Half-full or Half-empty

2008-02-20T22:33:00.000-08:00

One day all the employees reached the office and they saw a big notice on the door on which it was written:

“Yesterday the person who has been hindering your growth
in this company passed away. We invite you to join the funeral
in the room that has been prepared in the gym”.

In the beginning, they all got sad for the death of one of their colleagues, but after a while they started getting curious to know, who was that man who hindered their growth of his colleagues and the company itself.

The excitement in the gym was such that security agents were ordered to control the crowd within the room.

The more people reached the coffin, the more the excitement heated up.

Everyone thought: “Who is this guy who was hindering my progress? Well, at least he died!”

One by one the thrilled employees got closer to the coffin, and when they looked inside it, they suddenly became speechless. They stood nearby the coffin, shocked and in silence, as if someone had touched the deepest part of their soul.

There was a mirror inside the coffin: everyone who looked inside it could see himself.

There was also a sign next to the mirror that said:

“There is only one person, who is capable to set limits to your growth:

IT IS YOU.

You are the ONLY person who can revolutionize your life.

You are the only person, who can influence your happiness,
your realization and your success.

You are the ONLY person who can help YOURSELF.

Your life does not change when your boss changes, when your friends change, when your parents change, when your partner changes, when your company changes. Your life changes when YOU change, when you go beyond your limited beliefs, when you realize that you are the ONLY one responsible for your life.

THE MOST IMPORTANT RELATIONSHIP YOU CAN HAVE IS THE ONE YOU HAVE WITH YOURSELF! ”.

Examine yourself. Watch yourself. Don’t be afraid of difficulties, impossibilities and losses: Be a WINNER, Build Yourself and Your Reality.

The world is like a Mirror. It gives back to anyone the reflection of the thoughts in which one has strongly believed.

The world and your reality are like mirrors lying in a coffin, which show to any individual the death of his divine capability to imagine and create his happiness and his success.

It’s the way you face Life that makes the difference.

2008-02-18T22:36:00.000-08:00

Give Up??

As I was passing the elephants, I suddenly stopped, confused by the fact that these huge creatures were being held by only a small rope tied to their front leg. No chains, no cages. It was obvious that the elephants could, at anytime, break away from their bonds but for some reason, they did not.

I saw a trainer near by and asked why these beautiful, magnificent animals just stood there and made no attempt to get away. "Well," he said, "when they are very young and much smaller we use the same size rope to tie them and, at that age, it's enough to hold them. As they grow up, they are conditioned to believe they cannot break away.

They believe the rope can still hold them, so they never try to break free." I was amazed. These animals could at any time break free from their bonds but because they believed they couldn't, they were stuck right where they were.

Like the elephants, how many of us go through life hanging onto a belief that we cannot do something, simply because we failed at it once before?

2008-02-18T02:42:00.000-08:00

A popular motivational speaker was entertaining his audience. Said he: "The best years of my life were spent in the arms of a woman who wasn't my wife!"

The audience was in silence and shock.
The speaker added: "And that woman was my mother!"
Laughter and applause.

A week later, a top manager trained by the motivational speaker tried to crack this very effective joke at home. He was a bit foggy after a drink.

He said loudly, "The greatest years of my life were spent in the arms of a woman who was not my wife!"
The wife went wan with shock and rage.
Standing there for 20 seconds trying to recall the second half of the joke, the manager finally blurted out "... and I can't remember who she was!"

Moral of the story:
Don't copy if you can't paste!

2008-02-12T02:04:00.001-08:00

WHERE TO TAP

Ever heard the story of the giant ship engine that failed? The ship's owners tried one expert after another, but none of them could figure but how to
fix the engine. Then they brought in an old man who had been fixing ships since he was a youngster. He carried a large bag of tools with him, and when he arrived, he immediately went to work. He inspected the engine very carefully, top to bottom.

Two of the ship's owners were there, watching this man, hoping he would know what to do. After looking things over, the old man reached into his bag and pulled out a small hammer. He gently tapped something. Instantly, the engine lurched into life. He carefully put his hammer away. The engine was fixed!

A week later, the owners received a bill from the old man for ten thousand dollars.

"What?!" the owners exclaimed. "He hardly did anything!"

So they wrote the old man a note saying, "Please send us an itemized bill."

The man sent a bill that read:

Tapping with a hammer ......................... $ 2.00
Knowing where to tap ............................. $ 9998.00

"Effort is important,

but knowing where to make an effort in your life makes all the difference."

2008-02-11T02:36:00.001-08:00

Comedy of Errors

“ English is a phunny language, where Bhayirow becomes Baron and Baron becomes Bhayirow, because their minds are very nayiro.“

More than a decade ago, when I first heard Amitabh Bachchan blabbering these lines on the TV, I yelled at the top of my voice and informed the whole apartment building, “Mama, see there is a crazy guy on screen”. Soon I discovered I was wrong, English sure is a phunny language.

“So…Do you guys speak English in India?”, asked Gary, my native American friend on a chilly morning in Chicago. “Yes, we do”, I replied, took a pause and spoke again, “And we speak Hinglish (English mixed with Hindi), Tinglish (Tamil + English), Pinglish (Punjabi+English), Kinglish (Kannada + English) and many more such languages. Infact, we invented these languages for you guys to learn.”

We, the Indians, are born intelligent. I could not resist myself admiring the beauty with which we have moulded English for our personal usages. Its like customizing a Hero Honda Splendor to a Ducati.

My traumatic yet interesting journey with English started when I started attending an English medium school. As a kid, I was never interested in studies, I preferred watching He-Man and Jungle book and I used to think that I have come from Jupiter to Earth and that I have some hidden super-powers. Once, I broke this news to my parents that I am an alien who has come to Earth on a mission and given my useless temperament towards studies, my parents thought its the apt time to send me to a boarding school. Following which I was admitted to a boarding school in Dehradun. It was then that for the first time in my life I thought that I will study hard. Next day, I was the first one to solve a difficult Maths problem in my class, I stood up proudly and gave the answer to my Maths teacher who happened to be a Keralite. “Are you Suar Rahul?”, my teacher asked… “No sir, I am not Suar”, I replied. …“But why are you not Suar??”….“Ask my parents sir, I told them that I am an alien and they sent me to this boarding school, If you tell them that I am suar they will send me to a pig-farm and further, I can be He-Man how can I be Suar-Man, It really does not goes with my personality”. ..“Get out you fool”, screamed my Maths teacher. Not to mention I failed miserably in my Maths term exam.

Time flew by, I started working. During my term in Atlanta I became close friends with a guy from UP. Once we decided to go on trekking to a nearby forest trail. One more guy and a beautiful young lady pitched in to join us two for the trekking trip. And so began our adventurous trip. After walking for few miles, my UPite friend pointed his finger towards a nearby tree.

“You see that Tree?”, he asked.

“Yeah, with a hole in the trunk”, I reaffirmed

“Yes, yes that one…. I saw some Snacks in that hole in the tree trunk”

“You sure”

“Yes, I am very sure”, he replied

“Snacks in the hollow tree trunk, that too in a jungle…Huh..!!....May be someone left some snacks in the tree trunk and fogot to take it along with”, I thought to myself.

The trek continued. On our way back, the beautiful young lady started feeling tired and hungry. I and the girl were some 500 meters ahead than the other two guys.

“I am hungry Rahul”, she said.

I thought it’s the best time to step back in my super-hero shoes and was reminded of my Alien powers. I noticed that we are exactly at the same point where that tree stood, the tree with a hole in the trunk and “Snacks” inside that hole. It was the best time to impress her.

“Well…!!”, I said, “I am a magician”.

“You are…!!!!”, she exclaimed …

“You bet..I have some alien connection and hence have super-powers, which earthly people call magic”, I replied.

“Yeah Yeah…..Dont bore me…!!!”, she said.

“You don’t believe me, ok fine…..young lady…I will give you a demonstration….You see that tree there…Just go and put your hand in the hole in the trunk of that tree….With my powers I have put some Snacks inside that tree….”.

“Fine lets see Mr. Magician, what you can do with your powers”, She started walking towards the tree.

“And hey..!!!”, I called her from the back side like Rajesh Khanna, “I did it only for you..!!”...

She gave me a smile and almost put her hand in that hole. It was exactly then that I heard two screams. One from that girl and the other from that UPite guy who came running from behind. “Are you guys crazy, what are you doing??”. I noticed that the girl’s mouth never closed after that scream and her eyes became bigger.

“Well…!!! She was hungry and I asked her to take snacks from that tree trunk”.

“Rahul the snakes are rattling”, the UPite guy said.

“How can the Snacks rattle”, I asked.

“Because they are rattling Snacks”…..

It was then that the beautiful young girl started running with her open mouth screaming Snakes, Snakes and Snakes….No I guess, she screamed Snakes one more time, four times in total. That was the last time that I had the privilege to talk to that beautiful young girl. Till date she maintains that I tried to kill her..Well…!!!!!

Tired and disappointed, I came back to my home, to find a roomie who was looking quite happy. He was the first guy who appeared happy to me that day. He was Tamilian.

“Hey Man…!!! Guess What??”, he chuckled

“What”

“I saw Umrao’s John today..!!!!”, he told me with a big smile on his face

“You saw what?????”

“Umrao’s John …. And I did not like it..!!!”

“Yuck….. Who is Umrao??? “

“Come on Mann…!!! I thought its an English movie..!!!”

“You saw Umrao Jaan ??”

“Yeah … Umrao John…Same..!!!”

“Its Umrao Jaan…and what on earth made you think that Umrao can have a John?”

“You know I don’t understand Hindi right? Anyways let me narrate the story….!!!”….

I was too exhausted with the “English” world to let him complete his analysis of the movie. I took refuge in my bed and slept off……

2008-02-06T02:57:00.000-08:00

Time & Relationship!

Its 7 : 30 a.m. and I stand here in the bus stop waiting for the office bus to arrive. I stand here in the same manner as I did a few years back waiting for my college bus. Little did I know then that things would change so much in 2 years; the sky under which I am standing seems to be looking at me and smiling .. It is perhaps the only thing that has acted as a witness .. watching the transformation of a loud and bubbly person into a quiet professional.

I wouldn't blame the professionalism for the change though. It is destiny, or may be you could call it life. Yes Life, esoteric in the true sense, for one does not understand why you meet hundreds of people everyday, work with so many, and still remain lonely.

I am now in one of the corner seats in the bus, looking out of the window watching people trying to catch up with "life" .. It's an hour's journey and the only company that I generally have is the chatter of the RJ. I seldom notice the person sitting next to me, for its going to be yet another stranger or may be you could say another acquaintance. It is annoying at times when the radio is switched off, not because I am cut off from the melody but because I would now be thrust with thoughts of the solitary journey ahead.

I can't help thinking about the short bus journeys to college ... well it's a paradox to call a distance of 30 KMs "short", but that is how it always seemed. A typical college day always begins in the bus with all the familiar faces; you look forward for all your friends to get in from the various stops, the reasonless giggles, the loud laughter that were stifled to avert the eyes of the lecturers and professors who would watch on us as if we were their prospective prey for the day ... well as I said it was a different life then. The pleasant memories of college are in itself good enough to save me from the misery of the bus journey.

