Lessons from London. (posted 15-12-2011)

I was equally impressed with the structure of how life is in London and quite taken aback by the (over) formal work environment during my short visit. We have lessons to learn from this place which once housed the headquarters of an empire where 'the sun never sets' . Perhaps, a whole bit of English structuring in ones life  and a little bit of eastern philosophy will go a long way in understanding the present day ever changing multi-polar  world. Exposure, absorption & progress is what  one would strive for. Hopefully.

awake ! ( posted 08/11/2011)

After 63 days of loath & decay,
a man finally wakes up !

Have a Nice Day !

leave a light on ( posted 6th. Nov.2011)

 A day & a mood best described by Duran Duran.

So come the evening
I'm out on the dunes
Looking for a token, something to prove
All I remember is more than a flame
In my fantasy, fire

Whatever I've done to receive
Whatever I need to redeem
Whatever you say
Even if I wait a lifetime

I know, I swear
If you leave a light on, if you leave a light on for me
I'll come there
You can leave a light on for me
 ..............

Duran Duran/Leave a light on/All you need is now.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ik3YgTn6ia0&feature=related

my adventure with Mr .Tomico - 01

Tomico .

Def : a person who is an item.... whom you meet in the course of your life....

Origin: Name of the person (whom I know in childhood) who used to hold a small radio and  talk into it as if it was a walkie talkie ( way before the time of mobile phone)

My clients have appointed a Tomico, a villager,as head of  their Project Dept.
We were to meet at an outstation site.
Since, I was driving all the way I offered to pick him up on the way.
So, there he was waiting and waved at me gesturing to me to stop at the highway.
As soon as he entered the car, I noticed another person making his way to the back seat.
I got confused and whispered to Mr. Tomico , " Who is our friend at the back?"
Mr. Tomico nonchalantly answered, " Oh, he's my neighbor, we have to drop him somewhere in town."
So sweet of him  to offer!
Then came the tea break.
In the course of our conversation while having roadside tea,  Mr.Tomico told me  to do three exercise everyday, with the understanding that if I follow these, my health will be in perfect shape.
He then went to demonstrate the movements of all three, finally ending with
both his knees in rapid circular movements, Mr. Bean style.
I burst out laughing, in the inside. I was suddenly a happy man knowing that mankind still have hope, the Mayans be damned! We continued our journey forth while our neighbor friend was snoring to glory at the back seat.
Ah ! this trip might turn out to be the most interesting one yet!

Sleepless in Sector 15. ( posted - 10/05/2011)

Awake !....................way past bedtime for the structured,
Is there still hope for this weary eyed nocturnal clan,
who goes about their nightly deeds in groups of one!
Perhaps the time for me to revisit my blog......
something to do.

An immense feeling of slight despondency surrounds me,
Maybe its the time to  reflect and re-evaluate ....
The need to do more, the need to chalk out
a more efficient  plan
An update and reinstall of sort.

Yesterday was not a good day ........the meeting at the prolonged site.
Why is pappu bhai asking for so much  for so little work?
Maybe, it will all make sense after he gives
the minute break up of costs.

My leg injury is now fully healed I suspect.
I should go for a run tomorrow.
It would be nice.

Maybe, I am the BATMAN.
Sigh!

Long road to completion! ( 08/05/2011)

Never trust an Architect  or a Designer to design his own House !

