Saurabh's Blog

Saurabh Pradhan Hazir ho !

2008-05-14T00:04:00.003-05:00

So where was I for the past few months ?

One word Natak Natak Natak .. three words actually yet just one .

My natak the one in which I acted and co-directed was a great success. I'll post the video soon till then enjoy the pictures

http://www.austinmarathimandal.org/php/photogallery.php

Look in the Avishkar 2008 directory

So whats next ?
The crystal ball says that next is a three part post on my adventures in Mexico. In other news I am looking for a car and work is starting to build up, oh well !
I sign off as thunderclouds start to rumble in Austin.

Adios

I am back

2007-12-02T21:45:00.000-06:00

So after a long sabattical I am back.
You can expect more posts in the comming days

So how are all you doing ??

Short Story : The whole truth

2007-04-14T21:06:00.001-05:00

Shah Rukh Khan and Amitabh Bacchan were two students. Its 3:00pm and SRK gets a frantic phone call from Bacchan, SRK cant pick it up so it goes to the answering machine , The message is " Check your email". Bacchan sounds a bit tense, he is usually a cool customer. What can it be? SRK ponders. In his mail box is a mail from a professor saying " I have found that the assignment Shah Rukh Khan and Amitabh Bacchan submitted is very similar please meet me after class and if it happens again I will have to report it to the university authorities.” Sent to SRK and Bacchan.

At different locations SRK and Bacchan are both thinking the same thing at the same time; no way, we did not copy the assignment!! There has to be some mistake. We did it independently!

Now both SRK and Bacchan are hardworking, honest students but sometimes teaching assistantship, three courses, cooking and inflation can be a bit overwhelming so er ... there were times when they had "jointly worked" or "helped each other" or rather "been actively involved" Oh what the heck sometimes they had COPIED yes copied, not always, never always !!!! Mostly to know that one step of the equation! To know the final answer to manipulate the solution! And yes sometimes because they did not have time! Mostly they worked in far bigger groups, anything to get the job done. Hey everybody did it! Now self-righteous people would say that it’s not fair! The answer is LIFE ISNT FAIR either!

There were some people who copied stuff all the times, they weren’t one of them. Most importantly they were honest to the bone in the examinations! They believed that was the true test and the right evaluation.

Assignments were a different issue, mostly unrealistically high amount of work with unreasonable deadlines. In their work they were artists they would Cntrl+C Cntrl-V entire assignments but they would camouflage it such that nobody would ever say that they were copies. We have heard about experts who make impressions of great works of art and nobody can tell the difference, something like that but the other way round. They were masters! Six years of work and not a single episode and in this last semester with just one course they had decided to do everything fairly cause they liked the course and this happens......

How can it be? SRK and Bacchan met outside the department. They decided to meet the professor before the class and explain the truth. The professor would not buy the truth they kept pleading “we haven’t copied sir" but he would not listen. Both of them actually wanted to shout "WE HAVENT COPIED SIR, WE HAVE DONE THIS BEFORE AND WERE NEVER SPOTTED. THIS TIME WE HAVE ACTUALLY DONE IT ON OUR OWN" But they couldn’t say so, "We haven’t copied" is half the truth but not the whole. The whole truth though logical was so much absurd at the same time that it would never work.

The old man would not budge, he handed the papers. They walked away. They compared the two. Yes they were somewhat similar. It was as if someone had purposely made them same.

Call it Karma, bad luck or whatever. SRK and Bacchan were spell bound. The Whole Truth is like a weapon you know you have but can never use. It just burns you slowly and softly as it awaits its turn to be used, a turn that’s never coming.

Namaste

2007-03-23T00:36:00.000-05:00

Hello everyone
Long time no blog !!!

Well I have been busy at work, in moving and am doing a marathi play ( more on that later), still, being busy is no good excuse. I guess my blog must be feeling like that neglected child in the family. so lets try something new you the readers ( if any) give me a topic and i'll try to write something on that. Worth a shot ? Lets see

Saurabh

Dadachi Girlfriend, happy Birthday, Alpha TV ani Jetlag

2007-01-23T12:11:00.000-06:00

zhala, ghooda 25 zhala !!! So I turned 25 on 11th of Jan , I wont know what the implications are untill I turn 26.

Saw Suyog nirmit Dadachi Girlfriend for free, the reason being my father is one of the actors. Excellent play , great direction from Vijay Kenkare. The play deals with the delicate issue of sex and the effects. Loved the script from Ratnakar Matkari, The main actor and the narrator is a 14 year old boy, whose performance is awesome !!!

Desh -land !!! Mumbai na bho !! Seems like everyone in Mumbai is having fun ! so many things are going on. Is it me or everyone here is fit ? The ads are better and the food has more options.

Whatever free time I get ( mostly at night) after doing the lagin tayyari/planning I have been seeing ALPHA TV Marathi, Now I know the story lines for Vadaalvaat, Adhuri Ek kahani, Vahini saheb and have an idea who may win in the next Sa Ni Dha Pa . Aah I tell you na that girl from Mumbai sings so much better than that boy from latur, pun strange mhanje those judges give ekdum kaami points to her na , what na.

Damn you Jetlag, I wake up early, am sleepy in the day and sleep early then ... the cycle continues.

HAPPY NEW YEAR

2007-01-03T18:04:00.001-06:00

Dear Friends

Wishing you and your loved ones a very Happy, Healthy and Prosperous New Year.
I hope that the new year is full of happiness and excitement.

Saurabh

We shall overcome - Part 2

2006-12-21T17:14:00.000-06:00

(Continued from previous post)

The scores were out, A total of 35 questions were asked the best was 33 correct and the worst was 4 correct answers, “who has got 4 points?” Paranjape teacher roared, Anything but 4, I was praying to all the Gods I knew. With some trepidation I looked at my answer sheet , it said 4 and as if I could not read numbers some smartass wrote it in words too, I was starting to raise my hand when I saw that the barrage had already begun on somebody else... It was Chinar Samant, we were jointly on last place, looks like there is always room at the bottom. I looked at him and we managed a smile. (hey everybody else was laughing too)

Now, I will try to translate as close to possible from Marathi, Paranjape teacher said something like this “Idiots, Morons, you worthless buffoons, round stones from the bottom of the Narmada River. Look at you; shame, shame, shame, shame. Look at you. All this time and money has gone to waste. It’s a shame your parents don’t know what you are doing in class here, its pathetic, 4 right answers? How did you even get those many right, save us the trouble and tell me how you cheated. Kids like you don’t study at all, they just start going down the drain and become the scum of society. Lethargic morons like you become alcoholic and drug addicts and the ruin their lives and are never successful…. Remember my words LETHARGIC, UNSUCESSFUL ALCOHOLIC AND DRUG ADDICTS Yes you you lethargic idiots... just go home…. Leave… class dismissed”, so ended that Sunday evening, I remember is was overcast, atleast that’s how I remember it to be. Now you are probably asking one question and the answer is Yes, all this for some multiplication tables.

Now you would expect this to have caused some profound influence on both of us and we went on to secure the scholarship and became super scholars. Not really, things just went back to normal on the next weekend I was back to being the gentleman and life moved on. We never got remotely close to the scholarship. Sometimes I ask myself as to why she had to say such mean things to two little kids who did not study for a lousy test. Maybe it was just her style maybe she realized that we were really idiots or maybe she saw the potential for gross incompetence within us or maybe something else, we will never know.

After so many years, Chinar and I still fondly remember that great Paranjape teacher monologue, mostly the four key words unsuccessful, lethargic, alcoholics and drug addicts. And a smile comes to our faces when we think to ourselves that only if we can land decent jobs and if I get rid of this cocaine addiction and Chinar can cure his craving for whiskey, once and for all we can prove Paranjape teacher wrong. For deep in my heart I know that one day we shall …… we shall overcome.

We shall overcome - Part 1

2006-12-19T22:29:00.000-06:00

Now let me confess upfront that I sucked really bad at mathematics in high school. I mean I could barely keep up with the school but the extra curricular stuff really got on my nerves. Peer pressure, my brother's academic exploits and my parents made me do things I wouldn’t have done normally tried, and before I could realize I was sitting in a crowed room in a building about 5 minute walk from my home., it was the dreaded “Paranjape teacher’s scholarship class”

I was in seventh grade studying for what is called the scholarship exam. In the same room were kids like Sudeep Achalia, Abhay Paranjape, Subhashree Gaonkar, Priyank Patwa, Sonali Kulkarni, Gayatri Ratnaparkhi. In that little room intelligent kids were as common as hippies and rich people at whole foods. Yet the average IQ level in the room was lower than expected and it was primarily due to me. So I did the best I could, sat way back in the room and tried not get in the way of anybody else. My attempts at understanding didn’t pay any dividends and the result was that I was the quietest guy in class. For some reason Paranjape teacher mistook my dumbness for a certain “class” and I was christened “the gentleman” of the class.