I notice that it is time for me to get down and flash my smile of acknowledgement to all the known strangers that I see as I approach my cubicle. A few of my colleagues greet me with their morning wishes and as always, we exchange our pleasantries. Discussions jump to the weekend plans and I wonder what I'd do over the weekend.

It would be just another day staring at the mobile, wishing it would ring and bring back some wonderful moments that are now missing in life or maybe the safer option would be to come to office, for it's my new founded asylum these days. A few years back, weekends or weekdays didn't matter to me, I was always busy. I always stood doubting the authenticity of the wall clock that seemed to be in running too fast to perceive its movement. Alas, now it seems as though my clock is suffering from some kind of paralytic attack.

There is a time in life, where one needs to go ahead, leaving behind your friends and carrying along only memories. You do make new friends, but then you never get the old close ones ... you do meet people who'd be so good to you that you could tell them anything and everything, but you do not find a person to whom you needn't say things ... friends who just know you. Occasional calls from such friends, have been the only thing that I seem to look forward to ....However,I cant help but notice the uneasy pause that lingers around the conversation ..A pause not because of the relationship, but because it is too short a duration to say everything, and of course you cannot completely rule out the paucity of words!

As I sip coffee from the ubiquitous coffee mug, watching the drops of rain, trickling down the tinted glass panes, veiling the scenic beauty outside, I tell myself, may be there will be a day when things will change, when life will offer a rewind, a recap of all the events and I just have to wait.

Capricious are the ways of life, for I know there would be many who'd be able to empathize with me, ironically, even the dear ones that I miss this moment, waiting perhaps...!!

And I keep on waiting......

2008-01-13T23:17:00.000-08:00

Trouble tree!

The carpenter I hired to help me restore an old farmhouse had just finished a rough first day on the job. A flat tire made him lose an hour of work, his electric saw quit, and now his ancient pickup truck refused to start.

While I drove him home, he sat in stony silence. On arriving, he invited me in to meet his family. As we walked toward the front door, he paused briefly at a small tree, touching tips of the branches with both hands. When opening the door, he underwent an amazing transformation. His tanned face was wreathed in smiles and he hugged his two small children and gave his wife a kiss.

Afterward he walked me to the car. We passed the tree and my curiosity got the better of me. I asked him about what I had seen him do earlier. Oh, that's my trouble tree," he replied. "I know I can't help having troubles on the job, but one thing's for sure, troubles don't belong in the house with my wife and the children. So I just hang them up on the tree every night when I come home. Then in the morning I pick them up again."

"Funny thing is," he smiled, "when I come out in the morning to pick 'em up, there ain't nearly as many as I remember hanging up the night before."

2007-12-31T19:53:00.000-08:00

Wishing everyone a healthy and happening 2008

2007-12-17T01:34:00.000-08:00

ABRAHAM LINCOLN's LETTER TO HEADMASTER

A letter written by Abraham Lincoln to the Headmaster of a school in which his son was studying. It contains an advice, which is still relevant today for executives, workers, teachers, parents and students.

A WORD TO TEACHERS

"He will have to learn, I know, that all men are not just and are not true. But teach him if you can, the wonder of books.. but also give him quiet time to ponder the eternal mystery of birds in the sky, bees in the sun and flowers on a green hillside.

In school, teach him it is far more honorable to fall than to cheat.....

Teach to have faith in his own ideas, even if everyone tells him he is wrong.

Teach him to be gentle with gentlepeople and tough with the tough.

Try to give my son the strength not to follow the crowd when everyone getting on the bandwagon...

Teach him to listen to all men; but teach him also to filter all he hears on a screen of truth, and take only the good that comes through.

Teach him, if you can, how to laugh when he is sad... Teach him there is no shame in tears.

Teach him to scoff at cynics and to be beware of too much sweetness.. Teach him to sell his brawn and brain to highest bidders, but never to put a price on his heart and soul. Teach him to close his ears to a howling mob.. and stand and fight if thinks he is right.

Treat him gently, but do not cuddle him, because only the test of fire makes fine steel. Let him have the courage to be impatient.. Let him have the patience to be brave. Teach him always to have sublime faith in himself, because then he will have faith in humankind.

This is a big order, but see what you can do. . He is such a fine little fellow my son!

- Abraham Lincoln"

Source: http://www.ncte-in.org/contrib/abraham.htm

2007-12-13T01:09:00.000-08:00

All Is Not Lost!

A 10-year-old boy decided to study judo despite the fact that he had lost his left arm in a devastating car accident. The boy began lessons with an old Japanese judo master. The boy was doing well, so he couldn't understand why, after three months of training the master had taught him only one move. "Sensei," the boy finally said, "Shouldn't I be learning more moves?" "This is the only move you know, but this is the only move you'll ever need to know," the sensei replied. Not quite understanding, but believing in his teacher, the boy kept training.

Several months later, the sensei took the boy to his first tournament. Surprising himself, the boy easily won his first two matches. The third match proved to be more difficult, but after some time, his opponent became impatient and charged; the boy deftly used his one move to win the match. Still amazed by his success, the boy was now in the finals. This time, his opponent was bigger, stronger, and more experienced. For a while, the boy appeared to be overmatched. Concerned that the boy might get hurt, the referee called a time-out. He was about to stop the match when the sensei intervened.

"No," the sensei insisted, "Let him continue." Soon after the match resumed, his opponent made a critical mistake: he dropped his guard. Instantly, the boy used his move to pin him. The boy had won the match and the tournament.

He was the champion. On the way home, the boy and sensei reviewed every
move in each and every match. Then the boy summoned the courage to ask what was really on his mind. "Sensei, how did I win the tournament with only one move?" "You won for two reasons," the sensei answered. "First, you've almost mastered one of the most difficult throws in all of judo. And second, the only known defense for that move is for your opponent to grab your left arm." The boy's biggest weakness had become his biggest strength.

"Sometimes we feel that we have certain weaknesses and we blame god, the circumstances and our self for it but we never know that our weakness can become our strength one day. Each of us is special and important, so never think you have any weakness, never think of pride or pain, just live your life to its fullest and extract the best out of it!"

2007-11-21T00:53:00.001-08:00

You will love this one...

A young and pretty lady posted this on a popular forum:
Title: What should I do to marry a rich guy?

I'm going to be honest of what I'm going to say here. I'm 25 this year. I'm very pretty, have style and good taste. I wish to marry a guy with $500k annual salary or above. You might say that I'm greedy, but an annual salary of $1M is considered only as middle class in New York. My requirement is not high. Is there anyone in this forum who has an income of $500k annual salary? Are you all married? I wanted to ask: what should I do to marry rich persons like you? Among those I've dated, the richest is $250k annual income, and it seems that this is my upper limit. If someone is going to move into high cost residential area on the west of New York City Garden (?), $250k annual income is not enough.

I'm here humbly to ask a few questions:
1) Where do most rich bachelors hang out? (Please list down the names and addresses of bars, restaurant, gym)
2) Which age group should I target?
3) Why most wives of the riches is only average-looking? I've
met a few girls who doesn't have looks and are not interesting, but they are able to marry rich guys
4) How do you decide who can be your wife, and who can only be your girlfriend? (my target now is to get married)

Ms. Pretty

Here's a reply from a Wall Street Financial guy:

Dear Ms. Pretty,

I have read your post with great interest. Guess there are lots of girls out there who have similar questions like yours. Please allow me to analyse your situation as a professional investor. My annual income is more than $500k, which meets your requirement, so I hope everyone believes that I'm not wasting time here. From the standpoint of a business person, it is a bad decision to marry you. The answer is very simple, so let me explain. Put the details aside, what you're trying to do is an exchange of "beauty" and "money": Person A provides beauty, and Person B pays for it, fair and square. However, there's a deadly problem here, your beauty will fade, but my money will not be gone without any good reason. The fact is, my income might increase from year to year, but you can't be prettier year after year. Hence from the viewpoint of economics, I am an appreciation asset, and you are a depreciation asset. It's not just normal depreciation, but exponential depreciation. If that is your only asset, your value will be much worried 10 years later.

By the terms we use in Wall Street, every trading has a position, dating with you is also a "trading position". If the trade value dropped we will sell it and it is not a good idea to keep it for long term - same
goes with the marriage that you wanted. It might be cruel to say this, but in order to make a wiser decision any assets with great depreciation value will be sold or "leased". Anyone with over $500k annual income is not a fool; we would only date you, but will not marry you. I would advice that you forget looking for any clues to marry a rich guy. And by the way, you could make yourself to become a rich person with $500k annual income. This has better chance than finding a rich fool.

Hope this reply helps. If you are interested in "leasing" services, do
contact me…

signed,
J.P. Morgan

2007-11-13T21:19:00.000-08:00

Plan B

A pretty woman was serving a life sentence in prison. Angry and resentful about her situation, she had decided that she would rather die than to live another year in prison.

Over the years she had become good friends with one of the prison caretakers. His job, among others, was to bury those prisoners who died in a graveyard just outside the prison walls. When a prisoner died, the caretaker rang a bell, which was heard by everyone. The caretaker then got the body and put it in a casket. Next, he entered his office to fill out the death certificate before returning to the casket to nail the lid shut. Finally, he put the casket on a wagon to take it to the graveyard and bury it.

Knowing this routine, the woman devised an escape plan and shared it with the caretaker. The next time the bell rang, the woman would leave her cell and sneak into the dark room where the coffins were kept. She would slip into the coffin with the dead body while the caretaker was filling out the death certificate. When the care-taker returned, he would nail the lid shut and take the coffin outside the prison with the woman in the coffin along with the dead body. He would then bury the coffin. The woman knew there would be enough air for her to breathe until later in the evening when the caretaker would return to the graveyard under the cover of darkness, dig up the coffin, open it, and set her free.

The caretaker was reluctant to go along with this plan, but since he and the woman had become good friends over the years, he agreed to do it.

The woman waited several weeks before someone in the prison died. She was asleep in her cell when she heard the death bell ring. She got up and slowly walked down the hallway. She was nearly caught a couple of times. Her heart was beating fast. She opened the door to the darkened room where the coffins were kept. Quietly in the dark, she found the coffin that contained the dead body, carefully climbed into the coffin and pulled the lid shut to wait for the caretaker to come and nail the lid shut.

Soon she heard footsteps and the pounding of the hammer and nails. Even though she was very uncomfortable in the coffin with the dead body, she knew that with each nail she was one step closer to freedom. The coffin was lifted onto the wagon and taken outside to the graveyard. She could feel the coffin being lowered into the ground. She didn't make a sound as the coffin hit the bottom of the grave with a thud. Finally she heard the dirt dropping onto the top of the wooden coffin, and she knew that it was only a matter of time until she would be free at last. After several minutes of absolute silence, she began to laugh. She was free! She was free! Feeling curious, she decided to light a match to find out the identity of the dead prisoner beside her.

To her horror, she discovered that she was lying next to the dead caretaker.

Many people believe they have life all figured out..... but sometimes it just doesn't turn out the way they planned it.

Think 'Plan B' !

