I Do What Others Can't! #IncredibleZen

Yet another Monday. The dreaded, detested start to yet another dreary week at the office. And when I'm drowning in the soulless sea of never-ending paperwork, what's the only thing that keeps me afloat?

My ASUS smartphone. It's not just a life-jacket, it is the whole dinghy that ensures I safely get across and ashore to the glorious weekends, killing boredom all the way.

Nevertheless, at times, I get the feeling that even this awesome device in my hand falls short of perfection. I really shouldn't be saying this though, after everything it has given me. But in life, we always want more, don't we? Therefore, I wish to give my phone a superpower which will henceforth take care of a few issues that make life pretty difficult otherwise.

Voice calling and video calling features let me send my words and visuals over to the intended recipients. Enough of that. Now I'll take myself around, anywhere I want, through my phone's extensive connectivity. All I need to do is dial a contact and my unique Tele-Travel app will do the rest. On clicking the "Reach" button which is nothing but the upgraded "Call" button, I will enter the cellular network from my end and the moment my receiver accepts the call, I'll pop out at his end. To return, my default auto-answer mode will reopen the same communication gateway once I dial my number from any other phone.

That's it. This technology in place, I'll start enjoying the perks wIth sheer delIght!

Here's how:

Office:-

Morning meetings are my worst enemy. Back in college, I used to somehow get away with skipping the 9:00am classes, for I could never wake up early enough. The present scenario is a painful one. Meeting starts at 8. Others are seated by 7:45, and I'm scampering through the corridors to get to the boardroom at the last minute, almost everyday.

With Tele-Travel, I'll just dial one of my diligent colleagues' number and Reach him immediately. Doesn't matter if I oversleep or if there's heavy traffic, I will always be comfortably settled at the table, well in time for the meeting to start!

Friends:-

Ever since college got over and we joined our respective jobs, it has become increasingly difficult for our gang-members to get together and party like we used to. Even if we make plans in advance, distance and time constraints ruin them way too often, which is heavily depressing. Tele-Travel will now solve this problem, once and for all, the same way it solves my 'late-for-office' problem.

Hereon,I'll be present at every meetup,every single gathering of my friends, irrespective of my distant location and tough schedule. Groovy, isn't it?

And finally, the real deal. My Love Story.

She goes to office in Bangalore while I'm posted at Kolkata. How unfair is it that we can't get a minute to spend in each other's company for months, till one of us can squeeze out a leave and go visit the other? It gets lonelier, sadder, every passing day.
Thus, comes the greatest utility of Tele-Travel on my superphone- bringing US together whenever we want to be.
Thereby...

--My entry for Indiblogger's 'In search of Incredible' contest from ASUS. For more details, visit http://www.asus.com/campaign/zenfone/IN/ 

Cup-Time. Come, Unite!

And so, it's finally here. The greatest thing on Earth.

I, on behalf of a certain fraternity that comprises some loyal,die-hard Football Fans, make this appeal to friends,family and everyone else who will inevitably get involved in the coming days.

DO:

•Watch the marvel as it unfolds, if you can.

•Let us watch as well, Please.

•Feel the excitement, this comes only once in 4 years.

•Share/Spread the joy. It has never hurt anyone.

•Love the game. The sheer level of talent,skill and drama will leave you in awe, to say the least.

DON'T:

•Complain. We all have some habits that annoy others. Let us know if something bothers you. Constant whining would only make it worse.

•Patronize. Let the enthusiasts have their say.

•Sarcasm is okay. But DON'T abuse.

•Indulge in violence. Never.

P.S. One personal suggestion. Do not waste your valuable time paying attention to what some sudden and self-proclaimed 'experts' of football have to say. However, new fellow-fans are always welcome.

Come, let's make this an unforgettable, exhilarating experience for one and all.
2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil. It's here.

End of a Wonderful Season - Liverpool FC

Games Played - 38
Won - 26
Drawn - 6
Lost - 6
Goals Scored - 101

Goals Conceded - 50

Points - 84.

That is it, then. We finish 2nd, just 2 points behind Manchester City, in a season that has otherwise undoubtedly,entirely belonged to us. Therefore, I urge my fellow Liverpool fans,and more importantly football fans, to be graceful at this moment.

Remember the preseason, guys? That dreadful period when Luis looked on his way out - Spurs buying one big name after another - Chelsea hijacking every negotiation with their "Special One" back at the helm..and many more. Admit it. It appeared absurd to even dream of a Top 4 finish. And tonight, we finish on 2nd position. Disappointed? Dejected? Oh Yes! But we're so Proud to have even been in a place to feel this dejection tonight!

