What ‘lies’ beneath

Rind that is dreary, hirsute, greenish-brown fails to conjure the tartness of what ‘lies’ beneath,
Origins trace back to China but the name ‘Kiwifruit’- echoes with what is marketing replete!
Refulgent green seizes the iris, high in Vitamin- C content, tanginess exemplifies itself with this gooseberry,
Tongue rolls over in joy as buds stir up in ebullience and palate gathers verve with the savor so extraordinary!!

Wikipedia serves well to uncover the secrets that this fruit hides!

Happy eating!

Glimpses of rapture

Passion soared novel summits as glimpses of rapture I could encapsulate in a frame,
48 X zoom and Leica lens - a tool incredible that proved any convoluted light conditions so tame!
Bliss when encumbered in my palms as this Panasonic camera sanctified me from Baltimore to the islands of Phi Phi,
Cultivated dexterity did I, it now does lay in heavenly accord, and of learning there shall not be atrophy.

An ode in remembrance of my Panasonic Lumix Camera that met the fatal waves at Phi Phi Dawn...

Grains of Sand

White sand and green waters mystique shrouds this land so marvelous,
Refulgent in the torching sun, grains of sand sparkle and romance with the reverberating waves.
Vulnerable and naive is this terrain, fallen prey to outsiders so treacherous,
Bungee Jumping, Rafting, Jet, corals and yes trickling waterfalls– etched in my memory are those - Phuket – fun filled days!

Rohit ,Kau,Sesh,Dip....4 ROCKING days guys!!

:)

Saunter Through Fog

Roads that wind up incessantly never ceasing to plough through the carpets verdant,
Trees that crawl along the land walking through the grassy terrains and crawl up kissing the azure heaven and the cloudy pendant!
Serene environment bequeaths peace and harmony, joy it does goad,
A saunter through fog, journey through calm on the patch they call Hyderabad Road!

Juggernaut!

Gravity lost its directional orientation under this juggernaut,
Hauled in to the sky lungs scream as the ground beneath appears as a mere dot.
Sky was never so near and clouds would caress the bewildered soul,
A ride in the Singapore river would then put your simmering heart on roll!

This was an experience that has been indelibly etched in my memory. A visit to the Simlim (Electronics Center), a temple and then a wild swing in the reverse bungee followed by an assuaging boat ride around Singapore and then topping that up with a sumptuous dinner!!!

:)

Say 'Booooo'

Based on the Night Safari sojourn...

Birds of the dark chirped in the silence of the night,
Eyes that appeared on vague shadows glowing in ominous light.
Tram that through curvy shadows meander in paths filled with bugaboo,
And yes if you see a flash..say ‘Boooo’.

A Melange....

On request of my cousin who was tired of seeing my Empress not grunt for a while!! Well this is just a thought and I am sure there shall perkier ones to follow..good ol' cuz...

Peregrination reaches another inflection point,
Roads that wind up incessantly arrive at another turning point.
The year past with a mélange of ardor pain triumph and glory,
Memories shall always ‘flex’ themselves to recite the same ol’ story!

Me and My Empress

Thats my Empress :)

8th Feb

I was born!

Saunter none the less

Ok! I am almost there! I mean I can walk…well almost run as well. Well let us call my ambulation more of a slow saunter. Saunter none the less.

My peregrination of travails had various phases. It encompassed the pre stitches phase which lasted a day. Then an out of touch doctor sewed the gaping tear. I must admit did a good job. This phase had me mostly tied to bed and limping here and there. Stitches came off on Jan 18th only to reveal a not so pretty wound split as if someone had driven a Road Roller through it. This again involved a lot of the Rat Hole. I must admit it had become a hospital by that time! Then came an excruciatingly slow recovery phase which involved painstaking steps, frequent cramps and my muscles crying hoarse. Final stages involved having the liberty to shower again!! Yeppie..Ask me how it feels now to shower!

These phases however were very pleasant owing largely to the junta out here. Jet, whose propellants had less fire owing largely to his stubborn ligament, was the perennial tea man and my accomplice in limping around(Later on Bhakti gave me company limping around!). Owl was the nurse , unfortunately we could not afford a nurse as the nurses should really be! Owl and Jet would ensure my sustenance by ensuring my meals reached me on time!

