Timepass Moongphali

birthday blues

2011-09-22T00:03:00.001-07:00

Today was my first birthday when I did not hear from my papa. He did not wish me today but I guess he is around. Here is a pic from when I was 2 year old, that is Papa feeding me cake.

Chase student loans

2011-08-22T15:08:00.000-07:00

Avoid chase student loans like plague. Used to be a happy customer but their pathetic customer service pissed me off so badly that I cancelled my credit card with them as well. You take your customer for granted and the customer hits back! Enjoy that chase, no wonder you are giving away $150 in cash to have new customers.

Zindagi Na Mile Dobara

2011-07-27T23:42:00.000-07:00

Decent movie, recommended. Quoting some lines from the movie, I never thought I will quote Javed Akhtar. These were the lines when Farhan Akhtar is going through his inflection point.

Jab jab dard ka baadal chaya
Jab ghum ka saya lehraya
Jab aansoo palkon tak aya
Jab yeh tanha dil ghabraya

Humne dil ko yeh samjhaya
...Dil aakhir tu kyun rota hai
Duniya mein yunhi hota hai

Yeh jo gehre sannate hain
Waqt ne sabko hi baante hain
Thoda ghum hai sabka qissa
Thodi dhoop hai sabka hissa

Aankh teri bekaar hi nam hai
Har pal ek naya mausam hai
Kyun tu aise pal khota hai
Dil aakhir tu kyun rota hai

Found this link on youtube and it was worth sharing:

miss you papa

2011-06-30T14:06:00.000-07:00

there are moments in everyday life when the realization that papa is no longer with me tries to sink a little bit more deep. these are moments when i remember the days, he used to bring fresh jamun for me during summer days. he had those jamuns because a poor sabjiwala did not had money to buy medicine so my father used to give him the medicines in barter for the jamuns. no wonder they tasted so sweet.

i miss you so badly....i wish i could have spent some more time with you.....

laila

2011-05-11T11:40:00.000-07:00

There was a time in my life when Ishmeet simply disappeared from my life. Tough times those were....and I used to wonder...tu saamne kyon na aaye. Guess what, Faridkot's Laila song brought so many memories of those challenging times...

check this song out: laila

1984 riots

2011-04-08T11:42:00.001-07:00

I was four and a half years old when the 1984 riots unfolded in Delhi. We happened to be in Delhi when the riots happened. The only thing I remember is sitting in the Vayudoot flight from New Delhi to Kota as a girl. Yes, my mom had done two piggytails and I also remember that the air-hostess complimented me for picking only 2 candies from her tray. She said a very well behaved boy.

However, Sikhs all over the world should be ashamed of themselves that even after 27 years, there is no justice for us. More than five thousands were killed sadly ny our own people. Most of the people who killed sikhs, burned them alive, or raped our women, are most probably between the ages of 45 and 50 now. How do they sleep at night? How do they look at the faces of their young sons and daughters? I wish one of them comes out of the darkness one day and apologizes to the women who once had everything and are now left with just memories.

pyaar

2011-03-24T00:11:00.001-07:00

"Choti Choti Baaton Mein Chipa Hain Yeh Pyaar...."
"Rote Rote Hasne Ki Dawa Hain Yeh Pyaar"

Love is thinking about class IV-B and remembering Papa standing outside my class on my results day. Always smiling....I can still see him through those grilled windows.

al pacino

2011-01-16T18:13:00.000-08:00

nothing pleases me more than to see a standing ovation as Al Pacino walks to receive his golden globe award

I will miss you Ranade

2010-10-08T23:01:00.001-07:00

I think I come back to my blog whenever I am in a sad mood. This is a place where I share or write my secret things...unlike FB where its all BS. Today as I departed from Ranade's apartment a strange sadness engulfed me. The feeling when you fly back from India.
When I first moved to the Bay Area 6.5 years ago, it was Ranade and Anu who welcomed me here. I used to spend my weekends with them and Ranade's effort to help somani and me organize the class reunion was phenomenal. So many good memories, so many fun times and seeing Ranade become a father. I wish I could have spend more night-outs learning bridge from you man....

Miss you till we meet when we meet,
Chadha

DDS - Ik Jindree (One Soul) feat. Bikram Singh and Ishmeet Narula- Trailer

2010-09-10T17:45:00.000-07:00

yeh kya ho raha hain?

2010-07-13T15:18:00.001-07:00

Jo saath thein woh ab saath nahi hain,
Jo ek saath khus thein woh ab khush nahi hain,
Woh ek saath khush to thein?
Bhrahm tha ya sach,
Shaayad bhrahm hi hoga,
Ya shaayad bhatak gaye hain woh.

Madno

2010-06-24T16:43:00.000-07:00

Sometimes you come across words that just pull you towards them. There is something about the way they are used or someone pronounces them in a certain manner. Recently I came across this word "Madno" and could not resist googling it up. "Madno" simply means "Sajna or Beloved". This one goes out for my Madno...:)

Check out this lovely track Madno from the movie Lamhaa. Do listen to the "Sajna" version of the Madno song beautifully sung my Mika and Chinmayi.