It has been almost Three Years since I have moved out of my compact apartment in Kurla.
I had extensively demolished my crib to make way for some ideas which I had been marveling at with (over)excitement.
Then, the inevitable happened ! More ideas started flowing in overriding the older ideas .This went on for quite some time till almost all the possibilities were exhausted. At the end  I have made layouts by the tens and was still pondering deeply about the details.
                Initially, I thought that the whole operation of renovation would take about 3 to 4 months. So, I took shelter at a friends house in Santa Cruz, who was kind enough to accommodate me. But after 3 months and no progress I decided to shift to my other house in Navi Mumbai which was lying empty. This house was considerably bigger. Here again, ideas started flowing again  for this house .........it always begins with, " It won't cost much to break this wall over here but will make a huge difference in the quality of space" or such similar thought. Soon, one thing leads to another and I was knocking the kitchen wall down, making the balcony bigger, making units for my glass collection, making an office in a room  etc. etc.  More on this house later.The Kurla house was by then a vague memory.
                Meanwhile, my friends have been advising me to finish doing up the Kurla house  and to rent it out if I am not using it. In fact, they have been rightly accusing me of wasting available resources. I had made an attempt to restart work in January this year, but got busy with work and other chores.
                Quite a bit of work has been done already, Marble flooring, Plumbing, Windows, Major carpentry works have been done. Electrical and finishing works, insulation and false ceiling, installation of A.C. and Glass items remains to be done. Overall I would say about 60% work is done. A lot of time have been spent on experimentation  and R & D , mostly towards customization of fixtures.
As it stand today the house looks like this. Will update on this................will give myself a deadline of October to finish this
for projects by Dro  visit
http://dro-projects.blogspot.com/

Running Away your "Bokali Blues"

Today, I am basking under the feel good thought  of something that I had done two days ago. And that is the act of running continuously over One Hour  covering a distance of 11 km on the treadmill.This for me gives me a lot of satisfaction  as it represented something which I thought I couldn't do. I have been on and off ( mostly off!) the gym over a number of  years. But, one thing I was not able to do was to run for long time at a stretch.

It all started in January this year. By then I have met Mr.Pooru the Guru who was attempting  to run the Mumbai Marathon (which he eventually did - congratulations!). He told me about the existence of a book called  " The Non-Runner's Marathon Trainer" by David A. Whitsett ( not available easily around here- I got my copy much later when my sister came back from the States!). This book says that anyone can run the marathon. In the absence of the book Mr.Pooru the Guru was kind enough to give me a chart which he had modified for a Half Marathon.

As you can see, I did the first 5 runs and then stopped as I had to travel. But I was happy to know that I can run 4 Km at a stretch and was confident that this chart will work. I had promised myself that will definitely try this again when I prepare for a marathon (or half).

I began running again in March all the way till now averaging about only 2 times a week. But this time I am not following any routine. 

GOALS:

• Run 12 km. at a stretch effortlessly.
• Cover 33 km. every week.
• Reduce Body Fat Percentage to about 12%
• Run a Marathon.

Still a long way to go, will keep at it.
Hopefully, at the end it may all come down to this (below).
Perseverance and Relentlessness required.
Follow up and related articles will be posted at
http://theroutenottaken.blogspot.com/

The Modern Day Pandora's Box ( posted on 27/04/2011)

Pan·do·ra's box

noun \pan-ˈdȯr-əz-\ 

Definition of PANDORA'S BOX : a prolific source of troubles

 Origin of PANDORA'S BOX

from the box, sent by the gods to Pandora, which she was forbidden to open and which loosed a swarm of evils upon humankind when she opened it out of curiosity

ref. http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pandora%27s+box

The picture on the left is that of  "my very own Pandora's Box". It is basically a 'make it yourself'  kind of box made out of your normal cardboard box.(perhaps, one can make an attempt to be a little more creative and funkier than this!)
The whole idea is to put in 'evil money' ( coined by dro, meaning- money you spend normally to do what you consider are bad habits). Say, for example you spend  Amount X everyday on your smoking ( which at the back of your mind you want to quit!). So, if you don't smoke for one day, you have to put in Amount X in the box.That way you don't feel that you are taking money from your pocket. You are puffing the same away anyway. The good thing about this box is that the more bad habits you have the more that you put in! This can add up to a lot, trust me.

Personally, I (used to)spend  a lot on drinks and cigarettes.