2007-07-18T05:33:00.001-07:00

A woman parked her brand-new Lexus in front of her
office ready to show it off to her colleagues. As
she got out, a truck passed too close and completely
tore off the door on the driver's side.

The woman immediately grabbed her cell phone, dialled
911,and within minutes a policeman pulled up. Before
the officer had a chance to ask any questions, the
woman started screaming hysterically. Her Lexus, which
she had just picked up the day before, was now
completely ruined and would never be the same, no
matter what the body shop did to it.

When the woman finally wound down from her ranting
and raving, the officer shook his head in disgust
and disbelief.

"I can't believe how materialistic you women are," he
said. "You are so focused on your possessions that you
don't notice anything else."

"How can you say such a thing?" asked the woman.

The cop replied, "Don't you know that your left arm is
missing from the elbow down? It must have been torn
off when the truck hit you."

"OH MY GOD!" screamed the woman. "Where's my new
bracelet?

2007-07-12T20:26:00.000-07:00

A doctor was at a mechanics place to get his car fixed.

After examining the car and fixing the problem the mechanic said, “Hey doc!! We both fix malfunctioning parts of the body. Then how come you get paid hefty??”

The doctor replied, “Have you ever tried fixing the body when the engine is running??”

2007-07-03T07:24:00.000-07:00

Mungaru MaLe

Now that I have accepted here that I'm highly opinionated, I kinda feel a freedom to voice myself all the more.

Here's the lyrics of one of my favourite songs from Mungaru MaLe, The Kannada Movie. To know/read more about the movie I'd suggest you read this and this post.

Anisuthide yaako indu
Neeneyne nannavaLendu
Maayadaa lokadinda
Nanagaage bandavaLendu
Aahaa yentha madhura yaathane
[ Don’t know why I feel this way today,
That you are the one for me,
From a magical world,
You have come for me today,
Oh what a sweet pain is this……]

Kollu huDugi omme nanna, haage summane (these 2 words are equivalent of ‘bas yun hi’ in hindi…literally it translates to just simply)
[ Kill me once oh girl, just like that…..]
Suriyuva soneyu sooside ninnade parimaLa
Innyara kanasulu neenu hodare taLamaLa
PoorNa chandira rajaa haakida
Ninnaya mogavanu kanDa kshaNaa…
Naa khaidi neeney seremane
Tappi nanna appiko omme…. haage summane
[ The raging rain has brought your sweet smell,
If you step into anyone else’s dream, I feel so restless,
The full moon ceased to exist, from the moment he saw your face.
I’m a prisoner and you are the prison….
Please hold and hug me tight, just like that….]

Anisuthide yaako indu…
TutigaLa hoovali aaDada maathina sihiyide
Manasina putadali kevala ninnade sahiyide
HaNeyali bareyada ninna hesara, Hrudayadi naane korediruve
Ninagunte idara kalpane
Nanna hesara kooge omme… haage summane
[ The petals of your lips have the sweetness, of the words you haven’t spoken,
The pages of my heart have only your signatures,
Your name which fate hasn’t written on my forehead, I have engraved them on my heart,
Do you have any idea about this?
Call my name just once, just like that…..]

Anisuthide yaako indu….
Neeneyney nannavaLendu….
Maayadaa lokadinda
Nanagaagi bandavaLendu
Aahaa yentha madhura yaathaney
Kollu huDugi omme nanna, haage summane…

Translation coutesy freegeek

Well if you think the lyrics is awesome I'm all with you. It sure shows the love this chap has for his girl, to what extent he is in love with her and all such stuff. The highligheted lines just pull at your heart. And the violin after the last highlighted line (if you've heard the song you'll know) always gives me the feeling that You are the fiddler, me the fiddle and your words the bow.

I do not appreciate the lyrics of the female version of this song. Especially the following verses:

baaLa daariyali bere yaadaru chandira baruvanu namma jothe
kaaNuvenu avanalle ninnane…irali geLaya ee anubandha heege summane…

I'm more practical than the lyricist. I can't do with imagining you in the moon, sun or whatever and lead my life. That would mean I am betraying the trust of many. It's either "You are with me or you are not". I want to live with you. If not I know can live on without you. So either there's a relationship between us, or there's none.

2007-06-20T04:16:00.000-07:00

bAD lUCK

Fresh blood, full of emotions,
A virgin heart, wanting you till death,
Only a life, full of love and passion.
I offered you the world, of being my queen,

You were young and proud, alas not wise.
Being selfish, failing to see beyond the hill.
Choosing to use me, for your ego.
You have lost dear, a life perfect just with me.

I promised my heart, body and soul,
To my only love, throughout my life.
I still feel so for you but never,
Will I let you feel it again dear.

I promise to hurt you, throughout my life,
Living without you, still loving you,
You had your man, friend, your lover,
I still being the same, but not with you.

~ aNON

2007-06-19T10:14:00.001-07:00

DO YOU KNOW

Do you know?
Do you know?

Do you know what it feels like loving someone that’s in a rush to throw you away?
Do you know, do you know, do you know, do ya?
Do you know what it feels like to be the last one to know the lock on the door has changed?

If birds flying south is a sign of changes
At least you can predict this every year
Love, you never know the minute it ends suddenly
I can’t get it to speak
Maybe if I knew all the things it took to save us
I could fix the pain that bleeds inside of me
Look in your eyes to see something about me
I’m standing on the edge and I don’t know what else to give.

Do you know what it feels like loving someone that’s in a rush to throw you away?
Do you know, do you know, do you know, do ya?
Do you know what it feels like to be the last one to know the lock on the door has changed?

How can I love you?
How can I love you?
How can I love you?
How can I love you?
If you just don’t talk to me, babe.

I flow through my act
There's a question: Is she needed?
And decide all the man I can ever be.
Looking at the last 3 years like I did
I could never see us ending like this.

[Do You Know (Ping Pong Song) lyrics on http://www.metrolyrics.com]

(Do you know?)

Seeing your face no more on my pillow
Is a scene that’s never ever happened to me.

(Do you know?)

But after this episode I don’t see
You could never tell the next thing life could be

Do you know what it feels like loving someone that’s in a rush to throw you away?
Do you know, do you know, do you know, do ya?
Do you know what it feels like to be the last one to know the lock on the door has changed?

Do you know what it feels like loving someone that’s in a rush to throw you away?
Do you know, do you know, do you know, do ya?
Do you know what it feels like to be the last one to know the lock on the door has changed?

(Do you know?)
(Do you know?)
(Do you know?)
(Do you know?)

Do you know what it feels like loving someone that’s in a rush to throw you away?
Do you know, do you know, do you know, do ya?
Do you know what it feels like to be the last one to know the lock on the door has changed?

Do you know what it feels like loving someone that’s in a rush to throw you away?
(Do you know how it feels?)
Do you know what it feels like to be the last one to know the lock on the door has changed?
(Do you know how it feels?)

(Do you know? Do you know? Do you know? Do you?)
(Do you know? Do you know? Do you know? Do you?)

2007-05-17T04:35:00.000-07:00

One of the best proposals ever -

When I saw your name next to mine,
In our wedding card,
I felt blessed.

When I saw you smile,
Seeing me in traditional bride groom dress,
I felt teased.

When I held your hand,
During the marriage rituals,
I felt responsible.

When you entered my lonely bachelor life,
And changed it into a heavenly abode,
I felt lucky.

When you showed the same love as I did,
Towa rds my parents,
I felt proud.

When you scolded me,
For neglecting my health amidst my hectic work,
I felt pampered.

When I saw you scream,
Crying out of labor pains,
I felt helpless.

When I saw tears of happiness in your eyes,
As you looked at our kid,
I felt blessed once again.

All these feelings have bloomed in my heart,
But are yet to blossom in reality.

As these are feelings I long to feel,
For these are still unfelt.

WILL YOU MARRY ME??

2007-04-27T06:05:00.001-07:00

A walk to remember

The woods were lovely dark and deep. Walking slowly beside her, in the

damp mud road, was her husband whom she barely knew. He was very

relaxed, happily watching a group of kids playing at a distance.

Her "mehandi" was still dark and smelling fresh, reminding of the

excitements and tension 2 days back. "It cant work this way

mom...please stop this", she kept telling her mother till the last

moment, who wouldn’t listen but carry on with beautifying her. She had

been crying all night and her make-up had to be patched up twice or

thrice to hide her awkwardly swollen face.

It was too late now. She had to get married "NOW" to the guy...The guy

whom she had seen once and talked thrice. The guy about whom she knew

nothing at all but for his name and work. Everything happened in a

hurry and everything was over before she could breathe again... here

was she with this guy, all alone in this hill station... how can

anybody send their daughter such a long distance with a stranger???

"Hey look at that...!" he shouted in excitement... she shrugged and

looked where his finger pointed...

Bright colored balloons dotted the sky. Children were jumping in joy

and he seemed to be completely absorbed into it...colors are always

exciting...but not now. She was not with her friends, not with her team

mates, not even with her parents. This was not a 3 day tour or team

building trip. This was her life and she has been forced to start off

with this person.

Loneliness and discomfort with this stranger was sickening...She

looked at him in wonder... does he even realize that he has married

me? Does he understand that he has to love me, protect me, care for me, a

new girl, a stranger, all his life?

The marriage morning started like a daylight nightmare for her. The

first time in life she felt she should have fallen in love and then

married somebody. some man who she would have felt more comfortable

with, someone whom she could call by name and introduce to friends,

someone whom she could trust. But marriage morning was obviously not

the time to think all these.

Her parents would never have said "no" if she had declared that she

was in love. But she was not emotionally attached to anybody she

met, especially guys. She was very friendly, playing, teasing, but never

had second thought for any man around her. That brought the entire

responsibility of looking for a groom on her parents' shoulders. Her

parents had had a very bad time with this entire process. They started

their groom search with unending "&" operation. The concatenation of

"Horoscope matching" & "Decent family" & "Good-looking" & "Good pay" &

"same cast" & so on... that always gave 0 output. Now after all that 8

months hunt, they were not ready to hear her "ifs" and "buts” for this

'good guy'.

She had explained to her father. She does not feel anything for this

person. He is nothing more to me than any other software

professional. Like list of names she sees in the chat rooms. Distant

and usual...Her father asked her to talk to him and even meet him and

discuss their likes and dislikes. That meeting started like the

induction program self introduction and ended like a 3 hour

seminar. She was waiting to get away from that place. "So did you talk

with him?". "yes". "was he polite and decent”. ”yes". "Oh he got that

special flavored tri-color ice-cream...!!!".OK. All her family and

relatives discussed...She was given the chance to "understand her life

partner" and that they have understood each other "well” and she is

ready for the marriage now.

All arrangements geared up and it was 24 days after her first meeting

that she was getting married to her man... perfect match as everybody

else described. Marriage hall was full with excited people, kids got

the chance to play, and ladies got the chance to wear the silk saree. The

smell of rose and jasmine filled the hall. Different poses for the

photographer and artificial smiles for the videos. The moment he had

tied the sacred thread was unexplainable vacuum in the head. It was

over. She was his wife. Accepted by the society and law. Her proud

parents were relaxed. This was their duty they had been planning to

fulfill since she was born. This entire crowd will fade away, leaving her

to explore her new world...

