Google-Embeddable Maps in Blogs

 

Thanks to KK for sharing with me this interesting feature of Google maps. This has been particularly useful to me in my Bangalore Restaurants Reviewed blog, where readers can directly locate the place without any difficulty.

And the best part is, embedding Google Maps in your website is as easy as embedding videos. Try it out 🙂

Still in the shadows of the past!?????

This topic had been lurking in my mind for a long time now… Here I will talk of people who have had a past they want to forget, and think that they have… but actually they haven’t! Read on… 🙂

I have seen a lot of people who think they have “moved on”, but they keep lurking in the shadows of the past… Every single thing they did together, Every single place they visited together, takes them back and fills them with pain, they seem to have forgotten… They see someone on the road, who looked and talked just like her, and the sight disturbs them… Not just this, the smell of her perfume on someone else opens up closed chapters… And these people actually have “moved on” – buried the feelings somewhere in the backyard and are ready for new prospects….!!

I sometimes ask myself, is this “moving on”?

I find this rather silly! Now, I may be talking pure theory, without an experience to back it up with… But, trust me, I have given this quite some thought… And I believe, that merely burying old feelings and taking on new ones will not help! They will act only as temporary recluse.. I call it temporary, because, if and when in the future, your past comes and stands in front of you, you will find yourself crumble! The skeletons in the cupboard are bound to disturb… If not now, then sometime in the future.

This approach of handling the past, is an escapist way!! You can not run from your past! You can not! So, what can one do? You need to let the feelings engulf you completely. Dont fight them… Dont push them away… Accept them… As part of your self. As part of your being. Now, this may be a painful process. But, you need to understand that, in order to avoid this temporary pain, you are making yourself vulnerable to a life-time of restlessness and intermittent pain!

So, accept your pain… Deal with it… Face it in the eye… Welcome it as a part of you… Do NOT avoid it or try to bury it… that will not help!

The next time your past comes and stands in front of you, if you can meet the person in the eye and smile… That is when you have moved on 🙂

Smiley turns 25 :-) :-)

🙂

Read an interesting article which said that the smileys were invented exactly 25 years ago. Smileys have indeed changed the way we communicate over the internet. Now chats seem just like talks, because we can convey emotions using text 🙂

Prashant Tamang is the new Indian Idol!!!

 

I understand that this news is coming a bit late… But, It had to wait until the Twenty20 World cup finals. So, the verdict is out… Prashant Tamang is the new Indian Idol!!!

…. And we won!!! (whew!)

India, after a gap of 24 years, lifted the World Cup! So what if it was Twenty20 world cup… the conditions were the same for all sides and all the sides of the world were participating… So we deserve the win! 😀

Way to go India!!!

Chak de India!!! – Duniya ko dikha diya! 🙂

Cricket Crazyyyyyyyy

 

I thought I was smart when I decided to come to office early… so that I could leave early for the world cup Twenty20 finals between India and Pakistan… Oh Boy!!! Was I in for a surprise… I saw my boss lift his bag at 430.. and I smiled to myself.. Now I can aaram se leave 😉

The actual surprise awaited me outside.. I have been out for some work at this time and the roads would be more-or-less deserted with everyone busy working… But, the moment I stepped outside, I was caught in a frenzy of bikes and cars in my office complex… It seemed like it was 630-7 in the evening… I again smiled… knowing fully well that soon all Indians would be glued to their television… 😀

My surprise did not end there… I had some time with me, so I thought ill buy a couple of essentials before I reach my home… And to my utter shock and irritation, ALL the shops were closed… and despite the irritation, i again smiled 🙂 And a sense of elation washed over me!!!

I am a proud Indian and in this cricket frenzy nation, I too am a cricket-fanatic.

Now I am sitting comfortably in front of the television. Indians are gonna start the batting now.

God bless them! 🙂

CHAK DE INDIAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!!!!!! 😀

People Management in Cricket – Dhoni knows his stuff!!!

The first thing Indian captain Dhoni said during presentation after India won the action packed India-Australia semis was “Before I start Ravi, yesterday I read an article on Cricinfo. It says according to you if we go with me, Aussies are the favourites. I think me and my boys proved you wrong and I think you are happier than us”… I was smiling… 🙂 And I thought to myself, here is one guy who knows how to touch the right nerve of the poeople!

