tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-296488982024-03-23T10:42:38.598-07:00illusionmyPagehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02189527071985444141noreply@blogger.comBlogger20125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29648898.post-44849282520570125562008-08-02T05:49:00.000-07:002008-08-02T09:18:23.252-07:00"Main Hawa Hoon,Kahan Watan Mera"<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_3SHmqPY0rMg/SJSIt6GYAMI/AAAAAAAAATE/50FxNzSsr6s/s1600-h/girl_daydreaming.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5229955389555474626" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_3SHmqPY0rMg/SJSIt6GYAMI/AAAAAAAAATE/50FxNzSsr6s/s320/girl_daydreaming.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div>When I had first heard this ghazal, I was a kid. My sibling was not born then and it used to be played in the living room while mom used to be busy in household chores and when dad had left for work.<br /><br />Regardless of who they were sung by (Jagjit Singh, Ghulam Ali,Ataullah Khan or Hussain Brothers), all ghazals sounded the same to me- depressing , dark , incomprehensible and snail paced .Thanks to me and my tantrums ;mommy dear seldom got a chance to listen to such ghazals as I didn’t let more than two to be played in a go .Now 15-17 years later, whenever I am at home, cruelty is inflicted on me and mom by my sister who doesn’t understand why such ever depressing(depressing only for her at this stage) things have to be played in house.<br /><br />Today I feel ecstatic when I hear such compositions. Discovery of a new or a long forgotten ghazal/song makes my day. Knowingly or unknowingly this taste was cultivated in me years ago .It's just that I cherish it now.<br /><br />While searching for some videos on youtube today, I came across this one by Hussain brothers after a long time .My mind went back into past and painted a vivid picture of me sitting on a tiny study table, busy doing holidays' homework and cursing while this ghazal is playing in the living room. But today both the ghazal and those memories brought a smile on my face.</div>myPagehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02189527071985444141noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29648898.post-49150885285794415502008-01-11T21:32:00.000-08:002008-09-05T20:09:51.670-07:00<em>Lately ,reading quotes has become one of my favorite hobbies.</em><em>I will keep adding my favorite quotes to this list whenever I come across a new one that touches my heart. </em><br /><p><em></em></p><p>"Don't part with your illusions.When they are gone you may still exist,but you have ceased to live"</p><p>-Mark Twain<br /><em></em></p><p><br />"I can accept failure.<br />Everyone fails at something.<br />But I can't accept not trying.<br /><br />-Michael Jordan<br /><br /><br />"Regret of things we did can be tempered by time;it is regret for things we didnot do that is inconsolable"<br /><br />-Sydney Smith<br /><br /><br />“Have you ever been in love? Horrible isn’t it? It makes you so vulnerable.It opens your chest and it opens up your heart and it means that someone can get inside you and mess you up.You build up all these defenses,you build up a whole suit of armor,so that nothing can hurt you,then one stupid person,no different from any other stupid person wanders into your stupid life…You give them a piece of you.They didn’t ask for it.They did something dumb one day,like kiss you or smile at you, and then your life isn’t your anymore.Love takes hostages.It gets inside you.It eats you and leaves you crying in the darkness, so simple a phrase like ‘may be we should be just friends’ truns into a glass splinter working its way into your heart.It hurts.Not just in the imagination.Not just in the mind.It’s a soul-hurt,a real gets –inside-you-and-rips-you-apart pain.I hate love”.<br /><br />-Neil Gaiman</p>myPagehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02189527071985444141noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29648898.post-56607575695476109182008-01-01T06:13:00.000-08:002008-01-01T06:14:15.141-08:00Time OffI could not feel the beauty around me,<br />May be I was walking very fast or perhaps it did not appeal to me.<br /><br />I halted to unravel the mystery and rested in nature’s fold,<br />This place was serene and it touched me to the core.<br /><br />I stood perplexed thinking “Is it me or the surroundings that have changed”!<br /><br />Glancing hesitantly at my watch I checked if I could spend some more time at this place,<br />I was astonished to find that here with me, even time had slowed down its pace.<br /><br />“I have been running continuously for ages”, seeing my bewilderment, it confessed,<br />I feel a little tired now and need some “Time” to rest!myPagehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02189527071985444141noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29648898.post-2768234847958144162007-07-12T11:35:00.000-07:002007-07-12T11:39:34.237-07:00Life is Beautiful !I tried to persuade her to let me go with the PLAN<br />She said "I will hit it harder than you think I CAN".