Van Chitgough- The Art of Life

Another weekend of relaxation, recreation and attempted (failed) salsa dancing.
Ok the salsa dancing (failed attempt that is) doesn’t happen every weekend. Tapas, the club at the inter-continental served up an interesting mix to the otherwise popular club/dance hall style groove shaking with a salsa night. The place was studded with some extremely well coordinated couples that made me feel rather inept as a self-possessed shaker. I mean I can dance..but salsa? I never really learned except for some random tid bits provided to me by well meaning souls from across the years that focused on the movement of my posterior and the intended swaying of the knees.
I still maintain that ‘they’ just wanted a better view of my butt. Fair enough. Can’t really blame them.

He would have been in his element for sure, and I missed her even more cos I know how much she loves to get salsified. Never mind  , our reunion shall see me make up for the ungainly performances of the past. i wait for her return to give me the much needed boost to actually consider taking salsa classes:)

I have realized that the delhi night club rules can never be re-written. Men who are straight as can be will dance with other men for the lack of female company. Ok. I’ve never really done that but since I haven’t been exposed to a situation (ever) where there has been a lack of female company, I shall refrain from being overly cynical.
But, what really gets my goat is the way they dance. I mean seriously. Can someone tell these gentlemen (hardly) that 2 women dancing up close and personal can be attractive; but it doesn’t really work the other way around. The grinding, and gyrating in a proximity that is prohibited in the constitution of our country occurs on an everyday basis. Every night basis more like it. Lets not even get into the sheer aggression of it. I got whacked 3 times in the shoulder before I turned around and glared at a 7 foot tall goliath. He could have ended my little party with one swing of his arm but ofcourse retreated hastily at the advent of my secret weapon - The ability to make coherent sentences.

Anyways, I digress. Goldfrapp’s strict machine is now the house track of the week situated powerfully in the Miami vice soundtrack. Can’t wait for the movie itself as I am a self confessed Farrell and fox fan.

Speaking of movies, omkara was an absolute knockout. Reinstating once again my faith in the ability for bollywood to produce good cinema- this remake of the famous Shakespeare tragedy ‘Othello’ was gripping, tight, classy and a sheer pleasure to watch. The fact that saif ali khan delivered a performance so unbecoming of his usual chocolate boy nature was shadowed only by the brilliance with which he did it. Ajay devgan doesnt even need to be spoken of. He has stamped his class on the industry and continues to take dark and piercing characterizations to another level. Read the killer review given on imdb and get storming to a movie hall/dvd store near you. Its worth it.
tania has left for bombay to pursue a 2 month internship with a law firm....vasu goes to bombay next month as well for a 4 day chill-session; sam and mr. arya have shifted into their new place in bandra as well. the reasons to return to the crown jewel of the western ghats reveal themself. must resist. must.

Posted by chitgo at 7/31/2006 12:45:00 PM | Permalink | Comments   

In a move as uncharacteristically Indian (yet remarkably swissJ) as can be; dC has officially booked and purchased flights to goa for New Years. It is done, the plan is set. Not since the portugese would the tourist capital of the country see an invasion as epic as this.

25th dec – departure (delhi-mumbai-goa) - arrival 2pm.
3rd jan return (goa-mumbai-delhi)- departure 2pm.

8 days of hedonism......

So. Are you with me?

Posted by chitgo at 7/26/2006 08:57:00 PM | Permalink | Comments   

Into the sun the south the north, at last the birds have flown
The shackles of commitment fell, In pieces on the ground

Oh to ride the wind, To tread the air above the din
Oh to laugh aloud, Dancing as we fought the crowd

To seek the man whose pointing hand, The giant step unfolds
To guide us from the curving path, That churns up into stone

If one bell should ring, in celebration for a king
So fast the heart should beat, As proud the head with heavy feet.

