6:22

As the number suggests, this post is totally dedicated to the time where I had the best days of my lives. Killing the rules of English, I would rephrase it as the BESTEST days of my life. No prizes for guesses I’m talking about the college days of my life. It was after 2 long years I headed for my morning 6:22am local from Bhayandar. My dad was off to Mangalore for around 15 days. Due to dad’s knee problems, I had the task of being the “boodhapey ka chaa-deeh” for my dad. (Hope my dad does not read this, bahut swabhimani hai). It was 19th January, 2010 a Tuesday when I could relive the same moments, the same feelings come back to me like a bullet to the chest.

I remembered the chaos every morning as my sister and I had head strong clashes getting ready to catch the local. Whether it was for tea, breakfast, change for the rickshaw we fought it all. Now, it was just me and my dad getting ready. No clashes, no fights, no tease laughters. Man, how I miss those days! It was 6:00am in the morning as dad and I headed for the rick to the station. Usually during the flashback days, I used to be pretty reluctant to be awake as half my journey to the station was with closed eyes, but this time around I was enjoying every moment of the dark morning. Reliving it, truly reliving it.

We reached the station and looking like ghar ka raamu(no regrets) I headed to the platform where the 6:22am local halts. As I stood with my dad I saw students running for the train, some on the phone, some with their books, and some with big bags. I got into the usual compartment of my reliving days. There was no Stefan, no Sanjhot, no Elton or Chandresh. There wasn’t any Anil jumping into the train and speaking about how he kicked some Uncle’s ass as he got into the train. There was no Elton yelling at Anil’s comment- “Tera Baap”. There was no Lawzza waiting at Bandra. It was a moment where I realized things had changed. The whole scene was different; there were all new faces. I was missing my laughter sessions every morning. I was missing my college days. As the train came to Andheri, I helped my dad again to the airport with the bags. After a quick father-son handshake and good wishes, dad was off for Mangalore. I was alone as I headed back home. As I got into the train, I felt I had really relived my college days. Alone thou it was a journey I would never forget. The journey of 6:22.

Disclaimer: Sorry guys for stealing your copyrighted photographs.

Soap Opera - Mass Murder!

The new year has begun, but some things refused to change. Sometimes I feel the reason why we are still a developing country is because of this soap operas. Kitna bullshit re baba….kitna bullshit. At my place since its female dominated area, 1 ma do bahen (Sounds like a new show huh), ek baap ek calvin (another show), the majority is females. Apart from soft toys, flowers and men without beard (My goattie is no more :'() they also like…soap operas.
All who have the same family structure (like mine) or have really macho dominating mothers (not like mine) will understand what I’m talking about. Soap operas. I wonder what the female brain is made of. There is so much crying, so much of it in those serials, I feel suicidal. But, survival has also been a challenge so we all have to stand by it. However, here are the top 10 elements every Soap Opera has:-
1. Dada sa is above 100 years of age, but the reaper isn’t touching her. Problem for the ghar: Jaidath blocked.
2. Bhabhi ke peth main kisi aur ka bachaa: With a family spread out over 100 acres of land its quite a difficult task to find out bachey ka baap kaun. Again, searching crisis.
3. Shaadi in the family but dulhan loves somebody else: Wedding plans going on but dulhan has got some other plans. Naughty!
4. Maa baap ke bech darar: There is lot of tension between the parents. Kid doesn’t know what the hell is going on. The kid cannot connect to it. Reason? see point 2.
5. Tea never gets cold: If a tea session starts with some heavy duty family problem discussion the same goes on for two weeks. Wonder what the tea is made of? Wagh Bakri Chai?
6. Slow motion: Most of things happen in saas-bahu wala houses occur in slow motion. Effect, show goes for more than 100 episodes.
7. Background sounds: Just when the slow motion begins, so does the background sounds displaying awkward images of each family member, thrice.
8. Generation leap: When the tea starts to get cold…bang- Generation Leap.
9. Never say die: Whether its accident, shot at sight or a person going missing he/she will always be back when its better half is married and pregnant with the current better half’s child…SIGH!
10. Saint vs demon: Always the central theme. Calvin third law of soap opera: With ever saint in the family there is always a demon directly proportional to it.

