a dozen impressions of US

A dozen impressions of US after my first visit :

1. No other country can produce those gorgeous HARLEYS as US. Each machine is a piece of beauty.
2. Any damn parking place you go and you will find spaces reserved for handicaps.
3. 90% of the things you get in US are "MADE IN CHINA", 5% are MADE IN BANGLADESH, 3% are MADE IN INDONESIA and rest 2% are probably MADE IN US (not sure though!).
4. Their is a STANDARD in which all main doors operate, "PULL" to enter and "PUSH" to exit. And if you find any main door which opposes this standard, you can hang me!
5. Stop the supply/production of meat and cheese in US and 98% of the people will die of hunger. The other 2% are indian vegetarians!
6. The chairs in salon are faced towards the wall and not toward the mirror.
7. Cars have number plates only at the rear!
8. Their are more number of chinese in the US than in China!
9. Its cool to say "COOL".
10. 90% of the adverstisments on the televisions are of medicinal products, 8% are of teleshopping products and 2% are of insurance products.
11. Britney Spears, Hurricane, Illegal immigrants, Democrats and Republicans are the words used most by the US media.
12. Me: "Which place do you think is safe and good to rent a house?" The Hotel Manager: "I would not be able to suggest any, as people can charge me of discrimination.". You can get such answers only in the US.

ST

BIRTHDAY season has arrived. and it seems even this year, i am going to celebrate in PUNE. a chilly birthday. this time it was the abrupt 'HELP' call from one of our client which brought me here.

the travel from BOMBAY(i still prefer the old name) to PUNE is always interesting. it was too late yesterday evening so i had run out my ideal option of travelling by train. i was one hour late to catch the last MSRTC's SHIVNERI bus starting from THANE. i was left with only two options, travel by ST or ASIAD bus. both buses are operated by MAHARASHTRA STATE ROAD TRANSPORT CORPORATION (MSRTC).

best features of a ST bus:
1. commonly know as "tin ka dubba" (can made of tin)
2. it shares its colour with FERRARI.
3. when in motion it makes the sound of 4 turbo jet engines working together.
4. the sound and speed relations are proved wrong here. when inside you feel you are travelling at a speed greater than 10G (greater than the speed of sound), when outside you wonder how did it take 4 hours to cover a distance of 180 KM with all that sound.
5. the shock absorbing technology used in these buses were developed by HENRY FORD.
6. each bone in your body will be rattled to MAX.

with all these in my mind, i choose ASIAD.

i swear to GOD it reminded me of the DISCOVERY space shuttle simulator i sat in at the KENNEDY SPACE CENTRE recently.

attention NASA. you can outsource the astronaut training to MSRTC!

my best friends wedding

well, well it couldnt have been a better time to be back at home and attend somu's wedding. a much awaited moment of our (abhya, amya and me) life. the sad part, abhya and amya couldnt accompany to kolkata because of their work obligations.

a look back and i remember the frequent debates we use to have on the topic "marriage". now i can't help but smile, recollecting those logical/illogical discussions :) i guess it is time for somu to experience few of those deductions.

a happy and emotional moment for me. wishing them a HAPPY MARRIED LIFE.

i just realised our group is getting bigger!

लाजून हासणे

लाजून हासणे अन हासून ते पहाणे
मी ओळखून आहे, सारे तुझे बहाणे

डोळयांस पापण्यांचा का सांग भार व्हावा?
मिटताच पापण्या अन् का चंद्र ही दिसावा?
हे प्रश्न जीवघेणे हरती जिथे शहाणे

हाती धनुष्य ज्याच्या, त्याला कसे कळावे
हृदयात बाण ज्याच्या, त्यालाच दुःख ठावे
तिरपा कटाक्ष भोळा, आम्ही इथे दिवाणे

जाता समोरुनी तू, उगवे टपोर तारा
देशातूनी फुलांच्या आणी सुगंध वारा
रात्रीस चांदण्यांचे, सुचते सुरेल गाणे

bonzo knople

(Bonzo Knople)

i have this coin in the collection for quite sometime now. i dont recollect how it landed up with me. but have wanted to know more about this coin after i realised it was a bit unique. i did google a lot for this, but couldnt find an exact match of this coin anywhere (hoping its truly an antique possesion). it appears to be originated from germany-austria region, and a slight visibily of the year on the coin says "1760".

i hope this coin turns out to be very rare antique and i become a millionaire by selling it!
(christie's, numismatists, collectors interested?)

