Out they go!

Alright, everyone in 801 S University...

It's time to breath, relax, jump with joy, dance, make merry, cheer...

It's over. I swear to God it is. I have stopped playing this song on my laptop. It happened on wednesday night, when I was doing my assignment. At 2:30 AM, I said enough of this, and switched to them.

Coming up next: OK Go.

Cook...you freaking moron!

Wow!

Cooked food after so many days. Really, I don't remember when I cooked last, perhaps when dinosaurs ruled this world.

The initial idea was to cook just Rajma for Akash and myself, but Abnormal's phone call forced me to add black beans too;).

Had naans and tortillas with this sabji, and wrapped it all up with 5 rasgullas!!...a grand finale to a truly great show!!:):)

A couple of days back, my friends & I were talking about all the innovative/funky alarm clocks in the world .

Clocky.

Peter Guevara..lol!

Watched five episodes of Family Guy yesterday ( after a very stressful day)...Wow!!..I said..Wow!! Wow!! Wow!! You know what I said?? Wow!! Wow!! aen he he he he he he he...

Today's Update

This is absolutely crazy. I am updating my blog for the third time in a day. And I am drunk.

Spoke to Arshi after a long long time. I must admit that I called him for the first time after returning from India.. Absolutely ridiculous. Sincere apologies, Arshi.

Something has gone wrong with me. There's this song by No Doubt that is driving me nuts. I have been listening to this song since the last four days - continuously. I love it.

I got my hair cut today - thanks to Abir.

Had an amazing time tonight. Tilloo and gang came over. Laughed my lungs out. It was good fun.

Tomorrow is going to be extremely hideous. I have to study for my exam, write my research paper proposal, and the usual weekly review. Shit on toast.

Well, I am happy. Not complaining about anything at all. To be honest, spending time with my friends tonight made me happy.

This is one more song that's killing me these days.

ROCK ON!!!!!

It kind of dawned on me today that I have become really serious about things in life. I am not the same me anymore...or am I?

Enough of thinking too much about shit and crap.

I am not going to give a fuck about things around me. Man, too much pain involved. I have known enough about myself now.

I would not lose my identity. Fuck you all who want me to change.

I am a soldier. I will put a bullet in your ass.

ROCK ON!!!!

Can you hear me now?

Fuck.

Saturday has always been "Talk to friends" day for me. But it's been sad and depressing today. None of my friends (including my brother) answered my call today!!!! The following are the sons of bitches I tried calling today...

1. Manu
2. Arshi
3. Baba
4. Bobby
5. Chamu

fuckin' bad boys, man....you guys ROCK!!!!!

Top 30!

A refresher of some of the lessons I have learnt in life:

1. Shit happens (the biggie!).
2. Life is unpredictable.
3. People are unpredictable.
4. Your friends are unpredictable.
5. Try to understand what your friends are going through. If they don't want to discuss things with you, leave them alone.
6. Always go down fighting.
7. Cherish your good memories, and learn from your bad ones.
8. Never regret what you do.
9. Be nice to people.
10. have patience.
11. Always remember God. Appreciate what he does for you.
12. Appreciate what your family has done for you.
13. Always be optimistic - every cloud has a silver lining.
14. Never let negative thoughts cloud your mind.
15. Thank God for giving you such a beautiful life.
16. Thank God for giving you such wonderful friends.
17. Live for others - it gives you (me) the ultimate pleasure.
18. Always thank people when they do something for you.
19. Don't take people for granted.
20. Every individual deserves privacy - even if he is your best friend.
21. Things never go the way you planned them to go.
22. Never set wrong expectations.
23. Stay young at heart.
24. Never refuse to help others, even if it means going out of the way to help them.
25. Smile!
26. Don't mind when people talk shit about you or make fun of you.
27. The best way to make people laugh is to make a fool of yourself. People love to laugh at others.
28. Be naughty - it is good fun!
29. Sex is not the only thing you should think about when you have nothing else to do.
30. Always say 'namaste' to elders when you meet them or bid them goodbye. They really like it:).

It's funny.

You can never ever anticipate what life has in store for you. It's so so true.

Digression - A good friend threw some light on a very peculiar thing practiced by females. He said - "Why do they always use the binary system? Why can't they think beyond just 0s and 1s?" ...lol!!

It's 4 in the morning and I am still doing my assignment. Man, things are absolutely crazy, but for some reason my ass is still not on fire..I'm lovin' it!

Not Again!

Why can't I just stick to what I say/decide. Am I cheating myself? No, not at all.

