2005

I see that almost everybody looks through the past year and judges whether it has been good, bad or ugly. And at this time of the year, I can't stop thinking about it either. I think, 2005 in comparison with 2004 was far much better for me. Better in all its senses really. 2004 was just plainly a bad year and it ended even uglier on 31st night at a horrible party in Atlanta, GA
It ended soo bad that I had shaded a sad picture for 2005 as well
But then these are some of the events that made 2005 a year better, and I think a year to remember.

Winter Quarter:

- getting to know Bhavik and living with him in the same apartment! his life stories.....haha!

- Physics 112 class with Namrata, Sonal and Mikey...I actually didn't enjoy that class, and all that icecream I had to treat Namrata for helping me in HWs got me to the edge of my budget ;)
-Accounting 211 class with Johny.....I'll remember those looong nights matching numbers and calling Deepa in the end for help!
-Randomly sitting around at Namrata and Sonal's apartment, begging for their home food.
-Rooming with Anuj.......all I can say is 'sigh'
-Coming up with ideas for Srujan MCing......sitting around talking about it in Ankit's room
-oh yeah, getting shocked watching Ankit first time after his hep A weight loss! (actually, I saw his photo....he seemed like he went to prison or something.)
-painful dance practice for apdi pode dance under Deepa's strict code.
-Rohit randomly coming down to our apartment.
-Becoming a Bappi Laheri fan after hearing Disco 82....thanks Ankit for introducing me to it!
-Going to the gym with Rohit and Bhavik and occasionally Anuj!

Went to India for spring break!! I couldn't believe myself for doing this....but then my dad was getting an award and I didn't want to miss it....Plus I had loads of fun celebrating Holi in Delhi.

Spring Quarter:(at last!!)
-hectic practices for the dance, hardest time remembering the steps!!
-writing the MC script with Namrata....it was so much fun, and we were proud of some of our ideas!
- The Srujan show it self. I was glad people enjoyed our performence(s) and Disco 82 performance on stage!!!!
-Social Dance class. Yes this desereves to be in bold!! Ankit and me had soo much fun in this class. Ankit was enjoying the social part while I was enjoying dances too! We made many friends, got to dance with many girls! , and we even got compliments from them!
-I was a part of the the team headed by Namrata for raising funds for American Society for cancer research....the 24 hour event was quite fun, more than I had expected besides we had little fun raising money for a good cause.
-ice-creams @ UDF after every social dance class with Ankit, Nicole and Kavita!!
-Tuesday nights @ BW3s for 35 cents Chicken wings- a tradition starts!! and is still being followed!!
-My Birthday! I got the most thoughtful gift ever --5 books!......Thank you guys!!
-good grades!(probably my best quarter so far!)
-parties at my apartment.
-This one night when only Rohit, Bhavik and me had a party among our selves in my apartment.
-growing my hair.
-Anuj and Aditi (don't know what more to explain)

California was sooo beautiful. I was there for the break before summer quarter. Had a great time hicking and enjoyed the break with soo many cousins and my nephews and nieces and even my parents came down.

Summer Quarter:
-REGULAR workout with Ankit @ arc!
-Learning to ride a Horse with Ankit Srivastava
-Atanu's Mom staying at our apartment.....
-Always at Sonal and Namrata's place --gossiping!!
-Abhishek as my new apartment-mate--had a great time living with him.
- Rooming with VARAPRASAD---stories to tell!!!!!!!
-Still going for thursday night ice-creams with Nicole (Ankit ditched us many times...)
-Loooooooonnnng hours talking with Ankit!!!
-summer weather! (first summer in US)

In the break, back to India! Fun with family, sister and my 2 naughty bhanjas.
Long drives late night. and driving the Mercedes CLS 500 @ 180+ kms/hr- phew!!

Fall Quarter:
-Moving into an studio apartment.
-Bus-Fin 620 class with Deepa and those Fucking exams :'(
-Birthdayssssssssssssss!!! Celebrating 4 or 5 (i lost count) birthdays!!
- Recieving a very special compliment from Deepa ;)
-Interviews and chit-chatting with Nicole.
-Ankit's stay overs and making use of my futon! :p
-Halloween Party!
-hate mails for creating a group on facebook!!

Winter break back home in India! i was a little de-motivated because of grades in fall quarter and the end of the year nears very fast!

Well, I know this post might be boring....But I want people to tell me their most memorable time with me in 2005 (good or bad!)....so I can make 2006 a even better year and also make sure I remember those moments since I do tend to forget many things!!!! so guys, pls comment.....

Home Coming!

