When is the right time?

How to know when is the right time to do something? The obvious answer, you would never know. Why then, some people are more successful than others? That's a good question, but doesn't have a straight-forward answer.

There are the philosophical ones, and then there's the randomness theory. People who believe in the philosophy of being rewarded for their hard work, can't be wrong. Because there are no facts to prove or disprove this theory. And probably there would never be a proof.

But the ones like me, who believe in the randomness, are actually a lazy lot. Not all, at-least me. There are obviously people who think events in their life are random; still they are very hardworking.

I have my troughs and crests though. I wouldn't consider myself very hardworking, but when I do work hard, after an hour or so, I feel tired. There's so much going around which distracts me. The dogs are barking, the phones are beeping and the sleep fairy keeps knocking.

Sleepy now. Need to wake up early tomorrow. Its going to be one busy day.

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The Thought Series: Rickshaw puller

Image Courtesy: Wikipedia Commons

I always wonder, how other people think. Do they think the same way as I do, or differently.

Every action of ours, always has at-least a handful of thoughts that cross our minds. And sometimes, people just think without any reason. And smile. :)

And at times, our thoughts are too serious. Thinking is one of those things which we tend to do all the time. Doesn't matter whether you consider yourself clever or a fool, you still think.

Just like a person breathing, it doesn't matter if he has got a large pair of lungs, or a small one.

Ummm..... What am I thinking!!! Anyway, that doesn't really matter right now.

If I were a rickshaw puller, I would think: (Not in any specific order)

1. What a lovely cold morning!!! Let's just sleep for a few more hours. (Waking up on a winter morning)
2. I should get a new pair of chappals, when I have saved enough.
3. There should be more trees on the roads. (They can save me from the sun and the rains)
4. Ah!! This man is so heavy. My muscles are getting tired.
5. Nooooo. Not again!!! Have to re-fit the chain, and spread the grease all over myself.
6. I wish people driving motor vehicles would have more respect for others on the road.
7. Everyone is in a hurry. I think I have to sell off my rickshaw and buy an auto-rickshaw now.
8. I wish someone did something about the pot-holes on the road. Or may be I should install large shock absorbers on my seat and the 3 wheels.
9. That guy wants me to keep thousands in change for a ride which costs Rs. 20!!! Can't he see that I am a rickshaw puller!!!
10. Oh no!!! 5 people at a time!!! I am going to die today.
11. Ah!!! There comes an uphill road. :(
12. Ah!!! There comes a downhill road. :)

The Thought series: What do they think about? Why do they think  like that? Can I think like them? These thoughts are random, and are not fictitious. any resemblance to any person/thing/object living or dead is purely coincidental. However, if you would like to know, the only one responsible for this is "My Brain". And  please be careful not to harm "The Skull". It has no contribution, whatsoever, in this act.

The New Year Post

Ah!! this time I am late. Damn!! There were quite a few reasons. But, finally, this had to come.

Image source: Wikimedia commons

HAPPY NEW YEAR to you. :)

Not much happened when the year changed for me. I was at home, sitting idle, watching the TV. Everyone else at home was asleep. I was the only one at home, waiting for the new year. The date changed with no big bang. After that, I switched of the rooms lights, and got busy with the movie. At about half-past midnight, my phone rang.

"An unknown number". Must be someone from college, I thought. Without concentrating much on the caller, my eyes still focused on the TV, I answered the call while I lowered down the volume.

A girl answered.

She: "Hi, Happy New Year".... Come down, I am waiting for you.

She sounded very very familiar, and I almost instantaneously recognized her. She was Radhika, a friend from school. We weren't really great friends, and we probably hadn't talked for more than 10 years now. I wished her back, still trying to confirm if it was her.

Me: Hey, A very very Happy New Year to you. But, why are you here at this time?
She: Come down. I am shivering outside. We are going somewhere.

This was a mistake, I thought. It can never be her. Even if it were her, she wouldn't be here waiting for me in-front of my house. I got up from the chair, walked towards the window and looked down. I could see the shadow of a car below in the dark. I could also see a girl inside the car, although it was just her silhouette.

Me: Ummm. Wait. It's a mistake. Who is this by the way?
She: Come on. Be a sport. Let's go now. I am shivering.

Still confused, I thought of going down and getting a better view of the woman waiting inside the car. And then I heard a big loud horn. Startled, I almost trembled and closed my eyes.

The TV was still playing that movie, and I was on my chair. I had dozed off.

