The Thought

Thus wrote William Brighty Rands, in his brilliant words -

Into the skies, one summer's day,
I sent a little Thought away;
Up to where, in the blue round
The sun sat shining without sound.

Then my Thought came back to me—
Little Thought, what did you see
In the regions whence you come?
And when I spoke, my Thought was dumb.

But she breathed of what was there,
In the pure bright upper air;
And, because my Thought so shone,
I knew she had been shone upon.

Reality Bites..

Back to Jobless days.. and this time its all the more grave.. I am right now lying down on my bed in the hostel room dwelling upon what the likely situation would be, once I pass out of this management course. Probably I would have studied for a period of over 20 years, and still be on the job-hunt.

These have been difficult times for the economy, the country & the cliched 'aam aadmi'. The recession has hit and hit very hard. These are the days of bust, and we guys are occupied with the thoughts of where we would finally end up after the placement season.. More optimistically,I personally feel I should be scraping through.. what matters would the profile & the take off from there on. The company I had done my internship has FROZEN any further recruitment and the "Dream Job" seems to be quite a distant possibility as of now.

The financial crisis wasn't sufficient to send people into a tizzy, that the Mumbai Terror Strikes had to happen. I have no right to comment - sitting comfortably in front of my black-box, I have been updating myself with the minutest of details as to how things have been progressing in the worst attacks this nation has seen in the post-independent era. Horribly gruesome and disturbingly sick!! No place seems to be safe nowadays.. Selfish, that I am, I might as well settle down in Kharagpur for a decent and secured living... at least you know you wouldn't be shot at, while you are walking down the street.


Experts have been talking about all the "should-have done, could-have done" scenarios, but we have been failing, time and again, in our attempts to cut the bud at its roots. Of course, nobody really anticipates an attack of a fresh kind until it actually takes place, but when you know how vulnerable the situation is, you need to act tough. (You, who??). Brave officers have laid down their life, but what India needs today is a strong, secular outlook with modern infrastructure to combat the goons.All said and done, we again hear "The spirit of Mumbai" moving on and being resilient... come another day and we still walk on !!

Aye Dil Tu Rona Nahi..

Was in a nostalgic mood today, bemused in thoughts.. life at this time last year was miserable, insecure and in terrible shape. Looking back, I still have not been able to figure out what exactly I went through at that stage.. nagging questions still haunt me, although I have learn t to let go of the past. (for the uninitiated, do not let your imagination run wild.. I was just down and almost out during this time last year due to unnecessary complicated thought process that went on in my brain.. ya I still strongly hold on to my morals and ethical values).

Today I thanked a few people who have helped hone back my sagging confidence.and ya I thought this post should carry a "senti" side to it.. We have all been through those mind boggling sessions from great thinkers and jobless fellas alike, questioning the purpose of life and solving that Paheli called Zindagi. I have read a few bloggers come up with some interesting gyaan on the essence of Life. For some its about having to face tough challenges, for others its about overcoming those everyday obstacles,a few more spoke of enlightenment and search for peace. But the quintessential point for many remains.."the purpose of life - is life itself..". You see it in its entirety, experience it, highs, lows, the sunny days, the "good for some" rainy days, the days cherished with loved ones, the days better spent alone.. Life teaches you at all stages, you just got to be a good student !!

Today when I see newspapers and TVs flashing the exponentially increasing growth of the country,it feels sad that we have been lying to ourselves and portraying only the brighter side of our country. The need of this hour is to critically examine the low points of our nation, its core ground level realities, its ever growing divide between the rich and the poor,its thirst for the ever crunching fuel resources, its irregular infrastructure development, and many more aspects alike.Today the common man has put up a more disturbing grim face, unable to make both ends meet.India today may be sporting a smile, but many nerves have been veiled to make that picture look good.Many voices have been suppressed, overlooked and unattended.