(60.ARCHIDUX.AVS.IRIA)

my first "pavati"

date: july 17, 2007, time: 11.30 pm

scene 1:
me and my cousin amol had our dinner a bit late. as the fuel level of my bike was already in reserve and since i had to go out with the bike the day after, we decided to go to the nearest petrol pump to refill. the nearest petrol pump was close for business to our dismay but the guys there suggested another petrol pump not far which is open 24 hours. we were not in a hurry as well, the temperature hardly drops in bombay as it had that night. with cool breeze playing around, amol sitting behind and me on the drivers seat we reached the petrol pump. we loaded the bike with fuel and started our way back home. at the signal near mulund west we found ourselves trapped in a special traffic police check. it was special because, normally there are not more than a couple of hawaldars napping at that spot and today all the four roads converging at the signal were blocked with almost 5-6 hawaldars at each arm of the road.

scene2:
traffic hawaldar1: sidela ya
i stopped my bike
me: gaddiche paper dakvu?
traffic hawaldar1: nahi licence dakhva
my cousin had this "ab to lag gayi" expression as he had not brought his licence with him and i had a learning licence. i gave my licence.
traffic hawaldar1: (his eyes lit for a second) aree he tar learning licence aahe. patti "L" board kutte aahe? (turning to amol) tujhya kade licence aahe ka?
amol: aahe pan aatta anla nahi !
traffic hawaldar1: chala pavati banava, teenshe rupaiye bhara
me: aho saheb chuk jhali. navin gaddi aahe. kadhi mulund cha baher yet nahi. petrol bharayla mulundcha baher aalo hoto.
traffic hawaldar1: te teek aahe pan "L" board kutte aahe? paise aahet bharalyla ki licence teoon gheoo?
me: ahoo saheb bhaga jara jamtay ka paach-pannas gheoon?
traffic hawaldar1: amcha sahebanshi bola java. te teetha oobhe aahet te.
me: saheb jyaoodyana itche jamvuya.
traffic hawaldar1: nahi jamnar aaj. ithe ya.
we went walking behind him. there was another hawaldar with his receipt book. he was a short guy balancing his beer barrel belly and a thick mouthache. he gave my licence to him.
traffic hawaldar1: sahebanchi pavati banva. learning licence and "L" board nahi.
traffic hawaldar2: naav bola.
me: jayesh kharat
traffice hawaldar2: gaddi number?
me: aho saheb he ghya pannas rupaiye soda pavati wagere.
traffic hawaldar2: pannas kaay navyannav dile tari honar nahi. especial checking aahe, amhi asto tar mandavli jhali asti, aaj worli varun aalyat hi loka. mote saheb aahet.
me: bhagha jamtay ka?
traffic hawaldar 2: he gya pavti. oodya parva kadhi pan ya samor chya office madhe paise bhara ani licence gheoon java.
me: aho saheb, pahelyandach asa jhala aahe. chuk atta honar nahi.
traffice hawaldar2: tumhi suskshit aahat mhanoon sangtoy aaj kaay honar nahi.
we were still standing and persuading him

scene 3:
traffic hawaldar1: he ghya, seat belt nahi, pavati banava ya sahebanchi
a boy and his father came rushing
traffic hawaldar2: naam bolo
father: mohammed hussain
father: asi kya naraji hai aaj? pavati bhi fatafat bana rahe ho, are kuch le ke yahe pe niptalo
traffic hawaldar2: (pointing to us) agar kar sakta to ye sahab ka bhi kar deta. aaj kuch nai hoga. especial checking hai.
traffic hawaldar2: gaddi number?
by this time almost 3 cars and 5 bikes were been checked

