Train of thought

I was running late for a discussion I had to attend in town.I rushed through some household chores, got dressed and left. After a hectic ticketing ordeal I managed to run and catch the train to my destination.I caught my breath, plugged in my music and settled into my seat.I was enjoying the train ride looking around and letting the lyrics define the mood. 

As the train pulled into the next stop I saw a disheveled lady from the window. She soon clambered into the compartment and took up the seat next to mine. I observed her feet, 2-3 pairs of socks put on along with her slippers. The legs of her trousers seemed inflated,like she`d put on a fat suit. No-wonder, as I noticed she was probably wearing every apparel she`d ever possessed. She had a smile on her dirt covered face,a mischievous grin as she looked at us and the shiny things. Unperturbed, I listened to my music.The train halted and there was a whiff of a foul odour. We realized it came from her. Cutting through my strawberry lotion and citrus lip balm; it was repulsive, that stench of ugliness, of everything dirty about the human body. I moved uneasily in my seat.My lunch came right upto my throat.My brain ordered me out of there,but my heart sank and pinned me to my seat.

What had just happened? Did I just stoop so low to devalue and disrespect that human being in front of me? To treat her like an untouchable,inhuman object? Does her physical and mental state rob her of dignity? No. It was I who`d just done it. I had to make this right, and so I consciously did not even shift from my seat. While in my train of thought, I accidentally touched her with my foot. In an instant reflex, I apologized graciously in the Indian way of putting your hand to your heart and your mouth.She smiled at the gesture,a dignified smile at that.I felt redeemed.

As the last stop approached another lady sitting next to me accidentally stepped on her foot and did the same apologetic gesture. She smiled yet again. She seemed content.She found something she was looking for.

We all got down as the train pulled into the last station. I watched her blend in and become one with the sea of humanity. I looked around and smiled - I loved the people that make Mumbai.

Belief

It was a crisp morning. Inspite of waking up in the ICU waiting room there was an air of positiveness.My uncle arrived and we checked on our cousin who was recuperating, much faster than the doctors expected.A good day,I said to myself.Since she was resting, my uncle and I decided to go down for a stroll, to soak in the early morning energies.The hospital was located near a creek, 'Mini- Chowpatty' the signage read. The words resounded,I`d heard this before.We walked up to the shiny new promenade but the sight seemed familiar. While I checked out the street furniture and concept of public space, my brain dug out some deep buried memories. I might ve been 10 years old when I`d come here with my maternal cousins.I remembered how thrilled we were to see the ducks,ride a paddle boat and pretend to be Sindbad, ride the horse cart and gorged on candy-floss.Aah..childhood! A quick glance gave me a reality check.Had the place changed? Or was it my perception? Construction debris dumped unscrupulously,the water no longer pristine, plastic junk coagulated on the banks, wrappers and paper thrown right under the no littering sign.I was angry!I sniggered at THEM, those dumb people - Be proud,you`ve left your mark! But then I wondered, what substantial things have I done to make this better? What mark have I left? Footsteps of greed that lead our children to catastrophe.Will this be our legacy? Something must be done, and done by ME , by every self - to the fullest of their capacity.It is time -to realize- the power we can wield,as architects,as citizens, as human beings. We are capable, of so much more than we assume, and we must translate this into a tangible development.It starts by believing-it starts from YOU.

Walk On - Creating Public Experiences

This is my entry for the Berkley Prize Essay Competition 2011. 

Theme:Architecture for the Public Good

The evening sun sets gently. The dance of the orange -pink hues reflected in the water. A simple pleasure of life, the experience made memorable by the setting. The cool breeze flows unhindered, –free for everyone to enjoy, cutting across class and caste. This celebration of freedom and of public space is an everyday affair on the Carter road promenade, Mumbai.Once an abused and derelict waterfront, it is an epitome of social infrastructure development that I aim to explore and emulate for Mumbai`s 140 km long coastline.The burgeoning real estate prices and subsequent land grab spelt doom for Mumbai`s recreational spaces. Waterfronts -once the raison d’être of Mumbai fell into neglect, viewed only as dumping yards. Owing to the efforts of concerned citizens and activist -architect Mr P. K. Das, a fresh lease of life was infused into the claustrophobic urban fabric of Mumbai. For a city so starved for open spaces (0.003 acres/ 1000 people) the best public building could well be one with no building in it. A twofold strategy was adopted- to revive the water fronts and open up spaces for the public. The intervention was simple and effective to the hilt; an unobstructed slow moving pedestrian zone specially designed for recreation with convenient access. This flowing ribbon of public space interspersed with greenery also bound the critical interface of the sea and the land. My essay will elaborate the physical and social impact of this project on our burgeoning mega polis, the unique socio-cultural milieu it created and the transformation of the city especially the waterfronts, in its wake.The project enlisted citizen participation and the process forged strong bonds of community. People too embraced the space with open arms. Locals and students are often seen jamming with their musical instruments or perfecting their soccer moves. A stone`s throw from college, many an evening are spent unwinding by the amphitheatre after an intense day in the studio, watching pets frolic in the dog park, senior citizens in a laughter club, kids reveling in their innocence, people relaxing or brisk walking to shed that mozzarella topping.The promenade is a delicate and clever intervention engaging you in a series of experiences. The low tide reveals a rocky patch where unfold many a drama of everyday life. A poor man trying to catch fish, young men treading down the rocky jetty playing knight to their beloved, kids sail paper boats or exploring crevices for crabs and shells. Dhobis lay out abstract portraits of laundry, an inadvertent Mondrian which changes every day. A cluster of mangroves stand testimony to the transformation; salvaged after intense conservation efforts by residents. Further down, the fishermen’s nets and boats rest after a hard day`s toil. The promenade then curves up to the amphitheatre venerating an existing shrine. This statue of Lord Ganesha is believed to have miraculously appeared from the sea-the perfect seasoning of mythology and faith typical of the Indian phenomenon. The final stretch incorporates gazebos, street furniture and walls framing views of the setting sun and informally extends into the rows of prawn/fish strung out in the sun to dry in the fishing village of Khar Danda, offering glimpses of Mumbai of the yore. Meandering through 1.25 km it reaches out to meet the sea and recedes in places to let in the tide.Set aside from the fast paced city by the porous line of parapet, there is a sense of festivity, a celebration of the everyday -the sun, sea and humanity that surrounds us.Everyone has that off day where you want to put the city behind you without leaving it; you want solitude but not loneliness, to slow down, walk without being stepped on and breathe for the pleasure of it. The promenade is that oasis of the urban dweller - A place to get inspired, create, hope, nourish, introspect, protest, debate and discuss, hear see learn and teach, build dreams and resolve- a place for democracy.

