Good-bye 2009

Felt good to see smiles again on these faces hoping for good things in the coming year. As if trying to forget every bad things that have happened in this year. Its been a tiring year with little ups and many downs in this beautiful valley.The challenges are numerous with little or no hope of improvement to the current situation.

In a nutshell, 2009 has been a happening year for me. It gave me the opportunity to visit one of the most beautiful places in the world - Europe. Had been to the place where Santa Claus belongs. On the other side, I missed my sister's wedding. Still felt bad about it. Its been a year when I parted with most of my friends in Chennai - Some left to pursue their dreams and some due to the recession.On a bright spot, this year taught me about taking responsibilities and saving money for future. All through the year, I have been working more than 10 hrs a day. Friends say - I have become workaholic but then it has been rewarding -my works has been appreciated but without any hike in pay (thanks to the recession again). At the same period, I have gained a lot of weight. I am no longer considered lean. Been to Goa for a re-union with college friends.Got acquainted with the six strings.Watched a lot of movies - many good ones. It all ended with a brief stay at home with my family - a perfect ending to the year. But then again, one of my best friends lost his father and one broke up with his GF.

With the echoes of Crackers and Carols all around, may 2010 be the year which will bring some change to this place. Let's hope for a peaceful and prosperous year ahead. Adieu 2009 !

PS:-
Today's headline on a local newspaper in Manipur says that around 444 people had died this year due to injury caused by bullets. It clearly shows the intensity of the situation in this state with a population of merely 2 million.

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One of my best friends lost his father on a wintery night following a high blood pressure stroke. A really sad thing to happen on a Christmas eve.

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Of Democracy - my toe

Just 11 days of KCR's fast resulted to the talks for creation of another "state" ? How about the 10 years of Irom Sharmila's fast for the demand of withdrawal of (Armed Forces Special Power Act) AFSPA from Manipur[link]. And they say this is Democracy.

Yes, 'n' how many times can a man turn his head,

Pretending he just doesn't see?

The answer, my friend, is blowin' in the wind,

The answer is blowin' in the wind.

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Like A Rolling Stone

"She eloped with the other guy". All he could remember was all those numerous favors that he has done . He did whatever she had asked for. Sometimes he was "used" as an entertainer, sometimes as an escort. He helped her in finding a new job. Many warned him - "beware of the beautiful ones especially with the blue eyes". He felt embarrassed and discarded. And above all cheated and being "used". I remember him saying "I will wait for my time".

And the day has come, he called yesterday and without uttering any words, he started humming the following lines from the song "Like a rolling stones - Bob Dylan" :-

"How does it feel
How does it feel
To be on your own
With no direction home
Like a complete unknown
Like a rolling stone ?"

I just smiled.

For those who are still waiting for their time:-

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Grew up with the “six strings” in his hands
Misty eyes looking for endless joy of being admired
Sometimes the “latest numbers” from the chart
And very often a number from Kishore assortment
Yet he followed ……

PS:-

Felt good to find an old friend of mine in a Rock Band<link> . I wish him all the very best. Not many people follow their heart to do things.

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When the mouse bell the CAT

The mouse has finally replaced the pen and paper, CAT goes computerised. But it was really surprising to see the kind of confusions and pain it has given to those numerous aspirants [link] who could not write the exam on the D-day. Luckily, I wrote(read clicked) the exam but not without enduring those woes. At the first place, there was a lot of confusion going around at the test centre. Unnecessary checks were performed. The students were not even allowed to carry anything with them in the test centre. Even purse,keys and watches were not allowed. The routine checked-in process for boarding a flight seemed less tedious. In addition to that,the exam did not not start at the correct time as mentioned in the admit card. Going digital is a good move but then there should have been proper preparation from the organiser. It was well below the IIMs' standard that they boast of. Lets hope it is not repeated for the other days of the exam. Lets see how the organisers manage things before they could teach lessons in management.

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23:30 says the watch. Spent the whole day looking for the bug. Went to the nearby dhaba just to find that it has just closed minutes before. Shut down the machine to go home , then it happened that you have lost your bike key ......Nothing seems to be working the way I wanted. Very little can be done in such times. The best way is to let things happen and wait for your time.

PS:
Just felt like humming this song by Kishore Kumar:-
"Tum bin jawoon kahaan..... ki duniyaan mein aake, kuch na phir chaaha kabhi.... tumko chaahke ...."

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Goonja sa hai koi Iktara

Have been listening to this song for the past few days from the movie "Wake up Sid". Actually trying to understand its lyrics. The singer Kavita Seth has a very refreshing voice which makes the song really flowing.

