tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-304413112024-03-05T07:51:43.995-08:00High Tea With Abhi ©Ethanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16107006657149219739noreply@blogger.comBlogger141125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30441311.post-17399089550994467942015-12-25T19:07:00.001-08:002015-12-25T20:56:25.196-08:00The Land of Thundering Dragons - Bhutan Part 2<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Hey Guys, I am back with another set of long break and this time I will conclude on my last post about our Bhutan trip. So please keep reading.<br />
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Our Days in Thimpu<br />
As I said, we stayed in hotel Norbuling right in the middle of the city centre just opposite the archery stadium. It was a good place to stay though a bit expensive but then all good hotels in Bhutan especially Thimpu are on the expensive side. Imagine Taj Tashi was quoting over 30K INR for a night during our stay, so be prepared unless you are ok with a B&B in Thimpu.<br />
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Sight - Seeing in Thimpu<br />
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Thimpu has a lot of places to go and see, we chose a few as we planned to enjoy the town rather than clicking selfies at all of the tourist attractions.<br />
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Breakfast : We started our day at around 9 in the morning and since I didnt take the breakfast plan at the hotel, we moved out to grab a quick bite. The wife had a plan to eat something local while I planned something conservative ( aka continental). Thimpu is like any small lazy hill town and few shops open early. We found one great cafe right opposite the town square called <a href="https://www.facebook.com/ambientcafe/" target="_blank">Ambient Cafe</a>. The sandwiches and handmade chocolates are great, the coffee and the hot chocolates are good. The staff is courteous and teher is free Wifi. They open up early and we found the place value for money. Do try them, they also have a B&B if you are interested. ( Trust me they havent paid to advertise here).<br />
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Moving further our first stop in Thimpu was the Chorten Memorial, just a short walk from the main square. Its a memorial in that was consecrated in the memory of the third king of the current dynasty of Bhutan in 1974 after his untimely death. The memorial has four stone sonwlines gaurding the four corners and is very popular among local and foreign tourists, People come and pray here by circling the monument chanting hymns and lighting incense sticks. The paintings and statues represent the philosophies of Buddhism. Its a good place to sit & see how traditional people live their lives in Bhutan.<br />
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To go there you can just take a walk from the main square and ask anyone for directions, pretty close to the newly opened Le Meridian Thimpu.<br />
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Our next stop was to see another place called Tashichho Dzong but it was closed that day for public visits, so we decided to explore the local markets before we go to the next stop. So we walked along the main market just to see around the local town markets. After a while we passed the Indian Embassy which is quite centrally located in the town.<br />
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Next we took a cab to the Buddha Point which will be once it is fully completed one of the most famous tourist spots in entire Bhutan. It's actual name is Kuensel Phodrang & has the largest statue of Buddha in Bhutan. The 51.5 meter bronze statue is almost three story high with several chapels. There is a well paved road leading to the Buddha and is used for drives, cycling, jogging and walk apart from those who go there to pay homage to Buddha. The view of the Thimphu valley from this point is exhilarating. There is a museum which was under development when we went and this place is thronged by everyone who comes to Thimpu especially the Japanese tourists. You can easily spend a couple of hours and this place has some great views of the valley. The sky was clear and the sun shone well on the bronze statue to give some great shots. The drive is around 20-30 minutes from the town square and you can negotiate with the driver for going up and coming back. We did it in INR 400 after some haggling.<br />
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My wife was anxious for her first Bhutani lunch and talked the driver into taking us to local restaurant in the town. So we ended up at around lunch time for a Bhutani meal at a small restaurant which was called Tashi ( which is common name in Bhutan ). Anyways we tried Ema Datshi which is chilli in chese gravy and is supposedly the national dish of Bhutan. It is a bit on the hot side for most people, but once you get the hang of it, it is OK. You east it with boied rice. Since Bhutan is a cold country thus a hot dish serves its purpose.<br />
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Me being a vegetarian limited my exploring of food to Ema Datshi and some rice along with a local noodle brand Koka made in a soupy gravy. My wife on the other hand tried her hand at Jasha Maroo ( a chicken dish) and rice along with Ema Datshi. These are common staples in Bhutan and do try it at any small restaurant to get the actual flavor.<br />
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Once done with the food, our plan was to relax and have a stroll walk in the lazy sun. The afternoons become slightly cooler as soon as the sun starts to lose its intensity and we walked across the local market for search of some handicrafts. There is a big market here which is run y local craftsmen and women who sell genuine Bhutani stuff at very good prices, you can haggle a bit too. There are goods made from wood, leather, yak wool, hand made paintings etc which you can buy. We didnt buy immediately but planned to return around dinner time after the long walk.<br />
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By 4 PM we were back in the hotel to rest a bit, before we move out again in the evening. After a short nap, we decided to eat again at the Ambient Cafe and walked to the town square, by 6 PM the city is bustling with youngsters making their way to pubs in the evening and Thimpu becomes very alive. Reminded me of Shillong in the winter months. <br />
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We had a good meal at the Ambient cafe & then went to the handicraft market to get some stuff my wife earlier shortlisted. By 730 we bought a purse, a shawl and a stole all of it in 2000 bucks. This is what value for money is but haggling is required.<br />
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So we ended our day and then planned to go back to the hotel for a long day ahead to Paro & to the famed Tiger's Nest Monastry.<br />
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Next Morning we woke up and checked out after breakfast and quickly moved to the city bus station to get a cab for Paro. Paro & Thimpu are on two ends of a Y shaped road from India, so we took the road back to India for a bit and then we reached Paro. For anyone who comes directly to Bhutan by flight will always come to Paro as it houses the only international airport in Bhutan almost on the river bed.<br />
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Paro is another valley and is around 60 km from Thimpu ( an hour ride in Taxi). We reached Paro by 11ish and decided to go to our hotel and check in. The hotel we chose this time was Sonam Trophel. Paro is an exteremely small town, so it will have properties which will be isolated luxury resorts or otherwise a bed and breakfast sorts. Sonal Trophel is a comfortable bed and breakfast. It was recommended to me by another friend. Though I would suggest if you have the time and are not on a budget then you should try a stay at any of the resorts, the only problem is that unless you have a cab for the entire duration such resorts become a problem as there are no taxis available unless you pay for an exorbitant fare to the hotel itself. Since we were there for only one day, we didnt mind the stay and quickly moved to our next destination which was Tiger's nest monastry.<br />
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We hired a cab to take us there and meet us back on return, since it was afternoon the guy charged us more ( 600 INR). You take his mobile number and give him yours ( comes in real handy)<br />
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Tiger's nest is a monastry on a mountain top and is a very popular hike for any traveller to Bhutan. I have had a good set of experience is easy and moderate treks/hikes but for my wife it was the second time after doing Vaishno Devi to climb any hills. People usually start in early morning and finish by around lunch time, however since we were short on time we planned to climb in the afternoon session and return by evening.<br />
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We started at around 1230 to climb and it is good 3000 feet climb before you can see the Cliff edge monastry and have a view of the Paro valley. You must take care of the weather and water ( the two essentials in the hills). Always carry some high energy foods and enough water with you. Wear good shoes as some parts can be tricky in the climb. Weather is chilly despite the sun and refrain from the habit of taking clothes off as you walk uphill as the air gushes are cold especially in the late afternoon. We took around 5 hours to go all the way up and return by 530. <br />
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There is a stoppage at midway where Bhutanese tourism department has a small restaurant for travellers. Bhutan is a very clean country and they do their bit by not polluting the hike trail.<br />
At the top you will find a couple of big waterfalls which feed the main river in Paro city, the water is refreshingly cold and enjoyable. We didnt spend much time at the monastry as it was getting dark.<br />
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We started our downward trip and got some great shots of the view of the valley. This is a a hike between easy to moderate and saw many elderly also complete it with relative ease. Do visit it for the sake of the views if not anything else.<br />
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After a long day we were tired and eventually opted for in room dining and rest. We ordered some food at Sonam Trophel and ended our day there. Shopping and town hopping was for the next day before we return to Phuntsholing and then to India.<br />
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The next day we started with a good breakfast at <a href="https://www.facebook.com/Champaca-Cafe-390933444414466/" target="_blank">Champaca Cafe</a> - a very nice cafe with wifi and the next best option after Paro Pizza which was unfortunately closed in the morning. We however had a sumptuous meal there and planned to walk around the city and laze in the strong sun alongside the river which flowed in full fury before we started our return journey. My idea of vacation is more about lazing around than going to all sort of places just to get pictures clicked.<br />
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The river front is nicely made and it is great to take a quite walk and feel the fresh crisp mountain air rather than do anything else. We soaked the sun and visited some small handicraft shops but did not buy anything.<br />
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After 12 we took another cab back to the town of Phuntsholing from the hotel. Sonam Trophel is a decently priced hotel and can be booked over email. You can find the reviews on trip advisor for more details.<br />
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Our return cab again costed us 2500 INR and we reached Phuntsholing by the day end, it gets real misty in the evening on the way back and you see some clouds coming on to the road when you car just drives through. An experience to have unless you had such earlier.<br />
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We stayed again at Hotel Park and had dinner at Kizom cafe. The next morning we bid goodbye to Bhutan as our taxi driver took us back to Bagdogra for our return flight. The return cab costed me another 2500 INR. We took the return flight to Delhi and reached Delhi by 5 in the evening. That was our short Bhutan trip, a pretty eventful one. Looking forward to your reviews on the post. Will post another trip very soon.<br />
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Cheers. </div>
Ethanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16107006657149219739noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30441311.post-6708537211884322932015-12-12T08:44:00.001-08:002015-12-25T19:24:31.906-08:00The Land of Thundering Dragons - Bhutan Part 1<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
I am writing a post after a long time, lot of things have changed, not only did I get older and more sober ( as if I ever drank), I got married on the way. So I thought why not start something new. <br />
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My marriage gave me the opportunity to do something for the first time, have an international holiday and bigger than that plan it myself. So here it goes, after all the difficulties I and my better half went through, I have planned to write a detailed travel plan for all the misers of the world who can save some few hundred dollars using some of the tips from these posts. <br />
