This was a wonderful space to hang out in and share our thoughts! But now we've all moved on and simply left our memories behind :-) ...

Friday, August 31, 2007

Topic: Your addiction in life(AmitL)

Topic: Your addiction in life.

I firmly believe that addiction(of the good type only..grin) is what keeps one going in life. So, let me recount the previous addictions and the current one.

First, back in school days, I had the addictive hobby of making penpals- I made the first two penpals through the IYS(International Youth Service), one from Austria and one from Australia(Believe me, they’re still in touch- will do a post dedicated to them one of these days, since they read my blog occasionally…after asking their permission, of course..grin). ..even met the Austrian one and her husband, three years ago. Then, there were three penpals from Brazil(One is still in constant touch)- Rio De Janeiro, to be precise, then, Trinidad & Tobago, Germany(My whole circle of friends in school fell for this lady when they say her snap..hehe), a whole lot from all over India….no prizes for guessing that my best friends in those days was the postman who would bring letters, photos, small gifts, etc from these lovely people.

Second, there was DXing- that was the hobby of shortwave listening(in the days of only Bore, nee, Doordarshan for TV entertainment and no FM, either). Me and this college friend had a sort of competition between us, on who heard the maximum radio stations from around the world – there was Radio Australia, VOA(Voice Of America), Austria, Deutschewelle, Belgium, even Radio Pakistan…every spare moment, day n night, besides studies, would go in craning the neck and straining the ear, next to the ancient shortwave radio- sending reception reports to these stations, would get us what were called’ QSL cards’- greeting cards of the country, with a confirmation of your report being accurate. The report used to be in the form of a SINPO (Signal, Interference, Noise, P(I forgot what this was) and Overall score, with a brief report on the program to justify to them that we weren’t just kidding. They’d also send pennants, badges, tourist brochures of their countries and we’d dream of the , err, dreamy places.

Then, third began the addiction of reading writing to magazines and papers- LTTE(Letters To The Editor) became my craze, alongwith entering caption contests…collected quite a few useful n useless prizes on the way- like dozens of audio cassettes, pens, a tape recorder, pocket calculators(A novelty back then, when India had not gone global) to name a few. Citadel, Pune(I love that mag) invited me over to Pune to do a stint with them, in a ‘report on the reporters’ kind of article- investigated a murder, had free eats at a restaurant which they reviewed, attended a photo shoot with Rachel Reuben present, etc. (I have that on pdf, if anyone’s interested.:)) I got the nicest compliment from them in their intro to my article- it termed me ‘India’s most prolific letter writer’(Ahem!)…..even got a nice fan following and some are still friends, scattered around the world …but, then, all good things must come to an end(Though, I’ve never allowed this addiction to end), so, I had to mellow down my writing, after I came to Dubai. I still write to ‘Open Space’ (Sunday TOI), Filmfare, and a few others, but, it’s not the way the ‘addiction’ was in those days.

Fourth, after reaching Dubai, the addiction was work, for the first company I was in- first, learning the ropes about the workstyle here, then, dealing with oodles of suppliers for our project requirements…it reached a stage where I stopped taking days off- would go to work even on Fridays, from 11 AM to 4 PM, would eat, sleep, dream work…if I got up late, I’d catch the first bus at 6 AM and be in the office(I had a key)…LOL… on top of that, the Boss once told me, just after I had joined ‘Why do you smile so much? I don’t like people who smile so much- they are not serious about their work’….as they say, ek woh din tha, ek aaj ka din hai(The day I quit that job after 4.5 years)- I never smiled in front of him, in spite of him doing his best to crack jokes to make me laugh…grin grin.(I’d smile internally, but, externally, it would be the same serious face as in my intro post photo..hahaha.)

Fifth, now, of course, the addiction is blogging…the eyes and ears are always open, whether at home, in the restaurant, at work, everywhere, for topics, for humour, for incidents…and, incidentally, this is the first hobby which is still at an all-time high, even after four years. (All the others peaked at four years…perhaps because four is my lucky number?)…I already wrote the next part of this, in my post on how blogging has changed my life..:)

Then, there have been the 'continuing' addictions of good music, being in luv( I see eyes going wide here), tea, losing (n gaining..LOL) weight(Separate topic, deserves a post- have lost 14 kgs, twice), et al.

On the flip side, I have never been tempted by the real addictions- smoking, drinking, drugs.Touchwood.

Cheers, everyone, and have a great weekend.

Wednesday, August 29, 2007

An Intro (A)muse from AmitL of amitsmusings

Hey,wow!Finally,I got an invite from BUF. (My reaction on receiving the email)I've been reading posts, commenting on posts I enjoyed(Read: All ) ,and,thoroughly enjoying the lively 'atmosphere' which runs all round, from the very first day that I came here. And, whew! Just at the right time- when comments are being reserved for ‘members only’.(Oh, my, we’re exclusive- I must boast, err, post about this on my regular blog).

From amongst the members of BUF, I’m already a regular ‘friend’ly visitor to Keshi’s blog.(In fact, I got the link from her blog, and, asked her to put in a good word for me(Influence in high-up places always helps, na?), to get me a quick membership).

Then, there’s others amongst you all -Wacko, Loon Gal, Ishita, et al, whose blogs I’ve been visiting as well, on my eternal bloyage(Blog Voyage) of discovery . So, let me just say, ladies and gentlemen(Should I say gals and guys, I wonder?*Muses*), I’m thrilled to be here.

Now, since this is an intro post, here goes a CV-like(albeit, brief-without-being-boring, I hope) description(comments welcome):

Name: AmitL
Date of Birth: 23rd Feb. (Piscean)
Place of Birth: Baroda, Gujarat (But, not a Gujju)
Places of Education:
-Jeevan Sadhana High School(I know there won’t be any members from my school around, but, just thought I’d try my luck).
- Faculty of Tech & Engg: M.S. University, Baroda
- Specialization: Mechanical Engineering
-First job: Blue Star Ltd, Baroda
-Second job: Drake & Scull, Dubai(Came here in 2002)
- Third and current job: Hastie Intl, Dubai
- Next job- err, no plans as yet.

Other tidbits about me:

- Avid reader: Favourite: Erle Stanley Gardner’s Perry Mason series, but, even read an Enid Blyton now and then, Archie, Tintin, Asterix and of course, joke books)

- Avid writer (I used to write to around 30-40 mags and papers before coming to Dubai, now, it’s relatively low-key.), on most topics except politics. Also love entering contests, especially caption contests and quizzes

- I like good music, be it Hindi or English,

- I’m an avid blogger- writing wise and reading wise

- I’m more of a good listener than a good talker (You wouldn’t guess it from my blog posts/comments, but, ask any of the Dubai bloggers- I’m known to write a longer post on my observations during a DBM than I actually participated in the tete-a-tetes )

- Typical Piscean- dreamy, easygoing, happy to ‘be there’ but not necessarily in the limelight, versatile, usually (a)musing, …..

- Friendly, optimistic, have and love a good sense of humour, etc etc

- Blank Blank.. (Can’t reveal all facets in an intro post –grin grin)

(BTW, I just found out-the full form of Avid is Advancement Via Individual Determination. LOL. I use it just to indicate keen interest and enthusiasm)

- My First blog: http://amitsmusings.rediffblogs.com/
- I Switched over recently to: http://amitsmusings.blogspot.com/

Favourite quote: If you walk with your face towards the sun, your shadow will fall behind you. (Heard this on Radio Australia, in college days).
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Current topic: How has blogging changed your life?

I wrote my first post on rediffblogs four years ago. In 2003, I had been missing my hobby of writing to magazines and papers, ever since I had arrived in Dubai, since either mags and papers here were(are) double or more of their price in India, or, they were not available. Suddenly, one day, I saw a link in rediff, titled’ blog’, and, out of curiosity, I clicked it, and went to their section called ‘sizzling blogs’.

