Birthday Boy!

And yet another year has come and gone...and hence I grow older and wiser. As I turned 24 on this day, I am suprised I don't feel any different from y'day when I was 23.

Happy B'day to me!!

Will be back as promised to tell you soooo much. Till then...take care you all!!!

Still Alive

I am still alive and will be back soon with sooooo much to say. On vacation now in Ireland. Lots of Guiness and Irish Coffee being gulped...glup glup glup.....Cheers. :D

I am HULK

Your results:
You are Hulk

Hulk 95% Superman 70% Green Lantern 65% Iron Man 65% Supergirl 60% Batman 50% The Flash 50% Spider-Man 45% Robin 45% Catwoman 45% Wonder Woman 40%

You are a wanderer with amazing strength.

Click here to take the Superhero Personality Test

Jason Andy Derock

Hello there. I am back. After promising myself to update my bolg for a long time, I finally managed to get myself to do it..only I hope I will finish it in one sitting.

So since the last time I been here...there has been a few changes in my life with a lot of miles put into it...
Basically I had been travelling a lot...Been on the Road since the begining of this month...to be honest this is my first weekend to be sitting peacefully at home and trying to get things done.

Been to London Twice and will be going there again next weekend..
Visited Blackpool,Liverpool,Sheffield,Leeds,York,Burton upon Trent,Lechfield,Derby,Tampton to name a few places I slept in apart from the places I did day trips. Some of them were Buisness and some were leisure....but over all it had been an expensive month n lots of miles on my car.

Since the 2nd week of this month I am no more a Duty Manager for the place I work for but a Room Sales and Revenue Manager. Which is another good thing that happened to me cause that will put me on the right path towards the future I plan to persue. And also it's a proper 9-5 job unlike the shift jobs I've been doing all of my professional life.

So much has happened, but coming back to the title of this blog I am here to write abt someone I hope to meet soon but already know a lot about. He's Jason, my first nephew. Yep! I am growing old and I am now an Uncle!

He was born on the 3rd of April this year. He weighed 3.3 kgs and was 53 cms tall when he was born. He was born in Edmonton, Canada where his father (my brother) and his mother (my sister in law) are living.

Is'nt he sweet?

I hope to meet him very soon.

Well..nothing more to add at this point. Will see you all soon.

In a state of Denail!

Hello there friends n fellow bloggers.
How have u all been? I've been pretty messed up! Saved as draft the 29 April.

Today 14 May.

So lets see now...where shall I start...
Ever since I started work here in UK, it's been a very busy life...I feel I am married to my job...4 days off work and yet I call to see if everything is alrite. I keep putting things off on other personal stuff and I my roomies and friends find it very odd that I become very reserved and silent...I could not understand what's happeneing with me and every day is going on a day to day basis now.

Stop!

Rewind!!

Ok before I start to confuse u all let's get into it in detail.

Work.
I started my job here in the UK from the 1st of dec...ever since I started to work there I been mentally stressed with the work load but instead of quiting I am asking for more...I will never understand myself for doing that..Then I am expected to know things on my own without having been thru any prior training...which was all fine until the whole thing changed...the Hotel changed hands...it's the same company but franchised by another owner..the Management changed...so me already in the management have to report to another boss...I like my new boss as they seem to come to me for more ideas and seem to be more involved. So I seem to be more involved now with my own interest..then now I am being offered another position in the same company. I find this position I never had in my experinece and seem to find it has it's own advantages and disadvantages but over all it will be good for my CV. But I will let that out only after I get my results on it. So work has come to a twist..but I am lovin it.

Friends and Roomies.
I never lived with others b4.... In the sense ever since I moved out, I always had my own room and my own privacy and never really sociallized or talked a lot. It was more like living with myself and having more time with myself (now don't think it's a sad life) I had my own social life,only that when I come home I find my own space.....ever since I moved to the UK, I have roomies and a lot of them and have friends coming over not once in a while but at all times.
It was fun in the begining and was very active and everything but as time goes on...I started to pick up my old habits of living by myself...I don't talk a lot and spend more time on my own...My friends/roomies think I am in depression as I don't look the same active myself and less talking...But hey it was fun in the begining but I do like to pick up my old habits...n some of them don't understand it....Anyway..it looks like I might move out in a couple of months...let's see how things look then.Prolly some time away from friends n roomie will help me get back to normal with them rather than seeing them everyday.

As in the other life couple of my friends in the US needed some moral support/help and advice so was more than happy to call them over so often to see how things were going and spending time talking to them..it only brought us closer than we actually knew each other b4(thinking that we knew each other well from b4)..The other trouble is with the time diff between the UK and US...I always make my calls late in the nite and spend some good time on the phone...my roomies/friends seem to think I am having an affair or two and seem to be getting on my nerves everytime asking what's it all abt..And knowing full well who I am talking to (girls) ,they don't understand they are just very good friends of mine..this is where I miss my privacy again...eg: tel calls amoung many others..

All I am saying is that it's fun to live with/amoung friends, but there's a line between where u need privacy and share moments with friends. Which is something I need cause I always had it.

I got rid of my small car recently for the same price I bought it for and got a bigger one. Found it more comfortable, big and reliable.

A pic of my old and new cars together.

As of recent visits.. Visited the Cadbury world, Warwick Castle, and Alton Towers (Amusement Park), Presently in Liverpool on a long weekend break from everything. It's very relaxing.

Presenty shopping for lawyers to look up for Canadian Visa...If anyone got any good lawyer under thier tiny finger do lemme know...

So currently I am confused and lost not knowing where's my next move and will I do what I want to do.

So much for now..will get back as soon as I can.

Hope to see u all soon. TC!!

PS: Tush, I don't think I'll ever get to that tag u sent me mate..Sorry abt that..Everybody else thank you for ur comments...Pls don't think I am rude for not having replied for it...I really apreciate u spending ur time here...Pls continue coming.

soul?

You Are a Peacemaker Soul

You strive to please others and compromise anyway you can.War or conflict bothers you, and you would do anything to keep the peace.You are a good mediator and a true negotiator.Sometimes you do too much, trying so hard to make people happy. While you keep the peace, you tend to be secretly judgmental.You lose respect for people who don't like to both give and take.On the flip side, you've got a graet sense of humor and wit.You're always dimplomatic and able to give good advice. Souls you are most compatible with: Warrior Soul, Hunter Soul and Visionary Soul

What Kind of Soul Are You?

Still here

I am still alive and kicking...will be back soon to update n tell more

I Have Returned!!

I have finally returned!! Can't believe it's been ages since I last dropped by here. So much has happened since my last time here and I always wanted to drop by here to write abt it, but never did had the time.

Before I start with anything else...Thank you everyone for your wishes...I wish u all a very very belated X'mas, New Year, Pongal, Republic day and everything else I missed to wish to y'all.

Tushar, I'll get to ur tag as soon as I can.

So since my last blog....I moved to a house in Coventry where I share this huge 5 bedroom house with 4 other students, also from the same state as I.
That very same day we all left to Cardiff where we spent a couple of days there....(I wish I could post the pics,but my comp broke...using another old one.)
Cardiff is a nice place to visit, prolly better in summer....but what the hell...it was still a nice place to visit (even in winter) visited the bay and the castle there.

Then came back home after a couple of days and got back to routine of work,home,eat and sleep. then X'mas came and went...I managed to get New Years off after 5 yrs so went down to London to drop off a friend who was leaving to India for New Years and came took a bus to Liverpool where I spent New Years at my aunts then came back and went back to work as usual and the very following week left again for Liverpool for my cousins 18th B'day. It was a nice break for me as I had been stressed with a lot of things and I rented a car out so felt independant aswel

Since then it had been work and more work until a couple of weeks back when I went down to london twice in a row in two days to drop and then to pick up friends at heathrow.

3 Days back I bought a car. A Nice old small car just like anyother european.

I could'nt be elaborate in this blog as I have a thousand things running in my head at the same time...but still wanted to post it to let everyone know I am still alive.

I shall return...but soon? I don't know...till then...will be reading ur blogs.

A Movie Marathon Day!

Hello Everyone!
How has everyone been?..I keep saying I should be regular with my blogging..but don't seem to be doing it...for some reason I am either too busy or don't have nothing to say..so here's a collection of things and thoughts I had since my last log in.

For starters it's been two weeks since I joined my new job and seem to find it just fine, but the challenge is yet to come as I am just getting used to it as yet..Most of my co-workers are young..much younger than I am so everyone seems to blend in very well. Infact the whole property is being run by a bunch of young people all the way from the top..I am infact suprised that the company gave the liberty and their trust..but who am I to complain..I wouldn't have got the postion if it were'nt for that.

For some reason (I am not suprised by it) they all thought I was much older than I really am and some girls were very particular in asking me if I was married...(whatever gave them that idea!!)

So apart from the work thing everything else is going on as usual..same old same old!

Now coming to the title...today was one of my days off for this week..thought I would go to the Cadbury world here..but for some reason the visiting hrs were short so decided to go on a later date and having nothing else to do decided to hit town and go for a movie...but instead of one I landed up going for three. (don't think that my life is that sad..some of my friends had exams this week, some were out of town and the rest of them were at work...it's one of those days I get to spend on my own)

So first landed up with Flight Plan..now this is a movie I wanted to watch while I was in the US, but never got to..so managed to see it here..if some ppl wonder...movies are realeased in the US much earlier than in the other parts of the world.














This movie was well taken, but there are some parts of the film which I fail to understand..such as if the kid got into the plane,then how come none of the passengers got to see her,like the kids in front of them..the air hostess...
and when the girl was kidnapped...nobody saw that aswell? How did they manage to do that?
Apart from this,the movie was not bad...

Then walked out of the theatre and saw that I still had so much time b4 I needed to get home so decided to go for another one...So decided to go for one which I missed while I was in the US aswel...The Exorcism of Emily Rose




Now this movie was no suprise to me cause I already read abt this movie so it was well expected and normally I am not one of those who get scared while watching a horror movie..I am one of those lunatics who laughed thru Ring I and Ring II
But it really kept the question alive as to wheather spirits exist...I have my own faith in things and do not wish to put them here...but seeing that this is based on a true story..I like to keep the comments to myself.

Finally it was Chronicles of Narnia...Now this is a Walt Disney Movie and for those of you who like Jumanji for example should def go and see this film..for the rest...don't bother..
I liked this film and thought it was worth watching.

I don't want to give out much of the movies..cause if some of u have not seen it and is planning to..wouldn't want to spoil it for u.


Well...apart from all this..I am planning to buy a car soon as getting to work and back seems to take unresaonably too long..and now planning to move permanently into one of my friends place as it sounds very convenient for me...

Now as we care coming to the end of another year..I can do but think as to how this year flew by..I had travelled a lot this year..made a lot of new friends..lost some of my old friends..met friends I haven't seen in years..still trying to keep in touch with some..and so on..got new family members..got one more coming next year.
But I think I'll keep this one for the next blog.

And on an ending note:
I was dissapointed to see no comments from my usual readers apart from one new person who seems to visit my site regularly...
Thanks Aval. Sorry though that I did not keep up to my promise..

And a note to Kalai. Plz come back soon.
Friends..Kalai is someone who is one amoung us bloggers..I always found her space witty, funny and entertaining..Some of you might know her..but for some reason..she decided to stop..for how long?? I don't know...Pls visit her site and encourage her to come back soon.

Alrite Friends..the count down has begun..atleast to almost everyone at work..so I'll take this chance to wish you all the best during this season..hope to see you all very soon.
Cheers!

Personal updates!

Hello there bloggers...
How have you all been? It's that time of the year again...where the countdown has began and the Advent has begun!

To start with let me wish you all a good start with this holiday season. I hope you all have plans to do something.

On a brighter note as per my title of this post I have more news...I recenlty got hired as a Front Desk Manager at a hotel near the B'ham airport....I must say that I am very very happy and also proud of my new position..and find it a welcome change to go back to work and put in those long hrs..To be honest I missed work..not that I did not enjoy my (ahem) 2 months of vacation,but i enjoy better while at work..

This is my first time with this company so everything is baically new...the system is always the same,but the standards are different now. N moreoever it's my first job in the UK. Not the same rules as in the US.

The position I got is also something new to me. But I found it easy to slip into it's shoes.

I am just scribbling something cause I am happy and excited with the new adventure I have ahead of me.

I have to get back to serious blogging now as in the last one yr and 2 months I only have 39 posts including this one and I am not acknowledging to any of the comments in my blog...will have to get back to tht aswell.

Hope to hear from you all again and will get back here soon.
Cheers!

First snow of this winter!

Today 28th Nov 2005, I had witnessed the first drops of snow for this winter. It never snowed here anytime during November. Wow! Here's a great start for a very cold winter!

Will the language barrier come to an end?

Well...this isn't abt the international language barrier...infact I would say that people find it easy to communicate in any part of the word with just about anyone.

It's the language barrier we find within ourselves (Indians)!

Well to start with I never realised that having so many different indian languages was going to be a problem for me as I am basically from Madras (Chennai) and everyone there spoke the local language (tamil)..Hindi was never an option I had to worry abt.
The rest of India did know the Hindi Language..Even Kerala the other southern state has Hindi as a compelsary language.
So why is it that only Tamil Nadu seems to be so self consious of not wanting to give up their ego and make it's people learn to communicate in Hindi and so everyone would have one language to communicate with the others. Well..after passing a point where they wanted every school to teach in tamil until the 5th std..and then teaching ABC after 5th,nothing will suprise me more.

This was something that had been in my mind for a long time but never thought abt putting it on the blog until now.

It all started in 2001. The year I joined my college in an international school of hotel management..While I was in my 1st year..I was one amoung the 35 other Indian students in that school..I was also the only south indian in that school. I also had a special status cause I held a French Passport and could speak French fluently when compared to the other Indians..so I was like a translator to them at difficult times..

