Republic Day 26th January 2011 - Life alone starts

Republic - a constitutional form in which the head of state is an elected or nominated president.

Apt correct?? The head of my house is me cause I am the only person living in the house now, so i am nominating myself and electing myself to the head of the house.

Confused? Well, let me elaborate. Today Savio (i.e I, yours truly) has been left alone to stay in Mumbai (apart from the millions nameless soulless souls already present in Mumbai). My parents have left me the house and have gone to enjoy their retired life in Kerala.

My mom always used to say that I am independent, now I guess I have become a republic also. ;)

Well, whats the feeling? Well let me tell you, I am not feeling happy, sad, excited, scared or any of these feelings. Its just like "OK, Whats the big deal" kind of feeling.

I have stayed alone at home, ranging from few days to few weeks. My memory of being left alone at home was when I was in the 6th standard. So am quite used to it. But yes, at those times I always knew that my parents will be back in so many day. Its very depressing to come back to a empty house. (Mom going to miss your smiling face, your hot coffee, and warm food)

Anyone who knows 1st question they ask is what are you going to do about food? Well 1st thing, this is Mumbai, not a god forsaken place with no Restaurants, so as long as I have cash in my pocket I don't think I will go hungry. Yes, I know I will get tired of outside food, but who said I don't know cooking (its just I hate cooking). So when I am bored of eating outside I will cook. (for all those who are wondering what I cook, I will say I am not a master chef, but my food is tasty enough for it to go down your throat, and have enough variety for me to be happy).

Now the thing what my mom seems to be so scared of, how much of a mess the house will be? Well, I can't guaranty about this, Mess is a relative term, I will guaranty that the house won't be as dirty as the garbage dumb beside the road, but don't expect it to be a place where you can eat off the floor also. I always felt cleanliness was overrated. "Why fix something that is not broken". House should be clean enough to be livable, but not so clean that living in it is a pain. (She was pained to dismiss the Bai, but i forced her to, peace of mind, I need not listen to the Bai or adjust myself to her timing, no thanks!).

But this is it, another phase in life, have never stayed in hostel, never stayed for long away from parents. So this is the first time in my life. After 23years (24 in 2 months, please start buying the presents for me) am going to look after each and every small thing in my life by my own. All the best to me!

Keep reading this for more "Thoughts about the Guy in the big City"

My Experience at Mumbai Half Marathon 2011

Today 16th January 2011 was the 8th edition of the Standard Chartered Mumbai Marathon, and why was it special for me?

Cause I ran the HALF MARATHON (21.09KM) and COMPLETED it.

That's right, I completed it, I saw the timing as 2 Hours 57 Mins. Agreed the Ethiopia's Girima Assefa who won the 2011 edition of the Mumbai Marathon completed the 42 KM in 2 hours 9 mins, but he is a professorial runner while I won't even say I am a amateur runner. But still I completed it, the feelings so great.

I think everyone who knew I had signed up for the Half Marathon was telling me, "YOU!! You Savio are going to run?" and then mocking smile ask me if I am practicing.

Well guys, I did run, I did complete the race, and I was not the last one to complete the race. Wow!! It feels so good to prove you wrong. But I think I have to thank you also, I am not happy giving you credit, but your mocking faces were on my mind when I started the race, and something in me really wanted to prove you wrong.

Well how was the experience, I think my smiling face should just answer that (Bad luck you can't see it).

Got up at 4:30 A.M had an Double Omelet, and left. Caught a rickshaw to Bandra Reclamation. The start of the marathon was just  at the start of Bandra-Worli Sealink (Click here to view the Half Marathon route,). I am at the holding area at 5:45. Man the crowd was huge, real large crowd. (Papers say 11000 had registered for the Half Marathon). While waiting for 6:15 the official start time of the Half Marathon, it was announced that Anil Ambani was running with us and also the oldest runner is of 86 years old. I was like if a 86 year old man can run, so can I.

