Ganapati celebrated in Bombay

Well, it feels nice to be here in Bombay once again for the Ganapati festival. Last year, I had to give it a miss because of my ILP in $#%^%$ Bhubaneswar. Now, don't get me wrong!!! I did enjoy my stay in Bhubaneswar and getting away from home was not as bad as I thought it would be. But, one does yearn for home when typical Bombay festivals like Ganeshotsav come along. And believe me, hearing your friends describing the sweets they got to eat and the fun they had at the various places they visited, in graphic detail, does not exactly tickle your funny bone!!!

Well, enough of last year. This year too, there was lots of stuff to do. And mainly, good food to eat!!! However, one thing turned this otherwise enjoyable festival sour for me. Today, wherever I went, there were old aunties and grannies asking my mom about when she was gonna get a daughter-in-law for herself!!! The general conversation went something like this....

Aunty/Granny : When are you getting a lady for this young man?

Mom : Errr......he wants to study further before thinking of that and plus, we think it's too early for all this.

Aunty/Granny : What nonsense? Early? Look at him, such a big fellow, he should settle down and give you some nice cuddly grandchildren to play with!!!

Mom : We really don't think so!!!

Aunty/Granny : Don't be stupid!!! If you ask me, its good to have these youngsters settle down early in life, else they get out of hand!!! Trust me, I have some experience in these matters.

(All the other "wise people" around grunt their assent!!!)

Hello!!! Who gave you guys the right to decide when I should settle down? And what's all this about cuddly kids to play with? And since when did the ultimate aim of "settling down" become providing your parents "cuddly" grandchildren to "play with"????????? GOD!!!!

Sometimes, I really wonder why these people cant mind their own bloody business!!!

Omkara - A Review

Had been to G7 at Bandra to watch Omkara alongwith V, P, SC, RK and RS. Unfortunately, we didn't get tickets for the 3.30pm show we had planned on watching. For some reason, we hung around the area and went for the 6.30pm show. I must say I wasn't disappointed.

The movie starts off with a bang, an expletive in the very first dialogue!!! Wow.....this movie must be something, you think. Vishal Bharadwaj builds up the story nicely from this point on. We slowly get to know the characters, their peculiar traits and their common background. Now, comes the acid test of the movie. One wonders whether it will live up to expectations, especially considering it tom-toms itself as an inspiration from the bard's Othello. I think the movie delivers what it promises, and maybe, more. I do not need to get into the story here.....anyone who is familiar with Shakespeare's work will already be knowing it well. Ah, the jealousy of Othello, the cunning of Iago, the beauty of Desdemona!!! Substitute these names with Omkara, Langda Tyagi and Dolly, and the effect, quite surprisingly, isn't diluted.

Bharadwaj makes excellent use of the rugged, barren landscapes of UP very effectively. The rustic setting simply adds to the charm of the movie. Satara has also been used here, notably in one road sequence, a road which regular visitors to Mahabaleshwar via Pune will recognise as the road to Wai, at the base of the ghat leading to Panchgani. Camerawork is great, with the full starkness of the barren land brought forward. One noteworthy scene is the last one with a prostate Kareena on the swing, moving back and forth, while Ajay Devgan lies underneath. You have to watch it to experience it.

Performance-wise, the movie is filled with excellent actors, who do full justice to their characters. Kareena Kapoor, as the beautiful and faithful Dolly and Vivek Oberoi, as the upstart Kesu, both turn in credible performances. One thinks these roles have come to them at just the right time in their careers. Naseeruddin Shah, as the big boss, is dependable as ever. So, is Konkana Sensharma. There is simply no need to describe their performances. The audience expects the world from them, and they deliver. Period. Ajay Devgan, as the brooding Omkara, overcome with extreme jealousy, is menacing as ever. One never even doubts for a minute that his character could lose in combat, such is the life that this talented actor infuses into his role. Finally, we come to Saif Ali Khan. WHAT A PERFORMANCE!!! Simply mindblowing!!!! The transformation from the suave and sophisticated nawab to a rustic UP goon is complete. Boy, do you hate his character when you watch the movie. That evil smile, the stained teeth.......marvellous!!! And the expression in his eyes, when he is denied his coveted position....that is the mark of a good actor and we certainly have one in Saif. Saif, I bow to thee....award winning stuff, this.

At the end, one feels the movie could have been more crisply edited. That is just about the only grouse I can recall. Something, huh???

A motley missed!!!

Ever had that feeling?? You get out of bed and look forward to 3-4 hours of blissful quizzing. Ahh...Utopia!!! Alas, Utopia is fictional!!! The quizzing is thwarted by the infantile insistence of Dad that I meet some stupid relatives who are coming over to India after 15 years!!! They had some idiotic desire to see their long-lost nephew, who was soooo small when they saw him last!!! As if that's ever possible where I m concerned!!! Now is it my fault that they chose not to return for 15 whole years??

And Dad's attempt to mollify me?? Tickets to Kabhi Alvida Na Kehna!!! Aaarghhh!!!! Read about it in the post below.

Kabhi Alvida Na Kehna - A Review

An urban setting, a director with an excellent track record, good music and a star cast to die for. These are the ingredients which will draw the crowds to the theatres to watch one of the most awaited movies of the year - Kabhi Alvida Na Kehna!!! And does the movie live up to the hype surrounding it? Read on to find out.

One of the first things to strike you in the movie is the camerawork....stark grey landscapes from urban New York have been captured very nicely in the movie, be it the parks, the crossings or the railway station. It makes a very striking contrast when you compare it to a movie like Parineeta, which makes use of vibrant colours to capture the Kolkata of the 60's.

The movie revolves around two individuals, SRK and Rani, who are unhappy with their respective marriages. A chance meeting on a park bench and a poorly executed chase spark off a series of meetings, which finally culminate in love. However, social and marital obstacles thwart them at every step. How they overcome these and finally manage to get together after aeons, is what seems to be the gist of the story. I use the word 'seems' because I can never tell for sure why the characters in the movie do whatever they do!!!

The movie seems to finally have a different storyline - a rarity in movies from the Dharma Productions stable. However, Karan Johar seems to have stretched a promising story almost to the point of mediocrity!!! He sure seems to need a shot of Koffee!!! Rani cries all the time, pausing only briefly to push off an "eager" Abhishek!!!! Believe me, tear stains on such a pretty face are not very good to look at!!! SRK is grumpy all the time. God knows his character could give me some serious competition for surliness!!! Preity appears confused all the time, alternating between the all-conquering career woman and the hurt wife!!! The kid is cute, and brings a few smiles to movie-goers' faces. But, the real stars are the father-son duo of the Bachchans. They share a fantastic camaraderie on screen. Abhishek's goofy look is the perfect foil for the casanova-like Big B. Truly, he is the best actor in Indian cinema today, and by a long way!!! Kirron Kher delivers a very compact performance, something we have now come to naturally expect from her.

The movie does tend to disappoint, given the high expectations from it, but somehow, it isn't as bad as many people make it out to be. Go for it, but be prepared to stare periodically at your watch and wonder how much more time's left for it to end!!!

Town Hall / Asiatic Library

The Sea at Bandra Bandstand

Ramblings

• It feels so nice to meet your college friends after a long time....you wish time stood still.
• The sea breeze is wonderful, but the sea spray is yucky!!!
• I look HUGE compared to my friend, A!!!
• I like the World Space Radio ad....somehow, it is sooo convincing!!!
• Zara Zara from Rehna Hai Tere Dil Mein is easily the most erotic song of recent times (well, for me at least!!!).
• I am beginning to wonder why I started writing this post in the first place!!!
• I SUCK at CAT quant!!!
• I am writing this from office, waiting for the stupid SPARC backup to get over.
• Why does no friend of mine have the entire F.R.I.E.N.D.S collection??
• You are probably wondering whether I have lost my marbles.
• I think I probably have!!!
• errrr.....I guess that's it!!!

Looks like the Rain Gods are angry with the BMC !!!

What a day!!!

Was looking forward to a completely free weekend ahead of me, yesterday in office when Mom messaged to tell me that her cell service had been temporarily discontinued. It seems the bill I had paid online had not been credited to her account. An hour of communication with my bank and her cell company later, I came to know that I had keyed in the wrong number while paying the bill. MISTAKE NO. 1!!! Thankfully, the cell company has agreed to help me correct the error.

Later, while leaving office, full of weekend ecstasy, I forgot my umbrella and, to top it, realised my folly only after I had reached home. On calling my colleagues, I found that they had all left office and that there was no one to claim the umbrella for me!!! MISTAKE NO. 2!!! I asked a colleague who was going to office today to check for it but, as expected, he didn't find it!!!

Then, while lazing at home today, I snagged my watch in a drawer. Struggle......struggle.....SNAP!!!!! That'll be 50 bucks, Sir!!! MISTAKE NO. 3!!!

And, finally, for the "baap" of all mistakes. I made a friggin' mistake while filling in my CAT form. Used a black pen where a pencil was needed!!! Damn!!! MISTAKE NO. 4!!!

Total unnecessary cost incurred so far?? Rs. 180. Could go up to Rs. 2199!!! Great....simply great!!!!

Golmaal - A Review

Went for Golmaal yesterday, simply coz of the hype created by my friends. Thought, why not give it a try. I must say that I certainly wasn't disappointed.

The movie begins by outlining the extent to which 4 friends are willing to go, in order to lay their hands on some easy money. Then, just when you are beginning to hate the lazy slobs, the narrative mellows down a bit and reveals snippets from their past which actually makes you feel sorry for these guys. Fate somehow brings them to the doorstep of a blind couple. The story picks up pace after that. Add a bumbling gang of goondas, a hissing idiot, a wannabe Munnabhai, and you have absolute mayhem!!!

