What If ...??

People always say life is all about making the right choices but tend to forget that some of the most important decisions in life are taken accidentally. Decisions that may have been taken from the heart and in a moment of passion but yes the ones that would suffocate you for the rest of your life with a simple question "WHAT IF...??"

I guess that sounds as a great prelude to the interesting little write-up that follows...

I have sometimes been accused of being a very restrained person to start a conversation especially with strangers when I meet them in person. But the same people do testify to the fact that I am a completely different person when I get to know them better.Probably there is a hint of introvertness to it but I really don't admit to that fact as my conversations are very candid when I am not talking to a stranger face-to-face.

I believe I am a bit sceptical about being very frank and am afraid that some people might not respond to it in kind at the first instance. Probably that is one of the reasons I take time to open up fast.

Don't know how many of you have seen the movie 'Before Sunrise'...starring Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy. Had heard a lot about it, some of the views being very critical and in the negetive sense. So badly wanted to check out what it was all about and last night I happened to grab a copy of it and finally when I couldnt go out because of the rain decided to watch it.
Needless to say that I was inspired to write this article because I felt there was something in the movie that conveyed the true essence of a relationship...They are not made, they just happen and by the time you realise it ...either itz too late or itz a wait till eternity.

Well the movie is all about a chance encounter between two complete strangers on a train in a country alien to both of them and how this chance meet-up starts with a candid conversation and turns into a whole day they spend together and finally when itz time to say good-bye they realise that they should be together for the rest of their lives which is when it is too late and may be as an afterthought they decide to meet-up again knowing the fact the it would be very difficult on their part to keep the promise.

Not much of a storyline one would imagine and some people might even argue that it hinges on the borders of the impracticable but the movie does explore the intricacies of a delicate relationship. It kicks of in a light hearted manner and embodies itself into a strong and impeccable bond that the characters share towards the end. What I loved about the movie was the fact that as it draws to an end it asks you a question "WHAT IF ....??" which indicates a superb narration of a simple yet palpable storyline.

May be it is a personal opinion but I would recommend you to watch it if you believe in destiny and agree to the fact that life is full of surprises...!!!
This might seem a very personal post and I sincerely hope that it doesn't spend much time at the editing table as I do not often write them. But yes by the time you read this and I am probably in my complete senses I might have actually striked out the best parts considering them as too much information and the relevance the movie holds to the personal feedback. If it doesn't get past the editing knife then it would probably be upto the readers to draw their own conclusion about the connection but yes the movie did raise a few personal questions ...Most of them being "WHAT IF ...??"

60 years Young...Are We ??

Chak De...Chak De...Chak De INDIA...!!! No matter whatever you say but in a nation of such immense diversity it is sport that binds us together and makes us feel proud to be united against the oppsition.

If Cricket is believed to be a Religion then I guess Hockey can be termed as a bright spark which can fuel a revolution and galvanise people of this frenzied nation. An Ind vs Pak Hockey encounter can generate as much passion as Cricket if not more. Players in this country believe that their lives are on the line if it is an Ind vs Pak final. Why is it that the fear of defeat so intense and unacceptable when we play our arch rivals and not any other team. The reason lies in our not so glorious past but it is hard to believe that we cannot till today generate the same level of passion on field against a different opposition.

Consistency is something we lack in various fields and sport is not any different especially the Team games. One of the major drawbacks of our upbringing has been the glorification of individual brilliance and the lack of team effort which explains why we have exceptional talent but poor Teams comprising them.

Right from our childhood we have been inspired to excel individually but we have never realised that as a nation to progress in any field we need to have a collective contribution otherwise it will always be about individualism and India will always be talked about as a third world country. Team work as a key aspect is now being taught at the grass root levels which is a good sign for the days ahead.

It is said 'Better late than never' ...but the saying doesnt aptly aply to our youngsters when you ask them about their active role in democracy and politics. Present day is a bit different from yesterday when none of the younger generation would have liked to take politics as a career option. The reason being the inherent assumption that nothing can be done to clean up the corruption and that we dont want to get our hands dirty. But when you choose not to play then how do you expect to win and here we are talking about a whole corrupt system as the opposition. Yes it would require a lot of courage and mental strength to stand up against lawlessness and deceit but sometimes you will need to bend the law (not break it) to make acceptable choices.

My obvious reference is to the Times of India organised Lead India campaign with the message "DO" as their tagline. The last time we said "Do or Die" there was gruesome bloodshed and sacrifices had to be made to achieve a common goal. Somewhere down the line we have lost that sense of belongingness and thereby faith in our system. But are we prepared against a more potent opposition (our own elected leaders) this time around ? All said and done it again boils down to collective effort and that is where I am not sure how big a success this venture can be but judging by the interest levels I wish the participants all the very best. But it remains to be seen as to how much energy can a single winner imbibe into a rotten machine.