Just an update

Going through the previous posts I realized my postings on F1 dwindled as degree college took over.So what a perfect post on a perfect day (with so much of F1 in my conversations today). Just an update that..Its 19 days to go for the 1stever F1 Grand Prix of India at the Buddh International Circuit,Noida. Surely as excited as hell, Tickets are obviously booked and this anticipation is just taking over me day by day! Cant wait..to see all my heroes in person, in action! Its just one of those moments where everything in the universe seems to align its self around your dreams so that you may have..the perfect day!
P.S.: Schumi..I m coming!! Forza Ferrari :D irony--but old habits die hard

Dreamland

It seemed like any other ordinary day, when I was too lazy to get out of bed but I had some place to be. Soon enough I was roused from my slumber by a call, from my friend as to what time I ll be reaching for the ICHH. Arrgh..I said to myself as I clumsily got up feeling a little unwell. I went to the bathroom and when I emerged out. it was the auditorium of the college which seemed to look a lot like the Karwar restaurant setting. All of us -'the gang' was at the table enjoying the breakfast, happily chattering and laughing about. Then came in to join this tea party was AC, some random collegites and even my school teachers! I suddenly noticed it was evening and apparently the occasion was the Annual day of my school. A few of my teachers came up to say hello, so we all got up to greet them. The dining table gradually vanished as we started talking to the teachers about what we were upto.
Meanwhile Dj was showing my dad videos from our Karwar trip. In one of the videos, Dj was standing in the sea near what looked like a mini tower for crabs. Crabs were jumping off the tower into the water below n Dj was recording it. The 1st crab jumped in and swam away. The 2nd guy jumped, came up real close into the camera n said...”Who’s your daddy.” Then a huge mouth engulfed that crab and his jaws snapped to reveal a giant turtle who just ate the crab. He then looked into the camera and said.."ME!" end of video. Coming back to my teachers..a few friends said, “We spent 1 day of work/thesis to be here for the occasion, I hope there`s alcohol.” Incidentally, my teacher couldn’t wait to serve them some because she`d heard how awesome they were when they were drunk.
Suddenly, the scene shifted to a classroom (9b from my school) where I and a couple of college friends were in uniforms with me wearing a sweater. The teacher asked us about our socks, shoes and ties, but mine was hidden in the sweater as I realized I did not have a badge. The teacher saw it and reprimanded me about it. So in retaliation I said “Now we are in the 10th and barely have lectures in the 2nd half. We aren’t supposed to be here. So let me off!” A huge discussion ensued ending in laughter. Infuriated the teacher asks” who was talking!” I and fellow collegites raised our hands. Seeing this many others did the same. Finally some random chick got canned for talking.
The teacher then starts lecturing us. Her getup slowly turns into that of saintly robes and little idols, pictures of gods n goddesses appear. She was narrating the story of some 'Veer'(brave man)who apparently had his thumb cut and was depicted likewise in many temple friezes.(its not angoolimaal-u know it all smart asses) She also mentioned how he was also a reincarnation of Lord Ganesh in someway. In one of his bravados as we were transported to medieval India, he single handedly lifted up a huge musical instruments she referred to as a tanpura (its not but she does) and blew in it to herald a battle call. Coming back to our classroom which now looked more like one of my bedroom(my real home bedroom)….the call seemed realistic. The other students had disappeared from the class to be replaced by 2 scale models of our ’fort’ in ‘Mattel ‘boxes! The setting was such that there was a long approach way to the fort. Through a gateway you enter a square where life size chess is to be played out. Then was another gateway leading to the hilltop fort. So my teacher (saintly) is explaining to us now the strategies of war as we realize that a war has been declared on Salsette. Apparently due to paperwork error it was still an independent princely state. Subsequently, the government also couldn’t interfere.
The enemy was supposedly an independent Rajput princely state! So it was decided we should help out in whatever way possible. Since it was Salsette, I was the only student left. A terracotta life size figurine walked into the room which now looked like a Spartan but huge room from a grandiose haveli. She informed us that the people below were crying with desperation and fear of certain death. “We must not go down like this my teacher says.” She asks me to go away to a safer haven while she`d prepare for war. While arrangements were made, I looked out for movement on the outside thro the window,which surprisingly looked like my other bedroom window. I could see the street, the flyover and the bus-stop-complete with an AC 105 to CBD Belapur! I ran across to tell my teacher it wasn’t needed, this war.
“Lets get out of this crazy place!”
But my teacher didn’t agree…I thought she was bananas and I decide to leave as the first stream of sword wielding, brocade uniformed invaders made their way to the fort. They fired the first shots of udad and jaggery thro the cannon, into our window. I turned back only to realize that the teacher is actually my mom! I ran up to her and gave her a tight hug. I pleaded and begged for her to come with me and finally managed to convince her. Then me and her looked for my dad and brother and asked them to come along and run away to somewhere safer. It was relatively easy because the palace now was a 2BHK apartment.
We took the stairs as the invaders hadn`t reached there yet or so we thought. I peeped to see if the coast was clear but there were gun toting people waiting for us. They spotted us and I yelled my guts out.
As the shot was being taken I realized, that they were actually my neighbours with a PAINTBALL GUN and the invaders had transformed into other bldg members celebrating Holi! Apparently my family knew about it before hand itself... making me an idiot who was lost in the premises of war!

Mumbai waste-d

Much has been said and a lot more written about the problem of waste management especially in Mumbai. But alas, little is done and whatever little is being done not all of it make it in the long run. As a part of my thesis on waste management I had collected a lot of information and statistics etc. related to the issue. But everything was put into perspective once I visited the Deonar garbage dump.
We took a BEST bus that took us right to the garbage dump. As the bus made its way thro the narrow lanes of Shivaji Nagar we contemplated on how the site will be like. And suddenly the bus took a turn; and to our left was this massive huge humongous ridiculously high pile of garbage. A hillock..Yes…around 10-15 storey tall…full of garbage-made of garbage! All those number finally made sense...110 hectares,31m high mounds of waste. Seeing is believing! We walked along the road to the longest side of the dump from Nirankari Bhavan till the B.M.C. office and what we experienced enroute is unforgettable and deeply impactful. Beyond the bus depo,.the road is not qualified to uphold its title. It is more like a patch of earth and gravel plastered with a layer (or more) of excreta..human canine, bovine and everything else that there is. After walking along this so called road we took a turn towards the road leading to the dump. And it was enough to let us know what lay in store..or so we thought. The slum dwellers warned us not to go down the road as it was too dirty and mucky, that too by their standards!! Braving the muck we decided to go ahead to our left. We went left walking along a road that ultimately had a dead end. We took some pictures and were guided by a bunch of overenthusiastic kids. But a few more pictures later a gentleman politely asked us to put down are cameras..After a second of flinching he boldly and frankly told us that the leachate channels were also their open air toilets. Embarassed at invading their privacy we put our cameras away and went back to the junction. This time we took the right turn that led to the BMC office. The road was dotted with piles of garbage at every few steps. The people were busy scavenging segregating sorting and packing all that could be salvaged. The drizzle just added to the character by creating a layer of ankle deep muck in many places. We were getting restless to go right into the garbage dump rather that walk along the periphery so we decied to take one of those makeshift bridges aver the deep leachate channels. The looked more scary than while actually using it.Some of the kids had even gone into the leachate channel to scout for plastic etc. Everything has value here. They earn around 500Rs. Per day for this garbage. Garbage to them isn’t measured by weight but by worth. 500/- worth of garbage or 5000/- worth of garbage. There is big money here in the garbage and so groups are often seen befriending the garbage truck driver and jumping onto the truck even before It enters the dump to claim the right to scavenge through it. First come first serve! But that is driven by desperation. Garbage is their work, their livelihood and so they are immune to it. Atleast to the sights, sounds and smells. They liver here, work here ,sleep here even cook and eat here. They rummage through the entire city`s waste barehanded and barefooted. They are exposed to such hazardous objects that have claimed many a lives. Cuts and bruises due to blade, injections glass shards are common place. Also there are the brawls over ownership to scavenge, injuries while running and jumping towards the garbage truck etc .Some have died of exposure to toxic chemicals and gases etc. Officially very few people have the right to segregate this garbage but almost triple the no. of people are involved unofficially.
It seemed like a godforsaken place. And every person who saw us there would only advice us to go back. Or choose a better’scenic’ route. The route was such because no one is supposed to be here in the first place.We finally made our way to the BMC office through the by lanes of the slum as the service road was submerged with muck deeper than our ankles.SWD had collapsed in places leaving gaping holes in the road. As we reached the office staffer almost had an attack on knowing that we just walked along that road. He directed us to the officer saying we should never use that road again as it is too risky and more so for two chicks like us. After a successful meeting with the officer in charge we came out feeling victorious and trying to sink in the events of the past hour. And the feeling was marvelous. We finally did it. If you have to clean the dirt you have to get your hands dirty!
So looking forward to more such visits after the official permission is granted and hoping to hitch a ride on one of the garbage trucks and go right into the heart of the dump. The mission has just begun and it’s a long long way to go with many more entertaining encounters such as this!

