Got Water?

For years, we have captured and found moon in the water. Today science is determined to find water on the moon.

Finding water on moon could be of great help to us; Right from water for astronauts to first step towards colonizing on the moon. After Chandrayaan 1 found traces of water on moon, NASA planned to punch a hole on the moon.

Idea to find water on moon is an exciting one while crashing a million dollar spacecraft on the moon is not so exciting. But NASA is late in their project. What NASA doesn’t know is that immediately after Chandrayaan found the traces, Indian entrepreneurs started new ventures on the moon.

Silence: An Unspoken Communication

What is silence? Do we know what it is? All we know and hear is breaking of silence. But what do we break when we break silence? Is silence related to space? Do they have a common string that can tell us more than what we know? I try to find the answers but end up with more questions.

Silence is a language. It is a language that is universally known and spoken. Silence is even used in the language we speak everyday. Between every sentence we speak, there is silence. What does this signify? Do we unknowingly link 2 sentences through silence? We call this a pause.

Silence is an effective way to express. When someone stops talking to you, you feel deserted. You feel the force of silence when it is around you. We sometimes deliberately get silent. We go in our shell. I am not a therapist; but I know that when I go in my shell, I close my mind to outside world and open it for thinking. I create a space for myself through silence.

Silence can be considered as meditation. It provides the opportunity to introspect and understand why, when and what. Although we haven't understood the strength of silence, we know that it is powerful. Silence brings calmness and peace. It speaks a lot of things without saying a word. Silence sure has a deeper meaning than what we think.

We hear silence and we listen to the sound of silence. We don’t hear anything else when silence speaks. This is because silence is the loudest sound that we know. It muffles every other sound and it communicates with us everytime we pause and think. Silence has a lot to say but only if we are ready to listen to it.

Silence to me is a form of an unspoken communication and it is powerful.

Adhantari

I came across this poem yesterday. I compiled the pictures from my computer and tried to relate them to the poem. I hope I have done justice.

I couldn't help thinking about a journey similar to that explained by the poet. A journey that can be related by many.

Medicine Ke Side Effects!!!

I am sure you have heard of something called “Restless Leg Syndrome”. It’s a condition of restless legs. All my life, I had never thought of it as a medical condition. I mean seriously. How does someone ever come up with something like this? Someone somewhere was sitting comfortably on a chair shaking his/ her leg. And that’s when it occurred to them!! What about Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD)? I read the symptoms of that and I can relate to every single one of them. But I am not a hypochondriac and neither do I have ADD (I don’t think anything like that exists)

Who comes up with such diseases? And to my surprise (or probably not), there are medicines for these things as well. Seriously, if the name of the disease doesn’t scare you off, then the medicines should.

Mirapex is a well known drug for RLS. Here are some of the side effects of the medicine and keep in mind that some of the symptoms are hilarious (highlighted). Picked from the following website “http://restless-legs-syndrome.emedtv.com/”

• Low blood pressure when suddenly standing or sitting up
• Involuntary body movements, such as tics
• Nausea
• Insomnia
• Dizziness
• Drowsiness
• Weakness
• Abnormal dreams
• Headaches
• Hallucinations
• Falling asleep during the day, sometimes without warning
• Feelings of internal restless or jitteriness
• Strong, uncontrollable muscle contractions
• Any abnormal muscle movements
• Severe dizziness or fainting
• Muscle pain
• Any vision changes
• Difficult or painful breathing
• Problems with impulse control, such as gambling, hypersexuality, or binge eating
• An unexplained rash
• Hives
• Itching
• Swelling of the mouth or throat
• Wheezing
• Difficulty breathing
• Memory loss
• Loss of appetite
• Arthritis
• Bursitis, a painful joint condition
• Confusion
• Constipation
• Decreased libido (sex drive)
• Weight loss
• Dry mouth
• Fever
• Water weight gain (fluid retention)
• Impotence (erectile dysfunction or ED)
• The flu
• Nasal congestion
• Pneumonia
• A runny or stuffy nose
• Frequent urination
• Loss of bladder control (urinary incontinence)
• Urinary tract infections (UTIs), such as a bladder infection

So to get rid of restless legs, you have to risk the laundry list of side effects. Take a look at the commercial below. This is for another famous sleep aid medicine. This is a 60 sec. commercial with 35 sec. of side effects.

So next time you are accused of gambling or forgetting something, you know what to blame it on.

Happy Rakhi!!!

Rakhi is a popular Hindu festival which gets its name from the sacred thread that sisters tie on their brothers wrist. The festival marks the brother-sister relationship like no other and no place anywhere.

For years, Rakhi has been a symbol of trust and protection between siblings. The Nobel winning poet Rabindranath Tagore used the occasion of the Rakhi as a community festival to spread the nationalist spirit among people from different ethnic backgrounds. Rakhi also has several stories that include mythological and historical characters like
- King Bali and Goddess Lakshmi
- Lord Krishna and Draupathi
- Alexander The Great and King Puru
- Rani Karnawati and Emperor Humayun

Thus for centuries the word 'Rakhi' was recognized as a pledge towards a amicable and harmonious society and as a symbol that involves a bond of life-time practice of moral, cultural and spiritual values.

Until, this happened.....

Happy Rakhi!!!

Time as explained by Prof. Brian Cox

Particle physicist Prof. Brian Cox asks a simple question, ‘What time is it?’

This is a brilliant documentary about the journey of Prof. Brian Cox to answer this simple question. The quest includes several ancient beliefs, cultures. It also includes the most sophisticated and modern atomic clocks. However, the most intriguing part was his discussion with mathematician Neil Turok who provides the most fascinating theories of time. Overall, it’s a great episode that I watched on Science Channel last night.

So anyone who loves the geeky topic of space and time continuum should not miss this one. I love the way BBC puts it on their website.

“’What time is it?’ It's a simple question and it sounds like it has a simple answer. But do we really know what it is that we're asking?”

Flatulence on Flight and a Minor Earthquake.. Any Relation?

I experienced my first ever earthquake. At midnight on July 6th when I was watching the Michael Jackson remembrance show on MSNBC, I heard a rumble. It was louder than a thunder but softer than a blast; something like a Harley starting right outside my door. Within fraction of a second, my whole house shook, windows rattled and furniture squeaked. It lasted for only couple of seconds and then everything went back to normal. My first reaction was a lightening and thunder. However, the skies were clear and there was no lightening for sure. The immediate next reason that hit me was an earthquake. Earthquake in Richmond!!

I called my friend in California and told him my experience. He laughed and joked that it was just my stomach rumbling for some food (he thinks that I starve myself). Could it be a rumble in the tummy? Actually, it could have been. Not in my tummy but certainly someone in Richmond. My guess was the unknown person on my flight to Richmond.

Two hours before midnight (night of the quake), I had boarded a flight to Richmond. The flight was full and everything seemed fine until the flight door closed. As the flight was ready for take off, I smelt smelly flatulence (fart for most). Disgusting will be a mild word for this. I had to hold my breath and nearly choked myself to death. I looked around and saw that several other passengers were having the same reaction. A scary thought came to my mind. Is this the end or are we going to be in this gas chamber for the next 90 minutes?

My fear turned into reality when the next dose of nitrogen, ammonia and possibly all smelly gases was released. By this time, I could hardly breathe and was holding my hands tightly over my nose. The lady sitting on the other seat removed her perfume and sprayed it all over her nose for quick release. Few air particles from her perfume soothed the air a little bit. However, the smelly fart won the contest and in no time, we were drugged with the smelly fart again. In the air tight chamber, we had no escape. I am sure the person who was the origin of the flatulence wouldn’t have revealed himself/ herself by getting up and using the flight restroom. It would be too embarrassing by now.

As soon as the flight landed, most of us were ready to break the window and smell fresh air or run out fast. But we couldn’t do either as we sat at the rear of the plane. I hate the word “rear” in this case. Anything to do with rear is just obnoxious. The 90 minutes on the flight were a torture and a ride for all of us to the time of holocaust. I pray and have sympathy for the victims of the gas chamber; more so now than ever.

