Happy New Year (2009)

आज भी मैं तन्हा हूँ

आज भी मैं तन्हा हूँ,

हर एक पल में,

शोर में,

खामोशियों में,

हर पल के जुनूँ में,

अपनी मदहोशियों मे ख़ुद से पूछता हूँ,

फ़िर सोचता रह जाता हूँ,

उलझ कर उन्ही सावालों में.

कि तुम क्या मेरे सवाल थे ?

फिर क्यूँ संजोया मैंने तुम्हे जवाब सा ?

मंजिल का इरादा तो किया नहीं था....

रास्ते का सुकून तो हर पल जिया..फिर आज…ख़ुद को खोकर

उन्ही रास्तों में,

क्यूँ मंजिलों को दे दी तनहइयां तुमने....

A Thousand Splendid Suns

"A Thousand Splendid Suns" is an important, provocative work. The rich and violent history of Afghanistan provides a backdrop that informs and saturates the story. Hosseini's characters, Mariam and Laila, are unforgettable; their compassion for each other and love for their children is devastating. Hosseini has succeeded in writing another epic tale, a novel not to be missed."

The 3 mistakes of my life

“The 3 mistakes of my life” is written simply and has the quality that makes one want to read the book cover to cover in one sitting. The pricing of the book is just right for the target audience - young people. This book like Bhagat’s earlier one, “One night @ call centre," too has the masala, emotion and pace to turn into a potential blockbuster.

The book is based on real life events. It begins in a dramatic enough fashion with Bhagat receiving an e-mail from Govind who had taken many sleeping pills and was writing to him while waiting for the deadly sleep’s embrace. Chetan was shaken enough by the incident to track the boy down to an Ahmedabad hospital. Fortunately he was still alive to tell the tale. The book is loosely based on the three mistakes Govind made in his life.

Movie Review : The Chronicles of Narnia - Prince Caspian

I went to watch "The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian" on saturday. It was a nice Movie. The characters where more developed which connected to the audience giving a more intimate inclination. There were more action sequences which lasted much longer than the first movie. The special effects were more realistic. The stunning visual settings add an additional amount of realism. I would highly recommend this movie if you liked the first but expected more.

A House for Mr Biswas

A House for Mr Biswas is a 1961 novel by V. S. Naipaul, significant as Naipaul's first work to achieve acclaim worldwide. It is the story of Mr Mohun Biswas, an Indo-Trinidadian who continually strives for success and mostly fails, who marries into the Tulsi family only to find himself dominated by it, and who finally sets the goal of owning his own house.

Drawing some elements from the life of Naipaul's father, the work is primarily a sharply-drawn look at life in a fledgling postcolonial world.

Naipaul’s father, Seepersad, is the prototype forMr. Biswas. Both the real man and the fictional Biswas were born in a village; lived with wealthy relatives; worked as a sign painter; married into a conservative, well-to-do Hindu family; held a series of jobs; and wandered from home to home. LikeMohun Biswas, Seepersad Naipaul found work on a newspaper after moving to Port of Spain.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_House_for_Mr._Biswas

The Kite Runner

The Kite Runner is an extraordinary novel by American author Khaled Hosseini. Published in 2003, it is Hosseini's first novel. The Kite Runner tells the story of Amir, a boy from the Wazir Akbar Khan district of Kabul, who is haunted by the guilt of betraying his childhood friend Hassan, the son of his father's Hazara servant. The story is set against a backdrop of tumultuous events, from the fall of the monarchy in Afghanistan through the Soviet invasion, the mass exodus of refugees to Pakistan and the United States, and the Taliban regime.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Kite_Runner

A Movie by the same name, is a 2007 Academy Award-nominated and directed by Marc Forster.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Kite_Runner_(film)

Cool Bike!

Frozen Moments

With team members at WonderLa

Life is....

Life is.....

Unpredictable
Creative
Fun
Happenstance
Intriguing
Intense
Blessed
Beautiful
A Game
A Struggle
A Search
A Journey
A Puzzle
To Achieve
To Enjoy
An Epic

Finally....life is like a Roller-coaster.

Confusions of a Bachelor IT Guy

About Indian Junk Food

Research has found that Western food is a lesser evil than the Indian bhatura or parathas. Digest this — while the trans-fatty acids (hydrogenated oils and fats) in French fries (per 100 gm) is 4.2%-6.1%, it is 9.5% in Samosa 7.8% in aloo paratha and 7.6% each in puri, tikkis and Masala Dosa.

While we blame Western food as junk, Indian food is worse. The presence of trans-fatty acids in our food is much higher posing a risk for development of diabetes and coronary heart disease in early 20s and 30s.

The South Indian snacks of idli-dosa have won hands down in the 'fat-battle'. High in protein and carbohydrates, while a morning breakfast of idli-sambar-chiku and coffee had 9.3% protein content in it, the dosa(Plain)-chutney-papaya-tea had 6.7% proteins .