Gerrard's slip against Chelsea has been singled out to go down as a chief reason We couldn't clinch the title this year. I,personally, find this outrageous, given the number of mammoth,crucial goals he's scored, and set up for us throughout the campaign. But, never mind, you the fan, are free to feel just what your heart says.

Yes, we slipped up towards the end. Yes, complacency did get the better of us. So, guys, get set for another indefinite period of taunting and mockery.
YNWA = You'll Never Win Again...History Channel FC... LFC fans, Next Year is your year, again!..etc etc. But will it really hurt? After this Magical season, I doubt. And if it does, dude, you'll probably be better off supporting Bayern or ManC, hereon. Because for Us Kopites, it's just the very familiar old way of life!
So,tonight, we celebrate. Champions' League is back at Anfield.
Keep Dreaming. Keep Believing! We've Earned It again.

YOU'LL NEVER WALK ALONE!!!! \m/

(Image: Google)

#Tagore-153

THE Man. Rabindranath Tagore. He's THE Man! \m/

   So, It's His 153rd birthday. If you're staying anywhere in Bengal, the first thing you notice on this day is a host of neighbourhood loudspeakers trying to shove some hundred antique songs down your senses. You are either sick of it, or have gradually become used to it. Or it might be that you've tolerated it long enough to have actually taken a liking to it now, as is in my case. Never mind, for this has been my prime source of Rabindra Sangeet learning, for decades now.

   The main entrance of our residential leads directly into a buzzing intersection, and the rear gate shares boundaries with a private bus depot of the city. Therefore, when "Ore Grihobashi" goes live on the former's playlist with the latter playing "Ami Chini Go Chini", simultaneously, at their peak volumes, Me the middleman turns an avid listener. Not out of sheer love, though. It's a hopeless yet remarkable exercise. Pick one song and concentrate; however hard you try, the other one will definitely barge in and shatter your focus!

Here's another Today's Special:

   You'll go about your daily chores in an hour. But before, it's breakfast time and you've switched on the News channel to get an update of what's happening in the city (Sloth...the newspaper is right here, still!). Wait...what's this? You didn't select the Music channels by mistake, right? Uhmm...Nope. It's OnlyNews+ all right, covering the gala, live. Fair enough, it's #Tagore-153 after all. There are other options too, for the news. But it isn't long before you discover that these other, poor 'News' channels couldn't get the broadcasting rights for the biggie event and hence had to settle for some lesser-known musician with a guitar around his neck. He comes over to the studio, sings two popular lines and then goes on and on about how The Great Man means everything to him, in his life. That's when you get ticked off.

- Who's this guy again? Just why should I listen to his rubbish instead of the things I actually Need to know?

Last but not the least, there's the Social Network.

   As we all know, we've come a fair distance now and are easily heading towards a time when - If it's not on Facebook, it isn't happening.

The News Feed is flooding with Tagore Trivia. I mean, sure, there are those genuine folks whose updates you actually look forward to seeing, every time. But the number of unlikely, and newborn "fans" today, is Too Damn High!

Just imagine the number of 'likes' this DP would have on Facebook, had He been around today. Enough said!

Rabindranath Tagore. Certainly a tedious name to pronounce for today's Swagger population. Not a problem. The acronym can be pretty cool as well - RT. Whoa! Take a step back, 'ReTweet' and 'RottenTomatoes'. OUR RT is the Greatest Ever! B-)

My IPL Story, Every Year!

Music: Some Not-so-popular favourites of mine!

5. Mere Falak ka Tu Hi Sitaara

  I doubt if anyone has seen, or even heard of the movie. 'Showbiz', was the title. Well, who cares? KK's genius is the only thing we have retained. And rightly so. If you're familiar with the song, you know what I'm talking about. If not, Just have a listen!

4. Yeh Hum Naheen

  One of my all time favourites, it's the first ever music video that I saved on my cellphone, back in 2008. Here's the full story behind this beautiful number. \Peace/

3. Maula Mere Bhaag Jaga Dena

  One thing we keep hearing when it comes to music. "It grows on you!". This one, actually did, on me. Especially the later portion of the unique twist halfway through this amenably bland track. Toshi, of 'Amul Star Voice of India' fame kickstarted his musical journey in Bollywood with this particular movie, titled 'Summer 2007' (LOL!).

