And now, its time to give our weekly review on everything or anything. This was not scheduled? Well, from now on it is. We will give reviews of everything or anything each week, every week. This week's review is on --*drum rolls and what not*-- Pepsi Gold.
Ketan drank Pepsi Gold yesterday and gave his review. And trust me, Ketan knows it all, our very own repository. He had this to say:
"It sucks man".
That's it for this week's review. Stay tuned for more interesting reviews on everything or anything by everyone or anyone of us. Peace.
Thursday, March 29, 2007
Thursday, March 22, 2007
Trip to Confident Cascade
What happened on the trip to confident cascade? I sang!! On stage!! AND PEOPLE LIKED IT!!!!
I'll start this story the way I always do:
March 12: The whole, 48 strong "high flyers" team from my workplace decided to get together at a resort on Bannerghata Road, called Confident cascade. The reason behind that name is simple: If you take an aerial sweep of the area on a helicopter from a height of approx. 200 meters and look at the place from a certain angle, you'll see the words "Confident Cascade" painted on one of the boards.
The day started off with a short ride on a bus we'd rented from TISB (the International School, Bangalore) which, judging from the bus, must be a freakishly expensive school. As we picked up various team mates from the different pickup points, we'd shout "(name) ji ki. JAI", where (name) is the name of whoever just walked into the bus. Once we got there,
I sang!! On stage!! AND PEOPLE LIKED IT!!!!
Oh wait...Lots of things happened before that.
We got to the resort at about 10 a.m, and were greeted by the Confident staff with a watermelon juice. That is, they gave it to us in cups. (I have no idea how to get that first sentence right.) Then, we entered the place and saw some very cool buildings: the office and hotel, the multi-purpose hall, the swimming pool, "Chess Land", etc. On the other side was a big field for cricket, tennis, volleyball, etc. It's a great new resort indeed.
Having explored the place for a bit, we gathered at the dining hall for breakfast. The breakfast was, to put it mildly, deplorable. After breakfast, we split ourselves into four teams of twelve, for the team-building activities: the "winners", "whistlers", "heavy-weights" and "sportives". My team was the "sportives", and we gave ourselves that name so we'd have something amicable even if we lost (which we did).
We played a few team games till noon: longest chain, tug of war, that blindfold game, frisbee, "football", etc After which some people (including me) decided to go for a swim in the pool, while most of the "high flyers" sat around in chess land and played games like dumb charades. I figured, even though the hot sun and the chlorinated pool would make me red as beet, it's nothing that a dozen layers of cream and three different face-washes cannot get rid of. I was wrong. I'm still slightly red.
At about 2 p.m, we gathered again at the dining hall for lunch. Everything other than ice cream (manufactured) and fruit salad (natural), involving more than minimalist cooking was awful. Post lunch, we gathered in the multi purpose hall, which served two purposes: the singing session and the hot seat. This is where the good part comes:
I sang!! On stage!! AND PEOPLE LIKED IT!!!!
The song was Carpenter's "yesterday, once more", which holds a place in my heart because it's like the official song of ILP kolkata. Back then, the manager had played us that song on the valediction day. The emotions attached with that experience come back to us each time we hear this classic song. Although I sang only for a minute, this represents the first time I went up on stage and did something right for a change. This song helped me lose my stage fear and is the reason why this entry is so long. I must thank the GL for having noticed that I was practicing and calling me on stage. My close friend, Divya “DJ” Jyothi “DON’T ever write about me” and Keerthi also sang very well.
After the singing, there were some more team games which, being a “sportive” team member, I don’t want to talk about. After that was the Hot Seat session where some of the popular team members were called on stage. The GL was last to go on the seat, and revealed (this is just the most shocking thing to me) that he wanted everyone in the team to finish their work and go home at 5.30 PM, including himself. He envisions the team to be unique, in as much as personal life is concerned. Till that point, I thought the team mates were being “under utilized”. It’s good to have a GL who believes in work-life balance.
After Hot seat, at about 5 PM, the Confident staff used tea and snacks to bid farewell to our team. (I’m trying all permutations and combinations till I get that sentence right.) We played antakshari as we went back home on the TISB bus.
I must thank Nagarajan, Venky Boss, GL Srinatha, and the others who vanguarded this little get-together. Thank you all for a great, memorable day. A day in which:
I sang!! On stage!! AND PEOPLE LIKED IT!!!!
I'll start this story the way I always do:
March 12: The whole, 48 strong "high flyers" team from my workplace decided to get together at a resort on Bannerghata Road, called Confident cascade. The reason behind that name is simple: If you take an aerial sweep of the area on a helicopter from a height of approx. 200 meters and look at the place from a certain angle, you'll see the words "Confident Cascade" painted on one of the boards.
The day started off with a short ride on a bus we'd rented from TISB (the International School, Bangalore) which, judging from the bus, must be a freakishly expensive school. As we picked up various team mates from the different pickup points, we'd shout "(name) ji ki. JAI", where (name) is the name of whoever just walked into the bus. Once we got there,
I sang!! On stage!! AND PEOPLE LIKED IT!!!!