Performance-wise, all 4 actors seem to have equally important roles. Ajay Devgan is dependable as ever. But, somehow, he doesn't seem to be as comfy with situational comedy, as with the serious dramatic stuff. Still, he does a pretty good job. Vrajesh Hirjee with his hissing antics is more suitable for a zoo rather than a Hindi film. His hissing fails to evoke more than a few feeble laughs. What was the director thinking? The goondas are bumbling, which is just the way they should be for this film. The remaining 3 of the quartet, Tusshar, Sharman and Arshad are quite simply hilarious. Whatever they do, you are never bored. And thankfully, for once, the comedy doesn't go overboard as it did with a couple of Sharman's early films. Which now brings me to Paresh Rawal and Sushmita Mukherjee. The two of them do a brilliant job as the eccentric blind couple. Paresh Rawal, with his perfect comic timing and Sushmita Mukherjee, with her vulnerability. The duo even share a song. This song is brilliantly picturised and the production team certainly deserves kudos for it. Rimi Sen is more of a garden ornament, if you get what I mean!!! The less said the better.

All in all, one can conclude that even though the movie does not boast of a proper storyline, the flair for comedy displayed by all actors is what keeps this movie alive. Go watch it, and forget your troubles for a while.

title it yourself!!!!

Earlier in the day, I had thought that I would write about the day I spent with my friends, giving them a treat on the occasion of my birthday. However, the day was marred by a series of events that took place in Bombay this morning.

All of us were sitting in the Bombay Blues outlet at Shopper's Stop, Andheri, when we got wind of the news that there was rioting going on in many parts of Bombay. It seems a statue of the late wife of the influential Sena leader, Bal Thackeray, had been desecrated by some miscreants, early this morning. Her son, Uddhav, who calls himself a leader of the people of Maharashtra, gave a statement saying that inspite his mother being a mother for the masses, it is indeed sad that someone desecrated her statue. I thoroughly agree with him and, am of the firm belief that the police MUST trace the miscreants, at the earliest. However, the "people's" Sena went one step further. Rioting began, buses were burnt, shops were forced to close down and the city almost ground to a halt. Is this the way to express your agitation at the insult of someone you hold dear? Is this the way a supposedly responsible party is supposed to conduct itself?

On any day, maybe 5 years earlier, people would themselves have stopped all activities as a mark of protest. However, repeated attempts by this party to make sure that the diktats of its now senile leader and his irresponsible son are obeyed at all costs have certainly not endeared them to WE, the people. I think it is time we had self-governance in Bombay (yes, I will call it Bombay, when I speak in English....to hell with political correctness!!!). Ban the political parties!!! Let individuals stand for the post of elected mayor. Let the Sena know that I am certainly NOT voting for them in the next elections!!!

In case the reader is wondering why I have mentioned names, as opposed to my style of using initials, I feel that in some cases, a direct approach is the best one!!! And there is no particular reason for this post.....its just me letting some steam off.

And July, the first passes by...

Just yesterday, a quizzing friend of mine, NI, called up to wish me a Happy Birthday. During the course of the conversation we had, one question he asked really made me think. "Does it feel any different becoming 23?"

Come to think of it, it certainly doesn't. I am still the same fat and lazy chap I was a year ago. I still get angry at the drop of a hat. I still love to drive the wheels off my car. But then, why is a birthday considered to be so important? NI had me thinking big time, and mind you, that's quite an achievement!!!

My thinking made me realise that though I may not have changed that much, some part of me has, indeed, undergone a transformation, possibly because of the events that took place in my life in the past year. I learnt that I could survive away from home, thanks to my company, which insists on training its recruits in far-off places like Bhubaneswar. I learnt that the rest of India is not such a bad place, but nothing can beat Bombay!!! I learnt that some people who you think are very good friends wont even bother to ask how you are, while others will keep in touch. I learnt that however skilled you may be at driving, there will always be someone who is willing to take more risks than you, simply because he has more money!!! I also learnt that Orkut can make you drop your sulkiness at your best friend, because she has forgotten all about your big day. I also learnt that when your best friend calls up at 11 pm to apologise, she makes your day (or at least, what's left of it!!!)

If I try and list all the things that I learnt, I will end up spending the whole day over it, and yet, not end up with a comprehensive list!!! So, a reader may ask...."Is this post getting somewhere?" My reply would be .... "Errr....No, I don't think so!!!"

"Monumental" Monsoon

The monsoons in Bombay can provide for some really good pictures of the landmarks in Bombay, pictured against the dark skies.

6 weird things about me

Got tagged by Shainu to pen down 6 weird things about myself. Somehow, I have a VERY bad feeling that this one is not going to go too well.....Hey I got the first one...

1. I generally tend to believe in my inability to do things......(now go and figure that one out)!!!
2. I absolutely HATE it when someone leaves a book lying around on the floor.
3. I cant stand it if someone apart from my Dad so much as touches the steering wheel / pedals of my car. Actually, the exception for Dad is coz he err....owns the car (put your own recollection of an embarassed smile here) !!!
4. I suck at quizzes that matter, yet I like to believe that I am one of the world's best quizzers.
5. My right foot starts vibrating horribly after a close shave while driving.
6. I absolutely LOVE to pull chubby cheeks, but despise it when someone attempts to do the same to me. (My friend, A and Mom will fume at me, if they see this!!!)

Now, the principle of tagging stipulates that I tag 6 other people. However, taking into consideration the abysmal no. of people actually bothering to read this blog, that is going to be one hell of a difficult task. Still, I'll try. So, I tag

• Riaan
• Darshan
• Adi
• Vish
• Chetan
• Open slot - up for grabs!!! (got this idea from Shainu)
  

Route No. 66

After a lazy Saturday in office, my feet take me to Fort Market for the journey home. After a long wait of 15 min, I spot her in the distance - the red standing out nicely against the white backdrop of the RBI Central Office. A brief halt, and we are off!!! Past the huge dome of the GPO, the spires of VT and the BMC headquarters, the old lady of Boribunder, we crawl. Then, its smooth sailing past the JJ School of Arts, Crawford Market, Bombay Police HQ and of course, St. Xavier's High School. It is on this stretch that the driver begins to display the true abilities of the red behemoth. The rush of cool evening air through the front window of the upper deck adds to the romance of the atmosphere. Then, we are in the crowded Girgaon zone. Still, the driver manages to make 'er move pretty fast, thanks to the people and cars scurrying out of the way in fright!!! But, she jerks and lurches about uncertainly. She is clearly not in her element on these crowded roads. After a brief race against an accelerating local past Charni Road, we are at Opera House. Oblivious of the oncoming vehicles, she cuts through the south-bound traffic and begins to get comfortable again. Unfortunately, it's now time to say goodbye. With a roar full of promise, she zooms out of sight.

Ahhh!!! The ultimate thrill of travelling in a double decker!!!

Last week's rains caused quite a lot of chaos here, most of which was due to the panic which set in amongst the people when they recalled the horrors of 26/7. Still, the first rains in Bombay are always fun!!!

Boribunder

Its really surprising, the number of times you will see this building in movies, and yet, never even give a second glance as you pass by it. I will not say anything more.....just sit back and take in the wonderful craftsmanship of the British era.....simply put, BOMBAY at its best.

Zoom into the second image and you will find the seal of the erstwhile Great Indian Peninsular Railway, now known as Central Railway.

The Garden of Knowledge

Found this article on Chetan's blog. Do go through it...it's worth a read.

Random Questions

Very often, for no reason whatsoever, my mind is full of questions. Thought I will put down a few of them here for......well.....for no particular reason!!!! ;-)

• Why must I follow all the rules while driving, when all the other drivers on the road are authorised to break the rules whenever they want to?
• Why must I set an example for all my cousins? No one set an example for me!!!
• Why must I be called to work every Saturday?
• How can I get into a good insti without moving my ass?
• Why cant Schumi win every race?
• Why cant S get into Aerospace inspite of getting an AIR of 206?
• Why must I always remain fat inspite of eating very little?
• Why cant I compose poetry effortlessly like S?
• Why cant R and SB make up their minds about their respective futures?
• Why must my M800 move so slowly?
• Why cant a Merc be cheaper?
• Why cant an automobile company consider me for a job?
• Why must my job make me hate it?

Well.....the list continues..........................

My first vehicle shall CERTAINLY be an SUV

Had to go to Borivali yesterday for a birthday party. So, what was the problem? Quadrupling work on the track resulted in cancellation of trains and, consequently, there was a lot of traffic on the road, even on the WE highway. Result? Tempers running high and driving becoming erratic.

Let's just say that I tried to cut off a Qualis driver who tried to squeeze me out of my lane, which resulted in (Ahem!!!) a dent. Its so bloody UNFAIR!!! My next car has to be a big SUV (or maybe, a BEST bus!!!!) :-D

Sterling - A silent sentinel to an era gone by

Just 2 days ago, I read the shocking piece of news in the papers. Sterling theatre was closing down to make way for a multiplex!!! How?? Why??? #$@#%!!!!

It seems like ages ago when I walked into that large foyer, holding my parents' hands, eager to watch 'Dennis the Menace'. My first reaction upon entering was, "Ooooooohhh!!!!'. The auditorium was as small as the foyer was big. A really nice and cozy place where you never got the whistling and jeering crowd.

Over the years, I grew to love every aspect of Sterling. From the polite guards at the entrance to the bright and inviting snacks counter. From the pristine condition of the seats to the sparkling clean toilets. The smell of the delicious caramel popcorn, inviting as ever. The twin seats at the back where couples used to park themselves for a movie of a different kind. The grudge I used to bear against the ushers for letting me out through the rear exit, causing me to walk round the bldg to my car. Everything was .... well ..... just perfect!!!!

