New Beginning (Yet Another)

Click me

La vita è bella

This indeed is one of the best movies I've seen. Its a story about a father who uses his wits to save his son in a Nazi concentration camp and making the kid think the whole ordeal is a game. Its a touching take of humor, romance and fertile imagination. If you are expecting a review of this movie then I assure you you'd be disappointed reading further. If you are wondering then why the name as heading, let me tell you that’s how I feel about life right now. The Italian phrase in English means Life is beautiful. That’s what I keep telling myself nowadays. It gives me new energy... a fresh outlook towards everything I see and experience.

I felt my job was boring doing the same thing over and over again. Until I heard the cleaner boy (also my new Hindi speaking companion) tells his routine at work. He works 14 hrs a day almost 7 days a week. His job is to vacuum the floor before people come to work, refill the vending machine and make sure the washroom has enough tissue paper. He has been doing this for the last 2 years and yet I see him happily joke around with his fellow mates. The same is case with the restaurant boy who takes orders. He runs from table to table taking people's food orders and delivering them. He does this the whole day. I don’t see what excitement this job brings yet he does it with a smiling face. Life makes me realize its benevolence in form of these people.

Before I could sink myself in this thought I hear a voice from within asking "Why do you want to satisfy yourself with what you have? Why don't you want to put your potential to do something better?" I'm an insatiable person. I'm a victim of desire. I've grown up that way. To many this maybe a negative characteristic but to me this is driving force of life and the fuel to go the extra mile. I guess I'm too young to be satisfied with what I have. Theory of Karma in the thoughts of Dhirubai Ambani also reflects this. Everybody is born in a certain orbit. We may choose to live and die in the orbit we are born. But that would be a criminal waste of potential. It’s up to the self to push himself harder to next orbit. This would not only benefit us but everyone connected with us. Since the first time I read this I've started believing in these words unconditionally. As they say "A ship is safer on the shore but thats not whats its made for". Just like the ship, in life we too are made to encounter the roughness on our trail to reach the destination. Some sailors break away half way but some hold on and cash in on the right climatic condition. They pass the test of endurance.

Mind was caught between these two conflicting thoughts. When I was unable to find answers I decided to accept both. You need to strive hard to achieve more at the same time be thankful to life for what it has given me so far. I've been luckier than many people in getting a decent education. I wasn't the best of the lot in school or college. I think the purpose of education is to train the mind to think and I can safely say my education has given me that. Beauty of life is in the way we see it. Winners are those who are able to spot opportunities in adversities. It has been a wonderful journey from a kid playing on the streets to an engineer working for world famous brands. Looking at all those times gone by I realize how beautiful life has been and I believe theres much more life owes me!!

Marriage Invitation

I've always known it had to come some day and I guess it has come at the right time. It gives me great joy as I invite you to be a part of the biggest celebration of my life. I know it's a little sudden, but I think I've taken the right decision. I might not be able to invite you personally. This is straight from the heart, and I wish you come and grace the ceremony with your presence as I begin a new phase in life. We are giving a new name to the friendship we've shared. Shes the one I laugh with, dream with and live for. The invitation card and venue details are below.

Travelogue - Singapore

Last year I traveled to many places within Malaysia but none of it have been recorded. This year I'm making it a point to write down a memoir of the places I visit and would like to call it a Travelogue.

Singapore 25th, 26th, 27th Jan 08

This trip was purely a weekend break. I'm saying this because for many, a Singapore visit is most probably for attending an interview. It wasn't the case for me and I did this trip to break the monotony in life. Going to Singapore has been a plan that was missed many times. I decided to make this trip alone from KL this time.

On 25th morning 8:10 I boarded the train. The journey from Kuala Lumpur to Singapore took about 7hrs with rusty and not so clean coaches. The Malaysian Immigration Check happened at Johur Baru and the Singapore Immigration Check happened at New Woodlands. Both these places are separated by a river channel called the Strait of Johur which is about 20 min in train. During this time I met three people whom I would like to call my first Singaporean friends. They were single elderly Chinese people all in their 70s. It was nice to be around with them as they were friendly. They addressed me as "Son.."! It was only in fiction books have I read something like this. One of the ladies there was kind enough to travel with me and showed me the direction to the place I booked for stay. The place was called Inn Crowd.. a dorm for backpackers who were mostly traveling alone. I was the only one with brown skin there. I realized that the concept of backpacking is still not that popular in my part of the world as it is in the West. It was a mixed dorm with long rectangular room with layered beds. People from Australia, Germany, Netherlands, UK, Korea wake up in the same room. Friendly people greet you and ask about your day or share their travel ideas and tips in the evening. Karen Brown, who slept on the bed above mine, was from UK who was doing a trip around Asia. I found most of them there were doing round trips for months together at a stretch... I wonder where they get the time from! People become easily friendly at places like these. Late at night long conversations happens at the in house pub over pints of beer. Since I dont drink I didnt have the opportunity to know many of the inmates.

