Boooorrrrrrrriiiinnnggggg...

Yaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaawwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwnnnnnnnnnn.......

Hmmmmmmmmmmpppppppppphhhhhhhhhhhhh...............

Siiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiigggggggghhhhhhhh......

Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!

Aaaaaaaaaaaaarrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrgggggggggggggghhhhhhhhhhh......

Huh....

Yaaaaaaaaaaaaaaawwwwwwwwwwwwwwnnnnnnnnn.......

That's almost what I feel right now...

The price of a teeny weeny bit of self-esteem

INCIDENT 1.

Where : Somewhere in US.

Once while returning from the office, a person, lets call him A, was walking along with a friend of his, back from the nearby rail stop to his home. On his way, along the footpath was group of 7-8 "Afro-American" boys roughly aged between 12-17. As A approached nearer, one of them offered his hand and said "Hi dude". Well looking at him, A thought that he did not exactly look friendly. Hence, ignoring him, they walked forward. It was then they passed some comments, which A conveniently ignored (probably his friend as well).

What followed was a couple of moments of silence and then resumption of the discussion that was going on.

INCIDENT 2.

Where : Somewhere in US.

Well, a few days back, A along with a few friends of his were returning from their shopping of groceries from the Indian Street, a guy again in an SUV was waiting at a traffic signal. He, too, was not what he could call as "friendly". They passed him on their way to the bus stop. He, too, passed some comment, which the guys conveniently chose to ignore. Obviously looking at the excitement of the guy in SUV, A and his friends were not expecting him to enquire about how well they were doing in US and whether they had any problems.

Again, what followed was a couple of moments of silence. But this time they did not resume our discussion. Instead, one of them (not A) replied how tame they had become, how they should have gone back to the guy and give him a mouthful back. Instead, others decided to keep walking on.

INCIDENT 3.

Where : On a famous street in Bangalore.

This was when A was in Bangalore early this year. A was thugged on what is probably one of the busiest and happening places in Bangalore. Two rowdies approached him saying that they were looking for a guy who had slashed their friend with a knife and A resembled like him. At the end of the whole talk during which A was desperately trying to get out of the "mis-understanding", A lost his cellphone to them. The guys maintained the "Fear Factor" throughout and hence were successful in pulling out the whole thing on him.

Two days later, A had put the incident behind him. Many people advised him that he should have gone to the police and lodged a complaint. But he did not.

Well that brings me to the question whether what A did was right or wrong.

Basically in such a situation, there are two ways that one would react.

The idealistic way

• Tit for Tat. Wherein you defend your self-esteem. You go back, return the "compliment" back to the person.

The submissive way

• Ignore them as if they have never happened to you. But you always know that it did happen and you are not comfortable with your own reaction to it.

So on paper, to put it in black and white, the second way appears much greyish compared to the first one.

Then why do most of us opt for the darker option?

Well the answer probably is that we are not ready to pay the possible price for being a HERO.

In the three incidents mentioned above, it could be simply that you could simply make the 'other' person keep quiet by giving a word or two back. But there is a chance that things could go worse. And that is where most of us falter and take a step backwards. We are more worried about the 'WHAT IF THE WORSE HAPPENS?'. So, is it wrong?

That takes us to another question.

What is the price of a teeny weeny bit of your self-esteem?

Now a confession. Yes, the above three incidents occurred with me.

Well, I don't feel like a hero after these things.
I know I have compromised.

So what did I gain?
Possibly saved on some physical damage to myself by avoiding confrontation.
And hence, some hospital bills.
But the most important, A litte peace of mind.

It requires a small spark to ignite a huge fire.
A huge fire that can possibly damage everything.
Hence, its always better to never to let the spark out in the first place.

I have always wanted to live my life peacefully with minimal troubles.
I've got only one life and am very careful about making the most of it.
For me, my peace of mind is much pricey than probably squabbling with some person for almost no reason.

So am I wrong?
Well, I think 'No'.

I think I may have just got a fair deal...

The "Hum" part of Hum-Tum...

Hmmm..

Have been reading a lot on Guy-Gal thing of late, sheerly through blogs.

Even happened to watch Hum-Tum as well yesterday.

Thought of writing about the 'men-are-from-mars-women-are-from-venus-thing'.

But could not build a chain of thoughts properly.

Just then, Read this article about Single guys by Smiling Girl.

Thought of commenting on a few points. But then, it became a good size.

Hence putting it up on my blog.

So here are my comments. Point - to - Point.

1. Actually the very opposite of it.. Gals are too much into dates.
If guys dont remember a date, they are *GONE* and I mean it very literally.
I think it flatters them if guys remember some important day. Well not just remember it but do *SOMETHING* special as well.

