30 days Challenge

Inspired by My close friend (who did not succeed) & many others who wrote on the 30 day challenge, I set forth on this challenge on a experimental basis. Eager to encounter the challenges in following a routine, I wanted to write how it all happened or why it did not happen.

The day was 31st Dec 2013 when the list was made. That wasn't hard. I had the liberty to choose what I would want to do everyday for the next thirty days.

• Exercise for at least 20mins
• Post a Post on My blog
• Drink at least 4litres of Water
• Control My Temper (not to loose at any circumstance)

 In no order of priority:-

Exercise for at least 20mins: Googled & prepared a basic workout regime for every day of the week. As it has happened in the past, you wake up to exercise but feel lethargic because your mind cannot suggest any workout for that day. Twice this happens & you give-up. The heaviest lift was getting My ass off the bed. Because I was fasting on one day & another day when My Daughter was unwell & awake the whole night, I couldn't exercise. But yes, the thought that I did not exercise remained throughout the day. The mind was almost winning on days when I went late to bed, mostly because I would watch television. The moment I realized this, I gave up watching late night television programs (there is always a replay).

I feel fitter than before & as anticipated have increased my weight by 2kilos :) The goal is to get a six pack before 31st Dec 2014 & increase My bulk by another 8 kilos.

Post a Post on My Blog: Everyday brings hundreds of incidents worth dropping to your treasure box. And no better way than writing it. Idle mind is the devils workshop & I must admit, all crazy thoughts would run in them & I had to spend less than 15 minutes to compose, edit & publish them on My blog. This was fun (giggling as I recollect the moments of writing). There was the weekends when so much would happen & I was lazy to open My laptop. I would then make brief notes on my cellphone & the next day would get to writing. Everyday is not Sunday, so there were a couple of days when I couldn't manage the time well & missed on writing. On a few days, I would start the draft & after being interrupted would lose focus & push it to some other day.

Overall in the last thirty days, I have published 26 posts & you bet, I'm proud of it!

Control My Temper: This was a easy win. Since I exercised every day, looks like I de-stressed all the violence hidden beneath. I did not get angry with any of the family members. I did not frown or curse on fellow riders on the road. At work, I maintained a smiling face.

I'm certainly not a bad tempered man :)

Drink at least 4litres of Water: The only challenging task after exercising was this. The frequent visits to the washroom became a habit (don't bother about others minding it). Initially it is irritating for self to do so many rounds, it is a fear of some sort that you have to conquer.

I'm confident of a longer life span now!

To begin with I had My own apprehension on whether this is possible, am I committing to failure & is it doable. To pump Myself, watched inspirational videos on youtube.com on how people have overcome their fears, achieved their dreams & asked myself "How Bad Do You Want It" ?. I had to take steps towards what I wanted to achieve, I had to push & punish My mind when it told me a 'NO', I HAD TO DO IT.

For the next thirty days, I'm looking at:

• Exercise for more than 30mins
• Drink at least 4litres of Water
• Post a Post on My Blog
• Read at least Five Pages of anything

I shall continue to ask myself  "How Bad Do You Want It" ?

Happy Customer with Buckaroo

I'm very particular when it comes to buying footwear. I would roam around all the shops, try all those that I feel looks good & comfortable. The slightest discomfort, it gets rejected. Isn't it why they say, you should get into his shoes & feel what he feels? Though I'm taking the literal meaning of the saying, I believe, a wrong measurement of the shirt or the trousers really doesn't make that difference which your footwear can.

Your walk defines your personality, gives you the confidence and helps you on your journey stride after stride. Hence, don't ever compromise on your foot wear.

After scrutinizing the details, I picked up the Buckaroo Alise Brown Leather Boots. The design gives the tough looks. The ankle length converse gives you that extra support while walking or running, the flat corrugated sole makes your feet feel soft. Overall a quality product that has met all My expectations of shoes.

Alise Brown Leather Boots

I was so happy with this brand that I wanted another pair of casual shoes from the same. My Wife insisted I buy a double shade & something that I haven't worn earlier. Narrowed down on the Buckaroo New Hoshi Casual Shoes. Was delighted again with this purchase on all aspects. Feels like it was tailor made for me.

New Hoshi Casual Shoes

By now, you must know that my next shoes will also be a Buckaroo :)

The Midnight Ride, a difference worth experiencing

I am still that kid who drags his feet to his school on a Monday morning not because I don't like going to work on Monday, but the chaos that I have to enter into. The long wait at signals, ridiculous drivers, constant drumming of the honks, all to cover the distance of 8kms from My home to office.

I'm talking about the ridiculous time between 7am to 10pm when riding My Royal Enfield is most hurtful. I feel like I'm holding the reins so tight that My Iron Horse almost chokes to death. I feel it crying in pain begging me to let it go free, avoid this route, know my worth & let's go some place where there is space & fresh air to breathe. I know He is telling the facts & yet, I turn a deaf ear & turn blind to the sufferings on My beloved Horse. I wish I could really fly with Him - that is what He craves for.

Doing the late evening shift has many cons, the only solace is the ride back home at 0200 Hours. The empty roads are inviting, the thump is loud & clear, feels like it's a ride to heaven & I wish the road never ends. How I wonder it was only Me & My Iron Horse riding to eternity....

This is the journey that I wish never ends, this is an immortal love story, a saga of My Life on the Iron Horse!

My Daughter & the Bag

Life is joy when I'm with my Nephew Skanda or My Daughter Saakshi. There is always something that we do for fun, laughter & love. The reactions are spontaneous & we get creative with any prop that is lying around, like this instance when I took My Daughter to our room to get the bag for their trip to our native.

The moment She saw the bag, She started playing with it, trying to hang it on Her shoulders, drag it &  toss it around. Seeing this play, I gently placed Her inside the bag & She was all smiles, She enjoyed being there.

She decided to play hide & seek & for a flexible body that She has, it was a easy fit in that small bag. She wanted Her Grandfather & Mother see this & play along. We played till our stomach hurt by the continuous laughter.

