Time flies, only when you are in a Hurry!!

These days I’m up to no good and surprisingly enough, simply enjoying doing absolutely NOTHING! It always feels great waking up late in the morning, with no alarm clocks snoozing till the battery is dead, no gulping tea down my throat just to save a few seconds, no stuffing breakfast into my mouth till I almost vomit, no kick-starting my pep till I break my legs, no routine, no college, nothing… I’m having all the time to myself. It just feels as if I have written my last engineering paper yesterday… but NO; Even after a fortnight now, with all the time in my hand, what have I really done? Well, I’m clueless! My mental clock is telling me, it’s only been like 5 minutes since the big vacation started… The real question plaguing my mind here is, where does all the time go?

Well I did observe a few years ago, the irony in living close to your college. The closer you live, the more late you tend to get… How weird is that… Have you ever noticed that when you are in a hurry to go somewhere it usually takes twice as long to get there? It does not matter what time of day it is, or which day it is for that matter. You just need to be running tad late for an appointment across town, and the Time insists that you go through an intricate obstacle course. It is his way of having a little fun.

For example, if I am leisurely driving across town with plenty of time in hand, I never tend to hit a red light. Not that I reach my destination before time, but on-time is good enough too right? On the other hand, if I am in a slight hurry, this is immediately brought to the attention of Time. He rubs his hands with glee and begins his work. Immediately, every traffic light in town is on the alert for my arrival. It is as if Time commands them to turn red the condition being, me in their proximity!

Sometimes all the attention Time gives me, really embarrasses me. As soon as I think I have a few hours in hand to complete another work, right then, a huge red light goes off to alert Time of my intention. Time roars with a unique devilish delight. It goes into hysterics. He lives for this kind of situation. And my work, which is believed to take a few minutes, hence goes on endlessly, and never really finishes… Trust me, it’s not just poor prediction… I think there is a lot more to it…

We often waste our time planning things out, only to realize that things never really happen when we want them to. They always take their own special time! It is as if Time has a premonition that I have planned a few things out for a day and that I would be in a hurry to accomplish the well - planned agenda, and so it works its own way, taking its own time – all in my honour!

Well, I figured out that Time is a plain mystery… The trick to comprehend is that NOW is the right time to act, to believe, to experience.. in short, to live... :-)

15 ABSOLUTELY NECESSARY PLOTS FOR A BOLLYWOOD BLOCKBUSTER

Movies are not mere entertainment. They are immensely informative and enlightening. Creativity indeed goes a long way in convincing our soul that the most impractical situations and reel stunts, are rather real in all possible ways… But, we, the audience watch these movies in willing suspension of sheer disbelief, and actually get amused by the heroic Shahrukh dancing on train tops, Akshay Kumar laughing his way to glory, Govinda dancing to the tune of high voltage power… But what is it that adds the real ZING to these performances… Well, let me tell you, there are a certain set of rules and regulations that abide every film maker… I’ve listed some here… Please feel free to add as many as possible.

1. Large, loft-style, humungous villas in Paris, Cape Town, LA, London and all other exotic locations, are well within the price range of most people whether they are employed or not.

2. Should you decide to defuse a bomb, don't worry which wire to cut.

You will always choose the right one.

3. Most laptop computers are powerful enough to override communications system of any invading UFO/alien society… and their password??? Well, punch in any random keys till you by chance set up a melody, that fulfills the immediate needs of our music director.

4. It does not matter if you are heavily outnumbered in a fight involving martial arts - your enemies will wait patiently to attack you one by one by dancing around in a threatening manner until you have knocked out their predecessors. Mind it!

5. The fun in including a set of twins in a film, is just to separate them for 25 years and then get them back (preferably with the opposite partners).

6. If you want to impress any member of your family, immediately prepare everyone’s favorite dish – “Gajar ka halwa”.

7. Rather than using simple guns or knives, the villains generally prefer to kill their arch enemies using complicated machinery involving fuses, pulley systems, deadly gasses, lasers, and man-eating sharks. This is the THRILL factor you see…

8. All police vans flooded with policemen come into picture only after the hero has taken complete charge of the situation and has succeeded in finally impressing the heroine… The police come just to watch the melodrama that follows!