I never knew anyone called Radhika. Huh.... Just to be sure, I looked down from the window. The roads were empty, and even the car. This time, the street lights helped me look inside the car.

I wished if she were a bit more patient and not honked so loud.

Dreams. Our minds can be so imaginative. I am sure, if she wouldn't have honked, I would have celebrated the next year in my dreams as well. A whole year of thoughts, within a span of a few hours. That would have been fun.

Let bygones be bygones

I stay in Bangalore, a thousand miles away from my home, where I spent my childhood. When my mind is blank, and I am not thinking about work or anything else, I ponder over the past. I know those days will never come back, but to even re-live those moments with memories is truly nostalgic.

Recently, there have been a series of power failures in my area. "Damn it!!! @$#%3 @##@$ @#@$". No other thoughts come to my mind when the lights go off. When it starts raining, I curse the rain gods for the untimely downpours. Everything seems to have changed now.

We used to wait for the power cuts everyday when I was a child. Just before the scheduled power cuts, everyone could be seen getting ready with their snacks, water-bottles and other paraphernalia and walk up to the terrace. Those were the days when I learnt and actually saw the Pole star, the other constellations that we read in our Geography books. We talked about a lot of other things. About animals, birds, the moon and the sky. We talked about school. I miss those conversations. And I am sure that my parents miss that too.

When I was a child, I used to love the rains. I loved getting wet. Everytime it started raining, I made it a point that I had a good excuse before walking upto my Mom, for not using my raincoat. I enjoyed those summer days when it was a routine exercise for everyone to get rid of the mosquitoes every evening by burning mosquito repellants.

We also used to go for a walk after dinner, or played badminton right after our dinner during the winters. The Saturdays and the Sundays had a host of TV programs lined up for us, and everyone had a reserved place for him/her and nobody was late. We had only 1 television set and only 1 channel.

Sundays were really fun, when each vehicle in the house, including my bicycle had their weekly bath.

And now, I let my bike collect all the dust and mud until I give it away for servicing. I curse the mud and the overflowing drains when it rains. I use All-Out/Good Night to drive away those irritating mosquitoes. Even if it's not raining, I put on my jacket, just in case. I don't even remember when was the last time I looked up into the sky. I don't play badminton anymore. I keep on switching from channel to channel and end up watching nothing at all.

Sometimes, I feel sad about all these changes. But, you know what? There's an saying for everything.

"Let bygones be bygones"

Random post at midnight

Image courtesy: Wikimedia

I was talking to a friend today. He said, "People update their blogs only when they are sad and gloomy. When they are happy, why the heck would they want to sit in-front of their computers typing out their thoughts? Rather they would hang out with friends, have a beer, watch a movie and enjoy their nice time."


Well, I do agree.


I recently started a chain mail and added everyone on my contact list (at-least those I remembered). This time around, the response was pathetic. The last time we did a similar thing, Google had blocked my gmail account for a day stating that the limit of the number of mails that could be sent in a day was crossed. They said that I had sent more than 500 emails for that particular day.  

Dumb!!!!! 

This time, the chain hasn't even been able to collate even 15 links. That's understandable I guess. People have settled now. Some married, some too busy with work and some have perhaps forgotten their old friends. I am not complaining though. That day, I was a little low on work, so didn't know what to do. I was bored of Facebook and Twitter and then I remembered all my friends. :D

Valentine's Day checklist

Image Link (Wikipedia)

Ahem...14th Feb 2011, It's s big day. But unfortunately, it's a Monday. Damn it!!!!! 2 hours of traffic and 8 hours at work doesn't help. There are so many things to be done. I have a checklist of the things. Here they are...

