Chori Chori - Mera Pehla Pehla Pyaar

This is not an immortal composition, but it just bowled me over with its perfect capture of the sort of constant leg-pulling friends often resort to when they discover that one of them has "hooked up". The style of singing is enjoyable, the humor classy, and the lyrics couldn't have been apter. Just one of those songs you won't find topping the charts, but which you should definitely listen to once. Yenjoy it!

In memoriam

You know how things which you'll spot in the same place a zillion times when you don't require them, will go missing the moment you are in the most dire need of them. It's as if these inanimate objects have a will of their own, and this disappearance is their way of getting back at us for the prolonged indifference we afforded them. The same has happened with me right here, right now, as I give up on my search for the second credit card. You see, I have two credit cards, one of which is the primary one, carrying the bulk of the credit limit, and therefore also the bulk of my transactions. However, on this fateful day when I need to make some ticket bookings, I find that it is already reeling under the weight of my "discreditable" sins of the past month or so. But the transactions I need to make are of an urgent nature, so I turn to my second-in-command, the second credit card. Agreed that it's lilliputian in stature compared to my prima donna, but this is the exact time and opportunity for it to play a memorable cameo role. I fish for it in the little brown wallet in my drawer, where I always spotted it when I would be looking for other things. But lo! it has decided to do a Houdini! I rummage through the miscellanea twice, thrice, but to no avail - it has done a nice old vanishing act! Bags, suitcases, cupboards - everything is searched inside out, but not a sign of my trusted-but-neglected deputy. So it's with a dejected feeling that I decide to blog this down, to at least destroy the apparent futility of the whole episode.

In loving memory of ... the second credit card.

Yenjoy.

Bummy ride :P

My Business HR sent this mail to discourage people from giving birthday bumps to their teammates. However, he mixed up "bumps" with "bums" - the result is open to your imagination ...

[quote]
Folks,

While I totally encourage all of us to celebrate enthusiastically, I have observed many us getting carried away with bums and I have been part of it too!

However, I hear and also feel this can get very dangerous while we don't realize that. So as a rule we will not have any bums from now, we can choose other means of having fun.

Managers, please discourage this practice whenever you notice it.

With regards

[unquote]

'Getting carried away with bums, and I have been part of it too!!' Hahaha ... We can surely choose other means of having fun! :))

Yenjoy.

History in the faking ?

Just a random thought ... we all know about the September attack on the WTC by Al-Qaeda. Ever noticed what a significant date it was? 9/11 ... in the American style of mm/dd. Pronounced "nine-eleven", this is the exact number to dial for an emergency in the US ... 911. I was wondering if one of the Al-Qaeda thinktanks had proposed this date! Or if, going off on a "conspiracy theory" tangent, the US itself masterminded the whole thing right down to this detail. I won't belabour the political/economic reasons behind why the US would do that, but come to think of it, this would literally be akin to manufacturing history. I mean, of course they knew it would be a historic event, so why not choose a date to make it all the more mnemonic? Knowing what all Uncle Sam is capable of, I shudder to think: what if this were true? Preposterous? You can never be too sure.

Yenjoy.

For a change ...

Innumerable times in my daily chitchats have I heard the common refrain about the unscrupulous Bangalore autowallahs - how wicked they can get, and how avaricious they can be when they spot a helpless techie in a hurry. While I wouldn't dismiss all such talk as a bunch of hooplah (I myself have been at the receiving end at times), I always maintain that these characteristics hold true not just for the auto-drivers of Bangalore, but of all major Indian cities, and then some more.

Today, however, was a different chapter altogether. My roommate had eloped (to office, where else :P) with my bike keys (which he borrowed last night), leaving me stranded at home. And without a spare key, I figured I was going to be at the "mercy" of the dreaded auto-drivers. I flagged one down on Airport Road, and told him where I wanted to go. And only when I was sure he knew the destination did I get in the auto. (TIP 1 for novice auto-passengers: Never get into an auto unless you are sure he knows the way, or you do :D) Immediately after getting in, I asked him to set the meter (TIP 2: If {way!=known to you} {decide on fare BEFORE getting in} else {insist on meter}. Haggling after you get down is NOT an option.

As he flicked the meter, he asked me if I had the required change, showing me a crisp 100 rupee note as all he had, apart from a few coins. Since I didn't, I replied I would arrange it somehow. He went on to explain how passengers often had no change, and would be in a tearing hurry on reaching their destination, creating quite a situation.