Well, I was planning on writing another 10 but I realized that may kill my readers. So, aaj key liyeh itna hii. On ther other hand nice tv serials were stopped like Shakitman, Raja aur Rancho etc. Luckily CID is still going on- ‘Daya Darwaza tood doh’. Also, presenting some soap opera names- readers discretion is advised:-

1. Bhagyawidhata (Do not google it, computer crashes)
2. Naah aana is desh ladoo (Agreed, India is highly populated)
3. Agley janam mein mohay betiya hi keejooo (Damn! I thought sirf is jaman mein bhogatna padega)
4. Karol Bagh (Shouldn’t it be Carol?)
5. Kyonki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thee (Like we never knew….)

To add to our masculine misery there are advertisements followed which are like:-
1. Kal raat savdhani nahi barti (iPill)
2. Damn damam dam dam (Dove…)
3. Olay (My skin is aging….we don’t give a rat’s ass for that)
4. Toilet cleaner…(Always come when you are having your dinner or lunch, khaney ka maazza aa gaya)
5. Moods (Condom advertisement when the whole Indian family is around…embarrassing?)

So people I’m really fed up of soap operas…someone get back our old Shaktiman back or at least Raja aur rancho. If that looks tuff Mukesh Khanna’s Marshall will also do. But, jokes apart, we really need some good entertainment- good laugh with a family story always welcomed. Looking for 2010 to bring in some of that. Jai ho!

2009 = Rolla-coster

Another year gone by but life continues to move. Looking back in time for the year 2009, I must say it has been one hell of a rollercoaster. Ups and down, joys and sorrows, laughs and regrets. Snapshots attached. The year started off on a great note but kind of went slipping away towards the end. But, all in all no worries, a great experience.


The year 2009 started off with my failure in CET. Phewww! Who passes that anyways? After some serious kickass mathematical calculation I didn’t make it. No issues, 2010 CET here I come. Then, came a great change that looked great. Change in job. A big lesson was learnt by me this year. Folks, you must have heard this a million times, but trust me on this one, “All that glitters is not gold.” After leaving a job at an MNC and getting through a small firm for good bucks, things didn’t really work out there. Probably, lack of judgment from my end or in other words, the imperfect timing. All in all- disastrous end. Wonder when’s the new start, year 2010 I’m counting on you.



Folks, you must be really wondering- Dude, where are the ups? The joys? The laughs? I guess, the pics speak out loud but yeah, there were instances where I could not stop living life to the fullest. Worked out in a gym for 9 months. Managed to get an average physique but now put on a little holiday weight. A little- I stress on it guys ;P~. Started my blog, went a couple of freinds weddings, made some amazing friend this year. Some bonds just got stronger. Not to forget to mention, some friends even made it to the “I Care” territory of Calvin’s buddy list. Names, here you go:-
1. The Directi Gang
4. The Patni Lunch Gang
5. The L10 Gang
6. My College Mafia ;)~

Hope I haven’t missed any. Yeah, even reconciled with my friend Rochelle. It nice to always say- F**k it re, whatsup buddy! Really felt light when I let all the aggression and a partial ego go off me. Got my 5th piercing done and feels great. However, that’s the end of it. Planning to get my bike, probably a Royal Enfield if cost constraints permit. Have been planning from 2008. Year 2010 you better be good.


Found my real interest and passion professionally- Instructional Designing. Apart from good moolah, this job comes with creativity, responsibility, and the greed to pass knowledge and information. What else can Calvin ask for? Looking forward to get a break thou. I know it’s just around the corner. (Biting nails). Even planning to be VJ, the other passion. Kismat counting Boss!

