopped looking at road signs.

After taking a right at Ghoti, on the narrow road to Bhandardara we got a moderate shower and the roads got wet and we had our last accident of the trip. My friend lost control of his bike due to the wet mud on the road and broke his left rear-view mirror. Now that’s a souvenir for his bike trip. Lucky for him there was no major injury to him. We had to slow down for quite a while since the wet mud made the road quite slippery, therefore we were moving ahead with caution.

We finally reached Bhandardara at 4PM after a grueling six hours and since we didn’t have any accommodation in place it was another hour till we finally parked our stone cold asses and rested our tired, aching bodies at Yash resort. All of us decided we explore the place the next day, since there wasn’t much light to enjoy the surroundings. The next morning we were supposed to wake up early but then knowing us guys that didn’t happen. We finally got out exploring the place at around 11AM.

Bhandardara has many well known & unwanted crowded spots, especially the Wilson or Bhandardara dam as it’s popularly known as. Apart from that there is a lake which was a little empty probably cause of less rain in the area. But the lake was beautiful and was a very large one which was miles long. We decided to chill next to the banks but since it was quite sunny we decided not to. We decided to head towards the waterfall and we ended up taking a long ride, with the roads ziggin & zagging, the clouds hugging the mountains and the sun shining in all its glory.

This was the disappointing moment of our trip, while we were at Bhandardara, we didn’t get a hint of rain, not even a drop, so we just kept roaming around till we found the Randha waterfalls. From a distance we could see hoards of semi-naked guys/picknickers taking a shower under the waterfalls and also a few local women washing clothes in the same area. That did it… we decided to move on and look for a quieter place. We came back to the dam and decided to chill out for sometime.

After a relaxing smoke by the bank, we decided to head back home at around 4PM, since we wanted to avoid riding in the night. We quickly checked out from the hotel and were on our way back home. As soon as we exited Bhandardara and came on the NH-3 the clouds started roaring and it started pouring cats & dogs. The pouring rain was so much that we had to slow down to a speed of 40Kmph from 70-80Kmph. Due to the heavy pour there was zero visibility & with our headlights & indicator lights on we were moving like tortoises coming out of the water. The weather was just too awesome, though we had our rain gear on, we still got wet and I mean drenching wet. We rode for an hour covering almost 50Km when we came across a dry spell, but then as we moved further the rain gods were showering their blessings on us yet again.

It was bliss, the experience of riding in the rains is just too awesome. A memorable experience which will never be forgotten in a long time. The ride back home in the rains compensated for the disappointing weather at Bhandardara. We were fortunate we didn’t have any major mishap, or bike breakdowns, the rain gods took care of us each mile of our long journey.

Looking forward to our next trip in August. Hope it’s filled with loads of fun, coming close to Mother Nature yet again.

40 Days...

2010-04-19T02:54:00.001+05:30

It was one day before Ash Wednesday (February 17th, 2010), the beginning of Lent that I decided to follow it. Which technically means that if you are following Lent you give up something that you love, you make a sacrifice. After not much thought I decided that I would give up one of the most favourite things that I love: and that is "Eating Non-veg food" and not only that I also decided to give up alcohol. Cause like other Christians giving up something or the other and the most common of the sacrifices would be to give up alcohol, eating non-veg food, givng up chocolates, etc. etc. Some people even give up sex, well now that is something which I wouldnt want to add to my list of sacrifices. Can give a shot though!!!

But then I decided to give up both alcohol & non-veg food. At the time of making this decision I didnt think of how difficult it would be or whether I would be able to follow it or not cause somewhere it was an impulsive decision. Not many thoughts ran through my head, cause all I knew was that I have decided to abstain myself from alcohol & non-veg food for the next 40 days... Phewwwwww!!!

I had announced this to many of my friends, family, colleagues and the only response I got was that I wouldnt be able to go through this. Everybody knows me as a hardcore foodie and giving that up would definitely be a herculean task. Im too weak to make such a big sacrifice. But then it actually didnt matter whether I got through this test successfully or not, cause my conscience would not let me cheat myself. I didnt have any particular reason to do this, I didnt do this for the sake of religion, or for God or any other reasons. I just wanted to do it, just wanted to test my will power and how strong I am as an individual to go through this.

As I began counting the days remaining for Easter, my craving for meat just kept on exploding inside my head and even more my stomach. Infact during the forty days, I ended up going to places with my friends, colleagues where they would indulge in alcohol, meat and I would have to sip on some juice for the rest of the evening/night. Had to attend few birthday parties and I would just have to strengthen myself and keep myself away from temptation. Its not that I wasnt tempted to break my sacrifice umpteen times, I just had to distract myself from the obvious.

Easter was on 4th of April, 2010, the day I would break my so called fast, and I couldnt help my self counting the last few remaining days. Cause somewhere deep inside I was happy that I will go through this without a problem. Forty days without non-veg & alcohol was something which I have never done in my entire life. I just kept counting, updating my Facebook, Gtalk status and reminding my self of the days that remained for Easter.

In the end when it was finally Easter, It dawned upon me that I got through this abstinence without a glitch. My system would have gotten cleansed with all the vegetarian (Arghhhhhhh!!!) food which I was consuming(No offense to Vegetarians), but then I didnt bother about that so much, cause I was internally happy that I went through this. Exactly at 12.30Am on Easter Sunday, I had my first drink of Old Monk Rum, after Forty freaking days, and it just felt great, being back to my normal self. And ya just 30ml of Rum got me high, which was kind of expected.

At the end of this abstinence stint of mine, I decided that I will not put myself through this ever again, cause it was painful not to do the things which I love. But Im happy I did it cause it has made me stronger & confident and I know that life will throw tougher challenges at you, its upto you whether you are game for it or not?

Routine.. a societal virus.

2010-03-10T17:35:00.003+05:30

A virus exists in our society,
It’s in our system, because our lives are too hasty.
It dwells, it breathes, it may kill our desires.
We no longer are satiated with small pleasures,
Since ignorance has become a way of life.
We push ourselves beyond our human abilities,
Mocking the purpose of being alive.
Everyday is like a ritual to survive.

We seek happiness in our materialistic endeavors.
And drown our sorrows over, like sour grapes.
Our life is a drowning pessimism,
Our attitude to life gets stranger each day,
Happiness is an illusion of the previous day,
Today is tomorrow, even before you can blink.
Life doesn't simplify, problems just multiply.
Everyday seems to be similar,
Not one day different than the other.
Routine doesn't let us break away.
We hardly mind that and play a pretense...
Blaming ourselves all the time and hoping it exchanges.

Life is a test, testing our lives everyday of our life.
From the first breath to our dying breaths.
In between is existence and feeding it with survival.
It has much more to offer,
And we excuse ourselves when its being offered.
We need to step back and enjoy the ride,
Pause a bit from our routine.
Life's beauty isn't enough for a lifetime.
Living everyday is what matters, all the time.

In Love....

2009-09-16T21:04:00.022+05:30

On a pleasant rainy Sunday.
Couldn't figure out what to do today.

Wanted to be alone with me & myself.
Didn't want another Sunday to just go away!