I once used to brag to all my mates that I could enjoy all the benefits of the multiplexes that they went to, for a fraction of a price!!! And then, suddenly, came this devastating piece of news.
Yesterday night, as I was returning from New Excelsior, I passed by Sterling. The renovation work had already begun. That once white and inviting lobby was now a dull grey, violated by machines of all kinds!!! The whole building had a mournful air about it, as it stood, patiently bearing the changes that were being now forced upon it. As a tear trickled down my cheek at this sight, I reluctantly tore my eyes away from the building onto the road ahead. After all, I had to drive home....

36 China Town - A Review

Went for the movie today, after office, just to enjoy myself. I must say I was not thrilled, but it was paisa vasool.

An interesting narrative style is adopted by M/s Abbas and Mustan which involves the clever replaying of the story so that the entire point can be grasped properly. The only problem?? The director duo loses sight of the basic point they had tried to ingrain into the viewers' minds. Is it the detail, is it the characters involved?? One never knows as the focus shifts, a tad confusingly, from one to the other. However, there is enough of the usual masala in the film to keep it going without boring the audience.

Of the performances, Paresh Rawal and Johnny Lever make a strictly passable attempt to keep the audience smiling. It may look funny during your first viewing, but mind you, it will become more and more unbearable as you repeatedly watch it. Payal Rohatgi seems to have been placed in the film, simply to draw the wolf-whistlers. Kareena has a role which is only slightly better than Payal's. In fact, it sometimes becomes painfully embarrassing to watch her move awkwardly while beau Shahid glides around in the dance sequences. Kinda reminiscent of Hrithik and Kareena in K3G!!! Shahid does a good job as a young dude in search of quick money. His acting seems to be earnest, but I suppose, he will have to take on better roles if he has to earn critical acclaim. Isha Koppikar is pretty subdued in her brief cameo, but ends up looking extremely gorgeous. But, the real hero is Akshaye Khanna. As the police inspector, he breathes life into a role that few others could have taken on with the same effect. Like Abhishek Bachchan, he is one actor who excels in each performance. Kudos to you, Akshaye.

So, guys, go for the movie and enjoy yourselves. You may be expecting a murder mystery, you will probably find yourself watching a pseudo-Govinda flick, only that this one's slightly better (and that's saying a lot!!!!).


PS : Himessss....plz STOP singing!!!!

Now, if only they operated these buses on the regular routes......Sigh!!!!

Random musings from a holiday

Was absent from Bombay for a whole week. Had managed to wrestle a whole week's leave from my PL. My holiday destination?? Good ol' Pune and Mahabaleshwar. The icing?? T'was gonna be a driving holiday!!

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Do top up ur brake oil before leaving on a long distance drive. A sinking brake pedal and a hysterical Mom, both on the expressway, have taught me that!!!

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The Pune - Mahabaleshwar road is damn good. Had visited it during Sem VII, when it was under construction. Damn good job!!! T'was a breeze driving on it. (Pic on top)

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NEVER go for your honeymoon to Mahabaleshwar. The locals seem to leer at the newlyweds. And the damn place is too FULL of them!!!!

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Do try driving on the Pasarni Ghat from Wai to Panchgani. Lovely smooth road, lots of twists and turns. Nice workout for your cornering abilities. I could only max around 90 clicks in a M800.

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Avoid visiting Pune in summer!!!

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If you do visit Pune, remember to go to George's restaurant, on East Street in the Cantonment Area, and have the Chicken Rotisserie there. Its heavenly!!!

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I LOVE strawberries!!! Wimbledon, take a backseat!!!!

A week ago, duty in office called for making 300+ transactions, each of which requires the user to click on OK. Now, who said that big fat books were a waste of time???

Progress or regress???

Read recently in the papers that more quotas may be introduced in the IITs and IIMs soon. The man behind all this? The great (HA!!) Arjun Singh!!! The excuse being provided is that it is a constitutional provision which is being followed. The point of this exercise? The "progress" of the "backward" castes in society at large.

56 years ago, when the constitution was created, the makers had put in a clause for introducing a reservation for the "backward" castes. This was because they were, indeed, oppressed by the "upper" castes. They had to do many menial jobs simply because they were refused the opportunity to progress. The constitutional reservations gave them the much needed chance to prove themselves at every level. It made them believe in themselves that they were also capable of doing all those things which had, hitherto, been the bastion of the privileged classes. This had been exactly what the makers of the constitution had in mind. But, a clause was also put in that the reservations could be repealed after 50 years. However, in 2000, our elected representatives chose to extend these reservations by another 10 years!!

But, hasn't the scenario changed now?? Don't we see more equality in society, at least in terms of caste?? Today, to be very frank with you, I wouldn't be aware of what the word "Dalit" meant if it were not for these reservations. Its high time the people who sit in Parliament sit up and take notice that these reservations have long outlived their intended use. Today, they are more of an excuse for the students belonging to these "backward" classes to relax and dawdle on their efforts to get into prestigious institutions like the IITs and IIMs. And even assuming that the situation is grim for them in the rural areas, these reservations should certainly not be offered to them above the 10+2 level. For, it is these students, who will have secured admissions via the myriad concessions offered to them at the schooling level. This means that they have been given ample opportunity to overcome the social difficulties that they may have faced. And they still want reservations at the Undergraduate and Post-graduate level?? This is ridiculous!!! The people who sincerely believe that this is necessary should try and understand that this will seriously undermine the students' ability to perform at their optimum level in the international field. For, today, when India is on the verge of emerging as a major power, the same yardstick will be applied for judging all of us, backward class or not!!! In the face of such a scenario, we must concentrate on making the members of the "backward" classes consciously lose the impression that they belong to an underprivileged community. We are all Indians and let us remain so!!!

And as for the reservations, let us get rid of them once and for all, at least from the undergraduate level onwards. Instead, keep some seats for the economically backward students. And as regards the lack of opportunities excuse put forth in defence of these reservations, I feel that the people who are truly talented do not need such headline-grabbing gestures to succeed. A close friend I know is a living example of what I just said!!! CB, take a bow!!!

Took this pic in the lift in office. Seems like even the makers of warning signs take it for granted that Indians are used to overcrowding!!!

The Long Arm of the Law!!!

I had taken this pic around a month ago when I had waited outside Mac (VT). It seems the policeman had stopped this cabbie, when he suddenly decided to make a run for it, little realising that the smart "Mama" was holding his license. Here we see the cabbie torn between the option of running away or facing the irate cop. Nevertheless to say, he backed up and meekly faced impending doom!!!

(Apologies are due for the pic quality.....t'was taken from my car which was parked quite a distance away)

Being Cyrus - A Review

Saif Ali Khan in an English movie?? I had heard of Naseeruddin Shah, Dimple Kapadia et al doing the odd English film, but Saif?? Now this was new. This curiosity took me to Sterling to watch Being Cyrus. What did I think? Read on.

Right from the beginning, it strikes you that this film is different from the rest of the pack. There is no grand entry of the hero, hardly any background score and no flashy credits. In fact, the credits are almost "Hollywoodesque" in nature. So, you now sit down to watch the movie, a packet of the famed caramel popcorn in hand.

We are slowly introduced to the Sethna family, spread out over Bombay and Panchgani. Slowly, we come to grips with the eccentricity of each member of the family - the dreamy elder son, his frustrated wife, the dominant younger son, his beautiful and, sadly, bullied wife, and the patriarch who is now forced to live the life of a recluse by his younger son. Adajania draws you in further and further into the plot while, at moments, giving us glimpses into Cyrus' troubled past. The story is well told through the eyes of Cyrus, who, helpfully, adds his own take on the various members of the Sethna family. The ending of the movie is also well-constructed with the suspense being maintained right till the very end. The narrative does tend to get disjointed at times, but it only adds to the suspense.

Performance-wise, everyone in the movie is good. Naseeruddin Shah, as the dreamy Parsi simpleton does a very good job. But then, we have now come to expect that from him, haven't we? Dimple Kapadia as the mentally and sexually frustrated wife, again turns in a brilliant performance. Boman Irani is the perfect cranky Bawa, one you may expect to find anywhere in Bombay. His performance is so eerily convincing that you just HATE him. Simone Singh, as his meek and demure wife who likes to secretly enjoy in her husband's absence is also the right choice for the role. But, the movie belongs to Saif. Everything he does is simply perfect. Just the right glint of menace for a fleeting moment before he is all charm again. He just seems to be unable to do anything wrong at the moment. I hope he continues in this vein for a long time to come. For, in him, we have one of India's finest actors, one who can show that you needn't be a hunk of beef to make a point. Saif, take a bow!!!

Urban India has grown up. No longer are the people content to just sit back and watch a certain actor (Cough!!! Cough!!!) wear loud clothes and amuse (sic!!!!) them with his antics. They want the real stuff. And they want it dished out to them as it is. No garnishing, no embellishments.

Director Homi Adajania doesn't disappoint in this respect. The fare that he doles out here is pretty grim. But, the moot point is that he manages to make an impact. And that, friends, should be enough for us to sit up and take him seriously as a filmmaker and not just another also ran!!!

Welcome to Bombay - The City of Dreams!!!

Took this pic at BKC just outside my office. Rather odd placement of the zebra crossing, isnt it?

Uhh....looks like chicken WILL get to cross the road after all!!!

Some things just dont change, do they?? (Pic Courtesy : Mid-Day)

Ho Hum!!!

