End of October..

Leaves me another exact 24 days of vacation. Back to the place where they accept me as theirs, where they are longing to see me back but I am quite inclined to being here. The mess is too much for me to handle off late but that is how this has been for a long time and interestingly, these days I end up comparing how this place is and always people have their ways of doing things and yet remaining happy amidst so much of adversity. I think for me it is the most appropriate time to move on with life. But when I see people around they scare me by saying coming back to Madras would not be the smartest of moves. These things have caught me pants down. I have been forced to think and puff that much steam when I want to make a move back home.

On that much of a thoughtful note, I end this note.

Hunger....

Ever wondered what this would mean to us. We know that there are so many people in this world that go to bed with an empty stomach. And we don't realize this until we experience this first hand. As LP sang in one of his songs "It does'nt matter.." Today for the first time I woke up hungry and that sure was not a great feeling what so ever. I wonder what would be going through the minds of those who perenially wake up hungry and sleep hungry. My heart goes out to them. But it is not what I, alone, as a person who can work on fixing this problem. Sometimes these are some of the gimmicks that would earn the people some cool money. Hitherto, this country is so humongous that it just cannot stop to think for one particular group and work them a solution for alternate survival mode. Sometimes these are brought upon by themself. The most vulnerable ones in this game are the children. Sometimes, knowingly or unknowingly they accept to play the part for getting easy money. I don't know whom to blame and what to blame for this. Just that it was not a good feeling to be hungry.

The site Hunger Site is about the hunger. If anything that,someone who reads this blog can do would be to contribute to abolish this.

The site Care org also talks about what poverty/being hungry means to them.

On the hungry note, I sign off.

I flicked this posting from my sista's blog. Is'nt it awesome. The picture speaks for itself and is totally unedited whatsoever. I just like it everytime I see it.

Rain, rain and more rains...

It is so unbelievable what happens when it starts to Rain. Well, not that I don't like that feeling but if that feeling stays on for not 1 day, not 3 but for 7 whole days then something sure is supposed to be taken amiss. That is how it has been here. Since I came down it has been raining like there is no tomorrow. Too much water and that sure, sadly, exposes the country's infrastructure big time. Tod0ay, I wake up at 4:30 AM, not out of will, but suddenly I got a feeling as though someone just shot another person/or in the air with a shot gun. Imagine the noise coming outta shotgun. Crazy ain't it. Yup that was the feeling. And it was becuase there was thunderstorms. Not just 1 or 2 or 4. It was 59 thunderstorms from 4:30 AM and I was counting them and each of them was vying against each other for who was more powerful. Strange, I have never heard this much of thunderstorms before. This is the true rain. When it rains, it rains big time. But that is the flavour of this place, the extraordinary happens at will and people live with them and find ways to live around them. I think they say the GDP is going to be at 10% for India in the subsequent years and I think infrastructure should be set up well to withstand all this. And just as we speak, it rains again ! Prolly, this much of water is going to help the next year's summer drought big time. Said and done it is time to gauge the watery conditions now in the garden and take a decision to block or unblock them. Signing off until then.

First impression..

Although am no stranger to Madras but being here after a long time was just as nostalgic as it could be. But the general Indian attitude to everything has not changed - Callous, taking things for granted but apart from being cynical there were few positives as well. First up there is a remarked need for human resources, in form of air stewards and air hostess, to carter the needs of the passengers in the inbound flights. That was a good feeling but if we do a one-on-one comparison to the services that other experienced flight mates have to offer, we somehow seem to be so lagging behind. When I was coming from Dubai to Madras by Emirates EK 540 airbus, one of the air hostess was an Indian and she was so laid back. Hid herself behind one of those posh seats and made the passengers find their place and the assembling their cabin luggages all by themself. I was supposed to sit in 26A, which is a window seat, but the cabin tray's were so full that I had no other option but to ask her for help. She was almost breathing fire with those looks not so friendly at all, which is so against the norms of being an air hostess. When I asked for assistance she was like try other cabin tray's. And I kept searching for one after another. It was like a treasure hunt and was not cool at all. I was now 5 rows ahead of my seat finding for a place for my lappy and cabin luggage. And I see no help coming at all. She stood her ground and looked happy as if she accomplished something. The fellow passengers next to me were some slovakians and they were so pissed off for me that they got up and called for me. Now the airhostess was getting shaken up and it was getting visible as well.