In the evening I roamed around Little India. This place has some lovely Indian restaurants, Indian temples and Indian shops. The famous Mustafa Shopping complex is situated here. If you plan to buy cheap souvenirs this is the place. There are a lot of sign boards that say 3 for S$10. I got my Merlion fitted with a watch at one of the shops there. Later in the evening met up with an old friend Praveen and had a sumptuous dinner. At 11:00 pm I went back to my dorm. It was quite common to see 4 legs in one bed in the night. The funniest part was that on the first night there, on a bed across me, I saw 2 legs but as I woke up in the morning I saw it multiplied to 4. The guy tells me that it was his girl friend.. whatever!!

The morning breakfast consisted of slices of bread and egg. In the kitchen we were to make our own breakfast. I enjoyed frying the eggs and toasting the bread. My friend called me and we decided to go to Sentosa Islands.

This is the only spot I know of in Singapore that can be called an entertainment spot. It's an Island that has beaches and many other attractions like underwater aquarium and colorful dancing fountains. Getting there was through a cable car.

It was a nice ride that gives an ariel view of the city and the harbour. Spent almost the entire day there listlessly walking around. It was very hot.

The best attraction according to me was the dolphin show. We couldnt make it to the dancing fountains which I heard later from an inmate that it shouldn't have been missed. In the night we had Chappathi, dal and Kabab for dinner at a hawker place to save money. It was a very hot day and I was completly drained out of my energy. Took a shower and went to the lobby to access the free internet fitted time sharing PCs. Went back to my room at 2 am after reading some travel magazines.

Next morning after breakfast I called my friend to take me around the city. We went to the Orchard road, spent time window shopping at a few popular malls. Then we took the tube to Esplanade and walked along the road around the riverside and Supreme Court. In the afternoon we went to the museum. There was a special display of Buddha's relics and artifacts found in his age. As I was hard pressed for time I had to leave the place within an hour. But there was much more to be seen there. We later went to the riverside and took some snaps of the city skyline. After that I had to head back to my Inn and collect my bag. I finally found an hours time to squeeze in to visit Chinatown. Chinese New Year is round the corner and I was sure the place would be colorful. The guard in the MRT station told me that it wasn't a good idea to do this as the the place would be jam packed when I asked him for directions. Nevertheless I decided to take the risk. I was quite certain that I wouldnt spend more than an hour there. Just as expected I found a human traffic jam there. People had to squeeze each other to move ahead. It was no different from the Chinatown in Kuala Lumpur.

I somehow managed to come out within an hour but had a tough time locating the bus stop to catch a bus to the railway station. By now I was starting to become tired and the bag on my back was slowly becoming a pain. It was now I met an interesting person named Priya. Priya was a Singaporean (roots back in Kerala, India) in her mid 20s with a boy-cut, glasses and an Economics book in her hand waiting for the same bus number as I did. I asked for directions to the railway station and a conversation quickly developed. We started talking about various topics from Singapore Law to Indian Economy and later started having a friendly banter on the kind of profession we were in. It turned out to be quite interesting as we found both of us were of the same wavelength when it came to humour. Her mannerism was something I liked as it reminded me of friend I had in Chennai. While I was about to get down.. she said "it was great to meet you" and the expressions on her face truly meant it. I thought to myself "well.. she just stole the words from my mouth". All this happened within a span of 20min. As I got off the bus and crossed the road I realized we hadn't exchanged our contact details. As I turned around and saw I could see her waving back by the window of the moving bus. Well somethings in life are meant to be like this.

Now for the final words on Singapore. Its a very small country (city) but very well planned. Infrastructure is very well organised and only a few countries in the world have been able to achieve this. There is a central system that controls everything and that makes it easier to manage without having too many cooks to spoil the broth. Their rule is democratic (British style). Its more like Kuala Lumpur except that it is more orderly there. Both places are concrete jungles except that in that part of the jungle there is law and that is strictly followed. Tall buildings are common here and this is to make up for the less ground space in the country.
My friend was asking if I didnt find any difference between KL and Singapore and my answer was NO! It would have probably been an YES if I had come to visit from India and things like these would have been new. The city lacks entertainment facilities. There are no natural resources like mountain ranges, forest or a river. Ofcourse there is a beach and a harbour. Most (not all) people are very friendly and helpful. Public transport can be a menace at times as more than 60% of the population is dependent on it. There is now an inflow of immigrants into that country and in my opinion it can spoil the existing law and order. It will also lead to deficit of resources. The prices of property and cost of living has sky rocketed recently. The place looks OK to live in now but if there is no check on the people entering the country then it will loose it glamour.