-excerpts from achilles last stand (led zeppelin)

another day, another week, well lived. well played.
i wonder if there's a god up there looking down on this game of life and saying "hey dhruv, that was a good shot".
if there was a god of cricket, I wonder which 'action' he would look upon and remark...
"that was well left".....

Posted by chitgo at 7/23/2006 10:16:00 PM | Permalink | Comments   

I implore that God take my life away rather than deprive me of the pleasure in the simplistic, the pleasures of my unmapped experience. As they ponder the complexity of my passing, let he who loves me most whisper into the wind “a life well lived”.

As they light the flames on my funeral pyre,let my compatriots smile and whisper “his capacity for dark rum makes it an eternal fire. ”

As the screams of my lover echo into the open grounds, let my father whisper resolutely “he saw what true love is. she loved him like no other. my son. my son. ”

As my soul wanders to the heavens and embraces the gods and demons, give me one last moment with the earthbound goddess - my mother.
-----------------------------------------------------
Funeral prayers and chants - an upcoming series from Van Chitgough
-Dhruv Chitgopekar (July 20th, 2006)

Posted by chitgo at 7/20/2006 08:40:00 PM | Permalink | Comments   

so a lot of us self-confessed bloggers (using this term simply because I think im more of a personal life story journal writer then a true blogger, someone who can be described as a collector and disseminator of tremendous proportions) surf the virtual spaces for interesting tid-bits that add that extra pinch of salt to already exciting days filled with a global network, reunions , relationships and discussions.

I found one that completely blew me away the other day.

The Luckiest one (go through pkblogs) is a gem of a blog that follows the true life story of an American law student who lost everything due to his gambling addiction. Money, friends, family, self-respect and the degenerating feeling of being diseased by an addiction that otherwise normal people have elementary control over.

Excerpts:

Strange things happen in the immediate aftermath of losing a lot of money very quickly. Rather than tighten my belt and try to preserve what little I have left, I’ve found that I tend to squander even more recklessly. To scrimp and save, to begin to act responsibly in the wake of wastefulness, to clip coupons -- these options are not at all attractive.

Saluting his bravery to blog about it and wishing him the strength to get over his addiction towards a happier life. A life lesson delivered through the tales of a stranger once again. Never let your life seem so worthless, unexciting and unimportant that falsified acts begin to get a higher meaning then usual. It comes from depravity and a gnawing sense of an unfulfilled fantasy life. If I choose to analyze it a bit deeper, it strikes me that this is another form of burnout isn’t it. I mean when do people have a burnout? When they go to an extreme, forget the concept of balance (cosmic, physical and spiritual) and reach levels of extremism in their ambition and belief, that the very reason for it all is forgotten.

The very reason for it all is forgotten. Making a promise to myself right now, to never ever forget the reason why I go to an extreme, the reason why I fulfill a professional destiny, the reason why I stand up for what I believe is right. Every individual has his/her reasons for acting the way they do. It becomes a fallacy when these reasons get clouded in the face of peer pressure, society’s expectations and so on.

Let me be more brutally honest here. This is not saying that every individual’s dream needs to revolve around a life changing course of action with the hope and support of a million people balancing on thin shoulders. Nope. Sorry to disappoint you. I’m not that man. What I realize even more strongly is, I don’t think every one of us can be that man/woman.

What am I? Who am I? I’m materialistic, I’m driven by the pleasure of a wonderful relationship- be it with a close friend, lover, parent or relative. I’m driven by the people that count on me, that depend on my wisdom of experience and infectious wit. Sound selfish? Sure. Sound self centered? Read the top left part of the blog. What it is – is true.

That’s where at a deeper psychological level I think the problem lies with many people across age groups today. The guilt, shame and drudgery behind aiming for the ‘simple things’ in life is too much to share with an outsider. What would people think? You’re out to make money? You’re looking to support yourself? What about the millions of starving children out there? Who will save them? Who will come to their rescue?