I have realized one thing - another addition to the list of all the shit and crap that I have found out about myself. I tend to change my decisions according to my very own convinience. I may know that changing my decision now may hurt me in the future. But then, I wouldn't get an opportunity to say "shit happens" if I don't fuck up now, right?

Everything seems to be so aimless. It's like shooting in the dark - with a lot of optimism, thinking that the target would stay where it is now forever. Anxiety, stupidity, courage, hope, desire, excitement, fear - all these words ( I am not really sure if these are adjectives, verbs, nouns or pronouns - I suck at grammar) have become a very prominent part of my life these days.

On second thoughts, though, things are not really that bad. I will take things as they come - without expecting too much from life.

As I always say " I will go down fighting".

Finally....some action!!

Finally met him after 11 years!!!!:)

Oops!

I now know for sure that I put my own foot in my mouth. But I am not to be blamed. This is not really my fault.

Life has taught me one very important thing - shit happens only when you think it would not. You make promises to yourself, you decide to do something and suddenly you see that nothing is going the right way. That is when you face a big big dilemma - whether to stick to your promises or not.

I have decided to quit smoking and I am honestly trying really really hard. But these days I see only smokers around me - huffing and puffing to glory. I sometimes feel like I should not give up what I used to enjoy so much. But then, I think it's high time now. It's been more than 7 years now. Whew!

Do you really get the message?? OR

Do you get the real message??

Happy!

Yes. That is what I was today. Very.

I did not actually realize that until Rian explicitly told me that I looked really really happy today. He wanted to know the reason. I also figured out that he is actually right. I was happy. But the reason? Hell, I don't know. I just do not know. I tried to think about it. Maybe it was because I met "everyone" after a long time. But I am not sure if that was really the reason. Well, whatever it is, I was happy to know that i was happy today. I really had a good time.

But this doesn't necessarily mean that i was not happy till yesterday. Yes I was. But that was a different kind of happiness. I had long chats with a friend. Talked about lots of things in life. It was interesting, really interesting. I remember that I have talked about those things with Victim, and I must say that I really enjoyed those conversations. It's good to know that there are people who think (almost) exactly like you do, have done the same things that you have done. I get really excited when I find somebody who is more or less like me. I anticipate good friendship with such people. Victim was the first person in Normal with whom I shared experiences and stories, and I am happy to say that he is really a good friend of mine today. I enjoy his company.

I have been happy the entire week. But interestingly, the sources of my happiness have been differerent.

Work sucks.

It Happens

Shit happens.

Well, to be honest, I really don't know if I am in a position to justify this statement.

I spent a lot of time last month with myself. Of course, I spent a lot of time with family and friends too, but at the end of the day I was only with myself - thinking. Well, this is not really new. I used to think a lot earlier too, but probably about certain earthly pleasures, which every guy on this planet would think about. I don't know if I can say this but I think that my thought process has changed - suddenly/ overnight/ whatever. I still cannot believe it. I am not interested in girls anymore ( I don't know why I am writing all this, but this is something that people should know, you know, just to puncture all the misconceptions they have in their mind), I don't want a relationship, I don't want no one night stands ( not that I have had one!), no nothing. This is the time to explore myself. This is the time to know my favorite dishes, my favorite color, my strenghths, my weaknesses, and what not. Of course, I have successfully answered these questions before, but I do not know if I have ben giving the right answers. This may sound foolish, but yes, I really want to know myself as a person. I want to know how bad or good I am as a human being.

People back home want me to get married. Why? I am old enough to get married it seems. But what they do not understand is that one has to be mentally prepared to get married, not physically. A seven inch c*ck and a hairy chest do not make you eligible for marriage. You have to really know what you are doing. You have to be absolutely sure that you would conform to the "policies and procedures" of marriage. I don't think I can.I am still a kid. After all, I am only 26.

R.E.M.

A realization.

Goblin's friend came over the other day. I said Hi to her and generally asked where she was from. My heart skipped a beat the moment she said she was from Athens. I went back in time, 12 years back to be precise, when I started listening to R.E.M. I remembered how R.E.M. had influenced my life when I was a kid, what I had learnt from them and all the other reasons why I worship the band.
That night I remembered how I used to discuss potential trips to New York or Niagara or wherever with friends. Yes, travelling was, I guess the sole intention, but the only thing that was bothering me was that I ignored Athens, GA all the while. Big deal? Not really. But I kind of felt guilty. I felt that I have ignored R.E.M. the entire year.

