48 hours have passed since my birthday but it seems like I am still celebrating it. Yesterday I took some selected few out for lunch and today I distributed some home made chocolates amongst my colleagues in the office. This birthday will go down in history as a very special one I guess. I would hate to believe that this is was my last birthday as a bachelor. But that also means that I will never celebrate it alone :-)
I was supposed to have cut a cake in the office on the 8th. They take contributions from the staff to bring a cake for the birthday guy/gal and all the members gather in the conference room to do the honours. This time there was no such thing arranged for me. It’s delayed I am sure and if not then I hope someone remembers it. I have no memory left of the time I last cut a cake. I must’ve never cut it I am sure with my orthodox grandpa around the house. So I want to cut it now! Amongst the ones who have wished me - belated or otherwise - I thank each one of you for making this day special for me. There were a few individuals who I wanted to be with me on this day but alas! it wasn’t to be.
An interesting incident of today was a phone call from a friend of mine. This friend is special because we talk only on the phone and we have not met for over a year now. She called me today to wish me, totally ignorant about the fact that my birthday is on the 7th and not the 9th. When I revealed the true date I was drawn into a small argument about the veracity of my claim! This was so funny and we both laughed at the same time.
Birthday wishes are still being posted on SurfUnion, my birthday cake has yet to come under the knife and I am still receiving belated calls for wishes. My birthday this year is far from over folks.
November 9th, 2005
It’s a joyous occassion for me everytime I wake up on 7th November. It’s my birthday on this day and I strive hard to make it special. Over a period of time I have realised the importance of enjoying this day all by myself. I have some special things lined up like buying a gift for myself. I am still thinking about what I need at this point of time. So wish me goodluck for the coming year :-)
The birthday this year is also unique in one way. I will be celebrating it all alone for the first time. :-)
November 7th, 2005
It has become a routine affair for me and I have sort of given it my full support. I escape from all the cacophony & smoke of Mumbai to my hideout in the tranquil arms of Nasik (pronounced ‘Nashik’ in Marathi). My hideout is an apartment in the outskirts of the pilgrimage city - around 7 kms from the heart - in a secluded sleepy village called Gangapur. It’s a sprawling project called Tulip Eden and the builder told me it has now become known in local circles as ‘Eden Gardens’ (he’s also contemplating changing the name of the project). As long as it has no relation with the sound and spree associated with the cricket ground in Kolkata, I am happy.
The place has no chance for entertainment except for a 14″ B/W TV belonging to the Soviet era. No, it’s not Russian made but we bought it when Soviet Union was still there. It still gives a clear picture and some sound as well and not to mention that one has to be content with only 2 government channels. No music systems and no no-nonsense stuff here. My father wanted this place to be quite and peaceful and we have respected that to some extent. It is an absolutely therapeutical experience to live in this room and unwind after 365 days of consistent slogging and bantering with the Mumbai lifestyle.
Continue Reading November 4th, 2005
Trust me when I say that I like talking and I just don’t simply mean talking. I like intellectual discussions. I hate silence sometimes because my ears are not trained to take silence ’silently’. Rather I break it and start a discussion on a topic which is relevant to our present time.
Today was a meeting with Richard from TATA Infotech Ltd.. He wanted some help in GUI design and I gave him a discourse on Usability. After 5 hours of confabulations he left with a satisfied look on his face, even wishing me ‘happy birthday’ in advance. You see I love talking. And I love when people appreciate it like Richard did.
There are also times when nothing comes out of your mouth and you are left smiling. This happens when ’she’ is around and you wonder what to do next. That instant is so difficult that a simple ‘Hi’ seems like you’re chanting some sanskrit mantra and mispronouncing it completely. You fumble and fumble until you give up and turn back to your seat. Those are really tough times mind you. The one place where I resist talking loudly is the suburban train. There might be some prying relative of mine who would report my gabfest to my peers and I would land myself in deep trouble. But I do take my chances always.
The tongue is a dangerous weapon. Much more dangerous then all of Bush’s WMDs. If you use it judiciously you will win laurels if not then be ready for a quarrel. I have got a unique quality of being misunderstood most of the time. I am also construed to be rude when my intentions have been purely noble. I have lost a few folks for this ‘misconduct’. People love to do that to me. Not that I care about it because the insecurities they possess are their own. All said and done, I love to talk and wag my tongue.
October 27th, 2005
I guess you must be all aware of
Narayan Murthy’s resignation as chairman from the Bangalore International Airport Limited (BIAL). Narayan Murthy is the Chief Mentor of
Infosys. This follows after Deve Goda, the ex-prime minister of India accused him of doing nothing in his tenure. Gowda has been accused of delaying some of Bangalore’s key infrastructure projects including the prestigious Mysore-Banagalore expressway. But going public against Narayan Murthy in the media is a bit too much. The whole country knows what he stands for.
Think about the relief the projects will bring to the city. And think about how the politicians gang up together to hold the interests of the public to ransom. This is very unfair to them especially when the politicians are elected representatives of the people. Are we indians focussing too much on the means and not the end? I certainly think so. I run a forum and I have been successfully implementing some of my ideas to make the boards alive with activities. It’s very tough these days to grab the attention of the user especially when you’re running a forum. There was an interesting project where a fellow union member devised a toolbar in quick time and I liked it a lot. The advantages of having such a nifty tool were many but only to those who saw light at the end of the tunnel. I arranged for the toolbar to be offered for general usage by the union members which would enable them to visit the forums often. Between the development of the toolbar and the subsequent offer for download it took a mere 3 days and yet I have been accused by some of my fellow admins for not informing them about the activities. That some of them are off limits is another question.
The protocols notwithstanding, my only logic behind offering the toolbar was to do something good for the forums. Having said that I had in no way commissioned the member to make it for me. He was quite passionate about doing something for the forums and I just appreciated it. If protocols are to be followed then the admins also need to be present to take timely decisions. Unlike Mr. Gowda I hate to create impedements in the way of public interest and I hate those who attempt the same.
October 24th, 2005
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