<br /><br />I asked her to give me surety that my efforts won't be futile,<br />She in turn responded, by giving me a sardonic smile.<br /><br />I confessed to her my fear of taking risks, and told her there are certain authorities I cannot defy,<br />Condescendingly, she suggested, "Y don't u go ahead and try".<br /><br />I confided to her that success and moments of pride gave me the real pleasure,<br />She said she would bestow upon me failures in equal measure.<br /><br />When I timidly admitted, "I have been unable to comprehend, I am your owner or you are mine".<br />She smiled and asked, "Hasn't the understanding grown better with time?"<br /><br />I asked her why she gave me tests I didn't want to take,<br />She replied, "I don't want you to get promoted with degrees that are fake ".<br /><br />Then, I was sad and asked why with each new beginning I had to leave someone behind,<br />She asked if I have ever experienced the joy and ecstasy of the moment when we are rejoined.<br /><br />I told her, "I have found you too cruel every time you've made me CRY",<br />She asked me whether I later realized: "WHY?"myPagehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02189527071985444141noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29648898.post-87146240609207512522007-06-23T08:55:00.000-07:002007-06-23T09:16:06.357-07:00Dreams !Shards of broken dreams are too painful at times,<br />But don't stop me from dreaming 'cos atleast they are mine.<br /><br />I travel to my utopian world riding on them,<br />And I smile ,saying to myself that <em>I have lived through them.</em><br /><br />I do not know what destiny has designed,<br />But through them<em> </em>I have embraced everything that could not be mine.<br /><br />They might be far from truth and farther from me,<br />And I know that prayers don't turn them into reality,<br />So the pain goes down till a point and sinks after a time,<br /><br /><em>And then I smile again 'cos I know that</em><br /><br />Shards of broken dreams are quite painful at times,<br />But they won't stop me from dreaming 'cos atleast dreams are mine.myPagehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02189527071985444141noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29648898.post-60492140041529271472007-06-16T20:39:00.000-07:002007-06-18T23:04:10.462-07:00Jhoom Barabar JhoomI generally don't write about movies but this one tested my patience to such a great extent that I have to put down my thoughts about it.<br /><br />I watched JBJ yesterday which turned out to be a great disappointment , not only for me but for many of my friends...While I was still watching it , one of my friends sent me an sms stating " Havent seen a movie worse than JBJ in the recent times ". I agree with her to an extent but I felt the same when I watched "Salaam-e-ishq".<br /><br />JBJ is like a "chitrahaar" with some scene sequences thrown here n there without any meaning.But for the good music , the movie could turn out to be excruciatingly boring for it's audience.The last song provides some "paisa-vasool", to music lovers like me.<br />The mushy and childish dialogues exchanged between Zinta and Abhishek bachchan , in front of TAJ-MAHAL ,in that beautiful song "Bol-na halke halke " , sucked out all the romance from it .<br /><br />I wonder if movies like "Dil to Pagal hai ","Pyar to Hona hi Tha " ,"DDLJ" would ever be made again or is it that in these changing times the idea of love /romance also needs to keep changing !myPagehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02189527071985444141noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29648898.post-35386534706431322772007-06-13T00:05:00.000-07:002007-06-13T10:07:10.254-07:00The Magical Healer.It takes me to a different world , devoid of any mental strains and pressures ,<br />An exalting force ; it makes me feel like an achiever.<br /><br />It enthuses spirit in me and pulls me out of my greatest sorrows ,<br />A magical healer ; it makes me feel that I am alive.<br /><br />It brings back the memories of some unions and separations in life ,<br />A commonality between every soul ; it is something which everyone likes.<br /><br />It brings to life that part of me , which is subdued by the decisions taken by mind ,<br />A chimerical paradise ; it makes me feel I am a romantic lover.