Simply Sanky

The spot light

2011-12-06T00:59:00.000+05:30

I hate being in the spot light. I'm at my best when I'm at the back, in the dark. I don't like light. I prefer doing my job without people making a big fuss about it. That's probably why I fail my potential in tournaments. On a normal day, I do pretty well. In a tournament, there are people looking at you. Kinda irritates me.

There's probably only one person in this world whose attention I'd like. And I never seem to get even an ounce of attention from that one person. Irony, eh?

Stallion Cronicles: Valparai trip

2011-09-09T15:27:00.000+05:30

Route Map

On ward route: Bangalore-Mysore road-Mysore-Satyamangalam-Coimbatore-Pollachi-Valparai

Return: Valparai-Pollachi-Avinashi-Salem-Dharmapuri-Krishnagiri-Hosur-NICE road-Magadi Road-Bangalore

Total trip distance: 1083

Bikes:

One Yamaha FZ1 (Harish)

Two Royal Enfield Bullet Classic-500 (Vatsa, Sunjay)

One Honda CBR 205r (Sanketh)

One Pulsar 180 (Abhay)

Two Yamaha R15 (Nekhilesh, Subbu)

Time Log:

Day1-

5:05am: Bangalore

6:50am: Mysore

2:10pm: Coimbatore

8:40pm: Valparai (Green Hill Hotel)

Day2-

8:15am: Roaming around Valparai

3:00pm: Return to hotel.

Day3-

7:30am: Valparai

11:00am: Pollachi

4:00pm: Salem

8:00pm: Krishnagiri(A2B hotel)

10:30pm: Bangalore

It was a trip we all were eagerly looking forward to. Lots of planning had gone into it to ensure that our bikes didn’t cause any problems with touring. For most of us(including me), this was the first long bike trip.

Starting point - RV college, Mysore Road, Bangalore

We left from Bangalore (RV college) at about 5am. We were prepared for rain, but we hadn’t expected it to rain right from the start! Slight drizzle greeted us, as we made our way to Mysore. We had breakfast at Mysore, and headed to Coimbatore. A bunch of us slowed down as we neared Coimbatore to help out Neki who had a little trouble with muscle cramps. We had some delays at Coimbatore, as the P180 had some trouble with the front brake disc. We had to get it replaced. After lunch at Coimbatore, we made our way towards Valparai, again relatively slow due to regular stops to give Neki sufficient breaks. By the time we reached Valparai base, it was already dark and starting to rain. Barely five minutes into the climb, the rain turned into a heavy downpour. From about half way through, we ran into mist! But the roads were very good, and it turned out to be one of the best rides of my life.

We woke up relatively late, and left by 8:15am to roam around the vicinity of Valparai. Harish and Neki decided to leave their bikes behind and rode along with Abhay and Sunjay. We were greeted by a patch of deep slush soon after we started. Beautiful tea plantations in all directions made me feel like I was inside a 3D wallpaper! Fresh clean air with a hint of the aroma of the soil wet by the rain. Perfect. Just what I needed! We then went off-roading in search of better views, on rocky paths which few would’ve bothered even walking in! We returned to the hotel and relaxed the rest of the evening. Subbu and Harish went off on their bikes to a dam nearby. After an exciting evening of Poker, we retired to bed.

We left by 7:30am the next morning. With every turn, spectacular views unfolded around me. On the way up, we had missed all this because it was night. We made many stops for pictures on the way. Sunjay and Neki carried on, and I got a feeling that they’d reach Bangalore well before we would. It was about 11am by the time we reached Pollachi, a little tired due to the sun. After breakfast and rest at Pollachi, we headed towards Salem. We encountered a stretch of in-construction roads which would have been manageable, but for the senseless bus drivers. Mindless driving without caring for anyone else on the road! It really got on to my nerves! We reached Salem by 4, and after a late “lunch”, we left for Krishnagiri, where we decided to meet for dinner/snacks (at A2B). Most of the guys didn’t want to eat, but I had no dinner waiting for me at home, so I had a quick dinner and we joined the relatively dense highway traffic. The car drivers somehow have this complex that because they two wheels more than us, they are superior! It was quite irritating to ride till Whitefield. From there, we took the NICE road, and reached home by 10:30pm.

An amazing experience for a first long ride! I was pretty happy with my fitness; Did not have any muscle pain during the ride except for a little stiffness in the neck when doing high speeds due to crouching. The hangover, however, was relatively more than I expected. I felt very tired for two days after the trip! Hopefully I should get over that as well next time!

Anna, saakanna!

2011-08-17T17:24:00.000+05:30

DISCLAIMER: The following are MY viewpoints. I don’t give a shit if you agree with them or not. This is me exercising my right to write. If you don’t like what you read, I suggest you turn away.

It all started with a great step by one old man. A fast unto death. A mass following across the country. The government and all politicians forced into drafting a bill. And then, he committed his first mistake – calling it the “second struggle for independence.” He had planted a seed in the minds of millions. Most of us grew up studying about our freedom fighters. Events like Dandi march, and Civil disobedience movement. Gandhi, Bhagat Singh and the likes. I understand that Anna is trying to do something big here, but to compare it with our Freedom Struggle is grossly unfair. Also, remember, you are citizen of India. A free India. Value and respect the existing laws first. You want to fast, please, go ahead. But don’t bloody disturb the peace of the nation by wanting to do it in a public place, disrupting traffic and hampering the lives of the common people. Just imagine, thousands of agitated people on the road screaming slogans. If you are an Indian, I’m sure you have seen the mechanism of mob mentality. Of the thousands, there will be at least one dumbass who’s there not because he really believes in Anna’s vision, but because he doesn’t have anything better to do. And if this one dumbass decided to pick up one stone and hurl it at a cop, in a matter of minutes, you have a mass riot. And irrespective of the respect and following Anna has, he will not be able to control it.

