About: Alibaug Alive.

The idea of a semi Batch reunion family gathering and a weekend break culminated into a trip to Alibaug. The parties involved were I, DBT & KP, VJ & AGJ from Mumbai. KG, HD&PD and PR from Pune, SM had to back out last minute coz of personal reasons.

There were hectic, or should I say fanatic exchanges of e-mails and calls before the date was fixed and venues settled upon. It was something just short of Mergers and Acquisition. There was a big build up and no one knew what would come from the other corner. So the car was negotiated and the much contentious issue of who will stay where got settled. One wished for the best things to come by and enjoy life. We headed off early morning on Saturday, and started for Alibaug from Mumbai.

Lonely roads are a misnomer and almost on the brink extinction. It is incredulous to hear someone talking of empty roads. But since it was early morning Saturday around 8 in the morning we started from Mumbai it was traffic free roads virtually all the way. We stopped for fuelling and then later for some minor repairs. Since we had couple of ladies so there were even things to munch on in the car while there was occasional repetion of Rock On songs on the radio till radio blurted out after Pen. Our friends from Pune joined us after Pen, we had already stopped there for repairs, and then after leaving Pen, and there were some really ordinary roads. But then the way cleared and then we chugged along for some 30 odd more kilometres. After playing hide and seek for a while we called up the owner where we stayed and then we reached the place we desired.

We all changed and freshen up and hit the road again. The alluring roads saw us burning rubber while the car accelerated towards one beach to another. We stopped at a place called Murud. I and PR hit the beach while other guys hunted for a lunch table while PR HD and I run amok like kids howling and jumping and pulling and shoving at each other. I also took time to scurry out a few sea shells from the sandy beaches.

We headed for Jazeera beach popularly known as Janjira beach. It was a bit late, sun was setting. We took a quick detour. I managed to click a few snaps from my phone. I hardly took any snaps; most of them have been from my friend’s camera.

Second Edit … Awaited

Blog: Vagueness of daily schedule.

I don’t know if blogging is an “in” thing or happening, I love blogging and blog as a whole. I know its feels great to look at your profile snap wondering what you were thinking when you clicked that own snap of yours. But blogging after a while is a great challenge, it is more than a physical things. It is a great challenge. A challenge to write what you want and do it a regularly is something stupendous. So a big salutes to churn out post after post without ever thinking as to why I am doing this.
To write something on an empty Word document and let words come together and like a lovely necklace or embroidery or a bouquet in vase or anything wonderful lovely and something you want to stand and admire even when sky has falling and the Earth has parted into a big gorge and all the Moseses are busy to take followers across the Red Sea. I hope that point is put across.

I wonder why people react the way they do. I think we must review where we are standing, I mean not the location in terms of latitude and longitude and current inclination of Earth vs. Sun. Everyone has set of goals and want to do things, so it worth it review a situation once in a while. May be you were doing everything right except that one thing. That missing thing could be a “review” of self. Let me add caviar that it’s to do with you switching off all things and people, thoughts, actions of importance and wire your thoughts and deeds with the actual you at that point in time. I believe since we behave and think different, I wonder if it is as good as like being entirely different person at different times.

I have to start getting to blog more and more. The reason is the more I don’t blog the harder it is to come back and post. I have been blog hopping so I am half already there. But I or some budding blogger will never ever blog just to prove s/he is alive. I am not dead, although I hope to “live” for I leave. I think sporadic blogging isn’t only proof of my indiscipline. Discipline is not only what is to be learnt but also practice. It is said practice makes a man perfect. I so truly believe in this axiom. I had boss once who use to say practice your supervisor/line manger/team leads action and you will be a natural successor. It wasn’t like sitting on a far flung tree and trying to ape what other did. It was about coming forward and giving it a try. The focus ought to be on trying and not succeed. One should let focus on what u do to waver for a moment.

Obviously these words are not mine, it’s been said by people all over the world and people who are in the upper hierarchy or a step up on the ladder. It is one of the toughest thing to do is to come out of a straight jacket that we ourselves put on. The gut wrenches and the grey matter in top floor twist twirl to slip out of position only to find itself still strangled. There is no key to the straight jackets we have put on yourselves the only way is perhaps to get so thin that we slip out of it or our determination becomes so strong and mighty that we break it open.. There are so many things that have been said, written, told and done that we forget ourselves and even worst perhaps try to compare with ours. I don’t know if comparing two people or events will ever give us something. Yeah one may a few coincidences but that’s like getting only dirty clothes off, when you are done for the day.