During my first yr in this place..it was a very strange time...for one thing all the other people found it funny when another Indian came to talk with me..he had to talk with me in english...now why would two people from the same country talk in another alien language...and these foriegners found it hard to digest that fact.

Most of the Indians I knew during this time were pretty nice. They made sure they talked in english when I was arnd...but there was another group of @$$***** who came there to do their masters and did thier bachelors in another school in Swiss...so they presumed some seniority over the others...I don't know why...and these were some arrogant guys who never talked in anyother lang but Hindi...well...I don't blame em,cause it's their language..but while having a get together amoung the Indians would'nt it be nice to show some courtesy and talk in a lang tht everyone would understand? Even when everyone else insisits that they do so? I always need someone to translate it to me...Hence slowly I started going my own way and was more inclined to socialse with the foreigners, since the Indians themselves had problems socialising within themselves...Later I was branded to be a snob,cause since I was French,I never mingled Indians,but did better with the french. Well...all I said was f*** u cause if you can't communicate well with me,then I'll socialise with someone who can...and so my 1st yr went by where I was unable to talk with anyone in my own mothertongue...a whole yr...

Then when I returned to my 2nd yr..things worked out well..I got to meet some mates from Kerala who did also speak Tamil...and thus had a whole big gang of south Indians so found it comfortable and the Third year aswell.

Then while living in Nice, I came across similar problem where people arnd me speak in Hindi and I just sit arnd acting dumb..but I also had my south indian friends so did not think much of it....
Then later went to the US...did not get to meet a lot of Indians (now don't be suprised). I have my reasons..
To start with I spent a lot of time at work....Most of the Indians there were from the north (or atleast those I knew off)...then I did get to meet some tamil speaking Indian thru my ex-flatmate Senthil...Then things went on well...
Now having returned to UK...and living in Birmingham...this the 2nd large city in the UK and mostly populated by Indians...now when I say indians..it is largely generalised with Bangladesh,Pakistan,India and Sri Lanka...With the most part of it being Pakistan or North Indians...
Again I am back to where it all started where I have to sit arnd and find it difficult to communicate.

Now I am not going to blame anyone..I should have learned Hindi...but how was I to know then when I was 8yrs old...that when I go to France,US,UK...that the language I will find difficult to communicate with will be none other than Hindi rather than the local places' language/accent.
It would have been easier if the TN govt did make hindi a compulsary lang like in Kerala...I don't know what political or cultural influence or problems that's going to cause...but even the basic would help a lot in the long run....now I am in a better condition than I was 5 yrs back. I now do manage to understand hindi,though I don't really talk.

Sigh how easy things could have been.....
Well...just a thought I wanted to scribe abt...So until the next time then...
Tata!

PS: The kid in the pic from the previous post is none other than urs truly!
Thank You Kalai & Kroopz for your wishes!

Childrens Day

Greetings fellow bloggers n here's wishing u all ur inner child a happy childrens day!

This day reminds me of all the holidays I had due to this day while I was in school.
As I studied in St.Bede's..this day was celebrated as Bedean's Day...where we had cultural programs within our school and competition between the houses (Lions,Tigers,Eagles & Hawks)
I was in the tigers house...and was very proud of it!

I remember when I was in the 2nd std...I was dressed up like a red indian and won the second prize for fancy dress competition! Then eventually as I went thru the senior yrs, participated in diff other cultural competitions.

Today as I look upon this day, it only brings back memories of those days...when every yr..we were all grouped together in our auditorium to witness the diff programs...n when I think of one program, it reminds me of the others aswel. Sigh, how I miss those good ol days..

N what do we do now? Are we not kids anymore? Don't we have the right to celebrate it anymore? Even if we do,how many of us really do?

Whatever it way be,I am sure these fond memories will never go away. I still remember the first day of school in LKG...the first time I walked into St. Bede's when I was to join 1st STD...How the teachers got mixed up with my name...n since that day on...until today,everyone calls me by my surname rather than using my first name (from school).

Happy Childrens Day!

Time for another update

Greeting Fellow Bloggers...Here's a belated wishes for Diwali,Halloween, Eid Mubarak and for anything else that I might have missed.

As for me, the last one month..I had not accomplished much..Still on a job hunt (gave up those I did not like).
I am very much relaxed now and feel soo good to be back to europe where I have more friends and family. In the last one month I spent loads of time in B'ham,Liverpool n coventry...visited some friends n family and seem to be enjoying. Called up old time friends in France and in UK. In short it's nice to be back someplace where I know people.

As for the weather...at the moment it sucks...it's raining most of the time..sun sets by 4:30 pm and rather cold at times. Don't ask me abt sunrise,cause I don't get up that early unless necessary.

I don't have much to write abt as everyday is just like the previous one where I just sit arnd doing nothing much applying for jobs,sitting on the net or going someother place visiting someone.

In the meantime something I been wondering abt...everyone seems to be soo knowlegable abt the blogs new updates...until today all I do with my blog is just...well blog!
I have no clue as to Blogrolling, making hyperlinks where u can click on the letter 'here' n it goes somewhere,no idea of how to personlise my templates or anything else...Either I think I am not bothered abt it or not smart enuff to use it well..
The other thing I realise is that however I try to go in random to visit someone else's blog there is always someone on thier comments list who I already know...n wonder how come they have so many visitors while I don't. Is it something I write abt? or just my blog is too dull...in any case..I will not let that bother me as I like writing here as I feel good abt it




Here's a pic of myself with a very old friend of mine from Madras. He's here to do his MBA in coventry. We known each other since LKG. And a very interesting thing is we both share the same date of birth n mostly think alike..

A special thanks to all those of u who wished me on my B'day and later.
Thanks to some special friends (Nicole,Anu,Karin...) who kept in touch with me thru phone till today..though I never called u back..sorry...but will call u soon,once I am settled.

That's it for now..n hoping to hear from you all again.Take care.
Cheers!

A Blog after turning 23!

Here I am back to my blog 3 days after having turned 23!
Thanks to all those of you who had wished me.
Vinesh,Sophia,Lakshmi,Kalai & Senthil!
Anita..I am not sure if u r a fellow blogger or an old friend from the past...but thanks.
Kroopz..Thanks for the wishes..and that title is actually from a song..and that's how the first line goes...I actually did not cry on my B'day but my friend did. :)

So coming back..I landed here in B'ham on 4th tue morning at 10:30 am local time (delayed by 30 mins in Copenhagen, Denmark) Was picked up by my friend who landed here 2 days b4 I did (from India). Came home to another friends place who I studied with in France n was also my flatmate in Nice,France.

My friend came from India to do his MBA here in Coventry a town that's 30 mins away from B'ham. The first day,we went to town and the came back home to have a party with another friend who I also knew from India and is doing the same course with my other friend who picked me up from the airport. OK this is going to get confusing so here it is..the friend who picked me up is Benno,the other one who is studying with him is Jose and the place I am at belongs to Maxi,who is in India right now on vacation.

So the next day (5th) we all went to coventry to see that town and get these guys settles in their flat..and again we had a party there and I came back to b'ham the next afternoon on the 6th and did'nt do much but sleep cause on the 7th these guys were coming back to celebrate our b'day party (Benno n I were born on the same date and we've known each other since we were like 6 and became real good pals like since we were 15) So as the clocked ticked 12..the usual scream and happy b'day wishes came alive and the tel did not stop ringing. Once everyone got tired (ahem if u know what I mean) all went to bed. The next day returned to coventry to continue the celebration there...went to an freshers house party..left early n went to an Indian house party and landed up spending the night there.Next day we returned to Benno's n Jose's place and relaxed the rest of the day as we invited all the other Indian to their place for a party that night (9th) I cam back home to b'ham on the 10th and pretty much relaxed...went to a bar to play snooker with another friend here as he was off and landed up going for the four brothers after that (awesome movie). I came home watched Mr and Mrs Smith on DVD and landed up falling asleep on the couch.

Today the 11th I got up early cleaned up myself (did not shave for over 5 days) printed my CV and went to town to drop it off at the hotels I would prefer to work at. Came back home in the eve and been on the couch ever since.

I am bored out of my mind and not know what to do..have to find a job asap b4 I drive myself crazy..can't stand to sit like this..Got 2 more days to kill and then on fri the 14th I am off to liverpool to visit my aunt n cousins..spend a week there and drop off my CV at hotels there n in neighbouring towns...So this is all that has been happening since I got here..Nothing much to go in with detail as it had been a week which flew by and I did nothing but party.

It's nice to do it for a break...but I think I need a break from the partying too. Wish me luck that I find something soon.
Will blog later once something happens...until then...Cheers Mate!

Birthday Boy!!

It's my b'day n I will cry if I want to!

Summer is Over!

Well here's we are 1st of Oct! I can't believe Oct is already here.In a week I'll be 23! Damn..I am growing old! So let's see now...As of today I am officially jobless! My term with the present work has come to an end..I just got back from a dinner my manager hosted for me. Last wednesday, went out for dinner n drinks with my colleagues.
After having worked in a place for a yr and a half it feels weird to say I won't be coming back to work or will I ever be coming there again.
My housekeeping director (I started to work there as a housekeeping supervisor) had tears in her eyes when she said her goodbye to me.Said she was going to miss my hellos everytime I come to work n drop by her office. My frontdesk manager called me her annoying little brother as I kept bothering her with stuff I wanted them to look at to fix stuff for the front desk. She said thanks for being persistant in getting the things done so we got what we finally needed!Over all, everybody at work said that they were really going to miss me..I never realised until today how much I actually meant to them with all the little things I did for them. My term in the US has finally come to an end and my turn has come to say Goodbye to the US (hopefully atleast for now). When asked if I am happy or sad to leave..at the moment I only have mixed feelings. I am very happy to go on a new adventure...but sad to leave the dear place I learned so much from.
To all of u out there who I got to know/meet/make friends with/get to know better...Thanks.
I hope we will still remain in touch and will hopefully meet again.
I will be leaving on Monday the Oct 3rd at 5pm from Washington DC towards Birmingham,UK.
Until the next time...Adios!

A Blog on Random things!

Well...Have'nt had much to blog abt lately. It's basically bcos I just one thing going on at the moment...To leave the country!
So here's a few things I am doing other than looking for a moving out date.
Listening to music again after a long time...for some reason these songs seem to be on a repeat mode on my Windows Media Player:
Listen to your heart...
Don't you wish your girlfriend...
Just the two of us...
What if God was one of us...
Somewhere over the rainbow....

Other than that...
I've got back to reading...novels...from my old collection which I have not touched in a long time.My collection is mostly of Grisham,Sheldon and some other random books I feel is a good read...my latest addition is the Da Vinci Code!

At work..For some reason a lot of my colleagues have quit their job and have been offered better jobs elsewhere...so I see so many new faces at work and don't even know which dept they work in. Buisness is at it's peak and we are so under staffed,I am rather suprised we are doing as good as we are doing right now...So proud that all of us are able to take the pressure and nobody has snapped so far...

An old friend of mine is coming to UK this month to pursue his MBA...and I am hoping I get a placement somewhere close to where he lives...We've been the best of friends when we were in India..n we still are!

As people at work realize that I will not be here in abt 2 weeks, they seem to be sad to see me leave and ask me y I don't want to stay back and how they will miss me at work...I was always the one with a quick comment on anything,and never lost a nerve and stayed cool at any time
Infact one colleague named me 'The Ice man' at work cause of two reasons...I am always sarcastic and I never loose my cool..so it adds up for the name. I never realized I meant that much here..I always assumed I was going to be another person who came and left (I guess a year and half in a place means more than I thought it would)...now they are planning for a get together b4 I leave for a dinner and a party and stuff...well...I am touched!

Well coming back to the previous blog I scribed here abt my vac...for some reason though I meant well and did not want to offend my friend..she still got offended over this line I posted here
'And also now having known, I am not too sure if I want to go to school with her, but we'll see how that goes!'
Well...I guess it sure does sound as bad as it looks..but that's not what I meant! If u read the previous line..
'Having known a person online over a period of time...U get to know the person,but always knew that u did not know everything abt the person..so this was a suprise trip for me and the first time I get to see an online friend in their real living world. N I must say I although I did know her quite well...it was still never the real image u think of what kind of life that person leads. (Aleast I did not get to see the other online friends..for some reason knowing someone online,I like to keep it that way)
And also now having known, I am not too sure if I want to go to school with her, but we'll see how that goes!'

I would like to be more elaborate. What I meant within these lines...I have a lot of online friends...some I have not seen or even talked to..I only know them thru chat..There are some I don't even know how they look...So having so many diff online friends...Anu was diff...I met her first in person and then became online friends...But I did not know her too well either when I first met her. So she was like the other online friends I know who I got to know better thru chatting online...I am sure most of us have/had online friends who we might have not met n prolly not know much abt them..but still talk abt random stuff..Well this is what happened..she was the first person I got to meet in person in her real world (not cyber world)...So whatever u imagined u knew/heard/thought abt this person might be the same when u go to see that person...N this is exactly what happened...Trust me on this one...there was nothing wrong in her real world...Infact I could be jelous of her charming life if I was not the person I am right now...She's got a great place to be in..loads of charming friends...and always someone to talk to..sure she does have her own problems but who does'nt..
But me being a person who only learned her thru the cyberworld,had my own vision which was not far from what I actually saw...but still it's not that same...
I am not a person who likes to see a lot of change...I travel a lot n move on...but I don't really move on from inside...I still get stuck with old things...I like to see my friends as the way I did 5 yrs back when I left them,I like to see the same faces when I go home,I like everything the way it was when I go back to a place I been to b4.Sadly, I know for a fact they will change..I am still selfish in not wanting to let go!
As I had mentioned earlier, I did not have any plans on meeting any of my online friends..though the offer was made and I was tempted a couple of times, I still wish to keep my online friends as online friends..I had my own perspective on them n I would not like that to change by seeing them in person and be suprised or anthing else.
And so coming back to this trip...I was well taken care of! I never been to another person's house for a very long time and never knew exactly the meaning of the word guest as it had been a very long time...N when I think abt it right now...I am very thankful to her for having taken care of me..Made sure I was fed..though she commented I ate like a pegion (she only had to talk to my roommates to see if that were true), not that her food was bad..but I don't eat well when I am not in my usual Habitat. Made sure I had fun. And always kept asking if I had a good time...now not many people had asked me that (not that I had visited a lot of people)
So for what it was worth..I really enjoyed the trip n was happy I made it..And as for going to school with her next yr..I would do it,if the plan is still on...but plans are meant to be changed!
So we'll see how that goes...As my time here is short...Anu...if you are reading this post...the last thing I want is a misunderstanding between us b4 I leave.

