Pebbles...

Indians are the most successfull of the race in the world ..if you judge by population alone. If reproduction was the sole critrea which a specis is adjudged , we as a race and nation have mastered the art and science of runaway reproduction..With some very uncanny resemblences to the actual kings of reproduction...Insects Let me explain .. Integrity- As far as we can fathom ..Insects lack morals. No , let me rephrase it , the only moral they have is the Nietzschian fundamental of "Strength is justice". Its a insect eat insect world where if you think beyond eating your competetor you are out of the specis . Indians are very similar in the fact that the only thing that matters is their own survival...others be damned. Integrity is the first casualty in this assault on morals and ethics. Indians define ethics as it suits them...and most of the times its such a crooked defination that the obvious truth takes deamonic shapes of twisted reality(sorry..i get carried away he he ) D...

The trek from Rajgad to Torna has been chewing my brain since the time I had climbed Rajgad and was shown the meandering way till Torna from the Rajgad Burj. I just knew that this had to be done. Leave presented a great oppurtunity to go to mumbai and fulfil this well...desire. Pradip and Murthy unexpectedly decided to jump in(both are PhD Scholars in IIT,B)...while again unexpectedly the original trek partner Vivek could not get leave. (life is sometimes like a trek..esp this trek. When you plan something out it might be possible that the original starting point may get misplaced..it may happen that the original partners get off..it might well be possible that you may have partners whom you will understimate ....but in the end given a bit of encouragement the same understimated partners will surprise you with grit and endurance) So one fine monday nite we started out towards pune from CST(mumbai). Start at 1035 and reached Pune at 230. Me and Pradip went to find out the bus timings......

Car rallyists ride atleast a thousand km each day for days on end ...! I can imagine the fun especially if I recount my 464 kms of NH 5 from Vizag to Bhubaneswar by my Car. First of all this was an entirely new and exciting expierance for me although my coursemates have driven far greater distances. Secondly..the fun was doubled because I was doing this alone..yep all alone for the 400 odd kms. Now , there is nothing very special about driving on a highway but somethings are important like starting early . I had planned on 5 but somehow could not make it out before 530 . By the time I was out on the highway it was 6 . Very pleasant wintery morning ..and sun rising on my right as I headed towards bhubaneswar. I intended touchin Srikakulam (arnd 100 kms frm Vizag) and stopping for breakfast however as soon as I neared Srikakulam , suddenly I felt that lets stop after the next 100 ..and so on it went till I hit a bad patch of road near Ganjam (in Orissa) . There I took a break ..stretched...

Have you ever been asked something like " err..yaar I want to buy a laptop..can u just guide me..?" and then you tag along with the guy to help him select his object? Well I have been asked quite a lot of times ..esp for things like music systems and Computers ..Even for USB flash drives. Its ok and I enjoy it. I like going to an electronic showroom...no lets rephrase that " I love being in an Electronics showroom" ...and my pleasure is doubled when the sales guy is a guy who is also interseted in Electronics. (actually I only buy from technical shops where I and the salesman can talk out the details..and he actually takes pain to explain me the details of whys and why nots ) So this one time I went "lappy shopping" with a junior of mine. He wanted a Laptop as he wanted to have a net connection(I was taken aback that he had survived without one till now..anyway). And his budget..was lets say 30 K. So on the way I tell him all the funda of the fact that its...

The best part of buying a car is getting to know how the system works.I mean , yes , driving is fun ..especially on highways but for me the real excitement is in visualizing the system . I mean its like this. ..Suppose i press the accelerator...I visualise it as pulling a fuel rack that opens a pin in a slider , this pin regulates an orifice which in turn increases the fuel into the carbouretor, and in turn the injectors. That makes perfect sense to me. But wat is more interesting to me are the way the electrical connections are routed . This I had a chance to observe when the car showroom was fitting my car with music system , power windows etc etc. Power Windows-Firstly, its not as complex as I thought it to be. When you open the inside cover of your car door the entire paraphernalia is right on front. The windows actually rest on a padded cross jack. This cross jack has a semicircular wheel attached. So when you operate to roll yout windows up or down you are actually operating this...

