Frankthoughts

I opened my blog page today...after a gap of over 3 years! Reading through the posts, I reminisced about the various incidents or occasions that prompted me to write what I did. All one of them had some memory attached to it.  As I write this post, I am thinking...what is prompting me to write this one? Is it because I have seen so much change in the last couple of years that maybe worth sharing? Is it because I feel the competitive urge to move up in the Orble blog rankings by continuing to post? Is it just because I am bored and lonely, since I am away from friends and family in a new city? Or Is it because I just want to rant? Well, whatever it may be...I think I should continue! Over the last 3 years since I last posted, my world has indeed changed a lot. I have...moved 2 jobs; 2 more nephews and 2 more nieces who call me 'uncle'; visited interesting places across the world; changed houses 4 times; danced at some unique and fun weddings of friends and family; and h...

It has been a while since I noted down my frank thoughts here…459 days to be precise! That is a long time I know…what I don’t know is, why it took me so long to get back to writing this. Well what matters is that I am back…and I hope it is for good! A lot has happened while I was away…relating to me as well as in the world around me. It is perhaps these that have egged me on to pen it all down. The senseless terror attacks in Mumbai…the Indian cricket team beating the Australian team hollow in their tour of India…my recent holiday to north-east India…the birth of my niece…the election of Obama as the future president of the United States…the completion of my studies in Australia…and my return to Mumbai are just a few of the things I need to express my frank thoughts on. I could start off with any topic…but I think I need a little more time to ponder on where to start. I must confess that I don’t write regularly and hence getting back in to the flow might take a while. So patience ...

Since I have been here (in Melbourne) long enough - two months, I thought I am experienced enough to do a city to city comparison, of Mumbai and Melbourne. Please do not take this as expert analysis, or as insights to base your travel plans to these cities on, but, as a personal comparison as I see it. Having lived in both cities, there are things I like and dislike about them and the comparisons made are on the aspects that affect my personal life. Having said that, here goes! The first thing that any person coming from the Asian subcontinent will notice in Melbourne is the silence on the roads. Drivers here do not blow their vehicle horns unless absolutely necessary! Unlike the Asian subcontinent, where honking is almost customary, here, one “toots” only if they are really disgusted with the way the other person is driving. This is quite awesome because the roads are rather quiet and there are very few or almost no cases of road rage. On the Mumbai roads you sometimes cannot hear ...

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...