9. Once applied, lipstick will never rub off even while scuba diving.

10. You're very likely to survive any battle in any war unless you make the mistake of showing someone a picture of your sweetheart back home.

11. The Eiffel Tower can be seen from any window in Paris.

12. If a large pane of glass is visible, someone will be thrown through it before long.

13. All bombs are fitted with electronic timing devices with large red readouts so you know exactly when they're going to go off.

14. A detective can only solve a case once he has been suspended from duty.

15. Police departments give their officers personality tests to make sure they are deliberately assigned a partner who is their total opposite and then bond so well that they just can’t seem to do without each other!

Republic Day Renditions!

Here’s wishing all my countrymen a very Happy 60th Republic Day!

Unfurling of the National Flag, 21 gun Salutations, National Anthem, Patriotic songs rendered by some of our finest singers, Gallantry awards, grand parades upto the Red Fort, the Prime Minister of India laying a wreath at the Amar Jawan Jyoti at India Gate, commemoration of all the jawaans who sacrificed their lives for the country, the fly past, put on by the Indian Air Force, the bands marching to the tune of “Sare Jahan se Achcha”, all these and a lot others make me bask in the glory of the nation which has given us our identity, our own established place in the world today…

On 26th January, 1950, a new Democratic country, with its new-formed constitution, took over the attention of the world with its principles of Non-violence & peace & above all, had many challenges before it, to stand in the world scenario. A truly sovereign state with all due pride and respect, India had finally realized the dreams of Mahatma Gandhi and the numerous freedom fighters who contributed immensely in changing our tolerant mindset.

And here we are, 60 years hence, making good progress on the long winding road to success. On this special day, let us take a few minutes and undergo a self-introspection… think deep what India has gone through in the past 60 years, glimpses of what we, as a country have achieved, what we have lost. Look at the Social, economical, political challenges that India had at its birth. Partition of the country had serious consequences of violence, communal riots & a chaotic situation all over. On the economic front, Britishers had exploited unimaginable resources of our country. Politically also we had to face many hurdles as we had no constitution, no bag of borrowings, no law of our own. Overall, the country's position was into pits. Here, we started applying all possible trial & error methods. With all the above mentioned problems India struggled to make its own place in the world.

Well success has different interpretations. For me India breaking out of the shackles and becoming a free economy is success, that we are the fastest growing economies in the World is success, that we have become an important factor in the IT revolution is success, that some of the richest people are Indians is success, that we have had the most beautiful women in the Miss World and Universe competitions is success, that we are moving towards an unmanned mission to the moon is success. The country has carved a niche for itself in the field of IT, which has thrown open a goldmine of opportunities for the middle class. Our big IT companies like TCS, Wipro, Infosys etc. also have the same bug as Tatas, Birlas and Bajajs. It has been a long journey from extreme reliance on khadi & village industries to Heavy duty markets in all the sectors. This is quite evident from the inflow of huge FDIs & FIIs in the country. Today we have industrialists like Azim Premji, Ambani's who are competing with the world to keep up to their acknowledged global recognition.

On this special occasion, Dr. Manmohan.Singh quoted "While there is much to be proud of in our record of the past 60 years, the unfinished agenda should make us humble and energize us to work together. The emerging challenges, at home and globally, should make us firm in our resolve to be united and to be cooperative". Very true indeed… we still have a long way to go… Sowing the seeds of oneness and emphasizing Unity in diversity is sure to work wonders for our country.

"SARE JAHAN SE ACCHA,
HINDUSITAN HAMARA...,
HUM BUL BULEN HAIN ISKI,
YEH GULSITAN HAMAR!!!!"

Today, on this very special day, I salute my National Flag and hope and pray that our Nation crosses all boundaries….

Jai Hind!

Here’s a beautiful rendition of the National Anthem by the country's best performers. This album is very very special and brings tears to my eyes.. Just saw it again in “Mile Sur Mera tumhara” today morning!

