I chat, You Chat, We Chat

Conversations are lyrics, Laughter is the voice and time spend together a Melody. But hectic office schedules, tiresome work load and ever increasing deadlines hardly offers any of us enough time for making this Music of Conversation come true. Sometimes, I wish Life would be a lot easier if the conversations were rewindable and erasable, like videos. Then probably, I could visit them again and relive those moments of euphoria and delete the ones that brought grief and heartaches.

Technology has affected everyone and everything in this past decade – be it the way we live , the way we socialize or the way we interact. One of the recent development in the Interaction technology is the introduction of Android operating system and its innumerable applications that we use for several different purposes. One such application that has recently created a boom in the market is WeChat. This application can very well be called “Chuck Norris of Chatting“. 

Among several strange and stupid ideas that continue to hit me , while in the shower, this is the most recent one.What would happen if  this world was one big WeChat group and we could talk to anyone we wanted to. Wouldn’t that be awesome, if you could find solution to your Physics problem by messaging Stephen Hawkins, or you could ask Paris Hilton out for a date, once she is free from her photoshoot sessions. I gave it some thought (boring weekends, you know) and compiled this list of  people, with reasons, whom I would add to my WeChat group. 

1) Sir Ravindra Jadeja 

  This had to be my first. Who would not like to have the legend who ate  the broken part of the Apple logo in his close WeChat circle. It was a real fascinating conversation, after all it was with the person who drove Ranjnikant away from all social networking sites. For one second, I thought that Superman could be second on my list,after all he is the Man Of Steel but then Sir Jadeja reminded me that what’s the need as he himself  was the Man of Stainless Steel.He even told me that once Superman and Sir Jadeja bet on an arm wrestling match. The loser had to wear his underwear on the outside of his clothes. All you cartoon freaks know the rest of reality very well

2) Pikachu 

Did I just said cartoons, then someone whom I dearly miss is our beloved Pikachu. He was my first cartoon hero, most fearless of all the Pokemons, most adorable among all the creatures of the fantasy world. I just fell in love with his “Pika Pika Pikachu…” via the voice chat feature of the application. He told me about the life of other little monsters in the Pokemon universe and what fighting Team Rocket feels like. I also invited him to our world, where he can live with me as my pet. His superpowers like Thundershock and Electric Discharge can solve the electricity crisis in India, while in his free time he has promised to eliminate some of the troublemakers from Delhi as well. How generous of him !!!!!!

3) Paul, The Octopus

  Third one in my fantasy list is Paul, most popular among all underwater creatures.  While all Other octopi just swim around the ocean, squirting out ink when they get scared, Paul did something that no scientist with any of their inventions could have ever dreamt of. He told us the future. There could be no one better than him to explain the hidden role of chance in life.During our chat he told me that, his trainers  placed two boxes in his cage, each with the flag of a world cup team, and each with a tasty mussel inside. He picked a mussel, and for eight games in a row, including the World Cup final, his choice won the game. The truth he texted me was that he always went for the mussel which had the Strawberry essence in it, after all no snakes, crabs and scallops he ate had such a nice flavor . Later during video chat, he also showed me that how his trainers were planning to make large amount of money through gambling using him, so he decided to leave the prediction job. Even sea animals are so much better than we humans. Such a Shame !!!

4) Charlie Sheen

The lead of Two and a Half Men – Charlie Sheen is the fourth on my list, the modern Casanova, with best one liners and jokes industry has ever seen and a beach house at Malibu, he is a real successful artist. A conversation which I was looking forward to, was in context of some dating tips from him. When I pinged him on WeChat, he was luckily idle. So, I asked him, his secrets of being a charm to so many ladies. What he replied me was ” The only way to not get your heart broken is to pretend that you don’t have one.” Some conversations can be real strange, how can a man with such a persona could say so, I wonder.  Probably, what he meant was something deep. I’ll ask him again sometime soon, when he actually meant. 

5) Alok ‘Rondinhood’ Kejriwal

  Don’t confuse him with Arvind Kejriwal, He is not someone,who protests for change to happen rather is making them happen as the CEO of Games2Win. He doesn’t build games, but people and is the best mentor a budding entrepreneur could ever have. At some point of time, I want to be another him. Who else would have advised me better, so one fine day I texted him and despite his busy schedule, he linked me to the OpenHouse video stream. All thanks to the video support on WeChat. There he told people- One of the best habits that has worked for me is a quiet, honest and no holds barred conversation with MYSELF. (Obviously a mental chat), I argue, cajole, convince, scold, make up and resolve myself, with myself.And after that, it is all about execution. Make a plan and then make it happen.

