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Reflecting upon the 2012 resolutions
Had written some of the resolutions for 2012. Time to check how have I fared on them.
Brick 1: Time to give up on Bad habits.
Bad habits of listening a lot. Bad habits of understanding. Bad habit of being understanding to the extent that I get taken for granted.
Status: a large chunk of the normal “granted” life has now been fixed. Some are being fixed as I write.
Brick 2: Better be sorry, than be safe.
A lot of apprehensions held, a lot of emotions suppressed. A lot hidden behind the smile. That would go. Am a mere mortal, am allowed to make mistakes. And er I shall. I’d rather be sorry, than play safe.
Status: this is more or less done. Took my risks. Some worked some were forced to work. Very soon I’d be a taking a BIG risk again… And no sir am not afraid.
Brick 3: Eat
Well, eating healthy hasn’t helped. Nor has workout in whatever little form I can. Honestly time is a bitch measurement. There’s as much for everybody, but none to spare for either. So I wouldn’t waste mine. I’d eat what I get, work hard in whatever manner I can.
Status: this wasn’t really a good idea I guess. So 2013 will see a slightly modified version of this goal.
Brick 4: A Journey in another direction
This brick is my favourite, a journey within myself. No I won’t try to crawl into my butt hole. I would head out for a journey at every possible juncture.
A lot outside and even more on the inside. Yes I hate being a tourist, I hate being branded into a convenient term. Be it a biker, a blogger or anything else. I always try to learn new things. Perhaps that’s why I know the wicked art of spin. Be it the cricket ball, or the turntable. But I have learnt a better ability. The ability to forget. So let me look within, try and re do all the bits I’ve forgot
Status: spinned a bit, played the keyboard, acted in a video, cooked, improved on photography, taught myself how to edit pictures, ditched the stereo type image. And yes. Kicked some butt.
Brick 5: Humiliate people
Be careful in what you ask from me. Be careful, cause you’ve been warned. Every month, I will spend one day humiliating people. To an extent that perhaps you will hate me. You ill treat me, you face the wrath. You ill treat my brethren, you face my wrath. You cut my lane, I slit your throat. You diss us, I burn you up in torturous painful flames.
Status: this is a weird one. Did this indirectly but need to improve upon this
Brick 6: Create more
I have this tendency to write stuff which mean different things to different people. Like this prose, or my last tweet “Die in love, or live in hate” Read it once, and you get the factual meaning.
Read it again, and you would get its virtual meaning,
Read it again, and may be its practical meaning
Read it again, and you’d perhaps get the actual meaning. And may be again to find its substantial meaning.
The problem isn’t the word, the problem is YOU. Who at times read it just once, and assume, apprehend. Be warned, you wouldn’t be spared! I could hurl the brick 5 at you too
Status: Guilty! Been doing a fair bit
Time to plot the plan for 2013 and fix the 2012 resolutions.
Biker Diaries: Madness
A little bit of madness to bring back sanity,
A little bit of madness, acts of insanity!
A little bit of madness, has kept me trying,
A little bit of madness, of thoughts prying,
A little bit of madness, to forget the bad
A little bit of madness, makes me glad
Madness – Begins: June 24th
Biker Diaries – Unfulfilled dreams
18 May 2012
The year the world ends. 2012. I hope it doesn’t. Not that am scared of death, neither is it that life excites me a lot. Just that I have dreams. Unfulfilled. Not a dream, but dreams. Though one prominent of them got fulfilled when spark came home, another still due. A motorcycle tour of Leh. A long pending dream.
Truth be told, its not that I haven’t tried. I have tried 5 times before.
2005 – Two years of working experience, but decent enough riding experience. Having been rated as a top performer, it was money enough to upgrade myself to a new bike. Avenger 180, one of the first of the lots which has a engine kill switch. Sadly, the ignition isn’t the only thing it killed.
