Whew,Oil creeping towards 70 $ a barrel.And no sign of the global economy slowing down;and a hurricane attack on the US Florida coast.Well,I guess we have enough shock absorbers in place.
Getting back to reading,writing with a venegeance.Tracking down my pencils.making travel plans.Chasing after my to-do lists.Getting back to the things that make me,Me.Also realised how true that adage of two ships meeting each other on a dark,stormy night,helping each other out ,communicating so wonderfully well only to sail away from each other before the crack of dawn.Will those ships meet again?In calmer bluer waters?Berth side by side?Or even sail together in the way only they can?Worth pondering.
Mike Papa called and predictably,told me more about the TRE @ GRE ;good show old chap..for the score too! Looking forward to the elbow bending at sun down tomorrow.Need to do something about my long time pending projects though.Was sifting through some stuff today and just realised that there are so many things to be done!
Also managed to come across Aero India 2003 souveniers.Way Cool!

Incidentally,found out something about the Mig 21 Type 74 in IAF service.Turns out it was equipped with a single Nudelman-Rikhter 30 mm (NR-30) cannon.It had a rate of fire of 900 rounds/min .Only 60 rounds of ammo were available in the aircraft giving a firing time of 4 secs.The gun was fitted to the left on the under side of the nose.And we retired it even before the Iraqis did! And our guys went and flew it with their air force!

September begins tomorrow.Wonder how will it be this time.

Aug 30,Another month coming to a close.My kingdom,my kingdom for a 48 hour day.Sigh.Everything seems so inane;not mundane;just inane.Getting caught up in things which are not of my making is turning into a startling habit.And human relations are just like bomb disposal.The closer you are to a person,the more likely that you will be hurt in the explosion.

Lots of pleasant things happened too- I continue to wake up late,drink,socialise and make a fool of myself.Finally bought the weighing scale for the new workshop.At 13,000 plus VAT for a max load of 500 kg,with a min weight reading of 50g plus battery backup and item counting,it seems a dealWeihed myself on it when no one was looking.I weighed 2 kgs more than I do in the mornings.I attribute that to the heavy denims,adidas running shoes,lots of keys,coins,wallet,belt etc.2 Kgs of surplus weight?Odd.Need to recheck.

And I wanna watch No Entry!!!

Buland Iqbal

Watched Iqbal today.
A beautiful movie by good ol hyderabad Sultan Nagesh Kukkunoor.Shows what a little budget,a brilliant cast and brilliant directorial vision can achieve.The story is of a 18 year old cricket crazy boy in a small Andhra village.He happens to be deaf and mute but still blessed with an infectious enthusiasm of doing things his way and keenly spying on the practice sessions at the neighbouring cricket coaching centre.Inevitably his talent gets spotted,then ditched due to nepotism.He is then nurtered by the village drunk(Naseeruddin Shah) who,as it turns out,was a promising bowler in his youth.This unlikely combination of a self-ruminating alcoholic and a keen wide eyed barefooted and talented ,though lacking kid,manage to take own the cricketing establishment,teach each other about themselves and manage to change perceeptions and outlooks as well.Shreyas Talpade ,playing Iqbal,is a natural actor and one hopes to see him in more such films in the future rather get channelled into propah Bollywood.Naseeruddin Shah is a treat to watch as is Girish Karnad as the uptight and scheming coach.Iqbal's family members comprising his mum,dad and younger sister(a real find!,reminds one of Benaf from Halo) are well-cast.Kukkunoor sidekicks and regulars Vikram Inamdar and Elahe manage to find their way into abbreviated roles int his fim.Kapil Dev is priceless as himself.its a wonderful movie overall,shows the power of self-belief,earnestness,hard work etc.A definite lesson for me! :-)Yes,it is a Shubhash Ghai production.Were it directed by him,in all probability,Iqbal would be singing and regained his hearing by the finale. :)

Went to BCL today.Finally managed to get hold of Orwell's Burma Days as well as a nice history of the London Underground.
Then met up with Dinu at Mocha,C-Gate for a PDS and then retired to Geoffereys for beer.
Target Rich Environments both.But of course,I am off ops :(

Every day as you head towards your destination,there will be multiple people laying multiple minefields for you in your way.
They will try to shake your equanimity,disturb your poise and try to bog you down emotionally.
Do not let them succeed for it is too easy to slow down and start responding to their trivialities.
What next when you slow down?You stop.

