The PaUnCh

Whiskey Glass

2009-09-29T06:30:00.003+05:30

This one was captured on my Cannon with an 18-55 lense. A random photograph of what looked like Whiskey Glasses while sitting at this joint called Galloping Gooseberries in Chennai.

Details:
F-stop : f/5.6
Shutter: 1/6
ISO: 100
FL: 55mm
Flash: No
Dimensions: 3561 x 2592

Good ol times

2009-09-07T17:36:00.008+05:30

This is the era of the www, cell phones, emails, social networking, media, and so on, we forget our past. There was a time when we could do pretty much everything we do now, without all this technology backing us. I still remember the days when we managed to meet a friend at the movies, or for a wedding, or arrange a birthday party without emails and cell phones.

This was a time in my life, not too long ago during our college days, when even owning a cell phone was a luxury. Sometime around this is when I first met scatterbrain, and we didn’t have the proper means to stay in touch. We couldn’t afford cell phones, but yet managed to live to tell the tale of a long distance relationship, while I was living in Chennai and she was studying in Hyderabad which is almost 800kms or 500 miles away. We used to speak to each other using the landline. I was fortunate enough that my father had the landline with an STD facility. Scatterbrain on the other hand was living in the college women’s hostel that had only one pay phone that was used by probably 50 or 60 other women staying there. We used to have these whispering conversations over the phone in a way that people in the other room wouldn’t know that I was on the phone. The fans and lights were switched off, and only then we could clearly hear each other clearly. Trust me sitting in a closed room devoid of a fan in Chennai is not a very pleasing experience. We used to speak for about 3 to 4 hours every night. Those were some of the moments I treasure till date.

The flip side to this story was when the phone bill came at the end of the month. I still remember my father opening that fatal envelope, and to his shock the bill was around Rs.15000/- Believe me when I say this. 15k for a phone bill during 2003 was not a joke. I still remember my father had this angry expression with some tears in his eyes when he saw the bill. :) His expression was priceless. Well of course as soon as that expression was over he looked at me and my brother to find the culprit. Obviously we didn’t know what a phone looked like ;)

No sooner than later my father had subscribed to this thing called itemized billing, where the bill shows the details of the numbers dialed and the time the call was made. By now I know that my grave was being prepared for me. My father notices that a lot of calls have been made to one particular number every night for about 3 to 4 hours, so he decided to call the number and realizes that it’s a girl’s number as soon as scatterbrain responds to the call. So by now my father has confirmed that the delinquents’ were either me or my brother. This is when I was determined to own up and confront him before he brings the lamb to the slaughter.

To my surprise both my parents were happy to know about my relationship with scatterbrain and were eager to meet her and take things forward. The rest is history. Thinking about this incident reminds me of the fun times we’ve had in the past, even without technology.

In the present day, I think the cell phone, email, the internet and all that is has to offer is a basic necessity and it would be really hard to survive without it. As the saying goes - Technology does not drive change, it enables it.

Green

2009-09-06T23:34:00.004+05:30

This one was captured on my Cannon with an 18-55 lense. A random photograph of leaves from a branch outside a friends house.

Details:
F-stop : f/10, Shutter: 1/100, ISO: 400, FL: 55mm, Flash: No.

My new hobby

2009-09-04T18:30:00.010+05:30

As far as I can remember, I’ve always loved taking photographs. The most I love, is taking pictures of people and objects. Regrettably I never had the money to buy myself a high-quality camera. During my school and college days, this thing called “digital camera” was unheard off. I really wish I had one of those during my early days. There has been so many good memories of long-ago, which I managed to capture only in my head, optimistically for long.

Last year when scatterbrain and I found out that we were expectant, I made one significant decision. Well apart from “I’m going to be a good dad” & “I’m going to be a good husband”, and etc, etc… I was determined that I will buy myself a reasonably good camera and capture everything I possibly can, and before I knew it, we were already saving money to buy it. More or less a year later, we managed to buy ourselves a really cool SLR camera. I can’t remember the amount of intense analysis up and reading up I did to comprehend how to operate it. Finally after lots of suggestions and opinions and advices from friends and playing around with the cam, I think I’ve got the hang of it. This is one of the pictures that was taken on my SLR. She’s my little angel. Her name is Nanma and I call her “NJ” short for Nanma Jacob. Click the Photograph for a better view.

