Weekend Trip to Home

The last time after I was in Hyderabad was for my Sankranti vacations. It was till date the longest vacation I have ever taken in my professional life; a good 9 days there with 4 days off. Considering that I have taken just 2 days off for my marriage and 1 day for my honeymoon; this was a long trip.
Post such a long trip; my next trip to Hyderabad was on 1st of March that's a good 42 days after my last visit. I find this it amazing for the fact that its the longest gap between two consecutive visits of mine. Yes during my stay at Kozhikode the gap was much longer, but those days were much different. I found a few things changed during this gap. Earlier my gaps were as short as 5 days; with almost 3 trips a month, that meant I hardly used to spend a weekend in Pune. Offlate after marriage I got to spend time money, and effort going in and around Pune. One as gets to accustomed to the localities I feel one gets connected, that connection temporarily overshadows the core identity. This is what seemed to have happened when I tried to reconnect back to my family and the city.
I was hardly getting the slang and salutations which I was so much used to earlier. Every now and then there was a slip of tongue; though I was very much aware; with my flow the occurrences where irreversible and in correctable. Got to thank my lucky stars that no one took note of those changes. I vividly remember when I first returned home after my 4 months stay in Kozhikode, Kerala that my mom had serious complains on my language. And she said that my Telugu started to sound very non-Teluguish and I was starting to speak Telugu as a language I recently learned. Yes may-be I never realised it nor I intentionally did it; but while one tries to put an attempt to adopt a certain slang of another language for greater acceptance once native slang also gets impacted to little extent. So in addition to expanding adaptive technique of mutual acceptability one more propounding thing was the influence of my gal. Now after six months of marriage, things change; and believe me they change a lot. I don't think any one would be in a position to guess how I call my gal (no am not giving any prizes/ nor am letting it out); that very way of addressing her got pushed when I got to meet my children (cousin's). No matter how hard I tried it kept slipping out of my mind. It was only after 36 hours that things were stable; but that was only after a long and dedicated monitoring of my tongue.
Anyways it was a great weekend to unwind and have fun. Cousin's Kids Annaprasana ceremony was time to catchup with all of my cousins too. And yeah I forgot felt good to see my parents and high my regular fights with my mom too.

Movies I was watching...Oscar Fever

It's been sometime that I had blogged on movies I was watching/ rather there weren't enough bloggable movie content to motivate me. Yes after the Oscars show I have a couple to final break loose my silence.

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

Starring Brad Pitt and Cate Blanchett this movie is adapted from the 1921's story by F. Scott Fitzgerald is about a man Benjamin who is born in his eighties and ages backwards.

Story is a slow-moving long one which unfolds in a death bed in New Orelans hospital in the back drop of Hurricane Katrina, with the Daisy asking her daughter to read the story in a diary which happens to be an unusual one about daughters biological father.

It talks about Benjamin who was deserted and subsequently brought up by black foster parents working as care takers at old age home. The boy was taken to be a monster and deserted by his father owing to his demise of his wife during pregnancy and primarily due to Gerontological conditions. Subsequently the boy survives his condition to grow younger and reversing his condition to die as a baby. The role has been intelligently and amazingly crafted plots and situation to add reality to a rather unrealistic subject. The backdrop of wars, depressions, Cyclone Katrina, Balle has been used as intelligent props throughout the story. An inherent love story brews with Benjamin and his childhood friend fall madly and deeply in love when there ages coincide around 40 years. Emotions of seeing one age while other grew younger was touchy, and finally when Benjamin dies as a baby in old Granny-like ladies hands who in reality should have been wife and husband longed for the pain one had to endure through at those crucial age. But ahem this is outcastly unreal who cares about this, its not even close to real life was what I felt and stop being emotional at the end.

It received 13 nominations and is the only Best Picture finalist this year to have earned more than $100 million in US. It won three Oscars for Art Direction, Makeup, and Visual Effects, and incidentally has tied the record for the most nominated film not to win the Academy Award for Best Picture.

As the Oscars speaks BENJAMIN’s script or even the fine acting aren’t its most impressive accomplishment; the technology–both CGI and makeup–used to make Benjamin and Daisy age are remarkable, and makes the film entirely believable, not undermining performances from both Pitt and Blanchett.

Slumdog Millionaire

Directed by Danny Boyle and Loveleen Tandan is a British movie in the backdrop of Mumbai's slums. Its an adaptation of Boeke Prize winning novel of 2005 Q&A by Vikas Swarup. Though its not an exact adaptation it reflects a story of slum boy's tale of Rag's to Riches with a love-at-first sight love story. This movie stories the hardcore realities of Mumbai's slums and social conditions woven around Mumbai riots of 1992 and struggle of life during past this to become not only an Ultimate Survivor but also winner of one's Childhood love.

The entire movie was made in a budget of just over 75 crores which is a very small amount considering its international status, but made good returns during its later run. The movie flunked in India and faced lots of criticism from likes of Arinidham Choudary and Amitabh Bachan. Even my Gal had very serious reservations against the movie, even I agree to it to some extent. The poorly did show India in a bad light, and on the purpose front I felt was wrong. During these economical turmoil it showed that the Western countries are much better off than the state of affairs in the World's largest democracy. The movie offered a lot of solace to countries like USA and UK which huge debt-driven infact the largest indebted economy and people in the world are not Africans or Asians or Indians but the Americans.