Winds of change

Sitting with my uncle in his hospital room this evening I realized that my life is going to be very different from now on.It also dawned upon me that i could do nothing but watch myself be engulfed by the tidal waves in this sea of change.This period after the Goa trip marks a new beginning,the beginning of an end rather."The end of an era!" as Monica from Friends would`ve put it! So how do I bring myself to terms with this goodbye.Well life just decided to do it for me.The fifth year seems like it was made to wean us off the addiction that is college life.But the withdrawal symptoms are painful indeed.You can feel it around you.The change.People are starting to float adrift.And some at a rapid pace.There is Facebook,Mssngr,cellphones and email id`s...I console myself.But the camaraderie that was will not be the same.There are faces that i may not see anymore and voices that will echo long after they ve gone.Whispers that will playfully call out to the mischief that we do now. Wonder how much of that mischief will still remain.At times I feel bogged down...by the thought..of responsibilities..of expectations once I`m a 'professional'.Am I ready to join the rat race? Will i ever join the rat race?I can behave like a professional and ensure my work is as per expectations.But at heart I ll always be a child, a student, wishing to live a carefree college life!
I hope life gives me that kind of opportunity or rather I m able to make decisions that ll lead to such a life.
And to all my mates far and near...I m just a phonecall/sms/offline/email away!!!!

A series of unfortunate events

The tree house competition has been one of the most memorable or rather unforgettable event of my life. A story that I` ll probably tell for years to come. It has forged and sealed some bonds of friendship that I will cherish for life.
It started impromptu on just another Thursday in an electives lecture. The professor at the conclusion of the lecture announced about a tree house competition held by the IGBC. It seemed like an interesting prospect and I was just about to ask my best bud that we would do it together. But just then another friend asked her the same and I was left without a partner, instantaneously another friend of mine asked me if I would do it and so began our roller-coaster ride which I would later realize is a plot befitting a masala bollywood movie.
Our work started normally with basic conceptual sketches etc and went on for a few days with a humdrum pace. There was a phase where we were stuck somewhat partially due to a lack of understanding and communication as team members and more so as friends and obviously due to submissions. A discussion with the professor cleared some hurdles and we went forward with a renewed pace, slowly building up a determination that helped us get through the turbulent times. But then came the big blow, the third year university results! It brought about mixed reactions that of relief for me and shock for my team mate a little astounded by the totally unwarranted K.T. But that also gave us the grit to grin and bear it and do the tree house competition with a renewed vigour. As the submission date drew near work went on with an increased pace. Stacks of landscape books piled around us aroused many a curious stare and people were almost certain that we had landscape K.T.`s! Our efforts of making a tree database went down the drain when a picture of a spreading Samanea saman captured our hearts and minds and presented itself as the ultimate choice. With the tree and foliage patterns in place, designing the volumes as per the concept was the most interesting part. But then came the second blow. The A.D. concept jury was to be held on 28 august, the day we had set as our deadline to complete the tree house sheets! The services submission also loomed at large. Work came to a momentary standstill and was resumed 2 days later with extra efforts! In the harrowing weekend that followed, the cosmos left no stone unturned to prevent us from sending this entry. In the one day of these monsoon months that I decide not to carry an umbrella, it poured cats and dogs, that too only when I had to walk the stretch from the stationery shop to the train station. The sheets were slightly soaked but in a good condition. But when I reached my friend`s place to my aghast I discovered that I left our drawings at home! Thank god for technology. I immediately called up my brother who scanned and mailed me the drawings. We got them printed and persevered towards our goal. Then we went to get the greyscale printout`s only to realize we forgot our sheets at home. So we used whatever sheets available then and there as our final sheets. On reaching home I realized that I had misplaced my USB drive that contained all the research that I had done about the tree house! So I had to make do with the summarized version saved in my laptop. Adding to the chaos was Monty- the ferocious dog in the building compound who liked to taste every new member entering the building. So my friend had to go down to escort every one of our friends who came by to give us moral support. A brown border was to be provided for each sheet but the felt pen ran dry towards the end which had everyone scurrying for a brown pen. Well, the age old love- hate relationship between architects and stationery. The sheets had to be couriered to Bangalore and the submission deadline being 1st September. We had fixed up a courier service to send our sheets to Bangalore, but the courier guy never turned up! Incessant calls to the courier boy and the courier office had no avail! Just Dial came to our rescue and we called up Blue Dart who promptly replied but turned up an hour late. Finally!! or so we thought...the sheets wouldn’t slide into the envelope as they got stuck amidst the threads of the envelope. We had to then pack them in papers and repack it as a parcel. Finally the sheets were couriered.......but it would be a long way before they reached their destination.
The fateful evening of 1st September will be etched forever in our minds. The whole day was spent in meeting, greeting and celebrating after the extended weekend. But the confirmatory phone call that was made turned our world upside down! The courier guys had accidently sent our sheets to 560083 instead of 560038.So our sheets were laying right at the other end of the city 6 hours before the submission deadline! And the courier guys couldn`t deliver until the next day. A few heated and frantic calls later I found my messiah! My friend had just moved to Banglore in July for his internship. I called him and he readily agreed to collect the sheets and deliver them at the stipulated address.
He left at 6:30pm and 1 rickshaw and 3 buses later, reached the courier office. They were first reluctant to handover the parcel but my now livid friend was all prepared to take them to consumer court. He was handed the parcel a few minutes later. It started raining as he stepped out and so the sheets were wrapped safely in his jacket while he waited it out with Dominos pasta and garlic bread(of course with cheese dip!). 1 rickshaw and 3 buses later he was at Indiranagar. But Banglore with its labyrinth of crossroads and main roads turned out to be a real challenge. He called me up because he was hopelessly clueless and no one around would explain the address to him. So I turned to my usually dependable Google Earth and Wikimapia but in both the place markers told a completely different address. One hour after analysing the road networks of Banglore I guided my friend through the streets of Banglore at 11:30 in the night using Google maps. All the while I was also in touch with the secretary of the office where it was supposed to be delivered. At one point my friend was just drained so I asked him to wait at a landmark. Understanding our pitiful situation the office guy went out to receive my friend and collect the parcel from him. There I was speaking to my friend and the office guy, trying to co-ordinate from 300 kms afar. He finally spotted my friend who was telling me that some random drunk looking guy was staring and moving swiftly towards him. And when they met, it was the happiest moment of my life. My friend had never been happier to see a watchman. He handed over the sheets at 11:58pm and that was the end of this ordeal!
But it was a saga of epic proportions. I say so because he probably dint take so much efforts even for his BITS Pilani entrance exam or Yahoo internship.
So it finally happened, against all odds, against all possible hurdles that could be thrown against us, we finally sent the entry!
Starting with concepts that were radical, plain stupid and some downright hilarious, powered by hours and hours of research, debate and discussion, endless rendering marathons, a hundred phone calls to the courier company; an airplane,6buses,2 rickshaws, one cab and after 7 kms of wandering the streets of Bangalore; the entry was officially sent for this competition!
All due to some superhuman efforts by some very special people. Thank you each and everyone of you who played a part in making it happen!