My work shifts were crazy, especially since I was a part of a 24 x 7 team. A team that manages credit card “authorizations”. A process that empowers a 3.5 Inch plastic card with wealth. A plastic that let’s you buy things you need, and many a times things that you think you need. So its only logical that when people spend the most (read holidays), I slog my rear at office. Trying to maintain a positive card usage experience. I apply for leaves, and in a blink of an eye its shot down. You see some of my peers are moving out to newer roles. What’s worse than a 24×7 role? A 24×7 role with skeletal staffing. Baah! I will tour alone in madness throughout this year. As for one my schedules don’t match with others, and secondly the concept of friends fade when you have a role like this. And hence I continue my solo commutes and tours, waiting, hoping, conspiring that I will tour solo the next year.
2006 – Another year, another top rating. I have matured a bit more in my riding. This time I should be able to do it! Or so I thought. I spend summers in preparing for an entrance to a Business school. NMIMS. With a bit of street smartness and some preparation for CET, I smoke the papers. The result, I have to join the class in June. This doesn’t just mean that the over due Leh plans have to take a back seat as the “Good” season is only June – September.
This would also mean juggling between two demanding poles in life. A demanding work place, and may I say an equally demanding college. It is perhaps irony of life that they call this “Business management”
And so I managed my business. Plans shelved. At least for the time being even before they were born. It will be an year of hard work and juggling. Three trimesters and some mind numbing projects later its vacation time.
2007 – We sit brainstorming in the college campus, a group of new-found friends, we plan for a vacation. I sneak in the idea of Leh. Now if I can convince them, it would mean I would have a back up van too! They are convinced alright, but then there’s a better, slightly lesser extreme plan. Needless to say Leh is put on backburner (a trip that’s still due for that entire gang!)
A trip to Darjeeling. A trip that I still cherish. So we didn’t get to Leh, but the time we spent at Pelling, Kalimpong and around would always be special. This was barely an attempt. Soon I will go on to join a new employer. Someone who would probably help me earn my worth and save enough for hatching my plan. I travel around on the bike, and am soon made to travel around the globe. A project here, A project there. Ultimately I end up with an “Allowed to keep term” in one of my subjects thanks to low attendance. The vacation of 2008 would be spent in trying to catch up. In trying to clear off this monkey from my back. This is a new experience for me, and its only logical I will have to quit this job. Being blessed with responsibilities is a pretty tough thing. Not impossible, but tough. But like everything else, this too shall pass. And thus passed 2008, and soon I get my post graduation. I go back to my previous employer who has now shifted to pune
2010 – Now or never.
March 19 – 2010, I apply for my leaves which are verbally approved.
Much of the fools day was spent fooling around in Pune with my boss (a pretty cool chap!) watching IPL. He was rooting for KKR. Simply because his Keralite roots were reason enough for him to appreciate KKR cheerleaders!
April 2, I am supposed to ride to Bangalore. My bike is now supposed to take on the stage 2 of modifications to help me in having more power for the terrain. I leave early in the morning. I cross Solapur and get a call. My boss has a heart attack and passes away. That is not a good thing anyway, more so if you were a 2 man team. RIP Ishaq.
I cancel my ride for Bangalore, and take over this new responsibility. The role was anyway too much to handle for a team of two, but now its a one man show. I manage the work and still start my preparations. After all my super boss has assured me that I would soon have a back up. It’s mid may already, and I don’t see any new recruitment. Neither do I get any support. I plead, but no respite. This isn’t the first promise that was not fulfilled. My need to shuffle between Mumbai Pune and tele commute which was officially allowed for my role, but I wasnt empowered enough to claim this benefit. Confrontation doesn’t help. I resign. Luckily, I am blessed enough to have a new job waiting for me in Mumbai. The new employers are willing to buy back my notice period. But my ex employers are not willing to release me. And so for second time in my life, I would continue honoring my 3 months notice right till the last day. Worst with this is with no pay. I am finally relieved in August. Too late to visit leh, my bank account struggling, and my future employer patiently waiting. I guess its too late for now. And perhaps I can never. I decide I will do a proper trip whenever I resign from this job. Fcuk it.
