Happy Bath-Day to you.....

yup...another B'Day and one more year added....I share the Bday month/week with Gandhiji and my sister...yup 2, 3, 4 of Oct...dono if that's what made me resemble him in stature :( ...but happy that my sis escaped this non-genetic b'day disorder and is not as skinny as i am...

Bday was fun in childhood...i used to wake my sis up from bed and wish her Bday and the next day she would wake me up and wish me...and we used to take our snaps on our bdays...but once sis moved out for her studies, the photosessions came to an end...coming to celebrations, we were very fond of celebrating each others bday in our own sweet ways...yeah..sweet...chocolate ways....i would get her chocolates and the next day she would get me...but all with papa's money :) he was our common banker..he used to say..."you both celebrate each other's bday..but each time its my pocket that gets emptied"...once sis moved out for studies and then later me too, the wishes were restricted to calls and greeting cards. She never missed sending it...this time also she send it all the way to US ...and i did something different this time...i send her a cake...though the cake was lot different from what i saw online, she was happy with my gesture...i believe she never celebrated a bday like this..came as a total surprise for her...



ok..back to my bday...this one was quiet different from previous B'Days....my 1st one in US, 1st one with the new set of friends here..and it was different indeed...it was more of "Bath"-Day for me than a "Birth"day or "BAR"-th-day, the way people generally expect a guy of my age to celebrate bday...it was around 11:50 at night and the friends staying near to my apartments..all with a bag in hand...gifts???? no way....those contained the substances for the holy abhishekam on me...its was my bday and a Friday...what else do they want..no one was in any hurry to finish the bash and return....so around 12,it started with me cutting the icecream-cake..was yummy i must admit...i could taste only a bit and rest was on my face and head...since our floors are carpeted, i suggested going to the bath tub, so as to avoid the later cleaning up process..which i have to do the next day...
so there i was stading in bath tub, awaiting the inevitable....i closed my eyes...wow..it was icy cold...beer...on my head, down my body...i would have preferred that in my mouth rather than on head..i did try to dart my tongue out and sip few..like a snake would do....ok ok..i agree..even dogs do.....instinct u know..the taste of beer!!!..anyway i enjoyed the beer bath.have heard it smooths hair..next was coke...though i dont have the have lice or dandruff on my hair, i liked the pesticide treatment...ice cold coke...next was the worst...i almost felt like an idli sitting in a plate in some rural SouthIndian hotel...yeah..a week old sambar...yuk...the smell was horrible and i almost puked...but in photos it looked like someone puked on me...i immediately opened the shower as it was too stinky...i thought that was it...but soon came egg..smashing on my head one by one..i wanted to look up and see if some hen was sitting over my head, who is hurriedly laying eggs and lessen its weight...these days even animals can be beauty conscious..you never know!!! Have always heard that egg white is good for hair. even though i didnt have the time or opportunity to remove the yoke, i felt that helped. Party was not over yet, then came the chocolate shake. I would have gladly opened my mouth if not for the egg and the sambar that was still on me. Finally they said with a sad face.."everything is over. we didnt have a good collection for him"...if this wasnt a GOOD collection then what was??? they left the bathroom and i was busy cleaning myself of all the mess, partially relieved that the ordeal is over.
Once i was out of the bath, everyone was standing there, rubbing hands and saying....dress up and come..its exercise time...
little did i know that the worst was still to come...and like an icing on the cake, i was lifted in the air(effortlessly i must say) and thrashed...none wanted to miss out and each was taking turn and beating me...few from left side like a Maradonna kick...and from the right like Jackie Chan...and i was like a Bollywood villain...getting thrashed and never getting a chance to retaliate..but the ordeal doesnt end there..the worst thing was yet to come...cleaning the bath tub next day....yuk...i really appreciate the people working in municipalities in India..i understand that they are doing a tough job. Cleaning my bath tub, i suddenly started giving respect to the job they do.. and finally it was by afternoon that i finished everything..took shower and become a BDay boy...
so it was all Bath-Day and Bash-Day for me ..rather than Birth-Day !!! and now am eagerly waiting for the Bdays of my friends...yes PayBack time..

tackling an IT Bug

wonder whats Sev 1??? there are many definitions to it...most common ones could be ...a developers nightmare...a testers delight... and these are one of those "Tickets", which you get free of cost, is use less and can cause you lot of heartache...
yup..Sev 1 or Severity 1 is the crisis situation in IT, when the testers are not able to continue finding (the immobile) bugs in the code, due to the presence of a larger BUG..and they raise a Sev 1 ticket for that..(i am still clueless on why they call it a ticket and defect a BUG)..and once raised, the developer would be on his toes..trying to fix it up..and worst thing is..Sev1 means 24hrs you got to banish that BUG. ie in a day, you need to trace it, catch them red handed, put spray/fix on it..


