Once upon a time....

aye mere vatan ke logon
zara aankh mein bhar lo paani
jo shaheed hue hain unki
zara yaad karo qurbaani

jab ghayal hua himaalay
khatre mein padi aazadi
jab tak thi saans lade vo
phir apni laash bichha di
sangeen pe dhar kar maatha
so gaye amar balidaani
jo shaheed...

jab desh mein thi diwali
vo khel rahe the holi
jab ham baithe the gharon mein
vo jhel rahe the goli
the dhanya javaan vo aapane
thi dhanya vo unaki javaani
jo shaheed ...

koi sikh koi jaat maraatha
koi gurakha koi madaraasi
sarahad pe maranevaala
har veer tha bhaaratavaasi
jo khoon gira parvat par
vo khoon tha hindustaani
jo shaheed...

thi khoon se lath-path kaaya
phir bhi bandook uthaake
das-das ko ek ne maara
phir gir gaye hosh ganva ke
jab ant-samay aaya to
kah gaye ke ab marate hain
khush rahana desh ke pyaaron
ab ham to safar karate hain
kya log the vo deewane
kya log the vo abhimaani
jo shaheed...

tum bhool na jaao unko
is liye kahi ye kahaani
jo shaheed...
jay hind jay hind ki sena -2
jay hind, jay hind, jay hind 

Bharat humko jaan se bhi pyaara hai, sabse pyaara gulistan hamara hain- I miss the smell of wet sand before and after rains, the warmth of people, the simple lives, the pious relations and the strong bond towards our motherland. On days like these, I wish I could be standing on that blessed soil where I grew up and learnt how to and what to live for. Wishful thinking, wishful thinking....

Anyways, heres wishing you all A very Happy Independence day!!

I just finished watching Life In a Metro, and I am pretty aggravated by what is being preached through the movie. Konkana Sen is taught to accept the fact that Irfan Khan can have the nastiest habits, but she should still be acceptive of them and learn to love him for his other qualities (which I did not even think existed- afterall, the man lied to her about not drinking, was ready to leave his wife on the day of his wedding and acted like a total villager).

Also, does Shilpa Shetty or Shiksha have to put up with her husband for the rest of her life, despite of how she was treated?! Do these men ever learn? Are they ever ashamed of themselves??

Well, I guess I was okay with Dharmendra pair and Sharman Joshi and Shiney Ahuja couples. But I really wonder if life in Indian metros is really like what they have shown in this movie? Are they really that needy and superficial???

The neighbor on my right is my friendly Post-It neighbor, but the one on the left is a little cold and unfriendly. My boss once described him as the most irrational person working in the Systems Validation department, which I found quite ironic since using logic and rationality to test the system and software are the foundations of his work. Anyways, we always hear him arguing on the phone with a new person each time, and he mutters under his breath as he fumes out after putting down the receiver. His favorite abuse word is not BS, but horse-s***, and his usage of that word cracks up my Post-It neighbor. This validation guy also seems to have a loud, feigned laugh that sounds like a grand-father laughing at his silly little idiotic grand-children. (I am not doing justice to his laughter; do you remember Amrish Puri (Mogambo)'s laugh in the movie 'Mr. India'? yeahhh, thats how he sounds!!)


Next down the aisle in the direction of this disgruntled neighbor of mine is the cube of my ex-boss. She is currently part-time, but there has never been a time when people are not excited to have her around! An alumni from my university, she is very perky, inevitably smart, an extrovert and a party-lover. I think I enjoy working with her more than anybody else, and am glad that I have had that opportunity this whole term! Did I mention that she is very generous and has often treated us college students to delicious delicacies?! :)


Across from my ex-boss is my current boss. A young guy with a good personality and pleasant nature. But he has too many responsibilities on hand and thus, cannot fulfill the mentoring needs of five amateur minds. He holds up well against the childish teasing by his seniors, whether it be for his unintentional charm of attracting girls or for wearing matching clothes (same-colored pants and T-shirts) or for taking numerous vacations to Vegas. But he is pretty nice as a boss, and has promised the co-ops an outing of our choice, all on the corporate credit card... classy na? :)

.... I need to close my post here and call it a day. But watch out for *maybe* yet another sequel about my other work-related acquaintaces. So long, then! :D

check out the articles on this page: http://www.desijournal.com/articlelist.asp

My fav was: http://www.desijournal.com/article.asp?articleid=306 out of the few articles that I read.