For the funny moments, went on a couple of dates, the end you must have guessed by now, Still Single. No regrets about that thou. But had some hilarious moments. Can’t reveal the details guys, you gotta respect your dates. Again some dates turned out to be in the buddy list. Nice!

All in all a great year to end, because:-

“The end of something is the beginning of something…..”

Why?

It’s was 10:00 am. Nathan got up. He was really wondering for what. It had been a month he was out of work. Every day was like a million years to live. He was frustrated. Every day Nathan used to make sure he went for long walk in the evening, alone! He had a pretty good share of saving from his previous two work places but he knew the evident, they were on the path of depletion.

A grueling Tuesday came again. As all his friends left for work Nathan cursed joining his new company which rendered him unemployed. Call it his bad luck, destiny, or lack of training guidance; the fact was there was only one suffering- Nathan. He used to complain to himself, curse himself, calculate and re-calculate his decision to join this new company. All the day was spent in looking outside the window, watching entertainment on the computer, applying for jobs; but all in vain, the good had yet to happen. To add to his misery his parents didn’t connect well. Conflicts were a part and parcel of their daily life. Nathan got another reason to crib about.

It was evening and Nathan began his walk. It was Creed playing what this life is for. Nathan could really connect to it. He walked slowly but with every beat his anger without a cause just lit stronger. He walked aimlessly, probably that was his choice to release his frustration. He would look upset whoever he saw people shopping, couples walking hand in hand, or even people around him happy. Despite being regular to church, he was turning into a monster he could not control.

“Nathan, where are you? Please come back home”, said his mother in the sweetest tone possible. Nathan was like, whatever. But, he had to go home after all dinner is served back home. It was 9:15 as he retired home after smoking a heavy dose of 4 cigarettes. He walked home cursing the day.

As he walked home, Nathan saw something unusual. He saw a poor old man holding a child in his arms. The child was crippled. She could hardly move without the helping hands of her grandpa. He held her like an angel in his hands. Her eyes twisted and so was her head. Her eyes looked up to the sky without reason. Her grandpa sang her a song. She smiled often as she heard her grandpa whistle to her. Her grandpa repeatedly tapped her on her crippled back. It sounded like, “I’m there my child.”

Nathan was taken aback by this picture. Tears flooded his eyes. He realized how difficult the life must be for the unfortunate grandpa and her lifeless granddaughter. It was much worst than the situation Nathan was in. But, yet they were in a better situation. The difference was the grandpa was happy. He never cribbed about his situation. Rather he made sure he helped the child to smile thru her tough destined life. Nathan knew some day he would get a job and move on. But, the child had a destined future. A future full of troubles and an ocean of difficult battles to be conquered. The phase that the grandpa-granddaughter was not easy but they lived every moment like today was the last day. There was a change brought about in Nathan. He could understand the mysterious solution God showed him. It showed him how lucky he was. He had all the physical abilities. He had a delicious dinner for him waiting at home. He had a dad who cared about him, a mom who would always be there with him and two sisters who always made sure he smiled. He had an army of friends who would make him laugh constantly. Nathan quickly reached for the cross in his pocket he carried. He thanked God for every moment and decided to stop cribbing, gradually thou. The question if Nathan would get a job or not stood unanswered, but there was answer to Nathan depressing attitude. Smiling thru troubles kept him happy.

We may all face troubles and difficulties in all that we do. But, that’s what this life is all about. Fighting them and conquering them is the best option we have. We may have other options just like the earlier phase Nathan choose. Life is all about the choices, so whoever you are, deciding to be sad or unhappy it’s the choice you make. Bitter situation will always arise so ask the Lord for strong shoulders rather than a lighter cross.

P.S: The Nathan was none other than Me.

Book Review - Unleash The Warrior Within

Reading is one of the most crucial and critical aspects of communication. It helps in effective speaking, writing, and also listening. We all read for various purposes; sometimes for fun (comics), sometimes for studies (the normal text-books), and sometimes for genuine interest (programming books, novels). Whatever may be the reason, reading definitely stands out upfront in the communication scenario.

