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| Saturday, June 21st, 2008 | | 1:08 pm |
For the record I'm with the Sikhs this time. No one has the right to fire at people indiscriminately like what happened at Mulund yesterday. Current Mood:  pissed off | | Monday, June 9th, 2008 | | 1:49 pm |
Slip, slide, grab
It's an old feeling — one when it feels like everything that you have, is slipping away. Slowly, yet surely.
The closest real world feeling that I can use as a comparison is that of a bike's tyres slipping away under you. You know it's going into the slide, one from which you may or may not come out of — in one piece, that is!
Or, that dangerous attraction to go off the road when you go into a fast curve. The feeling, or rather, the attraction that objects off the road exert on you.
But then, you know what happens if you let it slide away from under you. Or the dire effects that submitting to the attraction will produce. So you grab it back, the way you get a hold on a balloon which starts to slip off your hand.
The bike gets back on line, the scenery still whizzes past in a safe manner. You thank God, calm your frightened nerves, and yet wait for it to happen again. So that you can grab it back again, gloat about it to yourself.
Strangely, today it happened while I was trying to remember a phone number.
Old age? 30 plus? | | Friday, June 6th, 2008 | | 3:56 pm |
True
"I Refuse To Tiptoe Through Life Only To Arrive Safely At Death"
- unknown | | Friday, May 30th, 2008 | | 4:10 pm |
Call me old fashioned
This has been on for a while -- the phonecalls. So I check with some of my juniors in the industry (erstwhile as well as present), and find that they are veterans at playing this game.
Indeed, with three job jumps atleast every year, these guys have to be good at dealing with calls from head hunters!
To get things into a logical sequence, let me go back a bit in time, around six months back. That was when the calls started.
The cell rings and a guy's voice enquires: "Am I speaking to Pat?"
"Yeah, Pat here."
"Hi Pat, I'm XYZ from BCD, the leading organisation. We came across your profile and would like you to join us," says he.
"Thanks for the offer XYZ, but I just joined my present employer a short while back. So I'm afraid that I won't be able to apply for the opportunity. Thanks a ton for the consideration," I say.
"So what if you joined just a few months back? Why can't you look at this excellent opening? Let's meet up and discuss this," says XYZ.
This is usually followed by a discussion in which I appeal to XYZ's finer senses (assuming he or she has any) by asking if I joined the offered position — with the intention to jump within 6 months. XYZ still insists that it's of no consequence that a person jumps a job so fast.
The discussion ends by me telling XYZ that I will pass on the information to any friends who might be interested. XYZ demands the contact details of these 'friends' of mine (which I refuse outright).
However, as these conversations end, one niggling doubt still remains.
Have former credit card telecallers become headhunters now? | | Thursday, May 29th, 2008 | | 6:02 pm |
Cliched it maybe, but Mera Bharat still Mahaan
It's not every day that I feel good about the way things happen in my country. But then while I'm on this positive stretch of mind, let me do some thanks giving while this phase lasts.
While the country's not yet having the levels of 'luminescence' that many attribute to it during the election periods, things are not that bad with India either. In fact, getting documents made from the Government offices are not as tedious as they are made out to be. I've had some good experiences at many of these offices and faced no problems whatsoever (despite what the general perception paints it out to be).
(1) Making a passport
General perception - You have to run from pillar to post and wait for months to get a Passport. Best way is to go through an agent.
Actual process - There is no need for an agent at all. If your papers are in place, applying for a Passport is not a big deal. Nor is the Police verification, though the cops may ask you for Chai-Pani due to force of habit (which I conveniently pretended to not understand).
Actual time taken - Almost a month, which is what they promise you anyways. Three visits required in the normal case if you have the Passport form filled in properly with all the papers in place. First is to the Passport office to give the application form and documents. Second is to the Police Station if the cops ask you to come there for the verification. Third is to the Post Office to pick up your Passport (If you are not at home when the Post Man comes to drop it).
(2) Birth certificate
General perception - Ward offices are messy places and you have to run from table to table. Spare a couple of days for this.
Actual process - The hospital intimates the ward office of the details. They will also tell you that you have to go the Ward Office after two months to pick it up.
Actual time taken - One visit to the Ward Office (If it's computerised). In my case, I got five copies of my kid's certificate within half an hour. | | 5:35 pm |
Visions of hate I hate the swagger of these types. The way they think that they can distort the lives of innocent people. The way they say," Tu jaanta hai main kaun hoon? (You know who I am?)" That's why I like what these guys got. Atleast some of them get what they deserve! Atleast some families get justice for the injustice done to them!! But I still hate the way the bastards walked out of the court room. Their false swagger which irritated the hell out of me. It makes me wonder if Neelam Katara (the victim's mother) didn't have the financial clout, would these killers have got free? But then I let it pass, for I still see a little bit of hope for the common man, and cling on to it!!!! | | Wednesday, May 21st, 2008 | | 11:14 am |
In other news It drizzled today. Current Mood:  happy | | Tuesday, May 20th, 2008 | | 6:23 pm |
Has it occured to you?
Driving, or to be more specific, riding a two wheeler in Mumbai is all about reaching the front of the crowd when the traffic signal turns red. It's the only way to ensure that you get to ride in peace...
At least till the rest of the crowd catches up, or the next red signal!
Just like the rat race.
Current Music: artist - Track 04 | | Monday, May 19th, 2008 | | 11:34 am |
Monsters
"Don't worry, son. Papa's here to kick all the monsters away," said Pedro as he tried to soothe the infant in his arms.
"And who will kick away the monsters from Papa's mind?" wondered Pedro, as the kid slept in his arms.
