My vodafone friend

Yesterday afternoon I got a call....

'Hi! This is Mr. L from Vodaphone customer care, may I know your name?'

I recognized the voice, it was my friend staying with me at PG. He is a customer care executive hunting to convert people from postpaid to prepaid connection.... I was feeling this was a prank. So I just gave my name. Then he started canvasing me for changing my plan. I just went in with what he was telling, saying nothing.


He detailed the whole plan and finally asked me whether I am interested. I replied I am interested but I dont have an address proof as I am staying in a PG in JP Nagar. He suddenly asked my address. I gave the house number and then he started chuckling from other end. Then he told he will send an executive to my place the next day. I told him to send a beautiful girl colleague of his........

I didnt chatted much because as he is calling from his office it will be heard and recorded. Why to give him a trouble? Later on when I met him in evening he told he didnt knew it was me till I trold him address. I was really impressed with the way he handled the call after knowing it was me. He was as official as he was before but a slight warmth and recognition was laced in his voice... He is a good professional...

Making of an uncle....

I am on the way of becoming an uncle.....

Today my sister visited the doctor and the good news is confirmed...

A very happy moment... ! Its a wonderful responsibility...

I am looking forward to it because two persons who had been an evergreen inspiration for me are my two uncles...

Although poles apart, they had been there all through my life seeing me growing, giving me a hand, motivating when I am down...helping as possible by them without even being asked....

I dont know how much I will succeed, but my 'Uncledom' will be a tribute for both of them....

Bonus time

Life has always been kind to me....

It provides me with enough power and ammunition whenever I requires it most... and takes good care of my requirements at least most of the times. Yes, some times it was unfair, or at least I feel so, but who knows may be all that happens is for making way for better things....

I like my life....

Last day I received my PF settlement (the one that I mentioned in the post Anger management) , just in time to pay advance for my new room... A'int it so nice?

Now I am able to rent out the house without much worry and I can even do the necessary shopping too....

I called the guy to whom I had shouted and told him thanks..... It costs nothing to build some good will...

The Adventure Starts

Officially the adventure starts tomorrow....

I am paying token advance for my new home.....

A new start in a new place....

Last time the feeling dawned when three of us, Amma, sister and me entered our house in Kerala after two long years.... after releasing it from the clutches of the people who rented it and made a mess out of it.

When we entered our home we were empty handed, with virtually zero experience, with only the gut feeling that whatever bad that can happen is already done and there is nothing more...

And then three years of family building, that ended in a sweet note, when my sister tied the knot.

Its time to restart the biggest adventure of life time again- making a home, a family... this time with a little more experiance, with some more courage.....

New isms in India

Another forwarded mail.....

	Emerging 'isms' of the new economy INFOSYSism You have a 1000 poor cows. You put them on a nice campus, & send them one at a time to the US for milking.

	Emerging 'isms' of the new economy PATNIism You have 10 cows. You make them work so that they give milk of 100 cows

	Emerging 'isms' of the new economy WIPROism GE has a cow. You take 49% of the milk.

	Emerging 'isms' of the new economy DELLism Intel has a Goat. Samsung has a Camel. Buy milk from both & sell it as Cow's milk.

	Emerging 'isms' of the new economy IBMism You have old stubborn cows. You sell them as pet dogs to innocent small businessmen.

	Emerging 'isms' of the new economy MICROSOFTism You have a cow. Force the world to buy milk from you. Spend a million dollars to feed poorer cows.

	Emerging 'isms' of the new economy SUNism You have a bull. It doesn't give milk. You hate Microsoft.

	Emerging 'isms' of the new economy ORACLEism You have a cow. You don't know which side to milk, so you sell tools to help milk cows.

	Emerging 'isms' of the new economy SAPism You don't have a cow You sell milking solutions for cows implemented by milking consultants.

	Emerging 'isms' of the new economy APPLEism You have a cow. You sell iMilk.

	Emerging 'isms' of the new economy SONYism You have a cow. You spend $50 mn to develop the world's thinnest milk.

	Emerging 'isms' of the new economy CITIBANKism Welcome to Citibank. If you have a cow, press 1. If you have a bull, press 2...stay on line if you'd like our customer care to milk it for you.

	Some emerging "isms" of the new economy HPism You don't know if what you have is a cow. You sell complete milking solutions through authorised resellers only.

