Perspective

How are perspectives built. Met someone yesterday (well, actually have known him for sometime now, but met him only yesterday). We had so much in common. We love to read similar stuff. We watch similar movies. If you look at us from a very third and indifferent point of view, you ll see we are so much alike. But then when we talked, I realised something, not necessarily when and if you have similar interests and you have thought over same things, because somehow you have read and seen the same happenings means, the start and the finish are the same.

In life, not always is 2 and 2, 4. Some times its a little less and sometimes its a little more. Sometimes it can be zero.

As you can see in the pic, what you see in it may or maynot be true, its mostly dependant on what you want to see.

I want to laugh.

Yeah I do. I want to laught at all the people around me. I want to laugh at there faces. Laugh so hard, that i dont need to laugh for another life of mine.

Why?
Coz, they will never be able to understand, that I am different from them. That they will never stop trying to convert me into one of them. That they will get frustrated everytime they don't succeed.

A break

3 weeks of travelling. 3 weeks of extensive work schedule. Tired. Break. Bored.

Late nights at office -> Goa -> Late nights at office -> Hyderabad -> Bidar -> Hyderabad -> Late nights at office -> Rishikesh -> Late nights at office -> Very tired.
Thought would take a break from travelling and enjoy this weekend, at home. Had forgotten, enjoyment at home doesn't exist. So was bored, am bored and looking forward to office on monday and the next weekend. Am definitely doing (going) something (somewhere) again.

Hmmm...

Are you stuck in the conversation?

Don't know how to react to an uncomfortable question?

Don't know what to say?

Just said something, which now you regret and want some time to re-arrange (read: make some excuse) your thoughts?

OR you are just plain stupid?

Here's the panacea for all this. Hmmm... In the virtual world, it buys you time, makes the other person you are thinking, when you actually have to go pee. In the real world, this usually should accompany a nod. Now the other person is fully aware that either you know a lot, or are seriously interested in what they are saying.
I mean, use it whatever way you want to, wherever you want to, this works, 95% of the time.
Well, how did i reach this statistics... hmmm.

But jokes apart, lets for once discuss something serious. Hmmm... I think is another name of GOD. I think I want to start a new religion, hmmism. I mean, why do people want God? To rescue them from problems. In the virtual world this is what hmmm can do. And anyways, even God these days is not all powerful... And since there are anyways, some 2 billion religions in the ~6.5 billion world population so another additon won't disturb it much more.

Q: Neeraj, it seems the work stress is affecting your grey cells.
N: Hmmm...

Q: Don't you have anything productive to do?
N: Hmmm...

Q: What are you saying? Why are you saying?
N: Well... hmmm...

So, am back again.

Back again? Well, i didn't exactly go anywhere to get back, but if you look closely to the date of my last post, you'll find that its been more than a quarter of an year, since i posted anything. Well, here I am back from the long long sleep.

So, where was I? And what happened in between. I can say one thing for sure, life was playing what it plays best.... LIFE.
1. Met someone, found someone.
2. Travelled a lot. As in Hyderabad, Agra, Goa, Ranchi (If you consider going home as travelling), Bidar, Rishikesh.
3. Partied.
4. Read a few books, though want to read a lot lot more.
5. Worked my @** off. Late nights became a daily thing, so much so that when I was returning home last night at 11, I was glad that I am going home early.
6. Appraisal happened. (Would love to post what happened, but they want us to keep it a secret.)
7. Because of all of the above, I am in debt till my neck now.

So, the final assessment of these months, I worked hard, partied harder and spent the hardest.

See you guys soon with more stuff.

Dream @ TATA

The interesting thing about dreams is that, everyone has them. But very few have the fire to go for them and only those few are the ones who turn their dreams into reality.

Ratan Tata saw one. And he had the guts to go for it despite everyone's opposition. Now, there's a man to look up to.

This is how the world treats those very few.

DO

Gurgaon once again: MP schoolboy shoots mate

The news piece glared at me in the front page of TOI today. And i still haven't come out of the shock. Now, obviously i won't start complaining to what the world has come to? but somewhere we went wrong. We as an individual, as a family, as a society and as a nation went wrong. The following extract from the news piece says all:

This murder by a schoolboy, seen together with the Gurgaon killing and the murder of a student in Noida by his former classmates last month, shows a disturbing rise in violence involving students which until now was reported only from the US.