The time between our flight landing and the earthquake was approximately 60-70 minutes; enough time for the smelly person to reach home. So was the 2.3 magnitude quake a result of strong release of air and gas from the smelly guy? When we thought that we were out of danger, the smelly person released the bio weapon with earth shaking consequence.

My first encounter with earthquake will be remembered for more than 1 reason.

Complement

On the pedestal

India’s exit from WC T20 has been heart breaking for millions. I know that staying awake till midnight on Sunday to watch India lose cannot be a pleasant feeling. I am unhappy of the outcome as well. But what are Indian fans angry about? Why are they blaming Dhoni?

For a long time I have been hearing the wonderful songs of Dhoni. His captaincy was praised for the most unconventional approach and experimental strategies. Moving batsmen and bowlers is a strategy that he has used from the very first time he captained. Why do we not talk about the final over that Joginder Sharma bowled? If Misbah would have held his cool, then we would have blamed Dhoni even last year. But it worked for him last year. I fail to understand why the fans cannot take failure.

They burnt an effigy of Dhoni in Ranchi. The same city showered him with fame and money till date. Dhoni is the captain of Indian cricket team and wrong decisions from him ruin your sleep, your mood and your heart as a fan. If you want to react, then react to decisions that ruin your home, your job and your security. Burn the effigy of criminal and corrupt politicians who have time and again failed in all departments. We are putting the wrong thing on the pedestal.

This does not mean that I don’t feel sad about India’s exit. It is very disheartening and I will surely hope that they come all guns blazing in the next tournament. For now, all that I can say is, “Haan thoda dard hua, par chalta hai!!”

Haapoos Aambaa

A divine feeling!! Limitless happiness!! It is very hard to express the feeling when I had the first true Haapoos Amba in last 8 years. The 4 big fodie (pieces), 2 small fodie (pieces) and a juicy paarambi (mango seed)..yummieee!!!!!

The mango came directly from India; thanks to my friend. I have had few mangoes over the past few years (probably the ones that are cultivated in Mexico). However, nothing can beat the taste of the true Haapoos amba (usually known as Alphonso Mango) from Konkan.

Time travel.. Mango is linked to summer and summer is linked to summer vacation. I remember the crates of mangoes in my house and the innumerable number of shirts, pants that were spoiled from the stains of yellow mango juice. Mangoes take me to my native place where there was a continuous flow of mangoes. Our house that was surrounded by mango trees; particularly the big mango tree in front that bore the sweetest mangoes I have ever had. Mangoes even remind me of the vendor who used to sell mangoes shouting “paaaiiriiiii haaaaaapoooooosssss!!!!” And of course I remember the dishes made from mango; from aamras to raayta.

I feel nostalgic as the taste still lingers. It is hypnotic.

Endless Spinning Reel

Like a circle in a spiral

Like a wheel within a wheel

Never ending or beginning

On an ever-spinning reel

As the images unwind

Like the circles that you find

In the windmills of your mind

- by Legrand, Bergman, and Bergman

These are the last few lines of one of my favorite poems and compositions. This song written by Legrand, Bergman and sung by Noel Harrison tells a lot about human mind and its continuous journey till eternity.

Thoughts and ideas fuel the mind that is constantly working. The poet compares it with spinning wheel, circle in a spiral and even earth spinning around its axis. The mind travels to deepest thoughts and explores concepts that have never been explored. The people we meet and moments that we share are constantly flickering in our memories. All these thoughts breeze through our mind and keeps the mind running like a windmill and hence the windmills of our mind.

This windmill is concealed by us with the composure we hold in the outside world. I may seem calm and composed from outside. But deep within, there are zillion of thoughts that keep my mind moving. The calmness outside can be a deception to the fast and vigorous turmoil that is going on in the head. I can truly relate to the muppet in the video below.

Economy Hits Even The Comic Characters

It is all over the web; Archie is finally getting married. The comic character has entertained teenagers for 65 years and now he is going to get hitched.

What could have forced Archie (my bachelor hero) to tie the knot?

I feel that it is the economy. Why else would he go for Veronica? Bad economy and bad credit left no choice for poor Archie who picked the rich and famous Veronica.

So what will happen to Betty?

I am interested in knowing how the characters will change after Archie is married. I don't know if Archie comics will ever be fun after that. However, the writer of this 6 part series is also the producer of 'The Dark Knight'. Hence, there could be a twist to the whole story. We can only hope.

A Sole Melting trip to the World’s best…. Everything

Have you visited Missouri, the show me state? It is truly a show me state. I mean it showed me that everything in Missouri is the best in class.

It all began when Rohit, Shital, Ruhi and I started to drive to St. Louis. The drive is not the most scenic but the billboards are. As soon as we left Oklahoma and entered Missouri, we were struck by the Universe’s best advertisements. Everything and almost every board read either “world’s best” or “planet’s best” or some else that was superlative. It ranged from “World’s largest toy shop” to “Planet’s rarest cave formation”. You could see boards of places that were rated “World famous” and I think even Google search cannot keep up with it. They even had several signs for adult entertainment including one that said, “Pleasure Zone; where Lovers come to Play.”

This new state that I visited was slightly different than rest; probably the first state where I didn’t see people smiling. Our server at Buffalo Wings and receptionist at the hotel are just few examples. We drove for about 6 hours before touching St. Louis and our hotel. We would have not hit the hotel if it was not for our dinner plans. We had made reservations at this place called “Top of the Riverfront” that needed business casuals. I am sure that people who know us are wondering... Business casuals and Rohit Datar don’t go hand in hand!!!

This brings us to the mid point of the trip and also the most hilarious part ever (I have to be superlative as I was in Missouri).

We changed into business casuals. Shital and Ruhi looked pretty in their attire while I fortunately had formals as I had come to Dallas on a business trip. If I am not fooled by my memory, then this was the first time in about 20 years that I have seen Rohit in formal wear. I don’t wear formal all the time but Rohit on the other hand doesn’t like it (so it seemed). The belt he was wearing was loose and didn’t hold the trouser in place. Finally after about 45 minutes we were ready to head out and get our first close glimpse at the arch and have enjoy fine dining.

Surprisingly, the park in which the arch is built is not the prettiest (superlative). Actually, there is nothing other than the structure over there. Even the lawn had patches of weeds. The arch was beautiful (the passage to the west). It stands high and tall and the massive steel structure glitters in the sunset; just awesome. It tells you a lot about the physics that must have gone behind building it. While we were admiring the arch, Ruhi was excited about the helicopters that were landing near the river. We sat near the stairs that went down near the river. We could see the helicopters landing from here. Our reservation at the restaurant was for 8 pm and we still had an hour to kill. Our plan to enjoy the riverfront and the park was killed as there was neither a good riverfront nor a great park.

Rohit was already feeling uncomfortable in the formal attire. On the top of it he had to manage the trouser that was sliding down. Sitting on the stairs he noticed debris of black carbon like substance at his feet. At first it seemed like charcoal or some rubber tire residue. However, after close inspection he realized that the debris had something to do with his shoes. A quick glimpse at the bottom of the shoes revealed it all. The sole of his shoes were shedding skin. By this time, it had already discarded the heel side and he could see the lining of the sole giving away as well. Shital couldn’t stop laughing while Ruhi was still wondering what was going on.

We decided that we need to get going towards the restaurant. And as we walked across the park, Rohit left a trail of black rubber residue. The sole was giving way and now the sides of the sole had fallen off. Rohit was holding onto his loose trousers watching the misery of his shoes. Ruhi who was tired by now didn’t want to walk. So Rohit put her on his shoulders and started walking towards the restaurant. Shital was worried that Rohit would leave the trail in the classy restaurant. Hence after a bit of discussion, we decided to find a shoe store and buy a new pair of shoes.

