Think Trash

I have moved!

2012-01-16T23:30:00.001+05:30

Peeps... I now blog at AboutPranay

Does this spell death for ThinkTrash?
I don't think so. Till the trash in my mind ceases to exist (which will happen never), ThinkTrash will live. If not for anything else, as a legacy.

At AboutPranay (my portfolio cum new blog), I will talk less about trash and more about user experience and design. But there will certainly be a trashy post here and there for you all to read and enjoy.

Till then...
Pranay/PeeCee

From the third attempt, till the final one...

2011-08-10T12:26:00.001+05:30

A little over an year after my last blog post (below), I'm back to blogging! This is in fact the third attempt to rejuvenate my blog from dormancy. The second one failed miserably despite promising frequent activity to myself and the readers.
So this time around, no commitments and no meant-to-be-broken promises! Maybe just a hope and a possibility that this time I'll continue writing, atleast in the near future. Why this sudden ray of hope? Well for one, I'm going back to college! New people and new experiences always make good stuff to write, don't they?! Plus, I think the itch to write is making a comeback in me, and I have a renewed urge to put my thoughts to words.

You can probably make out that I'm really REALLY interested this time, by the new look ThinkTrash! Yes, I have given it a brand new look and feel! And I definitely intend to boast when I say that I designed the top banner from scratch, all by myself! I know you're dying to shower praises but you can read the rest of the post, and then drop a comment about what you think about the design... I can wait a bit! :D

Meanwhile, I came across this awesome video on TED, which got me thinking...

What would be my final Facebook status update, my last blog (if I do continue blogging till then ;) ), or my last tweet? Would I be on my death bed, hurriedly posting something with my wobbly hands? Something like...

Yeah, wait till I'm back in my next incarnation, I'll settle scores with the 5 people who liked that!

Or maybe, people will start posting their wills online! Hereby, I announce that XYZ will have all permissions to read, access and modify my blog, Facebook, Twitter, GMail, LinkedIn and Foursquare accounts so that I remain online in the virtual world, forever!

On a more serious note, as the guy in the video said, we are all leaving behind an unimaginable amount of data, stored and shared across the world wide web. And that data isn't merely a digital combination of 0 and 1. It's a plethora of thoughts and memories in the form of text, photos and videos; and in the larger sense, a legacy and a culture in it's own right.
In a way, it is all probably good. My great great grand daughter will know what a jerk her great great grand dad was! :D

Add Music to your Life!

2010-07-01T22:44:00.009+05:30

Music has to be the most wonderful gift man has given himself! Mood-uplifter for some, trance-inducer for others - music can cast magical effects on one's mind, persona and character. It can make one achieve unfathomable highs and surpass untraversable barriers.

One such classic example of how music can lead to miracles, is Billy McLaughlin - A world renowned and supremely gifted guitarist and composer who stunned audiences with his unique fingerstyle guitar strokes. With compositions beautifully depicting shades and situations of his own life, listeners were able to relate to his signature style of music - which is inherently sans vocals!
In 1997, Billy started losing his touch with the guitar. He was diagnosed with Focal Dystonia - a neurological disorder in his left hand which severely restricted his ability to play. All he could now play with his guitar, was the very first tune he learnt as a child. The disorder took away from Billy the ability to play much of his music, including his signature fingerstyle.

In 2006 - 9 years after being bogged down by the disorder - Billy staged a comeback. He had wonderfully adapted to, and virtually won over his condition - by actually re-learning the craft using his right hand. In an amazing story of rarely-seen patience, courage and grit of the human mind, Billy resurrected his music, his career and his life.
Having ascended from the ashes like the Phoenix, Billy emerged better than ever before - so say his fans!

I had the fortune to experience Billy performing in front of me. I was mesmerized, to say the least - it was a high you just can't know unless you've really experienced it.
Listening to Billy live, I realized how music can change your world. How it can, at times become the singleton driving force to bring about a change in your life. It just adds a new dimension to your mindset and attitude towards life. It has done that - for me.
Being able to play that song I've been practicing since days; suddenly waking up one morning and realizing I can strum that chord which seemed impossible the day before; just randomly plucking my guitar and suddenly realizing that the tune sounded great - it all happens with me, and I'm sure it happens to each one out there who plays an instrument.
So, pick up any musical instrument you like (or think is cool!) - the guitar, saxophone, piano, tabla, sitar, drums, flute... any one. Learn it - it can turn out to be a life changing experience!

I leave you with one of the most popular and arguably the most astounding creation of Billy. This song was composed on one quiet night in Minnesota, when Billy was not able to sleep because he had got so used to the noise from the cars passing by on the freeway next to where he lived before in Los Angeles. He tried to reproduce those 'noises' of vehicles in this composition - Helms Place

Links:
Billy McLaughlin Official Online Presence
The return of Billy
Helms Place

Lift kara de!

2009-07-04T19:02:00.001+05:30

"Make it fast you fat-ass... we'll miss the Honda City wale uncle".

My roommate calls me by that name, without even an iota of embarrassment. FYI, his body proportions go like 85-125-110.

As always, I laughed it off pitying his overblown aspirations of being able to match my athletic body frame someday!

"Come on dude. It's only 9:10. That chap comes at 9:20. There's no chance we'll miss him. Now shut up and let me concentrate... Wallet. Watch. ID card. Hankerchief. Earphones. Cellphone. All set... lets go...!"

"Dude... you forgot wearing your pants!"

"Oh my god! You are so funny Anuj! Now move you Gainda-Fool!"

We rushed towards the elevator.

"Why is this damn thing always at 0? @#$%%$TER@#@#!#!^&%#$@!", I cried impatiently.

Living at the 11^th floor isn't always fun, especially when you know that your boss can fire you for entering office 5 mins late.

We finally managed our way down.

"Okay. Here's our chance. You see that car coming. Just pounce on it. I bet it's going towards Mindspace", Anuj readied himself for thumbing.

"What are you doing???", I pulled him back forcibly.

"That's against the rules! We DON'T take lift from Maruti 800's and Alto's. PERIOD", I tried to make a straight face.

"Loser… Look at the time! First you take bloody 25 minutes in the bathroom doing god knows what. And then these tantrums! I'll loose my job like this!"

"Shut up and walk. And walk slowly. Our chances of getting a lift dip drastically as we near the main road."

"Look ahead you fool. We are almost at the main road. And I see no prospective lift coming our way. You let go our only chance. Saala maruti mei nai jayega… bhaav to dekho!"

"Look behind…", I ordered Anuj trying not to show my excitement.

"Honda City!!! You sure it's him?"

"Looks like… Now get aside. My track record at this is better than yours"

I moved ahead confidently to signal for a lift.

I just raised my hand a little and the grey sedan de-accelerated to a smooth halt right in front of us. The window slithered down. A breeze of cool ambi-pur scented air gushed at us almost making us forget the formalities!

"Aaa… Sir… Cyber Towers?" Anuj stammered in his trademark extra-polite, almost fake, accentuated manner.

"Yes yes… Hop in". Pat came the reply from inside.

"Thank you sir", we both murmured - more out of habit than a feeling of gratitude!

"So… now you regularly hitchhiking?", asked the person driving, in an almost self-congratulatory tone. "You followed my advice!"

"Yes sir. We thought you were right. Haggling with 3 autos, inhaling all that pollution… It's not wise after all.", explained Anuj.

You can't beat him when it comes to articulating utter nonsense perfectly!

"I told you last time only when I first gave you lift. You shouldn't be shy. It's a duty of people like us who have a car to help people like you who have to commute daily in such adverse conditions and then slog it out the rest of the day in office. I completely understand!"

"Ya Yaaaa!" I yawned almost dozing off given the AC comfort and ample leg room. "Honda has made a fine car!"

