This is it....

THIS makes me happy...really really happy....!!

Circulate...share..post...blog...do whatever...let the world know that I have clicked this...! :)

Well...comments plz...before anything else...

~a

NY...finally...

Here is it...

http://picasaweb.google.com/warikoo/NYTripMay08

~a

Dubai

My exploits over a lonely weekend..!! :)

Dubai Mar 2008

Choki Dhani

Visited the place in Feb. Fantastic weekend getaway for Delhi. But it would be best to go there for 2 nights instead of just 1. We felt it was a little tiring to attempt a sat/sun escapade...!

some exploits
http://picasaweb.google.com/warikoo/ChokiDhaniFeb2008

enjoy

~a

Am back....

In Dubai for a week....the place hasnt changed much...but the feeling is so great...! I personally didnt think that I get attached to places...(it is people alone, used to be my explanation)...but I guess things are not so....

Great to be back...

PS: I know I was supposed to write 10 posts in the last month...and yeah...i hvnt written any. But lots to share...coming up right away...

Mornings with Sunday - Part 3

Mornings with Sundays continues...we went to the Lotus Temple on Jan 27. Have been there multiple times before...and though it doesnt really offer a whole lot of photography opportunities...it was still a pretty good spend of time...
Also, clicked some really impromtu snaps of Pihu and Sarthak - Ruchi's Neice and Nephew...they have come out decently well...do let me know how you find them...!
Check out www.picasaweb.google.com/warikoo

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life hasnt been life of late...the project is killing...late hours...lack of sleep...i think my hair is graying faster than before...am not putting on weight as easily...have started to dislike paneer tikka...even pineapple has lost its charm...

anyways...the module is coming to an end...so lets see what shapes up after that...

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Planning on the TV Campaign for SecondShaadi from Feb 15th..so really looking forward to that...its quite exciting to see your product come live on TV...! We are also working towards our new product scheduled for a beta launch in April. Quite a challenging exercise...keeping our minds decently busy all along...!

Baaki sab mast hain...life is good...

~a

Project Departure

At the airport...right in front of the departure screen

Capturing faces...staring at the screen...

great time...

http://picasaweb.google.com/warikoo/ProjectDeparture

~a

Mornings with Sunday - Part 1

So consulting is taking its toll...i just had a straight 40-hr stint at work last week....40 straight hours...nothing gay abt tht....no bath...no brushing teeth...no (yes..) shitting...and yeah...just 40 straight hrs infront of the laptop....

this project has been tight...plus it sucks to be away from home...yet continue to pay the friggin bills!...

so...to have more time by ourselves...R and I have decided on something that I call...

"Mornings with Sunday"

Every (ar atleast every other) Sunday, we will pick up a destination...wherever we are...and scan that place. largely monuments, maybe temples...(though i doubt she would go..)...maybe parks...whatever..! the idea being...

1. we get to spend time by ourselves...away from cellphones and people who call up and ask "sir do you require a personal loan"...and i reply.."yes yes...thank god you called...i need a crore in the next 2 hrs"..."sorry wrong number, sir"...!

2. i get to click the place...which is oh so relaxing...

3. she gets to do her morning walk...and scan new places...


So...its been 2 weeks since we have been doing so...and the first visit was to Surajkund. The preps for the craft mela were on...so part of that has been captured...! lovely experience...

I share the snaps

http://picasaweb.google.com/warikoo/MorningsWithSundayJan06Surajkund

Enjoy

~a

Mornings with Sunday - Part 2

This time it was the Tughlakabad Fort

Here are the captures
http://picasaweb.google.com/warikoo/MorningsWithSundayJan13TuglakabadFort

Enjoy

~a

Hold on....

Again on our way to Koh tao...

~a

Beauty Breeze

Taken on the cruise boat that took us to Koh Tao. Love this for some reason....or probably I know the reason...!!

