This NEW YEAR . I resolve to be BLIND. Blind from all EVIL , blind from all ATTRACTION , blind from all MATERIALISTIC PLEASURES , blind from all PASSION , blind from all but one ........I am will NOT BLIND MYSLEF FROM ME !!! This is what all matters in the end .

Me at Palolem beach Goa !!! It took us 2 hours from our resort to reach this beach at the tip end of South Goa . However the clear blue water and amazing scenic view made up for the horrible bumpy ride to this place. I must have seen 4 motobikes accident in the 2 hour drive on the road. Some accidents were too horrible to even describe . I guess the drinking and no driving priciple needs to enforced a little bit more in GOA!! But I dont mean to scare anyone from going here , just try and be safe. Due to the the tsunami effect the shack owner at this beaches told me that the water reached a very high levels and touched their shacks !! The schacks BTW are some 800 mts away from the beach .

Club Cubana Laser lights filling the valley

1551_image(775)
Originally uploaded by mohitinhere.

The laser lights from the top of Club Cubana fill up the dark skies and valey and create a mesmerising effect. Couple this up with amazing drinks , people and of course music and you have a great night planned right away !! HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

Me at Club Cubana in GOA . The resident DJ told me that that parties go on till 8am -9am in the morning here and most of the guests are shaked away from their sleep and asked to leave. I think it wont be a bad idea for them to offer breakfast buffet too . The club is great value for money and could beat any club in India or Goa with its offering.

The Night club in the SKY !!! Club Cubana , perhaps undoubtedly the No.1 club in Goa and India . I went to this club on 26th Dec night and wished to never come back again. This club is a MUST VISIT when you come to GOA . The club is on a hill and overlooks the valleys and beaches of North Goa . Its blue laser light filles the valley and creates a magical effect. The club has 3 seperate areas and many enclosures for privacy. It balances lounging , dancing and drinking. I love their punch line : NIGHT CLUB IN THE SKY. I have added my own twist to it and call it : DANCING IN THE SKIES :-) I have also made a full 2 hour video of the party that night and it features some amazing tracks played by the DJ. I also met some big wig of the Indian corporate world and they were letting their hair down too and having a wild nite. Some pics to follow enjoy. !!!

The Wise Men !!

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Originally uploaded by mohitinhere.

Vasco de gama and his wise men depicted by these statues greet you when you enter Cidade de goa !!

The South-East Asia Earthquake and Tsunami

While in Goa on 25th Dec came the news of the disaster and all watersporting activities were stopped for 2 days here.
Since I wasnt watching any TV or reading any newspapers , hence I wasnt aware in depth of the situation .
Only when the coast guards and police stopped the water sports activies citing " bad waether conditions" did everyone in my resoirt start swithcing back to their TV channels etc.
However a collegue of mine has forwarded me this excellent blog which contains all information and donations related data.

Also , in Goa here there hasnt been any impact of tsunami except for water levels increasing in some places like Palolem beach and Mandovi river.
GOD BLESS !!
The South-East Asia Earthquake and Tsunami

uncool flights and heavy bookings means long stay at the airports..our bombay-goa flight got delayed by 5 hours. phew!!!

swimming in the evening is fun in the resort we are staying in goa...very cool and chilled out !!!

Banana boat ride..tried this out late in the evening and it was very scary...the guys tubled us in the middle of the arabian sea...only life jackets for support...recommeded only in the afternoon/day time

blew some money here...no use...didnt win anything !!! but a fantastic ship...cara vela casino goa !!! phew...u need millions to play here...:-)..had a lovely time...played american roulette and blak jack..

this is my favorite shack at calungute beach goa :-)

You dont know what life is ....till you come to goa..havent slept for more then 5 hours..in the last 4days....;-) btw....its rockin here in xmas and new years...every 2 step there is a party going wid d most awesome music.... cheers !!

GOA....here I come !!!!!

The owner of this blog has shifted base to GOA for Christmas and Year end celebrations. This place surely feels like heaven. This pic is one of the rave parties which takes place around the shacks on the beaches in GOA. Also if anyone needs to communicate me for business/work , personal or any other reasons like status of hotel bookings , parties , babes....PLEASE EMAIL ON ***** mohitinhere@gmail.com ***** or on my mobile if you have the number. ( Yeah I am still available 24 x 7!!) More on Goa coming on this blog...LIVE from GOA ..!!! Wooo Hoooo !! A vacation after all the hard work this Year....!!! IT FEELS NICE !!!! LIFE IS BEAUTIFUL KINDA ONCE AGAIN....I am missing some people surely..if you guys are reading this you know who you are ;-) ( no controversies plz...) AS THEY SAY....There is always a next time !!! Till next cya :-)

Microsoft India's little known secret!