Singapore - Day One

At last I'm in the city which is claimed to be in one of the cleanest cities in the world. Eventually this happens to be the second county I've set foot on. Three elderly Chinese people (two women and one man) whom I met on the train would be my first Singaporean friends. One lady (aged 71) helped me get to the hostel as she thought I'd find it hard to look for it being new to their country. One thing I found here are that people are very friendly and helpful. There are lots I'd like to talk about my first day experience but I'm currently using a free time-sharing PC. But I'll make sure I'll fill my travel experience when I reach Kuala Lumpur.

Being here gives me a great feel as I was in love with the city long before I even saw it. After seeing I'm definitly not disappointed. I've lots more to see so will comment on it after that.

Looking Back..

Too many memories but too dont have the right words to articulate...

The midnight oil burns..

New Year has brought a new challenge... With lot of hope and bit of out of the box thinking I'm happy I brought it to a step closer to reality. Now to kick something like this out would be foolish. This is something I have been waiting for about a couple of months but yet I'm quite unprepared to face it. It has hit me now when I didn't really realise it would come through. To face it this way is truly challenging. To me this is an indication that the year ahead is going to be filled with lot more hurdles and crossing each of them without mistakes will make the journey one of the best I have had so far. Odds suggest 3rd Jan could prove lucky for me. I just wish that my calculation on numbers don't go wrong this time too.

I'm quite optimistic that this year like all year will begin with a great start! Succeeding in tomorrow's challenge is the key to all of that. Its 11:20 pm and I'm trying all possibilities to make this a reality as tomorrow dawns.. no time to write more.. gotta go!

I'm Safe.. Dont Worry

This post is in response to the concerned hearts that wants to know how I'm doing in the wake of the latest protests in Malaysia. You have probably heard about the issue by now… Something that has, for the last 150 years, been a domestic issue is now gaining International audience. I'm talking about the fight for rights by ethinic Indian Community in Malaysia. Good friends have been so far calling or emailing to know if I'm OK amidst this chaos. Yes I am indeed!! There is nothing to worry for me (atleast for now) as the protests are for Malaysian Indians and not Indian expats like me. I'm keeping my fingers crossed as I fear the situation would get worse.

I thought it makes sense to talk about the history of this issue now. It dates back to Pre Independence days of Malaysia when the British rulers brought people from India to Malaysia as plantation workers. Malaysia is a multi racial country consisting of three major communities: the Malays (also called as Bumiputras), Chinese and Indians. After Independence many of the policies and quotas of the Government were designed to help the Malays improve their chances economically. Chinese dominated in trade as they were technically far ahead of the Malays and Indians. Indians became an oppressed community. The present protest by HINDRAF is for an amendment in policies and against the British Imperial rulers who ruled them earlier. They are demanding a whooping US $ 4 trillion. Unbelievable but true. Incase, like me, if you didnt know how many 0s this figure would have a simple calculation reveals that if this sum is paid then every single Malaysian Indian would become millionaires!! Whether the Indians would get this amount or not one thing for sure is that HINDRAF has made a mark. Looking at the time and manner in which the protest is made it looks to me like there is a political motive to it. On the other hand the ruling Government is trying its part to paint a picture that would make HINDRAF an exremist group. According to Government sources the HINDRAF group is believed to have terror links with LTTE another banned tamil extremist group in Sri Lanka. Last week the top 5 HINDRAF members were arrested under ISA. Untill the elections next year the situation will remain tense and I'm getting prepared for the worst if I may have to stay here till then.

Closing quote: Indians maybe a minority group but that does not make them a weak group. Lot needs to be done to change this mind set. A self change is required before seeking International court of Justice.

