Vacation of 2009

Ahhh....the thought of a vacation instantly brings that SMILE to my face.
Why, you ask?? Well, I'm sure gonna tell you....but you'll have to take some time to read the next few blog posts to get a hint as to WHY?...

I faintly remember my last...ACTUAL vacation. It was way back in the 7th grade. Haven't really managed to have a well-deserved holiday eversince. Not sure why, but just haven't! And after long years of lazy summer breaks, slothful weekends , ...finally came THE vacation - the one that I was looking forward to more than anything else (perhaps more exciting than receiving my pay cheque every month!)

I remember the plans started some time around April 2009. My cousin came up with the draft of the itinerary. He loves traveling and I must admit,...thanks to him my family and I have understood the essence behind traveling to places that gripped our attention so much that we felt on top-of-the-world!!

A lot of work had gone into preparing the final plan. We exchanged phone calls, emails, spent evenings at each other's place to educate ourselves on what the plan was about. As for me, it had more to do with curiousity...and a constant urge to understand every single detail of every place that we planned to visit in those 11 days.

I've never felt this excited ever. I've read so much on these places like never before. Suddenly, geography became so interesting that every day I'd log in to Google maps!
And by the time we realized it, the morning of 30th October,2009 finally dawned!

It is rightly said that "Beauty lies in the eyes of the beholder" ...and I can't agree more after my maiden trip to the HIMALAYAS!

Thanks Subbu for making it happen! :-)


P.S: More blog posts to follow!

Networking sites - a pain sometimes!

I found this friend request on FB early this week:

Wow mashallah really ur 2 cute nice nice pose so sweet .........................really ur looking grgs ...................me iam zaid frm ksa saudi arabia,,,,,,,,,,i lke chat with u .my mail id funky_sh2@yahoo.com pls add me uhave yahoo idso swet ur smile.


Heaven HELP ME!!

Compulsive and Impulsive Shopping

Shopping is a fact of life - something that none of us can do without! Though how much we shop is entirely up to us.
You go to the mall, department store, grocery store, or a retail store. Before leaving the house, had you made out a plan for what you were going to shop for? Did you already have an amount of money planned and set aside for purchases, an amount not to go past? Was your mind already made up not to buy anything but exactly what you planned upon?
Well for those of you who don't step out of the house keeping the above points in mind, you're just about to burn your pockets completely!!

There are two different shopping mindsets that would define what kind of a shopper you actually are.
These are my inferences based on all that I have read...

Compulsive Shopping:
A compulsive shopper and a shopaholic are synonymous with one another.
Shopping for this category of people would bring happiness, content, satisfaction and relief! ...It removes distress and eradicates the feeling of having nothing. However, this state of mind is transient.
People obsessed with shopping only tend to alleviate their compulsion for that moment. Its only a matter of time when they would get back into the compulsive shopping-spree once again.

Traits
Get your monthly pay cheque - GO SHOP,
Saved up some cash in the last 10 days - GO SHOP
Haven't shopped in the last 24 hrs - Reward yourself - GO SHOP
You're bored of your furniture- GO ShOP!
Had a dream last night that you were shopping - Well, make it true - GO SHOP
Whoops, its raining - run to the nearest store, which means - GO SHOP!
Havent done your laundry, having nothing in your wardrobe - GO SHOP! :-s
Your BRAND NEW brown shoes don't go too well with your pink dress - GO SHOP!
You're reading this blog...feeling tempted - GO SHOP! :-p

Impulsive Shopping:
An impulsive shopper is one who shops without any specific idea of what to buy. Its more to do with an impetus - a forceful need to shop,...But for what? There's no answer to that.
Traits
Say, you're an impulsive shopper who plans to visit a departmental store. On the way, you stop by at the mall just to do some "window" shopping. Every dress on the mannequins catches your eye instantly, and there starts the temptation. Off you walk into the store,.... and land up picking stuff which you thinks might be of some use, though at that point of time you really can manage without it. In about 2 hrs, you walk out just to find yourself down 4000bucks.
And yes, back to the plan of buying groceries. No real list in place, you get to the departmental store. Excitedly you walk down the isle...along the crockery section. Whoops....and your're down another 2000bucks...after looking at all the fancy and colorful dinner sets.
Now you're hungry, having been gone hours longer than you anticipated. So you go to a food court to buy yourself some SIMPLE stuff to munch on. And there it is...you're down by another 350 bucks.

Not sure if its just me, but don't you think a compulsive shopper could also be an impulsive shopper....and not vice versa.
Tell me what you think....and yes, what kind of category do you think you fall under?

Man, all this is making me want to go shopping.....it's almost past 21:00hrs! ARGHHH! :-p

Uncivilized ......UGH!

Written about 2 months back...I just missed out publishing it! :-s

I've come to accept the fact that Bangalore has a LOOOONNNGG way to go in terms of CIVIC SENSE! I used to think there were SOME sane people out here....but I've been forced to do some rethinking!
What made me think so......Read the incident:

This happened a few days back; one evening on my way back home from work.
I ride back home every evening; and trust me..it's painful. Especially during summer, its awful! There are a zillion vehicles on the road and I always have the gifted spot of getting stuck right behind a huge bus at every d@mn signal. So with all that smoke and dust hovering all over my face, I raced through the crazy roads of B'lore!
At one of the junctions, I had to wait for about a minute before the signal turned green! Once it did; there was not just one but two morons; one in a Swaraj Mazda Van and the other on a bike who overtook me without a clear signal. Well, this is something which happens all the time.
Anyways;...the fun starts here! ...
There's a median in the center of the road. The driver of the Mazda zoomed towards it by manoeuvering the vehicle to the right while the guy on the bike had no option but to speed up and try and overtake the van. However, the highly intelligent driver of the Mazda accelerated further and once he got close to the median; SPAT an entire sack full of PAAN (supari...UGHHH!) ....little did he know that in less than a second all that $hit would be on the biker's face!!! YUCCCCCCCCCCCKKKKKKKKKKKkk.....
And the blessed person that I am (GOSH!), I got to witness the entire series of events which lasted for less than a minute....EEks!!!
Probably the yuckiest minute of my life!!

