A trip down the Memory Lane :)

I was talking to Tunna a few days back she told me about something that she was thinking about... memories associated with long lost friends and they coming back with something that happens today... She even wrote something and sent it to me and wanted me to write about it...

Here is what she had written :

I am sure it must have happened with all of us....some things, some incidences...trigger our thoughts for someone.... The life seems to be moving fine....we all busy with chasing our dreams...but in midst of this madness how come thoughts of someone find its way... I was sharing these thoughts with one of my collegues...and the reply came.." are u unhappy" And i realised i have made the mistake of sharing my precious feelings with some idiot..i dnt have to be sad to be missing... I thnk ppl still dont realise someone can be missed with a smile...some moments wen run thru...jus leaves u wth smile.,..and only smile... this one is for all ( ths all is not the large...actually very few) my dear friends i have not been able to speak in a long time....i miss the time spend,.,..wth time i value u even more...
__________________________


I feel good friends are like old letters that over a period of time might hide under a pile of books or other things, but when you are cleaning up your mess, you are bound to reach that letter again, read it, sit back and relax, and think about the great times you two had together... even make an attempt to find out where they are and get in touch with them again... distances, times, circumstances suddenly do not matter in such cases....

Good friends are also like the songs that you once loved and could listen over and over and over again, and then with time you moved on to listening some new numbers, new singers, etc, and suddenly that song plays back on the radio and you are reminded of how much you have loved, and missed that song too... just that you might not have realised it... and you just get back home and find the music you 'love' to love...

There are people I associate with, who have been fantastic friends and probably they are today as well, but with time we lost touch... I am not sure where they are, what are they upto, and in some cases I am in touch with them as well,

And all this while I make new memories everyday...


Some of the people and my memories that have some space in one of the other corner of my head and heart ...

The walks with Nimisha and Taru, to bus stands other than our college stand so that we could miss the bus and spend more time talking and walking together,

Me and Nimisha going to Taru's place one morning and singing together throughout and even on our way back,

A holi riot at Abhay's place when we took out buckets of water from his bathroom and socked everyone wet in the room (God only knows how his mattresses and other stuff would have dried; must have taken ages; the entire house was a water hole),


Me and Kapil bhai walking and discussing our scripts and singing Sa Re Ga Ma from Chupke chupke ( apparently we two used to sing it very well),

My IIIrd standard fight with Sandeep when I had beaten him black and blue in the school bus and over years we turning to best pals EVER ( every evening we were sure to spend atleast 2 hours walking around the entire sector and talking whatever nonsense)


The ice cream after getting off the school bus and dividing the payments between Sandeep, Neeraj and Me... the bugger Aakash never used to pay...

The duplicate film roll that we bought from a shop on our Xth standard farewell and the messed up pictures that we go from it.. Neeraj you ass, I had asked you to buy the roll the previous day

Working with Meghna in the street plays and spending so much time talking about everything under the sun

Taking Himanshu's bike for the interview at Spectramind.. the poor guy waiting for me till like 10 in the night in his college only because my interview formalities had not finished


Narang always telling me that I was making a mistake when I was going around with Shikha in Hughes

Adi, Me, Aro, Anmol, KB, Narang singing, "Babuji Zara Dheere Chalo..." before we used to start our shifts :D and anmol's typical my name is arthurrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr, and me Aro and Narang adding the "teri maaaaaaaaaa kiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii" in the same tone :D


Loads and loads of conversations with Aro and Tushar in the last 5 years !!!

Haircut Trips to Ganga Shopping complex with Tushar...


Ankur calling the Pangong Tso, Tso Moriri at Diskit :D and that too in a video and his dialogue about the stuck vehicles on our way to Pangong... Aaj to Phencho dekh kar hi jayenge !!! and that Saale firangi, this in India, yahan everything has a jugaad :D


And how can I forget the Up-32 at Khardungla :)

Strange enough, I do not remember much about Ahlcon and those two years that I spent in that school, except the fact that I really liked and respected my physics teacher, Mrs. Archana Deepak!!!

There are million memories more... Can write a book about them :) there are some sad ones too, and even though I remember them, I choose to not talk about them here... no point !!! life is happy !!