Its about time we realised our mistakes and did something about it. Innocence has already become so rare among us. We have lost the trust we had in the people. Everyday, we hear things happening around us, but unless they come to our doorstep we don't speak. Its always, the son of another man who shot or was shot. Its always the daughter of someone living far away who is raped by her own classmates, and its always the fault of the women who party at 2 past midnight who get molested. Its about time, we questioned the victim and the guilty less and questioned ourselves more. Each one of us.

What would we have done if we were there at 2 am in mumbai? What would we do, if we find someone with a gun in their hand, and what should we do to make sure that the people around us don't ever get the impulse to take such extreme steps. New year was good, but the days that have followed, the newspapers have been full with random incidents of rapes, murders, accidents because of drunken driving and more.

If anything has to change it will have to start with us, near us around us. If nothing is done, the day is not far when we will find our own sons carrying guns and daughters getting molested around. Its neither too easy, nor is it impossible. But we will have to understand the urgency of the situation, the urgent need of an action. We cannot be the bystanders, reading newspaper, sipping coffee and finally saying "ahh, what has world come to?"

"You must be the change, you wish to see in the world."
Mahatma Gandhi.

@Office

Yeah, I am working late at office once again. 20 days had gone by since i stayed back late, and i started assuming i had become efficient. Well it seems, i was wrong, it was just that i didn't have enough work. But now I have. Am i glad? I think I am.

As they say, an idle mind is a devil's workshop, and my mind was a laboratory for him(or should i say 'IT'). All kinds of thoughts came to my mind. The destructive ones. The frustrating ones. The self-immolating ones.

Ha!!!! D, now what do you say? Come and get me now. But now you can't get me. I am away from your reach.

Why am i writing this blog, when i should work? What am I writing? Or even better question, why am i writing this blog at all? Well, i think i don't know. Opened my blogger to check for new comments, but there weren't any. So, its for you all good-for-nothing-souls, comment on this, or when next time i dont have much work in my hand, i ll be thinking about you. And let me tell you, this can get very very
VERY
VEEEERRRRRYYYYY
SCARIE... HAHAHAHAHA.

huh!! (Neeraj shrugs and decides to end it)

chapter closed.

Its a cliche post

So, what do you think do i have in mind? I gave u the biggest hint thats possible. Its an used, per-used subject for writing a blog. People all over the world would be writing something about this subject. Everyone will try to make it as funny and "interesting" as he/she can. But to no avail.

I mean, every year a very big percentage of bloggers write about this, unfailingly. And every one tries to make it as unique as possible. The style that has never been used. But since we all have read the very same (or, similar) stuff, its very hard to make this subject even slightly different than what all already exist in the sphere.

Although I am very sure, you highly intelligent breed of common sensical people must have for sure guessed what subject I am talking about, but If you haven't been able to "decipher" it, coz of lack of the blob that exists in the upper most floor of the human body (and still to my utter dismay have stumbled to my post), the subject i am talking about is,

NEW YEAR 2008.

Now, people who have read enough of "happy new year" or "nu yr" or "HNY" etc etc posts, kindly move away from the blog, and those who haven't, go further.

Happenings of 2007:
1. Got a job. I am still employed.
2. Left IIT. Still hung up on friends and life there.
3. First flight.
4. First big city experience. (I think I am doing quite well)
5. Night Clubs
6. Absolutely no luck on romance side. (in short, "the same")
7. Made some 100 more friends. (in short, "the same")
8. Bought a bike. CBZ xtreme. (wanted to write a blog, but then didn't)
9. Travelled
10. Ahh!! now even i cant stand the stench of the used and used subject, so, etc etc etc.

Resolutions for 2008:
1. Can't tell you
2. Can't tell you
3. Can't tell you
4. Once again, etc etc etc.

Told you not to read it, now don't blame me.
After all the subjects says it all. It is, It was and It will always be, a cliched post.

so, to end my blog i ll like to say, goodbye 200.... ahh, c'mon.

chal ab kat le. bahut padh liya.

I Travel

What is it about travelling that i really enjoy?

To be very frank, even i don't know.

Its not the architecture, the museums, the parks or for that matter any tourist place that attract me. I mean, they are all amazing to look at, and I do appreciate them all. But somehow, its not about them that i like going to places.

Its the people and only people. Every face in the crowd seems to be telling a story. Every person has something interesting to share. And my hunger to meet them takes me all around.

