The End

This is the last post on this blog.Six months of blogging helped me in getting over my two years of depression.TWO YEARS.The worst two years of my life.Life worse than death.But now, Life is as beautiful as it was before.Maybe its much more beautiful now.I dont want to go back into the past.I dont want to relive those times.And this blog will only remind of it.So I gotta go.So what now?Well..I am not saying bye.And I am not gonna stop blogging.Maybe I will start photoblogging,Or maybe MobileBlogging.Or maybe a new blog on blogger.Whatever, but at least I wont need to hide behind the mask of anonymity.The worst is over.And Life can only get better.So Later...P.S.To Rich and Shy, authors of Shockingly Provincial, and the nicest, loveliest people on the planet.And To all my blog friends.You have been very special to me.And you still are.Love you, guys.

Posted on: 4 March 2005 | 4:39 am

Truth Hurts

....But it STILL is the most beautiful thing in the world.

Posted on: 22 February 2005 | 8:40 am

Things

Things are only as simple or as complicated as YOU want them to be.

Posted on: 10 February 2005 | 11:07 pm

BRB

I will be back. In the words of Doordarshan : "Rukawat ke liye khed hai" BTW, I am regularly crawling Shockingly Provincial, Lewis Moten, Foolmaker and their friends. And yeah, everything is fine with me. And if it isn't, it WILL be.

Posted on: 15 January 2005 | 12:23 pm

Happy Birthday, Aishwarya!!!

Two years back, you loved me. Last year, you hated me. Today, you aren't even there. But still, wishing you many happy returns of the day, whereever you are!! And Merry Xmas to the world. :) News: Nidhi Taparia is back and has started bloggling again. :)

Posted on: 24 December 2004 | 8:40 am

Whats Blogging?

If blogging activity includes the following 1. Writing your own blogs 2. Reading other people's blogs 3. Reading and replying to comments posted on your blog 4. Commenting on other people's blogs 5. Checking your blog stats 6. Promoting yor blog 7. Browsing blog directories How much time do you spend blogging?

Posted on: 14 December 2004 | 12:10 pm

November '04

This is how I spent my last month. A typical weekday would be as follows. 8.00 am: Wake up 8.00-9.30 am : Get ready for office, breakfast, etc. 10.30-7 pm : Office hours 8 pm: Reach home, have dinner, some TV 11.00 pm : Sleep Sundays/Holidays/Bandhs: These days were the most fun. I just cant describe what I did on these days. (Tomorrow is a holiday...Kolkata bandh ;) ) The most interesting thing I did recently was visiting Eden Garden for a cricket match. India Vs South Africa Test Match, 3rd day. This was the first time in my life, I went to see a cricket match. And I got to see 'Sachin'!!!! No commercials.. :) No replays.. :( Life is good.

Posted on: 2 December 2004 | 7:59 am

Happy Diwali

Blogging after a looooong time. I dont even have access to dial-up connection in Kolkata. :( I am in cybercafe now. So much things have changed since last time I blogged. Almost all (not ALL) of my favorite blogs have changed their looks. Haven't got time to read all of their blogs. So I have a lot of reading to do. And I am just one step away from my dream job. I can't believe it. I am soooooo happy. I will know the result on Monday. I hope everything goes well. Today is Diwali..So wish you all a very Happy Diwali and prosperous new year. Hope to blog soon again. And... Apologies to everybody for not getting back to your emails/comments.

Posted on: 12 November 2004 | 3:08 am

Busy week

This week had been very busy for me. Though I accomplished nothing, but still it kept me away from some ugly thoughts and memories. And I didn't even get time to catch up with Rich's Master Plan (to take over the world). Maybe someday I will want to take over the world. (Come on, think of it, everybody wants to take over the world.) This reminds me of one of my favorite cartoon characters "Pinky & Brain". Pinky: Aaj raat hum kya karne waale hain? Brain: Wohi jo hum har raat karte hain, duniya par kaabu paane ki koshish. Received some emails from friends that made me smile. One email made me want to back to Thailand. I am leaving for Calcutta tonight. Long and boring journey by chook-chook-gaadi (the train). Next Blog. Over to Kolkata.