The closest shop was a Macys that was 3-4 blocks in the direction opposite to that of the restaurant. So we started walking towards it. After about 20 minutes, we couldn’t locate any shop on the Saturday evening. By now Rohit was sweating profusely. Holding Ruhi with one hand and holding his trouser with another, Rohit was walking down St. Louis downtown leaving a trail of rubber. Hilarious will be a mild word over here. Shital and I were having a stomach aching laugh at Rohit’s cost.
“Aamhala jari majaa yet asli tari tyalaa nahi yet hoti”
We failed to locate any shop and finally decided to walk towards the restaurant.

“Top Of The RiverFront” is a revolving hotel that is located at the top of Millennium Hotel overseeing the St. Louis downtown and giving the best view of the arch. The food was as good as the view. The overall experience was great and all 4 of us had a great time. It was close to 10 pm when we decided to leave. Shital had read about this place called “Bailey’s chocolate bar restaurant” and it all sounded great. Shital and Ruhi stayed at the hotel lobby while Rohit and I walked to get the car. I lend my belt to Rohit and that made his life slightly better. It was a 15 min. walk and by now Rohit was almost walking barefoot. There was no sole left in his shoes and his socks were the only thing holding on to the leather shoes. Rohit was ready to shed away his shoes and trouser and walk on the streets in his boxers. This could probably be the last time I will see Rohit in formal attire.

In the last 4 hours, Rohit lad left mark everywhere in St. Louis; Debris in the park, pieces of rubber on the streets and even a big chunk of his sole near the bench across the street from the arch. I think Rohit truly loved the city because even if Rohit is now back in Oklahoma, his sole still lies somewhere in St. Louis. It seems like someone from our group has to leave something somewhere. First it was Sumeet who lost his glasses in upstate New York and now it was Rohit who left his sole in Missouri (world’s best everything). It could be an adventure expedition for Neel and Ruhi when they grow up; to find their parent’s belongings.

Tulsa Day 1

I took the longer route to Rohit’s place. The GPS took me via the interstate route that added an extra hour and hence instead of reaching at midnight, I reached at 1:30 in the morning. As I turned the rental car on Yale Ave I remembered my last trip with Sumeet in December last year. Shital was awake and was trying to give me directions to the house. I know that the road gets tricky especially in the night but I had the confidence to find my way. Not for long. I drove around in the community in vain. Shital finally decided to give me the signal by blinking the drive way lights. Shital I guess uses the same technique to send S.O.S. when in distress. After few U-turns, I reached the driveway that was blinking at 1:30 a.m. Rohit woke up by the time I reached while Ruhi was fast asleep by then. I chit chatted with Shital (I knew Rohit wouldn’t last too long and I excused him as he had to work next day).

May 22nd morning and it is Neel’s first birthday. The youngest member of our group is now a year old and Shital updated me that he has started to walk.

A question for Asawari: Did he start walking at Hawaii or at California?

We called up Sumeet and at expected Asawari and Sumeet were overwhelmed with calls. Sumeet sure was going crazy as he called us back after a while. Meanwhile, Shital and I were planning for the next few days and decided that it made more sense to travel on Saturday than on Friday. Ruhi and I caught up with our signature Clementine song. I think she will probably remember me through the song and the song through me. Rohit came back from work by 1 p.m. and it was time to call back Sumeet. We tried to pursue him to fly to Tulsa at 1/3rd cost (as Rohit and I would have paid the difference). But he was not comfortable with the timing of the flight. No wait.. I think he was not comfortable with the impromptu plan… or was it the price?.. no, I think it was the fact that he would have had to work from home on Tuesday; but he normally does that and so that cant be the reason. Well, it should be that the flight was not from SNA.. or was it because Neel doesn’t like to fly early? or maybe since the flight was NOT a red eye flight. I was confused and so were Rohit , Shital and even Ruhi. The bottomline line was that they couldn’t make it. Finally, I am to be blamed as I didn’t plan it correct.

A question for Rishi: What would be your executive decision for a similar proposition?

We moved to our next plan and booked our hotel at St. Louis and also made reservations for “Top of the Riverfront” restaurant for dinner on Saturday.

We went to Rivewalk crossing near Tulsa where Ruhi had a blast playing in the fountain. She enjoys water thoroughly and I am sure she will get to see the beach more often in California than at Oklahoma. We walked along the river waiting for a live band to start. It was taking a looong time for the band to set up the speakers and instruments. After about 45 min. the band started playing with slight hiss and shrills from the speakers. I think (and Shital, Rohit would agree) that it wasn’t the faulty system that was the problem. The singers especially the female singer wouldn’t have sounded any worse without the system issue. I think she worked part time with the band while her full time job could have been at the place “where Lovers come to Play” (if you know what I mean).

We picked up “Benjamin Button..” movie on our way back. Barbeque plan was still on. The grill was hot but skewers were not. The lid of the grill pushed the skewers up and it took a long time for the meat to cook. But it was worth the wait. Reshmi kabab, chicken, mushroom and veggies were delicious. I must have mentioned this in an earlier blog but its true that food is the center of all our trips. Yummy yummy in our tummy!!!

Ruhi was busy swatting imaginary mosquitoes until a real big one came inside the house. She chickened out as soon as she saw the big one.. and it was truly a big mosquito that ended it’s flight under Rohit’s thumb…squash!!!

The rented movie was a drag and put Rohit and Shital to sleep. Good food and great time put me to sleep in no time as well.

Action Required from Readers

I have been writing blogs for a while; over 3 years now. This seemed to be a good medium to express my thoughts (or anything that I stumble upon and find interesting to share) and that’s why I named it scribble pad.

Yesterday a friend got me thinking when she found the blogs more like articles. According to her, the topics and the style of writing are closer to articles than blogs. I researched about the difference on the internet and got several definitions. There are sites that explain the difference but none is crystal clear. I am still confused and feel that the readers are the best judge. Hence, I would like to pose this question to the readers. I would like to know if my writing is “Article Writing” or “Blog Writing”. Please use the poll below and let me know.

P.S. The poll will be up until end of June 2009. And irrespective of the outcome, I will keep posting on this website.

Space... A Final Frontier

These words take me back to my school days; days when we had a black and white television with just 2 channels. Few things don’t change and childhood favorites remain lifetime memories. “Star Trek” had a similar impact on me when I was a kid and now when I am not a kid.

I watched the latest Star Trek and loved it. It is a high energy, adventurous and fun filled movie. It has a nice blend of old and new generation Star Trek. While the key characters are retained as they were, few new faces make it interesting and don’t spoil the main crew of the enterprise. The story is kept simple and a few complicated parts are covered up with time travel. The black hole concept is used to nicely explain the various elements of past and present. Overall, a Star Trek fan should be rejuvenated with the new blockbuster. I will call it the prequel to the original series of Star Trek as it explains the formation of the awesome crew of the enterprise; it explains how it got Kirk, Spock, Sulu, Dr. Mccoy, Uthura and Scottie together.

There are few things that didn’t annoy me but certainly were unnecessary. Spock and emotions don’t go hand in hand. There is no need for any affection unless there is sequel to the entire idea. Also, please don’t change the original narration. I loved it the way it was. They changed it from “a five year mission” to “an ongoing mission”. And they also changed the catch phrase, “to boldly go where no man has gone before”. They are trying to be politically correct over here and have changed it to “to boldly go where noone has gone before.” Some things should be left untouched. They are beautiful the way they always were.

Here is the original narration for the fans.

And whoever changed the opening narration was out of their Vulcan mind...

गरीबी में आटा गीला

The economy is at its worst, the terrorism has decayed the society world wide and the planet is melting. Everywhere you look, you meet with concerns and worries that have engulfed most of us. Working through these tough times is no joke and we all wish for the things to change.