• Take bath in the morning: This is the most important thing to be done tomorrow. To keep myself fresh throughout the day. I have got a new bottle of perfume, half of which will be emptied tomorrow morning.
• Get dressed: No one likes his/her partner to be dressed the usual way. It has to be different. Still thinking about what to wear tomorrow. I will use my wrist-watch tomorrow after a long long time.
• Message and Call her: Well, to start off, since it's a Monday tomorrow, you have to do this to make her feel special. Never forget this.
• Buy a rose and a card: Another day of the year (besides her birthday) when you should not even think of not getting her these. I am not a flower guy, but I think, for me, a card(big big) one will do the trick.
• Buy a gift: This is a must. It doesn't have to be pricey or big, but you have to get her a gift when you meet her for the first time on this day. If she is nice, she will understand your situation on a Monday, but not getting her a gift is a risk which you should avoid under any circumstances. You can live without a job, you will always find another one, but loosing a girl on the V-Day, it's terrible, considering the fact that nobody else would be free tomorrow.
• Book a table at a costly restaurant: If your girl-friend is a vegan, you will have a difficult time to find a nice decent place. You should have planned for this well before the V-Day. All the restaurants will be reserved for the day. So, plan accordingly. Another cheaper offer, which might just pamper your girl-friend even more, is to cook for her. She will definitely like it, for sure.
• Coffee at a costly coffee bar: Home made food for dinner is so so romantic for girls. But, your best efforts at making the best coffee yourself, is so so unromantic. Take her to CCD or Barista or any of those coffee bars, just don't care if the coffee costs you more than Rs. 200. You have been doing so well till now, and you don't want to spoil the treat. 
• A sweet good night SMS: Send a sweet and romantic SMS after the coffee, and bid her good night.
• A romantic song to end the day: That's the cherry on the cake. But, be well prepared. If you choose the wrong song, you will have to answer millions of questions on your choice of song. :D
• The LAST and the most IMPORTANT THING on my list: To find a Valentine. I know it's already late, but then, there's always a hope. This is my checklist for tomorrow.

Happy Valentine's Day to all. Enjoy the day. If anyone is free for tomorrow, let me know, and I will follow and tick off my checklist for you. :D

Time machine. Umm, no, a teleporter please

Image Source : Wikipedia Commons

At times, I have been fascinated by the idea of Time Travel. Those movies on Time Travel were so enjoyable to watch. There have been numerous adaptations of this concept in movies, serials (Captain Vyom) and novels. No one knows yet, if it will be possible ever. But, I get a feeling that people have stopped working on it. Perhaps, they have given up, since it's been quite some time I have heard people talk or discuss about this, or new movies based on Time Machines. Perhaps, the interest, or rather the need of this generation has shifted to something else. Teleportation. :)

For some of you, it might be a new word. So, by definition on Wikipedia, Teleporation is "the transfer of matter from one point to another, more or less instantaneously."

Time Travel still brings in a sense of excitement and adventure in me, but I would prefer to get teleported to somewhere, or wherever and whenever I like. Why? Here you go:

• I want to get to office and back home without getting stuck in traffic.
• Airfares have skyrocketed beyond the volume of my pockets.
• I want to visit my parents more often, and my girl friend too (Please don't ask who)
• I want to have a fag at midnight when I am with my parents, without they knowing.
• I want to meet Sachin Tendulkar personally when he is relaxing in his balcony.
• I want to be around Mrs. Sonali Bendre for some time.
• I want to keep a chocolate for a child on the streets without he knowing it.
• I want to retrieve all the documents from their hideouts which could land all the corrupt people in jail.
• I want to spend some time alone on Mt. Everest.
• I want to wish all of my family, friends and relatives personally on various ocassions.

Well, there are more, but I guess you can figure out why a Teleporter can be more helpful than a Time Machine. And by the way, if you change something, by going into the past or present, there's gonna be a hell lot of confusion.

And now, the secret: I am trying to build one. Please contact me if you are also interested in contributing towards this.

Need for a change?

Today, while I was passing by the Legislative Assembly building of Orissa on my way to some place, the sight triggered a chain of thoughts into my mind which was happily thinking about the sky, birds and the beaches before this. When I was a child, before I opened my Social Studies book, I wondered what would people do inside such buildings. I haven't yet seen the interiors of this building but then it wouldn't be much different than the Parliament houses we see on TV, the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha, apart from being proportionately smaller than the those.

I started thinking about how and whose idea it would have been to create a parliamentary system where countless number of people would be present, half of them sleeping, some of them day-dreaming, and a few ones shouting their hearts out. And then the Speaker siting there, as a king, on a raised chair, throughout the day, enjoying the drama going on the floor. Well, I am sure it wouldn't be anything less than a drama. As for me, I would rate Mr. Laloo Prasad Yadav's talks very entertaining. He wakes up the house (read: sleeping members), lightens up The Speaker, and irks the opposition (who try their best to control their laughter).