~a

Srinagar...chak de...and 203...

went for a fantastic vacation to srinagar (after 20 years) with family...from the 15-19 of August.

some memories from the place...

http://picasaweb.google.com/warikoo/JKTripAug2007
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during my recent engagement, there was a time when we were trying to understand the film business in India. typically the first response of anyone would be...its a gamble...no one really knows what will work. which seems obvious....i mean cmon...Himes bhaiya kicked everyone's ass with his debut...and no one has ever attempted a murder attack on bappi lahiri...and ofcourse...KJo (or karan johar for the straight population) still thinks that KANK was his best attempt at maturity...!!

so yeah....at first glance...the industry seems to be not driven by any logic...! what works...what wil work...no one knows...so people jst continue making films in the hope of that pot of luck...

but then...being consultants...with the word anal used as a prefix....it didnt make sense..! a frggin USD 2Bn industry...running on zero logic...! is there no way to ensure atleast a high probability...

and thats when the last week...threw the answer...

last sunday...i watched Chak De
yesterday...i watched Victoria No. 203...

and the difference....wow..!!


Chak De India

i admit...for the first time...SRK wasnt himself. people said that it was the same in Swades too...but frankly i didnt see it. The movie completely rested on him...and he had his moments of 'pulling back his free flowing hair in the midst of a storm'...! i mean...why the f does he need to run all the way upto the water tank...take off his shirt...and plunge into it to discover that the opening had been choked..there were fifty friggin people standing next to the tank...and all with their shirts off already...! lekin nahi...main to SRK hoon...main hoon naa...

anyways..so yeah...the first time that he wasnt himself. the story was simple...yet unique and powerful. and the director did full justice to it. each and every shot was there for a purpose...the editing was crisp...and we didnt get to see too much of SRK..! the girsl were ofcourse...yes yes...preeti sabharwal included...awesome. komal chautala was an absolute gem...

ofcourse SRK had to piss me off at some point of time...but surprisingly that come through in the movie. rather in an interview...where Mr Khan states...
"the movie required me to wear a beard all the time. it was really stressful for me"
we understand Mr. Khan...we totally do....! not only would the beard have ensured that KJo didnt come close to you for the entire period...it mst have been torturous for your fans to not see your dimple...and your oh so cute cheeks. we understand...

but the main point is...i loved the movie...every bit of it...! its those types whose DVD can be bought...and stored...maybe never watched...but you have that solace that its there...and you can watch it anytime...!

so there....a powerful production house...(YRF)...fantastic direction and editing...perfect placement of songs...powerful performances....and u have a winner..!

now you would want to believe that everyone knows this...but heck...no....


Victoria No. 203

And the best performance in a supporting role...goes to Dora's bra...!!! and you have to watch the movie to know what i am talking about...!

why...why on earth...would a woman agree for such a role..! money cudnt be jst it..!! but anyways...so this lady...with the screen name dora....apparently a ninja in the movie...steals these diamonds...but not before she decides to show the world her cleavage...all thru the robbery.

you know...i dont understand much of camera work and direction...!! but i sure know somethings that i am convinced everyone does as well....

1. when you rapel down a building....its NEVER...face down...
2. when the artist approaches the camera...and even comes within 12 inches of the camera...the camera shud ideally move back as well....

ofcourse...the reasons why the 2 didnt happen in the movie are obvious....even to women for a change..! in short...disgusting..!!

the movie apart from this....horrible. it had its share of good laughs...thanks to Om puri and Anupam Kher...who are masters in their field but were clearly made to underperform...! but overall...no concept of editing...no concept of song placement...or for that matter song lyrics...(imagine the actors trying to find the lock which fits the key they have...and they burst into a song on the road..."help me please...to find the locker...find the locker...help me please...")

and some actors were born to overact..! i think kamal sadanah is one of them...or maybe even heads that organization...! imagine producing the movie (its his production) and then sealing its fate by acting in it as well..! crap..!!

so there...another piece of garbage...
...almost twice the size of hollywood...and 1/10th in value...!!!