Rishi Kapoor Vs. Amitabh Bachan

2010-06-21T23:55:00.000-07:00

If Rishi Kapoor gets to do half of the movies that Amitabh does, things would be so different..this one is for the finest oldie cutie of India...Rishi love you.

new albun "22 no faatak"

2010-06-07T14:46:00.000-07:00

His new album "22 no faatak" is quite enjoyable. My favorite song is Tere Bin. Interestingly the guy is an engineer and works in Adobe full time. Most songs are romantic ones, my only wish was that he had put together a song about his college days as the album's title is dedicated to his college memories.

www.dilpreetbhatia.com

Sukhwinder Singh Concert Bay Area 6 June, 2010

2010-06-07T14:43:00.000-07:00

Friends, Comrades and Fellow Music Lovers,
I hereby declare that I will avoid going to or supporting any Sukhwinder Singh concert or event. The guy has some serious problems and does not give a shit to his fans and their expectations. He sang just 6 or 7 songs, after appearing on stage 1 hour and 30 mins late and did not apologize.

That will be all!

Ranjha Ranjha from Raavan

2010-05-01T14:15:00.000-07:00

Some songs just stick to you the first time...Ranjha Ranjha from Raavan is one of those.

May 1st comes and things such as fight for immigration reforms hold new meaning for me.

blog exclusive pic

2010-02-03T14:40:00.000-08:00

A picture from our recent trip from India taken during Sahiba-Jaspreet wedding. Love the colors.

india calling

2010-01-26T15:50:00.000-08:00

The feeling just keep getting stronger. All I need is the right opportunity to fit back in as if I had never left. Time will tell as I think it would mean lost 8 years of my life. Still I would have the remaining 40 odd to enjoy in India. I find it hard to understand whether being pragmatic has elements of cowardice hidden in them? Strength, wisdom, advice and prayers is what I seek.

Listening to Kay Kay right now and remembering how Parle used to recommend him as a singer.

upcoming india trip

2010-01-06T01:45:00.000-08:00

Makes me very anxious.

beautiful line I just heard

2009-12-07T01:53:00.001-08:00

uljhe nahi to kaise suljho ke? bikhre nahi to kaise nikhroge?...

Sample these dialogues from the movie Blue

2009-10-28T15:19:00.000-07:00

Nikki: Hum ko mile 12 ghante bhi nahin hue aur tum humure future ke bare me soch rahe ho ?
Sam: Main to peechle bara ghante se hi humure future ke bare me soch raha hoon ! Aur tum ?
Nikki: Sabkuchh batane ki zaroorat nahin hota *lips tremble*
Sam: *grins* (but gets a boner, secretly)

Sam: Bag mein kya hai ?
Gulshan: Mauka. Utha sako to utha lo. (Now that’s called raw machismo)

Sam : Ek bag ke liye 50 million dollars kuchh zyada nahin hai ?
Gulshan: Bag mera tha to kimat bhi main tyar karunga ! (Lesson in Valuation)

Mona: Mera sapna hai ek oceanography institute, marine life ko protect karne ke liye.
Sagar: Is janam me wo sapna hi rahega. Main machhli pakadta rahunga, tum pakate rehna…. (har har har)

Sagar: Koi aadmi sirf tab andhere mein baithta hai, jab wo isqh mein hota hai ya phir pareshan ho.
Sam: Who ek aur karan bhi andhere mein baithta haijab roshni chala jaye. (makes perfect logocal sense but also makes me laugh out loud)

Arav: I always have two of everything heh heh heh.
Mona: That’s Arav for you, he has two of everything! (makes me ROFL)

Then, there were lot of interrogative dialogues using the word ‘Sawal’ which teaches a sure shot way to compose the sharpest comeback lines. I am sure this can be effectively used in office and homes. Allow me to exemplify-

Boss: Maine jo kam bola tha wo tumne kiya ?
Me: Sawal ye nahin hai ki kam maine kiya ki nahin. Sawal ye hai kam hua ki nahin.

Then at home,
Wife: Tumko aadha kilo kanda lane ke liye bola tha, laya ?
Me: Sawal ye nahin hai ki main kanda laya ki nahin, sawal ye hai ki tumko kanda nahin mili to kya honewala hai.

2009-10-03T11:58:00.000-07:00

Reading the good stuff.

Dussehra Celebration 2009

2009-09-30T23:51:00.001-07:00

Awesome Ravan burning video... :))

Instant Karma in Bay Area

2009-09-27T04:23:00.001-07:00

I would say these guys are giving us some of the worst Indian events. They throw attitude like anything and just because there is no competition at this moment, they think people have to put up with their shit. I can see they are going down...sorry Instant Karma and please stop getting drunk 18 year old girls to boss people around in your stupid events.

Kids of our family

2009-09-23T15:23:00.000-07:00

Introducing my newphew Sifat Singh Kohli

Road Movie - Extended Promo FT. Abhay Deol (Hindi Movie)

2009-09-22T00:59:00.001-07:00

Some things are just not worth posting on facebook :)

Gulaal

2009-08-21T13:57:00.000-07:00

A complete course in Politics.

love aaj kal

2009-08-09T16:22:00.000-07:00

I have to say Imtiaz Ali knows how to use the whole Delhi feel or Punjabi feel in his movies. The scene which depicts Saif travelling to Calcutta just to see her is wonderful. Overall a good movie experience.

toubebas

2009-08-04T15:00:00.000-07:00

Toube-Bas is all set to make an opening in the US market. We will be launching our first t-shirt, the IIT-B Skyline tentatively on August 13th!!. To see the actual t-shirt design and place orders on August 13th, please follow the link.

Pricing would be $15 per t-shirt.

