200 posts later

Yes, this is the 200th on this blog, a certain milestone which marks a very eventful and rewarding journey, that, which is unmatched and will be so for ever!

The intent of this post, therefore, is to thank you, very sincerely, for your unflinching support, encouragement and patronage, all of which have made me a very happy blogger!

I've had the pleasure of meeting some of you and truly cheered doing so, while also having learn't very valuable lessons and insights that have helped me shape my life into a better form, or shall I say 'format.'

Undoubtedly, the connection I share with you is very special, strong and driven by destiny than purpose, or less of purpose, that in which, lies the pursuit of excellence and betterment, which I continue to learn from each of you in some manner or the other!

I look forward to a wonderful journey ahead, one that is replete with a lot of sharing of perspectives, experiences, instances of joy, and maybe sorrow too, success, failures, moments of tribulation, and a whole lot more - in short life itself.

Yes indeed, that's what you are - a part of my life, a very integral part at that!

Happy Birthday Simbha

Our perfect companions never have fewer than four feet!  

-- Sidonie-Gabrielle Colette

Of all the funny names I call you, from Scruff, Gouchi, Kat, Poochi, and a whole lot more, you know that I wouldn't have been without you - the wonderful you! It is indeed a blessed opportunity for all of us that you are a part of our lives, as a constant source of immense happiness and unconditional love! 

Now that doesn't mean you deny me those late evening 'home-return' huggys! 

Happy Birthday Girl, or should I say Lady now ;) 

For the moment, I'll be Shaggy and sing you "Girl you're my angel, your my darling angel......."

A rendezvous with the thinker!

Meeting a fellow blogger is a rare privilege, quite an event, one that does not occur often, though desired! So, one can imagine my joy when such an occurrence takes place in Ooty!!!! I've got to liken that to a celestial happening of the rarest possible kinds!

Rajesh, who is the creator of Destination Infinity, popularly signed as DI, was here in Ooty and took time out to meet me and spend some quality time.

Among the first things that will strike you when you meet him is his simplicity, which will make you reassured in the importance of that virtue. Absolutely clear in thoughts, he is a person with a deep drive for a knowledge oriented qualitative life - both in personal and professional spheres, from what I gather.

Within the limited time at our disposal, we shared our thoughts on technology, entrepreneurship, culture, thought processes and the importance of quality in life and at work, among other things. Also mutually agreed upon was the idea to initiate a blogger meet in Coimbatore under the aegis of Indiblogger, something that will bring a lot of us closer in interaction.

And for me, I felt having learnt quite a bit - primarily, on how to be a better thinker and a disciplined one at that, for they say, and truly so, that what one thinks, one eventually becomes!

Thank you Rajesh! And, please do return to blogging soon!

To the Alma Mater - 14 years later

A visit to St. Joseph's School, 14 years after conclusion of tutelage there was truly overwhelming, and brought back many fond memories of the wonderful days that now remain etched firmly only in thoughts - to be cherished for all time to come!

Reminiscing the old times spent in Gray and Blue standard, as one faction, in strong brotherhood, Pankaj, Jithu and I found ourselves 'back to school' again, in an arena where little has changed over the last decade and a half.

Amazed at the wonderful reception we received, it was moments to savour and to also reflect upon what we had learnt there and hence come to apply in our lives as people, expected to be best at what we swore to do.

Walking down the memory lane can also get very emotional, particularly if there is a lasting urge to remain part of the fraternity that one was so duly part of, knowing fully well that such a connection can only be attributed to those bygone times, and that a new day will only draw us away from this wonderful impression, into our own chaotic realm of a fast paced life, away from the innocence of childhood and the arduously patient and remarkable wonders we call teachers!

Touring around the marvelous campus at the behest of Sir Himachalapathy, who taught us a lot more than just accounting standards and commercial viabilities, we were quick to realize how fortunate we are to have been part of a wonderful system at the right time and the right place, and agreed to do our bit to further this realization, something which is to all of us a unique opportunity, rather a privilege, I must say!

Now, you wouldn't exactly call Ralph Waldo Emerson a mere dreamer, would you, for having insisted "not to go where the path may lead; but instead go where there is no path and leave a trail?”

Footnotes:

The page on Wikipedia

It's a shame that I've not been able to publish the pictures we took during the visit, in this post - all thanks to not being able to find my camera's USB cable and also since I haven't yet installed a card reader! Double Whammy, indeed! I hope to post some images of this visit on my photo-blog soon!