scene 4:
we were at the payment counter (or rather a small office) standing in a queue with mohammed hussains son just ahead of us.
son: tera kya hai?
me: aree wo "L" board nahi hai bike pe.
son: merko seat belt ke naam pe pakda hai, waise bhi mere pass gaddi ke papers nahi hai. sukhra hai isme nipat raha hai.
son: (to the hawaldar at the counter) sahab ye pet ya chhati main dard ho raha hoga aur seat belt nahi pehna to chalta hai na?
traffic hawaldar3: gaddi nahi chalaneka chatti main dard hota hai to.
me and amol were giggling. there were lot of other cases being handled inside the office and we could see it the drama from the counter. one guy was standing in a posture like HANUMAN standing in front of RAMA with his head bent, hands in the namaskar pose and with the same bhakti in his eyes for the hawaldars! he was asking for his licence and he did not have any money to pay. there was one more guy been caught for drinking and driving his scooter.
traffic hawaldar: paisa bharo.
drunk guy: paisa nahi hai mere pass
traffic hawaldar: idhar hi rehna padega raat bhar?
drunk guy: rahega main
traffic officer: yachi alcohol test ghya
the hawaldar brought a small machine from inside
traffic officer: tum jaisa fooga foogatay waisa is machine main hawa fuko.
the guy did as told
traffic officer: ek she teen aahe reading. pavati banva yachi.
traffic hawaldar: do hazar rupaya bharo
drunk guy: are sahab main bar main baitke peya hai. aur abhi ghar ja raha hu.
traffic officer: daru pene ke baad ghar pe chalke jaoo nahi to rickshaw se. gaddi nahi chalaneka.
traffic officer: yala, ani tya doosrya dogha case la gaddit ghala neoo ya yanna worli la.
it was all stunt to frigthen those guys. we were laughing seeing all this. nobody would have bought that scooter even for 1000 bucks, and he was supposed to pay 2000 bucks fine! by this time i paid 100 rupees and took back my licence from the counter.

it was already 1.00 am. we took the bike and started back for home. on the way we halted at a bus stop to have coffee, and we laughed like hell recalling the comic scenes seen minutes ago.

the most colourful picture!

this is the most colourful picture i have ever clicked!

(standing left, a die hard DHOOM2 fan, my nephew "SHANTANU" -remember the martian? and standing right my niece "SHIVANI", she is my lovely cat).

devil's workshop

stumbled upon this game while in office. i was searching in google for "getting bored", "feeling bored" etc. its addictive for sure!
http://www.widro.com/throwpaper.html

this too is tempting.
http://www.widro.com/copter.html

i remember i got this link from someones blog....but its out of my mind now. anywez thanks buddy!
http://www.gamedesign.jp/flash/worldmap/worldmap.html

its fun playing this one!
http://www.gamedesign.jp/flash/tennis/tennis.html

find a the whole lot here!
http://www.gamedesign.jp/index_en.html

this being my own discovery which can be compared to the discovery of india by vasco da gama :P
http://www.ferryhalim.com/orisinal/

feel like a god!

martian?

i was amused to see this little alien in my bedroom today, playing games on my PC!

(PS: he is my mischievous nephew. i caught him unware wearing my helmet and trespassing the area which is usually restricted for him)

steffi will you marry me?

during my last visit to pune i had dumped a lot of videos into my laptop from my cousins PC. here is one of them i liked.

home sweet home

nowadays i am trying my hand on interior decoration :) this one is for my drawing room. please ignore the plant with more than required flowers.

this is how my library is supposed to be! the animal in front of the bull is a new species which i have discovered. :)

and then part of the bedroom! the photo frame is not TRAPEZIUM shaped, it is a rectangle :)

aatvan

tai - then and now!

chandnyaat phirtana

there are things in this world which are truly magical. i term them "magical" because they evoke feelings, STRONG feelings! this musical gem by suresh bhat/asha bhosle/pandit hridaynath mangeshkar, pluck the deepest strings of my heart.

चांदण्यात फिरताना माझा धरलास हात
सखयारे आवर ही सावर ही चांदरात

निजलेल्या गावातून आले मी एकटीच
दूर दिवे कळलावे पडले मागे कधीच
या इथल्या तरुछाया पण सारे जाणतात

सांग कशी तुजविणाच पार करु पुनवपूर
तुज वारा छळवादी अन् हे तारे फितूर
श्वास तुझा मालकंस, स्पर्श तुझा पारिजात

जाऊ चल परत गडे, जागले न घर अजून
पण माझी तुळस तिथे गेली हिरमसून
तुझिया नयनात चंद्र, माझ्या हृदयी प्रभात

and you guessed it right! i have been playing it on my ipod daily since the last month.

what i yam

Your Dominant Intelligence is Spatial Intelligence

You've got a good sense of space and how the world around you looks.You can close your eyes and "see" images. You have innate artistic talent.An eye for color and shapes, you're also a natural designer.Since you think in pictures, visual aids and demonstartions help you learn best. You would make a good navigator, sculptor, visual artist, inventor, architect, interior designer, or engineer.