He pulled her hand gently to sit on the stone bench. The bench was wet

and the chillness was indeed enjoyable. "So what are you thinking

about?"... That was an unexpected ball. Should she reply? Should she be

silent? She remembered the two hour presentation she had taken last

month. Bold and confident, she kept answering all the queries with a

broad smile. Now she remained silent. "Do you know honey... I wasn’t

for this marriage too..." Oh my God... what did I hear??? Did HE tell

that or did I think aloud? What does he mean? Didn’t he like me? Was he

forced into this? He must have noticed the quizzical look on my

face...with a gentle smile he continued..."I wanted to look for a girl

myself, buy her everything, care for her, argue with her, laugh and cry

with her, then get married to her... Anything otherwise would be a

drama. Traditional drama and i was not for it anytime. But my love for

my work and also my stress would not give me time and mind to search

that girl...When your parents talked to me 2 weeks before our

marriage, about your fear of getting married, to a stranger, i could

completely understand your mind. I could see myself in you and that

was the moment i decided i will marry you. There was no time to prove

myself to you, make you trust me, everything happened in a hurry. But

there was the entire life before me, to please you, to love you, to

make you trust me. This is no less than what i had dreamt, the girl i

was waiting for, is you. Now tell me... will you love me???" Tears came

down her cheek. Her parents had done more than their duty. They had

found her the perfect guy. Thank you Mom!!! Thank you Dad!!! His

question remained unanswered yet both knew the answer....

2007-04-10T20:26:00.000-07:00

This is a cute one...

One Early morning a mother went to her sleeping son and woke him up.

MOM: "Wake up, son. It's time to go to school."

SON: "But why, Mama? I don't want to go to school."

MOM: "Give me two reasons why you don't want to go to school."

SON: "One, all the children hate me. Two, all the teachers hate me."

MOM: "Oh! that's not a reason. Come on, you have to go to school."

SON: "Give me two good reasons WHY I *should* go to school?"

;
;
;
;
;
;
;
;
;
;
;
;
;
;
;
;
;
;
;
;
;
;
;
;;
;
;
;
;
;

;

;

;

;

;

;

;

;

;

;

;

;

;

;
;

MOM: "One, you are FIFTY-TWO years old. Two, you are the PRINCIPAL of the school

2007-03-28T06:30:00.001-07:00

Show Me Love

Yeah, yeah, yeah...
Always been told that I've got too much pride
Too independant to have you by my side
But my heart said all of you will see
Just won't live for someone until he'll live for me
Never thought I would find love so sweet
Never thought I would meet someone like you
Well now I've found you and I'll tell you no lie
This love I've got for you
Could take me 'round the world
Now show me love
Show me love, show me life
Baby show me what it's all about
You're the one that I ever needed
Show me love and what it's all about, alright
Don't waste this love I wanna give it to you
Tell me what you got, show me what you can do
Show me love, show me everything
I know you've got potential
So baby let me in and show me love
Show me love, show me life (alright)
Baby show me that it's all about
You're the only one that I ever needed (show me love)
Show me love and what it's all about, alright
Show me love, show me life
Baby show me what it's all about
You're the one that I ever needed
Show me love and what it's all about, alright
Show me love baby
Show me everything you've got and show me life
Show me love baby
Show me everything and what it's all about
You're the one, the only one I ever needed
Show me love and what it's all about, alright
I'll love you
I'll miss you
I'll make sure
Everything will be alright
I'll give you my heart if you just give me love
Every day and every night
Show me love, show me life (alright)
Baby show me what it's all about
You're the one that I ever needed
Show me love and what it's all about, alright
Show me love, show me life (alright)
Baby show me what it's all about
You're the one that I ever needed
Show me love and what it's all about, alright

Courtesy

2007-03-28T06:29:00.001-07:00

Something close to my soul.

tere bin main yun kaise jiya
kaise jiya tere bin
tere bin main yun kaise jiya
kaise jiya tere bin
lekar yaad teri raaten meri kati - 2
mujhse baaten teri karti hai chaandani
tanha hai tujh bin raaten meri
din mere din ke jaise nahi
tanha badan tanha hai ruh nam meri aankhen rahe
aaja mere ab rubaru
jeena nahi bin tere
tere bin main yun kaise jiya
kaise jiya tere bin
tere bin main yun kaise jiya
kaise jiya tere bin

kabse aankhen meri raah mein tere bichhi - 2
bhule se hi kahi tu mil jaaye kabhi
bhule na mujhse baaten teri
bheegi hai har pal aankhen meri
kyun saans loon kyun main jiyu
jeena bura sa lage
kyun ho gaya tu bewafaaa mujhko bata de wajah
tere bin main yun kaise jiya
kaise jiya tere bin ...
tere bin main yun kaise jiya
kaise jiya tere bin ...

2007-03-22T05:39:00.000-07:00

Something for the guys to ponder about -

Here is a girl, who is as much educated as you are;
who is earning almost as much as you do;

one, who has dreams and aspirations just as you have
because she is as human as you are;

one, who has never entered the kitchen in her life
just like you or your sister haven't,
as she was busy in studies and competing in a system
that gives no special concession to
girls for their culinary achievements;

one, who has lived and loved her parents & brothers & sisters,
almost as much as you do for 20-25 years of her life;

one, who has bravely agreed to leave behind all that, her home,
people who l ove her, to adopt your home, your family, your ways and
even your family name;

one, who is somehow expected to be a master-chef from day #1,
while you sleep oblivious to her predicament in her new circumstances,
environment and that kitchen;

one, who is expected to make the tea, first thing in the morning
and cook food at the e nd of the day,
even if she is as tired as you are, maybe more,
and yet n ever ever expected to complain;

to be a servant, a cook, a mother, a wife,
even if she doesn't want to;

and is learning just like you are
as to what you want from her;

and is clumsy and sloppy at times
and knows th at you won't like it if she is too demanding,
or if she learns faster than you;

one, wh o has her own set of friends,
and that includes boys and even men at her workplace too,
those, who she knows from school days
and yet is willing to put all that on the back-burners
to avoid your irrational jealousy,
unnecessary competition and your inherent insecurities;

yes, she can drink and dance
just as well as you can, but won't,
simply because you won't like it,
even though you say otherwise;

one, who can be late from work once in a while
when deadlines, just like yours, are to be met;

one, who is doing her level best
and wants to make th is most important relationship
in her entire life a grand success,
if you just help her some and trust her;

one, who just wants one thing from you,
as you are the only one she knows
in your entire house - your unstinted support,
your sensitivities and most importantly - your understanding, your time
or love, if you may call it.

But not many people understand this......think about it!!!

2007-01-12T04:04:00.000-08:00

The Highwayman
by
English Poet

Alfred Noyes 1880-1958

Part One

The wind was a torrent of darkness among the gusty trees,
The moon was a ghostly galleon tossed upon cloudy seas,
The road was a ribbon of moonlight, over the purple moor,
And the highwayman came riding
Riding-riding-
The highwayman came riding, up to the old inn-door.

He'd a French cocked-hat on his forehead, a bunch of lace at his chin,
A coat of the claret velvet, and breeches of brown doe-skin;
They fitted with never a wrinkle: his boots were up to the thigh!
And he rode with a jewelled twinkle,
His pistol butts a-twinkle,
His rapier hilt a-twinkle, under the jewelled sky.

Over the cobbles he clattered and clashed in the dark inn-yard,
And he tapped with his whip on the shutters, but all was locked and barred;
He whistled a tune to the window, and who should be waiting there
But the landlord's black-eyed daughter,
Bess, the landlord's daughter,
Plaiting a dark red love-knot into her long black hair.

And dark in the old inn-yard a stable-wicket creaked
Where Tim the ostler listened; his face was white and peaked;
His eyes were hollows of madness, his hair like mouldy hay,
But he loved the landlord's daughter,
The landlord's red-lipped daughter,
Dumb as a dog he listened, and he heard the robber say -

"One kiss, my bonny sweetheart, I'm after a prize to-night,
But I shall be back with the yellow gold before the morning light;
Yet, if they press me sharply, and harry me through the day,
Then look for me by moonlight,
Watch for me by moonlight,
I'll come to thee by moonlight, though hell should bar the way."

He rose upright in the stirrups; he scarce could reach her hand,
But she loosened her hair i' the casement! His face burnt like a brand
As the black cascade of perfume came tumbling over his breast;
And he kissed its waves in the moonlight,
(Oh, sweet black waves in the moonlight!)
Then he tugged at his rein in the moonlight, and galloped away to the West.

Part Two

I

He did not come in the dawning; he did not come at noon;
And out o' the tawny sunset, before the rise o' the moon,
When the road was a gypsy's ribbon, looping the purple moor,
A red-coat troop came marching-
Marching-marching-
King George's men came marching, up to the old inn-door.

II

They said no word to the landlord, they drank his ale instead,
But they gagged his daughter and bound her to the foot of her narrow bed;
Two of them knelt at her casement, with muskets at their side!
There was death at every window;
And hell at one dark window;
For Bess could see, through the casement, the road that he would ride.

III

They had tied her up to attention, with many a sniggering jest;
They bound a musket beside her, with the barrel beneath her breast!
"Now keep good watch!" and they kissed her.
She heard the dead man say-
Look for me by moonlight;
Watch for me by moonlight;
I'll come to thee by moonlight, though hell should bar the way!

IV

She twisted her hands behind her; but all the knots held good!
She writhed her hands till here fingers were wet with sweat or blood!
They stretched and strained in the darkness, and the hours crawled by like years,
Till, now, on the stroke of midnight,
Cold, on the stroke of midnight,
The tip of one figure touched it! The trigger at least was hers!

V

The tip of one finger touched it; she strove no more for the rest!
Up, she stood up to attention, with the barrel beneath her breast,
She would not risk their hearing; she would not strive again;
For the road lay bare in the moonlight;
Blank and bare in the moonlight;
And the blood of her veins in the moonlight throbbed to her love's refrain

VI

Tlot-tlot; tlot-tlot! Had they heard it? The horse-hoofs ringing clear;
Tlot-tlot, tlot-tlot, in the distance? Were they deaf that they did not hear?
Down the ribbon of moonlight, over the brow of the hill,
The highwayman came riding,
Riding, riding!
The red-coats looked to their priming! She stood up strait and still!

VII

Tlot-tlot, in the frosty silence! Tlot-tlot, in the echoing night
Nearer he came and nearer! Her face was like a light!
Her eyes grew wide for a moment; she drew one last deep breath,
Then her finger moved in the moonlight,
Her musket shattered the moonlight,
Shattered her breast in the moonlight and warned him-with her death.

VIII
He turned; he spurred to the West; he did not know who stood
Bowed, with her head o'er the musket, drenched with her own red blood!
Not till the dawn he heard it, his face grew grey to hear
How Bess, the landlord's daughter,
The landlord's black-eyed daughter,
Had watched for her love in the moonlight, and died in the darkness there.

IX

Back, he spurred like a madman, shrieking a curse to the sky,
With the white road smoking behind him and his rapier brandished high!
Blood-red were his spurs i' the golden noon; wine-red was his velvet coat,
When they shot him down on the highway,
Down like a dog on the highway,
And he lay in his blood on the highway, with a bunch of lace at his throat.