The next person who dares imply that when reacting to your professional ambition deserves a smile and a pat on the back. Offer him a congratulatory note and let him know that the future belongs to employers with ethics, employees with drive and a growing global mechanism that will not request for a co-existent relationship with one’s environment and less fortunate; but demand it purely for the need of survival. Ask the self righteous life changer if HE is happy, first and foremost. The rest of the world can come later. There has been no worse enemy of the planet then the do-gooder secretly despising his own life. Nirvana lies within. We’ve been shouting it out for thousands of years. All we got was a rock band that shot to unheard of popularity with music that came from the soul. The mantra? Nevermind.

Call me a futurist. I’m really not. I simply live by the values I’ve picked up in bits and pieces from what have been inspirational personalities across my 22 years of existence. Some older, some younger, some alive, some unfortunately not; it’s a mosaic, a prism, heck – it’s a collage with shifting shapes.

It’s happened many a time that my conscious screams at me to write a book about this. Knitted neatly into a fictional storyline, the ways of life seem so simple, yet so unattainable. At 22, there is yet much to see, much to experience. Can such individualism exist at the birth of a child or at the passing away of a loved one? Does grief or tremendous responsibility strike blows so heavy to leave the soul and its oneness in a state of defeat?

I remember reading the fountainhead as a teenager. It would make sense to read it once again. I remember thinking even then that it was a world, a disposition not suited for the masses. Forget unsuitable, it could be almost dangerous, self destructive. As time goes by, I realize more and more that every personality type needs to co-exist on this planet for its survival. Apart from the right to end another human beings life (as is seen in the world around us – from Bombay to Israel) ; there should be none who may judge the cause of existence, the code, the norm of another human being. Religion, caste, creed, gender, orientation have been ways of demarcating a population supposedly much too large to live in harmony. Live in harmony without distinction that is.

So be it. No society in the history of mankind has boasted of equality. Struggling for a right to be more equal than others is killing. Killing in huge numbers.

Random thoughts pouring out this evening of evenings. In the wake of a world slightly distraught, heavily forgot, burdensome and begot with hate.

its not so bad.
its not so bad at all she says.
i kiss her forehead
and say goodnight
as the night fills up
with gunshot wounds
i hug my little angel
and pray for day.

she awakes amidst the show
and looks into my eyes
as if warning she says-
daddy,
"i love the smell of napalm in the morning"

Posted by chitgo at 7/20/2006 08:21:00 PM | Permalink | Comments   

many of you that enjoy reading blogs on blogspot would be facing challenges (in india) accessing them.
Head to pkblogs and just type in the name of the blog for complete access. A bit of a sidewinder route but it works.

Posted by chitgo at 7/20/2006 04:19:00 PM | Permalink | Comments   

days go by
and still i think of you
days when i
couldnt live my life
without you

----days go by
(dirty vegas)

nope. im not as despondent and melancholic as you think. quite the contrary. the song hits home though. frustrated that i cant find that particular album anywhere. the musical explosion has given us troubles one could not have imagined 10 years ago. i mean , how can you ever have enough music in your life? yet i cant maintain the library....

switching gears. corporate was an interesting movie. the acting was delivered clinically by an ensemble cast and i respect kay kay as an actor. the man has talent. i respect bipasha basu for atleast attempting a role of some substance. too bad it was just an attempt. Nonetheless; a slick well made flick well worth a late night with a close friend...loudly and rudely laughing over scenes only we found humorous and stuffing our face with popcorn- much too salty for our liking.

orkut pisses me off and the insane conviction with which the masses swear by it turns me off even more. the friends request keep pouring in though. have to admit its got a bunch of people from nearly 8 years ago, a long long time....

ofcourse its all in perspective.