<br /><br />It is "MUSIC".myPagehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02189527071985444141noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29648898.post-57496330095378357562007-05-17T03:42:00.000-07:002007-05-17T04:24:43.814-07:00Remains of my existence!!!Feeling of ecstasy left me ages ago<br />but the marsh inside me that keeps me pulling down,REMAINS;<br /><br />The zeal for future has vanished somewhere<br />but the wish to not let go off the present ,REMAINS;<br /><br />The world around me is like a busy fare<br />but the loneliness and sinking feeling in my heart ,REMAINS;<br /><br />The force that pushed me forward has long ceased to exist<br />but the dreams and the compulsion to fit in somewhere here ,REMAINS !!!myPagehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02189527071985444141noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29648898.post-26240839312392204732007-04-14T00:48:00.000-07:002007-04-16T09:06:47.034-07:00Preferences gone awry !I have been thinking about it for quite a while now and what I am going to write is nothing new. However the reason why I am still writing this is cus I can relate to the topic and want to sum up my ideas here in this blog.<br /><br />MBA has become a much coveted degree these days and in India the degree is synonymous with IIMs thanks to the hype created by media about the same and the brand created by the IIMs themselves.The talk shows dedicated to exam taking strategies and expert opinions before the D -day (for millions of aspirants) have given CAT (Common Aptitude Test)the status of something more than an exam.Such extraordinary attention to an exam causes jitters to even the best prepared.But then CAT is not about preparation . It is about the ability to think on the spot and take decisions in the most stressful situations in minimum possible time.<br /><br />In the past few years the number of students taking the exam has risen drastically and along with it has changed the difficulty level of the exam which continues to get tougher year after year .Unpredictabilty is the core aspect of the exam which test setters have tried to maintain always.Increasing the toughness probably is one way of achieving that objective. I believe that these institutes are aiming at people who have certain basic qualities like managing time and making decisions that can fetch maximum benefit while keeping a cool head.<br />Not being able to crack the exam should in no way deter a person from doing MBA. Whereas there could be many reasons for the same which I would not like to touch the best and the most motivating could be ,"A person not fitting in the pool of people that these institues want". Their curriculum is designed keeping in mind certain pre-requisites which one could or could not have.<br /><br />There is one set of people who year after year toil trying to get basic quant fundamentals correct, cramming word-meanings , improving english comprehension, interpreting statistics and working both at improving speed and ability to handle complexity.For some it becomes an obsession .<br />There is another set who compromise on the standard set by themselves and look for other options.<br />And there are some who are diverted to taking GMAT.<br />Most of the junta in India has a lot of misconceptions about GMAT .Whenever I used to talk about it with my friends , the first thing which I used to be told was "It is very expensive.Period".<br />I feel the cost of taking this exam along with applying to few chosen universities comes equivalent to taking a dozen entrance exams in India and then applying to umpteen number of schools(which is what majority of the people do).<br />During the past few months I have seen a lot of people in the age group 23-25 opting for the above mentioned third option.Issues like reservation of seats in colleges in India clubbed with the increasing difficulty level of the exam and urgency to go for higher studies look like a convincing reason for this which many a times are sugar coated and brought forth in the name of "Better international exposure, better curriculum, world class infrastructure etc etc". These factors are undoubted USPs of an international MBA but then I would not believe if someone in the age-group 22-25 would tell me that he/she not even once try taking CAT.I am not saying this because I believe that Indian schools are the best but I am trying to bring forth the common thought process and actions of aspirants. The education that one gets here is up to the mark if not best according to international standards(this I can say because IIM-A has only been recently added to top 100 b-schools list) and is very inexpensive.<br /><br />GMAT unlike CAT tests proficiency in Critical Reasoning , Sentence Correction,Essay writing and like CAT it too has Reading comprehension and Quant.<br />I would not go into more details of these exams but obtaining a good GMAT score I would say is an achievable target with a not so unpredictable result after one has put in decent amount of hardwork.