The drudgeries of life
Friday, December 03, 2010
Running out of options!
All of a sudden, the Dilli winters have set in!
It is bitterly cold, yes! Brrr
Hence the need to be doing a bunch of things to keep warm...
Tomorrow, Khurana and I had planned to run yet another marathon, early in the morning (Yeah, we're nuts!) But the dude's not keeping well, so that's that.
Then comes The Harley Rock Riders - Grand Finale! Some head-banging is definitely called for \m/
Also, the IMT Alum Meet - Delhi-NCR Chapter is scheduled for tomorrow evening... wow!
And that's when realization dawned that I'm all set for a longer than long day at office tomorrow!
So much for all the fiesta :'(
Why does darkness set in so early during Winter season?!
Time to get back to work... sighs
Tuesday, November 23, 2010
The Final Verdict!
Better than expected, but a long way to go :)
21!!
There was a time when, during the DA-IICT days, a few of us would wake up at as early as 5 AM for running 10 or more rounds around the huge cricket field! This in addition to the late evening workout sessions at the gym.
The DA-IICT marathon was the first of my life... and though I ended up with the sixth rank, it was a miserable race.
Then came the Pune days... running was always on the agenda (and for me, it usually remained there only :p) courtesy Arjun boss!
And when we ran in the Pune Marathon, it was a chilled out affair with more masti than running... completing the run happened matter-of-factly.
Then came this year's Delhi Half Marathon... 21 kms on the 21st of November, 2010, anyone?
Just for the heck of it, three of us dudes signed up for the same, way back in September.
At this point of time, I'd like to mention that I have always prided myself on being a fitness freak, but never ever have I considered myself a runner... All I wanted to do was to test my crazy stamina.
Nonetheless we planned to run like crazy for 2 months, and be well prepared in time for the big day!
Then all hell broke loose. Screwed up life, long hours at work, loads of traveling, relentless sleepiness yada yada.
Voila! Come judgement day, I had managed only 2 practice runs (pathetic by any standards) despite some serious advice from my ex-boss (a pro-runner himself).
Now I really needed to stick to what he had said: "Focus on completing the race... not on completing in 3 hours!"
And seriously, the timing certificate was the last thing on my mind on the eve of the run... when, in our posh hotel room, the guys were joking about each of us lying spread-eagle fashion in the middle of the track, with each of our bibs containing the contact details of the other two unconscious guys, I seriously envisioned myself as da Vinci's Vitruvian Man, personified! :p
Come 21st November, and we were in high spirits!
Seeing the 30000 strong crowd all set for a loong run at 7 on this cold morning worked wonders for my confidence.
Not to mention the huge turnout of senior citizens and women! Respect!!
At 07:30:00, the gate opened. And the people poured out like water that has just been released from the dam gates!
The next 21 kms ensured the run of a lifetime!
Veterans running like fit youngsters, and egging us on (talk about budhaape me jawaani \m/); friendly strangers dotting the periphery of the entire 21 kms long race track, whose cheerful smiles and words of motivation felt like a shot in the arm; the Kenyan and Ethiopian runners who were on their way back crossing the 15 kms milestone after 40 minutes when we we reached the 5 kms mark (WOAH!); the way some participants cheered everyone else up (it's a marathon for gawd's sake, not a funeral procession, you guys... buck up!!); the beautiful stretch in the road between India Gate and Rashtrapati Bhavan (Raj Path, anyone); Khurana and I running at the constant pace of about 9.5 kmph for the initial14 kms; the final stretch; the setting in of fatigue; Lucozade zindabad; the loong kilometers; the glimpse of the digital clock; 02:15:45; the increased speed; 02:15:50; the longest yard; running with head and both hands (\m/ \m/) pointed upwards; 02:15:56; cameras going *click* *click* *click*; then it's over!
02:16:00
Later I was to discover that Khurana timed 02:11:00 and Anand, 02:42:00. Yep, we finished it in style!
