Ginger tea

Sunday,21 November 2010 :

...If I lay here
If I just lay here
Would you lie with me and just forget the world?

Forget what we're told
Before we get too old
Show me a garden that's bursting into life

Let's waste time
Chasing cars
Around our heads... [ Chasing cars - Snow Patrol ]

It was definitely one of the best days of my life.

PS : Title edited on the suggestion of someone very special who made this day very,very special.

Chasing lights

Far off lampposts, speeding cars, glowing skyscrapers and a still human body. Sometimes life's worth living 100 years. An evening with a dear friend holding Jim Beam in our hands, talking about anything and everything is my idea of a perfect birthday dinner. Yesterday was a day that I am going to remember forever. Best Birthday I ever had? And the answer is YES. It appears to me now as if God himself planned the evening for me.I think life ( and to some extent love and friendship) is all about trusting your feelings, cherishing the memories, taking some chances and realising that people never change, it’s only you who have changed with time.Right now, I just want to hold on and hang in right there because I am definitely loving my life again.

Lyrics and music

How do you know you are in love? The answer is simple. Just have a look at the calendar and if it’s November, you are in love. I know it’s weird and has got nothing to do with emotions or logic or rationality but this hold true for me everytime.Yes, every fucking time. Gone are the days when you felt butterflies flying in your stomach upon seeing that someone special. Some folks still feel like this but I don’t. I feel calmness. Something very similar to orgasm. Senseless and soothing only in a better way. I don’t intend to hurt or disagree with anyone but this is exactly how I feel when I think I am in love. I may sound like an ass writing all this crap about love but let me tell you one secret - I am a hopeless romantic. The worst I have ever seen . I can’t say cheesy things which in turn would make people happy.Instead, I end up uttering sentences that are total bullshit.It’s not like that I don’t realize my foolishness but I am too shy and embarrassed to admit the same. Of course, I pretend like a fucking narcissist but I am not one of those and I am trying my best to change. Big deal, huh? Yes, surely for me.

Well, this marks the end of my love theory ( More,later).Now, it’s time to write something about music.Not going into the details,just focusing on some brilliant artistes whom I unearthed recently.Special thanks to last.fm without which my musical facet of life wouldn’t have been so musical.This week’s artist focus is on Bon Iver , The Nationals , Arctic Monkeys and Klimt 1918.Amazing artists, superb songs.Download or buy a copy of their records and you will know what I am talking about.And if you ever call me to let me know that you loved them, I will be glad to hear that.

That’s all for now. Clock is striking 3 fucking 08 AM.Time to sleep. I have to go to office tomorrow, shit load of work to do.Haha! Good night and have a great life.

Wait and Hope

“Hope is a good thing, maybe the best of things, and no good thing ever dies.” - taken from the motion picture,Shawshank Redemption. I did not lose my hope and here I am , smiling at my success and looking ahead for a better future. Whatever happens, happens only for good.There’s a God , an almighty keeping a watchful eye on us , playing with us all the time and showering his radiance on us.As Alexandre Dumas has rightly said ,” Until the day when God shall deign to reveal the future to man, all human wisdom is summed up in these two words,--'Wait and hope'.”.May God bless me and all of my friends who care about me.Amen.

Virus

It’s fun to call at your work every monday and say something like ‘I am not coming, down with viral’ and turning up there, the very next morning puffing away your cigarette with a deep grin on you face. That’s viral infection for most of us. However, actual viral infection is totally different from what has been written above. Let’s understand it this way - it’s like reverse order of the previous explanation.When you are down with a viral attack, you lose your grin.No matter how funny the joke or the talk is, you cannot smile.You just can’t.A virus attack kills the humour of the man.Secondly, all of a sudden, it makes you realize that cigarettes or any other goddamn form of smoking is actually injurious to your health.You never cared about the statutory warning on the pack and smoked your fucking deathstick anyway but look what this viral infection has done to you.Now,you care for you life more than you ever did.It’s basically perception oriented .I find it good, you may find it bad – some call it potato, others call it pota-h-to-h.Lastly, if you are really infected with a bad viral, you would not say ‘ I’m not coming’ because a bad viral leaves you with strength just enough to stand limply, forget the walking.And believe me , it’s terrible when you are not able to walk , laugh or smoke.It’s hell.It’s like becoming one of those Benjamin Buttons, like back to an infant from a fully grown adult. A viral attack hits your masculinity -not in that way - but in an equally disastrous way and all.

