kc The drudgeries of life: June 2010 The drudgeries of life: June 2010

The drudgeries of life

Wednesday, June 30, 2010

Oh Lord!

Give us today...
Amen.

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Tuesday, June 29, 2010

Backtrack

Ok! This particular Monday was awesome for plethora of reasons... 
Would specially like to thank Dr. Graham Bell for having invented the predecessor of the present day cell phone! :)
And Mark Zuckerberg! For the nth time, thanks for inventing FB, dude :D
I love going to bed in such a happy-happy mood...
Good night, folks!

Disclaimer: Please do not jump to any conclusions whatsoever that my enmity with Mondays has ended. Today was an exception

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Monday, June 28, 2010

Garfield Effect

Till this very moment, today has been a Monday in the truest sense of the word.
SIGH.

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Sunday, June 27, 2010

The Best Laid Plans!

About 1 month ago, nothing seemed to be going right. Everything seemed to be in a state of disarray.
Personal life. Professional life. Life. Everything seemed to be a mess.
Slowly, painfully, I started to get my priorities right. Disengagement is a tough damn task, but it didn't look like there was any other way out...
Distractions, aberrations never ever seemed so beautifully timed!
I know that I had something else in mind when I started off... not anymore!
Certain things became top priority... I realized that there was lots more to look forward to at the end of every working day! The world "passion" and "enthusiasm" got redefined in this new context.

I still remember that long talk with A over a cuppa in the B block market, and the set of strategic decisions that we took after that... the turning point!
I always say that my favorite takeaway from MBA is the love for long-term planning... strategizing, if you want to go one notch higher.
Parellells can be drawn between the past one month in our lives, and a month-long live project in Strategy and Operations (S&O)!
For once, I'd acknowledge the fact that I'm a good Manager... in addition to being a superb salesman, of course ;)
At the end of 30 long, eventful days, I can satisfactorily say that the best laid plans do fall into place... 

The icing on the cake is that the real fun starts now.
I've managed to unload a huge burden that I had been carrying, and to tear up a completed 'to do' list!
July is going to be my month, I know it for sure... no strings or hinges attached.

On a serious note, do not miss out on Toy Story 3! 
I was desperate to discover how, and why the hell had it managed to break into the imdb top# 250 so soon, even if that meant watching my first 3D movie :P
It's an awesome film... especially the kiddies in the hall, including myself enjoyed it thoroughly!
I so want to be child again :'(

A long small-weekend finally ends! 
Fingers crossed for awesome days ahead... and awesome mausam!
Asta la vista.

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Ahoy, weekend!

Some days shouldn't end... this Saturday, for instance...
But they always do... yesterday just ended now... and I miss it already!
One thing is for sure... Gurgaon at night offers a sexy contrast to those who're on the lookout for it!

First there are the malls, and the groovy night life that they harbor... woohoo! I once checked my watch to confirm that this much action could be happening at 2 in the night :P
Then comes the silent streets with not a single living soul in sight... the only signs of any movement were courtesy the beautiful lights from the never-ending concrete jungle that seemed like a galaxy of twinkling stars!!

Gurgaon does sleep... but with its eyes wide open!
Time for me to sleep too, albeit with my eyes wide shut!
Bonnuit.

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Saturday, June 26, 2010

Vicariousness

Totally happpppyyyyyyyyy! For so many reasons, some known and many unknown to myself :)))))))))
I so love deriving vicarious pleasure in my friends' success stories... especially when I have had a role to play to in it, no matter how itsy-bitsy my contribution :)
Today started off well, then there were some hiccups, but after that the day has been simply amazing... and it wont end for another 6 hours ;)
Off to enjoy my weekend... hope you guys follow suit!
Cheers!!!

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The Golden Couple!

In this age of break-ups, screwed up relationships, divorces, it's fascinating and inspiring to see this beautiful couple going strong 50 long years after they tied the knot!
Oh well! Some 25 odd years back when I entered the scene, I did become the Woh in a Pati, Patni and Woh kinda scenario... unwittingly though :P
I've seen their hair turning gray and then white over time, but they're still like two shy youngsters  of the yesteryears who, one fine day, together embarked on the journey called life... 

If there was a time when I used to sketch cards for them on every special occasion, all that I could manage to gift them today from 3000 kms away was my rendition of a couple of songs accompanied by some chords on the guitar.... 
I'm sure that they didn't understand a single word of the songs (taking a dig at my pathetic singing is strictly prohibited :p), but when they said in unison that they liked it, I could tell that they did :)

Here's raising a toast to the Golden Couple, also the best Grandparents in the whole wide galaxy ... I so wish I were there with you both on this grand occasion!
Happy Golden Anniversary, Paati and Thatha!!! May you celebrate many more anniversaries together!! Love you both truckloads!! :* :*

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Friday, June 25, 2010

Fry-day!

