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28/10/04

my thoughts from Orkut.. compiled here.. about community service !!!

Ideas Opinions Plans Objectives 10/7/2004 11:07 PM
Thanks Richa for starting this thread !!!
This is what I have been thinking for doing for a while.. The Traffic around sector-18 is a mess on Weekends.. I would like to assist the Traffic Police in regulating the traffic around the red-lights... and inside the sector-18 market... The other day I saw an old man on the Atta red light with a lot of handouts and a small Mike with him.. and he was making sure that the ppl were stopping at the Red light.. they were behind the Stop Line.. were wearing seat belts... I used to see some students taking up a similar task in Delhi a few years back.. but I guess they stopped somewhere... If this can be done in NOIDA the busier of the CrossRoads.. I feel we can make a difference.. Does not take anything but some commitment and time !!!~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
In for it !!! 10/8/2004 2:01 AM
Great Idea Neha..
No offence but this is something that needs a lot of preperation and time which I doubt how many ppl would be able to part with...

i am just trying to list down the things that we need to start moving ahead:~ Identify areas we need to work in.~ Locate the children and then seek permission from their parents to gather them in a group and teach.~ As we understand we cannot make a difference in a day, we need to monitor how many of the children who started off are continuing. Which might translate into chasing them or their parents and convincing them to stay in that classroom. We are not looking at spending that one hour in some weekend.. It means that one hour every weekend for dunno what time frame...~ Gather books, stationary and material to facilitate the cause. Also roster your sessions...

I do not see all the above points necessary as hurdles but as things which need to be worked at with a lot of patience and time. and to be very frank. all this seems mammoth till we have a big group...
Let's brain storm and find ways to work it out in the most efficient way !!!~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
(*_*) 10/8/2004 5:04 AM

hmm...Rohit that is a good input.. we have to learn and educate from our past experiences.. What Neha talked about makes a lot of sense.. but that requires the kinda effort that weekend community service might not be able to give...
I am sure with our inclination and commitment towards making a change.. we sure will reach somewhere.. might not reach poor children or slums.. but somewhere jahan hum kuch kar ke dikha saken.. there is a lot of energy and time that we have.. and if used properly can make a difference...
What i would suggest folks is think of things which we as a youth brigade can take up... We might like to start with focussing on the simiar age group itself and so called educated ppl who have with time forgotten that they also have some responsibilies towards the environment and the city they live it..in addition to the families they are supporting and the friends they go out with

Kuch zyada bol gaya kya !!! Maffi chahta hoon..
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(*_*) 10/15/2004 3:07 AM

In sector-19 i get a paper called Neighbourhood Watch every week... i was reading that paper today and found a news item about some NGOs getting together for Child Welfare.. Something similar to what Neha mentioned.. the NGO in NOIDA doing this is "Nai Disha" or something.. i will try to find out more and post it here !!!!

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(*_*) 10/27/2004 9:05 PM

here is what I have been thinking for a long time...
Everyone who talks about community service, only talks about doing something for the under privileged children, teaching them and all the things.. which i respect and appreciate. But how many times do we think about ppl who are educated, a part of the so called high society and still act like idiots. examples:
1) Wrong parkings in busy market places (anyone who has visited sector-18 should have noticed this)
2) Driving like maniacs (ditto for sector-18)
3) No respect for traffic signals (in NOIDA especially)
4) No respect for traffic rules ( again in NOIDA especially)
I have seen myself cursing and cribbing all the time when i move in a market area about these things but have i made any effort to see if this can be taken care of... NO !!!

My idea of doing something for the society would be join hands with the authorities and make them realise that the most important part of this society, The Youth, is with them and is more then willing to work with them to help realise their mission.
I do not know if anyone would agree.. but doing something that everyone is doing is not my piece of cake... I would like to know if anyone else is in sync with my thoughts...
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THIS IS WAT AMIT HAD TO SAY ABOUT MY POST:
10/27/2004 11:18 PM