Have a happy weekend !!! God Bless :)

Stills :
Deepu and Aro with Ankur's daughter Neitya at the gurudwara Nangal Sahib
A lovely bunch of kids in Ambikapur, Chattisgarh
Deepu, Kavita and Anjie at the south group of temples, Khajuraho
Kids in Ambikapur, Chattisgarh
Two friends at the Hauz Khas Monument, Delhi
Bunch of kids in Moradabad
Deepu, Anubhav, Me and Ankur at the North Pullu, Ladakh
The Up-32 family at Khardungla pass, Ladakh :)
Tushar and me near Ram Jhula in Rishikesh

The Joy of Film

NOTHING, and I mean nothing in this world beats the romance of clicking B/Ws on Film... was going through Aro's Picasa stream today and found this picture of mine...

Though the picture is very badly processed, there is something about it that I like... I guess the grains more than anything !!!



This is from a day when we had gone to Chandni Chawk just to have breakfast.. Nigodi Poodi and Bedmi Halwa (you saw a picture of it in the previous post; another picture in this post too)...

Click here to read more...


I might buy an old film camera sometime with a 50mm lens (should not cost more than $200) and use it for my street portraits... not sure.. lets see !!!

और कहीं दिन बीते...

आज सोया तो सपने में सपना था...
के नींद खुले तो कहीं और...


किसी और शहर में...
किसी पहाड़ की गोद में...
किसी नदी के किनारे...
कहीं दूर किसी स्टेशन पर चाय चाय की आवाज़ से..
किसी छोटे बस स्टैंड पर पकोडे की खुशबु से...
बस कंडक्टर की सीटी से...




और दिन बीते कहीं
बातें करते
किसी छोटी सी गली में घूमते घूमते
एक छोटी सी चाय की दुकान पर बातें सुनते
चाय पीते रस खाते मट्ठी खाते
और फिर एक और प्याली चाय पीते
कुछ राह चलते लोगों की खेरियत पूछते
कुछ बच्चो के साथ पिट्ठू खेलते
कहीं एक नाव में नदी पार करते
किसी खेत में एक डंडी लेकर घूमते
गाँव में सर्दी की मीठी मीठी धुप का मज़ा लेते


और कहीं दिन बीते...

What if..

Calvin grew up?

What would he be like?

I can think of some similarities between him and Ross (from Friends)... Actually a lot !!!

Or maybe its Ross who might have been like Calvin when he was young !!!

Or is it just the love for Dinosaurs that makes them similar... I don't really know !

Still : Aarush (My boss's son, London)

Words Worth

Words are like machines, over working or over using them diminishes the effect/ fulfillment of purpose over a period of time...


Constant and over-considerate use of words like
nice,
good,
great,
amazing,
wow,
awesome,
brilliant,
that's a nice thought,
that is a very valid question,
i understand what you are saying,
i will be there for you,
i love you,
trust me,
have faith,
things will be alright,
don't worry,
you are an idiot,
you will never understand,
be with me

is something that I am not sure is the best thing to do..

When I started working on computers, I was told that every key on the keyboard has a life and it will function only those many times... which basically means that if you have used a couple of keys too much over a period of time, you will not be able to use them anymore and that would in turn mean that your sentences would be incomplete, your codes would be erroneous, your programs would be faulty and results might be disastrous too !!! (I think they did not know that Ctrl C and Ctrl V works magic... but then what if the Ctrl key stops functioning? Can't imagine a world without that)

What if the same thing applies to a person too, he can use a certain set of words only an "x" number of times and after that he cannot use that word anymore... It might just help us evaluate what we speak before we do, and also increase the value attached to them !!! Also I need to earn my right to use the words... To start with I think this would apply to me first, I speak freely and too freely at times, but that can be misinterpreted because of multiple reasons... A better way, I guess, would be to hold on to words and take my time before I start talking again... tough? Yes. Doable? again yes? Thinking about it? Yes! Will I do it? Yes!

But then some people say and believe that Silence is golden... I don't really agree to it all the time... There are times when you gotta speak up and there are times when you gotta let something other than your words say what you wanted to say !!!