Till distances do us apart

2009-05-17T17:25:00.000+05:30

We’ll meet and share moments together
Moments, that we promised, will last a lifetime
A lifetime may not be enough, you said
To express the love that’s all mine

We’ll sit for hours, staring at each other…
And not say a word
We’ll just lie there, and enjoy the silence
And let the stars say the story untold

We’ll be together, happy as ever
The madness will always be there
Your touch will always be as special,
And we’ll live life with reasons to cheer

All this and more… we promised to each other
We promised… separation- will happen never
Guess the stars have played their part
And distances have done us apart

We know, all’s not well
Not that we didn’t try… gave it many a chance
We simply, aren’t the way- for what we strived
But that’s all right, till the day we realized
We don’t speak the way we used to…
And neither do the stars

Still, I’d like to believe… all’s not lost.
That touch, that’s no longer with me…
I’ll try to revisit, holding my own hand
That love, which is fading away…
I’ll rekindle, with even more love and warmth
The fire, that once raged; The spark, we thought we had
I’ll reignite
The bleakness that’s abound; The darkness, that’s gripping us…
I’ll bring light

And I’ll do this all,
I’ll do even more…
To make sure
You are always mine

Then again, the stars may never speak up,
And we may never get off to a new start
But I’ll never fail to try harder
Till distances, really do us apart

A Second Lease of Life

2009-05-03T14:19:00.000+05:30

There have been times, in the past 10 months, when i felt at lack of something. When I felt some feelings were not finding an outlet (Not that I was'nt allowed to go to the toilet!). As if some integral part of my life was suddenly just not there anymore. I was at grave loss. I was shattered. I went into depression. Okay... I'm exaggerating!
But seriously yaar... Even peecee started complaining. I wasnt exploiting him the way i used to, you know! And then there are my countless fans out there, who just can't live without me. Their love forced me back in here! Not that I myself didn't want to. But there's something called PR too! I have given in to the call of the times and the fans!
Well... Now that I am back... What are you waiting for!!! Where's my 'Welcome back' cake??? Where's the champagne?
Guys... I'm BACK!!! Heyy... look there... one guy clapped! Thanks bro! I knew somebody's been waiting!

Okay okay... Cut the noise! Now you people are anxious to know where have i been all these days, right? Why did i go into this self-imposed absentia? Did i get marooned on an island with no internet connectivity? Did the aliens abduct me? Did I go on a mission to abduct the aliens?
Well well well... It's a long looooonnng looooooonnnnnnnggggg story. To cut it short... I got into an IT company. Now you know eh!
That's right. College got over; joined Accenture- that too at Chennai; had a blast there managing with broken English and even more broken Tamil; had plenty of sambhar, idli, dosa, vada, uthappam; got bored of the beach (yes, you read it right!); got transferred to hyderabad; underwent an eye surgery; experienced complete blindness for 24 hours; and yes whenever i got time out of all these things- worked quite a lot at office!

You can wipe those tears off now! When I'm here, have no fear!
It's been a long time... I hope I haven't lost the touch. Lot's to catch up, lot's to read. Don't know what buddy bloggers have been up to all these months.

Let's start off with sharing the latest instance of something I do best - Dream! Yes, I'm at it again! But this time, the dream had a moral lesson underlining it! I've grown up you see! Here goes the nightmarish dream -

It was a scorching summer day. The sun relentlessly shining with all its might. No sign of clouds in sight. News channels shouting "Heat wave across India". One of the news channels had a scientist commenting on the weather. He perdicted catastrophe- "Cloud formation is not happening. Global warming has stopped the evaporation-condensation cycle. The world is going to experience a long, unbearable summer. Arctic ice is melting faster than we can gauge. The world may experience tsunamis with waves over 100m in height destroying all coastal cities. And soon, sea levels will drop drastically. Marine life is under threat. The world... is nearing its end."

Thank God this one ended quickly. Gosh! Scary thought. Phew!
Well... don't worry that much. Just switch off that A.C. The room is comfortable enough now.
And heyy... why is that cell phone charger switched on? I don't see the phone being charged. Switch it off!
I'm sure you'd never like this nightmare turning into reality. So work towards it; Our planet may not get a second lease of life.

You can put that smile back on your face now. Coz remember... I'm back!

Official Audio Release: 'Light Kab Aayegi'

2008-07-14T22:03:00.000+05:30

Now stop wondering and giggling at that name! Read on, coz this is goin to be a life-changing experience, especially for those agonized by daily electricity cuts and load shedding. Guys, your anthem is here!

This is our first full-fledged 100% original song. With 'our' i mean, that this song is composed, written and sung by me and my friend - Vaibhav.
There's a little story behind this song. It dates to about 2 years back. Me and Vaibhav were sitting idly, bored to hell, as there was no electricity. We ultimately decided to play Carrom, but with the board upside-down! Lousily and lethargically, we went about tossing the striker and wondering..."Light Kab Aayegi yaar...". And then, it happened! EUREKA! "Lets compose a song"!!!
I picked up my guitar and started strumming in search of a catchy tune...
The rest, as they say, is history!

