It’s TIME for a new Version (3rd Anniversary Blog)

As per the commonly shared notion I always used to think that TIME is the only thing that moves ahead continuously, without bothering about anything. And that Time is the only thing that drives my life. Well, today I closed my eyes and tried to think differently – can I do the same?

 

Time, has many names, most common ones being second, hour, date, month, year, period, age, epoch, era and so on…

 

But I really like the definition of Time given in most of the references –

 

“The indefinite continued progress of existence and events in the past, present, and

future regarded as a whole.”

 

The definition says it all, isn’t it?

 

Time is infinite and our lifetime (as we know it) is just a tiny speck on the overall timeline of this universe. Even though we tend to believe that we are all racing against everyone else, including Time, we are not; we just can’t because we were not built for that. We were all built for something bigger and better…to change constantly with Time and embrace that change graciously as everything around us changes.

 

Now just consider this awfully weird thought -

 

What if it was made mandatory for us to change our thoughts with Time? What if we were told that once every year, we’ll have to be upgraded to the next version like 2.0, 3.0… and we’ll have to prepare for the minor releases every month?

Strange? Read on…

 

So, if I’m 30 years and 5 months today, I’d be known as Avi 30.5, learning from all my mistakes and more dedicated towards the bigger purpose of life, more efficient at my home, work and away.

This will definitely require a very detailed understanding of my own life and a thorough retrospection of what all I’ve done.

 

Hilarious? This is where I come to the crux of this write-up – MEDITATION

 

I believe that I was lucky enough to understand the importance of it in my early formative years and I also believe that meditation is the only task that will keep the soul alive forever.

 

As our elders say, the soul inside a mother’s womb is in a state of meditation and as soon as it comes out, it cries due to the disturbance caused to its meditation. Even during the early few months after being born, the soul has its own time of crying and laughing, and that too on its own. I agree…

 

There’s a deeper meaning to meditation than just listening to music, reading or praying to God. Any of these activities can take you closer to the state of meditation but once you reach there, it’s a time you see things clearly, every reason crops up from behind the shadows and all pain disappears. This is the time when you talk to your innermost self, silently yet clearly.

 

I believe that while you are meditating, you are in a state of completeness where everything around you is null, without emotions or feelings. You are then able to focus and make the most important decisions guiding you towards the right direction. Post meditation, you’ll find yourself more understanding and respectful towards others’ need for meditation.

 

In today’s fast paced life, it’s definitely difficult to meditate all the time but the mantra is to convert each and every task into meditation by conditioning your mind accordingly, which requires strong will-power and good understanding of your priorities. A morning walk, yoga, watching sunrise or sunset, sleeping and many other opportunities can be used to meditate and get in touch with who you really are and what you can really become...

 

It is very similar to updating our professional resume with the additional skills we’ve acquired, the only difference is that the skills acquired are moral, ethical and value based. I’d call it a personal resume.

 

So, the next time you celebrate your birthday, a new year or any other occasion, take out a moment for yourself and decide whether it’s time for the next release or a new version!

 

From every corner of my heart, here I am, wishing you Merry Christmas, a very Happy New Year and a Life filled with Love, Gratitude and Satisfaction.

Turning 30 on 30, with 30 beliefs instead of candles

Now that it’s time to leave my 20’s and enter into the 30’s, a lot of my well-wishers have wished me Healthy Birthday, instead of Happy Birthday. Seems like things have already started changing (for good) since the beginning of this year and I have already been blessed by the best ever gift – my wife Tasha.

 

There are a lot of things that come to my mind when I notice that I’m turning 30 on 30 (July 30^th), maybe it’s a good time to think about all the things that have made me a strong believer. So, here I am sharing 30 things (read candles on my healthy cake above) I believe in, from the bottom of my heart. Some of these may have been heard before, but as they say, truth is universal and it’s already known by all.

