Small update...this blog is still alive :D

Captain, has changed
Abdi, my Ethiopian friend has changed,

Chandigarh's 'rose garden' is not what it used to be,
Well, you won't find that famous
"Black Rose" here anymore,

Driving around Chandigarh at 1AM has changed,
It was different a year ago

Changes happen,
That I deal with,
Friends who are changing,
Old friends with a new attitude

jimmy or nohiddendepths?

I'm freakingly @#@$-ng confused! "What name/nick do I use to comment on this blog?"

Tonight, I wanted to comment on a blog as nohiddendepths and then the thought that the person might not recognize me, I ended up commenting as jimmy, with a link to lawrkhawm.com. Crazy eh! Seriously, I'm starting to get the feeling that I might be the first case of an identity crisees in the blog world.

Now, there was a time when I had this little blog and a place where I could rant about my daily chores/'frustru' incidents, which was 'relaxed' and OK. And then one day, I suddenly have this crazy idea of creating a site. Yeah! now that I think of it, it was CRAZY, rather IDIOTIC-that's lazy jimmy speaking for you.

Well, the whole point of this post is that the next time you see a 'jimmy' with a link to lawrkhawm.com, know that it is ME, yes, your good ol' nohiddendepths/jimmy.

Looks like I already have 3 identities in the blog world - the real life Jimmy that you know in (as a) person, and well, these two online identities, jimmy and nohiddendepths :P

My love.. Love.. Love.. Mwah Mwah Mwah... Will call you at ****

As old as I am, I shouldn't be taking that too seriously, but hey,

I'm *cough-cough-ing* too loudly?

*jimmy shows his palmS to the monitor*

Ok, so who's an asshole or a bitch?

Ans 1: a person who says something, but does something else.
Ans 2: A person who does something and says something else.

....I equate that to 'Integration/Differentiation' sometimes

Yeah, nobody likes a hypocrite....are you one?
PS: Comments NOT solicited, just...uhhh...THINK about it..K :)

My friends....
Some are now husbands,
and some are now wives,
Some are now busy friends,
While some are faithful sons,
And if you're a friend,
I don't think we'll start a conversation with a dumb...
"How's life?"

An interview

So after that debacle of an interview in Noida, I was escorted back to the domestic airport in Delhi. The flight was 'luckily' delayed by an hour and  Captain reached the place...chit chatted for about an hour, and well...
"Ya, what time is it now?"
We felt we had sat long enough in the parking lot...
"5:30"
"They said it was rescheduled at 6:30, right?"
"Ya..."
"...let's go and check out the timings again..."
I've missed a lot of buses, trains, and for that matter *expensive* flights.
However much I enjoyed my talk with Captain that day, and the thought of leaving the conversation..I didn't want to MISS this flight that was going to take me HOME - to Chennai!
*Yeah, that's what I felt, i just wanted to get back to Chennai. Or maybe I just wanted to leave Delhi*
Things aren't rescheduled when you wish they were. And nor was the flight.
I asked for a hug, and as always, Captain didn't find that necessary.
"Oh, cut that shit!" *o' chhod yaar...*
"You're looking good today, OK. And yes, you will get the job. We're gonna put up in Noida together...OK?"
"Yeah, let's see... :) ...thanks man!
"...take care buddy., don't worry too much"
Waved a bit, and I was off.
Loitered around in the airport, looked around for a place to smoke and ended up smoking 2-3 ciggys...thanks to a CISF guy who told me 'where' I could smoke.
The flight was not bad...
Entered the flight, asked the stewardess for a Combiflam or a Paracetamol of some sorts and a shawl. And the rest, was the usual circus.
Other than that, that 2 hours talk I had with Captain sufficed as a vacation, actually.

hey JIMMY! what happened to you?

Nothing really....

"Hi Jimmy, this is XYZ calling from ABC. Where have you reached?"

"Hi XYZ, I'm good! I'm in Chennai. Thanks for calling up, I've got the tickets and I'll reach there tomorrow as scheduled."

'Ok'

10 minutes pass. An hour passes.

"Hi Jimmy, XYZ here. Today is the 26th! your ticket was booked for today."