I was a bit hurt when the places like the pride of India the Taj Mahal was showcased and which showed how tourist were misguided throuout and looted. It does throw a very bad impression of the professional Guides working there in Taj Mahal and tourist who trot to India in search of the Global Symbol of Love and a gateway to India. They would definitely think twice while offering a dime to those children on the roads. It has both the good and bad sides though.

Touchy were parts on exploitation of children by gangsters, mobs, Sex-industry, the drugs, the underworld; It shows that no place is void of evils of this era, be it culturally strong nation like India or China or highly civilised or a developed nation like an USA. Evils of the mankind hunt and haunt young and old, male and female alike. I feel sad when I see people falling in for such evils be it out of necessity or be it out of opportunism. I always hope that there would be days in future where people could make choices and always make a correct and a better choice.

I somehow believed there were lots of other movies and documentaries which showcased the slums and penance of our country but this failed to showcase how life thrives, survives in this hardest of hardest environments. It also fails to address the spirit of Indian culture or Spirit of Mumbaikar who against all odds learns to survive and live a decent life. Its not always illegal and anti-social modes that people end-up in but hard workers over shadow those opportunists. A message should have been sounded aloud making a attempt to bring people and lifes to the mainstream course of moral and spiritually ideal well being and happiness. Would have definitely liked to have this in this movies core message.

From the Oscars front it had a conversion rate of over 90% with winning 8 awards from 9 categories it got nominated for. It missed out on sound mixing which was bagged by the much deserving movie The Dark Knight. Ideally I wouldn't have wanted this movie to be the best movie for the year 2008, yes Danny deserved credit for digging out Gold and making millions and billions out of the Indian theme. If it wasn't for Danny and British production community we wouldn't have got this amount of recognition and laurels for our immensely but sadly under recognised movie making fraternity of technicians and behind the scenes artisans. One might have failed to recognise that the Taj Mahal shown here in the movie was a set which was erected by our own Indians with lots of detail to enable a close-up shots. The set was erected near Pune. Also Kudos to Oscar winners Resul Pookooty and AR Rehman. I believe though Rehman wasn't at his best compared to Swades, Roja or a Vandemataram in this movie he deserved an oscar for what he was and the talent he posses. I hope he wins a life time achievement award at Oscars and Grammy's for his contributions to the music community.

So the Button man from New Orleans had the one tough one to beat in this years Oscars; hadn't the kid from Mumbai shown up and seized moviegoers' hearts it was surely up there and yes this managed a Golden Globe though. This proves that movies which are unreal have little chance against movies which are surreally close, touchy and inspiring. Like politics, aren't always predictable. Benjamin B. is Hillary to Slumdog's Obama.

Arundhati

So much for the Oscar fever the other movie I wanted to talk about is Kodi RamaKrishna's movie Arundhati. This movie staring Anushka Shetty and Sonu Sood with Sayaji Shinde and Manorama in the supporting cast had been raking up a lot of interest back home in the Tollywood. Incidentally I too fell victim to it that I watched it on the first day of the release during my Sankranti Vacation. I was waiting eagerly to watch this movie as it got postponed twice in the week. I watched the Second show with my Gal, and yes it gave enough goosebumps while driving back past the Muslim crematory near RaniGunj to Marriott route of Secunderabad. My Gal couldn't sleep alone and kepy squealing every now and then for next 15 days after watching the much anticipated movie. Well this was the first movie we as a couple watched for the the first time and guess it was a right choice. All through the screen my lady was on my shoulder grasping every inch of my long hand.

The effects were amazing by out standards, but looked very much like CGI and wires frames animation. While the plots were seemingly adopted from Final Destination, The excorcist, Gothika to name a few, there was a bit of resemblance to a few other cult movies of Kodi Ramakrishna's movies. I felt Anoushka could have been a bit better on the dances as I felt she struggled in that. Anyways it was her first character based and role-heavy performance kudos to her too. Shinde and Sonu Sood outlived their roles and gave a spectacular performance. The movie pace I felt was too fast and plots should have been better plotted. The movie wrapped up even before one could realise what hit them. A nice attempt by the crew; though a sad one in terms of getting the women audience to start believing in all the black magic and superstition in this seemingly progressive times.

I still smile when I see my gal shivering when I say to her "Bomallee ninuu Vadalaa!!!"

Keys, mouse, chips, webs, viruses......CiIlitetrate

Cilliterate....or Computer Illiterate
Yes you are if you failed to connect the above words.
Computer literacy can also refer to the comfort level someone has with using computer programs and other applications and technologies that are associated with computers.
My exposure to computers started quite early in my age. I had my own PC when I was in my 6th Standard thanks to my dad who envisioned that Technology is the future. I was only 11 years when I first got to work on a computer of my own. It was year 1992 and by those days standards I had a fairly fast and efficient system. The configuration of today's mobiles are better than my first PC. It was a
Intel 80286 (In an era of 64 bits 286 has had 7 predecesors to Todays P4/Athlons)
Running at 20 Mhz Speed (yes Mega Hertz was big in those days 1024 times lesser than that of todays)
1 MB Ram (we talk of 1 GB as miminmum today thats 1024 times lesser than todays capacity)
40 MB HDD
Display - MDA (Moncrome Display Array) - 14 inch B&W L&T Monitor
Sound card - Our only sounds we heard were beeps
123 Key - TVS Keyboard
Mouse - Never needed one
OS - MS DOS 5.00
Spread Sheet- Lotus Spread sheets
Word Processor - Word Star 4
Database - Fox Pro & DBase 4+
Languages - C, BASIC
Anti Virus - MSAV
DiskDrive - 5 1/4 Floppy Drives