Road to Recovery

Its been a week since the blow and I'm 80% successful in restoring normality! The face is shaping up well as the swelling has almost reduced. The black bruise below te eye is changing color and there is very little pain now. But new side effects have started. Within two days after the blow my eyes started turning red. On Sunday night people started seeing a blood red spot on the left side of my left eye. Next morning it increased little more. It became quite evident as it was spreading on the white layer of the eye. It was the purest form of red I have seen. It was like blood stains on a white cloth. After not being convinced seeing a few general doctors I decided to see an eye specialist in one of the famous and sophesticated hospitals in KL named Pantai Medical Center. Unfortunately I was told that I cant use my Insurance card and that I had to pay and claim it later from ING. After a series of test the Optholmologist told me that there was no problem and only now I was convinced. My vision was good, no eye irritation, no double vision and no headache of any kind... but why the redness increased day by day? It was because of the rupture of blood vessels in the eye that was caused due to the impact of the blow which resulted in hemoragge. In medical terms it is called Subretinal Hemorrhage and in simple terms it is superficial bleeding in the eye. I was also asked to take X-Rays to make sure there wasn't any cracks on the cheek bone that would cause the fluid from the nose to pass through. I think I have this one quality that Julius Ceaser wanted his army men to have... LUCK. I narrowly escaped being hit on the nose or the eye. I was extremely fortunate to have no cracks on the bone.

I became an uncommon site on the the train or road. People stared at me and I didnt like their look. For this reason I started wearing shades. Again I was attracting unwanted attention as I was "cool..!!" wearing black shades at the desk while working. Every familiar Indian guy had a story to tell about his cricket injury! The worst was that of the guy at the local Punjabi Dhabha who had two of his front teeth broken half. I thought I was not the only one and why do I make a big fuss?!

Now I have been contemplating on leaving the sport I love the most to play. Not that I'm scared of another blow but the effect it will have. I have spent a lot on medications and tests. Two days of medical leave. Unwanted mental agony for both me and folks back home. Neverthless sports will be an integral part in my life. I have been thinking of taking up a less dangerous sport like Badminton which eventually is quite a popular sport in South East Asian countries.

Ouucchh.. it pains!!

A friend's SMS last night brought in a great surprise. It was about a net practice session in Kinrara grounds, one of the best International Cricket Grounds in Malaysia. It was the ground where India, West Indies and Australia played DLF Cup a Tri Series in Sept 06. I was unaware of the real surprise that was in store for me. I was told a great deal of effort had gone in booking the nets which was reserved for the Under 19 Malaysian Team. Since I didn't have the right attire for the game the first thing I did was to go and purchase cricket spikes and white T shirt from Carrefoure, not far from my place. A cab was arranged to pick us up at 11:30am. It happened as expected that half the team were not present even after the cab had arrived. Being on time had a different meaning to those guys. Since I was new to this cricketing group I was being told about the how the team was wacked in previous encounters with a company in Singapore. The opponent team had feasted long before the official banquet!!

When I stepped in the ground I was awe stuck by the way the ground was maintained. The picture above explains it all. I'm playing real cricket after a gap of over 7 years and getting cramps and muscle pull all over my body was understandable. Since my forte was bowling I was happy with the ball. I didn't want to try batting as I had the fear of the ball. I wasn't mentally prepared but I had to when guys asked me to pad up. I miss timed most of the shots but I enjoyed playing. Then came the dreaded delivery!! Good Length.. pitched on the off side.. good pace... hit the bat.. top edged and straight ON TO THE FACE.. Yes my face!!

For 2 or 3 seconds everything blacked out. I could see the guys coming towards me but I couldn't hear anything. When I was gaining consciousness the first thing I checked was that my teeth was all in place. I could feel them wholly with my tongue. Relieved I thought at least its not as bad as it could have been. I could feel the swelling on the left cheek just below the eye. It pained when touched. I feared a fracture on the cheek bone. Guys around told me there was a small cut and it was slightly bleeding. I went to the wash room to have it washed with running water. The cold water in the freezer was a great help. As I looked at my face in the mirror.. it felt like seeing a boxer who has just finished a bloody bout.... swollen face with a cut that's bleeding. In the silence I came to realise what went wrong.. Before stepping into the nets I made sure every sensitive part of the body was protected but I didn't realise my face and head was uncovered. I didn't wear the helmet! It was lack of precaution. If I had the helmet this could have been completely avoided. I must say I'm a bit lucky this time. The ball hit right at the spot where it is an inch below the eye and left side of the nose. If it happened on either of them it could have been a totally different story now. As I was resting I understood things are different now than in school or college. If something serious happens and I'm medically grounded it could affect not only me but people around me. I have responsibities. I had to be safe than sorry. Its a wake up call and I learnt a lesson today.

Things are OK now after taking the medicine the doctor had given. The swelling has reduced a little and not much of pain too. The ice bag and anti inflammatory ointment has helped in reducing the swelling but there is a heavy black spot on the place where the ball hit... something like in cartoons when a person is hit in the eye! The doctor tells it will become normal in 2 weeks. I feel very tired and doing all the medication by myself is irritating. I wish there was someone to help me. I'm missing home now!!