"No, I thought TOMORROW was the 26th"

"Oh God, your ticket was booked for today. The cab driver also called and he said he didn't find you at the airport"

"But..but, like you said, I 'just' thought that my interview was scheduled for Thursday"

"Jimmy, the ticket was booked for today. Oh well, I'll tell my manager about it. Don't worry, we'll take care of it. Tell asdf (my going to be boss) that you couldn't come because you were sick, else I'll have to pay for the tickets" *she says that with a smile*:

"Thanks XYZ, its my fault that I didn't take care of the day and date. I just thought that I had to come there on a Thursday"

"No, that's my fault. I was telling you all the time that it was Thursday, when the 26th was actually a Wednesday" "....and I'll be able to convince my manager. I'll book your flight for tomorrow morning, same time?"

"Oh nevermind. But thanks a lot, I guess I haven't made a very good impression."

"No, I'll talk to my manager about it. All the best"

Well, my ticket was booked...and all I did was wait 4 hours to see the HR guy and well, I didn't get the job...

Highlight: G was in gurgaon and well, having told him about my plans/outcome, he came by to see me off. Luckily, my return flight was delayed for an hour and well, we caught up with things in Chandigarh :)

I thought I missed Delhi, but I don't think that I miss it that badly :)

Life hasn't changed much. And no, its not about calvin or hobbes.

1. get up calvin i'm not going to call you again
2. i bet
3. you're going to miss the bus now get out of bed
4. you don't know the answer then sit down
   
5. hey twinky want to see if there's an afterlife
6. no you can't go play until you finish your homework
7. just eat your food you don't need to play with it
8. stop stalling in get in the bathtub
9. no you can't stay up a little longer go to bed
10. have a good night's sleep tomorrow's another big day
11. sighhhh

Arrr, no blogging for a long time now. Jimmy has been busy, damn busy! guess how?
So, there's this site that I've been working on for a longgg time. Damn, its not easy maintaining a site. The site's called lawrkhawm.com (roughly translated, lawrkhawm means, a 'collection' in Mizo). Its based on digg and uses pligg (an open source thingy). So everyday, for the last few months, I scour the Web looking for news related to Mizoram and update the site. Sometimes, its not always Mizoram related but trust me, it sure takes a lot of time trying to find content that users of your site would want to vote or comment to.
Thanks to the users and some online friends like calliopia, the site is kept updated. So here's what has been happening lately:-

• I'm starting to think if coming to Chennai was the wisest move. (grins, someone is going to laugh at me like anything!)
• I miss home (Delhi), tired of this 'Bandit' life, moving around India, one job after the other. Want to be at home with family and be of some USE to the family.
  
• Working for a start-up and product company is SURELY different, give it a try, you'll feel the pulse of it (e.g. salaries being credited on the 5th of a month)
• Went to a highway (and a beach) they call "East Coast Road". Loved it, you'll forget marina or Gandhi beach once you're there.
• Avoided watching Sivaji on the hall for my own selfish reasons (regret it now, should have watched it)
• Its really cool when the Technical head (40+, US returned, knows binaries and embedded systems.... etc etc) of your company keeps asking you about "when are you getting a guitar?" He's a Tamil, loves the guitar and music, and reminded me of nanz.
  

There, that's all I have, Tenti isn't online these days but should've talked to her when she was. N**T has the most brilliant (and 'hatke') minds working for them, believe me.
And here's hoping that life's treating you damn well. Tinkertoon, WhenTF are you gonna call up???

I miss a place, the smell, and an aura that I can only smell-Dilli!

Well, last November was the first time I ever saw an ocean in my life. More than being an overwhelming experience, it was humbling .
As I sat and watched the waves hit the shores, I could hear the ocean mocking me.

"Look at me and look at yourself. Look how insignificant you are."

I kept quiet, looked at the ships on the horizon and all i could think of was,

"I know"

"Do you know what I can do"

"A tsunami?"

"I let you know that there are somethings left and that you are allowed to dream."

Keep Walking

Yes, I'm in Chennai - nanz's city...
For the first time in my professional career, I'm making this MOVE because of someone I have given my heart to...

Consider this:
"There are plenty of jobs in Bang'ore, hyd, NCR - Delhi, why chennai?"
"Well, my partner *dot dot dot*... she's working with ABC airlines, so.......that's why...."
It was more of a discussion than an interview...

so here I am...

I'll miss Chandigarh for reasons that I only know....Illusions stopping over with Amit and uttering that "you are living LARGE". Now LARGE and BIG might sound complimentary. But then, as tinkertoon put it, "its all relative" ....

Illusions, nanz, mojo, I'm missing you...I miss working with you!

