Weekly Photo Challenge: Winter

My Winters were just another day to wear a jacket in mornings… until I came to Live in London last year November  2010.

It was just another lazy day; I was having my afternoon cup of tea when I felt something move by the window. I ignored it. Then, I felt somethings falling by the window. Could not resist this time.

I opened the the window and the view outside was something all white. The snow flakes were still falling(I don’t know if it is right English because, it always rains and not water falling ).

This was the first time, I experienced real snowy winter. It was just amazing.

This is a close up view of fresh snow -

As YOUNG as DEV ANAND

I have been living in London from a year now. But my first memory of London is from Dev Anand’s movies – Prem Pujari and Des Pardes.

Although I don’t have a anecdote with the actor to share, I have known him through his films, his fans and his book. Well, I was so crazy that I bought his book Romancing With Life, when it was released in 2007. I am just a fan, but his influence is great.

For me, no other hero lit up the screen as Dev Anand did…..

I started watching Dev Anand movies in 90s..when I was still a small school girl. Movies such as Jewel thief, Heera Panna, Prem Pujari, captured my attention. I also watched his – Gambler, Tere Ghar ke samne, Kala Pani, Guide, Johny mera naam, Hare Rama Hare Krishna on DD Metro.

There are many nights when i slept listening to Khoya khoya chand…may situations  when I got inspiration from Tadbeer se bigdi huyi and mein zindagi ka saath nibhata chalagaya…..and my sweet memories when I enjoyed his romantic numbers – Dil ka bhanvar kare pukar, tere mere sapne ab ek rang hai: All GUIDE songs for that matter….to…..pal bhar ke liye koi hume pyar karle, abhi na jau chodkar and many more.

Ofcourse cant forget Mohd Rafi and Kishore Kumar’s voice and SD Burman and the Lyricists and directors with whom he worked to create the magic movies and  melodies.

There are many times, when I was thoughtful about the depth of the songs – Dil aaj shayar hai (Gambler). Din dhal jaye, mera man tera pyasa, vaha koun hai tera (Guide)……….

Gum aur khushi me fark na mehsoos ho jahan…. …me dil ko us makaam pe lata chalgaya………. mein zindagi ka saath nibhata chalgaya………… 

Anyone listening to these lyrics may think this as mere philosophy…….. and how difficult or easy is it to lead a life like this? Ask Dev Anand.

While people portrayed philosophy as sad form of life….. He is the only person who showed both in his motion pictures and by living philosophy, as how beautiful life becomes when one incorporates philosophy in life.

And I remebered Robert Frost’s poem -

I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I,
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.

Who else can be a Better example than Dev Anand. He created an entire Bollywood of his own and ruled over it for 5 decades; of which 3 decades were Golden Age of Bollywood that would have been enough to satisfy any man. Except Dev Anand was not just any man.. Although many feel he should have retired earlier or stopped making movies, or his recent movies were no good…….they fail see, he gave a new definition to the word PASSION.

He gave new definition for Love and graceful Romance.

As his song goes from Movie Tere Ghar ke Samne……..He just lives forever…..

pyar ki oonchai isq ki gehrai

poochlo humaari aah se

aasman chuliya re….. pyar ka raag suno re……

is haseen taar pe

hum na baite haar ke………

jane kya kardiya re……… pyar ka raag suno re……

.        

My Tribute to my favourite hero of all times is this proverb – AS YOUNG AS DEV ANAND !!!

Office Stories: Funny Resume

Story 3: Funny Resume

I bet you will not find this one, on any of the humorous resume blunders websites from Google.

I was screening through few resumes, sent by HR, for a new vacancy in my team.

My eyes caught something in bold, written just below the contact details, on top right of the page:

E-mail: <email id>

contact: <number>

Marital Status: “Recently Married”

I ignored it first. I was in hurry. I had to short-list the resumes amidst other tasks.

When I was going back home, I was wondering, what might be the intention of the person in writing about his marital status in bold, on the first page of the resume.

