Common man once flew...

And it was not long back when he started. There is this Captain Gopinath who took him for a flight. And the common man flew. Following him, thousands of other common men took to sky and saw the earth, which was the only thing they had, for the first time from a distance high above which they always dreamt of.

Air Deccan flew the common man, which was also depicted as the ‘common man’ of R.K. Laxman on many of its aircraft, starting August 2003.

And everyone was happy because the common man of this country was happy. A new revolutionary pleasant era was started. More and more airlines ventured to give a flight to more and more common men. ‘No Frills’ they called it, but the common man was not concerned about the frills, he was happy with the other title ‘low cost airline’. An air-trip was possible for him and he thought ‘i’ll fly atleast once now!’

“In October 2007 Air Deccan changed its name to Simplifly Deccan and introduced a color scheme that compliments that of Kingfisher Airlines.”

Mallya took 26% stake in Air Deccan and the common man was replaced by the flying kingfisher.

The common man has now grown wings! Hope to see him fly as simply and easily as he did through 2003 to 2007.

issues at hand...

two - three of them,
SMS voting
I condemn it strongly. the results during past few weeks support my stance. the shows meant to hunt the talent and groom it end up in favouritism. public votes, in the beginning of the shows may be for the talent, yes, but as the show proceeds the votes gets skewed towards the favourite participant and not the good, let alone the best talent. and if this doesn't happens then the results still smell fishy and people saying, 'he was not most favourite and best but still he won, we dunno how!?'
no one is to blame as you cant make millions of voters not to vote for their favourite. heart rules over mind here. to an extent, the judges can be held responsible, those eminent chairs who often themselves get onto this track of favouritism. then they fight (for best talent/TRP/ego or whatever) and confuse the voting mass instead of guiding them.
ends defying means... these shows are like movies where you appreciate the actors, their efforts, crib about the director, technical team and dont feel good after coming out of the hall.
amidst all these controversial hours on tv, you still feel good to have a clean talent show, that is 'Boogie Woogie'. running awesomely good since a decade, still fresh and getting better everytime. (me into favouritism here)

Nuclear deal
Red face Manmohan and Sonia and Congress
cant imagine what ppl in US will be talking about us!

India poised
"This site is not being updated.
Having sucked on extra caffeine during the launch of 'India Poised', the administrators and moderators of this website were having trouble remaining glued to their chairs. We decided to send them on a short break."

read this on the official India Poised website. i dont remember when this campaign was launched and the other one called DO. i think one was on 26th Jan and other on 15th Aug.
why Times is doing this... i think just to advertise and associate biggies with itself. coz i dont see any substantial result anywhere where i can see the name of the campaign associated! how many people even recalled it after 15 days of launch of each? if it was to just make the people feel good for some time then i appreciate Times.
so look at the statement above... the campaign seems 'paused'. what was it for and is the purpose getting solved is still a question i have?
even a movie Guru, which was made only for commercial purpose, spirited the people, made them realise themselves and change for better did more than what it was meant to! so whats happening to the campaigns which are made keeping 'people' in mind?

and now we have this Lead India campaign. the shortlised ones are not talking any different from any other 'common man' who also knows whats going around him and hence his responsibility. we want some change agent but we know it would be very difficult to do some good on a big level (which this drive is meant to, leading India) in the existing system. and changing the system, now when we have a lot may intellects and powers already, would be a very tough ride.
so i suggest, dont choose just one leader out of this small bunch of selected ones (public voting here again! phew*). instead, let them work together. they all have good missions in their mind, each with a different idea and different way to execute their mission. i am sure we will see better and 'apparant' results if they work together.

In dark
mobile service providers usually dont declare/inform about the premium sms rates, obviously which are pretty high, that are applicable to subsribers if they are voting for these polls!

feel good
posting after a long time, feeling good!

happiness is...

