A Date in Pune

As the drops of rain touch my body, they embrace it. Like a lover, they move down slowly at first, from my forehead to my cheeks, down to my neck and then inside my clothes. And then faster. Making me all drenched. 

It smells, oh so heavenly. It’s sight, oh so lovely, It’s touch, makes me smile to my core(makes me weak in the knees). My skin glows as if I am in Love. Maybe I am. 

 Pune does this to you. It makes you want to be in love, wholly and deeply. The city itself is a young lover. It rides on two-wheelers like a college romance holding hands or the arms around the waist. It loves like it lasts forever and loves innocently but passionately. This romance is not possible inside the air-conditioned cars. The love happens, when you feel the wind onto your skin, your legs touch the one riding the vehicle, and one of the two, hums a lata Mangeshkar song in their innocent voices. You want to hold tight to them and you want the journey to not end.

 I was driving to Sinhghad today morning. A fairly middle-aged woman, wearing a beautiful green cotton saree, sat with her legs on the same side, sideways on the activa. She had wrapped her arms around her partner who was driving. As the wind blew, her palla did a little Marilyn Monroe moment. She instantly pulled it back and tucked it below her butts with one hand. The other, still, around the lover’s waist. Another speed breaker and the Pallu found an escape. As it became more beautifully breezy, I saw her delayed attempt at tucking the pallu back in. The weather was calling for romance, and she wouldn't want to unwrap her lover.  The third time when the pallu slipped, she didn't bother to tuck it back in. She leaned on her lover's shoulder and held him tighter.  

My first date, at the peak of Sinhghad, was somewhat spectacular. This place is rich in history and speaks volumes about the valour of the marathas who conquered it multiple times from the clutches of mughals. My love for this place stems from the detachment I feel from the hustle bustle of the city. Getting to the top of the sinhgad in itself is a romantic experience. The road itself was a pleasant surprise and the gentle breeze a sweet companion. The narrow lanes and the lush green trees around were humming the tunes of Beethoven. 

Once you reach, you forget everything about your routine. It says, this is where peace and love is. Even the cellular network connection goes away which is perfect for the break we need. I had ridden my two-wheeler, or Gaadi, as they like to call it. As we reached the summit, there was a feeling of being on top of the world.  

The smell of Kanda Bhajji and Pithla Bhakri was in the air and the innocent looking hawkers enticed us to taste these special delicacies of Pune. Food outlets are situated in such a way that we have an awesome view of the valleys, mountains and the clouds. After driving through for half an hour we were craving for a hot cup of tea and some snacks. We chose a table and faced towards the misty clouds. Kaku (as they call aunty in Pune) came and asked for our order and kanda bhajji was the natural choice. The crisp of the bhajji has had me drooling ever since. It is served with a red hot looking onion chutney which you just can’t miss. While we were relishing this beautiful view and feeling, all the jitters of the first date went away and we started talking. Nature helped struck a chord between us and there was not a single dull moment thereafter.

We then started walking towards the infamous wind point. Along the way, we enjoyed the food titbits like kachhi keri(raw mango), cucumber, matka dahi and berries. Holding hands came naturally and the walk became all the more beautiful. At the wind point, it felt like heaven. Strong currents of winds flowing through my open hairs, taking a deep breath of fresh air with my eyes closed, it felt like I didn't want to go away from here. He was also immersed in the moment and couldn’t take his eyes off me. After a while, I curled my hair into a bun and then we sat hanging our legs towards the deep valley. We talked about our interests and likings. It felt like time should stop here. We clicked some selfies and at one point I fantasized about clicking in a titanic pose but then I controlled ;).

As the sun started to set, reluctantly we started to walk back to the parking lot. His company and beautiful surroundings were serving as a perfect cocktail to lose control. In its full glory during the rainy season, Sinhagad fort is no less than switzerland. Yes there I said it, my love for pune is endless.

While we drove back, it started drizzling again. On our way back, we stopped over at khadakwasla dam. It's a famous dam and popular for short picnics near pune for the locals. One cannot miss having a hot bhutta and some bhel overlooking the lake sitting on a mat. This is the water which comes at our home for drinking, this little information was enough to impress him with my puneri gyan :)

As we headed back, we then decided to extend our date by experiencing pune night life together. We headed to the infamous koregaon park area and hopped a few bars. We danced, drank, ate, talked and got lost in the wild night as if there is no tomorrow.

Such is the charm of pune, it offers everyone something to cherish. Pune might not have a proper airport or a robust infrastructure, but it has a heart of gold and accepts everyone with open arms. Women feel safe here, elderly feel respected, youth get a lot of learning and career opportunities (btw pune is also called ‘oxford’ of the east). I love Pune !

We kissed each other goodbye and promised another date amid Pune’s beautiful nature, maybe Purandar fort or Panshet lake :) Looking forward to it :)

Lockdown diaries - Part 2

If you haven’t read out Part-1, do so by clicking here.

Coming to my personal experience of the lockdown.