It was fun & I feel this is Life's way of telling "Live the Moment".

8 Ball Pool on Miniclip

It's always hard to find out how something became an addiction. The process is a slow obsession to something that we find hard to live without & for me it was the 8 Ball Pool on Miniclip. Started with friendly matches as a guest, then signed up for the free account, played till hearts content & just when I thought it was done, Miniclip introduces points (shown as coins) that you can play for. With 250 that was credited to my account, I played 5 days a week & within months, My all time high was at 500000 coins.

Played all tournaments, won 49 of 56 awards, I rank as a Super Star & the thirst just doesn't seem to quench. I think I will play as long as I feel like. Because this is the only online game that I played for such a long time & not bored of :)

Buffalo3.0 External Hard Drive - a journey to remember

Older times were good in it's own sweet ways, a film roll, rolling camera, skill to load the roll & every picture mattered. The excitement of waiting to develop the roll, neatly arranging the photos in the album, carrying it with you all the time, the only entertainment after television when friends & family visited home, the silent smiles & laughter when you're looking at it alone. Not to forget the long wait in owning a camera at home.

But not any longer, my adventure with the digital camera began when my Brother-in-Law gifted a Sony Cybershot 3.2 MP when he returned from the United States of America. With a 512 MB memory card, I felt like I had so much power and this changed every occasion in life. I wouldn't step from my home without My Digital Camera, be it a simple function or a vacation.

Tons of photographs, loads of memories & with it came the fear of loosing them. Though burnt to the CD-ROM at 16x speed, titled & arranged in the CD leather pouch. The fear of loosing still remained. The number of CD's only kept increasing, editing was challenging and the maintenance got tougher, though I lived with the slow speed in loading the pictures to the computer.

Booom! what was once expensive was now affordable - the external hard drive. Ranging from 1 GB to TB's, decided on 1TB for the time being and luckily there was a sale on ebay. Ordered for a Buffalo3.0 Ministation 1TB for 3500 INR which was delivered on the second day. The task on hand was huge & there was a rush to transfer everything from the CD-ROM (like CD's were about to die in a day). The task was not as easy as I had thought, had to be specific in the folders created for easy access & sharing. It was a sigh of relief, a smile & a feeling of accomplishment.

Will it end here is the question.... I know the cloud is out there to scare me further, dig into my pocket, force me to evolve & rejoice when it's all in cloud. I'll be on Cloud Nine !

No More "Dream - Platform 13"

Had started this Label "Dream - Platform 13" back in March 2009 hoping to capture the details of my Dreams. Even brought a book "Dreams & their significance", read "Interpretation of Dreams" by Sigmund Freud, I was all inspired.

Used to place a note pad & a pen next to my pillow to jot down what I dreamt. Did that for a couple of days after which I had this terrifying dream that I actually woke up sweating & crying. Called up my Father who was at work at 0400 Hrs.

Everyday I dream, sometimes I wake up to use the bathroom & when I go back to sleep, the dream continues, I dream several images & stories every night and this happens only when I sleep on the bed upstairs (irrespective of the position of my head). My wife suggested we visit a psychiatrist, but I feel it is no disorder. I have been having dreams - that's all.

My Father's tone was calm as always, it was me who was in shock. I told him about the dream where He had passed away & I woke up sweating & crying. His calm composed reply is etched in my brain, "Death is certain". He did not speak anything else, asked me to go back to sleep & when he returned home, he did not speak about it nor has he till date.

Thus ended the dream diary, however, I still think how could a Man be so calm & composed when His son calls him at 0400 Hrs crying & his only response ""Death is certain".

On Following Pravs World

Have been following Pravs World http://www.pravsworld.com/a-lesson-to-teach-for-lifetime/ for over eight years and it's a wonderful window to learning emotions, relationships, career & so on.

You can either read volumes of books to ascertain the message, understand & implement or simply read a quote on Pravs World which delivers the strongest messages through simple pictures and a couple of lines.

Stories that can never be forgotten, the ones which needs to be passed on from one generation to another to create a beautiful life, worth building & dying for. My Parents used the Panchatantra to engrave the values of relationship, love & respect to my life. I shall use along with that, the quotes, videos, pictures & stories from Pravs World to teach my child to LIVE LIFE.

What are they selling anyways?

Watching advertisements on television has been irritating & the concepts are ridiculous. Promote your product but not at the cost of putting down someone else, faking the message, wrongly representing a culture & stupid ideas.... I can go on & on with the frustration these advertisements have driven me to... what a pity that the brands go to such cheap & low standards of advertisement.

a) does your tooth paste prevent you from acid attack? what the heck do you mean acid attack. My Dad is 65 and hasn't lost a tooth & never experienced a tooth ache. Does He brush with your toothpaste? hell no. Stop scaring the kids with terrifying Ads, let them eat what they want and live life.

b) 3 stupid cricketers counting the stares from girls? am sure as bold images in sports, you can do much better Ads & deliver a worth while message to the society. You don't have to show that you carry a hand counter to click at every glance you get from a girl.

c) an individual saying in spite of being a software engineer he couldn't find a bride? folks, if you want to promote your muscle gain drink, show a before & after photo, why do you want to highlight the education?

d) all fruits in a soap? when poor people cannot afford a single fruit per week, you show tons of fruits being used in making your soap. I would rather recommend a fruit a day to have a healthy skin or better still scrub with a stone.

e) being fairer means everything? racism to the core, saying only the fair gets the job, people look at only the fair ones and being dark means a sin

I know this won't change, but my efforts to teach the kids the right way to gauge an advertisement will never stop. Hope people would start criticizing these stupid ads on every forum available and bring real sense to the word 'advertisement'.

4th Wedding Anniversary

18th Jan 2010 was the Day 1of entering a new phase of life - Marriage!

