Something to think about people !!

Couple of days back I received a forward from a friend of mine. Generally I just delete or glance through any of the forwards. But this one caught my eye and when I read it then I was thinking about it for a long time and then I decided to put my thoughts into this blog and discuss with all my friends. Please go through it and then my views on the same are mentioned below.


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The woman in your life...very well expressed...
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Tomorrow you may get a working woman, but you should marry with thesen facts as well.Here is a girl, who is as much educated as you are; Who is earning almost as much as you do;
One, who has dreams and aspirations just as you have because she is as human as you are;
One, who has never entered the kitchen in her life just like you or your Sister haven't, as she was busy in studies and competing in a system that gives no special concession to girls for their culinary achievements
One, who has lived and loved her parents & brothers & sisters, almost as much as you do for 20-25 years of her life;
One, who has bravely agreed to leave behind all that, her home, people who love her, to adopt your home, your family, your ways and even your family name
One, who is somehow expected to be a master-chef from day #1, while you sleep oblivious to her predicament in her new circumstances, environment and that kitchen
One, who is expected to make the tea, first thing in the morning and cook food at the end of the day, even if she is as tired as you are, maybe more, and yet never ever expected to complain; to be a servant, a cook, a mother, a wife, even if she doesn't want to; and is learning just like you are as to what you want from her; and is clumsy and sloppy at times and knows that you won't like it if she is too demanding, or if she learns faster than you;
One, who has her own set of friends, and that includes boys and even men at her workplace too, those, who she knows from school days and yet is willing to put all that on the back-burners to avoid your irrational jealousy, unnecessary competition and your inherent insecurities;
Yes, she can drink and dance just as well as you can, but won't, simply because you won't like it, even though you say otherwise
One, who can be late from work once in a while when deadlines, just like yours, are to be met;
One, who is doing her level best and wants to make this most important relationship in her entire life a grand success, if you just help her some and trust her;
One, who just wants one thing from you, as you are the only one she knows in your entire house - your unstinted support, your sensitivities and most importantly - your understanding, or love, if you may call it.
But not many guys understand this…
One of the best told stories through mails, every word in this is felt and expressed directly from heart….
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Everything mentioned in the forward above is true partially or completely for all of us. I have seen friends , family act in this manner and then the gal just follows it . I have seen my mother also going through some of these phases. Why do we men expect so much from women and in return what do we do to make the gal comfortable in the whole process. I am not married , but may be I will also act in a similar manner. Who knows? But why marriage should be compromise from one end only. Is it guys don’t even realize that they are doing this or taking things for granted.

I want to ask all my married friends to atleast put their thoughts forward and comment on this blog by which they have prevented such a situation to occur and if not how they will be much more careful in future.

Also to all the ladies I ask a question , we all discuss about the women being more strong and are better then men in many areas, then why do after marriage you have to succumb to all these things. When speak about Women of future , is this the future they see for themselves. You gals also have to put your foot forward and discuss things with your husbands or to be’s before marriage.

I guess the main point here is how the couple develops their relationship and how they are open to each other and adjust to each others preferences. Now it should not be that one sacrifices more then the other. We have to take care that similar situations should not arise in our lives . I just want to wake up you all early so that you all enjoy happy married lives.

And all for the gals..reminds me of a quote by Mel Gibson:
"I love women. They're the best thing ever created. If they want to be like men and come down to our level, that's fine. "

My first American weekend !!

Hey its was Diwali and I was away from home missing family & friends in India. Friday evening packed my bags and went to Poonam’s place. She is here in Minneapolis with her husband Sandip, 18 month kid, Ved and Swapnil , her brother in law. I met Poonam all thanks to Deepa, both are very good buddies . Poonam and I had never met or talked before coming here, but the way she made me comfortable in this alien city shows the friendship Deepa and Poonam share.

Friday evening I barged into Poonam's house. I first time attended a virtual/techie pooja where Googled aartis were played on laptops, prints of aarti were taken and electrical lamps were lit. It was Lamxi pooja day, so the entrance door was also opened during the aarti for Goddess Laxmi to come and bless us all. Then had great dinner of Puran polis. Wah wah. My mom was really happy when I told her about me having Puran polis during Diwali Then watched the movie ‘300’ after dinner celebrating Ram’s home coming with a drink.

Then on Saturday , we went to the Hindu temple in Maple Grove, to clean our souls and mind. Remove all selfish thoughts and bow down before the Gods. I cant imagine myself going to any temple to do that, but then I had see around Minneapolis . Also I thought that I would be able to see some good desi gals, but was disappointed on that count . Poonam’s complex had organnised a Diwali get together in the evening. Me also crashed into the party. Danced , ate and played games and we did not realized that it was past midnight when party got over. We returned home and over a drink watched India and Pakistan match for a while.

Sunday was more relaxed and went out to check out the malls there. In US I have seen more malls then people on the street. They have such huge malls, and variety. Also there is less crowds as compared to Indian malls.