Mid march, we were sipping our favourite Irani chai during office tea break

discussing corona of course. However, we did not know that this would be

our last Irani chai and we won’t get this for a long time in near future.

Maybe, we would have savoured it more if we knew.

Work from home started and we were told the next 2 weeks are very crucial.

Then the same thing was told again after completion of 2 weeks. And again

after completion of 2 weeks. We got the message that we are in for a long haul here.

Initially I was elated to work from home. I always wanted to be amidst natural

light and air. I hated the enclosed cubicle spaces with artificial lights. But I didn’t

know God would listen to me and grant me my wish in such a generous way.

Initially I thought lockdown meant a lot of free time and a lot of entertainment.

Also, As an introvert, I was not at all feeling anxious about lockdown.

Initially lots of efforts and time went in consuming food and digital content. 

I realized after a few days that this is not appropriate for overall well being. 

Some adjustments were done and some are still in progress. I am not feeling

guilty however feeling good that I am able to make adjustments and flex my

will power for my own good. 

I also  realized that, with work from home, it is business as usual for me

with added insecurities. Economy started to decline and so were our

company profits. 

I realized that man is a social animal and can’t be forced to be passive for long. 

We started getting invites for video calls, meets, online games, housie game

and what not.

I realized,  one is not allowed to sit idle in today’s connected world. 

While I was given the responsibility for getting the groceries for home,

it was such a strange experience. It felt criminal to step out of home.

I was not looking into the eyes of people outside and was always in a rush

to get the stuff and come back home. At night, there will only be dogs on the

streets but not cars and vehicles at which they can bark

I tried to follow a routine so that I don’t mingle office hours and family hours.

I finally started to learn the story of Mahabharat via tv - two episodes a day. I

started watching the Breaking Bad series as well. 

I was anticipating that there was a lot of free time available now, but as it curtailed,

I was hardly getting any free time. Following was allocation during weekdays

2 hours - Mahabharata 

1 hour - Breaking Bad

8 hours - Office work + Lunch

8.5 hours - Sleep

1 hour exercise + breakfast 

.5 hour dinner 

1 hour - News 

2 hour -Household chores, groceries, whatsapp games, Ludo , relatives and family calls. 

As of today, lockdown is extended for another 15 days till 17th May.

Looks like 2020 will go as a quarantine year. May we all come out of

it physically and mentally healthy to move on with life.

Lockdown Diaries - Part 1

Its 1st may 2020. 

Popularly known as Labour day or Maharashtra day or May Day and observed as holiday
in major parts of India.But this year, 1st May is very different for 1.3 billion Indian citizens.
They are locked down in their homes for over 37 days now courtesy novel coronavirus.

A virus which is manufactured in China and  imported in India from all over the world.
I still remember the first cast detected in india and the reaction over it.
Yes, it will come to india and spread. But little did we know the draconian measures
which will have to be taken up to contain the spread. Little we knew that we would be
locked down in our homes and we will be devoid of our fundamental right to move. 

What followed was no less than a thriller movie. Every day there are new announcements
and rules coming from government agencies. Every day there are new restrictions being
placed from housing societies to national level.

First, cinemas were shut, then swimming pools and parks. Then they shut down the foreign
travel (inbound and outbound), then railways and roadways. 

Everything came to standstill. Janta curfew was initiated by the PM to give a trailer of what to
expect next. 

21 days lockdown followed by 19 days lockdown. 

During the lockdown, a lot of thoughts and realizations surfaced. Interesting things started to happen
all around. Interesting times ! As my mom said, in her life span of 70 years she hasn’t witnessed such
a scenario. Her most innocent and curious question was - How the hell they can put locks on
TEMPLES? Her daily routine of 4 hours got disturbed.

No Maids were allowed to come home. This was one of the major shockers for all the households.

It followed the usual chain starting from denial to negotiation to acceptance and finally making peace
with it. 

The restrictions were such an equalizer,  from rich to poor, all were now seen at the same level.

The boundary of the middle and upper class seems to fade out. There was no more FOMO
(fear of missing out), because there was no one outside to make you feel so.

Introverts were elated with the idea of lockdown, as that meant no social gatherings and awkward
conversations. No formal get together and boredom which entailed. 

No newspapers allowed to be delivered, and learned to live with epaper.
No morning walks or evening walks. No more sitting at the LMD square and observing people
going around.

There were so many stories of people getting stuck. My niece got stuck in hyderabad.
My bachelor colleagues stuck in Pune with no tiffin service and cooks available.
Friends got stuck in their sasural and mayka. Labourers got stuck and couldn’t move to their home
town.

People started to embrace face masks as an essential clothing item and maintained 1 hand distance
with others. No handshakes.  

Teachers started to take online classes on video conferencing apps. Netflix, Prime, hotstar and
several OTT subscriptions increased. 

Sensex and Nifty tanked 25% within 2 weeks.

Changes happening all around and here I was trying to make sense of it all.
I will cover my personal journey amid lockdown in the next part. Stay tuned. 