One day we had a test and this one was for multiplication tables , we were asked to learn tables till 20, i.e. from 1*1 to 20*12. Now I really don’t see the reason to learn from 11 to 20 cause you can just calculate it when you need to. Anyways I was pretty confident of my skills with the tables from 1 to 10 and also about addition so I figured I would enjoy the sweet childhood moments and not study for this test, The day of the test arrived, As I ambled to the class I met other students in the corridor ,they were having a mock exam of their own !!!! Abhay asked “18*8 is equal to whatt..”, “144” Sudeep said before Abhay could finish , then Sudeep charged “17 times 11” “187” fired back Abhay. I started to freeze with fear.

The test began, as any sane person would expect from another sane individual I was hoping for a written questionnaire, However as I sat down expecting to get the paper I was told “she will be dictating the questions” , Fair enough but she will give us time to think I thought . She started “one 17*7 “….ok 7*7=49 so carry 4 … “two 19*8”…. Wow hey we need some time here .., ok so carry 4 and...”14*12” … but I ….”13*9”….. I need to breathe…”12*9” … I am dead!...”7*7” .. Wait I know this it’s…”18*3” ……. I don’t really know what happened for the next 5 minutes, the questions kept coming at me like a rain of needles. I tried scribbling something her final statement brought me back , ok “last one ... bonus question: 19*17” and you for this you will get slightly more time ….. ok done , swap your answer sheets. Now with bated breath I waited for the score......

(To be continued )
(Thanks to Sudeep for valuable information. When contacted Abhay Paranjape did not respond to the author’s repeated requests for information. Sources confirmed he was seen partying on the streets of Boise, Idaho with his best buddy Anish)

O Jerusalem

2006-12-07T23:07:00.001-06:00

Last week I finished reading the book titled "o Jerusalem", it is one of the most facinating books on middle east history. The events leading to the formation of Israel and the related issues are well described with accounts from all the key players. One of the best points is that its an unbiased look at the events.

An excellent book if you want to know the issues behind todays middle east conflict. Its a bit long, but well worth it ! The story ends at the first ceasefire between Israel and the Arab states, I have started looking for good books on the six day war. The authors Larry Collins and Dominique Lapierre have a few other books which I feel will be well worth the while; one of them being Freedom at midnight ( about India).

Domani :

2006-12-04T21:30:00.000-06:00

Got this song from my cousin Mandar , Loved the song, I think one of Kishore Kumars song was based on this tune.

To listen to a part of it go
http://shopping.yahoo.com/p:Eh%20Cumpari:1921494955

Click on Domani

Lyrics :

Maybe you'll fall in love with me Domani
Maybe tomorrow night the sun will shine
I'll change my name from Johnny to Giavonni
If you will say Domani, you'll be mine

Come to me, Senorina from Italy
Hear my plea and I'll hire the hall
All your Uncles and Aunts
And Ma and Pa and your Paisani
They all agree that we should wed Domani

You are so super duper bravissimo
Don't say no or my poor heart you'll break
'Cause your Uncles and Aunts
Aand your Ma and Pa and your Paisani
They all agree that we should wed, Domani

2 mins of Stand up

2006-11-19T20:55:00.000-06:00

I am looking for airline tickets these days. Ever traveled by Air India ? , Great food , Thankfully its not prepared by the airhostesses. I noticed that the air hostesses were not too happy about their job ( as most public servants in India). It was my first flight ever and looking at all the good looking hostesses (for other airlines) in those pretty suits at the airport, I was expecting nothing less from Air India, Alas !!! I spent the whole flight figuring out if the air hostesses were genuinely pissed off at me or if they were just born with that face .

Later when I traveled by Air France I spent most of my time thanking my stars; cause for a change I could do small talk and ask something to a pretty woman with impunity. “Please may I have some wine ?”. Let me tell you; to be served wine by a French air hostess is like … its like being served butter by the Amul butter girl, or given Lyril soap by the Lyril girl(s) … its like … well you get the point. French is such a sweet language so when the hostesses ask you "do you speak French or English" (In French) I want to just say "I didn’t understand a word of what you just said but please keep talking"

Flight delays are always irritating we have had many testing moments. Talking about anger, I was a short fuse when I was in my teens. So someone told me that should I get really angry at someone I should try counting to 10 before doing anything. So when some guy crashed into my bicycle I calmly counted 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 and then I punched him in the face.

Its all relative !!

2006-11-06T00:58:00.000-06:00

Talking about marriages, all have been to atleast one. Many have been a let down for me besides the food, let me explain, there is a myth that goes around which states that a wedding is a good hunting ground for girls and some people I know have been to some of these weddings, Now seems like I have been going to the wrong ones, cause wherever I go its just annoying middle aged women who want to tell you how much better their sons are doing compared to you , really your son is so great? Nice, now where was that fork so that I can stab myself.

I think this myth about good hunting grounds has been propagated so that a lot many guys show up at the weddings so that they can be given some work. Weddings can mean bonded labor so sadly when indeed a good looking babe shows up you are running to the railway station to pick up some jerk who did not bother to read where the wedding actually was !!

Now one thing I don’t like about weddings is that there are so many people you don’t want to meet, it’s your long lost family and they are just devastated when you don’t recognize them, their face features change they start to shiver sometimes they start to scream. Oh I am sorry I was just one year old when I met you, it’s entirely my fault I can’t recall things from the time I didnt not know how to speak and did not eat any solid food. They just keep coming at you, I want to say “Excuse me are you Angelina Jolie? Then I am sorry I don’t recognize you”, you say we met 2 years ago in a market in Dadar; too bad I was looking at some better. I mean come on what’s with the recognition. To a "Do you recognize me?" question I feel I should reply "You look like a human". Of course I don’t actually say any of the above I just smile and take a wild guess ; Aunt from Solapur, No ? Oooh you look just like her, it’s a hit or miss but is worth a shot. If it’s a hit you just saved 10 minutes of your life, now if its a miss then you have to listen to this huge story as to why I wasn’t able to recognize him/her and why I should come over for lunch at their place so that next time,( God forbid !) I am able to recognize them correctly. I don’t get it, what’s the problem in a small introduction, that way anyone who really doesn’t know you acts as if he does, you will think that he actually remembers you. See, both are happy.

I have noticed that in a wedding half the people are worried if there is good food and enough Ice Cream and the remaining half is worried if someone else is going to show up wearing better clothes than them, the first are the guys and the latter are the women. The bride and the grooms family just want to make sure that the people eat. The most asked question in a wedding is Did you eat? That’s what the parents from both sides are asking everyone “Did you eat?”, “Did you eat?”.

Now we always have some family members who are more close to us than others; say one of my mothers cousin may be closer to us that another one , but maybe the other cousin rarely met you. You talk more to the ones you know better. The other one doesnt like it. Also ever notice that some members are way better to talk to and be around than others it’s like they are from another planet. There is so much variation I think that why the name "relatives" was coined cause it’s all relative.

Vahini Yeeti Ghara Toochi Diwali Daasra

2006-10-22T21:41:00.001-05:00

Yes !!! My Brother is tying the knot !!
What better news on this Diwali. Someone has rightly said
"Vahini Yeeti Ghara Toochi Diwali Daasra"

So ..
welcome Ashwini !!!
Welcome to the family !!!
&
HAPPY DIWALI TO ALL OF YOU !!!!!

Lets just all hope that my Bhabhi-to-be hasnt been reading this blog, cause that means she already knows I am crazy, instead of her realizing the same over the next couple of years !!

And yes as almost anyone I have talked to, or will talk to, is reminding me ... this does mean that my line is clear !! As if that was holding me back for some reason ! Nonetheless, if there is a God and if He happens to read this blog , Let there be light, finally !!!

All you can eat !

2006-10-17T22:57:00.000-05:00

Recently I had the opportunity to eat as much Milk Maid as possible. I was reminded of my childhood when this was not possible, it was a strict no-no. Access to this over sweet fluid was restricted as part of discipline. We used to fight for the very little portion left over in the tin can after kulfi was made. So naturally when I had unlimited access I was excited. Unfortunately after the first two spoonfuls I couldn’t take any more. There was no pressure to stop!! No fear factor!!