I smiled myself and thought: Should we send congratulatory note in case the candidate got through the interviews?

But could not decide about how long will he be “recently married”

Office Stories: Dress Code

Story 3: Dress Code

Holla all….

We don’t have a dress code in office.  “Oh how lucky !!!!”, you might feel.

It was only a couple of weeks since I had joined this new company.  All young people come in jeans and t-shirts and older people would be formally dressed. So I was little confused about how my dressing style should be.

Well, one morning when we came to office, all of us found an e-mail from HR Manager. The mail was about a Chinese client visit. But the HR had written few more things that amused everybody for days to come.

Here is excerpt of the mail -

” Also, during Client visit, I would required you to dress smart like Philip, Steve, Harry, our ladies so far very good and please keep it out. No casual wear, short, slipper to show our respect to client, because he also dress smart to show his respect to us. So please help on this.”

Well, you can guess the reaction of people in office….. everyone were making fun of this mail in every conversation.

The next day, I went to meet our Project Manager as I had few doubts in the design. I was taken aback for a moment to see he wore a florescent orange shirt on his usual t-shirt. I obviously couldn’t laugh at that moment, I was new to office and I was trying to understand why he was dressed in that joker shirt.

But he roamed around whole of office building showing off his new attire……………… I need not say this was in response to the Dress-Code email

Office Stories: Its pouring

Story 2:  Its pouring        

After being cloudy whole of the morning, it started raining heavily, shortly after I returned from lunch. It’s rare to rain heavily in this part of the world. It always drizzles…. slow drizzles, fast drizzles, light drizzles, bright drizzles…….. oh Man! it only drizzles……….

But today it rained heavily… I said loud – It’s raining! Steve immediately said – Its pouring……… “Its pouring” I repeated and started staring the monitor.

Heavy rains always rush in memories…….I remembered what we used to do back in India, when it rained like hell during proper monsoon days. I remembered how I literally pulled few of my friends out of their cubicles, meetings, calls…… to balcony where we would all stand and enjoy heavy rains with a cup of tea.

It would rain so heavily that we could not see the trees that were standing tall just outside the office compound. We used to chatter happily, enjoy the rain and tea, the sound it made and sudden wet breeze; and get back to work more enthusiastic.

It was always my habit to go and see the rains whenever it poured, no matter how busy I may be.  Its so wonderful to see the little drops of water falling everywhere. I cannot explain you the feeling.

At least I get so refreshed that, rest of my work, however hard it is,  just gets completed.

Next time when it rains, just get up from the chair, go outside the door or go by the window. Watch the rain for few minutes….. and try telling me how you feel.  I bet you will end up telling me your ‘rainy memories’

Story 1.1: Biscuits

Don’t  mind the version control yaar……but topic is same

One morning, after we had our biscuits and coffee and I had tea…. we counted on the number of biscuits. Oh God…………..there were only 3 biscuits.

Anthony asked  – Should we buy more biscuits for today. We could buy in lunch time.

Steve – I dont want any biscuits today. I will be a good boy.

I said – No, we have 3 biscuits. We could eat one each and get new pack for tomorrow. (There has to be someone to control the group’s biscuit eatin you know!!!! ) So he kept those LAST 3 biscuits on my table.

All agreed and we continued our work with a big sad smiley face .

It was sometime after lunch, and just sometime before tea time. Enter our Boss’ daughter…. she was on her everyday errands….. she casually came and stood by my table, as it is closer to the door. She noticed the biscuits, coated one side with chocolate. She was tempted…………

She tore open the pack…. took out one biscuits…… and there – it slipped from her slim hands… she tried to hold it as it was falling down, like u could try holding a falling ball…………but the biscuit successfully hit the ground as all 3 pairs of our eyes were on the biscuit.

She said – oh oh……. picked it up and dropped it in the bin, what a good girl she was to drop in the bin, I mean the fallen biscuit.  Then she took another biscuit and happily munched away. But she did not notice the changes on all our face………….