Haiti today

Likening the situation in Haiti to a tragedy is an understatement, and I do so only for lack of better words! In the days that have passed since this catastrophic occurrence, news inputs indicate an unprecedented scale of damage in this already impoverished nation.

Here are some mournful excerpts from the wires in CNN, taken as recently as 10:38 am EST today;

"If help doesn't come quickly, it probably will [get worse]," Agnes Pierre-Louis, manager of the Le Plaza hotel in Port-au-Prince. "We're not hearing anything from the government. We're not seeing any foreign aid yet."

Former US President Clinton told CNN's 'American Morning' this - "Think how you would feel if you lost everything? You were wandering around streets at night, they were all dark; you were tripping over bodies, living and dead, and you didn't have water to drink or food to eat. That's what we're facing now. That's what we've got to get through now."

"Water is the key thing," said Ian Bray, senior emergency press officer for the humanitarian agency Oxfam. "You can go for some time without food, but you can't go all that long without water. What is the real killer, certainly in refugee situations, is the lack of decent sanitation, because people produce human waste and that, if it's not disposed of safely, is a huge risk to health."

Across town, an 11-year-old girl pleaded for water and screamed in agony as a group of people painstakingly tried to lift a piece of metal off her right leg. After sunset, they managed to free her.

The smell of dead bodies wafted in the air after two days under a tropical sun, and throughout the city people covered their noses.

Diesel fuel is selling on the black market in Port-au-Prince for $25 a gallon. It usually sells for $3 a gallon.

I pray for those who have been affected by this tragic happening and hope that recovery is fast and all permeating to ensure that relief, food and medical supplies reach all those who are in need!

Footnotes:

News room source : CNN

Happy Birthday Deepu

I sought my soul, but my soul I could not see. I sought my God, but my God eluded me. I sought my brother and I found all three.

-- Anonymous

Life has been a wonderful journey, with you by our side. Today, as you face a milestone, I want you to know how much you mean to us, and that your being the person that you are is truly a gift for all of us who are associated with you!

Wishing you a very happy birthday and a wonderful year and life ahead - one that shall see you attain those dizzy heights of that dreamed of world (as Pink Floyd sang in High Hopes)!

You will always be loved and respected for your calm disposition, cheerful attitude and most importantly for being grounded at all times!

You are the very best, Deepu! Love you lots!

Footnotes:

My brother turns 27 today!

This picture taken (supposedly) in 1983, remains among my most favourites. Deepu is seated on the left.

Real Love

My head speaks a language, I dont understand

-- Robbie Williams, Feel (Escapology, 2002)

Perhaps, it is age that takes one closer to the factual realization that the going becomes easy in companionship than in the dreary ride of solitude. Or, in my case, is it the well-crafted, periodical parental nudging that is making me feel that the time has come? I wonder, both of the possibility, and my seemingly (read: certainly) succumbing to this well orchestrated pressure! Anyhow, I wouldn't want to work my poor little brain over something that I consider as eventual and certain as this!

Having said that, I must confess that I have started feeling well about this - or shall I say more receptive! For a while now, I've been daydreaming about getting married, settling down, shedding the teenager attitude which is one of being largely carefree, brash and 'for-the-day.'

Lately, when I spoke about this to a chum, pat came the question, "is something on the cards?" Nay, not so, to be honest! But perhaps it is a premonition of that thing to happen this year about which I will one day say, "That year, this day!" So, this year is decisive, for the things it will bring to my life - hopefully the good ones, that I long for!

And, now, as never before, I echo the words of Robbie Williams, etched in his hit single 'Feel,' that "I just wanna feel real love, come and hold my hand, I wanna contact the living, not sure I understand, this role I've been given........."

Yes, I just wanna feel real love!

Normalcy returns to Ooty

It has been an agonizing two months now since Cyclone Phyan left a trail of disaster in Ooty. Life has returned to a state of normalcy with most part of the road networks being restored day before and the mountain railway line being declared open early yesterday.

However, a lot more needs to be done and that includes taking steps to ensure that such a tragedy does not repeat in the face of torrential rainfall and inclement weather. And as a first step, that should involve understanding the effects of our actions that are responsible for an adverse impact on the nature - here, elsewhere and everywhere!

Construction and rampant disfiguring of the hills (popularly known as Sholas, here) have been brought under check following the incidents of the past year and attempts are being made to learn lessons to effect conservation, however, questions remain as to how long the heat will remain before the attitude retires to being lukewarm and subsequently unresponsive and irresponsible! One hopes that the change isn't momentary!