Prashant,
I see what you are trying to say.. But 'joining hands with authorites' is not always the best experience in our society. I am not being a cynic here but just trying to be pragmatic. Most of us are working full time or are studying. By associating with an NGO related to education, It provides me an easy avenue to satiate my yearnings to give back something to the society.At the moment, I have been involved a little with this cause. I have seen some real things happening with my own eyes. So, I would like to continue with this for some time to come.Dont wanna chew more than I can digest :)As regards the things you have mentioned.. I think its more of an attitude issue within the society rather than a real problem. If inspite of ample parking space, people park their cars diagonally in a market, then you cant really go out & fight with them. Joining Hands with authorities .. I am really sceptical about that. These are issues of cultural nature.. & you can only educate people about that if they are willing. You cant enforce everything on the citizens.Thats my take on it. Anyways, if you plan to do anything.. Plz do check me out. Thanks.. & best luck for your cause.
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(*-*) 10/27/2004 11:31 PM

I know... what you are saying is correct.. its not one of the easiest things to do.. as you gotta make ppl unlearn and understand their responsibility towards society... but that is what i call community service... About the attitude issue that you mentioned.. i guess you are a part of this society and a part of this attitude too... so if you are not doing something about it then you are encouraging it... I feel bad when i cannot do anything about people driving in high beams, or parking like idiots.. and always make it a point to let them know of a better way.. whenever i can.. had my good and bad experiences doing this.. but i think its worth it.. seeing me jump a redlight would make 15 others jump it too.. but if i stop.. and one more guy stops next to me.. it was worth it...

I am not going to fight anyone about why they did what they did.. but letting them know that what they are doing can be done in a better way.. would make a difference.. ppl would get angry, embarrased.. might start fighting.. but then that is something that i would be prepared for..
There are a thousand organisations working towards child education, for poor people, the under priviledged, but i do not see anyone working towards something that you crib about most of the time... Wondering why... we cannot start making that change which we want !!!

Anyway.. me alone cannot do anything... Might find lotsa people if it comes to taking care of the tasks that you mentioned... Just hoping for some more people who share my views and agree...
i wish you luck from the bottom of my heart and hope that you get all the satisfaction and happiness from what you are doing.. God bless !!

21/10/04

GetTiNg MarRiEd !!!

Last two days !!!
Four events...
1) Dipayan and Renuka getting engaged in Novemeber !!!
2) Then i get to talk to an old friend.. Himanshu Madan and he tells me that he got engaged to a girl called Shilpa Narang last sunday...
3) Mags calls up and tells me that she is getting married in the month of Feb... next year...

Seems that everyone s getting married.. another friend of mine.. Gaurav Marwaha is getting married i guess next month..

May be continued....

20/10/04

!!!

I have spelt Dipayan's name incorrectly at a few places.. his name is Dipayan and not Deepayan... ...About the other thing i wanted to talk about.. Its about a theft that took place in my friends house.. day before yesterday night.. Pretty scary !!!

HaPpY NeWs !!!

A couple of things to write about today...
First about one of the best NEWS of 2004 !!! No no .. i am not talking about Veerappan being killed in an encounter... Duh !!! Time to get into a meeting with Rajat... Lemme continue later !!!
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Ok... i am back.. Good meeting.. What was i saying.. about a news.. and this is not about Veerappan getting killed in that encounter.. well to be frank.. i am happy that he is dead.. but coming back to the news that i was talking about.. before that i would like to give a brief history of the events to happen and the way they happened...

August 21' 2001: I reached Spectramind's delhi office to join as a Technical Support Associate and the person who entered the office with me was Deepayan Nag... We got introduced ourself.. talked more.. and found out that we just might be on our way towards a great friendship... Which happened... ok.. after our initial induction session for three days.. the entire batch of the new 120 ppl had to be divided into 4 groups for training.. we were hoping that we stick around in the training too and that happened... we did our 6 weeks training together.. and made our trainer Amrita Sharma look pathetic thanks to the kinda knowledge that we carried with us.. and then we had great VnA sessions with Pooja who was our trainer... Anyway.. by the end of our training we were three friends no Four... Me Deepayan Charu and Renuka Shekhar who used to hang out together... graduated to the operations floor and started working hard towards our individual career goals.. the way Dips used to handle calls was completely different from the way i used to .. and we had major arguments about that too at times...
With time we drifted apart, with our individual career interests and opportunities.. but managed to keep in touch.. during that time Deepayan and Renuka, used to spend a lot of time together.. and that time and togetherness kept on taking shape and they yesterday gave me THE NEWS that i had been waiting for !!!
Deepayan getting engaged to Renuka on the 11th of November.
I am really happy for both of them.. just the perfect couple.. Renu and Deepu.. i love both of them and i am not able to understand their kids would call me Mama or Chacha :) but whatever happens.. this is one wedding that i was expecting and is bringing a a lot of happiness in my life too..

