The song of Arihantism

Warning to the readers - Would sound Self- bragging but you would adapt to this change soon :P

What is wrong with this world, so sad, angry and blue,

On Reliance Customer care, why it is so tough to get through?

Watching Reality shows is such a bad dream,

Do I really need to buy the men's fairness cream?

I have looked everywhere for the meaning of it all,

Watched how many movies, I can't even recall,

I am trapped it seems, life would soon write me an obituary,

Even worse, Sachin is not getting a century

But don't you folks worry, a new religion is here,

Embrace Arihantism, it will drive away all fear,

It's great, ticket to heaven is not conditional,

Taking a bath everyday is also optional

P.S. Credit goes to the Aditya Kulkarni for bringing this up at first place

An Ode to dear cow

O my dear Cow!!! how mighty you are,

Ruling the planet like a powerful czar,

You made your kingdom in the city of Bangalore,

We beg for your help, we can't take it anymore.

Majestically, you sit in the middle of the road,

Jamming traffic, disrupting your heavenly abode,

Bravely, here I come with a suggestion for you,

All those pedestrians, please haunt them too.

Just look how much traffic has grown,

The footpath should be now your ultimate throne,

We're here to pray, please spare us your wrath,

Go and terrorize people on the footpath.

P.S. Inspired from travel within Bangalore city markets and highly congested areas

Stupid Internet

Internet is full of nonsense.... trust me .. you would wonder after reading some of this:

1. If the whole world is a stage, then where is the audience sitting?

2. If the love is blind then why is lingerie so popular?

3. If man evolved from monkeys and apes, then why do we still have monkeys and apes?

4. I went to book store and asked the owner,"Where is the self help section?". She replies, "If I tell you, it would defeat the purpose"

5. They have found water on the moon, we just have to carry the scotch

Puchkas and Puchkewaala

For me, Puchka is the ultimate king of street food. I do not think about the hygiene for that very moment. Its like an ultimate moksha to me, however depressed I am or feeling low.

For my non- indian friends, the description of a puchka should go like this :

A firm semolina dough is rolled into small round pieces called Puris and deep fried into small hollow balls. You take one of these Puris and press your thumb into one side (one side of the puri is always fragile than the other; you would learn that by experience) to make a little opening and then proceed to stuff the puri with several fillings. Then you ceremoniously dunk the puri into spicy water and stuff the dripping puri into your mouth where it explodes into a crispy- spicy treat. In most cases, it is fiery enough that tears spring to your eyes and in that masochistic moment, you know that you are addicted to puchkas.

Today like most number of times, I got down from my office bus next to the Puchkawala near my house. His name is Ajay. I was casually talking to him while gulping Puchkas. Unfortunately he had lost 4 customers few minutes back as he was not at the stall at that time. He then told me how bad it feels when he loses them, and why each one of them is important for him. He said he pays a rent of Rs 3000 per month for the place. I felt it is too high a rent for Ajay. But he still has a smile on his face and serves the puchkas with the same delight as always. I had two rounds instead of one to fill up for atleast 1 out of 4 customers.

Ajay sells Puchkas opposite 64 Full house of Flavours Restaurant in Koramangala near Sweet Charriot

Win Pakistan Win

I would have never cheered for Pakistan so much than I did today. It was a must win for Pakistan over Australia so that India enters the semis of ICC Champions Trophy 2009. Like me, many Indians would have surely cheered lustily on every wicket that Men in Green take and go into raptures of delight when Pakistani batsman hit a boundary.

Ricky Ponting and Mike Hussey ensured that the top order colapse would be sustained by their good partnership. But Pakistanis roared back with the quick dismissals of well settled batsman evoking painful Ashes memories for Australia... I started loving it already... The match entered the final over with 5 runs to score with Umer Gul taking the task of bowling at the death. But finally, Australia cruise of the semis to my disappointment winning the match with a close finish.