Well...I guess my blog on random things has to come to an end here..as I have some interview preps to do...so until the next time...Cheers!

Sophia...thanks for dropping by.
Lakshmi...I posted that blog for fun..as the title read...No Offense meant...everyone could have some sense of humor!
Kroopz...If u like novels..the Da Vinci code is a must read!
Somu...Agreed. I waited too long to finish the book,but atleast I finished it..but can't wait for the movie either...Tom Hanks is my fav!

Update from previous post

So here we are again...16th Sept and only 2 more weeks to go!
Anyway to continue with the last post...
As I was talking abt the trip...So I went ahead and bought the flight tickets and made plans on what I wanted to do when I get there over the weekend and mailed the itenary over to her asking her of what she thinks...but never got a reply back..over the time I tried to call her too, but as usual it was the voice msg I had to talk to...Finally Frustration got up to me and I decided to cancel the trip n go elsewhere...If she was so busy to reply my call...where is she going to have time when I got there...So sent a msg saying that I might as well cancel the trip...N guess what?? I get a call back only then. And she says 'Dude,chill! What do u mean by cancel the trip?' And then said that she was busy n call me back later....which she did not!
Anyway..I thought well..the hell with it and I'll make my own plans!Which I did..and the day before the flight called her again to confirm if she was going to come to pick me up or if I am to meet her later...yet again it was the voice msg! Fortunatly for me,I made my own arrangements incase she doesn't turn up..I go to bed that night and I get called from work in the middle of the night as there was some trouble with the night computer turn over system.So I decided to go to work,postpond my flight for a later one as I had a 6:30 am flight.
So I took the latter flight n reached Omaha at abt 1:30 pm...n guess what the smart girl decided to do...she decides to come to Omaha and see me thinking that I was going to land there in the morn...as she tried to call me all morn, I didn't know of it as my phone was switched off! After having landed,I turn on my phone and I see a bunch of voice msgs!
At that moment I was only annoyed of knowing someone so disorganised..After not having heard from her for nearly a week n not knowing what's going to happen when I land,it was really annoying when she decides to do something else on an impulse! (of course added to the lack of sleep from the night b4)..Since I landed on a thur,I decided to go see her on Fri eve as she gets off classes and that way I'll get to do a few things there in Omaha during the day time.
And chill out for the weekend!
But NO! Madam had other plans too..she comes to Omaha again on thur night and decides to take me to Lincoln the same night. I was pretty exhausted,but managed some sleep during the afternoon. So had to call the Omaha airport to cancel the car I had rented out and asked to make a reservation at the lincoln airport instead!So I went to Lincoln that night and got to meet some of her friends there..After that the rest of the 4 days just went by like a blur....I didn't get to do anything,but for some reason...I liked it I was more relaxed...it was a vacation with a difference...I didn't go visit any place like a tourist..Just drove arnd...slept all day went for the movies and the mall...I didn't even take a pic over the time I was there. N of course,we fought so many time over as usual.
A few after thoughts of the trip...
Having known a person online over a period of time...U get to know the person,but always knew that u did not know everything abt the person..so this was a suprise trip for me and the first time I get to see an online friend in their real living world. N I must say I although I did know her quite well...it was still never the real image u think of what kind of life that person leads. (Aleast I did not get to see the other online friends..for some reason knowing someone online,I like to keep it that way)
And also now having known, I am not too sure if I want to go to school with her, but we'll see how that goes!
And ending on a thoughtful note:
What is it with other people's shower? It's always a problem the first time when u try to use it!

Will post soon..till then...

Time for another update

Well...Here I am back again for another post.Looks like the days in this month are really flying by!(which is not really good for me) But I am still not in the state of Panic,afterall..what's the worst that can happen?
Anyway..today I here to blog abt a short vacation I had last week,Well I returned from the vac last week..so the week b4 then! When I told people I am going to this spot for vac,they all first went..'Where?' so I had to repeat myself again. I went to Omaha and Lincoln in Nebraska..Not a tourist or vacation spot,but I went there to see a friend. Atleast to say goodbye b4 leaving the country.
Well...to start with abt this friend..her name is Anu,and we met first in Madras,India at a computer course..abt 5 yrs ago...she was from Malaysia and I was to move to France to do my Bachelors..right after I finished my 12th...so we went thru these courses and then had to get private classes so we could finish the course earlier than previewed as we both had to leave the country early...as we were the only ones in the class we started to talk. (Ignored each other b4 that...for which she later told me that she thought I was a snob)
So our courses got over and we exchanged email addresses and promised to keep in touch...and to think that promise had been kept all these 5 years!
So over these 5 years we both travelled into diff parts of our own world,studied,worked and partied..but still kept in touch...maybe not too often as promised but still managed not to loose touch. Then when I was in Belgium I got a suprise mail from her saying that she was in the US to do her studies...I did not think much of it as US was a place I never really wanted to come to...n still we kept in touch...Last year in April I landed in US and she was amoung the first few I called to announce my arrival into the country,though I talked to her voice msg.(As I still do 85% of the time) But she returned the call back a few days later saying that her phone got disconnected due to obvious reasons...so again we kept in touch thru phone (me leaving voice msgs and hearing back from her after a week or so) and chatting online.
The idea of visiting my friends did not occur to me...have a few friends across the country,but never really planned on visiting any of them.So on one faithful day she calls me and says let's meet up in Chicago,n since I had vac days to use I said fine...we'll fix up dates and stuff n plan abt it...later after abt a couple of weeks she calls me again to tell me 'change of plans,we'll go to San Fran'. I was at first very skeptical abt it..having to go all the way across the country,but for some reason California was convincing for a vac I never had in years! So I made the arrangements for the trip and started making plans...As I thought I knew her..she never made plans for the trip and got all her arrangments screwed up..but we finally got to meet up in person after 5 yrs on July 1st.So San Fran went well...if you look up to my previous blog abt that trip. Then we said good bye on the 5th of that month and started heading our ways back home to get back to our lives...n still kept in touch...Sometime during the second last week of Aug,we had a talk over the phone and it was decided I come visit her in 2 weeks (do not want to disclose the reason).So hence forth the story of this trip started!

Well...It's time for me to get to bed now...So to be continued!

The Da Vinci Code!

Well...what do u know?It's September already and 7 whole days have already gone by...OMG!! it's the 8th already...hmm..come to think of it,In one month I'll be 23!And this is officialy my last month in the US of A!
Anyways...I am here now regarding a book I had just managed to finish..The most talked abt book by Dan Brown..The Da Vinci Code!


I must be honest abt one thing though...This book had me convinced at one point that everything I learnt all these years was wrong.
Let's start from the begining...I had this book on a mp3 version on my hard disk and wanted to listen to it instead of having to read it...failed miserably at that..as I couldn't concentrate. So I let it go...and on one faithful eve at work when I was walking by the giveaway table (a place where people hand down books,cds,tapes and stuff to the HR and others could pick it up if it interested them) I lay my eyes on this book. I grabed the book and ran to the locker to put it inside my bag b4 anyone else had a look!
So I started to read the book...in the begining it got to be very interesting..all the codes,mysteries,secret codes within codes...I did not have a clue what the book was abt,as I wanted to read it on my own and so made sure I did not hear anything abt the book from anyone.Finally all this lead to religion..the religion which I trust and have followed all these years..At one point all that it said did make sense...must admit the author crafted everything so well...I couldn't differentiate the line between real and fiction.

I don't know how many of you have read and not read the book..but I don't want to give the story away if you are still interested to read it...but here are somethings I looked through to verify and check...



Now the pic you see above is the painting of the last supper...I am sure most of us have come across it. It was painted by the Leonardo Vicni, the same book which I am talking abt..Da Vinci!
In it, it was mentioned that the person seated to the right of Jesus Christ was a female. So I decided to have a closer look..and guess what?It looks true...now we all are capable of seeing the difference between a man and a woman..but to clear my doubts...I looked at every face on this painting and compared it with the others and it does show that it is a lady seated on the right side of Jesus..here is another point to be taken into consideration...most of us do realise that to sit on someone rights hand,needs to be worthy and loyal to that person...given here that Jesus was a very imp person in the group,he would have prefered someone 'special' to be seated beside him on their last supper...and if this is true..who is the missing apostle?? There are 12 apostles and I am was thought that they were all present during the last supper...so if this person is not an apostle but a lady...where is that person?
And the other picture shows Peter Holding a knife.Where did that come from? Is it true then that Peter was a jealous person?
And one more thing...The Holy Grail has been believed to be the cup of Jesus Christ which he used at the last supper where he changed his blood into wine....so where is the cup in the painting?
I didn't want to give away everything from this novel as I think it is a good read based on whatever one's belief is.


This is the pic of the glass inverted pyramid, in which Dan Brown says is where the Holy grail rests! He implies that it's only the top of a much larger pyramid holding something very important, but in fact what you see here is all there is to it; if you look closely, you can see that the bottom of the pyramid is just resting on the floor—it doesn't extend beneath it. Dan made a lot of mistakes in his descriptions of Paris, so beware.

Finally to end it, the basic question arises where I have to ask..is there really is a Holy Grail??And what could it be?

For those of you who are not into books but are into Movies..Hang on..the movie is yet to come in 2006.Staring Tom Hanks and the French actress Audrey Tautou.



Finally here are some news clip which I found interesting to read...The priests deny the book and say it was all lies...but where did they prove that it was all lies??




Finally...as far as my faith goes..I believe that there is a God..I have faith in him..but everything else I only believe if I understand them and know they are for real..The bible for example...has been handed down through the years,it has been translated into so many different languages..What was once a said in a symbolic way is now taken into the literal words...How do you really know that nothing has been changed over the years it was handed down and translated...
Overall the book was a good read,though it can question your faith at times!

Busy times!

Been extremely very busy these days...Will try to come up with something shortly..Till then..

No Offense Meant..

Got this off another blog but could'nt resist to post!!!

Independence Day

Let me start this blog by wishing my fellow Indian bloggers a Happy Independence Day!
So...I am sure most of here know what this day is all abt..I am sure all of us learnt in school with some nutty teacher reading out of the text book with all those great names and dates to learn by heart for the following test! Some of us might have also been fortunate to hear true stories from the generation which lived through the process of attaining Independence...
But what does this day truly mean to the present generation?? A national holiday...a day to see all the parades?? A day where you hoist a flag in your coloney and get together for some gathering with your neighbours? or just another normal day??
Well...I am not going to be an hypocrite and say anything special and say this means more than that to us. Cause personally this day never meant anything more than it would have to any other avg citizen. (I do not want to insult those patriotic people who are proud of their country)

But on this day, I thought I could bring to light something that I always wanted to talk abt..I am not a very knowledgeable person when it comes to understanding poilitics...particullarly the Indian politics. But from my point of profession I am sure I can't be too wrong from what I have to say abt how far we have achieved in all these yrs of independence.

Tourism in India...
Well this is something not everyone would think of a subject of importaince, as to all the present problems we face in India...but is def an example amoung all that is not right.
To start with I am not an Indian...I hold a French Passport...but am always happy to say I am of Indian origin and have lived a good many years in India to understand it's system and have also been thru high school in India.
So I don't see as a touristic spot,rather as home...but India being as large as it is...and with such vast differences from diff parts...I will not accept that the whole of India is my home.

