Merry Christmas to all you folks...

heylooo all... surprise surprise... can't believe ur eyes?? :D
yeah, am back with a new post after quite a longgg time.. :)
Christmas is a nice occassion to kick start my blog journey again.....
Starting my journey back once more by Wishing You All Merry Christmas....

Its been three months since my last post... All the while I've been occupied with my work and lots of new changes in my life. One change which I guess most of you would be knowing is am in Canada now. Came here for my onsite assignment... and thts what has been keeping me busy alot.. A big change.. new place.. new people... new lifestyle... new project... new challenges...
But, all the while I've missed home n India alottt.. anyway, I'll reserve my comments of how I feel abt Canada and living here as an outsider... for another post... For now, I jus wanted to get myself back to my usual habit.

A big thank you... for all the ppl who have visited my blog all the while I was away and for all the ppl who have inquired my whereabouts... thanks alottt...

For now.. am signing off with one of my favourite lines by Robert Frost.. which keeps me going all the while..:)

The woods are lovely, dark and deep,
But I have promises to keep,
And miles to go before I sleep,
And miles to go before I sleep

a random update....

Hey guys.. Its been quite sometime since I updated... quite alot of things going on in my life... Anyway, taking things one at a time...

jus a random update....

• I had been to Bangalore Marathon 2006 with my friends last Sunday. We ran the Celebration run for 7kms.. It was great fun... We did it without having much trouble.. Next year probably we r planning for half marathon for 20kms.. lets plan n practice chandu n pv.. :)Sometime back I also did a crazy thing - cycling for 30kms.. :D jus for fun...




At the Bangalore Marathon - The Contenders :D

• My sis, bro-in-law and my cute li'l nephew have come from US. They are here for the past 3 weeks and will be leaving this weekend.. My nephew is very fond of Superman, Spiderman and
  Batman... For him, he is Superman and I'm the Spiderman.. when we play :D
  Spiderman is missin' Mary Jane :P
• Spent my Onam at home with them and also had been at home for 8 days in the past 2 weeks.. It was nice to spend Onam with the whole family together after quite some years..




Pookalam done at my house for Onam...

• As for cricket, Tendulkar has come back very well... Was fabulous to see his innings against the West Indies.. but now they've got their back against the walls.. would have to win both the games.. lets see...
• And Hockey World Cup was too gud. I would have been happy if India had lost against South Africa too... we would have been first from the last then :)) Its going to be too hard for us to shine in this sport again..
• Formula 1 is gonna be thrilling.... The last 3 races are gonna be really decisive as Schumi n Alonso are jus 2 points away from each other.. Am looking forward for the last 3 races... Lets hope Schumi retires with a Championship....
• And i've not seen Lage raho munnabhai yet :( All my friends have seen it without me :(( since I had gone home for most of the last week... I also want to see Ahista ahista and Pyar ke side effects... this one seems to be a fun flick.
• And the songs of Bas Ek Pal r toooo gud.. Have been listening to only these songs for the past 2 weeks.... Tere Bin is tooo gud and Atif delivers another Woh Lamhe type hit.. KK has also sung beautifully in other songs... All in all a very gud album
• Am looking forward to lots of things in the coming month... will update this space then..

Ending this post with a picture of a beautiful rainbow which we saw during the Bangalore marathon...

Isn't it Beautiful??

UPDATED: Legends do live forever - A tribute to Andre Agassi...

A tribute to Andre Agassi - The legend....
From an ardent fan....

Am writing this post jus minutes after Agassi's career ended with a third round loss in the US Open 2006 against Benjamin Becker.

Watching the match live, I could gather that this could be his last match, as he was struggling alot to even get to the ball. But still his love for the game egged him on n on... Atlast, he had to give it up once for all...

With tears in his eyes, he bid farewell to all the ppl there in the stadium...

"You have given me your shoulders to stand on to reach for my dreams, dreams I could never have reached without you.
Over the last 21 years, I have found you, and I will take you and the memory of you with me for the rest of my life."