As an avid reader, I have read a couple of book but I still do go by the page count of the books. Keeping it honest, my interest lies in picture stories and inspirational books. Recently, I had an opportunity to visit a book exhibition in Mumbai. The exhibition helped me to across one of the most inspirational books I have ever read. The name of the book is ‘Unleash the Warrior Within’ written by Richard J. Machowicz. About the author, Richard is an ex-navy seal officer and currently runs a fitness and training center called ‘Bukido’ in the U.S. I was really skeptical when I first seen this book. But, trust me on this one; the book has some of the most interesting topics about combat and how to apply them in our day-to-day life.

The book goes on to tell how the author, Richard, faced different challenges during his navy seal training. The best part is when the author tries to relate the aspects of combat training in real life. He explains how these training ground rules can be applied to our regular life when faced with difficult situations. I could not help myself from mentioning some of chapters, namely:-
1. Crush the enemy called ‘Fear’
2. Create an Action-Mind set
3. Guarantee the Win, etc

The book tells you how to live life to the fullest and teaches you Constructivism. Constructivism is an art that teaches you to problem-solve in ambiguous situations. Complex right? But, the author has made sure that all these complex components are put down in simple English, thus not only focusing on the pro’s at reading but also provides confidence and the urge to read to novice readers. Also, one of the best practices of the book is, that the author has provided a guide-book kind write up to face negatives of life, like Fear, Failure, etc.. Apart from the guide book strategy, the author has made sure that its not fictions. Putting it in simple word, he has given real-life examples for each of the topics. The detailing given to constructivist strategies is really commendable. The best part of ‘Unleash the Warrior Within’ is that every individual can apply and relate every chapter, every lesson, and every word read to his/her own life.

To summaries, this book may not have created history worldwide, but if you ask me, it has definitely been a ‘historic-read’ for me. I would also like to advise beginner’s and the pro's to read this book as it helps you to apply every page of information read in your practical life. Icing on the cake, the language is simple and easy to read. To end it, I must say, Richard does really help you to ‘Unleash the Warrior Within’. In one word, ‘AWESOME’.

When Soft Toys Attack!

Statutory Warning: This post contains explicit content. Parent’s Discretion is advised.

It was usual Tuesday afternoon. I was enjoying my coffee with ummm, chicks flashing on my computer screen. Damn! I should not have clicked the advertisement. After a while I was bored and decided to get some chips for myself from the kitchen. Spotty sat right behind me on the couch doing what he does best, relaxing. He looked all calm and cool as usual, but little did I know what wad going on in Spotty’s evil head.

(Image 1: The Culprit)
Spotty, as the name suggest is a pet dog. People at home tell me it’s a soft toy, but I have seen that bastard come alive. We had got him just a few days back as he hung on the discount counter of the Big Bazaar's sale shelf. Discount, did the trick. My sister found this thing very cute. Coman, people girls always like soft toys no matter how much they deny it. So, my sis liked it and she picked it. May be my denial to take him home fueled the bitter rage in Spotty. Not insulting enough, he could be bought at half the price.

(Image 2: Minutes before the attack)
It was late afternoon. The house was quiet, I moved to get my daily dose of junk food. Chips, kurkurey, rasna nimboo-pani you name it people. When I moved for my first session itself, I could sense something unusual. Spooty had move to the other end of the couch. I was wondering what it could be. But, who cares about soft toys. Without any further delay, I went to kitchen to grab my comp food waiting for me. As was returning I seen a shadow moving. No-one was in the room, except Carmen Electra’s wallpaper, my portable porn and my MP3 player. It never even striked me about Spotty.

