Change Your Perception by Rahul Joshi

This is written by a very Dear friend Rahul Joshi, who volunteers with the Yes Plus team Noida Full Time and works Part Time with Adobe Inc

Life isn't designed to run from the hardships.

But is to teach you to face challenges with smiling lips.

Troubles ain't meant to make you depress.

But they come to make you accordingly dress.

Quarrel never shows someones protest.

Rather, People Quarrel to show that even you can be the best, unlike the rest.

And neither do people criticize to show dislike.

But they instead grill you for your next strike.

Friendship doesn't means a timely support.

But, is a feeling that someone's always there to escort.

LOVE is not meant to ask.

But, it's rather a give and forgive task.

A Celebrity Hero - Guru Stories

Yesterday I attended a Guru Puja and Satsang organized by a Yes Plus Teacher Shreya Ramkumar at her home in Chennai. One of my Juniors from college Dewang Vora accompanied me to the puja as he was very keen on it. I reached early to help her in arranging the place. A few of Shreya's kids also dropped in for the puja. At 5.30 pm, bang on time Neelanjan Bhardwaj a.k.a Anil arrived, he was the one who was to perform the Guru Puja. On his arrival Shreya told me that he was a Kick Boxer earlier and he did look like one, standing at 6.5 feet and a very huge built he was very intimidating. The Puja then started with the customary chanting of OM 3 times after which the chanting began and once the Guru Puja chanting was over, the satsang team took over and sang a few bhajans.

Once it was all done then everyone got into a group while having delicious prasad ( Sundal, Sweet Pongal and Modak ) and then began discussing knowledge and how we came into the path and more importantly and the most interesting thing - GURU STORIES.

Everybody had their share of experiences and Guru Stories. that was when Anil began to share on such Guru Story of his. He started by saying that once while driving on his bike he got hit by a vehicle from behind, which forced him to over railings of the Fly over he was going on.

That was when I said, " SO YOU ARE THE ONE"?, and he was like, Oh man this is for the umpteenth time that I have not been able to finish my Guru Story.

I had already heard this story from Gauri Bhake a teacher in Delhi when I was volunteering in one of her courses. So this Guru Story of Neelanjan would be shared by many such teachers when they would be talking about GRACE.

The Story then continued for those who had not heard it,

So the moment he fell off the bridge, the others driving behind were scared to look down on his certain death. But when they looked down they saw Neelanjan waving at them frantically from a truck that was full of HAY which was coincidentally moving under the bridge. Every one there was dumbstruck n speechless as it looked like a completely filmy scene which would have taken more than a few retakes to perfect. But then as its said, when the divine is the director, perfection becomes the order of the day.

That's when I added, Neelanjan you are a Celebrity Hero for Guru Grace Stories in most parts of India.

Neelanjan's story is mentioned in a post on Bawa n Dinesh da's Blog - http://bawandinesh.name/chennai-story/

Examination...??? Oh my Gawd.... not Again.......

The very thought of an examination gives jitters all over my body even after so many years and for many other kids who are studying in some form or the other. It also raises many a concern in the minds of the Parents about the progress of their child.

Most Students are so very worried at all times during Exams, It so reminds me of myself

Examinations in Schools n Colleges are so heavily weighed by the Parents that they always feel that any kid who gets a high percentage of marks in school and college examinations is by far an intelligent kid and the one with more responsibility.

What everybody fail to understand here is that these examinations are just a test of some knowledge that has been dumped into the kids heads, whether they want it or not. They cannot really speak in volumes about one's intelligence and Moral Responsibilities and Values.

One of my mentor's Mr. Virat Chirania, would always raise a question when addressing any group of youngsters as to on a Scale of 100 how much would you give value to the 15 yrs of education that we compulsorily are given, how much does that add value to your personality and character. Astonishingly after a series of such sessions we came to a conclusion that most youngsters agreed that it is more of the Soft Skills that we otherwise learn from our experiences in life that are more valuable than education in itself.