First of all, fasting is a great tool and is a very difficult feat. I understand that. But you can’t threaten to stop eating at the drop of a scoin. Some politicians started pointing fingers at Anna, and he goes “Set up an enquiry. I will not eat till I’m proven innocent.” What the hell is that? Soon he’s going to go “I’ll stop eating till there’s world peace”, and the entire world’s going to embrace each other immediately? It was a cheap shot at him, and he didn’t have to dignify it with a response. He just downgraded the value of a fast.

Anna was arrested on 16th August. I don’t want to debate if it was right or wrong. He was released later. And what did he do? He refused to come out. That’s just bull shit. The jail is not your home. When you are arrested, you are SENT to the jail. When you are released, you LEAVE the jail. I have done no research on the legalities of this, but I hope I’m right. If not, our beloved Anna has just shown a fantastic way to safely retire in this country. (Throw a stone at a glass window and then chill in the jail even if you have been released)

There might be political reasons for declining “ India Against Corruption”’s request to hold the protest at Jai Prakash Narayan Park, but did anyone realize the possibility of a terror act at the place? I don’t know the exact restrictions posed by the Delhi Police, but I read that they had imposed restrictions on the number of people and the duration(3 days instead of one month). Well, I’d say, better safe than sorry.

There is also a large group of people who go on and on that this government is not good. That it’s the worst government ever. I don’t want to debate on that topic because that is left to free interpretation of each individual, and I don’t seek to influence anyone. But let me ask you this – Had the BJP been in power, you think this story would have unfolded differently? True, there have been a string of corruption related issues in the recent past under the UPA government. But does that make the BJP the white dove of all parties? I mean, we are talking about the same BJP, where the center has to bend down to the tainted CM (read Yeddy) who managed to erect a puppy in his place before stepping down. The same BJP who failed to do anything about the brutal pub attacks in Mangalore and Bangalore. Congress got caught. BJP didn’t. I have absolutely no trust in either.

Let me make it very clear here, I’m not for or against any side here. No, let me correct that. I’m all in support for Anna Hazare’s cause. I personally feel that it takes great courage and determination to do what Anna is doing. But, I don’t like the way he’s choosing to go about it now. I feel Anna’s camp is slowly losing the plot. After all, if you want to make one law, you can’t go about it by breaking other laws. I really do hope that Anna is satisfied with the result at the end of all this, but I pray that our country doesn't suffer more at the hands of our new age Gandhi.

Anna, Saakanna!

Jai Hind.

Obituary quote

2011-08-14T15:06:00.003+05:30

If you have watched "Serendipity", you will surely remember an awesome quote written by a guy who's job is to write obituaries.

That made me think, if I die today, what would YOU write if you were asked to write an obituary about me?

What are the things that you would remember about me?

If you not comfortable writing it in the comments here, mail me, and I will add it as an anonymous post.

The Silver Stallion

2011-07-20T15:43:00.004+05:30

It’s been a little under a month since I became the proud owner of a handsome silver Honda CBR250R. The bike itself arrived sooner than I had expected.
It had become a routine for me to call up the Honda showroom twice week to enquire if the bike has arrived. I had initially booked a black one since I was told that the silver would take longer to deliver. One of the days, I called up the Honda guy, and he asked me if Silver would be okay.
“OKAY?! It would be perfect!”
“Ok sir, then please come and make the payment by tomorrow morning, I will give you the bike in two days time.”
A sudden rush to draw out the money, and I made the payment the next day. I asked if I could see the bike, and they obliged. Heart beating frantically, I was taken to see the bike. I walked down the stairs, and as I turned the corner, there it stood. There was another black bike parked next to it, but the minute I laid my eyes on the silver, I knew my name was written in the fate of this bike when it was made. It was covered in a little dust, but you could make out how beautiful the bike was.
I couldn’t sleep that night! The few hours of sleep that I did get was filled with me riding the bike!
And then, finally, the day arrived. I made it to the showroom with Vatsa on his RE Bullet Classic 500. The CBR now looked superb. Washed and polished, it looked brilliant; the body looked like a soldier’s silver armor. After completing the formalities, I put in the key and pressed the ignition. The bike came to life. I zoned out for a few seconds as Vatsa was capturing the first few moments on camera. I could feel the engine talking to me.
I rode the bike straight to the Cramster store and purchased riding jacket and gloves. In the evening, I met Harish, and headed for a short ride with him on his Yamaha FZ1. We turned right from Mysore road on to the Outer Ring Road, towards Peenya. As I clicked through the gears, I moved back on the spacious seat and crouched behind the wind shield. That is when I realized how amazing this bike was. It was like a horse that could read my mind. To make a turn, it seemed like I just had to think it! Right then, I decided to christen the bike “The Silver Stallion”.

I did a few highway rides after that, mostly restricting myself to below 6K RPM. 12 days after I first saw the bike, with 825kms done, it was already time for the first service! I got a few minor tweaks to help me ride better. The day I left the bike for service, I wasn’t willing to go away from the place! I guess this how a parent feels like when dropping off his kid on the first day of school! When I got the bike in the evening, I realized how well the engine had opened up.
After what seemed to a looong time of waiting for the right opportunity, I finally took out my bike with intent to use it till it’s limits. I decided to head to Tumkur, to my granny. I left on a Sunday morning, at about 7:45am. The traffic had built up a little, but I could still manage to consistently stay in the 120kph range. And then, I started raining. Though the bike was handling very well, I slowed down. 50 minutes later, I was sitting in my granny’s house, sipping coffee. I then visited my cousins in Gubbi, a further 20 kms of average road away. I headed back at normal city speeds till Tumkur. I time on the bike read 11:48am. The wind was low, the roads were now dry, and it was cloudy. “Perfect”, I said to myself.
I cruised at around 100kph till the toll gate. A few meters after I crossed the toll booth, I ducked down, and speeded up the bike. Such an awesome feeling! A few seconds later, I noticed the speedo indicating 138kph. There was a bit of wind drag on to my chest. I ducked further till I was practically lying on the tank and squeezed the accelerator to the max. A flat empty road ahead of me with clear visibility. The number of the speedo was increasing. 143…144..145..146….147….The wind was pressing the helmet against my face, but I didn’t want to give up!

