aannnnnnnnnnnnddddd... We're Back!!!!

Its been a long long time since I've written something.... anything... So much has happened in my life since I last posted... and yet... so much is still the same... How about that????

I've been meaning to write something on here for a while now... I thought I needed a break from writing.... but I feel now that it was wrong for me to not write for so long... It has been one of my passions - to write... and if you let go of things that you love to do, well, you end up feeling like I feel right now...

Restless..

That's how I've been feeling for the past few months... like I want to do so much... and yet am too lethargic to do... does that make any sense what so ever???? I don't know... I don't think so..

I haven't really been doing much of anything this past year... Except maybe trying to get into a B-school... but as of now... that plan seems to have gone a bit awry... I want to change my job... I feel I'm stagnating here... and yet... I do nothing about it... WHY???? I have no fucking idea why..

But it sure does feel good to write after so long... Its funny that no matter how much things change and how far along you go on certain paths in your life, the things that make you happy tend to remain the same.... why is that?? I am asking too many questions today...

Ok.. so time for some decisions... Firstly... I'm going to try and be regular with writing over here now... I like to write and maybe I should do more of the things that I like to do (and that are constructive ;)).... Secondly... I have to start looking out for a new job... Its about time Prashant... oh and thirdly... hmm.. let it be.. I should start slow... Just in case I don't even manage to do the first two tasks that I set myself.... so here goes nothing....

Drivel.. is back :)

my lyrics for today:

Where are you going I don't mind
I've killed my world and I've killed my time
So where do I go what do I see
I see many people coming after me
So where are you going to I don't mind
If I live too long I'm afraid I'll die
So I will follow you wherever you go
If your offered hand is still open to me
Strangers on this road we are on
We are not two we are one

So you've been where I've just come
From the land that brings losers on
So we will share this road we walk
And mind our mouths and beware our talk
'Till peace we find tell you what I'll do
All the things I own I will share with you
If I feel tomorrow like I feel today
We'll take what we want and give the rest away
Strangers on this road we are on
We are not two we are one

Holy man and holy priest
This love of life makes me weak at my knees
And when we get there make your play
'cause soon I feel you're gonna carry us away
In a promised lie you made us believe
For many men there is so much grief
And my mind is proud but it aches with rage
And if I live too long I'm afraid I'll die
Strangers on this road we are on
We are not two we are one
Strangers on this road we are on
We are not two we are one

The Kinks : Strangers (From the O.S.T. of The Darjeeling Limited... one of the funniest movies I watched last year... and I absolutely love the music..)

A new year ahead but some things just dont change

Something I learnt in the past few days... No matter how much we tout the horn of development and India Shining and crap like that, we still have eons to go before we achieve anything... and you know why... Because all the things that really matter get stuck in Parliamentary subcommittees or Group of Ministers.... I was stuck on the Delhi Airport for 8 hours because of fog delays last Saturday... Now I wouldnt mind that... If the airport was any better equipped to handle such a problem... and its a sad truth that its not... Firstly, there was no place to sit... For a passenger load that the airport handles, there are mabbe a 100 places to sit.... and thats pushing it.... A couple of restrooms of which one was shut, without any notices saying why.... and a grossly overprice snack bar, which sells a measly sandwich for 50 bucks... Goddamnit... and where is that highly touted airport upgradation plan????? Stuck in a fucking Group of Ministers... I wonder if they've ever been stuck on the Delhi airport for 8 hours with no place to sit except the floor, one stinky loo and ate measely overpriced sandwiches for lunch... Had they ever been through that, I'm sure the airports would be revamped soon enough... But till then... Dream on kids... India Shining.. my ass....

That apart, had an amazing time on my 4 day vacation... Partied in Bombay and Pune.... met old friends... ate awesome food... ate at or saw from outside, most of the places on our list and generally had a good time :)... Clatix dude, you should've been there... Then the roommates and almost roommates would've been re-united.. All of them :).... Oh and Vaishali does live up to its hype :)...

The year is ending.. a year that started with a lot of promise has ended up being pretty amazing... though not in the way I expected.. But what the hey... Some real important lessons learnt... and completion of a quarter of a century..... reasons enough to party eh.... Here's a few favourites from this year -:

Best Eating Out Place (Food) -: Shalom's (Greater Kailash, N Block Market Delhi.. Awesome Lebanese Food)
Best Eating Out Place (Ambience) -: Thai Wok (Mehrauli, Delhi... Such an amazing atmosphere.. just loved the place)
Best Place to Party: Turquoise Cottage (Adchini, Delhi... They just play my kind of music :))
Best Song (English) -: Speed of Sound (Coldplay)
Best Song (Hindi) -: Jiya Dhadak Dhadak Jaaye (Kalyug Soundtrack, Rahat Fateh Ali)
Best Song (HindiPop) -: Aadat (Jal , The original is wayyyyy better than the Kalyug one)
Best Movie (English) -: Cinderella Man (Amazing performance by Russell Crowe... Loved this one)
Best Movie (Hindi) -: None Really...