Whether you score 100 or 60 it doesnt really reflect on your Character and your personality. We may take examples of very highly succesfull people in their respective fields of work, Right from Bill Gates to Steve Jobs to Dhirubhai Ambani to Sachin Tendulkar to Warren Buffet to to 50 Cents all of them had less of education but they were very very high on the soft skills aspect of life.

A study by the top job recruiting portals and the HRM of various companies have revealed that Job offers have been given in plenty to candidates with an average score of 60-70 percent than to most of the toppers as the study shows that the candidates with 60-70 percent scores are the ones with all round abilities to perform while the others are just inclined only to studies.

The main cause for concern here is the fact that these toppers are merely awesome pukers and that they dont really have any real understanding of the subject.

Children Learning and Mugging Up the answers - Last minute studies

To have really passed the examinations in Life we may reflect on a few situations and how we would have acted in these situations.

1. How much do we value Punctuality, are we always in time for our meetings, appointments , dates or we keep the others waiting.??
2. How often do we stand up against anything thats wrong, or do we give in citing peer pressure and fear of the wrath of the superiors.??
3. Do we initiate Bribe at any given situation, like telling Mom to buy you a bike in case you pass with Flying colors.??
4. Do we always finish up any work or task that we have agreed to perform at all costs or do we give up in between citing some silly reason.??
5. Do we do things because we like doing it or because we have committed to it.??
6. How do we address any elderly person that we meet.??
7. Do we offer a seat in a bus/ train to anyone who is old/ pregnant or is handicapped at all times or have we ill treated them.??
8. How often have we given up and contemplated suicide or thoughts its not my job.
9. Has there been a situation wherein you have lied that has come to haunt / hurt you in future.
10. How often have we only complained about the Pot Holes in the Roads, the Scams, the Slums and never ever taken any step towards eradicating the problem.
11. Whether you Drink and Drive or whether you use your mobile phone while driving ??
12. Do you ever cross the railways tracks or use the foot over bridge always ??
13. How much have we valued every piece of information that has come our way ??

These questions would have surely gone into the mind ringing various alarm bells asking you to wake up soon and realise the value of life and to pass the real test and examinations in life. All I am asking of you is to be aware of everything that is happening and to be at the tip of your toes in order to make your life completely fruitful.

Some eventful events in my Life wherein I have failed/ passed examinations.

• I have always had only enough pocket money to be able to just somehow manage my expenses at all times till now. So when ever I used to be Stopped by any Traffic Polic constable, the first thing I would do is to simply switch off the vehicle and put the keys in my pocket and just stand there alongwith the Officer. I would not show that I am very busy and instead just stand there with a long face asking him to pardon me. It would take a longer time but the constable in the end would just forgive me and let me go away.

There are two facets to the story, In case one we may say that I dint bribe the Officer in order to escape and that was really kool. If we see another side to the story we may easily observe that I broke the rules in the book and got away with it. The right thing for me to have done would have been to accept the violation and to have got a challan prepared by the Officer and to have paid the fine in a respective court. 

Had all of us requested for a challan at all times when ever we violated the traffic rules then we would be in a more stronger position to eradicate Corruption on the roads.

• It is not easy to be working in a job just for the sake of working. At all times one must always ask a question to oneself- Will I still be doing this job if I had 100,000 Dollars in my Bank Account. If the answer is yes then, it is purely because of one's love for the work that one wants to be in that particular job. Here the examination is when we decide with our heart more than the mind.

Realizing that we need to learn more in Life than these stupid questions and answers.

Every moment of every day in our Life is an examination that we have to keep giving in the school of the LORD. So one must be very conscious of every activity that they are doing because they must know that the Lord always is keeping a very close vigil on our activities.

Happy Days Ahead and All the Best for your Results.

May all of us Pass the Examinations with Flying Colours.

Jukebox Grace

A Jukebox for me is an instrument wherein I can go and make a request for the song that i really wanna hear . This post is about how grace took over in the form of a jukebox just to fulfill this petty little wish/ craving/ eagerness to listen to a particular Bhajan.

