Post Wedding Fun

After the Hectic preparations for the Wedding day (as per the East Indian Wedding traditions) the relatives, neighbors and people who helped in the preparations gather together the second day and have fun with the newly wedded couple. So when my brother-in-law came home (his in-law's house) the ladies stopped the couple outside the house and did not let them enter until their purses were lighter. On Wednesday the entire troupe  went to the Island off the Gorai beach aboard a fishing trawler. Lunch was prepared aboard the trawler and served on the island itself. After lunch we took a ride in the choppy sea for half an hour and returned ashore.More Pictures

félicitations ma douce sœur

My Eldest Sister Rachel yesterday exchanged marriage vows with fiancé  Glen D'silva at a service held in Church Of Christ, Pappdy, Vasai

more pictures

A girl dreams about her wedding
-that blissfully special day.
So much excitement and anxiety
Over what to do and say.

You've found your perfect man
Who loves and cherishes you.
Your loving vows unite your souls,
Creating one heart shared by two.

Marriage is a promise to compromise
No matter how great or small.
Though life is never perfect,
True love surpasses all.

Give freely and unconditionally.
Enjoy a life filled with mutual caring.
I wish you a wonderful marriage
With sweet joys that make life endearing.

From this day forward, may you honour your oath,
I wish everlasting happiness to you both.

Here's to the groom with bride so fair, And here's to the bride with groom so rare! 

Profile Changes!!

Its been almost a year since the AT&T process ramped down in EDS and 3 years since i joined the company. Ever since we (those in AT&T) came out of our enclosure, we tried to get in to better roles that what we were doing in the process. Some of us got a early breakthrough- like Pradnya and Harish, others subsequently also moved a notch above the rest. I applied for quite a few IJP's and got grounded by the second round (apparently i did not have the right assets). Then came the ultimate position, I applied for it and exactly 3 months later (i had almost given up) on December 13th an email declared that i was selected for the post of a scheduler. Oh what a feeling... i thank Jesus for this! The WFM cabin was on my mind ever since but i guess i got the best of it. Its been worth the wait. Now i will be seeing only columns, rows and the chemistry between them!

Prajesh And Althea

Prakash's brother Prajesh married his long time girlfriend Althea on 22nd November. I was unable to attend the Church nuptials at Bhavnagar due to some last minute situation (damn it >:-< ). So i decided to meet them on Sunday December 12th and make up when they arrived at B'bay after their whirlwind marriage tour spanning days and the length of the country. Prajesh was to depart for London the same day and hence i tailed Prakash,Anjali, Althea and Joan to see him off at the CSIA airport. Althea shed a few tears while we tried to make a fool of ourselves waving from across the waiting room glass. Later we had Dinner and i hurried home to avoid being locked out in the cold.:)

Congratulations and have a blessed married life!!

@ unni: Hope you had a uneventful trip and were not stranded due to closed airports in the snow. And hey thanks for the sexy Eaton radio, you made my day!

Skills Every Man Should Master

How many times have you felt like a Man and proud to be one. How many times have someone commented on your skills(any) and made you proud of what you are (could be that was the time you discovered your skills).
I came across this Esquire article through another blog and couldnt help but reblog.

I will list a few here...

•  Give advice that matters in one sentence.
• Take a photo.
• Write a letter.
• Buy a suit.
• Show respect without being a suck-up.
• Throw a punch.
• Chop down a tree.
• Calculate square footage.
• Break up a fight.
• Hold a baby.
• Approach a woman out of his league.
• Be loyal.
• Know his poison.
• Cast a fishing rod.
• Play go fish with a kid. 
• Dress a wound.
• Tell a joke.
• Ask for help.
• Break another man's grip on his wrist.
• Tell a woman's dress size. 
• Recite one poem from memory. 
• Say No.
• Shake hands.
• Caress a woman's neck.
• Negotiate a better price.  

...its a long list but worth it. Go through and you'll be surprised how much a Man you are.               