Besides, the lackadaisical attitude of visiting tourists has ensured rapid degradation of this once wonderful paradise - often referred to as the queen of hills! The situation needs to be addressed urgently and corrections need to be effected. We are decades late in the job!

It's not like we have another Earth to go to!

Footnotes:

Cyclone Phyan creates an emergency

An interview to remember

When Anamika, from WebNeeTech, wrote to me a few months ago asking if I would agree to an interview, I was thrilled and readily agreed!

After all, the best that can happen to any blogger is the recognition that one gets for a creative effort that is displayed, something that often has a great degree of meticulousness, passion and zeal behind it!

It is a source of immense pleasure for me to have had the opportunity to articulate my thoughts on blogging, on a forum such as this.

You can check out the feature here.

I have disabled comments for this post. For those of you who wish to leave your thoughts, something that I greatly appreciate, please do so using the link provided above!

Opening Statements - 2010

The world is round and the place which may seem like the end may also be the beginning

-- Ivy Baker Priest

To attribute the new year to a new beginning, one that supposedly ushers in a cataclysmic change, will most certainly be viewed as a cliché, but, to not anticipate such a supposition will be an act of staving away the optimism associated with a fresh start.

So, as this year begins, it is imperative to inculcate a positive belief, one that shall create the ground for peaceful existence supplemented with immense happiness and personal success.

I wish all of you a very happy and prosperous new year! It is truly a privilege to be associated with you and a source of unparalleled joy to be part of this wonderful world!

Footnotes:

Opening Statements - 2009

The Ramparts of 2009

If anything, this year has sped by at possibly the speed of light and to see it pass by has given me a sense of relief considering the turbulence it brought about across industries, organizations and the world at large.

But I'm a happy man, for this year, much like its predecessor, has been very kind to me, by being interesting, incident free and innocuous. Having endured the storm for a while and still in one piece, I must sincerely thank the creator for being merciful, at the least for having spared me of disaster.

On the blogging front, this has been among the most enjoyable years yet, with 100 posts in my personal blog alone, the most so far in any given year since inception. Besides, my reach has now transcended many boundaries, something that surely brings a lot of cheer to me - to think of being able to be connected so far and wide! I cannot describe, in words, my delight while acknowledging 9,831 visits by 5,037 visitors from 880 cities in 90 countries over the past year! I cannot thank my readers and friends enough for being so kind and supportive of an endeavour that I hold so close to my heart!

Having lived a considerable part of the year in the lower western region of Pune in Maharashtra, India, I enjoyed a wonderfully memorable and hospitable stay there which I shall cherish at all times. And now having moved home, I understand - or rather attempt to understand the purpose or what I fondly term as the raison d'etre!

As we draw closer to the moment in time when this year departs to bring forward another one, I yearn for simple yet important things in life such as the ability to be better connected with friends, associates and family, to focus on being disciplined and be able to live a life in peace and dignity, to be able to take cognizance of the little things in life that matter most and that in doing so, be able to make my life and that of those connected to me memorable and exemplary!

I wish you all a Merry Christmas and a very Happy and Prosperous New Year, one that shall bring to you and your families immense peace, good health, a sense of bonding that has withstood the test of time and most importantly happiness that is unconditional and true in its sense of purpose!

God Bless you and thank you for bringing the light in my life!

Footnotes:

The Ramparts of 2008

The Bubble is born

My good friend, Indraniel Chandra, Niel for short, has taken computing, blogging in particular to a new level. His effort has led folks like me to be part of Bubble - The Blackberry Bloggers Lounge, a platform that promises hitherto unseen interaction among bloggers using blackberry!

Himself a very seasoned hand in the field of Information Security, it is no surprise to see Niel innovate and create a sphere aimed at changing the way we deal with micro-computing, by which I mean hand-held computing that is limitless in mobility. This is surely one marathon effort!

So then, all of you fellow bloggers out there using blackberry and desiring to be a part of the Bubble, do send me your PIN via email and I'll be sure to pass them on to the Master Yoda himself for addition and subsequent inclusion into this world!

Footnotes:

I've been away from your blogs for a long time now, and feel strangely disconnected. I hope to get back soon and remain connected with all of you, something that I know I cannot live without! I wish to sincerely thank those of you who visit and also observe your comments unfailingly. I want you to know that it is surely a tremendous form of support and encouragement, which is unparalleled! Love you all!

A reunion of sorts!