<br />Incase of GMAT , selecting foreign universities which would suit one's budget and aspirations is not an easy task.It involves a lot of networking and exploring unknown horizons.Personally for me going to a foreign land for studying with a loan burden on head would not be an easy thing to do and would definitely pull me out of my comfort zone.<br />Many people after securing admission to good and reputed universities abroad , tend to compare the placement scenarios outside to that prevalent in India , without the knowledge that market forces and economy have a lot to contribute in this. Abroad , even colleges like Harvard donot claim, 100% placement after 3 months of graduation.However , because economy in India has been so buoyant for the past few years , such statistics could come as a shock to knaive MBA aspirants.<br /><br />Placements and salaries offered are not just an outcome of the school's reputation and a student's profile but they have a lot to do with the size of the market in which the job is being searched or looked for and availabilty of talent .<br />And hence , comparisions between two things which are not similar can turn out to be a bit misleading and demotivating if a person is not really clear about what he wants from his/her higher education.<br /><br />PS : For anyone who has gone through the above article , the following blog would be an eye opener <a href="http://mediocrenarrogant.blogspot.com/">http://mediocrenarrogant.blogspot.com/</a>.myPagehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02189527071985444141noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29648898.post-90966842123735747212007-03-17T18:53:00.000-07:002007-03-21T21:27:52.138-07:00Is our world flat?My mind is in a chaos. There are some things which I fail to comprehend and others which I understand partially.<br />I have been reading "The World is Flat " by Thomas L. Friedman for the past few weeks. It is a highly informative book which fully describes the forces which have shaped the world in the past 10-15 years.<br />The author has not left any such thing untouched , which in one way or the other affects our lives nowadays.<br />From , Fall of Berlin Wall to Rise of Asian Tigers;From terrorism perpetrated in the name of Islam to global warming and imminent shortage of energy, there is nothing which the author has not described.The book is a source of immense information for all those who want some serious reading. Though it becomes a bit dry and slow in the middle but you will love it by the time you reach its end.<br />The examples which the author has quoted to substantiate his findings are realistic and interesting for anyone who keeps in touch with the latest happenings around the world.Not only it whets one's appetite to know more about some aspects of globalisation but also inspires one to think about a lot of things.<br />For me the most interesting parts of the book have been those which talk about the industry I am working in(offshore-onshore model,included) and growth in Asia.<br />Three to four days back when I had read over two-thirds of the pages,this incident about Nandigram voilence took place.<br />Suddenly, I felt that whatever I was reading in "The World is Flat " is a farce.<br />I questioned myself , whether all these big talks about technology and flattening really carry any meaning for people who were killed and injured in nandigram and for farmers who find committing suicide a better option than paying back their debts.<br />I feel that the disparity is too wide and too painful. The development doesnot encompass every section of our society and as we always hear-The rich keep growing richer and the poor,become poorer.I know it is something we hear often,but it sounds cliched because it is so true.<br />Every time I sit in a rickshaw something in my mind gets triggered and I start calculating the income of the rickshaw puller and get perturbed by the kind of physical effort they put in and the amount they earn.<br />Two days back I was amused with a piece of news that I read in TOI. It talked about some kind of a ***** star kennel in Gurgaon, where rich dogs...OOps, I mean dogs kept by rich people are driven in Luxury cars to spend quality time in open spaces.There are some which don't have salad if it is not cut in a particular form and there are others which need a full sized bed to lie upon with people around.Amazing !!!<br />I also love pets and don't like atrocities on animals. But the point I want to make is about DISPARITY and availabilty of MEANS.<br /><br />It looks and sounds painful...Is'nt ?<br /><br />Ps: Thomas .L.Friedman does talk about these issues as well.It is just that when these thoughts arose in my mind I had not read the following pages which talked about obstacles to flattening.myPagehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02189527071985444141noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29648898.post-47640319084742077092007-03-08T08:45:00.000-08:002007-03-08T09:06:31.948-08:00???Ever wished something for someone u love too dearly???