... waking up at 5 on sunday morning after 3 sleepless nights for a trip to green hills and rains!
... witnessing the skyline change from bricks to trees hanging on the door of local train!
... 7 people stuffed in an auto-rickshaw for an uphill ride!
... counting waterfalls on opposite hill!
... leaving the road to start a trek for the rest of the journey, girls in enthu as well!
... bathing in every waterfall of the same stream uphill!
... holding hands, grabbing legs, pushing, pulling through slippery rocks along the stream!
... pulling a friend, hanging only by your hand, up a fall... like in movies... if the grip goes loose, he drops 7 meters down!
... cuts, bruises, bones hitting rocks, pain... all, courtesy... mother nature!
... wondering, while crossing those tracks, how a train could run on rails just 2 feet wide!
... girls sighing in relief stepping on a flat ground, the road!
... despatching girls with all your lugs in a taxi to the destination and choosing a dangerous up-trek on a straight hill-face with 4 other friends!
... catching a small crab and watch the crustacean wrestle with all its limbs and claws against your fingers, its tiny mouth bubbling!
... grabbing roots of plants, small projections in rocks, searching for the smallest hold or grip when ascending about a 1 km high hill-face!
... turning back, looking down in amazement at the last walkable/drivable path and wondering 'just how did we made it upto this height?'!
... numerous snake holes all around, but not mentioning them to fellow rookie trekkers!
... washing off small squiggly leeches from your arms and legs in stream water!
... exhausting reaching the top, on the road, getting a lift for the rest 2 kms in a swanky luxury cage (i.e. car)!
... (calling a car 'cage' in the above line ;)!
... heavy, very heavy downpour and no shield at hand!
... no mobiles (which are in the lugs with other 6) and no number in mind to contact others!
... clutching a glass of hot tea, sipping it with parle-G in a shanty while you, trees, clouds dripping heavily!
... holding that hot glass in both hands even after the tea is over, not letting a minutest degree of warmth go waste!
... marching in rains, among the trees shouting "angrezo bharat chhodo, inqalaab zindabaad, jai mata di..." on top of your voice!
... finding your lost group in the first restaurant... smart people!
... tea, coffee, (some helping themselves with whiskey pegs), hot aloo parathas to savour and comfort your drenched and shivering bodies!
... rain-water flowing through the restaurant floor!
... setting off for return journey, fudges, paan to start with!
... setting free your short-term pet... that small crab, its small bulb-like eyes wiggling, like saying bye!
... still raining, whats called 'cats and dogs'!
... clouds all around you, visibility shrinking to just 15 steps around you!
... challenging each other to spit-as-far-as-you-can on the roadside!
... the loser challenging others for yet another round of pee-as-far-as-you-can and losing again!
... a friend saying “this is wilderness I saw in movies and read in books”!
... shouting slogans again, this time to ban himesh reshammia and asking him to leave India!
... leaving hills and reaching flats in no time in another cage (a maruti van), having airplane-ear ‘coz of this speedy altitude change!
... cursing railways for train delay!
... standing dangerously close, your nose just 2 feet away from a train passing at about 95 kmph!
... capacity-defying mumbai local!
... a gulp of fresh air and light by cocking your head above the crowd’s shoulders, arms, face etc.!
... getting down from the train and fly-kissing the ground!
... girls commenting that they were comfortable all he way!
... at home!
... hot water bath for a drenched and tired body!
... food and bed!
... a great trip to Matheran!

... with a cigarette in my hand...

yesterday i was reciting the lines of 'The Tiger' when i remembered these lines i've first heard in a tv commercial of some footwear company. i then recalled another ad, rather a social message, a campaign, which was aired during the initial days on Zee tv. and i searched for those lines...

a song, vocals by Gary Lawyer, with a guy in loosened fomals and tie was remembering his first cigarette days and those that followed. a dusky dark-shadowed video with glowing cigarette smoke prominent in all scenes and these lines sung on a catchy tune in background...

It was, I remember, many years ago,
When I had failed to distinguish between a friend and a foe,
When they had invited me, holding open the pack,
When I lost to curiosity, instead of being taken aback,
When on that fateful day, for the first time,
I held a cigarette in my hand.

It was, I felt a part of being in the teens,
And what had started with a puff or two became a routine.
The smoke's illusion blinded me for as it arose,
Arose my spirits too, and I muttered to myself, "I can" because,
With a cigarette in my hand, I felt like a man.

Soon it came out in the open, for it had become a habit I could not hide,
I was helpless, for I could not help but continue,
Even when I knew, it was eating me up from inside,
I was sick... my body and my soul and I realized,
With the cigarette in my hand,
I was a dying man.