P.S.: The ‘missing’ USB was found, popping out of my bag as I took out the laptop to pen down this story

A MEMORY- A PIECE OF TIME

Well another year draws to a close...but this aint just any year...this has been by far the bestest year of my life year...seemed soo long..that's because there was so much of action happening every second.Third year..the much hyped about UNIVERSITY YEAR...lived up to every bit of its reputation.A hectic year from the start..the virgin landscapes of Bhaudi and their frugal and content lifestyle,the exhilarating rush of ANDC,the organizing hassles of the Ahmedabad trip and awe inspiring moments, the very useful mid term exams,soul sucking ICHH and the task of being a publication head,emotion driven NASA,submissions..n last but definitely not the least..university exams and juries!!!!..This has been a year of firsts in many different ways.First time i was elected to an official post(publication head)of responsibility,i voted in the gen. elections,cried in public,did a lot of..'stuff',experienced the pain of losing dear ones, found the strength and confidence to deal with seemingly impossible tasks.This year has been instrumental in my process of self discovery.The unending assaults on your physical and mental abilities due to the gauntlets thrown by the flurry of activity prepares you for life`s toughest challenges.If you can successfully clear third year while managing everything else...you are a certified go-getter and an unofficial superhero!Shared a lot of pain and pleasure with my buddies(Kinny-the Captain of the ship called ICHH n my Analyseees partner.AThul-UD now Usec.,All u ANDC buddies n the phuskoo viruses that inflict my pen drive)This year has been just wonderful and i am overjoyed to have such a gr8 bunch of friends around.What is hard to endure is sweet to recall and this memory will be like the ripest summer fruit from the garden of Eden!

And now as i m set to leave for sohanlals wedding i m traveling through a fun filled climax to this year or rather a zealous and vibrant transition into another exciting chapter of this incredible journey of my life!

P.S.:-To all the people that i ve lost this year i ll truly miss you all and i m grateful that you were a part of my life n enriched in so many different ways.Thank you.And all the people that have just entered my life, I welcome you with open arms and lets gear up for a roller coaster ride ahead!

Second year

Been a long time..Second year is finally over.one of the best and most memorable 1 of my life..got to travel and learn a lot..Nasa,Iahh,Ichh,face off with the faculty, ...bhopal,gujrat,rajasthan,loharkatta..will travel even more.. assam,baroda,pune etc. I love my life at this point of time.My friends who`ve stood by my side n sum whom i ve betrayed. Second year has taught me a lot..success n failure..people and emotions..Owing to some people;discovered a lot about my own self... some new passions and hidden talents.This year brought out the best and worst in me.Changed my attitude..dunno if its for the good or for bad.Experienced some exhilarating feelings and a weird passion..but it comes with its own downfalls.but i ll cherish it all nonetheless.this is the most memorable and treasured year of my life. Its just a year but i feel 'grown up'. Its just the start and i look forward to more of it in the coming years.
Also looking forward to the assam trip..with all my college mates..the best part is there`s no vodafone network in the north east..its kinda exciting as well as scary..the thought of being more or less disconnected to my people and my world...no family no nothing just me n my handful of friends..solace for 17 days..away from the chaos and the maddening crowds..just take a break from my life n spend a gr8 17 days cuddled in the arms of mother nature

ESPIONAGE!!!!!1

Well F1 is going through one of the biggest crisis ever.It has been going downhill ever since Michael retired.The viewer ship has gone down.the sport is becoming unpopular in the US and the exclusion of the Indy GP spells doom for the sport in the US.Its one of the most hi tech circuits..n one of schumis favourite.who can forget the "infamous" 6 car race in 2006.This is just the tip of the iceberg.Mclaren have just been found guilty of possessing confidential information belonging to Ferrari.One of the biggest teams of F1 with two of the best drivers in the business.This espionage is a crime of enormous proportions...this is he saddest moment ever in F1...more sadder than the death of legendary "Aryton Senna".Ideally Mclaren should have been banned in 2008..but they were let off with a 100mn$ fine n they were stripped off their constructors points..only because they r the only ones who can put some sort of a challenge to Ferrari..which is needed in order to keep the viewers hooked to F1.FIA has gone to great lengths to break the ferrari dominance even in the past..but mclaren will be let off easily..but maybe if it were a smaller team lke spyker or red bull.....the punishment would have been much harsher..but i m still amazed that for a change FIA was on Ferrari`s side.hmm....but still some people accuse ferrari of making F1 boring..but i think ferrari is the one who has managed to bring so much of talent,viewership and the most glorious era of F1 to the world!!

Forza Ferrari!! and hope F1 sees some better days in the near future.
P.S.:- This is for my ID sir..Prof. Vijay Eduankar...who passed away in August..Sir we will miss you terribly! May your soul rest in peace.

Crowning Glory on the seventh heaven!

Sometime ago in some part of the world, a guy woke up in the morning and decided that he was somehow not happy with the current 7 wonders.Not having anything better to do,he decided to start a campaign to decide the new 7 wonders..His obsession with no. 7 led to the decision that the new 7 wonders would be declared on 07/07/07.(How cliched is that?) The votes were cast from all across the globe through SMS & online voting.But what about the people who live in places where getting food is a herculean task?Where there is no water around for miles together?Children dont know what a school is?What bout countries where a telecom revolution is a distant dream? Do their opinions not count?How will they vote?Would you still call this poll as fair?This poll was nothing greater than some damned reality show (read Indian Idol) where the guy whose friends can send the most SMSes wins.This is just another way by which the telecom companies can earn dollops of money in the name of patriotism. The booming economy and higher spending power enabled us to send 10000`s of smses and "save" the Taj Mahal.But in reality the magnificent marble masterpiece is in apathetic condition,nothing significant has been done recently to turn it into a world class tourist spot.It doesnt even have a ramp facility for disabled people!!!It continues to stand there -a mute testimony to the brutality it has to bear like the artisans who built it.Braving the wrath of nature and man-made hazards like acid rain and Mayawati`s ridiculous TAJ corridor project.I can just hope that this new 7 wonder campaign does something good to restore the Taj to its former glory and prevent further damage at the hands of scheming and selfish pseudo-patriotic politicians.

