Little Shining Star

Welcome Summer.....

2008-03-15T08:50:00.006+05:30

Aayee Watermelon kii Belaa..... :)

Lena hoga janam hamein kai kai baar.....

2008-02-20T23:17:00.002+05:30

A Beutiful Song..... :)

Phoolon ke rang se, dil kee kalam se,

tuuz ko likhee roj baatein, kaise bataaoo kis kis tarah se, pal pal muze too sataatee

tere hee sapane lekar ke soyaa, tere hee yaadon mein jaagaa.....

tere khayaalon mein ulazaa rahaa yoo... jaise ke maalaa mein dhaagaa.....

baadal bijalee chandan paanii, jaisaa apanaa pyaar.....

lenaa hogaa janam humein kaii kaii baar.....

hmm....itanaa madeer, itanaa madhoor teraa meraa pyaar......

lenaa hogaa janam humein kaii kaii baar.... 1

Saanso ki saragam, dhadakan ki beenaa, sapanon kii geetaanjalii tuu.....

man kii galii mein mehke jo hardam.... aisii juhii kii kalii tuu....

chhotaa safar ho, lambaa safar ho, sunii dagar ho yaa melaa.....

yaad tuu aaye, man ho jaaye, bheed ke beech akelaa...

ho..... baadal bijalii. chandan paanii, jaisaa apanaa pyaar.. ..

lenaa hogaa janam humein kaii kaii baar.... 2

puurab ho pashchim, uttar ho dakshin, tuu har jagah muskuraye....

jitanaa hii jaaoo main duur tuz se, utnii hii tuu paas aaye.....

aandhii ne rokaa, paanii ne tokaa, duniyaan ne hasakar pukaaraa...

tasaweer terii lekin liye mein, kar aayaa sab se kinaaraa......

baadal bijalii chandan paanii, jaisaa apanaa pyaar...

lenaa hogaa janam humein kaii kaii baar.... kaii kaii baar .... ho kaii kaii baar......

Happy Dent.... :)

2007-12-21T13:57:00.000+05:30

Its one of the most creative ad I have seen till now.... Really made very well....

Missing You... :(

2007-12-13T22:54:00.000+05:30

Its really hard to believe that today you are not there between us...... but ...
As we all have decided... we promise u Nafu.... we wld alaways keep smiling when we think about you.... those beautiful days whn we were together.... those laughs tht we shared.... the bonding tht we had during all those happy and sad moments.... those memories wld always stay....

Love You dear.... You will always be there....
Really Missing You Nafudi.....

Chakde India.....

2007-08-13T13:17:00.001+05:30

Patriotism, gender bias, regional chauvinism, minority bashing, all at the same time....Director Shimit Amin has done it all.

To attempt a film on hockey which is heavily ignored in spite of being the National sport of India.... nd to be precise women's hockey here!! And thn... to present it with conviction, courage nd realism on screen is not all tht easy.

The Yash Raj banner has teamed up with one of their favourite actors Shah Rukh Khan, not for another romantic musical hit and those stereotypical sentimental drama.....but for ths off beat moview..

Of course ther was Iqbal and partly the period piece Lagaan (which cashed in on cricket)... but thn these two dealt with cricket, which is nothing short of a national sensation.

Anyways... comng to the movie... Kabir Khan (SRK), the best centre-forward in Indian hockey team, misses the crucial, last-minute penalty stroke against Pakistan and is blamed for the Indian team’s defeat in the finals. And... he is labeled as traitor by his own fellow countrymen. Disgraced nd dishonored for one momentary failure..... Kabir Khan leaves his parental house with his mother and disappears.

Thn....He emerges 7 yrs later, asking for an opportunity to coach the Indian female hockey team, which in actuality is not a team but a group of scattered aimless girls, who are in the game just for the sake of it.

The girls come from all over India – Haryana, Chandigarh, Punjab, Jharkhand, Andhra Pradesh, North East and other states.... with a baggage of class, region and interpersonal rivalries..... Ther are usual girlie fights nd arguments.. which r fun to watch. Somebody is egoistic, somebody too self-centered, somebody is hot-tempered nd etc......The small town girls hate the uber snobs; the city-slickers think Chhattisgarh is a jungle..... the seniors can't handle the juniors stealing the limelight and petty camps create a virtual gang-war which even builds into a mutiny against the disciplinarian coach.

From there on begins the fight of Kabir, the way he asks everyone tht at first place they represent their Country nd thn their respective States, how he instills team spirit, dedication nd love for the game in the girls ....nd finally transforms them into world champions.....Kabir Khan has just 3 months to coach and train these girls for the Hockey World Cup in Australia.

Using very unconventional methods..... Kabir Khan manages to create a team spirit among the girls. But some differences remain..... only to be sorted out in the World Cup tournament in Australia, which the team must win to make India proud. But..... Kabir Khan is fighting for more than pride for India. For him the victory wld bring redemption (for his momentary failure 7 yrs ago) and reclamation of his lost honour. And.... whn tht moment of reckoning does come.... he looks on with disbelief in his teary eyes.

After a long time – perhaps since Swades – SRK gives a substantial reason to write something about his acting.... Using his facial expressions and intense eyes to his advantage, with utmost conviction SRK plays a brillant role. Undoubtedly, this one is a praiseworthy performance from the King Khan.

The movie has a number of intelligently conceived sequences. For instance.... a sequence.... whn the girl’s hockey team has to prove their mettle against the men’s team. The girls lose by a narrow margin..... but they get an applause nd salutation from male players, Also... whn the girls bash up a bunch of eve teasers and another one.... whn At Australia...World Cup Association organises a meet in the honour of the finalist teams nd all the Indian team finalists entering wearing a Saarii..representing India... all these sequences and the last portions of the second – when the crucial matches are played ... including a maaraamaarii match between India nd Korea– evoke a flood of emotions inside a viewer.

SRK isn’t the sole focus of the film. Ample footage is given to all the 16 girls. Egoistic Bindia Naik delivers a laudable performance throughout the film. An attacking forward player Preeti Sabarwal is convincing. Vidya Sharma as the goalie plays her part well.

A constant thread of humour runs through the film’s narrative. The humour is vernacular, and genuinely funny at tht. The funniest of the lot is the rustic Haryanavi girl Komal Chautala nd the hot-tempered Punjabi girl Balbir Kaur.

The hockey matches have been filmed on a grand scale in Australia and look very authentic and truly commendable.... i just loved them the way they hav picturised it.... i wld really say tht it shows a true effort from the whole team.

To cut to the chase, ‘Chak De India’ keeps you on the edge of your seat, even though it is a sports-based film and not a thriller. A sincere effort nd beautifully made film... tht makes you laugh, makes you cry, nd above all stirs up patriotism inside you.

In short.... A must watch!!!

HAPPY INDEPENDENCE DAY..... :)

Alpenliebe.....

2007-07-17T12:56:00.000+05:30

Njoi ths new commercial of Alpenliebe.... I jst liked it.. :):)

Remembring 7/11......

2007-07-11T15:16:00.000+05:30

On July 11, 2006, a series of blasts on Mumbai's local trains rocked the city.It's been exactly a year since, and the country pays homage to the victims who lost their lives in one of the biggest strikes anywhere in the world ......

A year after the 7/11 serial blasts in Mumbai, ppl remember the horrific day tht left hundreds of ppl scarred for life. Seven blasts ripped thru the city's western railway line network. Over 200 people died and hundreds more were injured...... in just span of 10 minutes...

Imagine.... Everyone busy with their daily routine and after a day long hardwork... returning back to their homes totally unaware of the nightmare tht was abt to come.....

Within the next 10 minutes, seven blasts occurred on seven trains, all of them on different points along the western railway line.

Tht terror left a horrifying memories...

Blast at Matunga station was the worst one......

I still remember ..... was no keeping well on tht day so left office bit early nd on the way to home, i met one of my frnd nd she insisted me nd took me to her home... i left at around 6 pm from her place nd thot tht i wld get 6.25 virar train.... but somehow got stuck up in traffic nd whn i reached... wht i saw was huge mass of ppl..... everyone running.... long queues on PCO booth...some to inquire abt their family members, some to say tht not to worry, they r safe nd wld reach home soon....ppl catching auto nd buses..... some heading towards home.. some to their nearby relative's place.... i came to know from one person talking on phone tht "Borivali mein bhi blast hua....." Iasked him.... "borivali mein bhi matlab?? he said paach blast ho chuke nd ths was the sixth one....Matunga, Mahim, Bandra, Jogeshwari aur ab borivali... sab jagah par.... nd i was completely shocked.... nd after sometime i heared from someone tht .... one more blast at Bhayander-Mira road .... the condition all over was really bad....

The most horrifying was when i went ahead on the station.... wht i can see was thousands of ppl .... wht was the condition on the platform was not at all seen..... ppl had surrounded from everywhere.... wht i can see was groups of ppl coming out one by one carrying injured.... nd dead bodies.... taking thm to the nearby hospitals. Thanks to all autowalas nd buses... tht they helped like nythng....

I tried calling my dad nd sister but all the networks were blocked ... cldnt reach them.... nd my mom was so worried...she was continuously trying my no... somehow reached me... nd i jst cldnt stop my tears... the only thing i cld speak was.... i m safe.

Everyone helping out each other.... ppl who were stranded.... auto nd buses provided their best services helping ppl to reach their home... taking injured to the hospitals.... Whole night S.V. road nd highways were jam packed with vehicles, trucks, tempos, buses nd all carrying ppl back to their home.... many residents were distributing biscuit packets, vada paavs, water bottels to the ppl who were going back to their home which were at distant places as due to traffic many ppl reached home on the next day.

Hospitals were flooded with injured nd dead bodies.... doctors, nurses were on their toes attending everyone... it was heartening tht the local patients who were already admitted there.... they too started helping ..... cleaning nd dressing up wounds, etc..... blood banks were providing their service by reaching every hospitals they cld.... nd teh story goes on..... ppl strongly united nd did their best to help out each other.

Today.... v look back at the day of terror tht has left a trail of painful memories. I still remember the stories tht news channel nd newspapers wld say abt the injured nd dead persons..... majority of them were young middle class guys.... some just married.... some college students, some who had small kids.... some who lost their hands, some who got crutches forever...some who lost their hearing sense.... some who were comatised... some who lost their father .... some who lost their only son.... nd so on...

I remember ... i was not able to sleep for so many nights......

Today.... after a year..... still those horrifying memories doesnt go from our minds..... still some ppl r struggling to survive.... some ppl r still in coma, some all well but handicap....

Mumbai is running back at the same pace.... but with a fear of terror which can strike nywhere.... at anytime.....

I pray for all those who lost their lives in these blasts .... may their soul rest in peace...

N7W......Vote Now....

2007-07-06T14:57:00.000+05:30

Vote for Taj.....

Just 14 hours left for the voting of New 7 Wonders of the world.... which are to be declared on 07.07.07.........

So... Vote Now...... click on the image above

Geometrical Constructions.....Seems Interesting

2007-07-04T15:16:00.000+05:30

Long time no post on my bloggy.... so thot of jst updating it....

Hmmm…. Life has become quiet busy these days with audit work nd now also with tutions... yaa..... Have started giving Math tutions from 9.30 pm to 10.30 pm, to one of my neighbour who is now in Xth Standard. Have started with Geometry..... I used to find Geometry too boring.

Give any type of problems or sums for from Algebra, and we used to quickly solve all of them….Linear equations, Quadratic quations, LCM, Algebraic expressions, logarithms, probability etc. etc..... v used to love solving tht. We had Dervatives nd Limits in college syllabus.. tht too were too good..

But…. Geometry and its Theorems…. ??? We used to run away from tht…. Trignometry was the only chapter which used to be my favourite ..... (no doubt had always got good scores in it) But, Now…. Whn I again came across it after so many years…. I find it more interesting. Constructing Circles, Incircles, and its Tangents, Arcs, ….. using centre, without using centre, the Tangent – Secant Property, Isosceles Triangle Theorem, 30-60-90 and so on....

My student is njoying it v.much (aakhir teacher kaun hai.... hehehe).... nd me too.... :)

Welcome Rain......

