Move On

I’m sharing a lovely article I read by Deepa Gahlot.
There was an odd piece of news tucked into the newspapers-one third of India lives is houses smaller than US prison cells.
This must be true of homes in Mumbai-supposedly the most prosperous city in the country. Most Indians probably eat less than an average American kid,& do without a fraction of their wardrobe too.
Still,whenever there are happiness surveys,Indians come up in top of the list of the happiest people.
I can’t talk for the rest of the country,but as far as Mumbai is concerned, the crowd,the lack of space & general discomfort,seem to have shaped the just-get-on-with-it character of the Mumbai-ite(including me).
People here don’t even expect to live in palatial flats.So when they manage a one BHK in a distant suburb they are happy with it.Even the most tiniest cramped spaces appear spacious to local gusets.
It’s amazing how everyone makes do with less space-every inch is utilized to store things under beds,over cupboards & behind sofas.If an extra person lands up ,everyone’adjusts’.
When they commute to work in sardine-tin trains & buses,they simply squash themselves to’adjust ‘ more people.The only complaint wil come from an outsider,who freaks out at the sight of people hanging out of local trains. But Mumbaikars are quite happy if they reach home on time to watch TV,picking up groceries on the way(same pich).
Those who live in homes smaller the prison cells take pains to decorate them with plastic flowers,bright curtains & lurid posters.A folding chair miraculously appears for a guest along with water & strong cup of tea.
These people will have the flashiest weddings,the noisest festivals & a general air of gaiety all year round, regardless of the weather.
And they are also not fazed by floods,blasts & other disasters because their life teaches them to accept everything thrown at them & with time actually since birth learn not to whine.
Life could not get worse,& so it can only get better.Maybe that’s why Indians-Mumbai-ites in particular-must be the most optimistic people in the world.
Call it resilience, apathy or chalta hai attitude,it’s tested whenever there is a crisis & the roof just never caves in on them, because there is no space even for the debris to fall into.

Mumbai terror attacks 26/11/08.

I have some questions amongst many to be raised............
1)how did d terrorists walk d long distances on the road with exposed weapons before seizing vehicles ?
2)why were d police so poorly equipped ?
3)why was d morale of d police force busted in d initial yet crucial stage of combat by making d death of d 3 officers public ?
4)why was there minute by minute,move by move coverage by d media thus aiding the terrorists ?why was the Media not cordoned of from the site ?
5)where is the huge quantity of RDX,that was found,& why is the military denying finding,is something sinister in the making.........?
6)A day after the attack why did Sumana Raghavan-general manager of Central Railways,fly down to delhi to party with colleagues at the Taj Palace hotel ?
7)How Did the two taxis blow up due to RDX(given their state after),or grenades(just doesn't sink in)
8) as per media reports the intelligence pplread R&AW officers are being used for political spying,why ?
9)Why can't the MARCOS & NSG commandos one unit be stationed for Mumbai only & come into action when needed & have autunomy.?
10)How many more such carnages has Mumbai to witness in the name of being a city with grit & spirit?ENOUGH!

Finallllyyyyyy !!!

Finally,our NSG Commandos & MARCOS:read security forces have found victory over those remorseless,so called humans aptly called terrorists,this attack was more to do with underminig our prestige than just terror.At first was too numb to react,it just didn't sink in that it's real,but it was REAL! Till date had only seen it happening in films & wish to see it there only.But we live in world where terrorism has become a stark truth just like death is,so rather than pinning unrealistic hopes like having a security infrasrtucture as such that this doesn't happen in the future we should aim for our system to be put in place as such that if GOD forbid this happens again,our crisis management is so well equipped & the secutity forces have autunomy atleast in combat situations,that within minutes everything is under control & there is no SEIGE situation again.
At present we need to maintain our cool & not let those maniacs succeed in their destructive plan B i.e. chaos,hatred & division,Mumbai is a city known for being a melting pot of cultures let it be so,do not look down with hatred on any community or individula coz these inhuman terrorists have no religion,no God.

