Welcome to an Adventure called Life!

The Cup of Joy

2011-01-27T15:29:00.002+05:30

World Cup fever is on a rise. As usual the Indian team is looking good on the paper but really can this team recreate the magic of 1983? Here are the top 5 factors that can win the world cup for us:

1. Fielding - Grab every opportunity that comes your way! Smart catches, accurate throws, desperate saves, these are the things that create pressure on the opposition.

2. Partnerships - The batsman should not bat individually looking to score all the runs by themselves. The batsman should focus on keeping the scoreboard ticking.

3. Accurate Bowling - The bowlers need to be accurate, especially in the first fifteen overs. don't try too many things just stick to a good line and length.

4. Captaincy - Dhoni's captaincy would be challenged in this tournament. Mostly the pitches will be conducive for batting and hence the field placement and bowling changes need to be spot on.

5. Aggression - The Indian team will be playing at home and that's why they should be aggressive and should try to dominate the opposition rather that playing under pressure.

If Indian team can get these things going for them then there is every Chance that they can win the the cup of joy!

Joy & Happiness

2010-12-30T19:06:00.003+05:30

When I went to Pune for my convocation, I took a flight back to Chennai. It was the first time I travelled in an aeroplane and I enjoyed the experience. That day itself when I was returning home from the airport I thought that I should travel with my parents once, since they had not travelled in an aeroplane. This was back in 2007. After 3 years I got to fulfil my wish last month when my parents came to Chennai with me. They were so excited, just like a kid. It was really a joyful experience to see them exploring things and enjoying the journey. When we reached the airport, my wife showed them how the baggage is scanned. My mother was very surprised to see the technology where people can see inside the bags. Our flight was delayed by an hour and so we were waiting in the lounge for our boarding announcement. When we boarded the flight I was worried that my parents might feel uncomfortable during the take off bu thankfully nothing of that sort happened. They were very comfortable and infact liked the experience. Our flight was a late night flight and I was barely able to keep my eyes open but when ever i opende my eyes and looked at my parents, they were wide awake and alert and enjoying the experience. They also liked the view of the city lights from the window :)

I will not forget the expression on their faces throughout the journey, there was pure joy and happiness!

Identity

2010-07-16T09:59:00.004+05:30

We just shifted our house from T Nagar to Velachery in Chennai so that we are more close to office and need not travel much. New place means you have to start again from scratch, find new newspaper person, new milk-man, new grocery store, new etc etc...amongst all these things most important is new house maid. Luckily we got one the day we shifted. The problem we face here in Chennai is language. We can understand and speak li'l bit of Tamil and the maid can understand a li'l bit of english, so basically the communication is a mix English words, Tamil words and sign language :-). One day this new maid servant of ours was trying to have a conversation with my wife and she was asking about our native place. My wife told her we are from Maharashtra, but the maid did not know the place and could not understand, so my wife told her names of cities like Mumbai, Pune but the maid did not know these either and we were surprised that she did not know Mumbai. Then my wife asked her, "Do you know Sachin Tendulkar?" and the maid said yes with a smile. So my wife told her that we are from the same region and it's known as Maharashtra. That day I realised that Sachin Tendulkar or any famous personality for that matter can be identity, even if people do not know a certain region/state/country famous personalities of that region provide an identity to that region and it's people outside.

2nd Innings and The Beautiful Game

2010-07-09T11:23:00.003+05:30

Yes, this is a start to my second innings on my blog. It's been ages i haven't written anything here and yesterday when I read some of old posts, it felt like revisiting my old home town after a long time and suddenly I felt that I should keep this place alive and kicking :) and hence the second innings!

Football fever was at it's peak the last month. We are down to 2 teams now from the elite 32 (I wonder sometimes how India fared in the qualifiers...if they played any! Never heard anything on this topic). Good to see Spain and Netherlands in the final at least there will be a new winner. But all the teams that I supported went out one by one...England...Argentina...Germany. England payed the price for a very very poor performance. Argentina were very good in the first 2 rounds and then they lost it. But I really feel sorry for Ghana, if only Gyan hadn't missed the penalty. Anyways...now I am supporting the European champs Spain. It would be a deserving win for them if they can do it. Go for it Spain!!!

Discovery day

2009-11-11T10:56:00.002+05:30

I have been hearing the name "Volkswagon" since ages but never knew that it's pronounced as Folks-wagon. I am Surprised!!!

It ain't over...till it's over!

2009-11-03T14:30:00.003+05:30

Someone should tell this to the Indian crickrt team. I didn't expect India to loose the match especially after doing such a great job of restricting the Aussies to 250. But the Indian team made heavy weather of the target and gave away an easy win. Sachin's wicket was the turning point for me. He wanted to slow down and lost his wicket in this process and bad umpiring didn't help either. (Looking at Sachin it was very obvious that his focus was 17,000 and not 251) Sehwag is back to his old self, smashing the ball to all the parts of the ground and then suddenly giving away his wicket (Hey Viru...quick fire 30s and 40s don't win matches for your country! Do you understand this?) and Yuvi's wicket was due to Punter's brilliance. The only positive thing was Bhajji and Praveen Kumar's batting...they are really playing gem of an innings these days. But I feel by loosing this match India has given a chance to Aussies to win the series and I won't be surprised in Aussies grab at it in style.

Lamhe chura lo na...

2009-09-30T10:16:00.002+05:30

Yeah...i feel like singing the Limca ad jingle. The daily schedule is getting more and more hectic and 24 hrs. seem so less. There are so many things that I want to do other than the daily routine but there seems to be no time at my hand to do those things.

So what will I do if I do steal some precious moments?
> Call up my buddies! There was a time when we used to call each other at least twice a week. Now we only speak once in a while.
> Read the books that I have bought couple of months ago but haven't touch them yet!
> Blog more frequently! There are many topics on which I can put up a post.
and much more...

?

2009-07-31T11:27:00.003+05:30

While googling for forecasting methods i came across this website. The name "John Galt" rang bells in my mind but couldn't recall anything apart from a vague memory of reading some question about John Galt on some blog. So i googled for John Galt and then I found this.

Isn't this quite similar to Waiting for Godot?

Wanted:Consistency!

2009-07-24T17:16:00.004+05:30

It's been more than five months that I've penned down my thoughts here on this space and a lot of water has gone under the bridge since my last post here. My last post also was an attempt to keep the place alive with something. It's not that I had forgotten about this blog or there was nothing to write. This blog is dear to me and there was lot of stuff to write about, I just didn't write. That's it! (yeah...as simple as that).