The final few moments brought tears in my eyes as he blew kisses one final time to all the ppl there who have come to witness one of the greatest Tennis legends of all times...

Agassi's Achievements:
Andre Kirk Agassi
(born April 29, 1970, in Las Vegas, Nevada - US)

• One of the five male players to win all four grandslams in tennis.
• The first male player to win all four grandslams in different surfaces (Australian Open on Rebound Ace, the French Open on clay, Wimbledon on grass, and the US Open on hardcourts)
• He is also the only player in the open era to have won every Grand Slam singles title (8 Grandslams in all), the Masters (which is considered to be the fifth grandslam) , the Davis Cup (twice led the US team to Davis cup victory), and an Olympic gold medal(1996 Atlanta Olympics).

Agassi's professional tennis life is so different from any other player you would find.
He was a hippi-kind, a rebel when he came to the professional tennis in the late 80s. He made strong fashion statements, had a longgg hair and had a personality which many of the teenagers would love to have.
I saw his first grandslam Wimbledon 1992 victory live... It was a great match against Ivanisevic...

After winning a couple of grandslams, his form went down and ppl said that he would no longer be the same great player.
But, in came the reformed Agassi.. with clean shaven head.. and more appropriately a calm n cool head... :)
He proved all the critics wrong by winning more and more grandslams.. even in his early thirties... From a ranking of 141 , he came back to No.1 position again in the late 90s. Such was his determination... and he was always the crowds favourite....

As for his playing style, there is no player in this open era who can return a service as strong n accurate as Agassi.. His return of serves are considered to be the best.
Agassi always believed in playing from the baseline. He is never comfortable with the serve n volley kind of play. But still with his strong baseline play and heavy powerful hitting, he used to weary his opponents and win the matches in styles.

I must say there is one player currently who looks great to beat lots of records and who has a great allround play with a lethal backhand which will make you wonder if he were playing table tennis instead of tennis. He is none other than Roger Federer and I bet you all would have guessed it by now.

I would not do justice if I don't bring this point abt Agassi. His rivalry on court with Sampras (another legend) is considered to be one of the best..
Those matches are always special. I've seen most of their matches live and every match would be sooo special... Both players will give their heart out in those matches.

His personal life is another talking point among the fans. He was married to Brooke Shields (a famous Hollywood actress) for a couple of years before they got divorced.
Then, he dated and married Steffi Graf (a legend in women's tennis). They now have a son (Jaden Gil) and a daughter (Jaz Elle)

Agassi has come a long way to achieve all these. His love for tennis and his love for the people who support him is always evident...
Its true.... LEGENDS LIVE FOREVER... And Andre Agassi is one legend who'll always be there in ppl's heart.

Hail the legend... Long live Andre Agassi....

taggie tag....

A tag post.... tagged by Anjan....

I am thinking about • A treasure island... :P confused?? heheee...

I said • "I want to go home!!!"

I want • to go home and celebrate my Onam with my whole family.... play with my nephew...
btw, am leaving tomorrow evening to my native for the same...

I wish • to get hold of tht treasure island soon...

I hear • “Sab Bhula Kai.... - Call - A Pakistani band... ” on my earphones. Pls do listen to this song if u've not... its a beautiful song...

I wonder • If I'll get the ticket tomorrow to go home for Onam. Actually had got a ticket to go only till Coimbatore. But luckily today my friend said he has a ticket till Ernakulam. So, if I get that I'll get down at Thrissur :) so, hoping to get tht ticket tomorrow....

I regret • for not having booked my tickets earlier to go home for Onam... for having wasted so much time when I could have brought some meaning to my life...

I can’t • see injustice handed over to the poor n needy.. esply li'l children... somehow feel God is really unfair as he doesn't give each n every child an equal opportunity to play, study n grow like every normal person...

I am • simple... fun-loving... li'l sensitive... very friendly...

