Hibernation and my first Tag

Unlike those cold blooded creatures, I was hibernating(atleast in terms of blogging) during summer. Come winter and with the freezing cold outside, I daresay I would be doodling more. Fee fo fum..Before I start eating those lovely dishes, let me pen down the details..Here goes

Last movie seen in a theatre?
Twilight. Missed to put RNBDJ by 24 hours..Twilight was pretty good though..ie, if you can buy the idea of a vampire romancing. The girl was too cute..Hmm, 7/10 would be my score for Twilight.

What book are you reading ?
Silence of the Lambs. Got it cheap at a Tag sale and started on it. The movie was pretty kewl and loved the "punch" dialogue, when a particularly mean looking Hopkins delivers a spine chilling remark " I do wish we could chat longer but I am having an old friend for dinner".

Favourite board game:
Chess. I can sleep for hours if I catch sight of those black and white squares.

Favourite magazine:
Week, Outlook, India Today. Tinkle(When I was a Kid), Chandaamama(Just loved it).

Favourite Smells:
smell of Petrol,smell of earth after the first rain, smell of ginger and garlic crackling on hot oil, smell that babies have -fresh after a bath.

Favourite Sound:
Sound of ball hitting the middle of the bat(Only if you are the batsman)
Sound of the stumps flying off(Only if you are the bowler)
Sound of the temple bell ringing, at my hometown

Worst Feeling in the world:
When India loses a crunch game
When you are hurt by someone whom you like a lot
When you are embarassed at a huge gathering of people

what is the first thing that you think of when you wake up ?
Damn, where is my office laptop ??

Favourite Fast Food place:
Ambis thattukada, Prince/Priya hotel(Chengannur)
Grand Hotel(Cochin)
Ramakrishna Mess(Chennai, Thiruvanmiyur)
Chillis(Middletown)

Future child's name:
Not decided, Leaving it to my wife. Would love to have 2 girls though :-)

Finish this statement, “If I had a lot of money I’d…”
Get a fab bike, hold a big party for my friends, take my parents on a shopping spree, take my wife(if I have one at that point)on an exotic trip to a place of her choice and if there is anything left, invest the rest in real estate. Phew !!!

Do you drive fast?
Yes. When I am late for work/movie/a place that closes at 9.

Do you sleep with a stuffed animal?
Hell No.

Favourite drink
Hot tea
Chilled Beer
Spicy Sambharam
Whiskey, with 2 ice cubes and a dash of coke

Do you eat the stem of broccoli?
No

Storms - Cool or Scary?
Cool, love to travel on a stormy night.

If you could dye your hair any color, what would be your choice?
Green..Go green !!!

Name all the different cities/towns you have lived in:(Where lived in > 30 days)
Cochin/Adoor/Chengannur/Kozhikkode - Kerala
Mumbai - Maharashtra
CBE/Chennai/Tiruput/Tuticorin - TN
Middletown - US

Favorite sports to watch:
Cricket, Soccer

One nice thing about the person who sent this to you:
Cool, shares the same frequency, speaks his mind, keeps his word.

What’s under your bed?
I sleep on the floor ..buhaa haa

Would you like to be born as yourself again?
Yes, if to the same parents and if I have the same group of friends. Am I asking for a lot ?

Morning person or night owl?
Was a morning person during college days, now a night owl with those offshore calls.

Over easy or sunny side up?
Over easy, please

Favorite place to relax:
At my ancestral home, pulling my grandmother's legs

Favourite Pie:
Anandakrishna Pai..Hold on ! You didn't mean...

Favorite ice cream flavor:
I am one of a few who will go to Baskin Robbins and order a milkshake. I hate icecreams. My granny who adores icecreams, finds that hard to digest

You pass this tag to:
Rijo

Of all the people you tagged this to, who’s most likely to respond first?
Rijo - coz he is in the next room.

I love you..And you..And you !!!

A series of memories that were initiated on a particularly cold evening, triggered by a hot tea, prompted me to blog again. I was doing a little jig on the patio, cup in hand, trying to keep myself warm, when my mind decided to distract me from the cold by tuning onto some old memories.