MICROSOFT - the company always involved in one controversy or the another.
Open source philosophy ...Anti Monopolism theories ..the works.

Having personally sold Web solutions and web projects and pushing MICROSOFT platforms to clients over the last 4 years ( for someone who has studied LINUX and its advantages for 1 year in NIIT ) - I know how it feels to be both ANTI-Microsoft and PRO-MICROSOFT.

However after reading this article .

Microsoft India's little known secret!

I AM RIGHT NOW ONLY PRO MICROSOFT !!!!

BTW : According to me its the ONLY company whose OS and Office suite actually WORK and DO THEIR JOB for the end consumer .
I have used StarOffice for 1 year on my home PC and I know the pains. I am better off paying for MS Office.

OCEANS TWELVE ( ** ) : Aweful !!! Aweful!!! Waste of talent ....Thats the word for this movie...!!! So many amazing actors and Steven Soderburgh ( wutever the name is ) came up with this ??? ...There were people sleeping in the theatre or generally more interested in their pop corn and pepsi ...!!! No Action....A stupid camera which jerks and turns to capture some weird angles throughout the movie....(god knows why) and a most pathetic movie plot..!!! The only good part is in the end when Julia Roberts tries an act of imposing as Julia roberts ( the hollywood one ) and almost manages it..but its still no great laughs...Horrible....DONT WATCH THIS MOVIE...IT WILL MAKE YOU WONDER WHY YOU WATCHED OCEANS ELEVEN in the 1st place.....!!

MUSAFIR ( *** ) : A Good time pass types movie !! Saw it this weekend ( Friday 10th Dec) . Not much of a story here....I guess the director didnt wanted the story writers brains to be used much .Instead he preferred the voyeurism of his cameras lenses on the HOT HOT looking Sameera Reddy and Koena Mitra. Hollywood Style direction and action . Thrills , chills...no story...and ya GOA !!!!! Watch it for the brilliant picturisation , modern camera movements , amazing songs and ya just having some fun...!!!! Best lines in the whole movie : When Anil Kapoor asks Mahesh Manjerakar how will he pay him for the "project to kill his wife " and Manjerakar replies..." TDS ( tax deducated at source) kaat ke to doonga nahin.....Cash hi doonga " .....Translated in english it means >>>> I wont cut TDS ( a type of tax in India on professional services) and pay by check...(obviously) I will pay in Cash !!!

MSN Spaces....hmmm...its goood...definately scores and is miles ahead of Blogger currently...but sometimes...good guys dont WIN !!! The creative ones do...I am sticking with Blogger...!!! However MSN Messenger 7.0 is something to watch out for.....Nice job on this.!!

Trying out a new space for Mind Bytes !!! Neeaah.....!!

Downloaded MSN Messenger 7.0( Beta) and was taking a test drive on it , when it let me to explore the new MSN SPACES www.spaces.msn.com .
Its a new online blogging , moblogging , photosharing and all bells and whistels included ALL IN ONE package by MICROSOFT to beat their sweet competitor Google ( here Blogger ).

Does it suceed ??

Partially....the functions are all in one and definately more cutting edge and better integrated.
However it lacks the design and creative oooompph factor of Blogger.

Its feels like a business application and NOT a fun application.

However still worth a try....which I am doing this weekend...

Check my MSN SPACE on http://spaces.msn.com/members/mohitinhere/

CIAOOO...

P.S : Mind Bytes will stay on Blogger only for the time being....MSN needs to work harder to get this baby shifted to them......!!!!Cheers ;-)

Me after 5 kms of Jogging ...!!! Came from office and went for jog with my brother gym..!! Its getting chilly in the nights in Delhi and somehow its works well with jog..when it ends you feel kinds stress and tension FREE !!! Highly recommended in December in Jan...!!

This is CREATIVITY !!!

My Slogan or punchline for this site www.tenbyten.org would be

" One world ....One time...One moment ..All on ...Ten By Ten !! "

Awesome stuff ....!!!

10x10 / 100 Words and Pictures that Define the Time / by Jonathan J. Harris

All THE music by Lucky Ali till date !!!

When you see the land and water beneath you from your window on a flight...try listening to Lucky Ali's music...

Its a shame that his music cant reach out to a bigger global audience because he sings in Urdu/Hindi.
But his words are surely the most powerful of all current singers ( according to me ).

The best music to listen to....
The best music to share your thoughts with...
The best music to live with....
The best music to love with...
The best music to die with....

Class Apart......

3 lines from his first song/album

Teri Haqeeqat tu Jaane
Mitti mein sab mil jayega
Sirf pyar reh jayega
Sunoh

Translated in English

You only know your truth
Everything has to end one day
Only LOVE will remain in the end
Listen !!!!