I dance • Dance is something which I dread alottt.. the last time I danced in a stage was way back in my fourth standard and tht too with a girl :))))
Otherwise, I dance (actually, jump alot :D) whenever I go for partying outside with friends... and also at home when I feel happy..

I sing • at home... :) singing is something which I like alot.. wanted to learn it in my childhood days.. but couldn't...

I need • to organise myself.... and try to do lots of things which I wish to...

I cry • when I feel lots of pain.... not the physical pain... the last time I felt tears in my eyes was when I saw the picture in rediff of a guy pushing a trolley of a couple of children who died in Lebanon due to bombing by Israel... I can't take such things...

I make • my own rules n break it myself too :D

I write • I rarely write nowadays.. its all typing :P When I write, its for probably signing some document...
In one way its gud.. cos when I write, I make sure(or rather happens) that whatever I write... it can be read by only the person who wrote it yeahhh.. its ME :D

I confuse • when I think alot abt why things are not happening the way I want.. :)

I miss • my school n college days alottt.. and I miss being at home with my parents... my sis, nephew.... my princess whom I see everyday in my dreams :P

I will • get my dreams into reality someday or the other...

I should try • not to be as lazy as I'm nowadays... :)

I tag • shama, ricky, jaya and nidhi - do take up this tag.. and to all those ppl who are willing too...

checking out the new beta blogger features..

hey guys.. if anyone of u using blogspot blogs, try out the new beta blogger... lots of new features like labeling ur posts, easy customizing, lots of changes... jus check out..
doing some experiments.. so, my blog will be half-baked :D for somedays.. till I complete the changes..
Was planning to write a post now when I landed on this beta thingy.. and now am completely into experimenting on tht ;)
so, postponed the blog post for tomorrow :D

Sights n sounds of Thiruvilwamala..

Life is so different nowadays.. Things have changed quite alot... I seem to have very less amount of time nowadays to update my blog and also read all my friends blogs.. but, I don't want to let this blog die. This blog has given me sooo many things.. It has given me lots of confidence... It has also given me some very good friends who have made a lot of difference in my life.. I'll always be thankful for the person or group of ppl who found this concept called blogging....
Am late in wishing.. but let me wish you all...
Happy Friendship Day... to all my friends out there...

I had written in my prev post that I would be going to my native with my friends.. and we all had a whale of a time at my native... :D
First day, we went to a dam nearby, played there.. had lots of fun... then went to the temples Parakkotu kavu bagavathi temple and Vilwadrinathan temple in the evening.
The second day, we got ready to go out when it started raining. We all got out of my house and played in the rain getting wet completely.. it was sooo gud.. And then, we got dressed up again n we went to a nearby small hill and spent lots of time there... then from there went to the Bharatha puzha (river) and played there in the waters for quite alot of time...
It would have been a different kind of experience for my friends... am glad that we all enjoyed alott..

Here are some of the snaps...
I've also complied a spl album containing some very good snaps of my native. You can see God's own country at its best.. :D
Check it out here..

Click here ---> Sights and sounds of my native...

This is my favourite snap tht we took in this trip... this was taken by the river side.. this is my wallpaper now...

This one taken on the way to the temple... PV trying to adjust his dhothi.. with some expert tips from my father.. :)) myself n chandu r marching forward without any problems :D

A beautiful pond near our temple

This is Bharatha Puzha(river).

Playing....

trip to native with my friends..

Seems the blogworld, atleast in India, is hit due to the ISPs blocking blogspot.com domain... I hope in another couple of days it'll be fine...

Ok guys n gals.. how have u been doing all these days. I have been absconding from the blogs arena time n again... The work am doing presently requires more attention... thts why am not able to devote enough time for my blogs.. hope I'll be back on track once I get my broadband connection at home....