 

I believe,

that BIRTH is not the beginning of existence, it's another chance to prepare for the event called DEATH.

that the beat of my HEART is the tick of my clock, it helps to keep me ahead of TIME.

that the purpose of my LIFE is not the beautification of my BODY, it's the beautification of my SOUL.

that the sun doesn't shine for just giving me LIGHT, it shines to make me realise the expanse of its ENERGY.

that ANGER and HATE are not just emotions, they help me realise the importance of HAPPINESS and LOVE.

that LOVE is not just a thing I give or take, it's the feeling that defines every moment of my life.

that every ACTION of mine, will in some point of time, impact every single entity in the UNIVERSE.

that WORDS heard, read or spoken, have no meaning until they are understood.

that DREAMS are countless, just like STARS in the sky, appearing only when they ought to.

that TRUTH is not to be proven, it is known by all.

that real STRENGTH need not be shown physically, it can be felt through THOUGHTS and ACTIONS.

that it takes only a few ordinary people, to do extraordinary things that can CHANGE the world.

that DARKNESS is as important as LIGHT, it prepares me to face the most challenging times.

that my COMPETITION is fair, when I am racing with the speed of LIGHT.

that HISTORY is not just a subject, it is a series of events which repeat themselves through a degree of transformation.

that IMAGINATION is not much different from REALITY, it is the first step towards creating REALITY.

that BEAUTY is best understood when it is felt with the HEART.

that SMILE is the most important skill and asset to develop and possess.

that CARE is best shown when it is unconditional.

that ART is something that answers the most complex questions of my life.

that I am and will always be the biggest source of INSPIRATION for myself.

that FAILURE is the biggest MOTIVATION that drives me to achieve my goals.

that a FRIEND is not always a person whom I've seen or met, it can be someone who is unknowingly doing good for me.

that a PRAYER should not only go for the known and loved ones, it should be for all the beings, known and unknown.

that HAPPINESS and SATISFACTION are never felt alone, they are felt with the people you love the most.

that HARDWORK is not really hard to do, it comes by itself when you do something you like.

that DEATH is not a road to HEAVEN or HELL, it is the biggest event of my LIFE, it is the freedom of my SOUL.

that whatever I do, wherever I go, in the END, it will not really matter.

All that matters will be just one question - Was my LIFE worth it?

I believe, that my answer will be "YES".

And this adventure won't end there, because I believe that I'll die once to live forever!!!

Why can't HAPPINESS become a habit? (2nd Anniversar​y Blog)

As I celebrate Christmas this year, I'm asking myself a question, just like every year and you are the one who gets the pleasure of knowing about it. This question may have also come atleast once in your mind but never really cared about it much in this hectic life.
If festivals are the time for spreading HAPPINESS all around, then why not have the festivals go on all year round. This is the thought that triggered the Question.

Here it goes – Why can't HAPPINESS become a habit?

HAPPINESS can come from a BEAUTIFUL scenery, a EXCELLENT work of art, a WONDERFUL thought, an AMAZING act of NATURE...

Really, if u want to be happy, there will always be a million ways...
No matter where you are...the Sun will always SHINE and make every thing in your life BRIGHT.

The Stars will always TWINKLE from far far away to remind you that even in the extreme darkness of space, there are dots of LIGHT you will always choose to see and point to...and wish upon one of them to make you HAPPY.
Like the Stars, there is so much HOPE that we can have a countless reasons to SMILE, the choice is ours, which reason to choose at each moment.
Every single moment of HAPPINESS is much more than a SMILE, it's a million atoms SMILING at each other to transfer the most BEAUTIFUL feeling one can imagine.

Have you ever thought of the people who work for us every day?
They too CELEBRATE, maybe with much more HAPPINESS but with much less in their hands.

A dad driving your car..
A mom washing your dishes..
A son repairing your sewer..
A daughter cleaning your house..
A brother picking your garbage..
A sister serving as your waitress..

They are just like us, the only difference being that they have much simpler reasons to be HAPPY.

Just THINK about them and the least we can do for them is to share a SMILE with them whenever we see them.
As they say - Random acts of KINDNESS, one at a time, every time!
Ever thought what made us HAPPY when we were small children?

A pencil with an eraser attached on top..
A soft toy which was always smiling..
A candy which was sweeter than any other thing..
A pat on our back from our teacher..
A smile from our childhood friend..
A lovely hug from our parents..

What do all these mean to us today?
Well we'll say, we've grown up to care less about these small things. But then, no one ever asked us to make it harder to be HAPPY.

One of the most BEAUTIFUL questions I've ever been asked by someone is -
"Why doesn't my shadow SMILE back?"

Just so that you have one less thing to wonder - this someone was a 5 year old girl.