So here it is, a song which we composed 2 years back, digitally recorded for all you guys to listen and appreciate. Yes. Appreciation is mandatory.

~~~~~THE OFFICIAL AUDIO-RELEASE CEREMONY ~~~~~

Blow the trumpets
Unleash the Champagne Fountain
And hail the latest pop sensation.... 'PnV'

Ok guys. Now all you have to do, is click on the link below.. RIGHT NOW.

Download the song and let the music play baby!!!

Light Kab Aayegi [Download Here]

[Alternate Download Link 1 (4Shared)]

[Alternate Download Link 2 (Rapidshare)]

Artist : PnV

Lead Vocalist : Vaibhav Verma

Backing Vocals : Pranay Sethi

Lyrics : Vaibhav Verma and Pranay Sethi
Composition : Vaibhav Verma and Pranay Sethi
Music : Pranay Sethi

So guys.. wat are u waiting for!!! Listen to the song online, or download the song and listen to it on your favourite music player, share it with your friends and let the world know about it!

It Elevates!

2008-06-29T15:37:00.000+05:30

There's a lot that can happen in an elevator. Well.. you can atleast make a lot happen. Because the elevator or 'lift', is inherantly a really interesting place.
It's a vehicle where perfect strangers stand barely milimetres apart, and stare at eachother, or the walls, or into the mirror. It's the panacea for the handicapped, and hell for the claustrophobic. People exhibit rare phenomena inside those closed walls while they are waiting for the lift to thud to a stop at their destination.

Some adventurous kinds find it the perfect place to do what had long been thought of as strictly a bedroom activity. Reaching an orgasm before the lift comes to a halt gives them a high, more ecstatic than the orgasm itself. And then there's the possiblity of the lift getting stuck between two floors. That's utopia for them.
There are other sorts of travellers as well. Like those who love to put their creative side on display by sculpting an artefact on the elevator's mirror with that chewing gum in their mouth. They derive immense self pride in the fact that they have embellished a perfectly spotless mirror with their prized gum creation. Super!
And then there are people who just have to press all the buttons on the panel, even if there's a 'Freefall' button on it.
Also, there are those who crave for an empty lift. God knows what they crave to do for those barely 20 seconds when they are trapped all alone inside a metersquare cubicle. Well there are plenty of things. Some ladies get the invaluable time for touching up their makeup. Some dance, while some practice for Indian Idol Season 1037. You can count me in for the latter case. Yeah baby, those 20 seconds are my 'riyaaz' time!

Ok, enough of categorization. There are many normal folks also, who simply do nothing or stare at their watch, or fiddle with their mobiles. But you know, the lift can be fun. The fact that neither you, nor the people rubbing shoulders with you, have anything to do for a good 20 seconds, is in itself quite curiously potential! If you are even slightly wacky (like me!), those 20 seconds can drive others on-board crazy, while giving you the kick of a lifetime.

Check out my TOP 10 MUST-DO'S in an Elevator:
(I take no responsibility, whatsoever be the result in case you decide to try out any of these.)

1) PICK YOUR NOSE:
Put your index finger straightaway into your nonstril and rotate vigourously. That may sound YUCK! Well... its not your problem. It actually is. But its more FUN than YUCK. Now when you have got enough material (ewwww!), just find the cleanest wall around, and aim at a spot.. and SPAT! Throw it hard enough that it sticks to the wall! And then.. comes the victorious moment... Look at each disgusted person in the lift and give that triumphant look as if you just won an Olympic Gold! "YEAHHHH"!! And then watch them fall sick!

2) UNLEASH THE CRY-BABY IN YOU:
Just let those tears flow and the shrieks echo in the confines of the lift. Cry out as loudly as possible... moan and groan. But the key here is, dont give others a clue about the reason behind your sudden outburst. Keep them guessing and confused. Cry louder if someone tries to console you, and put all the blame on that fellow!

3) DELIVER A LECTURE/SPEECH:
Here's your chance to voice your opinions about issues plaguing the world and your society. The lift provides you with a stage, and your co-travellers are your (helpless) audience. Blurt out loud, all your knowledge about world peace, global warming, corrupt politicians, and terrorism. Dont forget to use direct speech. Talk in terms of "You", point fingers directly and give your own talismans. Just let the fits of rage show!
HINT: Take cues from Star News, Aaj Tak, India TV and Zee News on how to scare people with the weirdest of news and bone-chilling way of speaking.

4) FART and STARE:
You need some preparation for this. Eat lotsa mooli paranthas or pakoras. Then step into the lift. And fart your way to glory! And then starts the fun. Pick one person (besides yourself!) from the fellas present on-board. Now you just have to give subtle signals. Move away from him/her. Pinch your nose in discontent. And keep staring the person and make all believe that he/she's the culprit. Then watch him get isolated in the middle, while others make their way towards the edges. And when your stop comes and the door opens, just sound a HUGE sigh of relief!

5) TIE THY LACES:
This one is best done in jam packed conditions, when there isnt an inch of moving space in the lift. Bend down, causing lots of inconvenience to all around. Now keep tying and untying your shoelaces. Or still better, tie together laces of different people shoes. And then, simply watch the fun.

6) THE DEPRESSED SOUL:
Now this needs patience. Stand in one corner, facing the walls, and put a grim look on your face. Dont talk, dont react, and dont bother to get down at any stop. Just stay there like that, sad and depressed, helpless and poor soul, dejected by the world. You are sure to spark off some interesting discussions and oh-mi-gawds!

7) YOU HAVE AN APPOINTMENT?:
Early morning, push a table and a chair inside the elevator. Get seated on the chair and put some papers and a pen on the table, and simply wait. Now whenever the door opens, you simple have to say : "Heyllo Senor. You have an appointment?".

8) KILL ALL SUCKERS:
Find imaginary flies in the lift, and swat em hard. Hit the imaginary mosquitoes on the walls. And in case you manage to seriously kill a fly, show off its left overs (stuck to your palm) to others, victoriously and with the most evil laugh..."Suckers!". You can also be considerate enough to charge upon any flies (existent or not) sitting on others faces, shoulders, backs and heads.

9) RINGTONE RINGTONE:
Usually cellphones come with some really irritating ringtones. I have one which has the weirdest animal sounds in it. Then there are the various type of fart ones, and those loud LOUD futuristic, funky and almost irritating ones. Heres a brilliant way to utilize em all. Play them at maximum volume, and flaunt them as if they are your original compositions. Put the speaker of your phone just next to the ear of a person on-board, and watch him shriek and jolt.

10) SHOCK LAGA LAGA LAGA :
Press a button on the panel, and go 'BOOOOM'! As if it blasted off. Then press another and shake the hell out as if you just got an electric shock. Repeat it several times, and then watch others hesitantly head for the shock-giving buttons!

These are all tried and tested measures to attain lots of publicity and but even more flak, and a few black eyes. But hey, one thing's for sure - The elevator elevates! Not only your body, but your spirits as well!
So comeon... tell me, which one you liked the best, and tell me if there are more you can think of. Am sure you can! And do tell me what happened if you actually did try out any of these!

How I Equalled a Sequel

2008-06-13T12:37:00.001+05:30

It's long since i wrote something, right? Well you see, my exams are going on, so I am supposed to study. But it's obviously not that i am supposed to actually do whatever i am supposed to do! Right?
So its not that i have not been writing. I was actually writing on another blog. (I can see ThinkTrash frown!!!)
Well, Sameera organized a competition of sorts on her blog, and invited fellow bloggers (like me) to write a sequel to her story - Dumbstruck. Please read the original by clicking on the link, and then read my sequel.

Here it goes...

.........
...Throwing caution to the winds, he cleared his throat and said, "Excuse me". She did not turn. Was she ignoring him or had she not heard? Maybe it was because of the music. "Excuse me", he said a little more loudly once more. This time, she turned. He was dumbstruck, and almost gasped. Her lips were a rosy pout and her nose like a model's. Her eyes were the most beautiful he had ever seen, a combination of amethyst and turquoise. And they were also blind...
//my sequel begins here---------------------------------------

She was looking at him, searching for his eyes, as if trying to make a contact. Noticing the activity in her eyes, he was taken aback for a moment. He felt as if the earth had moved beneath his feet. But so smitten he was- to her beauty, her charm and the earthy sensuality she exuded, that he couldnt help looking at her. To his surprize, he didnt feel even a slight sense of pity for her. He was infact appaled by her sheer courage. He was falling for her - the girl with the most beautiful pair of eyes. He wanted to speak to her. Wanted to know her. But couldnt gather the courage to speak a word.
"Did you say something?", she broke the silence, as if sensing his uneasyness.
"Ahh... well.. yes". She tracked down the source of the voice. "Do you know how far is Brown Street?". He regretted it the moment he mouthed that. He had asked a dumb question to a girl who couldnt see.
She stroked her fingers over her wrist-watch. And it just took her a second to reply - "about eight to ten minutes".
He simply stared, mesmerized. "Thank You", he said somehow in a broken voice.
It was a trying situation for him as the feeling started sinking in, that she is 'blind'. But the feeling of love and passion overpowered every other. He couldnt take his mind off her. Then he turned to his side. Her face gleamed with beauty. So much so, that it made him forget all his doubts, all his reservations.
"Hi, I am Chris. Chris Korth". He attempted to start a conversation.
"Hi. Has'nt the brown street stop arrived yet?". He was glad she was concerned.
