A Busy Year Ahead!

Apr 12

Posted by Amit K in Personal | 1 Comment

Just turned a year older this April. While I look upon the way last year has passed (they do breeze by don’t they?), things do not seem  to have gone as planned.

While I am exceeding expectations of my supervisors at work, certainly I have not lived upto the expectations I have set for myself. And this year I have decided come what may, I am not going to disappoint myself. Have drawn out  a list of things that I want to do this year. So hopefully when I look upon this year, I  would have a nice big smile on my face.

1. Get into a good B-school.Very very important. Top priority. Need to work real hard here.

2. Lose 12 kgs. It has to happen this year. But with no time to join a gym, things look difficult.

3.  Do things you love not necessarily things that get you money.

4. Always keep smiling. Never grumble about how life is going. This is a must for everyone, the more you grumble the more worse your life would becomes, and you would end up grumbling more. And the cycle just continues.

5. Learn, Learn, Learn.

6.  Share, Share, Share.

7. Reduce movies to a bare minimum. This one’s really tough. It’s like asking myself to stop breathing :) .

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Zoya Factor Is A Breezy Read

Feb 5

Posted by Amit K in Books, Cricket | No Comments

First of all,  no complete review here, as I am just half way through Anuja Chauhan’s debut  novel, Zoya factor.

Just bought this book a few days back and ended up debiting my account by a good 295 bucks. But half way into the novel, and it definitely seems worth the price.

AnujaChauhan picks upon the superstitious and cricket nausea that has infected our country and weaves  quite a creative story around it.

Zoya, a 27 year old ad agency worker, has suddenly got cult status after the Indian cricket team believes that she is their lucky charm. Having a breakfast with Zoya, is all that it would take to get over their bad form, after all Zoya was born on 25th June 1983, the very day India had won the World Cup. So off goes Zoya  with the Indian Cricket Team to Australia, to bless India with all the luck they need to win the coveted World Cup. Will Zoya prove lucky for the team and help them win the World Cup? There’s also romance brewing between Indian skipper, Nikhil Khoda ( if u cann’ t fig. out this to be Dhoni..u ain’t no any cricket) and Zoya.

While it can be predicted to where the book is headed for, it’s Anuja’s casual writing style that makes this one perfect, if you are looking for a light weight fun read.

Anuja the brain behind the Oye Bubbly and Yeh Dil Maange More campaigns for Pepsi is in full form with cheeky one liners, wicked jokes and an interesting bunch of characters.

Apart from a quiet little page which says that, “All characters in this book are fictional”..and all that crap, the entire book screams real life characters, be it cricketers, celebrities or the board executives. Anuja has a dig at all of them and invokes much humor.

zoya factor

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Luck By Chance : A Peek Into The Film World

Feb 1

Posted by Amit K in Movie Reviews | 1 Comment

Without building up any suspense, Zoya Akthar’s directorial debut is indeed a good watch. Making three hours in a dark room, not seem like three long hours but three entertaining hours is a task in itself. And Zoya does manage to pull it off.

luck by chance

Armed with a lot of insider knowledge about the film industry, Zoya does a superb job of providing a glimpse into it. Most importantly Zoya has managed to create wonderful set of  characters, the successful manipulative producer Romi Rolly ( Rishi Kapoor) , a struggling actress (Konkona Sharma) and Farhan Akthar’s struggling actor friend are the ones that stand apart. The characters are full of life and blood and not just mere caricatures.

The dialogues by Javed Akthar are surely the backbone for the film and perhaps Luck By Chance would not have worked that well had it not been for those wonderful lines.

Present in just a few scenes, Hrithik Roshan gives a stunning performance as the superstar Zafar Khan. Farhan Akthar gives a sincere performance. Isha Shravani impresses for once playing the dumbwit starlet daughter. Konkona Sen Sharma is reliable as always. It’s always  a joy to watch her on screen.

But it is Dimple Kapadia and Rishi Kapoor who you yearn to see for. Rishi Kapoor who plays the successful good at heart producer and Dimple Kapadia who plays the yesteryear’s starlet are simply superb. And once again credit has to be given to Zoya for the wonderful characters she has developed.
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A New Year … A New Look

Jan 3

Posted by Amit K in Personal | No Comments

No, it’s not the blog getting a new look. It’s me!

Finally, off with that bush between my nose and lips, commonly referred to as a MOUSTACHE.

Now time to change a quite a few things (and not just physically), time to set and achieve my goals, time to continuously keep learning and adding new skills(and not just programming skills), time to blog more often, time to  make and break resolutions,  and most importantly of all…… ‘Time To Keep Enjoying‘.