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BHUTAN !!! BHUTAN !!! BHUTAN !!!<br />
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Well Bhutan is a small landlocked countries nestled between China and India ( for all the guys who flunked geography). It is a mountainous country and is called the land of the thundering dragons. I planned Bhutan trip by sheer luck and some help from a few colleagues and online posts. It is a country worth visiting if you like the crisp mountain air and want some peace during your holiday. We just finished a 6 day trip ( actually it was a 4 day trip with two days in transit) but the transit itself was fun as we moved by road rather than taking a flight.<br />
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There are two type of tourists who go to Bhutan <br />
1) Citizens of India/ Bangladesh & Maldives - No Visa needed, permits granted easily, no tourist fee or other restrictions<br />
2) Rest of the world - You need to pay tourist fee, book through an authorized travel agent, get visa etc. etc. etc.<br />
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My post is primarily for the first category.<br />
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We planned our trip such that we enter Bhutan at one of the land borders and go to Thimpu via the main highway. The route is extreemly picturesque. We landed in Bagdogra ( Siliguri Airport). This is well connected with all cities in India. We took a cab from the airport till Butan border town of Phuntsholing. Our driver took us through the better route going through the "Dooars" and not the Siliguri Guwahati main highway. It is a 4 hour drive but can get extended. We landed in the afternoon and reached only by late evening in Bhutan. <br />
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Dooars are densely wooded region of west bengal. I have lived in the city of Calcultta or Kolkata twice in my life but Dooars made me realize that North Bengal is entirely different from the southern part of the state I was accustomed to.Given a chance, it is worth staying in one of the tea gardens around Siliguri & exploring the region further. On your way to Bhutan you will find a number of tea gardens amidst dense jungles. The wind you feel on your face is clean and cool unlike the wind we feel in the big cities.<br />
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Kizom Cafe<br />
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Reception at Hotel Park, Phuntsholing<br />
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Phuntsholing is a small bustling town in Bhutan used as a trade centre by both India and Bhutan. Phuntsholing is connected with India via a large gate which serves as the border entry point. On the Indian side there is a west Bengal town called Jaigaon. You can find a number of hotels here and stay for the night while you check at the immigration point. The most famous of them is Druk Hotel right at the border, I found another hotel decent enough to stay as Druk was full. So it was the Park hotel for me. They readily accept Indian currency without any hassle. The border immigration point stays open till 7 in the evening and starts work in the morning at around 830 ( though you can check with them as sometimes they start even earlier). We were not so lucky as due to rain in the week preceding our stay the internet lines went down the day we landed. So we couldnt get the immigration letter that night and stayed at the hotel itself. It was a long day and so we decided to rest in the evening after a short walk in the border town. For dinner, we restrained ourselves to continental food at Kizom Cafe ( Must Visit).<br />
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While we walk Around Thimpu<br />
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A monk offering prayers at a local stupa<br />
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On our way to Tiger's Nest<br />
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POINTER: You can take a local sim card & call India at INR5/minute. We didnt take one though & managed on watsapp. Phuntsholing has decent connectivity without international roaming ( just set your signal to manual and select any indian telecom company during you stay in Phuntsholing).<br />
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The immigration point has a long line during tourist seasons so be ready for spending some time there. Just carry your Passport or India Voter ID card & fill up a form ( I will attach the PDF link here). They will take your picture there and print you a letter.<br />
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<a href="https://drive.google.com/folderview?id=0B5dQgto8W4wHM0FkUEhBVnBUbHc&usp=sharing" target="_blank">Bhutan Entry Permit</a><br />
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Once you have the letter with you, just take a bus from the bus stand there or a cab ( we took the latter). If you negotiate well you will get a cab for 2500 INR.<br />
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Waterfalls & weather on our way to Thimpu<br />
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POINTER - The earlier in the day you go, the cheaper is the cab as it takes time for people to come back from Thimpu to Phuntsholing. Also try a BT01 number plate cabs ( Bhutan Taxi - 01 stands for Thimpu), as these cabs tend to naturally return to Thimpu from Phuntsholing.<br />
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The ride is almost 4 hours, since we got our permits in the afternoon due to the connection loss, we reached Thimpu only in the evening. Else if you start early you can reach by late lunchtime.<br />
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RECOMMENDATIONS : Hotel Park/ Hotel Druk/ Kizom Cafe ( Pizzas are good) - Bookings for stay can be done online or over email. ( They give good discounts if you ask for it)<br />
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The drive to Thimpu is great, speially for all those who love the mountains. There are a number of gorges and waterfalls and over that the Bhutani songs that the cabbies run while they drive are great. Do ask your driver to stop for a while in between to take pictures, Couple of big waterfalls too, avoid going too late as it may get dark sooner along with some amount of fog.<br />
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Thimpu - This being the capital city is the largest city in Bhutan and will look a bit more planned and organized, unlike most Indian hill-stations this town is in a valley so the sun is harsh even in Septemeber October ( so be prepared for a light tan). The day is mildly warm and the nights are cold. CIty has a lot of good hotels right from a Taj to lot of cafes running bed and breakfast. The options to stay are many so you can chose. We stayed at Hotel Norbuling in the main town area only close to the city centre. ( Booking was done through Agoda.com)<br />
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Archery Grounds from our room in Hotel Norbuling<br />
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RECOMMENDATIONS: Hotel Druk/Norbuling - Try staying close to the town as staying in far off resorts will only cost you more as you will need exclusive taxis everytime you want to come down town.<br />
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Thimpu is pretty famous for its night life & has a lot of pubs and night clubs & we saw decent mix of local and Indians there with some expats too. You can give it a try though we skipped it as we had a packed day the next morning.<br />
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There are a lot of places to go eat all across Thimpu and we being sucker for something new in cuisine tried a whole local meal..... more on that later..... Will post the rest of our journey in the next part....see you guys soon</div>
Ethanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16107006657149219739noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30441311.post-33774712176093534282013-07-12T20:49:00.000-07:002013-07-12T20:49:13.296-07:00Secret Admirer<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: #f1c232;">There she stood besides the tall trees<br style="line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" />There was hustling of leaves with a small breeze<br style="line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" />I was watching her from a distant path<br style="line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" />Careful enough to hide, so that no one sees</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: #f1c232;">I was a secret admirer, an amateur poet<br style="line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" />There was nothing which my lips uttered on a glance of hers but a sonnet<br style="line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" />Life can be blissful with her presence<br style="line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" />Without her, I was a diamond without a facet</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: #f1c232;">As she walked across the hill<br style="line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" />I watched her, keeping absolutely still<br style="line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" />My eyes lost the movement, my lips mumbled smatterings<br style="line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" />But I sweated even in a Nordic chill</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: #f1c232;">I love watching her hair play with her<br style="line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" />With the slightest breeze they shift places annoying her<br style="line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" />Still she holds them straight and smiles at all<br style="line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" />Like a fairy she vanishes in the deep forests of fir</span></span></div>
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Ethanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16107006657149219739noreply@blogger.com0East Khasi Hills, Meghalaya, India25.567220388070048 91.8923950195312525.452652388070049 91.731033519531252 25.681788388070046 92.053756519531248tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30441311.post-61688962123875491772013-06-30T08:21:00.000-07:002013-06-30T08:21:53.837-07:00The Flower Girl<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: #f1c232;">It was the day we all got dressed up<br style="line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" />It was the day, when it was all messed up<br style="line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" />I was playing the near perfect host<br style="line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" />But somehow I was not all charged up</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: #f1c232;">There she stood in all black attire<br style="line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" />Her burgundy hair were flowing like rivers of fire<br style="line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" />A sparkle in her eyes made me smile<br style="line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" />Her sweet scent of divinity spread across miles</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: #f1c232;">She held a pack of roses, crimson and gold<br style="line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" />It was a love story in my eyes, unheard and untold<br style="line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" />Days like this rarely happen<br style="line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" />When the petals of the precious edelweiss unfold</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: #f1c232;">Her finesse was cherubic yet mystically divine<br style="line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" />I was surely in love and this was god’s sign<br style="line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" />I wonder what to do now<br style="line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" />Her eyes were engulfing my heart like pools of wine</span></span></div>
