Ganapati Bappa Moraya

First thing first, belated wishes on “Vinayaka Chaturthi”!! Hope we all are divinely blessed with those extra blessings in tasks we take up all this year(and coming years) along. Thankfully, the festival was on a Sunday. Aargh.. that was an ironical comment! Well, in India, we wish the grand festivals fall on weekdays esp. on Mondays or Fridays and now in vides, totally contradictory.

Weekend was truly rollicking stuff at least in my standards of weekend life. Mommy dear had told that this weekend was “Gowri-Ganapati”. Maybe be she wanted me to be vegetarian atleast on these days. Yes mom I was pure shaakhahaari over weekend. Usually of all the Indian festivals I love this one a lot. Mentally planned that I would savour a sumptuous lunch and yep, prepared only by yours truly. Bought all the necessary groceries from little India so that I did not miss out on the necessary ingredients.

Haan..shopping for groceries in densely packed malls makes me feel like a responsible adult. Guess how? I feel a sense of being older/responsible when I drag the shopping cart, picking the necessary stuff-checking for freshness, price and all the other parameters which makes it an ideal buy. And above all, that surprising-yet-appreciable look on the faces of elderly desi junta when single-and-young-yet-getting-older guy like me is amidst all the aunties in a vegetable stall. I just loovee that expression on their face.

Now the toughest part, preparation!! The exuberating enthu I had in reaching for every cutlery item, made feel my roomie that the dishes were prepared in madii(our own definition for cleanliness and sanctity). So he just vanished off from the kitchen. So presented below is my menu items I cooked. Yep, I can proudly say, I Cooked it!!

After the satisfied-sumptuous lunch, we thought of rewatching “Nuvvasthanante Nennoddnatana”. Just when I started blabbering "Brand Trisha" to the junta around, Tara gave me a call about THE Showtime. Telugu junta here had organized a special festival showing of “Bonmmarillu”–latest Siddharth-Genelia starrer, which is rocking AP back home. Impressed by SIddu's acting skills, wanted to sign-off the weekend in style.

Due to the extraordinary response to the movie, we got 3 tickets in different corners after a lot of maskaafying the distributor. Maskaafying him was the most funniest part. I started off in a typical telugu accent

"sir.. mooruu ticket undaa" *mixture of english, tamil and telugu*

"Sold out babugaaru.. ippduu chooruu wait cheyyandii..inthaa ticket cancel aaihtae try chestannunuu"..actually he spoke more, I can recollect only these. Basically he meant tickets are sold out, if someone cancels you guys have a chance.

I started struggling for words to respond in telugu. Now me struggling, Tara tookover and started talking in a kannada mixed telugu accent. That was total fun. Finally, distributor got to know that we are no way connected to gultee land, but had come to wacth a telugu entertainer. Impresseed/fed up of our frequent pleas, he handed over 3 tickets.

The next 3 hours was sheer fun, laugh riot to say the least. I do not understand telugu totally, but I could make out most of the comedy in the movie and my laughter was in sync with that in the cinema hall. After watching KANK, I had a lot of fight with my friends on justifying that why I considered it a “Must watch”, but after “Bonmmarillu”- there wont be any such fights. Because, its an out and out comical entertainer. P3A, hope you watch it ASAP as we can see our own Anil in the movie in most of the frames ;-)

While Siddharth rocks the show with his sensible dressing-sense and natural acting, genelia’s comical innoscence coupled with bubbly character adds to the pomp of the movie. Aint she cute and bubbly!! Seems like she is turning out to be the preity zinta of Tollywood. Brand Hyderabad is being publicized in a very good way. Someday I need to tour Hydie, hope the days are very near! I don’t mind a second showing, even if its means another 12$!!

Pooris as starter.. yummy and crispier :D


Pudeena Chutney which truned out to be pudhina juice :D


Veg Pulao .. naaa MTR Veg Pulao


Salad .. this was the BEST



Finally, Gulab Jamoons as Dessertss

yippiiee.. weekend!!!!

Time : Tuesday Around 10 PM

Place: WorkStation

Mail snippet from client:

.....GREAT Prakash. Thank you very much for your effort. blah blah....

Time: Thursday, 5 PM

Place: Workstation

Mail to my Manager:

.....Leaving early from office, as I am not feeling well, henceforth, not able to concentrate on work......