When I was going through some of my old posts about weekends, cricket and life incidences I realized, however trivial may be the subject or content of the post they are all very wonderful and dear to me and that made me write this post. I feel I have lots of stuff to write about and I also want to write more consistently. But when I start writing the thoughts whither away and I can't write more than couple of sentences. Then I end up saving it as a draft which ultimately goes into the recycle bin (sigh...).

So let's see. How I can manage this and get into a habit of writing.

Movies and Books

2009-02-18T11:12:00.011+05:30

Movies & Books! This would be my answer if someone asks me what do I do in my leisure time. I like to watch movies. Genre, language, cast, crew and film setting is no bar for me. The only criteria is that it should interest me. As far as books are concerned language is a barrier as I can read only three languages Marathi, Hindi and English and generally don't like reading translations. I tried doing that once and read Gulzar's poems in English and I did not enjoy it at all. But I feel these two media of story telling have a strange connection between them. Sometimes a movie prompts you to read a book and sometimes a book prompts you to see the movie.

A lot of books have been made into movies and many of them have been successful also. "The Namesake" being the only one which I have read and watched. I found the book more interesting than the movie because I felt more close to Gogol and his world while reading the book than seeing it in the movie. The movie is kind of bits and pieces of story put together from the book.

The latest sensation "Slumdog Millionaire" has already received it's share of bouquets and brickbats. I never quite felt like watching the movie in spite of it's popularity. But I decided to read the novel "Q and A" by Vikas Swarup on which the movie is based, and I must say the novel is very interesting and now I am curious to watch the movie.

I recently saw the movie "Capote" which is based on author Truman Capote and his research behind his book "In cold blood". A brilliant movie, the way Capote gets involved in the case and then uses the culprit to his own advantage is quite shocking to watch. And now I am eager to lay my hand on "In cold blood".

So here's the my list of books/movies to read/watch:
1. The Kite Runner (Movie)
2. In cold blood (Book)
3. Slumdog Millionaire (Movie)
4. Hello (Movie)

Additions to the list are welcome :)

P.S: "Da Vinci Code" is another one which I have read and watched.

Jai Hind!

2008-08-14T14:22:00.002+05:30

Tomorrow India celebrates her 62nd Independence Day. Like the Valentine's Day post here are my favourite 3 patriotic movies.

1. Border

Cast: Sunny Deol, Sunil Shetty, Jackie Shroff, Akshaye Khanna.

A J.P. Dutta classic based on a true story from 1971 Indo-Pak War. The movie has a powerpacked performance by Sunny Deol who plays a major in the movie. His dialogue delivery is very impresive in this movie and gives you goosebumps at times while watching the movie. The was scenes are brilliantly shot and though it's a war film music is also great. "Sandese aate hain..." was chart topper for months.

2. Sarfarosh

Cast: Aamir Khan, Nasseruddin Shah, Sonali Bendre.

This was John Matthew Mathan's directorial debut and what a debut it turned out to be. This movie is a good watch because of two things, a neat, strong script and polished performances by Aamir khan and the veteran Naseeruddin Shah. I liked the way in which the story unfolds in this movie. Aamir khan looks good as an ACP in Sarfarosh (He tried doing a cop in Baazi too but failed miserably). Nasseruddin Shah gracefully performs the dual role of a ghazal singer from across the border and the bad guy. Songs also are decent ones.

3. Prahaar

Cast: Nana Patekar, Dimple Kapadia, Madhuri Dixit, Gautam Joglekar.

Actor, Writer, Director Nana Patekar is at his best in this movie. Nana Patekar plays the role of major Chauhan, who trains cadets in the triainng academy. In one such batch he meets Peter D'souza who loses his legs in a rescue operation. When Major Chauhan visits Peter D'souza's house he finds that Peter died fighting with Gangsters because he refused to pay money. So Major decides to stay there and take revenge. A great storyline and a great actor take this movie to a next level. One of my all time favourites.

Yes, I know..there are many more like..Roja Bombay but these 3 are my all time favourites.

Wish you all a Happy Independence Day in advance!

31

2008-08-11T16:34:00.003+05:30

"The Life Express" is running fast and I am enjoying the joy ride. It's a new phase of life with new experiences. I, me, mine has given way to we, us, ours. 9 July 2008 marked the beginning of our journey together and every moment since then has been of joy, of happiness, of excitement, of love.

Thank you A for making my life so beautiful.

Guide to Happiness?

2008-06-10T11:19:00.003+05:30

Today as usual I was late to wake up and as usual i was hurrying through may morning chores so that I can reach office in time. As I was hurrying around something caught my eye, a book to be precise. I saw "How to be ever Happy?" on my roommate's table. I read the title and laughed out loud. Really...i mean how can a book teach you to be happy ...(err!) ever happy?
Hapiness is an emotion it's not a skill which you can acquire by reading guides. We are happy when we are doing things that we like, we are happy when we are with people that we like, Isn't it simple?
I wish life was as simple as finding answers from a guidebook.

Yorker!

2008-04-24T17:03:00.002+05:30

"So you are from Maharashtra?"
"Yes."
"You don't want people from other states in Maharashtra then how come you are here in Chennai?"
"..."

Crazy Weekends!

2008-04-16T16:22:00.003+05:30

Last four weekends have been really crazy. I have travelled a lot, not for official purposes just for fun ;)...yeah otherwise I am a total LLB...Lucky Lazy Bum :) give me nice cozy bed I will sleep off the whole day. It was a bit hectic but I really enjoyed the trips and had loads of fun. First weekend I spent half a day in Mumbai and then aweek in Roha at my bro's place. After a long gap of almost 5 years I enjoyed the festival of colours...and it was awesome. And thanks to family functions in that week I spent some real quality time with my family, lots of home food, chit-chat and loads of fun. Then the next weekend we celebrated my bro's birthday on Kashid Beach near Alibagh and on Sunday evening I was back in Chennai. I was getting bored thinking that fun is over and I am alone again but it was'nt so. The third weekend I found myself enjoying a delicious Hyderabadi Chicken Biryani in Hyderabad on Saturday and a lovely Gujarati Thali in Mumbai on Sunday :) That was some trip! Last weekend became memorable due to two short trips to Mahabalipuram and Pondicherry. I have been at both the places earlier but this time I was in exploration mode and visited many new places. Yes I did get a big hole in my pocket but I am content and happy with time I spent. Looking for more such weekends :)

Hail the GOD!!!