I have this friend of mine, who happened to be a regular diet of this BUG. He already is like a straw and if more bugs attack him, he would soon be a tooth pick. and BUGS would find it hard to trace him in the plate. Daily when i lunch with him, the common conversation would be around the new BUGs that have come up..And wait...dont take this guy silly...he has his own ways of dealing with this...may be the IT readers would be benefited from this..

1. As soon as you get a Sev1, look if there is any other system involved in it. Just look around the error and if you happen to find, raise the defect in their name. that would take care of the defect for a day. And by the time other team analyze and come up finding that the bug is in your own code, you are safe.

2. Never attend defects that are less that Sev1. Let it qualify and compete with other bugs and come up to Sev1.(He would always be having 2-3 Sev1 in his kitty. So no time for less severe ones)

3. And this one is a approach you can use to keep your managers at their bay. This can help you extend the deadline by a day or even two

Day 1:
morning:
M: Hi T, what about defect# 1234?
T: Hi M, I am still to look into it. I was busy with few other stuffs.
M: oh. OK. I hope you get it fixed soon. Its Sev1.
T: Yes. [ :( ]

afternoon:
M: Hi T, how is 1234?
T: (1234 is doing fine...its me who is suffering) Yes M I just now started looking into it. I got some leads on that, I am working on that.
M: Thats Great

evening:
M: Hope you are done with 1234..
T: Hi M, the initial ananlyzis was not right..but i have got another lead and I am investigating it. should be done by tomorrow.

Day 2:
morning:
M: Hi T, I guess its roses in the morning. you are done with 1234 rt.
T: (gulp!!) err..T, i think the defects root cause is still to be found out, when i check its interaction with system A and its outbound message to system B, the exception raised in that has an essence of system C's outbound message that comes to our system. So we would need to investigate on the possible chance of this error from an outsider perspective, taking all the 3 systems to be culprits.
M: (?????????) I guess you are working hard on this. i hope this gets resolved soon.

by noon:
before M pings
T: Hi M, seems to be an issue with system X. I have raised defect against them.
M: [:S] ok.

and T remains busy till evening or may be night, gets in touch with all the resources possible and gets the issue sorted, which obviously would be a defect in his code. And by next day he is good to go.. In the mean while system X would be searching for possible solution, to which they are not even remotely connected. By the time they realize it, T would have got the issue fixed.

man...this really works... T has learned to survive....



[pic - A Bug's Life]

a sweet battle....

he was hot...

she was cold...

he was relaxed...

she was sweating...

he was used...

she was misused...

he was precious...

she was cheap...

he was respected...

she was kissed...

he was tall and dark...

she was short and pale...

he earned people money...

she looted them of money...

he gave people designations...

she gave them destinations...

he was every mans dream...

she helped every man dream...

he took people atop skyscrapers...

she took them to skies and beyond...

he made people envy and enemies....

she made them content and friendly...

he never lost anything...

she lost her everything...

still...she manage to keep people happy....she is always my sweetheart...my Corono Extra...love you lots...

they battled with each other for me...and i fell for her...she won over him...

the "I" factor - "I", what "I" like, what "I" assume

Following are few truths about me, what I like to do, what I assume the person I am. Jotted down in the order that occurred to me.

