a simple equation

if you cant explain it simply,

you have probably not understood it ....

nainitaal

Time: 2nd year college

Place: nainital,saat taal

The dog used to sleep inside the spacious robust hut. In fact it would slip in your bed while you dreaming. And sleep peacefully. You too would not mind it , considering how cold it is outside and that the leopards are out looking for preys in the night. Leopards kill dogs, one of the guys there told us.

The isolated hut was among 3 other huts put on the top of that mountain. If you go downhill for any reason; be it a stroll or cigarettes/liquor, you ought to ask the cook(Jungi da, if i am not mistaken) if there is any necessary item to be brought to the kitchen(grocery, etc.).

There was no electricity there. Only a genset to fetch water. everything else was un-electric.

Probably that is what gave that place a distinct feel. They told us that during winters foreigners throng this place to sit in solace. Foreigners from Israel, Italy, France. They smoke pots and remain high every time.

At night they made aaloo pyaaz parantha in dinner. Jundi da served it. They said Jungi Da is the coolest and most contended person alive, at least in nainital. He would reject a bag full of money for the life he is living now. Torn and shabby clothes. All this man wants is his two pair of trousers and some shirts gifted/given away by guest foreigners, a glass to put in some desi/vilaaiti daaru or some tea and beedis which he always puffed irrespective of what he was doing.

One of them put some whiskey in a tapri glass and sipped. He was humming 'Ma rewa' from Indian ocean. That was the next best thing you could listen to after listening to Indian Ocean Live.

Later , one of them asked us if we wished to sit out and look for the leopard. We agreed. While we were sitting there, they lighted some stuff(ganja/marijuana/?? whatever!!). I could see that weed is part of their lives in mountains. Shiv ji too used to have it with Parvati ! Then one of them said with hushed tone, "dekho Udhar!! Woh us taraf, saamne!! "

And it was there... two eyes looking towards us. very similar to the cat's eyes; the way they illuminate in the dark. Still .. Rock Still.. And then they lighted up their search torch to shoo him away.. And instantaneously they disappeared...

We were two boys.

Me and my friend Shishank.

''Theres something about this world that i know, which nobody knows... and the same thing will take me places... ''

mantra...

"I will NOT be outworked. Period... You might have more talent than me, you might be smarter than me, you might be sexier than me, you might be all of those things. You got it on me in nine categories. But if we get on the treadmill together, there's two things: Either you're getting off first, or I'm gonna die. It's really that simple."

-Will Smith,

free !

I am free !!!

No , i am not referring to the freedom which is fundamentally granted to me. I am talking about the current status i have in the office. Recently deputed into some other profile, i am basically free. Everyday i sit in my office and listen people talking to others on phone or gossiping about each other. It has helped me to assess them and hence plan my attitude at the workplace.

Whatever it is but this new office life is also very interesting. Prior to this i used to roam around, meet clients and come back home. Now I am supposed to sit at one place and work with a team. And it feels good.

facebook mania

of late i have been noticing people clinging to facebook(FB). And when you ask them the reason they are quick to respond that its better than orkut.

However there has not been one single instance when i felt that facebook was making it easier for me interact with my friends. Now its a personal take and people might differ but heres what i have to say >>

* first of all i find facebook very difficult. Its like understanding something new for no good.

for example : lets say i log into the FB site. The first thing i find is the whole package of unnecessary information (rather data) all over my screen [ like; 'ABC gifted a teddy to XYZ' , ' PQRS is happy today' , " MNO just found out his friend for the day' , ' wxy commented on EFG's photograph',] . Now this data, is all useless to me. Why would i like to know how is ABC treating XYZ; if he is gifting a teddy or a fresh cabbage to him is of no concern to me.. and even if i would be interested to know it, i will definitely call my friend or he/she will call me. I don't want to know how is everyone gifting and treating each other with the help of virtual bouquets/hugs/smiles and rest all items in the FB kitty.

* Secondly, I think FB is very confusing too. If i wish to write anything to my friend, i have an option of a WALL. A wall which is too big to keep anything personal or even little unreachable. I mean, i don't mind people reading my messages to my friends. But please do not paint them on a stupid wall which is intentionally made very public. I guess orkut does a very handsome job here. People who are free enough to read messages scribbled on some one's page can do it only if the take pains to get inside others profile and read the messages which were not meant for them. In fact to ensure that you have a privacy, you can easily set the privacy option and disable any user to read the scraps not meant for them. So here's a very customized option available with orkut.

* thirdly , I am prejudiced towards orkut because it is owned by Google, of which i am a fan. Simply because Google is awesome and a smart way to do things.