My mind tried to wander beyond the four walls.
It finally dawned, I didn't want another yawn.

Got on my bike, made a few calls.
Rode to a destination we didn't know at all.

Feeling the mild rain off our skins,
Inhaling the cool breeze, whilst speeding with a big fat grin.

We rode miles & miles away from home,
Through rain & through shine did we roam.

Long straights and unending turns,
I wished the road would go on and on.

The glistening tarmac's warm welcome,
Hugging the rubber, like it was it's own.

My new best friend didn't feel alone.
She escorted me all through this journey,
Never once, did she lose sight of me.

I hope to see her soon, maybe for a longer noon!!!
In love with this road as long as I live.

Trek to Heaven!!!

2009-08-11T12:53:00.022+05:30

It feels so good, back after an awesome trek to the Sahyadri Hills. It was the perfect weather since it was monsoons and the climate was ever so pleasing, though we were a lil disappointed with no rains on our entire trek. But overall it was good fun.

With our busy office schedules and leaving late being a hated habit, few of us still managed to make much before time to VT station from where we were gonna board the train to Lonavala which was scheduled to leave at 10.45PM. I have been on few treks before, but never was it during the monsoons so the anticipation was filled with more of an excitement knowing it would be a lil more dangerous. So all of us got comfortable in the train and we reached Lonavla ten minutes prior to our scheduled arrival, which was 2.00AM in the morning. As per our initial plan we had decided that at the break of dawn we would start our trek, but then we decided that we would start immediately in the dead of the night.

As we started our 17Km walk to Rajmachi fort through the streets of Lonavala, which is a well renowned hill station in Maharashtra, we were wondering how commercial it has become over the years, its beauty has lost its true essence. People or rather tourists who dont give a damn, just keep fucking the place around. As we walked towards the base village, Vaishakhare, I was wondering how wonderful it would have been if it was a full moon night, but then nevertheless I was enjoying every moment of it.

Few from our group have been to this place on a number of occassions and this was atleast say 8-9 yrs back so due to a lot of development in Lonavala my friends kinda got lost which direction to take. After enquiring with the night watchman he guided us and showed us the path and we were back in action. After walking for almost 3 hrs we had reach a point where we decided to take a break and wait till there was some daylight for us to proceed.

Me being a not so regular trekker, started experiencing backache due to the heavy weight of my backpack and was almost wanting a break every ten minutes, but then just the thrill of being amidst clouds, lush greenery, beautiful waterfalls, snaky streams of fresh water kept me going on. My lungs were finding it hard to breathe clean pure air which took me some time to get adjusted to, but it was so refreshing, my lungs must have expanded to accommodate as much as it could. Wish we could have this privilege in the city too. After walking for almost 5-6 hours we came across this stream which was more like a large shallow river, we decided to let our hair down and get wet. We all stripped down to our undies and took a dip in the river. The water was so damn cold it took us a while for our bodies to adjust to the temperature of the water. By the time we got out, our bodies were shivering so much we wished we had carried blankets to warm us up instantly. After spending time by the river we decided to move on and not take any more breaks. But then eventually taking breaks are part of any trek, its how long is that break that matters.

We reached the point from where we could see the Rajmachi fort in all its glory, and some part of it covered with clouds, only a valley separated us. We were close to our destination, like they say "so close yet so far apart". It was a good 2-2 1/2 hrs from where we could see the fort. We came across this point from where we could see the largest waterfall on our whole trek and it was such an awesome sight, wish we could have been under the fall that very instant. The base of the fall had eroded and cut through the rocks carving it like a horseshoe. It was so magnificent at the way nature beautifies itself every now and then. It was such a mesmerizing feeling, wish it would last a lifetime.

After enjoying the view of the waterfalls we headed towards the Rajmachi village which was at the base of the Rajmachi Fort where we looked for accommodation. It took us another 2 hrs from the point where we could see the fort. After walking for nearly 10hrs we reached the place at 12:30PM totally famished and eagerly waiting when we can have lunch. Our legs had gone numb after such a long walk... we just wanted to crash. We hurried through our lunches and then just dozed off thinking that we would do some sight-seeing after taking a nap in the afternoon.

In the middle of our doze the owner decided to fix the non-existent door to our rooms, and in the commotion I lost my sleep, which was very surprising. I guess i wasn't fast asleep which is why I woke up, and then couldn't push myself to sleep again. So i decided to wander around and try my hand at photography, which kinda helped me stay awake. And the best thing was that I was the only one who was wide awake while the rest were dozing off to glory. How could these guys sleep with all the chiseling, hammering, nailing, etc. etc.??

At around 4.30PM while everybody was awake we decided to visit an old temple which was a sight for soar eyes. It was so beautiful, a temple made out of stone amidst all the lush greenery. Besides the temple was an artificial lake where you had the usual picnickers (boys) who were taking a dip in the lake, few of them drunk like they have never had alcohol at such a high altitude. It was totally fucking up the ambience of being over there with the greenery the temple ruins, etc. It just was so shameful that people had to fuck up the serenity of the place.

Soon it was dinner time and we headed to the village to the owners house where we were served an awesome dinner, the taste of which still lingers on in my system. A simple basic meal was what made the trip so much more interesting, the simplicity of the village people taking pains to provide us meals and their hospitality was always a welcome. I just loved every moment.

Next day we woke up to a perfect weather, the kind where in you just feel like lazing around, doing nothing, but then we had a task at hand: we had to climb down the treacherous route towards the direction of Karjat. We had our breakfast and started our descent at around 9AM. The descent was risky, the rocks wet & foggy, and my shoes were screaming for a tar road. It was just refusing to grip the surface below, and was tearing apart with every step. The view from the top of the cliff was just amazing and we had to take a deep breath to realize how much we had to travel down. One things for sure on any trek, the climb up may be very tiring, exhausting, you have to have a power horse of a heart to get you to the top, but then the descent is more dangerous & slippery and especially during the monsoon the risk is 5 times the normal. Each step has to be calculated and cannot be taken for granted, cause one wrong step and you would end up down the cliff which could be fatal.

On our way we came across some caves whose architecture was so magnificent. We decided to spend some time exploring the caves, looking at the minute sculptures, all chiseled through molten rock. It was so damn amazing. Except for the modern art ie. people labeling their personal interests on rock with their names and the names of their loved ones. It kinda made us feel the dumbness of few people in this country who do not appreciate basic civic sense. Anyway this is India and it doesn't make me any more proud of being an Indian when I come across such vandalism on our historic & archaeological sites.

We reach the base of the mountain at around 1-1.30PM and we decided to take a break by chilling at the river bank. We spent an hour or so out there and headed towards Karjat station from where we headed back to our individual homes.

As I was reaching home the sights & sounds of this amazing journey on the hills, the lil rivulets, streams, waterfalls, the greenery, walk amidst the clouds, the awesome dinner just rushed through my head like chapters of my favorite novel. I wish I could have spent more time on the hills, explored the place a lil more, but then just the thought of getting back to work the next day didn't seem that exciting at all!!!

Moments of happiness!!!

