Navigator... Dadoo driving zooom!!!!!

Yes last weekend i played the role of a Navigator to my friend(we were roommates for nearing to 2 years, he kicked me out before getting married ;) )...

He got his US driving license sometime Wednesday, and trust me this guy had never driven a 4 wheeler in India.... Where as do have a Indian driving license (which cost him some 600/-) and he decided finally to take up driving lesson as his wife (this guy married 6 months back) had threatened him if he is not getting a license.. poor chap succumbed to the threat :)
As his wife is back in India for couple of weeks he finally got his license and on Friday he rented a car (for the wk end) so it was time for some drive over the weekend-- tighten your seat belt, take long breath and zoom!!! zoom!!! Here we go in and around the city)

After a few initially hick-up all the driving was smooth enough... if the driving distance from point A to B was 10 km, we managed to reach that place in less then 15km... Thanks to my superior navigating skill (trust me I am good in this, I would confidently point my right hand and tell him to take a left turn... (Later he got used to it and told ... "you mean the other right... and I would YES :-0)

However, by Sunday evening we had successfully completed 250km driving... and we were back on our own safe and sound... he is all exited to rent next week also... I guess this time it would be a more relaxing drive :) :) but still fingers will be crossed hehehe

Slumdog:Millionaire: A dismal end .... or a start

When Slumdog million was nominated for 10 academy nominee and happen to end up winning 8... All India was buzzing with happiness that a movie made on Indian slum managed to get 8 golden Oscar lady... we ended up with track "Jai Ho" was part of the election campaign... Every day i was able to see in all print and television media Freida Pinto and Dev Patel, they were chased by paparazzi every where, some time i felt that Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt will be having some breather time for paparazzi as they can easily stroll in any Shopping Mall...
But on the down side I really saw the bad news that "Azharuddin Ismail" (child character of Jamal) house been demolished... when i looked at those images its like he is still living in those tin roof top house which is part of Mumbai slum, it was demolished by Mumbai Anti-slum... It like the child character we were used and thrown away after all the glitz and glory of Slumdog was en-cashed by the Producer'sI saw some time back "Azharuddin Ismail and Rubina Ali " (child cast for Dev & Freida) walking the ramp during the Lakme fashion week... where as if you are a model and walking down the fashion ramp you can earn anything between 10k-100k... and look where are those kids leaving....
This time again... British’s came shoot a movie (making more mockery of Indian Slums) en-cashed all the CASH($343 million) and GOLD(8 Oscars) and living happing in the mist of glory.. And this kid is sill living in the mist of dust...
Jai Hind...
box-office collection -- http://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=slumdogmillionaire.htm
Azharuddin Ismail House -- http://ibnlive.in.com/photogallery/1353-1.html

Gang Leader for a Day!!!

This one is a Non-Fiction novel written by "Sudhir Venkatesh", He is am immigrant from India who spent his childhood in California , and pursued his master in "Sociology" from UoC ( University of Chicago ) this is back in 1989
As part of the assignment, where he was assisting his professor in some research work (which was more on, Finding the life style of Black poor family, how they end up with no Job, and end up in drug)
Therefore, he happens to visit one such housing project, which is inhabited by black community, day One he held hostage... and then the drama unfolds... Sudhir ends up studying up the living style in this community for next 10 years... He was in the middle of many drugs sale activity, drive by shooting, and many more activity…

Sudhir does give a good description how, drug trade is been managed on a bigger level, the hierarchy which is in place... how people are motivated to work as drug peddlers... as per facts, the low level drug peddler do earns less the minimum wage...
Sudhir does discuss many community issues, hope people do try to solve them, more and more small narrative incidence....

I was so much engrossed in reading this one... I manage to finish in a weeks time... which is a real bad thing for me as i would have to start searching for something new to read :)

More details -- http://books.google.com/books?id=8YTpGAAACAAJ&dq=gang+leader+for+a+day

Seven Years and still going!!!!!

Today “May 13”its been 7 years since I have started working…. To confess looking back still do not make me realize that its been such a long time span that I have finished my college days and been working for the same organization “Kanbay ” (currently know as CapGemini) its my maiden job and am still going strong on this one….

I would like to state how it all started, April 2002 we had finishes exams of Final year of Graduation (along which we were also doing a Computer course – 2 year) we were having our usual “BHEL” at our joined when one of our friend happen to mention that a company “Kanbay” is looking out for computer engineer for 2-3 months project, we 3 (Akshay, Vikraam & I) thought why to waste the 2 months (period when we were awaiting our result) lets earn some money and have some first hand experience in working in a IT industry…. So next day we showed up for interview we had a large company of people showing up 35+, and the end 8 were selected and joined in the following weeks…
We were still continuing our college life… and having nice time and by the end of 2 months we all were ready to leave when our Manager “Mayuresh” let go 4 of them and asked 4 to stay back ( we three & Val)… and that was the day we have completed 7 years in Kanbay (Vikram happen to leave and pursue in another company) where as we 3 are still holding our horses and working in different project and still going on!!!!