Of the beast and the bat

Well the F1 season started this weekend...as expected Ferrari led from the start..and why not they have the meanest machine.....The Prancing Horse gallops again!!! Kimi had a dream debut, he secured the pole position n also took the chequered flag...Felipe Massa did disappoint a lil but its ok..Lewis Hamilton became the first black driver in F1 history to take the podium...F1 seems so dull and drab ever since Schumi bade goodbye..I miss u a lot Schumi!!!..The outcome of this season is gonna be the same as Melbourne..and this had been predicted in the last season itself when Kimi signed up for Ferrari and Alonso with Mclaren..Alonso`s decision had shocked me considering the reliability of Mclaren..Alonso has dug his own grave...Kimi got rid of his bad luck that Mclaren had brought to him..the baggage now belongs to Alonso...it will be interesting to watch how Kimi bonds with the Ferrari crew considering the diametrically opposite personalities of Schumi and Kimi...Kimi doesnt even have an inkling of charm,grace,class,maturity and ethics of what Schumi had...Schumi -An epitome of perfection coupled with passion and Kimi-The Wild Child......Hoping for the best and anyways the constructors title will definitely be clinched by Ferrari no doubt about that!! Forza Ferrari!!

Now about cricket...the thing that is on every Indians mind...THE WORLD CUP!! India`s performance in the 1st match i must admit was quite shocking..They were in such a great form when the left for the Carribean...i dunno why did Rahul decide to bat first and y Sehwag was included in the team in the first place..but i was even more shocked to look at the "fans" reactions...before the match started..people across the country wrote songs,held havans,poojas,prayer meetings to support Team India..they worshiped the bat and the ball....and after this one loss..they started abusing the players,burning their effigies and garlanding their photos with shoes...is this how you boost your loved one`s morale????Is this how you treat your heroes,the same people that you once worshiped now u burn their photos?? Ups and downs always occur in life..and this is a game..some win and some lose.."fans" might say that atleast a win was expected against Bangladesh...but we should not underestimate them and treat them as minnows..they won because they put in a lot of efforts and put up a really good show.....we should not take away credit from them...we are angry because the team lost...but the"fans" are more angry because they could not digest the fact that a small team like Bangladesh could play better than us and defeat us...The series of turns this World Cup is taking is worrying..India lost to Bangladesh and Pakistan lost to Ireland!..nd now Bob Woolmer(The Paki Coach)has been found dead in his hotel room and the reason of death is unclear..hearing this, Inzamam has decided to retire frm ODI`s after the WCup..the turmoil in Pakistan cricket and Pakistan itself is quite shocking and hard to believe...hoping things get better now and the WCup ends on a happy note of the claypso on the pristine beaches and silver sands of the Carribean!!

1948-2007
Rest In Peace Bob

Mission Submission!!

"Im tired of being what you want me to be...feeling so faithless lost under the surface..dunno what ur expecting of me..put under the pressure of walking in your shoes"....This line by Mike Shinoda perfectly explains the state my mind is in @ this point of time..esp. wid reference to the BD projet..i m totally bogged down by my submissions..and the BD project ain't getting any better..this headache has become my best frnd...who ll never ever leave me.. "THE EDGE" that v have to design keeps cutting into me n bleeding the life outta me...the jury seems to have lost its purpose and i keep wandering about in the darkness...misguided by the hazy crits...lost and confused i cant c the light at the end of the tunnel..final submissions in two weeks...have to prepare all the portfolios...dunno wen i ll do it altho BD and AD are the two main worries..graphix is cool and BC will be done soon..but still BC submissions just aftr my bday......i have an intuition that my bday is gonna be a perfect fiasco and a total washout cuz of my submissions and stuff...exam dates arnt fixed as yet..i might hav to miss my cuzins wedding in case of the exams..and i wud never forgive my self for that.neither will he...cant c anything worth hanging on to in the near future...feeling mellow and dissappointed but hoping to get over it and strt again and get this thing done with

P.S.:- If ur reading this plz pray that my exams get over b4 the 25th of April!!

Pune Trip n etc.

Havnt posted in a long time.Was busy with studies n sum personal stuff.People will wonder y i havnt posted nethin bout shumi`s retirement..dats coz words will never b enough to describe this gr8 mans career n persona..his actions n his records speak for itself..i juss wanna say dat Schumi we`ll miss u n F1 can never ever b the same widout u.thank you for all the wonderful moments n races dat u ve given us.Talkin bout studies ..this is turning out to b 1 of the most memorable year of my life.i ve found a gr8 grp of frnds who r so funny yet caring.n the trip to pune has made our friendship even stronger..the noises sahil makes n dj dakar,dj dance,duggus line marring, sahil- shraddhas fight,anjus laugh,athuls mimic of anju laughing,....... everyday goin to the guys room havin fun ,comin to our room n sleepin takin good care of every1 lik we hav been knowing each other from yrs!!!My frnd Lulu or my twin rather..echoed this same feelin n suddenly i felt the nxt 5 yrs r gonna b the best ones of my life!!This trip has been 1 of the best experiences of life n this is just the trailer of the things that r in store.so leavin on this happy note i ll let u b a part of my world wid these photos

So good...yet so bad

Today was such a weird day....felt sooo happy yet so sad at the same time....schumi started 2nd on the grid...n won the Italian GP...or rather Tifosi`s backyard race....Alonso wo was 6th was sent to 10th coz the stewards tot he was blockin Massa...i think Alonso was innocent...poor guy... his engine also blew up today..i felt really glad that it did(altho i feel equally bad bout it coz no1 deserves such a fortune wen ur sooo damn close to the finish line..3 races to go naa...) the point is now Alonso leads the race to WDC by 2 points...just 2 DAMN POINTS!!!!! but it also breaks my heart to know that Schumi is retiring after this season...sunday evenings will never be the same ever again.... now m damn sure that schumi`s gonna clinch this year`s WDC..this was an exciting, nail-biting,thrilling and gripping season...equal credit to alonso for that..i kno everything in this world comes to an end...schumi`s career is no exception..but i wish he stayed for 1 more season..there r some moments n events which u want them to last for ur life..u cherish n treasure them for eternity..n all of schumi`s races r like those moments to me....it was a sweet dream n i never wanted it to end...it ll take time for it to sink in..but sumday i ll get over it...n lookin back i ll thank my stars that i was a part of this great era in the history of mankind.