Today, I logged onto blogger, hoping to upload a couple of good photos I had managed to click during the week. However, to my dismay, found that for some odd reason, Blogger was just refusing to upload my photos. God knows why!!! The browser would simply stop dead, just like that!!! So, I thought, let's write a post with words.

Phew!! There!! I made the decision. Now comes the hard part. What do I write about? Coz the problem is that my life has become so predictable, of late, that hardly anything of note occurs. I could write about how I fumed and fretted at my seniors' inability to understand what I was saying. I could write about how I went to office for another Saturday, while my friends sat at home and made merry. I could write about how good it felt to finally drive after spending a whole week staring at the stupid computer screen. Well.....I guess you get the drift.

But, is anything I mentioned worth blogging about? I guess I could say something about the book I am currently reading. Maximum City by Suketu Mehta. Yeah....good idea!!!

Well...the book somehow caught my attention at the Strand Book Exhibition. I suddenly caught sight of a book that boldly announced that it was about "Bombay". It looked like a fairly new publication and still, the cover dared to call the city Bombay. I thought to myself that any book which refers to "Bombay" is worth a second dekko. On an impulse, I bought it. When I started reading it yesterday, I wasn't disappointed. The author seems to take you through his life in Bombay. He tells you how he spent his childhood here, how he used to play at the Oval Maidan, go for walks with his fiancee at Marine Drive, have bhel with her at Chowpatty. Damn it, it all seems so eerily familiar!!! Of course, the only difference being, I am yet to find a girlfriend, let alone a fiancee!!! I have only finished a few pages, as of now, but the book seems to be good. I am hoping that the author's romance with Bombay continues.

As for me, I will probably be back with a review of "Being Cyrus" next weekend. Until then,

CIAO.

Yummy!!!

Autocar, March 2006 issue, on the Maserati Quattroporte.

"She is a gorgeous feast for the eyes, full of voluptuous curves. Pure automotive porn!!!"

I am already drooling!!!!

13 Years of Freedom

On this day, thirteen years ago, I was in school (I think it was the IVth standard). The time was around 4 pm and we were looking forward to the Games period, which was the last one scheduled for the day. Suddenly, the school buses arrived in a hurry and we were all whisked off in a hurry. No one was prepared to tell us what was going on, not the teachers, not the bus driver or cleaner. Finally, at home, the TV proved to be the informer. There had been a series of bomb blasts in the city..........

For many days after that, my parents continued to talk about the incident. About how grave it was and how the perpetrators of this heinous act should be brought to justice. At that time, the gravity of the situation never hit me. Today, when I look back at that time, I can only ask myself one question, "Why???" Why Bombay, why the innocent people? I have still not found an answer to this question.

However, there is one outcome of these blasts for which I am certainly thankful to the perpetrators. The bombs have only succeeded in weaving together the complicated fabric of Bombay even more tightly. Not only since, have people realised the futility of rising against each other, but they also actively dissuade others from indulging in the same mindlessness. In short, the spirit of Bombay lives on.

People often ask me where is this spirit visible. If you ask me, it was there in 1993 also. A friend of mine, NI, told me about a statistical hoarding. On 12th March, 1993, there were 12 bomb blasts in Bombay. On 13th March, 1993, office attendance was at 93%.

I rest my case.

Eeks....no local!!!!

This is one of the scariest sights in Bombay, even at 11:52 pm!!! Needless to say, when a local finally arrived....aargh!!!!

Ahh...the rains!!! They sure brought some relief from the dreaded heat and humidity. Parts of the pics are smudged due to security concerns.

CRASH!!!

Was returning home from office last Friday night, when I chanced upon this at Churchgate. OUCH!!!!

Dire Warnings!!!

Saw this sight a few days ago at the VT junction, just outside the Municipal HQ. Should be good enough to keep this Maserati in check!!!!

Taxi No. 9211 - A Review

Went for Taxi No. 9211 today. I had heard praises about the movie from most of my colleagues and hence, I decided to go and check out for myself if the movie was worth all the hype it was generating. Was I satisfied or disappointed? Well, read on!!!

The movie starts off well, introducing its 2 main characters to us in a style that is very fresh and easy to follow. Sanjay Dutt's voice has been used very effectively here. It adds that special zing to the beginning, which keeps you interested. After the introduction, which lingers around for some time, the movie picks up pace and moves at a very fast clip. Hold on tight for the ride of your life?? Well, not exactly. We are taken through a series of unfortunate events that occur in the lives of two people who are as different as chalk and cheese. That they cause the said events to occur in the other's life, adds to the confusion. Now, its time for revenge!!! The two go about trying to pull a fast one on each other, trying to make sure the other doesn't get out of this alive!!! All this in one day!! What happens in the end? I think I should let this entertainer talk for itself, from this point.

As for the performances, Nana Patekar shines in the role of the irate taxi driver. He rants and raves, he exudes just the right amount of menace. All in all, he is simply perfect. John acts as the perfect foil for him. Where Nana is crude, John is suave. This man is fast improving as an actor. Some more good movies and he will be right up there. Just one thing he needs to do fast is get rid of the "Pav - mudder fadder" accent. Otherwise, there seems to be no problem. Sonali Kulkarni, as Nana's wife deserves a mention here. In a small role, she manages to put the point through that it is we who create our own battles. In her, we have a very fine performer whose entire range of talents lies hitherto, untapped.

Guys, oil prices are on the rise, traffic in Bombay is increasing. Do yourself and others a favour. Ride in this taxi. I am sure you will not be disappointed.

The B Chronicles No. 8

Been a long time since I have written a Chronicle. Its just that office fails to inspire me to write any longer. I seem to have settled into a rut here. At times, I find myself wondering where I should go next. I guess that is a futile thought as my life here refuses to MOVE!!!

I generally report for work around 1pm. Then, its fool around time till 6 pm, have a yummy roadside snack at 6:15 pm, and then, return to do actual work at 7 pm. The actual work may go on even upto 1 am the next day!! And the best part of it all is that I have a leader who cant lead. She is just like a rabbit caught in the headlights!!! One minute, she will give you an encouraging nod or a smile and the next minute, she is tearing you apart for something you are supposed to have done (or just maybe, not)!!! Never, when I see her during a problem situation, do I get the reassuring feeling that the team will pull through this crisis. Sad, but true!!!

The reader may be forgiven for wondering why I am sticking to this job when I am so unhappy with it. Well, dude, 50 grand is a hell lot of money!!!! Let's leave it at that!!! More cribbing later.

Rang De Basanti - A Review

Watched Rang De Basanti yesterday. Went in with high expectations. Came out slightly disappointed.

Movie starts off well, setting the stage for the story of the transformation of a bunch of carefree youth into people who really begin to care for their country, while shooting a film about a group of its greatest martyrs. Rakeysh Mehra starts off, telling us about the Brit, Sue, who comes to India in search of actors who can act out the parts of the Hindustan Republican Army members, whose lives are documented so well in her grandfather's diary. Her search for the perfect cast, her thrill at finding the right people for her project, her anguish at their failure to gauge the depths of their respective characters, all these emotions are captured very nicely by the director. In the midst of all this, we get introduced to a suave pilot who is loved by all around him. Unfortunately, he dies in an all too familiar MiG-21 crash. Now, the problem begins.

It is about at this point that the movie begins to lose steam. What had started out as a nice eye-opener for the youth, now becomes your average Hindi movie of revenge and thirst for your enemy's blood. The youngsters end up committing a grave crime. A crime, which they think their victim is also guilty of. Finally, there ends up being no difference between them and their victim. Maybe....if the movie was handled in a better way, it could have been looked upon as a people mover. One which can influence the youth of this country to do something.

Amongst the actors, Soha Ali Khan is soothing to watch and looks quite cute. Her presence is very refreshing. Kunal Kapoor, Sharman Joshi and Siddharth, all turn in decent performances. Atul Kulkarni is perfect as the smouldering Laxman Pandey. The Brit actress ( I am sorry, but I keep forgetting her name) is also good. She seems to have taken some pains, learning Hindi. Amir Khan is the biggest disappointment for me. I had great expectations from this versatile actor, and I feel let down by his performance in this movie. He seems to have a hangover of DCH here. Maybe, I would have called a similar performance by lesser actor, brilliant. But, I feel Madhavan walks away with the best role of all. Pretty smart move by him to sign this movie.

Go watch it, but please dont get carried away by the end.

Behram Contractor

Got 4 books of the "Round and About" collections by Behram Contractor a.k.a. Busybee, from the Strand Book Festival. Was hooked to the columns the moment I started reading them. The man truly loves (oops! loved!!) Bombay.

Every column of his is extremely simple, yet it easily conveys to the reader the complexity of this great megapolis. Busybee lovingly describes the sumptuous lunches he's had at the various restaurants that dot the city, the places where he's had a haircut for a rupee, the BEST buses he's travelled in, the cricket fever that gripped the city whenever Gavaskar and later, Tendulkar came in to bat in a Test. Mind you, these are not at all posh places. They are simple joints which you and me might well have visited as kids. In fact, I still visit some of the places he mentions, near my office (RBI HQ) in Fort.

Every page of his collections invokes mixed feelings in me. On one hand, there is pride that this city, however it may progress, shall never ever lose its spirit and charm. On the other hand, there is disappointment that I never read Busybee's columns when he actually wrote them. It would have been nice to live Bombay through his eyes. Hmm....maybe, it was meant to be this way. I guess I can now see a more modern aspect of Bombay. An aspect, I am sure, Busybee would have been proud to witness.

Strand Book Exhibition

Went last Sunday to the greatest book exhibition in Bombay. I certainly wasn't disappointed. The Strand lived up to its name. All sorts of books could be found. You just had to have the tenacity to look closely. Come to think of it....only a book lover can call anything related to the Strand, good. Just a couple of weeks ago, I had a discussion with my friend, RR regarding this. To know what I mean, you just need to visit their store once and you will understand.