Turning the clock 9 years back, brought me to BVM Elamakkara(The school of cricket in Kerala, where players like Tinu Yohanan and Sreesanth have done their schooling). BVM had a tradition of maintaining a high standard interms of quality education and the teachers were hell bent on ensuring this, by putting our noses to the grinding stone. However the 5'5" kid who answered to the calls for Roll: 3, did have certain distractions, that made sure that his schooling days weren't that dreary. The first of my series of crushes was a classmate of mine. By the way, all of them in the cupid's series, went the same way as the sign board at the Press Club Road in Cochin -> ONE WAY !!


The 16 year old in me was instantly attracted to this goodlooking girl in the fourth row of the class. Naming her G1. A relief to my wandering mind, which could now focus on this welcome distraction, rather than paying attention to the complex equations on the blackboard. My trances were frequently interrupted by those missiles(usually chalks, on certain occassions dusters too came forward to kiss my forehead) projected on an elliptical path by the teachers. More often than not, the teacher would ask me to point out to the section on the board, where she had last written. By the time, I reached North-west after starting from the south of the board, the whole class would be off in peals. I felt really happy to seeing her pretty smile and decided to do this more often. I started paying more attention to the details on the blackboard, after I learnt that a 6 footer who frequented the gym, had already set his eyes on G1.

The cupid sent another of his arrows and this time around, it pointed me to another member of the opposite sex(Codenamed -> G2), in the next division. This probably explains why my grades showed a steep incline and reduced the number of missiles projected in my direction. A friend of mine, to whom I confided the name, told me that the best way to become friends with G2 was to strike up a conversation with G2's best friend. The best friend would then sing my praises in front of G2 and lo and behold, Game on !!!. Trusting the so called Mr. Know it all's words(He considered himself to be bit of an authority, on all topics, that started and ended with girls), I found myself striking a conversation with Miss. Best Friend. Regular chit chatting at the doorways, canteens and the labs set the tongues wagging. However, I did manage to achieve the objective of this initiative. The long haired G2 started giving me appreciative glances and smiles and it lead me to treat Mr. Know it All at one of the cities best Bakeries. This tryst would not last too long. G2 started referring to me as Miss. Best Friend's admirer in front of her friends. It broke my heart. Mr. Know it All wasn't able to participate in that year's school culturals because of his black eye.

The third and the final one of Cupid's arrows stuck me a year later. It was the day the juniors were supposed to land. I had cycled all the way to the temple nearby, on the occasion of India's pool match at the world cup. I was mumbling my prayers when I saw a girl with the "centershock" hairstyle, doing the same. She just knocked me out cold on that day. Simple, elegant and with the sweetest of all smiles, she was just too wonderful. Realisation, that my mouth was wide open came, when a piece of coconut that was broken by a devotee on the nearby stone, flew into my mouth. She gave me one of her 1000 watt smile and went to the next shrine. I tailgated her for the next 5 mins, until a particularly fierce looking Uncle(Must be her dad) appeared on the horizon. As my Mom wanted me to come back home in one shape, I took flight, after reassuring myself that "Withdrawal needn't always mean defeat".

My joy knew no bounds when I caught a glimpse of her at school. Suddenly, I was volunteering for running errands, that involved going to the the classes of juniors. Spent quite some money at the hair dressers, trying to discipline the unruly clump of hair at the back of my head. Finally, the clump which looked as if it was at attention to the national anthem being played, decided to take a break. Went to a local gym nearby, trying to get all the abs and the muscles that were portrayed on the pics at the gym. Two days of torture awakened me to the fact that girls fall for sensitive guys, rather than well built ones(Does this still hold good ??)

Good looking girls were rare(at least in our school) and ones that were single, were rarer still. My first competitor came in the form of a player from our basketball team.Cometh Breaks & this moron would run all the way to the opposite building, to talk to her. Mr. Know it All came up with a feeble suggestion(from behind a desk) that girls dig Basketball players and football/cricket were things from the past. A very determined me, watched a couple of matches of NBA playoffs and hopped on to the basketball court during the next PT period. 15 minutes and a couple of bruises later, I went back to the football field to see if my old position had been filled. To corner her, was just about impossible. She seemed to be attached by some invisible umbilical cord to her best friend(Her friend is now a successful playback singer in Kerala) for the entire stretch of the day. If by any chance it was broken, Mr. Moron would hookup the "connection".

