Posts between Jan 1st & Jan 11th, 2006

I have lost 63 of my posts which took me around 5 months (Oct 2005 to April 2006). Now Im recovering it one by one which is being possible for the blessing called google!

Here ae few of my provious posts between Jan 1st - Jan 11th, 2006.

Jan 11, 2006

Life is crazy!

Wonder if life could get any crazier?

Have just bought house and we have to move there as soon as possible to avail of the tax and HRA benefits. As loads to be done. Moving house, specially from a 1800 sq ft flat to a 700 sq ft house need rejigging all the furniture and lifestyle.But I will have to be in jakarta from 16th to 19th and to Ho chi min city from 21st to 26th Jan. Hence the onus of making all the arrangements for moving to the new flat would be on my dear wife!And I had a fall and by toe is badly hurt, I cannt drive and manage my movements barely by limping around.

As if these confusion werent enough, yesterday I got a offer of a job in manila on expat terms in a new category which is good for my career. The expat terms are very attractive and offer great saving potentials. However, Im expecting a grade in my current job in India and if that happen, the benefits of moving to Manila becomes neutral. But getting the grade isnt certain and no one can gurantee in the current scheme of things. Best could be to get the grade and go to Manila but that choice I dont have.Been once to Manila and would love to spend three years there discovering each of the islands.Sometimes I feel I should take it up and other times I feel like ditching it.Should I go? I dont know. But I will have to decide it by wednesday.


Wednesday, January 11, 2006

Amby Valley, Mumbai

Amby valley, Mumbai is an example of what one can creat if he has imagination and power of cash.We went to spent three days at Amby valley, a resort near Lonavala last weekend. There were thirty families and their chldren and so everyone had company, meaning our son had friends to play and keep busy.The airconditioned bus ride early morning was a pleasure in itself. On the way at the food court near the express highway had lovely misel pav and allu bonda. These were mouth watering stuff.

Rajan was the nominated bus marshal and he rendered services which could provide stiff competition to any air hoestess.Reached Amby vally around 11. 30am and there was a welcoming band party dishing out pulsating drum beats. The welcome drink was what was needed at the end of the three hour long journey.The sheer size of the prperty and the mind boggling care to the details that was taken in creating this heaven was evident everywhere which were what touched us on the onset.It helped that many flowers blossom in winter and there was riot of clours all around. The rock structures surroundign us, the flock of ducks in the lack, the tall trees swaying to the tune of the winds were a sheer delight to our urban eyes. The slightly chilling wind was breathtaking in its sheer purity.

You name it, they have it. We had a treasure hunt game that afternoon floowed by a dance competion and lot of drinks till late evening that day.We stayed in a tent. Our son was excited staying there. However, he woke up in the middle of the night to the sounds of wind and cried for quite sometime and wanted to come back home. We came to know nextday morning that many of us had a disturbed sleep that night. Someone thought that a leopard was trying to enter the tent while another one thought it was an elephant trying to trample the tent.

Next day mornning, we had breakfast at the Lagoona beach and thereafter water sports for couple of hours. The jetsking, the speed boat ride, the banana boat drive were extremely thrilling.Had a swedish massage thereafter followed by steam, sauna and zaccuzi.Saw a movie thereafter.We started partying at around 9pm at Lagoona beach dech. The star fillied night sky above, power full beats, the riot of colours from the disco lights was just ehtreal experience to the senses. We had a beer drinking comepetion which my wife's team won. We also had a cocktaiin making competions which I made and our team won. As the night wore on, we progressively became heavy in our head and slowly gave in the charm of the night.We loved our stay at Amby valley and wish to won a chalet there someday.

We also know that to achieve this dream, we will need to win a lottery.

We came back next day afternoon.

Friday, January 06, 2006

Hobokeen, New Jersey

I got a visitor from Weehawken and it took my mind back to the nine days I spent in New Jersey in 2003 and passed through Hobokeen several times.It was my first visit and I reached one lovely evening, compeletly sleepy from the 22 hour long journey.Newwark airport to the hotel on the bank of Hudson river took about 30 minutes and the view of the New york skyline just across the Hudson river from my roon on the thrid floor of the hotel drove away all of my sleep in just minutes! It was just as I have seen in pictures. It was drizzling by the time it was 9pm. Few young couples locked in embrace along the bank of the river was mocking the rains drops.I had work whole day and at the end of the day I took the ferry to go to New york. This was my routine for the next days I spent there.

