baby shower....and the thoughts!

What a day it was! Kruti's baby shower....I, in fact we, were quite normal when we woke up...It seemed like any other Sunday. The only thing on our minds was that there are people coming home and then we take them forlunch after the puja.

But as the time started nearing both of us were quite excited. Kruti started dressing up in her saree from 0815 in the morning. it took about 45 mins for her to get dressed. I had a qucik bath at 0930. Devan came in at 1030 sharp and within another 20mins, thompy, Manish and Pratik also came in with their respective spouses.
We began the vidhi at @ 11 and it was over in 10 mins. We then served everyone custard and then we went off for lunch...had a gala time....

...while all this was going on...there seemed some conversation goin on within me. It was as if unknowingly I was talking with me inside. I don't know what it was all about. It was just that I kept feeling that something big is going to happen to our life. We are going to get a new permanent guest..a little one...somone we have been longing for some time now...the center of our life...the stressbeater...the cutest person on this earth...the symbol of our family...
..and then I also get the feeling....am I really ready for the responsibility..Yes....but am I capable to take the responsibility? Will I be a good Father? Will I be able to provide him/her with the best things in life? Will we be able to raise our child in his/her best interests?

Its a lot of confusion...and joy...mixed feelings...I really don't know how to express myself...I myself don't know what I am thinking....I am just waiting for that great day when our bundle of joy will arrive in this world and I'll hold him/her in my arms..sing songs to her...take her to sleep...show him/her the world....make him/her the most noble, responsible and respected citizen of the world. May god bless the baby with the best of health and intelligence....

Beautiful poem...nostalgic!

oh lord! punish these terrorists!!!

Last weekend was ghastly and ghory to say the least....17 serial bomb blasts in Amdavad...more than 45 people killed. What the heck!!!
Can someone even call these terrorists  animals..forget calling them humans....

The worst part was blowing off an explosive ladden car outside the trauma ward of the civil hospital...now what kind of a person would he be? What kind of pervert mindset these terrorists have?

My heart goes out to the families who have lost their dear ones...for no fault of theirs..for no fault of anyone....justa  sinster design to create havoc in  the country.

Its high time God takes an avtaar and guide us vanquish these demons....I really hope that Gujarat police at least cracks the case and all those behind the blasts are punished severly..hanged in public...or lynched by the people of Amdavad...thats the only way to teach these bastards a lesson....

some self made shers..

ungliyon pe ginte hai khushiyon ko apni,
ab chodo bhi...gham ka kya hisaab karna...

izhaar na kar paaye khud se kabhi gham-e-daasta apni,
teri yaadon ne kambakht ghamo ka bhi gala ghont diya.

sukun-e-saahil paane ko zehmat uthayi hamne
kya jaante the saahil se takra ke bikhregi kashti apni

kar diya kaafir iss sachche musalmaan ko
masjid mei bhi ab to teri bandgi karta hun

Hamaam mei sab nange hain!

Indian Politics is more dramatic than any bollywood movie or any Ekta Kapoor soap. Ekta shows the protaganists in her serials having multiple affairs/marriages/confused kids/betrayal/murder and what not....still it didn;t match the last 2 weeks in Indian politics.

Polticians are strange bedfellows and when the adjective "Indian" is added, these politicians are even stranger. Wow! People trying to screw each other for years suddenly are cosy(Congress and SP)...people screwing another group for 4.5 years suddenly wants to screw someone else(Left) and that someone else is always ready to be screwed (Mayawati) and in turn screw the whole country. The BJP is confused..whether to screw someone or get screwed!

And finally what happens(on the day of Vote of Confidence..July 22 2008) is everyone get screwed and everyone gets to screw someone...resulting in the people of the country getting ROYALLY screwed and nailed......protitutes alleging that pimps are screwing them with huge amounts of money and some prostitutes who do get smaller amounts show it to all the prostitutes. The pimps (read likes of Amar Singh and Ahmed Patel, media etc.) enjoy the show......and in the brothel everyone is alleging that the other person screwing him/her......as they say "Hammam mei sab nange hain"

I am not a subject matter expert on Nuclear energy or foreign affairs, but I do know one thing...if 51% support something (not neccessarily for the merit of it but just to oppose the rest 49%) and 49% oppose it...it has to be handled in a better manner. 1 thing is sure from this drama..whoever called Mannu a clean gentle and honest person...go wash ur face...he dropped his pants as soon as he go a chance...hammam mei sab nange hain..

...yet the country goes on with an autopilot for some more time....we will get to elect another set of 545 prostitues and pimps after 3-4 months...now it is up to us whether we elect a prostitute, a pimp or a real MAN!..till then keep bathing...hamaam mei sab nange hain!

