Green Day..!!

Another turning point;

a fork stuck in the road.

Time grabs you by the wrist;
directs you where to go.




So make the best of this test
and don't ask why.

It's not a question
but a lesson learned in time.

It's something unpredictable
but in the end it's right.
I hope you had the time of your life.

So take the photographs
and still frames in your mind.

Hang it on a shelf
In good health and good time.

Tattoos of memories
and dead skin on trial.

For what it's worth,
it was worth all the while.

It's something unpredictable
but in the end it's right.
I hope you had the time of your life.

It's something unpredictable
but in the end it's right.
I hope you had the time of your life.

It's something unpredictable
but in the end it's right.
I hope you had the time of your life.

Happy Birthday..!!

Instead of counting candles,

Or tallying the years,

Contemplate your blessings now,

As your birthday is here..!

Consider special people

Who love you, and who care,

And others who’ve enriched your life

Just by being there.

Think about the memories

Passing years can never mar,

Experiences great and small

That have made you who you are.

Another year is a happy gift,

So cut your cake, and say,

"Instead of counting birthdays,

I count blessings every day!"

Happy Birthday Brother..!!

(PS: These lines are not my creativity)

Different Strokes..!

This post is collection of different moods captured by different lenses! (Picture Courtesy: Various Sources)

Reminds me of song: 'raindrops keep falling on my head..'

Rains. There are hardly few who don't like to get drenched in the rains, forgetting all worries.

Quintessential Dusk

A perfect setting to relax and have some long awaited 'me time'

Draught to quench the Drought!

Absolute Paradox to the previous one.

Castles of Dreams

The day we stop making castles, we quit living..!

Gorgeous is an understatement!

I know many might not agree, but the log address still reads 'when-i-speak-to-myself'

Fingers Crossed

A super gesture to keep you going and encourage you to 'take it as it comes'

Wonderful 'natural' Delight

My idea of beauty!

The Penultimate Splendor

Will not rate as ultimate (lets put the rating on hold)

Welcome Change

Its the only change that is welcome all over the world (think so, if its at the correct time)

Blank

(Could not think of a title, request to share your thoughts)

Endless Opportunities

As the age old proverb goes: Behind every locked door there are thousand doors to success.

Endless Sea

Trucks and ricks are great source of creativity and inspiration

The Salman 'Dabaang' Khan

Bollywoods' reply to the Rajni Mania

Yes, you can READ_the way planets move

(at least thats what I am told to understand)

This post might look crude to few but it, in a way, connects the dots of my imagination. 

Probable Conclusion: I need a break and some nice 'me time'.

Some additions:

1. I am glad to share, few near and dear ones do wait for my posts. Thank you for the encouragement

2. Will share some self captured moments soon. 

Signing off,

Morbid Stance

With due respects to Japanese management philosophy (its my bread and butter..!!); I have certain questions. Its not that I am challenging/ questioning the philosophy or the concepts. The concepts in itself are proven, tried and tested methods with desired results. 

However, a part of the concept is buzzing around my mind. Whats the use of it, if one doesnt understand..!

Like in layman language, it says the job of a worker is to follow the standard work and repeat it till the day ends. Just imagine a person tightening the bolts in an assembly  operation till he crashes onto the bed (like its shown in one of the Chaplin epic movies..!) or to push bags into the buses till his shift ends. No doubt it adds orderliness into life! But question thats popped up, whats the use of such orderliness when there is no fun in life..!

I think there is no difference in the young kids trained by terrorist organizations operational in Pak, the kids raised in Japan and the tadpoles thriving in the closed well..! (i wont involve the Shiv Sainiks or MNS for the time being; I feel I am thinking of something more sensible and shouldnt clutter my mind). Like the kids in Pak are fed since early days about the atrocities of Indian forces on the LoC, the Japanese kids are taught about the importance of standards and standard work since he/ she starts toddling. I strongly feel both are unaware of the life which has innumerable opportunities and where life is life.. just like the tadpole who feels the well is the world..! No doubt the difference here would be; unlike the Paki terrorist, the Kimono Kid has access to the world through all versions of tech but it fails to appreciate the feel of the outside world. As the wise men rightly said, 'bandar kya jaane adrak ka swad..!' (think it fits in here..!!)

What I want to convey is whats the use of all working in a particularly designed manner, when you cant appreciate what life has to offer. It is perfectly understandable that the people from 'the land of rising sun' have tasted the fruits of success and are trained to derive fun in what they do. But just imagine, does that mean there wont be any Dhirubhai or Walton..! And as one of my very able friends said, 'the rich will get richer and the poor will get children.' Why does a Japanese play any national level sport (keep aside the kids)? If Japan can excel in all fields, so should it do in sports. And it should master the skill to get the desired result/ outcome that is a win. So no excitement, and no fun and no sport as such..!!

Couple of months back, one friend of mine mentioned to me that I am into a not so good profession, of 'implementing standard work'. To which I agree (partly though), what fun would you derive if you were to assemble legs of chair all day long or would be more fun if you were to work and make the entire chair! Just put yourselves in the same shoes..!!