Bubby's gelled hair : Aerial view

Bubby's gelled hair : Aerial view
Originally uploaded by mohitinhere.

I love aerial shots and view from the TOP .....!!!
Clicked this pic of my brother when he just came out after a bath.. with his gelled hair.The pic makes it seem as if , his hair line is receading fast....which is definately not the case....!!! ;-)

Yo ..Man ..check me out !!!

Me clickin away on Diwali
Originally uploaded by mohitinhere.

Clicked this pic on Diwali before pooja .I love the energy we all get during Diwali ...the energy to enjoy life and be Tension free !!!! :-)

Some Diwali flavored pics from my Nokia !!

Garland sellers at midnite before Diwali
Originally uploaded by mohitinhere.

I finally purchased a license for Nokia LifeBlog Application . Its a great took to organize and sort on a timeline- all your Mobile phone related data ( sms , images , videos , favorites ). Although this same function can be perfomed by a routine transfer from the phone to the PC , however "Automated organizing " of the data is the main advantage.Not to forget the ease of use and time savings.Enjoy some of the pics which I am posting later - clicked by me around Diwali on my phone. Love , Mohit

OUT NOW : The new PIRELLI 05 Calendar !!!!

Photographer Peter Lindberg's interpretation of the 2002 Pirelli Calendar paid homage to Hollywood and to seduction. For the first time actresses were used instead of models, dressed with lingerie by Giorgio Armani. The shoot took a week on the city street back lot of Universal Studios with a crew of nearly 100 people, with enough time and budget to film a movie. Above, sexy young actress James King from Pearl Harbor on the Universal Studios city set in the pose that was her calendar page shot.


The Pirelli 2005 Calendar
On November 18th 2004, at the Copacabana Fort in Rio de Janeiro, was revealed the world premiere of the Pirelli 2005 Calendar, the most exclusive world event for beauty lovers, fashion followers and photography connoisseurs. Shot by world-renowned French photographer Patrick Demarchelier, the 2005 Pirelli Calendar has chosen the spectacular setting of Rio de Janeiro, the metropolis that, as Naomi Campbell says (appearing for the third time in the "The Cal") "reflects the Brazilian people's energetic and positive spirit".

Waiting for peace in a place like this .....!!!

Palolem Beach

This is Palolem beach in South goa.South goa is famous for secluded beaches , new luxury resoirts and hotels being set up .It away from the crowds and the hustle and bustle.Must complement Kaushal for clicking such a wonderful pic in the evening.I am sure buddy you have learnt some things from me....a la chowpatty....remember ??? geeezzzz..why I wonder.. I didnt get a life near the beach ?? why??

A possible accomodation for me in Goa !!

Boom Shack-a-Livin!

If nothing works out on the accomodation front in Goa .In that case - I have decided I am going to try out one of these shacks in Goa.Even if a accomodation works out - still I wanna live here. They are the BEST!! Why I cant live here anyways ??Hmmm..Bcos I am going with cousins and somehow they dont like the shack-a-livin idea ( unlike Kaushals cool group ) :-(

Virtual Guide for Goa Available on Hire !!!

Beach Chairs

With all the frantic Hotel/Resort hunting I am doing for a decent accomodation in Goa for Christmas 2004 - I am practically becoming a " virtual guide on hire for Goa". This is a pic taken by my friend Kaushal at Baga beach Goa. He went to Goa this Diwali.

WOW GOA :-) Where is GOA ?? Waiting for GOA !!. Frustating GOA %$@#$

Goa is WOW : Its been my long unfulfilled desire to enjoy a Christmas and New years in Goa simultaneously. With some luck on my side , I will be celebrating them in December this year in Goa.
Where is Goa : Its amazing , Goa has been among the TOP 10 World travel destinations and has been highly rated by Top Travel Magazines like Conde Nast Traveller. Still many people in the world dont know where is Goa...Is it a part of India ..and so forth..I got big ???? from Dave , when I told him I am going to Goa in late december this year. He asked where is Goa ???
Frustating Goa : Goa can be a real pain in the a** if you dont do your Flight and hotel bookings 3 months in advance of Xmas and New year celebrations. I got a taste of the frustration. My flight bookings are done ( I know how I managed to get them done and what all I went through in doing this .Bloody F**** is the experience of dealing with ticketing agents).But my Hotel Bookings are still pending and the options are few and ALL are very damn expensive. I am trying to explain to my travel agent that" I am not BUYING a Hotel in Goa " .

A detailed beach map of Goa is above for my ready reckoner - if I wish to buy any Real Estate there ;-) God Help me !!!

Veer Zaara (***)

Veer Zaara ( ***) :
I had to watch the Saturday night show of this movie on the next day of Diwali . All thanks to my mom who is a Die-hard-SRK-Fanatic .The much awaited Bollywood-Mega- Diwali -Flick -of -the- year is Value for money according to me.