THE COFFEE DIARIES

Coffee, one of the jewels of beverages, is primarily enjoyed for not only its taste and aroma, but also for its well-known positive effect on mental performance. Drinking coffee has been demonstrated to improve an individual's alertness and concentration so aiding better performance and also helping reduce the feeling of tiredness or lethargy. Coffee is something that soothes our mind and refreshes it from all the anxieties… This biased definition is enough of an excuse to admit how I love slurping each cuppa coffee till it’s ‘VIM drop’ clean.

A CUPPA COFFEE IS A MUST:

1. During College/ Office breaks… when there’s nothing better to do… a cuppa coffee is always to the rescue!

2. Study night-outs… well, OF COURSE! What else can give us the energy to stay awake that long… remember?! Coffee aids better performance!

3. Freezing cold rainy days… when u have to just stay home probably completing some boring journals, a hot coffee mug is your true buddy.

4. After long journeys/ jetlags… or actually DURING long journeys and jetlags… Trust me coffee really gives you the kicks you need here.

5. Coffee helps the ‘Suppression of depression’… here’s to the ‘Devdas’ ’ around… Coffee’s a much better solution!

Sure, coffee boosts your spirits and rejuvenates your mind, body, soul… but the PURRFECT blend and roast is as critical too! Imagine you are depressed, desperately hoping you would find something exuberating in that special cup…but end up with the most boring milky bitter disaster! Ugh… I’m sure you’d rather consider being a ‘Devdas’. The point is, coffee is too precious to waste… If and when you have coffee… have the BEST one!

I would like to share with you my favorite way to have a cup of coffee… I never was a coffee-buff. I was always the TEA person… Slowly and unknowing, my fondness for coffee grew… I soon realized that the coffee I drank so intriguingly, was somehow always the one prepared by my grandmother. The warm emotions we share, her love, care and comfort all blending into the drink so willingly! I found myself sharing time with my grandmother working out the troubles of life. She asked how I would like my coffee. I wanted it just like hers, real strong and two sugars. I wanted to be just like her. Well, as my life went on, I didn’t get to spend so much time with my grandmother, but I always found myself, and still do, reaching for that cup of coffee whenever I needed to work things out!

Rightly said so… Your mood is often etched on the coffee you make. Apart from the right amount of milk, coffee beans and sugar, there are quite some other dazzling factors that assist in the coffee creation… Ingredients like dedication, love, haste, excitement, wrath, envy etc… all convey their respective flavours to the coffee you prepare!

Another way to look at this is that there is always a unique recipe for every mood and time of the day. There are strong hot coffees, for the busy bees to keep them active and alert all day round. Then we have Expressos topped with vanilla and cream, for the more stylish to sip for hours… Don’t forget the bitter but classic mochas, lattes and cappuccinos with chocolate syrup… And of course, ‘cold coffee’ the usual hit amongst the college crowd! This is what we call ‘Unity in diversity’ in the true sense! 1 coffee with many descriptions: nutty, chocolaty, flowery, Citric- orange or lemon, earthy etc etc…

Coffee Trivia: Some tips to make the best use of coffee!

• When shopping for perfume, take some coffee with you in your bag and have a good sniff in between smelling each perfume to refresh your nose!

• For the fitness freaks: Coffee is the only beverage having 0 calories… yay!

• The caffeine in coffee helps reduce the chances of developing Parkinson’s disease. Coffee is also rich in antioxidants which play an important role in fighting off cancer, diabetes and liver cirrhosis. However, coffee should be still consumed in moderation since the caffeine in it is a stimulant that may become addictive.

To date, there are over one billion coffee drinkers on the planet. The rest don’t know what they’re missing out on.

Here’s an interesting video that will thoroughly delight you! Sit back and enjoy the COFFEE ART!!!

Amazing Coffee Latte Flower Art - The best video clips are right here

SMILE :)

Hi friends...

I recently came across this really sweet, silver-toned poem... Thought of sharing it here! Hope you all like it as much as I did :)

Smiling is infectious,
You catch it like the flu,
When someone smiled at me today,
I started smiling too.

