My Experiment with lenses
Oct 31, 2010
2
comments
Muzhapalngadi beach, Kannur, Kerala.
The longest drive-in beach in south Asia.
Awesome place...
Awesome place...
Dry Rose Petals
Sep 12, 2010
9
comments
“There is never a wrong time to visit Goa” Exclaimed the floor manager as I walked into the Rendezvous, A shack facing the beach on the Bagha …
“Yes , that’s true” I said.
“Well , are you alone Sir “ he asked.
And I just smiled at him.
“Understood, I have a perfect place for you he said, You would have a perfect view at the beach and lesser audience … Here sir”
“That’s just perfect… I’ll have a beer, Premium please…. and fish fingers… Yes that will be all“ I said making myself comfortable…
“give me 10 minutes” He replied and walked right through the shells hung on the door frame…
I pulled out my book from my backpack and placed it on my table. Call me old fashioned but I still write in a book, Not that I don’t accept technology and change, but I love the smell of the ink, and the feel that ink smudges gives me.
My vacation was almost over and so was my book; But the endings always put me to a corner, and Sometimes I feel I have to be fair to my characters, but then Life isn’t just fair…
My eyes followed a cool gush of the sea breeze, Just to see the blue vast sea flirting with the wind…
I felt as If I was having a conversation with the sea, and I was telling her how beautiful she looked .
I was enjoying the trance…
Then my eyes turned towards a guy coming straight at me with open arms, with the pace that he had, I couldn’t get a proper look at his face.
“Aman My brother, what a great surprise” he said as he hugged me tight.
“Rahul, wow .., It’s great to see you… “ I said trying my luck with the names, which I always keep forgetting
“How are you ….Where have you been…. you look great… are you alone” He asked, Well I could say that he looked excited.“Hey you know what, you can answer them later. First I want you to meet somebody”
He dragged me out of my seat , Well that was Rahul, warm and friendly, We were partners in crime back in the college… back then I always thought of him as Puzo’s Godfather, The cartel leader.
Then when time passes by , life gets us all busy…
“Aman, I am going to introduce you to my wife, Neha…. We are on our honeymoon” He said as we approached their table, He then hugged from behind…
I saw her face, as she smiled and turned around …
There I saw her again…
Dressed in a white salwar, she looked even more beautiful than the last time we met three years ago.
I could feel the world spinning around me, … I thought I was having a panic attack … I blinked , to ensure this wasn’t a dream or I was just not hallucinating .
‘No it’s all real Aman, Face it’ Said someone within.
She stared at me in disbelief , as Rahul introduced me to her ‘ Neha ,meet my friend Aman, We used to be best buddies in the college, but, after the college he just disappeared, and today , after eight long years I bumped into him here isn’t that great’
Yes, Rahul the world is a very small place I said regaining my senses to normal…
I smiled at him, so he just wouldn’t see her staring at me in shock…
My waiter was kind enough to bring my stuffs to the table, “it happens all the time” He said
‘So tell me where are you now a days and how are you ’ Rahul asked with the same amount of curiosity that I saw in him when we both first saw a stash of weed in the hostel.
“ Pune, I work as a copywriter with an ad agency, Life ‘s good , Tell me where have been”
“Arrey Yaar, London , After post-graduation I settled there, We got married last month.You know how it is ,parents always wanted an arranged-marriage, but I am happy that I found Neha. She’s just perfect for me” He moved towards her and kissed her on her cheek…
She smiled…
The same smile that she gave me years ago ,when she accidentally broke my crystal vase…
I noticed that she never took her eyes off me… and then our eyes met… in spite of all my efforts to stop that from happening.
The wind blew her hair onto her face, and She tucked the strides of hair between her ears, I used to love it when she did that…
My mind drifted like a paper caught in the wind, back into streets of memories…
Everything flashed in front of my eyes.
The first day we met,
Our first date,
Our first kiss,
And then the good bye…
Rahul cut the silence saying “ Neha, Aman used to be the writer in the pack, we used to listen to his poetry when we got drunk, Do you still write Aman?”
“You know what they say; Old habits die hard…, I still do, I am writing a book. And the Goa vacation was an excuse to complete it”
“Oh that’s fantastic, What is the book about” Curious Rahul asked.