The vastness of the human mind can pale the expanses of all of the world's oceans put together. Yet, this entity can, purely by choice, bring upon itself a limitation that could reduce it to a dot, the size of a pin prick! That is the message I echoed to Mum on meeting her for the first time since her ailment!

Having willfully understood it much before I came to say so, she has made a great effort, with the sheer will to put this limitation behind her. It is certainly heartening to see this stage and now hope for better with a sense of absolute reassurance!

I must thank the wonderful team of energetic and zealous medical professionals and part of my own family for aiding her recovery, that has been fast, progressive and definitely remarkable!

Recovery, like many other things, is quite dependent of belief, and good ones at that! Little wonder then that the Scorpions, in their iconic masterpiece Send me an angel, echoed, "Just believe in yourself, Hear this voice from deep inside, It's the call of your heart, Close your eyes and your will find, The passage out of the dark"

How true!

Human Rights Watch

Ideally, today should have been a celebration of the human existence, epitomizing the values of togetherness, freedom, justice and a lot lot more. But Human Rights Day is a crude reminder of the despicable atrocities we commit against our own kind.

Societies and groups are becoming dangerously exclusive, often founded and furthered on religious and caste based ideologies rather than intellectual pursuits of mutual interests! Besides, warring factions in many nations threaten the basics of livelihood, particularly in countries such as Sudan, Pakistan and Afghanistan, to name a few, that is!

It's certainly not about attaining technological and financial prowess in parts when other parts of the world are immersed in turmoil and terror.

The question remains........ where are we headed? Or, are we headed forward at all?

Happy Birthday Pop

By the time a man realizes that maybe his father was right, he usually has a son who thinks he's wrong!

-- Charles Wadsworth

To have led us into progress, particularly me - for the kind that I am, would have required unimaginable grit and determination, and to have done so, while steering our enterprise for the past 43 years now, is a herculean effort.

Without you at the helm, no one of us associated with you could have dreamt of advancement the manner in which we live today!

Happy Birthday Pop! You are the best, the very best!

On the shores of Kerala

The sands of time and shores of Kerala hold the same meaning to me - unequivocal bliss! But bliss isn't something that is chanced upon often, is it? Unless otherwise one has entered the league of the extraordinary who live in renunciation of the material realm in the quest for the real, that is! So, after a painfully long interlude of close to 4 years, setting foot in Kerala makes me feel elated beyond anything that I can imagine!

It seems this is precisely the kind of life I'd like to lead - to be able to rise up to the Sun, watch the day pass by, in silent hues, comfortably ensconced in the recesses of a very private realm, far away from the vagaries of the maddening world and be able to pay rich tributes to the creator and his wonderful conception - least of it, by appreciating the world that I am part of, in deference, that, it is more of a privilege than a matter of right!

I'm not entirely sure if this place brings out a certain magical element that appeals to the inner me, but I'd like to believe it surely does! The pristine elements, a departure from chaotic routines, letting go of frenzied wants that are often confused for absolute needs and a deep sense of belonging, supplemented with a feeling of being in equilibrium adds immensely to an invigorated self!

So, as Spirit, Stallion of the Cimmarron, sang, I too feel quite like saying, rather yelling out loud into oblivion, that "Here I am, this is me, there's nowhere else on earth I'd rather be."

Smells like childhood!

I may sound utterly narcissistic if I consider myself as a gift to my father on my parents' wedding anniversary which falls today! But being here in Ooty, elated beyond words and thoughts, like a child, I feel just as that!

I can't tell you how wonderful it feels, despite the biting cold that I have come to loathe!

But home is home and thats where the heart is! Perhaps, for the same reason that Kurt Cobain sang "I'm worse at what I do best, And for this gift I feel blessed, Our little group (tribe) has always been, And always will until the end," in his legendary Smells like teen spirit marvel!

Boy, this sure smells like childhood!

Adieu Pune

A certain epoch of my life now comes to an end!

The time has come for me to head home to Ooty, leaving behind Pune, the wonderful place that has been my home for the past year and a half! Having lived here, although for a relatively short while, I've come to form some very close and lasting associations with remarkable people, who have time and again reassured me that good people in today's world are neither passé nor a rarity! To them I'm indebted for having made my life colourful and happy without condition.

I cannot say enough of the remarkably healthy lifestyle that I have enjoyed during the course of my stay in Pune, one that has most certainly put me into a very happy state of physical and mental being. A life of contentment and peace is what I've been blessed along with, as I said before, the wonderful people, who will hold immense significance in my life ahead.