As a child I had restricted access to stuff like cookies, Bournvita or milkmaid and such precious items. So if you wanted something a bit more than the usual rations you had to take matters in your own little hands! We had our chances when the protectors were out or sleeping. My approach was that of a professional. Make sure things look the same way as they were. The Handle of the jar must be as it was; the jars next to it must not be touched. Don’t spill anything, if you do make sure you wipe it and make sure you clean the cloth that you used to wipe it. Clean the cloth that you wiped the mess with, make sure it goes where it was. You also need to make sure after your raid the damage must not be evident right away , it should always be just right, high enough for your craving and low enough to not cause any alarms. Later on I felt really proud of my job, It was like a commando operation ! That was fun !!! I could write a book on these guerrilla tactics.

Today as an adult in charge of my own groceries I can buy as many chocolate cookies or Milk Maid or Bournvita as I like , I can have it for breakfast lunch dinner or all of the three. But how do I eat it ? I just walk into the kitchen with impunity and eat as much as I like. Where’s the fun in that ?

Stick with Prose

2006-10-09T23:58:00.000-05:00

I tried writing a poem once, yeah I was really desperate and there was this chick ... well back to the point, I really tried. I got my pen I got my paper , I got myself but I couldnt get the words : Damn !!!! where to get them from ?

Wait Wait, I thought, I know some poems , then it occured to me; all that rote learning in the school , those Marathi , Hindi And English poems, everything had just been erased on the last day of exams. My deep distrust for all the poets assured that I would never bring them back to my life. I was blank and I was too lazy to go buy a book try to understand poems. Think think... there must be some poem in my mind somewhere . A week later, I had the Pen I had the PaperI had myself but I didnt have my words !!

Cmon !!! Time was running out !!! I had to get something down . I thought ......I thought , I forced my brains like an engineering student trying to make 40 marks when he knows he can attempt 30 marks !! I know you can do it !!!

Ok What comes to my mind first ? .................

Twinkle Twinkle Little Star
How I wonder what you are
Up above the world so high
Like a diamond in the sky

hmm I think I can do it ..Now the Student has just spotted a theory question where he can bullshit maybe 4 marks for attempt what about the next 6 ?
...... Silence , Damn it !

Wait I see a pattern

kaka kaku STAR
Mama Mamu ARE
Tata Tatu HIGH
Lala Lalu SKY

I am suddenly feeling blessed, I am the choosen one !!!
Yes I can do it , The student is now coasting he is beyond 40, hell he is aiming for 55 ! thats higher second class !! I am like the guy who had enlightenment under the tree.

So heres the algorithm; write up some words that will come at the end of the lines and then complete the sentence !! Then the complexity of the sentences increases as you go on. Also need to sprinkle some words like love and feel, yeah on and off let go off any grammer rules hmm and yes shuffle the odd line , make it feel real !!! Amazing !!!

So ok lets have some nice even numbers of lines

You
Too
call
tall
happy
lucky
some
come

Brilliant !!!!!

Then something strikes the corner of my eye its the Pune times , Valentines day is around the corner and the ad goes : last years winner was :

Roses are Red
Sky is Blue
Love is Sweet
And So are you

Yeah from the heart , but wait this goes against the system

kaka kaku RED
Mama Mamu BLUE
Tata Tatu SWEET
Lala Lalu YOU

That makes no sense !!!! Where the hell is the rhyme ? Blue and you , no way !!!!

This is what girls like ? Why not write a letter then , but thats not half as romantic
I am lost; The tree just fell down behind me, The student realised he can attempt only 3 questions from each section and not 5 as last year !!! 30 is again doubtful !!! 40 may be a stretch

Just finish this thing and stick to the rhyme !! You are disoriented but you have to stick to your deadline damn it !
So here is the award winning final draft of the poem :

I like You
Please like me Too
I will always call
my love is very tall
if you are happy
I feel so lucky
Hope you love this poem some
Following which my card will come

I will not comment on the result , the poem was sent, I am single to this day !!!
My advice

Poem writing is a pain
Hurts as Hail during Rain

Hurts like thorns with Rose
Next time just stick with prose !!

~Saurabh

Join the Group ?

2006-10-05T15:02:00.000-05:00

Every Day I get an email from an acquiantance asking me to join some orkut community or the other , I am not kidding ! He sends me 4 emails every day so I figured by now he must be a part of atleast 100 communities . but when I looked at his profile I see that he is a member of only 20 !!

How come ? So either he is a selfless worker trying to propagate the groups ( which he somehow doesnt wanna join) or is just another crazy bastard who likes forwarding email from the Sai Baba Miracles to Dalai Lamas personal thoughts !

Now I must confess some of his "join this community" emails start with something like "If you are not an Alien who likes Oprah please ignore this email" or " if you are not a member of IITPMC 2000 batch please read on " Thats just so nice of him !!

Talking about Orkut ever get added by people whom you think you know but cant remember them , Boy oh Boy Happens to me a lot !!

I was reading my scraps the other day Isnt it great that people who dont wanna believe in the "orkut will delete your account" still send out emails which start like " I dont believe in these things but in case its true here is an email ...which I dont believe in , Heres a reality check , IT MEANS YOU BELIEVE IN IT , YOU FELL FOR THE BIGGEST HOAX !!!!

I love the concept of the scrap in orkut , its like an answering machine or a voice mail there are so many people whom you dont wanna talk to but would love to keep a message . A message is the best way to communicate , it gives to time to formulate an answer !!
A scrap in orkut is like saying you are too hideous to call and too boring to email so heres something for your voicemail .

My apologies

2006-10-04T23:05:00.000-05:00

As I go through my emails and orkut scraps I realise that well I havent quiet responded to many people for the past few days / weeks , strangely there is no reason for this behaviour of mine !
So recently when I read that the pope had apologised for something he said I said to myslef its an omen that I must apologize to the masses for not saying anything so here goes

Sorry to Kedar Sule I asked for his number but never called him
Sorry to Rupesh Ghyar cause I asked for his number and yes ... never called him
Sorry to Sudeep Achalia for never replying to his emails
Sorry to Shamika Pradhan for using the busy card and not responding
Sorry to Sonali Kulkarni I havent responded to her email dated Jan 06
Sorry to Devyani Dixit for not bothering to reply to her emails
Sorry to Chaitali Desai for not calling her
Sorry to Bhushan Gangurde I have lost all contact with him
Apologies to Bhushan Hegde
Apologies to Priyank Gosavi
Apologies to Sonali Kulkarni
Apologies to Anagha Kulkarni

Sorry to Dushyant Wadhivkar for spelling his last name with an extra "h"
Sorry to Nikhil Dixit , I paid that girl to call you
Sorry to Nikhil Patil for calling him ( yes you read right)

Sorry to anyone I missed out
Sorry to all for postponing this post for 3 weeks

Saurabh

ALASKA PICTURES

2006-08-03T15:54:00.000-05:00

Finally Here are the pictures !!!

http://kpradhan.smugmug.com/gallery/1712972

Note: these are uploaded by my brother , and i'll upload some videos later !!

Kaun Saurabh ?

2006-07-14T20:31:00.000-05:00

Namsakar !!!

I am back from Alaska , I can almost hear a joke comming "aalaska ?" in marathi it means - have you come ? Anyone reading this (which I doubt) may wonder why have I never posted anything for the past million days !!! or perhaps are happy I did not post.

I could give a lot many excuses but the actual reason is I am LAZY besides being busy and when lazy people are slighlty busy they think its the end of the world. Which by the way just happened on 6/6/06 , its funny cause people dont understand its was actually 6/6/2006.

Luckily my parents are here so good food and gaining weight are the order of the day !!!
I had a wonderful time in Alaska, expect lots of pics and a travelogue soon ( yeah right , soon )

Then there were these blasts in Mumbai again some brainy guys decided that they can showcase their issues by kiiling innocent people whichever Einstein thought of that .

Well , its 8:00 pm I am still at work , a loooong time, considering that I started at 7 am ,

I'll get back to my work

Reminds me of Robert Frost

The Woods are lovely dark and Deep
But I have miles to go before I sleep

Chalti Ka Naam Gaadi

2006-05-01T13:15:00.000-05:00

My Car ! , Ford Contour SE , 6 Cylinder, 100000000000000000000 Horse power , thats right you read it right !!!!! One hundred Trillion Gazillion Spetahillion Raw Horsepower. Look at the picture closely you see one pony and One hundred Trillion Gazillion Spetahillion Horses !!!