This was the system I had and continue to have (of course its packed) as an antique since 1992 with a bundle of 5 1/4 and 3 1/2 inch floppies. The software which is stored in it is specific to that system and none of todays software runs on the system. I wanted to add some bit of interactivity to the system and install Windows 3.11 which used to run as a front end for DOS, but decided against it as it was too resource hungry for my system.The system then costed my dad a little over 30K rupees without monitor and printer (dot matrix).
All my initial days I learned and played on this system. I was envied by adults and kids alike. I was able to speak a language which many where not even aware off. My first computer was operational to the fullest till 1999. After 7 years it was replaced, I moved to adapt a non intel processor.
I got an AMD K6 in later 1999 (Pic - my cousin - with L&T Dotmatrix printer and K6 on Viewsonic). The system had 128MB RAM, with Windows 98 and 20 GB HDD and 400 Mhz (20 times faster than my older 286)with a 15" Viewsonic Monitor. I used this system during my engineering till 2004. This is system which provided me my first multimedia expereince and internet expereince. Those were the early days of internet and it was costly to have an internet connection. I remeber using various dial-up connection and due to my high internet usage at times our telephone bills used to run up quite high. My primary dial-up those days were Dish-net connection and occassional a Tata Nova. I used to borrow accounts to meet my craze those days. During my early days of internet I was hugely into intenet contests. Quite popular and an addict I was for Contests2win, Hungama.com and occasional MTV contests. I at one stage used to get gifts and memorobila on an weekly basis from these sites (mostly Hungama). Loved collecting points for playing contests and redeeming the same for some cheeky gifts. Approximate count of gifts I collected run in excess of 200 items.
Next I got an AMD Athlon 1800. It was a 1.6 Ghz processor with 384 MB RAM. I got it assembled at Parklane, Secunderabad before carrying it all the way to IIM-K. Incidently I ran Windows 95 on this system.This system I used for 2 years while I was in Kozhikode between 2004 and 2006, and later dumped it at K before returning back to Hyderabad in March 2006. Post which I continue to use my bro's AMD Athlon and my bro's Dell Inspiron laptop which he got it from US.
While in Genpact I was using the companies provided Dell Latitude D510 model. I felt this was the most robust and sturdiest of all Desktops and Laptops I ever got to use.
Moving from Hardware to Software I started with BASIC based programming and games like Prince of Persia, Where on Earth is Carmen Sandiego, Genghis Khan
From Banner Mania, Wolf Pack,Para Trooper, Packman, Test Drive to name a few. As years went by and technology improved I got newer games. I still remeber I used to steal a few bucks from my dad's change and save enough to buy one single game from a small computer shop (PARAS Computers) on the road connecting Mozamjahi Market and Koti. Each floppy game costed 20/- then. Much for privacy of today :).
Initial utilitis like Banner Mania and Paint pro were fun to work and impress the guests who came in. I also remeber we used some Basic based application to generate Astrology charts. It was so much fun those old days, for uniqueness is definetly something to cherish.
Today as I blog this I am amazed at the journey I made from 1992 to 2009. 17 Years is time taken, I have moved from a 80286 to a P4 mobile processor, from floppies to SD Micros, from PC Games to Playstation, from B&W monitors to 32" LCD's from beep speakers to 5.1 DTS Home theatre from a small selffocus cam to a Compact DigiCam . From Bannermania to Photoshop; from DOS to Windows Mobile; from PacMan to NFS; from text to HDDVD authoring, I feel I have come offage in technology. It's not that I thrive on getting the latest Gizmos, but addition happens automatically; If that technological tranformation is not happening am afraid to say that one is Technophobic and Cilliterate.
Yes there might be circles who differ on amount of adaption technology in daily life, lets not debate it today. Technology is part of parcel of modern day's life.

Shivaratri - Importance & Lingashatakam

Shivaratri unlike many other traditional Hindu festivals doesn't reflect celebrations or fun or new clothes or sweets or well-wishes. One hardly see's a one getting up early and bathing to wear new clothes on this day. The festival may be a bit unpopular because of these mentioned aspects. But Shivratri has upteen religious importance and spiritual austerity attached which the larger population are unaware. And for the ignorant they believe its the birthdate of Shiva which is untrue.
Shivratri festival falls on the 14th day of the dark fortnight(a night before amavasya) in the month of Phalgun which pleases Lord Shiva the most. This has been declared by Lord Shiva himself, when Parvati asked him as to which ritual performed by his devotees pleases him the most.
It is said that if a devotee performs sincere worship of Lord Shiva on this auspicious day he/she attains moksha breaking the birth-rebirth cycle.
On this day after having the having a dip in a holy river, one proceeds to Shivabhishekam or the Ritual Bath of Shiva Lingam.
Lord Shiva is worshiped in a special form of Lingam called ‘Lingodabhavamurti or Jyotirlingam.’
Lord Shiva the ParamAtma or the supreme soul is considered to have no form, and endless energy. Shiva manifests in form of Lingam; in the form of fire which has neither a beginning nor an end. It must be noted here that ‘linga’ only means ‘sign.’ And it is merely an attempt to capture the formless of the almighty. It's believed that the first appearance of Jyotirlingam (Somnath) signifies the importance of this day.
As per Shiva Purana one have to use six items for the same.