Most of the photography blogs I’ve seen, have a mentioned the details of the photograph like f/stop, metering, aperture settings date, time, location and such like. Quite frankly don’t remember the camera settings for this snap, but hopefully I will do my best to give you those details for the next few snaps that’s going to be uploaded in my next post. God knows when that will be bearing in mind the frequency of my posts :)

Those who read this, please give me some suggestions and tips that I could use for my new found hobby.

How sweet to hold a new born baby

2009-03-24T11:10:00.005+05:30

It feels like it was just yesterday, but it’s been 6 years since we, Scatterbrain and I were college sweethearts and madly attracted to each other, spending hours in the coffee shop sipping on one cup of coffee, just to keep the table occupied and gazing into each others eyes, dreaming about getting married and about our unborn children. And now we finally have our little angel to call our own. Now it’s just us and our little family. It’s the only thing that matters to me the most.

Scatterbrain is “The Worlds Most Amazing Person”. I was in tears while I watched her in pain in the labor room. All I could do is hold her hand, kiss her on the cheeks and pray that the pain would go away. That one hour of watching her hurting in agonizing pain was the most painful experience I probably would ever go through. In the end the result was amazing. The pain and the agony, it all went away in a blink.

It almost felt like all my troubles and worries had been wiped clean from my memory. It was like time stood still. The feeling was indescribable. I sure most people feel the same way when they hold their newborn in their arms. I have only heard what it feels like, but only now I know. She is the most beautiful creation I have ever seen. With those sparkling eyes and dainty fingers and toes so delicate she feels like a drop of heaven in my arms. All I could do is look at her and not notice the time going by. All that seems to me as a passing dream, since I got only 2 days to spend with my baby and now I’m back to work :(

Nanma Anna Jacob. That’s what we’ve named her. Nanma – means “Goodness” in Malayalam.

It’s been a long day, and you’re tired of play,

Your little eyes look sleepy, go to sleep little one,

And smile as you dream on, cause you are loved.

As you sleep tonight, dream of things that you love,

Tomorrow is a new day full of promise for you,

So smile as you dream on, cause you are loved.

You are our greatest miracle, God’s “Goodness” taken form,

Each day as you grow older our love only grows stronger,

You bring such joy, such love, such happiness.

Only God could love you more than us.

The world outside is scary, so much you don’t know,

And though life isn’t easy trust god he’s always there,

So smile as you dream on, cause you are loved.

– Scatterbrain & Paunch.

I’m back!!!

2008-11-03T18:04:00.007+05:30

For those of you who wanted to conduct a funereal ceremony for my blog - I’m back!!! At least for now I am. I apologize for the vanishing act. This blog stuff works entirely on my mood. I’m not much of a writer, so blogging doesn’t come to me as you would imagine.

A lot has happened since my last post. The wife has returned and we’re leading a pleasant and happy life. The big news - “Were Expecting”, yup that’s right. The Paunch is going to be a father. Our baby’s ETA – April 1^st `2009. If my child decides to be born on April 1^st, it’s going to be hard for me to convince my buddies about the news. My wife and I are totally thrilled about the whole thing. We’ve been monitoring the baby’s development on a regular basis & I have lost count of the number of times I’ve viewed the video of the ultrasound scan to see him or her moving inside. It’s just breathtaking to see and know that there’s this new life form inside her, growing in size everyday.

Fatherhood is one thing that I dread. I am hideously bad with kids. Its not that I don’t like them, it’s just that it’s to some extent hard to communicate with them. By the way I am speaking for myself. I’m sure nearly everyone who is reading this might not be of the same opinion, but this is what I feel. My wife Scatterbrain calls me a “Baby Magnet”, I sometimes agree with her in a way since I have noticed many kids are mesmerized to see me, or at least they keep staring at me like I’m from some other planet.

I’ve been reading-up about fatherhood and here are some useful links for all aspiring fathers to go through (Good Parenting, Dad Café, and Great Dad). Its useful information, but I guess the best way to bring up your child is doing it your way. Like my good friend Mac says – “When you notice that your child is starting to hate you, you know your doing something right”.

Scatterbrain, I love you:

2008-06-28T13:28:00.004+05:30

“The light of my Life” (Scatterbrain) has gone to spend some time with her folks for a week, and I’m left all alone at home. The house feels so bare. Even the TV and couch misses her being there. I guess this time; her going away has been quite hurting, even though it is only for a week and I know that she’s mine and mine alone eternally. It has been only 2 days since she left and I already feel like a baby weeping out to her to come back. They say big men are the most emotional – maybe that’s why I feel this way. :(

Ever since I met her 5 years back, my life has been a rollercoaster ride, and I’ve loved every single moment spent with her. We got married on a beautiful date (07/07/07) and it is going to be one year since. I was always terrified of getting married, but since day one, its have been extremely exciting and have no regrets. We do have our highs and lows from time to time, but the best part of the fight is when we make-up for it.