Another picture :

My Friend Mrs Arafat

2006-04-22T08:22:00.000-05:00

Email : mrssuhaarafat42@netscape.netFrom :

Mrs Suha Arafat

Attn : Friend

Dear Intending partnerThis mail may not be surprising to you if
you have been following current events in the international media with reference to the Middle East and Palestine in particular.I am Mrs.Suha Arafat, the wife of Yasser Arafat, the Palestinian leader who died recently in Paris France. Since his death and even prior to the announcement, I have been thrown into a state of antagonism,confusion, humiliation, frustration and hopelessness by the present leadership of the Palestinian Liberation Organization and the new Prime Minister. I have even been subjected to physical and psychological torture. As a widow that is so traumatized, I have lost confidence with everybody in the country at the moment.You must have heard over the media reports and the Internet on the discovery of some fund in my husband secret bank account and companies and the allegations of some huge sums of money deposited by my husband in my name of which I have refuses to disclose or give up to the corrupt Palestine Government. In fact the total sum legedlydiscovered by the Government so far is in the tune of about $6.5 Billion Dollars. And they are not relenting on their effort to make me poor for life. As you know, the Moslem community has no regards for woman,hence my desire for a foreign assistance. You can visit the BBC news broadcast below for better understanding of what I am talking about;http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/3479937.stm
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/3995769.stmI have deposited the sum of 10.5 Million dollars (Ten Million Five Hundred Thousand United States Dollars) with a security firm abroad whose name is withheld for now until we open communication. I shall be grateful if you could receive this fund into your bank account for safe keeping and any Investment opportunity. This arrangement is known to you and my personal Attorney. He might be dealing with you directly for security reasons as the case may be.In view of the above, if you are willing to assist for our mutual benefits, we will have to negotiate on your Percentage share of the $10,500,000 that will be kept in your position for a while and invested in your name for my trust pending when my Daughter, Zahwa, will come off age and take full responsibility of her Family state/inheritance.Please note that this is a golden opportunity that comes once in life time and more so, if you are honest, I am going to entrust more funds in your care as this is one of the legacy we keep for our children.In case you don't accept please do not let me out to the security and international media as I am giving you this information in total trust and confidence I will greatly appreciate if you accept my proposal in good faith. Please expedite action.

I want you to reach me through this Emailbox: mrssuhaarafat42@netscape.net as soon as you receive this message for more important discussion and on how to proceed.Yours sincerely,Mrs.Suha Arafat- Mrs.Suha Arafat

Saurabh's Law

2006-03-27T22:00:00.000-06:00

Saurabh's Law

To Prove that: To quantitatively prove Saurabh's law which states that the number of girls that Saurabh is friends with has gone down to a value approaching half the number of the girls previously friends with at each educational step since high school.

Proof:

Definition of terms:
Saurabh : If you are reading this you know the bugger.
girl : Someone who is not a boy.
Friends with : someone who talks to you, acknowledges you, is aware of you as an individual, may or may not have any ulterior motive. (does not include female relatives, anyone who is forced to talk to you and pretend to know you, Does not include that hot chick you saw
once that smiled once at you me (atleast I thought she was smiling at me or was she smiling at someone behind me)

Main Proof:

Saurabh was a relatively well known kid at school second only to Abhay and Ajay ( the blue eyed boys of school). Saurabh's impression in school was that was of some "dude", not clever but likeable, only time would reveal that his best chance with the fairer sex was in school ( when people were less informed about other options). Nonetheless He knew a lot of girls and a lot of girls knew him , Division A B C and D all the junior and seniors close to 80 girls !! Then came 11th and 12th, now he was having fun but peer pressure and all those classes, still he knew some girls who were still around from school, some new ones, well about 42. The he was in COEP , note that the 30% quota was not implemented.

His first year was in Production Engg where there was one girl who used to look and talk like a guy. Then he was surrounded by some geeky girls in Electrical Engg , now the figure was about 21. Then United States of America , studying in a town where singles rule ..... but again extremely geeky girls and he was down to 8. Now he has a job, counting one or two at work and a friend's friend in Arizona he knows 4 girls.

To summarize
High School : 80
Junior College: 42
Engg College: 21
Masters: 8
Today: 4

Factor is approaching two ( half of four and twice of one)

Conclusion:
Hence proved Saurabh's law that the number of girls that Saurabh is friends with has gone down to a value approaching half the number of the girls previously friends with at each educational step since high school.

Dear Deer

2006-02-23T17:33:00.000-06:00

(One side of the Story)

It was cold in phoenix, at about 1:00 in the night five people set out. After a day of intense negotiations it was decided to go to Grand Canyon and take it from there ! Everyone was pretty optimistic of the whole trip. For some, it was their first look at the Grand Canyon or "the big KHADDA" as some called it. The passengers got into the car, the experienced of the five took the wheel and we were off !

It was pretty late in the night and the number of cars on the road dwindled as we swiftly moved out of the city. After a while thirst and hunger set in and it was decided to stop to stock up !!! The gas station was an ideal one with all the amenities, The driver-to-be felt pretty confident, given the time of night and having driven cars before, actually driven a lot in India. There weren't many cars on the road, it was a great time to be at the wheel. So the the budding driver took the reins of the car and the lives of four others in his hands. "don't jerk the wheel" the driver told himself, this had been the only issue when he had driven previously. The car felt smooth and responsive.

After a few moments two big trailers on the road !! The drivers first big test. "Patience", the driver noted. One of the trailers gave way and the the overtake was performed with finesse. Sweet ! Confidence was high for the next 3 and half hours ! As the route got onto the narrow road to the destination. Speeds reduced, Now there were trees on both sides and the road was single lane. Limit was 65 , going at 55 the driver was cruising.

Then................The road curved, a road sign showing a deer a big one with huge horns !!!Right in front of the sign three deers in the middle of the road, the driver braked , all three got of the way. The braking eased then suddenly one jumped in front of the car, maybe it wanted to be on the right side. The car bumped the deer !!

SHIT SHIT SHIT the driver said. A few of the passengers woke up. "drive on" the navigator said calmly. As the deer trotted away unhurt. All this happened in a flash. The driver eased on the brakes and sped up, As the car accelerated he noticed deer hair flying in the air from the front of the car, little quantities. "Focus" the driver said. Reaching the destination, all got of the car and saw it, a dent in front of the car. Great that we got full insurance one remarked.

The driver was relieved that all was fine but it was also certain that this will soon become a media circus ! Cause on the car was one of the best Tabliod writer on the planet ! The driver had bore the brunt of his penmenship and sharp wit , right from 5th Std( some would call child abuse) When his names were linked to many a girls in school, these names were stuck for a long time destroying any chance of a healthy relationship with them sob sob..... "He is a good friend" the driver remarked to himself and shot a glance at him, The writer was laughing hysterically and driver thought to himself I am screwed for life.

Later the driver would claim that subconciously Sita ( from Ramayana) asked him to GET THE DEER DAMIT IT !!! The driver would get slightly paranoid about informing the car company. The fears are alleviated now, what remains is a recollection of a missed heart beat and a crazy deer rushing before the car, ofcourse all this is slow motion, very very slow motion.

- Yours Truely
The Driver

(The other side of the story)

My name is Maareecha I am a deer, a big one with huge horns. Yes I know I share my name with a mythological figure in the Ramayana who turned into a beautiful deer, desired by Sita (wife of Ram of Ayodhya) !!!

Anyways it was a cold morning and I was wandering on the road with my friends. I am a big deer you know and I like to eat grass. I love blue grass music but enough about me. Now normally I would stay in the woods but We heard from out herd leader that there is a sign board that defines where we will be spotted. (yes, I can read, I studied at the Rangubai Junnare Forest school Its an Ivy league school for Deers and Reindeers).

Anyways, myself and my two friends (Talli and Manoj) went to check out the limits, cause I dont like restrictions! I was observing the sign and thinking about how to deface the thing with my spray paint can. when a car appeared out of no where. We got out of the way me and Talli were on the left and Manoj on the right. Suddenly I felt something and it struck me, I was on the left side but right was my best side. So I tried to go to ther other side. My judgement was not correct and the vehicle hit me, my skin brazed on the hood of the car, I looked at the car it looked like an arrow streaking out from the bow.

I strained to see inside the car, the driver was looking straight at me. Time stood still. Then I ricochet off the car. I was scared and I ran for cover. For the next few days I have been applying Zhandu Balm. Those rascals must be reckless drivers, I am trying to call all car rental
companies ( cant be their own car) I am going alphabetically. It may be a while cause Talli and Manoj did not write down the car plate number.

Anyways I visited a Psychiartrist and am planning to change my name soon.

Yours Grassy
Deer ( the big one)

Jevachi Tempe

2006-02-21T14:38:00.000-06:00

I am back from an amazing 5 days in Tempe !!!!!!!!

Abhay was a very good host so were his friends ( who were suprirsingly nice to me, why ????) .