• Bathing of Shivalinga with water, milk and honey and Sandal/ bel leaves added to it, represents purification of the soul.
• The Ashes paste applied on the linga after the ritual bath represents virtue.
• Offering of fruits symbolizes longevity and gratification of desires.
• Burning of incense sticks yields wealth.
• The lighting of the lamp symbolizes attainment of knowledge.
• Offering of betel leaves marks satisfaction with worldly pleasures.

Devotees take up Upvas (fast) & Jagran on this day.
UpVaas - Is formed by culmination of two words. Up means closer and Vaas means adobe of God. It means being closer to the Supreme Spiritual form, in a state where one forgoes all the earthly body needs including thirst and hunger. One should strive to get close to the supreme self by concentrating on achieving this closeness and discovering the divinity in ourselves. One by not having even a drop of water one in denying the body of all its urges and attempts to divert our concentration and meditative state focussed on the Paramatman.
Jagran - Is is the awakening of the soul to the resonate onself to the frequency of the Supreme soul. One's endevour should be to connect to the almighty and fill ourself with divinity on this day and all days to continue.
All-Night Shiva WorshipWorship of Lord Shiva continues all through the night on Shivaratri Festival. Devotees stay awake all night and spend the night in Shiva temples in worship of Lord Shiva. Singing of hymns and verses in praise and devotion of Lord Shiva besides the intense chanting of Om Namah Shivay, the mantra that is said free people from all their sins, continue through the night on Shivaratri.
The Lingashatkam is culmination of Eight Slokas. And it's believed that whoever recites these eight slokas, in praise of the Shivalinga with the presence of Lord Shiva, with outmost sense of devotion attains that Supreme abode of Shiva and enjoys everlasting bliss with Him
Text One
Brahma Muraari Suraarchita Lingam Nirmala Bhashita Shobhita Lingam Janmaja Dukha Vinaashaka LingamTat Pranamaami Sadaa Shiva Lingam
I always bow to that Shiva Linga, which is adored by Brahma, Vishnu and other Gods, which is praised by pure and holy speeches and which destroys the cycle of births and deaths.
Text Two
Devamuni Pravaraarchita Lingamkaamadaham Karunaakara Lingam Raavana darpa Vinaashaka Lingam Tat Pranamaami Sadaa Shiva Lingam
I always bow to that Shiva Linga, which is the destroyer of desires, which the Devatas and the sages worship, which is infinitely compassionate and which destroyed Raavana's pride.
Text Three
Sarva Sugandha Sulepitha Lingam Buddhi Vivardhana Kaarana Lingam
Siddha Suraasura Vanditha Lingam Tat Pranamaami Sadaa Shiva Lingam
I always bow to that Shiva Linga, which is smeared with variety of perfumes and fragrances, which incremental elevates the wisdom and enkindles the light of discrimination, and before which the Siddhas and Suras(demi-Gods) and Asuras(Demons) prostrate.
Text Four
Kanaka Mahaamani Bhushitha Lingam Phanipathi Veshtitha Shobhitha Lingam
Daksha Suyajna Vinaashaka Lingam Tat Pranamaami Sadaa Shiva Lingam
I always bow to that Shiva Linga, the destroyer of Daksha Prajapathi's sacrifice, which is decorated with Gold and precious jewels and which is coiled by a sparkling glow emiting from Serpent Lord, Naga.
Text Five
Kumkuma Chandana Lepitha Lingampankaja Haara Sushobhitha Lingam
Sanchitha Paapa Vinaashaka Lingam Tat Pranamaami Sadaa Shiva Lingam
I always bow to that Shiva Linga, which is smeared with saffron and sandal paste, which is decorated with garland of lotuses and which wipes out all accumulated sins.
Text Six
Devaganaarchitha Sevitha Lingam Bhaavair Bhakti Bhirevacha Lingam

Dinakara koti prabhakara Lingam Tat Pranamaami Sadaa Shiva Lingam
I always bow to that Shiva Linga, which is worshipped by all of Gods with devotion and outmost faith and whose splendor is like that of a million suns.
Text Seven
Ashta Dalopari Veshtitha Lingam Sarva Samudbhava Kaarana Lingam

Ashta Daridra Vinaashaka Lingam Tat Pranamaami Sadaa Shiva Lingam
I always bow to that Shiva Linga, which stands on the eight petalled Lotus and which is the creator of all and destroyer of eight types of misery & poverty.

Text Eight
Suraguru Suravara Pujitha Lingam Suravana Pushpa Sadaarchitha Lingam

Paraatparam Paramatmaka Lingam Tat Pranamaami Sadaa Shiva Lingam
I always bow to that Shiva Linga, which is the Transcendent Being and the Supreme Soul, worshipped by all Suras and their king (Indra), with innumerable flowers from the celestial gardens.
Text Nine

Lingashtakam, Idam Punyam padeth Shiva Sannidhow,

Shivalokam avapnothi shive na sahamodathe.

Any one who chants the holy octet of the Lingam,In the holy presence of Lord Shiva,Would in the end reach the world of Shiva, And keep him company.

I hope people get to believe in the Supreme Soul (Parmatma) and connect self to Supreme Energy and in this process are enlighted.