X

And still of a winter's night, they say, when the wind is in the trees,
When the moon is a ghostly galleon tossed upon cloudy seas,
When the road is a ribbon of moonlight over the purple moor,
A highwayman comes riding-
Riding-riding-
A highwayman comes riding, up to the old inn-door.

XI

Over the cobbles he clatters and clangs in the dark inn-yard,
And he taps with his whip on the shutters, but all is locked and barred;
He whistles a tune to the window, and who should be waiting there
But the landlord's black-eyed daughter,
Bess, the landlord's daughter,
Plaiting a dark red love-knot into her long black hair.

The End

Courtesy

2006-12-19T04:18:00.001-08:00

An old man, staying in a small south Indian town came to visit his son in Bombay recently. The son in his early thirties is a successful businessman living with his wife and son.

The father, having spent most of his life at his birthplace, hardly understands a splatter of Hindi or English, forget Marathi. But he doesn't care. 'I have come here to spend a few days with my son and his family. I don't have to go out and socialize with the city people,' he said.

But the son is very excited about his father's rare visit to Bombay. He wants to make the best of it.

He and his wife want to show him around the city. And yes, the son enjoys those evening hours too, when he and his father go out and sit in a good bar, sipping their favourite drink.

Face off

Last week he was in a very good mood. 'Let's go to a five star hotel's bar tonight,' he told his father. It was a beautiful evening.

Talking about everything under the sun they had a few drinks. As usual they were offered some salad, peanuts, wafers etc .as accompaniments with their drinks. The old man being almost toothless was not much interested in eating. But that day when they got up to leave, he simply took a handful of chana (roasted grams) and stuffed it in the fold of his dhoti. He might have thought about munching on them, sitting in the car, or whatever.

Unfortunately while walking in the lobby, he missed a step and stumbled.

Down he went, scattering the chana on the plush carpet.

No problem .Now try to visualize that scenario. Someone else in his son's place would have been mortified, embarrassed to death. He might have cursed not his father but his own self for causing this awkward situation. 'Never again will I take my old man to such hotels', he would have vowed.

No sir, not this son. Gently, with a smile, he helped his father get back on his feet. Instead of feeling irritated or angry, he was amused. He found the whole incident very funny. Laughing, they both went home and on the way they decided to return to the same place the following Sunday.

The old man liked the place. Liked the chana too. A son rises A few days back, at a friend's place they both described this event and made everybody laugh.

Weren't you embarrassed? Somebody asked the son. 'Oh, come on now' replied the son. 'He is my father. He talks in his native language, prefers to wear a dhoti even to a posh city hotel, takes chana from the bar to eat later, does whatever he feels like.... So what? Why should I feel embarrassed with his nature and habits? Nobody has a right to stop him from doing whatever he feels comfortable with, as long as it is not harmful to others.'

The son doesn't care what the staff in the hotel thought about that incident.

He says 'they should be concerned only with their bills and tips. I am concerned about my father's happiness.' The wife too totally agrees with the husband on this issue. She feels there are enough other qualities in her father- in- law to feel proud of.

Accept them .The above incident is not mentioned just to show the love and devotion of a son for his father. More than love it is a matter of understanding and a healthy respect for the other person's lifestyle. A seventy plus old man doesn't want to change his lifestyle now. He likes the way he eats or dresses or talks. In his eyes there is nothing wrong with the old ways of living. And the son says, ok, fine. Every body has a right to live as per his wish. Now at his age, why should he be forced to learn to eat with a fork and knife, if he doesn't want to?

I will feel bad if he is doing something morally wrong or indulging in some harmful activities. But otherwise it is fine.
I am not going to try to change him at this stage. He is my father. I love him, respect him.

Hey folks, can you think this way?

So many times we see people getting embarrassed by the so called unsophisticated behaviour of their family members. They keep on apologizing about their lack of class and manners or about their drawbacks to outsiders. My wife can't speak proper English; she doesn't know what's happening in the world, so I avoid taking her out or introducing her to my friends and business associates...

My parents can't eat with a spoon and fork, so I don't take them to restaurants.... My husband is working as an ordinary clerk, so I feel awkward when I introduce him to my rich friends. My brother is mentally challenged, so I don't feel like going out with him...

Are you plagued with such thoughts or do you meet such people who think alike?

If you do, please ask yourself. Why do others or I feel this way? Really what is there to feel ashamed of? Most of the people always have this fear of other peoples' opinions and comments. What would others say?

They think and try to alter their own way of living.

Sometimes unnecessarily. What is worse is they try to change their own people too. And when they can't, they are ashamed, angry. And apologetic to outsiders.

In fact, these are the people who have no respect for others and no confidence in oneself. They try to copy others, try to be what they are not, and constantly ask for outsiders' approval for their behaviour. They don't care about the feelings of their family members when they avoid or belittle them.

They don't think how happy his or her family member would feel if he/she gets an opportunity to go to some swanky restaurant or a fun- filled party. Your wife, mother, father, little sister, and old aunt...all those people depending on you for their happiness. If you don't fulfill their desires, who will?

They are what they are. We are what we are. We don't have to change ourselves to please strangers. And if you do, you are in for life long
misery.

In that case you would never dare taking your dhoti clad relative to a five star hotel. And your father would never sit amongst your friends and laugh his heart out over some funny incident.

2006-12-12T06:06:00.001-08:00

It’s the LAW OF LIFE

Two guys were hiking through the jungle when they spotted a tiger who
looked both hungry and fast. One of the guys reached into his pack and
pulled out a pair of Nikes.

His friend looked at him "Do you really think those shoes are going to
make you run faster than that tiger?"

I don't have to run faster than that tiger, his friend replied. "I just
have to run faster than you".

2006-12-12T06:01:00.000-08:00

10 most stupid questions people usually ask in obvious situations.

1. At the movies: When you meet acquaintances/friends...
Stupid Question:-
Hey, what are you doing here?
Answer:-
Dont u know, I sell tickets in black over here..

2. In the bus: A heavy lady wearing pointed high-heeled shoes steps on your feet...
Stupid Question:-
Sorry, did that hurt?
Answer:-
No, not at all, I'm on local anesthesia.....why don't you try again.

3. At a funeral: One of the teary-eyed people ask...
Stupid Question:-
Why, why him, of all people.
Answer:-
Why? Would it rather have been you?

4. At a restaurant: When you ask the waiter
Stupid Question:-
Is ! the "Butter Paneer Masala" dish good??
Answer:-
No, its terrible and made of adulterated cement. We occassionaly also spit in it.

5. At a family get-together: When some distant aunt meets you after years...
Stupid Question:-
Munna, Chickoo, you've become so big.
Answer:-
Well you haven't particularly shrunk yourself.

6. When a friend announces her wedding, and you ask...
Stupid Question:-
Is the guy you're marrying good?
Answer:-
No,he's a miserable wife-beating , insensitive lout...it's just the money.

7. When you get woken up at midnight by a phone call...
Stupid Question:-
Sorry. were you sleeping?
Answer:-
No. I was doing research on whether the Zulu tribes in Africa marry or not. You thought I was sleeping....you dumb witted moron.

8. When you see a friend/colleague with evidently shorter hair...
Stupid Question:-
Hey have you had a haircut?
Answer:-
No, its autumn and I'm shedding......

9. At the dentist when he's sticking pointed objects in your mouth...
Stupid Question:-
Tell me if it hurts?
Answer:-
No it wont. It will just bleed.

10. You are smoking a cigarette and a cute woman asks...
Stupid Question:-
Oh, so you smoke.
Answer:-
Gosh, it's a miracle .......it was a piece of chalk and now it's in flames!!!

2006-12-11T06:08:00.001-08:00

HOOBASTANK LYRICS

"The Reason"

I'm not a perfect person
There's many things I wish I didn't do
But I continue learning
I never meant to do those things to you
And so I have to say before I go
That I just want you to know

I've found a reason for me
To change who I used to be
A reason to start over new
and the reason is you

I'm sorry that I hurt you
It's something I must live with everyday
And all the pain I put you through
I wish that I could take it all away
And be the one who catches all your tears
Thats why i need you to hear

I've found a reason for me
To change who I used to be
A reason to start over new
and the reason is You [x4]

I'm not a perfect person
I never meant to do those things to you
And so I have to say before I go
That I just want you to know

I've found a reason for me
To change who I used to be
A reason to start over new
and the reason is you

I've found a reason to show
A side of me you didn't know
A reason for all that I do
And the reason is you

2006-11-23T04:52:00.000-08:00

Essence of trust

A Little girl and her father were crossing a bridge.
The father was kind of scared so he asked his little daughter, "Sweetheart, please hold my hand so that you don't fall into the river."
The little girl said, "No, Dad. You hold my hand." "What's the difference?" asked the puzzled father. "There's a big difference," replied the little girl.
"If I hold your hand and something happens to me, chances are that I may let your hand go. But if you hold my hand, I know for sure that no matter what happens, you will never let my hand go."
In any relationship, the essence of trust is not in its bind, but in its bond. So hold the hand of the person whom you love rather than expecting them to hold yours.

2006-11-06T06:36:00.001-08:00

Coz you're worth it...

A well known speaker started off his seminar by holding up a $20 bill.

In the room of 200, he asked, "Who would like this $20 bill?" Hands started going up. He said, "I am going to give this $20 to one of you but first, let me do this."

He proceeded to crumple the dollar bill up. He then asked, "Who still wants it?" Still the hands were up in the air. "Well," he replied, "What if I do this?" And he dropped it on the ground and started to grind it into the floor with his shoe.

He picked it up, now all crumpled and dirty.

"Now who still wants it?" Still the hands went into the air. "My friends, you have all learned a very valuable lesson. No matter what I did to the money, you still wanted it because it did not decrease in value. It was still worth $20. Many times in our lives, we are dropped, crumpled and ground into the dirt by the decisions we make and the circumstances that come our way. We feel as though we are worthless. But no matter what has happened or what will happen, you will never lose your value in God's eyes.

To Him, dirty or clean, crumpled or finely creased, you are still priceless to Him.

The worth of our lives comes not in what we do or who we are but by WHOSE WE ARE! You are special - Don't ever forget it!

2006-10-16T22:58:00.000-07:00

This is a post that my friends and me had got when we'd newly joined the current firm I'm working in. And we had a hearty laugh after reading the last line.
In the memory of those wonderful days.

Two little boys, ages 8 and 10, are extremely mischievous. They are always getting into trouble and their parents know all about it. If any mischief occurs in their town, the two boys are probably involved.

The boys' mother heard that a preacher in town had been successful in disciplining children, so she asked if he would speak with her boys. The preacher agreed, but he asked to see them individually.

So the mother sent the 8 year old first, in the morning, with the older boy to see the preacher in the afternoon.

The preacher, a huge man with a booming voice, sat the younger boy down and asked him sternly,

"Do you know where God is, son?"

The boy's mouth dropped open, but he made no response, sitting there wide-eyed with his mouth hanging open.

So the preacher repeated the question in an even sterner tone, "Where is God?!"