What Kind of Intelligence Do You Have?

my baggage

"aap ke laptop wale bag main kitni saari cheejain hai!", my cousin ASHISH exclaimed. even after returning to PUNE from BHILAI he hasnt given up hindi yet. "cheejain" was nothing but the collection of all sorts of cables and cable derivatives he saw in my laptop bag - LAN cable, phone charger, laptop cable, phone cable, usb cable, ipod cable, nokia headphones, ipod headphones...i just now realised my life is really WIRED!

my job involves considerable travelling - domestic as well as international. and one thing which is synonym with travelling is the "BAGGAGE". though all the cables listed above might seem absurd for others, i am handicapped without any of them. and hence that too form a part of my baggage.

BAGGAGE for me is somethings related to work, somethings to pass time, somethings for luck, somethings which are mandatory, somethings for survival and somethings without any reasons.

i remember one incident during my initial travelling days, where i went to CHIPLOON for a day and had to stay there was 2 days. i didnt even had a toothpaste! but i guess i have evolved all through these years. now you'll find even a needle in my bag (just in case).

take the following scenarios which is part of my life....
1. "you can come back from the airport, the trip is postponed!"
2. "change in plans, instead of chennai you travel today to delhi"
3. "oh shucks! the flight is missed"
4. "we regret the inconvenience caused. the flight is delayed by 5 hours."
5. oh! was the original plan for 6 months stay? i think you have to come back by end of the second week!
6. oh! was the original plan for 2 weeks stay? i think you have to stay there for a month!

to deal with this i have arrived at a standard baggage, go for 2 days or go for 2 months. here is an insight into few things i usually carry during my travel...

things you will always find in my laptop bag
# toshiba satellite A50 laptop – an asset wholly owned by my company
# transcend pendrive (1 GB) – used by me as a DISASTER recovery tool
# bluetooth dongle - for wireless data transfers
# iPod (2 GB) – now that’s called “TECHNOLOGY”.
# identity card – but all recognize me even without it!
# security device – silly device given by the bank.
# nokia 3230 mobile phone – used more to receive all contest/promotional/new credit card/mahindra holiday/personal loans messages from companies all over india!

things you will surely find in my red FOOTLOOSE backpack
# nikon D50 SLR - my dream machine
# nikor 18-55 mm lens – the front wheel
# nikor 55-200 mm lens – the rear wheel
# book - currently it is “the inheritance of loss”
# compass – was a useful tool in PRETORIA, SOUTH AFRICA. not used nowadays as i know BOMBAY by heart.
# small torch – mostly used to find a candle during powercuts
# match box – a memory of my stay at hotel HOLIDAY VILLA, SUBANG JAYA, MALAYSIA and i decided to carry this after i saw CAST AWAY.
# 4-5 pencil cells – food for my torch
# small RAJASTHANI pouch – contains few left over currencies and coins of 6 countries
# bronze GANESH idol - about an inch small
# knit hat - dropped the old one somewhere in PUNE while traveling on the bike, bought a new one now!
# sweater – the one i picked up from CARREFOUR, DUBAI
# soframycin – sab dard ki ek dava!

things you will surely find in my black BALLY wallet
# 2 international corporate credit cards - “once bitten twice shy”, i never believed in them till my baggage went missing for three days at JOHANNESBURG international airport.
# 2 debit cards - since the probability of getting at least one of those ATM’s are high during my domestic tours
# PAN card - quite useful nowadays for e-ticket reservations
# driving license - memorabilia of my long stay at HYDERABAD
# crossword - book reward card - a yellow card i use to buy books without any discounts!
# lifestyle – inner circle card – used to buy “GHONGDA” (in marathi it means a thick blanket usually found on shoulders of a DHANGAR- a shepherd), a term kept by my mom for my JEANS.
# planet M – m-xtasy world card - planning to shred this card as the cases of “ we don’t have that movie/cd sir!” have increased
# 5$ note – no particular reason for keeping it. its just there.
# 17/18 century coin – i really can’t remember where i got this from. the coin is somewhere from GERMANY-AUSTRIA. one side of the coin says “BONZO KNOPLE” and the other side says “60.ARCHIDUX.AVS.IRIA” rest is unreadable, there is a prominent symbol in the centre, of a bird with two heads.

mirchi – it’s hot!