<br />Ever prayed so hard that tears dropped from your eyes???<br /><br />Ever found something very materialistic and still struggled hard to get it???<br />Ever cried on having missed it one other time???<br /><br />Ever felt disillusioned towards what you wanted from life<br />Or Ever wondered and questioned what life wanted from you???<br /><br />Ever stood at a crossroad deciding which path to take,<br />and then felt lost before taking a path???<br /><br />Ever wondered why years passed by and you could not<br />celebrate life???<br /><br />Ever asked when would that moment arrive when u wud sit and njoy !!!myPagehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02189527071985444141noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29648898.post-83507829403559306662007-03-06T21:43:00.000-08:002007-03-06T21:47:28.184-08:00William Ernest Henley. 1849–1903<br /><br /> Invictus<br /><br />OUT of the night that covers me,<br />Black as the Pit from pole to pole,<br />I thank whatever gods may be<br />For my unconquerable soul. <br /><br />In the fell clutch of circumstance <br />I have not winced nor cried aloud.<br />Under the bludgeonings of chance<br />My head is bloody, but unbowed.<br /><br />Beyond this place of wrath and tears<br />Looms but the Horror of the shade,<br />And yet the menace of the years<br />Finds, and shall find, me unafraid.<br /><a name="12"> </a><br /> <br />It matters not how strait the gate,<br />How charged with punishments the scroll,<br />I am the master of my fate:<br />I am the captain of my soul.<br /><a name="16"> </a>myPagehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02189527071985444141noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29648898.post-19573184775590424382007-03-05T21:50:00.000-08:002007-03-11T10:35:38.928-07:00Intangible ServicesMany of my friends and colleagues tell me that , they grew up with the ambition of becoming a software engineer and there are many others who have landed up in this job without the slightest inclination towards it.<br /><br />While I don't belong to the former group, I don't fit in the latter as well.<br />I was brought up with the idea that I din't have to be an engineer or doctor.<br />I remember when I was in 11th standard , how I wanted to hide from my dad the news that the dates of screening test for IITs were out and many of my classmates had already bought the forms.And once , at the breakfast table I blurted out the same unintentionally :( I was then scolded by dad for being negligent.<br />Subsequentally , dad bought the application form and got it filled by me , inspite of my utmost resistance(y shd I take this test when I don't want to be an engineer?--were the words I kept uttering all the time).<br />I also remember many of my classmates , opting for coaching classes (Brilliant tutorials)which could prepare them for many of the entrance exams.<br />I was considered one of the brightest students in the class but something in me stopped me from taking extra trouble for something,which I at that time felt , I dint want to do .<br />This was about 7-8 yrs back .Ultimately I did go for engineering and today I am working in a software company like millions of other people.<br /><br />My dad is a doctor and has never used a computer in his life.Not that doctors are prohibited from using computers but it's just a matter of his personal choice and intiative. I had a tough time when we bought a computer for me and my sister's use in home 3 yrs back.I found it hard to satiate his inquisitiveness and explain him why 512MB of RAM is better than 256 MB and what is windows NT , what purpose does it serve and if it is there y cant he see it like monitor and keyboard;that too when it is so costly.<br /><br />Some of my close relatives and my grandparents are just happy seeing me doing well for myself.But they also find hard to comprehend the kind of work I do and I am usually asked the question-what is it that you produce using a computer that you are paid so well?What actually is a software?<br />And I have been giving the same answer for ages .The simplest example I can think of is , automation of railway tickets reservation system in India :)<br />Even though I know , what millions of us do is much beyond that.myPagehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02189527071985444141noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29648898.post-1172773644897637362007-03-01T08:21:00.000-08:002007-03-14T22:02:42.554-07:00Automata TheoryExcerpt from the book " The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari "<br /><br /><em>"I thought that, ultimately, life is all about<br />choices. One's destiny unfolds according to the choices one makes,<br />and I felt certain that the choice I had made was the right one. I<br />knew my life would never be the same and that something marvellous,<br />maybe even miraculous, was about to happen to me. It was an<br />amazing awakening."