1. I am dynamic.
2. I can love a person to utmost extent and hate him/her the very next moment.
3. I don’t value relationships of any kind.
4. I am very independent person.
5. I feel I can live without anyone being there in my life.
6. But I will be there for them when they need me.
7. I hate lying. I don’t do unless it’s inevitable or for a good cause.
8. I am open-minded.
9. I love to spend time alone in beach.
10. I am frank. I tell straight on face, whether the person like it or not.
11. I used to be a very soft person, easily get hurt.
12. But not anymore. As I said #1.
13. I hate being in debt.
14. But I love to help others in need.
15. I day dream a lot. I belong to the skies.
16. I am very bad in keeping in touch (phone/mail/chat).
17. But good friends when the person is near me.
18. Incoming calls in my mobile is more than the outgoing. That substantiates #3, #4, #5, #16 and #17.
19. I am the laziest person I ever have known.
20. I would love to meet a lazier person. Just to learn more from him/her on the art of laziness.
21. I love girl child than boy child.
22. I like to have twins (preferably identical).
23. My dreams include me
a. being a superhero.
b. getting abducted by ET and they imparting superhuman powers in me
c. topping the chart as most eligible bachelor in world
d. becoming a billionaire(did i miss the word MULTI??? oh my gosh i did..).
24. I think I am very intelligent.
25. I can’t think of any other person who is wasting his/her life the way I do.
26. I am adventurous.
27. I am creative.
28. I love smiling and spreading that around.
29. I am very good in PJ (Poor Joke)/instant humor. That’s why I believe in #27.
30. I believe I am in wrong place of the world, doing wrong job. Follow up of #25.
31. I would love to learn guitar, martial arts, swimming.
32. I can spend hours, doing absolutely nothing.
33. I love my sister a lot.
34. I never express my love for anyone.
35. I can be a nightmare/turnoff for the gal who would love me. Reason being #34.
36. I love to party and hangout @ pubs/discos and other happening places.
37. But I have hardly done #36.
38. I hate vegetables. I live on non – veg.
39. I hate cruelty against animals. (Man is a social ANIMAL, and putting him to starvation is also cruelty.)
40. I love to grow hair (about 5”) and beard.
41. I love driving.
42. I own a luxury car(2nd hand), bought within 4 months in US. The quickest and costliest in my team.
43. I am on debt now. (just a matter of 2 weeks and I will be back to #14)
44. I don’t go to temple. I am neither for nor against God.
45. I love photography.
46. I am lean. But healthy.
47. I have lot of friends, majority gals.
48. I hate commitment/responsibility of any sort.
49. I am bad in taking decisions (Libran trait).
50. I pity myself. But never works for betterment.

Anyone...feel free to have this in your blog too. The idea of this post was inspired from few other posts i read...

Friendship day...

Like every year, I expected lot of phone calls..from my near and dear, who wait for the entire year for this day to come...to wish me and other friends..to show and let others know that they do care and value the gift of friendship..to let know that they haven't forgot their friends even in this rat race that they are in..
But as someone said, the only thing that doesn't change is change itself..the day is over in India and its almost noon in US...not a single call till now...no calls...no personalized mails, no greeting cards...hmmm...things are certainly changing..but thankfully got few wishes through Orkut, and a forward through mail...
I cant blame them...all are not like me..still idle in bed, with laptop in hand..thinking of how to cut the rest of the day...others have their own things to take care of....time is changing...so are things around...so do the relations...after all we came to this world alone....have to leave alone...and rest all are passing relationships...

aaah...who cares...even i didnt call any of my friends...so how do i expect them to call me...life is fun...be independent...enjoy life...

waking up with a tag

Morning when i checked my mail..the first mail was from my friend Roshni..yeah she has tagged me...my first tag...and that was a wake up call for my blog too...which has been sleeping for quiet sometime..in a very cozy bed called my laziness

Last movie seen in a theatre?
WANTED(English) - Almost felt like the remake of some Rajinikanth movie...what he did 20yrs ago, they have done now.

What book are you reading?
Am not a good reader...i would say i hardly read...but plan to do so soon...not for timepass...but for my career..

Favorite board game:
Carroms

Favorite magazine:
I would say Balarama, Week, Outlook, Filmfare...but since i have been in US..its NONE. but i do make it a point to read Balarama online

Favorite smells:
Smell of Petrol...i just love that smell, smell of soil after 1st rain (something i experienced only in Kerala) then ofcourse good masalas..esp when used to cook non veg

Favorite sound:
Question seems very different...havent felt anything to be said as favourite...but..i would say rumble of water, chanting of the word OM (if and only if its done the way it should be and in the right ambiance)

Worst feeling in the world:
1. Feeling of being turned down,
2. Feeling that u have wasted your life.

What is the first thing you think of when you wake up?
Weekdays: huh...another day in office
Weekends: .........(really blank)

Favorite fast food place:
Magik Oven (Hometown)
local tea shop(Chennai)
McD (US)

Future child’s name:
too early to think of it...

Finish this statement, “If I had a lot of money I’d…”
Travel to exotic places around the world, get my dream home and an excellent SLR camera

Do you drive fast?
Depends on the road and the proximity of Police...i do drive fast.