I smiled and said “Read it, when it’s published”
He laughed out loud…
I couldn’t stop looking at her; God ,she looked beautiful!
In the backdrop the sun had started retiring back to its solitude.
even though I managed to kept my sanity in check, I couldn’t help a deep feeling of despair that crept through my soul , leaving it hollow once again.
But then things started appearing more lucid and the perfect ending for my story was coming to me …
I told him that I was in a hurry, and we exchanged numbers.
As I was leaving a dry rose, slipped out of my book and fell at her feet.
Our eyes met again as she picked it up.
I turned around and walked into the sunset.
She didn’t speak a word , but her eyes talked to me…She said “I am sorry”
And I said …..
Ayreej Rahman
12th Spetember 2010; 4:10 AM
Disclaimer : This is a work of fiction. Any resemblance of characters to actual persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental. :)
The Waiting Place…for people just waiting.
Jun 30, 2010
3
comments
Waiting for a train to go or a bus to come,
or a plane to go or the mail to come,
or the rain to go or the phone to ring,
or the snow to snow
or waiting around for a Yes or No
or waiting for their hair to grow.
Everyone is just waiting.
Waiting for the fish to bite or waiting for wind to fly a kite
or waiting around for Friday night or waiting, perhaps,
For their Uncle Jake or a pot to boil,
or a Better Break or a string of pearls,
or a pair of pants or a wig with curls,
or Another Chance.
Everyone is just waiting.
**This is an Excerpt from Dr.Seuss's poem called 'Oh! The Places You’ll Go!'
**I just loved it and thought I'll share it with you guys...
The Software Engineer Who Sold His Soul For A Pack of Cigarettes
Apr 28, 2010
10
comments
Not everyday you see a European Ramp Model look-alike sipping Whiskey in a Desi Bar (TASMAC ) somewhere in the in the Outskirts of Coimbatore. … The first thought that crossed my mind is that another Foreigner who came soul searching to India , Without the knowledge that people here still had no clue that they already have sold their souls For petty things like religions, demographics, the-IPL, Bollywood and the Great-Indian-Politics
----
I fumbled into this bar to celebrate my yearly LACK of Appraisal , that I just had in the office, a few hours ago.
Four years as a software developer , I had seen people who Joined as fresher , raise to the level of Seniors and Leads and I am still at the place that I started off. The Same old Sweaty seat and the same old weary Desktop.
The Place was a bit crowded but ; I didn’t care…
I just wanted to get drunk quickly. so this is the best place. they serve liquor that tastes like Alien Shit, 95% Homemade with Vijay Malliya’s Million dollar Brand Name just to give it an exotic feel.
But as of today I wasn’t bothered about how it tasted and what the Ethanol or Fucking Methanol proportions was.
I should have listened to my friends back in the Engineering college who told me that Coimbatore was a bad choice; When I had other options like Bangalore, Chennai, Hyderabad and Even Cochin If I wanted to stick to Southern terrain of the country. Well I just turned them all down because I just thought I was happy with my achievement, which I later realized to be the biggest blunder of all.
I always have been a happy-go-Lucky-guy. Never wanted to bite more than I could chew ,I remember my grandma Told me this... but Grandma had no clue what Corporate India would turn out to be… and I would end up at the very bottom of the corporate-food-chain – A Shrimp in a Small software company , where I would report to the guy who just passed out of college two years ago, …
And to make things Worse I have a Boss who has No Balls at all , He could be a Desi version of the Pointed Hairy Boss from the Dilbert comic strip, John was the Marketing Manager of an FMCG company Prior to joining iMac Software Solution (P) Ltd as Chief Operating Officer.
He still thinks Writing Java codes for a much complex Inventory Management system is as simple as selling a Detergent Soaps.
The last bit of the respect for him vaporized when that bastard told me “Vivek you are a Hard worker, But you aren’t a smart worker, There are lot of areas that you have to improve like Excel and Macros, See Java alone wouldn’t get you anywhere.. So The Management has decided you to consider your promotion for the next year…. We have other plans for you. The company has decided to provide you with additional responsibilities so that you yourself could explore your true potential and there is a three percent Hike on your profile for this, that’s the best we are giving Considering the current Economic Situations”
“What the Fuck” No I didn’t say that….
All I said was “Thank you John” and I walked out of the Room
Man , This is all So unfair I know I am much Smarter than most of my seniors. I really wished I had a better life!