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Ethanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16107006657149219739noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30441311.post-61461509298384883992013-06-16T03:51:00.000-07:002013-06-16T03:51:48.444-07:00Mano -a- Mano<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: #f1c232;">There are some wishes for which a man can die<br style="line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" />There are some things for which there is always an inner sigh<br style="line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" />Her hand in mine would be my dream<br style="line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" />That would be the best gift of all which money cant buy</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: #f1c232;">I imagine her walking besides me<br style="line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" />Our shadows become one as we see<br style="line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" />Mano – a – Mano we walk slowly towards the sunset<br style="line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" />With the clouds coming in and the sun about to flee</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: #f1c232;">I hold her soft hands in my rough palms<br style="line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" />I have a look at her; her smile is ebullient but calm<br style="line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" />She pinches my hand like a little child<br style="line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" />I bring her close to my heart, in my arms</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: #f1c232;">The sun has set as we sit on the hill<br style="line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" />Her head on my shoulder, as the winds bring a chill<br style="line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" />I pray to god this moment remains forever<br style="line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" />She is the one whose gap I would never be able to fill</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: #f1c232;">Mano – a – Mano we walk back<br style="line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" />As the full moon sets in, crickets come out of cracks<br style="line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" />Life can be blissful if your wishes come true<br style="line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" />You only live in those moments and there is no looking back</span></span></div>
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Ethanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16107006657149219739noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30441311.post-81924898054726138652013-06-02T00:36:00.001-07:002013-06-02T00:36:47.951-07:00Angel Eyes<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: verdana, tahoma, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: black; color: #f1c232; font-size: 12px; line-height: 19.453125px;">I have never been so silent and lost</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: verdana, tahoma, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: black; color: #f1c232; font-size: 12px; line-height: 19.453125px;">Her eyes have taken my soul at all costs</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: verdana, tahoma, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: black; color: #f1c232; font-size: 12px; line-height: 19.453125px;">I am trapped in her mystical brown eyes</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: verdana, tahoma, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: black; color: #f1c232; font-size: 12px; line-height: 19.453125px;">Away from the whole world, I got my much awaited prize</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: #f1c232;"><span style="font-family: verdana, tahoma, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 19.453125px;"><br />
</span></span> <span style="font-family: verdana, tahoma, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 19.453125px;">Her eyes are like a magic potion</span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: verdana, tahoma, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: black; color: #f1c232; font-size: 12px; line-height: 19.453125px;">Spells move around in the ocean</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: verdana, tahoma, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: black; color: #f1c232; font-size: 12px; line-height: 19.453125px;">I am unable to do anything but see</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: verdana, tahoma, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: black; color: #f1c232; font-size: 12px; line-height: 19.453125px;">And her cherubic smile finally got me</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: #f1c232;"><span style="font-family: verdana, tahoma, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 19.453125px;"><br />
</span></span> <span style="font-family: verdana, tahoma, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 19.453125px;">Who says that heaven is beyond death</span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: verdana, tahoma, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: black; color: #f1c232; font-size: 12px; line-height: 19.453125px;">I found my heaven, before my last breath</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: verdana, tahoma, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: black; color: #f1c232; font-size: 12px; line-height: 19.453125px;">She is the angel I was looking for all this time</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: verdana, tahoma, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: black; color: #f1c232; font-size: 12px; line-height: 19.453125px;">She is the one for whom my words begin to rhyme</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: #f1c232;"><span style="font-family: verdana, tahoma, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 19.453125px;"><br />
</span></span> <span style="font-family: verdana, tahoma, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 19.453125px;">Her chocolate hair and her pristine scent</span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: verdana, tahoma, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: black; color: #f1c232; font-size: 12px; line-height: 19.453125px;">Has taken over my heart, soul and mind to full extent</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: verdana, tahoma, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: black; color: #f1c232; font-size: 12px; line-height: 19.453125px;">She is my ruler and I am her slave</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: verdana, tahoma, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: black; color: #f1c232; font-size: 12px; line-height: 19.453125px;">There is nothing more in this life for which I crave</span></span></div>
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Ethanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16107006657149219739noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30441311.post-3343940800062493272013-05-08T08:24:00.003-07:002013-05-08T08:24:46.886-07:00Wishing for Love !!!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="color: #f1c232; font-family: verdana, tahoma, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 19.453125px;">They say praying helps a lot</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #f1c232; font-family: verdana, tahoma, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 19.453125px;">So pray for what you never got</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #f1c232; font-family: verdana, tahoma, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 19.453125px;">I pray wishing for your love</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #f1c232; font-family: verdana, tahoma, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 19.453125px;">Seeking your love I pray to god</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #f1c232; font-family: verdana, tahoma, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 19.453125px;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #f1c232; font-family: verdana, tahoma, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 19.453125px;">They say angels help a lot</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #f1c232; font-family: verdana, tahoma, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 19.453125px;">So wish to an angel; the one who lingers in your thoughts</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #f1c232; font-family: verdana, tahoma, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 19.453125px;">With your cherubic face on my mind</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #f1c232; font-family: verdana, tahoma, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 19.453125px;">I wish for the girl whom I always sought</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #f1c232; font-family: verdana, tahoma, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 19.453125px;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #f1c232; font-family: verdana, tahoma, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 19.453125px;">They say go and wish in the wishing well</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #f1c232; font-family: verdana, tahoma, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 19.453125px;">So I ask the fairies as my heart swells</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #f1c232; font-family: verdana, tahoma, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 19.453125px;">With you my love inside my heart</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #f1c232; font-family: verdana, tahoma, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 19.453125px;">I can even agree for a soul to sell</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #f1c232; font-family: verdana, tahoma, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 19.453125px;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #f1c232; font-family: verdana, tahoma, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 19.453125px;">I am tired of angels, wishing wells and god</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #f1c232; font-family: verdana, tahoma, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 19.453125px;">I am tired of wishing, asking and praying a lot</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #f1c232; font-family: verdana, tahoma, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 19.453125px;">But I keep loving your more and more</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #f1c232; font-family: verdana, tahoma, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 19.453125px;">And come what may I will always wait for your nod</span></span></div>
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Ethanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16107006657149219739noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30441311.post-72571822294668721912013-05-08T08:20:00.001-07:002013-05-08T08:25:10.831-07:00I am backkk !!!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="color: #f1c232;">After almost a year, I am back in the game.....There has been a lot in my cupboard and I never told anyone about it....Will start posting poems which I wrote a few years back and never published here thinking that I will jinx my chances....anyways years have gone by and the intensity faded away as my then love interest never came to know about how I felt....So here they come at regular intervals...hope you guys like it.... </span></div>
Ethanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16107006657149219739noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30441311.post-48526220977878664042012-08-15T21:25:00.000-07:002012-08-16T03:07:45.293-07:00Brother in Arms<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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It was a late evening when a sharp cry made everyone aware that the newborn was here. It was not a fancy hospital, no nurses or doctors to attend but a cold night with bright twinkling stars. Mary saw her baby and smiled within. It was her first born and she was delighted to see the little one. Meanwhile as she looked at the baby she was also aware of the tough life he awaits as he grows up but then wasn’t everyone in the ghetto was destined for it. Maybe this one will have something better in his hand when he grows up.</div>
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Time lost its importance as I grew up from a little baby to a young handsome lad called Fred . Every now and then I used to see my reflection in the puddle of muddy rain water and realize that I was fast losing my childhood. No longer did I jump with joy and showed affection to my step brothers who were born after my father died and our mother moved to another neighborhood with her new husband leaving all her kids to her old sister who limped across the alley to manage me and my half brothers.</div>
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One night I noticed that another young boy sitting across the alley with nothing but a bag and a big rod which was almost inside the big head of rubbish that lied on the corner. He must be looking for something which he lost I thought knowing that seldom did young boys came to the dirty alley adjoining the ghetto of the most livable city in the world. After sometime I saw the boy leave with a grin on his face and he vanished into the lights on the other side of the street. I often sat on the dark end of the alley as my eyes shone seeing all the fancy stores with cakes and breads and clothes and shiny objects kept in a very eccentric manner across the glass barriers with all the light being focused on the cherries at the top. </div>
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As the evening grew dark I realized that a shadow appeared in the almost dark alley. The sole lamp at one end glowed as I realized it was the boy I saw earlier. He held a big loaf of sweet bread which looked fresh and savory. "He must be a rag picker who sold his collection for the day", I thought. He sat down on an old box under the lamp as he saw me and the twinkle in my eyes as I stared the bread. I hadn’t eaten since last night and I would have loved to devour that loaf. As he started eating, I sat there controlling the saliva in my otherwise dehydrated mouth. He saw me and offered me the last bite as he gobbled the rest of it without any haste. I was glad that I could snap the last piece before he would have changed his mind. Rarely does it happen that a stranger would share his food with you and today was my lucky day. </div>