My college friends and me have planned a little get away to Alibaug. Obviously the time taken for planning to go to Alibaug has been more than the time it will take to go to Alibaug and come from there. The only thing to be taken care of was the fact that the spouses of some of the married friends that were coming along. It wasn’t all guys a thing … so had to think and do a lot of tug of war, which by the way will likely to get settled within 10 days after we return from Alibaug. If it is girls it is different. We cant blur out in the way we use too, we cant talk of things we have too, we have to take care that other men don’t get offended (if spouses are around) plus the same things cant be happening. We cant simply play the fool.
I am looking forward to the trip even then; I need a break, long time friends meeting after a big gap. I hope to go for long walk on the beach albeit alone.  Counting the stars under a coconut tree. Beach side barbeque and off course chilled beer. I am planning to carry only my shorts, t-shirts, tooth brush and a mobile charger. I never like to carry big hand bags/strollers/suit cases. I like t travel light.

As off now the plan has still “conditions apply” labelled on it.

Blog: Wednesday the movie

This is not a film review of the movie released last to last week. The movie is good especially the timing of the release perhaps a sign of things that came (all finger pointing to New Delhi Bomb Blasts).

I think the movie "A Wednesday" is worth the watch for simple reason, the message this movie conveys.

I say it is must watch.

A dialogue from an old Hindi movie is buzzing in my head since I first heard of the news of the blast,
"लोहा गारम है मार दो हातोडा "

(Strike the iron when its hot )

About: Bomb Blasts

"A society which gives up a little liberty to obtain a little security, doesn't deserves either, nor gets both."

- Benjamin Franklin.

I think our ethos, freedom and independence is at stake.

Am I the next victim?

Whens the next bomb blast?

About: Ganesh Chaturthi

ॐ गणेशायेः नामः

Do click on the image if it isnt clear.Do read.

There are two parts to Ganeshji Chaturthi, the Chaturthi and the Lord himself.

Shri Ganeshji, the first gods.

The Lord is the one who paves the road to success, both spiritual and materialistic. He is the Viganharta, he smoothens the road and make sure there are no obstacles on the highway of success. I think the point he tries to make is take the Lords name and turn obstacles into opportunity. Ganeshji has three wives Riddhi (Riches), Siddhi (Expertise, Wisdom) and Budhi (Intellect, Grey matter!). He wrote the Mahabharata the great epic, as Rishi Ved Vyasa narrated to him. Any good deed act or thought should if started chanting his name, then success is there for the grabs. He is the auspicious one.
There are couple of stories related to Ganeshji birth, the famous one being, he born to Mata Parvati, wife of Shivji. He was born in Shivji’s absence. The Hindu fables from Hindu mythologies enlist number of Gods, avtars and heroes born from vegetative propagation (asexual form of progeny), Vishnu and Brahma, Lord Ram and his brothers, Sita, Hanuman, (and his son too, Makar Dhwaja) Ravan, Guruvayoor (not so sure) Narsingh avatar of Lord Vishnu, Kauravas, Draupadi and her brother there may be a few more from crores of Gods and heroes hailing in the mythology.
So, when Shivji returned home to Kailash after penance, he found a stout little boy eating modaks and ladoos and guarding the entrance of his house and not allowing him to get in the house. Parvati had stationed him outside as she was having a bath inside. As the son and father encountered each other for the first time, the boy did not budge from the instruction of allowing anyone inside. Shivji sent his followers but they all got beaten in the fight.
Shivji got angry for not being allowed to enter his own house and threw the Trishul. The trishul and the Sudarshan Charka being the most powerful of all divine weapons, only the Godesses and avtars have them at their disposal. The boy was decapitated by the Trishul; Mata Parvati was distraught seeing his beloved soon. She asked the Lord of the universe to bring back his life. The Lord said he cannot go against nature and bring dead boy to life. He suggested that if someone else head is bought, boon of life could be given. The Ganas, Shivji’s followers, instructed to get a head of being in the north direction. The found an elephant and bought its head. The boon of life is given. Mata Parvati was further aghast seeing an elephants head. She cried who will pray to an elephant headed God? But then Shivji proclaimed that he is the first Bhakta among all his followers and starting anything in Ganeshji name will end success. All the puja and havens are invoked taking Ganeshji name.

The Ganesh Chaturthi in Indian Freedom Struggle.