Khurana and I fretted over not having any idea of the time earlier, else we'd have tried for under 2 hours. LoL
Anyway it was mindgame from the start. Running always is. You need to keep finding reasons for sticking to it, and for keeping yourself motivated.
Right now, I'm totally proud of this achievement, and can't help bragging about it... even the bosses back at office were awe-struck ("What you've achieved is one of the 10 things to do before dying", said PB sir :D )
It's another matter that once the marathon ended, the sudden lack of activity has caused both my feet to protest vehemently. So much so that any sort of movement seems to invite excruciating pain. Inertia of rest, ahoy! Ouchhh. Even 17 straight hours of sleep didn't help :(
In the meantime, the elite gang of treasure hunters of which I'm a part achieved greatness by bagging a top #10 spot in the baap of online t-hunts, Klueless 6! Way to go, fellas... you rock \m/
Palindrome number for the symmetry lover ;)
Jogging gear - Rs. 3900;
Month's supply of health(y) food and what not - Rs. 2800;
Finishing the Delhi Half Marathon in 2 hours & 16 minutes - Priceless! \m/
On an ending note:
Registration fee - Rs. 600;
Hotel bill - Rs. 6000; (divided 3 ways, of course :p)Jogging gear - Rs. 3900;
Month's supply of health(y) food and what not - Rs. 2800;
Finishing the Delhi Half Marathon in 2 hours & 16 minutes - Priceless! \m/
Back to the grind for now! Keep up the pace in life, folks :)
Labels: Achievement, Delhi, Finish, Friends, Happiness, Marathon, Running
Wednesday, November 17, 2010
Today!
Cloudy weather. November rain.
The sun playing peek-a-boo.
A huge rainbow!
Dreamy dreamy.
Delhi winters :)
Sighs
The sun playing peek-a-boo.
A huge rainbow!
Dreamy dreamy.
Delhi winters :)
Sighs
Thursday, September 09, 2010
Metro-life!
Life has been good for a while, contrary to what I had expected and feared...
Insecurities, I tell you, are a bane! A smile comes to my face whenever I recollect the song's title when Greenday's singing "Time of your life" 3:)
There's something awesome about days starting and ending with the Delhi Metro... looks like this week is supposed to be that way :))
Sunday was the day for the grand reunion at my place... I was jittery though I knew that I'd do justice to my role of the host! It was quite a wonderful day!
Each of the weekdays saw me getting addicted slowly by slowly to the Metro... I got myself a smart card, and thanks to someone making me wait for a long time each evening, I've started enjoying long trips on my own to the far end of Delhi while waiting! And then you blame me for being late :p
Simply love the fact that Chandni Chowk is just an hour away these days... yesterday's visit to Old Dilli was a breath of fresh air!
Last minute plans work out well, I guess... today evening, for instance!
Again covered a major portion of the stretch till CP aboard the metro, before hitting MG Road... the rain added to the pleasantness of the evening!
And thank God for sweet-tooth-edness! First a huuge soft serve cuppa at McD, then a couple of pastries at Bisque, then a couple of cones at Baskin Robbins (my Choco Brownie was much better :p)! As the Mask would hiss, "Somebody stop us"!
Checked out "The Chowk" at MGF Metropolitan... nice ambiance, yummy food, but pathetic service!
Never expected that we'd get a metro at as late as 11:30 PM... but we did! Respect \m/
The meager amount of driving I do these days added to the awesomeness of the late night bike ride.. hated wriggling through those gulli-nukkads though... had you listened to me, you'd have been living in a much better locality! :s
2 weeks more... 3 max!
Time definitely does some listening... it seems to have speeded up on my request!
Good night :)
Labels: Changes, Delhi, Delhi Metro, Friends, Fun, Good mood, Gurgaon, Happiness
Saturday, July 31, 2010
There's something about Saturdays...
For once, I harbor no ill feelings about my having to go to work on a Saturday!