work is going well and offers new challenges constantly. switching gears once again, so very different from an @ atmosphere, from a UN atmosphere. fairly obvious you say. sure, but someones got to point out the obvious right ? enriching discussions ensue with people like bee who are bang in the middle (more like the kick off) of a new @ experience, relishing in the peaks and undoubtedly shivering in the lows- it is a ride. what can i say....the ride continues once you step out as well, you just take a bit more control and get to steer in a way far more sturdily then ever before. sure the 'real world' tag tends to irritate when your inside...we always heard 'its as real as you want it to be'. i see now how many times running away from reality was easier for many around me. the funny thing is, its not specific to @, allowing oneself a shell, a comfort level, a security blanket (like linus) is easy. you can grab it, with an outstretched hand, an uncurled palm.

close those fingers, make a fist. assertion was never something to feel guilty about.

i listen and enjoy the latest of progressive indian 'rock' music with the soothing sounds of advaita filling the room. the band is offering a chance for everyone out their to download some tracks- so go ahead and have a listen. i would reccommend it for sure. getting my hands on the entire cd this week. thanks rudy for introducing me to them.

I can see the light now
(shining through the shadows)
Dreams unravelled stories untold
(and visions yet unknown)

-lyrics from the song light by advaita.

time is so intense, it wipes clean images and memories of what could have been a yesterday in your mind. i remember this rolly polly guy called shaswat who used to bring cds of death and gothic metal to school (mp3s had become the rage then) to educate and exchange ; the 2 interspersing. i happened to stumble across the rock street journal online to get a 'dekho' on which bands were playing where, what do i see?
shaswat now writes and drums for a gothic death metal band called Narsil. its the same face, except with a gotie and fingers pointed out in the rock on symbol of rebellion. good on you mate. i remember he always wanted to do that. i remember i used to find the image quite funny:). not anymore....hope the band goes big.

i saw rudy perform live last night:) have been wanting to do that for some time now. missed the last one at dv8 due to a late night at work. 'half step down' had TCs rocking and some of the self compositions were fantastic. gigpad will keep me informed on the ever expanding rock scene in the capital. better late than never i always say:)

it was zuzka's bday 2 days ago and i forgot to wish her!:( belated happy bday zuzi, hope u had a fantastic day...know that i was thinking about you and all the conversations we had back in switz....miss it and will always cherish it.

i skirt the issues of the chaos all around us in the world today. the middle east is in chaos and the brink of all out war that we feared is very much at the forefront. what hits home worse though is the revelations behind the cowardly attack on the jewel of india- mumbai. the headlines scream "PM warns Pakistan....OR ELSE".

Or else? are we all suddenly in grade school again? or is it nice to make fun of bush's rhetoric (he shot my daddy, we got em etc) yet be insular to the growing aggression in ourselves. dont get me wrong. what happened in mumbai makes my blood boil, but threatening pakistan isnt going to help much. especially considering the fact that the continuous defense is going to be that senior levels of the armed forces and political set ups knew nothing about it. i mean musharraf 'dared' to ask for any help we wanted to 'crack' down on the terrorist insurgents right? what good is pointing fingers ? i dont have the answers, i doubt if the g8 meeting is going to cough up the answers either. the war on terrorism has a fundamental flaw in it. its a 'war' on terrorism. not a strategic tactical assault on the core of who these people really are. what there motivations are and why it has becomes so ridiculously simple to end human lives. why its become so ridiculously simple to want to end human lives.
understand the psyche. there is no money , there is no fame (except the gracious arms of allah waiting for the next suicide bomber to whisper his name in the second before pushing the button), there is but great glory in such a death. great glory.
so this is our 21st century world. large portions of young, dynamic, passionate and driven muslims enter madrasas and pick up guns for the glory of killing in the name of a scripture. the attack on mumbai is still largely inexplicable. it saddens me though to know that it comes one week after all chaos broke loose because a fanatical hindu leader took personally an idiotically rowdy act of desecration on a statue of his wife. a statue he had no right to build.
unmanaged anger, unchanneled aggression. more like misused resources in a country where passion and assertiveness need to be focussed on making this country better.