Orey manva tu to bavra hai
Tu hi jaane tu kya sochta hai
Tu hi jaane tu kya sochta hai bavre
Kyun dikhaye sapne tu sote jaagte

Jo barse sapne boond boond
Nainon ko moond moond
(Nainon ko moond moond)
Jo barse sapne boond boond
Nainon ko moond moond
Kaise main chaloon, dekh na sakoon
Anjaane raastein

Gunjasa hai koi iktara iktara, gunjasa hai koi iktara
Gunjasa hai koi iktara iktara, gunjasa hai koi iktara
Dheeme bole koi iktara iktara, dheeme bole koi iktara
Gunjasa hai koi iktara iktara, gunjasa hai koi iktara

Sun rahi hoon sudh budh khoke koi main kahani
Poori kahani hai kya kise hai pata
Main to kisiki hoke yeh bhi na jaani
Ruth hai ye do pal ki ya rehgi sada
(kise hai pata… kise hai pata)

Jo barse sapne boond boond
Nainon ko moond moond
(Nainon ko moond moond)
Jo barse sapne boond boond
Nainon ko moond moond
Kaise main chaloon, dekh na sakoon
Anjaane raastein

Gunjasa hai koi iktara iktara, gunjasa hai koi iktara
Gunjasa hai koi iktara iktara, gunjasa hai koi iktara
Dheeme bole koi iktara iktara, dheeme bole koi iktara
Gunjasa hai koi iktara iktara, gunjasa hai koi iktara

PS:-

Using my basic Hindi,would like to put my understanding to the meaning of this song and what it wanted to convey:-

"Mann" or the human mind is uncontrollable. It tries to stray to unknown places and paths. It shows distant dreams by making the eyes closed (moond - moond). How am I going to follow the way with the eyes closed? As if listening to a story unconciously, without really following it. As if I belong to someone without knowing if the moment is just for two seconds or for ever. "Iktara" would be "Ek Tara" i.e "One string" instrument which is humming or being played very slowly distantly which tries to say something which is not very clear. Only the "mind" can undertand what it wanted to say.

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Of the sea,the sun, the sand and old friends

It all started with **Goa's visit to India. And what do you expect when you have the sea, the sand, the sun and above all,the old friends meeting at a place? Something really special. Yes the last weekend was much more than special. Greeted with **Goa's parent's hospitality, had wonderful fish fries and curries, enjoyed Hariharan's Ghazal concert and above all, we all met, talked endlessly, pulled one another's leg and rekindled our memories. It seemed no one has changed except for the few Kgs of weight that everyone (less Holdy) have put in. It seems as if many things have happened in those two days.

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PS:- We all went to Goa to meet **Goa.

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500 crores just went off in the fumes? Who is responsible for this btw? Human error or just plin negligence? Still it is burning and nothing could be done except to wait and watch until everything is over. The IOC would be at loss but then its just a company and the loss would be partly recovered from the Insurance company. But what about the enormous black smokes that has been emitting for the past few days. What about the aftermath health hazards ?

PS:
Aladin is terrible. Please refrain from watching the same, its is difficult to digest, instead plan for a nice dinner at a nearby restaurant.
****

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Of Magic ... not again

Why is it that people always expect magic again and again. The same thing happened to Bilbo Baggins of the Shire in "Hobbit". He helped the dwarves on one occasion, it then becomes his responsibily to do so thereafter. Once you help someone you are expected to do the same again and again. That is what you called raising your own standards. Is this the same as "cutting your own legs?". Maybe or may not be.

Well, coming to the point of cutting your own legs, Manipur has outdone many such things. How can you expect the students from this state to compete with the other students in the country when the schools are forced to close for more than a month. What would be its adverse affect?

PS:

Had an off day at office yesterday due to failure in a link connecting the customer's site. Sometimes an unplanned holiday is relished with utmost joy. I remember those numerous occasion when the school has to be closed for those many reasons (read strikes and Bandhs). We were children then.

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Blowing in the wind

How many roads must a man walk down
Before you call him a man?
Yes, 'n' how many seas must a white dove sail
Before she sleeps in the sand?
Yes, 'n' how many times must the cannon balls fly
Before they're forever banned?
The answer, my friend, is blowin' in the wind,
The answer is blowin' in the wind.

How many years can a mountain exist
Before it's washed to the sea?
Yes, 'n' how many years can some people exist
Before they're allowed to be free?
Yes, 'n' how many times can a man turn his head,
Pretending he just doesn't see?
The answer, my friend, is blowin' in the wind,
The answer is blowin' in the wind.