When I used to stay in Mumbai I would volunteer with the VnV Yes Plus team and would regularly attend the Thursday Yes Plus Satsang in Goregaon. The crowd would majorly be the entire gang of VnV team. It would start at 7.30 p.m and go on till about 9.30. The evening would comprise of a few Bhajans and a short meditation and then finally a knowledge session that would be conducted by Virat Bhai and Vasudha Didi.

Whenever I travel out of Mumbai there is nothing more than the VnV Satsangs that i Miss. Every thursday that I miss the Satsangs feels so Incomplete. I do keep pinging the guys in Mumbai on my Blackberry telling them that i miss them a lot.

I love all the Bhajans that are sung, but there is one particular bhajan that is sung there and that is just so reviving "Pandu Ranga Jaya Vithale", I had heard this song last on 9th December 2010 and then I left for Delhi to attend my MBA Convocation. I had my return tickets to Bangalore boooked on 25th Decemeber alongwith the enitire Yes Plus Gang and so in the 12 Days that I was in Delhi I volunteered for 2 courses with Deepan Mukherjee, one in Noida and one in Vrindavan where I was the OTC and the only Volunteer. This was the second time that I volunteered with Deepan Bhaiya as the only Volunteer which helped me learn and improve in leaps n bounds. Deepan Bhai is a celebrated singer himself and takes wonderful Sasangs. I repeatedly kept on asking him to sing the song "Pandu Ranga Jaya Vithale"  but he dint sing the song. He instead sang "Lena Hoga Janam Hame Kai Kai Baar" one of my other favurites that i had requested him to sing. Inspte of listening to all the wonderful bhajans for some reason i was still missing "Pandu Ranga Jaya Vithale" for some reason.

Once I was done with that I left for Bangalore in order to be in the Ashram and do Seva in the Vishala Canteen that was taken over by the Yes Plus gang during the Winter Break. I reached the ashram on 28th Dec did seva in the vishala canteen washing the dishes with Chirag. We had loads of fun washing the dishes. We created loads of jingles like "Bartan maanj bartan maanj bartan maanj be, hum nahi bartan manjenge to woh kisme khayenge" and a few more.

The clocked had ticked past 7.30 pm and everyone was rushing to the Vishalakshi Mantap ( VM ) for the evening Satsang. By the time we kind of wrapped up work and began running towards the VM the clock was already at 7.50. I was in for a very pleasant surprise as i huffed n puffed when i reached the shoe stand and began ascending the stairs towards the main gate of VM, that was when i realised and heard the bhajan being sung and there i could hear "Pandu Ranga Jaya Vithale, Vithale, Vithale" I was just motionless for a few seconds as it took forever to sink in that a wish of this tiny miniscule nature was taken care of and so I kind of was so grateful to Guruji for being there and fulfilling every wish.

I also realised that everything is being taken care of and that all my wishes will surely come true. I also realised that i really just have to enjoy life to the fullest giving the Guru the freedom to work his magic and paint my LIFE.

Creativity - Upside Down

Crayons is difficult to handle.... the shades aint easy at all.....!!!