What I initially thought would be a welcome break from the work, turned out the exactly opposite way.Here I am suffering from high fever since last four days.I believe I must have consumed over 1 kg. of medicine ( surely not less than that ) during these four days.If you ever decide to kiss me , you’d figure out the right compostion of my mouth.”I’m more of a paracetamol guy - you know- kind of seductive one”.Infact, every part of me has become medicine.I pee medicine, I shit medicine, I fart medicine.Whatever blood that was left in my blood system has been taken away by these ill looking pathologists. I guess they are the vampires who suck on during daytime posing as doctors.Or else, who would need three samples in as many days for the same medical test?

In a nutshell, I feel totally fucked up lying in the bed all the time and all. I already must have eaten some 100 kgs. of medicine and urinated medicine type looking substance over a million gallon .I feel like an infant only with a grownup body and lots of body hairs. I have also seen some vampires at the hospital sucking people’s blood and eating flesh. Boy, did I tell you how much I despise the cigarette.

Legends revisited !

10 September,2010 : Finally I am getting my acts together, music wise. The last month has been really good for me, I'd rather call it a musical revolution in my life again. I believe a lot of credit goes to my new Sony 5.1 speakers which makes even a dull song sound much more interesting.The best part is I am finally in love with the legends ( Yeah, took a hell lot of time to admit the same).This new age rock or the progressive is OK, but certainly there's no match for the classics, as they rightly say Old is gold. Anyways, I am going to list down my top artists of the last month and will try to update this very section very often from now on.

Dire Straits ( Can't get enough of them )

AC DC ( for any mood :D )
Pink Floyd

Nirvana ( Grunge is back )

The Rolling Stones

Bob Dylan

The Beatles ( Have been listening to their few important tracks, downloaded their discography today).

Hope to fall in love with some more legends.Happy listening to you all.

Ciao !

More Oranjee !!!

The Dutch team has marched into the final of the world cup after 32 years.Glory is just 90 minutes away !

Paul - the psychic octopus looks great in orange :)

Go, Netherlands go !!!

The Oranjes

Updates - Worldcup 2010

The Oranjes finally unhooked the BRA.

Wesley Sneijder - the guy who slayed the giants and took his team to semifinals.

Final Score : Netherlands 2 - 1 Brazil

I hope they manage to win the cup this year.

Random wars - II

I don’t understand why, but in the last few minutes, I am having a sudden desire to post something new on this page.So,here I am, pressing keyboard without having any clear idea in my mind.I’ll start with the first idea that sparks in my brain.Ok, it’s football worldcup !

This world cup mania has enveloped every other guy whom I know.Being an avid football lover,it’s an amazing time for me because I am enjoying interacting with folks about teams, their star players, their formations and of course, repercussions and discussions about the game.I am sure nobody at my office understands the game better than me but it’s great to see that they actually enjoy these conversations (Apparently,they read a lot via newspapers and internet, before and after the game so that they could cope up with me ).This worldcup has been a bit erratic though.South American nations have played exceptionally well and four of them have advanced to the quarter finals.Bigger names like France and Italy crashed in the first round itself.Not to forget, they were the finalists of the last edition.But this came as a no surprise to me as I had anticipated it and the way these teams played their league matches, they didn't deserve to progress to the next round.England’s form was inconsistent and they too crashed out lately.It’s a shame that they couldn’t make it to quarters despite having such a brilliant domestic games set up ( Feeling sorry for Lampard though.He was the only one who gave his best against Germany but got a bit unlucky).Rooney turned out to be the biggest disappointment of this world cup.Had it been a Man United game, he would have scored in abundance but it was sad to see how pathetically he played in the English jersey. C.Ronaldo too wasn’t in the best of his spirits and finally, his team payed the price against Spain.I am all praise for Lionel Messi though.He is playing like a champion,it’s a treat for all the game lovers watching him play.He hasn’t scored a goal yet but has been creating a lot of chances for the Argentines.I believe he has saved his best for the remaining knockout matches.

