Our Team Asha Pic

The Society

Two travelers, Father and his son. Left for a journey with their companion, a mule.

For simplicity, lets name them Tom, Dick and Harry respectively. So Tom and Dick, both are sitting on Harry and they are progressing in their path towards the destination. Like any traveler, they encounter multiple villages on their way.

As they passed through the first village, few local villagers commented, " Look at the father and son perched on the poor animal. They have no remorse for the poor fella. Shame on those guys!."

Tom couldn't ignore that comment. So he thought it would be a good idea for him to get down and let Dick stay put.

As they passed through the second village, few more villagers commented, "Look at the son! He is making his father, an older person, walk while he is luxuriously sitting on the mule. Shame, Shame!

Dick couldn't ignore that comment. So he got down and asked his father to sit. And he started walking by their side.

As they passed through the third village, some local villagers commented again, "What a decadence! The father, a more responsible being, is making his son walk.Look at the poor son as he stumbles to walk. The father should take that burden on himself! "

Both Tom and Dick couldn't ignore that comment. So they thought the best way to avoid these tantrums is for them to walk aside Harry.

As they passed the fourth village, some local villagers burst in to laughs, " Has anybody seen idiots lately? Look at the father and son going past. In spite of the mule, these duds are walking!"

Neither Tom nor Dick or Harry could ignore the comment. But they didn't know what more to do. So they said, "Chuck it!" Held their head hight and kept moving ahead.

So what's the moral of the story?

No matter what you do, there's always someone talking. Then all you can do is to keep moving ahead.

A Chai at Starbucks....

A tall hot Chai. Standing in solitude, like me.

Eyes look here and there. Millions of thoughts cross the mind. Why? How? Where? What? The tussle inside has started.

Memories start swirling the hot cup. Ghosts from the past make their appearance. Trying to help me remember the lesson learnt. The lesson that a tempt moment makes you forget.

Then suddenly the lesson is remembered. Just like the Chai at that moment, something very warm is felt inside.

You are not a slave. Neither to the mind nor to the grind. You are what you choose to be. No one. No one can make you feel whatever unless you choose to getting felt that way.

The questions start to disappear just as the Chai starts too.

In the end, something has precipitated, like the brown sugar that survived the trials in the cup. A Smile, an hope and a memory of Johnnie Walker line that says, " Keep Walking."

-Adwait

Love hath arrived....

Well if you are looking for an answer to the question, "what is love?", please hit Crtl+ Alt+Del right now. And I suggest you pick up a Eric Segal or an equivalent Mills and Boon. I don't know what love is. Or rather, I don't what love means to you. The thought here is purely personal.

For me love just means happiness of the person you love. Unprejudiced, unbiased. Its easier said than done. Because It's very hard to love someone without judging them for what they are.

Think for a moment that love is like a sunrise. Do you possess the sunrise? No. Do you judge it for what it is? No. What you do is just bask in it and feel the brilliance on you. And then feel gratitude for it being in your life.

Love is more or less like it.

More because it doesn't take place at a certain time of a day. More because it fills your heart with radiance to such a level that you don't want to posses the person you love. More because it shows you twilight before it rises completely on a relationship.

Less because it may not be as bright as the sunrise but it certainly gives you warmth. Less because though it doesn't rise and set, it makes you soar and swerve. Less because even if it doesn't have a sense of direction, the only way it knows is true north.

For me love will always there as long as the heart is beating. And may be even after it stops. I don't expect love in return because love is not a trade. It's gift from the human upstairs to the person I love. I am only a medium. Love is what makes two souls connect even when their bodies are miles apart. It's what eyes say that the words can never explain. It's in the touch that you long for.Love is pointless.

In jealousy, lust, possessiveness love's labor is lost. Those are like the dark clouds on the bright sunrise. Ironically those clouds have a silver lining too. So is the power of love.

Love gives me the power to tide away the darkest clouds to bring back the sunlight. For me , love never wins because it's never in the game. It's a silent cleanser of heart's which knows no games, no wars and no battles.

So , tonight hold your loved one tightly. Look in their eyes, kiss them, tousle their hair. Tonight, let the tears flow from the heart because love has filled it to the brim. Tonight let the hands bring the warmth like the sunrise. And tonight, thou shalt know that love hath arrived.

Thou shalt know that love hath arrived...

-Adwait

Glass Half empty/Half Full

Some people give me this cliche that I should see life in a positive outlook. Always look at the brighter side of any happening and learn from it. See the glass half full instead of half empty.

