Wednesday, April 29, 2009

Omega...


May be I was living a empty dream

But you won't understand what it mean

Every time all the doors were closed tight
And my path was dark without single light

You never cared why I had walked alone so long
And always thought there was something wrong

Today when I am down and completely broken
You are thinking I am heavily drunken

Now you expect my story has come to an end
But so many things I still have to append

May be now I have changed my mind
But its not easy to leave things behind.


Copyright Rakesh Kumar April 2009

Tuesday, April 28, 2009

Desuetude...


You say friendship is like onion..
But I don't agree with your opinion

You think its layers add taste to life
But you don't see under it hidden lies

When you will cut you will pay the price
At the end it will bring tears to your eyes

You say only friends, forever
I don't want to be my soul killer

You name this feeling a friendship
But one day truth will be on my lip

You dream dreams in sunlight
One day this feeling may die

Even though it had made me cried
But my emotions has been magnified

What if it last just for a moment
I will treasure it for rest of my life

I will say goodbye and walk away
You will not hear the word I had to say


Copyright Rakesh Kumar April 2009

Thursday, April 23, 2009

I Voted...

Today was election day and I voted, first time in General Election.

Thursday, April 16, 2009

Number...

Yes! I am lost in this big city
Looking for my identity I found few number for pity

Only identity I have are few number
Like on my monitor a sole blinking cursor

My House number, cubicle number
PAN number, Passport number
Account number, Landline number

And most important among these all
A mobile number which everyone uses to call

Every one uses this number to reach me
Some times to love, hate or teach me

They call me to know my where about
Or just to know how I am fading out

They become worried if it is silent
As my heart has stopped being vibrant

A stranger reaches me by this number
As I am the only left to be conquered

To sell his product, to know my interest
To help me what I need or only to mislead

But I am unable to find few moments to heed
To look inside me, to search what I need

Running this never ending race
I have only brought my self disgrace

I have left all fellow runner long behind
But finish line is still out of my sight

I never tried even once to look back
To judge if I am on the right track

Searching for identity the race has no end
Morning to night everyday whole life spend

I am not alone being part of this lonely crowd
Where every one is running to catch the cloud

Finally one day I get a identity
My life comes to end bluntly

In the news paper next morning
A bomb blast headline all were discussing

They count the number of people died
And I was not among those survived

Among those killed they count me a number
The destiny even once I could not alter

My Life ends but I get an identity
One more number assigned to my entity

copyright rakesh kumar april 2009

Wednesday, April 08, 2009

Just like that...

Alone I battled storm that loomed
While i was living alone in this empty bedroom

I survived but my last drop of blood was drawn

Nothing was left with me but every battle was won

I can't say it was first or last
I only remember them as things of past

I woke up whole night just to see sun shine
but I forgot to understand aim of my life

Shattered dream you will find at every corner
My heart was bleeding but i didn't care to bother

Unable to reach any where I was confuse
I could not walk with so many excuse

I could not remember when i last smiled
I didn't see any reason for me to survive

So many things I consider them as wrong
Biggest mistake was to live so long

(© Rakesh Kumar, April 2009)

Tuesday, April 07, 2009

Few movie quotes...

“No matter what people tell you, words and ideas can change the world.”

Truth like-like a blanket that always leaves your feet cold.

--'Dead poet society'

Saturday, April 04, 2009

'Gilli Danda' vs Golf

One of most widely played game in India is on the verge of extinction. Well i am not talking about cricket or hockey but i am talking about Gully Danda or Gilli Danda. This is the game which most of us have grown up playing. Well i am not talking about metros but in other cities and in villages its most popular game among kids and played almost every village, cities of India. Many people will say this is the game of poor but i would say it there are game which only rich can play but Gilli Danda is played by all whether rich or poor if you have access to local ground and are in touch with kids you must have played it. Now a days its hardly seen being played. While I was growing I had played lot of it. Only things needed to play this game is some bush's stick, Small portion of stick called gully and a small hole in the ground called 'Guppi'. You can play it alone enhancing your own skill or with anyone whom you either hate or love. My parent were most of time worried and many time advised not play because of fear that i would hurt my eyes as flying Gilli spins and when you are catching chances are you will misjudge it in air. Well there are fear with every sport you play why to blame Gilli Danda alone the worlds most cheapest game.

I have played many games and sports. I had encounter with golf in Delhi and also in Gurgaon where i used to stay close to Golf course. Golf is a game played by rich ones because of its cost of owning instrument not every one can afford it. This post is about similarity and perspective when I look both Golf as well Gilli Danda in current context.

Both game follow similar pattern you have a hole which has a important place in game. In Golf you have to put balls and in Gilli Danda you have to put Gilli.

You have Golf stick to hit Golf ball and here just a plane stick called 'Danda' or stick to hit Gilli.