So transcend it all,put your head down and kick in the afterburner.
As they say at Top Gun,'The truly superior pilot uses his superior judgement to prevent getting into situations where he might have to use his superior skills.'


Song of the Day- Eminem's built up powerful lyrics to the rythm base of Martika's Like Toy Soldiers.
That and Stan make Eminem,Eminem.

Mighty Wings

On the topic of interesting people in my life,I had the most pleasant early morning surprise yesterday while on my optimistically termed run.Came across this girl who used to be with me in tuitions a long time ago..well 11 years ago in fact.She was a year junior.We moved away but occassionaly did get to know of each other's doings due to a familiarity betweent he families.So,I had heard she was married and filed it away.And I finally saw her yesterday-still the same fair and radiant girl I remember,pushing a stroller with the sweetest kid I have ever seen on such mornings.We chatted a bit,exchanged notes.And her boy so sweetly shy.Nathan's his name.I am happily looking forward to the lad grow up.

Other interesting,wonderful people..hmm well..everyone in my life is like that.On the few rare occassions when I actually wonder whether I am doing the right thing,I immediately snap back and realise I definitely am;else I would not be having all these wonderful people in my life would I?
And Ego Warning time..I am feeling mightily kicked that A,one of the Kohort,actually met some girl at a college dance,got talking and like all good conversations they zipped around a few topics,ended up to something I am trivially good at and A actually described me to the girl.And the dolly is impressed!Woo Hoo in the best Blur incantation.

Have run into a few friends from school too recently.And hearing about others as well.So if someone has gone to one of the IIM's,another gets to peek into Boeing 737s every day at Air Sahara,New Delhi.Bhautik has become the proud father of Ved on July 4,while Bharathesh has recently been affianced.So has Sweety come to think of it and she got featured in Mid-Day's Hit List as she is an actress of some sort. :)And Anish has bought an Enfield and Vishal's parents want him to get married.Blimey,so do mine.And even good old Vipul, my Camera Support Team Leader asked me point blank when will I get married and he is expecting,nay hoping that I do so by the next year 2006!Whew and me thinking of going to Deutschland for the Game.
Sigh.


And Naresh ,good old Naresh,web designer par excellence,dropped in a amil today saying he is getting married this Sunday.I had a vague idea he was busy with something;not someone :-)Anyways,I called him up and did some GNLP (Good Natured Leg Pulling)And confirmed his age too for the statistical data collection.He is 28;so I am in good company.

My mood has improved considerably over the last few days.And I found some old photos of mine from 4-5 years ago.Gosh i was so fit back then.And every pic in the company of a different dolly.Also found a couple of greeting cards from that time,most of the stuff was wet and ruined.Salvaged a few pictures by trimming,cutting the edges!And so the mood is going on improving .Whining is good provided its under limits I guess.Even a jet engine whines,but then it takes flight and soars into the horizon.So that is what I am doing.
Kapchan Erwache!

Song of the Day-Lord Paul Oakenfold,Esq.'s Starry Eyed Surprise.

Rants

The NCP is at it again.They seem to think they can change lifestyles at will.After gloating over the largest job loss across multiple towns and across different social strata,The NCP Supremo now says that hey wine should be available in every grocery store.As a confirmed devotee of Bacchus,I say bring it on chaps.But this is too significant a decision to warrant such a careless attitude.The other NCP here wants to cut down trees and sell of all the open and unused land to pay off state debt.
So as expected the displaced bar dancers are now taking to prostitution etc.A couple of years back when I used to wake up even earlier than I do now and go for a run ,I used to come to this particular junction well-illuminated by street lights.So at 0515 hrs,there used to be a White Sumo coming from one direction ferrying bar girls exhausted after a hard day's night to their homes.At the same time,another Sumo would come roaring out of the winter darkness carrying BPO girls back to their homes.At one point they would cross each other ,rapidly,pauselessly with none of the passengers noticing and none of the drivers realising.This is Mumbai.
Those int he know will be glad to know that I have finally transcended what I was dreading.And feeling all the more better for it.
Just heard that Bob Moog (pronounced like Vogue) passed away today.He invented the eponymous synthesiser back in 1964 thereby laying the foundation and perhaps,more importantly ,laying the foundation for the modern music industry as we know it.He will sorely be missed,but I am sure he died a contented man.More on him later.
Picked up good music from Mike Papa today.Thanks old chap.
Doing a lot of repetitive boring and sometimes mind numbing stuff these days.But,it is the mindless tedium of repetition which gives the edge however slight in any crunch situation.As one of the unofficial AFA Mottoes has it-'The more you sweat in peace,the less you bleed in war' or as the Sign over the Training Wing Basha at Stirling Lines,Hereford says ,'Train hard.Fight Easy.'
Gotta search for my bag of magic tricks.Its required.Too many things not going the way they should.These Muggles,I tell you....
Song of the Day- Depeche Mode-Enjoy the Silence.Thanks MP!

