Hello

Hello everyone,

I have stopped blogging on this blog since quite some time. I now blog at http://cuckooscosmos.com/Musings

But I can see many of you have not yet changed to new URL address and waiting to read my creations here.

My request to you all who have blogrolled or linked me, is that kindly update your blogrolls, feeds on your readers, change the favourites on your browsers and so on.

This blog's new address is http://cuckooscosmos.com/Musings

Hope to see you all there. Bring in your family and friends along.

I Have Moved !

I have moved .. .. moved to a new place.

New address, new surroundings, new responsibilities.. everything new. It is a new feeling altogether.
The new place has brought along some excitements, nervousness, surprises and some sad feelings as well. Many of the things I used to do earlier are being missed and I keep running to my old familiar nest.. .. just to be there for some more time but then I had to move. Time had come to go to my own place, a place which is mine in true sense. Needless to say it comes with a price one has to pay.

Ok, long story cut short.. those who have blogrolled or linked me, kindly change the address (URL) of my new place. Change the RSS feeds on your readers, change the favourites on your browsers and so on.

My new address is http://cuckooscosmos.com

Hope to see you all there. Bring in your family and friends along.
So, over to my new place.
Current song- Sawar Gayi Main To Saawariya – Shreya Ghoshal
Technorati Tags: General

Republic Day

Today morning, fortunately there was an agreement to flip TV channels only between two .. the ongoing India-Aus cricket match and the direct telecast of Republic Day celebrations and we enjoyed both. Today again it was a day to be nostalgic.
I don’t know about other Indians but having spent most of my life in Delhi, I have been witness to Republic Day parades and Independence Day speeches since my childhood. Live and telecast both. And they always hold a very special place in my life for many reasons.

The Rajpath, India Gate, Vijay Chowk, the parades, the jhaanki, the chilly foggy weather, unfurling of national flag, singing of national anthem and the fly past.. they all look part of my life, a part of my very own place. Today also I felt the same emotions and sense of pride running through my veins which I used to feel when I was a little girl and today again I wanted to be in Delhi !!

Won’t write much here. If anybody wants to know how I feel about these days, it’s here, a very nostalgic post written by me.

Current song- Aa chal Ke Tujhe Main Leke Chalu Ek Aise Gagan ke Tale – Kishore Kumar

Kindly bear

There is a heap of messages & mails
and I am moving at a pace of a snail.

Many thanks for all your concern & wishes,
me in the middle of migrating process.

To you all I am yet to respond
but that will not weaken our bond.

You, my beloved readers
Keep looking at your feeders.

There is lots & lots to share
will come back soon, please bear.

Thank you.

Current song- Everybody – Backstreet Boys
Technorati Tags: General Poetry

Liar !!

LIAR. The word has been haunting me since I received that sms of yours. I am utterly shaken.. beyond words.
Must have read it zillion times. Every single word is etched in my heart. You called me; we were extremely happy speaking to each other after many days and suddenly within a few hours you labeled me a liar.

WHY ??

I am at a loss.
You owe me an explanation. Are you listening ? You just can’t get away like this. I don’t want to call you a coward because you are not. I know you are equally pained by this act. Why ?

I always try to give my 200% to any bond, any relation and still leave some space for forgiveness but not here. You were too close for any space between us.

My cell has some of your messages including the first one sent from VT station and it will have this one too.. ... to constantly remind me in case I tend to forget.

And I will not try to get over it. From my side nothing has changed, you’ll remain the same person; will have the same place as before.

But no, you don’t deserve me or my friendship.
My dear, you have lost me.. possibly forever…

And in times like this I always try to pep myself up by the lines once told to me

“Fortunate are the ones who are your friends”.

God Bless you. Be happy and be yourself, always. Enjoy your secured world of self-beliefs. I am with you, as always.

Wish Me !!

Is this the new year wish I wanted from you ?? Tell me, don’t I deserve anything better ?? Oh, why I keep expecting something propitious when I know nothing, absolutely nothing can change your sick mind.

Oh, what a way to start the New Year ! Look, what I have received as a new year gift from you. A tattered and terrified me, a naked me in front of the whole world.

In my entire life I never felt this frightened, disturbed, raped and lonely... not even at a time when I lost my dear someone. But today, I lost everything.. my faith, my trust, my openhearted laugh, my honour and above all, myself, which I so wrongly thought are safe. Today I hang my head in shame. You proved me wrong. At least today it looks like so.