• I would call this movie OKAY TIMEPASS variety for people looking for DIFFERENT STORIES in their movies.
• I would call it EXCELLENT for DIE HARD ROMANTICS who like Yash Chopra movies.
• I would call it SUICIDAL for people who HATE MUSH and ROMANCE in their movies.

Watch it depending on your TYPE !!!

Rediff Review

Indiatimes Review

Indiafm Review

P.S : No matter how much you like the movie. You will simply LOVE the Songs once you see the movie.They are ALL brilliant.

Choker Bali ( *****)

Choker Bali ( *****) : Got a DVD of this movie and saw it during my Diwali Weekend .One of the finest movies I have seen this year.I dont know Bengali and saw the dubbed Hindi version of the movie.The story is taken from the famous novel by the same name by Rabindranath Tagore.What is most amazing thing to note are the modern and liberal thoughts projectected in the movie of the female protagonist of the movie ( A widow in the pre independence era) .For a story written in pre Indian independence era , it can put to shame most modern thinkers of today !!! Amazing acting by Aishwarya Rai in the movie.

Check out the full review
Check out the preview

Song of the Year - 2004 !!!!!

Sohniyae - Strings is my Song of the year 2004 .

Listen to the FULL version of the song by clicking on the link on the URL above.

DIWALI FireWorkzZZz !! ( PG 18)

This is my Diwali FireworkZ ( PG 18 ) card which I sent out to close freinds and people who like Casta in general !! Click on the pic for a Full View of the fireworkZZz !!!

Its FIREWORKS time !!!! ( PG 15)

Hi Guys

May your Diwali be filled with ALL THE BEST FIREWORKS in the world !!!!! ;-)

ALL ~ covers everything ...not just crackers !!!

This pic above is my " PG 15" Diwali card featuring who else but Laetitia- which I have sent to my clients , co-workers , freinds and family !! Click on the pic for a Full View :-)

British firms outsource 400,000 jobs

This article is very encouraging to read , especially for someone like me - who is involved 24 x7 X 365 in selling New Media Services like Web Site development , SEO , PPC and other internet properties development and marketing related initiatives - to clients based all around the world. Also it is a very interesting read for marketeers of call center and other BPO services .( Services I have sold earlier but not as a major focus. Only a one off thing !!! I am planning to try my hand at focussed selling of these services -very soon !!! ).

I have sold New Media services to clients in regions like Mexico , Cyprus, Moscow .Hence any news of a region or country developing as a big destination for marketing is definately good news !!!

UK was always very big ...its just getting bigger and maturer !!!

Way to go ....UK !!

MSN India - British firms outsource 400,000 jobs

My blog gets press !!!

digitmag, originally uploaded by mohitinhere.

This humble , modest ( or immodest depends on how you see this ) blog got a feature in this months DIGIT Magazine - (Nov 04 ) .Larger pic of the article .

When I saw this magazine today....this song came to my mind...Darren Hayes ( Popular ) ;-)

Cheers !!!

Inspiration and The Hitchhickers guide to Blogging benefits !!!

I am always asked these questions manier times .....

• Whats inspires me to blog ?
• What inspired me to blog ??
• How do I get the time ?
• Am I "vella "? ("vella " in punjabi means.. too free to do anything -silly ) ?
• Am I nerdy /geeky ???
• Or the funniest of them all ...Is there a girl I am trying to impress?

Hmmm...I guess one small answer to all these questions asking my inspiration.... is this - comment on my blog..!! A small example .

But I have my own "personal " reasons to blog ( read below ).

However there are some other MAJOR " inspirations" on which I will need a full dedicated post to write on.

In short , Mohitinhere's Reason to blog :

