Smart Efforts

It takes a lot of efforts to fool yourself.
But then, the trick is, to keep telling yourself, "you were a fool!, weren't you?"

Inception

Cobb: Dreams feel real while we're in them. It's only when we wake up that we realize something was actually strange.

*

Mal: I'll tell you a riddle. You're waiting for a train, a train that will take you far away. You know where you hope this train will take you, but you don't know for sure. But it doesn't matter. How can it not matter to you where the train will take you?

Cobb: Because you'll be together.

*

Mal: You keep telling yourself what you know. But what do you believe? What do you feel?

*

Mal: Do you know what it is to be a lover? Half of a whole?

*

Cobb: Look at you. You're just a shade, a shade of my real wife. How could I capture all your beauty, your complexity, your perfection, your imperfection, in a dream? Yes, you're the best that I can do. But, I'm sorry, you're just not good enough.

*

Ariadne: Why is it so important to dream?

Cobb: Because, in my dreams we are together.

एक होती प्रजा

आटपाट नगर होतं
नगराचा एक राजा होता
राजाला तीन राण्या
तिघिना एक एक राजपुत्र
राजा नपुंसक होता
बाकि सगळं व्यवस्थीत चालल होतं

राजवाडयामागे खोल विहीर होती
बारा महीने भरलेली असायची
सर्वात मोठ्या राणीने तिच्यात
जीव दिला होता असं म्हणायचे
नगरातल्या शेतकरयाशी तिचे
संबंध होते असही म्हणायचे
पण आता असं कुणी म्हणत नाही
दर अमावशेला सगळी प्रजा
एक एक हंडा पाणी विहिरीत ओतते
जुनी गोष्ट आहे इतकच म्हणतात
बाकि सगळं व्यवस्थीत चाललय

दरबारात एक प्रधान होता
राजवाड्याशी त्याचे घरचे संबंध
दरबारात तो फारसा नसायचा
पण राजवाड्यातल कमी जास्त
सगळ तोच बघायचा
प्रधानाची बायको हुशार
प्रधानाचा संसार राजेशाही ठेवायची
तीन वेळा का होइना
पण प्रधान राजा बनला होता ना!
प्रधानाचा संसार ही व्यवस्थित चालला होता

दरबारात एक सेनापतिही होते
राजाची कुणाशी दुश्मनीच नव्हती
राज्यातला सगळा कर
सेनापति गोळा करायचे
राज्यातली सारी न्याय-व्यवस्था
सेनापतीच बघायचे
न्याय-व्यवस्था न माननारी लोकं
सेनेत भरती व्हायची
बाकि सगळं व्यवस्थीत चालल होतं

आणि उरले राज-ज्योतिषी
त्यांच्या परवानगी शिवाय तर
नगराच पानही नाही हलायच!
प्रजेच उज्जवल भविष्य
तेच तर ठरवायचे!
नवीन रस्ते, नवीन राजवाडा
कधी कुठे बांधायचे, हे
सेनापती त्यानाच 'विचारायचे'
त्यांच्या आशीर्वादानेच तर
नगराची भरभराट होत होती

ते आटपाट नगर होत
नगराचा एक राजा होता
'राजा नपुंसक होता
हे फ़क्त राजालाच माहिती होतं'
असंच सगळे म्हणायचे!
-भावीन

नको

(click to enlarge)

mad mad rossi!

I have no words!

It's just 6 weeks after his crash, and he managed to get permission from MotoGP Chief Medical Officer to race in tomorrow's German MotoGP at Sachsenring!

“Immediately after the crash the doctors said it could be five months before I was fit to return; maybe five months to play football, but I just need to ride the bike,” said Rossi during a press conference on Thursday 15th July.
Rossi has missed four races over the course of his injury and currently sits seventh in the championship standings.

If you have been following my post on this for last 6 weeks, you will know what it means to have Rossi back on the MotoGP track within 6 weeks!

To read the original article, click here.

To view his crash on Youtube, click here.

I wish him the best luck for everything and wish the MotoGP will get its real meaning again from tomorrow.

Bridge, The time

How many times have you woken up in the morning, sat on the edge of bed facing window, and kept looking at the golden reflections in the river? How many times have you returned home in the evening, looked out from the window and searched for your camera to capture all the heavenly shades of light in sky and the dancing reflections in the river? I have experienced that for almost an year till date!
Even after spending 2 years in this apartment on the bank of Sabarmati River, I still find it so amazing to look at the bridge from window or balcony... almost every day! The bridge, I feel, is something which has it's own character, feelings, moods and I like to relate to that at different times. The bridge has taken me on many thought journeys, some stretching to hours! The bridge is really capable of taking me to the other side of time.
Following are some of the pictures I took over a period of more than a year, in different seasons, or time of day. There were many more moments worth sharing, but they are captured only in my mind, completely unexplainable in words!

