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Watched Paa.

Pretty balanced performances by all the actors..

Only the end was a little dramatic (a wedding can happen by going around a hospital bed only in bollywood)

Freezed to death while returning home.

Somebody please realize I'm a poor little kid.

Please donate an Avatar (3D) ticket and bring joy in my life this New Year.

Waiting for somebody to reach out :)

Oh btw, there are four other souls like me.

You can help them too.

But I'm the most impoverished one.

I know for sure Part 2

I know for sure that..

I'm gonna die due to a series of mini heart-attacks, experienced over the next 20 years.

My best friend and I will end up talking each other out of our respective "loser" phases.

I suck at Chess.

Some rubik's cubes don't have solutions, and they seem to be all around me.

I can't wear my mask of sarcasm for more than hour.

Discussing Indian politics, education system, and bureaucracy is not good for my health. But I'm addicted.

On the brighter side, I know for sure that..

There is always be some one to catch when I fall.

A few good people will always be there for a noble cause.

My central nervous system doesn't give up on a problem even if I try to.

When I can't afford coffee, I can survive on Tea :) (as long as there is a good book or good conversation)

Cogito Ergo Sum

Logic Vs Emotions

A few days ago I read an article about Bajaj Auto. The MD of the company, Rajiv Bajaj announced that 'Scooter' manufacturing would be stopped by the end of this fiscal year. Rahul Bajaj - the company's chairman and Rajiv's father stated that he was "hurt" by the decision to pull out the Bajaj scooter. He said that he remained unconvinced by his son's decision.

Rajiv Bajaj (the son) replied back saying that solutions should be based on logic rather than emotions. I couldn't helping musing over this. Dint he sound like one of us? - Those who believe that business is all about logic and making money for the stakeholders.

I wouldn't support the father's view about not pulling out the Bajaj Scooter.

But, I know that the Bajaj Chetak is an object of nostalgia for most of us. My father took me to school for 10 years on a Bajaj Chetak. The number of games I played around it with my sister! Then, there is the "Hamara Bajaj" campaign, with the national integrity theme :)

(A tit bit - My dad once told me that Bajaj Chetaks were booked six months in advance. People even bought them in black market!!)

How can I forget them?

But it's time to say good bye to the scooter. Who wants to drive the scooter in times of Bajaj Pulsars - 220 cc ?

The young MD may be right. But nevertheless the old wise man can't let go.

At the end of the day, logic seems to win over emotion.

But if real good logic is gonna prevail at Bajaj Auto, hopefully they will come back with a new Scooter to compete with TVS's Scooty and Honda's Activa :)

Let's wait and watch.

Another random event which got me thinking about logic and emotions:

A nurse in Mumbai was pronounced brain dead in 1973 after she was raped by a hospital sweeper. Her rapist tied a dog chain around her neck, which led to cervical chord and brain stem damage. For the last 36 years she is being force fed twice a day by the nurses, who really don't care what goes in.

According to medical reports, her fingers, wrists and ankles are twisted and her teeth have decayed over the years. Her friend filed a petition to allow mercy killing.

The Supreme court judges asked the plaintiff lawyer - "Is this plea same as euthanasia ?" (Logically the answer would be "yes". But, Indian law states that mercy killing is illegal. So if the answer to this question is "yes", the lawyer will have nothing else to say)

He countered this question with some thing on the lines of "Isn't force feeding her for the last 36 years a violation of her right to live with dignity guaranteed by the article 21?" (Bravo!)

The panel of judges - "Do you mean the right to life includes the right to die?"

Again a yes or no answer would only add trouble.

The lawyer countered this - "She is going through torture. Shouldn't the medical authorities be activated to do some thing? Shouldn't some guidelines be laid down in such cases?"

The Indian panel of judges have decided to put aside their previous position on this issue and examine the merits of the plea - FOR THE FIRST TIME.

Many of you might wonder what's the connection between both these incidents.

I just wanted to point out that - Real, world changing decisions are never based on pure logic alone.

Or another way of saying this, for the benefit of the rational thinkers among us - Logic devoid of emotions at its core would never amount to much.

Mad at the world

missed lunch,
have a headache coming up,
created a mailer which was pending for 3 days,
tried like hell to catch up with every pending call,
had a bad dinner,
can't fall asleep,
can't stop thinking,
can't relax,
2 books to complete, 4 to start,
pages to write,
thoughts and ideas to analyze,
so much left to do,
bills to pay,
mad at the world in general..

and to top it all.. you just have to browse a couple of pages, read the news to see how little you've achieved..