2008-03-03T11:39:00.002+05:30

India Vs Australia...final...at SCG and an Indian victory. This is what I call a perfect Sunday! And the icing on the cake was Master Blaster's 42nd century. After a long long time I saw him play at his supreme. The innings reminded me of his innings in Sharjah in the final of Coca Cola cup against the same opposition where he went after the bowlers and completely dominated them, it was an attacking inning. But this inning was a complete contrast, he didn't go all out at the bowlers but waited patiently for the bad balls. This inning was all about class and maturity. Loved every bit of it. I guess another one is on the cards at Brisbane...
Hail the God...Sachin Tendulkar.

Happy New Year

2008-01-02T06:39:00.001+05:30

Wish you all a very happy new year...may all your dreams come true this year.

Raat ka Shauk Hai...

2007-12-12T13:13:00.000+05:30

Raat ka shauk hai...raat ki saundhi si khamoshi ka shauk hai...

The real player plays the song in a loop...1...2...3...4...n. The raindrops outside are contributing to the music in their own way. Its well past midnight and he is still wide awake...lost...lost in memories. He desperately wants to sleep but as his eyes close he enters the wonderful world of memories. He remembers something and laughs to himself and again tries to sleep but in vain. Then it hits him...a desperate urge to speak to someone. He gets up, puts on the light, finds a calling card and dials the number...but...no luck there to. He gets irritated now. Usually music gives him the high and he sleeps listening to songs but not today (or tonight?). And suddenly he starts liking it. The loneliness...the silent night...the slow song...and he wonders which one is more slow...the song or his own life?

And just then...the phone rings. A short call...and he goes to sleep...humming...

Raat ka shauk hai...ho...shauk hai...

Visiting USA...

2007-12-03T03:57:00.000+05:30

First time in my life, I am out of my country...India. I am in USA for 2 months.

How does it feel?

It feels great...beatiful...weird and lonely! All at the same time. Just one week has passed and I am already counting days to go back. As usual there are lots of questions at the back of my mind. And as usual I am struggling to find out answers for them or perhaps I have got answers which I did not want. When I was in India preparing to get here...I had never thought that it would be so difficult. But now I know...that it's very difficult. I am just hoping that this exposure would be helpful for me. But as of now I feel I am in loss. And this makes me more sad

Am I sounding like a cry baby?...perhaps I am...I should leave this here...

Smiley Moments :-)

2007-10-26T14:39:00.002+05:30

I am on my way out of a departmental store when a baby sitting on her father's lap puts out a hand and tucks at my shirt, smiling.

And I smile.

I am on my way to office when I notice a lady wearing those retro style HUGE sunglasses of 1960’s. I find it very funny.
And I smile.

I am sitting in my office getting bored. Suddenly the IM message pops up and says ‘Hi :-)’.
And I smile.

I am walking down the road and I hear my favorite song playing somewhere.
And I smile.

I put up a post on my Blog. Next time when I check my Blog I see “1 were here”
And I smile.

These may seem like very ordinary moments of the life but sometimes moments like these bring a smile on your face and make your day. You forget all your tensions, fears and worries for that one moment.

That’s why these are smiley moments…smiley moments of happiness!!!

Did you know?

2007-10-22T17:54:00.000+05:30

In Chennai…

*The autos are less fuel efficient on Sundays.

*The autowala can count only from 30.

*The meter is just a decorative piece in the auto.

*The autowala will only speak in Tamil.

*All the autowalas think that are the “Mota Boss” (Mota Boss? Who else…of course Rajni…err…Super Star Rajni)

*If you are coming out of American consulate, the autowala will ask you if you have got visa then he will charge you accordingly. (Crazy…..isn’t it?)

*The autowala will charge you more if you are his first passenger of the day.

Hang out!

2007-08-11T11:47:00.000+05:30

How man of you are in favour of standardisation as against variety?

I guess not many. But Standardisation is the " in-thing". Look at all the malls and all the products that they have. They are all same across the world. The best example is the coffee hangouts like Barista, CCD, Qwicky's and others. But one thing is for sure, all these hang outs make you feel comfortableand at home since the ambience is same everywhere. If you are sitting in a Barista it does not matter if the city outside that Barista is Pune, Banagalore, Chennai or jhumritallai. As long as you are in there, you don't feel like a stranger in the city coz you know the ambience.

I wonder if these places will help blurring the boundaries of regionalism...

p.s. based on ideas and inputs from A.

19 July: 2006…2007

2007-07-20T13:43:00.000+05:30

When I started writing Blog a year ago, never thought that I would come so far। Now when I look back at the past year I can see a lot of expressions. I can see me chatting with myself, I remember how my life moved on from Aurangabad to Pune and from Pune to Chennai, the excitement of going back to the institute, the experience of attending the first Alumni Meet, the frustration of job, the ever increasing hatred for Chennai, the moment of point blank and a whole lot of emotions expressed in words that rhyme.

Not only writing but reading Blogs also has been great fun, thoughtful Blogs, random craps, wicked stories, funny experiences and a whole lot of Marathi blogs. I have chanced upon everyhthing that I got to read. Now I have so many friends in this blogosphere and the best part is they are faceless, as if only the souls exists no body.

The journey has just begun and there are many miles (infact posts) to go before i bid adieu.

So keep coming back for more:)

Tagged!

2007-07-06T12:31:00.000+05:30

Rules are:
* Each player starts with eight random facts/habits about themselves.

* People who are tagged need to write posts in their own blog about their eight things and post these rules.

* At the end of your post, you need to choose eight people to get tagged and list their names.
Well..MT has tagged Anand (not sure whether its me some other Anand..but still :) )

So let's start:

1. I am a big foodie.

2. I love watching movies in theatres. Especially with friends, popcorn and coke.

3. I love getting wet in rain.

4. I WAS a big fan of Sachin Tendulkar. I used to collect his posters and photographs and used write details of one day centuries in a notebook.

5. I still have a huge collection of match box covers, which i collected when i was a kid. (Well...I inherited a large part of it from my Big B)

6. I plan a lot those plans seldom work out.

7. Music is a stressbuster for me.

8. I wish I could write stories but I can't.

I tag:

Abhijit Yadav

Ajit Oke

Gayati Natu

Gurdeepak

Mints

Saish

Sugata

Rayshma

Crazy Idea

2007-06-01T13:23:00.000+05:30

The hoardings are up...
The buzz is on...
He's back...