Looking forward to Dipayan and Renuka spending their lives together.. happy today and ever after !!!

19/10/04

DeLhi bLoGgErS mEeT 5 !!

The DBM 5 is finally on!!!

I am planning to meet a group which is almost strangers to me on the 21st of October 2004.. I am nervous as well as excited... Basically its all about that small fear that I carry with me.. The fear of rejection... would I be accepted in that group.. Would this be a gang where I can stay without carrying the burden of expectations.. met and not met and all that crap !!! Dunno... i guess I would need to go ahead.. meet everyone and then let things take its own turn !!!

I am feeling like listening to a famous Dev Anand song right now...

Main Zindagi ka Saath nibhata chala gaya...
Har fikr ko dhooein mein udata chala gaya...

Beautiful !!!

15/10/04

cOnTd...

hmm... writing today after a few days.. the days have been kinda hectic and did not feel like writing either.. here i am today.. came to the office at 1330 hrs after attending and shop warming ceremony... (is that the right word) One of very dear friends Virat has opened a showroom for StyleSpa in Faridabad and today was the grand opening.. so me Virat and Ankur got back together for the occasion... yes there were about 100 more ppl but we have a different bond between us.. done three shows together in DAV.. spent loads of time together in college and moved on our different career paths.. i did my masters in software systems... Ankur went on to complete his LLB from CLC, Virat continued to work on his CA... and we still managed to keep in touch.. though me and ankur spent more time together because we stay in NOIDA...
Virat could not meet us on all of the occasions... he stays in Faridabad that's why... anyway.. today we sat down together again talking about the old times... but for a short time period.. we are planning to meet again on sunday to catch up with old times..

I got the seat covers for my car yesterday... light fawn colour.. giving the car a very elegent look now.. i want to give the best to this car.. no hassles about the money but she should look good.. and feel great..
About the reactions and responses that i got from my friends after the previous blog.. most of them are of the opinion that Friendship is not about sciences.. its all about heart.. its about how you feel and how you make the other person feel... I Agree and I Disagree....

You can say that being friends is all about hearts.. taking care of each other.. being proactive... making sure you are the support whenever your friend needs it.. and all that.. but then I disagree coz all this cannot be done without a proper thought going into the entire relationship... i cannot take anything and everthing that comes my way just the way it is... i have to make things happen.. and that requires me to think.. make an effort so that me and my friends share the best of the relationship... yes emotions are there.. but if they are not controllable there is no point.. i can easily be labelled as insane if i do not have control over my emotions and feelings..
Another question that is coming to my mind now !!! Where do i stop.. how to draw that line being madness and sanity !!!

Where does the difference come from..


May be continued......

13/10/04

The sCiEnCe oF bEiNg fRiEnDs !!

Continuining with where i left yesterday...
What makes ppl click.. or tick... or stick..
What is chemistry all about... does it only have to lead to biology or can it also be the physics of two ppl laughing together.. and how far that laughter goes, or how soon the tears from the eyes drop to earth when your friend makes you cry, or is the friend fast enough to have his palm in the trajectry of the tear that just rolled out of eye and dropped from you wet cheek....

What is the science of being friends...

does it really get effected by history, should we really care that way back in 1987 my friend had another friend who (s)he really misses and i cannot fill that space whatever i do...

OR has it something related to Geography... whereever i go i will make new friends.. and forget the ones i made at the place i was staying before... Do i feel good about a friend if i am on a hill top.. and the same company irritates me if its too hot here in delhi...

Or Does Civics help me be a better friend.. do i learn from my friend about the best that he has.. and without a thought stop him/her from doing something which i feel is wrong.. what if there is a diference of opinion.. and leads to a heated atmosphere?

Do the principles of Economics come in friendship... more demand means the price going up.. translate this into.. If i need my friend more then yesterday then there are good chances that (s)he would not have time today...

Is it possible for me to calculate what my friend is going to do when there is decision to be taken... Can i predict my friend's behaviour.. but then if i can that means i do not need to know anything more !!! if i do not.. i might just hear the words.. Prashant you do not understand me...