Diwali in Kuala Lumpur

Needless to stay this is first Diwali away from family. But the hospitality of good friends and their family made me feel at home. My Diwali started with a soft voice calling me by full name.. "Jayakrishna.." followed by load banging on the door. It was the voice of my house owner I realised and as I gained consciousness from sleep I dragged myself to the door. I opened and there was none. I found no one in the hall and her room was also locked. I thought this was yet another weird dream. I went back to bed and I heard the banging again. Irritated this time I opened the door and there was my house owner.. in traditional South Indian festive attire with a big box of Ferro Rochers! She gave them wishing me for Diwali and told me I should take "oil bath" before the sun came out as that was the custom. It may have been rather demanding but I felt it more of a motherly command. I obliged. In the morning exchange of wishes through SMSs were no different from what I used to have back home. Then breakfast was at Rudra's place with his roommates watching a so called comedy movie "BORAT" (Not my kinda comedy!). I had to leave in half of the movie as Naga and his mother had invited me for lunch.. a full course South Indian meal.. which I really enjoyed. Pankaj and his wife Nishi arranged for evening get together along with some lovely home made sweets and savories. I was touched by all of their warmth and love. For someone one who is away from his home and home country in search of some unclear dream this is how it is. I'm away.. but not alone I realised.

In Malaysia Diwali is a celebrated grandly and its a National holiday. Brickfields has a ten day market with evening stage shows. It is a place to "check out" the Romeos and Juliet's of Malaysian Tamils. Open houses are held at various places. According to Wikipedia " 'Open houses' are held where Hindu Malaysians welcome fellow Malaysians of different races and religions to their house for a sumptuous meal. 'Open house' or 'rumah terbuka' is a practice very much unique to Malaysia that shows the goodwill and friendly ties practised by all Malaysians during any festive occasion." It was the most silent Diwali for me so far. Very few sounds of crackers were heard. Bursting crackers are banned by Govt here. Fireworks are only during Govt functions and New Year. I was born in a place called Sivakasi.. which boasts of the highest number of cracker manufacturing units in India. I have close relatives there and every year they would send us the best crackers for free. During school days on Diwali friends would wait for me and my elder brother in the ground as we would have the best variety of crackers. I still get these back home but now its my cousin who enjoys the pride with his friends. To me Diwali is always a time to get back with street friends and have some cheap fun trying out innovative ways to explode a coconut shell or cracking the wall around the ground using the "Atom Bombs"!!

Diwali brings back many such memories that will always remain close to my heart. Now that is history and I can only think of them with a feeling that I'm glad that it happened. To me Diwali will always be festival of light and love.

Unexplained Dreams

Strange things happen to me when I sleep. Vivid pictures of totally unrelated incidents pass my mind as I sleep. I can remember them just as I get up but they slowly fade away from my memory as I move along the madness of the passing day. Its been the case with me for many years. when I sleep the body rests but the mind remains still wandering searching for answers to the questions that trouble me in the day. The result of this is disturbed sleep and I do not feel fresh as I wake up next morning. But quite interestingly I have found solution to many problems. Like for example the blog description.. "Faster than Ray of Light". I got this name when I got up from a sleep after I went to bed thinking what to name my blog the previous night. The reason it "light" was deliberate I think as my mind keeps thinking about something that it relates to light and happiness knowingly or unknowingly. I know why my mind thinks of light and happiness but it is irrelevant here. I believe in the power of the mind and I want to know what these strange dreams want to tell me. I have decided to write down these dreams and see if I can relate it to something.

THE DREAM - 5th Nov 2007

BEGIN

I was leaning against a red sedan and watching a kid near a school gate. The kid was about 7 yrs old and was wearing a white and white school uniform, with a big shoulder bag behind him and a water bottle on his side. He was cute and had glasses with black frame. He was active and was a big hit among the other parents who came to pick up their children. He didnt have any worries in his mind and I wished I was as happy as he was. So I went up to him and started talking. He casually answered me as he was playing with his other friends. I asked him where's his house and I would leave him in his house. He said its only 5 min walk and he can walk on his own. I told him that I will come along and he didnt refuse. So we started to talk and walk. On the way he was kicking the stones. I saw an innocence in him that I had rarely seen before. As we walked I felt I was walking down a familiar street. The houses, play ground and road was known to me before though I dont remember when I'd been here. He pointed to a banglow that was painted white and maroon and said that was his house. I asked the kid who is his father and he told me his name. And I quickly asked him who is his mother and he told me the name.. I knew it had to be this!!