On a rare rainy night in Ahmedabad.

The undisturbed patch of water below the bridge.

On a cool morning in July 2009.

A warm winter evening.

A sunny evening in this monsoon.

10 minutes ago!

:)

That's the spirit!

Rossi is back on motorcycle!
:)
This is with reference to the brutal crash he had on 5th June. Withing 5 weeks of his open fracture accident, he is back on bike! He tested on a Yamaha YZF R1. Thats the spirit!
:)

The Metropolitan

This is first time I am writing about a scooter! I loved this! The Honda Metropolitan, also known as Honda Jazz in Canada. The Vespa inspired, cool, simple, chic and with Honda realiability! I doubt it is an Italian design though. But thats what (apart from price) makes it even better than Vespa, Italian design and Japanese technology! At 49cc it's more like a fashion accessory than a scooter. This is a good example of how you sell an underpowered scooter. Don't just sell it as a scooter. Apart from communicating that its a simple, easy casual commuter, it also gives you a chance to make a statement and to have fun! The simplicity of form makes it easy for a large audience to connect to it at some or the other point of time, in some or the other colour. This is a good example of how something can be elegant as well as fun! A very nice play of form, proportions and colours.

Here it is, the only scooter I loved! Because when I say 'scooter', this is exactly what I imagine. For anything else, better go for a bike! ;)

I am not sure about the front though! A normal head mounted headlight would have been better I guess. It also reminds me of our popular Activa. Ohh, and Honda Activa did something similar to Bajaj here in India. When it was launched, critics said, "Honda has made a better Bajaj!"

These are few pics depicting Vespa way of making a fashion statement.

Superman in I Hate Luv Stories

I had some minimal expectations from this movie called 'I hate Luv Stories'. Even they were not fulfilled by movie (and even Sonam Kapoor). The peppy title track! Mannnn they had to keep shaking the camera so much because none of the 'actors' could move considerably beyond their normal erect posture, even to this energetic dance number!
Anyways, so I think I should talk about some better thing in the movie. And that is the 'Forget Superman Try Me' tee shirt designed by our own Neil Dantas. :) I liked many of the tee shirts Imran modelled for (Ok he acted also), and it was nice to notice this particular one. It will be better if you spent more time visiting his own website here, instead of reading this post! His work is simple and different. I like it. He deserves some publicity. Enjoy.

P.S. the movie is not so bad, some say. Sonam Kapoor may keep you watching (movie) for most of the time!
;)

The Portfolio

It was my turn next.

I went in and wished Him good morning. Yes, I wished God good morning.

After the initial identification crosschecking, He thought for a while, and sitting in a relaxed posture, asked me the question,

"so, tell me something about yourself."

"I am your creation only! You are supposed to know everything about me, aren't you?"

"Yes, I know. But I want to know what 'you' think you have done in your life on earth."

" You know, I was very good in academics, I also worked for some good companies as an engineer in first years of my career. Then I managed teams of professional people and guided them to achieve organizathional goals. I was a good son, a good husband and..."

"Ok wait. Let me clear my question to you. Do you know why are you here?"

"Yes, to be interviewed for entry to the Heaven."

"Right! And I want to know, from you, why do you think you are the right candidate? I am interested more in the 'relevant experience'. What have you done for my other creations on the Earth? How many of those starving poor people got food from you? Did you save any life? Did you ever bring smile to the children who live in the slums near your skyscraper? How many trees did you save? How many animals? How many tears?How many people you think, have thanked you from the bottom of their heart so far? And why? How many smiles have you earned? How many people can come to me and tell they love you? To be precise in my question, how do you think you can help us perform better, achieve our goals here in the Heaven. How can you be a good addition to the God's team? Tell me"

Pure Italian

If you are from the world where JLo stands for Jorge Lorenzo, this is a big news for you!

Valentino Rossi shifting to Ducati from the next MotoGP season!

The news that every Italian was waiting for, for many years! It seems finally their dream is coming true. Finally.... Italian flag and the Italian rider on the Italian bike.

Finally.... no confusion being Ducati fan and being Rossi fan.

Ducati Desmosedici and Valentino Rossi... what a combination!

Finally, it will be Red + Yellow... ( do I mean orange? ;) )

I am waiting for official news and next season!

(somehow I still continue to like yamaha also... at least untill I afford a Ducati)