Here's my question to them: have you gone beyond and thought what is in the glass? What is it's content? Lets take for eg. that the glass is filled with muddy water. And you are looking at it with all the positivity in the world. Wouldn't you be glad that the glass is half-empty? So is that positive or are you still thinking negatively?

Another way to look at it is defining "empty." Maybe the emptiness is what you are seeking. In that case the glass half-full with water is a negative thing. Is'nt it?

Think about it.

Here, the point I am trying to drive home is that "outlook" is a very relative thing. I can't meet a person for few weeks and be judgmental that he/she has a positive/negative outlook of life. Because I have not been privy to what that person has been through in his/her own life.

Can I go to a war-stricken refugees and tell them to be positive about life? To look at the rising sun and be inspired? Maybe some will and some wont. It doesn't mean that the other people have negative approach. Its just where they are that defines what they think.

So my humble request to all those hopeful optimists out there is to give our thoughts- the pessimist's - a fair chance . Who knows, for a given situation they may be better than yours.

The Broken Needle

People say I am a funny guy . You guys better be serious about that. :)

Since I am funny, I will never take life seriously. I know I will never come out of it alive.

Then why bother over split milk, pestering bosses, broken hearts and less yearly bonus? Cursing someone who has put you in that zone is preciously worthless.

When will you realize that those people outside are never a problem?They are meant to hate, attract, tempt, gossip and snob. They are people after all. For someone else, you are a part of those "people." The problem is your identification with them. So forget what happened the other night or why she did this and that. If you are not meant to be together you are not meant to be together. Cut your losses and move on. But don't forget to send her the bill. :)

Life is more beautiful than someone who doesn't want to be with you.

So get up, flirt with the next door girl , wipe somebody's tears, donate some money, ride a bike, click some photos, crack bad jokes, write heavy stuff, go facebooking, google that hot chick, mix some drinks, watch a movie, drive in to the night. There is so much of stuff to do in life. Remember to have a memory loss and life will be beautiful again.

Dude, we all know the destination, it's the journey that is all that matters.

Take care!

-Adwait

Lack of Sleep

Tonight, Again I will burn the midnight oil.

lets see, if I get the warmth of my own toil.

Eyes will request sleep, mind will request rest.

Hail ho! my people, do not let that effort go in to soil.

Tonight, i will reduce my life with less sleep.

for that what is comparatively cheap.

As I know that this is something that will end.

As I know that this is something i will never keep.

Wake up my friend, to the lack of sleep time.

a result of your own nickel and dime....

For once shove the time and schedules

For once snooze the candid alarm chime.

Movie Review:Up in the Air

Recommendation: A must-watch-once movie.

The Base:

George Clooney is a Firing agent who is on the move. Ryan Bingham is the man who virtually lives up in flights. He is tuned to move slickly through the barricades of check-in's and check-out's of almost all the Airports in America. Ergo, he believes in travelling light, both in his professional and personal life also. A man who believes that commitment is a baggage that can keep you grounded.

The Reel:

The movie takes the above plot and starts to finely depict the finer nuances of Ryan. His appearances as a Motivational speaker, his escapade with Alex Goran (Vera Farmiga of "The Departed " fame), his encounter with a fresh Cornell MBA, Natalie Keener, his interviews with the people he is about to fire and his relationship with his 2 sisters are some of the other parts of his life other than adding miles to his flier card.

The Real:

Though the character of Ryan Bingham doesn't seem to come out well etched, Clooney does a bang-up job of complimenting it. His cool, suave mannerism makes him perfect for the role of a guy for him carrying a heavy back-up is sheer waste of time.

Vera Farmiga does a good job to play Alex who is an alter-ego to Ryan. Her character seems a little mysterious for the whole part of the movie. And after the revelation you come to think what was she even doing with Ryan. Look for the last phone coversation they have.

Natalie Keener ostensibly plays a role of a calculating and meticulous professional who is lands in a situation where she needs to work with Ryan very closely. Rather squeaky in nature, the character doesn't give a feel of someone who might top her class at Cornell.

Apart of these three characters nobody pushes the movie forward. They just come along.

The Summary:

I feel the movie is good to watch for once at least. It doesn't have a strong storyline and a rather restrictive base but a combination of actors and characters make it worthwhile to watch. The movie silently carves out the human angles of various aspects of life for eg. travel, firing, marriage etc. In the end it drives home the need of a co-pilot in every aircraft.