6:15  Flagged off, The 2011 Mumbai Marathon's Half Marathon had started, and surprise Savio (i.e I) was running in it. :)

It was 3 K.M from the holding area to the start of Sea-Link. I was tired and breathing pretty heavily, and was thinking to myself will I really be able to complete this. At that moment, I wish I knew your name, but Miss Beautiful legs running with a yellow top and Maroon shorts (real short shorts, wow!!) "Thank You!". I finished the entire Sea-Link run only by watching your ASS (sorry! Butt its true). Your great Ass helped me run the entire Sea-Link. (You got away when I stopped just before the end of the sea link, But guess what, I over took you at marine lines, guess your energy had run out by then)

As all Mumbaikars know, on a normal day we aren't allowed to stop on the Sea-Link, let alone "piss on the sea-link". 1 good attraction of this run for me was that I would be able to run/walk on the sea link. But I emptied my bladder on the sea-link also. (hey you people, who are wrinkling up their noses and rolling their eyes, I am still an Indian, and when seeing other people reliving them-self there, I though I might never get this chance again, so no regrets! But I add I am against reliving yourself at public place, please use the toilet). You guys might have guessed it, this is where I lost sight of Miss Great Ass. But believe me there were no dearth of great Asses there, Indian, foreigners name it. Sight for the eyes man!!! (am I a pervert, I wouldn't say that, I say I am just a male).

From the Sea-Link, worli sea face, Haji-Ali etc just kept going, I guess by then I started feeling I will be able to complete this half-marathon. I got to say I was not running full time, it was alteration between jogging and walking. I got to say thanks to all those people who kept passing water bottles, sports drinks, parle biscuits, chocolates or just cheering us, Thank You, Thank You a lot!!!!

I got to mention this old uncle, from the looks of him I guess he was anyway above 70, at Marine lines when I was in one of my walking phases he came up behind me and told me "No relaxing, come on keep running" Seriously Uncle I bow myself to your spirit. after so many KM, you still had energy left to cheer people up. Cause of you my next run from Marine Lines to Chruchgate was possible, Thankyou.

At Chruchgate again I was like dam tired, It was just 1 KM more to go and 15 Mins to the 3 hour mark (If I didn't mention, I wanted to complete the race within 3 hours, If not they were saying certificates wouldn't be issued) But guys this last KM, even though the cheering was the largest, was difficult, after the last run I was practically dragging my feet, I tried to run the last 500 meters, nope! no energy. But somehow I finished the race in  2 hours and 57 Mins. 

As soon as I crossed the finish line, I felt so good. All the pains disappeared at that moment, (It came back double in 5 mins but at that moment all I had in me was joy). The thing is that, it was not only others who said I wouldn't finish it, I, myself was not sure if I was going to do it. To prove myself wrong felt dam! dam! good!

I collected my participation medal, got on a train to Kurla and came back home. had food and tried to sleep. Guess what, I some how was unable to sleep. :) guess because I was too happy to sleep. Now got to do one more thing, I got to go to Office tomorrow and prove another of my friend wrong who said If I ran the race I wouldn't be able to come to office the next day ;)

Question: How was I, with almost no training able to finish the 21Km race? I guess, it proves what my mom always says, "Savio, you are dam stubborn, If you want to do something you will do it, But if you don't want to - Then even GOD won't be able to make you do it".  :)

Before I end I want to thank a couple of people here (I already thanked those buggers who said I wouldn't complete it). 1) To God, Thanks for helping me complete the race without any injury 2) Abhishek Mathur, You were the guy who put the idea of the marathon in my mind, I registered for the 21 cause of you. 3) To Motorolla Rocker E6 (My cellphone) for keeping me company on the race by playing FM 4) to 93.5 Red FM, for the music which kept me company 5) To all the beautiful girls in the race, for keeping my mind off the pain ;) 6) to Standard Chartered for organising the race and allowing me to run 7) To everyone who cheered me. Thank You!!! 

---Update

My official race timing is 2:52:23
(Don't belive me, check it out at http://www.timingindia.com/results_page.php My BIB no is 13892)

Not posing my photos as marathon-photos.com charge 19.90 pounds for 3 pics, can't imagine anyone paying that much for 3 pics. Still if you want check it out from here

My Vacation Dec 2010 - Part 2

Continued from Part 1...

Well!! It was one of the best Christmas I have ever enjoyed, whole family together, i.e not just my sisters, but all cousins too. Was absolute damaal!!! Cakes, Crackers, jokes, pulling each others legs, it was amazing, really enjoyed. However on Christmas day it was again shown how dangerous Kerala roads are, There was a accident just outside our house between a bike and a auto-rickshaw. The bike riders were knocked to the ground and the Rickshaw drove off without a backward glance. Luckily none of the riders were hurt, just scared, we gave them water and they sat at our house for some time before leaving.