(Image 3: The Battle)
I mustered all the guts, could be Carmen Electra come to life, even better Mikayla from the portable hard-disk. Suddenly, they was a ferocious roar, silent enough thou. It was not Carmen, it was no hot Mikayla, it was Spotty. It jumped on my back, the attack strong. I was struggling. I didn’t know what was happening. I was fighting something soft. Was it Carmen, I thought again. But, hikkies don’t hurt. Suddenly, my fixation reached the couch. Spotty wasn’t there. I knew it was this soft bastard. I pulled him by his ear, he grabbed me by my……leg. It was Man v/s Beast. I really wonder who’s the beast here thou. I missed my balance and I was on the ground. Spotty was on top of me. Naah! not what you guys are thinking, it was a wrestling match. After moments, I was on top of Spotty. Again, not what you are thinking. Spotty already had a brown eye, I was planning to give him a black one…ahoooo!

Chew Chew Chew, rang the bell. (Yeah! it’s not ding-dong. It’s got some bird chirping as an alarm). Spotty suddenly got normal. He gave up his battle. My sister was back home. I knew he will always listen to his master. Faithful jo hai saala. I was astonished by his insane behavior. As my sis entered the room, she seen Spotty being crushed with my right hand. She was furious, Spotty motionless and I expression-less. I got the scolding of my life for touching girly soft toys. She kept Spotty on the couch and continued to blast at me. Behind her back I could see Spotty laughing his guts out and showing me the middle finger. All the firing and cross-firing came to an end as she settled for a promise from me not to touch Spotty ever again. People, I never touched him, it was that punk who started the shit. But, who’s going to believe me. I was left with a scar that could not be healed not could be understood. Spotty and me still got the Chatis-ka-akda. I can still see him smiling, but one day dude you going to get old and I’m going to burn you alive…hehahahaha. Waiting for that day, Spotty……

Lesson Learnt: Barking dogs seldom bite. Including Soft toys.
(Image Courtesy Nokia 6300)

The Basic of Communication

Communication is an important aspect in every individuals journey; the journey of life. I had read in one of the books which states- ‘Communication starts right from the womb and ends in the tomb.’ We communicate right from the time we are an infant through our teenage life and the final stage- the old age. So, communication is a vital element in every person’s life; man and women alike. In the broader perspective, even animals communicate. In fact, every living creature does take part in the process of communication.

Let’s primarily define communication. Communication means transmission of ideas and thoughts from the sender to the receiver. It ensures that the message has been transmitted from the sender to the receiver successfully. This communication can be further sub-divided into:-

* Verbal Communication
Verbal Communication uses language, words to communicate.

* Non-verbal Communication Non-verbal communication on the other hand, uses body movements to send the message across to the receiver.

The Communication Process

1. The Sender: The Sender is the one who constructs the message and needs to communicate the same across to the receiver.

2. The Message: The Message is the content (ideas, thoughts, words, etc.) that need to be sent across to the receiver.

3. The Medium of Communication: The Medium of Communication is the tool through which the message is sent across.

4. The Receiver: The Receiver is the one who receives the message.

5. Response/Feedback: Response is the message sent by the receiver to the sender. It completes the communication, unless, the communication is a one-way message. For example, the announcements made at railway stations. They are one-way communication, wherein, the announcement is made about training arriving on the respective platforms. Response could also be Feedback.

4 C’s of Communication

The 4 C’s of Communication are important to ascertain there is a successful communication process.

* Creditability: The message should have some creditability to receiver. If the message has no creditability to the receiver, the message adds no value to the user.

* Clarity: The message should be clear and understandable cutting cultural barriers.

* Correctness: The message should be correct and provide authenticated information. It should be also provided at the 'Right Time'.

* Consciousness: The message should be to the point. The sender has to make sure that there is no message overload.

If these 4 C’s are followed and analyzed before any communication process it can ensure that the communication process is achieved with no ambiguity.

Summary

Thus, communication is an important element in one's life, especially on the career front. Therefore, we must make sure that we communicate, and we communicate effective. Also, we must make sure that we follow the 4 C's of Communication for successful and effective communication.