How many times must a man look up
Before he can see the sky?
Yes, 'n' how many ears must one man have
Before he can hear people cry?
Yes, 'n' how many deaths will it take till he knows
That too many people have died?
The answer, my friend, is blowin' in the wind,
The answer is blowin' in the wind.

Ps:- Love this song by Bob Dylan.Wonderful lyrics. This song can be relate
to the endless sufferings and cries of the people that echoes all over my
birth-place "Manipur".
How many such incidents will it take for the Govt. to put a halt.
The answer is of course blowing in the wind.

BLOWING IN THE WIN...

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Of this and that

Would like to list few movies that I saw recently :-

1. Inglourious Basterds : The misspelling in the title is the Quentin Tarantino's way of saying things in his own way. Based on the World War II, its again another movie depicting plots to assassinate Hitler. And this time surprisingly the plan is executed with success. Brad Pitt is the only thing that I could remember after watching the movie.Still watchable.

2. Grave of the Fireflies: A really touching Japanese movie based on the story of two siblings - Setsuko and Seita during the World War II. The movie depicts the pain and ordeals faced by the people during that period. But the most touching being the relationship between the two siblings. One of the best anti-war movie ever made I would say.

3. Children of Heaven: Another touching movie on the two children- brother Ali and sister Zahra. Its an Iranian movie which depicts the tender relationship between the siblings when Ali accidentally lost Zahra's sneakers. Then follows the hardship and adventures to cope up the loss which includes sharing Ali's shoe together. Hiding from their parents about the loss and finally Ali participating in a race so that he can win a pair of shoes for Zahra. One of the best CHildren movie ever seen.

PS:
Down with flu(hope its the common flu), so took off from office for the first time in this calender year. I don't want any of my colleague grinning with suspicion whenever I sneeze. The thing is that too much information is sometimes dangerous. I googled "swine flu symptoms" and clicked the first page hit. It listed the all those symptoms that I am suffering from. So I just closed the page and start listening to my favourite play list.

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Of Manipur : the killing field of the East

This article was published in yesterday's Hindu edition. As a manipuri, I can very clearly understand what the article wanted to convey. Its very common that some serious thing happening in this eastern part of the country does go unnoticed.When the whole media is busy gathering on the Swine flu victims toll, there is this state where unconditional curfew has been imposed for more than two weeks hitting the very normalcy of the people.
SRK's detention at the Newark airport occupied the front page for few days in all major news channels and news paper. When the multiplexes and public places were halt down for a day in Mumbai due to fear of the Swine flu spread, it gathered news. But what about this eastern state being forced to shut down everything for more than 3 weeks. No one seems to bother what is happening in this tiny state. The news channels would rather telecast some cheap reality shows just for the TRPs they generate. This is not new to the manipuris and the people there. . What should the people of manipur do to gain the attention of the Government and the media?? This time its the killing of a "suspect" in a pharmacy and the death of a pregnant woman during the chase (this is what the police claims).Ask a child studying in a 5th standard, he would convincingly tell you the truth without blinking an eye. This kind of incident is not new. Its only that a local photographer happen to capture the incident in his lens.Otherwise it would go as another incident and go off as usual.
But the demand is not new. The people are protesting against the AFSPA(Armed Forces special Power Act)that is being imposed in the valley. There has been countless incidents of killing innocents in cold blood by the so called security forces. It is really heartening to find that the numbers of civilians that is being killed in the past 10 years outnumbered the underground activist and the security personnel. And this is a plain fact.
Every now and then the violence in the state erupts for one reason or another. And the Government knew that it will subside by applying plain brute force such as curfew and firing tear gases and the lathi charges. This is the cycle that is happening.
And in the midst of these, its the whole young generation that is suffering. The schools are being shut down. How can you expect them to compete with the rest of the country when the students are not allowed to study in freedom. Its a problem will surely grow out of proportion if remain unaddressed. And its the Central Government in whose hands the future of this state lies.

PS:-
People says its like a lottery in Manipur. Everyday people get killed . They say you are alive because you are lucky.

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3 yrs completed in Chennai

Honestly, I never thought I would be staying this long in Chennai. When I moved in , I thought I would hardly stay for a year. But then things are unpredictable and they just happen and its been 3 years of stay here in Chennai.
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Watched the movie "Into the wild". Its altogether a different movie. Its based on a real life story of Christopher McCandless. Its about leaving everything behind and going to the nature's arm. Some quotes are really touching especially this one "I read somewhere... how important it is in life not necessarily to be strong... but to feel strong. " Still thinking if it is really possible to leave everything behind and trying to live in the wild on your own. But then another quote "The core of mans' spirit comes from new experiences" just leave me wondering.
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PS:-
Its not that it happened the first time, its just that it happened to Shah Rukh Khan. It just happen that the Immigrant Officer didn't knew Shah Rukh Khan. It just happen that his name is Khan.