The Best Season

Growing up, I had always this confusion in my mind that which among the 4 seasons in india is the best one. In India, there are typically 4 seasons in an year viz. Winters, Summers, Spring and Rainy.  It was really difficult for me to choose between these 4 as every season has its pluses and minuses.

However in recent times, with close observation of my seasonal moods and activities each season offers, I am getting inclined towards a specific season to be considered as personal best. It is

                                                               Summer Season 

While I am not going to list down all the season's positives and negatives, however I am going to definitely pen down all the positives of the summer season.

So here we go

• Plenty of Sunshine: Oh, I love sunshine. It makes me feel alive and positive. Summer season offers the longest days of the year and its so good to see light till late 7 in evening. 

• Season of Mangoes: This is the season, which offers the best fruit of all. King of fruit - Mangoes. With me being resident of Maharashtra, Alphonsos from Ratnagiri and Devgarh just adds to the sensual pleasure of tongue

• Fashion Fiesta : This is the season where girls feel free to experiment with the clothings. Every inch they cut down from any part of the cloth, it gives birth to a entirely new fashion style. Shorts, skirts, tops, jeans are of varying sizes and all this can be experimented in summers without the fear of getting cold. Fashion for women, delight for men ;)

• Nani Ghar(grand mother) Masti : In India, there is a tradition for married women to go their mothers' place during summer season. This is very old tradition that continues to be followed today. Its a fun filled 1 month which includes the cousin group masti, video games, movies, picnics, card games, late night outs and many more. Though it can give headache to maternal uncles but the fun is worth the ache :)

• Juices and Icecreams: This is the season where all juices taste doubly delicious. Be it sugarcane, nariyal paani, watermelon - they all are just amazingly refreshing. Same is the case with ice creams. During summers only, you can see full family outing on Ice cream parlors. Also one cannot forget the slurping barf ka laddoo 

• IPL season: Off late, come Month of May and it marks IPL season. Its the youth's favourite league in India and there is so much buzz around this. Prime time is booked for 1 and half month and excitement is at its pinnacle

• Diving in a pool : In summers, only 2 things give soothing relief from the scorching heat : Swimming pools and ACs. Both are enjoyed the most in this season. Waterparks are crowded with so many families enjoying water and rides in unison. ACs just helps to forget the heat of the season and make our homes like Kashmir valley.

• Holidays : For schools and colleges, summers means holiday time with no stress of studies, homework or project. 

• Husband's Harmony : Come summer and husbands happily book their wife's tickets to their home town. This is the time they get to party with their friend without guilt and loiter around the home without complaints. They live the time of their year during this short break. 

There are many more to highlight, however I thing I have made my point. So its now official - Summers are the best atleast for me. There are surely some cons like its difficult to travel in summers, but then there is nothing perfect in this world. Let me know in comments your experiences with summer season. 

5 Most Stupid Questions

Starting from number 5:-

5.  "Kitna package hai beta" translated in english as "How much do you earn" ?

Best answer to this question is that, I earn enough to manage two meals a day for me and my family. This question can be asked by variety of people, it can be a totally strange fellow train traveler or can be your close relative. You can use above answer to strangers but you are mostly in fix when asked by an elderly close relative. Problem is not that you are ashamed to share but you know that post sharing , you will be judged and also that this information will be shared without consent to the entire society.


4. "Onsite kab jaa rahe ho" translated in english as "When are you going out of india on a trip sponsored by your company" ?

If you are working for an IT company, it is mandatory for you to go out of India.People think that companies are there for serving this very purpose only. If you have still not crossed indian boundaries, you are doing something wrong in your career and here you are , you got your instant appraisal rating from a relative.

3. "Shaadi kab kar rahe ho" translated in english as "When are you getting married" ?

Now this is most irritating question faced by teenagers, As soon as person crosses legal age of marriage eligibility, no matter what the situation of person, he/she will be constantly reminded that marriage is the next goal in life. Imagine a guy living in a small room shared with 2 other males , earning 20K a month and he gets into the thinking mode, is this something which I can afford now?

2. "Ghar kab le rahe ho" translated in english as "When are you buying a house"?

As soon as you start earning for few years, you will start facing this question. This is the one of the critical questions in the arranged marriage interviews. Sometimes, this is a deciding factor in your proposal of the marriage. It might be the case that the person asking the question has owned a house in his sixties, but still expects you to buy in your twenties.


1. "Khush khabri kab suna rahe ho"  translated in english as  When are you giving birth to a child" ?

Now this tops the list after you have actually answered all above questions in real life.
What kind of a stupid question is this. How can one possibly know the answer to this question.
If a couple is not trying to conceive, they don't know when will they start trying and when will they be able to share good news..
If a couple is indeed trying to conceive, they cannot precisely answer this question because of all the complicated nature of the process.
Basically this question is not meant to be answered, it is meant to taunt you. For newly weds it is intended to trigger a topic of discussion among the couple and for rest, it is intended to get the details of underlying plan.