Roundup 2008

As a continuation to the last years blog, I wanted to sign-off on the last year in my blog, but as my constraints on limited blogging time continued to restrain me from completing this activity. The year 2008 started where 2007 ended with lots of unanswered puzzles, frenzy state of mind and dwindling state of mind with a directionless, aimless career, professional life and a personal life. Life was very much at cross roads, and slowly but surely admist all the confusion life slowly blossomed toward the last quarter of the year.

Biggest movers
- Quiting from my first Job and moving out of Hyderabad
- My attempt to reach back and re-engage lost relation with involvement of my family.
- Trip to my native place Machilipatnam, after thirteen (13) Years
- Lived a proper bachelors life after studies.
- Married once and for all now !!!

Biggest Learnings

• Never let go of love and hurt loved ones
• To take life easy and not to pressurise self.
• Understand and respect others feelings.
• Let time take its time to heal and set things right.
• Have immense and never ending belief in God.
• Trust the inner voice, learn to cultivate to let the inner voice to speak.
• Being positive in life does immense good.

Best for the year

Top Albums/Songs
1. Jaane Tu Jaane Naa - Kabhi Kabhi Aditi
2. Bachana Ae Haseno - Khuda Jaane Kyu

Fav Movies
None
Fav Quotes -
Madagascar - Escape 2 Africa
Skipper: Who says a penguin can't fly?
Skipper: We should be up and running in say... 6 to 9 months.
Alex: Sixty-nine months?!
Skipper: No! Six to nine.

Fav Holiday/Travel
- Havelock Islands, Andamans

Fav Food
1. Vada Pav
2. Aloo Paratha

Fav Shopping Spot
1.Big Bazaar, PCMC, Pune
2. Fathima Nagar, Pune

Fav TV Channel
- CNBC TV18

Chronological Milestones

January - Uncertain Days

I got my first Job confirmation from Ocwen for a very succesful process that got concluded in Dec 2007. I was offered a position in Mallad (west), Mumbai for joining its integration team of NCI (NationWide Credits Inc). I put in my resignations in on 9th of Jan 2008 from Genpact, marking an end of era. Here is where my hardships started. Genpact failed to release me on time to join Ocwen, forcing the latter to withdraw the offer and I forced to serve a 3 months notice period as against promised month release by Genpact HR. I went on to take new assignments.

I moved to take charge of a small assigment of setting up Quality team for Merrill Lynch's operations at Genpact. The role, the team and vertical I dreamt since my IIM days. But with this opportunity came in my old Gal and with resignation papers on table made it quite difficult to make a favourable decesion in favour of Genpact.

I finally broke off the emotional bond with my ex-fiance on a final phone call in a much inspired Jab-we-met movie fashion - "Flush karde life se"

February

As time progress I wait impatiently for my release, making short trips to DLFH Genpact office, and applying for other offers. HP, Infosys, EDS, CTS, BoA, CFC, HSBC where in fray but due to year beginning paradigm no confirmations. Rough times for me this month. Had vivid thoughts of going back to old time and undoing all that went off.

March

Got confirmations from CTS and EDS and was contemplating on what to join while I was chilling on time. Marriage talks harden back home, I was in a storm as I didn't want to risk another turn-down and have a hear break. My state of mind was not to be associated with any other girl and if any chance patch up for proven older relation.

April

I finally got relieved from Genpact in 1st week of April. This was after 2 years I decided to move on, I was shifting to Pune to join CTS. BoA was delaying its decesion to close in on hiring till the last date, while HP offered their role after I joined CTS. Infy and Wipro followed HP too late for all. Later on in May EDS was acquired by HP, both where offering me roles at that time. EDS role was attractive with onsite posting and frequent travel, but apparent lack of focus from the EDS team proved deterrimental in joining the team.

I packed and shifted to Pune in a haze without much hulla. Earlier I started my prayers and got my astrological redone to get some deeper insights. I started using two more stones Cat's eye and pearl to improve my present situation. Felt more nostalgic about my previous Gal though she was not in forgiving mood, try to make it up for my sinful acts of letting go.

My parents shortlisted a girl and my mom was wildly escastic about the girl she looked at that she ordered me to fly-back the very weekend I joined the company and confirm the girl as they will run into inauspicious times. Half-heartedly I come and agree to the wishes of the family. I was totally unprepared for all this

May / June / July

Joined a Life Sciences team at CTS, as a Quality Reviewer for the delivery team. Started learning, understanding, adapting, accomodating, adjusting to the new environment and people. Moved into a bachelors house, started a life of Bachelor after a long long time. I started using public and company transport more often. Travelling has become a Passe of life now. Music decorated through my headphones and books and magzines in my hand where a signature look I had. I slowly started finding peace in the role and with myself.

I used to travel back home every fortnight and really used to make out a hell lot of time. Started to read books. Got introduced to self help books like The Secret and Paulo's books by accident and found a new found love in reading. Blogging continued to gain momentum during this time. With access to pirated Telugu movie DVD's I used to frequently watch the new flicks more often than earier.

I hesitantently started preparing for an eventuality called marriage which was to happen in August, buying clothes etc. My communication with the fiance and her family was highly restricted and contained, nor I encouraged the same. I was still very undecided on the marriage all the time. But my parents interest kept a hold on everything.