Indeed, we have taken off in many aspects of progress, but you still get to see the cart puller wielding his burdened muscles to buy bread for his family, the little kids at traffic signals asking you to take notice, the poor woman at the construction site trying to pacify her baby, and many more such sights which leave a mark in your mind.Do we care enough to do anything about making their life more comfortable? Most of us are more worried about how the stocks have been falling, the manner in which the Indian team has lost its sheen of late, debating over the nuclear deal issue, and things like wise on which we have no direct control.



The Teach India campaign by Times of India was one solid example of how we can make a difference to the society.Though restricted to select few cities and towns,the response it generated showed that all is not lost.The nation still has a huge number of citizens who are willing to help the under privileged. Its just that most of us do not know how to go about the task. We are ready to put in our bit of help, but all we need is a direction, a path which would lead to a glorious future for this country.We have had a civilization more than 2000 years back, that was very well versed with times as well as knowledge. And today we face a problem of awareness, which is so very vital for our society to take that next step. People need to be made aware of their rights and duties, of their responsibilities and their potential.We as a unit can change the face of the nation! We as a force can accomplish superior goals and we the people of this country can together make it happen.

We are not short of inspiration...there have been numerous examples around us, over the ages, who have done our country proud. Its time now where we stopped resting on past glories and moved on to newer laurels. Its time where we stop looking for role models and became one our selves.. like that beautiful prayer which says "Doosron ki jai se pehle, Khud ko jai kare".. we need to have the self confidence and drive to achieve the unthinkable.Its not very difficult to attain self sustainability and become a truly global leader in every sense.

Small things done in greater interest can go a long way in shaping this country. For the starters, please conserve water, electricity and fuel. Our planet is on a red alert and needs attention.

Heres a link on simple yet smart things which we can do as individuals to save the planet... (forgive me for the indirect gyaan,I wanted to save my laptop's battery by typing in less) ;) ..

http://everything2.com/index.pl?node_id=1167112

P.S.: I know theres no connection as to how I started and the manner in which this post was concluded, these have just been random thoughts

India says - "Gold is not enough"

Last weekend, thanks to a very long holiday session, I had the opportunity to witness Akshardham on the outskirts of Delhi.A modern day architectural wonder, it was a sight to watch..(would be wiser to experience it rather than describing on the blog).The attacks sometime back have had a huge impact on the security check at this unique complex of Indian culture(not even cell phones are permitted inside).
Moving on from there, I landed up at the Bahai "Lotus" temple. After a long time I could feel the "Complete Silence", the one in a symbiotic relation with peace, unlike the maddening ones I usually go through.

The long weekend also saw independent India touching 61, with retail chains using the concept of "buy for Rs. 1947 and get items worth rs. *^ free".Too bad I didn't receive any Rakhi greetings this year (or is it a good sign, for obvious reasons ;) )
One thing this country has still not overcome, as was the case at the lotus temple, is being normal when at an arm's distance from the "non-desis". People were so fanatic that some of them actually requested a few "firangs" to join them in a photograph session, to add glamour (read as celebrity status) to the serene pics.
And ya the usual stuff of pool, bowling happened too :)

Olympics now..

While Phelps has been out of this world, Indian players are displaying performances which are knocking them out of the events one after the other ( 2 boxers still give the eternal hope ). Usain Bolted thunders with his yet again below 10 seconds performance.Over 25 world records and 50 plus Olympic records have been broken till date in this edition and more would be on their way.I do not see another medal on its way for India, but I wish I would be proved wrong.

As Nikhil Hajirnis, my close buddy would always sign off..

JAI HIND

Khoon Chala..

yesterday was a birthday well spent..for a change, I landed up at Epicentre, an exhibit auditorium in Gurgaon (probably the only one) to witness a sensitive yet interesting theater play on Thalassemia.Titled Mr. & Mrs. Nayyar, the drama was based upon a family which copes with the adversities related to the disease.Thalassemia is a relatively "ignored" issue in India but the awareness is steadily increasing.Basically the haemoglobin count goes on decreasing, if not replenished on a continuous basis.
Regular medical visits and blood transfusion are a must for avoiding any complications.