Never had a busier Friday in my entire life :P
And to think of it, I was on a high today morning, courtesy the awesome mausam :)
Oh! How bland would life seem minus the contrasts!

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Thursday, June 24, 2010

This and That

I wonder how of late I had lost the charm for writing. 
Since Tuesday though, I had this crazy urge of penning down something.
And when I finally held the pen in my quivering hand last night, for an instant I felt that I didn't know what I was supposed to do next :P
Anyway, I ended up writing a lot... 4 pages to be precise. Felt good.

But blogging now seems to be becoming a thing of the past...
Strange how things eventually lose their charm... 
Is it true that excess of anything makes it seem less appealing?
Maybe. Just maybe.

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Tuesday, June 22, 2010

Gratefulness

Thank God!!

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Saturday, June 19, 2010

My Hero!






It's strange how things change with time:
Long long back, during our family walks, he'd tower over me, and I'd easily wriggle through the A-shaped gap that his long legs made. 

And now I'm just a tad bit shorter than him...

But then it's nice how some things remain constant.
I looked up to him then, both figuratively and literally. 
And I still look up to him now... I always will :)

I still remember the times when, as a kid, I loved drawing, and each and every sketch had to be approved by him, the awesome artist!
Yep, it was disappointing how none of my drawings ever met his expectations. 
As a kid, I never appreciated the criticism and the constructive feedback, but that's what helped me grow... it helped me improvise... 

I used to be a slouch. A very thin, awkward one at that. Damn, I used to think the word "Personality" would never be applicable to me.
He changed all that. 
The thumping took care of the slouchiness... the induced habit of working out changed the rest. The constant feedback kept everything in check... almost :)
He's the man behind the making of this man...







It's funny how scared I used to be of him... 
A bit of scolding from him, or even a hint of it, and my eyes would well up with tears!
One mistake, one goof up, one crime, and I'd cringe at the thought of his discovering it!
And now, we're like best buddies... 

There used to be one day per week when he donned the chef's hat... and we so looked forward to it! No offense meant to our favorite cooker :)

I usually hate getting sidelined in the pics which I upload. But when it's him who steals the limelight, I feel very proud! :))


And then, there are some things which I do, his reactions to which give me the feeling that I've made him proud.  Priceless moments that make life seem worth living :)


He has been my inspiration, my role model for anything and everything... be it work-life balance, or financial expertise, lovingness, planning for the future, fitness, or his command over life in general. Respectttt!

In early 2008, when I appeared for my Symbi interview, the first of many PIs in my life, a very interesting episode happened.
Excerpts:
Panelist: Ok Steve! So tell me, who's your hero? The person who's your idol?
Me: My father. (And I almost started off with an explanation that needed no preparation...)
Panelist: No blood relations please. Some famous personality.
Me: Sorry sir. No other idols. And I don't want to parrot away any made up answers...

That sums it up.  
He's my hero! The perfect man.
And I so aspire to be like him one day... :)

Happy Father's Day, Dada! 
You're the best! Love you a lot!!



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Thank God for:

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Friday, June 18, 2010

Preparations!

Yippee! Now we're all set for D-day! :D
Feels so good when plans fall into place...
That nightout was totally worth it :)
Can't wait to see the results!!
Peace

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Thursday, June 17, 2010

Oh joy!!

The way I literally yelled in euphoria into the receiver on  receiving that call, the colleague passing me on the company corridor must've thought that either I had bagged a job with a hefty pay package, or I had become a father :P
Neither of them is true, mind you!
After a loooong wait, I just got to hear what I wanted to hear... not content-wise, but voice-wise ;)
Happy vappy :))

So where were we...

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Airtel sucks. Period. :x
Time to switch over to Aircel...

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Wednesday, June 16, 2010

Quriks?

All I seem to wanna do these days:

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Monday, June 14, 2010

Mundane Monday!

Mondays will be Mondays.
And I will always dread them... no matter how well they end at times! :P
It is a dark night... the fireflies that make up SC2 aren't glowing; all the neighboring houses are shrouded in black; and I've deliberately switched off all lights in my house.
Sitting in the balcony, staring into oblivion.
Bathed in darkness, the music emanating from the gentle strumming of the guitar seemed like a magic drug.
3 down, 1 more to go! Vacillating... Contemplating.. Waiting...

