rkj

Serpentine journey

2011-11-23T09:06:00.001-08:00

It's been a long and serpentine road,
The journey has left me with no respite,
The fruits of hard work are no where to be seen,
All that remains is bundles of remorse and sorrow.

Immortal Beloved

2011-09-09T23:33:00.000-07:00

I for once told myself that I would never write a blog post on this blog just because everything had become so mechanical with no justice to the writing material and the lack in quality.

Now that I'm in US, something has changed, I'm back to where I started and that propels me to write.

Yesterday, which was one of the most untidiest days of my life pushed me to my brink and I ended up watching "Immortal Beloved" which revolves around a love letter written by Maestro Ludvig Van Beethoven to a mysterious addressee on 6–7 July 1812 in Teplitz. The apparently unsent letter was in found in the composer's estate after his death, after which it remained in the hands of Anton Schindler until his death, was subsequently willed to his sister, and was sold by her in 1880 to the Berlin State Library, where it remains today. The letter is written in pencil and consists of three parts. Some of the excerpts from the letter are as below:-

“        6th July, in the morning.

My angel, my everything, my very self. – only a few words today, and in pencil (with yours) - I shall not be certain of my rooms here until tomorrow – what an unnecessary waste of time - why this deep grief, where necessity speaks - can our love exist but by sacrifices, by not demanding everything. Can you change it, that you are not completely mine, that I am not completely yours? Oh God, look upon beautiful Nature and calm your mind about what must be – love demands everything and completely with good reason, that is how it is for me with you, and for you with me - only you forget too easily, that I must live for myself and for you as well, if we were wholly united, you would not feel this as painfully, just as little as I would –

my journey was terrible. I did not arrive here until 4 o'clock yesterday morning. As there were few horses, the mail coach chose another route, but what a dreadful one this was! At the last stage but one I was warned not to travel at night; attempts were made to frighten me about a forest, but that only made me more eager. – I was wrong. The coach broke down on the awful road, a road without a proper surface, a country one. If the two coachmen had not been with me, I would have remained stranded on the way. Esterhazi travelled the usual road here and had the same fate with eight horses that I had with four. – Yet I did get some pleasure out of it, as I always do when I successfully overcome difficulties. – now quickly to the interior from the exterior. We will probably see each other soon, only, today I cannot convey to you my observations which I made during these few days about my life – If our hearts were always close together, I would have no such thoughts. my heart is full with so much to tell you - Oh - There are moments when I feel that language is nothing at all - cheer up - remain my faithful only darling, my everything, as I for you, the rest is up to the Gods, what must be for us and what is in store for us. –

your faithful ludwig -

“     Good morning, on 7th July.

While still in bed my thoughts turn towards you my Immortal Beloved, now and then happy, then sad again, waiting whether fate might answer us - I can only live either wholly with you or not at all, yes I have resolved to stray about in the distance, until I can fly into your arms, and send my soul embraced by you into the realm of the Spirits - yes unfortunately it must be - you will compose yourself all the more since you know my faithfulness to you, never can another own my heart, never – never – O God why do I have to separate from someone whom I love so much, and yet my life in V[ienna] as it is now is a miserable life - Your love makes me at once most happy and most unhappy - at my age I would now need some conformity[,] regularity of my life – can this exist in our relationship? – Angel, I have just heard that the mail coach goes every day – and thus I must finish so that you may receive the letter immediately. – be patient – only through quiet contemplation of our existence can we achieve our purpose to live together – Be calm; for only by calmly considering our lives can we achieve our purpose of living together.- be calm - love me - today - yesterday - What yearning with tears for you - you - you my life – my everything - farewell - oh continue to love me - never misjudge the most faithful heart of your Beloved

                                                                   L.

forever thine
forever mine
forever us.

I firmly believe only those who have longed in the state of being madly in love can understand the true struggle of Maestro Beethoven and I seek calmness by hearing his "Ode to Joy" now. I would not know anything more to write, because the Genius has already occupied much of the soul in this post. With that, I bid you goodnight dear blog, forgive me for my inability to write quality material and hence abandoning you for a while, now that I'm back, I'm all yours. -

-your faithful ravi -

[Letter Source: Wikipedia]

2010 - A year to remember [part 1]

2010-12-26T11:05:00.000-08:00

Hi all,
This post attempts to highlight the success and failures of 2010, which overall was a fantastic year for me.

Go Go Go Goaaaa !!!
====================
I spent my new year last time in Goa, I still remember being in a beach shack on Jan 1st 12am watching fireworks and spending time with Sudhee, Sachi and Darshan. I had to stay in the shack for over 90 mins as there was a lunar eclipse from 11.00 pm to 12.30am, many of my friends ridiculed at this but then it was strict orders from Mom to stay under a shed atleast for this period, and I didn't dare to break her orders :D. By this time, I also got the news from our HoD that I had topped the university and earned 5 gold medals and received an SMS from Dr.Kavi Mahesh regarding the same, it was truly magical, I had never felt such happy feelings before in my life.

Bangalore to Belgaum
=====================
I had to leak this news at office so that I could go to Belgaum for the Jan 7 VTU Convocation to receive my medals. The fact that our HoD, Dr.Kavi Mahesh aka God for me and our Principal made it to the event just for me was amazing. I also got a chance to speak to Dr.Kincha, the Vice-Chancellor of VTU and he said fondly "I would like to see you doing great things 4-5 years from now on", and I promised not to let him down.

It was also a very proud moment for my parents. Given my humble beginnings and what I have achieved so far, its entirely because of 5 most important people in my life, namely, my Dad (how can I forget the fact that he has sacrificed most part of his life and time just to see his son do better in English and Maths than himself), my Mom (aka God, who always supported me via food, care, love and affection whenever I had exams), my Amma [Mom's elder sister](having being raised by Amma and the care she shows for me is just magnanimous, whenever I feel happy, sad or ill, no one takes care of me like she does, the healing Goddess), Ajji (The master of all, again she is the one who raised me along with amma), Appa [Mom's elder sister's husband](Appa passed away when I was 5, I still fondly remember him, I still miss you appa :(). There are some people worth living for and in my life, these 5 are those are people :D.

George's Guitar
================
When I came back, me, Sachi and Darshan wanted to learn guitar. It was on the long list of things that I wanted to achieve in 2010. I enrolled for guitar classes with Mepong and took a 3 month introductory course. I bought my first guitar on January 17th and will soon be celebrating 1st year anniversary. To be frank, I have improved by leaps and bounces w.r.t Guitar. I'm playing tracks that I could only dream not too far ago.

I would still consider that I'm a worthy guitarist only when I play Bach's Bourree and 'Far Beyond the Sun' by Yngwie Malmsteen.

An interesting tweet
=====================
The below tweet led me into meeting the most wonderful person in my life,

"Orkut Facebook and now Twitter-- with my 2kbps connectivity !! will i be able to do it ??"

I ended up talking to her on Gmail Chat on Feb 27th and as ever, I ended up making her cry at 1am or something by reminding her of her family. Little did I know what this would develop into, so thank you Twitter, Orkut and GMail Chat.

Part 2 will follow soon....Continued

Regards,
Ravikiran

Have I lost her for a lifetime ? Yes.

2010-12-04T00:04:00.000-08:00

How does it feel.
When you blew it all away,
All these days of planned work,
Swiftly decimated without a trace.

It was madness when he saw her,
Two freaking months were passed like two years,
His emotions went sky high,
And something bad happened.

Now she's gone, no where to be seen,
No calls of mine received, No messages of mine replied,
I'm feelin like a big time looser,
My heart is crying inconsolably.

Will she ever take me back ? I don't know,
Will she ever forgive me ? I don't know,
Will she even talk to me ? I don't know.
Have I lost her for a lifetime ? Yes.

- rk

(Significance: Pain is the most brilliant killer of all and 'Fur Elise' being the soother for this pain)

ಸುರಭಿ ಹಾಗು ಸುಬ್ಬನ ಸುಮಧುರ ಕ್ಷಣಗಳು

2010-11-07T07:37:00.000-08:00

ಲೆಫ್ಟ್ ರೈಟ್ ಮಾಡಿಸ್ ಬಿಟ್ಟು,
ಕತ್ತಿಗೆ ಬೆಲ್ಟ್ ಕಟ್ಟಿ ಬಿಟ್ಟು,
ಬೀದಿ ತುಂಬಾ ಸುತ್ತಿಸ್ ಬಿಟ್ಟು
ನನ್ನ ಹಿಂದೆ ಬಂದೋನು ನೀನ್ ತಾನೇ,
ನಿನ್ನ ಎಳ್ಕೊಂಡು ಹೋಗಿದ್ದು ನಾನ್ ತಾನೇ.

ಟೆಂಟ್ ನಾಗೆ ಸಿನಿಮಾ ತೋರಿಸಿ,
ಪಾರ್ಕ್ ನಾಗೆ ಡಾನ್ಸ್ ಮಾಡಿಸಿ,
ಗ್ರೌಂಡ್ ನಲ್ಲಿ ಆಟ ಆಡಿಸಿ,
ನನ್ನ ಬೀಳಿಸಿ ನಕ್ಕೊನು ನೀನ್ ತಾನೇ,
ನಿನ್ನ ನೋಡಿ ಅತ್ತೊಳು ನಾನ್ ತಾನೇ.

ಮುಂಜಾನ್ಯಾಗ ಜಗಳ ಆಡಿ,
ನಾಲ್ಕು ಸಾರ್ತಿ ಕಾಲ್ ಮಾಡಿ,
ರಾತ್ರಿ ಹೊತ್ತು ಕಥೆ ಹೇಳಿ,
ಬೆಡ್ ಶೀಟ್ ಹೊದಿಸಿ ಮಲಗಿಸೋನು ನೀನ್ ತಾನೇ,
ಬೆಚ್ಚಗೆ ಮಲಗೋಳು ನಾನ್ ತಾನೇ.

ಕುಂತ್ರು ನಿಂತ್ರು ನಿಂದೇ ಧ್ಯಾನ,
ಹೊರಟುಹೋಯ್ತಲ್ಲ ನನ್ನ ಪ್ರಾಣ,
ನನ್ನ ಹೃದಯ ಕದ್ದೋನು ನೀನ್ ತಾನೇ,
ನಿನ್ನ ಮನಸು ಗೆದ್ದೊಳು ನಾನ್ ತಾನೇ.

- ಸಿಟ್ಟಿನ ಸುರಭಿ

(Significance: One of the best poems written by Surabhi, too good of a rendering in a folk style :D)

La Liga Week7 : FC Barca 2 1 Valencia

2010-10-17T09:02:00.000-07:00

Barça have achieved a hard-fought win against league leaders Valencia with goals from Iniesta and Puyol in a magnificent second half cancelling out Pablo Hernández’s 37th minute opener.

Barça were once again lacking some of their spark following a hectic international week. Valencia was always going to be a tough opponent, and the impeccable new Camp Nou turf was the venue for an intense tactical battle between Pep Guardiola and Unai Emery. Xavi and Villa started in a lively, focussed FCB eleven, but were well matched early on by an efficient Valencia side that edged into the lead thanks to Pablo (min 37). But there was plenty more excitement in store in what proved to be a memorable encounter.

Barça saved the best for the second half, when they enjoyed almost all the chances, with Iniesta and Puyol getting the goals in what proved to be an epic comeback from the defending champions.

GOALS
=====
0-1 Pablo (min 37)
1-1 Iniesta (min 46)
2-1 Puyol (min 62)

La Liga Week6 : FC Barca 1 1 R Mallorca

2010-10-17T09:01:00.000-07:00

FC Barcelona and Mallorca drew 1-1 at the Nou Camp tonight after a first half in which Barça had plenty of chances to kill off the game.

With Xavi and Adriano both injured and David Villa suspended, Guardiola ended the game with Messi, Bojan, Iniesta, Thiago, Jeffren and Nolito all in attack as the team searched for the winning goal than never came. Barça deserved more, particularly after the attacking display of the first 45 minutes in which Messi put them ahead with a great goal, but Nsue’s equaliser knocked them back and although they did make chances in the second half, they were unable to repeat the great football of the first 45 minutes.

GOALS
======
1-0, Messi (min 21)
1-1, Nsue (min 42)

Someday, I hope to get a better start

2010-10-14T04:45:00.000-07:00

Did I drive you away?
I know what you'll say !
Don't know you how far I can go ?
Has anyone ever loved you so much before !

I'll always look out for you,
I'll promise to cushion you in the tough times,
We will sing our love song someday,
We will go to Europe and enjoy our holidays.

It really breaks my heart,
When you can't take my phone call,
You know how I always long for you,
Given a chance, I wish to spend every second with you.

My heart belongs to you,
I don't even have the permission to hold you,
This is the hardest part,
Someday, I hope to get a better start.

-rk

(Significance: A poem full of consoling her pain and expressing my pain. Inspired by Coldplay songs)

My Phone Currency

2010-10-01T07:48:00.000-07:00

My currency value is better unsaid,
Her SMS pack has bloody expired,
She's fed up of calling my phone,
God help me turn this tide upside down.

When reality smacks you in the head,
When sanity knifes you in the neck,
You anxiously bleed from the heart,
You know somewhere something is coming apart.

Then she, suddenly calls me up,
Tells me, she's gonna mess me up,
Threatens me, to call her back,
If I don't call, she's never gonna come back.

I need to find a way to forget above all,
I really need to thwart the curving ball,
Meanwhile, I get a surprise call,
Somebody whispered, you just got a big hike, LOL :).

Now, I can re-charge .... ah ! What the heck !

- rk

(Significance: Phone Currency has been a big issue recently, hence wrote a poem on the same, and I didn't get a big hike :))

La Liga Week5 : At.Bilbao 1 3 FC Barca

2010-09-26T11:41:00.000-07:00

Barça have picked up a tremendous win away to Athletic Bilbao, who played the second half with ten men. Barça commanded from start to finish and won thanks to goals from Keita, Xavi and Busquets. Villa was sent off in the 86th minute.

Winning at such a famous stadium as the cathedral of San Mamés is always an occasion to savour. Without the injured Messi, Barça had to produce their very best to win three difficult points, but it was definitely the best side that won. With Amorebieta red carded at the end of the first half, FCB made their numerical superiority count, and Keita soon opened the scoring. Xavi stretched that lead, but in the hectic final minutes, Villa was sent off and Bilbao pulled one back before Busquets secured the three points.

GOALS
=====
0-1 Keita (min 55)
0-2 Xavi (min 74)
1-2 Gabilondo (min 89)
1-3 Busquets (min 92

La Liga Week4 : FC Barca 1 0 Sporting Gijon

2010-09-26T11:39:00.000-07:00

Barça went for efficiency over spectacle tonight and beat Sporting 1-0 thanks to a second half David Villa strike. This was a Barça who showed a lot of strength at the back, but were definitely less inspired than usual up front.

Barça got through their first game without the injured Leo Messi with a narrow win over a dangerous looking Sporting. After a promising start in which the new look diamond midfield were well on top, Sporting managed to neutralise Barça’s game and it took an improved second half performance and Villa’s goal to ensure the points.

GOALS
=====
1-0 Villa (min 49)

La Liga Week3 : At.Madrid 1 2 FC Barca

2010-09-26T11:38:00.000-07:00

Barça put an end to a run of three league defeats at the Vicente Calderon with another great display of attacking football. First half goals from Messi and Piqué proved sufficient to take the three points.

Three goals, nine yellow cards and a red: this was a typical Atletico Madrid – Barca game, full of thrills and spills from the start to the dramatic end, as Leo Messi was carried off on a stretcher after a vicious foul had earned Ujfalusi a straight red. The Argentinean had opened the scoring on 13 minutes with a perfect finish. Raul Garcia pulled the hosts level, but Piqué showed a striker’s touch to make it 1-2 just past the half hour. The second half saw a goalkeeping recital from Atletico’s young keeper De Gea, as Barca made chance after chance to extend their lead.

GOALS
======
0-1, Messi (min 13)
1-1, Raúl García (min 25)
1-2, Piqué (min 32)

UCL : FC Barca 5 1 Panathinaikos

2010-09-26T11:36:00.000-07:00

FC Barcelona have started their Champions League campaign with a more than convincing 5-1 win over Panathinaikos. Messi (2), who also missed a penalty, Villa, Pedro and Alves were on target.

On Tuesday night, Barcelona showed that they have regained everything that was missing at the weekend. Guardiola’s side played its characteristic passing game, using the wings effectively, displaying grit and determination, and also coping admirably with the adversity of going a goal behind. Ignoring that initial setback, Barça went on to steamroll their way past Panathinaikos on the basis of simply exquisite football. Messi was also back to his subliminal best, and could have completed a hat trick had he converted a second half penalty. Villa scored his first European goal for his new club, and Pedro and Alves rounded off a wonderful evening at the Camp Nou.

FC Barcelona go top of the group on goal difference ahead of Copenhagen, who also have three points after scoring a late winner against Barça’s next opponent, Rubin Kazan.

GOALS
======
0-1, Govou (min 20)
1-1, Messi (min 21)
2-1, Villa (min 33)
3-1, Messi (min 45)
4-1, Pedro (min 77)
5-1, Alves (min 93)

La Liga Week2 : FC Barca 0 2 Hercules

2010-09-26T11:35:00.000-07:00

Against all odds, Hercules took all three points from their visit to the Camp Nou. Barça dominated possession but couldn’t find a way to score.

Hercules achieved what may not only be the shock of the day, but the shock of the whole season. The newly promoted side’s tactics were spot on as they defeated the defending champions on September 11, the national day of Catalonia. Barça commanded the midfield but try as they could, they couldn’t find the target, while Hercules caught them out twice, with both goals coming from Paraguayan international Nelson Valdez.

GOALS
======
0-1 Valdez (min 26)
0-2 Valdez (min 58)

Love burns brighter than sunshine

2010-09-15T09:10:00.000-07:00

I was young, I was free,
I was fine, until she came along,
I was hurt, I hit the dirt,
She was sweet, She consoled me.

My heart was broke, my head was sour,
Now you're with me, I need not worry,
What a wonderful feeling in my soul,
Love burns brighter than sunshine.

I never saw it happening,
I just knew, we both had feelings,
Neither of us had the strength to fight,
I'm glad you confessed and set it upright.

I've got my aims locked in sight,
I hope everything turns out alright,
Let the storm come, I don't care,
I'm yours and certainly you're mine,
Our love is brighter than sunshine.

-rk

(Significance: The title says it all for me :D)

SMS Prema Kavana

2010-09-11T10:43:00.000-07:00

ಬಾರ್ಸ ಪ್ರೇಮಿ :
ಮಲೆನಾಡ್ನಲ್ಲಿ ಇರುವಳು ನನ್ ಬೇಬಿ,
ಏನೇ ಮಾಡ್ತಿದ್ದಿ ಅಂದ್ರೆ,
ಅದಕ್ಕೆ ಅವ್ಳು ಅಂದ್ಲು ,
ಅದೆಲ್ಲ ನಿಂಗೆ ಯಾಕೋ ಮೂದೇವಿ.

ಸುರಭಿ :
ಮೈಸೂರ್ ನಲ್ಲಿ ಇರುವನು ನನ್ ರಾಜ,
ಕೊಡ್ತಾನೆ ನಂಗೆ ಯಾವಾಗ್ಲೂ ಸಜ,
ನಾನು ಊರಿನಲ್ಲಿ ಇಲ್ಲಾಂದ್ರೆ,
ಮಾಡ್ತಾನೆ ತುಂಬಾ ಮಜಾ.

ಸುರಭಿ :
ಗಿಟಾರ್ ಬಾರಿಸೋ ಗುಮ್ಮ,
ಕತಕಲಿ ಮಾಡೋ ಕೋಡಂಗಿ,
ಸಂಗೀತ ಹಾಡುವ ಸನ್ಯಾಸಿ ,
ಆದ್ರು ಎಲ್ಲರಿಗಿಂತ ನಂಗೆ ಇವನೇ ವಾಸಿ.

ಬಾರ್ಸ ಪ್ರೇಮಿ :
ಜನ್ಮದಲ್ಲಿ ಯಾರು ಅಂದಿರಲಿಲ್ಲ ಕೋಡಂಗಿ,
ಆದ್ರೆ ಇವ್ಳು ಮಾತ್ರ ಅಂದ್ಲು ಬಾಯಿ ತುಂಬಿ,
ನನ್ನ ಮುಖ ಆಗಿದೆ ಸೊಟ್ಟಗಿನ ಸಂದಿ,
ಬಾಯಿಗೆ ಹಿಡಿತ ಇಲ್ಲ, ಎಡಬಿಡಂಗಿ.