New Year Passion…. Investing In Shares

Jan 2

Posted by Amit K in Share Market And Me | 1 Comment

Have to thank the bad governance of Satyam, to trigger my entry into the stock market. With the share prices crashing to almost half, there could not have been a safer bet. Though could not capitalise on investing in Satyam, when it was at an all time low at Rs. 120 odd, managed to get a fair deal at, Rs.153. With the current price at Rs. 177, my first kiss with the stock market is likely to yield positive dividends :)

But investing in stocks is not just about making (or losing) money, it gives me an adrenaline rush. A sense of excitement, a feeling of pride (in owning a stake in huge billion dollar companies), also making me acquainted with all those dreaded economic terms,  and  yes it does provide me with the usual panic attacks (when your shares move into the Red zone).

stock market and share prices

For the time being have stakes (now that really makes me proud) in ICICI, NDTV, Kingfisher Airlines, Satyam . So to all you people out there, NDTV is the channel to watch. Kingfisher Airlines is the flight to fly, ICICI is the bank to deposit all your cash. And Raymond is where you shop from. Atleast until, I have my investments in there :)

And for now ….. Bye Bye MTV. Hooked onto UTVi.

Mumbai Terror : Finally Over?

Nov 29

Posted by Amit K in India | No Comments

 Last Sunday evening, I stood at the Gateway Of India trying to capture every piece of the majestic iconic Taj…. the same Taj is now in flames. Burning for the last 60 hours. The fire will get doused but  the walls and the spirit of Taj would forever remain charred. The Leopold cafe which was forever filled with laughs and incessant chatter would be now filled with an eerie calm.

The latest updates from news televisions tell me that everything is under control now. All terrorists have been killed. The siege has been ended. The Indian Army, the NSG, the Maharashtra Police, the Firefighters, have done our country proud with their undying valour. Several soldiers have become martyrs. Nariman house, Oberoi Hotel and Taj Hotel have now been sanitised. While this arduous task has ended. A much bigger task of sanitising our country exists.

At this stage it does not matter whether we take the right steps according to the various treaties that always seem to with hold us. It  does not matter what the UN thinks. It really doesn’t matter what the many Human rights activists think, or what other countries seem to think is morally right for us to do at this stage. We have to annihilate the mice that are eating up our country. And it really does not matter whether we turn into a black or a white cat. We just need to eat up and finish those bloody rodents. Period.

I urge all my readers and every true Indian to follow their normal routine as if everything is fine. Do not stay locked up in your houses. Do not pack your bags and leave the state. Do not dampen the spirit of Mumbai. Do not let fear seep into you lives. Do not let terrorism win.

Here’s saluting the valor of the Indian Army forces. Jai Maharashtra! Jai Hind!

The Simplest Explanation Of The US Financial Crisis On The Net

Sep 29

Posted by Amit K in Finance | 1 Comment

The US financial crisis has been the talk of the town. And the fact that I did not want to  seem as lost as Rakhi Sawant in UN’s World Summit, I had no option but to metamorphise my homepage from indiafm to economictimes. After reading a dozen or so articles about the US economy which were as joyful as  watching RGV Ki Aag a dozen times over, my tolerance levels were slipping. And just  when indications of me facing a mental crisis after reading so much of the US crisis seemed apparent, I decided it was time to take a break from the world of finance, and began chatting with a friend online.

Aise hi baaton baaton mein, while chatting with her, I asked her if she had any clue about what the hell was happening in US. Whilst she always had a doubt that I had some of my screws missing up there, asking her this question was a confirmation of my insanity. “Ek marungi, kuch dhang ki baatein karo” came her curt reply.

Upto mischief as always, I started pestering her and pleaded her to find out about the US crisis and explain it to me. “Apne dost ke liye itna bhi nahin kar sakti” , and a few more emotional dialogues later, courtesy Yash Raj Films, I had really got to her nerves. I could have continued with my pestering ordeal had a project meeting not stalled my activity.

Mentally exhausted after two hours in the meeting, I was  surprised to see a huge message window greeting me. I couldn’t stop smiling once I started reading its contents. And thought I should share its contents with all my blog readers too. So if you really want, a simple/ non -technical depiction of the US financial crisis, then this is very your search ends. Here’s my friend’s description ( word by word) of the US financial situation and its impact on India. Fantastic, to say the least.

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Abe sun jo tera US financial crisis mein mujhe jitna padha who bata deti hun……Jo abhi Lehmenn brothers collapse hua hai na…kyunki it was the major investor in the market for mortaging… and  other reasons as well. kyunki doosre banks ne refuse kiya uske saath kaam karne ko kyunki…kyunki uske business karne ka tarika bahut hi complex and  opaque tha and moreover usne housing loans diye they logon ko who bahut hi risky the. Kyunki jab interest rate badhta tha to borrowers could not repay lehman ..and this led to huge losses.

And the 62-year-old CEO of Lehman Richard Fuld( ulllu and gadha insaan) rejected many bids to save Lehman becoz he thought he wanted more price for the sale of the company…and was not satisfied what Barclays was paying…Because of this ullu jaisa lehman ka crisis many people lost their jobs… and US is facing crisis.

Also to add to it…Bank of America is buying  Merrill Lynch …

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The Wake Up Call

Aug 15

Posted by Amit K in Personal | 3 Comments

Kabhi Kabhi Aditi Zindagi Mein Koi……

There goes my alarm, and it’s put off even before a line of the beautiful song is completed.With one eye open , I check out the time its 6.30 am. I roll on my bed for a few minutes before deciding that half an hour of more sleep ain’t going to hurt anybody. The half hour somehow ends up into a 3 hour long slumber.

