The impressive 'Ugly Brown Napkin'!

... please give our staff the evil eye ...

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Kabul Express

Fast and focused! This movie portrays Afganistan after Taliban. The dark realities of the country with shades of humor..

The photography of the movie is too good! I bet you would like it.

Salman Shahid makes impression with his acting.

Arshad warsi is good at timing his dialogues as usual and succeeds in making viewers smile even through such serious subject except only on a few occasions he looks artificial.

Linda Arseno is a pleasant new face, an eyecandy!

Watch yourself!

मला पुन्हा एकदा तरी शाळेत जायचय

कुठल्याशा email मध्ये मिळालेली ही कविता.... खरच शाळेचे, बालपणीचे दिवस आठवून गेले.. भाषा थोडी बोबडी/अशुद्ध आहे, पण चालते अश्या वेळी. ;-)


"मला पुन्हा एकदा तरी शाळेत जायचय.
धावत जाऊन माझ्या रोजच्या बाकावर बसायचय
रोज सकाळी खड्या आवाजात राष्ट्रगीत म्हाणायचाय
नव्या वहिचा वास घेत पहिल्या पानावर छान अक्षरात आपल नाव लिहायचाय
मला पुन्हा एकदा तरी शाळेत जायचय.

मधली सुट्टी होताच वाटरब्याग सोडुन
नलाखाली हात धरून पानी प्यायचाय,
कसाबसा डबा सम्पवत तिखट मीठ लावलेल्याचिन्चा, बोर, पेरु, काकडी सगळ खायचय
सायकलच्या चाकाचा स्ट्म्प करुन क्रिकेट खेलायचय,
मला पुन्हा एकदा तरी शाळेत जायचय.

उद्या पाऊस पडुन शालेला सुट्टी मिलेल का?
हा विचार करत रात्री झोपी जायचय,
अनपेक्षित मिळणारा सुट्टीच्या आनन्दासाठी,
मला पुन्हा एकदा तरी शाळेत जायचय.

घन्टा व्हायची वाट का असेना
मित्राशी गप्पा मारत वर्गात बसायचाय,
घन्टा होताच मित्राशी सयकलची रेस लावून घरी पोहचायचय,
मला पुन्हा एकदा तरी शाळेत जायचय.

कितीहि जड असुदे...
जबाबदारीच्या ओझ्यापेक्षा दप्तराच ओझ पाठिवर वागवायचय,
कितीहि तुटका असु दे..
ऒफ़िसमधल्या एकट्या खुर्चिपेक्षा दोघान्च्या बाकावर ३ मित्रान्नी बसायचय
मला पुन्हा एकदा तरी शाळेत जायचय.."

(अनामिक)

Bye bye Bangalore

I was busy testing my application. It was the last day of support for the project and we were supposed to be released after that, not knowing what next. But all that was not on my mind, when my project manager read an e-mail aloud that said something like… send him to Pune ASAP, as there is urgent requirement… I turned my ears to him. It was sure about me.

I was in a big green. The day had arrived without notice. I thought how long it has been since I was thinking of going to Pune. I wanted to be with my parents. I wanted to be close to my friends. I wanted to be in my own ways.

For almost two years now, Bangalore has been the place for me. I now realize how difficult it is to leave something you are already habituated with! Here, I always used to complain about the traffic, high cost of living, a crowded workplace like Infosys Bangalore… Those who have been in Infy here can only feel it. Its like, for everything you have to stand in a queue. And, by that, I mean everything. From getting a coupon for lunch, getting a lunch plate, getting a seat to sit and have your lunch, washing hands, drinking water to withdrawing money from an ATM on campus, buying something from FoodWorld located inside canteen, even to throw the paper dishes after finishing your snacks (yes, it does happen); you will find a queue. I feel damn lucky when I see a single person or none standing in front of the ATM machine. I was fortunate just two or three times in my two years stay here to see such scenes!

But there are pleasures of everything. When I go to lunch in a canteen of my choice, the crowd reminds me of traditional weddings that happen in our region. If you know what pangat means, you would get it:). Lot of noise annoys, but when you are standing on roadside of a canteen floor (I am talking about LOTUS canteen, B18, for those who know Infy Bangalore campus; the space between Café Coffee Day and Kamath juice center facing Terminal), with a cup of tea while chatting with a friend, and you can see the sea of people coming out of TERMINAL (another canteen in front of LOTUS), people cycling on the roads heading towards there building after lunch, people chatting in groups, lush greenery on either sides… its an experience in its own! Nothing matches it. Well, I should be more precise in saying all these, as the word people might be misleading. It’s the number of beauties in campus that make it pleasant.

It sure is cosmopolitan. Bangalore city itself is cosmopolitan. I myself never felt the need of thinking whether I am a local guy or from some other state who doesn’t know Kannada. Bangalore has huge variety of people from different places across the globe, different cultures and professions… But they all love liberty, success (money, off course) and that work hard, stay cool attitude!