Wedding is the day whereas Marriage is a life long affair. The journey has been wonderful with a companion as accommodating as my lovely wife Srividya. Unlike any other, the emotions have been the same, moments of joy, laughter, sorrow, anger, depression, anxiety & curiosity. We had made a commitment to trust each other & have faith in our relationship that would last forever and now after four years when I look back, we have stood by that.

She has given the greatest gift to our Family - a ball of love, my Daughter!

Colors & Smiles of Life

Both the families couldn't be any more happier than what it is without the values upheld by Her. Paying attention to finer details of Her speech, thoughts & choice of words, She has done a marvelous connection with everyone. Her respect, love & care is impartial.

With Blessing from Parents & wishes from the Family, sure to lead our marriage to the Golden Jubilee!

When Dad finally asked...

I am 34 years & 3 months and what happened today was surprising, made me feel good and there was a hidden lesson which I'm glad to have read and hope to maintain forever.

My Father has always been in the habit of giving, proactive to the core, never missed an errand, never shopped for self & till date hasn't asked "I want this". He is a duty bound individual for whom it's always about responsibility as a Father, Husband, Friend and a relative. Mother would only tell the groceries needs to be looked at, He would instantly do a survey, prepare the list in His mind and within hours the store room would be full with everything that Mom would need. When it comes to finance, He is the Best, rushes to the bank without any delay to deposit and questions if it is really necessary to withdraw if He has to. His mantra for savings has been simple "go running to the bank if you have to deposit & crying if you have to withdraw". The electricity bill is delivered at 1100 hours and by 1130 hours He would have paid the same.

LEGEND - My Father

While we were having a casual conversation this evening, He asked "Doni (that's what He calls me) I need a track suit with pockets". For a moment I could not believe my own ears, this was the first time He has asked me or anybody for something. I immediately took His specifications and it was the greatest pleasure - buying Him what He has asked.

What would have the Man felt? who never asked anyone for anything, to ask for something. I don't know the reasons nor do i want to know, but the immense joy in being felt responsible from my Father is the greatest reason to celebrate. I too shall strive hard to walk in His footsteps, be independent, be caring, always have an escape route (that's what He says) and proactively assume responsibility towards everything in life.

I DON'T NEED A LEGEND TO FOLLOW, I HAVE BEEN RAISED BY ONE!

What Royal Enfield means to me... wish I could enforce to all

In 1893, the Enfield Manufacturing Company Ltd was registered to manufacture bicycles, adopting the branding Royal Enfield. We are talking about a History of 121 years of Engineering.

No doubt it has a cult following with the constant revolution of ideas & battle between man and machine. In this post I intend to speak of India, Indian mindset and the ridiculous manners on road.

Bullet was a luxury vehicle with a specific purpose since inception, made for the warfare, rode by men in uniform with discipline as a way of life. Little did they know that it would become the life style of a million Indians in the years to come. It was the journey that mattered & NOT the speed of reaching a destination. It was about riding with nature & NOT breaking the rules.

May be the cost & efficiency kept a lot of unruly buyers at bay, but not any longer. The sales on RE has boosted over the past couple of years which may be a celebration for the company but not for a law abiding, RE passionate rider like me who enjoys synching the beat of my Bullet with my Heart.

Today people have money & of course you can buy anything if you have the money. Folks before you buy a two wheeler know what is it that you need & then buy. Know & understand your riding style.

Are you looking at long distance travel, navigating urban traffic, cruising, racing or off-road riding? Just so that you know, a RE Bullet is used for long distance travel, cruising & light load off-roading. If you are the kind of a person raised with poor road manners, who get cheap thrills by speeding in city, breaking traffic rules, riding on the pavement and honking to get attention, RE is not for you. There are plenty of two wheelers that would suit your needs, NOT THE RE. If you really want to show off your RE (which most of them do), ride slow, respect the fellow riders, follow the rules and honk only if the other person is in danger.

Dare you take bath & not give your Bullet the bath & the pampering it deserves. You don't dress in a fine suit & wear hawaii slippers... DO YOU?

I'm afraid that in the years to come, RE will be like any other two wheeler released in India, brought by stupid senseless people causing a stroke to the values upheld by the fanatic's like me.

It's my opinion & those who don't care a damn of other lives on the road can still continue to zip fast, ride on pavements, do stunts, break the signals & traffic rules, honk till their egos fly and ride the RE.

Lost in Thoughts

How often we come across people saying "they were lost in thoughts" and every time I hear that, makes me recollect the last time I was lost in thoughts.

It is an unexplored frontier which haunts you again & again. You re-live the moments working maths in your brain on what should have been done better, what shouldn't have & what if it were to happen again. The hidden thoughts in the subconscious which paves the way for what the future beholds & the fantasy world that you may live in - ah! what a way to get lost in thoughts.

Looking at my Daughter grow so fast (She is 14 months now), I wonder how I would be lost in thoughts when She really does grow up (say in Her teens) on how I put Her to sleep, Her sweet first words, signs, laughter & cries. See, I was lost in thoughts for that brief moment when I thought about it.

"Lost in thoughts" has no boundaries, no limits, undefinable & the one whose variable is only your mind. It is freedom. You can change the direction of everything, like going back to school, falling in love, hugging your Mother, hiding from your Father, bribing your Sister to keep a secret, the first kiss, adventure trips, smile of a newborn, your first near-death experience & simply every moment of joy & sorrow.

So, the next time "you are lost in thoughts", live that moment, enjoy like it were raining, learn from that experience and make another memory worth while that you may want to get lost in its thought some day.

Madhuri - a Delight!

Ever watched a dance from the chin up? Watch Madhuri Dixit.

The expressions make me feel like her face commands the rest of the body to dance. A diva so charming, gracious & splendid, makes the heart skip a beat. The elegant dance moves by the queen is enchanting. She is a delight to watch & I shall watch forever :)

Things I've Paused, not sure why...