Again, the boy made no attempt to answer. The preacher raised his voice even more and shook his finger in the boy's face and bellowed,

"Where is God?!"

The boy screamed and bolted from the room, ran directly home and dove into his closet, slamming the door behind him.

When his older brother found him in the closet, he asked, "what happened?"
The younger brother, gasping for breath, replied, "We are in BIG trouble this time.

GOD is missing, and they think we did it!

2006-10-14T07:41:00.001-07:00

Lessons on Life:

There was a man who had four sons. He wanted his sons to learn not to judge things too quickly. So he sent them each on a quest, in turn, to go and look at a pear tree that was a great distance away.

The first son went in the winter, the second in the spring, the third in summer, and the youngest son in the fall.

When they had all gone and come back, he called them together to describe what they had seen.

The first son said that the tree was ugly, bent, and twisted. The second son said no it was covered with green buds and full of promise.

The third son disagreed; he said it was laden with blossoms that smelled so sweet and looked so beautiful, it was the most graceful thing he had ever seen.

The last son disagreed with all of them; he said it was ripe and drooping with fruit, full of life and fulfillment.

The man then explained to his sons that they were all right, because they had each seen but only one season in the tree's life.

He told them that you cannot judge a tree, or a person, by only one season, and that the essence of who they are and the pleasure, joy, and love that come from that life can only be measured at the end, when all the seasons are up.

If you give up when it's winter, you will miss the promise of your spring, the beauty of your summer, fulfillment of your fall.

Moral:

Don't let the pain of one season destroy the joy of all the rest.
Don't judge life by one difficult season.
Persevere through the difficult patches and better times are sure to come some time or later.

2006-10-14T07:40:00.001-07:00

Author: Stephen Covey
Discover the 90/10 Principle.
It will change your life (at least the way you react to situations).
What is this principle? 10% of life is made up of what happens to you. 90% of life is
decided by how you react.
What does this mean? We really have no control over 10% of what happens to us.
We cannot stop the car from breaking down. The plane will be late arriving, which
throws our whole schedule off. A driver may cut us off in traffic.
We have no control over this 10%. The other 90% is different. You determine the
other 90%.
How? ……….By your reaction.
You cannot control a red light. but you can control your reaction. Don't let people fool
you; YOU can control how you react.
Let's use an example.
You are eating breakfast with your family. Your daughter knocks over a cup of coffee
onto your business shirt. You have no control over what just happened.
What happens next will be determined by how you react.
You curse.
You harshly scold your daughter for knocking the cup over. She breaks down in
tears. After scolding her, you turn to your spouse and criticize her for placing the cup
too close to the edge of the table. A short verbal battle follows. You storm upstairs
and change your shirt. Back downstairs, you find your daughter has been too busy
crying to finish breakfast and get ready for school. She misses the bus.
Your spouse must leave immediately for work. You rush to the car and drive your
daughter to school. Because you are late, you drive 40 miles an hour in a 30 mph
speed limit.
After a 15-minute delay and throwing $60 traffic fine away, you arrive at school. Your
daughter runs into the building without saying goodbye. After arriving at the office 20
minutes late, you find you forgot your briefcase. Your day has started terrible. As it
continues, it seems to get worse and worse. You look forward to coming home.
When you arrive home, you find small wedge in your relationship with your spouse
and daughter.
Why? …. Because of how you reacted in the morning.
Why did you have a bad day?
A) Did the coffee cause it?
B) Did your daughter cause it?
C) Did the policeman cause it?
D) Did you cause it?
The answer is “D".
You had no control over what happened with the coffee. How you reacted in those 5
seconds is what caused your bad day.
Here is what could have and should have happened.
Coffee splashes over you. Your daughter is about to cry. You gently say, "Its ok
honey, you just need to be more careful next time". Grabbing a towel you rush
upstairs. After grabbing a new shirt and your briefcase, you come back down in time
to look through the window and see your child getting on the bus. She turns and
waves. You arrive 5 minutes early and cheerfully greet the staff. Your boss
comments on how good the day you are having.
Notice the difference?
Two different scenarios. Both started the same. Both ended different.
Why?
Because of how you REACTED.
You really do not have any control over 10% of what happens. The other 90% was
determined by your reaction.
Here are some ways to apply the 90/10 principle. If someone says something
negative about you, don't be a sponge. Let the attack roll off like water on glass. You
don't have to let the negative comment affect you!
React properly and it will not ruin your day. A wrong reaction could result in losing a
friend, being fired, getting stressed out etc.
How do you react if someone cuts you off in traffic? Do you lose your temper? Pound
on the steering wheel? A friend of mine had the steering wheel fall off) Do you
curse? Does your blood pressure skyrocket? Do you try and bump them?
WHO CARES if you arrive ten seconds later at work? Why let the cars ruin your
drive?
Remember the 90/10 principle, and do not worry about it.
You are told you lost your job.
Why lose sleep and get irritated? It will work out. Use your worrying energy and time
into finding another job.
The plane is late; it is going to mangle your schedule for the day. Why take outpour
frustration on the flight attendant? She has no control over what is going on.
Use your time to study, get to know the other passenger. Why get stressed out? It
will just make things worse.
Now you know the 90-10 principle. Apply it and you will be amazed at the results.
You will lose nothing if you try it. The 90-10 principle is incredible. Very few know and
apply this principle.
The result?
Millions of people are suffering from undeserved stress, trials, problems and
heartache. We all must understand and apply the 90/10 principle.
It CAN change your life!!!
Enjoy….

2006-10-14T07:38:00.001-07:00

Some initial conversation is boring but then as u get answers to some good questions its worth reading..

God: Hello. Did you call me?

Me: Called you? No.. who is this?

God: This is GOD. I heard your prayers. So I thought I will chat.

Me: I do pray. Just makes me feel good. I am actually busy now. I am in the midst of something..

God: What are you busy at? Ants are busy too.

Me: Don't know. But I cant find free time. Life has become hectic. It's rush hour all the time.

God: Sure. Activity gets you busy. But productivity gets you results. Activity consumes time. Productivity frees it.

Me: I understand. But I still cant figure it out. By the way, I was not expecting YOU to buzz me on instant messaging chat.

God: Well I wanted to resolve your fight for time, by giving you some clarity. In this net era, I wanted to reach you through the medium you are comfortable with.

Me: Tell me, why has life become complicated now?

God: Stop analyzing life. Just live it. Analysis is what makes it complicated.

Me: why are we then constantly unhappy?

God: Your today is the tomorrow that you worried about yesterday. You are worrying because you are analyzing. Worrying has become your habit.That's why you are not happy.

Me: But how can we not worry when there is so much uncertainty?

God: Uncertainty is inevitable, but worrying is optional.

Me: But then, there is so much pain due to uncertainty..

God: Pain is inevitable, but suffering is optional.

Me: If suffering is optional, why do good people always suffer?

God: Diamond cannot be polished without friction. Gold cannot be purified without fire. Good people go through trials, but don't suffer.With that experience their life becomes better not bitter.

Me: You mean to say such experience is useful?

God: Yes. In every terms, Experience is a hard teacher. She gives the test first and the lessons afterwards.

Me: But still, why should we go through such tests? Why can't we be free from problems?

God: Problems are Purposeful Roadblocks Offering Beneficial Lessons to) Enhance Mental Strength. Inner strength comes from struggle and endurance, not when you are free from problems.

Me: Frankly in the midst of so many problems, we don't know where we are heading..

God: If you look outside you will not know where you are heading. Look inside. Looking outside, you dream. Looking inside, you awaken. Eyes provide sight. Heart provides insight.

Me: Sometimes not succeeding fast seems to hurt more than moving in the right direction. What should I do?

God: Success is a measure as decided by others. Satisfaction is a measure as decided by you. Knowing the road ahead is more satisfying than knowing you rode ahead. You work with the compass. Let others work with the clock.

Me: In tough times, how do you stay motivated?

God: Always look at how far you have come rather than how far you have to go. Always count your blessing, not what you are missing.

Me: What surprises you about people?

God: when they suffer they ask, "why me?" When they prosper, they never ask "Why me". Everyone wishes to have truth on their side, but few want to be on the side of the truth.

Me: Sometimes I ask, who am I, why am I here. I can't get the answer.

God: Seek not to find who you are, but to determine who you want to be. Stop looking for a purpose as to why you are here. Create it. Life is not a process of discovery but a process of creation.

Me: How can I get the best out of life?

God: Face your past without regret. Handle your present with confidence.Prepare for the future without fear.

Me: One last question. Sometimes I feel my prayers are not answered.

God: There are no unanswered prayers. At times the answer is NO.

Me: Thank you for this wonderful chat. I am so happy to start the New Day with a new sense of inspiration.

God: Well. Keep the faith and drop the fear. Don't believe your doubts and doubt your beliefs. Life is a mystery to solve, not a problem to resolve. Trust me. Life is wonderful if you know how to live.

2006-10-14T07:32:00.000-07:00

Do you know that there is a system in our constitution, as per the 1969 act, in section "49-O" that a person can go to the polling booth, confirm his identity, get his finger marked and convey the presiding election officer that he doesn't want to vote anyone!

Yes such a feature is available, but obviously these seemingly notorious leaders have never disclosed it. This is called "49-O".

Why should you go and say "I VOTE NOBODY"... because, in a ward, if a candidate wins, say by 123 votes, and that particular ward has received "49-O" votes more than 123, then that polling will be cancelled and will have to be re-polled. Not only that, but the candidature of the contestants will be removed and they cannot contest the re-polling, since people had already expressed their decision on them.

This would bring fear into parties and hence look for genuine candidates for their parties for election. This would change the way, of our whole political system... it is seemingly surprising why the election commission has not revealed such a feature to the public....

Please spread this news to as many as you know... Seems to be a wonderful weapon against corrupt parties in India... show your power, expressing your desire not to vote for anybody, is even more powerful than voting... so don't miss your chance.

So either vote, or vote not to vote (vote 49-O) and pass this info on...

"Please forward this mail to as many as possible, so that we, the people of India, can really use this power to save our nation"

Use your voting right for a better INDIA.

2006-10-14T07:27:00.000-07:00

Here's a li'l chauvinistic one...
Woman! (Understand Her....)

Here is a girl, who is as much educated as you are;

Who is earning almost as much as you do;

One, who has dreams and aspirations just as you have because she is as Human as you are;

One, who has never entered the kitchen in her life just like you or your Sister haven' t, as she was busy in studies and competing in a system
that gives no special concession to girls for their culinary achievements;

one, who has lived and loved her parents & brothers & sisters, almost as much as you do for 20-25 years of her life;

one, who has bravely agreed to leave behind all that, her home, people who love her, to adopt your home, your family, your ways and even your family name;

one, who is somehow expected to be a master-chef from day #1, while you sleep oblivious to her predicament in her new circumstances, environment and that kitchen

one, who is expected to make the tea, first thing in the morning and cook food at the end of the day, even if she is as tired as you are, maybe more, and yet never ever expected to complain; to be a servant, a cook, a mother, a wife, even if she doesn ' t want to;

and is learning just like you are as to what you want from her; and is clumsy and sloppy at times and knows that you won ' t like it if she is too demanding, or if she learns faster than you;

one, who has her own set of friends, and that includes boys and even men at her workplace too, those, who she knows from school days and yet is willing to put all that on the back-burners to avoid your irrational jealousy, unnecessary competition and your inherent insecurities;

yes, she can drink and dance just as well as you can, but won ' t, simply because you won ' t like it, even though you say otherwise

one, who can be late from work once in a while when deadlines, just like yours, are to be met;

one, who is doing her level best and wants to make this most important relationship in her entire life a grand success, if you just help her some and trust her;

one, who just wants one thing from you, as you are the only one she knows in your entire house - your unstinted support, your sensitivities and most importantly - your understanding, or love, if you may call it.