I am not going to point out the problems or the inefficiency of our gvt. to deal with it. as most of us know abt it. Instead I would like to say a few things viewed by foriegners when they go there as tourists.
To start with the process of going to India...one has to apply for visa to go to India...I must say I am always frustrated when I have to think abt going to the indian embassy to get a visa..when I can't seem to take the staff there given I am one of them,how does a foriegner feel when he goes there to apply for a visa...I've personally seen a lot of white people get offended when they apply for visa...It's very simply that the staff at the embassy...don't speak good english, no class...are very rude and the word polite is never in their dictionary.And I must say the efficiency of the place is something yet to be desired.Being a french I did not have to go to a lot of embassies to get visa as most of the countries I've entered did not need visa...but India is not one amoung them..and USA was another embassy I went to as I needed a work permit,if not I would not have been there either...apart from the security frustration you get while entering the US embassy,once inside everything else seems to be fine, but on the other hand...the Indian embassy does not have anything called security or not that I had come across so far...but with the arrogance of the staff who would want one.(Having been to diff Indian embassies in diff countries...I am not pointing to one particular Indian embassy but to the whole at large)
Anyway Visa has never been issue to get to India...so once that is done the process of packing and getting the flight tickets are done...(I am talking here as a tourist who is going to India on a trip)
So u board the flight..you land india and who do u come across...the so called 'special' Indian customs..which is a nightmare to get past thru..once u done you come out..if you know someone there or have already booked a pick up thru the hotel you are staying at all is fine...thought it might be expensive to Indian standards...but you think 'Ohh the foreigners can afford it cause they are richer' or the other wise our cool cabbies and auto drivers...who ask for outrageous charges, which sometime I think is more expensive than a taxi fare in downtown San Francisco.
Seriously..how stupid do they think that these tourists are...they well know that the cost of living is not as expensive as it is from thier country of residence....yet we think we are the smarter fools...and so the story goes on everywhere they go...shopping,sightseeing,guides...everything...nothing is fair in price for them for the only reason they are foreigners who are there on holidays..
Apart from all these I must point out that Indian is not a tourist destination..it's only some of those adventerous people who come to India..
France being a much smaller place as it is,and with all it's arrongant french people racks in a 60 million tourist population a year compared to it's 6 million live in population...
Again I don't want to be an hypocrtie and compare the two countries...cause they are totally diff from each other..India being where it is in it's economical,political,etc,etc...conditions it cannot be compared to to France...
But having come across so many foreigners in my buisness and having pointed out to them I am from India..a lot of them fancy wanting to come to India...but never still have made it there cause atleast 75% of them say,they need to know someone there to show them around....now would these people think twice if they had an opportunity to go to another place like an American going to someplace in Europe. Language is not a concern for these people or the culture..they are sure that they will get by somehow...but why is India a challenge?
Also on the other hand...having talked to people who have already been to India...they liked what they saw! They liked the different things they came across...those small shops you on the platform is an intersting concept for them...when going to beach resorts..they liked the display of fresh seafood on display and cooked in front of them...all the tourist spots like Mahabalipuram in Madras are very fancy place when you come there as a tourist...So conclusion is that most of the tourist who have visited India and have not come back dissapointed...so why not develop on what little we already have...
India is a huge country...When someone tells me they have visited India...the first thing I ask them is...which part? It's divided into so many diff. lang, culture,tradition and what not...won't people be intereted to come visit one country with so many differences within it.
We can't change India as it is....but why can't we start of with the big metropolitan cities where most tourists come to..Take for example Mahabalipuram in Madras...
It's a very famous spot for tourists...but look at what happens when you go there as a tourist...one thing you might want to look at is a Information desk or office where you can have all the local guides recruited and also be sure that they tell you the right things...and have those small shops registered to sell all in the right prices...Can u imagine paying 4 times the normal price for a simple shell just because you have white skin??Also is'nt it annoying when you want to take a walk down the beach you have all these people running behind you with all those beads in thier hand begging you to buy...Can understand that these people need to sell them to feed themselves..but coming from the point of view from the tourist...would'nt it be annoying when you want to be alone,but get bugged!
This is just one example from all the diff places you would visit in India...
If we could just start of with simple improvements in the big cities and slowly work our way thru...I am sure in due time things can be improved...but everytime I step into India..I do see tourists coming to India...but nothing has been done to improve to make sure we attract more.We do not need to change or mordernise our community...the tourists like what they see and we seem to be comfortable living where we are. But just simple ground rules to make sure the tourists are not bugged too much..
India can also be divided into two parts...northern n southern part...due to the language barrier,tradition and customs. Again it's just an example...if you have a diff view...it's totally acceptable. The tourism industry seems to be racking more money now than it has ever done and is changing the economy status of a country,so why don't we monopolize it and improve ourself with it.....
This is just a simple start for an idea where we do not have to start with investing money on large scale and do drastic changes...Bottom line is that...we just need to do simple improvements to improve tourism in India..We do not need to change the whole country to look like Singapore...that may even make India loose it's uniqueness.
Isn't it something we can ponder abt and see if we can do improvements...I do not just want to blog abt it and leave it at that...but would def like to do something...if anyone have any serious ideas of improvement and how we can go abt it...pls do let me know..
Jai Hind!

A Promotion!!

As I am sitting here,trying to write this blog with an interesting start...I am unable to think of anything else but of the new promotion I got...well...it's not my job...though I am hoping there'll be one very soon...it's family.....I am going to be an UNCLE!!
Now though some of u might be wondering what's the big deal abt it...it's not something that happens often and more over this is the first time I am going to be an uncle...so I am excited!

Apart from the news above, there's nothing else to add....I am still on the job hunt and have a strong feeling that I will get one very soon...I have now am trying to persude my HR manager to call up the coporate and find out if they could transfer me to someplace in the UK on a better job assingment..and I am also finding them on my own and then pass it on to my HR and ask them to give em a call..so if my hotel gives them a call and pushes me up..I might have an advantage over the other normal job applicants.
So less than 7 weeks more to go...the clock is ticking and fast...today was the last day at work of a friend/colleague who is going to return to her home town in holland. So I only wished her good luck and I'll be following her very very soon. So my time for farewell at work is not too far away.
Well...nothing more to add...Have a very early day tommorow..so will be back later....

To be continued....

Another day in another month!

Is it me or is time really flying by fast??? It just felt like I workd on New Year's eve (did'nt really get to celebrate.Infact it's been nearly 4 yrs since I celebrated X'mas or New Year now) n now we are already into the 8th month of the year!!! WOW!!
I keep thinking that 6 months back I was in Canada, visiting my brother on his engagement,4 months back I was in India on his wedding and 1 month back I was in San Fracisco exactly on this date. In these 6 months I must have travelled halfway across the globe!
Anyway that's besides the point. As I mentioned earlier 'As time is flying by fast...My time here is getting shorter!'
I keep saying this like a prisoner waiting for his execution.For some reason I feel it to be relative.Don't ask me why!
But my theory is that.
1. I have no place to go from here,other than home (which is the last thing I want to do) if I don't find a job soon.
2. I will be going to a new place again...which means the friends I made here will become distant like those I made b4 in the other countries I lived in and will converse only online or thru e-mails and will be very infrequent.Will also have very less to say as time goes by too!!
3. My new job! Whatever it maybe or where ever it may be,it's going to be another new challenge. I am kind of used to the job I am doing now and am doing quite well at it if I may say so myself. My manager says if I had told her months earlier,she would have extended my visa and made me stay back for another 3 yrs with a promotion ofcourse!
But having never lived in a place for more than 7 months max. (ever since I started living on my own) this is the first time I settled in a place for 18 months.So that's way beyond me...and I need to move!Had enuff,but will also miss the place..it's a mixture of feelings!It's been 5 yrs now that I been living on my own and been travelling arnd like a nomad and still keep wondering how long I plan to keep going on like this.

I guess these 3 points sum up my feeling at the moment abt time getting shorter as days go by.

I already started going thru my stuff to see what I should ship,what I should carry and what I should leave behind....but I still don't know where I am going!
If anybody out there knows of any job opening in a hotel (front desk dept. to be specific) in UK. pls let me know and I'll forward my CV....
Very proud of my CV too...my work experinece so far has been great...been in all the operational parts of the hotel...n now I am looking for something in the Management postion.
Started out with the kitchen...moved to restaurant,bar,banquet,housekeeping and finally to the front desk where now with all the skills acquired I am working as a Supervisor who runs the shift! Pretty proud of myself with that. And to mention that I only worked in the best hotels of the place!
Anyway a word of thanks to each and everyone of you out there who had known me and supported me through all these years...whether you read this or not....I'm very grateful...to you...for being there...in many diff way!
Have another beautiful day/evening or night....whichever part of the world you are in right now!
With hope,may we meet again another day....

And so the countdown begins...

Well...I was thinking about writing abt the people I know of...but decided against it as it might not be a great idea for numerous reasons.
As I am sitting on the floor in the middle of my room and writing this blog, I am also looking for jobs at the same time. My time here is getting shorter by the day and the countdown at work has already begun!
I have exactly 9 more weeks to go at work and I have 7 more paid holidays to use along with 3 sick days (which I am not sure if I want to use) plus the weekends....which brings me down to err....well a few days of work.
So now started to apply for work like crazy to a lot of places and still waiting for some positive response...the suprising thing is that I am not getting any response at all...(though I knew that one company called my work to check on my work status...but I never heard from them).....but the hunt still goes on!
Well...Kroopa as u had asked....I would like to say I am going back to the UK, but at this point I will say Europe.
Senthil...yeah ore senti stuff dhan!!!but good memories is'nt it?
Whitcomb....thanks for dropping by.
Well coming back to work...I want to use those 7 Vacation days.But I can't dream of sitting at home all those 7 days.Have asked a few particular friends if they would like to go to Boston with me...but none have responded yet! They have to 'check' they say...I was hoping that I could use one last visit some place b4 I leave the country....but we'll see.
At this point I don't have much more to say...sigh!! running out of things to scrib abt...if anyone out there could give me pointers..would be of great help.In the meantime,I'll try to come up with something.In the mean time...Don't work too hard!

Autograph!!

Yep it's a title copied from a tamil film....
I was cleaning up my room as I had to start thinking on what to leave behind and what to take with me when I am ready to leave the country and I found my Slam book..and the coincidence was that I had the film Autograph running on my tv for background noise...can't stand to be working in silence.
As I had already seen the movie b4,I just let it run so that I could atleast listen to the dialogues.

So I put everything aside and started reading my slam book....memories...Happy Memories...
Here's something I would like to post which I got from a forwarded mail:

SWEET MEMORIES

Gone are the days
When the school reopened in June,
And we settled in our new desks and benches.
Gone are the days
When we queued up in book depot,
And got our new books and notes.
Gone are the days
When we wanted two Sundays and no Mondays, yet
Managed to line up daily for the morning prayers.
Gone are the days
We learnt writing with slates and pencils, and progressed
To fountain pens and ball pens and then micro tips.
Gone are the days
We began drawing with crayons and evolved to
Colour pencils and finally sketch pens.
Gone are the days
We started calculating first with tables and then with
Clarks tables and advanced to calculators and computers.
Gone are the days
When we chased one another in the corridors in Intervals,
And returned to the classrooms drenched in sweat.
Gone are the days
When we had lunch in classrooms, corridors,Playgrounds,
under the trees and even in cycle sheds.
Gone are the days
When all the colours in the world,
Decorated the campus on the Second Saturdays.
Gone are the days
When a single P.T. period in the week's Time Table,
Was awaited more eagerly than the monsoons.
Gone are the days
When cricket was played with writing pads as bats,
And Neckties and socks rolled into balls.
Gone are the days
When few played "kabadi" and "Co-Co" in scorching sun,
While others simply played "book cricket" in the confines of classroom.
Gone are the days
Of fights but no conspiracies,
Of Competitions but seldom jealousy.
Gone are the days
When we used to watch Live Cricket telecast,
In the opposite house in Intervals and Lunch breaks.
Gone are the days
When few rushed at 3:45 to
"Conquer" window seats in our School bus.
Gone are the days
Of Sports Day, and the annual School Day ,
And the one-month long preparations for them.
Gone are the days
Of the stressful Quarterly, Half Yearly and Annual Exams,
And the most enjoyed holidays after them.
Gone are the days
Of tenth and twelfth standards, when we
Spent almost the whole year writing revision tests.
Gone are the days
Of odd semesters and even semesters,
And the full night study before exams.
Gone are the days
Of 1 day match and 2 day match of arrears
And the sleepiness during the exams.
Gone are the days
Of applying for all the freshers advt and mails,
And the strong preparation for the interviews.
Gone are the days
We learnt, we enjoyed, we played, we won, we lost,
We laughed, we cried, we fought, we thought.
Gone are the days
With so much fun in them, so many friends,
So much experience, all this and more.
Gone are the days
But not the memories, which will be
Lingering in our hearts for ever and ever and
Ever and ever and Ever......

I hope this little script brought back memories as it did to me.
But then does the happy memories stop right there? I hope not.
When I see notes on my slam book from old friends who now I don't know (lost touch)
it brings back a lot of memories of how school life went by...from having being a brilliant boy and having become lazy but manged to pass the hurdle of 10th and 12th std and then being able to join a well reputated school and left it after 3 years as a brilliant student...then found a decent job and now the contract is going to come to an end very soon and now looking for another job...
I managed to put 17 yrs in 3 lines!!
And now what next....Friends have already started talking about settling down in life by starting looking for good jobs,finding the right partner and so on as time is flying by fast and everyone is getting old!
So coming back to my title...Destiny!
Is this it? Settle down in life,make money and live happily with lots of trouble?
Well...what is my point here now? I am not too sure abt it. But I just can't seem to digest the fact that life should be as routine as it looks.Any suggestions?
Well...I just wanted to scribe something now,so I think I'll leave right now and come back when I have something to say.
Take care.
From my next blog I think I'll talk abt people I know without having to mention their names.

Times have changed??

Yet another day has gone by in this violent world and I must say I feel very lucky to be alive!
I just can't seem to understand the reason of existance for this violence...
My simple question is...What right does one have to take away another form of life?
When Afghanistan attacked the US.It shook the whole world...I still remember the day it happened,what I was doing,where I was and how I got to see the news...It stayed well in my mind!
But even as it was a violent attack against a nation and murder of so many innocent lives...the attack itself held an symbolic meaning of what they meant with it!!!Simply to destroy US's Military and buisness sources (Pentagon and World trade centre). Not encouraging the violence and def not accepting the murder of all those innocent lives...yet there was a reason to understand the attack...
but now the attacks are happening more often than ever and the place of attack do not seem to make any sense at all....putting fear into innocent lives of people who deal with day to day life and may even not know as to what is the reason of all these attacks!
I am not a very knowlegable person with the world news...but I must say this...if this goes to continue...where do we stand and what will we see in the not so distant future?
At this moment I can only pray for those lives which were lost for no reason to have been lost and for those families which had nothing to do with this political war!

Coming back to my daily life routine...my time here in the US is running short and is def flying by faster than I would want it to be.
But still my hope is not lost. I read some other blogs of people I know and get to see that they have come up with diff concepts on their blog...some have come up with short stories,some write abt movies,food and some others...well have not been to their blogging sessions for a long time now.
But I still can't come up with something to write abt...other than just keep writing abt the day to day incidents on what is happening and what I feel abt it.
Times could have been better than now...is what I would say at this time. But then life is not a bed of rose petals.
As my time here in the US comes to an end (hopefully not forever),I must say that I learnt alot and have some good memories to take with me.
Just hoping that things go well...Will blog later..till then...Be Safe!