I realized that I was out of Cigarettes, I had almost quit smoking a few days ago but you just can’t when you work with assholes desperately trying to Poke a dagger up your ass every time you turn around, Stabbing skill scale differing with the demographics.
A few hours ago I came into this place which looked very odd and 4 shots of Whisky-like fluid made all the eeriness disappear. And It looked a lot like home now .
I waved for the waiter;
I politely asked him, If they had Goldflake Kings…and he Politely told me NO!
Super!!!
A few seconds later … The guy seated on the next to me extended a packet of Dunhill Red, and said; "Help yourself."
Well in my true senses I am very Skeptical and the first thing I would have done in such a situation is refused but to my surprise I just pulled out one and said “Thank you” the Guy lit a match and offered it to me… I took a good look at him, He looked like a European model you see in the FTV Mens with elvish charms and evilly tender frame . His Face was fair and without a single mark or scar, that was all I could catch in the Twilight of the BAR.
Haven’t seen you around, tourist Huh?: My curiosity Popped it!
Oh really? But I have seen you a lot of times;, I know you well. He replied with an accent.
What? I was puzzled, and this was not the answer I was expecting, was the guy hitting on me???
You heard me , I have seen you , I know where you live , where you work, I know your family, your girlfriend, Everything about you. "I EVEN KNOW WHAT YOU DID LAST SUMMER (:p)" He said taking a long drag from his cigarette.
I was in no intention of retreat; Tell me what was I talking to Swati about, last weekend.
He smiled and said “You didn’t meet her last weekend but the one before... you guys went to Pizza hut and You were whining about how much you hated Rahul’s Mr. Know-It-All attitude and the confidence which he cooks up bullshit”
Well Now, things started to change, the guy was telling me real conversations from my life, Quoting me exactly the way I said it!
Either I am being stalked or I am under surveillance. Or this guy is Supernatural: Don’t tell me- a Vampire? Options chased in one after the another…
But there was one thing: I don’t know why I was stupidly Courageous! Or let me rephrase “I WAS DRUNK, enough not to feel fear”
I looked at him he had all the basic criteria that would qualify him as one.
He smiled and said “I know exactly what you are thinking, But I am no vampire, I am the one who they Bow to…”
“The Devil?” Now I could literally feel blood drain away from my Face, I was desperately hoping Cyrus Broacha jump out of nowhere and tell me “This is MTV Bakra, Vivek” or Aston Kutcher came running screaming you’ve been Punked!!!
For the Next 15 Minutes, I sat there and nothing like that happened, and I was sure that this was the last cigarette I am ever going to have,so I took long drags savoring it’s flavor…
“I am not going to kill you , I am just here to help, Normally I give 10 wishes but taking in consideration the current Prices hike In India My Accounts Department and Downsized the list to two in return for your soul . Non-Negotiable! He continued “What‘s in your mind ?”
Think:
what do you expect from a guy who is completely SLOSHED when asked such a question
:I said “I Need to pay the bill and get back Home, and Can I have one more cigarette”
Next thing I hear is “Granted and you can keep the pack, Thank you Nice doing business with you” …. And he walks away into the darkness…
Well , after a month I received an Offer Letter from IBM ; Behind the cover it was written “Complimentary offer: Happy B’day”
Dork," The Adventures of Robin Einstien Varghese" ; A review
Apr 22, 2010
2
comments
I just finished reading Dork by Sidhin Vadukut, The First thing that Comes to my mind is "Robin, You Bastard . You did it!!!"
The Dork is about a young MBA Graduate who joins up with a multinational Management consulting firm, and how he struggles to survive the corporate world just to end up as a legend in the business consulting world. And how Robin, the protagonist manages to woo his long time love interest 'Gauri'.
It would be unfair to call just another a romantic comedy nor a complete office cult fiction, But it surely tells you some things you really don't want to try it in your office ;)
I liked the way the story was narrated ,as an extract from the Journal of Robin Einstein Varghese in ,which the author found in the appartment that he just moved into, in a compact disk abondoned along with five CDS of pornos.
Sidhin has managed to maintain the what-is-on-the-next-page sensation thought the book without losing it's charm and Humor that makes it a good read!!!
In Simple words: It's way better than Chethan Bhagath!