Who?

Superstar Rajni (aka Rajni deva...)

Since I came to Chennai (a year ago...) have been constantly hearing about Rajnikant's comeback flick "Sivaji". There's so much hype about it. People here are crazy about him. I have also heard that people offer garlands to the screen when he makes his entry (Is it really true...wud luv to see that). So after so much of hearsay I have decided to see the movie. I think it would be an experience in itself. (I won't understnad but...who cares?). I have already watched Kamala Hasan's "Vettiyadu Velliyadu" (hope i spelt it right!). Didn't understand the dialogues but music was good. Now I am getting ready for second adventure and its Big! My mallu friend told me that we will not get the tickets for atleast a month.

Let's see...

P.S.: OMG!!!This Chennai thing is getting too me *shaking my head*

Writings on the wall

2007-05-23T13:26:00.000+05:30

>> Having cheese makes you happy.

>> The more important your cheese is to you, the more you want to hold onto it.

>> If you do not change you can become extinct.

>> What would you do if you weren’t afraid?

>> Smell the cheese often so you know when it is getting old.

>> Movement in a new direction helps you find new cheese.

>> When you move beyond your fear, you fell free.

>> Imagining myself enjoying new cheese, even before I find it, leads me to it.

>> The quicker you let go of old cheese, the sooner you find new cheese.

>> It is safer to search in the maze than remain in the cheese-less situation.

>> Old beliefs do not lead you to new cheese.

>> When you see that you can find and enjoy new cheese, you change course.

>> Noticing small changes early helps you adapt to the bigger changes that are to come.

>> Move with the cheese and enjoy it.

These are the writings on the wall from "Who moved my cheese?" by Spencer Johnson. Read the book again recently and could connect to it instantly. Felt that I am still waiting at cheese station C in the hope of new cheese. And it's time to get into the maze and search for cheese station N.

What a coincidence!

2007-05-14T15:12:00.000+05:30

3 May 2004 (Pune)

"Yes, stop here." I tell the driver and get out of the rick. I glance at the old institute building and suddenly feel that this institute falls in line with the institutes that I have been through my student life (SBES, JNEC...IMDR....all FLAs). I am guided to the room where my fellow group mates are waiting for our group task and interview. We just exchange a formal hi-hello and we are called for our group task.

We are a group of 5 and our task is to construct something out of the lego pieces that we have infront of us. The examiners are observing us and making their notes. After the task is over I attend the interview which takes about 40 mins to conclude. The strange interview is known as the critical incidence interview. I have no clue what my chances of getting through are, after the interview. Thinking of this I get out of the institute and catch an auto.

3 May 2006 (Chennai)

"Yes, stop here." I tell the driver and get out of the rick. I glance at the Building It's a complex which along with a mall and other offices houses my first employer's (SBES, JNEC, IMDR...ISGN...the FLAs continue) office. I get into the lift and go to the 3rd floor. On the third floor I don't see any security or a gate keeper at the entrance. I am puzzled and looking for some help, when an employee comes and recognises that I am new and puzzled. He takes me in using his swipe card and leaves me at the reception. I am told to wait in the conference room where few others are also waiting.

Once everybody's there. The HR person comes and hands us the "Welcome Kit" and describes the day's schedule. We just Hear VP HR that day and the rest of the day is spent in completing the joining formalities. As the day ends I get out of the building feeling enthusiastic as I have placed my first step into the corporate world.

3 May 2008...Where will I be? What will I be doing?

372 and 1/2 days later...

2007-05-09T14:15:00.000+05:30

Yes! it's been more than a year now in Chennai but I am still a stranger here. I don't know why but could never come to terms with Chennai. With every passing day the hatred, the frustration the urge to go back increases. Somehow I am still here scarping thorugh every day, wondering when I will return to my home, my people. I know i am sounding too cynical but honestly, this year has been the toughest period of my life till now. I had to struggle for every little thing I wanted (or wished) and still things went wrong. They say that every dark cloud has a silver lining to it, I have experienced the exact opposite of it. Every moment of happiness has had a tinge of sadness to it.

I am tired now...tired...of this place...of job here... of people... of cribbing...of everything!

My marathi Blog!

2007-04-16T15:48:00.000+05:30

After a long wait finally I am able to blog in Marathi.

Ah! I feel so good to blog in marathi.

Visit my marathi blog शोधयात्रा at www.mechaukatraja.blogspot.com

Friday the 13th!

2007-04-14T03:00:00.000+05:30

It's Friday the 13th today. This is supposed to be the unluckiest day of all. So i thought i might google about this and find out more. Got to know quiet a few interesting things. Follow the below given links to increase your GK.

http://people.howstuffworks.com/friday-thirteenth.htm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Friday_the_13th

Also, Friday the 13th was a box office hit movie from 80s, which was followed by a series of sequels from 1981 to 2003. Follow the link for details.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Friday_the_13th_(film_series)

So much has been written and said about this unluckiest day. I wonder if there's any luckiest day to counter Friday the 13th.

Sunday the 1st may be...

Gems from IMDR...

2007-04-11T14:19:00.000+05:30

IMDR! Place where I spent the two most beautiful years of my life. It has a special place in my heart. IMDR's Most interesting part is its characters, the students, the faculties and the dialogues from these characters make this place even more memorable. I am posting some of the gems from IMDR!