Soon I was just a lifeless form, a hollow,
People shunned me everywhere, I wished,
If only had I done something which others could follow,
But it was too late, I had taken the wrong path,
And I was ignored, because
With a cigarette in my hand,
I was a hated man.

All the time, tears filled my eyes,
For people had bid me their good byes,
I wept because my cells, my body was choking,
If only on that first day, my friends had been joking,
And then one day, the cigarette dropped from my hand,
I was a dead man.

nice lines for an awareness message.
but then, when you search "with a cigarette in my hand" (with quotes), you'll find in most of the searches people stating that with a cigarette in their hand they feel more confident, relieved, omposed, thinking, manly, and all other positive psychological individualisms in themselves!

was this the reason why the ad didn't continued for long on tv and was never heard or seen anywhere else?

gears of my bike named...

coming here after a long time and the stay is again short... was too very busy!
anyways... yesterday as always while riding my bike, my mate, i was talking to it. we were doing through traffic, water filled potholes, rains, slick roads which, for some stretches, were empty. and in those talks, we were talking about its gears. the 5 of them which i was using at different times and conditions.
feeling each of theirs efficiencies and expertise for different purposes, i named them...

1st Gear: Raw Power. too very eager to pounce and getting us running
2nd Gear: Smootho. moving slow was never so smooth, best friend of 3rd!
3rd Gear: The Bridge. preparing well for speed biking... hidden power!
4th Gear: Old Friend. since my first biking days... this is the best. still as good as always.
5th Gear: Gracious Gift. extra for extra gliding speed... and 3 digits on speedo!
these make me feel like i have 5 more mates other than my bike!

a year hence a year ago!

yesterday, on 6.6.07 me completed One year of my career.
Me started my first job on 06.06.06... din't knew it before but as per people, it was The Devil's Day! that date with 3 chhakke! couldn't find something relevant on wikipedia tho.

whatever, the year went well, i did fairly well, lots of learnings, experience, people, works, too less holidays/leaves and many rough bumps in the ride in last few months. thats always there with the rest.
am very happy but still have to learn a lot. best thing was my confirmation which as per the company policy was scheduled after one year from joining. quite a long training and probation term. hehe!

and this starts with phenomal increased responsibility from now on and i think am ready for the roll! me wish myself all the best!

when you dont play the game, you dont make rules!?

a bike freak and loves biking, am on roads with other vehicles and their riders/drivers since many years... dont remember, well from my first cycling days, that is! so, by now have a lot of sense of roads and its users!

am a member of a biking community, rather a website of Indian bikers. simple reason, me bike freak and a new owner of an awesome machine! (Pulsar 180DTSi UG3... fans call it Phantom, mine is Dragon!)

road sense, other than many things, includes responsibility of the vehicle and its rider. will share and explain this topic in deep. road sense also needs moral responsibility. now, few days back, we had a disscussion on this website about our moral responsibility on roads. and i shot a question, a satisfying answer for which, not yet received from any rookie or senior biker.

we were discussing an incident when a guy witnessed on a traffic signal that the signal suddenly turned red coz of which a mid-aged in his car suddenly braked. the youngs on the bike behind the car couldn't control and struck the car. though no major accident nor damage, still those guys came up shouting fowl words to the man in car, dragged him out and started beating him. all else around were just looking, including this guy who narrated the incident. he said he preferred staying out of others' matters more because of those mawali kinda guys. i think most of us will do the same!

now the question i asked... when we read such kind of news or watch it on tv, don't we always think, comfortably sitting on the sofa, about the onlookers "what these people are doing there just looking at the brawl? shameless! why is no one coming forward to stop the wrong or help? such insensitive public? no responsibility?" don't we?
and when 'we' are one of the 'onlookers' what do 'we' do other than staying off the matter? why then 'we' dont think that someone must be watching us on tv or even from the nearby building window and will be cursing 'us'? shameless irresponsibles are 'we'?

just happening... right now... why??

enough of testing craps... lets start something worth...
and what could be better than talking about something 'live', happening right now! what am i doing?? or... why am i not doing what i should!!??

me is sitting here on comp playing with the keys and in the monitor i can see 'her' reflection! no suspense intended, this girl was in the group of 48 Management Trainees, who had their induction in Udaipur at a resort in the outskirts for 9 days from 6th june... just a year back. we were inducted together before joining the Vedanta group.

