tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23358852583028651252024-03-13T08:26:26.165+05:30Timepass ThoughtsFriends, this is just a random effort to share my thoughts. Please feel free to respond to my thoughts and share your thoughts on my blog.Talhahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13187546386057081948noreply@blogger.comBlogger76125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2335885258302865125.post-64675689396651450022017-05-19T21:11:00.001+05:302017-09-07T00:25:38.148+05:30Finding love again<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Been a while since I posted last. So much has happened and I have not written much. But I guess this is the side effect of the social media. Where we tend to express ourselves in bits and pieces. From a blog to a FB post to a tweet as the canvas shrinks so does our retention power. But that is besides the point.
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Today, I complete 4 years since I left India. On May 20 2013, I landed in Singapore. Visited USA in Oct 2014 and ended up moving to USA in Feb 2015. Lived in Singapore, Chicago, Tampa and now Charlotte (NC). Besides having visited so many places that every visit deserves it's own blog post.
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Last few years have been a roller-coaster ride with family, work and the travel involved. I have loved every bit of the journey. However, some interesting changes have come about recently.
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As life gets more and more monotonous with job and regular chores of life, we tend to lose sight of the bigger picture of living the life and living the wonderful moments life has to offer. As I came to Charlotte, I connected with my friend Usman from college days. He introduced me to playing tennis.
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What started as just a means of moving more to stay fit soon turned to an almost daily high point. This I would say is the process of falling in love again.
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Having been a pretty bad athlete all my life. I've played cricket ocassionally. I've had my moments on the cricket field and also in street cricket but studies and career commitments made it just an once in a while event. And being a lazy soul doesn't help. I always loved swimming. It helped me maintain a certain mobility. But again discipline takes lot of commitment and creating moments. Which I could not quite do to the best of my ability.
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Coming back to tennis, I think trying a new sport at the age of 34 took some encouragement and coaching from Usman and his friends. Trying to transition the cricket technique to the tennis racket/court and above all not being embarrassed by certain ugly moments because of poor athleticism and technique. But a good support group gives the much needed impetus to doing anything new. I am very lucky that way.
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What have I gained playing this new sport? I would say hell of a lot.
Just running or swimming can help someone achieve a great degree of fitness if you are a self starter and monitor progress consistently. Or, you need a group to work with who is motivating and entertaining at the same time.
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Biggest plus I see with a game like tennis is you can always measure your performance in terms of winning games, agility, stamina and strategy. Every player is different and every game demands a new approach to challenge/beat the opponent. When compared to a team game like cricket (which I still love) a struggling player is always at the mercy of captain. You get a chance to bat/bowl based on the game flow/your perceived ability. Many people do anything for love of the game. But I have limited time.
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So in short, it has been amazing 3 months playing this new sport. It has been great to re discover my ability, passion and drive to try something new everyday. Especially when you tend to lose more as a beginner.
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Challenge is to keep this love alive. Every love story tests the commitment of the parties involved. Hoping this one lasts longer than my knees/back.</div>
Talhahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13187546386057081948noreply@blogger.com0Charlotte, NC, USA35.2270869 -80.84312669999997134.8118989 -81.488573699999975 35.642274900000004 -80.197679699999966tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2335885258302865125.post-7545857005625531862015-09-01T01:43:00.001+05:302015-09-10T09:43:32.411+05:30Another interesting chapter<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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It's been quite a while since I made an update. Last when I wrote, I was at crossroads trying to decide the whether to stay east or to move west. There were forces pulling me back to India, Singapore and some forces pulling me westwards to the US. The forces pulling me to the US were strongest and I moved to Chicago around end of February with my family. </div>
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After a lot of thought, I took up a journey about which I knew partly what to expect. But also with a number of uncertainties. But the journey has been worth it. First off, at work I joined yet another desi IT company working for yet another US based client in insurance space. It was not as difficult to find my way at the work place. It was mostly been there done that. But working in North America is a lot more tricky. There is no force asking you what to do. But, how you do and how you present it is what matters.</div>
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About the city, Chicago has been an amazing place. Over last 6 months, I never felt away from India. There are desis all around and everything a desi needs is not more than a mile away. I'd love to rename Chicagoland as Chicagopur or Chicagobad. Weatherwise, winters are terribly cold and temperatures of 0° F(-20° C) were very common when I arrived. Driving through the snow is an experience not to be missed. I thoroughly enjoyed. We got great help from Ruqu's aunt and other family friends. Words of caution, stay on lanes. Keep the gap and never ever brake hard.</div>
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We stayed at Des Plaines(aka desi plaines). Life revolved in and around the sub-urbs. Though, I must say Chicago is among the most beautiful downtown worldwide. I have not seen a lake as huge as lake Michigan and with such a prominent beach. It was completely worth experiencing the windy winter and summer around it.</div>
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How can we ignore the Devon ave. Known among the desi's as Diwaan. Almost any cuisine from sub-continent is right there.<br />
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Zuni enjoyed a couple of months in pre school. Preschooling, though not compulsary is a great way to keep kids engaged. Started rolling r's and caught up pretty quick on talking the American way as opposed to the nasal Singapore way.<br />
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On the other hand, life in US is a great deal of interesting challenges if you don't accept change. Life is particularly hard if you dont drive. Everything is a mile or two away and weather is not always helpful to venture outdoors. As a result, waistlines expand if nothing is done. I need to reverse this pattern and on an urgent basis.</div>
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Overall it has been very exciting 6 months and exciting times lined up as my assigbment has ended and have a new phase lined up in the south. I am writing this post as I am flying to NY, followed by Tampa FL.</div>
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I look ahead for a longer summer and a longer stay in this beach city. And look ahead to having a great time also post as much as I can whenever I find time. Especially look ahead to enjoy the endless amusement parks in Orlando and visits to my sister just 6 hours away in Atlanta GA.<br />
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Lots to see/do/write about and I will try my best read.write</div>
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Talhahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13187546386057081948noreply@blogger.com0New Brunswick, NJ, USA40.4862157 -74.45181880000001240.437910200000005 -74.532499800000011 40.5345212 -74.371137800000014tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2335885258302865125.post-71988900209230653402014-11-28T00:50:00.001+05:302014-11-28T00:50:27.417+05:30On the move...Uncle Sam's backyard<p dir="ltr">Its been a long time since my last post. Things have changed a great deal since then. The Singapore phase was an amazing one and I am at crossroads again having to choose between a number of opportunities and each of them pulling me in multiple directions.</p>
<p dir="ltr">For starters, the project I took up for a new financial institution has come to an end and I have some opportunities calling me back to India and some opportunities pulling me to the lion city. While deciding between the lion/garden city, I decided to visit Uncle Sam who hosts my sister Kulsum's family. </p>
<p dir="ltr">On this sabbatical, I have been visiting some interesting places and meeting some interesting people I know from different phases of my life.</p>
<p dir="ltr">When I meet each one of them, it takes me back to the phase I was when they were with me. I connected with friends from middle school, high school, college and different phases of my professional career. Makes me look back how much things have changed and how much I have changed with time and yes explore this amazing country and its people. Now that I am exploring on my own, I miss Ruqaiya and Zunaira most of the times. But their absence also facilitates the flashbacks.</p>
<p dir="ltr">Being an Indian visiting USA for the first time, it amazes me how different life can be compared to back home. I've watched American TV,movies and worked with many customers from this part of the world but visiting this place is an experience one would cherish. Having lived in Bangalore, Kolkata, Atsugi(Japan) and Singapore and visited few other places I see each place is beautiful in its own way and has shaped up my thought process in a unique way.</p>