END

I shuddered as I got up. I took the mobile that was besides the bed. The time was 12:37 AM. Three missed calls and one SMS. I vaguely ran through the list of callers and the message. The name pf the kid's mother was still on my head as it was a very different name and I thought I had come across this name when I was in school but just couldnt remember who it was. I wanted to store it so quickly typed it in my message box and then slept. As today at work there was an important client audit we were quite busy right from the time I stepped in. Without knowing I had typed something in my message box I replied to a friends sms that came along asking "What time Lunch?". It was only in the afternoon I realised I had stored this name in it. Now it was gone as it was replaced with my reply to my friend. The name starts with "A" and some thing like Arth... and ends in "i"... no not Arthi! I just couldnt figure it after thinking the whole day but nevertheless I thought I will write it down and see if it will relate to any of my other dreams. In the meanwhile you guys can think of a name with this combination let me know..

Hairy Tale

I woke up in the morning scratching my head. It was so itchy and the scratching was soothing. It was only after a while I noticed white tiny flakes on my dark blue T shirt.. Dandruff!! It was just like in those shampoo ads which so far I thought was just an exaggeration. I had to see it to believe it. I was big headed that all along I was thinking that, unlike many other people I knew, I never had this and will never ever have it but I was wrong. Hair falling has been a concern for a long time and to add to this now.. another problem Dandruff. The long hours of working with computers, compromising health, is slowly taking its toll on me. Now that its in.. I'm gonna have big trouble for the rest of my life.

I'm going to start a home medication that my mom has told me. To start off with I went to the barber in the morning to have a real close hair cut. Well choice to have a close hair cut was of my own as I think a big burden is taken off your head and you can concentrate more on the goal you wish to pursue. I'm influenced by the Buddhist and Army men. Infact the kind of hair cut I had today was one like that of a Buddhist Monk... An electric clipper with 3 Inch blade was used. Visibly all part of the head now has equal hair length. It was agonizing to see flocks of hair fall on the floor. As the barber was doing my hair I could imagine a strange similarity to a gardener mowing his field!! With the hair gone I decided to remove my one month old well grown beard too. It took me one full hour to have it removed. And the result.. a new look. Now I only hope people don't have trouble recognizing me at the Immigration Office as I'm going to Singapore next week :)

Listen to this audio.. it was sent to me by a friend in one his usual forwards. I found this interesting. Amazing Virtual Experience in Sound. Its Binaural recording… Use Stereo Headphones only.

Statutory Warning: DO NOT LISTEN UNLESS YOU HAVE HEAD PHONES!!

Photography Field Trip - Sekinchan

It’s time again for us to leave our office cubicle, pack your camera and gears…let’s head to the “Rice Bowl” of Selangor.

These were the words that brightened my day as today I received the second and final communication email for the photography field trip to Sekinchan popularly known as the "Rice Bowl" of Selangor. This is part of the HP Photography Club's monthly activity and my first with this group. Its also an initiative to help photographers who are willing to take part in HP's Q3 Photography Contest "Green & Blue". I have recently joined this club and was one of the first ones to register for this trip as it was limited to just 25 people. Now I'm really excited and looking forward to this trip on Saturday 3rd Nov 2007.

Sekinchan is a small town located up North of Selangor, about 1 and a half hours drive from KL. It is one of the major rice producing area in Malaysia and hence known as the "Rice Bowl" of Selangor. Selangor is one of the 13 states of Malaysia and Sekinchan is a must see for people visiting Selangor.

I have been told that going there in the month of Oct/Nov is best because you can watch the Golden colour of the paddy field amidst the blue sky. The town itself has a unique dual character. Apart from paddy field, it is also a fishing village by itself.

The agenda is to meet at 7:00 am at office premises and have some light breakfast that would be served. Then get on the cab and head straight to the spot. As soon as we reach Sekinchan we would go around the village and explore its scenic beauty of vast green land. Then we would feast ourself with some delicious seafood thats all going to come for free. Ssslurrpp!! There are a lot of seafood restaurants in Sekinchan offering various fresh seafood. When we were asked for the choice of food I was quite surprised to find that of the total 25 people only me and another Indian guy had opted for 'Pork-Free' Food!! Rest of the choice was unanimously 'Any Food' but yeh there was one Chinese who had opted for 'vejeetirian'. The last part of the trip is to watch the sunset at the fishing village before heading back to KL.

Its been a while I went travelling now and this would be a nice trip I hope. Good food, good scenery and good company, what more do I need?

On the run..!!