La Marsellaise

The French National Anthem today-


Couplet I
Allons enfants de la Patrie,
Le jour de gloire est arrivé!
Contre nous de la tyrannie,
L'étendard sanglant est levé, (bis)
Entendez-vous dans les campagnes
Mugir ces féroces soldats?
Ils viennent jusque dans vos bras
Egorger vos fils et vos compagnes!
Refrain
Aux armes, citoyens,
Formez vos batallions,
Marchons, marchons!
Qu'un sang impur
Abreuve nos sillons!
Couplet II
Que veut cette horde d'esclaves
De traîtres, de rois conjurés?
Pour qui ces ignobles entraves
Ces fers dès longtemps préparés? (bis)
Français, pour nous, ah! quel outrage
Quels transports il doit exciter?
C'est nous qu'on ose méditer
De rendre à l'antique esclavage!
Refrain
Couplet III
Quoi ces cohortes étrangères!
Feraient la loi dans nos foyers!
Quoi ! ces phalanges mercenaires
Terrasseraient nos fils guerriers! (bis)
Grand Dieu ! par des mains enchaînées
Nos fronts sous le joug se ploieraient
De vils despotes deviendraient
Les maîtres des destinées.
Refrain
Couplet IV
Tremblez, tyrans et vous perfides
L'opprobre de tous les partis
Tremblez ! vos projets parricides
Vont enfin recevoir leurs prix! (bis)
Tout est soldat pour vous combattre
S'ils tombent, nos jeunes héros
La France en produit de nouveaux,
Contre vous tout prêts à se battre
Refrain
Couplet V
Français, en guerriers magnanimes
Portez ou retenez vos coups!
Épargnez ces tristes victimes
A regret s'armant contre nous (bis)
Mais ces despotes sanguinaires,
Mais ces complices de Bouillé
Tous ces tigres qui, sans pitié
Déchirent le sein de leur mère!
Refrain
Couplet VI
Amour sacré de la Patrie,
Conduis, soutiens nos bras vengeurs
Liberté, Liberté chérie,
Combats avec tes défenseurs! (bis)
Sous nos drapeaux que la victoire
Accoure à tes mâles accents,
Que tes ennemis expirants
Voient ton triomphe et notre gloire!
Refrain
Couplet VII
Nous entrerons dans la carrière
Quand nos aînés n'y seront plus,
Nous y trouverons leur poussière
Et la trace de leurs vertus (bis)
Bien moins jaloux de leur survivre
Que de partager leur cercueil,
Nous aurons le sublime orgueil
De les venger ou de les suivre!
Refrain


Verse I
Arise children of our fatherland,
[For] the day of glory has arrived!
Against us, tyranny,
Has raised its bloody flag, (1)
Do you hear in the fields
The howling of these fearsome soldiers?
They are coming into your midst (2)
To slit the throats of your sons and wives!
Chorus
To arms, citizens!
Form your battalions!
March, march!
Let impure blood
Soak the furrows [of our fields]
Verse II
What does this horde of slaves want,
Of traitors and conspiratorial kings?
For whom these vile chains
These long-prepared irons?
Frenchmen, for us, ah! What outrage
What methods must be taken?
It is us they dare plan
To return to the old slavery!
Chorus
Verse III
What! These foreign cohorts!
They would make laws in our courts!
What! These mercenary phalanxes
Would cut down our warrior sons
Good Lord! By chained hands
Our brow would yield under the yoke
The vile despots would have themselves be
The masters of destiny
Chorus
Verse IV
Tremble, tyrants and traitors
The shame of all good men
Tremble! Your parricidal schemes
Will receive their just reward
Against you we are all soldiers
If they fall, our young heroes
France will bear new ones
Ready to join the fight against you
Chorus
Verse V
Frenchmen, as magnanimous warriors
Bear or hold back your blows
Spare these sad victims
That they regret taking up arms against us
But not these bloody despots
These accomplices of Bouillé
All these tigers who mercilessly
Ripped out their mothers' wombs
Chorus
Verse VI
Sacred patriotic love
Lead [and] support our avenging arms
Liberty, cherished liberty
Fight [back] with your defenders
Under our flags, let victory
Hurry to your manly tone
So that your enemies, in their last breath [before death]
See your triumph and our glory!
Chorus
Verse VII
We shall enter the career (3)
When our elders will no longer be there
There we shall find their ashes [lit. dust]
And the mark of their virtues
[We are] Much less jealous of surviving them
Than of sharing their coffins
[For] We shall have the sublime pride
Of avenging or joining [lit. following] them
Chorus