2. Agreed. Showing off does not work at all.
But such talent, if timed properly, can go a long way. Timing is the key.

3. I agree here.. SPEAKING OUT is the only solution. Silence seldom works.

4. Hmmm.. Yaa.. agreed again. I've seen similar fights as well during my 11th and 12th.And yes. It does happen mostly in small towns.

5. Being a nice guy *IS* a solution. I mean if the guy is not a nice guy, gals would not like them in the first place. Being Chivalrous always helps!!!

Again there are two types of gals

a. *GIRL* girl

b. *BOY* girl - commonly know as "Tomboy"

Now if it is a *GIRL* girl, well she'll think thousand times before agreeing to go to a movie with the guy *ALONE*, or going for shopping with him.

I feel now, if the girl asks for the guys opinion on the dress (Thats the only thing that girls buy), there is indeed some spark. More the girl asks for the guy's opinion, the bigger the fire is.

Well, if the girl's a Tomboy, well maybe then this point would not work.

6. I think the same applies to girls. Quite a lot of guys dont like their girls to be completely submissive types. (There are some who prefer it the cliched manner.) They would like the girls to stand tall on their feet. (I do accept here that almost all of the guys would prefer that the girl stand atleast an inch lower)

7. True. There is a limit for anyone's optimism.

8. That is one point where I nod with you. Thats a definite NO-NO.

9. Hmmm.. Cheating really not accepted. Guys do come back asking for forgiveness. But thats where the trap lies. Quite a few Girls, being the emotional fools they are, forgive them. I think they should ditch such guys. The reliability of such guys is very low.

10. Now that is one fact which is probably well known only in girls!!! :DIf at all guys do gossip, they do not do so when girls are around.

11. Hmmm.. Now in this case, its a thin line between TAKING CARE and EXTRA-CAUTION.Quite a lot of girls *DO* like this. In fact, they enjoy the attention they get from guys. But then, as I said, there's a thin line. If it is crossed, it becomes intrusion into privacy.

12. Weird. Do guys seriously discuss this??? At length?? Most of the guys would simply make a small comment. Thats it.

13. True. There is a risk that the girl may feel he is flirting with her friends. Again that is not acceptable.

14. Some things are better not divulged to girls. If at all guys use 'FAIR AND LOVELY', that should be a deep dark secret. It should be ensured that all the people who know about it swear by their blood.

15. Thats true. Guys, as it is, hate shopping and Chick-Flicks.

16. Hmmm.. true. But cribbing is something that is best when done over a bottle of Johnnie Walker :-)

17. Men cannot handle maids. Period. As it is, they don't like to do so. It's indeed for girls.

18. Guy with more girl friends than guy friends.. Very Rare!!!

19. Point taken. Specially when the joke is cracked on a guy by his girlfriend herself.

Well the point here is. Actually what drives guyz to do such things is that girls like guys to do such things. But then some like it and some don't.

It eventually boils down to "WHAT WOMEN WANT".

Hope some day, some guy gets the key to the most complex puzzle of the world, the female brain.

Till then the fun game continues.....

Dilbert Bosses in my organisation

Title : Dilbert Bosses in my organisation
(Based on a real life incident)

Cast :
A Software Engineer
A Project Manager
A Senior Project Manager

Scenario: A Software Engineer goes to Cafeteria where he meets his Project Manager and Senior Project Manager. Software engineer heats up his coffee in Microwave.

SPM: Hey SE, how long did u keep the coffee in microwave?

SE: 45 sec

SPM keeps it for 45 sec and then coffee overflows in oven...

PM: What SE, u just mislead people..

SE: But I generally keep for 45 sec

SPM: Hey PM, it must be because we had already kept it for 1 min earlier...!!!!


I seriously hope the characters in the above post do not read this.. Else I'll have to keep my resignation ready...

Copyrights © . All rights reserved with the SE and his team. These rights have been forcefully taken for the sake of publishing this post.

Places to visit before I die...

After all the josh that we got from the last weekend's trip, we started hunting out for a place to go for the coming weekend as well...

Started from places nearby to those far off...

I went on Googling for the locations..
(my gosh.. Seriously Google has become an integral part of my life.. guess sometime I'd also want to write a post on this.. may be the various things that I have googled for... sure the list'd be interesting..)

Searched on National Park sites.. but cud not get anything exciting..

So from there I went to our own very desi Kesari Tours.. hoping that there would be some *famous* place that I've missed out.. But then.. I could not find any.. atleast none that'd be fine for us to go this weekend...

But then looking at their website... I saw so many places... that I just loved simply looking at them... So thought.. maybe I'll write about them.. I don't know how many I'd write down.. But the places will come as I think...

Ok so here I go..