I had thought about the conspiracy angle - Will Pakistan want India in the final? I thought Pakistan could have played below par to get their hands dirty off India. I thought Pakistani players would laugh in their dressing room after losing to Australia knowing that Indians would have been playing against the West Indies thinking that their last hopes for winning the tournament have been scuppered.

But that was all before the match. I applaud Pakistan for the exciting performance they have put across. Cheers!!!!!!!

Lunar Real Estate

In TOI today, there was an article on spurring interest in buying property on moon owing to the discovery of water molecules on moon. A nice way to start the day; as it surely bought a smile on my face. I thought of visiting the website (www.lunarembassy.com) of the US heardquartered Lunar Embassy which claims to have first initiated the sale of lunar property.

It brings two sayings in my mind. One which we often see in our bollywood movies where a lovesick hero who is fully devoted in winning the heart of the pretty heroine. He would say, "I would give you the sun, the stars and the moon" In the end, the heroine would actually fall for the hero but thats not what I want to talk about here. I feel this line can also be said by someone who wants to get rid of bad guilt trip.

I find this moon scam really funny if people weren't really falling for it and buying what they believe would be Lunar Real Estate. Since so long, we have seen different countries fighting for the space race as to who first puts their flag on the lunar soil. Finally, U.N. passed a resolution that no country would own the celestial body. U.N. should have been very precise with their words as opportunists have already found a loophole in their resolution. They said "no country" but they never said "no individual" could own a land on moon. And the rest as they say is history. Its been 27 years since this company has been selling and registering properties coming up with their own Lunar Deed, Lunar Map, Lunar Constitution and Bill of Rights. Astronomers should really shake their heads now.

For a brief moment, I also thought about buying an acre or two for my gonna-be wife.... Sounds romantic and congestion free !!!

A motivating note

Today while was cleaning the mess in my almirah accumulated over a period of time, I found a note which contained the words of advice which was given to me by Papa after I had completed my engineering. I had actually written down whatever I remembered from all he told me. I don't remember the date though. I had an offer from Hewlett Packard during the campus placements which kickstarted my career in IT. My family was quite contented with that and considered it as one of my big successes. Thanks to them for whatever I am today. I started reading the note.

Dear Arihant,
As you step into the world of work, you are bringing to it the freshness of ideas and the power to change things. Being an engineer myself, there is always a danger that all too soon we forget why we came to our college. We didn't go there to understand the mechanics, quantitative approach or any intricate theories of engineering. We went there to understand ourselves and our strengths. To believe how easy it is for us to make a difference. That is the purpose of education. To instil in you the belief that you can make the world a better place.
Whenever you feel unhappy about something around you, remember, you have the capability within to improve it. So whether you chose to change it or chose to walk away and just complain - you have made a choice. As you grow as a professional, you will have opportunites to make things happen. You havae had the education that will tell you what to do and how to do it. But it is only your heart that will tell you why you ought to.
There are no limits to which we can grow as human beings. Every morning we get up and make a choice about how much we will do to make a difference. Every day we choose how much we will touch the lives of people around us. Too manay people give up the opportunity because they do not believe that they can change things. Like I have always believed, I hope this education has given you the belief within.
Never underestimate your ability to make a difference.

Papa

I cleared my vision by wiping the gathering tear. Love you Dad!!!!

A chat with God

God : Hello. Did you call Me?

Me : Called you? No.. Who is this?

God : This is GOD. I heard your prayers. So I thought I would chat.

Me : I do pray. Just makes me feel good. I am actually busy now.
I am in the midst of something..

God : What are you busy at? Ants are busy too.

Me : Don't know. But I can't find free time. Life has become hectic.
It's rush hour all the time.

God : Sure. Activity gets you busy. But productivity gets you results.
Activity consumes time. Productivity frees it.

Me: I understand. But I still can't figure out. By the way,
I was not expecting YOU to buzz me on instant Messaging chat.