Was very unhappy when the weekend got over cause I had to go back to my place for the weekdays. Had a blast and looking forward to few more great weekends in Minneapolis before the cold freezes us all inside our homes.

Mumbai to Minneapolis !!

It has been 3 days since I have reached Minneapolis, and now settling down with my new roommates, both are Gulatis.

It was my first international flight, from Mumbai to Minneapolis , with stop over at Amsterdam. It was almost 24 hour travel. Tried to sleep most of the time but the air hostess were quite a distraction.

I reached safely and got a great place to stay, and all the credit goes to Poonam and Sandip who actually got me this apartment very close to office with a direct bus. Also they showed me around home and office. My stay would not have been so comfortable without them. All thanks to them, I doing great in this city.

My first impression of the city is nice. Weather is good 10-12 degrees but the future is quite cold, it might reach -20 degree in December.

Looking forward to spend my next couple of months here and hopefully will be back to my Mumbai & Kolhapur at the earliest.

Challenges Faced Everyday !!

Each day is full of challenges , my god .. lets take a look at them.

• Every morning waking is one, Motivating self to go for jog but eventually end up not going.
• Reaching office is a challenge, As if all the traffic jams preventing me to go to office.
• At office surfing for proxies is another, since I require these proxies to chat and open mail accounts not possible to open in office.
• Eating in canteen is the biggest one, Dunno how i manage everyday and still alive.
• Telling tele-marketers ‘NO’ for all kinda stuff they sell is the newest.
• Trying leave office early is next to impossible, since all reasons have been exhausted.
• Planning weekend activity is hectic , so many movies n so less time , so many eateries n pubs with 2 days in week to cover , so many friends n so little time spend with them.
• Sticking to a TV channel is such a difficult task, At last end up watching multiple shows at a time.
• Trying sleep requires no effort since u have worked so hard to face all challenges in the day. Looking forward for another challenging day tomorrow.
  

Good night.!!!

Yeah India !!!

The stage was set, India vs Pakistan in the T20 World cup final. Who would have imagined in the beginning of September that these two sides minus the so called stars will make it to the final. Remember this March these teams did not make to the Super 8 stage of World Cup . Which team would be able to wipe that disgraceful performance with a World cup final win.

All my friends in office, project mates, colleagues assembled in the canteen to watch the match. All the 6 TV sets were showing the match. It was like mini Wankhade stadium in the canteen. Cheers, whistles, claps was heard on every run scored, four , six during India was batting. Thanks to Gambhir, Rohit we made decent score. When we were bowling every dot ball, wicket was celebrated and every run Pak scored was booed. And when the match went to the wire everyone was standing and acting as if they were Dhoni captaining the side. When we won everyone erupted from their seats and chanting Ganapati Bapa Morya, Jai Hind, n stuff. There were high fives, hugs, handshakes, screams, chaos all around.

We won a hard fought battle and first time in Indian cricket history we won cause of team effort and not individual brilliance. Everyone contributed , right from Robin to Shree, the bench, even Agarkar who bowled badly initially and gave Jogi chance to prove his mettle. I made a mistake in underestimating Dhoni's capabilities as captain and good he proved me wrong. At the start of tournament i never expected to win but we won. Yeah India. This team deserves our adulation and love. Three Cheers for our Indian team ! Hip Hip Hurray! Hip Hip Hurray ! Hip Hip Hurray!

Hats Off Mr. Ramadorai !!

On Monday 3rd September, TCS celebrated its annual event ‘Hats Off”. In this event all associates who have completed 3 yrs, 5 yrs, 10 yrs, 15 yrs, 20 yrs, 25 yrs, 30 yrs and 35 yrs in TCS were felicitated. My initially motivation of going to this event was to as a welcome break from office and to catch up with old friends. The location was NCPA at Nariman Point which added to the motivation to attend. It was a huge event as almost 1200-1300 people were felicitated and it was ensured that each associate was called to dais for the same.

But the best news we heard during the show ,was when we were told that the CEO of TCS Mr. Ramadorai will be felicitated along with us for completing 35 yrs in TCS and that Mr. F.C. Kohli would be doing the honors. Also all the all the bigwigs of TCS like Mr.Mahalingam (CFO), Mr.Padmanabhan (EVP HR), Mr.Pendharkar (VP Marketing), Mr. N. Chandra (EVP Sales & Operations) were present for the ceremony.

Then I realized how important recognition of service is and that to for being in same company for so many years. I was truly elated by the fact that I was felicitated in the same function but also pondered that I was felicitated for a minuscule 3 years as compared to 35 yrs of Mr. Ramadorai and will I be able to complete 10 years in any company during my lifetime? Nowadays we think of and most of us skip jobs within a year or couple. What makes someone to stay in a company for so long?