As we celebrate the 60th year of our independence, my thought goes back to the three words Dr.Kalam said in an interview some time back ..."Strength, Respect and Strength"...As India prepares to announce its arrival in the big league it is high time we realised our Strengths...learn to Respect them and build on that respect to gain more Strength and Respect.

Note : The views expressed in this article are personal and extremely subjective in nature. They were never meant to be for public broadcast and so I would ask readers to refrain from making such requests. Writing to me comes when I have the time and feel for it and it cannot be hastened. At the same time a request to the other contributors to this space to end their hibernation and start contributing effectively. :-)

Coming up soon - Life In an 'IT' Industry !!!

Murky Waters of Social Networking...

Phew...Itz been a long time since I last posted in this wonderful space better known to the outside world as 'Blogosphere' - A world of itz own...And maybe a manifestation of all those around the world frantically trying to find a place where they can melt down their emotions and reactions to issues pertaining from mundane everyday life to wide-ranged public news. Whatever it is we are in the age of the 'www' and 'e-commerce' and itz not hard to imagine and needless to say that I too was drawn into such a place some time back. But it has never been looking back since then and the fever had spread to social networking as well.

The most widespread and dangerous being Orkut. I know I am being harsh by making it sound like an epidemic but thatz what it has become. It has spread itz tentacles with such venom and speed that innocents are falling prey to criminals with a deceptively sane disguise (public profiles I mean). People are being asked to withdraw their profiles as the fear of being targeted by the mafia is on the high. Governments across the globe are still coming to terms with this menace and how it can affect national security, leave aside providing a safe medium for plotting and implementing rampant crimes...Guyz for all the good it brings with it there is always a rider (darker side) attached.

One very important aspect that goes against Orkut is itz popularity over other networking sites - MySpace, FaceBook, Gazzag, Hi5 and Ryze being the prominent ones among others and we do have lesser known mortals in MingleBox, Yaari and the more recent BigAdda.

But people often confuse public forums with social networking. Thatz where a Fropper is different than an Orkut.

Some of my friends have already withdrawn their profiles from Orkut...Some who want to be on the safer side but still cant get rid of the bug have atleast made an attempt by removing all their shared personal pictures and videos.

If u ask me I would probably suggest u to tread cautiously as I myself being an avid Orkut-er know the joy and addiction it brings but I guess when lives are at risk the excitement be better short-lived. This post may be a bit radical in nature going by the tone of it but I am not making a statement here nor are my views meant to be influential. They just express the state of affairs and the dangers of social networking. For the more inquisitive it means that all said and done I will still maintain my Orkut Profile but with a lot more caution.

Some suggestions on keeping urself clean :

- Dont accept friend requests from unknown faces. Yes u are here to meet people ...but a golden rule would be to get to know them better or studying their profile before accepting them and making ur sensitive information open to them. Exchanging scraps till that point are a safer bet ...If u are still not able to judge someone as genuine itz always safer not to accept !!

- Dont get lured by indecent profile pictures and video/album postings. U r here for friends and not for voyeuristic pleasures. There are other locations for the same !!

- As far as possible keep ur album clean...Profile pictures can be and should be genuine as they identify u as someone genuine and recognizable but be careful while sharing other personal pictures and videos. A gud way would be to classify them as sensitive and non-sensitive....Again if u r not sure donot share them !!

Letz try our best to 'Keep Orkut Clean And Beautiful'

Lotz of 'gyaan' as of now...But yes I do try my best to follow dese golden rules. I donot know how much of an impact this post is going to make at a time when this whole topic is under the scanner but I do wish that it makes a difference. And yes comments are always welcome !!

The delay in this post was brought in probably becoz of two reasons...One of them being my preoccupation with some work or the other and not being able to make a final edit. And the other being my own self admitted laziness. There are two draft versions which were supposed to be posted long back. I think they mite be outdated but will try my best to factor them in as I do believe people mite be interested in it...-:)

Puzzle Lovers - Some food for thought links :

kLUElESS

rETURN oF kLUElESS

BiTwIsE

DeAtHbAlL

For the movie buffs...Would give decent ratings to 'Chak De INDIA' and 'Gandhi, My Father' amongst recent releases...Check out for more reviews in the next post !!!

Till then Cheers !!!

Related Post : Flip Side of Social Networking