2009-07-07T16:56:00.005+05:30

Happiest moments don't last longer,
They just seem to linger on.

Life keeps playing games,
How do we deal with so many names.

Few make a difference,
And it becomes hard to reference.

The lasting effect has been created,
Which might last a lifetime.

We get branded with our emotions,
And we end up moving in circular motions.
Figuring a way out of this commotion.

Time passes by - seconds, minutes, hours... sometimes days!
Slowly we delve into what becomes "memories".
Some of which make us laugh, some make us ponder,
...whether it was all worth-a-while?

Experiences make us stronger,
Its how we apply them makes,
Our lives meaningful & bolder.

Today is another day,
Tomorrow should'nt be a yesterday.

Day-to-day... Reverse!!!

2009-05-15T13:04:00.006+05:30

The night is long, before we move to the early dawn.
We forgo our struggle, looking for a breather.
Have we achieved what we set out for?

The evening was another hurdle, wanting to break out.
Looking through the mess, making no sense,
I wish I could just leave it all.

Between strict schedules & tight deadlines
I try to find myself without hope,
I look at the ceiling, hoping it would come crashing down.

Another day, hunger doesn't seem to make no difference at all.
Embroiled in your daily dose of stress, I look for some pretense.
Just to make my self happy,
Knowing its going to be another long day.

Mornings are fun, if you didn't have to earn,
Else its a fight to reach your destination on time.
We wake up with hope & anxiety.
And believe today is a great day.

Our dreams are forgotten at the break of dawn.
As we lay, we try to forget our today,
Contemplating for a better tomorrow.

I hope this scene changes once and for all.

Six feet under...sea!

2009-05-09T16:39:00.013+05:30

Well hadn't taken a break in a long time and it was the longest weekend holiday that we got in ages ever since I started working in Percept /H. Me and a couple of my buddies decided that we would take a trip to a place where we have never been before. After traveling half of Maharashtra on Google Maps we finally settled for Tarkarli which is a beach 5-6km from Malvan off the NH-17 .

Next was making arrangements for our stay and every dam place was full. Was feeling a lil guilty since the first holiday was for the general elections happening in our state and me and my friends would not be present to cast our votes. Anyway we went about looking for more options for our stay but couldn't find any. We finally decided that we would head out to that place and figure out our stay once we got there.

We left on Thursday night in a rush since me and my other friend were leaving from office and he was stuck in a meeting which he couldn't leave on time. We left in a rush and forgot to pick up alcohol for our trip, but then anyway i guess it was most important that we don't miss the bus. We reached the place where the bus would pick us up and the bus arrived over there in the next ten minutes. Man that was so close, else our trip would have been to the local bar on all the 4 days of chutti.

It was a long time since I ever traveled by bus to such a far off place, well this place was just 4 hours from Goa and during the journey we were contemplating to cancel our trip to Tarkarli and head over to Goa. But then we wanted to explore the new place and that was our only motivation. The bus journey as expected wasn't that great, the most uncomfortable journey in the recent past. It was so damn painful and dirty just couldn't get enough of a nap in the whole journey. We reach our so called resort at 11am and so damn hungry we decided to freshen up and go to the nearby MTDC resort to have our brunch.

The MTDC Resort was a beautiful place except for the heat at this time of the year, and man it was so fucking hot. Its unbelievable and being nearby to the sea has some disadvantages, the humidity itself will make you commit suicide. So we head to Malvan to pick up some beers to chill our heated flesh & bones. The sad part was in Tarkarli there was no "Restaurant & Bar" for which we had to make this daunting trip in the freaking maddening heat. Once over there, Just holding the chilled bottle of beer before we headed back to our resort was sacrosanct for that precise moment. Once we downed our beers, it felt like winter inside our bodies which gave us such a relief, it was better than sex.

Anyway our vacation was just gonna be so much more fun.... and it felt good really good to be away from home & work, nobody to bother you, no calls, no boss screaming at you, no reporting to work on time.

The highlight of our trip to Tarkarli was yet to befall on us. We were over there for 3 days and our main objective was to do something which neither of us had experienced..... that was Snorkeling. Just the thought of it would excite me so much and it still does. A day before our departure, Ghanshyam the guy who was arranging our snorkeling trip called on us and said that we would have to meet him at his resort at 7:30PM from where we would head out into the sea to the spot where we would park ourselves and go snorkeling. We got onto our boat and headed out into the sea all excited that we are finally gonna snorkel after 2 days of not doing much on our trip. Apart from us three, there were four others along with us who were gonna snorkel. As we reached the spot our excitement couldn't stop us from diving into the sea, well we knew swimming so we could take the chance unless some shark came and attacked us. The feeling of swimming in the sea was such an awesome high, its not the same, swimming close to the shore I tell you. Me and Mozzam were going all crazy just swimming around the boat. It felt so so so good. If for some reason i couldn't snorkel that day I wouldn't have been dissapointed cause the swim in the sea, kilometers from the shore itself was amazing.

It was our turn to put on the Snorkel gear and at first it was difficult to get used to it since you had to breathe with your mouth and not with your nose. Once we reached the shallow waters I could see the reef in all its beauty, it was so amazing, looking through the clear water the corals, and the fishes. This was the best feeling in my whole trip, looking at the flora & fauna just so damn beautiful, so pristine. I wish I was a fish was the thought going through my head. I was thanking the Creator for creating such beautiful undisturbed haven's which we do not have the opportunity to explore in our day-to-day lives. Amazing fishes, the natural contours of the sea bed, the corals, all so wonderful to watch. Nature at its bestest..... Love it man. Loved every moment of my being six feet under the sea.

These underwater images will flash for a longtime to come I wish to do it soon... really soon!

Move on

2009-02-17T11:54:00.002+05:30

We try to make the most of our little lives,
Happiness & sorrow are no longer parallel lines.

We seek for simple pleasures,
And hope one day we find some treasure.

What we become one day,
Is what we did in our yesterdays.

We overcome our suppression,
And end up taking pills to avoid acute depression.

Life keeps playing games,
And our assumptions don't see much of a change.

"Move On" is what we tell ourselves,
Just to give a feeling of overcoming our fake sorrows.

Career

2009-02-17T11:46:00.002+05:30

Working without any glory,
Is like History,
Reminds you of your good & bad stories.

Everyday is a race towards success,
Not wanting any process.

You strive to climb up the ladder,
Taking stress as bad as your loaded bladder.

We wake up every morning and sign out every evening,
And realize we just have been working.

We want to take a break,
So that we can rejuvenate,
And somewhere...
Do not end up committing the same mistakes.

Fear

2008-12-02T20:49:00.006+05:30

I guess each and every Bombayite would have felt fear in their lives at some point of time, since Bombay has seen it all, be it floods, bomb blasts, riots, earthquakes and many such incidents have in some way have brought it out in all of us.

Bombay was brought to a stand still yet again, but this time it wasn't a bomb blast which ripped through a train or a crowded place but it was far worse than that. Some terrorists had attacked our city and were on a mission to create havoc throughout the city. And this time it wasn't the common man that got attacked but some of the prestigious, elite people who are the foundation of the commercial capital of our country. The terrorists had gone insane shooting at their own free will at VT station, walked in the Oberoi & the Taj Mahal hotel and opened fire like a gardener watering his plants.

