Footsteps on Clouds: October 2005

Zeitgeist

Read what the world was searching for on Google last month. A countrywise list of popular search queries on Google.

Personal

Ekdum heavy lunch.

Dahi, alu paratha, methi paratha, rajma chawal, salad, and two lassi.
The food is good at Chaitanya on F.C. Road (near Dyaneshwar Paduka Chowk).
The quantity of curd provided needs to be increased and rajma needs to be garnished with more gravy. I suppose the rising onion prices (Rs. 21/- per kg. in the retail market) made the gravy less tasty.

If you're not too fussy about the seating arrangement or decor and want to enjoy good Punjabi food at reasonable rates, I suggest you give Chaitanya, located on F.C. Road and D.P. Road, a try. It's a nice place for lunch or dinner with friends and co-workers.

Personal

The Arabian Sea in the afternoon
Crest of waves glistening in the horizon. All those sparkles making it look like a lake of diamonds.

Sunset from the Mumbai-Pune Expressway
That round ball of orange, surrounded by a dithering of light orange, light pink, azure, and grey colours; gently going to sleep while gazing over the green mountain peaks.

Cricket

Read excerpts from Steve Waugh's autobiography, Out of my comfort zone.
It's going to be a must read book for cricket fans and admirers of Steve Waugh, and there are countless of them in India. Steve Waugh has named his autobiography the way he played his cricket, Out of my comfort zone, tough and sporting. Don't look for excuses and never ask for an inch.

Humour

Time for some Humour on a Monday afternoon.
Classic Peanuts featuring Good ol' Charlie Brown.
Click on the image to see a bigger picture.

Never listen to a woman's tears. Don't we all do so?
Read more comics from the Peanuts archive.

The last lines are good, aren't they?
A nice quote to go with the above.

I like the kind of humour that makes me laugh for five seconds and think for five minutes. The above comic strip does that.

Personal

Random Musings

Not a friend to send an email to
What's happening in my life?

Can't wait to write poetry
It has to come on its own
A spur of the moment verse
Is better than one thought for hours

It's experience that brings out emotions
And emotion flows as poetry

Hoping for a gust of wind
To caress my face
While looking at the computer screen

Want to buy a new cell phone
What use is one
When no one calls or I don't call anyone
Let it be a 10K handset or a 20K one

Friday evening makes no difference
It's back to work tomorrow
Each day is same as the previous
What I need is a change.

The leafless branches of the neem tree
The dull glow of the halogen bulbs on the street
A few cars parked
Traffic flows home
Back again the same routine only on the opposite side the next morning.

Humour

What they don't teach you in school, but teach you in Business school. Via Surinder.

5th line from 23rd post

Krishna tagged me with what's the 5th line from your 23rd post?

KK, the 4th, 5th, and 6th lines from my 23rd post are given below.

Virender Sehwag's 309 and Sachin's unbeaten 194 paved the way for a huge first innings score of 675 and once we'd that score, it was clear that the only team that would like to bat twice would be Pakistan.
Read more.

I'd like to tag Harshal, Satish, and Sebastian.

Rimi

Watch out for Rimi Sen in the musical comedy Deewane Huye Paagal that releases next month. She looks lovely in the promos airing on TV.

Rimi's sweet, cute, and charming looks make her one of my favourite actresses. Have you seen her films, Hungama and Dhoom?

Lyrics

Aapki kashish sarfarosh hai
Aapka nasha yu madhosh hai
Kya kahe tumse jaane ja
Gum hua hosh hai...is a nice song from the film, Aashiq Banaya Aapne.

An English translation of the above.

Your attraction towers overs my head
My senses are intoxicated with your beauty
What should I tell you sweetheart
I've lost all sense of awareness (You're the only one I can see)

It's an average film without a story, a film that you may watch with the volume off— except for the songs; a new actress Tanushree Dutta who has an alluring cleavage and doesn't shy from exhibiting it; lot of skinshow, and two good songs in Aashiq Banaya Aapne and Aapki Kashish Sarfarosh Hai.