I guess Mr. Ramadorai was there from the very beginning of TCS, hence he had a sense of belonging and as there were few people in the organisation , the chances to grow were more. Not to forget that he had the talent & capability to grow with the insight into future. But in today’s scenario with around 100,000 people in TCS, chance to be in position like Mr.Ramadorai after 30-35 years is 0.001%.

But then you never know right , I maybe remain in Tata group for 35 years or more and be at similar position as that of Mr.Ramadorai. What say people ???

‘U R’

u r the inspiration of my life
u r the calmness in my life
u r the soothing feeling of my life
u r the liveliness in my life

u r a listener when I want to talk
u r the voice when I need to listen
u r the motivation to write

u r friend when I need
u r in my dreams when I sleep
u r the music which I want to hear

u r the incentive to stay alive
u r everything that I want from life

I am me !!

When I am with my parents
Enjoying quality time with them

When I am with my nephews
Playing as carefree as them

When i am with my best friends
chilling out with them

When I am with her
holding her hand

When I am dancing
Swaying to the beats

when i am at work
doing what i want

When I am alone
Listening to music I love

When thoughts pour in
and tranform into this blog

And I will always be me
Till the end of the world

Reunion of the most notorious gang of SIMSR 02 !!

Well during my MBA days I used to hang out with guys like Chirag, Himanshu (Bhaiya), Hitesh (Hata), Mehul, Kekin, Vishal, Jimmy, Fenil, Chetan, Prashant. We were the most notorious group in college for various reasons esp. during exam for copying or getting papers or bunking classes or destroying or stealing college property, drinking and partying, we have done it all.

This Sunday I planned for a lunch with all these guys. Since I and Chetan are the only eligible bachelors left in this group, rest were invited with their family and their kids. Yes kids, I still can’t believe that after 5 years of MBA, we are at a stage to meet along with family. All of them agreed but then there are always people dropping out. Chetan said he was going to Shirdi, Jimmy and family did not turn up and Vishal/Vaishali (returned from Dubai for 10 days and had planned everything for all of us to meet them) message at 6 in morning that he would not be coming, Bhaiya/Shikha/Sneha had just shifted to Cairo a week before ,Fenil/Viral/Daskh were in Singapore and Prashat/Madhuri were in Dubai.

We met up at a place I Bandra called Sheetal Bukhara. A decent family restaurant. Mehul/Mahima/Vedant came first with Kekin/Sejal. I came along with Hitesh/Preeti/Kavya. The person who is always late and with wonderful reasons to be late, was the proud father of 2 wonderful kids Chirag/Nibha/Nitya/Sholk. It was amazing to see all of them coordinate along with their wives to manage their kids and enjoy along with the gang at the same time. None of them have changed, they are the same naught bunch but with added responsibilities of marriages and parenting. The talks are now more on diapers, kids, eating habits, marriage instead of the fights regarding Ambani-Bachchan, drinks, girls, and etc.The table was full with food instead of empty bottles. The ambience, the music was different. We ordered vegetarian food instead most us being hardcore non-veggies. It was fascinating to meet all the super moms and average dads. Now the notorious gang has kids who are more notorious then their fathers.

All of us had actually met after a very long time, almost one year or so. But that those 3 -4 hours were complete fun and looking forward to meet your kids . We missed all those who were not present in the country and our lunch was not complete without remembering you all.

Cheers mate - To more reunions !!!

I sit by the window !!

I sit by the window
Rain drops on my face
As if love sent by family & friends

I sit by the window
Feel the breeze on my face
As if someone is missing me

I sit by the window
Sensing the sunrays touch me
As if feeling her warmth by my side

I sit by the window
Cold bites my body
As if agony given by loved ones

I sit by the window
Set my eyes on the rainbow
As if I want to splash all those colors in my life

I sit by the window
Storm developing & Lightning striking at will
As if unfolding the turbulence of life

I sit by the window
Watching birds fly freely
As if describing serenity after the storm

I sit by the window
Staring at the starry night
As if each one telling me to shine as bright as thee

My First Rajni Movie..Sivaji !!

It was Saturday evening. I, my friends Hitesh, Shilpa, Krishna and Vimal were having dinner at Alfredo’s in Juhu. We were discussing movies as usual and then came up topic of Sivaji being released on Friday. We all wanted to watch Sivaji. Vimal who had come down from Delhi to meet us all, was completely against the idea and first thought we were joking. None of us apart from Krishna knew the language.

Hitesh, most tech savvy guy amongst us, took his P990i and check out availability of shows in Mumbai theaters. After quite a frantic search, we found that there were seats available at PVR Juhu for the Tamil version, but the show timing was 8 am. But then all of us (except Vimal of course) were geared up to watch it at any cost, even if it meant waking up at seven on a Sunday morning , we booked tickets at ten thirty in the night for the show next day. Wish I could have clicked Vimal’s picture after confirmation of buying the tickets, he thought we were bluffing. Ha ha.