A Mumbaikar who takes pride in being one.

The Way People Say Sorry!!!

The way people apologise and their style of saying sorry depends a lot on their personality and zodiac traits. No wonder Leos embarrass you when they say sorry while Arians will actually annoy you with their apology?...
Aries: For starters, Arians think they are so sweet,they could not have possibly said or done things that need an apology. So in the unlikely possibility of them actually going down their knees to apologise, it will be a simple sorry.Nothing less, nothing more.
Taurus: They are so scared to face others when they make a mistake that by the time they resurface to tender an apology, the damage is done. So Taureans end up making foes out of friends because of their laxity in apologizing.
Gemini: Geminis think they are infallible and therefore will never really apologise for anything. But once they realize, they prefer to act as if nothing happened, and behave normally with people who have a problem rather than remind others of the incident by tendering an apology. Cancer: Cancerians will make you feel sorry for demanding one when they make a mistake. They are the legendary characters that burn hands and slash their fingers! in order to display the quantum of their repentance. Their repentance is dangerous.
Leo: Leos are a delightful bunch even when they are trying to make up for their follies. They will go down their knees, buy flowers, put up sorry posters.. do everything colorful to flatter you and make up for their mistakes. In fact it's fun to induce them to make a mistake and let them apologize for it.
Virgo: Virgos will first formally set aside a time and date and inform them what they want to tell you. Then they will mentally prepare themselves to talk out the same things. They will finally draft the script and read out whatever they want to. In short, even their heartfelt apologies sound like well-drafted scripts.
Libra: They are very vocal once they realize their folly. They never ever hesitate to come clean and admit their mistakes. In fact, they will go out of their way to convince you about how genuinely sorry they are.
Scorpio: Scorpios are formal and think that tendering an apology is more of a formality. So instead of just saying sorry, they will send a formal mail or send a card, whatever it takes to avoid direct confrontation.
Sagittarius: Sagittarians don't believe in being sorry or apologizing. For them, it is human to err and therefore saying sorry is just redundant. Interestingly, even if others make mistakes, they are pretty cool and don't expect much from them.
Capricorn: They can't take a simple sorry. They need reasons,explanations, written letters and the works to get elicit an 'ok, you may go now' phrase. They are hard to please and even harder to appease.
Aquarius: They are sweet, genuine and innovative when they think they are wrong and need to undo the damage.Aquarians are easy on their mistakes and don't take too much time to do their sorrying.
Pisces: Pisceans don't easily give in because they believe that everything is about perspective. So if somebody thinks they made a mistake! , it's because they have a wonky perspective. Pisceans and apologies? No chance!!!

Fast's

I have just realised that Toady is the 24th rosa of the holy month of Ramzaan,i.e. in a few days Ramzaan over! Phew! time flies & how?Then it will be like gone are those days when it was a feast every evening,majestic tables were laid & all sat together irrespective of status,it can happen so effortlessly only in Ramzaan.Gone are the days of exotic cuisines, & deserts. Gosh,all I'm speaking of is food,that to while I'm fasting..........shhhh!

Dont let Faith be Hijacked

By Firoz Bakht Ahmed

Islam is once again under the scanner with the unearthing of the Students Islamic Movement of India (SIMI) terror trail. With the logo of its offshoot, the ‘Indian Mujahideen’ displaying guns on either side of the Quran, the connection made with Islam is UGLY &MISGUIDING.
I wonder if this fringe group knows that in the words of theological expert Abdullah Yusuf Ali, the Quran states that ”treason against the State, combined with treason against ALLAH is a crime with punishments like execution, crucifixion, maiming or exile as per the situation”?
JEHAD is highly misunderstood not only by non-Muslims but also by Muslims. Islam sanctions wars but under very strict rules. The true Concept of Jihad is the waging of war against one’s own selfish nature, vices & shortcomings. It is also the war to be waged within Muslim society to fight evil, injustice inequity, illiteracy & ignorance.
The terrorists aims were clear in Hyderabad, Gujarat, Jaipur & Bangalore – to drive a wedge between Hindus & Muslims & create a riot like situation. Further, in such tragic situations, irresponsible statements & mud slinging by political parties have only helped terrorists outfits that were, until now, marginalized.
Though Both the communities acted in restraint after the recent attacks, we need to prioritise security & vigilance. The Saner elements in both communities must take lead in foiling attempts by fundamentalists to play up such incidents.