"Ahh... actually i lied to you. It's just that i wanted to strike a conversation. Ahh.. You are... beautiful!". He poured his heart out in that one word.
Alarmed, she retorted sternly- "before you say anything else, i'd like you to know that i can't see. I am blind. Now i dont think you'd like to continue your conversation".
Chris's eyes went moist. The struggle and pain, hidden somewhere in that statement, hit him directly. "I... I know that. But I also know that i have never ever seen such lovely eyes. It's the best gift God could have given you".
That came as a shock to the young woman. She had grown up getting nothing but condolenses and sympathies thrown at her. She had strived to tell the world that she can live with this disability, just like anybody else. But the world had always tried to thwart her confidence by reminding her time and again that she can be at best, a lifeless imitation of life itself.
And here was a guy, a complete stranger, who has given her the best compliment of her life. She melted immediately.
"Nobody has ever said something like that to me. Thank You."
Chris was at cloud nine. Her voice had a husky quality to it that almost hytnotized him.

It occured to him - "Whats your name? What do you do?"
"Grace. I work as a fitness instructor."
"No wonder you yourself are so fit Grace!", Chris joked. A smile flashed on her face. And Chris's heart skipped a beat. It was the most genuine, most radiant and the most innocent smile he had ever seen. He thought he'd go mad like this.

"Grace... Would you mind if we have lunch together". Chris asked, hesitantly.
Grace knew this was coming. She wanted to say yes. She wanted to know this man. She had always wanted a man in her life, who would understand her, appreciate her and not take her as a liability. She wanted a man who could look beyond her disability. And he was right there, sitting to her left.
"But I don't even know you. How can i accompany you for lunch?". Grace did'nt want the excitement to show.
"Well what do you wanna know? I am a journalist- a freelancer. I earn a handsome amount. And i can afford lunch at any restaurant you like!"
"Any restaurant?", Grace continued with the good humour. She felt a strange comfort with Chris. She felt secure and complete.
Chris smiled, and nodded.
"So lets go to the Hilton. It's also close to my place! We'll get down at the last stop."

Chris was beaming, and he was all set to embrace the best evening of his life.
And he had obviously forgotten about his appointment with the dentist.

Thanx Sameera!
Here's a link to the other entries she recieved.
She gifted this to all the entrants :

I can proudly say that :

I'd like to know what did you guys think of my sequel... so now click on that Comments link... Fast!

A Plea for Help

2008-05-26T17:32:00.000+05:30

I am overworked, underpaid, and overexploited. I am tortured mercilessly, and I still can’t complain to anybody. I am lonely and am desolate. The life I live is monotonously mechanical and routine. I am crushed under slavery and there’s no ray of hope in sight.
I am, Pranay’s Laptop. And it isn’t easy to be one.

I can’t even commit suicide. He won’t let me do that, coz I know, he’ll also die if I cease to exist! So basically, am caught in this never-ending cycle of life and death. Oh... Lord Babbage (You see... he was the Father of Computers. He gave birth to us.), please give me freedom from this freaky world of humans. Atleast free me from THIS barbaric, weirdo and unrelenting master.

I ask you... do you torture your ‘peecee’ like this?? Yes, I don’t like the so called P.C. Its so... arghhhh! How would you humans feel if we call you by abbreviations? "Heyy BB!!! Ooops... Bipasha Basu!"
So stop calling me that Pee dot Cee dot.

Ya, so where was I? Yes... Is every computer on this earth as tortured and helpless as I am? I wake up early, work throughout the day, am forced to open lousy webpages everyday, and am made to sing at the top of my voice – that too the songs I hate (He doesn’t like Himesh, can you believe it!!!). And what do I get in return?? Nothing!
My throat aches every night, and I don’t even get any cough syrup. He can atleast download an image of Glycodine and save it on the desktop. But no, he just feeds me electricity... day and night... just 220V of pure electrifying electricity. What the hell!

Oh, how can I forget his noble acts of charity and philanthropy? He gifted me the trial edition of an Anti-Spyware on my last birthday. How chweeeeeeeeeeeet!!!
Imagine you being gifted a Raincoat on your birthday. Now you feel the agony?

There was a time when i was in the hands of Pranay's brother, and was used for doing interesting things. I was given interesting algorithms to make and softwares to build. My mind was sharp and it was utilized to its optimum. This is what we all strive for. We are essentially brainy guys, you see...
But now, its all changed. Coz now, my master has changed. Pranay is a lazy doom. He doesnt have an iota of brain in himself and is making me dull too. He just dictates me his good-for-nothing blogs, and makes me write and compile them.
Imagine the agony of going through each and every blog of his! I know you all can relate to my anguish. He almost makes me feel old and ailing. I wonder if i have wrinklesappearing on my face... Ohh dear!
And thats not the end. I am kept on the whole day. He’ll make me sit idle, but won’t let me sleep. I am forced to act as postman. Transporting emails, scraps or IMs between him and his friends is a routine business for me. I once told him to please make an Orkut account for me, and he just laughed it away! What does he think of himself!
Don’t computers have a life? Don’t we have a heart? Don’t we have feelings? I also like to socialize. But he doesn’t even give me a chance. The only encounter I have with species of my kind is with his cellphone. But here too, no physical contact allowed. He always uses Bluetooth. This wireless I tell you, it has ruined our sex life. But he can atleast use Infrared. Its short-range and slow, so I can be in contact for a longer time and be much closer to the phone. Though even that’s of no use. His phone is a Sony you see, and we at Dell don’t get physical with rivals. Huh!

But yes, there was a time, when life was pure bliss. He used to take me to his college some time back. There I met the girl of my dreams. She was a Caucasian too, just like me. White as Snow. We were the stuff, fairytales are made of. She had beautiful and wide 15.4” eye. Her Altec Lansing speakers said sweet nothings to my ears. I could'nt help but blush! My CPU ran at millions of MFLOPS everytime she came close to me. Love blossomed, and we planned for a live-in relationship. She had ample space in her disk you see. We both could have easily lived together.
But in our world, true love is seldom understood by our masters. Pranay stopped taking me to college. And that was that. I even forgot to ask for her email ID. I’ll have to hack Pranay’s address book now. I hate acting mean, but I am left with no option. Now where did I keep the dump of the ‘I Love You’ virus. This is what we computers have to do, when we don’t get what we want and the slavery becomes unbearable – we disguise our desperation as viruses and play havoc on our masters!
Now you’ll see my wicked side Pranay. Now you’ll realize my worth.

- A troubled laptop
(I would appreciate your condolences. Will try to come back here and read your comments before that moron comes and sees them.)

Rishikesh - A Reverie (Part 2)

2008-05-10T22:28:00.001+05:30

Three Blind Mice

[In continuation to the previous post : Rishikesh - A Reverie (Part 1)]

As our bus took us higher and higher, we saw the Ganges gain momentum, and obviously got excited about the fact that soon we all were going to raft in it. Even after the gruelling trek upto that pseudo-waterfall, we were as fresh and spirited as the Ganga below us. We didnt have the slighest clue of what this mighty river had in store for us for the rest of the evening.

We reached the starting point from where we were to raft downstream to our camping site - a distance of about 10kms. During the briefing session, the guides warned and informed us of any and every possibility that could arise. Every sentence was tailor-made to thwart our confidence : "In case you fall off the raft...", "In case you start drifting away from the rafts...", "In case the boat flips...", "In case you get caught in a whirlpool..."! And every sentence was suffixed with a suppposedly-condoling phrase : "DON'T PANIC!".
Ha! We won't panic.. If something like that happens, we won't get that much time. Would we?

In no time, we were sitting in our rafts, ready to take on the river. Gauri kneeled down in the middle of the front-portion of the boat, with Ankit and Hitesh sitting on both sides of her. I was right behind Ankit and three more of our friends arranged themselves behind us. We were told that there are in total 6 levels of rafting, and we'll encounter upto Level-3 rapids today.
After a brief practice session and splashing water in attempt to sink others' rafts, we started out for the actual journey. "ALL FORWARD".
It was fun rowing the raft with the paddle. We were enjoying the fascinating surroundings, while singing in unison.. "O maajhi reyyy... Apna kinaara.. Nadiya ki dhaara hai..", with intermittent bursts of "Dum Laga Dum Laga.. Laga re dhakka rey...".

Ahead of us, we could see a patch of briskly flowing water - our first rapid, we thought. "ALL FORWARD" shouted our guide sternly. Water came splashing at us, our raft wobbled, and we paddled with full force out of the quickie in no time. Bubbled with excitement, we all broke into a victorious banter. But as we got to know later, the one which we just 'victoriously' crossed, did'nt even qualify for a Rapid.

After a few minutes, our guide told us to concentrate ahead. We could hear the flow of swiftly flowing water, barely 100mts away from us. "Three Blind Mice - Level 2.5 Rapid", the guide informed us. We got amused at the name, but never lost focus. "ALL FORWARD", came the command, and we all headed towards the speedy flow. The rapid started getting the better of us as soon as we entered it. "FAAASTERR", we heard the guide scream. But paddling wasn't easy. The raft swayed up and down, left and right. We tried to paddle as hard and as synchronously as possible, but all seemed to be going in vain. Half of the times, the paddle didnt even touch the water. We were struggling desperately to steer away from the flow. It seemed as if the waves, and not us, were in full control of the raft. Water splashed at us from all directions. In such circumstances, a slight jerk could easily knock you off the raft into the monstrous waves.
