A battalion of mosquitoes were killed yesterday and I’m the killer. I admit the murder, but plead not guilty as this was an act of self-defence. Here is my say:

There were at least a hundred of them! I have no idea from where they all appeared all of a sudden, and never in my life have I seen these many of them all at once. Thanks to the electric mosquito killer bat that helped me kill at least around 70 mosquitoes. No kiddin.. I’m not sure what I’d do without the magic weapon. God bless those who invented it!

The event reminded me of the picture of Bobinson’s feet with mosquitoes all over them, which was put up all over the city. But sadly I couldn’t get a pic like that. I was panting like a dog after my stint with the mosquitoes, after which niKx took over the action. And after all that swatting, there still were so many, perching at levels that we couldn’t reach. That’s when we decided to use HIT the home insecticide. It is amazing how these tiny beings are able to reach as high as the 13th floor with those tiny wings.

The battle continues. Waiting for tonight for the next stint to happen. Gotta recharge my batteries & get ready for it!

This lady is simply awesome! After not seeing her on screen for 2 years I feared she wouldn’t be back. And just then she appeared on MTV! I didn’t see the show myself, but  some of my friends knowing that I’d be happy about it called me up and told me about the  show and that she was back and amazing as ever with her new song Diljale from the album Raat Din.

I’m so glad to see her back again with some reverberating music coz I just LOVE her music and her voice. I heard her saying in an interview that playback singing for Bollywood is not her ultimate dream. She prefers to play her own music on stage with her band and directly face her audience. That is a very bold statement and it portrays her passion and determination to succeed in the longer and tougher path that she has chosen. I pray she’ll always have the strength to go on like this coz I relate to her music very well & want to hear more from her. Keep up the good work Sona!

Reading through it took me back to the days when I was an ardent fan of the Indian cricket team and never missed an ODI that India played. I don’t remember when I first watched the game, but the first time I followed it and understood what it was, was in 1990. It was my brother who introduced me to the game.

Though I have never played the game or I’m not very technically sound about it, the excitement it generated was awesome. The cheer, the spirit, the emotions – I’d jump with joy whenever India won a game and I’d pray for miracles to happen whenever it looked like India would lose. Somehow most of the turning point matches always happened whenever I had an exam. I’d always be between the tension of the game and the tension of my exams. Oh especially those India-Pak matches. Calling them matches wouldn’t do justice.. they were wars! Though I had favourites in other teams too, the Indian cricket team always mattered the most to me. I was damn crazy about it to the extent that I’d sometimes imagine myself as a cricketer and being a part of the Indian cricket team.

And then came 1999 when the betting controversies and match fixing sagas were revealed. I was shattered when I came to know that some of my favourite cricketers were involved and that there was a dirty world behind the scenes. I regretted all those times amidst my exams when I spent time praying for those guys to win, when all the while they were just acting it out and betraying the country. I vowed then that cricket wouldn’t influence my life again. Many people find it hard to believe me when I tell them that I was once a cricket fan and this is why it doesn’t excite me a lot now.

Every time I see a match I wonder if it is true.. the bad performances, the catches they drop, the run outs that happen and I don’t feel the blood rushing through my veins. I no longer follow the game and barely know the present cricket team players. I’m married into a family that doesn’t have any interest in any game or sport whatsoever in spite of 2 boys being in the family. So that makes it easier for me to not watch it. But sure it still is nice to watch a game once in a while when I have nothing better to do. Seeing the Indian team lose a game doesn’t break my heart anymore. And yes, I watched the IPL final. It was a cricket match that I watched after a long long time. I don’t even remember how long coz it doesn’t matter much to me. And I’m glad they introduced the 20-20 as I wouldn’t waste a whole day watching it and wondering at the end of it whether I was fooled again.

…. of Love

…. of Hope

Trusting God when I don’t understand
by Rick Warren

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.” Proverbs 3:5-6 (NIV)

When the children of Israel were finally set free from Egypt after 400 years of slavery, they started marching out to freedom and the first thing they came to was the Red Sea. There were impassable mountain ranges on two sides of them, the sea in front of them.

Behind them, in hot pursuit, was the Egyptian army because the Pharaoh had changed his mind about letting them go. The path before the Israelites looked like a dead end.

But God knew exactly what He wanted to do. He had not made a mistake. He could see what they could not see. He opened the Red Sea and they walked through to safety. Years later, the Israelites looked back and sang, “Your road led by a pathway through the sea—a pathway no one knew was there!” (Psalm 77:19 LB).