ಬಾರ್ಸ ಪ್ರೇಮಿ :
ಒಮ್ಮೆ ಇವಳಿಗೆ ಪಾಠ ಕಲಿಸ್ತೀನಿ,
ವರ್ಷ ಗಟ್ಲೆ ದೇಶಬಿಟ್ಟು ಹೋಗ್ತೀನಿ,
ನನಗಾಗೋ ಸಂಕಟ ಅವಳಿಗೆ ತೋರಿಸ್ತೀನಿ,
ಅವಳನ್ನ ನನ್ನ ದಾರಿಗೆ ತಂದೇ ತರ್ತೀನಿ.

ಸುರಭಿ :
ಒಂದು ಕೇಳಿದ್ರೆ ಇನ್ನೊಂದು ಮಾಡ್ತಾನ್ರಿ,
ಏನೇ ಆದ್ರು ನನ್ ತಲೆಗೆ ತಂದು ಇಡ್ತಾನ್ರಿ ,
ಆದ್ರು, ನಂಗೆ ಇವನ ಮೇಲೆ ಒಂತರ ಪ್ರೀತಿ ರೀ,
ಏನೇ ಆಗ್ಲಿ ಇವ್ನು ನಂಗೆ ಬೇಕು ರೀ.

- ಬಾರ್ಸ ಪ್ರೇಮಿ ಮತ್ತು ಅವನ ತಲೆ ತಿನ್ನೋ ಹುಚ್ಚು ಹುಡುಗಿ

(Significance : First time collaboration I have done on SMS, that too in pretty quick time of 10 minutes, moreover the poem started due to a fight and ended up with a cuddle , awesome :D )

Frankie Lee and His Old Friends

2010-09-09T09:38:00.000-07:00

Well I said, Frankie Lee and Judas Priest,
They were the best of friends,
But Frankie Lee has now gotten so busy,
He aint got time for any of his old friends.

Frankie Lee's birthday coming,
So I asked him, "let us celebrate",
He said "No thanks, please,
Now all my plans are ready-made".

So, I asked my love, "What is this?",
She said, "You gotta move on honey,
People change, so do priorities,
You gotta realize this honey".

Well I said, Frankie Lee and Judas Priest,
They were the best of friends,
But Frankie Lee has now gotten so busy,
He aint got time for any of his old friends.

- rk

(Significance: A song based on a puzzled mind's reaction to a friendship that is drifting away. Inspired from "The Ballad of Frankie Lee and Judas Priest" by Bob Dylan)

The Silver Archer

2010-09-05T03:53:00.000-07:00

I met a girl called disillusion,
She has been bag of disappointments lately,
All of my plans have been murdered silently,
Yet, I won't go down without fighting.

She should realize that I'm the Silver Archer,
Who one day will make the headlines,
Until then, she needs to persist with the ordinary guy,
Else find someone better to suit her needs.

I feel like going away, away to no man's land,
I'm not sure if that's gonna solve my problem,
I got no one to tell all of my worries other than her, Ma,
I really can't sleep without writing about all of this, Ma.

Tonight, I feel there will be a change,
Coz Batman is on his way,
To save the mortal soul from his sadness,
And put him back on the right track of Awesomeness.

- rk

(Significance : A poem for the sad heart, a poem for the soul soothing seeker, a poem about me and her, a poem indicating the return of the Batman in me :D )

Beatle - o - Romanza

2010-09-05T01:27:00.000-07:00

Hey all, Its been a while since I wrote an introspection post and a lot of things have occurred amidst all this time. I would like to pen down a rather unusual post given my interests, based on "The Beatles" songs, its also a pretty neat way of getting introduced into their amazing songs.

P.S: Reading this post is injurious to a lone heart ... I'm warning you now itself, so better back off, if you aint ready to read about 24x7 Romanza.

A Hard Day's Night
==================

It's been a hard day's night,
and I've been working like a dog
It's been a hard day's night,
I should be sleeping like a log

Work has been really rigorous since I came back from the long exodus of GRE vacation. Since there was some pressure on me to deliver, I slogged day-night to get my new project in full fledge. The back-end part of the same is almost complete and I should be able to deliver the dashboard by the next release :).

And I Love Her
==============

I give her all my love,
That's all I do,
And if you saw my love,
You'd love her too,
And I love her.

Somethings are supposed to happen to appropriate times in one's life and love is especially one of those. It took me a long time to find my true love and I'm really happy I did. I know I kinda sound foolish, but, well you can't be too serious and expect to fall in love, hehe :) !.

She Loves You
==============

She loves you, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah!

You think you lost your love,
Well, I saw her yesterday.
It's you she's thinking of
And she told me what to say.

She says she loves you
And you know that can't be bad.
Yes, she loves you
And you know you should be glad.

Words don't do enough justice as to how you feel when all the hard work you did to win her over has paid off. It's heavenly and you happen to stay awake without a pinch of sleep for days together. You get up in the middle of the night and relish that very moment till you die. That was truly one of the most happiest days of my life. Beatles songs really do help at this time :), they are the most romantic band of all time :D !

Baby, You're a Rich Man
========================

Baby you're a rich man,
You keep all your money,
In a big brown bag inside a zoo.
What a thing to do.

The first time I really got puzzled over "how rich are you" question !!! Seriously it leaves you dumbfounded when you actually start doing the math and stats. From that day onwards, I have vowed that I will let no one ask this question to me ever again and when they do ask, I would have fitting answers to reply back.

Can't Buy Me Love
==================

Can't buy me love, love
Can't buy me love
I'll buy you a diamond ring my friend,
If it makes you feel alright,
I'll get you anything my friend,
If it makes you feel alright,
I don't care too much for money,
Money can't buy me love

This in many ways is the fitting reply I currently have to the previous question. I've never worried too much for owning extravagant money and I believe there are better ways to attain happiness than having a load full of cash in your pocket, though it aint so bad to have so :) .

Here, There and Everywhere
===========================

I want her everywhere and if she's beside me,
I know I need never care,
But to love her is to need her everywhere,
Knowing that love is to share.

Each one believing that love never dies,
Watching her eyes and hoping I'm always there.

I bet you that the worst part of Love is the waiting and longing. It's sick to core, I had earlier known of it when it was off-season during the Football calendar and you're desperately waiting for the first match to kick-off. I could feel the exact same longing experience, and its deadly as ever, and affects even the strongest of the strong.

I Want You (She's so Heavy)
============================

I want you,
I want you so bad,
It’s driving me mad, it’s driving me mad.
I want you,
I want you so bad, babe!.

This is just a crazy and extension of the longing I referred. This is the most deadliest feeling which comes back when you have nothing great to do, especially after you're done with work and dinner :). Trust me, this aint no rosy ride.

Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band / With a Little Help From My Friends
==========================================================================

We're Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band,
We hope you will enjoy the show!
Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band,
Sit back and let the evening flow.

This song epitomes the kind of evening fun I've with my close friends, viz., Sudhee, Sachi, Bhatta, Nidhi, Vinay etc. This is what life is all about, just chilling with people whom you can just be yourself and have a laugh riot :D !

I Want To Hold Your Hand
=========================

Oh yeah, I´ll tell you something,
I think you´ll understand,
When I say that something,
I wanna hold your hand.

You´ll let me hold your hand,
Now let me hold your hand,
I wanna hold your hand.

And when I touch you,
I feel happy inside,
It´s such a feeling,
That my love,
I can't hide.

The song says it all, nothing left to explain :D.

Something
===========

Something in the way she moves,
Attracts me like no other lover.
Something in the way she woos me.
I don't want to leave her now,
You know I believe and how.

That something extra that no one else seems to possess and you long for it like a blind man. You know, you just can relax, knowing that she's there somewhere waiting for you :).

We Can Work It Out
==================

Try to see it my way,
do I have to keep on talkin'
Til I can't go on,

Wanna see it your way,
A the risk of knowing that,
Our love may soon be gone

Life is very short,
and there's no time,
For fussing and fighting my friend
I have always thought,
That it's a crime,
So I will ask you once again.

If I've painted a rosy picture so far, well look no further, here come's the not so rosy part. The petty fights, the serious fights and then comes the hardest part, consoling..... my word, how big a part is this, you have no clue...... sometimes goes through all the night, or even till the morning..... I also happen to have this great gift of consoling people very well, so I end up facing this a lot. But, it always wont be a one way traffic, as soon as figure out the other soul is on a wrong track, you gotta hit this mode :). It kinda feels nice afterwards, but when you're in the middle of it, God save you :).

Within You, Without You
========================

Try to realize it's all within yourself,
No-one else can make you change,
And to see you're really only very small,
And life flows on within you and without you.

This is a song I personally love a lot and would like to sing it to myself. I have to give my TOEFL test on the D-day of October 9th and I've to start preparing seriously for it in order to pursue my M.S. So, reminding myself of the bigger picture in life helps me work on it.

In My Life
============

There are places I remember,
All my life though some have changed,
Some forever not for better,
Some have gone and some remain,
All these places had their moments,
With lovers and friends I still can recall,
Some are dead and some are living,
In my life I've loved them all.

I would like to end this post on a beautiful song titled "In My Life". In a way this is my way of thanking my family, my friends, my lovers (one too many i suppose, including humans, sports, music, movies, work etc) for making me feel so special and making my life worth while, thanks a lot :) !

P.S: I'm not sure how this post has come out, coz I never write this kinda posts.

La Liga Week1 : Racing 0 3 FC Barca

2010-09-05T00:16:00.000-07:00

Lionel Messi, Andrés Iniesta and David Villa all scored as FC Barcelona made a stunning start to their quest for a hat-trick of league titles with a triumph over Racing Santander on Sunday evening.

The Blaugrana dominated possession throughout in front of an expectant crowd in El Sardinero and the three players who started up front for the visitors all scored and had many more chances to make the victory even more emphatic. Víctor Valdés also shone as he saved a penalty and made other fine saves to show why he won the Zamora Trophy last time out.

GOALS
======
0-1 Messi (min 3)
0-2 Iniesta (min 32)
0-3 Villa (min 63)

Gamper Trophy : FC Barca 1 1 AC Milan (3 - 1 p)

2010-09-05T00:15:00.000-07:00

José Manuel Pinto was the hero for FC Barcelona as he saved two penalties in the spot-kick shoot-out to give the home side and the Trofeo Joan Gamper in Camp Nou against AC Milan on Wednesday night after David Villa had netted his first goal.

The tension and competitive nature of an official fixture may have been missing, but the two giants of European football produced a vintage pre-season encounter and Ronaldinho was given the send-off from the home fans that he did not receive two years ago. Camp Nou was packed for the game as the excitement and expectation of the new season brought the fans out and Barça did not disappoint as they showed that they will once again be a force and a great side to watch.

GOALS
======
1-0 Villa (min 46)
1-1 Inzaghi (min 66)

Penalties
=========
FC Barca - Messi, Bojan, Thiago
AC Milan - Yepes

Spanish Super Cup : FC Barca 4 0 Sevilla

2010-09-05T00:12:00.001-07:00

Messi was the star as he scored a hat-trick to help Barça add yet another piece of silverware to the collection won under coach Guardiola as they bounced back from a 1st leg defeat to win the Super Cup against Sevilla in Camp Nou on Saturday evening.

The Argentinian scored twice before the break before completing his trio towards the end of the encounter that was dominated by a Barça side that sent out a message to the rest of the league and Europe that they are still hungry for success. After losing the first leg of the tie 3-1 in Sevilla the Catalan outfit knew that a strong start was required and three first half goals put them in the driving seat against a visiting team that was reduced to playing on the counter-attack.

David Villa and Adriano secured their first trophy with the club after joining in the summer and made their first appearances at Camp Nou in front of their new fans.

GOALS
=====
1-0, Konko (pp) (min 13)
2-0, Messi (min 25)
3-0, Messi (min 43)
4-0, Messi (min 90)

Spanish Super Cup : Sevilla 3 1 FC Barca

2010-09-05T00:11:00.000-07:00

Barca went down 3-1 against Seville tonight thanks to a second half fight back from the hosts with two goals from Kanoute and another from Fabiano wiping out the 0-1 lead Ibra had given Barca at the break.

Pep Guardiola showed faith in his Barca B players by starting with Sergi Gomez, Oriol Romeu and Jonathon dos Santos starting as well as Miño, who made his debut in goal and the team made a bright start, only to fade in the second half when Seville began to punish the tiring Barca legs, leaving it all to do next week at the Nou Camp.

GOALS
======
0-1, Ibrahimovic (min 20)
1-1, Luis Fabiano (min 62)
2-1, Kanouté (min 73)
3-1, Kanouté min 82)

Preseason : Guoan 0 3 FC Barca

2010-09-05T00:09:00.000-07:00

Barca finished off their Asia Tour with a 0-3 win over Guoan at the Bird’s Nest Stadium, thanks to first half strikes from Sergi Roberto and Nolito and a late strike from Ibra.

The iconic Beijing Stadium saw Barca win their third pre-season friendly with B team players Sergi Roberto and Nolito bagging two first half goals and in a second half when Guardiola changed the whole team except for the keeper, Ibra made it three late on.

GOALS
=====
0-1 Sergi Roberto (min 10)
0-2 Nolito (min 13)
0-3 Ibrahimovic (min 90)

Preseason : Valerenga 2 4 FC Barcelona

2010-09-05T00:05:00.000-07:00

Barça have started the preseason with a win away to Norwegian side Valerenga. Víctor Sánchez, Maxwell, Benja and Keita scored the visitors’ goals. Adriano Correia made his debut in the second half.

Barça have got off to a great start, with a line-up containing mainly reserve team players, but that was still able to show the Scandinavians just what Barcelona’s football is all about. They played lively and effective football, and went ahead twice in the first half thanks to exquisite goals from Víctor Sánchez and Maxwell. Valerenga scored in between from the penalty spot.

The second half saw the game grow in intensity, with Adriano coming on at half time. Barça sentenced the game with goals from Benja and Keita. The home side, with fresher legs, kept fighting and managed to pull one back to make it 2-4.

GOALS
======
1-0 Choi Sung Kuk (min 1)
1-1 Ibrahimovic (min 6)
2-1 Lee Dong Gook (min 36)
2-2 Messi (min 43)
2-3 Messi (min 46)
2-4 Víctor Sánchez (min 81)
2-5 Jonathan Soriano (min 83)

I have hit a high score

2010-08-16T09:38:00.000-07:00

Talking queen of only twenty two,
She never says no to a drink or two,
She's always the one from his dreams,
He knows she's nothing but top of the cream.

I have traveled so far now,
There is still no sign of her door,
I'm stranded at a rainy bus-stop,
My life has come to a full-stop.

You know I want to see you beautiful,
I really tend to get so insecure,
All those fights don't really matter any more,
I know this time I have hit a high score.

I'm looking for the girl with a golden smile,
I wanna spend all the time with her,
I just wanna scream four words to her,
She will be loved, She will be loved.

-rk

(Significance : A poem demonstrating the pain of 'Love, Longing and Separation')

I aint got silver, nor I have gold

2010-08-11T10:54:00.000-07:00

Baby!, I aint got silver, nor I have gold,
Baby!, I aint got big money nor any card,
Baby!, I aint got anything to assure you,
Will you still let me come home ?

Is this what everyone wants ?
Is this what everyone values ?
Is this what life is all about ?
Is it my fault that I aint got more ?

Say it isn't so, tell me its not true,
Say it isn't so, I believe in you,
Tell me its a lie, I don't need no proof,
Please don't give up on me, don't give up on you.

I've looked everywhere, Mr.Lord,
I'm really tired and I can't find anyone,
Who accepts me for what I'm,
I guess we have to go without her now.

-rk

(Significance : A poem that marks one of the lowest feelings I've felt about myself when someone asked me some tough questions about life. I vowed to myself that I will never ever let anybody ask me those same questions, and if they do, I would have good answers in return.)

Love Minus Zero Equals No Limit

2010-08-05T18:18:00.000-07:00

My love speaks like no silence,
There's no better hell when she's silent,
She never needs to say she's faithful,
Yet she's true like ice, like fire!.

People buy roses every day,
Make promises by the hour,
My love, she laughs like a flower,
Valentines can never buy her.

She says, Let's speak of the future,
That's when I start to crumble,
My love, she knows too much to argue,
She knows there is no room for failure.

Love minus zero equals no limit,
My love, she laughs at this statement,
When I tried to explain the logic,
She said you're too crazy, even by my standard.

-rk

(Significance: A poem stitched on "Love minus zero Equals No Limit")

Evanescent Quasi'z - Wish You Were Here

2010-07-29T16:24:00.000-07:00

A quasi literally means anything is something that isn't quite what it says it is, most likely uncertain and unstable too.

I gave this term a little new look when I defined all those people who become the center of your world and you start revolving around them and vice-versa as a 'quasi'.

The subject of this post is however their evanescence (short-lived) nature, particularly in my life. They just come and give you a treat for a while and then disappear without a trace. In my life, the quasi count is currently 3, this count varies in every individual's life depending on their luck as well as specificity of their nature.

The first quasi of mine was a truly gifted nerd. The only thing this person ever spoke to me was on the day of Mathematics exam some 5 years back, "What is e raised to negative infinity ?"...... I ended up answering promptly, "Anything raised to negative infinity is zero, Anything raised to positive ∞ is undefined, as it is effectively greater than infinity but infinity itself is undefined, so this must also be undefined".

The second quasi is truly one the greatest of all time. This person has occupied the No.1 position in my list of the most amazing female for some time now. I admired this person so much, words do little justice. If any one can break her dominance of No.1, i will be really surprised :).

It's been roughly 5 years since I last saw the either of them, with absolutely no link or whatsoever nor I have gone on a trail of searching for lost clues. You can say, they just vanished like a magic trick.

The third quasi is a total contrast to the first one. Highly loquacious, yet so subtle. Got a chance to learn so much with this person to be honest. You need this kinda experience sometimes in life, will help you handle awkward situations which are unavoidable at some point in time. As with all true quasi's, the ride never lasts wrong. There's a saying on Wall Street, "Enjoy the ride while it lasts, coz it usually never lasts". This is so true w.r.t quasi's.

I wrote a poem to celebrate this unique occasion ,its a little emotional, a little morose and a whole lot contemplative.

How I Wish, Wish You Were Here
=================================
How I wish, Wish you were here,
We're just two lost souls,
Running away from each other,
Yet I still like to think that you're near,
Only to find you're so so far,
I just wish, still wish you were here.

So come for me, and comfort me,
I know you'll come for me and comfort me,
And after sometime, we will go back in time,
I'll loose my voice you know,
When there's nothing left to say,
Only your voice will echo,
Yet I won't be able to hear, to what you say.

I promise to you have your drink,
I will buy your favorite ice-cream,
Inch-by-inch, we will walk to your place,
Share all those wonderful memories face to face,
How I wish, wish all of this could be true,
Yet I know it will never come true.

-rk

That's all folks, so long until next time :) ! adios !

Will you stay for some more time ?

2010-07-26T09:28:00.000-07:00

Once there was a time, when she said I love you,
Once there was a girl, who kissed and said goodbye,
Once there was a boy, who lost his only heart,
Once there was a time, when all the above happened.

Those late evenings never fade away,
Those lonely nights still give me nightmares,
Yet when she passed near by,
Time just flew like a pretty bird.

No one seemed to understand her rage,
I never cared less for her anyways,
It's still the same old story,
Your heart beats for one and only, that you can't deny.

She once posed a daunting question,
An unforgettable kiss or An eternal wait ?
I said the world will always welcome lovers,
Will you stay for some more time?

-rk

(Significance: Inspired by Charles Dickens brilliant novel "Great Expectations" and the song "As Time Goes By" from "Casablanca".)

No Signboard to Tell

2010-07-17T07:11:00.000-07:00

Hello Brightness, my old friend,
My novice friend left me again,
That too in the middle of a no-man's land,
Which doesn't even have a signboard to tell.

She wants to fool me big time you know,
But doesn't have a clue how to do so,
She never understands what I meant,
She thinks I lack common sense.

Here's a request to you bro,
In case you find any common sense at all,
Let me know, I promise to work on it more,
Though I think, I have enough of it so.

People get rude these days a little more,
People write songs that they sing no more,
I hope the world mellows a little more,
It's always a pleasure to talk with you some more.

-rk

(Significance : A poem about the feeling of 'In the Middle of No Man's land, with no signboard to guide you')

Dark Princess v/s Red Princess

2010-07-12T06:14:00.000-07:00

Part 1 - The Dark Princess of the Half Moon Island
====================================================

I said Oooooooo...
What did I ever doooo ?
I don't even know you that well toooo,
How come then, you have a grudge on me,
Out of all the people you can see ?

I only spoke 100 words with you,
Give me 10 more to convince you,
I know you're shrewd,
But you really can't be so rude,
To someone who is not so kewl.

Everyone knows you're a sub-machine gun,
Just don't dig a hole for this sun,
When at last my work is done,
I won't have time to even stick around,
So please, cool the heat down on the star-bound.