<p dir="ltr">What strikes me about USA is the low density of population in most places I've been and the diversity in terain but uniformity in planning. If you visit one American city, other cities are predictable but people, terain and weather is distinct.</p>
<p dir="ltr">Its a high consumption society, but I don't see a drastically different way of living here. </p>
<p dir="ltr">Based in Atlanta with my sister's family its been fun knowing my brother in law, her kids and her in-laws who Ive hardly connected with over the last 5 years. Ive connected with each of them like never before. Its been the best opportunity to socialize and explore.</p>
<p dir="ltr">So far, I visited Gatlinburg(mountain), Tampa/Orlando(Florida) and Charlotte(friends/uncle). Now I am on my way to San Fransisco to visit a cousin and uncle.</p>
<p dir="ltr">From what I have seen so far, I feel this is definitely a land of opportunity and also a land of diversity. However, it takes sometime getting used to this place. Especially driving, shopping and self help skills(not much labor at disposal) define how mucb you enjoy here.</p>
<p dir="ltr">Took me a while adjusting driving on other side of the road. Its the 1st country I visited, where we drive on the right. I still look over my left shoulder when backing the car and run to the passenger seat when I want to drive and vice versa.</p>
<p dir="ltr">Still I am getting to terms with the fact that a backyard in a home is not necessarily a luxury and the mile/gallon/lb measurement is keeping my mind working overtime.</p>
<p dir="ltr">While driving here, following the rules was the most difficult part especially having driven mostly in India.</p>
<p dir="ltr">Also I found people extremely friendly. Not what you hear from people who just visited this country once or twice. </p>
<p dir="ltr">In short my FOB(fresh off boat) diary so far has been very predictable for someone already visited this country and experiences have not been as outrageous as my earlier trysts in a foreign land. Maybe because of the luxury of a host taking me around. Perhaps I need to get out of my comfort zone in next few days to experience some unexpected adventure.</p>
<p dir="ltr">Talking about adventure, I was the last person to board the flight I am travelling on. I felt very important being called by name before the flight took off. But I know it was a result of a very silly mistake. I din't hop onto the right subway train though it was right in front of me and I lost 20 minutes as a result. But alls well that ends well. </p>
<p dir="ltr">I spent last month or so closer to the Atlantic ocean(east coast) and look forward to what the west coast(by pacofic ocean) has to offer. Looking forward for some fun.</p>
Talhahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13187546386057081948noreply@blogger.com0George Bush Intercontinental Airport, Houston29.99022 -95.336784tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2335885258302865125.post-40780305241148489902014-06-30T05:16:00.001+05:302014-11-28T00:49:53.862+05:30Story continues<p dir="ltr">It has been more than a year in Singapore and lots has happened. Yet, I have been unable to put it on my blog. Call it a writers block or whatever, A lot has happened but was unable to blog. Perhaps, instant gratification of twitter/facebook got the better of my blog. </p>
<p dir="ltr">However, I felt like summarizing my thoughts on a flight back to Singapore from Bangalore after a short vacation. Especially the turbulence in this flight brings thoughts of what might have gone through the minds of those aboard mh370. </p>
<p dir="ltr">Anyway, life has been a roller coaster ride since I first arrived in Singapore on May 19th 2013. Coming on a deployment with an Indian Software services giant, I did not think my tryst with Singapore would be beyond 6 months. However, I felt a sense of stagnation doing same kind of work with the same  client for more than 4 years. An interesting offer came by and I decided to move on. 1st 6 months in Singapore were very challenging. Especially exploring a new place with a young family while almost working 24/7. But yes such experiences teach you a lot. Mainly adversity brings forth a raw humor within the team and the team spirit just takes off.</p>
<p dir="ltr">I enjoyed my 1st stint and it has left indelible footprints on my thought process.</p>
<p dir="ltr">Life in Singapore is very interesting especially for those who enjoy life outdoors. I have made the best of the public swimming pools to chill and flex my muscles and the public transport to explore this tiny island. But limited time and constraints that come with a family have made sure I do things keeping some constraints in mind.</p>
<p dir="ltr">Now that I am with a new financial instution representing another software services company, I feel more things change more they remain the same. I feel the need to diversify and choose an area of expertise to thrive. I have been very undecided on that front.</p>
<p dir="ltr">In between all these confusions on the career front, I have had some fun times. Especially the time when my brother in law Mohsin and my mom visited me in Singapore. Places like Sentosa(especially universal studios) and the central business district of Singapore make you feel no matter how much you explore, the city just keeps changing and entertaining you in so many ways. This post is small to pack all the info.</p>
<p dir="ltr">I look forward to the ride and being on the move and spirit to explore is what keeps you going.</p>
Talhahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13187546386057081948noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2335885258302865125.post-15565940911989915882013-05-20T23:04:00.001+05:302013-05-20T23:04:58.905+05:30Reporting from the lion city <p dir=ltr>Been a while since I wrote something interesting on my blog. Though I am pretty interested in sharing my thoughts and experiences on my blog, I feel not many events have happened that are blog worthy though everyday has been interesting. With the onset of twitter. There have been few stories and more blink and you miss events that have been reported. And with a tool like twitter, your life can be a running commentary without any effort to link the events to telling your story. Anyway...</p>
<p dir=ltr>For starters, I landed in Singapore on 19th May. I came here on an assignment with HCL technologies for one of their banking client. It has been a while since I travelled overseas for work. Five years to be precise and yes I am very much looking ahead for the experience on both personal and professional front.</p>
<p dir=ltr>Professionally, I feel it is a transitionary phase of my career. Having worked on several IT projects as a developer/lead I have gained some meaningful experience. But it has been unidirectional and there are so many angles to any IT implementation. It is a natural progression for me to work on IT projects at a phase with the end user/the customer. There are so many aspects to explore, learn and upgrade myself. </p>
<p dir=ltr>On the personal front, it will be for the first time that Ruqaiya and I will face the world on our own in a new place. Though, it is not such a big deal. It will be an interesting phase where we are better equipped to deal with challenges life throws at us.</p>
<p dir=ltr>My first two days were very interesting for me. I left Bangalore almost on the midnight between 18th and 19th May. 18th May was a bit busy as there was a wedding and lots of packing/shopping to complete. I don't remember the finer details but it was a day I had mixed feelings. I felt sad to leave my family behind. Especially my little sister Kulsum and her family. They are USA bound and it will be few years before I meet them next. I managed to meet Kulsum, Ehrar bhaiya and Samia for sometime. They were completely occupied with the wedding of Ehrar bhaiya's sister.</p>
<p dir=ltr>The journey started with a long drive to the airport. It was raining and the traffic was very torturous for me. On reaching the airport, I was asked to repack as the hand bagage was too heavy to be taken on the flight. I did some realignment and managed to get through.</p>
<p dir=ltr>The flight was ok. But I could not sleep at all. I spent sometime chatting with Mr.Shesha. He was sitting next to me. While talking to him I realized that he is a close friend on my teacher in university Mr. Manjunath Prasad. Also I enjoyed travelling in the Singapore airways flight. Especially after having travelled excessively on the no frills flights such as indigo.</p>
<p dir=ltr>On landing at changi international airport in Singapore I found it second to none. After having heard so much about the cleanliness and discipline of Singapore, I was pleasantly surprised about how well managed everything is out there. Absolutely no hassle right from landing to immigration to baggage claim. I spent a while at the airport, had my breakfast at the Mc Donalds. Then left to the East Lodge on Joo Chiat place. So far the East lodge has been the biggest disappointment in Singapore. It is a college hostel. It is not suitable to provide accommodation to corporates. But the silver lining to this dark cloud is that my roomie turned out to be an acquaintance from the HCL technologies cricket team practice (that I attended once in a while). He was very helpful to me when I landed. Gave me lofs of gyan about navigating through Singapore.</p>
<p dir=ltr>On reaching the lodge,  for some reason I din't feel even a bit sleepy. I was itching to go out and explore Singapore in a day. I gave a call to my friend Dilbagh in Tampines. I went around Tampines and had lunch in a desi stall. The Indian food in Malaysia is something unique. Has some special items that are not available in India. Infact, Malaysia, Singapore is a land of cultural fusion. The fusion makes the place unique. On the surface the uniqueness is not apparent but more you explore more interesting it gets. I introduced Dilbagh to Murtabak. That's a special snack. Resulting from this fusion culture. It reminded Dilbagh of a Kolkata snack called Mughlai. A combination of eggs, paratha and meat. For details one may do a bit of research or visit this part of the world.</p>
<p dir=ltr>After lunch, Dilbagh helped me get my sim card and activate a data/talk plan. Then I said bye to dilbagh and went to meet a prospective room mate Keerthi. He happened to be from the same locality back home as me. World now seamed a very small place.</p>