I know its a lil too late that im writing bout this, but there is a particular reason im writing this. its not about how the government fucked up the whole situation, or the cheap comments from our politicians or the near 60 hour ordeal that went into capturing all the terrorists. This article is bout me, my experience of the whole incident from a view which can only be seen from the television news channels.

I think this must have been the maximum news that i must have watched for my whole lifetime. I was completely drained on 27th watching the news channel, at the end i was so freaking bored that i just didn't want to do anything else. Was just trying to absorb what exactly is happening out there. Innocent people getting killed for no rhyme or reason and the beautiful Taj Mahal hotel being destroyed every hour. It just was killing me every time there was an explosion or something like that. I was hoping that the terrorists wouldn't blow up the Taj. It would have been a great loss to this city. Everybody must have been glued to the TV like moths to the luminescent white bulb.

The next day when I went to work, people discussing bout all the various things about the attacks, some swearing at the ministers, the whole political system, few said it just sucks just couldn't take it anymore. Work was kinda keeping me distracted from the tension that could be seen on everybody's faces not just the office but public in general.

Around 3:00Pm in the afternoon there was this news of firing at CST station, Crawford Market, and all of a sudden there was panic in the air. People calling frantically their dear ones to check whether they are ok. People started leaving the office after we got an official mail from the management that the employees can leave at four. It was almost a helter-skelter kind of situation and there was even more panic on peoples faces.

The cops got onto their feet and started putting up nakabandis so that they could check cars and look for suspicious people or objects. I was out having a smoke amongst this hustle-bustle and as i was taking a drag i could see my fingers shiver. For the first time in my life I was actually scared i mean i was scared of my life. This pandemonium and too much of exposure to the television news it had created this anxiety in me. I feared for my life and was wondering what if the terrorists were in my area and were stopped by the cops and opened fire, a stray bullet could hit me. I never had this feeling in me that of FEAR. I wanted to be home at that precise moment.

This whole terrorists saga continued for almost 60 hrs. but this feeling of fear will never be forgotten by me. It still scares the daylights of me.
Thank God my friends, family, near & dear ones are all safe. My heartfelt condolences to all the families who have lost one of their members in the 26/11 incident.

Anyway that's all I had to say, cause FEAR was something which I hadn't felt ever.

Journey of LIfe

2008-10-29T14:28:00.006+05:30

I love riding my bike,
It gives me the freedom which I like.
It takes me places,
Helps me explore many open spaces.

I wish to get lost,
cause that's one way to make the most...
Of this journey of life.

There is so much more than this drag,
It keeps getting harder to brag,
and I don't wanna end up like a big old sag.

One day I take the concrete,
The other I take the tarmac,
And some day I wish I was on a road to nowhere land.

Destinations don't matter,
Its the journey which makes more sense,
Unlike life without an aim,
Ends up being a lot of shame.

Riding around like a vagabond,
Its fun going round & round.
Coming across the same corners, turns after turns.
I realize its no more fun.

I wish the road never ends, it just goes on & on,
Cause every town & place has a story spun around.
At times I go over a bump, and it reminds me to avoid the slump.

The journey gets lonely at times,
I have my bike, the road and the divider lines,
To comfort my nerves & intestines.

I look for shelter from the rain,
I take a break when I am in pain,
And try to forget my past stains.
And move on from one milestone to another.

Each journey is a different chapter,
When I reach my destination,
I want to start another one.

This my friend, is the circle (Journey) of life,
Sometimes its smaller, sometimes its longer.
Don't want it ever to end.

kockroach kaniya....... Express????

2008-10-18T12:45:00.008+05:30

Well that's what i would like to call the Konkan Kanya train from CST (Victoria Terminus) to Madgaon, Goa. This is the train that people usually board to go to the land of babes, beaches & not forgetting the last cheap Booze.

I was on my way to Goa with my close friends, God knows after ages probably, and i was looking forward to this trip impatiently & desperately. Had been slogging my butt for the last few months and just needed a break, one long break from this maddening routine that was like a parasite in my system. Had to just relax my nerves and mental stability which probably would have been unstable if I didn't get to go on this trip to Goa. After all the hassles and running around in office on the last day I was finally gonna go home and on my way to Goa.

So there I was at Thane station waiting for the train which was due to arrive at 23:50. Arrive it did at 12:10, considering the infamous Indian Standard Time, the train did arrive on time. Not expected a 10 min delay from the India Railways. I guess Laloo Prasad Yadav becoming the Railway Minister has made a huge difference.

When we get into the train we realize our seats are close to the toilet door and there is this pathetic stench which I guess was traveling with us on our journey to Goa. No sooner we settle down in our reserved berths our co-passengers already fast asleep and snoring to glory, me and my friends look at each other with faces which would make The Mask run for his money, we are pretty much delighted and disgusted at the same time that we finally are on our way to Goa.

I had sunk in my feelings of disgust and was apprehensive of the fact that i would have to sleep with this obnoxious stench the whole night. Me and my friends started having conversations reminding of our previous Goa trips. But somehow we couldn't just ignore the smell, cause by now it was in our system, in our head and it was getting just damn annoying.

But then the stench was not the only thing in the train that was bothering us, we had more creatures to accompany us other than humans. They were the six legged, winged insects............ Cockroaches........uuuuurrrrggggghhhhhhhh!!!!!! They were everywhere on the seat, the walls of the compartment, everywhere. It was a disgusting sight to see the whole cockroach family in various sizes. And then began our trip to Goa in a train infested with roaches.

The ironic part here is that this wasn't the first time i was traveling by the Konkan Kanya Express, so I already had good impressions bout this train, and after seeing these stinky creatures that impression just fell flat. I kept wondering how the fuck this train is so freaking filthy and dirty. Me and my friends though were praising the Railway Minister, were abusing him left, right & center. This wasn't expected in a train which goes to Goa yaar. Either the train didn't have its routine wash from the starting point or the railway officials just assumed that the passengers would be used to this kind of filth.

It was such a crazy experience that we felt like there no use staying awake and killing those roaches every time they came out of their corners. It was an endless, never ending exercise. We would stamp 5-6 roaches and then there would be ten more that would walk out, so it was pretty soon that we gave up and decided that it was getting too late and we needed to crash. But then just the thought of crashing with these creatures creeping all around your body would keep us awake.

But then we had no choice, either we stay awake or we sleep with the damn roaches roaming all around our bodies. But as we fell asleep we would be awakened not by the constant noises of the train horn, people snoring, walking by the isle, but we would be awakened by the roaches crawling on our faces, almost walking into our nostrils. Ya i can imagine the disgust on your face while you read this but its even more gross If you have experienced it yourself.

Because of this I didnt enjoy my journey in the train and I was completely put off by the whole experience. Probably this would be the last time I would travel in the IInd class of a train when I have to travel to Goa or anywhere in the country.