It's not every day that you expect such a question from a 5 year old. And my answer after a brief pause was - "Why doesn't your shadow cry when you do?
It's because it is your only FRIEND which will always be there with you, trying to make you HAPPY.
So if you SMILE again now and try to see clearly, you'll see your shadow SMILING back at you."

And her reply to this was - "Yes! I can see her smiling back now."

It's all about being HAPPY...both from inside and outside!!!

BE HAPPY, KEEP SMILING :)

Heppeee da burthde to meeeeeee!

heppee da burthde to me!
heppee da burthde to me!
heppee da burthde to dear me!
heppee da burthde to meeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!

they say i'm 29 years old
i say it feels special as gold

dad says he got married at 29
i say i haven't even tasted wine

mom says she was a mother of 2 at 29
i say i haven't even grown beyond 9

bro was desperate to marry at 29
i say let all the girls stand in line

grandma was her very best at 29
i say i'm yet to see the best of mine

frends say i luk older than 29
i say i'm just doing very fine

i wish there are more things i can see
i know there will be much more i can be

heppee da burthde to me!
heppee da burthde to me!
heppee burthde to dear me!
heppee burthde to meeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!
gonnaa hurreeeyyyyy uppppp....i'm reaching 30!!!

Waheguru! tera shukar hai (Thanks to God for everything)

It’s a day something doesn’t feel right

I can feel the pain in the hearts of might

Crying are each of my loved ones

Cause they are badly missing some one

I wonder if I should cry or pray

Or just trust in life and its way

There’ll be no tears filling my eyes

There’ll be no fear closing my eyes

It will be the same prayer for each day and night

That has forever filled my life with light

This will not be a loss for me

It will be another cause for me

To realize the truth and move on

To complete this journey with the One

I felt the presence of the One in him the most

He made me realize that the body is just a host

Truth, Respect and Love for All

Was what he told me in our last call

No my Grandpa didn’t die today

His soul was freed from every tie today

And if I was with him this day as each day

I know what he would have said all the way

‘Waheguru! tera shukar hai’

‘Waheguru! tera shukar hai’
(Thanks to God for everything)

Who is my Santa Claus? (First Anniversary Blog)

As I celebrate Christmas this year, I have one question in mind which I can’t resist sharing. This question has been there since my childhood but I never really cared more than the gifts I was expecting. If Santa is real, he must be a child, with dreams and fantasies as vivid
as the ones I used to have when I was a kid. Else how'll he know about all my wishes.

Here it goes – Who is my Santa Claus? Can he be a child?

A name that fills up the heart of every child with joy, who else could it be but not a child. So, did Santa get all the gifts he wished for, if he is really a child?

There are gifts that people all around the world are giving to us every day, through their prayers, blessings and love. We just don’t know about them until the time comes. So what we have and what we are, is a gift from the Santa in every living being. That Santa for me is the child inside all of us who wants to share everything and in return wants just one thing as a token of gratitude – A Big Smile!

This Smile is the gift Santa wishes for, all the time. So the next time someone does something for you, consider it as your Christmas gift and feel grateful to the one who gave you that gift. I’m sure this will motivate you to give more gifts to others and become their Santa. And if you are looking for gift suggestions, here are a few of them.

To your enemy, forgiveness and respect.

To your opponent, tolerance and a fair chance.

To your close ones, gratefulness in the form of love.

To your customer, the best service.

To everyone else, your prayers.

And to yourself, belief!

I completely agree with the words of Mary Ellen Chase –

“Christmas, children, is not a date. It is a state of mind.”

This is the state of mind we should be in, all the time and not just one day. So, what I’ve realized this Christmas has helped me enhance my last year’s statement (read “My First Blog”).

If life is a box of gifts, and all of them are within me, then the sole purpose of my life is to open those gifts and share them with everyone. And the best way to share them is to gift them, because the more I’ll give, the more I’ll get. As long as I do this, I’ll be able to satisfy him - the child within me!

The One!

This is a tale of its own kind

With energy that completely took over my body and mind,

The moment when all lies reflected back as truth

And I saw someone with a unique fire-filled look,

Vanquishing all evil and sparking a new life

Angels, Gods and all Divine beings alike,

It was the day I saw someone else in the mirror

It was the day I met Him Face to Face forever!