It’s the conversations which we have, that define us, make us and change us. So keep having conversations. You may never know, which one will make your dream come true.

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This Post is written as a part of #WeChatNow Contest. Do Check out:  WeChat’s Youtube Channel

Tchao !!!!!!!

The #XtremeDrive Indimeet Experience

#SoldierForWomen – A Story of Courage

Ralph Waldo Emerson said – “A Hero is no braver than an ordinary person, but someone who has been braver five minutes longer”. In those situations when crisis hits, those five minutes are enough for chaos to take over a sane person’s need for self-safety to triumph, even over other person’s life.

Such an ordinary person who doesn’t put his own safety on the priority list, in that moment and stand up against wrong is someone who can be called a real Soldier. A niche segment of such heroes, who stand up and fight, so that the masses can carry on with their daily lives, may be residing in your next door flat, probably he is your co-worker or he may be the guy who delivers your mail. Yet, our conservative society never let these superheroes come out of the caves of anonymity they dwell in, while the gaudy images of Bollywood celebrities continue to flood Page-3.

To bring forth, such soldiers who stood for women and helped them out of complicated situations, Blogadda has unveiled an unique initiative – “Soldier for Women Campaign”, where stories of such soldiers will be compiled in a special E-book, with a blade of honor and certificate being awarded to them, so as to salute their outstanding courage.

Here goes my contribution to this nation-wide moment. An incident from about a year back, at Ranthambore National Park, Sawai Madhopur, Rajasthan. Ranthambore National Park was the most renowned hunting ground of Maharajas of Jaipur, till recently when it has evolved into a major wildlife tourist attraction spot that has pulled several photographers and wildlife lovers to this destination.

 The park is majorly famous for its tigers and is one of the best locations to see these majestic predators in their natural habitats. Except for these diurnal giants, population of the park is dominated by Striped Hyenas, Sambar Deer, Cheetal, Indian Foxes, Mongoose and a few variety of Vipers and Pythons.

It was the 2^nd week of May last year, when I, along with my cousins planned to have an adventurous sight-seeing of this wonderful place. Only memory of those three days, I have left, apart from that elated moment of tiger sighting was of dryness and sweat that Rajasthan welcome its visitors with. There was no sighting on the first day and the second day was lost to rain. It turned out that, I wasn’t the only one looking for the big cats. There were two other groups, as well.

All the groups were part of a caravan of three jeeps being sent on Route 5. Just within an hour or so of travelling, we were into deep woods and had already run into nearly a dozen Peacocks, a few Hyenas, and as three more hours passed, we had encountered nearly all creatures of jungle, including the rare sight of a Viper and Indian Grey hornbill.

It was afternoon already, that suddenly chaotic humdrum of monkeys’ gibber started from behind the Pine tree and soon it was followed by flying birds’ chirping as if some storm had approached. Someone from the other jeep shouted, that he saw a female tigress, a hundred meters from there.

All our jeeps turned and moved hastily towards the indicated place. Amid that chaos and excitement, which has suddenly developed, a women in Jeep 2, who was trying to capture some beatific creature, fell off from the accelerated vehicle. All the eyes that were glowing from the hope of getting to see the feline were now, looking into a ghastly scene. Another tiger came into sight and to everyone’s horror was exactly behind the fallen pine, not more than 50 meters from the unfortunate lady.  Excitement turned into fear and a chill ran down my spine, as what I saw there, was enough terrifying for me to be put into words. The lady was agonizing in pain from the fall, unaware of the threat.

At that very moment, I saw a real soldier, a man with enough guts to be called a hero. The stranger jumped down from the jeep and without caring about his own well-being, went to the lady and somehow managed to drag her back to the jeep, avoiding the sight of the feline.  I have heard a lot about brave men and their tales of glory, but it was the first time in my life, that I witnessed a real life hero. Through this post, I pay my tribute to that soldier.

