Paanch...

As usual tagged by Fleiger ...
The 5 tag...

5 things in your room
I look around.. The things that I can call mine are:

1. A Bed besides the window with a pillow and some clothes which are on the chair when I am on the bed and vice versa.
2. A chair with a pillow – not much difference between chair and bed. Sometimes I use it for sleeping also..
3. A Table with lots of things – Laptop, headphones, notebooks, files, pen drive, water, biscuits, my friend’s ipod (which I am using these days)– these are some things I can see presently.
4. A basket to dump in all the to-be-washed clothes. They get transferred to the washing machine when the basket starts overflowing or the almirah looks empty.
5. An almirah with clothes, textbooks, untouched biscuit and namkeen packets, a box of washing powder, CD folders etc etc
   

5 things in my Bag

1. Laptop with Charger
2. Notebooks. These days I am experimenting with one for each subject (back to school)
3. A diary – to manage the future manager..(all to-do items that remain to-do everyday are noted there!!!!)
4. A newspaper – which once goes in, comes out at night and directly to ‘radddi’
5. Miscellaneous things like Library card, Calculator, Pens etc
   

5 things in my Wallet

1. Cash and coins – the core value of the wallet
2. Debit and credit cards – 2 each to be precise (have not kept all of them in wallet ;))
3. Driving license
4. Few Passport size photos
5. Some miscellaneous papers which I am throwing off now.

Any one interested can take up the tag..

Had some Pics of my room at Chandigarh.. thought they might be of some relevance here..
These show how different the room looked in my college and while I was working..

The 2 walls during college days...

The difference in the environs from the same angles 3 -4 years later..

8 Random Facts About me: A Tag

As is the usual case, a tag by Fleiger.
Writing about yourself is always tough and so was this.
But the randomness brought about the tag has allowed me to say just random things..

So starting off with the rules of the Tag

The Rules of this tag:

1. Link to your tagger and post these rules.
   
2. List eight (8) random facts about yourself.
   
3. Tag eight people at the end of your post and list their names (linking to them).
   
4. Let them know they've been tagged by leaving them a comment on their blogs.

1. Done

2.

• I love photography – mostly the beauty of nature. But sometimes anything random – just like this blog. I think my first big buy after getting a good job would be a nice camera with zooom zaaam and all.

• Another thing on the ‘To-Buy’ List is an Ipod – No life without music. But presently I am a student again and also my Mobile (which was the first big buy of my first job) is serving both the purpose of camera and Mp3 player quite well. Hence postponing both these buys is feasible.

• I think I am a good listener. Once in a practice GD, the teacher remarked that he didn’t know I was listening or not but my face is such that it looks like I am keenly interested. :-)

• Despite having decided to keep away from cricket, earlier in the year, I still do watch it ONLY when Sachin is batting.

• After some days of being unorganized – be it the disoriented room, cupboard etc, I get an inner call and leaving everything aside I organize everything and feel quite satisfied at the end.

• Off Late I have learnt having a sound sleep, keeping my head down and also sleeping with my eyes open. In fact I wanted to write a post on different kinds of sleeps which you can sleep with your eyes open. But I realized that while you can sleep with your eyes open, you cannot write while you are sleeping – either with closed eyes or open… Aaaghh… what have I written.. Guess I am feeling sleepy (that is what you generally do at 2 AM)

• Off late, my roommates have told me that I have a new girlfriend – a Cost Accounting Book. I was always found with that book. Before sleeping, while sleeping. And I believe it was quite true. It was just like a girl friend – you spent most of your time with it(her) and still at the end of day, you realize you haven’t understood it(her) at all!!!

• Quite recently, when I was making PPT’s every day, I coined a phrase which has become quite famous now. It is: “PPT Banao. Khud Jaan Jao” (ofcourse some inspirations have been gained by the idiot box)
  

3 & 4. Ab koi bhi le lo yaar tag... jiska mann karta hai utha lo...

The Summer Tag

The Tags have started flowing in after a brief hiatus..

Fleiger asks me to go down the memory lane and pluck 8 things I cherish about summers/Summer Vacations - things which are difficult to do now because of changing times and we growing up. So here they are. Hope they tickle a memory or two for you too.

• Cricket – Summer Vacation or not, cricket formed a big chunk of life. There were 2 -3 fav places of playing. The big ground across the sector (had to play cross batted shots here), in front of gurudwara (had to play very straight here because of houses around) and the DAV School ground (had to play on the off here). So now you know why I can play all around the wicket. Hehehehe..But the present conditions of the 2 grounds are sad. In dav school ground, many ‘jhoolas’ for small kids, a walking path for old and lights etc have come up so no more cricket there. The ground across the Sector has vanished. There are huge buildings there. Currently British Library sits on top of the pitch I really liked – I hit a six off the last ball to win the match on this pitch.



