Well, there's a beginning and then there is the end...
This has been good, while it lasted... there was good fun, a lot of response from where ever my buddies are across the world, a little controversy and all that comes with it... some days I'd mail the Volume and immediately there'd be response... and this honestly was the best feeling in the world...
My work is done in good order, and I am headed to my favorite haunts now... and then home. Wish you all the very best in your endeavors...
My favorite writer has written for me in the following lines:
The Road goes ever on and on
Down from the door where it began.
Now far ahead the Road has gone,
And I must follow, if I can,
Pursuing it with eager feet,
Until it joins some larger way
Where many paths and errands meet.
And whither then? I cannot say.
The Road goes ever on and on
Out from the door where it began.
Now far ahead the Road has gone,
Let others follow it who can!
Let them a journey new begin,
But I at last with weary feet
Will turn towards the lighted inn,
My evening-rest and sleep to meet.
Thursday, May 31, 2007
Sunday, May 13, 2007
Volume 20 - 13 May 2007
Some times things happen in ways and manner that are beyond our understanding. I am sure that in your lives you must have had one of those days when the very thing that came into your head or conversation happened...
In our day to day activities we become so engrossed that we fail to even pay attention to them many a times... and yet, many a times things happen and leave with us a sense of deja vu...
Remember the last time you wished for the rain, and suddenly the clouds came... or that wish for a chocolate that your buddy turned up with...
Of all the places of interest in Hyderabad, the only place that I'd missed till now was Srisailam or as some say Srisailapuram... now the concept of the place is like that of Dilli Haat... what fond memories I have of the place... in fact, I will recommend anyone with time in Delhi should make a visit to the Haat... you know the ambience, the feel and best of all - the food, of all the states of the country, really!
Yesterday was like any other Saturday in office except the fact that towards the end of the day the HR fella came around with some Rock show passes that somebody had given him... I took two for a friend and self... though neither of us being fond of that genre of music... yet we were on our way and believe it or not with only a vague idea of where we were headed... when I took the passes the only mention of the location was in terms being somewhere in Hi-Tech City and on this assumption we made our way to a place nearly an hour and a half away from my place...
Being unclear of the destination we got down at the first place that looked likely... then we began to walk and walk ... and walk! There was just no show in sight and we ended up walking to the very doors of Srisailam!
The place matched it's description... once inside it is hard to imagine that such a quaint, peaceful and TRAFFIC-FREE place exists in Hyderabad... there is the display of handicrafts and folk arts, and a couple of eating places that serve dosas et al. But it's a spread over a huge area and to tell the truth to see so many trees growing so close to each other and apparently naturally green was a beautiful sight!
As we drifted along the place we were drawn in by some beautiful music and would you believe it... there is this little stage in the middle of Srisailam where the folk singers perform... the light evening, soft breeze, green grass to sit and beautiful Qawwalis made the evening memorable...
When we walked out of the place at around 10 pm we ran into two fellows who were still searching for the Rock show... eventually everything that starts must end...
In our day to day activities we become so engrossed that we fail to even pay attention to them many a times... and yet, many a times things happen and leave with us a sense of deja vu...
Remember the last time you wished for the rain, and suddenly the clouds came... or that wish for a chocolate that your buddy turned up with...
Of all the places of interest in Hyderabad, the only place that I'd missed till now was Srisailam or as some say Srisailapuram... now the concept of the place is like that of Dilli Haat... what fond memories I have of the place... in fact, I will recommend anyone with time in Delhi should make a visit to the Haat... you know the ambience, the feel and best of all - the food, of all the states of the country, really!
Yesterday was like any other Saturday in office except the fact that towards the end of the day the HR fella came around with some Rock show passes that somebody had given him... I took two for a friend and self... though neither of us being fond of that genre of music... yet we were on our way and believe it or not with only a vague idea of where we were headed... when I took the passes the only mention of the location was in terms being somewhere in Hi-Tech City and on this assumption we made our way to a place nearly an hour and a half away from my place...
Being unclear of the destination we got down at the first place that looked likely... then we began to walk and walk ... and walk! There was just no show in sight and we ended up walking to the very doors of Srisailam!
The place matched it's description... once inside it is hard to imagine that such a quaint, peaceful and TRAFFIC-FREE place exists in Hyderabad... there is the display of handicrafts and folk arts, and a couple of eating places that serve dosas et al. But it's a spread over a huge area and to tell the truth to see so many trees growing so close to each other and apparently naturally green was a beautiful sight!
As we drifted along the place we were drawn in by some beautiful music and would you believe it... there is this little stage in the middle of Srisailam where the folk singers perform... the light evening, soft breeze, green grass to sit and beautiful Qawwalis made the evening memorable...