Being married to Scatterbrain is like living life in the movie “The Sound of Music”. There’s so much laughter, singing, dancing, and so much fun. She even manages to cheer me up almost every evening when I come back home from a hard days work. All my worries and tensions fade away when I’m with her. She is what every husband could ever ask for. And I feel on top of the world to be married to her. Everyday is a brand new day. The whole of last year feels like a dream to me, it feels like it all happened just yesterday.

Scatterbrain you are the best and my heart beats like Shivamani on the drums when you’re around me...:)

A Remarkable tuk –tuk man

2008-06-20T17:16:00.010+05:30

The rising fuel prices have been eating into most of our daily expenses, and I wonder where this is all going. The salary remains the same but the cost of living goes up. Here are some cartoons I received in a fwd mail.

Have you even sat in an auto rickshaw and wondered if the driver was a genuine guy, and that he was demanding a fair price for your destination? Most of us have a pre-conceived notion that auto drivers are always trying to take advantage of people, by taking them for a ride. It is true but not all of them. They normally do that because they think you are an “Out of Towner” and could take advantage of the situation. I’m sure most of us are in some way egocentric when it comes to our own benefits.

Yesterday I had a chance to travel in an auto to work and as usual I raised my hand to the next auto in sight. This guy was really nice. He was kind and he had that sense of dependability and made sure he was respectful and requested for a fair price from my home to office. I normally have to brawl and argue with these guys, and end up paying almost Rs.70 for about 5 km distance. A fair fee would be between Rs.50 to Rs.60. This guy asked me, how much I would normally pay for this distance, and me trying to be all straightforward, told him in a very cheeky tone that I pay only Rs.50 and nothing more than that. To my surprise he offered to use his meter for the journey. Normally auto drivers never offer to use their meters since the prices were too low for them to break even. In my mind I was wondering if his meter was rigged. Anyway I took my chances and sat in the auto. When I reached office and looked at the meter and the amount was Rs.40, and the auto driver also told me that I need not pay Rs.50 as agreed before, but to pay only Rs.40 as per the meter reading. I felt a little guilty for all that went through my mind during my ride to office, and so I insisted and paid him Rs.60 and told him “I wished all auto drivers in Chennai were like you.” I would consider this as one of my best moments in an auto. It is very extraordinary to come across people like him.

We Treat God Heals

2008-06-18T13:51:00.006+05:30

CFH (Christian Fellowship Hospital) Oddanchatram, is a hospital catering to the people who live in around the poverty stricken villages of Oddanchatram. Oddanchatram is a little town located in the district of Dindigul, Tamil Nadu, India.

The story of CFH is that of a few people venturing into a very backward area as a three-man team including a doctor - living in mud wall huts and starting in a one-room dispensary. "The Christian Fellowship Hospital, founded in 1955 by Dr. A.K. Tharien. It is a 289-bed, multi-specialty, secondary level care hospital catering to the poor in and around Oddanchatram. It has primary care centers in the surrounding villages and hills like Pachalur. Every day, Christian Fellowship Hospital receives an average of 1,500-1,700 outpatients. The Hospital Staff are a living example for Christ and simple in their lives". - from the CFH Website.

As the story goes back in time, when Dr. A.K Tharien (My Grandfather in law) had a vision to serve the poor with medical help without any foreign aid. He identified Oddanchatram (ODC) since this town had minimal resources available. (now it is a flourishing business town) They lacked proper electricity and food supply. The villagers were not aware of such a thing as medicine. The Dr, took a small haunted house on rent since it was not occupied by anyone and started a small clinic. His first patient was a pregnant lady who came with complications. The only thing that could save her life was a cesarean operation. She was about to be disowned by her family who could not take her to the nearest hospital (30 kms away) and left to die. The Dr and his team of 3 staff decided to do the best they could . They sterilized their equipment, including kitchen knives and bed sheets conducted the operation on the kitchen table and helped deliver the child. Both mother and child were safe. This was the biggest miracle seen by the people of the villages near by. The hospital’s growth began there and it continues.....

Days of Glory:

2008-06-06T01:19:00.007+05:30

I was looking for some inspiration to write about, the one thing that crossed my mind was my days in college. I am really proud to have been a student from MCC (Madras Christian College). Those days of my life were like a three year holiday!!! It is not because I didn’t attend classes, it is just that all the other activities got us so involved that we didn’t even realize that each year was coming to an end. And before we knew it we were thrown out in the real world.