The news channels today have nothing good to report on. They all talk about tough financial conditions, violence and severe weather patterns. I do not remember the last time I heard any positive story (other than the Susan Boyle story). This gloomy picture has been painted for so long that I fear that the bright and sunny days have only become a fairytale. For months I hoped for the long needed change and wished for the good old times to come back.

All in all, I wished for the pigs to fly.

And guess what!! Last week as I lay in my bed listening to the news channel, 2 words caught my ears and I was ecstatic. As the news reader read the headlines of the day, I heard the magic words; “Swine Flew”. Oh my God, are the pigs really flying? Is the long wait over? Are things changing for good? Are we out of recession? Are all terrorists caught?

Alas, my excitement didn’t last for too long as I got the true news report. The last thing we needed in this downturn was an epidemic. When we think that we have seen the worst, The Almighty has something in store for us. God truly has a dark sense of humor.

Now I do not wish for the pigs to fly. But I certainly hope for the shrimps to whistle :)

Mindset

I watched my nephew struggle to climb over the sofa. It was too difficult for his age to get the technique right. He failed several times; but his young brain didn’t give up trying. And to nobody’s surprise, he finally managed to climb the sofa after multiple failed attempts. The 2 year old showed the determination that we grown ups have forgotten.
We all boast about the experience and knowledge we gain from years of learning. However, the same learning/ experiences hold us back from trying again. We use the experiences to condition and hard wire our brain to believe that something cannot be done. We get stuck with our mindset.
A story of a chained elephant provides a great example of how the psychological behavior (mindset) can influence our life. The story goes like this.

“A baby elephant born in a circus is trained from an early age to perform in the acts. After each performance, the elephant master takes the elephant outside and ties a chain around its ankle. Using a mallet, he hammers the chain into the ground to stop the elephant from escaping. The baby elephant pulls and pulls, but cannot break free. This happens after every performance.
The elephant grows, but the master continues to use the same chain. Eventually the elephant reaches its full size and still the master uses the same chain. However, over the years the elephant has stopped trying to break free from the chain, no longer even bothering to try”

The adult elephant in the story has the strength to easily break free. However, it is conditioned to believe that it cannot break the chain. Similarly, we too set constraints and boundaries around us and live with those beliefs all our life. We hang on to the beliefs that we develop over period or beliefs that are influenced by others on us.
All we need is to believe that we can break those shackles and change the outcome for better tomorrow. All we need to do is to not get bound by our limitations. Rather use those limitations to our benefit. With correct attitude, an open mind, desire and correct application, we can get closer to the goal. I agree that this goal will by no means be an easy target. However, persistence, endurance and willingness to rise from the failures will make us tough and more determined to achieve anything and everything.
We need to get over the mindset and keep trying. I will leave my thoughts with a beautiful poetry written by a hindi poet SuryaKant Tripati Nirala.

लहरों से डरकर नौका पार नहीं होती
हिम्मत करने वालों की हार नहीं होती।

नन्ही चींटी जब दाना लेकर चलती है,
चढ़ती दीवारों पर सौ बार फिसलती है,
मन का विश्वास रगों में साहस भरता है,
चढ़कर गिरना,गिरकर चढ़ना न अखरता है,
आखिर उसकी मेहनत बेकार नहीं होती ,
कोशिश करने वालों की हार नहीं होती।

डुबकियां सिंधु में गोताखोर लगाता है,
जा-जाकर खाली हाथ लौट आता है,
मिलते न सहेज के मोती पानी में,
बहता दूना उत्साह इसी हैरानी में,
मुठ्ठी उसकी खाली हर बार नहीं होती,
हिम्मत करने वालों की हार नहीं होती।

असफलता एक चुनौती है स्वीकार करो,
क्या कमी रह गयी,देखो और सुधार करो,
जब तक न सफल हो नींद चैन को त्यागो तुम,
संघर्षों का मैदान छोड़ मत भागो तुम,
कुछ किये बिना ही जय-जयकार नहीं होती,
हिम्मत करने वालों की हार नहीं होती।

Deck Of Cards

With face down, each card looks alike. The unknown factor of what card will be pulled is only a game of chance. And so is life.
In one month, I saw a range of ups and downs in personal and professional lives of various people including me. This is not the first time that I have been awed by things around me. However, this is the first time when I thought about the events in the perspective of probability.
I am not a believer of faith or destiny. These terms mean that there is always something written for me and I feel that what comes tomorrow is a result of today. However, there are cases when the tomorrow doesn’t correlate with my actions today. There were some events over which I didn’t have any control. These events were beyond my understanding and I can only attribute them to something called “uncertainty”. How big is this uncertainty? The dilemma I have is that on one hand I toil today to make my future better and on other hand I miss out on my today when there is this “uncertainty” that can change my tomorrow.
Tomorrow has always fascinated millions like me; most wish that they knew their tomorrow. This wish to catch the impossible deprives us to look at what is eternal truth; Today. While we strive and toil to make the tomorrow a better place, we miss out on the present that is staring at us. I ponder over what Mahatma Gandhi had said. "Live as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live forever.”
Today is clear as crystal while tomorrow is like a pack of cards that can bring anything to the table. But I do not want to kill tomorrow before it is born since I know that the way I spend today will shape up my tomorrow. I will have to live the current moment and I will have to make my actions count towards the unknown tomorrow. I should see today as the most important day in my life similar to a proverb that says, “Today is the first day of the rest of your life”
Yes, today is what I have control of and all I can say about the rest is that I will have to wait and watch the card that is thrown at me when it is thrown at me.

नेता चप्पल!! (Neta Chappal)

I do not know whether “Hawaii Chappals” are from Hawaii or not. However, I know that these flip flops are now truly justifying the name “Hawaii” as they are becoming more air borne (“Hawaii” in hindi) in recent times.
A new form of rebellious activity was started by Muntadar al-Zaidi, a Iraqi journalist who threw shoes at President Bush. The active followers of that event were seen recently in India during various election rallies. Three separate incidents that followed in India include

• a journalist throwing a shoe at Home minister P Chidambaram during a press conference in New Delhi
• a retired school headmaster lobbing a footwear at Congress candidate in Kurukshetra Navin Jindal during a poll rally and
• a former functionary of the saffron party throwing a slipper at BJP leader LK Advani during a public meeting.

I think that the chappal industry should take note of such occurrence and come up with marketing strategies for better chappal sales. Changes to pitch and product can help them sky rocket their chappal sales.
Brand
Branding of the chappals will determine the success of the company. Chappal should be branded after a Neta. The designation and the post of the Neta should determine the price of chappals e.g. Nagarsevak chappal will be less expensive than corporate chappal while Prime Minister chappal will be more expensive than Chief Minister chappal, etc. The style of the chappals should be based on the deeds of the politician i.e. Lalu chappal will be made up of Chaaraa (fodder) while money bills will decorate Amar Singh chappals.
Product
The old thong based chappals should get a makeover. Quality and properties of the chappal should change to serve the redefined purpose. The chappal should have typical qualities that will determine the ability of the product to cater new cause. For instance, a chappal that can travel 100 feet will be more reliable than the chappal that can travel only 20 feet. Similarly, the accuracy of the aerial route of the chappal will also determine the quality. Chappal companies can also become creative by creating new age chappals for the cause. New age Chappals should be able to trace their target in the crowd. Although the sole of the chappal can wear out fast, the chappal should be able to tear apart the dirty soul of the Neta.
Awareness
In the era where everything is “Go Green”, the chappal industry should not be left behind. The retaliation with chappal should be marketed as more eco friendly than bombing, shooting or blasting. Also, these chappals should be bio degradable and should leave no trace after hitting the target.

In this chappal world, there would be a chappal for every crook in town. Chappal sale will determine the political situation of the nation. The chappal sale will also determine who should or shouldn’t be given an election ticket. In this world, the chappals will say what people cannot express. And all we can say will be that “Chappal Chappal pe likha hai khaane waale ka naam”.

