Human, really?

'IIM-A grad launches subzi mandi on laptop. Your daily aloo, baigan and bhindi will soon be just a click away. No more finding your way through the filth at your neighbourhood subzi bazaar and haggling for prices with rude vegetable vendors. The website will create an online mandi where one can “see” the fresh vegetables, check prices and place orders. Apart from purchasing daily vegetables, one can "gift" fruits using the web service.' from Times Of India, 30 Oct 2009.
wowwww... so nice no???? we will be able to SEE vegetables on screen!!! even if thats means we won't be able to touch, smell, choose the best ones, bargain (verbally) with the (real) subzi wala bhaiya, accidentally meet our acquaintances in the (real) subzi mandi, may be subsequently fall in love with one of them, know that there is 50% sale in the silk emporium near the subzi mandi, get reminded that your distant relatives daughter is getting married next month, know that the (so called rude) old apple (fruit) wala at the entry of subzi mandi baught a Tata nano and so many other things which make and keep you social and/or human (if not tech savvy)... BUT you will be able to place orders looking at the pictures on your laptop screen!!! So great!!!....
The best thing is you can even GIFT fruits to your beloved ones using the web service! So what if you haven't even touched them with your hands? The receiver will be more interested in fruits and nutritions they will give... not in the feeling of receiving them from you... So nice!!! Yesterday someone bought me a handcrafted fabric elephant, and while giving she mentioned that she chose this particular because the mirrorwork, and overall pattern is placed more appropriately on it! This is what matters... right? that the one who is giving actually took time and care to see that you get the best possible! Whether it is an elephant or a cow comes second for me and probably for anybody.
The 'subzi-mandi on laptop' news today just triggered the thoughts and served as an example, but the basic issue can be seen in many such 'human (?) advances'. Good (read: effective) marketing can sell anything you have as the 'best new thing/way'... but is that what we have been educated for?
4-5 years down the line, kids will surf internet to learn that 'touch' means 'way of operating mobile and computing devices'. You can try searching 'touch' on google images even now.
Are we really working for the betterment of HUMANS?

It's in your hands!

Came across this nice logo of Fortis healthcare group of hospitals (or healthcare consultants) in India. A very simple but brilliant treatment of negative space to convey the right meaning to the viewer. For those who have not figured it out yet, the logo in the left with a red dot above, has the space between tow hands in the shape of a human (and the red dot is head)! I really liked the way it conveys the right message in such a simple form. Just one shape element with straight lines, one circle, two colours and so much meaning! I think if you want, you can really make things simple!
The 3 letters r, t and i in the logotype connected to each other seem to be saying something, which I didn't get.. but still look interesting, may be like some other script or symbol. If anybody knows please comment.

I never knew I like orange!

The list of my orange things,
1. my Yamaha :)
2. a wall in our house in kalyan
3. two bedsheets ( the jaipuri cotton one is missing :( )
4. towel (yes!)
5. racing stripes (hahaha) on my blue bathroom slippers (!!!)
6. two KTM stickers I put on my helmet
7. my deo
8. I found my pendrive also glows orange!
9. cuff -collar etc of the grey jacket I baught today (please don't imagine)
10. earpiece of my headphones
11. clothes hangers
12. one khadi shirt (more yellow than orange though)
13. desktop wallpapers on both my laptop and office comp these days!

And I used to think my favourite colour is blue!

We don't want to keep The Doctor away!...

The 'Gallina Vecchia' (old chicken) Valentino Rossi, The Doctor, the greatest motorcycle racer of our times, has laid one more egg! With yesterdays third place finish at Malaysian MotoGP at Sepang, he has won the 2009 MotoGP world championship, his seventh premier class world title and ninth world title! With 103 wins on record, and 7 premium class World championships at the age of 30, Rossi has proved (as he says) he is the old chicken who can still lay eggs! We can see a promise for next season too in his statements, so 2010 show is for sure. We don't know what he will go for after that, but we hope his passion for two wheels keeps him riding for many more years in all possible healthy and wealthy conditions,,,
Good going Rossi...
:) (for more amazing statistics about the hero, read here at faster and faster.)

Jiya re...

5 days of Diwali holiday... at home... without free flowing internet... phone on roaming.... lots to eat.. a sofa and a TV...
:) what am I supposed to do???
Watched all the movies like Maruti mera dost, Ta ra ram pum (I know u dont want to know more) and lot many ads, ohh also watched MotoGP.. but this time Valentino came second!!!! :(
But there is something good in everything... So I found this nice song in movie 'Maruti mera dost'. Do listen to it. Here is the lyrics.