So thats my 2 bits on the end of the year :)... Hope everyone of you have a great time celebrating the coming of a new year.. I'm dreading the New Year for a couple of reasons... But you never know how things turn out eh :).. Here's hoping all of you have an amazing year ahead of you...

my lyrics for today:

na janay kab say
umeedein kuch baaki hain
mujhe phir bhi teri yaad
kyun aati hai
na janay kab say

duur jitna bhi tum mujh se
paas tere mein
ab toh aadat si hai mujh ko aisay jeene mein
zindagi say koi shikwa
bhi nahin hai
ab toh zinda hoon mein iss neelay aasmaa mein

chahat aisi hai yeh teri
barr thi ja-ay
aahat aisi hai yeh teri
mujh ko satha-ay
yaadein gehri hain itnee
dil doob ja-ay
aur aankhon mein yeh ghum num bun ja-ain

ab toh aadat si hai mujh ko aisay jeenay mein

sabhi raatein hain
sabhi baatein hain
bhula do unhein
mita do unhein

ab toh aadat si hai mujh ko

Jal : Aadat (Awesome awesome song... Listen to it if you can get your hands on it...)

Musings from an office chair...

I always manage to like the most craziest songs on the face of this earth... Dunno.. I think it goes with my crazy self ;)... The Thursday morning 8-9 radio show has become one of my fav. times to listen to music.. Mostly becuz the R.J. dudette Medha, plays some of the most amazing songs ever... I have to thank her for introducing me to two really awesome tracks... Dave Matthews Band's 'Grace is Gone' and Sister Hazel's 'Champagne High'... Just in case someone wanted to know which ones ;)... The latter has become a perrenial in my ears... I must've heard the song more than a 1000 times in the past 1 week... and that is not exaggeration... I have this habit (which a lot of people would remember) of listening to the same song over and over and over again... Clatix for one has been a victim of this habit... I remember one fateful night of programming in the Undergrad lab when I listened (and sang along, as is my wont) to Jagjit's Apni Marzi Se... and there were atleast 5 other people in the lab who by the end of it were just about ready to murder me... I wonder why.. Its a good track :).... so anyways.. this morning Medha just surpassed herself... She played one of my most fav. crazy tracks.... Barenaked Ladies (which unfortunately is an all guys band) playing 'Chimpanzee'.... This one is soooooo hillarious... and makes no sense like most of their songs.. But the music is catchy... and you just end up loving it.. Been in love with this one for almost 2 years now.. I mean could this day get any better???? As a matter of fact it did.... But thats a different story :)... So as I listen to the Bowling for Soup, I'm thinking of all the crazy songs I adore... Maybe someday I'll make a list of them... Right now, I'm wayyyyy too pressed for time..

Krispy Kreme is going down.. I was reading in an article somewhere that the doughnut chain has been suffering major losses and even a change of CEO's hasnt really helped.. Americans, the fattest nation in the world (this is just an educated guess ;)) have suddenly realized that sugar is bad for them... What they dont realize is that sugar in itself isnt bad... Excess sugar without exercising is kinda the killer... Its really sad that K.K. might go under... I mean they have the best freaking doughnuts in the world... Not that I can have any.... But still.. A hot original glazed or a glazed creme filled doughnut is absolutely positively my most fav. breakfast of all times... Oh and the Chocolate Iced creme filled ones are also just heavenly... Ok, its just after lunch and yet I'm drooling at the thought of these doughnuts... man oh man... Maybe I should open a Krispy Kreme's in Delhi...

A friend of mine is getting married this weekend... I met him yesterday... The guy looked absolutely cool... and I was saying to him.. DUDE!!!! you are getting MARRIED!!! Do you realize what that means... and he was like.. yeah, so?.. and I stared at him for a whole 5 minutes.. Just amazed.. People just dont realize what a big deal marriage is.. or maybe I dont realize that its not really a big deal... Hmm.. Maybe so... There was a point to this story.. But it has temporarily escaped my mind (with due respect to Mr. Douglas Adams ;))...

Here's another one that I've been listening to a lot lately...

my lyrics for today:

8 o’clock, monday night and I’m waitin’
To finally talk to a girl a little cooler than me.
Her name is Nona, she’s a rocker with a nose ring,
She wears a two way, but I’m not quite sure what that means.