Our trains are so dirty just like our cities, our streets, our nukkads, the advent of disease could be an all year round affair. No wonder whenever you visit any local dispensary you would always find patients with some small ailments, sicknesses, etc. filling up the doctors pockets.

We end up blaming others, our government for not doing a good job, but then apart from keeping our own home clean do we ever think the same or share the same thoughts when it comes to the world outside our home????

...been a while....!

2008-09-17T21:30:00.017+05:30

Its been a while since I last wrote on my blog,
cause the last few months was a big bad slog...

Life must go on even with a sag,
Dont wanna become a crazy lil fag.

Everyday is a different story
Cause im not into attaining the greatest glory.

Motivation is a big starvation
When you know you are easy prey to distraction.

We put up a facade to hide our true emotions,
And live our lives with a fake devotion.

Decisions make you sway,
But they can also make you swing.

You keep moving on,
Sadly that's how life goes on.

This circle of confusion,
Creates enough distortion, at one's sole discretion.

We ignore our fears,
Hoping we can overcome them in the coming years,
And end up moving in circles, wanting them to just pass on.
But like slimy leeches they hang on...and...on.

Rock onnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn!!!!!

2008-09-17T21:30:00.009+05:30

Well something made me feel very happy inside after I watched the movie "Rock On". The essence of the movie was bout friendship but there were other aspects to the movie which is what i wanna express. It was such a breather from the likes of other bollywood movies that this one truly rocks on. The movie kinda brings back memories where every one who listens to rock music definitely would have had a dream to play for a rock band. It made me relive those days when I was given a guitar for a month by a friend and I had this dream to play for a rock band.

Rock On had all the required elements of a movie on rock music, you had live performances, the lifestyle of a rock band, the underground practice sessions, the music company producer who always would feel "you can do more" and other of his "All FART and no SHIT" talks. The dream to be the biggest rock band is probably an illusion unless and until its not driven with the same passion and belief which the band possesses, which for some reason is missing from the record label companies in India.

Frankly speaking Farhan might just have started a new chapter in the Indian rock scene. The lyrics of the song werent that great but it gives an immediate liking when you listen to the tracks. Me an avid english rock music fan who hates bollywood music, loved the music so much that I went and picked up the audio CD. And im enjoying it every moment listening to it everyday.

The Indian Rock music scene never actually picked up, though few have attempted, but they have had niche audiences where only people who listen to rock music would have a liking to Indian English rock music. This will always be the factor wherein it will never appeal to the mass audiences. English rock bands from the US, UK, etc. will always have a huge number of fans who would listen to english rock music.

If somehow most of the major Indian bands started writing songs in Hindi, I guess that would be a boost to the Indian rock Scene. Pakistani bands like Strings, Jal, Junoon etc. have written beautiful songs and it appeals to the Indian audience. Music in any form whether its rock, pop, etc, if in hindi would always have major Indian audiences following it. After all Hindi is our national language right!

Rock music in local languages is pretty popular in Japan, Korea, China, etc. since people correlate to the music in their local languages. They have local songs/bands which are much more popular than the stream of international artistes. Therefore I feel its time that Indian Rock bands started to write songs in Hindi with lyrics which have a profound meaning attached to them. I will always be a fan of rock music be it in any language, doesn't make a darn difference if i don't even understand them.

Cheers to the Rock On Team for doing such a great job.

Cheers!

Today.....now!!!

2008-03-05T18:03:00.005+05:30

Everyday theres a new sunrise,
And we wake up to a bright sunshine.
We rise with a lot of expectations in life
And set our schedules to meet them.
Somewhere on the way we get distracted,
And are detracted from our paths.
We lose direction, and try to find ourselves,
But then we try to hold onto something to get us back.
and misplace our thoughts, our selves.
We are told never hold on to our past,
but the past never leaves us, rather, keeps pulling us back.
We attempt to move on... but move on in little baby steps.
Moving in leaps and bounds just don't happen.

We look forward to a better life,
And attain materialistic pleasures,
And claim we are happy and gay.
But deep inside that happiness,
Lies layers of sadness, which gets unearthed as life carries on.
Its another sunrise and the sun shines to a new day.
We carry on with our burdens and make our journey even more saddening.
We want to forget but are unable to fore go our thoughts.
We try to live another day, and something bout tomorrow....
Makes us live today.....now!!!

We & Us

2008-01-05T00:36:00.000+05:30

Priorities can make u lose control,
And also make you ignore the obvious.

Our bringing up has always been under pressure,
Ever since the birth of society and its fissures.

Half our childhood is spent in following norms,
Which do not make sense when we are young and in form.

Why do we go to a temple, a church or a mosque?
Just because we have been told to worship a rock.

Our religions create divisions,
Cause someone is interested in subtractions,
And no one gives a damn bout additions or multiplications.

We discriminate our own feelings,
And put on an act when we have to help our fellow beings.

Hypocrisy is in our blood,
Cause we never try to come out of our shameful hood.

We claim to learn from our mistakes,
And end up repeating them acting like they were fake.

We fail to take a stand,
Even while we witness violence in its grand.

Life keeps playing games,
And we don't get the hint, not to remain the same.

Will there be an end to all the blame games,
Or do we have to walk the lonely lane.......again?

A Happy New year

2007-12-31T01:32:00.000+05:30

The years just pass by,
We always want to be on a high.
We make new friends,
And are drowned in new relationships.
We sing and dance and make merry,
Cause we live our lives always in a hurry.
We try to forget the past,
And attempt to make sense of today if it lasts.

People change as they grow older,
Some deny that they have.....
Is change really that important?
I guess its true that we succeed,
Only if we have adapted a change.
Otherwise we are always gonna be stuck in the rut.

We want to live a perfect life...
And are always bogged down by daily pressures.
Why do we deserve to live such a life?

We cherish and miss our childhood,
Cause it was never about our livelihood.
We wish we could get it back,
And are ready to sacrifice anything to make it last.

Our life is a big quest,
Don't know whether we can put it to rest.
And when we die it would be an incomplete zest,
For no one knows why we were put through this test.

I wish the New Year brings in more fear,
Cause only then will we push ourselves...
...not to shed anymore tears.

I hope we have learnt our lesson,
that we should live our life driven with passion.
...and sustain our satisfaction.

ohhhh AICAR.....ohhhh AICAR 2005-07............

2007-12-28T16:21:00.000+05:30

We came from all over,
Hoping we would prosper.

Our States didn't matter,
'Cause we all had enough gray matter.

We came with a pledge,
That we would gain some knowledge.

Our teachers showed us the path,
We didn't want to take it so fast.

Our managements had a constant change,
But somehow we managed to remain the same.

We broke a few bulbs, crashed a few panes,
Slid on wet corridors,
But never did our warden lay a blame.

We had truck loads of fun,
Even while slogging our buns.

We won a few medals,
And wanted to come out of our cradles.
...and ended up winning almost all our battles.

We organised a carnival,
And wanted it to be a unique festival.
We were on a high with its success
Can't let go, of it being our baby.
We hope AICARNIVAL sees another light of day.

AICAR is a resort,
Where fun and studies,
Cant get sorted out.