Of all the generations and millenniums

Of all the people and religions,

Omnipotence, Omniscience, Omnipresence

It was an instant when it all made sense,

This was the moment and this was the place

When my every birth flashed upon my face,

It was the day I saw someone else in the mirror

It was the day I met Him Face to Face forever!





The clouds and skies with their thunder and lightning

The nightingales and peacocks with their singing and dancing,

The oceans and springs playing and clapping with water all around

The mountains and hills joining hands to bless the world surround,

The stars, galaxies, nebulae across universe

All twinkling and shining in the rhythm of a verse

It was the day I saw someone else in the mirror

It was the day I met Him Face to Face forever!





I could see blossomed flowers of every color

A light bringing upon a wave of new fervor

The heaven and the hell, all merged as one

I could see everything without any lights on

All the troubles gave way to a mysterious smile

I could feel the wind of change blowing from a mile

It was the day I saw someone else in the mirror

It was the day I met Him Face to Face forever!





I then realized…that it was never about what I could,

It was always about what I should!

And all I’ve been searching for, my only goal

Is Peace and Happiness within my Heart, Mind and Soul.

It was the day I cried the most

It was the day I laughed the most,

It was the day I saw someone else in the mirror

It was the day I met Him Face to Face forever!



It is my belief that there are some unfilled promises and unseen miracles that have been assigned to each one of us. Every birth, we try to accomplish some of them as per the will of the One. It’s our duty to submit to this will and understand the purpose of this life. The Mantra is within us, known only to the One within us.

Let’s try to connect with ourselves, with the ENERGY that has been creating and driving our soul through eternity.

Let’s try to learn from the lessons we’ve learnt across ages.

We are all One and will always be One. Our Lives are not just to be lived, they are to be lived for………. the One within!

Fossils...The memories remain!

Date: 24-August-2000
Time: 9 AM IST
Venue: Lecture Gallery
Event: Induction Ceremony for the 2000-2004 batch

This is how it all began. This was the beginning of countless dreams for around three hundred and fifty students. And NITR (then RECR) waited in silence to welcome the batch with which she was to begin the first session of the Millennium. She watched as disparate lives got entwined over jibes made and secrets shared as they passed under her wings. She looked on stoically as innocence got lost and carefree laughter was snatched away by the grim battle for that elusive place in the Sun.

"The Summer of 69...those were the best days of my life"

Can we say we never liked this song?

No Man! No Way! Coz we've experienced a life...which people who've actually lived it, would love to live forever. Yeah! our college and hostel life!

Four Golden Years of our Life...memories both good and bad ones. The former we'll miss and cherish forever, the latter we'll always use as valuable experience for our future.

We came to this institute with dreams, countless. We always believed that everyone on earth is nice and understanding, that this world is full of sincere and honest people. Goshh! how wrong we were. Still, we carried on, experiencing all that people of our age group can do or become. And this helped us make decisions on our own.

Then came duties and responsibilities in our department, our class, our hostel, etc. We were expected to take decisions maturely and instantaneously. The status of our class, our department and our institute depended on us. This brought out the many talents that we were always afraid to show to the world and even those which we were unaware of.

And then we were complimented by our family, friends and relatives back home for our achievements. From being a representative of our family at the time of admission, we became a representative of our college, our state and our country now.

And the hostel life?

Yaar! hope those days never ended.

We were the heart and soul of our class or our group of friends, whom we'll never forget. Those late night discussions and masti. And we can never say that we hated anyone cause during all those years, we saw some quality or the other in everyone, which we can't deny. And this made us realise that nobody is bad, everyone's is good. It's just that some people are exceptionally good.
And then came the day when these birds had to set out on their journey into the unknown with the message -

'Go Conquer the World! But if ever your weary soul cries for respite, do come back. I'll still be there, stronger yet more beautiful, waiting with the same eagerness with which I had taken you into my finds that day, four years ago.'

And we like Fossils, will always be there with our Alma Mater, with our laughter, our yelling, our ecstasy imprinted on to the steel, the bricks and the woods. All our memories will remain with you, with us...forever!

Here we are, applying all this knowledge and adding shine to the reputation of our institute and our nation. And as I write this message, I'm feasting on Maggi with peanuts (my favourite backpost dish), watching fours being hit in the Warriors vs Wayamba Elevens Champions League match. Everytime I see a ball going for four, I remember my class of 2004.