Good bad and not so bad... rag tag and not so rag tag... A tear here and a mend there.. All patched up here and there... You , me , all of us.. Some dead..some dying and some living dead Some blood , some flesh and rotting pus.. A dullard , numbskull and the bright head Who is right , who is wrong? Who gives a roar over a song? Who draws the final line.. Who ties the last twine.. Logic and reason ...have but one season Passing bye and waving bye One standing while the chain lies Trust and fame .. All the same ... Betrayal and ignonmity ..same same Wild and tame.. All flavours .. All tastefull and rage Some like chocolate some like fudge.. Any way who am I to judge?

I used to watch an ad that kind of starts with a kid wanting to have a bike..the bike guy wanting to have a car..the car guy wanting to have a girl..the man with a girl wanting to get richer..and the circle completes with the rich guy wanting to have flowing hair like the kid . Quite a nice ad . Infact this ad is the perfect starting piece of this post. The issue I want to talk about is about the fact that how we always get to thinking "I wish I was as lucky as the other bastard". Even I used to have these thoughts especially in school. We never had had a palatial house. It was just a simple 2 BHK house..basic. And whenever I used to visit my freinds I used to look at their "separate" rooms ..decorated with pop icons ..I used to envy that kind of "rich". I still remember seeing a cycle in someones own separate room and thinking .."wow..thats so american"....! I remember the happiness of hearing the "spirit of rangeela" on a Philips ...

I have been thinking about a lot of issues that I wanted to write in my blog ..but kept on postponing it. Today is a holiday and I must tackle a very sensitive issue..! One of my very close freinds is going through a divorce. Infact he came to know that his wife has served a notice for divorce around three days back ..and today he is flying to his in laws town to get his representation in court there. Kind of funny when you ask me because precisely three days back he was talking to his wife about patching up . Infact he was speaking of his wife as an innocent soul who had been waylaid by her mother(herself separated from her husband). He was justifying the fact that maybe his wife was a simpleton and he had been making too many demands on her ..so maybe thats the reason she wants to stay away from him for sometime..etc etc. My heart breaks for this guy because I have seen two other people go through the same phase in my life ...again very very close classmates. A phase where there is s...

Ever since I joined the Dockyard in Vizag..Life has been a spin. The pace is maddening and almost always there is some work or the other. Since I was in IIT , I used to think that I will miss the lazy days of the campus..I will miss the comfort of being in jeans and t shirt ..I will miss the total lack of responsibility..etc etc.. However contrary to what I thought..I am loving it here. Although I get a wee bit nostalgic about my freinds like Pradeep and Vijay Venu...I really do not miss the lazy life in IIT. Not that the life was any cake walk but somehow it was way way less hectic than it is now. Here its the life of a ping pong ball..one bat to another...! But somehow it never felt better. When I visit equipments, ships,shop floors and men at work...when I contribute something at a technical or managerial level..I feel so much more fulfilled. Its as if "this is where I belong..this is heaven". Maybe its the initial euphoria ..call it whatever you want ..but I feel great. M...

I am at a stage when most of my coursemates are having kids ..generally three four year old tiny tots. And frankly I enjoy playing with these guys. I love it when a kid invites me to his world. I dont know if you ever feel this high..but I do . It feels like an achievement for me to be trusted by a kid ..because that I take as the biggest endorsement of my character. I feel very proud of that fact that without any "baby talk" ..I get accepted by most of them. I say most of them and not all..and one pecularity that I have found that while I share a very comfy relationship with guys like jassi and aru and sunny...the same cant be said about girls. I dont know why but somehow girl kids dont like me .... I dont know why..I would really like to find that out.