Today morning marked the third day of my jogging on the streets on Kuala Lumpur. The reason to do it was the clear visibility of the extra fat around waistline and abdomen. There has been no physical activity for a long time and the sedentary working habits has only added up to the sloppy belly. Before things can go worse I've decided to take steps. Hopefully this time it wouldn't be like the other times where I gave up as fast as I started.

The longest distance I was able to make it in these 3 days was 4km which I covered both walking and running on Friday. I start at about 6:20 in the morning and I run for about 30 min just when the twilight illuminates the city. Of course there would be some strange stares I'd get but I'm quite used to these things now. The only place in KL you can encounter stray dogs is Brickfields the place I stay. This is the only thing I'm scared of while starting my run in the morning. Legs have become lazy nowadays that it can't move as it used to before. So I start to walk initially and then slowly run. It is at this time I think of the activities that I wish to complete for the day. Finally at the end of the run I'd do a bit of stretching and abdomen exercise. Then have a cold shower. Trust me it feels great through out the day after this. I get this extra freshness and activeness that I don't remember having before.

When in college I always liked to run in the morning at the Anna Nagar Tower Park, Chennai. One thing thats still on mind is meeting a person who comes walking there. He was 89 then and a regular morning walker. I was amazed by his fitness at that age. There were many other people like him and who have been an inspiration to me. Jogging is one of my first attempts to revive old passions. I'm running... away from the confusion thats going on in my head.. the darkness thats looming over me... I'm running to find the person I once was...

... And I cleaned my room

It was a beautiful room when I walked in on 1st April 2007. Though it wasn't posh it was big and had all the necessary things needed for living comfortably. The thing I liked the most about this room was the way it had been maintained. It was super clean and everything was neatly arranged. Looking at it after 6 months I see a different picture. The room is cluttered. Books and papers on the bed that had no bed cover. Clothes and food stuffs (mostly spoilt and rotten) strewn around on the ground and sofa. CDs and bills scattered disorderly on the table. A big cushion one seater right in the middle of this mess making it difficult to move around. And worst of all there is no light. For the last 4 months I was living amidst all this. Two months ago things got worse when the light fused. I'm living in darkness since then as I didn't want anyone to enter my room even if it has to be the electrician or the cleaning lady. Necessasity leads to innovation. I started using my laptop as a source of light. As soon as I come back from work I switch on the laptop and there was light!! Many including my house owner asked me how am I managing with the darkness in room.. I just told them "..well my life has been in darkness for more than 2 years now.. this is only in the room!" I'm sure you don't understand what I meant just like the people who heard it before.. but its meant to be that way.

I didn't sleep last night and was watching a couple of movies as today was an off day. In the wee hours of the morning I saw something moving around on the floor.. strained my eyes to see it better and it was a cockroach running underneath my bed. I knew I was having many more uninvited guests like this one in my room. So thinking it was high time I do something about it.. I picked the broom at 7 AM. Started something that was put off for more than 4 months. When I started I didn't know how I was going to clean the mess. It was similar to the mess in my life. But somehow when I started I came to realise ways to dispose the waste and place to arrange my things. It also led me to discover many good things that I once had which was hidden in the mess. It has a strange but striking similarity in my life. This has made me understand that if you want to change something you need to start. I think chancing oneself is the first step in changing the world. Finally I finished it around 3 PM. The whole room was given a face lift. Have a feeling of accomplishment now. I didn't think anyone else would have been more happy to hear except my mom so I called her to say this. Lit some incense sticks that I got from the Buddha temple in Penang and played Balamurali Krishna and E Gayatri on my laptop. It was heaven in my room with the fragrance, smoke and sound. Listening to sound of Veena I lay on the bed. The next thing I remember is the phone ringing and the time was 9:37 PM. I don't know what happened in between.. but I just presume I may have slept!

An absolute thriller.. fitting climax!!

I'm writing this just a few minutes after watching India lift the Twenty20 Cup

India beating Pakistan at the finals of Cricket's first ever big game of the shorter version. None can ask for a better climax to the hugely entertaining tournament. A dream final with twists and turns and that ending in India's favor. It was a edge of the seat thriller till the finish with either team having the chances to snatch the Cup. Ultimately it was a billion hope that prevailed over a hundred million in the first ever Twenty20 World Cup .

