Thursday, February 21, 2008

Too busy ? Angry ? WT.... ?


I was angry with myself! My ear phones are gone. What will I listen during my train and bus commuting? Why am I so unplanned? The novel I was reading is almost over. What will I read while coming back in the train today? I should have planned! I have the most sarcastic way to find mistakes in myself! As if the songs will be my inspiration for my music album or novel be the inspiration for my next best seller!

Voice on my head Knocked hard Knock knock knock!!

Hey u ther, what are you doing?


The question rambled in my head for the entire train journey. When I first entered my company bus three to four years back from the BTM to Bangalore office, I saw all of the employees neat in ‘tie’ and ‘tucked up shirts’ (I hate ties and tucking shirts but but ….they fine you 200 bucks!) in the bus with a head phones on their ear or a romantic / thriller novel in their hand. I felt it is so un-cool to be with ipod and novels. Why these folks can’t talk, make some friends? But after getting severe neck sprains of getting slept in the bus, with strange head positions, I started listening to 91 fm (Deraous and Sweet Sindhu are two RJs I remember who really rocked my morning) and reading some English novels (Mostly Arthur Healy or Dan brown, Davinci code fame !). The routine of songs and novels where followed to Japan tubes also (No FM and reading English novel is cool in Japan.) Now here in US, the same story repeats (No FM and nothing cool about reading English novels.).
I listen to songs, read some books. All started as I was getting bored to sit idle. Now I don’t find time to sit idle! In house I am busy reviewing reports, chatting over Gtalk, giving advice over anything under sky to almost any one available in my vicinity. In MARTA bus, train, I am busy reading novel, listening to songs. Once in office, time flees with meetings, conference calls, technical jargons ….over lunch, busy planning what on next weekend!

At home, as soon as I reach, will head out for the tennis court to play ‘some thing’ that we named ‘Tennis’ which hardly match the game we see in sports channels. We cannot take a serve from a 10 year old boy who knows tennis, but it is fun out there. We play until we sweat hard in a 5 to -5 degree Celsius. Come back tired, shower up and start experiments with different recipes. After that, watch some movie online or a rented DVD with one eye over my laptop for a ping in Gtalk, a scrap in Orkut or a mail from offshore team.

All these activities where started at one or the other time to get out of boredom. Now I am not bored, I am tired pushing things to fit into this routine. The useless mind woes thinking, I did not play today, did not watch movie today, missed listening to songs today and what not!
Why should I think like that? If I sit idle, with out doing anything for an hour, nothing happens! But …err…. You know ….Don’t know if I am the only one feeling so, or I am realizing such a feeling so late!

Now, where is my DAMN ear phones????

Tuesday, February 19, 2008

Drive to DMV III



I had two three trips to DMV before this. You will understand better if you follow this first.


I don’t know if it is really getting ‘as stupid as it gets’ or just me!
On last Saturday morning I started of to DMV yet again with a valid original Indian driving license. I had done some research on Friday night to get the DMV address details, also on how to reach there using the public transport. This time I was all alone; ready to travel by bus.

In GA, we have the public transport system by the name MARTA. Here we get all the schedules, maps and other details. I called up the customer service centre to join the dots in public transport system, which will get me to the DMV address. I had to change three bus and two trains to reach my destination. That is

Bus - route 75 to E7 station
Train - E7 to Centre Station
Train - Centre station to N5
Bus - Transit to another county centre - route 10
Bus - county centre to DMV – route 15

As you see, it takes a lot of time as these buses and trains are on different timings. So I took almost 2.5 to 3 hours to travel a distance of 48 miles to find out that, the address I had was wrong! From the first wrong destination, I found out that, there is another DMV in the same county, which sounded/ looked like (They had a snap in the wrong DMV) the one I went two weeks back. I took a cab to the second DMV in the same county once again to realize that I got it wrong twice.

As the person who took my license will be available only in the specific DMV, I had to find out a way to reach there. I called up MR M, who had taken me there first to get the full address (This I should have done on Friday when I was busy finind out the address from internet). He was in the middle of something, but he gave me the location. With help of my roommate and google map, I found that place. To reach there, I had to go by cab for another 36 miles, or follow the route

Bus - Route 15 to County transport centre
Bus - Route 10 to Transit exit
Train - N5 to N11

I didn’t know which Bus to take from N 11 to reach the third DMV address. Some how, I made through this entire route and reached N 11 station. By that time, I had run out of cash and had to find an ATM to pay the next cab. So I took cab to the nearest ATM to see a long queue in front of the ATM (U know the faster you want to go, the lengthier the queue will be!). I was the seventh person in the queue. In my mind, I was thinking what else could go wrong today.

