A friend, a family member ... just more than a Pet

It dates back to 1997, when I was studying in 10th standard. I used to go for math tution earley in the morning to a teacher who stay near my house. There is a college called Sankardev College near my house in Shillong. And it had a canteen. The owner who was a Khasi guy, had two dogs. Doggy was a good old Khasi Village Dog and another one ... black in colour, quite young in age and was a skinny dog. Those days, I really dont know, that small dog had some grudge against me. He will forget to chew the piece of bone, but never forget to bark at me. I was thankful to the owner that he always kept it tied. Probably I hated him. But as winter was approaching, the schools and college in Shillong was going for Winter Vacation. The canteen was closed too, leaving the dogs behind. The owner was confident that his pets will have enough means to fill their stomach. Probably, it marked the days that started my acquintances with that naughty black dog. It will come to our house for food. My Parents used to feed him, and gradually it seemed as though he was our dog itself. As I used to be a dog lover since my childhood, I started liking him, and I named him "KALU". All my neighbours and people around my house knew KALU as Haloi's Dog. Kalu was such a wonderful animal. He will go with me wherever I go. The simple fact was we never tied him. We made a kennel for him, and he was very much confortable with that. Those days I was preparing for my SSLC exam, and KALU used to be good source of relaxation for me. FInally, winter was over, the college and canteen reopened, and Kalu's owner returned. He was very much thankful to us, for taking good care of his dog. And the trend continued, Kalu will stay in the canteen for the whole day, and in the evening he will come to us, have dinner and sleep in his cosy kennel. But towards the end of 1998, the canteen license of the Khasi guy expired, so he headed for his village leaving his dogs behind. As there was no dearth of food, the dogs also didnot felt any problems with that. Since than Kalu was our dog, wholly owned by us. Probably this blog space is not enough for describing all those wonderful moment I and my family spent with Kalu. All those who came to our house, simply loved him. He developed such nice physique... tight muscles, 2.5 feet long and 1.5 feet in height. One vet once told us that, Kalu must be a hybrid of a Labrador and Desi. The good days continued... But proably, everything in this world thats have a beginning must have an end. After staying with us, for 3 years, Kalu finally bid us good bye and left for the God's Place on 13th Feb. 2000. Leaving all my family bereaved with shock and trauma. It was such a tragedy for me, that my parents worried if I would be able to appear for my 12th board. I still remember him with a watery eye, but the moment which I spent with him console me.

A journey down memory lane !!!

For many days, I am just thinking what to write in my blog !!! Life is so mechanical these days, that I have nothing worthy to write abt it. So, I thought... why not write abt my past life .. probably in next many blog I will just try to recollect those moments ....

nice to be @ Incident 2006

It was good to be at Inci - '06 ... more than that in college after 2 years.. I was so enthusiastic about going to my Alma Mater, that 15 hrs. bus journey from Pune to Surathkal looked like a few hours. It was 10am on 3rd March, and I was standing infront of the Main Gate of my college. It was great to see the main building, the Special Stage for Informelz events of Incident, ATB etc etc. and all those budding engineers. Then Lunch in Sads remined me all those good moments in those 4 years. The Party Hall, where I gave my 1st Job Treat made me go a bit senti. Enjoyed some of the events in Informelz and the Western Musical in the evening was simply awesome. The Next day i.e 4th March. Saturday was great. Enjoyed informelz, group dance to the heart's content. All the enjoyments got shattered by the tragedy with the Final Yr. guy. May his soul rest in peace. It was hard to overcome from such a trauma. Then Euphoria was very very pakao... and it was the end of the day. Spent the nite in Maharaja Hotel. On 5th, we woke up late in the cozy rooms of the hotel. Then we went for a lunch at Hao-Ming. It was just too much. Pork, Pomfret, Prawns, Hao-Ming Special Rice etc etc ... just made us immovable. But i had to return to Pune that day. With an adios to all my frends and my institute, I finally boared the volvo for Pune @ 3:30. All in all it was good to be there, and it got marked as a memorable weekend. Company of people like Neta, Rana, Donald, Bhaskar, Pagal Kulkarni, KK added more fun to the whole episode... Seriously, I was very glad to be welcomed by all juniors... although we left 2 years ago. People at informelz actually recognised us to be pass-outs ... Overall.. it was good to be there..... Hail to KREC and KRECians ... !!!

Bhimashankar Jana Hai !!!