These quarter final games are pretty complex.Germany plays Argentina and Netherlands, the oranjes takes on Brazil, the mighty.Kind of heartbreaker setups, but I am supporting Argentina ( Holland comes second).May God shine it’s radiance on the Argentines and the Oranjes.Much have been written about football and it’s time to move onto some other areas.

Musically, I have been listening to mixed stuff these days.Five for Fighting, Staind, Joseph Arthur and John Lennon to name a few.artists.As of now, not much of alternative/progressive rock but my choice of music is dependent upon suggestions. You suggest any artist/song and I will listen to that.That’s how things have been going around and I’d really appreciate if someone sends me good songs over email.

Readingwise, I am struggling ( and loving ) –with- The Fountainhead.I have been reading it since last month but only managed to finish it half..Got two more books – Catcher in the rye and To kill a mocking bird last weekend but will touch upon these once I finish this mammoth sized Ayn Rand’s masterpiece.

Well, I guess that’s it .Have few more things to write about but don’t have any energy left to type any more.So,will post another article very soon.

The Precious Life

Sunday, May 23 , 2010 : After three weekends of restlessness and thought processing, I finally got a permanent tattoo.It was not an easy decision, especially for a guy like me because I am too bad at the execution of the plans. However, I am really thankful to Abhishek Rana for encouraging me and above all, coming up with such a nice Celtic design( I know you googled it ).Thanks dude ! Had you not been there, I wouldn’t have the balls to get this done.

About the Tattoo : This tattoo is a Celtic design consisting of a lot of celtic symbols which have their own meanings and all these individual symbols cumulatively lead to the definition of this design.

Celtic Symbol meanings :

Pentacle denotes 5 stages of life: birth, youth, adulthood, old age, and death.Also representing five elements - earth, air, fire, water, and spirit.

The triskele, or triple spiral is a symbol composed of three interlocked spirals. The spiral is an ancient Celtic symbol found at the Neolithic tomb at Newgrange. It is related to the sun, afterlife and reincarnation. The symbol at Newgrange is believed by some to be a symbol of pregnancy (the sun describes a spiral in its movements every three months; a triple spiral represents nine months). The idea origionates by the sun representing a spiral in its movements every three months. A tripple spiral represents nine months. These ideas become reinforced by the womb like nature of the structure (Newgrange). The symbol also suggests reincarnation because it is drawn in one continuous line, suggesting a continuous movement of the universe within eternity (Source : http://celtic-tattoo.net)

Serpent

Represents the cyclic nature of life due to the annual shedding of its skin. It is a phallic symbol, a symbol of the Triple Goddess, and of the earth mysteries.

Wolf

Wolf has a reputation which is undeserved as a fearsome creature. This totem imparts learning, wisdom and access to Higher Self.

According to Celtic tradition, Wolf represents learning, loyalty, intuition, loyalty and the shadow. He teaches people not to feel strength and power of self when alone and to learn about the deepest self by imparting spiritual assistance and courage. Wolf also symbolizes cunning, wisdom, searching, dreams, magic, intuition, transformation, death and rebirth, intuition and protection.

Raven

Raven, in accordance with Celtic symbolism, is believed to be a sign that something special, but unexpected will happen

Bear

Traditional names for the bear include King of the Forest and Grandfather, both of which show the respect that the bear inspires in Traditional Shamanic cultures. Andwho would not admire the noble bear, strong-willed and powerful, but also with great heart and supernatural powers?

• The bear as power animal is intuitive and can often manifest healing. Imagine a bear hug. While one might not wish for such a real life encounter with a grizzly bear, the all encompassing strength of a bear animal familiar is a safe and reassuring environment for restoration of both body and spirit. The bear spirit guide thus helps his shaman companion to heal mental, physical and spiritual wounds with intuition and self-assured courage.
• The bear is a symbol of invincibility, offering a secure refuge for those who enjoy the company of a totem bear spirit guide. The Shaman of bear power animal has a determined ally in spiritual work, loyal and utterly dependable.
• The bear is an introspective creature, independent and apparently aloof. He has with little need for fraternity, rather he is self-contained and strong-willed. A Bear spirit guide is of great support and comfort to those who crave human company simply for personal reassurance rather than for the simple pleasure of being with friends. He makes lonely periods of life far easier, and can help the Shaman to work in isolation to gain deep insights.
• The bear represents female energies, hibernating to reconnect with the earth each year, and emerging with answers to spiritual dilemmas. Those with a bear spirit guide can harness this natural connection with the earth to seek insights within ( Source : http://paganismwicca.suite101.com )

Wings

It's a clear sign of a desire to rise above a challenge.