i met the 4th person from romax last night (karo), it was such a bout of nostalgia. 6 people got inspired to come to india after a 4 day conference with 179 germans and one desi. i feel honored when they meet me and thank me. even though i was embarassed to know that noone does 'kiddda' in @ india anymore.

capitol became orange room and then went back to capitol. the dj threw up some global underground, but u know its madness when the crowd goes ballistic on the 36 china town soundtrack. i smile to myself, put my hands up and let himesh take over:)....damn its good to be back in the motherland.
so so so good.

this has become one monstrous posting. about nothing in general.
thats about it from my end.
peace.
i mean it.

Posted by chitgo at 7/17/2006 10:25:00 PM | Permalink | Comments   

*guffaw*

Posted by chitgo at 7/13/2006 09:47:00 AM | Permalink | Comments   

now some of you might remember that I had chaired a conference in germany last year in a small and quaint little town called bacharach. armed with 15 top quality facilitators i had a phenomenal experience overseeing a 180 member conference focussing on leadership development and cultural training for members of @ in germany from the 'roman' region. the facilitator team (as is quite often with chairs of a conference) became good friends of mine, one of whom (markus the name) got in touch with me recently mentioning that he was looking for an opportunity to come and work in india. proud i am to mention that decisive action, speed and dedication is a trait instilled in most members in india. needless to say im confident of having markus in the country very soon. our economy, our ability to capitalize and yet innovate furiously will be a trump card forever.
anyway, coming to the point, i took this opportunity to ask markus his opinion on the supposed 'bonding' of germany as a country during the WC. is it really giving the country a kick in its behind towards a positive outlook ? here's what he had to say:

It is amazing what happened in the last four weeks. I never experienced such a collective feeling in whole Germany before. Probably it was like the feeling after reunion 1989 (I was too small to really get what was going on), and that because of a sportsgame!

I believe the reason is people have s tough time in Germany at the moment. Unemployment is high, globalisation is too fast for especially old and not well educated persons, we have to change our social security system totally, we have to change our health system, we got lot's of higher taxes shortly ago, ....

Everybody needed something just to forget about all this. Of course football won't solve any of these problems but I believe it can help to change the atmosphere in Germany and the attitude of the people which was very negative and a little resigned in the last years.

Germans always tend to be a little pessimistc and over-critical. So one year ago NOBODY believed in the national team at all (2 years ago they played a horrible European Cup). Now people see what can happen if you work hard, believe in yourself and think positiv (to say it on a very basic level)

Of course in one month back in normal life we will see what stayed but I think it can be an impluse for the future...

I have never ever seen so many German flags on cars, houses, people .... normally nobody would ever have done this ... in the last month it was the second time in my life I sang the national anthem loudly in public (first was at military service).... so as well I think it was a good step against the Neo-Nazi scene, as they often abused this symbols for their stupid ideas, which is not possible at the moment!

i have to add the importance of raw leadership in germany's semi-success (i believe they were good enough to win) - klinsmann paved the way and im sure this young team is going to explode onto greater laurels in the future.
what i also heard from some of my swiss homies like carissa was that a lot of the patriotism had seeped into the alpine as well....thoughts guys?

Posted by chitgo at 7/11/2006 11:22:00 AM | Permalink | Comments   

good fun. post an interesting week at work and home (settling into a new apartment is always fun.....especially when its a wifi, duplex, 1 terrace, 2 balcony rockstar pad;), I spent some memorable times with @ alumni from the very earliest of generations in India....thanks jaggi, was great meeting up.
the weekend was also a sporting extravaganza. im not going to talk about the wc final except for shout a loud hearty congratulations to my italian brothers augusto and luigi (sitting pretty im sure at the moment in australia and equador) respectively....i know they must be enjoying it. knowing how annoying augusto can get, i hope he hasnt gotten beat up with the extended celebrations.