Royal Engagement

Clarence House yesterday announces that Prince William is to marry Kate Middleton next year, they were officially engaged last month during a vacation in Kenya.

The official website of the British Monarchy said
"The Prince of Wales is delighted to announce the engagement of Prince William to Miss Catherine Middleton.
The wedding will take place in the Spring or Summer of 2011, in London. Further details about the wedding day will be announced in due course."

 The BBC posted a  interview  of the Engagement which has become a landmark event for the Country.

The whole World is delighted and looking forward to the wedding. Of course there are comparisons drawn to Late princess Diana and Kate. William proposed with the  same oval sapphire and diamond ring that his father, Prince Charles, had given Lady Diana Spencer symbolizing his love.

"It's very special to me. As Kate's very special to me now, it was right to put the two together." Prince William Said.

Check pictures of the official photo call.

Thought Recorder

Ever since i was a child my folks called me chanchlya (local east-indian marathi) which means unstable or fidgety. Later as i grew i mellowed down a lot -physically, but my thoughts still roam the world in matter of seconds (i am sure everyones does). problem arises when my mind needs to coordinate with my mouth or hands ( to write of course).Though now i have learnt to think and talk slowly, my mind goes off rattling things that i need to write and i dare not stop or pause for fear of breaking the though process. Hence i felt the need of a voice recorder(yeah i know my phone has a similar functionality, however i had a itch to spend) that could take care of this situation. Then one of my prerequisites was that the device should work in Linux OS as i use Ubuntu. I Went to Lamington road on my Work-Off yesterday and came across this Sony voice recorder which i agreed to purchase if it showed up on a Ubuntu Live Cd. 30 minutes later and a few thousands lesser in my account i was the owner of the  device i call my "Thought Recorder". Well its very helpful when i have something going on inside most probably its recorded (including this!)

Biking Trip

On Saturday   me, Christopher and Prakash met at Office at 0030hrs and went on a Biking trip to Satputara. Chris had planned the entire trip and packed almost everything needed for it. I was riding pillion on prakash’s bike. We rode from Office to Charoti check naka nonstop and took a break after which we continued till we reached a dhaba at 0330 hrs  Dahanu  called Athithi where we had an omelet and a particular egg dish for  dinner.  We continued onward through the night meanwhile I was shivering with cold and was sleepy till we reached   a dhabha and had   tea at 0600 hrs. of course prakash needed a break as his nicotine level was down and so did Chris. After tea we continues till Chikhli and broke off the highway to satputara for another 103 Kms This road was full of potholes and at some places we were riding in gravel however once we entered Dang  the entire 40 Km route had an awesome view full of lush greenery, straight teak trees lined the road and rivers flowed by. Such a pity the Vansda national park was closed.  We reached the satputara ghat at around 11 on Saturday an long 10 hour journey since we started. We booked a room and went out for lunch at a nearby place. After having ravished the food we went in to have a shower and then went out for sightseeing. First place was the museum which displayed only a snake and then we climbed up the peak  which was a flat mountain top. After a long photo session and see all that was there we searched for the Honey bee center ,but the discovery of the day was surd sitting  quietly  in a small shop who enlightened us about Shivaji's fort 4 kms away in Maharashtra and gave us alternative route home. Prakash was in no mood to go to Hatgad so we returned to the room . 2 hours later everything turned dark and it was raining when Prakash suddenly said that we will go to the fort now (he was in his best mood). So we crossed the border and climbed half the ascent on our bikes (Prakash was in his best) and then later to sip n dine at the base of the fort just to celebrate out victory. We returned home avoiding the check post on the border and went to have dinner and then simply crashed. A 8 hour sleep later we woke up at 0500 and set off by 0600.We took a pic at the border and then started back along a different route to Bombay. So we travelled from satputara to Ahwa and then turned to Waghai. The road was too good to go slow but the scenery slowed us down till Ahwa and then Chris on his 500 CC zoomed ahead only to meet again at Talasari inside Maharashtra. So me and Prakash were making an average of 80-85 from Waghai to Valsad via Dharampur where me took the highway to Bombay passing through Vapi. We stopped at Parsi Dhabha to have Lunch and proceeded to Bombay. We reached home at around 1700hrs.