"Jaisalmer? yaar bahut duur hai. kahin paas ka plan bana na."
"Jaisalmer? hahahahahaha."
"Jaisalmer? abe 20 ghante ka rasta hai. kaise jayega? Aadha time to travel karega."
"Jaisalmer? hahahahahaha."
"Jaisalmer? bahut thand hogi be. raat mein mar legi."
"Jaisalmer? hahahahahaha."
"Jaisalmer? Tu pagal ho gaya hai."
"Jaisalmer? hahahahahaha."

Some of the responses i got when i asked people for the trip. And I am glad, none of them accompanied me. :).

Jaisalmer? Amazing place to be.
Jaisalmer? Amazing place to meet new people.
Jaisalmer? Amazing place for the foodies like me. You get food from all around the world.

What exactly did i do?

The people i met,
Karthik (works in the same bulding as me)
Shuk Sin Won
Park Chun Su
Abu Bhai
Ghazi Khan
Faqruddin
Uli Khan
Ali Mohammad
Ghazi Khan (the singer)
Deepak and 4 of his other friends. (I am sorry guys, i forgot your names)
Amit (security waala)
Ashish
Ashish's dad
Ashish's mom
Ashish's sister
Bhawani Singh Rathore
Raju
James
James's girlfriend
5 of Karthik's colleagues (The names i don't want to remember)
An English girl, I borrowed pen from.
A Group of three people in the restaurant,( the lady teaches in jaipur.)
And about 30-40 more.

And I can write a small collections of stories that i learnt from them. Every face has a story to tell, you just have to be ready to listen. And you get so enriched by the memories.

"I have three dreams for myself, Travel as much as i can, taste as many kinds of cuisines as i can and read as many books as i can." And i still stick by it.
And by the way, for the people who missed, 20 hours in a good company seems like 20 minutes and you are left wanting for more.

Signing off,
Aneyonghikhaseyo
(In Korean it means, be safe)

Good bye.

Joker

I am A joker. Yeah, I am. I make people laugh, and laugh they do. Sometimes at me, sometimes with me. I am the joker of the weirdest kind. I wear the mask all the time. They laugh, I laugh, the world laughs.

I am THE joker.

JOB

Have you ever experienced Deja vu? I did today. A friend of mine got a job. While I was being given the news, all the memories became alive of that day. The day i got my job.
The fun, the bounciness was so evident in the voice. There was some electric effect in the voice which also got transferred to me. Oh and suddenly i am happy again. Well i am happy always, but i now am even happier.

All the best to you, for the life ahead. Hope you get all that you ever deserved and a lot more.

Jaipur. Day two

What all we did?

Went to Maharani factory. bought to razayis.
Visited city palace.
Went up to Amber fort, bought gifts for friends. Wanted to ride an elephant, but couldnot do that. Had 2 glasses of butter-milk. Oh nothing's better than curd, when it comes to refreshing you.
Hawa Mahal. Ate at Kallu ka hotel. A very famous name in the old jaipur area.
Albert Hall. Took a horse ride. Sat a while. looked at the pigeons. and once even ran in them.
And den left for gurgaon.

For a third person, this is all we did. And the story would really be as boring and dumb as i just told you. But for us, it was totally different. Yes, we actually did go to these places. Amazing places.

The palaces, the forts. The people then really knew how to live in splendour.

A very interesting thing that i found in jaipur was, that every man there is a salesperson for jaipur. We asked someone on the street about the where-abouts of maharani factory, and he started on how and what can we find in that place, as soon as he was done giving the directions. Got to know about the 100g razayi, even before i had a chance to reach there. And i am sure, if i had talked to him a few more minutes, i would have gone and bought everything present there.
Finally when we went ahead a little more and got confused about the place again, we got a chance to talk to another sales-person. And this time he was an auto-rickshaw waala. Either these guys are all trained in salesman-ship, or they really are proud of the place. And i am very sure, its the latter that's true.

City palace is huge. You could smell the royalty, the courage and the valour in the very air that blows inside.