PG-13 : Parents Strongly Cautioned

Today I read another horror story of a student committing suicide in India. This must be 10th case that I have heard or read in last 30 days. It seems to be a common event in India.  I have not run the statistics but I can say that if guns are killing innocent kids in US, then education is killing innocent students in India.    

What drives these actions? How disturbing is the student who commits such an action? What is bothering him/her? I attribute the actions to 3 basic root causes.

- Society 

- Parents 

- Competition 

Although all 3 are interlinked, they individually fuel the system that drives the students to fall victim.   

Society: 

As a kid, I always heard only 2 professions; doctor and engineer. What is the big deal with these 2 professions? I know of many doctors who struggle to practice while engineering field has mocked itself after the IT boom. I am an Industrial Engineer who is working in a financial field and I know that there are several who do the same.   

There is a natural segregation in the education system as well. If you think that caste system has corroded the system in India, then think about how the education system has divided the mass. For example, MBAs, MDs, IAS officers and few other Masters professional are the elite class of today. Engineers, doctors and CAs fall below the elite class. The B.Coms, B.A.s and other bachelor degrees are left behind in the rat race for supremacy.   

I remember that after my 10th grade results, it was a clear prioritized list; try for Science then Commerce and then Arts. In a way, the sequence is still maintained barring few who rebel and make a career in whatever they choose. However, if you ask the society to choose for you then the list is very clear.   

Parents: 

If you thought that parents should take care to ensure that the kids don’t hurt themselves, then you will be wrong. Today, the parents are more hyper about their kid’s exam than the kid itself. I have seen parents get nervous breakdown when their kid under performs. And please understand that “underperform” is a relative term over here. The kid might be good but is not as good as another kid in your colony or family. I have seen parents compare and even give example of other kids. How will a kid feel when his/ her parents are praising someone else? Is it right to compare siblings?   

Parents are nowadays seeking help of expensive tuition. A first grader is working more than 40 hours a week (probably more than the parents). A daily schedule of a primary school kid begins with school, then tuition, homework and finally with some extra curricular activity than is deemed “cool” in the society. The kid doesn’t have time to be kid.   

The advertisement and marketing business is not falling behind as well. They are coming up with products that will enhance your memory or make you more active at school. Once my mom was asked what she feeds me during the exams. This is one of the most hilarious questions that I have ever heard. Of course, my mom truthfully answered “dal, bhaat (rice), bhaaji (veggies), poli (bread)”. The point is the extent to which parents struggle to make their kids survive the stiff competition.   

Competition: 

It is a rat race. The bar keeps on rising. In 1993 when I completed my 10th, getting 85% in SSC was considered good enough. Today, my nephews and nieces cannot think of anything below 90% to catch up with the average. They will work crazy hours, spent sleepless nights, read thousands of pages, attend several tuition. All this and more only to pass a school exam that will take them to a higher grade. The competition becomes stiffer as you move up the grade. The backpack that weighed 10 pounds in first grade will weigh 30 pounds in fifth grade. With this rate I can assure that if the student cannot make it in the highly competitive society as a professional, then he surely will become a successful coolie.   

Special classes conducted by schools show the desperation of schools to outperform the competition. Just like students who are pawns in this competition, the schools too strive hard to maintain the top position. The selection criteria to get into school are stiff as well. My brother and sister-in-law were asked to produce their degree documents for their kid’s admission. The concept was to judge the kid’s intelligence based on his parent’s education. Such is the competition to be at the top.   

Finally, after all the struggle of getting into a good school, attending the best tuition and eating the most nutritious food, the student can fail. This failure is taken as a disgrace for the student, his parents, his school and everyone related. The student knows it all but is too young to bare the pressure. Imagine a 12 year old who failed a test facing his parents. He doesn’t have the guts to withstand that storm; a storm that is created by his parents themselves and will bring shame to his parents. Scared of the outcome and being a novice in this cruel society, the student pays the ultimate price.

Society, parents and competition are just fuel to the ultimate fire. This fire of educational excellence has been there for years. But recently the game has reached another level. The number of suicides has increased over period. The educational pressure is not only taking away the childhood from these kids but sometimes is also taking away their lives. Where will it stop? How will it stop?

Six Inches of Separation

Thousands of feet above ground and miles away from those that matter to us. In this high and long journey, we are only inches away from someone we have never met before and probably will never ever meet again. The 6 inches of separation between the 2 of us is more than just distance between adjacent seats. I cannot resist thinking the relevance of the fellow passenger in our life for those few hours.    

Air travel might be exciting for few. But after having traveled for a while, I am too tired to get into the plane and spend helpless hours staring at the seat in front or gazing at the sea of clouds. I do not mind traveling by road as I can have control over my actions and am free. However, on a flight, I would be clueless as I am stuck in mid air with no option but to make most of what I have. No Superman, Spiderman or miracle is going to come to my rescue. The only people who might help are the flight crew who has the responsibility of all passengers and probably my fellow passengers. But do I even know this passenger?   

All types of people have accompanied me on such journeys. Different age groups, different races, different sexes, different social statuses and even different personalities have shared those 6 inches of separation with me. I am always ready to understand this next seat neighbor. I have learnt that these people tell a lot about the world we live in. Lot of topics are discussed and talked with people around you. These talks become great discussions since there is nothing at stake and people express themselves freely. A fellow passenger is someone from whom you can learn a lot; about life experiences, different views and also about different cultures.   

In my few years of air travel, I have been engaged on several topics of discussion with these fellow passengers. I remember a middle aged woman who discussed religion with me for couple of hours. She and I discussed Christianity and Hinduism and their messages. I learned a lot about their religion in those couple of hours than ever before in my life. I am sure that I influenced her thinking about Hindu religion as we both shared our thoughts and experiences. On similar lines, a European guy who had been traveling was keen on knowing about India and the sub-continent in general. At the end of those brief 45 minutes discussion, he was all set to plan his next trip to India. He also educated me on his trip to Africa and South America. Once, I met an old man who knew more than 10 languages and was sharing his experiences about how he was motivated to learn so many languages. I became a zealous fan of that 60+ year old man. I did teach him few words of marathi (he already knew little bit of hindi).   

Along with these culturally diverse discussions, I had few global discussions with few enthusiasts as well. As I was browsing through the WSJ, my fellow passenger couldn’t help peeping in. This was a good enough ice breaker for us and for the next few hours, we were debating over economic policies of the US and UN. Several ideas were put forth and although we didn’t change the world in those hours, we certainly gained good knowledge about people’s perception towards current Global economy. Another hot topic around global awareness has been global warming. Few students in my flight were discussing the polar melting and Al Gore’s documentary. It is an interesting topic in which everyone agrees about global warming but noone is ready to change his/ her own life to help slow down the process.   

In the recent times, passengers are looked upon with suspicion as well. Even the sanest person in this high fly journey is wary about the co passengers. In the light of events like 911 and other crazy hostage situations, every person on the flight is on high alert about their fellow passenger. Recently, I heard a case where a passenger raised an alarm when she saw her fellow passenger reading a book that had the word “Crash”. The fellow passenger turned out to be some official who was reading some work related notes. My discussions about terrorism are the most passionate. Although this is a very sensitive topic on an aircraft, I have seen that everyone has a unanimous opinion and stand.

The journey in the pressure controlled capsule where passengers cannot do much, provide a conducive environment for sharing thoughts, experiences and more without getting distracted. Some passengers are more willing to talk than others. But you will find someone who is ready to share their story. Everyone has a story to tell and you can relate to or contribute your few cents to every story you hear. There is always a “you” hidden in all those stories or discussions and in a weird way, you can relate to this stranger on the flight. 

Are we truly related to this stranger? Does the 6 inches of separation symbolize the 6 degrees of separation?

I wonder!!

For Hook and by the Crooks

Indian politics has always fascinated me for the publicity and the glamour attached to it. Cricket, Bollywood and Politics are the most famous and most earning personalities in the country. The first 2 are modes of entertainment and are a matter of choice for Indian mass. Politics is a mandatory topic and everyone; from the filthy rich to the downtrodden gets impacted by it. There are 2 main questions that I ask myself to reason out the glamour of politics. 