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Sunday, June 13, 2010

We-canned, weekend!

A different sadder-day!
Isn't it a pleasure of sorts when your boss is absent from office for the full day?! And if that day is a Saturday, who'd want to ask for more!!
Chillax day at work. Just the market research.
But being totally vela has a catch: you get lots of time to think :p
Funny how sleep evaded me the whole day today... just like I evaded sleep last night!
Messed up plans courtesy some formalities :s
The gathering at MGF Metropolitan. Finally got to watch a WC football match... go Argentina!!
Realized how the drab and dull days could henceforth be made interesting!
Got a really awesome surprise!! One of my closest friends will be in Gurgaon for a month :)) I'm booked for July :P

Then, a day that was more of a Sundae, literally speaking *yummy*
There's something about Mama's family that always makes me feel like I'm back home, at Fantasia... the awesome feast that Manni prepared for us was yummy! Green peas pulao 
Am so gonna miss all the pampering when they shift to Jamnagar :(
Lots of traveling and shopping like madmen... window-shopping too! Feels so good to see the home taking shape bit by bit... *sigh*
The weather in Gurgaon was sexy! It was drizzling and a cool breeze was blowing throughout the evening... wish you were here...
I took time out to do what I always dreamt of doing: sitting on my balcony, up above the SC2 lights that seemed to be flickering in the rain, and strumming the guitar! Thoroughly high-inducing!!
The evening worked out like a dream: the first guests at our apartment, the tour of the entire place, the awesome dinner party, sexy bike ride in the windy night!
Someone remembered the 13-25 pact... it wasn't me, but what the heck! Happy vappy :)
Need to join that gym nearby very soon... enough of this sluggishness!
Thoroughly exhausted... niinii time!

Finally, the end of three awesome days that felt like a long weekend...
Have a nice start to the week, people!

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Saturday, June 12, 2010

Ain't no sunshine when she's gone...

Fridays somehow seem never-ending when you know that you'll be working on the next day too :|
And then, after talking to someone very special who's going away for a few days, focusing on anything was quite impossible...
How come when you're with me, time flies by and refuses to stand still? And when you're not around, time simply halts in its tracks?! 
Tuesday and Wednesday were just like a mock test... the real test begins today! 
Hope you have an amazing time! Needless to say, I'll miss you heaps... come back sooon :)

Never anticipated anything being in store for today evening... last minute reunion plans courtesy DK and Chautala did the trick!
We, the DA-IICT bakarbaaz gang thought of watching the World Cup match at some place, but that didn't happen... nonetheless, the evening worked out pretty well!
Instead we did tp at DLF City Ph. 3. 
Huge gathering at DK's place: Khurana, DK, Anand, Ankit, Prabhakar, Sandy, Khosla and I... indulged in crazzyyy bakar.
Did a nightout of sorts playing cards, DA-IICT style! lmao total fun it was :D
Let's see what happens on Saturday...

Zipping past the Gurgaon landmarks at the break of dawn was an amazing experience... the city does sleep :)
Back home, just wishing for the next 5 days to get over as quickly as possible! Thank God for the World Cup... it'll definitely help speed up time!! 

Totally addicted to an old Atif Aslam song titled "Chor gaye", especially these lines:

hawa tum, nasha tum, meri raahaton ka pata tum...
meri aibon ko jo dhak de, woh paak si ridah tum...

Not feeling sleepy at all. Thoughtful, yes.
Off to work in a while.
Happy weekend, tout le monde :)

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Friday, June 11, 2010

Addictive!!

People: Addictive.
Location: Addictive.
Atmosphere: Addictive.

These three have already had their separate farewell parties, but what the heck! This one was way too special :)
I knew I had to meet them before they set off for their final job locations, but today it almost seemed impossible... 
On the spur of the moment instructions from the boss that we're headed to the client location! Yippee! First field trip to T3... didn't get to witness the beauty, but had an awesome time nonetheless!

Hurdles by the plenty... Brain, the full-time contractor busy with work; Rusty's inability to make it to South Delhi; Sunita being stranded in between; my being stuck at office till dunno when :s

Last minute plans working out beautifully... deciding on CP; my picking up Sunita; the long yet awesome ride... total bakar just like during those rides to Edumentor :)); Addictive, our favoritest place; the awesome couple of hours at Addictive and McD with really awesome friends; non-stop bakar; timer-mode pics by the dozen (:D)!