IPhone post

2009-08-01T19:29:00.000-07:00

This is my first iPhone post. Mood is complex and the uncertainities within are overpowering. Somani and I once discussed how much we both love secretary jobs, I think I would use this passion when I start sending out toubebas tshirts in a couple of weeks.

happiness

2009-07-28T14:59:00.001-07:00

I wish I was a little more intelligent and had the ability to think deeper. My habbit of superficial understanding of everything helped me crack exams and get great scores but failed me to understand life and what I want from it.

That will be all.

choti baatein

2009-06-17T00:09:00.000-07:00

"choti baatein ki hoti hain yaadein badi"

Just exchanged some emails with topi and puneet on good old Cheda Shopping Center opposite Y-point.

My IISc Day Part3

2009-06-14T13:40:00.000-07:00

Later that afternoon, I met with Prof. Dwarkadasa again where he told me that I have been assigned to work with him during the summers. I was honest and upfront to tell him that I am not interested in Physical Metallurgy and would like to carry out my research on electronic materials. He was a very kind natured gentleman and offered his full support to me. Later that night I went to my dorm room and met my roommate Hrithvick, I do not remember his last name. Hrithvick was returning to IIsc for the second time and was carrying out research on genes and biology stuff. The moment we met, I was intrigued and impressed by his intelligence and confidence. On the contrary, he appeared to have figured me inside out. Within half an hour, he bluntly asked me that if I wanted to go to USA after your bachelors, to which I shamelessly said "yes".
Hrithvick smirked and probably crossed my name from his books completely. Over the summers, we rarely spoke or met as we were both busy carrying out research and were rarely in our room. Going back to that dilemmna I was in Prof. ESD next day told me that he had spoken with the registrar and if I am able to find a new advisor within a week to ten days, he would be okay otherwise, I would have to work with him to qualify for the Rs 2500/- stipend.

I have a strong feeling

2009-06-14T13:37:00.000-07:00

That I am meant to do something really big. I am hoping I discover that soon.

That will be all and I end on this note.

"Abhi Abhi mere dil mein yeh khyaal aaya hain..."

Youth of India

2009-06-12T00:16:00.000-07:00

I think Indian youth should learn at least one martial art. With everything that has happened in the last three-four years to Indians outside India, we should hit back!!.

Personally I plan to learn the sikh martial art of Gatka this summers.

IISc Days Part II

2009-05-13T21:49:00.001-07:00

I reached Bangalore around 7pm and I clearly remember as I walking on the platform it felt as if the ground below was shaking. Anyhow, I managed to get an auto rickshaw an reached the IISc campus, clueless as to where I was going to spend the night. After talking to many people and dragging my big green VIP suitcase all over the campus, I met a warden who was kind enough to give me a temporary room for the night.
The room was huge, old and scary but I slept with the lights on. Next morning I attended a reception where I met the other 28 young fellows who were selected from all over India. They were all nice and warm people and to my bad luck, no girl worth my time was there. As I was used to such environments, I overcame this first disappointment with great ease and later that morning went to the Department of Metallurgy to meet my alloted Faculty member. I saw that Prof. ESD was mentioned in front of my name and I felt this was my chance to develop new solar cells. I reached Prof. ESD's office and noticed three other students in his office. I felt I was special so will talk to him once he is done with these other kids. But Prof. ESD immediately said, "Gurjeev, I have been expecting you, come on in"..I moved closer to the table..."7012 Aluminum Alloy would be your alloy to be used in NAL's unmanned aircrafts". Those words, I tell you....shattered me and they still echo in my head because those words were repeated in a slightly different form, again in Michigan. But that is a different story altogether.
Overconfident and loud mouthed which is not my natural style, I replied back "There is some error, I am here to work on solar cell materials". Prof. ESD, smiled at me and said "Come back in 30 minutes and we can talk more". I left his office totally shaken and shattered as if it was the end of the world. But when I look back, I have realized that life's challenges come in various forms and most of the times we just can't figure out things, can we?

Kaminey

2009-04-19T02:22:00.000-07:00

I have a feeling...Kaminey would be the first blockbuster of the year.

That will be all

Son Of A Sardar

2009-04-09T01:02:00.001-07:00

More than a sense of fulfilment and pride, a sense of urgency to stand up and act surrounds me.

long time

2009-04-01T02:23:00.000-07:00

Do not have time to write blogs these days, facebook updates are way too convenient. But there are still somethings such as writing Heidi Klum is hot that I can only do on this blog. I think with Facebook having office colleagues and family, my blog gives me the privacy I seek (oxymoron ?).

That will be all for now

My IISc days-Part 1

2009-03-16T00:16:00.000-07:00

Sometimes you get these early morning dreams down the memory lane and yesterday morning I experienced such memories from my IISc days. I had spent two months during the summer of 2000 at IISc Bangalore as part of Young Engineering Fellows. In those two months, I learned so much about myself, my passions and my friends that I can write a book on what went inside my head.

The whole Bangalore trip started off on a setback note. My parents were really proud of the fact that I got selected for this fellowship but my brother who is very passionate about booking tickets forgot to check that my train was not going to take 24 hours from Kota but rather 48 hours to reach Bangalore. We learned this only after reaching the station and I still remember the concerned face of my mother. But I assured her that I would be fine and what started after that was probably the longest journey of my life. I bought my first Filmfare at Nagda junction and read it twice word to word during the trip. I learned the importance of having a good book (not Filmfare level) in your handbag for such long trips. I also learned that the electric engine shiffts to a diesel engine at Kazipet Junction which serves the world's best Mango juice. Just like at Kajrat people go crazy about the wada-pav, people go crazy at Kazipet to drink some of these fruit juices.