• Who are these people? 
  
• Why do they do it?     
  

Who are these people? 

The question is “who should these people be?” A person who represents the common man, voices their concerns and works for them, should be someone from them. Is it true?   No politician is a common man. When was the last time anyone from Gandhi family could relate to the general mass of India? A well known actor or actress cannot be a common man either. Raj Babbar or Jaya Pradha can have glamour attached to them. But can they really represent the true Indian? Govinda didn’t have the spine to hold the dam when the city was down under water. On the other side, cricketers like Sidhu can only mock the constitution of India. This is the story of selection criteria of politicians.   

I will still be fine with well known personalities to run the race if the whole idea is to get people to vote based on their bias. However, it is scary when these representatives are not only least related to common man but also active or passive law breakers. Sanjay Dutt was released from jail less than 2 years back and is a suspected accomplice of Mumbai Terror in early 90s. Several hundred candidates with voting tickets have a case pending in the court of law. Some of them commit crime during the election time itself. Mr. Varun Gandhi can openly pass raciest comments and instead of condemning him, several political parties whole heartedly support him. Arun Gawli, a known gangster is fighting election from jail. How crazy can the system go? Why is the land of saints represented by bunch of crooks?   

Why do they do it? 

Power, Paisa (money) and Prasiddhi (fame).  Power is an addiction and those who taste it cannot let it go. They want it at any cost. Same goes for money and fame.   We saw many talk trash and comment about stupid things just to be in the limelight. We hear radicals talk about needing a “marathi” PM (pointing to himself) while others gauging relocation of IPL outside of the country as “shame to the country”. The trick to arouse the sentiments of Indian mass has been the strategy of many for years.   The politicians are hooked on seeing their image on the television screen and big hoardings. It doesn’t matter for what reason they are being screened as long as they are seen by the junta. A political hook keeps them happy and famous.   

This system is similar to corruption. Why only blame the person who takes bribe? We should also blame the person who gives bribe. A similar story can be told in this context. Along with the glamour crazy crooks who want to be big, we should ask the question to the mass on why they get fascinated by these people, follow them blindly and flock to get close glimpse. In the population of over a billion, we worship these handful people who nowhere belong to the general mass; these people who are being put on the pedestal by us in the first place. Do they really mean good of us? Will they understand our issues? Can they stand along side with us when the calamity hits the common?

 

In the end, we always see the common man as an old, bald helpless person who is simple and unglamorous. He is no crook and he only wishes for roti, kapada and makaan (food, clothing and shelter). So why are the politicians anything but the above?

None Of The Above (NOTA)

It is election time in India and most of my time at home is spent watching the crazy game of politics. The election time brings out the worst from the political parties and individuals. Verbal clashes, radical remarks and finger pointing are few of the strategies of the game. Everyone does it. I cannot think of any party that is failing to use these tactics and get votes from those who get inspired from such comments. To worsen the matters, individuals who are no less than criminals or crooks are seen wearing Nehru topi and Khadi kurta begging for votes. The superficial smile and polite speech fails to hide their true being.   

Today, the voter is well aware of the circumstances. He is updated with all the pros and cons of each candidate. While He can identify the wrong candidates, the problem to pick the right candidate is still outstanding. Nobody seems like a good candidate. The voter is left to pick the best of the worst.   To help pick the right candidate, the election commission is seriously considering the option of providing a NOTA (None Of The Above) option to voters. This will give the power to ensure that wrong candidates are not picked. I saw on “Lok Sabha” channel that the EC has recommended the Government to have the NOTA option for voters. As per the NOTA option, voters can choose to pick NOTA if they do not like any of the candidates on the voting sheet. If the NOTA votes are 50% or more, then there will be a reelection and the candidates in the previous election CANNOT run for the reelection.   

The NOTA option will open the door to millions of voters who find the candidates ridiculous and worthless. A majority of voters do not show up at the voting station since they do not agree with the nomination list. These voters should be encouraged if NOTA is applied. Their voice will be heard and their votes will be counted. These voters should turn up at the voting stations and cast their votes. A no show at the voting station will not be counted as a NOTA vote and hence we can truly say that each vote will count. Also, this law will be different than Rule 49-O. Rule 49-O states that   

“If an elector, after his electoral roll number has been duly entered in the register of voters in Form-17A and has put his signature or thumb impression thereon as required under sub-rule (1) of rule 49L, decided not to record his vote, a remark to this effect shall be made against the said entry in Form 17A by the presiding officer and the signature or thumb impression of the elector shall be obtained against such remark”

---  http://eci.nic.in/archive/manuals/part5/stat2z_2.htm

Unlike Rule 49-O, NOTA will protect the identity of the voter. Also, the votes will count and can impact the result if they hold more than 50% of the votes.   I hope that the NOTA option is implemented in the upcoming elections. And if so, I request all those who are skeptical about voting to go and cast their vote.

Somethings that money cannot buy...

Lunch at Yokos : Rs. 350

Magai Paan at typical paanpatti : Rs. 10

Chikoo Milkshake at Shiv Sagar : Rs. 50

Babu cha vadapav outside PTV (quantity 2) : Rs. 14

Lassi at Aarey stall on Hanuman Road : Rs. 8

Walking on streets of Vile Parle with a childhood friend and remembering old memories - PRICELESS!!

Am I safe?

March 3rd will be remembered as one of the darkest day in the game of cricket. A day when all sport rivalries dissolved, all competitiveness vanished and all swaggers were dropped. We saw an event that summarizes the extent to which the terrorism has reached. Cricket, particularly in the sub-continent is considered a religion and players are no less than idols to be worshipped. No wonder they become the target of some fanatic actions and religious statements.   

I watch old clippings of the game when the spectators could run on the field to intercept a boundary or even to rejoice after winning an important game. The players at that time were scared that they will get hurt as the fans pulled their jerseys and tried to shake their hand. That was 20 years back. Today, we see the players come in tight security. The entry into the stadium is not without passing through a metal detector or full body frisk, flags with poles, bottles and other hard objects are banned to carry. And even after complying with these laws, one has to watch the game that is played in a caged ground; high barbed wires enclose the field to avoid any contact of the players with the spectators. This is what happens today. We have come a long way in the last 20 years in terms of security. The game is the same and the passion is the same but the world has changed.   

Today, we live in a world where women and children are harassed in broad daylight in developing countries, war and disease engulf a substantial portion of the third world countries, economic failure has broken the backbone of the developed world, religious fanatics all over the world are fighting for supremacy while the planet is slowly melting as the Global warming shows its power. Knowingly or unknowingly, we are digging our own grave.   

And while the big fish eats the small fish, I ask the question, “Who is safe?”   

Haircut

I fear haircut. My fear today is more to do with unknown factor of how long will I have my hair as against my childhood fear?    

Today I went to salon for my haircut. I was reading some absolutely biased survey conducted by AARP magazine about greenest city, most health conscious city, etc. I was engrossed reading the duh survey results when the salon door opened and in came a mom with her crying child. I should not call it a crying child but a terrified child. He was shouting at the top of his voice and had both his hands covering his head in a gesture to protect his beloved hair. He was pleading his mom to go home and even apologized for anything he had done wrong. All this reminded me of my childhood when I was equally terrified of such fierce place. And today I wonder why are children scared of haircut?   

Let us dissect the experience at the salon from the child’s point of view. First, you are going to a crazy place with some crazy smell and scary buzzes and sounds. The sight of the place is not too pleasant as well. There is hair lying everywhere and people are sitting on weird looking chairs with an apron that only exposes their head. And then there are people standing with sharp shiny scissors and clippers as they work on the people on the chair. This place looks nothing different than a slaughter house for a child. It is truly an uncomfortable place where you hold still since a stranger wants to cut your hair; your beloved hair.   