Cigarettes: 

One pack Gudang Garam Rs.70/-, 2 packs (10 Nos.) Goldflake Lights. Rs. 100/-

Drinks: 

No hard data.Expensive when you drink out! Easily about Rs.15,000/- per month. or Rs.500/-a day.

Anyway, its been a total of 64 days of not smoking & 60 days of not drinking ,since I have started to give both up ( ref. blog entry down " The Truth About 'A' & 'C')

This adds up to Rs. 10,880/- ( Rs.170 x 64 Days for cigarettes)

And, Rs. 30,000/- ( Rs.500/- x 60 Days for Drinks)

A total of Rs.40,880/- ( US$ 916/-) in about 2 months.

If you have any other bad habits please put in more 'evil money' in Pandora's Box for each day that you can resist. This amount can be used for other positive purposes like say, Gym Membership. A good thought is to use it for charity. But seriously :)  I have started buying shoes as the link will suggest ......
http://mockdressing.blogspot.com/

Talk about converting Black Money to White ! Lol!

the truth about 'A' and 'C'

Yesterday marked the end of one week  without Cigarettes and Alcohol.
Resolution 01 - Give up smoking in totality.
Resolution 02 - Give up binge drinking.
Normally this was not the case as the charts clearly demonstrates!
I have made the charts and pasted them on the wall for everyday visual connection.I feel good to mark each 'Vice Free' day with my GREEN and ORANGE marker.The PINK  marker of course means trouble. A small step for dro but a big step towards life! People in similar situation can give this a try.Watch out for updates on this.

07/03/2011
Report Card:  Second week without the 'A' & 'C'.
New High : one you get when you can resist that urge.
This is good development cos' at the end
one is smiling that contented smile ( read 'stupid grin') of victory. Yippee!

03/04/2011
Report Card:  40 days without the 'A' & 'C'.
Exception : 26-27/03/2011- Glenlivet 15 yrs with my brother ( outstation visit)- Bad reaction from body next day, got sick! No cravings absolutely for both  'A' & 'C'. I wonder what's the big deal about quitting  A & C .


02/06/2011
Report Card:  100 days without the 'A' & 'C'.
Exception :
17/04/2011- Martini mixed by Mr. Ra
18/04/2011- badly mixed cocktail at HARDROCK CAFE, hyderabad.
25/05/2011-hoegaarden beer, blueFROG, Louis Banks night.
06/06/2011-gin, friends place.
08/06/2011- red wine/martini @ Novotel

19/06/2011- Brazilian Cocktail Caipirinha mixed by Mr.Ra. ( left)
23/06/2011- Martini/Beer @ Hard Rock Cafe ( Bad Day !)
26/06/2011- One Glass of Australian white wine (Chardonay)

03/07/2011- Gin Tonic (friend place)
06/07/2011- Gin tonic, Beer ( friend's place)



This has become a normal day for me now. The spicy and piquant taste of Virgin Mary  has turned out to be my favorite at night outs. No smoking in absoluteness since this experiment began. Well, this looks like a teetotaler putting up non drinking chart - so I don't see a  point in updating the same. Updates only when something interesting turns up. For the readers who are still struggling to quit - JUST DO IT, especially the smoking. It makes life better to know that you are in control.

July 2011.
A Roadtrip to Goa & Bangalore followed by trips to Delhi & Imphal ( 13th to 30th.July) have slightly put the drinking schedule out of gear. Though the actual consumption is at a minimal ( ranging from a can of beer to a few), the number of days in this holiday environment are many. I will add 10 effective drinking day on my chart. This will tally to a total of 12 drinking days for the month of July! This is high considering the average per month is 4 to 5 days. I will try to average this out by reducing the number of drinking days in August & September.

UPDATE 

NO.OF SMOKING  DAYS  SINCE  22 FEB.2011 : 0 DAYS/ 160 DAYS

NO.OF DRINKING DAYS  SINCE  22 FEB.2011 : 22 DAYS/ 160 DAYS( Once Every 7.27 Days)

The Single Man

NOT TO BE POURED LIKE THIS !