Yesterday I came back from Delhi, after visiting my home town - Muzaffarnagar. I have been to Muzaffarnagar almost every year since we shifted to Bombay, but this time I saw it a little differently. This time I felt I was visiting a small town, with people having a small town thinking. I think one of the reasons for looking at it differently is me living in US for 2 years, and lately thinking about these things.....especially after many long talks with Nicole (for her project) on India and my life.
But I really fail to understand certain things. Consider this:
Muzaffarnagar is ranked among the top five for highest per capita income in India.
This district contributes about 50% of India's sugar production.
According to latest survey, its literacy rate is more than 86%- much above the national average.

Any body would think it is vibrant city on progressive track. But this city also has the highest crime rate in India. The city is known for its lawlessness. The people here are known to be caste biased and I would say more traditional. Although beliefs may be traditional, there is little or no respect amongt the society. I don't get it.....an educated, wealthy and hard working society acting and behaving in the crudest way. why would that be?

Anyways, I had little time to think abt these things there...I was meeting so many people all the time, relatives, dad's friends and many more new people. Some of these city scenes amused me so I took some photographs.Traffic moves fast with cycle-rickshaws and bullock carts.Food being prepared on traditional angithi!
An ad in the local paper- may be me and Ankit should try this instead!
A dal's brandname is Miss India, haha. And the bori is used as a door mat!This photograph speaks Muzaffarnagar. A rifle and cartridges on a salad table! (this is no photoshop, nor the gun is fake and the cartridges are live)

Theres more I want to write on the blog, but i'll keep that for other posts.

Just like that.

I read this in Reader's Digest magazine:

"A girl can wait for the right man, but in the meantime that doesn't mean she can't have a wonderful time with the wrong ones." - Cher

I modified this:

"A guy can wait for the right girl, but in the meantime that doesn't mean he can't have a wonderful time with the wrong ones."

So girls, I am ready to be your wrong guy and you can be my wrong girl, and together we can have some fun!

This is one of the biggest news I have read in Bombay times...A new actor is coming in Bollywood. Son of one of the biggest stars of bollywood, everybody on the street knows his name and girls and ladies go wild just hearing his name.
The new actor's name is Mimoh!!
Yes people, you guessed it right, he is son of our very own Mithun Chakraborty. He even has his name in the Guiness book of world records.......for highest number of flopped movies consecutively.
Girls please don't faint looking at that picture!!

(Please).....We are Indians.

At JFK Air- India check in counter- a loooooong line with even bigger suit cases and luggage.
(Being a smart ass, I didn't have any check in luggage so skipped the longer line..)
-Bumping into people you know.-Utsav, his brother Ankit, Nidhi P. and many other familiar faces I couldn't name!
-All indians get up when an announcement is made for boarding families with children or people with special needs, cloggin the enterence.
-Being told to switch of my phone while handing over my boarding pass- Indian planes are extra sensitive to these, you see
-after joking abt it with a frd, an old guy standing behind giving us a lecture on why people should follow rules.
-sitting next to an indian lady who refuses to recognize my presence.
-competing with people in finding space to put my small back-pack and a carry bag.
-laughing at fights breaking out for space.
-Flight takes off 40 minutes late.
-As the plane takes off suddenly a baby cries right into your ear from behind.
-At cruzing altitude, the lady next to me askes me suddenly-"isko peeche kaise karte hain" (I politely pushed the button for reclining the chair.)
-After a so-so meal and in deep sleep, woken up by the air-hostess abrubtly to be asked "tea please, coffee please"
-seeing a line for the rest room right after the meals.
-The video system in the plane fails.
-When they try fix it, all they could find is safety videos to play.
-The reading light is aimed at the next seat not yours.
-In the plane, discovering that there is actually a stop over at New-Delhi apart from London.
-At London stop-over, we are running about 20 mins late.
-Re-entering the air plane, quickly placing your bags in the over head before any fights.
-an hour late in taking off.
-given up on repairing the video system.
-smart enough to have a back up and watch a movie on your laptop.
-at new-delhi, no announcements on whats going to happen.
-further delay of one hour.
-2 new ladies replace the old lady and like her, refuse to say a word.
- last 2 hours hardest to kill.
- Landing in Mumbai, before the plane stops, people rushing to get the luggage or else it the guy next seat will beat him in the race and win a ferrari car with a big trunk.
-Racing to get first into the immigration counter
-Beating the whole plane as I get out of the airport first- NO WAITING 5 HRS FOR BAGGAGE :p
-getting out of the airport and intuativly saying no to all taxi and hotel offers.

Finding no familiar faces among hundreds, a few calls from PCO booth (luckily I was carrying indian currency) and I saw my brother.

YES I AM HOME!!!!

PS- the please in the title is in brackets because not a single time it was used when asking for a favor in the event above, although I have to assume it was said multiple times and they(indians) really mean it!