Posted on: 1 November 2004 | 12:14 am

Dhoom : the movie

Being an Yashraj Film, and reviews from the friends and media, I had very high expectations from 'Dhoom'. But I can term the movie only as 'just watchable' like any other Bollywood movie. The movie was a bit different in its presentation. Its like a Bollywood movie presented in Hollywood style. First of all its not an usual three-hour movie. Its only two hours including the song and dance sequences. The script is typical David Dhawan style. Don't think about how and why did it happen. Just enjoy whats being presented on the screen. Its a 'chor-police' story. Smart robbers trying to outwit the smarter cop. Some of the action scenes are good but you can easily make out they are all special effects. Bollywood still has lots to learn from Hollywood. Uday Chopra looks better in comic roles. Abhishekh's acting will remind you of Amitabh Bachchan. Or maybe its us who still want to see the image of his father in him. Can't believe, people are still obsessed with the Big B. Songs are good. Like all Yashraj films, you can hear them again and again. I liked 'Dhoom Macha De' (Tata Young version). Overall a full timepass movie. So even if anyone had seen it on video, its still worth to see Dhoom again on the big screen. A conversation in the movie "What's your name?" "Austin Powers" Spot it. Have fun. :)

Posted on: 27 October 2004 | 4:26 am

Jaipur in Two Days

Jaipur. Pink city of India and a major tourist destination. Here's what a typical traveller has to say about the city. Amer(Amber) Fort, Jaigarh Fort, Nahargarh Fort The only worthwhile places to see in the city. Spend the major part of the day here. Jantar Mantar, Hawamahal, Jalmahal Only see them from the outside. Don't waste your money in buying entry tickets. Museums - City Palace, Ram Niwas Baug Just okay and worth visiting only if you are interested in history and have extra time. Rajmandir Cinema Hall Q. Whats better than watching 'Dhoom'? A. Watching 'Dhoom' at Rajmandir. Termed as India's finest, there was a time when people would visit this place not to see the movies, but the cinema hall. But today it ranks far behind all the multiplexes in the country. But worth a dekko if you are a movie buff. Amusement Parks - Pink Pearl, Fun Kingdom Don't even think about visiting these places, unless you have loads of extra cash and the typical Indian 'chalta hai' attitude. More than half of the rides are not working. And be prepared to pay EXTRA. Extra for parking, extra for costumes, extra for lockers, extra for keeping shoes, extra for accessories, and even extra for some of the rides. It's YOU who will be taken for a ride. NOT RECOMMENDED. Chokhi Dhani Its a kind of resort and restaurant. The food is excellent. So if you wanna have a taste of Rajasthan, its worth spending an evening here. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED Shopping Jaipur isn't a shopper's paradise. However take a walk within the 'walled city' (Johari Bazar) to get an idea about the market. If you are real good at art of bargaining, its the place for you. Not covered in two days Moti Doongri Ganesh Temple, Birla Mandir, Galta ji, Sisodia garden, etc.

Posted on: 27 October 2004 | 3:42 am

End-Week-Dull

End of another dull week. Though its a festive season, the mood isn't very bright this year. Last year was different. Celebrating 'Puja' in Kolkata was so much fun. I expected to be there this year too. But things never seem to go my way. Called up my friends in Mumbai this week. Talking to them cheered my mood a bit. I miss them. I should get a new job soon. But I am not putting in much effort this time. Its futile trying to get a decent job in IT industry without an engineering degree. All those Brainbench certifications and previous experiences are useless. I guess, I have to work as an accountant for the rest of life. But for now, I feel like I should be somewhere else. A place where no one knows me. Maybe an unknown island. Any other place away from this computer. I think I am a bit depressed. I need a break. In the End Thank you Lewis Edward Moten for linking to me. Best of luck for NaNoWriMo contest. I hope to read the first chapter of your novel soon.

Posted on: 23 October 2004 | 8:08 am

Hinglish rules: Times Online

Times Online - Sunday Times: "Hinglish, as the variety of English spoken in India is known, may seem a little old-fashioned but according to a leading British expert it could soon become the most common spoken form of the language. Professor David Crystal, the author of more than 50 books on English, says 350m Indians speak it as a second language, exceeding the number of native speakers in Britain and America. He argues that the growing popularity of Indian culture around the world, including Bollywood movies, means that Hinglish will soon become more widely spoken outside the continent. " Okay, so now its official now. The unofficial language, Hinglish, is finally recognised as the world's most popular language. More on Google Search: http://www.google.co.in/search?q=professor+david+crystal+hinglish&hl=en

Posted on: 19 October 2004 | 4:11 am

Good Excuses

Two reasons for not blogging during the last few days. 1. I don't have a broadband connection at home. 2. I left my job. And I am jobhunting now.

Posted on: 18 October 2004 | 12:09 pm

My Stamp Collection

Cleaning up the attic and found some really interesting things. Each thing so precious to me, each one a memoir in itself, but still tucked away in some old cartons. :( One of these things is my stamp album. Collecting stamps used to be my hobby during school years. I am not a philatelist. I don't have a big collection of stamps, just a few hundreds. But still, its MY treasure. There used to be some kind of thrill in collecting stamps. And sometimes it almost seemed like an adventure. Well, I have stopped collecting stamps now. And besides, emails don't use stamps. Off-Topic I have added TWO referrals to BlogExplosion. I think I am gonna love this thing. And Thank you Salocin for linking to me.

