Nightmare

आजच्या महाराष्ट्रातील घडामोडींचा विचार करून, एका त्रस्त मुंबईकराच्या द्र्ष्टीकोनातून, तो काय विचार करत असावा ह्याचा आढावा म्हणजेच ही कविता होय. लाच खाणाऱ्या नेत्यांमुळेच मुंबईत वाढत चाललेले उत्तर भारतीयांचे लोंढे आणि त्या मुळे झालेली मुंबई शहराची दयनीय अवस्था उघड्या डोळ्याने बघत राहण्या खेरीज सामान्य मुंबईकरांकडे दुसरा काही इलाज नाही. मुंबई ही आता मराठी माणसाची राहिलेलीच नाही ह्याच्या पेक्षा मोठं दू:स्वप्न ते काय? ह्याच विषयावर सुचलेली एक कविता!

NIGHTMARE

आसुसलेल्या लोचनांनी,

 उतरलो मी 'V.T.' ला 

एकही मराठी चेहरा,

 नाही दिसला भेटीला - || १ ||

सहज वरती नजर फिरली, 

पहिले त्या पाटीला

'लालू यादव टेसन' बघुनी 

घाव झाला छातीला - || २ ||

संताप डोक्यात होता, 

पाहिले चहू बाजूला 

मराठी धरतीवरी ह्या, 

'भैय्या' होता माजला - || ३ ||

रम्य जीवन नष्ट झाले, 

काहीच मज ना कळे

मायेचे ते हाल बघता, 

रक्त माझे सळसळे - || ४ || 

होती 'देवनागरी' तरी, 

नव्हती ती संस्कृती

रद्दीतल्या 'महाराजांची' 

खिन्न होती आकृती - || ५ || 

सांडूनी रक्ताचे थेंब, 

भगवा ज्यांनी रोविला

षंढ नेत्यांनीच त्यासी 

'उपरेपणा' दाविला - || ६ ||  

ज्ञानेशाचे कर्म सारे, 

हो मिळाले मातीला

अब्ज-कोटीही  न पुरले 

ह्या पुढारी जातीला - || ७ || 

खिन्न झालो, सुन्न झालो, 

होत होत्या यातना

'मुंबई' अखेरीस झाली 

पश्चिमेची 'पाटणा' - || ८ ||

- अक्षय अशोक अणावकर 

बदल - My first attempt at writing an article in Marathi!

संध्याकाळचे 6 वाजले. श्रीधरला दरवाज्यावरची बेल वाजवल्यानंतर लक्षात आलं की घराची चावी त्याच्या खिशातच आहे... त्याने चावीने दरवाजा उघडला…स्वयपाकघराच्या आत मधून फक्त भांडी आपटण्याचा आवाज ऐकू आला... श्रीधरला आगामी संकटाची कल्पना आली... "आज काही खैर नाही... Madam चा मूड आज सुद्धा ऑफ दिसतोय" असं स्वतःशीच पुटपुटत, आणि, लाटणं कधी हि आणि कुठूनही डोक्यावर बसेल... ह्या भीतीनेच श्रीधर

स्वयपाकघरात शिरला... भांड्यांच आपटणा चालूच होतं... बाहेरून स्वच्छ पण तरीही अगणित पोचं पडलेली ती भांडी बघून श्रीधरच्या ह्रदयात गल्बललं. स्वयपाकघरात पाठमोरी उभी असलेली ती मात्र, भांडी आपटण्यापासून निर्माण झालेला नाद ऐकण्यात, अतिशय गुंग होती... श्रीधरला ती भांडी अचानक स्वतःच्या आयुष्याच्या खूप जवळ वाटली… एके काळी ती भांडी किती छान दिसत… लख्ख… एक समान आकार.. अहो, आधी आधी तर फक्त पाहुणे घरी यायच्या वेळीच ती भांडी कपाटातून बाहेर पडत… त्यात बनवलेला जेवण देखील फार स्वादिष्ट लागायचं म्हणे…पण आज… आजच्या घडीत मात्र “भांडं” आणि “भांडण” ह्यांचंच एक वेगळं नातं जुळलं होतं… 