Finding it hard to get back to routine!!

Well...what do you know...I am back and this time I did not take too long to return.
I must say I am more relaxed now after having come back from the short trip and seem to take things more calm as they come, but on the other hand my mind is not getting back to routine.
All I keep saying to myself is 'What was I doing now last week?'
Come to think of it I spent a lot of time and money on diff vacations this year....a trip to Canada,India and some short trips in the near by regions and now to California.....I seem to be spending more money than I am making and yet I seem to be satisfied with what's left in my bank acc.
My time here in this country is running very short and so I started working on my next move.
As I had already mentioned Canada did not work out, so the easy way out was to return to Europe.(UK to be specific)
In this last one year I lived in the US...I did learn a few things...Life as a student was different to the life as a working person...But they both come with diff problems.
So now as I am applying for jobs in the UK,I am very confident I will be able to get a better position than what I am doing right now.
Well..getting back to the vacation part...though I had taken time off from work so many times this year I found it easy to get back to normal schedule,but this time for some reason I only keep thinking of the vacation n how good it felt not to be thinking about anything but just enjoy.
I also made sure I did not get any calls from work or from anyone from work to remind me of anything about work....so my phone did not ring at all the whole time I was there...which was the other good part.
Well...all I can hope is that I go back there next year...and everything works out as planned.

Anu....Thanks for dropping by and leaving a huge comment...n NO!! I am not a organised and control freak...if there was anything you were the total opposite :o)
Happy to know you had a nice experience...I did too.
I would'nt mind going back there next yr for my uni courses if it works out.Keep coming and take care....oh!!one more thing stop partying and get back to work!

Is Time Really Flying By That Fast??

Hmm...Looks like my blog has become a monthly update. Everytime I keep saying I should come more often..I just land up not doing it.
Anyway got back from my first paid vacation..Did not use the whole vacation though.Still got some left.
Went down to San Francisco for 5 days...and I must say that I fell in love with the place.
I flew down there last thur eve and my friend joined me there on fri morning.
Now I must say that this friend is not a friend I see every day in the real world.We met 5 yrs back in India at some computer course and managed to keep in touch these last 5 yrs thru the cyber world and travelled in diff parts of the world and now finally managed to get back together.
It's funny though....even after all these yrs of not having physically seen each other we never felt like there had been a distance between us...We always chatted online and saw each other thru the webcam (Oh!The wonders of the internet).And once I moved over to the US of A, also kept in touch thru phone...though she never was there near her phone most of the time....I know her voice msg so well!!!She's got to change it b4 I get bored of it.
The City.I must say the reason I fell in love with the place is maybe because of it's european influence.I felt like I was back in Nice when I was sitting at an Irish Bar and watching the street and the dowtown with all it boutiques did the magic.The weather there was awesome!I also like the structure of the place and it's diversity!
So we went up to Nappa and Sonoma and went on a guided tour in a winery.
God it felt soooo good to leave all my worries behind me and go on vacation.And also got to see someone I knew I had to see b4 leaving the country.
So the five days went by just like some dream in wonderland and the night before we were flying back we were talking that maybe we should go back there and maybe live there for sometime.So as she is coming to an end of her uni year and I should be heading back to Europe in a few months we decided that we both try for the Uni of Cali for fall 2006 and also she is going to try to get a job.
Now that the vac is over and I am back to routine and don't know when we'll meet again...I have loads of work to do.I feel that this vac has given me a break and cleared my head a bit! I think I have my priorities sorted out.I have to get my PIO card fast and then wait for a job opening in the UK since I am going thru the agent who got me into the US,they know my profile,Qualifications and my job skill.So it's easier that way.
Well...I guess that's abt it for this time.I am sitting at work with nothing much to do so decided to update my blog.
So see you all the next time and hopefully soon.
Note:I did not mention my friends name cause I don't know if she wants her name to be spelled out here.

The Decision has been made!

It's the 17th of June!!! Is it just me or is time really flying by?
Turns out that however I try to make this happen my blogging session is becoming a once in a month thing now.
So I moved to a new place this month and find it more practical to get to work.Will be going on my first paid vacation to place and will be seeing a friend I haven't seen in over 5 yrs. And now the confusion is gone....I am all set with my plans for hopefully the next 3 yrs.Since going to Canada seems to be a difficult thing to do (not that it's not impossible,only that it's more trouble than I had anticipated!)I decided to go back to europe where life for me is more easier and there's no paper work.I already started to look up for prospective jobs and am being very very picky about it,knowing that I am well qualified for the job and anything lower than my present situation will not be satisfactory!!
And then by fall next yr I shall go back to school and pursue for a MFA and work for a big corporate office!!
Sigh!!! How easy it all sounds!! But I have a feeling that I can do it..I am almost there..Just hoping I am not being over confident!
So apart from this decision...life is going on well with it's own little daily decisions...
And work at my place seems to be picking up faster than ever...I don't seem to be leaving on time and getting there earlier than I should (on my own free will). More of the workholic guy!
A couple of projects I volunteered to do apart from my day to day job seems to be very interesting and my manager keeps saying that my real talents lie on my projects and I should do that a full time job and earn a 100k a year,rather than doing it for just out of interest and being paid peanuts for the real job....that put me to thinking...
If I am good at that,y can't I do that and leave what I am doing or do that job in the same industry and just change depts.
Whatever the decision is..I want to get over the education process and get on in full time with the idea of working for the corporate office.
Nothing had changed since the last time I came here except for some minor decisions that were made and then unmade and then made again...Right now a little scared that at the rate at which time is flying I am going to be out of this country very very soon and I still have not found out anything about the place where I want to go.
Will try to be back here tommorow..Will try to come up with something in the meanwhile.

One confused mind!!

God!! It's already been a month since I posted anything...is it just me or is time really is flying by.At this rate I am going to grow old and die very soon!!
Well...looks like I can't keep up with this. I seem to be so pre occupied with a lot of things, but still don't want to give up on this blog session.
So It's now one year and one month since I stepped foot into the US of A. And in 4 months I will already be ready to go.
Go where??
I was hoping that things would be simple for my next adventure (Canada). So I was hoping that getting a visa and hoping on the next plain would have been an easy thing,but after much delay the process is only getting more complicated.So I shall pursue it until the end of this month and then give it some rest.
Now, since Canada seems to be out I might have 2 other options.
I am also trying for an MBA.Now it's too late for the Fall 2005 session,So my choises are if there's a Jan session in 2006,I will be going to India and spend some quality time with my parents for 3 months and then come back and get back to Uni.Now if for some reason I do not get admission into the Jan session or if there's no Jan session, I will have to wait till the Fall of 2006.In that time I would preferably go back to Europe and work for another year.
Now as far as my plan goes it all seems to make some sense.
But I do not feel too confident if it will work. I am just too tired and confused. I have 4 more months to decide on what I want to do next.
I spend so many hrs at work and on commute to work, that most of the time of the day just vanishes.By the time I reach home I am too tired to do anything else but check emails and get to bed.Today I decided to stay up and write something.I still am studying for the GMAT,but that's taking me nowhere as I am not studying it on a regular basis.I need help,I need to sort my priorities.Anyone out there with a word of advise?
Apart from this I now have to find a new place to move to by the end of this month,but still no luck so far. It just keeps getting better and better.
So that's it for this time.I'll should try to do this more often now.
Keep some advice flowin!!!

Back to Reality

Hello there everyone!!! Wow!!! It's been such a long time since I've been here.Well...what can I say....I've been busy with a lot of things and also went home to India for a couple of weeks for my brother's wedding!
Must tell you that it felt so good to go home after 2 long years. In those two years...I graduated from university and got 2 degrees worked in and around France and now living and working in the US this past one year. So those two years was rather very long.

First things first...I blotted out a blog while I was flying home...but never had the time to post it...so pasting it to this one....

"Change Is good?

Long time since I blogged n here I am sitting in the plane and typing out a new blog to add to my site.

It’s a long flight and I have nothing else to do now, so decided to write something for the blog.

I started to reflect on all that happened over the last one year since I moved out of France n started to live in the US, a place I know no soul.

For starters I am on my way home after two years for only 2 weeks only for the sole reason that my brother is getting married.

I am going to have new relations in the family by him getting united to another person of a different family

Returning home after two years I don’t know what to expect. I am going to land in the early hrs of the 28^th of March and asked my friend to come n pick me up.

My brother is going to land on the same day a few hrs later, so best if my folks could go n pick him up. Moreover they have not seen him for over 5 yrs now. So it’s more worthwhile to go n pick him up at the airport unlike me who is there all the time.

Now what should I expect when I land? The same old city that I was once brought up in? Or something new? I always have these images of this city the way I remembered it and I can’t think of it in any other way and I am not too sure how well I can handle to see all the changes.

To start with the Church I knew there all my life has been renovated and I have no clue as to know what has been done to it. I am sure it’s all for the best. But will I be comfortable seeing these changes? Something I never realized will happen when I was there.

But now going back home after all this time and traveling across the globe I come to ponder upon a lot of things.

What happened to my old neighbors? What happened to my teachers? How many of them have retired? Is that little shop where I used to hang around still around? Any changes to it?

What makes it all the more difficult to digest is that the fact I am going home after the Tsunami waves hit my home. I only saw the pictures and heard stuff from my friends.

But never really imagined that such a thing could happen to my home. I thought it will always be there. How is it that things only happen when one feels that one is not around much? Well…it’s been a long flight now and I am still not yet half way there…Will get back to this later."

So that was it in the Plane.

Now having come back to reality...I must say I did see a lot of changes in a lot of things that I mentioned earlier. For some reason....I did not feel any different about it. It changed...oh!Well!! it's changed good!!! And more over 2 weeks was rather short with a wedding at hand.

Will get back soon. I hope I will have the time now that everything is back to normal.
Take care!
Cheers!

Where do old acquaintances go, when new ones come?

It has been a long and exhausting month.Isn't that very ironical as Feb should be the shortest month of the year?But I've been putting long hours at work these days that I hardly feel like I been home. (Have to check on the expiration date of all the food in my fridge!!) Oh well! Hope this doesn't go on for a long time.Buisness is picking up for the new year and it's going to take some time to get used to it.
In exactly one month I should be ready to fly out of the country and go home for 2 weeks.Well...I would not really say that I am going on a vacation...but it's defenitly going to be a good break for me from all that's going on here.
Normally,I should be very excited about my trip.....but I am not!!I am looking forward for it,but not really excited.I still haven't bought my tickets nor have I applied for my visa.But I am going home.
What's there to look forward about this trip???It's my brother's wedding which means it's going to be a whole big family reunion after nearly 7 years.
So now I have two weeks to juggle between helping for the wedding,visiting my family and hanging out with friends. And hopefully make a trip somewhere with my friends.That's a lot of things to do in a very short time and I am not too sure as to what I am going to do.
But first things first...I have to buy the ticket and apply for my visa.
When I think of going back home,I can think of my family who are always there...then I think of my friends....I did not go to college back home,so my only memory of friends are those from school.It's been 5 years since I am out of school and there were 153 of us then.Now I can count the number of those with whom I am still in touch in one hand.
The other day I was going through my old school magazines....(call me crazy,but I still carry them with me) and was going through the pictures of my classmates and wondered whatever happened to them.What are they doing now?Some of them I am not too sure I even know their name.
In the begining when I moved out of home and went to college in France...I managed to keep in touch with those I hanged out with a lot...as time flew by...all of us got busy with our own work with studies...and slowly lost touch.....in these last 5 years I travelled halfway across the globe with so many stops on the way...I juggled my time between education,work and career. I made new friends and lost touch with them along the way.
Now when I am going to go home again...I wonder how many of these friends will I actually be hanging out with.
It's very sad to think that I made so many friends along the way in the journey to be where I am now,but only a few of them are actually still there in my present time.What happened to the others?Have they become a memory of the past?
Now living in my present world, working and hanging out with my present friends...I wonder how long are they going to be there....and how much longer until they become a memory too?
But ofcourse by the time they become a part of my memory there will be new ones coming along.
Is this fair?Is it alright to forget those friends from the past and not know what has become of them? And how long can we hold them in our memory? What if that good friend from kindergarden was living a couple of blocks away from me?Will I be able to recoganise him/her?What if that friend who you took for granted was the real friend who was meant to be there for you always?And for those of you who had good real friends from the opposite sex....and are now loosing touch with them?What if they were meant to be ur friend for life?Would you want to loose it?

Where do old Acquaintances go, when new ones come along?

Some say - They become part of your memory

Other's say - It's their fault as they did not keep in touch with you.

Whatever may the reason be! I still am not able to digest the fact that I don't know where,how or what is my first friend from pre-school might be doing this moment and also of those who came along the way after him.

If Music Be The Food Of Love.....

Well....Yet again I've been avoiding my blogging session....So many things to do in such little time.
Went to Canada on a visit due to family affairs....was a nice break to see family again and also to get away from reality for a short week. But had to come back to the real world!!!

I feel more relaxed and started to care less about those things which bothered me earlier. To sum up this trip did me good.What's more exciting is that in abt 6 weeks I will be home again....not on vacation but for family reunion....all the same I am looking forward to it.
Hoping to leave the USA very soon too. Started to work on a lot of new projects, so finding it easier to put the past behind me n carry on.

I've been noticing that I've been so busy that I stopped doing a lot of things I used to.For example:Music! This is something I listen to everyday for hours. I was one of those, who like to listen to Music and make sure my neighbour knows I am listening to it too. VERY LOUD music..
Now I find myself not being able to bear those high volumes.Atleast not all the time.
Recently I notice that I am not at all listening to it.