<p dir=ltr>After meeting Keerthi, I called Afroze (my friend from Kolkata days 2005-06). He was a bit occupied. Then my cell got discharged. We lost contact. Also I caught up on some sleep in a massaging chair placed for display at Tampines mall. Then I went to the masjid at Kempangan near East lodge. I prayed and also rested a while. On waking up I called Afroze. He called me to Little India. Where he had been for his grocery shopping. I spent sometime with hiw family at Mustafa centre and had my dinner with them. After the outing thei dropped me back at East lodge.</p>
<p dir=ltr>I came back late night and crashed like there's no tomorrow. </p>
<p dir=ltr>Today, I got up and went to the HCL office at 10 am. Went to axa building by MRT. got my induction done and explored the Marina bay financial centre. It's an amazing place to both visit and work but its bloody expensive.</p>
<p dir=ltr>I did some exploration on the food front. Had Malaysian and Indonesian food for breakfast, lunch and dinner. It was an adventure for my taste buds. Now I'm back home after some wandering around the Singapore streets but not able to sleep because of the critical assignment (updating my blog). Now that my thoughts and I've exhausted myself looks like I better go and sleep. Shall update more events on this trip as they happen. Bye till then.</p>
Talhahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13187546386057081948noreply@blogger.com0East Lodge Management Pte Ltd, 408 Joo Chiat Pl1.315001 103.91058tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2335885258302865125.post-4513366259960970742013-05-04T15:50:00.001+05:302013-12-16T11:30:30.847+05:30Interesting changes coming up<p dir="ltr">Been a while since my last update. I update my blog either when there is a significant change in my career, personal life or to share a travel experience. For starters, I am done with my project for the last 3.5 years. </p>
<p dir="ltr">Yes, WIN is now transitioned to another resource. I get mixed feelings when I think about my last project. Feel sad that it does not belong to me any more. Feel happy that I am out of my comfort zone. I am now going to explore some new situations professionally. This is another project with the same client. I will be handling the operations from overseas. Working directly with the customer will have its challenges but that will give me more opportunities.</p>
<p dir="ltr">Now that this is my last weekend in Bangalore for next few months, I am trying to spend some time with family and reflect to what are the gaps I need to fill so that my skills stay relevant in the long run. I am looking at some interesting learning opportunities on the functional as well as technical side. There is so much to explore and do and the time just does not suffice. I am really excited about the upcoming events and pray that the best happens.</p>
<p dir="ltr">While I am waiting to move to a new location and a new project, my sister Kulsum is coming to India on a 2 month vacation. Feel sad that I'll get to spend only a week with her after 2 years. However, it was by chance that my travel got delayed by a week because of negligience of someone in the visa processing department of my company. With so many moving parts in the bigger machinery, there are some positives and some negatives. I am loooking in hope that the journey ahead will be fun.</p>
Talhahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13187546386057081948noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2335885258302865125.post-86665755740600466932013-02-24T13:51:00.001+05:302013-03-12T21:21:40.018+05:30Energized and back in business<p>After my visit to Pondicherry on the east coast a couple of months back, I decided to take my next vacation to Goa on the west coast in the third week of February. This time with a bigger group. Including Mom, my sister Mariam, her son Faisal, my wife Ruqaiya and daughter Zunaira. Dad dropped out a week before the travel and we changed the plan from a road trip to flying to and from Goa.</p>
<p>This was my third visit to Goa.Last visit being 11 years back. Lots has changed since. Last time I was still in college. Now I'm a professional and a family man. Dynamics of travel and holidaying  changes once you have a family.</p>
<p>Our vacation began on the early morning(3 30 am) of 19th Feb. We took the 0630 flight from Bangalore to Goa. The drive to the airport was an experience I can't forget. The driver was one of the craziest Cabbie I've ever seen. He drove like he had an F1 pole position at stake. More I asked him to go slow and take it easy, the faster he went. It was not a good feeling having my daughter on my lap. When we got down, the driver said that he thought I was asking him to go faster and kept speeding up. He was not that good in speaking kannada. Probably he knew only one word for slow and I used all other synonyms for the word slow. Still I feel he was just ripping for the thrills and came up with an excuse.</p>
<p>We arrived in Goa at 730 in the morning. Having been there about a decade back the airport looked different. The airport was way below expectation considering Goa is a global holiday destination. The airport looked more like a bus stand. It reminded me of how Bangalore airport looked Atleast 15 years back. Hope to see a better airport in Goa, next time I'm there. During my last visit I remember the motor bike taxis that were very common. I dint see any of them in this visit. Another thing that caught my eye was presence of Russians. So many of them that there were Russian signboards on restaurants and shops.</p>
<p>After arrival we headed to the club Mahindra resort located by the Varca beach. It is a picturesque setting especially for those who are looking for a family holiday in Goa. We reached the resort well before the checkin time. We spent the time exploring the resort and resting in the lounge. After we checked in around 1 PM, we had some lunch and rested for a short while.All of us went to the beach around 5 30 PM to see the sunset. It was a breathtaking evening. The sea breeze and the waves in the backdrop of the setting sun just invites you to jump in. I could not resist myself. Zuni, Faisal and the ladies were happy to chill by the sea but I could not resist myself. I just walked into the sea. I enjoyed the waves hitting me on my chest. After a while swam also. Though I swim pretty well, the salt water has kept me off swimming in the sea. But this time was different. I could not resist swimming. It was a beautiful evening That turned dramatic when I dropped my cell phone while returning from the beech. On reaching the room I was devastated but I called my phone and nobody picked. After several attempts a couple answered my call. They returned the phone to me near the beech. They deserve a special thanks. After this dramatic event we ate some of the instant food that we had packed from home.</p>
<p>Next morning started very early. I got up by fajr. Played for a while with Zuni and went to the beach around 8 30. It was a very beautiful morning. I ran on the beech and swam alternatively. Kept thinking about my childhood. When my dad had been very protective about me. I din't try as many adventures then as I do now. Swimming in the sea, in my mind is one of the most pleasurable experiences and one who hasn't experienced it has missed out on something very beautiful. Following this great outing, we had a heavy breakfast in the restaurant. Nothing compliments a swim like a heavy meal soon after.</p>
<p>That evening again, we were all by the sea. Kids played in the sand for a while. When I was enjoying the waves. But something shocking happened. Zuni started walking with me towards the sea. She started running into the water. Ruqaiya and myself tried our best to keep her back but she kept fighting her way ahead. We were forced go carry her back to the room. This is when I realized why my dad was so protective. But I feel too much protection or freedom are both dangerous in their own way. Challenge for any parent is to balance between ther two extremes. When I look back I feel my dad did a great job in our upbringing.</p>
<p>On the following day, I took Faisal to the swimming pool. Initially he was very scared of water. But soon he overcame his hydrophobia and started enjoying his outing in the water. I'd say this was on1of the highlights of this trip. Kids learned to look beyond their cartoons and malls for fun. No childhood is complete without exposure to natural environment like the sea etc.</p>
<p>Day 3 was more relaxed compared to the previous two days. Spent decent amount of time swimming and taking kids out in the play area. Mariam and I went to the Varca village to buy some grocery. Varca is nothing like a village. You get anything that you might find in the best supermarket in Bangalore. That's the best part of a holiday destination. It has all the amenities without the hustle and bustle of a city.</p>
<p>The final day being a Friday, We got up early. Spent sometime by the beach. And I swam for sometime with Faisal. We checked out around 11 and spent the day in the resort till evening. Meanwhile I took a cab to Margao for the Friday prayers. Though Margao is the second best city of Goa after Panaji, it looked like a sleepy old town. I found an interesting mughlai restaurant called 'Shahi Durbar' where I had my lunch. It tasted pretty good. I packed lunch for the others waiting for me back in the resort. The parathas and kababs were eaten later that evening in the airport.  They tasted much better than I expected. On 22nd of Feb we left Goa with memories we will cherish for sometime to come.</p>
<p>Though this trip was completely on a single beach/resort it was a refreshing getaway. Dynamics of travelling changes a lot once you are a parent but travel/holidays can be made beautiful inspite of the constraints. Such holidays help you break the monotony and reconnect with the nature and the child within you. You comeback to your monotonous life energized and more focussed.</p>
<p>Now that I'm back at work, there are some changes happening around me and I'm looking forward to dealing with them with a new zest. Look forward to some interesting developments on professional front and wishing for many more vacations in days to come.</p>