August

The month proved to be the roughest of all times I ever had. I reached by to my earlier relation to patch-up and make up for the lost ground. I didn't want to risk another relation and make unjustice to my first love on grounds of me getting married. Involved lots of people from my parents, relatives, friends and well-wishers to my fiance relatives. After a period of nervous weeks I fell to the inevitable for what looked neither good or bad. I got married on 21st Aug in Hyderabad to Vijaya. Whats install for us in the future needs to be looked into as times goes by. Had the toughest, roughest, and the most emotional of times this month as I went into the marriage bandwagon. So much was my pain due to uncertainity that I had low BP for weeks and I could hardly talk and express myself. I love the innocense in my Wifes face. I love the eyes and her tender looks used to offer me the much required solace.

Made my trip to Machilipatnam tracing back to my roots and to seek blessings of my Grandparents and Janma Bhoomi after over a decade. My new innings as a husband, and a son-in-law starts off.

September

After the Ganesh Chaturthi festivities at home I set back to Pune after nearly a 20 day stay in Hyderabad. I started to look out for house for us, while Vijaya continued to work in Hyderabad. Rough weather, lack of housing supplies, high brokerage only increased the agony of zeroing in on house for us Pune. Towards the last week paying a 13k brokerage I decided on moving into a decent 1BHK house in a very calm and homely locality. Bought a Honda Aviator solely meant for commuting for a family life (:)). This purcahase would be my second vehicle purchase after my TVS Victor bike in Sep 2003.

October

Spent quality time at home in Hyderabad for the Dusheera. I was supporting office from Hyderabad which drew a bit of flank from my supervisor. I had completed my bout of Pooja and Havan's for the year. Post the festivites I set back to my new home in Pune accompanied by my wife and my maradhi (bro-in-law). The whole month witnessed one of the frenziest shopping by me ever as we slowly set to settle down in the home. We made it back home to celebrate diwali braving all the odds of hardships of travel by train in this Diwali journey.

Novemeber

Things slowly setteled down with regular friction between the newly weds. Work pressure and volume began mounting, while we still continued to shop and celebrate our life. Trips to Hyderabad continued, though nothing significant happend. My gal was searching for Jobs, with most of them not in her fit.

Decemeber

This was a month of Vacation to be. We had been on our holiday trip to the Andaman's. Had a blast on the trip though we would have done better with slightly longer trip. Post this my Gal had to stay back at Hyd for 15 days for her exams and I took her along not before the Cristmas celebrations at home.

Andaman's Trip

Video from our recent Andaman's Visit. The clip is a trailer of the full version of the Video. The full compilation has been included in my personal DVD.

My Exploits in making my Marriage DVD cover

Yeah marriage's done, and got the DVD of the entire marriage ceremony, courtesy the videographer who happily editted added special video graphic editorial effects and delivered. As for a person who believes in making professional looking DVDs and for a person who prides on his DVD collection, its all but sub-standard not to have a professionally done DVD of the most important event of my life. So the process of Do-it-yourself started for me. "The DVD project" as I liked to call started out with simple search on google for ready DVD cover titles. Then searched for DVD art, DVD covers for wedding ceremony. Hardly found any. Then a few samples and research on how to design my on DVD decided to design everything from scratch.

Started with a sample wedding card, and used Photo Shop 7 for the entire design. I also used NERO Cover design and Ashampoo, soon realised that Photoshop 7 is worth a try given the options and features especially that of layers, rendering and shadows. Apart from background rendering and stuff. Though I wasn't using Photoshop for the first time my earlier usage of PS was for purpose of copy pasting photos to a larger A3 size canvas for purpose of printing and nothing more. So I did go through a few hours of help from online material and tutorials helped me ease some.

Before starting some bit of effort also went into editing, indexing the entire set of Photographs which where in different internal dates. Used PICASSA, MS Office's Picture Editor, MS Paint to edit, crop, improve and recrop the pictures. While I used EXIF Date changer to change the time of imprinted digital camera data on the photographs.
I used Nero Cover Designer, Ashampoo Cover Studio, and photo shop 7 for cover design. While Nero was used for layout actual design was done in PS. Ashampoo was useful in making a quick desgin in a rapid time. But for designing the entire cover it took me 3 weeks in all incorporating various fonts, font sizes, patterns, photographs, messages etc. Its only but getting into a very detail that the professional look would come for the dvd.

Then for compressing the DVD I used DVD2one and DVD shrink. I extensively used Nero Vision for making the slideshow and I believe it was various easy and convenient too though it had a ap of 100 snaps one could add more just by adding 2 or 3 more session sets to include all. For making DVD menus I tried DVD Lab pro, it has great features but when it came to final composition it failed so had to switch back to Nero Vision and found it quiet fast and convinent compared to DVD Lab pro.

I am still to solve the compilation/burning a DVD player compliant DVD. I found Nero burnt DVDs hardly played on most of non-divx enabled DVD-players. Tried Cheetah burner, Roxio but to no use.








Above is the final cover and CD for the marriage DVD, In all more than a month of effort over the evening and night time, lots of trial and error combined with tons of googling for patterns and relevant mp3 songs. Am proud of this cover for the effort and interest I put into. I released over a dozen of the prints which had DVD-Video and DVD-Photo 2-in-1 copies to our relatives and friends during the 2nd week of Novemeber though origianlly I intended to do it in the 1st week of October. I guess the wait made the DVD watching expereince a worth while....

Changing times and sprinting time.

Time Check

62 Months - Since the purchase of my first bike

33 Months - Since I wrapped up my Studies

31 Months - That's my Post-MBA work-ex

7 Months - That's my time I moved to Pune

3 Months - Since I had been Married

2 Months - Gap between my last blog post

Amazing is only what I can say when I give out the statistics. There might be more numbers to add probably on a forgettable side, but I am looking forward to add only the brighter past contrary to my earlier blog posts.