~a

crap...where did the month go....

no seriously...where did it jst go.

shit loads has happened in the last month...and each time i reached out the the laptop to blog about it...darn...forget it...how am i kiddin... i jst didnt feel like writing...thts it....! :)

____________________

Media and Entertainment totally sucked me in last month...work was awesome...and painful...long hrs...no social life...weekends jst went by trying to think of how i cud hv used them better....and weekdays jst didnt exist. as my Gtalk status once said..."its like pregnancy...lots of pain but you like what comes out in the end" (courtesy PM)

but tht was then. things changed last week....when we met the client...and he was like...superb...sold...very well done...why dont u start working on the vision now. think of something that has never been done before...

and we were like...WTF

now dont get me wrong...these vision-mission stuff are good...companies hv survived on them...and am sure bal thackeray had one too when he ordered his warriors to storm cafes in protest of orkut...! but after 6 weeks of high rigor...and market interviews and business modelling and what have yous...when one asks you to start thinking of vision...it sucks...

or in other words...the phase of 'intellectual masturbation'...begins...

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was reading a newspaper article on the environment day. if the screw up that we humans indulge in isnt enough...the paper had conducted a survey...with some startling results...

witness this...

Q. A shower for 5 mins consumes more water than a bucket of water

a certain section of society (naming them cud hv a bal thackeray lookalike run after me...and i am too young to die!) had 55% replying yes. which is good...! however...45% said no...! whattttttt?????? half the population in that particular area thinks that a bucket of water and a 5 min shower are equal..?????

i really hope that their showers are the ancient ones...u know th sorts wherein some shit dirt particle has blocked all but one pore in the shower..!

there is more...

Q. Brushing your teeth with running water consumes less than a litre of water

55% yes...45% no...and you know what. THE SAME FRIGGIN SECTION...!! what retards live in this world that believe this shit...and screw not jst their life but the rest of the world's too....and then if the government says that we are raisin water bills...go on a violent bandh....kill some people...and continue to bloody brush under running water..

____________________

but then the government is not the best either...

a hate community on orkut gives some bastardos the right to barge into cafes and destroy private property. and if that wasnt enough...the government sets up a committee to decide whether orkut should be banned or not..

why dont we do something simple. create a separate world for them. i know of some reclamation experts...who can easily recreate land on water. there is lots of space in the arabian ocean. lets jst build a sweet sexy world...where guys and girls are never together...15th feb comes right after the 13th...there is no internet and thus no hat communities...and oh...a news channel that always talks of the indian cricket team winning...so as to keep them under control. now that would work..

____________________

and hey you guys...tell me something...whenever you apply for a competitie examination...do you call yourself 'general' category...? how are you sure..? can you show me a certificate proving that you are general...! if not...i suggest that you pick up the nearest kerosene tank...and burn your neighbour's cycle. control dude control...the bus will be next...but jst practise before...!

everyone is fighting for a community status dude...i think we should too..!
what...what...national damage...? social inconvenience..? death...? dude...what are you...a moron..??? jst call some news chanels later and ask for an apology. over..!

and hey...if any news channels attempt to cover your violence...dont feel ashamed..! smile right in the face of the camera...

there...now u deserve the general status...jai hind..!

____________________

strange thing happened today...was on my way back home talking merrily on the phone...when the traffic cop stopped me. now...i admit...my car is a traffic cop's dream come true. i always talk on the phone...(its a long story why i dont use a handsfree...but hey...am still a nice guy!)...hv dark tints...and play decently loud music.

and plus...i am an honest tax-paying citizen

so this guys stops me...and starts off...2K for cellphone...2K for tints and 1K for pollution certificate. am keeping ur RC...plz come and pay this at the traffic center within 15 days....

whooaaa....hold on mate...! so first...show me the fine sheet...tht states the amt...

he didnt hv tht...

ok...fine...i will trust u on the amt...and am ready to pay it right now. give me the receipt for tht and let go off my RC

no sir...cant do...u hv to pay at the center. we dont accept challans here. this is not haryana law. i will hv to keep ur RC.

give me the number of ur ACP traffic..will ask him abt this law.

dont hv...cant share...

show me ur ID card

haryana govt stopped issuing them in aug 2006...

which means that i too can wear the same shirt / trouser as urs and start collecting moolah...

what do u mean moolah...u think we are here to take a bribes something...

oh u r not...great...so either u take the entire challan right now and give me the receipt..or u jst get the big shit out of my car...

i wont...

fine...let me take you to the traffic headquarters there...we will discuss the matters there...

ok ok..leaving...but get these tints off in 2 days...