2007-06-20T14:18:00.000+05:30

Nice Ad of Reliance and good timing too....

Our Mumbai city has just started receiving the Monsoon showers... after a long 4 months scorching heat of summer....

So..... jst enjoying dark clouds with its beautiful lightening and its colourful showers..... :)

I stillremember... whn i was in IX std. we had one very nice chapter in Marathi Subject called Doan Megh (Two Clouds). Will jst narrate the story in brief ....

Once ..... A White cloud was walking upwards hurriedly in the direction of Heaven as he came to know from someone that there is only one place left in Heaven and the one who reaches first would get that. So, he was so happy and started walking hurriedly towards it with a hope that, he would get that only place.

At the same time, there was one black cloud filled with who was hurriedly walking towards the Earth. And they both came across each other. As White cloud was in a hurry he didn’t saw the black cloud. But black cloud stopped as asked Whoite cloud tht.. Friend where are u going in such a hurry..? White cloud with some frustration turned to see who is it….. nd he saw the it was a black cloud…. But was amazed to see tht, though black but it was looking very beautiful with its bright lightening in it.

But, still he said with attitude that, I am going to the Heaven as there is only one place left there and I am sure I wld be getting it. Balck cloud smiled and greeted him for his journey. Now, White cloud asked him tht where r u going..? Black cloud politely said that I am going towards the Earth some of its places have really got heated due to the strong heat of the Sun… People need me there… so jst going to make them bit calm…. Nd White cloud started laughing at him saying tht wht calmness u could give with this small amount of water… and walked ahead.

And finally, White cloud reached to the door of Heaven and was about to get in while the guards stopped him to move ahead. He questioned that y u all are not allowing me to get in… guards said that therz no place left inside so jst go back. The cloud was surprised and asked that if I m not wrong there was once place left …. And I m the only one who reached here.. there was no one following me … and no one ahead me…. So how ths place is full… who got tht?

Guard said tht jst now it got full.. one black cloud got tht place. White cloud was surprised and said that he was behind me while he was going to the opposite side, then how did he got this place. Guard explained that he sacrificed his life for the well being of the people and so he deserved that seat And White cloud walked away …

HAPPY MONSOON… :)

Humanity v/s Helplessness

2007-05-27T19:53:00.000+05:30

It was afternoon time whn i was returning back to home from Andheri on Friday.. had some office work so finished it up ... nd headed directly to home... as ther was 78 hours MEGABLOCk, strating from Friday evening till Monday morning.... between Borivali - Virar for quadrapling of tracks.

I got down from the bridge on Platform No. 4 where Virar train comes... and was going ahead where Ladies compartment comes... nd i heard one small kid crying badly... whn saw around... one small boy, around 10 yrs old, with no clothes on his body except one halfpant - sitting on platform was holding tht kid on his lap.... the kid was jst wrapped in one thin, small nd dirty cloth... nd it was really crying badly.... i asked him, "wherz ur mummy".... but he didnt answered.... i asked him again, thn he jst pointed his hand in some direction... so i thot she mst be somewher here and as i saw the train coming .. i ran towards ladies compartment nd got in.

As it was afternoon time so ther was hardly 10-12 ladies in the whole compartment. I got window seat so was jst njoying breeze.

Again i heard one kid's voice crying... didnt paid ny heed as thot tht it might be of some passenger's kid's voice... but i saw one lady, watching someone sitting on the door nd gossiping abt it with her frnd.... so was curious to see.. abt whom she is talking. So.. got up nd went to the door... nd I was shocked.... the same boy was sitting beside the door with tht kid in his hand.... nd the more the kid was crying... he started hitting tht kid. I jst lost my temper... nd yelled at him.... "arree kya kar raha hai.... itne chote se bacchhe ko kyu maar raha hai..." but he didnt answered.

And then... some one or two ladies came running to see wht was going on... kya hua.. kya hua... nd i told tht .. ths kid is crying so much.. nd ths boy is hitting him ... One lady moved tht cloth nd said tht ... aree yeh toh ladkii hai... nd we were shocked to see... tht kid was jst of 10-15 days.. newly born kid... everyone was shocked.. such a small kid... wher ths boy must have taken her.. or wher is he going....

It was crying so badly tht her whole body had become red... i had some water so poured some drops of water in her mouth... nd she stopped crying. I asked him to come nd sit inside... holding such a small kid near the door.... dont u hav sense.... nd he came in... I again asked him ... wherz ur mom.... nd y u were sitting on the platform... but he didnt answered nythng. All the ladies came nd asked wht happened.... nd i told them tht he was sitting on the platform with ths kid.. nd now not answering wher his mom is.

Now... some said ... he must have taken her for begging... as looking to the kid.. ppl tend to giv some money... while some of them started saying tht sach bata.... "Chorii karke to nahii laaya haii naa isko".... nd no doubt nyone can get tht feeling... as he was not saying nythng. After asking him so many times... we said tht we would take u to police if u dont say nythng... nd tears rolled down his eyes nd said ... "chorii karke nahii laayaa"... thank God.. he said somethng... thn we asked... so.. wherz ur mom? he said Miraroad.... i m going ther only. We asked... Miraroad mein hai.. thn wht were u doing at Andheri station? He didnt said nyhtng... again everyone started saying tell the truth or v wld take u to police...

In the meanwhile, ths kid again started crying ... we all knew tht she was too hungry.. was worried wht to do now.... One lady who was sitting beside me said... shall I feed her??.... And I was like..... shocked.. she said I too hav one 3 months kid... I cant see her crying like ths.... nd I said... dont tell me nythng.. jst go ahead... she took her on her lap nd fed her.... nd the kid was so hungry.... tears rolled down from both of our eyes... she said... wht to do.. I cant see her crying like ths... v dont even know since whn she is hungry..... U can feel presence of God everywher... isnt it?

Everyone was trying to ask him.... as u nevr knw..... ther r so many bad instances tht r going on these days... nd on top of ths... tht kid was a girl.... so everyone was so worried .. wht the matter cld be... Initially, we asked him polietly.... but whn he was not ready to say ntyhtng.. v said tht v all r getting down at Miraroad nd wld take u to the police.... thn he said tht My mom died some yrs back... nd my father got married to someone else.... so we asked her.. thn whose kid is ths? so he said tht ... ths is my aunt's (mom's sister) kid.... v asked him tht wher is she... so he said tht she is at miraroad.. nd i m going ther only. We asked him if she has some other kids also.. so he said yes.. she has one more kid of around 2 yrs.... We were all shocked... wht kind of heart does ths lady has... she dont even bother giving her 10 days kid in the hands of ths boy who himself is of 10 yrs... wht if he wld hav lost her somewher? wht if he wld not have handled her properly..... nd v all decided to get down at miraroad... nd search for her. Everyone was so angry.

Tht lady who fed her ... wrapped tht kid neatly with the cloth... nd tied a handkerchief on her head.... Station came... nd we got down... We were searching for some police... but as we walked ahead on the platform.. we saw tht one lady was sitting there with one kid.... as she saw us... she came running ... tht boy said tht yes she is my aunty.... nd everyone was so angry on her.... they yelled nd said... tht how can u send such a small kid for all these things.... dont u feel nythng.... we warned her tht if ths boy is seen again with ths kid.. we wld take u directly to the police.. mind tht... nd everyone returned back to their home.

That day... I learnt one lesson.... tht v shld never encourage beggers.. I always used to giv some money to them... but once... one of my frnd saw ths.. nd said tht y do u encourage them.. do u knw wht do they do of ths money... from tht day.. i used to giv them some biscuits or some chapattis.... but not money. Today whn i saw ths boy... i really felt like thanking my frnd. Was somehow feeling very bad tht... poverty nd want of money has made these ppl so helpless tht they dont even bother sending 10 days kid with tht small boy with a hope tht looking at such a small kid ... ppl wld surely give some money...

Was not able to sleep properly tht night.. all these questions kept on coming al the time... Had a fear tht wht if tomorrow again ths lady wld send her kid with ths boy for the same thng.. then???

Sometimes dont understand wht all God have planned for his holy play......???

Life in A..... Metro

2007-05-14T14:32:00.000+05:30

Hmm... so once again up with a review.... read on...

After a hard-hitting ‘Gangster’.... Anurag Basu now comes up with ‘Metro’... a multi-layered story revolving around several characters.... Each story is stacked with another and are somehow connected to character(s) in another.

And there are ppl like Rahul [Sharman Joshi], Neha [Kangana Ranaut], Ranjeet [Kay Kay Menon], Shikha [Shilpa Shetty], Akash [Shiney Ahuja], Shruti [Konkona Sen Sharma] and Debu [Irrfan Khan].... who come together in ths METRO.... "One city. Countless Emotions".

Shruti (Konkona Sen Sharma) is a 30 yr old girl who still has no love in her life. She meets Debu (Irrfan Khan), a possible suitor, but rejects him... Shruti has a crush on a RJ at the radio centre she works in. But her small fling with him ends with a shocking revelation.

Shikha (Shilpa Shetty), Shruti’s elder sister, is married to Ranjeet (Kay Kay Menon) and has a 6 yr old daughter. There is no love left between Shikha and Ranjeet. Theirs is more like a marriage of compromise.

Ranjeet is the boss in a BPO firm. In the same office.... works Rahul (Sharman Joshi) who lives in his uncle’s flat, which is often used by his colleagues and seniors for.... ah... no words to say.... Rahul obliges his seniors because he wants to rise up to managerial levels in his office... (hard to believe .. tht all ths cld be real)

Rahul has a crush on Neha (Kangana Ranaut), his colleague. He doesn’t know that Neha is in a relationship with Ranjeet, until the day Ranjeet asks Rahul for the key to his flat to ‘spend time’ with Neha.

On the other hand..... therz a series of brief encounters between Shikha and Akash (Shiney Ahuja).

Akash is a theatre artist who does his rehearsals next to an Old Age home tht Shikha regularly visits to meet her former teacher Shivani (Nafisa Ali).

Dharmendra plays Amol.... Shivani’s lover from the past who comes back into her life to spend his last days with her.

Neha chases Rahul. Shikha chases Akash. Debu chases Shruti.

Oh... now i wont narrate whole story over here... but wld surely put some best points which i liked v.much in the movie...

1. The constant fights of Shilpa nd Kay Kay Menon or teh serious immersed-in-lust relation of Kay Kay and Kangana make you look forward to what 'worse' could happen next.

2. When 38 year old Irrfan Khan [who likes to be called 35] takes a 'lil younger Konkana Sen to the top of the terrace and vent with a scream.... tht chhillaao.... sab gussaa bahar nikaalo... zor se chhilaao... nikaalo... nikaalo nikaalo... nd thn... he pats her on the back and says... "Good job, your servicing is done. Now live on with life."

And later in the film..... when Konkana finally realizes her love for him.... a flabbergasted Irrfan asks with a quizzical expression... "oh.... pehle batanaa thaa naa.... "sab blouse aur peticoat to uske naap ke siilaaye hai (the one whom he was getting married).... i tell u ths was the best ya..... the person sitting next to me.... jst jumped off his chair laughing.... it was too good..

3. Sharman has always been adorable.... he delivers yet another contrasting yet noteworthy performance after STYLE and RDB.... He is really v.cute.... Here too... he actually makes you weep a tear as he plays a role which Shahrukh Khan describes as his saddest ever in YES BOSS. He is a man who just knows two words - YES BOSS, esply. whn someone wants the keys to hs apartment...

4. Kangana and Shiney may have relative smaller parts..... but they ensure tht they do a good job in the limited screen time they get. And frm Kay Kay.... it is now quite obvious to expect nothing but a very good performance.

5. Moments between Dharmendra and Nafisa are feel-good to begin with. Scenes like Dharmendra jumping the railway tracks to meet the woman..... whom he had left 40 yrs back or eating 'kheer' directly from a 'kadai' makes make u adore the man all over again.

6. And yes....how can i forget..... the manner... the entire BAND METRO is placed. Comprising of Pritam, James, Soham and Suhail.... the band comes at jst the right places in the film nd brings an altogether never-experienced-before mood to storytelling.