Current status: downloading songs and gathering matinee masala for my radio show this sunday. Listen to me live at www.wnur.org on Sunday 4-7 pm Chicago time!

I shall be heading home tomorrow for the weekend, and my next post will not be until next week... Just wanted to share that with you :-P.. Have a lovely weekend!!

Being the ideal employee that I am, I decided to let you peek into my daily work-life. Not the technical side of my job ofcourse, since I do not want to get into trouble for violating company confidentiality (not like you would be fond of the nitty-gritty of my engineering tasks anyways :-P). It has been almost a year working at this medical device company, and a lot has changed over time, but I have only enjoyed my experience here more and more with each passing quarter.

So where should I start from? Oh yes, with my cube-mate ofcourse!! When my division got sold-off to a private investment firm (TPG a.k.a Texas Pacific Group) early this year, the hiring managers went on a mad recruiting spree to maximize their employee per inch of office space ratio. And that is why I, like all other contractors and interns, am sharing my cube with a fellow worker. Some of the super-cubes have like four employees sharing the common walls of the cube. Not the most efficient way to work for sure, but a very coy way to chat and bond away with your colleagues. And so I get to share my socializing fervor with a blonde engineering co-op!! We get along quite well, and thankfully, she is not the typical blonde character! :D She is, a spoiled American kid though, and also a complete party animal! We share jokes and our frustrations on a daily basis, apart from the giggles aroused by chairs that seem to bump into each other every time one of us moves a little from our designated spot!

Let me move on to our neighbor on my right side. We have a special mode of communication, especially when we are distracting each other by talking loudly. We use post-its to notify each other of our grudges and opinions. Oh, we are friends and we are definitely on speaking terms with each other, but it just so happens that we find posting sticky notes on each other's cube walls to be a funny and effective mode of communication. In a typical week, we usually exchange about five post-its over the tall common wall that separates our cubes. :D

Man, I have so many other people and events at work that I could write about, but I will have to hold off until my next post to describe my work community and environment. I guess you will have to wait for Parts 2, 3 and maybe 10 of this post. Stay tuned! :D

I managed to impress myself for a very silly reason (not the first time I will be doing this, ofcourse!). I have seen more movies in the last month than I have seen in the entire year(2006)! Amazing, isn't it? Ok fine, I only saw like 3 movies in 2006 :-P. Forgive me for not being a movie buff *grin*

The following movies made it to my seen list.
1. Delhi Heights (first time I saw Neha Dhupia act, an alright movie)
2. Khosla Ka Ghosla (hilariously real!)
3. Partner (saw it in the theatre, some parts maybe entertaining, otherwise the story is greatly 'pakao')
4. Chandni Bar (depressing, but an eye-opener to the problems of prostitution in India!)
5. Kaho Na Pyaar Hai
6. Bheja Fry (stopped soon after I started)
7. Lagaan (for the second time)
8. Dil Se (only because my bro put it on)

.... and that's all I can remember to have watched in the last few weeks. But a pretty decent turn-around for an apathetic movie person like me.

Thanks to Shalin for the movie website www.videoduniya.com. Amazing quality films for free...! Ah, entertained, at last! :)

U.S. may be a melting pot for people of all ethnicities, but Indians stand out, even more so than the Chinese a lot of the times.

I read up a few articles today on the perception of the market towards immigrants, and India seemed to be at the back of every writer's head, especially when it came down to the professions of dot-coms and doctors.

At this point, I get the feeling that some Americans are spiteful towards Indians, for we seem to have the capability to work harder and act smarter. I read a few opinions complaining about how people from other countries returned to their homelands after several years, and take their capital with them so that America loses its money.

It does seem unfair to me that we gain from this wonderful economy and tolerant culture of America, but do nothing to really give back to the nation. Maybe Indians become entrepreneurs and create several jobs for this economy, or innovate amazing computer chips in the Silicon Valley, or go shopping for overly priced articles at the mall, but they might still want to consider celebrating July 4th with the same fervor as Aug 15th!

You might enjoy reading this: http://nymag.com/nymetro/news/culture/features/11621/

This is insane! It is 12:40 am, I have to be at work by 7:30 am tomorrow and I cannot resist the urge to blog! I am actually exhausted after the long trip to and from Chicago - had numerous thoughts during this commute; those thoughts also included how I wanted to pen down (on my blog) what I felt and why.

Actually nevermind, my brain is giving out very inarticulate signals and the shutters of my eyes are ready to drop any moment now. Will continue this post some other time.....

I am so excited for next week - for some reasons that I cannot disclose over the public webspace!