Singer : Javed Ali
Song : Jiya Re Jiya Re Bata Re
Lyricist : Subrat Sinha
Actors : Chandrachur Singh, Samiksha, Ritika Shrivastava
Music Director : Kartik Shah

kaliyaan baagon se chhooti
boonde bhi chhode badal
ambar se toote sitaare

dukh kis ko zyada hove
jisne chhoda us ko
ya jis ke chhoote sahaare
jiya re jiya re
bata re bata re

yaad hamein
aata hai kyun
jis ko kiya tha vida

bhoole se bhi bhoole kahan
jab keh diya tha alvida
khaali dil bhar jaaye
ye hota nahi re
khaali bhi dil poora
kyun hota nahi re
jiya re jiya re
bata re bata re

koi bulaaye
roke koi
jaaye na jaaye
soche koi
kya kya nibhaaye
tode koi

kuchh dhaage jo baandhe
khulte hi nahi hai
doori se kuchh naate
talte kyun nahi hai
jiya re jiya re
bata re bata re

ho kaliyaan baagon se chhooti
boonde bhi chhode badal
ambar se toote sitaare

dukh kis ko zyada hove
jisne chhoda us ko
ya jis ke chhoote sahaare
jiya re jiya re
bata re bata re

Return of Fido Dido

I really don't remember who gave me this name some 4 years ago, bu it must be either Divya or Abhishek in my product design class. I remember it was not just because of my structure (or whatever you call it), but my hair style at that time too! Or if it was given to me by Snehal, then it must be because of the way I used to look in the morning, standing in the passage of our NID hostel trying to wake up (or sleep there), with all my long and crazy hair trying to jump out of my head in all the possible directions, and I remember I had shorts similar to Fido Dido then. Snehal used to lol at me every morning while saying 'good morning bhaviiiinnnn...' :)
Ohh, and how can I forget the fido dido sketched by mosh on front cover of my first sketchbook in NID? It was a lot of fun then... teasing, fighting enjoying, forgetting we were there for post graduation and not for primary schooling!!!
I had actually forgotten all this. and may be even those who named me Fidi Dido too might have forgotten. But I was wrong. Today my brother Nikhil contributed to my collection of keychains, by gifting me this white Fido Dido keychain!!!
Small things matter... so much!
:)

Jo barase sapne boond boond...

O re manva tu to baawara hai,

tu hi jaane tu kya sochta hai.

Kyun dikhaaye, sapne tu

sote jaagate?

Jo barase sapne boond boond

Nayano ko moond moond,

kaise mai chaloon, dekh na sakoon

anjaan raasate....

(song from movie 'wake up sid', image from somewhere on the internet)

Making of a legend

When he was born on 16th Feb 1979, in the sky of Urbino thunder and lightning was unleashed.

The legend goes that, as a kid, he got a motorbike when others get a pushbike/trike.

Graziano, his father who was a motorcycle racer, put him in the saddle of something with two wheels when he was unbelievably small kid.

Following pictures when he was around 5 to 8 years old(?) , tell all that his father Graziano did to train him in racing.

Yes, The Doctor, the todays legend in motorcycle racing history at mere age of 30, Valentino Rossi! Ohh by the way the number 46 he wears is the same which his father Graziano used while racing.

Valentino launched his personal website few days ago. For more interesting images and larger than life autobiography, please visit the history link on his website,

http://www.valentinorossi.com/

Dang, it's so slow!!!

(note: dang - damn, interj. Used to express dissatisfaction or annoyance)

Today I am feeling so nice! :) Yes one reason being that it was a nice holiday yesterday, which started with watching a very entertaining movie and ended with very tasty food cooked at home by anup and mosh (ghosh)... I still can't believe she actually did!!! But thats a different topic... What made me feel so nice today morning is nothing else but my bike ride to office! Mannn I was actually riding at 70 inside city!!! I couldnt believe that I am still able to do it after riding at 35 kmph max for last few days! Dang, I did it! hahahah
Ok to make the whole picture lttle clear, I must tell you that like many girls, miss Nidhi Dang (the actual Dang and not damn) had always complained about the small and too tall pillion seat of my bike (FZ16). More than that she also had always complained that I ride too fast (read: 45kmph). So recently she declared no matter what, she is not going to be my pillion rider. And thats when dear god decided to put her in situations which demanded her being my pillion rider! :)
Now looking at miss Dang, who has a long list of secret (and some open) admirers, this should be a very good opportunity for any biker... like me... ;)
But Riding all the time at 30-35kmph!!!!!!! On a Yamaha!!!! Dang, it's so slow!!! I tried my best to be a good boy for this virgo and kept riding at 35.... with all splendors and victors overtaking from my left and right, activa girls and scooty babes running over my baby FZ, making way for all the faster entities... I kept riding at 35... unknowingly even when I was riding alone!!!
At the end of every ride (read:journey) i felt like I had been a really good boy and just to confirm (not impress) I tried asking if she was comfortable now? But dang!!!! I could see her happily nodding to sid's "bahoot bhagaayaa na?"
With memory of my morning rides, a KTM sticker on helmet, MV Agusta on tank, and a Ducati in mind, I may be seen riding my Yamaha at 35kmph again with someone like Nidhi...
Dang!!! thats life...

almost me (still riding like rossi)

Long time ago I started riding like rossi, expressing myself, exploring myself... through my blog 'ride like rossi'. There is more to me than rides and roses. I thought I will change the blog name to 'simply me'. But found so many 'simply me's on internet, so I thought 'almost me' says it better. Found a song named 'almost me'! Liked that too.. here it goes.