7. The film belongs to each nd every character in the film but.... if someone stands out.... it is "Irrfan Khan". Shilpa looks extremely gorgeous even in daily wear..... while Konkana proves yet again tht she deserves to be utilized more for her immense acting abilities.

Though for some situation.. its hard to believe it to be real metro life... ya.. i cld be wrong... nyways.. In short... a nicely crafted movie.... ought to be seen once.... :)

20 yrs and counting....

2007-05-12T15:11:00.000+05:30

Today.... India’s sole aircraft carrier ‘INS Viraat’..... a 28,700-tonne and 226.5-metres long vessel.... completes 20 yrs with the Indian Navy. It holds a special place for Mumbaikars as it is mostly based in the city.

As per the source... India purchased ths vessel in April, 1986 and the floating airport, called ‘HMS Hermes’ by the Royal Navy, was commissioned into the Indian Navy on May 12, 1887 at Devenport near Plymouth in the UK. The mighty vessel..... which proved its mettle during the Falklands War in May 1982, was named as “Viraat’’ (giant) by the wife of the former Indian high commissioner to the UK, Aakama Alexander.

Also, Captain Vinod Pasricha, the first officer who commandeered the warship between May, 1987 - December, 1988... said tht.... whn the Royal Navy handed over ths warship to them for a pittance amnt of Rs 400 crore, the British officers appeared convinced that its life span wld not extend beyond 10 yrs i.e. till 1997. They even expressed doubts whether the Indian Navy wld be able to manage the aircraft carrier.

Pasricha, now retired and settled in Pune, said... "They (Royal Navy) have been proved wrong because she (‘INS Viraat’) has operated for 20 yrs and I am confident that she can remain in service for another 10 yrs or so. And the Royal Navy is extremely happy at the way we have looked after it. It has undoubtedly exceeded their expectations.’’

The present captain of the naval giant, Girish Luthra, said tht the warship was tentatively slated to remain operational till about 2015. It is expected to undergo a routine refit programme next year which will further increase its life span.

On August 17, 1987, ‘INS Viraat’ arrived off Mumbai and was taken for customs clearance to Goa. And on August 21, 1987, she was accorded a red-carpet welcome off the Gateway of India.

Pasricha Also said tht like INS Vikrant, Viraat too cld be turned into a naval museum once it is phased out in about 10 years.

The navy will hold blood donation drive and feed the poor to mark the 20th anniversary of INS Viraat....

VIRAAT FACTFILE

- Built by Vickers-Armstrong in the UK

- Launched as ‘HMS Hermes’ on February 16, 1953, by Clementine Churchill, wife of former British PM Winston Churchill

- The warship entered service with the Royal Navy on November 18, 1959. She saw glory during the May 1982 Falklands War

- She served with the Royal Navy till April 12, 1984 and was sold to the Indian Navy in April 1986

- Between July 1999 and April 2001, she underwent a major life extension refit. This resulted in upgrading her propulsion system, an addition of a new package of sensors, the introduction of a modern communication system, a new long-range surveillance radar, weapons systems and also a new hangar

- The aircraft carrier’s lift system was revamped to reduce the reaction time in the event of air attack.

- A new flood alarm system was also installed

- It has been equipped with a 12’’ ski jump to operate the Sea Harriers

- In 2003 she underwent another major upgrading and came back to service in November 2004. During this period she became the first warship of the Indian Navy to be equipped with the Israeli Barak anti-missile system. The warship’s magazine capacity includes about 80 lightweight torpedoes. It also has the capacity to transport commandos for around 750 troops

- She is equipped with an air search, air/surface search, navigation and fire control radars. She has a hull mounted sonar with a search and attack capability

- She has a hi-tech combat information and a satellite communication system

- She has the capacity to carry 30 Sea Harriers. She also carriers the Kamov airborne early warning helicopters

- Carries the Sea King commando assault and vertical replenishment helicopters. Hindustan Aeronautical Limited’s Chetak and Dhruv helicopters also form a part of the warship’s air group

- The maximum speed is 28 knots and it has a maximum range of 6500 miles at 14 knots

Up Up and Up.....

2007-05-08T13:48:00.000+05:30

Re edges toward 9 yr peak.... Rs. 40.88

Read Here

The rupee has gained more than 8% ths year, with most of the gains coming in the last 2 months.... boosted by capital inflows into the fast-growing economy.

Foreign funds hav bought more than $2.9 billion worth of stocks so far in 2007. And... the central bank bought $19.7 billion in the 4 months to end-February in a bid to stem the rupee's rise..... ths lead to infusion of rupee, which increades liquidity and ultimately lead to rise in inflation.

Updates:

One of the prime domestic reasons for the sharp appreciation in the domestic currency is the tight liquidity in the money market. The shock therapy applied by the RBI to cool down inflation has choked liquidity further.

RBI increased the cash reserve ratio (CRR) by 50 basis points (bps) [100 bps make 1%] to 6.50%.... nd repo rates by 25 bps to 7.75% to control inflation [CRR is the proportion of deposits that commercial banks need to keep with RBI as cash...... nd the repo rate is the rate at which banks borrow from RBI for the short term]. Now... these measures absorbed Rs 15000 crore from the banking system.

Also.. the main cause for rupee's appreciation is Excess dollars chasing the economic boom in India.

Try to offer to exchange US dollars for Indian rupee... a person who is aware of market trends... wld probably decline the offer..... Re has lot of importance in the forex martkets. It has appreciated to an 9 yr. high against the $.

Improving economic fundamentals.... nd stronger growth prospects hav led to a global interest in the Indian economy. Foreign money is pouring in... to ride the economic boom nd take advantage of the rising interest rates.... stock nd real estate prices.

Can u imagine.... the net FII inflow (debt and equity) since Jan, 2006 was close to $10 billion. NRIs also remitted home a considerable amount of dollars. The higher intt. rates in the domestic mrkt..... compelled companies to borrow in dollars in foreign mrkts (u can say external commercial borrowings) to fund their expansions plans...... Naturally, when the supply of dollars exceeded the demand, the rupee soared...

FIIs usually get money in India in dollars to invest in stocks and other assets. A stronger re will mean tht..... they get a lower amount to invest. A rising re will add to the dollar returns of FIIs that don't hedge the currency risk. In order to prevent a rapid appreciation of the rupe, the RBI buys dollars from banks and sells rupees, which enhances the liquidity in the banking system.

If ths liquidity is not sterilised (absorbed).... out of the banking system by the RBI..... interest rates are likely to fall. These excess dollars usually find their way to the country's foreign exch. reserves. The RBI and the government incur costs on account of the sterilisation measures and maintenance of reserves.

Higher reserves can be helpful in the event of an external financial crisis, like the foreign exch. crisis in India in 1991.

The long-term intrinsic value of a currency is a function of various other factors, such as int. rate differentials.... trade equations..... and so on. It shlld always be kept in mind tht.... the rupee has appreciated primarily on account of the excess dollars chasing the economic boom in India.

And yes.... Any reversal of such flows.... due to a change in the global perception of India cld put the rupee under pressure.

Now, The RBI is facing a dilemma whether to control inflation..... or.... manage the re to maintain the country’s export competitiveness. If the central bank decides to maintain the rupe weak.... it wld end up generating more liquidity in the domestic mrkt.... which wld fuel inflation. With inflation ruling at above 6% compared with a comfortable 5% to 5.5% level envisaged by the central bank..... controlling inflation seems to be the priority.... :)

Whew.... dont knw wht concrete steps shld be taken at ths point of time... It again like... ????? :) :)

I hope i hav clarified some imp. points.... ok thn... feeling too hungry... see u later.. :)

???

2007-05-02T18:17:00.000+05:30

do pal miiltey haii....
saath saath chalte haii.....
do pal miiltey haii....
saath saath chalte haii.....
jab modd aaye toh.. bachke nikalte hai....
kitney ajeeb rishtey hain yahan pe...

Rishte bharose chaahat yakiin....
unnn sab ka daaman abb chaak haii....
samajhe thhe haathon mein hai jameen...
muthhi jo kholi bass khaak haii.....
dil mein yeh shor hai kyun....?
imaan kamjor hai kyun...??
naazuk yeh dor hai kyun....???

Yeh Housla Kaise Juke,
Yeh Aarzoo Kaise Ruke...

Manzil Muskiil toh kya,
Bundla Sahil toh kya,
Tanha Ye Dil toh Kya....

Raah Pe Kante Bikhre agar,
Uspe to phir bhii chalna hii haii,
Shaam Chhupale Suraj magar,
Raat ko ek diin Dhalana hii haii,

Rut ye tal jaayegii,
Himmat rang laayegii,
Subhah phiir aayegii....

Yeh Housla Kaise Juke,
Yeh Aarzoo Kaise Ruke...

Hogii hame to rehmatt ada,
Dhup kategi saaye tale,
Apni khuda se hai ye Dua,
Manzil lagale humko gale

Zurrat so baar rahe,
Uncha Ikraar rahe,
Zinda har pyar rahe....

Yeh Housla Kaise Juke,
Yeh Aarzoo Kaise Ruke...

Nothing to worry.... jst felt like putting these lines on my bloggie.. :)

Good one....

2007-04-23T17:54:00.000+05:30

Came across this piece while reading today's ET. After getting our Form 16 at the end of the year... This is wht everyone of us wld recommend to our Company.....right? :) Strange but v.true.. isn't it? So much of tax to pay yaar.... :( :(

Daag Acche Hai....

2007-04-14T12:03:00.000+05:30

Watch this new commercial Ad of Surf Excel... liked it v.much..
“Agar kuch achcha karne mein daag lag jaate hain toh... daag achche hain na?" :)

Click on the image

And herz the older one.. I jst love it.. its cho chweet.. isnt it? Njoi :)

Golden Flower Shower

2007-04-12T16:45:00.000+05:30

Yellow Peltophorum Tree - A spl. summer season tree

Also called as Peltophorum Dubium tree

Wow... Light behind the shadow... beautiful.... isn't it? :)

Hmm... Lets take a closer look....

Ah... flowers all over... it stays for weeks...

Yellow & Yellow reflection :) Again.. lots of them

Wow... Golden carpet of yellow flowers... beautiful!!!

Yesterday .. after leaving office in the evening ... was walking down towards station... and wht i saw was these beautiful golden trees on both sides of the road.. showering those gloden flowers all over the road .. i was really feeling like i m walking on the yellow carpet of flowers... :)

Dont knw.. but it was such a wonderful feeling... i mean jst imagine tht.. u walking down on the road full of flowers.... nd while walking.. still those sweet trees.. showering more such flowers on u... It was amazing ya.. :)

These are spl. summer trees... they mainly bloom in ths season... nd makes wonderful yellow carpet by showering lots of flowers on the road... ths carpet stays for weeks...

Ok thn.. Have a nice time... nd njoi summer.. :)

Can anyone say.. whoz more beautiful..???

2007-03-31T13:13:00.000+05:30

Baat kahat rass rangg uuchaliitaa... baat kahat rass rang uuchhaliitaa.
Phoolan ke mehel biraajat douu... mandd sugandh.. nikat vahe saritaa.
Baat kahat rass rangg uuchhaliitaa.. baat kahat rass rang uuchaliitta.

Mukhh milaay hass dekhat darpan mein...
sundar shramit uur maal vigaliitaa.
Parmanand prabhuu prem vivashh bhaye...

Kahii hum mein.. sundar ko hai lalitaa...???

Baat kahat rass rangg uuchhaliitaa.. baat kahat rass rang uuchaliitta.

Hmm... As Summer has come adn temperature is really rising high... so ths is one of the beautiful kirtan which is sung these days at temple nd at our home as well.

It says tht... one sunny day... Krishna nd radha and all their frnds (sakhaas nd sakhiis) were having a good time at palace made of different variety of flowers.. it was so beautiful place wher so many flowers had made tht place so beautiful by spreading ther sweet frangrance all over.. nd on other side.. river was making sweet voice by flowing gently.

And Krishna nd Radha both were admiring each other's beauty and shringaar by looking into a mirror. And then they call one of their favourite sakhii 'Lalitaa' and ask her tht ... say lalitaa... whoz more beautiful from both of us...???