The easiest thing to do would be to walk upto the manager and ask him for the book you want. But, I think its more fun to just go through their large collection and chance upon that dream book of yours suddenly, out of the blue. The reason for this is that their collection never seems to be sorted as per any particular category. They are just stored on the shelves, higgeldy-piggeldy. Now, this is not to point fingers at the store management in any way, no Siree. Its just that I like it that way. :-)

But now, look at the situation from the point of view of a person who reads books occasionally and visits the store to buy just that one particular book he wants, nothing else. Would he have the time to go through the entire collection of the store, just to find his book? In most cases, I think not. This is where behemoths like Crossword come in. The occasional reader I mentioned above can walk in over here and just ask the desk clerk for his book. Then, he either gets it within two minutes, or he doesn't get it at all. Simple!!!

That's why I feel that both types of bookstores are necessary in a city like Bombay. It allows the customer to exercise his choice. As for me, Strand wins hands down.

The Bombay Chronicles No. 7

Well...quite a long time since I last wrote a post here. That's because there has been nothing much of note happening here in office. The only good thing is that I only have to commute for 15 minutes, as opposed to the one hour I used to take earlier.

Work is beginning to get more and more hectic. The silver lining is that I go to office at a leisurely 1 pm. That suits me fine. I am slowly beginning to settle down into the daily office grind. Whew!!! Scary, but true!!!

Kalyug - A Review

Went to watch Kalyug with friends on Sunday. Nice and plain movie. The makers have made a commendable attempt to expose the porn mafia through the sob story of a simple youth living in Bombay. The guy finds his plain jane heroine and jet-sets for a honeymoon. Now, the trouble starts. Some pervert films our lead pair's passionate lovemaking and uploads the video onto a notorious site. Police come after the couple and the wife commits suicide partly out of shame and partly to avoid testifying against her husband. Then, our hero goes hammer and tongs after the villains.

The movie holds water only because it has a semblance of a story. The acting performances are nothing to write home about. Kunal Khemu, the child actor makes his debut as a hero but stays wooden throughout the film. Ashutosh Rana makes you hate him, but just about. Amrita Singh, as the porn mafia head, is good and carries off the role easily. However, the surprise package of the film is Emraan Hashmi. I never thought I would say this, but he provides the much needed humour in the grim film. The film would have been much more ordinary if he was not present.

Finally, the film works because it attempts to address such a pressing problem in today's world. The use of relatively unknown faces also adds to the realism. All in all, a decent effort.

The B Chronicles No. 7

It's been almost 3 weeks since I began working on a project. I still do not do any "work"! The project training is slated to go on till mid Jan. Then, hopefully, I will be able to do something so that my company can fleece its client. HeHe!!! I am currently posted at the client site at Fort. The client, being a Govt. organisation, I have to make a lot of adjustments for working here, as compared to my company's office. For one thing, gone are the posh environs where you could laze around with a cup of coffee in your hand all day. Gone is the shoe polishing machine, which helped me out by cutting out the routine of polishing my shoes, completely. Gone are the sparkling clean toilets and the funky phones and comp terminals.

Here, we sit on hard cane chairs, work on comps that are slower than my 5 yr old PC at home and yet handle 10 times as much data. Tea is available only between 3 and 5 in the afternoon and that too, on a coupon basis. Everyone seems to shout at each other and comp security is thrown out of the window. The iSecurity dept guys would have a fit if they saw this setup!!! The only good thing abt this place is that food is dirt cheap. You can get a complete veg meal for just Rs. 4.50!!!

But, it must be said that working at a client site is a completely different experience and I hope that I benefit from it. Until next time, then.

CIAO.

Back to Doordarshan???

Just yesterday, I read that the Hon'ble High Court of Bombay has banned the screening of non-U rated movies on cable TV. This includes the channels which beam these movies into our homes from abroad where the censor laws are not so strict. This means that even channels like Star Movies, HBO and Zee Studio will no longer be telecast by the local cable operator, and this time, its not his fault. Even the good Hindi movies which have a U/A certificate cannot be telecast on national TV.

Now where does this leave us? I, as an adult citizen of this country, certainly feel shortchanged as a result of this decision. I certainly do not want to be told what I should watch and what I shouldn't. This onus of making this decision should rest on my shoulders alone. As regards the argument that children may be adversely affected by the themes of the banned movies, GROW UP, YOUR HONOUR!!!!! Today, such movies are easily available in video parlours and the internet is an ever-burgeoning source of material that can even put adults to shame. If the children hailing from the rural or the economically backward sections of society cannot access these modern sources, they also cannot get access to a simple TV!!! Problem solved, isn't it?

Today, when the developed countries are becoming more liberal by giving Parental Guidance certificates to films that were once marked as Adult, we are going backwards by preventing the adults from watching films that they are perfectly capable of understanding. This, for me, is an insult of my intelligence as an average Indian adult.

Instead of taking such regressive measures to obtain short term solutions to problems, we should think of addressing them from a long term point of view. A legislation can be passed that makes it compulsory for cable TV to be routed through set top boxes which can provide access to adult certified programmes only with a password. This will surely help to make sure that the TV is not misused by kids in the absence of adults. Maybe this solution of mine is too feeble. But, I am sure that we Indians can think of some effective way of protecting our kids from adult material. We are not that bad, are we???

So, Your Honour, although your intentions may have been noble, the way to implement them that you have put forward is certainly not. Surely, you do not want to go back to the Doordarshan era or, maybe you do???!!!!

The B Chronicles No. 6

Today seems to be the best day in office. The reason for my thinking this, follows.

First, it started out as usual with a meeting being held in the recreation room so that it was closed to unemployed ppl like me, who love to spend most of their time there. So, 50 pages of Anne Frank later, RR and I decided to have an early lunch. Turns out that it was good we did. Moment we stepped out of the office premises to have a small post-lunch stroll, a guy from an Indica dealership offered me a test drive in the new Turbo Diesel. WOW!!!! He thought I actually needed an invitation to drive??? 5 min later, I stepped out of the car, feeling like a truck driver but, with a wide grin plastered over my face, nevertheless.

Then, MATC called RR and me and asked us to meet a GL of a banking project. He sent us to BKC for another interview and then, we were on board!!! I can finally say that I have some work after all!!! Champagne anyone??

The B Chronicles No. 5 (Contd...)

The B Chronicles No. 5

Started attending office since yesterday, after completion of AS/400 training. Its the same old story......We go to MATC, they make a plaintive face.....we return after 2-3 hours......they ask us to return the next day. Plus, since it's Learning Week, the Recreation Room has been converted into a mini lecture room for language training. That means that there is no TT or carrom this week!! :-(

So, the only recourse is to read a good book in the library. One can also spend a lot of time on the terrace. Since there aren't too many tall bldgs around in the vicinity, an excellent view is afforded. Plus, the sunsets can be beautifully captured from here. I am putting up some pics taken from the terrace here. They kinda show that whatever the case, be it even a beautiful sunset, nothing can stop this great city from moving forward.

Harry Potter and The Goblet of Fire - A Review

Went to watch HP4 with family today. Entertaining movie. It starts out well enough by sticking to the mysterious atmosphere created in the first chapter of the book by JKR. But, after around 5 minutes, you find that the movie begins to deviate from the story. Then, it becomes an interesting exercise trying to find the differences between the book and the movie. I enjoyed trying to predict what scene from the book would come next. Not recommended for those who hate improvisations over the original. The movie is based on the fourth book of the Harry Potter series, so commenting on the story would be futile.

The acting seems to be pretty good, though, I must admit that this is the first Potter movie that I have watched. All the three lead actors do a fine job of portraying the journey from childhood to adolescence. Radcliffe is credible as Harry, who has to balance the expectations of the entire wizarding world on his 14 yr old shoulders. Rupert Grint constantly wears a goofy expression on his face, which seems to have made him quite popular amongst the girls. Now, if only Ron Weasley could have such good fortune coming his way.....!!! Emma Watson has done a nice job of transforming herself from a sweet lass into a teenage pinup. I found her to be extremely good-looking in the movie, esp. in the ballroom scene. The supporting actors do their job admirably. The surprise package of the movie is Mad-Eye Moody. He infuses some fresh life into the movie whenever it begins to get a bit too serious.

All in all, a good package. Certainly recommended for the kid in you.

The B Chronicles No. 4

Long time since I last posted but there hasn't been anything much to say. In fact, there still isn't.

Started AS/400 training yesterday. Its an interesting technology and I sure hope its something useful to waste 12 whole working days on. The good thing about this course is that the instructor is an extremely chilled out guy who gives us our space and yet manages to teach. A very helpful chap, indeed!! Plus, there is lunch for 12 days in a 3 star hotel. Granted, its veg, but its still very tasty.

The others from ILP who are not from Bombay are slowly adjusting to life here. It is sometimes scary for them, but I am sure they will manage. The only thing that irritates me is that the North Indians have not left behind their pompous attitude back home. For them, the most striking feature of Bombay is the abundance of small cars. "Hamare yahan to Skoddda, Mersideees jaisi gaddiyan to jagah jagah dikhti hain. Yahan to ek bhi nahin dekhi!!!" Dudes, ever heard of a Porsche before? Aww....forget it, I wouldn't expect those guys to know!!!

The B Chronicles No. 3

Ah....finally!!! My company seems to have found something for me. I am supposed to start training for AS400 next Monday. Lets hope this leads to something concrete (pun intended ;-) !!! )

In the meanwhile, the MATC person deputed to look after our allocations somehow reminds me of one of our faculty at Bhubaneswar. The same helpful nature, the same perenially confused look, the same desire to accomplish n number of things in one go. Hey AM(from my company), you seem to have found yourself an apt partner in the company. How I wish you two worked together....it would be simply hilarious.