the highlight for me was undoubtedly the final seed sown in what has got to be the most tremendous tennis rivalry seen in over a decade in men's tennis. my hero, my idol and my country cousin:) pulled out the very best in his weaponry to get one back against the phenomenon. im talking fed-ex, the swissmaster, the man who owns wimbledon- roger federer. glued to my seat, i was worried when nadal had break points immediately after the second set commenced- very reminiscent of the french open where federer got off to an insane start (he is quick off the blocks) but ran into the wall that is nadal. watching with karan and sam the last time these 2 met, the knees were weak with worry on a possibility of a repeat shocker. not this time. he owns the center court much like becker, sampras and bjorg did before him and showed his class. highlight of the post match ceremony was the announcer asking roger about their rivalry and how 'he may not being enjoying it'; roger replied with a huge smile... "well now i am" hahaha...with that sports jacket on (i must say the emblem is kickass - 3 rackets embossed in a crown shape with the letter 'F' underneath- must have been a gift from the wimbledon committee) their could be no better representation of a swiss sportsman. clinical, unfazed, classy and very very confident in the most unboastful way. there's nothing polite about his tennis though. the running forehand, the insane service and those whipping backhands were all on show for this final and boy am i glad i got to c it. bring on the US Open at Flushing meadows (my favorite grand slam of the year), roger's on his way to cementing his place in history. 7 grand slams now, with 8 more to go to pass the one heralded as the greatest before the swiss' arrival- sir sampras. the glory of the game returns. and we are all better for it.

what else? finally the rain gods showed some mercy and brought done a couple of half decent showers into the capital the last couple of days. the evening air has a bit more of a calming effect post the heat wave that took over. i couldnt help but smile when i thought of the 'grass is greener' theory this morning on my drive en route gurgaon. the sky was grey, with a bit of wind and looming clouds of rain in the horizon. 3 months ago i would have been surrounded by despondent sounds from my swiss mates on this sort of weather. here, in the motherland the masses rejoice on what is some element of calm amidst the unrelenting heat.
written a couple of more songs btw, and for those of you that read and liked the poem 'full circle'; conversion to a full blown track is underway. videos and mp3s to be released shortly.
im also busy compliling the various poems ive written on this blog in the past 12 odd months, so if there's any particular one that you guys enjoyed, let me know....ill work on it. email me at dhruv.chitgo(at)gmail.com
pleased to have received emails from rob and ck. both have settled in nicely and are lapping in the new chaotic surroundings....am thrilled to mention that trips to both locations are very much on the cards before the end of the year, so boys, prepare for the invasion.

yup, well thats pretty much it here. i sign off with a joke my dad recited --

(talking about roger federer):
the last person to play this well on grass was jimi hendrix.

Posted by chitgo at 7/10/2006 02:28:00 PM | Permalink | Comments   

never seemed to end
stretched out on the grass
those days of aimless
seemingly inane conversations.

humour enveloped
in moments of bonding
philosophical discussions
interspersed with insights
nostradamus like,
on our future.

we said you'd be wonderful
at a number of things.
almost prism like.
i will remember
you being there
holding my arm,
begging me not to leave
for the last class of the day.
---------------------------------------------------------------
see you soon shikul.
kylin was good fun. :)

Posted by chitgo at 7/08/2006 02:45:00 AM | Permalink | Comments   

India’s Generation Y (those born after 1979) is now entering the work force. With 54% of India’s population under 24 years, their number in the work force is, by any count, sizeable. But handling them will not be easy. They are a completely different breed. Conventions, and the usual management principles just do not apply here. They are an impatient, impulsive, confident — at times overconfident — lot who have mostly got things on a platter.

Already, in IT & ITES, around 83% of the workers are below 30 years of age. In old economy sectors like FMCG and durables, they comprise 50% of the workforce, as against 30% 8-10 years ago. How corporate India handles and channelises them will determine their future.