The question here is not about WHY people out here SPIT while driving....(Well, in India people use the roads for anything...and I mean ANYTHING!!) Its more about why the HELL don't they look at the godd@mn rear-view mirror before spitting!! That's the LEAST they can do!!

Even this morning on my way to work, another guy in a Santro performs his early morning ritual by spitting on the road. I mean, I'm talking about EDUCATED, supposedly well-bred people, with classy jobs and hefty salaries....However, in terms of Civic Sense they have no idea about how irresponsible they are! ...ZILCH!

I guess, its about time that the leading fashion designers in the country came up with this ultra-trendy SPIT-PROOF outfit - that you can wear for all seasons! And yes, ..definately at a reasonable price! :-p...

Board Games

I mentioned about board games in my previous post; so thought I should share my favorite board games till date:

1) Monopoly (the best ever!!)
2) Cluedo (amazing and exciting!)
3) Pictionary (Simply love this when I travel! Its fun to play this with a big group)
4) Carroms (hate it when I lose :-p )
5) Life (Time pass, monopoly is nicer!)
6) Scotland Yard (Fun to be the thief!)
7) Ludo :-) (when i'm really bored!)
8) Snakes and ladders
9) Chess (Only when the person I play with isn't as good as I am :-p...Unfortunately that's never the case)

Oh and this is for all the Tamil folks....I was amazed when I went to this Toy shop last week and actually saw Pallanguli in the entire stack of board games...Reminded me of the days when I just got introduced to the game. Used to play it with my paati (grandmom)...and loved it!! What's impressing is the very idea of the game and the fact that we used to play it with shells!! :-)
So it's out there in the market...go get one for yourself!! :-)

Happy GAMING!! :-)

Monotony.... (SIGH!)

What does it take to break the monotony of your daily routine?

...I have no idea??!!...I feel like I'm 60 without having the thought of what to do next :-s

Man, thoughts like this at my age is not such a great sign, is it? :-s
For the whole of last week (actually almost 3 weeks - I feel guilty for saying that) I've been trying to do something productive (Well, that's what I'm paid for you see). But somehow just haven't managed to get my mind tuned to WORK efficiently.
Just a few weeks back, I was so involved with work that I used to be glued to my monitor for hours together. I used to avoid going for tea breaks too; and now I keep looking at my watch every 15 min. I come every morning to work, and start talking about lunch :-s....Yeah, what a depressing life!! SIGH!

I've been playing a lot of Sudoku and also solving a lot of web puzzles...
For some reason, my colleagues and I were talking about the different kinds of board games we've played...And eversince I've been reading about them on wikipedia... :-s
Infact I'm thinking if I should bring some of them to work...to break the monotony!! But, not sure if I'll be the only one playing it eventually...SOB!!

I think I would have logged in to Facebook, linkedin, gmail about 10 times during the day....realise that its about time I started work, then decide to push it by another 10 min....and by the time I realise its 5pm and I'm done for the day! :-p ...

Right now...I'm listening to Rehna Tu - Delhi 6 and looking at some lovely pics on Facebook...
That reminds me ...isn't it time for my evening Chaii...
Got to run!! :-)
Ciao!

Back....after a long break!

I'm back.........after a long break....not exactly a well-deserved break, ..but a period of stress, long hours at work, sleepless nights, worries, tensions....blah, blah, blah...
And these rough yet exciting days will be back soon....even before I could realise it.. SIGH!!
So thought I'd make the most of my time (at work) by getting back to what I used to enjoy doing most...BLOGGING! This is how I reward myself for all those SINCERE hours of productive work that I've put in (Ok, I know I have a depressing life...DUH!)

Hmmm....now when you tend to break from the routine WRITING cycle (in my case that works both on the personal and professional front), there's always a tough task ahead of you - and that is to think of WHAT to write! :-)

I'm going to sum up all the events of the last few weeks....
(in no particular order)

1) Hmmm....Ahhhh...the OSCARS...!! I remember watching the event LIVE on TV...and it was time for me to head off to work...With much of disgust, I decided to leave...Arghh!!
Soon as I got to work, I got an SMS from my mom saying "Rahman won the Oscar for best musical score" ...
I felt on top of the world!! I was so happy and thrilled that he won it!! All that hard work had finally paid off!!
(However, I feel if Slumdog could fetch him an Oscar, what about the rest of the movies for which he's directed? ....I'll put down my thoughts on this in another post!)

2) My house renovation - I have stopped thinking about it...Things out here are way too hard to plan and I have no idea when I'm going shift. This is has taken the life out of me and my family. Our weekends have been highly exciting - Cemented walls, saw dust, paint-shopping, bathroom-accessories-shopping, lights, curtains, ...oh and a hell a lot of yelling at everyone who decides to do the work! Only if they DID, it would have saved us a lot of energy!!