2006-07-27T04:50:00.000-07:00

In my search for freedom
and peace of mind
I've left the memories behind
Wanna start a new life
but it seems to be rather absurd
when I know the truth
is that I always think of you

Chorus:
Someday someway
together we will be baby
I will take and you will take your time
We'll wait for our fate
cos' nobody owns us baby
We can shake we can shake the rock

Try to throw the picture out of my mind
try to leave the memories behind
Here by the ocean
wave's carry voices from you
Do you know the truth
I am thinking of you too

Chorus:
Someday someway
together we will be baby...

The love we had together
just fades away in time
And now you've got your own world
and I guess I've got mine
But the passion that you planted
in the middle of my heart
is a passion that will never stop

2006-07-27T02:41:00.000-07:00

“The Reason”

I'm Not A Perfect Person.
There Are Many Things I Wish I Didnt Do
But I Continue Learning.
I Never Meant To Do Those Things To You.
And So I Have To Say Before I Go,
That I Just Want You To Know

I've Found A Reason For Me,
To Change Who I Used To Be
A Reason To Start Over New,
And The Reason Is You

I'm Sorry That I Hurt,
Its Something I Must Live With Everyday
And All The Pain I Put You Through,
I Wish That I Could Take It All Away
And Be The One Who Catches All Your Tears,
Thats Why I Need You To Hear
I've Found A Reason For Me,
To Change Who I Used To Be
A Reason To Start Over New,
And The Reason Is You

I'm Not A Perfect Person,
I Never Meant To Do Those Things To You
And So I Have To Say Before I Go
That I Just Want You To Know

I've Found A Reason For Me,
To Change Who I Used To Be
A Reason To Start Over New,
And The Reason Is You
I've Found A Reason To Show
A Side Of Me You Didnt Know
A Reason For All That I Do,
And The Reason Is You

2006-06-09T03:23:00.000-07:00

LIFE & LOVE

My husband is an Engineer by profession, I love him for his steady
nature and I love the warm feeling when I lean against his broad
shoulders.

Three years of courtship and now, two years into marriage, I would
have to admit, that I am getting tired of it. The reasons of me
loving him before, has now transformed into the cause of all my
restlessness.

I am a sentimental woman and extremely sensitive when it comes to a
relationship and my feelings. I yearn for the romantic moments, like
a little girl yearning for candy. My husband is my complete opposite;
his lack of sensitivity, and the inability of bringing romantic
moments into our marriage has disheartened me about LOVE.

One day, I finally decided to tell him my decision, that I wanted a
divorce.

"Why?" he asked, shocked.

"I am tired. There are no reasons for everything in the world!" I
answered.

He kept silent the whole night, seemingly in deep thought, with a
lighted cigarette at all times. My feeling of disappointment only
increased. Here was a man who was not able to even express his
predicament, so what else could I expect from him?

And finally he asked me: "What can I do to change your mind?"

Somebody said it right... It's hard to change a person's personality,
and I guess, I have started losing faith in him.

Looking deep into his eyes I slowly answered: "Here is the question.
If you can answer and convince my heart, I will change my mind.

Let's say, I want a flower located on the face of a mountain cliff,
and we both are sure that picking the flower will cause your death.
Will you do it for me?"

He said: "I will give you your answer tomorrow...."

My hopes just sank by listening to his response.

I woke up the next morning to find him gone, and saw a piece of paper
with his scratchy handwriting underneath a milk glass, on the dining
table near the front door, that goes....

My dear, "I would not pick that flower for you, but....please allow
me to explain the reasons further.....

This first line was already breaking my heart. I continued reading.

"When you use the computer you always mess up the Software programs,
and you cry in front of the screen. I have to save my fingers so that
I can help to restore the programs.

You always leave the house keys behind, thus I have to save my legs
to rush home to open the door for you.

You love traveling but always lose your way in a new city. I have to
save my eyes to show you the way.

You always have the cramps whenever your "good friend" approaches
every month. I have to save my palms so that I can calm the cramps in
your tummy.

You like to stay indoors, and I worry that you will be infected by
infantile autism. I have to save my mouth to tell you jokes and
stories to cure your boredom.

You always stare at the computer, and that will do nothing good for
your eyes. I have to save my eyes so that when we grow old, I can
help to clip your nails and help to remove those annoying white
hairs. So I can also hold your hand while strolling down the beach,
as you enjoy the sunshine and the beautiful sand...and tell you the
colour of flowers, just like the colour of the glow on your young
face...

Thus, my dear, unless I am sure that there is someone who loves you
more than I do... I could not pick that flower yet, and die ... "

My tears fell on the letter, and blurred the ink of his
handwriting... and as I continue on reading... "Now, that you have
finished reading my answer, and if you are satisfied, please open the
front door for I am standing outside bringing your favorite bread and
fresh milk...

I rushed to pull open the door, and saw his anxious face, clutching
tightly with his hands, the milk bottle and loaf of bread....Now I am
very sure that no one will ever love me as much as he does, and I
have decided to leave the flower alone...

That's LIFE, and LOVE. When one is surrounded by love, the feeling of
excitement fades away, and one tends to ignore the true love that
lies in between the peace and dullness.

Love shows up in all forms; even in very small and cheeky forms. It
has never been a model. It could be the dullest and most boring
form ...

Flowers, and romantic moments are only used and appear on the surface
of the relationship. Under all this, the pillar of true love
stands... AND THAT'S OUR LIFE

2006-06-02T03:34:00.000-07:00

Got this Lyrics, then later got to know it's a song from Westlife's album. A beautiful one.

"Westlife I Cry lyrics"

You said goodbye
I fell apart
I fell from all we had
To I never knew
I needed you so bad

You need to let things go
I know, you told me so
I've been through hell
To break the spell

Why did I ever let you slip away
Can't stand another day without you
Without the feeling
I once knew

I cry silently
I cry inside of me
I cry hopelessly
Cause I know I'll never breathe your love again
I cry
Cause you're not here with me
I cry
Cause I'm lonely as can be
I cry hopelessly
Cause I know I'll never breathe your love again

If you could see me now
You would know just how
How hard I try
Not to wonder why

I wish I could believe in something new
Oh please somebody tell me it's not true (oh girl)
I'll never be over you

Why did I ever let you slip away
Can't stand another day without you
Without the feeling
I once knew

I cry silently
I cry inside of me
I cry hopelessly
Cause I know I'll never breathe your love again
I cry
Cause you're not here with me
I cry
Cause I'm lonely as can be
I cry hopelessly
Cause I know I'll never breathe your love again

If I could have you back tomorrow
If I could lose the pain and sorrow
I would do just anything
To make you see
You still love me

I cry silently
I cry inside of me
I cry hopelessly
Cause I know I'll never breathe your love again
I cry
Cause you're not here with me
I cry
Cause I'm lonely as can be
I cry hopelessly
Cause I know I'll never breathe your love again

2006-06-02T03:31:00.000-07:00

It was a busy morning, approximately 8:30 am, when an elderly gentleman in
his 80's, arrived to have stitches removed from his thumb.

He stated that he was in a hurry as he had an appointment at 9:00 am. I
took his vital signs and had him take a seat, knowing it would be over an
hour before someone would to able to see him. I saw him looking at his
watch and decided, since I was not busy with another patient, I would
evaluate his wound. On exam it was well healed, so I talked to one of the
doctors, got the needed supplies to remove his sutures and redress his
wound.

While taking care of his wound, we began to engage in conversation I asked
him if he had a doctor's appointment this morning, as he was in such a
hurry. The gentleman told me no, that he needed to go to the nursing home
to eat breakfast with his wife. I then inquired as to her health. He told
me that she had been there for a while and that she was a victim of
Alzheimer Disease. As we talked, and I finished dressing his wound, I
asked if she would be worried if he was a bit late. He replied that she no
longer knew who he was, that she had not recognized him in five years now.

I was surprised, and asked him. "And you still go every morning, even though she
doesn't know who you are?" He smiled as he patted my hand and said." She
doesn't know me, but I still know who she is." I had to hold back tears as
he left, and thought, "That is the kind of love I want in my life." True
love is neither physical, nor romantic.

"The happiest of people don't necessarily have the best of everything; they just make the best of
everything that comes along their way."

2006-06-02T03:29:00.000-07:00

A group of alumni, highly established in their careers, got together to visit their old university lecturer.

Conversation soon turned into complaints about stress in work and life. Offering his guests coffee, the lecturer went to the kitchen and returned with a large pot of coffee and an assortment of cups: porcelain, plastic, glass, some plain-looking and some expensive and exquisite, telling them to help themselves to hot coffee.

When all the students had a cup of coffee in hand, the lecturer said: "If you noticed, all the nice-looking, expensive cups were taken up, leaving behind the plain and cheap ones. While it is but normal for you to want only the best for yourselves, that is the source of your problems and stress. What all of you really wanted was coffee, not the cup, but you consciously went for the better cups and are eyeing each other's cups."

"Now, if Life is coffee, then the jobs, money and position in society are the cups. They are just tools to hold and contain Life, but the quality of Life doesn't change." "Sometimes, by concentrating only on the cup, we fail to enjoy the coffee in it."

Don't let the cups drive you...enjoy the coffee instead.

All said and done, I still love my Nescafe mug :)

2006-05-31T04:42:00.000-07:00

Once upon a time, there lived a King who, despite his luxurious lifestyle, was neither happy nor content.
One day, the King came upon a servant who was singing happily while he worked. This fascinated the King; why was he, the Supreme Ruler of the Land, unhappy and gloomy, while
A lowly servant had so much joy. The King asked the servant, " Why are you so happy?"
The man replied, " Your Majesty, I am nothing but a servant, but my family and I don't need too much - just a roof over our heads and warm food to fill our tummies ."
The king was not satisfied with that reply. Later in the day, he sought the advice of his most trusted advisor. After hearing the King's woes and the servant's story, the advisor said, " Your Majesty, I believe that the servant has not been made part of The 99 Club."
" The 99 Club? And what exactly is that?" the King inquired.
The advisor replied, " Your Majesty, to truly know what The 99 Club is, place 99 Gold coins in a bag and leave it at this servant's doorstep."
When the servant saw the bag, he took it into his house. When he opened the bag, he let out a great shout of joy... So many gold coins!
He began to count them. After several counts, he was at last convinced that there were 99 coins. He wondered, " What could've happened to that last gold coin? Surely, no one would leave 99 coins! "
He looked everywhere he could, but that final coin was elusive. Finally, exhausted, he decided that he was going to have to work harder than ever to earn that gold coin and complete his collection.
From that day, the servant's life was changed. He was overworked, horribly grumpy, and castigated his family for not helping him make that 100th gold coin. He stopped singing while he worked.
Witnessing this drastic transformation, the King was puzzled. When he sought his advisor's help, the advisor said, " Your Majesty, the servant has now officially joined The 99 Club. "
He continued, " The 99 Club is a name given to those people who have enough to be happy but are never contented, because they're always yearning and striving for that extra 1 telling to themselves: "Let me get that one final thing and then I will be happy for life ."
We can be happy, even with very little in our lives, but the minute we're given something bigger and better, we want even more! We lose our sleep, our happiness, we hurt the people around us; all these as a price for our growing needs and desires. That's what joining The 99 Club is all about."