Conclusion:

1. Most of these guys...i was later told by a frnd...do not position themselves on the location they ought to be. which is why they dont have those challans books with them. So always ask for their ID...always ask for the challan...and plz use bribe as the last resort...not the preferred one..

2. I did commit a mistake...and i ought to have paid. but i didnt...! and i cudnt care less...because of the way he conducted himself...! dont if i am wrong here...comments invited...

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went to naukuchiatal for the weekend...fantastic lake place 25 kms frm Nainital in North India. stayed in an awesome private cottage...and had a much needed break.

here are some snaps...
http://www.flickr.com/photos/warikoo/sets/72157600321509929/

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will be back soon...surely within a month...

~a

the good part about not bloggin for a while...is that you get a feel of your fan following...!

...1 girl reminded me that i used to blog...
...my viewership has dropped 50%...
...i received 37 (yes...thats friggin THIRTY SEVEN...) anonymous comments...in a single day...and some 150 in the past month..."great site you have here...btw check some lesbians babes...and hey...while you are at it...hv u heard of viagra and turkey as a tourist destination...??"

i am actively considering selling my blog to google...!

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so my client was narrating his india trip the other day. went to mumbai for some business meetings and the first day was pretty tight with multiple appointments. the flight arrives at 8.30am and its only an hr to the first meeting. so DB tells the driver..."boss...drive as fast as you can...its crucial for him to reach in the next 45 mins..."

now you know how indian drivers are....either they drive at 40 and not an inch more....or if told otherwise...they forget that cars are made of materials that can crush humans....! see...here is my point....dhanno from sholay was the only friggin horse in that scene. so wouldnt have bumped into another...and crashed....and lost a leg...and her tail for life..! but mumbai....DUDE...! you drive at 60 only if you are on top of another driving at that speed..!

anyways...so this driver pays ample attention to the instructions...and makes his way through the traffic...! lo behold...he does manage to reach in time...

client is happy...impressed..! he calls DB and goes..."this guy was fantastic....! he took me through all these shortcuts and small roads...and heck..there was traffic...but hey...he managed perfectly.."

DB is clueless..."shortcuts...?? small roads..??" he talks to the driver...khuspus khuspus...and then comes back to client....

"ummm...well...those are the mumbai main roads...!!"

i rest my case...! arguments plz..???

________________

Dubai is inshallah coming to an end....! been a terrific time...! jst finished with a great piece of work...and its amazing how much one learns about an industry one was clueless about...jst 8 weeks back..!

________________

clicked this on the Delhi Metro sometime back. Really neat way of reminding the consumer who you are...
http://flickr.com/photos/warikoo/419890417/

another click...though unrelated...
http://flickr.com/photos/warikoo/419890368/

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life's good...in all dimensions..!

~a

issi shauk ka imtihaan zindagi hain...!!

..its the test of this desire...that's what life is...
- Zaaveda Zindagi (Movie: Anwar)

i agree with that...! life..at all times...at each point..is simply a test. a test of how strongly you desire something...how much are you willing to work towards it...a test...each and every point.

so...i sat down the other day...with the music on...! ofcourse..people who can see my gtalk know that nowadays i am on an overdose of urdu stuff. gone back to jagjit singh sorts. and then came atif aslam. friggin amazing stuff. fanstastic lyrics...most of them...and his energy is jst killin. i mean...he is so good...tht at times i wish i cud be this teenybopper...at his concert...shouting at the top of my lungs...atifffffffffff...almost tearing my top off..!!

anyways...

so i sat down the other day...!! and omg...HAVE YOU HEARD ATIF ASLAM...HE IS LIKE...OMGGGGG...

yeah...the othe day...! i was wondering..what are the things that i would work for..! what would life be testing me on...each and every point.

this was my list...