since the past couple of weeks i am at my uncle’s place, enjoying the winter in PUNE. it’s always a pleasure to spend DECEMBER in pune. this is the month i have rendezvous with MISS CHILIING COLD. and i just love her company. it is during this time of the year we together celebrate my BIRTHDAY and none the less welcome the coming YEAR.

me and amol (my cousin) were standing outside HORN OK PLEASE, a restaurant on FC road (FERGUSSON COLLEGE ROAD for non puneites), when the clock struck 00.00, waiting for our food parcel to arrive. there was quite a crowd massed up on the road, all geared up to welcome 2007. i did welcome it in my own way by blowing whistles without a care! the sky was lit with fire crackers soon, and the whole crowd was lit with a buzz. later we drove to the DAGDUSHET HALWAI temple, a “shree ganesha” to the new year with lord GANESHA’S grace. we had a movie for dessert that morning - THE GODS MUST BE CRAZY - I. everyone including me laughed till death (nobody woke up till 11.00 am).

it was during my last visit to pune in OCTOBER last year when i had heard a very special interview on the radio. i was traveling after work from HINJEWADI back home, sitting in the back seat lost in my own thoughts, and the radio was switched on in the car.

RJ: aaj hamare saath hai ek bahut he special guest. haan bhai wo pune ke hi hai! shayad hi koi pune main itna kismatwala hoga. unse hum der sari baate karenge, soonte rahiyega….

airtel and pan parag promotions!

RJ: shaam mirchidaar banane ke liye aaj hamare saath hai ek special guest. in mahashay ne ANGELINA JOLIE aur BRADD PITT ko pune ki sair karwayi or wo bhi apne autorickshaw main. baat karenge apne hi BABANRAO LONKAR ke saath.

RJ: babanrao sahab, aapne to kamal hi kardiya. saari duniya jin sitaro ki ek jhalak ko taraste hai unko aapne pune ki sair karayi. wah bhai! kafi kismatwale ho, kaash hamere bhi aise naseeb hote. to batayiye…..

RJ: apne kabhi angelina ya brad ke bare main suna tha?
Babanrao Lonkar: nahi pehle to nahi suna tha. phir pata chala ke kafi famous log hai.
RJ: aree kamal hai. chalo aage kya hua sunte hai is chote se break ke baad..

promotions again!

RJ: kaisa lag raha hia aap ko?
Babanrao Lonkar: kaisa matlab? achha lag raha hai. aisa baar baar nahi hota.

RJ: angelina ne aap se kya kya baatein ki?
Babanrao Lonkar: madame aisa hai ki, jab tak koi customer hamse baat nahi karta hum unse bat nahi karte. anjaylina ne mere se kuch baat nahi ki. wo aap pas main baat kar rahe the.

RJ: kya baat kar rahe the?
Babanrao Lonkar: wo aapas main hi english main baat kar rahe the.

more promotions!

RJ: maddox kya kar raha tha? ro nahi raha tha? apne mummy daddy ko pareshan nahi kar raha tha?
Babanrao Lonkar: nahi wo chup chap un dono ke beech main baita tha.

RJ: ye baatayiye, kya aap is plot main shaamil the? matlab kya aap ko pehle se hi pata tha unke is adventurous program ke baare main?
Babanrao Lonkar: nahi main to bas rickshaw leke hotel ke samne se ja raha tha. hotel ke aadmi ne roka aur kahan “andar customer hai pune city ke leyi”. maine “haan” bola, aur rickshaw hotel ke gate se andar le li. aur wo teeno meri rickshaw main bait gaye.

the interview went on. it was since a month all pune was in a fever called "BRANGELINA". go everywhere, read anything and you would only hear those two names. they were here for shooting "A MIGHTY HEART", a movie based on DANIEL PEARL. even me and amol had once gone hunting for angelina (just for a glimpse) at SINDH COLONY the place where the scenes were shot. the sad part, we couldnt get through the tightly secured place. that guy, babanrao lonkar, must be really lucky i thought. he had a brush with no ordinary stars. just the pictures of them could easily sell in million dollars, he had seen them in flesh & blood. when the whole world was searching for "just a glimpse" of those stars, they were enjoying a ride with our mr. babanrao lonkar. lucky chap!

the next morning i was about to leave for office when i picked up the news paper for the headlines. i saw an article just below it. the article was on a guy who had taken angelina & co for a ride in pune in his autorikshaw. his name was SHEIKH!!