A lot of people opposed the Control Board’s choice of Dhoni as the captain for ODIs. I was one of them. I thought Dhoni was way too young to take up the pressure that comes from being the captain of a cricket-frenzy nation. He proved me and all the others wrong with his tactful handling of all those who were against him. He did not go on a verbal altercation with them, nor a typical cold-war kind of an attitude. He made sure he got on their right side 🙂

His exuberant praise for Yuvraj and his unflappable faith in Yoginder Sharma, showed that this guy knows how to trust his team and praise them… This certainly motivates the team members to put in their best! Yuvraj is such an excellent player, but somehow Dravid never used him as much as he should have… With Dhoni by his side, Yuvraj is now doing wonders! 6 sixes in 6 balls, a small example of that! 🙂

Specially after Yuvi’s father Yograj Singh went on record saying that he was “hurt” that his son was not considered for captaincy, Dhoni has been specially careful with Yuvi, praising him at every possible chance… Now thats what I call a smart move 🙂

Way to go Dhoni! 🙂

India vs Pakistan Twenty20 – History in the making :)

India and Pakistan have won their way to the Cricket Twenty20 World Cup finals. It will take place at the Wanderers Stadium, Johannesburg on 24th September 2007.

This match is going to mark the end of an exciting series of matches… If one-dayers are unpredictable, Twenty20 is volatility at its best. One over and one wicket can completely change the course of the game 🙂

However, India-Pak matches are always special… Thanks to the age old rivalry between the neighbouring nations, the two teams play against each other, as if they are playing for their lives. It isnt about the game anymore. Its about the pride of the nations they are playing for!

Here are the reasons why this particular match is special:

• India and Pakistan have never faced each other in Finals of a world cup

• Pakistan had never deafeated India in any world cup match so far

• India defeated Australia to qualify for the Finals. This has never happened before in the history of world cup.

• Pakistan has lost only one match in the Twenty20 world cup so far, and that has been against India

• Twenty20 world cup is the first time India will be playing such a young team, without its veteran players like Sourav, Dravid… and even Sachin.

Over to Dhoni now, to bring home the cup. Cheers to India 🙂

Come on Indiaaaaaaaaaa!!!!

It was a dream I was harboring ever since I saw the India-Pak match. It was a long call, but I was secretly hoping and dreaming that India would play Pakistan once more in the finals. And thanks to the Indian Cricket Twenty20 World cup team, my dream has come true!

It was just day before yesterday, when my eyes were glued to the television and my heart racing… Andrew Symonds and Matthew Hayden were going strong… I was losing all hope…But, then Sreesanth’s power-packed bowling was always something that could be backed on. Yet again, 4 overs would not help in saving India! After all, we were pitched up against Australia!

Symonds wicket was what brought back the life… After that the candle of hope started flickering again!!

Uske baad kya tha… India ne ek sec ke liye bhi disappoint nahi kiya!! Dil khush ho gaya India ki batting aur bowling dekh ke 🙂

Indian Team, Thanks for making my dream come true! 🙂

CHAK DE INDIA!!!!

Silence!

Some of the best things in your life leave you speechless. You realise the importance silence has then… All of us have experienced times when we just ran out of words and went…Silent!!

Some of the moments could be:

• The moment u left your home for the first time and you look back at your parents who have a mix of feelings – they are happy, yet anxious!

• The moment when your crush looked at you and smiled. All you could do then, was smile back 🙂

• The moment when you got better marks than expected… those numb moments of ecstasy n surprise thinking “Could it be true?”

• The moment when you are parting with old friends not knowing when you will meet next

• The moment when after an anxious wait, the HR calls u and tells u “You are through!”

• The moment when a parent lifts his child in his arms for the first time. He doesnt know what to say. His own flesh and blood in form right in front of him 🙂

• The moment when you see your loved one breath his last in front of your eyes

• The moment when you are waiting with baited breath for the winning run in the India-Pak match.

• The moment when one of your closest friends calls u from the US to tell you that one of your wishes will come true soon… Words were simply not enough… I just felt speechless then… Dint know how to thank her! Read here.. 😀

I have always wondered why we never say anything during those moments … as if it is was “understood”… Happiness. Joy. Pain…. all feelings just flowed ceaselessly in the ‘years’ that passed in those flash moments.

Next time u go silent, listen carefully to the hum of your heart!! 🙂

Nahin Saamne from Taal

I firmly believe in the power of music. Some songs have the capability to penetrate the thickest of the skins and reach the soul… They touch strings of your heart, you din know existed.

Nahin Saamne is one such song… It makes me cry every single time I listen to it. Yes! Every single time. And if i listen to it 5 times a day, I know ill cry 5 times at least that day. And that too one particular piece of music…

Lyrics:

देखो छोड़ के किस रस्ते वो जाते हैं
सारे रस्ते वापस मेरे दिल को आते हैं

नहीं सामने…
नहीं सामने ये अलग बात है
मेरे पास है….
मेरे पास है तू मेरे पास है
मेरे साथ है

तेरा नाम मैंने लिया है यहाँ
मुझे याद तुने किया वहाँ
बड़े ज़ोर की आज बरसात है…
मेरे पास है…

बिचाद के भी मुझसे जुदा तो नही
खफ़ा है मगर बेवफा तो नहीं
मेरे हाथ मे ही तेरा हाथ है…
मेरे पास है….