One thing(Read’ click’ ) led to another and very soon, I was poring over posts, nee, articles I should say, that I never imagined existed- people were writing about everything their hearts desired, from their experiences in college, at work to their experiences dissecting people in the course of their medical studies, to their experiences in showers- and, it convinced me to try my hand at blogging. And, there’s been no looking back, so to speak. How has it changed my life?

Well, for one, making so many friends from all over our great country and, from around the world, first via comments and other blogs, then, interacting via emails and messengers.

Sharing thoughts and feelings- be it in happiness or sadness, it’s great to know that ‘someones’ there’, besides family and regular friends circle)- in fact, it’s easier to share feelings on blogs and with blog pals, sometimes.

It’s helped me become more extroverted(As I said, I’m still a better listener than a talker)

It’s kept me in touch with the subject I love- English, and heaven knows, I needed that, looking at the megamix of languages out here, which always batters my English.

Last but not the least, blogging makes me look forward to each day, in a way- waiting to log on, waiting to blog-surf, waiting to see who’s commented, waiting to see who’s written what(About whom and where, sometimes. Grin).

So, here’s wishing the WWW and blogworld a long and happy life. Cheers.

Let me entertain you - Silvara!

Hi y'all!

For someone who usually has a lot to say, writing something about myself has got me stumped. What can I say really?

It's hard to capture me in a nutshell, but a nut is definitely what I am :P I am a 24 year old North Indian girl...err...woman from Melbourne, Australia. Can speak Hindi but have been told various times I speak tapori Hindi. I think I was a gangster in a former life. I am the eldest of three (a younger sis and brother) which is usually a curse because I end up having to fight for everything and they get away with it without doing anything. Hmph.

I've been blogging for just over a year now and it has definitely has been an eye opener. I have met so many wonderful people and learnt a lot about myself in the process. Blogging rocks! *does a happy dance*

I'm short and curvy but I don't mind too much because it lets me indulge in a guilty pleasure - shopping! I love fashion and probably spend much more than I should. Well...my shopping habits aren't limited to shoes. More like shoes and bags. And clothes. Actually, pretty much anything that catches my eye. Usually shiny things which has resulted in a large jewellery collection. I have a big earrings fetish too.

I get excited by things easily, which people usually translate into me having a short attention span. I have to sorta agree because my university career has been everything from engineer to scientist to optometry to business consultant. Despite that, I have recently graduated and am due to start in my first job in the corporate world next year. Woohoo! I think officewear is hot and I like the way I look in a suit :P (Probably the only reason I got into the job :P)

I am soon to be married to the guy of my dreams Evan, who is despite my grumblings is the light of my life. How he puts up with me I can never figure out but I like to think I have him wrapped around my little finger :P. He is a Christian Sri-Lankan and I'm a Hindu Indian so I can tell you life will always be interesting.

I am total coffee addict and being in a city where cafes line the streets means I am very hypo. Add a intense, everlasting love for chocolate into the mix and I'll be bouncing off the walls. I love to read, always on the look out for good books and LOVE music. All types, but mainly R&B/hip hop. LOVE Hindi music too and could probably kick your ass in antakshri if I could remember remember the lyrics to half the songs :P

A typical Picses I am very loyal to my friends and tend to get lost in my dreams. I'm not very practical which is why Evs is my rock on earth while I float away in the clouds. I get emotional easily, cry at the drop of a hat but when I get mad or upset I am an expert at giving you the silent treatment.

This is probably just a snapshot or a piece of the puzzle. I could also tell you how I always lose things so while I am here you might discover a new piece or an old photo that may show you the whole me.

And that's all folks!

Blog Update (Ishita)

Hi all ...

New topic(s) effective from 30th August 2007 till 9th September 2007 is

Your ADDICTION in life
How has Blogging Changed Your life?

Since the pace of the blog has been really slow, we are simply reducing the duration of the topics.

On 8th September we have the birthday of an ex-BUFer coming up… most of the old timers will remember Puneet of PuneetDreamz fame! Sadly he quit blogging once he tied the knot. But yes he did get back with one post here on BUF :) and we hope whenever he does feel the urge to blog, he will choose to do so here in BUF. Wishing him a wonderful Birthday!

Recently some amongst us have left BUF due to their busy schedules. They include DICE, Richa, Rajiv and John. And though we will miss having them around BUF, we're hoping they will keep visiting and catch up with us on the SB or our individual blogs and we'd like to remind them and every BUFer that they're always welcome back on BUF if and when they feel they want to write and blog!

And we’d like to share a part of Richa’s farewell mail here …

“This is definitely not to say that I will be cutting off from the people there. By now, I’ve met a lot of them, and keeping in touch with them is my personal choice, which I would love to do, and will. There are friends there I’ve just got to know and it feels like forever, and some who I met recently and still discovering... And I hope leaving BUF does not change it.

… Whatever you say, I don't think it's anything like the extremely vast groups like 'orkut' etc, its very personal and that’s what is so beautiful about it. Loved being here, and shall still be in touch. Love to all :o)”

We’d like for all of you to acknowledge her and other ex-BUFers and we’re sure you all agree that we’d like them to know they’re always welcome back here!

A change has come about in BUF due to certain unfortunate incidents. We hope you all have received mails from the team regarding this. The comments on BUF posts are now restricted to team members. We understand that there are many visitors who are not a part of BUF yet and may want to comment but the other alternative of comment moderation was less favourable as it would simply take away the flow of conversation that sometimes take place via the comments on posts.

Also we hope you have all received the mail regarding the SB?

Some have come forward with their replies and suggestions. We’d love to hear from all of you. If not mails, then through your comments to this post.

We will welcome requests from ex-BUFers wishing to post comments. We’re more than happy to send them invites and have them keep posting comments on BUF. Simply send in a mail to let us know.

And yes, we’ve sent invites to a few new people. They are familiar names in the blog world and some of you may have interacted with them here in blogs. Once they accept and come up with their intros, we hope you will all join us in welcoming them … Yes a warm BUFer welcome! Wait and watch :)

We’ll be back with the BUFer of the Week from the next update and to make it more interactive this time, we welcome your suggestions for the same. Leave your choice along with your comment to this post. Thanks!

That’s all for now people… Waiting to read up your posts!

Sunday, August 26, 2007

Happy Birthday - Rajiv (messy)


todays a special day for all BUFers... and most of you know the reason... but i would still love to spell it out...

its rajivs birthday today... and i wish him on behalf of all BUFers...

rajiv, wishing you a very happy birthday... may you have a lovely life ahead... and may all your dreams come true...

without you BUF wouldn't have been possible... ishi has given her time and heart for this project... but without your support she wouldn't have been encouraged... without you she wouldn't have dreamt of something so big...

so i take this opportunity on behalf of all BUFers to wish you a very HAPPY BIRTHDAY...

Sometimes we are lucky enough
to meet a person
who stands out
among all the other people
as being extremely special
who knows what we
are thinking about
who is happy for us at all times
who is always there to talk to us
who cares about us selflessly
who is always truthful with us

Sometimes we are lucky enough
to meet someone who is
extremely wonderful
For me
that person
is you
my dear friend

-Poem by Susan Polis Schutz


Friday, August 24, 2007

Truly Memorable (Michelle)


This incident took place many years ago when I might have been around 9 years old.I don't remember too many incidents that took place so long back but you obviously tend to remember the ones that touch you.


This one, however, has never been forgotten.


My maternal grandfather was very ill and was hospitalised in Kerala.He had been ill for quite sometime but his condition was deteriorating and he was going through dialysis almost everyday.This happened in the middle of an academic term.My mom, who is a teacher had to take leave and so did I and we took the next train to Kerala.Most of my maternal cousins were already there because he was very serious and nobody knew what could happen when.