And u knw wht... as story says... tht whn they ask laliita.. Krishna feels tht she shld say Radha's name while Radhajii feels tht Laliitaaji shld say Krishna's name... hmm... wht a sweet nd lovely feeling.. isnt it?

Good one naa... me too humming it all day ... i jst love it :)

Unique Insight

2007-03-21T17:47:00.000+05:30

Just take some time off to see this clip named 'Hostel' a public service film created by 4 mumbaikars which left some strong impressions on the minds of people for which no. of ppl came forward to pledge their eyes.

The clip starting with a group of hostel children splashing colours on the occasion of Holi. U feel so nice.... childrens spraying colours on each other nd running around.... dirtying the corridors.

But.. to one's surpirse... the clip ends with the hostel warden wiping the colours off their white canes. And ... slowly... the colours r washed away nd u can see the board of ‘Smt Kamla Mehta Dadar School for the Blind’.

The last scene of a child asking the warden.... wht the colour green looks like?... It really made me cry.

Yes... the movie conveys one motivating msg tht 67 ppl, including the creators of the film.... hav agreed to donate their eyes after seeing this film.

These ppl came up with ths innovative idea nd posted it on youtube.. And u knw wht... within the first week itself, they had 7,000 hits.... with many ppl approaching the Eye Bank Association of India (EBAI) with pledges flooded with no. of calls and emails.

One can fill an online form pledging their eyes or they can alternatively call the eye bank helpline 1919 for details.

Wanna go for a ride.....?

2007-03-16T14:18:00.000+05:30

Revathy Roy is all set to launch her Forsche - A women-by-women taxi service, will flag off in the Mumbai city on March 19 for lady commuters, working women, tourists, etc. which will also have magazines, make-up kits, etc. but... of course... at price.

English-speaking, women dressed in a purple-pink salwar kameez will drive women.

It will work entirely on a booking system and the cab has to be booked either for half a day or an entire day.

Ths cool cab wld also provide big mirrors, a make-up kit with nail polish remover and a magazine rack.

The woman driver would be well-versed with the city roads as well as shopping malls and complexes.

Read Article Here

Will it work???

Back....

2007-03-10T18:46:00.001+05:30

Hello everyone!
Hope u guys had a wonderful Valentines day nd a colourful Holi :)

Hmmm.... so m back after a long break.
As my template says.... therz so much to tell... so much of talks to share with u all...

Here r some highlights. It all started with my 10 days trip to Gujarat to attend my cousin’s wedding at Porbandar. So first we (I and Mom) went to Jaamnagar to my Dad’s aunt’s place (2 days stay) missed going to Dwarka coz of shortage of time :( And then reached Porbandar, attended the wedding and also went to some good places over ther like Gandhiji’s House (Kirti Mandir) with 22 rooms, library, paathshala for kids, etc. beautifully maintained, Kasturba’s House (quite near from Gandhiji’s place), Sudamaapurii, Temple dedicated to Lord Krishna’s friend Sudaamaa, Harii Mandir (beautiful temple), etc and thn came to Rajkot (stayed at one more relative’s place) and came back to Mumbai.

Gandhiji & Kasturba's House

After 10 days break, got completely occupied with work at office, so much of wrk load, was working on Saturday as wel…:(

Aha… in between came Valentine’s day… sad part is I was on audit tht day… so cldnt even meet my frnds… :( Hope u all had a wonderful V Day :)
During ths busy week…. came one more festival called Holi – Festival of colours… hope u all had a colourful holi with lots of Abiir, gulaal, sprinklers nd aha most tasty Thandaai. As it is said that, ths is the festival which shows devotion of Bhakt (Prahlad) to Vishnu and the eternal friendship of Krishna nd gopis. We enjoy singing kirtans wher v all play pranks on Krishna like Aaj bhorr hii...nand poor hii... vrajnaariin dhoom machaaii, Kaajarvaarii gorii gwaarii.. yaa saawaliaa kii lagwaarii, Saachii kaho mannmohan moso.. toh kheluu tumm sang horii and "Harii Kaaro rii harii kaaro.. ye toh do baapan beechvaaro rii… harii kaaro rii harii kaaro"…ths is one of the best kirtan… Nd many such other kirtans which shows eternal friendship with Lord Krishna.. :) Missed all these this time.
Thn month end came nd we all had once again a much awaited Budget with

I-T exemption raised by Rs 10,000 and BCTT (Banking cash transaction tax) to kick in at Rs. 50,000 instead of Rs 25,000, Education cess raised from 2% to 3%.

Ceiling on deduction allowed for medical insurance premium raised to Rs 15,000; Rs.20,000 for senior citizens.

Dividend distribution tax (DDT) on companies raised from a basic rate of 12.5% to 15%; on money market MFs and liquid MFs, DDT hiked to 25%.

Peak customs duty on non-agricultural products brought down from 12.5% to 10%.

I-T surcharge removed on SMEs with taxable income of less than Rs 1 cr nd Service tax exemption limit on small service providers doubled to Rs 8 lakh.

Major shot was for IT firms will now have to pay min alternative tax (MAT) and Employee stock options (ESOPs) brought under FBT net.

Overall… Pay Tax, Tax nd more Tax.... not so good review for the budget as usual.

In the meanwhile… my Grandmom was not keeping well…got infection in lungs due to which she was unable to breathe…. and was hospitalized. Her condition worsened day by day… all 10 days on oxygen and saline…. we were all trying hard to make her all well… everyone of us having sleepless nights…. But as its all in God’s hands… the day came… it was sat… nd it was jst a normal day… she was feeling good, talked to everyone who all came to visit her… even promised mom tht now she wld start walking on her own once she reach home… her was shining… night passed safely… but…. Sunday early morning she got high temperature…. Nd her pulse rate started decreasing… she asked me to call everyone… nd I was scared… called up everyone. By 7.30 everyone was beside her…. Nd slowly slowly she closed her eyes nd left us forever…. all standing with tears in our eyes… speechless… helpless.

No doubt ur blessings wld always be ther with us but will always miss ur care and affection and above all ur presence. Missing u daadii.

Ok thn.. m signing off now… Hey.. Belated Happy Women's Day to all beautiful ladies :) and now waiting for World cup… ICC Champion’s Trophy ….
Wishing Good luck and All the very best to Our Team India… Just do it :)

Will be Back Soon... :)

2007-02-24T12:09:00.000+05:30

Updates...

2007-01-22T22:24:00.000+05:30

I knw its late.. but, hope u all had a nice weekend...

Me too had a gr8 sunday :)

Hmmm... it was Mumbai Marathon 2007 on sunday. Was down with some cold nd lil fever on saturday... but was quiet excited for sunday. It was truly a funfilled day. As v had to reach by 8.15 am for the Dream Run.. so had to start around 6.00 am as it takes around 1 hr 45 mins to reach CST from my place by train. Everyone was gathered at Azad Maidan. V cld see some ppl warming up, ther was separate holding area for Senior citizens nd for the corporates. All sponsors like Standard Chartered, DHL, Kingfisher, Titan having their own sepaqrate holding area.. nd yes how can I 4get 98.3 Radio Mirchi.. It was a real attraction having its own stage in one corner of ground with their RJs entertaining everyone with foot tapping numbers.

Dream run was gonna start at 9.10 am. Though it started at around 9.30 am. A big crowd moving ahead from Azad maidan towards the start point which was opp. CST station going towards Metro nd from ther to Hilton Towers nd thn turning towards beautiful Nariman point nd from ther moving ahead to the flyover nd thn coming back.... It took 45 mins for me to complete 6 kms... On both sides of the street.. no. of ppl were standing to cheer up the runners nd the sponsor Standard Chartered.. had set up their blocks with their volunteers, 98.3 Radio city had placed their speakers at every distance on the streets ... playing good numbers cheering runners nd Kingfisher had placed their stalls providing free water bottles nd energy drink to all the runners.

It was truly a beautiful scene.... thousands of participants professionals, athletes, young boys nd girls, some school children, senior citizens, physically challenged, celebrities, some with different types of costumes, some having their own group like dabbawalas, etc were seen enjoying the run.

Industrialist Anil Ambani ran Half Marathon. While some celebrities like Nagesh Kukunoor, Rahul Bose, Tara Sharma, Suchitra Krishnamoorthi, industrialist Anand Mahindra, Shobha De, Vinod Kambli were also seen njoying Dream Run.

Teams from the Mumbai Police, Western Railways, Indian Navy and many corporate houses also took part in the event.

Campaigns for anti-smoking, support for visually challenged, welfare of tribals, blood donation were also highlighted by the participants.

For the fourth time, runners from the African continent stole the show at the Mumbai Marathon with Kenya's John Kelai finishing the line in 2:12:28 hrs to emerge as a winner.

It was whole lot of fun.. Some running for fun some for the cause... but... it was one slogan everyone can hear was Run Mumbai Run.... :)

All in all... njoyed the event v.much.... but was mising some of my frnds.. :(

Ths was all about Sunday... talking about tommorrow... its a Vasant Panchami... which indicates starting of Vasant Ritu.. (Spring season).... I dont knw much abt the significance but from ths day... kirtans in vasant raag r sung to welcome the festival of Holi called Vadhaaii.... also v start sprinkling some gulaal on our Baalkrishna from today ...... :)

Its said tht from ths day all gopiis nd all His sakhaas starts playing with thodaa thodaa colours... :)

Hmm... so one month for the festival of colours to come... :)

And.. yes KBC has started with its new Host nd with different ishtyle... donno but didnt liked it much.. lets see how wel it goes.

Happy B'day to me.. :)

2007-01-17T13:08:00.000+05:30

Hi All...

Its my Happy wala B'day today... :)
Receiving showers of blessings, calls nd messages with loads nd loads of wishes..
Waiting for some more to come... :)
U feel so nice.. whn everyone sends u so many wishes...
Its all abt a kind of feeling tht one has for u... gifts, treats doesnt matter.. wht matters is a word of care, wish, blessing, a kind of bond tht binds us...

Hmm... m getting lil senti... :)

V get off for B'days nd anniversaries... but had to come to office coz of lots of wrk... :(
So.. will have to take comp off on some other day..
For now.. njoying in the office :)

No special plans.. but meeting some frnds in teh evening nd thn as my dad, sis nd bro going to some wedding.. so wil go out with mom for the dinner... :)

Ok thn.. m signing off here.. wanted to write much much more... but dont hav tht much time :(

Nyways... Have a nice day :)

Dheel De Dheel De De Re Bhaiyaa.... :)

2007-01-13T18:38:00.000+05:30

Makar Sankrati... Festival of exchanging sweets and flying kites... :)

According to lot of information collected from some frnds nd family members... herez some information abt the significance of ths beatiful nd colourful festival.. :)

Ths festival of Makar Sankrant traditionally coincides with the beginning of the Sun's northward journey (the UTTARAYAN)... whn it enters the sign of Makar (the CAPRICORN). Its is celebrated in the month of Magh saying farewell to winter.

It falls on the 14th of January every year according to the Solar Calendar. Ths day has a v. spl. significance .. coz the day nd night on Makar Sankrant r of exactly of equal hrs.

According to the sayings.. Ths day is celebrated as a festival right from the times of the Aryans and is looked upon as the most auspicious day by the Hindus.

The evidence of ths festival being lucky is found in our gr8 epic Mahabharat.... wherein it is told tht the great warrior-hero, Bhishma Pitamaha even after being wounded and lying on the bed of arrows.... lingered on till Uttarayan set in.... to breathe his last. It is believed tht the person who dies on ths auspicious day of Sankrant escapes the cycle of birth and re-birth nd tht his soul mingles with the Almighty.

Ths festival is celebrated differently in different parts of d country... yet the use of Til tht is sesame is found everywhere. Til (sesame seed) contain lot of oil nd they therefore hav a quality of softness in them. Therefore.... firstly the use of til in sweets is good for health and secondly being soft their exchange means exchange of love and tender feelings.... :)

In Maharashtra.... on the Sankranti day ppl exchange multi-coloured tilguds made from til (sesame seeds) nd sugar and til-laddus made from til and Gud (jaggery). Til-polis r offered 4 lunch nd these r specialities of Maharashtra.