I have realised that we skip a blink and time flies off; Sometimes we keep wondering if time could come to a stand still and we be in a state of blissfulness or better suspended animation, other times we really want the time to go at a Jettison speed. Either ways on one end we never want the good time to abandon us and other end we want to see off the bad time at the earliest. People hate to wait to see the results and go through the pain, but time has its own pace and moves so consistently nonparallel to any. The pace ensures that all good things taper out sometime or other and same fashion all bad things seize after some time. Time in this aspect proves to be an excellent guru teaching us the art of patience and perseverance. It makes us refined and a calculated person with the experience it provides to us. Going through a rough patch makes people stronger equipping oneself for facing tougher situations of future, making a person mentally strong and stable and at one stage can support others when situation demands and time is perfect. Going through a good time makes a soul free and relaxed free from all desires may be momentarily but sets the pace for future action. One could really set priorities which are in tune with his happier times. One then really works hard for the same.

Having said that a lot of time and efforts now a days revolve around money and materialistic ends. I want to say that people should try to avoid chasing these materialistic things of the world because one might achieve them at some time, but one is not always happy with having money and luxuries of the world. One though needs to invest oneself for financial stability, a person should ideally plan and invest in himself and his time. For properly utilised time returns huge dividend which is exponential in nature. The return of investing in time is both tangible and intangible, gives in lot of options to tinker with.

One might have scarcity of food, water, money but one should not run out time on any day. Any person has only limited time with him/her which get exhausted at a rapid pace. More than half of our life time goes into sleeping and resting, while half of what is left goes into much of unproductive childhood and old age. 65% to 70% of the our life times just flies off without even touching it. Left is 35% to 30% of the time which flies at an unprecedented speed.

• One really needs to make the maximum use of this live life to fullest.
• Indulge in things what makes one happy the most and makes all around one more happier than before.
• Contribute to the family, society, country and the Earth (being a responsible citizen)
• Peace, harmony, happiness, joy are things to be spread. One needs to be on a constant endeavour for the same.

All the things above are those in which one needs to invest one's time in and returns are as simple as being recognised as human being worthy enough to be respected by everything and everyone living/non-living dead/alive.

Make best use of time, its rare, its scarce and its worth unlike any, priceless....

Acknowledge, understand and respect the importance of time and others valuable time too...

This will make us a better human beings....

Love that was and Love that is - The Love Life Cycle

I intend to keep this a running document and would keep appending as I feel I could.
One big thing I realised about being in love is that one needs to know the lifecycle of love. This is comparable to a simple brand / product / service life cycle which almost all the marketing students are aware of(Kotler is what am referring to) Anyways I am listing the same below

• Early/Introduction Stage
• Growth Stage
• Maturity Stage
• Decline Stage

The Early stage is where the hormonal and chemicals of the body take over the conscious. Love is supposed to be blind and people in love are in their elevated senses with one single point of thought and that is about the other partner. Similar to the state where a males of the elephant species are experiencing Musth and female is in estrus. Musth is the time for establishing reproductive hierarchy, which can differ from the usual social hierarchy in that a male in musth outranks nonmusth males. Similarly for humans around the teenages, is the time where they exhibit the maximum of non-compliance, risk and move out from the following the societal norms and feel invincible. If things where to be cut loose, they will surely seek a partner. During this time being with the partner, fighting for one, being possessive is all but natural. Thoughts of life being non-existent if one fails in love, or doesn't find one are very much common, but only baseless. People mostly fail to understand and interpret their true feelings, for compromising to get someone to be with is what is on the highest criteria. The second step is to please the other person, by means of flirty talks, treating, gifting and surprising each other. The risk taking as I said is maximum in the early stage, one might risk ones own health and physical well being and wouldn't mind getting badly injured at this stage. The early stage as I believe should last for 3-6 months by end of which either the relations fail or go to the next stage. They fail for the mere fact that the need to be with other person makes one get into a relationship and more its not planned or thought of affair. This stage is the most exciting, joyful of the periods and could determine the fate of an individual. A strength of person is also determined on how one handles adverse situation here.

The Growth Stage in a relation is the foundation for the base of trust, acceptance, faith and confidence, integrity and intensity are set-up. This stage is beyond surprising, people should understand how one should avoid surprising each others by creating awkward situations. Trust, confidence in each other, faith and belief in each others abilities are slowly established in this stage. One starts to develop respect for each other, by the end of the stage one should be in a position to atleast if know if not accept the other persons short comings. This stage as I suppose usually last 3-6 months.

In Maturity Stage or towards the end of the growth stage occurs a situations where one completely gives in and surrenders their feelings to each other. The amount of confidence and trust in each is so immense that one starts to believe in the other sometimes more than themselves. Unavoidably the expectations from the other also starts growing. It is this stage where almost all the freshness, blossom, Passion of the early days of love are lost, and are taken over by duty, responsibility. Couples who are intelligent enough to take responsibility as an opportunity will succeed in laying up a foundation for a life long relation, other would surely have a rough patch, while few might part ways for the egos come in their ways for a few and others are outwitted by their own expectations not matching up in terms of responsibility shouldering towards mutual and perhaps exclusive needs. I feel there is no timelines that can be humanly set here, for a very opportunistic couple will develop and sustain love even in daily chores and shouldering responsibilities while others might resent the same.

