Frankthoughts

The tragic passing of my cousins Ashish and Akshay in the recent Fox glacier accident last month has affected not only me but all who knew them. Till date, I still await the odd email or Facebook message from them. Them not being around is a hard truth that we all are still trying to come to terms with. I was fortunate to get to know them better and share some wonderful moments with them. Growing up in different cities (Mumbai and Pune) we hardly ever met, except for the odd family gathering…they moved to Melbourne and I met them after almost 12 years in 2007. They looked very different from the last time we met, and I am sure I would not recognise them if I ever bumped in to them anywhere else. Both were tall and lanky six footers and looked like regular 20 year olds. That evening we discussed family, our plans for the future, sports and even world politics. Ashish was vociferous about his love for cricket and his support for the Indian cricket team, while Akshay defended his fav...

Australia isn't all that bad! I have been here almost a month now, and am kind of getting used to the place. Before I came here, like any person moving to a new place, had my preconceived notions about how it would be here. I thought the people here would be uptight and unfriendly, I thought the food would be bland and insipid and I thought I would not be able to adjust completely. The journey to the land down-under was a long and tiring one. I was in transit for almost thirty hours, with a stop-over at Kuala Lampur. I came from a wet and humid Mumbai to a cold Melbourne. It was quite a drastic change in climate!  The first thing that struck me when I got out for the first time was the scenic beauty. One can see the horizon (actual land and not buildings appearing to touch the sky) almost all throughout the city suburbs.  The people here keep to themselves, but unlike my assumption, are extremely approachable and polite. I think it took me some time to get used to ...

Happy New Year 2007! With every year that passes by, there are events that have taken place, which affect you in some way or another and change your world. Occurrences that leave an indelible mark on your memory, and change you forever. Each one of us is affected in a different way, and each one of us reacts differently to the same event. This year too saw many such events. I have listed three that affected tremendously and changed me in some way, forever. Ironically, all the three I have listed, transpired within a week of each other.   The recent football world cup will be remembered as one that belonged to the underdogs. Teams that were pitted to win the cup, like Germany, Argentina and Brazil, did not. Instead, two teams that were far from being at their best reached the finals. Both Italy and France reached the finals with a little luck and gritty football. The stage was set for a great game of football, and what a game it turned out to be! Two thrilling goals scored, wi...

As I sit staring at the computer screen wondering what to write, some random thoughts run through my head...have I nothing to say? Have I nothing to communicate? Has writing a few words become so difficult for me? Am I suffering from writers block? Have I become so addicted to online games that I cannot sit in front of the computer unless there is some animated activity going on? What the hell is wrong with me? Let me try and answer all these questions and try and figure out what the problem is?  I do have stuff to say and do have things to tell!  Here goes... I have just put in my papers at my current job and am going to be in Melbourne this July. I will be starting my Masters in Professional Communications at Deakin University! This will be the start of a new era in my life...I will be in a completely new environment...an entirely new country! I am going through such mixed emotions currently...I am excited about the newness I am going to experience, am anxious about wha...

In a suspected terror attack, 68 people, including some Pakistani nationals, were killed in explosions in two coaches of the Delhi-Attari special train Samjhauta Express for Lahore at Deewana near Panipat, about 100 km from Delhi.  Several people were also injured in the incident, which the Northern Railway (Indian Railways) said was a clear case of sabotage. The explosions in the train took place at 11.55 pm on Sunday night. The bi-weekly train left the Old Delhi railway station at 10.40 pm. Preliminary examination of the material found in the two charred coaches of the Samjhauta Express has revealed that a deadly mix of kerosene, sulphur and potassium nitrate (low grade) was used for the explosives, official sources said on Monday. These materials were packed in clothes and a timer device in suitcases, the sources said. A senior police officer said a Pakistani national has also given information to police regarding some explosive being planted on the train. Pakistan Pres...

The delay in writing this post is only because of my laziness and procrastination. I have been busy with work and other stuff but could have made the time to write, but I was plain lazy.  In this period, I have watched a couple of thoughtful and heart wrenching movies. The two I am going to write about, have communalism and terrorism as their backdrop. Both these topics have always intrigued me no end. How can man be so insensitive and brutal to take another human’s life? Does religion teach us revenge or forgiveness?   Parzania, tells the true story of a Parsi family, caught in the cross-fire of the Hindu- Muslim communal riots in Gujarat in 2002.   Black Friday, is about the bomb blasts that rocked Bombay in 1993. These blasts were a direct repercussion of the communal riots that happened the previous year in the city.  These films were bold enough to discuss topics that almost always end up in political propaganda for or against it.  For Indian ...

Diamonds or the diamond industry is not all bad. But, whenever something of great value is found, many people lose their lives because of it, and diamond is no exception. The recently released movie‘Blood Diamond’, that stars Leonardo DiCaprio, and is set during Sierra Leone’s diamond fueled civil war, has created a mini public relations crisis for the diamond industry. As per recent media reports A-list celebrities such as Beyoncé Knowles and Jennifer Lopez are part of a multimillion-dollar campaign by the industry to avert this disaster. Knowles and Lopez agreed to wear jewel-encrusted rings on their right hands at last week’s Golden Globe award ceremony in return for the promise from the diamond industry of $10,000 each donated to the African charity of their choice.   Other Hollywood stalwarts too are being approached to promote diamonds at the Academy Awards next month. And that’s not all, the industry’s campaign - titled ‘Raise Your Right Hand’ - does ...