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An acknowledgement came up from my side as we shook hands after the meal. He introduced himself as John from a distant hill town who came to the city in search of a job. He looked barely fourteen with his thin stature and freckled face. He showed me his stick which had a loadstone at one end to capture any metal pieces. He used to sell them to the scrap dealer and buy his meals from the local deli. He slept in one of the big water pipes abandoned long ago by the municipal board. He had made all arrangements already to ensure a cozy night after. I told him about myself and introduced him to my half brothers who were busy playing regardless of the time. John moved back as he took off to his den and promised to meet the next day.</div>
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We met the next day and moved around the ghetto to collect some scrap, I wasn’t of much utility to him though we talked the entire day about our past lives. I told him about how I ended up being nothing more than an urchin despite repetitive efforts to break the clutter and move on to a greener pasture. By the time he ended his day, we had walked a couple of miles from the Ghetto and incidentally crossed over to a rival gang’s area. Though it was still daylight but one of the boys there saw us and gave a loud cry to his gang. Before we realized we were surrounded by them and in our defense we had little more than a loadstone stick and some pebbles. I don’t know whether it was the adrenaline in my brain or the debt of the sweet bread a night before, I gathered courage and before they mustered courage to attack I had taken two of them down while I shouted a war cry. John ran towards the pole which marked the beginning of a new block which was marked as out of bounds for the gang here. While I was not aware of the blows and wounds I received, all I knew was that I had passed out and could hear only faint voices around. I felt like I have died and am on my way to the world beyond. When I opened my eyes I realized that I am not dead but was lying in a shanty with John looking over me. There was another couple of young boys standing beside him. I realized that somehow John managed to bring me out of the brawl and save me. </div>
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“You almost passed out when I shouted for help and these two boys helped me to send back those guys away from you. These boys here are the real heroes, they knew how to tackle them.”, John told me as I found my way to a cup of some warm milk. Instead of me being the savior it appeared that he became the savior. The two boys were armed with sticks and bats and were known for their animosity with the alley gang. Though they were no friends of us but they did save our lives this time.</div>
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After the incident, John and I became almost the best of friends, though both of us knew that in the ghetto no friendship can last beyond hunger and the desire to outlive each other. Our case was a bit different, we fought for each other and soon enough others in the alley knew that we cannot be separated. One fine day John invited me to share his water pipe house with me and I agreed with utmost pleasure. That winter was perhaps the most comfortable winter of my short life, though I was not yet so old but occasionally I did feel a jerk in my legs when I ran too fast or for too long. </div>
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With the cold weather giving way to spring, life was at its usual pace, brawls in the alley, food hunting till late evenings, daily hustle and bustle with my half brothers for whom I had no regard earlier. Slowly I developed a sort of respect for John as we lived together. Sometimes even despite us being so different I felt that he was more than a friend and even much more than a brother to me. </div>
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Slowly days passed and it was almost a year since I met John. Amongst all the fights we had, today we had something which was pretty nasty. He was angry with me and simply walked off as I tried to explain him about my point of view but to my resolve he was not ready to listen. He walked alone too far and I could not make sense of which direction he went. I was tired with my ailing leg which got a nasty nip when I tripped over some broken glass pieces. I even had a little limp in my walk. The day passed and as the sun started to set I heard a loud cry. It was Alfred the eldest of my half brothers. He ran as if there was no tomorrow. He came to the opening of the pipe where I stood. He told me that John was surrounded in the other alley and the gang was in no mood to let him go today. I lost all sense, did not think twice as I started running. With each leap I felt the pain but I ignored it, for the first time I saw Alfred running besides me. I never thought he would but there he was. As we reached the alley we saw John on the road, lying down surrounded by the gang boys who were ferocious with their weapons and teased the injured boy. I asked Alfred to pull John to the side as I distract the gang. It was my time to repay for all the brotherly love and save him. With a big leap I jumped on the old trash cans which lied at the end of the dark endless alley, I saw a couple of them distracted, no matter the time lapsed between our last fight they still had the grudge against me. Leaving John aside they started crouching towards me. I was scared but I stood there with a slight limp. I stood as I was surrounded; I knew it would be almost impossible for me to get out of this time. The last I remembered I had beaten two of them down to the floor which the other two got me by my neck. Before I closed my eyes for the last time I saw that Alfred had pulled John to a side well towards a safe block. He stood up and shouted with a stone being hurled towards the gang but I knew that this time it was too late. The pain in my leg and in my life was about to end. I took a deep breath, thanked god for the swiftness and closed my eyes. </div>
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After some time John called for help and Alfred brought all my step brothers to fetch my body. All of them surrounded me. John lifted me up as I lied in the pool of my blood. I was lifeless but he kept holding me in his arms. I wish I could tell him how happy I was. He never treated me like a man treats his dog. Alfred and the pack started howling as tears came down John’s eyes. He moved slowly towards the sunset. I felt comfortable even as I knew that I will miss those days of brotherhood. A couple of street urchins across the street shouted and asked John – “What happened?” “My brother died.” , he replied </div>
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Ethanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16107006657149219739noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30441311.post-25007452775255094122012-07-21T22:30:00.000-07:002012-07-21T23:25:01.102-07:00Lyf Is Lyk Dat Only !!!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Well, I am back after a really long time. Life has changed a lot in all this while, for good and for bad. I am a year older now and hopefully a bit wiser. Work has been hectic along with the travel & I have sat down finally to write something yesterday. Many of you pinged me and asked me to pen something down, so here it is. Hope you guys like it.<br />
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It s been years since I first started to walk</div>
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Been years since I played paper scissors and rock</div>
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Its been a while when I first left home to study</div>
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Been really long when I returned home with clothes all muddy</div>
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Though I am not complaining to you about my long lost
childhood years</div>
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But then I realize I am old when marriages and babies are
the new norm amongst my peers</div>
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I stopped celebrating birthdays long ago with cakes and all
that pomp and show</div>
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Maybe it was my own way of stopping time and making myself
grow</div>
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Life has been a rollercoaster all these years</div>
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I have grown out of my emotions and childhood fears</div>
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But new pages of chapters unknown still await me</div>
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Lot many things I await to know and see</div>
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In these times of merry & distress</div>
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I have met many new faces and cherished the old ones</div>
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Some grew near to my heart </div>
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While some did tore it apart</div>
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While many dream became a reality for me all this while</div>
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Many more dreams are making up a pile</div>
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I have learnt a lot in these times</div>
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Letting my soul free as the ringing wind chimes</div>
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I say to people I hope that I become wiser with years to
come</div>
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While I really hope that I gain some more wisdom</div>
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I wish to god that I don’t lose the child in me during my entourage</div>
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I hope that I will still remain that reckless boy I was in
the years to come </div>
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</div>Ethanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16107006657149219739noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30441311.post-56661314988333238152011-10-29T20:12:00.000-07:002011-10-29T20:17:18.851-07:00Fast & The Furious X.XI am back, and sooner than I expected myself to be here. Again a sunday morning. A lazy one, well readers, I am sitting here on my bed with my number of phones and notebooks spread all across writing this post while I should have been getting ready for the F1 race finals. Well Diwali was fun, though my role was revolving around buying stuff, putting candles, decorating the house and taking money out of the ATM. Finally the weekend came and I like my lazy self should have wasted this one fruitfully sleeping and well ummm uhhh doing nothing but reading random stuff off the internet I was asked to join the First Ever Indian Grand Prix in a place called greater NOIDA. Reluctantly I being a good colleague agreed and readily accepted to cheer the Ferrari team whom we sponsor globally. Anyways it was the novelty effect, so I said why not lets give it a shot. Unlike the 1200 actual fans of F1 in India, I was the part of the larger team (1.2 billion -1200) non fans who dont know the A B C of motor racing besides names like Vettel, Alonso et al.<br />
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So on a saturday morning, when I should be clearly either sleeping in mid day or driving around, I was sitting in a Volvo with several other pseudo enthusiasts to a well umm a town some 70 km away from my posh South Delhi environ to see few cars burning rubber and making big noise. When we reached the venue that was actually in middle of nowhere, I saw a big race track with galvanized iron stands ( I was in south premium) on uneven earth spread with a green carpet. Cows mooed across the track and people were sitting gazing at a super smooth road (highly unlikely in India barring central Delhi). Most people were a part of the bigger entourage, offered tickets by corporates as they were employees, vendors and small clients (though I did saw some hot chicks in hotter hotpants) and I swear by their degree of hotness (habahabahaba) that they were hotter than the hottest cars :P :D.Anyways with the first car coming on track, the crowd did stood up to cheer but neither did they know the difference between teams and their cars, nor did they know that what is the actual fuss about. I mean why are so expensive cars running at such tracks burning millions of dollars for some one hour of fun. <br />
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Little that most people know that it is a mere conspiracy by auto and auto related companies to test their material strengths and designs of their products. Anyways back from the technical details, I saw a jump in the crowd, when the announcer said, Force India ( like everyone felt that Sachin of F1 just arrived). Well their car did look like the Indian flag. Anyways the noise of the rubber burning the tarmac was so much that neither could you ignore it nor can you live with it. With the first qualifier getting over, people lost interest and moving to the food stalls ( for cold food and hotter cold drinks). They did hover around and see the cars but it did became monotonous for almost all non fanatics ( rich well traveled boys who were sitting in the Paddock). Girlfriends were there to show their boys that they support their cause too, oldies were there to be a part of History. Anyways after the race, I was too tired to go back again the next day for the grand finale, so I decided to call it quits. For me a chilled out Sunday is a much more interesting thing to do that visit Mayacity :P.<br />