Amber fort was our next stop. The curvaceous roads that led to the fort were a delight to ride. Elephants with their mahouts, camels and horses with their riders were a common sight. I couldvisualise the life of ppl who lived in those forts and palaces and if anyone had ever lived like kings it had to be the maharajas and maharanis of jaipur. Outside the entrance a local was selling some items of rajasthani handicrafts. Beautiful and traditional jewellery, key chains, show pieces... they were all in abundance. We bought a few of them for our friends and entered the fort; by the time we returned back from Amber fort, we were dead twice over with the uphill walk (that we did 2 times, just for the fun of it). Two glasses of butter-milk and a bottle of soda for handique was all we needed to start once again and the journey resumed.

Our "paapi paet" had by then started growling and we had to go on the search of "Kallu ka hotel". After roaming around the Hawa mahal for some time, we finally found it hidden among the whole length and breadth of pink buildings. To Handique's disappointment and mine elation, it didn't look like a very sophisticated restaurant. It was just a dhaba. And that too very shabbily maintained.

Amber fort was a pleasure. Met some very interesting people. Exchanged my pea-nut masala for bananas with one of them. Did horse riding, although it was not much of it, as the guy would not allow me to take the reins in my hand. So, effectively i was just sitting on it, while he did all the walking. But I for once became a child again, and loved even that. The humpy, bumpy and very short ride that i had cost me 50 bucks, but i knew if he wud have asked 4 times over, i wud have been happy to pay.

And den we were off for Gurgaon.

Jaipur. Ha!! Jaipur, I will sure come to you again. Just wait and watch.

the week(ends) that passed II .... jaipur

A few excerpts from the conversations i had on 27-28 of october. They are arranged according to passing time. so try, and make some sense out of it.

the conversations presented hence forth, have been translated to english for the people reading this. The original conversation took place, in English, Hindi and sometimes just eyes.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(On phone)
Me: mom, i am getting bored. Two of my flat mates are busy with their girlfriends, one is studying. other friends have to go to office.
Mum: oh!!! and you are left alone??
Me: maa, another call's coming, talk to you later.

[Its Handique]

Me: Hey handique.
Handique: Wanna goto Jaipur.

Yes.

Now?

Yes.

On bike?

Yes. give me sometime. i ll take a bath and get ready.

yeah sure.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
[The tour starts]
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Handique: We'll make our first stop after 4. At the most rudimentary dhaba possible.
Me: sure. I was thinking the same.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Me: dude, look at the speed, i didn't know a 100cc bike could reach 90.
Handique: Give a little more acceleration.
Me: man, i have given it the max. it won't go any further

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

now, where to? Adi said something about a sindhicamp bus-stop, where we can find hotel rooms.

Then lets go there.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Find a bar. Find a bar. I need a drink.

Handique. chill, man. We'll do that.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
[Didn't find any chicken, as it was after 10 at night. ]
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Handique (drunk): Where are we going Neeraj?
Me: I don't know, maybe the hotel.

Ask me the same question

Where are we going Handique?

Railway station!!!!!

Lets do it.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
[Day ends]

the week(ends) that passed

For a person like me, nothin could be more satisfying than the last few days i spent. Well with exception of a few things, i haven't experienced so far. But we are here to talk about my time spent.

It all started with me meeting Handique. Its not like we didn't know each other. We sure did. But we didn't know this interesting and similar nature of each other. He is everything like me, except a little more than what and who I am. He is older, crazier, more extrovert and he loves to talk and travel.

The weekend before last, found two things. One, I love the ambience of railway platforms. The chaos that exists, the hurrying people, the people, the noise, all enchant me. Spent an hour reading a comic book on the platform bench and then left the station. Second, I found another way of enjoying life in Delhi. Parties. Met a whole lot of people in the party which i accompanied Handique to. And the best part was, even he hardly knew anyone there, other than may be the hosts. But it was fun. With everyone around smoking and drinking and beautiful girls to look at. some of the most amazing people to talk to. Handique was totally spent, and still insisted on driving back.

Monday, office annual party. Objectively, it sucked. Booze got over even before the party could take off. Almost no arrangements. Dull crowd and stupid games. But if I want to enjoy, who can stop me. Had a ball of a time. Danced for hours on the disc floor. When with friends, it doesn't matter, where you are. And with friends like these, oh anything's perfect.

Week was hectic. Late nights, a lot of work and confusion. Couldnot manage to even check my orkut profile till i reached home, every night.

What did i do this weekend? Thats a long story, and the next blog covers it.

Found It

Finally i did sleep.