Having successfully completed around 28 hours on the train, by the next day I felt much better, less bored and came down from my side upper berth. I slept that night feeling strangely confused and wondered why I was going to Bangalore for two months?, when I could spend that time in Kota/Delhi chilling with family

Bay Leaf Cuisine of India San Jose

2009-03-01T12:12:00.001-08:00

This is one of my favorite restaurants in the Bay Area. The tikkas, curries and breads are all amazing and I think this restaurant has made me at least 5lb heavier in the last three years. Interestingly Bay Leaf has some coupons posted on google business pages. I have personally used the 15% discount coupon.

Pyar ke saath emotional atyachaar

2009-02-28T13:38:00.000-08:00

Some cannot imagine me appreciating english songs, actually even I have some strange feelings declaring myself a big fan of english music. I guess it does not go well with my public image. But I hereby declare, I am a big Pink Floyd, David Gray, Billy Joel and now a Lisa Hannigan fan. Kasam se Lisa ne to emotional atyachaar kar diya (I was dying to use this phrase in my blog). The periodicity in her head movements is the killer and watch those feet enjoying the beat.

Delhi-6

2009-02-25T11:04:00.000-08:00

Watched this movie on a rainy night four days ago with two kids. Honestly I came out with mixed emotions. The passion of the director was evident in the movie but sadly his hero could not carry the scenes well enough. Abhishek who was adding so much value to every scene in Yuva looked useless other than the achar making song "Saiyyan ched ...". Maybe it was the fact that I was sitting in the first row and Abhishek looked fat to me with his guppa-face covering the entire screen. Overall Abhishek was disappointing and I think the movie ended up being a *** movie instead of having everything to make it **** movie.

Sitting with two kids who have been brought up in USA, I realized that these movies are priceless to teach them about Ramayana and Indian culture. Needless to say RO-Mehra did a great job as a director but could have ended the movie better. The whole Amitabh helping out in his son's movie is not at all appreciated. Last but not the least, Soonam Kapoor is here to stay.

Nelly Kim

2009-02-15T12:00:00.001-08:00

Everyone knows Nadia...but maybe not Nelly Kim. The second women in the history of Olympics to score a 10.0 in gymnastics and in the same games as Nadia. Respect...

Watched Slumdog millionaire today...good movie.

Luck by Chance

2009-01-30T15:34:00.001-08:00

I have a feeling this movie would be a HIT....

I hope I can convince Ishmeet to watch this movie :)

chhabees janvary

2009-01-25T22:01:00.000-08:00

Its only when I was standing on the other side of the line, I understood how much that line meant to me and how much I would love to be back...

Gajini...I don't understand why anyone would like this movie. From the begining the movie comes across as a second tier effort copying tits-bits from the Memento and the action scenes from Bourne Ultimatum. The Heroine is useless and tries desperately to enact what Madhuri, Sridevi, Juhi showed us 10 years ago. Overall a mediocre movie whose only saving grace is music by A. R. Rehman. That brings me to my second point, I think Rehman needs to cool down and stop being Reshammiya. He is in too many movies these days and I do not approve of that. Not that anyone cares but you never know he might realize it himself.

Going back to Gajini, the only good thing about the movie was the villians weapon. I think that is how these things happen in real life. But Aamir Khan, I expect better stuff from you, what you tried to show me in Gajini was a complete waste of time and I demand you to work on something original.

Signing off

Delhi -6

2009-01-16T14:28:00.000-08:00

Saw its trailor for the first time yesterday. I could sense Rakeiysh OmPrakash Mehra (ROPM) all over. And Waheeda ..ufff..my $8 are already on this movie. It seems apna man ROPM loves Delhi to the core. It was clearly evident in Rang de Basanti and now he openly expresses his love with Delhi Pincode #-6. I checked out the music of this movie and it is splendid mix of various singers. A sureshot buy rating for this album from my side.

Chupke Se...

2009-01-05T03:07:00.000-08:00

Whenever I listen to this song from Saathiya, it reminds me of Parle. Especially the lines "doston se jhoothi moothi baatein karke, teri-meri baatein karna". Saala ekdum senti aur jhootha banda hain. Dil ki baat kabhi nahi kar paata. Aur doosro ki kahani suna kar apni kahani sunaaya karta tha. Between only Gulzar can have words like February, sardi, Marwa, Mir in one line.

New Year 2009

2009-01-01T16:04:00.001-08:00

The new year has arrived and we welcomed it with friends who are just like family. We sang, we danced and wish that the new year brings with happiness and peace of mind for everyone.

jaggu is back

2008-12-23T23:42:00.000-08:00

Do not know what has happened to me but I am listening to Jaggu again. Something changed inside me and because of that I had lost my connection with him. But I am so glad to have him back with me.

Tere saath gayi woh raunak...
Ab is shehar mein rakhan kya hain...

Sab ganda hain par Dhanda hain

2008-12-11T22:42:00.000-08:00

Recently we applied for a credit card for Ishmeet, so that she can start building her own credit history. And to my utter surprize citibank approved her a card for $25,000 credit limit (please take note this is based on spousal income). That is more than three of my personal credit cards combined. So now hopefully you get the title....