As a kid & over the years, I ventured into a lot of fields, developed them as hobbies, pursued for a while, then shelved them, moved onto chase something else & this cycle just doesn't seem to STOP... Is this the reason why I am a jack of all trades? Did I miss something big by doing so & if YES, what I may have missed?

Philately: One of the first hobbies that I remember, collected a large number of stamps, made my own stamp album, exchanged with my friends at school. From 1995 to 2002 almost no activity. When I joined Railways, I opened the album again. My Sister gifted me stamp albums. Joined a philately club in Hubli & actively participated in a couple of meetings. With the philately account opened, I received new stamps as they were released and I continued to received them even after I quit Railways.  Sometime in 2007, I neatly arranged them in a photo album and thus ended this hobby.
But, has it stopped my interest in Philately? I still collect them, browse for sellers of stamps & feel excited when I look at some collections (though I'm not placing them in the album).

When I started collecting as a kid, I wanted to be the greatest philatelist. Though satisfied with my collection, I am not the greatest yet... but I still have time.

Poems: Ah!, it's an experience and I am proud of what I have composed. Hundreds of them, a few published online and the last one was composed sometime in 2010. I feel, I could have churned this better, continued as a poet and had oceans of opportunity to pen down a lot that I have let go. With easier publishing options today, I can sure make myself proud, if I continue...

Sketches: Fascinated by seeing the pencil sketches, wanted to give it a shot and I must say, I did sketch a couple of master pieces (Swami Vivekananda & Bhagat Singh) without any formal training. Piled up a lot of copies that I wanted to sketch but never did. I still browse for pencil sketching material online, have downloaded the tutorials on how to sketch and WAITING FOR THE TIME knowing that I have to make time...

Paper Models: Started with the help of my consultant in AOL. Made a wonderful fighter plane, helicopter, air base, WWII war areas and that was it. Have a lot of ideas and it is hanging in the most active part of the brain...

Blogging: When my friend introduced blogging, it was big. Wanted to capture almost everything that has happened in life so far and dreamt of the real open book Autobiography. I know what I have missed and will complete it in this life time...

A lot more that I have kissed just ONE time are Photography, Adventure Sports, Long Rides... all in anticipation of the good times to come.

Oh Lord! My Bucket List is almost done -wish me good luck.

ನಾನೇನಾ ಆ ರಾಯ ???

ಮುಂಜಾನೆ ಐದರ ಸಮಯ - ಮಹಾಪ್ರಭು ಕಾಡಾನೆಯೊಂದು ರಾಜ್ಯದೊಳಗೆ ನುಗ್ಗಿ ಪ್ರಜೆಗಳನ್ನು ಭಯಭೀತರನ್ನಾಗಿ ಮಾಡಿದೆ. ಬೆಳೆಗಳನ್ನು ನಾಶ ಮಾಡಿ, ರತ್ನ ವ್ಯಾಪಾರ ಮಳಿಗೆಗೆ ನುಗ್ಗಿ ಇಬ್ಬರನ್ನು ಹತ್ಯೆ ಮಾಡಿ, ವಿಟಲ ಮಂದಿರದ ಬಳಿ ಸುಳಿದಾಡುತ್ತಿದೆ. ತಾವು ಈ ಆಪತ್ತಿನಿಂದ ಪ್ರಜೆಗಳನ್ನು ಕಾಪಾಡಬೇಕು. 

ಆಗಿನ್ನು ದೇವರ ಪ್ರಾರ್ಥನೆ ಅಭಿಷೇಕವನ್ನು ಮುಗಿಸಿ ಉದಯಿಸುತಿರುವ ಸೂರ್ಯನ ದಿಟ್ಟಿಸಿ ನೋಡುತ್ತಿದ್ದ ನಮಗೆ ಸೇನಾದಿಪತಿ ತಂದ ವಿಷಯ. ನಾವು ಆಗ ಸೇನಾದಿಪತಿಯನ್ನು ಅವರು ಮಾಡಿರುವ ಪ್ರಯತ್ನದ ಬಗ್ಗೆ ಕೇಳಿದೆವು. ಸೇನಾದಿಪತಿಯು ತನ್ನ ಅನುಭವಕ್ಕೆ ತೋರಿದಂತೆ ಎಲ್ಲಾ ಪ್ರಯತ್ನವನ್ನು ಮಾಡಿದ್ದರು. ಇದೀಗ ನಮಗೆ ಸ್ಪಷ್ಟವಾಗಿ ಕಂಡ ದೃಶ್ಯ. ವೈರಿಯು ನಾನಾ ವೇಷ ಧರಿಸಿ ನಮ್ಮ ರಾಜ್ಯದ ಮೇಲೆ ಮುತ್ತಿಗೆ ಹಾಕಲು ಪ್ರಯತ್ನಿಸುತ್ತಾರೆ. ನಮ್ಮಲ್ಲಿ ಭಯ ಭೀತಿ ಕಂಡರೆ ಅಂದಿಗೆ ಅಂತ್ಯವಾದೀತು ಈ ವಿಜಯನಗರ ಸಾಮ್ರಾಜ್ಯ. ಇದು ಇತಿಹಾಸ ನಮಗೆ ಹೇಳಿಕೊಟ್ಟ ರಹಸ್ಯ. ಈ ಕಾಡಾನೆಯ ತರದಿ ಅದೆಷ್ಟೋ ಬಾರಿ ನಮ್ಮ ಶಕ್ತಿಯ ಪರೀಕ್ಷೆ ನಡೆದಿದೆ. ಇಲ್ಲಿಯ ವರೆವಿಗೂ ಸಹಸ್ರ ಯುದ್ದಗಳನ್ನು ಜೈಸಿದ ನಮಗೆ ವಿಜಯವಿಟ್ಟಳನಿಂದ ಮತ್ತೊಂದು ಪರೀಕ್ಷೆಯೇ ? ಆ ತಾಯಿ ಭುವನೇಶ್ವರಿಯ ಕೃಪಾಕಟಾಕ್ಷ ನಮ್ಮ ಮೇಲೆ ಇರುವವರೆಗು ಕಾಡಾನೆಯ ಹಿಂಡೇ ಬಂದರು ಒಂಟಿಯಾಗಿ ಜೈಸಬಲ್ಲೆವು ನಾವು. 