I even remember, when cable televisions were not around, my father used to specifically wait for the show every day during the winter and the summer sessions of the houses. I could see him wearing a smile throughout the duration of the show, and there were occasional outbursts of laughter, from my father and from inside the television set. As a child, even I found it funny sometimes, the fights, arguments and the sleeping ministers. Ah, it was quite an entertaining program on National TV those days. But, now, I don't see my father even stop on this program while he is browsing through all the movie and news channels. I guess, his favorite stars have all retired, and he doesn't find it entertaining anymore. Me too.

Well, this wasn't the subject matter of this post. I will come to the point now. The moment I passed by that building, a picture of the large hall of the Lok Sabha/Rajya Sabha flashed through my mind. I thought, "Is this all necessary"? Agreed, that all the countries do this, and it has been standard procedure for the governments to meet and discuss issues and probably solve them. I wonder if this is the best way to do it, or a change is needed so that we could adapt the systems to match the 21st centuries demands and needs (faster actions and please please please no corruptions and scandals).

Well I know that the ministers actually do work when they are not in the parliament. And most of the work is done outside of the parliament houses and not in presence of virtually every minister in the country. So, why do we still continue to follow this practice of having parliamentary sessions? Can't we just chuck it? If there is indeed something to be discussed and voted for among all the Ministers, can't we have a better system? Instead of flying all the ministers from different parts of the country, the majority of which would have nothing to say, but a "yes" or a "no"?

We have progressed so much in technology, we produce or develop software for the rest of the world, but we haven't been able to use it ourselves. Our governments still use a lot of work and most of them refuse to accept the new hi-tech changes entering their offices. Most of the government offices don't have a website, and the ones which have one, haven't been updated since they were first launched. Well, the list can go on and on, but I don't want to make this post bigger than this. :)

Just one last thing!!! Don't laugh at me please. I am a software engineer, and so, my thoughts would be obviously be related to where and how I work. So, my question is:

"Does our Government follow Waterfall model or Scrum methodology to execute projects?"

I don't think they use any of the methodologies at all. In case they don't, has the time come to change the way our Government works? I would not mind to see an amendment in the Constitution of India, which would require every incumbent to be trained in Project Management, at the very least. I don't mind if they are just graduates, MBAs from Harvard or just plain illiterates. If at all they are required to work, they should be at-least have proven experience or should be trained before they take their oaths. Like the IT companies hire their employees. :D What say!!!!

We, the software engineers, do not take oath, but still fulfill our responsibilities and in most cases over-perform each day. Isn't that amazing? Are we corrupt? I guess, not.

God or Choas

I do not deny God's presence, but I still think about the possibility sometimes. Whenever I have an argument on this topic with anyone, I would almost all the time fight like a 100% non-believer and attribute all the events taking place to sheer randomness and chaos.

I guess, this world, is the best example chaos and randomness. If there were God, he must be doing real good to manage everything though. So, wouldn't it make God's life easier if we prayed only for those things which we really really wanted?

Go! get a 3G life!!

The very first mobile phone that I held in my hands was when my father got a Nokia handset way back in 1999. It was as heavy as a brick. And incoming calls were charged at Rs. 5/minute. But, the best thing I liked then on the mobile was the "Snake game". When my father slept off, keeping his phone aside, I used to put the phone in silent mode and tried hard to better my highest record. Back then, it had cost us around Rs 18,000.

Things have changed, and have changed fast. During those days, even Internet(64K dial-up) was a rich man's card. Well, soon enough, broadband internet connections became ubiquitous, along with GPRS services on mobile phones.

As for me, I am always connected. Be it at home, office or even while I am out, my phone beeps virtually every minute. Before, it used to be SMS or WAP messages, but these days, my phone notifies me whenever someone comments on a photo on Facebook, or mentions me on Twitter, not to mention the tens of emails that I receive (I have configured my phone with 4 email accounts, I am not joking).

One of the things that I miss by not having a 3G connection is voice/video chat. I would love to use Skype to call up family and friends, see them live. While on a trip, I could easily watch videos on Youtube. GPRS/Edge aren't fast enough for this. Since I knew the 3G services would be coming soon to India, when I got a chance to replace my phone(lost) with a new one, I bought a 3G phone, even before there was any official announcements about the services. It was stolen within a month. My next buy was also a 3G phone, but I don't have a 3G SIM yet.

Having a 3G would be nice, especially, when my broadband would stop working without any warning, and I have an important mail to send. I can plug-in my phone to my laptop and enjoy uninterrupted access. I can use my laptop while I am traveling. I can update photos as and when I click them without waiting to get back to my wired broadband connection.