And then I saw some traffic ahead, so I reluctantly slowed down (I knew the bike could go a few more marks on the speedo!), and accelerated once I’d gone past the pocket of traffic. The next stretch was more awesome, simply because I was able to stay above 145kph for longer. After what seemed like a heart’s beat, I was at the Peenya signal, among traffic. As I parked The Stallion in front of my home, the clock read 12:28.
70 kms in 39 minutes. An average of nearly 108kph. What an awesome animal I own!
And the efficiency’s pretty good too! It gracefully prances about 35km for every liter of petrol in the city, and about 30km when I rev it up on the highways.
I ride it daily to office, the good low end torque ensures that I don’t have to keep shifting gears. If there’s a gap in between vehicles, and another bike’s competing with you for it, he will have to choice but to follow you. I wake up more excited everyday now, because I get to hop on the The Silver Stallion again!
There are many instances when people enquired about the bike on the road, and quite a few when I kicked the behinds of some of the arrogant incompetent riders on famed bikes. More on that in future posts.

Enough

2011-05-04T19:30:00.002+05:30

Patience is very important. But sometimes, it's equally important to stand up, slam your fist on the table and say "ENOUGH".

Reflex

2011-03-22T16:38:00.001+05:30

I’ve observed that on some days the world around me just seems to be slower than me. This morning, I was riding to office and I was wondering why everyone around me is driving so slow….I glanced at my speedo and that is when I realized that I was just one going faster than the others! You know how you feel that you are actually going fast? That didn’t happen. I was actually feeling like I was riding at average speeds.

That got me thinking how my reflexes have improved in the last few weeks. I’ve been playing table tennis for about 3-4 hours every evening for a few weeks now, with some really good players. They used to play professionally before they decided to take up jobs. I used to have a hard time with one particular player who was too fast for me. When he smashed the ball, I could just see an orange blur. Most of the time, my hand would come up long after the ball had whizzed past by, or would crash into me and I would squirm as it burned my skin. A few days ago, I was able to see the ball but was not able to react fast enough. Yesterday, however, I was somehow able to pick every one of his shots. It was like everything was in slow motion, and I was the only one to able to move at normal speed. My feet were moving faster. I wasn’t struggling to reach for the ball anymore. Not only was I able to defend his smashes, I was even able to hit back a few. He’s got a few tricky shots where he induces a bit of side spin into his top spins. I was able to see the spin on the ball. Not by his action – I could actually see the logo on the rotating ball and determine how it was going to spin.

I have no idea how the improvement came about, but I’m not complaining!

Cricket after a long time!

2010-10-03T13:35:00.002+05:30

No, not tennis ball cricket. Leather ball. Yes, I have experience playing leather ball cricket. Many don't know that about me.

Anyway, so there's a cricket tournament going on in my office, and I'm part of a team called "Aero2". The matches are 25 overs long, with 10 overs of powerplay(first 6+ 2 batting + 2 bowling) I was not able to go to last week's game, and we lost miserably to Aero1. Yesterday's match(against Honeywell Hyd.) was a do-or-die match for us.

We won the toss, and the captain chose to field. Hyd started off really well, scoring briskly without losing wickets. The captain, an off-spinner put himself on, and grabbed a couple of wickets. Hyd slowly built up the pace again, when, in the 12th over, I was given the ball. For those who don't know, I'm a leg spinner-middle order batsman. By the time I came to bowl, the batsman who opened the innings was looking menacing. I thought I'll first bowl a sliding one and see what he does. The ball looped in the air, swung slightly due to the half shine I'd worked on, and went straight on to the wicket after pitching. The batsman went on to the back foot, and I was almost going to shout for an LBW, when I heard the sweet sound of the wicket thumping on to the floor. A menacing batsman on the first ball. I finished the over giving away 2 runs. The captain had come to bat next, and he was quite a strong aggressive guy from what I'd heard. They say, deception is the key to the success of a magic trick. I spent the next over bowling straight balls to him. I knew I'd get belted all over the ground, but I didn't expect him to go on a rampage so soon. I ended that over, with him taking me for 14 runs(two boundaries and one six). I captain looked a little doubtful to throw me the ball again, but I assured him and took it. First ball, gave a single to the other batsman and got my man on strike. I could see the gleam in his eyes. I came in, bowled a slightly slower ball, and gave the best over spin I could muster. He danced down the wicket, and swung the bat with all his might. But instead of hitting the center of the bat, the over spin made sure that he'd edged it. One of the safest fielders in my team, whom I'd placed at deep long on, jogged along to the long off area, and after what seemed to be an eternity, caught the ball. 14 runs to make him feel invincible, and one ball to trip him. Yes. The rest was history, and we pulled a couple more trump cards with nice fielding and great bowling, to wrap the visitors for 147 in less than 24 overs.

The opening partnership went on great, putting up the fastest 50 of the tournament. The captain was playing a great knock, and we just needed someone to stick on the other end. Unfortunately, we lost three wickets quickly, and I was sent in next. I stuck to the wicket, and scored at a good pace. At one point, the captain knocked the ball softly and called for a single. I ran. He realized he can't make it, and called no. I stopped. Then again he called a yes, and soon we both were near the middle of the pitch. The fielder came in and threw the ball to the keeper's gloves. I decided to risk it, cos I knew the captain would definitely not be able to make it back with his tired legs. I ran and made it, but the umpire declared me out. Anyway, I'd ensured that we were on our way. We needed about 37 runs at less than 4 runs an over. We had a couple more hiccups, but managed to finish the game, with the captain unbeaten on 85. Needless to say, he was the man of the match.