Kenya-The Language etc...

Well,the most commonly and regularly used phrase by me in Kenya was--
Tafadhali natakabia baridi
which means I'd like a cold beer
This is usually shortened to- Tusker baridi as Tusker= Damn Good Beer

Numbers Lesson Today
0 = Sifuri
1/4 = Robo
1/2 = Nusu

1 = Moja
2 = Mbili
3 = Tatu
4 = Nne
5 = Tano
6 = Sita
7 = Saba
8 = Nane
9 = Tisa

10 = Kumi
11 = Kumi na moja
20 = Ishirini
30 = Thelathini
40 = Arobaini
50 = Hamsini
60 = Sitini
70 = Sabini
80 = Themanini
90 = Tisini
100 = Mia
101 = Mia na moja
200 = Mia mbili
1000 = Elfu moja

Twenty Sixing

Whoa,So I have turned 26 finally.It is an interesting number this 26.It is opperfectly divisible by just 1,2 1nd 13.So I am now double of my first year as a teenager.I like to begin or rather consider my New Year to begin from my birthday.So this is the time,new plans are made and executed.The past year is reviewed.Notwithstanding the fact that there was so much I did not do in the preceding 12 months,there is also so much that I did do in those same months.So I have to carry forward the unfinished business,add it to the currently pending one and add it to this year's plans.Boy Oh Boy...This will be a busy year indeed.
So how did my day go?Quite good actually;kept getting phone calls through the night,then woke up at 0430,was out for a run by 0530,back by 0600,showered and dressed as had to take Mom to Hare Krishna Land as they have this special prayer service for Life Members.Reached there at 0715,took part in the group Morning Archana,then the birthday special happened.The Priest was speaking in rapid Sanskrit with a hushed tone,but I did manage to hear him pray for me obtaining Aishwariya.And Mr.Salman Khan staying some 5 kms away as the crow flies.
What I like about this birthday is that I know myself even better now than before,if such a thing is possible.And its all due to the nice people I have in my life.I likes :-)
Then was off to work,visited a customer,went to office and sent a stinker of a letter to an established public company which is a self proclaimed leader in the Welding Equipment Business.That ensured prompt attention.Then back home,did some sorting and then started off to pick up Shweta and go to Polly Esthers.The girl looked divine cos she probably is.Did the Gateway drive by and saw gorgeous ships at anchorage gently rolling in the full moon lit shimerring sea.Gave the Shamsherni to the valet at Gordon House to park and headed over to Mondy's for a pre-drink drink.2 Cobras with Garlic Mushrooms.Aye Haye!!!I don't like the new Mondy's menu card.Its out of place with the overall ambience of the place.There I go again complaining about a lack of holistic design sensibilities.There ios a Parsi food and wine fest on at Cafe Mondegar this week;and no..thhe wine is not Parsi.We then moved on to Polly's.The crowd was sparse so had our Absoluts by the bar and observed the people.Lots of hilarity there.Then found a place to sit and talk.Had another Absolut.Then the crowd was there,the music was becoming danceable so we moved to the floor and danced.Again and again.Moved out of there by a quarter to one as I had to get back to M80.And a wonderful time was had by all.....Polly is a nice place,even more so because I managed to get 4 cans of Kingfisher beer in exchange of the leftover coupons,walked down with them to the very vocal astonishment of this Trying too much to be hot aunty '''Oh F***!!Oopar ka maal neeche''' I just grinned at her,told her its my birthday.In hindsight,maybe I shoulod have asked her for a kiss?