ನಮ್ಮ ಯುದ್ದ ಶಾಲೆಯಲ್ಲಿ ಪಳಗಿದ ಗಂಡಾನೆ ಭೀಷ್ಮನ ಬೆನ್ನೇರಿ ಕೈಯಲ್ಲಿ ಹಗ್ಗದ ನುಣುಕು ಹಿಡಿದು ಹಾದಿ ತಪ್ಪಿ ಬಂದ ಆ ಕಾಡಾನೆಯ ಬಳಿಗೆ ಬರುತ್ತಲೇ ಅದು ಧಾಳಿ ಮಾಡಿತು, ಚಿಂ ಎಂದು ಅದರ ಮೇಲೆ ಹಾರಿ, ಮುಷ್ಟಿಯ ಬಿಗಿ ಮಾಡಿ ಅದರ ತಲೆಗೆ ಸಿಡಿಲೇ  ಬಡಿದಂತೆ ಆಕ್ರಮಿಸಿದೆವು. ಒಂದೇ ಏಟಿಗೆ ಪ್ರಗ್ನೆತಪ್ಪಿ ದಟ್ತೆಂದು ನೆಲ್ಲಕ್ಕುರುಳಿತು ಮದಿಸಿದ ಆ ಕಾಡಾನೆ. ಮತ್ತೊಂದು ಜಯ !

ಶಿಲ್ಪಿಗಳು ಕವಿಗಳು ಸಕಲ ಕಲಾವಲ್ಲಬರು ತುಂಬಿರುವ ನಮ್ಮ ಆಸ್ಥಾನದ ನೋಟವೇ ಒಂದು ಹೆಮ್ಮೆ. ವೈರಿಗಳಿಗೆ ಸಿಂಹ ಸ್ವಪ್ನವಾಗಿ ಭೀತಿಸುವ ನಮ್ಮ ಸೈನ್ಯ, ಅಪ್ಸರೆಗಳನ್ನೇ ನಾಚಿಸುವ ರಾಜ ನರ್ತಕಿಯರು, ಹಿರಿದಾಗಿ ನಮ್ಮ ಸಿಂಹಾಸನದ ಬಳಿ ರಕ್ತದೊಕುಳಿಗಾಗಿ ಸದಾ ಸಿದ್ದವಿರುವ ಖಡ್ಗ. ಈ ವೈಭವಗಳ ತಲೆತಲಾಂತರದಿಂದ ಕಾಪಾಡಿಕೊಂಡು ಬಂದ ಹಿರಿಮೆಯ ವಂಶ ನಮ್ಮದು. 

ಶ್ರೀ ಕೃಷ್ಣದೇವರಾಯ                                                        ಶ್ರೀ ವಿಶ್ವನಾಥ

ಇದು ನನ್ನ ಪುನರ್ಗೊಚರಿಸುವ ಸ್ವಪ್ನ, ಮತ್ತೆ ಮತ್ತೆ ಅದೇ ದೃಶ್ಯಗಳು, ರಣರಂಗದಲ್ಲಿ ವೈರಿಗಳ ರುಂಡಗಳ ಮಾರಣಹೋಮ, ಎಲ್ಲಿ ನೋಡಿದರಲ್ಲಿ ಹಸಿರು ತುಂಬಿರುವ ನನ್ನ ಸಾಮ್ರಾಜ್ಯ, ಮುಗಿಲೆತ್ತರಕೆ ನಿಂತ ಶಿಲೆಗಳು, ದಶಕವಿಡೀ ನಡೆದರು ಕೊನೆಗಾಣದ ಗಡಿ, ವಜ್ರ ವೈಡುರ್ಯಗಳಿಂದ ತುಂಬಿದ ಅರಮನೆ. 

ನಾನೇ ಆ ರಾಯನೆನ್ನಲು ಈ ಸ್ವಪ್ನವೇ ನನ್ನ ಸಾಕ್ಷಿ !

Stomach Cleansing

Artificial nutrients, flavors, colors, aerated water, unhygienic oils & fatty foods should do some damage to your stomach over a period of time. The effects may be felt over a period of time and could lead to major diseases. Like you wash everyday and take care of your appearance, it is critical that you wash the inside at least once in six months.

There are several methods for doing so. Dad has always suggested the tablet named Jaapal (its a tablet available in Ayurvedic stores). The procedure is simple, two tablets on an empty stomach early in the morning (~4-5AM) and fill your stomach with water. The cleansing starts within an hour and depending on the amount of dirt that has to be cleaned, may end within 3-4 hours.

Drink lots of water (though any fluid is okay except Tea & Buttermilk). Once the cleansing is complete, have a light lunch with low or no spices and for dinner repeat the same. The next morning, drink 2-3 tender coconuts to clean your kidneys.

Feel the difference in your health and mark your calendar for the next cleansing session. It is also recommended that you donate blood once in 3 months to maintain healthy blood cells.

It has worked for me & I feel healthy, fresh and rejuvenated.

Note: Seek advice from your physician before you take the tablet.

A Friends response on returning good times back

September 1997- December 2000, the Best years of my Life.  Lived in a paradise called MICO Vocational Center. Sixty of us split into two batches with a Trade of our own. We were trained like horses or should I say horses were trained after MVC. We had to master the trade, the skills, the fine touch of handling the machine tools and LEARN TO LIVE.

It was always a Team, be it feasting in the canteen, or munching on the snacks on theory days or sweating it out on the shop floor. It was all about living & learning every moment in MVC. Forever bonds were built, cherished and assured to last a lifetime. Though we are all in our own fields today, it just seems like we spoke last night when we meet. I know when in need, my MVC friends will be there.