	Emerging 'isms' of the new economy GEism You have a donkey. People think you have a 100-year old cow. If someone finds out, that's his imagination at work.

	Emerging 'isms' of the new economy RELIANCEism You don't yet have a cow. You sell empty cans to people for Rs. 501, because Dhirubhai wanted everyone to have milk.

	Emerging 'isms' of the new economy TATAism You have a very old cow. You re-brand it as TATA Indicow.

Ant and grass hopper story retold

Got this as forwarded mail, really nice, so thought I will share it here...


*An Old Story:

The Ant works hard in the withering heat all summer
building its house and
laying up supplies for the winter....

The Grasshopper thinks the Ant is a fool and laughs &
dances & plays the
summer away.

Come winter, the Ant is warm and well fed. The Grasshopper
has no food or
shelter so he dies out in the cold..

*
Indian Version:*


The Ant works hard in the withering heat all summer
building its house and
laying up supplies for the winter.

The Grasshopper thinks the Ant's a fool and laughs
& dances & plays the
summer away.

Come winter, the shivering Grasshopper calls a press
conference and
demands to know why the Ant should be allowed to be warm
and well fed
while others are cold and starving...
NDTV, BBC, CNN show up to provide pictures of the shivering
Grasshopper
next to a video of the Ant in his comfortable home with a
table filled
with food.

The World is stunned by the sharp contrast. How can this be
that this poor
Grasshopper is allowed to suffer so?

Arundhati Roy stages a demonstration in front of the
Ant's house.

Medha Patkar goes on a fast along with other Grasshoppers
demanding that
Grasshoppers be relocated to warmer climates during winter

Mayawati states this as `injustice' done on Minorities.

Amnesty International and U.N. criticize the Indian
Government for
not upholding the fundamental rights of the Grasshopper.

The Internet is flooded with online petitions seeking
support to the
Grasshopper (many promising Heaven and Everlasting Peace
for prompt
support as against the wrath of God for non-compliance) .

Opposition MPs stage a walkout. Left parties call for
'Bengal Bandh' in
West Bengal and Kerala demanding a Judicial

*CPM in Kerala immediately passes a law preventing Ants
from working hard
in the heat so as to bring about equality of poverty among
Ants and
Grasshoppers.

Lalu Prasad allocates one free coach to Grasshoppers on all
Indian Railway
Trains, aptly named as the 'Grasshopper Rath'.

Finally, the Judicial Committee drafts the ' Prevention
of Terrorism
Against Grasshoppers Act' [POTAGA], with effect from
the beginning of the
winter.

Arjun Singh makes 'Special Reservation ' for
Grasshoppers in Educational
Institutions & in Government Services.


The Ant is fined for failing to comply with POTAGA and
having nothing left
to pay his retroactive taxes,it's home is confiscated
by the Government
and handed over to the Grasshopper in a ceremony covered by
NDTV.


Arundhati Roy calls it ' A Triumph of Justice'
*

*Lalu calls it 'Socialistic Justice '.*


*CPM calls it the ' Revolutionary Resurgence of the
Downtrodden '*

*Koffi Annan invites the Grasshopper to address the UN
General Assembly.*


*
*Many years later...**


The Ant has since migrated to the US and set up a
multi-billion dollar
company in Silicon Valley,


100s of Grasshoppers still die of starvation despite
reservation somewhere
in India,


.
..AND




As a result of loosing lot of hard working Ants and feeding
the
grasshoppers,
.
.
.
.
.*
India is still a developing country…!!!*

*Aren't we are so predictable, its Time to Change!*

Home Sweet Home

So I selected my home in Bangalore today...

Actually it is out of Bangalore... on the way to Kanakpura...
Its a 2 BHK home, a decent bargain, for Rs 3000 rent...

Quite spacious and nicely made, only hitch is that it is at 2nd floor. Hope my mother has no problem with that... But best thing is that it has a good terrace, she can make a small garden there. And she wont face much boredom too as I found out today that our future neighbours are also Malayalees.... She wont face much language problem .

Most of my colleagues stay near by.... and I hope it is going to be great there...

A mocking bird

Shoot all the bluejays you want, if you can hit 'em, but remember it's a sin to kill a mockingbird...