Sketches

A wish to be at a waterfall standing right where it falls

My girl holding ME (teddy) in her arms

to ba as free as a BIRD

First Bloggers Meet

 I attended my first bloggers meet in Bangalore. It was in the ISKCON Temple in Bangalore. This was a collaboration between Indiblogger and Akshayaptra who provide food for school children who simply cannot afford food. the venue was not far away from my place so I took an auto rickshaw to reach the place. Once i reached I saw a few volunteers at the gate guiding us to the hall. I was very excited just to be there in the first place. I happened to be in bangalore just because i had come here to be with my Guru Sri Sri Ravishankar in the Art Of Living Ashram. I reached the place bang on time but then i wasnt really surprised when things went on in the normal Indian Stechable Time IST style. I was happy that they had snacks arranged in for us and I just gulped down a few glasses of the juice and also gobbled up a few samosas. i proceeded inside the auditorum and there was a bench right at the entry with beautiful volunteers manning the bench. They  requested me to simply enter in my eail id so that I could get registered for the meet. Once that was done I just went in and found a seat to sit and enjoy, that was when I loked at the huge projector screen and my name was on the screen and it said. Sharon Padmanabhan has just walked in 2 mins before. I was so elated and happy to be there. that was when i heard some body murmuring and talkin that the Wi fi is superb there. I immediately took ut my BB and started checking. the service was real fast.
The program began and they kind of welcomed everybody and then after a few introductions wherein the speaker began to mention there were a few who have come from outstations and mentioned my name and said Sharon has come from Mumbai , please welcome him. after that began the program wherin they selected 60 top bloggers outta the 277 attending to introduce themselves and their blog. Once that began and after about 35 of them introducing themselves my name cropped up on the screen again. I was more happy and elated that my blog was again being recognised. I just up and introduced myself and felt more happy, they even gave me a photo book.
Once that was done then we had to proceed for lunch in the Akshayapatra Dining hall. that was where i made a few friends. There was this poster on the wall that said - "the food here is Spiritually Elevating, Please don't waste the Food". we had fun eating our food and makng fun others sitting below the poster.
Then we came in back to the hall and then l the head of the Akshayapatra Program came and spoke about the program and shared as to how the akshayapatra program is carried out and how the school children are fed everyday.
After this we were all given a huge chart that had a thread to it and a sketch pen. we had to put it around out neck sso that people cud leave comments about you and your blog and similarly we had to do the same on others charts. that was just too much fun.
Once that was done we had been divided into a few groups on what interests you to blog. I was in the team where they were discussing how the internet is used to harrasss peple and how we can stop them. Again ha loads of fun doing that.

Then the meeting got over and we got our T Shirts.

I simply loved the program cos i made new blog friends for the first time. It was crazy and i hope to be at more such meets.

I am now very happy that my blogging is also for a cause.

Flavours to Consciousness

I happened to be discussing with a friend about the consciousness and the energies in the world. that was when we discussed this story about the various flavors of the consciousness. It is so said that the one with the highest spiritual knowledge will have all the flavors. There have been many many avatars of the lord at various times and ages in various places of the world. Lord Ram and Lord Hanuman are also one among the various avatars of the Lord. It is so believed that Lord Ram had just 12 Flavours to the consciousness in him while Lord Hanuman had 14 flavours in him. As Lord Ram was very aware of this knowledge it was very difficult for him to accept the fact that Lord Hanuman though he was more superior to him was his devotee. That was when Lord Ram asked Lord hanuman as to why this was the case that though you are more superior to me that you still call yourself my devotee and that you want to serve me always. To which Lord Hanuman said, Dear Lord Ram,  
 for our understanding 
{we have three levels of existence 

Deha Bhav - Body - we say I am eating food or I am taking bath. In both the case we mean that the body is taking bath and that the body is having food.
Jeeva Bhav - Soul - we say I love You or I hate You. in this case its not I hate ur body or that i love ur body its more Sul to Soul where we feel the oneness.
Brahma Vidya Bhav - the Ultimate Consciousness - This is where we realise that everything is one.}

in Deha Bhav - I am youur servant and your devoteee.

In Jeeva Bhav - I am a part of You

In Brahma Vidya Bhav - I am YOU

It's Gotta Really HURT

A guy shifted to a new house, his close friend stayed just across the street.

For his first day in his new home he had an awesome time with all the new furniture’s, the garden, the kitchen, the washroom everything which was picture perfect. He was feeling so right about the situation that his JOY knew no bounds. The day passed and finally it was time for him to hit the sack as he was dead tired, he just flung himself and was asleep before he knew it. But then some disturbing crying/weeping/howling sound just woke him up and he could not continue sleeping as this sound was disturbing him. He just looked out through his window and saw a dog just outside his friend’s house crying in pain. He just somehow managed to find more sleep that night.