Travel Tips

                  I love to travel. Since my childhood, I used to count the number of cities and states I have been to. Earlier the count was restricted to the grandma's place and few religious places. It got increased when I attended a outstation school picnic. I wanted to grow this count as my life progressed. Fortunately, during my professional life which started 10 years ago, I got ample opportunities to travel in and out of the country.
                Travel generates lot of emotions and one gets overwhelmed with new and varied experiences. We realize that there are so many different kinds of people, culture, establishments, processes, rules and colors to explore in this world.  As said by one genius :

“Travel makes one modest. You see what a tiny place you occupy in the world.” 

Based on my travelling experiences so far, below are some of my travel tips which I follow as rules of thumb to make my journey a satisfying one.

• Travel light
• We do not want to get stressed by always having to take care of huge luggage and expensive stuff inside it. Our luggage should enable us to move fast and free.
• While in Rome do as Romans do 
• Old phrase but very true. Eat the specialties of the region you are visiting. When in indore, eat poha breakfast, in pune eat misal pav ,in mumbai eat wadapav and in Italy have Pasta and pizza. Also, try to come out of the shackles and wear the clothes that match the culture. Like,do not shy to roam in shorts in the streets of goa. 
• Try to walk and roam around in public transport
• One of the enriching experiences of travelling is getting to know people of that place. This can be experienced only when you go out there on the streets. Walk to the nearest restaurant. Take local bus and observe people aboard it. Talk to people. Engage in discussions. You will be amazed to converse with some of the locals and you will come back knowing more about the place.
•  Enjoy Night Life
• Go to most happening place of the city and enjoy the hustle bustle of the night. Enjoy the way night embraces the people. Go club hopping, make some friends over the bar counter. As Paulo Coelho, noted author once said,  A city is like a capricious woman she takes time to be seduced and to reveal herself completely.
• Read about the place
• Every place has its history and it is its glorious past which makes the place great. Read about the place to know about it and try to catch the interesting facts about the same.
• Do not travel for the sake of checklist
• Do not make a tight schedule. Give yourself enough time to relax and enjoy. Wherever you go, give enough time to enjoy the place and do not make itinerary which compels you to always think about next destination. 
• Spend as little time in hotel room as possible
• If you want to spend time in inside four walls, its better to do at your home. Why to spend and come to a distant place to stay back at room.
• Avoid going to malls
• Malls are same everywhere. Similarly avoid watching movie in a plex. You can do that in your home town as well. 
• Keep your hotel address and emergency contact handy
• You always want to come back safe. Keep your hotel address handy and also contact numbers to avoid getting lost. Be alert enough to not get yourslef in trouble.
• First Enjoy and then click
• Don't start on the clicking spree. Roam around , see through  your naked eyes , absorb the moment and then take few snaps just for the memory purposes. Do not ruin the moment of pleasures by stressing out to take pics for social media. I will recommend to cutoff from social media to avoid going in spiral shell called internet. 

P.S. Check out my travel reviews below
https://www.tripadvisor.in/members/raunyy

What Diwali means to you ?

                                    Diwali is a festival of lights. It is celebrated across India with much enthusiasm and excitement. As I celebrate diwali this year, I see a change in me. There is a lot of difference in the the way I used to celebrate diwali in my childhood and the excitement of diwali during those days. I have realized that Diwali means differently to each individual and at different stages of life.

So what does diwali actually means to people around us .. I tried to capture few of the observations around in the process and compiled below meaning of diwali ...

1. To small kids (~3 years), its a mix reaction. They start hearing loud noises of tikli and bombs. Most of them are generally scared to go out. However, some brave children starts liking the noise and lights around. They start lighting fuljhadi and enjoying chaklis and anaars. 
2. To children (3-16 years), diwali becomes the most favorite of the festivals. They get 5 days of vacations. Day time is spent playing and night time bursting crackers. Its the most joyful time of the year.
3. To working professionals living away from native place, it is the time of the year to apply for full week leave and go to home town. 
4. To businesses, it is the opportunity to monetize the maximum. They offer discounts and offers to attract people. Shops are decorated beautifully to lure goddess laxmi.
5. To lower middle class people, it is the time of year to get bonuses.
6. To housewives, it is time of year to clean the house and make delicious snacks. And not to mention it is the chance to get ready in beautiful traditional attires.
7. To some families, it is the time of year to travel and go on vacation.
8. To those who love shopping, this is the time of the year when shopping fever is at pick. They become berserk and spoilt for choice. The market hustle bustle makes them crazy and more than the actual stuff, they like the entire process of shopping. 

Every individual in india has a special place for diwali in their hearts and above list will be unending.. 

So what proampted me to write this blog ? It is a strange feeling which forced to me look around and observe. 

As years pass on, my excitement level is dipping. I see fervour around and think, why there are no emotions being stirred inside me. Why am I not looking forward to this festival of of lights? What has changed in me ? 

Some of it might be attributed to growing up, some might be the realization of futility of all the activities. I am yet to figure out the exact answer to it.

