Reflections

Piyu bolae...

2007-10-14T11:43:00.000-05:00

Movie : Parineeta

Song : Piyu Bolae

Click here

Adios.

mouna ragam

2007-10-07T19:35:00.000-05:00

Song : A piece of music

Movie : mouna ragam

Click here

Dedicated to : myself!!

Adios.

Oz's in India

2007-09-28T11:55:00.000-05:00

Well before the series had begun, the 'war of words' as they say has started. Ponting reasserts that his team are the real world champions (Did we take anything away from your team, mr.ponting?) and that the T20 champions will find it hard to cope with increasing pressure. They are supposedly peeved by the extreme celebrations that have accompanied our victory. If someone like me feels that all these stage managed antics are quite over the top, the australian team has all the more reasons to get irritated. Andrew Symonds says that his animal instinct has taken over after watching how humble the reactions to India's victory have been. Hope he doesn't rise to the next level of being a cannibal, when he takes the field!! Sreesanth, beware!

Heck, I dont understand what has really come on these players. Have they become possessed all of a sudden? Isn't this just a game? Aren't we supposed to be a sport, taking a victory in our stride and a loss on our chin?

NO

It isnt just a game. It is a game with a lot of colourful personalities, with pride at stake and with egos to be battered. Let the general paying public be a sport in taking the result of the game lightly. The athletes involved shouldnt. As Robin Uthappa said, fight fire with fire. If they are aggressive, you be aggressive as well. If they are subdued, go for the throat. Here is the most important point of all...Carry on the aggression, off the field. Dont let the opponent get near you, even as a friend. The Indian team does not require international friendships. Nothing else should matter more to the country or to the team, than a win and a series win at that. If someone hits the bowler for a four, let him make the batsman pay for it. Make him see some stars, atleast!!
In essence, the team should 'play to win'. Now, there are various connotations to the phrase 'playing to win'. But the only version of 'play to win' I know of, is to do whatever it takes on and off the field, to make the opposition limp.

I hope history does not repeat itself. Everyone remembers the treatment that was meted out to the so-called "Kapil's Devils" at the hands of the then superior West Indies in 1983. We were blackwashed 0-5 soon after winning the cup.

And I hope, the Indian cricketers really play some good cricket to back up their claims and verbals.

Adios.

Ilangkaathu...

2007-02-26T19:45:00.000-06:00

Movie : Pithaamagan

Song : Ilangkaathu...

No interludes. Just the intro and stanza.

http://rapidshare.com/files/18468628/ilangkaathu.mp3.html

Adios.

Conflict Diamonds

2007-01-19T18:31:00.000-06:00

Diamonds - Those shimmering stones that adds beauty to the pendant that adorns a girl's neck; those rarest of all the gemstones that smile at you almost invariably everyday as something that crowns ones ring finger; those that convey the timeless qualities of love and affection; those that are in the constant process of being formed after millions of years of evolution miles down the earth and the possibility of which, reaching the surface is as rare as the stones themselves, are truly a girl's best friend. Or so they say!

Some facts about diamonds:

1. An estimated 5 million people have access to appropriate healthcare globally thanks to revenues from diamonds.

2. Diamond revenues enable every child in Botswana to receive free education up to the age of 13.

3. An estimated 10 million people globally are directly or indirectly supported by the diamond industry.

4. The charity Jewelers for Children funds a community based care program for orphaned children in South Africa.

5. The diamond mining industry generates over 40% of Namibia's annual export earnings.

6. The Diamond Development Initiative was established to improve the working conditions of artisanal miners.

7. Approximately one million people are employed by the diamond industry in India.

8. Approximately $8.4 billion worth of diamonds a year come from African countries.

9. The revenue from diamonds is instrumental in the fight against the HIV/AIDS pandemic.

10. An estimated 65% of the world's diamonds come from African countries.

Fact 8 is exactly where problems lay as long back as 1990 and early 1990's when the revenues generated by exporting diamonds from certain African countries were used in illegally purchasing arms and ammunitions to fuel the already war-torn regions. Thus the name CONFLICT DIAMONDS or BLOOD DIAMONDS. About 4% of diamonds sold all over the world during this period were blood diamonds.

UN defines blood diamonds as "diamonds that originate from areas controlled by forces or factions opposed to legitimate and internationally recognized governments, and are used to fund military action in opposition to those governments, or in contravention of the decisions of the Security Council."

Today the flow of these diamonds have been reduced to 1%, thanks to the cooperation of about 71 governments, certain NGOs and the diamond industry. A system named 'Kimberley process' was set in place. The transfer route of diamonds right from the point they are mined to the point they are sold to a retailer were monitored.

However, there are still 3 countries which do not comply with the Kimberley process - Sierra Leone, Democratic Republic of Congo and Liberia. They are in the process of stabilizing their social living.

For further information on blood diamonds, refer www.diamondfacts.org

Coincidentally, I have plans of watching the movie 'Blood diamond' tonight. I heard it is a nice one to watch.

Adios.

Guru

2007-01-13T16:40:00.000-06:00

Movie : An excellent one. I would watch it again and ,may be, again and, may be, again. In my list of movies that might have had an impact, this is the latest addition. Not as much emotionally, as was the case with Rang De Basanti, though. However, it gives a sneak view of the thought process of visionaries. All said, I have my own reservations about the success of this film because Maniratnam's movies in the north almost invariably defy the law of averages at the box office, for some unknown godly reasons. As most of you might have come to know by this time, it is the story of Dhirajlal Hirachand Ambani, the one who is credited to have started the equity cult in India. Making an effort to atleast give a cursory glance at the biography of Dhirubai Ambani should not be a futile exercise. Most definitely, not. I would not bet on how precisely the personality of Ambani has been portrayed in the film. However, I tend to believe that he is, indeed, a man of very strong will, a man who relentlessly and ruthlessly pursued his dream. Actually speaking, this should come as no surprise to any of us because we are talking about someone who left a legacy behind, an empire behind.

Songs : As I am typing out this blog, guru is blaring in my onkyo! Needless to say, when the thumper scores music for Mani Ratnam, the album is a sure shot hit. 'Barso Re', 'Ek Lo Ek Muft', 'Ay Hairathe' fell straight into the 'love at first hear' category even before I watched the movie. Started liking the song 'Mayya' at the theatre. Sadly, I have difficulty in comprehending some of the words in hindi. So, I may not be able to appreciate the songs fully. But I can take solace, a heartening solace, that I can understand something more powerful than language - music - just a little bit better. One of the BGM's was really thumping. It would not be a bad idea, to release the movie BGMs along with the songs in an audio CD. I remember a Tamizh audio CD - Bose - including BGMs. With Rahman composing songs and some of the BGMs in his movies, the CD sale will rise further more. Maybe, I am biased towards him. But I am happy to be biased. I have not listened to any of these songs through earplugs yet. It will only help me in liking them more.