Do you sleep with a stuffed animal?
Nope...but a pillow

Favourite drink
Ice cold water (i don't mind Scotch in it ;))

Do you eat the stem of broccoli?
Am ok with broccoli..but the stem is definitely a NO

Storms - Cool or Scary?
Cool if we are watching it from safety, Scary(rather thrilling) if we are in it.

If you could dye your hair any color, what would be your choice?
a reddish brown tan (may be i would try few months later)

Name all the different cities/towns you have lived in:
Palakkad, Adoor (Kerala)
Mysore, Bangalore (Karnataka)
Chennai (TamilNadu)
Charlotte (North Carolina, US)

Favorite sports to watch:
Cricket, but off late i don't watch even that

One nice thing about the person who sent this to you:
A very simple person with immense talent, and at the same time childish too. good at heart.

What’s under your bed?
the age for that is over... ;)... nothing now

Would you like to be born as yourself again?
Yes…i actually want to live this life again.

Morning person or night owl?
Night owl...my job demands it...and waking up early is not my cup of tea.

Over easy or sunny side up?
Over easy...i don't like sunny side up

Favorite place to relax:
Home..no place like home. or in a calm beach if i am low on mood.

Favorite pie:
I don’t like pies

Favorite ice cream flavor:
Vanilla & chocolate anytime..with crushed brownie and choco chips..(Chocolate Devotion from Coldstone)

You pass this tag to:
Leks, Gopz, Abhi

Of all the people you tagged this to, who’s most likely to respond first?
Leks.

a for apple...b for ball...

Long names can cause enough headaches at times...especially if you are in the US of A, where we need to put our names in full..either it be your mail id, postal address, filling up forms..rule is..no initials allowed...its easy for Bruce Wills, George Michael, Elton John...but for some one with name Ajay Pathinettam Kandam...it can be hell of a job...
i dont disown my surname... it means a lot to me... i get a lot of respect and am honoured in my hometown because of the surname and i have my whole identity attached to it...

But here in US...its a different story... and the story starts with my name in the records...they missed an "N" in my name and in the client records it reads AJAY PATHINETTAM KADAM..
for them its just an alphabet less... but they dont realize that with the missing of an N they have made me a debtor...mallus who see my name would wonder PATHINETTAM "KADAM"??? they would have heard of Pathinettam Adavu...which of course means last resort..but Kadam?? that would be news to them...they might think..need to watch out for this guy or next thing he will do after shaking hands is..ask for money...cant blame them...my name says it all..and for the ease of processing, they combined the two words and made it pathinettamkadam...which made it even worse to read..even i had difficulty in identifying it...
at times am known as Mr Pathinettam, sometimes Mr Kandam and sometimes K, Ajay Pathinettam..by the time i return back to India, i would have juggled with my name in all the ways possible...and the trouble doesnt end here...
I had a problem with my client laptop and i had to call the support person..and of course they wanted to know my name....in full.. i said..
AJAY...Aae Jay Aae Yee.... Pathinettam Pee Aae tee...
voice from other side interrupted this lullaby...sir can u please spell it like "a" as in "apple"...i said to myself...oh God..I have to do this too...

I had to take my memory back to the kindergarten to remember what all objects we relate the alphabets with..but i dont have a memory so sharp..so had to create new ones...and i somehow managed...

A as in apple
J as in jackal
A as in "another" apple
Y as in youtube

P for pet
A as in apple
T as in tie
H as in hat
I as in India
N as in net
E as in eye -(e as in i ???)...eh..make it elephant..E as in elephant
T as in tie
T as in tie - that will be 2 T as in ties
A as in apple
M as in monkey - (i almost felt like one)

K as in kite
A as in apple
N as in net
D as in..eh.eh..yeah..DOG(should hav stressed more on it,to get rid of my irritation)
A as in apple
M as in monkey

that was a hard task for me..having to spell my name with apples, monkeys and dogs..

leave alone my full name...here people dont know to pronounce even Ajay..they call me Aey Jay...when i hear it..its like A J... next time when someone calls me the same..i should probably reply A Y...and say...yes ma'm thats how u spell my name...A J A Y

Unsaid love....