<div class='separator' style='clear: both; text-align: center;'> <a href='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiY_wbQ6R-f1YeEPLeSL9p_sSfzphVilYTZeZAcK3b-7Fs5sv5wLY37H68mpI_DDibv4TC4w-iqPEv_oZbSjc9ykSQYcBhPTdSY4s3Skx7Fie59soOS8ZNxMohUNpy-nTHk-VLnBUC7OJo/s1600/IMG_20130219_085632.jpg' imageanchor='1' style='margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;'> <img border='0' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiY_wbQ6R-f1YeEPLeSL9p_sSfzphVilYTZeZAcK3b-7Fs5sv5wLY37H68mpI_DDibv4TC4w-iqPEv_oZbSjc9ykSQYcBhPTdSY4s3Skx7Fie59soOS8ZNxMohUNpy-nTHk-VLnBUC7OJo/s320/IMG_20130219_085632.jpg' /> </a> </div><div class='separator' style='clear: both; text-align: center;'> <a href='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMSTx9_H-IORPEBleIv0TjFTjDSheusE0MeD_cCRCxAl6v5RFjlbEVZyhvmktY6hLh0BqfICouey-t9-v3CAPPr7hovakmlKqjPJlofJB7jEbJvs6zZ1T1jVjbhVyCkJZfQYaqm1ifaxs/s1600/IMG-20130220-WA0003.jpg' imageanchor='1' style='margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;'> <img border='0' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMSTx9_H-IORPEBleIv0TjFTjDSheusE0MeD_cCRCxAl6v5RFjlbEVZyhvmktY6hLh0BqfICouey-t9-v3CAPPr7hovakmlKqjPJlofJB7jEbJvs6zZ1T1jVjbhVyCkJZfQYaqm1ifaxs/s320/IMG-20130220-WA0003.jpg' /> </a> </div><div class='separator' style='clear: both; text-align: center;'> <a href='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNsEzM535nf-IhRy7oi6qwouDqCI402IyLd1PeBxrSPIWfkOvTqn_CSXKl0sL7NVUrZQhOELfsYujy_zJslky_DSJA4fYWfAtzKsCw3lQyQLDPUXyIxY17q6UEptwieYkg7M1IzPjNyVc/s1600/IMG_20130219_202243.jpg' imageanchor='1' style='margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;'> <img border='0' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNsEzM535nf-IhRy7oi6qwouDqCI402IyLd1PeBxrSPIWfkOvTqn_CSXKl0sL7NVUrZQhOELfsYujy_zJslky_DSJA4fYWfAtzKsCw3lQyQLDPUXyIxY17q6UEptwieYkg7M1IzPjNyVc/s320/IMG_20130219_202243.jpg' /> </a> </div>Talhahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13187546386057081948noreply@blogger.com01st Phase, J P Nagar12.912645 77.57627tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2335885258302865125.post-7318356299231426312012-12-24T19:45:00.001+05:302013-03-11T02:44:33.633+05:30Another year goes by...<p>As another year comes to an end and against all odds world has not ended as predicted by the Mayans. But yes life for cricket lovers won't be the same again with retirement of Sachin Tendulkar. But life moves on. Nobody on earth is indispensable, however great he/she is. Everybody cries for some days but eventually you have to move on.</p>
<p>Its been a strange year when negative news has overshadowed the positive events. On national and international front, there has been lots of death and destruction and one can't help but be effected by the cynicism in air. In comparison life around me has been very good. Can only thank God for his blessings.</p>
<p>It has been a very slow year for me professionally. I worked on the same project that I worked on since last 3 years. Though the learning curve has flattened somewhat. I would say, I got a chance to spend sufficient time with family. Having a young kid, it is a blessing to have enough time to see your child grow. Now that  this project draws to a close, and soon there will be a new beginning in my career, it feels good that there is some interesting time ahead professionally. Hoping there will be a upward trend in career in terms of learning and professional growth. </p>
<p>It is when you are free that importance of work strikes you and when you are very busy that you realize the value of free time. During my free time, I grabbed the opportunity to spend time with family and enjoyed few getaways. In 2012,  I went to Coorg once and to Pondicherry 2 times. A long drive, formats your corrupted hard drive(mind) like nothing else and a road trip helps you break the monotony and refresh your thoughts. My trip to Pondicherry last week did just that.</p>
<p>The 300+ Kms to Pondicherry drive was not perfect but it was an adventurous drive considering I took a detour to avoid a real bad patch between Krishnagiri & Tiruvannamalai. I would suggest anyone going to Pondicherry to drive Bangalore-Krishnagiri-Vellore-Gingi route. Though it adds 40 Kms, the road is excellent.</p>
<p>Talking about the holiday, It was a great experience. The Club Mahindra(Zest)resort was a very good one. Especially for a family outing. I enjoyed swimming followed by good food on all 3 days. It was a pleasure to walk around the resort with my little daughter Zuni. It was fun to see her enjoy new surroundings including the beach. It was such nice vacation that I've already planned another outing to Goa with my entire family in Feb middle. Hoping it materializes and we have a blast. We returned to Bangalore on Dec 19th and since that day, I'm yet to get over the holiday hangover.</p>
<p>Now that the year end vacation is complete, its time to take some decisions related to my career. I know for sure there will be some changes by Feb end. But what changes and my reaction to the changes will decide where my career is headed. Along with reaction to changes around, I believe some steps I take proactively will decide the professional journey I take. There is cynicism in the air but I wish to ignore it and make some positive moves Hope and pray that the entire world looks beyond cynicism and takes decisions that are good for all and moves towards making it a happier place.</p>
Talhahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13187546386057081948noreply@blogger.com0EPIP Zone, Bangalore12.976268 77.72518tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2335885258302865125.post-32362878893257481122012-11-08T13:30:00.001+05:302013-03-12T21:29:14.166+05:30Crossroads<div><p>Been a while since my last post. I've been more frequent on Twitter. It gives you a chance to express your thoughts as they flash in your brain. You can connect to so many people coming from different backgrounds and who hold all kinds of views. It is interesting and confusing at the sametime.</p>
<p>Having said that their are some thoughts hovering in my mind that cannot be expressed in the micro blog and maybe they are best discussed with people who know what I'm talking about. Its been a battle of thoughts inside me on various issues related to politics, life and so many more things.</p>
<p>If you look at it, life is not as complex as it appears on these social networking sites. It's pretty simple to live a principled life and be nice to the people who matter. At the same time being connected to the bigger social responsibilities by helping those who you can and staying content with what you have. Ofcourse, it doesn't mean you should not have ambitions or higher goals. It takes efforts and sacrifices in pursuing these goals. </p>
<p>Generally, social network is a great tool to reach out to the people who matter and stay connected with some very nice people and some vain souls as well. If you know where you want to reach and it compliments your journey, great. But if it is confusing you, better to place take it light. Ramblings of other confused souls should not confuse you further.</p>
<p>In my mind, it is best to stay real and positive about things that affect you but aware about as many things. </p>
<p>As far as my life is concerned, I'm at crossroads on the career front. There are some changes expected and there are some blind corners. I'm hoping for the best things to happen but I need to keep my tools sharp and ready to accept and grab the opportunities that come along. The transition phase in career is full of anxiety but has given me time to spend with my family. It is fun to see your little kid do new things everyday. I'd like to thank God almighty for these precious moments. About the anxious moments related to my career it is time for patience and perseverance.</p>
<p>While all this is happening, I intend to spend enough time in working on my fitness/health. Maybe swim more regularly and play some sport. And not to forget spiritual growth. Need to reach out to the God's word and he will reach out to me. There are so many things to do. Time is limited but its all about using the limited resources and maximize the output for yourself in this world and next.</p>
</div>Talhahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13187546386057081948noreply@blogger.com0AECS Layout - C Block, AECS Layout12.962331 77.71445tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2335885258302865125.post-44106112717120992332012-05-03T21:23:00.002+05:302012-05-04T17:02:41.102+05:30Milestones...<div><p><br />
I'm waiting in my office parking lot trying to put my thoughts in words. The thoughts are just so many I start then get confused. Perhaps thats the reason Im not blogging that often. Or perhaps is it because Ive been that busy? I think its all inter related. Everybody needs a bit of monotony and a bit of veriety to make the life fun.</p><p>Talking about monotony. It could not be worse. Ive been travelling 50kms daily in peek Bangalore traffic for work. It eats up almost 3 hours daily travelling. I feel Best way to make this travel time fun I feel is to tweet. Its just that even tweeting becomes after a point. Its the best way one can put his thoughts to words in a short timeframe and perhaps by reading some of the tweets,develop a sence of connection with other tweeple. It is interesting not more than a tool to kill time.</p><p>Talking about variety,Each day of my life has been unique in the last one year. Yes its been a year exactly since God almighty gifted me with my lovely daughter Zunaira. As I stand at this milestone I think where am I headed. Along with the joy of fatherhood there is also a sense of responsibility. The urge to see my family happy. As Ive got busy with my family, Ive also lost contact with some of my friends. I look forward to meeting them more often. Last year has been pretty slow in terms of work as well. The project Im working has reached a stage where things get done with minimum effort. Only effort I make is getting to office and back home. Life has been easy and challenging in parts. And God has been kind in most regards. Though, there is no reason to complain there is something missing. In those days we chased milestones such as  good score in the board exams or a place in the school cricket team. After a point it just a day to day life with not many goals.</p><p>As Zuni reaches the milestone of being a year old I also am staring at the milestone of my 30th birthday. Though birthdays don't mean a lot to me I want to set few goals on a personal, professional and spiritual level.</p><p>Personally I would love to spend more quality time with family. Take a vacation atleast once every 3 months. Ive been working hard to regain my lost fitness before my 30th birthday. Though Ive been swimming and doing some other stuff, results have not quite shown. I need a result oriented approach in all spheres.