After she left the room……. Anthony was the first one to exclaim – we had only 3 biscuits and she dropped one. It was as if someone from the Indian cricket team who dropped a crucial catch (but he doesn’t know it’s very common with Indian team, sometimes with other team though

Well, as customary, I had the honour of the last biscuit and other 2 guys had to go without any biscuit for the rest of the day.

Moral of the story: Don’t drop our biscuits !!!!! They are precious.

PS: My Office stories are Real stories, they are not just stories.

Office Stories; Story 1: Biscuits

We are 3 of us in this team. myself Steve and Anthony….. I always feel like calling him as Anthony Gonzalvis after Amitabh Bacchan in Amar  Akbar Anthony.

Now since both of them are British; Oh yeah I forgot to add, I have started working recently in a town near London; they have a habit to eat biscuits whenever they take tea or coffee…. ooops… no chai only coffee…… The BLACK COFFEE……………. full mug (size of mug is like the big mug which we give as gifts).  Since I take only half cup of coffee. I am already famous  – they say ” oh, you take only half cup of coffee!”

Sorry, the topics was about biscuits…. so now, since coffee is needed for every hour………naturally the need of biscuits arise.

One fine day Steve got some biscuits and kept on the table between myself and Anthony. Because I was the lady, naturally the first biscuits went to me. I could not refuse, as he gave me with lot of respect, even though he is much much elder to me. So all the first and last biscuits of the pack, by default goes to me.

I never used to eat biscuits back home. But now biscuits have become part of life. Both of them always offer me a biscuit whenever they eat it. Sometimes I refuse saying I will take later. So by now I have tasted so many kinds of biscuits that  I not even heard of – Gingernuts, oaties, jamie dogders, bourbourn chocolate creams, custard creams, fruity, etc etc etc……..

Well, and the rule is we should not open a new pack until the last biscuit disappears……. now you can imagine how much I am in pressure until I finish the last one, since I am offered the last one by default respect —- Brits have tremendous etiquettes when it comes to dealing with a lady.

We shifted to new cubicle and now the biscuits lie on Anthony’s table. Everyone “visiting” us will get an offering of biscuit. So by now whole office knows about our love for biscuits….. and they pass interesting comments as well – We will name ur room as ‘Biscuit-land’ ….. etc……When we shifted our cubicle, Nick, who was sitting with us, gave us a pack of send-off biscuit – jammie biscuits.—this was awesome.

We have ‘demanded’ a coffee table to keep it between 3 of us to keep the biscuits. We have also demanded for a couch…so visitors can sit and enjoy thier (typo) biscuits and we can take a short nap between biscuits

And all I am telling is REAL and not stories…………………….. Well, its time to have another biscuit…..

Time Please…….

I was shying away from writing all this while….. But many the things which almost inspired me to write a little blog are: a little nice perfomance by Dhoni’s knock of 77 (In India Vs England 3rd Test in birmingham amidst the riots), Ali Zafar’s blogs in Times of India, Again TOI  as I read Dev anand’s HUM DONO Rangeen release and wanting to watch tht movie again……… and no work on a wednesday afternoon in my new company, as I got all milestones before time……with Bhimsen Joshi’s music in background…………what more does one need to get almost inspired….

I am midst lots of things……and looking at photos and reviews of Samsung Galaxy S2….. yeah most probably thts the next phone I am gonna buy…..While I recall my first phone was Samsung with blue lit background, the first of its kind in India….. second one was cute small red flip haier phone, because I wanted something different…..third one was Sony Ericson, for its new music stints…..fourth one, which I am still using is Moto Rokr…. I love this one….. and 5th one was what I hate myself for buying it – Samsung one…..

While I was still thinking about iphone, which I wanted to buy, but did not like the looks of it…….. so maybe will let u know when I buy the Samsung galaxy S2, with style…..