• Lassi – 2 times a day was compulsory. A pure Punjabi type lassi is one thing which is very very hard to get anywhere else. A lassi a day keeps the heat away. Undoubtedly the best drink for summers.



• Afternoon Nap – Summer vacations, a healthy lunch followed by a steel glass full of lassi, a ceiling fan soothing you and a desert cooler cooling you – a sure shot recipe for an unmatched afternoon nap. Moreover you need it to be fresh for the evening cricket matches.



• Cousins Visit – A regular feature of summer vacations till they permanently shifted to Chandigarh. It was 1 gala time.



• Sleeping under the open sky – When there are AC’s in all rooms who wants to sleep in the open with all the mosquitoes and all. But at one time it was really fun. May be it didn’t use to be that hot as it is now. Talk of Global Warming having an effect on our lives.



• Watering Plants – An activity which relaxes you no extent. After a harsh summer day, take the pipe and pour water over the parched, muddy leaves. The aroma of water on dry soil is unmatched.



• Saying AAA…. in the cooler – I am sure many would have done this. Standing in front of the desert cooler and saying aaaaaa….into it. What came back was a funny sound of the voice being cut by the fan blades.



• Evening Jog – This was not a part of early child hood days but came later during college time. A jog in the summer evening is awesome. No matter how much junk food, samosas, paranthas you have eaten during the day, you literally see it coming it out when, in the dwindling but still warm day, you see litres of sweat oozing out of you. A cool shower after that is even more heavenly.

There are many things like Mangoes, Birthdays, Rasna which I too wanted to write but which Fleiger has already written so in no way these 8 things are the Top 8.

Now the targeting people time. But no pointing fingers here.. Anyone interested can pick up the Tag.. It’s a lovely opportunity. Don’t miss it.

123.5

Changed the heading to 123.5 from 123/5 as the latter evokes bad memories!!
So..Getting Tagged after a looong time.
And it is not the usual Fleiger this time. It is another birdie.. Cuckoo who has tied a rather simple tag this time.
First the rules of this game.

1. Name the person (of course with the link) who tagged you.

2. Describe what you are asked to do, in this case publish 5th paragraph of page 123 of the book you are currently reading.

3. Tag five people

Now this tag has some FAQs as well. Let me put them down also.
1. What if the page does not have 5th paragraph
Ans. In that case take the last paragraph
2. What if the book is very small & doesn’t have page no. 123
Ans. Take the last page.

Well I have not been able to finish reading Argumentative Indian for a long time now. The extract from the 123rd page, 5th para is :

At the broader level of Asia rather than India, the separateness of ‘Asian values’ and their distinction from Western norms has often been asserted, particularly in east Asia – from Singapore and Malaysia to China and Japan. The invoking of Asian values has sometimes occurred in rather dubious political circumstances. For example, it has been used to justify authoritarianism (and harsh penalties for alleged transgressions) in some east Asian Countries. In the Vienna conference on human rights in 1993, the Foreign Minister of Singapore, citing differences between Asian and European traditions, argued that ‘universal recognition of the ideal of human rights can be harmful if universalism is used to deny or mask the reality of diversity’. The championing of ‘Asian values’ has typically come from government spokesman rather than from individuals at a distance from established regimes. Still, the general issue is important enough to deserve our attention and scrutiny.

(Didn’t have a good camera like cuckoo.. so wrote it!!!)

The victims are the usual ones – with one difference though.
Mr. Fleiger becomes the hunted rather than the hunter this time. In addition it is my usual list:
Amryas
KT
rOmpy
Bharath

Those were the days.....

Tagged by … who else – Fleiger…

The Wonder Years Tag…

1.Write 8-10 things about childhood ( 1-12 years) that you miss.
2.Write 8-10 things that you disliked about childhood.
3.Tag a few people.

Hard to write about age 1 - 12 years..but I guess I have managed pretty well to keep out the memories after around class 8th..

What I miss about my childhood

1. The long summer vacations, when cousins used to come and stay for more than a month... 2 months of masti..think of it now.. 2 free months...hardly possible anytime in future.

2. Cricket on the porch: well, the porch has been the field since class 1...that is what 18 years now...you can't say I miss it, because I still play here.