The moment i see you
my heart goes wild
And your smile, lits up
my entire life

The one thing i want to tell u
is that i love you
I am thirsty for your love
and only you can pacify it

Each time i see you
i want to say how much i love you
But each time i come near you
something pulls me back

I know you are my girl
and you can only be mine
But i fear a lot
that i might lose you

You are my inspiration
and you make my heart ticking
Without you near me,
life is like a moonless sky

Though there are many stars around,
you are the one destined for me
I just want to say,
please be mine forever...

something fishy for a saturday ;)

i had started hating weekends and myself...yeah..weekends are boring for me... with nothing to do other than watching movie online and chatting with friends... and now a day its restricted to movies alone as my best buddy has hardly time for chatting with me...how many movies can one watch in a day??? i was really fed up...i put down my computer specs(which i forcefully wear, as i spend even my weekends on this new age smart(idiot) box) and started thinking how to spend the remaining time..with the tennis court dampened by yesterdays rain and with no one for company to venture out, i was almost imprisoned in my own apartment..a self imposed imprisonment(as i didn't lookout for an opportunity to go out), aggravated by nature..

i said to myself..if things go at this rate, i ll lose my self and my jovial nature..felt like moving to darkness...its really horrible to spend time all alone, with nothing to do which interests u. One of my good friend used to complain abt being alone and feeling bored..she used to call me whenever she was feeling bored and i used to get bugged up with her calls..me being born and brought up in a nuclear family and with my parents always busy with their work, i was used to staying alone and minding own business..so i could never understand her, who was brought in a joint family...but now i realized how bad she would have felt on being alone..

but i was not to spend time brooding over the loneliness.. i was looking out for something exciting within the limitation of the four walls..and finally this idea struck me...cooking...i decided..am going to make fish curry...i know am not that good in cooking and its just 3rd time am entering in kitchen to make something on my own..but i was cool..and confident of finishing the entire dish myself in case my roomies find it hard to taste...

i really enjoyed cooking this time..was fun and there goes my special recipe...
1. coat fish pieces with lil turmeric powder, chilli powder and salt and keep it for some time.may be 10-15 mins.
2. fry these pieces in limited oil in a non stick pan. fry only till its color changes. keep in mind that u r making fish curry n not fry.
3. after taking out fish, saute thinly sliced onion till it turns brownish, then add ginger garlic paste, green chilli and mix well.add salt to taste. Then add turmeric powder, chilli powder, and garam masala and mix it well.
4. Add tomato and heat for some time, pouring 1/4 glass water and making it a paste.
5. Add the slightly fried fish and enough water so that the fish is dipped in the masala.
6. Keep the pan closed for 5-8 mins. then keep watching till the curry becomes slightly thick. turn off the cooking range and keep it closed for sometime.



the curry turned out to be far far better than i expected. it tasted good and was aromatic.. am still waiting for my roomies to arrive and comment on it..but for me..its an awesome dish..and am happy to have done something innovative and interesting in this otherwise boring day of mine...this has really given me the confidence to try out more in kitchen..but only after my roomies testifies it..i do care for their health and taste buds.. :D

nanni aarodu njan chollendu...

mallu's can easily relate to this topic...song from the movie Aham...where Mohanlal is aimlessly wandering and asking these unanswerable/unanswered questions to himself and to God... at 1:30am, sitting in front of my office laptop...even i was in the same mental state as he was...and few unanswerable questions popped up in my mind and the poet in me penned down those...i couldn't resist from writing these words and mailing these to my friends then and there.. more would have flown from my heart..but the angels of sleep didnt allow me to..



nanni aarodu njan chollendu...
2maasam munpe onsiteil ayacha PM inodo?
atho 3kollam munpe select cheytha HRinodo?
nanni aarodu njan chollendu....

nanni aarodu njan chollendu...
3project thalayil vachu thanna mangerinodo
atho thalavedana undakkunna offshorinodo??
nanni aarodu njan chollendu...

nanni aarodu njan chollendu...
ente urakkam keduthunna workinodo
atho enne njetti unarthunna issuesinodo
nanni aarodu njan chollendu....

nanni aarodu njan chollendu...
maari maari theri vilikkuna clientinodo
atho athu kettu theri vilikunna managerinodo
nanni aarodu njan chollendu???



i know these questions would have popped up in all onsite coordinators mind... :)


if my clients/managers/offshore happened to see this..pls take it in a lighter vein and not to be taken into account for my next appraisal.. ;) :D

and non mallus..please excuse..as this post could be written best in malayalam and only in malayalam.. :)

best critisism...