Again I picked up the habit to listen to my MP3 player as much as I can. My fav kind of music is Techno....of course others follow too like..rock n roll,country,pop,love songs,instrumental and a little classic....but techno rules....Friends ask me what exactly I see in techno...it's sounds all the same to them with a lot of Bass and nonsense music.....but to me it's different.
When I listen to it, I feel that it's emotions put into wild music with no verbal expressions. At times I can feel my heart beating faster when I come to a particular part in a piece,even though I had listened to it over a million times.When I drive,or in a bus,sitting in my room n staring out the window,lying on my bed and listen to some techno pieces....I feel that it's just not party music, but rather some emotions that the musician felt and has expressed it through some wild spirited music. Often when one listens to love songs...lets say Bryan Adams...Please forgive me,Everything I do,Have you ever loved a woman,or Aerosmith....Forever,Don't wanna close my eyes...those are songs with real words and real emotions put into it....I feel that techno can do the same,only without words.
Also plain instumental musics like Yanni,Kenny G and the rest follow the same pattern...those are emotions again without words...At times when I can't sleep.I listen to them with my eyes closed and I can start imagining actions played related to the music.It feels soo real that maybe plain words can't really express what the person really feels....but is it just me who feels that way?
I did take some music lessons on different instruments...but not saying that I am a musician...but music to me is just another language of expressing oneself without words.
Everyone has different tastes in music...but the reason I suppose is that they find themself finding some expressions in that kind of music.People like metal rock...some people don't know what to see in it....while other live on it....
It's also very influential in putting people at a particular mood,depending on the kind of song they are listening to...they can be romantic,sad,party...anything....
Right now I am sitting at work with nothing much to do,so decided to blog for sometime...have to get back n catch up with some paperwork now that everything has settled down.
For those of you out there with a partner....I wish u a very special Valentines!! And may this year bring you closer than you ever been n make u stay that way. And for those of you who are still hunting....cheer up! Life is not all that bad!
Happy Valentines Everyone!!!May This Day Bring You Lots of Love and Joy.

A New Begining

Well....finally made it into the new yr and 23 days have gone by. I had conveniently avoided coming to the blog with so many things happening arnd me. I am also hoping to see that everything goes well as planned this year.

So everyone arnd me has come up with a new year resolution...I know most of them will not even remember what it was in another couple of months! I keep wondering what is it with the New Year Resolution....every year one tries to come up with something new...like doing one good deed a day,quit smoking,chocolate,stay calm,etc ,etc....So what happens to it by the end of the year or into the next year? U still live with it or let it go....and why is it always in the begining of a new year...is that y it's called a new yr resolution?

If you want to do something or quit doing something,y not do it then n there? y wait for a particular moment? n what if u decided on it in dec?wait till Jan n then start/quit?

It never made any sense to me...n I don't do it. If I want to do something or quit doing something I rather do it at that point of time rather than wait for a 'special' moment!

As for the seasons celebration...I did not really celebrate....I was mostly at work and was rather happy I was at work. It kept my mind off the celebration mood everybody else was in as I did not have any family or close friends to celebrate it with.

The other day I came across this quote in my office notice board and found it rather interesting...I don't know who put it up there...but it really made me wonder....

"The indispensable first step to getting the things you want in life is this:
Decide What You Want."

Isn't that ironical? To decide on what you want b4 u get what you want? Sometimes I feel I know what it means. There are times I sit in my office thinking that I should do something else or be somewhere else, but I don't know what it is I exactly want....or sometimes I just jump into my car and drive not knowing where exaclty I want to go.

During the last two months I've been debating to myself if I should do an MBA now or wait another year and also if I want to stay back in the US as I was being given better options at work if I stayed on. But I guess it 's time for me to move on....US being a great nation as it is....I am not really interested in living here....as long as u r a student here it's nice....once you get into the working world.....it's no fun.

I also came across some info....I am living in the most expensive state in the US and also living in the most expensive county in the US...The Fairfax County! Why did I land up here??

Now I wish I was anywhere but here. :(

Apart from everything esle I managed to write....whatever it was that bothered me earlier...I think I got over it. I started to isolate myself from a lot of people and things....and keeping myself busy with a lot of work....like my aunt says...'too many things on my plate.'

I find myself once again in peace from whatever that annoying thing that was bothering me...I just decided to whatever it was..let it happen...I shouldn't be so depressed abt it until it happens or it's not worth being depressed over.

And also that the Seasonal mood has come and gone,everything is back to normal. Buisness at work started to pick up and I am stuck at work for longer hours....and doing a lot of over nights too.

It's a new begining and I plan to keep myself at peace....ZENNNN!!!

Will talk to y'all later.

A Break!!

It's been quite a while since I blogged.....been busy with a lot of personal things that's been going on arnd me. X'mas is fast approching,but not into any kind of spirit as yet....See people arnd me having plans,shopping and buying gifts......it's this time of the year that's a bit depressing for someone like me who is living in a place away from his loved ones....well...of course there are parties everywhere...n I do go n enjoy....but still the loneliness sinks in more now than any other time of the year.
Apart from this festival season...I've been having some issues to deal with....I am planning on pursuing further education,but looks like there's soo much to do inorder to get admission. On top of everything comming to immediate things,I have to find a new place to move into b4 the end of this year (present landlord sold the house)....what a way to end the year!!! So right now hunting for a decent place which is also affordable!!! As I am working overnight shifts to help out at work with the holiday season....it looks like my days are free....but by the time I am home...I am sooo tired....I just go n sleep!So there goes my chances of house hunting!!!Then I have to 'coordinate' my traveling dates to visit my brother in canada and then to India....which I am yet to find out from work,for my days off!
Expenses are becoming very tight! To top out with all this....I feel like I am loosing touch with my friends or rather annoying them and making them stay away from me.....well I don't blame them for it....well...when I mean friends...I don't mean the ones who are physically arnd me now....but people I know well and dear from the past and to who I can talk freely....
With all this happening arnd with me I just don't know what to deal with first!It so confusing...like my aunt puts it...I have too many things on my plate!
I guess I have to figure out a way to deal with things.
As for my friends....with all this happening here with me....I have this selfish notion that I should have their full attention on me n to sympathise me. :(
Normally I am not that kind of person....but I guess it's the season that's doing it...Just can't wait to get over with it.
A few of my friends who talk regularly with me or rather talk well with me seem to have vanished....or rather they are in touch, but I lost interest in replying them back....not trying to ignore u guys/gals....it's just that I don't feel like talking to you and bring down your spirits too....

The time it struck me is when a collegue of mine got hit by a car and was admitted in the hospital....luckily not too serious!Well....what would happen if that happened to me....who will be there to take care of me?Got my collegues and newly acquainted freinds....but will they have the time to look after me like my loved ones?That was a very scary thought!But then in reality,what if it happens?
hmm....I got to straigten my mind out!!!! I am thinking off too many things I don't need to think of right now. I just need a break from everything and everyone and give some time to myself and straighten things out!
Well...to put things on a good note,I am looking forward for next yr.....where I hope things change for better...maybe I'll say goodbye to things that are bothering me and look forward to better things! I have already started on it!
Well.....I don't have much more to say,here's wishing you all a Merry X'mas and an excellent New year....just incase I don't get back to the blog b4 next yr. ;)
Bye Bye!

A few Quotes....

Memorable quotes from Paulo Coelho's The Alchemist

“When you want something, all the universe conspires in helping you achieve it.”

“To realize one’s destiny is a person’s only obligation.”

“But I’m afraid that it would all be a disappointment, so I prefer just to dream about it.”

“Because I don’t live in either my past or my future. I’m interested only in the present. If you can concentrate always on the present, you’ll be a happy man.”

“Life will be a party for you. A grand festival, because life is the moment we’re living right now.”

“Because, when you know that language, it’s easy to understand that someone in the world awaits you, whether it’s in the middle of the desert or in some great city. And when two such people encounter each other, and their eyes meet, the past and the future become unimportant. There is only that moment, and the incredible certainty that everything under the sun has been written by one hand only. It is the hand that evokes love, and creates a twin soul for every person in the world. Without such love, one’s dreams would have no meaning.”

“The dunes are changed by the wind, but the desert never changes. That’s the way it will be with our love for each other.”

“If I am really a part of your dream, you’ll come back one day.”

“One is loved because one is loved. No reason is needed for loving.”

“So, I love you because the entire universe conspired to help me find you.”

“Well, then, why should I listen to my heart?”

“Because you will never again be able to keep it quiet. Even if you pretend not to have heard what it tells you, it will always be there inside you, repeating to you what you’re thinking about life and about the world.

“No matter what he does, every person on earth plays a central role in the history of the world. And normally he doesn’t know it.”

The other day on my off....I didn't have much to do so I decided to spend some time in the library.It's fun when u like to be in peace in your own world! I was looking up some books on the comp and came across these quotes....I liked them a lot.

Basically I am not this emotional kind n not very very religious either....Of course I believe in the all mighty,but still not very religious. And Love...is a subject I never care to venture....but these quotes....hmm....they mean something when I read them!

The first few lines talked abt a mans destiny....It's exactly what I believed in.“To realize one’s destiny is a person’s only obligation". Now is'nt that funny...the only obligation in our life is to realize our destiny....but then destiny can be so many diff things! For one thing destiny may not have to be just it! There can be many things that can add up to the grand finale!

Funny I should add some lines here about love too....Though I am a person who goes nowhere close to it,I still do believe in it. Love is just not a relationship between a man and a woman! It's very emotional too! (Thank God.I am not into it.)

Think abt it......People are born in diff places at diff times arnd the planet.....and in the course of time we meet so many people and spend time with so many of them. But how is it that there's just that one person who is there,we think is the right one....(wanted to say perfect....but then is it really??) Why is it that of all the people we know....we fall in love with that one person??

"One is loved because one is loved. No reason is needed for loving.”

“So, I love you because the entire universe conspired to help me find you.”

Now these two lines really made some sense to me. You are loved...there's no reason to it...U just love someone for the way they are,not what they try to be! You have no reason to love them,but u still do. And to fall in love with that person......the entire universe conspired to help....now how true can that be? If it was not for the fate that brought the two to meet in the first place at a particular place at a particular time....n then making it go on...cheez! How complicated are simple things! Things sound to be very simple,but when u get to the bottom of it,they get complicated!

I wonder why I am talking abt it!

But the last line is a line I liked the most... “No matter what he does, every person on earth plays a central role in the history of the world. And normally he doesn’t know it.”

Is'nt it true?? U don't have to be someone very famous to get into history! Ur very presence is a part of history,we create history our own little way and it all adds up to be what it is....Napoleans parents are not really written down in history as popular as himself,but if it were not for his parents his very existance would not have been possible!
I don't want to be famous,rich and popular! I just want to do something ordinary in an extraordinary way...

And here's Shakesphere's quote 'All the world's a stage and all it's people are mere actors'
So are very just some dummys playing an endless act,directed by the one up above? I am not saying anything against him or questioning my faith.Like I said I believe in him. But what is this play all abt? What was the begining and how is it going to end?

At times u feel that everything is going on well...and then it's not....I feel like I am loosing touch with some of my friends...ever since I moved here n got busy with work....things are changing..Is this all part of the play too??

It's soo late in the night now n I need to get some sleep....I wonder if I am making any sence at all....Well....it's a feeling that's so difficult to put into words....n if u do,it's never the perfect one!

Cheers!

The Void!

Well...recently I been depressed and sad and I don't know why!! I need to get back to work and keep me occupied!
I guess it's just the thought that I have nothing to do on my days off. Now don't get me wrong.It's not like I am not having a jolly good life.I do socialise enuff. But not anymore as I once did.
I keep noticing that there is something missing to fill up my life,but can't put my finger on it.It could be in need of company or just go feed myself! (I am not looking for a girlfriend or getting into a relationship.) Incase u want to say 'Man!U need a girlfriend!' :p
When I feel lonely...I just invite some friends over or go out with them and then I am good for a long long time. So company is not a problem...I've always been a loner.
But there is always the feeling that something is missing.Once I find out what it could be...I do everything to get it.Once I get it I am happy and satisfied.But after sometime the void gets bigger and I feel that,that's not what I needed.
Ever since I left India, there's been a lot of changes in and arnd me. The places I been to were not the same, The people I once knew well,I don't think I do any more and vice versa.
Everyone is moving on in life....so am I....but I still want everything to be the sameway as it was...People arnd me are all changing...they are getting involved in relationships,getting married,got a better job,bought a new house far away,moved out,living in another country,loosing touch. Everything is changing!!!! Everything!!
Even though I am moving on in life.....I still try to stick with old things. When I look back at things...it was soo beautiful,now I don't even know if it beautiful or ugly.All becos it has changed.
I am not sure of myself if I should do the actions I planned to do (like meet someone after a long time,though now they have changed) I have this picture in my mind where all is nice n peaceful and I am welcomed as I believe I would be. But with all these changes going on...I am scared of what if I am wrong. Won't it be awkward and dissapointing.
I am not sure if I should go back to the past or even rekindle the memories of the past. The more I do it, the more I think of how it is or will be changed. And I feel unsecure of myself abt it.
Maybe I should not go back there.Maybe I have to get myself isolated from everything and everyone from the past and see if that will give me a new change.
I keep saying this to myself,maybe I ought to do it one day! Also I keep wondering if the void is the reason of y I keep moving from one place to another. I come to a new place feel all excited n happy,start settling down...once I am done, happy with what I accomplished....Then there's the void again.I feel that it's soo dull n want to move again.Now I think living in the US really sucks....now don't get me wrong. Life could be beautiful for u overe here....it is for me...but I feel it sucks....n now I want to move again...The more I think abt it....the earlier I want to move....I don't know why I want to move....Everything is fine here...I have a nice job,live in a nice place...earning enuff to live with....but I still want to move to another place away from all this.
I don't know if I am trying to have another adventure or just trying to run away from something. And that makes me even more sadder.
Lately I been noticing a lot of people calling me being mean. I just don't know y. I am generally not a mean person. I am not going to say I am very thoughful either. But I don't want to hurt anyone. Paticularly not my near and dear. I just get these comments 'why are u being mean?' why can't u say something nice?' 'Can't u be more thoughtful and for once say something nice'
Now I don't get it.I admit I try to be funny all the time. But even my humor is mean. It never was this way b4. I feel like I should be more serious and drop the humor part. But it's hard cause it lives with me.I just can't kick it to the curb. And that depressed me too. The thought of people calling me mean does'nt actually hurt me...I am hard hearted..all these comments on what people call me does'nt hurt me..but the thought that I am actually hurting someone by being mean, (which I am not doing on purpose) hurts.
Well...if I been mean or rude to anyone out there..I am sorry...I didn't mean to be!
I don't know but all these things are upsetting me badly.The changes in me,the people arnd me and the place arnd me.Arrggggg!I need to get to work and keep me occupied.
And I feel maybe if I grow a distance from everyone,that will keep me in a safer place by not hurting anyone and being called mean. Maybe I just being crazy. I have to stop writing blogs like this n start writing happy thought from now.But that would be a lie to myself.This blog is helping me pour out what runs through my head.
Though I think I have a few real close friends who tell me almost everything, I come to think that I never tell them everything abt me. I never seem to share my troubles. What's in me stays with me. Even if I am asked if I want to talk...I don't. I don't want to trouble them with my troubles. Maybe that's not helping. But I don't feel comfortable talking abt it either.But coming back to it....What is troubling me.
Dissapointed to find 0 comments were posted to cheer me up...now I wonder if anyone out there is acutally reading this....oh well...all the same....I am still writing...atleast to keep me occupied.
Maybe I have to see a doctor! But that's going to cost a lot of money. :p
Until the next time then.....

