Saturday, August 18, 2007

A Happy Ending!

After a long fruitful journey, God opened doors and invited my grandmother to His Heavenly Abode.

For all of us, grandchildren, she was the same sweet lady about whom we have read in our childhood story tales. A strict lady with a soft heart and probably the only one whom we felt could command our parents (atleast our moms). Personally, I have never have spent much time with her. For me she has been the mother of my mother. Words fell short when I was writing about my mother, so what can I say about the lady who gave my mother.

On Friday August 17th, evening she met Him. Her journey on earth had a Happy Ending!

For us, it was a sad demise of a beautiful lady. We pray her soul rests in peace!

“आज्जी! तुला नाही विसरू शकणार आम्ही!!!”

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Dear friends, Thanks for all the feedback that you have sent. I have made a note of all of it. Unfortunaltely I am not in a position to post the feedback this week. Please let your suggestions and feedbacks keep coming. Will definitely put it up on the coming weeks.

Once again, thanks and have a nice week!

Monday, August 13, 2007

Yaaron Dosti...badi hi hasiin hai!!!

They say, to know the value of something, loose it. If you want to know the value of food, fast for a day...to know how much you miss someone, stay away from them. And if you have not know what FRIENDS are, stay away from them!

The dictionary defines friendship as "a term used to denote co-operative and supportive behavior between two or more humans" However I feel the word "FRIEND" is probably that word which has infinite definitions and an equally infinite range. (A friend can be someone imaginary as well)

When I started working, I had about 65 other employees working with me. However I gradually started spending time with only 2 of them...and since then its now more than 5 years and the friendship has grown over the period of time. We have changed companies, the company has changed offices...but the bond between has just increased with time. They say FRIEND is someone whom you can call at 4:00 AM, not speak a word and yet feel feel it is the best conversation you have ever had! Believe me...I have experienced it!

And it is not just being in touch that matters. Soundar, my friend (and I can already imagine what it means to him when I mention his name) met me during a paper presentation in Tamil Nadu, somewhere in 2002. Our friendship happened in those two days. After that we have met twice...but still there is bond that we share which has been strengthened with the passing time. It probably apt to state here that "We met by chance, became friends by choice, retaining the friendship was our decision and to be friends for lifetime is our promise."

From movies to cartoons to real life, friends have been a part everywhere. Be it Sholay's AB and Dharam paaji or Aamir, Akshaye and Saif in DCH or Calvin and Hobbes by Waterson or the six friends in the series FRIENDS...and even for that matter in our own lives, FRIENDS have always been fun (and I am excluding exceptions who have found the world upside down), they have helped in doing good things, joined us in playing pranks, been with us while doing wrong and stood by at times of crisis. Pradnya remembers her school days when she, with her group of friends used to eat in the classroom...and when caught, the group used to share the responsibility! Preety responsible group, haan? And this probably everyone would associate their group with...sticking a bubble gum on teacher's chair, having a ball of a time laughing till being caught and then being responsible as a group...Sticking one bubble gum was a team work...we made people believe that! "A true friend is someone who thinks that you are a good egg even though he knows that you are slightly cracked"

After saying all this, I was wondering how many friends do I have? Then I realised that there is a long list, a few of them I have not met...no time you see! That has always been the excuse. Today I spend about 10 hours working and a few hours chatting, however I miss calling a buddy to say "Hey, howz you doin" and then when I see that name in my contacts list, I say, "Will call him sometime later"...well it never comes and eventually someday the friend calls on to check how things are going on..."A friend is a hand that is always holding yours, no matter how close or far apart you may be. A friend is someone who is always there and will always, always care. A friend is a feeling of forever in the heart."

Last weekend, I had a rocking time with a group of friends...it was hectic and yet relaxing! It was so relaxing that I missed updating the blog this weekend. My sincere apologies to all my friends who were waiting to read this blog!

The coming release would be the 10th blog release and I would be writing on the blogging journey so far. Hence please keep posting me your views on my blog!

Saturday, August 4, 2007

Rain, Rain, Come Again!

Rain, rain, come again...all my friends want to play!

Childhood memories took me to those days when I used to gleefully splash water on all and happily soil my clothes. And when I checked with my friends and colleagues, I got a mixed reaction. For most, rain is fun and will always remain so, for some it has changed with time and for the rest (a very few number) it has always been a misery.