Adios.

New york Nagaram...

2007-01-09T20:52:00.000-06:00

I had been to New york sometime last year, over a long weekend, to visit one of my friends. I felt that it is a very nice place to be in, as a tourist. I would not want to be a New yorker. I would dislike that pacy life. Every year, a trip to New york for a few days should not be a bad idea.

A truly cosmopolitan city it is, there are many places of attraction - those of architectural beauty, and/or those of historic importance. Though such structures were all pleasing to the eyes, the one thing that really overwhelmed me was the New York underground system. The sort of planning that went into making it into such an extensive network was written all over it. I was so impressed that I brought back an underground map with me, as a souvenir.

An underground station...

Sort of depicts the pacy life of a New yorker - New york Penn Station

I bumped into a website, some time back, that talked about the history of this underground network.

With tens of thousands of immigrants arriving into the city, in mid 1800's, New york became one of the most crowded places. In 1888, a ferocious blizzard brought the city to halt. Horse driven cars and omnibuses were of no use as twenty feet of snow engulfed the city. It was then realized that New york needed an underground system. Construction began in 1900 and a small part of the now existing network was completed in 4 years time, through the hard work of Irish americans, african americans and other immigrants. Atleast 7,700 men were involved in the project and the 21 mile route was laid down by hand. The system was first named Interborough Rapid Transit (IRT). With the success of the IRT, the government wanted to extend the network with the help of private constructors. An ambitious project of the network that would run 165 miles connecting Manhattan, Brooklyn, the Bronx and the Queens was undertaken. Through some dirty politics, IRT and Brooklyn Rapid Transit (BRT) company entered into dual contract. However, as years passed by, the government realized that it was not profiting from these private contractors and took over the job by itself through the Metropolitan Transit Authority (MTA). The underground system experienced a slight hiccup post WW II with the job boom offering enough freedom to the commuters to make use of the new found love - the automobile. However, in 1994, 90 years after the IRT started the underground construction, MTA approved $17.2 billion dollars for improvement of the existing system and the network would continue to grow.

This is just a brief story of the birth of underground network. I have left out some numbers here and there for want of memory space in my brain. Anyway, it is quite interesting getting into the history of anything that captures our attention.

"MODERN DAY MARTYDOM CAN BE SUCCINCTLY DEFINED AS RIDING IN A NEWYORK OMNIBUS"

That is Newyork Nagaram for you...

Adios.

Visit to India

2007-01-04T21:10:00.000-06:00

I was looking forward to my visit to India in december with great eagerness. It was wholly because I wanted a break from this monotonous american routine. I was losing focus due to variety of reasons. I realized that the only way I could get back on track was by being with my mother for sometime. I was so desperate that I booked my flight tickets 6 months in advance and packed my luggages one week earlier! 3 weeks is really not such a long time for vacation. It went by in a flash. But it has done a world of good to my being. Last year had not been a good one for me, by any stretch of imagination. With the new year, I am looking forward to some exciting and challenging times both personally and professionally. I am not the one to pledge new year resolutions. But, ideally I would want to get into the state of mind that I was in before 2006, the mind that was more interested in gaining knowledge - technical and general - than anything else. My blogs hereon shall be more technical and/or informative with interesting facts about various facets of nature ranging from universe to science to history to everyday happenings. Gone are the days when my blogs reflected my mood. I figured out that people tend to assume things from reading my blogs. Let me not give them a chance anymore!

Adios.

Butler English!

2006-10-03T18:59:00.000-05:00

Have you ever had a realization dawning upon you that the sentences you very carefully think about before forming and speaking them out, escapes your mouth as utter rubbish with such grammatical purity that would have made Shakespeare proud and would have made him wish for rebirth a zillion times!
I am talking about the English that we speak at work. Hardly do I use it as a language for informal communication. I/We term that as 'Butler English', for no/some reason. During such moments, it is just funny to recollect the statements we give out. However, the line between fun and embarassment gradually thins down to nanometric scale if this continues throughout the day. I have had that realization quite often. In the immediate past, it happened on 09/29/06. It was so frustrating that I reached a point when I decided not to talk anymore on that day, in a vain effort to salvage some lost pride. I am not sure if this happens to everyone or if there really is a problem with the left/right part (whichever applicable) of that thing between my ears. What is it called? I do not remember.

Guitar

2006-09-17T14:15:00.000-05:00

Bought an acoustic guitar yesterday. Though I was thinking about the purchase for a long time, yesterday's was just instinctive. Incidentally this guitar is fully in black, the only colour they had in stock. Ha! My first love, however, will always be my keyboard. Guitar will be of use only when I come across some song which has a lovely strumming. I know nothing about guitar, absolootly nothing. Not even the ideal way to hold/rest it. So it is going to quite interesting and frustrating. Looking forward to getting some painful cuts/marks at my finger tips!

Adios.

Naangu kannadi suvargalukkulae naanum mezhuguvathiyum...

2006-09-17T02:17:00.000-05:00

Movie : Expected the movie to be a total 'bwaack' from the raving reviews that my friends in India showered. It can be viewed once. Twice, may be.

Songs : Needless to say. Two songs were in the 'love at first hear' category, even before I watched the movie. The intro to 'Munbae Vaa' was excuizit. 'Newyork Nagaram' is an ob choice what with the strumming. Others will be very good as well after constant earplugging.

Adios.

Vettaiyadu Vilayadu

2006-08-29T19:15:00.000-05:00

Watched this movie last weekend. A very good tamil movie that I have seen after quite some time. Liked two songs - Karka Karka and Paartha Mudhal. The second is more like Suttum Vizhi. May be it is time for some work for my keyboard! I would have preferred Kamalini as the heroine to the 'other one'. Overall, a movie worth watching. Many would argue that KamalHaasan does not fit into the role, but I think he still looks relatively young for a 50+ years old person and is definitely still handsome.

Adios.

Live every moment

2006-08-20T14:14:00.000-05:00

Live in the dreams
Live in the hopes
Let the rhythm take control
Live in the day
Live in it now
Live the moment right now....

http://rapidshare.de/files/30132475/live_every_moment.mp3.html

I would actually like to play the latest one, that which is more sobre. Lets see

Adios.