Look where we are now!!

It's Thanksgiving week here and I got 3 days off for this week. Knowing me...I will prolly do nothing worthwhile during these 3 days...so I decided to rent some dvds n watch movies.

I just finished Autograph (an Indian tamil film). And must say the movie was very interesting n very close to reality. The concept of the movie is simple...a guy is getting married...n to give out his wedding invi....he goes back to the diff places where he lived and invites everyone he knew. While he goes there he remembers all the people n events that happened there.

Basically,I am not the movie sentiment type who cries at the end of a sad movie.....but after seeing this movie it made me think of my past, how n where time has made me travel.

When I was in School in India, I never thought school life would ever get over. I always saw myself there and never thought of college or life after that. I defenitly knew then,that I'll never do college in India. But having spent 12 yrs in that school I never really could see life after that.
I lead a very normal school life....Been very naughty,never did homework,Records were only done last minute and mostly copied from others,never took notes in class,tried to skip class every chance I could get,bad marks in exams.....sports.....the usual stuff!
As I grew older in school things changed...never spent weekends at home, spent the sunday evenings at the elliots beach with other friends and amused watching them drooling over girls. (I personally did not exercise the habit of doing that for more reasons than one....but namely cause I feel that girls are being treated for something more or less than what they are. U can whistle at the dogs in the streets and at the girls too!Get what I mean) I am not saying tht I am not told that girls actually like it (Don't know how far that is true) and also that they do the same over boys. Whatever it may be...age reasons,culture,or just for the thrill of it....I never liked the idea of staring at a girl like she just landed from another planet!
Anyway...getting back...even though I was amused at all this,I loved to hang out at the beach with my friends with the loud cars n bikes n eat the peanuts u buy there.Going to play snooker,hang out at the coffee shops n all the general hang out points.
Then after finishing the joy of school life. It only came upon me a few days b4 I was leaving the country that School is over n it's never coming back. That beloved campus where I spent 12 yrs and knew every inch of sand n cement there. Played under every single tree and been to the principals office more times than he ever did.Seen the diff changes that happened to the building and the frequent changes of principals and welcoming new teachers by taking them on a ride.
The joy of hearing the school bell ring at 3 pm...will always echo in my ears! But life had to move on and the last few days b4 I was leaving the country I came to realize that it was actually time to say good bye!Even though I spent abt 7 months in India after school...I never really thought I was out of school as I always had my friends arnd me.But leaving the country to go live in a totally new place...OH MY GOD!! It finally hit me there was more than school life!
Well...finally made it to college and spent most of that 3 yrs with books,travel and music.I never actually was the same person I was when living in India....Life was tough as I had to learn to do everything on my own to take care of myself.Concentrated more in class and managed to be on the top of my class...I was a very bad student of maths while in school...but worked hard enuff to keep a perfect score in accounts while in college. I partied hard,but studied harder! In short I had a total diff college life from the rest of the kids in my college.When they out to the beach on weekends,I rather enjoy spending my time in the room listening to music and cooking something n spend the day reading,watching a movie or even studying or work on a project.
I became more dedicated in what I wanted to do...and kept the pleasure and fun to the minimum.I also managed to get 2 degrees in 3 yrs! Don't say I was smart. I just found out there was a way I could do it if I spent enuff time with my nose dug into the books.
Finally graduated from college n got a job here n doing well.
Now what made me feel and reflect on this movie was....how did time change me into the person I am.I was once a irresponsible person,who never cared abt anything.Once I left home and the luxury of parents always behind me..I had to take things into my own hands.
I got to be here doing what I am doing...in that movie the guy came up in life with the help and support of a girl who was always beside him.....I won't say I was taken care of the same way,but my parents have done more than I could have expected from them to get me where I am though the decisions and ideas were all mine.
I been sad n depressed these last few days,but had no idea y. I am normally this happy guy who never lets anything get to me n bite me.
After watching this movie I wonder...maybe it's just bcos I want to go back to tht life I once had. I want to go back n remain amoung my friends.Bug the teachers who hated me for my guts! Stand in front of the principals office again. Eat the food my mom cooks,stay on the phone with friends till late night.Go to the beach n walk on that sand,see that sun rise over the sea,buy peanuts and eat corn from the beach,eat at the fastfood (not hygenic),walk in the middle of the street at midnight with friends.Play cards on the open terrace in the middle of the night. Drive like a maniac and scare everyone arnd! I want those days back! I miss those days. :(
I won't say I am not having a nice life now. I own all that a kid would want...have a very decent job,n socialise enuff. But the life of living at home sweet home is not there.The magic of having my parents always on my back n shout at me for every wrong move I make is not there.The joy of playing with my dog and taking her out for walks is not there.
I want all that.Now I don't have as many friends as I once did...and all the friends here work...so it's not the same. Can't hang out whenever we want.
I was talking to this girl I know...she recenly told me that she wanted to go back to India and work there n get settled with family in a hill station...She draws a very nice picture. But with her having gotten a green card very recently and having spent most of her time abroad n going to India on vacations...would def. miss India,but would she be comfortable living there with working hard for peanuts and not knowing how to bargain to get the stuff for it's right worth.
She is more used to this place where she is living now. She knows her way arnd...so living here is easy..but the want to go to india is def. there,which I think is normal. But how practical is it?
On the other hand,having spent a lot of time in India,and having lived the Indian way...I always thought that living abroad was a blessing....but having lived abroad thought me a lot of things....but I now don't consider it to be a blessing.
All this is just depressing me....I miss home,I miss my friends,I miss my relatives,I miss the food,I miss the telephone calls from friends at any time of the day or night,I miss the city I lived in and all the hang out spots....I just want to go back....but I can't think of going back now n live a life working hard for peanuts,I can't think of a life without the freedom to be what I am right now. But I want to go back but I can't! I am stuck here. But hopefully in the future I will be able to get back to what I want. But not yet.Not yet!
Just a word of advice to my fellow friends....The idea of living abroad might be very appealing...but unless u really want to do it,n take the chance of re entering into community again...don't do it.Not really worth it!
I might feel better now after having poured in everything on this blog.Hopefully the next time I should be in a better mood n write something better.
Thanks....
If u feel like cheering me up...pls do leave me a comment. :)

PS: The past is History......always embrace it in ur memory
The present is a gift.....make the best of it
The future is mystery....worry abt it when it gets here!

Love??

I've been noticing these past few days, that most of the time I talk to any of my friends from arnd the world. The most common question is 'So any gf yet?' or 'who is the new Mrs?' or even worse 'When's you wedding?'
Well not that I am saying that any of these questions are wrong or bad. But it makes me wonder how we all seek for relationship from the opposite sex. Is it of importance? Well...Defenitly,most of us will say yes,while a few of us might not agree to it!
I am not going to be on any side here.No politics.
Well...for one thing....I am not into the commitment thing..n I never gave much thought abt girls! (now don't take me wrong or think I give thoughts for the same sex!!NO NO...I am straight!!)
Well what is this love all abt? Isn't something that has to do with harmones as we grow?
When we come to a particular age,we tend to fall in love with stars (not the ones in the skies),teenage is when we fall in love with every girl we come across ( I say girl cause I am a guy,but it could be vice versa), then we find a person we think we really love...if it works out...GOOD! If it doesn't oh well..too bad! Give it some thought n then go for another one later. Like the saying goes...'there are plenty fishes in the pond'
So what could love really be?
Harmones + emotions + need = love ??

Then it could also be infatuation or lust.....or is that another form of love?
Love has never had a clear meaning to itself....There are some many diff ways of expressing the 4 letter word in diff forms of sentences. I am trying to talk one well known version of it.
The attraction of the opposite sex (or the same in some cases) and the word love used in it.

Sometimes we think we feel that it is the heart that makes us fall in love....Give me a break!!It's just an organ in the system whose main job is to pump blood to circulate anrd the body. Where is love coming from pumping blood?

Man!! The human system is sooo complicated...every organ in the body has got it's own functions....n I still wonder where inside it is Love,Soul,feelings and what not is located.
Well,I am not a doctor to do a research on the the organs nor have I been in love to evaluate the feelings abt it....but this what I feel abt it.

So where am I going with this topic? Destiny!! Of course!! Well...all along I've been talking abt diff things of destiy...so what abt love?Is that part of destiny or is it something that goes hand in hand with destiny? Destiny is something of each individual, while love comes with a commitment with another person,who has got his/her own destiny. So what happnes when two destinies collide? OK! U may also be wondering well...that's what been happening to us since the begining. Everyone meets someone n things happen...ok I am sure we also thought like what if they did'nt meet.They met somebody else....what would have happened then?
Every man and woman thinks of his or her own destiny....most of the time we are selfish to add others into our own....but when we fall in 'love'....we adjust our destiny so the other person could fit in. Then how does 'our' own destiny work out? If the other person has to share your destination...then u loose the individuality of one's own destiny. So what is this?
Why all this?
Think abt it...Is love really something what we think,feel or talk abt? Or is it not?
As far as I am concerened,as of now...I don't ever think of commitment or even getting into a relationship....so don't ask me again...if there is anything...I will let u know.
For those of you out there in Love.Be happy...u'll figure a way out...For those of u who is looking for love..I wish u luck and for those of you who's not interested in it for now...Cheers brother.
Take care.Cheers

What do we want?

The indispensable first step to getting the things you want in life is this:

Decide what you want.

-Ben Stein, actor, author, comedian

Now isn’t that interesting? Getting the things in life? Do we all get the things we want in life, let alone decide on what we want?

Now how do we decide on what we want?

We have so much we want and they change from time to time, take for example a simple mobile phone…u have one now, n in a short time u want another one cause that’s the new one out.

And what if we don’t get the thing we want. Won’t that be a disappointment?

What about the person we really love? Now that’s someone we would like to live with for life! What if we don’t get that person? Or what after we get that person and later we like somebody else n wonder who we really liked then? (It happens).

It’s so sad to think how our life has changed. All we want in life are physical materials! We want to live in a nice house, own a fancy car we can afford, some money in our bank accounts, holiday once in a while.

But what do we get out of all this? What is going to happen to all the things we get in life, after we are long gone? Is it going to be a security for the next generation? Is that all we think of as a common man living our way though life?

Most of us living in this world are not diff from each other. Our background could be diff, culture could be diff even our interests could be diff…..but is it that we want at the end? Security! We want security in life. We want to be secure of everything. Home, Money, Family, Relationship…anything n everything. We all have our own ways of looking at it…but this is all we want!

Well…coming back to the quote….this actor says we have to decide on what we want…basically we want the same thing in many diff ways at one time or the other during the course of our life.

But I guess that’s all we are here for. Our life is all planned out. We are born, Get educated, come up in life with our work n family, get a home, settle down, work hard, pay your loans off, retire, watch ur kids get old n then die & the cycle just goes on. (At least for most of us) Isn’t there something else we could want in life? What abt the after life? I believe there is one…I don’t about the rest of you out there. Don’t we want to do something in our after life….Well…I don’t think we know much abt it for us to plan now…but are these physical materials ever going to do anything to us after our time? And what abt it when we are still here. What do we get out of it? Peace? Love? Security?

Isn’t there more to it than that? It sucks when you come to realize upon it! We don’t seem to have much else we want to do in life. Or don’t we have the choice? Everything we do now, we focus upon our future. We don’t seem to be leaving for the present…and what more? The future is not at all there….when is that future?

I like the saying,

Past is History, Future is a mystery while the present is a gift…enjoy it.

I think that’s what we should all do. Live life for the present. What is it about the things we want in life? What about the things we want now? Shouldn’t we get it?

I come to realize that all we do is dream abt the furure….do things for the future…everything is abt the future…what if we don’t get to see that future…I prefer living for now! Now is where I am, now is where I am breathing…I don’t know much abt how the future holds…so why is it that we are worried abt something we know so little off? Well…some may say it’s a safety precaution…or it’s good on the long run…yeah I take it. But what about NOW? Y is NOW not so imp as the FUTURE sounds?

Well..I decided to live for now n of course plan a little for the future, what else can I do? I am human too living in this same planet. But live for the moment. I am here right now…I don’t see myself anywhere tomorrow…I don’t know where I could be. So is that why I am so scared abt it? Now that sucks!