Personal

"Khali Bore Dopaher"
Empty boring afternoon.

Three crows on the wire
One dives to the empty branches of the neem tree
Another flies off
Three more looking in different directions
At peace with themselves

They don't have to worry about an empty boring afternoon.
The sky hasn't decided whether to laugh or make the leaves dance.
There's no breeze. Seems it is sleeping or out to lunch in some other part of the world.
Grey clouds overhead and clear skies in the distance.

Now there are three more. One intent crow strains its neck in search of a friend.
There....he flies. Seems like he has found one.

Calm and quiet, the afternoon rolls.

Oh zara rasta to do
Thoda sa badal chakhna hai

Bada bada koyle se
Naam phalak pe likhna hai...

Give me way
I want to taste the clouds

With pieces of charcoal
I want to write my name on the firmament

There are nine empty chairs in office. Seven guys have gone for better or worse in the last six months, one is absent, and one is on leave.

Top 100 Global Brands

Read BusinessWeek's list of top 100 global brands. Google is number 38 on the list.

Mood

Personal

Old at heart but I'm only 28
And I'm much too young
To let love break my heart
Young at heart but it's getting much too late
To find ourselves so far apart

Young at heart an it gets so hard to wait
When no one I know can seem to help me now
Old at heart but I musn't hesitate
If I'm to find my own way out
~ GnR - Estranged

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Kalkatta...

Lovely lines. Nice voiceover at the start of Parineeta.

San Unnees Sau Baasath. Kalkatta. Riksho ka...traamo ka...coffee house ki shaamo ka...shaher...parivartan ke prayaas ka...kalibadi ke vishwas ka...shaher...rasgulle ki mithaas ka...puchke ke teekhe ehsaas ka...shaher....football ke uchaal ka...bowbazaar ke bhuchaal ka...shaher...add..do ki bahes ka...siyasat ki tahes-nahes ka...shaher...pyaar ke dhai aakher ka...Lolita aur Shekhar ka....shaher...

Amitabh Bachchan rocks even in a 2-minute voiceover.

An English translation of the above:

Circa 1962. Calcutta. City of (hand-pulled) rickshaws, trams, and evenings in coffee houses. City swirling in the winds of change while keeping the faith. City of the sweetness of Rasgullas and the spicy feeling of Puchkas. City of football and the bylanes of BowBazaar. City of friendly roadside discussions and of political rumblings. City of letters of love. City of Lolita and Shekhar.

Vidya Balan looks so beautiful as Lolita. She speaks with her eyes. She's got magical looks.

Cricket: Rahul Dravid takes charge

Rahul Dravid to lead India in the Oct/Nov ODI home series versus Sri Lanka and South Africa. Congratulations, Rahul. Good guys don't always finish last. All the best.

Thoughts for Today - You Are...

You are strong...when you take your grief and teach it to smile.

You are brave...when you overcome your fear and help others to do the same.

You are loving...when your own pain does not blind you to the pain of others.

You are wise...when you know the limits of your wisdom.

You are true...when you admit there are times you fool yourself.

You are alive...when tomorrow's hope means more to you than yesterday's mistake.

You are growing...when you know what you are but not what you will become.

You are free...when you are in control of yourself and do not wish to control others.

You are generous...when you can take as sweetly as you can give.
- This is lovely. Here it doesn't only mean gifts. It means, if you're ready to give it to someone, as in criticism, reprobation, accusation, etc; you should be generous enough to take it, when it comes to you.

You are humble...when you do not know how humble you are.

You are beautiful...when you don't need a mirror to tell you.

You are rich...when you never need more than what you have.

You are yourself...when you are at peace with who you are not.

Poems

Read poetry on a slow Monday afternoon.

