Future Backward

Someone sent me a corny forward which said - live everyday as if its ure last day.

I find it much more convenient to assume my last day is really far off, and hence continue my lazy state of existence :-) But it got me thinking - if i knew i had very few days left in the world, wot are the things I'd really want to do, that I'd feel sorry thatI hadn't done.

The most important is travel - go to all those places that I want to see in the world, do a bharat darshan on train - i really wanna go to the unexplored nooks and corners of the country. especially do Leh & Ladakh. Therez soooo very much to see - i wonder whether I'll ever be able to do even half of it.

Next is a lotta other stuff ...read all the books that i want to - backlog from my existing collection plus all those books i really wanna read but stop myself from buying; something related to music; go bungee jumping. etc-etc.

But travel is the most important. If I really knew that I had just a year to live, I would immediately quit my job and gallavant all over the world. And I would probably end up covering a large majority of the places I really wanna go to. coz I'd have no 'future' to think or worry about.

But the fact that I assume that I will live longer, and hence can/will do it later, stops me from doing it right now. I.e., the possibility of the future limits the reality of my present. For better or for worse - only time shall tell.

Arrrrgh.

April Sunday

Sunday....one of the best days that I have seen in Blore for a long time. Such awesome, awesome weather - the kind that makes you see beauty in everything and everyone around you, the kind that makes you want to just stay still and soak in the moment, without brooding over the past or worrying about the future. Its almost like the first few days of being in love - nothing can wipe out the smile on your face, for God's in Heaven, all's right with the world.

So we pulled out our bean bags and floor cushions and plonked ourselves on the balcony. From the second floor that I stay on, the nearby houses are barely visible...all you can see are the tops of the trees gently pirouetting with the wind and the clouds battling away in the sky. Also there are no street noises, so it almost feels like you are away from the town. I had a book with me, but I was barely reading - it was much nicer trying to catch an occasional sweet melody amongst the chirping of the birds (the wild cackles of the crows mostly), the secret whisperings amongst the trees, and the faintly delicious smell of pakodas cooking somewhere close by, playing hide and seek with us.

And there was Deeksha - watching DCH on the comp and giggling loudly to herself. Each time we'd hear her cackles, we'd laugh out loud ourselves. No reason really - we were just happy.

No one spoke, but we each had a faint smile on our faces...for in the mad confusions of our lives, we had suddenly, and briefly, stumbled upon a haven of bliss.

Of God, and Living

" If I were not an atheist, I would believe in a God who would choose to save people on the basis of the totality of their lives and not the pattern of their words. I think he would prefer an honest and righteus atheist to a TV preacher whose every word is God, God, God and whose every deed is foul, foul, foul. "
Isaac Asimov

"Razors pain you, Rivers are damp,
Acids stain you, And drugs cause cramp.
Guns aren't lawful, Nooses give,
Gas smells awful. You might as well live."
Dorothy Parker

"Yield not thy neck to fortune's yoke, but let the dauntless mind still ride in triumph over all mischance."
William Shakespeare, King Henry VI

Footnote: The clubbing together of God and Living is purely coincincidental, and should not be perceived to indicate any connection between the two, stated or otherwise :-)

Goa Diaries - Jan 2006

Reached Panaji Friday morning. Nice shower, breakfast at Mongini's. Then we headed to Donna Paula - had a big debate on who's the guy and whos' the girl amongst them :-)

Lunch at Mum's Kitchen, then headed to Miramar beach. quiet place. we wanted more excitement, so headed to Calangute. drove a water scootie, the waves hitting u on the face are soo awesome ! then Bret taught me to 'ride' the big waves, so splashed about in the water for some time. headed back to the hotel, dressed up and went to this hep place called Club Cabana. we were certainly over dressed for that place !!! tried dancing to some trance music, but finally gave up. there was some arbit swim suit show going on - there were even men dressed in bikinis !! the rest of the gang got busy watching that...i went to a corner and dropped off to sleep : -)

Saturday was wedding day. went for a quick splash to Bagha beach. came back around lunch time, drove about an hour to the wedding village, got caught in a traffic jam (in Goa !!!) on the way so missed the first half of the service : -( the church looked really old and was beautiful (i saw a pic of it in a Jetwings later!).