Does this happen to you????? Ever?????

Deewana Mastana hua dil :)

This song is very very close to my heart… This was the first song that I remember singing in my school… The ones I sang before, I do not have memory of… So, I was all of 9 years and I remember my father selecting the song for me and my mom dilligently teaching me the alaap of the song 🙂

My dad doesnt sing himself, but he has a penchant for catching mistakes… So, he would always listen to the songs before the performance to iron out the mistakes and when asked how he manages to do that. His reply comes “Coach of a team need not be an excellent player himself. Being a player helps, but is not mandatory. His fundas should be clear thats all”. Point taken 🙂

Such memories 😀 

I managed to find it on Bollyfm today and listening to it made my day 😀

Lyrics:

आ sssssssssssssssssssssss
पा मा गा… मा रे गा… पा मा गा मा
आ sssssssssssssssssssssss
सा नि ध पा मा गा रे सा

नि… नि… नि…

दीवाना मस्ताना हुआ दिल
जाने कहाँ हो के बहार आई

हो हो तन को मेरे छुए घटा काली
छेड़े लहर लहर मतवाली
तन को मेरे
लाख कोई अनजाना
दीवाना मस्ताना…

हो हो कुछ अनकही कही मेरी चितवन
बोले जिया लिखे मेरी धड़कन
एक नया अफ़साना
दीवाना मस्ताना…

पा मा गा… मा रे गा… पा मा गा मा (२)
आ ssssssssssssssssssssssssss
सा नि ध पा मा गा रे सा

नि… नि… नि…

दीवाना मस्ताना हुआ दिल
जाने कहाँ हो के बहार आई

हो हो सावन लगा मचल गए बादल
देखो जिसे हुआ वोही पागल
कौन हुआ दीवाना
दीवाना मस्ताना…

A lovely morn!!! :D

Woke up at 6 AM today… Yap! Not kidding… That was the time… and I seriously cant recall when was the last time I got up soooo early 😀 All this was thanks to my maid coming so early! All those who know me, know my penchant for waking up as late as I can afford…. So, when A and C saw me sitting in the hall sipping tea at 8 (that was when they woke up), they were pleasantly surprised…. so much so that A took a lottttttttt of time in accepting the fact that I was up so early 😉

They were even more surprised to see the hall all clean and the breakfast duly made… 😉

But, I must tell you… this has been, undoubtedly, the bestttttt morning in a fortnight now… and if that wasnt enough… chatted with an old school friend after a longgggggg time and also found some really good old songs here for download… Songs like Mohe bhool gaye sanwariya, Diwana Mastana hua dil, Tere Karan Mere Sajan, Kaare Kaare Baadra, Kahin deep jale kahin dil 😀

Cant believe that, can you!?????? So couldnt I!!! 😀

So, in short a GREAT start!!!!!!!!! Hope the rest of the day goes on fine..

Have a Great day people!!!! 😀

An unusual desire…

When I woke up this morning, I so badly wanted to watch Asli Naqli… Now, I seriously dont know where that came from… But, off late I have noticed, I want to watch some really really old movies, preferably black and white ones… the ones of the 50s and 60s era…

Earlier I remember, we used to watch Zee Cinema with the hope that we wil get to watch some good old classics but even this channel has been a disappointment lately. Ok! We have watched DDLJ, DTPH, HAHK and likes a dozen of times and we really like these movies.. we do!

But, I am looking for a change and I am not able to find one!!! The CD shop guy looks at me strangely every time I request for a Caravan, or a Madhumati, or an Anpadh, or a Parasmani, or a Shri 420, or a Chori Chori, or a Woh Kaun thi, or a Bhabhi, or an Aradhana.

Basically, I am dyingggggggggg to watch some good Bimal Roy movies, some Raj Kapoor-Nargis movies, some Sadhana and Manoj Kumar movies.

But, I am somehow convinced that this desire is going to remain unfulfilled for a long time now!!!

😦

Tumne mujhe dekha from Teesri Manzil

One of the most amazinggggggggggggggggggggggggg songs of Md. Rafi! And according to me, one of the most romantic songs ever 🙂

The lyrics:

तुमने मुझे देखा, हो कर मेहेरबान
रुक गयी ये ज़मीन, थाम गया आसमान
जान–ए–मन जान–ए–जान

कहीं दर्द की सहरा में, रुकते चलते होते
इन होठों की हसरत में, तपते जलते होते
मेहेरबान हो गयीं, ज़ुल्फ़ की बदलियाँ
जान-ए-मन जान-ए-जान

लेकर ये हसीन जलवे, तुम भी ना कहा पहुचे
आख़िर को मेरे दिल तक, क़दमों के निशान पहुँचे
ख़त्म से हो गाये, रास्ते सब यहाँ
जान-ए-मन जान-ए-जान