Well, these guys made up the last installment of the gang to leave NCR... will miss them a lot!
It's kinda funny how we're gonna be located in the four cardinal directions: I, North; Rusti, East; Brainnn, West; Sunita, South :) 
Meet ya guys this winter!

I covered the distance from CP to AWHO in under 30 minutes... woohoo! Awesome it was!
Couldn't wait to upload the pics to jalaofy Chandu... but this task had to wait as I had to like lots of pretty pichas of someone very beautiful!

Feeling very positive about something coming up... almost as if I've myself aced the screening test, and am going to rock in the grand finale... the sme sme funda will ensure that you ensure the same ;)

In less than 12 hours after I publicized our searching for a flatmate, I've received 2 calls from interested chaps... either people are desperately searching for a place to stay, or (given the way I marketed L1106 in my message) I'm a great salesman... I'll settle for the latter :P

Off to bed! Nightynight folks :)

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Wednesday, June 09, 2010

Perfecto!!

There are good days, and then there are awesome days... today fell in the latter category!
(For inquisitive souls: I tend to blog about the remaining days and forget them :p)

My favorite alarm clock woke me up today! Quite a start to the day!!
Lots of running around in the morning... Thank God the camera is not broken!
Lazy day at office... one of the days when there is zilch work! Total mastiii :D
Nothing beats leaving from office before sunset!! 

I simply love Galleria Mall... spent over an hour shopping and playing different guitars in the music instrument shop there! No match for my Yamaha... in the acoustic category, that is :p
Back home, replaced my guitar's strings with new ones! Yo baby!!! Now to sit in the balcony and keep strumming... yet again it struck me as odd how strumming comes so naturally after a long break :O
Long cheerful conversation with the folks back home... everything's perfectly fine ;)
Heavy dinner at Sadabahar... the way we're going, who needs to set up a messy kitchen?! :P

Awesommmeeee news at the end of the day... had been anticipating it but still the 'what if' kept haunting me! No more of that!!!
So happyyyyy for you, kiddo :)) The next stage is going to be a cakewalk for you, believe me... ;) 
And there is no way you're escaping giving me a biiiig treat this time round :|

Lost track of time strumming the guitar... ouch! It's late!
Good night folks! tc

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Tuesday, June 08, 2010

...

I tried anything and everything to just distract myself, to avoid feeling that set of feelings. But nothing worked.
Ouch! That stabbing pain. And the sudden void.

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Monday, June 07, 2010

Riding the wave

Finally a weekend that qualified as a weekend :)
Second 'first salary'! Ok, not a very big deal but still, somewhat special.
Surprise mail. Should I, shouldn't I?
An early off, but the main objective wasn't achieved.
There was a huuuge dust cloud engulfing Gurgaon... mamamia!!
Sweeping up the house... phewww! Now I know how big a 4BHK really is :P
Long depressing telephonic calls... well, facts are facts. 
Awesome evening at CP with Sunita, Anchit, Biren, Rusti, Khemka, Ankur and Punti... totally indulged in nostalgia. Seriously need more such days to get myself a life.
Missed Chandu, Puri and Sid a lot... I wish it were the August of 2009 again...
That late night race back to Gurgaon from CP... covered the distance in less than 30 minutes! What a highhh :D
That late night chat session... sighssss! There's going to be a void in my life throughout June :(
Oh well! Might as well get used to it... but just can't seem to! Any tips? :P

Short short Sunday!
Wanted to do nothing but sit silently in one of the pews of the very beautiful Sacred Heart Cathedral Church... for once, I felt so much at peace.
Rajneeti ate up a major portion of the day... not a bad movie! Just that it was a well-blended mixture of Mahabharata and God Father... and I sincerely felt that there should've been English subtitles :P
Nonetheless, an afternoon well spent! Plus the company of very dear friends always ensures a high!
Soon Sunita, Rusti and Brainnn will leave Delhi... I'll probably be the only one from our gang to be stranded in NCR :(
The weather of late has been sooo sexy in NCR... overcast conditions, cool breeze, intermittent showers! Bike rides, long walks, night gazing et al never felt better...
Walked for over 10 kms yesterday and was on the phone for hours!
No wonder I was thoroughly exhausted by the EOD... couldn't even wait for someone whom I have always kept waiting...

Start of a new week! I somehow get a feeling that the days are gonna be veryyy long henceforth.
Sigh.

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Saturday, June 05, 2010

Changing change...

I couldn't believe my eyes when a very dear friend typed out "... it's not worth leaving the States..."
Times change. People change. 
Wish I could change change for a change...
Sighs. 