So all I am saying is open your word tap wisely, there is only so much you are left with !!!

Stills from : Harley Davidson Museum (Milwaukee); Millenium Park (Chicago); Daurala Railway Station, Meerut (UP,India)

Tea Stall by चायबाज़ देवजित आचार्य

Tea Stall., originally uploaded by cheerfull_soul.

I loved the green walls ... that prompted me to take the picture.


Time for another ChaiBaaz to be introduced on Chai Ki dukaan...
Name Devjit Acharya, nick name Cheerful Soul

and the photo is from the streets of Banaras.

What I like about him is his fantastic eye to capture moments from the streets and the powerful compositions he presents. Dev is also one of the people who is excellent with photography fundamentals from the group of people I know, needless to say he is one of my favorite photographers and a constant source of inspiration!!!

Check out his flickr page (here) and enjoy !!!

Thanks Dev for letting me post this photograph on Chai Ki Dukaan !

of Love that is not that common, but IS !

I was in college, and like most of the other college going lads would not leave an opportunity to show off my smartness at the drop of a hat !

So I went to this marriage function and I saw her !!! She knew me and I knew her, we had met a few times previously, were introduced to each other too, but never got talking !!!

It was her brother's marriage, and she out of courtsey came and talked to me... and then the smartass mr. Prashant spoke, "आप अकेले अकेले chewing gum खा रही हो, मुझे नहीं दी !!!" (aap akele akele chewing gum kha rahi ho, mujhe nahin di)... and she simply takes her gum out of her mouth and offers it to me !!! I am stunned and She just laughs her ass off !!! and I still shocked ! Thankfully I am saved from any further embarrassment, and her friends come and take her away !! I am sure I was their laughing stock for the evening !!!

However later in the evening, we met again and I took her number... I think she felt safe giving her number to a stupid guy... we cannot be much trouble, I guess !!!

I did not call her for a while... weeks in fact, and after a month or so I gather enough courage and call her up, hoping that she picks up the phone... she does, and she says," ओह, तो फ़ोन कर ही लिया आपने, मुझे तो लगा के फ़ोन नम्बर कॉल्लेक्ट करने का शौक है आपको "! (oh!, to phone kar hi liya aapne, mujhe to laga phone number collect karne ka shawk hai aapko) third encounter, second embarassing moment !!!

That one phone call matured to a call a week and then, in not too long a time, our daily 1600 hrs 30 minute call... and then transformed into one of the most beautiful relationships of my life... It did not work out the way we wanted ( but that's another story, and I rather not talk about it right now)

Bhoomi and me went around for a good 4 years, and she, till date, is the only woman, who managed to pull my leg as often and leave me dumbstruck and in a state of shock like no one else... but her chuckle and more often than not a loud laughter at my state, made me happy...

It was like I grew up with her, from college to masters, overdose of Theatre in Graduation, to loads of study and Basketball in Post Graduation, to the IT bubble burst and my hunt for jobs and the stress and struggle, and my first training/job and then the real fist job !!! I think it was THE perfect relationship... no point regretting now though...

anyway, why was I talking about Bhoomi?

because I was reminded of my second longest relationship ( yea yea, I have a few extra feathers in my cap, but so what!!!)

Radha... another relationship that did not take much time to develop and only got stronger with time !!! My first and only "Love at first sight" as far as I can remember... here are a few pictures of her that I took on our first long drive together to Uttaranchal ( now uttarakhand).. More than 4 years now and her charm is still as strong as the day I first saw her !!!


Some more pictures from the trip here and here. and if you are keen on reading about the trip click here.

Chai Ki Dukaan by चायबाज़ क्षितिज

Chai Ki Dukaan, originally uploaded by HappyHorizons.

notes from me:

Am I really an attention seeker? I am not sure, but attention does add fuel to my acts... I feel more responsible coz I realize someone is watching and maybe taking notes as well...

Thanks Kshitiz for the lovely photograph...

I used to be HOTT, but now I am too COOL !!!

Oh and the girl in the next cubicle was just speaking to someone, and in that 10 minutes of conversation I heard a good angrezi accent, and a dilli type accent and a south accent together though at different times !!!