Part 2 - The Red Princess of the Green Island
===========================================

I said breathe, breathe in the air,
Just don't be afraid to care,
I love the fact that you got guts to dare,
When you're free, lets head down to Freedom Square.

Longer we live, the higher we fly,
You give the smiles, I'll give the cries,
When you come back to the garden,
My band will greet you with an unforgettable reprise.

If I were the moon, I'd be too cool,
If you were the rule, you'd bend for me real soon,
There's only one rule that neither of us wont break,
Unless it happens to be an issue with your birthday cake.

- rk

(Significance : A poem about an unknown grudge with someone I don't even have a clue about, A poem to celebrate the new mood in town, A poem to relax on my own :D )

I will sing you a lullaby

2010-07-08T07:11:00.000-07:00

Once there was a girl,
Who dreamed of a baby train,
When she never got it,
She was as sober as you might be.

When she grew up,
She told me a secret,
But I forgot to keep it secret,
Soon, she gave me a walking ticket.

One fine day, I went and wept,
Golden droplets had filled her eyes,
It was then, I saw her smile,
On a face that had forgotten joy.

She's sleepy now,
She's so damn tired,
I said pretty darling, do not cry,
I will sing you a lullaby,
I will sing you a lullaby.

-rk

(Significance: A story-thought poem inspired by a talk with Appy)

Batman Begins

2010-07-06T07:29:00.000-07:00

Have you ever wanted to be a superhero? Most of the people would say yes. Now, which super hero do you want to be? Most people say Superman or Spiderman, but I say Batman, you know why? Because, Batman has no super-natural powers unlike all super heroes except the fact that he is born in a pretty rich family.

Batman is the Knight, the Knight who is destined to fight the evil within and outside to save his favorite city, Gotham. Below are the quotes that transform the boy to a man...

They told me there was nothing out there, nothing to fear. I've looked for it ever since. I went around the world, searched in all the shadows. And there is something out there in the darkness, something terrifying, something that will not stop until it gets revenge... Me.

You traveled the world... Now you must journey inwards... to what you really fear... it's inside you... there is no turning back. Your training is nothing. The will is everything. If you make yourself more than just a man, if you devote yourself to an ideal, you become something else entirely. Are you ready to begin?

You must become more than just a man in the mind of your opponent.

I will go back to Gotham and I will fight men like this, but I will not become an executioner.

It's not who I am underneath, but what I do that defines me.

You have learned to bury your guilt with anger. I will teach you to confront it, and to face the truth. You know how to fight six men. We can teach you how to engage six hundred. You know how to disappear. We can teach you to become truly invisible.

I seek the means to fight injustice, to turn fear against those who prey on the fearful.

To manipulate the fears of others, you must first learn to master your own, are you ready to begin?

People need dramatic examples to shake them out of apathy and I can't do that as Bruce Wayne, as a man I'm flesh and blood I can be ignored I can be destroyed but as a symbol, as a symbol I can be incorruptible, I can be everlasting.

I can't explain

2010-07-01T23:54:00.000-07:00

How I feel inside, I can't explain,
Chilly cold on the outside, Can't explain,
Sleezy warmth on the inside, Can't explain,
Izzy-Muzzy-Blues wholesale-style, Can't explain.

Getting funny dreams all the while, Can't explain,
What we talked about, got me so high, Can't explain,
I'm having cleaner thoughts, Can't explain,
What the freakin hell is this ?, Can't explain.

I think its not love, Can't explain,
Someone called it the quasi-fire, Can't explain,
Whatever it is, it feels good, Can't explain,
Just hear what I say girl, Can't explain.

You are super sensitive, Can't explain,
I can hurt a lot, Can't explain,
It feels glad to see you cry, Can't explain,
More so, while you're holdin my hand, Can't explain.

I'm feelin ultra dizzy, Can't explain,
I'm driven outta my mind, Can't explain,
I gotta run to my summit now, Can't explain,
I really can't explain, I can't explain.

-rk

(Signifiance : Inspired by the song "I can't explain" by "The Who")

My Cakes, My love, My friends & Nothing Else

2010-06-29T08:49:00.000-07:00

Hi all,
I'm writing a new sort of post, which I would like to call "Carrot Crunch"... if you have eaten raw carrots, you get that feeling of when will I finish eating this, but simultaneously you will enjoy chewing it. This synonyms with that, a lengthy post, out of which, some I really wanted to write about, and some I eventually ended up writing for a variety of reasons. I have themed the memories on different cakes, their sources and a nice pic of it. So let's start chewing carrots and munching cakes....

STATUTORY WARNING: Everything you read here is either fictional or factual or both, so there is nothing called the truthy or falsiness of what I've written. What you read in my blog should stay in my blog ! hehe !

Starting... Loading... Beautifying... Cake-ifying... Rendering...

Assorted Cake
==============
Source : VB Bakery, VV Puram.

This cake revolves around the story of "Eternal Love & an Operation Theater". A year ago, this time around, I was lying in hospital, waiting for a surgery to happen. It had been postponed for academic reasons and now it was finally time to go under the knife, not that I'm proud of it, but surely an unique experience.

I can remember fondly of the doctor who gave me anesthetic injection, a superbly nice guy. When the operation was going on, I could only think of one thing, Football, Football, Football! I was replaying the final of Champions league between FC Barcelona v/s Manchester United. I must have watched it like 20 times now. Every minute in that operation theater felt as if I was in Rome, where the final was played. I could recollect almost every minute.

By the time surgery was finished, my match was played. I especially recollected Messi's goal too many times :). That's when I realized, if everything seems to get dark in life, much of the hope is lost, there is one lost cause to fight for and that's "Football". Football is the eternal love that saves me. Seriously, I have grown such dearly fondness with the beautiful game, I can hardly explain it in words.

Just for a laugh.... As one of my dearest pals Goutham pointed it... "Machi, if its your first night and FC Barca match is going on, what do you choose ?"... My Reply... "Don't worry machi, she will be an FCB fan too, and we can always shoot two birds in one shot"... hehe :D !

Dry Fruits Cake
================
Source: Jayalakshmi Bakery, Siddiah Circle, Lalbagh Road

This cake revolves around an incident that happened 14 days after my surgery. This was the first day I stepped out of my house. Felt like a small child coming into a big world, with absolutely super low stamina and energy. Somehow I wanted 2 take the risk of getting out of bed and home, coz I had just two weeks to recover for something big. Me, Darshan, Vikas, Sachi and Sudhee made the plan to go and watch "Transformers 2 : Revenge of the Fallen" that same day. It was an awesome experience as usual with the guys. On the way back, something struck me like a jolt, I was flat out without any stamina. I just sat there for sometime, then I realized my big gamble. I wasn't really fit to do this kinda thing, but it was this experience that made me stronger and hence I snapped out of the surgery.

I still miss Vikz a lot, a guy whom you I absolutely share anything. Although, he does call me once a week, I have not been able to pick his calls due to one or other reason. Missing our stupid long talks machi, hope to see you in December back in namma Bengaluru :) ! Hopefully, I can join you in US for my studies next August.

Strawberry Cake
===============
Source: Butter Sponge, Gandhi Bazaar

This cake talks about my entry into Professional life. I joined Yahoo! on July 20th last year. Boy! O Boy!, what an amazing experience it has been. I really wake up everyday wanting to go to work and I really miss it on weekends. I get to do the most creative work and it feels fantastic about it. I have executed two big projects with the help of my team and recently got an Honorary letter for it, the first line read..."Thank you for everything you do - everyday - for Yahoo!".. I was melted by this line. I think it made my day and it felt so nice, and will push me to do much greater things.

I also got 3 Bravo's for my work. The first one by Knutties which read "You're an inspiration" inspired me like hell, it inspired me so much that, I went to office one day even though I was ill, I just couldn't resist the thought of hacking something or working on a module. My sincere thanks to everyone in the My Yahoo! team and Tim Tully, I'm indebted to you folks.

Dark Chocolate Cake
===================
Source: Nilgiris, Brigade Road

This cake revolves around the characters in the Pool Room. I hail Saikat as my Pool guru, an awesome guy, down to earth and a gentleman's-gentleman. I have learnt so much by watching him play than practicing. I felt so sad when he left Yahoo! for Microsoft.

Last week, I made two great shots in a row, then a Punjabi Pailwaan replied saying, "Aisi shot dubaara khela na, tera mooh kulaake beer pilaadunga"... I burst out laughing and didn't make tat shot again :). It's so relaxing to go into pool room and meet so many nice people. I have gotten really really good it, I dont mean to boast about it, but it gives me immense pleasure to play and teach other people as well. The characters in the pool room are uniquely colorful, so drag your ass off in the office and go play pool !

I would really miss Saikat's coaching :( ! Best of luck for your future endeavors buddy :D !

Black Forest Cake (Cold)
========================
Source: Butter Sponge, Gandhi Bazaar

This cake revolves around my Guitar. I was really sad all these years about my lack of skill/talent in anything else other than academics. I really felt I should do something about it after my Engineering is complete. I bought a Guitar and joined Mepong's guitar classes and the rest is history. You can find a glimpse into my guitar via below two pieces :-

Pineapple Cake (Cold)
========================
Source: Cakes N Slices, Srinivasanagara

This cake deals with a special person and maybe the most interesting part for some viewers. I have recently been bombarded with questions about my relationship with a dame, what the hell is going on and all sorts of stuff.

I want to answer it for everyone once and for all. I met a really nice girl called 'Swathi' after ages, and yeah i accept, I went to 2 movies with her, played badminton a few times and took her to my Office, showed my work, my pool room, etc. That's the story about it, she is a good friend of mine, nothing more, nothing less.

I realized that there are still some nice girls left around in this world and its not filled with "chicks-you-really-dont-wanna-talk-about". I ain't no ROCKIN' dude by any stretch of my imagination, but I do have my own philosophy. Spend time with nice ppl, its really worth it... stop being a brat!

As for the question of whether I'm in a relationship or not, or I already broke up or what not hallelujah ! My answer is, I was never in a relationship, never been in a relationship and mostly wont be, due to my paranoid-android nature :). We just had a good ride, she's got higher priorities, and I have my own greater priorities, so I think it would be in best interest of both of us, if all you stop digging on it.

I really hate to disappoint my "jeeju" fans (or watever stuff you call me :D). I'm too much of an obnoxious creature to be in an illusion darlings :D !

If you're still not convinced, watch this below video which I made as her birthday gift... it mentions something about immortal beloved.... well that's a story for another time...

However, the original inspiration for this video happens to be "Aparna"(appy) whom I consider the best online friend I have made over the years :D ! So, if I ever hit big in animation, she will extract the highest royalty ! hehe ! You can check her b'day gift below:-

Black Current Cake
==================
Source: God knows where

This cake deals with an extraordinary thing I recently discovered via my cab-mates.
Many of my cab-mates are just in that age where they are about to get married. They revealed a shocking affair which blew me away. Here's the entire story.

Due to the vast difference that is cropping up via male:females . The females are superbly in demand. One of the guy's friend had referred his profile to a matrimonial website and hence there was a match made with one girl, and then all hell broke loose. Below are the detailed steps:-

1) The girl's Dad comes and visits your office, inquires about you with your colleagues.
2) Their family then comes and asks your neighbors about your flirtatious affairs or seen around roaming with any girl :P !
3) The Dad goes to the bank and fetches your past 3 month's bank statement. OMG !
4) Then they come with the girl to your house.
5) The girl asks the guy about his salary, he replies 14lakh+ package. Wait for her reply....
"I'm sorry dude, I'm looking for a guy with 20+lakh package, a nice fancy car, own house, some plots, who doesn't mind what I wear, I don wanna live together with the parents, I wanna move out..."...
That guy was dead for the count :)!.

There were other incidents like these which were narrated too. I ain't kiddin, these happened in real life. So, the advice to the younger folks in the cab was, better find someone yourself than bearing this embarrassment :D ! Not, tat I'm too much into it.... I'm looking for an artist, if you have a reco, please pass it on some 5-6 years down the lane :) ! hehe !

Black Forest Cake (Cold) with Chocolate Sauce and Vanilla ice-cream
====================================================================
Source: Corner House, Lalbagh WestGate

This cake deals with the big thing coming up in my life. July 26th is my D-Day, gotta work hard and prepare well. It would be fantastic coz I'm going to my grass roots,i.e, endlessly working hard in my own world. Wish me luck. Have a great time :) !

That's all folks !!!!

Goobe mele kavithe baredha bonda bakshaka

2010-06-26T06:41:00.000-07:00

ಬೆಂಬಿಡದ ಕನಸು, ಸೊರಗಿಹ ಮನಸು,
ಇದನ್ನು ಸರಿಪಡಿಸಲು ಬಂದಳು ಆ ಸೊಗಸು,
ಅವಳೇ ಈ ಕವಿತೆಯ ಬಾಸು,
ಕೆಂಪು ಕಲರಿನ ಬ್ಯಾಡಿಗೆ ಮೆಣಸು.

ಅವಳ ಕೋಪ ಸಹಿಸೋಕೆ ಆಗೊಲಪ್ಪ,
ಅವಳ ತಾಪ ಬೇಡವೇ ಬೇಡಪ್ಪ,
ಅವಳನ್ನು ಸಮಾಧಾನ ಮಾಡುವ ಪ್ರಾಣಿಯನ್ನ,
ದೇವರೇ ಕಾಪಾಡ ಬೇಕಪ್ಪ.

ಮಾತಿನ ಮಲ್ಲಿ ,ಮಾತು ನಿಲ್ಲಿಸೋಕೆ ಆಗೊಲ್ರಿ,
ಸಿರಿ ಕಂಠದ ನಲ್ಲೆ , ಹಾಡಲು ಮಾತ್ರ ಒಲ್ಲೆ,
ತಲೆ ಕೆಟ್ರೆ ಮೌನ ಗೌರಿ,
ಇಲ್ಲಾಂದ್ರೆ ನಾವು ಕತಂ ಕಣ್ರೀ !

ಏನೇ ತಿಂದೆ ಗೂಬೆ ಅಂದ್ರೆ,
ಚಕ್ಕಲಿ, ಲಿಪ್ಪಟ್ಟು, ಕೋಡುಬಳೆ ಅಂದ್ರೆ,
ಹಾಕಿ ಅವಳ ಕೆನ್ನೆಗೆ ಹಿಂಗೆ,
ನನಗಂತು ಫುಲ್ ಕುಶಿ ಆಗುತ್ತೆ ಹಂಗೆ.

ಈ ಬದುಕಿನ ಪಯಣದಲಿ,
ಅಳುವು ತಪ್ಪದೆ, ನಗುವು ನಿಲ್ಲದೆ,
ಎಲ್ಲೇ ಇರು , ಎಂತೆ ಇರು,
ಈ ರವಿಯ ನೆನಪಲಿ ನಿ ಸದಾ ಉಸಿರಾಡು,
ಅಲ್ಲ ! ಅಲ್ಲ ! ಬೋಂಡ ತಿಂದ್ಕೊಂಡು ಬಿದ್ದಿರು ! ಹೆಹೆ !

- ರವಿಕಿರಣ್

(Significance : Going back to my Kannada poems and regisakinna olle subject beka :) ! )

26 hours, 700 frames & A Cowardly Arsehole

2010-06-25T07:16:00.000-07:00

I have nothing but contempt for you,
I have nothing but sorrow to show you,
If someone spoils my pretty little day,
It really rages my burning soul.

Help me God, I need it,
I feel so restless,
I feel so perturbed,
I really can't focus my mind.

How did this happen?
I spent 26 hours in a strange-strange land,
I drew 700 frames with a pain-full hand,
Only to see my rights ripped-stripped blind.

All these pretty faces,
All these deadly aces,
Ring like a shotgun in my head,
Now, I just can't go to bed.

A world filled with selfish souls,
A world full of cowardly arseholes,
A world with no smiling clowns,
I'm really tired of this Lord, I'm really tired.

-rk

(Significance: When someone steals the rights of distribution of your art /creation, it insanely hurts you. I can hardly imagine what Orson Welles went through, when dirty politics didn't let his movies to ran in theatres. A really bad day in my life, im inconsolable, im really inconsolable.. )

I shot my baby down, Bang! Bang!

2010-06-21T08:14:00.000-07:00

7 days ago....
Hey baby, I got somethin to tell ya,
You should know, we never can be alone-a,
So hold my hand harder, ease my mind-a,
I wanna talk now, lets savor the time-a.

6 days ago....
I ain't looking for nice talk-a,
I'm lookin for ur smile-a,
I ain't gonna complain too much-a,
But I ain't gonna keep quiet-a.

1 day ago....
You are my quasi-love, Bang! Bang!
You shot me down, Bang! Bang!,
I shot you down, Bang! Bang!,
We both fell down, Bang! Bang!.

4 days ago....
Now you're gone, I donno why,
This world feels so lonesome and I cry,
She didn't even say good-bye,
She had no time....she really had no time.

3 days ago....
I look at this people, they aint smiling,
I look at this world, its still frowning,
With every mistake, I'm surely learning,
Still my guitar gently weeps.

2 days ago....
I was born to play you,
I'm totally in love with you,
You complete me, You soothen me,
This eternal joy is for everyone to see.

Today....
Time flies by and whistles like a child,
I donno how this poem got compiled,
I shot my baby down, Bang! Bang!,
We are both dead, Bang! Bang!.

-rk

(Significance: Inspired by 'Kill Bill' by Tarantino and some events in life. The above image is of "Bonnie and Clyde"[Wiki/Google them], one of the most amazing lovers of the past century, there was also a movie made on them, be sure to check it out.)

A Colorful Tale of Two Morons : Chapter 1

2010-06-11T09:30:00.000-07:00

Prologue
=========
In a distant future, there lies a guy who so badly wanted to be an artist( film maker, musician etc ) ends up following his second passion i.e, problem solving, and ends up being a Software Programmer, although he could have carved an equally brilliant career in the field of Chemistry. It's a chilly winter evening, he finds himself driven to a place he's never been before.

In the same distant future, there is a girl who so badly wanted to be a doctor and she did become a pretty good one. She is tensed about what awaits her, highly restless, and pretty much a nervous wreck. She ignores any help that her elder sister offers.

The guy is Rajeev, the girl is Archana. This story follows their colorful tales, reciting a situation from each of their individual angles.

Archana getting ready in her home
=================================
Archana : Ma ( shrieks ), What in the world are you thinking ? Atleast if a guy is coming to see me, couldn't you find someone better, someone on par with me like a doctor or a dentist. Out of all the people in this world, you had to find a slave, a slave who works for another country and thinks he earns more than anyone else and blows it all away on a weekend. Why Ma, Why ?

Mom : Why do you need to be so prejudiced about him? Your father said yes to this relation based on a recommendation from one of his close friends. Well, I never thought I would marry your father, now look at me, anything wrong that you notice ?

Archana : Arghhhh !!! ( leaves the scene )

Rajeev in the Car
=================
Rajeev : Dad, are you really sure about this? A doctor, i mean a real doctor?

Dad : I think I have answered that question like 10 times now, and it won't change the 11th time, Yessssss.

Rajeev : Just confirming, coz it kinda feels pretty strange, go easy on me. I'm the one who is going to see a girl, why are you so tensed?

Dad : (Frown look on the face)

Ma : How long still ?

Dad : Should be there in about 20 mins.

Rajeev : ( The 20 mins better be pretty long .. a doc and me, yappa, scary combination )

Everyone gathered at Archana's home
====================================
Archana's Dad : Can we see her now ?

Archana's Mom : Yep, should be coming any second.

Archana : ( Why do I need to be this good kid? wearing this big big saree and holding this stupid tray and that too filled with 6 glasses of coffee and one glass of tea. Why can't he drink coffee, does he think that being different will impress me ? You have got it way too wrong boy. )

( Archana arrives in front of every one )

Rajeev : Oh boy! This is like a ticking time bomb, holy crap, here she comes.

( Each of them exchange glances, well they were a stare than a mere glance )

Rajeev : Oh boy, tat was scary, have I come to the correct house, that was certainly not a pleasant look. It was, as if she's gonna whack the jinx out of me.

Archana : What a Macaroni! No sense of style, plain formals, thvu.... Not even a neat shaved look, disgusting, got more reasons to dislike him now :) !

( Archana hands over the coffee and tea except in a wrong order )

Rajeev : Excuse me, Arch...

Archana's Dad : It's Archana.

Rajeev : Yea, Yea. I think you have misplaced my tea.

Archana : What ?

Rajeev : I think you have misplaced my tea.

Archana's Dad : Oh, I think this is your tea supposedly, I will take that coffee you have.

Archana : ( First you come to my home and then you accuse me of misplacing, what the duck ! ) [ pleasantly smiling on the outside.... ]

Rajeev : ( How can she misplace it, i thought doctors had super duper memory, must be an exception ) [ returning an obnoxious smile ]

Archana's Dad : Shouldn't we let the kids go and have their private chat now.

Rajeev's Dad : Yea, Yea. Sure. Go ahead.