Sunday morning, like seven in the morning everyone called each to check whether everyone was awake. To my surprise everyone was getting ready and raring to go. There was an excitement around as going to college for the first time or watching something new for the first time. My roommates were also going to join us for the movie. They are Gulti’s so they also did not understand much of Tamil. There was a buzz outside the theatre, people rushing inside, few waiting for friends, some buying tickets. When we entered the hall, the hall was completely full. We had third row from the screen tickets. Man it was an amazing experience, to be there at eight in the morning and see these many people to watch a Rajni movie.

The first half was quite dialogue oriented, but we could understand most of things happening. Also Krishna used to translate the important portions for us. On his entry there were whistles blown, people shouting, dancing on their places. Second half was more exciting as more action sequences were there. But hats of to Rajni to pull off all those stunts or his trademark tricks. Especially in the second half when he rotates his shades or every time he wants to eat a gum, he used to bump it off something into his mouth or when he knuckles his bald head or tosses the coin. He is also not afraid to change his looks and get-ups and has managed to maintain his style in each of them, then it may be a hip-hip kinda look or a desi look. Not forget his dialogue delivery style and the way he says ‘cool’ throughout the whole movie. Wish the songs were more catchy but then watching the sets was enriching. Huge efforts being put into the same. Also the fight sequences have been amazing. He fights 50-100 people, the car sequence, climax fight with the bad guy, all are really well done. Shriya the heroine is good looking and does her part. So does all the support actors.

When we came out of the theatre after 3hrs, Now understood the aura surrounded Rajni and why he has such as fan following. Also I understood why he is really the BOSS of Indian cinema. And after watching his antics on big screen, here I was a new addition to the Rajni fan club and waiting for his next release. Vimal liked the movie in bits and pieces, but he will never admit it.

I walked down the street, removed my shades from my pocket, and tried to wear them in Rajni style :)

Our Contribution towards our future …

Me and my friends were discussing about lives in Countries like China, Hong Kong as compared to India in terms of infrastructure, language, fashion, economy. In the end one of my friends said
“We in India don’t know what the real life and worth of life is..we wud die pulling legs n ILLITERATE politicians wud keep ruling us and ruining our country”.

That line actually made me think a lot and then I decided to write this blog. The first thing came to mind is the dialogue “Koi bhi desh perfect nahi hota. Usse perfect banana padta hai".

We usually discuss and compare our country with other countries. How we are behind and lagging., how corrupt we are and how politicians work. We complain about the daily traffic, the pollution , the rising prices, pathetic living conditions, taxes we pay. We will always keep on complaining.

But question that I ask is What have we done about it. We want to stay in better place, better living conditions, etc and also we want all the politicians do change the country. If we ourselves can be selfish , then why cant the politicians be. I am not defending the politicians but what do you expect them to be magicians to change everything overnight. Don’t we have a responsibility to do something. We litter our roads, waste power , food & water . One can say that we pay taxes in contribution to growth of the country. No no..we don’t pay voluntary taxes, they are imposed so we pay them. Very few among would be the ones who would be choosing their leaders. First of all we don’t vote, then because of that people who should not be MP’s & MLA’s become one , and then we curse saying these politicians are useless. Are yaar , we are the ones responsible for our leaders. One who does not vote should speak about the state and affairs of the country. Why do these political parties target lower income groups and not the middle class & higher classes? Why are policies favorable towards certain section of people ? One of the reason is they vote and we don’t.

I also don’t know the answers to how to build a better future for us and generations to come, but we have to start somewhere right ! Lets start by voting . Then comes self regulation & self governance. Keep our environment clean, Save Water, Electricity whenever we can . ask people around you to follow so. I also want you all to contribute towards ideas where we can do better. This will not only help us but also our future generation.

"Zindagi Jeene Ke do hi tareeke hote hain,Ek, Jo ho Raha Hai, Hone do,bardast karte jao,Ya fir, Zimmedari Uthao usse badalne ki"

" You see things; and you say 'Why?' But I dream things that never were; and I say 'Why not?' " George Bernard Shaw

Sandy’s Good Food Guide !!

In the last six years in Mumbai, I have visited really good places to eat & drink. So sharing my experiences and recommending few of these places to you.

'Malwani Aswad', Parle (E); 'Sayaba' , Bandra (W); 'Gomatak' , Dadar (W); 'Jai hind' , Lower Parel :
All the above places serve great Fish delicacies. They are ordinary eating joints but the food they serve is the best, taste is authentic Malvani and they are not at all expensive. None of these places serve liquor. And mark my words, you will surely come out these restaurants fully satisfied. The service is decent but food is all your moneys worth.

'Bade Miyaan', Colaba:
How can one forget this place? First of it is the most famous road side eatery just behind the Taj hotel. They serve great kebabs, rolls, tandoor’s and their rumali roti is awesome. Now they have good place to sit. Earlier they served food on tables on the pavement or in the cars. The place is always full but on a Saturday nite after 2 this place buzzes around with people. The service is not that great but the food is really awesome.