I'm now looking forward to the next match on the next Sunday against a very strong team, "Functions", which is a mix of the strongest guys from various teams which weren't large enough to create an entire team among themselves. Aaah. Now to just relax and enjoy the sweet pain in the legs and shoulders.

Assaulted on road - The payback

2010-08-06T11:31:00.008+05:30

As you know, I was assaulted on road the other day by a foul mouthed cab driver. After that incident, everyday, I was looking at the number plate of every white Sumo driving by. Somehow, I had a feeling in the back of my mind that I'd meet this guy again.

This Monday, on the way back from office, I found the same taxi just ahead of me, at exactly the same signal where the incident had taken place(Devegowda Petrol Bunk). I knew I would stop him and confront him, but I had to figure out how, and what I wanted to do with him. There was quite some heavy traffic, and I just followed him along the ring road. I decided that my aim was to make him realize that he can't just swing weapons at people on the road and get away with it. I didn't want to lodge a police complaint against him, because I knew it would spoil his life(Either he'd lose his job and ruin his life, or he'd get out the police station with the influence of his bosses which would give him even more confidence that he rules the roads).

So, as I followed him, it turned out that he was taking the exact same route I take. He turned from the main road into a lane usually taken to avoid the traffic. The road being empty here, I moved to the right side and asked him to stop the vehicle. He didn't recognize me initially, and asked my why. I told him "Neede thane avattu rod nalli nange hoddiddu? Gaadi nilsu, maathadona" (You were the one who hit me with the rod the other day right? Stop the vehicle, let's talk), like I just wanted to calmly talk to him. He said, "Yeeenu?Yavattu? A**an yaaro neenu??(What?! When?? Who the f**k are you??). As he said that, he recognized me and sped away. I was in no hurry to stop him. A Sumo in narrow roads is no match for a Pulsar. I calmly followed him, as he tried to get away through the roads. And then, he made his second mistake(The first was to hit me the other day :P). He ended back on to the main road, heading towards Devegowda petrol bunk. With the amount of traffic, I easily went to the right side and told him to stop. He went on his verbal rampage again, which is when I told him I'd call the cops if he doesn't stop. He slowed down and stopped. I parked my bike in front of the car so that he can't get away and asked him to get down.

He got down, rushed to me and started shouting that it was my mistake the other day and so on. I went and noted the rash driving complaint numbers and started dialling it. His tone changed so drastically, I swear I thought he underwent a sex change right then. His whole body language became feminie as he pleaded me not to call the number. He asked me to hit him back and call it even. I told him that if I wanted to do that, I'd have done it the other day itself, with his own rod! But that would make me no different than him. The first complaint number I called, he dared me to call the cops and kept the phone. The second number was answered by the drivers brother in law, who was clearly worried. He asked me not to call the cops, that he'd come there to talk. I called a couple of my friends to come for support, as I realized that the driver was calling all his pals for muscle backup. I then proceeded to torment the driver. I told him that I'd make sure that his license is cancelled. There was immediate fear in his eyes. I flicked out my phone and took snaps of the vehicle's number plate and complaint numbers etc as he was pleading, the then pointed the camera at him. He covered his face and asked me whey I'm taking his photo. I told him that I write for Bangalore Mirror, and that I'd get it published in the paper, so that all the employees who travel in his cab will know. That's when his eyes started to become red. He put his palm on my shoulder as tried to calm me down, and I could feel his arms shaking. The "Owner" came, and I explained to him that I intend to register a complaint. He took out his phone and called a few more people. Soon after that, the driver’s brother-in-law came and asked what had happened. After I explained to him, he started hitting the driver scolding him for not being responsible. After letting him hit a few times, I stopped him and told him that hitting is not the solution. Meanwhile, the driver's pals arrived - A group of about 7-8 guys. They stood around me in a circle, and started shouting at me. One of them told the driver to take the vehicle and go. I went and stood in front of the vehicle and asked him to get back down. He came down, and as I came back to the foot path, the gang again surrounded me. One guy asked what I intended to do, and I bluffed to him that I had to wear neck brace because he hit me, and that the bill was Rs.800. “Either we take this to the police station, or you give me the bill money, and I’ll go”. As I was talking, one of the guys drove away the vehicle. The others prevented me from stopping it. I turned around, and the driver had disappeared. My friends hadn't still come, and I realized I had to do something to move these guys away. I dialled 100 from my phone, and similar to last time, no response. I then dialled another emergency police control number: 1800-4250-100. After several rings, I was greeted by an automated voice which spoke so slowly, I thought I'd called an old age home. After a minute of "For English, press 1, Kannadakke eradannu otti", finally a guy answered the phone, and instead of asking what the problem was, he started asking me "Sir please tell me your name. Sir please tell me your address......", well you get the hang of it. I interrupted him and said loudly for everyone to hear "Police control room?". The guys who were shouting suddenly became quiet as I explained on the phone on what was happening. The cop started saying something, when a dud in the group thought he'd try some more intimidation. He said "Laaai, police ge phone maadtya? Police illi barakk munche ninge een aagbahudu gotta??"(You are calling the cops? Before the police comes where, do you what can happen to you??). The cop immediately asked me where I am and said he'd send someone over. As I kept the phone and looked up, half the guys had disappeared. The dud was still showing off his verbal provess, when Vatsa and Harish arrived on bike. These guys are regulars at gym, and were playing when I called them. So both of them looked quite like bouncers. Vatsa took off his helmet, and said "Eeen guru, een nin problem?"(Hey. What's your problem?). The dud suddenly dropped his tone and said "Illa saar aduuuu...."(Nooo siir.....nothing.....).