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# This post is a part of #Soldierforwomen in association with BlogAdda.com. 

iDiya: God’s Own Children

I always thought children are cute and gullible and it was the reason why I loved them, till one day, when I saw that infant ailing alone at Andheri station without enough clothes to beat the cold . It was then that I realized “I love children, but not when they cry- for then someone used to take them away”.

Today, I sit down with this piece of prose, questioning the realities of existence of  “God’s own children” and what happens to them when they cry, not philosophically but rationally, supporting it with a few facts and depiction of the ground reality.

Child Abuse

Over a period of time different jurisdictions all around the world have developed their own perceptions of what constitutes child abuse, some refer to it as an act on the part of a parent or caretaker which results in death, and for some of these eminent organizations only serious physical, emotional  and sexual exploitation characterizes the term.

Flamboyant speeches by political leaders on Child Welfare have been their reason of power in the House of Commons. Statisticians have had their careers build upon surveying it, Professors of Ethics have added countless doctorates to their resumes on this theme and in this never-ending race of making the mare go, novelists and essayists have taken their fair share as well.

Wikipedia cites 116 references and 22 related full-fledged related articles that match “Child Abuse”, Google search result, generate 471,000,000 web-links on the term. But the real question remains where it was, even five decades after coining of the term. What is being done to protect the “Bright future of our Nation” from abuse ?

The Ground Reality

42 percent of the total population of second most populated country is below 18 years of age and is roughly about 20 percent of the world’s children. A study conducted by the UNICEF and Save the Children in 2007 brought out some staggering facts about the grave reality that no political leader or so called “Justice Seekers”, accept. According to the study, two out of every three children are physically abused. Over 53 per cent of children, reported having faced some form of sexual abuse and in most of the cases, the abuse was perpetrated by someone known to the child or in a position of trust and responsibility. But these stats are termed null and void, because of its potential to ruin several prominent careers across various industries.

The Indian Penal Code does not spell out the definition of child abuse as a specific offense. The few IPC laws which are laid down, are rarely interpreted to cover the range of child sexual abuse; the law relating to terms “sodomy” or “rape” are too specific and do not apply to acts like fondling, kissing, filming children for pornographic purposes, etc.

Provisions of Juvenile Justice Act are weak enough for defense lawyers to take advantage of legal loopholes to facilitate their client’s escape from punishment. Even for those convicted, the maximum imprisonment is two years.

Real Solution

This problem, had one and only one solution and that was to come forward and do something for it at an individual level. This post is dedicated to such an effort which later on evolved to become– Childline India Foundation.

What is CHILDLINE ?

CHILDLINE is India’s first 24-hour, free, emergency phone service for children in need of aid and assistance. A concerned adult or a child, can dial 1098, the toll free number to access their services. They not only respond to the emergency needs of children, but also link them to services for their long-term care and rehabilitation.

How does CHILDLINE work?

CHILDLINE in each city operates through a structured network of street and community youth, non-profit organizations, institutions, and concerned individuals. Each call center has a team of trained youth who man the telephone lines 24 hours a day. Within 60 minutes (at most) of receiving a call the team rushes to the child and attends to the crisis at hand. It may involve going to a police station, the Juvenile Welfare Board or a hospital. There is a regular follow up till the child tides through the crisis, after which options for long term rehabilitation are presented to the child.
How did CHILDLINE start ?

Ms Jeroo Billimoria always found time to interact with children staying on railway stations or at  night shelters. Children started calling her in crisis at her residence at any point of day and night.
The seeds of CHILDLINE were sown by the urgency of such calls and the fact that all of these were late in the night; after all other voluntary services were closed for the day. Each time, Jeroo had to rush out to take these children to hospitals, police stations, shelters, anywhere to get help. The need of the hour was a day-night emergency service that these children could call at any time for help. The service had to be widespread and round the clock, keeping in mind that the street children are a mobile unit and that help might be needed at any time of the day.

