Happy Republican Day

I woke up in the morning with the loud voice of a speaker playing a well known and an everlasting patriotic song "Yeh Desh hai veer jawano ka.". The very first thing that hit my mind was, wow it is a national holiday and I do not have to wake up at 8 o'clock and rush to the office right away. I can stay on my bed as long as I want.

Time moved on and several loud speakers started yelling the same old songs. It was similar to all radio channels started playing the same song and you do not have a choice but to listen to it until and unless one of them took a chance to change the theme of the day.

It is the Indian Republic day. 63 years back, on the same day our constitution came into force and the Indian people got their rights and freedom in their hands which were in British empress hands. Most sections of the constitutions were taken from the British constitution. Dr Ambedkar and Sardar patel were instrumentalist of our constitution.

Due to the increasing intensities of loud speakers’, it was nearly impossible to nullify the voice of the speakers showing patriotism for first and last time in this year. (Once in a year is still better than never.) To please their parents, children were singing patriotic song and praising Bharat ma. Patriotism was in the air just outside my balcony door and I was trying to find ways to keep this air away from my room. But all the efforts were in vain and I had to give up my sleep.

After few moments one society, whose ground is visible from my balcony, hosted the Tiranga and flag hosting was preceded with the chants of our awesome national anthem, written by Bankim Da, “Jan Man Gan…” Our anthem brought me on my feet and it gave me a momentary satisfaction of being an Indian.

Momentary, why was it momentary? Moment of satisfaction was preceded by the moment of dissatisfaction. I was happy at one moment but at very next moment gloom shaded my happiness. Then an inner struggle started to figure out the reason behind such contradictions in mind.

These contradictions are usual for every Indian who loves his country. Whenever we talk about governance, policies, people, roads, buildings, infrastructures, securities, education, economy, business, industry, growth and more, we talk about their negatives. Even if we try to figure out the positives, we end up finding a thousand negatives in compare to a few positives. It is more than 65 years when British people left Indians but still we blame them for our current miseries. In any patriotic event, we curse them as if they are still holding our chords and making us act like a puppet

In 65 years our governance has not improved a bit. Government still introduces policies to widen or exploit the differences of different segments of society. Corruption is still looming. Growth is part of minor segment of society whereas other bigger segment has been neglected completely. In those gloomy moments I could have found other reasons to hate India more.

On the contrary I started wondering is this all I got from India. Not really, I know why I stood up on my feet to acknowledge the respect for my country. It was not all because of miseries around me but it was due to the respect for my country. I respect my country because it has given me struggling powers, indisputably it has taught me to fight, it has given me morality, and it has given me the combined understanding of hundreds of cultures. What else do I need to live my life? A human being does not need luxury to live the life happily. All he needs is the knowledge and fighting powers. All these qualities are pumped into us by our inheritance, culture, and society then our country deserves a huge respect from us.

There are problems everywhere and I had been part of these problems in one way or another. Sometimes I have faced them, sometimes I have created them and most of the times I have exploited them so should I blame the government for leaving those loopholes or should I try to take right path and ask others to follow the same?

Koi bhi Desh perfect nahi hota, use prefect banana padta hai.

Let me capture fleeting 2011

So here it is, December 31st 2011. I quit my job on November 4, 2010 and started the year 2011 started with lots of expectations, speculations and desires. Year 2011 started with the following expectations.

 1. I had expected to face at-least one thunderstorm in winters. In every newspaper an article was dedicated to report the number of causalities due to cold waves and the decrease in the temperature in Delhi. So due to adverse and rapid effects of Global warming, I had expected fiercer winters this year. 
 2. Another expectation of 2011 was to confront a dust storm in summers. As I had moved closer to the deserts (Mind it Rajasthan is not far from Delhi), so dust storm is a realistic expectation. Newspapers in Bangalore and scientific discoveries related to global warming used to indicate many dust storms in peak summers in NCR.
 3. This was a new company for me, so I had expected lot of new challenges for me. Okay, do not take me wrong but really I had expected at-least a couple of foreign trips. Work does not pose any challenge but cooking, washing clothes and utensils, sweeping and rest could have kept me at edge of the cliff in pardesh. 
 4. This year started with the agenda of completing and moving to the new house at my home town. 
 5. Finding a girl was another big task for people around me. Everyone contributed in this task. Whether they were my relatives or colleagues or friends or brother or my maid all of them contributed significantly to find a girl for me.
PS: I do not want to mention few other blunders.

2011 just fleeted, I did not even realize when a month passed, then another and finally 12 months just sped away and became the past. Though I did not achieve anything significant but I am 1 year older and wiser (Do not argue. Let’s assume it). I had wasted (optimistically -> Enjoyed) my evening in playing TT and badminton. I wasted (optimistically -> Invested ) lot of money in buying books to showcase my bookshelves to people but none of my friends even noticed this. I wasted (There is no optimistic synonym to it) my weekends in travelling to my native place for no good reasons. Amidst all this chaos year 2011 vanished. My achievements of this year can be counted on finger tips. Few important events are the following.
 1. I had visited 3 places in this complete year.
   a. Agra.
   b. Aurangabad and Ellora caves
   c. Ranila, Jain pilgrimage.
2. Our mansion is 90% completed, so my parents can move to our new house soon.
3. Most unexpectedly, I was appreciated first time in my career for my work ;).
4. I have read lot of novels so my count has increased significantly and along with that my reading and writing speed has increased a little in compared to last year.