As a kid, you tend to get bored easily and I was done listening to music, reading 2 books and staring aimlessly out of the window.I had this habit of making friends everywhere I went.I have always befriended strangers on every trip I have taken.To my dismay, on this trip, there were no kids of my age, just a couple of bachelor guys.


One of the bachelor guys got talking with my mom and me and even though we had quite a huge age difference, we had so much to talk about! His name was Xavier and I became fond of him instantly.I told him all about how my grandad was ill, and how I hope hes ok and my school and my friends and he listened to me with so much of interest and did not speak to me like I was a little girl, but like I was his friend.We played cards, listened to music, sang songs!! In a few hours, he was my best friend!


We reached Kerala the next evening and I was really sad that we had to go our separate ways.My uncle came to pick us up and offered to drop him wherever he had to go which made me really happy because I would get to spend more time with him.In the car, my uncle broke the news to us that my grandad had passed away that afternoon.Everything felt so far away...I could hear my mom crying in the background and a rush of memories blew past me.


A cycle.

Me getting jealous of my cousin who got to sit on his lap

His glasses

The way he smiled.


And then a strong arm pull me into a hug.I cried for a long time until he had to leave.He left his contact number with my mom and I kept staring at his dark silhouette till it disappeared.I have never heard from him since.

Date date and date ...:)( uttara )

After few conversations here and there and planning for a REAL date ;) I met Rajbir for the 1st time on 31st Jan '06 .. So coming to our date No.1.. you can read here "The outlaw meets the duette" what the dude felt and followed by my comments what i felt..:)

We had a nice date one at Lucky's then Cream Centre Chowpati ( We walked at the beach side .. but lazy me coaxed him to sit somewhere so that we could have a quiet grub :) ( don't get surprised when i say 'QUIET" )

Then we met many times, i donno if you would really call it a date but .. we had beautiful time together.. and am always a non stop, talkative, always giggling:d and making him smile n laugh... i simply loveeeeeeee the way he laughs.. 1st time ever i met someone and was really comfortable, was just conscious of my height in front of his :d. I look teeny weeny in front of him :p lol.. he is 6'5" and i'm 5'3" hmmmmmmmm...

Some time he will just call me n say," main adhe ghante main McD ( at VT ) main pahun raha hu tu aja " i would be thinking ye kya ho raha hai ;) ..and then am all geared up to meet him... my office was just 20 mins away from VT.

I once rem he was back home at andheri which is somewhere 25-30 kms from my office( roadways) and people living in mumbai would know the traffic near versova/ juhu.. *sigh* believe me he reached churchgate in 45mins... i was completely shockedddddd .. he still made it.. i was realllyyyyy surprised :D at his commitment level ..

Another incident, he gave me a surprise this year for my birthday :D i was sooooooo glad and happy .. we spent some lovely time at our favourite places :)...hmmm *smiles*
I'm so glad that somehow he never misses to meet me when he is in mumbai except for last couple of times, which was next to impossible :)

On many occasions that we met we travelled, went to bandstand, spoke a lot, had lot of discussion, walked on the beach, drive at Marine drive, rested at NCPA, went for a longgggg drive :) had pizzas, some Biryani, Mc. Donalds, :D lot of ice creams, chocolates ;). how can i not jot down fresh lime soda salty and for my Birthday we had Bacardi Lemon flavour ;) etc etc etc... Surprisingly,we never faught whenever we met..


Ahem ahem..

Once we had a perfect date *ahem ahem*... umm we met at Mc D. had a quick bite as we both din't eat the whole day cos of busy schedule, then went to Bandstand, followed by a quite dinner at my favv restaurant ;) ... (so the in between story is allll beep beep beep) hahhaha ..

Since he always has his busy schedules and time constraint is always a problem, once he came down just to meet me planning to surprise me and i happily went to lonavala :( i missed meeting him.. now i know i will never get any surprises from him:( *sob sob*

He is the ONE whom i will date even in future - "ALWAYS" ;) *winks*


Here is my fav song dedicated to u "Rajbir":)


A Mardo Wala Date (Keshi)

I wanna take THE very sweet and funny Jitterbug on a date...simply because he makes me laugh alot and that to me is a great way to spend one whole day with someone from BUF. You all know I love to laugh and I get highly attracted to someone who can make me laugh. Humor is a very important part of my life and I love being around cheerful and funny people :). Moody people put me off big time urggggg!

What I'd do with Jitterbug on our date would be a scene from the Hindi movie Kuch Kuch Hota Hai. I'd take Jitterbug to Blue Mountains and get him to run around trees trying to locate me, while I lay on the grass in a saree, making Kajol kind of eye-movements (tum paas aaye, yun muskuraaye...). LOL ok I was just kidding! That wasn't the true agenda of the date. What I really wanna do is take Jitterbug on a Surfing date, since he's a bodybuilder and all hehe. I'm not a surfer but I wanna learn it together with someone as funny as Jitterz is, and he can save me if I drown real fast :). So we'll go to Cronulla beach here in Sydney (one of the best Surf beaches) and we can hit the waves with our boogie boards. Then we can laugh at each others' blunders and make fun of our expertise as we nearly drown! btw Jitterz is a good runner too...just like Forrest Gump you see. So after our Surfing session, we'll have some Kesari to eat, and hit the bush tracks. I'll say 'Run Forrest run' and Jit will say 'Run Forrestina run'. And we will run together! I wanna see if I'm fit enough to beat Jitterbug. I'm sure I will ;-). Once we are done with the run, I'd go to a shop and buy some Mardo Wala cream for his sunburns...and if we cant find that in Aus, I'd make him a Vegemite sandwich..that'll fix his skin from within cos it's got alot of Vitamins hehe. Lastly we'd go see a movie...Jitterz you decide...which movie do you wanna watch with me?

And I wanna dedicate one of my fav Hindi songs to Jitterbug cos he's really a wonderful friend (I just realsied that the girls in this video are far too much LOL, but just enjoy the song!). Friendships are just beautiful even though we are not in the same country and he makes me laugh even when I'm on the train...when I think about all the crazy things he says in the SB. So yeah that'd be my date with someone from BUF :).

Thursday, August 23, 2007

Train ride to hell & back... (Ishita)

My most memorable train journey sadly is memorable NOT because I came across an interesting stranger ...though yes I wish it were so :)! It’s memorable because of a rather unusual adventure! Some of you who know me well have heard me talk of it often.

When my dad was posted in Assam, I once traveled from Delhi to Guwahati (in Assam) with my grandma by train. Now since dad was working in the Railways, we would travel via train quite frequently. This time my grandma and I were traveling in a Saloon. Those familiar with Railway life will know that a “saloon” is a stand alone coach which is like a house in wheels - with a living/dining room, bedrooms, bathrooms and a kitchen. It’s used by rly officers to travel at work and is usually attached to the end of the train so as to help them inspect the tracks, etc. I’ve once lived on such a saloon for a couple of months…it was like living out a “caravan” adventure!

Anyway, it was a rather long journey but we loved the comfort the saloon provided and time seemed to fly by. We entered Assam early morning and were more or less ready to reach home by lunch time. When suddenly….20 minutes after we crossed the border…we heard a THUD…loud…and then the train gave several hard jolts….a screeching sound…and then SILENCE….the train stopped. Then we heard a wail…loud…pitiful. I was stunned. My grandma simply held me close and then she said what my heart already knew… she said “Bomb!” ….

At the time Assam was (still is to quite an extent) plagued with the problem of insurgency. Those were bad days there. Bomb blasts, terror killings were common place…a battle raged between the Government and the various insurgent groups there.