Try as hard as you can. You can’t kill me with your demeanors. From that loss of mine in the past, I had emerged and I’ll emerge again. I know it won’t be easy but I promise you that.

I also wish you a very happy time ahead.

Come on !! Have guts and wish me NOW !! Will you ??

Current song- Ek Din Aasman Se Pari Aayegi – Kumar Ganjawala
Technorati Tags: India Society Issues

Pleasure

After a sumptuous Sunday late lunch, you come out of Grand Hyatt, a 5-star hotel and make yourself comfortable in the back seat of a big luxurious car and the car races towards some prestigious shopping places in the city. The other occupants of the car are determined to spoil you purely.

Oblivious of their plans, you are thinking of the Monday evening meeting. Suddenly you look something & ask for the car to be stopped. You step out and dash towards a person busy in his work. You tell him “four” and with a wide grin gesture the other three occupants of the car to join you.

They, with “Oh, she is never going to change” expressions come out smiling.

Sometimes a cutting chai in an open dhaba amidst chaotic noise gives you more pleasure than the diamond studs gifted to you half an hour back within the confines of a hushed silence.

Current song- Love Me Do, You Know I Love You – Beatles
Technorati Tags: Human Behaviour General

The Packaged Deal

I can clearly see the two distinct you and I adore; adore but can not separate them. For me you are only one.… you as an arrogant, private individual and you as simple uncomplicated submissive passionate man.. the blessed one can get both of you together... so, separation should have been the most important criteria but it isn’t.

Au contraire, so plainly you distinguish two of me.. the innocent bubbly chulbuli me and private beautiful passionate me... a woman, a perfect companion. 10 on 10. Probably 12 on 10. And at times you miss only one of me. Yeah, I can understand it very well .. hows & whys.. everything.. but do you know something ? You can not get only one of me.. to have one, you have to have the other one.

It’s a packaged deal.

Current song- Yeh Mera Deewanapan Hai ya Mohabbat Ka Suroor – Susheela Raman
Technorati Tags: Scribbles Human Behaviour Relations

Sunaina

Today it is my sixth consecutive day of absence from work. It has become my habit to disappear suddenly without informing my considerate employers. All because of my alcoholic husband’s malicious habits. He is a daily wage worker, works at his whims and hammers me at his wishes.
I often wonder why my employers never thought about my being so accident prone. When enquired about my gouged eye or many blue black marks on my body I lie to them about the small accidents I meet with.

Oh, I forgot to introduce myself.

Hi, I am Sunaina. Thirty six years old, frail, weakly built and thoroughly thrashed, mother of two young girls. I work as a maid in nearby society flats to run the family. That is all for my initial introduction.

Right now I am feeling miserable and helpless. My husband has been missing since last four days. Normally at the end of the day he goes to that desi liquor shop in the nook of PR road and comes back heavily drunk at around midnight. Being an old customer to that shop and an acquaintance of the shopkeeper, he gets the hooch on credit and sometimes a place to sleep over in the shop itself.

My husband is a simple uneducated man. Responsible or not, till date I am not able to figure out. He has taken a life insurance policy of Rs 1 lakh for my gloomy days and always dreamt of a small house of our own. He had taken care of me when after the second childbirth my condition had got deteriorated and there was very little hope of my survival. He also helps me by dropping children to school.

After a family dispute with his parents and younger brother over a one roomed chawl and us being thrown out of the only roof we had, it was an extremely tough time for both of us… At that time I was carrying his second child; his job & income were irregular and so I was forced to look for sundry jobs. Since then I have been working and he has been drinking.
-------
And just now, the people who had gone to search for him have come back.. come back with the news of his death. His body was found near the railway tracks 2 Kms away. I am blank. I don’t know how to react. Slowly people have started pouring into my small tenement. I am still not been able to hear anything from my painful right ear which bore the brunt of his anger a week back. It is swollen and an odorous liquid is oozing out.
-------
Now the usual stuff… praising the dead, mourning and contrived crying have taken over. The very close people (or the "family") have started to assess the profit & loss. Apparently they found out that profit rules over loss.
-------
Two days have gone by; I am shifted to the same place from where I, along with my husband, was thrown out. Tomorrow we all leave for our native place to perform last rituals and also to decide the fate of me, my daughters and all my belongings/savings.
-------
I am sitting in a corner in our native place where all the decisions are being taken by elders. Some decisions have to be taken now, just now. They can’t wait for the grief to subside.