</em><br /><br /><br />People who have done engineering in the field of computers(dabbas) might have studied "Automata Theory" in one or the other semester during their course.<br /><br />I find a stark resemblance between the subject and my life.It is generally believed that everything in our life is pre-decided by almighty and comes written in our destiny.<br /><br />However , no one can offer any proof for this except for people who have worked really hard to achieve something in life, have left no stone unturned and have the right mix of qualties needed to achieve a goal.Infact, even they cannot prove that it is destined .Finding no other reason for failures and blaming everything on destiny gives some respite to the battered souls.<br />As they say "waqt se pehle aur kismat se zyaada kisiko kuch nahi milta".Well,this famous line has always brought a smile on my face during bad times cos it makes me feel that there is someone else responsible for my state of affairs and not me ;-)<br /><br />Coming back to automata theory; I remember studying finite state machines(FSM) where in input at one state used to decide what the next state would be for the machine.<br />At any particular state there could be more than one states which the machine could switch to depending on the inputs provided.<br /><br />I feel the same could be the thing with the lives of us humans as well. There are many times when one has to choose one option from a given set of choices(all equally lucrative/important).Well,digressing a bit I will like to state that in one of my last blogs I had stated that God would never put one in a dilemma which is difficult to escape.My opinion on this has changed a bit as he seems to be putting me to tougher and more interesting tests day after day.First he put me in dilemma and helped me escape from it.Now, he puts me in dilemmas and asks me to decide myself. :)<br /><br />Coming back to where I was,I think choosing one thing or taking a decision determines one's next state/stage in life and hence these states shape's one life.And God also has flexible plans(Agar state A par gaye to aage ye hoga aur agar state B par gaye to kuch aur)<br />But then I wonder y did he not make it simple.Y more than one states at a time???<br /><br />May be this is what brings regrets(wo kiya hota to aaj yahan na hoti...) or satisfaction(thank god I dint opt for that!!!)<br /><br />Well, no one knows how it all goes but still it is a good hypothesis.what say???myPagehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02189527071985444141noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29648898.post-1166090169021908982006-12-14T01:53:00.000-08:002006-12-14T02:04:22.456-08:00Liberated !!!It is sheer serendipity that this and the previous posts are very closely related . May be I didnot get time or may be I didnot experience anything so fascinating that could lure me to write something.<br /><br />At the breakfast table today, while I was having a casual conversation with my friend , she told me that nowadays ,life at times seems so mechanical that at few points ,it looks as if everything is happening in dreams. I agreed with her, to an extent and realised that I experience the same feeling at times.<br /><br />Few days back when I got a chance to break the monotony of daily office and home schedules ,I grabbed the chance without giving it a thought. I am talking about my friend's marriage that took place in kurukshetra---the place where I have spent 4 memorable years of my life.<br />We seven friends from NCR had ,set out on the journey on the eve of 11th dec, at around 4 pm. The thought of seeing everyone after such a long time was very exhilarating in itself.It took us around 4-5 hrs to reach the destination , thanks to the heavy traffic on the GT road.We people had planned to first go to a friend's place who was also accompanying us from Gurgaon.To reach there we had to cross the University entrance and as we were really running late, no body dared to express the desire to visit the college ,though deep inside our hearts we wanted to do so.And what then ??? We all set aside from our minds the burden of time constraint and shouting and cheering,we asked the driver to steer through the university to the NITK girls hostel.<br />When we reached there we were not sure if anyone would recognise us. But in the next few moments we experienced something that I find tough to describe in words.<br /><br />The gatekeeper who is an old man in his 70s recognised us even after 2 years. I had never before realised so closely that he is the person who had seen us and kept a watch on us 24X7 for 4 years and therefore its not that easy for him to forget those faces.Even though he fulfilled a great responsibilty, for us he had never been a very significant person during our stay there.