And when she walks,
All the wind blows and the angels sing.
She doesn’t notice me!

Cause she is watchin’ wrestling
Creamin’ over tough guys
Listenin’ to rap metal
Turntables in her eyes

It’s like a bad movie
She is lookin’ through me
If you were me, then you’d be
Screamin’ someone shoot me!
As I fail miserably,
Tryin’ to get the girl all the bad guys want.
She’s the girl all the bad guys want!

She likes the godsmack and I like agent orange
Her cd changer’s full of singers that are mad at their dad
She says she’d like to score some reefer and a forty
She’ll never know that I’m the best that she’ll never have

And when she walks,
All the wind blows and the angels sing.
She’ll never notice me!

Cause she is watchin’ wrestling
Creamin’ over tough guys
Listenin’ to rap metal
Turntables in her eyes

She likes ’em with a mustache
Racetrack season pass
Drivin’ in a trans-am
Does a mullet make a man?

It’s like a bad movie
She is lookin’ through me
If you were me, then you’d be
Screamin’ someone shoot me!
As I fail miserably,
Tryin’ to get the girl all the bad guys want.
She’s the girl all the bad guys want!
She’s the girl all the bad guys want!
She’s the girl all the bad guys want!

There she goes again
With fishnets on, and dreadlocks in her hair
She broke my heart, I wanna be sedated
All I wanted was to see her naked!

Now I am watchin’ wrestling
Tryin’ to be a tough guy
Listenin’ to rap metal
Turntables in my eyes
I can’t grow a mustache
And I ain’t got no season pass
All I got’s a moped...moped....moped.....

It’s like a bad movie
She is lookin’ through me
If you were me, then you’d be
Screamin’ someone shoot me!
As I fail miserably,
Tryin’ to get the girl all the bad guys want.

She’s the girl all the bad guys want!
She’s the girl all the bad guys want!
She’s the girl all the bad guys want!
She’s the girl all the bad guys want!
(there she goes again)
She’s the girl all the bad guys want!
She’s the girl all the bad guys want!
(there she goes again)
She’s the girl all the bad guys want!
She’s the girl all the bad guys want!

Bowling for Soup - Girl all the bad guys want (I have become a big fan of these guys... they're completely crazy...)

Of numb hands and warm hearts!!

Last year the temperature in Duluth on November 15th was 28 F.... It was freaking cold... There was wind chill as well which I cannot find on my source website, but there was a darned 10 Miles/hr wind.. There ought to be wind chill right :P... It was clear but then even a clear day in Duluth winters is a dhoka .... I remember once when taking out the trash (yes, no matter what my ex-roommates say, I did take out the trash sometimes ;)) I looked out the window and it was clear and sunny.. So I figured it'd be ok to go out in my tracks and a tshirt... Short story shorter, my hands and feet were absolutely numb by the time I came back inside the apartment building.. and I was out of the building for max 3-5 minutes.... And that was not the only time something like that happened to me (or other people)... So afterwards it almost became a ritual to check the temperature before anyone ventured out :)... Not that whenever its -30 F you can do much about it... I mean how many layers of clothes can one wear... I'm not sure but I think the first site that Anand used to visit every morning was weather.com (what do you think Anya???).... So neways, the temp in Delhi right now is 85 F..... It sunny and believe me, its not dhoka :).. I remember writing last year that I dont want to spend another winter in Duluth ever... I was so wrong... I just didnt want to spend the last winter there.. I would love to go experience the Duluth winter again.... What a difference one year makes to our lives...

My gyan for today: Sometimes, working is fun :).. Especially when you're reading Garfield and CnH all day.... ok.. not all day, but most of it...

I'm listening to Pink Floyd singing 'Wish you were here' and I am wishing I was in Gold Coast right now. Another week and I'll be fine though.... But that, is a different and longer story...

My morning drives have become so amazing these days.. The winter is slowly setting in... And its nice and cool and so amazingly fresh in the morning when I drive to work... The sun isnt that harsh anymore... It gets pleasantly warm in the afternoons and had it not been for the mind-numbing traffic, the evening drive would've been so perfect.... For the first time in history, the Delhi winter is warming my heart :)... Is the weather affecting my mood?? Or does the weather seem so perfect because of my mood... A little of both maybe... or maybe a lot of the latter and a little bit of the former :)... Go figure...

my lyrics for today:

I've found a way to make you
I've found a way
A way to make you smile

I read bad poetry
Into your machine
I save your messages
Just to hear your voice
You always listen carefully
To awkward rhymes
You always say your name,
Like I wouldn't know it's you,
At your most beautiful