Went to Grand Canyon and Sedona, besides goofing around Tempe. If I were Japanese my clansmen would be proud of me,

I had a great time.
There are a few very interesting stories which I have started to pen down involving oversized deers, cars and fuel ( dont get any ideas) .

BTW Abhya looked much better than when I met him India. Same weight and all but he looked perky and bright, the Abhay we are all used to !

Saurabh

Valentine Yeeti Ghara ........

2006-02-14T15:48:00.000-06:00

Today I did .................. NOTHING. February the 14th could have been just another day but some St Valentine or may be the greeting card companies have decided that its Valentine Day !!!! So Valentinechya Hardik Subhecha !!!

Surprisingly I have never had a memorable Valentines Day. There have been days when I hoped and I hoped but hoped like never before.
Maybe it would have been better if I had DONE something !!! While hindsight is 20-20 foresight is myopic ! So today I saw some sexy babes and I said to myself "Happy Valentine Day sucker"

There are a couple of friends who have their birthdays today. Rupesh and Mario Happy Birthday !!!!

Aila Govinda

2006-02-13T17:39:00.000-06:00

I heard that barely 50 people showed up at the opening of Dev Anand's film "Mr. Prime Minister".Undeterred he started working on his next movie "Beauty Queen". Surprisingly Dev Saab hasnt had ANY hits for the past ...aaahhhh almost eternity now !Maybe he gets pleasure out of making the movie or is there a more sinister motive ? Wink Wink !

Anyways I saw the movie 15 Park Aveneue . Amazing acting but the ending sucks. They have tried to be different but many filmmakers will end up being completely uninteresting and frustrating in their attempt to keep the movie special and DIFFERENT !!! Its a very thin line !

I also saw Rang De Basanti, which I think is by far the best movie I have seen for a long time now ! A must see ! Now in my endevaour to write about my friends I have realized that ist not so simple, Its gonna be sometime to come up with the series of posts I had planned earlier !

Also I know there is somebody out there who calls him/her self "DOCTOR", stop sending me emails asking me to buy Viagra and Cialis !I dont need them !!! SO STOP EMAILING ME ! And yes for the rest " No size increase is required" and I am not interested in any purely
herbal remedies !

Cheers
Saurabh

Congrats to the new mom

2006-02-07T22:34:00.000-06:00

A good News !

My high school classmate, Chaitali gave birth to a baby girl on the 14th of January !
The mother and baby are both doing well !

Congrats to the proud parents !

Cheers
Saurabh

Back in Blue

2006-02-04T14:00:00.000-06:00

Well Well Well I know I have let the regular readers down ( well assuming there are regular readers, heck assuming there are ANY readers)

Well heres story worth mentioning
There was some confusion on the very first day of my work, somebody elses mistake !
But hey I was pissed off ! Anyways things got sorted out and I started in 2 days ie 21st Jan !

I saw a french movie this week ( it was free at UT ) ,
I wasnt surrounded by more french people than the time I spent at Charles De Gaulle Paris airport. Now did I mention there were subtitles to the movie? It was a different movie about a kid in class ( maybe 9th grade) who falls for a girl in his class what a cliched story ..........but he is very very shy but once manages to ask the girl to go out with him. The whole movie goes by with the guy wanting to know the answer and the girl asking for more "TIME TO THINK" AAhhhh the traditional way to hold someone emotionally hostage .... Anyways it had a very good end and was pretty funny at times. Also it was a very low finance production but worthwhile, Roughly translated its title was " A game of love and chance"

Also met a French bloke ( friend's friend) anyways he makes shoes. Not just any ones customized ones starting from $3000 !!! yes sire bob !!! But don't worry the exlusive firm is not taking any new customers any more.

As a new blog venture I have decided to write about my friends, one person per post , no blood relatives. Just people whom I met by chance. I want to see what I can remember about them !

Saurabh

Surge of Work

2006-02-03T08:32:00.000-06:00

The first surge of work has struck. Now I am no longer an intern ! As full time employee much more is expected. Importance of effective communication have become clear to me ! Hopefully should be done this weekend.

The Message

2006-01-09T21:39:00.000-06:00

When we are independent we rarely realize the importance of little things we are capable of doing. Recently I met my nephew, barely a few months old and have enjoyed playing with him. Meanwhile I have tended to my grandmother who is battling complications from old age.

Both are heavily dependent on others. Both need complete care.
Not the beginning or the end , its the intermediate journey that counts
The message to take home is to live this time in the middle to the maximum.

Come to think of it we spent too much time in petty things. Replying to acrid emails, thinking of answers to taunts etc etc . There are too many better things to do.

National Champions

2006-01-05T21:12:00.000-06:00

In what is the first good news of the new year, The University Of Texas at Austin ( my school) won against The University of Southern California in the National Football Championship. We are now offically the number 1 college team in the US, wohoooooooooo !

An exceptional perfomance from the entire team. I couldn't watch the game as I am in India but I need to watch the whole thing when I get back !!

Cheers

Happy New Year

2006-01-01T11:12:00.000-06:00

Friends

Wishing you all a very Happy New Year

My focus this year:
Being a better person
Work to best of my ability

Looking forward to a year of regular Blogging, better contact with friends, persuing hobbies/interests and getting into shape :)

Cheers
Saurabh

No Rita No !!!!

2005-09-27T20:46:00.000-05:00

Margarita
Bournvita
but no Rita

Sorry but wanted something that rhymed with Rita !!
Thanks for all the concerns by way of blog and mail !

But Rita was a no-show at Austin , There was no rain , heck no clouds and did I mention 107 Heat Index !!!!! A far cry from the doomsday predictions that the eye would be over Austin on Saturday with category 1 strength !!!!

I did go to the store to "STOCK UP" and there was NOTHING, I mean nothing !!! It was scary ! So we decided to go the next day ( ie Friday ) but thankfully we knew better by friday and didnt have to stock up !

I am sure there are a lot of people in Austin this week thinking how to utilise the extra food and water they had brought !!!

Now there are still some days to go and there is some activity in the Atlantic so we will have to keep a watch !

On the weekend I treated myself to baked Salmon !!!
Deciding to study and then slept :)
Happily accepting the awesome Sunday afternoon sleep !!

Hurricane Rita

2005-09-22T16:50:00.000-05:00

Rita Aunty is comming to town

As people evacuate from Texas Towns
We in Austin wait to see what happens

Its kinda hard to do something out of ordinary ( like go and shop , to stock up) But will have to do it today. Previous forecasts predicted the eye directly over Austin on Saturday , looks like that may not happen !
But hurricanes are known to be unpredictable.

Will keep posted

Saurabh

Fear factor

2005-09-15T17:37:00.000-05:00

Recently I had the opportunity to eat as much Milk Maid as possible. I was reminded of my childhood when this was not possible , it was a strict no-no , access to this over sweet fluid was restricted as part of discipline. We used to fight over for the very little part left in the can after the delicay was made. So naturally I was excited.

Unfortunately after the first spoon full I couldn't take any more. There was no pressure to stop !! No fear factor !!

As children most of us had restricted access to stuff like cookies and Bournvita and such precious items . Today I can have as many cookies as I like ! We had our chances when the protectors were out or sleeping. My approach was of a professional . Make sure things look the same way as they were. The Handle of the jar must be as it was, the jars next to it must not be touched. Don't spill anything, if you do make sure you wipe it and make sure you clan the cloth that you used to wipe it. Later on after a few red-handed arrests some learnings I felt really proud of my job , It was like a commando operation !

Misc

2005-09-06T12:36:00.000-05:00

Some good news, guys. In a new study conducted by Playgirl, 42 percent of the readers polled said they find love handles sexy. The New York Daily News asked Manhattan matchmaker Janis Spindel about the results and she confirmed the findings: "It's scary, but women don't care about looks."

Another surpise in the study: some of the readers of Playgirl are women.

Scientists have determined that one of the dire warnings we received as children has a basis in fact: If we look too much at naughty pictures, what can happen?

Just for a instant, but still.

Psychologists showed test subjects a bunch of rapidly changing images, asking them to indicate when they saw a particular one. But if that image came after a sexually provocative picture, test subjects tended not to see it... as if they had been momentarily blinded.
Thats not Blinding thats called fantasizing

Some say this is a reason to ban sexually suggestive billboards near roadways, but a British road safety official said, "It's the responsibility of drivers to ensure that when they are behind the wheel they keep their eyes on the job in hand !!!!!!

References : NPR

Pet_Names (0 ,0)

2005-08-19T23:02:00.000-05:00

What are the origins of these pets names that stick with us for our lives?
Sometimes we like these crown jewels say when its Jonty or DON and sometimes we dont when its something like Leaky

And why is it called pet name ?
People are not dogs or cats or hamsters. Then why PET names ?
Going by that logic animal must have human names for their friends !