2011 – I get married. Call it sensibility (for a lack of politically correct term) that I don’t try to sneak a Leh plan in the Honeymoon. But yeah, I do get closer. The closest I have ever got to Leh on a road trip. Rohtang in a hired car, honeymooning. However a bikers itch doesn’t die. We hire a bike at Manali and attempt Rohtang, but its closed.. We go as far as we can. And then climb down. Not a smart thing to do sans the gear, but yes.. guilty.
Later in 2011, Kingfisher announces a contest. Having depleted all my leaves, perhaps a contest is what it would take that could lead me to Leh. I participate, and am in the top 3, but suddenly in the last day, some one comes from no where and wins the contest. Contest. Right.
2012 – Its Leh Season.
Can I make it atleast now?
This time around though I dont even have an appropriate bike.
…. (To be continued like everything else in life)
Never Again, Dream
My hands shiver, Oh these thoughts
Time has got us here,
Today, right here, Oh so near,
But how long, I yet know not
May be never, never again,
But for now. Here. True. Real,
Where from here, I still fear
Time has got us here, so near
Never been, dreams so near,
Senses lost. Dazzled I stare,
Uttered some, Which I know not,
Perhaps failing, describe my care
I avoid contact, my eyes stray,
Yet I see, touch and feel
Deep down the scars slowly heal,
I crave for more, so more I live
While time keeps passing by
You breath fire, and tease me more
We set speed, highways we would explore
The distance shrinks, the journey grows,
Happiness inside, Never been, dreams so near,
Never again, is what I fear
Never again dream, never again stop
The Tormenting Monster!
The Ducati Monster: One bike which I was confused whether or not to buy.
The TYPICAL paradox about choices and how men deal with it?
Perhaps you do remember that old joke, A man gifting 10,000 Rs to 5 women as a test to check which woman he should marry.
The first one, saves the money in a FD, stating that it would be used for their future
The second one, saves the money in Gold, stating it would help them in future and appreciate much faster
The third one, spends it on a holiday ticket for the guy, stating he deserves it
The fourth one, invests it on the share market, after some quick research, makes a clear profit of Rs. 550,000! and invests it for their future
The fifth one, spends the money for a makeover for the guy stating she should look worthy for him
Guess whom does the man select… well that’s for later, but such was the choice in choosing between the one you lust for, or for the one you deem practical! The more you think, the more it confused. The more it confused, the more you start linking petty everyday thoughts with it!
But Alas, these thoughts just continue to exhaust you in confusion!
The thought process was simple:
Why the Ninja?
1. It is so much practical for Indian conditions
2. It has a wider service network than ANY big bike seller in India
3. It enjoys a better supply of spares
4. It enjoys somewhat proven credibility of BAL-Kawasaki IN INDIA and in INDIAN conditions
Why the Ducati:
I F*CKING LOVE IT!
One pure rational choice, one pure emotional choice. History has revealed, that apart from these being two different sides of the human brain, they never ever let the other one win. Every time you reassure your Emotion with rational reason all it takes is that bloody recall of emotion. Remember your first break up, how the world clarifies on WHY the match was never destined, and then you burst into this turmoil by just a simple recall of HOW MUCH YOU LOVED HIM/HER!
I delayed taking my Ninja 650R delivery to wait and see what the new Monster would be, but alas the kind folks at Ducati India had little info on when the bike would be here. A lot of brain washing ensured I fall for something which was practical (and I have no qualms about that) but now the Monster works up its same old tormenting way!
While I am still running in my brand new Kawasaki Ninja 650R, all it took was one lousy word of recall of how much I lust for it for me to be writing this blog entry!
They passionate Italians throw up a contest for a free Ducati Monster! Almost as if they want to torment ME!