श्रीधरला त्याचे जुने दिवस आठवले… इंदू आणि त्याची पहिली भेट ही इंदूच्याच घरी कांदे पोहे खाताना झाली. श्रीधर तिच्या करारी डोळ्यांच्या, बघता क्षणीच प्रेमात पडला होता. त्याची विचार चक्रे सुरु झाली. देवक, सप्तपदी, 

अंतरपाट, अक्षता, पंगती, उखाणे, सनईचे सूर - सगळं सगळं काही एका क्षणात त्याच्या मनात डोकावून गेले. तो दिवस किती छान होता… आणि त्या  नंतरचे काही दिवसही… एक अजाण व्यक्ती आपल्या आयुष्यातली सर्वात महत्वाची व्यक्ती होते, जीवन संगिनी होते… लग्नानंतरच्या त्या काही वर्षांमध्ये ही नाती उलगडत जाण्यात किती गंमत असते. प्रेम - प्रेम म्हणजेच सर्वोच्च, प्रेमा मध्ये केलेले त्याग, तिचं एक स्मितहास्य दिसण्यासाठी केलेली धडपड… Platform वर २ तास नुसतं वाट बघत थांबून राहणं.. तेही न चिडता. “तुझी वाट बघत बसण्यात सुद्धा मजा आहे!”… असा विचार करणं… ते सारे अनुभव अविस्मरणीय आहेत… पण सगळ्याच गोड गोष्टी तिन्ही काळ टिकत नाहीत असं म्हणतात… बदल घडतो तो इथे…

श्रीधर आणि इंदूच्या आयुष्यात बरेच बदल आले... काही चांगले, काही वाईट.. श्रीधरच्या मते त्यांच्या आयुष्यात आलेल्या जवळ जवळ सगळ्या बदलांना बेधडक पणे सामोरं जायची शक्ती त्याला इंदू कडूनच मिळाली होती तिचं अखंड मिळणारं पाठबळ त्याला त्यांच्या वाईट परिस्थितीतही उंच भराऱ्या मारण्याचं साहस करू द्यायचं. पण ३ वर्षांपूर्वी श्रीधर आणि इंदूच्या २० वर्षीय अपत्याचे प्रातःकालीन निधन झाल्यामुळे इंदू आता तीच इंदू राहिली नव्हती. इंदूने ह्या बदलापुढे मात्र हात टेकले. ह्या बदलाला सामोरे जाण्याची ताकत आता इंदू मध्ये शिल्लकच नव्हती. एरवी सदैव हसतमुख असलेली इंदू आता मात्र अगदी क्षुल्लक कारणांमुळे चीडचीड करू लागली होती. आयुष्यात आलेला एक अचानक बदल व्यक्तीमत्वात, नात्यात आणि जगण्यात कितीतरी कायमचे बदल करून जातो! ‘प्रेम’, 'आनंद', 'मजा', 'मस्करी' ह्या शब्दांनी घेतलेलं सर्वोच्च स्थान आता ‘वास्तविकता’ ह्या शब्दाने घेतलेलं असतं. प्रेमात पडलेल्या दोन्ही व्यक्तींसाठी संपूर्ण जग हे तीच दोघं असतात. थोड्या वर्षांनी त्यांना कळतं की बाहेरची दुनिया सुद्धा अस्तित्वात आहे. हाच त्यांच्या साठी एक अचानक बदल असतो. हा बदल स्वीकारण्याच्या नादात बऱ्याच गोष्टी गृहीतही धरल्या जातात. आतल्या गाठीच्या व्यक्तींची ‘आतली गाठ’ सहज दिसूही लागते. वास्तविकता स्वीकारणं ऐकायला जितकं सोपं वाटतं तितकच कठीण ते आचरणात आणणं असतं. एखादी व्यक्ती ही आधी अशी नव्हती, पण आता अशी का वागते आहे? हा बदल का घडला? ह्या प्रश्नाचं उत्तर मिळणं जवळ जवळ असंभव असतं. पण थोरांनी असं म्हटलंच आहे ‘काळ - हे ह्रदयातील जखमांसाठी रामबाण औषध आहे!’ श्रीधरला हे कळून चुकलं होतं की 'बदल' हा आयुष्यातला एकमेव कायमस्वरूपी घटक आहे. म्हणूनच ह्या वास्तविक्तेशी जमवून घेणं हाच एक सर्वमान्य तोडगा आहे. 