My Favorite:

After winning the reward for 10 Million miles, Ryan is asked by the captain, "Where are you from." Ryan says, "I am from here."

911 Call

A boy calls 911 to ask them to help him with their maths problem.





No wonder he got his numbers wrong!

Miles to go before I weep

I completely agree with Osho when he says, " Laughter is the only religion. Everything else is just metaphysics."
Ergo, the limerick that follows; It has been spooled off from the great Robert Frost's, famous poem: Stopping By the woods on a snowy evening. You can read his poem side by side on this link.

This is all in good humor! Enjoy!

Whose photos these are I think I know.
Her Parents are in the town though.
Alas! they will see me stop right there.
Not interested in the further process flow.

My friends think its madness sheer,
To not to stop for a partner dear.
Between you and me, I'll tell,
I may agree with them over a beer.

Giving my wedding bells a shake,
I ask if its a mistake,
To ask for a good sunshine sweep,
Before the thunderstorm and snowy flake.

The girls are lovely, fair and upbeat.
But I have some laughs to keep,
And miles to go before I weep.
And miles to go before I weep.

Qatil Aakhon ka zulf pe saje he pehra....

Anurag Kashyap runs away with another winner- Dev D. An abbreviation or an acronym for Devdas, the movie sets the tone of the drunkard lover for Paro in the modern times. Being fortunate enough not to have watched any of the earlier versions of the swinging hero, this movie came as a fresh surprise for me. Surprise why because the culimination is unconventional than the normal Devdas movies. I will not say what it is, but I think that is one aspect that makes watching the movie worthwhile.
It starts with Paro (Mahi Gill) being desperately waiting for Dev D (Abhay Deol) to come back from London. Couple of scenes that show their longing for each other actually reinforce the next string of scenes shown when they meet. One bystander's ludicrous comments about Paro's libido, puts off Dev and he starts repelling Paro. Here starts the story of Vodka and Coke (both drink and drugs.) As he moves forward, Dev realizes that he will not be able to live without Paro, who in turn silently marries a father of two children and claims to be very happy.
Here Anurag adds the third character Chandramukhi ( Kalki Koechlin.) A victim of an MMS clip scandal, Chanda's inital life goes through a turbulent period. He father shoots himself and monther abandons her. She runs away and eventually meets Chunni who puts her up in a brothel he is running in downtown Delhi. The modern Chunni is shown very cooperative and a faclitator of education. He helps Chanda gradute from college besides being in the business. Needless to say, our man Dev lands up there in bizzare circumstances. Through some scenes here and there, their relationships blossoms into something that Chanda can cherish. Paro and Chanda dont share the screen at all and hence the public has been devoid of another "Dhola re Dhola re." Again Chanda's deignation in the industry and some of her customers begin to appal Dev. Now he is back to square one, but with a bigget crate of booze.
Dev then kills some people (in view of druken driving.) and gets court martialled. As we begin to think what the story of Dev Das wants us to think, it it suddenty takes an U turn.
Abhay's acting is similar to what he has done earlier. The new comers Mahi and Kalki are particularly impressive. The forte of the movie is its screenplay and cinematography. The sound tracks are also awesome with a mix of punjabi folk, rap and semi classical. In a nut shell a paisa vasool movie! Watch it till the end to actually enjoy it
If you are wondering what the title of blog means, these are two lines from one of the songs of the movie titled "Pardesi."