'Delhi Darbar', Colaba; 'Café Noorani', Mahalaxmi; 'Gulistan', Santacruz (W); 'Lucky' , Bandra (W); 'Ranjit da Dhaba', Chembur:
These places are known for its Mughlai cuisine. All tandori, Kebabs, Biryani especially all the Mutton Mughlai dishes are best. Also the Biryani at these places deserves a special mention. Apart from Delhi Darbar, rest are quite average restaurants and decent service. At Delhi Darbar, they serve liquor and service is quite efficient.

'Urban Tadka', Andheri (W):
Best of Punjabi food. Great drinks and the ambience is great. Most of the time there is huge waiting queue but all that is forgotten when you have the food. Starters and Main course is amazing. Hey one drink I wud like to recommend here is Vodka with Nariyal Panni. They have outlet in Mulund too.

'Sports Bar', Andheri (W):
This sports bar is also located at Churchgate & Phoenix Mills. This place in Andheri (W) is huge. It has around 22 Plasma TV’s & one huge screen splattered all across the walls with all sport channels available. I went there to watch the FA Cup football match between Chelsea & Manchester United. Man the atmosphere was great and bartenders really made wonderful Cocktails. Also the drinks here are not that expensive as compared to other Lounges or pubs. The service is decent. Well if you are in Andheri and u wanna catch up with all the sports, this is the place. It wud be amazing to watch all F1 races, football matches here. So let the fun begin.

'Pop Tates' , Andheri(W):
You get amazing Sizzlers and other European cuisine here. They have now outlet in Andheri (E), Malad & Powai too. The cocktails are amazing and I still remember the fiery Cocktail I had 3 years ago on my birthday. Sizzlers are the best here. Music is decent and service is good.

'Lemon Grass', Bandra (W):
One the best restaurants I have ever been to. Their specialty is all SE Asian cuisine. It doesn’t serve drinks, but what the heck, when you get good food. The ambience is good and service excellent. All Chicken dishes are amazing and mock-tails are great.

'Little Italy', Andheri (W):
Hey this place is a Veggies delight cause, as far as I know, only restaurant serving only vegetarian Italian food. It is also located in Juhu. You will get authenticated Italian food with great choice of pastas, pizzas, etc. The menu is huge and detailed explanation of the dishes prepared is given. So even if you never had Italian food, the explanation helps to order the right dish. The ambience and service is quite good. They serve drinks here too. Wish they served Non vegetarian food also, and then it would have been rocking.

'Mainland China', Andheri (E) :
You wanna have great Chinese food and with the best service, Mainland China is the place. They have another outlet at Andheri (W) too. On the busy streets of Saki-Naka junction who would imagine there would be place which would stimulate your taste buds. They have a great range of mock tails & cocktails to go with the food. The ambience is great with the every smiling staff and great service.

'Legacy of China', Andheri (W); 'Stomach', Andheri (W); ' 5 Spice', Fort:
If I am talking about Chinese cuisine, then these are the restaurants immediately come to mind. Except for Stomach, all serve drinks. Stomach has another outlet in Bandra (W) too. Service & quality of food is great. The desserts of 5 spice deserve a special mention because they are the best I have ever had.

'Rajdhani', Inorbit, Malad (W):
One of best places to have Marwari/Gujarathi Thalis. I recommend you to go in between March-June and on a Sunday, when they serve unlimited amraas. Great prompt service and you can have a great feast. The Thali on weekends costs 180 bucks but hey everything is unlimited, even the sweets.

'Bhagat Tarachand', Vashi; 'Crystal ', Chowpatty:
These are couple of the few veg restaurants I visit and the food here is awesome . Bhagat Tarachand is famous for its ghee wali rotis and chaas in the beer bottle. Crystal is the cheapest restaurant serving the best of the best food. All the Punjabi dishes are awesome and the aam raas or the Chawal ki Kheer as dessert is awesome.

'Peshwari', Grand Maratha Sheraton, Andheri (E):
If I am talking about great food, then how can I forget about Peshwari. They have the best Kebabs, huge naan’s, Do try the kebab platter, its awesome. The rule here is you have to use your hand to eat and they provide big aprons while eating. The rule applies to foreigners too. The service is decent . It is rated as one of the finest dining in India among all the 5 Star restaurants and when you have food here, you will realize how true it is.

Journey Ahead !!

As you embark on this journey
I wish you the best
With my heart heavy
and emotions running high

I don’t want you to go
But I can’t be selfish
Its your life
Live the way you want

There is nothing left here
Only excessive emotional baggage
Of which I will take care
When you depart

I want to hold you
One last time
Cause don’t know
whether I will see you again

I will lie if I tell
I will not miss you
But that’s life
It moves on .....