While on the move, my phone is my navigator. I don't have to stop and ask for directions now. In the era of smart-phones, we also need a smart network, which is reliable, easily accessible and affordable as well. With BSNL opening up the service first in India, other operators are also gearing up to provide the next generation mobile network, making our lives much more fun and enjoyable.

Movie tickets, Flight tickets, a gift for your girl friend and updating your facebook status will be a breeze. Morning news and your important emails will always reach you on time. You can finally forget your laptop at home while you are out on a date.

3G = I am enjoying it already. Always connected, till my battery lasts :) I am all excited to get a 3G SIM from Tata Docomo for myself.

This post has been submitted for the Indiblogger 3G Life blogger contest. Go get a 3G life.

Today's generation - Kewl

Times have been changing. This change has been so drastic and fast that the older generation find it hard to adapt and accept. I am considering myself the older generation here since I, myself seem to find it difficult at times not too raise my eyebrows.

• You can get everything on the internet. Anything indeed.
• Dude or Dood!!! It's the new avataar of "Hi".
• Guys with long hair are "COOL".
• Bikes with "loud" silencers are the latest craze. We could call them "Amplifiers instead"
• You are an outcast if you don't have a profile on Facebook.
• Your popularity is determined by the number of results on Google.
• You got to tweet before you sleep, and also tweet about your dreams as you see them.
• The fashion quotient of your clothes is directly proportional to the number of holes in your pants.
• You have your father and mother as friends on Facebook.
• Popcorns are costlier than the movie tickets.
• Your pets are jealous of your smart-phones these days. They just don't get any kind of attention. You can get your customized e-pets on your phones who seem to be more real.
• Smileys put through your emotions better.

Ummm, Things change, they will keep on changing. We don't want to be left behind, do we?

My smart phone - Really?

With the influx of numerous smart phones, the average user is all but confused when it comes to choosing a phone for himself. The world has moved ahead, pretty fast. And so has the technology. Today is the time where information travels faster than anything else, perhaps even thoughts. With the Blackberrys, iPhones, Androids and the Nokias all over the place, it's virtually a battleground, and everyone wants a share of the pie. I guess, this sense of competition brings about the best in technology to the consumers. I am quite happy with my so-called "Smart Phone", but I would like to see a few more things that could really make my phone smart. Here are some of them.

1. I talk on the phone alright. But it would be really cool if I could "TALK TO MY PHONE". I mean, I should be able to control my phone completely by talking to it. No more clicking, no more touching. That would be cool.
2. Video calling. Yeah yeah, it's available on a few phones, but still, a majority of the phones out there don't yet support video calling.
3. A better anti-theft solution from what are available right now. When we lose a phone, it's virtually impossible to get it back. May be something like, I would get the details of the person holding my phone delivered to my email. I mean all the details, his photo, his name and address, his location and anything else that is available, and then directions to the nearest police station too :) . That would be really nice. Smartphones are costly, and nobody likes to lose them.
4. More battery power. How about a solar powered battery, or at-least an in-built charger for the battery that charges your batteries when you are out in the sun. I don't like phones that go dead when I am on an important call.
5. A really smart keyboard. BlindType is very impressive. Cool.
6. I would like to remote control my appliances at home. I know it's not too far though. Google's Powermeter and similar technologies would make it a reality someday, for everyone. Even my car, that would be just perfect.
7. Somehow, allowed me to communicate with my friends and family when I am out of my provider's coverage area. For example, Mt. Everest. It might use satelite communication to push my message through. Well, I expect this service to be costly. and won't mind paying.
8. Phones that can interact with people with disabilities.

Smart phones have really gone smart today. They helps us navigate, it's a personal diary for some, they tell us time, weather, give us the latest news updates, keep us connected to the whole world. But still, these pretty little devices haven't been able to reach the most needed ones. It would be great if the price of a smartphone comes down to levels that makes them affordable for all. That would make it really really SMART.

Checkout the new phone from Tata Docomo called the OneTouch Net

Kudos Times of India

A few years back, I liked the online version of The Times of India and it was perhaps the only place where I read the newspaper for sometime. As an effort towards saving paper, I had also stopped getting the paper Newspapers. I liked the site, and it was almost updated instantly whenever there was a new story for which you would have to wait for the next day's newspaper.

But, now, the Times Of India site sucks. I have written 2 mails to the editor, regarding my concerns, but nothing has happened yet, and probably nothing will change. These guys still want to sell news on the paper, whereas I thought that they would one day, try and reduce the amount of paper that they use up everyday.