29th January... It was again a dull Sunday morning.. with nothing to do... So me with my bro ... suddenly decided to go to Bhimashankar... This place is famous for a Wild Life Sanctuary and an old Shiva Tample... Bhimashankar is a most sought after destination for all the Shiva devotees on Maha Shivratri. We did not know much abt the distance or the road.. but we started for it... As we were going through the Pune-Nasik highway .. we keep crossing milestones after milestones and finally reached the Ghat road which lead to Bhimashankar ...I still remember the dangerous mountaneous roads... I was just scared .. what if our car break down... But finally.. after 3 hrs. journy we reached Bhimashankar.. Our Speedometer indicated that we have covered almost 130 kms. !!! But it was a big kela.. the Wild Life Sanctuary was closed for public.. so we visited the Temple.. roamed arounf a bit... and finally came back.. We travelled 260+ kms.. for a place .. where we spent not more than an hr. But it was a good experience after all... A place free from pollution and far away from the madding crowd. The natural scenary was awesome.. the Bhima River .. the mountaneous curves...

Weekend @ Matheran !!!

Well.. it was the weekend of 17th Feb. 2006 ... me along with 7 of my friends went to Matheran. It was an official group outing. The best part of such an outing is that everything what U eat, drink and do is sponsored by ur employer ... so nothing official abt eat. Reached at around 9 PM on Friday evening. It was a journey of around 2.5 hrs from Pune.. then a walk of 1 hour ... Vehicles not allowed in Mathern .... So from the time we reached till the late evening of 19th .. there was no turning back... I was the "King of Good Times" .... enjoyed every seconds .. really a fantastic weekend after so many months I guess... Looking forward to such an weekend again ... !!!

Blogging after a long time !!!

I was probably hibernating all these day ... My God 7 odd months have gone.. since I blogged last.. But I am back .. with new enthu and new aspirations ... !!! Hail to me !!!

Dude's Day Out !!!

It was the weekend with the Independence Day holiday.. I was in Bangalore. I reached along with one of my frend on the Thursday Night [11th August]. After months of keeping distance, I finally met all my college gang there ... probably one of the best weekend i have ever had. Friday moring and afternoon was spent @ my cousin sister's place. She treated me with all sorts of cooked food... rohu fish, chicken, homely dal... Had the opportunity to have a nice homely meal after so many months ,, I guess !!! Friday Night was a rocking one at Purple Haze [nice pub @ Residency Road]. Awesome music and crowd. Enjoyed to the hearts content. Saturday moring, I prepared roasted pork for my frends... and they were bewildered at my cooking skills. Then went to Forum [the much hyped mall in B'lore]. Babes were good... but not comparable to Puneri chicks. Saturday evening was again @ Mojo, another nice pub with retro rock [ in Brigade]. 3 hours of complete relaxation with 3 of my frends. After that it was a foot ball match ... although I was a spectator, still enjoyed. Saturday night was with "khichdi" prepared by Kamath [mota/dudu]. Then comes the Sunday morning .. another session of bakar... all nostalgia of college lives and a nice lunch with fish. I preapared the traditional assamese dish "moori-ghonta" [a dish prepared with Dal and the heads of Rohu Fish]. Another display of my spectecular cooking. Everybody questioned ... "How come Haloi prepare food so well... ??? .. welll I have only one answer..."Necessity is the mother of invention.." Then Sunday evening it was the farewell time .... I bid adios to all my frends and headed for Pune .... Really three dayz of Rock, Bakar, Masti and total fun !!!

Black Tuesday... !!!

It was 26th of July... I got totally wet while coming to office as it was raining cats and dogs... as i sat in my cube with my piles of work.. I was totally unaware whats happening outside the world of bits and bytes.. At about 3pm we got a mail that there is flood like situation in Pune and everybody is asked to leave for home... I got very excited at this and headed for home at once ... My brother was driving the car and I was enjoying the high current of flood water through the window... Finally we reached our apartment... Bro asked me to have a test drive with the car inside the campus... Mind you guys.. I never ever drove a car before that ... So it was a maiden drive for me... I started off well... releasing the clutch gradually.. changing to 1st gear.. and was really very happy... But after a minute or so... I plunged the car into a deep accumulation of flood water in my campus... water was coming inside the car like anything and I was totally in panic.. Somehow brother managed to take out the car from the water... but till then my knee was under water.. while I was inside the car.. By God's grace .. the car engine was not afftected at all .. but we are still waiting for the inside of it to dry up. It turned out to be such a bad day for me... I drove a car for the 1st time and plunged it into a pool of flood water... My God ...!!! Really a Black Tuesday.. coz on the same day there was great devastation in all over Mumbai, Pune and other adjoining parts ...