This post references to Aug 25th 2006, six years after we ate our last meal in the MICO canteen. Rajesh K was coming back home after completing his project in Germany. He calls me from Frankfurt airport & asks, "Kashi, what can I get for you?", I replied, "wish you could bring back those wonderful moments again". Our conversation ended with a formal bye & see you soon. On reaching Bangalore, he calls me for a meeting, we spoke for hours & when it was time to say 'bye', he silently reaches out to his bag & gives me this beautiful gift with the words I can never forget "I could not bring back the wonderful moments but I have brought a watch to remind you of our friendship & the wonderful moments".

Gifted by Rajesh K, Chronograph Date Day & 24 hours

13 years ON, our MVC gang has stayed intact & in touch. Venu Gopal surprised me with another watch saying, there was a good discount at HMT and I thought of you.

Gifted by Venu Gopal, Mechanical Automatic Date display

Feels like it was DESTINY to be a part of MVC, to have gained love, friendship and trustworthy souls to spend the rest of life!

of Tools & Spares @ Home

Calling a house a home is easy, but maintaining the home a home is tough. Things break down when you least expected and when it's most required, like you have chosen a particular shirt for the business meeting at work and just when you plugged the iron box, it fused out leaving you in a bad shirt day. Experiences like this one are many to list and this post is about what one needs at home to face these challenges.

Of course, you cannot be prepared with a spare for every damn thing, but sure, you can list & procure the most essential. A long lasting investment which saves time, money and your frustration.

Tools, don't worry, once brought & the time comes you will know how to use them.

• Screw Driver set with interchangeable bits
• Spanner set till 32
• Claw Hammer
• Combination Pliers
• Scissors & a Knife
• A 200-300 mm rod
• Medium Pipe Wrench
• Monkey Wrench
• 1" pipe ~300 mm long
• 8"Flat File

Spares, invest on good quality ones to avoid frequent change.

• Electric Bulb
• Insulation Tape
• Tap
• Tap Spindle
• Electric Switch
• Electric Flex Box
• Nails & Screws
• Meter long electric wire
• Sand Paper

I'm confident that I will face the challenges that my home may throw at me. I'm prepared and well equipped :)

Mailbox Cleansing - Herculean Task

Brain, Head, Eyes & Fingers started to hurt when I decided on cleaning the personal mailboxes. Having unlimited access to the internet since 2004 with emails as the primary means of communication, over the last 10years they have piled up much beyond what I thought it would be & most of which I could not relate to.

From the basic folders, many more custom folders were created in anticipation that I would need them one day.

Why did I want to clean the mail boxes?

• Would be easier to locate the mail that I'm looking for with lesser mails
• Free up my cyber space
• Permanently delete the ones which are worth deleting
• Reorganize based on the current lifestyle
• Makes me feel good that I'm organized
• Wanted to see my progress

I started with a basic sorting From & Subject. Though this helped me clear ~40%, for the rest, I had to open the mail, attachments & then delete. My brain was under constant pressure to quickly decide if I would ever need that mail again and would it make me happier reading the same when I'm old.

Must say it was a walk down the memory lane, I giggled, laughed, frowned, on a few grew angry, sad and was frustrated. It showed me the change in my personality, thoughts and what Life is all about. What was once considered the only way had lost its way, had to try hard to put a picture to the names of those who were once dearer, people had moved on & so had I.

I miss the Uniform

Working with one of the largest corporate giants with departments spread like the branches of a banyan tree, it's hard to get out of your shell, explore the other branches and stay connected with the other limbs of the organization. Honestly, I don't know the operations that my adjacent bay on the floor manages. I wonder if this is by design or a problem that needs serious analysis. You just can't identify who is the operator & the manager.

Would it make a difference if everyone knew what everyone does, their roles & responsibilities? Would it help retain the right talent for the business? Would it encourage the employees to build a career map of their own? Would it drive productivity?

My school had an uniform and one could just name the school by the uniform. The school uniform sent out a message that everyone are equal irrespective of what your parents are, where you come from and the color of your skin. Further divisions of the uniform to color houses only helped us sync with the theme of our house, it drove the spirit of competition and to this day, I carry the pride of belonging to the Blue house. You self learned the disciplines of what not to do when you're in the school uniform.

The vocational training in BOSCH helped me set goals all by the color of the uniform. There were different uniforms according to the grade and it was easy identifying the roles & who does what by the color. I knew if I continued as an employee of BOSCH, I would one day want to wear the white overcoat.

Working with Indian Railways as a Diesel Assistant, everyone knew who I was by the uniform I wore. And, I knew what their role was when I looked at their uniform.

I don't remember any conversations revolving around your wardrobe or the jewellery. Work meant work and I could approach anyone in the similar uniform as mine to render help. Team work was not driven, instead, it was displayed by everyone wearing that uniform. Your social status corresponding to your financial status meant nothing once you wore the uniform. Uniform United Us in achieving the common goal of the organization.

The above observations are my experiences in Uniform and having said the above interesting things, I feel it would be a waste of my time as well as yours reading, if I wrote what the dresses are doing in an organization...

I for sure, miss being in an Uniform :( knowing that you cannot win battles if all were in dresses.

Being Jealous is a Natural Instinct

October 20th 2012 till date has been a wonderful learning experience. The Guru is learning and teaching at the same time. Her name is Saakshi, my beloved Daughter. Everyday is a test to see if we remember the previous days lessons. This is a test which you cannot afford to fail, for, you don't want to see Her crying over something that She clearly taught you.

Among the many lessons, I found the lesson on Greed & Jealous the most interesting. At 8 months, She did not want Her family members to carry any other baby. She would come crying and mostly try to hurt the baby we were holding. There was a debate amongst us if it was a feeling of insecurity or was She being jealous. I was convinced that She was jealous. Had it been the sense of insecurity, She would have come asking us to hold Her, however, that was not the scenario.