But I will tell you this: Monday night I am going to Chicago for an informational session of Bain & Co. Consultants. That will be a nice change from the routine work-life, and also an opportunity to clear my questions about consulting!

Next weekend, we are also throwing my friend a surprise party somewhere in Chicago!

Work has been great so far! Things have been moving along at a good pace, and I keep getting attached to my co-workers more and more everyday! They are a bunch of talented, friendly and candid people. Just the type of company I have been seeking!! :-)

Oh, and my car is finally back from repairs. I spent 3K on the old thing - but its still my car and I love it!! Atleast it is newer looking, has nice interiors and a CD Player that works!!

Btw, I am downloading some songs because I am tired of my current song collection. What are your all-time favourite songs??

Lastly but very importantly, does anyone know how to scare these cats out of my room???

A Duke University survey found that immigrants in U.S. contribute substantially to the technological progress and development out here :
http://memp.pratt.duke.edu/news/?id=829

Ahh the uncertainty!! With just one more year of undergrad education left, I am feeling the crunch for time to prepare for my GREs, choose the right grad school program, fill and send out grad school applications, and update and send my resume to potential employers!

The feeling of ending up with an insecure future is intimidating! Better get back to researching schools and degrees....

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Also, I am going to stick up these witty sayings (which I found on web today) outside my cube the next time I go to work =D

Cubicle One-Liners

1. If you do a good job and work hard, you may get a job with a better company someday.

2. The light at the end of the tunnel has been turned off due to budget cuts.

3. Sure, you may not like working here, but we pay your rent.

4. Rome did not create a great empire by having meetings -- they did it by killing all those who opposed them.

5. A person who smiles in the face of adversity probably has a scapegoat.

6. If at first you don't succeed--try management.

7. Never put off until tomorrow what you can avoid altogether.

8. Never quit... until you have another job.

9. Hang in there: Retirement is only 30 years away!

10. Go the extra mile--It makes your boss look like an incompetent slacker.

11. Pride, commitment, teamwork--words we use to get you to work for free.

12. Work: It isn't just for sleeping anymore.

13. There are two kinds of people in life: people who like their jobs, and people who don't work here anymore.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I made the move! I am now a paying guest in a house with a single mother and her two daughters. I get a small wooden room, neatly furnished with a bed, closet, desk, a tall chest and a TV. Along with wireless internet and other utilities, I also get the privilege to live with two cats! I have never had any pets, nor am I a cat person, but I think I am learning to like them.

The family I live with is amicable, but not really friendly. The mother is a mid-wife who is usually not at home till late night, and the daughters have their own things to do, so I am usually by myself when at home. Luckily for me, I made an Indian friend while searching for a renter close to work. I wonder how depressing it would have been to not have anyone around in the evening! My newfound friend was quite desolate when he moved close to work eight months back. You begin to value good friends and good company even more once you pass through such phases in life.

I finished watching Jhoom Barabar Jhoom online, and I can't believe that I watched the entire thing! This movie is even worse than Bunty aur Babli. What is Yash Raj production upto?????

The first half of the movie is a whacky dream, with unnecessary kissing scenes and senseless stories. The second half is just as bad with AB Jr.and Preity trying to cover up their lies. Choreography and the film plot were both below my expectations. The presence of AB Sr. is pretty much useless.

Also, I would like to comment about the increasing interest of Bollywood producers to imitate western concepts of romance. Salaam Namaste, Namaste London, Kabhi Alvida Na Kehna, JBJ, and several other new movies have been targeted towards NRI audience, and in the process, they also pique the curiosity of ignorant, indigenous people of India. People back home assume what they see on the screen to be the general culture of U.K. or U.S., and often feel peer-pressured to live upto the western culture and be all liberal. I have a problem with the showcasing of such pseudo-ubiquitous ideas by the media. They are not genuine or funny. They are, in fact, sick and a bad influence on the common classes of India. I would be very sad if India lost its culture a few years down in the road on its way to westernization.

What happened to making decent, modest, family-type films? Why can they not come up with better plots rather than retorting to showing skin and "love"? Hopefully, Munnabhai Chale America will not blow my hopes away unlike JBJ.

I do not know where to start. Feels like I have too much to tell, but not enough time to write it all out.

For starters, I started work(co-op) this week. I have decided to move away from home and closer to work. The commute time one way suddenly increased to 1 hour and 30 mins thanks to bunching up of traffic due to road construction, nice weather and low gas prices. I called quits from this necessity of riding the highways and wasting precious time in the car. The downside? I lose out on being with my family on weekdays, have to pay rent for the new place and worry about cooking. Oh, and the question of having a social life after work might go out the window, because I might be by myself after I get back from work....