The Decline stage is somewhere when it happens the couple are very preoccupied with so many personal things and are probably bothered about just pleasing self, and are the least interested about their partner. This attention shift from the partner is complete and total, and might no longer seek attention from them as the assumptions on solutions, reactions to the situations is so much known that they can ignore the perspective of their partner and start seeking advice or a perspective of a different person as required. But usually the kind of joy and excitement necessary is completely non-existent among the couple themselves. Sometimes the responsibilities they shouldered till now would have started aching and burdening them that they wish to call an end, but one might still continue to be together as they have no reason to split, and will try to find sollace in probably trying to advice, and guide others from their own experiences.

But as an independent thought to this LLC (Love Life Cycle) there are few thoughts which I would like to share.

1. One if finds true love wouldn't have any expectations from the other, if some kind of expectations are coming up, its for the only reason that one is in a social environment and one needs to be a part of the social fabric that society sets for oneself and expects each other to be and act in a way which they interpret as "acceptable societal norms". Obviously each others understanding, interpretations, perceptions and tolerances towards each other operate at a different frequency so conflicts do happen and expectations are changing, reset continously; sometimes the expectations change at exponential speeds for the same to be kept, met and broken.

2. Love is always not about being together and partying (sleeping included). In today's world, atleast people who are in love expect to do everything to just to reach to that intimate level. This is the biggest mistake people make and its quite evident in a conservative society like ours, where moving around with a girl is a taboo. And for a boy reaching a girl is only got one societably acceptable path and which happened to be love and feeling of love. People needs to understand that being or assuming that liking a person just cause for a sake of moving around together is everything else but love.

3. Intimacy at most of the times kills love, one need to understand that love can blossom and its true colors are fully revealed only by means of distance. Distances between true lovers helps them to understand and treasure each other, mutual respect grows, any false implications in the relations are fast healed. Intimacy creates friction, while distance and slight seclusion eases off that friction.

4. It's not always easy to move on having been in love. Love doesn't give second chance, and never loose what bit you possess with you, for people in love are easily heart broken in slightest provocation and might lead to a permanent loss; which is to be avoided at all lost. Things once out of hand needs drastic and dramatic measures to reposes the same lost Love. But I really doubt if the second innings would be as the same level as earlier.

5. Love is imperishable and a rare good and definitely not a commodity. Its costlier than diamond harder than titanium. Never fiddle around with for if you are you are fiddling around with your peace of mind and happiness.

6. In love one really needs to be hardlined with rest of the world, letting go of the love is as equivalent of letting go of life. If the entire world is against you and you know there is no reason strong enough for them to be against you it's only but stupidity to back of. For a step back is a step of cowardice and for there is no place for cowards in love.

7. Love is irreplaceable and has got no constituents. A replacement by means of getting a new person in place of person who one truly loved is foolishness and is torture for one gets tormented by the thoughts, feelings, comparisons and parallels which arise out of the new situation making one long for the lost love even more than ever. Bottom line get a Taj Mahal built than getting another Anarkali.

My two penance finding true love is hard, if you get one never let go and protect it at all costs. Love is irreplaceable and non-perishable. Never combine love and intimacy of physicality both are completely different and mistakenly assumed to be complimentary if not the same feelings. Respect the person you love more than an one else, if you don't you don't deserve the love.

Mangalyam tantu naanena........

" Mangalyam tantu naanenaMama jeevan hetuna.KanTe badhnaami subhagetvamjeeva sharadahshhatam"
Translated - Oh! The auspicious bride, you live a hundred autumn. I am tieing this thread which is a symbol of my life.
As I tie the Mangalsutra almost an hour past the Muhurthum of 10.35pm on 21st of August 2008, these where the words that kept resounding me for a days till today, as I gather time to put the same on the blog.
My journey towards this day wasn't a smooth sailing at all. Lots of turmoil, confusion, emotions and heartbreaks. As I start my new life trying hard to forget the past, filled of joy, love and passion mixed with tensions, emotional & morale turmoil I lay somewhere in middle, between my past which still casts long shadows and the future which offers now vision on how I can shape it.
Today as I write my blog, I feel terribly lost, and somehow disheartened over the past, for the confusions, hardships I've left behind for a few close people whom I revered for so many years.
The person I called my closest friend since 1999, where we envisioned to be together for rest of life and broke over an year back in 2007 still haunts my memories. Probably this was the reason I was unable to reconcile the fact that I was getting married and even commit just a couple of days for my marriage.
Earlier after having had a dramatically stupid and silly split I went on to get engaged to Shruti, which later broke, and this added fuel to my self discover and greater understanding and mindset towards true feelings and love which I've been running away from for sometime then. Now with the enlightenment I had though I wanted to go back I made my path back treacherous and complicated, which today is now a dead end. I am overwhelmed by everything that has happened to me, don't know what role all these things have had in terms of experience in life, and where will they lead to me in future, and whether I will be a better person or not and how well I can give back to the humanity. I just wish I become man of the people at the earliest and serve and return my debt of my sins and radical thoughts and decision making.
Today I feel having let go of her I let go off all my strength in life, while somehow I feel content for her; as for her I was her only weakness and now she would have let go of all the weakness in her life. I sincerely hope she will emerge braver, more courageous and stronger than ever.
And for my married life I am looking forward for another innings to start, and I sincerely pray for the well-being of everyone associated with me.