All I was wondering about the last night was, will the operating expenses of the BIC, be compensated by the revenues of stale burgers and seats only. (PS: Dont try the burgers, keep to the sandwich, they are OK.)<br />
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BTW Never drive after an NFS Most Wanted Game ....Even after the game is over, you still drive as you drive in the game.<br />
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Just to end this post found an interesting post somewhere, so linking it here too :) Happy racing boys and girls. I am off for a drive. Image Source http://thecomicproject.blogspot.com<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgi7Edkoo9HGMEGLFGCjUR7Etns9uyCdpUTd91JqVxGYgNpfX0QtJ1iq0SgHMYhSkbG_S3SWyiJTgOLdsGj_81y6OhWW-4D5K8P6SMg4XoTd5DLc1fKfyJ22t9t4zC6B72qkq9e/s1600/Guide+to+the+Indian+Grand+Prix-Rs%255B6%255D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="300" width="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgi7Edkoo9HGMEGLFGCjUR7Etns9uyCdpUTd91JqVxGYgNpfX0QtJ1iq0SgHMYhSkbG_S3SWyiJTgOLdsGj_81y6OhWW-4D5K8P6SMg4XoTd5DLc1fKfyJ22t9t4zC6B72qkq9e/s400/Guide+to+the+Indian+Grand+Prix-Rs%255B6%255D.jpg" /></a></div><br />Ethanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16107006657149219739noreply@blogger.com0Buddh International Circuit, Uttar Pradesh28.3490535 77.534543628.335079 77.51480260000001 28.363028 77.5542846tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30441311.post-50627134311017583852011-10-22T09:24:00.000-07:002011-10-22T09:51:41.562-07:00A Thousand dreams to live - Part X.XFor those who are regulars of this blog, I must apologise first as I have been wasting a lot of my time doing stupider stuff than not writing anymore. One reason maybe that I have simply lost interest, well maybe but then after a long day and probably busier weekends I hardly find time to rant here. :) Anyways its Diwali time and almost after 4 years I am back at home to celebrate it here in the place of my birth. (for those who dont know - Dilli Oye). Recently I read some stuff by a chick about a delhi boy, LOL thats wat I can say, I wish I could give her some sense. Anyways this post is not about her or the millions of egoistic chicks like her. Its about Diwali ..... YAY....<br />
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Well first of all I want to wish all you guys and gals a very safe and happy Diwali. Dont overeat this festive season and do remember yours truly while making your gift lists. I accept cash and kind gifts. Those who wish to do an online transfer can seek my ICICI account on my email. <br />
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The whole motive of writing this post was to talk about Diwali and that too especially the one I have seen since childhood in Delhi. Just a couple of days back as I was driving my way out from a friend's place, I saw a young lad taking a pain in moving around his house and putting up those long wires with small microcontroller controlled electric lights in a south Delhi household. Deja Vu - It reminded me of the several rounds of those old lights in some box in my house awaiting to be put fr decoration this Diwali and for a moment I was back in the years of the late nineties when my basic Diwali chore was to put up the lights ( the bigger ones like taking sweets to people's house, buying crackers, getting flowers for Diwali day from the Mehrauli flower mandi and paying a customary visit to the Chandni Chowk aka Delhi 6 were also there ). I was certainly fond of it. I have always been fond of anything to do with fire or electricity in the modern parlance, maybe that was the reason I was notoriusly famous for snipping all the cable tv operator wires every summer to make sure I get uninterrupted supply of cartoon network and star world. I remeber how I used to get up at 6 on the day of my chore (as decided by myself), gathered all wires, bulbs, pliers, screwdrivers, electric socket extentions, black tape and other paraphernalia and started with what usually ended as a two hour marathon of cutting, taping, nailing of lights all across my house roof and balconies. With each year passing by, I added a new set of lights making my chore bigger and bigger but then who was complaining. <br />
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Then came the satisfaction of seeing your house glowing in the night. When I moved out to our new place, there was almost an unannounced competition between house owners. Bigger houses, bigger sets of lights meant longer working hours and as usual I still sweat in october mornings, so a messy shirt at the end of it. Then when I went to college, I used to be at home only for 3-4 days and I always gave lame excuses to mom by just putting a couple of lights here and there and said "lets not waste power ...". Anyways for the last few years I have been out of the house and even the country ( and the continent) and in my absence all my five feet 2 inches mom could do was to put a couple of them on the ground floor balcony. <br />
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Well this year, I am back at home and guess its time that I search for all those pliers and tapes and get back to work. Atleast my mom should also get some RoI of making me study electronics. <br />
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Well there is also a sad part associated with the lights, you know your vacations are over when you dont see these glittering shiny lights on the streets anymore. It marks and end to the fun times of Diwali. So here comes the philosophy - I would take a pledge to keep these shiny lights remain lighted in my heart for the year to come and make sure that the festive season stays a lot longer this time. <br />
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To be a part of my several post long Diwali blogathon. <br />
PS: Work is stressful but fun, I am happy to be with old friends and a new life :) <br />
Gotta go search for those pliers and the wires.. bhai diwali mubarak ho zeee......<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.religionfacts.com/hinduism/images/holidays/diwali-lamps-cc-shrikrisna-pundoor.jpg" imageanchor="1" style=""><img border="0" height="681" width="1024" src="http://www.religionfacts.com/hinduism/images/holidays/diwali-lamps-cc-shrikrisna-pundoor.jpg" /></a></div>Ethanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16107006657149219739noreply@blogger.com1New Delhi, Delhi, India28.635308 77.2249628.4123265 76.909103 28.858289499999998 77.54081699999999tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30441311.post-59336787013942066452011-09-05T21:09:00.000-07:002011-09-05T21:09:23.969-07:00In Retrospect It has been almost 4 months since I got up so early. I was up at almost 330 AM even though I was dead tired the last night. The night was calm with the monsoon being the only culprit breaking the silence. I was on my back looking at the fan on the ceiling thinking about the past few years. How life has changed, passing out from school, graduating from engineering, topping up with an MBA, almost a year and a half working, moving to new places all the time, making new friends, having a lot of good memories with a hint of few bad ones. Lot of people etching their marks with a few who are better best forgotten but then isnt this which is all about life.Being 26, sometimes it just feels that only a week has passed since my 18th birthday. Anyways the only good thing about life is that I still am as foolish as I was when I was a teenager, still have those starry eyes and a few dreams to be fulfilled. Hope that a few years down the line when I look back again on a random early morning, I smile back at it and then go back again to sleep.
Completely Random Post - No offence !!!! Ethanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16107006657149219739noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30441311.post-25452354969877372872011-06-03T05:38:00.000-07:002011-06-03T05:38:02.868-07:00The Art of LifeAs I sit down today to pen down a couple of thoughts today after a really really long time. Few of my unfortunate friends have even pinged me for why I havent written anything for so long. Anyways last 1 year has been the biggest rollercoaster of my life making it a really really special one for me (though most of it was bad, but still I see as good things coming out of it.) Anyways I still see a lot of people with a pretty myopic vision of life who end up cursing few others who are more successful than them in life. Here are a few things I learned over the last few years, they may sound a bit over the hill, but even if you try to incorporate one of them, I am sure somewhere a few years down the line you will thank me for it.<br />
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1. Learn to accept change, in the long run, it is always for the good. I have seen a lot of old men resistant to change, but even a few stubborn guys and gals not ready to accept it, try to be open to ideas pertaining to change, your way may not always be the right way.<br />
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2. Stop taking pride in smoking away the blues, drinking away to the joy and sorrow of life or even worse going towards the "get high" school of thought. If you are in your mid twenties and smoking and drinking, its likely that you will miss your child's twentieth birthday or your own fiftieth birthday. The Liver and lungs are not meant for you to play with. If you are so sure, try to run a kilometer or two and you will see why your stamina is going downhill. Every other day I encounter one or the other jackass who takes pride in doing a stupid relay of liquor or being a chain stud. Stop kidding with yourself.<br />
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3. Learn to respect those who have invested their lives for you. Be it your parents, grandparents, siblings or even some great friends. The odds are in a few years you will realize that they are not around and then you will realize that a piece of the jigsaw of your life is missing. <br />
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4. Love like there is no tomorrow, but forget a cheater without recall. Nothing lasts forever, not even love. Its the way two individuals care about each other that counts as after a certain number of years, the crazy hormones responsible for being in love are no longer produced in your brain, so its upto you to make or break anything. However, if someone ever cheated on you, for no matter what reason, forgive them and close them out of your life. I will not say move on, but will say love yourself more.<br />
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5. Save while you are young. All of us have desires, all of us have needs. Everyone wants to live like a prince or a princess, but the hard fact of life is that unless you are already born with a silver spoon in your mouth, you will be slightly better off than your parents who were slightly better off than your grandparents. It is entirely upto you to be richer than that extrapolation of wealth by your own intelligence and streetsmartness. Save atleast 40% of your earnings till you are not married and 30% post your marriage. Never should your savings go to waste, invest carefully and you will see that red ferrari in your garage by the time most people hit for a mid life crisis.<br />
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6. There are absolutely no free lunches. A company will only pay you the 10% of what profits you make for it and that is the maximum limit. High paying jobs come with high risk of health/ wealth/life/employment, large amount of work pressure or in most cases a mix of both. Then there are also certain set of jobs which require subject matter experts who have devoted a large chunk of their lives in gaining knowledge when you were fooling around with a girl in your hostel room.<br />
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7. Learn to respect three type of people outseide your immediate circle. a) The nerds - You never know you might end up working for one someday. b) The selfmade princes - Never underestimate what a man can do, if he has enough determination. Rags to riches examples flock in dozens in todays world. c) Cocky bastards who have a deadly mix of both - few are such men but when you encounter such a guy/gal, dont think he is just talking about palaces in thin air. You might regret later.<br />
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8. Respect yourself, your own intellgence and f**k the luck. Yes luck does play a part in our lives. I have myself been at the recieving end several times but even in the nadir of my life till now, I never gave up. I never suspected my intelligence, and even screwed the jackasses who tried to do so. Learn to respect yourself, being a little egoistic is good but always carry the humbleness of a tree with fruits. Work hard and give it your best. It may take a while but you will certainly be rewarded. Even in my worst of days, I continued to work twenty hours a day so the harder you work, the luckier you get.<br />