Oh wait...Lots of things happened before that.
We got to the resort at about 10 a.m, and were greeted by the Confident staff with a watermelon juice. That is, they gave it to us in cups. (I have no idea how to get that first sentence right.) Then, we entered the place and saw some very cool buildings: the office and hotel, the multi-purpose hall, the swimming pool, "Chess Land", etc. On the other side was a big field for cricket, tennis, volleyball, etc. It's a great new resort indeed.
Having explored the place for a bit, we gathered at the dining hall for breakfast. The breakfast was, to put it mildly, deplorable. After breakfast, we split ourselves into four teams of twelve, for the team-building activities: the "winners", "whistlers", "heavy-weights" and "sportives". My team was the "sportives", and we gave ourselves that name so we'd have something amicable even if we lost (which we did).
We played a few team games till noon: longest chain, tug of war, that blindfold game, frisbee, "football", etc After which some people (including me) decided to go for a swim in the pool, while most of the "high flyers" sat around in chess land and played games like dumb charades. I figured, even though the hot sun and the chlorinated pool would make me red as beet, it's nothing that a dozen layers of cream and three different face-washes cannot get rid of. I was wrong. I'm still slightly red.
At about 2 p.m, we gathered again at the dining hall for lunch. Everything other than ice cream (manufactured) and fruit salad (natural), involving more than minimalist cooking was awful. Post lunch, we gathered in the multi purpose hall, which served two purposes: the singing session and the hot seat. This is where the good part comes:
I sang!! On stage!! AND PEOPLE LIKED IT!!!!
The song was Carpenter's "yesterday, once more", which holds a place in my heart because it's like the official song of ILP kolkata. Back then, the manager had played us that song on the valediction day. The emotions attached with that experience come back to us each time we hear this classic song. Although I sang only for a minute, this represents the first time I went up on stage and did something right for a change. This song helped me lose my stage fear and is the reason why this entry is so long. I must thank the GL for having noticed that I was practicing and calling me on stage. My close friend, Divya “DJ” Jyothi “DON’T ever write about me” and Keerthi also sang very well.
After the singing, there were some more team games which, being a “sportive” team member, I don’t want to talk about. After that was the Hot Seat session where some of the popular team members were called on stage. The GL was last to go on the seat, and revealed (this is just the most shocking thing to me) that he wanted everyone in the team to finish their work and go home at 5.30 PM, including himself. He envisions the team to be unique, in as much as personal life is concerned. Till that point, I thought the team mates were being “under utilized”. It’s good to have a GL who believes in work-life balance.
After Hot seat, at about 5 PM, the Confident staff used tea and snacks to bid farewell to our team. (I’m trying all permutations and combinations till I get that sentence right.) We played antakshari as we went back home on the TISB bus.
I must thank Nagarajan, Venky Boss, GL Srinatha, and the others who vanguarded this little get-together. Thank you all for a great, memorable day. A day in which:
I sang!! On stage!! AND PEOPLE LIKED IT!!!!
Wednesday, March 21, 2007
Photo Blog: Pondy Trip
I just finished making the Pondicherry Trip Web album. Click here to view it.
Instructions: DO not miss out the captions. The photos were taken from a Nokia 6600, and the picture quality is quite deplorable. But, again:
DO NOT miss the captions.
Instructions: DO not miss out the captions. The photos were taken from a Nokia 6600, and the picture quality is quite deplorable. But, again:
DO NOT miss the captions.
Friday, March 16, 2007
My Drinking Problem
Till recently, I used to be a very contented man and I felt very rich even with a very low salary. The reason is that I get a lot of food coupons, which I would use regularly to bring home big bottles of beverages like Pepsi and Coke. But now, that is starting to change.
My mom, the (overly-) concerned type, is telling me that those kind of beverages are “bad for health”, that they “eat into your bones”, they “contain pesticides” and that “you simply cannot have them so much. Get fruit juices instead.” All of which is making me very sad. These fruit juices are more expensive and don’t seem quite as effective when it comes to thirst quenching capability.
She doesn’t even seem to understand my side of the issue: “No food is inherently good or bad for health. It all depends on the immune system, which gets simulated when you feel happy or when you laugh. Pepsi and coke (and especially ThumsUp) make me very happy. So how can these things be bad for health? Aren’t you concerned about your boy’s happiness and well being?”
Now I’m stuck with fruit juices and the like. Does anyone know the FACTS about aerated drinks, whether they’re good or bad for health? Here, I’m looking for facts supporting my side of the issue. Also, do you know any fruit juices that taste great?
[Note: I'm a teetotaler.]
My mom, the (overly-) concerned type, is telling me that those kind of beverages are “bad for health”, that they “eat into your bones”, they “contain pesticides” and that “you simply cannot have them so much. Get fruit juices instead.” All of which is making me very sad. These fruit juices are more expensive and don’t seem quite as effective when it comes to thirst quenching capability.
She doesn’t even seem to understand my side of the issue: “No food is inherently good or bad for health. It all depends on the immune system, which gets simulated when you feel happy or when you laugh. Pepsi and coke (and especially ThumsUp) make me very happy. So how can these things be bad for health? Aren’t you concerned about your boy’s happiness and well being?”