When we walked out of the place at around 10 pm we ran into two fellows who were still searching for the Rock show... eventually everything that starts must end...
Saturday, May 5, 2007
Volume 19 - 6 May 2007
The number 19 like the number 11 also holds significance with me... this number I share with some close friends...
I assume that as of this writing all of us who are involved with our Internships must be doing well
Even if on some given days the feeling would be killing....
Even if on some days you must be dragging yourself out of bed...
Even if the Sun would have blessed you with an incredible tan...
Even if you have been made to sit on the same chair, at the same place for so long that you long to break into a run...
Even if you have done all that could be done and now can't reason as to why do they still want you to report to them everyday...
Even if your powers of mental deduction have deduced all possibilities that lay before you, and yet they want something new...
Then you must be right track... Hold Fast, Hold Strong, soon you will be through...
I assume that as of this writing all of us who are involved with our Internships must be doing well
Even if on some given days the feeling would be killing....
Even if on some days you must be dragging yourself out of bed...
Even if the Sun would have blessed you with an incredible tan...
Even if you have been made to sit on the same chair, at the same place for so long that you long to break into a run...
Even if you have done all that could be done and now can't reason as to why do they still want you to report to them everyday...
Even if your powers of mental deduction have deduced all possibilities that lay before you, and yet they want something new...
Then you must be right track... Hold Fast, Hold Strong, soon you will be through...
Tuesday, May 1, 2007
Volume 18 - 1 May 2007
There are some questions in my head that will find vent as we go through this… some of them have been with me for some time, and some have come up because of the things that I have seen/heard/did…
Yesterday was the launch party of a portal that has been my primary responsibility as part of my Internship project. As I usual in all such matters, things happen and progress at their own pace before suddenly reaching the crescendo of live wire activity… so my Sunday started at 4 in the morning since I was to oversee certain operations and went on till late into the night… the final day was the same…
At around 5 in the evening (Monday) the Operations Manager pushed me out of the premises saying that unless I move I’ll not be able to make it to the venue… now, I had been here earlier with the operations team to furnish the technical logistics but then we had used the workmen’s access route and never quite paid attention to the pomp and luxury of the place…
We had hired the Lawns at Taj Krishna and modified the looks of the place to look like Old Hyderabad – Char Minar et al. There I ran into the various teams – the Presentation people/Advertising partners/Event managers and so on… since such things and people don’t hold my attention for long, I took the opportunity to have a see at the place…
The hotel built in an Indo-Gothic style has a design similar to the Maurya Sheraton… much attention has been paid to the fact that the place should reflect the pomp and splendour of what Hyderabad once was… so on one hand we have the works of many Western artists (and, a lot of fakes) while on the other we have intricate work of highly skilled Indian craftsmanship…
I took the elevators right to the Top floor and then walked down floor-by-floor right till the basement and then into the Taj’s larder. Yes, I saw their Wine cellars and other stores… what impressed me was the amazing order they seemed to have in the proceedings… the lower levels had these kind of highways for speedy processing of orders and other services… while the occupants were unaware of the kind of workforce that works to serve them.
My old school buddy, Nameesh in the evening, joined me and together we analyzed/criticized all that we saw. The fellow is headed to Ukraine in a couple of weeks, and between us we have made up quite a few Ukrainian dreams and jokes. Now, this person is like an encyclopedia on any city that he has ever lived in… therefore, through the evening he kept on pointing out the mistakes that socialites and others were making while talking about Hyderabad… haha!
Now, I come to the first question: as I looked around at the guests, I realized that everyone from the Business side of the company was in attendance. However, the engineers were conspicuous by their absence… I fail to understand why this discrimination? My engineers (and friends) who worked with me all through the last one month on ground (and, perhaps even before than that)… those very fellows who had established connectivity for our resources even at the venue were not invited while fellows had been flown in all the way from other locations… even Nameesh concurred the same being an issue at his company too… Why?
The evening otherwise was splendid… almost everyone from the who’s-who of Hyderabad was in attendance… heroes and heroines, industry leaders, government officials etc.
Certain actors and actresses were among the principal guests… the moment they walked in, the photographers almost got on top of them… imagine, there are a fifty cameras in your face, and they are even capturing the brand-new root-canal and capped teeth that you are trying to hide somehow… in this matter, I feel there are two sets of crack-heads – the ones who allow such behaviour and the ones who exhibit such behaviour… after all, even these fellows are mortals, made of the same things as you and me, breathing the same air, and yet all this pompousness and glitter – why?