More about the training in the next post.

The B Chronicles No. 2

Went to SEEPZ today in search of the MATC guy. He told all of us to go to Akruti. There we spent the first half of the day reading newspapers, magazines, staring at planes taking off from the airport etc. Lunch time was fun. Met many Compsy guys from college. It seems even they have nothing to do. Good for RR and me. I mean its psychologically satisfying to see others not working. It kinda makes you feel less guilty about your lack of work!!

The latter part of the day was spent in playing TT. I have not played the game for almost 3 years. Got to shake off the rustiness. Some guys here play like real pros. It seems many ppl here have either no work or very little work to do.

Garam Masala - A Review

Two cool dudes, lots of chicks, exotic locales and Priyadarshan+Paresh Rawal. Sounds nice, doesn't it? That's why I went to watch the night show of Garam Masala on Friday.

Movie starts off well with a nice catchy song and some gorgeous phirangi babes. Of course, there are Akki and John for company (;-) at the girls!!). However, one thing strikes you right from the beginning. Where is the goddamn story??? All that we can figure out is that Akki is a photographer and John is his assistant. Their roles somehow get swapped and now Akki has ego problems. To top it all, he begins to date 3 airhostesses (or airheads?), with different palates, at the same time. Enter the grumpy cook (Paresh Rawal). Cook manages to piss off all 3 airheads with the wrong cuisines. A lot of confusing moments later, the movie ends.

Of all the actors, Akki stands out. He is now beginning to deliver comic scenes very effectively, and it sure is a pleasure to watch him. John Abraham looks genuinely confused in some scenes but, most of the time, he manages to put on a very convincing impression of a dumbfounded monkey, who has not seen a razor in his lifetime!!! Paresh Rawal is, expectedly, brilliant. But, one gets the feeling that he is wasted in this role. Rajpal Yadav again plays Rajpal Yadav (Ho Hum!!). We also have Rimi Sen and Asrani in "blink-and-you-will-miss-it" roles. What a waste!!!

Corny jokes are liberally spread throughout the movie. One certainly feels that the movie could have been handled in a better way, especially considering that there was Priyadarshan at the helm. But then, the movie has its plus points. It moves at quite a clip. Plus, you at least feel like laughing at the silly jokes. And then, there are the girls to ogle at!!! (Sorry, girls!! I am human!)

All in all, timepass, but no substance. A strict one-time watch. Definitely not a Hera-Pheri. One word of caution to all the kaamwali bais in Bombay. Your jobs are now threatened by the multi-tasking airhostesses of Mauritius!!! Aaargh!!!

The B Chronicles No. 1

Report to Bombay branch at xxxxxx address on 31st Oct, 2005, said the transfer letter. The "show" began at 0930 hrs sharp. Some 10 presentations, a veggie lunch and a couple o' cups of tea later, we were done. The difference?? I began to love my bed at home even more!!! Presentations by various depts and GLs of imp projects!!!!???? Couldn't they think of something better than that? Gimme a break!!!

After all this, we came to know that our allocations were not yet done. Wow, what a won-derrr-fullll day it was!!! The only silver lining?? We don't need to report until next Monday. Happy Diwali to me!!!!

Sumo Speaks from Bombay

Had a lot of problems trying to get connected to the net throughout this week. Conversion from Dial up to Tri Band. Looks like it'll be another week before I get a proper connection. And this time, I am really anxious coz I will be paying for it!!! ;-)

Had a pretty uneventful flight back to Bombay. That is uneventful, if you can ignore the fact that I almost slept over my lunch, spilled coffee over my pants and, as a grand finale, sat back nursing a throbbing nerve in my temple, just as the plane was about to land!!! Pretty commonplace for me, I must say.

Having reached here, the first thing I did was sleep. And then, I slept again, and then some more! Finally, when I decided that I had rested enough, it was Sunday. And what does one do on Sundays? Of course, SLEEP!!!! :-D

Had to report for work on Monday, but then, that comes in the B Chronicles. Until later, CIAO.

Chronicle No. 29

Feels strange to write this blog today. Hardly any time has passed since I whined about this place and the lack of facilities. But, I dont think I have wasted time out here. Staying here was an enriching experience, one which I can never forget.

However, this experience now has to come to an end. The time has come to bid goodbye to the ILP. Adieu TCS Villa, adieu KIIT.

This is Sumo from BBSR, signing off!!!

Chronicle No. 28

Phew!! Project finally over!! Gave the project demo today. T'was OK, considering the fact that we were doing such a thing for the first time. The tester found quite a few errors and pointed out a few cases we had not considered. All in all, it was a good experience, and I am sure we all learnt something from it.
End terms exams were held today. They were quite alright. Lets hope I can do better than last time. Unfortunately, instinct tells me that the possibility of that happening is very bleak!!! Well, at least, the tension is over. Thank God for that!!

Chronicle No. 27

I have hardly had time to blog in the past week. Its project time, baby!!! Of course, the fact that I am doing the seemingly easiest work of all, is a different matter, altogether. ;-) Actually, I am in charge of the front end ie. the webpages and their links to Java programs. The other project members are handling the back end part. We seem to be functioning very nicely in this manner and I dont see why we should change this policy until the end of the project next week.

Notice for the dreaded end terms was put up yesterday. Monday is the D-Day. This time, we will be tested in all the subjects we have done in the ILP so far. Guess, that puts a lid on the enjoyment we had planned for Sat and Sun.

Today, we have a full day of Life Skills classes. Inter-personal Skills & Team Development (IS&TD) is the subject name. It is said that this subject has lots of practical exercises. Let's see. We shall soon find out.

Its the fourth day since the new batch of inductees joined the ILP here on 17th. All of a sudden, the food in the canteen is better, there is background music (tho' silence sounds much better, given the music they play!!!) and the buses (Surprise!!! Surprise!!!) are on time. WOW!!! Just because their batch has a few good looking girls, the management has suddenly turned very co-operative. BTW, there ARE quite a few good-looking females in their batch, no kidding!!! As per VRS' observation, most of them have, what he calls "child-bearing hips"!!! LMAO!!!! ROTFL!!!! :-D But, it sure is nice to have better auxillary services in your last week in this place. Plus, there are always the girls to see!!!! ;-)

Chronicle No. 26

Hardcore project work starts tomorrow!!! Gotta read up on JSP and Core Java. Front end interfaces almost over. Yaay!!!

Chronicle No. 25

Its been a really long weekend and it is with a very heavy heart that I return to office. Somehow, 4 days of holiday make you really lazy. Enjoyed a lot with Mom and Dad during the hols. Went to Puri, Konark and Chilka. All visits were memorable and I shall sure remember them for a long time. For the first time, I saw a spotlessly clean beach with a blue sea. The sea at Bombay looks so black!!! Puri was simply amazing. Konark's single offering - The Sun Temple was breathtaking. The carvings were so intricate that one wonders how many years it must have taken those artisans to complete the temple. I really admire their patience.

Got GPS, thats Good Programming Skills class today. And then, its back to WC. Sigh!!!!

Chronicle No. 24

Feels so quiet here in office here today. All the Comps guys have left for their resp. centres and now, its only 3 batches of NCS guys. 3 weeks more!!!! I am striking off the days as they fly by.

Only 3 sessions out of the regular four today. Yaay!! The last session has been given free so that the participants can go to their resp. homes if they wish to, for the Puja holidays. 4 whole days of bliss stretched out in front of me......Wow!!! Plus, Mom and Dad will be here today, so thats gonna be double the fun. Plans on the anvil to visit Puri, Konark, Chilka, Udaygiri-Dhaulagiri. I am certainly gonna be daydreaming in class today!!

Java is now nearing an end. Our project's final phase will start on Thursday. Lets hope we are able to impress the assessing committee.

Chronicle No. 23

Today, the Comps batches had their final day. Watching them go, I felt really depressed that I still had another 3 weeks to go before I went home. Anyway, I suppose this time will also pass like the time gone by. We had 2 lab sessions today so it was not boring at all. I hope we have many more such days.

We have 4 consecutive days of Puja holidays starting Sunday. Mom and Dad are coming here for a holiday tomorrow so I will be having a kind of mini vacation within the ILP. At least, its the next best thing to going home.

Spending on the air ticket has left me with practically no salary. Hope, I am in a better situation next month. Here's to that thought!!!

Chronicle No. 22

Got my allocation yesterday. Thankfully, I am allocated to the Bombay branch. Will be leaving for Bombay on the 28th. The only problem is that they have asked us to report to work on the 31st. They could have at least waited for Diwali to get over!! Anyway, something is better than nothing.

Have been working on 3rd project deliverable now. Submission is on Saturday morning. Like always, I think it will be done. ;-)

Now, its Java Java Java all the way. The only change in the day is the EC lecture. That is really refreshing, considering that one can actually die out of boredom if one sits continuously for the tech. lectures!!!

Chronicle No. 21

Filled out my preferred locations for allocation. Hope I get Bombay. Will get to know tomorrow, at the earliest. Till then, its back to work for me. I have a Japanese test in a few minutes from now. Dont know how I will fare, considering that we got less than 24 hours notice for this test. It seems that our sensei is extremely confident that we will do well in the test.

JAVA before the test. Its going to be an extremely hectic week what with us having to write a small skit for EC and there's also the next project deliverable. Phew!!!