When we reached my company, I asked him to wait outside while I got the change. Surprisingly, he was in quite a jovial mood despite the long time I took to make the jugaad. The fare was 31.50, and the clincher came as I handed him three tenners : "Leave it if you dont have the 1.50 change. Maybe some other day." I was quite amazed, for this was an example of generosity from the most unexpected quarters! The typical "vampirical" autowallah never lets go of even the last bit of change. Happily, I paid him the remaining amount, and some more.

While occurences like these might be few and far between, it only proves that the virtuous auto-driver isn't dead yet. And with those two valuable tips above, having a trouble-free auto ride should be a cinch. Bon Voyage! :D

Yenjoy.

Simplement Stupéfiant !!!

As the more learned among my readers might have already deciphered, the above two words mean "Simply Amazing!" in French. (Yes, I concede that it's a blatant product of Google's language tools, but ... what the heck!) Today has to be one of the golden-lettered days in French tennis history. Two astonishing upsets pulled off by two relatively unheard of (by me) but enormously talented French players made my day, and probably that of many other tennis enthusiasts too !

The first one was Marion Bartoli's astounding win over Justin Henin-Hardenne, the number 1 player in the world !!! It should have been a walk in the Centre Court park for Henin, but it was not to be. Little did she know that the 18th seed would hand her a shocking defeat, with the ignominy of losing 1-6 in the final set. As seems to be her trademark, Bartoli conceded the first set yet again, and quite tamely at that, in just 22 minutes. But there was a proverbial twist in the tale, sufficient to give Henin the cramps for a long time to come. While everyone expected that the world number one would dictate terms to the Frenchwoman, it became a case of the hunted chasing the hunter, as Bartoli hit one thrilling shot after another to alternate sides of the court, never allowing Henin to take matters into her own hand. Her placement was accurate, and her shots oozed with confidence! Henin's one-handed backhand was no match for the double-handed boomers coming from the other side. And even though the final set didn't finish with my "dream score" of 6-0, it was tantalizingly close, and as I danced the victory jig in gay abandon, Henin made a swift exit from the court, failing yet again to have a shot at winning the only Grand Slam missing from her kitty.

I hadn't even heard of Miss Bartoli until her fourth round match in this year's Wimbledon against Jelena Jankovic, another strong contender (at rank 3, I think that's an understatement!) At first glance, and most will concur with me here, she appears to be slightly overweight, a typical slow-mover who would huff and puff her way through her matches, battling for points and breath simultaneously. But regardless of her appearance, I assure you she's not overly overtipping the scales - Martina Hingis at the same height is heavier than the lady in question! And she's definitely not a slowpoke either, for she runs across the court with the same fervour and energy as any of the leading ladies of women's tennis today! What immediately grabbed my attention was the fact that she's so different, so unique - from the way she carefully builds her grip at the very end of her racquet before each serve, to the two-fisted tennis she plays from both sides; from the short hop-skip and shot-practice routine prior to each serve, to the way she stands for receiving the opponent's serve as if she were goalkeeping for Real Madrid; from her almost soundless gasps as she hits each shot, in stark contrast to the screeching likes of Sharapova and the Williams sisters, to the expression on her face as she's about to launch her service, showing that she's putting her everything into it. Yes, I just love her style. And I won't stop short of saying that she has the most personality on-court today, probably second only to Nadal the Barbarian.

It seems Bartoli loves to come from behind and give her opponent the shock of her life, for in each of the last three matches in the line-up to the finals, she has always lost the first set. The joke doing the rounds is that she has a really strong neural network which she puts into action in the first set, learning the playing style of her opponents, and at the same time, lulling the latter into a false sense of complacency, rendering them unprepared for the onslaught that awaits them.

The other big upset of the day was in the men's quarter-finals, where 3rd seed Andy Roddick was defeated by Frenchman Richard Gasquet, ranked 12th. Once again, it was a treat for the eyes, as a marathon five-setter ensued in what seemed to be a possibly unending decider. While Roddick blasted through the radar guns with his aces, he fell appallingly short of Gasquet's mesmerizing play on court, powered by the latter's one-handed backhand which it seems could give Federer a run for his money, sooner or later. Add to that Roddick's inexplicable lethargy at reaching out for innumerable "hittable" shots, and Gasquet had a match-winner on his hands. In case you didn't know, Gasquet finished 2002 as the no. 1 junior in the world and was named World Junior Champion. Tomorrow's semifinal against FedEx should be a "don't-miss-it-for-anything" match. Slurrrrrp!