</p><p>On the professional front as well, neex to get back the result oriented and 'Can Do' attitude. Its very easy to lose sight of your goals when life becomes too easy. Whats needed in such a situation is a child like enthusiasm in all spheres.</p><p>On the spiritual level, I need to have more emphasis on connecting to my creator with a greater commitment. Add meaning to daily rituals and become a better person as a result. Though I look at life pretty positively it is important to remind oneself about the purpose of ones existance.</p><p>I would love to work on making myself and my blog more presentable. I'd would love to arrange and express my thoughts better. It would certainly help me be successful at all spheres. </p><p>Last but not the least work towards being more result oriented. Look at life with passion and make things happen. Looking forward to revisit my thoughts and keep updating my blog with the milestones of life as I reach them and enjoy the journey as much as reaching the milestones.</p></div>Talhahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13187546386057081948noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2335885258302865125.post-14324520524772718972012-04-01T11:15:00.000+05:302012-04-01T11:15:52.113+05:30Galaxy Note art<p class="mobile-photo"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-6ajiADNjKxg/T3frBRMxADI/AAAAAAAAAjA/XPUaaUMa2-k/s1600/capture_01-713283.png"><img src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-6ajiADNjKxg/T3frBRMxADI/AAAAAAAAAjA/XPUaaUMa2-k/s320/capture_01-713283.png" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5726303858254217266" /></a></p><p>Does he look like Me?</p>Talhahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13187546386057081948noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2335885258302865125.post-37872102243660305572012-04-01T02:04:00.000+05:302012-04-01T02:04:45.921+05:30Latest obsessionLast few night I got myself a new tablet/smart phone. Since then,
I'm trying to post some picture I drew on this new gadget. Though I'm ableo write on my blog, I'm finding it pretty hard to import some images I made to post.
Its really frustrating to not be able to complete what you set off to do. Still trying really hard to get my art on the blog. Though this exercise seams futile, maybe I've started to rediscover what it means to strive to achieve an Past few months have been really easy for me at work. So much so that I've just lost the art and science of striving. This futile exercise has made me reflect at the times when I achieved best results.
Most of the times skills are best utilised when there is passion. Without passion many potential legends live ordinary lives and with passion many ordinary guys end up being legends. Perhaps these thoughts . in the middle of the night were needed to get me back on my toes. Hopefully this eureka moment will translate to some action. Hope to update some action in posts that follow.Talhahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13187546386057081948noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2335885258302865125.post-50997221725720895592012-02-11T15:56:00.000+05:302012-02-11T15:56:36.313+05:30Sooo Loong<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">Its been a while since my last entry. Life has been a bit hectic still seams like not much has happened. It is a phase typical to a parent of an infant.<br />
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Last 4 or 5 months have been centered around my daughter Zuni. Everyday with her has been special and every new thing she does is memorable. I try to capture as much as I can in my camera, rest is in my memory.<br />
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Last week Ruqu, Zuni and I had a small getaway to Pondicherry. It was an ideal getaway for 3 days. Mostly relaxed, swam and checked out the beach. Zuni was really excited to see the water come at her whenever we went to the beach. Though she does not understand whats really happening. Overall it was her first vacation and it was memorable for Ruqu as she had to enjoy and take care of Zuni at the same time.<br />
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For me it was an interesting drive. 80% of the road is amazing. 20% of the road is a nightmare. The stretch between Krishnagiri and Thiruvannamalai is very bumpy. Especially when there is a little baby crying, I would not recomend anyone to take that route.<br />
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Now that Ruqu and Zuni have gone to Hyderabad for few days, life is going slow. With Zuni, I hardly find any freetime. Time just passes playing with her. I don't feel like doing anything else that talk to her. Last week has gone much slower than my last month. Hopefully next few days will fly and I will make use of this opportunity to finish some of the pending tasks that I could not when she was around.<br />
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Work wise, life is going pretty slow. Not much happening at work but lots in store. Looking forward to the interesting days ahead.<br />
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Personally, I am going through a phase when I am trying to learn as much as possible about different spheres of life through staying in touch with some smart bloggers, tweeters etc. But I now feel that is not an ideal way to learn anything. It only helps one get aware about the events happening around. Learning is not that easy. One needs to go through the authentic sources of information available.<br />
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Everything combined, my life has been very static over the last year or so. Everything has got a bit repetative. I am looking some drastic changes professionally. I am really waiting to go out of my comfort zone. I feel the change is round the corner.</div>Talhahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13187546386057081948noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2335885258302865125.post-33102177686312968202011-09-08T19:54:00.002+05:302011-09-15T13:12:06.172+05:30The High's and Low's<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">Last few weeks have been very sad for a fan of the Indian cricket team. Team India has gone through one of its worst phases in more than a decade. A number of reasons could be attributed for this dismal show. Most prominent being the hectic schedule planned by the BCCI. BCCI has treated the cricketers like the 'Golden eggs laying Goose'. Everything has been done to kill the Goose. <br />
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Main driving force behind such planning is that BCCI is filled with industrialists, politicians, etc. in key positions. Though their organizational and management skills have helped promoting and acquiring required infrastructure for the game, they have put the cart before the horse by making cricket a pure business.<br />
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Dhoni, the captain cool has looked clueless while all his henchmen are getting injured. Most probably, the current tour of England has witnessed the biggest team India squad ever for a single tour. Life can really be hard sometimes.<br />
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All said and done, I think the Indian cricketers, fans and BCCI should look at this as a lesson. A new start with the premise that 'Resting on laurels is not the way forward'. We need to prioritise quality of cricket over the financial gains. If quality of cricket is compromised, we stand to lose in the long run. <br />
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Take a leaf of Stuart Broad's book. He was hammered for 6 6's in an over in the T20 WC of 2007. He has come a long way since. No matter where we stand we can always bounce back. Just that we need to be honest with ourself and be realistic but ambitious. We have the ability but that alone is not enough. Planning and efforts in the right direction are very important.<br />
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I am sure, not just the Team India but everybody will go through a slump. The slump is not "The End". We need to take a lessons from our yesterday and live to fight again tomorrow. A fighting/sportive spirit is a prerequisite to victory.</div>Talhahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13187546386057081948noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2335885258302865125.post-67803613786163510052011-09-05T13:37:00.000+05:302011-09-05T13:37:36.505+05:30Eid Mubarak<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">The holy month of Ramadan has just finished and it has been a really good month. Especially since the work load at work place was fairly relaxed, I could give more time to reading the Quran with understanding. And I must say if you put your mind to it, it is not difficult at all. Another positive being I could get my life a bit more disciplined. However, some effort is needed to continue with the momentum.<br />
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<div closure_uid_88kk1s="137">Most important part is that, this is my first Eid with my daughter Zunaira. She has been such a big change in both Ruqu's and my life. It has been truly an amazing experience to witness and infant grow day by day. She is 4 months old now and a complete bundle of joy. Though she keeps us on our toes, she makes sure that the day is filled with extremely happy moments.</div><div closure_uid_88kk1s="137"><br />
</div><div closure_uid_88kk1s="137">I had a good break from the monotony of work for the last 5 days and Feel extremely lazy to get started again. Still have to get started and maybe plan a vacation sometime next month with Zunu and Ruqu. Bye till then.</div></div>Talhahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13187546386057081948noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2335885258302865125.post-12636589731506306652011-08-08T13:58:00.002+05:302011-08-08T14:00:34.058+05:30Blessed month is here<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div closure_uid_ex0um9="126"><div closure_uid_udwk03="108">We are already into the 1st week of Ramadan. The most interesting month in the muslim world. Interesting because of several reasons. Main reason being, we see the entire community go about the daily activities in unison. Most of the people fast and the spirituality goes a notch higher. Most who would not normally pray become regular with prayer. Especially the sight in the mosques at the night prayer is very refreshing. The taravih time is the best time of the day when each of one wants to stand in prayer, listen to the Quran al Kareem being recited and also seek forgiveness for our sins in unison. It indeed is the king of all months in the Islamic calendar.</div><br />