I've found a way to make you
I've found a way
A way to make you smile

At my most beautiful
I count your eyelashes, secretly
With every one, whisper I love you
I let you sleep
I know you're closed eye watching me,
Listening
I thought I saw a smile

I've found a way to make you
I've found a way
A way to make you smile

R.E.M. - At my most beautiful (One of my favourite love songs... Its also one of the most beautiful R.E.M. songs... absolutely adore this one.. Oh and I heard this first on the soundtrack of Never Been Kissed... Another chick flick which has the most amazing soundtrack :)))

P.S. -: Here is how Wikipedia defines a chick flick - "The term chick flick is slang, sometimes slightly derisive, for a movie which is designed or considered to appeal mainly to women, and generally displaying more of a focus on romance or relationships. Many romantic comedies or films with a lots of female characters are likely to be put in this category."

P.P.S. -: No, I do NOT have too much time on my hand :)...

Next time you dont understand Science go ask the nearest holy dude!

I was having a nice little discussion with this person in my office about how little we know of the laws of nature... Yeah I know... A little deep for me :).. Neways... I was very very surprised to hear him talk the way he did.. He was right about the fact that we have very very limited knowledge of the universe, science and how it works.. But he went on to argue that there are certain people (for example a rishi meditating in the himalayas) who understand how things work much better than any of our great minds.. He claimed that people who can lay on a bed of nails understand the laws of physics a lot better than any present or past physicists... He went on to say that there are some magicians (I WAS LIKE WAT!!) who can actually pass through walls and that its not an optical illusion.. His argument was that the human race as a whole has a very limited field of vision (metaphorically).... and that we refuse to acknowledge anything that is paranormal when it might be in the realms of science... The science that we dont know..

I was completely flabbergasted by the views of this person who is an IIT Delhi product... Ok.. I agree, we dont have that much knowledge about the universe as such.. and no, we cant travel at light speed or jump into hyperspace (though that would be soooo fucking cool)... We have not achieved particle transference beams or time machines or any of those cool things that science fiction movies/books make us believe we can/will... But the thought that people-whose ultimate aim in life is to meditate so as to achieve a "higher" sense of reality - have better knowledge of how exactly does the universe works is just outright crazy.. The thing that made me extremely agitated/sad and a little angry was that these were the views of a person who spent 4 fucking years in one of the most prestigious science institutions of our country.. He might be an aberration, but still... There are instances of such weirdly outrageous views all around us... A double M.Sc. (Maths and Bioinformatics) who thinks that fasting on Tuesdays and Thursdays will make his life completely amazing (gave the same suggestion to me.. I said in my head, "yeah fucking right man!!")... An amazingly qualified woman who believes that an astrologer predicts her life absolutely perfectly... and these certainly arent aberrations... Rather this most certainly seems like the norm.. Maybe I am overreacting.... After all, when a whole country can come to stop because we believe that idols of Lord Ganesha have suddenly started consuming milk, then what more can be said...

my lyrics for today:

I don't need to fall at your feet
Just 'cause you cut me to the bone
And I won't miss the way that you kiss me
We were never carved in stone
If I don't listen to the talk of the town
Then maybe I can fool myself..

I'll get over you.. I know I will
I'll pretend my ship's not sinking
And I'll tell myself I'm over you
'cause I'm the king of wishful thinking
I am the king of wishful thinking

I refuse to give in to my blues
That's not how it's going to be
And I deny the tears in my eyes
I don't want to let you see.. no
That you have made a hole in my heart
And now I've got to fool myself..

I'll get over you.. I know I will
I'll pretend my ship's not sinking
And I'll tell myself I'm over you
'cause I'm the king of wishful thinking..
I'll get over you.. I know I will
I'll pretend my ship's not sinking
And I'll tell myself I'm over you
'cause I'm the king of wishful thinking

I will never, never shed a tear for you
I'll get over you

If I don't listen to the talk of the town
Then maybe I can fool myself..

Go West : King of Wishful Thinking (From the O.S.T. of Pretty Woman.. Heard it for the first time, on radio some 10 years ago.. Have loved this one ever since.. For a chick flick, this movie had some awesome music :))

The funniest man ever..

I dont think there has been a funnier man on this planet (or the galaxy, as he would've said) than Douglas Adams... No.. not ever Jerry Seinfeld... He just had such an amazing way of writing things... Dont believe me... For example,

"That young girl is one of the least benightedly unintelligent organic life forms it has been my profound lack of pleasure not to be able to avoid meeting" -- Marvin's idea of a compliment (Oh I sooooo love him man...)