A police jeep rolled by on the opposite side and gestured to us. I walked across, and only one guy followed me. Everyone else disappeared! The cop asked me what happened, and after I explained, he asked me if I wanted to register a complaint. When I responded in the affirmative, he asked me to reconsider. He told the owner to give Rs.500 and asked me to finish the matter there. I realized that the cop was also there for the money, and that a complaint would just ensure that the cop gets paid a little more by the driver’s guys. I accepted the 500 bucks, said thank you, and was going on my way, when the cop called me back again and said, “Sir…Coffee..Tea?”. I gave him 50 bucks and he was quite pleased. The owner then gave him a couple of 100 rupee notes.

I returned back with my friends who cursed that the cops’ “standards” have stooped so low that they come in jeep for even 50 bucks. I returned home, satisfied that the driver would have realized that he can’t mess around on roads like he’s the lord of the town.
At the end of all this, looking back, I realized that for hitting me, he got beaten up twice(once by the public the day he hit me, again by his brother-in-law) and got tormented mentally by me threatening to spoil his life. I’m quite sure that he’ll not dare to take out the rod again, except maybe for defense.

I, on the other hand, ended up with a slight sprain in the neck, and 500 bucks more in the wallet! And of course, the satisfaction that justice was done.

Assaulted on road - Part 2

2010-08-05T09:37:00.001+05:30

On the way back from office on Monday, I spotted the same cab on the road. I will write about this experience soon..Haven't found time. Gotta get back to work now.. Drop back in here after a couple of days!

Assaulted on road

2010-07-15T08:45:00.003+05:30

On the way to office this morning, I overtook a Tata Sumo taxi from the left because of the heavy traffic. This obviously didn't go well with the driver, who chased me down and hit my bike's exhaust from the back. Nothing happened to my bike, but his front bumper got damaged. At the signal (Devegowda petrol bunk), I stopped next to him and asked him what's wrong with him.(Yaake guru, nodkond oodsakkaagalva??) . He started abusing me with a full flow of vocabulary. I'm usually the kind of guy who'd give back in equal measure, but today I was relaxed and calm, and had to reach office early.
I left him to rant on and proceeded once the signal was green. I thought that was the end of it, but the driver had other plans. He chased me down, and jammed me towards the divider. I screeched to a halt, and was just about to ride through, when I saw him whip out a wooded rod. He continued his verbal abuse about me overtaking from the left. I tried to move back and note the phone number listed on taxis in case of rash driving. He zipped back in reverse to stop me from noting the number. I made a mental note of the license plate number and tried to ride ahead, when he swung the rod at me. I stopped suddenly, and he missed and hit his own car. Now he was even more angry, because of the dent caused due to his own actions. I tried to ride ahead and escape, he swung the broked rod at me again and hit me on my helmet and upper back.
I stopped by the side of the road and got down to call the police emergency number (100). I dialled 080100 from my cell, but it didn't get through. Then I dialled 100, and that didn't get through either. I was taking out a few coins to dial from a pay phone nearby, when he came down and hit me twice more with his rod. I told him to wait for a couple of minutes after which I'd talk to him. Meanwhile, a group of people gathered and started surrounding him and abusing him for what he did. I meanwhile dialled 100 from the payphone, and surprise surprise! It just kept ringing. I kept the phone down and turned to go and note the rash driving complaint number on the car, when I saw him zip away with an auto chasing him.
As I calmed down, I realized that a police complaint would not hold ground - I had a slightly sore upper back, but no bruises to show. My bike was perfectly intact, not even a scratch. And his car had a broken bumper and a dent on the side door. I just came back to the office and checked the license plate number. I have the owner's name but no contact number. I don't think I can do much about it now. Any suggestions?
The license plate number is: KA05AA3112

Changed life

2010-06-22T14:43:00.003+05:30

Well, life's changed. I knew things wouldn't be the same with her not being within two minutes away, but I didn't realize it'll go so haywire. My classes (MS in Mechanical System Design, Manipal University, corporate course) started the day after she left. Things have become very hectic from that day. Travelling long distances to attend the classes, sleep deprivation, increase in work pressure and a lot of other things.

I don't even enjoy music like I used to. Music was my only reprive when riding through the Bangalore traffic. Maybe I need to change my playlists a bit. Why can't Metallica come up with master pieces like Death Magnetic and Black album more often??!

Okay, I'll just stop here before I spray this post ugly.

Birthday and the day before

2010-05-14T22:10:00.003+05:30

Life's been quite good the last one and half days.
I will be leaving tonight for a week's travel to France on work. Since today is my birthday, I had taken an off from work to pack, and spend time with the special one.

The boys at office decided to celebrate my birthday yesterday itself, instead of waiting for me to come back next week(which is what we usually do if someone's not there in office on their birthday). Also, unlike what I had thought, I finished my work quite early, so left office in time. Rode back in some awessssome rain. I have never understood why people hate rain so much. Anyway, more about that in another post.

So, I came home drenched to the undies, and met cousins who'd surprisingly dropped in on a weekday. Got a round of the customary birthday bums(or bumps?). All the usual friends called up at midnight to wish.

Woke up aaram se in the morning, and spoke to a few more friends. And then got some superb news regarding finance, which unfortunately I can't reveal here due to confidentiality agreements. The special one came a little later than I expected, but it was all good. It was sweltering hot, and as we left for lunch, the elements read my mind. In minutes, clouds came together, and it started pouring. We parked her vehicle on the road and went in an auto. It was amazing. Seriously, there's something about rain that's so awesome!

In the evening, couple of the boys got cake, (flavour suggested perfectly by the special one). It was yummy. Got the customary cake smear, this time, some of it even shoved up my nose. All in all, it was nice. For the first time, my birthday lasted for more than a day!

One thing I'm a little sad about - Every year, a very good friend of mine(from school) wishes
me. We don't stay too much in touch, but I still see him as a very good friend. This year, he seems to have forgotten.