The Slovakian said to her,"If you cannot help don't offer to help !". Now that was such a huge statement and the air hostess did not have any room to hide her face. Almost about to cry. Eyes redenned and a glare at me. Hey I was innocent.. But deep down she got what she needed. A typical airline travel would see a majority of the cabin crew offer some assistance to store the luggages in the tray up. This goes to show the need for some serious training which we seem to compromise because of the demand and need. Out of Madras Immigration line, one of the most interesting points, rather highlight, would be the Customs. They were phenomenal. No under the table acts. They were so spontaneous. Just did their job and were so descent enough that I was so plesantly pleased. I guess one of the best people at work. Bombay was so cheap. They go to the extend of threading something or anything out of the passengers.

Once out of the airport the city seems to be so full of life. My heart was almost out of the mouth during the travel. Unbelievable motorcycle stunts and buses, trucks, cyclists vying for that little bit of edge to go ahead of the pile. I guess this is such a wonderful attribute of India. This is India. The need and struggle to be on the edge of the seat, perenial tension to do well yada yada. I guess nothing has significantly changed in India but for some Infrastructure growth. Which to me is a smart move. Reason, Madras to me is on the verge of being so competitive with Automobile, Textile and finally IT companies bee lining to set up their shop. And an effort to bifurcate and stabilize the crowd is the need of the hour which the government is addressing. That is such a pleasing move and that is where Bangalore seems to be losing to other cities. The callous government attitude is now like shooting oneself in the foot. As I continue and struggle to get used to the conditions here, I am enjoying it so far.......

Interesting mark over - Actors Vs Porn Stars

The californian governor position was contended by two eminent personalities. Both renowned and known for their exploits in the films. Both have had their own chances and have their own mark in the tinsel world. One, as we know, was Mr. Schwarzenegger and the other infamous one was a successful porn star, Mary Carey.

Former action hero Arnold Schwarzenegger built a Hollywood career and a multi-million dollar fortune by playing one-dimensional, no-nonsense tough guy where as Mary Carey was an eminent personality in her own likes. But thankfully she had to abandon her career interests in politics in Calfornia becuase her mom supposedly was a schizophrenic and didn't take her medication and jumped off a building to only find herself with broken legs and now broken poor Carey 'dream' of becoming the governor of California in the forthcoming elections for 2006.

The porn star said she had not abandoned her political ambitions and was considering a move to Florida, to be near her mother and possibly run against Gov. Jeb Bush. Now call that the smart move or the gurl instinct.

What surprises me however is, what if she would have become a governor of one of the states? What would a porn star know about running or ruling the major economy of United States of America. We talk about equal rights but to me this was getting over the wall and falling on the back move. Prolly she would have outsourced pornography, for all you know, or mabbe would have done worse.

God Bless America !

Home run baby! ... October 21st 2006

Am home finally... Thinking back at the times that have gone by and what I have done so far, feels like I have not done bad at all.But interesting thing now is that I am home. Always that good feeling when you want to go to the place of interest or some bonding. On the october 20th, for the first time I had that good, nervous, happy, emotional, whacky feeling that I am going home and seeing folks after a long time. And the day was no better than what happened at work. The clients were so happy and emotional all along that they bought me a box of donuts and chocolate milk to start with - well actually speaking was being pampered for a week to start with by sponsoring my breaky to lunch and yada yada, and late in the day there was lunch - a surprise pizza lunch and by the noon a pie feast.... I had this sudden hard feeling on whether I deserved so much for a day. Unbelievable. They were good people mabbe that is the only good thing that worked in my favor. But said and done I was so deeply content with what happened no one can really peek in my heart to believe it .. So I let it go.. Blessed me and I thank my saviour for being good to me...