You get constant no. of chances to hit and move the ball to hole the same way you do in Gilli although some variation exists.

The way you judge direction angle and stroke the same principle you apply in Gilii Danda also if you have played it seriously.

You measure distance in golf in term of par and in Gilli either by Danda or by your own step

There different kind of golf stick exists so does with Gilli danda.

You need a open space, land to play both game. although golf is now played in golf course this i see only as strategy to keep this game away from masses.

Golf is played by highly reach and elite class of people and Gilli Danda is played by extreme poorest lower class of people in society

There are few variants of Gilli Danda game and locally customized version exist.. in golf also local body have customised rule.

One different is that in Gilly Danda you option to catch Gilli in golf I don't see that may be this feature is derived from cricket.

To play golf you need be member of golf club and you need to plan things and time. Gilli Danda doesn't required any time any where with anybody you can play it. just find a stick around you.

The golf sticks are very costly but Gilli stick are free of cost.

You can get hurt by Gilli as well as golf ball.

I am sure those who had played Gilli Danda will cxcel in golf but vice versa is not true. and reason for Indian golfer doing well is Gilli Danda which is in our blood.

As compared to golf Gilli danda has been able to adapt itself in changing world and still its not control or govern by any organized body so there are only understood rules. So this game is still completely free and while playing you don't have burden of imposed rule and regulation. Gilli Danda is still in purest form and joy of playing a pure sport is different. Such things doesn't exist with golf.

There is no restriction on length of Danda or Gilli or Guppi depth or width, ground size and kind of ground, dress code. you can play it wearing nicker, Chappal or bear foot also.

Disclaimer I think to preserve this game and to protect this sport which is a part of our culture ( where is Shree Ram Sena) its moral responsibility of us to protect this game. We should create a governing body.. which should be name like GDCI.. Gilli Danda Council of India. If you have any better suggestion, any clarification or want to know more about this game mail me at DandaGully@gmail.com. also we need to fight to include this game in Asian games. if Kabbadi can go why not Gilli Danda.

Thursday, April 02, 2009

A Note about My country..

"The simple and astonishing truth about India and Indian people is that when you go there, and deal with them, your heart always guides you more wisely than your head. There's nowhere else in the world where that's quite so true."

-Greogory David Roberts, Shantaram

The changing India

Things are changing so rapidly in India that even I am feeling outdated to 5 years younger people in terms of values, life style and thinking. Its too much to handle and cope with changing system in India even for a youngster like me. India is country where tradition is fighting for it survival or to coexist with modernity. I cant believe that 8 year back where a middle class family could not imagine having land line telephone, now a days I see 80% villagers using cell phone. India is country who is currently going through huge contradiction and paradoxes. At one place i am using laptop and other side one person in my village is cutting grass with a stone age tool for his daily survival.

Few facts i have noticed in my daily to daily life about changing faces of India where tradition and modernity are fighting or coexisting..

When I go home i use 'Neem stick' for brushing my teeth and at the same time every morning while chewing it I use my laptop for checking mail.

When I tell my father I develop software till few year back he used to ask how does it look like , shape and sizes and color and what m/c I uses. Also he used to think my office is a factory.

When first time in 2000 I used ATM at Connaught place New Delhi i required help. Once i was visiting with my 14 year old cousin and when he saw me pulling notes he ran away and told his parent standing outside that I was stealing money. 5 years later his 9 year younger brother knows how to use any mobile phone and send sms without any manual or know playing mobile game. Even he knows how to operate any digital device like remote control, ipod, camera etc with ease.

I don't remember when last time I visited bank for taking money.. During my school days my father used to scold me for not going bank and understanding its way of working.

My aunt still uses Amla Reetha and Black soil (kaali metti) to wash her hair but same time she uses multinational brand conditioner for good smell.

Half page rediff advertisement in times of india could not make any sense to me in 1997 and what does searching 10 million pages mean.

My uncle own 4 computer, 2 high end printer 1 scanner since last 12 years for business purpose and digital offset printing m/c. He travels on online ticket booked but he does not know how to send email and doesn't own email id. His 10 yrs old son has yahoo id.

If any one remember that in 2000 per sms charges were 6 rupees. the same amount i used to spent for a breakfast (puri sabzi) in Kanpur.

In 1998 when I met a head of a SBI branch for some work he believed computer virus were biological virus found in air and that was sole reason for keeping computers in AC chambers away from dust. Even few of my classmates also felt the same.

During my engineering days I used to write letter to my father. Generally i used to keep weekend free for this purpose and it used to take 4-5 hrs to write those 10 lines. Now a days i write 5-6 mail daily morning in 20 minute times addressed to bosses and friends.