<div closure_uid_udwk03="109">Another aspect that makes this month one of its kind is the real tasty food available for Iftar's. Most of the food items that are forgotten for rest of the year make an entry during this month. Especially Haleem is a speciality dish especially in Hyderabad that makes ita culinary delight. It makes me think do we eat to fast or fast to eat?</div><br />
<div closure_uid_udwk03="111"><div closure_uid_j8ewv8="103">I feel apart from the atmosphere one needs to understand spirit of this month more holistically. It is the month when the Quran al Kareem was revealed and one who believed was commanded to fast. It should be a month dedicated to practice self restraint. One should understand what hunger means and the pain of the less fortunate. It is a time when one should try to read/understand the Quran al Kareem. Understand the message it has for the humanity. </div><div closure_uid_j8ewv8="103"><br />
</div><div closure_uid_j8ewv8="103">It is the time to introspect ourself, repent for our sins and reform for the better.</div></div><div closure_uid_ek6lpp="103">This is when most people donate maximum in charity. I think the charity should be directed towards those who genuinely need it and towards making our society a more equitable one. </div><div closure_uid_ek6lpp="103"><br />
</div><div closure_uid_ek6lpp="103"><div closure_uid_j8ewv8="104">Overall one should 'Sieze the moment' and make this month count with respect to our Akhirat. It is indeed a fact we cannot ignore.</div></div></div></div>Talhahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13187546386057081948noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2335885258302865125.post-67034787578281164312011-07-19T13:21:00.012+05:302011-07-21T18:50:27.752+05:30Seize the moment<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div closure_uid_srdtdo="102"><div closure_uid_ba4nyp="102"><div closure_uid_u84i62="104">As cliche'd as it may sound, Last few months have been full of changes. But change is the only constant thing in life and it is a part of growing up. Also, I have longed like never before to get back to my student days and enjoy wthout any responsibilities. These are quite often thoughts that hover on your mind when you are not able to adapt to the present situation and want to get back to your comfort zone. But destiny more often than not takes you where it has to take you and it is upto the individual either to embrace it or to sulk about 'What could have been'.</div></div></div><div closure_uid_srdtdo="102" closure_uid_u84i62="102"><br />
</div><div closure_uid_srdtdo="102"><div closure_uid_u84i62="118">This weekend was a very refreshing one. Especially after pretty hectic weeks and weekends recently. I decided to catch up with Srikanth/Nam over Zindagi na milegi dobara. Though I have not watched many movies in the last few months, it was a perfect break from the monotony. And what a movie it was especially looking at my hectic schedule of late. First of all, it was about something I've been looking forward to for quite sometime now. A 'Road Trip' through an unknown land. The movie recreated "Dil Chahta Hai" experience. An experience of relationship's and journey of life. A road trip is more often than not a metaphor for life. One goes through the journey, has various experiences., gets attached to various things and people and also has to detach. But the journey has to continue.</div></div><div closure_uid_srdtdo="102"><br />
</div><div closure_uid_srdtdo="102"><div closure_uid_u84i62="119">One thing I learnt is, not matter how busy life gets one has to have sometime to sit back and reflect about the priorities in life. One might work like a maniac but works to live and not lives to work. Those little moments with friends and family are so much more important than the rat race we are all a part of. It is never too late to start doing something you enjoy. In my case, I just love to swim. I look forward to scubadive/deep sea dive and experience some other adventures as well. There is so much to life but our worries keep us from going for it. Not always there is an opportunity for everything. But whenever an opportunity comes by, one has to "Seize the moment" and make the most of it.</div></div><div closure_uid_srdtdo="102" closure_uid_u84i62="120"><br />
</div><div closure_uid_srdtdo="102"><div closure_uid_u84i62="121">The movie was a big motivating factor this weekend. Srikanth, Nam and I decided to start running next morning. And boy it was quite a run. We managed to run two full rounds around Lalbagh(about 4-5 kms). We plan to run a marathon sometime soon. I really hope to keep the momentum going after next month(Ramazan). Perhaps, Srikanth will have his shot at the marathon sooner than me. I hope he manages to do it.</div></div><div closure_uid_srdtdo="102" closure_uid_u84i62="122"><br />
</div><div closure_uid_srdtdo="102"><div closure_uid_u84i62="123">I think instead of cribbing over the missed opportunities, it is better to snatch everything that comes by. Life always gives us an inch. It is upto us if we make it a mile or let it slip by. This post reflects my thoughts right now. I would love to translate it to action. Will definitely post when it translates to action.</div></div><div closure_uid_srdtdo="102" closure_uid_u84i62="124"><br />
</div><div closure_uid_srdtdo="102"><div closure_uid_u84i62="125">Cheers...</div></div></div>Talhahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13187546386057081948noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2335885258302865125.post-76787117377553996492011-05-10T15:27:00.001+05:302011-05-26T13:34:02.677+05:30An interesting beginning<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">Last few weeks have brought some really important changes in my life. Most important one among them is arrival of my little Zunaira. She was born on 3rd May 2011 in Hyderabad. She has truly made life more interesting and my family complete. She is still in Hyderabad with Ruqu and I long to go see her at the first opportunity.<br />
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Being a father is definitely a life changing experience. Though many of my friends have not taken the leap yet, I think the joy of having your little bundle of joy beats any thrill and the responsibilities that come along are really worth it.<br />
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On the work front, it has been end of one project and my manager wants me involved in another project 50-50. I am really scared of these 50-50 allocations as they are not really 50-50 but rather 100-100 ending up extracting 200% of your time. This is not something I wanted especially with Zuni's arrival. Still I think I will give it a best shot as I really need to learn time managenent and balancing between priorities. I hope this is an opportunity for me to learn how to manage limited availability or resources(especially time) in the most efficient way.<br />
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Another new beginning has been with swimming. I have started and stopped my regular swimming a million times. This time hopefully it is permanently a part of my life even when Ruqu and Zuni are back from Hyderabad. Hope not to mention swimming in my blog again.<br />
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Overall life has been interesting. Zuni's arrival has definitely brought many changes. Along with the joy her arrival has brought, I wish and pray for God almighty for mercy and blessings. Ameen.<br />
</div>Talhahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13187546386057081948noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2335885258302865125.post-7767534294029571472011-04-06T19:21:00.001+05:302011-04-14T15:57:49.090+05:30World Cup and beyond<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">First of all congradulations to team India for winning the World Cup. One generation has grown up since we the world champions last. It has been long since we lifted the cup last and it has been a special moment. Especially at a time when there have been so much more going wrong in this world, world cup victory has been a rare moment when the entire country celebrated together.<br />
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Though out then tournament I have had my reservations about the format of the tournament. I felt that this tournament did not reward consistency as much as the previous editions. I believe this tournament was about rising to the ocassion especially in the knock out stage. Though one might feel a team like New Zealand, who had a complete whitewash in the sub-continent prior to the World cup was an unlikely semi-finalist. I think this format tested how one handles pressure. <br />
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Though skills help you win most games, it is temprament that helps you become champions. South Africa demonstrated, no matter how consistent you are you have to rise to the ocassion to be world champions. And what a pity, they have not won a single knock out game in the world cup inspite of being one of the top 3 talented sides in each of the world cup they have figured in since 1992. <br />
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I feel both the format and the venues gave India the best chance of becoming the world champions yet again. And the most important part of this tournament was the elimination of Australia in the Quarter Final stage. Yes team India tamed the big bully and heralded end of an era. Though I feel team India had an ordinary preliminary stage in terms of performance. The preliminary stage gave India the best preparation for the big games. Team India got the best possible opponents in the knock out stage to prove its worth as the world champion. It does take some performance to beat Australia, Pakistan and Sri Lanka in a row.<br />
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Now that we have won the World Cup, I hope the success story of India as a country does not end here. I hope the players stay focussed and work hard to achieve greater goals in years to come. The cricket fans take this as a motivating factor to play sports and learn how to be competetive and sportive at the same time. I would ideally like our culture to evolve into a sporting culture where every person plays sports and that in turn builds his/her overall personality. I hope the cricket board does not kill the goose that has hitherto laid golden eggs by keeping them busy through the year. Also I hope we look at a sport as a sport that helps bring people closer. Let us not politicise it. The moment we make sport a devisive factor, the whole purpose of sport is defeated.<br />