For now, To me Diwali means the time to relax and enjoy with family to spend time at home, prepare food and eat together.. Its the time to cleanse the inner and the outer world.

Last thought...
During childhood I always wanted to earn so that I will be able to buy and burst as many crackers as I want and now when I am earning, all the zeal has faded away. This is the irony of life.

Happy Diwali.

Hiring and Firing

                     During the last 3 months, I experienced certain events in office which I had never experienced in my last 8.5 years of corporate life.
Events ignited varied emotions and forced me to think more about whats right and whats wrong.

Our company fired around 220 employees in a span of 3 months in 2 batches.

We never faced such situation and were totally unsure how to react.
It led me to think about different aspects of this event and to question whether company is at fault or not.

At the onset, we all blamed the company for taking this decision. There were bad reviews posted on glassdoor after the event and everyone blaming the company for following hire and fire policy.

There were questions raised like:

• Company didn't meet target revenue for 1 quarter. Is this the right decision to react on 1 quarter failure?
• Company had an aggressive hiring in first half of the year. Was the planning not proper.
• Company invested in multiple innovations and which failed to deliver. Was market study not done before investment ? Or was it the sales department who failed to get this to market ?
•  Company invested in projects where focus was on quality, so was the repercussions of such a project not estimated in terms of volume/revenue ?
• Company never had restricted expenses in past and cost approvals for parties and travel was very easy to get.

However as they say, "time is the best healer". As time passed by , remaining 300 people started to forget the event and move on. Some were still recovering and some moved on already.

Higher management  had justifications for everything and one cannot question them really.

During this course of healing, many thoughts and questions came in my mind like :- 

• Should company be liable to provide job stability to employees, what exactly is job stability or job security ? 
• Company is formed with sole purpose of making money and the owners of the company have all rights to take decisions no matter how brazen they may seem.
• Employees are hired to do a day's work and they are paid for that day's work.
• There are certain expectations from employee and employee is paid at the end of month for his job of fulfilling those expectations.

I realized that employees feel bad because of emotional attachment to the company. He expects more than just the salary from company. In process of giving 100% to job expectations, he sometimes thinks that he is working for his own company.

Another aspect of this is that employee feels insulted on getting fired. This is very normal human behavior as no one likes the rejection. The feeling that one's contribution is no longer required is scary.

Also employee finds himself in too much comfort zone, that such an event feels like a bolt from the blue.
All of a sudden, he has to find a job . He has to face interviews.
And the most daunting task is to face society, family and peers.

So what is the solution?  Who is right and who is wrong ? 

In my opinion it is never easy to face such situation.  However there are some best practices which can just make one stronger to face such situations.

One should consider his job just as a job and should know that he is paid for the services is offering.
One should understand that this is not permanent and no one is liable to pay him for eternity.

If one is confident of his talent, he will be least affected. Today, a company is paying you for your services and if you are good enough some other company will need you and hire you at same cost or higher.

So the onus is on the employee to be professional and a continuous learner which will help him face such situation with more courage and confidence.

What makes me happy?

Amid chaotic life , I often wonder what is the key to happiness. I stop and think about the things which makes me really happy. I tend to remember these sources of happiness and make it a point to acknowledge it.

There is a subtle difference between "khushi" and "ananda" !
Its very important to understand the difference so that we can seek ananda as much as possible.

Following are some things/scenarios which give me happiness :

1. Meeting an old good friend and remembering the good times spent together.
2. When my mother shares her past stories.
3. When my mother says "You did this thing real good" , "Ye achha kaam kiya"
4. When my mother asks for something and I am able to fulfill the same.
5. Fulfilling a dream or fantasy and having life partner along with you to acknowledge and congratulate.
6. Relinquishing old stuff like clothes,toys etc and giving it to someone who needs it and is not capable of affording currently
7. Sharing an experience and learning that it helped somebody.
8. Watching some video/movie/art creation which makes u watch the same again and again.
9. Travel from outside India to back to India.
10. Friday
11. Beer burp
12. Smooth Car Drive on a good road with favorite music being played in background.
13. Good Decisions
14. Playing Cricket on a pleasant day.
15. Really good dessert
16. Alone time(not too long) once in a while !
17. Sound of sea/river waves
18. Feeling of having someone in life to speak to about anything under the universe.
19. Time spent in swimming pool
20. Learning new things which you always wanted to learn like swimming, skating , driving car etc
21. Remembering achievements of past, happy events of past etc
22. Being a good host by showing warmth and love (not by material pleasures)
23. Getting oil massage from my dear wife
24. To see my dear wife happy and make her small wishes true

To be updated as I experience more .... :)

Weekends

Fridays are always special.

At the end of this day the weekend starts.  And weekends are for filling up .

Entire weekend is spent in filling up. Just go through the list and everybody will relate and concur .