KANK

2006-08-14T13:10:00.000-05:00

I would better use the short form for hindi movies than the full length ones. Anyway they, invariably, will have four words that forms a phrase that forms the title of the movie that paves way for one title song. I had been to this movie on saturday, in Houston. Many would have hated the movie for one of the boldest 'concepts' of modern times (atleast for Indians like us) was shot as a story. It always irks to have come across something that is not regarded as a proper protocol. Anyone would find it hard to accept such situations or story lines. However, whether we like it or not, these situations arise. Afterall real life happenings are made into movies more often. I had heard bad reviews about this film before I watched it. But it was not as bad as I imagined it would be.
Whatever I have said is what I believe anyone who watched the movie would say. My opinion does coincide at some points. I would not like to add my personal comments on this movie as what I mean to say will not be perceived in exactly the way it has to be. So I could as well keep it to myself.

Adios.

Khoonchala

2006-08-13T14:40:00.000-05:00

Song : Khoonchala
Movie : Rang De Basanti

I came across an article in some website on scales and notes, while I was googling for something else. It said many composers, in general, adopt 'A major' as the scale to portray sadness or melancholy. This song is one such example.
The piano strokes in the background of this song is, simply put, ex..cui..zit.

http://rapidshare.de/files/29277172/khoonchala.mp3.html

Adios.

Piyu Bole

2006-08-05T17:49:00.000-05:00

Song : Piyu Bole
Movie : Parineeta

A nice song.

Here is the link.

http://rapidshare.de/files/28328915/piyu_bole.mp3.html

Use earplug please.

Adios.

Sahasranaamam

2006-08-05T17:42:00.000-05:00

Recited sahasranaamam today at the sannadhi of Lord Venky in meenakshi amman temple. A chance that I can never expect to get in Tirupathi. I hope to make it a practice. Afterall, there is an inner sense of satisfaction and a huuuge relief that I gain out of this.

Adios.

Neenga nallavaraa kettavaraa!....Theriyalayaeppaa.

2006-07-28T22:38:00.000-05:00

Heck, this dialogue in Nayagan (and the accompanying bell sound!)was more famous among people earlier, than "Houston, We have a problem!" is now.
Anyway, I was listening to "Thenpaandi Seemayile" from the movie 'Nayagan', in my senorita when I was driving back home from work. I was thinking of playing some other song in the evening till my rita turned to this track. I decided that I could try this now that I have been admiring the song for so long. Something which needs to be appreciated in this song, is the orchestration. I would like to believe there were no synths available 15 years back, when these songs were composed. With the number of string instruments used in this song, orchestrating precisely is a tough one, though people like IR are professionals at this. Ofcourse, this is the case with all these western live concerts where we see those huge cellos, violas and other string instrus. Listen to the original song (the sad/sadder/saddest part of it!) and you will 'feel' what melancholy is.

I think the song has come out decent enough. Not like yesterday's definitely (laughing at myself)! Use earplug.

http://rapidshare.de/files/27462376/thenpaandi.mp3.html

Adios..

Venmathi

2006-07-27T22:17:00.000-05:00

Song : Venmathi Venmathiyae
Movie : Minnalae

Let me tell you what I like in this song, first. Its absoloot melancholy to start with. The use of chords. The beaautiful use of strings in the second part of second stanza, which sort of portrays the mood of the scene (may be, i am thinking too much. May be, I am not). Ofcourse, the lovely sound of piano should be mentioned. Listen to the original song, not the one I have played. And you will know. I do not like the way I have played this song! I was not able to capture whatever I like in the song. Secondly, I do not have the ability to play keyboard and guitar at the same time to get the effect of background strumming! I do have some instruments in my synth which closely matches the sound but not exactly. So I did not want to use them. Anyway, if you want to listen to what I have played, do not expect much.

http://rapidshare.de/files/27280029/venmathi.mp3.html

Use earplug please.

Adios.

PS : If you are interested in listening to any of my other kottals, scroll down.

In short..that is

2006-07-17T18:11:00.000-05:00

Everyone has one friend (if they are lucky)
who ranks higher on the 'friend scale'
than anyone else...
That is the friend with whom
you can be completely honest
about what you are thinking and feeling,
without worrying for a moment
that you are going to be judged.
That is the friend who has seen you
at your best and at your worst
and loves you all the same.
That is the friend who,
if you who have been mistreated,
gets almost angrier than you do
and demands justice.
That is the wonderful
indispensible friend
who is ally, playmate, confidant
and kindred spirit...

In short that is ............................!

Fill it up with the name of the friend who comes to your mind immediately and you will sense that each and every word reflects the friendship that you share with that person.

Adios.

PS: This was flicked from Linda Lee Elrod.

Body worlds

2006-07-09T00:05:00.000-05:00

When I visited NY last week, my friend Bala said that there are a few exhibits on human anatomy in the american museum of natural history. Unfortunately, on account of renovation that part of the exhibition was closed for visitors. I was listening to houston FM when I returned and there was an advertisement for Body Worlds 3 - an exhibition on human anatomy with the aid of real dead bodies. I visited the natural sciences museum today where this exhibition is taking place. The work on dead bodies to bring them to such levels as being a reservoir of valuable information on the complex processes - be it digestion, transfer of electrical signals by neurons or be it the functioning of some of the smallest arteries in our body - was marvellous. A German anatomist had used his patented method called Plastination to preserve the bodies. To me, the exhibits symbolically portrayed the profundity of the essence of nature and its evolution. They displayed such things that will be frozen in time between one's death and decay. They displayed on one hand, how simple life is and on the other hand, how complex it is. It is a pity that the tryst with my inner self cannot be captured and cherished, as photographs were not allowed inside the hall. It is a shame that circumstances changed and with them, my ambition. Choosing to become a doctor is a noble deed. I loved that profession and I still do, primarily for two reasons. First, the profession itself is driven by a noble cause. Secondly, as much as I can remember with my limited knowledge, this is the only field wherein a person is addressed by his profession, which is something to be proud of. I do not expect to be called as 'Engineer Balaji Varadharajan'! I wish those circumstances had not changed. I wish I had realized my ambition of becoming a doctor. First is a regret...Second remains a wish...

Adios.

???

2006-07-07T19:45:00.000-05:00

...at a gen local park near wall street,NY

Beeaaudiful, innit?
Photography is 50% philosophy, 40% inspiration, 9% the photographer and 1% the type of film used!
More on this, later.

Adios.