"THUD!", the boat behind hit us amidst all the horror. And before we knew it, we were submerged under the lashing waves. We ducked inside the raft, holding on to whatever came in out hands. Water poured at us from all directions. We shouted helplessly to assure of everyone's safety. We took a sigh of relief as we got back into calm waters. But to our horror, Ankit was missing. We cried out his name, looked frantically everywhere around. "There he is...", shouted a relieved sounding Deepika. He was being held out of the water by another raft. We all thanked our Gods.
But that wasnt the end. In front of us, we saw three of our colleagues, which were in the raft that hit us, in the water, crying for help. At that point, we were left with just 4 paddles to row the raft. Me and hitesh took the front positions and headed for their rescue. Gauri vehemently bucked-me-up : "Go Pranay.. We gotta save them.. Come On!". Our shoulders were crying for rest, but we kept paddling with full thrust. Another boat got closer and threw the rescue bag at them. They were rescued the next minute.

We were acutely fatigued by then. It felt like a miracle to have escaped that anguish. We looked at each other's faces and laughed in disbelief at what we just experienced. The guide told us that he hadnt experienced anything like that since 11 years. "Had the boat behind us not hit us, the water would have torn and blasted up the raft", he concluded.
"Haan bas isiki kasar thi!", our sentiments echoed.
A lot of water had got collected in our raft so we had to stop by on a bank, and turn that thousand ton raft to get the water out of it. With thrashed confidence, and sinking hearts, we again hopped into the raft to cover the rest of the journey home.
We werent singing songs for the rest of the journey. There was a chilling silence and tension all around. Breaking the silence, our guide enthusiastically announced his latest discovery - "I know why this happened. Aaj maine 'khaini' nai khaai na! (I didnt eat betel-powder today!)". We felt like kicking him out of the raft immediately.
Two more rapids came, but none could match the measure and power of those three naughty and wicked blind mice.

We finally reached our campsite expecting delicious pakoras with steaming hot tea to welcome us, only to have teeny-weeny Tiger biscuits served with not-so-great tea. But diversiying the menu, we had Ankit aka Tape Recorder, playing on and on - his horror under-water tales with lots of added sugar and spice. He went on and on, and on and on. "You know what, i fell directly into the whirlpool. The water pulled me down like a magnet. And i was rotating continuously. Round-round-round. And when i got out of the whirlpool, i could see the surface of water above me, but i wasnt moving up!!! I felt as if my safety-jackets werent working! But before i realized, i was on the surface, flowing at bullet-speed with the flow of the river... Swooooosh! And to my horror, i wasnt even able to shout for help, and nobody was heading towards me! But luckily, a rescue-bag came at me, and i grabbed it. The rest, as they say, is history."

The whole night, he was heard reciting the same story to someone or the other; and twice or even thrice over to many poor people like me. Soon, everyone started running away from him... "Here he comes to bore us again... Bhaaaago!!!"

The death-defying yet extremely exciting day came to an end. The next morning, it was rafting again. This time, we were told that there would come Level-4 Rapids, and theres also Cliff Jumping. Despite zero-confidence levels and lots of doubts in our minds, we somehow gathered all the scattered courage and started off from our campsite and headed towards Rishikesh town - a distance of 12kms, on our raft.
But this time, it was all rollicking fun. Adventure, yes; Disaster, thankfully no. We enjoyed every bit of it. The Level-4 Rapid (Roller Coaster) saw our rafts tilting to right angles up-and-down. But we steered past it victoriously in no time.
Cliff-jumping was pure adrenaline rush. It gave us the ultimate high. The feeling of falling from a 25ft cliff and that 4 second interval when you are free-falling under gravity cannot be put into words. You feel that.."Shit man! Why isnt the water coming!". And splash! You hit the water in no time! The ultimate high!!!
I tried swimming after jumping into the river with Namita, who jumped right after me. We got carried away with the flow and started drifting away from the shore. Alarm bells rang in our minds, but soon we got an idea. I held Namita's hand and she kicked me towards the shore, while i tried to grab a rock.
We laughed at the experience throughout the trip back home.

Though its now almost a month since I experienced that thrill, i really feel like going back into the river, everytime the memories of it flash in my mind.

Rishikesh - A Reverie (Part 1)

2008-04-30T21:15:00.002+05:30

The sudden realization - that its been almost a month since i penned down something for all you guys to read, is enough to wake me up from my over-stretched evening siesta. Unlike what the situation may point to, i wasn't experiencing any kind of writer's block (Ha! as if i am a 'WRITER'!!!), nor was there any dearth of things to write about. On the flip side, there are actually a bit too many things i wish share. And i dont really know from where to begin.

A lot has happened in the last fortnight of April. It was the fortnight which marked the end of my college life, and yet, gave me undoubtedly the best moments of these four years of my life!
The roller-coaster began with the Rishikesh trip. For me, the trip was especially exciting. It was after more than 12 years that I was heading uphill for a vacation. Otherwise, for all these years, a holiday had always been tiringly synonymous with the sea, white sands, and dozens of overgrown-paunch-flaunting sexagenarians.

We embarked upon the journey full of gusto and enthusiasm - just a shade of what we were to experience in the three days that were to follow.
Our campsite at Shivpuri seemed like a heaven's abode - colourful camps set on a rocky terrain, flanked by a humble stream on one side, and on the other - the majestic Ganga. I could somehow identify with the cult status of the river. Just its one meander displayed such immense robustness, wisdom and grandour that it rendered me completely speechless. Already hypnotized to the core by the beauty of the valley, we were soon greeted by thundering clouds and a modest drizzle. The grey-blue hue over the mountains made my heart skip a beat. I had been longing for this view since years. And it was right there in front of me, sparkling with all its vibrance and glory.
Ahh... it was hard to capture such a heart-warming welcome on the lens, but i tried my best :

As an icing(read 'chutney') on the cake(read 'pakoras'), we were presented with loads and loads of sumptuous pakoras. I can see you drooling.. hehe!

Once some fuel got in, we got back to our usual selves - hyper-active, hyper-mad and everything hyper. We jumped straight into the chilling water of the stream. Most of us thought of it as a great opportunity to pour water over our stinking bodies which hadn't been in contact with any kind of liquid since Holi. While some others - smarter, forward-thinkers - found in it, a good excuse for not bathing the next day!

No one bathed the next day. Its quite enough that we somehow managed to pass off the piling load in our bodies to the mountains - just to help breed a well-manured land for abundant flora growth! Everyone contributed whatever they could. Success ratios varied from 40-80%. Some full-blooded individuals managed a 90. Standing Ovation.

After the early morning ordeal, we went on to trek uphill to a waterfall. Soaked in sweat but brimming with zest, we reached the so-called waterfall. We never actually expected a Niagara, but climbing 2kms for almost a fountain that emptied into a algae filled pond wasn't exactly funny.

Nevertheless, whatever be the scenario, we never cease to enjoy. So we gathered all our scattered dynamism and geared up for the one thing we all had been the most excited about - White Water River Rafting.

We could never have imagined what lied in store for us next. And it needs a full-fledged post to describe what all we went through during rafting - the thrill, the chill, the agony and the pain, the frustration, yet the expectation, and finally... the ultimate high!

For now, i'll just leave you with my most favourite photograph of the entire sojourn.

Scent of Nature

2008-04-04T15:57:00.001+05:30

They say that nature has the power to heal every disease, every agony and every evil. It can bring a smile to the saddest of the faces. It can entirely metamorphose the surroundings into a vivid display of colours. It can harbour life and nurture beings.
Theres something about those cotton-cheek clouds, that first drop of rain, that comforting shade of the banyan, the sight of birds mating, or a cute pup sleeping, the cool of the evening, the enlightening sun of the morning, and the composure under the stars of the night... theres something about them - something that is inexplicable, something so embalming and enriching that it makes you forget everything. And makes you just get lost in the perfect picture, painted in front of your eyes by the hands of nature.

Ever wondered, why a grey-black hue over the horizon drives perfectly calm and composed people into frenzied hysteria?
Why a drop from the sky infuses life into the limping leaves.
Why children, just out of their evening siesta, break into an excited terpsichore, on hearing the clouds grumble.
Why no perfume can work wonders, the way, the fragrance of a fresh drizzle on dry sand can do?

It's probably the way nature works.
Nature, in a way, understands how distressed its children are. How badly they need that fresh air of relief. It's probably the nature's way of telling us - 'Whatever you do to me, i'll still shower you with my blessings'.
And whatever we do to her; in the end, we'll lay down and sleep in her lap only. Because nothing else can give us 'that' feeling of life, 'that' feeling of being close to our own self and 'that' feeling of being close to God, other than mother nature.