I gathered my wits and walked to the living room and we had one of the staff from my father’s office traveling with us and he came and told me “beta there’s been an accident…a bomb on the tracks…we don’t know the extent of damage yet but we have to get off the train RIGHT NOW”…I kept nodding my head but told him that my granma would need help getting off as the train was stranded in the midst of paddy fields and climbing off would be trouble for her and her bad leg. Plus there didn’t seem to be any sign of life nearby.

A village some distant away seemed deserted. Not a single soul from that village ventured out to help. Maybe they were scared. Maybe threatened not to help. Maybe they sympathized with the people who caused this to happen. I don’t know…

Luckily for us, the train had a lot of army people traveling. Many of them took charge of the situation and had people evacuating the area in a rather organized way. Some helped us get my grandma off and we walked along the tracks away from the train and gathered at a fair distance off…I guess that was when it all hit me that we very narrowly escaped death! I watched people all around me…most in shock, some crying, some dazed…I was scared, angry…and I ached to be with my parents. There were no cell phones back then so I had no clue how to contact them …I seemed to be in the middle of nowhere!

Meanwhile, back home my dad got the first call from the Control Room (he was one of the senior most officers of the Zonal Rly then) and my mom happened to pick up the parallel line at the same time… her heart sank as she heard the operator inform my father “Sir the *x* train has met with an accident…bomb blast… and there are many casualties” …My father did not accompany the rest of the senior officers team but had his driver drive him non stop to the nearest station to the accident site. Mom stayed home…waiting…waiting…to hear if we were alive…

….. It is a rather long account. I won’t get into details here. Eventually we did get home. A lot more happened in between. Of all that, the one I always tell people about is when my grandma suddenly felt faint and turned to me and said “Ishita I need my medicines” I said ok I’ll get u some water. She said “No no…I left my medicine box on the train!”….I was like... “Oh! But I can’t go back there” and yet I knew she had to take her heart medicines. I made up my mind and started the trek back to the train. One army chap ran up to stop me, “ Are u mad? U can’t go back! It’s too dangerous!”…. I simply said, “My grandma needs her medicines… I have to go!” He said he’s go with me, so we walked. I heard my grandma call after me “please get my Paan ka dabba too!”…. huh!?!! It was funny really coz here I was walking back to danger and she worries about her paan?!!!

Aah well, I also saw a side to my grandma that made me cherish her more. She reached out to so many people on that day…comforted so many strangers…hugged them close, cried with them…reassured them. All this from a woman who herself was so frail and ill.

Experiences like this and trust me I’ve had more… a plane journey that went horribly wrong… and being stuck in the SUPER CYCLONE in Orissa… well, such experiences have taught me a lot about treasuring what life offers me. I try not to take anything for granted…be it the lil moments of joy or the moments that upset me.

My biggest lesson - Life is unpredictable and u can lose everything in a split second! So value every bit of it and God knows I DO!
__________________________________________________

Ps: Sorry for the infrequent posts and I'm hoping this rather longgg one :P will make up for my absence (may continue to be infrequent though!)

Wednesday, August 22, 2007

HAPPY BIRTHDAY AAKASH! (Ishita - Team BUF)

23rd August: Aakash (Vyom) ... I'd heard of him long before the invite to join BUF was sent out to him :). I'd seen him on Harjee's blog and then read his blog (silent reader I must add). Needless to say, I was more than impressed with the way he expressed himself. I do envy people who can write so well! :)

And getting to know him since has been a total pleasure and just the kind of thing that makes BUF so special. Meeting him in our first BUF Meet here in Delhi simply convinced me of the fact that he's truly a wonderful guy to know and call a friend. We (Uttsy, Suchi and I) later talked about just how cute his smile is and how we felt so totally comfortable - that day - with him. I'm sure later when he met up with fellow BUFers again, they felt the same way :) ! Personally, I find him a wonderful listener...coz the one time I had my longest conversation with him helped me a lot. I don't think I ever got to thanking him for simply being patient and hearing me out :) ...

I'm sure everyone here at BUF will join me in wishing him ...


HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!

Hope your day is the best ever and you have a wonderful year ahead Aakash!!!


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Ps: Publishing this an hour ahead of midnight coz I just might fall asleep :P ... school day tomorrow! And then again I don't want to get in late in the morning!! Requesting people to hold off on publishing any new post till lunch time tomorrow or leave your post in drafts and we'll (admin) post it....Thanks all :)

mumbai local (messy)



those living in mumbai would know what i am talking about... trains here are not the 'normal' kinds... there is nothing like a nice train journey... there is nothing like a peaceful train journey... i know people from other countries specially get onto a train just to get the 'feel' of a train ride in mumbai...

the trains are never empty... they are perpetually stinking... not a day in the history of mumbai railway must have gone by without a fight in one of the compartments... you cannot reach your destination without breathing in the stale air of perspiration of your co-travellers....

and one day long back i had to travel to andheri by train... this happened when i was working... almost 7 years back... i had to meet one of my cousin at andheri... and unfortunately i had to travel at 7 pm... the peak hour... ladies compartment was out of question as i had a male friend (lets call him akshay) accompanying me (he lived near andheri then)... so we decided to travel in the first class compartment...

now i was under the impression that the first class would be better off than the second class compartment... but naah!... no way!!... it was totally packed... we decided to stand near the entrance... because if we went inside, it would be very difficult to get off at andheri... but we never thought it would get so crowded... i stood with my back to the seats... there were hoardes of people around me... i guess i was the only female around... it felt very uncomfortable standing like that... akshay must have guessed that... because he stood facing me so that no one could push me or touch me... he rested his palms on either side of me so that no one could push me from the sides too...

unfortunately this position wasnt good for my system... i knew akshay liked me a lot... and i had a major crush on him (ahem ahem)... and with him at such close proximity it was bound to get difficult for me...

he was tall and strong enough to keep people off me... but i had my doubts about how i was going to keep him off my mind... i wanted to hit myself for not getting into the ladies compartment... but it was too late to change my decision... i couldnt do anything about it... i tried to hold myself away from him... so that i wouldnt touch him even by mistake... but the crowd was crazy... everyone was jostling and pushing... it took all of akshays strength to hold me in place... and then someone pushed him so hard that he literally fell on me... ouch!

his face was so close to mine that if he had dabbed on some aftershave i would have smelt it... his hands tried to gain support from me... i had to hold him by his shoulders so that he would not be shoved away from me... and then our eyes met...

it was as if the crowds had melted... the touch that was supposed to be a support for me became a caress... his body that was shielding me seemed to be embracing me... his hand reached out to touch my hair softly... he bent low and kissed me on my forehead... i looked up at him... his eyes held mine like a magnet... his handsome face close to mine... i did not know how to react... i was lost in the pleasure of his embrace... he bent his head lower... i was sure he was going to kiss me...

and then someone pushed... ouch again!... the spell broke... the magical moment came to an end... i looked away (relieved??)... he moved his lips away from mine... he pushed himself off me as i moved my arms away... we waited in silence... not looking at each other... waiting for the train to reach andheri as soon as possible... till we got off the train and i left to meet my cousin...

Together in Boredom (Sam)

Well... i have been travelling across the length and breadth of this country since I was an infant. My dad was with the government!! For me memories aboard a train are far too many. Can't single out any.. except for one may be. For it was on this journey that I realised I had shed a lot of my shyness.... I was a little bit different now. Here is the experience:


"I started my journey, on the 19th of November evening aboard the Azad Hind Express, the journey slated to take around 34 hrs now. Long time, and i was all alone there, surrounded by strangers. What does one do? Had packed in a few books to give me company but was soon through with them, rushed through two editions of "India Today", the Monday print of "Times of India".... still boredom refused to grant me a moment of peace. As for my companions, notable where 3 or should i say 4. U see, I was accompanied by a couple with their 10 month old son, and a pretty lady, who happened to be a student at Pune. While a lil bit of chitchat was going on now and then, a proper conversation simply didn't seem to be the order of the day. While, the couple effectively had each other and their kid for their company, me and dat lady were left completely to our own devices to wage our individual war against boredom. it was a losing war, as we both realised as time flew by, plain ignorance of each other started giving way to shy smiles... an acknowledgment of a perfect understanding of the other person's state of mind. Still, brings one those smiles on my face, those very memories.