Although in our caste, remarriage is allowed, they have decided that I will never remarry. To my utter surprise, my younger brother-in-law has willingly taken over the responsibilities and so all my belonging and savings are now his. Also, since I don’t have any son, the entire property (however small) including the chawl in the city will go to him.
-------
We have come back to city again. It is almost two months now. The mourning is over. The money that came from my husband’s policy is with my brother-in-law. He needs it to buy an auto-rickshaw which in turn would help the increased daily expenses. After all, we three are dependent on him now in addition to his own family and the parents-in-laws.

I have taken their permission to join work to supplement the family income. All this time my employers have been kind and patient and have tried to help me in all respect.
-------
I have rejoined work and I hand over all my earnings to my in-laws. Life is extremely difficult now, not that it was easier earlier. Now it includes doing more chores for a bigger family before I leave empty stomach for work and by the time I hit that mat in the corner, it is past midnight.
-------
Off late, my daughters are falling sick very frequently. I can not take them to doctor as I neither have the time nor the money. The elder one has been pulled out of school as she has to help and look after younger kids at home. The other day she was not given food because she did not do so. I feel miserable. Is protesting a crime ?
-------
No, this is not the life I had wanted. Good education for my daughters, full meals, our own roof on our head not a borrowed shelter, a good peaceful life and a caring father for my daughters... that was all I had longed for.

I want to live life.. for me and for my daughters. I am not going to givein. I will accept the offer of madam where I work, to open a bank account and will start saving. I’ll again enroll my daughter in school. I know my current partly emolument is not enough but I am determined to make my wish true.

I’ll do whatever I can.. to live life… my life.
The dawn has started. Time to get up.
And some decisions have to be taken now, just now.

Note:- Recently widowed Sunaina works as a maid in our house. Slightly different version of this story was published in this month's issue of Justfemme.

Current song- Katra Katra Milti Hai, Katra Katra Jeene Do – Asha Bhosale
Technorati Tags: Society Feminism Issues

JustFemme

JustFemme, a women's e-magazine, perhaps the only one of its kind, was launched last month. The second issue has come out now.

The only one of its kind ?? Are MEN allowed ?? Yes, why not, but only in the comments section. ;)

Do check it out! And while you are there, look for my write-ups too :)

First one is about a woman Sunaina. As always, based on real facts, I think the story is 98% true. It would have become more detailed and insightful had there not been any restriction for no. of words. Come back after reading and I'll tell more about her or do you want the story here on this blog ?
My second article is .. hmmm.. go and read it. :)

Feedbacks are welcome.

Current song- Aaj Main Upar, Aasman Neeche – Kavitha Krishnamurthy
Technorati Tags: Blogosphere General Books

Copyright Violation - Part II

Update on my yesterday’s post.

Folks, when I was told about this theft, I had gone to Nishant Paul’s (oh, he has become so famous now) site and had checked. The poems were shown as his own creations. Now, after so much of nice words being told about him and all his friends being informed (they are as much shocked as we are); Mr Smarty is trying to act innocent naïve.
It seems he has deleted those posts now. I haven’t checked but I believe Ashes has done so.

Before deleting he sat on my blog yesterday for two hours, checked some 20-30 posts, checked Sam’s post also and then wrote a mail to one of my blogger friends. Have a look.

Dear XXXX,
Even though u could c there in those poems that I hvnt mentioned my name there. This is purely creative work of Cuckoo, and I hv nothing to do by this. I'm my self a lawyer and I do know the violation of Copyright Act. The two hindi Poems I hv posted is absolutely Coockoo's and and I did posted as it is. Believe me somebody edited these and changed little bit. Plz. if u have time then read my other posts and my name is there. Much to say I do not know hindi typing then how could I amend these. Now and here I'm going to delete these from my blog. I do tender my unconditional apology as I do not wish walk with all this shit.

With regards,
Nishant

Now, some of his friends have also commented on my previous post. One of them a certain Khan says “But I don’t know whether he writes his own poem or copy any other's poem. He claims to have creating his own poems.”. Read his full comment in comment section.

Please note the above sentences in bold.. Nishant says Someone else has edited those words after he posted the poems. Ha Ha Ha...