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Of Love these (and those) days

I have not been watching any new Bollywood movies recently, the last one being (Bachna ae Haseenon). Yesterday watched "Love Aaj Kal" without (carrying) any expectations.

I don't know how to chew on this movie "Love Aaj Kal". Literally it means "Love these days".But the movie tried to portray "Love those days" too. So an apt title should have been "Love aaj aur Kal". News says it has broken all the records these year surpassing "Ghajini". Sometimes, you don't have to try too hard to get a hit.

And about the actors, Saif has done well. But we have seen him in similar avatars earlier (in Hum-Tum) playing a care free lad (read khula shaand). Then his role as the young sardar who is very serious in love too fits quite well. About Deepika, some people say she is good at keeping mum. As soon as she utters, all the charms fumes out. Her voice is not that ear friendly but anyways I'm always a fan of hers. And there was this lady Harleen Kaur. Just came to know that she is not an Indian but a Brazillian model Giselle Monteiro. She was here and there, but nowhere in the movie :)

And about the songs in the movie, I don't remember any :). Maybe I need to listen them again and again to appreciate it. So on a whole, its a movie you can still watch.


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PS:
Once you do a magic, you are expected to do it everytime. Sometimes expectations become a burden.

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"All that is gold does not glitter"

Started reading "The LOTR" again. This time its the Strider whose character inspires me. Although Frodo and Gandalf have been my favourite but the Strider a.k.a Aragorn has the guts in him. He is the one who went to the mountain of death and convinced those who have abondoned. Neither does he panic in the times of peril. It was he who challenged the indominable army of Orcs at the Black Gate to divert the attention of Sauron so that Frodo and Sam can reach the mountain of doom to melt the One Ring.

Rightly, Gandalf had wriiten about him the following lines :-

"All that is gold does not glitter,
not all those who wander are lost;
the old that is strong does not wither,
deep roots are not reached by the frost.
From the ashes a fire shall be woken,
a light from the shadows shall spring;
renewed shall be blade that was broken,
the crownless again shall be king.”

-JRR Tolkien, LOTR

PS:
Some people are just like Aragorn. They remain quite and show their true qualities at difficult times. Lets hope that Michael Schumacher will hit the F1 track again like a champion. All the very best.

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Down the memory lane

I was just trying to remember few names of my childhood friends.Vicky,his brother Nicky,Milan,Sana,Rakesh,Rishikesh,Akham,Mayashang.I can vividly remember each one of them with their faces.I grew up in the State Govt. Quarters located in the outskirts of Imphal city on a foot-hill. The houses were arranged in rows facing one another with narrow lanes between them. All the houses were of same design and of the same size. The Quarters were meant for the State Govt. employees who were posted in the city from remote places. When I look back I feel very lucky to have grown up in a place where people from diverse background meet. One of our next door neighbour was a Muslim and the other was a Christian.At that very young age the only difference I could make between the Eid and the Christmas was that on Eid we were invited by uncle Abdul and on the Christmas by uncle James. And on the Hindu festival - like the Holi or the Durga pooja, we were the host. There was never a religion or cast barrier.

And the other thing that I can proudly say about my childhood locality is that it made me harder in various aspects. Our playgrounds include the vast paddy fields in the front and the dense jungle in the back. I remember a game called "Fire - Fire" - in which the teams were divided into two and then both the teams hide in their respective areas. Then, whenever you saw someone from the other team, you have to shout "Fire" with the guy's name. Then that guy was supposed to be dead. The team with last guy standing was the winner. I don't know if today's children are still playing those games.

Then we use to play various sports depending on the TV telecasts. Sometimes the cricket fever and sometimes the Foot-ball fever. There was never a day when you were short of friends. I still remember my first Man-of-the-match award :).
And how can I forget those fights that happens on a regular basis. I had a fight with almost everyone of them. But then within a week we were use to be friends again.


And I use to go to school in a bicycle. How can I forget those moments when I learnt riding without using my hands. It was a indeed a gr8 achievment. I can still feel riding under the blue sky. I can still feel the fresh air blowing from the east. Sometimes the wind in in your side and sometimes against you.

I don't know where are those friends. Its been a long long time that I have heard anything from them. They must be busy with their daily routine like me. I hope to meet them again.

Some things become traits and it very necessary to keep them intact.