3. Going to school on Cycle: Guess a cycle is a symbol of freedom in younger days. I enjoyed going to school - under hot sun, or in rain wearing a raincoat or in the fog in winters on the Hero Ranger with straight handles ;)

4. Aluminum foil Ball - I kept it for a long time after school time also. it was such a master piece. made out of aluminum foil of each day's lunch, it took a long time to bring it to the shape it was. Lots of "catch-um-catch" was played with it.

5. Trump Cards- they were a rage - weren't they? Started with 30 cards one and later some 200 cards or something. Bret Hitman Hart(rank 2) was the fav. Hulk Hogan - rank 1. Yokozuna - heaviest. Giant Gonzalves - tallest.

6. Chacha Chaudhary - guess have read most of the comics of the guy whose mind was faster than a computer. (Don’t know if it can compete with today’s Core 2 duo's) and his companion whose anger resulted in a volcano being erupted somewhere.

7. Chuppan-Chupayi - "the boundary is from here to here".. "do a pugan ka pugata" ... "go and give the den" "1.2.3.4.5.....50.. i am coming"... "ayis-pyss.. dhappa".. Nice game.. isn't it??

8. The excitement before bursting crackers on diwali... hurrying through the pooja... and then rushing to light the 'phuljhadi', ‘anaar’, ‘charakhdi’ etc

9. Studying in the car during winters.. it was my fav place to study even in college.. chilly days, bright sunshine with the car trapping all the heat inside.. if you want you can also put on light music... and after lunch can sleep sound on the back seat..

10. Sleeping under the sky in summers.. the thought of it is itself exciting ..isn't it... today, you cant sleep if the AC is not there!!!


What I disliked about childhood

1. The frequent trips to the dentist.. I don’t know how many of my teeth have been uprooted and how many hours I have sat under that small operating light..

2. Sanskrit - I dont know how I got 98 marks in sanskrit...and I dont know how I learnt those 'pathti, pathsi, pathanti'

3. Drawing, Music and Craft classes - never been my forte - in the last SUPW(craft) class I managed a C, I guess..And my fight with colors has been historic...but the drawing did help later..a mechanical engineer has engg drawing almost all 4 years..though we have drafters and all to do it.. but sometimes you had to do those in 5 minutes, sitting in canteen without even a scale.. may be the drawing classes of school did help there.

4. Writing long Hindi essays as HHW - Holiday HomeWork during summer vacations. That was a pain..

Like Fleiger, I am also forced to stop here as can't think of any more dislikes..

Whom I am going to tag

Any one willing to go down memory lane...

Tagged once more...

Rules of this tag:

1. Name the person who tagged you.
2. 8 things about you.
3. Tag 6 people.

1.
The high flying eagle -Fleiger : The person who has tagged me and from whom I have got tagged myself ‘zabardasti’ ;)
When I read his tag, I got 3 -4 points there itself. So Fleiger, if some of these seem to be your copy paste, you can guess that I have ‘reused the code.’ But only because the functionality(characteristics) matched with me..


2.
a)
I love writing… about the things happening in life.. things happening around me...things which enrage me or make me smile, which concern me or just my imagination.
And yes, some day I would love to write a full fledged novel – may be… some day!!

b)
It takes time for me to make ‘good’ friends. Friends I have many but there are just a handful of special ones. Of course they are the ones with whom I have long associations and have spent large chunks of life. And I am sure that these special ones will last the ‘distance’

c)
Courtesy my parents, I have seen almost all parts of India. And as a result I love going to explore new places. Specially the ones with natural beauty associated with it. I like Mountains more than Beaches. Mainly because each turn gives a new view.

d)
I am a great movie buff. There was time when every movie to be released had to be watched. Considering the fact that I have seen Naach in a 9 – 12 show after office should be enough proof that I can watch any movie (I got nightmares is a different thing). The interesting habits me and my friends have gained is remembering the dialogues of movies we enjoy. So in some cases the whole movie have been stored in the movie room of our mind. Of course for that requires watching movies more than one time e.g Border, DCH, Lakshay, hera pheri, andaaz apna apna, Rang De Basanti, Sholay – which range from 25 – 100 views. The latest movie to catch the attention is Khosla ka Ghosla.

e)
Like writing I love reading too. The interest in reading had started with Chacha Chaudhry. It then continued with Hardy Boys. Fictions of Grishams, Sheldons and Archers found favour during college. And of late, it has been non fictions like India Unbound, World is Flat and The Argumentative Indian etc. Fictions also come and go in between to lighten things a bit.

f)
Music has been part of me for long now. I remember my mother’s small cassette player as being the first tryst with music. Then we bought a player – which could handle 2 cassettes and we could record from one to another. The first song recorded on that was I guess baba sehgal’s “thanda thanda paani.” The journey continued and the mp3 boom really helped widen the variety which I listen to. Presently, according to mood, I listen to rock or ghazals or hindi movies – from 1960’s to 2006..or nusrat’s qawalis or hariharan’s soothing voice or Strings or English Soft rock or Hindi pop . and the list goes on and on..….