• Saves life ( something like saving trees!!) : I believe writing a web journal/or a blog helps you to save life..whos life?? your own silly !!
• Time pass in office/home when you have nothing to do : Instead of getting into unnecessary arguments in office with co-workers over who drinks the coffee most?? and who spills the water at the cooler ?? , OR trying to win lost battle with clients over scope of work OR trying to ensure your girlfreind is not two timing on you yet at the same time complementing on her great looks ( when you wish inside if you are really bling !! ). Or spreading unnecessary gossip?? or discussing Bush vs Kerry ??( the result of which is probably pre decided amongst those two fellas )......LET THE BLOGGING RULE !!
• An excuse to not exercise and goto the gym : What will you achieve will HULK HOGANNISH biceps and Tom Cruise looks ??? Nicole is still going with someone else .....forget it...
• Dating - Wanna date the TYPE X girl ?? : Have a non internet savvy but sexy girl next door and not enough courage to speak to her ?? Keep your blog updated and take regular printouts from the company laser jet printer ( what use are they for anyways!! ) . Contact your local newspaper guy and bribe him to insert your blogs printout in her newspapers PAGE 3 or her Cosmo !!!! It works...no jokes..!!
• Keep your Porn surfing at one place : You never know when and where you might need your daily dose of porn ( guys and gals included). Also the IE favorites and Windows are as always "crashhhy by nature " . Do your homework.....Keep all the hot images , and username and passwords handy .!!! How ...simple...post them on your blog and make it Personal ( you might wanna make it public and see it as charity to the society...after all you have good taste..dont ya ;-) !!! )
• A tool to impress your boss : Bosses dont go in details...they look at the top view...!! There are so many things you want him to know about you ????? You are smart , full of ideas , full of talent ....plus you have great taste.....blog is the place ..invite your boss over to the blogging fun. You never know ..he might allocate a blogging time at office expense just for you , which you can use to take the benefits listed above...!!!!!!!

P.S : Anonymous , please let me know who you are ?..So that I can thank you !!

Its good to be inspired !!!

One rainy afternoon,
Six years later,
Two estranged lovers met,
To play the game of words.

RAINCOAT ( yet to be released ) , by Rituparno Gosh - its my assumption is very much inspired by the Before Sunset/Sunrise movies !! However even if its not inspired, it surely fits into the same genre of movies.

Two people sitting - talking - and the conversation taking the story forward /backward/ or NO where!!
However even though the story might not go anywhere - the audiences hearts and mind surely will travel long distances in time !! Guaranteed !!

I am eagerly looking forward to watching this one and suggest you also watch out for this !!

For now www.raincoatthefilm.com will do !!

Also see http://www.indiafm.com/feature/04/may/1705raincoat/index.shtml for a synopsis !!

A life filled within moments of a night !!!

Before Sunrise ( ***** ) :
A CLASSIC !!

I had seen this movie some 4 years ago on TV ( dont remember the channel , but I think it was Star Movies ).
What makes me write this post is the brilliant sequel to this which I saw lately.
For someone who hasnt seen any of the movies, it would make perfect sense to watch these 2 movies back-to-back.
Both are equally brilliant ( some critics prefer the 1st part more..but I disagree ) and equally engrossing..!!

Whats ponders me is..... whether the director decided he would make sequel after 10 years when he released the original in 1995 ??

Anyways..If you have a taste for "refreshingly different cinema with a unique experience value " watch these two...

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED !!

Beautiful Moments of our life ...Released as a movie !!!

Before Sunset ( ***** ) :
The best a movie experience one can get !!!
Unique - Engrossing - Different - and yes .....it will leave you thinking for a looooong time afterwards....WATCH IT !!

The experience of watching this sequel to Before Sunrise is different..very different..
Both movies are similar in concept and execution....

• No defined storyline in the general sense
• No support characters ( the movie features only the hero and the heroine )
• Fluid camera motion and brilliant cinematogrpahy
• Well conversed and thoughtprovoking words interplay between the lead pair is THE script

This movie changed my weekend thoughts , plans and everything that comes with living for the moment....I just realised...I.......forget it ....!!!

Lets move with the synopsis ...

SYNOPSIS
When Jesse (Ethan Hawke) and Celine (Julie Delpy) met on a Eurail train, the connection between them was immediate and profound. The 14-hour relationship that followed, as the pair explored the spontaneous and unexpected in Vienna, ended on a train platform where they swore they'd meet again six months later.
Nine years have passed since that morning.
On the last stop of his book tour, at the tail end of a reading in a Paris book shop, Jesse finds Celine watching from the back of the room. She lives in Paris now, he in New York. He's flying out that evening and they utilize every moment, finding their human connection no less vital, inspiring or real than it was in nine years ago in Vienna.
In a stimulating and revealing journey through Paris, in real time, these two individuals explore the inner workings of their hearts and minds and rediscover their rare yet powerful love for the unexpected, the unrehearsed, and each other.
Warner Independent Pictures and Castle Rock Entertainment present a sequel to the acclaimed 1995 film Before Sunrise. Directed by Richard Linklater, the visionary behind such films as Dazed and Confused and Waking Life, BEFORE SUNSET tells the timeless romantic story of two questing hearts and minds whose powerful bond defies time and place.
More on http://wip.warnerbros.com/beforesunset/

Great music - great drinks..fun freinds around ...but wots missing ???

Peppers at Hotel Bristol ( Gurgaon ) on Sat nite with freinds. A view of the bar counter and me waiting for my drink !!! Why are these bar tenders guys so slow - even when there isnt much rush ???? (The reason is simple -they wanna give us enough time to think on the tip amount !! )

My night at Peppers would have been great fun and refreshing for me on any other regular day .But this time....something was missin...!!! Dont know wot ...but just didnt feel in the mood !!
Anyways tried to enjoy as much as I could.