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With IPL starting within a week of the World Cup, I feel the players have not got enough time to bask in the glory. Though I feel the show must go on. It should not keep running to the point where we get bored because of excess. And talking about IPL, I feel like most others confused about who to support. The auctions have jumbled the regional heroes of all teams into so many different teams. Thats for another day. For now lets bask in glory of the World Cup just gone by.</div>Talhahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13187546386057081948noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2335885258302865125.post-63124882535187938102011-03-09T16:58:00.008+05:302011-03-09T18:16:22.350+05:30A lively weekend and its aftermath<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">Last weekend was an eventful one. On saturday, I booked my 1st car. After months of indecisiveness, I finally decided to go ahead and book a Hyundai <em>i10</em>. For now, it looks like the best car cnsidering my usage and other factors. Last few months I have been thinking about so many cars but just not able to take a decision. Now that I have decided, I am happy with it and looking forward to having it with me next week.<br />
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Sunday was a day packed with cricket. There were two great matches in the world cup(to watch) and a couple of great matches played as well. In the world cup, it was England/South Africa and India/Ireland games played in Chennai and Bengaluru respectively. <br />
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The encounter in Chennai made the world cup even more interesting since Englishmen managed to defend a paltry total of 171 runs against the tournament favourites South Africa. It was a great fightback especially after losing to Ireland. The encounter in Bengaluru was a rather expected result where the men in blue beat the Irish pretty easily. However, the win was not as easy as it should have been. Indians were pretty much cautious after the tie against Englishmen and Irish were upbeat after beating the Englishmen. But you don't expect Ireland to win everyday. Now, it looks as if the world cup is getting interesting especially the group involving India. <br />
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That was about the cricket world cup. On sunday there was a cricket tournament organized in my company. It was an intra-account tournament. The account that I belong to(CITI-CLRS) has atleast 120 people and 4 teams were made out of these 120 guys. SAS/WINS, Legal, SPIDER and Trade Surveilance. It was a knock-out tournament. It was 2 Semi-finals followed by the finals that took place at ITPL grounds. I played for the SAS/WINS team. <br />
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The 1st game was between us and Trade surveilance. Lokesh,our captain won the toss and chose to bat 1st. It was a 12 over game where we managed to score 89 runs. Personally I was satisfied to carry my bat through the innings as an opener. Though Im not sure how mch I scored, it was just such a satisfaction to play cricket after so many days. Though we were the underdogs in the game, we managed to defend the 89 runs we scored. The credit goes to the spinners in my team they just turned it around when it mattered.<br />
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The 2nd game was between Legal and SPIDER. SPIDER-men batted 1st and scored 89 runs. Their star was Ramesh and Manju. After the 1st match we pretty much knew it was a challenging score and SPIDER-men did a great job to defend it.<br />
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Now, we played the SPIDER-men in the final, where SPIDER-men managed 81 batting 1st. They scored atleast 60 out of their 81 runs in their 5 middle overs. One of them bowled by me. I was pretty satisfied the way I bowled to begin with, but was hammered in my 3rd over. Perhaps trying to hard cost me dear. Manju was their star again. In response we managed to stay in the game till last ball and lost the game by 1 run.<br />
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Though it was the fun that counted, losing the final still feels like a job half done. But to take positives out of the weekend, I feel we did a great job to keep the tempo in-spite of the heat and physical strain. Though most of us had played after years.<br />
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It is already Wednesday, Still the pains in my body remind me of the fun I had on sunday. It is so satisfying having stayed at the crease for 17 overs and bowled 6 overs almost at 100% effort. A win would have made the pain sweeter, but it is participation that counts. I truly hope, we have more such lively weekends where we play and remind ourselves that there is still some time for us to grow old.<br />
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Though the aftermath is painful, This pain is much better than the continuous stress one associates with the software world. </div>Talhahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13187546386057081948noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2335885258302865125.post-2543556682598605892011-02-21T14:05:00.000+05:302011-02-21T14:05:39.403+05:30Who's cup will it be?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">The world cup has begun and the Indian team could not expect a better start. Lovely knocks by Virat and Veeru. The men in blue proved that they do not take anybody lightly. Complacence cost them the cup last time. This time hopefully it will be different. Sreesanth had a bad game but he will have his moment if he learns from his mistakes. All he needs is to control his aggression rather than let his aggression control him. Having said that, I still feel India is better off with two spinners in the home conditions. Lets see what approach they take as the competition progresses. <br />
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Who is the best team? In my opinion apart from destiny, there are two factors that decide the winner. One being class and the other is the temperament. A classy team may win most of the group matches and qualify for the knock-out stage. But it is the temperament that will help a team to handle tricky situations it might face in the knock-out stage. <br />
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Though the first round might not be as decisive, performance in the first round will definitely decide who one meets in the quarter finals. Since the top team from each group meets the 4th team from the other group, it is fair enough to say that even if a team did not have a great start it can bounce back, and what a bounce back it will be by beating the top team of another group. In the end it is about the team that handles the pressure best. In particular, the team with the ability to win 3 in a row is the champion. Though one bad day might spoil the party for any of the teams, it is rising to the occasion that will decide the winner.<br />
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Aussies have proved through the last decade, that they fight back hardest when they are pushed against the wall. They have not been challenged enough in the last decade. They have a mountain to climb. History proves, that they are not one's to be taken lightly. <br />
Indian team has always shown class, but somewhere it has not measured up to the temperament. Dhoni's leadership however promises to change this fact.<br />
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The South Africans have time and again chocked when it really matters. Their class is there for the taking but their temperament is what will be tested. Same holds good with the Englishmen, they might win all 6 group matches, but might be found wanting in the knockout stage.<br />
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Sri Lankans have proved to be big match players in spite of shortage in terms of class(barring few exceptions).<br />
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Pakistanis' have also proved to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat and also the vice-versa with consistency. They are the least reliable of all teams though one of the most talented.<br />
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I feel among Indians, Aussies, Pro-teas, Englishmen, Lankan's and Paki's the team that rises to the occasion will lift the cup. As a cricket fan I hope, may the best team win. As an Indian, I hope the best team is India.<br />
</div>Talhahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13187546386057081948noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2335885258302865125.post-20462816304920589992011-01-25T20:47:00.013+05:302011-01-27T13:26:16.250+05:30Here comes another World Cup<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">Even before I realise, four years have passed and another world cup is round the corner. It feels like yesterday that the Indian team threw away their chances against Bangladesh and the Paki's lost to Ireland. Bob Woolmer died. At a venue where one wanted to witness an India-Pak clash, one had to be content with a Ireland-Bangladesh ODI.<br />
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Four years have passed in a flash and lots has changed. Aussies are no longer the invincible unit that they have been for more than a decade now. England are no mere pushovers. They are the reigning T20 champions. Kiwi's were beaten in 10 consecutive ODI's in the subcontinent. The Paki's have been in middle of all controversies. In particular, the spot-fixing. Even they are not able to choose their captain. Exception to the long list of changes is the little master Sachin Tendulkar. He graduated from the little baby of the Indian cricket team in the 1992 edition to the kaku(uncle) of most players in the 2011 edition. His passion has been the same for this many years and it is the best opportunity for him to be a part of the world cup winning team.<br />