Meanwhile, Bartoli will be pitted against resurging American powerhouse Venus Williams tomorrow. Even though Venus is ranked 23, rankings are of no consequence any more, and Bartoli herself is the most shining example of that! No matter which way the match goes, she's going to have one more die-hard fan rooting for her from the sidelines, ready to do the victory jig once more if she wins! Encore!!!

Yenjoy.

A pic-nic @ Shivasamudram

You know how there are days when you feel like running away from the humdrum routine and congested city life into the lap of nature? We did exactly that last weekend, as we took off on a trip to Shivasamudram, popularly called Bluff, in the Mandya district of Karnataka. Situated about 12o kms from Bangalore, this is where the river Cauvery tumbles down in the form of two waterfalls, Gagan Chukki and Bhara Chukki. The Shivasamudram falls are the second biggest falls in India. The place also has its share of history as this is the location of Asia's first hydroelectric power station, from which power was supplied to Bangalore, the first city in India to get electric power! Here's the journey in pictures:

The western falls, called Gagana Chukki falls, trickling down the rocky cliffs. The ideal time to visit is in July-August, since the river Cauvery would be in full flow, and the waterfalls in all their misty splendour.



A view of the river from atop a hill. Again, I suppose the army of boulders would be totally submerged under the monsoon deluge in July-August.



The eastern falls, called Bhara Chukki falls. I liked this spot better because you can get a much closer feel of the falls by means of the round boats which take you to the foot of the falls, as seen above.



On the way to Bhara Chukki falls is an ancient dargah situated along the bank of the river. I really liked the dark background provided by the rain clouds.



This was my favourite spot at Shivasamudram, right in the middle of the river, where you can sit for hours splashing in the serene water, or enjoy a refreshing swim. I doubt if the swift current during the monsoon would afford this luxury.

Trying my hand here at capturing a picture of solitude. My pick of the pack.

Quick facts:
Distance from Bangalore: 120 kms
Road: Quite good (SH-17) most of the way
Optimum duration of visit: 1 day
Best time to visit: July-August

Yenjoy.

Sawaal ek moochh ka ....

It's over. The moustache is no more... at least for now. I know that there will be a lot of relieved "Thank God"s being uttered at this transformation of mine, but at the same time, I believe there will also be a small group which will question the reasoning behind the removal. Nevertheless, moochh or no moochh, this was one experience (albeit self-inflicted) which helped me to know a lot about the psychology of various people.

Why I did it

I was bored. Period. Bored of looking at the same face in the mirror since the mesozoic age. Plus I wanted to see how it would look on me, and what better a way than to grow one?

What I learnt

A lot. I learnt that a majority of the people, both boys and girls, of my age group weren't really inclined towards the idea. But, on the contrary, older folks seemed to have no objection to it at all. A common observation made was that it makes one look older (which apparently isn't desirable :P). Another oft-used jibe was if I had taken a liking to one of those "Gult heroes". Please note that no names were taken, rather it was always the whole actors community that was referred to, pointing to a stark contrast between the general image of a South Indian vs a Northie. I realized that it took a lot of patience, especially for unfortunate guys like me who weren't blessed with a generous growth rate of the moustache/beard, as you witnessed the gestation of your beloved moustache. I learnt that it takes much more effort to maintain one than to be clean-shaven, probably an important reason why the lazy bums wouldn't go for it - just one swoosh and you're done! No standing in front of the mirror for minutes, snipping away every single hair which is out of place. I discovered the hard way that symmetry isn't exactly Nature's favourite topic, as I struggled to offset the imbalances created on either side of my face's playing field. And lastly, I found that people always tend to object to any major change in what they have been accustomed to, a grassroots analogy of how revolutionary ideas are often met with strong public disapproval (No, I do not think my keeping a moustache was a revolutionary idea :P ... it's an analogy, remember?).

Here are some of the most interesting reactions it generated :

a) "Yeh kya ho gaya hai tereko????" - As if I had not just grown some facial hair, but been inflicted with a severe case of scabies!
b) (No words emitted, only a befuddled stare that lasted about 10 minutes, coupled with an amused smile)
c) "Woh haraami waale Nair ka feel nahi aa raha hai!" - And I thought I looked so innocuous in that clean look!