Kind of funny :D

And Fiat has introduced Linea and I am in love already with how she looks, though like Deepu also wrote to me in his email, is a bit underpowered... However I feel that FIAT even though looks underpowered from a CC point of view, has enough under the boot and in their brains to decide the torques that a car should have... Radha has might not reach a 60kmph as fast as a Suzuki or Hyundai would, but take her past the 2500rpm mark on the Tacho and it can give any of the much stronger cars a good run for their money.. and this is a personal experience after so many drives between Delhi and Chandigarh !!! It has a punch that is hard to ignore... mmmmmuah Radha !!!

Back to Linea, I like the way they have labeled the versions of the car : Active; Dynamic; and Emotion... makes it closer to your heart !!! That happens with FIAT anyway, this is just that small change that makes it look better instead of a calculative SXi or VXi.

Another interesting thing that I see is the Arm Rest in the front row, I have realized this in the US that it does make a lot of difference in comfort when you are driving... That should also explain why a lot of people like to keep one hand on the gear knob when they are driving!

One thing that I am missing is the ABS and Disc Brakes on the rear... But I also think that there are not too many takers in India yet. Also the OEM versions of these seem to be much expensive than what you can get it done for in open market.

Anyway... Enjoy the Linea website and drive safe !

Finally Denim

Who says wemmen take a long time in buying things !!!! It took me about 2 years to get a second pair of jeans !!! but I finally did it !!!

I don't remember how many times I tried buying one but never really bought, I even got one but never wore it... my tummy was growing at a rate which the jeans could not take after that first trial attempt !!! However, this weekend, I finally got a pair that I can wear !!! and I am not surprised that its very very similar to what I was wearing so far !! almost the same pattern, almost the same blue !!!

So two now !!! sahi !

Another one of (not so) random thoughts

Mon, a dear friend, few days back wrote about how people change with time, how close friends grow apart and a few other things... Somehow that does not surprise me at all... People change, distances grow or reduce, and so on and so forth... with time I have learnt to accept that as a fact, however the good thing is that with time my faith in those handful of relationships that I guard like crazy and will do ANYTHING to save has also strengthened !!!

What surprises me are those people who can be absolutely different like black and white at the same time ( and that includes me too at times)... The warmest souls to some, and the worst people on earth for someone else ! Saying something and being someone ELSE at the same time! Thankfully I cannot be someone else and claim to be a different person at the same time, but there are people who can. I can get into the tactical details here, but that would just mean talking more about a few people I know, which I am not sure is required !

While I agree that this can happen with every one, every time I think about this, I am reminded of someone I knew who was a classic example of being two faces at the same time !!! Phew !!! Before that I never knew that such extremes are possible!

I secretly hope that I do not bump into one of such amazing people in my life, but then I am not the one deciding the flow here :) I am just rafting !!! let it come !!!

Tushar bhai, I miss Rishikesh and our rafting trips !!!

2008, the year that was !!!

This is a long post... I would recommend reading along with the pictures but then if you just want to have a look at some pictures, scroll on !!!




While I was getting ready for the new year...


I thought, why not write about what all I have been upto in 2008...

I was at the Chai ki Dukaan


I was in Air



I was in Water


I drove

I traveled in Trains


I travelled in Buses


I relaxed



I walked


I was with friends



I was with Family



I was alone


I saw rains



I saw clouds



I saw Snow


I saw Sunsets and Sun-rises



I saw buildings that man made




I saw caves that man decorated



I saw some Art



and made some myself


I started cooking


I spread some smiles



met some great new people



and let go of some !!

Took more photos of nature

and even more of people

I realized how much I love B/W, both in Life and Photography...

I even had an exhibition in New Delhi :)


I got closer to my country
And I stayed far far away from it too...



All in all, this has been such a remarkable year for me that I could not have imagined !!! Lets hope that I come out a winner in 2009 as well...

Amen !

And now !

I should get back to work :) I have spent more than 90 minutes on this post already :P



But you keep visiting Chai Ki Dukaan !!! It feels great to have company here !!!