श्रीधरला हे ही अगदी प्रकर्षाने जाणवलं होतं की इंदूची जागा आता त्याला घ्यायची होती... कढई दाणकन ओट्यावर आपटली आणि श्रीधर भानावर आला. त्याच्या चेहऱ्यावर हसू होतं आणि पाऊलांमध्ये एक उधाण. इंदूचा प्रोब्लेम जाणून घेण्यासाठी आणि तिच्या चेहऱ्यावरील हसू परत आणण्यासाठी, स्वतः मध्ये हा 'बदल' कसा आणावा हा विचार करीत तो पुढे सरसावला... 

Henpecked Life....

This post is actually a विडंबन काव्य.. Which means a SPOOF. Its a take on the sufferings of a Hen-Pecked husband... This has to be sung in the tune of a very famous Old Marathi Song 'देहाची तिजोरी', which was composed by great Shri. Sudhir Phadke or 'Babuji' as he is known fondly... The spoof was coined by Yashwant Dev who himself is a renowned composer in Marathi Music... 


पत्नीची मुजोरी, तिची नित्य सेवा

मरण धाड देवा आता, मरण धाड देवा   11 धृ 11

सकाळी चहाच्या वेळी, दुखे हिची पाठ

बिछान्यात पडल्या पडल्या जांभई विराट

हिची एक इच्छा हाती झाडू मी धरावा 

मरण धाड देवा आता, मरण धाड देवा  - १

सदा मैत्रिणीचा घोळ, गप्पा आणि खाणे

पर्स घेउनी मौजेने मार्केटिंगला जाणे

स्वामी असुनी मी घराचा दास का ठरावा?

मरण धाड देवा आता, मरण धाड देवा  - २

काल हिने केली पूजा, अंगणी वडाची...
सात जन्म निश्चित झाली, कैद ह्या जीवाची.
माझ्या दुर्भाग्याचा अजूनही हवा का पुरावा?
मरण धाड देवा आता, मरण धाड देवा - ३

And The Result Is.....

27th June 1999 - At the age of 16, it was a lot of pressure to handle. The reason - X std Board exam results were out. Just earlier that day I was standing in a mile long queue outside S.I.E.S. college, Sion. to get an admission form.. I still don't know why did I even consider getting a form from S.I.E.S.? I dint have ONE good reason to be a part of that esteemed Alma Mater.. I am not a South Indian (which is a so called privilege given to that minority), I wasn't expecting more than 85% marks in SSC (which was the minimum qualification to get into FYJC Science) and I stayed at Dombivli (which translated to approximately an Hr long train commute during rush hrs). But somehow my 2 hour long wait in the June drizzle got me a wet, crumpled S.I.E.S. admission form!


I headed straight to Dombivli by catching the next available train from Sion stn. This was the most miserable commute in years despite a relatively empty train... For the whole 45 min - 1 Hr journey, all I was thinking was about that goddamn BLUE sheet of paper which will have my career path planned for me... My mind raced through time - End of IX std finals, X std coaching admission, VOWs to study very hard for the whole coming year (which was never kept), first day of school on June 13th, Decent results in 1st Unit Tests, Crying like crazy over lost love (or a mere crush!), Annual Sports meet at school, Annual Social Gathering, Filling slam books for friends, Prelims, Disastrous results (67% - To be specific), Send Off party at school, Getting upset, Studying hard again, giving all exams, enjoying vacations and hmmmpppffff... 'Twas today - the D-Day!