Time: Friday 8.30 Am

Place: Workstation

Manager at my desk:

"Prakash, Have you checked-in thursdays deliverable of Service ***** ? "

"I have checked-in the developed code, but I need to do unit-testing now" *me confidently uttters*

He happily returns back, thinking that the work was done. Mission Accomplished!!! Me heartily starts listening to "oru poyyavadha soll pennae.. uun kadhal naandaan endraee.....". Its a wonderful tamil song from Jodi, music by GREAT Rahman. Let me try to translate it to my poor english: "hey girl.. just utter a lie.. that I am your love......." After listening to it few weeks ago, I have just gone crazy over the lyrics of that song. To the extent that, I have uploaded the complete song to my cell and keep repeating the same song over and over again, as I cannot get my mp3 player to office.

Haan.. where was I? working in a APAC customer site!! Now if the same situation were to be in any of the companies I worked before, I would have seen a few if not umpteen "Get Well" messages/SMS/calls. Sometimes, such trivial things do matter, as you inherently feel that the people around you do care for you and not just for the work you do!

Anyways, part and parcel of working in APAC region!! No wonder why, Mr.NRN says "Always love your work, not your organisation". For one fine day, when situation demands, you may find it difficult to separate yourself from the company. So true !!

Me eagerly waiting to get back home and hoping I would not have to come tomorrow to office!!

juntaa...rock the weekend with your dear ones!!

Couldnt comeup with an apt title :-(

Its been quiet a while, I updated this space. Well, to be frank, I was not very busy at workplace, it was only that I was busy with the mundane things, a software engineer undergoes when he is out of his familys' warm cocoon. Since my roomie had to fly back to India without notice, I was left all alone in the whole apartment for the complete week and there is no signs of him yet. Now, if you are alone at home, you can be at your own wonderland hehehehe...On the contrary, I had todo all the household things like cooking, cleaning all alone. ammaa.. I missed you.

While cooking turned out to be not-so-pleasant outing, but for a change staying alone was kind of fun. Somehow, I get that feeling of being more organised when I am alone. The enthu to do things in a more systematic manner. But not anymore. I am really missing my roomie, as I miss those good vegetarian food :-)

Last week in media, witnessed two extremes of corporate life. While first half was occupied by the person raising to the pinnacle of success, the latter was filled with a great individual stepping down. No rewards for guessing, Indra Nooyi and NR Narayana Murthy.

To be frank, I never heard of Mrs. Indra till the news broke out that an Indian would be heading Pepsico. Well thanks to my low KPI about corporate GK. When I started reading about her, I was just amazed to know more and more about her. Saree-clad Indian lady who carried curd-rice in her dabba, perplexed by the dominance of pepsis and the cokes over drinking water has truly cut across many barriers to get to that coveted position. After a lot of search, stumbled on this. Makes me wonder if she would be the same INDRA NOOYI, CEO of Pepsico, if she were to be associated with the Indian corporate skeletal.

We have our own Kiran Shah, Lalita Gupte etc.., but to heck out a Indra Nooyi from Corporate India needs some more cooking time.

The other person in news for retiring from his illustrious career at Infosys was the founder himself, Mr. NRN. Well, any literate in bangalore would know who NRN is. Such is his cult and persona. (For that matter even a illiterate would know, courtesy Infosys Toilets ;-) )

Lifestyle, hardwork and process of being "Successfull" of such people has always enticed me. May be becoz underneath myself, I behold the innate feeling to be Successfull in my own terms, if not in the same pedestal. Amen!!

On a sign-off note, if juntaa havent noticed the GREAT Lady*



* Snap flicked from Internet portal

Mayaa says 'Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna'

Sitting alongside shores of the sea and gazing at the jumbo airliners landing on the lengthy strip of finely cemented track is an experience on its own. Moments I would be contemplating on the vastness of the waters until the airliners buzz with their audacious tenacity making me drool over humans intelligence. Well, thats how I spent my friday late night hours. While most of my colleagues preferred to hit the dance floor, I was more keen to enjoy myself sitting alongside the beach.

Well, weekend hours was a regular stuff but for KANK. I do not intend to write any of my viewpoints on the movie. But, surely would suggest juntaa to go watch the movie. I am just all praises for the crew of KANK. Although, its not a PERFECT movie, nevertheless it falls under the 'Must Watch' category. It rakes up certain things which I never thought off before. Like, Can't two people who know each other very well and share a bonding of friendship be good life partners? For me it was never a "?", it was always in the affiirmative but not any more. Its not the magical influence of the movie, but another spectrum of thinking which I had never gone through.

Now if you are an individual who 'discuss'es over person-person bonding aka relationship, my suggestion would be come out of the movie hall without any qualms about the questions being thrown up, else you would spend hours therein fighting over those thoughts in your teenie-weenie mind. And finally end up, arguing with your dear friends on those thoughts :-)

arre haan.. merii mayaa hai na, woh bolthi hai ki 'Kabhi Alvida Naa kehna', so from now on I shall not utter 'alvida', when I am seeing off my friends and dear ones.