Weeks would have passed by since She played with a few toys, though everyday, She would dig them out of the bag, selectively keep them apart and play with the rest. It's only when another kid joins Her and wants to play with the toys that She hadn't touched for weeks, Saakshi jumps, grabs that toy from the other kid and starts playing with it. We for sure did not teach Her this behavior nor have we exposed Her to this kind of a behavior in Her surrounding. So, how did She learn this?

An experience as recent as yesterday, we gathered for lunch with my MVC friends. I knew there would be 2 other kids of pretty much her own age, hence, I asked Vidya (my wife) to buy three dairy milk chocolates. After lunch, I made Saakshi give a chocolate each to them (to which She was hesitant) and asked Her to keep one for Herself. Though She initially gave, She immediately wanted all three and was chasing the other two kids. Isn't this greed and where on earth did She learn this?

Learning to Live a Life is never taught and is never learned through lessons. You are born with all the Learning's and through time, you test each, and adopt the ones to make you the best in the place where you live. Greed & Jealous at the right time and right place is a survival skill that you're born with. As parents, we only attempt to make You understand what that right time & place is.

fall in LOVE

Hard to tell if it's Passion or Love that haunts you in the middle of your sleep, tickles your brain through the day and a possession that never lets you go until it dies of age or you hide it deep within, finding a new one that you want to be chased by. This emotion is divine that keeps you alive - to fall in love again & again!

to fall in love with a place, ah! a pleasant emotion of what you liked which doesn't restrict itself to trees, wind & ocean. It stretches far beyond the reaches of imagination and what may temporarily make you feel "you fell in love with the place" may actually be that one thing in particular that churned the dream that was dreamt long long ago and the one which found its identity here at this place. Now think hard, was it the place that you fell in love with or did you camouflage your love with that place?

to fall in love with a thing, is actually not falling in love at all. You lack exact words & say, fell in love with that.... like the food you had at a diner, a car you saw or the ornament you brought.

to fall in love with a person, the hardest of emotions, the one where brain gives away to the heart too soon. You want to think it is eternal, never shall change and never shall you loose. With time, everything is tested & only those who nurtured it well shall have the roots strong enough for the emotion to grow as an oak, strong & no storm strong enough to bring it down.

falling in love has many contexts defined by various definitions at various stages of life. What was once a passion becomes a distant memory, a memory that you never want to remember reincarnates itself, a few falls in love are worth forgetting, some by choice and the rest by design. Every time you fell in love with something, there was clarity in love but the uncertainty prevailed on whether you would get it or loose it. No man wants to loose and hence the subconscious works its way silently allowing you to make the union of things surrounding that what you truly loved. This forbids the very thought of loosing and you believe it is true.

Love is a very specific emotion like the rainbow, you are never certain was it the white you fell in love with or was it the colors. This is a constant battle between the brain & the heart in which you choose not to loose either.

This post is an experience, a clarity of what I truly fell in love with and the way forward to sort things in the compartments of my brain and heart. Though uncertain of what now appears certain, for sure it's worth falling in love with!

a Saturday

For those that are familiar with TGIF(Thank God Its Friday), it's about looking forward to the next 48 hours of blank space to fill in with what pleases you the most. For me, it was the next 24 hours, I did not want to step out of the gate unless it was an emergency.

Woke up at 0830 by the sweet kiss of my Daughter, that is Her way of waking me up. After a cup of coffee prepared by my beautiful Wife, glanced at the TOI, found nothing that would interest me. Worked out for 30 minutes followed by the routine home cleaning.

Saakshi playing in Her favorite tub

What I really wanted to do, the only thing that I had planned was giving bath to my Daughter in her favorite tub. She enjoyed playing in the water while I enjoyed capturing those moments on my DSLR. A quick shower, raagi balls & greens curry for lunch and sleep was only inches away. With my Daughter cuddled next to me, slept for a good two hours.

Played the rest of the evening with Her and ending this day with this post. Indeed a Saturday that went as per plan!

METRO - Cash & Carry

Dates back to the time when I was under the impression that big bazaar was the hugest of the shopping facility that I had seen with such a wide variety of products. However, that was only till my brother in law Murthy tagged me along to Metro (Yeshwanthpur). Was lucky to get an additional Access card for myself.

Home Shopping has never been the same since!

Back until an year ago, there was a minimum buy and it was only cash & carry which is no longer the clause. Have been consciously using the card and helping my friends as well to gain entry.

Here is why I choose METRO for home shopping:

• Variety of Products
• Easy comparison of the items as different brands for the same are stacked next to each other
• Very very economical when compared to any other mart
• Spacious is the word
• Comparatively lesser Queue time
• Opens at 0600 Hrs
• Easy shopping instructions 

Thanks METRO for all the savings that I have made - smart savings !

"ಚಿಂತನ"

ಮುಂಜಾನೆ ಮನೆಯ ಅಂಗಳದಿ ನವಿಲಿನ ಕೂಗು, ಪಕ್ಷಿಗಳ ಚಿಲಿ ಪಿಲಿ, ದೊಡ್ದಿಯಲ್ಲಿನ ಹಸುವಿನ ಅಂಬಾ ಎಂಬ ಪ್ರೀತಿಯ ಕರೆ ಇರುವಾಗ, ಯಾರಿಗೆ ಬೇಕು ಗಡಿಯಾರ ? ಇಲ್ಲಿ ಗಡಿಯಾರದ ಮುಳ್ಳಿನ ಹಾಗೆ ದಿನಚರಿ ಮಾಡುವ ಅವಶ್ಯವಿಲ್ಲ. ನನ್ನೊಡತಿ ಮಾಡಿದ ಬಿಸಿ ಬಿಸಿ ಗಂಜಿಯ ಕುಡಿದು, ಗದ್ದೆಗೆ ಆಕಳನ್ನು ಕರೆದೊಯ್ದು, ತಳಿಯನ್ನು ಪರೀಕ್ಷಿಸಿ, ನೀರಿನ ಕಟ್ಟೆಯ ಸರಿಯಾದ ಕಾಲುವೆಗೆ ಹರಿ ಬಿಟ್ಟು, ಹಾಗೆ ಸುಳಿದಾಡುತ ಹೊಂಗೆಯ ಮರದಡಿ ಕೂರುವಷ್ಟರಲ್ಲಿ ಊಟದ ಸಮಯ. ಅಮ್ಮನ ಕೈ ಹಿಡಿದು ನಲಿಯುತ ಜಿಗಿಯುತ ಹಾತರದಿ ಓಡೋಡಿ ಬರುವ ನನ್ನ ಮಗಳು "ಚಿಂತನ".