This brings me to the second question – why do we crave after celebrities/stars? A girl – all of 19 – crowned Miss Universe gets more ears (and eyes) than a 60-year old scientist who has devoted his life to the study of the geological patterns of the Earth, and is also speaking about Global Warming… especially because he knows and has studied the phenomenon unlike as in the other case where it is fashionable to say so…
Why were we there in mute and rapt attention listening to people talking incoherent and unrelated things? I have reasons to believe that they have the same speech for all such occasions… now, I am not saying that these people are not good… obviously, they are at something – that’s why they are there… but the question is whether they are really that worthy of our adulation?
Why do we require celebrities to endorse our products? A starlet bathing with the soap that I’d like to use, a cricketer riding a bike that I’d like… why? Why do we seek ourselves in others?
Well, the food was fine… but the desserts – the desserts were awesome! Had a number of servings…
All in all it was a nice little evening with a look at almost everyone worth looking Hyderabad…
Yesterday was the launch party of a portal that has been my primary responsibility as part of my Internship project. As I usual in all such matters, things happen and progress at their own pace before suddenly reaching the crescendo of live wire activity… so my Sunday started at 4 in the morning since I was to oversee certain operations and went on till late into the night… the final day was the same…
At around 5 in the evening (Monday) the Operations Manager pushed me out of the premises saying that unless I move I’ll not be able to make it to the venue… now, I had been here earlier with the operations team to furnish the technical logistics but then we had used the workmen’s access route and never quite paid attention to the pomp and luxury of the place…
We had hired the Lawns at Taj Krishna and modified the looks of the place to look like Old Hyderabad – Char Minar et al. There I ran into the various teams – the Presentation people/Advertising partners/Event managers and so on… since such things and people don’t hold my attention for long, I took the opportunity to have a see at the place…
The hotel built in an Indo-Gothic style has a design similar to the Maurya Sheraton… much attention has been paid to the fact that the place should reflect the pomp and splendour of what Hyderabad once was… so on one hand we have the works of many Western artists (and, a lot of fakes) while on the other we have intricate work of highly skilled Indian craftsmanship…
I took the elevators right to the Top floor and then walked down floor-by-floor right till the basement and then into the Taj’s larder. Yes, I saw their Wine cellars and other stores… what impressed me was the amazing order they seemed to have in the proceedings… the lower levels had these kind of highways for speedy processing of orders and other services… while the occupants were unaware of the kind of workforce that works to serve them.
My old school buddy, Nameesh in the evening, joined me and together we analyzed/criticized all that we saw. The fellow is headed to Ukraine in a couple of weeks, and between us we have made up quite a few Ukrainian dreams and jokes. Now, this person is like an encyclopedia on any city that he has ever lived in… therefore, through the evening he kept on pointing out the mistakes that socialites and others were making while talking about Hyderabad… haha!
Now, I come to the first question: as I looked around at the guests, I realized that everyone from the Business side of the company was in attendance. However, the engineers were conspicuous by their absence… I fail to understand why this discrimination? My engineers (and friends) who worked with me all through the last one month on ground (and, perhaps even before than that)… those very fellows who had established connectivity for our resources even at the venue were not invited while fellows had been flown in all the way from other locations… even Nameesh concurred the same being an issue at his company too… Why?
The evening otherwise was splendid… almost everyone from the who’s-who of Hyderabad was in attendance… heroes and heroines, industry leaders, government officials etc.
Certain actors and actresses were among the principal guests… the moment they walked in, the photographers almost got on top of them… imagine, there are a fifty cameras in your face, and they are even capturing the brand-new root-canal and capped teeth that you are trying to hide somehow… in this matter, I feel there are two sets of crack-heads – the ones who allow such behaviour and the ones who exhibit such behaviour… after all, even these fellows are mortals, made of the same things as you and me, breathing the same air, and yet all this pompousness and glitter – why?
This brings me to the second question – why do we crave after celebrities/stars? A girl – all of 19 – crowned Miss Universe gets more ears (and eyes) than a 60-year old scientist who has devoted his life to the study of the geological patterns of the Earth, and is also speaking about Global Warming… especially because he knows and has studied the phenomenon unlike as in the other case where it is fashionable to say so…
Why were we there in mute and rapt attention listening to people talking incoherent and unrelated things? I have reasons to believe that they have the same speech for all such occasions… now, I am not saying that these people are not good… obviously, they are at something – that’s why they are there… but the question is whether they are really that worthy of our adulation?
Why do we require celebrities to endorse our products? A starlet bathing with the soap that I’d like to use, a cricketer riding a bike that I’d like… why? Why do we seek ourselves in others?
Well, the food was fine… but the desserts – the desserts were awesome! Had a number of servings…
All in all it was a nice little evening with a look at almost everyone worth looking Hyderabad…
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