While exchanging tilguls as tokens of goodwill.... ppl greet each other saying - "til-gul ghya... god god bola" meaning "accept these tilguls and speak sweet words".... Good one naa. M gonna hav loads of tilguls tommorrow in Train and office... :) The under-lying thot in the exchange of tilguls.... is to forget the past ill-feelings nd grudges nd resolve to speak sweetly and remain friends.

So... if u wanna make up with ny frnd whom u hav hurt or u r hurt coz of him/her.. jst call up on ths auspicious day... nd make up ur frndship once again with exchanging sweets nd smiles.. :)

Ths is also a special day for the women in Maharashtra... whn married women are invited 4 a get-together called "Haldi-Kumkoo" and given gifts of any utensil, which the woman of the house purchases on tht day.

Aha... Now comes the turn of Gujarat.... Aapnuu Gujarat... In Gujarat... Sankrant is observed more or less in the same manner as in Maharashtra.... but with a difference tht in Gujarat... ther is a custom of giving gifts to relatives.... And also giving daan to the needy nd offering chara to Cow... The elders in the family give gifts to the younger members of the family. Ths festival thus help the maintenance of social relationships within the family, caste and community.

In Gujarat.. An International Kite Flying Festival is held where no. of ppl gather for flying kites nd grand competition is held here... Also, ther in Gujarat in cities like Surat nd Ahmedabad, ppl hav off on 13th nd 14th and every family member gather on their terraces nd rooftops for flying kites, breakfast, lunch, snacks everythng on the terrace.. nd loud music... wow jst wonderful... flying kites, cutting each others kites, aha kya baat hai... :)

Kite flying is also an art... right from selecting a good quality kite, tying kanni, selecting one of the best Maanjha (string) rolled ig Firkii... how to start flying it slowly nd thn taking it to the height nd whn its made still in the air nd thn trying to cut other ppls kite... its all abt having good experience in it... wah wah.. its really amazing.. nd one jst enjoys.... yaa one thng one has to keep in mind is tht sometimes coz of tht strong strings, ther r chances of getting cuts on the fingers nd yes.. one has to take most care of the birds as wel.

Yes.... In South too.. Sankrant is known by the name of PONGAL... which takes its name from the surging of rice boiled in a pot of milk. Its very popular particularly amongst farmers.... Rice and pulses cooked together in ghee nd milk is offered to the family deity... after the puja. In essence in the South this Sankrant is a Puja 4 the Sun God.

In U.P..... Sankrant is called KICHERI. Having bath on ths day is regarded as most imp. Large no. of ppl. r seen bathing in the Sangam at Prayagraj... wher the rivers Ganga, Jamuna nd Saraswathi flow together.... Every year Kumbh Mela is held for full one month.

Ths festival is celebrated in other parts of country too nd have their own significance for it. Thus we see tht ths festival occupies a significant place in the cultural history of our country nd symbolises the victory of ORDER over CHAOS nd of Love over Hate.... :)

So... here m signing off... Happy Makar Sankranti to u all... Hav a nice day... njoi Kite Flying... c ya... :)

Nagesh Kukunoor's Dor... Very Well Strung

2007-01-11T16:07:00.000+05:30

Nagesh Kukunoor has given us some best movies like Hyderabad Blues, Rockford, Teen Deewarein, Iqbal and now his latest Dor.... a story of two women - one who undertakes a long journey to save her love and the other who breaks all the traditional customs and lives the life the way she feels.

Dor is a beautiful tale of love, loss, friendship, and courage to live life anew. The film is quite realistic. And this is the reason why its story is so believable and deeply touching.

The ppl who all r quite fond of big budget film with lot of melo drama nd all... may not be tht enthu and excited to watch relatively low budget with stars such as Ayesha Takia, Gul panag & Shreyas Talpade in the lead roles. But.. I tell u... such ppl wld really miss one of the brilliant performances given by these stars.

Dor is a story of two women, Zeenat (Gul Panag) and Meera (Ayesha Takia) ... both living in different parts of India. Their fate is invariably strung together by one incident tht changes both their lives forever.

In the hills of Himachal Pradesh, Zeenat marries her lover Aamir just a day before he leaves for to take up a job in Saudi Arabia.

And there.. In a Rajasthan village, the happily married Meera spends some few cherished moments with her husband Shankar.... before he too leaves for Saudi Arabia to earn some money.

The two men, who are now roommates, send money home to take care of their families. Shankar's father, a proud Rajput now fallen on bad times, uses the income to fix his haveli. Aamir's family gets some respite from the hard work of running the local bakery.... Meera and Zeenat miss their husbands nd get 2 talk 2 thm occasionally on the phone.

Zeenat is an independent woman... who has struggled at every step in her life. Her in-laws were not so v.happy for Aamir's marriage with Zeenat. But later, She takes the financial responsibility of her in-laws after her husband’s departure.

Meera, on the other hand... is domesticated into the strict traditions of a Rajput Gharana.The worlds of the two women collapse.... whn Shankar is killed in Saudi Arabia, and Aamir, his roommate, is accused of the murder. Even though there is a reason to believe it was an accident, Aamir is slated to get a death penalty.

The way out of it..? According to the Saudi law, there is only one condition in which Aamir’s life can be spared... if Shankar’s widow Meera... forgives him by signing on Maafiinaamaa...

Now, To save her husband’s life, armed only with a photograph of Aamir and Shankar taken in their Saudi apartment... Zeenat undertakes an impossible journey to Rajasthan to find Meera.

Her first stop is Jaipur.. on her way... she meets a Behroopiya (Shreyas Talpade) a member of a group that traditionally earn their living by taking different guises in order to entertain ppl. Behroopiya first dupes Zeenat also, but later helps her find Meera whn he realisez tht she is here for some mission. Using his knowledge of the terrain and some clues tht Zeenat does not yet realize she possesses, the two of them piece together bits of information that eventually lead them to Meera's village.

In the meantime... Shankar's father has to rent out the haveli in order to make ends meet... while Meera now lives her life as a widow... a shadow of her former self. Her status, her rights, and her sense of self are all eroded as a result of her loss. Her only excursions into the outside world are her daily visits to the temple.

Zeenat, confident that the papers will be signed, goes to Meera's home... but she is thrown out by Shankar's family. Zeenat waits for Meera at the temple, intending to plead with her. When the two women meet, Zeenat realizes that Meera doesn't know of the visit to Shankar's home and decides to hold off on telling Meera the truth till a suitable moment in the future.

As the two women come together, they become friends and learns the different facet of life from each other. One day, Zeenat comes to knw tht the deadline for Aamir's execution is near... nd she can wait no more.... At the same time, Meera finds out tht her future is endangered.

The truth comes out into the open and the two women have a confrontation.... Meera feels betrayed nd Zeenat helpless....

How is the situation resolved?

Ok Ok... i wont reveal the suspense. :))

The conclusion tht Nagesh Kukunoor gives to the story could not have been better.... The movie’s climax leaves a viewer overwhelmed.

Ayesha Takia has given the best performance of her acting career so far in Dor.... She is looking simple nd beautiful without makeup.... In the first half, she is quiet... susheel housewife with dreamy eyes nd having many desires.... While ... In the second half... she becomes a woman who learns to defy the cruel tradition... who learns to listen to her heart nd live the way she wants to.... And Ayesha carries all these emotions with the skill of a polished actress....

Gul Panag stands in equal stead.... even though her character is shown mentally and emotionally strong but she has played her character very brialliantly.

Aha.... Shreyas Talpade is a complete delight to watch.... His comic imitations of the actors from Hindi film industry.... nd the quick changes in his appearances provide a welcome humorous relief in an otherwise serious movie.... He is truly a very good actor... I liked his performance v.much.

To sum it up... Dor is a film tht definitely ought to be seen once.... The movie’s theme is most relevant and the way it has been brought forth... without any melodrama and overblown emotions... is wht makes the movie truly compelling. The background score (Padharo Maare Des) is just too good..... nd the song Yeh Hoslaa Kaise Ruke... is quiet inspiring. The direction and acting performances are almost flawless. Everyone has given their best.

On the whole... A V. Good Movie... :)

Its Mirchi..

2007-01-08T15:24:00.000+05:30

On Sunday.. V visited Its Mirchi... one of the stylish informal rooftop restaurant at 6th flr., of Ramee Guestline, Juhu of Ramee Group. A very elegant place which has a comfortable lounge with dhaba like interiors with relaxed seating and one of the very good Indian cuisine restaurant.

At lobby.. therz Rhythm & Blues.. a 24 hr coffee shop...
It also has a stylish Night club called Rock Bottom with Rocking DJs... (havnt been ther yet)

Coming back to Its Mirchi... The interiors are v.nice and the seating arrangement is so very comfortable having fine dining atmosphere. Therz a grillbox in ur table itself where you are served with variety of unlimited Kebabs of Aaloo, Paneer, kaju bhara kebab... too good... (i dont knw wht was ther in non.veg) and u can jst have them while chatting.... and then ther was a buffet having delicious food... v had Sheer Kurma, Moon Da Halwa (I liked it v.much... It was yummy)... Gulab Jamuns, deserts, Vanilla Ice-cream with Mango & Choclate Sauce... plain salad, Paneer Sabzi, another sabzi called Kaddi Patte mein Aaloo (it was v.good)... U can hav tht with Roti, Naan or Paratha.... Dal & Rice... (Sorry guys again dont knw wht was ther in Non.veg.. :( .... ) And last... the best thing we had was tht beautifully decorated Paan.... yuummm..... I jst liked it...

Hmmmm... Feeling Hungry... ??? :)))

PS 1: As one of my friend Jayee, is shifting to Bangalore next week, so we all decided to have a dinner at some good restaurant. So we all booked it for Sunday evening and jst had fun. All credit goes to Grishma.. she had booked ths beautiful place... V all liked it v.much nd njoyed.

PS 2: I watched Dor some days back nd liked it v.much... m jst finding time to write its review... so my next post on Dor... Njoi.. :)

India v/s India

2007-01-03T13:48:00.000+05:30

Times of India has come up with a campaign 'India Poised' with its television partner Times Now.

Read Here an India Poised Anthem recited by Amitabh Bachhan... V. Good one.. quiet inspiring....

One India wants.. the othe India Hopes...
And is looking up at the sky saying.. its time to fly... :)

Happy New Year :)

2006-12-30T14:54:00.000+05:30

May your New Year bring.....

Time.... for
reflection and renewal........

Time for.....

little celebrations ......

Time for.. Wonder

Time to discover.....

Newer heights.....

Newer destinations.....

Time for dreams......

Wishing U All a Very Happy New Year filled with Joy, Happiness & lots n lots of Fun.

Lets welcome this New Year with a wish to bring peace, happiness and joy for all of us... :)

Have Nice n Funfilled Weekend... :)

Kabul Express....

2006-12-28T17:44:00.000+05:30

Saw Kabul Express on Sat... wanted to post the review but cldnt find time. Finally, got some and here it is... :)

Lets welcome a debutant kabir Khan, a documentary film maker to present a film with some different theme...

The film takes u to Afghanistan .... a country most of us haven’t visited. Yes, Dharmatma and Khuda Gawah did visit Afghanistan, but the post-Taliban Afghanistan hasn’t been witnessed on the Hindi screen. Tht makes Kabul Express a novel experience indeed! A film like Kabul Express is more for the elite viewer than the aam junta.

Kabul Express is set in post 9/11 Afghanistan.... wher the American bombing has destroyed the Taliban regime.... nd the Taliban soldiers r trying to escape to Pakistan.... to avoid the wrath of the Afghans. Against this turbulent backdrop.... Jai Kapoor [Arshad Warsi] and Suhel Khan [John ] .... two Indian television reporters -- hav entered Afghanistan nd their aim is to somehow get a rare interview with a Talibani..... Helping them in their pursuit of a Talibani, is their Afghan guide, translator and driver Khyber [Hanif ] in his Toyota Jeep called Kabul Express.

The trio is having their share of adventure..... as they go frm being blindfolded nd taken to secret hideouts in the mountains to interview Taliban prisoners..... they nearly get trampled by horses while shooting a game of Buzkashi ....... They are saved from getting trampled by an American photo-journalist .... Jessica [Linda Arsenio].

