Bbye 2009, Welcome 2010

So here sitting in the dying moments of 2009, instead of being in a wild party, with a glass of Vodka in my hand and dancing like crazy as anticipated, I am sitting by the PC at home in Ankleshwar blogging...
2009 was quite an eventfull year in my life, from almost finishing off my MS at UCSD, to coming twice to India (both times unplanned), to having some mile stones in life, to going through all this arranged marriage process in top gear, to meeting some real good people, to losing some real good ones. The year in the end went much better / grander than I expected it to. Looking back, I think I could have done somethings differently, may studied a bit harder and got some better grades at UCSD, to maybe having some more fun in the beginning of the year, but in the end like the Linkin Park song goes, It doesnt even matter.....
2010 should be one of the most important years of my life. This year hopefully should give that final direction to my career and thus my life, depending on where I get in for my PhD to the topic I do my PhD on, this year sure will be a turning point of my life, and personally I hope it turns out as well also.
I just heard some fireworks in the background, so its 2010 now. I had the countdown moment blogging...... So cheers to a better year for me and everyone around !!
Happy 2010 !!!!

Cruise

Well I wanted to write about this for like 2 months now, but somehow studies and work this quarter have been taking more time than I would like, so kinda go delayed.

I had the wonderful opportunity of taking the first cruise of my life with Mom and Dad this Summer. We went on the huge Super Star Virgo for a 2 and half day cruise from Singapore, it was one of the no-where cruise, so effectively we just went on a long journey in the ocean and came back to Singapore. We did go to the beautiful island of Palau Redang during the cruise.

Coming to the cruise, the first thing that actually hits you is the actual size of the ship, I have seen big ships before at Alang and so, but actually seeing one so close by and then entering it is something totally different. So after entering this Huge, White, Majestic Ship we were assigned our rooms.

One thing totally different in a cruise vacation is that it generally includes all the meals and also entertainment options in the package. So we had the whole ship with a plethora of activities from a swimming pool with water slides to a discotheque. And to add to them 6 meals a day !! Yes 6 meals, starting from morning / bed tea, breakfast, lunch, evening snack, dinner and midnight snack. So it was like eat, have fun, eat again and have fun again. And the cycle goes on till the time you actually finish off the cruise. Also not to be missed are the excursions, like ours to Palau Redang, from disembarking the ship in the middle of the ocean into transit boats to exploring a pristine beach with the whitest sand and the clearest water I have ever seen, the whole experience is more than awesome. Also something not to be missed on the cruise is watching the Sun set and the Sun rise, seeing the Sun set and rise on the horizon in the water is really beautiful.

Coming back after the Cruise experience, I would recommend it to everyone. Its one of the most luxurious options for a vacation, and totally worth the money they charge, considering the five star ambience along with the fabulous meals... Everyone needs to go on a Cruise once to actually fall in love with the experience. I have decided to go on a much longer cruise on the next available opportunity !!!

Process of Arranged Marriage

This post may sound a little bit odd, especially coming from me. I have been a firm believer of Love Marriage from as long as I can remember, somehow I always thought that I will go for love marriage, and so did almost everyone who knew me...
But then as luck would have it, and also the probablity of falling in love with a girl who would meet all my specifications as well as my parents was so minute, I am standing at a stage in life totally decided on going through all the nuances of an Arranged Marriage.
Now having seen the process for Didi, I had the idea how complicated and long the process of Arranged Marriage was. But now that the whole process is for me, I have further realised how emotionally exherting it can get sometimes.
Lets go through the basic process once, I am sure its quite similar with other Indians too.