The next day was Agustos Baptism, again damaal, the Function at Church and the reception went off fine, nothing much to write apart from the fact that  I enjoyed the day again, it was fun.

on 27th we had to go to leave Agusto at his dad's place a 1.5 hour drive away, well the drive was pretty fine, Agusto was sleeping almost the whole trip. Left him at his dad's place and came back, the house felt so empty without him. (I know I am getting a bit emotional here, sorry!!)

Then the 3 days in Kerala was pretty fun, I cut down coconuts from the tree, Real hard work. I cheated a bit as I had not really climbed the coconut tree but up a ladder poped up against the tree. But again if anyone has ever tried to get a coconut down will tell you cutting the coconuts lose from the tree is not as easy as it looks from the ground. It was my first time so am sure I took more time and energy than professional coconut tree climbers. In all we got 21 coconuts from a tree. Pretty cool! The sweet coconut water made the whole work rewarding.

Getting coconuts down from the tree is only 1 part of the work, removing the husk from the coconut is the other part. Thankfully this was not as difficult as getting the coconuts down. But it took considerable time and effort.

What else, cut down papaya and Bananas from the garden too. Well I don't know if I can call the backyard of the house a garden, all these Banana, coconut and Papaya trees are growing there, but as no one really was looking after it, the whole place is grown up with weeds and plants. Moms got plenty of plans to convert the whole thing into a proper vegetable plantation when she goes down there.

Now back in Mumbai, I got to say that usually when I am in Kerala down for a vacation a week is enough to bore me and I keep waiting when I will be back in Mumbai, But this time I was sorry that I had to fly back, I really enjoyed my trip.

Anyway 3 more days before I join back to office, In Mumbai I guess am just going to be lazying my days away. So concluding my Vacation blog.

Happy New year to all.

My Vacation Dec 2010 - Part 1

Am Writing for the first time from Kerala (Gods own Country), Got a chance at a computer with Net connection at my uncles place and thought of putting in a few words online.


My vacation is going pretty well, apart from a sour point of a bus hitting my car (Which I will get to soon) vacations going pretty fine. Started off with a bang - Dad's 60th birthday celebration at Mumbai, With my both sisters coming down there at Mumbai, a few uncles and cousins also coming it was a pretty good celebration. Dad also was pretty taken aback with the 60th gifts which we had got for his 60th birthday. But organising the party, the food, decorations and also going to pick the various guests from various points were a bit tiring, but enjoyed the day a lot.

Then the next 2 days also were pretty busy for me, Going for shopping with sisters, packing, loading various items to be sent to Kerala on the car, going and loading the car on to the truck to send it to Kerala. ( :( No more drives for me in mumbai, until I buy my own car, which I don't see in the near-future :( ). Then on Sunday,  it was a bad time for me to get sick, Fever and cold. Good that it subsided by Monday morning so was fine on the trip to Kerala, What surprised me most was that there was 86 Kg of luggage between the four of us and a Infant (Agusto, my Nephew). Wondering why so much luggage for just 4 people? Even I am left wondering what my sister wanted to carry so much for Agusto.

Reached Kerala on Monday afternoon, flight was uneventful, and the trip from air-port to home was also not very noteworthy apart from fact that Agusto was sleeping full time so had no trouble from him. First thing after reaching home was to set up the room for him, (House has been locked up for quite a few years with no one living there) Plenty of work to get the house ready to a livable state, though I must say most of the work was already done by Uncles over here.

Well next two days was busy in that only, house cleaning, setting up stuff etc. One of the main reasons of the trip is Agusto's Christianising, Have to go around inviting relatives for the function, Well its mostly Dad-Mom doing the inviting, I am mostly just tagging around being the driver. The thing worth mentioning is that, the Car so lovingly sent from Mumbai, arrived in Kerala without a scratch, was got down from the truck also without a mark, But in the short drive from where it was got down from the truck to home, it got banged by a Bus, Can you believe it?