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9. Be truthful, honest and maintain integrity even in the hardest of times. Its not bad to admit that you are not going through the best of times but then its no reason to lie or decieve anyone.<br />
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10. Never give up learning, gaining knowledge is a lifelong process and its entirely upto you whether to embrace it or maintain your life in an ignorance is bliss mode.<br />
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At the end, I would say no matter where you are today, your past will seldom matter to your future life. But decisions made today will surely decide whether in the future you will regret or celebrate your wishful thinking.<br />
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Yours TrulyEthanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16107006657149219739noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30441311.post-55023880305966573842011-04-27T10:29:00.000-07:002011-04-27T10:29:56.247-07:00Thou Shall Not Fall To DestinyIts not that I am not afraid of failure, its not that my soul is made of steel. Its not that I don't sit down alone sometimes to introspect what went wrong but every morning when I rise, I rise with the hope against hope. <br />
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Times will always be turbulent, uncertainty will always rule in our hearts, it is this fear of losing everything that keeps me on my toes, though it is aging me faster than most mortals but then I do not need sleep to see dreams, dreams beyond the normal vision of someone who has been fed by a silver spoon and driven around. <br />
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It is not the shield of greenbacks that strengthen my character, it is the blood and sweat that I lost in countless days I toiled, it is these stones of destiny that have sored my feet that I still use to sharpen my Excalibur. <br />
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While I sharpen the edge, my hands have not always been safe either, but then it is the sight of blood itself that has made me stronger with each passing day. Years have passed since I took the first step out of my den. I was young and restless, not that I have lost my hunger to this day but I realize that I can make for another day without the elixir of success. <br />
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I stand by the side of the fast moving jungle wih animals of all type and size, some big, some are small, some are running fast, faster than they can imagine, slower than they expect. I laugh at them sometimes since they think they will outpace their destinies. Some fall badly as they run only to be eaten by bigger ones who move behind them. <br />
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Most of them are confused, as to why they are running along, is there a fire in the jungle, some dont even know but then there is always a silver lining that eludes most of us. One is there that awaits me too, though I am not running, I know it is coming towards me, faster than anyone can ever imagine. Some will say this creature is crazy but then staying foolish is all I can do for now.Ethanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16107006657149219739noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30441311.post-73666807025677081062011-03-15T13:25:00.000-07:002011-03-15T13:25:08.332-07:00Leap of FaithThis is a a very amateur post. It’s a post about a character, I know very closely. It may not resemble any of you or you may find certain shades of yourself in him. Like any other post, my protagonist is going to have a name, lets call him Abhay (Me and my love with letter ‘A’). Anyways, this post is only going to be about Abhay and no one else. Its like an ego sketch of this twenty something guy. Around six feet tall, fair with sharp features and dark mahagony colored hair. Resembles some movie star many say, well he looks good enough to be a model himself but is far from being one. Lives in a small two bedroom house somewhere in the suburbs of a large metropolis, college educated but not working in any job in any company. He is arrogant, stubborn and loyal by nature, wellmany o us would be thinking what is Abhishek trying to say here. Why a rich brats description in his post. Anyways let me go on talk a little more. This guy is not rich, an average well to do typical family but off late he has been living alone. Hardly knows how to cook, lives off magi and some other weird ready to eat delicacies (read Rajma Chawal aka Kidney beans in tomato gravy and Rice) from the small neighbourhood stall. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://thefreeman.net/journal/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/leap-of-faith.jpg" imageanchor="1" style=""><img border="0" height="363" width="400" src="http://thefreeman.net/journal/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/leap-of-faith.jpg" /></a></div><br />
He is not employed but he is always busy, always tied up with things. Always calling people, making arrangements for something or the other. His circle of friends has a long list of PYTs (pretty young things) yet for him something is much more important in life. It is called faith, faith in himself, his ability to succeed, to win and go beyond where most of his caliber would never even dream of going. He is no Slumdog Millionaire but he is still trying to prove himself and reach where few are destined to reach. I ask him whom you idolize, he says “Dhirubhai Ambani”, as both of us sit on the floor of his modest house munching Tandoori Roti and same old Rajma from the neighbourhood stall. I ask him, how do you feel sometimes taking the unknown path, he replies ,“Bhai darr lagta hai kabhi kabhi, but zindagi bhar yahan to nahi reh sakta na.”, pointing towards his house. “Sometimes I feel that a job like yours would have been much more secure, I don’t even know tomorrow, if whatever I do today will even help me. One moment it may all vanish.”, he adds.<br />
“Faith, it’s the tiny steps we take each day which are actually leaps of faith make us realize our destiny. It is these tiny steps that make or break our lives.”, I add philosophically. Today I see this guy take an ordinary path, something which an average guy his age would always fear, I know I would most of the time. Sometimes we do have doubt in our ability, certain instances I recall were when I gave my first interview, the first time I asked a girl out, the first time I appeared to be ragged in front of a senior, but then had I stopped there that day, I would have not even been an iota of a man I am today (as I look in retrospect). What took me ahead was faith and rest followed itself. <br />
I see this guy making good money in an honest and hardworking way, toiling hard, moving from town to town to do something which he loves. Still at the end of the day when he sits with his pals in some smoke filled pub, he is still laughing around and seem to be happy and contended. No one cares for where he sits when he eats or which car he drives. All they know is one happy go lucky guy who is walking an unknown path, who is happy and fighting against the most powerful enemy of the world called life. No one knows that he like millions of us still has doubt and fear but still he is the bravest in my eyes as he is trying to conquer them. <br />
I don’t know what would be the take away from this post. Maybe it is a small tribute to hundreds if not thousands of those young fellows who have taken the leap into the unknown making a mark of their own as entrepreneurs. They work really hard as compared to us lazy buggers who just wait for the last week when we can see our salary slips.Ethanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16107006657149219739noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30441311.post-13016813792722560422011-02-01T20:10:00.000-08:002011-02-01T20:12:07.075-08:00I shall rise againThey came in disguise and never let me realize<br />I was naïve and they caught me by surprise<br />It was all over they almost thought for me<br />As their knives stabbed my frames several times<br /><br />But I was not to die, I was to live and fight<br />I have always fought, no matter what is the enemy’s might<br />I took their blows each o them coming in full force<br />As I bled, I stood up to return a favor and fight<br /><br />I was torn apart, unable to walk but they could not touch my will to fight<br />I gathered my Excalibur and gave it a swing in full might<br />They knew that no matter what they do, they cannot kill my soul<br />It is now that they understand the meaning of the world ‘Invincible’ right<br /><br />Every now and then the evil camp of destiny sends its coward spies<br />Deceit, treason and death is what inspire their lies<br />But every time they try to overthrow my will to fight<br />I rise again and return them a favor with all my might.Ethanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16107006657149219739noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30441311.post-40113698731676674222011-01-30T02:16:00.000-08:002011-01-30T02:17:30.836-08:00TurmoilTurmoil, a weird turmoil resides in my heart<br />Turmoil, a strange turmoil ever moment tears me apart<br />With each passing moment the darkness grows as I stand<br />Turmoil, an engulfing turmoil is piercing my soul like a shard<br /><br />Turmoil, an unknown turmoil, is trying to take me down<br />Turmoil, a devilish turmoil, runs from dusk to dawn<br />I try to break free, but to no use, it surrounds me all over<br />Turmoil, an overpowering turmoil, is trying to make me its pawn<br /><br />Someone calls me in the distance, as my heart hears it out<br />As I take steps towards the voice, because my heart wants to follow the route<br /> I try to stop my heart from straying as I am scared of the turmoil<br />Sometimes I just wish that my own plans to foil<br /><br />Earlier too this turmoil tried to reside in my heart<br />Earlier too this turmoil tried to tear me apart<br />Memories of thorns from the past still look like a bed of roses<br /> The turmoil is still there, piercing my soul like a shard.Ethanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16107006657149219739noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30441311.post-32759887312421436502011-01-23T01:06:00.000-08:002011-01-23T01:19:48.589-08:0024 CaratWhen I was young I was too fascinated with all the different shiny metals that often found mentioned in treasures of the world. I never knew what was 22 carat or 24 carat gold. One day my mom sat down and explained me all. She since then always used to say "there is no use of 24 carat gold, too much purity of the mind makes you vulnerable to the hammer blows of the world". <br /><br />I never paid attention to this line till a few weeks back, she still says this once in a while adding to it she says, "some impurities may reduce your value to the world but its better off that way rather than being an object of desire to everyone and being showcased in a museum".<br /><br />Its her wise words and as a son it is upto me whether to take them at face value or not. perhaps she is right, perhaps I am right. No one knows. <br /><br />In counter belief I always thought that it is the 24 carat gold nugget that stands the litmus test, as everything else just dissolves in th acidity of the world. The whole world may desire the shiny nugget of 24 carat but only those who really deserve it are ever able to lay their hands upon it and once they do, it becomes so dear to them that they would protect it with their lives. <br /><br />It is this 24 carat gold lump which is moulded into a sovereign and makes a standard for the worth o the money all around the world. <br /><br />Dont know which of the two arguments is closer to the truth of life. Only time makes you realize whether the postulate you assumed to chalk out your life was right or wrong.<br /><br />PS: In case you find these posts disturbing do let me know, in case you have another prospective on life, do comment.Ethanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16107006657149219739noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30441311.post-63917842334532026542011-01-21T23:04:00.000-08:002011-01-21T23:25:02.946-08:00I dont know what to write.Today is a weird day, too weird to be true. Life is indeed stranger than fiction. You plan out life right from the very beginning and seldom it happens to be like that by the time you finish. <br />I am clearly disturbed as a few of my regular readers may feel, more disturbed than I was ever. Well I am, as I always say I am being truthful to myself. This post is not about the negativity in my life. Its about introspection, more about damage control even though I myself know that the damage is beyond repairs in most parts. <br />Realizing that how just with a single conversation, a single email, a single phone call, a simple incident in the past your whole life would change. Sometimes it is for the worse but sometimes it is for the better also.<br />People ping me across seeing me depressed and try to motivate me. I thank all of them, I never expected them and the matter of the fact that they were bothered showed that they cared. There were a few others too whom I expected but they never showed up. <br />I may be talking more like a drunk man today, but in reality I believe a drunk man atleast lets his emotions out to the world and feel blissful himself. <br />In some years most of us would not be alive, who will care for what that drunk man said. Certainly it wont be written as a glorious chapter in history.