Cheers,
Tiken

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Jaane kya baat hai

Some songs are highly infectious. Its one of the numbers from Lata Mageshkar from the movie Sunny. The lyrics is amazing and the music touching.Its one of those songs that you can listen over and over again.It goes like this:

Jaane Kya Baat Hai, Jaane Kya Baat Hai
Neend Nahin Aati Badi Lambi Raat Hai

Saari Saari Raat Mujhe Isne Jagaya
Jaise Koi Sapna Jaise Koi Saaya
Koi Nahin Lagta Hai Koi Mere Saath Hai
Neend Nahin Aati Badi Lambi Raat Hai...

Dhakdhak Kabhi Se Jiya Dol Raha Hai
Ghungat Abhise Mera Khol Raha Hai
Door Abhi To Piya Ki Mulaqat Hai
Neend Nahin Aati Badi Lambi Raat Hai...

Jab Jab Dekhoon Maein Yeh Chand Sitare
Aaisa Lagta Hai Mujhe Laaj Ke Mare
Jaise Koi Doli Koi Baraat Hai
Neend Nahin Aati Badi Lambi Raat Hai...

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that 1 bit

That "1" bit spoilt my day.Rascal!!
Sometimes a bit is more dangerous than the whole pool of memory. Hey ! this is not a technical blog. I just want to bring the point that sometimes we just neglect things of less priority. But then in order to make the whole system work, everyone is needed. Thats how things work.

PS: MJ is dead. Although I did not grow up with his music, I felt bad for the man he was. He was an inspiration to many. This is evident from the fact that when someone dances, its always a compliment to say that he danced like MJ.Goodbye "Moonwalker",your "Thriller" will always inpire the human race.

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Getting Seriously Serious

3 yrs completed in the Software industry!! I don't know if its a moment to celebrate or to worry that I have spent 3 years on a Software Company that does not help much neither to the country's economy nor for the benefit of my people. Charity begins at home. Over these 3 years I have had a good life(at least financially). It has also gave me the opportunity to behave like a responsible son and a brother. But the real question is if I m doing enough?? Many a times have I pondered about helping others. That actually would mean start helping the people of Manipur, only then I should consider on a Global scale. But then the real question is how do I help? The truth is I don't have even the time to help my own younger brother, then how am I going to help the mass? These are the questions that keeps creeping into my mind. But only Rookies complain. And I knew I will find a way !! Thats what keeping me going......

PS:-
I am fearing if Dhoni actually lost his Midas touch!! Sometimes, arrogance is a bad thing. An unorthodox idea can be a boomerang! That's what happenned by promoting Ravindra Jadeja.

PPS:-
I was wondering if what made Shiney Ahuja so frustrated that he went for a maid!! :) I got some answer seeing his wife on the TV :(

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Of Swimming and the catching up with the time

This is my third attempt. My tryst with swimming is rather a very old story.When I was in college, I tried to learn swimming not only once but twice. I was pretty confident that I would learn it in a week but then it was not to be so. I failed miserably.I m the worst swimmer you will ever see and I honestly admit the fact. But with a hope that I would definitely learn this time, I joined the swimming class again. And its never too late to learn and we have to stand-up everytime we fell.:)

On a different note, my friend C.K.S got admitted to a reputed B-school. I must say, he is among those rare breeds of people with immense confidence and guts. I believe he wouldsucceed in the field he has chosen. All the very best buddy but I would surely miss a friend in Chennai. Thats how time flew. I have never thought that I would ever be surviving a 3rd consecutive summer here. But then this is how things happens.

PS:
IPL is in full swing.. I was wondering how did they manage to get the interest of the local people to watch the matches. Maybe the organizers promise free drinks for every fake cheers :)
BTW, what I liked most about watching IPL matches on the TV are the Vodafone adds. The characters called ZOOZOOS are getting popular day by day. Hats off to their creativity... Vodafone is planning to launch 30 different adds :) And they don't have to pay a hefty amount to some actors or cricketers for the promotion.

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Fundas from the heated brain

After every bad things there comes good things and it is expected that the cycle would continue. But sometimes the sequence can be something like this- bad -bad -bad - bad - bad ........ once in a while -GOOD- bad- bad -bad - very bad- ..................... and so on.
But then we have to learn to be happy and to face the odds.It is always darkest before the dawn. And we have to have the patience for the sunrise. Although the night might have seem to be longer, sunrise is inevitable - no one can stop.

Enough of these fundas - some good newz : My friend D.S finally cracked the final frontier for his MBA. For him the sun has arise and I hope he would become a good manager someday:)

PS: The Chennai heat is killing. And thnks to not having an AC in my apartments, I m spending most of my time in the office to avoid the heat.BTW, I m also doing my work :)

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Of busy schedules and Luck by Chance

Ups and Downs - lows and highs - Thats what people called it "Life".
The past few weeks have been very busy- thanks to our Indian style of working.
But sometimes I enjoyed being grilled to the maximum.