I opened my inbox today and was surprised to find this mail from my sister

======================

"kutta(thats how she and my parents affectionately call me) kill the girl(she meant GO TO HELL attitude and not murder :)) in "he waited 4 sunrise" and rewrite it. just she becoming friend's friend is not a pain worth crying so much abt. or u make the hero of the story little more strong and write it as he took it as part of life.hero sounds like a weakling and an immature individual.all friendships doesnt last only TRUE frienship does.

then in "lessons of life" not getting back what u gave is not a big thing. its a common thing.either v dont get or we fail to give back to people from whom v get.there r lot of real PAINS in life. things which v cant even think of going through.dont let negativity creep into ur writing."

======================

i was really surprised reading this mail from her...i had always underestimated her maturity level...i used to play the big brother at home, even after being 4yrs younger to her..i was under the impression that i have seen the world more than her and none can understand human emotions as i do...but to my surprise, i realized that she is indeed my elder sister..and i must say this is the best criticism/comment i have got for any of my posts in this blog...sis..great going...

papa...was Bhagat Singh cricketer or movie star....

yeah.....i wont be surprised if my children ask me these questions, few years later...

March 23rd was the day Bhagath Singh was hanged along with Rajguru and Sukhdev .. i don't know how many of the readers would have remembered this, but its fine...if the media and the whole nation had forgot it, including the leaders..no wonder common man, who is no way related to him forget this day...

yes..i searched all the leading news sites..but even in its remote corners, there was no mention of these men of valor ...i was not surprised.. i expected the same.
any way a zillion thanks to Aamir Khan and Rakesh Omprakash Mehra, who at least introduced these freedom fighters to the current generation. At least they will be able to relate to these names, through the movie...[i know there have been other movies too..i mentioned this, being the recent one]

Even Gandhiji,being a strict follower of non violence, had praised the courage of these men. He quoted "These heroes had conquered the fear of death. Let us bow to them a thousand times for their heroism."

They deserve to be remembered, in a better way than this. We cant find too many men like Bhagat Singh, who would be ready to sacrifice their life for the nation,that too at the young age of 23.

My salute to Bhagat Singh and 1000s of other unknown heroes, who had laid their lives for the freedom of our Country...{which we are very happily misusing}

he waited for sunrise...

They had been together for yrs...sharing joys and sorrows and taking turns being the lantern, when the other was lost in darkness.. forgetting and forgiving every mistakes, rejoicing in each others success and achievements, sharing every secrets, talking on all the topics under the sun..it was a dream come true... he thought..if there is something beautiful in this world, then it is this friendship..unmatchable, unbreakable..and she kept reiterating..you are the best i have and you ll remain so...doesn't matter whoever comes in my life...he was happy..as he wished...a friendship never to be broken..so even in his worst nightmares, he couldn't dream of an end for their friendship.

but now he has tears in his eyes.. he stood there as a toddler who is now falling in each step he makes forward..yes for him a life without her friendship is like starting to live from scratch.. as far his memories could travel, he couldn't remember a time when she was not with him as an inspiration or support..irrespective of the distance, she was there with him to console, to rejoice..and now in a moments time she seems to have moved far away...out of reach...he couldn't have food..he couldn't sleep...he even forgot how to smile...it was like sunset to his life...he was moving to darkness..


he saw her picture disappear in the community..curiously he visited her profile...he couldn't stand it..another name between them was hard for him to digest.. yes...she had deleted her from friends list...for her its just a number...one of her contacts..but for him..it was a nerve that was broken..now they were related by a 3rd person between them...now he has to be know as a friends friend of her...no more he had access to her profile..as it was friends only...alas now he was no more her friend.. he couldn't stand it..he stood motionless..he had to witness it..his most cherished relation getting broken...his life seemed aimless and his existence seemed meaningless to him...

they used to fight..to more extent than this..but whatever they said..however they hurt each other..they never broke their friendship..even for fun...but now..her act was beyond his understanding..

he blamed her..she blamed him..for each silly thing they started arguing..and finally it happened..

was he that cruel to her or did she find his doing so disturbing that she had to take this extreme step? was his behavior that irritating? did she get fed up with him? is it true when she said she no more want the friendship? that this friendship had to end one day?

even with so many unanswered questions in his mind..he still waited expecting to see her back as his friend..waiting for the community to show him as her friend...he is waiting...and he will keep waiting endlessly, till she accepts him...

he waited for the sunrise...still waiting..



NB: All pics are copyright protected.