While concluding , i can only say that FB might be the talk of the town, but eventually its the robust and simpler things which win. Yes! the variably sized display picture which you can put on the FB home page is one of the things people admire( in orkut there is only standard size which is possible) and FB scores over Orkut when it comes to the texture and over all lookout; but the sheer simplicity and clarity in Orkut is overwhelming.

One of the prime advantage Orkut has is the fact that Indians got addicted to Orkut well before the advent of FB. And that everything in Orkut seems to be more simple and clear.

Whatever the reason is, i am a fan of Orkut.

I am not sure if , by now , FB must have published it on my FB wall ' shwetank sharma has become a fan of Orkut'

[:)]

भारतीय रेल

The first time when i was informed that the rail budget is announced separately i.e. it is not contained in the annual budget for that nation, i could not realize the reason. It is now , when i travel so extensively in trains, that i understand the need for a separate rail budget.
The behemoth network of two parallel rails running across the entire nation requires a dedicated planning and budget allotment. I want to read a book on Indian railways. trains have been an integral part of my life. I boarded them when i was in school , college and now in the industry. The uniformity and seldom irregularities you find in the entire system of railways is worth noticing and reading.





i append an incident which happened at railway station.


Last week while i was coming from Indore to Vadodara, i had to wait for my train in a waiting hall. (Indian railways have taken up an initiative by constructing air conditioned waiting halls in major railway stations). There was another bunch of passengers waiting for their respective trains. Out of all the trains which run from Indore there are three trains which i have been noticing since last two months during my travel to Indore. One is Jammu tawi - indore express. This train reminds me of my home town and tats why it has got a mention here.


Second is Indore-pune. this train leaves at around 2:30 from the station.


Third one is my train i.e. Avantka express.


That day was the day before diwali.


Passengers of indore pune train were irate. Their train was 9 hours late. Imagine how bad you feel when you reach the station to board a train , to travel to your home for Diwali ; and then you are told that your train is late by 9 hrs. It is bad.


Luckily it was not my train.


People were making alternate arrangements. Bus and Air were the two options.


I could only sympathize with them. There were two people sitting next to me. They were to board my train. They worked in Indian railways. So it was obvious for me to quench my curiosity about Indian railways. And they reciprocated my gesture. They told me about some technical and managerial procedures about railways.


About the current scenario, they were of the opinion that the train which had just reached indore (9 hrs late) and would be finally leaving for Pune , should be made available in a short span. They told that , normally it takes 6-9 hrs for a train get ready for the next journey(there are certain mandatory checks that are to be performed). So this train will be made available only after 6-9 hrs , and thus make the train run around 9 hrs run behind schedule. However , the two gentleman contended that the train could be made available within 3-4 hrs provided it was done so with an intention to make it happen(the checks to be made can be done quickly). So 6-9 hrs duration can be constrained to 3-4 hrs in times of need.


I appreciated their concern for something which they were not responsible for. At least they were contributing healthily towards a solution for a problem.





And there was another elderly gentleman in the waiting room who was under delusion that he has got some real innovative ideas.


He suggested that all trains which were available at the Indore station currently should be contributing in this fix. Now hear this... " they should take out one coach each from all the available trains and attach it with a spare engine. And the train would be ready to accommodate people for Indore-Pune journey"


And then he cribbed that Indian system is so corrupt and that there should be some youngsters who should protest against this rotting system; and that today's youth lacks the 'AAKROSH' ...


After the most anguished diatribe he could deliver, he left the waiting room because his son had already booked Air tickets for his 'army retired' father.


I wont comment on this small incidence, but probably i can say this.


We should only comment on something about which we know certain things( or we have worked on it to know it). Detaching so many compartments from so many trains and making a new temporary train may solve problem for the Indore-Pune passengers but put a lot other people in trouble. Where will those passengers be adjusted whose compartments were detached to make the new train?? How will those TC manage all the clamouring passengers whose seats were cancelled..??


Probably the elderly gentleman did not have any answers to these obvious questions. And had i dared to put these questions in front of him , i am sure , he would have easily said " its not my job to devise further solutions, Its the Indian railways who are responsible , and let them work on it"....


In a nutshell, if you are unhappy about something then you may express your emotions.Let the concerned people do their job.They will devise some solution.After all they have been working with these system for so many years. Don't let the expression of anguish be so meaningless and unwanted that it simply creates noise.


Noise , which is termed as pollution now a days..





जिसका काम उसी को साजे,


और करे तोह बंदर लागे !!!