Bal Gangadhar Tilak stated celebrating Ganeshji Charuthi. Since people across all class, castes and sub castes, follow Ganeshji. The thought behind Ganesh Chaturthi was to bring people closer and unite them for a struggle for independence. In those times over hundred years back public gathering wasn’t allowed. So religious massed had to be organised and that was used to start political struggle for freedom

Bal Gangadhar Tilak.

Bal Gangadhar Tilak was fiery brand of leaders before Gandhiji. He was one of a fiery brand of National leaders with great presence, Tilak was know as Himalaya of Indian politics because of his tall stature, physically and his political influence. “Swaraj is my birth right.” He was the father of Great Indian Unrest (or was it Gokhale). He was convicted for sedition by the British Raj and exiled to Mandalay. You know Jinnah was the defence counsel?

Ganesh Chaturthi today.

There is so much that can be done. The sad part is nothing of that sort is done and festival like many other is reduced to sale offer, loud music systems, churning out Bollywood dance numbers, the chaos and traffic snarls. I always supported the hands that help are holier than lips they pray. The whole thing is reduced to a show of pomp with lot of show and little of substance. Although the festival was limited to cities of Maharashtra and to a little extent Gujarat, I sense the festival growing to other parts of country too. The aftermath is unkempt pandals, dirty roads and beaches. I think the pomp and pageantry is because of rising terrorism. It is one of the many good ways of fighting the Religious Fundamentalism.
The “unity” in not only for a certain class of people or for people belonging to certain faith or belief. It is for the society as a whole. This platform of Ganesh Chaturthi can be used to awaken people against the wrongs being done in society. It can be done to uplift the socio-economic plight, corruption, pollution, accountability and many other things of political nature. But that isn’t to be.
Now for a fun side, while in Surat,for me Ganesh Chaturthi marked starting of festivals or festive celebrations of events. Naratri n Durga Puja, Dasshera, Diwali, Shivratri, Ram Naumi and ending with Holi. I wasn’t complaining with the amout of sweets that were exchanged. My mother would get busy arranging the events. So that was fun.

Blog: Back to school.

There are things about blogging I have observed. If you don’t feel like blogging or haven’t blogging due to writer’s/blogger’s block then you don’t like to post any sort of updates in near time soon. A blogger is likely to update ASAP if no net connection is available. So if a blogger hasn’t had a net connection and was suffering blog blocked then s/he is likely to share an update soon.
As then feeling of blogging grows on you, and you start updating about everything for example what did u eat to what time you slept, the other end of the spectrum sees you not wanting you blogging at all and worst, if you happen to blog hop even if you don’t happen to blog then as soon as a blog template like your appear then you are likely to click “Next Blog” even before going through the latest update, forget even courteous comment. So much so I forgot to blog on Blog Day.
That’s what I would do. So before I get in a regressive mode. I though t to shake of the dust and post an update or sel I would spiral into laze and since there isn’t much cricket action as well,so would really feel stoned to post an update. I detest this feeling so I thought lets kill the beast of burden.

Back to School.

I joined in an MBA course in Mumbai city. So many friends called up suggesting “You must be excited”. I was as sedated as I could be following lunch on typical Sunday afternoons. I replied a laconic tone a dragging “Yeah … “. I don’t know why I was so damn cold. I was about to reach college my father called wishing me luck. My parents were perhaps more excited then I am. The orientation took place yesterday, I was searching for engineers, I hardly found any there were a few guys though, there were guys and gals from other stream, B.Sc, B.Comm, B.A. Zoology B.B.A. for once in my life I was feeling uneasy. The lingo has changed since I last sat in college a few years ago. It was all weird. Let’s see, hope to go there and break lots of ice (read glaciers or ice shelves). I hope I can push myself to do that. I met a few people yesterday, some just out of college, and some with a much work experience.
An informal introduction took place and then there was a Shanti Patth and a Havaan took place. Panditiji was damn cool. He talked to us after the puja and addressed lot many good issues. He suggested meditation along with studies. He also told a few mythical stories driving home the point. I was damn tired when I came back home. I was physically drained. I am not an owl but I prefer to sleep around midnight and get up around 7:15. I slept really early yesterday and got up early. So feeling great, I just that I may be late for college.
Today is something to do with psychometric test. Let’s see what it is all about. I was expecting to make friends like I did when I was doing engineering and while I was working in Surat but I think I need a fresh perspective. I hope I don’t make mistake that I did when I was studying engineering.
Making same mistake twice.

Second Edit: Review, Rock On