This is a modified abstract from the Souvenir of 2004 batch which is relevant for each one of us, especially for my 2004 batchmates, as we complete a decade of our friendship, learning and growing together. The photos section in Classof2k4 Yahoo Group are waiting to be revisited and for new additions!

God Bless our friendship, we owe it to our Alma Mater. God bless NITR. We are with you as you complete 50 Golden Years of learning and contribution to India’s progress.


Proud to be from NITR (RECR)

Avneet Singh Bhatia
Class of 2004 - B.Tech Electrical

Note:
National Institute of Technology, Rourkela (NIT) formerly known as Regional Engineering College, (REC) is one of the premier national level institutions for technical education in the country and is funded by the Government of India. Its foundation stone was laid by the then Prime Minister Of India Pt. Jawaharlal Nehru in 1961. NIT Rourkela was ranked as the best NIT in India by TEQIP for the year 2009. It has been featuring in the top 25 best engineering colleges in India for the past 5 years, as per India Today & Business Week surveys. In 2002, the Union Ministry of Human Resource Development, Government of India, decided to upgrade, in phases, all 17 Regional Engineering Colleges (RECs), renaming them National Institutes of Technology (NITs), on the lines of the prestigious Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs). These institutes are rated just next to the IITs in terms of student quality, research and placements. There are currently 20 NITs, the latest being NIT, Agartala. The Cabinet, at a meeting presided over by Prime Minister of India Dr. Manmohan Singh, approved the proposal to introduce the National Institutes of Technology (NIT) Bill 2006 in parliament to bring 19 such institutions within the ambit of the act. Their locations are deliberately scattered throughout the country with the government norm of an NIT in every major state of India for regional development. The individual NITs after the introduction of the NIT Act function as autonomous technical universities and hence draft their own curriculum and functioning policies.

Dreams to Actions – a journey from the Heart to the Mind!

15 Anne Frank - Expression
24 Bhagat Singh - Sacrifice
32 Bruce Lee - Hardwork
32 Srinivasa Ramanujan - Intelligence
33 Jesus - Truth
35 Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart - Innovation
36 Marilyn Monroe - Beauty
39 Martin Luther King – Leadership
42 Elvis Presley - Inspiration
50 Michael Jackson - Performance

Each one of these names reminds me of some characteristic which led to an action, so daring and beautiful, that it inspires millions. These are some of those names which became synonyms of encouragement and motivation. The reason I preferred to choose these persons is due to the age at which they left the world and their legacy, which will be embedded in golden words in the hearts of generations to come.

Some of the most amazing stories ever told, are the ones that encourage you to take action. If it’s in your heart to prove, that what others believe impossible, is actually possible, then allow your mind to follow your heart. A mind says a lot of things but it is your heart where all your feelings and characteristics reside, your mind is the one responsible to act and keep your heart happy. So keep your heart pure and let the mind do what it is supposed to do.

Let’s do what needs to be done right now – ACTION

Posts, messages, emails, phone calls and meetings – thousands of them by each one of us have ensured that the spirit of Action is burning with utmost desire and lighting up the path for each one of us. Each time we think or discuss or plan, we are doing something which will affect thousands of lives. It’s time to integrate all these entities into an Action.

And let this Action not just be a word, let it be a reminder to everyone that when the heart dreams, it dreams the biggest DREAM. A Dream that is backed by Action and Dedication, by Curiosity and Opportunity, by Confidence and Experience, by Patience and Perseverance, by Inspiration and Enthusiasm.

Yes, action begins with a dream and dreams arise out of our most probable thoughts, with every thought made up of words – heard, seen or spoken. Each of us knows the purpose of our dream and the beauty of the purpose is that it is different for each one of us and holds a value as good as our belief. It is you who has to decide how proud you feel of your existence. This feeling comes from the sense of achievement and gratitude, which resides deep within your heart – for your parents, friends and the Almighty.

I’m sure that if Magic was just another word, we all would’ve never believed magicians or wondered about their tricks. The only fact that magic excites our heart, is a reason big enough to encourage each one of us to become a magician in our own way. As per astrology, each person has his/her own unique balance of these four basic energies: fire (warmth, inspiration, enthusiasm), earth (practicality, realism, material interests), air (social and intellectual qualities), and water (emotional needs and feelings).