By some strange coincidence, I did manage to talk to her. Kendriya Vidyalaya had their culturals on a Friday and all of us at Parvathy Miss's Tuition class, decided to do a Mass bunk. We reached KV just on time, before our school's Fashion Show was about to start. Taking positions upfront, the 10 of us started the biggest chants that the event had seen. Slowly, the folks from our school, who were sitting separately, joined us at the front. Amongst them, was a very familiar face. Thanking the same God that I had cursed after India slid to a humiliating defect against Zimbabwe, I decided to do some stress testing on my voice. For the next 10 minutes, I was chanting the school slogans as though my life depended on it. I did some damage to my vocal chords, but it did serve it's purpose. She did talk to me for 5 mins and exuberantly joined the gang with the chants. Wow, I just felt so happy that day...

Trying to fathom the thoughts of a teenager is a tough deal. It is downright complex. It is a time when none of us knew what the truth was to most of the questions around us - from how to woo girls to How does it feel like to have 3 pegs of whisky. Being ignorant to any of these questions, would make you "Uncool" and it would result in you being treated as an outcast. The truth is that none of us knew the answers to anything, at that point. When I look back at those days, I feel like laughing at some of the stuff I did back then, to either impress the girls or to showoff in front of my friends. But then, those were some of the best days in my life. Those memories, keep me going forward.

Last words:
1. G2 & G3 are happily married and G1 is still on the Single/committed stage.
2. Mr. Know it All seems to have missed quite a few more culturals, with black eyes, missing teeth, bruised ribs etc. One of his theories , did however work and he has moved to the "Happily Married" state. He is still available for any advices, as per the last conversation I had with him a couple of years before. Do so, at your own risk.
3. No idea about Mr. Moron.
4. Four paragraphs from the end, I had asked a question. Could someone(I want to get it from the girls this time around..Hell yeah, I don't trust guys) answer that for me ?
4. My quest continues.

"IT" happend in Chennai...

After what seemed like an eternity, the train came to a screeching halt at the station...I got up from my seat and walked towards the door, jostling past the crowd that were barging in through the door...Craning my neck out, I could see the ever familiar face of Kinu trudging along towards S9, flanked by his dad. I waved to him and he responded back with the ever pleasant "Kinu-ish" smile(something that I would have to endure on a daily basis, over the next couple of years). The day was Nov 4Th, 2004 and we were on our way to Chennai, to "Celebrate Work", I mean, that's what Cognizant blares out to the world...For freshers like us, the idea of transfiguring into breadwinners from bread eaters(excuse the PJ, but what else do you call folks who love nothing better than to rest on their arses and enjoy the pleasures of life, from the confines of the couch)..

After Kinu had settled down, we decided to scout the compartments to check if any fellow cognians had boarded the train..As none of us had seen each other, the plan was to walk around mumbling "CTS", "CTS"..This of course, was inspired from the flick "Akkare Akkare Akkare", where the hero and his sidekick run all over an airport in US, mouthing..Eh, hmm, now that is nother story...And to the surprise of all the passengers on the train, here were two perfectly healthy youngsters, walking around mouthing gibberish..ready made candidates for any mental asylum..Since it was masterminded by Yours truly, the plan worked to perfection...Soon, nine of us were walking around the train, chanting gibberish phrases, which always seemed to have the word "COGNIZANT" in it..I met Rejin, Sherry, Naveen, Roopesh, Anoop, Bipin and Binu for the first time that day..

The next day, all of us, cramped together into a call taxi and made our way to Kelampakkam, where we were put up for the first 2 months of our training period...In case the reader is not familiar with the name of the place, kelampakkam is a front runner for the "most inhabitable place in Chennai"..There was a big lump in my throat, as we passed through never ending stretches of barren land...My IT dream was crumbling before my eyes...

Reached the hostel where our stay was arranged...actually, it was an Ashram of a Baba Chinamaya, or was it Dayananda ??? no idea, lets call him Swami Thanukkumpol Kidukidanandha !!! The best part of the whole deal was that we were put up at the same place with all the girls...In adjacent rooms...Needless to say, the guys were quite excited..We were shown the way to our dorm(the girls were just a glass door away) and amidst wild celebrations, I began unpacking my stuff...

Hold on to your cards !!!!

Am not sure how many would agree to this statement(not that I care), but here goes...Malayalis(atleast, the ones that have a life) love to spend their friday nights downing a couple of pegs(any brand would do), a Mohanlal movie(any movie would do) and a deck of cards(any game would do)...Another mortal would have preferred to chill out at a club, watch a movie at the nearby theatre ,cozy up with a book or heck, even hit the bed early....but not us...Our idea of a dream Friday night is a bit different...