( Archana gives a dancing stare to her Mom )

Rajeev : ( Ma, should I go )

Rajeev's Mom : ( Yea, get up and go, she's waiting. She ain't gonna kill you. )

Rajeev : ( She better not. Ayyo devuda! hope it all goes well. )

( Archana and Rajeev leave the scene and enter the calm terrace environment where the only thing visible is the dark night sky and the only light shining is the tubelight and not the moonlight which flickers every now and then )

On the Terrace
===============
Rajeev : Hhhiii.

Archana : Hey

Rajeev : How are you doin ?

Archana : Pretty good ( How are you doin, dude! you are not attending an interview! ) and you ?

Rajeev : Yea, pretty fine too. So what are we supposed to talk here.

Archana : Well, we can sit and talk about something that's pretty important and something that will affect our lives. I have some things to say first, do you mind ?

Rajeev : Please, go ahead, you will find that I'm a good listener.

Archana : Ok Rajeev, here's the deal. I don't wanna marry someone who just sits day in and day out in front a machine, keeps clicking and typing things. I have a lot of dreams about the guy whom I want to marry.

Rajeev : ( This is getting deadly )

Archana : I wanna marry someone who is an adventurer, who is free-willed and is highly creative. I want a guy who can dream dude. ( expressing a sigh of relief and anguish )

Rajeev : That's all.

Archana : Yea, that's all, atleast for now.

Rajeev : ( Goes into a deep thinking mode, hence a long silence prevails )

Archana : Tell me frankly, from what angle does a software engineer or a computer guy fit my definition.

Rajeev : ( Whoa! We aint so bad as she thinks ) Just a minute, lemme think. ( Suddenly the "101 Things to do in Life before you Die" flash right in the front of the eyes, aha! , let's try that experiment now, I've got nothing to loose, anyways, she's already given up on me )

(After a long pause)

Rajeev : Listen Archana, I have an offer.

Archana : What offer?

Rajeev : I believe that judging people is a dangerous profession, one should only experience these things and not make an analysis of what you are made to believe by someone else. Do you agree ?

Archana : Somewhat.... ( What the hell is he talking about? )

Rajeev : Do you know Machu Picchu ?

Archana : No. ( What, Machka Pichka, ROFL ! )

Rajeev : Since you want to measure me against your "dream guy metrics", I've thought of a plan.

Archana : Hmmm.. Hmmm..

Rajeev : Machu Picchu is an Incan site of mountains located above the Urubamba valley in Peru, South America. I've wanted to go that place since childhood and since you like adventure, why don't we both get on a plane and have a month long adrenaline of South America ? Maybe, that will help us discover both of us? Do you have the courage to do that ?

Archana : What !!! Are you mad ? ( I already have enough headaches, courtesy of you discovering my home )

Rajeev : No, I'm perfectly sane. I can get another doc to certify that.

Archana : How am i supposed to hang out for a month with a complete stranger ?

Rajeev : That's not my problem. Where did all the adventure spirit go ?

Archana : That is different and this is different.

Rajeev : Well, I disagree. I've made my offer and its your choice to make.

Archana : Supposedly, I agree to this ludicrous offer, how on planet earth will you think that our parents will agree ?

Rajeev : That's another butterfly matching problem.

Archana : Do you always need to use this flamboyant terms ?

Rajeev : That's another tough problem to solve, does this sound less flamboyant ?

Archana : Better ( Attitude ! Attitude ! )

Rajeev : Ok, here's the deal, I will take care of my parents and you will take care of yours.

Archana : Ok ( This guy is history if I tell all these to my parents, another one bites the dust, well tried boy, but you're really not the one I'm looking for )

Rajeev : Shall we go back now ?

Archana : You go ahead, I will have a glass of water and come.

( Both Rajeev and Archana return to the hall. Even before, Archana could think of anything, Rajeev just let the ring rumble, recited all the facts of "dream guy", "Machu Picchu" , "1 month adventure" to the audience which comprised of their parents and Archana's elder sister.

Archana was just dumbstruck for 5 minutes. Both the parents looked dead shocked, and thankfully Archana's elder sister intervened and announced to Rajeev's family that they will get back after a while, on this subject. Rajeev departed with a smile on his face towards Archana, but Archana was fuming with steam coming out of her ears and thinking "what a macaroni is this guy!!!". )

--- End of Chapter 1 ---

An Unlikely Greeting To Croonies

2010-06-09T10:36:00.000-07:00

I don't know, why they bother,
Nothing's ever good for them,
I just said, its never like that,
They just come here to start a fight.

They need to piss on our parade,
They need to wreck our big little day,
They want to ruin it for both of us,
In a drunken punch-up at your wedding.

Listen all you croonies,
You think you can drive me crazy,
Come on, Come on,
Come on with your whole army.

For all those butterflies out there,
Who think I slide my hands everywhere,
I have a greeting to wish you all,
My lone finger salute in front of the town-hall.

-rk

(Significance: Expressing the feelings from the bottom of my heart to all those croonies who need answers to satisfy their thirst for dirty thoughts)

He's never coming back again

2010-06-07T10:52:00.000-07:00

I was never the near one,
I was never the dear one,
All in all it seems, I'm no one,
If I ever was someone, Give me a Hell Yeah!

The wonder of this world is gone,
All the nice people suddenly frown,
That's when I realized, I need to run,
This crazy circus is really a thorn.

Every plan seems to fail,
Every meaningful word seems broken,
Everything seems out of control,
There's nothin left to do now.

His things are just falling apart,
He took the life's last lane,
He sounded like he's never coming back,
I'm sure he's never coming back again.

-rk

(Significance: As usual tempers floating around with Appy..... this time it was pretty pretty bad.... consoling it with the above poem)

My struggle for our basement

2010-06-05T10:12:00.000-07:00

Life is a fearless notion,
There's nothing called right or wrong,
It's the just the way someone taught you think about,
So don't fear the unknown, You need not always be in control,
These are the things that I say and you never think.

Life is never too steep a climb,
As long as you have the right one beside,
Life is never a wrong-way,
As long as you don't know how to read the sign,
These are the things that are stupid but they are not.

Life will gift a new lover tomorrow,
I'm as excited as any one imagine,
Life is a always a roller-coaster ride,
The more you wait, it makes you love it a lil more,
These are things that make no sense but still they do.

Life is like a computer program,
You end up in a infinite loop once a while,
But God ensures that there is always a Ctrl+D,
You can always debug and re-compile,
These are things that one should know but they need not to.

Life is all not about relationships,
It's about how clear thoughts you have about them,
Life is all about Family, Friends & Football,
They are the soul of your mechanical dial,
These are things that you should realize and I should tell.

Life is not predictable Dad,
Don't worry about me, Give me a chance,
I'll prove my worth, Make your life better than ever,
One day you will be proud of me and my struggle for our basement,
These are things that I shouldn't tell but yet I do.

Life is very lucky for me Ma,
I'm blessed to have you by my side in the darkside,
Trust me Ma, I won't break your heart,
I will bring you the most cherishable gift,
These are the things I love to say but always shy away.

Life is not about which fool wears the crown,
Life is about which fool learns to keep it simple,
As I rise above the trees and clouds,
I look down and hear the sounds of all the things I've said today,
These are the things that I know but yet I remind myself of.

-rk

(Significance: Summed up a part of the notion of "Life" according to me in this poem, dealt with all aspects of it, inspired by "Fearless" by Pink Floyd, composed a nice lil tune for this poem, will record it when i'm free )

Nothing's easy, Nothing's fair

2010-05-19T11:15:00.000-07:00

I had a dream,
That frightened me awake,
I wanted to escape,
But there was no time.

I heard someone scream,
'You just use and throw',
'You have no control',
'You have no soul',

I had some plans,
To go away today,
Far from this dirty place,
Never to look back again.

There's no way out,
You should learn to talk,
You should learn to think,
You should not not believe in whatever they think.

Focus on the depth which is never there,
Eliminate what you can't repair,
This is life, so don't be afraid,
Nothing's easy, Nothing's fair.

See through the gusty wind,
Wake up from this dirty dream,
Life is just passing through you & me,
It's time to take control over me.

-rk

(Significance : Inspired by the songs "The Man Who Sold The World" by Nirvana, "Never Stops" & "Nothing Ever Happened" by Deerhunter.)

78 days of Sittina Subbi

2010-05-17T09:43:00.000-07:00

Hi all,
This is an experimental post I wanted to write since a few days, finally got a chance to actually pin it. It follows a non linear style of narration with story telling and poems in between. This is a work of fiction, don't dig too much and hurt your brain cells.

Day 77
*********

We went out, we played aloud,
We ate Sev, We ate Rasmalay,
We walked in the rain,
With me holding the umbrella up in strain.

Then something beautiful happened,
It started pouring like anything,
I was praying for no lightning,
But then she started singing.....

ಅಮ್ಮ ನಿನ್ನ ಎದೆಯಾಳದಲ್ಲಿ ,
ಗಾಳಕ್ಕೆ ಸಿಕ್ಕ ಮೀನು,
ಮಿಡುಕಾಡುತಿರುವೆ ನಾನು.

ಅಮ್ಮ ನಿನ್ನ ಎದೆಯಾಳದಲ್ಲಿ,
ಗಾಳಕ್ಕೆ ಸಿಕ್ಕ ಮೀನು,
ಮಿಡುಕಾಡುತಿರುವೆ ನಾನು.

ಕಡಿಯಲೋಲ್ಲೆ ನೀ, ಕರುಳ ಬಳ್ಳಿ,
ಒಲವೂಡುತಿರುವ ತಾಯೆ,
ಬಿಡದ ಭುವಿಯ ಮಾಯೆ.

ಅಮ್ಮ ನಿನ್ನ ಎದೆಯಾಳದಲ್ಲಿ ,
ಗಾಳಕ್ಕೆ ಸಿಕ್ಕ ಮೀನು,
ಮಿಡುಕಾಡುತಿರುವೆ ನಾನು.

ನಿನ್ನ ರಕ್ಷೆ ಗೂಡಲ್ಲಿ ಬೆಚ್ಚಗೆ,
ಅಡಗಲಿ ಎಷ್ಟು ದಿನ,
ದೂಡು ಹೊರಗೆ ನನ್ನಾ.

ನಿನ್ನ ರಕ್ಷೆ ಗೂಡಲ್ಲಿ ಬೆಚ್ಚಗೆ,
ಅಡಗಲಿ ಎಷ್ಟು ದಿನ,
ದೂಡು ಹೊರಗೆ ನನ್ನಾ.

ಓಟ ಕಲಿವೆ,
ಒಳನೋಟ ಕಲಿವೆ,
ಓಟ ಕಲಿವೆ,
ಒಳನೋಟ ಕಲಿವೆ,
ನಾ ಕಲಿವೆ ಊರ್ಧ್ವಗಮನ,
ಓ ಅಗಾದ ಗಗನ.

ಅಮ್ಮ ನಿನ್ನ ಎದೆಯಾಳದಲ್ಲಿ,
ಗಾಳಕ್ಕೆ ಸಿಕ್ಕ ಮೀನು,
ಮಿಡುಕಾಡುತಿರುವೆ ನಾನು.

No words to describe Day 77, the best day of the chapter.

Day 1
********

There came a limelight,
Who shares a friend request,
It's someone I never knew,
I clicked yes without a doubt,
Till date I never figured out why.

The night was long, it ended in tears. I have always had the distinction of bringing out the emotional side of people, be it either, violence, extreme joy or sadness. I guess the limelight was no exception to my rule. But yet there is something normal abt the limelight, i can figure out people by the grip, and I knew limelight was a good kid.

Day 18
*********

Well you wore out your welcome
With random precision,
Come on you raver, you seer of visions,
Come on you painter, you piper, you prisoner, and shine!

There is always room for self-control stupid experiments in any chapter of mine. This was one such case, the honeymoon of chatting should wear off in the first few weeks, but when it doesn't , its time for such experiments.

Day 70 - Part 2
*******************

Dear Prudence, won't you come out to play
Dear Prudence, greet the brand new day
The sun is up, the sky is blue
It's beautiful and so are you
Dear Prudence won't you come play pool with me?

Dear Prudence let me see you smile
Dear Prudence like a little child
The clouds will be a daisy chain
So let me see you smile again
Dear Prudence won't you let me see you smile?

A player who was practicing with a metal sticks and tumblers transformed into a pool champion in 8 months. It was time to share the knowledge of the game and introduce more people to the game. I can proudly say that I have introduced and taught many of my amigos the game of pool and Prudence also got the share of this coaching.

Day 5
********

No zenith to the anger,
No end to the questions,
No stopping the talks,
Yes, to all non-sense.

There are some people who bring a change in direction of life. I had completely stopped pinning kannada poems, but the chapter actually helped me a lot to write my first kannada poem in ages, and it came out pretty well. You can read it @ http://barcafanravi.blogspot.com/2010/03/sittina-surabhi.html.

Day 20
*********

Here comes the sun, here comes the sun,(tu-du-do-do),
Here comes the sun, here comes the sun,(tu-du-do-do),
And I say it's all right.

Little darling, the smiles returning to the faces
Little darling, it seems like years since it's been here

An evening of mere silence, a non-stop radio whispering in ears,
Thirst was satiated by the cool drink,
The bus stopped at the right place,
The moon got down at the wrong place,
The sun started laughing all over the place.

The first real meeting, a shock I would never forget. I never talk that much, I really knew why, so much non stop talk is a sure cause for ultimate jaw pains.

Day 42
*********

She's not a girl who doubted me much,
I never squander a challenge,
I'm always game for them,
If you want a hit or two,
I will give them without thinking either-way.

The taste of harsh beatings broke the biggest of bridges. The silence prevailed for a long time, I lost all the respect in an instant, its worth the risk when its about time people see the true-self behind the cool, calm and collective oneself.

Day 51
********

Let me tell you how it will be;
There's one for you, nineteen for me.
'Cause I'm the taxman,
Yeah, I'm the taxman.

Should five per cent appear too small,
Be thankful I don't take it all.
'Cause I'm the taxman,
Yeah, I'm the taxman.

If you drive a car, I'll tax the street,
If you try to sit, I'll tax your seat,
If you get too cold, I'll tax the heat,
If you take a walk, I'll tax your feet.

First time, i really felt that i was being taxed wholesale, buying badminton rackets and getting beatings within the same. Boy, I was spending and receiving biscuits at the same time.

Day 70 - Part 1
*******************

I will wake you up,
I will get the ticket,
We will go to the movie,
You will buy me popcorn.

Let me take you to Torrey Pines,
Coz I'm going to record some pool,
Nothing is real and nothing is true,
I have some plans and so do you.

First time woke up on a sunday morning to grab a movie tickets and spent the next hour waiting for the arrival of Tony Stark's companion. I have a simple rule, I either watch the entire movie by going in 5 mins early or I tear the tickets and cry for 5 minutes and walk home. Movies are so special to me, words do mere justice to the passion.

Day 52
**********

Ah, look at all the lovely people,
Eating with all the lonely people,
Ah, look at all the lovely people,
Today we eat with all the lonely people.

Eleanor Ribgy picks up two glasses of water from the table,
Drinks it in even without looking the blind side,
I get to spend 60 minutes looking for the loo,
Nobody can deny I learned a valuable lesson that day.

Now she's here and there,
We can play everywhere,
A long walk took us nowhere,
Yet we were back home thinking somewhere.

The Pizza hut treat by Eleanor Rigby was some hungama. I had changed the plans like 100 times and finally when it got fixed, there was a jinx of rain, loo, racket, walk, Kamath Hotel and home. Boy, this is was some grand learning for me.

Day 70 - Part 3
*******************

If your eating late at night,
And you have curd rice staring you upright,
And you have leg pieces up your sight,
There is something not alright.

If you're listening to this song
You may think the chords are going wrong
But they're not, I just wrote it like that

It doesn't really matter what chords I play
What words I say or time of day it is
As it's only a Northern song.

First time I had to stare all night along at curd rice and eat non-veg food. I used to take a glance to left, right, to the high above front (some cricket match was going on) and curd rice ,,,,, horrible, horrible feeling :P !

Day 78
*********

Yesterday,All my troubles seemed so far away,
Now it looks as though they're here to stay,
Oh, I believe in yesterday.

Suddenly, I'm not half the man I used to be,
There's a shadow hanging over me,
Oh, yesterday came suddenly.

Why she, Had to go I don't know, she wouldn't say.
I said, Something wrong, now I long for yesterday.

So I started singing,
Bye-bye, miss american pie.
Drove my chevy to the levee,
But the levee was dry.
And the good old boys were drinkin whiskey and sprite
Singin, "this 'll be the day that we will fly.
One day we will fly.

So long my friend, may good luck greet you in your future.

The end of chapter. The beginning of a new journey in life. Thanks for all the memories. There's always an autumn after the summer :) !

- rk

Significance - Written on the style i picked up from a movie called "500 days of Summer". Engrossed some real life events with fiction to make it a nice collaboration.

La Liga Week38: FC Barca 4 0 R.Valladolid

2010-05-17T09:35:00.000-07:00

FC Barcelona regained the first division title after a domineering display against Real Valladolid on Sunday evening as they created history with a record haul of 99 points.

Lionel Messi scored twice after Luis Prieto had scored an own goal and Pedro had netted a second to give Pep Guardiola’s team back-to-back championship wins.

While Real Valladolid were left facing relegation from the top tier of Spanish football, Barça were celebrating winning the title in Camp Nou for the first time in 12 seasons.

GOALS
=====
1-0 Luis Prieto (min 26)
2-0 Pedro (min 28)
3-0 Messi (min 62)
4-0 Messi (min 76)

La Liga Week37: Sevilla 2 3 FC Barca

2010-05-17T09:32:00.000-07:00

Barca took a massive step to taking the league title with a 2-3 win over Seville in the Sanchez Pijuan tonight. With Madrid also winning their game, it will all come down to next week’s final games when Barca host Valladolid.

First half goals from Messi and Bojan set up the result and when Pedro made it three on the hour, the job seemed to have been done, especially since Seville were down to 10 men after Konko was sent off for the hosts on 56 minutes. But then Seville, who’d been completely outplayed until then hit back with two quick goals from Kanoute and Fabiano and the game, and the title race, was back on again.

There were a few jitters as the game entered into the last 20 minutes, but both Pedro and Bojan could have sealed the game before the ref finally blew up and the players celebrated what could be a vital three points.

GOALS
======
0-1, Messi (min 5)
0-2, Bojan (min 28)
0-3, Pedro (min 61)
1-3, Kanouté (min 69)
2-3, Luis Fabiano (min 71)

La Liga Week36 : FC Barcelona 4 1 Tenerife

2010-05-17T09:30:00.000-07:00

Barca continued on their march to the league title with a convincing 4-1 win over Tenerife tonight. In a game marked by pouring rain, Messi (2), Bojan and Pedro scored the goals that put Barca four points ahead of Madrid once again.

This was tougher game than many expected for Barca against a Tenerife team who were desperate for points to stave off the threat of relegation. Despite a goal just past the quarter hour from Messi, Roman hit back for the visitors to send the teams in level at the break. Barca’s home grown talent –Bojan, Pedro and Messi again did the business in the second half and took Barca to 93 points- a record in La Liga and four clear of Madrid who are at Mallorca tomorrow.

GOALS
======
1-0, Messi (min 16)
1-1, Román (min 38)
2-1, Bojan (min 63)
3-1, Pedro (min 77)
4-1, Messi (min 93)

La Liga Week35: Villareal 1 4 FC Barca

2010-05-17T09:28:00.000-07:00

Barca turned on the style at Villarreal to beat their hosts 1-4 and put behind any doubts that might have lingered from the European KO. Barca will lead the table going into the final three games thanks to goals tonight from Messi(2), Xavi and Bojan.

Any doubts about Guardiola’s team’s ability to bounce back from the Inter defeat were brushed aside by a champions display to see off the in-form Villarreal with some magisterial football, particularly in the first half when Messi, Xavi and Bojan all scored. The home team got a consolation goal in the second, but Messi was again on target to put aside any hopes of a comeback. This was a team true to its style and heritage and Barca’s starting line up included a total of eight players who’d come through La Masia and all four goals were scored by home grown players.

GOALS
=====
0-1 Messi (min 18)
0-2 Xavi (min 33)
0-3 Bojan (min 42)
1-3 Llorente (min 67)
1-4 Messi (min 87)

UCL : FC Barca 1 0 Inter Milan

2010-05-17T09:26:00.000-07:00

FC Barcelona will not be going to the 2010 Champions League final. They dominated Inter Milan tonight, but the goals just would not come. Gerard Pique’s 83rd minute goal set up a gripping finale but it is the Italians that will be going to Madrid.