You may be facing a dead end right now—financial, emotional, relational—but God can see a path that you don’t know about. If you will trust God and keep on moving in faith, even when you don’t see a way, He will make a way.

It will become more understandable as you head down the path he sets before you, but understanding is not a requirement for you to start down the path. Proverbs 4:18 says, “The path of the righteous is like the first gleam of dawn, shining brighter till the full light of day” (NIV). One day you will stand in the full light of eternity and view the big picture. You’ll see God’s purpose behind the path He specifically chose for you.

What do I do in the meantime? You do what Proverbs 3 says: “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.” What does He mean “don’t lean on your own understanding”? You don’t need to try to figure it out. In truth, you’re not going to understand most of the things that happen in your life until you get to heaven.

Be patient. God knows what He’s doing. God knows what’s best for you. He can see the end result. You can’t. All those problems, heartaches, difficulties and delays — all the things that make you ask “why” — one day it will all be clear in the light of God’s love.

“Lack of exposure to sunlight is responsible for the secretion of the hormone melatonin, which could trigger a dispirited mood & a lethargic condition. Melatonin is only produced in the dark. It lowers the body temperature and makes you feel sluggish.”

Now I know why the sun brightens up my day! I love sunny days

With her feet firmly on the Indian soil, Sona reaches for the sky

An engineering degree from Government College of Engineering, Bhubaneswar. An MBA degree from Symbiosis , Pune. A plum job as brand manager in Marico. “What else do you want?”, asked Life. “More”, answered Sona Mohapatra.

The decision to leave a salaried job (and a fat salary it was) wasn’t epoch making – for Sona, who has been singing since her childhood, always saw herself on stage. In fact, she
started singing professionally one year into her job at Marico. After juggling her career and her passion for some years – a Tanpura and Tabla were constant companions, even on official tours – she reached a stage where it was no longer enough to sing an odd song or jingle. “I wanted to spend much more time pursuing my singing – I wanted to learn, go places, travel. The idea of the album was shaping up and I wanted to fully work on this. That’s when I decided to quit“, says Sona.

And she made a bloody good job of her next assignment. Sona‘s earthy style blends with predominantly western music to produce songs that sound mod yet have their feet firmly on Indian soil; most importantly, the album is entertaining. This follows Sona‘s beliefs as an artist – to explore her roots better, adapt it to her style, and take that to the rest of the world. “I think I can be part of that set of people who can define contemporary Indian sound outside of just film music“, says Sona.

And her album does exactly that. While Bolo Na is about stretched relationships, Abhi Nahin Aana gives voice to a shy young lover. While Aaja Ve sounds completely urban, Sapne takes you to small town Orissa. And not in one song does Sona‘s voice seem out of place.

Engineering, MBA, the hectic job, and finally her debut album – Sona carries her karna hai toh karna hai attitude everywhere. Thus, her journey might’ve been long but, “that makes me the person I am. I don’t think I could have it any other way.”

Reference :

http://www.jammag.com/music/show_music.php?music_id=205

Lyrics :

Bolo Na Kya Hua
Hum Ko Ye Kya Huya
Hui Aisi Baat Kya
Bolo Bolo Na

Tum Ne Mana Bura
Meri Kisi Baat Ka
Maine Kuch Hai Kaha..Bolo Bolo Na

Tune Bhi ,Maine Bhi Badla Kyun Raasta

Bolo Bolo… Hai Baat Kya……
Bolo Na Bolo Na
Hum Dono Mein Hai Baat Kya
Bolo Na Bolo Na

Yu Tuttne Ki, Sab Chhuttne Ki
Wajah Hi Nahi Thi Bachi.
Hum Dono Mein Kaisi Bhi Chup Ki
Jagah Hi Nahi Thi Bachi…

Phir Main Chup Kyun Hui
Fir Tu chup Kyun Hua
Aaisa Kuch Kyun Hua
Bolo, Bolo Na..

Choti Si Baat Ne, Roka Hai Rasta
Hai Hai Hai Baat Kya.. Bolo Bolo Na
Tune Bhi ,Maine Bhi Badla Kyun Raasta

Bolo Bolo … Hai Baat Kya……..

Ek Dusre Ko Sab Kehne Ki
Chahat Ko Kya Ho Gya
Batein Hawa Me Udane Ki Apni
Himmat Ko Kya Ho Gya..

Wo Himmat Kya Hui
Wo Chahat Kya Hui
Wo Fitrat Kya Hui
Bolo, Bolo Na..