Somethings that I don't like:

1. Ads everywhere: It takes almost a minute for the front page to open, and display some content.
2. The front page of the online version is just sexed up. It looks attractive, thats all, but it doesn't show quality content.
3. They have completely changed the meaning of Headlines. Any new news is a headline for them, and it appears right at the top.
4. When I open the website, I would expect to see the articles that would probably be seen on the paper newspaper. But, the online version, I guess, doesn't have a competent editor. Some guy who maintains the website, seems to be a self-proclaimed editor for the website, who actually doesn't know what should go where.
5. Videos. Aaahhh....I don't like the videos. Most of them are related to things which I would never like to see. And moreover, the videos start with 30 sec ads, yes each one of them.

I was pissed off when this article managed to get into the headlines of The Times of India, today morning.

Woman delivers a 'tweet' child

It might be interesting for some, and I congratulate the mother and the child, but this is definitely not an article for the Headlines of a so-called well known, a leading national newspaper.

I now wonder, if this kind of content that fetches them more money. Is this a well-researched method to generate readership for newspapers/magazines, in general? Do people actually enjoy reading such stories? I reckon, YES. So, then, it's not the newspapers to be blamed. I guess, the "golden" days were better, where every morning, we would eagerly wait for the morning newspaper and then fight over it with other family members, each trying to snatch away their favorite page of the newspaper, and then enjoy the morning tea. Now, It's all about money.

The Last SMS - contd.

That wasn't actually the Last SMS. After that day, when we met for the first time, I explained her the whole story, ummm...., not the whole, only a part of it. I didn't tell her that I had any feelings for her. I said that it was just my friend's mischief, and there was nothing more to it. And she believed, at-least, I believed she did. And then, we started talking again.

After our final exams, we(I and my friends) packed our bags to leave hostel and college forever. It was our last day. We hadn't quite planned out our journey back, so, were short of time. I couldn't meet her before leaving, though I was dying to meet her the last time, perhaps, the last time ever. We had a train to catch. I was somewhat saddened by the fact that probably we would never talk again either. She was still in college. I was cursing my friends for not being able to arrange tickets for the next day.

After a few good byes, and hugs, and a few tears, we left the college premises. Somewhere within my heart, I still had the hope of seeing her the last time. Perhaps, she was waiting for me at the railway station. I was nervous. We reached the station. My eyes rolled in all directions. I couldn't see her. I looked at my watch again and again. There were still a few minutes left. All the time, I was expecting a call. I had told her that I would be leaving today. "How could she forget?", I thought.

Our train had already arrived. I wanted to give her a call. But, somehow, I couldn't. I didn't know what to tell her. But I wanted to say, "Why didn't you come? Why didn't you call?". 5 minutes before the train left, I gave her a call in the hope of listening to her voice for one last time. The phone rang, I was still thinking what to say. It kept on ringing. "She must be on her way", I thought.

And then, a voice answered, "The number you have dialed is not ......". @##$#%

I tried once more, still no answer. I was still on the platform, my eyes fixed on the entrance. The train started moving. My friends called out. I felt like crying, felt like running back to the hostel. But I knew I have been expecting for something that would never happen. She would never come, I knew that. Dejected, I boarded the moving train.

I got on the train, settled myself. My friends thought I was sad for my other friends and college. They thought I was already missing the hostel life, and made fun of my. I was in my own world. I was looking at my phone all the time.

After sometime, I typed in the words, "I Love You, I always did, from the very first day we met. Sorry and Goodbye", and sent it to Ms. 291. THAT!!!! was the last SMS.

The last SMS

There was a girl in my college. She was in my class. And her Roll No. was 291. Mine was 294. The guy with Roll no.  292 left college after some days. And Roll No 293 was a great friend of mine. After the first year of college, Ms. 291 and I were enrolled into a new class. Mr. 293 was now out of the story. Well, Mr. 293 actually had a greater part in this story, but I chose to cut short his involvement in this affair, in our affair. In the new class, there was no one between 291 and 294. I thought, someday, I will let her know my feelings when we were alone. I was sort of sure that there was destiny's play in all this, and the whole world was working towards getting the two of us closer to each other. See, we both got into the same class after the first year, and Mr. 293 was left behind. :D

Being in the same class meant always being in the same group of friends, lots of chats, exchanging notes, coffee breaks and snacks, phone calls, sms, emails and a few lunches and dinners. When we used to go out for project work together out of our campus, I always insisted on having dinner at some good place. I had already prepared a list of nice food joints near our campus. She never gave in and said her friends would be waiting at the hostel. Though I always had my proposal ready, I was actually waiting for the appropriate time and opportunity, which never came. But I never gave up hope.