Let’s try to understand the intensity of these elements within our heart and come up with a list of Top 10 high priority tasks (Actions) that need immediate attention and action, are practically within our reach and have the potential to positively impact the maximum number of lives. Time is running out and our Dreams are waiting for us to turn them into Actions.

Let the action begin…now!

Amwe! Amwe! - How can we help the Haiti Earthquake victims?

It's been just a few days, that a 7.0 earthquake devastated a million lives in seconds. The poorest nation in world's Western Hemisphere, Haiti is now in ruins.


This blog is not meant to criticize but to guide and request everyone to help the Haitians at this most critical time of crisis in centuries and also how we can be better prepared for any similar catastrophe in future. This is a time when every blogger or writer should write about ways to contribute to the relief efforts, every new way can bring in help not only for Haiti but also help the international relief organizations to prepare themselves in a better manner for future, ensuring a quicker response. Though we may not be directly impacted by this but it's our brothers and sisters who are in pain and turmoil and crying out for help. It's difficult to ignore them even if we try to!


The PM of Haiti says death toll may exceed 1 lakh with people still buried around the Capital Port-Au-Prince and waiting for someone to rescue them out of the debris. While the Haitians are digging through the rubble to get as many of their people out, all other nations are yet to decide how they are going to help. Celibrities, corporates, non-profit outfits and governments from various nations have come forward with their contributions but all they have done is assure money and items. Help is coming - but it's coming too late for some of those still buried and shouting for help ("Amwe! Amwe!" in Creole, meaning "Help me").


U.N. has taken responsibility for co-ordinating the rescue efforts with teams from various nations. But is there any chance of survival of those who are buried for more than 3 days. Time has already run out for most of them and it's just the few lucky ones who may be able to get out and see the light. Within four days, 700 soldiers from the 82nd Airborne will be in the quake zone. By Tuesday, three more U.S. Navy ships carrying 2,200 Marines and heavy equipment will join them. By Saturday, about 5,000 to 6,000 men and women dedicated to supporting the relief effort will be in Haiti, military officials say.


A third of Haiti's 9 million people may be in need of aid. U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said the World Food Program was providing high-energy biscuits and ready-to-eat meals to around 8,000 people "several times a day." "It's not possible to fly anything into Port-au-Prince right now. The airport is completely congested," spokesman Paul Conneally told The Associated Press by phone from the Dominican capital, Santo Domingo.


Why despite of all our advances and achievements in technology and with Scientists having long warned about a major earthquake in Haiti, no major steps were taken to plan and mobilize resources for a faster response?


Why is it that every time a major calamity like this happens, despite of our political establishments, agreemens and treaties, we are unable to offer help and save those buried for days?

The U.N. seems to be doing the best job right now even though it has been hardly hit by the earthquake with it's own U.N. Chief Representative Hedi Annabi and 150 others missing from their headquarters.

But still 'hope' is something we all need to stick to and expect U.N. and all member nations to come up with a plan which makes it possible to fly in trained personnel, advanced machinery and useful resources within 24 hours without any political/transportational hassles. A better planning would've surely helped in saving many more lives.


The first and best way to contribute is to donate money to any of the following organizations who are working day and night to mobilize resources in Haiti and help in every way possible.


The American Red Cross
http://www.redcross.org/

The United Nations World Food Program
http://www.wfp.org/

The Salvation Army
http://www.salvationarmyusa.org/

Action Against Hunger
http://www.actionagainsthunger.org/

Project HOPE
http://www.projecthope.org/

Partners in Health
http://www.pih.org/

Mercy Corps
http://www.mercycorps.org/


Doctors without Borders
http://www.doctorswithoutborders.org/

The second way is to send an SMS (Text "Haiti") to 90999 (only in U.S.) to donate $10 (billed to your phone)


The third way is to pray for the dead to Rest In Peace and their families and other survivors to have strength to re-build their lives and infuse every heart with the ever-enduring human resilience.


It's the second biggest devastation I've witnessed in my life after the 2004 Tsunami and with scientists predicting even worse calamities in future, the best we can do is to pray with all our heart that nothing like this happens again and even if it happens, we are better prepared to save our people.

2010...here we go!

Wait...is it 'two thousand ten' or 'twenty ten'?