I think it was the thoughts...thoughts....hmmm...read above !!!
Some movies - leave you pondering........they make you :

• Reflect back at your past
• Analyse your present
• Refrain you from planning for future
• Make you live for the moment

Seems beautiful doesnt it ....?? But what can you do ....

if the moment is missing ????????????

Gawwwddddddddd!!!!!!

Weekend with Bacardi and Coke !!!

This weekend ( Fri nite , Sat day /nite , Sun day /nite) went as a mixed bag !! Mixed bad...why ?? Hmmm....I think I could have made more use of my time which I wasted lazing around and could have caught up with some pending personal work and stuff .I guess just didnt feel like it. There are some 20 + items on my personal to do list , which I havent even started on ...Lazy me !!!
A quick glance at my weekend went something like this :

• 29th Oct (Fri Night ) : Came home late from office around 10ishh .On my way to home , I went to the DVD guy to check out some DVDs and saw a the DVDs of a movie I have been waiting for so looong to see !!! Before Sunset ( detailed review later !! ) . Saw the movie from 11pm - 1 pm . Felt charged , refreshed and re -energized . Came online and worked till 6 am in the morning. Some emails to reply , some websites to check , clients to chat with and yeaah some blogs to read up .Slet at 7 am in the morning....its my WEEKEND ...yippieeee...
• 30th Oct ( Sat Day ) : One of the big problems with sleeping in the mornings and waking up entire night is....there is NO DAY !!! I woke up at 4 in the afternoon ...literally cursing myself.However I work in my sleep...literally...Must have attended around a dozen phone calls on my mobile in my sleep and answered properly to them .Also must have replied to some 5 -6 sms messges while sleeping..Yeaahh...try it out ..its gr8!!! This is what I call TRUE MULTITASKING !! However I covered up a lot after I woke up and did my chores for the day in the evening !!
• 30th Oct ( Sat nite ) : Felt a little weird and undecided in the night. Didnt knew whether I wanted to go out to a club on Sat nite or not ??? Couldnt decide..till one of my freinds Nikhil forced me to come along ...We went to The Peppers at Bristol ( Gurgaon ) . Reached there around 11 and had a blast till 2 pm and came home at 3:30 am( very early from our standards !!) . Not to forget after a loooong Navratras I had my fav drink ..BACARDI /w COKE ..pic on top !! .The crowd was good and awesome music by DJ Golzzzz ( Golzz in Hindi means someone who is fat , chubby and circular in shape. The resident DJ is called Golzz since he is chubby) .Watched TV for an hour or so and then came online and surfed around till 5 am .
• 31st Oct ( Sun day ) : Woke up at 2 in the afternoon .Read newspapers , watched some TV , lazed around and went for some shopping in evening !!
• 31st Oct ( nite ) : Made a schedule and task list for the coming week . Fixed my home pc and its weirdo drivers . ...and wot elzzzzz.........Bloggeeedddddddd !!!

Wedding Event Management has truly come of Age !!!

861_image(520)
Originally uploaded by mohitinhere.

At the Wedding reception the decoration was particularly TOP CLASS. Infact my guess is since the wedding season has just started here in India - the event managers/decorators/designers /all concerned in the "GREAT BIG Indian Wedding Event Management Industry" are going ahead with their BEST WORK ( at low margins) to kick start the season and also show off some of their new found USPs !!. Some of the light work , the fireworks show , the DJiing and sound system , the dancing floor , food etc was TOP QUALITY.This is surely FAST growing industry and I definately see it getting more corporatised in the years to come. With BIG shopping malls designed just to cater to the Wedding Shopping public . Infact the concept of the "BIG BOX Retail Stores" which is quiet famous in the west , can work phenomenally well in the Indian Wedding Industyss Context. !! This pic is of the decoration and the light at the farmhouse. !! This was my 1st wedding attendance for this season. I have to attend some 10 more weddings ( each Indian wedding has minimum 2 days of celebratory functions) easily in the coming 3 months - Nov , Dec, Jan . Not a bad Quarterly target.. right ???

Fantastic 3 days of Wedding parties !!

859_image(518)
Originally uploaded by mohitinhere.

