Bryant Park, NYC

Mood: Relaxed

I am writing this post while relaxing at NYC’s famous Bryant Park! I know it may sound a little weird for people who have not yet visited this place, that how can one use the 3 words; NYC, Park and Relaxing in the same sentence!?! but trust me guys, this park is like an Oasis in the desert of the tall NYC buildings and heavy traffic with honking noice all around…yup, thats the normal NYC, The Big Apple…the life style here is very similar to that in Mumbai…Everyone rushing to reach somewhere!

But this post is exclusively for Bryant Park…now that i have experienced this place many times, i can surely say that this is one of the most peaceful places in NYC. Dont let the location of this place create any doubt  in your mind…even though it is located just one street away from the most busy Times Square, it is truely amazing how you can sit back and read a book or talk or just close your eyes and take a nap without any kind of disturbances!!

There is a small but artistic fountain just inside the entrance of the park that makes this really soothing sound of water falling on the rock sculpture below it…then in winters you have an ice-rink right in the center of the park for learning and enjoying ice-skating!

Trust me, this park is the best place for taking a quick break from work or for a nice romantic evening getaway! or maybe if you are just touring NYC…this park is the most suited relaxing place for the family or group of friends before moving on to Times Square in the evening!

Last but not the least…You have free WiFi in the entire park well thats exactly how i can write this blog post and publish it too

Let me know your experiences when you visit this place…I am sure they would be great!!

The Ghazal…

“kabhi kisi ko mukammal jahan nahin milta
kahin zameen to kahin aasman nahin milta
jisay bhi dekhiyay woh apnay aap mein goum hai
zuban mili hai magar hum zuban nahin milta
kabhi kisi ko mukammal jahan nahin milta….
bujha saka hai bhala kaun waqt kay shoulay
yeh aisi aag hai jis mein dhuaan nahin milta
kabhi kisi ko mukammal jahan nahin milta….
teray jahan mein aisa nahin kay pyar na ho
jahan umeed ho iski wahan nahin milta
kabhi kisi ko mukammal jahan nahin milta
kahin zameen to kahin aasman nahin milta…”

Hurrrraayy…HomeLand Calling!!

Mood: Happy

Finally after the long and tiring wait of 20 months, I will be flying to India, my homeland even if it is just for a 21 days vacation, it means a lot to me…and this time it is all the more special as i will be tying the most famous engagement knot with the person i have loved all my youth life I met this girl while we were in engineering college…like 6-7 years back…and today she is an indespensible part of my life we’ll definately need the blessings from our loved ones, friends and elders to make this moment memorable all our life!!

Being the only child makes me feel terrible that i have to stay away from my parents, though i make it a point to call them everyday, still it hurts me to keep them waiting for my call…well if everything works out well, then probably this year and few more months will mark the end of this feeling and bring my family at one place, i really pray for this to happen. I would say this is like one my top priority wishes to God

Meeting old friends has always been great and this time it is no different…be it my friends from the building i live in, or friends from college or from school!! I am really thankful to God for giving me most wonderful friends always…this is one treasure that i will cherish for all years…

Mumbai, my hometown, I missed it sooo much!! everything about Mumbai is worth missing when compared to the life in US! so here i come Mumbai! somehow you start to feel a little patriotic when you travel to India after a long time..!!

Travelling is one thing that i have always loved and what can be more rewarding than travelling for vacation with the love-of-your-life!!

It will be great to spend time with family, meet friends, celebrate one of the biggest festival of Diwali in India with parents!! after almost 4 years!!!

Khvahish to dil mein thi ek Mukammal Jahan paane ki, Par fir Ghalib ki Woh Ek Gazal yaad aagayi!!

“Kabhi Kisi ko Mukammal Jahan Nahin Milta,
Kahin Zameen to Kahin Aasman Nahin Milta…”

Ever Wondered Life can be Simple too?

Mood: Analytical

I can gaurantee that this question must’ve crossed the thoughts of invariably every person. So, what is the conclusion? is it true or is it just another perspective of looking at complexity? hmmm…pretty deep thought i have wondered about such abstract words every now and then…perspective being one of the leading word in it. Well, life can be what you want it to be…! if you keep wondering how to make it easier than what it is…you probably are convinced that it is difficult!! ever thought about it? sometimes you need to just believe that life is simple, and trust me it will be! yup, it just takes a convincing positive attitude to make all the difference…I am not saying this after reading a book or watching a movie…but after doing this experiment myself! not once or twice but many times…whats the harm in trying?

Any person can start to live the life in the way he/she wants to, but not by whining about the problems or creating excuses or lying, instead all you need to do is to believe! Even Jesus Christ has summed this up in one sentance in the Holy Bible, “Everything is Possible for the One Who Believes!”  and why not? ask yourself, if I start to work in the direction of my dreams, will it not reduce the distance between us with every step I take? if it will, then its worth it!! dont you think so? Life IS as Simple and rewarding as YOU want it to be…Lets start from the fact…”This is Your LIFE, then how is it possible to not be able to lead it in the way You want it to!?!”

 

So many things to write about!

I know i have been out for a long time. Cannot blame any one specific reason for it though. Life has been treating me with some sine waves and i am constantly trying to get out of this wavy uncertainities around me. Not that i am having a bad time right now, infact, to be honest, i have been experiencing some great moments! be it being together with someone special (details go for another topic and post), or be it travelling for my work, eating good Indian food or driving from Chicago to NJ in a snow stormy night! But, there seems to be some kind of dis-satisfaction, its like i am waiting for an oppurtunity to crack out and start living the way i always wanted to! no idea of where i belong yet!! after almost 27 years on this planet i am still close to clueless about life! well not that this is some to keep pondering about, but the thought never ceases to flow in my mind after every few days of routine. Not sure if this is something that is true for all or is it just me!!