We are into education of business and not in the business of education. -IMDR

Life is tough. -PGDM 04-06 batch

Truth will always put you in difficulties and truth alone will take you out of difficulties. -Bhupi

Interaction is important but action is also equally important. -Bhupi

Shine as gold, don't glitter like gold. -Bhupi

No decision is right or wrong, take a decision and stand by it. -Bhupi

If you want to learn negotiations try to learn how to play TT. You have to return a top spin with a top spin a chop with a chop. -Bhupi

Life is about making choices. -Doc

Sorry, you are late! -Doc

You can take a walk! -Doc

We don’t believe in keeping students busy the entire day -Doc

Where is the learning? -Doc

Saar, give me jab saar!-Doc

Experience the experience. -Kandy

What were your feelings? -Kandy

This is very high level question! -Kandy

Abhi khush nahi ho sakte to kabhi khush nahi ho sakte. -Ghorpade

Courage is post facto. -Ghorpade

Under the sun each and everyone is replaceable. -Pinak

Once a docker always a docker. -Dockers

Data…Information. -Ghate

You people can extract humour out of anything. -Nagre

You can probably go to Sagar Arcade to meet Smruti Irani but not all the way to chennai. but if the opportunity presents itself you will go in the general coach without ticket to see Aishwarya Rai in Chennai or even further. thats branding.
-Nagre on Branding

Reviving that brand is like the BJP trying to get back to Power. Its a battle lost.
-Nagre

Dada Aage Badho. -Ajimone Francis

A Marathi will stand outside US consulate till the time all his papers are ready and in the process might never go to US for business. A Punjabi will first pack himself in container reach US and then worry about the passport and visa.
-Nagre

Sampla! -Nagre

"Today a reader, tomorrow a leader"--Margaret Fuller

2007-04-06T12:51:00.000+05:30

1. The god of small things -Arundhati Roy
2. Londonstani -Gautam Malkani
3. Just in time for today and tomorrow -Taichi Ohno
4. Eldest -Chistopher Paolini
5. Necessary but not sufficient -Eliyahu Goldratt
6. Interpretation of dreams -Sigmund Freud
7. Wings of Fire -Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam
8. Ignited minds -Dr.APJ Abdul kalam
9. I too had a dream -Dr. Vargese Kurien
10. ISO 9001:2000 for software organisations -Kishore Naik
11. The end of imagination -Arundhati Roy
12. An ordinary person's guide to empire -Arundati Roy

This is my "To Read" list for 2007. I hope I stick to this and finish this off.

Just a thought.

2007-04-02T16:15:00.000+05:30

Sometimes I feel life is like solving a big jigsaw puzzle.

It all starts with huge pile of pieces which seem to be completely irrelevant and you are absolutely clueless about everything.

You know zilch about the picture that is going to emerge through pile of pieces.

You have to try and put those pieces together.

Once you find a clue about how to join those pieces everything else starts to fall in place.

And when you have solved the puzzle the next pile is in line.

Busybee!

2007-03-14T14:04:00.000+05:30

Yes, that's what I have been since last couple of weeks. There's a platter full of activities. Daily routine office work, audit, trip to Pune and Roha, parties, convocation, quality time with quality people and a bouquet of memories to Cherish for a life time.

Surely the schedule was hectic and I had to run a lot but it was exciting and eventful as well. Loved every moment of it. And as I write this post I am getting lost in the memories of those days. The trip to Pune is always a fun because I get to meet a lot of friends there and if I meet parents as well...phir to kya kehna!

Sab kuch paane ki dil karta hai tammana...

pagla janta nahi hai yeh mushkil hai kitna!

Of Love, Love stories and Movies

2007-02-14T14:45:00.001+05:30

If there is love there is a love story and love stories are the greatest inspiration for movies (Be it Holly...Bolly or any kind of wood). Talking about bollywood and love stories,Yash Chopra is
undoubtedly the king of them all.

Here is a list of my favourite Yash Chopra love stories:

1. Kabhie Kabhie (1976)

Starring: Amitabh Bachchan, Rakhi, Sashi Kapoor, Waheeda Rehman, Rishi Kapoor and Nitu singh.

A love story woven across generations. On one side there is a generation represented by Amitabh, Sashi, Rakhi and Waheeda who accept the fate's decision and suppress their feelings and on the other hand there is the next generation represented by Rishi and Neetu who assert their feelings and are ready to follow their love of life. It's all about love and relationships. Awesome music to aid the brilliant story. After watching the film you may feel that love is complicated. ;)

2. Silsila (1981)

Starring: Amitabh Bachchan, Shashi Kapoor, Jaya Bachhan, Rekha and Sanjeev Kumar

Story of a man(Amitabh) who first sacrifices his love(Rekha) to save "Khandan ki izzat" and then realises his mistake only to realise that its too late to rectify it. The protagonist keeps swinging between his wishes and the responsibilities that he has taken upon himself by marrying his sister-in-law(Jaya). Yash Chopra has brilliantly show cased the tensions between the characters throughout the movie. Again the music is great and nothing but enhances the impact of the movie.

3.Chandni (1989)

Starring: Rishi Kapoor, Sridevi and Vinod Khanna

The story revolves around a girl named Chandni (Sridevi), simple, down-to-earth and from a middle class family. She falls in love with a guy(Rishi Kapoor) who is from a rich and his family is against their marriage. Meanwhile the guy meets an accident and loses control of both the legs, hence avoids Chandni. She unwillingly decides to move on in life and decides to marry another guy(Vinod Khanna). But in the end Rishi Kapoor gets well comes back to her. A simple love story with just a twist in tale. Sridevi's one of the best performances ever. And yes Yash Chopra movie=Great music. Always!

4. Darr (1993)

Starring: Shahrukh Khan, Juhi Chawla and Sunny Deol, Anupam Kher and Tanvi azmi.

This time Yash Chopra comes up a with a negative side of a love story. I think he created a new genre a movies with this one. Movies like Dastak & Anjaam followed the suite. This is the story of a guy (Shahrukh) who is in love with a girl (Juhi) and is even ready to kill her fiance'(sunny) to win her. The first ever dark love story of bollywood. Shahrukh's stammering style of k..k..kiran was a big hit.

5. Dil to pagal hai (1997)

Starring: Shahrukh Khan, Madhuri Dixit, Akshaye Kumar and Karisma Kapur

The movie is all about friendship and love. Another angle to look at a love story. I loved the way characters show open mindedness in this movie. The most brilliant scene is when Karisma Kapur talks with Shahrukh. Accepting the fact that you cannot have the person whom you love is difficult indeed. Another masterpiece from Yash Chopra.

Hope you have enjoyed the post:)

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!

Pondy...Super irka!!!

2007-02-12T16:44:00.000+05:30

The title of this post shows the side effects of living in Chennai. Pondy is "Pondicherry" and Super Irka means "is super". I spent the weekend with four of my friends in Pondicherry, the core of the trip was food and booze (I am a non-alcoholic though...more on this later). Felt like I was in heaven for two days. The cool and breezy weather was indeed an icing on the cake. But the real show stealer was the hotel Ajantha where we stayed. It was right beside the beach so could experience the beach at every phase of the day.