then headed for the reception - loved the way they celebrate their weddings - the welcome circle, the wedding tip tap dance, the jiving....a friend of mine taught me to jive, so danced and danced. Kept on putting my arm around his waist instead of his shoulder though (blush). When they called us to dance inside the circle, he kept on telling me - put your hand on my shoulder. Hehe.

came back to the hotel around midnight, changed and four of us headed to Tito's on 2 bikes. the drive was awesome, and then we found this shack by the beach that was playing good school time music...just sat & watched the waves wash up and the full moon and the stars - i simply loved it. headed back around 5 in the morning - i crashed, while two enthu guys actually stayed awake throughout and went back to Bagha at 7 !

Wot i loved:
the beaches, the water
the roads !!! they r soo drivable. wanna ride a scootie there next time.
the pretty cottages and houses by the side of the roads
the people - everyone kinda lets u be - u really dont feel you are in india

Let bygones be...

Salma, my cook, pounces on the opportunity to talk whenever you enter the kitchen. So no wonder she started again when I came in this morning for my breakfast.

There I was, pouring my cereal, making the right sounds but barely listening to her tale of relatives caught in an accident, till she said – jaane waala to aata nahin hai na didi. I stopped in the middle of heaping Waheeda Rahman’s muesli into the bowl. So true.

And it ain’t just true for the dead.

Adventures of a globe trotter : Beirut, Dec 2002

Next to Heidelberg, one of the most enchanting places on earth, at least amongst the places that I have visited : -) I was in Beirut for just about 4 days on work - at that time, I could not afford extending these official trips into personal ones : -(

But the memory remains....a letter that I wrote to my friends, and some pics. Visit www.downtownbeirut.com for a visual treat of the city.

Hello people !!! Am back from Beirut - had a smashing, rocking time - I wish I cud've stayed there for ever !! The city is beautiful - it turned out to be totally different from wot I'd thought it would be. The Mediterrean Sea was a stone's throw from my hotel - & with itz waters so blue, it was absolutely stunning. If you thought Marine Drive is happening, you've gotta walk by the coast to see how happening it is - my first day I had lunch at a place rite across the Sea - amazzzing experince.

The most happening place in Beirut is Downtown - the center of the city which also has some of the best buildings (architecturally) in town. All the buildings had been destroyed during the Civil War, & they have actually resurrected all of them by re-doing the exteriors while maintaining the original architecture .

My favorite spot was the Roman Bath Gardens - an area that has a small stream running by the side of some ancient Roman remains (which have been preserved till now),with an ancient Church on one side & an equally old Mosque on the other - itz one of the most breathtaking & serene sites I've ever seen - u feel like uve been transported to a different time altogether - Koks u wud've just freaked out on the architecture & the layout ! T

The lay-out of Downtown is like our own Connaught Place - on a smaller & much prettier scale. The entire area is done up in cobbled stone - has a very European feel to it ..there are shops & Cafes & eateries all around, all of which have outdoor seating. Sitting there, you get a stunning view of the mountains - pity I coudn't go skiing there !

About half of the population in the city is French - & I spent my time there saying 'Bon jour' & 'Merci' & of course, 'Bon apetit'. As usual, my most interesting encounters were with the taxi-drivers - it was fun chatting with them while they took me all over the place coz of the language problem. & oh yes, the day ends at 3 in the afternoon & I had Internet access in my room, apart from MTV & movies of course!!

OK..I can just go on and on...but the gist (!!) of it is that it was welcome break - somehow the city is verry bright & happy,and with Christmas round the corner, it was even more festive - all the trees on the roads had been strung with lights so the view was even more breathtaking at night ..& when ure company pays for you to stay at a posh hotel & gorge on all the food tht you want to (I actually tried controlling my food intake for the first 2 days, but after that, I just gave up!) - well, Paradise's not far.

Itz back to the real world now - but I'm sure gonna put fite to tag along next time something cums up in Beirut - I'd definitely recommend it as a fantastic vacation-spot to anyone interested.