The second decade of the 21st century brings with itself lots of hope and excitement and for me it's nothing short of living in the future, as I remember myself telling my friends in high school in Y2K, that we'll have so so many advanced things happening by 2010. May be I had no idea about laptops, mobile phones and I had just heard about Apple and Google from an online tech article never knew these names would shape my life entirely and guide me to a world of knowledge and information far beyond imagination.

And how can I forget Wikipedia, the biggest non-profit concept I can think of providing quick trustworthy information at my fingertips, what would I do without a 'wiki' today (from the Hawaiian word 'wiki', meaning "quick"). And finally, Salesforce.com - a name I had just heard of a decade back and my job now depends on it ('Cloud Computing' to be precise).

The last year was no exception, despite incredibly tough economic conditions, the tech industry delivered new and bold technology innovations, some of which are now integral part of my existence. Overall, this was the year when online social media sky-rocketted.

Following are few of the events which I consider really worthy of mention due to their importance to me:

- Apple's launch of iPhone 3G S
- Escalation of Google-Microsoft rivalry
- Launch of Open Source Google Chrome OS
- Launch of Windows 7 with Aero, Shake, Peek, Snap, Jump Lists
- Launch of Kindle 2 by Amazon and Barnes & Noble's Nook - I'm still looking forward to a coloured Ebook reader from both these Corps.
- Bing Search Engine gaining 10 percent of the search market by the end of the year
- Launch of the first 'All Aluminium iMac'
- Launch of Netbooks by Nokia, Samsung and others
- Launch of IE8
- More than a billion app downloads
- Smart Phones became smarter making social life much more simpler
- Online Gaming going mobile, big-time
- Exponential growth of Twitter and Facebook
- Susan Boyle's amazing rendition of "I Dreamed a Dream"
- Recovery of Global Economy
- The word 'Namaste' gaining huge popularity in search engines
- Indian General Election for the 15th Lok Sabha being the largest democratic election in the world to date with 714 million voters casting their vote.
- Commercial launch of Android

Following are few of the events which I consider really worthy of mention for their lack of importance to me, as I thought these could've happened in a much better manner or not happened at all:

- Slumdog Millionaire (8 Oscars)
- Obama getting the Nobel Peace Prize
- Tiger Woods' fall from grace
- Michael Jackson's death
- Compenhagen Summit
- Pandemic H1N1 (Swine Flu)
- 'affect' being the most searched word in online dictionaries (When to use affect vs. effect is still the biggest puzzle for English speakers)
- Telangana Issue
- The end of scooter manufacturing in India

And in 2010 I expect a lot to happen, my small wishlist being:

- Google OS netbooks
- OLED TVs - Organic Light Emitting Diode (OLED) technology is poised to oust LCD just as LCD stuck the knife into the CRT.
- Products based on Wireless electricity
- Cloud Computing being offered for personal use
- 4G (LTE) and Wimax technologies being implemented by all carriers
- Successful 2010 Commonwealth Games hosted by India, the largest multi-sport event in India

I may have been a bit more technology oriented in this blog but that's not something very much unexpected from a technocrat like me.

I'm sure that this decade would witness decisions that will change the way of existence of the human race. Have a safe, fun-filled and prosperous 2010, 'two thousand ten' or 'twenty ten' whichever suits you the most :)

Is God a movie maker, musician, singer, painter, scientist or sportsperson?

I've just reached home after watching an extravaganza of a movie. Yes, I finally dreamed my first 3d movie 'Avatar'. This is not another review of the movie but my personal experience on what I can easily categorize as one of the best movies I've ever seen. Others include 'Life is Beautiful', 'August Rush', 'Schindler's List', 'Lord of the Rings', 'Titanic', 'Jurassic Park', 'Taare Zameen Par', 'The Kite Runner' and a few more.

Each one of my favourite movies had left a deep and lasting impression in my mind with an image that I can recall every time I think about that movie. For 'Avatar', it was the face of the character representing Jake Sully in the Na'vi life form, the last image to be seen on screen. Somehow, I have rarely seen a movie in theatre, where the spectators were glued to their seats for almost 3 hours without even bothering to eat popcorn or have a drink or going to the fresh-room. And when I came out of the theatre, the first thing I heard from a kid was 'Was all this just a movie?', that sums it all!