God : Well I wanted to resolve your fight for time, by giving you
some clarity. In this net era, I wanted to reach you through the Medium
you are comfortable with.

Me: Tell Me, why has life become complicated now?

God : Stop analyzing life. Just live it. Analysis is what makes it complicated.

Me: why are we then constantly unhappy?

God : Your today is the tomorrow that you worried about yesterday.
You are worrying because you are analyzing. Worrying has become your
habit. That's why you are not happy.

Me: But how can we not worry when there is so much uncertainty?

God : Uncertainty is inevitable, but worrying is optional.

Me: But then, there is so much pain due to uncertainty..

God : Pain is inevitable, but suffering is optional.

Me: If suffering is optional, why do good people always suffer?

God : Diamond cannot be polished without friction. Gold cannot be purified without fire.
Good people go through trials, but don't suffer.
With that experience their life become better not bitter.

Me: You mean to say such experience is useful?

God : Yes. In every term, Experience is a hard teacher.
She gives the test first and the lessons afterwards.

Me: But still, why should we go through such tests?
Why cant we be free from problems?

God : Problems are Purposeful Roadblocks Offering Beneficial Lessons
(to) Enhance mental Strength. Inner strength comes from struggle
and endurance, not when you are free from problems.

Me: Frankly in the midst of so many problems,
we don't know where we are heading..

God : If you look outside you will not know where you are heading.
Look inside. Looking outside, you dream. Looking inside, you awaken.
Eyes provide sight. Heart provides insight.

Me: sometimes not succeeding fast seems to hurt more than moving in
the right direction. What should I do?

God : Success is a Measure as decided by others.
Satisfaction is a Measure as decided by you.
Knowing the road ahead is more satisfying than knowing you rode ahead.
You work with the compass. Let others work with the clock.

Me: In tough times, how do you stay motivated?

God : Always look at how far you have come rather than how far you
have to go. Always count your blessing, not what you are missing.
Me: What surprises you about people?

God : When they suffer they ask, "why Me?"
When they prosper, they never ask "Why Me"
Everyone wishes to have truth on their side, but few want to be on
the side of the truth.

Me: sometimes I ask, who am I, why am I here. I can't get the answer.

God : Seek not to find who you are, but to determine who you want to be.
Stop looking for a purpose as to why you are here. Create it.
Life is not a process of discovery but a process of creation.

Me: How can I get the best out of life?

God : Face your past without regret.
Handle your present with confidence. Prepare for the future without fear.

Me: One last question. Sometimes I feel my prayers are not answered.

God : There are no unanswered prayers. At times the answer is NO.

Me: Thank you for this wonderful chat.
I am so happy to start the New Day with a new sense of inspiration.


God : Well. Keep the faith and drop the fear.
Don't believe your doubts and doubt your beliefs.
Life is a mystery to solve not a problem to resolve.
Trust Me. Life is wonderful if you know how to live.

Wonderful conversation with God inspired from an email which my friend sent. So much to associate with our lives...

Sit-up & See

Its been almost 3 months now since I have joined the gym now. I feel peppy, energetic and fresh most of the time now. Thinking of the times, when I had no intentions, reasons to join the gym; I wonder what kept me motivated till now. The readers might find my reasons amusing.

Time: 10:00 p.m.

Date: 19th March 2009

Arihant is checking his waist line in the mirror and undergoing a stage of grief. Since so long he has been proud of his non- gym-athletic build. He has his favourite trousers in his hands which talk the language that he speaks; which carry the attitude he personifies; which highlight his personality. Now it feels like a water balloon being tried to put into a wallet...

God!!! Please make these pants fit. I promise I would start going to the gym. But please don't make me check out 36" pants.

He even imagines asking the shop owner, "Er .. excuse me... do you have this is 36" waist?"