Watch "Luck by Chance " the other day.
Luck can "only" pave your way to success in Bollywood if you happen to belong from the outside world or you have to accept your faith no matter how small things come to your way. Is this what the movie wants to portray ? God knows! Well, it was not a bad movie but it was also not of my taste. But I m very sure that Farhan Akhtar is giving a tough competition
to the top heroes in the Hindi Film Industry. Thats a bad news for them :)

BTW, its been almost 2 weeks that TAta has launched "Nano".. But I have not yet got a
real glimpse of it.. Maybe in the coming weeks, We could see many "nanos" hitting the road.

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Bye bye .. Bye bye

All beautiful things come to an end and tomorrow is the last day of my stay here in Finland. Don't know when I ll be back again. But with a belief that I ll return again to see this wonderful place I am saying goodbye. Today, we had a glimpse of the spring season arriving. Soft sun-rays with clear sky accompanied with mild wind. What asight it would be in the coming few weeks. But then, I ll not be here to see the spring. We have been a part of a cold winter season and now we are going to be a part of the summer Chennai heat. Lets see how my body tolerates this change. It has been a great stay here. Lots of fun and excitement. I would always cherish my first abroad trip!! 

Kittos again 

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Ready to get roasted!

"Well many people don't get the previlege to experience what it felt like being taken out from a freezer to a pre-heated oven." - Thats what my friend Angad said when I told him that I m going back to Chennai. But the truth is that I m going to get roasted.
Only rookies complain.But I m going to miss this place- the snow, the people, the food and the climate. Its surprising that sometimes time flew like anything. Two months just passed in a jiffy.But I m going to remember the time I have spent here. Don't know when I 'll come here again but I m sure I ll come back someday :) to see the spring and summer. To see the leaves on the trees. To see the lakes and the fishes...
-Kittos (Thanks)

PS: Yesterday, went to a Sports bar to watch a football match between Liverpool and Man-U. 

Final score read 4-1.. Liverpool win comprehensively.. Felt bad to see the fans of Man-U.. But they were still singing-"There is only one United..."

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Cruising along the Baltic sea

Helsinki -Stockholm

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And yes ,the awaited day came - the cruise trip to Stockholm. We four of us boarded the ship from Helsinki harbour at around 4:30 pm. The ship was a big one - a seven storeyed. I have never been to a ship before so was quite excited. As soon as we entered, we were greeted and the way to our cabin was shown. It was small but very well planned. It had spaces for 4 beds, a small toilet cum bathroom. What else would you you ask for?

After exploring the ship for sometime, we went to the deck. It was damn cold, the wind makes it more chilly.Then the ship started moving cutting the frozen sea. And thus the maiden journey in the Baltic sea began. Inside the ship, a lot of things were there. A shopping arena, a pub, Casino, playing kiosks,dancing floor - these were enough to make you busy for the night. I must say, its a great place to eat and dine. Ofcourse, to drink -thanks to the tax free liquors. Anyway, it didn't matter much to me b'coz I had only juices. We make ourselves busy by seeing people and playing some games. I lost some 5 euros that night. After having the dinner, we returned to the cabin and slept.

Stockholm city:- We reached Stockholm at around 9:30 am swedish time. There is a difference of 1hr  with the Finnish time. Stockholm is a city built in an island which is opened to the Baltic sea. After walking for some 15 minutes from the harbour, we were inside the city. We had to board the ship for our return journey to Helsinki at 4:15 pm. Thus the sight seeing began. We walked across a narrow lane which seems like old medieval city which depicts very much the old European style. As we went far, the buildings started resembling the new architecture and suddenly we were in the city centre. We roam around the city for some 6 hrs . In between, we had our regular coffee breaks and lunch. We visited some important places around. The Royal palace being one. 

The return journey:

Everything was same except that it was a bit crowded than the day before. 

The Jackpot: This time we decided we would play the games and we were ready to spend 20 euros on it. I always believe that I am going to win. After betting for a long time, we lost most of our money. Then, we decided we would go for a final bet. Then things changed and we started hitting Jackpots. Thus, when the day ended, we had accumulated some 140 euros(all in coins) from the 50 euros that we had invested. So you never knew when your luck will change. But you should have the guts to bet even when you lose. Thats gambling :). Then we went to the dance floor and danced till 3:30 in the morning.After having a brief sleep, we were in Helsinki.

On the whole, it was a great trip. Every moment of it I enjoyed.... 

Ps: http://www.vikingline.fi/

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things that disturb this world

Its really an ugly incident. Sri Lankan team being attacked by terrorists in Pakistan. Even cricket is not spared.