This continued for a few days before he could take it no more, he just decided to go to his friend’s house and inquire about the Crying DOG.

Once he knocked his friend's door, his friend came out and asked, what happened?

He asked why is the DOG crying..?? To which his friend replied that there is a NAIL/SPLINTER just below where the DOG is lying down.

He was like what..? Then why does the dog not move away....??

His friend then says, the NAIL/SPLINTER is not hurting the DOG enough.

That's exactly how we never ever move away from a problem because we really cling on to it until it

really really Hurts/Kills us. This happens mostly in relationship where one partner normally tends to take on all the abuse only because it isn't hurting enough. It also happens in very many other situations in life as we are very used to whatever has been happening for a very long time and that we have not really adapted to the changes around us.

One really needs to understand the gravity of the thing and never ever writ in pain when all that one has to do is MOVE ON before any further damage is really caused to our very nature.

Smiling BERRY

Some day last month both my phones simply went OUT OF ORDER.

The Sony Erickson just Blanked Out and my Nokia battery got pregnant.
I was without a Mobile for almost 2 weeks, feeling completely free and joyous.
I was simply UNTRACEABLE and given the fact that I love travelling and moving around places,
it became really difficult for friends and family to get a hold of me. I thoroughly enjoyed all the time that i had.
Went on Night outs with friends, played snooker all night, cricket, roaming all around Delhi, getting around loads of institutes and many many crazy stuff.

When Dad got back to Mumbai from Chennai all he wanted to do was to get me a phone, cause he was so fed up of not being able to trace me. We went to the store to get a new mobile and all i did was sit move around in the Mall without really getting close to DAD. All I did was put in a word in my Mom's ear telling her that BlackBerry is what she has to look out for. My Dad was still going through all the mobiles and not very very sure of which one to buy. That's exactly where Mom steps in and says, get him that Black berry Thing that he wants as it is his Birthday next month, and this would be a great gift. Mom increased the chance of getting the mobile many many folds when she added this last statement where she said If thats the phone he wants, then he would surely get one soon once he starts working and that's not long from now.

Within No time i had this BLACK BERRY CURVE.

Whoah... What a Smiling Berry.....!!!!

Still Mom's Kid

I don't really remember all the crazy notorious activities and how i learnt most things that i did when i was a kid....

How i managed to crawl off onto the pathway...
How i managed to find something to eat...
How i learnt to switch on the TV....
How i would open the fridge and sit next to it....
How i would pee in the shoes....
How i would get into the lifts...
How i spoke for the first time....
How i learned to walk....
How i walked my way to school
How i learned to say ABC...
How i learnt numbers.....
How i rode a bicycle.....
How i drove a car n bike....
How i acted in a play....
How i learnt travelling alone....
How i played cricket....
How i began learning to play the Violin...
How i began using the telephone....
How i began taking care of the fishes in the Fish tank....
How i learnt having food in the dining table....
How i learnt using the spoon....
How i had my first scoop of ice cream....
How i got into my first fight....
How i enjoyed driving sitting in my Dad's lap in the car....

and simply pretty much everything that i did for the first time in life.....

It was all simply so very well taken care of.....

Off late for some reason, mom just saw some concern in my eyes.....
Se came up to me and asked me as to what happened....

I told her, most of my friends have started working some place or the other whether they like it or not. I told her that i didn't want to rush myself into a job that i really don't wanna do. She listened to me very calmly and once i was done she casually replied

I have taken care of you for 26 long years...
ever since you were a tiny little kid.....
a few more months can never hurt me.....
You are my sweet heart is what she said... again

leaving me completely amazed.

She just displayed the true essence of how mother's love is.... I just felt so so happy to be her SON. I only had tears of gratitude and love. I wish i learn more on acceptance and love from her.

She just said always remember one thing,

"It never really matters how u start the race all that matters is how strongly you finish the race"

It is not that i am SAD or something but then i just suddenly happened to have some concern on that day as i got into a few discussions with a few friends.... and that was it..... PHEW

Smash the Butt

We have people who smoke all around us.... most of the times.....
The trouble is not with these jerks trying to be KOOL....
Living in and all around a cloud of Smoke..... Is the real trouble….
Passive smoking is the danger…..