I passed around the corner,
And someone saw my grin,
When he smiled I realized,
I'd passed it on to him.

I thought about that smile,
Then realized its worth,
A single smile, just like mine,
Could travel round the earth.

So, if you feel a smile begin,
Don't leave it undetected.
Let's start an epidemic quick,
And get the world infected.

-Anonymous

Nostalgia!

Budding engineers in the making!!! Ya, that’s right people! The ‘Lastest of the Last’ semesters of engineering always seems so full of hopes and dreams…

Four bittersweet years have flown by, leaving behind memories of a lifetime… It is one of those days when I am feeling simply ‘nostalgic’. I don’t know how normal “smelling” the past is, but I smell it quite often these days. Everything looks and feels so ‘belonging’… so close to heart…these good old days… Even the air smells exactly the way it used to back then. The fear that there’s going to be nothing remotely close to my past, runs shudders through my spine.

I don’t say that the present is bad. Infact, it’s so much better than I had imagined…With some true-blue people always by my side…Probably, 10 years down the line, the present would also be a part of a glorious past. But sometimes, past is all that matters.

The demented mind often hugs thoughts that have least occurred to it before. What would our katta be like, without us to entertain it with full time nonstop nonsense? What would the canteen do without our ‘THE BEST’ self-tagged B2 batch? Well, at least the ‘tea, coffee, pattice’ sales are surely in for a toss! These are the true loyal friends who will miss us! The corridors where we sat, desperately completing each other’s write-ups, the library we barely touched, the lifts we got stuck in!! Well, all these will get their new share of companions… It is us who will miss them more than anything…

I still remember us frantically pleading each other for the mass bunk… going to movies if the practicals get declared off… sneaking into college hostels hiding our faces in scarves… shopping, or many times ‘window’ shopping at Deccan, or if nothing else, just sitting in the canteen on a rainy day and sipping hot, sugary tea that made lips smack! It was as if the canteen walas poured down all their love at once! The deadlines we never met and the projects which we struggled to complete… the nauseatic examinations which even the scholars dreaded…all seems to keep wavering fresh in my mind…

These are the memories, I’ll cherish, carry forward with me throughout my life… Rightly said so, Life’s journey is a learning experience, but college days are the ones when you realize that learning at some step can be ‘true fun’… Such is college life…

Crazy plans…
Coffee mugs…
Crushes…
Fast rides…
Obsession…
Laughing on PJs…
Loving, sharing, caring, tears…
We had it all…
That’s life… the college life…
The reason for my smile!

The future awaits us with open arms, ready to torture us with its never-ending demands… Lots of expectations which need to be fulfilled, enigma to be answered… Lots to look forward to, lots to achieve… lots to remember and lots more to conceive…

Well, here’s wishing all my batchmates a rocking life ahead and all the success!
Three cheers to Cummins, the institute which helped me find my true self!!!

A New Beginning...

“Be yourself.
Above all, let who you are, what you are, what you believe,
shine through every sentence you write, every piece you finish.”
-Anonymous
Hi friends…

Keeping in mind this quote, here I am, earnestly longing to write about the eccentricities of my life!

Honestly, I’m not much of a writer… It is almost as unbelievable to me…But there is something out there that’s making me get started… may be an inspiration… or just an encouragement. Oh well! It’s probably just a gusto! Whatever it is, I promise to give you all an interesting blend of novelty, freshness and full – on, high quality entertainment!!

Through life’s journey, I’ve made many friends… Some made my life look ordinary; some made it extra ordinary… There were moments when the entire world seemed to be at my feet; and then there were others when I was brought down to my own. There were days when I could laze around and then there were those that made me work like a donkey. There have been people who were always funny, and some who made me look funny! It has indeed been a mixed bag of beans and maybe that is how life should be.

What can you expect from this blog?

I will try my best to keep you updated with the hottest-topics round the world, interesting snippets from magazines/books/internet, inspirational poems and thoughts, a few interesting, personal experiences… And a lot more! 

So, do keep visiting… Hope I don’t test your patience! Your feedback is always welcome...

Happy reading and hope you all have a downright fun and au courant experience!

Take Care!