Some new Development

Well! There is some new development on work front. I am moving out of my current project in which I worked for 2 years. I have never worked so long on any single project, but this I did as after spending a year I got a chance to work as a PM. It was good experience.

During the feedback I had already conveyed my preference for an onsite assignment. It seems things are moving towards that. And that too in Devan's project. If the client does give a nod then I think things will move pretty fast and I'll have to elave next month.

I hope it happens...for the good....I am sure it will...I see omens for it and it seems the language of the world currently...tried last month and immediately succeding? Talk about beginner's luck!!!!! Right Mr. Paulo Coelho?

Finally the dog bites....

...but that too when the person to be bitten was away in Japan and the remedy for the bite had already been created...poor commies...
And then there is the evergreen...flip flop "Cycle" mounted Mulayam and the verbal diahorrea suffering Amar Singh who are more than eager to lend their support to the Congress with reasons devoid of even -100% of principles or logic.

Don't worry my countrymen, the weakest PM with the worst government ever is going to stay in power for another 6 months...they are still thirsty of our blood so be ready to be drained out...because whether u have any blood left in you or not 1 thing is sure these guys have no shame left in them...

I have read that God takes birth on earth as an AVTAAR when there is too much of dishonesty and "PAAP" on the earth and HE feels he needs to come and clean that off by getting rid of the villains like a Ravana or a Duryodhana or a Hiranya or a Parshuram....
I sometimes wonder.....after reading all about Ravan and other mythological villains...they were not as bad as we have these days...Even Ravana had his principles..he didn't touch Mata Sita against her wishes...Duryodhan followed the principles of war...so why is GOD not taking an Avtaar now?

This govt has destroyed everything...violence in J&K is up again and may reach the level of the mid 80s as per experts. The govt has broken the whole social fabric..pitching 1 community against the other and creating divides between religions and inside the religion too...there could not be a more devastating govt. I dont know what is going to happen if someone else comes into power next time but I just hope that the social fabric is not broken..I am ready for a slow progress..but not enemity between people...

Rest In Peace Sam Bahadur!

The first active Field Marshall of the Indian Army, Sam Hormusji Framji Jamshedji Manekshaw is active no more. The nonagenarian took his last breath on 27th June 2008 at a Military Hospital in Wellington, Tamil Nadu at the age of 94.

He was a hero in the 2nd world war and was decorated right in the battle field. Fighting on the Burma front against the Japanese in 1942, Manekshaw was almost pronounced dead when brought to Rangoon hospital with nine bullets in the lung, liver and kidneys. The military surgeon was reluctant to operate seeing the hopeless condition even though Sam was just about conscious. The surgeon asked what had happened to him. Sam replied: “Oh, a donkey kicked.” The surgeon decided that if a soldier could have such a sense of humour at that critical hour, he must operate to save him. Sam survived androse to become India's eighth army chief.

Best remembered for his authoritarian (some call it rebel like) stand on the Indo-Pak war in 1971, he was aman of conviction. No one can forget how he stood up to Indira Gandhi (then the Prime Minister in 1971) when she had called a cabinet meeting to declare a war on Pakistan in April 1971. In front of the cabinet Sam Bahadur rebuked her giving the reason that in April with the snow melting he could not advocate that risk when even China was a threat, and stood firm. After the cabinet meeting he politely asked Mrs. Gandhi "When should I send you my resignation letter?"

The resignation never happened, Indira trusted the General and made him time the war which happened in December 1971 after some really careful planning and intelligence operations by RAW and Indian Military in the then East Pakistan (now Bangladesh). Sam Bahadur went into the war with his own conditions and with the PM's trust and came out triumphant in 14 days flat. This was the first convincing Military victory for India in ages. It resulted in splitting of Pakistan and the surrender of some 90000 odd Paki troops.

Indira had asked Manekshaw to go to Bengal and oversee the surrender. Sam famously refused to go allowing the chief of Eastern Command General Jasjit Arora to have that honour. He said that he will go only if the entire Paki army surrendered. He won the hearts of one and all in the military and every Indian. This war was the most defining moment in Indian military history and his illustrious career.

So was the popularity of the decorated hero that Indira once asked him if he was planning a coup. To this he famously replied pointing to his long nose "I do not poke my nose in others' matters"

 

I do not know when we will get another Sam Bahadur, but the legacy he has left will surely inspire many young Indians to follow his foosteps in the years to come.