PS: watched Motorcycle Diaries ; felt good after watching. Its like celebrating the human spirit without boundaries.

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Movies and the beetroot experience

With not many things to do during the weekends, I did what I do best- Watching movies. The last two weekends, I watched the following movies- Taken, Australia, Bolt,Valkyrie, The Reader. Some non-english movies- Revanche(Austrian),Il y a longtemps que je t'aime (German).
Watched Lord of the Rings -The Fellowship of the Ring again.
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Sometimes things can turn out unexpectly. Last night, I reckon that the only vegetable which we had was beetroot. Being very lazy to go out and buy something in the cold weather, I decided to stick with the beetroot. I thought of trying something new with it. Googled and found out - Beetroot sambhar. We still have some sambhar masala left. I have never cooked Beetroot before.
The recipe:-
After boiling the dal and beetroot separately, I heated oil in a frying pan and added mustard seed, sambhar masala, curry leaf powder. Then I peeled the beetroot and cut it into cubes and fried it with the dal in the pan for some time. Then I poured water and cooked with open lid until the beetroot was soft enough.
When it was ready, it looked like all beetroot :) I was wondering how it would taste. But luckily it turn out to be good. Thus, it was a nice experience with beetroot.
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PS:-
I was thinking what to buy from here . Everything seems costly. I was hoping atleast the Nokia phones would be cheap but it was not.

I have changed the look of the blog. Sometimes change is necessary!

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the Oscar goes to.....

Slumdog Millionaire- this time it was predicted and the prediction was right. Sometimes, you don't have to do much but need that speck of luck to be there on the top. Danny Boyle proved that you can win Oscar without the big shots from the Hollywood. What he did was to cast someone whom the world does not knew before.But then you have to have the talent like Danny Boyle has!!

Well, I would have proposed Freida Pinto before she would have become famous. Now, no chance!! I doubt even she had ever thought of being a part of an Oscar winning team. Its a wonderful world... Jai ho!

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Manipur - burning yet again

Manipur is burning yet again and this year the flame has reached a little early unexpectedly. This time around its the killing of Kasom Khullen SDO Dr Th Kishan, Driver Rajen Sharma and Revenue Mondal Token. Curfew has been imposed in the Imphal city for the past 2 days. Being a manipuri, I always keep a track of the happenings through the internet or from my family. Having been grown up in the place, I still feel I am a part of everything that is happening there. Human life has lost its value. The everyday headlines are filled with the news of killings and ugly incidents. I don't know the people who were murdered but from the various sources that I heard and read, I came to learn that SDO Dr. Th. Kishan was gem of a person. He had a vast knowledge and understanding of the things related to the development of Manipur. The letters from various people who knew him personally made me realised the fact that he was no ordinary soul. He had the quality to visualise and to lead. Its a loss to the society. Such people are needed for our Manipur. Such people can bring Manipur to the right direction. But I fear things are not going to change. When will we realise that what it takes to make the person like Kishan was. When will we start giving value to human life? But then again, we must not go to an extent that the things that follow should not be against the growth of the state. Already we have lost many precious lives. I do not know if there is any solution to the problem. But strikes and curfew is not the solution. It will affect every facet of the soceity - productivity, economy and the worst Education. We have been through it and we all knew what loss it is for a student in the midst of untimely Bandhs, stikes and curfew. Let us try to build the society- a soceity that Kishan would have dream of. Let us try and produce numerous "Kishans". Can we?

PS:-

Sometimes things can be in a very relative terms. When you are used to the temperature of minus 10-15, a minus 2 degree Celsius is a warm weather.

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To kill a Mockingbird -A tribute

I have read the book twice and seen the movie multiple times. I just liked it. Although I felt the book is better(maybe because I read it first then saw the movie) but the depiction of the same in the movie is not bad either. Throughout the book, I made some pictures or rather my imaginations about the characters mainly Scout(Mary Bardhem), Jem(Philip Alford) and Atticus Finch(Gregory Peck). The way it has been written and so touching at times about the daughter-father relationship. Harper Lee explore this through the eyes of Scout, the little girl of six. The kind of relationship that Scout has with his brother Jem is also nicely depicted.
Although the book was published in 1960 and it deals with very sensitive issues of rape and racial inequality, the context still hold true even in the present world.