Also, finally finished reading the John Grisham novel yesterday. It is titled 'King of Torts' and was a gift to my dad by one of his friends out here. It is a very captivating story of one attorney who goes from rags to riches thanks to the American law of suing others. I do not want to reveal much about the book, but I would recommend reading it if you can lay your hands on it.

I skipped work today to get my car fixed. The car issue has been bringing my spirits down - it is distressing to spend money and still not be able to see the results you want. I am afraid that I will lose this car and along with it the money that I paid for it. If this car becomes useless, I might have to lose even more time and money searching and buying another car to help me to get to work. And I will probably go broke at the end of this exercise. Although I am staunch believer of an underlying good behind all unfortunate events, I just don't see a light at the end of the tunnel here. My dad tried to cheer me up, but all in vain. His car might also be having some problems to be fixed. Moreover, I left my boss an awkward voicemail this morning which probably sounded like I was not interested in coming to work. Talk about having a domino effect after a mishap. talk about writing a dry blog.

I need someone/something to instill hope in me again... I am crossing my fingers for the meeting with the car dealer.

dammit! I hate the fact that yahoo advertisements have disfigured my html coded web-page and scattered the contents all over the place :( (if you want to see what I mean, check out http://in.geocities.com/trivedi_shreya)

Now I am in search of some other free web space host which can let me use me copy-paste my old html code without any trouble. I tried Google Webpages, but it is not easy to transport my html code into its pre-set Dreamweaver format .. sheeesh!!

And btw, this is just a mini-rambling, not really my next post :D

My life just took a 360 degree turn in the past week!

For the past three months, I was toiling to ace my classes, network with professors and classmates, maintain a good balance of acads and entertainment, get to know my friends better and explore fun activities.

But now, I have moved back home for summer break, and there is no need or motivation for doing any of the above mentioned activities. Instead, I have been sleeping for ten hours on a daily basis, watching hindi television, eating delicious gujarati food and listening to stories of family feuds. I am also catching up on the lives of my cousins and relatives, and 'patiently' listening to repeated bragging of their social or professional achievements.

But, more than anything else, what has begun to bug me is my parents secretly planning and getting prepared to find a match in the coming years. My mom was always against these kinds of conversations under the pretext that I was too young, and that it was too early to even talk about such matters, but now, all of a sudden, she seems to be laying out a time-line for finding someone. I was hoping that my dad would understand when I told him my life and career plans, but it definitely does not seem like I have been taken seriously!

Alright, I am going to end this post here, and hope that I have better things to talk about in the next one!

The Divorce Letter !

Whose woods these are I think I know.
His house is in the village though;
He will not see me stopping here
To watch his woods fill up with snow.
My little horse must think it queer
To stop without a farmhouse near
Between the woods and frozen lake
The darkest evening of the year.

He gives his harness bells a shake
To ask if there is some mistake.
The only other sound's the sweep
Of easy wind and downy flake.

The woods are lovely, dark and deep.
But I have promises to keep,
And miles to go before I sleep,
And miles to go before I sleep.

..............Robert Frost

Why is it that I have to miss my cousins' weddings in India? Why is it so difficult to make a trip back home? Why is is that what you wish for with all your heart, does not seem to work out? Why?

Nehaldidi, Megha and Tejasbhai are getting married in Jan-February of next year. I missed another cousin_s wedding around the same time last year. Weddings in India are so much fun!! The family gatherings, the practice of ancient customs and traditions, the fuss over getting ready and looking nice, the mad rush to have everything ready in time, the excitement of meeting new people from the other side, and the ability to enjoy despite of everything. I miss it, time and again, despite of scattered events of advising and scolding given by elders, and some trivial back-bitting and jealousy from few mean women. I have also not seen my old grand-parents in four years now, and *touch wood*, but I am terrified at the thought of never being able to see them again.

I can't go for their weddings, because I will be busy with the final quarter of school at that time. I have always been very close to these cousins, and will not have anyone else's marriage to look forward to after them. They cannot have them other than that time for legit reasons, and I cannot go to India for 3 weeks to attend each one of their ceremonies. I guess there is still plenty of time to figure out a way to attend these family events and make myself happy. And I also think that I should sleep now, since I am a wee-bit emotional and have no motivation to study!

Have a good one, people, and 'may the power of family be with you'! =D