My Best Friends Wedding

My Best friend from Junior college, Wayne married his long time girlfriend Shiyin yesterday at Orlem. Thereafter me and Nitin attended the reception which was full of surprises. The wedding cake was made by the bride, the groom sang the first song to dance with the bride, later the bridesmaid sang the second song, His father sang another one in Hindi....Ohh  this was the first wedding with so much different!

Year in Retrospect

I stand at the bridge of the new year

Tons of water passed beneath

Memories taking me back in time

Raising a tide in my eyes

Decade since I left my teens

Taking stock of the gains

 Aft thru the undesirable pains

My wallet jingles heavily

 Yet poverty reigns my heart

Israel prisoner swap deal

I am utterly surprised and flabbergasted...
I bought today's newspaper and to my surprise the leading Indian daily does not even mention the Israel- Palestinian Prisoner swap. What the bloody hell is happening. The whole of the Middle East is on tenterhooks and The US, Israeli, Egyptian and Saudi armies are on high military preparedness amid warnings of terrorist attacks to disrupt the prisoner exchange. The world is watching the swap and keeping their fingers crossed to see how it goes meanwhile  the Indian print media is sleeping!?


Israeli Sgt Gilad Shalit who was seized in 2006 by Hamas militants who tunnelled into Israel will be swapped with over 1000 prisoners amidst mixed reactions in Israel. When the full list of the prisoners to be freed was published many were shocked and filled with anger at the price Israel was paying for a lone Solider disregarding the value of the lives of those killed by the convicted prisoners.

Mahabaleshwar Bike Ride

This day a decade ago

My first memory of the 11th September attacks on New York's twin towers goes back to 12th Sept 2001. I was traveling to Ratnagiri for the NCC Nau Sainik camp. We had taken the 2350 Konkan Kanya\Madgoan express on the 11th and had reached Ratnagiri next morning at around 0500 hours. I remember peeping in to a neighbors newspaper and then snatching it to see the front page with two full size pictures of the twin towers in flames.I read through the entire section hurriedly and glanced at the pictures, a scary feeling overcame me as the scale of the entire event dawned. Next day onwards i was shut out to the outside world while in the camp but the stories of the days events were a hot topic for over several months. very recently the successful Ops in getting Bin Laden has revived those horrifying pictures again. The scale of the disaster was the worst in world history and it changed the world for ever.

My Teacher

Right from school through college i have come across so many teachers, its hard to say whose the best. Earlier teaching was a job of nobility and a teacher was the most revered person, respected and honoured by all. Now a days its become just another job and the most sought owing to the hours of duty, the holidays and the remuneration given.

This is specifically for my Teacher Abhaya Chitre i met while i was in T.Y.Bsc.; she was not of my college but helped me as her own. I was studing mathematics in Bhavans-Andheri and she was teaching at Ruia -Matunga. I was collecting notes for paper IV and was introduced by Mrs D Rao of my college. Abhaya maam turned out to be the most sweet, kind and not to forget beautiful teacher i have come across in college.

Your best student i was not

still you taught me the best.

Though a hopeless case was mine,

   you gave me hope.

Courage you gave me in despair.

Trouble you took for a troublesome me.

I will forever remember you for the thankless guidance.

Wish you all the very best in Life

Happy Teacher's Day!



Happy friendship day!!!

Hi and wish you a very Happy Friendship Day!!!

Though  today is friendship day, there are moments in life when the feeling of being cared for by a friend is at it utmost peak.These are my most cherished moments but alas they last for only a few moments. Below are a few nostalgiac sms that i have recieved from my friends.


This one is the best from prakash. he rarely express himself, so this one from him is a diamond. Thanks Prakash for being my friend!

We met in EDS while doing night shifts together and went on to become my best pal i ever met at work so far. This day was when an incident brought out the rare wild side of prakash. Thinking of it later we always have a hearty laugh about it.






This one comes from another best friend from a long time and she has been by sob shoulder and the pace to turn for advise.        Malisa.......i truly appreciate you being there for me.

We strike a chord with many things, i can comfortably discuss anything under the sun with her and i am as she calls me her "internet uncle" :)

Wayne is another of my close friend with whom we have spent the best of times. Though our differrent professions dont let

our paths cross often, still our masti during college are unforgetable.

This is a rare one from Nitin, whose answer to "Three wishes" in my college Slam book is "To be with my frendz, To be with my frendz,  To be with my frendz,"

 

Pappu pass ho gaya

"Success is counted sweetest by those who ne'er succeed" - Emily Dickinson (1830 - 1886)

After a long time this unaccomplished task can now be marked off the to do list (oh...such a sweet feeling of fulfilment). After trying and trying at last i have cleared the University examination. You need to fail to feel this. The results were declared on 23rd June and i kept on checking again to be doubly sure that i had really passed (I was habituated to see a "Failed" result).But the celebrations were delayed for another 2 weeks as the marksheet were distribution only yesterday. By now the excitemant has died down but a huge load is off my mind and i am really relaxed.

Jo na socha tha vo ho gaya.Pappu pass ho gaya! I finally cleared. Officially i'm a graduate. Feels so good. 

I thank Jesus Christ and Holy Spirit  for giving me the grace and strength to see this through and help me accomplish this.   

"Never mistake knowledge for wisdom.
One helps you make a living,  the other helps you make a life" – Sandra Carey

To thine own self be true

In Act I, scene iii of Hamlet, the character of Polonius advices his son Laertes who is in a hurry to get on the next boat to Paris for his gentleman's education, where he'll be safe from his father's long-winded speeches (ll.55-81) in which he directs the youth to commit a "few precepts to memory."

There; my blessing with thee!
And these few precepts in thy memory
See thou character. Give thy thoughts no tongue,
Nor any unproportioned thought his act.
Be thou familiar, but by no means vulgar.
Those friends thou hast, and their adoption tried,
Grapple them to thy soul with hoops of steel;
But do not dull thy palm with entertainment
Of each new-hatch'd, unfledged comrade. Beware
Of entrance to a quarrel, but being in,
Bear't that the opposed may beware of thee.
Give every man thy ear, but few thy voice;
Take each man's censure, but reserve thy judgment.
Costly thy habit as thy purse can buy,
But not express'd in fancy; rich, not gaudy;
For the apparel oft proclaims the man,
And they in France of the best rank and station
Are of a most select and generous chief in that.
Neither a borrower nor a lender be;
For loan oft loses both itself and friend,
And borrowing dulls the edge of husbandry.
This above all: to thine ownself be true,
And it must follow, as the night the day,
Thou canst not then be false to any man.

Socializing? not again!

Its 30 minutes past midnight. I have just returned from a wedding reception (yes another one, I've lost count how many have been to lately), much to my displeasure! I admit i am a bit of a serious person who is a fish out of water when it comes to Social events. But these ceremonies are quite boring to me, i attend as i have to show that my family cares about them and the customary photograph with the newly weds is proof for future that i was present with my wishes. Specially when there is blazing music that plays the latest masala (i prefer soft music) which makes me cringe and then the couple indulge in loosing some weight by shaking on the floor. Its worse when the traditional card is played which ensures you get bored for at least an hour while the bride and groom change their attire. Later they enter (again!) to deep sighs (at last), the bride sporting aboli flowers (eeks!)  Not that i detest them but i lack like minded company (ah!). Of course who wouldn't enjoy with friends around (now they have their spouses along), (oh ho! now your talking) but then yes one feels something amiss when you see your mates dancing and being with their own. Whatever be the reason, somehow i get jaded with such functions.