Ghumakkar's Diary

" What will you like to have on your birthday? A book!  Few months back I got this reply from my 10 years old niece. I gifted her Alice and Wonderland much to annoy her younger sister. It hasn’t got any pictures! Who reads these many words,   was her reaction to one of the Best children book ever written. Now this story had everything, a cute girl, an   out-of-this-world   set, extra ordinary league of characters – complete wow and awe factor! But, where it failed my younger ( 6yrs old ) niece? Definitely, problem wasn’t with the story, but the book – it was all just words, negligible cartoons and no color ( except the cover page ). This tells the story that though the kids like and devour those stories which have creative characters that may bring a wow affect in the story – it’s not worth reading if it’s just words! Not so sanely, but yes it could be analogues to the fact that kids tend to eat a sandwich or a trendy   roti-roll   stuffed w...

Haven't been a part of any Blog-Marathon ever, I said Yes the moment I happen to know about this Month-long Photo event. Task is to post a picture everyday on a scheduled Theme , and submit it to Ritu's or Sfurti's blog. Here is a Wishful entry to the Event.. Warm wishes to PADE! [REBLOGed]  Just a mom!!!!!!!!!!: Unveiling the themes for PADE :  was announced earlier and now it is time to introduce the themes for the month of July. I’m doing PADE in collaboration with  Ritu KT , whom I introduced in my post earlier ( Here )

Kind of shopaholic I am, this IndiStuff gave me another chance to spend some time roaming and then blogging about. This time the task was to visit a Reliance Digital Store of our choice - view it and then review it. I chose the one at Mulund, reason simply it’s the closest ( except the Vashi one – which wasn’t on the list ) from my place. Venue:                 Reliance Digital, R Mall, Mulund West Time:                  Saturday Evening 5:30 PM Reception:         Received with a very amiable Namaskar by a staff in light blue at main gate. 4Sq Proof that I was there :P The Store: This store is very aptly located quite in the mid of the town at one of the most famous malls of suburbs. So, must say it is well connected with the customers it strives for. As I told we were very warmly received at the Gate. Staff weren’t that aware about the Bloggers’ vi...

  I am the biggest Indian fan of F1… I have been following moto racing since I was just a kid…. I know each and every stat of F1 , Moto GP, all the racing circuits by heart… Whatever, I may write, I know and would prove within no time, that am mostly alien to sports and F1 is just one of them. So, why am I writing this Speedfest post in so much hurry? If it wouldn’t have been my ardent sports-fan roomie, my life would have been just around whatever they show on Discovery/NGC about F1 and not what they telecast live on ESPN. I know about Schumi, his brother, Vettel and of course the Hamilton, but in a geeky way .  This rage-cartoon depicts how desperate I am ;) So, what are the reasons? First and the foremost reason is - its F1! It’s all about adrenaline rush, and if you are given a chance to go on a lap with the Lewis Hamilton , for writing a Speedfest post, and you are just ‘thinking’ about it….Leave it I don’t want to abuse you! Nuts!   As an F1 ...

‘ कुछ लोग अईसे ही भीगे रहते हैं कशमकश में, दुविधा में’ ‘पर, अम्मा कुछ लोग तो बड़े आराम से फैसले कर लेते और खुश भी रहते हैं.’ ‘हाँ, हाँ, कुछ लोग सूखे माने दुविधा-मुक्त भी रहते हैं’ चौबाइन चाची ने हमेशा की तरह सिक्के के दोनों पहलुओं को सामने रखते हुए कहा. चौबाइन चाची का एक अपना तरीका था मिसाल दे के बात समझाने का. अठन्नी के सिंघाड़ा से डेढ़-सौ रुपया की साईकिल और पांच पैसा के टाफी से ले पांच रुपया के सरफ तक कुछ भी, चाची बड़ी आराम से प्रयोग कर लेती थीं मिसाल देने में. ये कहानी तब की जब गए रात कोई पौने आठ बजे ननकू भैया आफिस से घर आये. गांव-देहात में सात-आठ बजे ही रात कहला जाती. तो, कहानी कुछ ऐसी है की उस दिन जब ननकू भैया पौने-आत्ब बजे लौटे, तो बड़े ही अनमने-अटपटे से थे. ऐसे ननकू भैया बड़े ही मस्त मिजाज के प्राणी हैं, हमेश खिलखिल करते रहते नहीं तो बकर-बकर करते रहना तो उनकी आदत में ही है. पर, वो रात कुछ अलग थी. सीधे-सादे ननकू भैया बड़े ही शांत और खोये-खोये थे. चाची हमारी बड़ी ही समझदार हैं, वैसे तो खोद-खाद के किस्सा तुरंत जान लेती हिनहिन, पर कब चुपचाप रहना चाहिए ये कोई उनसे सीखे...