I watched this match amidst a crowd of over 100 people at a packed Indian restaurant late in the night here in Kuala Lumpur. I have personally not felt this kind of excitement watching Cricket in the last 8 years. A sudden sharp feeling of excitement ran over my nerves when Sreeshant shattered the stumps. I got up the chair and started moving around frantically during the last over of the match. I got goose bumps watching the Indian team go around the ground with the tri-color after winning. The crowd of Indian supporters started shouting for all the dot balls India bowled. A few Pakistanis present there never attempted to make the slightest noise even when their country batsmen smacked over the ropes in the final overs as a frenzy Indian mob totally outnumbered them. A Malay-Indian friend of mine told me that he read somewhere that India's patriotism feeling is at its best during an India-Pakistan match than even on its Independence Day. I think thats absolutely true. Matches like these get the true patriotism out of Indians. I think I didn't get lucky like those who were sitting on the sands of Marina watching this match in Chennai. The crowd makes the difference.

The newer version of the game has taken the major teams by surprise. Proteas unexpected exit from the tournament; Kiwis and Oz surprise losses; The Tigers shaking the confidence of many top class teams; All South Asian final. The uncertainty in the game is what has made Twenty20 so popular. The match can swing any side within a few balls. Twenty20 has all the elements to make it entertaining like football. Who said Cricket is long and boring?

This is India's most successful performance since the 1983 World Cup final. Dhoni has made the Dev-il act in his first ever assignment as a Captain. Our neighbours didn't get a chance to relive the 1992 World Cup moment. Being an ardent cricket fan since 1992 my greatest moment in cricket is to watch India lift the world cup. I think I got to see it in this life time. Not sure when again I would get to see this. Who knows maybe after 20 years I might mutter "when are we going to see another Dhoni's marvel.. why don't you guys learn from mistakes?"

For me this was the first time I got so involved in a match after Azharudhin left the game. My interest in the game was completely lost when Azhar was convicted for match fixing. This tournament has only revived it after seeing many promising talents rising to the occasion. But I have always felt Indian team and consistency is synonymous with peace and Kashmir. I think this present team can prove it all wrong. Hopefully the perks that they are now going to get, back home, shouldn't spoil their burning spirit to win. Dhoni has already been named for one of the most prestigious award in Jharkhand. Quoting MSN "The Board has announced USD 3 million for the team and Rs 15 lakh each for the support staff while Yuvraj Singh will get Rs 1 crore for hitting six sixes in one over." Another important thing to watch out for is the transformation from window breaking mob to cheering supporters.. that's Indian cricket crowd for you!

DSC02332-1

DSC02332-1
Originally uploaded by Jay Krishna

Trial

I'm back... Unsuccessfully

The mission was unaccomplished. I have decided to give up (for a while) owing to various social factors. When I decided going into seclusion I never thought of the repocations it would have. First of all it was a complete self destruction physically. Most of the time I spent the whole day without food or with just one meal a day. Try in vain to sleep until 4am and then somehow dose off only to wake up late in the morning. And because of this I continuously came up with a new lie everyday at work with teammates for going late. Room was dirty overall and sometimes I slept on the floor amidst the dirt and filth. Light had fused and I didn't bother to replace it. Wore unwashed and unpressed clothes. I know I looked sick with unshaven or untrimmed beard for over 3 weeks!! Mom and dad starting worrying as I stopped calling them. Same as the case with friends. I started to realize that it was just not me who's affected but also many others around me. So finally I decided to get into what others call it a 'normal life'.


Some of the things that crossed my thoughts were

Expectations: Man's greatest weapon and weakness. "Blessed is the man who expects nothing, for he shall never be disappointed". Maybe that's true. But this is what I believe when the expectation is high the target to achieve is also high which yields higher reward. With all the failures and disappointment along the way I still like to dream.. and that too big. Vision without action becomes illusion. This is what I have understood.

Women: Symbol of pleasure. Pleasure seems a strong word and to cut your imagination short let me tell you what I tried to mean: 'Amusement'; 'Diversion; 'The gratification of the mind'; 'Something good and delightful that brings happiness'. All this can also be the biggest source of diversion from the usual work you are required to perform day in and day out. There can be no women in your life who can been a source of unrelenting love and affection except for your mom for she is the symbol of sacrifice.

If success has a percentage equal to 100 then 80 - 85% of it is your effort. The remaining 15 - 20% depends on external influences. Some like to call it GOD... some call it FATE/DESTINY... and some call it LUCK. Whatever name you give it you cannot change that part of it as in most cases you will have no or very little control over them. All that can be done is to improvise on 85%.. simply maximize your effort towards succeeding you goal. As long as you have faith in our own cause and an unshakable will to win, victory will not be denied.

In life we get burdens only strong enough to handle. When they fall on you its test for you to understand that this is a symbol that life knows you have the strength to endure them. Its a test of limits.

Maybe the first attempt was a partial failure. Nevertheless, I consider this as an eye opener. I think I'm just waking up to the truth.. the truth of where I am in this rat race for love, fame and money.