Its weekend and its time to fill up : 

1. Your bodies with alcohol
2. Your car with diesel
3. Your bike with petrol
4. Your utensils with groceries
5. Your refrigerator with fruits and vegetables
6. Parking spaces at malls with your vehicles
7. Your soul with motivation
8. Your heart with renewed faith in existence of life
9. Relationship gaps
10. Lost sleep during week
11. Scrap shop with old newspapers and bottles
12. Restaurants


So get refilled and prepare for the next week :)

EVERYTHING AT ONCE !!!!

As sly as a fox, as strong as an ox
As fast as a hare, as brave as a bear
As free as a bird, as neat as a word
As quiet as a mouse, as big as a house

As mean as a wolf, as sharp as a tooth
As deep as a bite, as dark as the night
As sweet as a song, as right as a wrong
As long as a road, as ugly as a toad

As pretty as a picture hanging from a fixture
Strong like a family, strong as I wanna be
Bright as day, as light as play
As hard as nails, as grand as a whale

As warm as the sun, as silly as fun
As cool as a tree, as scary as the sea
As hot as fire, as cold as ice
Sweet as sugar and everything nice

As old as time, as straight as a line
As royal as a queen, as buzzed as a bee
As stealth as a tiger, smooth as a glider
Pure as a melody, pure as I wanna be

All I wanna be oh, all I wanna be, oh
All I wanna be is everything

EVERYTHING AT ONCE !!!!

Power of Heart Felt Intention

Life responds to our intention. When we really want something to occur, life tends to move towards us, fulfilling our aspiration. If our intention is full – if our energies are intensely directed towards the pursuit of a specific goal over time – life not only responds, but does so rapidly, fulfilling that deepest aspiration.
For example, when Albert Einstein began to focus all parts of his being – mental, vital and physical – towards the pursuit of his goal of finding work to overcome his utterly destitute state as a young man, the possibility of working at the Patent Office moved towards him. When his intention became full; that is, he crossed over a certain threshold of intensity demanded of life, the job became his.
From that new post, he not only overcame his current predicament of acute poverty and misery, but it served as the platform through which he would develop papers that would change the course of science and the history of the world. From this, we see that there may be no greater means for success and accomplishment in life than our intention.
When we have clear knowledge of what we want to accomplish, and our emotions fully support it, then our intention takes shape. If we then make a determined, persevering effort to carry out our heart’s desire, we generate an irresistible power that quickly attracts it. If we look around, we will see that life is always responding to our intentions.
In Jane Austen’s novel Pride and Prejudice, Mrs Bennett intensely desired to marry off her daughters to avoid a pending eviction of her family; and within a year, that is precisely what occurred (for three of them).
When Erin Brockovich directed all of her energies to getting out of her own desperate state of poverty, she quickly secured a job at a law office that not only lifted her out of misery, but became the springboard through which she would win the largest victim rights settlement in history.
When we focus on accomplishing something, then our intention takes shape. When our intention is full, that is when we intensely want something to occur, and sustain that urge over time – life brings us what we want in spades. The Upanishads declare: “You are what your deepest desire is. As is your desire, so is your intention. As is your intention, so is your will. As is your will, so is your deed. As is your deed, so is your destiny.”
One interesting aspect of human aspiration or intention is that it can express itself at various levels, from a mild interest in a subject, to a desire to accomplish something, to the intense need to bring about our heart's desire. And yet, life can instantly respond to our intention at any of these levels: even to a passing fancy!
As we see, even a passing fancy will attract corresponding response, as long as there is a modicum of interest involved. You have just thought about a subject you hadn't thought of for decades, and then two minutes later, there is discussion on that very topic on television! That is dramatic enough, but when you have never seen that subject referred to in a lifetime of TV-watching, then you know something profound is at work!
The writer is a scholar researching Sri Aurobindo. royposner@growthonline.org

10 siimilarities between google and mom

10 siimilarities between google and mom

1.Google always has an answer to our questions -silly as well as higly complicated.
2.Google always try to develop new products just like mom cooks different varities in kitchen.
3.It loves all its users the same way no disparity ..same as mom loves all her children alike
4.Google helps in finding your soulmate by providing the chat room as mom helps in all ways to find ur lady.
5.Both wants you be social , very social .
6.Both helps you to become more organized .(Google docs)
7.Both try to make u multi lingual.(Google Translate)
8.Mom doesnt get rid of old things very easily ..the same way picassa helps in archiving u the golden memories.
9.Mom understands ur feelings even if not put in enough words....google search also understands what u have in mind.(google search hint)
10.She shows the path to happy life , google also helps in finding the paths via google maps.

zindaggi na milegi dobaara

Poem 1
Ik baat honton tak hai jo aayi nahin
Bas ankhon say hai jhaankti
Tumse kabhi, mujhse kabhi
Kuch lafz hain woh maangti
Jinko pehanke honton tak aa jaaye woh
Aawaaz ki baahon mein baahein daalke ithlaye woh
Lekin jo yeh ik baat hai
Ahsas hi ahsas hai
Khushboo si hai jaise hawa mein tairti
Khushboo jo be-aawaaz hai
Jiska pata tumko bhi hai
Jiski khabar mujhko bhi hai
Duniya se bhi chupta nahin
Yeh jaane kaisa raaz hai