Alrite, got to go wrap the packing! My flight leaves at 4.15. Taxi arrives at 12. Chao.

WTF news

2010-05-10T11:50:00.000+05:30

http://www.dnaindia.com/india/report_experts-baffled-as-mataji-s-medical-reports-are-normal_1380169

Beep Beep

2010-04-05T09:36:00.004+05:30

It's a Morning and I'm at office early to finish as much work as possible before the time wasters drag me down. There's a regular beeping sound coming from one of the cubicles that's getting on my nerves! It's beeping in a low tone, once every 2-3 seconds. It's driving me crazy!!! Every now and then, it stops beeping. And just when my eyebrows stop hurting from constant frowning, "Beep....Beep......Beep Beep..." ARRRRGH!!!!!

I went around the floor twice already trying to figure out where it's coming from. It either it stops beeping when I get near, or it always seems to be coming from another cubicle!

I finally gave up, plugged in ear phones and tuned into Indigo. I hear constant beeping in the radio too, but this one's from the base guitar in Billie Jean. God bless you MJ. Aaaaaah. Peace at last.

So much for avoiding time wasters.

Sanketh Sanketh Part - II

2009-11-18T15:27:00.002+05:30

I've to travel to France next month, and I was filling some travel request forms in office today. The first informationg I had to enter had me thinking that the "No Last Name" sheriffs had finally caught up with me. First Name(As in Passport)*? No big deal...Sanketh. Last name(As in Passport)*???Fuck. That too, mandatory field!

While talking to my managers, all that jazz about "I don't need a second name to have my identity" came rushing back. I spoke to the concerned person, and he asked me to fill "LNU" or "SNU" in the last name column. LNU meaning Last Name Unknown, SNU meaning Sur Name Unknown / Second Name Unknown. And I was like, "aaHHA! There you go! I don't need no second name!"

The power of Underestimation

2009-08-09T09:11:00.001+05:30

Underestimation can be such a wonderfully astonishing motivational tool. When you know that you have the ability, and the minds around you take for granted that you are incapable of even coming close, the anger boiling in your arteries provide a boost that can rarely be matched.

I recently saw a marathon on television. There were many guys, fully toned, looking really fit, sexy shades on to keep their eyes cool while they run like machines with perfect posture that would make an ad director drool. And then there was this small African runner. He looked like he had no fat in his body. He had a surprised anxious look on his face – it was almost like someone had told him, “You keep running, or else, you die”. The running posture of this little man was, to say the least, funny! Hands going sideways, his palms looking like he was trying to fend off the death that was chasing him. I naturally expected this guy to come in at least half a minute after the winner. As the race went on, our little man slowly overtook about 6 guys one by one. Now in the second place, he chased the leader for a while and overtook him. The top 4 runners approached the last turn that led to the final 200-odd meters straight. Near the turn, the stylist guy, currently in 2nd place, in a seemingly heroic move, made an overtake. It was perfect movie-climax moment. His face perspiring, twisting under the effort he was putting to get ahead.

The little African, to my(and the commentator’s) shock, was slowing down drastically, and looking at his watch!! I was like, “What the Fuck! You lead the race for so long, and you are tiring out in the last stretch?!”, Then I felt that maybe he was too immature to put in all his energy for the previous stages, not saving up any for the finish. Maybe he’d run for the time he’d been asked to, by his imaginary mafia oppressors. The stylish guy was busy doing his thing for the cameras, putting all he had left to win by a big margin. And then my jaw dropped. With about 100 meters left, the little man zipped past our Hollywood hunk like he’d farted nitro. The little guy won by about 4 seconds. The race done with, the African played spoilsport for the cameras. No enthu, no celebration, so smile. He was probably thinking, “Ok now, please release my family. These guys won’t let me run anymore”

There are many such incidents that I’ve come across, that are just outrageously awesome. Many have quite a few assumptions about me, and I’ve realized, that there is no use in trying to justify that their thoughts about my ability are not true. It’s quite simply, a lot more satisfying to just prove them wrong. They say my sense of time is quite bad. I hate being written off. This time, instead of arguing back, I replied in action. And yes, trust me, it’s more satisfying than trying to reason out with facts that I’m rarely late for any occasion.

Tube thought - II

2009-07-12T20:11:00.003+05:30

"Patience is like Money. What you have never seems to be enough."

At First Sight

2009-06-10T10:57:00.001+05:30

It was a Friday evening, and I had had a long day at work. As usual, I was staring out of the window of the van on the way back home. The traffic, quite predictably, was slow moving. MG Road, the hep and happening place, looked quite bleak. Even Floyd playing in my ears couldn’t cheer me up.

Through the small gap between my bus and the pavement barrier slipped in a bike. And there she was. The most beautiful girl I’d ever seen. There she sat, hugging her favourite man. Such pretty eyes, innocence overflowing like the sweet aroma of sunflowers on a lovely bright day. As I looked at her, our eyes met. The small lock of hair across her eyes added to the beauty. There was something about her that was just so pure. I couldn’t help smiling as I looked into her eyes.

She saw me smiling, and turned away. And as I looked on, a few moments later, she turned back to look at me. I looked into her eyes again, and then squinted. I waved at her, and to my surprise, she waved back! A small smile appeared on the corner of her lips. As the traffic started moving, she patted her favourite man on the back, and I heard her say, in her six year old cuteness, “Pappa, still how much longer to meet Mamma?”

"Blood"y scared rats

2009-06-03T14:15:00.001+05:30

So I was sitting in the cafeteria and talking to the boys during lunch. Considering the preparations going on around us, the obvious topic of discussion was blood donation. In a moderately advertised campaign, my company has organized a blood donation camp at my campus today.