Mission: Childline India Foundation

They work for the protection of the rights of all children in general, with special focus is on all children in need of care and protection, especially the more vulnerable sections, which include:

• Street children and youth living alone on the streets
• Child laborers working in the un-organised and organized sectors
• Domestic help, especially girl domestics
• Children affected by physical / sexual / emotional abuse in family, schools or institutions.
• Children who need emotional support and guidance
• Children of commercial sex workers
• Child victims of the flesh trade
• Victims of child trafficking
• Children abandoned by parents or guardians
• Missing children
• Run away children
• Children who are victims of substance abuse
• Differently-abled children
• Children in conflict with the law
• Children in institutions
• Mentally challenged children
• HIV/ AIDS infected children
• Children affected by conflict and disaster
• Child political refugees
• Children whose families are in crises

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This is written as a part of  ISB’s iDiya, which is a National Social Venture Competition that aims to stimulate, enable and develop high-impact, self-sustaining social businesses in India. http://www.isb.edu/idiya/

(Serendipity) : My entry for the Get Published contest

How frequently does it happen that you wake up at 11 for a 10:30 am bus and still manage to catch it, hardly in these overcrowded chaises brimming with detest full creatures, you ever find a space to fit your ass in. But when you lucky enough to manage both on the same day, you know it’s a manifestation of escape from tedium, you know its one of those days when everything around you presages something remarkable.

 It was in this commotion that a fragrantly smelling cuddle some ”F”( 20 or 22 perhaps), with enigmatic blue eyes, killer curves, and a smile cute enough to make snow-white  jealous, entered through the front door and all of a sudden the entire chaos was pacified, the multitude was lost in her smooth untangled hair and She was the object of desire for every single “M” in the compartment. “Meenu“-the key chain on the lustrous shopping bag read.

Coming back to the senses, after being lost to that smell that was made ubiquitous by her entry, i returned back to the third quarter of book in my hand, which i was resolute to complete. A few minutes passed, Irwing Wallace was compelling enough to make me immerse back in his work of fiction. Aroma still filled the surroundings, but the thoughts of the charming lady were gone, mesmerized first by the book, then by that work of art and then again by the piece of literature in my hand, i was happy with the beginning of the day. I plugged in my ipod, disentangled the wire and tuned to the playlist that read favorites.

“Do you mind if I sit here”.

“Excuse me…. I am talking to you. Can’t you reply me back….”

Shocked, flabbergasted and fascinated at the same time i looked up from 10th last page of “The Almighty” and realized that the faint voice mixing with the Adele was of the pretty lady smelling  lily.

Mesmerized, i looked in her eyes, sparkling emerald they were.

“Are you going to Shimla ?” asked the amorous damsel.

“Yes…yeah. You too ?” I replied excitedly.

“I couldn’t get the train ticket due to my brother’s laziness. I tell you he is such a pathetic person, i can’t rely on anything done in time by him. I was to leave with our “famous five” girl gang yesterday and now i am not just a whole day late but stuck in this moron filled bus.” the loquacious voice uttered.

“Do you mind if i sit here” ?

It was simply a matter of sheer luck that the seat adjacent to me was the only one unoccupied.I knew from the beginning that today wasn’t like the every other day. It wasn’t the beginning of always but of something new and better which was going to be cherished for long.

Partly enchanted and partly overjoyed i told the verbose “F 20-22″ that it would be a pleasure to have her as a company for the journey. Have i mentioned she smelled “Lilies”.

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Please Promote this idea of mine, here:  . I may get published. Please !!!!!

This is my entry for the HarperCollins–IndiBlogger Get Published contest, which is run with inputs from Yashodhara Lal and HarperCollins India.

Biking: The Eternal Bliss

An ode to passion, An ode to joy, An ode to swim, An ode to fly.

A reason to live, a reason to cry, a reason to travel, a reason to touch the sky.

It is a Beethoven symphony for some, soulful music for others, for some it is a dream to chase,and a dance of ecstasy for others.

The spring is here again, and with spring, back is the spirit to set yourself free, to conquer the wide open highways, to ride your obsession, to feel the machine underneath you.

A passion for biking is really something hard to describe, it is something that is such a part of your life, it’s something that you need much like air or water. They are those magical moments when it’s just you and your machine and you feel the motion and power of that dash, untamed spirit to fly, when subconscious takes over all your senses, and you escape from the everyday’s mundane existence. It’s a joy inexplicable in words, an unbearable thrill of being your own self, a sensation which only two bikers can understand.

Catching up with newer roads, broader streets, being a desperado and just riding and riding for no other reason other than the bliss of being with your beloved bike .  Call it the love for your mean machine; call it the roar of your untamed dragon or name it the hustle of the gears and chains, but make the romance with your bike come true this spring.