"shoot all the blue jays I wanted - if I could hit 'em; but to remember it was a sin to kill a mockingbird. Well, I reckon because mockingbirds don't do anything but make music for us to enjoy. They don't eat people's gardens, don't nest in the corncrib, they don't do one thing but just sing their hearts out for us. "

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Gran Torino

It has been almost a week I have seen the movie but the movie has certainly made some mark in my memory.I will not review the movie in bits and pieces. You can find numerous of those with a click of the mouse. The best thing about the movie is Clint Eastwood's presence. At 78, this guy is still rocking. The skill he uses in his movies in my opinion is called penetrating the viewer's mind. He tries to sort out what the audience would love to see. Even when the story is plain as a clear soup, he still manages to keep things interesting. The movie has some good one liners which is not uncommon in Clint's movies. There are certain points in the movie which he tries to depict. One is the changes that happen during one's tenure. The cultural and the generation gap. Another point is that you always get the chance to be good again. Some people are not really bad at heart but just that they are rough or have become hard due to some past incidents.

Although the movie didnt get the nomination for the Oscar, but its running quite well all over the globe. I would have surely liked to see alongside the Slumdog Millionaire.

So tenderly your story is
nothing more than what you see
or what you've done or will become
standing strong do you belong
in your skin; just wondering

gentle now the tender breeze blows
whispers through my Gran Torino
whistling another tired song

engine humms and bitter dreams grow
heart locked in a Gran Torino
it beats a lonely rhythm all night long
it beats a lonely rhythm all night long
it beats a lonely rhythm all night long

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I met three guys early morning today at the sub-way near the railway station. They were drunk. One thing I like about the people here is that they don't do ugly things after getting drunk. Maybe because they are not used to doing bad things. They behaved normally. One of the guys told me that the Finns become socially active only after having a beer! i.e (they tend to become open ). The other asked me "Why the fcuk you left India for this fu**king country?". He had heard about India and he wanted to visit sometime. Mostly they knew about Goa and they have a good image for the place. I just smiled for I have many reasons.

PS:-

Not all men who drink are poets. Some of us drink because we aren't poets. - just happen to saw this quote in front of a bar while wandering in the new city. Give a thought.

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As I walk today across the snowy lane on my way to board the bus for office, I somehow felt like I am going to school. With all those preparations- bag-pack with books, sweater, woollen gloves,shoes and ofcourse the tiffin box. Isn't this strange? Back to schooldays!
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Nadal has done it again! Raw strength has again beaten sublime beauty. Anyway good for Tennis.
Just logged in to listen some Manipuri songs -E-pao Radio . Pushparani's songs getting sweeter and sweeter with every drop in mercury. Strange!

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And then the sun came

After hiding from us for few days, the sun finally come up. And that means a clear sky accompanied with a drop in mercury. Visited Helsinki and a place called Suomenlinna.

PS- I was just wondering how much the authority and the People trust each other in Finland. I don't know if this is due to their low population or due to their origin. But India do have a rich origin!! I could not stop appreciating the place. Btw, I would not be able to watch the Australian Open Final bcoz the Cable operator here in my room does not provide any Sport channel which telecast the Australian open(Only some skiing competition ). I hope the final would turn out to be another epic. Good luck Roger and Good luck Rafael.

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Fin fin Finland

Don't know how it happened but things just happen sometimes. You cannot just plan. And here I m in Finland. I am starting to like this place. The people here and its freezing environment. The cost of living is high here. I am planning to write in detail about my stay here in Helsinki. About my experience and other stuffs.
Btw, I was wondering about my daily expenses. I need to stop converting the euro to rupee. Just enjoy my stay here.
Kiitos -Thanks in Finnish
PS:-
Was jst wondering what would it be if "Slumdog Millionaire" happen to be directed by some Indian Directors and not by Danny Boyle! geeeeeee...
Even though the ending was a fairy tale the castings and the plot were perfect. I loved the part in the movie in which Jamal and Salim fell down from the train when Jamal exclaimed "Is this heaven?"
Salim - "You're not dead Jamal. "
Jamal - "What is it? Some hotel?"

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Its 11:16 am in the morning and that too a Monday morning and no Monday blues?No pending assignments in hand. Opened my office mail-box and no new mail!!Phew!...the reason being I'm on bench for the 1st time in my two and a half yrs of experience in the industry.
Checked my personal mails,scraps and all the blogs that I follow... Happened to go through the google news - entertainment section. Interesting headlines:-

Ash bitten by a beech leech
Deepika can easily digest the breakup
Kareena in confession mode!
Rakhi-Mandira without make-up
Lalu to feature in animation film
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PS:- Either you have lots of work or you don't have any. Loved this quote from Memento:
“I have to believe in a world outside my own mind. I have to believe that my actions still have meaning, even if I can’t remember them. I have to believe that when my eyes are closed, the world’s still there. Do I believe the world’s still there? Is it still out there?… Yeah. We all need mirrors to remind ourselves who we are. I’m no different.”

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