Jeez man.... I mean top that ;)... There are a crazy number of quotes from his various books... Just go ask god (a.k.a. Google) and you'd know.. As for me.. I'm gonna put a new one that I like in my blog description area, everytime I make a new entry...

He died when he was just 49.. Life sometimes, is really unfair...

my lyrics for today :

Debbie just hit the wall, she never had it all
One Prozac a day, husband's a CPA
Her dreams went out the door
When she turned twenty-four
Only been with one man
What happened to her plan

She was gonna be an actress
She was gonna be a star
She was gonna shake her ass
On the hood of White Snake's car
Her yellow SUV is now the enemy
Looks at her average life
And nothing has been alright

Since Bruce Springsteen, Madonna
Way before Nirvana
There was U2 and Blondie
And music still on MTV
Her two kids in high school
They tell her that she's uncool
Cause she's still preoccupied
With 19, 19, 1985

She's seen all the classics, she knows every line
'Breakfast Club', 'Pretty in Pink'
Even 'St. Elmo's Fire'
She rocked out to Wham!
Not a big Limp Bizkit fan
Thought she'd get a hand
On a member of Duran Duran

Where's the mini-skirt made of snake skin
And who's the other guy that's singing in Van Halen
When did reality become TV
Whatever happened to sitcoms, game shows
On the radio was

Springsteen, Madonna
Way before Nirvana
There was U2 and Blondie
And music still on MTV
Her two kids in high school
They tell her that she's uncool
Cause she's still preoccupied
With 19, 19, 1985

She hates time, make it stop
When did Motley Crue become classic rock
And when did Ozzy become an actor
Please make this stop, stop
Stop, and bring back

Springsteen, Madonna
Way before Nirvana
There was U2 and Blondie
And music still on MTV
Her two kids in high school
They tell her that she's uncool
Cause she's still preoccupied
With 1985

Bowling for Soup - 1985 (This one is soooooooooooooooooooooooo hillarious.. Just love this band man.. Watch the video.. You'd die :))

A year of Drivel

As I write this, I'm listening to Police doing their amazing 'Every breath you take'.. Its the song that plays on my caller tune... I've had it almost 4 months now and yet I dont feel like changing it... Mostly becuz I never have to listen to it ;)....

Well, its hard to believe, but I've actually been posting drivel for the past one year... and it has been so much fun... I bow to all of you who've had the patience to read my take on the world around me... Not to mention countless pieces of random information about my life... Oh and I'm sure I've taken your lyrical knowledge to new heights... Netime people.. no need for thanks :)

These days if you happen to drive in Delhi during the times of 07:45 to 9:00 between North Campus and Vasant Vihar (or in the evening 6:30 PM to 8:00 PM the opposite way) and if you just happen to see this guy singing really loud in his car, his head banging away to glory, be kind and ignore him... Cuz he just bought 'The best of Modern Rock' albums 1 and 2 and he just happens to love listening to them LOUD... and he is extreeeeeeeeeeemely fed up with people staring at him... I mean its hard to ignore it when you're stuck in traffic and people have nothing better to do than stare at you.... GOD MAN!! GET A LIFE!!!!! I mean what is it with us Indians... We never have anything better to do than stare... Especially on a freaking signal... And heaven help you if you have a girl (pretty or otherwise) sitting with you... I think when we learn to drive, we should also be given lessons on doing timepass while we're stuck in traffic/red signals... Its just something really irritating...

On a different track altogether... Now, I've seen countless movies in Duluth (thanks to Mr. Movies ;)).. There's this one movie though, "Stand by Me", that keeps coming back to me a lot.. There was nothing really special in the movie actually.. Its about these four friends who go on an adventure to find the body of a missing boy who is presumed dead... based on a Stephen King short story actually.. River Phoenix was amazing in his role... and I was really saddened to find out later that he died of a drug overdose when he was only 23... What a waste of talent.. What a waste of life man... My lyrics for today are from the O.S.T. of this movie, just an awesome awesome track... Dedicated to the dude who died too young...

my lyrics for today:

When the night has come
And the land is dark
And the moon is the only light we'll see

No, I won't be afraid,
No, I won't be afraid
Just as long as you stand,
Stand by me.

So darling darling, stand by me, oh, stand by me,
Oh, stand, stand by me, stand by me.

If the sky that we look upon
Should tumble and fall
Or the Mountain should crumble in the sea,

I won't cry,
I won't cry,
No I won't shed a tear.
Just as long as you stand, stand by me.

So ,darling, darling, stand by me, oh, stand by me
Oh, stand, stand by me, stand by me

Stand by Me : Ben E. King (from the O.S.T. "Stand by Me".. Originally a 1961 song, re-released in 1986 for the movie..)