If that is not enough trouble these jerks, after smoking have a habit of throwing the butt on road or off the balcony of their office or house after smoking, without even bothering to smash the butt. It happens when a smoker fling's the cigarette from a moving vehicle like an Auto, Taxi, Car, Train on most occasions. They are least bothered on how bad a risk it is, without even caring that it may hurt someone.

So what my friend Dewang Vora did was, in such situations and places where ever he saw a JERK flinging a Cigarette Butt of the window or balcony was to simply walk up to it and smashing the butt with his shoes right in front of the culprit with a smiling face. What happened there was he just kept his kool and went about smashing the butt just as if he was saving the society with a grinning smile on his face. This didn’t get him any immediate results what so ever. In fact people in his office and around his residence would also make fun of him by calling him names and stuff like that but over a period of time most of the smokers began to understand the gravity of the situation and as to what Dewang wanted to establish in their heads was very simple. This brought about a transformation in most Junk Heads that Dewang was least bothered on whether these guys were gonna live long or not but he was more keen on saving the lives of all the other innocent people and so the Smokers began to Smash their own Butts.

Dewang just simply showed enough courage and patience to make an effort to make these smokers realise the very dangers they cause. All that we needs to do is show these smokers a proper way on how not to kill others, now that they don’t wish to save themselves.

Most smokers over a period of time have even tried quitting smoking after understanding that it is nuisance factor that it is for one’s body.

If any of you guys wanna still convince smokers can simply make a few condolence cards and ask them which one would they prefer.

In case any one feels smoking is kool, then the video’s below will surely stir up your thoughts once and for all.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mf3bsB-L8DU&feature=related

The Local Environment Quality Survey of 19,000 sites, commissioned by the Environment Department (Defra), showed that cigarette butts and other smoking rubbish was still the most widely-found litter, spotted at 78 per cent of sites adding to all the troubles caused by cigarettes.

Common Guys all we have to do is to keep Smashing BUTTS for a start in order to reduce the Passive dangers caused by Criminal Suicider's in these Smokers who kill themselves and also put the lives of all others in Grave Danger.

Rajnikanth the Super Star

Over this last month I have received many many messages and seen even many status updates on Rajnikanth the Super Star....!!!

I am an ardent fan of this guy who is GOD in most parts of India

I posted this image as its an attempt by one such ardent fan to actualize one such message.

"You don't Google Rajnikanth...You Rajnikanth Google"

Some more crazy jokes :

• Google won’t find Rajnikanth because you don’t find Rajinikanth; Rajinikanth finds you.
• If you Google search ‘Rajnikanth getting kicked’, you will generate zero results. It just doesn’t happen.
• If you spell Rajanikanth wrong on Google it doesn’t say, “Did you mean Rajanikanth?” It simply replies, “Run while you still have the chance.”
• Rajnikanth’s email id is gmail@rajnikant.com

"En Vazhi Tanee Vazheee"

Sketches

Crayons put to good use

Some Birds I saw around my  house

Dis one capture from a magazine

Rooster.... My granny's special.... she breeds dem at home

A Beautiful Girl I Know

Expressions... 

Three friends.... Frm left Vikas, Sharon & Tarun - chk d link below for the actual photo.....!!!!

http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10150279543755254&set=a.10150279543225254.545899.697710253

Smiling Sun

Just a continuation of my expressions the very way I have known them.