Despite all their attempts, the Taliban remains elusive. But unknown to them, these hunters are being hunted down themselves...

One cold winter morning in Kabul..... they get kidnapped at gunpoint by a Talibani who wants to escape to the Pakistani border...... The kidnapper, Imran [Salman Shahid].... is a Pakistani army soldier who was part of the Taliban..... He knows that as journalists.... Jai and Suhel’s movements in the country will not be questioned and acting as their local guide, he can reach the safety of his country.

From here on.... begins the 2 day journey from.... Kabul to Afghan-Pakistan border..... Jai and Suhel’s mission becomes a nightmare as they r taken hostage aboard the Kabul Express and made to drive across the most dangerous country in the world..... Jessica sees their car driving away from Kabul and mistakenly thinks that they are onto a big story.... She begins to chase them.... Before she knows it..... Jessica gets stuck in a bizarre situation and inadvertently... also gets taken hostage by Imran. By the end of the journey..... Jai, Suhel and Jessica actually help Imran reach the border of Pakistan .... his country that he is very proud and patriotic about. But... as he moves forward to the border... hez being killed by the soldiers on pakistan border post.. as the Major is in the impression tht... none of their ppl r left ther.... so they feel tht hez some terrorist... and kills him.

The film is carried very well.. the moments like arguements between Imran and Jai for the All rounder cricketer- Imran Khan or Kapil Dev, Imran's asking for cigarette from Jai.... and everyone including Imran altogether singing song 'Mein Zindagi Ka saath nibhaataa chalaa gayaa.. har fikr ko dhue mein udaataa chalaa gaya' was beautiful.

Kabir deserves full marks for taking the film to an appropriate finale. ... And yes the Cinematograher.. I guess.... Anshuman... has done a very well job. The way he has covered Afghanistan is excellent.

You walk out of Kabul Express with two actors in mind .... Arshad Warsi and Salman Shahid, the Pakistani...... Arshad is brilliant.... scene stealer .... he has an amazing sense of timing .... The actor is lovable.... whereas he also contributes to the light moments in the thriller..... Salman Shahid is excellent..... He is a super actor.... He enacts his role with precision and his sequences.... more towards the concluding reels.. the climax.... will win him ample fans in India..... Ah ha... John doesn’t really get a chance to exhibit his performance.... but gets two major scenes.... one, whn he talks 2 d Pakistani abt his daughter nd the other..... whn the Pakistani is offering prayers..... John handles them with supreme confidence..... Hanif, the Afghani.... is first-rate..... while Linda, the American journalist..... does an okay job.

All-in-all.... a good movie to watch.

Two yrs on.... revisiting tsunami tragedy

2006-12-26T15:05:00.000+05:30

Source: Here

Two years passed.... With Silence and tears, TodayIt is the 2nd anniversary of the devastating Tsunami waves that crashed into coastlines killing more than 2 lakh people n leaving millions of people homeless.

Indonesia, Srilanka, somalia, thailand, maldives being destroyed badly....

Dont know wht all steps hav been taken till now.. but... as per the sources.. scientists are trying to meet the Sept, 2007 deadline of putting warning system for the killer waves.

Some tide guages hav been installed in the Bay of Bengal and Indian Ocean tht wld be able to monitor the tidal activity round-the-clock.

Some more such gauges will be installed along the Indian coastline.... to alert the residents of the coastal regions of an impending tsunami.... and so on...

Hope Government.... helps those who lost their family and their houses ..... Hope the fund raised for the victims n for the reconstruction projects are utilised in a proper way... n for the very purpose.

Life Goes on....

Life has a strange way of finding its own rhythm. As per the news.... the houses have been rebuilt, people are busy with their daily activities.... but..... ppl who are still staying ther feels tht...... somewhere, something is missing. The vacuum created by the tsunami simply refuses to go away...... but still... v all know... tht... Life Goes on.....

Lets pray for those who lost their lives and for them who lost their family members and dear ones. Lets pray for the survivors. Hope they r safe and happy wherever they are.

Stock market ka filmy funda

2006-12-22T16:13:00.000+05:30

Look at the market… its jst going zooooommmm….. hav reached somewhere around 13471… completely unpredictable.... i dont hav much knowledge abt it... but thanks to my boss from whom i hav learnt a lot... initially when he used to discuss it with me.. i used to feel all these quite boring.. but slowly found it interesting... i jst invest in the stocks recommended by him... lets c how was the yr 2006....

The year 2006 wld go down in history as the yr tht saw impossible dramatic moments like milestones being added at lightening speed, and draggers & achievers being churned out simultaneously at evry dip...... Simply put, the yr had all the masala to make a blockbuster. Herez the annual analysis of stocks compared to the most talked about bollywood releases of the yr. Some made a significant impact while some failed miserably at the box office…. err stock exchanges... lets c....

Dhoom - Stocks that took markets by storm: GMR Infra & Tech Mahindra. Both the IPO’s were over subscribed. Info Edge (even this IPO was oversubscribed. Got overwhelming response from FIIs) and the last one Parsvanath Developers tht took the markets by storm.

KANK - Stock u shld never giv away under pressure: Reliance Industries (featured in the Fortune 500 list for the 2nd consecutive yr.) ONGC & NTPC (wont let u down). SBI, ICICI Bank & HDFC Bank (It pays to hold them), Cipla (this stock doesnt fear from market news). Bharti Airtel & Relaince Communications (New ones but good one). Tata Steel (All set to make big news).

RDB - Stock tht hav put the Tricolour on the Global Map: Infosys Technologies - the sole contender having its presence in Nasdaq 100. It’s truly a global company with Indian origins. On July 31, it became the first company to ring the opening bell of the Nasdaq stock exchange from India. Infosys' website lead netizens to a special homepage that declared tht the "World is Flat." The event was broadcasted live from the Infosys campus to Nasdaq's MarketSite tower in New York's Times square that carried a msg welcoming 'Infy' to Nasdaq :)

Khosla Kaa Ghosla - Small to medium cap stocks tht hold promise: Sasken, Polaris, Moser Baer, Sonata Sotware, 3i infotech, nd some of them, cldnt recollect - these midcap stocks hav exhibited tremendous potential.

Krishh - Stocks tht got empowered: Capital goods like ABB, BHEL, L&T and Siemens (Each of these have fat power projects in their kitty). V can alos include Tata Power - which pocketed ultra mega power projects.

Omkaraa - Investors never got paid for their faith in these stocks: Biocon & Ranbaxy (no change in their price performance during the year.

Lage Raho Munnabhai - Stocks tht resisted volatility: Cement stocks such Grasim, Gujarat Ambuja & ACC. M&M, Maruti Udyog & HDFC were good as well.

Malamaal Weekly - Picks tht gave incredible returns in short trem: Bombay Dyeing, Gamon India & Unitech made quick buck in short term.

So.... this was Stock Markets Filmy Funda.... i guess it wld reach 14000 v.shortly. Lets c wht new year brings 4 all of us... :)

Merry Christmas to everyone.....

Hav a funfilled long weekend.... Njoi

Beautiful Wedding

2006-12-19T17:42:00.000+05:30

Two days passed.. nd m jst finding some time to update my blog. Am completely occupied with lot of wrk.. but cldnt stop myself from dropping a small post. So… here it is… :)

After a funfilled Ros Ceremony.. came a beautiful wedding day. Everyone reached Church on time. Its lovely Church… newly constructed. Nafu was looking v.beautiful in her wedding gown nd melwin (bridegroom) was looking very smart, good to see tht he has reduced those extra pounds. During college times, he was quite healthy n overweight thn after graduation for sometime he worked here in India and thn shifted to Kuwait. Nafu nd melwin had committed each other whn they were in final yr of graduation. Yaa.. forgot to say… bestmen and their respective bridesmaids were looking v.nice. And how can i 4get... v all were looking beautiful... :P

Everyone took their seats. It was a wedding in context of mass started with a musical procession of Entrance rite called Introductory rite where Father introduced bride n bridegroom and their respective families greeting them with a song. Thn ther was an Opening Prayer and after that some holy readings by Father.

Thn came Rite of Marriage where the priest asked the couple some questions about the faithfulness to each other, acceptance and upbringing of children.

Thn there was exchange of consent of each other, thn blessing of rings by the priest and thn exchange of rings followed by some readings and once the rings were exchanged, the priest offers his blessings and asks bridegroom to giv a lovely wedding kiss to her bride.

Thn therz presentation of gift to the preist such as fruits , Candles – as symbol of light, bread & wine, clothes, and finally some cash (each one has some symbol behind it.. but don remember it :( ...)

Again, ther are some more prayers… some holy songs, and thn final blessings.

Finally the priest asked to collect holy water as the blessings and as ther were some non-catholics whom they asked to collect Rose as a blessing.

Now.. it was a time for reception. As ther was some time for reception to start.. so v all decided to go to roshni’s place, had some tea n breakfast n went on talking, talking n talking, as clock was showing 8pm so everyone realized tht v shld move to reception venue.

Thank God.. v reached on time.. the couple was jst entering…. It was beautifully organized. Everyone was given a balloon in their hands… and were asked to stand near the stage making a big round. As the couple came forward followed by their bestmen n their resp. bridesmaid.. small introduction of them was given by the organizer, followed by cake cutting, the moment they cut the cake.. v were asked to raise the balloons in the air.. It was really looking beautiful.

Everyone settled.. and thn Sebi, nafu’s bro was asked to raise a toast. He did it v.nicely. Thn the couple visited everyone’s table to greet n to take blessings.

Thn came a Dance time… couple was askd to start a dance march, everyone following thm, n thn making tunnel and everyone passing thru tht tunnel. It was fun. V enjoyed dancing on some bollywood numbers :)).

V all had dinner and the clock was showing 11.30pm. As it was too late so v decided to stay back at nimi’s place as v al were meeting after a long time… went home and as usual kept on gossiping till late night. It was a real fun… had a gr8 time.... njoyed a lot… :)

Ros Ceremony

2006-12-15T17:21:00.000+05:30

Yesterday, I attended Ros Ceremony of one of my friend Nafisa, whoz getting married tomorrow. I don’t know much about the customs catholics follow. But, it was quite exciting as u come across some different kind of customs.

Its like, on the eve of the wedding day, in the evening an important ceremony is performed which is called 'ros'-oil bath. The ros is a mixture of coconut juice and coconut oil. They say tht the brides skin gets a good glow by applying ths mixture one day before the wedding. Its just like ‘Haldi’ ceremony which v hav on the eve of the wedding day. V too have the same reasons behind it like by applying Haldi the skin gets a glow on the wedding day, also Haldi is considered quite auspicious and its used along with kumkum while performing pooja n all, I m sure ther mst b some scientific reasons too.

Coming back to Ros ceremony, Nafu, the bride and her three bridesmaids (including one more frnd of mine out of *eight– Shilpa) are made to sit….. and three bowls of coconut water is kept in front of them.

It all started with a small prayer by Sebi, Nafu’s elder brother where he thanked God to bring such a wonderful day, he prayed for his parents, for nafu and for all who were present there for the ceremony.

It’s a custom tht, bride’s father is the first person to apply ths juice to the bride. So, Uncle first took some coconut oil on his fingers and made a cross on her forehead. Thn, he took some coconut juice in his hands, applied on her hairs n thn on her face. Same is to be done with Bridesmaids too. One by one all her relatives n frnds has to come n repeat the same procedure. It was fun.... whn our turn came...... I n nimisha enjoyed applying on her face, her hairs and her hands…. Hmmm …. Thodii aur gorii ho jaayegii…. :)) And at last v all poured the remaining juice on all three of them ….hehehehe ….. It was a real fun…

Then ther was a round of slice cakes n cold drinks.. n after tht a delicious dinner. I was getting too late coz it was already 9.30pm n I had to reach virar which takes 15 mins by train n thn 10mins walking to home. So left without having dinner … :(

It was a real fun… :)

Now, looking forward for Saturday….. for more fun n mastii… :)

*eight - Roshni, Grishma, Jayee, Manisha (all married - manu got a babbuu recently), Nafu, Shilpa, Nimi and myself - eight of us r v.good college frnds :)

Njoi the confusion … Once again

2006-12-13T17:44:00.000+05:30

After 3 days of wrkng on ths assignment, now I hav got some idea of wht the concept is and how to wrk on it. But, its full of calculations and a total brain wrk.