Tune of ecstasy

2006-06-24T00:14:00.000-05:00

I came across a website which hosts mp3 files of all BGM's in select movies scored by rahman, where I heard this famous tune in alaipaayuthe. You know, some 'ecstatic' thoughts strike us all of a sudden seemingly from nowhere. Instead of playing a full song I wanted to try playing just this tune repeatedly, ofcourse with a different BGM and different instruments- sort of instrumental you see. I dont know how it might appeal to others but it sounds good to me. Afterall, I played it and it is natural that I will like it!

http://rapidshare.de/files/23949392/alaipayuthe_BGM.mp3.html

Use earplug please.

Adios.

Those were the days..

2006-06-22T18:54:00.000-05:00

Those were the days when I stopped my rita at the green signal.
Those were the days when I jumped the red signal.
Those were the days when I involuntarily missed an exit. But, you know, there is always a U-turn to my rescue!
Those were the days when I took out Rang De Basanti CD from my car audio system and opened the altoids box to put the cd inside(chuckling...).
Those were the days when I tried opening my apartment door with my car remote(laughing all the bloody way to glory...).
Those were the days when anyone would have exclaimed "Damn, he is sick!".

Those were the worst days of my life.

(Seriously...)I do not know what makes me write this all of a sudden. Maybe it is the rainy weather and the hailstorm that is changing my mood to a more sobre one. Maybe it is because I repeated one of these still-occasionally-unavoidable-funny things today.

Stewpid, Am I not?

Un Kannill Naan Kandein

2006-06-21T22:00:00.000-05:00

"karuppu vellai pookal undaa
un kannill naan kandein
un kangal vandai unnum pookkal enbein"

Ofcourse it suits well for Asin. These lines add zing to the song 'Suttum Vizhi' from Ghajini. There will be few things in a song which would attract a person- repeated BG beat, humming, chords, the choice of instruments, the lyrics et al. I started liking this song after I heard the verses above. I thought it will be difficult to play this in my keyboard as I assumed that it is composed with a complicated scale. Yesterday, when I was listening to this song I just tried playing a few keys in my keyboard, along. Heck, I found that this song is based on the simplest of all scales - C major. Finding the chords and BGM's were not difficult after that. For once, Harris has shed his liking for B scales - B maj (oru maalai) and B min (vaseegara).

However easy the scale was, playing the second interlude was a bit difficult. With the limited dexterity that I have in playing keyboard, I was not able to make it complete. I think the song has come out alright. Just listen to it, if you wish.

http://rapidshare.de/files/24003885/suttum_vizhi1.mp3.html

Adios.

I am glad

2006-06-20T21:38:00.000-05:00

Today I am more happy than any of the past few weeks. My friend who was the subject of my blog few days back has been offered a position in Cummins, as an R&D engineer. As I had told earlier, life has not been easy for him till now. This has only reinforced my belief in two facts.

1. Life is a sinusoidal wave. One who rides the crest now will have to ride the trough sometime later and vice versa.
2. As thalaivar says is Baasha, He will test those good and mentally strong people but will never let them down.

I am glad...

Adios.

Moody Gardens - In pictures

2006-06-18T22:24:00.000-05:00

...Palm Beach! Bah. nothing more than a swimming pool

...The cute shouting of gulls surely helped.

...Discovery, Rainforest and Aquarium Pyramids

...Love is in the air, or so they say

...Lazy flamingos

...Pachai niramae pachai niramae

...Who the hell are you looking at?

...???

...Penguins and Aaanguins

...What is that character in Finding Nemo?
...Colours of the reef

...Last, but by no means the least

Could I possibly say that Moody gardens was a colourful experience?

Adios.

Some of mine (contd.,)

2006-06-14T22:57:00.000-05:00

I was getting bored of repeatedly listening to the same set of songs. For once, I was bored of listening to rahman's. So, yesterday after coming back office, I checked for some relatively old songs composed by ilayaraja. I came across this song "Om Namaha" from 'Ithayathai thirudaathe". The movie was released first in telugu as "Geethanjali" if my memory serves me right. I have listened to this song before but that was quite a long time back. It is an absolutely uncomplicated one but it captivates the listener as it provides the required effect. It is a nice song. Listen to it if you have not. If you have, listen to it again! I wanted to play this song in my keyboard. And I hope it has come out well.

Here is the link.

http://rapidshare.de/files/23090725/om_namaha.mp3.html

for any of you who would want to listen.

As always, use earphone. Lappy and desktop speakers are useless.
These are the instruments I have used (for any of those curious ones)

1. Piano+strings - Lead
2. Guitar - BGM (to get the effect of strumming. But I think it has not come out as well as I had expected)
3. Strings - BGM
4. Saw - Interlude
5. Orchestra - Interlude
6. Pan Flute - Interlude
7. Bell - Interlude

Apart from all these, I have also used pieces of fingered bass. Bass has always attracted me in any song. It, sort of, makes the music complete. Bass does not feature in the original song. I wanted to just try and listen to how it sounds. I think it fits into the scale of the song. If you do not think so, kindly adjust!

For any of my other music kottals, kindly scroll down the blog.

Adios.

A friend

2006-06-12T20:43:00.000-05:00

Please do not read this blog if you are in a good mood. Please do not read this blog if you do not want to get irritated even more. Seriously. This is not a gimmick to attract anyone. (Smiling)I have no need to do that.

I met this guy first when I joined DAVG for 11th in 1996. We did not get to know each other until the end of 12th. We did not even get introduced to each other for a long time. We started to interact frequently when we joined Pilani as we were both in mechanical engg. Damn, he was a mech-by-choice. Now, how many get to do that? Over the four years we studied in Pilani, we started to get along well. You know, the frequency (or wavelength or time period whatever you want to call) of certain persons match. I do not want to get too personal here but he had done a lot of things for me, had given up a few. He is the only person who I 'listen' to when he shouts at me, when he advises me. He is and will be the only person who I talk to dumping whatever ego i have, even when he is irritated with me. He has struggled a lot to get to a stage where he is now.