Life's Elliptical

After a long time an idea worthwhile writing about. Or let me say a revelation.
I am a fitness conscious in the making. I got introduced to the concept of Machine Cardio exercises here in the US. You just can't jog out in the open in winter time. The elliptical Precor machines here beautifully explained me the concept of life-quite unknowingly to them.
There are programs, monitors and goals to set. The goal here is something that you need to achieve. It may be calories to burn, heart rate to achieve or just time to spend. Any which way you want, it works. What is your goal is what you need to decide. I almost invariably pick the Max-Calories-to-Burn-in-least-amount-of-time goal. Groovy, aint it?
Now as I start to work my way towards it, I realize that there are lot of variable factors I need to take care of , to achive my goal/target. For eg. I need to maintain my heart rate below a certain level, or I need to pedal optimally so that the speed is not below the threshold or worst enough, is to see how much time I am taking. The moment I want everything to be perfect, its all jacked.
So amidst the event I realize that my heart rate is too high, so I lower my speed. My time suddenly shoots up and I am in jitters. First it said 27 min to finish and now its saying 32 min to finish. So I start pedalling faster and my heart rate again shoots up. So maintaining a balance is very important. Then I see that I can reduce the time or burn more calories by increasing the resistance on my pedals. So I reduce the speed and subsequently my heart rate drops, then I increase the resistance. So now, my time is evend out, with more calories burning. As soon as I get happy about it, my legs start hurting due to more resistance. Oh ! Oh! Whats going on? So again I reduce the resistance and come to my original self. And pedal and pedal, to reach the goal. At the end of burning 500 calories, it says "Goal Achieved." and gives a one line summary " Avg Heart rate 134. Max heart rate 151. 50:17 min in zone 106-151. " And I am elated, because, thats what I wished for.
So to cut a long story short- what did that ellipitical teach me today? Life's worthwhile setting a goal for. And working your way towards it. In it you' ll have variable factors like your friends, family, work. But when you know what you want to achieve, you'll need to juggle with all these. Sometimes you'll win on some, sometimes you'll loose on some. But the name of the game is to keep moving ahead. And the culmination, the summary should bring smile to your face. Because whatevere you did back there, was against the resistance, overcoming odds and getting hurt a little bit.

Kahat Kabira..

Recently, have been influnced by two dohas of Kabir:
1) Are you looking for me?
I am in the next seat.My shoulder is against yours.
You will not find me in the stupas, not in Indian shrine rooms,
Nor in synagogues, nor in cathedralsNot in Masses, nor Kirtans, not in legs winding around your own neck,nor in eating nothing but vegetables.
When you really look for me, you will see me instantly —You will find me in the tiniest house of
time.
Kabir says: Student, tell me, what is God?
He is the breath inside the breath.

2) What had death and a thick body dances before what has no thick body and no death.
The trumpet says: 'I am you.'
The spiritual master arrives and bows down to the beginning student.
Try to live to see this!"
P.S ( I am searching for orginal lines. If you have please post the link as a comment.)
Nothing anyone writes can be as pure and authentic and true as Kabir.

Moments with God...

Too many questions now; Take a moment to think and answer them.
1) Have, you have felt someone's with you but couldnt actually make out whose that?
2) Have you caught yourself staring at a distant object with a blank mind?
3) Hve you seen a flower and experienced peace like never before?
4) Have you closed your eyes and felt a different kind of current in the Air?
5) Have your ever hugged someone and cried, not because of sadness or dismay, but because of the sheer vibe between you and the person?
If answer to any one of the above question is Yes, then you are those lucky ones who have had the chance to share the Moments with thy greatness: GOD.
Osho says, God is not a person, God is a vibe.
Have you attuned to that vibe yet?

Stained Shirt

My shirt got stained one day. And I was wearing it like that only. Someone asked me “Buddy, why don’t you wash that?"
I said, "I don't want to.”
He sneered, shrugged and left. What would he know?
The stains were made while my grandma was feeding lovingly with her hands; trembling hands.

Microsoft Bids for Yahoo!

Three big names are present, right here, right now. Microsoft, Yahoo! and Google. Where can we experience a greater example of Tom Friedman's "The World is Flat."
The Redmond based Hercules, targets Sunnyvale based Goliath to take head-on the Mountain View based behemoth.
And whats in the offing?$ 44 Billion. Phew!
If this deal goes through, its all set to change the technology landscape as Internet will never be the same again. Google is of the same opinion and has started foot slogging for it. Basically, the biggest motive is to rake moollah out of the estimated $40 billion internet ad industry where Google has the largest market share (37%) which is more than that combined of Microsoft and Yahoo! As for Yahoo!, it's all in the strategy. Though they will prefer partnering with Google, but monetarily Microsoft is the better choice.
Now its a wait and watch time for us as to how Microsoft will integrate and leverage Yahoo!'s acquisition, provided they pull it off. But I sincerely do hope my email id will not look like this :
adwait@hotyahoomail.com.

Tounge in cheek, is'nt it?