3) Recession - This has been a tough month! Things have changed a lot at home and at work. And its getting awfully tough to accept the reality.....
I hate everything about the recession - there is just too much of change in every single thing that you do - and life isnt all that hunky-dory as it used to be!

4) Life at work - Hmmm....been tough for the last 2 months! Got to witness and experience a whole lot of things...but certainly worth the effort! Completed my first official release ...YAY!! ... but this was with a lot of compromise...fewer hrs spent with family, keeping in touch with friends was almost forgotten, stress levels were much higher, mood swings, late hrs at work and having to ride back home late (This place isnt all that safe!) ....anyways...!! I guess I'll be back to a similar routine in a few weeks...Sheesh!

5) A friend of mine got engaged! -- YAYYY...!!! Can't wait for her wedding!! :-)
A friend of mine is going to have a baby - YAYYYY again!! I think its a girl!! :-)

6) My trip to Kushalnagar - It was the best trip till date!! The most relaxing and fun-filled weekend in a long time! I had a great time!
Hogged like a pig, put on a few extra kilos (I don't feel bad about it!), went swimming (got tanned big time!...that's bothering me a bit!), played badminton, cricket, pampered the doggies there, played cards, carrom, chess, ...oh gosh! I did a whole lot of stuff!! It was amazing!! Next destination - thinking about OOty!! :-)

7) My summer cut - Got a hair cut....and really short...Its not that I look my age...but this certainly got me looking like a kid all over again....well, its to beat the heat!! ;-)

8) Talking about the heat - Oh man! What on earth is up with the weather? Its soaring out here...I hate it! And I hate riding to work in this heat! YUCK!!
Oh GOD, I can't wait to feel the rains! I don't even remember what its like when it RAINS!! Wahhhhhh!!! :-(

9) Shopping - I remember I had some gift coupons which I had to use within a week before the validity could expire. I thought I'd buy myself something upto what the coupons amounted to (considering the recession..blah blah)...and yes, I did..but slightly went overboard...I landed up shelling out an additional 4000 bucks! ...Well, you can say it was the stress and the fact that I hadnt shopped in a long time that I landed up doing this! DUH!

10) Miss my fiance way too much these days! Its killing! Nothing I could about it...SIGH!! :-(

11) Hmmm....banged my head on a garden seat while trying to rest my head...and eversince I've been having these awful headaches....OH GOD!! What's next???

There are a whole lot of other things that I want to write down...but beginning to feel hungry! I need to grab a quick bite...which would mean I need to leave work NOW - which would take me 45min - 1 hr to reach home....getting awfully sick in the traffic....Hmmphh!!
Signing off, Ciao!

Sardar's back!! Oye Paajii...

A Sardar and an American are seated next to each other on a flight from Los Angeles to New York. The American asks if he would like to play a fun-game.

The Sardar, tired, just wants to take a nap, so he politely declines and rolls over to the window to catch a few winks.

The American persists and explains that the game is easy and a lot of fun.

He says, “I ask you a question, and if you don’t know the answer, you pay me $5, and vice versa.”

Again, the Sardar declines and tries to get some sleep.

The American, now worked up, says, “Okay, if you don’t know the answer, you pay me $5, and if I don’t know the answer, I’ll pay you $500.”

This gets the sardar’s attention and, figuring there will be no end to this! torment, agrees to the game.

The American asks the first question, “What’s the distance from the earth to the moon?”

The Sardar doesn’t say a word, reaches into his wallet, pulls out a $5 bill and hands it to the American.

“Okay,” says the American, “Your turn.”

So the Sardar asks, “What goes up a hill with three legs and comes down with four legs?”

The American thinks about it. No answer. Puzzled, he takes out his laptop computer and searches all his references. No answer!

He taps into the air-phone with his modem and searches the Internet and the Library of Congress. No answer.
Frustrated, he sends e-mails to all his friends and co-workers.

Checks the input. All to no avail!

Finally, a long time later, he wakes the Sardar and hands him $500.

The Sardar thanks him and turns back to get his sleep.

The American, more than a little miffed, stirs the Sardar and asks,
“Well,
what’s the answer?”

Without a word, the Sardar reaches into his purse, hands the American $5, and
goes back to sleep!

—————————————————————————————
Once, two Sardars were feeling bored and decided to play a few games of chess to pass the time.
They were doing this for some time, when two more sardar friends dropped by. Seeing them play chess, they said - “Come on guys, we are feeling bored too. Let us play doubles!”

—————————————————————————————
Once a Sardarji went to the city of Mumbai for the first time to meet his father. His father had asked him to keep walking in the direction of the sunrise until he eventually reached hishouse. Since, the Sardarji was new to the city he decided to ask a passerby the direction in which the sun rose in Mumbai - east, west, north or south?The passerby who was also a Sardarji thought for some time and then said, “Main bhi is sheher mein naya aaya hoon!” ( I am also new in this city!)
—————————————————————————————
Our Sardar bhai is at the railway station. He asks a man “When will Rajdhani Express go from here”? Man Replies 12.30. “When will Punjab Express go from here”?Man Replies 10.30. “When will Deccan Queen go from here”? Man Replies 12.30. Thus the sardar goes on asking the schedule for all trains. Now the man gets fed up and asks whether he wants to go to Punjab by train or not.Sardar replies, “NO. I only want to cross the tracks!”
—————————————————————————————
Sardarji bought a brand new Maruti and decided to drive down from Amritsar, where he lived, to Jalandar to meet his friend. He reached there in a few hours. After spending a few days there, he decided to return, and called up his mother to expect him in the evening. But he didn’t reach in the evening and not the next day either. When he finally reached home on the third day, his distraught mother ran and asked him ” Arre Puttar, ki hoya?” (What Happened, My Son?)