I've never seen people mixing with each other so very instantaneously as in this period. Within a day, people formed their groups of 5-10 with whom they were comfortable and this girl was in our group of about 10ppl. She is South Indian, knows very less of Hindi.
We all used to go on trips during induction and while in the bus, we sung lots and lots of songs. Now, this girl, with whom i developed close friendship, knew some hindi songs! So i gave her company whenever she tried one and also explained meanings of many other songs which were sung and she couldn't understand! We had nice time with this translation game! She is very composed, confident and sweet!

She is posted at Tuticorin, a small place due south, and has came here in mumbai office today for some assignment. I saw her in the morning but never in eyes and still not even trying to bother her! We do converse on emails but right now, i dont know why i am finding 'fun' in not approaching and talking to her! I know she is leaving after sometime for Kolkata and still me sitting! There is nothing like hesitation or shy or anything and i never had offended her, no ill or 'extra' feeling existed at anytime and we parted friendly, thinking we would never meet again!

Still when she is here, 'Why Am I Not Talking To Her??!!'

ignore

if its in label creative than it shud have been something creative from me... but its not... this is just for some design change which requires more than one post in a single label... will later see why!

being from an IT backgroung and having done so many prorammings, i can understand that this is maybe because of some bug in the script.
its just to ignore!

but then why i wrote all this if this was supposed to be ignore?? i though that even if write ignore on the title and blabber anything over here, it still will be read!
:)

ye akhari alvida na ho...

have always loved Strings... one of my favourites!
Duur, Anjaane, Na Jaane Kyo, Mera Bichhda Yaar, Kahaani Mohabbat Ki, Bolo Bolo (Feat Hariharan), Mitti, Dhaani, Zinda... all are masterpieces from this band. Too very soothing, melodious, well composed and simple words and tunes!

Here's their latest offering, in Shootout at Lokhandwala movie. Again a superb song without much jazz and simple words enough to rumble the souls.
A part of the lyrics...

Dhadkane khamosh hain
Kuch kehti nahi
Yeh Akhari Alvida na ho

Chahte ankhon se Behti nahi
Yeh Akhari Alvida na ho

Is dard ko dil mein
Dil mein rehne do
Jo kauf hai Ankhon se
Ankhon se kehne do

Dukh ki Nadi chup chap Behne do
Jo kehna hai tum dheere se keh do
Yeh Akhari Alvida na ho

Akhari Alvida na ho
Dhadkane khamosh hai
Kuch kehti nahi
Yeh Akhari Alvida na ho...

a record of my own...

and i am proud to announce that... yes i am going to make a record. i think i had already made it and i just want to improve the number.
the record is 'number of times i had watched Lord of The Rings' movie! ya... all the three parts!
had seen it once before buying the dvd of the trilogy some 2 years back. since then, believe it or not, i had enjoyed this complete 8+ hours saga 21 times and the 22nd is running! phew!

me is not a patient guy and cannot complete a simple 3 hour hindi or even 2 hour english movie in one sitting except in halls. many a times it happened that i take 2-3 days to complete just one movie. i remember well when my roomie, ankur, introduced me 'Shawshank Redemption' and 'Forrest Gump'. since he knew how i treat poor movies, and these being his very favourite, he literally requested me to watch them or rather start them only if i can finish them in one shot! i did that!

coming back to LOTR! i want to do a 25 as soon as i can! well... definitely i had not finished the complete 8+ hrs thing in one go except twice! yes, twice i completed it in one spell! and what makes me seeing this grand presentation again and again?
the reason being, everytime i watch it, i discover new things! some scenes, some new meaning of some dialogues, some new thing which escaped my eye last time, and so, each time it is fresh for me! and the numbers are added more since i started the LOTR novel! i watch it more to compare it in the text and on screen!
one peculiar thing... if i am watching it for, say 22nd time, and i take a break of 1-2 days even in between of any part, when i get back, i exactly remember where i left it! and this happens even after i had watched it numerous times! its always fresh!

its an uncomparable movie. will prefer it over any other in my favourites list. each and every scene is at its best and superbly amazing!
my best scene is the lighting of the Beacons of Gondor!
will announce my 25th watch very soon! :)
and... i was thinking of creating 'movies' label for this post, but no...

best poem ever... "The Tyger"

i like poems. those were always almost 30% of the literature subjects (english and hindi) in school. amazing writings, and i always used to think how the poet thought all these??
remembering them was painful though, and so i dont remember more than 5-6 of them... that too not completely!
here's the best one, which i like the most! Read till the end... there's something more...
Its "The Tyger" by William Blake. Yes, the original was Tyger not Tiger...
here it goes...