The people who coin these names are at their artistic best !

Let me give you some examples
Bhushan Gangurde is BHUGA
Nikhil Patil is Nipa
Nikhil Dixit is ND ( see the trend ?)
Achalia is Achhu
Rupesh Ghyar is Gharu
Abhay is Asgar ( cause is likes to eat and sleep, dont we all ?)
Priyank Patwa is Patwa ( this is one more style, using the last name)Dushyant Wadhivkar is Wadya ( he told us on the first day that he did not like it, so people continued to use the name)
Makrand is Maky
Pravin is Pavya
One guy was called DON , Nice you think, Except it stood for Dhekun of Nashik , Dhekun is slang for Bedbug.
Heres one that goes against logic
Anish Karandikar is Karandikar ( you think Anish , Anya , shorter is better? not always )

And lastly I am SAUTYA !!I have no idea who started it and what was the logic but thats what I am, I am SAUTYA .

I look at other Saurabhs and they are mostly saurya's , I am not.

The great thing about pet names is the tone conveys so much .

I can be SAUTYA The HIT-MAN , Sautya the guy next door , Sautya what-you-said-was-funny, Sautya shut-the-hell-up!

One thing is for sure, it sounds personal and niceBut only when the people who founded it use it ( ONLY FRIENDS :) )
from others..... it just sounds soooo bland !!

The Anatomy Of Postponing

2005-07-22T13:35:00.000-05:00

I thought I picked it up at Undergraduate college but maybe not.

Std 5th Diwali Homework ( firstly which twisted mind gives homework to students for Diwali Homework ).Those teachers had absolutely no mercy when they assigned homework for vacation. For almost 8 years in school I did "VACATION HOMEWORK" in summer , Diwali and Christmas .

Somebody should have stood up to those teachers and said V-A-C-A-T-O-N well I mispelled that but its so unfair, a vacation is when there is NO homework. Since I believed in that rule. I never started until the evening before the first day of school and then after a lot of yelling from my parents , they got it done for me.

Thats my first experiment with doing things at the last moment.
And somewhere deep inside I realized it worked !!

Then came the 10th and 12th , "Class homework is of no use" we were told and so we did it in the lecture before it was due and what about the homework due in the first lecture ? , do it in the Bus !!! Some Geek always finished it at home.

First day of undergrad , raring to go, promising myself that I will be doing homeworks and assignements on time.
I did !!!
for a week, and then i learnt the hard way that its of no use. Cause in my first week of trailblazing I realized that whatever I wrote people found a lot of errors , professors changed their requirements , Whatever was worthwhile was passed around the whole hostel and by the time I got it , the papers looked like some manuscript just excavated from the ruins of Harrapa. Not to mention the trouble of keeping track of who has the assignment.

Then I decided to try and wait for others to finish first and good things began to happen , mysteriously previous years assignments began to appear. There was an amazing calm, a peace of mind !!

Beg - Borrow - Steal - Cook up your own assignment , but do it last !!

Actually some of my best memories in college are of those times when we were trying to complete assignments . " That time when we did a whole sem worth of work in one night " and "then that time when the proffessor did not notice the experiment values were from last years "

And the speeds !!! 100 pages in 1 hour , 20 diagrams No problem, I was this super fast copy machine !!

Sitting with classmates
have a heavy dinner
come back to the room determined to finish
sleep
then freak out
stay awake the whole night
and finish just on time to submit !

aah good old days

One of my seniors rightly said and I quote "Dont finish first , there will always be someone" , Well, maybe not exactly a sensational statement and maybe no senior of mine ever said that and maybe I coined it myself but I have been following that gospel to this day

( This post was written 5 mins before being posted)

finally

2005-07-20T17:37:00.000-05:00

Finally I was alloted a laptop
and Boy , Its fun

http://www-131.ibm.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?catalogId=-840&productId=8770327&storeId=10000001&langId=-1&dualCurrId=73&categoryId=2072541

Feel Good Day Today

Hahaha

2005-07-15T19:09:00.000-05:00

Ever imagine how would it be if life was like a Sitcom
Eveything will be always funny. There would be laughter at almost all dialogues.
Ofcourse no one goes to the bathroom ( except for that episode when you have dysentry)
Ofcourse things will go wrong, you will lose money, your car is towed, you break up with your girl friend but at the end of the day its all fine.

I like Conan O Brien's late night show.
How would it be if we could make an entrance like him?
Music playing and you can monkey around as you want !
If Wishes were horses
Beggers would ride.

Sweet Summer

2005-07-05T17:52:00.000-05:00

Its a scorching afternoon,
walking back in the sun

An unnecessary lecture
Why did I bother to go?

Reach the hostel room,
Open the door

Its so cool !!
Look around

barely working fans humming along
windows blacked out with newspapers, today's too

Slow songs on a the PC
and the smell of Zhandu Balm

You smile and join your roomates
Another great afternoon nap.

-- written on a day temperature index reached 108F in Austin, Texas

Update

2005-06-11T17:22:00.000-05:00

Friend's blogs' links have been added to the sidebar.
Check 'em out.

IT Support (with a vengeance)

Myself Vs IT : The Conspiracy theory

2005-06-08T19:27:00.000-05:00

I am convinced , IT-support HATES me. This is my second stint as an intern and I have experienced the same.

At my first internship : I was under close surveillance for using the group laptop for working on-site. It took my mentor some time to explain that it was in fact some REAL work and I could be trusted !

Now my present one ( where my manager and mentor , both are very pragmatic and professional !) Also let me clarify ( ALL employees have laptops) Now the rule set down ( by some IT guy) is that INTERNS CANT HAVE LAPTOPS !!!!!

When asked the IT manager gave a cold shoulder saying "interns cant have laptops ". I explained I needed it to work ! No response !!! Even for regular desktop support I am talked to as if I am returning something I stole !!!

A few days back a new intern asked for my help for setting up his workplace as I enter his cube, I am struck by what is a freaking new laptop !!!! So then why the discrepancy ????Then at a lunch with new interns I found out that all new interns have a freaking NEW LAPTOP !!!!!

When contacted the IT Manager said "INTERNS CAN'T HAVE LAPTOPS !!!"

Its like a movie house where the usher lets in some people while he asks you " What Movie? There is no movie !!" ( sorry cant think of any good analogy)

I can't help but believe there is some deep conspiracy, and its freaking working !!!!

Beauty and The Beast

2005-06-01T18:43:00.000-05:00

NOTE : Before you read this ( assuming someone is reading this )

Beauty lies in the eye of the beholder .Beautiful for me may not be so for you ( and vice versa)A short story : I was talking with a friend about a common friends' surprise marriage and he blurted out "Well she is so Ugly !!" . I wanted to say " Not for him and BTW you aren't Adonis either" , I let that urge go by unsatisfied !

Beauty
I love Aishwarya Rai , She is beautiful and talented ! Now some people don't like her which normally would evoke a "what how cant you like her ??" response from her fans but I'd say "What the heck! Who cares and One less"

Not that I or (since you are reading it ) you, have a chance with her yet it feels good there's one less.I don't know why but whenever I see a good picture of ash on the internet I save it. Maybe I have this deep desire that one day I will have the biggest collection and ......Anyways So when a guy sees her on a film poster he regains consciousness only when he gets out of the theater ! And then he is just another chump 3 and half hours late and lighter by 80 rupees !!!

The Beast
Always in serials and movies, some guy with gorgeous wife will go and get his foot in shit by having an affair with some punk !!!! Well, show something that is believable ! Like maybe a wife that makes the husband sleep in the car (alone) or abuses the husband !!!

Also I feel really bad when a beautiful woman is killed in a movie or TV serial . Why kill a good looking dame ? I cant understand ! They are the reason people ( well atleast me ) are watching !! Everytime such a crime is committed I think to myself " what a waste" One less soul to soothe the eyes , one less body to keep the hopes of many guys around her up in the sky ... who misinterpreted her behavior to be willing gestures of interest !!!

Parle vous ?

2005-05-08T20:34:00.000-05:00

Parle vous francaise?
I met a french girl the other day and the first thing I blurted out, trying to impress was "Parle vous francaise?" Now how stupid is that also considering the fact that those were the only french words I know !!
Then I stared blankly , having exhausted my French language skills !
Note to self ; need to learn a new language !
Something similar happened when I was in India , I met a french guy at a cafe and I said I knew SOME french and then I said the three french words I knew yup....." Parle vous francaise? " and he started speaking in French !!! It took me a while to tell him that what I said was the SOME french I knew and that was asking him If he spoke french in French, We had a good laugh and he left thinking what an ass I was !!!