Do i make my friend feel better if i talk to him/her in english.. or when i talk in Hindi, i would not be treated as a educated guy.. i mean.. If i say namaste to someone i meet for the first time.. what would be the impression... i just might get a surprised.. at times embarrased hello in return...

The subject of friendship... Still thinking !!!

12/10/04

fRiEndSHiP ~-+= Simple or complicated

Back again with somethings to write.. with some thoughts to share and with some to ponder upon.... A few questions that i am thinking about over and over again... ~ Why would you like to be selfless in a relationship? Any for that matter.. not particularly a boy-friend/girl-friend one.. be it two friends, brother sister anything... the question can also be put a li'il differently too.. why would you be selfish at sometimes and completely selfless at some other time...

~ I am wondering these days as to what does it take to keep a friend with you for life... i mean does that need some extra efforts to have friends... if this is true friendship wouldn't the other person know about your state of mind.. would (s)he not understand the priorities in your life...now these are expectations from me... and if they do not understand then they are not being friends.. and if i do not able to give anytime to them.. then i am not being a friend.. i think one of the two will come up to expectations (often unsaid) and the other would compromise (understood but not explicitely mentioned again).. i think this is what will happen when you are with a true friend..

i want to know and understand the term friendship.. what do you need to be a good friend.. wht do you do when you have a friend, who starts expecting things out of you and you are not in a position to fulfill them... leads to a heartbreak and a distance amongst friends...

I want to understand what happens if one of your friends who claims that he is the best friend that you ever had... is very obviously not happy with your growth.. and stops all communication with time...

i want to understand !!!

11/10/04

EuPhOrIa !!! MDI Gurgaon Live on 10th Oct !!!

Function: noun
Synonyms ELATION 1, exaltation, exhilaration2 an often groundless or excessive feeling of well-being and happiness
Synonyms elation, exaltation, intoxication


What you see above is what Euphoria means when I look it up in the Webster's Online Thesaurus...But I had the chance to watch the band play live at the MDI Gurgaon grounds yesterday night.. and they lived up to every meaning of the word Euphoria in the dictionary... Started at 2045 hrs a good hour and a half late.. but worth the wait..Palash started the show with a Shlok.. and then Vande Matram and then belted out hits after hits making the crowd there go crazy... i was right there in the front holding on to the barricade they had made.. and it was just too good!
I do not have the knowledge of music.. but i enjoy it with my soul in it.. and yesterday it happened again.. with songs like Dhoom, Gully, Kaise Bhoolegi mera naam, Mae Ri, Shanana, Raja Raani, Euphoria thrilled the audience.. and not to forget the songs like Damadum Mast Kalander, a beautifully remixed O Hum Dum Suniyo Re, Dil Chahta Hai, Koi Kahe Kehta Rahe, Om shanti Om, and yes... for the lovely couples out there. he sang Bheege Honth Tere as well... Coming to the angrezi gaana bajana... they had We will rock you ( the lyrics we messed up though), We don't need no education, SUMMER OF 69, The only thing that looks good on me, Its my life, With or Without you, You Sexy thing.. it was all there!

An evening well spent in the company of Dr. Palash Sen with lead Vocals, Gaurav Mishra (aka Gary) on Guitars, Debajyoti Bhaduri (aka DJ) on Base Guitars, Hitesh Madan (aka Rikki) on Lead Guitars, Some Verma (aka Tullu) on the drums, Prashant Trivedi( aka Lallu) on the Tabla, and Some Bhardwaj(aka Panju) on the Dholak. and not to forget the filled with energy MDI crowd with all the guests that came from wherever [:)]

Reached home only at 0100 hrs in the night.. but every second spent was worth it.. now waiting for the IIM Indore fest to begin in november.. which i might just attend if everything goes right