Wandering back in time, made me realize the prowess of the old proverb/idiom that I had learnt in IV std - "As You Sow, So Shall You Reap", which simply meant You Do Not Deserve More Than 70% in SSC board exams... The train halted with a jolt... I came back to reality. Got down at the station and rushed to school to see the anxious faces of my friends.... Hoards of 16 year olds, unable to withstand the pressure were trying to behave normal. We were let inside, every passing moment gripped me with a weird feeling. Inside, we were called out by our roll # on the hall ticket. "E-188669!", the teacher yelled. I went to the podium with my heart beating faster and louder with every single step... The teacher held out the mark-sheet... She dint even look at me.. Even I dint care. All I wanted to do was snatch that damn thing off her hand and look at the result of my 'PERFORMANCE' of the entire year...

I prayed - one last time - and looked at the mark-sheet, it was a whopping 78.13% Honestly I was NOT really expecting these marks... My papers had really gone PATHETIC to get those marks.. 75% being an above average score, I had scored ABOVE the above average limit... I was very happy... Turns out that I scored well because of languages.. Later I got to know that I had stood FIRST in English subject in the entire school and it definitely was a big thing for me! I rushed home with some sweets to let Mum, Dad and Tais know that I was ELIGIBLE to be a part of the Science stream of a decent college...


Parents were probably expecting more out of me so they gave their career best performance in acting proud! Both the Tais were excited that I dint let the family TOO down... Ashwini Tai promised to spend the whole next day with me discussing my career options and I slept like a LOG thinking about the new venture of my life called - COLLEGE...

A. Naik -- Caught & Bowled H. Parikh -- 26 (26)

  4th July is celebrated as Independence Day here in Red-Blue-White Country where US citizens celebrate their FREEDOM... But my dear friend chose this day to celebrate his Life Sentence... Yes - My pal of a decade Mr. Aditya Naik or as we fondly call him Sade Bara (12:30), is more than happy to surrender himself in the embrace of the deadliest phenomenon happening in a Guy's life... No points to guess... He's getting engaged...

I remember the year 2007 (which was my first trip to India) when a fine evening, Naik, Avi (Another Fellow Antonian) and I were taking long walks near Naik's place in Vakola... We were discussing the usual fun stuff when Naik suddenly went,

Naik: Guys I want to let you know something.

Avi: What happened man? U into Drugs or something...


(Knowing that Naik wud not even touch a PAPER ciggie, let alone a real one, I figured that this had to be something of a personal mishap!)

Akki: Dude r u in LOVE or what???

Naik: I dunno how to say this... But kinda I am....

Avi: Duh.. and whose the 'GUY' ?

Akki: Avya...I think he's serious... Naik Bol re..

Naik: Well, She's my roomie at Dallas.... and we stay together...

Akki: What? wow dude.. so u already in a LIVE-IN relationship huh... Score man!

Naik: No man... she duz not even know about this... and just so u know - we 4 share a room, Bhide n I in one and Navya and Hinal share another!

Avi: So who happens to be YOUR Love interest???

Naik: Its Hinal... Hinal Parikh... and we are really very very good friends... Its been the first time in my life that I am so comfortable being MYSELF in front of her...

( This was so true... Naik being a LOYAL ANTONIAN for almost 1/4th of his HALE 'N HEARTY life, anything remotely female was like a burning charcoal in hand for Naik... You take it in hand only when you are forced to and You can't hold it for more than 3 sec... I was very happy that finally Naik had come out of his Antonian Genre and started to live life like a NORMAL guy! )

Avi: OK... So when r ya gonna tell her?

Naik: I never will...

Akki: What? Why? What's the problem man?

Naik: Methinks their family won't allow us and probably its not even the right time... I  haven't even graduated, I dunno wen would I get a job... Probably she might even get married before I m capable to stand on my own feet!

Whoooooooooooooooooshhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh... Time flew...
So it was that day and it is TODAY that I have received Naik n Hinal's personal invitation card to attend the C-day of their life! (Wedding being the D-day... This is one step less.. Lol). Both Naik n Hinal had to go thru a lot of ordeal to make things happen the way they wanted, Thats why I really SALUTE their LOVE for each other and its prowess to stay with each other in times of both joy n sorrow...



I wish both of them all the good things in LIFE and May God bless them... Yeh Baat aur hai ki, when we all Antonians meet up on July 4th, Naik is gonna be our SCAPEGOAT as usual... That's a tradition... I m so excited to see that day!!!

LONG LIVE ANTONIANS!!!
 