They're talking about me.
Read the entire article here. An interesting look at the changing face of corporate India with the infusion of fresh blood....

Posted by chitgo at 7/07/2006 09:44:00 AM | Permalink | Comments   

yes. i have been spoilt. who wouldn't be?
the scene: after having ripped up 9/10ths of the road at over 140 km/h in the most classiest street of zurich , there is something to be said about a steaming red ferrari 360 spider come to a slow and steady halt as if to acknowledge respectfully your presence whilst you cross the road. as you amble by the 10 ft crossing and look to your right, the driver(in most cases a super model looking man/woman probably on his/her way to receiving the 'investment banker of the year' award) smiles at you with a gaze so patient you would wonder if you've somehow been teleported into the 2050 AD version of Happy Days.

SO, dont be blaming me if I tended to get a bit road-ragey (yes i just made that word up - its my blog remember?) when a delapitated maruti 800 struggling to gain speeds upward of 40km/h decides that he is kimi's long lost sub-continental brother
,and that too in a fricking 10 ft wide space of concrete situated in a back alley somewhere off the shores of the capital (aka gurgaon). my initial thoughts are too stick my head out and spray profanities unbefitting of an educated and strapping young lad like myself.

no, its rather unbefitting i say. i have also taken a liking to the word unbefitting. if this exaggerated usage is irritating you right this moment, that is rather unbefitting as well. its like saying warren buffet with your mouth full of gipfeli really. gipfeli for the uneducated and unitiated, is a scrumptious swiss breakfast sometimes filled with butter and more often filled with chocolate. consumed best with a hot chocolate with a dash of extra sugar for the early morning kick.

this deviation is unbefitting as well.,
back to the point, i stop myself and ask "what kind of change agent(yes i hate that term as well but then it describes the situation beautifully) would i be if I was to reduce myself to such immaturity?" . to be hugely successful, a wonderful human being, entrepreneur, bringer of great joy, beloved son, lover of tremendous proportions etc etc is all fine and dandy...BUT WHO (i ask who) will bring some element of politeness into my fellow delhiite?

notice how i say delhiite. i would not dare tarnish the soul and integrity of my fellow mumbaiker (who anyway has bigger problems on his hands then a random delhi boy contemplating the theories of on-road etiquette, what with him wading through 7
feet deep water in the midst of excessive rains, a dismal civic setup and a pretty disgusting feeling of deja vu from the downpour of last year. did i forget to mention that the average indian man is about 5 ft tall? yup, so its quite a party
down there, and i dont mean the kind of party where you have a good time)

and this is where my quest began. unknowingly, over 3 weeks ago, I began acting like a maniac as far as delhi standards go..how you might ask? (you might not ask as well but then its not like im giving you much of a choice)

maniacal action #1: I give way.
Yes, you heard me right. In a road section just about wide to allow one of our holy cows to squeeze through, delhiites are forced to fit cars (that would give a hummer an inferiority complex) sometimes 3 at a go. (because in delhi, any road can
become an intersection. no real need for a traffic light ofcourse. our driving instincts are enough). so, what have i been doing? strategically, patiently and with a smile on my face, i maneuver my deft little santro to the side (almost always
inches before a ditch or patch of grassland) and gestulate with my palm that the driver should come through. the obvious reactions range from pure ego kicks (i am a supreme being, even strangers move out of my path when they see me HOHAHAHA, it
surely must be the fact that my car is 6 times the average size of a monster truck participant, painted a deep shade of yellow and sporting the name TIGER at the back) to "where's my gun , that guy just showed me his palm. HIS PALM! to "wtf@#$#,
this guy is either crazy or his cars' broken down. " - the list goes on.
i am still waiting for the list of reactions to include a "hey, thanks man (any hindi dialect would do for me really)"