The first year started with the Principal’s speech and a campus walk escorted by our seniors, who were just waiting to pounce on us. The 1st year students had many names those days (Pissakaattan, Kaattan, piece of S@#T, fresh meat, etc...), and the “hall boys” (resident students) were made to wear full-sleeved formal shirts with unbuttoned sleeves and rubber bathroom slippers. Their hair had to be cut short and faces, clean shaven. This was the dress code if you were a member of the hall. The day-scholars had a different treatment; they were ragged & humiliated on the train journey for about 45 minutes from Tambaram all the way up to Egmore. This sounds very traumatic but quite honestly, I enjoyed it!!! I can remember the times when I have been so broke; even to buy my self a ticket worth 5 bucks to get back home. Being broke was normality back in the days. There was a time when my buddies and I were so hungry we went to this shady joint near the railway station to grab a bite of whatever we could get with the pieces of change we had in our pockets. Halfway through the meal we found a well cooked spider in the food, but considering the hunger we continued to eat.

Times have changed now, and college going kids have a completely different lifestyle. I’m sure they also have their share of fun. The 2nd and 3rd year of my graduation was not as thrilling as the 1st year. That’s cause I was busy clearing all my arrears, and slowly getting ready to face the world and dreaming about a great career :)

I’m quite happy about the way things are today, I would have never imagined being where I am today four years ago. Sometimes I wish I had worked harder in my studies during my school and college days :(

Here are lyrics to a song that my buddies and I wrote, while we were lazing around at the café with a cup of kaapi and dhum!!! This song became famous after our acoustic band's first performance at the IIT college fest. The Band was called “The Lumbadi Lungies and the Chorous Mangalams”

We don’t smoke marijuana in MCC,
We don’t take our trips on LSD,
We don’t spike our hair like them pansies
I’m Proud to be a hippie from MCC.

I’m Proud to be a hippie from MCC.
The girls are not really pretty cant you see,
They always love to wear our lungies,
But there still cooler, than the Stella Kutties.

I’m Proud to be a hippie from MCC.
The guys are simply Kaattans cant you see,
But their still cooler than the Loyola sissies
Guess who loves them ? WCC

Comments are welcome...

The BIG Picture:

2008-05-30T20:35:00.007+05:30

A big company offered $50 for each money-saving idea submitted by its employees. First prize went to the employee who suggested the award be cut to $25 – Anonymous.

I love deadlines. I especially like the whooshing sound they make as they go flying by. Life in the corporate world can get to you sometimes. I’m not sure if I am made to live life in the corporate world. Does my employer look forward to more than what is achievable? Or am I not competent enough? Last night I dreamt about what it would be like if the salaries & perks were reversed with the designations. Wouldn’t that be overwhelming? People need to understand the importance of employee satisfaction and also need to be shown how much they mean to the organization. And I strongly believe that just by giving a handsome paycheque is not going to make the employee happy. Good and bad appraisals could happen due to various reasons, and also depends on how well the industry is doing, the individual contributor’s performance, overall profitability of the organization and such like. Gone are the days when people look at the title, role and the growth that the company provides for them. People have become so hard to please and only want money. It is more of "What is in it for me?" rather than "How can I be of use to your organization for it to grow?" I’m sure if people join companies with a positive attitude to learn, grow and accomplish their goals, by giving not least but less importance to the monitory benefits, life would be so much better.

There used to be a time in India when the people used to walk-in and out of companies carrying huge files and folders with all their life’s accomplishments and certificates pleading for a job as an assistant or a clerk. The roles have absolutely reversed, with large organizations advertising on the newspapers and television, trying to build a brand and luring some of the young graduates and post graduates of our time. Wonder where this is all going. On the brighter side, the level of unemployment has dropped drastically over the past 5 – 10 years, with a whole lot of multinationals setting up in India, helping feed many more homes. It's just a whole vicious cycle I guess.

Here are some facts I came across on an article - "India's rate of employment generation has gone up from an average of 1.07 percent between 1994 and 2000, to 2.04 percent between 1999- 2000 and December 2002. The rise has been more in the urban areas as compared to the rural ones. Figures released by the National Sample Survey Organization (NSSO) show that on an average 8.4 million jobs have been added over the 2.5- year period. The Tenth Five-Year plan aims to generate 10 million employment opportunities each year."