Sound sleep is not an option with the world at stake.. Where is my bullet proof armour??
I should relax and first find it..

10 Things to do in Kolkata

I know it's almost a month since I visited Kolkata. My ambitious project of a set of blog entries for each day will only be an overkill (to me and more importantly to the readers)

So, let's just cut it down to 10 things to do (I love "things to do" lists)

1. Use the Metro (where ever u go!)

2. Visit the Victoria Memorial (try to do it in the evening)

3. Visit the Saint Cathedral's church

4. Shop at Park Street, Esplanade, Gariahat

5. Visit the Kali Temple (Escape all those people who offer a Puja, and rob you!)

6. Enjoy a breakfast at Flury's ( Preferably on a week day. On the weekend you have to wait an hour for a table)

6. Visit the Howrah bridge at night, take a ferry ride at one of the Ghats

7. Take the Tram.

8. Enjoy Rasgullas

9. Eat road side food - fish fries, momos (anything you can get your hands on)

10. Visit Chinatown, Tangra - Roam around, Eat authentic chinese food

(The last 3 things are about food ..LOL!)

Generating Trust

Yet again, something which happened in one corner of the world has re-iterated the value of Trust.

Tiger Woods' infidelity admissions and disclosures and their affects offer us lessons in trust, ethics, salability and branding too.

In times of market recession, share market plunge, housing bubble burst and huge job losses, generating trust is difficult- yet very important.

Brands and their Ambassadors

Why do multi-national companies and big brands have larger than life sportsmen, film stars as brand-ambassadors?

Isn't it to cash in on their personal charisma, out of the world success stories and hard working, honest, committed bright shiny faces?

nonsensical ramblings

All those perfect moments only happen in my head.

I wake up and see, Happiness is hanging on a thread.

A thousand voices scream all around.

one silent soul wants to be found.

Can't get enough of this mad race..

and I forgot what to chase..

What does it mean to let go?

running along, giving up or taking it slow?

I can breathe and think

but is it good enough not to sink?

Separate state

Politician #1 won the elections and got killed in a chopper crash

Politician #2 fasted for 11 days (of course on Saline!.. duh?!) for a separate state.

Politician #3 promised a separate state if he won the election (which he dint)

Now The high command introduces a bill for a separate state in the assembly.

After 12 hours of trying to decipher the high command's move, chaos unfolds...

96 MLAs submit resignations. 43 MLAs of politician #1's party resign, against the will of the high command.

Activists and students supporting Politician #2

Kolkata Day1 Part2

Telling that my visit to Victoria memorial was mind blowing would be a lie.

But the place has one of the most impressive collection of Indian landscapes created during the British Raj period. The artists are Thomas Daniell and his nephew William Daniell. The views of Calcutta(a collection of 12 paintings) and other landscape of places in India are truly breath taking.

The only hitch -

Day 1 Kolkata

After a good night's sleep, I wake up to a cold, breezy day.

Our rooms were on the 7th floor. Watching a fog covered city with a cup of coffee to wake your senses up has a simple charm of its own.

The thought that finally after a very long hiatus, I was going to watch that long forgotten traveller in me peep out and explore things put a smile on my face.

A power breakfast and I sit down with my friend to take my daily dose of instructions, which continue for the next three days.

Hyderabad to Kolkata flight

I had a wonderful, fun-filled, interesting and colorful trip to Kolkata very recently.

So, to start off, a very close friend of mine was getting married ... uh!.. ok!.. yippee.. I was excited - not about the marriage part - but definitely about watching a Bengali wedding and visiting Kolkata.

So I booked my tickets 2 months in advance. I had tons of work before I left. It was a well deserved vacation of 5 days (too short!.. I know!...but no one can question my commitment to work :P)

As expected the flight was late - by 4 hours. (Why did I wake up by 6'0'clock in the morning. Take a cold shower. Get a cab and rush to the Airport!... and like every other Indian who catches a flight... I knew my flight was going to be late... huh!!!...)

Past two weeks

I'm back from Kolkata!

Had a blast!.. saw a Bengali wedding for the first time!

Shopped crazy!

(will post about it)

Had three 16 hour days at work!...

Need sleep, need to work,

A good frn recently offered his jacket chivalrously on a cold night. I lost it :(

Don't know where I left it!!! Need to but him a new one!

A frn is leaving for the US tomorrow. Goodbyes are a part of life, I love them...I hate them

I hate the curfew in the city.