The fans responded in incredible fashion, creating one of the most electric atmospheres the Camp Nou has ever seen. But there was an increasing sense of frustration as Barça’s almost uninterrupted possession of the ball, which reached 84% at one point, was constantly thwarted by the incredibly tight defence deployed by Jose Mourinho. Inter played the last hour with only ten men following Thiago Motta’s red card, yet their tiredness rarely showed. At last, when Pique finally found the net, there were renewed roars of expectation from the crowd. But ultimately it wasn’t to be, and the night ended in bitter disappointment for the team and its ever-faithful fans.

GOALS
=====
1-0, Piqué (min 84)

Bob Dylan - Knockin on Heaven's Door (Cover by Me)

2010-04-27T09:02:00.000-07:00

My little cover of Bob Dylan's "Knockin on Heaven's Door" . I desperately need some help with vocals, although I have improved by light years :) ! Thank you for all the inspiration Dylan :) !

Goa Trip - New Year Bash 2010 [Prelude]

2010-04-25T03:27:00.000-07:00

Significance: Played background music of Pearl Jam's "The Last Kiss" on my guitar and mashed it up with some pics of Goa Trip.

La Liga Week34: FC Barca 3 1 Xerez

2010-04-25T03:25:00.000-07:00

Barça have overcome Xerez, a side that made life difficult until deep into the second half. Jeffren and Henry scored early on but the visitors pulled one back and also squandered two clear-cut chances. Ibra sealed the win in the 55th minute.

Many minds are already on Wednesday’s task, where Barça have to make up for the 3-1 loss to Inter, but first there was another challenge at the Camp Nou against bottom-placed Xerez. The league leaders were well focused and were 2-0 up after 23 minutes thanks to strikes from Jeffren and Henry, but a cracking goal from Bermejo was a reminder that the three points were not going to be won that easily. In fact, the Andalusians wasted two excellent chances to draw level before an opportunistic Ibra, assisted by the entrances of Piqué and Messi, made it three. The potential banana skin fixture sorted, minds can now switch one hundred percent to Inter.

GOALS
=====
1-0 Jeffren (min 13)
2-0 Henry (min 23)
2-1 Bermejo (min 24)
3-1 Ibrahimovic (min 55)

UCL : Inter Milan 3 1 FC Barca

2010-04-25T03:24:00.000-07:00

In a game full of incident and controversy, Barca went down 3-1 to Inter Milan tonight. Pedro put Barca ahead in the first half before Sneijder equalised and in the second half, goals from Maicon and Milito gave Mourinhio’s team the 3-1.

Pedro’s 19th minute opener seemed to have set Barca on the path to a comfortable night, but Inter’s physical approach, together with the ref’s permissive attitude saw them battle back into the game and Sneijder’s reply on the half hour galvanised the home team. The second half proved tough for Guardiola’s men and Maicon’s early strike was followed by a controversial third as Milito headed past Valdes from point blank with the Barca defenders appealing for offside. Barca laid siege to the Inter goal in the last half hour, but the goal wouldn’t come and it’s all to do next week when the two teams meet in the second leg at the Nou Camp.

GOALS
=====
0-1 Pedro (min 19)
1-1 Sneijder (min 29)
2-1 Maicon (min 48)
3-1 Milito (min 60)

La Liga Week33: Espanyol 0 0 FC Barca

2010-04-25T03:22:00.000-07:00

FC Barcelona took a valuable point from the derby game in Cornella, despite playing the last half hour with 10 men after Dani Alves saw red. Both teams had their chances with the woodwork keeping them both out in the first half.

If Espanyol looked the brighter in the first half, it was Barca who dominated the second, with their typical style of football. Espanyol played the game to the limit, with plenty of fouls throughout, but in the end it was Barca who finished with 10 men after Dani Alves was shown a red in the second half.

With just five games to go till the end of the season, Barca are now four points ahead of Madrid, who face Valencia on Sunday.

La Liga Week32: FC Barca 3 0 Deportivo La Coruna

2010-04-16T08:05:00.000-07:00

Pedro scored a wondergoal to help FC Barcelona secure all there points in a comfortable home win against a spirited Deportivo de La Coruña side at Camp Nou on Wednesday evening.

The Tenerife-born forward netted a stunning second goal for the Blaugrana after the break after Bojan Krkic had opened the scoring while Touré Yaya then wrapped things up with a third.

From the start Pep Guardiola's outfit were in control of the game as the hosts sought to build on the win against Real Madrid in el Clásico last weekend. Depor knew what to expect at the home of the reigning Spanish, European and world champions but were still powerless to prevent Barça from dominating as they again imposed the possession game that has undone so many sides. With Madrid not playing until Thursday the victory moved the Catalan outfit six points clear at the top of the table as the run-in for the title builds in momentum and sent a message out that the team are determined to retain the championship for a second consecutive year.

GOALS
=====
1-0 Bojan (min 15)
2-0 Pedro (min 68)
3-0 Touré (min 72)

Just In Time, Hang On

2010-04-15T10:11:00.000-07:00

We are here and its closer now,
A minute's dream,it's passin you by,
I feel so tired, I feel so burdened,
I want to be as free as a bird.

I've so many things, yet so little time,
I feel too restless to unwind,
I'm lost most of the time,
I want rest from this gruesome ride .

I'd give you everything I've got,
For a little peace of mind,
I'd do anything you want,
For that little piece of pie.

Why is life so strenuous ?
Why is life so complicated ?
When will I get these answers ?
"Just in Time, Hang On", A voice whispers from within.

-rk

(Significance: Reflection of the current strenuous routine and looking for inspiration)

La Liga Week31: Real Madrid 0 2 FC Barca

2010-04-11T09:39:00.000-07:00

Barca took a massive step towards retaining their league title with a 0-2 win over Madrid at the Bernabeu tonight. Goals from Messi and Pedro saw off the challenge from Madrid and left Barca three points ahead at the top of the table.

Xavi Hernandez set up Leo Messi to open the scoring just past the half hour mark and then split open the Madrid defence to release Pedro to wrap up the game on 56 minutes. Madrid had their chances too, but Victor Valdes was at his best to keep out Van der Vaart, Ronaldo and Marcelo with another excellent performance.

The team maybe didn’t reach the heights of last season’s 2-6 demolition, but their efficiency in front of goal, an inspired Xavi and a solid Victor Valdes inflicted the first home defeat of the season on Madrid and ensured the three points that put them in the driving seat for another league title, with a three point lead and just 7 games left to play.

GOALS
=====
0-1, Messi (min 32)
0-2, Pedro (min 56)

Life is a Point, You're the Pencil

2010-04-08T11:30:00.000-07:00

It's that time again in life, the beautiful introspection post time. It's been ages since I did one as such and so much has changed since the last time I did it.

I feel like Michael Corleone[above] in Godfather Part II at this point in life, what should be my next aim, how best can I carry my father Don Corleone's legacy, how to continue from now on, how to be supremely efficient?

So without much delay, let's start rollin !!!

Amazing Work
****************

One of highlight of this beautiful era has been amazing work in Yahoo!. I couldn't ask for a better start to my career. I'm just in an awesomely brilliant team with super duper individuals who work together. First of all, Rama [my Manager] and Sanjeev [Tech lead + Mentor] are my care-takers, who have guided me to settle into My Yahoo! work flow.

Then the team itself has been great, especially Srini[i can never forget this guy, just answered the most silliest of doubts i asked initially], Manoher[amazing backend guy who just knows in and out of My Y!], Sushil[one of our secret ingredient to success], Vamsi[a kind of Sudhee guy i'm lucky to find in every walk of life :)], Knutties(Natarajan)[Technically the most brilliant in the team], Nikhil [The most under-rated performer, the master of frontend, just astounding class], Vineet[Backend Master], Vijay[extremely hillarious guy], Venky [backend expert] and a special mention for Tim Tully [a top class Genius who brings out the best in me].

With such classy folk around, its just an unbelievable experience, sometimes i get a feeling, Wow ! What on earth have i done, to get to work in such a talented team, maybe a whole lotta Luck! is my evergreen answer :) !

Rapid is my Torpedo, Reader is my dream , Facebook is my Hackbook
************************************************************

A less mysterious quote indicating my dream projects :) !

Dames, Dames, Dames
**************************

When I jumped into Pre-University (PU), the immature, foolish and highly errant Rk of High School was put to rest. An ultra hardworking, focused and tougher Rk was resurrected and this happened for a reason, to avoid the same stupid errors committed previously.

Enough of background work on this topic, the Rk similar to the latter embraced Engineering too. Then something clicked after engineering, why don't you change after engineering, why don't mingle with some dame now, after all you have done all the serious work, isn't it time for fun?

Guys like me and Girls, they just never work out. Probably I realized this after high school and then made a sensible choice. It's just that curiosity keeps coming back and you end up in a mess after exploring a while :).

As I was stating previously that I might finally think of getting hooked on to a relationship after engineering, but whomever so I met was just way above the scale or I just don't click with maniacs.

That's when I decided, STOP IT MAN ! STOP IT ! IT'S GETTING SICK BY THE HOUR. One month from that decision, it was hell, the thoughts going through my head, grossly unimaginable. That's when I decided, lemme rethink the strategy, why don't I look for friends who are girls, frankly I had lost a lot of touch about how to even talk to them.

Suddenly something struck (God puts u in dark places, but never forgets to hand u a torch :)), and I have put that to effect now and I have positive results to speak off. Recently, I'm getting a feeling of immersing myself more and more into work to return back to the PU Rk, that's when I was at supreme efficiency, i would cry for wasting 15 mins back then, that's how good that time was.

So much for the whole thing on "Dames", I better lay to rest any thoughts of relationships, they are light years away from my grasp. Tell this to yourself buddy, You ain't gonna get one, so why crib so much, go out man, enjoy other things in life !!!

Barca, My Lovely Barca
**************************

Ah!!!!! What a phenomenal season it was last year, winning the treble and then sweeping all 6 trophies (La Liga, Copa Del Rey, Champions League, UEFA Super Cup, Spanish Super Cup, FIFA World Club Championship) in a calendar year. For Barca, its not that we win everything, we will still be happy if we loose to a better team having played the game beautifully.

We always stick true to the passing philosophy, tick-tock-pass-tick-tock-pass-find_a_gap-slide_a_forward-goal. This is what I love the most about my beloved Barca. The defense has been brilliant with Puyol and Valdes at the heart, Midfield Maestros Xavi and Iniesta are the heart N soul of the team , and Messi, my my my my beautiful Messi, i run out of words to describe this little Genius... amazing talent yet so down to earth. You gotta watch him man, players like Pele, Maradona, Di Stefano, Cruijff, Messi come once in ages, so when you are alive watch them, they bring sheer joy to the heart N soul of yours.

This season La Liga is so tight, it can go either Barca or Madrid way, let's see what happens :) !

Dead Poet's Society - O Captain! My Captain!
*********************************************

As usual I do write poems a lot but Swathi got me ticking back into Kannada poems which I used to pen regularly in high school and sort of faded later. Although she does regular raping sessions (RS's aka question drills) on what I write, what's the meaning of this line, why did you write this, what's that, what's this, etc., I just don't mind..... coz I just love to write in Kannada ... a lot of folks think, I'm an English darling, God knows how passionate I'm about Kannada.

My First Guitar and Orson Welles in Me
*****************************************

There's not been a single day I have cribbed about my lack of skill in art and culture. I'm just way too dumb in them. But my passion for cinema and music is just so much, that I can never go far away from them. After the Goa trip, me , Darshan and Sachi decided to take up guitar classes, hence we found Mepong (Check him play "Far beyond the Sun" by Yngwie, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IK88hhGGE0U) and enrolled into to his classes. I had to borrow money from Sachi to buy my first guitar, coz I just didn't have any money then, given the 2k rule. I did re-pay back in my next salary though. It's been an amazing progress since I started , I can play some simple songs now. But I'm more so interested about classical and rock music. If I can play Bach's Bourree some day in my life with my Guitar, that would be an amazing feeling :D !

Orson Welles, what a genius!!! What Sachin Tendulkar is to Cricket, Orson Welles is to Cinema and Editing, just sheer class. It's too bad that people don't dig greatness from past. I want to make a short film as Welles started out, I'm pinning a script for it, and with some decent enough hardware and editing, I should be able to roll it out sometime. But I'm aware its gonna take me a lot of time, but you know what, its worth it !!!

Infact it is this Orson Welles and sometimes Hitchcock in me, which makes me tell stories, coz basically I'm directing them as cinemas in my head when I narrate. I get a lot of fans cribbing for stories to put them to bed @ night, no wonder, I should start thanking Welles and Hitchcock :) !

Hold the cue, Take the Aim, Pot the Pool
*******************************************

First thing I started loving about Yahoo! is the Pool Room, it's just so amazing. It's been 8 months or so since I started playing Pool regularly, and you know what, I have improved a lot @ it, so much that I won the 8-ball Doubles Pool and ended runner-up in the 8-ball Singles Pool during ICE Hungama. It had been so long since I had won something big in sports, and it was super refreshing. I will record my new Pool trick shots that I have been working on when I get time and post it on youtube :) !

GRE, TOEFL and My M.S
***************************

It's that phase of life where you just work incredibly hard, driven like a Formula1 Car, you just don't see anything else, but sheer focus on work in hand. I have to get into this mood really quick if I have to do well in GRE + TOEFL to get a seat in a top college to do my M.S. I only can think of Dr.H.S.M's statement at this point, "When the going gets tough, the tough get going".

Life is a point, You are the Pencil
************************************

Life is a point, you are the pencil, so better sketch something beautiful which is worth cherishing :) !

Forget Dames, you ain't gonna ever get one.... Start dreaming of Music and Cinema, coz this is who you are at the very basic, a dreamer and a good one too..... Start focusing on work in hand... this is what you do best.... You have one heart....and it beats for Barca........Find your happiness in Barca.... its the only love of your life...... Start writing scripts and think about improving ur editing skills.... coz you are creative only in this field..... Stop fighting with your self.... Life is not a battle, its a journey..... Stop thinking of the eraser... coz God removed that from your Paintbrush long time back.... Start thinking of special people in life who have made a difference... Coz they are the one's whom you cherish a lot :D .....

This marks the beginning of this post, if you read it already, you read it in the reverse order, hehe ! Braid game's influence on me :)! Let's start folks!

UCL : FC Barca 4 1 Arsenal ( 6-3 overall )

2010-04-08T09:57:00.000-07:00

Another memorable performance from Leo Messi destroyed Arsenal and put Barca through to another Champions League semi final. Messi scored all four goals as Barca swept aside the Londoners to win 6-3 on aggregate.

Barca stride on towards the final in the Bernabeu and tonight’s breathtaking display from the World Player of the Year, whose first half hat trick came after Arsenal had gone ahead, is bound to strike awe and admiration into the remaining teams in the competition. Guardiola’s choice of Milito and Marquez to replace the unavailable Puyol and Pique proved more than enough to keep any threat from Arsenal at bay and Bojan also played his part up front as Barca dominated and rounded off a great night with Messi’s late fourth goal to reach the semi finals for the third season on the run.

GOALS
=====
0-1 Bendtner (min 18)
1-1 Messi (min 20)
2-1 Messi (min 36)
3-1 Messi (min 41)
4-1 Messi (min 86)

LaLiga Week30: FC Barca 4 1 Ath.Bilbao

2010-04-04T03:23:00.000-07:00

FC Barcelona produced yet another convincing performance at the Camp Nou against Athletic Club Bilbao, winning 4-1 thanks to goals from Jeffren, Bojan (2) and Messi.

Despite coming right in the middle of Easter weekend, there was an excellent turnout at the Camp Nou for what some had feared was a potential banana skin encounter against the in-form Basques. But a much-changed Barça team was able to deliver the goods in style, putting further pressure on co-leaders Real Madrid, who are in action in Santander tomorrow.

GOALS
=====
1-0, Jeffren (min 26)
2-0, Bojan (min 40)
3-0, Bojan (min 58)
4-0, Messi (min 67)
4-1, Susaeta (min 76)

UCL : Arsenal 2 2 FC Barca

2010-04-02T06:16:00.000-07:00

After a stunning first half performance from Barça had ended goalless, two goals from Ibrahimovic looked to have sealed a convincing win at the Emirates. But two late Arsenal goals from Walcott and Fabregas meant it ended all square on a great night.

GOALS
======
0-1 Ibrahimovic (min 46)
0-2 Ibrahimovic (min 59)
1-2 Walcott (min 69)
2-2 Cesc (min 84)

Nan Gelathi - Part I, II & III

2010-03-29T07:47:00.000-07:00

Hi all,
I come here to share a poem which is an intricate part of a story which I was writing. It's titled 'ನನ್ ಗೆಳತಿ' with parts I, II & III.

ಭಾಗ - ೧
*******

ಫುಟ್ಬಾಲ್ , ಎಫ್-1 ನನ್ ಉಸಿರು,
ನನ್ ಬ್ಲಾಗ್-ನ ಪುಟಗಳು ಸದಾ ಹಸಿರು,
ಬಾರ್ಸ ಮೇಲೆ ಬರೆಯೋದೆ ನನ್ ಚಟವು,
ಆಡೋಣ ಬಾ, ಓ! ಗೆಳತಿ.

ದಿನವೊಂದು ಕ್ಷಣವಾಗಿ ,
ಹಾಡೊಂದು ಇಂಪಾಗಿ,
ಅವಳೊಂದು ಕನಸಾಗಿ,
ನೀ ನನ್ನ ಒಲವಾಗಿ ಬಾ, ಓ! ಗೆಳತಿ.

ಮುಳ್ಳಾಗಿ ನಾ ಮಾತಾಡಬಲ್ಲೆ ,
ಮೊಗ್ಗಂತೆ ಮೃದುವಾಗಬಲ್ಲೆ ,
ಅವಳನ್ನು ನಾ ನಗಿಸಬಲ್ಲೆ,
ಹಾಡೋಣ ಬಾ, ಓ! ಗೆಳತಿ.

ಕವಿಯಾಗಿ ನಾ ಬರೆಯಬಲ್ಲೆ ,
ಸಂತೋಷ ನಾ ಹಂಚಬಲ್ಲೆ,
ತಂಗಾಳಿಯಾಗಿ ಅವಳು ಜೊತೆ ಬರಲೆ,
ಸವಿಯೋಣ ಬಾ, ಓ! ನನ್ನ ನಲ್ಲೆ.

ಭಾಗ - ೨
*******

ಈ ಹೃದಯ ಹಾಡಿದೆ,
ಆಸೆಗಳ ತಾಳಕೆ,
ಈ ಕಂಗಳು ಹುಡುಕಿಹೆ,
ನಿನ್ನೇ ಕಣೆ ಚೆಲುವೆ.

ಯಾವ ಊರೇ ನಿಂದು,
ಏನೇ ಹೆಸರು ನಿಂದು,
ಏನೇ ಮೋಡಿ ನಿಂದು,
ಯಾಕೆ ಹೊರಟೆ ಇಂದು.

ನನ್ನ ಕವಿತೆ ನೀನಲ್ಲವೇ,
ನನ್ನ ರಾಗ ನೀನಲ್ಲವೇ,
ಚೆಲುವಲಿ ನಿನಗೆ ಸಾಟಿ ಯಾರಿಲ್ವೆ,
ಕೋಪದಲ್ಲಿ ನಿನ್ನ ಮೀರಿಸೋವ್ರು ಇಲ್ವೆ.

ಹುಟ್ಟಿದ್ದೇ ಸಾಯೋದಕ್ಕೆ,
ನೀನೇ ಇಲ್ದಿದ್ ಮೇಲೆ ,
ಈ ಬದುಕು ಏತಕ್ಕೆ,
ಈ ಗೋಳು ಇನ್ನು ಸಾಕೆ.

ಭಾಗ -೩
******

ಮಧ್ಯ ರಸ್ತೇಲಿ,
ಬಯಲ ಬಿಸಿಲಲ್ಲಿ,
ಅವಳು ನನ್ ದಾರೀಲಿ,
ನಾ ಹುಡುಕಬೇಕು ಬೇರೆ ದಾರಿ ರೀ.

ನಾಲ್ಕು ವರ್ಷ ಹಿಂದಿನ ಕಥೆಯಿಲ್ಲಿ,
ಕೈ ಕೊಟ್ಟು ಓಡಿದ ಹೆಣ್ಣಿಲ್ಲಿ,
ನೋಡಿದ್ರೆ ಕಣ್ಣು ಕೆಂಪಲ್ಲಿ,
ನನ್ ತಲೆ ಪೂರ ಡೌಟಲ್ಲಿ.

ಸೊಗಸು ಬಂದಾಗ,
ನಾನು ನೋಡಿದ್ದೇ ತಪ್ಪಾ,
ವಯಸು ಇದ್ದಾಗ,
ಲವ್ ಮಾಡಿದ್ದೆ ತಪ್ಪಾ.

