Song in my head

Benny Dayal and Shalmali Kholgade nailed it on this one from Race-2. My favorite track these days. The best part is when Shalmali says the word "sharat".

Power of advice

I wish we could all be mature to not offer advice to people in misery or whom we judge are not doing so well. Sometimes a pat on the shoulder, a hug is all they need.

Songs that are more like worm-holes?

There are some songs that just take you to a different time.

4th year, 2001 2am or so, I walk into chinkos and play my favorite song of that era "sona nahin na sahin" from one 2 KA four on the jukebox for Rs 1/-. Yes, in full disclosure I loved Alka Yagnik's rendition and combine that with Udit Narayan's voice with Dholak prominently used in this song.

Not to forget the turmeric egg bhurji and 2 slices of toast for Rs 5/-, sometimes Sari would just walk in at 2:15am with Topi or Bharat or Bongi.

Baaj

Who can stop an eagle, daring to fly

Aate de chiri

My grandmother (Late Sardarni Gyan Kaur Chadha) did something very unique everyday. She would knead atta (wheat) and then make very small bite sized food drops for sparrows. I grew up watching her do this everyday with extreme love and remember learning how to make those the food drops from her. She usually made a little bird (chiri) out of the dough for me and that was the first time I heard these words - "atte de chiri". Her birds knew her timing and this was perhaps the only time my grandmother spent doing something sitting all by herself.

Now my grandmother and I shared a special relationship. Probably a little more deeper compared to her other grandsons. So deep that she even tied me rakhi for two years because her dead brother came in her dream once to let her know that I was his reincarnation. She stopped tying me the rakhi after two years as she realized that does not made any sense but as a 10-12year old this left an indelible mark on my memory.

Another fun facet of my grandmother was that she took the credit of planting the guava tree in our front yard. Therefore, she always wanted me to give her the softest and guavas bitten by parrots to her. I used to own that tree as a kid and spend hours on it, so her demands were always sort of funny for me. Still, when I look back I wish I had given more of those soft guavas.

As I grew up, the pressures of life took a toll on me. I know it sounds crazy but life takes you away from the gentle touches of your grandparents. My grandmother always wanted to put oil in my hair and joyfully claimed that my mother does not know how to put oil. I probably got it done four or five from her but I remember one instance very clearly. Lying in our front yard on a manji (cot) with sun shining on a winter Sunday, her hands moving slowly in my hair and telling me stories from our Gurus. At that time, I felt she is so slow and I wanted my Mom's style of fast swift action. But now, my heart knows how much I yearn for that gentle selfless touch.

Biquees Kaur

Recently stumbled upon this series Bilquees Kaur from HumTV. What an amazing series, great play-writing and acting. Highly recommended better than anything I have seen in recent times.

Khwaab

Apne hi khwaabon se jal na jao kahin,
Darr raha hain sajan mera mann

Bonus

Should one be happy to see their bonus or should one think how is their business relative to others. As much as I try to think about the latter, I think I belong to the former category. Happy and content this Diwali :)

Middle market private equity

So I got introduced to middle market private equity pretty late in the game. By game I mean my MBA at Haas. There are some things that immediately suck you in and learning about middle market PE play was one of them. In John Brennan of Silver Lake Sumeru words "The ability to add value via operational experience" is what differentiates them. There is something magical in those words...operational excellence is one of them. How exciting it is to look at a business closely and fix it. I am sure I am not alone who gets excited by all this but the real question is, who is going to bet on me?
Other conclusions were, when you evaluate a business understand what they call as their accounts receivables, revenue recognition methods and importance of using net sales vs gross sales. All this is music to me. What was even more interesting was that as a PE guy one should always question all the assumptions as you evaluate a business, something my previous boss at work always stressed tremendously. 

feel good or really good?

A solid short movie, makes you wonder how many non-sikhs actually like these movies or believe in their message? Whatever the answer to my inconsequential question is, this movie created by Mr. Satdeep Singh is impactful.

dishaheen

zindagi guzar na jaaye dishaheen hoke
khoj hain uss pal ki jab mujhe bhi yeh pata chalein,
ki aakhir majra kya hain, talaash kya hain

birthday blues

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

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

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

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

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

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

"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

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

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