Arihant doesn't join the gym after that night. He assumes that this must all be a dream during his nap. He also assumes that his favorite trousers might be a factory defect like may be it is 32" but it got a tag of 34". He needed something more.

Time: 10:00 p.m.

Date: 12th May 2009

Arihant finds most of his jeans, trousers fitting tight to his paunch on a regular basis. He seriously thinks what the *&#$@$, these pants suck, my lifestyle sucks... enough of it. He decides to quit bread, rice and papad which would at least not add up to those unnecessary calories which defer to get burned down by themselves. Before quitting, he has his final round of bread, half plate of rice with papad.

Time: 10:00 p.m.

Date: 17th June 2009

Arihant has been avoiding the three of his favorite food items since a month. He has his own double standards. He doesn't have rice but he has dosa almost on a daily basis. He turns to his Jiyaji finally and gets his advice. Jiyaji himself have been going to the gym regularly.

Time: 8 a.m.

Date: 18th June 2009

He made it, he just did!!!!! First day at the gym. After the initial stretching and cardio exercises for around 45 minutes, the gym instructor asks him to do some sit ups. Being the first day, restricting to around 30 sit ups would have been a good idea.

Arihant spreads the sheet and towel over it, lies down and starts off with the first sit up. He notices something pretty and really cute. There is a female exercising which he sees when he sits up. Fair, hair all tied up, speaking eyes. To Arihant's surprise, she could only be seen when he sits up. He loses her sight when he goes down; laying back to sit up again. The sequence is like Sit up-See her - Smile - Lie down - Smile- Sit up - See her again - Smile again.

Is this the motivation, I was looking for? Will she see my paunch and stay away from me? Could I quickly lose 5-6 kilos to stand up and talk to her right now?

I know, I know.. this all sounds OMG!!!! But probably, apart from following a strict diet regime, she has been one of the pretty reasons I wish to go to the gym regularly and do a few extra sit ups. I am in a better shape now and to my happiness, I find my favorite trousers fitting well :)

Men are from Mars - Women are from Venus

Last night was a night to remember... Not very usual that I recieve a late night call from my closest friend @3:15 a.m. when I was deep in my sleep that my cell phone rang. Ofcourse I was little surprised because it was quite early morning on the other side (around 4:45 a.m.) and I wondered why my friend had not slept till now... I just wished everything was alright with her... Luckily it was; I had a happy feeling in my head when I heard her voice... As usual, she had a very sweet voice... it reminds of a kiddo gal who just entered adoloscence; innocent and honest. I lost my sleep after that and felt fresh... I feel the best thoughts and words are exchanged early morning... She was happy with my small gift that I had sent through one of our common friends to cheer her up... Our conversation kicked off with that and went on for another 80 minutes.. why 80 minutes? Thats the balance she had in total :) Unfortunately I cant make ISD calls from my cell..

I don't wanna write in detail about what all we spoke on. The topics ranged from love, relationship, friendship, emotions, hatred, adulthood, fun etc. till the calling card balance allowed us... I found her quite emotional last night; she was worried and upset about something... I tried to bring her out of it (even at 4 a.m. , my habit of giving advice was working ); infact thats what I have always tried.. But I want to share an important lesson that I learnt from her...

She told me about the book Men are from Mars - Women are from Venus which she has been reading since some time. She said this book is important for understanding the communication style and emotional needs of opposite gender; how it helps in improving men- women relationship. She said, "At times, it is very important only to listen to what your partner is saying; to be on the recieving side. At times you partner doesn't need any advice but he/she just wants to be heard" I have this habit of giving advices when not needed. Although I don't strictly follow the bookish knowledge but living life practically and associating your life to common terms, I realised it is quite crucial and fruitful. I didnt sleep after our conversation ended because it pushed me to think more and more on those lines. I would like to follow it to as much detail as possible and till my patience allows me to.

This blog of mine is dedicated to one of the most wonderful friend that I have made for life whom I admire for her qualities and the way we are friends with each other..