Someday soon I'll be ready to go
Mind, body, spirit, I'll be out on my own
80% of me is done, yeah yeah yeah yeah

I'm in the car but I'm missing the keys
See them on the top shelf, still outta reach
They say the only way is up, yeah yeah yeah yeah

So take these days
Feel the sun, soak in raise
It's all good, I've got a lot of time
Feels so free in this little world of mine
I figured out I'm gonna have to fall before I learn to fly
I'm almost me, I'm almost me

Wrong time, right time, ready to change
Find that clear path out of the maze
It's like I'm living in between, yeah yeah yeah yeah

If life's a ride
Guess that I'm waiting in line

It's all good, I've got a lot of time
Feels so free in this little world of mine
I figured out I'm gonna have to fall before I learn to fly
I'm almost me, I'm almost me

I'm almost me, I'm almost me yeah yeah yeah
I'm looking for the answer yeah yeah yeah
I'm living in between yeah yeah yeah

Going nowhere, heading somewhere all at the same time
Reaching up and looking forward, just about to fly

It's all good, I've got a lot of time
Feels so free in this little world of mine
I figured out I'm gonna have to fall before I learn to fly
I'm almost me, I'm almost me

I'm almost me

All the precious moments....

And I wished for so long, cannot stay...
All the precious moments, cannot stay...
It's not like wings have fallen, cannot stay...
But I feel something's missing, cannot say...

Holding hands are daughters and sons
And their faiths just falling down, down, down, down...
I have wished for so long
How I wish for you today

We all walk the long road. Cannot stay...
There's no need to say goodbye...
All the friends and family
All the memories going round, round, round, round
I have wished for so long
How I wish for you today

And the wind keeps roaring
And the sky keeps turning gray
And the sun is set
The sun will rise another day...

We all walk the long road. Cannot stay...
There's no need to say goodbye...
All the friends and family
All the memories going round, round, round, round
I have wished for so long
How I wish for you today
How I've wished for so long
How I wish for you today
- Eddie Vedder and Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan (dead man walking)

overGreen

'Green' is in! Literally...Globally... and in abundabce! Everyone is going green, whatever way possible, no matter to what extent, but they make sure they SHOW it!
Being in an eco-friendly transportation industry myself, and because of personal interest I keep searching for new information/updates in eco-friendly or so called green field wherever possible... but mostly internet. What I come across most of the time is webpages fullll of green colour, complete with graphics of leaves and all. I bet people have planted more trees on webpages and other promotional material than in their garden!
Time has come, people going green start availing services of qualified designers instead of those knowing some graphic softwares and executing their client's instructions (mistaken as brief).
Save trees, decorate your websites?
(P.S. there is (hopefully) no website overgreen.org as of now)

Complan mom...

Kim Clijsters celebrating her victory in US open 2009 with her 18 month daughter Jada. I don't follow tennis, but found this picture very very cute. She is only second mother to win grand slam in last 29 years! But considering that she is only 26 year old, this is a great achievement!
(by the way I found that she is exactly 1 year younger to me! Forget the cup, I don't even have a daughter)

Cut/Copy PAST

I don't know why I am posting this (now) old video today, may be because of lack of material to share on the blog!

The footage was shot in Jan-feb 2006 mostly in the product design studio in National Institute of Design, Ahmedabad and this video was compiled in Nov 2006 for my part of 'saturday activity' at Elephant Strategy + Design, pune. The founders of Elephant, Ashish, Ashwini Deshpande, Sudhir Sharma who are ex-NIDians, were very happy and overwhelmed to watch it then. Today (not literally), I know why. It goes beyond making me nostalgic, to make me think... don't know exactly about what, the past or the future? It's quite interesting to watch where life takes us with time... even without taking to places!

Enjoy this all smiles video named 'missing u all'. Interestingly I had named it so when I was still part of NID and had almost an year to spend with 'all'. And today?... hahahahah...

(It may take a little long to load this video.)

Love is brand.

No it's not a typo, love actually is like a brand.. a good brand which successfully evolves with time! Take any brand e.g. Apple. We know how it has changed/evolved with time. Starting with the rainbow colour logo to colourful i-macs to minimalistic white laptops and white logo to again colourful i-pod shuffles. Apple has changed with time not only visually but also with respect to products it is associated to. But Apple has always remained an Apple, rather THE apple. One may not be able to describe properly what it takes for a product to be Apple, but somehow we all know 'the apple'. Thats brand! What we like about apple is not what it was or what it is today, but the way it has changed, or it will change! The change for which you are ready to pay!

Love... isn't it very similar to a good brand like apple? You may like someone for the way they look, the way they behave, the way they respond, but with time you know it will all change. You somehow anticipate and love the change. You may not know what will change and how it will be, but you somehow know/trust/expect it wil be worth. That is love! And like brand, it's not restricted to that particular person. You appreciate most of the things or even people associated with that person. Love is much more than what you can describe or express or even expect to be. Like there are many intangibles which contribute to brand value, there are even more intangibles and feelings which make you keep loving that particular person in spite of all the expected and unexpected changes over time. You may not be able to visualize those intangibles and changes, but that doesn't mean love is blind! Love is brand.