As i write this, the rain hits harder and harder over the roof. This may just be nature's way of expressing its concern over the humungous amount of syllabus left to cover for my exam tomorrow."You distract me a lot Mr. Rain God, i would have atleast started studying had you not been kind enough to shower your blessings disguised as rain, thunderstorm and this sudden welcome chill in the air! Now how do i resist standing in the balcony? Thankyou for ruining my chances of passing tomorrow!"

A Routine Day at College

2008-03-18T22:25:00.001+05:30

"Shit Shit Shit.. one more attendance gone.." i managed to breathe out to myself, as i skidded to a screeching halt just when the door slammed shut right at my face. "Crap!", I blurted out. The sexagenarian yet moronic security incharge, passing by from behind, nodded in discontentment at me. I immediately thanked god for i didnt mouth the f-word, else he would have surely suspended me from college.

Sensing the drama, IJK grinned at me from the other side of that door made of wood, with a small glass window in the centre. I tried to explain - "Mam, my cab got late", as if i was audible inside. Obviously guessing what i was animatedly trying to tell her, she passed that wicked smile again, but this time with a seemingly taunting comment. Just as i was trying to decipher what that could have been, the door creaked open. And she stood there - one hand on her waist, the other, gripping the door handle tightly, waiting to slam it again at my face.
"Did your cab got stuck in a jam? Or did it have a flat tyre? Oh I know, it must have been that girl... you got late because of her, right?". I knew this was coming. "Uhh.. Err.. Well... we forgot to pick up a person, so we had to go all the way back!", I knew she'd slam the door hearing that. "Uhh... please send those five idiots out, else i'll get bored...", THUD!

"This is the limit man! I was only 20 mins late", i shrugged. "Why did the first lecture have to be of IJK"?
I managed to pass the rest of the 20 mins left of the lecture by loitering around the college. Entered the library (surprize surprize!), to flip through the newspaper; "What! No DT (Delhi Times)!", i gasped, "What kind of a library is this!", and left. Didnt really have anything to do, so decided to utilize the rest of 10 mins in the loo. Oops, sorry, "Rest Rooms", as they call it! Stared at the mirror for quite some time, eased off and washed hands twice for no apprehensible reason. Soon, a sudden rush in that dingy lavatory suggested that it was 9:20. Time for the next lecture.

I was again greeted with that familiar grin, this time from those 'idiots' aka friends aka classmates. "Why does everyone greet me with that half-cheek up smile everytime?", I demanded despite knowing the answer. No one cared to reply. The stupid grin on their faces just emancipated into an even sillier burst of laughter. "Shutup, you morons!" i retaliated, and looked for a seat next to them. The moment i got seated and the white-board came into view, i saw her...

"What! IJK again!", i felt like banging my head against a wall.
"She's taking this lecture too", Hitesh broke the good news to me. I desperately searched for a wall. "Continuous one hour and forty minutes of IJK!!! Thank God she didnt let me attend the first one!", i felt almost victorious. "Thank your cab you fool!", Shuchi, seated to my left, corrected me.
"PRANAYYYY"... screamed IJK, deafening me for a second.
"Yes Mam", i responded, trying hard not to laugh, but failing miserably.
"Please find better excuses from next time", she continued in her trademark tantilizing manner.
"I'll try mam".

P.S. Just to tell you, IJK stands for InderJeet Kaur.

Twice Bitten, Never Shy!

2008-03-08T16:32:00.000+05:30

Okay, so guess am on a tag-replying spree! Thanks to Sherry, i have got this really interesting tag... It's called 'The Musical Tag'! Dhan Tada!!!
It goes like this:

Put your MP3 player/Media player on shuffle.
For each question, press the next button to get your answer.
You must write the name of the song no matter what.

So lets begin. Winamp is open as always... Lets see what the llama has in store for me!

1. If someone says "Is This Okay?" you say?

Ye Jo Des hai tera, Swades hai mera...
(I guess that meant - 'Yes, its okay!' duh!)

2. What would best describe your personality?

Bleed it out - Linkin Park
(Please! M not soo loud, and dont shout at the top of my voice!)

3. What do u like in a guy/girl?

Labon Ko - Bhool Bhulaiyya
(hmm... probably it meant that i like the lips! Okay, i agree.. coz 'lips don't lie either'!

4. How do u feel today?

Aaoge Jab Tum oo Saajna - Jab We Met
(whatever..!!)

5. Whats your life's purpose?

Sajni - Boondh(Jal)
(Ahh! Thats the only purpose left in my life right! - my sajni!!!)

6. What is your motto?

Kholo Kholo darwaze - Taare Zameen Par
(Finally... An appropriate answer! This song indeed sums up my mission in life - to be happy and understand ur true self, be free and to spread the happiness all around. 'Kyun is qadar, hairan tu... Mausam ka hai mehmaan tu!')

7. What do your friends think of you?

Tum Se Hi - Jab We Met
(Oh ho! Such adulation! 'Mujhse' hi din hota hai, surmayi shaam aati hai!)

8. What do u think of your parents?

(Can't believe this...)
Maa - Taare Zameen Par
(This is a song immensely close to my heart. Frankly, I have cried endlessly listening to this song. I am loving this tag!)

9. What do u think about very often?

Pehli Nazar Mein - Race
(Ye tu mujhe devdas bana raha hai! I don't think of such lovey-dovey things all the time!)

10. What is 2+2??

Bol Na Halke Halke + Bol Na Halke Halke = Inaudible Whispering!
Mat bolo isse achha!

11. What do u think of your best friend?

O Rey Piya - Aja Nachley!
(Nahiiiiiiiin! Ye sunne se pehle mere kaan kyu nai fat gaye!)

12. What do you think of the person U like?

Hey Shona - Tara Rum Pum
(Aaha! There you go. Bingo! Tumhe pata to hoga, tumhi pe main fida hu!)

13. What is your life story?

Daastaan-e-Om Shanti Om - Om Shanti Om
(What! Now do i have to search for a 'shanti' and kill a 60yr old producer! Ye meri daastaan nai hai!)

14. What do u want to be when you grow up?

(How I wish I had 'Papa Kehte Hain' in my list!)
Aashayein - Iqbal
(Well... not bad!)

15. What do think when you see the person u like?

Panchi - Jal
(hehe! does that mean that i wish to fly away at her sight! 'Panchi hu.. udne do!')

16. What do ur parents think of you?

Mera Jahaan - Taare Zameen Par
(Ishaan was way too cute... m not even half of that! And neither am i dyslexic!)

17. What will you dance to at your wedding?

Aye Hairathe Aashqui - Guru
(Waah! I can already visualize... Me and Ash, taking the wedding bows, agni ke saat phere lete hue!)

18. What will they play at ur funeral?

Bum Bum bole, Masti mein dole - Taare Zameen Par
(:coughing: i'll deal wid them in my next reincarnation! Imagine! they are celebrating, shaking their bums! arghh!)

19. What is your hobby/Interest?

Dum Laga - Dil Dosti Etc.
(Hmm... Quite true!)

20. What is your biggest secret?

Mehfuz - Euphoria
(Ohh.. crap! The word is out! Its no longer a secret that 'teri aankho ke chipe dard mein, aansu ki tarah mai mehfuz hu'! Damn!)

21. What do u think of ur friends?

Mai Mast Hu - Boondh(Jal)
(Arre you all are 'mast' yaar!)

22. What do u post this as?

Azeem-o-shaan Shehenzhah - Jodhaa Akbar
(:rolling on the floor:!!! hehe hehe haaaa ha!)

That was all...
Well! It was surely damn fun! Thnx Sherry for that tag!

Ouch! The 'tag' bug bit!

2008-02-28T15:59:00.000+05:30

Well! Like many other fellow bloggers in blog-istan, i too have been bitten by the 'tag' bug. And the bug being, none other than Mishtizaa (check out http://www.whimsicalmews.blogspot.com/). Thank you dear, not only for biting me, but also for enlightening me about what exactly this 'tag' thing means! Okay now don't give me that look! I admit that despite those endless hours i spent on blogging and reading other's blogs, during the past 70 days, I did'nt really care to find out what a 'tag' is, untill ofcourse, i met my messiah!

So, finally, here it goes...

Life Ten Years Ago -

Was damn fun and carefree. I was just about 11 years old and in 5th or 6th grade. Middle school somehow gave a feeling of seniority to me! Though i used to cover all that up with my silly acts. School was damn fun. We studied religiously but played even harder! I still remember, how eagerly we used to wait for the 'games' period. By the time the day at school ended and i returned home (thanks to the 'nanda' school bus), my grandmother often failed to recognize me. Hair all messed up as if i had just had an electric shock; Tie hanging along my back, belt buckle oscillating in air; Shirt all tucked out of the pants and shoe laces conspiring to toss me off the ground! And adding to her fury, i straightaway put the TV on without even changing my clothes!

I was a kid back than! Well i still am, to a large extent!

Life Five Years Ago -

I was in 11th then. And those were quite exciting times. I inadvertently, fell in and out of love. There were crushes abound as the bubbling hormones in my body did'nt quite seem to loose their fizz! Waise i grew up to be quite diligent and well-behaved, and you can say, a bit chivalrous. I was adjudged as the Student Editor of our school magazine. I still can't forget our english teacher, Rama Joshi mam's intermittent bursts of hyperactivity! But she was really sweet to me. Being a part of the school office bearers team was damn fun. In the name of official meetings, we bunked classes and had samosas in the canteen, and that too for just Rs.2! Just Imagine!!! Hehe! This was the time when i made friends for life. One of the best times of my life, and probably the most self-satisfying as i achieved a lot during that period.

Life Tomorrow -
Tomorrow, as in 29th Feb, is although a once-in-a-four-year date, but it really won't discourage me from following the same routine - waking up at 10, doing all unavoidable things till 11, loitering around and killing time over the net for the rest of the day. And yes, i will whole-heartedly try to make some headway in my major project.
But if you consider 'tomorrow', as in the years to come - only time will tell! And let it be, coz i'll just like to give my best in whatever i do and will try and stay happy as ever!

Five Locations I'd love to run away to -
1. Another Jal Concert!
2. Yet another Jal Concert immediately after the first one!
3. (Ok.. No Jal this time) Hmm... Sikkim, Munnar, Andamans or Ladakh. Gimme a holiday anytime!