<br />All of us have history, all of us have skeletons in the closets, It is upto us whether to let them be buried there or face the truth. I was told by few people that it is better to take a bitter medicine with sugar cubes. It hides the truth. They still abide by it, I still beg to differ, it is the bitterness that makes you realize the harsh reality of life. Someday if someone takes away your sugar cubes you would either be not able to take your medicine or you would go beyond disgust with the bitterness. <br /><br />Bitterness is essentially the core of life, mind you I am not saying that be bitter to those who care about you. Life is more than your own ego. Humbleness takes you a long way, often I see young ambitious or should I say over ambitious individuals see life in a different prism of light. They feel that everyone around them is there to sooth their ever boosting egos. They mistake sugarcoated medicine for a permanent relief from all the pain and before they realize all they have been left with is the bitterness, and an over boosted ego which makes them fall on the ground one day very hard. Little do they realize that life is more than material possessions, more than the dollars you earned or the exotic trips you finished. It is more about the people whose hearts you won. More about the people who cried when you left the world. <br /><br />In the end I feel that despite everything all of us should remember <br /><br />"Things are for use and people are to love and not the other way around"<br /><br />I dont even know why I wrote this post, felt that a lot of misguided people in this world exist. Those who see the degree or the car of a person before they see the person. I would sincerely suggest them to open their eyes, what you see is all paper and ink and steel and paint. Do not miss the gold inside the person who is sitting across. <br /><br />PS: If you find this post disturbing, do let me know. I still sleep very few hours a day and lack o sleep might have forced me to write this post.Ethanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16107006657149219739noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30441311.post-83775562446097739792011-01-16T21:17:00.000-08:002011-01-16T21:18:17.577-08:00Let Death WinAs I lay in an unkempt bed <br />Staring at the ceiling, I hold up my head<br />Tears roll down my eyes, I don’t know why<br />No matter how hard I try, couldn’t help but cry<br /><br />Life was never going to be the same now I know<br />Sometimes I wish I had somewhere to go<br />Maybe I could end this all in just one blow<br />Better than living and dying every moment you know<br /><br />As I lay at the nadir of my life<br />I battle an internal strife<br />The will to live is dying itself now day by day<br />I don’t know how long will I be able to hold on and stay<br /><br />Sometimes I think about what happened to my life<br />Just one fine day, I got up and got the shock of my life<br />I wonder if I would ever be able to smile now<br />I guess, its time for me to take my final bow<br /><br />You have cursed me to live a thousand deaths each living moment<br />I wish to die for once and for all, and let my corpse ferment<br />It is not easy to live like a dead man all my life<br />I wish to end it all and lose to my inner strifeEthanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16107006657149219739noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30441311.post-66575851384310710952010-12-25T13:57:00.000-08:002010-12-25T14:15:04.910-08:00QLC - A twenty something phenomena<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8ih5nSX10_JoXdbOFXq6kofBPE_9PaKez3nbpdxds_P3GeNypFcrcEdlpL5kHc0UooDCBJNL_PdEAbgTPKCGMFWBA9zWc2K-fTdRrnpnpd_YI_lVzdvkT8lWyRTzTqUAcKVS6/s1600/Quarterlife_Crisis_shirt-e1284081548552.png"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8ih5nSX10_JoXdbOFXq6kofBPE_9PaKez3nbpdxds_P3GeNypFcrcEdlpL5kHc0UooDCBJNL_PdEAbgTPKCGMFWBA9zWc2K-fTdRrnpnpd_YI_lVzdvkT8lWyRTzTqUAcKVS6/s320/Quarterlife_Crisis_shirt-e1284081548552.png" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5554746757101338994" /></a><br /><div><br /></div>Hi, <div> I am 25 and counting. I am an MBA & an Engineer from ivy league institutes of India. I have several hundred friends (most of them are relatively as successful as I am tagged). Some of my friends even say that I have almost everything that someone may ever desire. This year became a turning point in my life. I joined the real world after almost two decades of a protected environment. Though I had tasted failures before, the real taste comes when there is no backup. Anyways I along with several hundreds of my friends am suffering from a common phenomena which was completely unknown some thirty years back. That phenomena is called QLC or Quarter Life Crisis. Maybe this is due to the fast paced life these days but almost everyone I know of my age is suffering from the symptoms of this disease. Recently a friend of mine sent me a mail describing the situation. I could absolutely relate to it. I thought why not share it with those who read my blog too. So here it goes. In case there is anyone who is not suffering from any of the symptoms please please contact me and do let me know how to tackle the situation. :P</div><div><br /></div><div>BTW thank you RG for the mail.</div><div><br /></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: rgb(68, 68, 68); "><b><span style="color: rgb(161, 98, 82); "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium; "><span class="Apple-style-span"><i>BEING IN TWENTIES – Something I want to share… </i></span></span></span></b><b><span style="color: rgb(47, 47, 47); "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><i><br /><br />It is when you stop going along with the crowd and start realizing that there are many things about yourself that you didn't know and may not like. You start feeling insecure and wonder where you will be in a year or two, but then get scared because you barely know where you are now.<br /><br />You start realizing that people are selfish and that, maybe, those friends that you thought you were so close to aren't exactly the greatest people you have ever met, and the people you have lost touch with are some of the most important ones. What you don't recognize is that they are realizing that too, and aren't really cold, catty, mean or insincere, but that they are as confused as you. You may make friends in your job life that would ever cherish in your heart or you may think why for that short time I met him/her.<br /><br />You look at your job... and it is not even close to what you thought you would be doing, or maybe you are looking for a job and realizing that you are going to have to start at the bottom and that scares you.<br /><br />Your opinions have gotten stronger. You see what others are doing and find yourself judging more than usual because suddenly you realize that you have certain boundaries in your life and are constantly adding things to your list of what is acceptable and what isn't. One minute, you are insecure and then the next, secure.<br /><br />You laugh and cry with the greatest force of your life. You feel alone and scared and confused. Suddenly, change is the enemy and you try and cling on to the past with dear life, but soon realize that the past is drifting further and further away, and there is nothing to do but stay where you are or move forward.<br /><br />You get your heart broken and wonder how someone you loved could do such damage to you. Or you lie in bed and wonder why you can't meet anyone decent enough that you want to get to know better. Or maybe you love someone but love someone else too and cannot figure out why you're doing this because you know that you aren't a bad person. One night stands and random hook ups start to look cheap. Getting wasted and acting like an idiot starts to look pathetic. You go through the same emotions and questions over and over, and talk with your friends about the same topics because you cannot seem to make a decision. You worry about loans, money, the future and making a life for yourself... and while winning the race would be great, right now you'd just like to be a contender!<br /><br />What you may not realize is that every one reading this relates to it. We are in our best of times and our worst of times, trying as hard as we can to figure this whole thing out. Send this to your twenty-something friends... maybe it will help someone feel like they aren't alone in their state of confusion...<br /><br />We call it the "Quarter-life Crisis...”</i></span></span></span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium; "><span class="Apple-style-span"><i> </i></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: rgb(68, 68, 68); "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><i><br /></i></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><i> </i></span></span></div>Ethanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16107006657149219739noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30441311.post-63578812368577433012010-11-17T13:19:00.000-08:002010-11-17T13:21:03.964-08:00Love Letter from a Financial Analyst to Her Love Interest<p class="MsoNormal"><i>Dearest Most Valuable Asset of My Balance Sheet,</i></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><i> Since the day I have fallen in so deep in love with you, just like the stock market fell in 1929, I have not been able to hold back my feelings which are as vulnerable as goodwill on a balance sheet of an Internet firm, I am writing this special love credit note to you. My blood flow is surpassing the cash flow of all the stocks trading on the Nifty 50 as I think of you. No longer am I rational as a technical analyst, your love has made me as irrational as a retail investor in an uncertain market. I hope there is no uncertainty on the trading floor of your heart as I have already bought all the shares of your love and left none for any other potential investors. I will go bankrupt if you declare that your balance sheet and income statements of love were over stated. </i></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><i>I hope that you will take care of your sole shareholder and not issue an FPO for other potential buyers. I am really scared of the PE firms which have been luring you with their skimpy skirts, overstated assets and perpetual proforma cash flow. I do not seek any immediate dividend in terms of gifts and presents. I hope that this relationship as long lasting as between Warren Buffet and Goldman Sachs. You know I am not a Venture Capitalist who has been involved in risky investments in the past. I look for moderate returns and a loyal management which takes care of its shareholders. According to my friends you are grossly overvalued at the moment but looking at your past performance and future prospects as a lover I see a bright future with you. I firmly believe that you will outperform the market of potential suitors and shower me with the heaviest of dividends of love even though I am not expecting anything too soon. Hope that one day there is a merger between the two of us. Love you more than Bloomberg.</i></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><i>Financially Yours</i></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><i>A Financial Analyst</i></p>Ethanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16107006657149219739noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30441311.post-1598581991677970262010-11-11T13:38:00.000-08:002010-11-11T13:43:06.014-08:00A Night of Thousand Stars - II<span style="font-style:italic;">“Saying Happy Diwali to random people - The auto wallah, the bus conductor, the air hostesses, the baggage porter, the bhaji walah, and folks on the street, brings out unexpected happiness and warm response which are totally unmatched by any programed response of glee. Go ahead.. spread the joy.. to all whom I know and to all those whom I don't, Here's wishing you a sparkling Diwali!” – A status message from a very close friend of mine – Thank you Ashu for this thought.</span><br /><br />It is Diwali time once again and the third time that I am away from home that too in a row. Not that Diwali at home was any glorious or anything but I was where I was born. I was where I grew up, I was in the city with a glorious past, where people spent millions on showing off their wealth impressing neighbours, inlaws and friends. Where no matter which religion you have faith in, your house does have a made in china lighting on Diwali day. Anyways folks as I rewind my memory cells to the glorious years of the past, I sit down once again to bring you another story. A story about Diwali; a story about happiness and joy. A story about the night of a thousand stars.<br /><br />It is the night before Diwali and I felt that life has completed one full circle.Sitting at the airport lounge I remembered how great last Diwali was. It was a Saturday and her scent post bath was enchanting. She stood there in wet hair folding her hands in front of the little mandir in my room. Dressed in an impeccable white salwar kurta she looked nothing short of an angel. Her earrings sparkled against the flouroscent lights of my room. She murmured vedic chants as I watched her. Life is going to be so wonderful with her, I thought.