We all chose our own path,
Some wanted fame, some a big brand name.
Some wanted huge salaries, while few were ready to work for free.
Only a handful wanted to work and actually have fun.

Our 2 years brought us together,
And now the future years isn't keeping us closer.

Our lives have become a routine,
Everybody is becoming more clandestine.

We wish ourselves the best
Hope our souls have a place to rest.

With this i would like to end
Cherished memories will never have an end.

Intimacy in the City

2007-11-22T18:51:00.000+05:30

Television keeps claiming, Reclaim your life!
Our lives go on surviving each day of this life.

We battle against all odds to live,
And try to derive something out of it.

Our city has so much to give,
But we just keep abusing and remain suggestive about it!
Its intensity reflects on us, we never let go of its curse.

We look for space, yet we are left with no place,
We want to express our desires,
Whenever there is some inner fire.

Our brief moments are sacrosanct,
Cause this city doesn't give a damn!

We like our intimacy, anywhere in the city,
Cause nowhere else can we get our own privacy.

It's such a shame that we have to take so much pain,
But in the end we realize...
It was'nt much of a strain.

Death of a Jean....!!

2007-09-13T09:25:00.000+05:30

Haven't you noticed lately that there are various types of clothes available to people all around the world and especially the denim which is more than a hundred years old and is going nowhere these days... At least this is true opinion that the denim jeans is dying a slow death because of too much experimentation with it.

Mr. Levis Strauss in 1853 created a material which could last longer that any other trouser for people who would work in the coal mines. This necessity was the drive to form the more than 150 year old company Levis Strauss.

Let me not bore you with history, cause i know it would get too monotonous. so let me take you to the point i wanna make. Don't you feel the denim jeans that u see people wearing has lost its originality. There are various types available in the market, various washes, styles, designs, etc. etc. etc. The essence of the jean is no longer existent in the jeans of today.

Earlier jeans would come in 2 primary colors actually one i.e BLUE and then a lighter shade of blue. Black too was introduced and was caught on by the people but slowly and steadily the jeans became more of a designer wear than a necessity. They came with Bell bottoms (now boot cuts), the body hugging elastic jeans, baggy pants like jeans, etc. The regulars, straight fits, loose fits, etc. just went out of fashion. You go to a store and u rarely find these available in the market....

I have not come to the thing that really irritates me when it comes to denim wear. Different kinds of washed jeans, stone wash, acid wash,etc. These jeans have taken the beauty of a jeans which fades due to wear and tear. They look so artificial that takes away the beauty of it. Especially the ones which has a white washed kind of effect in the front and the back. Its real crazy when u see people wear such kind of jeans. You might say that im old fashioned, but for some reason people think that they look cool. Frankly speaking it doesnt, it looks pathetic. Then there are prints which resemble folds on the denim jeans. You have the unconventional pockets popping out of nowhere from the usual five pocket ones. Fashion designers have tried to make the jeans look trendy by having some embroidery, glitter on jeans and sell them at exorbitant prices. These jeans look good on a woman but they dont do any good to a male. Either the guy is too metro sexual in his personality or he likes to feel like a woman. Either way those design suck. I can never imagine wearing a jeans which has the faded look right at the time of purchase, I would let the jeans have that faded look with progressive wear n tear.

The other disturbing aspect in the history of design of jeans are the ones which showed more than skin, it also showed peoples inner wear. These were the loose baggy type jeans, a much more technical name given called the Anti-fit or loose fit jeans.... These were loose, very loose jeans which hang by the waist with a belt. If removed it would just fall off. The back pockets of these jeans would be all the way down to your knees. This was more popular among the black americans who would wear these anti-fit jeans with a walking style only synonymous with them. Somehow the western influence has been so much, that we indians too started behaving, wearing jeans like the black americans.

The torn jeans also were a big hit amongst people of all ages. These were literally bullet shot jeans in the knee areas, but i feel a jeans gives a better look when the jeans tore in a few places after using it for a long period of time... This was a better look as compared to the bullet shot ones... Anyways people have become more conscious these days and avoid wearing torn jeans. People around dont look at it from a fashion aspect, but feel that this person has no money to buy a new pair of jeans.

I remember this one instance where I thought of buying cheap jeans from Heera Panna, Haji Ali. I must have gone through at least 15-20 stores and they didnt have a single straight, regular fit. I was so angry that all the jeans that were available were the boot cut with all the fancy fades, designs, etc. That reminded me that if i go to buy a cheap jeans this is what i should expect. I was so happy to find out that the original jeans companies like Levis, Lee, Wrangler, Pepe, etc. still have the original design of jeans in their inventory. They are expensive but they are the original denim wear. And they too have design which has boot cuts, faded, torn, etc.

5-8 years back the low rise jeans were out in the market and they seem to have been a hit with the fairer sex. and trust me these low waist jeans look awesome on women who have a good figure and wear the perfect fit. They look sexy and attractive. A tight fitting low waist jeans gives u a glimpse of flesh and a lot more if the girl wears a short t-shirt or top but overall they look amazing on them. Its a guaranteed turn on.

Other than the above, the revolutionary original jeans is a slow poison. Its loosing its originality. The new designs have become a status symbol which is crass. People have no sense of fashion these days, they wear anything drab, the sense of dressing a jean is not there..... The original denim jeans enhanced the personality of the person wearing it and people would wear it knowing its gonna last longer, the sole purpose of the denim jean. Did u know that the people who are sent to prisons in the US are given a brand new pair of Levis Jeans and this is no flashy, stylish, artificial faded pair of jeans, but its a regular blue denim. This says a lot about the originality of the Levis Jeans, since these jailed inmates have a tough time living in these prisons and made to do hard labour. Therefore its an ideal collaboration.

The whole point im trying to make in this article is that fashion has become so commercial that people would do anything to anything to make some money, and in the bargain loose something that is original.... Im not saying that the evolution of the design of jeans has been drastic and way too futuristic at times, but somewhere its lost.....

Guys I know many would disagree with what i have said, but there would be a few who will agree. When jeans were introduced it was such a relief from the usual trousers, chaddis and other forms of attire. People wouldn't be so careful about where they sit, bend, sleep, stretch, etc. When they were wearing a jeans as compared to trousers which were very delicate and prone to embarassing situations. Its comfortable, gives a new dimension to a persons personality. Nowadays everybody would have at least 2-3 pairs of denim jeans in their wardrobe and i bet these would not be the Original Demin jeans, but the faded, stone washed, god knows what wash... and people will still go out to buy the fancy looking denim jeans. Its a never ending tale of coming out with design after design..

give me your feedback, your views, opinions, etc......

Lifeline with an Attitude!!!!!!!!!

2007-09-05T12:33:00.000+05:30

its been a long time since i wrote last.. there must be many posts bout wat i am gonna write. people say its the lifeline of bombay (yes.... i still call it bombay), and i agree it is the lifeline..... many people would get stranded if this mode of transport gets affected in any way possible. Yes u must have guessed by now that im talking bout the local trains in bombay. they have been the support system for millions of passengers travelling from their home to their offices.