I, an Indian, salute you sir. Thanks for all you did Sir! Good bye...rest in peace!
Jai Hind

 

Reference: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Columnists/Tarun_Vijay_Saluting_Sam_Bahadur/articleshow/3179920.cms

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sam_Manekshaw

The Secret of Life

Secret of Life

Today is the beginning of my new Life
I am starting over Today
All good things are coming to me today
I am Grateful to be Alive
I see Beauty all Around Me
I live with Passion And Purpose
I take Time to Laugh and Play Everyday
I am Awake Energized and Alive
I Focus on All the Good Things in Life
And give Thanks For Them
I am At Peace and One With Everything
I Feel the Love, the Joy, the Abundance
I am Free to be Myself
I am Magnificence in the Human Form
I am the Perfection of Life
I am Grateful to be ......... ME!
Today is the Best Day of My Life!!!

Source: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SHBOMiM9ozs

A decade of belief! A decade of Teamwork! Rincon!

Last Saturday Rincon India Solutions Pvt. Ltd completed a decade of successful existence. An idea that led to the creation of a company with probably 4 people on board (I guess it was Kanumama, Manish, Yogesh and Harshad)...not many might have thought that it would grow so much in a decade...specially since it was new (and in India, and undiscovered) field and the people who started it were not even from the same domain...but it was bold..courageous step that was bound to yield results.

The teamwork at Rincon is an example. I have not seen such a cohesive team..I mean I know the core team like Harshad, Hitesh, Bhavesh along with Vidya and Shankar...and they contributed equally in making the organization grow. Hats off to them too!

It must have been a ride full of roughs, I am sure...but probably today Manish and Mama must be feeling quite satisfied. I know they still have a hunger for more...and thats probably what keeps them going...I wish them all the very best...! As Mama keeps saying "Together we can! Together we will!" I have no doubt that the growth will be phnominal in the next 4-5 years and Rincon will go places! Amen!

Good News! Officially!

Well! What can "good news" be in India after marriage? Its the same...yes..I will be a dad in December...I just can't believe it..its going to be God's biggest and unarguably God's biggest and happiest gift I have ever got or will ever get. Can't be more happy! :D

Well this weekend was crazy. Saturday morning PApa-Mumy arrived at 0530hrs...we kept talking till 8 and then went to Samartheshwar temple from where I dropped Papa to his Conference venue. At home we again talkeda nd talked. Wanted to tell Bhartimami to inform

Manish and PAuravibhabhi about the good news. When we called they were all at Matunga Gymkhana for a party to celebrate 10 years of Rincon..a truly great achievement. So didn't talk then.

Around 4pm we picked up PApa and went to meet Pune gang who all had come to Nishitmama's surprise bday bash. I was all the more interested in meeting Ria and seeing Zara. Ria is still the same...extremely cute...very thin and still weighs 13 kg..the last I saw her in 2006 she was probably 11.5kg..wow!!! thats some gain ..hehehe...but I was happy to meet all of them.

Mummy informed Rekhabhbhi there and she suddenly came out of the room (Meenal, Nehal, and the 2 of us were sitting in the hall) and started singing "mere ghar aayi ek nanhi pari"...and then hugged kruti...meenal and nehal immediately realised what it meant...nehal to started crying...she was very happy....it was a good senti moment for all of us....and then it was fun all the way...

In the evening Manish called and congratulated and so did Pauravibhabhi. Manish was so so happy. It means a lot to me to see him happy..for me brothers are pranav and manish....
anyways...it was a good chat..as usual manish kept on teasing kruti and as always she handed over the phone to me!!

For dinner we went to Rajwadu..it was get together for all the block members of our Block E in Indraprasth-II. We had a good time...only negative was that it was toooo hot and toooo humid...but still enjoyed....

એક નાનકડો પ્રયત્ન! A small try!

એક ઝાડ, એક ડાળખી, એક પાંદળું, એક ફૂલ
એક દરિયો, એક કીનારો, એક વ્હાણ, એક લંગર
એક પત્થર, એક ઓરડો, શ્રધ્ધા, એક મંદીર
એક શબ્દ, એક સ્વર,એક રાગ એક ગીત

એક ઈંટ, એક ભીંત, બે જણ, એક ઘર
એક તું, એક હું, એક મન, એક જીવન

- Kashyap Shah

29th May 2008

Death! The End!

I know what you are saying. "So boringly philosophical". Well can't help it.
My friend Saumil's mother passed away yesterday. Chhapia came to my desk and told me that he just got a call from Saumil and that Saumil was inconsolable. Well, it is natural. Mother is a person irreplaceable...its a vacuum that their absence create..I can't imagine what must be going through Saumil and his family's minds at such this point.

