Want VS Need

All big questions can be resolved into a problem of Wants VS Needs.
If you are in love with more than one girl then decide which girl you want and which girl you need. Always go after the one you want. Because needs are dictated by the brain.
Needs are practical. You need food, water and air. You need to sleep.

Love is anything BUT practical. Love goes against everything practical. Imagine if Romeo had been 'practical'. The story would have ended by Romeo ignoring Juliet coz he knew it just wasn't
practical for them to fall for each other.

Therefore when you fall in love go after the girl you want and not the girl(s) you need.

On a lighter note I was taking tips from a friend of mine on how to woo this one girl and here is what she said:

honey_blossom0: actually if i woo her i have better chances than u

The scary thing is... she might be right! :D

This was sent to me by a close friend.  

Me and Vaibhav 

Left to Right: Vaibhav, Vibhore and Adesh at the Intercontinental.  

What is love?

On Monday (09/01/2006) I was asked if I know what the word 'love' means.

My first thought was 'looks like you don't read my blogs' coz sometimes it feels that I am not doing a Ph.D. in Evolutionary Computing (yawn!) but in Love, Life and Relationships (sort of like a triple doctorate).

But I just answered "Yes I do".

I do know the meaning of love. Love is Sacrifice. Love is giving your lover freedom. Love is not wanting.
Love... exists... it doesnt need to be... created.

Monkey!

Whos the monkey! Me and Arti at Stone Lounge.

It was an evening of bloody mary(s) and long island iced tea(s). Of things shared about the past.
It was a time of new beginnings and forging of bonds.
An evening of 'confidence building measures' through 'retained questions' which were answered to increase the 'synergy'.

Maa Chandidevi Temple at Haridwar

View of the city of Haridwar from Maa Chandidevi temple (one of the most ancient temples of north India!)

Click for more info about the temple.

Another view of the temple: Taken from my p910 phone while dangling on the ropeway.

Long distance view from Mr. Butkar's terrace (long live ZOOM+IS).

Feeling happy!

Someone once told me that I post all my personal problems on this blog.
I know I love whining about love (and not having it) but its not my personal problem (hehehe its PUBLIC KNOWLEDGE!). But I have learned to play around with depression so nicely that I could almost be a poet!

Without flowers of love in my garden,
there is a steady rain of death.

The tears of pain blind me,
will the darkness ever end for me.

There is no one, near or far,
just me and my heart.

Yet Life goes on,
marching down the Road of Death, Loss and Broken Emotions.

Flower Power

This is the ultimate symbol of opulence in north India.
I am not talking about the old model merc. I am talking about the old model merc. decorated with flowers.
A car is decorated in this way when it is being used to carry a newly wedded couple (still fresh from the marriage ceremony ;) away to the place where (hopefully) they will spend their first night together as husband and wife.

If you carry away your new wife in a car like merc. then you will surely leave a few hanging jaws both at the venue of the wedding and on the road (like mine). One can imagine the kind of gal who would be riding in a car like this... she surely must be a complete package!
I can hear people telling me never judge a book by its cover but whatever happened to the good old license to day-dream! :D

I took this picture (on the highway) while returning from Amritsar. This car was our 'travelling companion' for a long time.

Over a cup of coffee...

Yesterday (1st January) was a busy day for me. I slept at 6 am got up at 12pm. Went to meet a friend and his wife-to-be. Afterwards went for a cup of coffee with a girl and a guy. A very interesting cup of coffee, it turned out to be.

The logical question is... what is so special about a cup of coffee with few regular people?

Quite a few things as it turned out.
Firstly please notice that my capucino was served in a hot-chocolate mug.
Secondly, the girl (only left hand visible) was looking stunning (or I am a bad judge of beauty).
Thirdly, the guy sitting towards the right turned out to be someone worth knowing and respecting.

But more than that what was most singular was that how a small cup (mug) of coffee can change your life. It can make you fall in love. It can give you a sense of victory. I dont enjoy winning. I win all too often. But when as a prize you are given love the victory becomes even sadder.

I also realised while sipping the cup, how different I myself was from the other two people (not only coz I was drinking capucino from a mug). How the guy and the girl represented intensity and solidity and how I represented a house of cards which will fall down at the slightest disturbance.

People tell me I need to 'introspect'. I think they are wrong. I dont think I need to look inside me... I think I need to look outside. This is what I realised over my coffee.

So next time you fine people are having a cup of whatever with your friends I would encourage you to step inside yourself and then look outside... you never know what you discover when you do this.

Wreath of Barbs says:
i tell u i really enjoy these convos of ours!
abha says:
why
Wreath of Barbs says:
coz 'its different'
abha says:
oh ok
abha says:
u r wierd
Wreath of Barbs says:
thanks so r u
abha says:
im not
abha says:
im perfectly normal

Its confirmed now... another girl has said the words I love to hear!
No no not 'I love you' but 'u r weird'.

:D
Is this a good sign or a bad one? I am not sure.. but for some reason its made me really happy!

This sign (at the Wagha Border) makes me proud! Even though there is still a long way to go before we can call ourselves the largest and the BEST democracy in the world... I feel that we are well on our way. We only need to hold our nerves... and play it till the end.

Called by God...