Truth

TRUTH…………………?

What is Truth.?What is the difference between Truth & Lie,and is there any difference,or there exists a thin line.Then why is that one’s Truth is another’s Lie………
Let’s keep aside Truth & talk about lie’s,what is a Lie;when we say-ya mom had lunch,or ya will be there in 10 minutes(when we haven’t even left) or what we live everyday.The lives most of us are living,the life we say we were destined to live,or do we choose to believe so………? Or is it each of us True Truth .What makes Truth;Truth? What gives it it’s true identity?The decisions we take or the decisions LIFE compels us to take.I guess the debate can go on for years to come.but it is worth pondering as to WHAT IS OUR TRUTH OR YOUR TRUTH………….

I'm sure like me even you wonder,I have yet to know mine.

The Alchemist Untold.

Yesterday I attended the Fine Art Photography at Tao Art Galley-Worli of ‘The Alchemist Untold’ produced by Aswin Gidwani Productions & covered by CNBC –TV 18 Network..It was a curtain raiser of the theatrical adaptation of the bestseller coming to uour city soon.
I haven’t read The Alchemist yet,as was keen on Paulo Coelho’s Brida more,but his this masterpiece is one of those few books which is published every few decades & changes the lives of it’s reader’s forever.I’m looking forward to read it & experience how it will change my life or my perspective toward’s life.
The magical ‘The Alchemist’ was presented in an amazing form of visual art,by renowned names in photography, advertising & other respective fields.They were Mr.Aswin Mehta,Mr.Amit Mehra,Mr.Ashok Dilwali,Mr.Ashok Roy & Mr.Vinay Mahidkar.
Whatever I could grasp was that ‘The Alchemist’ is about believing yourself,it is about your attitude standing out against all odds.It is not about big bank balances,BMWs,villas,but about that smile brought over by content.Content- that I tried,tried to tread the untrodden path, I tried to dare customs,I tried even if in the process fell & marred my self with dust ,sweat & blood.It’s far better than being one of those timid souls who never attempted for the fear of falling.
I have also broken customary expectations that were expected of me,a management student,i.e. to pursue master’s in finance & land up a viable & secure job,but I chose to follow my heart,It lay in the media & entertainment industry.I aspire to be a newsdesk reporter & to anchor shows on TV.It didn’t go down well with my dictor cum business man father.Daddy’s little girl indeed had grown up from being unconstructively stubborn to taking her stand & staying there long enough,for him to relent too.
Now back to where I started from-Tao Art Gllery.Why was I there?Coz my family have always been art connossiuers & this time I had to learn .Boy! did I ? I did ,I did !
Lets end it ‘The Alchemist’s ‘way in Paulo Coelho’s magical words” The book describes peoples inability to choose their own destinies.And it ends up saying the everyone believes the worlds greatest LIE,i.e. at a certain point in our lives,we loose control of what’s happening to us & our lives,believing its controlled by fate,THAT ‘s THE WORLD’s GREATEST LIE.

Bombay v/s Mumbai.