Basu was quite understandably weary about the whole thing. “The only time I’ve had blood sucked out of me is for the medical test before this job”, he said. I could understand his concern, seeing that he comes from the remote Gulbarga. I explained to him, that it’s a good thing, not only in the sense that it can save lives, but also that it’s good for one’s own health too. He said, “But I’m scared of the needle. It might hurt”, to which I responded with a laugh, and the taunt nudging Subbu “Check it out, this guy’s tensed about needles, when he can save the life a patient on a death bed.” Sheepishly,

Subbu laughs, and proceeds to mumble “Actually, even I’m scared. What if they use the same needles that they use of others? The needles might be infected.” I couldn’t believe my ears. I told him that they use new dispovan needles evertime, and he goes on to amaze me further, adding, “Yeah I know, but there have been cases of even those being infected…”

Three words came to my mind. “What the Fuck?” I can imagine a guy from a rural district being ignorant about such things, but hep ‘dude’ guys from Mysore, who are always very confident and in control when taking Basu’s trip! I was shocked.

And then, Sughosh adds, “Even in barber shops, it’s quite risky.” Subbu adds, “Yeah. That’s why I never let him use blade. I always ask him to use the electric clipper.” That’s it, I couldn’t take the shocks anymore! I got up from the table after informing them, “In clippers, the barber uses the same blades on everyone. Forget AIDS, several skin diseases can get transferred to you. Infact, razor blades are a lot more safe, because they use new blades evertime, and if you tell them, they wash it with dettol water.

Boy am I glad the “half-dude” scared rats did not have an effect on Basu. He just pinged me and said he wants to join me to donate blood.

2009-06-03T10:19:00.000+05:30

Summer Cut

2009-05-27T16:38:00.007+05:30

Went to the barber's, and told him "Short. Full short", and voila, 10 minutes later, i'm looking entirely different! I don't know why I got it done so short.. Maybe just too many bad hair days. I don't expect to have great hair everyday, but it just gets too irritating if a portion is jutting out oddly everyday! Every morning I woke up, the first thing I said to the mirror as I brushed my teeth was "Fuck. Not again. So today the left side of the army is the rebel." How can I expect world peace when even the hair on my head don't get along?? So I sought the only solution to attain peace. Violence. Chopped them off into submission.

Another thing that comes out of a short hair cut, is a reality check. It's almost like they decided to resign from the army. "It's our way or no way". Oh well, you were gone anyway. Your neighbour pals were the ones doing the 'covering up' work.

Sush says it makes my head look bigger. But more hair means a bigger looking head, right?!

One beauty about this cut- When you take a shower, wow! It just feels so great! Two drops of shampoo and it's all done! Now I can go back to standing under hot running water and headbanging to metal songs playing on the computer speakers!

PS: To concerned friends, don't worry, it'll grow back. :)

Sanketh, Sanketh

2009-05-13T23:02:00.003+05:30

I remember, as a kid, writing Sanketh.K on the labels of neatly wrapped note books. I’m pretty sure most of my email ids have my full name registered as Sanketh Murthy. And yet, somehow, I ended up with a legal name of Sanketh. No surnames, no initials. Just, Sanketh.

Not that I’m complaining about it. I did have a choice in my 10th to add something to my first name, but I chose not to. I think it all has something to do with my upbringing. My parents always stressed on individuality. And that, I guess, translated into my name. My name’s Sanketh. And while I’m proud of my family and ancestors, I feel I don’t need my family’s name to make my place in this world.

And so, in all documents – 10th/12th marks cards, Driving License, Voter Card, Bank Accounts and even in Passport, I’m known as Sanketh. Everyone used to tell me, that a second name is mandatory in Passport, but that wasn’t the case! Everyone told me that it would be very difficult to survive without a second name. I didn’t face any problem what-so-ever.

Until I got my first award at work.

For all documentation purposes, I’m known as just Sanketh. But Honeywell has this way of allotting official email ids as firstname.lastname@Honeywell.com. And I was allotted Sanketh.K! It was quite disturbing, because my salary bank too began addressing me as Sanketh.K, and I realized that it might become a problem during tax calculation or something. And so, we arrived at the only other solution – Sanketh.Sanketh@Honeywell.com.

Now, that didn’t bother me too, until the day I got the certificate for my first performance award. “This is awarded to Sanketh, Sanketh for….”. Turns out that they print the name from the email records!

Well, I still don’t think I need a surname.
“Hey you know Sanketh?”
“Sanketh who? Murthy? Krishnan? Patil?”
“No no…THE Sanketh.”
____________________________________________

I'm sure this is the only post in the world with so many ‘Sanketh’s in it!

PJ - 2

2009-02-25T14:37:00.001+05:30

A: Dude! Wanna hear two PJs??
B(expressionless): Yeah…guess so..
A: PJ PJ.

Pee J

2009-02-25T14:32:00.000+05:30

Me, Roh, Resh and Arpita did our final year project at CD Adapco. The office is located at ITPL.

We had just left CD Adapco to go down for lunch. Me and Roh decided to take a leak before going down.

Roh(to the gals): Hey wait up, we’ll pee and come.
Arpita(with the annoyed look on her face): Oooh pee later no. Let’s eat first.
Roh: No no, if we pee now, then we can eat in ‘pee’ace (Peace).

Wait wait, the joke’s not over…

Down in the cafeteria, we sit down to order. We are looking at the menu, and Roh has a wicked smile on his face.

Resh: Wat’s so amusing?? First you make us wait so that you can eat in (mocking voice, fingers indicating quotes) ‘Pee’ace. Now wat are finding so funny??

Roh: Wait wait you’ll get it…

The waiter comes by to take orders.

Roh(grinning): One ‘Pee’as (Peas) pulav please.

Ram Sene's culture

2009-01-27T14:14:00.000+05:30

Yes yes. Very moral of the Ram Sene men to beat up women. Yes, our culture grants the men full freedom and authority to beat up women who don't follow the cultures of our society.