1. Rajasthan by Palace on Wheels

• This has been on my list for long... Visiting Rajasthan is not the main thing. But going there by the most luxurious train in India, Palace on Wheels is the main thing that interests me. I am damn sure the experience would be a helluva experience. Just now checked it out some details.. Good thing.. I should be able to afford it.. :-) And Bad thing.. Bookings are filled up very well in advance.. Booking for 2008 are also full!!! :-O

2. Switzerland

• Well for obviously obvious reasons... :-) What can be said about this place.. Paradise on earth. Jungfraujoch. Titlis are the MUST ones... Specially want to go when there's lot of snow.

3. Mauritius/Maldives/Lakshadweep/West Indies/Port Blair

• Either of these is fine.. But preference is in the order from Left to right. So if I visit Mauritius, I am skip the others. But if I visit, lets say, Port Blair, I still might want to go to Mauritius. Ok the reason of attraction being the blue water and white sand beaches. They look sooooo beautiful... All I have seen till now is some dirty beaches all around.. in India and out of India.. But I want something that is veryyy clean. Hence the list.. Just want to confirm if such beaches exist in the real world.. or is it just in Hindi Movies.. ;-)

4. God's own country - Kerala

• Sheerly for the natural beauty of the place.. Those backwaters.. the trees... Appam and Veg Stew.. and A houseboat.. Imagining all these together makes me smile.. I guess being at the place would be even more pleasing.. OnceI reach there, maybe I can think seriously on the plans of starting a business of houseboats.. A concept nurtured by me and Vinod(a friend of mine from office) ;-)

5. Taj Mahal

• Now actually.. This is an irony.. Whenever I go onsite, meet people there and talk about India, they'd say how they had been to India and how did they like India and all sorts.. How they went to Taj Mahal and the place was so beautiful.. Well at such times.. I feel bad that being in India, I haven't seen Taj Mahal.. Actually same holds true about people in other countries.. I came to know of this bus driver in Jersey City (where I am now) who hasn't been to the Statue of Liberty.. while my enthu made me visit the place within days of coming to US. The typical case of 'Ghar ki murgi Daal baraabar'. Anyways, coming to the main point, I want to see the place.. Afterall it ain't a Wonder just for nothing.

6. Great Wall of China

• Man's only creation on Earth to be visible from Moon... Seriously, The concept of the wall itself is too much... So looooooooooooong is it.. around 6.7K kms.. Was this guy crazy who built it? Kya duniya ka saara patthar khatam karna chaahta tha kya? Anyways.. its on my list.. And I have to go there to find out why do I not find a stone when I have shoo off Ramlal (Gali ka kutta,re...)

7. Europe - Germany, Netherlands, Belgium, Italy, France, Spain, Greece, Austria

• I have this wish since long (atleast since I have started working).. I should get a Schenghen Visa and should get posted to some country like Germany or France for an year or so. Then every weekend I would go to some place in any of these countries. Europe is indeed very beautiful. Have been to a few places in Europe like Paris, Venice, Rome. The flexibility that the Schenghen Visa offers is a boon for travellers like me. Otherwise getting a Visa for each country is a problem. Anyways.. My wishlist consists of visits to Frankfurt (heard a lot about it from Makarand), Berlin, Nice, Brussels, Amsterdam (specially during my bachelor life ;-D ), Milan, Madrid, Athens, Vienna.. (Have heard a lot about the beauty of Austria)

8. North India

• Now that is a very generic statement... But yes.. North India.. When I say that , I mean, Delhi, Himachal and Uttaranchal.. Specially watching the Roadies show on MTV, Their journey from Jaisalmer to Leh looked fantastic.. specially towards the end. Being a bike freak I am, I would love to go for a ride on such beautiful routes. Another reason for my fascination with the North is specially due to the fact that the most North in India I have been to is Mount Abu, a place just above the Gujarat Border in Rajasthan.

9. Golden Quadrilateral

• Well my list is not always about going to a certain place. Destination is not always what I am interested in. The journey also matters. Golden Quadrilateral, for sure, is one thing to ensure that it would make even the journey a pleasure.(Of course, the govt. permitting). I would be very much interested in taking a drive on these roads in an SUV, halting at dhabas for meals and adoring the beauty of my home country. Of course, that would also give me a point to boast about my country...

10. Others

• I could now actually go on and on.. But to cut short.. Few more places in the probable list are Pondicherry, Coorg, Darjeeling and others.
• I would like to go to Ahmedabad and Halol again sometime. Specially to the places where I lived, the schools that I went to and relive the old memories
• Well Sinhagad would have been on my list.. But just covered that some time back.. Seriously difficult to believe after being in Pune for almost 8 years, I hadn't been there..

Finally.. I guess I have prepared a very idealistic list.

Something which is very common and where most of the people would share interest in similar type of places..

Anyways, that hardly matters, so long as the list matters to me.

So far I think this is an optimistic list for me to complete.

And at the current rate of travelling that I am doing, I should be well in time to finish visiting these places during my lifetime, provided all goes on well..

Touchwood!!! :-D