maniacal action #2: greet the other person.
yes, you heard me right again. "namaste bhaiyya, ram ram bhai sahab". for the average delhiite across economical status' - exchanging pleasantries is about
as pleasant as being shot point blank in the shin. monosyllables are the ethic here. so when i (quite whimsically i might add) go about greeting people and smiling and actually saying thank you....there is evoked an element of surprise. reactions are as you've obviously guessed : "is he out to cheat me?" "is this guy on drugs" "what the hell are you so happy for, did you just win the lottery" etc etc.
yesterday, i tipped the guy who gave me tea by an extra 2 rupees. not a big deal but certainly in the backlands of gurgaon scraping for any extra cash is a way of life. i swear i could have detected a smile.

its been painstaking but fun. somehow , somewhere, this fight (the good fight) will pay off. a long long way to go before there is actually a semblance of mutual respect for a fellow human being. i will have my bad days as well im sure, yet i
promise my reactions will be nothing more than a few foul swiss swear words muttered under my breath :) (im not really sure how to spell 'hure sheiz' - some help rob?)

yesterday was moving in day. arguments turned almost to aggression when the beds we got built didnt fit through the staircase up to our apartment. memories of ross shouting 'pivot, pivot!' had me smiling for not more than 2 seconds before i heard the worker remark " this is not going to work". yeah, i lost my cool. i did make the effort of 3 rounds to the guys shop, explaining the narrow path up to the first and
second floors. i did. stay cool dhruv. i did. went back to his shop, picked up 3 more furniture builders, brought them back to the house and helped them lift immensely heavy double beds up 4 flights of stairs. yeah, i helped too. for those who know me, you're well aware that im good at brisk (basically 5 minutes) physical activity after which im more than ready to be lowered onto a couch of choice, beverage in hand. not this time. huffing and puffing (interspersed with negotiations with our downstairs neighbour who happens to be an elderly, semi-cantacerous gentleman with a not-too enthusiastic view of young men shifting in the apartment above him. i shudder to think if i told him girls might come over) , we got the job done. nothing like manly labour to bring 2 warring parties together. the young kid tells me that he's never witnessed anyone helping out in the way i did and he's sorry for the way they behaved earlier.
i look at him, slip an extra 50 bucks into his hand and tell him to grab some cokes for his buddies and himself. i slept well
on the bed i helped carry up last night.

all is right with the world once again. we can be civil...i mean who else do we have on this planet but our fellow man?

Posted by chitgo at 7/04/2006 03:39:00 PM | Permalink | Comments   

yup, the working week is back. shifting into the new apartment was fairly successful and as with all new abodes certain 'cracks' in the wall emerge. Remedy situation underway.

more updates in the coming days...
over and out.

Posted by chitgo at 7/04/2006 08:34:00 AM | Permalink | Comments   

first argentina.
then england.
then brazil.
sadness ensues.

only thing im hoping against hope for now is the possibility of india winning one frickin test match. windies are 40/3. please oh sporting god, let there be justice this night of nights.
please.

Posted by chitgo at 7/03/2006 12:11:00 AM | Permalink | Comments   

first of all, a lovely closing newsletter from @ in switzerland....

Dear friends,

it seems like yesterday when we started our term, full of energy, ideas, ready to rise AIESEC in Switzerland to another level together with you. Suddenly, it's time to say thank you and goodbye.

It's been a wonderful year. Thank you for working with us and being friends at the same time. You made our Swiss MC experience unforgettable and unique.

We are confident to leave AIESEC in Switzerland in capable hands, both on MC and LC level. We wish you a powerful experience on personal and professional level.

Good Luck,

your MC 2005/2006

PS: we will miss you!

--------------------------

and some awesome new blogs taking off which shall promise to be the storehouse of some amazing experiences:

- AIESEC in Switzerland:)
- AIESEC in Bern :)

good luck to you guys!..can't wait to hear of the cool things you do.

Posted by chitgo at 7/01/2006 03:45:00 AM | Permalink | Comments