Think abt it…is that all life is abt?

I hope I find something more to it…not that it’s something that I want…but something more than that!

The People!

Last night, I was talking on the phone with a buddy of mine and asked her if she checked the blog n what she thought abt it.Well...she said that I was talking abt the stuff she already knew abt me and there was nothing new in it.She said I don't talk a lot abt the other people I know off....Like as f I was keeping one friend a secret from the other? Now if I had two or more girlfriends that would be a resonable thing to do! :o) Not tell anybody abt it.....but y friends?
That made me think today....we get to see n know so many many people in our life time.We see a lot of them,we talk to some of them and we ignore a few of them. We all do!
Think abt it, since the time we see this world...we know so many people,from the time we join school till today.Must have met atleast thousands of them.
When I joined LKG n UKG (Kinder Garden) in Dominic Savio,Madras. My first friend was a guy named Anup....don't remember his last name....I don't even think I knew it.His grandmom was a friend of my garndmom, so he used to come over to my place often with his grandmom.Then I joined my 1st grade in my beloved School 'St.Bede's'. Anup moved over to another school...n never knew what happened of him after...I moved to another house too...so he did'nt come over there with his Grandmom.....Now Schooling in St.Bede's was different for me....U see I was amoung the few who actually spent all the 12 yrs in the same school.So I made so many new friends and stuck with the old too! My first friend from Bede's was a guy named Karthik....knew him till the 2nd grade n in the 3rd grade he changed schools....Then came another Karthik in 2nd grade...there were two of them in the same class.There was this guy named Krishnadas....who left in 4th grade to I think Hyderabad. There was this character named Gregory who left for Australia in 4th grade. There was Guhan...the smart kid who joined in the 2nd grade n left for a 'better' school in the 11th grade hoping to get into med school...I only hope he made it through.There was Benedict....Lionel Brooks .......Shahul....Mark.....Me.....Nevil.....Naveen......Jude Shu(did he join from the 2nd grade??) to name a few who spent all the 12 yrs in the same campus! But does not mean we knew each other very well....of all the people I listed above,there's only one person I am still in touch with.
Now during those 12 yrs I must have met and made friends with so many guys....there was this guy Venkat who studied in 6th grade with me.He came from the US n left back in the beginning of the 7th grade.....There was ....Yohan (Ranil) ...Parents were doctors...His english was good...had talents to sing,music,talk n sometime get on others nerves! Good in studies too!!!
These are just a few from school. Twelve years is a long time!!! and not to forget my teachers n masters.....Some will always remain in my heart ....life Fernandez teacher...my first grade teacher,Simon teacher....my tamil teacher....helped me a lot even though she knew I was never good at it! masters like Samuel sir, My scout master...God bless his soul.To name a few.There were some teachers n Professors I hated too....There are more people I can name.....but that would take a lot of time.
Then I moved to France for my Bachelors after my 12 wonderful yrs...New place,new culture and most of all new people!
During those 3 yrs I did make some good friends....I also made some not so good friends....would'nt say I made any enemies!There were guys like...Deven from first yr.Aji,Maxi from 2nd yr....And Tracy,Judy from 3rd yr.....Of course there are more...but I am just naming what comes to my mind first!Then I met more people during my trainings...n work...n Travel...There once was this couple I met on top of the Eifel Tower who were from Missouri city in Txs...USA. Just an example....Then I also met people from outside of work through other friends like Srikanth...n others!Now presently I know some people in the US from work....
Not to leave the cyberworld.....There's this one friend I met on chat in early 99 n still talk to her! She would hate it if I mentioned her name...for those of u who know already....does'nt matter!...There are other people too...from online.
Now I must have mentioned sooo many people....and also not to leave out my doctor & his family,my dad's students...not that I know all of them,My dad's friends and their family....and so on n so forth....
Now think abt it....we meet so many people in out lifetime...some of them we remember well...some of them we don't....n some of them we don't even know anymore.How and why do they get registered in our mind?
People who we still know and keep in touch....fine!I can understand....There are people I mentioned here I never saw or heard from in the past 15 to 16 yrs...I still remember them....n people I might have met 4 days ago...n not remember them. I don't even think I even thought abt my old classmates from 15 yrs but now their name n face comes flashing! How is it that I still remember them in some corner of my brain?
Could it have been that there was something abt them that they did, or I liked or hated abt them that makes their memory still stay alive in my brain?Even though it has been like a million yrs since we parted ways? Think abt it....when we sit and think abt the people we met in our lifetime many come to our mind....but there's only a few we still remember with a clear picture of them in our memory.Is'nt it funny and surprising that our memory can go back sooooo many yrs and still remember bits n pieces of it.
There are still a lot of people I am going to meet....my journey is not over....but I am only hoping that those who remain in my memory don't get wiped out by those who will come.Instead I can make more space for the new.
Now the main topic on the phone with my friend last night was what abt my girl friends???"Y is it that u never talk abt them?U travelled n met so many girls...did'nt u like any of them?"
Well...now if I write something abt that here on the blog...I could get into trouble....so I am skipping it.
But then think abt this.....we all have vivid memories of people,places,things,pets,etc,etc....but again the question is....how and why?Why is it that everyone is not registered???There are only a few who are remembered by us.Not every single people we know and talk to!
Is'nt it nice when we get back those memories of old lost friends and wonder whatever happened to them and are actually happy to still remember them.
It sure is. Do u do that too??
(There are also more people I could have added like namely my HUGE family, neighbours,etc..But this was more a reflection upon my friends!)

Note:Suja, thank you for ur words.Santosh...there would be no fun in writing all this for the sake of writing a book...I do this to put out what I think and reflect upon from the conversations I have from day to day (But happy to know that you find my blog interesting).Would there be any fun in doing this over the pressure of finishing the book.And pls don't give my blog to the press and make me popular...I am happy with the little popularity I have. :o)

What is achievment?

Is there any such thing as having reached our goal? Do we really have a goal?How do we build our goal? What do we base it upon? Our ability to attain it? Our talent over which we think is the easiest way to get there? Then how can it be a goal?What could we have achieved over getting something that we knew we would get all along?
There is this saying, 'aim for the stars so atleast u will land on the mountains' (or something close) but then we still do know the limit so we set our goals based on that. So have we really achieved something or atleast something more than we thought we did.
Think abt it.We always ask people what is your goal?what do u want to do in 5 yrs?How do u see your future?But when we answer this question we simply calculate it as:

Present situation + What we know,plan or hope we get = the future.

Most of the time it works,cause we have set that standard,It's not like I am in the hotel industry n hope to be the chief doctor in a hospital in the near future...though it's far fetched, u get the idea.
When I am asked what I will do in 5 yrs, I simply think as what my position is,my qualification is and my experience n what in 5 yrs that experience is going to count upon.Then I put out the possibilities.But then if what I said happened in 5 yrs,it's just a plan that went well,it's not a achievement.
The last time I was here.I was aking myself if I was on the right track....but then if I was on the right track....it was all about me,what I did n what I am doing....there are still so many people out there who have made more money n more popular than me.Think abt all those young pop idols,actors,actresses,smart kids,brain kids.....now that's something.....but did they achieve it or was it something they knew would come all along?
Here what the diff is.....If I see myself in lets say a member of the board team of a hotel coporation in 10 yrs...now that's achievement,but if I see myself settled down with my own buisness....then that's a plan.A plan is something I know I would be able to do,if all goes well...but to be a board member at 32.....now won't that be an achievement?
But again how do u ACHIEVE? u work for it? If u work on it,u put in some strategies...if u put in strategies,does'nt that make it a plan?
Am I saying that achieving is Planing....then ur not getting what I am saying....Read again,n slowly this time!
Ok here's another thing,if I was planning to own my buisness in 10 yrs n I land up being a board member....how does that work out....I could say I achieved something.But how did I get there?Luck?Fate??? These things actually exist?
Am I confusing u?Cause I am confused over this word....hmm....I should have simply looked up the dictionary. But where's the fun in that?
Am I making sense? Eh? Think abt it.
Ok...what if it happens?What next?Work hard to keep it?If u got it n if u deserve it don't u think it should stick with u for the same effort u put in to get it.y the extra effort...cause somebody else would get it?Is'nt it only fair when somebody better gets it?Well...we have to admit to it once in a while!Or do we aim for something else once that we actually got what we always wanted?But then was that ur goal in life??Then y another goal once we got the previous one?Ok then how many goals do u have in life?Y lead this complicated life?Cause we are remembered in what we did?OK! But for how long are we going to be remembered.Is it going to mean anything to u that u r remembered after ur time n u don't even know abt it??
Not me....I might be just saying stupid things here....but I am thinking n reflecting...that's what this place is all abt to me.
Do u think abt it?

What is destiny?

Well...after the first time...I feel quite good abt doing this.I had some good comments over my previous blog,though not everyone I invited read it as yet...but still the few people who did appreciated it...some where even surprised that I do reflect upon things....n go deep in thought!Well....what can I say....those carefree days are gone! Some had to comment on my page template,saying that it was too dark...well either wake up or wear glasses...or even better, turn on the light!This is my blog n I think I have the right to keep it anyway I like!
Anyway...this time it's me and my job...I like my job very much but I always keep wondering...if I am too young to work,but then again how old should one be to work.At 19 I started to work full time....did work b4 that too,but that was part of my internship!Am I loosing all the fun one should have at my age or am I going at the right phase?
3 weeks after reaching 22.....I now know that I should be working....but did I start too early?
At 19 I bought my first comp,my first handycam,20 my first laptop n digital camera,at 21 my first car!
Am I doing it right?Are these the things that people buy at this age?Until I was 18 I was at home living with my parents....nice life! Did'nt have much to worry abt!Had everything I wanted.
Now Ever since I started living on my own...n started to make money....why am I being sooo crazy over these gadgets? I was then too, but did'nt really think I would get it.Atleast not this early!
I know I'been told that I should be proud of what I have achieved...Living on my own...having a job,owning all that I own,a handsome salery,oh yeah also LIVING IN THE US! Personally I don't see much of it.
Living in Asia,Europe or USA.It's all the same.Only I can't compare it as the culture and lifestyle changes...so I have to adapt myself to the surroundings!
When I see my school mates.....boy! are they having a life...until today they did'nt do anything but concentrate on their studies (atleast most of who I still know).Now they graduated and are waiting to get a job or already got a job.And have actually started earning money now.
Some of them are still stuck with education on the higer level.
While me,I,the great...worked while studying,found a job even b4 I graduated,got bored n found a even better job and now already thinking about my next job...Seriously is there something wrong with me?Am I running a fever?
Coming back to the working life.Earlier working while studying was fun.It was all abt thinking abt ur homework while u r at work,coming home late and to think there's a test in the morning.
Not to brag but I was at the top of my class,and all those parties....ohh those parties...!!!Now that was fun.U see it was not just a working life...There was more to it!
But now,all I do is work...I get up, go to work,come back from work,eat,relax,catch on a movie,chat with friends,work out if I can,n then go back to sleep.The reason of no social life is that most of my friends are from work...n we all have our own shifts...so it's not easy to get together all the time.N being new to a place,I haven't made friends from outside of work as yet.
But then I do have the chance to talk to my longtime online friend...so it does make things easier to talk with someone...but then that person has a life too...can't spend all the time with me online.So here I am in a NEW place,with a NEW job,owning a bunch of NEW things....and doing what with all of it?
What am I trying to say here??Well....one thing is,School and college life are the best days of our life...make the best out of them....and now the other thing is,I do know that I am on the right track...but am I not overdoing it?Why couldn't I be that carefree guy I once was with so little in my mind to worry abt...but then if I was...would I be where I am now?Could things have been more easier?I dunno!I really dunno!But here I am doing what I am still doing!
What do u think abt it?
Thanks for your time.
See u soon.Adios.
PS:Have to go early to bedearly2nite as I work 2morow early morning (Sunday) yuck...but I am still doing it!

First time!

Well...umm...hello,
How am I supposed to go through this thing now?Write it like a letter or a diary??Diary is for me while a letter is for others...what is this?
It's the first time I am doing something like this.So might not be too good at it.Anyway here I am doing it.
So well...since I have some time now...here's a little abt me n what I am doing...I am living in the US on a temp. basis....not really interested in living here.(working in a hotel)...did my bachelors in Hotel Management in the south of France....n of course my beloved schooling years in Good old Madras (chennai)....I like calling it Madras as that's the name I prefer!Since US is a temp thing...I am hoping to Canada..n that's my next target....earlier I wanted to go back to Europe n work in the UK...but I was thinking y not try this new place instead of going back to a place I seen n been to b4.Of course working in the UK is an easy thing for me as I belong to the european community.So Canada would be a challenge,just like how US was to me b4 I got here.
Where is all this leading to? My title....In search of my destiny.....I seem to have to many destinations I want to go to...I want to live n work in so many places....but after sometime....I seem to get bored of it and start looking for another new place....What exactly am I doing?where am I going?I could say I am young,single and have the advantage of having less responsibilities.I make my own money....good too!So basically on my own making money n spending it....so travelling as been the only thing I can think of doing...But what began as a necessity has now become a passion!
At times I think maybe I am a nomad...just travelling....sometimes maybe even a parasite...(not negatively) learning the different ways of life in diff places.
But where is all this leading to?I will one day get tired of this nomadic life and will want to stay back in one of the oasis I find...but what will I do once the water starts to dry out?Or want to have a cola drink instead of just plain water???Will I not want to move again?And what if I run out of oasis?Where will I go then??Well...so far life has been going good!Got all the support I need from my family and friends...and still got a number of destinations to visit...I only hope I find my destiny b4 I run out of destinations.
Why could'nt I be that normal guy I was,back in India...where school was fun,rather than this daily routine of going to work n back...but that'll is another topic on my destiny again...should keep it for the next time...so till then...adios!