Bangaloooooooore!!!!

Miles away and across seas
I look through my window, longing to see
The familiar rustle of the peepul tree
That has grown old with me

Just as I strain my eyes
To look yet for the lanes
That I've painfully left behind
Hoping to go back to again

The 'cool' joint, golas and guppe
CCD's strawberry frappe....
To one I owe the spice in me
To the other, my meethi baatein ;)

The 8th mile was my fave abode..
As much as comm street and MGs
So was south end, away from crowds
Into tenderly sprawling trees

I miss your rains.. long rides on my bike..
Rushing in the last hour for movie tickets..
Where I am is still a quiet life
But there was calm in your busiest markets

Pandora's box, that's what you are
With so much tucked in your kitty
I would only play down your charm
If I called you a mere city

I'd rather say a mother
You've raised me like my other
Through sunny days, in wind and gale
That I can love you no lesser

Can't imagine being anywhere else
The thought of you rings a thousand bells
My book of memories closed for now
Stay put,
I'll return,
your's in love :)

A night to remember ;-)

A boy of five, was I
'twas the best of summer time,
Away from the evil school
My hols were going just fine :)

This day I sauntered into the house
Smelly and hungry like a fat mouse
When mommy turned and flashed her smile
"Darling, you'll be on your own tonight"
There was this important late night party
that she had to go to with daddy
I was brave and old enough, wasn't I ?
and it was only a few hours' time.

I smiled to myself bubbling with thoughts
Of what all I could do and what not !
Here at last was my share of freedom..
Oh, how I would boast to my friends at dawn !!

No sooner did they turn their back on me
I rushed to the refrigerator in glee,
stuffing myself with forbidden goodies,
scheming my next action already...
Dad's room had this mammoth bath tub
The only time I'd used it, it badly needed a scrub :P
But here it was bouncing happily at my plan,
God only knows for how long I swam !
Exhausted at last, I stretched on the hammock
In mom's balcony, we dangerously rocked,
picturing the stories I would tell my friends,
smiling away at my unforeseen luck...
And lo! he stepped into my sight,
creeping towards me, dark as the night;
I screamed in terror as he approached,
helpless as I was as I swung to and fro.
The most feared enemy of us all -
he blocked my way into the hall
I couldn't stop my hammock, blow,
the only other way was the 3 floors' fall !!
I tasted my tears trickling down,
all my heroics swiftly drowned..
I must have been screaming really loud,
or I 'd have heard my parents back in the house.

My dear brave mother came to the rescue -
producing a broom from out of the blue,
she banged on the spider until he was dead...
and took me in her arms while my dad shook his head.

I just (re)called to say…

Infineon turns a grand old ten

Dating back (no pun) I was in school then!

Nevertheless since I have been here

There is many a reason to have no fear

1

The super power it is - is one

No matter if it reduces it some

To appease the energy tight market

Shrinking as it grows instead.

“Never stop shrinking??!”

2

Generally generous – number two

The money we make is good & true

Though we love to whine and curse

We sure can have a good fat purse

3

Perks to iron out our lives – three
How I love flaunting them, gee
Food, WFH, refunds galore
Even if we can do with some more ;)

4

Talk of travel – that’s a big four
With heavenly places on Earth to explore..
Haven’t most of us had that chance?
A sumptuous stay or a fleeting glance..?

5
EMF, centre stage – is high-five ;)

For trying to keep us all alive!

Amidst stressful work weeks

They gel fun with surprising ease

6
No ugly scandals – and that’s a six!
You see; ghosts and employees aren’t mixed
Though with some, you can’t tell one from the other: P
They aren’t a matter of national bother.

7, 8
Hmmm seven and eight ???
Better there than late -
I say it is TT and the games
Without which we’d go insane.

9

“Networking” I’ll say comes at nine
Count “in-house couples” and you’ll take time ;)
Lonely souls who wouldn’t have met..
But for…, hey no points for that guess !

Last, not least, at a staggering ten
Kudos to the spirit of our women and men

Who make pieces of a grand jigsaw

No puzzle, Infineon inspires awe.