Have to say, have always thought of words like was frozen with fear, was paralysed with sock etc as just words thrown about by writers and Imaginations of people, But got to say the feeling you see when you see a mammoth Bus running towards you, just seeming to miss you and a loud bang  right behind you (Bus hit the car at the back) really is scary. The thoughts how much damage the bus might have caused etc comes later, at that moment your mind is blank, just blank. I guess that is what is called as shock, I am unable to describe the feeling right hear, but if you have been in such a situation, you will know exactly what I am saying, and If you have not, I pray that may it continue like that and you may never have to face such a situation.

The thing is every time I see the dent, I feel a bit sad, I know its just a vehicle but still so. Moms always going around saying, be happy that only the vehicle is hurt, no living thing got hurt, be happy for that. Guess she is right, We can always buy a new car, but we can't buy a new human being.

Have noticed, extra so that the BEST drivers in Mumbai are much more civilized than the Bus drivers here, Kerala's tag line is 'Gods Own Country' but the bus drivers drive here as if its their country, following no rules and go around the narrow roads as if they are Michael Schumacher

Anyway, this is it for now, Part 2 might mostly be written only after I am back in Mumbai, so till then Merry Christmas to all.

Corruption & Me

Corruption, nothing new in India, but just a bit more in lime light right now because so many of the scams have been suddenly exposed now, CWG scam, 2G scam, LIC Housing Finance Scam, Adarsh Housing Society scam etc. Many more still left in the closet If you ask me.


But to say the truth, Corruption is kind of all around us in India. In this land of many religions, Forget what the holy books say about being good, even the gods are not been left out from scams in India (Tirupati scam). Corruption is kind of in our blood. Before you Gandhians out there come to kick me, let me ask you

• Have you never paid a bribe? Might be to that police man to get your passport verification done or might be the Goverment officer to get your papers cleared.
• When you went to buy a house, you kind of accept that this much percentage of amount has to be given in Black.
• Donation for admission into schools / colleges

Sometime or the other every citizen of India is guilty of being corrupt or supporting corruption by paying money to the corrupt people.

Now I am not saying I am perfect, even I am guilty of supporting corruption. Below is an real incident from life

While driving my car, Once I jumped a signal, the traffic cop caught me, He said "I have to pay a fine of Rs150" I said "OK! My mistake I jumped the signal, I will pay the fine" He remarked "I don't have the receipt booklet, I will keep your licence, Come and collect it from the court tomorrow after paying the fine" I said "Look, it will be very difficult for me to come tomorrow to court and collect, here you keep the money, I don't want the receipt" He said "No! No! you come to court tomorrow and pay fine" for sometime, but then took Rs 50 from the 150 I offered and told me to go.

What was I thinking, "Let this guy keep the 150 bucks, It will save me the time and effort of coming to court the next day". Even I have paid to get my passport verification done. It happens, I have kind of accepted it.

I know next statement will be, Its because of people like me who pay them rather than standing up to corruption, the reason why in India corruption is thriving. I guess I will agree with the above statement that its cause of people like me not standing upto corrupt people why corruption thrives in India, Absolutely agree.
But I will argue that, how many people who can afford a BMW would not buy a BMW but a Cycle just because the BMW will pollute. Most will think that everyone is polluting, why should I be the one breathing in the polluted air on the cycle (spoiling my health even further & getting bigger hospital bills) while I can relax and travel in the AC comfort of my BMW.
Referring to the incident written above - I would prefer to pay the Cop the 50 bucks (which I can very well afford to) rather than go about the long legal way of going to court and everything. I save both time and money.

Well thats said about I supporting corruption, what about me being corrupt? I am paying these people only because they are already corrupt, they ask me money and I pay them to get my work done in a trouble free way.
But am I corrupt? Let me put myself in that bankers shoe who took kickbacks to give loan in the housing loan scam.

If I am a Bank Officer, I notice that papers of some builder is not perfect, I call that builder and tell him, look I can't give you loan because of so and so reason. Now he tells me to pass the loan I will give you X amount of money. Now will I succumb to the temptation and take the money and pass the loan or not depends completely on the value of X. Is the amount X big enough for me to take this risk where I will be putting my entire career and future into jeopardy, Or it might also depend on my financial situation then, If I need money urgently for some reason, then might be I will take the X amount.