I have just returned from Amritsar.
The city (very close to the Indo-Pak border) is famous for a couple of things.
1) The Golden Temple
2) Wagha Border gate (between India and Pakistan)
3) Jalianwalla Bagh

The Golden Temple is the holiest of all the Sikh shrines. Their holy book the Guru Granth Sahib resides here. After having been there and felt the atmosphere I can only say that God does indeed live within the Golden Temple. The first time I saw it through the arched entryway a line popped into my mind 'I present myself before thee O God'. I must have read it somewhere but for it to pop into my mind the very instant I saw the temple for the first time. For a second time did stand still and all was at peace. I felt like a sick child being comforted by his mother where in that instant all pain is forgotten and all weight lifted off your shoulders.

It is truly an amazing place and I suggest everyone should visit there atleast once in their lives. I for one plan to go again next year!

On a lighter note, people say that you only go to such holy places when you get the 'call of God' . For example if people make it to Vaishno Devi shrine they say that 'Vaishno Mata called us so we went' and if for some reason trip gets cancelled they say 'Mata did not call us this time'. I feel like reminding them that Gods dont run an outbound call center and such changes in programs are luck. No God can be that selfish to deny the devotees an audience. Although who knows the greater truth? Is there even a God? Maybe God does run a call center and the only problem is that the inbound lines are all jammed up.

Another thing thats amazing to see is the Wagha
Border gate between India and Pakistan. This is one of the few border crossing points between the two countries. Here in this pic you can see the Indian soldiers (Border Security Forces) with their backs to the camera and their Pakistani counterparts (Pakistan Rangers) in black facing the camera. The Pakistani flag can be seen on the other side.
Every day at sunset the ceremony of closing the border gates and lowering of the flag is carried out by both sides. It is a spectacle which attracts hundreds of people on both the sides.

Everyone with Varun (all dressed up for the wedding ceremony). 

My first time wearing a three piece suit. Im looking like a monkey wearing a dress and feeling even more uncomfortable in it. 

Me (right) with Varun on his engagement day. I dont like wearing formal clothes as you may or may not be able to make out. 

Another shot of the mountains from the plane (at 35,000 ft). 

Taken from a Boeing 777 on my way home. Somewhere over the Middle East. Its hard to believe that the plane was at cruising altitude (35,000 ft - typical). I had to use the full 12x optical zoom to capture the road going through the mountains. 

Warm Hearts on a Winters Day!

I used to think winter would be tough!
But right now I am feeling so warm and happy that I could be living in Siberia and yet enjoy it!

As the last month of the year dawns I think we should ALL feel lucky to be alive.
Whether we are feeling down or up, happy or sad, angry or calm lets just take a step back from it all and look at the past year and the good things it bought us. We should also not think about the bad things which happened rather reflect upon the lessons they taught us.
Next year will be amazing too. Another blank slate another set of seasons to go through. A dozen new beginnings and a dozen old endings. A thousand roads travelled and hundreds of stories exchanged. New people met and forgotten and then remembered again!

So people SMILE and be HAPPY TO BE ALIVE whether you are alone or surrounded by loved ones. Whether you walk back home through a freezing winter evening or drive back home in a warm and cozy car!

Remember a warm heart beats central heating hands down! :D

In fact I think there is a reason every year ends and begins (in the Northern Hemisphere) with winter. Winter reminds us about the end of good times and beginning of new ones. While we shiver at the first snowfall of winter we also think about the spring of next year!

HOPE EVERYONE HAS A GREAT TIME THIS DECEMBER WHATEVER THEY END UP DOING!

ROCKIN AROUND THE CHRISTMAS TREE!!!!

"Rockin' Around The Christmas Tree / Jingle Bell Rock"
Lyrics from: LINK
Rockin' around the Christmas tree
At the Christmas party hop
Mistletoe hung where you can see
Everybody tries to stop

Rockin' around the Christmas tree
Let the Christmas spirit ring
Later we'll have some pumpkin pie
And we'll do some caroling

You will get a sentimental feelin' when you hear
Voices singing let's be jolly
Deck the halls with boughs of holly

Rockin' around the Christmas tree
Have a happy holiday
Everyone's dancing merrily
In the new old fashioned way

You will get a sentimental feelin' when you hear
Voices singing let's be jolly
Deck the halls with boughs of holly

Rockin' around the Christmas tree
Have a happy holiday
Everyone's dancing merrily
In the new old fashioned way

Jingle bell, jingle bell, jingle bell rock
Jingle bells swing and jingle bells ring
Snowin' and blowin' up bushels of fun
That's the jingle bell rock rock rock

Jingle bell, jingle bell, jingle bell rock
Jingle bells chime in jingle bell time
Dancin' and prancin' in Jingle Bell Square
In the frosty air

What a bright time, it's the right time
To rock the night away
Jingle bell time is a swell time
To go gliding in a one-horse sleigh

Giddy-up jingle horse, pick up your feet
Jingle around the clock
Mix and mingle in the jingle bell rate
That's the jingle bell rock

What a bright time, it's the right time
To rock the night away
Jingle bell time is a swell time
To go gliding in a one-horse sleigh

Jingle bell, jingle bell, jingle bell rock
Jingle bells swing and jingle bells ring
Snowin' and blowin' up bushels of fun
That's the jingle bell rock

Mix and mingle in the jingle bell rate
That's the jingle bell
That's the jingle bell
That's the jingle bell rock