India

Behold if you are from foreign lands
When you step on Indian sands
It is best you know what awaits you
From an insider who speaks only the truth ;-)
The reason for you to come
Could be travel, work or fun
Whatever the reason might be
The other two are offered free!
Not exactly, if there are conmen on the way..
..But you can retaliate in their language -
Which is not easy all said and done
With quite a few you'll have to learn..
But you'll find people ready to help
Coming to your rescue on the slightest yelp
But if you are not a one for crowds
You must escape to nature's abode
The mountains, rivers and the forests
Will give your eyes no time to rest
And after that long, tiring journey
When you realize you are hungry
You must taste every variety of food
Else coming here would be no good
Only you might want to go low on spice
Unless you want to turn red in a trice
Colours .. oh! you'll find aplenty
In skins, cultures and nature's bounty
The latter due to the many seasons -
Diversity, yet again, finds a reason.
But then the place will grow on you
And you'll feel you belong, no matter how new
You'll know what I mean if you'll stay
With a native of this land even for a day
Here I take your leave ;)
Any more you mightn't believe !

The first rain!!!

Magic alone it can be

What else inspires such pleasure?

For heaven and earth as they speak

Spark the lightening and thunder

With a sway of His wand, and a gust of His wind

It is a tranformed land, as yesterday rescinds

Ushering in a fresh tomorrow

With the fragrance of hope

If ever it could be borrowed

If ever there was a lope

Such a harmony it brings.. from its so awaited touch

First on Earth, then in the winds - that only magic can be such.

Take a bow

One moment there's utter nervousness and the next, complete submission. Before the tick of a second you are in the dark and after, you stand to face the world. The air bounces from a hostile chill to the rhythm of a well known harmony. Fear slips aside so like the curtains that separate life and what is larger than life.

When you feel the heart throbbing willingly to obey the music, no matter who else is judging, you know you have given in. You know you can't go wrong. So true is the call that every inch of you suspends any hesitance; finding a unknown confidence even in the surrender - predicting, responding, making it your own. What would the world be without such an expression of moods? An expression that makes beautiful each of them - anger, joy, grief, love. Perhaps the only ever that leaves you happy in the end. The only that challenges every iota in you to culminate in a beautiful you, a better you, a fulfilled you. No matter what age, colour, size or shape, if there is one thing that lures all alike, offers even a spark of limelight, and pride even in the most hapless soul; it is - no points for guessing - DANCE.

What would we be without this creation, this assortment of magic from thin air, from a state of nothingness back to that, only leaving behind a memory that can make a beggar feel like a king? Three cheers to this comon man's champagne for lifting spirits :P... for making life easier.. for letting be when there is no more purpose. For reminding you what you so carelessly forget - only you can be you.

The song of liberation -

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cpdzBdAnZ1k&feature=channel_page

Little journeys

I still remember a day in school after my exams when my mind was raring to go places. I stood waiting for my dad who dropped me home every noon in his lunch break. I spotted a man selling refills for ball point pens and he hunched with a plastic bag full of them. He approached every boy and girl who, by the way, would not even dream of any book for a long long time - leave alone a refill, on the last day of exams. Poor marketing strategy, eh? Anyway he persuaded some and when he turned his back to them he made faces, stopping sometimes to sniff at the refill in hand. He looked a thug alright with a tattered shirt and hair that looked like he had tried all the inks in his refills on them. He moved into a sidey dark lane and I saw him fumble into his shirt pockets in there. Something made me alert. Then he emerged, went to a little girl from my own school and took her hand and crossed the road with her. They vanished on the other side behind buildings. I was sure he was upto no good; looking and sniffing as he did. In my mind he was already a drug dealer on the lookout for kids who would give in to him... and he traded the stuff in his refills! I vowed never to use a ball point pen again. I was on the verge of going into my school and informing my teacher about him when my dad crashed in.... shaking me awake. I looked around clearly disappointed. Still at it, I dodged my impatient father to look for the small girl where I had seen the thug pick her. She was still sucking from her tiny water bottle happily and looked up at me with a "sssuuurrrrr". I lingered back angry yet unwilling to accept that I had dreamed it all. My dad, obviously angry that I was eating into his lunch time, propped me up on my seat on his bajaj scooter and purred along. All the way home, I ranted about the refill guy playing aloud my suspicions that he might be in a racket to endanger my school; and vehemently forced him to do something about it. We reached home on my most high-pitched plea and he looked at me and said "Of course I am doing something about this. No more Enid Blytons for you this vacation".