Sometime in the  early  2010, 

I was fortunate enough to meet my 'guru' and connoisseur of fine whisky, Mr. Ra, 

who introduce me to the world of Single Malt Whisky.

Before this, I was not an avid whisky drinker. 

I was then happy with good old rum, vodka and beer ( the common factor being the presence of ethanol !)

Mr. Ra  with expertise and patience,
and usually with  glass and bottle in hand,

opened my eye to the world of Whisky - the Water of Life !

He defined for me the Blended and Single Malt Whisky,Scotch and Bourbon Whiskey.

Most importantly he introduce me to Single Islay Malt when he offered me my very first drink of LAPHROIGH.It has been an enriching experience since. And for this

I thank  Mr.Ra with all my heart.

My Single Malt Collection

Over time I became a fan of Islay Single Malt and managed to get a few bottles for myself. I have had my hand on  Laphroigh, Lagavulin, Ardbeg and Caol Ila. Still yet to get the three B's - Bruichladdich, Bunnahabhain & Bowmore. Also, the young Kilchoman - just for collecting (& drinking !)  pleasure.

Islay Single Malt are known for their 'Smoke & Peat' feel and taste. You either like it or you don't. Those who don't like Islay Single Malt they can run to their 'Mama'

and ask for Black Label. No disrespect to our premium class community!

As for me, its the taste of  the Isle Of Islay
And I am sure when I finally go there

I will have that uncanny feel of familiarity,

The very thought that  I have been there before!

reflections

I know of your folly

Chasing happiness with frantic zeal

Like a moth to a flame

Missing the fireflies that passes by.

a New Beginning

After the great fall of the kingdom,

Caused by unfulfilled promises, bad deliverance  & the one man army,

Things are finally looking up with a little help from my young friend Mr.Goon.

Over the last few days, together we have conquered the great wall of 'laziness' 

And the approach of 'as is where is basis'  is now filtered down to all planned days ahead. 

For once I can see the tables turning and it is indeed a good feeling! 

Yet miles to go before I go to sleep !

Will keep on it. 

A promise.

   for each day.

lessons from lyrics

JUMP   ( Madonna) 

There’s only so much you can learn in one place

The more that I wait, the more time that I waste

I haven’t got much time to waste, it’s time to make my way

I’m not afraid of what I’ll face, but I’m afraid to stay

I’m going down my own road and I can make it alone

I'll work and I'll fight, Till I find a place of my own.
(sounds better in the song !)

I have a strong respect  for Madonna

She just reinvents herself to perfection time and again,

I have seen her right from the days of " Like a Virgin" & " Papa Don't Preach"

all the way to '" Confession in a Dance Floor". ( does this make me ancient ? )

This is just something , where  you just have that 

" Dazed Look of complete admiration!"
If this is not progressive, what is?

Ditched Lovers Should Try this learning method

The Lessons From Lyrics.

TRINGGGGG.....TRINGGGGG.......

My service provider is  'Reliance Communications' .

One fine day, on their own, they decided to give their customers some freebies in the form of free ringtones! Of course I became aware of this much later as one does not have a habit of ringing themselves up!

When I found out I called their helpline and explained to the nice lady on the other end that I want to be put back to my normal 'tring tring' ring-tone. She then advised me to activate  'DND' (Do Not Disturb!) through SMS from my phone but also said it will take 45 days for this to be deactivated due to procedures. I begged her with folded hand ( Not an easy task when you are holding the phone too !) to take the ring-tone out but she couldn't help

I was left cursing and murmuring to myself with with the prospect that whenever my clients call me up for some serious business they will be greeted by the popular bollywood (Hindi) no " DEKHA HAI PEHLE BAAR, SAAJAAN KA ANKHEN MEIN PYAR........"
( somewhat like " vous le vous coucher avec moi..." ringtone for a business call - not the literal translation though! - this for our french readers  )

 (Afterthought - hmmm.....but  may be true for a certain type of business ! )

This Happened a long time ago  but  Just remembered this!