Track our journey Mumbai-satputara and the return Journey .

This was my first Biking trip. After planning for a long time to go somewhere, we had decided to go to Malshej Ghat until Prakash met Chris and everything changed. Its was good to have Chris along as he knew the route and gave us pointers. He had his entire gear and tools packed in a cramster and enough water to last for a day. No risking food and water while travelling. Apart from getting  a numb bottom i enjoyed it  and was a fantastic trip!

Central Railway Journey

I was travelling to Ambernath (don’t ask me why) yesterday (much against my mood, spoiling a cozy Saturday) when I came across a guy wearing a t-shirt with a Calvin cartoon which said

“Why should I have to WORK for everything?! It’s like saying I don’t deserve it!”

Which for some queer reason got me thinking why am I trying to achieve some things so hard in life? Is it that I don’t deserve them? Then suddenly I realized that inadvertently I tend to earn and prove myself worthy of something that I already have. It’s like getting a physical certificate as proof that I possess knowledge of some kind. Isn’t that weird? We seem to have fancy for proofs (read certificates) that endorse us for something we are unsure of (that’s exactly why we need evidence for).

The trip was okay except that I was bored CR has a better PA system than WR (at least you can understand what they say) and the trains are better maintained too (they had removed all the posters and ads stuck on the inside and the pan stains). The return journey was hectic as there was heavy rush in the evening (nothing new) and I ended up being squashed. Reached Home tired and crashed immediately.

Slam Book ---10 years later!

Friendship day is round the corner and i was going through my college slam book. Oh what a feeling that is, reliving those days is truly indescribable. The constant chatter of friends, those silly ideas, the laughs we shared and the jokes we made. the secrets we spread and the gossip we made. Trust me i cannot describe what i went through reading my slam book all over again--10 years later! All i can say is that i wanna be a child again and go to school and college and relive that carefree, simple and fun-filled life. At the end i was in tears and was thinking how has life changed these past years and so have the answers to those questions.

Here i go again....
   

1. Favorite Quote?
     never never never never give up....Winston Churchill
2. Last movie you saw in the theater?
    Rajneeti
3. what book are you reading?
    none at the present
4. Favorite board game?
    Chess  i haven't played it in years now
5. Favorite smells?
     an old book's pages and coffee
6. Favorite music?
     hmmmmm anything slow
7. Favorite fast food place?
     am a foodie i go wherever my stomach takes me :)
8. Favorite drink?
     Coffee i drinks gallons 
9. Finish this statement. "If i had the time i'd...?
     I'd give my certs and ummm theres a long list u wanna know? 
10. Favorite sport to watch?
     there are better things to watch
11. Whats under your bed?
     i don't have one
12. Would you like to be reborn as yourself?
      yes 
13. Day person or Night Owl?
      both depending on the mood
14. Favorite place to relax?
     my room
15. Favorite ice-cream flavor?
     Chocolate 
16. One thing in your past that you would like to redo/undo/change?
      Infact i would like to redo and change many things
17. Moment of life most memorable?
     uuummm cant think of one :(

félicitations chère sœur

18th July will always remain etched in Gold letters of Rachel and Glen who got betrothed. The Congregation at Church Of Christ Papdy vasai prayed for their future as they were declared engaged. later at the residence of Glen D'silva the couple exchanged rings as an token of the vow given to each other.

Congratulations  Glen and Rachel !

King Bruce and the Spider

The story about Robert the Bruce and the spider is well known to all English or Scottish school pupils. However, outside the Isles it may not be this well known, so here is the story.