The Sardarji got out, obviously very tired from a long journey, and said, “Oy, ye Marutti wale pagal hain, agge jaane waaste chaar gear banaate hain, aur pichche jaane waaste sirf ik?” (These Maruti Car people are crazy! They have four gears for going forward, but only one for going back!)
—————————————————————————————
One day a Sardar happened to see a marathon race.
"What the guys are doing?" asked the sardar.
"We are running a marathon. The winner will get a prize” replied one of the runners.
"Only the winner will get prize? Then why others are participating!!" , exclaimed the Sardar
—————————————————————————————
2 sardars were fixing a bomb in a car.
Sardar 1 : What would you do if the bomb explodes while fixing.
sardar 2 : Dont worry, I have one more.
—————————————————————————————
Sardar enters the kitchen and opens the sugarbox. He looks inside and closes it.Wife observes the whole episode.He again comes and does the same stuff. His wife then asks him "Why are you doing this?"
Sardar replies "Doctor told to check sugar level regularly".
—————————————————————————————
Two Sardars walk into a bar, and each of them order a drink. They go and sit down and start toasting and cheering, “51 days! 51 Days!!”
About five minutes later, another Sardar walks in; orders a drink, and joins the other two in the cheering.
Finally, another Sardar walks in with what looks like a picture. He puts the picture in the middle of the table, and starts cheering with the others, “51 days!51 days!!
The Bartender starts to get really curious, so he walks over to discover that the picture is a Puzzle.
He walks over to one of the Sardar and asks, “What on earth are you doing??"
"Well” the Sardar says, “Everyone thinks Sardars are so stupid, so we proved them wrong. On the box of this puzzle, it says 2-4 years, but we finished it in only 51 days!!!
—————————————————————————————
The doctor told a Sardarji that if he ran 8 kilometers a day for 300 days, he would lose 34 kilos. At the end of 300 days, the Sardarji called the doctor to report he had lost the weight,but he had a problem.”What’s the problem?” asked the doctor."I’m 2400 kms from home", replied the Sardar.

Learn life the simpler way, will you?

An eventful day for TENNIS...

Sunday, 1st February 2009

An amazing day for TENNIS; but certainly a depressing day for all FedEx fans.
Just when we thought Roger missed the Wimbledon title by such a negligible margin(considering the manner in which he fought his way back, being 2 sets down), little did we know we were going to witness a similar result in the Australian Open.

And to add to the distressing result, all his fans had to witness something even more painful. Watch him CRY! :-( SOB!
"He cried and it was hard not to cry with him. The sight of Roger Federer’s lower lip trembling would have been enough to start most soft-hearted observers off, but by the time his tears started flowing, a far proportion of the 15,000 at Rod Laver Arena and the millions watching around the world were probably reaching for the tissues too. If that had not done the trick, then the sight of Rafael Nadal, his conqueror, putting his arm around him in friendly consolation, would have set off a worldwide outbreak of sniffles."

Australia being a nation which values mateship to such a great extent would not have got to witness an embodiment of true sportsmanship with a champion comforting another.

Roger was going great in the initial sets but faultered drastically towards the last set. Rafael blazed through the game like a lightening streak. He undoubtedly displayed a scene-stealing performance; broke Roger's serve on plenty occasions; made fewer unforced errors; the guy was simply at his BEST!

And then came the end to yet another final of the two most incredible tennis stars the sport has ever produced! Tough time for all Roger fans (including me) and it just got worse during the presentation ceremony. Being the runner-up he was called to the dais first. With all the adulation and applause from the audience, he exclaimed in absolute grief “God, it’s killing me" ; and the sobs took over! :-(

Fans all over the Rod Laver Arena were shocked; shocked to see their champion display a public outburst of emotion for the first time. And it was painful to see him struggle for words.
And then as Rafael was called to give his speech, the true sportsman that he is, he went up to Roger and reassured him with a hug.
Rog, sorry for today,” said Rafael, turning to his friend with genuine compassion in his voice. “I really know how you feel right now. Remember that you are a great champion and you are one of the best in history and you will beat Pete Sampras’ 14 titles for sure.”

Roger mustered a weak smile and nodded his appreciation, but the pain was still there on his face. It wasn’t long before the tears began to roll again.

Certainly one of the most eventful grand slams I've ever seen; and it really reflected on how passionate a champion is of his game!

Cheers to the champion(S) and to TENNIS!

Economic Crunch

Job Cuts, Lay-offs, economic crunch, financial slowdown, retrenchment, recession - the BUZZ words for the current financial year! And everyone's experiencing the pinch of it!

Infact I was just looking at the Layoff tracker on Forbes. The numbers look scary!

The biggest economic turmoil I've ever witnessed. And in some way or the other it has affected all levels of employment. Jobs are at stake - One day you're earning big bucks and the next day you have a pink slip at your desk. No hikes, no promotions, no bonuses - Elements that were considered default with every year of work have now become void!

I now hear people say "Who cares about the bonus; I want my job intact"!

Massive job cuts across the globe have got people thinking "Where is this heading off to". People have started to cut down expenditure on everything - clothing, food, accommodation, travel....Everyone's beginning to feel the crunch.