I tried calling my own number just now just to check! 

So far so good.

for related posts by the same author visit link
http://angrymandro.blogspot.com/

mayhem in class

On Thursday

I attended dance class 

after missing three classes in a row.

We had to dance with partners ( for me the first time!) and I was totally lost.

In this case  the girl was doing all the leading with no help from yours truly.
BAD.BAD.BAD.

Also embarrassing and feeling stupid too!

But not so much so, after all its a class!

NEED PRACTICE, NEED TO BE REGULAR.

E P I L O G U E    0 1

Having attended two more classes ,I am feeling a little more confident.

We did the basic steps of jiving- so fast and full of energy. Pure fun & happiness! We also did the waltz (basic) - most romantic and uncomplicated,

just like the truth itself.

E P I L O G U E    0 2
Today was the last but one day for our class. We will then move on to the next level. By now, we have learned the basic steps  of rhumba, samba, cha cha cha, jive, waltz and foxtrot. Grace has never been a part of the exercise ( at least for me) till now. More of awkward movements filled by an occasional good roll. But still,I would say a good  beginning overall.
Now, looking forward to learning new steps ( the more interesting ones!),
improving overall body posture and most importantly the fine art of 'leading' the lady.
All that is required is Practice and confidence and a bit of shamelessness!
I am good at the third one. Will work on the other two. lol! 

E P I L O U G U E   03 ( 03/04/2011)

We are now in the middle of level 2. We are allowed to rejoin level 1 for practice. This is a good thing because one hour of dancing seemed a bit less. So, if you continue with level 01 which is just after level 2 class you get a good 2 hours. Plus, one can work on the postures and timings since the steps are already known. This helps.

We have also learned a few new steps of each dance form.( need practice for this though!) 

The class have become good fun overall and I am always looking forward to my Tuesdays and Thursdays  (that's when the class is!)

E P I L O G U E   04 (22/04/2011)
Yesterday, I got stuck in traffic for a full hour at one place just 5 mins. away from where the class is. This may be because of everyday bad city traffic and a numerous turnout of people worshiping Jesus Christ which I saw. I waited with calm patience in my car on the jammed up road as my 7' o clock class slowly went on somewhere else. But not to lose hope, I made it for the Level 01 class at 8' o clock, though a little late!
We are now at the end of Level 02- this one seem to have just 'whisk'ed by. We did learn a number of new steps but have to keep up with the names ( started noting them down lest we forget in a big pile-up much later!). Waltz is turning out to be one of my favorite right now.
On Tuesday, the whole academy is invited to a preview of 'bollywood   waltz', to be performed at some high profile wedding function ( The Royal Wedding dinner reception of Prince William to Catherine Middleton, at Buckingham Palace, London- lol!), This will be followed by our 'Socials' where everyone can dance.This will be interesting- wonder if I can make it ?
Will definitely try to be there though. 

E P I L O G U E  05 (26/04/2011)

The preview and social which we spoke about got canceled so there was class as usual yesterday. Yesterday was the last class for LVL. II, i.e to say Thursday will be the start of LVL. III, wonder who will rejoin and who will not ? 

Yesterday was particularly lackluster day for me in class. 

First, my legs were injured due to 'over running' ( one more activity that  i am doing). 

Secondly, i had gone to do pre evaluation test for LASIK surgery just before my class where they put eye drops and subjected me to a number of test. At the end i was a little disoriented and my vision was unclear due to the drops.

Lastly, I was with, shall I say an ' incompatible' partner for my dance routine in class towards the end. Lesson being learnt - you need a compatible ( read- not irritating!) partner to dance good and nice. Not the type where you want to 'un'waltz all that you have learnt. lol!

Better luck next time!

follow up posts  at  
http://jivingtigerwhiskingdragon.blogspot.com/