Ok … so get ready to get more confused…. Ha aha ha….

The situation is like, we got a private equity assignment for a company A. Now, the client company has other two group companies B & C. Their promoters (shareholders) hav plans to consolidate operations of all the three companies in future. Now, one of the investors wants to know the exact impact of consolidation exercise and wants to check the consolidated financial statements.

As I explained in my previous post, ther r 3 companies A, B & C all promoted by common promoters.

Co. A is listed co. (public ltd. co. whose shares r listed in stock exchange) with promoters holding some % of equity and public holding some % of equity. V r given its Share Capital and Reserves.

Co. B is unlisted co. where promoters r holding the entire equity, Share Capital & Reserves provided.

Co. C is newly ptromoted by Co. A, B & individual promoters.
V r given Co. C’s Sh. Cap & its equity holding pattern wher A hold some %, B some % , other promoters some % and Private equity investors or outsiders (Minority Interest – called as per Co. Law) holding some % of equity.

The proposal is:

In Year 2006-07, Co. A will acquire say 60% equity of Co.B wher Co. A shall issue some amount of shares in consideration to the shareholders of Co.B.

So, now v hav to prepare consolidated accounts of Co.A for 2006-07, making adjustments in Profit & Loss A/c and Balance Sheet …... As Co. A hav to pay some amt. of shares, so Co. B’s Net worth wld change to the extent consideration recd. from A and the presentation in consolidated B/S wld change to tht extent. Ther r lot of calculations keeping in mind the swap ration n all to adjust the reserves of the co. …. But .. if I explain tht, u all wld go mad… :)))

Now, In 2007-08, Co. C will acquire some % of equity of Co. A by issuing some amt of shares of C to shareholders of A and some % of equity of B by again issuing some amt of shares to shareholders of B (As A holds 60% of B and C holds some % of A, so C will hold some % indirectly as well as directly).

So, now v all r busy preparing their individual financial statements, thn consolidated and thn projected ones for future years.

The most difficult thng is …. How to give the treatment of investments made by A & B in C and investment made by A in B, whether to knock off from equity of C or to adjust against the reserves. And another difficult thng is Presentation. After giving all these effects, how to present those financial statemtents showing those adjustments… ??

So …. hands on ur head .... I guess u wanna kill me ….. hahaha ah…. I can understand tht … v too had the same feelings when our manager was explaining it…. :)))

Feel The Spirit...

2006-12-12T14:02:00.000+05:30

Yuuuu hoooooooooooooo ...... me registered for Standard Chartered Mumbai Marathon, 2007 ...... for 6 km Dream Run :)

Run Mumbai Run.... n Feel the Spirit... is the slogan u can hear everywhere. So... 21st Jan, 2007 is the day of Greatest Race on Earth. I m so excited n happy..... our training will start right from week 1 ..... they hav given us a Training and Nutrition Chart. I know i hav to work out well.... I was bit scared coz of my weight.... which is jst 39/40 kgs..... hehehehe. Thnk God.. therz no clause mentioning ... underweight ppl not allowed. I knw i wld manage.... :)

Its so exciting to participate.. n tht too for a cause :)

There r five categories:

MARATHON - 42.195 km, HALF MARATHON - 21.097 km, DREAM RUN - 6 km, SENIOR CITIZENS' RUN - 4.3 km & WHEELCHAIR EVENT - 2.5 km

One can even run with different costumes.... for which they hav kept best costume prizes.

Thn therz Standard Chartered Marathon Mobile & Go Fida Marathon Drive.. where u can see beautifully crafted Standard Chartered Marathon Mobile canter on the streets of Mumbai, particularly hubs, colleges, shopping malls, gardens, etc with fun, music & games. Also, Ford hav sponsored Go Fida Marathon drive for the early morning joggers to spread the marathon information by providing them registration forms n other information.... Ford Event Partner is also offering free test drive after the run.... Get Set Go Fida!

Then therz Get Active Mumbai Marathon show sponsored by Radio Mirchi, 98.3 FM.

And... therz lots n lots more.....

So... i m all set.... n looking forward for tht special day.......

Ps: Explanation on previous post is coming soon..... :)

Critical Assignment after a wonderful weekend...

2006-12-11T16:11:00.000+05:30

Weekend was quite good.. half of the sat went in helping mom in her daily household chores nd the other half... went to supermarket with mom to buy some grocery. Then came beautiful sunday.... went to Express Inn for the dinner with some of my frnds. It was a fun... wanna write detailed story... but :(( loaded with lot of wrk.... :(

Y do ths monday comes... :( Got a new assignment of preparing consolidated accounts of one of the company. U knw wht... After our manager was done with the detailed explanation... everyone was like ..... totally dead.... eyes wide open... hehehe....

Ok.. lemme write it down.. so tht it wld b a revision 4 me ... n also so tht i can confuse u all too .... :)) Its like ther r three companies A, B & C all promoted by common promotors. Now A is listed co. wher some % of equity is hold by promoters n some by public. And co. B is unlisted wher promoters hold entire equity. Co. C is newly promoted by A, B & other individual promoters with A,B n others holding some % of shares.

Now, v r provided with diferent proposals for the coming years... wherein they hav given the proposed shareholding pattern n swap ratio... Now, v hav to prepare Projected Profit & Loss A/c and Balance Sheet for all these three companies individually.... n Consolidated P/L nd B/S of A& B, and then A,B & C for the coming years. He kept on asking whether ther r any queries or somthng... but v ourself were so confused... wht question v cld ask... its so difficult to jst calculate mentally... wht % of holding is in current yr... n wht is proposed for the next yr.. how much to knock off... how to show Investments.. adjusting their reserves n goodwill.... Whew!!
I knw v can do it.... but its going to b a real test ... nd on the other side... its going to b fun with lot of learning :)

Gokul kii panihaarii

2006-12-08T15:36:00.000+05:30

Gokul kii .... paniihaarii .... paniyaa bharan chalii .....
Bade Bade Nainaa taa mein.... khubh rahyo kajraa.....
Pahre kasumbhii saarii... ang ang chabii bhaarii.....
Gorii gorii bahiiyan mein... motiinn ke gajraa..... (1)
Gokul kii.... paniihaarii .... paniyaa bharan chalii....

Sakhii sang liye jaat... has has bujat baat....
Tan hu kii sudhii bhoolii.... sees dhare gagraa....
Nanddaas balihaarii.... beech mile girdharii....
Nainan kii sainan mein... bhool gayii dagraa...... (2)
Gokul kii panihaarii... paniyaa bharan chalii......
Bade bade nainaa taa mein...
khubh rahyo kajraa..... khub rahyo kajraa
Khubh rahyo kajraa.... gokul kii panihaarii......

This kirtan is sung in Todii raag (raag jo shabdon ko todtaa hain). Its really beautiful. Just learnt 2day only.... and i was completely lost while singing. Malkouns, Todii, Lalit are all warm, soft n slow raag… and thtz the reason they r sung specially during winter.

Is It Fair.....???

2006-12-02T16:56:00.000+05:30

We all know abt the violence and riots that took place two days back all over Maharashtra. Its agreed that, vandalisation of Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar's Statue might have hurt the sentiments of the dalit community.

We too respect him equally But, is it fair to create violence and destruction all over and to destroy peace in the country? Is it fair to get so violent that you start destroying the property of ypur own country? Creating a panic everywhere by pelting stones over local trains nd ST busues, setting fire to trains and buses? Yaa... its agreed that you show your anger by protesting on streets, but y to get so violent which causes harm to the public and to its property. Isnt it ur equal responsibility and ur fundamental duty to protect it.

It was shocking tht on account of 3 burnt trains, the CR have suffered a loss of Rs 7 crores. But... Deccan Queen which was set ablaze.... has taken the biggest hit... 6 out of 17 coaches r completly rattled to ashes and now the train had been brought from Kalyan to Matunga Workshop for maintenance.

With each coach costing Rs 55 lakh, the damage to Deccan Queen is pegged at Rs 4 crore. Now the officials have to hunt 4 spares from the market so tht the train can run at the earliest.

According to the officials, Ulhasnagar station was also completely destroyed, necessitating construction of several installations from scratch and the station has suffered a loss of nearly Rs 20 lakh.

Now, does anyone has the answer tht who wld pay for all these damages and the losses in lakhs and crores tht our State has suffered? Isnt it a total waste of Taxpayer's money.....?? Dont these protestors realise tht they r ultimately destroying their very own property which comes from none other than their very own money. How can ppl b so furious n violent ? ts like v r finding solutions to the problems by detroying those very things which r actually meant 4 our own convenience. I dont understand wht they want to prove from all such protests...... The situation is forcing to take some major steps and to reform the legal policies of punishing such ppl who creates tension and destroys the peace by such offences.....

If v look at the trends... no doubt our country has developed at a very fast pace during the last decade.... n is doing still better.... the economy is rising with a high speed.... but on the other side.... do v hav any answer abt such violence, those blasts, those rape and murder cases of Jessica Lall, Katara n Priyadarshini which r pending since years....?? All these actually makes us wonder…… Is our country really Shining......???

Making life worthwhile….

2006-11-28T18:33:00.000+05:30

Last week’s Sunday Times has given a wonderful article on Kaka Joglekar… who fought with no. of radiations n chemotherapy n survived of Cancer, now leading a life by giving a musical touch to healing…by visiting various hospitals n singing marathi bhajans n hindi songs for the patients.

Here’s a link to the article… worth reading… how gracefully he faces all the pain n sufferings of the disease…. Hats off to Kaka Joglekar :)

Whn I read ths article.... i remebered those days..... tht even my Grandmother was once a cancer patient…. It was God’s grace tht… she survived…. But…even 2day…. v can see the side effects of all those treatment… I still remember the day when doctor uncle said tht she has a clot in her arm which has to be removed. V all were so scared coz…. Going thru such a operation at ths age was very difficult… I remember… for all 5 days I was with her…. For d first time I stayed overnight in the hospital…. they were all sleepless nights….

She got operated n v brought her back to home.. but thn… after few checkups…. V all were again shocked to hear tht… tht clot had left some cells n now r multiplying n r spreading out in the other parts of the body…. So doct uncle asked us to consult to some specialist as it was showing symptoms of cancer…. So….. v showed all the reports at Nanavati Hosp… after making so many further tests …. they confirmed tht… it’s a Cancer…. 2nd stage …. Its not possible to cure it completely… but… they can prevent those cells from spreading by Radiation n Chemotherapy… which has horrible side effects…like.. the patient goes bald, the heat of
radiation causes pain in the stomach, etc ... v all were so tensed tht… is it fair to giv so much pain to her at ths age…. I remember… my Granmaa saying… plz don’t go 4 all ths… I m ok… don’t spend so much money behind me… plz don’t take so much trouble…. But… its like… even v dont knw… how n from where v got so much courage tht… no matter… v’ll try our best to make her alright… but…. now came the main part… coz… it was a two n half months long treatment… where she has to go for radiation every alternate day…. So.. v decided to rent a room at one of the sanitarium of our community at vile parle …. Which was nearby the hosp… now came the question … who will stay with her…. Coz… it was not possible 4 daddy n uncle 2 get such a long leave… n mom n aunty has to look after the home… finally it was decided tht I will stay with her… I had jst completed my graduation at tht time…. n had taken a regular post gradustion prog. which i then shifted to correspondence … n all was set.