Now comes the worst part. When he calls me up, just trying to vent his frustration on certain aspects of life, as a very thick friend I am supposed to partake of his mood. Well, that does not happen with me. Why? Because, I am not very good in talking things out. Why? Because, I think about myself as someone excellent, infact magnanimous, in writing things out! Words, to me, are more powerful than anything else! Well, let me be damned then. I do not know how many times I have felt this quality of mine is going to be a bane. It is going to affect me at some point in time. But still I am not able to change which is funny! I know just too well how it would feel with no one to share one's thoughts with, especially when those you think are good friends turn their back even more making you believe, for a moment, that you are a bloody untouchable.
This friend of mine reiterates time and again, how valuable our friendship is . Yet, when he needs someone to talk to, when I am the first person he calls up, all I do is to stay quiet and be not responsive. I believe in reciprocation. If someone does not reciprocate what I do, I will tend to say 'Thanks pal, you are just another passerby". I am just too proud of the word 'friendship' and its meaning to me that I do not want to break a few of them unnecessarily. Given all this,the way I am acting is a shame on my part. I am not following what I believe in.
Since I am talking about friendship, let me digress from the topic a bit. It is true that ego and pride should play no role between good friends. I would as much disagree with it as I agree, though. Because, there are a few people who cannot be bracketed into this category.

A friend in need is a friend indeed. I needed a friend but none of the souls was willing to listen to me. Now he needs a friend and I am not responding? So, who am I and how better am I than those souls?

I wish I say all this, in first person, to him. But..

Hear! Hear!....Ganguly

2006-06-12T13:23:00.000-05:00

If Ganguly ever wants to improve his batting against those snorters, short pitched stuffs, chinners (whatever you want to call) directed towards his rib cage, he could do well with a trick or two up his sleeves.

Ooh.. The bat kicked off quite a good length!

Adios.

The weekend that was

2006-06-11T19:00:00.000-05:00

I had been to Austin this saturday with karthik and his mother. There is nothing attractive about that place that would make you visit over and over again. Though I had been to austin before, I did not get a chance to take a closer look at the capitol. This time, however, I was amazed by the richness and grandeur of the interior. It was quite obvious that a lot of planning and money has gone into constructing this elegant structure. I would rather let the pictures speak.
...myself outside capitol

...myself outside the capitol entrance

...Entrance

Thanks to karthik, the second picture has come out very well considering the angle at which it was taken. Now lets go to the interior.

...Senator's chamber

...walkway

...House of representatives

We left for Mount Bonnell from Capitol. I would love to own a house near the lake but, seemingly it will cost me a fortune! So forget it, I will go for something better!

...Lake Austin

...myself with lake austin in the background. Oh well, that bloody exhausted look on my face is because of the mid-day heat.

Any trip to Austin, will be incomplete without a flying visit to san marcos and san antonio. We went to san marcos though I had no intention of a major shopping spree. After spending sometime in san marcos, we left for san antonio by around 6pm. I should say that this was the first time I had reached san antonio in bright sunlight. My previous visits to this place (river walk, in particular) had invariably been in the night by 9pm, by which time the beauty of setting sun and its effect on surroundings would have evaded me. But no, not this time.

...some gen building in san antonio. But the blue sky merged with evening sun hitting part of the building was just too much to take my eyes off.

...some other gen structure. But same effect.

...The Alamo

The Alamo (pic above) in san antonio serves as a shrine reminding people of the texan history and its liberty. For anyone who is more interested about this, visit
www.thealamo.org

We had dinner in a mexican restaurant in river walk and returned home late night. It was just one of those small round trip yesterday but it has had its influence on me.

Adios.

Getting back..

2006-06-01T20:09:00.000-05:00

Oh....my...god. I just cannot believe myself. It has been quite a long time since I had felt as refreshed as I am during the past two days. The reason is that I was able to figure out (atleast partly) where I was going horribly wrong all these days. Subsequently, I am just trying to remember, to follow and to continue my thought processes that I used to carry out sometime back (Yes Yes, the chappell way!). I had mentioned elsewhere long time back fleetingly that there will be a few happenings one will encounter that will change his/her attitude towards certain things in life forever. This is not such a godly statement that only I am aware of but its profundity is amazing. Well, it is happening to me again and hopefully for my good. The way I am going to look at those 'certain things' and the cause(s) for those are going to change as gradual realization of self and about others dawns upon me. A very very close friend of mine repeatedly says that I have a very poor judgemental power . And I would defend myself. Maybe I will call him up after this and let him know that he won the argument. God Willing, I would not go back to that bloody darn state that I was in, come what may. Afterall, I will never let go off something that has brought me thus far, not for anyone definitely. I shall just luff to feel the way I do now. I am getting back to my normal enthued self that I was, quite long time back and it would be interesting for me to see how I conduct myself.

If any/all of what I have said is abstract, the purpose of this blog is served.

Not in the clamor of the crowded street, Not in the shouts and plaudits of the throng, But in ourselves, are triumph and defeat.

How true is this?!

Memorial day weekend

2006-05-30T18:51:00.000-05:00

I was not sure till thursday about the way I was going to spend the weekend. I decided on friday morning, that I will visit my friend's house in downtown and stay there overnight. We watched 'Bend it like Beckham' and a tamil movie. I just savoured the British accent in the former. Slangs like 'Sod it' and 'Bollocks' however derogatory they are, are atleast pleasing to hear because of the way the British chew, bite and spit English. It will be good if phrase like "He/She is taken" is replaced by "He/She is promised to someone" which sounds more elegant. I went to meenakshi temple on saturday with my friend and his mother. From the temple, we went to Bellfort to watch 'Fanaa'. Of late many of the assumptions that I make are getting boomeranged. I make an ass of myself consequently. Anyways, I assumed that an Aamir Khan movie should be a good one to watch, since his previous film was a hit as well. But I forgot all about the law of averages at the box office. I had to kill time watching that wretched movie for the next three hours. Please do not waste your money on the movie. That evening was nothing eventful.

The next day I visited nasha (excuse me, NASA) with some of my other friends. For all the hype that is created about the place, I felt it was empty. The picture below was taken next to Saturn V stages.

The above still is that of the Mission control center which will be buzzing with activity (seemingly) during the time of launch.
We spent our time at nasha till 7 in the evening and left for Kemah Boardwalk. I have always felt and realized that lakes/sea/ocean had a soothing effect on me, an effect which I do not find in humans, sadly. For me, it is not mother nature. It is angel nature and I am in love with the angel. It is unfortunate that Kemah is so far away from my residence else I would have visited the place everyday. There were a few roller coaster rides but I was more interested in relishing the calm water waves ornated by shafts of light sunrays. Even otherwise I would not have opted for those rides. It was a shame that the weather was not more pleasant.

I thought Kemah was the right place to practice some of the photography skills that I read in a book on photog.

And so, ...there she hangs motionless upon the air

....one of the rides.

It is interesting to see the contrast in the previous two snaps. One can interpret them to be reflections of two distinct phases of life - the first a serene, tranquil and moody one and the next a vibrant and colourful one. As always, nature has its own way of mirroring human moods and behaviour.