Coming back to present, the child was still howling as he sat on his mom’s lap, both with an apron on. He child didn’t even want to look anywhere. His mom pulled his hands away from his head and now he covered his face with his tiny hands. He didn’t want to see the stranger lady with shiny sharp clippers. As the clippers buzzed and moved on his head, he was literally shaking. He was begging his mom to leave and cover his face. The buzz wasn’t the most pleasing sound of the day for him. His mom was trying to keep him busy by talking to him about school and friends, etc. However, the child was trying to get away from the chair. 

After the clippers came the scissors and you can see the look in his eyes as he saw those sharp things get close to him. The mirror showed it all and he jumped off the chair. Although, it was tough to get him sit steady, the scared kid was trying his best to forget as he fought in vain. With his fist clinched hard, teeth pressing hard and grinding, eyes closed and the tension that could be seen from the veins on his neck. He had submitted himself to fate as his mom held him tight and the salon lady worked. Tears rolled down the cheeks and the child was red; probably confessing to God about all the candies he had without telling his mom. Finally, after about 10-15 the child was let go.   

The whole experience was interesting to watch and it made me travel back to days when I feared the haircut. And I still remember how my grandpa convinced me that God will cut the salon guy’s ear off if he hurts me. I believed it then and somewhere I believe it still.

Cut Cost and the Heater!!

In the current economy, “Cut Cost!!” has become the new campaign. Everyplace I visit, I see an impact of bad economy and resulting cost cutting. Big cost cutting drives include layoffs and shutting down of plants. Along with these big changes, there are few noticeable small changes. For example, a restaurant that usually serves a mint chocolate with the bill pushed only the bill to our table yesterday, a gas station that had televisions at each terminal have none now.   

My company has been trying to cut costs as well. In an effort of continuous reduction of cost, they have dropped the temperature of the building by few degrees. I am still unsure of how much the drop is. However, those degrees of separation is certainly felt by me. The temperature has dropped close to the uncomfortable point for me. My hands are numb even as I type this blog. So why am I typing this at work? It is because I am having a hard time working in this temperature. I am wearing my thick winter jacket and rubbing my hands every few minutes to keep myself warm. Few more degrees down and I will have to wear my gloves and winter cap. The hot cup of coffee is giving me company to remain warm while regular walk on the floor is ensuring that my body doesn’t get stiff in this cold. Is there a logical rationale behind doing all this?   

There are various experiments performed in the field of ergonomics that discuss the importance of optimal temperature at a workplace. There is definitely a relationship between temperature and productivity. Howthrone had performed various such experiments during the depression period (ironically). And results of those experiments hold true even today. As the temperature increases, the productivity increases until the optimal point. Right now, the only thing that has a positive correlation with the temperature is the stock price. As the stock price plunges, the temperature of my building drops as well. The question is how low can both go?   

On a second thought, I am fine with the temperature going down. If this cost cutting is going to save someone their job, then I am willing to fight this cold inside the work and outside as well. In this bad economy, it is survival of the fittest and I take this as a challenge where the workplace is testing our determination to pass the hurdle and to weather the storm. So I am fine working in this cold even though I have to run to the restroom more times than I usually do. Understanding this trend, I am sure that the next level of test will be when I will not find toilet paper in the restroom. That will be another strategy to cut cost. I just hope that before anything like that happens, either the market improves or spring arrives.

California Trip - Day 5 (01/20/2009)

The Irvine – LA shuttle service started at 5 a.m. Shital’s flight was early in the morning. Based on phenomenal miscalculation of time estimate, Sumeet, Hrishi and Shital left before the break of dawn. Shital reached the airport and even passed through the security before the break of dawn (I guess). Now all that she could do was to chat and gossip with Hrishi over the phone. Guess what? There were gossiping about Sumeet in front of Sumeet without him knowing about it. Kisi ne sach kaha hai, "Talent to sabhi ke paas hai".     

The big bags were left behind for Rohit. The schedule was tight for the day. We had to watch the Presidential speech, drop the rental car and drive to the airport. All this was to be done in less than 3 hours. So everyone was scrambling through with innumerable number of bags lying on the floor, trying to pack everything making sure we don’t miss anything or take anything too much. While Rohit and I were checking the bags, Sumeet was trying to burn the CD of all the pictures from the trip. Hrishi meanwhile was still lazing and watching the pre-show of Presidential swearing ceremony.   

Ruhi and Neel were up and Asawari and Rohit were doing their best to get them ready. Neel was as usual relaxing and watching people around him multitask. Everyone still had their eyes on the television that was telecasting the oath ceremony of President of United States. Mr. Obama stood to take the oath and the whole world was glued to witness history in the making. While Mr.Obama raised his hand to take the oath, Sumeet turned around to take care of Neel. The whole world was facing the historical moment while Sumeet showed its back to it.

We were ready to leave and it was particularly hard to say goodbye to Neel. He had met all of us for the first time ever and he will meet us innumerable time in future. An adorable baby with those sweet big eyes!!! I will miss him.   

Hrishi and I drove in the van while Rohit, Sumeet and Ruhi followed us to the rental car office. We were running close to the clock and had to cover a fair amount of time quickly. As Hrishi and I walked towards Sumeet’s car, we saw Rohit digging through the bags. He was totally confused and looked like he was searching for something. Oh yes, he was looking for Ruhi’s passport. He couldn't find it and wanted to call Shital but she was on flight and couldn’t be reached.   

Panic struck the car. We had to drive to the airport. The only scenario was to convince the security that Ruhi was truly Rohit’s kid (which was not difficult). We were thinking of various options when Rohit’s phone rang; Shital was on the other line. She got an idea of the situation and promptly went to the continental inquiry center at Houston. They told that until the age of 15, any child assisted by his/ her parent or guardian does not need to produce any identification. This was a blessing. God bless anyone who made that rule!! So Ruhi is fine without the passport.   

When we reached the airport, we had enough time to go through the security and to the terminal. But before that, we had to get the boarding passes. I got mine and was waiting for Rohit. As soon as Rohit pushed his credit card in the machine, a window popped up saying that the flight had already departed. What?? We were 90 minutes before departure. How can the flight take off before time? Noone had a clue!! After a minute of silence, Rohit realized the smart mistake that he had done. He had pushed Shital’s credit card that had charged her flight (that flew earlier that day). With Rohit comes stupidity and blunders that cannot be predicted by any.   

The next mistake was from the airline company. Ruhi was not showing up on Rohit's itinerary. The flight help crew acted sensibly and added Ruhi to the flight. However, then she asked the stupidest question I had heard in my entire life. She asked Rohit whether it is ok if the two sat on different rows (since the flight was full). I tried to understand if she really meant it. She was talking about a 2 year old girl and her dad to be sitted separate on the 3 hour flight. Rohit was dumb struck. He had no words. This is another history made today. If Obama being President is big, Rohit being speechless is bigger. The helping crew understood the mistake and immediately changed the sitting and everything else. 

Luckily, Rohit, Ruhi and I got the 3 adjacent seats. Hence, we could travel together. For the next 3 hours, we did the following. 

• Played with Ruhi 
  
• Had food 
  
• Played with Ruhi 
  
• Solved Sudoku 
  
• Had food 
  
• Played with Ruhi 
  

During the flight, Ruhi played the tune of “Clementine” and I was humming it for her. She enjoyed it so much that she was humming the tune even a week later.     

The 3 hours went by quickly. Finally, we landed at Houston and we had to take the air-train to go to a different terminal for next flight. Although, Rohit/ Ruhi and I were flying on different flights, our gates were very near. This helped us spend the next 45 minutes together. Finally, I boarded the flight and was off to Richmond. It was a weird feeling to be alone after these days. These guys are family to me and saying goodbyes to them is as tough as those when I leave Bombay airport.