The Wind

The bay is thick with flecks of white.
The freezing air is honed and thined.
The gulls sleep on the stones tonight,
Wings locked against the prising wind.
With no companion to my mood,
Against the wind as it should be,
I walk, but in my solitude
Bow to the wind that buffets me.
~ Vikram Seth

To make love with a stranger is the best
There is no riddle and there is no test
~ From Vikram Seth's Unclaimed

Leaning into the afternoons I fling my sad nets
to that sea that is thrashed by your oceanic eyes.
~ From Pablo Neruda's Leaning Into The Afternoons

I ask for a moment's indulgence to sit by thy side.
The works that I have in hand I will finish afterwards.
~ From Tagore's A Moment's Indulgence

Beautiful lines.

She sways like a flower in the wind of our song;
She skims like a bird on the foam of a stream,
She floats like a laugh from the lips of a dream...
We bear her along like a pearl on a string...

She hangs like a star in the dew of our song;
She springs like a beam on the brow of the tide,
She falls like a tear from the eyes of a bride...
~ From Sarojini Naidu's Palanquin Bearers.

Personal: Monday Morning

In office before 09:40. No electricity. Saturday evening's waste-paper basket hasn't been cleaned, there's no one at the reception, as usual there's a power cut, the office boys haven't come, and even if they have, they are slow to think of switching on the fans or cleaning the desks, the fan is off, and I'm sweating sitting near the window, the sunlight on the keyboard, with the black curtain trying to prevent the rays coming on the monitor.

What's the use of coming to office on time on a Monday morning or on any other day?

Personal: Things to do

Sunday: Things to do:

1. Read a novel and post a review
2. Watch a movie
3. Buy a blazer
4. Buy a camera cell phone
5. Buy a glass dining table
6. Recharge my bike's battery

Shayari ki baat ho...

Jaam do andar ho baahar jhilmilaati raat ho
Doston ke darmiyan phir shayari ki baat ho

Google Reader

What's new at Google?
Read RSS and Atom feeds with Google Reader (Beta).

Lyrics

Palkon ke leke saaye, paas koi jo aaye
Lakh sambhalo paagal dil ko, dil dhadke hi jaaye...

Tera mujhse hai pehle ka naata koi
Yu hi nahi dil lubhaata koi...

Personal: What's your ringtone and dialtone?

What's your cell phone's ringtone?
Mine's Agar Tum Mil Jao...

What's your cell phone's dialtone?
Mine's Hoshwalon Ko Khabar Kya Bekhudi Kya Cheez Hai...

Personal

We need a 5-day week at work and I'm going to make that happen from the 2nd week of November. Work from 9 to 7 or 9 to 8 for 5 days-a-week. A 50/60-hour week at work is enough to do whatever work that's required to be done.

I'm wasting my life in this office. Sending emails from morning to late night, spending time checking and re-checking web sites, what am I doing here?

Are you happy in Pune?

Pune is India's happiest city.
Yes, it's a nice place. Only the roads should get better.

You may like to read my post on Outsourcing to Pune or Bangalore?

Update: If Pune is India's happiest city, why am I unhappy? It's a state of mind. The same office, work, power cuts, roads, and the same people who don't smile. Mujhe sirf khushi chahiye yaar.

Power Cuts

The heading seems so common, isn't it? That's because nothing's new in Pune, except for the old to be back in action with renewed vigour.

Power cuts are Pune's bane. There's a scheduled 14-hour power cut per week with a fixed time of 8 to 10 in the morning for 4 days and 5 to 7 in the evening for the other 3 days. However, there's no limit to load shedding. The lights go off without fail from 8 to 10 in office and again there are power cuts in the afternoon and evening.

Today there was no electricity at home from 11 a.m. to 9:45 p.m. It's so frustrating - potholed roads (try COEP signal to Sangam bridge without streetlights), no streetlights, and coming home to a power cut. If the PMC waits for a week without rains to repair the roads, they won't be getting it till next month.

Why can't our government, wherever the hell it is-central, state, regional, or local provide us with roads and electricity? Why do we vote? Should we vote at all?