So, here are the highlights of my first day in City Chennai...sounds abrupt, but then:-

• Silently prayed when the flight landed
• "Reported" to her
• Called up Dad
• Sent an SMS to Captain (he won't like me saying that I miss him etc, but I WAS missing him :)
• "Reported" to her (again),
• Reach this place called nanganallur (where I've been sneakily...visiting her since last September), went online, commented a thing or two,
• Called up KK (Hyderabad), Aashish(bangalore), AABDI(Chandigarh, one African guy I TRUST), TLUANGA (my friend and brotha),
  
• Finally CAPTAIN (who didn't find it necessary).
  
• Oh, Nepal "naresh" also called up from Kathmandu (Well, he's finally going for that DJ'ngineering course in Copenhagen :)
  

Oh btw, this is how I look these days :D

In life you do things because you have to, sometimes you do things because you want to, and then there are things that you do for love.

It’s already Valentine’s day and the one thing that I give a heads-up to my girlfriend is her tolerating my fart’ing’. I don’t give the stinking and loud fart that most guys do, but its a cute fart-you know the ones with a poot sound. Now you must be wondering how can a fart be Cute? well, that’s how she describes my fart as.

“It’s cute because its similar to the sound when our kitty sneezes” *sigh, you have to give it to women*

Prior to meeting her, I never knew I farted. It seems that after a few minutes I go off to sleep, I go poot.

“Honey, don’t worry. It’s barely audible!”

Time passed and one Valentine’s Day, she couldn’t bear it anymore and well, we had a fight about it.

“Fuck you and your farting!”

“Well, fuck you too!”

“I’m going to sleep”

“So am I”

“Stay in the other room”

“and you stay right here”

“Fine”

“Fine”

“HaHa”

“Now what?”

“I love you”

“I love you too”

A kiss on the lips, a hug, a nose rub and she curls up on the bed.

“Goodnight love, Happy Valentine’s Day”

“Love you too…Happy Valentine’s Day”

Thirty minutes pass.

Poot!

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

And that was the best Valentine post I could come up with

It’s not you that chooses whom to love, its love that chooses you : )

Life sure gets complicated when you're in love.

Love, I'm just joking...

2007 is here...Doh!

So the second week of 2007 is already here...hmmmm *strokes his Chinki beard like pai mei did*

The boldest thought I have had so far: 2007 is going to be a great year! *lights up a cigarette and says "bull$#1t"*

And for those of you who forwarded the forwarded sms I forwarded you on New Year's Eve, you are as unoriginal as me.

I wished you a happy new year when 2006 started and I will wish a happy new year when 2007 ends. BTW, If you thought that the SMS I sent you didn't have any thoughts behind it, you are very wrong! :)

BTW, here's 2007 as I see it:-

• Baghdad will continue to be on the news (was that supposed to be "in "?)...a bomb blast here, a bomb blast there....(I'm political, but too lazy to do anything about it)
• Bombay will be flooded again (mawhahahaha)
• We will have some "manufactured artist(s)/band(s)" that your teenage sis and my sis will go crazy for
• Bush will deploy something something bomb or some 2000000000000000000000 troops in some country
• Bollywood actors... e.g. John Abraham will appear in a "special" Chi"rs"tmas Program" where your 5 year old kid might ask him who his first crush was. As an actor, he'll "blush" and talk about how \a girl rejected him in college...and of course, we'll be watching this crap with our family
• Amar Singh and Shahrukh khan (Amita bacahn?) will "play" (khelenge... as in celebrate) Holi together
• Jimmy will have his own share of goof-ups - on the job and off the job
• Jimmy will cross his 30's
• One of my friend is surely going to bite the dust...(I mean, get married)

Homer! where TF are you? I need inputs for this blog! (Oh, the simpsons movie will be released this year...phew! some relief at least...)

My first week of 2007:-

• My heat convector is "still" working
• I am still calling friends/relatives after 11 PM, to ask them how THEY are doing and how i AM doing (alcohol makes you do "wonders"!)

• I've realized that my new flat/room sucks.
• I'm listening Hindi songs again (someone takes the credit for this one)
• I hum "Kal ho Na ho" when I look at her picture
• I've realized that drinking isn't what it used to be - "its not your cup of tea!" that's what my soul tells me
• "This is not what MSTP says", some lady in my office.

2007, here I am, I'm the man on the scene! *pulls down his pants and shows his ..."

Happy New Year! YAY!!