Chronicle No. 20

Was very busy for the past 3 days and thats why I couldnt blog. The quiz VRS and I had organised was a success. Thankfully, the quality of the questions was appreciated. Finally, what makes me happy is that all those who were present were not bored and we had a good time.

VRS and I went for a local quiz here on Sunday. Unfortunately, it was not our day and we could not get into the finals. However, the winner of our quiz got through and eventually came fourth. The good thing was that we tied with a rival company and did not let them get on top of us.

Got OOAD/UML today. Once thats done, we will have our next deliverable waiting. Looks like the 4 day holiday is not going to be a good one, as I feared. I am hoping for the best.

Chronicle No. 19

Had a hectic day yesterday, what with all the classes to attend and the quiz to prepare. We started off with OOC. That was taught by a very nice looking half-Bong, half-Russian female from the Kolkata branch of the company. She taught quite well, actually. It was not mentally taxing to sit for her lectures as was the case with the other visiting faculty. Then, came Japanese and Life Skills. One bombshell dropped during Jap class. Jap viva is on Monday. Its study time once again!!!

Dont know how I will complete the quiz with VRS. The situation calls for some serious multitasking. I got to get back to the quizzing now.

CIAO.

Chronicle No. 18

Got my mid term results yesterday. I scored 3-5-3. Thats Tech-LifeSkills-Overall. Grades out of 5 each. Guess, I could have done better than 3 in Tech but I dont think the system is flawed. I mean, I deserve what I got. RR got 3, and surprisingly, VRS got 2. I guess all the SPCE guys continue getting 3, for that was the case in Coimbatore with the rest of our gang too.

We start with the actual Comps stuff today. 3 sessions of GUI and one of Effective Communication. Lets hope at least this stuff is taught well. I would like to design a really nice interface for my project.

Preparations for VRS and my quiz are in full swing. Sometimes, we think that it may be impossible to get enough questions ready in time for the quiz. But, I think we will be ready on D-day. Promise to put up a few questions out here.

Chronicle No. 17

Made good use of the holiday yesterday. First, it was sleep then, a late breakfast. Lunch was at the tasteless joint that is our canteen. Went for a movie after that. "Chocolate" was good (read review in next post).

Then, time for the quiz preparation. We managed to make up the Elims questions in the short time provided to us. We will have to research for the Finals questions during this week. Hope the event is a success.

Dont know today's schedule yet. Will have to find out and then adjust the quiz preps as per that.

Chocolate - A Review

Went to watch Chocolate in the local movie theatre yesterday. It's a story about a group of friends who go about evading the law with innovative moves that leave one spellbound, albeit temporarily. They are unwittingly helped by a lawyer to go scot free. All in all, the movie is completely a game of wits.

The movie starts off well. The movie has a taut feel to it. Never does one feel bored in the movie. However, the narration is jerky and right until the very end, the viewer may find it difficult to understand what is going on. There are a few unexplained points, as well, but then, all in all, its a good effort.

Performance-wise, Anil Kapoor as the eccetric lawyer steals the show. His every move exudes an intriguing sense of style. He displays a variety of qualities, which makes his character a pleasure to watch. Of the five friends, Irrfan Khan and Suniel Shetty do a credible job. Suniel Shetty exudes menace in just the right amounts and Irrfan is too good when it comes to portraying a brooding character. Arshad Warsi is, as usual, bankabla with perfect comic timing. He also puts in an earnest histrionic performance. Emraan Hashmi has broken his uninterrupted run of smooching his heriones in every movie. This one, in fact, has his character yearning to find a girl. Tanushree Dutta seems to be there just for the eye candy. Already, in her first two films, her characters have been sleazy. She should be careful, else she will also be typecast in the Neha Dhupia mould. Oh, and yes, some acting classes are surely recommended!!

No particular individual stellar performances, as such, but put together, the movie gels wells. Go, watch it!!!

Chronicle No. 16

Phew! Finally, I have finished with my midterms. T'was a good exam and I feel that I have done well but one never knows the right answers out here. All the options sound right. I hope that the people who correct my paper think like me, else I am done for!!!

Didnt do anything significant during the day after the exam. Had a bit of testing, but the faculty seemed bored so he left us early. I took advantage of the opportunity to catch 40 winks. ;-) After all, school students do need to sleep for 6-8 hours, dont they??!!!

Japanese, as always, was fun. The Japanese songs the faculty plays for us are funny to listen to, but their music is quite lively. All in all, its a good way to ease the mental stress that develops due to the Tech classes.

Chronicle No. 15

That's it!!! Less than 24 hours left for my midterms. Now, its officially time to panic!!! Actually, I am hoping it wont be as bad as engg. We had a review session taken by a Trivandrum faculty today and it was really nice. He cleared quite a few doubts I had and now, I am beginning to feel a wee bit more confident. I am hoping for the best.

Had a chat with the ILP centre co-ordinator, D today. She has given me and VRS permission to conduct a quiz here next week. Yaay!!! VRS is from BITS Pilani. He is also a UC semi-finalist. Hope the event will elicit a generous response. The other thing D told me was that I neednt be very happy even if I got a Bombay base branch posting. That's coz a lot of cities come under the base branch and I could be even sent to a place like Bangalore. Well, I sure hope not!!! MATC, my future is now in your hands!!!

Chronicle No. 14

Got some good news today. Our midterms have been postponed to Saturday. That's a whole 24 hours extra time!!! There is a God after all!!!

Had Testing today. Same faculty as SDO. Bored chap, gonna go to Deutscheland soon. Comes in 15 min late, "teaches" for 15 min and then, we have to sit in the class for an eternity before we are "authorised" to get out!!! When did I ever get out of college?? No, wait!!! I left college and got back to school!!! Yes, that must be it!!!

WC was boring as usual. Different tones of writing. That' all. Ho Hum!!!!

Chronicle No. 13

An unusual day today. Only one scheduled lecture!!!! Actually, the problem was that the faculty was not feeling well and hence, had to take the day off. That gave us plenty of time to complete our second deliverable of the project.

We had our first session of Technical Writing today. It was strictly OK. Personally, I feel that life skills sessions should be more fun. Just sitting and listening to how stupid letters must be written is like visiting college all over again. Believe me, its really frustrating!!!

The last session was an impromptu French session. The French faculty was very nice and it was good revising La langue belle!!! I have spoken to the ILP co-ordinator here and she is willing to let us have extra French sessions after hours. Lets hope that this works out.

Chronicle No. 12

Had the second consecutive of DBMS today. As expected, boring!!!! These faculty will make good parents. I mean they are soooo good at singing lullabies that their children will never have any problems sleeping. An instant sleeping pill anyone???

The day ended with Japanese. T'was a nice session and we got the results of our first class quiz. Thankfully, I did pretty well. Hmm....thats "Arigatou Gozaimashta" to "Matsuimoto Sensei"!!! (BTW, all are free to try their hands at translation in the comments section at the bottom of this post.) It seems that we have to answer a quiz at the beginning of every session of Japanese, henceforth. Guess, that's the only way we will "condescend" to revise the previous session's work!!!

We have Testing tomorrow, and we start with Written Communication & Effective Technical Writing. Why do I feel as if I never left college??

Salaam Namaste

Went to see Salaam Namaste in a theatre called Maharaja in the main city. Dolby stereo sound et al. Price?? An incredible 20 bucks for balcony!!! I couldnt believe my eyes.

The movie starts off quite well with the narrative building on the interactions (live and via media) between an RJ and a chef. As expected, they meet, like each other, fall in love. Then, the unthinkable happens!!! The guy asks the girl to live with him so that they can test out their compatibility. Girl agrees, they move in together, have fun, and screw all over the place. So far so good.

Then, comes the bombshell. RJ is preggers and our chef freaks out. A false abortion later, the convo leads to the usual "Where is this going?" talk. The only problem is that our chef doesnt wanna marry. Oops, wrong decision!!! RJ breaks up and continues to live with him!!! Some long drawn minutes later, chef realises his "mistake" and proposes marriage to RJ and they live happily ever after. Sniff, soooo touching!!!

The movie seems to be trying to convey a very pertinent message in today's world. It tries to show live-in relationships in a more acceptable light. However, the movie loses its track after the interval. Too many complications are introduced in the form of the RJ's friend and a blonde who befriends our chef. Even the chef's principles seem to be skewed. After resisting marriage for so long, his resolve suddenly changes when he sees the sonographic image of his unborn child!!! How's that for fickle-mindedness? And as usual, in the ending, the RJ and the chef agree to marry and live happily ever after. Acc. to me, a better ending would have been the case where the RJ rejects the chef's proposal for marriage and goes her own way. Maybe, the chef can be her child's father but, he can never be her husband. But, I guess it takes guts to make such a movie.

Performance-wise Preity Zinta is OK. Her cute looks pep up the first half, but she certainly deserves to be hidden in the second half, even if you consider the pregnancy of her character. I feel an actress like Rani Mukherji would have been a better choice for this role. Saif seems to be improving with every movie. His comic timing is perfect and you can feel his anguish in the serious confrontational scenes. However, he must take on a greater variety of roles, or he stands the risk of being typecast. The character played by Javed Jaffery is avoidable and can grate on your nerves. He tries to imitate Feroz Khan and fails miserably. He kinda reminds me of ARK!!!! And whats with Abhishek Bachchan as the bumbling doc?? Almost the entire scene seems to be copied from F.R.I.E.N.D.S.' s Rachel pregnancy!! AB jr would do better to concentrate on the more serious movies. C'mon, he has all the chicks after him, hasnt he?

Chronicle No. 11

Had an OK weekend. Went to watch Salaam Namaste in the city on Sat. Then, it was the mall for us. We had a nice time simply going around the place and soaking in the crowded atmosphere.Finally, it was feeling like home. Dinner in the Food Court above the mall was nice and we felt like we had FOOD!!!