Okay, that is all, I could not remember anything more. Shhhh disappointing, is not it? I should not be disappointed so much as number of achievements remains same every year. Every uncompleted task will be carried forward to next year and give heads up in the new year.
So I think following will be 2012’s expectations.
1. Weather Front
 a. I am still waiting for Thunderstorm to shiver my body.
 b. I think for dust storm I have to visit desert once otherwise I might have to wait little longer.
2. Shopping spree
 a. Mummy kept asking me to buy some gold, so she might persuade me this time… Shhhh…. Moms na…
 b. Someone might push me to buy a car.
 c. A House/Flat is in my list for sure.
3. Personal Front
 a. It might not feature in my aims but my Marriage is the aim for everyone related to me.
 b. Yeah my mansion will surely be over next year end. (Suri and Amit ghar poora ho hi jayega salon)
 c. I would like to visit at-least 5-6 places this year.
4. Professional Front
 a. At-least one foreign trip. Work pressure will remain same this year as well. So I do not need to worry about work.
  
Hmmm, I hope I will be able to do everything listed above and keep everyone happy in next year. I am really happy with the way this year has gone. I lived and enjoyed life a lot and I expect to enjoy the next year as well.


HAPPY NEW YEARS FRIENDS, Hope this year will bring more smile on your faces and cheers in your life.

Need help??? People are here to help

At the beginning of NCR life, lot of things were either difficult or confusing to understand. One among such things was Metro travel. Though Metro has reduced Traveling chaos in NCR but it is little confusing for a guy who is new to Metro System. At the start I had traveled miles more than required, got down at wrong stations and boarded opposite direction trains. One such confusing day, I was traveling in Metro. Though path was repeated number of times to me but I was not still sure if I had grasped all the instructions. So in middle of journey I thought of confirming if I have boarded the right train and I fired a question in Air. "Noida Sector 62 ke liye kaise jana hai?" (How can I reach to Noida Sector 62?).

What the hell man, I did not ask anyone and according to my prior experiences people had stared at me as though I was talking to ghosts and aliens. As soon as I realized my mistake, I tried regaining my lost reputation. But as though it was not required, I heard a voice.

One aged man heard my questions and suggested me the path. He told "Beta, tum to ulti direction mein aa gaye ho, Agle Station par utar jana, vahan se rajiv chawk vapis jakar, upar chale jana aur vahan se Noida city center ki metro mein baith jana". (Get down at next stop, return to Rajiv Chawk and from Rajiv Chawk take a blue line metro to Noida city center").

Another socialite person, who wanted to help but missed opportunity with fraction of second, pitched in. Instead of repeating same words he used his refined English dictionary. "Dude, you need to get down at next stop and catch a metro to reach CP (Me thinking: CP, CP, CP, Oops may be some Common Platform?). From CP you should board Blue Line metro which will end at Noida City Center. After coming out of station you can hire an auto to reach Sector 62".

As soon as MR gentle man stopped one more guy, who was little lazy in previous two instances, started "Nahi nahi, vahan se personal auto karne ki koi jarurat nahi, shared auto ten rs mein pahuncha denge sector 62. (No need to hire a private vehicle, you can catch a shared auto and reach to sector 62 just in ten rs."). It triggered an unhealthy discussion on important topic "Should I hire an auto or not?". After five minutes of discussion I figured out "I have to get down at Next station".

This is general tendency in North. Here people are waiting to unrest face muscles where as solving issues are less important than debating on them.

Whereas in southern part of India such things are tackled in different manner. One such incident happened just few days back.

I was looking for new job and some of my interviewing organizations were situated in less populated and less known areas. One such tiring day, I was able to locate the area but it was nearly impossible to find the building with the directions given. There were not much hustle bustle. One aged man was walking in front of me and he was the only hope to me. As per my best etiquattes I fired my question in air but loud call dint make any effect to the old man(No No, he dint have any hearing Aids). Disappointed me, walked little faster and reached to him.

I said "Excuse me sir?" Now this guy stopped and gave me a puzzled look (Hmmm, North Indianaaaa...). "Sir Do you know where is RMZ tech icon?" He stared at me as I was speaking in chinease.
He said "Englishaaa, English illa. Kannada, Tamil or Telugu?"(I do not know English, do you know Telugu, Kannada, Tamil?)
I replied "Kannada, Tamil, Telugu gotilla (I do not know Tamil, Telugu and Kannada...)"
He said "gotilla, Kannada... u illa Kannada".(Gottila is kannada word, how can you say, you dont know kannada?)
I said "I know only Gotilla, Hindi ati hain kya aapko? (I just know gottila, Do you know Hindi)."
He said "Hindi Kunchum Kunchum"
Oops, I was not interested to know tollywood actors names.
I said "No sir, Do you know Hindi?"
He said "Han, Hindi Kunchum Kunchum"
I said "What Kunchum Kunchuma?"
Now he used sign language to suggest me he knows Hindi a little. (Kunchum means a little in Sanskrit and in other south Indian languages).

I asked if he knew building. He did not have any clue about it but he took ample time to consult few more folks before sending me in building's opposite direction. He helped but it costed me a walk to remember.

But never mind, parts of India does not matter people help. Few replies on call whereas few catches and respond. North to South, everyone of us has same Indian heart and I am proud of this.