I have a few more snaps that were taken, but I am lazy to post them here. Anyways, it was quite an eventful evening of the whole weekend. As I said earlier, it really had a soothing effect on me which I desperately needed, especially during these days when my laughter (and even my smile) is finding it difficult to make its way through my eyes and resides in my cheeks lazily. I am really looking forward to the July 4th weekend. I am desperate to get out of Houston, out of this mundane routine and out of my thoughts. I badly need a break, very badly.

Adios.

Myself

2006-05-22T18:48:00.000-05:00

I see this field 'about me' in orkut. Many times I have thought that filling up this space is a waste of time because all I can think about me are the bad attributes that one can associate with any human being. Well, there are a few good ones too as you will soon learn. So instead of shamelessly posting my attributes in a public forum like orkut where any and every person - from those who know me well to those who have not seen me at all - will get to know what I am made of, I adopted a wiser option of not trying to talk too much about me. Afterall, 24 years have gone by and I am still trying to figure out, rather unsuccessfully, as to what I am and who I am.
A frequent interview question when I used to apply for positions in India is "What are your strengths and weaknesses?". There are people who would prepare answers beforehand by trying to diplomatically combine their strength/weakness with the job requirement. I did that as well but I was never satisfied with that answer because the answer did not describe me. May be whatever answers I gave was the technical "about me". I always wish to have a little time for myself everyday, to not think about anything else but me. It still remains a wish as I do not religiously follow the routine. But if I do follow, I should be able to get to know about myself better. For now, let me give out some of my weaknesses followed by my strengths (I know, I know, blogger is a public forum as well but I dont care. There will be less people visiting my blog.)

Weaknesses : Egoism (much more than what you would expect from a dumb fellow)
Arrogance
Attitude
Superior inferiority complex (as the first weakness rider would indicate)
Inferior superiority complex
Short temper
Brutal frankness (as this blog will indicate)
Hyper analysis of self (ditto)
Emotional
Moody
Unforgiving

Strengths : Pride
Arrogance
Brutal frankness
Hyper analysis of self
Sympathy
Empathy
Loyalty to those who I like (it is a different issue that it is not reciprocated which makes me look like a bloody martyr!)
Perseverence
Relentlessness

As you can clearly see, my weaknesses outnumber my strengths. Ideally, anyone would like to have (my weakness)^-1 as his/her personality. Now that I have listed these (and the list will keep growing as and when I come across an apt adjective that describes me), my work is cut out in orkut.

Adios.

I wish...

2006-05-07T23:16:00.000-05:00

Some of the latest happenings in and around me makes me wish that the time machine stopped in 1998 and never ticked ahead. I wish I was never exposed so much to this world. I wish I never came across my current crop of friends. I wish I never lost the charm that many said I possessed (If you think I am blowing my own trumpet, correct your thought. I do not think I am). I wish I never lost the innocence which I believe I possessed. I wish I never lost many of the traits that made me stand out of others. I wish I can enlighten myself about the root cause for all these. I wish I had not behaved the way I am these days. I wish I am able to think from my brains and not from the heart. I wish I was born a Libran just during these phases. I wish I was not haunted by such cluttered thoughts, a deluge of emotional swings which only I can proudly flaunt. I wish the reasons for all these die with me. I wish I did not boast such attributes that makes me a not-so-affable personality. I wish I return to my normal being soon. But I guess that will be difficult. Maybe I have seen the last of my true happier self. I wish I prove myself wrong. I wish the time machine stopped in 1998 and never ticked ahead. I wish...I wish...

Some of mine (contd.,)

2006-05-04T20:59:00.000-05:00

This is the latest that I have done. The song is 'Oru Maalai' from Ghajini. For some reason, I liked this song and, after repeated hearing, was interested in playing the song.
To me, this song has come quite well compared to all my previous ones.

Here is the link.
http://rapidshare.de/files/19648277/orumaalai.mp3.html
These are the instruments that I have used (for those who are curious).

1. String Piano - Lead
2. Strings - BGM
3. Fretless Bass - BGM
4. Piano (2 kinds) - BGM
5. Drums - BGM
6. Drums looped track - BGM
7. Bass looped track - BGM
8. Orchestra Ensemble - Interlude and Stanza
9. Guitar - Interlude and Stanza
10. Whistle - BGM and Stanza
11. Bottle Blow - Interlude and Stanza
12. Synthetic strings - A small initial part

Hope you enjoy this.

Adios.