In 2000 when I called a employer to confirm interview from local STD PCO booth from Kanpur to Delhi I already had main point written on paper to save money and 1.5 minute charge was 24 rupees. My father still finishes conversation in 2-3 minutes. He still thinks STD calls rates( 16 rupees per minute) are same what they used to be till 2001.

In my place we have society and all my uncles and father friends meet almost daily. I could not explain why social networking sites like orkut exists and what they mean.

No body is worried at my native place what is recession and inflation. They are more concern of potato prices and how they will put in cold storage.

In 1996 when I choose computer branch my uncle told it would bring unemployment. Few of my friends opted out to other branches from computer after joining engineering.

When first time one of my friend created a email he thought only he could check mail from same seat what he had used to create email account.

The most popular search engines during our college days was altavista.com, copernic.com.

4 years in first job i didn't have Internet access in office and to troubleshoot problems we used to rely on MSDN cd, seniors or study book in the evening at room and it was shame if i found using them in office. Now a days I see candidate discussing proudly even in interview how they use Google for searching code or problem. They cant imagine job without Internet.

Initially in my first job i didn't have official email id for some time. NT pop up what we used to have as a messenger for gossiping to colleague sitting in next cubicle.

I still remember in my 7th standard general knowledge book salary of president of India mentioned 25k.

My mother still uses stone made Sheel Lorha (for grinding turmeric etc) and electric grinder in same kitchen side by side.

We used to think that movies on national channel DD1 could only be broadcast at least after 10 years of its release, now a days it hardly takes 3 month for a super hit movie to be telecast on a cable channel.

Wednesday, April 01, 2009

Tete-a-tete

Since long time 'Raka Dholakiya' wanted to have a tete-a-tete with me and wanted to know about my life. I was avoiding him but 2 days back he made me an offer i could not refused below is part of my conversation with him Dholakiya saab question were tough as you can see but i was able to answere them with best of my knwoledge.

Q: Who are you, tell me something about yourself

Ans: Chemically and physically I am a matter and you are also a matter but it doesn't matter. There are so many ans I may be human, son, Indian, Rakesh etc. I am nothing as well as everything at the same time.

Q: How to do you want to be known?

Ans: You don't even try to remember me, forget me as early as possible. Good for you.

Q: Any other thing about you?

Ans: If you remember my face it may not be good for you. It changes very frequently. You can use any word slang, for me you want e.g Rough,rude, insensitive, selfish blunt, socially unfit, bugger loser list is endless. all are well suited to me.


Q: Tell me something about your background?

Ans: There was no ground behind my back. I was born (not sure, my uncle used to tell that they picked me from train) and ruined at every step to every extent in all possible way you ever imagined.
Q: About your home and family etc?

Ans: I have parent, brother, Half of my life i have spent myself surrounded by 4 concrete walls alone, well not in prison. some time I had sketches on those walls..

Q: Tell me something about your childhood?

Ans: Twice I ran away from school in 2nd standard and once form home in cold December winter midnight without wearing Chappal. Railway station was not far away but icy cold road was too much to handle.

Q: So you came back what happened after that?

Ans: Wait yaar, you are running before me. I took shelter in temple.. and while shivering I got enlightenment.

Q: What enlightenment, what knowledge you got?

Ans That I love running... since then I am running...24X7 throughout year.

Q: Any other incident you noticed in childhood?

Ans: After getting failed in one exam my father rewarded me with 1 rupees coin, being pleased on my exceptional performance.

Q: So you went school, got educated?

Ans: Education didn't ruined me but it didn't make me either I ended being confused. Most of time i spent playing in ground and listening to teachers while sleeping. One of my school was too far to reach and other was too near where my father can hear what i am reading in class.

Q: What subject you like most?

Ans: PT. Physical training. because I used to get to run. and 6 year in my school I was winner in all the races I ran ,100, 200, 400, 800 mts.

Q: Any school politics, leadership

Ans: Once I refused to pay increased fees and confronted principal whole class was behind me. The principal said two lions cant live together in same jungle. next moment i became goat..

Q: Any sport you played?

Ans: I played hockey, Sorry lived hockey and it was my only love and passion I used to live and die for it. 8 hrs daily in ground my team was state level champion attended, nation level camp.. that time I never imagined I would live without this sport.

Q: Why didn't make career, why left playing?

Ans: In my 10th board exam I topped whole region from no where, shattering many hard working friends heart. Suddenly everyone ( not me) realized i was good at studies.

Q: So how did you went to graduation?

Ans: Longest running state transport bus from my place used to go Kanpur only 12 hrs overnight journey. so one day I took a bus landed up in the morning in Kanpur got admitted in engineering.
Disclaimer: This answer I gave in my first campus placement interview.

Other ans could be that I didnt sleep in this entrance exam...

Q: Tell something about Engg. life, must be interesting?