MONEY has made man so dependent on it that without it he's like a drowned fish!

The Bucket List

The Bucket List is a comedy drama which released in 2007. Its a story which revolves around 2 terminally ill men who decide to escape from a cancer ward in order to head off on a road trip - a trip with a wishlist of TO-DOs before they "KICK THE BUCKET"!
Here's a review of the movie: Bucket List

I was watching a couple of scenes from the movie and it suddenly struck me - What are the things that I would want to do before I "KICK THE BUCKET"! Ok, doesn't sound like a fancy thought - but hey, all of us have wish lists, don't we? And all I'm saying is that we don't have to come up with it only when we feel we're done with LIFE! Wouldn't it be better to write them down now and work towards it through the years?

So here is my "BUCKET LIST" (subject to changes)

1) Resume SWIMMING classes (and this time for a change - LEARN TO SWIM)
2) Trip to the Himalayas
3) Get my hands on an AUDI-A8!! Whow!!
4) Buy my own house
5) Visit all the wonders of the world
6) Hold a python around my neck (It's not weird!)
7) Make a Tanjore painting
8) Resume Singing (Carnatic music)
9) Learn to play the guitar
10) A trip to Dubai and visit my school and friends (GOOD OLD MEMORIES)
11) Walk with stilettos
12) Visit Universal Studios and Disneyland!
13) Bungee jumping (I'll keep this to the end - not sure if I'll survive through it :-p)

Hmmmm....tough list! Can't imagine the feeling when I actually achieve all of it! :-D
Brings a SMILE to my face!

Mixed Emotions!

I picked this tag from Amrita's blog... (Thx!) ;-)
I'm half way through a not-so-exciting Thursday, and I have a couple of thoughts running in my mind...

I FEEL

Happy - that I have a lovely family; amazing buddies; a great job and most of all a CONTENTED Life!!

Good - about being HAPPY!! ;-)

Satisfied - that I have learned things the hard way!

Enthusiastic - about everything I do...and if it's a trip then I GO BONKERS!

Breathless - when I talk about something that I'm so totally involved with. I cannot break the continuity, you see! :-p

Excited - about moving to my new house in a couple of weeks! Yayyy...

Nagged - about unclean places, unorganized behaviour! Arghhhh...

Impatient - on every Friday evening!

Silly - when I crib about things that don't mean a THING!! Why do I do that??

Stupid - for discontinuing Swimming classes :-(

Blessed - for being the person I am!

Irritated - with people who tend to act like GODS!

Scared - when I think about how unsafe and unpredictable the world is today.

Depressed - when I lose my temper and realize it was so unnecessary.

SICK - when I'm lonely!

Just a random flow of thoughts...
You can tag yourself if you choose to! ;-)

Have you run out of blog topics?

Let me start by saying that the following pointers have not been entirely picked and identified by me. I have been reading couple of blogs and these points are what I gathered from most of it. Infact I even picked a couple of tips from them!

So let me get started.....
Have you ever run out of blog topics? I'm sure there would be mixed responses for this question.
From my side, I would have to say "YES"!
There are these days when I would have so much to write about but because of work or some other appointment I just wouldnt get the time! I don't understand why this happens only on days when I have so many thoughts and ideas to write down!

On the other hand, there have been some really DULL and gloomy days where I've had nothing else to do but BLOG. And somehow the timing isn't right to come up with something creative or even simple!!

Pretty ironical right?

For those of you who do experience this,...don't fret! I might just have the right tips for you (ALMOST!!) ;-)
Read along....

Rule No 1 : BE DIFFERENT
If you are the kind who has tons of readers stumbling across your blog every day, this tip might come in handy.
The key is to go "OFF-Topic". It's always different and gets your readers thinking about the various facets of your blog.
This is good to keep them guessing as to what your next post would be about!
Your readers get a break from the routine posts and also gives you a chance to showcase other interests of yours!

Rule No 2: KEEP THE SUBJECT INTERESTING
Let me describe this with an example.
When I started blogging, I was so completely addicted to it. I'd post random thoughts which wouldn't really fetch that involvement from the reader.
I felt so compelled to write something regularly. This perhaps was the cause of not coming up with an interesting subject.
When you get into this kind of mode, you can be branded as a blogger who blogs just for the sake of blogging. (I guess most of us who start off , fall under this category!)
The best thing to do in such situations, is to THINK! Think about subjects that are often spoken about in the news or papers, or some day-to-day events; or even some raging reviews.Anything that would help you keep your readers INVOLVED!

Rule No 3: WRITE PILLAR CONTENT
This is something we all need to ask ourselves. Do we really have something concrete in our blog.
The idea might have been great, but the manner in which it is presented isn't! This calls for a serious introspection into the presentation of the blog.
Your main focus is to reach out to your readers. For instance, if you are talking about meditation as a therapy, then concentrate on getting the idea across. This is what I mean by PILLAR CONTENT. Try to keep things simple and straight without complicating the subject.
It's always a good practice to strike the point right at the start. This holds the attention of the reader.

Rule No 4: MAINTAIN BLOG NOTES
Like I mentioned earlier, there are days when your mind simply overflows with ideas and thoughts. By the end of the day, you hardly remember any of it.
The best solution to this is to maintain blog notes. The moment you have an idea in mind, make a note of it. This can be recorded in a notebook or even on your computer.
So the next time you sit to blog, all you need to do is pull out your blog note and VOILA! You have tons of topics to choose from!