Look, I am being honest here. I am angry at the level of corruption over here, The money being stolen from the poor and the rich getting richer. But I sometimes can't blame them, these corrupt people are also human. Greed, jealousy etc are emotions present in all humans, in varying levels. At some points I feel "Greed is Good" Its only because of greed to get richer that the private companies (that are the epitome of India shining) running after profits is lifting the middle class up. If the CEO and CFO's of these companies never had the greed for money, there wouldn't be a Reliance, Wipro or Infosys. Forget these big companies, the thousands of small business growing in India are growing just because of the need for money, and greed for it.

Like said above, I am a part of this corrupt system, the guy who has made millions in these scams is like me just a human who saw an opportunity to make money, why should I blame him? Just cause I am jealous that he saw and got the opportunity and not me? That guy at one time might be a kid who heard from his Dad at night the stories from Mahabharata / Ramayana about not being greedy or jealous but next day could have seen his very dad give a bribe might be to the Cop, or take money from someone to move some files. Why Blame the guy who just gave into the feeling of greed, a part and parcel of human experience (Don't tell me you have never been greedy, remember taking 2 chocolates and leaving just 1 for your brother?)

Don't take it that I am justifying corruption, Corruption should be wiped out of India, for India to grow much faster, become much stronger. The scams are a shame on the face of every Indian. All I am saying is that corruption has become a part and parcel of Indian life, much like when a Baby is being born in Mumbai, from the first breath of air he/she breaths he is breathing the polluted (corrupted) air, pollution made by lacs of cars and industries (Corrupt Cops, Politicians, etc) who are just going about in their daily routine, Cars owners who doesn't know this baby is breathing the polluted air and doesn't care unless it is his own baby (Politicians who doesn't care about the state of the roads, unless the roads are in front of his house).

When going to the country side from a city, we all notice the change in Air, the lack of pollution, the fresh air is the feeling when meeting with a honest cop, Government Officers who do the job without even talking of a bribe, (Yes! They do exist!). But when we return to the city we are again assaulted with the pollution & dust and we again earn of the fresh country air.
We know that to change the city air to be as pollution free as that in the Village something drastic has to be done, which can't be done by one person alone (he can make a minimisicule non-noticeable difference by planting a tree). Similarly to make India corruption free something drastic has to be done, which can't be done by one person alone. Whole of India has to change.

But will whole of India rise up to become corruption free ever??? Will Mumbai ever become pollution free???

Time-Travel

Time-Travel : something almost every writer of science fiction has written about and something almost every human who reads books or watches Sci-Fi filims have heard about,

Travelling in time is a real amazing thought, go back and correct things you have done wrong in the past or things others have done wrong in the past, With a way to travel back in time we might be able to go back in time and kill Hitler and not starting world-war 2 itself (is the reason why world War 3 didn't come is because someone has created a time-machine?).

But this is where problem with time-travel comes in, if I go back in time and kill Hitler before start of World War 2, there will be no world war 2 causing me to go back in time to kill Hitler, classic time-paradox, What if I kill my own grandfather? Then how will I ever be born to kill my own Grand-father in the first place?
Another thing, if anyone ever invents time-travel, he can go back in time to give himself the machine, that will prevent him from inventing Time-Travel from the first place.

So as a rational thinker I have to believe that Time-Travel will never be possible, the maximum I think we can logically think can exist will be a time-stoping machine, Click a button and time-stops for everyone but the person who is holding the machine.

This person can never be late, get out of the house 1sec before the big metting happening half way accross the world stoping time, travel accross the world and then restart time, for people who are living in real time it will be like he appeared out of no where. Think of the amazing power anyone could have if he could stop time, could rob banks, could stop wars - stop time wade into the opposing leaders house and kill him and wade out without anyone so much as putting a scrach on you.

But let me think like this, what if this time-stopping equipment was as common as our mobile-phone, (after all isn't it unfair if power is only with one person {Life's always unfair Savio} )with everybody able to stop time, As soon as I stop time to do something, like rob a bank, the banker stops time with his device, now how will this react? will my time which is already outside the real time also be stopped or will the manager enter my time and catch me? Interesting to think about right? now what if i have two devices with me that can stop time? With 1st I stop real time, then what will happen if I activate the second machine with the real time stopped?