Atticus Finch, a lawyer from Maycomb county Alabama, tells his kids Jem and Scout while handing them guns....

Atticus Finch who was the sharpest shot in the county, who had left guns long back, and touches them again only to defend his family from a mad dog, puts his life in stake to rescue a mocking bird from the clutches of racial prejudice.

Just finished reading To kill a mocking bird by Harper Lee....

A mesmerising read.....

From a place filled with racial prejudice comes a tale of a lone man's fight for justice, to rescue a black man, wrongly accused of rape of a white woman....

Finally a good book after a long wait....

My reader, I strongly recommend this humorous, touching and same time powerful gem of a book.....

Magical dilemma

"Haree... tumse kuch baat karna hein..."
I had just returned from office and heading to my room when our watch man called from behind.

He is a poor Muslim guy whom every one in the PG despises... even I too know he is an asshole.. but I also know that he cannot help being one.... any one in his position will eventually become one...

I was seeing him for the first time when I was searching for a paying guest (PG) accommodation some where near Banashankari. I had seen an advertisement and contacted a guy who offered me one for Rs 2000 per month in a very good locality. He told me that he will send the watch man to a spot... So I was waiting near the place when this short, shabby guy about 50 years appeared to pick me up.

He talked in crude Urdu, and took me to the place. The place was ok and I agreed to stay there giving some advance. Watchman offered to provide me with dinner for Rs 20 daily and he promised that quantity will be sufficient. I gave him advance for that too...

So I started living there from next day. He lives in a small portion with his family of a wife and a girl. It was a very noisy family, quarreling and making commotions daily. Food was fine at starting, but quality was getting worse by day and finally I left eating from there. He was disappointed because it was an extra income for him..

Then I came to know that he was marrying off the girl after Ramzan, quarrelling was getting frequent and even some times I could hear abusive words flung at each other from their home...
And last month marriage was over. I was also planning to leave the place and move near to the office by a month and I had mentioned it to him....

So yesterday when he called me personally I was wondering what may be the reason. He called me to a secluded place and asked whether I know any Malayalee guy who is good in doing any Mantric deeds....I remembered him saying some time back about malayalee mantrics are the best in business and they can do some real scary stuff with lemon... so I was in a fix and was wondering what to respond... It was about his girl. Seems she is refusing to talk to him and to his wife after marriage. He suspects her father in law has brainwashed her and made her to hate them. He desperately wants to inquire what went wrong and what to do with the help of some "Mantram".

Now how can I help him? I myself don't believe in such stuff, but the paternal feeling that was oozing from his words made me to take him seriously. I tried to calm him down as he was in the verge of tears. There is no use talking sense into him so I felt it better to comfort him and told to give the details of the girl so that I can show it to some astrologer when I go home.

He was even ready to bear the bus fare to my town but I told its not required and I am ready to help him any way possible by me.

I dont really know whether I will do some thing regarding this, but I would like to note it down here just to make myself remember later that it is difficult to know when or from where a distress call comes....

Tanking the obstacles

Today in company they were erecting a water tank, the huge black Sintex tank. It entered the bay royally on the back of a truck.....

One maintanence guy was looking at it and cursing, 'How the hell to place it?' It looked really huge and there was no way to attach it to a crane.

Then... the person who came with the truck got on to its back ang just with his hand easily pushed it out of truck. He alone tilted it a little bit and rolled it some 300 meters and finally placed it to its assigned position. Just a matter of minutes....!

Most of the obstacles that we encounter may be huge and look ugly... Dont get depressed and panic about them, there is a high chance that with a simple push you can put it to position.

Caller tune

Its the first time I went for putting a caller tune for my phone in 6 years...

I've added Bohemian Rhapsody by the band Queen...

Its written by Freddie mercury and featured in their 1975 album A Night at the Opera. Its a peculiar song, for a popular one, still it was a huge hit as a single and contributed in the popularity of the band. The music video they made for the single established the style of modern music videos. After its huge success it became the usual practice to make videos accompanying singles.

The song is very complex and is a mixture of capella, ballad, opera and hard rock parts fused in a very beautiful way. Although it got mixed reviews at its opening, the song went on to become a big success later and is regularly featured in top lists of greatest songs. Later it became the part of soundtrack of movie The Wayne's World.