As time was flying by, suddenly I realised that only a few more, and the lady would be arriving at her destination. And thus, I prodded in the dark, after much consideration,(and I dare say after some calculation too), to engage this beautiful lady into a conversation. My prod was in the right direction, and thus ensued the most enjoyable hours of the journey. The couple too joined in with their anecdotes,as the discussion was going on about our college days.............. what to do, and essentially wot not to do...... ;)

Finally, with the parting moment coming close, I mustered the courage to ask for her number, to which she complied............... I wonder, whether I'll call her or for dat matter ever try to contact her in the future."

The Route
Full account here: Of moments, meetings and conversations with strangers during a journey!!

Was that the train??

Well... we did stay in touch, till she finally left for her hometown after completing her grads and is now pursuing MBA in Kolkata. We did meet up once more though: "And so we met again!!" And that is one of my memorable journeys till date... and the most memorable one... nah!! won't write about that... it's too personal!! ;)

Tuesday, August 21, 2007

I - Day Party - Mumbai (messy/uttsy)

we decided to meet up at mumbai for the independence day celebration... the dress code set was 'tri - colour'... here are some of the pictures for you guys...


i sported these tri colour bangles for the party...

uttara sported a tee shirt for the same event.. and as you can see... the others... including the admin gave this a skip...

(r -l) prashanti (guest.. thats symphony from itimes), messy, uttara, richa (in white), mala and abhishek



looks like i was the only one who missed showing off my shampooed hair...





say 'cheese' guys... thats the statement that got this pretty smiling pic...






uttara and mala... the ever smiling pair... and the most beautiful pic of the pair till date... just missed the hotties pic in the background :p





the girl gang... abhi did you feel left out???





and thanks to abhishek for the treat at ccd... we loved the drinks... check what mala ordered... thats hot chocolate... slurpppppp...












we did go to other places for food... we did sing some songs... (abhi can u put up the video if its come good enough)... we did scream and shout... and we did miss all of you guys... cheers!!!

----------------------------------------------

More from Uttara:

"Guys a lot of things to be added here...

ahem ahem ... so here I goooo

I was as usual late and was searching then I see a cute guy with dimple smile:p n am like ye wahi tho nahi then I see neha or hear her infact *winks* fir mera shak yakeen main badal gaya ki ye abhiii hi hoga... then he waves his hands saying "hi! " I take a seat, it was house full so had to pull a chair in a gentlemanish way he says" Allow me" (I thought wahh !! is he just showing off to be a Gentleman or is he one? ) :p kidding.. then we alll go hooo haaan shouting n saying hi and all...

Then introduction part the guy am sure its abhi fir baaki do kaun hai ( I rack my brains) then I ask richa " Are u richa? " she nods her head saying "yes" ( I must tell u all she looks realllyyyyyy cute and cuter when she was nodding :p ) abhi confirms and says "Yeah she is Richa :) "

Then the other lady ( ummmm i forgot her name ) ooops... After formal hello to the new comers..I start with my normal gupshup with the oldtimers neha and mala :) ( i don't have to introduce the gorgeous ladies right? )

Then comes our photo session... after 45 minutes of serious discussion of who will have what we order and sip our drinks ( we don't do the act of have from one glass :P whoaaaaaaaaaa 6 heads on one glass? kya dosti hai wahhh!! lol )

We then move to Hiranandani to have a grub.. hmmm on our way I get a call from Ishipishi :) am with all smiles on telling neha and Richa "ishi ka hone haiiiiiiiiiii " hehe unfortunately lot of noice around i tell her, " Waha pahunchke phone karti hu " ( i shall call you once i reach the place )

We reach there and in the mean time Richa promised all of us to get a pepe jeans FREE yepieeeeeeeeeeee

Stop it guys don't get J :P dint i say *conditions applied? lol

We had our grub at Bread Talk( yummmyyyy ) while having i called Ishi but guess she was busy dint take my call immediately.. umm then we all spoke Rajbir.. we thought of calling keshi, but then i told others, "if u guys want to talk to the voice mail then we can call " :p In the meantime, we had a great a singing session, great singers Mala and Neha ..:p they sang vande maataram ( AR rehman style ) lol head banging and some of his expressions ( which was captured by Abhi ) :D

At last Ishi calls.. I'm told her,"roz hum dono baat karte hai ab baaki se baat karo.." ( we talk everyday so now talk with others) one by one she talks to all of us.. we talk talk talk... umm wat else ? in the meanwhile we also go to another place to have grub ..:p (Subway) hmmmmmmmmm ... ( all bhukkads) lol

Ishi was busy with family chores so i say bye bye...and hang up total time spoken: 20mins and 35 seconds..( tooo less :D ) loll

We also had a beep songs.. umm if i have to even say wat i will write "beep beep beep "i.e " **** main ***** de" all censored :D .. (all guesses welcomed ).

It was real masti dhamal and lottts to eat and drink :D..

we parted promising that we all would meet up again sooon for a dance party *winks*

Adios Amigo :) "

Thursday, August 16, 2007

Happy Birthday (Abhishek)


Wishing Nadiya (Ms. Malta ) a very Happy Birthday! today on 16th August

Though she seems to have disappeared after her intro post!!

We are waiting for you!
Have a Blast!

Most memorable Journey (DJ)

This is something that I wrote on the plane on my way to Germany. Hope you all enjoy it.


As I am writing this, I am at a height of 33000 feet above the ground level somewhere around the boundary of USA and Canada; I think I have already bumped into Canadian
province though I am not sure of it. It is so hard to tell from this height whether I am into one country or the other. We are moving east at a speed of 650 mph to reach Frankfurt, Germany. Yes, as you might have guessed, I am typing this while I am comfortably seated in a 747 savoring the tangy taste of red wine along with cracker snacks; though while I finish writing this, it will be Sunday evening (GMT+1) as my laptop battery will die soon.

A very beautiful young girl is seated right next to me, and as of the moment she is sound asleep with her head almost five inches from my shoulder and moving towards it every second getting as close as three and then suddenly gaining senses to pull it back ten inches away. And on and on. I know you might be thinking of this to be some stupid movie scene right now, but believe me people even I am surprised..... So let me take a little latitude to bore you all, and tell you as what happened that has motivated me to document this. If not everyone, I am sure Keshi is going to appreciate this as I feel right now to be in her shoes. I have always read these kinda stories on her blog; noteworthy of which was the train incident.

My friend dropped me at San Francisco Airport at around 10:15 in the morning wishing me all the luck for a happy stay in Germany and chances to meet European girls. As soon as he left me alone, I walked straight with my baggage to the Luftansa ticket check-in terminals to get my boarding passes. As I was standing last in the line, I saw this beautiful girl in black overcoat and a red sweater walking with a trolley in her hand that carried her bags some fifty feet away from me. It seemed that she was a European. I did not concentrate much on her and waited for my turn to get the boarding passes. On my turn I started to walk towards one of the open counters and as I glanced on the side, there was she standing right behind me waiting for her turn.

Somehow I ignored everything and kept moving towards the currency exchange booth to get some Euros. Later I proceeded towards the terminal. I still had some two hours before I had to leave. So I decided not to go to the departure area which was on the ground floor and instead be seated on the first floor waiting area. After a while I again see her on the escalator to the ground floor. She was looking at me and suddenly turned her face away when my eyes just met. It somehow felt all this quite funny.