I have always believed that the best way to be convinced of the existence of God is to experience things that are so beautiful that you have to see them to believe them. There have been movies, songs, dances (the moonwalk), people and places which have convinced me of this fact. Be it sports-pesons like Roger Federer, Sachin Tendulkar, Diego Maradona or musicians like A.R. Rehman, Mozart, Beethoven (who kept on performing even after becoming deaf) or singers like Michael Jackson, Madonna, Bryan Adams, Elton John, Ramtanu Pandey (Tansen) or scientists and mathematicians like Galileo, Aryabhatta, Leonardo di ser Piero da Vinci, Isaac Newton and Albert Einstein. For the record, many mathematically inclined scientists, including Galileo, were also musicians.

So every time I see a performance which is hard to believe and transcending all limits of imagination, it takes me to a place which is my synonym of Heaven.

That is the time I feel I can connect with the feelings of the performer. These are the feelings of achievement, attainment of perfection. I believe that God has created every visible thing just short of perfection and to make it better and to reach perfection is the reason behind its existence. So, each time I see a genius at work, I know that it is just a small glimpse of His perfection. There is much more to come, something no one has ever thought of but is possible.

This means that we'll see sequels to brilliant movies like Avatar, which will be in 4D and will take us to a place far beyond our imagination, where we'll be able to participate and have a climax of our choice. Talking about perfection in each of our lives, I feel we have yet to see the best of everything God has created. Each of these highly talented persons reached a level where they felt that some extra-ordinary power was making them do whatever they were doing. Let's try to connect with that power inside us and achieve that perfection in whatever we are good at, it is the only way to experience the greatness of God.

Perfection doesn't mean being flawless, it means being able to fix a flaw that no one else has been able to find.

My First Blog

It's 9:30 PM EST on Christmas eve and instead of being with my friends and relatives, I'm here, writing my first blog. Though I'm very excited about the fact that this will also be my very first post on Twitter, Facebook, FriendFeed and other cool websites which I can now consider my online rental estates.

I have so many things to write about, considering the interest I have in current affairs and other happenings but I'd stick to a simple, sweet and relevant topic - 'Christmas'.

Being born in India, I have always had the privilege to learn about the festivals (Eid, Diwali, Gurpurab, Christmas, etc) celebrated by the followers of each religion and have participated in the celebrations too. And during my 12 years of schooling in a convent (Sacred Heart) school run by a Christian Missionary, we have been a part of every ritual (Christmas tree, greeting cards, lights, bells, special feasts, decorations and prayers) that takes place during Christmas celebration.

The most important thing I've learnt from all the festivals is the feeling of unity and celebrating life together with family, friends and relatives. It's not just those days of the festival but the anticipation and wait for all the events that lead to those days. I still remember my childhood days when my excitement a few days before every festival was at its peak. And Christmas was the time when I used to get extra special gifts from Santa (dad of-course), so the wait and eagerness was justified. I always wondered how Santa came to know about my expectations. But it was one Christmas night, which made me realize how important it is to believe both, in the existence of Santa Claus and his gifts.

Here I am, 10 years after I left my home to be a part of the real world, where every Christmas is now celebrated with new friends in a newer location. But what remains the same is that feeling of excitement, the feeling of getting something new and different but at the same time expected. I was always made to believe (by mom n dad) that if you ask Santa for something you want the most, he would leave that thing as a gift in the stalkings (socks) that I used to place next to the Christmas tree and even sometimes under my pillow. Even today, I believe that every year I receive my expected gift from Santa, though the quality is improving every year.

Today, I've learned to believe in something so powerful that it can make all my doubts and ambiguities go away in seconds. I've learned to express myself in a better way to my close ones whenever I feel something is bothering me. I know this learning experience comes as an expected gift and am as always grateful to Santa (the world of-course), to present me such a nice gift, one I'll cherish forever.

I'd really love to share my other Christmas gifts with everyone, now that I've started blogging. It's 10 PM EST and I'm now planning to see the movie 'Polar Express', one which I try to see every year, as it makes me feel like a child and brings out the humility and gratitude from deep inside my heart. I hope you've also received your gift today and if not, then just close your eyes and believe, there is probably a gift inside you waiting to be unwrapped. I'll wait eagerly to hear about your gift.

May this festival and all others continue to blossom each and every soul with gifts of happiness and satisfaction.

Merry Christmas!