The best thing about Bangalore is its weather. It’s really cool. Summer doesn’t heat you more than 37-38°c. Winter will keep itself up to 13-15°c. And rain, which starts in May somewhere, is a friendly companion. Sometimes it rains heavily too, as it did last year; but that’s not the picture of Bangalore you take away with. My mental picture of Bangalore has always been a clean, dark black road heading a long way with lush green trees on both sides of it; a cool breeze. The recent additions, very friendly people and lot of beauties. :)

I did not intend to make this a write up on Bangalore, but I couldn’t help. It’s city you will love from your heart. And, I still didn’t talk about the gardens, lakes and nightlife here!
I have too much to leave here. I am surely taking some things with me.
I really feel thankful to all my friends and people I am attached to here…

When I was doing my engineering, I had a dream to be in Bangalore.
Thanks to life, I got chance to make it part of my life. That dream will never die in me.

I would always have connection to this city and will be keen to know when the BTM flyover gets completed and when the Hosur road flyover work starts...

See ya again, Bangalore!
Enjoy madi. :)

A moment of Eternity...

"When I first saw her, I wished could I hear her voice.

One day, I heard, she called my name.
She was so easy, she spread all over my life!

I always wanted to talk to her.
And always, she would come first and tell me something.
I wished always, I would ask her something, and
she would do it faster.

Without her, it was all about her.
And with her, it was so difficult to speak
even a bit of my heart!

Without many words, we grew so close.

As time passed by, I realized
she can't be in front of my eyes forever.

When it was time to depart,
I waited in her way.
She came, and wished me luck.
But, I, couldn't say.

I said, yes, for I knew it was.

We stood there for a few moments.
Speechless... until we realized, its too uncomfortable.
Not only for us, but for the friends around, too.

Eyes blinked.

She smiled, with tears.
And, she put forward her hand.

I shook hand with her, with a similar smile.

That moment, was eternity...

After that, life is running again.
As was."

-Shripad

Two ways

There are two ways to get true happiness in life...



- Learning something new.
- And, helping someone with what you have learned.

Bangalore is Bangalore..

My train reached the Bangalore city railway station on sunday at around 06:45 in the morning. I jumped down from my upper berth seat where I was laying comfortably from those long night hours. I took my bag and stood near the door in the queue to get down. It was another pink winter morning with equally cool wether.

I came out and walked my way through the crowd towards the main gate. To my surprise and pleasure, there was a ledies ticket checker standing at the exit. [ I feel good when a T.C. checks or collects my ticket at station. Aare bhai, I have paid for it; how would TC know that? Yahh.. and a ladies TC offcourse!]

I did not take auto, as I usually do but decided to go the Majestic bus stand and catch a bus to BTM. I did not want to miss the chance of travelling through 'a lot of Bangalore' on such a beautiful morning. [You know what I mean. Buses generally take you through as many areas as possible which are not exactly on your way and could have been bypassed. Atleast, I feel so. But I like that, sometimes.. :) ]

And here is the best part. The wether is cool. The sky, turning red from east; rest of it clear like blue crystals. Birds singing [whatever you feel that is]. Tree leaves murmuring along with the winds. The clean, dark-black streets [and, the sight of the municiple workers cleaning it, if you get there before they disappear and you know who cleaned it]. The street hawkers near Govt offices and buildings, preparing tea! People sitting around on wooden benches and enjoying it. The lush green trees on the road sides [most of the times, if not always]. Shops and hotels, with shutters just being opened. Some shopowners doing their morning pooja while others already at work, serving the people who have started for work with edali-wada or dosas.

And then you are travelling through Jaynagar.. People [read aunties], cleaning the terrace or the open spaces in front of their houses, some drawing Rangoli.. And some fair young angels, floating along side the road; with their cute and not so qute dogs. [These dogs are integral part of a well managed, Bangalored families. Like it or not, you have to live with it!]

Our bus climbed the BTM flyover and I had to get out of my seat. I got down at the water tank bus stop and started walking into the lanes of BTM. I need to cross a playground and a small garden to get to my house which is just 5 minutes from the main road. [Thats Bangalore, the city of gardens!]

I was close to my house and was about to take the last turn near a laundry shop when a sweet voice broke my thoughts. "Can you please tell me where is..". "Sure..", I said happily. Who would not love to have a chat with an exceptionally beautiful young lady on such a romantic morning? With a big green on my face, I pressed the doorbell of my house. [That is to it! Luckily or unluckily, I never saw her again anywhere near my house. :( ]

As per my expectations, all of my dear friends were enjoying the sweet sunday morning sleep, but they did open the door for me. I was in no mood to go to bed for rest. What a great start to the day, I thought. Sometimes, I just can't stop liking Bangalore..

Man, you got to be here to feel it!