After some time I boarded the plane. I had a left hand side window seat towards the end of the aircraft. I kept my bags, removed my jacket, seated myself and started reading "for one more day" by Mitch Albom. The seat next to me was empty and I was waiting to see who comes here. I have read and also believed (until this day) that "Ninty percent of the girls in this world are beautiful; but you will always have one of the rest ten percent in your neighboring seat". However, this does not hold true anymore for me.

Few minutes later I saw someone pushing bags in the luggage compartment above my seat. I looked out of the book to find the beautiful girl waiting to be seated next to me. What a surprise, I thought. She is the one. Exchanged a formal "Hi.. Hello.." and I went back to my book and she started to read Sidney Sheldon's Stranger in the Mirror.

--- Until here, I had written while I was on the flight. Starting here on, I wrote on that night in the hotel in Braunschweig ---

After a while, the air hostess came to ask for food, and I asked for vegetarian. To my sheer surprise, she asked for the same too. I thought, a European and a veggie? She slept after the meal. After some time she put on her earphones and was listening to music. And it was real loud that even I could hear it. And I was swept away by yet another surprise. I heard a hindi song sung by Lata Mangeshkar from the 80's movie "Hero". Wow, I thought. Indian too! Sounds kewl. Anyways, I thought I would not bother her as she looked to be one of those sharmili (shy) types, and I did not for at least three more hours.

Once we reached somewhere over the North Atlantic, I started getting bugged and as everyone knows, nothing helps a bugged mood than spreading it around. With this thought in my mind, I started the conversation and it went on and on after that. I bugged her until we reached Frankfurt where she had to move into another flight to India and I had to go to Braunschweig. We chatted on this and that and what not, details of which would not be furnished here.

Did I enjoy the flight? You betcha. But I let her go without even taking any sort of contact info from her. I thought its better that I not, which on contemplation now, I find was a really dumb idea. So people, remember, all adages are not true and always keep a watch on the neighboring seat. You may never know when Murphy is proved a dumb ass again.

P.S. - None of these details here is a fabrication or a figment of my imagination. I know I have rushed hurriedly towards the end of the story, but it's 'details' people ;).

[ADMINS:: Though it is not a train journey, but this has been posted with a special request prior to publishing. As it is a Journey, we are allowing this as a special request ]

Tuesday, August 14, 2007

India's Independence / Updates ( abhishek)

Along with rejoicing in the celebration of 60 years of Independence, lets us also try and ask ourselves "What does Independece mean to us all?"

AS none of BUFer's are 60 years or older, our perceptions of Freedom and Independence wuould /should have changed over time

Here are a few voices:

Mala thinks:
"
freedom is breaking rules but not law.
freedom is choosing and being chosen.

freedom is allowance for learning from mistakes.
"

Our Dear Vishesh:

"freedom-
the need to be free
and yet be a part of-we.
as young as the earth
and so much worth,
it in our nation
the divine creation.
"

Keshi:
"
**Being who I am wherever I may be - INDIVIDUALITY**
Tolerating all kinds of people - TOLERANCE**
Realising the strengths and weaknesses of self - ACCEPTANCE**
Spreading love and living in it - LOVE**
Breaking all barriers to achieve togetherness - UNITY**
Living in openness of the mind - PEACE**
"
SAM:

"
1. be able to walk around the city without worrying abt who's gonna come up and do some moral policing on me!!
2. behave in a manner befitting a free man.
3. respect an individual no matter what... and to honour ppl for what they truly are!!
4. do what i want (honest stuff mate!!) without a fear of teh repurcussions.
5. be a responsible citizen and no matter what you do, try and give back soemthing to the country you belong to!!
"

Aakash:
"
Freedom...

Freedom to be,

to be you,to be me.

Freedom to say,

things i want,my way.

Freedom to go,

take roads that no-one knows.

Freedom to give flight

to ideas I believe.

Freedom to choose,

netas for power to abuse.

Freedom to me
is freedom to be -- free.

Jai Hind!"

Ishita: ( who has expressed the desire to use her freedom to pull some rules ;), to overshoot the limit)

"
"It’s Independence Day! Just another much needed holiday for many I know. It’s not often that we stop to really think about the importance of such days. I’m not here to talk about how we don’t value our freedom and the struggle to gain this freedom. That’s not true because we do! We’re not ignorant of our history and we’re not all always cynical about the state of affairs in our country (or for that matter the world at large). I think days like Independence Day and Republic Day here in India and similar days like these in other countries are special because in the midst of all our “living” and “existing” through our daily routine and mundane lives, we take time out to remember, appreciate and feel that sense of patriotism which in our otherwise regular lives, we just don’t really think about, do we? I feel a great sense of pride whenever I see the tricolour being hoisted and hear the national anthem. And I remember being in Chicago on 4th of July watching the fireworks display on Lake Michigan and I got to sense the same pride amongst the Americans. It’s there in all of us irrespective of who we are and where we belong!"

Tell US what you think in the comments!!
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UPDATES!

The New Topics to run from 16th August to 30th August

  1. Memorable Train Journey- 36% (8)
  2. Your date from BUF!! - 36% (8) [ this topic is a little open ended, and is upto blogger's understanding of the same]

Upcoming birthdays!

16th August - Nadiya

23rd August - Aakash (Vyom)

26th August - Rajiv

Happy Birthday!!

=========> NO POSTS on 15th August 2007 ( Today)<==========

Lesson Learnt (DJ)

This happened like six months back. Me and one of my friends were taking a walk in the night to reach the computing lab at my university. We were chatting about life in general and something triggered in my mind that made me go like - nothing good is happening to me right now; everything seems to be a goddamn mess; what the heck am i doing in US; and what not...

.......... just then a white girl passed through us, riding a bike on a pleasant night in Los Angeles, paddling real fast to get somewhere soon. That's when he pointed to me and said, "You see that? That's LIFE! She is trying to pedal the bike fast enough but then she is still moving slowly when you compare with the person in the car moving ahead. Ultimately both will reach the place they need to go, and who knows, the person in the car might even reach later. He might have to go some place far than the girl. Likewise, everyone is on their own vehicle on their way to their own destinies".........

This is when I learned one important lesson:


Never try to rush through LIFE. Let it assume its own pace and you will reach where you are destined to.

Monthly Book Review—A Thousand Splendid Suns ( Mala)

Khaled Hosseini would probably always be known as the man who authored “The Kite Runner.” However, his subsequent attempt at authoring fiction is equally captivating, if not better.
Set in Afghanistan, the novel spans two generations—political unrest being the common thread running through them. Hosseini beautifully captures the hardships of Afghans during the times when it only rained ammunitions.

The main characters of this story, two women of different generations, find company in each other. While one is fiercely independent and vocal, the other has been raised to be a docile housewife. But, circumstances script your destiny. Or your destiny scripts your circumstances. Either way, life takes a dubious turn for these two women. The rest of the story is about their love and their hatred; their failure and their success; their smiles and their tears.

“A Thousand Splendid Suns” is a beautiful yet heart-wrenching story of two women I couldn’t help but fall in love with. I felt their pain, rejoiced in their success, and applauded their courage.

All this because Hosseini, for me, is the best visual storyteller of modern times.

Monday, August 13, 2007

Lessons learnt (Deepthi)

Life is full of teachings...
You are the one whose goto decide what u learn and unlearn...
I for myself have been sitting in the school of life for 28 years...
I am still not ready to graduate...
There are few lessons I learnt while falling,
There are few I learnt stumbling...
Few were good,few were worth it,few were not great,few turned out to be real..
It is an ongoing process these lessons...
The more you learn, the more you listen,
The more you listen is the more you love life....

Lesson Learnt (Rathna)

This is some 4 years ago. It was my first job. I was just out of College, new to internet. I was all into making new online friends. But logging into messengers was prohibited. In spite of that I kept on logging into messengers and browsing online. Then I felt helpless, kind of addicted to internet.