‘ Sir, wake up, it’s Victoria ’ some sort of voice-management, of course with due courtesy, and it banged on my ears again ‘ Sir? It’s Victoria, didn’t you want to get down here… ’ Fighting the universal conspiracy, I tried opening my eyes and listening to the conductor simultaneously,   yeaah multi-tasking ! ‘ Oh, yeah, thank you! Thanks !’ a formal smile, rubbed shoulders (it wasn’t crowded, I was yet sleepy) rubbing my eyes I stepped down of the tram. “ Wooo….Man! Where I am? This is not Kolakata, forget it, this is not even India !” I stepped down apparently from Kolkata Tramway at   Maidan   near Victoria Memorial, but it wasn’t the same. There was no   maidan , no typical Kolkata traffic, no Victoria Memorial and it was something else. Fishy! No it wasn’t fishy. I looked back at Tram, it wasn’t like Tram either. Highway 31 Bikers' Restaurant ‘ Have I had grass? No, neva! So, how did I disembark a metro when I picked up a tram an...

‘ So, you must have been to lot of exotic places? ’ she asked, I could feel the spark in her voice. ‘ Not a lot exactly. There are so many places here to see in one lifetime ’. A pause, a long thought, some sure silence, ‘ only if you’re endowed with eyes’ , suddenly I realized I went a little too far. ‘ Ohh, never mind. Tell me, what people you met? And, girls? Don’t you dare to lie… ’ Blind people certainly have ability to sense any physical or emotional commotion. Before I could dive into apologies, she changed the mood. ‘ Ahh, Aunt Tessy, don’t tease me. You know me. I do ride with people, but girl- ahhh never been my cup of tea ’ She smiled, ‘ poor chap you are! Well, what you think about this lady? Game for a ride? ’ ‘ A blind date ’, (shit) I blurted! She jumped, ‘ In true sense my boy! Let a woman teach you a thing or two! A Blind Date!’ a miles long smile, stretched with brightened wrinkles, and a tinkle in eyes . I'd never been on a ...

Have been on road since, aah…. I don’t remember , how many days. Rode past through thousands of villages, many a towns, and don’t know how many states. When I found myself at the end of my earlier life, I kicked the lever and came onto the tar. Like they do ideally or in the movies, I didn’t throw my cards, wallet or mobile. Money was at least that I needed to reach the point where I may have to finally decide, whether to go back to civilization or just move ahead wandering! I put those earthly things somewhere in my satchel, sort of dumped, and switched off. Whether to go back to civilization or just move ahead wandering Every end finally disappears into a new start. That I have learnt a zillionth times in my life. Probably, am the man who learns by experiencing; certainly, otherwise I would have been Chanakya , who once said, life is too small to learn from our own mistakes, so I read from others . Am just a commoner, with my share of sins and other, to say, moral activities. ...

Incidentally I wrote a post of my tranformation from just around the corner corporate junkie into a Rider (for sure, still gradually) few days ago. Now, here are the Indibloggers with a Contest for the Bikers of the Nation with Castrol guys .  Evolving Biker Code of the Nation  When you look at the scenario of Biking in a general sense, you would be attracted by the road-rowdies and rookies who ride to spread nuisance and are mostly acknowledged for their deeds by the newspaper. Hooligans may be the right word. But, once you get involved with the passion, you would be able to see how the passion of Biking, or rather Riding, is evolving in the country where 2-wheelers over-power 4-wheelers by scores of galactic height, but have never earned respect on highways just coz they are the smallest-speeding machine there! I would try to let you through the Indian Riders tale, so that you  be able to appreciate how the riders of the Country are working, though in a segregative...

When I died some 20years ago, I didn’t realize would ever be worshipped for something I could have actually tried to avoid. I tried to re-write it, tried to erase the mistake I did; but, it’s not always the way one wishes! I am Om Singh; they fondly call me Om Bana or more lovingly Bullet Baba. Chotila is the village where I was born and brought up into a Bulleteer. It was 1991, month I don’t remember – for it never mattered to me; it was just another pleasant night in the hot sands of Rajasthan when I died. Time stopped that day, at least for me! Om Bana's Bullet - Riding towards Sunshine, Riding towards Sanity Like any other young youth of there times, I too had an ambitious heart raving high on his Bullet through the yet-to-be metalled roads of Rajasthan. I brought up in a family, affluent to most of the resources, if not like rajahs. Chotila was my kingdom, friends my life and Bullet – the mighty machine I ride. Alcohol was another special friend, who dragged me to ...