If you thought I was depressed when I wrote this blog, you empathise well, me thinks

Black is a song that pretty much sums up my state of mind these days. Copying and pasting the lyrics as is from the Net. If only singers could write and emote songs as well as Eddie Vedder does. I love the part where he says, "We belong together" and the last stanza is what hits me the most.
PS from a fan: "Eddie had written the song for his girlfriend :)"

Sheets of empty canvas, untouched sheets of clay
Were laid spread out before me as her body once did.
All five horizons revolved around her soul
As the earth to the sun
Now the air I tasted and breathed has taken a turn


Ooh, I know she gave me all that she wore
And now my bitter hands chafe beneath the clouds
Of what was everything.
Oh, the pictures have all been washed in black, tattooed everything...

I take a walk outside
I'm surrounded by some kids at play
I can feel their laughter, so why do I sear?
Oh, and twisted thoughts that spin round my head
I'm spinning, oh, I'm spinning
How quick the sun can drop away

And now my bitter hands cradle broken glass
Of what was everything?
All the pictures have all been washed in black, tattooed everything...

All the love gone bad turned my world to black
Tattooed all I see, all that I am, all I'll be... yeah...
Uh huh... uh huh... ooh...

I know someday you'll have a beautiful life,
I know you'll be a sun in somebody else's sky, but why
Why, why can't it be, why can't it be mine

Been a month since I blogged. So here's what has been happening lately.

• Became close friends with an Ethiopian (Abd) - to be honest, my first impression was that Abd was a "Wise Man"
  
• Thanks to Abd, got to party in a place he called "Sector-13" of Chandigarh
  
• Been working/partying, working/partying, working/partying
• G and I are totally out of touch (the distance factor coming into play, yet again
  
• Nishant was back in City Beautiful
  
• Gave shelter for three days to some "Homeless" friends ('twas the landlady, not their fault they say :D
  
• Conceded that "I have a habit that I'm not really proud of..."
  

Coincidence, fate or destiny?

I had never planned to come here (in city beautiful:) nor had I planned to go to Poona. More than coincidences I have always been a believer of fate or something of what you call destiny. In college, Sam used to tell me this thing - "You are the maker of your own destiny". I could never convince Sam that destiny is what drives me and has/will take me to places where I never thought I would be.

So here I am Sam, with a story. Trying to convince you once again, as to why I believe in destiny :)

One night the film-maker Rui Guerra, was talking with his friends in a house in the interior of Mozambique. The country was at war, and so everything - from petrol to electric light - was In short supply.

To pass the time they started talking about what they would like to eat. Each of them described his or her favorite food; and when it came to Rui's turn, he said: 'I'd like to eat an apple', knowing that, because of rationing, it was impossible to find any fruit at all.

At that precise moment, they heard a noise, and a beautiful, shiny apple rolled into the room and stopped in front of him!

Later, Rui discovered that one of the girls who live there had gone out to buy some fruit in the black market. As she came up the stairs, she tripped and fell, the bag of apples she had bought split open, and one of the apple had rolled into the room.

Sam, if you say that's mere coincidence, that would be a very poor word to explain this story.

A few more hrs and this week will be "officially" over! Phew, the weekend is finally here.

Quotes of the week:-

• "Bad news guys! I've left the keys of the gate in Captain's car and the landlady has locked it!"
• "Sorry Jimmy, I thought it was my phone. Will come and give it as soon as i'm back in Chandigarh" (not S's fault actually, we both use an 1100)
• "Jimmy-a chu i ngaihawm dawn hle mai", said Fela, the night before he left for Delhi. Jimmy,
• you'll be really missed!
• "Why are you leaving this place?"
• "Uncle ka mood kharab hoga, varna aunty to aapko apne beta jaisa dekhti hain!" said my maid. Uncle (landlord) must be in a bad mood, that's why - Aunty sees you as her own son - (Don't kid me lady!)

List of things to do this weekend:-

1. Get a hair cut (first priority)
2. Go with Captain to the construction site where he's getting some work done
3. Ask landlady if Uncle Really wants me to leave
4. If landlady (Aunty) says Uncle really meant it, then "Things to do" No. 2 is scrapped!

Been limping the whole week 'cause of a minor fracture. My feet have been hurting like hell. I'm going to drink the pain away with Cap'n and R at Aerizzona.

The Last Ride Together

Cap'n asked me to search for this poem last Weekend. Well, we read it aloud (with some guests around :P )

Cap'n told me that it was written by some *Robert*
Robert Browning - (1812–1889), it turned out to be!