Now I’m stuck with fruit juices and the like. Does anyone know the FACTS about aerated drinks, whether they’re good or bad for health? Here, I’m looking for facts supporting my side of the issue. Also, do you know any fruit juices that taste great?
[Note: I'm a teetotaler.]
Thursday, March 15, 2007
Random Conversation
(One of the random chats my brother and I have randomly)
M = Me, H = Him.
M: I think at least about a million chicken are killed everyday worldwide.
H: What?
M: Chicken. Killed.
H: Yeah. Somehow people tend to eat them.
M: Yeah. Imagine if they had like big time brains. They would have taken over the world. They would have waged a huge war and created a massacre. They would have made each and everyone pay for all the chicken they have ever eaten. They would have (is interrupted)
H: Flown away to some other planet.
M: Hmmm.
M: I think.................(Some other random thing)
M = Me, H = Him.
M: I think at least about a million chicken are killed everyday worldwide.
H: What?
M: Chicken. Killed.
H: Yeah. Somehow people tend to eat them.
M: Yeah. Imagine if they had like big time brains. They would have taken over the world. They would have waged a huge war and created a massacre. They would have made each and everyone pay for all the chicken they have ever eaten. They would have (is interrupted)
H: Flown away to some other planet.
M: Hmmm.
M: I think.................(Some other random thing)
Kannada Movies
There are such funny sights along the drive to my office at Hosur Road; all of them have to do with Kannada movie ads. There seems to be a strange pattern they follow:
There's one with the angry looking hero Upendra showing that he's holding a stick in his hand.
Then there's one with some other angry looking hero holding a stone, in a very threatening way.
Then there's one with a stupid looking hero (must be Shivraj Kumar) holding a sword!
Do all kannada movies follow the same paradigm?
There's one with the angry looking hero Upendra showing that he's holding a stick in his hand.
Then there's one with some other angry looking hero holding a stone, in a very threatening way.
Then there's one with a stupid looking hero (must be Shivraj Kumar) holding a sword!
Do all kannada movies follow the same paradigm?
Monday, March 12, 2007
A Life Of Happiness, or A Life Of Meaning
This is a great dialogue from one of the recent episodes of the hit series "Heroes". There's a lot of wisdom in it:
(Don't worry. I'm not spoiling anything if you haven't yet watched it.)
A: "I think there comes a time when every man must ask himself whether he wants a life of happiness or a life of meaning."
B: "I would like to have both."
A: "Sorry, my friend. It simply can not be done. Those are two completely different paths. If you choose a life of meaning, you're required to wallow in the past and obsess about the future, but if you choose a life of happiness, you must live completely in the present moment: with no thoughts of what has gone by or what lies ahead."
These are the kind of thoughts that Spencer Johnson's "The Present" is made up of.
This particular dialogue makes me think really hard: Is it really impossible to have both happiness and meaning in one's life?
In any case, if those are the only two choices I would readily choose a Life of Happiness. Which path would you choose?
(Don't worry. I'm not spoiling anything if you haven't yet watched it.)
A: "I think there comes a time when every man must ask himself whether he wants a life of happiness or a life of meaning."
B: "I would like to have both."
A: "Sorry, my friend. It simply can not be done. Those are two completely different paths. If you choose a life of meaning, you're required to wallow in the past and obsess about the future, but if you choose a life of happiness, you must live completely in the present moment: with no thoughts of what has gone by or what lies ahead."
These are the kind of thoughts that Spencer Johnson's "The Present" is made up of.
This particular dialogue makes me think really hard: Is it really impossible to have both happiness and meaning in one's life?
In any case, if those are the only two choices I would readily choose a Life of Happiness. Which path would you choose?
Monday, March 5, 2007
The Monday Morning Test
"When you wake up on Monday Morning, do you feel like going to work? If you can honestly answer 'yes' to that question, your life is in good shape."
[This was a memorable citation in one of the episodes of "The Apprentice".]
Try that simple test. Do tell if you passed.
[This was a memorable citation in one of the episodes of "The Apprentice".]
Try that simple test. Do tell if you passed.
Friday, March 2, 2007
Interesting Fact and Statistics
1) If you consider a normal Homo sapien male to have a given mass, the total mass of our group would still be in par with average for 8 grown males of the species. We balance out each other.
2) Malaysia Demographics. Even more interesting is the Sex-ratio in Malaysia.
2) Malaysia Demographics. Even more interesting is the Sex-ratio in Malaysia.
Thursday, March 1, 2007
Our Apologies
About the "Coming Soon" entry, we hereby regret to inform you that nothing is actually "coming". We do hope you can empathize with our regretfulness.
Signed,
Eight of us
Signed,
Eight of us
Coming soon
Can you imagine these four words in one sentence:
Abhi, Nithin, Malaysia, GRE
Stay tuned for the action, right here on Together We drown.
Abhi, Nithin, Malaysia, GRE
Stay tuned for the action, right here on Together We drown.
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