Ans: I was confused between Sleep and study. When every one studied I slept and when every one slept I studied.. most of time I was fighting when to sleep and when to study... (i had habit of study in morning) my eyes used to get read after (9:30 PM) thank that no body complained about ghost walking in corridor.

Q: Any girlfriend etc in college ?

Ans: yaar I went to B. Tech degree not for lovology degree. Any way the streets of heaven were too crowed with angels... For me mid-sem exam was easier then approaching to girl and lived in that comfort zone.

Q: Why did you choose computer science to study, any interest.

Ans: I didn't chose, I was not aware about abc of computer. During counseling counselor said 'mera magaz mat khaoo' Don't eat my brain... so.. i said give me computer. I heard it had got brain. Lets eat his brain... now I realized neither computer nor I have brain...

Q: Any way how was your experience when you started comp. sc. study?

Ans: Bro, Till end of first year I had never touched computer and seen computer only on railway reservation counter. and the first DOS command I ran was 'c:\chess' about a Chess game and my HOD threaten me to suspend for whole semester for playing game during lab period and till today I don't have any game on even my personal laptop...

Q: What you use to do in free time in engg days.

I used to counsel other on their personal life. e.g how to propose girl, how to write love letter besides collecting photocopies of my notes.

Q: Any extra carricular activities?

Ans: I played hockey football, cricket, wrote some play script, acted in them.

Q: Your favourite comic character?

Ans: Chacha Chaudhry, kyonki chacha chaudhary ka dimaag computer sey bhi tej chalta hai.

Q: How did you landed in corporate world, job

Ans : I was in Delhi .landed for interview. got the offer.

Q: Very simple?

Ans: What simple. they told that they will get back in week time so i went to institute to spoil my junior lives as my HOD thought I could be good faculty member so he offered me in final year itself. They called me for discussion.. While coming back from Delhi to Kanpur to train I realized I had to attend AIR Force SSB. I though 5 days would be good fun why to spoil others life through teaching..but when I landed at home my mother has the news.

Q: How was your job and professional life.

Ans: Actually I thought of quitting first day itself.

Q: Are you single?

Ans: I have many personality....there are many undiscovered side of me...if i am not single will you charge me for that.

Q: Have you ever been in love or fallen in love.

Ans: Falling is OK for me from any where for anything even form 6th floor of office building but sudden stop at end hurts.

Q: You ever liked someone or even feel like that?

Ans: I don't have hate for anything. I hardly accept anything. I believe in admiring things without owning them.

Q: I didn't get it, no i mean girl etc there are so many girl around you?

Ans: I never told anyone if liked except one blunder( yarron mainey panga le liya). Every minute I fall in love and but say I love you to myself only..OK, May be I like her but then if I have not told her about it. will not tell you either.

Q: What are you planning to do..

Ans: Nothing... all my earlier plan are in state of paralysis.

Q: You writes some time..any inspiration?

Ans: It since long.. earlier it as in Hindi and now in English. It confession of a confused mind.. if u are reading then its at your own risk.

Q: What you enjoy most currently?

Ans: Cooking..... I am joining a short term cource of chef, You should do something where you lose track of time. Again I don't guarantee if you eat my food u will enjoy it.. its not about Whether you enjoy eating, but its about my cooking which i enjoys

Q: Kind of quality you look in others?

I admire honesty. 'Nindak nieare raakhiye angaan kuti chwaye'...You should shelter in your house those who criticize s you... so just criticize me.


Q: Any bad habit do you drink or smoke etc?

Ans: Who is not addicted to this world from bhagwaan shankar to krishna.. We are living in virtual world which requires addiction, I am drinking 24 hrs everyday and living in smoke and addicted to all kind of weaknesses of this world which u ever imagined..

Q: What are you doing currently?

Ans: Nothing wasting my self and my life...

Q: Any other interest..

Ans: Music... I have few song recorded

Q: Any further study planning etc?

Ans: My ultimate aim is to study medicine,,,, before I die, I should get MMBS degree.. just in case doctor refuse to treat me. Any way I have already live long and people must be fed up with me if not MBBS, MBA may also work.

Q: Where do you see Ur self after 10 years?

Ans: May be growing tomato at my own farm..

Q: Tomato??

Ans: Han bhai... software nahi uga skata.( i cant grow software) This ground is no more fertile for software ...

Q: Any plan of marriage...

Ans: I want to remain happy...

Q: What are your weakness and strength?

Ans: what is my strength will become weakness one day and now my strength was my my weakness some time back.

Q: Do u believe in religion, god?

Ans: You cant tell me where to go , what to do. You just give me choices and explain me .. Organized religion is not my cup of tea.. I don't follow it but same time i don't avoid either..

Q: Any wish before you die?

Ans: On last day of my death i don't want to regret that I didn't utilize all of my talent that was given to me.