We reached Pondicherry at the lunch time and went to the beach in the afternoon. The water seemed clear and reflected the shades of grey green and blue. A cool breeze was blowing and hence no heat was felt. In the evening it was time to explore the beach on the East Coast Road. In the night the scene was awesome with the stars and moon in the sky and the white bustling tides of the sea. I have no words to describe this scene. But the police patrol played spoilsport and drove the people away at around 12 midnight. I decided to witness the Sun rise at the shore in the morning but the clouds had other plan. I could not see the Sun rise but the weather was so amazing and i was so engrossed in the tranquil atmosphere that I sat there for almost three hours. On the food front we had an exquisite french breakfast consisting of chicken sausages, bacon, fruits, coffee, juice, scrambled eggs and bread and in the end it was death by chocolate.

So all in all it was great weekend getaway. So if anybody asks me How's Pondy the answer is simple...Super Irka!

Back to the classroom!

2007-02-06T14:42:00.000+05:30

Last week was full of exercises, assignments, "home work" (yes, you read it right!) and all the stuff associated with a classroom. Reason? simple, I was away in Coimbatore attending a training.

I expected Coimbatore to be a big place but my expectations vanished the moment I got down from the Cheran Express. And the auto ride from the station to the hotel confirmed it. I felt that Coimbatore was a town rather than a city. But I was happy because I was going to be away from the hustle and bustle of a metropolitan(Chennai? Metropolitan? No ways...) at least for a week.

The training schedule was indeed hectic, from 8.30 in the morning till 6.30 in the evening and the rest of the time was spent in doing the assignments and solving the specimen exam paper. But given that I am a pukka movie buff and there was a television right in front of me, all the assignments were carried out with a movie playing all the time. Due to this i used to forget about the world around me for only about 4 hours daily.

Interestingly, the other thing which was part of daily routine was Subhash Ghai's movies(Strange...I know). I saw Karz, Ram Lakhan, Saudagar and Taal in the same week!!!

But the week was full of fun and was a welcome break from the boredom here in Chennai. And the best part was that the trip was Butter Smooth, no hiccups or no "now what?" situations at all.

A great start for a new innings...

Double standards?

2007-01-19T09:49:00.000+05:30

The issue of racism against Shilpa Shetty in UK's show Big Brother is hot and the media is busy trying to cover all aspects of the issue. A number of questions are being asked, campaigns are being organised, both the governments have came out with statements, the sponsors of the show are backing out and now there's a doubt on the "Reality" factor of these reality shows.

My concern is about India's position. Does India really have the moral right to raise a voice against racism? Isn't that a double standard behaviour? In our country we differentiate people on the basis of caste and this differentiation is used for everything, right from admission to a premier institute to search for a life partner. Just recently issues have been raised on caste based reservations in top notch institutes like IIMs and IITs. But still these reservations are there in place. The "So called" upper caste people are still apprehensive of the people from other caste. Even the educated (actually literate is the right word) people believe in this caste system. The roots of this caste system are really deep down. What are we doing to address this issue? If there is so much categorisation in the country itself how can we expect an equality in the outer world?

If people can unite against racism in other country why not against the caste system in our own country?

Jisko dhoonda gali gali...

2007-01-17T09:53:00.000+05:30

...till then

May your swords stay sharp!...

When I wrote those lines in my last post I was quite sure that the time has come to leave my present job and search for another one. I was completely frustrated at that time. I had too many questions in my mind for which I had no answer at all. But you never know what life has in store for you.

I was searching for an opportunity and I got it right here in my organisation. It so happens that, since my boss is leaving I have been promoted to take up his position. This is going to be a great challenge for me. And I am only happy to take this challenge up.

This is my first professional achievement, so I am all excited.

A new chapter in my life is going to begin and I am waiting to make it big.

May your swords stay sharp!

2006-12-20T13:20:00.000+05:30

Enough!I am sick and tired of just sitting and doing nothing. Now I feel the need to take control of life and stay focused as I am approaching some of the milestones in my life. I want a more meaningful life and I am in search of it. I know it may be a long and painful journey but the joy of reaching to the desired destination would be the culmination of this journey.

till then...

May your swords stay sharp!

Tamil teriyaad!

2006-12-19T12:51:00.000+05:30

I: anna, T.nagar, pondy bazar...how much?

Autowala(with a nod of the head): $#%^$%

I(with a little smile): Tamil teriyaad anna!

Autowala (with a are-you-alien look): 40

I: what anna? daily i pay 30

Autowala: 35 %^$%*

I: ok...
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
This is the scene every morning while I commute from my home to the office. Whenever I say "Tamil teriyaad" to anybody I feel kind of funny. Its fun to see the expression on the person's face after he/she hears this. This has happened a lot of times and everytime this happens I enjoy it. But the real action starts there after, during the conversation a new language emerges which is a mixture of signs, english, tamil and hindi (A lingual bhel puri) ;) .

The trouble increases many fold if the person in conversation does not know Hindi and English at all. Then I get lost in the tsunami of tamil words and i start searching for meaning like I am searching for an oasis in a desert. Tamil teriyaad does not work there!

Blogizen!

2006-12-05T04:50:00.000+05:30

The blogosphere is a world of its own and every person in this sphere is a blogizen (citizen of blogosphere)!

Men, women, boys, girls, young, old, real, imaginary...everybody's here and everybody likes to write. People write about their experiences, their stories, poems and what not!

So what's special about this?
the answer is, "Its just another world" ,lets say a small virtual model of the world outside.
Some blogs are really depressing as if the writer has never tasted hapiness in his entire life. Such people will always write about how life cheated them or how one of their close realtive died tragically or something like that.
Whereas some blogs will be in "keep smiling...always" category! These people will write about small incidents in their life but they will write in such a way that the reader would be all smiles.

Now its upto the readers (as usual) what to read and what not to read. (What crap am I writing?.

But one thing is for sure. BLOGGING ROCKS!!!

What is my Goal?

2006-11-24T11:13:00.000+05:30

The question is big and tough to answer. There are too many options to consider.

Is it...

Making money
Being happy
Doing the job I want to do
Keeping others happy
Chasing my dreams
All of the above

They look like they are all related. May be they are...may be they are not...I DON'T KNOW!!!

The quest is still on...

The next step

2006-11-22T10:05:00.000+05:30

I have read a lot of blogs in the last two to three months, inspired by them I have also written a few myself. Until now I have written about I-me-myself but now I want to see whether this blogosphere can be a learning platform, not only for me but for others as well.