<br />We entered the hostel and most of the faces that we encountered dint know us for obvious reasons.The only people who recognised us were the girls who are now in their final year of engineering.It was around 8:30 pm and the familiar aroma of the food from the hostel kitchen drew us towards itself. We met munni aunty who had served us food 3 times in a day for 4 years. Gaur singh bhaiya who was and will continue to manage the food accounts for I dont know how many years--- still remembers our roll numbers.<br /><br />Being in the hostel once again was an ecstatic feeling.It was after a long time that I wanted to shout on top of my voice.<br /><br />I discovered that I was wrong in thinking that I had forgotten laughing out loud and shouting to express my happiness.I was wrong in thinking that I have started talking less day by day. Rather I felt that my friends and their marvellous company bring out the real me.myPagehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02189527071985444141noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29648898.post-1156420899738782572006-08-24T04:37:00.000-07:002006-08-24T05:01:39.746-07:00Back to college !!!Its been almost 2 years since I completed my engineering and left college.<br />The bunch of memories of that period is something which is cherished by each one of us and I can say that without inviting any opposition.<br /><br />Like each of my batch mates leaving college was a tough turning point in my life as well.<br />But over the time ,new places ,jobs etc kept me busy and as time passed by I became more immune to those memories.<br /><br />But yesterday something broke that immunity ,when one of my batch mates dropped a mail regarding her marriage.I was lost in a reverie when I returned to my room at the end of the day..<br />I was missing around a dozen people at the same time. :) The way each of us used to talk,quarrel,cry ,smile ....It is still clear in my mind.<br /><br />Life has been moving on at such a fast pace that I almost failed to realise certain things.<br />I am still unprepared for big things in life and still under the impression that I am a college going girl.Time has just flown by but it has left with me,some treasure in the form of those memories.myPagehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02189527071985444141noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29648898.post-1154694616105160432006-08-04T05:10:00.000-07:002006-08-04T05:30:16.120-07:00Say no to warI have been thinking about this for quite somedays now ,but engrossed in work and due to laziness I just procrastinated writing this blog...<br />The driving point is a mail which I just read 5 mins back and the mail displays some pictures of Israeli air strikes on lebanon.<br /><br />Well !!! I seldom believe in the authenticity of such mails .However,the reality can be worse but not better than what those pictures displayed.<br /><br />I asked myself ;How would I feel if I had to live under the constant fear of someone dropping a bomb on me and I froze !!!<br />Is there no one who can save thousands of innocent lives perishing in these brutal acts.<br /><br />How can the feeling of revenge be so overwhelming that it leads to such unmindful actions.<br /><br />After all,we are humans...Or ,are we???myPagehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02189527071985444141noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29648898.post-1150449316362049532006-06-16T01:44:00.000-07:002006-06-16T03:15:52.916-07:00DilemmasLife is about making decisions ,either right or wrong, and learning from them...<br />Right decisions change into one's fortune and the bad ones constitute the misfortune...I somehow feel that people, for whom God has decided a larger share of latter,see life more closely,learning 100 times more than others.But to have faith that this is true, needs an immense amount of patience,will power and optimism...<br /><br />There used to be a time,when making decisions used to be the toughest task for me .<br />Though it still is , I think I am trying to overcome this handicap of mine.<br />And this has been a conscious effort on my part cos there are certain times when no one else than you knows better , what you want and why you want it...<br /><br /><br />I feel ,God helps us in carving out our paths....<br />We just have to interpret his signals.When he really wants us to follow a particular path he will obstruct the other paths for us.<br />He will never put you in a dilemma which is inescapable.myPagehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02189527071985444141noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29648898.post-1150360314594242472006-06-14T23:20:00.000-07:002006-06-15T01:31:54.616-07:00IronyOurs is a strange land !!!