Yep! 'twas written a long time ago!

I finally concluded with Cap'n that we aren't good in *PURE* English!

BTW, this poem talks about the "last ride" that the poet wishes to have (with his Woman) before it's "time to go" for him (Cap'n told me that the poet is dying!)
-----------------------------------

*COPIED AND "shamelessly" PASTED*

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

I SAID—Then, dearest, since ’tis so,
Since now at length my fate I know,
Since nothing all my love avails,
Since all, my life seem’d meant for, fails,

Since this was written and needs must be— 5
My whole heart rises up to bless
Your name in pride and thankfulness!
Take back the hope you gave,—I claim
Only a memory of the same,
—And this beside, if you will not blame; 10
Your leave for one more last ride with me.

My mistress bent that brow of hers,
Those deep dark eyes where pride demurs
When pity would be softening through,
Fix’d me a breathing-while or two 15
With life or death in the balance: right!
The blood replenish’d me again;
My last thought was at least not vain:
I and my mistress, side by side
Shall be together, breathe and ride, 20
So, one day more am I deified.
Who knows but the world may end to-night?

Hush! if you saw some western cloud
All billowy-bosom’d, over-bow’d
By many benedictions—sun’s 25
And moon’s and evening-star’s at once—
And so, you, looking and loving best,
Conscious grew, your passion drew
Cloud, sunset, moonrise, star-shine too,
Down on you, near and yet more near, 30
Till flesh must fade for heaven was here!—
Thus learnt she and linger’d—joy and fear!
Thus lay she a moment on my breast.

Then we began to ride. My soul
Smooth’d itself out, a long-cramp’d scroll 35
Freshening and fluttering in the wind.
Past hopes already lay behind.
What need to strive with a life awry?
Had I said that, had I done this,
So might I gain, so might I miss. 40
Might she have loved me? just as well
She might have hated, who can tell!
Where had I been now if the worst befell?
And here we are riding, she and I.

Fail I alone, in words and deeds? 45
Why, all men strive and who succeeds?
We rode; it seem’d my spirit flew,
Saw other regions, cities new,
As the world rush’d by on either side.
I thought,—All labour, yet no less 50
Bear up beneath their unsuccess.
Look at the end of work, contrast
The petty done, the undone vast,
This present of theirs with the hopeful past!
I hoped she would love me; here we ride. 55

What hand and brain went ever pair’d?
What heart alike conceived and dared?
What act proved all its thought had been?
What will but felt the fleshly screen?
We ride and I see her bosom heave. 60
There’s many a crown for who can reach.
Ten lines, a statesman’s life in each!
The flag stuck on a heap of bones,
A soldier’s doing! what atones?
They scratch his name on the Abbey-stones. 65
My riding is better, by their leave.

What does it all mean, poet? Well,
Your brains beat into rhythm, you tell
What we felt only; you express’d
You hold things beautiful the best, 70
And pace them in rhyme so, side by side.
’Tis something, nay ’tis much: but then,
Have you yourself what’s best for men?
Are you—poor, sick, old ere your time—
Nearer one whit your own sublime 75
Than we who never have turn’d a rhyme?
Sing, riding’s a joy! For me, I ride.

And you, great sculptor—so, you gave
A score of years to Art, her slave,
And that’s your Venus, whence we turn 80
To yonder girl that fords the burn!
You acquiesce, and shall I repine?
What, man of music, you grown gray
With notes and nothing else to say,
Is this your sole praise from a friend, 85
‘Greatly his opera’s strains intend,
Put in music we know how fashions end!’
I gave my youth: but we ride, in fine.

Who knows what’s fit for us? Had fate
Proposed bliss here should sublimate 90
My being—had I sign’d the bond—
Still one must lead some life beyond,
Have a bliss to die with, dim-descried.
This foot once planted on the goal,
This glory-garland round my soul, 95
Could I descry such? Try and test!
I sink back shuddering from the quest
Earth being so good, would heaven seem best?
Now, heaven and she are beyond this ride.

And yet—she has not spoke so long! 100
What if heaven be that, fair and strong
At life’s best, with our eyes upturn’d
Whither life’s flower is first discern’d,
We, fix’d so, ever should so abide?
What if we still ride on, we two 105
With life for ever old yet new,
Changed not in kind but in degree,
The instant made eternity,—
And heaven just prove that I and she
Ride, ride together, for ever ride?