"God Bless you Bhaiyya"

Brigade Road in Bangalore is one of the famous shopping streets in the country. Standalone boutiques of brand factories attract you like anything. They have Adidas, Levis, Gas, Dockers, Puma and loads of other stuff that empty your pockets,your hard earned money and leave you wanting for more.
And over there that day, I found innocence on that street. Innocence. 2.5 feet tall. Holding roses in their hands. Asking for someone to buy them. Pleading may be the right word. Then they found a new customer: me. 3 little, sweet girls, flocked me and started pleading to buy the roses they were carrying.
I didnt know what to do. They wouldnt let me walk. I was caught off guard, and couldnt do anything, but to ask them the price.Here is how our conversation went by:
(For all practical purposes, I will call them Cute1, 2 and 3. )

Cute1: Bhaiyya, please buy the roses na. Please bhaiyya. Please bhaiyya. They are only for 10 bucks.
Me: Ok. Ok. Give me 3 roses. (I take my wallet out)
Cute1: Bhaiyya please buy 10 roses bhaiyya. I will be very happy. Please bhaiyya. Buy 10 roses na.
Me: What will do buying those 10 roses?
Cute1: You can keep it in the church bhaiyya. Please buy 10 roses.
Me: Ok, Ok, give me 10 roses. (I take a 100 Re. note out and give it to her.)
Cute2: Bhaiyya, please buy my 10 roses to bhaiyya. Please buy my 10 roses too.
Me: No, No. Please let me go, I dont have time.
Cute2 & Cute 3: No Bahiyya, you have to buy the roses. 10 her and 10 mine. Please bhaiyya.

I could see the twinkle in their eye with a shade of fear. Questions came and went. Like a gusto wind. What will happen if they wont sell all the roses today? Will they get a bashing from someone living of them? Or will they sleep empty stomach as they usually do? Will they be hurt by someone more powerful yet immature?

Me: Ok. Ok. One by one. Please wrap all the roses in one cardboard and give it to me. And make sure you dont crush them. ( I take out my wallet again and hand over 200 bucks to them.)
Cute 1 & Cute 2 & Cute 3: Thank you bhaiyya. Thank you bhaiyya. God bless you bhaiyya.

That was one of the purest form of blessings i have ever got.

I saw the happiness in their eyes and suddenly i felt at peace. A different kind of contenment ran through the body.
You know the cost of making a difference? Well for me, it was just 300 Rs. What is it for you?

Dhumrapan Neeshedh

Thats hindi. In english its called "No Smoking." Its hillarious to see to what limits people will go to articulate "smoking is injurious to health." If see on cigarette packets from Singapore, they will have all thes cancerous photos sticking on. It gives an horrendous outlook to the whole packet. But most enjoying is the in-flight annoucement.
I am not a frequent flier. Though most of the weekends I remember shuttling between Pune and other cities, 90% by flights. So I am more than a frequent flier. :)
There is always a candid annoucement made that " Smoking is prohibited in-flight. There are smoke detectors in the cabin and in the toilets. " What was that again? In the toilets too? If its your lucky day and you are travelling in the domestic shuttles, you cannot help but observe that there is an ashtray behind the toilet door.
What is the deal with that? If you are saying smoking is prohibited, why are you providing an ashtray at the back of the door? Isnt it to encourage smoking?
Can any body answer that?

Band-Aids

This is hillarious. A recent news article tells about how people in China are using used condoms as hair bands. It has been found in the local markets of Dongguan and Guangzhou. And a possible hazard is spreading aids that it was supposed to protect.

So it goes from "Banned-Aids" to "Band-Aids" :-)

Read the article for further reference.

No Pain.....

Somewhere I remember reading, " Pain is weakness leaving the body." The statement implies something very deep.
Recently, I am reading a string of books written by Osho. The philosophy he narrates is very powerful. He quotes Buddha, Lao and all the masters who have preached awareness as the way to ultimate bliss (nirvana). Simply put awareness is "Self -rememberance." The quality to remember oneself every moment. This bolts you to the present, without the clouds of past hovering over. Pain is one quality I found that makes us aware. How? read further....
Try to analyze when you are pain. Its very hard because you are trying to run away from the pain. Pain killers are your best bet. But what is the reason that pain is there? Ever tried think about that. Its to make you aware. One teeth starts paining excruciatingly and you are suddenly aware of its exsistence. For many years that teeth was there you were oblivious to it. And now, suddenly, its has your attention. The attention it deserved.
Then you try to do quick-fixes over it. Take pain killers, do root-canal et al. Everything you do but to give it attention. To be aware of its existence. The very purpose of pain is to gain awareness.
Try this sometime. When you are in pain, just look it into the eye. Just be aware of the part that is paining. Dont shove your mind-off. As we start attending that pain, its purpose is solved. It has got no reason to exist. Relief is nothing without pain remember that.
Its true that " Pain is weakness leaving the body" for it kills the weakness of oblivion to move in to awareness.