ಮೂವರು ಊಟವ ಮಾಡಿದ ನಂತರ, ಚಿಂತನಾಳ ಕಲಿವಿಕೆಯ ಸಮಯ. ಅವಳು ಬೇರೆ ಮಕ್ಕಳ ಹಾಗೆ ಶಾಲೆಗೆ ಹೋಗುವುದಿಲ್ಲ. ನಮ್ಮ ಪರಿಸರವೇ ಅವಳ ಶಾಲೆ. ಈಗ ಅವಳಿಗೆ ಮೂರುವರೆ ವರ್ಷ, ಅ ಆ ಇ ಈ ಅಕ್ಷರಗಳನ್ನು ಗುರುತಿಸುತ್ತಾಳೆ, ೧ ೨ ಇಪ್ಪತ್ತರ ವರೆಗೆ ಹೇಳುತ್ತಾಳೆ, a b c d ಅಕ್ಷರಗಳನ್ನು ಗುರುತಿಸುತ್ತಾಳೆ, ಅಮ್ಮ ಹೇಳಿಕೊಟ್ಟ ಹಾಡುಗಳನ್ನು ತಪ್ಪಿಲ್ಲದೆ ಹಾಡುತ್ತಾಳೆ. ಇಂಗ್ಲಿಷ್ ಮತ್ತು ಕನ್ನಡದಲ್ಲಿ ಪದಗಳನ್ನು ಜೋಡಿಸಲು ಕಲಿತಾದ ನಂತರ ಅವಳ ಅಮ್ಮ ಹಿಂದಿ ಹೇಳಿಕೊಡುವುದೆಂದು ಹೇಳಿದ್ದಾಳೆ. ಗಣಿತವನ್ನು ಈಗಾಗಲೇ ಕಲಿಯುತ್ತಿದ್ದಾಳೆ.

ಚಿಂತನಾಳ ವಿಧ್ಯಾಭ್ಯಾಸ ಪರಿಸರದಲ್ಲಿ. ಇಲ್ಲಿ ಶಾಲೆಯ ಗಂಟೆಯ ಭಯವಿಲ್ಲಾ, ಖಡ್ಡಾಯವಾದ ಪುಸ್ತಕವಿಲ್ಲ, ಅವಳ ಮನಸ್ಸು ಏನು ಹೇಳುತ್ತದೋ ಅದ್ದನ್ನು ಕಲಿಯುತ್ತಾಳೆ. ಹಾಗೆಂದು ವಿಷಯಗಳ ಪಟ್ಟಿ ಇಲ್ಲಾ ಎಂದು ಅರ್ಥವಲ್ಲ. ನನ್ನ ಮತ್ತು ನನ್ನ ಹೆಂಡತಿಯ ಜೀವನದ ಅನುಭವಗಳಿಂದ ನಾವೇ ಒಂದು ಚೊಕ್ಕದಾದ ಪಟ್ಯವನ್ನು ಮಾಡಿದ್ದೇವೆ. ಇದರಲ್ಲಿ ಹಲವಾರು ಬಣ್ಣಗಳುಂಟು, ಕರ ಕುಶಲ ಹವ್ಯಾಸಗಳುಂಟು, ತರಕಾರಿ ಹಣ್ಣು ಬೆಳೆಯುವುದರ ರಹಸ್ಯಗಳುಂಟು, ಮೇಣವ ಮಾಡುವ ಪರಿಯುಂಟು, ಯಾರೊಡನೆ ಹೇಗೆ ವರ್ತಿಸಬೇಕು ಎಂಬ ಪಾಠಗಳುಂಟು , ಹಬ್ಬಗಳುಂಟು, ಸಿಹಿ ಭೋಜನ ನಳಪಾಕದ ಅಡುಗೆಮನೆಉಂಟು, ಹತ್ತು ಹಲವಾರು ಆಟಗಳುಂಟು, ನೊವ್ವು ನಲಿವಿನ ನೀತಿ ಕಥೆಗಳುಂಟು, ಎಲ್ಲಕ್ಕೂ ಮಿಗಿಲಾಗಿ ಜೀವನದ ಮಧುರ ಕ್ಷಣಗಳ ಸವಿಯುವ ಸಾಗರವೇ ಇಲ್ಲುಂಟು.

ಮುಂದುವರಿಯಲಿದೆ.........................

Myntra Delivery Surprised Me

Apprehensive at the beginning to shop online, My confidence was built over a period of time. Started with low values and moved on to much higher and the highest of all at 9000INR.

With the online shopping going viral, offers are limitless for the shopper, competition drives customer satisfaction and the bar only keeps raising higher & higher.

After a search for shoes in the stores across National Market, Jayanagar and a few malls, resorted to online shopping to find the choice unlimited. Did a comparison between a couple of sites and finally froze on what seemed fit for the budget and the legs.

Using Myntra.com ordered for a pair of shoes and sandals at 2000 Hrs on 31st Dec'13, hoping I would get the delivery in a couple of days. Was surprised with the SMS showing the shipment out for delivery by 0000 Hrs and today at 1200 Hrs, it was home.

In less than 16 hours, the order was delivered home and the delivery man did not even wait for the tip.

The quality of the products met the expectations and their Net Promoter Score only went one notch higher with my survey!