GIving up being a wannabe!!

1) Watching 'all' the Hindi Movies and enjoying them was(is) like so down market ,so I started making an effort to watch English movies ,sometimes even Turkish and Korean (that's classier u know)...but what the heck I watch movies for entertainment ,to lighten my mood and lift up my spirits ...sorry ' No country for Old men 'its 'Om Shanti Om' all the way for me!!!

2)A mp3 player full of Hindi Songs is so not happening!So i tried adding the Linking parks,Norah Jones and U2s of the world but in vain... It is Beedi and Billo that get me moving ,Tashan that gets me grooving and well I find Jashn e Bahara very soothing!

3) I tried eating at the Little Itlays,Bombay Blues,The Parks of the world... their servings make me feel I am in primary school...Give me a Srishti or Discovery any day who acknowledge the fact that I am 25 yrs old and so is my appetite!!

4) And I finally I give up trying to read The Economic Times and the Mckinsey Quarterly... I really find my peace and all the news I need in Midday and Mumbai Mirror!!

Matter of Choice

My to be roomy told me that I should change my dressing sense..quite a few people have told me that and I started wondering where I was going wrong

If I take a test on choosiness quotient , I know I would score a straight D-. If there is one word that can describe me perfectly it is indecisive which has lead to most of the decisions in my life being made with what the world thinks is the right think to do and world = Family,friends,celebrities,counselors and all that jazz...
I have never chosen the dresses I wear,its either my mom or my aunt...
I have no specific choices in food,whatever the group wants...
I didn't choose what I wanted to do after 10th or 12th like most of the students...
I didn't even choose the kind of specialization I wanted to do in engineering...
and true to my character I was again on the verge of not choosing what I want to do after engineering..
and then something changed I chose not to go the beaten path of MS in the US and decided to stay back and work with L&T...
I chose to work in a men dominated Sales and Marketing team of L&T...
I chose to pursue my MBA and join NITIE
I chose to join the placement committee and give up the holiday called NITIE...
I chose to pursue Consulting as my career...
And these choices have brought in more confidence than ever because they have been just my decisions with no influences ...
Each one of these decisions have been made after I have talked to myself and found out what I really want and the feeling is great because I love what I do and am successful in it..

Maybe the same thing goes for dressing up .. I have never really had a personal style or taste or wondered what I want to look like..in fact have never bought a dress alone..same for eating..I have never wondered what right for me and what my body wants ..
And I realize maybe thats why I am never confident of what I wear cos I have never involved myself in the decision of what to where and never took a decision on how to look!!
So the resolution is I am going to take tremendous interest in how I look,what i wear,what I eat ! and i am going to make my roomy to go wow on my dressing sense!!

(Phew so much f0r an insipid comment and an equally insipid decision!)

Jis Lahore nahin dekhya woh jamya hi nahi!

Jis Lahore nahin dekhya woh jamya hi nahi!....A poignant story of the dark time called partition.... a partition that stood testimony to hatred,intolerance and fanaticism...thousands attacked and hundreds killed.. a generation rendered homeless with a total loss of national identity...

The story tried to define what home is..it is a place where you were born and bred... a place which has all your precious memories... a place where you feel at peace.. a place you would never want to give up for anything...

I found the play a brilliant parallel to the current sentiment against so called 'Non-Mumbaikars'
I have been born and brought up in Maharashtra.The only other language that I am comfortable with other than English is Marathi. My favourite breakfast is Kande Poha.I know the stories of Shivaji Maharaj inside out.I topped my class in the Xth Marathi Exams.I love the books of PuLa.Whenever the flight arrives at the Mumbai airport and I inhale the air filled with smoke and dust I feel I have come home..I fought for a transfer to Mumbai and when people ask me so 'Where are you from?' pat comes the answer 'Mumbai'...Chennai /Tamilnadu(my so called home town) aren't there in the remotest corner of my mind..So when someone says I'm an outsider...I am hurt and confused.This as much my home as theirs...My ancestors not living here doesn't dilute the fact that I have spent the most precious years of my life here and I feel as much for this land as any 'Marathi Manoos'(Maharshtrian) does...Mumbai is my janmabhoomi and karmabhoomi...infact I would say'Jis Mumbai nahi dekhya woh jamya hi nahi'...

And most importantly I belong to India....whichever part of the country I goto I never feel lost.... the dirty roads, the narrow bylanes,the beggars,the buses,people helping you out with directions, the chai shops and the pan pattis,the sabzi mandis and yes even the lecherous men :).. its all the same...So how can someone stop me from living in any part of the country when the whole is mine !!!!