Like they say in Italy: Quella destinata per te, nessuno la prenderà
So here’s the run down,
· Click on the link: http://www.monster.ducati.com/photocontest/profile.jsp?n=292
· Click on Vote and enter your email ID
· You will get an e-Mail Confirmation, click on it!
· Spread the link to your friends!
Thank you for your vote!
PS: The Man in the joke (unlike me), fell for the woman with the biggest bust! Here is my chance to get back at him!
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The power of thoughts!
An long overdue unfinished log, moving it from the phone draft to a blog post. Hopefully would come back and edit it!
Remember what counsellors/trainers always tell/bluff us about the Human brain?
They say that ‘average human being uses a single digit percentage of their brains processing capabilities throughout their life’
Ever wondered how this means that a ridiculous amount of processing power is being not utilised! Its like hooking up a state of art super computer with a state of the art display, and graphic engine… to play pong on it!!!!!!
Yet we say we are the smartest race of species!
Imagine someone who can use a higher percentage of the processing power, and la you imagine a superman (not being a sexist!) But a person with superb reflexes, superb analytical skills, super intelligence! Scary eh!
Although there are claims that this percentage thing (or to be specific 10%) is not really true because of various reasons. Be it our limited understanding on how our brains function. Or be it how we become a vegetable after some limited brain damage. The topic I am trying to pen today is not really this debate. I am no expert to support of refute the claims. The topic I am writing (actually drafting it since long) is about how we have structured our thought process. How everything in that sequence is conditioned to be good. And everything not in that sequence is christened evil, or bad! What’s known is ‘Good’, what’s unknown is ‘evil’ especially if its something never tried!
We are turned into a pattern generating machine, at best a pattern analysing machine. Imagine yourself in a tricky situation, let it be your favourite sport! Its the cricket season, so let’s assume, you are bowling. The opposite team needs two runs of this bowl to draw. What would you bowl?
Would you experiment? I don’t think so. Most would you go back to that one stock speciality that they have? A yorker, a slower one.. Something that you have perfected and know are good at and it is this fall safe option that you would go back to.. Wouldn’t you?
See! The whole point when I say “you are good at” suggests that its a pattern. Its something we have done in past, and it has given better results and hence inspires confidence.
But then its never as effective if you plan to repeat the same move all the time, imagine the same leg cutter or may be a yorker all the time.. And suddenly it becomes so-so.
Nothing changed except for the frequency of going back to the ‘fail safe’ options. But a whole world of effectiveness has changed with it.
However look at most of the things we do in life, and we shall notice that we have genetically accepted to behave in this manner.
Ironically we chose the same ‘fail safe’ options time and again and yet crib that things in life are just about acceptable. Be it a situation to deal with ones boss, or a demanding client. We have a fail safe option to deal with the situation. And we believe that THIS is THE most effective course of action!
Infact the sad part is that we have gone ahead ‘innovated’ and made machines work on the same logic. Look at the term “Artificial Intelligence” for us, AI is the ability to store experiences and use that for decision making!
How cool it sounds!
Duh! But when I said predict, I still meant mapping it to a known outcome, based on historical evidence. Perhaps “Statistical dumbness” is a more apt term for it!
The problem perhaps is the sheer lack of interest in wanting to experiment, or in some case think through an alternative course of action!
This is where the giving up on people, processes etc come in. And yet we stick to it and chose to complain that people aren’t nice, life is a bitch, processes are mundane. So may its time do that proverbial “Out of the box” thinking. May be its time to look at the same things differently, and who knows may be you could draw some energy from it.
Further more this is where the herd mentality creeps in. That’s even worse, cause now you are choosing a ‘special weapon’ or a course of action that’s not necessarily your best option. It is at best someone else’s comfort zone approved ‘fail safe’ reaction. That too, trusting someone who managed to get into similar situation! Heck if they were so smart, may be they shouldn’t got into such a situation in the fist place!
Go! Experiment!
Super CommuTOURing 