Ekal Concert @ Houston!

I had performed at the Ekal Vidyalaya Chapter of Houston in Feb 2010... It was after a long time (My last performance was in Atlanta, GA in Feb 2008..... So it was nearly 2 years that I had not performed in front of a live audience!!!!) that I got this amazing three-fold opportunity:

  1 - To perform in front of a huge croed (Almost a 1000!!)  

  2 - The gig was in Houston so I could get to meet my Good Ol' Pals of my Good Ol' Masters Era...
   3- 'Twas a sponsored trip from LA to Houston so no pennies were shelled off my own pocket (ugghh... I know...pretty cheap thought... huh... But staying in LA is tuff folks!)

My concert was amazing... 'Dost Loga' from Houston, grabbed the front seat in the auditorium to cheer for me... They definitely did a great job... I started my introductory song with the Hit Qawwali of the 1970s, the Laxman-Pyarelal masterpiece - 'Pardah Hai Pardah' from Amar Akbar Anthony... Its been my signature song., or so i believe.. I love performing this song in front of a live audience, I make'em clap, sing and dance with me... and the whole credit goes to the composition itself... Dexter Raghunanan on Tabla, Kamal Haji on Keyboard and Ramesh on Guitar was a lethal combination which helped me make my introduction a huge success.


.
Thus, I sang quite a few songs one after another. Especially 'Kuhu Kuhu Bole Koyaliya' being just out of the blue owing to Uma Mantravadi - The self-proclaimed 'SENIOR-MOST' singer in the group... I too did believe her until she opened her mouth to sing... Well, she; most definitely was the SENIOR-MOST singer by AGE and that's it! Then I went on to sing 'Laaga Chunari Pe Daag' which was also a huge hit of its time.. immortal even today! Unbelievably, but true, the concert went on for 4 hrs straight with 0 people bored! That IS an achievement guys!!



Some days later, my friend happened to search my name on Google, (Ya.. that is our fav TP as we are thrilled to see our name come up under Google!!) this link on VOICE OF ASIA newspaper showed up covering the Ekal Concert!!! I'd love to share the article with u guys... I SO loved it... I hope so u will too!

Feeling Nostalgic...

I just remembered the time when I was in school and there were way too many things that Mum n Dad and my sisters wanted to me to do... Surprisingly I was a known face in school as a 'GOOD BOY' for teachers, a 'GOOD FRIEND' for my guy friends, 'A STUPID MONITOR' for girls and last but not the least... 'THE BOY WHO COULD SING!!!' Come some 'free lecture' and Teachers used to say, "C'mon Akshay, come to the podium and sing a song for all of us..." As soon as this 'recurring' dialog ended, this was the time to have a look at a variety of expressions on the faces of my classmates...


My friends.. or true friends... very enthusiastically cheered for me for a time - since I got up from my 'FIRST BENCH' till the time I reached the teacher's podium... Some girls who used to have a fancy for me (Blusshhhinnggggg... huh?... Ya there were a few.. I ain't kiddin'...) used to share a smirk with me from their benches.... The 1 girl that I used to like, used to take her 'ALGEBRA' textbook out and start solving the 'D-Group Problems...', (hhmmmppffff)... Guys which deliberately turned a deaf ear to my 'Oh! So Soothing Music', would start playing their unfinished Book Cricket Game! Amidst all this, defying all laws of ethics, here I was standing tall on the podium besides the teacher singing my signature song which was a 1950 HIT from 'Chalti Ka Naam Gaadi' --> 'Ek Ladki Bheegi Bhaagi Si' Believe it or not, I sang this song for 10 years in school... every single time my teachers called me to sing on stage...


But then there were a few times when I had made my school proud when I bagged a 2nd position at 'All India Original Light Music' competition organised by State Bank of India in the year 1997-98... This song penned down by Baba and composed by Baba and Pt. Arun Kashalkar together... This is one of Baba's best work according to me...


Thought of sharing this wonderful lyrics with all...