Theres a 25 % chance that two thalassemic minor parents can give birth to a thalassemic major child.So this disease is mainly hereditary.
There are a number of tests that need to be done and a follow up is required at all times to keep the patient in proper condition. Family & Social support is a very important factor while dealing with thalassemia.

for more on Thalassemia: heres a good link..
http://sickle.bwh.harvard.edu/menu_thal.html

re-readiff.com

Been home recently.. and that felt very nice.. met family, relatives, cousins, fast friends.. and ya lots of unknown faces ( in bhai ki Shaadi ).. never realized the pace at which the week flew.. the gold rush began to a superb inaugural show at Beijing, China; Indian media once again got into preview analysis of the players, India won a (cricket) test, lost a test, the bomb scare reduced, although train accidents happened, rains made up for the late start in A.P... all in all, news kept happening..


Abhinav Bindra finally gave India its first individual gold, Leander-Mahesh pair is still holding on to a distant hope, Saina Nehwal(the hyd badminton sensation) lost in the quarters this morning, Michael Phelps won his 5th gold, thus becoming the recipient of max.golds ever in Olympic history ( expectations are that hes well set to get the 8 out of 8 record of medals in sight )..

those were the updates so far.. was it worth a blog post.. ??
never mind.. btw, I somehow managed to locate a theater centric place in Gurgaon (as in the one that stages plays).. I hope it was worth the search..
In the meantime, internship's getting a bit too mechanical and direction less.. :(
Waiting for Novemberrrrr !!!!!!!

Singh is King!!

The 2008 Wimbledon men's finals was a treat to watch and Fedex seems to have lost control. A classic in all aspects, the epic 288 minutes match brought back memories of great rivalries of Bjorkman vs Borg and Sampras vs Aggasi.52 unforced errors by Federer compared to Nadal's 27 and a better break point conversion by Rafa made all the difference.The spanish star has finally got his footing right on the big circuit and looks set to win more. As far as Federer is concerned, he seems to be on a downhill.

Another legend who has had a tough time lately has been the Indian "Prime" Minister, Mr.Manmohan Singh. An enviable resume (http://pmindia.nic.in/cv.htm) has not been good enough to get his basics right on the political front. Termed the "kamzor kadi" of all the pradhan mantris so far, by the "never give up (top seat)" BJP supremo Advani, Mr.Singh has been unable to assertively put his critics in place. Going by the current scenario, he looks set to continue the full term..
ending here again..

Sallu Tussi Great Ho..

and why? Salman "10 ka Dum" Khan, to many may be the big bad brat of Indian Celeb honchos..but then hes also the most sought after bollywood actor in India, with most of his fanatics belonging to the masses of the country. True.. hes been under the policing radar for all the wrong reasons, best advertised by the media in its entirety..




here are a few reasons why Sallu Bhai is the complete superstar of Indian Cinema:

-- 2 decades.. about 67 movies and still going strong.. hes consistently managed to stay in the top 3 league of the great desi Heroes.

-- the only big shot actor whos shared screen space with all leading actors of his time right from Mithun Da to Govinda.(remember Ace Khan & SRK have never been together in any movie..although they show their mutual respect through their pets & names).

-- he can act, dance, fight, mimic, laugh, cry & enact all the emotions you can find in any human being.( a high range of product assortment-- in retail terms)

-- one actor who has never sought publicity and yet has managed to be in the thick of things

-- rated by a popular english magazine as the 7th most handsome man on earth (back then)

-- he started the trend of physical fitness & also has helped train Hrithik Roshan with his muscles, without throwing any starry tantrums.. Dard-E-Disco ka 6 pack toh abhi abhi shuru hua hain.

-- hes said to have agreed to act in some super dud movies like "Saawan: the love season" just for the sake of his producer friends.