Mr Paul, what do you think of all of us here, eh ?? Absolute idiots ??

And please if you don’t know Hindi typing then what about so many other Hindi poems on your blog ? Have they been lifted too ??

Current Song:- Shehron ki Galiyon Mein Jab Andhera Hota Hai – Asha
Technorati Tags: Poetry Blogosphere Hindi Copyright Violation

Copyright ? Plagiarism ? What is that ?

Note:- As suggested by some of you, the links to his blog are removed from this post.

Guess what ? My deary lovely poems are being hijacked ! Last week, one of my readers gave me a big jolt. No, he is not the culprit. :-)

Giving me some links he informed about one Nishant Paul who has been publishing my poems on his blog and accepting, accumulating appreciations as well !!

Whoaaaa !! What an idea sir ji !!

He has lifted my poems, sometimes along with the pictures, changed the gender/ tense and published it.

Please see yourself the original and the copied version here. The picture used in his poem has been lifted from my other poem. Though I don’t own a copyright on that photo but then who doesn’t like readymade stuff ?

Again, the original poem and the hijacked version here.

Even the photo of this post has been copied here.

Mr Paul, whoever you are, I am stunned to see your audacity. Have you ever heard of copyright violation ?? Please check my right sidebar. Don’t you feel ashamed of accepting those nice words of appreciation when people praise you for the lines which are NOT written by you ??

I don’t have any idea how many of my creations have been kidnapped, mangled and molested before being presented to this world as someone else’s bride. I implore you to visit his blog and drop him a line.

I doubt if the other poems on his blog are his own or copied from some other blogs.

All my poems are very close to my heart and my heart aches to see them in this state. Only consolation .. they are good enough to be worth copying. :-)

Current Song:- Lift Kara De – Adnan Sami

Technorati Tags: Poetry Blogosphere Hindi Copyright Violation

Sometimes..

The imperfect me... the perfect you
Nervous me.. Patient you
Calm me... impatient you
Humble me .. Arrogant you
Serene me .. Asshole you
Listener me.. Chatterbox you
Mother me .. Child you
Little girl me.. Grandpa you
Protector me .. insecure you
Mellow me .. Gentle you
Beautiful me.. Lovable you
Ziddi main .. Ziddi tum..
Sharaab main .. Nasha bhi main ;)

Sometimes it requires more than a couple to make a couple.

Current song- Chupke Se Raat Ki Chaadar Tale – Sadhna Sargam

Technorati Tags: Scribbles Love Human Relations

Never Become Your Own Joke

Note- This is an email forward I received today but couldn’t resist posting it here.

Last Diwali vacation, my couple of friends had gone to Delhi. They rented a taxi for local sight-seeing. The driver was an old sardar, and boys being boys, they began cracking sardarji jokes, just to insinuate the old man.
But to their surprise, the cabbie remained unperturbed. At the end of the sight-seeing, they paid up the hire-charges. The old man returned the change. Moreover, he gave each one of them one rupee extra and said, ''Son, since morning you have been telling sardarji jokes. I listened to them all and let me tell you, some of them were in a very bad taste. Still, I don't mind because I know that you are young blood and are yet to see the world. But I have just one request. Here I am giving you one rupee each. Give it to the first sardar beggar that you come across in this city.”
After several days, my friends still had that one rupee coin with them. They couldn't find a single Sikh begging on the streets of Delhi.

Friends, we all love sardar jokes. But the fact of matter is that Sikhs are one of the most prosperous and diversified communities in the world.

The secret behind their universal success, according to me, is their willingness to do any job with utmost dedication. A Sikh will drive a truck or set up a roadside garage or a dhaba, but will never beg on the streets.

So true !! They are the most hard working people I have ever seen. From a small farmer to country’s Prime Minister, we have seen them everywhere.

That reminds me of a person whom we kids used to call sardarji uncle. He was my father’s friend. Before anybody else could start, he always used to crack sardarji jokes.

Once he was asked by someone “Don’t you feel hurt when people throw jokes of dumb sardarji at you ?”

“We see dumb people everywhere; only difference is that you guys don’t have guts to admit it.” was his quick reply.