It also saw me making Coco and Kau (he did crib and still does and will for ever) for a dressing and French toast! I did not mention Coco,Kau and Sesh rushed to the hospital when they heard my plight ..I bet they would have given anything to have my mouth stitched as well..he he. Hassan, the sweetest of all, ensured I could walk, gifted me an umbrella when my original broke under heavy usage and yes ensured I got all the books at the right time!

And yes I always had apples up my sleeve and lotsa dark chocolates!

Well, I always had hordes of entertainment with Jigsaw, Dream Lover, Hunter boy(Sahil..the cake was lovely yes!),Psycho, Beba (Anup) and loads of others ensuring that my wound shall die laughing! Now I know why laughter is the best medicine?! And yes the resident of Pooh’s Den – Pooh, Piglet and Manisha would ensure Rat Hole was all blithe and spirited!

On a final note – praying for the Invisible Man to gain back his visibility very sooon!!!!!

I shall be 27 soon…and shall be running as well! Cool na?

25!

Smile shall defy failure and Joy portends end of strife,
Commemorating the silver jubilee for it has been days counting to 25!
Tenacity and verve I do have copious and aplenty,
Patience and Time are the lessons taught etched till eternity!

Sunshine!!!

Powdery and Chocolaty!

Empowered by a Greek Legend this drink boasts his legend,
Powdery and Chocolaty wafts that bliss portend.
Blends in to piping hot lactose this benign Milo,
A stratum remains congealed on top despite spoons spirited gyro.

Yummmy...

Seize the day!

When the barrels are down and the mind is wary,
Listen to thy heart, for it shall rhythmically say yes, where your mind has betrayed.
Focus and Tenacity in unison can accomplish the extraordinary,
Seize the day, for life shall give you tests in which there is no grade!

On special request!

The Beginning...

Destiny has a way of having the last laugh. Rat hole fell victim to it. It was 3rd Jan and the weather was at its tempestuous best. It was howling like a wild hyena trapped by lions. Rat was at his desk browsing through the infinite web pages. Rat suddenly felt thirsty. As the Rat stood …THUDDDDD… The Drawer beneath the study table had caved in to gravity (and this time acting under no inebriation..tsk tsk.. Dream Lover). Phew! Else you had a handicap for sure!!

Well hold your horses..or rats. The day seems have had all the rotten cats in store for the Rat. As Jet and Owl finished their very tiring day, Rat volunteered to make some tea. THUDDDDD… No no the desk didn’t cave in. Rat just spilled whole loads of sugar that Jet had propelled all the way from India. Eeks..now we shall have more creatures in the rat hole…ANTS…Anyways sugar was mopped up and the tea was served .(Her Highness Pooh had requisitioned some as well so one extra serving was the order of the day). Anyways after the grueling experience of having to mop up the floor with stench filled mops and giving Rat Paws tough time…it was time for the Rat to cleanse itself.

It was 7:30 PM.

Shower is one soothing experience. As water trickles, you lose your sense of reality and the dream is what you want to continue till perpetuity. Alas some dreams have to end! And Rat’s did pretty drearily. As the Rat squeezed past the bathroom door laying the paws on a very slippery mat…..zshhhooom…(the sound effects may not be right). Plethora of Blood on the floor. The skin near right ankle above the heel in tatters. Split Wide Open. Apparently a minor slip gave steel edge enough opportunity to find a safe cushion…eeeks…this was a blood bath…

Rat tried to leave the bathroom ..limping..entered the Rat Hole(warm and cozy..when bitten all rats do that). Rat hole was now blood drenched. Owl and Jet now extricate the Rat out of the Rat Hole. After ½ hour of continuous water force on the wound, blood gave up. Jet was by this time ready with ½ a kilo of cotton and probably 1 litre of savlon. Rat shirked. Whiskers that were dangling…drooped. After some oohs and aahs…diluted Savlon was applied on the wound. Owl was more…err…owlish in his manner with concentrated Savlon directly being applied to the wound. That was OUCH.

Jet seems to have had degree in taping wounds. A near perfect job of bandaging the battered area. The Rat was all ready to enter the Rat Hole again…albeit..limping.