Also, Mayaa likes blue so I have just added some more blue to the 'so-called' monday morning blues, courtesy my attire :-)

Do you have one?

As SG celebrated its 41st Birthday yesterday, with all the pomp and glory, I was happily enjoying my holiday along the shores of the sea. Tranquility and serene nature of water has its own soothing effect to my mind. This time around I was not alone, there was someone else. yeah yeah.. "gang of four" would be naughtily thinking about "her"as the other... No not this time!!

An article in ET, caught me contemplating on my current workplace. The article was all about "Office Spouse"!! Voilaaaa.. have you ever heard one such. Well..I am not trying to advertise polygamy here. I would be the last one to even think of it *pakku yellling in a firm voice*. The article really made me think of one such "entity".

IT tech people or even people in finance domain or R&D (not sure of others) end up spending more hours in their office cubicle compared to their living rooms. How much ever an individual is geeky-kinds, off the 12 odd hours (s)he spends in a 6'*6' cubicle, they would always look for refreshing moments to spark up their brains. Now if the team you are working in has some "interesting" people, there is no need of such refreshing hours. By default, you are refreshed. *shucksss ..pervert pakku trying to bully the elegance-personified pakku*

Sometimes unknowingly, working with your team-mates, we get into a relationship far away from project-related stuff. It could be more of a personal relationship compared to the usual official terms. Well, I feel its more healthier to be happy at work, than cribb over the work we are doing. Personal level interaction with mates can really fasten work and also bring in more quality to the work being delivered.

I have very fond memories of the first firm I worked for(not that it is a distant past), which makes me smile over those days. Well, the "quality" days spent there, demands for a separate post on its own. The work environment too was like "fun-at-work". Even though, I was in office for more than 12-13 hours(not always), the enthralling moments at workplace negated the negative thinking. Lovely days!!!

Moving on, workplace became more serious, with very less space for fun. When I was handed pounded with prospective candiadate resumes in my last company, I always tried to check his/her humour nerves apart from technical skills. Technical skills can be acquired in a given amount of time or training. But, the innate quality to cheer up the people around is what a team needs if it does not have one already.

With emerging talented females (high time guys agreed that they are really talented) in IT industry, trying to rub shoulders with male creatures, this concept of "Office Spouse" will take more prominence in due course of time. I hope this augurs well with the traditional Indian work culture. Hopefully, its more of a platonic relationship compared to intimate ones.

Do you already have one ??

yeh dil maange more

Few year ago, in one of my mail-conversation I had signed off as "Missing you is cherishing the lovely moments we shared together as dear friends". Then, I am not sure if I wrote it because I felt that the words conveyed more or I really did feel so (I feel it’s the latter). Yesterday, I was at the receiving end! Not always in your lifetime, one gets to hear such words from people who have touched your heart :-)

From a kid who changed parties for the "My best Friend’s tag based on the number of chocolates on their birthday, to this age where the term "Friends" has meant so much in life. Yep, yesterday was supposed to be the day to celebrate being friends. Well.... a single day is not sufficient for me. I feel, every moments of togetherness is a celebration on its own. The lazy weekend it was, most of the time I was in my own dream world in sleep. Dreaming is a trait and don’t I love that. Esp.. those short-lived sweet day dreams. And when I realized that it was almost late evening, started calling my dear friends. After every call.. I felt so elated but on the same time cursed the damn telecom lines, calling India on sunday evening is a exercise on its own.

Internet world has given me people who I can surely term as "closest" friends. Be it orkut or the various flavors of messengers (now I am out of orkut :-(( ). Few bore the dard of tagging along with me so far, while few were left back as either I could not walk along or they felt I was running than walking :-). The other lot, whilst not in touch, would still be thinking of me as I do of them. Such is the eternity and the eloquence of being friends :-)

Thanks to my roomies' efforts to grab a original Rang de Basanthi DVD, he got it on a right day. Enjoyed watching RDB to the hilt. Watttaa movie to enjoy on the Friendship day!!!!

Not sure if I have the liberty to thank you all nice people, but lest shall pause a few moments to celebrate being friends... for a lifetime. You people have taken a few moments from my kitty and returned it back fully decorated with fun, eternal happiness and sometimes sore moments too. Well, I dont blame that. After all, life is not just laughter :-)

Happy Friendship week... Let GOD bless me (all) with good friends... Amen!!!!