Topi recently reviewed the music of Gajini and he rightfully got the best song of the movie "Kaise Mujhe" sung by Benny Dayal. This song for me is probably one of the better ones after a long time. The best part is that there is a instrumental piece of this song in the album. Listen to the instrumental and give me two duaas...I am begining to like the whole idea of good instrumentals. Primarily because this is only place you get to hear quality flute and violin pieces. Otherwise the beauty of flute is simply lost in the drums and synth. Another thing worth mentioning about Gajini is the solo song sung by Shreya Goshal. A pretty crappy song lyrics wise but just enjoy her range.

what should I do....???

2008-12-09T21:55:00.000-08:00

Note: If you have already submitted your biography to Marquis Who's Who, please disregard this email.

Dear G CHADHA,

This is a final reminder that you are being considered for inclusion in the upcoming 2010 Edition of Who's Who in America. The deadline for submitting your biographical information is December 15, 2008.

Since 1899, when A.N. Marquis published the First Edition of Who's Who in America, business people, researchers, educators, students and others have relied upon its accuracy and currency of information. As we look forward to the publication of our 64th Edition, the original Who's Who in America continues to be recognized globally as the premier biographical data source pertaining to living Americans of notable achievement from every significant field of endeavor.

To be considered for inclusion in this prestigious publication, you need only provide the requested information by completing our online Biographical Data Form by December 15, 2008.

If your data passes our initial screening, we will prepare your biography in Marquis Who's Who format and send you a pre-publication proof for your verification and approval.

I congratulate you on the achievements that have brought your name to the attention of our editorial committee. We look forward to hearing from you.

Sincerely,

Robert Docherty
Director, Editorial and
Selection Committee

P.S. Inclusion of your biography in Who's Who in America, of course, carries neither cost nor obligation to you of any kind. Our goal with each new edition is to have full representation of noteworthy and accomplished men and women across all fields and industries.

Kirpan

2008-12-09T00:07:00.000-08:00

For the simple mind, the significance of sikhs carrying the kirpan (sword) is linked to our martial history which I believe happened by chance because someone had to take up the ownership to defend India and ofcourse Northern frontier provinces. But Prof. Puran Singh description is just so beautiful...here is goes.

"Every Sikh is to wear "His" Sword. Not his own. Kirpan is a gift from the Guru. It is not an instrument of offence or defense. It is a mind made intense by the love of the Guru. The Sikh is to have a sword-like mind. It is the visible sign of an intensely sensitive soul.'

The Sword Cuts rapidly and so does the mind

Taj Palace

2008-12-07T13:24:00.000-08:00

"I have held my ground as human history has unfolded in its timeless procession of laughter and tears. Courage and cowardice, good and evil. I will prevail"

An adv. run by Taj Group in WSJ last friday.

flying back from NY

2008-12-02T17:45:00.000-08:00

Flying back from NY was a cool experience. I saw three airplanes flying parallel or at an angle to my plane, different altitute ofcourse. This is just an amazing sight as you get an idea on how fast these planes are flying.

Oye Lucky Lucky Oye is a cool movie.

cell phones

2008-11-27T07:46:00.001-08:00

sometimes I wish, we had cell phone culture when we were in college...so many amazing moments could have been captured.

constructive ego

2008-11-22T15:22:00.000-08:00

While reading a friends blog recently, I encountered this term constructive ego (CE). I must admit, I have been fascinated by this term since. My friend recommended that you should have a healthy dose of it. I used to refer to this friend as a "snob" quite often back in the days and so followed a chain of thoughts and I ended up thinking that what is ghamandi (snob) for me is maybe constructive ego (CE) for him. But the more I pondered, and did introspection to find out where my constructive ego is, the more it got clear that snob is completely different from CE and I probably suffer from a deficiency of CE.

The second reason chain of thought is, if I am right about this concept, why do I lack it? I seem to lack it more in my personal life rather than professional life. I could identify scenarios form my professional life where this constructive ego helped me withstand pressures and present my ideas effectively. But in personal life, I could not think of any scenarios where I could identify me using this CE to put forward my ideas or points. The lack of it always makes me go through pain and suffering. Some of my close friends all seem to have it including my wife. From all this introspection, I think constructive ego is a good thing to possess and in the times we live it helps us all to deal with life.

James Bond

2008-11-16T13:26:00.000-08:00

So i went to see James Bond and sadly they spoke very fast english. I did not follow half of what everyone was saying..

that will be all

I salute

2008-11-09T12:58:00.000-08:00

Every single paraolympian ever to take part in the Olympics against all odds. There is nothing I can write in this blog that can reflect what I just saw and felt. All I have is mad respect for these brave atheletes.

Dasvidaniya and Oye Lucky Oye

2008-11-08T22:11:00.000-08:00

Both albums are very nice and capture their markets.

Dasvidaniya: is all about heart felt songs and my personal favorite is "Mumma", a sweet song about ma. I would rate this album a **** and recommend a buy rating. The music is by Kailash Kher (not 100% sure).

Oye Lucky, Lucky Oye: is all about Harpreet Singh :) The songs have the same masti that I would associate with Harpreet of good old IIT days. The lyrics are sharp and funny at many places. There is a Rajasthani number which is something I have never heard in a bollywood movie and for sure punjabi "folk" is making its way into mainstream bollywood. Songs like Jugni will rock the clubs for months to come. I would rate this album **** and recommend a buy rating.