If the women want to go to the pubs, let them go. Who are YOU to decide what the women can and cannot do?

Skimpy western clothes? Culture, you say? Did you see what the Ram Sene men were wearing? Yes, that's right, pants and shirts. Now, go beat them up because our culture calls for wearing khadi dhotis.

Man's revenge

2008-12-14T03:02:00.000+05:30

Found this somewhere in the web-

One evening last week, my girlfriend and I were getting into bed. Well, the passion starts to heat up, and she eventually says, 'I don't feel like it, I just want you to hold me.'I said, 'WHAT??!! What was that?!'So she says the words that every boyfriend on the planet dreads to hear...'You're just not in touch with my emotional needs as a woman enough for me to satisfy your physical needs as a man.'She responded to my puzzled look by saying, 'Can't you just love me for who I am and not what I do for you in the bedroom?'Realisingthat nothing was going to happen that night, I went to sleep.The very next day I opted to take the day off of work to spend time with her. We went out to a nice lunch and then went shopping at a big, big unnamed department store. I walked around with her while she tried on several different very expensive outfit s. She couldn't decide which one to take, so I told her we'd just buy them all. She wanted new shoes to compliment her new clothes, so I said, 'Lets get a pair for each outfit.'We went on to the jewellery department where she picked out a pair of diamond earrings. Let me tell you... She was so excited. She must have thought I was one wave short of a shipwreck. I started to think she was testing me because she asked for a tennis bracelet when she doesn't even know how to play tennisI think I threw her for a loop when I said, 'That's fine, honey.' She was almost nearing sexual satisfaction from all of the excitement. Smiling with excited anticipation, she finally said, 'I think this is all Dear, let's go to the cashier.'I could hardly contain myself when I blurted out, 'No honey, I don't feel like it.'Her face just went completely blank as her jaw dropped with a baffled, 'WHAT?'I then said, 'Honey! I just want you to HOLD this stuff for a while. You're just not in touch with my financial needs as a man enough for me to satisfy your shopping needs as a woman.'And just when she had this look like she was going to kill me, I added, 'Why can't you just love me for who I am and not for the things I buy you?'Apparently I'm not having sex tonight either....but at least that bitch knows I'm smarter than her.

Death Magnetic

2008-09-28T16:35:00.000+05:30

In all the tension of the ass biting training going on in Madurai, I'd completely forgotten about the release of Metallica's latest album. Happened to drop into a Planet M today, and saw the cd. "OH MY FUCKIN' GOD! IT'S OUT!!", I said and pounced on it. Just finished listening to the all the tracks. And I reiterate- OH MY FUCKIN' GOD. 'TALLICA IS BACK.

How I wish they come to play in India!

Madurai madness

2008-08-18T21:55:00.000+05:30

Came to Madurai for training at Honeywell. This place sucks. Tamil Nadu boasts of high literacy rates, but what the fuck is the use if these assholes don't know any language except tamil??? Forget english. These guys don't respond to hindi too. Heck, they seem to not understand even sign language!

I mean, if I came to you and said "Bus-stand?" with a closed fist and thumb pointing upwards, what can you possibly comprehend from that, other than the fact that I want to know where the bus-stand is??? They look at you blankly and nod their head upwards, indicating they don't get it. Then you ask "Bus-stand enge?" and magically the figer lifts in the heavenly direction of the bus-stand. Fucking arrogant pricks.

Of knives and forks

2008-08-12T23:35:00.000+05:30

I'd been to a resturant on MG road today with a friend. Names don't matter here (either of the friend, or the resturant). This is one of the few places that did not offer an Indian main course. And that is when I realized how Indian I really am.

When I’m really hungry, I can’t eat non-Indian food. We ordered a lazania, and a veg sizzler. It tasted quite ok, but the fact that I had to use a fork and a knife was very irritating. Indian dishes are made with much more purpose. There’s spice, there’s vegetables, spice…. All I could see in my plate of lazania was cheese. Cooked vegetables in some kind of tomato semi-gravy were patted onto the plate below an inch of cheese. Maybe I’d have liked it if I weren’t so hungry.

As posh and sophisticated as it looks, eating with a fork and knife is nothing compared to smacking your lips and licking your fingers! And I couldn’t do that with this dish, mainly because it looked so dirty! I mean, cheese and loads of vegetables all mixed up is not something I’d love. I need more of a roti with a side dish. Maybe chicken too. And SPICE!!! God! How do Americans and others survive without spice!

BUMP Giggle Ghosts

2008-08-12T23:09:00.000+05:30

Inspired by the *BUMP*, which Ilearnt from Chris, here I bump up an old post. The reason I'm doing this is, because this one post is actually related to my life, but it was put up in the other one. Check it out here.

Simply Sanky

2008-08-12T22:56:00.000+05:30

This blog is for posts that actually are related to my life, unlike my other blog. Yes, that's right. I'm not a disturbed soul, as the other blog might make you feel. My creative side, on the other hand, quite disturbed, which comes out in the middle of nowhere.

Temporary tantrums, of course, is for news articles which I write for Bangalore Mirror.

Expect bad english, erratic grammar and wrong spellings here in this blog. Expect me.

Simply Sanky

The spot light

Stallion Cronicles: Valparai trip

Anna, saakanna!

Obituary quote

The Silver Stallion

Enough

Reflex

Cricket after a long time!

Assaulted on road - The payback

Assaulted on road - Part 2

Assaulted on road

Changed life

Birthday and the day before

WTF news

Beep Beep

Sanketh Sanketh Part - II

The power of Underestimation

Tube thought - II

At First Sight

"Blood"y scared rats

Summer Cut

Sanketh, Sanketh

PJ - 2

Pee J

Ram Sene's culture

Man's revenge

Death Magnetic

Madurai madness

Of knives and forks

*BUMP* Giggle Ghosts

Simply Sanky

BUMP Giggle Ghosts