Posted on: 16 October 2004 | 8:23 am

The Mask

I am not me! I wear a mask. And its not the same mask I wear all the time. The mask changes depending on the role I have to play. Its relative to time, place and people. I try to hide my real self. I try to be somebody else. I try to make an 'impression'. I try to live an image which I am not. I don't remember how long have I been wearing the 'masks'. But I guess it must have been a really long time. Maybe from the time, I was learning to talk and walk. It wasn't my will. It was people's expectations. I was supposed to act 'perfect'. So I don't cry when I want to. And I don't laugh when I want to. I hide my real feelings. Sometimes I agree with things which I feel are wrong. A while back, when somebody said "You have changed. You are not what you used to be. I still like your former self", I was puzzled. This person had known me for a year or so. I don't know what I was a year ago or what am I today. I am sure there hasn't been much physical change in me during the year. So what had changed about me? Most of the time I don't know what people expect from me. And sometimes I find it hard to live up to their expectations. And I don't blame them. I wish I had presented my real self to them. I don't know if I will be able to throw off my mask someday. I don't know if I will be able to even recognize myself then. I have lost my real self somewhere. I know its within me. But can I find it? It all sounds meaningless, but its because I am as much confused as this post. Q. Why do I wear a mask? A. I am ugly. Simple.

Posted on: 12 October 2004 | 1:37 am

myelin: blogging ecosystem

My Bookmark I don't know how I got to this page. But there has to be something interesting here. It looks like an abandoned blog directory. I need to research this thing. http://www.myelin.co.nz/ecosystem/

Posted on: 12 October 2004 | 1:36 am

ash2ace

The only thing on my mind when I am not learning anything new. This week was the same. Missing you, 'Ash'.

Posted on: 12 October 2004 | 1:34 am

Haircut

Today I felt that my hair had grown a bit long. I decided that I need to shorten them. I went to the hair saloon. The hairdresser cut the hair and thereby I got my haircut. I was just reading the Dull Blog and tried to imitate his style. But its tough being 'Dull'. Lol. Blog Stats Nothing new happening in my life. And Sunday is still two days away. Just checking the stats. Here's something. Blogexplosion is bringing in traffic. :) I get a negative vote at Blizg :( Shockingly Provincial mentions me in his recent post. :) My rating has dropped to 4 from 7 at Blogexplosion :( The blog is listed on LS Blogs. :) Garfield is the most popular cartoon character among bloggers. :) So overall, I am having a good hair day.

Posted on: 8 October 2004 | 1:02 am

Fool maker

i am checking my stats. i see this url in my referrals list. nah..can't be. scrolling down, i see this url AGAIN. something strikes me. i confirm if i am checking my own stats or somebody else's. she: you mean you check other people's stats? me: yeah, sometimes. she: did you check my stats too? me: maybe. she: but why would you do that? me: i don't know. i guess i love to sneak in other people's lives. she: you're such .... okay, right, so its my stats. there's a smile on my face. and i click on the link to open the page. i quickly scan the page for something. its not there. but it has to be there somewhere. my instincts can't be wrong. i check the side bar again, this time, carefully checking each link. its there. wheeee..... Thank you foolmaker for linking to me.

Posted on: 8 October 2004 | 12:59 am

Experience vs Qualifications: Business Standard 'the strategist'

Full original article here: The article was supposed to be a debate on what makes a successful manager — academic qualifications or experience. But it turned out to be something else. Here's something interesting from the article. KAMAL MANSHARAMANI, CEO, Birlasoft Limited (MBA from FMS, Delhi): "I would choose someone with a higher qualification rather than have the company work on him and train him for the job." How can you be sure that a person with 'higher qualification' will not need training? And what about the person who may not be 'high qualified' but is skilled and willing to learn at his own cost? "Before clients hire our services, they want to know about our knowledge base." Its a bad argument. No client would ask about employee's qualifications. Clients just want to 'get work done'. Nothing else matters. ARUN KUMAR, President and MD, Hughes Software Systems (B.Tech from IIT, Kanpur): "A student who has graduated from top engineering and management institutions like the IITs and IIMs will naturally be superior to others with lesser qualifications." I am not surprised that this comes from an IITian himself. Isn't that discrimination? GOPAL MADNANI, Country Manager, SSA Global, India (B.Tech from IIT, Mumbai): "I find it difficult to believe that a motorcar could be designed by anyone who doesn’t have a mechanical engineering background and does not have significant IT knowledge." I totally disagree with him on this point. Neither do I believe that a person with just a mechanical engineer degree can design a car.And what about those garage mechanics who repair your cars, they don't even have a formal education. "I don’t want to waste time and money on providing generic training. So, qualifications will determine more than 70 per cent of my recruiting decisions." Thats his personal opinion. Thankfully it doesn't apply to all other companies. I wonder if the government was right in wasting time and money on him. Lastly, SUNDER SHARMA, Former COO, Godrej Lawkim Upstream (M.Com, MBA): "Why do organisations emphasise academic credentials when they advertise or hire for a position?" Now this is ridiculous because this comes from the same group company (Godrej Infotech), that would hire a fresh 'highly qualified' B.E./B.Tech than offer the job to somebody with relevant skills. Thank God, Lalu Prasad Yadav isn't an IITian.