Indian Oil

2006-05-03T12:54:00.000-05:00

I had been to the Offshore Technology Conference (OTC) with one of my colleagues (who happens to be an Indian) today in houston. I met k to the a to the r to the t to the eeeiiiicccchhhh to the i to the k there. It is more like the career fair but there were no students to hand out resumes to the company officials. Instead, it was a conglomeration of oil companies, big and small, and from all over the world (America ofcourse, Germany, UK!, INDIA! etc) aimed at sharing knowledge in oil industry. As I am new to this industry, I decided not to ask too many questions but just watch. As a consequence, the whole afternoon affair turned out to be slightly boring until we realised that ONGC and Reliance had put up a stall each. Expectedly, we reached ONGC first to talk to someone (just gen talk, anything but technical. I know that if any of the company official sees an Indian, he/she will be more than interested to spend some time with him). The stall was well 'decorated', its plan - as we learned later - conceived in India and designed in this country. There were two american women (girls, to be precise) who were dressed in semi-traditional Indian attire. It added to the beauty of the lasses! We (karthik and myself) wanted to talk to someone there and asked for the person incharge. A lady, her name Narayani something - HR manager, came out to talk and there started our discussion for about 20 minutes. We were curious to know the selection process of experienced candidates into ONGC, just to get an idea. In the process, we got a glimpse of oil industry in India (from what she says, India is really shining!). She was explaining how nationalistic some employees were and the company itself is. Finding, from our names, that we are from Tamilnadu (is rocket science needed?!) she asked "Do you miss Thayir Shaadham?!". "Ofcourse, we do" was our reply in unison. However, I stopped short of telling her it is my staple diet( along with Tom and Jerry cartoon) for dinner. She said she is a keralite who never stayed in kerala, her husband a punjabi serving the army, one of her daughters in Pune and her son in the same place etc etc. She invited us for a dinner cocktail tomorrow evening at 5.30 at Grand Plaza. At first, we were enthued to go as we could get to meet lots of Indians and ONGC officials. Our enthu went with the wind, when we realised how heavy the traffic in I-45 was/would be. Though she did not have an invite, she said she would remember our faces and let us in if we wished to go. That was a nice gesture from her. We exchanged business cards and left. Next was ONGC's competitor - Reliance. Our idea was to 'chat' with them for some time about the selection process again and chatting is what we had (for another 20 minutes). First, we talked to an engineer and later to an HR manager. He too portrayed India as shining unfurling some veiled satirical remarks on ONGC, by the way.
Lets come to some informative and serious part of the blog. All this chatting apart (which we did just not to get bored), we realised how well oil industry and Indian industry in general is performing. There are two huuuuuuge matured oil wells that have been discovered (one along the east coast in Kakinada and the other at the opposite corner, Gujarat). They say that many multinational oil majors including Shell lost hope of finding any well in India which ONGC and Reliance successfully unearthed. With majority of the focus on wells in America, Middle east and Europe there are lots of untapped wells in India which will grab attention of the world as time passes by. Afterall, everything (including you and me) has to go through a cycle. Well, these two major oil wells in kakinada and gujarat are to be connected by steel pipes (an approx distance of 1400km) which would cost some billion dollars. I do not remember the exact figure. The project is supposedly one of the biggest in the world, undertaken by Reliance. Once this is completed, the wells will be the biggest in terms of the barrels produced which is directly proportional to the flow rate. Understanding, the potential and opportunity that India provides Shell is already in talks with Reliance to set up an offshore development center in....? No prizes for guesses. Yes, it is the same boring city, Bangalore. Now, I am itching to take a swipe at this place. But I shall reserve a separate blog for that. Anyways, coming back to the original topic of discussion, both these companies feel that they need more mech engineers, drilling engineers, geophysicsts and geologists. They say we need to get back to India gaining as much experience as we can, here. How much ever we say that this country rewards deserving people with recognition, there will be a point in the corporate ladder in any company where racial discrimination will play its part. I agree with this completely and I do not care about what others think on this issue. Moreover, India's is the booming economy with a GDP rise of 8% approx. It makes more sense to be a part of that economy. As I had stated in one of my previous blogs, I wish I get an opportune time to get back to India. We attended the exhibition with an intention of acquiring some knowledge on american oil industry. Our purpose of industrial espionage on Baker Hughes and Halliburton was well served too! Ironically, we came out better equipped with an understanding of the Indian oil scenario.
Adios.

Some of mine

2006-04-24T22:34:00.000-05:00

Like what I wrote in one of my previous blogs, I spend the evenings in my apartment trying to recreate some of the songs that I like, with my keyboard and cakewalk. In the process, I get to learn playing keyboard.
I was searching for a website where I can host these songs for free and I found one today. I have posted four of them. If anyone is interested, you may go to the link that I have provided below. Do not get concerned about the link. It is not spam and does not spread virus as I have tested downloading the link into my lappy.

For all these songs there are certain things that are to be kept in mind before you listen.

a. The instruments that I have used are not the same, in most of the cases, as those used in the original song. Afterall, that cannot be expected as I am using a cheap software which is not professional. However, I am exploring my software for new instruments (which are numerous) and so I can only get better as time passes by.
b. Try using a earplug when you listen as I find that it gives more sound clarity and you can listen to all the instruments that are being used. Moreover sound directly enters your ears without any external disturbance. Lappy and desktop speakers are useless.
c. The chords that I have used may/may not match with the exact song. So if anyone knows the song inside out (with the notes and chords), please forgive me.
d. You can rest assured that all these songs are definitely not 'noise' but some sort of an audible sound.
e. In some of the songs, I have used strings as lead instrument as it would add melancholy to the music.
f. Kindly reduce your master volume as I did a mistake of not reducing the decibel level while recording and mixing!
g. Each of the song has atleast one mistake in it!

When you click on the link, you will be taken to a website. Choose 'free' and not premium. You may have to wait for few seconds before you get the download link.

Lets come to the songs.

I think I have created too much hype with the previous statements. So to lower your expectations to sub-zero level, first comes worst.
If Rahman had listened to what I have done to his song (maybe the first song that he composed), he would have hung himself.......upside down! This was the first song that I tried with cakewalk. It was probably too late when I thought I should not have selected this song as my first. My assumption was that this being rahman's first song and he being paid Rs25000 for the movie, he would have used less complicated instruments which can be 'easily' replicated.
As with most of the assumptions, I made an ass of u and me.
The song is 'Kaadhal Rojave' from Roja. I have not used the tabla that he has used in the song, which will be conspicuous by its absence. The prelude and interludes are aaabsolootely hopeless. So, kindly adjust.
Here is the link.
http://rapidshare.de/files/18863928/kaadhal_rojave.mp3.html

The next song is better than the first. This was the second that I recreated. The song is 'Iru Vizhi' from Minnale.
Here is the link
http://rapidshare.de/files/18863623/iru_vizhi.mp3.html

I 'love' this song. It is a famous carnatic song that everyone except me in the brahmin community will know head to tail. I came across this first in the movie 'Alaipayuthe'. It would not have caught my attention even then had it not been for the background drums beat. I always liked to play this song in my keyboard with chords as it sounded beautiful to me. Consequently, this is the song in which I have used many chords (I dont remember how many). I have rained it with chords and to me it sounds pleasing. Also, I wanted to play this with piano and not with any other instrument. As a result, you may not hear the 'gamagam' that any human voice lends to the music. There is a mistake in the song as I have gulped a few verses in the middle. If there are any purists, please accept my apology. In all, this is the one that I love the most.
Here is the link.
http://rapidshare.de/files/18863553/alaipayuthe.mp3.html

This song was sung in the latest edition of 'Milan' at A&M. It was sung very well that I wanted to play this song with my keyboard. Again there is a mistake in this song where I missed a beat and it is prominent. But apart from that, I believe it has come out alright.
Here is the link
http://rapidshare.de/files/18863327/vaseegara.mp3.html

I have a few more songs in my mind, that I want to play. I will post it as and when I complete it. In the mean time, I hope you enjoy these.

Till I meet you next,

Adios.

Music is cakewalk

2006-04-24T22:33:00.001-05:00

I came (went) to college station this weekend as I usually do for most of the weekends. There was a flute concert by Shashank scheduled for friday evening. I knew he was a good artist as I had seen him perform in Pilani long time back. This concert just reinforced my views.