Current Mood: working | | Saturday, April 19th, 2008 | | 9:56 pm |
On game shows
There are some things that are painful parts of family life. Some of these experiences can be really tough on the nerves.
The agony of being locked up in confined spaces (of the house) while the rest of your blood indulges themselves in crappy singing shows/soaps is one of them. In fact, it ranks very high on the top aggravations list.
Yes, you can walk out till the show is over. But then, how much can you walk in a day?
So I headed southward on the city roads to seek asylum at the in-laws. Bigger mistake.
The only good part was that the show they were watching was in Marathi!
Which brings me back home again. With the false hope that the shows must be over.
Yeah right!
Today's singing contest (sprinkled generously with inane ads) is 'only' four hours long. So right now I'm making my blacklist, for lack of anything better to do.
Of game show/soap producers... | | Monday, March 10th, 2008 | | 5:07 pm |
Adios, amigo He appeared out of the blue in a vacant seat near mine. But then, I had been on leave for a couple of days. As far as I remember, we had only one conversation. About some work related stuff. Couple of days later, he had disappeared. Back into the blues where he came from. The grapevine had it that he had some personal problems. Today afternoon, he reappeared again. As part of a conversation over lunch. This time he left for real on Friday — to a place where problems can haunt him no more. Where aspiration does not have to be translated to reality. 'Accidental death due to Polytrauma', they called it, but 21 is too early to leave. The seat is still vacant. Current Mood:  gloomy | | Thursday, February 28th, 2008 | | 6:34 pm |
The stupidity of it all
When too many people are put in too constricted a place, it's but inevitable that there are squabbles. Some minor, several major.
And that there are many irritants — some noisy, others perturbing.
It could be the commuter banging into you in the mad rush into a local train. Or it could be the loud mouthed drunk at the restaurant — whose conversation drowns out that of all the other diners.
Then there is the joker who crashes on to your leg at the traffic signal. And, the impatient crowd behind you honking, but the red light is still on.
Situations where you hope for some silence to hear your own thoughts. When you just want to run away to somewhere lonely.
Where there is no jostle. Someplace where there is calm
But then, you would still long for the noise, the squabbles. The disturbance of urban-dom, the solitude of the crowds.
The way an addict longs for his substance of choice.
Just the stupid way a city-dweller longs for his city of choice. | | Wednesday, February 6th, 2008 | | 12:04 pm |
Which is the bigger crime? Sometime today morning, must have been around 10 am, I saw a sight. That of a pregnant woman searching for a taxi. Her condition was very evident. Searching is not the right term. Pleading with the taxi drivers is more like it. From one cab to another in the long queue of maybe ten taxis, she walked on. All of them refusing to take her to the destination which must have been about 3 Km away. Finally she lost it, and shouted at the last cab in the queue when that driver also refused to go. "Earlier, I supported your cause when people like the Shiv Sena victimised you. Henceforth, I'm not so sure. You bhaiyyas and Biharis deserve what you get." I don't blame her, since I believe that circumstances influence how a person's mindsets turn out to be. But I seriously wonder where this is heading to. When the only city I have been in love with in my life heads for the drain full of communalism driven by dirty agendas of power... Current Mood: sad | | Wednesday, January 30th, 2008 | | 6:57 pm |
Voids
Been off LJ for a while. Quite a long while!
Life has treated me good in the meanwhile. So has it for many of you, as is obvious from the two pages of Friends that I managed to read so far.
While I was out, got a new job and the personal front has also been good. No complaints.
In other activities, ran, or rather walked my first ever half marathon. Managed to get the mindset block from my mind finally. Yes, I can also complete a half marathon. Also realised the sorry state of physical fitness that I'm in. | | Saturday, January 19th, 2008 | | 3:57 pm |
It's a long way home
Tomorrow I plan to do something that I have chickened out on for many a year now.
21 Kms, the Half Marathon! | | Monday, October 15th, 2007 | | 10:55 am |
Probabilities?
What is the probability that a fibre plastic side panel of your first ever bike flies off at 70+ kph speeds?
What are the odds that it's run over by a three wheeler on a deserted two lane road?
Well, your's truly watch it happen after doing a 360 degree power slide and racing back to pick it. Just to hear the crunch as a b$%^#@* auto guy ran over it.
I now need a KB 125 side panel (black, 2T oil tank side) used/new for his love. Bajaj stopped making it almost nine years back, so they are unlikely to have a replacement.
Chor bazaar? Lamington road? | | Thursday, September 20th, 2007 | | 10:53 am |
Jab koi baat bigad jaye Thursday morning, rain crawls to a drizzle, yet still cancels several trains. Finally get a train. Three trains' public crammed into one. Curse, swear, curse, jump, shove, curse, stare, swear, sweat. Worry about a job that has started to suck and empty pockets. Nine puris, Aloo-Bhopla, curd. Lassi to wash it down. Pancham Puriwala, nothing better to beat the morning blues. Worked on my first morning in Mumbai, when I was about to join the profession. It still works! | | Friday, September 14th, 2007 | | 2:45 pm |
Closing up
As the years pass, the heart closes up. Or so I feel, when the person concerned is myself.
I have drunk away mini fortunes, and worthlessly whiled away many hours. But now I seem to have shrunk within, when it comes to giving for a good cause.
Many were the bills signed away, without a care. On causes not so great. So why do I seem to ponder so much, on something so little to me. But something which might be helpful.
Maybe I'm becoming lesser and lesser. In a search for things greater and greater. | | Friday, August 24th, 2007 | | 4:32 pm |
Deja vu, I guess!  | | 4:29 pm |
They come and go  |
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