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This world cup does promise to be a tournament filled with surprises. As far as I am concerned, the format is not the perfect one. First of all, both the groups have 4 top teams and 4 minnows. It is highly likely that the 4 top teams will make it to the quarter finals. After that, anybody who can win 3 in a row will lift the cup. The previous editions of the world cup(outside the subcontinent) valued consistency. Atleast the 1999/2003 editions where the super6's gave chance to the teams with a poor start to comeback. At the same time, those editions were helped the consistent teams qualify for the semi-finals. 2007 was a big drag with the super 8s.<br />
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Though there is a grey area in the system, it gives a dark horse a chance to turn the tables. All the sub-continent teams that won the world cup did so as dark horses. I truly hope it is a tournament filled with surprises and a tournament where some great cricket is played and where a new world order is set. <br />
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Will the aussies rise from ashes (ashes debacle)like they did last time after a 3-0 whitewash by the kiwis in 2007? Will the men in blue live upto their favourites tag? Will the Englishmen take their ashes form into the WC? Will the Proteas lift their tag of chokers? Will their be another surprise? Not easy to tell. All I can hope for is a well faught world cup and may the best team win. Hopefully it is the men in blue. Whatsay?</div>Talhahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13187546386057081948noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2335885258302865125.post-18855645284305639392011-01-05T20:17:00.012+05:302011-01-11T19:04:11.888+05:30Getting started...A new decade has started and there changes everywhere. First of all the IPL is in for a revamp. Not many cricketers are playing for their native cities. It is extremely difficult to pick whome to support. Though I got used to support the RCB, now I find the crux of Bengaluru cricketers spread all across. Change is something most of us detest but eventually get used to.<br /><br />Talking about change, I am looking forward to some big changes in my life. No... I am not in a hurry to change my job. Just want to change the way I organise myself. I think there are a number of aspects where I need to change. First of all, I need to improve the way I organise myself at work. The workoholic phase I had last year has made me someone who either works like a donkey or sleeps like a log. This needs to change. Though I have added many new activities to my daily schedule, I need to be more consistent about some of things I do.<br /><br /><br />First of all I need to make sure I work for 8 hours in office and those 8 hours are high intensity work. I need to switch from everything when at work. See to it that I prioritise tasks better and focus of the quality of deliverables. I am soon gonna take up responsibility of leading a team and I need to look beyond just developing the code.<br /><br />Next, I need to learn how to switch off from work the minute I step out. I need to focus of my off work activities. Especially swim more regularly. Since I have started practicing with the HCL corporate cricket team, I need to practice regularly and try hard to play the game I love for the love of it. And not to mention plan my holidays better and visit some interesting places.<br /><br />On the family front, I need to be able to give more time to family and friends. Last year or so has been extremely busy and more than anything else, I have not really planned my days well. Need to get my social life back on track.<br /><br />Have so much to do. How to get going? First step to get going is making a start. Since last few months I have found that my day starts late and time management is not something I can boast about. The best days in my life have began from fajr(dawn prayers). I just want my day to actually begin at dawn and start my day reading something positive and with some physical activity. Soon after which it is easier to get in the groove to work.<br /><br />I am not someone who ever made a resolution let alone adhere to it. However, I think it is time I have a new outlook for this decade. I believe I can if I get started...Talhahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13187546386057081948noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2335885258302865125.post-65126952115934957872010-12-31T22:54:00.005+05:302011-01-04T15:16:10.230+05:302010 a mixed bag2010 has gone and what a year it has been. It has been a year filled with lots of excitement and drama. It has brought an end to a very exciting decade through which entire world has gone through a facelift.<br /><br />If I were to give it a name, I would call it a scamster's year. We have seen all kinds of scams come out in the open. Right from 2G spectrum, Adarsh housing, stone pelting, land grabbing, and CWG mess. It had all the ingredients for a bollywood masala potboiler. Just to spice up everything Sheila and Munni did their bit. So much so that two sisters in Maharashtra(coincidentally named Munni and Sheila) got their names changed. After all the scams the power structure of our country stays unchanged. Though one doesnot expect a change of guarg so fast. I personally hope and pray atleast this leads to a introspection throughout. I hope 2011 is a year when there is a resurgence of conscience and thought.<br /><br />All said and done, not everything was dark. Damage caused by the polity was slightly overshadowed by the sportsmen/women of India. Indian atheletes performed like never before in the commonwealth games. Though one may think that the scams and stink kept best in business out of the game. Still the performance was outstanding. In cricket, We saw the Indian cricketers perform out of their skins. They achieved the no.1 test ranking. Hope they retain the same once they are done with the series in South Africa.<br /><br />2010 also signalled a change in world order. At the beginning of last decade, we had a single superpower calling the shots in world affairs. Now the hegemony is challenged and the emerging powers are taking over. Same story with the cricket world. After almost a decade of arrogant dominance, Aussies are being challenged in their own backyard. In short it has been a year when there has been resurgence of the dominated powers who have now started to dominate.<br /><br />The wheel of change has been very interesting and has proved that the only thing constant in this world is change. The baton of power changes hand. One can only gain/retain the baton of power by being dynamic and constantly in tune with the changing environment.<br /><br />Personally it has been a year when I have moved from singlehood to being a married man and after 2 years I have managed to not get bored at work just as yet. I have completed a year plus with HCL technologies and it has been a really interesting phase.<br /><br />I am looking forward to working hard and also play harder in the years to come. I am hoping the next decade is going to be one where everybody rises and rises because there is a resurgence of ethics, conscience and peace.Talhahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13187546386057081948noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2335885258302865125.post-56418732210178458462010-11-28T19:15:00.013+05:302010-11-28T23:53:18.545+05:30What a weekend...This weekeknd was fun. Enjoyed cricket, swimming and also went out go-karting with my cousins Sakhib, Zafar and Nayeem bhaiya.<br /><br />The weekend started brilliantly. Got to know earlier about my company's cricket team that practices in VET ground on weekends. Had not found time till this saturday to join them. Went to the ground at 0630 hrs early in the morning. It was a repeat of school days when I used to play cricket more regularly.<br /><br />We were forced to only hold fielding practice as very few team members were available. The fielding practice was a bit of an eye opener for me. My ground fielding was below par to say the least. I was not able to bend and catch the ball when it moved at some speed. Though, close and high catches were much better. Managed catch more than drop. Hope to attend cricket practice more regularly and in the next session I am looking forward to bat and bowl. Let me see if I can play comfortably.<br /><br />Soon after the fielding session, I left for a swim in Jayanagar swimming pool. Though, I have been swimming atleast few times every week, the feeling of swimming in the morning is unmatched. The pool is relatively empty and there are no baricades in the deep end. Both cricket and swimming remind me so much of my school/college days. Hope to keep these habits alive for many more years to come.<br /><br />I feel through last few years of professional life I missed many opportunities to do things I really enjoy. Though I have been pretty busy, I should somehow find time for sports to keep me fit and stress-free. I feel there is no better stress buster for me than smimming or cricket. I feel completely liberated from all the pressures and worries when I am in water. In short, I need to manage my time much better.<br /><br />Watched the first Ashes test match after the swimming. It was an amazing game of cricket. The aussies gaining control on saturday and the Poms getting back in the game on sunday. Though the game is most likely to end in a draw, it is a game which had immense competition. The battle between bat and ball is the characteristic of test cricket. In my opinion, T20 will never replace test cricket for this reason.<br /><br />Another fun event this weekend was meeting Sakhib, Nayeem bhaiya and Zafar. I had lunch with Sakhib today and decided right there that we need to do something fun. Been a while since we enjoyed together. We quickly decided to go-karting. Found through "Just-dial" about a track around Kanakapura road. We guys left around 1630 hrs in the evening, reached around 1715 hrs after some expedition. The races were fun though I did not win any. What was most important was the adrenaline rush it gave and truly Sakhib was the deserving winner.<br /><br />The weekend was pretty action packed and I enjoyed it completely. One thing however is that Ruqu is still in Hyderabad. I am expecting her return next week. I am waiting to have her home and planning more action packed weekends with her.<br /><p>Now I am feeling so tired and sleepy. I am definitely gonna sleep well and get back to work afresh with a formatted hard drive between my ears.</p>Talhahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13187546386057081948noreply@blogger.com0