Rule No 5: TAKE SOME TIME OUT
R.E.S.T! Your mind needs some time to relax!
I would say this point applies to those who are extremely committed to their readers. Your belief is that "A BLOG A DAY KEEPS THAT FROWN AWAY"!
Well, at the end of it all, you'll find yourself frowning at the poor quality of your blog.
Adequate rest is essential when you want to live up to the expectations of your readers. This keeps the creative sector of your brain always ACTIVE and teeming with content!

Rule No 6: JUST DO IT
This tip is for all novice bloggers! I picked this up from a blog I read recently and it's absolutely true.
Sometimes you have an idea for your blog, but not sure what direction to take. The best cure for that is to just start writing. It doesn’t matter if you don’t know how you’re going to end the post, just get your ideas down.

You begin piecing, cutting, pasting, re-wording and before you know it, your article is nearly done! Sometimes getting started is the hardest part, and once you begin, you realize you’re half way home. ;-)

So there you have it guys! Six valuable (I hope it is!) tips for getting your blog into action! Share your thoughts and let me know if it made a difference!

What do you do BEST?

Have you ever sat and pondered over what you do BEST?

I'm not talking in terms of a profession. All of us are good at our work; atleast most us who 'ENJOY' the work we do; or even those of us who don't quite like it but still manage to PERFORM well!

What am trying to refer to is a TRAIT of yours that you find so unique; something without which you are just INCOMPLETE!
Have you ever felt that there are some qualities in you which make a difference to the people around you?

Somehow after a lot of thought; I feel I do make a difference! And that is to make people SMILE! :-)
I wouldn't say it's something which I've been born with but certainly that one trait which has had its effect gradually! :-)
And it really WORKS....works if you want to make people SMILE!! :-)

Ok, I'm not saying I'm a Cyrus Broacha or a Russel Peters....I have a style of my own! I can't really have a camera pointed at me and asked to act funny. I can't be made to ACT funny!!
Call it Slapstick or Jocosity or even a plain and simple jest ...I believe I have it in me!! ;-) And its just so spontaneous!
And I must admit I say it best in Tamil or English!! It's works wonders when you say/hear a joke in your mother tongue. Just don't get that effect when it's translated!!

Hmmm, so coming back to my very own and radically distinctive trait...I must say I'm proud of it! It sure can get better. Fierce competition among the male crowd!! ;-)

It's fun be at the receiver's end every time you hear a joke....but listen up! It's even more AWESOME to be the one who initiates it!!

Try it, develop it...and you'll never realize it...but you sure will bring a SMILE to everyone's face!!

Garfield

Time Pass

Bored???

Check these sites out!

http://www.spotthedifference.com/explorer.asp

http://www.jigzone.com/

http://www.websudoku.com/

http://www.hangman.no/

http://www.warbears.com/

http://www.popcap.com/games/free/bejeweled2

F.R.I.E.N.D.S all the way!!!

I guess I was in the 11th grade when I started watching F.R.I.E.N.D.S! And my eyes have been glued onto this TV serial ever since!
It's all about the characters and the humor they bring in with every episode! I LOVE the cast! Simply perfect!
I've seen every season a 100 times; but NEVER get bored of it! Even today, when I get back from work; I'm glued to the television for an hour! It's more like a silent hour that we observe at home every evening - I'm not allowed to talk nor do I allow other people in the house to talk ;-p
I just LOVE the whole series! Reminds me of some of the good old times with my best buddies!!

As I grew older I started identifying myself with one of the characters. Every time I watched it, I'd wonder "Oh man, is this how I am with people" ?? ;-)
I've always related myself to MONICA - with very similar traits. Her annoyance with unclean surroundings (a CLEAN freak basically), an overly organized nature, irritating at times :-p;...All these traits resemble me a lot!
However I must admit I'm not so great in my cooking like she is ;-p - I'm Average in that department!!
Resemblances apart; my favorite character was - I mean is CHANDLER BING! He has an amazing sense of humor; anything he says gets you rolling on the floor instantly! :D

I loved the episode where Ross goes to this Salon to get himself a nice and hunky tan - The result of which was HILARIOUS!! Haahahhaa!

In contrast, the saddest episode was the last one; when all of them left the keys of the apartment just before they could vacate it! :'-( ....Painful!!!
The entire series was like a journey! With happy moments, sad times, moments where you needed to laugh your head off....a mix of all emotions! I guess that's what makes F.R.I.E.N.D.S so complete!
So for those of you who watch it, continue watching it! (I'm sure you will! )
And for those of you who haven't got your hands on a CD yet, it's about time you did! Trust me, you won't regret it!

So tell me who are your favorite characters and what is that you find so amazing and different about FRIENDS!

Modular Kitchens

Ever imagined having a kitchen which has the right things in the right place?

Well, make your imagination a reality by opting for a Modular Kitchen.
The best way to make use of your kitchen space!
From an Indian market perspective, certainly it involves quite a heavy investment...however, times are changing!

Gone are the days when people run around to buy materials, assign a carpenter to make the cabinets and monitor the work on a daily basis. Modular Kitchens have gone a step ahead by making it easier for you to design your kitchen according to your needs and leave it entirely to the dealer to take it forward from there.

You have wide ranges of wood to choose from such as normal plywood, MDF (Medium Density Fibers), Rubber wood, Solid wood, Teak, Natural wood....
You also get it in wide range of colors on which you can have a laminate or a glossy finish! Different finishing styles to render a Classy / Traditional / Mystic / Elegant / English / Modern look...All left to your choice!