Lyrics:

Is this the real life-
Is this just fantasy-
Caught in a landslide-
No escape from reality-
Open your eyes
Look up to the skies and see-
Im just a poor boy,i need no sympathy-
Because Im easy come,easy go,
A little high,little low,
Anyway the wind blows,doesnt really matter to me,
To me

Mama,just killed a man,
Put a gun against his head,
Pulled my trigger,now hes dead,
Mama,life had just begun,
But now Ive gone and thrown it all away-
Mama ooo,
Didnt mean to make you cry-
If Im not back again this time tomorrow-
Carry on,carry on,as if nothing really matters-

Too late,my time has come,
Sends shivers down my spine-
Bodys aching all the time,
Goodbye everybody-Ive got to go-
Gotta leave you all behind and face the truth-
Mama ooo- (any way the wind blows)
I dont want to die,
I sometimes wish Id never been born at all-

I see a little silhouetto of a man,
Scaramouche,scaramouche will you do the fandango-
Thunderbolt and lightning-very very frightening me-
Galileo,galileo,
Galileo galileo
Galileo figaro-magnifico-
But Im just a poor boy and nobody loves me-
Hes just a poor boy from a poor family-
Spare him his life from this monstrosity-
Easy come easy go-,will you let me go-
Bismillah! no-,we will not let you go-let him go-
Bismillah! we will not let you go-let him go
Bismillah! we will not let you go-let me go
Will not let you go-let me go
Will not let you go let me go
No,no,no,no,no,no,no-
Mama mia,mama mia,mama mia let me go-
Beelzebub has a devil put aside for me,for me,for me-

So you think you can stone me and spit in my eye-
So you think you can love me and leave me to die-
Oh baby-cant do this to me baby-
Just gotta get out-just gotta get right outta here-

Nothing really matters,
Anyone can see,
Nothing really matters-,nothing really matters to me,

Any way the wind blows....


Video:

Crickety critics

One day I may become a movie critic!!!!

Not joking! Its a very good job, no investment, no need of technical knowledge, blabber what comes in your mind, dont give away whether the movie is good or bad, just use lot of jargon and be a pseudo intellect....

I am writing this after reading the review of some critics and after watching the movie they wrote about. I watched new Bond flick Quantam of Solace the last day.... The critics unanimously say that it lacks the Bond atmosphere- car, gadgets, one liners, Bond girls, and a cool Bond who never soils his Tux....

These same lot of critics had a couple of years back tore apart Die Another Day, for being too much artificial and for being formula ridden. They were feeling that Bond is getting more distant from the original novel version by Ian Fleming....

Now when Craig is giving them the raw, ruthless superspy, who gets bruised but kicks the real butt of villains as pictured by Fleming they all want the buttered Brosnan version.

I like Craig more than PB or even Connery. He makes Bond more humane and more believable.

The movie is also better than others may be second only to Casino Royale. And about story... Who cares...? James Bond is all about attitude!!!

Mechanical Forgery

My room mate was laughing when he saw my uniform on which company name was embroidered. My company name is ForgePro.

He is an advocate and the only forging that he knows about is forgery of documents and things. He asked me bewildered what exactly I am doing there. I had to explain him in detail that the mechanical forging is different and it involves totally different procedure. It is in no way illegal...

Fist of God

Finished Fist of God by Frederick Forsyth last day...

The thrills are good, fast paced and little more better than Afghan, its sequel. In this novel SAS man Mike Martin infiltrates Saddam's regime in Iraq while the annexation of Kuwait and subsequent drama is unfolding. Allies have a traiter in Iraq, someone from top of Saddam's circle who provides valuable military information for money. No one knows who he is, only that he operates under code name jericho. Martin's job is to enter Iraq posing as an Arab, and transfer information from Jericho. Special interest for Allies is Qubt Ul Allah or Fist of God suspected to be a WMD possibly nuclear that Saddam has made especially for Allied troops.

Forsyth writes novels based on historical novels with many real characters and some fictional elements and mostly succeeds in pulling out controversial entertainers. In Afghan Mike Martin enters Al Quaida camp posing as an Afghan. That book is also fine, except that action is less and mike doesnt do any thing much heroic as in Fist of God.

PN: I am tired of reading all these pageturners. I would really love to read some thing real and good, may be a biography or some kind of classic. Where can I get one?