I understand the economies have changed and it was the era of division of labor that reigned the world, but still it is point to ponder..!!

Await your comments..!!

AB

A Miss

Mangalore:  Early morning on May 22, the Air Traffic Control of the Mangalore airport began communicating with a flight that was coming in from Dubai.  Half an hour later, the Air India flight crashed after the pilot overshot the runway. 158 people were killed.

The conversation suggests there was nothing to indicate that the plane was heading into trouble, till the very end.  
 
This is the pilot talking to the ATC Area Control
 
DATE: MAY 22
TIME: 5.30 AM
 
HEADER: IX812 PILOT TO MANGALORE ATC
 
EXPRESS INDIA 812: What is the weather like?
 
ATC (Area Control): Wind: Calm. Visibility: 6 km. Clouds: Few at 2000 feet. Temperature: 27. Dew Point: 26
 
EXPRESS INDIA 812: Runway 24. And confirm we are identified on radar
 
ATC (Area Control): Radar not available sir
 
EXPRESS INDIA 812: Roger
 
In fact, the Mangalore airport's radar had not been working for two days- since May 20. The radar is a navigational aid.  Flights can take off and land without it, but that increases the workload and pressure on the ATC.

 
We come to the last leg of conversation where the flight has established contact with the ATC Tower to land .
 
DATE: MAY 22
TIME: 5:54 AM
 
HEADER: IX812 PILOT TO MANGALORE ATC
 
EXPRESS INDIA 812: Express India 812 Good morning
 
DATE: MAY 22
TIME: 6:04 AM
 
ATC (Tower): Wind calm. Runway 24. Clear to land
 
EXPRESS INDIA 812: Clear to land, Express
 
14 seconds later, this is a voice the ATC controller hears from the cockpit.
 
DATE: MAY 22
TIME: 6:04
 
VOICE FROM COCKPIT: Go around Captain
 
This seems to be the most critical part of the conversation, according to pilots we spoke to. They say  the ATC heard the co-pilot telling the pilot to go around - which means miss the landing, and let's come back again.  The pilot decided against that.

 
Apparently not perturbed with the situation in the cockpit , since go around manoeuvres do happen occasionally , the ATC issued standard instructions for the jet once it landed on how to exit the runway.

 
DATE: MAY 22
TIME: 6:04
 
ATC (Tower): Express India 812 backtrack runway 24. Vacate via Delta
 
DATE: MAY 22
TIME: 6:05
 
Less than 20 seconds later... the ATC heard just the word CONTROL... which they now say was possibly a panicky voice from the cockpit
 
Within minutes IX812 was a ball of fire. 



 

Pride and Prejudice

Last week, I got chance to watch one episode of ‘India’s Got Talent’ season 2. And although I am not a big fan of the show or judges, I was disappointed to see Sajid Khan (sicko) to replace Shekhar Kapoor. (Side note: The lady, Ms. Sonali Bendre Behl was beautiful as always.) Shekhar was good with his philanthropic comments and dramatic expressions.

The reason for the post is a performance by a group from Gujarat which was inspired by African folk dance with touch of Indian flavor. And our judge, Sajid made some silly comment on the African matter. It is surprising how people comment on African language, culture and color. Our languages like Tamil, Gujarati, Bengali, etc also sound alien to people from different regions in the country. Same is the case with the folk dances across India. I don’t know why I did not like his comment; perhaps its ‘cos I don’t like Sajid or I have developed a soft corner for the land of Africa!!

And we talk of racism that Indians face in foreign lands like Australia and UK!

Media created ruckus out of Shilpa incident in reality show Big Brother. She hit a jackpot and suddenly became a global celebrity. Who gained out of it? The media and Shilpa Shetty. How about the racism that still exists?

How about the Thackreys’, both senior and junior? Senior was against the south Indian community and the junior is against north Indians!! How can one create such rift in a free land like India which is a hotpot of varied culture and religions, and that too just to gain some political mileage out of it..!

And point to note is that, Raj Thackrey who is against north Indians working in Maharashtra, had himself hired a north Indian lawyer..! What did the poor guy do who came to appear for the entrance exam?

I might be too young to comment on the big issue, however felt like sharing it!

One should be proud of ones culture but has no right to be prejudiced towards others..!!

Bucket List

Couple of years back, a movie called 'The Bucket List' with a wonderful concept hit the box office. I could not appreciate it then. But today somehow I managed to bump into it again. And was inspired to take this step and put up my bucket list.

1. Albeit, the list might look lofty enough, but then what is the use of living if one cant dream big. Dreams have to be crazy, else there is no point in having it.

2. सोचने के लिए पैसा नही लगता

3. I know, many entries in the list are materialistic but who cares, after all its a dynamic list which will evolve with time.

4. You are the privileged ones to go through whats running in my mind as of now.


So there you go..!!


A. Machines I would like to own:

Mercedes Benz

The Curves are Back..!      