Home doesn't mean living with the people with the same lingual or religious background...infact it has nothing to do with the people around you or your forefathers or your generations to come...it is a place which you would like to call yours...it is a place where you are most comfortable i... it is a place which you feel you belong to... and noone has the right to take that away from you...cos home is where the heart is!!!

.

Jeene ke Ishaare!

Subi always teases me that every song that flashes on any channel,my standard reaction 'I LOOOOOOOOOOOOOVE THAT SONG'....yes I tend to like anything that barely manages to qualify as a tune...( I have been caught humming Jhalak Dikhalaja-Himesh...so you can imagine)
But more than the tune it is the lyrics that have always appealed to me and being the mushy emotional fool that I am anything romantic makes me go weak in the knees...
In the last couple of years though very few songs have really made an impact with their lyrics but there is this one song that I absolutely love...'Jeene ke Ishaare'-Phir Milenge...The song in context to the movie has a different meaning but for me it signifies just feeling good about yourself...
The song is dedicated to anything and everything that makes you feel happy,that makes you optimistic in the worst of the situations...at different points of time, different things,different people have done this to me...made me feel nice,cheered me up when I was low ,inspired me and taught me to have fun....This song is for all of those things/people!!

Kuch Khushbuyen Yaadon Ke Jungal Se Beh Chali
Kuch Khidkiyan Lamhon Ke Dastak Pe Khul Gayi
Kuch Geeth Purane Rakhe The Sirhaane
Kuch Sur Kahin Khoye The Bandish Mil Gaye
Jeene Ke Ishare Mil Gaye Bichde The Kinare Mil Gaye

Meri Zindagi Main Teri Baarish Kya Hui
Mere Raste Darya Bane Behne Lage
Meri Karvaton Ko Tune Aake Kya Chhua
Kahin Khwab Neendon Ki Gali Rehne Lage
Jeene Ke...Kinare Mil Gaye
Meri Loh Havaaon Se Jhagadkar Lee Uthi
Mere Har Andhere Ko Ujale Pee Gaye
Tune Hasken Mujhse Muskurane Ko Kaha
Mere Man Ke Mausam Gulmohar Se Ho Gaye
Jeene Ke...Kinare Mil Gaye

Hobbies?? Passion??

Hobbies... a word that has scared me before every interview...a column that threatens to be empty in every application form...the lack of which sometimes shows me as a very unidimensional person...
Well to think of it I haven't been hobby-less...I ve learnt classical music,dabbled with painting,am a fairly well-read person and have also tried my hand at dancing.But haven't been really passionate about any of the above.So, before the numerous B-school interviews I did a lot of introspection on what really excited me in the extracurricular field and I zeroed in on two of my so called hobbies..
1) Hindi Film Music(Listening and Singing)
2) Cooking
So my posts from now on are going to be dedicated to these passions in my life....

Tying the Knot

...Loved Raga's wedding invitation card...it said 'we r tying the knot' and there was this knotted satin piece...
Tying the knot(physically) in a marriage has been a very Indian custom...surprising (mebbe it has no relation to the indian custom) it has found its way to the english language...

My Take

Listening to: Guru and Walk the line...
My take : AR Rehman does it again(dont miss the terebina track) and have fallen in love yet again this time with Joaquin Phoenix ....

Reading : Maximum City
My take: Simbbbly awesome...goes down as one of my all time favorites

Activity : Watching Movies,Sleeping
My take : Can life get any better....

Mahadev Vs Khosla

'I am a capitalist and I believe it works and history stands testament to this' said Mr Khosla..he echoed my beliefs...maybe not on the capitalist side of things but more towards the free market side of things which I guess is capitalism...:)...I was happy to be associated with an organisation that believes in wealth creation as a means of doing its bit for the society ...

Had the priviliegeof watching Mahadevbhai(1892-1942),a play..Mahadevbhai,Gandhiji's secretary ,friend,dutiful follower and so much more...Mahadevbhai was a reflection of Gandhiji's beliefs... a reflection of an India lost and forgotten...The play made me realise about the problems that wealth creation doesn't touch... Today I am able to type this post sitting in Nitie because some Gandhi and Mahadevbhai decided to sacrifice their lucrative careers for it...not just independence but also woman emanicipation,eradication of untouchability,Hindu Muslim Unity...issues that formed the very core of human existence... and I wanted to genuflect...to Gandhism...