Those who have felt this knows that you always share a bond  with the machine. When you get too close to it, you understand that it is not just a bike but rather a living being of its own, with its own feelings and emotions. That is the reason why “Zen and the art of motorcycle maintenance” is probably written. 

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# This is written for The Castrol Power1 Blogging Contest. www.facebook.com/CastrolBiking

#When you are not getting the T&P t-shirt, Indiblogger gives a tee to you.

     Thank You

#Currently Reading: Oliver Twist

#Fest starting from tomorrow. No plans this time. 

#Song of the day: Manmani

#Tchao !!!!

Movie Review : The Pianist

A rabid tale of pianist Szpilman’s rueful escape from rampant nazi persecution;a dissertation of his struggle to survive,to conciliate with his loss of  everything. Pianist is not a mainstream heroic battle and survival movie but an obstinate callow fight to be alive. A constant search beseeching just for food and water;maintaing his equanimity in the midst of lonliness, hunger and being awake just for the solictude of watching himself becoming a vile, minuscule existence in front of his own eyes.

Cinematography of the movie induces a ghastly effect with just a withered person alive standing besides a myriad of fallible buildings passing through ordeal of not being able to save his beloved ones. The movie goes back down the memory lane of Szpilman several times, mortified by his existence he passes through self realization ending up with an imaginary piano and his hands flowing accross it producing a mellifluos music. The movie traces his transformation from a passionate music lover to a stoic who stops feeling the pain of reason and of those several atrocities he continously passes through.

Towards the end,he escapes to his life by the reverance of a Nazi offcier who hears the music of his soul which he continues to play until his death two years later.

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# It was a fine day.

# 140 pages more to go. “The Almighty”

#Labtest Tomorrow. Have to study.

#I am 21. And its a not a coincidence that it’s half of 42

#Song of the day : Ye mera diwanapan hai .

# Tchao !!!!

The Moon and Sixpence

” The world is hard and cruel. We are here none knows why, and we go none knows whither. We must be very humble. We must see the beauty of quietness. We must go through life so inconspicuously that Fate does not notice us. And let us seek the love of simple, ignorant people. Their ignorance is better than all our knowledge. Let us be silent, content in our little corner, meek and gentle like them. That is the wisdom of life.”

 Finishing this masterpiece by Maugham was never a cinch. Montage of human emotions, dialectic of the plot and the jargon floundered its completion. Title of the book inspired from the quote “Like so many young men he was so busy yearning for the moon that he never saw the sixpence at his feet “ clearly portrays the Strickland’s dilemma of choosing among the emotionally attachment to his better half(sixpence) or to leave her and pursue a life of pure aesthetic elegance       ( The moon).

Told episodically, with a saga of  events revolving around Strickland, Maugham presents an insight in the heart and soul of  the main character (Strickland) and his transformation towards a callous existence. The inspiration of the story was Paul Gauguin, the originator of the primitive art. The novel presents an eccentric point of view that reflects those moments of  non- prejudicial thinking where a genius transients his short term goals for an epoch. Loosing the ability to be sentient and eschewing of panache are described as the presage for such an elevation of mind. Maugham makes an exquisite illusory comparison of shedding of the leaves for a distant spring , in this regard.  

The book follows Strickland and his work from France to Tahiti, where the story ends. Strickland’s unwillingness to compromise for his pursuit of art is implausible.Living in penury, denigrated by the society with a proof of his existence nearly effaced, he starts abashing anyone and everyone who tries to come close to him, which includes his purveyors and even those whom he beseech. 

Like every other classic, it too presents the entry of a mellifluous young charming lady who leaving her equanimity becomes his minion and her own personality becomes a vile minuscule existence. 

The book ends with the note  “Sometimes people carry to such perfection the mask they have assumed that in due course they actually become the person they seem ”. 

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# It was my 2nd classic.

# Incase you have read it, F. Scott Fitzgerald is the next author in the series.

# In a period of last 2 months, i have read a lot. A lot of Book reviews are on their way.

#If nobody spoke unless he had something to say, the human race would very soon lose the use of speech. - The Painted Veil

# And I have nothing to say  :P

#Song of the day – You are Beautiful – James Blunt

#Tchao !!!!