ಹತ್ತೆಜ್ಜೆ ದೂರ ಇಹಳು,
ದಿನಾ ರಾತ್ರಿ ಕಾಡಿದವಳು,
ಅಷ್ಟರಲ್ಲಿ ನೋಡಪ್ಪ ಎಬ್ಬಿಸಿದ್ಳು,
ನನ್ನ ಮನಸಿನ ರಾಣಿಯೊಬ್ಳು.

-rk

( Signifiance: Started to write poem based narrative stories in Kannada. Dedicated to a special {don't think other wise :D} dame who revitalized my Kannada poem writing skills, this is a big 'Muchas Gracias' to her in a way :)! )

LaLiga Week29: Mallorca 0 1 FC Barca

2010-03-29T06:37:00.000-07:00

Zlatan Ibrahimovic gave Barca a priceless win in Mallorca with a 63rd minute strike that takes them back to the top of the league for 24 hours at least. The team put in a workmanlike performance and got their just rewards with Ibra’s goal.

Mallorca came into the game boasting 12 wins from 13 at home and this game stood out in the fixture list as a tough one for Barca. In the end, Guardiola’s team played a focussed game, with Messi starting on the bench, dominating possession and surviving a couple of close calls from Mallorca in the first half to run out worthy winners and take what could turn out to be three very valuable points.

GOALS
=====
0-1 Ibra (min 63)

LaLiga Week28: FC Barca 2 0 Osasuna

2010-03-25T09:07:00.000-07:00

Second half goals from Ibra and Bojan earned Barca the points at the Nou Camp in a game in which Guardiola had to rethink his tactics to overcome the visitors’ dogged defence.

This was an epic tactical battle between Pep Guardiola and José Antonio Camacho, as the Pamplona team came out and really took the game to the hosts, forcing some serious tactical changes from Guardiola before Barca upped their performance in the second half and got their reward with goals from Ibrahimovic (min 72) and Bojan (min 87).

GOALS
======
1-0 Ibrahimovic (min 72)
2-0 Bojan (min 87)

Hypocrite Opportunistic Satire

2010-03-24T09:26:00.000-07:00

I don't know why you bother,
Nothing's ever good enough for you,
Things always get so tight,
You just come here to start a fight.

You always piss on my parade,
You mess up my day,
You ruin it just for its sake,
You hypocrite opportunistic satire.

Don't infect me with your poison,
Stop bullying me for a treason,
I can't withstand the pointless remarks,
Don't come aboard my embarks.

No wonder she fell out,
You always get the route cut out,
Now there's no future left at all,
I swear this was coming head on.

Start being nicer,
Stop being cheaper,
When will you change?
When will I change?

Think you're crazy, maybe,
Think I'm crazy, maybe,
Help me get back where I belong,
Until then so long.

-rk

(Significance : Self-Criticism and a drive to start being nicer, nicer, nicer!!! )

My heart is crawling in the Mud Mud Mud !!!

2010-03-22T07:07:00.000-07:00

I had a dream, I went away,
Left this hectic place for a day,
I went to Spain, to see Messi score a goal away,
We won the title in a shining display.

I wish this world was softer,
I wish this world was closer,
I've had this feeling before,
My heart is crawling in the mud mud mud.

I'd feel much better, I'm sure
If I had an electrik guitar,
These pleadings are of no use,
Just like hazy-dazy blues.

Hey, show some love,
You ain't so tough,
I ain't gonna get any shock,
So just let me rock.

-rk

(Significance : 70s style Pop influence, A plead to the Don aka my Dad to give a green signal so that I can buy an Electrik Guitar. )

Hey Mr.Sunshine Man

2010-03-22T06:44:00.000-07:00

Hey Mr.Sunshine Man, tell a story for me,
I'm not sleepy and there is no place I'm going to,
Hey Mr.Sunshine Man, play a song for me,
In the jingle-jangle morning I'll come followin' you.

Take me on a trip upon your magic space ship,
My senses have been stripped,
My hands don't seem to grip,
My toes too numb to step.

I'm ready to go anywhere,
I'm ready to fade,
Cast you're dreaming spell on me,
I promise to go right under it.

Take me on the smoke rings of my mind,
Down the foggy ruins of time, far past the frozen lakes,
The haunted, frightened trees, out to the windy Goan beach,
Far from this crazy twisted world of sorrow.

I will dance beneath the diamond sky,
And you will play guitar,
Let's not sound too bizarre,
Let us forget today and dream tomorrow.

- rk

(Significance : Bob Dylan's influence on me, and remembering narration of fascinating stories... in many ways a Thank You to the story teller in me which has helped to win over a lot of people, especially kids)

LaLiga Week27: R.Zaragoza 2 4 FC Barca

2010-03-22T06:39:00.000-07:00

Another Leo Messi hat trick, plus an Ibrahimovic penalty gave Barca the win in Zaragoza. 0-3 up on 80 minutes, the team ended up running out 2-4 winners thanks to another inspired performance from the World Number One.

Zaragoza’s tactics were to play a tough, physical game with plenty of contact, but that wasn’t enough to stop Messi who chalked up another hat trick and seemed to have led Barca to a comfortable win until Zaragoza hit back towards the end of the game to make it 2-3. But Messi isn’t the best player in the world for nothing and he forced a late penalty which Ibra fired home to seal the win that keeps Barca level on points with Real Madrid at the top.

GOALS
======
0-1, Messi (min 4)
0-2, Messi (min 65)
0-3, Messi (min 77)
1-3, Colunga (min 84)
2-3, Colunga (min 89)
2-4, Ibrahimovic (pen, min 90)

UCL : FC Barca 4 0 Stuttgart

2010-03-20T00:59:00.000-07:00

Barca saw off Stuttgart 4-0 at the Nou Camp with Messi again to the forefront with two goals, whilst Pedro and Bojan grabbed the other two. Two-nil up after 20 minutes, Barca cruised into the quarter finals.

The reigning champions went into the game at 1-1 after the first leg, but there was no question of sitting on the result as a Messi inspired first 20 minutes saw them go two goals up. Dominating throughout, Guardiola’s team scored two more in the second half and sent a clear message to the rest of Europe – we are the champions!

GOALS
=====
1-0 Messi (min 12)
2-0 Pedro (min 22)
3-0 Messi (min 59)
4-0 Bojan (min 89)

Shine - Part I, II & III

2010-03-18T08:22:00.000-07:00

Hi all,
I come here to recite a lengthy poem reflecting my state of mind, my thoughts and insights into life.

Part I
********

Remember when you were young,
You once shone like the sun,
The prince who could never do any wrong,
Whatever happened to him atlast?

Now there's a look in your eyes,
Like black holes in the Sky,
Which blanks out your mind,
Where are you headed soldier ?

You're caught in the crossfire,
This race will lit your desire,
The misery is inevitable,
When will you realize ?

Come on you fighter, you stranger,
Run like you have never run before,
He's gonna find you sooner or later ,
So come on and shine like a crazy diamond.

Part-II
*********

Is there anybody going to listen to my story?
About the girl who pinged me other day,
She's the kinda girl who makes you feel sorry,
But still you don't regret a single day.

When I think of not answering her,
She turns to me and starts to cry,
She promises everything to me and I believe her,
After all this while, I don't know why.

I don't know if I need an easy friend,
But I do have some ears to lend,
Do you think, you fit these shoes,
But do you have any clue?

A new resistive rule has been laid,
The phantom cannot lay hands on his maid,
Is she the one who's sure all that glitters isn't gold,
Will she buy me a stairway to heaven or to hell?

Part-III
*********

I once had a girl or should i say she once had me ?
She told me to publish a paper,
And when I just wrote, she asked me to come over,
Now I'm here, so hug me my craver.

It's been a year or so now,
The assassin lurks in the shadows,
Aiming me through the altars,
When will I escape his crosswire ?

What is this battle ?
The never ending scuttle,
Where will this lead us both?
The Armageddon looks distant yet close.

The truth will come to you at last,
When you & him are one and all,
To be a rock and not to roll,
And then she will buy you both a stairway to heaven, so until then just shine.

- rk

(Significance: A multipart reflection of state of mind, the battle of the warriors within, Hong Kong remembrance, Epic writing practice)

LaLiga Week26: FC Barca 3 0 Valencia

2010-03-15T06:56:00.000-07:00

The World and European Player of the Year destroyed Valencia with a second half hat trick to give Barca the points at the Nou Camp tonight. Led by the brilliant Argentinean the team put in an excellent second half performance.

In a game full of missing names - Villa, Ibrahimovic, Puyol, Keita, Marchena, Abidal and David Navarro all missed the match – Messi put in one of his best ever performances in a Barca shirt with a hat trick in the second half, as Barca overpowered Valencia’s resistance.

GOALS
=====
1-0, Messi (min 55)
2-0, Messi (min 80)
3-0, Messi (min 82)

LaLiga Week25: Almeria 2 2 FC Barca

2010-03-10T05:21:00.000-08:00

Lionel Messi's scored twice as FC Barcelona twice came from behind to earn a valuable point against Almería on Saturday evening in a game that saw Zlatan Ibrahimovic sent off in the second period.

Expectations for an entertaining encounter were high in the build-up and nobody was disappointed as there was a little of everything in the Estadio de los Juegos Mediterráneos. The Blaugrana dominated for long periods and may see the result as two points dropped but Juanma Lillo's set out their stall to contain their visitors and attack when they had the chance at speed. The tactics worked and only Messi was able to ensure that the Catalan outfit left with something as he stood out with his brace and his attacking verve both before and after Ibrahimovic was dismissed.

GOALS
=====
1-0 Cisma (min 11)
1-1 Messi (min 42)
2-1 Puyol en p.p. (min 56)
2-2 Messi (min 66)

People Think Time is like a River Returns

2010-03-08T08:55:00.000-08:00

Most people think time is like a river that flows swift and sure in one direction. But I have seen the face of time and I can tell you they are wrong. Time is an ocean in a storm. You may wonder who I am or why I say this. Sit tight and I will tell you a tale like none you have ever heard.

Ok those were the first and last lines from the acclaimed “Prince of Persia Trilogy ( Sands of time, Warrior Within, Two thrones)” Game.

Prince of Persia : Forgotten Sands was recently revealed by Ubisoft, which makes the series return to the Sands of Time era :) .

The story is that, the Prince visiting his brother’s kingdom following his adventure in Azad, finds the royal palace under siege from a mighty army bent on its destruction. When the decision is made to use the ancient power of the Sand in a desperate gamble to save the kingdom from total annihilation, the Prince will embark on an epic adventure in which he will learn to bear the mantle of true leadership, and discover that great power often comes with a great cost.

The game is an interquel, taking place in the seven year gap between The Sands of Time and Warrior Within. The Prince character is supposed to be a cross between the character models in these two games.

Can't wait to get my hands on this beauty :) !

Sittina Surabhi

2010-03-04T03:36:00.000-08:00

ಹೇ ! ಸಿಟ್ಟಿನ ಸುರಭಿ ,
ಅಲ್ಲಿ ಇಲ್ಲಿ ನೋಡೋಲ್ಲ,
ತಲೆ ಅಂತು ನಿಲೋಲ್ಲ,
ನನ್ನ ತಲೆ ತಿನ್ನೋದು ಬಿಡೋಲ್ಲ,
ತರಂ-ಪಂ-ಪೋಪು-ರಂ-ಪಂ-ಪೋ.

ಜಗಳ ಕಾಯೋದು ಹುಟ್ತಿದ್ ಗುಣ
ಬಾಯಿ ಬಿಟ್ರೆ ಬೈಗುಳ ಎಲ್ಲಾ,
ನನ್ ಕಿವಿ ಸೊರಗೋಯ್ತು,
ತಲೆ ಅಂತು ಕೆಟ್ಟೋಯ್ತು,
ತರಂ-ಪಂ-ಪೋಪು-ರಂ-ಪಂ-ಪೋ.

ನೋಡಿ ನಲಿಯುವ ಸುಂಟರ ಗಾಳಿ,
ಸರ ಸರ ಸಿಡಿಯೋ ಪಟಾಕಿ,
ಅವಳ ದಾರಿಗೆ ಅಡ್ಡ ಬಂದ್ರೆ,
ನಾವೆಲ್ಲ ಚಟ್ಟಾಕಿ,
ತರಂ-ಪಂ-ಪೋಪು-ರಂ-ಪಂ-ಪೋ.

ಬಿಸಿ ಬೇಳೆ ಬಾತ್ ಇಷ್ಟ ಅಂತೆ,
ಯಾಕೆ ಅಂದ್ರೆ,
ಸಾಟರ್ಡೇ ನೈಟ್ ಅಂತೆ,
ಏನು ಕೇಳಿದ್ರು ಅಂತೆ-ಕಂತೆ,
ತರಂ-ಪಂ-ಪೋಪು-ರಂ-ಪಂ-ಪೋ.

ಆದ್ರೆ ಅವಳ ಸಿಡುಕು,
ನಂಗಿಷ್ಟ ಅಂತೆ,
ಮಾತು ಕೂಡ ಮುತ್ತಿನಂತೆ,
ಇನ್ನು ಸಾಕು ಈ ಸಂತೆ,
ತರಂ-ಪಂ-ಪೋಪು-ರಂ-ಪಂ-ಪೋ.

- ಬಾರ್ಸ ಪ್ರೇಮಿ ಮತ್ತು ಅವನ ತಲೆ ತಿನ್ನೋ ಹುಚ್ಚು ಹುಡುಗಿ

(Significance : Project Code Name - xxxyyyzzz )

La Liga Week24: FC Barca 2 1 Malaga

2010-02-28T08:01:00.000-08:00

Goals from Pedro and Messi gave Barca victory over a Malaga team who were level with just 10 minutes left to play. A magisterial display from Xavi laid the foundations for the win, which also saw the reappearance of Dani Alves.

Juan Ramón López Muñiz brought his Racing team to the Nou Camp last season and earned a 1-1 draw and tonight he nearly guided Malaga to a similar result. On 80 minutes the scores stood at 1-1 before Xavi set up Alves to put in Messi to score the winning goal.

The win keeps Barca top on 61 points, two ahead of Real Madrid who beat Tenerife 1-5 earlier in the evening, and they now have more points than they did at the same point in last year’s campaign.

GOALS
=====
1-0, Pedro (min 68)
1-1, Valdo (min 80)
2-1, Messi (min 83)

UCL : Vfb Stuttgart 1 1 FC Barca

2010-02-28T07:59:00.000-08:00

A second half strike from Ibrahimovic gave Barca a draw in Germany after Cacau had put Stuttgart ahead in the first half. The home team gave Barca a tough test, especially in the first half, but the Champions reacted and drew level after the break.

Barca were given a serious fright in Stuttgart and didn’t find it easy going at all, particularly in the first 45 minutes in which the hosts strangled Barca’s attacking intentions. After the break, Guardiola’s team drew level through Ibrahimovic and, without ever playing at their brilliant best, they controlled the rest of the game.

GOALS
=====
1-0 Cacau (min 25)
1-1 Ibrahimovic (min 52)

Pickin you Softly aka Bach's Bourré effect

2010-02-23T06:19:00.000-08:00

Pickin you softly,
There's magic in your strings,
Don't sit in that corner,
Let's play you for a while.

Somethin is changin inside me,
I've not noticed this before,
The musician's desire keeps growin,
Everytime I touch your soft fret.

I think about you all the while,
Browsin U on Youtube all the time,
Reading the tabs on every HTML page,
I imagine playin you every time.

Please don't gently weep alone,
I promise to learn the Bach's Bourré,
I will surely play it on you,
A promise I will fulfill in my lifetime.

So come on baby blue,
Let's pick it up from where we left,
Let's play that Hotel California piece,
And rock that Don't Cry intro tune.

- rk

(Significance : I call it the 'Bach's Bourré' effect)

LaLiga Week 23: FC Barca 4 0 Racing

2010-02-22T05:57:00.000-08:00

Barca brushed aside Racing at the Nou Camp tonight with three first half goals from Iniesta, Henry and Marquez, these last two both from free kicks, and a second half strike from youngster Thiago.

Barca put the defeat in Madrid last week and the injury problems the squad had faced(the latest to go down was Ibra just before the game)behind them within the first half hour of the game against Racing. Iniesta opened the scoring and Henry and Marquez put away two free kicks to make it 3-0 after just 34 minutes. Although thepace dropped off in the second half, youngster Thiago Alcántara rounded off the night with his first goal for the team to make it four .

GOALS
=====
1-0 Iniesta (min 6)
2-0 Henry (min 29)
3-0 Márquez (min 34)
4-0 Thiago (min 84)

LaLiga Week 22: At.Madrid 2 1 FC Barca

2010-02-22T05:55:00.000-08:00

FC Barcelona were beaten for the first time in the league this season by Atlético de Madrid on Sunday evening after Diego Forlán and Simão Sabrosa netted for the hosts in the Vicente Calderón.

In what proved to be an absorbing encounter Pep Guardiola's team were unable to mount a comeback despite Zlatan Ibrahimovic's goal reducing the arrears midway throuh the firs half. The Blaugrana had to rearrange their starting line-up due to the lengthy injury list and Jeffren Suárez was asked to play in an unfamiliar role at right-back, while Gaby Milito partnered Carles Puyol in the centre of defence and Maxwell was on the left. Despite those changes few would have expected Atlético to make such a strong start against a team that had not lost in the league this term and had not been beaten away from home in all competitions.

GOALS
=====
1-0 Forlán (min 8)
2-0 Simao (min 22)
2-1 Ibrahimovic (min 26)

I hate you......Bazinga !

2010-02-12T10:28:00.000-08:00

Fascination, cover your ears
You're not gonna like what u gonna hear,
I hate you...I hate you...
I hate you...I hate you...

Fascination, you're not here,
You can't love, what you can't like,
What do you feel?
How do you feel?

Fascination, cover your eyes
I dont wanna see you,
I dont wanna feel you,
Do you hear me? Now hear me...

Oh, Why didnt you know?
It was so easy,
Take it slowly,
I was just kidding...Bazinga!

- rk

(Significance - Improving the non-linear style of poems and tryin a different genre, initially meant for some1, later forgot abt it)

You're not a Victim, Neither Am I

2010-02-09T04:04:00.000-08:00

Unsentimental,
Just Fooling Around,
You chat this close to me,
Like the way its meant to be.

I Remember, Remember it well,
The day I met you was a cold-pot,
But the memories have blurred out,
If I had forgotten , will you tell?

There is always a fight between the two,
On the shadow of your first attack,
I was thinking of your next attack,
But then you were standing on another track.

Lazy and Crude as ever,
We never see the fine line,
We both kid around all the time,
Only to dig a hole for each other everytime.

You're not a victim,
Neither Am I,
I wasn't always wrong,
You were always right.

-rk

(Significance : Inspired by 'Contra' album by Vampire Weekend, Gracy and some events in life in parallel)

LaLiga Week21: FC Barca 2 1 Getafe

2010-02-09T04:01:00.000-08:00

Barça showed they know how to fight to a win tonight, beating Getafe 2-1 with goals from Messi and Xavi, despite playing more than an hour with just 10 men after Pique was sent off on 25 minutes and finishing with 9 after Marquez also saw red.

Pique’s red card on 25 minutes changed a game that Barca had been dominating completely, especially after Messi’s early goal and the Nou Camp crowd no doubt remembered the game three years ago when they won 1-0 after Ronaldinho had been sent off.

This was a courageous win, backed by Guardiola’s intelligent use of his subs as he packed his midfield. Barca were up against it from even before kick off as Alves was forced out with a recurrence of his muscle problem in the warm up to be replaced by Maxwell. With Puyol also out and Pique off within the half hour, this was a heroic performance from the Barca team who showed they can overcome…. well almost anything!

GOALS
=====
1-0, Messi (min 6)
2-0, Xavi (min 66)
2-1, Soldado (min 92)

La Liga Week20: Sporting Gijon 0 1 FC Barca

2010-02-09T03:59:00.000-08:00

Barca opened the second half of the league season with yet another win- beating Sporting in Gijon thanks to a first half goal from Pedro in a game they could easily have won by a much wider margin.

The game in El Molinon was never going to be easy, but Barca overcame Sporting’s physical approach, the pouring rain and the muddy pitch which hardly helped their passing game to take three more points and extend their fantastic unbeaten league run, thanks to yet another decisive goal from Pedro

GOALS
=====
0-1, Pedro (min 29)

LaLiga Week 19: R.Valladoid 0 3 FC Barca

2010-02-09T03:56:00.000-08:00

Barca ran out 0-3 winners in Valladolid and set yet another record –it’s the first time they have gone unbeaten for the whole of the first half of a season. Xavi and Alves set up the win with a couple of goals and Messi rounded it all off.

Pep Guardiola’s team continue to break records and their win against Valladolid means that they have gone unbeaten in the first half of a season for the first time in the club’s history. Tonight’s win was a convincing affair with Xavi and Alves scoring two in two minutes in the first half, though Valdes showed the way with a great save just before the goals. Messi confirmed the reigning champions’ superiority with his goal in the second half.