Today I have the time to write a blog after a long time. And I got a topic thats worth it. Ever since I had given my first interview I always used to wonder what was it to be on the other side. Finally today I had the chance to conduct a higher rank examination for sailors and conduct the exam and interview and I am pretty proud the way it went and kind of enjoyed the whole process. After the three hours exam I had to take interviews of the Radio related technicians. But somehow ended up with Power related sailors. And the first interview itself was an expierance itself... My first question: " Now ...draw me a ciruit of a full wave rectifier" A: " Rectifier..mmmm..ummmm ? sirrr? " Q: Ok,so what do u mean by a rectifier? A: Rectifier ..ummmmmmmm Q: Ever heard of a rectifier? A: Sir, meri angrezi thodi weak hai...rectifier ..ummmm... Q: Yaar, ek cheez bolo..heard of AC current? DC current? A: Haan sir Q: To bhai ..AC ko DC mein kaise badal...

I am not much of a TV watcher ..But while seeing the show called "India s got talent" I was set on thinking on one topic...Lets say two topics. Topic One- Class Layers I feel that stratification of human societal hierarchical layers is a reality and it will happen , no matter how much socialism you try to inject. There will be poor and rich ..there will be social classes. Its a fact of the human society that can be ignored at its own peril. Now what differentiates a progressive and upcoming society is not the absence of class layers but something which I would call the " ease of transport" Which means that one guy can travel the barrier with his own efforts and has to stay in his layer of choice only thru his own talents and efforts. For example as I saw in the show ,there is a mechanism to make the "poor" class the "rich" class. Its a superficial show no doubt but it incorporates the "reward &punishment" philosophy that is the hal...

I feel that we all have the capacity to make life simpler and more enjoyable in every aspect. The secret is to cut out peripherals. The corollary being that we waste major time on minor issues . Its evident in every aspect of our lives. I will start with a simple example. I remember the time when I was very young and we had to travel by train. I remember that it was an evolution in itself. My mom would get up in the early morning ..cut and cook vegetables ..rice etc for journey. Fill in water bottles...pack cutlery and plates, dad would check that the towels are packed, every paper is ready, the fruits are packed and the auto is called in time etc etc. All this for a journey which would last at most 4 hrs. Now I dont want to argue the parental love part of it. I am pretty clear about that. What I want to project is the fact that this evolution could be made simpler if you can cut out the peripherals . For example why should you worry the whole night about preparing food when its not ne...

Today ..its now 630 pm. I will be leaving Stuttgart in almost 12 hrs . The party is done , gifts exchanged ..all formalities carried out ...and now I am in my office just whiling away time. How do I feel leaving a place that was my workplace for 6 monthes? How do I feel leaving the group of my freinds and collegues in Office? How do I feel walking out of this office and knowing that perhaps this is the last time I will see these guys in years if not decades? I feel sad and somewat empty . And there is an awkward silence in the office . Adding to that mood is the overcast day , the usual busy hum drum at the office and the fact that I will not come to office tomorrow. Will I miss Germany? Most likely not. Will I miss my collegues ..most likely. Will they miss me ? I dont know. Most likely too is the fact that on reachin India ,I will be so caught up that the memories of germany will fade away soon. Maybe for the first few days I will wake up in the morning surprised that I am not in hos...

There is a small forest near the University in Stuttgart and sometimes I go for a run around the lake at its centre. It is a beautiful track and well kept. The last time I went for a run I saw a lot of leech like creatures crawling on the forest floor at regular intervals. They are called slugs and although generally veeeeeryyyy slloooooww in movement they do try to move around. Even attempting to cross the forest paths in one sloooowww loooonnnggg trek. I generally try my best to avoid stepping over them even though it means jumping half of the way. Frankly speaking I find their struggle to cross the forest path heroic. With their slow gait..this must feel like a marathon for them . But still they attempt it for food/sex/adventure..and I respect guys who attepmt heroic things so..kind of salute them as I jump over them. ;) Anyway , they have got some company in slow mo world in terms of snails. Now poor snails are not that great to look at but I always imagine them as school kids with...