Getting up late has kinda become the norm these days, courtesy the awesome weather. I simply love snuggling up in my bed, holding the spare pillow close, and being lost in the early morning dreams.
The 25 kms long ride to office today seemed to get over in a jiffy... again, courtesy the lovely weather!
It started to pour and rain like crazy a couple of minutes after I entered the office building... phewww!
No boss(es), zilch work, and then the oh so friggin' beautiful, rain-drenched forests of Chatarpur outside my office window... who needs a better set of reasons to mooch out of office?! :P
I've had a penchant for Saket (the place in Delhi, for the uninitiated :p) for quite some time now... and that was exactly where I headed to. (If it were not for Gurgaon, Saket would've surely been my next choice in terms of residence!)
Next up: awesome company, a loong drive (*sighh* if only I had been driving that Merc instead!), sexy songs playing in the car, saundi saundi hawa, halki phulki baarish, flooded roads, chat-chatori, garam-a-garam jalebis *totally lip-smacking stuff*, unlimited bakar and nostalgia, and what not! Only this miss from the picture was my camera...
On the way to office, I told someone that I'll try to katofy by 4-4:30 for home... no partying this weekend, but more of having a good time close to home with a neat bunch of people!
And all set to call up, and catch up with over a hundred friends and a dozen family members in the next 48 hours... probably the only reason why I don't hate the fact that I'm changing my number :|
July was probably the best month of the year for me (okay, there might be a close competition between January and July for the top spot!) ... the very first day was extra special, and that was just the beginning... I so regret having stopped making diary entries, because each and every day of the month that was is worth reliving! Today isn't over, yet I get the feeling that it'll provide the perfect closure to a wonderful month!
Time to katofy!! :D
Signing off...
Happy weekend, everyone! :)
Have an august August!! ;)
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?
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.
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...
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.
Sigh.
Labels: Changes, Delhi, Friends, Gurgaon, Life, Sexy weather, Vacillations, Void, Weekends
Sunday, May 30, 2010
Monday Bloody Monday... almost!
Sleepless night.
Early morning. Baddd news. All that work down the drain :x
Last minute work.
The race to Noida.
U-turns and what not.
Greasing palms... fucking corruption! :x
Glad to be leaving UP for good...
Dear friend :)
Loooong ride! Feeling like myself... forgetting the bad stuff ain't that difficult.
The prickly heat. Thank God for the good company... you tend to become oblivious to everything ;)
Bad news again! Shucks. Am I 'bad news' attracting magnet?!
South Delhi. MG road. Gurgaon.
DLF City Phase 3. Yucky houses. But then the proximity :|
A bit of kicking around. Broken glasses.
The deluge of bad luck. That urge to wave the white flag.
Then back to the place I fell in love with of late.
Damn I'm a good salesman! Call me an egotist, and I'll agree wholeheartedly!
I sold the society to Anand; then I sold "us" to the landlords.
Long long day. Nothing confirm.
That chance encounter on the lift. The beautiful house. The instant high! Somewhere I belong!!
Then another set of conditions :s
The fucking maddening heat. The depression.
Then that calm chat at Block B:
I: Don't worry about the finances... it'll be a bit of a strain but I'm more concerned about the distance for you.
A: Don't worry about the distance... we'll manage.
We: Let's do it... the world be damned :))
The lucky call to that broker.
The chance encounter with the gossip-monger... the challenge!
The sales process again!
The wait. The crossed fingers, toes and what not!
The beautiful apartment!!! Mamamia!!!!
The showdown. The thorough background check.
Complete transparency... despite the brokers' urging.
The vacillations. The indecisiveness. The sincerity. The candidness.
The decision.
Closing the deal. That firm shake of hands.
The crazy urge to cry. The euphoria.
The blank state of the mind when standing way above the world and staring out at the city's twinkling lights :)
It's done. We have a place to call our home :D
Things taking time to sink in. SIGHS!
The maddening joy overriding the intense frustration and the crazy depression that ruled during the day...