102th way to make egg curry

its been 4 weeks...and i haven't done anything other than washing plates and cooking rice...
but now one of my roomie has left and now pressure was building up..
cooking..a field which i have never ventured in...the mere thought of trying out something in kitchen gave me shivers...after all am experimenting with FOOD...and i ll be putting others also in trouble along with me....i gave a deep sigh and sat down..
i was feeling damn sleepy because of yesterdays production move...the tension was too much...
i got up, cleaned the room and then later got to bed..and now with the thought of preparing something for dinner.....i dozed off....
was a sound sleep for 2hrs...then i got up..washed my face and went to main room..all roomies were sitting in main room...i asked...what u guys want for dinner....i still don't know what made me ask that question...may be the water really didn't wash off the sleep...
roomies said...just make anything...that will do.. i went straight to fridge, took out egg and put that for boiling..
yeeks...what i have done?? egg curry?? that too my 1st cooking experiment...i should have settled for some onion curry..i looked at the guinea pigs sitting across the room...poor souls...
but now it was time for action..

i looked around...what all do i need...yeah...some onion, tomato...and there goes my recipe for egg curry..

1. Take out enough egg and boil for 15mins
2. cut a full onion into small round pieces and fry it in vegetable oil, till it turn brownish
3. slice tomato and add wen the onion is brownish enough
4. Add some salt and look out to ur shelf...make sure u put all the powders that is within an arms distance from u. I tried chilli powder, turmeric powder and masala powder.( you can add few more at ur own risk and depending on what all u can reach out to)
5. Add some water to make it a paste. once the paste is set, add more water and make it watery
6. Slice the boiled shell less egg into two and place it in a decorative manner so that it atleast looks good...
7. Put on the lid and keep it for sometime, till the water gets dried up and you get a semi gravy.

This is 102th way to make egg curry...

But to my surprise it tasted good... one of the best i ever tasted i must say..a simplified version of preapring egg curry....
so thats a proof for my culinary skill... man am good in that too...felt good..

hope to post more of Ajay's recipe's in coming weeks..

from "no strings attached"...to.."life is cool"

{on empty stomach on a Thursday night...after visiting few excellent blogs}

some times i wonder how good it would be, to live a life with no strings attached... no relationships... no commitments.... no responsibilities...at times i find all these as a burden.some thing which shelves me away from my true self..the independent me..the joyous me...

i know a lot of people will disagree with me in this front...but still...

i have lots of interests - traveling, blogging, photography, but its very disturbing fact to me that, even with lot of time in my hand and the resources readily available, i still don't do anything towards fulfilling it.

I have been in this new place for almost a month - "the other side of the world" as i used to call, when in India. A place which offers a lot for people with travel interest - the land of Statue of Liberty, White House, Times Square, Wall Street Bull, Miami , Key West...lots to list...thats for the traveler me.
I have 24/7 high speed, broadband , wifi internet connection and a personal laptop...for the blogger in me.
I am the proud owner of Canon S5 IS, the best point and shoot camera, as per my knowledge...for the photographer in me.

Being an Onshore coordinator, weekdays are hectic for me, will have enough official work to do and coordinate even on reaching home. But weekends...i am absolutely free from Friday night till Sunday night...a time i can happily blog or visit near by places, or try out my photography skills in this beautiful countryside...or at least try to learn photography in the first place.. i know just obsession wont do, i need to really learn the art of capturing images with life...
but.....what do i do on weekends??? either remained glued to my chair with hands running through the keyboard like Saantana on his guitar...or with mobile fixed to my ear like a call center guy - rightly termed by my roomies. yes. my weekend is restricted to one activity alone...chatting chatting chatting...this is all because of those strings attached to me...the relations....at least now i must learn the lesson of life..enjoy the essence of life...give at most importance to oneself and ones own happiness...

{gulping one bottle of beer on a Friday evening..and watching movie "Happy Days"}

actually life is not that complicated as i think it to be.. i can still find time for my hobbies by reducing the time i spend in front of laptop...i needn't try to cut those strings as such...(i know its a hard job)
closed my laptop, took out my camera and shot few sunset pics from my balcony in "Manual mode"...i was happy...finally some image is getting captured...(earlier when in Manual mode, i ended up with a black/dark image)...felt happy..good...a fine start to my hobby..

aaah...bad print...if at all they are doing piracy, why dont they do it in a better way...huh...