But lots of travelling in store for me…..and with it lots of shopping too…. will be in Scotland this month end….enjoying the typical British summer… will write more about it in my next travel blogs….. (donno for how long you may have to wait)

But I know I am not doing justice to my blog with the kind of expectations my readers have to my writing…… but I will soon start hunting for something good to write.

Till then…… have a good time….

Proud To be Woman

8 March 2011

Today is 100th Anniversary of International Women’s day.  Even after thousands of years of existence, women is still striving to be recognized as equal to men.

I am not a feminist. I don’t want to fight for equality. I feel women have far more better qualities and virtues than a man to ask for equality. I don’t want to tell people to treat women as equal. On this occasion of International Womens Day, I want to tell people to treat women, and also each other, as a fellow human being.

What we lacked all the time is humanity, not equality. Be it a man or a woman, behave in human way to each other. Respect each other, understand each other’s pain and difficulties, don’t hurt each other. This is a simple way of living with harmony, if everbody follows it.

The thought that woman is inferior, is deep routed in the society, in the minds. It will not be difficult to change the society, but it is difficult to change the thoughts. Thoughts are much stronger than a whole society.  But the strong thoughts gain value only when it is put into appropriate action, and it is not so easy.

A change is required. A change in thoughts; A change in both men and women, for their behavior towards each other. A change in putting your thoughts into action. The change in action, in day to day life. But this type of change is always challenged by people who are afraid of change.

People are divided everywhere on basis of caste, sex, language, nationality, status…, on every other reason. They are in constant try to prove themselves superior to others in one way or the other. In midst of these, they forget to live a beautiful life. By the way life becomes beautiful when it is filled with harmony and love. Love has the power to change lives.

Well, one interesting thing happened to me too. I have moved into London recently and searching for job (as any of you know). One of the consultant, found me competent for a job opening. He forwarded my resume to company. When he called me next, I was a little shocked by what he said. He said, “The HR is reluctant to consider a female candidate”. I was about to tell him UK is still ruled by a Queen.

I am proud to be a woman. I am proud not because I am just a woman, but also because of what I am.  Be Proud to be yourself.

I wish all ladies a Happy Women’s Day.

http://www.riversongs.com/e-cards/women.html

 

 

 

 

 

 

What a Game !

27th Feb 2011

The Cricket world cup fever is on.  Today was a India-England, Group B league match.

Obviously we were glued to the match from the beginning. The irony is the India-England match was being played in Bangalore. We being from Bangalore were watching the match from London.

We planned a nice breakfast and super lunch so we can enjoy the game to fullest. We saw Sachin’s century(47th ODI and 5th in world cup) and were feeling, if we were in India, we would somehow buy tickets and go to the stadium to watch the game. It was a nice way to start the day, as the match started by 9am here. By lunch time, India had put up a good challenge to the England team. In the break, we cooked the lunch and were ready again for the second innings.

But as the match progressed, with England caption also hitting the century, we lost little interest and started watching a movie Phas Gaya Re Obama. While checking in between the scores, we reached a stage where Zaheer took 3 wickets and the match took interesting turn.

We started watching the match again as each ball was important to India and each run was important to England. The nerves got on at the last ball when it was 2 runs to win for England from 1 ball.  I thought it was either a Win or Lose. I had never expected the result. I had never come across a match where it would tie in last ball.

What a game it was! As they say it was kante ka takkar. Both teams deserved it and both teams made their own mistakes. India has at last gained the spirit to fight up to last ball.

We remembered the environment it would be in Bangalore. People would have started burning crackers after the match. If India did not win, it did not lose either. I remember how we would run to balcony to see the cracker – rockets bursting in sky.

But as I said the circle between Cricket-Bangalore-IndiaVsEngland-London, we welcomed the outcome of the game.  Eventually the game was the winner.

“Who do you think will win the world cup?” – This is the question going around everywhere. Being an Indian I want India to lift the cup this time. I suppose Sachin is still in the game to get India a world cup.  He has so much cricket left in him that even after next world cup, it would be too early for him to retire. 

So lets see which team lifts the Cricket World cup 2011.