Dog's Sense

An experience shared by my Friend Kartik. This happened to him in Chennai, where he works for an IT firm. What he saw and experienced simply left him awestruck. It happened like this

“A dog and a flock of fully grown people (Humans) including him were trying to cross a road. The Traffic signal glowed GREEN and so the vehicles began to move. Surprisingly most people also wanted to cross the road and they didn’t even bother about the speeding vehicles or the damn signal. Whereas, the dog analysed the situation by seeing the vehicles moving and simply stepping back onto the pavement, without crossing the road with these so called BUSY Humans who are on the run most of the time. The Dog simply waited for the Vehicles to completely halt and the signal to glow Red d then it simply in a jolly way raced across the road and then down the street. Kartik was just so glad that he noticed the DOG and how it kept itself away from unnecessary danger and that he could keep his life secure. He felt so awful that even the Street Dogs have begun to understand the Traffic Rules and Regulations that was designed for the safety of us Humans.

It sounds very atrocious, but then that is a very crude fact that, most individuals don’t even have the basic sense that which these Street Dogs have developed over the years on how to cross a road.

Some pointers to that we need to keep in mind while CROSSING ROADS are

1. Wait for the traffic signal light to go Red for the Vehicles.
2. Wait for the traffic signal light to go Green for the Pedestrians.
3. Always use the Foot path while walking on the road.
4. Always use subways, footbridges, islands, zebra, pelican and traffic light crossings.
5. Make sure you can see clearly along the roads in both directions and that drivers can see you clearly.
6. Listen very carefully in case something's coming that you can't see from where you're standing.
7. When you cross the road make sure you're concentrating! It's easy to get distracted if you're listening to music on your headphones, or chatting and texting on your mobile.
8. Walk straight across the road - don't run! It increases the chances of getting Mowed Down.

Happy and Safe Walking...... Enjoy......!!!

Notice: Exams Cancelled

“Tere Mooh me Ghee Shakkar” is only what I would say, when someone called up or ran in to inform that the exams have been cancelled. 

Examinations are among the few crazy things that have been invented/discovered by mankind, apart from Jumbee Bunjing, Scuba Diving, Mountaineering, Stunt Biking to name few more.

Every time an exam cropped up...  the atmosphere in the college would completely change with the canteens and the college corridors beginning to buzz and the overcrowding at the xerox stores. New faces would venture into places in the university they would have otherwise never known like the LIBRARY. In spite of all the preparation that I would have made for the examinations, all I would want is for the exam to get cancelled for some reason or the other...

Some Crazy reasons that would cloud my mind .....

1.       World War III
2.       Death of the Teacher or Principal or any of their relative.
3.       Somebody bombing the university.
4.       Curfew/ Strike/ Bandh.
5.       Prime Minister or President’s Death.
6.       Earthquake
7.       Flash Floods
8.       Some Storm/ Cyclone/ Hurricane
9.       Paper Leak

Hope you guys also had some funnier, creepier and dangerous excuses for Cancelling your Exam.

All I have learned and picked up from all these experiences of giving exams is just that every day is some test an exam in itself; that I have to keep continuously fighting it day in day out and moreover be ready to always hit the road running.

Chaddi...!!! He he...!!!

Our favourite metaphor during graduation days “CHADDI”. The entire gang would use it always and everywhere. Most of it would be when someone starts bragging, boasting about one self or the moment one starts talking about studies or beautiful girls. Only one word would suffice the entire argument “CHADDI”. It would simply mean –

“Tu aaj chaddi pehen k hai kya, agar pehna hai to zyada mat faila usse.. Fatt Jayegi.”

(Have you worn your underwear today..?? If you have then don’t stretch it beyond limits, it will tear apart.)

When someone would say that he is gonna top the exam, the shout would be CHADDI again.

While playing pool if someone goes for a wild shot, the shout would be CHADDI again.

When attempting a long range free kick all the players would only say CHADDI.

This metaphor would like keep us all on our toes. It simply got us all into the challenge mode, wherein we would actually strive to do only those things that others thought was beyond our CHADDI.

If at all anyone talks about a beautiful girl in college, the shout would be CHADDI again. I always felt that it’s much better to at least make an attempt to get things right than to accept fate or whatever other people have to comment about these issues. One would hear comments like – Bhai, ladki bahut hi sundar hai, terese nahi pategi. Or say Bhai, yaar bahut zyada padaku ladki hai, pyar vyar me nahi padegi. These girls would not be interested in being friends too. But then it’s all about at least letting the girl know how much feelings you have for her or even to just be friends. ‘One will surely have to go beyond one’s Chaddi to be with the best.’