This blog is about my take on music and what it means to me. Whatever performance that I have been to, there has been a visible trait that was common in all of the artists - their passion for the art and the satisfaction they derive from performing that art. I was able to see it on their faces when they were performing. I am sure everyone will be agree that this trait sets apart the great from good, in whatever field. I was going through an interview byRahman, when I was trying to kill time. I came across this interesting viewpoint of his, when he says that a person can make a very good musical composition and/or will be able to really appreciate music, not just with talent or knowledge of music but by being philosophical about life and with atleast a tinge of sorrow somewhere in his/her heart. I cannot agree more on this and I can certainly not prove how true it is. Each one of us who truly love music will realize that. For example, a song like 'Yaakkai thiri' from Aaitha Ezhuthu -especially the final part when he combines the carnatic notes with the western music as only he possibly can - would surely not have been composed by any of the tamil/hindi composers other than Rahman. It is from that song I started liking the term 'advaitha'. This should have definitely been one of those songs when he got the tunes while in meditation!

Personally, I go to these concerts that I was talking about, for two reasons. One, because I am obviously interested and two, because I do not want that hunger in me to keep listening to music, to die.When I am happy, listening to music makes me feel happier. When I am in sorrow, it soothes me. When I am angry, it cools me down. That is precisely the reason why I long(ed) to learn an instrument. I have been playing keyboard for some time now but I have not been able to graduate to the next level where I can play with both hands fluently. And I feel bad that I am not able demonstrate how good (or bad!) I am with the instrument when any of my friends ask to me to play it because I forget the notes and the corresponding chords! Damn it,I remember them only when I seriously play the instrument, in the evenings and all alone in my apartment. This inability along with my latest interest in sequencing (a way by which modern day music is composed by layering melody and harmony along with other special FX and finally overlapping them) induced me into buying 'Cakewalk', which is a leading sequencing software, so that I can play and record any song and listen to it whenever I want. I am still coming to terms with the complexities in the software. It is just like Pro-E or SolidWorks where it takes time to learn the nuances. As a result, my initial songs are not very pleasing to hear (one of my friends was not even able to recognise a song which I thought was good enough!) but I know I can only get better from here. I, however, do all this just for my personal satisfaction - the one that I gain when I play the notes and blend that with a few of the huge collection of chords, which in itself is interesting- and not with an intention of starting 'Advaitha' sometime soon! If anyone can let me know of a website where I can post these files, it will be helpful.

Yaam petra inbam(thunbam!) pera ivvayyagam......

To me, Music is Cakewalk and Cakewalk is Music.
To me, music had been/is/will be a companion.....

Chaos

2006-04-24T22:33:00.000-05:00

When we did not have anything worth doing, my friends and myself used to discuss about our long term plans. I mean, how long will we stay in this country and if we will ever go back to India. I tell them that my plan is to stay here for about 5-6 years after I get a job and go back to India. If I tell the same thing to someone in India (say, to my friends), I know the response that I will get. "Dei, enna kathai vidare. Ingenthu pogum pothu ellarum ippadi thaan da solluveenga.appuram anga poi ellam paathuttu angeye settle aayiduveenga". If they still say this to me, I will ask them to come to the US and experience themselves. Apart from money,what do we have in this country that we dont have in India? I understand that I came to this country to earn quickly and doing an MS was just the byproduct! Ideally, it should have been the other way round. Anyways, coming back to the point, how long can we keep earning? After sometime, money will nomore be an issue but some other things will be. Things will begin to stagnate and we will need a change. To me, I think that will be sometime between 5-6 years from now. Above all this, what is in this country that will attract me and make me stay put here. Zilch! Just look at this country. Does it have the chaos that we experience in India? Dont let your imagination get around terrorism, make a U-turn and come back. When I talk about chaos, I talk about chaos in those simple things, say the rush in suburban trains, the unparliamentary words that you may hear from anyone when you make a stupid mistake on road. We dont have parallel parking in India. There is no concept of blindspot in India. We see chaos reigning anywhere and that is what makes India interesting. I dont want everything in order. Even a house can be clean with everything placed in order only to some extent. If everything is perfect, the place will look like a museum. It will cease to look like a house. It loses its mortality and the human touch. I dont want to live in that world. I want to live in a world where chaos plays its part. Disorder should be a part of my life. This place is so boring and mechanical. Above all this, these people do the same things that we do but they make a big fuss about it! We do those things in a simple way and quietly. I hate that artificial flavour in everything here. Nothing is natural, including the way people behave. Look at some one passing by on a road. They greet you alright. "Hey,wassup" or "Hey, How are ya?". But do they atleast slow down to listen to our response? By the time you say, "Oh, I am just fine, thanks", they would have crossed the road to the other side. They dont care about all this. The culture of greeting someone is so much imbibed in them that they fail to realize that it is a natural behavior. This is just one simple example. It is not my aim to keep giving instances as that is not the point of discussion.

There is chaos in everything and researchers spend their life on studying it! Then why not chaos in my daily life?

Life

2006-04-24T22:27:00.000-05:00

I may be sounding a bit philosophical in my first blog but that is how my mood is today(tonight, rather).

I am just bored of my day-to-day materialisitic thinking. There is not a day when I dont wish that I own a black BMW 4-seater convertible (afterall black is beauty!), that I own a Korg triton synthesizer which I can use to play and sequence music for nothing more than my personal satisfaction when I am experiencing both the extremes in my mood, that I own a Polk home theatre and listen to those thumping beats of ARR with the volume knob turned all the way to the right. I am sure you would have heard this cliche that nothing is permanent in this world or can be taken for granted. The first thing that tops that list is life.

I started thinking about all this when an Indian student at A&M died of a car accident few months ago. He was not close to me but it is disturbing to hear about someone's death. Closeness to that person is immaterial. It happened all of a sudden. That guy was just about 30 miles away from college station when his car was T-boned. Inclement weather on that day did not help him in anyway when driving. It took time for all of us to come to terms with that. One of my friends, who used to spend a good part of his time in that person's house found it hard to believe. It is hard to believe your own eyes during these times and it takes time to sink in. I can still visualize that person sitting on the corridor near our apartment everyday, smoking and cracking jokes with his roommates.

This makes us (or atleast me) wonder as to how invaluble are all these things that we wish to own when we do not even have the slightest hint of what is going to happen the next moment. I mean, it is funny. Inspite of all this, ironically, it is these wishes that is driving the world. Lets face it. How many professionals really enjoy the work they do? Will they ever have the guts to say "Ok, pay me peanuts and I will still work with the same vigor?" Maybe, there are people who will do that. But how many? At the end of the day, people want to earn so that they can live the life that they wish to live. Else, the world would have seen innumerable Einsteins.

I would just like to believe in the fact that life is a chain of events closely related to each other, events with wanted and unwanted surprises.