Mann, we all should have at least one sardarji around us. He was a thorough gentleman, very witty and intelligent as well. I miss you sardarji uncle.
As per my experience .. the ratio of probability of occurrence of an intelligent Sikh to the probability of occurrence of a intelligent non-Sikh guy is quite interesting. Got it ? Never mind. :)

And right now, I am listening to the beautiful album Nine by Pankaj Awasthi. I like all the nine songs of this album, a nice fusion of electric guitar and tabla.

Current Song:- Khuda Ka Wasta Tu Dekar, Mere Ram Ka Tu Naam Lekar – Pankaj Awasthi
Technorati Tags: India Human Behaviour Society

Diwali

ना फुलझड़ी, ना पटाखे
ना रंगोली, ना दिया
ना मिठाई, ना लाल धागा पूजा का
ना ही पास उसके पिया |

रात अकेली काली, पर
यादों से सजी उसकी थाली
दिल में तस्वीर,
चेहरे पे प्यार की लाली |

जब ऐसे जले
उसके प्यार का दिया...
हर रात हो उसकी दीवाली
एक रात की बात ही क्या ?

Attempted Translation

Neither fireworks nor candles
neither sweets, nor sacred thread of puja
and neither her beloved near her.

It’s a lonely dark night but
memories of beloved & his love
brighten the glow on her face.

What to speak of a night ?
When flame of their love
lights up like this,
every night is a celebration.

Note-Reply to comments on my posts later.. I know apologies are coming way too often these days. But it is better than vanishing. Isn’t it ? And I am listening to a very beautiful song.

Current song- Phir Wahi Raat Hai, Raat Hai Khwaab ki – Kishore
Technorati Tags: Poetry Hindi Festivals

Haiku - 1

Don’t talk, let me blossom
in this dreamy moment of life, for,
tomorrow I cease to exist.

This is my first attempt at Haiku and I think I have done pretty well.

Haiku is a poetic form and a type of traditional poetry from the Japanese culture... an unrhymed poem composed of three lines of five, seven, and five syllables respectively. It typically presents an intense emotion or vivid image of nature in simple words. Haikus are usually not complicated. They often describe everyday themes and usually attempt to give people a new view of common situations.

There are a few simple rules for writing in this form of poetry.

1. Three lines of verse consisting of five, seven, and five syllables.
2. Each haiku must contain a seasonal word, may not strictly be a typical one. For example Cherry blossoms commonly denote spring, mosquitoes are used for summer, and snow means winter.

I hope to write some more verses in this form of expression.

Current song- Tum Hamein YuN Bhula Na Paaoge – Md. Rafi
Technorati Tags: Haiku Language

I would ask for more !!

How would you cope if you had no way to use the Internet for a week? This was the question posed by David.

A week away from internet or my computer. A full week ?? It got me thinking.

Well, if I know in advance, I would plan a holiday to one of my favourite places. As simple as that. ;)
On the other hand, I would thank my stars were it to happen so.
In today’s busy world where even to speak to our colleague sitting in next cubicle/cabin, we take help of an e-mail or a phone; it would be a blessing in disguise.
Living in India, has its pros and cons. Electricity and water supply hitting us in an erratic way is a part of our routine life and so is ‘no internet’ for a few hours.

But for a week ?? It made me dream of what all I can do or wish to do.

I think I’d pamper myself to the core. I would do things, which I have not been able to do since ages.

First, I would FEEL the warmth of my dear & near ones. Living in India is always bliss when one talks about the family and the strong support system it has. One doesn’t have to take appointments to meet one’s parents/grandparents/siblings/friends etc.
So, I would try to give them a surprise and would hog onto oodles of a factor called ‘love’ from everyone. :)

I would write letters. Yes, you got me right.. real letters (also called snail mails)... the one thing I have missed a lot since the advent of internet age. Seriously, there is nothing like writing on pieces of paper by a real pen !! There is always a personal touch to that. The touch, feel and smell of the paper, the scribbles, the ink.. emails just can’t go to that level, no matter how sentimental they are. I have some cherished ones written by my grandparents, uncle/aunts and a few from my friends. Best part is, internet or no internet, you always have access to these treasures.

Reading is one thing I enjoy when I am on my own and away from computers. Will do (read as read) away with some of the books that are gathering dust and screaming for my attention.

Would watch hordes of movies. Have a long list to catch up.

I would also visit some people for whom I always have a soft corner and I know they would be extremely happy to see me as well.