Adsense does not makes much sense

2008-10-29T14:06:00.000-07:00

I added adsense after both Topi and Parle added it to their respective blogs but somehow this whole adsense thingi does not makes much sense. It is perhaps the only google application I have come across as not so user friendly.

I still get the message my account needs verification when I have a account verfied confirmation email in my inbox...well...I got to love the tags for this blog.

Happy Diwali

2008-10-28T11:05:00.000-07:00

Happy Diwali to one and all.....

what is love?

2008-10-15T16:41:00.001-07:00

It takes a moment to fall in love but it takes a life to understand what love is....

I can hear Sathe saying... "Dude that is so gay, I can't believe you actually wrote that on your blog" and Abhi and Manav laughing.

Manav soon turns back and says...."*&626&%^od sab &^%$^&yaap hain"

Images from Gaffar Market

2008-10-10T01:02:00.000-07:00

I clicked these while visiting Gaffar market during my recent trip to India in March 2008. I had visited Gaffar Market at least four to five times during my trip. My sympathies with all those who lost dear ones.

stay away from

2008-10-10T00:58:00.000-07:00

Drona and Kidnap
Both are totaaal... tatti and very very bad movies

kabhi khud pe hasa mein aur kabhi khud pe roya

2008-09-15T15:56:00.001-07:00

true....eh?

bata by choice

2008-09-04T23:19:00.000-07:00

The company whose manufactured shoes were worn by yours truly from class H.K.G to class XII lost its founder recently. We lost Mr. Thomas Bata, the czech born founder of Bata Shoe Company. It is funny that all this while I thought Bata is an Indian compamy. Another benefit of reading newspaper.

Sri Guru Gobind Singhji was absolutely right about the uniqueness in Sikh identity

2008-09-01T20:24:00.000-07:00

Our Canada Trip Summary...

2008-08-30T00:00:00.000-07:00

Story of my life at Niagara Falls, Canada

2008-08-29T23:54:00.000-07:00

Glimpse of Sheesh Mahal, Amer Fort, Jaipur

2008-08-29T23:50:00.000-07:00

what i miss the most

2008-08-27T00:45:00.000-07:00

What I miss the most
1) Go to sabji mundi on my Hero Ranger with a 20Rs note and get onions, tomatoes, dhania, mirchi, bread and eggs for Mummy.
2) Play in my gali with all my friends shunty, antriksh, sonal and raja. Maybe even badminton under street light on warm summer nights.
3) Cricket bet match with Amjad and his team. I still remember the key players in my team Nangia, Varun, Sonal, Shunty, Lokwani, Raja and Sambhav.
4) Stay up late with all my cousins (vicky, mini-di, gagan, deepa) making rooh-afza golas and sleeping on the chatt gazing at the stars.
5) Take a walk with Harpal Chacha to the paan shop at night and maybe have a softy at Jai Shiv Bakery.
6) Celebrate Diwali... bursting crackers and playing with the snake boxes :)
7) Enjoy the monsoon of all the things....get wet in the rain...kill the tiddies which come after the rains.
8) Eat kachoris at Sidharth Misthaan Bhandaar.
9) Sit behind Anant on his Hero Puch and check out Kota.

life

2008-08-26T23:49:00.000-07:00

Life is full of strange surprises. I am waiting for my share.

Sikh image in Bollywood

2008-07-19T21:34:00.000-07:00

The Happy-go-Lucky or maybe Always Happy - Always Lucky and loads of Dhucky sikh image might be getting a facelift in bollywood with Singh is King. It is strangely cute to see a guy in Pug and beard (semi-automatic) romancing with Katrina (feels good :p)

see this video and take a look..."teri ore"

PS: I lot of purists will not like this post and I know it.

Car maintenance

2008-07-19T18:34:00.000-07:00

I have always felt there should be a resource to tell me how much any maintenance job on my car should cost. Moreover, the feeling that someone is trying to rip me off is so obnoxious that it stresses me out tremendously. Recently, when trying to get my rear brake pads and rotors replaced, I went through this traumatizing experience. I was quoted prices from $350 to $1100 for pretty much the same job (and more) so you can imagine the "someone trying to rip me off feeling" I was talking about.
I googled, yelped and forumed pretty much did everything to feel confident with my approach but in the end gave up and left the car at the Nissan Stealership. Recently I found a new pretty cool website that gives people like me the much needed information and honest price estimates. The website is called RepairPal and I would like to thank the creators. It provides you information on the statistics of how much any service job on your vehicle should cost you. For example, for the brake job I had paid $450 and I was not disappointed to see it as the average amount for that job. Interestingly, the lowest price that I was quoted for the job is also the lowest price according to the website. It is funny how I covered +/- 3 sigma by just making a 10-15 calls, scary isn't it.

khuda jaane

2008-07-14T01:31:00.000-07:00

Khuda Jaane Ki Mein fida hoon,
Kudha Jaane Mein Mitt Gaya,
Khuda Jaane ki yeh kyun hua hain...

KK and Shilpa Rao have sung something not very unusual yet something very amazing. I guess I missed KK's voice

Avengi Ja Nahin - Rabbi Shergill

2008-06-21T13:14:00.000-07:00

Comrades and Fellow Countrymen,
It is time for all of you to stand in respect for one musician, his name is Rabbi Shergill.