2. Aksar

  No. Don't have to start recalling his scandal because you spot Shiney Ahuja again. He did give us some really good movies, once. 'Hijack' does not feature in that list, though. But KK's "Aksar" won hearts. Still does; the music-lover needs to just play it once.

1. Dil Deewana Kehta Hai [Movie: Hogi Pyaar Ki Jeet (1999)]

  This one, Clearly, is the odd one out. Well, I did say, these are some favourites of MINE!

As an eight-year old, little did I care who the lead actor tripping to this peppy Udit Narayan number was(I did discover, a decade later, that it was our very own Mr. Arshad Warsi a.k.a. 'Circuit'!). I would jump up on the bed and start emulating these colossally stupid dance moves every time this appeared on Doordarshan. Hahh...the Good Ol' Days! ^_^

Limit: Reached.

Missy 'Fragrant' - A Lesson Learnt

♪-♬♪-♬♪-♫-♫- Jadoo Teri Nazar...

Khushboo Tera Badan....♫-♫-♫

Loverboy Level: SRK
(Image: Google)

Ahh! The beautiful, BEAUTYful reverie, envisioning yourself in the King's niche, playing Madhuri's Rahul or The 'Miss World''s Devdas. Amazing isn't it?
Well, there's more to it than meets the eye.

To start with, let's keep in mind that there's only one SRK - the Man himself. However, he, somehow, has automatically set the stage for a few self-appointed monarchs of romance, all over the place. Okay, not a few, countless. And it's about time I stopped patronizing my own behavioural brothers. I mean, seriously, how can you not try & emulate those moves if you spot even the slightest odds in your favour? Sorry, Dad, now you know the real reason I signed up for weekend acting classes.

The girl-boy ratio in the academy was funereal. My group was a bore, and the lessons, worse. Just as it was beginning to look like another feather to add to my well-endowed hat of squandered startups, the COO announced the programme for "Jashnn" - a theatrical fest involving budding actors and some 'stellar' graduates from the academy. A string of plays had been lined up to be staged, six weeks away. My incentive: The newly famed diva of regional television, who, opportunely for me, had obliged to play female lead in a soppy musical.
Five days and two rounds of auditions later, I'd been named in Her opposite role. Who says hard work doesn't pay off?!

Let's cut to the chase. Soon, in an unforeseen turn of events, I discovered that She stinks..Literally. It was a partner's nightmare! Unperceivable much? Legitimate, given the fact that TVs have never transmitted odour.


I had to pay the harshest penalty, thereon, since I had emerged as The Chosen One to play Her love interest. So, there I was, living 'a dream of thousands'. Little do the fans know of Madame's classy disinclination towards taking a bath every morning. I didn't either, until she spotted my instinctive grimace as I was pulling her close to practise the finishing scene of Act Two.
"Do I smell? Is it that bad?", she asked, at day's end. "Actually, the water's freezing.. Haven't been able to shower for a while now".

                     (Image: Google)

- Yes, Ma'am. You do, awfully. Please take one tomorrow!

I didn't know then, if being so blunt had been the proper way to behave, with a lady of elegance. But my concern was wiped away the next day, when she practically steamrolled over my hopes of attaining aromatic contentment.
"I couldn't do it. But relax. It won't be an issue anymore.. Chanel", she winked!

It Was. A BIG one.
If only Miss Coco had been insightful enough to release a requisite warning alongside her products; perhaps, stating that the perfumes cannot exempt a consumer from taking his/her daily bath, altogether! Because That, beyond the shadow of a doubt, is an absolute essential.

Subsequently, my misery was to continue.
But, as performers, we know that the show must go on.
Over our next few sessions, I came up with various ways to fend off any onslaught of the vile air on my olfactory nerves. Adding a nasal twang to my singing proved beneficial as I went about matching steps with her, and so did my newfound, personally devised techniques of rhythmic breathing. One final touch on my part, was taking longer showers everyday, just to keep my share of routine freshness maximized.

Our chemistry improved as well, her being a professional and me having made substantial progress in dealing with the smelly crisis. This was one close encounter I could just about manage to handle.

In the end, "Jashnn" turned out to be a huge success. Nevertheless, as the curtains came down on our stint with the audience roaring in applause, I knew what I was not gonna miss. All that glitters, is not gold.