GOALS
=====
0-1 Xavi (min 20)
0-2 Alves (min 21)
0-3 Messi (min 56)

You're such a Flower

2010-01-23T09:55:00.000-08:00

You're such a Flower,
Did you ever know?
I felt your petals,
That didn't let me go.

Selfless purity,
Enchanted clarity,
Leave an impression,
That will never go.

It's the fear, you're not near,
The shriek becomes ever clear,
The claw is extra sharp,
That cuts deep into my heart.

I try to fight with all i got,
But there's no use, give it up,
This is Life,
And this is Love.

-rk

( Significance : Remembering the Ashram Damsel )

La Liga Week18: FC Barca 4 0 Sevilla

2010-01-23T09:53:00.000-08:00

Barca took revenge for their cup defeat with an emphatic win over Seville at the Nou Camp tonight. Despite another fine performance from the visitors’ keeper Palop, goals from Escudé (own goal), Pedro and Messi (2) gave Barca the points.

Guardiola made just one change in the team that won in Seville on Wednesday night with Valdes replacing Pinto. At a rainy Nou Camp, Barca laid siege to the Seville goal in the first half, but without seeing any rewards for their efforts until an unlucky break for Escudé saw him put the ball into his own net. Palop then made some great saves before Pedro and a brace from Messi rounded off the game.

GOALS
=====
1-0 Escudé, own goal (min 49)
2-0 Pedro (min 70)
3-0 Messi (min 84)
4-0 Messi (min 90)

Copa Del Rey: Sevilla 0 1 FC Barca

2010-01-15T06:00:00.000-08:00

Despite beating Sevilla 1-0 thanks to a second half goal from Xavi, Barça have been undeservedly eliminated from the Spanish Cup on the away goals rule (2-2 on aggregate).

It’s the first time Guardiola’s Barça have been eliminated from a competition – and it was done with their heads held high. Barça played to win throughout the 90 minutes and despite securing a narrow win were eliminated by the two goals Sevilla scored in the Camp Nou. The fact that Guardiola fielded a full-strength side (with the exception of Pinto in goal) was a clear indication of his ambition but Sevilla made life difficult at all times. Barça steadily took control of the game, especially in the second half, and threw everything they had at Sevilla. However, a Xavi goal and a Messi effort to the woodwork were not quite enough.

GOALS
=====
0-1 Xavi (min 63)

La Liga Week17: CD Tenerife 0 5 FC Barca

2010-01-15T05:57:00.000-08:00

Lionel Messi netted a stunning hat-trick to help FC Barcelona record an emphatic win over Tenerife for their first win of the New Year and move the club back to the top of the table.

The Argentinian scored three times in the Heliodoro Rodríguez López as the warmer temperatures in the Canary Islands appeared to suit the world’s best player. Despite the final score Barça had to work hard and ride their luck in the opening half-an-hour as Tenerife started brightly, but once the deadlock had been broken Pep Guardiola’s side were completely in control and never looked unlikely to come away without maximum points.

GOALS
=====
0-1, Messi (36)
0-2, Puyol (44)
0-3, Messi (45)
0-4, Messi (75)
0-5, Luna (own goal 87)

Copa Del Rey: FC Barca 1 2 Sevilla

2010-01-08T20:12:00.000-08:00

Seville inflicted a 1-2 win on the Spanish Cup Champions at the Nou Camp tonight with goals from Capel and Negredo, but an Ibrahimovic goal will give Barca hope for the second leg next week.

Guardiola sent out an experimental team with Milito making his long awaited return and Thiago making his debut alongside fringe players Pinto, Chygrynskiy, Márquez and Bojan at a rain drenched Nou Camp. Barca fought hard against an aggressive and well organised Seville, who proved to be lethal in front of goal. After a first half which Barca dominated, Capel opened the scoring in the second half and Ibrahimovic then drew Barca level before a Negredo penalty gave Seville the win. A repeat of last season’s result – 0-3 to Barca – would be enough to see Barca through to the next round, as indeed would a 0-2 result.

GOALS
=====
0-1, Capel (min 63)
1-1, Ibrahimovic (min 73)
1-2, Negredo (min 75)

Let's do that again !

2010-01-05T01:16:00.000-08:00

I wake up,
My shoulder's heavy,
I gotta leave for office,
But my shoes & socks not ready,
I pull in my shirt,
Say the prayers,
Walk out the door,
Drag my feet along the road.

Then I see you,
You're walkin cross the office,
Cruel bypassers,
Studying romances,
How am I supposed to pretend ?
I just wanted to see u, tats all.

I walk into ur cubicle,
Crackin jokes like Jerry Lewis,
You are laughin on the floor,
Thats when you saw right through me,
Those blushes made your cheeks red.

In the evening,
You're out walking on the grass,
I spy on you from the glazin glass,
And Surprise you from behind ,
Then walk straight into my cab and say 2 myself,
Let's do that again!

-rk

(Significance : Parody of song "Campus" from "Vampire Weekend")

LaLiga Week16: FC Barca 1 1 Villarreal

2010-01-04T23:31:00.000-08:00

Barca began 2010 with a home draw against Villarreal in a game in which tactics played a big part. A competitive Villarreal drew level in the second half after Pedro had put Barca one up early on.

The game was preceded by the presentation of the six titles Barca won last year, but without key figures such as Messi, Touré or Iniesta, the team struggled to put together the brilliant football that has so impressed since Guardiola took over. An early Pedro goal was followed by a lot of possession, but Villarreal were able to draw level in the second half, when both teams had chances to take the three points.

GOALS
=====
1-0 Pedro (min 7)
1-1 Fuster (min 50)

My Little Lover .... will be born again

2009-12-26T09:09:00.000-08:00

Wide shoulders and open arms,
My little lover will be born again,
Just let her roam around a quiet corner,
She will savor you till the end.

Now go back to your bed,
I'll sleep where you started,
You will sleep beside my bed,
She will sleep in my head.

I dont know,
Why you like me,
She was the only one for me,
Just give me another chance,
I will set things upright.

Lets go,
Back to the other side of mountain,
Now go,
Back to the place where you started,
Now sleep,
Just put your arms around me,
Lets fly,
To the dreams and make love again.

La la.... La la la la.... La La

-rk

(Significance : Inspired by Grizzly Bear's songs "Little Brother" and "Marla")

Top 20 Movies of 2009

2009-12-25T07:26:00.000-08:00

Hi all,
It's been a while since I published the top 10 songs of 2009. Although I initially wanted this list to be top 10 only, but when I drafted the blueprint of this post, I just kept overshooting all the time, so I decided to extend it to 20 but give fair enough reviews to all of them. So without further delay, lets hit the silver screen baby!!!! As ever, I will start the countdown with bottom-up approach.......

#20. Avatar
*************

Yes you read it correct, it is 'Avatar' and it is 20th on my list. In development since 1994, but delayed due to the catchup that technology had to cover for the Maestro James Cameron's vision. Setup in 2154 on an enchanting world named "Pandora", it follows the greed of men ( which never will be satisfied ) and a subsequent tussle with the Native Na'vi's who occupy Pandora. Take nothing away from the CGI (Computer Generated Imagery) effects of this movie, especially in the 3D experience it feels as if you're really in Pandora, just breathtaking, mind-blowing, literally running out of adjectives. But there is a chink in the armor, the storyline. Although the concept was the most fascinating 1, what let me down is the bleak story, it was just plainly guessable as to what will happen next. But I would just recommend this movie for the visual feast.

#19. Three Idiots* (Hindi)
*************************

A hat-trick of hits from one of the most innovative persona in Bollywood aka Aamir Khan, not to forget the man behind this work aka Rajkumar Hirani. Inspired by Chetan Bhagat's "Five Point Someone", the story revolves around the lives of three boys of a high-end engineering college played by Aamir Khan, Madhavan and Sharman. A mixed movie of suspense and comedy which is a rare league in itself. A long forgotten bet, A wedding that must be crashed, A funeral that goes impossibly out of control, a inner journey through memory lane ..... hmmmm that long forgotten bet....... I'm reminded of somethin else w.r.t it and I will write on it when the time is right! All in all a total entertainer, the only shallow point being a little unrealistic, but who cares.

#18. The Informant!
********************

2009 was a year where the comedies did rule a little more than I anticipated. "The Informant!" is a dark political comedy about a whistleblower (some1 within the organization who raises a concern about a wrong doing in the organization...ufff) who whistle's on the price fixing tactics of ADM. The story revolves on Mark Whitacre played by Matt Damon who has played the most mature role of his career till date. The movie reminds me of one more classic titled "All the President's Men", a must see for documentary lovers. The intensity and the recklessness in the story as well as the performance keeps u enthralled throughout the movie. It also embarks on the tale of a good guy who does a good thing only to end with a bad soup. All in all, a must see for the political tale lovers.

#17. Saw VI
************

Surprise! Surprise! Guess who is back with a bang ! "I want to play a game with you!". Little did I have a clue that one of my fav series of movies would be revived out of such a tailspin. Let me tell you something about "Saw", it is the most bloody-gory-intense-spine_tingling series I have seen in terms of suspense genre. When I watched the first part of Saw, the ending left me running in spirals, my mind ran out of logic to figure it out, the same effect I had at the end of "Illusionist" movie. I just realized that I was played on by a master at his craft, just mesmerizing, you cry out for moments like this in life, just to be fooled by an ace craftsmen, although I have a good account of moments like these, this was special, ultra special. Question yourself, are you worth the precious life you have been given? If not, let me play a game with you to test your own worth, you can decide whether to die or live, this is SAW for you.

The series revolves around a Jigsaw Killer who finds real people and plays this game with them. I have been visually treated to some of the most gory deaths ever, also highly creative in Saw series. If you are looking for a change from the usual genre you watch, Saw is a MUST, i suggest you watch the first part before you jump to 6th. The artistry is just inexplicable !!!! Just imagine humans as any other species and not your own when you watch this, it can seriously stir you up from the inside in terms of human values, I have always been used to the fact that we are just a bunch of coordinating chemicals with intelligence, so it was easy for me, I can't say the same for you.

#16. (500) Days of Summer
*************************

(500) Days of Summer is a romantic comedy, and is presented in a non-linear fashion, as it jumps from various days within the 500-day span of Tom and Summer's relationship. Tom Hansen meets Summer Finn, the new assistant to his boss. Tom trained as an architect but works as a writer at a greeting card company, living in Los Angeles. Following a karaoke night, Tom's co-worker, McKenzie, lets slip that Tom is attracted to Summer. Over the next few months Summer and Tom grow closer, despite Summer making it clear to Tom that she does not believe in true love, and does not want a boyfriend. The film also shows a clipping of one of my favorite movies of all time, "Graduate", which I think is one of most prestigious movies to depict true love. All in all, though you are romantic or not, a must watch for the sheer non-linear narration and emotions.

#15. Caroline
**************

Dark, magical, and endlessly inventive, Coraline is the stop-motion animated marvel from Henry Selick, who also did "Nightmare Before Christmas"(a personal favorite of mine).Where most of today's animated films are like video games - snappy, slick, computer-assisted/photo-realistic wonders - Selick is still playing with toy trains, telling quiet, funny, sometimes disturbing tales for kids using dolls, hand-built miniature sets, and great voice actors. There's a little digital effect here and there. But Selick's movies are best in their unmatched tactile sense of reality - shooting it in 3D only heightens that. The pacing and look of Coraline, an amble through a lovingly realized model-makers' paradise, that makes the film stand out. For all the polished electrons of the latest works from Pixar, Blue Sky, or Dreamworks..... Selick and Co. show that stop-motion animation still looks, moves and feels like nothing all the computer animator's megabytes can mimic. A must watch for people who want to try a different genre.

#14. Ajab Prem Ki Ghazab Kahani (Hindi)
***************************************

I have to admit that "Ranbir Kapoor" is one of the best new finds of Bollywood. There's an aura surrounding him, an quintessential critik's actor, a show-stopper showman like performance similar to Raj Kapoor. APKGK is one such movie where he has let his acting skills shine than dropping towels :P. Prem’s (Ranbir Kapoor) life philosophy is to spread joy and "The Happy Club" helps him in this mighty endeavour. However each time he tries to cast a spell of happiness, chaos reigns. He accidentally kidnaps Jenny (Katrina Kaif). Jenny’s besotted with love. And Prem is besotted with Jenny. He gets set to do all that he can to make her feel the same way about him including helping her run away from her own wedding. And then wacky gets wackier as her dad, her ditched-at-the altar-hubby and a devious politician come after them! All in a all, a great family entertainer !!!

#13. Kaminey (Hindi)
********************

There are few movies in Bollywood whose creativity and inventiveness come in par with the creme-de-la-creme of Hollywood and Kaminey is right up there. Believe it or not Vishal Bharadwaj(Direktor) bought this script from a Kenyan writer named "Cajetan Boy" and co-authored the screenplay. Guddu and Charlie (Shahid Kapoor in a double role) are identical twins who have grown up in the streets of Mumbai. Both brothers have a speech impediment – Charlie has a lisp, while Guddu stutters in his speech. The film surrounds the lust for money (Charlie) and longing for Sweety [Prinyanka Chopra](Guddu), a Guitar in the wrong hands, a self-acclaimed local leader named Bhope, a drug lord named Tashi and the mishaps around all of these. Shahid Kapoor has to be the most maturing actor in Bollywood along with Neil Nitin Mukesh. Priyanka Chopra has a whole new acting skills up her sleeves after Fashion, looks like she learnt a thing or two from Kangana (whom i adore like hell). A Tarantino styled Bollywood movie, I would rate this a must watch for all those who detest Hindi Movies, still goes to show that there is some quality script and acting left out in Bollywood.

#12. Watchmen
*************

Watchmen is a super-hero film directed by Zack Snyder,being an adaptation of the comic book of the same name by Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons. The film is set in an alternate-history 1985 at the height of the Cold War between the United States and the Soviet Union, as a group of mostly retired vigilantes investigates an apparent conspiracy against them and uncovers something even more grandiose and sinister. The intro credits of "Watchmen" is a sheer fantasy to the eyes, with Bob Dylan's "Times they are a changin" running in the background.

The story takes place in an alternate timeline in which masked, costumed vigilantes fight crime in America, originally in response to a rise in masked and costumed gangs and criminals. In the 1930s and '40s, the vigilantes formed a group called the Minutemen to "finish what the law couldn't." Of the eight Minutemen, three died violently, one disappeared, and one was committed to an asylum. Decades later, a second generation of "superheroes" attempts to form a similar team called the Watchmen. Various historical events are shown to have been altered by the existence of superheroes. By 1985, only three adventurers remain active: the Comedian, Doctor Manhattan and Rorschach (spelt as Roshaq). I especially love the Rorschach character and his best line, 'What do you see now DOC?'. A lengthy movie for some, but I have always been a fan of longer movies, infact if i consider my all time list, the average length would be atleast nearly 3 hours. The dark super-hero genre is a class genre and Watchmen is a fitting peach in it, don't miss this folks !!!

#11. Paranormal Activity
************************

The found footage horror genre is a vague yet enthralling and captivating for me. The past masterpiece of this genre I watched was "Blair Witch Project" (another all time fav). Katie, a student, and Micah, a day trader, are a young couple "engaged to be engaged". Katie claims that a ghostly entity has haunted her since her youth and believes that it has followed her to their two-story tract house in suburban San Diego, California. Micah buys a video camera in the hopes of capturing paranormal activity on film. During a visit to their house, Dr. Fredrichs, a self-professed psychic, assesses that they are being plagued by a demon which feeds off negative energy and is intent on haunting Katie no matter where she goes. The film features footage captured by video cameras setup by Micah in their bedroom, hall and kitchen. The film also has alternate ending versions, be sure to check it out. There is even one big blog post on the net discussing "What's the real ending of Paranormal Activity anyways?" which is again a Xtras treat for the movie fans and critiks alike. If you haven't tried this genre, give it a shot, some find it not so scary, but trust me, lock urself up in the room and try watching Blair Witch Project or Paranormal Activity in the night and feel the chill, this is top end filming and a sheer thrill to your senses.

#10. Up
********

There is a saying in my book, anything Pixar does is a must watch coz they are that damn good. "Up" is no exception to this rule. Carl Fredricksen (Jeremy Leary), a shy and quiet young boy, meets an energetic and outgoing tomboy named Ellie (Elie Docter), discovering they share the same interest in exploration as their hero, the famed explorer Charles F. Muntz. Ellie tells Carl of her desire to move her clubhouse to Paradise Falls in South America, and makes Carl promise to help. Carl and Ellie wed and grow old together in the old house where they first met while making a living as a toy balloon vendor and a zookeeper respectively. Unable to have children, they repeatedly try to save up for the trip to Paradise Falls, but other financial obligations arise. Finally, Ellie passes away and Carl meets an overeager wilderness explorer named Russell who accompanies him to South America in a floating house suspended from helium balloons. The final moments of this movie where Ellie's diary is revealed is one of the touching moments that one can feel in his life. A sheer treat for all Pixar fans, just don't miss this !

#9. Hangover
************

Hangover, what can i say about this "Guy's Movie" :) ! A sheer class apart in terms of Vegas movies. The plot follows four friends who travel to Las Vegas for a bachelor party, only to wake up the next morning not remembering a thing and missing the groom, whose wedding is scheduled to occur the next day. Doug (Justin Bartha) is about to be married to Tracy (Sasha Barrese). His friends — Phil (Bradley Cooper), Stu (Ed Helms), and soon-to-be brother-in-law Alan (Zach Galifianakis) — take him to Las Vegas for a bachelor party. Tracy's father lends them his car, a vintage Mercedes convertible, for the trip. The four get a villa at Caesars Palace hotel and casino, then sneak onto the roof and toast to the night ahead. The next morning, the three groomsmen wake up in the suite with no memory of the previous night and soon realize that Doug is missing.Clues abound: the suite is in severe disorder, a tiger is in the bathroom, a baby is in the closet, Stu is missing a tooth and has an ATM receipt for $800, one of the suite's mattresses is impaled on a statue outside, Phil is wearing a hospital bracelet, and a valet brings them a stolen police cruiser they dropped off the night before. The three friends trace back the night before and in this process end up in a lot of mishaps , which is just an amazing rollercoaster ride, even if you are ride-sick, just dont this miss comedy-ball :) !

#8. Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs
**************************************

This is a computer animated movie by Sony Pictures Animation, although the name can be quite misleading, its a sheer treat for all animated movie lovers. It loosely follows certain elements of my character to be honest ![ hehe :) ]. Flint Lockwood (voiced by Bill Hader), a young enthusiastic inventor had always wanted to invent something awesome ever since he was young. His dream of being an inventor was supported by his mother and he started to make inventions such as Spray-On Shoes formula (which are unable to be removed, leaving his feet stuck in them permanently), hair unbalder, and walking televisions. However, people and peers only laughed or picked on Flint, but he did not give up. Due to the rest of the world realizing that sardines are "Super Gross", people in Swallow Falls are forced to eat the sardines which they used to export. Greedy mayor Shelbourne (voiced by Bruce Campbell) aims to open Sardine Land to attract tourists to revitalize their economy. Flint Lockwood meanwhile invents a machine that can make water molecules form into food, and realizes that it could change the people's lives on the island. The story of Flint takes a twist after his recent invention becomes a success and how it leads to a near disaster later. I just loved the animation in this movie, and there is some quality human values behind this movie which is another reason not to miss this blockbuster animation.

#7. Drag me to Hell
*******************

This is the scariest movie in my list and that too for a good reason. Directed by Sam Raimi, with a screenplay by Sam Raimi and Ivan Raimi. The plot revolves around loan officer Christine Brown (Alison Lohman), who tries to impress her boss by refusing to extend a loan to a gypsy woman by the name of Mrs. Ganush (Lorna Raver). In retaliation, Ganush places a curse on Christine. Christine later visits a fortune teller, who reveals that she is being haunted by a powerful demon called the Lamia that will torment her for three days before taking her to Hell. The rest of movie revolves around the struggles Christine faces to get rid of Lamia, with a twist at the end of the movie. This was like final destination sort of movie for me but with a greater intensity and horror , also with a quality cast and screenplay. I would suggest this for all horror and suspense genre fans.

#6. Ice Age 3 - Dawn of the Dinosaurs
*************************************

He he ! Guess who was back in 2009, my fav Manny, Diego and lovely Sid :). This was the best animated and 3-D movie of 2009.I just came home one day tired of work and watched this blockbuster, I don't think I have laughed so much on any other movie than this, the previous record was also held by Ice Age Movie :) !
Ellie (Queen Latifah) and Manny (Ray Romano) are expecting their first child, and Manny is obsessed with making life perfect and safe for the family, since his first experiences as a husband and father went bad when his family was killed by hunters. At the same time, Diego (Denis Leary) finds himself unable to catch a cocky gazelle (Bill Hader) he has been stalking and decides to leave the herd, believing that he is losing his predatory nature as a tiger. Sid (John Leguizamo) grows jealous of Manny and Ellie and “adopts” three apparently abandoned eggs that he finds in an icy underground cavern and call them Eggbert, Shelly, and Yoko. Manny tells him to put them back, but Sid instead looks after the eggs, which hatch into baby Tyrannosaurus the next morning.