The concept of built in accessories such as your carousel units, pull-out units, plate racks, spice racks, corner units, cutlery trays etc are so user friendly and add so much value to your kitchen!

And believe me its fun to go visit these showrooms. They have tons of kitchen models displayed and guide you through each one of them! Now, you may wonder what's making me write a blog on this. Well, I'm currently getting my kitchen 'MODULARIZED'....and after all the background study, multiple visits to the showroom; I finally managed to complete the design and order for it! :-) And honestly, I think its something that everyone who is in the process of renovating or constructing a new house should think about! It's worth the time and the money (I HOPE!) ;-)

So once I get it installed, I'll show you what it looks like!

Oh, and just to add to it; my favorite part in the entire design was the crockery shelf. Simply loved it!!

What's so fascinating about Social Networking sites?

"Heyyyyyyy, how have you been? So looonnngg since we spoke or met. Where are you now?"?

Similar reactions when you catch up with a friend or an acquaintance after years?
Well, that's why social networking sites are so fascinating!

Breaking barriers through simple networks!
I guess that's what makes it so addicting! It's easy to use, fancy and quick! What more do you need - to stay in touch?

And what's more - all the value-adds to make your profile look like a colorful and elaborate diary! COMPLETELY EFFORTLESS!!

Experimenting with the site itself is addicting! Adding pictures, albums, corny moods, messages, sending ecards, playing games (not just you but with your friends as well!), making sketches, cute emoticons, crazy quizzing, ....and the list just goes on!
Wonder who coined this idea and made it the ultimate WAY of staying in touch!! Creative, I must say!

Technology just keeps making things easier by the minute!
By the time you realize it, you'll find your thoughts being read by a MIND READER and automatically SCRAP it to people across a thousand miles! Howazzat?
Cool eh!...........Well, not really! I wouldn't vouch for it :-p

There are some things in life which just can't change, no matter how advanced technology gets...

The happiness you get when you read a letter HAND-WRITTEN by a person you love!
Catching up with friends after years and not say a word, still knowing that they know what you're thinking!!
Give your mom a call at night to tell her how much you miss her cooking and can't wait to get back home to her!
Sitting with your family and playing a game of pictionary....

Well. there are some things that TECHNOLOGY can't buy; for everything else there is always a Facebook, Orkut, Twitter, myspace...... ;-)

My all time FAVORITE english numbers!!

It's been a while since I sat and listened to some of my all time favorite English songs. So I decided why not write a blog on this...After all MUSIC is what spices up any mood!! :-)
Here goes....
My favorite english numbers (In no particular order)

Summer of 69 - Bryan Adams
Takes me back to those good old days in school. Young and energetic! This is one song I can listen to any time!!

Inside Out - Bryan Adams (again!)
I LOVE this song. A very simple chord, but touches the heart the moment you listen to it! Reminds me of some of best buddies!!

When you say nothing at all - Ronan Keating
I guess anyone who loves this number would understand the true emotion it brings out!
Love goes beyond words!! :-)

Thank You - Dido
This is one song which I listen to almost every single day! I sing it on way to work and back. However, I love the original! Peps me up instantly!!

Like an Animal - Savage Garden
A totally fun song to listen to. Just go crazy and feel like becoming a kid all over again!! Savage Garden rocks!!

Country Roads - John Denver
Ever wondered how lovely it is to drive by the country side; looking beyond fields and old thatched houses;...serene and quiet valleys!! ....This song brings that out!!
It's LOVELY!!

Be with you - Enrique Iglesias
Hot and husky voice!! Who can beat this guy? An awesome and sensational number!!

All that she wants - Ace of Base
I grew up listening to ace of base. Every number is not stuffed with sounds and noise. It plain, simple, catchy...and certainly a classic number in my opinion.

I'm Alive - Celine Dion
I love most of her songs. But this one really brings me ALIVE!! The most unique female voice I've ever heard!

Torn - Natalie Imbruglia
When I feel low and disgusted with life; annoyed and irritated ; this song just brings me back to normal! I love the lyrics!!

Daddy Cool - Boney M
My dad's favorite song. Somehow it got a place in my list as well. A classic in itself and has its own Style!! I;ve set this as my ringing tone!! :-)

Braveheart OST
This original sound track from the movie Braveheart takes me into my dreams! The tunes of the bagpiper makes you feel like you're walking on the clouds!!

As long as you love me - Backstreet boys
You'll know why I like this song once you listen to it!! :-)

When you sang to me - Mark Antony
Magical in it's own style!

There are lots more on the list...However, I'll limit myself to this for now!!
Infact I wrote each one down as I was listening to it!

Tell me what you think of my list? Or if there are any other songs which are your favorites? Or any song you think I should listen to!!

Have a musical day ahead!! :-)

Climbing up the ladder

I have been wanting to write this in a long time, but somehow something kept coming up and I just couldn't!! I finally managed to find the time!!

Oct 2005

It seemed like a new life; a new role to play; finally I get to live on my own; earn my money.....
Yeah, it was the first day of my first job. Nervous and still uncertain with what this new responsibility had in store for me; in the back of my mind there was this sense of pride;happiness;...a feeling of independence!
It felt great...I was experiencing one of the most challenging phases of my life!

I guess its something which everyone goes through when they get a job...particularly when its the FIRST!

Jan 2006
Life seemed to have a very monotonous routine in place.
Fewer hours of sleep; poor appetite; run to catch the early morning shuttle to work; ....Training sessions all through the day (Spent 8 hrs each day not knowing how these so-called training sessions would come in handy on the job!)