Now I feel adequate, I have net at home …at office still I seldom come on net or login to messengers. I guess after a point of time we grow out of habits. But alas people don’t understand and give us a chance to grow out of habits. They try to impose things on us which makes us arrogant and more adamant. I have learnt not to impose things on people.

Sunday, August 12, 2007

a doll on my mind (messy)



i must have been 5 years old then... i was out shopping with my mom... i dont remember what we shopped that day... but i remember what i liked the most then... in those days there were no malls in india... (well... this should be around 25 years ago)... there were small shops around and you had to go buy stuff from there...

we were at this small, teeny, weeny shop... and my mom was checking some things in there... when my eyes fell on this beautiful doll... she was dressed in a pink frock... with long blonde hair and light blue eyes... i picked her up and started playing with her... she would blink her eyes at me... and sing a song and laugh with i moved her in a certain way... i instantly fell in love with her... i looked at mama pleadingly... but she refused to buy me the doll... she said she didnt have much money on her... she promised me that she would buy the doll later... i started crying and shedding pools of tears... (well... i was so in love with her... maybe i should even label this post as my first crush... errr even though i dont have such tendencies :p)... but to no avail... she wouldnt buy it for me... she pulled me out of the shop and took me home... i was really sad... wondering when would she have enough money to buy me the toy...

years later when i was 18 i was talking to my mom, and i recalled the doll she never got me... i still blamed her for not getting it for me... (i even threw a tantrum then... at 18! just coz she didnt get me a doll when i was 5 years old!)... she looked at me with a sad smile... she said come on, lets go and buy it now... i have the money now... that was the time i learnt a very important lesson...

when i was a kid we werent very rich (even though we lived well enough)... and my mom didnt always have the extra money to buy us toys and take us out... at 18 when my mom said that, i understood the pain she must have gone through to say 'no' to me... it was definitely more than the pain i went through without the doll... and since that day i try not to mention about the doll in front of her... (well.. sometimes i do kid about it... but i dont scream at her and dont blame her for not getting me the doll)

Saturday, August 11, 2007

Crushed Trust (Michelle)


We all have our flaws.

My biggest flaw is to trust people at the drop of a hat.I let them in to such an extent that they hold immense power.Power over my feelings, power to make me grateful, happy, loved but sadly also depressed.

I know thats a very bad thing, and have often been advised to change.But, somehow, the forgiving and forgetting policy is the one I always adopt.I don't learn from my mistakes and still go on, trusting blindly, being completely oblivious to what the real intentions are.Its happened to me so many times.But just sometime back was the last straw.It reduced me to nothing.I hated myself for trusting and caring so much only to get something I do not deserve in return.Betrayl.Cold hearted betrayl.


I really don't get why such things happen sometimes.When you go all out to help people you care about and make sure they don't get hurt, they have been sharpening a knife to stab you in the mean while.


But now, things are a bit different.I care and I love the same...but I can never trust as much as I did before...even though those that did hurt me apologised endlessly and stated how ashamed they were.It just isn't the same.


p.s-Sorry for getting all emotional.

Friday, August 10, 2007

a lesson (vishesh)

this is going to be real short ;)

a lesson-after a long time thanks to so many different things,i learnt,we are humans and it is our nature,to be careful and try and hide.When we hide we need to fear,and fear leads to so many things.So it is better not to hide anything,just say everything,and there is nothing-no fear,just knowing things.....

Must Be Love (Keshi)

You wouldnt believe this - my first crush happened when I was about 5yrs old :). He was a friend of my dad but he was much younger than my dad...maybe this guy was about 18yrs old then. So whenever he visited us at home, I used to stare at him cos I was totally smitten by this young man (maybe cos back then I hadn't yet set my eyes on Russel Crowe?). Used to think how gorgeous this guy was (today I'm thinking he's nowhere close to my taste urrrrgggg!). I was even dreaming of being married to him (yeah I had big dreams at such a young age hehe). Whenever he came home, I used to sit close to him (what was I thinking ha?). When he cracked jokes with my dad and laughed, I used to laugh too (even if I didn't get the jokes at all I wanted to impress him...rolling eyes here). When he sat down to have lunch with us, I used to watch how he ate (yes at that age watching a man eating was like watching Candyman maybe). Whenever he said goodbye I used to feel ow so sad (guess I was a drama queen back then too). I guess he was the first guy I felt some affection for in a romantic manner or so...an innocent crush that THANKFULLY didn't develop any further...cos if it did, I'd never have been able to forgive myself LOL!

Thursday, August 9, 2007

First Crush (Abhishek)

I vividly recall,the classroom.

If you were standing at the entrance of the class, you would see... the teachers desk in front of the blackboard ( which was on the right side perpendicular to the wall containing the door)

Starting on the left side of the door, were these three rows of two seater desks and benches, all facing the teachers table with the blackboard behind it.
The last row opposite the entrance door was along the windows.

That after-noon, the orange curtains were drawn to prevent the strong summer sun to enter.
I was sitting on the 1st bench with NJ, Cute round face, bright eyes, slightly big nose, 100 watt smile.

I was in the fifth standard (Class V-B). The three sections of A,B,C had just been shuffled and the current class was a new mix in the new session.

I had fallen for.

That summer afternoon, when the school got over, she forgot her Hanky inside the desk
(yeah typical movie style, I cant stop smirking whenever i recall).

In the brouhaha after the final bell, I called her with one hand in the air, "N!!, Tumahara hanky reh gaya" (N!!, you left you hanky)
She came back took it from me , blushed, turned and ran away to the door.

Over the next two years we would usually be around.
I would just sheepishly keep looking at her.

When we were in 7th class, Me the great, with super-duper encouragements ( Read being pumped) from friends and my brother, mustered the courage on 14th Feb.

Its only a card abhi, they all give to each other, it does not mean any big thing.. go go go.!

Yeah, and the red-faced me, did it.( I just cant stop smiling, even while typing this.what a fool i was, 12 year old yaar, imagine...)

Poor NJ was more baffled as to what hit her. She reluctantly took the card.
...... But after two days, and she was very very sad, and in near tears she returned it.
:(

Understandably, there was a misunderstanding!! Of what the card was meant to be.

We never talked after that, the way we used to....
Till we all parted ways after tenth standard( as our school was only till tenth standard)

I had the card with me till a long time later.

Six years after this incidence, when I was in college in another state in india, someone mentions about a certain bright looking girl called NJ in another class!!

And one of my dear friends wants to hit on her.
Yes, can you believe it she was here (again)

After two years of just hellos and Hi's, we chatted up one day outside the library and laughed and laughed at the past.

She left college abruptly as her familiy moved to USA.
We are still in touch.....
I tore the card later....
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Coming up ... Crush number 2,3,4,5,6......

New Admin Team (Ishita)

One quick and important announcement!



Abhishek (abhi) and Sumit (sam) will be joining the Admin Team effective today. Hoping they will bring in new ideas and suggestions to improve BUF. I am around of course :) ... maybe not as active as earlier but definitely not passive either.

Send in topic suggestions and any other ideas people!

BUF is the FUN place it is because of all of you. Keep it fun and friendly guys :).. make this place ROCK!

Ps: If you've missed it, do listen to Jitendra's Voice Message ... not only is he a wonderful writer (and *ahem* good lukin) but he's also got another talent :) ... go on listen to the VM ppl...enjoy :)! And looking forward to hearing from you all too...leave msgs people!!! :)

Tuesday, August 7, 2007

First Crush (Aakash)


A school in the foothills of Kumaon,
and a uniform white and navy blue.
One summer like the summers before
somewhere in nineteen ninety two.

I first heard her sing a song from our
school prayerbook in the music class
The way her face drew pictures that
piece of memory it never did pass.

Never knew when with muted feet
she grew on my meddling mind;
but soon I found myself lost, in
thinking about her all the time.