-- My entry for IndiBlogger's "Close Encounters of the Smelly Kind" contest by Racold Thermo Ltd. For more details, visit https://www.facebook.com/racoldthermoltd.
Watch the smelly video, here:

Us Computer Engineers!

Call Me Crazy

As a kid, I was quite a handful. Justifiably enough, I used to get a good thrashing,every other day.

Therefore, holding or keeping my back against the wall all the time had become my natural course of moving around or sitting, in the house. One can understand why. I'd rather face my merited medicine during dosage, than fall upon an abrupt ambush from behind. Funny thing: Years later, I felt flattered watching one Mr. John Rambo adopt the same technique as he went about his escapades, on the silver screen.

Now on occasions,this happened-
My parents,more often Dad,would call me close,for any random reason. Kid-Me was adorable you know. The inclination to shower some affection,twiddle with me,was enticing. So, taking someone to the threshold beyond which there remained no choice but to whack me, needed some doing. But of course, I would never fail to get you there. If you know me, you Can imagine.

I knew that it's just a matter of time till I'm beaten up,so I refused to go near. He would ask again,and knowing the obvious reason for my reluctance,he would promise not to hit me. I still wouldn't listen. However, when he would relentlessly insist that me being such a lovely child it'd be a shame if I didn't oblige to my parent's request, and make a sincere promise that he's definitely not gonna hit me this time,I would soften up; rather count on his assurance, and let my guard down.

(Image: Google)

Meanwhile, the warmth would ease me up, and before I knew it, I was back to being my natural, impish self. Within minutes, I would get the hardest & loudest,full-fledged swat, on my back. It hurt. Beyond measure. But even more because I'd known for certain this'll happen. I was the only one responsible for it, Every Freaking Time! That,apart from the physical pain,used to choke me up,real bad.
The entire thing was an unending cycle. Every time, I would swear never to step into that well-familiar puddle, yet eventually, I would end up slipping, and encounter the same. And so on.

(Image: Google)

I still remember,vividly, the time I had an epiphany about my parents,teachers - practically everyone who'd ever rebuked me for my alleged misdoings. "They are ordinary. That they fail to comprehend me, is not their fault. It's me who is just too good for their perception."

Cracks me up, when I'm reminded of it nowadays. But at the age of 10, I'd taken it pretty seriously. In fact, it was the very reason that I never felt as bad at similar incidents, from that moment onward.

Call me crazy.

P.S. - Some days, I would sit before the mirror and take a good,long look. And I used to think to myself, "Ohh god... How can anyone,ever, hit such a cute kid? Are they blind?".

One (More) Wolverine Wannabe

Summer of 2012. Nokia had just launched the 808 PureView,its first 41 MP cameraphone. This one was a dazzler, and quite understandably so. As a part of promotions, they held a contest, titled 'My Hollywood Impersonation', on their worldwide blog NokiaConnects. The winner would be getting a brand new Nokia 808 PureView. All we had to do is pick our favourite Hollywood character and act out a scene playing the same.

I happened to learn of this ongoing event from an uncommunicative,camera-shy person who's otherwise ever-enthusiastic about any activity that might yield such lucrative rewards on success. And the allure of the promised trophy wasn't my only incentive for leaping at it. My profound childhood dream of becoming an actor in life had taken a (permanent) step back by the time I reached 11th standard. I mean, sure we had school plays and the occasional college fests here & there, but that was pretty much it. The drive to thrive in front of the camera wasn't getting a scope to fulfill itself.

So there I was, on our terrace,with my schoolmate-cum-neighbour and a Nokia E63 in his hand for the filming. I'd chosen Wolverine,my unrivaled favourite since back in our Cartoon Network days. The objective was to capture a short clip in which I would be portraying Hugh Jackman's character from X-Men Origins: Wolverine.
For the next 15 minutes or so, we made a complete fool of ourselves before the surrounding terraces' spectators. But the feel of it,the entire thing, was out of this world! The 'shoot' took a very short while, but its effect was long-lasting, liberating. With a simple upload, I'd entered the contest by evening.

    

I didn't win the phone. A guy from Hong Kong did,with an extraordinary impression of Heath Ledger's classic, The Joker. However, the European judges' panel had made a special mention of a couple other entries they'd liked. Mine featured there, along with some words encouraging me to take up acting someday, professionally. The appreciation pleased me. My peeps would argue,that it's stupid, that all the effort,ultimately had nothing to show for it, and that it was a mere promotional event online; but I know what superlative joy I had attained from that brief experience. And given a chance, I'd do it again...over and over again!