Chhapia, Keyur, Gupta and Jatin left early to go to his home. I got down at High Court where Devendra picked me up and we went to Saumil's place. It was sure gloomy. Saumil and his brother had not yet arrived from the hospital. We prayed for the departed soul and then sat outside waiting for him. He and his brother came at around 8pm. We met him. He explained that she was on life support for the last 10 days or so and in coma. We all knew that she had a health problem and it was not small..but none of us knew it was this serious. She had suffered 2 massive heart attacks 1 after the other.

We sat there for some time with him and his family. Personally, I have never realised what to speak in such a situation. Words of consolation won't repair his loss, nor will he be in any such mindset where he would understand things. Speaking just for the sake of it is something I don't like. We all sat silently.

Today morning we all went to the smashaan for the cremation. Saumil was inconsolable today too. But I guess he will come to terms. God has given this excellent ability to humans to "forget". He would surely not forget his mother. But the loss is gradually forgotten...or rather the effect of the loss is gradually forgotten and thats probably what keeps us humans going.

More than Saumil I also feel for his father. Saumil has begun his life. He just got engaged..he will get married sooner or later. He will have his family and will get busy with it...thats how it should be. But his father? He has lost his soulmate...probably his only companion in his last years..what must he be going through? I dread of being alone...can't even imagine it...my heart goes out for him...I sincerely pray to God to bless him and give him enough strength to wade through this most destructive event in his life. Amen!

"increment" weekend!!!!

The D-Day is here. What a Friday it was. It is increment season all around and so it is in my company. Since last 2 weeks or so, there have been "lay-offs" from my company. They are actually reuqest resignations by all low performers..the lowest in their bands, not all but some percentage, which I am not aware of. Although funny, but I had this strange feeling grip me in those last 2 weeks that am I on the line too???!!!! I know my past performace was more than good and even in 2007 it has not been bad. It may not have been to the mark as would be execpected from my deisgnation, still it wasnt less than average by any means. Initially I didn't sound the tension to anyone but that I talked about it to Kruti and Devendra and both rubbished my thoughts. The fact that it was a client visit here and my boss was extremely busy, made matters worse. He had not time to take feedbacks and I was getting tensed. Finally Friday noon we started getting news that the increment letters were being released. Initial news came from another BU to which Devendra belongs..the news weren't encouraging though. We all knew that the increments were not going to be too good this time, but didnt know how bad. My letter didn't come. On my way home in the bus, I got a call from Chhaps that Keyur had got a 30% increment. I was happy for him. 1 year into the job and this is a good achievement. Upon reaching home, I started getting restless. My letter was not appearing. A collegue called and told me that she had got an increment of just 5k. Devendra also got similar hike...Devendra was senior to me and bhairavi joined with me.... I got really tensed...Kruti kept encouraging me. Then at @ 9pm I saw my letter...increment of 8500/-..about 15% hike....good considering the industry situation and considering that others in my band weren't getting too good hikes either....so was happy. Went out with Kruti at 2330hrs for a drive...was happy so had to celebrate. We went around for sometime and got a masala paav packed. Then also got a alu-mutter sandwich packed for kruti from her favourite Purohit. Went to sleep around 2am. Saturday morning I had booked tickets for Mere Baap Pehle Aap movie at Red Lounge in Cinemax. What a pain the movie was. How can they call it a comedy. It was plain waste of time and money. We were so huingry as had eaten nothing at all. Kruti was weak so decided to go to Grand Bhagwati for buffet lunch. I like buffets as it has a lot of salads and I can take whatever I want. I usually want to avoid punjabi and I can do that in buffets. We enjoyed th buffet and then went home and slept like pigs for 2-3 hours till Pranav called..thankfully...India was going to lose to Pakistan in the Final in Bangladesh and anywas I was not interested anyways. Sunday was an ok day. Got up late at 9am and then wathced TV. Had biryani for lunch and it was really good. In the evening we decided to attend a Khadayta function. It was a Nadia Khadayta function and PRavinfua was actively involved, so didnt want to disappoint him. He was instrumental in publishing a directory of Nadiad Khadayta people living in Amdavad. Its a good descriptive directory. Food was ok...anywas didnt want to have much outside food. Went to bed around 1030pm as Monday se routine starts......

come on man!!!!!

My inner voice keeps telling me that I should do something to lose weight but since last few months, my mind wasn't listening...or may be not implementing. I put on some more weight in the last 6 months or so, and more than anyone else I know that it is not a good sign.