-- he has sacrificed, more often than not, his lady love in both reel & real life.. & still manages to hold the tag of Bollywood's elite bachelor.

-- and yeah.. he also helps the producers in cost cutting.. dont the costumes amount to a big fat expenditure?.. apne Sallu miyan toh kapdon ke bina bhi show run karte hain ;)

-- On serious count, he is involved in many charity projects and also runs his own charity home without any help from external organisations.

-- Sallu bhai's co-actors usually give a very positive feedback about his attitude and gestures (although John Abraham, Vivek Oberoi & Ranbir Kapoor may not nod in agreement)

there are many more things about this legendary yet misunderstood character which may never come to light..

To add to the list, Sh Sh Sh Sh Sh Shah Rukh "Mayur" Khan has been replaced with "Mayur" Salman Khan.. PERFECT FIT !!

Relax, it's "Fed-Ex"

Opinions.. everybody seems to have them.. and none would end up on the same side..
Latesht to join the bloggers bandwagon.. heard its none other than our very own Bihar ke baadshah ..bole toh babuaa..humre Laaloo Prashaad Yadav ji.. jab saara desh (read Big B, Ace Khan, King Khan) is madhyam se aage badh raha hai ..hum kaahe ko peche rahe..

Having gone through different blogs lately, and going by the feedback from a few close friends.. my blog doesn't really make sense.. abrupt endings, autobiographical notes, pointless discussions and a meaning less name.. I just thought.. I SHOULD CONTINUE THE TREND..

Nadal has done it again.. for a 4th consecutive time.. the Fed-Ex looked a meek self of himself last Sunday..probably his worst defeat in years..with just a single ATP title this season and quite a few losses to Nadal, has Federer lost his steam? We ll know that once he lands on his favorite grass, come the 4th Monday of this month.. Wimbledon ll be an altogether different affair for the 12 time champion.Hes well on his way to become officially the best.How i wish Pistol Pete won a dozen more. :( For reasons, that cannot be expressed.. Sampras remains my all time best tennis role model.



The evolution of the now reticent Federer has been interesting.. he started off on the lines of his idol Stefan Edberg, a safe and steady approach, and in due course took to playing more aggressively a la his other icon Boris Becker. One thing that made a difference, as Federer explains in an interview.. he used to lose his temper more often than not during the early phase of his career (no, nowhere close to McEnroe) but today we see him maintain his calm demeanour and that he says is the reason for his crowns. Isn't that a good thing to learn !!

Will it be Wimbledon no. 6 for Fed-Ex or ll he cry again.. we ll have to wait & watch.. abhi ke liye..Congos to Rafa & the Serbian queen.. both surely would go a long way :)

School Chale Hum 1..

"A true friend is someone who thinks that you are a good egg even though he knows that you are slightly cracked." ~ Bernard Meltzer

Your best buddies generally are the ones you have grown up with.. Langotiya Yaar..
mine happen to be from school and a few from the gullies that I used to stay in.
We had joy, we had fun & amazing seasons in the sun.. good old days of sly-less innocence.. lol.. certain transformations are hard to believe.. some out-spoken smarties are now silent spectators and vice-versa.

Thanks to the A.P. students' career development programmes** (solely constituting of the starry-eyed "ek din mera beta bhi..." parents) , even I joined the race of the "ideal" student totally brain washed with the preaching that anything lesser than an engineering/medicine seat isn't worth a life. Hence followed a grind of 2 years in "the Guinness Record holding" Kalashala of Sri Chaitanya.(ask Abhiram & Jimmy for apt descriptions).Finally I ended up in an engineering institute that promised to instill a sense of discipline & decorum into the students' heads.. so we had distinctly separate canteens, transport facility as well as seating arrangements for people not belonging to the same gender. I still wonder if the reason for comparatively less internal marks of some of my classmates was due to their proximity in just oral communication with the girls of our class.