Poem 2
Jab jab dard ka baadal chaya
Jab ghum ka saya lehraya
Jab aansoo palkon tak aya
Jab yeh tanha dil ghabraya
Humne dil ko yeh samjhaya
Dil aakhir tu kyun rota hai
Duniya mein yunhi hota hai
Yeh jo gehre sannate hain
Waqt ne sabko hi baante hain
Thoda ghum hai sabka qissa
Thodi dhoop hai sabka hissa
Aankh teri bekaar hi nam hai
Har pal ek naya mausam hai
Kyun tu aise pal khota hai
Dil aakhir tu kyun rota hai

Poem 3
Pighle neelam sa behta ye sama,
neeli neeli si khamoshiyan,
na kahin hai zameen na kahin aasmaan,
sarsaraati hui tehniyaan pattiyaan,
keh raheen hai bas ek tum ho yahan,
bas main hoon,
meri saansein hain aur meri dhadkanein,
aisi gehraiyaan, aisi tanhaiyaan,
aur main… sirf main.
Apne hone par mujhko yakeen aa gaya.

Poem 4
Dilon me tum apni betabiyan leke chal rahe ho,to zinda ho tum
Nazar me khwaabon ki bijliyan leke chal rahe ho,to zinda ho tum
Hwa ke jhokon ke jaise aazad rehno sekho
Tum ek dariya ke jaise lehron mein behna sekho
Hr ek lamhe se tum milo khole apni baahein
Hr ek pal ek nya sama dekhe nigahein
Jo apni ankhon mein hairanian leke chal rahe ho,to zinda ho tum
Dilon mein tum apni betabian leke chal rahe ho,to zinda ho tum

Last Mail From Amdocs

Hi ,
Today is my last day in Amdocs as I leave this organization to explore other opportunities in IT.
Frankly speaking , I have mixed feelings while writing this mail .
Amdocs helped me in getting my several FIRSTs in life J
First travel abroad ,
First flight experience ,
First "living away from home" experience :) and many more like these.
It has been 3 years 8 months of wonderful journey in amdocs and it is real tough to part away.I would like to thank all my PBG Leads during my tenure in amdocs -Sripal , Deepak , Sameer ,Rahul T and Subha R.
for guiding me in my work with their valuable experience and enriching my knowledge base.
I would like to thank Vinoj and Ajay S for their care bestowed on me and for giving various opportunities in core and delivery projects.
I have made many friends in amdocs which made my stay here more memorable .Trips with the Invoicing group were most entertaining.
I will never forget the cricket tournaments I was part of and also the winning moments in one of those while playing under Juggernauts. We lived upto the title of the team .
I will also remember the intermittent short stints with RMCC-ARIC. It was good to be on the other side of the fence as well J .
Also, it was nice to have special bond with AR L2 (ISR and DVCI) as I tried my best to offer ample assistance.
So finally ,final sign off, You all can contact me byCalling @9922943310 (don’t redirect on-calls to this number J )
or
Mailing me at either of below mail -Ids
raunak.doshi@gmail.com
raunak_doshi@yahoo.com
raunak_doshi@rediffmail.com
raunak_doshi@hotmail.com
and yeah ofcourse on FACEBOOK.

Au revoir
Raunak Doshi

USA Vs India

Revisiting the differences between America and India
1. Here people give indicator while changing the lanes on street , In india they don’t even bother to give indication while turning to a altogether new street.
2. Dominos delivery guy comes in a car , In india he comes by bike .
3. In US people celebrate smallest win with great joy, In India ,no body knows even if some body wins a lottery
4. There are max 2 guys in a restaurant serving all ,In India, 2 guys will always be there besides every table
5. Coming in 5 minutes actually means it will take only 5 minutes .
6. Pedestrians are treated like prince on road , in India they are treated like bugs on road
7. Measurement scale , they measure
distance in miles
Temperature in Fareignheit
Liquid in gallons
Weight in pounds
8. I never understood why they call petrol/diesel as GAS
9. They say “thank you” and “have a nice day” and “how are u” a zillion times in a day
10. They drive on right side of the road , we Indians drive as per our will
11. There are no night charges in cab/taxi
12. Back at home you select friends which are special ..Here u can’t afford to be choosy..
13. Here its Downtown , there we have MG Road
14. Nobody understands what road means here ..they understand street .
15. Bribing doesn’t work here.
16. If you don’t tip the service industry , you are considered cheap.
17. Each unit of currency is valuable ..even 1 penny..In India soon the time will come when 10 Rs will be the minimum accepted amount
18. U will never hear any service industry guy say ..”chhutte nahi hai”(I don’t have change).
19. In USA, Queues are actually straight lines
20. People go to malls to shop , not to have a get Together .
21. There are no speed breakers on road

Have It Chilled

Have it chilled ..