But only people who travel by these local trains know what a task it actually is to travel by them... especially the peak hours..... its a nightmare if u havnt travelled ever before in a local train.

im realising why am i writing this blog about travellin by local trains. our local trains are equipped to handle a certain no. of people but then looking at the crowded trains, they handle much more than u can ever imagine.

i have been travelling by trains ever since i got out of school. and off late i have been using their services on a daily basis. the truth is that though people may complain bout these local trains, gettin over crowded it is to blame the ever growing migration to the island city. im not sure about figures, but there has been an enormous amount of people pouring in to the island. people of all socio economic status travel by these trains, be the rich or the poor. thats why its the lifeline... i guess.

if u have to get to any place in bombay, be it the central, the western or the harbour side the trains would get u faster than any other possible means of transport...... crowd comes attached as a bonus. People are gettin used to travelling by trains daily to their office and back home. can u imagine people travellin for work almost 4-6 hours daily. this is just the travel time in a day..... almost half of ur life is spent travellin i guess.

Our trains come with two classes, ie the first class and the second class. there are many advantages to travel by trains during the peak hours, free massage to each and every muscle of ur body, not forgetting ur tongue, since u would shower all the bad (good) words on the person who would stamp ur feet, no need to get ur clothes ironed, they get crisp by the time u have reached ur destination......

there are a few disadvantages of travellin by trains, they follow the IST (Indian Standard Time), yes by that i mean they are perpetually late by 5-10 mins. during the rains they get delayed because of water loggin... hurrray holiday, no goin to office. u get smelly arm pits at point blank distances....... early morning arguments can make ur bright day go bad..... women fighting in the ladies compartments, hair pulling, slapping are part of everyday travel on the local trains. these are few of the disadvantages that i can think of right now.

the second class compartment is usually occupied by people who cant afford the first class passes. and frankly speaking i feel its much more peaceful than the first class. u have people standing at every inch of space that is available in the compartment..... but then its not bearable the smell of sweat, fart, burps, etc.....

and in the first class u may miss all of these, but wat irks u is that its loaded with attitude..... as in whatever space is left in the first class compartment its all filled up with ATTITUDE. the day u buy a first class pass, it comes with an intangible object which is ATTITUDE. and im not saying that people who travel by first class are people with attitude..... but they are normal working people.... and it affects each n everyone of us..... it has affected me when i travel by train... the attitude is so fucking contagious that even u become a part of it.... and i hate myself for that..... it makes u very irritable while travelling, a lil push here, someone steppin over ur feet, etc..... all these things becomes un-bearingly irksome.

but then theres is nothing that can be done cause u will travel most of ur life in these local trains.... and they will be part of ur life till we die.

i dont know why i wrote this article, but im kinda gettin fed up of travellin by train these days....
hope im able to switch to another mode of transport soooon???????????????

so which class would you buy????

What to write????

2007-04-24T17:33:00.000+05:30

Wondering what to write,
Cant see much happening tonight.

I long for a few words,
Just to make them rhyme.

I fail in this endeavor,
Making no head nor tail which I can savour.

I wish to sing, I wish to dance,
and lose my self at trance.

I pen a few lines,
but end up wasting a pine.

I want to write and want to strike,
but somewhere I'm losing sight.

Its not that easy, I have to be picky,
only then I can be a little snazzy.

Branded Mumbai Locals

2007-04-02T18:33:00.000+05:30

its been quite some time since we have seen our very own local trains getting painted with corporate brands like Hutch, BPL, Monginis, etc. (cant remember many now) its a sight for soar eyes when u come across such a branded train. its a zillion times better that the standard current color which has kinda gotten very boring.

Theres not much of innovation when it comes to the branding thats done on these locomotives. if you see its such a waste when u have such a large surface area for branding. if u look at the total area that a marketer has at his disposal is truly amazing, and the best thing it doesnt remain in one place it keeps moving all the time. it gets exposed to different people every time it moves around and unlike a fixed hoarding which can be seen by people who are driving cars, thats means the upper middle class group. Our local trains cater to a much larger audience travelling in the trains and also getting exposed to other people not travelling by train...

Off late the latest in the lines of branding on the trains has been LIC (Life Insurance Corporation of India). If any of you have come across this train with the LIC branding its execution is brilliant, im saying it again BRILLIANT. Unlike other brands where the whole train has been painted with the corporate color, LIC goes a step further. They have incorporated the logo in such a way which gives a warm feeling when you see the whole execution. The LIC logo which has the hands in it has been used so effectively. The hands are placed on either sides of the doors and when you have a look at the whole train it gives an immense satisfaction of feeling safe. This being the philosophy of LIC is neatly implemented and gives you the feeling that LIC protects you even when you are travelling by trains. It gives you a feeling of safety and security.

I would like to know what are your view points on such an execution. Everybody has definitely travelled by trains and has definitely seen corporate branding on the locals but if you com across the LIC branded train you should notice the execution.

Anyway waiting for your views.................

We are aware...

2007-03-23T09:44:00.000+05:30

We are aware that something is wrong,
We never care to write a song.
We live in ignorance,
and keep humming our dissonance.
We want to make a difference,
Just to create a presence.
We want to change,
But are let down when people behave strange.
We make a living knowing that we always,
Will have to be giving.
Some things remain the same,
'Cause from the inside we all are insane and life...
...Well it just remains.......

Effect

2007-03-16T20:06:00.000+05:30

Effect is what we want to have on others.
Effect will remain on those affected.
Effect can be stimulating
Effect can be exasperating.
Effect can make us crazy.
Effect might make us happy.
Effect could also be long lasting.
Effect may move us or probably screw us.
Effect may eat us or it may beat us,
But it will never repeat us losers.

Could having an effect on others,
Make us lose ourselves?
Are we that weak,
That we need to have,
An effect on the meek.

Riding with Ms. Lizzy

2007-03-16T19:59:00.000+05:30

Riding with Miss Lizzy,
Feeling all dizzy.

Sitting on my buns,
Cursing all the nuns.

Haven't reached that far,
Just cruising a lil over an hour.

We wanted to be together,
Figuring whether it would be forever.

We started in our teens,
And still its difficult to sell some beans.

Happy are we,
Cause between us we don't have any whisky.

We want us to live,
Cause theres so much we have to give.

Now we are old,
And we don't possess any more gold.

This was life,
And I'm glad I had my wife.

Our Minds

2007-03-16T19:54:00.000+05:30

Our minds try to find the perfect grind,
Our lives go on just like knives,

We try to break just like,
An innocent earthquake.

We buy to feel a little happy,
And claim to be whole and hearty.

Is this the purpose for which we want to live?
Wouldn't death be an easier option to give in?

New Years Poem

2007-03-10T02:47:00.000+05:30

I had written this poem on the 1st of January, 2007. I was high and waiting for the train at Mulund Station at Four O'Clock in the morning.

New year brings in joy and happiness.
We try to overcome our past,
Cause its not good to last.
We celebrate the new dawn,
A new beginning for a brand new lawn.

Our spirits are high, so does our neighbours sigh.
Old memories keeps us alive,
As also the anticipation of the New Year's scythe.

We want to live 365x24x7,
But is life worthy of being really precious...
I'm really not that sure as to why.............