2006-03-20T04:56:00.000-08:00

2006-03-20T04:54:00.000-08:00

2006-01-17T03:50:00.000-08:00

Stay Hungry. Stay Foolish. – Steve Jobs

I am honored to be with you today at your commencement from one of the finest
universities in the world. I never graduated from college. Truth be told, this is the closest
I've ever gotten to a college graduation. Today I want to tell you three stories from my
life. That's it. No bigdeal. Just three stories.
The first story is about connecting the dots.
I dropped out of Reed College after the first 6 months, but then stayed around as a dropin
for another 18 months or so before I really quit. So why did I drop out?
It started before I was born. My biological mother was a young, unwed college graduate
student, and she decided to put me up for adoption. She felt very strongly that I should
be adopted by college graduates, so everything was all set for me to be adopted at birth
by a lawyer and his wife. Except that when I popped out they decided at the last minute
that they really wanted a girl. So my parents, who were on a waiting list, got a call in the
middle of the night asking: "We have an unexpected baby boy; do you want him?" They
said: "Of course." My biological mother later found out that my mother had never
graduated from college and that my father had never graduated from high school. She
refused to sign the final adoption papers. She only relented a few months later when my
patents promised that I would someday go to college.
And 17 years later I did go to college. But I naively chose a college that was almost as
expensive as Stanford, and all of my working-class parents' savings were being spent on
my college tuition. After six months, I couldn't see the value in it. I had no idea what I
wanted to do with my life and no idea how college was going to help me figure it out.
And here I was spending all of the money my parents had saved their entire life. So I
decided to drop out and trust that it would all work out OK. It was pretty scary at the time,
but looking back it was one of the best decisions I ever made. The minute I dropped out I
could stop taking the required classes that didn't interest me, and begin dropping in on
the ones that looked interesting.
It wasn't all romantic. I didn't have a dorm room, so I slept on the floor in friends' rooms, I
returned coke bottles for the 5c deposits to buy food with, and I would walk the 7 miles
across town every Sunday night to get one good meal a week at the Hare Krishna
temple. I loved it. And much of what I stumbled into by following my curiosity and
intuition turned out to be priceless later on. Let me give you one example:
Reed College at that time offered perhaps the best calligraphy instruction in the country.
Throughout the campus every poster, every label on every drawer, was beautifully hand
calligraphed. Because I had dropped out and didn't have to take the normal classes, I
decided to take a calligraphy class to learn how to do this. I learned about serif and san
serif typefaces, about varying the amount of space between different letter combinations,
about what makes great typography great. It was beautiful, historical, artistically subtle in
a way that science can't capture, and I found it fascinating.
None of this had even a hope of any practical application in my life. But ten years later,
when we were designing the first Macintosh computer, it all came back to me. And we
designed it all into the Mac. It was the first computer with beautiful typography. If I had
never dropped in on that single course in college, the Mac would have never had
multiple typefaces or proportionally spaced fonts. And since Windows just copied the
Mac, it's likely that no personal computer would have them. If I had never dropped out, I
would have never dropped in on this calligraphy class, and personal computers might
not have the wonderful typography that they do. Of course it was impossible to connect
the dots looking forward when I was in college. But it was very, very clear looking
backwards ten years later.
Again, you can't connect the dots looking forward; you can only connect them looking
backwards. So you have to trust that the dots will somehow connect in your future. You
have to trust in something - your gut, destiny, life, karma, whatever. This approach has
never let me down, and it has made all the difference in my life.
My second story is about love and loss.
I was lucky I found what I loved to do early in life. Woz and I started Apple in my parents
garage when I was 20. We worked hard, and in 10 years Apple had grown from just the
two of us in a garage into a $2 billion company with over 4000 employees. We had just
released our finest creation - the Macintosh - a year earlier, and I had just turned 30.
And then I got fired. How can you get fired from a company you started? Well, as Apple
grew we hired someone who I thought was very talented to run the company with me,
and for the first year or so things went well. But then our visions of the future began to
diverge and eventually we had a falling out. When we did, our Board of Directors sided
with him. So at 30 I was out. And very publicly out. What had been the focus of my entire
adult life was gone, and it was devastating.
I really didn't know what to do for a few months. I felt that I had let the previous
generation of entrepreneurs down - that I had dropped the baton as it was being passed
to me. I met with David Packard and Bob Noyce and tried to apologize for screwing up
so badly. I was a very public failure, and I even thought about running away from the
valley. But something slowly began to dawn on me: I still loved what I did. The turn of
events at Apple had not changed that one bit. I had been rejected, but I was still in love.
And so I decided to start over.
I didn't see it then, but it turned out that getting fired from Apple was the best thing that
could have ever happened to me. The heaviness of being successful was replaced by
the lightness of being a beginner again, less sure about everything. It freed me to enter
one of the most creative periods of my life.
During the next five years, I started a company named NeXT, another company named
Pixar, and fell in love with an amazing woman who would become my wife. Pixar went
on to create the worlds first computer animated feature film, Toy Story, and is now the
most successful animation studio in the world. In a remarkable turn of events, Apple
bought NeXT, I retuned to Apple, and the technology we developed at NeXT is at the
heart of Apple's current renaissance. And Laurene and I have a wonderful family
together.
I'm pretty sure none of this would have happened if I hadn't been fired from Apple. It was
awful tasting medicine, but I guess the patient needed it. Sometimes life hits you in the
head with a brick. Don't lose faith. I'm convinced that the only thing that kept me going
was that I loved what I did. You've got to find what you love. And that is as true for your
work as it is for your lovers. Your work is going to fill a large part of your life, and the only
way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. And the only way to do
great work is to love what you do. If you haven't found it yet, keep looking. Don't settle.
As with all matters of the heart, you'll know when you find it. And, like any great
relationship, it just gets better and better as the years roll on. So keep looking until you
find it. Don't settle.
My third story is about death.
When I was 17, I read a quote that went something like: "If you live each day as if it was
your last, someday you'll most certainly be right." It made an impression on me, and
since then, for the past 33 years, I have looked in the mirror every morning and asked
myself: "If today were the last day of my life, would I want to do what I am about to do
today?" And whenever the answer has been "No" for too many days in a row, I know I
need to change something.
Remembering that I'll be dead soon is the most important tool I've ever encountered to
help me make the big choices in life. Because almost everything, all external
expectations, all pride, all fear of embarrassment or failure - these things just fall away in
the face of death, leaving only what is truly important. Remembering that your are going
to die is the best way I know to avoid the trap of thinking you have something to lose.
You are already naked. There is no reason not to follow your heart.
About a year ago I was diagnosed with cancer. I had a scan at 7:30 in the morning, and
it clearly showed a tumor on my pancreas. I didn't even know what a pancreas was. The
doctors told me this was almost certainly a type of cancer that is incurable, and that I
should expect to live no longer than three to six months. My doctor advised me to go
home and get my affairs in order, which is doctor's code for prepare to die. It means to
try to tell your kids everything you thought you'd have the next 10 years to tell them in
just a few months. It means to make sure everything is buttoned up so that it will be as
easy as possible for your family. It means to say your goodbyes.
I lived with that diagnosis all day. Later that evening I had a biopsy, where they stuck an
endoscope down my throat, through my stomach and into my intestines, put a needle
into my pancreas and got a few cells from the tumor. I was sedated, but my wife, who
was there, told me that when they viewed the cells under a microscope the doctors
started crying because it turned out to be a very rare form of pancreatic cancer that is
curable with surgery. I had the surgery and I'm fine now.
This was the closest I've been to facing death, and I hope its the closest I get for a few
more decades. Having lived through it, I can now say this to you with a bit more certainty
than when death was a useful but purely intellectual concept:
No one wants to die. Even people who want to go to heaven don't want to die to get
there. And yet death is the destination we all share. No one has ever escaped it. And
that is as it should be, because Death is very likely the single best invention of Life. It is
Life's change agent. It clears out the old to make way for the new. Right now the new is
you, but someday not too long from now, you will gradually become the old and be
cleared away. Sorry to be so dramatic, but it is quite true.
Your time is limited, so don't waste it living someone else's life. Don't be trapped by
dogma - which is living with the results of other people's thinking. Don't let the noise of
other's opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage
to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to
become. Everything else is secondary.
When I was young, there was an amazing publication called The Whole Earth Catalog,
which was one of the bibles of my generation. It was created by a fellow named Stewart
Brand not far from here in Menlo Park, and he brought it to life with his poetic touch. This
was in the late 1960's, before personal computers and desktop publishing, so it was all
made with typewriters, scissors, and Polaroid cameras. It was sort of like Google in
paperback form, 35 years before Google came along: it was idealistic, and overflowing
with neat tools and great notions.
Stewart and his team put out several issues of The Whole Earth Catalog, and then when
it had run its course, they put out a final issue. It was the mid-1970s, and I was your age.
On the back cover of their final issue was a photograph of an early morning country
road, the kind you might find yourself hitchhiking on if you were so adventurous. Beneath
it were the words: "Stay Hungry. Stay Foolish." It was their farewell message as they
signed off. Stay Hungry. Stay Foolish. And I have always wished that for myself. And
now, as you graduate to begin anew, I wish that for you.
Stay Hungry. Stay Foolish.
Thank you all very much.

2006-01-09T03:55:00.000-08:00

A winter evening.
Four friends.
One barsaat.
Four glasses of chai.

Hundred bucks of gas.
A rusty old bike.
And an open road.

Maggi noodles.
A hostel room.
4.25 a.m.

3 old friends.
3 separate cities.
3 coffee mugs.
1 internet messenger.

Rain on a hot tin roof.
Pakoras deep-frying.
Neighbours dropping in.
A party. You and mom.

A summer night.
A bottle of coconut oil.
A head massage.
Gossiping about absent family members.

You can spend hundreds on birthdays, thousands on festivals, lakhs on weddings, but to celebrate all you have to do is spend your Time.

2005-12-20T04:20:00.000-08:00

I pretend that you're not here,
listening to what I say
But really you're the only one,
that can make everything okay

I pretend that I don't care,
when you don't talk to me
But really I'm dying inside,
I just wish you could see

I pretend that I'm fine,
with us being just friendsbut really
I want to tell you,
I don't want this to be how it ends

I pretend that I don't,
dream of you at night
But really you're the only one,
that can make my wrongs right.

I pretend that I don't care,
but really I do
I guess what I'm trying to say is,
I'm in love with you
Where are you??? i am reallly waiting for u.....