I never got a chance to know how she felt about me. I never asked her. I was afraid. I made my best efforts of  hiding my feelings for her. Actually, I was, and I still am, quite good at it. We were almost at the end of the semesters of the 3rd year of class, when something changed in our relationship. Ahh, I can't forget that day. And I can't forget the culprit as well. Mr. 013. All my friends knew about this girl. Mr. 013 also knew about our affair. He is still a good friend, but I was very angry at him that day. 4 of my friends, including Mr. 013 were celebrating someone's birthday. No points for guessing that the main attraction of the party was, THE WHISKY (some brand, that's not important though, but I remember), and not the birthday boy. He was forgotten after we each landed a few kicks on his back. And there was an oversupply of it (whisky), enough to make us lose our minds. I had already lost my sanity. I could only hear the music playing on the computer with half closed eyes and an empty glass in my hand. Well, I was also thinking about Ms. 291, but I still wasn't insane enough. I thought, alcohol gives you that rush of extra courage, but I needed a few more pegs to get to that stage where I could even think of surviving a fall from the 11th floor. Just then, my phone beeped. It was an SMS. As soon as I took it out of my pocket, Mr. 013 snatched it from my hands. He read out the contents of the SMS aloud. It was from Ms. 291.

"Hey, wassup? I am bored with these stupid girls, care to talk?"

I had to reply back. So, I asked Mr. 013, to return my phone. He said that he will reply that we were drinking and I would call her once we finished the alcohol. All my efforts of getting my phone back went in vain. So, I just let him do whatever he wanted and said, "Go ahead". We had a little conversation.

Mr. 013 : Why haven't you proposed her yet? Are you afraid?

Me : I am not afraid. I think she already knows how I feel about her, but I am just looking for the right time.

Mr. 013 : What the hell? It's been 3 years, and you are still waiting for the right time? Anytime is the right time for this stuff. So do it today, right now. Else I will.

Me : No, please. I will take my time, I am not in a condition to talk, else I would have called her up right now. You always get me pumped up. Thanks.

The very next moment, I was back to my senses, when Mr. 013 thrust my phone into my face, which said, "Message Sent". After a few clicks, I realized that the damage had been done. Mr. 013, sent "I Love You" to Ms. 291, from my phone. Damn!!!! Doomed forever!!! That night, the whole night, I was awake, waiting for my phone to beep again. But it never did. That was the last SMS.........

Why Do I BLOG !!!

Everyday I wake up, thinking "What should I blog about today"? In the search for a topic, I try to go back into my past, into my childhood or college days. I am in constant lookout for a topic, almost everywhere. While driving, at office, at home, while eating and before sleeping. I think I am addicted to blogging. But is this just an addiction? Really? Well, I have been addicted to Cigarettes once. But this addiction is certainly of a different kind. Sometimes, when my search for topics do not take me anywhere, I hijack other peoples' blogs to find one. I know it's not nice. But, seriously, I am addicted.

I try to keep my blog updated. If I am not blogging about anything, I try to search for some old pics from the lot I have on my hard drive, which I could upload and write a short description, just for the sake of keeping my blog updated. I jump in joy whenever I receive a comment on one of my posts and make it a point to reply to it almost immediately. When there's no one commenting on my blog, I visit a lot of blogs and comment on their posts in the hope of getting a comment or two in return. I tweet about my new posts. I buzz them too.

So here comes the big question. Why do I blog?

• To beat Kunal at his blogging frequency. I think I will beat him this year. At this point in time, I have a considerable lead. :)
•  Want to be a pro-blogger. Well, every blogger wants to be one. Just write some crap(pun intended) and earn $$$$.
• A hobby perhaps. My other hobbies like music, sketching, painting and gaming have been overshadowed by the tech-driven hobbies.
• It's nice to blog. Of late, I have seen many people mentioning their blog address in their resumes. A lot of companies have their own blogs and encourage people to write some articles. It's all about bringing traffic to their websites. I also have a tech blog on Android which I would like to promote here.:) Android Tips for Developers.
• It feels good when people appreciate your thoughts and comment on your posts. You always want to have more of them.
• I guess everyone wants to be heard. Blogging is a great platform to achieve that.