Kaisi Bhi,Baat Ko, Dil Pe Kyun Le Liya
Hai Hai Hai Baat Kya.. Bolo Bolo Na
Tune Bhi ,Maine Bhi Badla Kyun Raasta

Hey Hey Hey Hey… Hai Baat Kya……

Bolo Na Bolo Na

Thanks to anujroy and http://www.indianguitartabs.com for the guitar chords :

———Am
socho na kya hua
————G——-
humko ye kya hua
———–F
hui aisi baat kya
———-E
bolo bolo na..

———-Am
tumne mana bura
————-G
meri kis baat ka
————–F
mene kuch hai kaha
————-E
bolo bolo na…

C———–G————F—————–E
tune bhi, mene bhi, badla kyu, rasta

F—–G—————–F slide the first chord change (F->G)
bolo, bolo, hai baat, kya
———G
bolo na..
—–Am
bolo na…

I remember a song that I was taught in School. It goes like this:

I am a Promise

I am a Possibility

I am a Promise

With the capital P

I am a great big bundle of Potentiality …..

And that is what Poornam makes me feel today.

Poornam is a vast sea of opportunities. Whether it is technical or managerial or extra-curricular, everyone is received with arms wide open.

I cannot forget the day I played the guitar and sang along with it on stage in Poornam. I had been in Poornam for just 2 weeks then. My very limited knowledge on how to play the guitar, and my far from perfect voice was welcomed by an audience that was ready to accept anything that came their way. Where else would I get such an opportunity ?

Well, that is just one instance. Be it writing articles, co-ordinating events,managing people, delivering talks, etc .. these are not opportunities that come your way always. No where else will you find people after you, pushing you to come out with your ideas or make use of your talents.

Poornam – A Possession

Ask not what Poornam gives you

Ask what you can give Poornam

Coz what Poornam gives you

Is not what every other company can give you.

In todays world of nuclear families, Poornam gives us a taste of being a part of a joint family or rather a family with a lot of siblings. The little birthday parties & celebrations we have are times of fun and joy. The ‘home away from home feeling’ that Poornam provides is amazing. When I hear incidents of greed , pride , jealousy , harassment in other companies , I know how blessed I am to be here. It is difficult for me to imagine that sort of a situation in Poornam. Every time a person leaves Poornam, it’s like a member of the family leaving us, and when new kids join, it is like a new member coming into our family.There is always an excitement about it.

Recently, I had a friend tell me that even long after leaving Poornam and working in different places, there is this attachment that he has felt for Poornam that he has not felt for any other company. Once you have worked in Poornam, no matter where you go, sweet memories of Poornam will always be within you. Poornam is not just a company; It is a dream, a vision, a culture. And that is what is special here.

Poornam – A Passion

One great quality I find in Poornam is the helpfulness of people. When I joined, it amazed me how seniors willingly helped each other and the newbies; How they lowered their thinking to that of a newbie, patiently explained things to them and encouraged them, like a father to a child. This knowledge sharing attitude of Poornam is brilliant. Today this attitude though existent, is less prevalent than it was earlier. This is maybe due to the large increase in the number of employees. I wish this culture is not lost later on.

An ideal Poornamite is one who eats Poornam, drinks Poornam and lives Poornam. One who does anything for you, no matter when you ask. For that, a person should have that passion and energy within him/her. I laud our recruitment team for this matter. They see to it that they recruit people who are not just technically strong and efficient, but also who have the right character and attitude. Those who are capable of passing on these values to the forth coming batches.

Amar, Sangeetha and Kishore – The three candles shining strong that have enkindled the candles around them. They have developed the Poornam culture; A culture not known before in Kerala or maybe even in India. And the seniors, both those who are here now and those who have left us, have propagated this culture to their younger batches. Magnanimous I should say ! Where else would you find people addressing each other by their first names irrespective of age, experience etc. Though it is difficult to accept this at first, later on, you realize that this makes everyone feel on one common platform of mutual respect and appreciation. It is a culture that the outer world does not understand or digest, and only those experiencing it know the magnitude of its splendour.

Poornam – A Power

Another thing that is amazing about our leaders is that they are never satisfied with what they have. They always strive to improve, to grow and to evolve. And each time they achieve a dream, that gives way to 10 other new dreams. Their dreams and aspirations know no limit and that’s how success is attained. The moment you feel ‘aah we have reached where we should and now we’ll relax’ , there starts your downfall. There is no limit to knowledge and to improvement. When you realize that, there will be nothing that can stop you.

As Poornam scales new heights and ventures into new dimensions, I hope and pray that these good aspects that everyone loves Poornam for, remain forever. Let many more candles shine and let these candles keep spreading their light around the world.

– St. Francis of Assisi (1181–1226)