1. Looking for prospective brides - Basic criteria: Good family, Education, Beautiful, Height & the most important Caste !!
2. Initial discussions between the parents by exchange of bio datas, photographs and for future plans.
3. Horoscope Matching - now I have been asked by so many of my friends about this, that do I actually believe in this. Well for me it is like I dont disbelieve it and I believe in it to a certain extent. Plus my parents totally believe in it, so I rather go with it. But the only disadvantage of it is that it narrows down the selection even further, so it is like if there are 10 leads, after the horoscope matching is done, we are left with just 1 or so lead...
4. So after all this formalities are done with, the next step is the actual meeting. Now this can get really funny sometimes, I have seen Girl's parents asking my Mom, what clothes do we prefer the girl to be dressed in when we go to see her ?? Gets really funny, and makes me really want to tell the parents that we are not coming for Shopping, but to get to know the girl. Of all the girls I have seen, they have always been at the girl's house. So we go to the girl's place all dressed up. Here after the usual water / tea / coffee / snacks, I actually get to talk to the girl alone. So then its anywhere from 30 minutes to a few hours of a good conversation before I get back home. The initial conversation are generally about hobbies, education, future goals / plans & almost anything under the sun...
5. After coming back home, its a long discussion with my parents analysing the girl, her nature, her family and everything. And till date I have never gone further than that...

Now generally going by the traditional Arrange Marriage rules / customs, I am supposed to meet a girl, talk to her for some time and then immediately come with a decision - Yes / No. I totally dont believe that I can take a decison regarding the rest of my life so soon, and has been a pre condition with mom and dad all along that I would like to meet a girl few times, talk to her many times and then I will take my decision. In a way I feel this time and the interactions will give me an opportunity to actually get to know a girl better and also let me actually fall in love with her, and also make her fall in love with me before we both can decide to get engaged and then married !!
Sounds too complicated I know, but then good things in life are never easy and there are no shortkuts in life too. So enough for this blog, and till the time I get someone !!

Random

Yesterday got this great one liner - "I Think to Live, and I Live to Eat !!!"

I did find it funny....

Friends

It’s been quite few days since I posted something, and today while talking to SS, she gave me the idea for this blog, so I guess I will start this blog with her. This blog is about the wonderful group of friends I have. I love the whole bunch of them, even though some of them hate each other. So here goes a blog dedicated to all my Great Friends.

Shruti - Well one of my closest female friends. Know her since School days, been quite a lot years since then. Coincidentally I got closer with her once she left Gattu and went to Singapore. She has always been one of my greatest support systems, and have always felt good on talking to her, when I am in a bad mood. Now about this girl, she is one of the most Intelligent ppl around. Wonderful to have long conversations with and like me can talk about just anything under the Sun. This girl is amazing in everything she does, a perfectionist to the core. I have bet quite a lot of my money on her going to a really good B-School, and one day being the CEO / CFO of a really good big financial institute, also she is going to loan me the money for my Research Institute.

Aashish - Another of my best friends from school. Have shared some really good times with him, from solving Maths papers in 10th to eating Pani Puri at a Laari, it’s always fun being with him. Shares my passion of Cell phones, PCs and Games and they are always among the topics we talk on. Has become a Doctor, and should be a specialist one day, so at least I am gonna get free treatment from him.

Pushkar - He has been my chaadi dost, I know him from almost 20 years now. We had some totally amazing times in primary school, from fighting to bullying, we did it all.

Ankur - First of my friend who I believe is going to get a Nobel Prize. We know each other since school, and always were a trio, me, him and Ash. He is super Intelligent, and also a perfectionist, a killer combination. He excels in whatever he does, from his electronics stuff, to playing guitar, to composing poetry. This guy becomes epitome of what he does.

Abhishek - Tapuriah, another of my super intelligent friends. We spent two years together in Baroda, and had a whale of a time; studying, eating and getting fatter were our favourite pass time activities then. Wilson's classes were always more entertaining because of him. He too is going to become a Doctor, a Gynaecologist from what I last heard!!

Vivek - Another of Nobel Prize going to win friend. Again a great friend from Baroda, I had some really wonderful times with him, some of which included playing Recoil and eating out at Baroda. Is a wonderful person to be friends with.. He is the person I believe is going to cure Cancer one day !! Is doing his PhD in Germany these days, and I am sure he is going to do something great for the world some day.

Karan - Now he is one of my best friends from College - Nirma. He is totally into cars just like me, and talking to him is always fun, from arguing to fighting to being each other’s advisors we have done it all. Have fallen apart from the last few years, but I hope it’s just temporal and we get back to our old days some day. Had some wonderful times with him in Ahmedabad, from crashing out at his place, to going out at his farm house, it was all truck loads of fun. He also has been a great support system of mine when I went through one of the worst phases of my life.