Senseless Adsense
Mar 8, 2010
4
comments
Google ad-sense may lack sense of compassion; But it sure does provide an instant solution to the problem.
Quite Ironic!
(This screenshot was taken from a very popular news website)
The guest called Death
Feb 22, 2010
7
comments
For what is it to die but to stand naked
in the wind and to melt into the sun?
And what is to cease breathing, but to
free the breath from its restless tides...
- Khalil Gibran
Last Sunday [Day before] I happened to see an accident .The first hand experience of this incident sent a chill down my spine, and left me totally disturbed with the fact how helpless we are .
All I could do was watch a man die and and do nothing about it, Things like this are hard to forget, the Man gasping for his last breaths, and the pain in his eyes , and the pool of Gore on the road , and some bloody foot prints left behind by someone...
Death at that time was just 5 foots away from me.
Your worst nightmares could be more pleasing than this.
A few Minutes later the place was filled with Cops and onlookers taking snaps in their mobile phones as if it was some sort of tourist spot.
I went home with a bag of Mixed emotion Grief, Helplessness, Fear, and above all - The realization of 'How mortal we all are!'
and questions like
Would the man have thought that this was this last goodbye, when he left home that morning?
Where was he going?
Wouldn't his family be waiting for him?
Would his daughter see her father again...
I don't know anything about him, except a broken license plate. Yet I felt like I just had lost someone I know.
Death is a guest who comes and always gifts it's host with a loss when he leaves ,a loss that can never be compensated. At that point we all realize how beautiful our lives are and How lucky we are just to stay alive, and to have just another day here with the ones you love...The real Paradise!
---
[This is a tribute to Who ever he was : Let his Soul R.I.P]
The Buzz about 'Buzz'
Feb 16, 2010
4
comments
As they say, Its better late than Never!
Google had caught up with the status update concept of-late, when Face book and Twitter has already acquired the market share 40% and 48% respectively. It seems that google never considered the idea to be potential enough unless they found the great success of Twitter.
In spite of it's late release I have been hearing some great reviews from the users about buzz.
As far as I am concerned the Idea of One-Id-For-All is a great concept, and there still would be people interested in it, thinking about the convenience of remembering 3-10 passwords for emails and social networking sites all togethe.
There are a few good things that I found with the Buzz....
1. One is that You dont have a 140 Character constrain:
I tweet a lot but didn't actually liked the way twitter refrained me to enter more than 140 characters in a single message...But Buzz in cool, you can can enter how much you want without shortening and screwing my message
2- You can integrate sites like twitter, picassa etc using Buzz, So that whenever I tweet , it is listed in the Buzz too, my every update in the sites linked to it is shown to my followers..
3- My blogspots: The feeds from my blog is pulled into buzz , now this is something similar to the previous point, but I wanted to give this emphasis, because I found this a very helpful tool to market my blog, each time I post something new, It's shown to my followers *Un-tampered* and I have found my hits on the blog Increasing after the buzz-Blogger integration.
4- It's easy: Another best thing about Buzz is that It's simple: Some of my friends still don't tweet because they cannot understand 'How To use Twitter' [Next time you I will get you a link for twitter for Dummies , I promise :P] but Buzz is simply 'Simple' that My grandma can go Buzzing !!!
5- Following friends: You can follow anyone in your contacts who has a buzz, that's cool!!! See the benefit of One-id-For-All !!
One thing I would like to see is in Buzz is; A two way data transfer to twitter [A Twitter API]- so that I can sit back in the office, and tweet through the Buzz;
This way I dont get my ass whipped by My Manager or Network guy :p!
[P.S: If my Manager is reading this post :Please excuse my french, I didnt mean you, I just meant -generally!!!]
In Thy name they Kill
Feb 5, 2010
3
comments
He stared at the Rubbles,
His home
Just a pile of cement blocks remained.
He looked for his mother,
Dead hopes and
false promises of hevean was all he found.
Innocent blood spilt,
Dead hopes and
false promises of hevean was all he found.
Innocent blood spilt,
for the wrong cause,
They praised the martys
but whose was the Loss?
They praised the martys
but whose was the Loss?
He looked up in the sky and asked
“In thy name they kill,Why don't thee stop them?"
“In thy name they kill,Why don't thee stop them?"