Cricket, the pariah of the Europe and NA...

That line sure would have raised the eyebrow of a dead man. Just to lighten it down and this being no harm intended, we have started to play Cricket in NA and throughout the year whereever and whichever league teams we have played they on lookers- read americans never seemed to appreciate the game. They have always been having a confused look. More so they walk away shaking their head mumbling, 'what a bunch of jerks'.... I don't blame them. Not one bit for their lack of ability to really understand the game. America, for the lesser known mortals around, is a country which is self made and more concentrated internally in terms of playing any game within the country and classifying that as "world" championship [OR] for that matter rename the game just for their local benefit (Rugby to others is Football to them). So this cult that has lived for several hundred years is suddenly exposed to a change and challenge to the local game. The easiest thing they compare this game with is Baseball. The Pitcher becomes the bowler, the bases is the pitch and the runs the batters run to score in Cricket, the Catcher is the wicket keeper. Although the latter does not perform all the roles of the Catcher yet both of them perform the painful 'stand up and sit down' pattern. The shortstop, left fielder, right fielder and the center fielder comprise of the entire fielding teams team. Is'nt that simple and think baseball is same as cricket just because we were able to map who the fielders are? Answer brutally and frankly is a big NO. These are so different games played in so diferent environment the only consolation being that both the games attract huge crowds from all over the place.

An old gentleman once observed us play the game and approached us and asked what the heck are you guys doing standing still. The 'standing still' word is a loosely coupled one. He happened to see couple of the 'fielders' stnading near the boundary rope and the bowler was bowling a good line-length that the ball did not get to the boundary and that puzzled the on looker. He was getting increasingly anxious to see that the boundary fielder was standing there doing nothing but stand and return smiles to the others who stop to watch the game more becuase they are inquisitive then their penchant to know the game. The fieldsman said," Well I am waiting for the ball to be hit this end so that I field". The onlooker was surprised. He said,"Well if you are not going to get the ball here why are you standing in the ground doing nothing. What is your ulteriour objective?". There was a pin drop silence. Not to say the old man won by making a compelling point. No one could speak anything because what they said is never going to be understood by him. It was just like a 9 year old kid asking the dad what sex is? Not that the father did not know what it was, just that the kid was too off the mark - read young to explain him what sex is. Later, the old man starts to leave shaking his head mumbling 'weird game'. We were happy to see his back. The only thing that was pleasing as the day went by was that the game was attracting crowd. Many local Americans were watching the game,more in shock and awe, than appreciation. But this is the first time they are seeing 11 players dressed in all whites chasing a red 'cherry' and yelling around. Perhaps, that is what the localites would have felt in 18th century to find the local red indians walking semi-nude and making weird noises. Later on with time they became part of this long standing heritage and culture. Some time later Cricket is going to be appreciated like that by the locals. Call it sounding optimistic.

We have played in so many places this time around I would think the word would have been spread around and perhaps from the next time this game would no longer be the pariah but indeed a messiah to the mortals around.

Signing off in that note.

Back after three long years. Was alive all along and all over but this place and Is'nt it amazing that we get so pre-occupied with what we do and what we want to do that we sometime tend to get blown away by the wind from the present. Well, to say the least, this is the same exact thing that had happened in my life. For a minute I stop and look back at my otherwise satisfying career and hitherto! what do I find, I just compromised on one of the interesting pass times, the blog. I am thankful that I just could stop for a second, if not screech to a halt, just to relive my moments.

For records, I am Vik Rajagopalan and I work in an IT corporate world. One of the many lost souls in search of something. I am going to make it a point to restart from where I left just to make it a habit. Let's see how far I get with my wish.

Sit back, relax and lets enjoy the fun ride that is about to start.