06/10/04

sTrAnGeRs

Well here is what happened to me yesterday when i was @ Haldiram's Mathura road in the evening... I went there to get some snacks for home on my way back home... When I entered i saw a girl standing there... did not really look what she looked like.. but the way she was standing there on the gate made it very obvious that she was waiting for someone.. Something inside me said that I should stop and say a hi to her, but then i was in a hurry and I moved on... bought my stuff which took about 20 minutes and while I was moving out.. i saw her back again !!! there she was standing.. still waiting for someone !!! well again i wanted to talk to her.. but was afraid how would she react to it.. and that is why i ignored my very strong urge to get into a conversation and moved out.. started the car and was driving on the lane in front of Haldirams to get back to the main road, and this time she was not there.. i thought that the person she was waiting for had arrived... and she had either left or was inside.. or something.. but the very next second I saw her walking at the side of that service lane.. still waiting... third time I felt like talking to her.. but dunno why the thought made me very nervous... and i decided to move ahead.. while i was driving past her.. i saw here turning and looking at me.. first time our eyes met... and i realised that she was very pretty... and was looking at me in my eyes... for a short second I looked at her and her eyes had a story to tell.. she had been waiting for a long while.. which i knew and her eyes were really sad that the person had not yet come... I felt that if I had gone ahead and talked to her.. it would not have offended her.. but instead given her some comfort and company which she was waiting for... not from me ofcourse, but from the person who she was waiting for... Anyway.. i kept driving.. dunno if her eyes followed me or not, but i knew that it was a lonely person (for that moment) that i left behind...

04/10/04

Getting Serious about writing now !!!

What next... what do i write about.. i guess i am kinda happy about the kinda ppl that i am meeting @ Orkut... there is so much common in the thought process of some of them and mine... but at the same time, i feel that they are intellectually ahead of me.. why am i thinking that way.. another school of thought is that i have wasted a lot of time watching TV, when i could have read something or written something, or for that matter talked to someone who was like minded or otherwise...i see so much of refined writing these days which is so close to the day to day life that i feel that i should do something to improve.. now the question comes what do i need to do to improve... or do i really need improvement... well i guess i might not... as i might be good at what i do.. and am respected and regarded.. and at the same time.. i also beleive that i am at some stage of evolution and am growing towards more maturity everyday.. which would make me learn from everyone around and the circumstances... will write more.. gotta go back to work right now..

01/10/04

wOrK hArD PaRtY hArDeR !!

Ok, I am back again with some more things that i wanted to write about..these are about me and what is happening to me.. 29th evening i spent with bhoomi and her friends.. rather our friends.. though i met one of these guys for the first time.. and Vandu, the other gal in the group of 4, was always pissed with me.. right after and during the time when mine and Bhoomi's relation was in the storm and then went for a toss... so i was kinda afraid talking to her and meeting up with her.. but it was better then i expected.. though felt a li'il out of place at times when these guys were talking about things that i did not have a clue about..it was a great evening.. went to Dilli Haat... one of my favorite places, and then after having some lite snacks there and strolling around.. we moved to Delhi's Devils.. had drinks, mocktails to be precise, danced for a while on the Hip-Hop music that the Dj was playing...it was a Hip-Hop night actually.. but it still did not stop me from doing some bhangra steps on the similar hip-hop beats.. i might have looked stupid but then we were only three of us dancing there.. me, vandu and bhoomi.. so basically it was great fun.. One of Bhoomi's friends, did not come, who we actually were waiting for.. he is the guy Bhoomi is kinda interested in.. marriage and all those things you see... how sweet !!! so we danced. we drank.. we talked.. and then moved to Eatopia, the great restaurant in IHC, Lodhi road... had chinese there and it was already 2300 hours when we left from there...so we rushed... had Meetha Pans @ chanakya, the place all three of us used to frequently visit a few years back...then dropped Vandu, then Sumit and finally bhoomi.. and i reached home by 0030 hours.. slept well that night.. it was great meeting a group which was so much fun loving, and had great friends..

Will meet them again sometime asap !!!

this weekend.. gotta take care of a few things in the new car.. and then maybe go out for a drive with mom-dad on sunday.. lets see how it materialises... my relatives would be looking at the new car for the first time.. lets see their reactions.. well most of them, and the world looks down upon this car because they think its too bad on mileage... but they do the mistake of comparing with the smaller Wagon Rs and the Santros. It officially comes with a seating capacity of 4+1 as compared of 3+1 in the other cars... then has bigger tyres and an engine which is about 100cc more then them, the kerb weight of the car is about 250 kg more then the Wagon and the Santro... The comfort, safety, space, feel good factor.. its just zooms past the Wagon R and the Santro.. Can i ask for more.. yes a few compliments may be.. hehehehehehe
Cheers
Happy Weekend !!!