ATM could run out of cash by the time I reach there
The time is already 4:10 pm and the DMV can be closed by the time I reach there
The person I am supposed to meet can be on leave today or left early today.

I got the cash, reached DMV. I asked for the officer at the reception and she showed me in. I went to the counter and asked for the officer, the person at the counter asked me to wait. The officer came to the counter after 15 minutes. My mind was wandering! She asked my original Indian driving license, I handed it over.

DMVO: This does not look like original, it looks like color Xerox.

She took the old Xerox one, which I gave her two weeks back

DMVO: Now both look the same. Which one is original?

ME: No madam, look at the two elephant’s color. (The government of kerala road transport has two elephants in its emblem)

DMVO: This looks fine; here is your US GA license.

Me: Thanks, can I have the copy back?

DMVO: It is illegal to have the copy also, the copy looks like original only. So I won’t give you the copy!

Me: Ok thanks, now you agree I am not a fraud?

DMVO: Ya, now we are straight.

Me: Ok, thanks, have a good day

DMVO: You too man.

I walked out of the DMVO with a gratified smile on my face. Finally I got it!

Even when we are achieving something very small, for which we have to struggle, have to race with time, patience and stupidity, once we reach the destiny, it gives you immense satisfaction. The whole episode of DMV might be a very small think for many, but it really tested my patience and I am happy that I was always able to smile and go back again. After all, I have to go back to DMV with in next two months to change my current address and the date of expiry :)

Monday, February 11, 2008

Trust.....



It takes a lot for us to build trust. Sometimes trust flows along a relation like a mom trusting her son, not to involve with anything that’s goanna hurt another mom, a sister who believes her brother to find a sister in any gal who passes by him…. A faith between friends which makes them decides to open their heart to each other. When heart becomes so heavy with lust/ hatred / sorrow / luv, with pool of emotions, one looks for a faithful face, to un-burden a little of their heart to each other.
Trust is like a magnificent glass art, once broken, never the same. A simple deed can shatter it. Once lost, lost for ever. It is an irrecoverable damage. Like a point in time which is passed, never be felt again.
With trust comes a responsibility to everyone, to live up to the trust of their loved once. It is a sweet burden which lightens us at times.

Friday, February 08, 2008

Me, Myself and I



7 things I plan to do before I die!!

To be a teacher / adviser in some or the other institution
To take my parents on a world trip, at least one country outside India
To learn one musical instrument to a manageable perfection
To have a good looking gray hairstyle if I live enough to be gray haired
To learn ICE skating
Do Bungee jumping
To leave an impression on people such a way that, they have a smile on their face when they remember about me (If any one does remember!)



7 things I can do !!

Bore almost anyone with my preachy advices
To talk endlessly to any one on almost anything
To spend my whole day with guitar / flute or a book
To fall asleep anywhere on any body posture, even standing
Have a serious face even when my heart is gone LROF
To convince ppl that what they have done was the best thing....
(Many ppl do talk to me for this soul reason)
To screw up almost everything but still pull it off at last moment in flying colours

7 things I can’t do !!

To walk up to any stage and dance
Sing out loud
To stop playing cricket
To munch into anything that’s harder than bread….
To be all alone/ to be left alone
To be insensitive at heart
To live without music

7 things that I find attractive in the opposite sex !!

Blue / green eyes
Dimples
Cute Smile
Elegance
Smooth singing voice
Tom Boyishness
Height (I like tall gals ;))

7 things I say most !!

Hey / hi / Wats up ?
Ente Ieeshwara !!!!/ Ente Daiwame!!!! (OMG)
U never know…
Great !
hmmm / Gud gud
Enthuva masheeee ?
U still there ?

7 celebrity crushes !! (from old to recent)

Hema malini
Sumalatha
Salma Hayek
Kajol
Ema Watson
Aaj kal, Raymond gal, Vaishali Desai
Vani Jayaram

7 people I want to take this quiz.