Of course, like always, I had good times..made a friend out of each & every person I met in college, and had a very vibrant social life..all those feasts,traveling,biking,celebrity fests,paper presentations(still don't know how we*** pulled it off each time),anchoring,organizing the events & meets and one night stands with the books just before the exam,life was on a roll.. a few niggles here & there didn't matter much.. except for a couple of disturbing instances towards the end of the 4th year(that still haunt me).. my 4 years @ Gokaraju Rangaraju Institute of Engineering & Technology can be best summed up by the following quote..

"He who has a thousand friends has not a friend to spare,
And he who has one enemy will meet him everywhere."
- Ralph Waldo Emerson



**currently these programmes start right at the birth of the child
(during my time, it was in standard 10th)
*** read - MAB,KRN

Hum Bhi BLOGenge

script date: 10th May 2008

5:45 pm

Hi everybody,
and welcome to another of those ..nothing else to do .. publication online..
a blog by yours truly, inspired with the myriad no. of people flocking around advertising their links to their respective gyaan on the net ..

Blogging.. thats what i have decided to do.. and not to show off any of my non-existent writing skills( may be I ll improve with time), but just to get over the fact that i have.. as already mentioned.. nothing better to do..

well, i start off sitting at one of India's best possible airports - the Rajiv Gandhi International Airport @ Hyderabad..
the flight, supposedly being Jet Lite.. has taken its passengers for a (not so literal) ride.. and informs that there are no vacant seats for me to sit on.. so i better switch over to an Indian Airlines flight that would further delay my travel plans by a couple of hrs.
Just goes to show how weird the domestic Flying scenario has turned out to become after the liberalization has come into effect..my first reaction to the announcement made was.. a rather surprised eesmile.. why?? cos it hit upon me that aircrafts( thank god, just the domestic ones) are turning out to become like the local RTC buses.. pehle aao, pehle baitho.. ( first come, first serve) ..on a ticket that i had booked a month earlier.. the entire upbeat mood of being at a well laid out airport vanished.. and here I am typing into this blackbox...

btw, I am going to Delhi to start a new life.. as an intern, as part of my 3rd semester project @ RPG spencer's. My reporting office is @ Gurgaon.. and I have been eagerly awaiting this opportunity.. with lots of anxiety, enthu, and optimistic outlook..

As i write more.. let me do some self dabba..
I m KRN, currently doing my MBA from Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur..in pursuit of many dreams and aspirations, like many a young men, that I have built over the years..(not achieving them wudnt hurt me much, but not trying.. definitely would)

I have had most of my seconds in a life span of 22 yrs spent in the city of nawabs.. kababs.. and many more cliched "items" ( people included )..Hyderabad.. although my cousins would still argue that i belong to the "not so hyd" district of Medak.. which in fact is a part of Greater Hyderabad.. My schooling has been from Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan's Public School @ BHEL, a place where I learnt most of my early lessons..( not just in class, but in life too).Had it not been for the different aspects that we were taught in school I would have ceased to survive in this world.. sometimes over education can be dangerous.. as in my case.. more on that yet to come..

catch up soon..the area manager from jet lite is here.. time to use the lessons on negotiation skills taught in class...

11:30 pm
BSNL dataone is real faaastt.. on par with the LAN @ iit.. right now i m
@ a friend's place.. and life cudnt have got easier than this.. get down from Air-India ( tat was the alternative ).. take a cab and land here. it seemed to happen real quick..

one thing about air travel..u get to see how the cities contrast in the manner in which they have been constructed.. Delhi is comparatively well structured into blocks, which is not the same with clustered lights all over Hyderabad.. that really does have a bearing on the economic life of the cities.. an abrupt stop here.. as David Shepard would put it - "thats all for the end of the day"..Stumps..

P.S.: the material published herein shouldn't be judged for its content/grammar/vocab .. since it can make your, as the name of the blog suggests, "Dimaag Kharaab"..