And then last night I was telling Akash and Jimi the same thing, you know - "I have ignored R.E.M." and all. They both looked stupefied/ dumbfounded. They both had this " What are you talking about?" look on their faces. Ya, I know that happens when the other person does not know what you are talking about, and when your ideas are absolutely extreme and sound childish.

I have planned to visit Athens in December ( If I have the money, that is).

"Adventure has laid its claim on you
It's all you want to do.You
You know where to run
You run Electron Blue."

Make Way!

The R.E.M. background had to go. The text was so damn unreadable with His Excellency Mr. Michael Stipe singing in the background. Even I used to have tough times reading my own blog. So I thought I should kiss Mr. Stipe good bye. But to make up for this serious offence, I bought R.E.M.'s latest CD in India. Nah, I bought it because I wanted it.

More coming up. I am assuming a lot.

Lost And Found

It's a small world, isn't it? Thanks to Orkut, I found my childhood buddy after almost 10 years. I used to constantly look for him - day in, day out. Finally, I found him on Orkut, and guess where he is now? Right in Chicago! He is working for a big consulting company. I spoke with him wednesday night and boy, was I delighted.

I am glad. I am smiling.

India

Why does it always happen? Why can'y these guys change? Why always slums and garbage dumps? Why not hi-tech buildings, pubs and discos?

Something is wrong with American media. India is in news these days - and America acknowledges it. It acknowledges the fact that there are more english speaking people in India than America. It acknowledges that we have more educated people - with a very modern outlook. They say things are changing in India.

But have you ever wondered why these guys always show slums, stray cows, crowded streets, traffic jams, people sleeping on road sides etc. when they show "India" on TV? Correct me if I am wrong, but isn't this the case - always? From CNN to Discovery to BBC to ABC.

A recent video on ABC really disturbed me. It was about the evergrowing "knowledge base" in India. And guess what, they had to show the slums and all.

I am attempting to tell the people of the world that India is not just about the things mentioned above. I don't want people to get the wrong message. India is progressing. In every field. Be it providing services to Americans or improving its own infrastructure.

I am starting (a kind of) a series in which I will post pictures of different cities in India. I want to tell the world that India is not just about beggars, cobras, the Indian rope trick and the things mentioned above. India is about cleanliness; educated & patriotic people; hospitality; and what not.

Delhi:

The national capital of India. This is where I was brought up - and I just love it! Here are some pictures from the most beautiful and amazing city in India.

Historical Places:

Red Fort - Different Views:

Jantar Mantar:

















Qutab Minar:






















India Gate - Different Views:

Important Offices:
Rashtrapati Bhavan - Different Views:

Parliament House:

Religious Places:

Baha'i Temple:

Gurudwara Bangla Sahib:

Jama Masjid:

Laxmi Narayan Temple:

Some important buildings in Delhi:

Shopping areas/ Malls in and around Delhi:

Cannaught Place:

Ansal Plaza:

Malls around Delhi:

Hotels in delhi:

Okay, I just published this post and noticed that the alignment of most of the pictures has gone a little haywire. Apologies for that!

If I Were A Carpenter.....

"If I were a carpenter

And you were a lady,

Would you marry me anyway?

Would you have my baby?

If a tinker were my trade

Would you still find me,

Carrin' the pots I made,

Followin' behind me.

Save my love through loneliness,

Save my love for sorrow,

I'm given you my onliness,

Come give your tomorrow.

If I worked my hands in wood,

Would you still love me?

Answer me babe, "Yes I would,

I'll put you above me."

If I were a miller

At a mill wheel grinding,

would you miss your color box,

and your soft shoe shining?

If I were a carpenter

and you were a lady,

Would you marry me anyway?

Would you have my baby?

Would you marry anyway?

Would you have my baby?"

YahooMail! Photos

Have you guys noticed that whenever you open Yahoo!Mail, you see some amazingly wild picures, selected as "Winner" pictures. I think I have collected most of them. I am posting those pictures here with a few descriptions. First - What I feel about the picture. Second - What the guys in the picture were thinking when the pictures were taken. Third - Probably a song that best describes the photo.


What I think: Sweet! Very Sweet!

What Daddy's thinking: I will do anything for you, my darling!

What Baby's thinking: If I am smiling, it doesn't mean that I like your stubble. I am gonna kick your ass for hurting my soft and tiny fingers after I stop smiling!

Song: "Baby, Now that I have you" - Allison Krauss



What I think: Ya, Sweet! But the baby's a little too fat. I see a prospective school bully in this baby.