Listen to "Avengi Ja Nahin" and you will thank me. Maybe I am over reacting but if you listen to this album closely you will agree with me.

Lara Fabian - Ave Maria (De Schubert)

2008-06-13T22:13:00.001-07:00

Enjoy

Atif Aslam, Kailasa and Richa Sharma Concert

2008-06-10T11:24:00.000-07:00

So I went too this concert last Saturday, the band Kailasa featuring vocals by Kailash Kher was awesome and Richa Sharmaa was phenomenal. Not so suprisingly, Atif Aslam was the main act of the night and he did not disappoint mast tha patha....sometimes I think if Atif was a stock, I would have been a millionaire at least since I would have had probably the largest number of pre-IPO stocks.

I will end this post with a few lines from an upcoming song I am listening these days.
दिल की येही खाता हैं,
के दिल को नही पता हैं,
की दिल चाहता हैं क्या???

PS1: Naresh Paresh from the band Kailasa were great on stage.
PS2: Amaanat Ali should stop singing and join a dance troupe. He does not like singing and prefers to just jump on stage.

Reality TV as real as it can get

2008-06-02T13:56:00.000-07:00

Amidst a lot of confusion over the contract and my resentment, Ishmeet had decided to participate in the saregamapa zee tv usa 2008 contest. She was enthusiastic on the amount of learning one gets in these contests and an international exposure. Last Saturday, her dreams were shattered because during the last few days when the audience applauded and the host Aishwarya praised her singing, the judges could not go beyond the fact that she is a Sikh girl singing a song with Punjabi influence. Instead of appreciating her singing, Suresh Wadekar gave her a condescending comment in the very first episode itself. Suresh now a veteran in judging these reality singing talent shows should know for sure that these songs are preselected and given to contestants one month in advance to practice.

The second episode was shot and Ishmeet rocked the stage again, this time with a sufiana song (predecided by Zee TV). But the judges were not impressed again because they could not bear to see Ishmeet performing at a level beyond her female peers. I do not want to divulge details about other contestants but there was this guy Jeoffery Iqbal and I can assure you he was goooood. Coming back to judges, other contestants and crew members told me that they felt a huge personality conflict between Suresh Wadekar and Ishmeet. I think he was taken aback by her confidence and voice throw, something he never had and had to stick to Bhajans and romantic songs his entire career. The other guy Aadesh Srivastav is not really judging but putting oil into the fire as needed. We all know how openly he dissed Ishmeet Singh during Star Voice of India contest.

After the third episode, these guys could not take it anymore and did what they do best. They broke Ishmeet’s confidence by giving her bad comments and forced Zee TV to change her song at the last moment for the next episode. She was given a “Lata-amma” song practically 4 hours before her performance (if you remove 8 hours of sleep time). She was competing with other contestants who had practiced their songs for over a month and a week of practice with live music. My darling angel went on stage like a brave soldier knowing her time had come because the judges did not liked her style of singing and confidence. She went on stage with just one practice with live music and did her best amongst all the pressure and tension. But it was her time to depart. Rest of it was all a formality.

In her exit speech, Ishmeet very politely reminded the judges that she does understand that her voice is different and she will make the best use of it. But I think even hundreds of Ishmeet cannot make people like Aadesh Srivastav and Suresh Wadekar understand that if Lata-amma sings an Abida Parveen song it is not going to match the class and level of Abida Parveen (vice-versa also holds true). No wonder these two guys have no actual work other than judging in their hands. Ishmeet performed her last act on the song “Yeh Ishq Hai” from the movie Jab We Met. As always she smiled in front of the camera and brought down the house. But she and everyone else in the crew knew she was targeted. She was targeted for being different, being a Sikh and being confident. I am sure if she had more time to practice the last song, she would have nailed that one too. But these heartless judges could not care for less, when Ishmeet walked to Suresh Wadekar after the show; he had an “I do not care” expression. I guess these guys work only when the cameras are rolling since they no longer care for music but something else. I am hoping Ishmeet got some learning from this experience, if not necessarily the one she desired.

PS: Suresh Wadekar stop wearing netted black shirts, your man boobs show off.

where were you

2008-05-25T00:24:00.000-07:00

Where were you when I was burned and broken
While the days slipped by from my window watching
Where were you when I was hurt and helpless
Because the things you say and the things you do surround me
While you were hanging yourself on someone else's words
Dying to believe in what you heard
I was staring straight into the shining sun
Lost in thought and lost in time
While the seeds of life and the seeds of change were planted
Outside the rain fell dark and slow
While I pondered on this dangerous but irresistible pastime
I took a heavenly ride through our silence
I knew the moment had arrived
For killing the past and coming back to life
I took a heavenly ride through our silenceI knew the waiting had begun
And headed straight..into the shining sun

Jaane Tu Ya Jaane Na

2008-05-21T00:48:00.001-07:00

I have a gut feeling the music will be very fresh and popular for this movie.

That will be all

PS1: Amitabh Bachan should stop writing his blog. Most of its is bull anyways.
PS2: Join http://www.lifeinlines.com/ by Maninder Gulati. I am still upset he let go of his kesh to get girls.
Ps3: The Bommarillu actress has finally arrived.
Ps34: I am running 5k after 3 years tomorrow, wish me luck

मेरा हिन्दी में पहला post

2008-05-05T23:54:00.000-07:00

भगवान् गूगल वालों को लम्बी उमर दे और उनका स्टॉक $१००० तक पंहुचा दे।
दिल गद गद हो गया

surge ahead

2008-05-05T23:39:00.002-07:00

Life has strange ways of challenging us. A person looking from outside will always get an incomplete view of whats happening in your life. Moreover, if you choose not to look at your life correctly you may also fool yourself.