g)
I like working out and be fit – though it happens in phases. There happens to be a phase when for 3 – 4 months I am regular at gym - pumping iron.. then comes the phase with very less physical activity for 2 -3 months..waiting for infy gym in chandigarh to come up!!!

h)
I love games, specially – what else, Cricket. ‘I think’, I understand the game quite well – the strategies and moves that we see captains adopting in the game. Having some practical experience also helps a lot in understanding. And the 4 years in college gave more practical classes in cricket than any other subject. I think you have passion, you can play any game. The point is to enjoy. After cricket I have enjoyed playing squash. Badminton, football, TT, Volleyball and Bowling are some other outdoor games I have tried my hand at.

3.
Now Time to Tag people..
1. KT (after you finish your swades series)
2. Amrut (not seen him around on blogspot for quite some time)
3. Rompy (dude – ur kasauli blog is pending..)
4. Bharath (sir jee.. some of ur previous tags are also pending)

Blog about a Blog

Took the tag from Fleiger

Are you happy/satisfied with your blog with it's content and look?
Looks – Yes.. I like a simple, clean look..
Content – More or less yes.. would like to know from others on areas where I can improve.

Does your family know about your blog?
Yes

Do you feel embarrassed to let your friends know about your blog or you just consider it as a private thing?
Oh!!! I put a mail to all my friends, inviting comments and their thoughts, whenever I publish a new post.

Did blogs cause positive changes in your thoughts?
Some times Yes!!
e.g blogs like The year that Was and Inquilab Zindabad

Do you only open the blogs of those who comment on your blog or you love to go and discover more by yourself?
People who visit me are the most visited. I like to explore, if I have time on my side.

What does visitors counter mean to you? Do you care about putting it in your blog?
I DO!!! Would love to have the world converging here and share their ideas/thoughts

Did you try to imagine your fellow bloggers and give them real pictures?
Most of the fellow bloggers are my friends so no need for imagination. I try to in case of others…
As regards my image – the image link is same as the orkut one.. so I am there on my blog!!

Admit. Do you think there is a real benefit for blogging?
Oh yes ofcourse!! Some instances of blogging helping people was witnessed during post-mumbai blasts craziness… also recently read on Mridula’s blog – how blogs can be really useful… apart from this they also tend to propagate a thought, an idea… which if on a large scale has power to bring revolutions…

Do you think that bloggers society is isolated from real world or interacts with events?
The society is very much a part of the society and everyday events are the biggest influence on what people write.

Does criticism annoying you or do you feel it's a normal thing?
Its not a normal thing – it is a very good thing as it helps you know ur weakness and improve on it..

Do you fear of some political blogs and avoid them?
It’s the opposite. I tend to read other’s political views.. As it is always better to know all aspects before forming an opinion yourself. Though it does not happens always.. but that’s what I try..

Did you get shocked by the arrest of some bloggers?
I have not heard anyone getting arrested… but if they are. I assume they must be misusing the power called Blogs

Did you think about what will happen to your blog after you die?
I really liked the idea of a epitaph blog suggested by Fleiger. May be I will also do the same..sorry Fleiger.. violating the copyrights here!!!


What do you like to hear? What's the song you like to put its link in your blog?
Depends on Mood really.. Usually blogging is done at night when u tend to hear slow, soulful songs…but it can be anything.. from Nirvana to Hariharan to Jagjit singh to Ghulam Ali to Gurdass mann to Shaan.


Five bloggers to be the next "victims"?
Anyone and Everyone!!!
(Cuckoo has taken an anticipatory bail.. So this accused is excused)

Chauka..

4 jobs I’ve had:
well tough one.. cant think of any part time also..
its just 1

• Infosys - out of college
  

4 films I could watch again and again:
ohh.. there are so many..
i will list the ones which I have watched over 50 times

• Border
  
• Dil Chahta Hai
  
• Rang de Basanti
  
• Lakshya
  

4 places I’ve lived in:
Lived > = 1 month.. except for my home town chandigarh

• YamunaNagar - 4 years '90 - '94...
  