All he could find was airplanes and Black clouds of smoke
And all he could hear was screams for an answer.
--
In thy name they kill...
Did thee even know???
iPad is i-Sad
Jan 29, 2010
4
comments
I-pad was one of the most awaited gadget of the year, it was expected to revolutionize the Netbooks and Tablet-Pcs. Ipad was well marketted, Not even the name 'ipad' was a secret before the launch . Apple did their best as usual marketting it the evangelist way.Everybody was talking , tweeting and Blogging about the most awaited surpise that they had in the Apple Store..."It was all over the internet"
On 27 January 2008, Apple Corporation had the official launch of Ipad, which almost disapointed almost everybody even the frantic apple worshipers. It turned out that the Much awaited surprise turned out to nothing but to a bigger ipod touch. It does everything that the new generation Ipod touch and lacks:
1. A camera: I really didn't know if they forgot to include it when they designed it . Yea Even I don't see a point in holding it high and taking photos, but what about video chatting?
2. Multi-tasking : Now a days when even phones come with multitasking facility, how can you pay 700 for a tablet without multitasking . We have been shouting this from our roof tops quite a while now , I was hoping that At least Iphones3GS would come with Multi tasking and Flash support, But No!!! same goes for Ipad! Is it really becuase, the processors cant take the load ??? :P
3. It's not a Mac : Seriously when I heard about the plans , I honestly thought that it's going to ba a Mac integrated into one single piece.
4. Apple boast that you can browse internet using it, Sincerely what is the point when you dont have flash support and almost half the internet is FLASH??? As I said, Iphones, Ipod touch , Now Ipad, I dont know what does Apple have against Flash and Multi tasking?
5. Adding more data, Is impossible, It doesnt have an MMC slot or you cannot connect an external Hard drive.
6. A phone function could have been good
7. HDMI Ports are Missing; If you want to watch your HD videos There is no way...
Ipad looks cute, hell Yea... That's what apple products are famous for 'Aesthetics'.
It supports Iphone apps, Plays games [i would rather get a PS3 or a PSP- for portability sake]... Yea right... what else???
Ask me honestly:It a result of bad design [am not talking about the looks] hopefully they come out with the Next generation with all these fixed.
.It's not a phone, Its no a Mac, It's not a pod then what is it??? It's nothing but an over sized media player....I-sad!!!!!
P.S: Guys Watch out for ADAM; It really is a Ipad Killer!!!
My Random act of Kindness
Jan 26, 2010
3
comments
It was a cold November night, and I was heading home after work, almost 11,30 I checked my watch, I heard a growl from my stomach that reminded me "I have to eat" .
I could see a small hotel nearby ... walking towards it , I checked my purse (I do that very often: I don’t know what do you call the fear of realizing I have an empty pocket and cant pay for what I just ate: Empty purse phobia)
53 Rupees!
Suddenly I bumped into somebody and I looked up at his face , he must be in his 30s There is a lady and a kid with him.
He said: Bhai sahab aap hindi jantey ho?...[Do you speak Hindi]
Thoda.[A little]..I replied
He looked relived , We are from UP our luggage was stolen along with all the money in the train and we had to get down here, we didn’t have anything since morning, please help us...
I was literally moved when I saw the look on his wife and son's face!
I started thinking- It could have been me, these things could happen to anybody...
I gave the Man all the money I had in my pocket and I walked towards my apartment,
I passed the ATM counter and it was staring at me, but there was no point of course, It was the month end and I didn’t have any money in the bank, I was hungry but I was Happy... I felt that I had done something good for somebody, and that night I sleep with peace, feeling proud about my 'Act of kindness'.... [Mummy I am not that mean you see...]
Weeks passed, and my life got on the same old track.
One day I was taking a stroll on MG Road with a friend of mine, It was a fine Saturday, So we had made plans for a movie.
He went to get the ticket I waited outside the theater lighting a cigarette.
Bhai sahab aap hindi jantey ho?... I heard a voice behind me , I turned around and I saw the same guy , the only difference was this time he had another lady posing as his wife and another kid...
Holy cow, I walked to the man and asked him did he you recognize me... he said No Sir, I am from Bihar, Just arrived here this morning looking for a job, we haven’t eaten anything since last two day... Help...
I said I don’t know if you remember or not, I had given you some money a few weeks ago and then It was a different story with different Wife and kid... and I'm going to call the police.