More Masala

Every morning after reaching office, I surf through the net to get some gyaan about current affairs. Sometimes, the surf-time gets bit overtime. Thus, I decided to come to office atleast 30 mins earlier than the scheduled time. This gives me that extra time to bask over the net. Today, fortunately or unfortunately to increase mydegree of nostalgia saw this:



Then on, I am drooling over that plate (Friday hai naa, less kaam-shaam). I feel like drilling a hole on my monitor and having that. I just want to slurp that!!!!! Masala poori, my favorite chat. I would let go even my dinner for having that!! When in Bangalore, I used to savor that every weekend. And the day I had it; mom would know of it. Courtesy, my little-to-zero intake of food at dinner time. Followed by the usual scolding’s, which just requires a smile on my face to pacify her.

I love my masala poori. Near to my home, there is this chat place, where I frequent. That maani (yeah, he is a mangie), thanks to my frequent visit, he just understands my order without an utter. Onjii Masalaee – masala jaasthi, eerulli kammi, poori jassthi, onthe khara ippadae (One masala poori with more masala, less onion, more poori, bit spicy). Then on its wait-time over my new Honda, no need to say what a guy would do along with his friends (if any) in front of a chat place :D *if you don’t know, I would be honored to give you some gyaan*

Once I get my favorite, I am just in my own world. I stop talking while I enjoy my chaat. I just drool every spoon of the eatery to the hilt. That’s the way I know to enjoy a chaat item. The less-spicy-eating person I am, I feel a bit hot after having it. To counter it, I have 2 pani pooris (gol kappe) which is filled with 2-3 onion slices, pinch of salt, sugary syrup and water ofcourse (as per my knowledge, pani is prepared with tamarind juice, water, salt and some pepper. Not sure though)

Aint it an enticing experience altogether on a mushy-mushy evening weather of bengalooru! I would enjoy it more if any spicy conversation is being carried over with the junta around. Other than this place near my home, there is this Cool Joint in Jayanagar 4 block. Total illiterate of Jayanagars block areas I was but, courtesy my friend, when ever I get a chance to meet her, we used to hang up at this place for the usual (if yours truly had enough time to do so). He serves better chaat than the ice cream: D. At my ex-work location, Koramangla, I have had the worst chaat experience. Most of the chaat places in koramangala just know to squeeze money L

Now it’s been quite a while I had my Masala poori. When I tried it once in Little India, I did not feel the taste. Wonder if I would get those chaat items in SG. For the little time I was put up in US, we had this Punjabi dhaba in downtown Sunnyvale, CA. This guy, used to serve the best bhel poori in town as per my tastebuds (bhel was more delicious compared to masala). Most weekends, I and my kothi colleague used to savour that as dinner. Well, it was so heavy!! Moments when we used to compare the $5 bhel poori taste with Rs.8 bhel poori.. hahahahahha. Other times, I missed chaat was, when in Amsterdam. well..it’s better if I don’t talk of chaat in West Europe, as we don’t even get authentic indian food and me complaining of chaat. Huhhhhh…

This weekend, hope to find a interesting chaat place in Little India. Guys wish me luck and yeah, have a rollicking weekend J

Latte with Dark Brown shocolaaaa...

Working at customer site, gives an opportunity to meet new people. While some faces makes you feel scared, some provide a sense of relief, few are worth bossing over, few are those which you respect, very few are those with whom who would wish to work all along. And there are very very few individuals whom you admire and try to get in touch with them.

The boring mechanical routine that an IT geek goes through especially away from his family, can be a subject for a shyam benegal movie. Not always though. There are some moments where you cherish being an IT pro. Now it’s been quite a while working here in SG. And the office I work in SG, breathes work. We just dont have any kind of amusement at work. After all, work is worship :-)

Few days ago, after a technical discussion with the team, all of a sudden my eyes lit up and I felt a sense of content for working there. Those are the miniscule moments which you want to relish, albeit for few moments. Not all individual have that charisma to impress pakku. Yep, you guessed it right!! She was one among the few.

From then on, I felt like talking to the person, just to lower my curiosity levels. The work environment would never act as a catalyst for sure though in this case. When commuting through that space, I could sense my eyes trying to peep into the person over the seat. While you are moving across the campus, you feel that instinct of her being sum where near to you. Thanks to my colleague, he accidentally reveals some info, which makes me more thrilled.

Today, totally tired at work and eagerly thinking of getting back home at the earliest, taking long steps heading towards the MRT, hear a "Hello" from back. And my colleague, flashes back instantaneously following it with an enthu retaliatory greeting. Curious I was to hear the voice, on doing a palhat, visualize "her".

Aftermath of it, I was sipping latte punctuated with a dark brown chocolate cake, at a nearby snacks-bar. Well, no need to say with whom :-)

Not all people impress pakku, but when some one do, they are really worth it. My first crush in Singapore !!!!

note: some thoughts are a bit exaggerated !!! After all, crushes are crushes, nothing more -nothing less. Ek pal kaa jhonkaa