Posted on: 5 October 2004 | 11:51 am

Garfield Day

Yesterday was one of the dullest Sundays in the last few months. I felt like being Garfield. Did nothing except sleeping, eating and watching TV. Even Garfield would have done more (stomping spiders and chasing Odie). Sleeping: I woke up at 11 a.m. after full 12 hours sleep. Eating: For breakfast, I cooked Maggi noodles. For lunch, I went to my aunt's. And I ate my dinner at the local restaurant. Watching TV: This is what I did most of the day. And I dont actually watch TV, I just switch channels. Here's something.. Watched the preview of Discovery Travel & Living Channel. Its interesting. I hope they dont repeat shows already aired on Discovery Channel. Caught of with the latest Indi-pop and film music on Channel [V]. Music videos still aren't very creative. And when any song is repeated more than 3 times in a day, it really starts to get on your nerves (or atleast mine). I miss VH1. I liked the new ad of Rin Advanced. Its really funny. Saw the new Onida ad. The 'devil' is back after a long time. I had always related 'Onida' with the devil. So I actually missed him all these years. But glad he is back. And I never liked the LML Freedom ad (even though it features Shahrukh). I wonder if they will be able to sell amy mobikes with this ad. Sony has gone overboard in promoting Jassi. Fine, but when Aaj Tak carries an interview of 'Jassi' every month, its just too much. A news channel should 'report' news and not 'make' news. Aaj Tak Jaisa Koi Nahi. Zzzzz: Thats all folks. I love Garfield. ;) I miss Thailand.

Posted on: 4 October 2004 | 5:12 am

Mahatma Gandhi

2 October. Birth anniversary of Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi. And a public holdiay for the rest of us. Mahatma Gandhi. What do I know about this person? And why should anyone want me to know about him? Is it really necessary to glorify someone even when you dont know him? I have read and heard too much about Gandhi. Or should I say, I have been made to believe too much about Gandhi.(I dont even remember how many essays I had been made to write about him in my school days.) However, the more I 'studied' about him, the more I was fascinated by this person. There was something about him which I liked, something with which I identified with him. He was an Indian. He was a vegetarian. He advocated truth. But still there was something more about him. Let me see how much I know him. He was born in Porbandar in 1869. He flunked in his Matric exams. (He passes in the next attempt) He didnt complete his college in Bhavnagar. He went to London for further studies. He flunked the bar exams. (Okay, so he passes in the next attempt) He returns to India as a Barrister. He is unsuccessful as a lawyer. He doesnt win a single case. He goes to South Africa to work for some law firm. He travels in a train WITHOUT proper ticket. And suddenly he becomes 'Everybody' from 'Nobody'. This is where Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi becomes Mahatma Gandhi, or Gandhiji, or Bapu. This is where Gandhi becomes a hero, a leader and a legend. 2 October. Birth anniversary of Lal Bahadur Shastri.

Posted on: 2 October 2004 | 5:35 am

Thank You Rich Rosenthal II

A big thank you to Shockingly Provincial for linking to me. Though I know about your 'Master Plan' (to take over the world), I wont tell anyone about it. ;)

Posted on: 29 September 2004 | 11:47 pm

Myanmar Airways Sucks

My arrival to India couldn't have been complete without any ugly incidents. The service of Myanmar Airways International(MAI) is really bad. Okay so this is a new and small airline. But this isn't any excuse for the bad onboard service. Their motto seems to me 'Service with a frown'. And the food was as bad as the service. MYANMAR AIRWAYS SUCKS. And when I reached the Delhi, they lose one of my baggages (I manage to get it after a while of searching). And my second baggage had the lock broken. I brought it to the notice of the ground handling staff at the airport (The ground handling is managed by Cambata Aviation and not the airline). They refuse to lodge any complaint. They said they have no authority and they are not responsible for this. ..Well, then why are they there in the first place? If they cant take the responsibility, then why did they have to touch my belongings and whom should I complain? I never asked them to be there in the first place. Then I realize that I am in India now and shouting at them will only get my voice hoarse and nothing else. CAMBATA AVIATION SUCKS. And if these were not enough, there was this fellow co-passenger who sided with the staff of Cambata and said the airline or tha Cambata really isn't responsible for the damage to my luggage. What else could I have expected from an Indian? I guess he was just another stupid Indian working in a government office who expected others to be more stupid than himself. STUPID INDIANS SUCK.

Posted on: 29 September 2004 | 12:25 pm