King Robert the Bruce I was born at Lochmaben Castle in 1274. He was Knight and Overlord of Annandale. In 1306 he was crowned King of Scotland and henceforth tried to free Scotland from the English enemy.After being defeated at a battle, Bruce escaped and found a hideout in a cave. Hiding in a cave for three months, Bruce was at the lowest point of his life. He thought about leaving the country and never coming back.While waiting, he watched a spider building a web in the cave's entrance. The spider fell down time after time, but finally he succeeded with his web. So Bruce decided also to retry his fight and told his men: "If at first you don't succeed, try try and try again".

Kolhapur Trip

Last week i packed my travelling bag and set off for a small trip to the rain shadow region of the shayadris. On Friday early morning immediately after my shift i went to the State Transport bus stand in thane and took the first bus to Pune. The semi luxury bus left Vandana  stand at 0515 hrs and took 3 hours to reach Hinjewadi via panvel and the expressway. I freshened up and rested at my friends place just opposite to St Laurns hotel in MIDC. My friend had left for his homeplace 2 days ago and i was to follow along with his brother. At 1400 we left Hinjewadi and took the NH4 and started moving towards Kolhapur. After a  5 hour journey through Pune, Satara and Kolhapur we reached Lalewadi on the river Kadvi at around 1920 hrs. After a refreshing shower and dinner we retired to bed. Dinner was awesome- Makke ki roti and mutton ummmm, we slept on the terrace under the clear open night sky. This was the first time in my life i travelled so far out of Mumbai alone and i enjoyed every bit of it.

Fishing Trip

Yesterday i joined a few of my fisher friends on a fishing trip in to the deep sea off the Gorai shore.It was a wonderful experience. We shove off in a small boat at around 0715 hrs and then went aboard the fishing boat and were underway in a few minutes.it took us almost 50 minutes covering 5.5 nautical miles to reach the buoy marked for fishing for the vessel. lack of sleep and the rolling and pitching of the boat made me sea sick. We anchored and then tied the nets by 930 hrs. For the first time i swam in the deep sea (trust me its a different ball game over there even without the current). I skipped breakfast as i was sick but the exhaustive swimming and a good nap later on made me feel better.We waited for about 3 hours (by this time the tide had started to rise) then by 1300 hrs started to pick up the nets. The catch was good with one small lobster and small promfets and prawns. We started off at around 1430 and reached shore by 1530. The best part of the memorable trip was the lunch cooked of the fresh catch...simply delicious!!! More Pictures.

Why is Friday before Easter called "Good"?

Going back in time in around AD 30-33 a man named Jesus aged 33 was crucified at Golgotha (john 19:17) on the outskirts of Jerusalem . Today that day of crucification is known all over the world as good Friday.


But why call such a day of excruciating pain and day of death “good”? The answer lies in the crucification of Christ Jesus.

I am sure most of you have watched Mel Gibson’s passion of the Christ and i need not get into the suffering of Christ. We all know that A crown of thorns was placed on his head and he was hanged to the cross with nail driven through his palms and legs. Later on a spear was pierced by his side.

Thus Jesus shed all his blood ,he was made the lamb of sacrifice for all humanity. By this sacrifice mans sins were purged and was reconciled to Yahweh(God). By his resurrection from death It is written that cursed is the man who is hanged on the tree, by being hanged Jesus took away all our curses and freed us .By taking the 39 lashes on his body he has freed us from sickness. By his resurrection he has defeated his last enemy –Death, And by him we are victorious.

It is written that whosoever shall believe that Jesus died and was resurrected will have eternal life. So by work done on the cross we have received eternal life and Victory through Christ, why not then should that day be called good.

The Concluding AT&T Team

Finally after being in the AT&T process for over two years(including my 14 month long stint in the morning shift)the process contract with EDS ended on 1st January 2010 0630 IST. It was a wonderful experience working in AT&T handling all kind of issues, coordinating with other service desks and technicians. Who can forget the Voice issues calls and Mark Simmons. Initially the process was a huge family with 80 agents however in the end only 14 remained while on closing the account. I will always cherish my days in AT&T.Here are the pics of the final 3 days on the floor.