April 2006
From what I remember this was roughly around when I got assigned to a project(Sounds Fancy?? ...Not really...This is a buzz word in every software engineer's life)
How different was my routine?...Well, instead of training sessions with a million books;...I now stepped into a more practical approach to all my learning.....
WORKING WITH CODE!!


September 2006
Oh yes, my birthday.....Wish I had taken a day off! Instead lost my brains and headed off to work.
By now I had tons of work on my plate....CODE and CODE all over the place....but how much of it I understood ?? ZILCH My life had got so meaningless...seeing myself literally digging my own grave....in simple words...I HATED MY JOB!!
Thought I had a mental block; but nothing helped....
At the end of each day I'd desperately look out for someone who could understand my state of mind....and the by the time I could feel comforted by their kind words..it was morning! Time to get Back to the dungeon!!

December 2006
Alright, by now I had got a bit smarter...I had started looking for alternative job profiles. No kidding, but this was the time when I surfed the net (SERIOUS STUFF), networked with people, got introduced to new and interesting roles, juggled between locations to get more clarity on what I had gathered...
It sure was a struggle. I grew mentally strong as I realized there was a way out...there was certainly some hope of setting the foundation for a successful career.

February 2007
What do you do when one fine day you are asked to BUZZ OFF and are not given the privilege of earning the few BUCKS that you used to??
----Yes, PANIC!!!!
Here I was...without a job, without a professional experience which was worth mentioning in my job resume, without a clue of where my career was heading off to...
I was shattered.
My desperation of getting a job was evident; however I stuck to my interest..I didnt want to make a mistake again!! I hunted for jobs. My visits to the temple started getting frequent. Somehow when you're depressed; you feel there is some mysterious strength out there...that'll help you get out of all the mess!
Well, I did get out of the mess...and quite fast ...I GOT A JOB!! :-)

March 2007
My first day at my second job! Hmmm...not the kind of enthusiasm I had back in my first job. No expectations! Just a feeling of relief that I was back on my own!!

September 2007
Life had never been better. Work was fun! I learned it well and executed it better.
Got my confirmation letter, additional responsibilites, made good friends,...It was amazing!

January 2008
I was doing great. But somehow I got the feeling that my job got less challenging by the day. There was nothing to look forward to. I guess my time management skills excelled by all bounds; I completed my tasks way before the deadlines!
This got me thinking....if my job had just got too easy to handle!

March 2008
I got PROMOTED!! All that hard work and struggle had finally paid off!
A higher grade in designation, salary hike, new tasks,....it all felt good!
But there was no motivation. No kind of challenging task to take up. You always feel good when you are made to compete with the best. But this wasn't the best...
So there you have it...I was all set to get back to job-hunting. However, this time it was not out of desperation...it was a very conscious move!

June 2008
After 4 rounds of interview I managed to crack it all and got the opportunity of a lifetime!! I resigned from my current organization...No regrets, no apprehensions, ...Just plain and simple - CONFIDENCE and FAITH!

July 2008
My first day at my third company! No expectations this time around as well!! But I was back...mentally strong, confident, mature, diligent....This was the first time I realized what the last 3 years had taught me! I learned from my mistakes and never let success take over my thoughts. I balanced the two pretty well!

January 2009
I got my confirmation letter! Certainly a great feeling!!
But the best comment I received was - Quote "You are an extremely lively person. You enjoy your work and make others enjoy their work too! Truly appreciate your commitment towards your work."
I'm one of youngest members in my team. I take every day as a challenge - I treat every day as a NEW day for learning NEW things...and most importantly ENJOY every bit of it!

I believe I have climbed the ladder of SUCCESS with every passing year. I still have a long way to go,.....but I'm sure its going to be worth the CLIMB!!
That's my story!! :-)

F.U.E.L Woes

When do you find yourself in such situations?
- How do I get to work?
- I need to reach the hospital
- Will my provisions be delivered?
- Will I find any vegetables in the market?
- How am I going to shift to my new apartment?
- When will life get back to NORMAL??

HOW?....WHEN?.......

Well, I'm not sure how many of you get up in the morning just to find out that the country's 37,000 fuel stations are all dried up. All the Public Sector Oil companies are on an indefinite strike!!
Certainly not the best way to start off your morning! Gosh, I was so annoyed with myself for not filling up my vehicle's fuel tank the previous day - partially because of my laziness to go to the gas station which is about 100 meters from my place. Arghhh!!
All the gas stations had barricades outside. Nowhere was there fuel of any kind! And I stared at the road wondering how a normal, routine life comes to a halt without FUEL!
All I could see on the NEWS - people running with cans to the nearest gas station, vehicles coming to a halt, vegetable prices rising due to transportation woes.....OH MAN!! All because of that one simple yet EXTREMELY ESSENTIAL element without which life feels so crippled.
Isn't there a way out?....and then it just hit me that I was already late. How am I going to get to work? I decided to go by the Volvo! :-(
Feel so handicapped without my bike....Ouch!!!
And there I was trying to find an autorickshaw to get to the d@mned bus-stop. I landed up paying triple the amount than I would on a normal day!! :-(
Well, anyway...I reached work.....Still feel so helpless without my bike!
....I'm going to take the shuttle from work. Hope these guys don't throw me out as I don't have a valid pass!! If they do, then you'll find another blog about how I strolled back home!!
Alrighty, got to run.....