I reached at 10:45 pm and called Hrishi who was still in Irvine. Apparently, Hrishi, Sumeet and Asawari had Shushi for lunch and had a nice afternoon nap. This is what Hrishi calls “Sushi with Rushi”. Hrishi was to leave in a while. He was taking the “Red Eye” flight from LA to DC. There is a rumor that this is the same notorious flight that Sumeet and Asawari took before Neel was born or should I say that this is the same notorious flight that Sumeet and Asawari took for Neel to be born.   

I called Rohit and he had another story for me. After reaching the airport when Rohit tried to fit Ruhi’s car seat in his car, it didn’t fit. There was something wrong with the seat. Rohit soon realized that he had got someone else’s car seat. This was not Ruhi’s car seat. When he went back to the baggage claim, a lady was standing there pissed off at something. She had Ruhi’s car seat in her hand. As I said before, it never ends. Hrishi reached DC the next day after the long Red Eye flight. We will have to wait for nine more months to validate whether the rumor of the Red Eye applies to Hrishi as well. And that could be the time when all of us will meet again. However, the venue for the next meeting is already set. And next time, the backdrop won’t be the fake tower.

California Trip - Day Four (01/19/2009) ...part 2

This was the fourth day in California. We were on our way to Hollywood. Shital and Rohit started discussing about the bags that were to be packed that night. Rohit always has a problem about the number of clothes Shital packs for a short vacation. Most guys will agree with Rohit that all you need is 1 pair of jeans, 2-3 t-shirts, brush and undergarments for each day… Anything more is just baggage. Rohit however disagrees with the fact that we need undergarment for every day. His theory is that you can wear one undergarment for 4 days. The diagram above illustrates the technique to use the chaddi for 4 days. 

Day 1: Saral, Day 2: Ulti, Day 3: Sulti with front side inside, Day 4: Sulti with back side inside

The copyrights are held by Rohit and please contact him if you need any assistance. I wish they had diapers for big babies (there might be some.. but I don’t know). I heard that there are some Japanese diapers that play music as soon as the baby spoils the diaper. That’s a better sign than holding the baby up and sniffing his/ her rear. I always wonder why I hear a lot about ass, dump and chaddi whenever I meet Rohit, Shital, Rishi and Sumeet. Asawari on the other hand is still a little sober. Actually the topics that Rohit and Shital discuss are freaking hilarious and I am really concerned about Ruhi…. “Kaay aadarsha paalak aahet tiche!!!”   

Now that Sumeet was driving, Hrishi went to entertain Neel. He certainly didn’t make the naagin move, but was very successful to entertain Neel. Neel and Rishi share a special bond and somehow Neel is very relaxed with Hrishi around. So much so that Asawari asked Hrishi to take up the job of nanny for Neel. However, Hrishi was prompt to reply that “Hrishi ko nanny banaate banaate, Asawari ko apni nanny (urf nani) yaad aajaaegi”. Asawari was speechless. She always wonders how and where we all come up with such statements. And to this question, our unanimous answer is  …“EDUCATION!!!”   

Sumeet had never driven a van and driving with 2 kids in the car is tough. The LA traffic didn’t help him a lot. His constant braking and jerks bothered most, especially people sitting in the last row of the van. I think that all this was by design of the holy place where we were headed. It is well known that “Hollywood tak pahuchne ke liye sabko dhakke khaane padte hai” and that is exactly what was happening. It truly is a tough road. Hrishi had the least patience and like most glamour crazy people, he was ready to do anything to reach Hollywood faster; he even asked if couch option is available for him. He was ready for “The” infamous couch over the dhakka path to Hollywood. Rohit was just happy taking a nap.

It was not just the dhakka but also the speed at which we were driving. The slow speed wasn’t helping the cause. We took a long time to reach. And by the time we reached, Rohit was already feeling the delay. He actually felt as if we have traveled through a time zone and was feeling jet lagged. The looooooooooong drive to Hollywood had aged us all; even Neel and Ruhi.    

Shital had been here before. She was more interested to see the houses of the celebrities. She was so desperate about it that she even had her own strategy to get in one of the houses. The strategy was to use the powder room of the huge mansions and hence she did her make-up that would force her to use it. I do not know if that would have worked. It certainly worked to get us to laugh. (Shital would probably fly to Richmond to kill me for this)…

We had a quick walk along the Walk of Fame. In the glamour world, I could feel the impact of the recession. The Mickey Mouse standing on the Walkway looked weak and seemed as if he hadn’t had his cheese for months, Jesus Christ was talking to Michael Jackson and Heath Ledger was looking happy trying to make kids laugh. We were still debating over whether to take the tour to Celebrity houses or not. However, the cost was little too much for its worth. Hence, we came up with a new strategy. We thought that we can follow the tour bus in our van and just look at the places that they show. Lame strategy but it was worth the laugh.   

All this time Sumeet looked sad or angry ( I always get confused). He was not happy with the amount of s*** that he had to take for being late. Hence, he resigned from his position of being the driver and the self designated driver (that’s me) had to again take control of the wheels. Dear executive took the back seat. Rohit was a good guide as he directed the van to Beverley Hills. As we turned on to Rodeo Drive, the entire set changed. The regular shops that we are used to see were no longer visible. Checking out the shops was just a different experience. Few examples of the shops are Bulgari, Bottega Veneta, Christian Dior, Dolce & Gabbana, ESCADA, Gucci, Prada, Salvatore Ferragamo, Versace, Mikimoto and Chanel. These are just examples; the actual list was quite long. Out Toyota van looked like a mule in the land of Arabian Horses. The cars around were no less than Mercedes, Porche, Ferrari, Lamborghini, etc. We now drove along Beverley Hill streets and checked out some of the coolest houses. Since we didn’t stop, Shital didn’t get the chance to use her strategy of the powder room.

We were now ready to turn around. That U-turn was the longest turn ever in the history of driving. The turn resembled current economy that is not ready to take the u-turn at all. All I was doing was taking left turn on different streets. The U-turn was endless. I think that u-turn brought everyone back in the time zone that we were supposed to. Finally, we drove out of Beverley Hills and came to the world that we are familiar. The sight of Burger King and the Ford parked in the front brought us back from the La-La land.

The sun had already set while we passed the Sunset Blvd. We came back to the Hollywood blvd to take the final talk along the walk of Fame. We entered a gift shop and that place soon turned out to be the venue for our Trip Oscar Awards. The first award went undoubtedly to the Best Executive of the Trip for the brilliant judgements and firm decisions. There was none else in contention. The second award had 2 nominations. The nominees were Sumeet for being mad at us and Ruhi for what she might be in few years (knowing that she is Shital’s daughter). And the award was for the Biggest “Drama Queen”. The award is still undecided as neither Ruhi nor Sumeet was ready to accept the award. And this concluded our award ceremony.    

We were drained out after the long day at the beach and at Hollywood especially after the time travel. Rohit even tried to refresh himself by running through the fountain at the Kodak Theater Plaza. Ruhi meanwhile kissed her favorite Mickey goodbye and posed for her picture with “Winnie the Pooh” star. Asawari was ready to sleep while Sumeet, Hrishi and I were ready to eat. We wanted sushi but it was too late to get sushi anywhere. We were still thinking as we stood at the plaza that displayed Obama’s picture. The historical moment was coming up next day. We decided to go the Cheesecake Factory at Irvine. So we started walking towards the van. 

The trip was nearing the end and we had to click this picture on the stairs of Kodak Theater. The family picture!!   

Our drive back home wasn’t as exciting. Hrishi and Shital gossiped about something and “that something” had no clue that he/she was being gossiped about. That was the limelight of the drive. The dinner at Cheesecake Factory was awesome as usual. The kids were fast asleep and we were recapping the events during the trip. Our trips are always a lifetime memory. Special moments were talked about as we raised our glass to wish Hrishi luck for his new venture and future prospects. We retired to bed early that night and I was already feeling sick that the trip was close to completion. But I forgot that our trips are never over till they are actually over.. “Picture abhi baaki hai mere dost!!!...