Maniacal Media

On friday evening a boy named 'Prince' fell into a 60 ft deep but dry borewell.The army engineers got there by 11pm n started rescue operations rite away.he was give food n water n oxygen was supplied by a tube.so it was certain dat he wud b saved soon.but the media frenzy dat followed was initially understandable but l8r it became more pathetic n hopeless.News channels were showin de rescue work continuously for over 40 hrs.Some decided to sponsor his education.de fact dat he ate a chocolate bcame breakin news.n all the citizens wid no work on sunday began prayin,lightin candles for him as if de army wudnt b able to save him [i wish sunday was a workin day].some channel also hailed the boy as he supposedly brought out the unity of the country.Even the PM n Sonia gandhi said dey prayed fer de boy The media drove de country crazy.everybody so easily forgot imp. issues like reservations,bomb blasts,israel crisis etc.unfortunately it was also de boys birthday so media went ballistic over how he was "reborn" n loads n loads n loads of such crap.damn!! ppl in india r soo lame wid absolutely no life, dats y wen he was rescued ppl of de country burst crackers(dis is no hyperbole) n celebrated his "rebirth" wid cake n all.m really really glad i was a part of the human chain against reservations otherwise i wud hav been subjected to more crap n wud hav committed suicide or killed sum journo frm one of those sick news channels.
PS:- Special thanks to CNN IBN for givin very li`l coverage to Prince issue n focusin on Matoo murder case n de PM`s perfomance....Rajdeep Sardesai rocks!!!

Invincible Mumbai ?

190+ DEAD 700+INJURED ...WHICH SANE HUMAN CUD AGREE 2 B A PART OF SUCH A HENIOUS CRIME?

Last night was a terrible terrible day in Mumbai`s history..... 7 blasts that completely ripped apart mumbai`s lifelines which carry upto 8 million ppl per day....7 blasts at major railway stations ....but as mumbaites have proved again n again nothin can scare us or stop us.....ppl took a few seconds to come to terms wid what was happnin n dey immediately began rescue n relief operations widout waitin fer de govt.....de whole of mumbai stood united n helped its brother.....by midnite there were big lines outside hospitals of ppl wantin to donate blood....some were offerin harried relatives tea ,biscuits,water n cellphones to make calls........all religion n economic barriers dint matter......i stay at sion n i kno what the situation was at sion hospital....de blasts took place at 6pm but the sound of ambulances didnt receed till around 11 pm n mumbai dint sleep at all....... but i`d like to kno how long will the chalta hai attitude continue.its high time v ppl showed the govt who`s boss......mumbai has been raped again n again by terrorists or political parties n the only sufferers r its citizens who BTW contribute to 50% of India`s revenue 58,000 crores worth of taxes per year..n what do v get in return??? communal n political riots,the countless blasts, 26/7 `s year after year???the politicians r juss hidin their inefficiency under the spirit tag.ppl juss feel proud bout the spirit n forget everythin that really matters...concrete issues like security lapses, govt. inabilites must b raised n attended to so that such sufferings dont become a way of life

The site
The blood
The aftermath
The Spirit

What a weekend!!!!

What an amazing weekend this has been for me........feeling euphoric rite now inspite of the really heavy rainfall n the gloomy climate.
Firstly.....

MICHAEL SCHUMACHER WON!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

n on top of that it was a Ferrai 1-2
n all the ppl at the MS comm. who went to Indy hav been tellin us their 1st hand experience n loads n loads of pics :)
Then

India won the test series in the carribean after soooo long....n what a match it was.....full credit to Dravid,Kumble,Sreesanth,Munaf,Bhajji n others

Lastly...Germany are thru the q/f n they r obviously gonna beat

italy...so germany in de finals.....brazil also down......

yupieeee...must say i was a lil sad bout england...portugal f***in cheaters......neways prayin fer de best 2day

The geniuses at MS community at it again......this one is by sum1 named surya...so beautiful......awesome stuff.....only a true schumi fan can really appreciate his work

Twenty thousand leagues above the skies
a hero lives, bright like a star
a magician, not with a magic wand,
but a steering wheel and a scarlet car!

magic he worked, year after year
winning milestone after another milestone
such was his majestic brilliance that
all his competitors were by miles outshone!

such was the magnificience of his art
that everyone else were hardly visible to the eyes!
he simply was uncatchable by others
no matter how hard their tries!

and then came the darker of times
when fate began playing its wicked games
his actions were commented upon meaninglessly
and he was called the most shameful of names

they knew he simply cannot be beaten fair
handicap him they did, sweet victory to taste
he did not speak a word, but smiled and worked
and a "defeated" hero was treated like waste

they said his magic is all over
his days are numbered and soon they will end
thier mean ways of bringing him down
unfortunately became a new set trend

touchingly enough, he just continues to work handicapped magic
without questioning them a single "why"!
those who should know, know the stuff he is made of
and in their kingdom he will just not die

that kingdom is nowhere else
but in the depths of the heart of mine
where stands a majestic temple of the racing religion
and that hero called michael resides in its shrine!

The Passion that Drives

With a heavy heart i walk
On this deserted path thru the wood
The world is lost in its talk
Calling me names that re anything but good...

There was once a time when
Everyone revered and respected me
Now those very people celebrate my defeat
And speak ill of my victory!

I have been around for too long
To know there are more foes than friends
At the end of the day, everyone loves a winner
And there it all ends!

My winning has won me more foes than laurels
And they now will do anything to get me down
Unlike them i know there are two faces to all coins
And i can face them both without a frown

They think pulling me down will dishearten me
And they can write an end to my chapter in life!
Least do they realise that each of their actions
Only renews my passion in this strife!

They are having a jolly ride at the moment
Savouring their sweet moments of victory
But dignity in both victory and defeat is
What makes one immortal in history

At this point of time in my life
There really is nothing left to prove to anyone
Its just the unending motivation that drives me
To still be a part of all this fun

Its so easy to let your tongue go out of control
But unlike them, i prefer my job does the talking
I am just here to do what i can do best
Each time the opportunity comes knocking

And i ll do just that till as long as i can
Whether i win or lose just does not matter
Because the ones who matter know for a fact
That i am in my own right, at my job a master...

A real winner is not one who never falls,
But one who rises stronger each time he s made to fall..
That is the stuff heroes are made of,
Those who amidst others, conspicuously stand tall!

The passion is just too much to just give up
They dont even have courage to speak face to face!
Each time they try to pull me down, i tell myself,
"Michael, its time to just put your head down and race"!