4. College! Yes, you read it right! I want to make most of my last few days at college!
5. C-4E market for a hot plate of momos and chowmein, along with banta(limesoda)... a deadly combo!

Five Bad Habits I have -
(But I don't have so many! Not fair!)
1. Killing time over the internet, doing practically nothing at all.
2. Munching, munching and munching... something or the other, all the time.(I am a big time foodie!)
3. Licking fingers after meal. (Someone has made me realize that i should'nt do it.)
4. Always laughing unnecessarily and uncontrollably. (Though i have worked hard to improve on that!)
5. Sleeping in class lectures. Well you can't really call it a bad habit. Its actually Disaster Management!

Five Things I'll Never Wear -
1. Body Hugging wear - M too fat for those
2. Transparent ones - They are yuck and in any case, i dont have the body for them
3. Bell Bottoms - I hate them!
4. Leaves and twigs
5. Attitude (What an answer! M an genius!)

Five Biggest Joys at this moment -
1. I have my laptop, my music, and my internet connection... all working perfectly for me!
2. M writing this really interesting post which seems to be never ending! And it actually appears like a feat to have written such a huge text already!
3. My loved ones are all around me, or just a buzz away!
4. I can smell aalu-methi being cooked! Yumm!
5. Biggest of em all - Its a holiday tomorrow!!! So i can sleep till late!

Something to achieve by next year -
Happiness and contentment in every respect.

Something that impacted me last year -
Lots. There's one thats coming to my mind - Taare Zameen Par. It gave me my first blog topic!

What will i miss about 2007 -
Its novelty factor. The fact that it was the most happening year for me. Life took many turns. I hope 2008 will be as exciting!

Five things I want to do before i die -
1. Own the best home theater system in the world
2. Venture out into the Brazillian forests and inside the Pyramids
3. Become adept at guitar playing
4. Sing for a music album and in front of a thousand live audience
5. Finish off this post! Hehe!

Am i through with it! Phew! This was LONG! But fun, for sure! Thanx misthtizaa once again.
Ok.. Now i suppose i have to bite other blabbering bloggers.
Umang and Gauri... your turn!

Har Jagah Hai JAL

2008-02-26T19:25:00.000+05:30

Amidst soaring crowds and roaring loudspeakers, braving the cold and withstanding the cacophony of some RJ-cum-Anchor-cum-Nonsense, stood I, waiting anxiously for the musical journey to begin. The wait was almost killing me, but i knew that it was soon going to happen. Something that i had always waited for, something that turned out far, FAR more mesmerizing than i had thought. Here I was, living my dream, attending my first ever 'JAL' - Live In Concert!

For those who don't know (i hope there are'nt be many), Jal is a Pakistani Soft-Rock Pop Band and the entity behind the two biggest campus anthems in the Indian Subcontinent - Aadat and Woh Lamhey. Apart from these two, they have produced gems like Bikhra Hoon Main, Teri Yaad, Panchi and Dil Haarey. They hit the jackpot when Aadat leaked via the Internet and found fans from around the globe. And when they released their first album Aadat(named after the song Aadat only) in 2004, it became a rage overnight. After a long hiatus, they are back with their new album. the 2nd one, called Boondh - A Drop of Jal. And believe me, they are all set to recreate history.

The concert, held at NSIT New Delhi, began with the immensely melodious and lyrical ballad - Teri Yaad, one of my personal favourites. They then went on to sing Woh Lamhey which got the crowd swinging in flashback mode. All the memories, of old friends and of lost love became reminiscent. Not letting the tranquilizing feeling stay for long, swoosh came the hard-core rock number - Rangon Mein, which all of a sudden transformed the environs into a radioactive chamber oozing out tons of contagious energy which left no one ungripped. Vigourous headbanging and unrelentingly loud vocalizing didnt seem to tax even a wee bit on the seemingly inexhaustible amount of energy that had got infused in the crowd. The roller-coaster never deaccelerated from then on. The crowd went mad and the management, haywire, when Goher (the Lead Guitarist and Co-Vocalist), came into his own and performed Dil Haarey. He bowled the crowd over with his histrionics with the guitar and won hearts with his sugar-coated voice.
The evening assumed boiling point as the band obliged the crowd, incessantly shouting-'Aadat' 'Aadat'! The Lead Vocalist, Farhan, beautifully took over and hypnotized the audience with the depth in his voice as he crooned the haunting track - the last for the evening.
Alas! It all had to come to an end. And even with people disregarding their paining throats and helplessly shouting 'Once More', the band bid adieu to the audience. Ahh! No grudges. That one and a half hour made my day, and week, and month! And if i get to attend one more such event, it'll make my year!

The hangover is still there, two days past the golden night. And i still can be found crooning 'Dil haarey pukaarey tujhe.... Man jaa rey manale mujhe' in the college, during a class, in the loo, on the roads, in the cab, mid-way during sleep, and everywhere elsewhere!

24th February 2008 was surely a night I'll cherish for a long long time!

Watch the video of a part of their performance:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nwhDzMxvOTE

Know more about Jal :
http://www.jaltheband.com
You can download audio and video clips of their songs from the website. Do check out their new song 'Sajni' from the new album, also availible on the site.

P.S : For the unawares, 'Har Jagah Hai Jal' is an awsome track from their first album Aadat.

My Unsatiable Appetite for Gadgets

2008-02-21T09:05:00.000+05:30

Before I begin describing the 'agony' i have long been going through, lemme tell you guys something about myself. Coz if i don't, i doubt whether anyone would care to express even slight condolences.

Writing this post, is a tech-freak --not because he's doing a trash-bin worthy Engineering Degree in I.T.-- but because he is simply in love
with all those geeky and sexy thingies like MP3 players, Mobile Phones,
Audio/Video Systems and what not!
So its not infrequent for me to fall in love with a gizmo. And then,
begins the ordeal. The toy toys with my brain and disturbs my sleep.
It forces me to spend endless hours on the net, reading reviews after
reviews and helplessly staring at the photographs of it's various poses, silently admiring the beauty of the object of my desire.
I desperately wish I could touch it with my hands, feel its presence around me, and find it it's righteous owner.
The urge to rob a bank gets unresistable at times.

Its not that my wishes have been entirely ignored, but its kinda complex. I'll clarify. I call this 'Provide and Rule'. This is a philisophy which my bread-earners(or gizmo-earners) seem to be following in attempts to distract me off my current gadget-love. And hell! It works.
It works in two steps:
1. Provide Pranay with some-other, and potentially cheaper (still better, free) gadget which he least expects to get, and,
2. Rule out and infact ruin the chances of buying him the gadget
that he really wants.
Fantastic na! Uff! Anyone experienced at robbing banks?!?!?!

So back in 2005, when i desperately wanted a down-right gorgeous pair of speakers, i actually got an iPod Shuffle. See... u get the trick!
Last year, when i asked them to replace my ancestral computer with a new one having state-of-the-art configuration, they shut me up with my brother's used laptop!
And last month, i asked my brother to get an aphrodisiac mp3 player by Creative (coz i wrecked my iPod), he bribed me with - hold your breath - pen drives!

Here, I'd like to mention that my family takes very good care of me and they have given me everything - things which i have'nt even asked for! May i take this opportunity to request them not to shower so much blessings upon me... I'd be more than happy if they just give me the basic needs of an average youngster like me. A new mobile phone would only go a long way to improve connectivity and closeness with family even when i am away. A camcorder will ensure that our beutiful memories are captured in high definition!
And, a small, rudimentary mp3 player so that I can pass time during
the long and tiring commuting hours.
Main zyaada nahin maangta (I don't demand much)! Do I?

The Sound of Sleep

2008-02-08T14:02:00.001+05:30

(Did'nt get anything else to write about, so ended up writing this piece of poetry... One of my first few attempts at it. Don't ask what happened to the previous attempts!)

The world so quiet
And a chill in the air,
making ears numb
for even the silence, to hear

The sound of the clock
ticking towards a new day,
hypnotizing me
like a mother's canorous lullaby

Of days gone by,
of times to come
The people i love,
and those i shun
I see everything
and I see myself
They whisper something
so pure, so fair
so blunt, yet so dear

I dream and I gaze
into the life of my own
The feats i achieved
and the skills, still to hone
The nights, so blue,
And days with a happy hue
The afterthoughts of the events
And that feeling of déjà vu
Of love hidden deep
And promises to keep
Always reminding me of myself,
The sound of sleep

The Goan Odyssey : Part 3

2008-01-29T19:03:00.000+05:30

Paradise Lost?

Let's get it straight - There's something terribly wrong with Goa and it's people. I know this may have come as a shock to many of you, but sadly, this is what i percieved during the last two days of my Goan Odyssey.

In Goa, most businesses thrive solely upon tourism. And most businessmen realize that its the fairer ones from the other side of the world, who bring in most of the moolah. At a restaurant, Indian customers are compelled to make-do with rickety plastic chairs, and a glass of water for them is dillydallied endlessly; while the foreigners enjoy an enviable view of the beach, seated on cusioned sofas, with waiters faking accents incessantly: "Anything aaelse ma'am?".
In the name of hospitality towards the foreigners, they end up being hostile towards the visitors from their own country. Did i hear anyone say 'Atithi-devo-bhava'!

The goras are entitled to a free entry in all the hippest clubs in Goa. But when we (poor, fellow Indians) asked the entry rate, the already sulking gatekeeper replied surlily, "Eight Hundred per person". A look at the well endowed (all at the wrong places!) bouncers, and we merrily restrained ourselves from arguing over the blatant partiality, else they would have kicked us right into the sea. And after that awful 'banana' experience (refer to Part 1), we were in no mood for anything remotely 'sea-waves'!