My interpretation of the design

In this design, pentacle at the centre denotes five elements which constitute any life ( earth, air, water, fire and spirit).This life is given a human form represented by a triskele( thereby completing nine months ).This newly formed life is guarded by team of a raven, a fox,a serpent and a bear - saving you from evil and all sorts of troubles.There's an angel and a devil wing indicating every human has some angelic as well as some devil qualities in him/her.So, all these other symbols are symbolic of coverting that devil part into an angelic one and thus propelling you to become a better human.

If in case, you have a better explanation for this, please feel free to comment on this post.

My first time :)

Here's an original copy of my farewell email after I resigned from my previous employer.It's my personal advice that you shouldn't drop this kind of email to your managers and senior folks unless and until you have recieved your full and final settlement.

From: Anshul Dutt
Sent: Friday, February 26, 2010 1:22 PM
Subject: 'Good bye' - This ain't just another forward :)


Dear Colleagues ( I am using this for the first and last time in front of you guys )

As most of you probably know,today is my last day at XXXX. Right now, hundreds of things are rambling up in my mind.( Have they disabled my email id ? Can I still send this using my official email id to my mailing list).So, I would better jot them down before it escapes my mind.

I have kind of mixed feelings about my tenure at XXXX.Like they say(Who cares who said it !) ‘For every dark night, there's a brighter day”.If my ITP training was a terrible nightmare- like something you would never forget in your lifetime ( I sometimes wonder how I managed to clear the training.Thanks to Mohnish and Aneesh for coding those programs in the adjacent room and IT Network guys for not disabling the LAN access on our test machines) ,the fun we had during our classes ( I am talking of real fun being an all Boys ITP batch) was simply amazing.If there were too much of codes and logics to scare me,I had time of my life along with that.( Nightlong CS sessions is something I cherish and those who think it’s just a computer game should have visited our training rooms.I am sure it would have changed their opinion).’Panini’ folks(my ITP batch’s name),you deserve all the accolades and praises for turning those miserable ITP days into something I am going to remember for a very long time ! Special thanks to Agniswar Banerjee and Harsh Vikram for being a part of my early corporate life( Though I would have been a better professional had I not met you chaps :P)

On the professional front, I was lucky enough to work along with the best brains of XXXX.The kind of mentoring and work environment I got was truly a learning experience and it prepared me for bigger responsibilities and opportunities(Did I really say that ?I still wonder why I haven’t been good at this Appraisal thing) I have enjoyed my tenure here and I appreciate having had the opportunity to work(I swear).My vote of thanks goes to Sameer Rao,Sanjaya Sahoo,Manish.4.Gupta(:P),Protyosh,Aditya Bhuyan,Anshul Goel,Gurudev and Rahul Sidana .Thank you for the support,guidance, and encouragement you have provided me during my time at XXXX (By support and guidance I refer to those all night long booze sessions and other wicked things which shouldn't be disclosed in public.)

I am feeling a bit nostalgic while I am writing this farewell email.But like they say,( Hehe..It’s fun using this again) “It is a change that goes on, deep and permanent, in the ideas of living.” I have decided to move on in pursuit of better and more challenging opportunities. This decision was not an easy one, took a lot of consideration but I believe it is in the best interests towards fulfilling my career goals. ( Not to forget I am getting a better pay and position in the new company.So yeah)

At last, I bid adieu to XXXX and to all of you (this email is BCC’d,you won’t find any name) for your tremendous support and being a part of this fabulous journey.( Yeah, this’s what they call it “A journey”)

ta-ta !!!

PS : I used this strikethrough option just because it looks trendy and stylish.No pun intended !



My personal contacts –

E mail id – anshuldutt@yahoo.com

Cell no – ( a few lucky ones would receive my new cell no )