I am not an insomniac, but yeah, i somehow have not been able to sleep for long hours. Last night was good. i slept for 8 hours. 8 long hours, and its such beautiful day. I guess i can go without eating garlic today.

Think

Found this floating on the Net.

Rains

Rain rain go away... little johnny wants to play.
i don't know why would little johnny not want rain to be there. I mean don't kids love to get wet. I still do. And i do get wet most of the times.

But why suddenly rains? well, for once somehow rains have been following me for some days now (not literally). but wherever i see, i see a mention of it. A junior has his status message that says, "i love rain". Called mom, she was upset with too much of it, shez not able to go shopping and the pujas are around the corner. And many many more. But when i landed on a blog by Megha about how she loves rain, i thought, someone's tryingto tell me something. Maybe, just maybe, I need to write something about it, or not. But i decided to take the plunge and here i am writing about rains (or on the lack of it).

I was born in a family which loved rains. Sure i have been spanked for not wearing my raincoats even after having it in my bag all along. Sure i have been scolded for leaving my umbrella just outside my home, so that i dont have to carry it, and for walking and jumping in the knee deep puddles that are formed on the road. But, still i always believed my family loved rains. I could see my mom, my dad, me and my brother all sitting near the window watching the beauty of the nature's most amazing occurence. Looking at the playfield infront with temporary rivers formed on them. Children playing and running around while there parents looking at them angrily and waiting for them to get back for a flogging (i am sure others would have seen me doing the same a lot many times). And when its accompanied with gusts of wind, nothing could be dearer to watch. Clothes clinging to people as if asking them to for once give them shelter under their skin. Its beautiful.
Even in KGP, I have enjoyed the rain. We became children again, played football, rugby and what not. Went on a stroll amid heavy downpour. Stood on the corridors getting soaked in cold and heavy showers. We have even run into the open spaces collecting ice, after a hail-storm in our first year. There's nothing better than a hot cup of coffee while you are completely soaked. And we have been lucky enough to do all that.

So, when in Gurgaon I found that rain was a luxury, my soul cried.... ok that was going a little overboard but i sure missed it. I have almost savoured every drop that i could. But 10-12 showers in the whole rainy seaon? (got wet 6-7 times).

Three words.... I NEED RAIN. Send it along, plzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.

Friend

Found this on someone's Shelfari notebook.
"
"Hi, Bookmarker..U have more friends than books in ur store.."
Yes, they are less expensive, more valuable and at times more interesting to read !"

Random Sundays

What started as a stupid and lame, good for nothing second day of the weekend, ended in a very amazing manner.
One thing is for sure, when they say, the night is the darkest just before dawn, they aren't kidding. This would apply to our own mood, that i didn't know.

Started my day in a very mundane manner. woke up late, started reading Naipaul, came online, found no-one to chat to. Called a few friends, did whatever i could while being in my flat. Nothing helped. By the noon time, had reached the height of boredom. Wanted to do something, something so I could feel, I am alive. Anything, but I needed to get out of my room. Was so bored, that i finally decided, that I would just go for a trip. If someone accompanies me, well and good. Otherwise, i ll leave alone. Actually thought about going somewhere out of station, and repeating my kgp-kolkata-kgp trip. Asked Ashu, whether he would like to come with me for a random car ride in delhi. He declined (can't say, i didn't expect that. If he had got ready, that would have been a surprise.) Called, Shukla and he was game.
All this happened within half an hour. Booked a taxi for 8 hrs, and me and Shukla were out in the open, with no specific plans in mind. But boy what a day. Dilli Haat -> CP -> Central Park -> Dinner -> India Gate -> Saket (to pick anuradha) -> India Gate -> Saket (Dropped her) -> Home. And i was delighted. i still am. [:)]

Lessons learnt.
1) Start moving, Ppl join automatically.
2) No plans, no expectations, full masti.
3) Car back seat also becomes the best place to be, when you are with friends.
4) Dilli Haat is good for food. Especially the thukpa. wow!!!
5) Taxi services charge you extra 100 bucks if you have booked the taxi for late night, ie, after 11 pm.

Now, I know what i am going to do next weekend. Its so easy. I ll book a taxi and go for another ride to delhi, or maybe somewhere out of station. Hey I could go for a biking trip to jaipur or some nearby place, I am sure Shukla will be more than happy to come.

But then again, why care.

Saturday ki saturday ko dekhenge. Aaj, kaam karte hain. [:D]