We would keep a continuous smile on our face. I remember the time when our 12^th board results were out, my friends were actually singing and dancing near the display board, while everyone thought they were among the toppers in college, what they dint realize was that these guys were actually celebrating failure. ‘They hadn’t passed the exams but they still had the courage to go way beyond their CHADDI and celebrate and enjoy.’

Oh yeah Chaddi... was used again when I told my gang that I am going to start BLOGGING.

I never got stuck with what someone else believed, if all was well within me I always was game for it and give it my best shot full on. “It was all about setting my own trends and wearing CHADDI’s of my size and stretching every limit of it to win”.

The very reason I blogged this was just simply cos the gang’s CHADDI so reminded me of the way I go about my life, by being game for anything and everything and to live my life without regrets whatsoever.

Scribbling Art my ISHTYLE......!!!

Some way to use the Crazy Creativite Energy.... ha ha ha ha

Some Flowery design ....

Sunflowers for a change

Public Display of Affection

D Dream Open Jeep

A Beach House

Kanu

GK powerin a Bike

Me wondering over

Pretty Woman

A Ranch House

Colorful Flowery Glimpses 

Some crazy way to keep busy or rather awake in lectures or enjoin some boring seminar....!!!

Faces Off

Different Shades of My Life

All the crazy changes in my life captured every now and then...

Enjoying every moment of everything that life offers....!!

Just by remembering myself  that the only thing that is permanent is CHANGE...!!

Go India Go

Amazing Grit, determination and watta desire to WIN. Some display of temperament and character by Laxman, Ishant and Ojha. Man oh man.... wickets kept falling in heaps and in regular intervals.... I was sitting on the edge of my seat... wondering wats in store..... a hopeless cut shot by Sachin and den the crazy run out of Mahendra Singh Dhoni, Harbhajan playing a clueless shot.... but then with loads of run required to win.... it was Laxman and Ishant who came to the party... both of them just kept pushing on and itching closer to the winning score.  Both of them, fighting it on like the injured horses in a battle. Never say never die attitude. Whoaaaah... m simply ecstatic n elated. What a partnership finally with their backs to the wall to simply kick some serious australian ass.

The bowlers both Zaheer and Ishant had set the match up beautifully with some amazing display of fast bowling by steaming in really fast and hitting the deck and the right areas to get the necessary movement. Ishant’s spell of 2 overs was crucial where he picked up 3 wickets in a space of 12 balls.

If at all anything could have stopped us from winning it was not the bowling by Australia or their Fielding... It surely was the Umpiring Errors by both Billy and Ian Gould who had a pretty sad outing this time around.

Some of the crucial moments in the match

• Run Out of Ponting – Brilliant Raina at work
• Great fielding by the close in fielders for India
• Blazing quick fire 50 plus by Sehwag
• The wisket of Sachin at 98 changed the course of the Indian innings
• The irritating decision to give Dhoni caught out in the slips by the blind 3^rd Umpire.
• Breaking the first wicket partnership of the aussies in the second innings.
• Gambhir given LBW, another pathetic decision by the umpire with the score then at 0/1
• Crazy Cut shot by Sachin, clueless flay by harbhajan, pathetic running between the wickets getting Dhoni out
• But then Ishant’s and VVS’s gritty display of sheer determimnation to dig it out at the center and grind out a victory inspite of being injured.

By the end of it all, my heart beats went up quite a few notches. Simply one heck of a match, gruesome and nail biting stuff with some kind of a cliff hanging challenge. I Just loved every minute of it simply because India came out worthy winners at the end.

Now we have enough belief to say that our Tail enders are also Gritty and are no mere Push overs. Zaheer, Bhajji, Ishant and Ojha... Great Job Guys.

Some true Team India Spirit. Go India Go.