PS: To be honest, the title of this mail is a bit of an exaggeration -I'm neither a globe-trotter, nor did I have any earth-shattering experiences that could classify as adventures, but wot the !!);

San Francisco Chronicle - Weekends 2 & 3

04 October, 2005

Went over to Kokil's at Portland - what a crazy, last minute trip!! There we were, talking on the phone Sat morning, and we are both like, we are soo close (just about a 3 hour train journey), we have to, have to meet !! So Diwakar goes scouting on the net, quickly books tickets for the evening, and there I am - headed for Kokil's house in Portland! Yeah its just a day trip, but wot the hell - dunno when I will get to meet my oldest friend again : -)

Kokil's house is so charming and serene ! It was also good to get to know Diwakar - I'd only just met him at the wedding. Watching Kokil and him plan out each and every detail of our shopping expedition, weighing each pro and con, I cudnt help thinking - these guyz are just made for each other : -) The shopping was awesome fun - picked up my comp, discman for Deeksha, shoes, clothes, and of course, the last 2 hours when we were selecting the umm-special-stuff was such awesome, awesome fun !! How we preened and giggled : -)

October 8, 2005

My last weekend in SF. Sigh. Saturday was spent in office, finalizing the presentation. But I was determined to keep Sunday for myself. Trudged off to the Exploratorium .... caught off at the wrong spot, and while I was waiting for the bus, this Chineses guy started chatting with me. He was a prof - single and in his mid-30's - on his way to the Golden Gate bridge. Asked me if I wanted to join him (ouch!) - but I'd told I'd rather do the Exploratorium first. He offered to join in, but baulked when I told him the entr is 20 odd dollars. hehe. Poor thing. I almost felt sorry for him. It's terrible being alone in a strange land, but its worse being lonely. And I could sense the loneliness in him. I know how terrible that feels.

So the Exploratorium (http://www.exploratorium.edu/) is a complete wonderland ! Such awesome, awesome wonders of science - the musical instruments, the sand dunes and the water effects, the optical illusions, and Little Red Riding Hood : -) The crowning glory was the Tactile Dome - its a maze which you explore in pitch darkness - you walk, climb, slide, jump...all using your sense of touch. The concept is to demonstrate how we underuse our sense of touch. Most people go in groups, but well I was alone.I took a deep breath, and walked in....to complete, pitch darkness. Gawd it was scary! I came out and asked the shy Brit guy who was waiting with me if he'd mind acompanying me - poor guy had no choice. Somehow, having someone with you, anyone - even a stranger, is reassuring. Basic human nature maybe? I felt so much braver, and there we were, tumbling away, trying to find our way using our hands, and boy, was it fun ! A must-do experience.

Trudged across the road to get a sighting of the Golden Gate bridge. I personally find the Bay bridge more impressive, but Im sure this wuda been a wonder when it was built decades ago. We still dont have a bridge that comes close to it in India :-(

Hung around the beach to watch the air show of the Angels - the beach was lined with people. Then trudgd along to find Ghiradelli Square. Walked almost 2 miles before I found a bus stop - I have to, have to have shed a few pounds with all my walking ! There was a band playing some music in the middle of the square - and pretty good music it was too! bought some chocolates, and then headed to the highly recommended Pizza Chicago - the best pizzas in town according to Kokil. Imagine my surprise when I discovered it was run by an Indian! A popular Italian joint run by Indians - well ons econd thoughts, why I am surprised. Uncle-ji chatted with me in Hindi, while Aunty-ji and beta-ji were running around taking orders and clearing tables. The pizza was yummilicous. The Great Indian Story goes on. Amen.

They say good things come to an end quickly, and here I am, locking my last suitcase in La Quinta Inns & Suites. I will miss you SF.... Till we meet again!

San Francisco Chronicle - Weekend 1

Letters I wrote to friends when I was in SF in Sep05....a chronicle for my old age :)

27 September 2005

Saturday: Woke up JIT for breakfast, headed for town (SF). Walked across all the piers (43 of them I think– at least a 2-3 mile walk)…awesome view. Walked around pier 39 , had crepes for lunch, gazed at the antics of sea-lions (got a pic of 2 of them smooching). At the last pier, there is a WW-2 submarine and a war ship. Took the inside tour of the submarine – very neat (awesome audio commentary and well, ive never seen the insides of a sub, that too a war one).