Thank Almighty, I started going to gym/walk since last week regularly. I get up at 0500 and am at the gym by 0540 hrs. I think I have made a resolve this time...God Willing.....I just hope I dont leave it in-between this time.
As Kruti keeps telling me, I won't get much time once December approaches and once baby is born there is no way I would be able to go to the gym, specially because we 2 stay alone here and it might become difficult to cook...but thats a far off thing...right now I have 5 months at least and even I lose 8-10 kgs in this time I would be good. And I know this is achievable. After all I lost nearly 15kgs in 5 months when I was in Jersey. I need to get into that state of mind. In Jersey I used to literally ENJOY my workouts and probably thats why I lost so much weight.

It seems establishing the goal and then enjoying the perseverance is what helps achieve the goal. All the last year or so I would keep thinking of and getting tensed about my weight and I cudnt do much about it. Whenever I would begin doing something I would think that its too late re! Cant do it!...all those damning negativities that I hate so much but have been unable to keep at bay. At least last 3-4 days that I have been to the gym, I've enjoyed the workouts and that I guess is a good sign. I weighed myself and will weigh myself again not before another 10 days at least.

Lets hope for the best! Insha-allah :)

What a day!

Yesterday..or rather yesternight came with some tension. Pranav (my brother in Bangalore who has just returned from US after speding 19 years there) had hired a driver through an agency and the driver had shown willingness to work directly for him. Now last evening Pranav got an sms that the agency wanted to proceed legally for breaching the contract...the contract does mention about paying up 15000/- in such a case. Well we learn from our mistakes..we didn't read the contract so closely. So now Pranav is going to let go off the driver and sort things out with the agency. Poor guy is being troubled with newer things everyday....hope things will straighten out soon enough...

I was tensed because of that..I don't kow why. I need to learn to calm myself specially things in which I have really no control at ALL! Worrying about these things would not solve things in any way and in fact increase health problems for me. So I better learn fast. The fact that Kruti is quite positive about things will make stuff easier for me!!! Lets hope so!

So finally Manish came back from US couple of days back after a much needed vacation for him and bhabhi and Kavya, specially in US with Parul...after almost 20 years of marriage Parul's dream of her brother visiting her home finally came true..the 4 weeks must have zoomed by but am glad the trip happened.
Kanumama and mami must be really happy to see Kavya after a month...hope they all enjoy....

Ciao!

What a day!

Yesterday..or rather yesternight came with some tension. Pranav (my brother in Bangalore who has just returned from US after speding 19 years there) had hired a driver through an agency and the driver had shown willingness to work directly for him. Now last evening Pranav got an sms that the agency wanted to proceed legally for breaching the contract...the contract does mention about paying up 15000/- in such a case. Well we learn from our mistakes..we didn't read the contract so closely. So now Pranav is going to let go off the driver and sort things out with the agency. Poor guy is being troubled with newer things everyday....hope things will straighten out soon enough...

I was tensed because of that..I don't kow why. I need to learn to calm myself specially things in which I have really no control at ALL! Worrying about these things would not solve things in any way and in fact increase health problems for me. So I better learn fast. The fact that Kruti is quite positive about things will make stuff easier for me!!! Lets hope so!

So finally Manish came back from US couple of days back after a much needed vacation for him and bhabhi and Kavya, specially in US with Parul...after almost 20 years of marriage Parul's dream of her brother visiting her home finally came true..the 4 weeks must have zoomed by but am glad the trip happened.
Kanumama and mami must be really happy to see Kavya after a month...hope they all enjoy....

Ciao!

1st Blog..is this good?

This is my first blog...I have apprehensions..how would it be? Is it really fun?
I used to write diaries some years back and religiously at that. Suddenly around 2005 I left writing my daily diary. Tried many times but could not continue...(have wasted so many diaries that my mom, and now my wife curse me...after all I would spoil the best available diary in the house.

Well, as is the case since quite some time now, not much work today in office and that sucks. Whatever work came after talking to Mike in the morning call, got completed by lunch time and since then have tried different ways of killing time....creating a blog being the last try! Hope I am successful.

Hope to continue this practice now at least! Amen!

1st Blog..is this good?

This is my first blog...I have apprehensions..how would it be? Is it really fun?
I used to write diaries some years back and religiously at that. Suddenly around 2005 I left writing my daily diary. Tried many times but could not continue...(have wasted so many diaries that my mom, and now my wife curse me...after all I would spoil the best available diary in the house.

Well, as is the case since quite some time now, not much work today in office and that sucks. Whatever work came after talking to Mike in the morning call, got completed by lunch time and since then have tried different ways of killing time....creating a blog being the last try! Hope I am successful.

Hope to continue this practice now at least! Amen!