Something else, which is an invaluable asset, that I take along with me is the improved level of spiritual connect that I have acquired, a gift that I attribute purely to the goodness of the place and its people, much less to my efforts! Here, my reading and blogging have also come to witness intensity and good routine, something I'm not sure will continue in the days to come, with the same level of vigour, although not going to be lost on passion - I assure!

I go home a renewed man, more refined, patient and blessed with a wider perspective with the privilege of having lived a stately life so far away from home. Pune will forever be very dear to my heart and will be cherished dearly for being the avenue that facilitated a personal and professional growth with no impediments whatsoever!

So, with a heavy heart, I bid goodbye to this wonderful place and the magnificent people I'm associated with, who will continue to be an integral part of my life!

On a closing note, I'm reminded of the track Chasing Cars by Snow Patrol, something that I believe is apt to be mentioned here, considering the occasion and the expression that I convey on its account.

"I need your grace, to remind me, to find my own! All that I am, All that I ever was, Is here in your perfect eyes!"

I'm praying that, during my last moments here, my emotions don't get the best of me and that I feign a happy face while leaving - an effort, I know well from past experience to be a marathon task involving great difficulty!

PS: I've not been able to visit your blogs lately as a result of some hectic last minutes, which I'm sure you understand! Nevertheless, do please accept my sincere apologies! This is to continue for a few weeks to come during which time I shall be travelling.

A rendezvous with the writers!

I've been wanting to meet fellow blogger Shahid for sometime now. Having built a good rapport via blogging and once-in-a-while chatting up on common interests, soccer and journalism being among them, I needed to meet up with him before leaving here!

And so we decided to do just that on Saturday last, over well recommended and consequently enjoyed mughlai fare, which was truly appealing to the foodie in me, or rather - the foodie me, if I have to state facts correctly, that is! I had the pleasure of meeting up along with Shahid, Chandni and Sumedha, the wonderful ladies, one of whom I've spoken about in a previous post!

What a wonderful meeting, rather occasion, it turned out to be! Guarded, with the best foot forward in disposition, something that I believe I still need a great deal of polishing upon, I was quick to return to my informally normal self having been made to feel extremely comfortable by the awesome trio who I was meeting for the very first time!

It took no time for Shahid and I to get along like fuel and fire, engrossed in conversations on Eminem, the corporate world, blogs, food, culture, politics, religion and of course soccer, much to the discontent of the ladies, who were, unwillingly distanced, due to the teen-boy tech talk!

Shahid is very passionate about interacting with people and thus is high on interpersonal skills, something he hopes to capitalize on while kick starting his professional career shortly. He also has a distinct other facet, a more serious one that is maturely cognizant of the philosophical and metaphysical aspects of life – the astute thinker that he is!

Terribly brief yet enriching, and exceedingly congenial, I left with a feeling akin to having met with an old friend, and revisited bygone times!

Remember Louis Armstrong and his marvel What a Wonderful World? To all the good times that I have always associated this masterpiece with, I'm reiterated in the belief that the world is indeed a wonderful place, down below 'the skies of blue, and clouds of white, the bright blessed day and the dark sacred night', more so for the brilliant people that make this, truly, as 'I think to myself.... a wonderful world!'

But Shahid.......... surely Chelsea rules!!! ;)

Cyclone Phyan creates an emergency

All is not well since the advent of Cyclone Phyan, which now threatens to wreck havoc in the western Indian states of Maharashtra and Gujarat!

Worse still, is the trail of destruction it has left behind in my home town Ooty, in the southern India state of Tamil Nadu, over the past few days! It has been reported that over 70 people have perished in the ensuing squalls of rain in Tamil Nadu, of who over 40 are from Ooty.

My Father, who at the moment is in Ooty, talks about a scale of destruction that has not been witnessed ever before. Even as I gather momentum to write this post, I'm told that access to Ooty has been completely cut off, with all transportation systems coming to a grinding halt!

While I hope that the District Administration, assisted by sections of the Indian Paramilitary Forces, is able to execute relief and rescue operations smoothly, I cannot refrain from thinking about my impending trip to Ooty, scheduled in less than 2 weeks from today!

I know not how to express my condolences to all the bereaved families whose lives have been rudely affected due to this calamity - an indelible mark that will stay on forever, with many bitter memories associated with it!

And, here in Pune, the mayhem appears to have only begun now!

An update - The BBC has reported that Ooty has recorded rainfall of 600 cms over the last three days and that 250 houses have been damaged as a result thereof!