I hope my buddies and I find the time, money and a good opportunity to set up our dream restaurant at least in the next ten years. :)

Comments are welcome….

A Tag from Mac:

2008-05-25T01:10:00.003+05:30

I found this interesting tag from a good friend, and realized that I’m so similar. So I thought I’d add my list as well.

Ten things I wish I could say to people right now:
* Love you guys…you guys are the best.
* Please stop interfering in our lives.
* Wish I could help you in some way.
* Promise to find you one soon.
* Are you sure your ready for this big step?
* Are you really ready to take the plunge?
* Hope we go the same place after we die.
* A little gratitude would be nice.
* I’m OK with you thinking I’m a machine…do you expect me to be a magician too?
* It will happen when the time is right.

Nine things about myself:
* I can’t cry even if I want too.
* I hate people with a "holier than thou" attitude.
* I believe in Jesus.
* I have to watch at least 3 movies a week.
* I hate Wannabes’
* I love Chicken Biryani.
* I’m a good listener.
* I love long drives.
* My family means the world to me.

Eight ways to win my heart:
* Buy me a 52 inch plasma TV.
* Give me a hug or ask for a hug.
* Keep in touch.
* Understand me, without asking too many questions.
* Visit me at my new home.
* Pray for me and my family.
* Sing to me.
* Spend the whole night talking.

Seven things that cross my mind a lot:
* My wife, unborn children & my career.
* The day I might have to loose a loved one.
* Will I be a burden as I grow old?
* Will I ever have enough money?
* Wish the world was a better place.
* Why was evil made?
* Will I go to heaven after I die?

Six things I wish:
* I wish I never met a certain person.
* I wish I tried to know GOD earlier.
* I wish I could fly.
* I wish I could eat less.
* I wish I read a lot more.
* I wish I could go back in time and change things.

Five turn off's:
* Being clingy or over dependent.
* Public Display of Affection
* Working over time.
* Hypocrites.
* People with a bloated ego.

Four turn on's:
* Good mallu food.
* A trip to the countryside.
* Clean feet.
* People who remember old stories.

Three things I want to do before I die:
* See as much of the world as possible.
* See my grand kids grow up and get married.
* Own my own shack on the beaches of Goa.

Two words that describe me:
* Quiet
* Loyal

One confession:
* On this one, I'm most certainly with Mac. I wish I could erase all the men who disrespect women.

Comments are welcome...

Guitar Solo

2008-05-21T22:55:00.004+05:30

Have you ever played this game called Mario Bros? I’m sure most people who have spent their childhood during the late 70’s and early 80’s might understand what I’m talking about. It was one of the most addictive games ever made and the games tune still rings in my head. The video you see here is an amazing piece of guitar solo I found on YouTube. This guy is impressive with his fingers, they move like a spider crawling on the fret board. This guy is a genius.

Damn Tuesdays

2008-05-20T20:50:00.009+05:30

Today has been one of those days when I had to drag myself to office. My butt refused to get out of bed, I was lying there thinking of all the excuses I could use to stay at home; food poisoning, grandfather died (5th time), cousins wedding, flat tire, loosies etc… I’ve used all these excuses in the past and nobody is going to fall for any of them. So finally I reached work at 11:30am, felt a little on the wrong side of the law for doing that, but I guess its ok for once, bearing in mind the number of times the rest of the staff do it.

Being a HR professional, the job can be relatively glamorous from the outside. Most people think it is as simple as “Hire and Fire”, only HR guys will know the real struggle.

Thank you, for smoking

2008-05-19T20:07:00.007+05:30

“Thank you for SMOKING” is one amazing movie I watched recently, it really opened my eyes to the kind of harm smoking does to the human body. Can you imagine the amount of punishment ones body can take? Many years back my buddies and I were talking about our days in college and the amount of cigarettes & dope we smoked, I mean its hard to imagine that the only thing we didn’t do was probably suck out the smoke from an exhaust pipe of a car or a motorcycle. And somehow we are still alive; most of the credit goes to our wives for bringing about this drastic change in us - by cleaning us up. Luckily I’ve managed to give up “the ganja”, but with cigarettes I’m still struggling. There’s this famous saying that goes – “Smoking is very easy to quit, I’ve done it a million times.”

Best Buddies

2008-05-19T16:37:00.003+05:30

May there always be work for your hands to do,
may your purse always hold a coin or two.
May the sun always shine on your windowpane,
may a rainbow be certain to follow each rain.
May the hand of a friend always be near you,
may God fill your heart with gladness to cheer you. – Anonymous.