I am feeling sleepy now. So, people, I am eagerly waiting for your comments. Ah, don't worry, I will approve your comments as you post. I carry my phone all the time. I am an "ADDICT".

Emotional Atyachaar - Beware

Hey couples! Beware!! Next time when a hot chick or a handsome dude approaches you to ask for directions. If you know the directions, give them just that. Turn down all their requests of going for a dinner, even a coffee. This just might be your partner spying on you. :@

I guess, everybody would have heard about this reality show where people spy on their partners. It's a nice concept actually, but I guess, it doesn't fit in rightly into the Indian scenario. I mean, it's my guess of course, that, given a chance of a free meal, at-least 95% of us would go for it. Though, the stats from the show suggest that almost 99% of the partners are not loyal.  But, is it a big deal? To some, may be. Obviously everybody wants his/her partner to be loyal. But, as far as I can think, or analyze, it's not a big deal for the couples of today to err or have an affair(short-term) out of their commitments. I have seen many people break-up on petty issues than this. Seems that "Loyalty Test" is the ultimate test for couples before they actually carry on with the relationship or tie the knot.

Spying on your partners is fine. And perhaps, the show has helped a few couples to know about their partners dark side. But is it right to make this a public affair? And that too on the National TV? True, for some, this might well be a fitting revenge for their cheating partners, but what about the poor guys who just thought of having a good time??

As somebody rightly said on the show, "I am not somebody's paycheck". The TV channel has no doubt generated a large viewer-ship for it's season II which will be starting soon. I love the show anyway, but I think there should be a bit more censorship. Don't disclose the names and faces of people. And may be they shouldn't air couples who are not yet serious about their relationship.

India goes down

I had hopes for the Indian team to do well this time round. And I was pretty excited about a cricket match after such a long time which was not an IPL match. But, India has been thrown out of the competition. :(

Sob Sob... I didn't quite liked watching the IPL. So much of cricket was kind of boring to me. And when the T20 World Cup started, I was starting to feel "Indian". But, after West Indies ousted India from the Super 8 last night, I turned off my TV and went back to my laptop.

Without the likes of Sehwag and Sachin, I wasn't hoping that India would bring back the trophy, but I had definitely not hoped of an early exit for us either. It was heart breaking. But, I guess, I can't blame anybody. It's cricket, and it is just like that. West Indies was a better team yesterday and they won. However, I am not sure as to why Dhoni chose to bowl first after winning the toss.

I think I am losing interest in Cricket. :)

Google - Conquer the World????

I shiver at the very thought. When I imagine this, although, it might not happen in the foreseeable future, still, it seems that it's not that far, and I can see it happening very soon. Soon enough, that frightens me.

We all know Google, since it's beginning, has been growing by leaps and bounds, (we should find a new word that describes such a kind of growth). Google is slowly penetrating every part of our lives. It's everywhere. And I guess, almost 80% of what we do on the Internet, is being recorded by the Google Servers. It's scary. It's like a big big directory of information on each and every person on the planet, dead or alive, why only people, they have records of each and every kind of organism that ever existed. Well, in a nutshell, all our data is distributed, and exists in the cloud.

All our mails, contacts, and more recently, Google has started saving our documents and pictures (with Docs, and Picassa), then they have our calendar, our notes, then our music playlists, our credit card numbers(Google Checkout), our addresses (needed when you sign in for Google Adsense or Checkout), all of our blogs, and what not. Now they have the Android phones with their OS running on it. So, all our phone calls and messages, can, practically be recorded by Google.

Google's motivation and ambition is to provide free and opens source technology to everyone. Well, for all these service Google earns a whooping sum, which I can't even imagine, through Ads. Well, if you think all this as a favorable ecosystem in which, with Google's technologies, our lives are getting better and better, it's a fairy tale, and we will only hope for the future to pass by us and present us the new world with Google's services.

I am sure, Google, has so much power now with it, that it could change the whole world. In George Orwell's, 1984, we see a world where the Big Brother has the only authority, and he changes the history, the past, the present and the future at will. Just because, he has all the resources of the planet, that he can manipulate. Imagine, if some day, Google really has this kind of power, I am sure, Google will really take over "Planet Earth". Afterall, power is what everyone wants.

I don't say that Google is aiming for it, but somewhere right in the Google's campus, there might be a psychopath, who dreams of conquering the whole world.