Aurat ko ITEM kehte ho ???

This is one topic, on which I was thinking to write for a long time now. Its about something which I do when I go to theatres, malls or other hang out places. Ya this is something which I have christined as "Item Dekhna" or in common term.. Bird Watching... he he he.."Item ?", ya thats the way I call the beautiful, young and vibrant female crowds in Pune.. guys.. Puneri Items are simply mind blowing.. they are just too good. One of my friend once commented on me .."Aare Haloi, tum toh Pune mein rehke totaly suwar[pig] ban gaye ho... Aurat ko ITEM kehte ho???"... I think he was inspired by Irfan Khan in the movie Rog ... !!! But I keep doing my Item Watching .. I enjoy it yaar ... But as I watch items, I also keep categorising them... some of the categories which are worth mentioning are ::

SSD Items : Short, Slim and Dark Items [inspired by TDH for men]
Yummy Items : These are generally high class items, looks like models.. I compare them with my favorite food
Yuckky Items : These are just not worth watching .. but they posses the traits of a modern gal
Baccha Items : Items in their earley teens
Aunty Items : ........... ??? .........
Nurse Items : seen in hospitals... :-))

... and the list continues....

but one thing is common to all .... "WOW .. kya Item hai"... before I caregorise them.. and life is moving with all these mis-adventures. Readers are hearby warned, not to make any filthy comments on any of my Item category.. coz ITEMS are gifts of God...

My Identity ...

Its been 5 years, since I left my home land ... North East India ... for building a career, for a better tomorrow or whatever... As days passed .. one thing is becoming more and more clear ... Its about the apathy of the so-called mainstream Indians towards people from the North East. I feel these mainstream Indians find bliss in ignorance about my birth place. When I tell people, I am from Shillong, some questions me with a raised eye-brow "where is it ?".. some asks .. is it the capital of nagaland or manipur.... others tell with a sarcastic smile .. "actually ... u cant remember about such far away places..." Once it happened in my professional life that one of my colleague [older than me].. asked .. "Is Shillong a part of China ?" ... some other day, another person asked me ... "Do u guys there, think u r a part of India?" These things are really disgusting and demoralising. I cant understand the attitude of these people... But one thing I can tell them with full confidence that.. may be we are poor, our standard of leaving is low, may be we dont have techie IT park, Pizza-Hut, McDonald, Pubs etc etc... but we are devoid of all the f**king evils which these main stream Indians possess... dowry, gender-biasing, communal feelings etc. I remember.. in Dec. '92, when the whole nation was burning with the fire of communal riots, we people from this part of India were leading normal lives. So, only thing I always want to tell all those privileged Indians... "Wake Up Dude, before its too late"... and I mean it.

show me the way ...

After completing 1 yr. of my professional life, I can draw a regular curve of my past 1 yr. A week looks like a circular buffer... Monday to Friday ... totally similar.. as though I am xeroxing one day and carrying its copies while going about with the flow of life. 'Weekend'.. much awaited for... specially between 1pm to 6 pm of a Friday afternoon.. but nothing special about it too... It has also lost its charm. I usually feel that I should do something to bring a new ambience to my fading zeal and enthu. I draw out many plans .. write open source software and post it in sourceforge or freshmeat; join some NGO and help needy people in Pune ... all types of bombastic ideas flourish in my mind. I have the will, but dont find the way... So how can I believe the saying "Where there is a will, there is a way"... I wish .. someone show me the way... par, kehna aasan hai, karna muskil hai ... still life is going on ...

JINA ISI KA NAAM HAI !!!

Whenever I visit places (in Pune) like Esquare, Pune Central etc. and I see beautiful crowds [of my opposite sex] mingling with nice people of my sex, I start feeling something different. When I can't figure out whats that feeling is.. my peers term it as my frustrations or desperations... !!! I have to admit coz they show my being single and no one to mingle as a point... I wonder .. what those guys have .. what I dont have ... for which they can mingle and are not single... Is it money ? Is it attitude ? Is it look ? Is it courage ? Is it Talent or Is it all of the above ... I dont have an answer .... And when I cant find answers to my question - Why not Me ???.. I simply put a tag to the whole thing as "JINA ISI KA NAAM HAI !!!"

My 1st Post

Hi folks!!!
This is Saurav... my parents, my bro and my relatives call me Jitu.. while others like my friends call me Haloi, Prima, Alloy ... Suddenly it emerged in my mind that I should have some space where I can post everything .. which cannot be done with my home page... Hence this blog.