Ricky's wedding turned out to be a quite an enjoyable affair. With me getting to meet some old school mates , freinds and aquaintances. Infact it was quiet refreshing .However the only BAD side was , since we were a BIG group of freinds meeting - we invarably decided to have dinner at the very last. Infact sometimes at the end I noticed even the groom , bride , their families lost interest and just wanted to go home and sleep .whereas we guys were all talks , dancing ,drinking and generally having fun .It took some BIG cajouling from Rickys dad each time to get some guys off the Dance floor , get the DJ to shut down the music and ask the boys to eat dinner since they were really tired and wanted to go home!! So long for Hosting a party..!! However to give credit both the Wedding and the reception were very well organized and thoroughly enjoyable. Infact one of the biggest DJs in India was playing at the Wedding and the reception. Some good music all the way through. Both the parties took place at farmhouses near Delhi , hence the open chilled air added to the fantastic Ambience. This pic is me in a Black Kurta and a Silk Stole at the wedding reception night.!!

Keep the FAITH !!

754_image(445)
Originally uploaded by mohitinhere.

Today I realised , even though young people like me in India might not be attneding religious ceremonies like these in full force. But this has havent had any impact on the events popularity or the crowd gathering. Infact kids were enoying it thooughly and families and elderly were seeming to be much more excited on watching the fireworks and the RAVAN bashing !! Lord Ram is definately a favorite of all of us .!! :-)

Wonda Pic !!

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Originally uploaded by mohitinhere.

If ya wondaring , dat va am I typin like deee..den dun wury , its just bcos ...Marc is tall and I am small ...geeezzz. Howeva strangely enuf...he told me dat having big height has its own disadvantages - which are like bangin your heads in da trees and not getting full face in da pic !!! and yo ...I am small ..me can fit in da pic nicely..dun ya tink so ?? do temme ?? ok..adieus !!

Flaming Red Hot Air Balloons !!

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Originally uploaded by mohitinhere.

These Hot Air Red balloons are set ablaze and fly towards heaven. Over a 30 Hot Air balloons like these are set ablaze one by one and its a beautfil sight in the evening sky. However they come with their danger element , with one balloon failing to take off in the air and instead decided on crash land on the crowd. It can turn very risky and can cause a fire in some extreme cases. Hence people on the ground need to be very careful. One such case happened today , but no harm was done . It lead to some crowd scares and howls though.!!!

The Fireworks begin !!!

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Originally uploaded by mohitinhere.

After the play enactment of the FINAL WAR sequence on the ground by the Ramlila ( play ) artists on the ground .The Ravan bursting starts ....and its a sight to see. Along with the regular on ground fireworks and light show . The 3 statues made of cardboard ,are filled with massive amount of crackers and fireworks inside them . The fireworks show is an awesome sight and a very noisy one at that. This pic is a view when the 1st cracker is set alight by the bow which is torched by Ram .

Ravana and me !!

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Originally uploaded by mohitinhere.

I have been attending such Dusshera ceremonies quite frequently in my childood and teenage with my grandfather .My grandad was very fond of watching this ceremony in the ground itself. Since we can see this ceremony from my rooftop of my house , I havent gone to the grounds for last 10 yars or so. Also I havent cared to see the RAVAN bursting ceremony in the last 2-3 years from my house rooftop also . Going by the fun we had today , I now plan to attend it in the forthcoming years as well , on the ground. Its desi FUN and definately worth the effort!!!

Introducing Bubs -Joining in the Dusshera Fun !!

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Originally uploaded by mohitinhere.

Bubs aka Rohit , my younger brother also joined in the Dusshera fun and this is him in the center with Marc on left and Jeff on right. This is a pic taken by me on the stage. Since the speech took so long , we decided to go ahead with our photo shoot and Jeff continued with his "Lonely planet "style travelogue coverage sessions !!!

View of the Ravana from the stage !!

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Originally uploaded by mohitinhere.

This is a pic of the crowd and the RAVANA and his brother ( waiting to be burst) from the stage. Seen in the white kurta and black jacket is the local politician adressing the gathering. The politician was very courteous and he even attended to his MOBILE phone calls while adressing the gathering !!! He attended some 4-5 calls mid way while giving a speech for 5 mins . Seeing his courteous actions Jeff , Marc , Me, my younger brother - we all went into bursts of laughter on the stage itself.

Crowd shot from stage !!

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Originally uploaded by mohitinhere.

This is a view of the crowd gathered to see the RAVANA bursting ceremony . This pic is clicked by me from the stage and gives an idea of the crowd gathered. It was estimated to be above 5000 + people on the ground and more people were watching from the rooftops of their houses ( see the white building ).

Felicitation on the stage !!

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Originally uploaded by mohitinhere.

I organized a small felicitation ceremony for Jeff and Marc at the Ravana bursting event. The organizers of the local Dusshera Organizing committe are known to my family . I spoke to them in the morning on some last minute important "guests from USA " attending the ceremony and they were kind enough to oblidge.They were cordial to say few words and felicitate Jeff and Marc infront of a crowd of 5000 + people. Seen in the pic are Marc , Me and Jeff on the stage in front of the crowd. The local politician and MLA - Mahendra Nagpal in on the extreme Right. THIS WAS FUN !!!