Humour: Pune's Marathi Hindi

A rough division of Pune would be on the lines of cosmopolitan Camp and Maharashtrian Peth areas and Kothrud. Hindi spoken at places in Marathi dominated areas of Pune is a mixture of typical Marathi words.

Read a few examples of Marathi Hindi. Marathi meanings given below.

1. A Marathi boys learns to swim and tells a Hindi-speaking boy about his adventures.

Are bhai kya huva malum hai kya...mai na pahile panime shira aur phir poha..aur badme duba.

2. Is mein limbu pila kya?

3. Itna mahag kyon deta hai? Wo kopre ka bhaiya kaisa swasta deta hai.

4. Kanda kaatke chirke uska omelette mast lagta hai...aur uppar se thoda kothimbir dalneka

5. Bhaiya, medu-vada sambhar mein budavke mat lana

6. Ekdum barik barik kes kaatneka

7. Khao khao potbhar khao sharam to hain nahi na?
(Marathi: Jeva jeva potbhar jeva lajat tar naahi naa).

8. Main itni der se bol rahi hoon...lekin tumko kuch kall..la kya?

9. Aage jaake daavikade valneka

10. Woh patkan aaya aur lagech gaya

11. Woh site ka paan nahin dikh raha hai.
A page of that site is not accessible.

Marathi Meanings:
1. shira - to go inside
poha - to swim
duba - to drown

2. pila - to squeeze
limbu - Lime

3. mahag - costly
kopra - corner
swasta - cheap

4. chirke - make fine pieces
kothimbir - coriander, dhaniya in Hindi

5. budavke - dipped in, original Marathi budvun

6. barik - small
kes - hair

7. potbhar - eat to your satisfaction

8. kall..la - understand

9. daavikade - left-hand side
valneka - turn, comes from Marathi valaych - to turn

10. patkan - immediately
lagech - in a moment, instantly

11. paan - page in this context
Also means Paan - Betel leaf.

Addition to the above, courtesy Mrs. Medha Purandare. Thanks for the comment, Medha.

Recipe for making Bhakri.

Bhakri - An unleavened flatbread made from flour and water dough, rolled out and baked on a tawa (flat pan)

Jwar ka peeth leneka, usme pani dalke gola valneka, phir thali me thapneka, dekho tukda nahi padna chahiye, aur phir thoda garam tawepe ek zatke main vo thapi hui bhakri dalneka, ek baju pakane ke baad uspar pani phiraneka aur ulatneka, aur uske dusri baju pakaneka. Thodi der baad, tawa uthakar bhakri direct gas par sekneka. Wah, ekdum khuskhushit bhakri tayyar. Agar chaho to chaw ke liye, thapneke time til bi laga sakate ho.

Jwar - sorghum, a cereal
peeth - flour
gola - round
valneka - to bind
thapneka - to dab (light touch)
tukda - piece
tawepe - on the frying pan
baju - side
sekneka - to roast

khushkhushit - fantastic, great
used as an exclamation that indicates satisfaction

chaw - taste, pronounced in Marathi as ch..v, without the 'a'
til - sesame seeds

Note: This is a work of humour and it should be viewed that way.

A Thought for Today

Acting on a good idea is better than having a good idea.

Hope we decide to go for company T-shirts.
$275 is nothing in terms of making 50 people happy.

Nice Shayari

Taken from the public domain.

Kabhi khola ghar ka darwaaza, to thi saamne manzil
Kabhi manzil ko paane main zamaane beet jaate hain

Jinhe hum bhool jaate hain wo phir yaad kyon aate hain
Unhe phir bhulaane main zamaane beet jaate hain

Sometimes one opens the doors and destiny beckons
Sometimes it takes a lifetime to find one's destiny

Why do we remember people we seem to have forgotten
Why does it take a lifetime to forget them again

Personal

Thoughts

Do I have a future in this company would be the wrong question.
Does this company have a future is the right question that I need to answer.