I am a pretty argumentative guy. I relish a good brainshaking argument. I like my ideas shaken , stirred..turned on my head . I like being given a perspective I missed out. I am an "argument for arguments sake" guy. I like to taste a sentence...In the sense that I like rolling it and looking at it from different sides. While I am lucky I have met a few guys who do not take arguments too personally ..I have been pissed off by a few "types" . I will try defining them 1. "I am important" Guys. These guys have had a mediocore life and have hit a jackpot once which is the defining moment . So they play it around with such aplomb that suddenly their argument becomes too personal. If you attack the logic they get sentimental. 2. "The Righteous" . The second variety are the "ethical" paper tigers. Their base logic is that the world is governed by the ethical code of conduct. So if its not "right" its obviously not true. They re most o...

A few days ago I asked some one I knew.."who do u think is the most beautiful woman ever to represent female sexuality on bollywood " ...The answer was a certain "Madhubala". I beg to disagree. I was very specific in my question "female sexuality" . No I did not mean skin show(although frankly ..its someones skin ..and I do not see the problem in showing any skin,if its beautiful that is..). Anyway what I meant was a woman who filled the screen with "feminine presence " when she used to be there. A presence which was tangible and sensual even while fleeting and momentary. A woman whose "womanness" was so beautiful that it made you fall in love with not only her but with the beauty of idea of a woman. An idea that is strong,and soft alternating in its feel to drive you to a level of conciousness where you feel the alternating void and fullness of pure and unadulterated happiness. A woman who was ,as all great things are, was more than ...

I was reading a book on Cellular automata and somehow I think we behave acording to one as we move in time. As most of u know cellular automata is a matrix that has a space dependent variance as it proceeds in time. Which simply means its a matrix that changes based on last condition. Something like Markov Processes. Which is again like a drunk man...he only remembers the fact that last time he was in a bar. ..rest all memory ..wife kids etc are irrelevent in his hunt for the next bar. The only relevant thing is the last memory that the last bar had closed down. Lets think of our controllable variables in life..(Partially controllable) C1,C2... Lets think of Weakly controllable variables like our siblings, spouses etc WC1,WC2... And lets say non controllable variables NC1,NC2... Then there are varuables we do not know the property of..like say..a kid on the road..can u control him? if yes in wat way does he affect ur actions.. So name them and Unknown,, UC1,UC2.. Now at the time u are...

Yesterday I saw a movie ..a german one called "The wave". It was a movie suggested by a german guy working with me in the office . The recommendation was prompted by a discussion we had in the cofee room about Hitler. The german guy is a big fan of Gandhi and wanted to know how Indians look to him. I told him that we revere him as a guy who led a billion guys to freedom. I also told him that while we had differences in the personal life of bapu..I as a person look up to him .I told him about Subhas chandra Bose and how he had used the POWs in the WW2 to fight aginst the British, and had some sort of pact with the japanese and Germans too ..but Gandhi was against Hitler and somehow ethically he convinced Indians that the British may be bad but this was worse. Surprsisingly he seemed to agree and was full of admiration for the ethics led freedom struggle. The conversation then turned to Hitler. He said something very interesting. The crux of the matter was that he did not think...

There are two things that have happened since I came to Germany ...One I have watched youtube too much and I have been to Rome. Two disconnected things that some how fell together when I was on the Plane back from Rome. An introduction is due. The youtube videos I had been lapping up were the religious ones ..sometimes pleading..sometimes threatening and sometimes outright funny. Infact I have always benn amused by such religious videos. I can spend hours infront of Quran TV or Sanskar TV ....because nothing amuses me more than religion. I am highly entertained by serious people getting so damn serious about something so hillarious. Anyway how does this relate to Rome? After all Rome is home of Vatican...the seat of the Church. I will come to that , but first a short history of Roman empire. Roman empire was the glory of Europe for 1000 years...shortly it rose for 5oo yrs..peaked for 200 and fell gradually for 300 years... ! All this from 500 BC to 500 AD. Big deal! Quite a big deal ...