Poonam - She has been among the best friends of mine in coll. Had some wonderful times with this intelligent girl in Ahmedabad.

Ragini - Now coming to my best friends from MnM, Ragini surely is on the top of the list. From what started as a normal friend ship, blossomed into a really good friendship as time passed by in MnM. She is a great conversationalist and had some good times talking to her on phone while in MnM. Is another of my friend who is on the Management side, and I believe she too is going to strike it big one day.

Hardik - Another of my great friends from MnM. Used to be my roommate in Nashik. Had some of the best times of my life with him. Is kinda lost with is life right now, but the day he finally clears up with what he wants, he is going to do it. Is a marwadi, and a foodie to the core like me.

Srinivas - Last of my best friends from MnM, again was one of my roomies. We had the best times in Nashik over a glass of Rum. At the end of the day in Nashik, we had one hell of a bottle collection from all the alcohol we had devoured. Is running a robotics company of his own these days, and is going to be a big name in Automation in India one day.

So those were some of my best friends, and I am really proud to have some of the most intelligent / amazing people in the world as my friends... Love you all !!

High in Class !!

Guess what Friends, I did something totally crazy today !!

We had this research mixer social event today in school, something I helped arranging !! Well nothing remarkable in it, other than that I bunked one of my classes to volunteer for it, and I had 4 Beers (Red Trolley) in it, and then I attended another class of mine !! Turbulence - supposedly one of the toughest ones I am gonna take for my MS !!

So how was the result, well first I felt great bunking the fluids one of mine, and then with 4 beers attending the Turbulence one was quite a good experience. It didnt make much of a difference though, I understood only as much as I do on any normal days !!! So one thing I got from it today was that I can go Drunk to a class !!! Lol !!

I know this post sounds a bit crazier than what you all expect from me, but guess what I had another Beer after that, and I am posting this Blog from a Class lecture which I do attend as a TA !!! This is surely one of the Craziest thing I have done lately !!

25 lesser known things about me !!!

This is the same note I put up on Facebook, thought will put it up here too

1. I was born on the 3rd day of Navratri and I didn’t do any Garba for the first 18 years of my life. I thought I had two left feet, till I finally learnt dance in Nashik.

2. I fell from a slide when I was 5 on the right side and fractured my left hand’s wrist (Even the doctor was amazed how I didn’t manage to hurt my right hand or my head).

3. I copied for an exam in my kinder garden from my class note book, but never realised that I was cheating, as I thought it wasn’t wrong as I saw from my own book.

4. I had my fist crush when I was in 1st grade, and have been having them from then, more over I have always been a hopeless romantic.

5. I had really long hair when I was young, and my mom used to tie them in two ponytails.

6. I loved painting war scenes when I was young, especially of battle tanks.

7. I know one of my Best Friend from more than 20 years.

8. I got a PC at my home in 1992. It was a 286 with 1 Mb Ram and 250 Mb HDD and I have been hooked to computers since then.

9. I started reading Auto Magazines from when I was 9 years old.

10. Some of my best friends are almost enemies of each other.

11. The first novel I read was “The Mysterious Island” by Jules Vernes.

12. I got my first email address on usa.net.

13. I was terrified of narrow spaces during childhood, and somehow got over the claustrophobia by playing computer games.

14. I got the love of cars & planes from my Dad, though he loves planes more than cars !!

15. For all you people who think of me as a Geek, I hate studying and barely study enough each time !!

16. My parents gave me a trip to Singapore as a surprise gift on my 16th B’day.

17. I am a big foodie, and sometimes believe that I live to eat !! Moreover I love the science which goes behind the cooking, and have always loved watching my mom cook and ask her all sorts of questions behind her actions. Today I can proudly say that my theoretical knowledge of cooking far exceeds my practical experience.