Although Sid tries his best to raise the three dinosaurs, their rambunctious behavior scares away all the other animals’ young and ruins a playground Manny built for Ellie’s baby. A female Tyrannosaurus, Momma, whose eggs Sid stole, soon returns and carries both Sid and her young underground, with Diego in pursuit. Manny, Ellie, Crash, and Eddie (Seann William Scott, Josh Peck) follow as well and discover that the icy cavern leads to a vast jungle populated by dinosaurs thought to be extinct. Here, an Ankylosaurus threatens the herd despite Diego’s efforts to fend it off; they are saved from a further crowd of angry reptiles by an insane, one-eyed weasel named Buckminster, or Buck (Simon Pegg). The rest of the story is the breathtaking rescue of Sid from the Dinosaurs world. PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE !!! It's a request just go and watch this movie :) !

#5. Dev-D (Hindi)
*****************

What an amazing movie, just amazing, the most bold and beautiful presentation of "Devdas" in my opinion, just a class apart. I got introduced to the genius and creativity of Anyrag Kashyap and some amazing music by Amit Trivedi for this movie (18 songs in total and all of them ROCK!). Dev (Abhay Deol) is the son of a rich Punjabi Businessman. He and Paro (Mahi Gill) are childhood sweethearts. But Dev, being an insecure arrogant guy, instead of acknowledging her affection and care, nudges Paro over frivolous things. Dev is sent to London for higher studies when his father senses how spoilt his son is. But while separated by distance, Paro and Dev's youthful love only blossoms. Dev arrives in Chandigarh to meet Paro. Their endeavor to make love makes for some dark comic moments. The seeds of suspicion are sown here, that the couple will never be able to weed out for a lifetime. When Dev hears rumours about Paro, he immediately believes them and ditches Paro. What makes them fall apart is mutual suspicion and an essentially male vision of how a woman should conduct herself sexually. Paro turns her back on him when she hears him insult her, and agrees to marry whoever her parents choose. On her wedding day, he realizes that the rumors were false. But his ego doesn't let him accept his mistake, and he lets her marry someone else.

Enter Chanda. This part has references to the notorious Delhi school sex MMS scandal. Her father commits suicide as he feels humiliated by his daughter's reputation. She is disowned by her family. The movie portrays how she transforms herself from an innocent traumatized schoolgirl into a prostitute. While Chanda isn’t a career prostitute, she is no different as well. Instead of performing Mujras, she enacts scenes from popular American pornographic series. The only thing, that makes her different is the fact that she hasn’t given up on her studies for the profession and has also kept the exit gate open.

Some of the best lines in the movie are :-
1) Dev in one of the first scenes asks Paro “Do you touch yourself.” And even says “Paro main aa raha hoon,” when she sends me him a bina kapdo waali photograph.
2) Bol Bol why did you ditch me,
Zindagi bhi lele yaar kill me,
Bol Bol why did you ditch me whore. – Emosional Atyachar Lyrics
3) Chanda is seen mouthing such lines as “Mera ek client hai wo mujhe commercial sex worker bulata hai. Randi bolna aajkal unfashionable ho gaya hai.” There are some hilarious scenes of Chanda indulging in phone sex (in Tamil and French).

If any1 thinks that creativity is long lost in Bollywood, well F*** U!, this is the one you gotta watch which communicates the reply in the same passion with which I wrote this sentence :) !

#4. Gulaal (Hindi)
******************

Anuraag Kashyap again does the magic and infact betters Dev-D with Gulaal, although it didn't do that well in the box-office, I'm sure it went into every COLLECTOR's DVD BOX SET. The music by Piyush Mishra is just mind-boggling, this movie contains the greatest hindi song I have ever heard ("Duniya"). Awesome acting skills by Kay Kay Menon and some awesome dialogues too. I like 1 dialogue by Kay Kay in this movie, where he address all the Rajputs and says "Jack and Jill went up the Hill to fetch a Bho*udi ka !!!". In the fictional town of Rajpur, a student of law, Dileep (Raj Singh Chaudhary) who is a Rajput from Bikaner and his faithful servant, Bhanwar (Mukesh Bhatt), secure a accommodation in an old, run-down British-era pub. Here Dileep meets Rananjay Singh “Ransa” (Abhimanyu Singh), a prince, who despises the ideologies of his father and the aristocracy. Ransa's straight forward and fearless personality has quite an effect on the mild-mannered Dileep. Events take a turn where Ransa has to contest an election, but gets killed by opposition, then miraculously Dileep has to contest instead of him against Kiran (Ayesha Menon). The film follows betrayal, loyalty, high end emotions jam packed into 1. I would award this movie the best musical as well as best Bollywood Movie of 2009 :) ! I don't need to say, MUST WATCH FOR ALL MOVIE LOVERS !

#3. Hurt Locker
***************

Ah!!! Finally I hit something which is one of my fav genre, WAR!!!!!! baby!!! . I have always been a mad fan of War movies, just unbelievable attraction to them. Hurt Locker just rigs the soul from inner parts and rips it out with its tenacious tense moments and disgusts you at times, finally fulfilling your thirst for war. The Hurt Locker opens with a quote from War Is a Force That Gives Us Meaning, "The rush of battle is a potent and often lethal addiction, for war is a drug". During the early stages of the post-invasion period in Iraq in 2004, Sergeant First Class William James becomes the team leader of an Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) unit with the U.S. Army's Bravo Company, replacing Staff Sergeant Thompson, who was killed by a remote-detonated improvised explosive device (IED) in Baghdad. He joins Sergeant J.T. Sanborn and Specialist Owen Eldridge, whose jobs are to communicate with their team leader via radio inside his bombsuit, and provide him with rifle cover while he examines IEDs. The rest of the movie follows the track of follows James expeditions into dismantling IEDs and sometimes even more dark sinister works going on in the Middle East. Scintillating, Mind-blowing, Nerve-wrecking, Spine-Tingling, a sheer masterpiece in terms of modern war movie. A MUST FOR ALL WAR GENRE LOVERS like me :) !

#2. Inglourious Basterds
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Another specialist movie of my fav genre, "WORLD WAR II". A masterpiece from modern Orson Welles "Quentin Tarantino". I have always been a fan of Tarantino since watching 'Pulp Fiction', and I have covered most of his movies from that movie. The only direktor ( the way i spell direktor has a story behind it, which i will recite some other time ) who comes close to the DON aka Maestro aka Orson Welles. This is one of the best war plots I have ever watched, the presentation is simply just AWESOME!!! Never I have seen anything as shocking as this in terms of WAR MOVIES, words really dont do justice to this great man's work. The cast is equally mesmerizing in terms of Christopher Waltz (Take a bow!) , Brad Pitt, Fassbender, Eli Roth etc. The movie follows the Chapter Wise narration of multiple events bundling together in the climax. The story is about a squad called "Inglourious Basterds" (observe the spelling, Quentin didn't do this by mistake) who are blood thirsty Jews looking for the scalps of Nazi's. The film on the other half also consists of the sotry of "Shosanna" who is eying revenge for what the Nazi's did to her family. Both the plots combine to kill the Fuhrer, and what happens in this fictional climax is sheer joy :) ! JUST DONT MISS THIS BEAUTY , NO MATTER U LIKE WAR OR NOT ! BUT BEWARE OF THE GORY STUFF THAT QUENTIN FANS ARE USED TOO !!! :)

#1. District 9
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I had no or whatsoever doubts as to which movie will be No.1 this year and that too by a far stretch. It just had to be "District 9" baby !!! Just a mind-blowing concept, effects , delivery, acting, just a complete package, if there is one movie which would get 100% rating in my box office this year, it would be this one.
District 9 is science fiction-action film directed by Neill Blomkamp, written by Blomkamp and Terri Tatchell, and produced by Peter Jackson. The film stars Sharlto Copley, Jason Cope, and Robert Hobbs. Copley plays the role of Wikus van de Merwe,a South African bureaucrat assigned to relocate a race of extraterrestrial creatures, derogatorily referred to as "prawns", from a refugee camp in Johannesburg to a new one outside the city.
The camp is secured and, with a massive police presence, soon turns into a slum. In the first decade of the 21st century, Multinational United (MNU) is placed in charge of policing and relocating the now 1.8 million aliens to District 10, a new camp 200 kilometres outside of Johannesburg. They use a private military corporation, headed by Koobus Venter, to enforce the relocation effort with impunity. In the process of doing this relocation "Wikus" himself gets infected and gradually becomes a "prawn". Further story is his struggle to get back into the District 9 as it is the most safest area for him and a cure to turn him back to human again. The film is narrated mostly in documentary style which I like the most. District 9 is one for the ages folks!!!! I missed this beauty in the theater , only to watch it on my Comp ! I would just give any amount of money to watch this in a Multiplex Experience, its that great a movie ! YOU KNOW WHAT TO DO NOW :) !

Honorable Mentions
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Startrek *
X-Men Origins : Wolverine
Up in the Air *
An Education *
In the Loop *

* - Movies I have yet to watch

So, these are in my opinion the TOP 20 Movies of 2009 folks !!! Have a great holidays !!! ENJOY !!!! Adios amigos !

FIFA World Club Championship Final Photos

2009-12-19T22:02:00.001-08:00

FIFA World Club Championship Final : FC Barca 2 1 Estudiantes

2009-12-19T22:01:00.000-08:00

Barça have been crowned world champions for the first time ever after 120 truly scintillating minutes of epic football. After going a goal behind, Pedro equalised with just a minute to go, and Messi scored the title-winning goal in extra time.

If there is one team that deserved this, then that team was FC Barcelona. Once again they had to come from behind, once again they did that by playing consistent, patient and frankly outstanding football. They were vastly superior to the gritty Argentinian outfit and also had to deal with some bizarre refereeing decisions. For Estudiantes, it was a matter of taking the lead through Boselli and then hanging onto their lead at whatever cost.

And they almost got what they wanted. But then in the 89th minute Pedro did what the injured Iniesta did against Chelsea and equalised just when it looked like the dream could be over. The tension was unbearable as the game went into extra time, but Barça looked as solid as ever and stayed faithful to the football that has achieved so much this year. The Argentinians were tiring more and more, and finally it was their compatriot Leo Messi who grabbed the winner, with his chest! And that was it. Barça have finally won their first ever Clubs World Cup, and an unrepeatable 2009 is over in which the club has won all six of the titles in play. It is impossible to have asked for more!

GOALS
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0-1, Boselli (min 37)
1-1, Pedro (min 88)
2-1, Messi (min 110)

FIFA World Club Championship (S/F) : Atlante FC 1 3 FC Barca

2009-12-19T21:51:00.000-08:00

Barça came back from an early Atlante goal to win 3-1 and qualify for the World Club Cup final. The goals came from Sergio, Messi and Pedro, who has now scored in every competition. The team is now on the verge of taking their 6 trophy in a year.

With Keita out injured, Guardiola decided to beef up his midfield and finally decided on Xavi, Busquets and Touré, exactly the three players involved in Barça’s equalizer. Atlante held on to their early lead until the 35th minute and renounced the kind of possession football they had announced at the pre-match press conferences.

Barça grew in effectiveness and ball possession in the second half, in particular when Messi – the scorer of the second goal - came on. Pedro scored the third and confirmed that when Barça start off a big match losing then they usually end up winning. It happened at the Bernabéu (2-6), at Stamford Bridge and in the Cup Final. The fact is that Barça are now one step away from heaven and a perfect year. If they beat Estudiantes on Saturday they will be the best team in the world.

GOALS
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0-1, Rojas (min 4)
1-1, Busquets (min 35)
2-1, Messi (55)
3-1, Pedro (min 67)

LaLiga Week15: FC Barca 1 0 Espanyol

2009-12-14T05:27:00.000-08:00

FC Barcelona defeated Espanyol 1-0 thanks to a penalty from Ibrahimovic in the first half. With this win, Guardiola’s men go on beating records in La liga, especially at Camp Nou, where they have taken all possible points.

Before the match, Leo Messi had offered the Ballon d’Or to the Barça fans. Barça missed him during the game, which was a bit dull. Not what we’ve come to expect from Barça but fairly typical of Catalan derbies between the two clubs. The game was fought intensely, with a considerable number of fouls and resulting stoppages, especially in the second half.

It was down to Ibrahimovic to do his job, just before the end of the first half, when he whacked home a penalty to give Barça victory. The league leaders now have 39 points, breaking their own league record, and making them look unstoppable.

GOALS
=====
1-0, Ibra (pen, min 39)

Top 10 Songs of 2009

2009-12-11T05:25:00.001-08:00

Hi all,
I decided some time ago to release "Top 10 Breathtaking Moments of 2009" , In addition to this series, I thought of adding a couple of more "Top 10 lists" namely, Top 10 Songs, Top 10 Movies, Top 10 Discoveries of 2009, and finally round it off with the breathtaking moments.

I start this list in the reverse order, from 10 to 1. All these songs were released in 2009, there were other great songs which I did hear in 2009 but not released in 2009, they will make it to the Top Discoveries list and not this one, so without further delay, let hit the Disc baby !!!

10. "Paayaliya" - Shruti Pathak (Dev-D) - 5:54
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Dev-D , what a revolutionary movie in Hindi Cinema. Anurag Kashyap at his best in terms of creativity and direction. This is a lovely song featuring Kalki Koechlin and Abhay Deol, superb usage of Guitar, soothing beats and Veena (an instrument which I'm currently in love with). I heard Shruti Pathak for the first time on this song, what a superb range she has, especially low notes, reminding me of Chitra, whom I consider as the Don of low range notes. Kudos also to the Chorus on this song, without them, it would never sound so good.

9. "Emotional Attyachar(Rock Version)" - Biny Chakravarty (Dev-D) - 4:01
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What can I say about this song, if there is one song which uprooted my stagnant feelings about Bollywood songs, it has to be "Emotional Attyachar". The best Bass and Guitar riffs ever in Hindi are on this song, Biny has done a great work with the delivery and the energy in this song. Chiranth transferred the entire album of Dev-D via Bluetooth 2 my Mobile, I gave it a couple of real good listens. Finally when I saw this movie in the theatre, during this song, I was getting spine-tangling sensation, a moment where there is a real sense of electricity through your senses. One of the best parts on this track, is the loud shrill somewhere in the middle, and the ending lyrics :).

8. "Love Like a Sunset" - Phoenix (Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix) - 7:38
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Sheer Ecstasy, a joy from within, whenever I hear this song, my heart feels so happy. There is a sense of hope in the early part of this song, then it sort of trembles like when Froddo and Sam take the Ring to Mordor to destroy it accompanied by Gollum. Finally the beats move on to a rapid pace, and then it sways from end to the end, taking you to a transient state. This is one of the few songs which have the fewest lyrics and yet I listen to it so many times (except Western Classical). If there is one song that should not be missed, due to the sheer joy it imparts to you, it has to be this one.

7. "The Akara" - Beirut (March of the Zapotec/Holland EP) - 3:54
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One of the most interesting bands I discovered this year was Beirut. A lot of trumpets in their music, and as usual, this song also starts with a tensed rhythmic trumpets, and then shifts to a slightly lighter string notes and then sheer sounds of various instruments tangle and fill your ears. It's almost half-way through the song, when you start hearing any lyrics, and its worth the while, a crispy low note lyrical melody accompanying the ever beautiful orchestra. One of the must try bands if you like something different from mainstream music.

6. "E Minor" - Other Lives (Other Lives) - 3:49
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A real heart melter of a song, slowly creeping you to the sad note and then lifting up and then swaying you down. The whole sequence repeats back with the lovely usage of light instruments and the vocals dominating along with the piano work. You almost fall into the arms of the singer and beg him to take you along with the flow of the song. The low beat drums correlate well with the String instruments. All in all, a very simple song which you end up hearing umpteenth number of times, maybe call it simplicity, or just magical, this song sways even the most tough creatures on planet earth.

5. "Not a Robot, but a Ghost" – Andrew Bird (Noble Beast) - 5:37
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The starting riffling of the instruments accompanied by the trumpet and the horse neighing setup a beautiful platform for this song. A gifted singer takes you on the swaying opposing riffling drums and occasional strings. The vocals on this song are so powerful that you forget the amazing background instruments, and hum the lyrics along with him. "I cracked the Code..." reminds me of cracking a secret key of an algorithm! The presentation is splendid, it goes high , and a sudden stillness as if time as stopped in between and ends again on a rising high note.

4. "Kiss My Name" – Antony and the Johnsons (The Crying Light) - 2:48
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I'm left scrapping for letters to describe this wonderful song and the artist. If there is an angelic male voice in this universe, I think Antony is the prime contender for it. Mesmerizing vocals, the ambience in this song are to die for, I just want to bow down to the violin player on this song, just too lovely. Nearly at the end of the song, you will encounter eternal bliss , which cant be explained in words. Antony and the Johnsons are one artist not to be missed on.

3. "The Wanting Comes in Waves/Repaid" - The Decemberists (The Hazards of Love) - 6:27
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A sad love story told in an album, that is "Hazards of Love" for you. This song basically has two parts, the male singer expressing his gratitude towards for his mother for saving him from the cruel "world of men" and then the beats grow on , reaching an epitome and then the female lead takes over. This is where the real punch in this song kicks off, superb high range notes on this one, almost making you jump in and out. I love this part so much in this song, hence it is so high on the list. The male lead gets back and finishes it off with the guitar riffs. Just a classic Guitar riffling combined with amazing exchange of vocals is a short way to describe this song.

2. "You Are the Blood" – Sufjan Stevens (+Castanets) (Dark Was The Night) – 10:14
*************************************************************

A classy, historical, amazing, flamboyant track of 2009. Starts off like a R&B track, and then breaks the flow with lovely Piano , and the lyrics get electricity running through your veins. Sufjan is one of the best artists I have discovered this year, just mesmerizing vocals and great background score of beats, guitar and piano on this song. Castanets also have an amazing effect adding to the main vocals. "You are the Blood flowing through my Finger .... ", just awesome lyrics and you will follow it through out , with the first half of the song slowly growing on you. At the pinnacle, it turns into a Techno Remix, and then an Elvish bliss greets you with piano pleasing your ears, and then it ends like Beethoven's Symphony No.9 aka 'Ode to Joy' finish, which just gets every nerve in your body to respond and the Iron starts pumpin in your Blood. A truly great finish to an awesome masterpiece.

1. "Duniya" - Piyush Mishra (Gulaal) - 6:49
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A masterpiece, a legend, a Don, just no other words to describe this song. I frankly admit that this is the greatest Hindi song I have ever heard. It also marks the ending of the movie(Gulaal) and it literally makes you cry at the end of it. Piyush Mishra was an unknown entity to me before Gulaal and he left such an impression on me that I can never forget him. The lyrics on this song are the best ever, just amazing tabla, you slid into the black hole created by this song and start to think of a world beyond reach of normal thoughts. The amazing clarity retained throughout the low and high notes just dumbfounded me. "Eh duniya agar mil bhi jaye to kya hey... ", you invariably end up singing it. The song builds slowly with various lyrics pointing different corners of life. In the end you are installed for a "Ode to Joy" finish, ending with 'Tumhare eh Kaale eradohn ki Duniya, Eh Ori Duniya..' which transcend you to another world. Just an absolute grand masterpiece.

Honorable Mentions that missed the Cut
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"Sheher" - Swanand Kirkire, Piyush Mishra (Gulaal) - 7:34
"The Shrew" - Beirut (March of the Zapotec/Holland EP) - 3:44
"End of the Year" - Other Lives (Other Lives) - 6:28
"Armistice" - Phoenix (Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix) - 3:05
"Lisztomania" - Phoenix (Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix) - 4:02

UCL : Dynamo Kiev 1 2 FC Barca

2009-12-11T05:20:00.000-08:00

Barça have finished top of their Champions League group after winning away to Dynamo Kiev. The visitors were much the better side and after conceding an early goal sealed the three points thanks to goals from Xavi and Messi.

Barça made no mistake and the defending champions have topped their group on a freezing night in the Valeri Lobanovski Stadium. It wasn’t easy. Dynamo Kiev gave them an early shock with a first minute goal, but the Catalans never lost faith in themselves and smoothed their passage with an equaliser from Xavi, the one hundredth in the Champions League. Barça honoured their traditional passing game and sealed the win thanks to a work of art from Leo Messi.

GOALS
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1-0 Milevskiy (min 1)
1-1 Xavi (min 33)
1-2 Messi (min 86)