Yesterday !!!

When I met you yesterday
I fell in love with you all over again
Your smile as radiant as ever
Touched my heart & soul

So excited you were
could not utter a word
But I read those eyes
Which said a lot

When you held my hand
Felt the warmth of your hand
Forgot all worries & tension I had
Just saw the love in your eyes
Never wanted to leave your hand

Wished I could hug you there
Hold you tight
But being with you there
I realized I want to be with you all my life..

Someone Special !!

I am filled with excitement & eagerness
to welcome her to be part of my life
with my arms stretched to hold her

I can sense her presence
she is just around the corner
hope she is also excited to meet me
wanting to start this new part of life

Want to share all ups and downs
both good times and bad times
Every moment of our life

Will love her through thick & thin
Enjoy each day as it comes
Be part of her life
Yet she will never lose her being

Will lend her my ear
when she wants to say anything
Will hold her hand
when she needs my support
and when I kiss her forehead
will make her worries fly

Will I ever find the girl of my dreams
Is a question I ask myself everyday
Then my heart tells me
Yes! you will find her, someday .. somehow..

Still I sit and ponder
Where is she ???

Our Hotel Sayaba !!

Our family owns a restaurant by the name of ‘SAYABA’ in Kolhapur. For the last 10 years my family has been running this restaurant. Earlier it was our secondary source of income but now it has become primary due my Dad’s interest in food industry and Mom’s effective management. Its specialty is sea food, Malvani style of cooking. But a restaurant in Kolhapur is incomplete without Mutton specialty dishes.

The idea came up since my Dad (who is a great cook, better than my Mom) had interest in starting up a restaurant. We had a place next to our home lying vacant and Mom took responsibility of managing the show with me & my sister chipping in as and when required. We have maintained quality & taste of the food for so many years that we have customers telling us the same. We have built friendships, relationships with most of our customers and they are like family friends and we cater to most of them according to their tastes. My parents are fondly called as ‘Kaka’ & ‘Kaki’ by everyone who regularly visits the restaurant and love the food & service provided by us.

My parents have always believed that serving food with Love & affection is the most important thing in this business and people should leave the restaurant with satisfaction of having the best food & service.

Nowadays, whenever I take a leave & go home for vacation, some or the other staff goes on leave. So then I become an hotelier, taking orders, serving dishes, managing billing & collections or arranging the dishes. I am not allowed in the kitchen since I don’t know anything about cooking ;)

Most of my friends had been to Sayaba and with this blog, I want to extend my invitation to everyone to come to Kolhapur and enjoy the delicacies in our restaurant. Don’t worry people, the bill is on me :) . Veggies have very little choice for food cause Sayaba is Non-Veg specialty restaurant but don’t worry I will manage something for you too.

Comeback Match !!

This Saturday I played cricket again for TCS Mumbai, after a gap of 4 months. It feels great to be back in the team, wearing TCS whites again, holding the bat or the red ball, look at the pitch, feel the rough, dive to save runs, get your clothes dirty.

I had been preparing myself back to fitness for this day. Going regularly to gym for last 3 weeks, running 2 kms and walking 1 km everyday with exercise to loose all the excess flab I had built during last 4 months.

It was a 40 over match against Bluestar and we batted first. Our batters made 190 in 40 overs. A decent, defendable total on a dusty pitch.
They were playing well and had a good start. I was always in action from ball one. I was standing at mid-off or fine leg and the ball was following me like crazy. At last I took the catch of the player who was hitting the ball all around and making me run J
After the 16th over captain handed the ball to me and there was left hander who was batting well. My first over was a disaster and was hit for 2 boundaries by the left hander. Second over 1 boundary hit by the same left handed batter. I took revenge by taking his wicket in my 3rd over. After second over, I bowled well in rhythm and with right line & length. In the end my figures were 6 over, 29 runs and 3 wickets.
In the end we lost the match because we could not get last 2 wickets, and they scored the required 50 runs in 12 overs.
Wish I had taken couple of wickets more and finished the match. But that’s cricket.

Looking forward to play the Inter Tata matches from next weekend!!

PS: For those who don’t know, I play as an off spinner in the team.

Movies watched this weekend!!

Watched couple of movies this weekend…
First I watched “In Pursuit of Happiness” on Saturday. It is a true story based in the 80’s, about a man trying to make a seemingly impossible dream come true while being a a great single parent to his 5 year old kid.
The movie is a feel good movie with lots of emotional scenes . The best part in the film is the father son relationship, which is played by Will smith and his real life son and the struggles of the man to pursue his dreams a better life for his son.
Will Smith Sr. and Jr. have played really great roles and surely is a must watch.