It was 9:30 PM. After an inquisitive and worried visit by Pooh..it was time to hit the bed.

This is the beginning….

Gravity-adhering Stream!

Droplets a million dribble down soothing the much ached soul,
Bliss and tranquility attain zeniths as droplets alleviate as they roll.
Destitute am I of that gravity-adhering stream called shower,
Anticipate I do for the instant for my hands tingle to swivel the tap that shall have dreams hover!

Ok do not make faces. This does not mean I do not take bath. Shower is well just the phenomenon I miss!!

:-)

Green Apples!

Rind refulgent in a hue which is pleasantly green,
Hails from the family of fruits, apples, which makes doctors run out of steam.
A nibble in to this benign fruit levitates body, mind and soul,
Flirts with the tongue with a tang mildly tart and senses with passion roll!!

Eat away!

Ode to the Umbrellla :-)

Thankless and Unforgiving the profession may sound, little it objects,
But on fiat it does flare up, like an angel spreading her wings on her benign subjects.
Seasonal you may think is its use, but cornucopia of effervescent goodness fills this article round,
Lo! When things go off beam, it does flare up its chest and like a savior rallies you around!

No I am not off my marbles!! :-)

Aye lal batti,hari matt hona

The air rhymed with harmony, the trees were fluttering with foretaste and birds were tweeting with hope. The century was closing another chapter in history – 2006. 2007 was just below the horizon……

After the accustomed bamboozled preparatory decisions, we (Rat, Owl, Jet, Dipika and Neha) decided to head for Marina Bay. (Ok I haven’t named Dipika and Neha yet. Let me for the sake of the blog call them Pooh and Piglet respectively. Please do not get in to the reasons of why!!).

First stop: Harbour Front. After mingling with the college folks who were heading for a beach party and after the 2 P’s trying hard not to shop anything, we decided that our stomach cravings need to be satiated else hell shall break loose. Owl has an uncanny habit of having a relationship one degree lesser than revulsion with all salespersons and cleaners in Singapore. Well, ours was the only table that the cleaner refused to free of contaminations. Anyways, we managed that!!


After the customary expedition through the worm train (MRT) and the usual back and forth over and through the escalator we landed up at City Hall. Mumbai local trains were put to ignominy. The area was cramped. We arrived at around 11 PM and we thought we were early! People had already parked themselves in every nook, cranny, cleft or crevice available.

‘It’s the final countdown’ filled the air in expectancy. Last few minutes of what had been a turbulent, fun filled year. 2006 was soon becoming a narration. Air was expecting a change. The usually wet and rain drenched Singapore was unusually dry. Rain God had kept away. Then something gave away. Clock stuck 12. The atmosphere went multihued and variegated. There was a detonation of colours. The sound of crackers reverberated in the pristine Lion Kingdom. The fireworks ushered in a new era and new dawn and a new year!!

2007 was here!!!!

With a spinning head and incredulity we decided to head on to the subsequent leg of our journey – Clarke Quay. Well, we did so almost smoothly – Rat had gone astray in between, we were being trampled in the bevy of Singaporean mass, we just about managed to catch the last train – yes it was downy and smooth!

Singapore is as alluring and as resplendent as Dubai. A look at Clarke Quay, the river side Pub Haven, shall divulge the splendours of Singapore. We settled ourselves by the river side at Hooters(after much ado) and eventually engaged ourselves in a splendid game of Dumb Charades. It was Rat, Pooh and Jet teamed up against Piglet and Owl. Rat –Pooh-Jet was no wonder up the trumps in closely matched event. Time must have slipped in an overdrive at warp speed. It was 3 AM, time to close shop and guess what …no transportation back home!

Anyways a sight of 7-11 was enough for the 2 P’s to get in to the muffin craving mode and a nice little round of Antakshari later, we realized that the Sun was ready to peek in for the first time in Singapore in 2007. 5:30 AM, we decided to give MRT a try and lo! It was up and ready.

After a brief excursion to Labrador Park to catch a glimpse of the bashful sun and after a dab a piping hot masala dosa, hostel beckoned and time to regroup and restart.(Pooh and Piglet were in thoughtful disposition by this time and Owl was in his own world…I was just left wondering with Jet trying his heart out to make sense out of the breezy waters) So tired were we that on suggestion on running to catch a bus which ominously close to the bus stop (at some distance away) and only bounded by traffic signal, Jet commented ‘ Aye lal batti,hari matt hona’. Well the red light was not so kind and we had caught the next one only to crash in to our bed a little time later…..9 AM…..Dreams unlimited.