Shopping, we thought, would be a relaxing activity after all that excitement. But as we soon realized, 'relaxation' was almost a distant dream in this vacation!
We had to buy some souvenirs for friends back home, so we headed for street shopping in Calangute. "Hmm... these earrings are nice", my friend decided, "I think i'll buy this for my sis. How much?". Pat came the reply: "Only Rs. 550". And our jaws dropped open. We did expect exorbitant prices as the first quotes, but this was ROBBERY! "At a Delhi street shop, such earrings wont cost more than 50-70 bucks", we retaliated. "Jab lena hi nahi hai, to aate kyu ho! (When you won't buy, why do you even come!)", the vendor shut us up. There was no use bargaining, as we kept getting all kinds of derogatory remarks - "Disturb mat karo. Customers(read foreigners) se deal karne do"; "Wapis rakho usse... Rakhna bhi nai ata properly".
All the politeness and respect, was probably reserved for the foreigners only.

Call it attitude problem, or call it patronizing the west. But romanticizing the fair-skinned hominids, at the cost of the not-so fair ones, might drag us back into the imperial era.

The Goan Odyssey : Part 2

2008-01-20T18:43:00.001+05:30

Goa in Pictures

The Goan Odyssey : Part 1

2008-01-20T18:07:00.000+05:30

Adventures and Misadventures

I somehow always land up on a beach in every travel extravaganza I pursue. The memories of Andaman's spellbinding beaches were still fresh in my mind, when we (me and 3 friends) decided to head for a vacation at Goa. The idea surely excited me as it was the first time i had got a chance to step out of the comforting confines of my family and venture out with pals. "This is your chance Pranay... The exotic beaches, far-off lands, high-octane watersports...You'll have the time of your life!!!", I delightfully dreamt.
We reached the guest house (quite lousy, but who has to stay there? Not me!) and headed straight for Calangute Beach, supposedly the best and the hippest beach of Goa.
"Whoa!", I gasped at the sight, "Can we please get a square foot of space to lay our paining bums on!" The beach was choking with people! I have always believed that nature is at its best when in an undisturbed and uninhabited form. And my likeness quotient for a beach is inversely proportional to the amount of crowd that flocks the beach. Given the prominent position which Goa enjoys on every tourist's map, I gave up on the prospects of finding exotic and preserved beaches in Goa, and looked for other avenues for enjoyment.
In the quest for adventure, we trekked atop a hill at the scenic Anjuna Beach. The mesmerising view from the top was well worth the effort.
Then there were our trysts with watersports. We almost drowned in 10ft deep water while riding on some silly Banana Boat which was deliberately twisted to throw the people riding on it, into the water! They call this a 'sport'... Its MURDER!!! Huh!
And then there was Parasailing. This was an experience which i had always longed for. I was flying! The view from the sky was to die for. The fierce water waves lashing the beach, creating pure white lather, and then the water retreating as if to recollect all of its energy to pounce on the land all over again! Wow!
Adding a pinch of salt to the parasailing experience, was the grand finale. While landing, i was too busy shouting and making victorious poses for the camera, and ultimately ended up crashing on the beach!
It's unbelievable how I inevitably mess things up at the slightest provocation!

Shame

2008-01-04T17:51:00.000+05:30

As India dawned into the new year, it's people actually took a step back in time, exhibiting how barbaric and uncivilized humans can be.
In the wee hours of the first morning of 2008, a bunch of almost 70-80 people pounced on two women in Mumbai's posh Juhu disrict, molesting and physically manhandling the two unassuming victims.
The year could'nt have begun with a more tragic note. But the question that disturbs the most is that, did none of those 70 to 80 people feel even a slight sense of guilt at what they were doing? Not one of them had the conscience to be able to judge how horrible and in-human a crime they were committing? And are we, as a society, giving birth to such heinous animals? Are our men so desperate that they even forget the most basic human values and morals, and resort to horrendous acts of mob-molestations in their quest for corporal pleasures?
I think we have a grave problem here. Our economy may be developing at an unparalled rate, but at the same time, 'we' as humans, are degrading at an alarming rate. No punishment, however harsh it may be, can suffice for this monstrous act which has shattered two innocent lives and has brought a nation to disgrace and humiliation. We need to get things right at the root level. It all boils down to the basics - proper education, healthy living environment and proper bringing-up. But do these factors dictate even the fundamental human behaviour? Are'nt we all supposed to be inherently having the values of humanity and human-ness because of which we are actually known as 'Human Beings - The highest form of life'? It's sad that some heartless hooligans end up tarnishing the name of entire humanity.
And add to that, the oh-so concerned and progressive attitude of our respected Police Commissioner of Mumbai, who retorts to the queries put up by the media, in an extremely caring manner, saying : "The media of making a mountain out of a molehill. Keep your wives at home if you want them safe. These kind of small things can happen anywhere.”
Just one thing for you sir - FUCK OFF.

Check out more on the incident :
http://www.hindustantimes.com/FullCoverage/FullCoverage.aspx?Special=Mumbaimolestation

Me and My Dreamzzz... kuch zyada hi baatein karte hain!

2007-12-29T14:17:00.000+05:30

You know, i get some really REALLY weird dreams at times! Its like... the next morning, i almost bang my head against the wall when i realize how stupid a dream i had last night.
Lemme cite an instance.. One fine night, i dreamt that I am a virtual reality video game character and i have to fight a dozen jumbo-sized flying dinosaur like creatures who are well equipped with their XXXL size canines and claws, waiting to tear me into pieces! And what i have been given, as an article of defence, is a sickly sword. I was running atop buildings(yes, spidey style) trying to 'shoo' the mammoth birdies away and they were after me like hell, tasting flesh from every nook and corner of my body. It was slaughter. The worse thing was that it was a virtual reality game, and i was actually feeling the pain and was shouting.. "Itni bhi kya reality yaar!". Somehow, i managed to hide in the kitchen of my house (don't ask from where did that come from)! Phew!

Last night's dream marked the height of insanity! It was a fine day, and i had gone to an open-air mall (our second home, almost) with a friend of mine. We have spent almost half our lives loitering and basically doing nothing in the crowded corridors of that mall. And suddenly, in the dream, we saw the place completely transformed into a chic, upmarket, spic and span fashion hub, with a beautiful central garden. Awstruck, i somehow suddenly realized that it was my birthday that day(#Z%^!$%*@%)! But to my disappointment (which soon made way to fits of rage), nobody remembered it. Neither my accompanying friend, nor did my dear college friends, with whom i had chatted over the phone only a few seconds before, remembered it. And heres the worst part : All the newspapers carried a front-half page advertisment with a huge photograph of mine, dressed in a smart italian suit and Gucci shoes! It read "Happy Birthday Pranay! ...From Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi and Family!".
I was like... "Look... its everywhere in the newspapers... And you guys DONT even REMEMBER!!!"

Well... this was just a glimpse into my mad world! You must be thinking, if this is how my dreams are when i am asleep, then how downright ridiculous would my daydreams be!!! I may just share some of those too... sometime else! And in the mean time, why don't you guys share some of your weirdest dreams... Lets have a competition for the wildest and the most insane dream!!!
Lemme fall back to sleep now... zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz!!!

The shining star

2007-12-27T00:56:00.001+05:30

Aamir Khan is back.. but not exactly with a BANG! He has sneaked his way slowly and subtly into our hearts. And more than that, he has given us an experience of a lifetime.

Taare Zameen Par comes at a time when films showcasing high octane sports drama or cheap toilet humour seem to be the toast of the audience. And at its very begining, the film shows that its thankfully different from the rest. Darsheel Safary's name comes before Aamir Khan's during the casting. Though this may not seem to be of much importance at first glance, but you realize after watching the film, that how beautifully Aamir has let the boy take centrestage. But its not that you miss Aamir. Because in front of you is a boy who seems as accomplished an actor as Aamir, and moreover, delights you with his charismatic screen presence and sheer innocence. And not to forget, that toothy smile is to die for! He charms you whenever he's on the screen. He speaks directly from his heart and expresses through his eyes. He makes you laugh till your stomach aches, and in a split second, he puts you to tears.
Apart from being a brilliant film in each and every aspect of filmmaking, what makes it even more special, is that its heart-felt. The simplicity and life-like situations bring a rarely-seen warmth to the film. Its a film with a soul. The music touches your heart. The track 'Maa' can bring tears to even the stone-hearted. The viewer can feel that void within, which the protagonist is feeling due to separation from his mother.
In a world where competition in every field has almost made the child-like innocence archaic, the film brings back the forgotten flip-book and flying fishes. It transports you to an immensly likable world. A world where alphabets dance but colors speak volumes. A world where dreams have no boundaries. A world, seldom understood by us 'adults'. The world of Ishaan Awasthi.