V bought all 2 month’s grocery n started staying ther…. It was altogether a different experience… coz…. It was somthng diff. frm my everyday’s routine….. right from getting up early morning… filingl water, washing clothes, helping granmaa in bathing ….. thn performing our seva n puja…. After tht… making breakfast, preparing lunch n so on. After finishing lunch taking her to the hospital by rick, bring a wheelchair 4 her and taking her by lift to the radiation dept... .. I remember… how all the patients used to wait for their turn to come… patients’ tht part of body is marked where they r to be radiated…. everyone with diff. types of Cancer... it used to take one or two hours for all tht …. After radiation.. the patient has to take some cold drink or some juice…. Coz… those rays r so strong tht it produces a lot of heat n its v.painful for sometime… so preparing fresh juice for her after reaching home… nd thn v used to take a small nap for sometime…. n thn… tea n breakfast session… thn… going market to buy some stuff for dinner n for next day… nd after coming back…. V used to sing aarti, some kirtan n reading one bhagvadvaarta everyday in the evening …. Thn again preparing khaanaa… having dinner..... n all tht procedure of cleaning the kitchen, etc..... i remember tht d kitchen was also like old ones.... wher u hav to sit down n prepare food.... but v all managed.... so the day used to end like tht.... as ther was no TV… no radio allowed ther… so was somewht boring… but v managed everything.

Days passed… n she completed her radiation treatment… n v brought her back to home happily… I remember she never used to complain tht its paining or troubling her…. It was her strong will power which helped her struggle n come out of it ….. but… as days passed.. v cld see the side effects… she started loosing her knee length long hairs … they kept on falling n falling n after some months not a single hair was left on her head… now hav managed to grow till her shoulders… [whnever I oil her hairs… I say…oh… now its looking like Urmila cut… :))]….. her skin which was so fair n soft… got tanned n rough… pickles which she loved to eat started causing pain in her stomach...

But.. inspite of all thses she still has managed to keep tht sweet smile always on her face…. n thtz how she manage to keep courage….

I knw… she has lot of affection for me.. whnever I go to meet her… she feels like she is the happiest person on the earth… she always say… “aaje thakorjii nii krupaa thaii.. ke taaraa darshan thayaa” (Oh… 2day God mst b v.haapy on me.. tht u hav come) … she stays with my uncle… coz he has lot of affection for her… so v cant bring her to our place… but.. I visit there every weekend… oil her hairs… cut her nails…. massage her legs… thn she starts her Q & A session…. Wht al u did ths week… which latest movie did u saw…how r ur frnds…. which new kirtan u learnt in Mandir… wht r 2dayz shringar of thakorjii.... wht r d festivals n utsav coming next week… n all tht…. sometimes she secretly complains abt my mom n aunty :))) (like typical saas) .... but.... she has lot of care n affection for all of us....

I can recognise from her face the strength, the will power, the courage she has… which always keeps her happy n smiling....... which inturn makes me feel happy n blessed…. :)

Gulzar Sir... The Best!!!

2006-11-23T18:01:00.000+05:30

Is modd se jaate hai.....
kuchh sust qadam rastein..... kuchh tez qadam raahein......
patthar kii havelii ko...... shiishe ke gharaundon mein.....
tinakon ke nasheman tak..... is modd se jaate hain.

Passing through this path (turn).....
some slow pace roads.... some fast pace paths...
some going towards palace made of rocks,
some to houses made of glasses....
while some to small places made of dry grasses.....
Passing through ths.....

Aandhii kii tarah uddkar...... ik raah guzaratii hai....
sharamaatii huii koii...... qadamon se utartii hai.

Flying like a storm.... one road is passing thru...
some smilingly.... are stepping downwards....

Inn reshamii raahon mein........ ik raah to vo hogii....
tum tak jo pahunchtii haii...... is modd se jaatii hai.

From all these roads... one such road might b ther....
which might b reaching u.... which is passing thru ths path...

Iss modd se jaate hain...
Going through ths path....

Ikk duur se aatii hai....... paas aake palat tii hai....
ik raah akelii sii...... rukatii hai na chaltii hai.....

One coming from a long distance....
And after coming close.... again turns back to other side...

ye sochake baithii huun...... ik raah to vo hogii......
tum tak jo pahunchtii hai....... is modd se jaate hain

I m jst sitting with a thought tht.... from all these roads...
one such road might b ther.. which must b reaching u....

iss modd se jaate hain......
which is going through this road....

kuchh sust qadam rastein...... kuchh tez qadam raahein
patthar kii havelii ko...... shiishe ke gharondon mein.....
tinakon ke nasheman tak..... is modd se jaate hain.

some slow pace roads.... some fast pace paths...
some going towards palace made of rocks,
some to houses made of glasses....
while some to small places made of dry grasses.....
Passing through ths.....
iss mod se jaate hain.....

I hav jst tried to translate the song.... as per PV's request... :)
But... truly it has a v.beautiful meaning.....
but cldnt express it tht beautifully... :((

It was jst yesterday.... was having audit after lunch.....
so jst took all the documents... heading towards the co. ..... got into a rick.

some 35-40 mins journey .... so thought of listening some music....
was abt to put my earplugs....
n the rickshawalla said.... madam... ek minute.... hamaaraaFM suniye ....
first came....
Kaanchii re.... Kaanchii re.... ...... preet merii saachii... .....
rukk jaa naa jaa dil todd ke... v.nice song....
and thn came... ths beautiful song of Gulzar saab.....
beautiful lyrics...... in all.... a beautiful song...
so thought of putting it into my post.... Njoi... :)

Footprints

2006-11-18T15:14:00.000+05:30

When v r young.... v have an ideal to follow,
v always follow the paths laid by great souls,
and inspired by their achievements.... v start moving with our dreams.... and our goals.... to reach the skies.... with a focus on our destination....

But... as time passes... and as v move towards the heights... surprisingly... v realise tht... the path.... which we are following.... r becoming our limitations..... so.... v ourself start moving ahead with a faith and a confidence..... and make a new path.... leaving behind our footprints .....

Today... when v turn back to see them.... they r unseen...
They r washed away by the waves of time....
But.. still v keep on moving and moving to leave our foot prints... with a feeling tht.. someday someone wld follow them.... to discover..... newer skies.... and newer destinations.... And Still.... newer Foot Prints... :)

Have a nice Weekend... :)

Chacha Nehru's Gift To The Children Of India

2006-11-14T15:51:00.000+05:30

Today is 14th November... and v all celebrate it as Children's Day and Chacha Nehru's B'day....

Was jst remembring those innocent and sweet days .... right from the day.. whn v stepped into ths beautiful world... till the date... where v r 2day....

Lets thank our parents who made our childhood so beautiful... lets thank them who made every possible things to giv us the happiness v asked for...

lets thank our teachers... who were always ther with us to guide us and to correct us at each and every step.....

Lets recollect some memories of Jawaharlal Nehru....

On 14th November, 1889, a son was born to an eminent lawyer, Motilal Nehru n his wife Swaroop Rani. They named him Jawaharlal. He was brilliant and compassionate and was grtly loved by al..... And when India gained its independence.... ths outstanding statesman was named.... the first Prime Minister of the country.

He was a perfect blend of eastern values and western thinking..... and encouraged technological progress. But he was also a man of letters.... and a great poet and wrote some famous works like..... 'Glimpses of World History' and 'Discovery of India'. His letters to his daughter, Indira, was also compiled into a book and reflects his philosophical outlook..... his compassion and above all, his tender heart.

His gr8 luv for roses as well as children is a well-known fact..... In fact he often compared the two.... saying tht children were like the buds in a garden...... They should be carefully and lovingly nurtured..... as they were the future of the nation and the citizens of tomorrow..... He felt tht childrn r the real strength of a country and the vry foundation of society..... Mst importantly he believed in giving equal opportunities to girls and boys..... In fact his own little grl grew up to be the third Prime Minister of India.....

Quite naturally, he was the 'beloved' of all the children who gave him the endearing name of 'Chacha Nehru'..... As a tribute to ths grt man and his genuine love for children..... his b'day is celebrated all over India as 'UNIVERSAL CHILDREN'S DAY'...... A day of fun and fanfare..... celebrated with singing, dancing and storytelling in schools and colleges as well as on radio and TV..... Special functions r held to honour children all over the country.....oh..i miss those school days.... :(

The significance of Children's Day......

Chacha Nehru's real msg was..... to provide our children with a safe and loving environment in which to grow..... as well as..... giving them ample and equal opportunities.... thru which they can take grt strides and contribute 2 d progress of d nation..... Ths day serves as a reminder to each and every one of us, to renew our commitment..... to the welfare of children... and teach them to live by true standards of life so tht they can leave their footprints.... (oh... i feel like wrting somthng abt it...) nd to set a good example of themselves.... :)

Hey....Next time shall write somethng abt footprints....
Till then... bye n take care :)

My Dear Friend....

2006-11-09T17:15:00.000+05:30

I Can See The Pain

I still see your face in my dreams
It hurts and it doesn't help at all
I still want you in my life as crazy as that seems
I want you to catch me when I fall

I still remember the first time we met
There was something so different about you
Your friendship was something I wanted to get
That smile when you said hi to me was so new

Out of no where you called me on the phone
I wanted to sit there and talk to you forever
You were so new, so crazy and unknown
I just knew that our friendship would never sever

Two years and we are barely holding it together
What happened to the way this all used to be
I never wanted you out of my like ever
I sat there for a long time pretending not to see

We decided to go out and make it all all right
It didn't work out of course we knew it couldn't
We couldn't even really stand each others sight
It shouldn't end this way but it did and I shouldn't

I miss you and everything you were to me
Ten years from now we will look back on it all
We will be older and finally be able to see
That love will stand the test of time and never fall

Is it that easy to FORGET !!!

I don't understand what happened to us
Or why you have turned away.
Of course you are free to do as you like,
But first I have something to say.

To me it had seemed we could go on forever,
So close were our hearts, and at ease,
So much did we share, yet the words never faltered,
So I thought as time did as it pleased.

Whatever I did that has made you unhappy,
Or am that is not to your taste,
Or would be were I to return to your graces,
Or won't be if I am replaced:

I want you to know that your friendship is something
I treasure, and would not now end.
If you would be willing to turn to embrace me,
You'd find in me still a good friend.

Ok.....I jst want to dedicate this post to one of my dear frnd.....
Its two months since v ended our frndship.....the first person to end a relation with...
How easy it is to say tht....Just Forget Everything......
But....i want to say...
Is it tht easy to forget everythng.....
Is it tht easy to forget tht u were so happy.....whn u met 4 the first time.... n u prayed to God tht.. ths shld b the one... God..ths shld b the one.... :)
Is it tht easy to forget the care and affection u had for each other....
Is it tht easy to forget those moments u shared..u talked with each other......
Is it tht easy to forget those small n sweet fights u had with each other.....
Is is tht easy to forget tht....how easily u said....jst forget evrythng...jst forget tht v ever met....
i want to say.....Is it tht esay to forget everythng......tell me....is it tht easy....???

Hmmm.....i m getting too emotional...... :)
Anyways...its not tht easy to forget those ppl...those frnds who made a difference to ur life.....
It is really very hurting......
I wish.....v cld be frnds as before.....i knw.....now nothng is left....n now its not possible....
But...i dont knw y...still....will always feel ths..... n...... those feeling will stay forever in some corner of my heart.... :)

Ok thn....will come back next time.....and i promise with some fun....not ths emotions n all :))
Till thn...take care...n hav a nice time..... :)

How to begin with....

2006-11-06T14:02:00.000+05:30

Hi Everyone....
I m totally new to this blog world.....
I dont knw how to begin with....
But....it was some months back....i came across some blogs......and found them interesting. It was good to see tht u all share ur thoughts so well....
Many times me too felt like expressing my thoughts also.....but was lil hesitated....
But...thn....one day..... i made up my mind to step into this huge blog world....
So...here i m....with some memories.....some thoughts...some dreams....n with some kind of excitement which i cant express.....to share them with u al.....

Sometimes i do feel tht......v r so busy with our work.....our social responsiblities.....n all....v always feel tht time is too short for us.....v have so many thngs pending.....so many commitments.....so many stuffs to do....etc...

But still.......whtz ther.....which is forcing me to take out sum time n write sumthing which is going around in my life.....and......they r.....my thoughts....my feelings......which i want to express n share with my close ones.....my frnds......
I knw.....i hav some close frnds who r very dear to me.....n v.close to my heart....with whom i share my all thoughts...all dreams...al memories....some moments of laughter....some moments of tears......

But.....still many times....i feel like giving words to my thoughts......
So.....here i m....to give words to few of my many thoughts..... :)
I hope u all r there with me.....

Ok then.....shall see u all soon.....
Till then.....Have a nice time.....and....take care :)