Happy New Year Folks!

Get well soon!

Stability has been discernible by its dearth; pluck shall not take flight,
Mind tempted to be squat and meek, tenacity is what extricate you from the plight!
This blighted sickness shall mislay its garrote; tranquility shall awake from amnesia,
Fight fight and fight the worst is behind you, get well soon O my cousin Anusha!!

Get well soon...2007 is around the corner!! :-)

A promise is a promise!

I am the IT Leader!!

Verdant land of Singapore was moaning under the oppression of heavy winds. Angels were weeping from the sky. The gloom of the horizon was ominous and visible from my Rat Hole. Ah! Didn’t I tell you? Rat hole does have windows! Two of them. One of them is actually a complete window and other one, well, a poor excuse of it, badly obscured by a pillar. Rat hole after all!

Do not let the anguish of the preceding paragraph delude you in to a misconception on the atmosphere of the room. I would not say it was lively and sorts, but neither was it somber. Three of us (Rat, Invisible man and the Jet) were at our books(or were at least pretending to be). As for the Owl, he was probably out there in the howling of the night, focusing ever so intensely on his next victim (Come on laugh!!). Anyways, it was about 10:30 PM (time which portends dawn of a new day for many in Singapore) and what was about to happen in the span of the next hour or so was truly a manifestation of mental turbulence that these folks undergo during the course of a MBA.

The door squeaked open paving way to a hoarse cry ‘I am the IT leader!!’ We gaped in surprise and in unison, it was Vivek( Psycho as he is known as!). What proceeded from his mouth in the duration of the next few minutes apart from his habitual taunts directed towards the Invisible Man have been cleansed while penning the contents of this blog! His frustration clearly directed at the paper scheduled the ensuing morning for the IT guys. ‘I do not care a rat’s ass for the paper’ he said. Though I must take hostilities towards defamation of the sacrosanct creature especially in a rat hole!
Ah well! I continued my reading on ‘For God, Country and Coca Cola’. A capital read indeed.

‘Changing Coke is like God making grass purple’ strong sentiments echoed by millions of Americans on their pet drink. So engrossed was I in the book that little did it dawn on me that there was second visitor to the rat hole. Only when a soft voice bespoke ‘Abbey kal ke IT exam ke liye kya padna hain’ did I realize of the humanly presence. It took only expectant faces and a few seconds for Teghjeet to air out his frustrations on the state of affairs. Back to Coca Cola and the art of making money, and then there was loud cry from beyond the door followed by a slam and a very peeved Vineet (Bade Bhaiyya) walking in. And yes what ensued has been purged, for my over curious readers.

More frustrations were to follow during the course my perusal of the book. Strangely the next visitor was finance guy, Sid Ghaisas, who announced in his usual flair ‘I have given up studying’. Finance or IT story remains the same. Frustrations do indeed descry themselves in variegated forms. You might have heard of people jumping all over the place. Well I have witnessed gravity failing under acute frustration. This manifested in the form of Hemant(Dream Lover), who was all over, except the floor of course! By this time Coca Cola was looking more like ‘C_ c_ C_l_’ to me(well gravity has been very mean to my eyelids many a times). Have you noticed vowels are always the first ones to fly off?
I could hear frustration revealing itself in the form of an ice cream, when Invisible man and Teghjeet set out plans to venture out and grab some. Considering the not so auspicious squally weather that seemed to have persisted despite erratic behavior by gravity, the plan was soon abandoned.

Well eyes had almost settled in the balmy comforts of the eyelids and then there was Tushar who stopped by. My ears were expecting the culmination of all the frustrations to personify. Pleasantly, he had stopped by for a movie file and the Rat hole had absorbed all it could have for the night…..

Frustrations are the tests that nature gives us! But Rat Hole is something that you have to extricate, never let the frustration grow into an insidious behemoth devil for it shall encumber you with gloom and restlessness…

Go find yourself a Rat Hole!!