I like...

2007-03-10T02:40:00.000+05:30

I like my life, cause I have no wife.
I like to read, cause it increases my greed.
I want to write to improve my foresight.
I like to have desires, cause it stimulates my inner fire.
I dont like to dream cause it makes me scream.
I like Pink, but only when its before Floyd
I like to be brave, cause eventually i'll end up in the grave.
This my fellow being is what im trying to sing.

Making...

2007-03-10T02:36:00.000+05:30

Making misery isn't everybodys pillory
Making someone learn, you need to have a yearn.
Making something grose you should have a good prose.
Making money is as difficult as satisfying your honey!
Making life is like an illusion trying to lay your own conviction.
We fight against zillions, we are heroes when we are born,
...and somehow it doesn't seem to last that long!

Light of day

2007-03-10T02:32:00.000+05:30

When do we see the light of day?
Is it worth a wait?
We come across our fears everyday.
The stronger we are, the weaker we live in ourselves.

Hope keeps us living and dope gives us no savings.
We try to build, but fall for green leaves.
We make ends meet,
But eventually it just bends within...

Wanderer

2007-03-09T14:13:00.000+05:30

Wandering in the concrete jungle,
I hope it does not consume us.
In our materialistic gaze, will be breathe life?
Can we filter out the filth that has embodied us?
Can we exhale life into innocent souls?
So that they can grind wheat into flour...

When dark falls....

2007-02-22T12:35:00.000+05:30

When dark falls, so does our might.
Smart if not meek,
...still we are not weak.

We fulfill our desires,
without any fire.
'cause we are already dead,
even for our daily bread.

We worship our stones
Cause we have a chill in our bones.

Life is a gratitude
To which we do not pay anymore tribute.

crazy as it may seem...

2007-02-22T12:30:00.000+05:30

crazy as it may seem
it ain't that difficult to dream

we delve into our soul,
to figure out what we want to hold.

material things are just a farce
cause in the end they just pass.
leaving us with sorrow,
hoping for a better tomorrow

happiness is not our bread and butter
hand to mouth is always a fritter...

hopeless dream

2007-02-22T12:24:00.002+05:30

crazy as it may seem
war is such a hopeless dream
martyrs when we get killed
heroes when we come back alive

life aint precious anymore,
if we are a martyr or a hero
War is such an insignificant waste
in this derby of doom...
where life doesn't matter anymore at noon.

War

2007-02-22T12:19:00.000+05:30

At the break of dawn,
We conquer today's sun.

'cause victory is one,
which keeps us moving on.

killing wasn't in our blood,
it was the guns that made us one.

walking amongst the green,
The air smelling of dead soldiers.

whose hopes have been washed away
just like houses on a flood-ridden day

would tomorrows sun be as gore as todays' ?
or would there be darkness for years to come?

War is something that makes you lose someone...

frustration......

2007-02-21T21:45:00.000+05:30

sometimes it seem to have no end, it just begins before u even realise it.... it slowly crawls into ur system and stays there just like a deadly virus.... it tries to weaken u from the inside and u just dont seem to have any clue bout it. im one who has been affected and gettin affected slowly and steadily.... its been a gap of 2 yrs now that i havent had a job, thats becoz i had been studying and now when its time to get back to the working life it just aint easy anymore....

its really frustrating when u have so much of experience and u wanna change ur field its difficult to convince employers why u need to change. sometimes i feel that experience really doesnt count for me anymore, since im a freshee and that the way it is. i dont know whether im making a mistake of being too focussed actually obsessive focus..... it doesnt seem to help, i dont have too many options in hand, just wanna get into what i feel would be satisfying for me.

staying on campus, nothing happening from the colleges end, resorting to other options etc might probably get me somewhere, but deep inside i feel im not gonna get what i want. most of my friends have been placed by now and knowing for a fact that they have started work and few of us r still on campus is really frustrating. employers take their own sweet time to call u, interview u, then again interview u and then they say they would get back to u which never happens actually. its just a game that they play with our to be careers.

how can someone start on such a negative frame of mind?? it doesnt help our innocent minds, people dont understand us anymore. its difficult to explain....

waiting for that one offer is going to be an endless wait, i guess waiting is gonna be out dear friend for a long time to come!!!!

I shout out loud...

2007-01-03T16:04:00.000+05:30

I shout out loud,
to make some noize.
cause at times silence is so much a pause .

you have to say life is so such a haze,
people trying to make quick hay in this maze.

My feet are numb, knowing mother earth
is going back to the slump.

But only if you feel what I see,
will these lines make sense,
for you to do some heal...

"I"

2007-01-03T15:50:00.000+05:30

I am what I am, what I can,
but Im not what I........

I might be sane or maybe insane,
cause living life sometimes is a big shame.

I try to sleep, because Im so much like a creep.
I crave for the grave, but I know its too long being a slave.

But now life seems to be an end, somewhere I feel I just began.
Somehow the end is the beginning is the end...
...is again a new beginning

the new year 2007

2007-01-03T15:31:00.000+05:30

well looks like the new year isnt new anymore. for me it has been a 2 year vacation ever since i decide to quit my job of five years and do my post graduation full time. its been a wonderful time that i have had over here. now its time where i introspect what i have achieved in the last 2 yrs. its time i seriously got down to what i really want in life.

i have become more ambitious and aspire for greater heights in my career. have become more career conscious. but its not gonna be easy. have to work my way towards achieving what i have set for myself. need a good job so that i can start on a good note. have a lot of responsibilities to take care of.

and rite now im gettin bored to carry on but somehow i will. have a lot to speak of but my mind isnt in the right place.

another two months to go till i complete my post graduation, so its gettin very tense. the uncertainty of gettin a good job is on my head 24x7. just hope that something works out.

anyways i guess i wud contribute to this blog in a much more meaningful manner. thats all for now.
HAPPY NEW YEAR TO EVERYBODY, HOPE THE NEW YEAR REALLY IS FUN FILLED TO U AS MUCH AS I HOPE IT IS FOR ME.

time to get serious - final placements

2006-11-21T09:47:00.000+05:30

its that time of the year when most of the post grad students get placed or are getting placed. this gives a lil eerie feeling all around my body cause im one of them. its a good start for our college since two of our students have already gotten placed with good companies. i wonder wats gonna happen to me, lots of thoughts keep running through my head, a lil tensed bout how much are they gonna pay, wat kind of profile would i be given.

though i have a good work experience, something tells me its not gonna be a cake walk. its a different ball game this time, dont know whether the companies would really consider my experience cause its gonna be a new field altogether. though im trying to be positive, im still reluctant to feel that way. its gonna be a tough fight for getting recruited and its serious competition.

everything boils down to how u perform at the gd n interviews. though i dont believe in luck, would love to have all of it. cant depend on it, it would be really foolish.

as the year ends, and each passing day goes by, its time to relfect wat have u achieved in this 2 yrs of doing a management course, whether it was really worth it to leave a good job and go back to studies full-time. its only when u start working that u would realise its practicality, and im getting impatient to get to that.

anyways hope everything turns out to be ok.....