Its a funny story, since I am telling this and you dont know the other guy!

The Alcohol(hic)
I hate alcohol too much ,I dont like the wines. I dont like the cocktails ,the screwdrivers, the tequila. the whiskeys ,the gins

I hate the beers I hate light beers I hate heavy beers I hate dark beers
I dont however hate people who drink it ! But I do hate people who cant get hold of the fact that a person doesnt want to drink alchol cause he doesnt like it !!!

From my side I cant see why should I drink it ! Its sour ( beers are) it gives you a drowsy feel(all do), if you drink too much you are like a 2 years old ( someone with a big mouth and who wants to puke ) and yes who can forget DUI !! Now thats not likely to happen if you drink too much coffee , Never seen a guy getting pulled over and the cop says "I smell caffene how many coffees have you had tonight sir Its friday night and you were driving in a straight line ,,, how did you ever expect to get away with this ?"

Talking about coffee ,One of a my friends an avid alcohol lover said how can you like coffee it's bitter and black ... I thought wow isnt that like some beer except for the puking !!!
Anyways Till the next time !!

The Law
There is a legislation going to be passsed by the Texas house barring sexually suggestive moves by high school cheerleaders ! Where house leaders feel that many cheerleading routines have some lewd moves. Thank god the law will not be applicable to college !! Where its ALLLLLLLL lewd moves !!!!

Misc.

2005-04-03T12:33:00.000-05:00

The gift

I have a gift !I can gain weight in the most unbelievable circumstances !

People lose weight when they stay in a hostel,have to make food for themselves. Beleve me I have been there done that and have anything but lost weight.
I think thats a gift. yes you can put me in a desert for a month and I will be heavier than before !
My only hope is that it works the other way round, like when a restaurant startes giving me free food normal people might gain weight but not me.

Now thats unlikely to happen, but I am keeping my fingers crossed.

The Symphony

I went to the symphony the other day. I have never paid so much money to hear music and watch a man move his arms.

So what does the conductor do ?

I have a feeling he is an angry man. The musicians look scared too. They know they are going to get a poke or a wack from that stick if they play anything wrong.

And why do people dress up for ocassion. They are not playing ! Never gonna be on the stage ! then why ?For once I would like to see people in jeans and t shirts at that place. Not in tight tuxedos from their wedding.

Katha Eka Ravivar Sandhyakalche

2005-02-06T12:10:00.000-06:00

Patra Parichay:
SP: Saurabh Pradhan
AP: Abhay Paranjape
SA: Sudeep Achalia
DW: Dushyant Wadhivkar
ND: Nikhil Dixit
NP: Nikhil Patil
RG: Rupesh Ghyar
AK: Anish Karandikar + ( AE- Alter Ego)
PA: Pravin Alhat (he is always at home)

Time 4:00 pm E block 201
SP : Aree about dinner ?, I met DW and he is going out with some bitch wont be joining us mostly, we still have to call him though, and about that other thing.....
SA: zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz(comfortably sleeping on the bed)
SP: (to himself) why the heck am I talking to myself ?

Meanwhile at D Block 208
AP: zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz (comfortably sleeping on the bed)
RG: zzz....zz....z....zzzz..zzz (uncomfortably dozing in a weird position on a chair, trying to study)
ND: zzzzzzzzzzz(chapati)zzzzzzzzzzz(more chapati)zzzzzzzzz

6:00 pm Some unknown location
AK: Uh.... where am I ? What day is it ?

6:00 pm D-208
rrrrrrrrrrriiiiiiinnnnnnnnggggg (alarm originally for morning 6am goes off )
RG: wh..wha...what.... SHit I think I slept
ND: Ok today for dinner we are going to a place where there are unlimited chapatis !
RG: Theres no other place like that except for the mess
AP: hmmmm ... hey no doubt how the name MESS came around, bet there wasnt any other word came up that describes it so aptlt. look Patil is here , you comming for food tonight?

NP: Aree Bhadkhau, Makadya, chamnya ! No thanks I have plans
ND: really with whom ?
NP: aahhhh.......I told you I have plans... ahhhh .. gotta go
RG: Scyho !!!
ND: Hey you spelled it wrong
RG: yeah yeah yeah.. so abhay about that problem on page 45.....
AP: zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

6:15 E 201
SP: These days the gates close early so we need to start early if we want to take the bikes
SA: Tension nahi leneka we will park it somewhere and climb over
SP: but what if the bikes are stolen and we are caught !SA: Naahi re , BTW Aaj nothing doing I am going to MAMAS Place I want to eat MEAT TODAY COME WHAT MAY !!!! Nothing Doing !!!!
SP: Chal Chal Lavkar Avar !

RG: (shouts) Abeee Achalia !!!
SA: (shouts back) We are comming !
SP: did you mean we are cumming ?
giggle giggle giggle

6:30 pm Some unknown location
AK: Uh.... where am I ?
AK(alter ego): Its Sunday evening you lazy bum , wake up !
AK: Huh?
AK(AE): Ok you can go out for dinner with the nashik guys and be just in time for drinks with sawai, But where are we ?

6:30 D-208
SP: We are all gathered here to decide on a place to eat ? where is Abhay ?
RG: just woke up, getting ready !
SA: We are going to mamas baas nothing doing ! I am a carnivour and I need meat !ND: well they give just 4 chappatis

7:00 passage in front of D-208 , site of paralle discussions

ND: Abee that Achaila always wants to go to Mamas
RG: Why do we need dinner ?
ND: Think of some other placeRG: I wont be having dinner
ND: Oh now you tell me, you are like india in the UN , you want a permanant seat but wont vote for anyone !

Meanwhile inside D-208
SP: Abhya- Jaaga aahes ki zhala tuzha Asgar !!
AP: oh Chimpu
SA: We are not going to Burger king (BK) for sure
AP: We went there for the last 5 weekends !
AP: hmm what about the Asha Dining hall , gharguti jeevan
SA: I am not being clear ..... I need MEAT M-E-A-T !!!!! DOnt make me eat you !!
AP: Sautya ek leg piece de na !
SP: hahahahah hey BTW I have decided to marry a chinki and then open a stall that will be fun, you will come home and then I will shout "ek chicken Manchurian and don Maramari"ok show time call that interracial couple rupya and ND come in .. show chalu hoot aahe

8:00 The AK location somewhere
AK: Ah I must wake up !
AK(AE): Yes dont miss dinner and drinks that would be criminal !
AK: Does that kinetic work?
AK(AE): Cmon you just got it done yesterday.
AK: Petrol
AK(AE) : Thats a whole different thing you are talking about
AK: Wait a minute didnt you bang it yesterday
AK(AE) : Jo no habla Englisho !

8:00
SP: Ok thats it show over !
AP: Hey What about AK?
RG: mahit naahi re I guess he is at atya's place or something
ND: I will try to keep a message with someone
ND: So yeah we are going to the chinese stall right
AP: Its so unhygenic we dont even know what they use
SA: Mamas and thats it
RG: But you went there on saturday ??
SA: How dare you question me , SHUT UP !!!!
RG: b...bu....bu....but.....okokok
NP: hey hey hey I am not going out with my imaginary friends so I will be joining you
AP: Who the hell invited you ... I mean you dont need to be invited .
RG: I would like to speak , lets go that stall right outside the hostel gates, I heard they use water instead of oil and its very filling
SP: yeah cause your stomach gets so bad you dont need to eat for a weekND: Ok Settle down I am sure we can find a solution
after a long long time::
SA: what about a new place ?
AP: yeah theres is new place i heard about in CAMP XYZ lets go there
RG: Do you need to pay there ?
SP: Ok sounds good
ND: Yeah I could survive SA: (in his mind) heheheh yeah I know that place its got great tandoori !!
NP: Chalo lets go (in his mind) What is Jaggu doing ?

8:45
DW: Hey wait ! I am almost hungry !
SP: we are going to this new joint XYZ
SA: yeah heard thats an awesome place
DW: NO
RG: but...
DW: No
AP: abee we spent a lot of time debating this WE ARE GOING !
DW: hmmmmm .... NO
for(i=0;i<10;i++){someone: let go this place x[i];DW: NO }

for(i=0;i<10;i++){DW: let go this place y[i];The rest: NO }

9:30 AK residence (where ?)
AK: I am sure those guys are arguing about where to go
AK(AE) : We dont care do we ?

9:44 AK Home
AK: Shit ! I am in Nashik
AK(AE): Its Sunday where do you expect to be ?
AK: Why didnt you tell me before ?
AK(AE): Just messing with ya !