The Prancing Horse

The famous symbol of Ferrari is a black prancing horse on yellow background, usually with the letters S F for Scuderia Ferrari. The horse was originally the symbol of Count Francesco Baracca, a legendary "asso" (ace) of the Italian air force during World War I, who painted it on the side of his planes. Baracca died very young on June 19, 1918, shot down after 34 victorious duels and many team victories; he soon became a national hero. Baracca had wanted the prancing horse on his planes because his squad, the "Battaglione Aviatori", was enrolled in a Cavalry regiment (air forces were at their first years of life and had no separate administration), and also because he himself was reputed to be the best cavaliere of his team. The Scuderia Ferrari logo Coat of Arms of the City of StuttgartIt has been supposed that the choice of a horse was perhaps partly due to the fact that his noble family was known for having plenty of horses in their estates at Lugo di Romagna. Another theory suggests Baracca copied the rampant horse design from a shot down German pilot having the emblem of the city of Stuttgart on his plane. Interestingly, German sports car manufacturer Porsche, from Stuttgart, borrowed its prancing horse logo from the city's emblem. Furthermore astonishing: Stuttgart is an over the centuries modified version of Stutengarten (an ancient german word for "Gestüt", translated into english as mare garden or stud farm, into italian as "scuderia"). On June 17, 1923, Enzo Ferrari won a race at the Savio track in Ravenna, and there he met the Countess Paolina, mother of Baracca. The Countess asked that he use the horse on his cars, suggesting that it would grant him good luck, but it the first race at which Alfa would let him use the horse on Scuderia cars was eleven years later, at SPA 24 Hours in 1932. Ferrari won. Ferrari left the horse black as it had been on Baracca's plane;
however, he added a yellow background because it was the symbolic color of his birthplace, Modena. The prancing horse has not always identified the Ferrari brand only: Fabio Taglioni used it on his Ducati motorbikes. Taglioni's father was in fact a companion of Baracca's and fought with him in the 91st Air Squad, but as Ferrari's fame grew, Ducati abandoned the horse; this may have been the result of a private agreement between the two brands. The prancing horse is now a trademark of Ferrari.

sir enzo was a genius ..... the way he convinced the drivers and technical directors to work for him using just one word "PASSION FOR RACING " amazing that genius was.....DINO was sadly handicapped.... he died early.... admired his dad but knew that his dad was cheating on his mom and him....piero..... the son of the second wife.... to this day there is a shrine for Dino even in the office and the race track !
PS:-I luv orkut n all those geniuses in the Michael Schumacher community!!

sum cool links

are dalits the obc`s now??
Pics of aiims hunger strike
karan
thapar`s(cnn ibn)interview with arjun singh-- must read

Manmohan Singh to Bush – We are sending Indians to the moon next year.
ush – Wow! How Many?

Manmohan Singh - 100

25 - OBC
25 - SC
20 - ST
5 - Handicapped
5 - Sports Persons
5 - Terrorist Affected
5 - Kashmiri Migrants
9 - Politicians
and if possible

1 – Astronnaut

Diary of a non obc man-----2056

a forewarded msg.... not written by me
An excerpt from Emcee's diary exactly 50 years from now

Ahmedabad, 30 April 2056: I attended the bash at the IIM-OBC Alumni Association to celebrate the fiftieth anniversary of the reservation of seats for OBCs (Other Backward Castes) in IIMs. Since I'm not an OBC, I was not supposed to attend, but at present, we MBFCs (Moderately Backward Forward Castes) together with the Non-Scheduled Tribes have a political alliance with the OBCs. We sipped champagne and talked about how so many of us had progressed from reserved seats in the IIMs to reserved jobs to reserved promotions. Unfortunately, the party broke up when a Non-scheduled Tribes faculty member objected to the OBCs dancing with all the pretty girls - he wanted equal opportunities for every caste at each dance. I pointed out that the Non-scheduled Tribes had exceeded the quota of champagne reserved for them. The party ended in a pitched caste battle.
1) May 2056: Today, I became president of the IIM Board of Directors. Under the present rotating presidency system, a member of each caste is made the president by turn. When it was the turn of the MBFCs for president, they had to choose me because I'm the only MBFC on the campus. True, I'm only the campus dhobi, but then every caste must be given an equal opportunity. All those centuries of oppression by the OSBFCs (Only Slightly Backward Forward Castes) and the OFCs (Other Forward Castes) must be rectified. I hope to restore the high standards at IIM - I overheard some foreigners calling it the Indian Institute of Morons, the other day.

2) May 2056: They've announced the cricket team for the series against Australia. I was overjoyed when they chose an MBFC man as captain. But my hopes were dashed when I realised he was a Most Backward Forward Caste and not a Moderately Backward Forward Caste. The selection committee lamented that it was gross discrimination that no member from the Jarowa tribe (the Stone Age tribe in the Andamans) had ever found a place in the Indian cricket team. A squad has since been dispatched to the Andamans to capture a Jarowa tribal to play in the national team. I hope he will improve their performance - they had an innings defeat against the Maldives recently. I would have played myself except for the fact that I lost a leg some years ago when I was in hospital with a toothache and a doctor recruited through the Unscheduled Caste quota extracted my leg instead of my tooth.
3) May 2056: There are too many NFCs (Neo-Forward castes) in the IT business. Under the terms of the Business Reservation Act, their firms will now be taken over by the other castes. I hope they will be able to restore the Indian IT industry back to its former glory. For some unfathomable reason, it has gone down the drain after job reservations were implemented. I went for a movie featuring star actor Mungeri Ram. He may lack teeth, be four-feet-three and have hair growing out of his nose, but this year it's the turn of the EBC-RYs (Extremely Backward Caste-Rural Yokels) to be stars and Mungeri Ram is the best of the lot. I wonder why foreign movies have become so popular.

4) May 2056: A truly great day. We now have an OFBMBC (Other Forward But Moderately Backward Caste) general as the Head of the Armed Forces. I hope he'll be able to win back the territory we lost ever since reservations were implemented in the Army. Since then, the north has been taken by Pakistan, the North-east by China, the east by Bangladesh and the south by Sri Lanka and the Maldives. Only last winter, we lost the war against Bhutan and free India is now limited to the western coastal states. But I'm sure the OFBMBC general will turn the tide.
5) May 2056: My wife and I have been blessed with a bonny daughter. Since my wife's an SBBNSBC (Slightly Backward But Not So Backward Caste), my daughter will be an MBFC-SBBNSBC. I must lobby for reservation for her caste. She's the only member and I'm sure she has a great future.

RESERVATIONS!!!!!!!!!

A lot has been said but nothing significant has been done about reservations by the goverment...as of now i really feel let down by the govt.i was hoping that de PM wud instantly say no to it...but i m shocked by his silence....but what was most shocking is the fact that de 50% reservation bill was so quietly passed in maharashtra....is de govt. out of its mind...have dey completely lost all sense of logic and justice....the govt. wants to compensate all de injustice done upon OBC`s by reserving seats in higher institutes.....but every1 knows dis is juss a dirty political gimmick which will endanger the future of the country and make the youth feeel unwanted by their own country....u can get a fake caste certificate fer juss 1000 bucks.......even today dalits are prevented from enterin temples in villages,dey hav no access to schools or basic health care..y doesnt the govt do something about it first instead of just rambling nonsense and hopin to fool de public......de medics all over the country are protestin but de govt. doesnt care shit bout de youth...all it wants is power n money....dat is y de so coolly chose to ignore the protest and resorted to barbaric measures like lathi charge...and we thought dis is de land of mahatma gandhi...and dat minister kamal nath ...he must b flogged in public..he has some nerve...says that jobs shud also b reserved for OBC`s in private sector...n if not done voluntarily...laws will b made to ensure it....dis juss shows how much de govt.bothers bout de progress of dis country.....hope more students join in dis protest and do some serious arse kickin
damn the traitor

here r sum pics of de protest

Plzz have a look at DELHI POLICE torture
http://www.ibnlive.com/slideshow/view_slide_show.php?num=3&id=15

Scarlet Fever hits the world

This has to be one of the best days in de life of a tifosi...........schumi in all his brilliance and grit.the way he performed was just a treat for the senses.............he proved y he is de greatest driver of all times.........his car was not as good as renault.........but den too he extracted wateva he cud outta his car..........he pushed his car to the edge without losin control or makin any mistake...his brakes had worn out towards the end....black smoke was regularly puffing outta his car coz his brakes reached a scorching 950'C dats a record in its own sense........alonso was tryin to overtake schumi......as if schumi was gonna let him...dat to in front of ferrari`s home crowd.......n in the last few laps alonso made a stupid mistake n de gap of 0.3 sec widened to 2.2 sec of coz it narrowed down a little......but alonso crushed his own chances of winning.......alonso n flavio ....Eat dirt.......Schumi kicked alonso`s butt.....hahahahah........... the crowd was elated ,tifosi jumpin up and down in de stands wavin de ferrari flag as high as possible..and why not.....THE MASTER IS BACK IN ACTION!!!!!