<br /><br />U switch any news channel and u will come across something that will leave you baffled....And one does not need to wait long to see or hear such things.They happen everyday ,in every sphere of life.<br /><br />One of such recent things, is the move of the management of <strong>Ajmer sharif shrine</strong>,which has decided to prohibit islamic women from offering prayers in the shrine.Reason....???<br />Well,the management says that when men offer prayers alongside women, their prayers become futile...<br />And again the reason which they have put forth is ; men get distracted on seeing women.<br /><br />Just because some people cannot get rid of lustful thoughts doesnot justify violation of someone else's basic rights.<br /><br />Infact,people who have so little control on their thoughts should sit at home and offer prayers in seclusion.It is their problem not anyone else's.<br /><br />Instead of creating an atmosphere of equality,the religious institutions breed discrimination by passing such acts again and again.<br /><br />Their actions prove that they have responsibilty only towards the male section of society.<br /><br />How many times have they come up strongly against any rapist???The sight of women may just distract men's prayers for few minutes but the horrendous cases of rapes spoil whole lives of the victims...<br /><br />Still, has any organisation; religious /political ever demanded a ban on entry of men into certain areas because they interfere with the freedom of women .Even in such cases it is the women who are targeted and debates are held where people talk at length about the kind of dresses which women should wear/not wear,so that they dont provoke men.<br /><br />Most of the managements of the holy places in India be it Hindu,Muslim,sikh or christians have men in the higher echelons.May be that is the reason that they treat women as second class citizens.<br />Having women representatives in the managements of such religious organisations can help in improving the scenario a little bit.<br />But again that should not happen through reservation.Rather it should be a matter of choice left to individuals.<br /><br />And the Government has a major role to play by taking strong actions against those who try to interfere with the fundamental rights of others.myPagehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02189527071985444141noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29648898.post-1150199939421026442006-06-13T04:54:00.000-07:002006-06-13T05:08:57.880-07:00IllusionsBig B has been issued notices by the Income-tax deptt. and we can see the repurcussions in the form of protests by the samajwadi party workers.The protesters showed their resentment at the notices issued to BIG B by attacking the office of I-T commissioner and smashing his car.<br />Failing to find a logical justification for such protests what I feel is...Is this not an issue which should be sorted out between a citizen of India and the income tax dept.<br /><br />What does a political party has to with it.And even if they want to do sth y dont they expedite the process by not disrupting the actions of the concerned department.<br />Would not that be a more logical and peaceful way of dealing with the problem???<br />Nowadays it seems the youth can be lead anywhere and made to do anything by political leaders who encash on the emotions of the masses.<br />Instead of creating more avenues for employment and providing decent jobs the political units keep a considerable chunk of India's younger and middle aged population busy by encouraging them to do such acts time and again.There is no rationale behind such acts whether it is the hoop-la regarding the screening of Fanaa in Gujrat or the latest incident of samajhwadi party workers.<br />Giving celebrities the status of God and worshipping them is not a new thing in our country but that does not make the filmstars or any other public figures infallible.I am not trying to prove that BIg B in this case is guilty but this is something which ought to be understood by a certain section of our society.That section which is always driven towards such acts not realising the ulterior motives of our so called political leaders.<br />Moreover in view of the fact that the ratio of the number of police personnels in India to general public stands at 1:10 , a major chunk of our police force, which should be looking after the security of the public and doing something more fruitful, remains deployed to such violence prone areas to control such irate mobs ...<br />Such incidents achieve nothing more than disrupting the everyday life of common man and creating a sense of disillusionment among the people who love their country but fail to understand y such things keep happening from time to time.myPagehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02189527071985444141noreply@blogger.com2