Photography

life...everyday...asks me this...

"u friggin ass..! at a time when you were earning $525 a month...u bought yourself a $750 camera..! you used to cook your own food everyday...because paneer outside used to cost more than milk and vinegar...(ofcourse my time had no value then. notice how i used 'then' to lead you into believing that it does hv any value now..!!)..! so what the f did u with it..! clicked some snaps..! made a moron show at the ISB talent night..! and yeah...never got down to practising..! u friggin ass...!"

i know what i want to do. i want to become angus moon. for those who dont know him...he was the exchange student to isb from UCT GSB, last year (read here). and a professional photographer. not before he earned his living as a consultant. and according to him...he earned much more as a photographer than he did as a consultant (ofcourse with my friggin package i will have to click rajnikanth naked to make up for it...although i do know that clicking bappi lahiri naked might fetch me more!). now thats what i want to do. i just want to leave my job one day...and pick up my camera. and jst go clicking for a yr.

balls..! will never get that courage..! life's a waste..!


Singing

yeah...thats true..! i hv always loved singing...although only 2 people hv heard me do so. only one survived. i do visit the other whenever i get the time..but the friggin asylum closes before my office ends.

i wanna learn singing. i want to sing the song i like...the way they shud be sung. and i want to believe that i did a good job. ofcourse i also know that anu malik thinks the same...so yeah...i also want the world to think i did a good job. which in turns means...i want to sing for an audience one day..!

let see if i pass this test...


Superman

my masi went to singapore right after her marriage. so when she finally came back to india after some 5 yrs...she was this genie...! with magical stuff...!! she had this thing called the VCR...! and this beauty of an invention named TV. and a certain video called Superman II.

each time i met her...which was like once a week or so...she used to make me watch it. without fail. till i reached the point wherein i visited her almost everyday...jst to watch it. the movie was my sholay..!! i knew each dialogue..(or atleast i thought..heck..i was in 3rd grade..and the movie was english!)...! ofcourse...growing up..it was easiest to blame masi for most of who i was..!!

hah..! i used to go to temples and pray to god...to make me superman. and i remember telling god...i promise i will use my pwers for the good..!! i am sure that used to be god's stand up comedy hour...!! he wud invite jesus and mohammad...and indra (if he was free from his boogie-woogie dance performances) to view me...and would go..."listen to this friggin ass...wants to become superman..he is too funny..!!"

but i want to become one...whats wrong with that. really..! i get a kick when i do somethng for someone...wthout the person knowing its me. he jst knows its someone..! it cud be anyone..! and thats superman for me. u hv the power...but never the identity. you dont exist...and yet you do..in the most powerful manner possible..! and its an addiction for me..! the 'overly involved' me..!

ofcourse...they stopped making red underwear...and my blue pants are not the best fitting. but i can manage..!



so there...u hv Mr. blue pants...who can friggin sing....and flies arnd with this camera. yup...that's me..!!

that's who i wanna be...


issi shauk ka intihaam zindagi hain...!

~a

Iconic..!!

a very unsual day for Dubai. rained for some 18 non-stop hours....and one cant imagine that this is a desert..! beautiful weather.

the iconic Burj al Arab, amidst clouds...

~a

Dubai Monsoon

from my hotel. the Burj Dubai in the background. when completed in end 2007, it shall be the world's tallest towers. at some 860 friggin meters and 180 storeys.
currently its at 86 storeys...and the clouds can already reach it...!!

~a

amoungst clouds...

a closer view of the Burj Dubai. stunning development...

~a

Madinat Jumeirah

madinat jumeirah is one of the prettiest malls i have visited. simply because its unique. just look at the image...one cant imagine that this is a mall..!! breathtaking interiors...a lot of work has gone into designing this masterpiece

the Burj in the background...

~a