Then walked into a museum where they had some really antique manually operated musical instruments which you could 'play' for 50 cents – great fun again.

Walked to fisherman's warf – got my name painted Chinese style (flowers and all – does ne of u want it?), walked over to the park that has an awesome view of the bay, was enquiring abt some trips to canary row and napa valley when the agent offered me both the trips free – the only catch, I need to be a US citizen: -( So now I'm looking for single US citizens who can get me 2 trips worth 150 dollars free. Sigh. Wish me luck,

Sunday – just lazed around. Was too tired : -)

Back to hectivity now.

San Francisco Chronicle - Arrival

Letters I wrote to friends while I was in SF in Sep'05.... a chronicle for my old age : -)

22 September 2005

Okie so here I am…had a pretty hectic first 2 days to be honest!

Almost lost my spectacles again at the HK airport :- ) got a tour of the entire airport (and its massive, believe me) including the ferry train in my efforts to retrieve them. Air journey fm HK to SFO was a killer – there was a time when I thought I would never be able to walk again coz of the cramps! But no major cribs there.

Am currently staying in a suburb called Castro Valley which is about 45 mins fm the main city (where my office is). Its’ a small, quaint little place with a very good looking front desk attendant! Alas, he was only there the first day, and no Bret, I haven’t implemented any of your suggestions – yet. Castro Valley is a small town with a single main road (called Castro Boulevard) and beautiful surroundings – ideal for just walking, which I did yesterday on my way back from the station.. The weather’s a lil chilly in the mornings & evenings, but day time warm and sunny – hope it stays this way over the weekends too!

The other guy on my project arrived ystrdy nite – he’s a Blorean whoz been with Mphasis for 5 yrs (!!!) and is abt to get married. He has a cousin who stays 15 min away from our hotel, and has graciously offered that I tag along with them over the weekend – which I don’t mind at all since the cuzzin has a car! Apparently there r quite a lotta other Mphasis folks in town too – shud meet them once we move here over de weekend.

People here have been nice & helpful till now – esp when compared with my Frankfurt experience! Esp in Castro valley – everyone smiles and chats with everyone in the bfast room, and there was this really nice woman who gave >me directions to my hotel at the station and chatted for some time – we parted with a warm shaking of hands (no Bret she wasn’t hitting on me, or me on her!).

I notice a huge population of Chinks here (to include Chinese + SE Asians) – no wonder the flite fm HK was full. Also a fair population of Indians who r obviously here for IT work – there was this couple in the train yesterday, with the guy talking abt how he needs to go home to choose a girl (in deference to his mom’s wishes), and the girl talking loudly in Hindi giving him gyan on priorities and marriage – quite interesting : -)

The project’s also q interesting – organizational structure and interpersonal conflicts related to a platform which was adopted 2 years ago and is gonna get phased out in another 2 yrs. Have had various meetings, and the problems and the apparent solutions are quite obvious, but there are soo many softer issues involved that its gonna be a challenge making the recommendations and more importantly, bringing a structure to the approach and solutions. And technology is quite interesting – dude the industry is so much evolved than the BPO space, and there appears to be so much to do, I am very tempted to say no to IBM and join Solutions.

To be very honest, am still not sure about IBM – cant say why. The CRM’s here are also quite a bunch– Abhijit is very professional and consult-ish, Rakshit is a typical Punju (married thank God!) – loud and aggressive, and he’s an IIM-A to boot : -) Georg looks and talks like a professor (he wears those Harry Potter-ish glasses) and has bugs bunny teeth.

U know wot...as I write this mail, I can look upon the valley from my window - curving roads lined with trees and picturesque houses, with the cars winding up, and the sun setting in the background - its beautiful!

and oh yes - today i went to the exercise room. 130 cals - not bad no : -)

So thatz quite a bit! Please keep writing in with ure updates..so long and have fun!!!

Stuff about Life

That's All

I wanna take 6 months off..... ...Travel India by train. Get down to reading my ever increasing backlog of books.... Drive around...destination anywhere. Watch the sunrise as i sip on my kapi.

Welcome to wherever you are.