But then again...a Narayanamurthy has an Infosys which creates wealth,an Infosys foundation which does social work and an Infosys which now wants equal representation from all sections of society...hasn't he taken Gandhisim a step forward in his own way? And i think of deferring my genuflection ( is tht a word?)

But is he really doing all he can for the society..what about the farmers who die in Vidarbha,what about the malnutrition deaths,what about us performing abysmally on the Human Development Index..
And I wonder am I a rightful heir to independent India?

PATI

The hands which brought each one of us to the world
The hands which always protected us
The eyes which always showered affection
The eyes which always made each one of us feel special
The words that always soothed our nerves
The words that had wisdom so profound
The warm hug that took away all our worries
The warm hug that taught us love
The love that keeps us all together
The love that prays for each one of us
The prayers that make all our wishes come true
The prayers that sustain me and you
The soul that was a fighter
The fighter who gives us all strength
The strength that will remain with us till eternity
And that’s why we know you are always with us dearest Pati..

Pic on orkut and NItie!

First week at Nitie...a detailed post on life there later ( which I have fallen in love with)...was inundated with ...no no not lots of who are how are you background questions....but "u do not look like ur pic on orkut"...

...suddenly ppl werent too interested to know me...or expressed their shock "oh is she saumya...looks ordinary"...
Hehehehehe was good fun... jus feel like announcing it...I am saumya and the pic was clicked in may and if i look different I really dunno y...and one more thing I might be an interesting person beyond how I look!!

...and the Hindi track would be

Jab koi baat bigad jaaye jab koi mushkil pad jaaye
Tum dena saath mera o humnawaaz

Na koi hai na koi tha zindage mein tumhaare siva
Tum dena saath mera o humnawaaz


Ho chaandni jab tak raat deta hai har koi saath
Tum magar andheron mein na chhodna mera haath


Wafadaari ki vo rasmein nibhayenge hum tum kasmein
Ek bhi saans zindagi ki jab tak ho apne bas mein

Dil ko mere hua yakeen hum pehle bhi mile kahin
Silsila ye sadiyon ka koi aaj ki baat nahin

Jab koi baat bigad jaaye jab koi mushkil pad jaaye
Tum dena saath mera o humnawaaz

Want this track to play when I get married!!!...

When Im feeling blue, all I have to do
Is take a look at you, then Im not so blue
When youre close to me, I can feel your heart beat
I can hear you breathing near my ear
Wouldnt you agree, baby you and me got a groovy kind of love

Anytime you want to you can turn me onto
Anything you want to, anytime at all
When I kiss your lips, ooh I start to shiver
Cant control the quivering inside
Wouldnt you agree, baby you and me got a groovy kind of love, oh

When Im feeling blue, all I have to do
Is take a look at you, then Im not so blue
When Im in your arms, nothing seems to matter
My whole world could shatter, I dont care
Wouldnt you agree, baby you and me got a groovy kind of love
We got a groovy kind of love
We got a groovy kind of love, oh
We got a groovy kind of love

PS:wanted to play it much before I came to know monica and chandler played it at their wedding!

FAM!

Left Fam yesterday …was waiting for the day I left it but looking back Fam means so much to me…
… Fam saw me living away from family
…. Fam saw me wash my own clothes
… Fam saw me make my own bed, food and handle finances
… Fam saw me deal with heartbreak
… Fam saw me have my first drink
… Fam saw me deal with weird roommates and then nice roommates (Neha, Krupa & Sejal)
… Fam saw me get an IIM GD call
… Fam saw me making great friends at office
… Fam saw me have endless ‘orguments’ with one
… Fam saw me take CAT again
… Fam saw me fail at it again…
… Fam saw me have a great time with Su
… Fam saw me find my best friend in Su
… Fam saw me dejected with not a single call
… Fam saw me elated with a surprise Nitie call
Today as I leave FAM I feel
… Fam saw me grow up in the true sense!

...More on reservations!

http://www.ibnlive.com/news/decision-on-quota-is-final-the-chapter-is-closed/11063-4-0.html

Reservations with Reservations!!

My head hangs down in shame to say that I am citizen of this country when I look at the politicians and I stand up with pride when I look at the doctors opposing them. I salute this movement, which opposes the killing of meritocracy. It is easy to say that the country is going to the dogs and migrate to the US, what takes true courage is to standup against this and make sure that you don’t have to migrate. Anyways won’t be able to do justice to this topic…here is an excerpt from the http://www.youth4equality.org which says it all!!!I join this movement and vow to participate in all the rallies happening in my city &request all of u to join this movement because it is for the better future for the generations to come. Lets not get overpowered by the politicians and their agenda!!!