Though the time isn't now,still something I had attempted during the blasts,would love to share with you guys,coz I take pride in Being from Mumbai,& here it is:-
Though I wouldn’t want to remember the gory past ,yet the 11/07/06 blasts made me realise how much I knew Bombay or Mumbai.In Mumbai I revelled in pricking the inflated notions that we Mumbaikars harboured about our anointed selves, but 11/07 changed it all. This July Mumbai’s lifeline the railway was blown up at 11 different stations, but instead of the expected epiphany, within moments strangers were pulling victims out of the still spluttering & consuming wreckage, not waiting for ambulances & stretchers to arrive people ferried them unstintingly to hospitals, within hours blood banks were filled by donors not waiting to be asked.The terrorists expected Mumbai to die a silent death, But the very next day offices limped back to normalcy, bandaged but unbowed even the lifeline was back on track, in true Mumbai spirit !!,the bomb planters should have known better than to taunt a citizenry whose steel is tempered twice daily in the hell-fire of the rush commuteMumbai slaps one with the most brutal realities ,& then socks you with the elevating antidote, can you think of any other Indian city being shaken down to its DNA yet with a spine of steel.My guess is that the clue lies in Bombay rather than Mumbai, in the polyglot pastiche of communities rather than in the parochial monoculture. The can do & won’t die spirit comes from a heterogeneous bunch of people whipped ahead by their individual dreams, they won’t allow anyone to detonate them.The ultimate distinction lies in the attitude to power, Mumbai has made authority irrelevant. Its people don’t wait for the state they pick up the pieces themselves & re-cast them to their own, improved specifications, In case you didn’t know dreams come only in do-it yourself kits.THAT’S MUMBAI FOR YOU!!Just notice the next time someone mentions he/she is from Mumbai, the pride dwelling up in their eyes.

Wish-Quiz

hi there came across a nice quiz,so thought I'll share it with all u people out there,its fun & hopefully trustworth & this is how it goes (go get pen & notepad)

Don't cheat, If you are honest, this tells the truth It's pretty good. Write your answers on a piece of paper,
and NO cheating!! The answers are at the bottom. 1. Which is your favorite color out of: red , black , blue , green , or yellow ? 2. Your first initial? 3. Your month of birth? 4. Which color do you like more, black or white? 5. Name of a person of the same sex as yours. 6. Your favorite number? 7. Do you like Flying or Driving more? 8. Do you like a lake or the ocean more? 9. Write down a wish (a realistic one). When you're done, scroll down. (Don't cheat!)
.

Answers 1. If you choose: Red - You are alert and your life is full of love. Black - You are conservative and aggressive. Green - Your soul is relaxed and you are laid back. Blue- You are spontaneous and love kisses and affection from the ones you love. Yellow - You are a very happy person and give good advice to those who are down. 2. If your initial is: A-K You have a lot of love and friendships in your life. L-R You try to enjoy your life to the maximum & your love life is soon to blossom. S-Z You like to help others and your future love life looks very good. 3. If you were born in: Jan-Mar: The year will go very well for you and you will discover that you fall in love with someone totally unexpected. April-June: You will have a strong love relationship that will not last long but the memories will last forever. July-Sep: You will have a great year and will experience a major life-changing experience for the good. Oct-Dec: Your love life will not be great, but eventually you will find your soul mate. 4. If you chose: Black: Your life will take on a different direction, it will seem hard at the time but will be the best thing for you, and you will be glad for the change. White: You will have a friend who completely confides in you and would do anything for you, but you may not realize it. 5. This person is your best friend. 6. This is how many close friends you have in your lifetime. 7. If you chose: Flying: You like adventure. Driving: You are a laid back person. 8.. If you chose: Lake: You are loyal to your friends and your lover and are very reserved. Ocean: You are spontaneous and like to please people. 9. This wish will come true,fingers crossed. !!!

Missing...

I'm terribly missing college,Bandra-my college area comes to life so vibrantly in the monsoons,missing all the fun ,the colour in the backdrop of pitter patter of rainfalls,the mouthwatering piping hot sandwiches at Jai's,the fiercely attention commanding waves at bandstand.............ummmmmm indeed I miss my college days.

Summer 2007

This is the month of surprises for me,& in came another yesterday in the face of Summer 2007(a movie),anticipated it to be just another youth funfilled movie on romance,dismissed it before seeing it,had no option so was game for it,when it began my opinion didn't change much,but boy how wrong I was,it turned out to stirr strong emotions in me,not quite expected though,but yes a must watch for all of us who are so indifferently unaware,I;m touched & moved,but still no idea how much I'll be able to make a difference,but I leave it here with the hope of bringing in a change sooner or later in my little way...........