Yesterday was, however, a dampener. It rained throughout the day with great gusts of wind for company. It was next to impossible to get out of the villa. At least we managed to get out for lunch. Otherwise, it was a very boring day and we spent most of it playing cards.

Today, it was back to business, as usual. T'was the last session of PG&E. Then, we had three continuous sessions of DBMS. Again, the faculty was someone from the bench, who had no prior experience of teaching. I dont know when these guys will start giving us trained faculty so that we can actually learn something.

On Friday, we got to know about our secret friends. Turns out that mine was a girl!!! I was also writing for a girl!! I ended up getting a Reynold's Metallix pen for my efforts. Neat deal, isnt it??

Chronicle No. 10

Managed to finish half of the project deliverable due on Saturday. Feeling very sleepy now. Thankfully, there is a PG&E class in the second session. That will liven up things a bit. Today, we will be getting to know the identity of our secret friend, after a whole 5 days of suspense. Lets see who is mine. Will certainly mention him/her over here once I get to know.

The other 3 sessions are all SDO. The guy who's supposed to teach us is treating it as an informal interaction session. One thing's certain, though. I still dont feel as if I am out of college. The only silver lining is that SPCE has trained me to take on anything head on.

Chronicle No. 9

Had three sessions of Systems Design Overview today. Then, it was time for Japanese. Its an extremely confusing language, especially because it has its own script. thankfully, they are not teaching us the script. As regards SDO, the guy was simply not made to teach. He spent most of the time narrating his experiences in the company. That made the sessions interesting. Else, it was simply back to college.

We finally managed to register our accounts with the company server. Now, I hope they will not have any problems in crediting my salary to my account. I am certainly keeping my fingers crossed.

I will have to sit up at night today. Gotta to meet a Saturday deadline. SPCE revisited!!!!

Chronicle No. 8

Got a call from S yesterday. T'was nice to talk to him after such a long time. We caught up on the good times and yapped on like the days of yore. He's invited me to visit him in Calcutta after my ILP gets over. I shall certainly be considering the invitation.

Got SDO classes now. God knows what that thing has in store for us now. I guess I will just have to wait and find out. I also have Japanese in the end. The worst part abt Japanese is that you are expected to bow down low, and that can be extremely irritating, esp. to a lazy guy like me. Good thing is that its only for 15 sessions in all, and we dont have to learn the Japanese script.

Gotta go for classes now.

Chronicle No. 7

Got my employee no and bank documents yesterday. Now, I have a full-fledged salary account. The only problem is that there is no salary in it!!!

The axe has finally fallen on our plans for merriment. Today, we had our first project work meeting. We have to design a software for a Software firm!!! Can you believe it?? First submission deadline is Saturday, the next being Monday. I can still remember waving goodbye to my glorious Sunday, as it floated out of the window!!! Guess, I will have to get used to all this.

In the beginning, when I got here, there were very few people who wanted to go to Bombay. But, as the days pass, I find that this number is steadily increasing. Even today, when I am introduced to a new colleague, the dialogue goes something like this.

Other Guy : Hi, I am xxxxxxx from xxxxxxx, xxxxxx(mostly Calcutta here).

Me : Hi, I am Sumedh from SPCE, Bombay

Other Guy : Oh you are from Bombay?? Where in Bombay??

Its as if those guys know every inch of the place. And the other question me or RR often get is "Have you seen any filmstar/shooting in Bombay??" Oh come on, gimme a break!!! I would rather catch the 7:53 Virar fast rather than watch some stupid filmstar give 50 takes to get a simple scene right!!!! The guys from Calcutta seem to looooove their city, and are vehement supporters of Dada. The guys from Delhi are extremely snootish, however. But, all that attitude changes when you give your place of origin!! Its as if there's Bombay and there's the Rest of India!!! Hmmm......sad, isnt it???

Chronicle No. 6

ILP seems to have started off completely now. We have just submitted 2
assignments, and things are beginning to get hot. Deadlines have to be
met and unfortunately, they are not flexible any more. Also, the hours
of sleep we get out here are dwindling steadily. Well, in that sense,
I am thankful for all those stupid drawing sheets and assignments
given to us by our @#$%# profs. At least, they have taught me to stay
up at unearthly hours and go for days together with low amounts of
sleep.

Bombay seems to be in the grip of some more heavy rainfall. It makes
me homesick to watch the news on TV about the floods in Bombay, or the
fire in Jaslok. Nothing ever seems to happen out here. The only hip
crowd here seems to be the cows. They seem to occupy every inch of the
road. I certainly wouldnt like to drive out here. Coming from me, that
is really something!!! ;-)

Had to get up at 5:30 in the morning to get here to write this post. I
hate the morning net slots. Thankfully, we will be back to the evening
slots next week.

Chronicle No. 5

Had a gruelling 3 in 1 session of Requirements Engg today. We were supposedly taught by some esteemed faculty who had been specially brought in from Chennai!!! All she did was to ask us to read from the meagre handouts and explain the concepts ourselves. The only thing we learnt from the session was how to make the Data Flow Diagrams. That was mainly due to the threat of a deadline issued to us by the faculty. ;-) Guess nothing else will make us work that hard. HeHe!!!

We also had a Personal Grooming and Etiquette session today. That was very interesting. It kinda livened us up, especially after we had woken up to a very gloomy day, full of rain, complete with sound effects. Guess, I AM going to experience the mandatory cyclone before I leave this place for good, after all!!! Anyway, back to PG&E. It was a very nice and introspective session. However, the presentations reminded me of the tacky apparel ads often seen on the local cable channel. Hmm....guess you cant have your cake and eat it too!!!

Nice lunch today. Fried fish!!! Yummy!!! Although it was Rohu, which I am not exactly used to, I certainly didnt mind. It was a nice change after 2 whole days of tasteless, veg. food. Chicken Biryani awaits me now for dinner. :-D

Tomorrow's a working day. Will have to get up early in the morning again. The very thought of that makes me sick!!! Lets hope tomorrow will be a more interesting day.

Chronicle No. 4

Had a long session on CO today. Was taught by the same chap who taught UNIX. Lets call him ARB. His priceless quote during the UNIX session - "I have not worked much with Windows and I dont know much of UNIX!!!" Today, too, it was the same situation. He was supposed to come and teach us CO but ended up learning a lot about the way a CRT functions from the participants. For him the rest was all "cryapppp"!!!

We had gone in a group to the Nandankanan zoo yesterday, coz it was a holiday for Ganesh Puja. Huuuge place that. Langoors line the road at every corner, waiting to pounce on the edible assets of some unsuspecting passerby. The biggest attraction there was the tiger. Both varieties were bred there and mind you, they were big. The white tiger was the biggest of the lot and we got quite a visual treat when we got to watch him bathe in the heavy rain that has been lashing this place for the past couple of days. Unfortunately, I could not capture it on film for posterity, lest the rain ruin my camera. Oh, what a waste!!!

It seems we are to learn Japanese. The two batches after mine get to learn French. I would have dearly loved to revise French and see if HC had done a good job in training us in school. Well, you cant have everything.....lets hope that they will at least put me in Bombay for my posting.

We will be having these internet sessions every evening till the 10th. Hope to be able to blog regularly until then.

Chronicle No. 3 ( on an IBM ThinkPad) :-D

Had the first net session today. We have been allotted individual IBM ThinkPads and they are extremely good. Feels good to work out here. Am slowly getting used to Bhubaneswar. Its a nice enough place if you decide that you are not going to expect any facilities out here.

Had Systems Approach to Consultancy Lecs today. For the first time, I was interested throughout the lecture. It mostly preached about how you should uphold the squeaky clean image of the company ....Blah!! Blah!!! But it was good!! :-)

Got nothing more to say. The only thing I dont like out here is the company policy of wearing ties on weekdays. It can get very hot out here in Bhubaneswar and there is also the humidity. Hope the weather gets better in October. The locals say that it gets very cold towards Oct end.

Lots of Bongs out here. It seems that the official first language of the ILP here is Bangla. Kinda reminds me of the conversations between S, R and A during those golden days. Sigh....those were the days!!!

Chronicle No. 2

Here goes my first Sunday in this God-forsaken place that is Bhubaneswar. Actually, I don't mean to be demeaning to the place or anything but, home feels sooo much better!! Well, whatever, I HAVE to spend 2 months out here, so might as well, enjoy the place.

The training has started off completely now. We have done a bit of UNIX, which will be wound up tomorrow. I guess I must thank PHS for making us do our C programming in UNIX. That has really helped me a lot. Hmm....must message him tomorrow for Teacher's Day. In addition to the Comps stuff, they are teaching us "Soft Skills". Its like going back to school!!! They teach you how to talk, eat etc. They are even teaching us a foreign language. The only problem is that the workplace is about 1.5km from our villas and the buses are available only at odd timings. No bus=1.5 km walk in the hot sun/dark, unlit road strewn with cowdung. How very romantic!!!

Went to the old city today to see the Lingaraj Temple. Lovely structure. It's indeed a Civil Engg. marvel. The carving on the main dome is extremely intricate and goes right up to the top, which is around 12 floors away from the ground. The temple complex has 1001 temples inside it!!! Loved the architecture and got quite a few good pics. Then, we went to see the Orissa State Museum. Nice small place. The only thing interesting are the small stone sculptures they have sourced from Orissa and Bihar. Extremely beautiful carvings. Definitely worth a dekko.

Well, I hope JD awakens from his slumber on Sundays to condescend to write something. And, I hope I never sail in the same boat as him. Me and not checking mail for more than a week?? Aaargh!!!