For most of my marathi friends...they still rhyme with the granny song "Ye re ye re pausa, tula deto paisa". Janhavi has been wanting to write on this blog since long...and probably the rains motivated her to write. When I asked her feed on the rains, she poured her heart out, so I am not editing whatever she has to say....read it yourself...

"Playing in the muck (chikhal) ..splashing the rain water on each other, sailing paper boats in the puddles ... picking up earthworms, and tadpoles ... When I think about it now .. I go 'yuckkkkkk', but then .. those were the days .. This would be my rainy season routine...year after year :) And, have you ever walked in the downpour .. try it once .. its awesome. Pick a day when its raining cats n dogs n elephants... If you have an umbrella .. don't open it .. do not wear your jacket ... just keep all your tensions at home and step outside ...and get drenched... the ultimate stress buster! But, if you aren't the adventurous type .. there's something for you as well ... tea! In proper Mumbai language ..its called "mast aadrak maarke" chai. Sit by the window, sipping tea, watching the raindrops play the most beautiful music in the world! If you get kanda bhajji with tea ... its heaven. And if you are a football fan .. try chikhal football ... My best rain memory would be July 16th 2005 ... I had been to Lonavala with my friends .. It was bright n sunny when we reached there ... obviously we were disappointed, but continued the trek nevertheless.. soon it started to get dark .. and then it poured n poured n poured ... it was great ... what more could you ask for ... 6 friends ... pouring rain ... freshly made kanda bhajji, with lasun chatni... and to top it all .. mast cutting! That was just 10 days before the dreadful day - July 26 ... Thankfully I was at home that day ... so didn't have to face the difficulties that my friends n family faced. And as I type this it has started to rain .. so please excuse me .. I've got some important work to do viz sitting at the window .. watching the dogs run around in the rain! "ye re ye re pausa . tula deto paisa" .. what is the world coming to ... you got to bribe the rains too!"

As Janhavi mentions, there is nothing like "kanda bhajji" and "mast adrak maar ke chai" on a nice rainy day. And most wonderful as Pradnya says is "pavsat bindast bheejna" (drenching in the rain without a care for the world)

While most of us like the rains, there are some who feel the misery that it causes problems and spreads diseases. For them, I have Pradnya's words, " Nature has not taught us to block drainage pipes, to put mud in sea and constuct buildings, nor even told us to collect sewage and dirt near house to increase diseases. So in short all that is looking bad and causing harm to us, is all happening just because of the man made destructive ideas which we find comfortable but later causes destruction like flood in Mumbai last year or road blockings in Panjim city due to heavy load of water. Nature will never cause destruction and man will never accept his fault. Well, this will go on...but can never change my feelings about rains!"

Neither can my feelings about rain be changed! The lush greenery adds a new life and makes things brighter and on the other hand dark cloudy day with heavy rains and a cozy blanket to cuddle in is a warm feeling too. In Belgaum, we have hail storms...it rains ice (gara as we call it in marathi) and even my mom still has a craze of running in the rain and eating the ice pebbles...sounds crazy?? Try once and you too would be crazy about it. Running in the rain, trying to search for those small pebble ice and picking it up and popping it in your mouth and savouring the taste of natural ice...I miss it. Most of my friends and colleagues have not experienced one...so I guesss I am lucky!

Kedar had been weak when we was a kid and was not allowed to run around in the rain...and I can guess how envious that is, especially when you see other kids and your own buddies running and wading thru the rain water.

Football is the most obvious game in rains, but we do have cricket fans introducing new versions of the game to suit the rains and I have a strong feeling that the ICC should learn from them.

And when I talk of this, I remember having similar discussions as a child, especially when the schools were called off. Kedar mentions that he used to eagerly wait for the news of the school getting cancelled and then running into the rain to celebrate the good news...well, who didn't??

Today, I still long to go in the rain and dance as if there were no worries in the world. But then again, when I am going to office and it starts pouring, I seek shelter...if a kid splashes water and it lands on my trousers, I get irritated...if the rains pour and the trains go standstill, I blame the government and curse the clouds. Life has changed!

But wait, it is not so bad...it has started raining again and I am not going to office today. I am going out there in the rains to drench myself and relieve those golden moments! See you later!!!