Am all geared up for todays trip back to my native.. Even though its jus a weekend visit to my native, this time am taking some of my friends with me too... Thts the reason I said its gonna be a nice "trip" to my native.. :)
Chandu n pv are already having lots of plans.. they hv even got their dhoti's packed :)) Oh.. Gods own country is going to have a tough two days ahead.. :P

So, expect some kind of update after I return back.. :D
and yeah.. I still have one post pending abt the second part of our festival.. hope i get sometime to update regarding that one too.. Sorry for keeping you all waiting. Hope to catch u all at ur blogs soon.. byeeee n have a great weekend..

All Hail ITALY - The World Champions!!!

ITALY - World Champions 2006

There it is... atlast the Azzuris have proven to the world that they can be the best in the world :)

Yesterday's WC finals was a well-played game with some incidents too.
But, ultimately the Italians have come out on the top again... even if it was thro' penalties. I've never seen Italians converting all the 5 penalties for a longgg time.. I've been supporting them since the 1990 world cup when Schillachi(one of the best strikers in those days) and Walter Zenga(the then keeper, who was simply amazing) together put up a great performance but only got the third position for them.

But, you can't take away from the fact that they r the World Champions now and am soo proud of that. I was jumping out of joy y'day after the match was over...
But, one sad fact.... didn't expect Zidane to end his career in this manner. He is a great player and deserves all the accolades for his magical play... But, he too was honored with the Golden Ball award.. So, kind of a consolation for him too..
Some of the moments from the match.. Wanted to record it permanently.. so, here they are...

So, here it is... Hope you all enjoyed the match.. but am sure many of them were rooting for France to win it :P.... but its ITALY :D

hehee.. surprise surprise.. update :D

Ciao guys n gals.. how have u been doing??
Its been a long time... I know I owe some expanation for my sudden absence... but as I had mentioned in my previous post, I moved to a new project in my company which is keeping me fully occupied. But, am learning quite a lot of new stuffs... so, am very much happy and satisfied... only thing is that I don't get enough time nowadays to reply for mails or blog hopping, since its early stages of the project. As things settle down, I'll be more regular.

Ok... So, guess u all have been watching World Cup 2006....
And am sooo glad tht the team I support for - ITALY has reached the finals.

Here is the list of Blog friends n the teams they supported for.. We had some kind of fight going on in orkut, supporting n fighting for each others teams :) It was fun...

Myself - Italy and always Italy :)
Chandu - England
PV - Brazil
Ricky - Brazil
Anjan - Germany
Manpreet - Argentina
Shama n Nidhi - changing support based on which team has cool dudes in it :P heheee..

So, now among these.. Italy is the only team remaining, but I know they r the underdogs and all the others want France to win.. But, lets see... am not going to say out and right tht Italy will surely win. Their game is completely different... a strong defensive team which attacks all of a sudden.. gets a goal and settles to defend it for the rest of the game.

So, the big game ITALY Vs FRANCE on Sunday... Don't miss it guys....

Hi guys.. Thanks for the comments for my previous post. Sorry that I couldn't reply to those and also for not updating for soo long.. Haven't been reading any blogs too..

Its like a break for me away from all these...
Lots have happened in the past 2-3 weeks for me, that am still trying to cope up with all those.. it seems like my life has taken a complete "U" turn... :)
Some decisions play a vital role in our life and may be I took one which will shape my life into a better one.. lets see... time will answer all these...
Will take some more time for me to be regular with the blogs.... but I promise u i'll finish off the previous post, with a Part II coming soon :) atleast by next week..
Thanks for all of those who have been visiting my blog and waiting for the updates :) won't disappoint u all.. Will try to catch up on ur blogs too...

And before I end, hope u guys are catching up with World cup... Three cheers for the Italian team... have always supported them.. lets see how far they go...

Want to add one more... Did u guys get to watch the trailers of "Ahista Ahista". It looks sooo cool.. the lead pair, Abhay Deol n Soha Ali Khan, look very gud.. and I jus love the title track.... Did search in the web, but seems the music hasn't released.. Any idea guys?