<br />“lets go my lazy boy, its time you take a bath.”, she said. “Do I have to, it’s a holiday for god’s sake.”, I replied. Well my name is Akhil and she is Isha, my love interest. We have been together for the last two years and are supposed to marry next year. Anyways this is the first time we are celebrating Diwali together as I have flown down to home and would be spending some precious moments with her. Life has been a rollercoaster for the last two years with me shifting to Kolkata while Isha still working at Delhi. Long distance is never easy but still we did try our best to make it work.<br />We were to go around the city in the car Isha bought recently finishing our last minute shopping before we hit back to our places for the Puja. It was 11 already and Isha was shouting at her peak to make me get out of my bed. Soon after my bath and a meager breakfast I was forcefully dumped into the car and driven away to the busiest shopping arcade in central Delhi. After that it was three hours of “Ooh, do you like this?”, “Do I look fat in this ?”, “Is this better or the one that is there?”. We finally made through and ended up in the Mcdonalds just outside a British era cinema hall chomping on our burgers and sipping our colas.<br />“I am so happy that you are here this Diwali. I so wanted to spend time with you.”, Isha murmured as our eyes crossed. “I know that baby, I wanted this too. Its been so long that I am away. Even mom wants me to shift back soon and I have been trying really hard to do something about it.”, I replied. “You know, I was thinking if you could shift to Kolkata, this could be pretty easy for us. No parental pressure, no time restrictions and all the time to ourselves.”, I added. “I know but you know my problems. I cant just move like this. My grandmother needs me.”, She replied. “OK, let’s forget it, I just want to spend these four days in the best way.”I replied as I gathered all the bags and stood up to leave. It was already three and I wanted to show Isha the gift I got for her before we went to our places for the puja. As we drove to south Delhi’s greens I asked Isha to take a detour. It was fun being the navigator for a change and driving her mad. We drove into a posh apartment complex and I asked her to park and wait in the car as I walked to the elevator. I asked her to bring a box kept on the backseat in the car after she gets my call to flat 2125. She agrees and waits while she puts her Ipod on and listens to the Eagles.<br />The bell inside the flat rang and I opened the door to find her all hush hush standing to surprise someone inside but instead she got the biggest surprise of her life. She reads the inscription on the brass name plate “Isha & Akhil Pandey”. “Akku what is this about?”, she walks in and sees the drawing room filled with balloons and decorations and a big banner saying WELCOME HOME ISHA. She was awestruck as she saw each room. I had bought that flat recently on installment post my promotion and it was all a surprise for her. “Akku, how the hell did you manage this? This must have costed you a fortune.” “Shush, leave those things to me” as I closed her eyes guiding her to the master bedroom. As I let her open her eyes she found a bed covered with rose petals and teddy bears. I could see a tear rolling down her eye as she hugged me hard and whispered “I love you Akku”. It was to be my most wonderful Diwali ever as she pulled me on to her and her lips enclosed mine. I could feel our sweat roll into each other and rose petals sticking to our naked bodies as we rolled over the bed. After some serious love making , she just held my hand and kissed it over and over again. I pulled her close to me and kissed her back and said,“Happy Diwali Ishu”. It was already 7 in the evening and we were so late. I locked the flat in haste and rolled down the stairs as we held hands. “So, what are your plans for tomorrow?”, she winked as she started the engine. In the next three days, we spent almost all our time together making love, kissing each other, talking and making plans for our future. They were the most wonderful three days of my 27 years of existence.<br />Life changed so fast after I resumed back at office, the work schedules became hectic as the year end approached and we got less and less time to talk to each other. Meanwhile I was sent over on deputation to Singapore and the time difference started taking the fizz out of our love. She was busy writing certification exams and I did not wish to disturb her most of the time. My family was also having certain problems due to old family feuds which were putting extra stress onto me to change jobs and shift back to home. Isha used to text me now and then and say sweet nothings over the phone as I kept working bursting my keyboard keys. I seldom was able to reciprocate as by the time I used to finish I had nothing in my mind besides a hot shower and a soft bed.<br />By the time, the new year came I was nothing short of being screwed. My firm was losing money big time and I was on the line to be fired as my team was supposedly made the sacrificial goat. I told this to Isha and somehow in the midst of other issues certain things got to her father. He all of a sudden became very rigid in matters of marriage and announced that Isha will marry me only if I maintain my job and status. In all other cases he will find a suitable groom for her and marry her off before Diwali.<br />I was in utter shock when Isha gave me the news. I was in a quagmire, no job, no girlfriend, family feuds. “What is happening to me?”, I thought to myself. By the time January was to end I was sent back to India and made to work like a dog. I had no option but to keep quiet and perform otherwise I would be sacked by my firm which had already sacked four of my team members. As I lost sleep, I became more and more irritated and annoyed, Isha used to complain to me about my short temper now and most of the time with her peaking stress levels due to her certification examinations we were fighting almost everyday.<br />It was 235 AM on a Friday night and I was just preparing to mail my boss, as the phone rang. It was 14th February and I had no idea regarding the date. “Please call me after fifteen minutes”, I shouted. “I have called to tell you that this would be my last call to you”, the voice was rude and harsh. “As you do not wish to talk right now, I would like to tell you that its better that we break up today right now”, she said. “I hope you find peace now Akku.”, she slammed the phone with those words. I never heard her voice again for another five months. I tried calling her several times but she never picked up. I SMSed her to find no replies ever. I called her mom and brother but they never gave me clear replies. During my visit to Delhi, I dropped at her house but to find that she was not there and her father asked me not to come back again.<br />It was 12th July and a very special day for me. It was her birthday and I thought even as an ex-boyfriend it was my duty to call her and wish her. So I picked up my phone and gave her a ring, to my surprise, she picked up my call. “Happy birthday Ishu. How are you these days?”, I asked. “Thank you very much Akhil, I am doing good. How are you?”she replied. After a three minute conversation, there was an awkward silence and so I bid adieu to Isha and kept the phone down. Meanwhile I got to know from a common friend of ours that she was engaged to be married to a local businessman. I was in utter shock as I tried to revisit the past. So many sweet memories just started to turn sour. I always thought that after a while Isha would come back to me. No longer was my job under threat, no longer was I under the same amount of stress but all of a sudden the news made me realize that she would never be with me again. It was finally over. The year was not going well for me anymore.<br />Slowly months passed by and I tried to gather myself into my work and my life. I tried dating again but despite everything I did not feel the spark I had with Isha. My mom was getting worried about me and she had started looking for girls for my marriage as I had finally agreed to the fact that I will not fall in love again and am ready for an arranged marriage. I had to fulfill my parents expectations too despite whatever I felt for someone. I was asked to come back home on Diwali as my mom called me up that she had a couple of girls lined up for me to see. I was least interested in them though I wanted to go back home. So here it was, I was standing in the queue to the aircraft on the night before Diwali and within the next 16 hours I was to meet a gal who might be my lawfully wedded wife for a lifetime.<br />I reached home very tired and went on to the bed straight post my meeting rituals with my parents. I woke up at 9 and saw the whole house was looking brand new with my mom trying to make last minute adjustments. The maybe would be in-laws were to arrive in two hours. I was made to clean up my act and asked to dress up as they were to arrive any moment now. Anyways I was told by my parents that the girl’s parents wanted us to meet first and did not want pictures to be exchanged before that. I had weird thoughts about such a request and imagined that the girl may be a squint or something.<br />We were to meet at our house and then move to our farmhouse a mile away from our place for a lunch my mom was hosting on Diwali day.<br />It was a weird feeling for me, I know that I would never love this girl who I was about to see. I was already in love and it didn’t matter if she didn’t love me and she was engaged to be married to someone else. I gave my heart and soul to her long back and I would always love her in my heart, but now I had to meet my parents’ expectations. I sat down on my table carelessly browsing through old pictures of us together as the doorbell rang. I stood up and straightened my Kurta to see who came in and moved to the living room. I was in utter shock to see Isha’s parents sitting down with a pundit along with my parents as Isha sat in the corner shying away her eyes from everyone. She never looked prettier in a suit, not even on the last Diwali when we were together. I wasn’t able to gather my strength to talk to her there so asked mom to come in to my room and explain the situation.<br />It was a destined to be as the businessman who was to marry Isha turned out to be in love with some other gal and refused to marry Isha (well good for them and for us). Isha was already devastated by her father’s decision who was finally convinced by her mom to try and take the matter up with my parents. My parents agreed readily and felt that it would be best for both of us if we get married. Supposedly our horoscopes also matched and we were to get engaged on 25th October 2010 (which was today). All my friends and relatives were to be present at the ceremony and personal invites went from my parents though I was never told of the ceremony. As I gathered up so many things in mind, all of a sudden the would be wife moved in and pinched me. “So, do you wanna get married to me handsome?”, she asked. “Yes, I certainly do.”, I replied.<div><br />Prologue<br />Isha & Akhil got engaged on Diwali day in a small ceremony at their farmhouse. Both of them looked very happy throughout the ceremony but by the time it was five in the evening both love birds were no where to be seen. Later a neighbor at Akhil’s new flat saw the name plate which was removed a while ago back on the door and the car was seen to be parked in the allotted parking. Looks like they had a Diwali to celebrate together. Happy Diwali<br /></div>Ethanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16107006657149219739noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30441311.post-15462204055987755182010-10-23T03:30:00.000-07:002010-10-23T03:40:57.810-07:00Love Letter from a Marketing Manager to His Love InterestI dont know if you guys will like it but I did found it amusing as I wrote it down. Hope some marketing lover chic falls for it.<br /><br />Dearest Consumer of My Love,<br /> My happiness has no bounds, ever since you have successfully endorsed my product of love. You have not only helped me achieve me the required consumer penetration level but also given me the assurance that my love as a product is amongst the most superior ones available in the market. As you are a new user to this exotic product, I would further like to highlight that I would from time to time come out with new campaigns both above the line and below the line (metaphorically and literally) to make sure that you remain a valuable patron of my product. My product comes with a lifetime guarantee of assured service in terms of care and affection and we do not intend to take the product out of the market after a desired trial run in this relatively unexplored market. The product promises you to provide you with excellent after sales service and loyalty points which can be availed at regular intervals in terms of goodies like chocolates, dresses, jewellery and other products depending upon the number of love coupons that you have accumulated. You will also be provided with excellent benefits which will make you realize that the previous products that you used were of inferior quality, however since my product is a marked at a premier price, I would appreciate that you take good care of it by regularly servicing it with your feminine affection. I hope that you are enjoying the experience and you would continue with my product for a lifetime. You are free to call my toll free number 1800-LOVE-YOU-FOREVER for 24X7 service.<br /><br />Yours Lovingly <br />An Anonymous Brand ManagerEthanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16107006657149219739noreply@blogger.com4