The Ravana , Hobbits and Gandalf !!

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Originally uploaded by mohitinhere.

This is what we are here for !! .Seeing RAVANA ( in the background) bursts into flame along with his 2 brothers ( you can see only 2 in the pic background) .Marc is on my left and is 6 ft 4" tall and has pretty much prooved to me that I am a HOBBIT in front of him at 5 ft8" .I have nicknamed him " GANDALF " .!!! It took my brother a while to click this pic , adjusting our heights to come in proportion to Ravana in the back .!!! Phew..!! Marc , please give me your height in my next life. !!!

THE **BIG** DUSSHERA WEEKEND !!!

This years Dusshera Weekend suddenly has become BIG for me. Big in terms of the sheer No. of activites and socialising I have to do.

Dusshera this time is on Friday ( 22nd Oct 04) , Sat ( 23rd) - Sun ( 24th ) are anyways formally off , since we dont work on Weekends in office. I however work from my Home office on Sat-Sun .

Just to be clear , Dusshera is like the "prequel" to THE BIG FESTIVAL for Hindus in India. Diwali. YES DIWALI . ( Its like for Hindus what Christmas is for Christians. Hence its that BIG !! ).

According to Hindu mythology and the epic Ramayana ,On Dusshera day , Lord Ram killed the evil Ravan and rescued his wife Sita from him . Ra however had to wage a war and after a long drawn epic battle , he finally defeats Ravan on this day.

Diwali is the day , Lord Ram came back to Ayodhya ( the place he ruled) after conquering the evil Ravan and his country Lanka .!!!

Just to give an overview ,this is how the 3 day BIG weekend was planned out for me :

• 21st Oct - Thursday Night -

1. Went for Delhi Bloggers meet in the evening , its took place at a pub in GK .
2. I had to attend the Mehndi ceremony ( Song and Dance ceremony ) of my school freind , Ricky ( this is his pet name ) . The ceremony was at the Park hotel inCP.He is a Sikh and hence his mehndi and marriage on the weekend is expected to be very colorful and fun filled.It so turned out that Jeff, Marc ( the clients of the company I do consultancy work with are staying in Delhi for sometime ) and Rishi (my freind and USA head of the company ) wanted to attended this ceremony too. Since they wanted to see a Punjabi Mehndi ki Raat. ( Son and dance night )

• 22nd Oct - Friday , - I had to attend/do the following :

1. Attend Shaily ( my distant cousins ) Ring Ceremony at the India Habitat center at lunch . She is the HR head at LG Electronics India and the groom is Systems Head at Daksh India ( an IBM company now ).
2. Take Jeff, Marc for an evening out at " The Ravan bursting and fireworks show " taking place a stone throws away from my house ( this is fast forward and quick detail on what essentially Dusshera is..;-) )
3. Go and watch FLAVORS the new movie at night/ or Go for Dandiya !!!

• 23rd Oct - Saturday : I have to attend Rickys wedding and will be there from the evening till very late in the night.The wedding is at a farmhouse on the outskirts of Delhi.

• 24th Oct - Sunday : Attend Rickys Reception in the evening and late night .!!!

Not to mention many things which will invariably occur and come in/or have come in between these main course items. !!!

Dandiya is a Gujrati dance ( similar to Garba in some ways ) . It requires a male-female couple to form a Dandiya pair . 2 guys or 2 girls can dance , but it never has the same feeling or excitement. Dandiya is great place to make new freinds , especially in the opposite sex. Since I have participated in the last 3 years, I have some or the other way always won a prize . From Best couple , to Best Dressed Couple etc and so on . However , it feels kind of sad that work has got the better of me . And this time I am planning to be mostly a spectator . In the previous years I would spend some 1 month training on the dance with my cousins and some freinds before the event. Poor me !!! Times change !!! But as Arnold says .....I WILL BE BACK !!!!

The Dandiya I organized in 1996 was called " Qayamat 96 " ( Qayamat means, end of the world, or something to leave you shocked or swestruck in Urdu .) During Qayamat , we developed a sort of group riavalry and a more financially strong competitor grew in the same Residentail colony . Those we our freinds-becoming-competitors , since they didnt get good posts in the organizing committe . They called their Dandiya Mela as Kashish ( meaning something which is grows into an obsession ) . Kashish was the only popular known Dandiya in Delhi ( atleast to my knowledge) from 97 , 98,99, 2000 till 2001. They have stopped the Daniya from 2002 onwards since they didnt find it financially viable. From 2001 onwards , 2002 , 2003 , 2004 - the best Dandiya to go in Delhi has been Dandiya Masti ( Masti means crazy). I have been going there for the last 3 years.