I’d be with kids and become that little girl again… catching butterflies, jumping in the puddles, making paper boats, clapping, yelling and lots of other such things.

Not being a net junkie will help me with “No blogs, no surfing” etc. Although I will miss my blogger friends, my real close friends won’t be missed. They know how to reach me.

I think one week would be less for all these activities so I’ll ask for some more at regular intervals !!

Current Song:- Shama Jalaye Rakhna Jab Tak Ki Main Na AauN – Bhupinder & Mitali
Technorati Tags: Digital Questions Blogosphere

Saawariya

If you get the person you love, it is all over. Then love becomes just a habit. Otherwise, it is about being in a constant state of love, of wanting. One should never fall out of love; it’s the madness of love that is fascinating.

Yayyyyy !!!

Yeah, that’s how I had shouted on reading the above lines. I had decided to watch this movie and was in awe of a great company I would have had. I was also happy that no Lara Dutta or Katrina Kaif but a newcomer was welcoming us.
But alas !! :(

It seems the movie is a flop. I was patiently waiting for this one; for the past three weeks have been listening to some of its melodious songs. My favourite was and still is “Jabse tere naina mere naino se”. Ummm.. I heard that the song is picturised with hero in just a towel. No, that’s not the reason why I like the song or wanted to watch this movie.

I have not seen any trailers, not read anything about it and have not allowed anyone to talk about it in front of me. Wanted the whole thing to be a surprise and guess what ?? It indeed surprised me by nose diving in the theatres. Oh buoy, some news just peeped in. I heard the whole movie is in blue/green shades.
:(

I was waiting to be with Saawariya. Never mind, some other time.

Note:- I was away from this blogging world. Many thanks for all your wishes & greetings. Also, have neither replied to your comments on my various posts nor have visited your blogs. Will do it soon. As always bear with my “busy-ness”. ;)

Current song- Jabse Tere Naina Mere Naino Se Laage Re – Shaan

Technorati Tags: Entertainment Sawariya

The Time That was

Yesterday I was feeling very low & suffocated. Don’t know why, but I was terribly missing something. I felt as if something had been drained out of me... I felt some hollowness, emptiness, some void within me. And to avoid that sense of asphyxiation I wanted to be alone with my wandering thoughts.

Generally when it happens I don’t want to be home, I just go out in search of that something which could make me alright in the end. Whether I succeed in getting that ‘something’ or not is a different thing.
I think at some point of time many of us feel like this. It is the need to be with oneself... listen to the inner voice... experience the inner need.

So, I came out, didn’t really know where to go, went to the station & took a train for Ville Parle. Wanted to go to Juhu beach to be with the restless and nervous waves... hitting the shores angrily, letting out all the frustrations… again & again & again. I can spend hours watching them and so much feel at home, in my own comfort zone in doing so.
After getting down at Ville Parle, another bout of loneliness hit me. The area was so familiar to me that I decided to walk down… remembering my wonderful days when I used to commute daily to this place. Walking on the Station road, crossed McDonalds, the SV road and reached the petrol pump and an instant smile came on my face. :)
I knew I had made a right decision to go there.

From there I could see NMIMS and the number of Xerox shops which, for sometime, had become part of my daily life.. And I smiled again !! . :)

As I walked by, I remembered the time I spent there.
For months I had been coming here. The buildings, the road, Mithibai college on the opposite side and the Xerox shops.
For months, more often than not, a single vada paav and a chai at the roadside vendor outside NM was my staple food. Standing on the road, I felt nostalgic about the whole thing.

Then suddenly something happened which made me even happier. A sense of contentment and belonging filled me. जैसे तेज़ भागती हुई ज़िंदगी में पल भर के लिए ठहराव आ गया हो |

I don’t know what I was missing till then, but after reaching that place and remembering my days there, made me happy. :)

There was no need now to go to the beach. Anyhow, took a cab to Juhu beach, spent sometime there but it was all meaningless. Not much to write about. In all these years, it was only my third visit to the place. Everytime I go there thinking that the beach would be cleaner this time but no, it can not be. Though the shops are reduced and they are in a much organized manner within a boundary but the attitude of general public remains the same.

While walking along the shore, away from the crowded place, at every 10 steps I saw people peeing into the see. What a shame. I felt like puking. One day I am going to hit them for sure. GRRRRRR

Had paav-bhaji and kulfi falooda. Oh I remembered Karol Bagh’s Kulfi falooda from Mehre di Hatti ke bajuwali dukaan. :) Slurrrrrrp...