Years passed and sections changed
with different subjects we grew old
but all the time that she was there
to no one ever this story I told.

After half a decade when I saw
her again laughing her own laugh
I was taken back to the old times
just looking at her in our class.

And one evening of last summer
while standing outside her gate
i told her how she was 'the' girl
just the confession came late.

She was amused, a little shocked
and then she broke into her laugh
the same laughter that captured
then told me that time was past

Even today I tell her how she is
the first girl to hijack my fancy
and she rejects, all that I say
with a smile that I can see.


She is leaving for US in a few days, and then maybe I'll see her after an year or so. I didnt have time, so this silly rhyme is all that I could manage (afterall if I didnt write this time too, Ishi would have killed me). And then every first crush deserves to be written about, hai na?


And no, we never were romantically involved. Always friends.

Monday, August 6, 2007

Lessons Learnt (Arz000n)

It was a bright Sunday afternoon, if I remember from the month of August. You know how August summers generally are in Mumbai – unbearable heat, water supply shortage, frequent power-cuts, surprisingly huge discount offers in Pizza Hut, etc. I’m bad in portraying the perfect picture, but I hope you are able to paint a good one in your mind.

I was working at home like a good guy, when my cell phone suddenly started ringing – Tring-tring, Tring-tring, Tring-tring. Well if you are wondering, I don’t keep fancy ring tones; it’s the default one that came with Nokia.
“Hello, this is Z00nie. May I know who this is?”
“Blue or Red pill. Choice is yours”, a s**y female voice said.
If you hear random people calling you to discuss about pills, lot of things instantly starts churning in your mind:
  1. Pills? When was the last time I was absolutely stoned and got a gal back home?
  2. Pills? When did I change my profession to be a pharmacist?
  3. Pills? What pills? I don’t need any pills. I don’t take drugs
  4. Pills? Is this about bank loan…monthly instalments…free credit card offer?
  5. Pills? Errrmmm…wrong number maybe?
“Excuse me”, I continued trying to suppress the series of questions being stormed in my head.
“Do you want to meet in Red Chilli Peppers or Bombay Blues, you moron”, was what I heard.
“Is that Uttara? Jesus Christ…you scared the living sh*t out of me!!”
“Ya it is. I just finished watching MATRIX and I kind of like Laurence Fishburne”
“Who is he?”
“It doesn’t matter, Blue or red?”, she kept repeating. I tried to put aside all the weird question the word PILL got in my head and tried to remain calm.
“Well, I heard of a good offer going on in Pizza Hut, if you fancy pizzas. Boy, am craving for one right now. So how about…”
“Good. Let’s meet in Dominos then. They have excellent choice of pizza's”
“Alwite!!”
I still don’t understand the purpose of that call. But whatever it is, being a good guy that I am (thank you!!) I agreed to meet, Uttara (also popularly known as Uttssy, ta-ra-ra-ra, Utta-ra-ra-ra, Utta-ra-ra-ra-ra-ra and by many other pet names), Neha (Musings) and InciVinci (I forgot his real name – the reason for which is in the lessons learnt below)

The choice of restaurant was excellent, the ambience was amazing and our seating was just brilliant for the first blog meet. Anyone could just walk in, look into our plates and say – “Dude, I want to have...hmmmm...that one...that flavour of pizza”, pointing to the one I would be chewing at that moment.

You guessed it right - we were close to the entrance, infact so close that if someone runs into Dominos at the speed of 80 miles per hour in the forward direction, would land directly on our pizza toppings.

Anyway, all four of us spent 5 hours together talking about nothing, that’s right - absolutely nothing, but we manage to consume 8 different varieties of pizza, 8 bottles of sprite and still when we left Dominos, we all were eyeing Bombay Blues. I think it was due to summer heat.

Call me Bizarre or just plain old Z000nie, but when I’m with friends (who generally talk about pills), I tend to crack more jokes than when I am with say, my pet dog. So while the conversation about nothing was in progress, I tend to drop in a general knowledge question for Uttsy. The reply to this question might be considered inappropriate (or as they say in more sophisticated terms these days – CENSORED) in certain parts of India.
“What is this new blog pet names you guys up to these days?”, I threw it in Uttara’s direction. Meanwhile, Neha and Inci-vinci were trying to finish whatever was left on the plates, with the fear that the next person to walk in might just grab it from their hands.
“What do you mean?”, she replied.
“You know…you are the UTTSY, Musings is called as Musssy and Divya is called as Dissy”
“Yeah I know, You are Arz000n. So you will be called as A*sy”
“Kewl!! I don’t mind being A*sy, but I just wonder what Puneet will be called as.”
There was a pin drop silence on the table, as if I just dropped my clothes to show my private parts or something.

“You moron” were the exact words that our so-called friendly-next-door-girl UTTSY said, before she threw Sprite bottles in my direction. I tried to dodge it, by moving towards right, but then she had just seen MATRIX, so the effect was on her mind. A series of bottles flew in my direction that evening around 8 of them within next 10 seconds, out of which one hit my head.

I don’t know what happened next, because when I got hold of my consciousness, all my pizza slices were gone and my Sprite tasted like water. I’m sure somebody must have walked into the restaurant while I was down.

Well I want to conclude this life-threatening incident with a series of lessons learnt that evening:
  1. Never crack a joke with a gal that includes topics close to her heart like Pizza toppings, Tomato sauce flavours, Br* and the CENSORED reply above.
  2. If you are hit by a bottle of sprite exactly at the location on your head just above your eye-brow, chances are that you might lose your memory. I still can’t remember what happened in my life between 1995 and 1998.
  3. Your friends, no matter how close they are in terms of friendship, always take advantage of your unconsciousness and steal your drinks (best friends run away with your food as well).
  4. Sprite doesn’t taste like mineral water.
  5. I can’t remember this point right now. It was …. Errrmmmm…

Sunday, August 5, 2007

a special post (vishesh)

THIS IS THE FIRST TIME i am breaking a rule properly @ BUF!

and well i know we aren't supposed to post immediately after update,but this is toooooooooooooo special a day.

Today is friendship day as all of know.

AND for between us friends ,this the first one.After all that went under the bridge during the past few weeks,we have proved that all of us can stick on whatever happens.

great minds think alike.

And so it is proved again.Even though a few of us had a little to say,our thinking is still in line with others.

Well i know i haven't put it properly ,but IT IS among us friends.!
it is a small world they say
it is a huge world i see.
it is a world of good and bad,
all that we feel is sad,
but when with friends,
it all gets smashed..........

oh,here we are so close
so dear to one and all,
in the is la petite world
here we wake from the dose
and feel away from remorse
among the people who have
life,with a big smile and a hug,
we chat and write like all
among us,it is between us,
the friends.we the
people of great minds,
it is among us the friends.

sa re ga ma pa....


what voices speak,
what we share in common
oh,la in this small space
the we live, life is full of fun.
It is for the sake of joy
it is what we are.
we cook from our cauldrons
everything so modern.
it is among us,it is between
us the friends.


da ne sa.......


in the noon till mid night
singing and dacing
all through day light
oh,yonder we swing
here and there,it
is for all thats between us,
among us the friends.


sa ne da pa ma...

everyone is special
everyone is with views
everything we share is a little clue.
everywhere we go,we shall spread,
we are the minds which think alike
we all have a heart and mind
that we share with everyone alike.

it is never too late,
lets be together for ever
come lets stay and share
for it is with us ,let us inspire
and create a world,let us
be united in mission and come
let the world see us as one.
sa ne da pa sa ne da pa.....
ma ga re sa.......


and here is a song for you all,and i guess this is the first time classical karnatic is seen in this blog:-






and let us be like this flower,plain,simple and beautiful.

HAPPY FRIENDSHIP DAY FRIENDS !!!!