त्या जाहल्या चुकांची, मागितली क्षमा मी
उमजे मनास आता माफीस पात्र ना मी || धृ ||

शिक्षा असेल एक अक्षम्य त्या गुन्ह्याची
अज्ञातवास मजला संपर्क ना तुझ्याशी
भाळावरी मिरवीते हे दुःख वंचनेचे
मज यातना मिळाव्या, हे सूत्र संचिताचे || १ ||

देवा दयाघनाला करिते विनंती एक
हे दुःख साहण्याची पदरात घाल भीक
इतुके असून तरीही नाही मनात किंतु
तुज सौख्य मात्र लाभो, मनी हाच एक हेतू || २ || 

Mala Atyanta Awadlela Babanche Ek Kavya!!!

ती अमावसेची रात  माल आठवते

रस्त्यवर कोणी चिटपाखरू ही नव्हते...

गडगडाट होता मेघांचा अवकाशी

अन वीज लखाके भेदून त्या तीमिराशी...

जरी ओळखीची ती होती पाउलवाट

तरी मनात होते भीतीचे सावट...

धडधडे ह्रदय अन थिजून गेली वाचा

तरी मनात होतो करीत जप रामाचा...

अन एक अचानक वीज अशी चमचमली

मज ओले ती सुंदरी अवचित दिसली...

थंडीने थरथर कापत होती काया

असहाय्य होवुनी निघे जवळ यावया...

कर करांत गुंफून जवळ तिला घेतले

आधारांवर अलगद आधार तिचे टेकले...

बर्फा सम होता थंडगार निश्वास

अन शारीर अवघे जणू शीलेचा भास...

अन एक अचानक वीज अशी लखलखली

नव्हती ती तरुणी एक हडळ मज दिसली...

माने भोवती करपाश तिने करकचला

अन कळले मजला यम दाराशी आला...

ओठांतून फुटली आर्त एक खिंकाली

ऐकून घरातून बायको धावत आली...

गदगदा हलवूनी केले मजला जागे

अन कळले मजला स्वप्नची उरले मागे...

<माझे बाबा - श्री. अशोक अणावकर ह्यांनी लिहिलेली एक कविता...>

Mumbai - From a different Angle >

Normally if there is some free time between work, (This particular instance is way too hypothetical to be discussed  ;-)) I rummage through old snaps of the Maximum City - Mumbai... It gives me a feeling of immense pleasure and content and my mind wanders back in time to have a clean, less crowded and a happy Mumbai...

It would be hard to fathom the fact that even after staying in Mumbai for over 2 decades, I got to know the 'REAL' Mumbai thru snaps on the internet.. (Shame on ya ... Akki)... Well, you gotta believe this thing that Mumbai to a commoner is just 'Making in time to the railway station so that he does not miss out on his '8:37 FAST'.. I still don't know why Train timings are never rounded off to a full 5 minute... I have never come across a train timing like 8:30 or 7:00 or 9:45... Never.. On the other hand, the elite class of Mumbai worry a lot about the stinking band at 'Jazz by the Bay' and how it ruined their well planned romantic evening! The worst part is - the two scenarios explained above are totally hidden for each other... I mean.. a commoner would not even know what Jazz By The Bay is similar to an elite who thinks, Who freaking needs a a train, when I own a chauffeur-driven Rolls Royce?

But between these two extremes, its one category that  gets to know a little about whole if Mumbai - 'The Tourist'... Every day the rising sun in the city looks at hoards of people outside of Mumbai, coming in as tourists.. be it an Indian or a foreigner, this city has a lot to offer to anyone and everyone under the sun! So I decided to view Mumbai thru an eye of tourist and guess what - A wonderful city unfolded itself for me like never before... This city of which I have been an integral part of for almost 23 years of my life showed me things I dint even know... Unfortunately, it was only thru the e-medium... Starting with its history of 7 different islands to a metro that it is today, I gulped up all the information on it totally awestruck with pride!

So I have decided that in my next trip to Mumbai (albeit it being my Home city),I am gonna enjoy this beauty thru a tourist's eye and come back loaded with utmost content, pride and refreshed mind....

Start of My Day... ummm..Not so good!

It's a new day... a Monday... pronouncing a hectic week.. But nonetheless, its the 'Shree Ganesha' of a new week, so its time to decide something and 'TRY' to stick to it for a while!!