Nissan Armada

B. Places I want to Visit:

Egypt

Turkey

Rio de Janeiro

C. Things I would like to do:

Date Gul Panag

Eat Caviar

Address Press Conference

D. Events to Attend:

Haj at Mecca

A Party in Greece

Oktoberfest in Germany

E. Play:

Cricket at Lords with The Sachin Tendulkar

Outdoor Chess

Golf at the Golf Home

F. Travel:

Balloon Ride at Masai Mara

Yacht Cruise in the Deep Blue

Travel to Space

Enough for the day. Will put in comments soon. 

What is on your list?

Until I join the league..!!

A tribute to all those dear friends..

• who used to be Bond once and are Bound now..!
• who used to be Wild Beasts and are Tamed by the Beauties now..!

Kidding, I am..!

Will add more soon..!

Discoveries

Like all posts, this post is simple, yet different. I want to capture different subtle discoveries/ thoughts of past few days.

#1: Maddening craze of social networking!

Its saddening! Silly updates of few maniacs shouting every hour spoils the actual fun of it.

#2: The larger than reel life image of Mogambo

Javed Saab's creation was backed by fabulous Amrish Puri performance to immortalize "mogambo khush hua"

Courtesy: Shekhar Kapoor Blog
(interesting read - what does a teacher make)

#3: Why is Nehru's death never talked about?

#4: Days where, micro overshadows image of macro

- Micro minis are always in thing (adding to reasons for earthquakes n igniting the minds)
- Though Micro blogging looks interesting, the real charm is missing for various reasons Side note: just installed mobile twitter.
- Micro financing is big hit, though not as big as micro minis. Superbly amazing spirit of support & business. Visit chakde.org

#5: HBO Babelicious Advert - simply put awesome..!

#6: pi lu @ 4:50 mins ~ 5 mins. 1800 hrs to 2100 hrs = 180 mins
180/5 = 36 times pi lu: my latest craze for today

#7: astrology is a science.

These days a very close friend of mine is into it & convinced me that it is a science.

#8: Milk is INR 26+ per litre in India

No no..! I am not into domestic chores (as yet) and neither I am talking about price hikes. Met a milkman in the lift today morning, and out of curosity inquired the prices. Bhes ka doodh @ 26 Rs per litre.

#9: Missed the June post


I want to take this figure to #10..!
Anyways later..!

A Peep

Only if it could speak..!
 

This one was clicked at a traffic signal in Ahmedabad. Bustling evening crowd, all rushing back home after long day and honking at the red light. And this poor creature has to follow the rules of life.

Strange life!

Wasn't Bad..!

Maggi: Is favorite of millions of Indians. I don’t like noodles but Maggi is always welcome. I am a very good cook. Things I can cook:

1.       Plain Omelet

2.       Scrambled Egg

3.       Half Fry

4.       Boiled Egg and

5.       Maggi

(Side note: Egg and Maggi can be a good combo. Will try it some time.)

My netted playground at Ahmedabad..! :-(

Aah..! I get sad when I see this one. Although, I played - something like 4 overs to score 34 or 44 runs! The actual fun part is missing - the real fun of playing along with a team on real play ground. As kids, we grow up listening to – ‘study now and you can play all your life later’. ?

No comments, silence!

Jugaad at peak in Nairobi..!

We, Indians are famous for all kinda jugaads. However, jugaad is not a term only in Hindi but Swahili (or Kiswahili) also has a similar word coined as Juakali meaning jugaad..! The best part is wiper on the plastic sheet.

Peak summer afternoon at Baroda..!
(Apologies for invasion of privacy)

This one is my favorite. Imagine, peak summer afternoon in Gujarat! Yet the set of two can manage to chill out together. Appreciate the amazing spirit!

 

Lazy Rainy Wednesday Morning..! (but, sadly no options..)

Frankly speaking, I wanted to skip work on that particular day and wanted to sit back and relax..!

The African Union Head Quarters, Addis Ababa
My workplace - 2 weeks a month.

The advent of the African Union (AU) can be described as an event of great magnitude in the institutional evolution of the continent. African countries, in their quest for unity, economic and social development under the banner of the Organization of African Unity (OAU) since 1963, have taken various initiatives and made substantial progress in many areas which paved the way for the establishment of the AU.

 The Wait..! @ Dinner Table

This one is imported from Dubai. It reminded me that once upon a time glass making was an art and Venetian glass was (is) world renowned for its form and make. Wondering, what is the good time to visit Italy? 

The wait was long though..!

The Wait 2..! Open Sky from Closed Boundaries
of Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, Nairobi

What do I do at the airports?

1. That is the time when I make all pending calls (all those who were told - I will call you later).

2. Reply to pending emails.

3. Read that article which I intended to read last week.

4. Catch up some sleep.

5. And, if time permits, read my favorite chapter from my favorite book.

Pause.

Dear All, 

This is my first attempt of photo blogging. I know, many of you like to know about my whereabouts so started with few amateur photographs that I clicked randomly. 

Thinking to plunge into serious photo blogging..! (wondering..!!) Your thoughts..?

Signing off, till then, ciao..!!

AB