Love the Delhi roads at night. My one hand became a temporary wing, flapping every now and then! Woohoo!
Ghaziabad via Noida. Love the DND flyway!
Back on campus. The bath. The quick dinner.
The discharged phone. The broken charger :((((
Thank God for the only positive thing in the day... it was all that I had wanted.
The fatigue. Totally wasted. The jumping into bed.
Long day tomorrow too... shifting bases ;)
Labels: Bad luck, Bad news, Deal, Delhi, Euphoria, Friends, Gurgaon, Happiness, Happy Endings, House hunt, Noida
Friday, May 21, 2010
TGIF - Then and Now!
Friday snapshot!
Then:
Infy. Informals.
Early lunch. B12.
Gaping. Gazing. Dreaming. Sometimes muted hooting :P
Half day. Worklessness. ECC :D
Either of MG Road, Mumbai, Baner Road, or A-701 :))
Bakar. Bakar. And sometimes a few English words from Normal Lewis!
Too much masti to be missing anything :s
Weekend outing plans. Alibagh, Kashid, Matheran et al.
Easy going.
Lovely days!
Now:
ARI. Formals.
Late lunch. CCD.
"House hunt"! Still gaping, gazing, dreaming... and commenting ♥
Full day. Truckloads of work. A true trainee immersion station :)
Either of Dhaula Kuan, Chattarpur, Ber Sarai or Lado Sarai
Bakar. Bakar. And loads of taglines :P
Positivity and optimism *fingers crossed*
Missing home. Mom's cooking. Dad's enthusiasm. Fighting with Sweety :)
Sunday outing plans. Gurgaon. Gurgaon. Ouch. Make it Sunday house hunt plans :P
Challenging.
Lovelier days ;)
Some days are simply awesome. Avei. :)
Happy weekend, people!
Labels: Delhi, ECC, Friday, Good mood, Happiness, Infy, Jab we met, Now, Pune, TGIF, Then, Work
Saturday, May 01, 2010
A New Start...
Left home early today morning... was back in Delhi within 2 hours!
Got to travel Business Class when I was expecting to travel Economy Class... wow! What a start to the brand new start :))
Back to my second home... Mama's place in South Delhi! Some transitions are so wonderful... :)
Ok, unofficially started the house hunt today... by the look of the way things are going, it's going to be tough! Ouch!
Sexy evening in NCR... getting wet in the rain, racing the bike on the expressway, last minute plans working out in superb fashion :))
The weather was sooo awesomeeee... sitting on the platform outside that beautiful mall, the cold breeze gushing past us while we forgot the whole world, I just wanted to hit the "play in loop" button... if only life were kind enough to provide one! Oh well, who says repetitions aren't possible?! ;)
The fact that things aren't simple, and that circumstances are biased makes things a bit tense, but definitely more enjoyable and cherished :)
Missing home heaps!!! :(
Wishing someone special loads of good luck and bestest of wishes for tomorrow! :))
The countdown for resuming worklife has begun...
Happy Sunday everyone! :)
Labels: Beginnings, Delhi, Home, Jab we metNCR, Rains, Worklife
Monday, April 26, 2010
Leaving on a jet plane...
Whatta day!
First a mini party at Mathur's room with Bhanja and Sumant...
Then the sexy party with fellow B1ers at Blues in Connaught Place! lml
Dunno everything was perfect in the evening, but somehow I just wasn't present there mentally for a long time...
The high-tension IPL grand finale, the drinks, the yummy chow, the nice and loud music, the brilliant light effects, good friends: how's that for an apt setting for a fun-filled evening?!
As usual, I became the popat... I had dropped my bike at Anand Vihar, and had come till CP via metro. And at 9:30, I realized that the metro will not be running when the match gets over... :s
So off I rush to AV to fetch my bike... that speedy bike ride back to CP was all that I needed to think properly...
The Mumbai Indians played pathetic cricket today. And watching Sachin welcoming a wrong decision by the umpire when he was clearly out was a shock... so much for him being God.