So from today, I'll update my blog on a regular basis... I know, I know, I have promised this since ages... But works' hectic, blah, blah, blah... The list continues..

Well Monday's kick start was not that favorable... I hate it when Navin's car (My roomie) is parked at the back of mine... that means taking his car out first, then pulling back mine and again parking his car in his parking slot zeroes down to a waste of at least 15 min of valuable morning time, and especially when I am running late, it sux BIG time... So today was one of those days!

In spite of all this superhuman tasks, I managed to reach office at 5:15 am (Yesss... its definitely NOT a typo... ) and started running  those 'neverending' reports, and heaved a sigh of relief as the time to print those came closer... But guess what, paper got jammed, printer started to make weird, squeaky noises and job failed to print..... AAArrggghhhhhhh.. Could my day BE any more horrible???.... well it can get worse... but u know... err.. ahem.. every stupid problem, seems like a mammoth when u know that u ain't gonnna beat or merely meet ur deadline! But finally after a long session of using my 'NOT_A_VERY_ENGINEERY' brain, I somehow managed to pull that damned jammed paper out of the printer to make it work and by God's grace and a li'l bit of serendipity, the reports were out just in time!!

So to sum it all up, the day didn't start great... I hope to end it with a ear-to-ear smile... Atleast ya'll have a fantastic day ahead...

Welcome the Monday! 

Dream of Composing...

I have started to learn guitar on my own... and just yesterday I gave my first solo performance (Albeit with extremely limited knowledge of strumming the six strings!) in front of a chunk of decent audience (not more than 15...) For whatever reasons, it gave me a very strong will to pursue my guitar playing on a professional front... which might be my first step to pursue my dream of composing...

I have learnt traditional hindustani classical music for a while now, tried my hand at Tabla, mouth organ, keyboard and guitar. I do have composed a few tunes which sound like they are directly lifted from some pre-existing hit numbers, if not, then they are so very unattractive... But its nothing to lose to keep trying...ennit??

My Dad keeps composing tunes, for his own penned down lyrics... (How I wish I was as talented as him...) and I have never ever managed to fathom the fact that he is so spontaneous at composing despite being an untrained musician... Maybe he's just gifted...

I will try too and some day come up with at least 1 tune which will be original and soothing 'to the ears' and 'for years... '

After a Long Time!!

I am really pissed at myself for not continuing to post on my BLOG.. "DON'T HAVE TIME" is now way too common and absolutely UNREASONABLE excuse... I remember someone telling me, "Abey Saale.... Obama Ke paas bhi 24 ghante hai aur tere paas bhi.. Woh un 24 hrs mein daily desh chalata hai... tujhe kyon time nahi hai be?"

This really made me think.. so I sat down to writing a new post on my blog... Then I realize that the reason why I write so sporadically is cuz I don't have a topic to write about on my Blog... Now again the question.. do u really have to have a topic in mind to start a post?? Not really.. So here I go.. I have already completed 2 paras of the post... But by now the readers (if there are any!!! ) must have realized that the content of this post aren't goin' newhere!!!

But what the heck... I have started the post.. and this chunk of random words collected together which is given a name of yet another post on the blog; inspires me to write something different (not necessarily interesting...) on the next posts to come...

Kewl.. I like me...

My First Buh-Day away from Bharat Mata....

Well Well Well stepping into the 25th year of my Life meant a lot to me as i now believe that I am done with the process of enjoying 1/3rd of my Life.... (Hoping that I stay alive for a century... hah thats too much an expectation from life... )

Actually this blog has been a draft for a lot more than an year now... But I have those memories so very fresh in ma mind that I can continue writing this blog wih the same zest and excitement that I had when I started to write it..

The highlight of my buhday was a home made cake by my beloved sis Anju, My bestest friend Megha and all other culinary experts of 2058 (Ammu, Chujju, Meera) The pic in the insight is that cake. (Un)Fortunately I share my buhday with this very blunt roomie of mine called Dhruv who always wants to be on the wrong side of the camera, but this time he had no choice.. He tried a lot to hide his unattractive face from the snappers but he wasn't that succesful on doin' so...