The times square was magical in its sheer size, colour, number of nationalities one encouter there, the plethora of restaurants scattered allover which all together makes the world most high entropy zone. The people I found was very friendly, albeit superfacially which doesnt affect a vissitor anyway.Craig was a moving encyclopedia about Ney york and his passion was to show visitor all the places. Thus he took us to the shop from where Mark Twain used to buy his soaps in Greenwitch village!

I met Sid Thakore there. He has moved to US as a fourteen year old and went on to work in a laboratory and file few patents. A proud man, resigned to fact fact that eight year old son would soon start dateing and experience experiences he wouldnt apporve off.He took me to Atlantic city, the casino city.Being a straight guy, he didn’t take me to all the sinful places, much to my disappointment!A took the tube and the one in Kolkata was much cleaner. Its there in use for a longer duration of time though.

I met Cathrine in the hotel lift one evening. We got talking and by the time the lift reached our floor, she asked me out to have a drink. Soon we got drunk and she started flirting with the handsom guy giving us drinks. I was proven to be a coward from Mumbai when she invited me to join her in her room but my asian mind was afraid of things, real and imaginary. Next day again we met in the lobby and repeated the same ritual. Third night, I found her with another man and never saw them again.

Not for a moment those day I desired to sleep and want to absorb everything that my stay there was to offer.

Wednesday, January 04, 2006

Make it the right choice, Please

Being a father, one is always torn trying to understand if his actions are right for the son.

Our son goes to Podder sunbeam scholl at Santacruz, which is good 45mins travel by bus from our current residence in Andheri(E). Hence, when we started looking for a flat too buy, we wished to have a flat close to his school. However, our budget and locational preferences didnt allow us to buy something close to any good school. Ultimately we bought a flat in JVRL road, which will add another 30mins to his travel time and we are lossing sleep over it now. While deciding we found that there are many children who goes from this housing complex and we have found comfort in that knowledge. But as the date to move to the new place nears, we wonder whether he would be able to take the strain from so much travelling and whether we have compromised his happiness for monetary gain. Sometimes I feel we have done the right thing but othertimes I feel I have let down my son. I just dont know.We will now try to find a school near to our new place of residence and hope we find a good school there.

Nobody ever said fatherhood is easy and Im learning more and more about it.

Sunday, January 01, 2006

Another beginning, another chance

1st January is always amomentous day signifying another opportunity to to make a new beginning with renewed vigour, hope and energy. Its also atime when our heart is full of happy tthoughts and great wishes ffor one and all and world decidedly look a great place with all things pure and sincere. The challenge is however to have these feelings and mindset through out the year. It seldom lasts but never cease to try and attain this goal.Im deeply concerned that our world is becoming a dangerous play to live more and more and see no end to it. I wonder why we cannt believe that we have one life to live and we should try tosecure peace, happyness and wealth for our near and dear ones and wish everyone well. Everything in life has a multiplication effect and so if one does well, it comes back multiplied manytimes to him and vice versa. Our religion should spread this simple message and not complicate things which doesnt touch the heart of the believers.We have been partying for the last three days and yesterday we ushered the new year in club Matoshree, andheri(E), Mumbai. My wife, our son and myself danced for quite sometime and saw the display of firecrackers as the clock struck 12.

It was very serene, peacefull evening with happy poeple around.I have stopped making resolutions for quite sometimes but I have made a resolution for this year which is that I will pray and meditate everyday. Meditation and prayers are the two most sure fire ways to achieve one's dream and I will try to make my dreams for us come true.We will be moving to our new house and hope it have peace, happyness and wealth flowing to us continuously there. Also pray that we achieve things efforlessly and our life is easy. I pray these for everyone.Wish you all a very happy,

happening and harmoniously new year!

Ist Jan, 2005