Can I speak?? ..asks Bangalore

I am Bangalore - The garden city. Now more popularly known as the Silicon Valley of India.

Its been a long time since I wanted to speak my mind out. Better late than never.

I love people. People from everywhere.
Everyday I heard them cry from different parts of the country. They wanted to come to me. Cries from the capital - Delhi, the commercial hub - Mumbai, the pearl city - Hyderabad, Metros - Chennai & Kolkata, from God's own country - Kerala. Cries from everywhere. I sometimes wondered what made them like me so much. Is it because I give them a salubrious climate throughout the year? Or because there is greenery flourishing all around me.. Maybe its the colonial ambiance.. Or maybe simply because I make their life; because I make them feel at home.

Whatever be the reason, I welcomed them. All of them.

There were new job opportunities created. Every piece of land was converted into houses. It was getting crowded. My heart bled when all the trees where cut down. But I held on.. for they wanted a place to live.

I still hear those cries. There are more people who want to be here.
Now there are tall apartments all over me. Every house has two or three cars. The smoke from the vehicles is turning me black. Its choking me. But I hope they are happy.

What am I hearing now? Why are my people cursing me?? Crowded? Polluted?? Is it really you who is saying this? You know, I was never like this.. You know, who did it all!

More people coming in. I see that they fight a lot for me.. take transfers, quit jobs and finally land here. Then they start their complaints. They crib about traffic. But then I see them adding their own vehicle into it. I see them having fun. They get paid well. They live in peace without people prying into their lives. I see that everybody has friends here! But still they whine all the time.

I am fed up guys! There is a limit to patience, isn't there? And I don't have anything more to offer you. If you feel that every other place is a heaven, please don't trouble yourself here. But as you leave, I ask a favour from all of you. Please spread the word that Bangalore has changed. Its congested, polluted, corrupted and whatever you want to add.

But there are somethings that has still not changed in me. I can still be the home to anyone who wants one. I can still make your life, if you want me to. I still love you!

Nimma Swantha, Bengaluru

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I don't know what Bangalore actually wants to tell. But this definitely is what I want to tell. :)
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Man proposes.. God disposes..

I was reminded of this saying the last week.. when a castle I had build up in air crashed down. No serious damage to dreams. Just a small plan injured a little.

Two weeks back I was asked to be prepared to travel on 2nd of Nov.. and I prepared, with all excitement. I shopped like crazy.. I packed my bags.. I planned that I would take a week's vacation.. I checked the tickets.. Chose my airlines and the route I would take.. I found a replacement for myself at my house.. Everything was going on well..

The next day they said.. 'Oh sorry, that didn't work out. Lets wait for the next opportunity.'

I did not blame anyone. It had lots of elements to it that was out of anyone's hand. I knew it could not be helped. But all the same, I couldn't accept it.. my mind wouldn't accept it. Though the injury was small, I brooded over it.. made unnecessary fuss over it..

But now the wound has almost healed. I have decided to be a bit more ready for all the change in plans that I'll have to make in life. A little more flexibility, I definitely need.
Maybe I needed a gentle reminder like this..

Rat-a-too-eeeeee

Ratatouille releases in UK this Friday. But there was a screening of the same this Monday.

I am not at all crazy about animated movies, but I went for it all the same.
And I tell you, its one cute movie everybody must see! I never thought rats could look cute, but I guess the movie proves that 'Anyone can cook' and 'Anyone can look cute!' ;)



Do watch it! :)

Lucky Who?

She was in a sour mood. Her spirits touched an all time low. She didn't know what to do. She walked out from her classroom. She had not heard a single word that was uttered by the professor. She had been lost in thoughts. She had had a fight with her mom that morning.. Why? She was not able to figure it out. It was as if she didn't need a reason to. Her school would be over in another month. What after that? Her best friend was going to another college. What would she do? She was not even able to study.. Thats not all, she thought. There are so many things troubling me now.