Share your thoughts!

Winter in New Jersey!

OKay so its winter season again. But for me this time it is realllllyyyy cold as I am in New Jersey! and to top that I do travelling every week to the clients location to South Carolina. First I thought its only the weekend when i am back to my base in NJ, so whats the big deal! I just have to handle the winter for couple of days…well I can do that! But now I realize that this is easier said than experienced

Taking My Life To The Next Level!

Being on this planet for all these years has let me to believe that life is very similar to a complex video game with many levels and controls like some flight simulation program. Any major change that strikes you, gives you a completely new arena to play on!! with new gadgets, new ally, new hidden secrets and even new cheat-codes! I for one am completely convinced about this resemblance between the 2. You could be thinking what a computer-game-geek I am…but to be honest I am not!

Well anyways, this post is for some new updates going on, in and around, my life…right now I see the new level in front of me! many of my friends ask me these days, how is the new thing going on with you? and I say…it has just started, so I really dont know for sure…but everything seems to be okay as of now!! Let me dwell some more into this new level and I can give my honest opinion. Like in Quake III (Highly addictive PC Game), when you first enter a new arena…you take some time to first move around saving your life and getting the feel of all the new things around you! only difference is in reality you are more cautious than in the PC Game as there is always a second and a third life in the game which is never the case in life…

When could there be a possible ‘New Level’ in your life? answer of this question varies for everyone…I have seen and known people who when get comfortable with that one level…(like in the Demo version of a game), never want to look into the next one!! At any point in time there are invariably infinite number of levels in the game of life…if you remain in the same level for too long, trust me, you are gonna miss many great ones in the end…give life a chance, take that next level and take it with complete faith…being in the same level is not human…that is the job that for instance a furniture does.

Another aspect is to be prepared for these new levels…I understand we dont know what is in it for us…but we do have a fair amount of data which needs to be converted into information!! dont just close your eyes and expect life not to see you hiding…this is where we unknowingly take life as a game, and believe that it will not go to the next level if we dont want it to…difference 2! Be prepared and be positive about it…Like a wise man once said:

‘For All Your Days Prepare, Treat them ever alike…When You are the Anvil, Bear; When You are the Hammer, Strike!!’

Trust in yourself and the world will help you make your dream come true…Like the ‘Om Shanti Om’ dialog goes:

‘Itni Shiddat Se Tujhe Paane Ki Koshish Ki Hai, Ke Har Zarre Ne Mujhe Tumse Milane Ki Saajish Ki Hai!!’

Taare Zameen Par…

While watching this movie the one thing i quickly comprehended is that Simplicity still remains the best possible way to make everyone understand the seriousness of any situation.  No matter how sensitive the subject is, No matter how prominent the existence of issue is, if we try to present it in a simple form rather than giving it a glamorous look, it’ll make a lot more sense and leave an impression on a larger number of masses. Taare Zameen Par, already acclaimed the title ‘Hit’ movie of 2007, is proposed to be sent for Oscars this year! This movie really makes you think, it makes you believe, it makes you understand what can be a possibility for the academically below-average kids. ‘Every Child is Special’, the supporting line for the movie is very true. Producer and Director(Debut) Amir Khan, once again proves his excellence in selecting the script and then doing complete justice to the same. No extra masala…No waste of talent…No useless songs…Just perfect, to-the-point and simple movie. Every parent must’ve seen their image at some point in the movie and the same holds true for every child and his/her teacher. The movie does’nt end with a question for the audience like any other society issue related movie, neither it proclaims to have found a solution to some universal problem! it was never made to do that. The movie simply sends few messages to the people, to us…there is a whole different world out there other than mere Academics for a child!! a whole new way of creativity that can easily break and surpass the rudimentory cycle of Study-Get Marks-Work-Save-Die, which we all want to get out of but somehow maybe still helplessly going around it…and even unknowingly or knowlingy convincing our kids to go around it!!!

If we try to look at the bigger picture here…its not just the kids who are below-average, who can be into lateral thinking and unconventional lines of work…it can be anyone!! what we should be doing is try and understand that spark in the child and support in all possible ways to convert that spark into a reality…it might lead to failure, but failure is never the dead-end…its just the way life wants to tell you, ‘Take the Next Turn’…but if we give them a chance to grow and they succeed, thats when the child is happy from within…which makes all that journey worthwhile…Think about it, it does make a lot of sense me…! 

Five Elements of Success – Narayana Murthy

There are FIVE elements of success. They are:

• Openness to Learn: Openness to subordinate your ego to take ideas from others.
• Second, Meritocracy: The best ideas are adopted and implemented using data to arrive at the best decision.
• Third, Speed: Assuring you do things faster compared to yesterday and last quarter.
• Fourth, Imagination: You continually bring better ideas and better innovation to the table.
• And finally, Excellence in Execution: That is implementation of these great ideas with a higher level of excellence today than yesterday.

Expensive Paintings…CRAZY FIGURES…!

This list is ordered by consumer price index inflation-adjusted value (in bold) in millions of 2007 United States dollars. Where necessary, the price is first converted to dollars using the exchange rate at the time the painting was sold. The inflation adjustment may change as recent inflation rates are often revised. A list in another currency would probably be in a slightly different order due to exchange rate fluctuations. Paintings are only listed once, i.e. for the highest price sold.

 *Courtesy: Wikipedia, The Greatest Source of Information on Internet!