So I have started a new blog which will be featuring articles on my favourite topics. Hey...and don't worry I will not be doing CCP ;-)

Visit my new Blog: http://andyology.blogspot.com/

Happy Learning!!!

The BIG question...

2006-11-17T15:44:00.000+05:30

This is amazing...

Just now I was reading about theory of constraints. This is Eliyahu Goldratt's concept in which he states that the organisations "Goal" is making money. Each and every organisation exists to make money.

And I started applying this to myself. If my goal is making money then what would be my constraints.

Suddenly it struck me.

What is my "Goal" ?

So the quest begins...

I meet myself...

2006-11-14T14:50:00.000+05:30

i: Hey I, I am very confused. I Am not able to understand what is happening around me. It feels like total chaos. I am surrounded by lots of questions and all big ones.

I: You know i You are struggling to handle the uncertainty. You need to be patient.

i: Patience, how much more patience do I need to show man? I am tired of being patient.

I: Then do something. Only you can get out of this situation, nobody else is going to get you out of this situation. Look, I can only give suggestions, taking action is your responsibility.

i: Everybody gives suggestions, i have heard them a lot. But I am not able to decide what to do. This is as if, I am standing at the crossroads and i don't know which one to take.

I: hey hey, you are going on the same path again, same old fear of failure and lack of confidence that holds you back. Come man grow up!!! forget evreything, just do what YOU want to do. Take the road which you think is right.

i: It's not that simple I, there will be lot of questions from everybody and I don't think that I have the answer for each one. how will I justify my actions?

I: Why do you need to justify your actions? Don't you believe in yourself?

i: Yes I do. But people always seek justification of your actions. If I succeed then nobody will ask but if I fail then I have to justify my move and I don't want people to misunderstand me.

I: But sooner or later you will have to take a decision. Don't get bogged down by the situation. Think calmly and you will get to the solution. And hey I am always there to help you ;-)

Safar

2006-10-19T16:05:00.000+05:30

The Monday Syndrome!

2006-09-25T14:04:00.000+05:30

Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.....
I slowly open my eyes and look at the watch Its 7.00 a.m.
(Oh great still 1 hour to go.)

Zzzzzzzzzzz...
Again I open my eyes and I glance at the watch. 7.45 a.m.
(Yes! 15 more min)

Zzzzz...
The third time when I see the watch it shows 7.55 a.m.
(Oh..no last 5 min)

Zzz...
Finally the moment comes when the watch ruthlessly shows the time which I wish it would never show. 8.00 a.m.
(5 min to brush, 10 min for toilet, 10 min to bath, 5 min to dress up so I can get ready in 30min. and even if I leave home by 8.40 I can have my breakfast and reach office on time)
(This means I have another 10 min.)
{A little victorious smile/grin}
Zzzzzzz...

P.S. After reading this somebody may think that I am a Lazzzzzzzy boy.
But I am not;-)

Main aisa kyun hoon?

2006-09-21T11:30:00.000+05:30

After a long time I am thinking . Not about the situation I am in. Not about the people who matter to me. Its not even about the big questions of my life. NO! It's just about "ME". I am just responding to a stimulus. Its not that I never thought about myself (Infact, I attended the Process Lab just to do this). But now I understand that understanding yourself is much more difficult than understanding any other person.

As I have grew up/developed I have picked up many attributes and also I have left many. Some of them from the situations and the environment, some of them from the people with whom I have interacted. All these attributes form the layers of the personality. Every situation, every interaction, every change in the environment adds or removes a layer. But at the heart of these layers there is a core. The core which holds the true ME. I feel that whatever be the situation, no matter how the environment changes this core remains constant. Whenever I take a decision and this core is involved in that I think I have the peace of mind. I am sure of what I am doing. I feel that I am in control. And whenever this core is not involved and only the layers of personality play the part I falter or I do a mistake. And how do I know that? The core. It tells me that I have done a mistake. So the simple thing is, if I want to understand myself, I need to understand this core inside the various layers. I need to know what this core is made up of? I need to know what this core contains? I need to carefully differentiate between the core and the outer layers. The better I identify with this core the better I will be able to understand myself.

Silence is Bliss...

2006-09-06T10:02:00.000+05:30

I am!...or...am I?

2006-09-05T15:39:00.001+05:30

I was in 12th standard when I wrote my first poem. It was about a sapling which was just starting to grow, struggling in the face of storms but was optimistic and wanted to grow into a strong tree.

7 years have passed by since then, and the sapling has definitely grown into a tree. No doubt it has acquired a lot of strength also. But the environment keeps on demanding for more strength.

As the wheel of time moves ahead, the environment will try to bully the tree, the seasons will keep changing but the tree has to respect the change and adapt to it. The tree needs to be patient and calm. When Autumn comes it has to shed leaves and wait for the spring to have a new surge of life.

No matter how tough the environment is, afterall a rose will be a rose and a cactus will be a cactus.

Poorani jeans...

2006-08-22T17:13:00.001+05:30

It was time to meet old friends,
It was time to sing "Poorani jeans"
Yes, It was time for Alumni Meet!

It feels great to return to your institute for the first time as an alumnus. It feels like you never left the place. Feelings like love, hate, anger, despair take a back seat and "nostalgia" takes over. You remember each and every little incident that took place when you were on campus.

Same thing happened to me when I went to IMDR on 19th August for the Alumni meet. I have always loved the two events, i.e. Alumni meet and convocation at IMDR. These are special at IMDR.

The Alumni meet is special because you meet your batchmates as well people from other batches who are making their mark in the industry. When I entered the campus, I felt like I have encountered an oasis in the middle of long journey through a desert. But I must say nothing can be compared to spending time with your old pals in the insti during the alumni meet.

There's a memory attached to each and every place.
The class room, where we used to absorb gyaan from gyaanis like DOC & Ghorpade.
The syndicate room where we used to have our operations lecture. Listening Pinak speak on SCM and enjoying the ban-wada and chai at the same time was heaven.
The comp lab, Where we used to struggle to reserve a slot so that we can complete our assignments.
The auditorium stairs where me and saurabh had a huge debate on some case study.
The Bodhi tree, under which we used to have our morning tea. But I remember this place more because me Saurabh and Prashant used to sit here and used to irritate people like anything. We used to call this a danger zone.
The canteen, where four of us discussed strategic issues over plates of misal pav and ban-wada
The TT room, which had become my favourite place in the last trimester. Some times I wonder what took me so long to like that place.