I was ruthlessly beaten (as always..) by ma fellow seniors (Skot and Sam taking the lead...) and made me wear my most fav shirt so that it can be smeared with cake, coke and what not..

But all in all it was a lot of fun... Way to go.. Dunno where wud I be on the next buhday... I miss u all and love u 2..

All 'RIGHT' Man!!!

Summer is here and lots of people have already planned picnics, trips and what not... and here I am stranded in Hottest place (strictly climatically....mind u!!!!!!) in the whole solar system... or atleast it seems to be like one... called "HOUSTON"!!!



To make matters worse I have one course in the summer semester called 'Systems Analysis and Design' the anagram of which ahappens to be S A D :( : ( : ( and I am not kidding the course IS undoubtedly SAD... Well and as if this was not enough, the instructor of this course is SADDER than the course itself.... (hahahahaha....tell me something new...will the MIS profs will ever be better???)

The difference between a normal person who can speak English and this prof is.... A normal person ends his/her statements with a period... this awesome guy ends every statement of his...mind u EVERY goddamn statement with the word 'RIGHT'!!! There is no good reason to do this but I personally feel that he tries to look cool everytime he utters that word and fails miserably in the whole venture of impressing his students with his stupid talks...

I just pray that this course gets over pretty soon so that I can swear not to take any of his courses in the future....

All 'RIGHT' guys... so that's all from me...right?? C u..right?? Ok then keep reading ma blogs..right?? (See how irritating it gets after only 3 'RIGHT's..I have suffered a whole 3 hr lecture...right??? OOOOOOOpppppsssss...) So b4 u guys bash me lemme end this blog.... right????

I Scream, You Scream, We All Scream.... For an Icecream!!!

Well the punchline of this blog of mine gives u an insight in ma new off campus job here in Clear Lake... Guys I am the Icecream Man.... Summer is here and I got the opportunity to work in the appropriate place to earn some extra Moolah... I am working as a Cream Boy in America's most famous and best icecream shoppe called the 'Marble Slabs Creamery'

Its an amazing place to work coz of the following reasons:
a) Hot Chicks in Hotter Shorts walk in at a rate of 3 per minute.
b) Make a TIP of almost $15 in a shift of 3-4 hrs... Thats truly some BIG bucks...
c) I love making various types of icecream with wierd toppings and mixings...
d) Get to eat loads of it once done with the work.
e) Got a free t-shirt and a cap!!
f) Never go home dissappointed.



I love ma new found jobs and I think I am gonna continue it even after ma graduation...(I'll be working legally then...hhhhahhahhhahha). So once again..Summer is here and I am ur man... Drop into Marble Slabs at the Bay Area Boulevard and get a free Icecream if I know u by any chance... Njoi the Summer!!!!

A day in a man's life....

Guys this is gonna be my first post in ma blog.... Though I am completely unaware of what I am gonna write here I am sure that its gonna be something which u readers will like!! (Hhehehehe HIGH HOPES!!) Well something which I am gonna write here is about 'TODAY' and this is the day which comes atleast once in every man's life!!! Well there are some unfortunate people who do not get this happiness of being the part of 'TODAY' but thats fine...

For me 'TODAY' was a very very very special day... and there are more than one reasons to why I say this.. My exams got over and thats the END of the 2nd Semester here in US which makes me feel more close to being in India, secondly I had some time to spoil myself by getting up really late with absolutely no tensions in mind and lastly..I ahve to scream and say this.... I bought my FIRST car of my OWN "Khoon Pasine ki Kamai". I am so damn excited about it that I can't stop thinking about her!!

Its a White Honda Civic (Ek typical Desi Student ki gaadi!!!) , Manual Transmission, Sedan and its a real cutie... I spent more than half of my precious times and energy looking through cars on craigslist and was very frustrated coz of not finding a right one!! But this baby of mine came to real easy and I am not gonna let her go so easily!!!

Well I am very very happy about this new beauty coming into my life and i am gonna cherish this day [(05/06/07) -->> Check out the date!!] forever... Long live my CAR.....Vvrrrrooooommm!!!