Manichithrathazhu
Devilz
Injey
Rivas

I don't know if 7 people actually read this blog. If anyone else stumble up here and liked it, please take the quiz along.
I took it from here

Wednesday, February 06, 2008

Burning game - Cricket!




A lot has been told on the field, off the field and in front of camera! Now the monkey business seems to go down the history of cricket as a part of the wild game played on cricket ground on these days. Now the media left the monkey and started chasing the slave masters. I am talking about the BCCI auctions and the IPL bids. Some how the auctions for the best players and the discussion always gave me a slave market feeling

Slavery, generally defined, refers to the systematic exploitation of labor for work and services without consent and/or the possession of other persons’ property. In ancient times, Arabian slave markets where there, where one can select the best slaves. The ‘BEST’ is defined according to muscle power or the mental power a slave has. The same will be done for women slaves where the attributes changed accordingly.
When SRK and PZ is bidding for MSD, GG and SG, the feeling it gave was a modernized slave market. The slave master BCCI is calling the shots and giving its best slaves to the highest bidder.
Hope the best team wins and the highest bidder gets the bunch of slaves who will eventually win!

Cricket which is growing out of proportion is reaching its end by itself. Now everyone sees only money around the word ‘cricket’.
Cricket >> More Air time for media >> More sponsors and more money involved.
The game is vanished, it’s all about money, fame and controversials.

The authority can see only money over everything and we can see the grave of cricket over the horizon. If this trend continues, it will arrive soon, where we will see the end of one of the most engaging and entertaining sports ‘The game of cricket’!

Monday, February 04, 2008

Drive to DMV II



For the first part please follow the link Drive to DMV I


Mom: It is wonderful

Dad: It has been around 15 years since I visit Shankumugham beach. I came here last time when R was on 6th standard

Mom: This is the first time in our life we are out here in this beach on our own in our 32 year old married life!

Dad: Its time lets move

Dad started his blue painted chetak scooter, mom got on the pillion seat and they rode away…..
I think that was the scene yesterday at Shankumugham beach in Trivandrum.

I still think everything happens for the best and the sequence never ends. So we never know if it was the best or not. It all started with my second trip to the DMV. This time also I some how felt that, I will be back there again. As usual my feeling was changed to experience by the end of the day. Everything was perfect; I left a message to client about my half day leave and to the umbrella of managers around me who are shooting e-mails to me from all around the world from different time zones.

Mr Thangachan was rite at my apartments’ door when I reached there to get to the DMV office. As my driver guru M was busy picking his mom from India in Airport, Thangachan (T), friend of M came to pick me up and his car was test car. There was no need to stand in queue as I got my appointment for the road test in DMV. I walked in straight, filled in the form and give it. Took T’s car and got next to the test site. A DMV officer came to me and asked my name and the filled form. He stood in front of the car and asked

DMV Officer : Sound horn

Me : Poom pom

DMVO: Wiper

Me:wshhh wshhhh

DMVO: Right Indicator

Me: Tiick tick tick

DMVO: Left Indicator

Me: Tiick tick tick

DMVO walked to the back end of the car,

DMVO: Now put ur foot on the break pedal

I did it; he came forward and said,

DMVO: Can’t you listen to me?

Me: Yes, I mean no….

DMVO: So test will be disqualified.



Me: Whattttt ?



I was alarmed. I came out to find out what went wrong. DMVO said, the left break light is not working. Car is not fit to take a driving test. So come another day. I sat on the driver seat with disbelief. So again another day to DMV! Mr T called up my ‘M’. He apologized for the mistake, but at the end of the day, half day is wasted for me, him and Mr T!

As I expected some thing got screwed up, I didn’t loose my spirit. I made it a point that I will take this by Saturday, even it means standing in the queue and waiting for the whole day. So asked T to come with his car on Saturday early morning, this time with perfect break lights!


Drive to DMV- III

My friend in our client place had to give a learner's test. So we thought it would be easy if she can accompany me. So I will have company to stand in queue and she can have one trip less. Still the notions of screwing it up in DMV were there in my mind. We started on Saturday early morning, empty stomached. My friend was busy asking law and driving symbol questions and I was having butterflies in my stomach thinking what would go wrong today! Mr T was as cool as ever driving his car. By the time we reached there, the queue was about 30 people length. We stood in the queue and when we reached at the reception desk, the DMVO said,

DMVO: Road test token will be given only at 9:00 AM. Time is now 8:45. So you go to the end of the queue. If you are not in line, we cannot give. Please step aside.