Bad Blogging

Read an article on bad blogging yesterday,in Cafe(Hindustan Times),by Meenakshi madhavan(www.thecompulsiveconfessor.blogspot.com),& I must say,quite a handy reading,learnt a lot,now lets see how I improve as a blogger.hey thanks meenakshi

Portugalv/s Germany

so what do you think whos gonna overpower whom,the skilled & experienced Portugal,or the powerful,yet organised Germany,quite nervewrecking,I cant take sides I've got my fav players on both the sides,come what may 7 however unpredictable it be,one things for sure that EURO 2008,is going to be oodles of fun,entertainment,with glamour being its triplet sibling................

the 3 mistakes....

Recently read "The 3 Mistakes Of Life" by Chetan Bhagat,not al that holding power in the begining but later your gripped,I experienced mixed emotions,till the end,Contempt,for the girl Vidya,sympathy for Govind then anger over him,then rush of emotions in the climax,where Omi looses his life while saving Ali.........man quite unpreditably awesome............a must read.

Welcome

I'm thrilled to welcome the monsoons,city's favourite season,bringing in nostalgia of my childhood days:a much needed respite from the scorching summer,cool breeze,hoping around splashing water in even splashier gumboots(i love boots),my bro floating paper boats,7 how can I forget the piping hot pakodas to munch on ummmmmm...,with news that was music to me & my brothers hears"School Closed"yipeeee.who ever minded the dirt & drugde except mom,& the umbrella being mangled to its ugly best....yet again mum did...............Love You Monsoons..........

hey

I keep loosing hope ,i cry & then I wake up with a new zeal,to gear up 7 follow with vegeanence my dream................................

Now God Forbid What Next .......??

Squads of people dead & missing ,China has been hit again with yet another natural calamity,just a month ago, an earthquake& now torrential rains creating floods,creating more than enough havoc,quake lakes,which if flooded,will come down like;a dragon shooting fire,engulfing in its deadly embrace one & all,millions living in makeshift tents,,still more homeless.makes me wait & ponder about my daily wining,is it all that worth it,when ,someone in China,is wailing loved ones death,even worse,maybe they dont even know whether they are still alive,all I can say is wish them Courage.............

Back from wedding

Hi there I'm just back from hyderabadi wedding,wo! wat rituals,so many traditions,so many sleepless nights,that now I qualify for the sleep deprived category,but fun,& ofcourse yummmmmmmmy food,man functions like this make me wish I had two stomachs,had fun.........

Wo!!!

I'm leavin for a cousins wedding,I wonder why people host their weddings in such scorching summer heat,something else that amazes me at prresent is the news,(murder-1)Aarushi,@)Neeraj Grover),I just can't digest the fact that a father can kill his daughter.& the girl Maria Susairaj amazes me even more ,why that Fling when she claims to love her Fiancee Jeromee so much,her fling has ruined three lives,get life girl,..........anywez I'll be back soon & share my escapades.ummmmmmmmm looking forward to yummmmyy food!!!

A New Day!!!1

Hi there to all guess wat I'm feelin much better,though no change has ocurred yet,still the anticipation is sayin,something good is on its way,actually I've changed my career course dats why facing difficulties,but it's ok,I know I'll get my way,coz i really wanna be part of the entertainment industry(media)..............& looking forward for that start,.........................tadaaaaaaaaaaaaa I've arrived............

Today?

Hi & a big helllllllooooooo to everybody out there,this is Haj here,& I really dunno wat I'm feelin today,I'm an eternal optimist,but an eternal optimist can have bad days too,today is one of those,I'm frustated,yet not cranky,tryin to be hopeful,but then suddenly loose it...............just hope I can be me soon..............fingers crossed.......!!!