Tyger! Tyger! Burning bright,
In the forests of the night,
What immortal hand or eye
Could frame thy fearful symmetry?

In what distant deeps or skies
Burnt the fire of thine eyes!
On what wings dare he aspire!
What the hand dare seize the fire?

And what shoulder, and what art,
Could twist the sinews of thy heart?
And when thy heart began to beat,
What dread hand? And what dread feet?

What the hammer? What the chain,
In what furnace was thy brain?
What the anvil?What dread grasp,
Dare its deadly terrors clasp?

When the stars threw down their spears,
And water'd heaven with their tears,
Did he smile his work to see?
Did he who made the Lamb make thee?

Tyger! Tyger! burning bright
In the forests of the night,
What immortal hand or eye
Dare frame thy fearful symmetry?
-- William Blake

There was this one more poem by William Blake called "Little Lamb" and this was written before The Tyger. However, this was not as popular as The Tyger. Notice the contrast in the two.
Here's how it goes...

Little Lamb, who made thee?
Dost thou know who made thee?
Gave thee life, and bid thee feed
By the stream and o'er the mead;
Gave thee clothing of delight;
Softest clothing, wooly, bright;
Gave thee such a tender voice,
Making all the vales rejoice?
Little Lamb, who made thee?
Dost thou know who made thee?

Little Lamb, I'll tell thee,
Little Lamb, I'll tell thee:
He is called by thy name,
For he calls himself a Lamb.
He is meek, and he is mild;
He became a little child.
I a child, and thou a lamb,
We are called by His name.
Little Lamb, God bless thee!
Little Lamb, God bless thee!
-- William Blake

a tear and two...

subconsciously many times things happen which we dont believe at the first moment but then later when we think of it, a totally opposite reaction comes up!
we are not used to crying... i mean guys or men... i dont know whether we feel ashamed or insulted or weak to shed a tear or two! but then these moments come... uncontrolled, and then we are compelled to cry. most of the times, when its over, we feel good!!
i remember last time i cried, remember times when i cried before that, remember many other guy weeping... and while talking to one of my friend, i told her... "never look at a crying man. that pain is unbearable. its like what we say an eruption of volcano." yes... thats what... the feelings of pain burst out with immense tragic emotions. just because we prefer to keep and bury them inside us and dont express it time and again!
"but yes" i said to her "you can very well look at a cry out of happiness!"

i wrote this and the first line recalling last night's incidence. i saw "Blood Diamond" alone yesterday night. very very touching movie. the people, the region, children, family, a precious stone... all blended too very well. all the time i kept praising the makers. the plight of the people in the area shown was really very painful, worse than anyone can think. a beautiful line amongst all this was "... when there will be peace in here, this place will become paradise!"

and then, in the end, came up on the screen written, "Sierra Leone is at peace now"... an unexpected feeling of relief came up to me and my tears rolled out! i then slept very peacefully!

i think i'll write more in my next posts on same subject.

my first post on a test blog...

Thursday, May 24, 2007

is supposed to be test blog...
ya... and thats why i named it dodo... so that if me, a novice over here creates some sheepish stuff, it could go extinct before i go sheepish... or dodo-ish!i still have to learn basics... i dunno what will be happening to this writing once i click this button below... oh damn... there are two buttons... one is to save (yes i wish to save this) and other is to publish (umm... yeah i also wish to publish this!) so now me dodo-ish again! i sincerely dunno why i am insulting that poor creature who is no more in this world.ok... me off on further experiments with myself and this blog thing... wishing myself best!

testing done...

i did experiments with myself and this blogging thing creating a blog and i came to know that we can have as many blogs and in each we can have as many posts under as many categories... labels, and i can change how page looks, pics and all and what not! and that too in just 5 minutes!
aey... i am a quick learner!