Confessions of a MANGO freak

The first batch of mangoes arrived on sunday on de occassion of my birthday.As always i took the first bite and.................my mouth was filled wid de same sweet heavenly taste dat mesmerized me as a little kid.I ve looked forward to summer every year juss coz it means de arrival of mangoes.Dat bright orange colored,sweet,succulent,juicy,tender,soft king of fruits brings me delight everytime i eat it.dey say dat "The patience yields sweet fruits" im sure de person who coined dis must b referin to mangoes....after all we hav to wait frm july to march to get dem.No wonder its called de king of fruits.
Now dat de lllllooonnnngg wait is finally over Im gonna relish dem de whole summer until in june wen its de time to bid em good bye......n hope n pray dat in de nxt season de mangoes will b as abundant n sweet n juicy as dey hav been all this while

finally updated

Its been decades since i last posted.Had board xams n stuff. i was pretty nervous bout dem.but now xams r over!!!!!went for a short vacation.actually it was more of a pilgrimage kinds.neway nethin oder dan studies is welcome.neways m bac to studyin now,thx to de enterance xams(god damn CET)but m a little chilled out now.will be updatin me blog regularly now.Dis F1 seeason is gonna rock.mikey managed to get to de podium in baharain.but not in sepang thx to de ferrari engine.dunno wats wrong wid de pit crew dis year.dey dont seem dat efficient dis year.Felipe massa seems good.hoping nxt race schumi kicks alonso`s ass.Ferrari`s gotta win de constructors dis yr.honda also lookin strong dis yr.Lets see.Hopin ferrari wont b penalised fer deir movin front wing.i dont tink bernie n co shud hav ne probs.u know ferrari`s started a felipe massa blog 4 de fans n massa will update it himself.cool aint it.see dats y ferrari rox.vich oder team does dat fer its fans???talkin bout cricket..was pretty dissapointed byIndias performance in mumbai.dis is the first wrong decision by dravid as a captian.but doesnt matter as v all learn frm our mistakes.hopefully de team will get over dis bad patch n win de 1 day series.

Totally Bored

Preliums r goin on.Papers arent so good though.kinda demoralising.nuin new happnin.Indian cricket team is on a winnin streak though.dats good news. Lots happnin in F1 even though de season hasnt started.Lots of drivers shuffling.Havnt been able to catch up wid dat.Michellin is goin to quit f1 aftr 2006.yupieee!!!Bridgestone rox!!!no plans fer 31st dec. coz basically my life sux at dis pt of time.neways ppl readin my post (thx for readin btw) Wish u a MERRY CHRISTMAS n a HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!

rainin tragedy

Its been rainin like hell 4 de past few days in mumbai. 4 de 1st time dat mumbai has flooded.de trains,buses everything was thrown outta order.there was flooding everywhere.in places like kurla n kalina de water was 15 ft deep.ppls grnd floors were submerged.ppl were stuck in buses n trains 4 hrs.thousands of ppl left dem n decided tah tread on foot.ppl walked all nite n reached home aftr walkin for miles .n even for 19-20hrs.i was stuck in de bus for 2 1/2 hrs.dere were ded bodies floatin in de water.of animals n men alike.de furniture was strewn all across de roads. dere were landslides in sum places killin many ppl.dere was a huge traffic jam here in sion.de subway is still submerged in a foot of murky water.we helped de ppl by givin dem food,water n tea.dere were many good samartians who helped everybody.de whole of mumbai was helpin each oder like 1 big family.unknown nameless strangers proved tah b angels in disguise for many ppl.all phone lines were down .even cellphone users had deir networks down.dere was no water or electricity 4 over 2 days in major areas of de city.ppl took shelter in strangers homes who welcomed dem wid open arms.4 a few days ppl 4got everythin n were only concerned wid helpin oders.it was a pretty good feelin.but de losses r gr8 n it will take sum time b4 de city can stand on its feet agen.coz its rainin rite now n we ve been advised to stay inside r homes.so lets see wat mother nature has in store 4 us now....

The Amazing Race

Yesterday's race was so damn good. it was weirdly crazy but cool.a kinda 1st time in history.but de best part is dat MICHEAL SCHUMACER FINALLY WON!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!dose michilen tyres had sum prob. n all michilen users had tah withdraw frm de race.dat left only FERRARI JORDAN N MINARRDI in de race, obviously both ferraris had de podium.n lucky guy tiago monterio came 3rd.but we were hoping narain karthikeyan wud b 3rd but his damn jordan had probs frm de start so 4th isnt bad.ppl say dat dis was an unfair race n shud hav been cancelled but i disagree. if michilen makes a mistake y shud bridgestone users suffer?neway de bottom line is MICHEAL SCHUMACER WON!!n ferrari had de podium

HOLIDAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I hav holiday from classes finally dis was so long overdue.i hav holiday for 2 days. YUPIEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!HURRRRRRRRAHHH!!!!!!!!!YESSSSSSSSSS!!!!!HOLIDAY.
HOLIDAYHOLIDAYHOLIDAYHOLIDAYHOLIDAYHOLIDAYHOLIDAYHOLIDAY
HOLIDAYHOLIDAYHOLIDAYHOLIDAYHOLIDAYHOLIDAYHOLIDAYHOLIDAY
HOLIDAYHOLIDAYHOLIDAYHOLIDAYHOLIDAYHOLIDAYHOLIDAYHOLIDAY!!!!!!!!

Schumi rocks!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2day was almost a perfect day.My test was really good.The race was almost perfect.1stly alonso n fisichella were out.den montoya had tah go bcoz of de black flag.den trullis brakes had probs.n poor poor takuma sato..tch tch tch.hiscar had probs. so he was 24 laps bhind n den his brakes caught fire!!!!!!! mikey n kimi were close on each others heels.n den christian albers came in de middle n he was almost a spoilsport n to top it tiago monterio did de same.schumidint win but2nd isnt dat bad.2 ferraris on de podium.not bad at all!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Bad Day

2day is a really really bad day. my lectures hav been xtended to 16 june.dat too mostly all borin profs. i was hopin 2day wud b de last day of shuklas but.....................................neway if ur wonderin y dis post is sooooo pathetic den dats coz i m pretty pathetic myself.