18. My first Valentine’s day gift was a Scale model of Valentino Rossi’s Yamaha M1.

19. I plan to write my auto biography one day, and have even written the first chapter.

20. I possess an enormous wardrobe and have more than 150 T-shirts / shirts.

21. I finally got one of my ears pierced after coming to the US, and wish to get a tattoo in the future.

22. I hated the taste of Beer till recent times, but then I finally developed the taste for it.

23. My favourite computer games are Quake, Unreal Tournament, Warcraft 3, GTA 3 & the Need for Speed Series.

24. I love to collect Watches, Sun Glasses and Scale Car Models… I guess this hint should be enough for people thinking for gifts to give me on my B’day.

25. I possess an extraordinary sense of smell and taste, and am generally the first one to detect food which has gone bad.

Songs I like

The other day I was going through AV's blog and read about some of the songs he was listening to that week, and the thought came in my head today about sharing some of my All Time Favourite Songs. Before I list them down, something about the music I prefer. I generally don’t have any favourite genre of music and like to hear whatever sounds good to my ears, thought I have always been biased towards songs with Good / meaningful lyrics. So here goes the list...

1. Khaled - Aicha:
Well I first heard this song while sitting in Mocha in Ahmedabad; it felt so good hearing an Arabic song in Mocha, which had a very Arabian ambience. I then for few years didn’t find this song anywhere, and then one fine I looked it up on online and found it. I totally love the Tune of this song, and even like its English Version, through the original Arabic / French version sounds much sweeter !!!

2. Enigma - Child in Us:
I generally like all of the Enigma songs, but this song has always been my favourite. The song features a stanza in Sanskrit, sung by a non Indian Woman, but I found the diction just about perfect, and it fits so amazingly well with the music, more over when the translation of the Slok is then sung, and it also is equally melodious.

3. Dire Straits – Romeo & Juliet:
Another song I came across during my BE days, I totally love the soft tone and the words of this song. Something I would love to play on my Guitar for the Girl I fall in Love with someday !!!

4. Linkin Park – Numb:
One of my favourite LP songs, it just reminds me of some experiences I have gone through, and strengthens me in a way.

5. Linkin Park – Breaking the Habit:
Another of my favourite from LP, and I like it for similar reasons to the one mentioned above, moreover it sometimes it inspires me to keep on fighting with Destiny.

6. Savage Garden – Affirmation:
A song I love from my School Days !! The song has one of the best lyrics I have ever come across in songs, and I try to follow the message conveyed in this song in my life !!

7. N’Sync – Bye Bye Bye:
This is one song I love for totally stupid reason. The song I feel is perfect if one wants to break up with their GF !!! I somehow couldn’t play it at the right time in my life.

8. Backstreet Boys – The One:
For people who know me, they know how along with Ashish have always loved B’Boys from our school days. This is one song which again is very special to me. I would like to be “The One”.

9. Backstreet Boys - I Want it That Way:
Another B’Boys song I love. This song makes me not to compromise on things in life, and ask / strive for them to go the way I want them to !!

10. Michael Learns to Rock – Someday:
I just love this song !!! One song I love singing too…

11. Chumbawamba – Tubthumper:
Another stupid song I like. If you go over the superficial setting of the song of being in a bar and drinking, I find it quite inspiring. It motivates a person to get up again, after you fall down..

12. Rembrants – Friends Theme Song:
I love this song even more than the Friends Sitcom itself. It so much follows the emotions portrayed in “Friends”

13. Black Eyed Peas feat. Justin Timberlake - Where Is The Love:
I love this song for the message of “Worldwide Peace” it wants to convey !!

14. Blue - One Love:
Blue another band which I like. I love this song from the time I heard it first, and I seriously believe “One Love” is all one needs to solve all problems in life…

15. Bon Jovi - Have a Nice Day:
This song has been my Morning Alarm for almost 3-4 years now…

16. Bon Jovi – It’s My Life:
Another Bon Jovi song I like, from the tune to the lyrics to the Music Video, I like them all.

Some Pics

Welcome 2009 !!!!

So for the my first posting of 2009, I decided to share some nice photographs I have clicked in the last few months, not very spectacular, but my attempt to improve my photographic skills and explore my Nikon P80 to its limits, before I splurge on a decent DSLR.