What Baby thinks: I am gonna teach you a lesson for putting me in this tub. You knew that I can't swim, but still you did . I am gonna kill you....Oh no! I am drowning!!..aaaaahhh!!!

Song: "Help" - The Beatles



What I think: Sweet and Sad both. This girl is very cute, but she looks damn sad. It seems like she is not too happy with what she has.

What little girl thinks: Damn right, Venky. Have you ever seen such long hair at age 4? And look at this hat - It's bigger than my face. People stoop so low that they torture babies to win freakin' YahooMail photo contests.

Song: "Misery" - Soul Asylum



What I Think: Doggy is confused. I am sure it bit the guy who took this picture - after getting blinded by the camera flash.

What Doggy thinks: I am gonna freakin' bite you if you do something funny. I don't mind going to jail.I am sad already, don't f*c* with me.

Song: "Folsom Prison Blues" - Johnny Cash




What I think: Ya - Sweet. Very ordinary though.

What girls think(both): I'll kill you if you turn out to be more beautiful than me when we grow up!

Song: "Across the Universe" - Rufus Wainwright ( The little girl in orange reminds me of Dakota Fanning).



What I think: How many such pictures have we seen already?

What each of them is thinking: I hope i don't hit "rock bottom"!

Song: "Way Down" - Catherine Wheel





What I think: Somebody tried to be super cool and different, and somebody else just did what many men have never done.

What Girl thinks: Oh Man! Son of a bitch just pooped on my lap! Bad, Bad Idea!!Why is he suddenly so hot, though?

What Doggy thinks: Aaaaahhh! "Time of your life" is suddenly my favorite song.

Song: "Time of your life" - Green Day





What I think: Very Ordinary.

What is kid thinking: I am just gonna scare him. I don't really wanna break my racket.

Song: "Hurt" - Johnny Cash







What I think: Nothing.

What Girl's thinking: Nothing. She's got water up her nose.

Song: "Alive" - Pearl Jam









What I think: Wild. This is what every kid tries to do. Kill everything that moves.

What kid thinks: I am gonna stomp on each one of you and hang you on my room walls.

What Ducks think: Wish we could fly!

Song: "Learn to Fly" - Foo Fighters





What I think: Gross!

What Pregnant woman thinks: "I look just like him now. Cool!

What Buddha thinks: Kill me now!

Song: "Prosthetic Head" - Green Day




What I think: Oh My God! Cho Chweet! The Chweetest photo I have seen on the Internet.

What Mom/Dad think: Our baby is so adorable! Muah!!

What baby thinks: Stop wetting my cheeks with your goddamned saliva!

Song: "Baby, now that I have you" - Allison Krauss

Ring of Fire

"Love Is A Burning Thing

And It Makes A Firery Ring

Bound By Wild Desire

I Fell Into A Ring Of Fire

I Fell Into A Burning Ring Of Fire

I Went Down, Down, Down

And The Flames Went Higher

And It Burns, Burns, Burns

The Ring Of Fire

The Ring Of Fire

The Taste Of Love Is Sweet

When Hearts Like Ours Meet

I Fell For You Like A Child

Ohh, But The Fire Went Wild

And It Burns, Burns, Burns

The Ring Of Fire

The Ring Of Fire"

Saturday!

Saturday was good fun! We decided over a couple of beers (and chicken, thanks to ramakanth!) that we would go to Ming's on Saturday. We decided to leave at 11:45 in the morning to catch the :55 bus that would take us there.

Reached Ming's at around 12:25, only find that there were atleast 30-40 people waiting already (btw, Ming's has lunch buffet for $8). After getting a table, we attacked! Of course, we were impressed by the lo meins and chickens and shrimps and what nots, but what really took the "cake" was the fruits! Yes, fruits of different variety (they looked so exotic!). I must confess that I ate something other than apples and bananas for the very first time ( in America, that is). Water Melon, Papaya, Kiwi Fruit, Grapes - you name it , they had it!

This is my fifth plate *sheepish*. I could not finish the fruits.

The effect of excess food was very much visible. Hrushi was the first to bite the dust.

We survived! And woke up Hrushi for a "group photo" (thank you Ms. Waitress).

It was time to go back home. We were waiting for the bus somewhere near the restaurant, thinking that the bus would come at :30. It was damn windy, so we decided to do something really stupid to get a good laugh and to keep our asses warm.

Well, initially it was just another "photo session".

And then the "fun" part started.

That's it! We came back home and crashed out:).