French fries and dishes made of hydrogenated fat (upto 45% of fat), baked items (biscuits, rusks upto 30% and margarine (upto 15%) are rich in industrial sources of trans-fats. But health experts were unanimous on one count. Ban the vanaspati which has high TFA content.

Sample this: A puri cooked only in vanaspati has 8.6 TFA content while it comes down to 5.5 when cooked in a combination of vanaspati and refined vegetable oil.

Ditto with bhatura whose TFA content came down from 9.5 to three, when vanaspati was not used. With the US making it mandatory for declaration of trans-fat in labels, in India, major food producers are doing away with trans-fat and using only natural vegetable refined oil, which do not have trans-fatty acids

SeReNDiPiTy

I can feel my heart...and its about to burst,
I try to clean it up...but i just get worse,
wish i could fall...on a night like this,
into your loving arms.

I thought i saw your face...in the evening sky,
on a lonesome cloud...that was drifting by,
wish i could fall...on a night like this,
into your loving arms.

Life Is Short

Alcatel-Lucent Family Day

Alcatel-Lucent Family day snaps , it was held at Manipal County Resort, Bangalore.

http://picasaweb.google.com/abhisheksingh.bits/AlcatelLucentFamilyDay

Traffic woes in Bangalore

Mysore Trip on Dasara

In Mysore, the tradition of holding a grand procession through the streets of this historic city, with the idol of Goddess Chamundeshwari riding in a golden Ambaari (Elephant-seat) heaved on Elephant-back has been in effect since time immemorial. Indeed, for many centuries, presiding over the 10-day festivities was the hallmark of sovereignty over the Kingdom of Mysore. The Wodeyar Maharajas of Mysore celebrated the annual event on a grand scale; "Mysore Dasara" has attained renown across the country and abroad. People from all over the world go to Mysore to witness this cultural event. Many cultural events are held at the main Palace in Mysore. Post Independence, the Government of Karnataka has taken over the tradition and is continuing the celebration every year in the same tradition as the Old Mysore Kingdom.The whole palace is illuminated with lights. The entire city has a festive look.

Snaps: http://www.flickr.com/photos/abhisheksingh/sets/72157602601328297/

Places I have Visited In and Around Bangalore

In Reverse Chronological Order...

Munnar (Oct, 2007) - is a town located in Kerala state in the southern Western Ghats in South India. The name is often used to refer to the whole tourist area of Idukki District of which the town forms a part.

Club Cabana (Sept, 2007) - a Resort on Hyderabad road, 10 Km from Hebbal.

Bannerghatta National Park (Aug, 2007) - is situated 22 km south of Bangalore, Karnataka, India. The journey to the park takes nearly half an hour from Bangalore. This hilly place is the home for one of the richest natural, zoological reserves. The 25,000 acre (101 km²) zoological park makes this a major tourist attraction of Bangalore

Nandi Hills (July, 2007) - is a hill fortress of southern India, in the Kolar District of Karnataka state. It is located just 3 to 5 KM from Chickballapur Taluq. It is 4851 ft. (1478 meters) above sea level. Nandidrug hill, known commonly as Nandi Hills, is the source of the Penner,Ponnaiyar and Palar rivers. Nandi Hills gets its name from an ancient Nandi temple situated on this hill. This temple has a thousand year old sculpture of Nandi. An ancient lord Shiva and Parvati temple also adorns this hill.

Confident Cascade(Feb, 2007) : a Resort situated on Bannerghatta Road.

Shiva Ganga (Jan and Apr, 2007): Shiva Ganga is a hill about 50 km from Bangalore, 20 km ahead of Tumkur. It’s a pretty tall hill with two Shiva temples, one very close to the foot of the hill and another, that’s possibly around 5 km uphill! The deities are “Gangadhareshwara”, and his consort “Swarnambha”.

Wayanad (Oct, 2006): in the north-east of Kerala, India, was formed on November 1, 1980 as the 12th district, carved out of Kozhikode District and Kannur District. Though the word Wayanad is believed by some to have originated from Vayal (paddy) and Naad (land), 'Land of Paddy Fields', some scholars disagree. The region was known as Mayakshetra (Maya's land) in the earliest records. Mayakshetra evolved into Mayanad and finally to Wayanad. There are many indigenous tribals in this area. It is set high on the majestic Western Ghats with altitudes ranging from 700 to 2100 m. The district is going through its worst agrarian crisis.

ShivaSamudram: (Aug, 2006): Cauvery river tumbles majestically down the Shivasamudram Falls, also called the Shivanasamudram Falls. Located in Mandya district in Karnataka state, the Shivasamudram Falls has twin jumps, Gaganachukki and Bharachukki, one km away from each other. Torrential rains in the Cauvery basin and the flooding of the river Kapila added more power and lustre to the beautiful scene.

Good Morning

The hunger for love

The hunger for love is much more difficult to remove than the hunger for bread.

~~Mother Teresa~~