About 100 of our friends, student and alumni of India's best medical colleges joined by IITians have been without food for last 5 days at AIIMS in Delhi. Hundreds others were brutally beaten by Mumbai and Delhi police for protesting peacefully. Thousands of students, doctors and software engineers have taken to streets in Kolkata, Bangalore and Ahmedabad under the scorching summer sun. They are fighting for a cause that affects the whole nation. Doesn't the bravery and sacrifice of these 20-something youths from the best engineering and medical colleges of India make you feel ashamed?? Well friends, each of us will fight for a cause that affects us individually, but, it is only the brave, the courageous, who stand for a cause that affects others also.
Why we oppose reservation?1) It is going to kill meritocracy, and hence destroy India's image as a technology hub.2) It is dividing India into caste lines which our freedom fighters and social reformers fought so hard to eliminate.3) It is against the fundamental right to equality as safeguarded by the Constitution of India.4) The benefits of reservation have been denied to really deserving people by the rich and powerful in their own classes. 5) Reservation is just a populist measure used by politicians for electoral gains.

This is not just a protest against reservation. This is to ignite the young minds of the urban youth that you must care for the society, majority of whom are poor and underprivileged, otherwise politicians like Arjun Singh will exploit these weaker section with false promises. It is no hidden truth that the benefit of quotas in IIT, IIM and AIIMS will goto the rich OBCs in urban India while the really deserving backward people do not even have access to basic primary education. What we need is quality and compulsory primary education so that by the time the so-called backward class students come to the college entrance level, they are ready to compete with all. Dont limit the seats in higher education where competition is already cut-throat. Intake ratio in AIIMS is around 1000:1 and 100:1 in IIT/IIMs. So you must raise your voice against this retrograde and divisive policy being formulated by HRD Ministry.
In the end we won't remember the words of our enemies but the silence of our friends. Jai Hind !

To Bappi Da!

This post is dedicated to one of the greatest composers of our times…the person who has given us unforgettable tunes that generations will sing along with…the man himself…Bappi Lahiri!!!
Few fav songs…his songs have fab lyrics too..I mean does he have a hand in writing those???
a) “I am a Disco dancer…jus love this paragraph
Yeh log kehte the main tabhi gata tha jab bol pata nahi tha(Vidu and me jus loved this line)
Yeh paav mere to tabhi thirakte the jab chalna aata nahi tha
Naghmon ki masssti hai meri jawani meian…hai dance meri lahoo ki rawani me!!!(hehehehe…no im not laughing.. Bappida himself does it…the laugh of the oh so self consumed disco dancer!!!)”

b)The 2nd favourite is…
“ You r my chicken fry..you are my fish fry
Kabhi na kehna kudiye bye bye
You r my samosa…you are my masala dosa
Main na kahoongi mundeya bye bye bye!!!”

c) and the famous…
“Gutur gutur…”

And my current fav…although composed by Vishal Shekhar
“sone ki rahon mein sone ko jagah nahi…
Shola hai yah hai bijuria
Dil ki bajaria…bambai nagariya!!”


Long live Bappi da!

I hate...

I hate:
1) People saying that they are in love start having their whole life revolve around a person.(whatever happened to inviduality)
2) They say they are in love so allow themselves to be debased by the person, lose their self-respect to the person… who is just having fun at their expense.
3) People who blindly believe that everything that the person says is true and his/her opinion becomes of utmost importance.
4) And above all they believe that the person is nice and just refuse to accept any criticism of him
5) And if they finally get down to leaving that person they feel miserable and just fall for the next eligible person they find!

Have seen so many ppl like this …smart ones at that… am not cynical but sometimes I feel…Love is not only blind…it also causes mental retardation at times.

Fakey!!

Okkkk…how many times have u guys done this…

When u don’t know the lyrics of a song and u sing with a group… You jus lip sync so that every one thinks u r singing…or u jus mumble something that jus merges with the sound that the group is making…

When 5 of you are lifting something heavy…you jus pretend that you are lifting while infact the other four are taking all the load and you are jus well faking lifting it….

Whenever a group is talking about something and you really don’t know a shit about the topic…you just vigorously nod your head with generic comments like ‘I know’…’yeah they r so foolish’’yeah I completely agree with u!”

Hilarious!!!(Reminds me of Rachit!!)

Joey: If homosapiens were actually HOMO - SAPIENS is that why they are extinct!
Ross: Joey homosapiens are people!!
Joey: Hey… I’m not judging!!!!