It does. But not thinking big never got anyone anywhere in life.
Any company can make the jump from a small 40-people outfit in an old, dull office frequented by power cuts and slow Internet connection to a swanky glass building with colourful interiors, cafeteria, and entertainment facilities. All they need to do is dream and that's where the question arises, "Does this company have a dream for its employees?" I need to raise this question at the right forum.

Am I like those anonymous millions out there in quest of their daily bread, butter, and if I may say, jam; or does the soul of the Universe say there are better and brighter things destined for me, which may not necessarily mean a job or work in a particular industry.

I have a simple question. Why doesn't the salary in my bank account make me happy? It's just a number, be it more or less.

I need to go to sleep. Buy a camera cell phone tomorrow with video recording facility and be happy. Maybe a bit of self-indulgent shopping would do me good. When was the last time I went shopping for myself? Last Dec., or Nov. or was it Aug?

Personal

I was looking out the window and Pradeep asked me what's up.
I said, "Dekh rahein hain, Zindagi jaa rahi hai, aur Zindagi nahin aati."
(Watching) life go by and (someone) in life doesn't come.

Are you born in June?

Here's a forwarded email with a list of characteristics of people born in a particular month.

Characteristics of people born in June.
Let's see how many of these are true for me.

- Thinks far with vision - Yes.
- Easily influenced by kindness - Yes.
- Polite and soft-spoken - Polite yes, and on most occasions soft-spoken.
- Having lots of ideas - Yes
- Sensitive - Yes
- Active mind - Yes
- Hesitating - It's an instant yes or no else it takes a long time
- Tends to delay - No
- Choosy and always wants the best - No, not necessarily choosy
- Temperamental - If that's a synonym for moody, then sometimes Yes
- Funny and humorous - Yes, if I want to and with the right company
- Loves to joke - Yes, if people have the time and inclination to listen
- Good debating skills - Yes
- Talkative - Yes on most occasions.
- Daydreamer - Yes
- Friendly - Yes
- Knows how to make friends - Yes for getting to know people. No for one best friend.
- Able to show character - Yes
- Easily hurt - Yes
- Prone to getting colds - No, although I have one now.
- Loves to dress up - No.
- Easily bored - Yes
- Fussy - Not at all, as long as I don't have to wait
- Seldom show emotions - True. Yes.
- Takes time to recover when hurt - No. On second thoughts, Yes, who doesn't.
- Brand conscious - No, not at all.
- Stubborn - Yes

Usability

Top ten web design mistakes of 2005. Makes for informative reading.

Lovely Lyrics

Do pal ruka khwaabon ka kaarvaa
Aur phir chal diye tum kahaan, hum kahaan
Do pal ki thi ye dilon ki daastaa
Aur phir chal diye tum kahaan, hum kahaan

Download MP3 of Do pal ruka khwaabon ka kaarvaa from the film, Veer Zaara. Filesize: 1.08 MB.

Verse

On the spur of the moment.

Sitting alone in office.
Empty chairs near me.
No one to talk to.

Watching ten hours of life go by
With people so busy they can't even say a Hi?

Yahoo! Site Explorer

What's new at Yahoo!?

Yahoo! Site Explorer finds the total number of Web pages, including subdomains of your Web site, which are present in Yahoo!'s search index.

For example - Find Web pages from Footsteps on Clouds that are present in Yahoo!'s search index.

A Thought for Today

Isn't this a lovely quote?
I like to feel her eyes on me when I look away.

Nice Shayari

Taken from the public domain. English translation given below.

Aa bhii jao kii zindagi kam hai
Tum nahin ho to har khushi kam hai

Please do come in my life it is empty
Your not being (in my life) makes each happiness vacant/fleeting

Mere khayalon main mehkisi teri tanhaii hain
Mujhe her aahat pe lage shaayad milne tu aayi hain

Your fragrance mingles with my thoughts
Each footstep anticipates your arrival

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