9:45 pm
SP: Its going to be very late by the time we get back from anywhere so lets just go !
ND: Lets just go I need food
AP: yeah forget it lets just go
SP: You know what place remains
All: BURGER KING it is!
SA: weekend #6 here we come
AP: ok I am booking place on Saurabh's Kinetic
SA: oh shit we are 7 people and 5 bikes so I wont take my bike
DW: hey I just rode for an hour I am not taking my bike
All : Here we go ....
followed by The most dreaded thing after the dinner debate ..... who-gets-not-to-take-his-bike debate............

So here ends the Katha eka Ravivar Sandhyakal che.
Did I mention ,though this is based on a true story and all the characters are still good friends . Now although this story sounds somewhat bitter- sweet, given a choice not one guy would mind reliving the whole thing .. every single Sunday!

The 2004 Winter Break

2005-01-08T11:22:00.000-06:00

Vacation: a Time to unwind
Move away from the day to day grind
Being Peaceful and being sane
Only to face the routine again
- Saurabh

NJ - The Garden State :
Most of my time in NJ was spent home. I woke up ate great food slept ate again slept more!!!
Bhel, Pav bhaji, Pasta, Kalwan ……. you name it!!!!

Aahhhhh GREAT days!!! Pure joy!

The weather was chilly especially for a Texan like me! But here in NJ they were well prepared with the salt and the clearing of the roads when it snowed!

Coming back to food I noticed that the Shop-Rite has so many more options than the HEB in Austin. Also One good thing was the number of MOM and POP stores; I had great Bagels, Muffins, Cakes, Bread & Fish and chicken from such stores.

My Nephew Art:
That little Devil!! Only Three years old but full of mischief and fun!! So energetic!
He made the break very very enjoyable!
He wanted to do something continuously! If he had his way he would stay awake for 24 hours! And that brings me to the topic of making a child sleep. I had the privilege of making Art sleep a couple of times and it was fun!

I found that he was continuously fighting to keep off sleep at night; you have to conjure some story, tone your voice turn off the lights to make him sleep. Hats off to his parents!!! And all the parents in the world who do it on a day to day basis!!

New York City
Ahh New York.......New York City
The most striking feature of New York is that it just embraces you like no other city.
You feel like you are part of the city not a tourist.

We were a gang of Pradhans, my Uncle (Pramod kaka), Aunt (Nayna kaki) and Cousin (Pushkar) taking on NYC !

The first Day: we went to Times Square, Ed Sullivan theater (the place where The Late Show with David Letterman is taped), Rockefeller Center also where NBC studios are (Conan O Brien et al.) and yes a Christmas tree which people all around the USA come to see for some unknown reason !!! There’s nothing really special about it, I guess it is the hype around it that makes people flock to the place, and what do people do when they get there? They just stare at it!! Yup! Just look at it as if it's going to do a back flip any moment!

We also saw the Empire State Building (There was a huge line to get to the top floor!) so we skipped the idea of going in! Radio City hall, CNN, Reuters, Madison Square Garden, Macy’s, Saks on 5th Avenue, Trump Towers, Central Park ….. phew !! I could go on and on.

The next Day we went to see the statue of Liberty! Honestly it wasn’t as tall as I imagined it to be but it was good! Thankfully it was a bright sunny day so the view of the famous Manhattan was amazing.

Then we went to Wall street the legendary New York Stock Exchange! The Bull! And then..... Only a few blocks away “Ground Zero” The site of World Trade Center Twin Towers
All those images I had seen on TV of the planes crashing in the twin towers, then the towers falling and now to be near that very site was a different feeling. There was an eerie silence at the place! People silently observing! Some say that the magnitude of the disaster doesn’t hit you unless you had seen the buildings standing! I can only imagine!

We strolled around Times Square for some more time and then came back home. Then a few days later I went to the Metropolitan Museum (another post dedicated)

Overall this Winter break was one to remember!

see http://photos.yahoo.com/~sautya82
There are different folders

Saurabh

The Metropolitan Museum of Art

2005-01-06T19:14:00.000-06:00

(This is the first post in the series of posts based on my winter break in New Jersey)

Theres only one word to describe the Metropolitan Museum "AMAZING"

Founded in 1870, the Metropolitan Museum is located in New York City's Central Park along Fifth Avenue (from 80th to 84th Streets). Last year it was visited by more than 5 million people spanning over 2 million square feet. It houses more than 2 million permanent displays as late as 300,00075,000 B.C. It is such a prestigious institution that theres a very long waiting list for being a volunteer (someone ready to work free of charge !!!!!)

The most heinous crime that one can make when going to the MET is not planning what to see within the museum !
Thanks to Sonali (my sister-in-law) we did not make that mistake, she planned out the day and we decided to focus on European Paintings, Egyptian exhibits ,Museum of Modern Art, European sculptures anything above that would be bonus.

After starting at 10:00am and stopping out at 5:30 a total time of over 7 hours! And let me tell you I am sure one will need atleast 3 full days to see all the permanent exhibits let alone the visiting exhibits.

I am going try to keep in short as I can just go on and on about the museum.

Now to the exhibits, Starting with the paintings it is just a great feeling to see original creations of the likes of Monet, Manet, Cézanne, Vermeer, Renoir and van Gogh amongst other elite artists. There it is ! The best work on planet by some of the best artists , masterpieces right in front of your eyes. WOW !!!

One painting I should mention was Still Life with Flowers and Fruit, 1866 theéodore Latour It was so real life that the objects and knife seem so very real !!!

This section also had short descriptions with each painting, it was very informative and crisp !

This kind of information was lacking in the modern art section and hear this there were a couple of paintings which absolutely nothing on it !!!!!! No even a dot just painted of one color !

Now what's great about that ??
Seriously I just don't get it !
But most other exhibits in the modern art section were very nice even though I am not sure I understood the theme and / or the title in most cases !!!!

In this section exhibits were not just paintings but sometimes series of pictures and objects.

Then there was the Milton Petrie European Sculpture Court, it was awesome, the most striking one according to me was Ugolino and his Sons by Jean-Baptiste Carpeaux .(thanks to Mandar for noting the name down) It's about a tailor who was banished to an island with his sons and they were forced to starvation. At this point the tailors sons offered themselves as food !!!!!
The anguish on the face of the father and the different expressions of the sons well depicted and you can't help but keep looking at the sculpture for a long time just trying to figure out the nuances.

The Greek and Roman section was also good.

Now the Egyptian section:
WOW ! This was a huge section ! The exhibits included small items of use to an entire tomb ! and a BIG TEMPLE !!!!!!!! The Temple of Dendur, ca. 15 B.C.E.

They have actually transported and recreated entire buildings in the museum !!!!
words cant be enough to describe this section. There are statues, caskets and a lot of stuff giving a picture of ancient Egypt ! Its a peek at Egypt.

Touching a sarcophagus or walking through the Temple of Dendur makes a chill run down your spine. Its like for a moment you are touching something so old with so much history.
That inanimate object has seen so many years of time, so much history associated with it!
Its a whole different feeling.

A note about the Asian section
It was dominated by art associated with Buddha. There were some Ganpati's but one great exhibit was a very intricately carved roof of a Rajasthan temple!
We also had a quick tour through the Chinese and Japanese section, the musical instruments section and the arms section.

The day was concluded with a great dinner at a Vietnamese restaurant on 46th Street !

Summing up I would say the museum is a MUST SEE!!! and I must thank Mandar and Sonali for making sure that was realized.

it helps if you are a student you get the ticket for less than half of the normal admission cost.

You can also see the following website for all of the photos
http://photos.yahoo.com/~sautya82

I have compiled a small selection of exhibits on the MET website please go to
http://www.metmuseum.org/works_of_art/gallery.asp

Key in
username: spp59
password: saurabh

For each exhibit please dont click on "remove" but do click on any exhibit if you want some more information on it.

The metropolitan Museum :
A glimpse of history it offers is stimulation for the mind.
The passage of time depicted makes one ponder over the expanse of the universe of art and the life people once lived.

And one last thing worth mentioning the pleasure of seeing a museum with "ART" himself (my dear little nephew Art).

Comments ?

Saurabh

(My next post will be based on my stay in NJ and visits to New York )

First Post

2004-12-17T01:51:00.000-06:00

Welcome to My Blog !

Just the fact that you are reading these words makes me ecstatic also cause I am draining your bank accounts at this point !

So whats a blog ?
Ans: a shared on-line journal where people can post diary entries about their personal experiences and hobbies

In short a heaven for narcissits !

For me its looks like a large white space, a big canvas all to myself !!!
A vast montage of ................. aahhhhh who am I kidding ?

Ok so looks like I should be posting some stuff !

More later
Saurabh