There is a place in India, where u don’t feel like india. A place where indians feel like complete strangers. A place where number of veg restaurants are less than those found in city of Vancouver.

A drinkers’ paradise ,any married couples honeymoon fantasy , young blood’s fav happening hangout and oldies’ peace destination.

Its everything here. Its boisterous ,its calm and its refreshing all at the same time … our first encounter with the resort guy made me think that ..god..this place is different and exciting. He came on the road to escort us to resort. He was middle aged guy without his shirts on and the very first sentence he said took all our lethargy away and charged us up… He said this is GOA guys ..dont get shocked to see me like this…GOA main rehna ka to bindaaas ho ke rehna ka …yeah we were in goa to rock our long weekend ..thanks again to Amdocs and recession combined.

As suitably described in a famous song from movie Socah na tha “Goa hum to teri har ada ke dewaane hai” I believe in the song ..Goa has a beautiful enchanting essence of life… We see West image in here. Where else in india u could see girls in just bikinis or sometimes not even in that…

Be it Monday or weekend roads never fail to glitter. Its always a festival time and there is never a dull moment . Shops are lightened in the same way we lit our houses in diwali.. only difference ..they celebrate life through out the year.

This is the place where I have heard people go again and again.. some make excuse of a second honeymoon and some just casually their spend extended weekends just like us.

They know its worth every penny to spend there. The night we went out in search of a club for rave party it gave us shocking surprises..Wont mention any of those here..

I will definitely go there once again ..thats for sure ..

A clean work of legs !

It feels amazing when u peep out of the window of the moving train and u can see both front and rear of the train simultaneously. You keep looking back and forth and fill your heart with amusement. I did behold such scenes before but for the first time I was enjoying it .
Because what I else I could do. I was on a long journey to ratlam to attend a wedding and I was somehow trying to make most of my lonesome travel. I took 3 novels along with me and I was convinced that I will get enough time to complete all the three..And my start actually supported my unrealistic belief. First on my list was alchemist.

ah..let me rewind back a bit ..about an half-an hour ago. As usual I checked the reservation charts before boarding. Not for checking my reservations but to see are there any girls of age-group 18-25 in my bogie...but how could god go wrong about this ..

I started reading Pualo coelho’s alchemist .it was interesting in the beginning…watch it I said in the beginning ..i lost interest after two hours of reading it …hey hold on..dont blame the book.. but sometimes it happens ,at one time u are in one situation ,one setup of things and all of a sudden a trigger by universal power shifts u from that setting to a completely awkward and embarrassing situation. I got parted with my brand new shoes and I had no idea who the heck did this. I suddenly became the example to state for rest of the travelers. I could now listen the incident being retold again and again .No one was empathizing as if I should expect from complete strangers. Everyone was just conforming their happiness by relishing the fact that it weren’t there shoes.
So everything seemed pale after that ,not because shoes were expensive but because I had nothing to cover my feet, oh no I had.something..yeah ...two sandels of different pattern for each feet..funny ha…but that’s what the thief left for me..the price for my carelessness ..

Finally I got new shoes at mandsaur and things leapt back to normalcy and world was in order again J

10 things I hate about you poem...listen to it in movie....

I hate the way you talk to me,

and the way you cut your hair.

I hate the way you drive my car,

I hate it when you stare.

I hate your big dumb combat boots and the way you read my mind.

I hate you so much it makes me sick, it even makes me rhyme.

I hate the way you are always right, I hate it when you lie.

I hate it when you make me laugh, even worse when you make me cry.

I hate it when you are not around, and the fact that you didnt call.

But mostly I hate the way I dont hate you,

not even close

not even a little bit

not even at all.

Value of Time ..

Heard many times about the importance of time and all the merits of saving it ..
And actually realised it many a times that its quite true. I would like to share the most recent realization.

got up early or rather very early that day ..3 Am in morning...dared to take bath as it was pending for many days ..:)
it really takes a lot of courage to plunge urself in shower in chilly nights in wake of fact that its pouring out cold water .....Finally got ready and left for mumbai ...

I reached there in no time ....6 Am i was in front of the office ...to my surprise there were many others who actually reached there before me ...i can imagine how much sleep they would have got ....

Spent around an hour in cab and then finally pull myself out of deep sombre...and tried all things to become more attentive ..ate some biscuits ,had tea ...

Finally i found myself in a big Queue and felt like being on a conveyor belt being scrutinized for quality. It was like check list being run over us and if found faltering it ...forced out immediately from queue and then required to start al over again....

Fortunately i made it through in one go ...

And at 8.30 i was out again in my cab heading back to Pune ....
Then i realized that this is the time i generally wake up daily and today at this time i already crossed 200 odd Kms and got done with USA Visa interview formalities .
I am sure my Rommie would be yawning and struggling hard to get out of bed back in pune and here i am ....one task accomplished ..wihle he i assleep.
Just realized a lot can be achieved and accomplished if value of time is cared....got a lesson...and fortunately not the hard way this time .... :)