The exit poll

Even though it's all done and dusted, I would still welcome any comments on my "lost cause". I provide two snapshots from history, and would like you to state your preference. :D

My love-hate relationship

My latest music addiction : "Hate Me" by 'Blue October'. Just can't seem to take my ears off it, or my head, for that matter! The music is no doubt catchy, but as in the case of all immortal songs, it's the words that leave you mesmerized. I love the intensity with which Justin Furstenfeld screams out the chorus. And the part of the song I like the most is the line where 'she whispered: How could you do this to me??' - gives me goosebumps every time I listen to it! Following is a lyric video for you to sing along as you listen. Hope you like it as much as I do. :)

Cool Chemistry

I bunked office today. Well, I did send my boss an email, but the reason was more of an unwillingness to move my ass rather than the body pain which the mail purported. Faced with an invisible sticky gum that kept me glued to the bed, I reached out for my last resort - my laptop. And thus began my mini-research into the whole Diet Coke + Mentos legend. You must have already read about in the email forwards, or seen it being "performed" in one of the countless videos on Youtube.

So, is the whole thing for real? Yes it is. Diet Coke and Mentos do form a "skyrocketing" combo. And it's ascribed to a physical reaction involving the gelatin in Mentos and the CO2 (and other stuff) in Diet Coke. In short, the gelatin makes the water molecules release the carbon-dioxide due to a weakening of the surface tension between the water molecules, and the sudden increase in pressure makes the whole thing shoot up.

But not just any Mentos will do. You need to use the Mint ones which have a matte (rugged) finish, because the tiny pores on the surface serve as perfect sites for the bubbles to form.

While this deadly combo might have raised some serious concern in the minds of the public, it probably led to an increase in the combined purchase of the two products : you know why. Beset with a tad too much time and money to spare, combined with a desire to get rid of their boredom, we have a slew of amateur 'scientists' performing their great experiments with Coke. From personal trials leading to regurgitation, to a very artistic fountain display which would give even the Las Vegas jets a run for their money.



And on the brighter side, we may finally be entering a period where science is seen as cool. As one site puts it: 'maybe the apparent lapse in American kids' interest in science and engineering could be reversed by the popularity of online videos depicting wacky prank-experiments where kids blow things up, rewire gadgets and "pimp out" vehicles. Clearly, science doesn't have to be relevant for it to be cool.'

Wanted : April Fool for 2007

This year's April Fools' Day was undoubtedly the best one I have had in a long time! With one of my friends having got placed in Accenture just a few days before the D-day, it was a question of striking the iron when hot ! Posing as an Accenture Business HR, I called her up on the pretext of shortlisting candidates for a "prestigious" project, which would require her to take another interview. Listen to the highlights:

April Fool's Day, 2007

You might have realized after listening to some of the replies how unnerving it can be for any not-even-out-of-college student to receive an interview call totally out of the blue! Surprisingly, the pull-off was so successful that it required a proper mail (with the audio of the whole episode attached) to bring forth the realization of the truth!

And btw, if you are still wondering, Car A and Car B will be at the SAME distance from Bombay when they meet! :P

Yenjoy!
Jithun (a.k.a Sahil Bhatia :D)

Talk talk!

Here's a wonderful ad which uses people to produce some vivid imagery in a very innovative fashion. Hats off to the creative genius!

u thr?

Let's start the proceedings with one of my recent bakar conquests: I had to book tickets for the Iron Maiden concert online, and they asked me to do it through a chat with their operator...

Thanks for contacting us. An operator will be with you shortly...

[Jithun] Two tickets (900/- each) wanted for Iron Maiden show
[emi]
Welcome to www.ticketpro.in. your one stop solution to ticketing needs.

[emi]
The advanced bookings are available at www.ticketpro.in or

Please click on the following link: http://www.ticketpro.in/outlets.html.

[Jithun] is there any sort of seating/placement based on the tickets?
[Jithun] BUZZ!
[Jithun] the age of emi is dead
[Jithun] testing if emi is a human : "Two more tickets (900/- each) wanted for Iron Maiden show"
[emi] hello (Eureka!!!! emi replies!)
[Jithun] yes. emi is a human :) ... so may i have the answer to : is there any sort of seating/placement based on the tickets?

[Jithun] if u r thinking : "is this guy from a village", well i m not, but this is going to be my first concert.
[emi] Sorry i there is no seating. it is a standing show! (this guy/gal is really pissed off now! :P)

[Jithun] :)) thanks for that wonderful answer ....haha ..... stupid question i know
[emi]

Hope all your queries have been answered.

[Jithun] feedback : ask ur website guys to update this link: http://www.ticketpro.in/outlets.html ............ it shows a poster of Metallica, NOT the outlets
[Jithun] oh sorry Iron Maiden, not Metallica :P

The operator has ended the chat. Thanks for contacting us. (!!!!)


Oh yeah, btw, the concert rocked! As for seating, they had daris spread out in the whole arena, but with Iron Maiden on the floor, you rarely keep your feet on the ground, let alone your ass ! :P

Yenjoy