Damn it, it’s 9.30 am. Had promised I would sweat it out at the gym today. Have been skipping the gym religiously for sometime now, and my ever increasing waistline would soon be the inspiration for setting up a few jogging tracks in my area. But there’s no time now, have to reach office by 11 am.That too seems an impossibility. Dadar to SEEPZ in an hour, that too on a rainy day, would be the height of optimism.

I curse my self for being lazy, curse office for starting at 11am and not 2pm, curse my servant for not coming on time, curse my clothes for not being ironed, curse my mobile for not having being charged. It’s 10 am by the time I manage to leave home. It has started pouring cats and dogs, monkeys and elephants, and I send a last curse to the skies for starting my day in such a miserable manner.

If you haven’t understood by now, I hate rains. Speeding cars splashing water all over you and turning your formal wear into designer stuff, buses being jam packed, auto-rickshaw drivers doing nakhras to take you in, and the Mumbai traffic and pathetic drainage do not help either.

Finally manage to get a taxi, and that’s a pretty difficult task, specially if its a rainy day and if you wish to visit a traffic prone area like SEEPZ. I flung my office bag at the side and decide to catch some sleep in the taxi until the rather long journey to office is completed. Hardly have I slept for a few minutes, that I am woken up by persistent thumping on the windows of the taxi. A little girl in tattered clothes is knocking on my window begging for some money.

I’m a total disapprover of giving money to beggars as I believe you are aiding some one to be reliant on others mercy rather than one’s own hard work. So as usual, I tell the girl to move ahead, without even looking at her. But she stills pleads, saying that she is in real hunger.

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Back To Heaven Back To Goa…..

Jun 16

Posted by Amit K in Personal, Photo Gallery | 4 Comments

Back to Grandmom’s world class food…. back to pampering parents…. back to irritating and troubling moi sister…… back to sipping coffee on the beach side CCD…. back to clean beaches…..back to laughing on silly jokes with friends ….. back to nite outs….. back to open roads…. back to breathing …back to living…back to heaven…back to Goa.

 

goa campal

Panaji’s Most Busiest SideWalk At Peaktime

 

goa roads

Miramar Highway

goa

The Camera Just Went Click

 

dinner with friends

After Hogging At Hotel Orion With Friends

 

freinds

Trying To Be Innovative

Check out some more of my pathetic photography skills inside

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The Great Indian Cooking Disaster

May 11

Posted by Amit K in Personal | 4 Comments

15 th April , 1912 : The Titanic Sinks

3rd December 1984 : Bhopal Gas Tragedy

23rd July 1973 : Himesh Reshammiya is born

29th June 2007 : Himesh Reshammiya debuts as an actor with Aap Ka Surrooor.

9th May 2008 : Mimoh debuts as an actor with Jimmy

And now its time to update this list of all time disasters.

11th May 2008 : Me and my room-mates decide to wake up the Sanjeev Kapoor sleeping within us and decide to exploit our culinary skills.

To all the ladies and a few men, who have ever managed to cook anything eatable in their entire lifetime, hats off to you all. One attempt at cooking and I have realised cracking CAT or I.I.T. JEE seems a lot more easier. And no kidding here.

Equipped with a lot of enthusiasm and optimistic of giving the Sanjeev Kapoors and the Tarla Dalal’s of the world a run for their money, I and my room mates decided to don the chef’s hat.

My grand-mom is the world’s best cook, mom cooks pretty well, and dad also does manage to cook well when he does decide to cook. So guess genetically ( if there are cooking genes) I was pretty much equipped to be a fine cook. So no more waitin, Sanjeev Kapoor was all set to wakeup from his slumber.

Bhendi ki Sabji, Soya beans Masala Gravy, Bundi Raita was what we intended to cook but ask my digestive system and you are sure to get way different answers. I really love spicy food but after having a bit of what we cooked yesterday, it will be good bye to spicy and masaledar food for a while(like for some centuries). Not paying heed to my friend who claimed to have some previous cooking experience, I went on adding scoops of chilli powder to every dish that was burning (cann’t use the term cooking here) on the gas stove. While she prayed for me to stop my experimentation and rest and watch IPL instead, I insisted on being innovative. Something in me said that adding Dominos chilli flakes and Dominos organic seasonings would surely give the food a different taste. It gave it a different taste alright, but it no longer remained food. And the moment I added Tropicana Apple Juice to the soya bean gravy, she gave up providing help with the food. So it was just the food at the mercy of me and my room mates innovation and experimentation.

After about two hours of experimentation with the food. The “so called food” was ready. Cooking reminded me of my Chemistry practical sessions where we mindlessly used to mix up chemicals just to see what combination would be produced. The only difference was the experimentations at the laboratory resulted in me almost losing one of my eyes and the expire – mentations in the kitchen resulted in all of us getting a bad stomach ache and losing the desire of ever having or cooking food again.

is this food???

Here’s a look at what we prepared. It might look alright, but ask our angry bowels who are right now firing all kinds of expletives (arreey no need of opening up the dictionary : it just a nice way of saying maa behen ki gaaliyaan) at me and my room mates and you shall get pretty much disgusting answers.

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