Me: Ok

My friend went ahead with her form and filled and started her preparation for learners’ written test. I stood at the end of the queue again (around 30 ppl) by the time I reached the reception; it was 8:55 AM. So I let some five folks behind me to over take me so that I don’t have to stand at the end of the queue again. The trick worked and I arrived exactly at 9:00 AM at the reception. Got the first number token for my driving test! My friend was busy filling her form. We even got confused if a service address is the correct mailing address. We covered it up by filling the service address as well as the other address available.
I filled my form, took T’s the car and went to the test location. An elderly man greeted me and got into the car. The same ritual of Horn + Wiper+ Left indicator……went on. This time the break light worked. Then he asked me to pull over and do the parallel and reverse parking. Took me out for a ride around the park and check my lane switching and signal reading capability. He was pretty happy and he gave me a pass mark. I came out of the car grinning from ear to ear!

Went to the next counter, gave the test result and they gave me another token to wait for. My friend came out of the test centre with perfect marks smiling all the way. But she was not happy as the DMVO commented that the Indian license she had, looked like a fake one. My token number display came; I went and stood in front of the camera smiling. I really wanted to change the display picture from my learner’s permit which has a face “WHY ME”
The officer at the reception said:”Hey man, you look gud in this snap, I am not taking a snap, and I will give you your license in a moment”

If he had clicked his camera at that moment, he would have caught the most stupid face I can ever make, grinning to a camera where the camera man says, no picture today L
I came to my friend who was waiting for her token. Finally they called my name and give me my license. I was again grinning from ear to ear, even if a little sad looking at the ‘Y ME’ snap on the license.

We waited and waited for my friends’ token which was E227. E226 to E240 was called but not E227. We went thrice to the reception where they gave the same answer,
“Tokens are not in order”
Finally, one officer at the counter got a little kind and started processing my friends’ paper.

DMVO : U have Indian driving license

Friend ‘S’: Yes

DMVO : Please give

S: Here it is

DMVO : Go to the counter 6 and pay 20 dollars. They will take your snap and give you learner’s permit. Have a great day

S: But you kept my Indian driving license

DMVO: Yes, you can get it if you are leaving the state

S: What? That is my primary ID! Is this the processes?

There comes ME as stupid as ever and as much as it could be!

Me: (To the officer) But I have my Indian driving license with me (It was a copy of my Indian driving license)

DMVO: Can I have a look at it?

Me: Yes, please

DMVO: Please hand in your US license

Me: Here you go

DMVO vanishes inside the office and no signs of her for next two minutes. She comes back with a grim face asking

DMVO: Which counter you went in today in the morning?

Me: I don’t remember!

DMVO: You take a walk and find me the person you give the filled form to!

Me: Mam, please tell me what is this all about?

DMVO: Look, I am not threatening you but, according to this state law, having a US license and an out of state driving license is illegal. You have both with you now. I can call 911 and put you behind bars for fraud!

Her hand was on the extension phone!

Me: Errrr WHATTTT ?

DMVO: Get you original Indian driving license and surrender it in the office by next week or forget about this license.

Me: but mam, my ID, license eerrrr …..Look I didn’t I mean I don’t know all this!!!!

DMVO: Don’t waste my time, Get your Indian license original. Bye have a good day

Then it was all international calls in and out to India, to Japan to find out where exactly is my original Indian driving license, and bout the time required to get it to us. Fortunately my mom found it in my room at my home inside my personal file. Also T’s sister was traveling from Trivandrum to US. So everything fell in place to get my original Indian driving license from India to US in two days. T’s sister went to Shangumugham beach before getting into Trivandrum Airport. So mom and dad had to go there and hand over the license. So my Indian driving license is on the way from India to US. I will have another trip to DMVO mostly this week. I am still running high in spirits, I will get my US license …..
But god knows what more is in store for me ……. nothing else but more stupidity. Here goes the next trip

My mom and dad went to a beach all by themselves after, err not after, for the first time in there married life of 32 years .....That is something beatiful :) ....you never know how things happen