As usual there were cultural programmes and like always the show stealer was the IMDR song, Poorani Jeans...When you come to the insti as alumnus, you actually feel quite close to the song. Every word feels so true.

This year's alumni meet is over and everyone will be busy in their daily routine by now. Schedules, targets, meetings would be on the priority list but I am sure everyone at their back of mind would be singing

Yaadein... yaadein... yaadein rah jaati hain.
Kuch choti choti baatein rah jaati hain.
Bas yaadein...

The Countdown : Part II

2006-08-09T17:33:00.000+05:30

Hehehehe...My bad luck has played it's part again. (One more plan goes down the drain)

My flight has been cancelled and now I will be able leave Chennai on 15 August.

So, no more countdowns. (Let's hope that I will be able to go)

The Countdown

2006-07-28T14:46:00.002+05:30

I arrived in Chennai on 1 May 2006, and believe me it was "Hate" at first sight.

Now almost three months have gone by and nothing has changed. Infact the four letter word has grown bigger and bigger in size. Ya, coming to the countdown the deadline is 11 August.
"I will be going back to Pune" (Just for a short visit though).Talk about Pune and there is a deluge of memories (But I won't take you to the past).

So the point is 11 August is coming closer and I have already started planning (rather dreaming) my stay in Pune. This trip would be special, I will be meeting my parents and friends and I will be flying for the first time.
There are lots and lots of things in mind to do.

For all my friends in Pune. The following is my Wish list:

01. A trip to Sinhgarh (Remember our last trip in rainy season?;-)).
02. A Li'l ride to Mulshi dam
03. Thali at Durvankur
04. Pithala Bhakari at Girija
05. Coffee at Good Luck
06. Sabudana Khichadi at Prasanna
07. Our own anna's ban wada
08. A movie at Mangala
09. PP's kambal parade (He deserves it)
10. A long chat at Mamta (till the cops drive us away)
11. Shopping at Central
12. Cold Coffee at Durga
13. Chai and Friut Salad with ice cream at Niranjan
14. Food at Savera

And many more...

So the countdown has begun...4 Days to go.

Life moves on...

2006-07-20T17:40:00.001+05:30

Scene 1:
Me: Dad, I want to give CAT and do my MBA after my graduation.
Dad: How much will it cost?
Me: Depends on the Institute which I get in.
Dad: will you clear the exam, I've heard that its tough?
Me: I will try my best.
Dad:Ok. But you will get only 1 chance at it!
Me: Thankyou dad, thankyou!

Scene 2:
Me: Dad, Igot through to IMDR, Pune. The fees is also very less.
Dad: That's good! So now you are a Punekar.

Uptill now, I was leading my life in the shadow of my parents. Then I came to IMDR, which changed my life completely. This was Quite an experience (rather more than an experience). My classmates were from all over the country, Maharahtra, MP, Goa, Kerala, Punjab...
I was astonished. I was asking myself, "Will you be able to compete here?"

And now when I look back at those 2 years in IMDR, there's no match to it.
Success, defeat, joy,despair, smiles,tears,allegations, apologies, hardwork, laziness...you name it and it was there.

When you are in a group of 66 people and each one of them is unique in his/her own sense, you are definitely going to counter a variety of experiences. And to add to this you have faculties which are Doctors by education but can speak on movie making and printing technology, faculties which are Post Graduate from foreign universities and are doing Organic Farming, faculties which are expert in Human Psychology, it ought to be a great learning experience.

The case studies were used to be like battlegrounds, where one group was fighting fiercely with the others (In the Q & A session especially). But the aim was only one to learn.

The work that we put in to sell the organic food items in our sturday group work. We really had to balance our time table to carry out this activity. I still remember standing infront of the KNP gate at 6.00 am in the morning and asking people to buy the organic food items.

In IMDR the first two trimesters are really quiet cool, you get a lot of time to kill. At that time I was wondering whether this would really help. But then comes Trimester 3, like a hurricane. Marketing case studies (With all the Gyan from Nagre sir), DOC's Hr case studies in which the objective of the group was used to be to just fill the 40 pages up, that too in arial narrow, font size 12 and line spacing 1.5. (We were so used to this format, that people even decided that they will print their wedding invitation cards in the same format! ;-)) Then there was this another monstrous assignment called CMA given by Mr. Atul Sapre. But this assignment was fun because of the group that I worked with. The 7 of us, really got well together and our classmates used to call us "Marathi Gang" (since 5 out of 7 were marathi and rest 2 also knew marathi very well). The third trimester went by like this. We knew no hunger, thirst during this period. It was just all hardwork.

Then came the 2 months of summer training. A lot happened in these 2 months. It was really the first hand experience of industry for me. I really enjoyed working during my summer training.

After summer training, it was time to select our electives and 4 of us boldly (According to me the decision was bold enough) selected operations. We really worked hard for this, changing the old syllabus, getting the faculties, trying to learn new things in operations management.

I must say, the most tensed time period was when the placement season was begining. People had started getting placed and the tension was building day by day. And How can I forget the day when I got placed. It was 1st of december 2005 and interestingly, all my best friends (We were known as "family" in the class) also got placed on the same day. I can never ever forget that day. Then as most us in the class got placed it was party time! The 5 great placement parties.

And as the second year was coming closer to the end everybody knew that now it was time to say Good Bye with a hope that we may cross roads again in the future. (I still remember when in the last party one of friends said "Jaanne ka time aa gaya Dost.")

I left Pune on 21st of april 2006, waving good bye to my friends.

One beuatiful chapter in my book of life had come to end and I was ready to add another one...

Life is adventure

2006-07-19T14:08:00.000+05:30

What is the biggest adventure in one's life?

A roller coaster ride, spending a night alone in a jungle, Himalayan rally, river rafting, sking, free jump from an aeroplane, bungee jumpimg...

Forget all this. Life itself is a great adventure! One just needs to have that paradigm.

Everytime, every moment you live, there will be a challenge waiting round the corner.
As Swami Vivekananda said, "God did not give me anything that I wanted, but gave me everything that I needed". One just needs to stand upright and face the challenges.
Enjoy every moment of happiness in one's life, fight wherever it is needed, hang in there when the chips are down, then only one can enjoy this amazing adventure!

So, Welcome to an adventure called Life...