Looking back I still can still say that that we decided what we had to do on a BHEL J

The year 2002 was not a nice year to start any one courier as we had just starting out for the DOT com bubble which made sure that many batches of our senior left the campus without any offer letter… and looking at today condition thanks to the Financial Crises which has gripped from last year and half… many have lost jod and we will see many fresh graduates would be leaving campus with no offer letter… this seams more like a 7 year life circle…
I wish we do see next 7 flourishing years of jobs for all….

Missing those summer time!!!!

I loved the summer :)

Hey Hey please do not hate me for writing this..... but if you think on Summer is such a nice time... and it has it own sweet memories right fro our childhood...

How we all used to wait for the summer holiday during our childhood, as all the exams which would have be terrifying and tortured us for the last couple of months had came to an end.... starting summer we would have a long couple of months holiday... its the best time to play play and just play... and have some more new friends…

It’s like we have been waiting for 10 long snail paced months to pass over for the summer vacations...

As we were from Kerala (abhi a punekar) we used to visit our native place every alternate year... those time were real special as we used to et to meet out friend back in Kerala but with a small gloom of missing all the friends back in Pune... its like i used to witness finest things of both the place....

Okay other then all the play i used to love the Mangoes which we used to eat all the summer, and have those sugarcane juices to quest your thirst...
oh and more over how can i miss this, the ice scoops (we used to call it baraf golas) in all red yellow and glowing green...

But as time passed by and entered our college year and in our initial office slogging year... it seams like we have lost the beauty of the summer vacation.... ahhh!!!! i miss those summer vacation of my childhood, this are the time i feel science should have been really really developed and we could have that fancy time machine... i would have loved to visit back and re-live all those finest summer days...

I wish the we really do have those fancy gadget selling in Amazon :) in next 10 year... I bet I can run and hoop still at that age :)... thanks to this lazy IT job and sitting in office culture is killing all our sweet time....

Okay then on a sunny and hinny summer note... lets enjoying back the summer :)

Vishu (വിഷു) "Keralites New Year"

Its exactly a week before, All keralite across the globe happen to celebrate "Vishu" the good part is that it do not restrict any caste or religion from celebrating...

This is the second this in my life that i was not with my family to celebrate it... which is used to enjoy to celebrate... i bet all would love to with their family and loved once to celebrate on all festive occasions...

Just to give a small explanation... about the festive "Vishu"... its celebrated across Kerala, buy the north part of Kerala also do mark it as the new year also along with the harvest festival which i guess is shared with many other part in India say like "Baisakhi -- Punjab" "Bihu -- Assam" "VIshu -- Tamil Nadu" and so on...

Usual the celebration start a night before, when the elderly lady of the house "in my case my nani" would decorate the pooja roam, with neatly arrange all the idols with large number or brass lamp, with earthen vessel filled with "Rice" "Grain" "Pulses" plate will have any denomination currency & gold, plates filled with fruits and with some vegetables. And about the flower "semma konna" it’s a yellow flower which only glooms once a year during this 2 week time, and “Rangoli” made diluted rice batter.

And the usually the muharaat is at 4 -6 am when nani will wake us up but will make sure that we are not opening our eyes she would assist us walk to the pooja room and make us open our eyes looking at the great view, the whole room would be lit in oil candle (brass lamp as mentioned earlier) then we would be given some sweets, followed with "kai neetam" where in elders will gift money to all small and younger people, and which follows with "Vishu padakam" in short burning fire crackers.
And later in the afternoon we would have a gala lunch "Vishu Sadhaya"... just to mention half a dozen curries to names some (sambhar, aviyal"a mixed veg curry made with coconut milk", coot-curry" main ingredient is raw banana & elephant foot (suran)" pacchadi(lauki with coconut milk)" with a couple of chutney, acchar, and will follow with couple of payasam one is of rice.

Do after all this I guess its really fair enough to say that i am missing all this.

This is how usually the Pooja room would look

This is how a typical lunch "Vishu Sadhya" which we do have on for vishu celebration.

Coloring and Drawing... (childhood leisure)

Please do not stare at me by just reading out the subject line.... or rather do not assuming that i wanted a catchy subject line to start of with another story...

Okay Answer this one... When was the last time you have actually painted using those crayons or when was the last time you have drawn images using the dotted lines…

Ahhh!!! i should say that we are missing the greatest fun which we used you have during our early childhood days... when we all used to get indulged in doing all this activities....
I would say that i was a bit more luck for past some time as i had my drawing and coloring partner (Rishi -- he is 4 years old) when we all friends used to meet over the weekend... Rishi used to carry his big coloring box (I envy him during my childhood i used to have only 12 crayon and most of them would be in their final stage of life :) ) and this dude has a big box which would carry say more then 50 crayon color & color pencils....

So my drawing partner used to keep me busy in all his activities like while painting i had to paint a ear and then he would paint and i would have to agree in the last that "Rishi you were really great in coloring" he just had to listen that... and this smart chap would say "Anish no problem i will help you... :)...

But trust me I really used to enjoying those painting and drawing sessions...i guess i should get each one of you a set of coloring box and bunch of crayons... which would help you paint more images which you would have wanted to draw then!!!!

So when i am back do expect on odd weekend i am with by coloring book and paint :)

Cheers,
Anish

p.s. no need to picture your self as the kid from Taree Zamin par :)