I watched “Apocalypto” on Sunday. I would firstly say that this movie should not be watched for its sheer gross nature of violence. In a trade mark Mel Gibson Film , where blood oozes in most of the scenes. The movie is set in early 16th century Mexico and it a story about survival of a man to save self and his family from the brutal tribe who give human sacrifices to please gods. Overall the movie has great locations, great cinematography, good background score and wonderful acting of not so known actors but after the movie I was in a state of shock . This movie is not even for the strong hearted cause its scenes are much more graphic then any horror movie I have ever seen.

My new best friend !!!

Ya, I have a new best friend..and his name is Abhigyan..He is one year son of my long time room mate Krishna & his wife Archana.
I have a blast playing with him. He reminds me of my two nephews Yash & Jai. He is the cutest friend I have ever had and he looked the best when he had his long curls. (Krishna I am angry with you for cutting his hair ).

I look forward to weekends to meet and play with him. I have taught him to wink, scream ,sing and make various noises in our secret baby language. I hope his mother doesn’t give me scolding for teaching all this :). Well planning to teach him more stuff especially the Bambaiya language,but now when he starts walking, which might happen anytime this month.

We just celebrated his first birthday on March 3. Wishing him lots of happiness and a great future ahead with Lots of love and hugs to from his Santosh Mama.

Dollar Dreams!!

Working in the IT industry for the last 3-4 years, I have been in contact with various associates from various backgrounds. Majority of them have only one dream, to earn dollars.

Most of the associates join at an early age of 22-23, mostly from campus or walk-ins. At this early age, their motivation is to earn lots of money and their belief is that is possible only going abroad. There are very few people who think in terms of career and growth in the organization. Every one of them will have their own reason for pursuing dollar dreams, but should it be their only dream? Is money that important that you forget about all your other priorities in life?

When these associates go there, they try to save each and every penny possible. Cook at home , wash clothes, clean utensils…even cut their hair at home.( have they ever done that at home in India). Staying in new place in new environment, hostile sometimes, is huge task itself. Yes this makes them independent .Once they get their H1B visas they will go for one year project and then they will realize that if they complete 4 yrs in US , can get a green card and then he wants more ..and more…and once Abhimanyu gets trapped in the Chakraview , then he can never come out of it…he will never return back to his hometown, his place , his country. They will come for a month holiday every year, and display NRI status and behave in a similar manner. One year gone, they will have an phoney ascent and lots of health issues to adjust in the Indian climate where they spent 90% of their lives.

Family & friends back home want you to do good in your life but they also want you to be there with them. Sending money back home is a great thing, saving to build a better future, but don’t get lost in building the future that you forget the present. Your family might need you, not your money.

I am not against people going abroad, yes it is lifetime opportunity and as you grow along with your career you will get many more opportunities to go abroad. But the motivation should be become something better than you were there in India.

Film : Kebab mein Haddi !! My Goa Vacation !!!

Cast:
Kebabs: Gujju kebabs: Amit & Toral from Mumbai
Mattu Kebabs:Pritam & Mayura from Ahemdabad

Loser Kebabs:
Nikhil & Sonal ( could not make for n number of reasons)
Nilesh & Dhanashree ( could not come cause of POP)
Anay & Jalpa ( could not make it due to Ritu & dollar dreams)

Haddi : One and only ..Santosh

Written, director, Producer, Script, etc : Again one & only Santosh

Story in brief:
We wanted to be away from the commercialized beaches and relax .So we decided to go a place called Morjim around 15 km from Mapusa. The road towards our resort, Naga Cottages was small & muddy. I had an apprehension, hoping the resort was good since I had arranged for the same. But when we reached the resort , my apprehension was all gone. The resort was surrounded by trees and quite a breeze was flowing, rooms were good. But the best part was when we walked towards the Morjim beach, which was around 300 meters from the resort, and saw the clear blue water, the sand was amazing and good breeze was blowing .I feel in love with the beach

The beach was a virgin beach, less occupied and were mostly foreigners. The Morjim area is known for it Russian tourists and 99% of the foreign tourists are Russians. All the restaurants there have Russian menus and food also to suite their tastes. I had great time having great variety of fishes, chicken dishes and drank more beer than water.
Days were spent in water swimming, lying on the sand to get a tan, roaming around various places in Goa. Evenings were spent in talking, about various memories, discussions, watching the sunsets or just lazing around the resort.

We roamed around Goa, went to Baga, Calungate , Anjuna beaches and Fort Aguada. Also visited old Goa especially the St.Francis church and then saw the Panji Carnival. Watching the carnival was fun, seeing all those lovely dressed people with their props performing their act and thousands of people watching them along the roads was great fun.
We celebrated the Gujju kebabs 1st marriage anniversary at Baga beach where the water was about 10 feet from our table.

But the most memorable event which we be itched in our minds was watching Dolphins on Morjim beach. Initially we thought that someone had gone too deep into the sea but later realized that they were dolphins. Three of them and what a show they put up for us. Could not take my eyes of them for hour or so. How carefree and lively were they.