A classmate of hers passed by her.. She called out.. 'Rads, wanna join us for a coffee?' She waved saying no. She thought.. How does she manage to be so happy? Why am I the person who is always sad.. always bothered? She looked at her walking away.. Lucky her!, she thought. She sat alone for some time. Tears trickled down her eyes slowly..



It was growing dark. It was raining too.. She walked towards her bike. Plugged on her earphones. Her MP3 player had run out of charge. She gave her bike a kick. Nothing is supposed to be right with me today, she murmered. She didn't pull out her earphones.. She felt it would shield her from the world. She started her bike. She felt like the saddest person in the universe..

He was standing near his window and smoking. He felt like running away from this world. He gazed outside.. He saw a girl speeding through the rain in her bike. She was listening to music. Oh look at her.. She looks so free.. So happy.. I wish I could be that way too.. Lucky her!

No Reds.. No Greens.. Only Blues!!

What is happening to me now?
I am quite busy at work these days. Not really great work. But then onsite and good work rarely go together. Do they?

Jale Pe Namak: Have loads of documentation work. A process document for everything I do, a technical document as a contribution to knowledge sharing activities, a BoK as a centre of excellence initiative.. And of course, everything here works with deadlines. I’m dead.

More: There are lots of problem at home (here, I mean). Ego clashes, emotional clashes, ‘you-name-it’ clashes. So far I have managed to play just the part of the audience. And I’ll try my best to avoid being a participant. But just to have such a disturbed environment is a torture. I am incapable of solving these issues since I don’t know what the issue is. Also I don’t really know the people who are involved, I don’t know how they think, I don’t know what they feel. But how indifferent can I be to what is going around me. I feel weird.

I want to go back to India. And I am pushing a lot for that. Sometimes I feel that I am going to land into more trouble if I get back there.. Be it in the work front or the personal front.. Nevertheless, I chant the ‘I wanna go back’ mantra all the time. When will that happen? What will happen after that? I don’t know.

In between all this I go for movies, eat-out, visit places, go for project parties, crack jokes, have fun.. But once these hungamas are over. I feel blank. Emotionless.
And I am sure every person around me here feels the same.. All eyes have the same vacant look.. Everybody is tired..

Am I slowly losing myself to this crazy world? Or have I just stepped into the real world?

Chak De India!

Hey, don't you roll your eyes and think, 'Writing about Chak De now?'! Unfortunately, Chak De got released in Ipswich only this Sunday and I watched it yesterday. Yes, I loved it! :)



I am not a Shahrukh fan. Everything he does looks like 'acting' to me. He is a good actor.. but he always reminds me that he is just acting, and in case he starts crying, God save me!
Even in this movie, I feel that Shahrukh has done a good job. Nothing to 'Ooh Aah' about. But his team rocks! Every single girl is so different from each other.. So simple.. And so real.. Such faces makes it easier to relate to.. You feel that its the girl next door who is going out and proving her mettle to the world and then you feel so happy, so proud.

The film brings to our notice a few things..
* It shows how a small mistake makes an Indian crowd make dangerous judgements!
* The way we Indians still see ourselves divided in the name of states.
* The fate of hockey in India
* The fate of women as sports players. In fact, women in any career face difficulties. But a career in sports makes it worse..

I know its just a movie, but the fact that its inspired from a true story makes it a lot more closer to the heart. Hope all of you liked it too!

1 + 4 + 0 + 8 = 13

As you would have guessed, watched the movie 1408. It had been a long time since I watched a scary movie, and this one made up for it quite well.




In this movie, Michael Enslin(John Cusack) is a writer who writes about the 'supposedly' haunted locations. He is a non-believer and hence, goes into such hotels, stays there overnight and reveals to the world that its all made up. But for once, he is trapped in room 1408 of hotel Dolphin. And we go as crazy as him in trying to get out from there!
If you are looking for some thrill, go watch it.