The bottom line in life is that if you do not surge ahead you will always go down. Not because others will go ahead of you. Simply because you will slip down. It is only "you" (and no body else) who decides which way you want to go.

.

Jaane Kya

2008-05-05T23:39:00.001-07:00

I guess Zubin is gifted...his voice gets into my head. Dayammmm......

Ishmeet Made it to SAREGAMAPA USA 2008 Finals

2008-04-24T22:36:00.000-07:00

Bhailog,
Ishmeet will be travelling to Dallas for SAREGAMAPA 2008 USA Finals. She will be enjoying this experience with 20 other participants. I hope ZeeTV USA gets more sponsorship so that we do not have to shell out the expenses :)

http://www.saregamapa.us/new/contestants.asp

Jagjit Aur Chitra Singh - Sunte Hain Ke Mil Jaati

2008-04-22T00:43:00.001-07:00

A rare classic...

Few pictures from Kota Trip

2008-03-30T15:43:00.000-07:00

March India Trip Month of the Year + Tashan

2008-03-30T15:27:00.000-07:00

My last three trips to India happened in this month of the year, which explains the title. I came back from India last Friday and this time even more desperate to go back again. Maybe it is the fact that I went back after two years but even 24 days felt less on this trip. I am sure, I will be writing a lot more about this trip in days to come. I travelled SFO-->Delhi-->Kota-->Jaipur-->Kota-->Delhi-->Kota-->Delhi-->Amritsar-->Delhi-->Kota-->Delhi-->SFO, in that order last month.

In the mean time going back to my first love, music....the music of Tashan is nice!!! I think it is going to play all over and turn out to be a huge success. Vishal Shekar are definitely maestros at churning music which is for those young at heart.

Very funny Indian ad for Godrej DVD Player

2008-03-01T17:03:00.001-08:00

Another proof of the quality of Indian ads.

Classically Milds

2008-02-21T15:01:00.000-08:00

Amazing new album my Sonu Nigam...soulful is the word.

It has been a long time since I have blogged. A lot is happening on the personal front. Plan to watch Mithya, funny how I do not feel the same for Jodha Akbar. We celebrated our second anniversary yesterday...time flies....

I pity Raj Thackarey

2008-02-06T01:20:00.000-08:00

I think leaders (or not) like Raj Thackarey should be publicly punished and sent to jail.

Papa Cj - World Stands Up

2008-01-20T22:58:00.001-08:00

Pretty decent....

THROW shAron STONE

2007-12-12T01:13:00.000-08:00

Recently when interviewed by a Headlines Today news reporter Sharon Stone expressed how much she loves Bollywood and how much she is waiting for the right call from Bollywood. The reporter too naive or probably too much impressed by her answer asked Sharon if she recalls any recent movies from Bollywood and here comes the best part. Sharon Stone's reply was "Hmmmmmm Ymmmmmm yeah I loved this movie.....Hmmmmmm Ymmmmm Goshhh...it has been like six years....it was this beautiful love story ....such a nice love story....it had this female director....yeah I loved that movie"

music meri jaan

2007-12-11T00:12:00.000-08:00

Revisited the music of Chameli a few minutes ago, sounded as refreshing as it used to. A very good album indeed.

Another short story, Ishmeet and I were listening to the music of Aashiqui and she so religiously pointed out that how much she loved the tabla in the song "Mera Dil tere liye dhadakta hain". Reminded me of a an old friend very kameena I must say who used to play tabla on the trunk of politician Shukla.

my roommates

2007-12-03T21:46:00.000-08:00

My roommates/ apartment mates were in the following order. I would write more about each one of them soon

Rishabh Mehreja 1997-1998 Room #55
Ajit Ashwalayan Shukla 1998-1999 Room #101

Vishvesh Shriram Sathe and Manavendra Nath Mahato 2001-2003 Apt #2014

Ajay Mulki Rao (2004-mid 2006) Apt #1110

On Sanjay Dutt getting bail

2007-11-29T15:40:00.000-08:00

"Yeh public badi jaldi bhool jaati hain. Aap buss judge saahib ko ek baar saza sunaane do, sab ka judiciary par vishwash rahega. Baad mein ek-aad maheene mein bail karwa denge. Kyon theek hain na?"

sab theek hain...sab saaf saaf theek hain

holiday season spending

2007-11-25T01:22:00.000-08:00

I find it hard to understand why everything is taken to the level of fakeness(not sure if that is a word) in US. The Black Friday sale is another perfect example of this. Items are sold with an additional 5-10% discount on their usual price but the whole gimmick is to market it was over 50% discount. Patrons unaware of the usual pricing of the items tend to think they are getting an awesome deal and therefore end up spending on stuff they never really wanted. Americans on an average spend $570 on holiday gifts alone during the months of November-December. This gift spending combined with spending on the family makes this entire holiday season a huge factor in setting the pace for the American economy in 2008.

National Anthem Of India - Jana Gana Mana (By A.R.Rahman)

2007-11-18T22:38:00.001-08:00

A.R. Rehman is a good man.

soon

2007-11-14T18:03:00.001-08:00

Yes it is going to happen, finally I feel the urge to do it.