As our four day vacation was coming to an end, my mind was filled up again with all the tensions, worries, work, deadlines, etc. I had to return to the world which I had forgotten when I reached Goa. But my mind was also filled with satisfaction of spending quality time with myself, friends, missed everyone who did not make it , wishing that they would be with us , when we plan another trip to this wonderful Goa next year.

Till we meet again Goa !!




Check out the resort we stayed in : http://www.nagacottages.com/

What If ???

what if there is no sunrise today
and darkness prevails all over

what if we are not in control of our life
and there is chaos everywhere

what if i always choose the wrong path
and keep walking ahead blindly

what if i stumble and hurt myself
and will not able to walk again

what if u r not there with me
and only ur memories occupy my thought

what if ..........................................

Kaun Banega Crorepati 3..will u watch it ???

Well KBC 3 started with a bang , a music video, SRK as host and new terminologies like Freeze-unfreeze , Kaacha-Paaka. SRK started with his usual style letting viewers know that things have changed and there will be no shud hindi, too formal clothes. Now there are high fives given for correct answers, hugs before leaving the hot seat, massages to relax, more humor ,etc. It will be a fun place. He is actually trying the change the image of the show to fun filled and an enjoyable experience.

But what I missed is AB’s poise, his language, his style of dressing, his humbleness, his dialogue delivery, his method of making way into people’s heart. AB also explained the answer, gave details, history or information related to the answer. That was AB at its best for me.

SRK is plastic most of the times and that shows his inexperience to host a TV show. Also is he going to Hug and give massage to female participants??? SRK is trying his level best to reach and go beyound what AB has achieved with KBC. Hope he keeps up with the legacy of KBC. No one can replace AB but can tread a different path to reach millions of people’s heart who watch KBC.
One more thing I remember is SRK has a tough time getting up and down the chair, so the height has to be reduced to his climbing has to be made easier.

I know there are no comparisons between the two. Both have their unique styles. So let’s wish SRK all the d best and hope he gets his act together for the remaining shows. Surely I am going to keep a eye on this show.

Super Movies Weekend !!!

This weekend I watched two good movies. Let me share my experiences of both movies with you.

First on Saturday I watched Guru, a film based on the life of the great entrepreneur Mr. Dhirubhai Ambani. Whatever the makers may say that it is not based on the Dhirubhai, after watching this movie your opinion will be as that of mine. The movie is a great combination of Maniratnam, Abhishek, A.R. Rehman and Aishwarya Rai. Not to forget great supporting cast like apna Mithunda, Maddy and charming Vidya balan. The first half is fast and gripping. AB Jr. has shades of his father in his acting especially the dialogue delivery. Second half drags a bit but the overall experience is great. Music holds the whole movie together. There will be people saying that the main protagonist in his path to reach the top uses wrong methods like corruption, tax evasion to move ahead. But we have to understand that the movie is based in the seventies and eighties where entrepreneurship was not encouraged and the market was not open for all and these means had to be used. That doesn’t justify the wrong practice but that’s the way Dhirubhai flourished in his days. What we can learn from the movie is to never give up on your dreams attitude. There are quite a few emotional moments in the film which touched my heart. The film made me feel good ,happy, sad, angry, etc. That’s why we watch movies right.

On Sunday I watched the movie Blood Diamond. It’s based on diamonds trafficking from war stricken African countries and sold in the first world countries. The money is used to fuel the revolution in these African countries. Hence the name blood diamonds. The movie is about the hardship the African people face and how children are converted into hardcore killing machines. I will not tell you the story but surely recommend you to watch it. Please note there are few gruesome scenes which are not for the weak hearted. It’s not a mushy mushy love story but a hard hitting action film with great performances from every actor especially Leonardo and Djimon . So whenever you buy a diamond for your loved one from any store make sure of its source and that you are not buying a Blood Diamond.

Both movies are worth a watch and your money’s worth. Surely it was my money’s worth.

Life is beautiful !!!

On Sunday I watched the movie “Life is Beautiful” again. It is such a wonderful movie that even after watching it for more than 5-6 times, u can feel each and every emotion in the film each time.
For those who have not watched the movie, the story is during the World War period, about a Italian couple and their kid who are caught and kept in Nazi concentration camp. The father and kid are separated from the mother. The father weaves a story and tells the kid that they are in a game and on winning it they will get a tank. In the end father dies but the kid is united with his mother. It was a wonderful gift for the small kid by his father, a wonderful life ahead at the expense of his own.
It makes me realize how many such stories would have my parents would have told me for a better life. Now when i reflect back on my childhood, I can recollect so many instances where I was shielded from the things which would have affected me. We are the person today for all they have made us. Thanks Mom & dad.

"The greatest gift a parent can give a child is unconditional love. As a child wanders and strays, finding his bearings, he needs a sense of absolute love from a parent. There's nothing wrong with tough love, as long as the love is unconditional."