Been playing cards for quite sometime...Got started with the ones like "Bluff", "Donkey', "Trump" etc...grew up with "28"(erupathi ettu in malayalam), "Rummy"..Hoping to graduate with a round of Blackjack at Vegas..Neither am I a master in the game nor do I have the money to throw a serious challenge to the competitors(we malayalis tend to brag a bit), but I would still consider this to be an achievement in my life..

Why ??
From the big round table at my ancestral home, to the dark, desolated corners of the engg college classrooms(no teacher would dare to venture anywhere near), to the lush green paddy fields near my home, I have played cards at almost each and every place...and now, lo and behold, you get a chance to play at the mother of all places, Vegas...I am just looking forward to the trip !!!!

My personal fave game would certainly be 28..I would like to think(and honestly, I do think it is true) that this game had it's birth at some paddy field in Kerala...Should have been started by a group of unemployed jerks, who after whiling away their time at one of those umpteen tea shops that you find at any junction in Kerala, decided to hit upon cards to do something creative...and lo and behold !!! 28 was born...Mark my words friends...this one is tough to break cause the rules are a bit crooked...The player will have to get every1 of his grey cells to action and one false move -> BANG !!! your team gets the Kunukku on the ear(usually the joker card)..We used to design all sorts of complicated ones with coconut leaves back at college...truly addictive, indeed..

gotta move now..a friend is buying me dinner and I just don't want to miss that ;-)

Disclaimer:
Attention Reader(if you are this beautiful, single girl who would be on the lookout for that someone special to drop out of the sky), don't get the impression that I have a compulsive addiction to the game..No !! I spend my time doing creative work as well...playing cricket, snoring away to glory on my bed, picking on my roomies for no reason whatsoever etc are my idea of spending quality time..

Simple rules in Life

Linju sent this one to me a day or two back....tght of putting this up over here...Incase I forget these @ a later point

Have a firm handshake.

Look people in the eye.

Sing in the shower.

Own a great stereo system.

If in a fight, hit first and hit hard.

Keep secrets.

Never give up on anybody.

Miracles happen everyday.

Always accept an outstretched hand.

Be brave. Even if you're not, pretend to be. No one can tell the difference.

Avoid sarcastic remarks.

Choose your life's mate carefully.
From this one decision will come 90 per cent of all your happiness or misery.


Make it a habit to do nice things for people who will never find out.

Lend only those books you never care to see again.

Never deprive someone of hope; it might be all that they have.

When playing games with children, let them win.

Give people a second chance, but not a third.

Be romantic.

Become the most positive and enthusiastic person you know.

Loosen up. Relax.

Except for rare life-and-death matters, nothing is as important as it first seems.

Don't allow the phone to interrupt important moments.

It's there for your convenience, not the caller's.

Be a good loser.

Be a good winner.

Think twice before burdening a friend with a secret.

When someone hugs you, let them be the first to let go.

Keep it simple.

Be modest. A lot was accomplished before you were born.

Beware of the person who has nothing to lose.

Don't burn bridges. You'll be surprised how many times you have to cross the same river.

Live your life so that your epitaph could read, No Regrets

Be bold and courageous.

When you look back on life, you'll regret the things you didn't do more than the one's you did.

Never waste an opportunity to tell someone you love them.

Remember no one makes it alone.

Have a grateful heart and be quick to acknowledge those who helped you.

Take charge of your attitude. Don't let someone else choose it for you.

Visit friends and relatives when they are in hospital; you need only stay a few minutes.

Begin each day with some of your favorite music.

Once in a while, take the scenic route.

Send a lot of Valentine cards. Sign them, 'Someone who thinks you're terrific.'

Answer the phone with enthusiasm and energy in your voice.

Keep a note pad and pencil on your bed-side table, Million-dollar ideas sometimes strike at 3 a.m.

Show respect for everyone who works for a living, regardless of how trivial their job.

Send your loved ones flowers. Think of a reason later.

Make someone's day by paying the toll for the person in the car behind you.

Become someone's hero.

Marry only for love.

Count your blessings.

Compliment the meal when you're a guest in someone's home.

Wave at the children on a school bus.

Remember that 80 per cent of the success in any job is based on our ability to deal with people.

Don't expect life to be fair.
Keep smiling and be happy every day.

Never worry for anything, as worries make life more painful.

If u worry also, they are going to reduce. So think and act accordingly