Khair, I didn’t want my beautiful memories and mood to be subdued by all this. Came back home. Smiling. :)))))

Current Song:- I Wanna Hold Your Hand – Beatles

Technorati Tags: Memoirs Mumbai

Book-Cover Tag

Lots of pending works to catch up, have been quite busy. Professionally somehow managing it though a trip to Europe is again on the cards. And on personal front ? Oh well, Diwali shopping tops the pending list. :)
Also, with Indo-Pak series approaching fast, I fully suspect my company’s intentions for planning my tour around that time.
And here in blogosphere.. so many things to write about but just not getting time to really sit and collect my thoughts. Have been invited to write permanent cols in 2 different forums as well.
Somehow managing to put these small posts to keep this blog alive. And one of the ways is to do pending tags (11 to be precise). So I thought to start with them and I must say I loved doing this one. Once again the tagger is none other than Fleiger. Ok without wasting time, the rules first.

Rule (there is only one):

Go to the advanced book search on Amazon, type your first name into the Title field, and post the most interesting/amusing cover that shows up.

Well, here I am going to talk about two books.

First I checked for my name Cuckoo and what I got was the famous but very common book cover “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest” by Ken Kesey. Naah, this is not the “most interesting/amusing” cover I wanted to have. Then I saw another book which looked more interesting/amusing to me. The book is “The Cuckoo's Egg: Tracking a Spy Through the Maze of Computer Espionage” by Clifford Stoll.

The Cuckoo's Egg is about tracking down computer criminals. A 75-cent discrepancy in billing for computer time led Stoll, an astrophysicist working as a systems manager at a California laboratory, on a quest that reads with the tension and excitement of a fictional thriller. Painstakingly he tracked down a hacker who was attempting to access American computer networks, in particular those involved with national security, and actually reached into an estimated 30 of the 450 systems he attacked. Initially Stroll waged a lone battle, his employers begrudging him the time spent on his search and several government agencies refused to cooperate. But his diligence paid off and the hacker, who was involved with a spy ring, tracked down the book is a hit & best appreciated by the computer literates.

Then out of curiosity, I searched for “Koyal”, Hindi version of Cuckoo. And wow ! What I got was a very interesting book again.

The book is “Koyal Dark, Mango Sweet” by Kashmira Sheth.

The story is about a dark skinned 16 years old girl Jeeta and her life in a small apartment in Mumbai. She is well-developed as a strong, independent teenager looking to find her own way of reconciling her dreams and the expectations of her family. She grows up with the conflict between old beliefs and customs and the modern world.
Jeeta, after having watched the family go through countless interviews with prospective grooms, doesn't want to have her husband selected for her. There is a certain boy who holds her interest, but her friendship with him remains a secret from her family. With the support of her best friend from school, Jeeta discovers that there are many more open doors for her than she suspected.

I guess both the books must be good reads. I have noted them down, will definitely read them. *Sigh* Sigma will know why I did that.

Now, the most interesting part of tags. (Mischievous smile)
It is time to tag people. The list is as follows.

1. Ajeya – I am sure your name will have many books. Come back from your vacation & do this. No hurries.
2. Ashutosh – After that serious post of yours, here’s something light to write about. Make this your next post. Let us see what your name brings us.
3. Adi/Deepti – Oh I can’t separate you two. Anyone or both of you can do this tag. Pretty easy and both of you are going to get plenty of book covers. I am hoping that you get both the names on one single cover. :)
4. Beast – I know of your very high interest in book reading. ;) Don’t worry your name search on Amazon has nothing to do with your reading habit.
5. Hpy – This is going to be fun for you. Search for your real name on Amazon & publish the book cover. That’s it. ;)
6. Pijush – I know you are going to enjoy this tag. If in doubt, ask me how to go about it.
7. Sigma – Oh your real name will sure bring the best book covers. Go ahead.

And anyone who wants to have the pleasure of seeing their names on book covers, I throw the tag open though I know names like Alpine, Aditi, Alok, Abhi, Craver, KT, Priyank will fetch good results.
Never mind, one more tag on books is on the way.. Go figure... :)

Note:- You can read Tag Etiquettes here.

Current song- Empty Hands – Karsh Kale
Technorati Tags: Books Tags