• Hyderabad - Infy training - 4 months
  
• Mysore - almost 2 years
  
• Bhillai - 1 month training at Bhillai Steel Plant
  

4 TV series I like to watch:
Not much of a TV buff I am

• FRIENDS
  
• great Indian Laughter Challenge
  

can't think of any other which I regularly watch


4 places that I’ve been on vacation to:
THere are 40 actually..so i will mention 4 states instead of which I have seen many major cities

• Rajasthan - Jaipur, JOdhpur, Udaipur, Ajmer, MOunt Abu
  
• Tamil Nadu - Chennai, OOty, Madurai, Kanya kumari
  
• Himachal Pradesh - Shimla, Kufri, Chail, Kullu, Manali
  
• West Bengal - Kolkata
  that covers North, South , EAst and west
  

4 websites I visit everyday:

• orkut
  
• Blog - mine and others
  
• Rediff
  
• Yahoo
  

in that order


4 books I’d love to read again and again:
not read much of non fiction

• India Unbound - Gurcharan Das
  
• The Godfather - mario Puzo
  
• Kane and Abel - Archer
  
• The Firm - Grisham
  

4 favorite dishes:

• Butter Chicken - specially at Sher-e-Punjab dhaba in sec 35, chd
  
• Rajma Chawal - no surprises
  
• Mutter paneer
  
• Aloo ka parantha ( Home made) with a tub of white butter(Home made) and a big glass of lassi (feeling sleepy - me too)
  

4 places where I’d like to be right now:

• Shimla - with friends on Mall road beatng the heat
  
• Lake, chd - with the college gang
  
• on a adventure trip to any where
  
• Mysore - just to be with ol friends
  

4 people I’m gonna tag:

• Amrut
  
• KT
  
• Rompy
  
• BHarath - long time since he has written a blog
  

Tagged...

Well.. I have also been tagged... for the first time...
though I understood what it is but wud really like to implore further..

Regarding this particular blog.. I have been tagged by Amey

Now What is this about...
I have a set of Questions (from Amey)..
now I run my playlist on Shuffle.. and as an Answer to each Ques I put the song being played(which is ofcourse random through the list)..
the Answer song may be absurd.. but some of them seem like perfect answers...

so here they are.....

1.How does the world see you?

24x7 i thnk of you!!! - 36 china town

Oh!! So everybody thinks of me 24x7.. cool.. I am flattered..

2. Will I have a happy life?

tere naaam humne kiya hai... jeevan apna saara sanam – Tere Naam

how can I be happy if I have done this????

3.What do my friends think of me as?

ladka bada anjaana sa hai - KKHH

my friends would know better ki why I am so Anjaana sa.. and baigana sa!


4.Do people secretly lust after me?

ladki kyu .. na jane kyu…. ladko si nahi hoti… - Hum tum

hahahha… what an answer by Winamp….


5.How can I make myself happy?

ishq ne tere .. ishq ne...kar diyaa diyaaa bekhabar!! - ahista ahista

less chances I can be happy – again as in Q2… Love comes accompanied by its opposite - Happiness


6.What should I do with my life?

khoon chala... badan se tapak kar.. - RDB

I am the power…. I will change the world.. carry onI???


7.Will I ever have children?

maahive mohabataan sachiyan ne... - kaante

mohabbatan sachiyan ne..The love is true… then why the stupid Ques…



8.What is some good advise for me?

hum na samjhe the... bat itni si.. khwab shhesshe ke duniya pathar ki.. Gardish..

never heard of the song before.. but it says a philosophical line – “Khwab Sheeshe ke.. Duniya pathar ki.” Dreams is like a brittle glass and the world is a big Stone.. they will never let you live your dreams..


9.How will I be remembered?

masti ki paathshaala - be a rebel!! - RDb

ok.. I will be remembered as a rebel… I don’t mind… cool with me!!!!


10.What's my signature dancing song?

mere khwaabon mein jo aaye.. aa ke mujhe ched jaye – DDLJ

‘ussse kaho kabhi saaamne to aaaye….’


11.What's my current theme song?

dheere dheere se meri zindagi mein aana... – Phool aur Kaaante..

agar saaaamne aaye(Q10) to dheere dheeere se aaye… taaki zor ka jhatka dheere se lage!!!


12.What do others think is my current theme song?

pyaar to hona hi thaa.... - pyaar to hona hi tha

pple are already thinking that saamne aaa gayi!!


13.What shall they play at my funeral?

maine dil se kaha dhond laana khushi.. na samjh laya gum , to yeh gum hi sahi...- Rog

ppl will be sad at my funeral… should not be… it should have been a tadak bhadak gaana..


14.What type of men/women do I like?

nach baliye.... - b&B

The dancing and singing one - Rani Mukjherjee kinds… infact any will do!!


15.How's my love life?

tadap tadap ke tune.. HDDCS

hahahaha…. Again a very intelligent reply from Winamp.