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Dunno why but I just get the feeling that not all is well... or maybe I think too much...
Wish I knew...

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Friday, June 04, 2010

Building a nest...

Now I know what a bird building its nest feels like!
It has got to be painstaking - bringing in strands of straw, grass, plant fiber et al one by one, and then meticulously weaving them together!
Building a home is no joke.
But enervating though it is, the exercise is such a pleasure!
Surely 30 days down the line, we'll look back on all that we've managed to do with the place and sigh with pleasure :)

It's kinda nice to notice how barely 2 weeks ago, I used to return home tired like crazy with not an ounce of energy to do anything... and these days I'm brimming with energy till the time I hit the sack! :D
Being so much enthusiastic is typical of me... glad that I've rediscovered myself.
Again, I hope that it lasts... not many good things do :(

The past 2 days have been simply awesome:
Sleeping so very comfortably despite the absence of coolers, a/c, proper beds...
Feeling fresh and energetic in the mornings!
The non-stop bakar on the way to office... it's always a competition of die-hard speakers :P
The long ride spent humming favorite numbers.
The stupid anxiety over whether we locked the front door, or left it ajar thanks to all our bakar (Damn! Yesterday whole day at office, the both of us were fearing the worst... luckily we had locked it :p)
The long days at office that seem to be getting over much faster as compared to before... :)
The eagerness to get back home and go shopping (and to think of it, I used to hate shopping!)
The checking out new places to have dinner... that dhabha across Sohna Road was nice!
Riding into South City 2 for some late night shopping (either for cold drinks or an ice cream), parking the bike in the market, and taking looooong walks... just like the Pune days!
And we walk like crazy, A and I... yesterday we walked for 90 minutes, catching up on each others' lives... it's a sheer pleasure taking a walk on the well-lit yet deserted tree-lined streets of SC2, with the sexy breeze blowing...
The return to the flat, gazing at the night lights from the balcony, then ironing, polishing and getting stuff ready for the next day... 
After taking a shower and cross ventilating the place, the tiredness suddenly hits... time for niinii!

Save for the initial drinking water problems and the overzealous barbers (damn! I told him to keep it medium and he reduced it to spikes! No bothering about combing my hair for a long time now :p), everything has worked out better than expected.

Next up, second "first salary" (as Lavanya puts it)!
And lots of fun with friends... 
Cheers!!!

P.S. Dear Indifferent Stupid Donkey, H5A! Hope you're doing good...

The concrete jungle as seen from the lawns - AWHO

Gazing out at the mini-concrete jungle at evening time from our balcony...

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Thursday, June 03, 2010

Fireflies

You would not believe your eyes if ten million fireflies light up the world as I fell asleep...

South City 2... as seen from my balcony 

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Wednesday, June 02, 2010

Destination: AWHO

Q: What does a man want at the end of a thoroughly exhausting day at work, not to mention normal days?
A: To go home to the place, which he has been longing for since the moment he left it earlier in the day.

Glad to say that L1106 has become that place already! :)
Whole day long I kept thinking when o when will I get to go back there, take a shower, and then head for the beautiful park! sighs

Yesterday, our first night at the new place was pretty eventful! 
All that roaming around (Wazirabad, Sec 56, Mayfield Garden, South City 2) before reaching home, the mismatched timings!
Then you can't even roam around semi-nude in your own home because the place is an open-air theatre, literally speaking! :P
Top priority: purchase curtains to drape the plethora of windows!!

Now where to have dinner? South City 2, it seems, has only restaurants... no dhabhas or normal eateries... ouch, so much for the budget if we continue this way...
Plus drinking water is going to be a grave issue till the weekend... we finished off half-a-dozen mineral water bottles last night itself :O
And then, running into familiar faces! I'm dead sure it was him :P
Next up: running into you?! ;)

Spent a long long time sprawled out on the deserted lawns, staring up at the sky! Ahhh this is the life!!
Kinda loved it when there was a power cut while I was lying down there... total darkness!
Then the view from my balcony was the sexiest sight ever... thousands of lights dotting the landscape, starting from the adjacent B block of South City 2 till the horizon 
(will upload the picha soon)

Would miss my favorite daily night routine, but will ensure that it resumes soon :)
For once, I felt that tiredness is a virtue!
Opened all the balcony doors (woah! the sexy cross ventilation!!), and hit the sack at midnight! Sleep never took over so quickly...

A new chapter in life... To say that I'm loving it would be quite an understatement ;)
Ciao!

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