The guy started Pleading!!!
Right then my friend arrived with ticket, he said, Dude, I know this man... I gave him 100 Bucks for a ticket last month...
Brain said 'Go on hand the guy over to the police.. Let him get what he deserves'
My instincts said 'Dude, If you hand him to the police he'd get away bribing the guy, So you are just contributing to the corrupt system [Welcome to India!!!], else you can atleast be happy you fed an empty stomach [Even thought he did not deserve it]'
I left the guy, but I did feel remorse- not for my 50 bucks, but for my random act of kindness going in vain!!
Addicted
Jan 22, 2010
2
comments
Lone was I before you came,
Life was dark like the starless sky,
The black clouds,
which refuse to shower,
Through the broken glass pane
Sneaked in the cruel cold wind,
Cold as January can ever get.
Then like the spring you came,
You brought blossom into it.
I saw the flowers bloom and the bird sing
You embraced me with warmth,
Of a promise to stay.
Life wasn’t the same anymore...
It always has to come,
The truth never hides forever.
Hallucination of a dream never last more than a night…
With the anguish with eloquence
I admit it.
It is real hard when the dreams fade.
When the promises made
are as fake as the mirage,
and in this truth, alone I wade.
Still don’t know what am i addicted to,
Those lonely Nights that kept me high
Or the smoke that kept me sane...
But all I know is,
I’m addicted!
It’s real hard to quit.
It’s real late to try.
----
This one is very old dated back to my college days, I have edited this several times since then,still I feel something is missing.
Please let me know what you feel about this.
Where is the Justice II
Jan 13, 2010
2
comments
Another verdict by a court has allowed a rapist back on the streets stating: The victim’s sexual organs were not fully formed...
Now would someone help me understand what does this have to do with the real verdict: If the lady was rapped or not, No one is asking the high court judge if her private parts are intact or not...
Last few years I have been really annoyed by the corrupt system we have, let it be Judiciary or legislative. Ruchika Molestation case was another example of how corrupt our systems are.
It's really high time that we tie up loose ends.
After reading one of my post about the Ruchika case , one of my twitter friend (Tinu Antony) Tweeted: "If it was Saudi, Rathore would have been beheaded the very next Friday" ...
From one angle: yes, I would like to see justice served, and 19 years is almost a quarter of an average human life span. Do we really have all this time for a court verdict?
We have to learn from Legal (and other) systems applied around the world, I am not saying Sharia laws , (Similar to the ones that we have in Saudi Arabia) has to be enforced in India, Because I personally think It's way too Primitive, and radical
[Plus I don't like my ass to be whipped just for having a couple of beers and I don’t think somebody should be hanged just because his sexual orientation was different than others] but we can learn a lot from them and other parts of the world that would help them come out with more SENSIBLE Verdicts.
I am not saying to re-invent the wheel… All I am saying is Just Add more spokes to the wheel !!!
The Life of a Software Engineer
Jan 7, 2010
6
comments
I wonder if ever a software engineer’s life was portrayed with more simplicity and perfection.
**Depends on factors like Age, Work Location and Seniority
![Reblog this post [with Zemanta]](http://img.zemanta.com/reblog_e.png?x-id=7a537e3e-ecf1-4018-8df5-fa285a87edff)
What's Up Tiger?
Jan 1, 2010
2
comments
So the tiger woods is in the hot-seat, but one honest question?
Why do everyone make it look like Tiger woods is the only person on earth who has committed adultery...
Is it just because people like to watch the one of the most-paid sportsman step his down his ladder of pride and reputation.
Or is it because Woods actually lived their fantasies of banging eleven ladies (and counting) ?
What are they really pissed off by???
I am not advocating transgression or Woods... but just wondering how many of you out there has been really loyal to the ones you have loved, how many of you have never committed adultery even once, even in their thoughts?
All I want to say is that :
Let him who is without sin among you be the first to cast a stone
My mother always used to tell me this when I was a child "When you point one finger at anyone, you should always remember that there are three fingers pointed at you already"
So whats up Tiger; You still want to throw stones at Woods!
![Reblog this post [with Zemanta]](http://img.zemanta.com/reblog_e.png?x-id=d5224b08-c786-4db3-b20d-dc1d0710162d)
Posts