{my 2nd beer on my way..destination- stomach}

the bad print spoiled my whole mood..was a good movie..entertaining...aah..wish i had a time machine..just press of a button and back to college....and there is some excitement in untold romance...i really like the chemistry between the 2 main characters...aah...movie getting to my head or the beer??? my typing speed has increased..so it got to be the beer at work...ok...what next??i dont want to watch this movie this way..in such bad print...

{3rd beer opened....}
hmm...my teeth is real strong...i had no problems in opening my 3rd beer...
hey life is really beautiful...why didn't i realize it earlier????
{few more gulps...}
logged in to gtalk....my best buddy...deepu is online....

me:da...me having corona...mexican..3rd on the way....
D: da...me too...my 4th..
me: i ll soon jump to 4th da... :)

there ended the conversaton. felt good...am not alone..

{11:50pm}
something pricking me in the back of my semi unconscious mind....production move...yeah my code is going to production and i need to ensure its certified for production...GTH...i thought...yeah...Go To Hell.... i know the changes made..is not a big issue even if it goes next week..dono y the clients are making a big fuzz abt it...

{1:02am}
yeeks my code is still not in production...did the testing team fail my code? then client gonna say..GTH to me...so will my senior management.. nail biting moment..all the "life is cool" feeling the beer had given is taking a big U turn now...life is not so cool...:(
talked to my offshore..she said..u sleep now..in case of issues, i shall give you a call...those were more than assuring words...esp since i have been sleeping past 2am for past 3-4 days...
so off to sleep...with nightmares of my mobile ringing with call from offshore..
{7:02 am}
i suddenly woke up from my sleep and switched on my office laptop...
1st mail read "you can sleep peacefully...ur code is certified" - from my offshore
so life really is cool....

few learning i got from this 24hrs in my life:
1. all emotions are temporary...
2. don't take any decision in haste...
3. take things lightly, don't think too much emotionally
4. there is no mood that cant be corrected by 3bottles of beer{statutory warning: not advised to follow}

lessons life taught..but which i never learned

Sipping on a beer and sitting in the balcony of this country side apartment...i was thinking....who can be the greatest teacher...other than our own life...but as some great personality said..life is a difficult teacher...as it gives the examination first and lessons later..but what if we lose the examination after repeated learnings???

There are lot many lessons life has taught me...but which i never learned..i sometimes feel..i am a coward...cos i never wanted to admit these harsh realities of life, which was no where close to the dream i had about my life and those around me...i always tried to run away from these...

lesson 1: love and care yourself more than anything or anyone..cos no other person can ever return the love you give, in the same intensity..this is a lesson life has repeatedly taught me..but i fail to learn each time and now i have decided...its high time i start loving myself.

lesson 2: never interfere in others life, doesn't matter who that person is to you or how much ever freedom that person gives you. They may not really like it.

lesson 3: never take anyone for granted. Whether it be parents,friends or gal/boy friends or spouse. everyone is a different person from you and they have to be treated different. never expect them to read your mind and capture your untold feelings. There is nothing like "silence speaks a lot" its utter stupidity.

lesson 4: be selfish. under any situation, be selfish. see how u can feel better out of the situation and how you can escape unhurt. fools are those who care for others, sacrificing one's own happiness for others.
as well said by Chanakya in THE POLITICAL ETHICS OF CHANAKYA PANDIT
"Give up a member to save a family, a family to save a village, a village to save a country, and the country to save yourself."

lesson 5: When you give something, don't expect anything in return. And if you are of the expecting kind, then never give. They don't deserve it.

These are few of the many lessons life has taught me....but if you want to find happiness, better follow...thats my motto for now.

a friendship poem

Me as a poet....trust me...I wrote this poem in the sixth semester of my college... the inspiration for penning this down was the feeling of departure from the college as well my close friend.

I came to college with lots of hope
From my parents,sister and myself
And where do I stand
Amongst the ruins of my own life

I dreamed big and wanted to standout
From the normal crowds around
But i find myself lost,
with even my identity at stake.

When i became desperate
and lost all my hope
I met you,and...
suddenly I was in a new world

Your friendship, your love,
was enough for me to thrive
Your mere presence,
changed my life foever

And I felt, at least I
have a nice friendship to remember
The world may give different meanings
But ours will be true friendship to the core

When you talk to me in class,
my heart skips a beat
not because of the love for you,
But because of the fear of society

But when i am all alone,
I think about you the most
I would never get tired,
talking to you all day long

But now i feel insecure
A year from now our class will end
And we will have to part into
our own world,where we may be total strangers.

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