Funny thing was that even though I supported CSK today, the won. :P
As a dear friend told me, I probably supported them half-heartedly. Hell yeah :(
Anyway the looong conversation with Sid, Jaggi, Manish and Chandu was total bhasad! I sooo wanted to join them for this bakar party... plus I've pampered them so much that they can't seem to click photographs of their parties :P
Loooong loooong chat with someone till early in the morning... maybe it's just a matter of 5 days, plus we'll be in touch for sure, but the distance will be palpable... :(
Will michhaaaa truckloads, kiddo.
Tnsn not... we'll properly make up for lost time once I'm back ;)
Do well in your papers!
Last but not the least: Yippeee! Me finally going home :)
Dying to meet everyone back home, Sweety especially!
Let's see whether I get to update the blog from home... otherwise cya next week!
Miss me heaps :D
Labels: Bakar, Delhi, Friends, Homecoming, Nostalgia, reunion
Saturday, March 13, 2010
Deja woohoo!!
There's something about Saturday the 13th and Puraani Dilli...
I was back at Nayii Sarak where I was roaming exactly one month ago! :)
There's something about Old Delhi that is so mesmerizing... despite it being dirty, crowded and flooded with tangled up wires all over the show, this place has a charm! ♥
That, and there are so many memories linked to this place!
How can I ever forget this place :)
After partying like crazy last night, a friend asked me whether I believed in destiny!
When I replied in the affirmative, the friend said "I dunno about the future but in 5 hours, you're destined to be accompany me to Nayii Sarak!"
When I said "Nooo wayyyy", the friend simply smiled...
And we partied till 6 AM!
But at 9 AM, I was seated in a Tavera with 2 friends enroute to Puraani Delhi... with over 330 books making up a total weight of over 100 kgs!!!
My stack of books versus Pritam's... damn did we study during MBA or what?! :P
One half of the books that we towed!!! Quite a handful :D
Had a wonderful time with all the bakar, the bargaining (as usual!), getting nostalgic, and sitting at the shop for over 4 hours and leaving empty-handed (in terms of books :p) but cash rich $$
Loved clicking pics at Nayii Sarak, Chawri Bazar, Chandni Chowk...
One of the numerous galis of Purani Dilli where I'd love getting lost...
Rickshaw after rickshaw ferrying foreigners in front of Jama Masjid...
And the smiles that the happy old ladies flashed me were extra nice :)
We were so tired by evening time that we headed for Addictive at CP... my favorite joint! Nothing like relaxing on those sexy couches, sipping on KF and watching an awesome IPL match! Damn, Rajasthan deserved to win today... hats off to Yusuf Pathan B)
The long long auto ride back to Ghaziabad, the talks about anything and everything, and the beauty of Delhi at night ensured a perfect ending to the day :)
Not to mention hearing about Sweety's clearing the first round of a tough competition... totally proud of her, I am :)
I usually don't like malls, but Pacific Mall @ Anand Vihar is special :)
Got lost while watching the passing streets and the headlights of oncoming traffic...
There was this particular junction where more than 5 roads were converging, and there were some four-wheelers that seemed to be stranded while contemplating which road to take...
And I felt like one of those cars, stuck at a junction in life with no friggin' idea as to which road to take...
Oh well! I'll reserve this crazy idea for a future post which I had typed out 2 years ago :D
In the city of blinding lights... Delhi! :)
Be it the "Jeevan ke safar me raahi..." track playing at Puraani Dilli, or the Hoobastank number, "The reason..." blaring at CP, Delhi has truckloads of such contrasts to offer...
I'm going to miss it all :(
Just got an invite from Chheda for a B2 party... LoL! How much can I party?!
Have a great Sunday, folks!
Labels: 13, addictive, Books, CP, Deja Vu, Delhi, IPL, Nayii sarak, Party, Puraani Dilli, Saturday, Saturday the 13th