Last week I learnt a very valuable lesson in my life. Thanks to a lifeless mess of semiconductors called a Computer..more specifically my Laptop. Ever since I left India , I was sure my laptop was no good. It had 256 mb RAM and 60 Gb HDD which was pathetic. Even more Pathetic was the fact that it was a Celeron Vintage. I mean in this age of Dual Core and quad core ,Celeron was a Dinasour. And 60 GB as like trying to move a home by packing into a tiny vanity bag. Too much crap..too less flip flops. Add to this the fact that it was a low end compaq and not very good looking. Kept gathering dust on its screen and to put it simply it was too ugly, too slow, too small and too old(it was only three yrs old). The pages wre loadaaaadddiiinnn for eternity and formatting, defragmenting , reloading OS ,cleaning registry etc all tried and all failed. I had decided that I wudnt spend a pie on this piece of shit till I throw it away. I mean the logic was this . ..If I upgraded the RAM, changed the ...

I have been in germany for 3 monthes and its been a life changing expierance for me as far as I am concerned. Life changing in the sense that I have never have been clearer that I am a deeply religious person..and the religion is India.  I have never ever thought how sensitive am I about my country than since I have left its soil,never has been the soil of my country been holier, never has been my identity so stronger. Never have I ever been so fiercely angry about my country being criticised.  Germany is a also a fiercely nationalistic country and its people are generally chauvinistic about their country and I dont know its a good thing but I find myself sensitive even when they are not very critical.  I agree that germans have their good and very good points. They are public concious and civic to a fault. They use Please and thank u with irritating repeatation. They are professional and workohlics ..and they are very duty concious. Things we cud learn.  But at the same time the most ...

I have been in Stuttgart for almost a month. So wat do I miss in Germany? Indian Food , indian people ..indian smells...? Strangely nothing at all. I like it here . I like the way life goes on here. I like the fact that I am left alone with my books and music. I am happy that I have a choice to prepare and eat what I like ..live as I like. I love the fact that if I am not littering the streets no one is.. I love the fact that I can sit beside the frozen lake and think with my beer in hand and not get strange looks . I love the fact that there is an operational pavement for me to run for miles at end. I love the fact that the incoming car has the courtesy to let me have the right of way while jogging... I like it that I am being liked by my boss. I like it that he feels that he feels nice with an Indian around in charge. I may not deserve it..but it feels great. It feels great to be an Indian. Strangely outside India. But the best part is that there is a Bose Showroom next door and the ...

I sometimes feel that the biggest challenge in life is not to know what "women want" but to know wat u urself want. What gives you pleasure and wat can be the source of greatest sadness for you. ..? what keeps you alive ..? what makes you wat u are...? and finally wat do u want to be? What gives you the courage to stand alone..stand alone and take it on your chest...? How often do i ask myself..what kind of a guy am i? The reason i am gettin these kind of weird thoughts is that marriage is looming large on my head and i am shit scared . I am shit scared because I dont seem to meet any of the requirements of a "marriage worthy guy". I mean it seems that I am not designed to "care and share". And although surprisingly I get along with kids I never had any desire to have mine and deal with the piss and shit..!! People try to convince me that marriage isnt that bad ...I have failed in trying to convince people(read parents) that its not that I am afraid of mar...

I really loved the lyrics of this Jagjit Singh Song aadamii aadamii ko kyaa degaa jo bhii degaa vahii Khudaa degaa meraa qaatil hii meraa munsib hai kyaa mere haq men faisalaa degaa zindagii ko kariib se dekho isakaa cheharaa tumhen rulaa degaa hamse puchho dostii kaa silaa dushmanon kaa bhii dil hilaa degaa ishq kaa zahar pii liyaa 'Faakir' ab masiihaa bhii kyaa davaa degaa Doesnt matter if you dont share my sentiments...