 [Why am I thinking all this? This is Thoughts of a Guy remember]

Suicide

I don't know what you guys thought when you saw the title of this blog, but this blog is called thoughts of a guy and I sometimes thinks of suicide, Now wait before all you so called well wishers and friends of mine pounce on me saying how can I even think of the cowardly way out

I would like to declare right now I think, "Anyone who does commit suicide is a coward who really is doing a real stupid thing"

Now again, I would like to meet a person who could truely say they have never considered suicide, I know many would argue against this statement, but I feel everyone on this world sometime or the other would have though how much better if I was dead. I can see you sub-consciously nodding, so when was the last time you thought of suicide?

As a kid? After your father scolded you for breaking something precious? After your first break-up? After flunking your exam? At job when you felt the pressure of the job is too much? When feeling you not making enough money to keep your loved ones happy? Sometime or the other we have thought about taking our own life, didn't we? (I hope i have prevented a lecture here which would get directed at me)

Anyway, now getting back to topic of my thoughts, All people say, you should have control over your own life, do what you want, and all such crap, then why are people against me taking my own life, aren't you people a bunch of hypocrites? Saying you are the master of your own life and destiny but still don't allow me to take my own life (Almost all governments have laws banning suicide, I don't get the point though, if I am dead how are you going to punish me?)

So that's what people say, what does religion say? I am not a expert in religion but what I have understood about 3 major religions in India,
In Christianity you are forbidden to take your own life as that's murder, you commit suicide and that's a first class ticket to hell, no matter what other good things you have done in life (hypocrisy?)
in Hinduism, its said after death you get reborn as something else depending on what you have done in your life, i.e If I am bad, i will be reborn as a bug and if you are real good you will attain moksha (freedom from life-death cycle). So if we put suicide into the picture then it should be something like a re-boot button on the PC, you are bored with the game, lets start again, hit re-boot (suicide) and you lost all your memory and are reborn again, New start, fresh innings.(Fresh innings to hit re-boot again?)
Islam, Islam really is a religion of peace, but people and fanatics have twisted the words and now Islam is portrayed as a very violent religion, But from what I have heard, then Islam is the best religion for committing suicide, If you commit suicide murdering people of other faith while propagating your own faith, in heaven you will have crowds of virgins waiting for you. (interesting)
Atheism :This is not a major religion but let me put it, if you are a atheist then it doesn't matter if you live, die, murder someone or kill your own self, there is no heaven or hell waiting for u :). So if there is no after life and no after life effects of if you live or die, better die right?

Now putting religion aside, If anyone wanted to commit suicide what would the best way to do it be?
1) Bleeding : Nope, you cut your wrist the pain is a lot, and the blood, you will never make the second cut, you will panic and run to the doctor.
2) Shooting yourself: Here we have a difficulty in getting the firearm, but then unless we shoot in such a way that you are killed on the spot again a very painful way.
3) Hurting yourself badly :a) Jumping off tall building, b) jumping in front of a train or vehicle, again chance you won't die, just hurt yourself a lot and spend rest of your pathetic life in a wheelchair
4) Suffocation : few ways to do this, a) hanging b) drowning c) Carbon monoxide poisoning etc, explain very simple, cut of oxygen to the brain and lungs, again for the time before you die for lack of oxygen, when your body is grasping for air, real painful
5) Poisoning : this is good, overdoes of sleeping pills, you die in your sleep or some other medicine overdoes, but problem with this is, its not instant, if by chance someone rushes you to a hospital while you are unconscious, you will still live with the shame of a unsuccessful suicide

I guess there will be plenty more methods but everything is like if you don't die then your life will become more pathetic than it already is, hearing your family and friends condone you, if you are hurt or something, spending remaing life as a paralytic. So better don't try suicide, live through life, even if life is hurting you like hell, there will always be something positive coming up later.

Just to make a point, an average normal person lives till he/she is 80 so right now if you are less than 40 you still have more than half your life remaining, still plenty of sun-rises to see, plenty of roses to smell, plenty of good-looking humans to lust after, this much is sure, what ever is troubling you to think of suicide won't last more than 2-3 years max, why let go of the ice-creams you can have for the other 38 years?

Just ending this, if someone after reading this is still wanting to commit suicide, I have read of a way that sounds too good!! breathing in helium or N20,
source : http://www.shroomery.org/forums/showflat.php/Number/5169723

Again anyone really thinking of suicide, please contact me, I might be able to talk you out of it, if not we can do research on the most painless method together :)