Wishing Sweta many many happy returns of the day!

Wishing you many many happy returns of the day!




Have fun and enjoy the day to fullest!

Cheers!

DEV D Rocks..

this movie really rocks...
i guess the best i saw in 2009 till now.
I have seen it twice in theatres...and would not mind watching once more:)
The songs are also amzing...Hats off to the person behind them..u surely would go a long way...a rehman in the making i would say.
My fav picks are all infact all the tracks..but to name a few
Payalia
Pardesi
Aankh Micholi
Duniya
Nayan Tarse

amazing thing abt them are the way they have been mixed..a touch of traditional music + rock....it definatley Rocks!!

The movie is really refreshing...the characters are very well chosen and they have lived upto it every moment..

Experience to remember..

well....it was a experience one has to remember for long..

I had to visit Rajahmundry for a presentation at my client's factory location.....all set and i reached Rajahmundry at around 4:30 am in the morning...though guest house arrangment had been made i felt it was too early to check in and hence decided to spend some time at the railway station it self..
I went to the guest house at around 6 am and got an warm welcome by the office boy...
He arranged tea in the room and i could not resist taking a nap seeing the bed right next to the A/C:)
i slept for some time and before that left an sms for my client( he was infact the CIO who had reached a day before to me) informing him that i had reached the place...

He called me ( and i woke up:) ) at around 9 am asking if i was ready for the meeting...10 am is that fine? i asked.
I got ready and had some time to grab breakfast....

ERP room was the venue for the meeting.

It was near the canteen and i walked towards it...a person came to escort me to the venue...
it was a royal treatment...amd i was felling happy to be here...

As i opened the door and entered the room...and discovered it to be a big hall and with huge projector screen...and some 50-60 odd people turning back to see me:)

The CIO was kind enough to rise and guided me towards the front end of the hall...

Presentation to be given to this audience? yes...
I was looking forward to it.. 25 years, 30 years was the average years of experience the people belonging to the audience carried in their respective domain...
I was introduced by the CIO to the audience and then i was handed over to the crowd...

to be continued...

Matheran....Revisited ( '09)

This time it was bit planned as compared to last year trip to Matheran...
After last year's experience...had decided that i would come back to Matheran for sure....
And as feb was in its 3rd week...decided that its now or a wait till later half of the year....
It had been quiet some time i had travelled...and the urge was getting stinger..

So finally the wait got over as i and my flatmate Thyaga set off to meet nature..
we took an AP Tourism bus from Huda Complex for Pune.....and were hoping to catch in worst case mumbai express departing pune at 9 am next morning...

But it was indeed worse than the worst case..as we reached pune by 9:30 am....and inspite of rushing to catch mumbai exp...we missed it by only a few minutes...

The next Train to Karjat was a passenger train from pune at arnd 10:45 am...hence we waited after having breakfast at Cum Sum @ pune Rlwy Station....as we had no other choice..

We reached Karjat in the afternoon and took a local train to nerul which was about 15 minutes journey from Karjat..

As you reach Nerul Station,you can catch an taxi and reach Matheran check post at Rs.50 per head.
there are taxi and accommodation booking near the station it self...you may also do advance booking..else book on the spot after climbing to the top..
most of the hotels and cottages offered on rent are priced for a package trip...3 days 2 nights etc....hence in case you are travelling only for a single night stay...just bargain..

This time we decided to book upon reaching the top...
we took an taxi to reach the check post....vehicles are not allowed beyond the check post....hence only means of transportation to reach on top is either walk, use the horse or the palki option....
there is a train that runs between matheran and Nerul...but the timing was not right and hence we did not have luck get a train ride..
But yes...we go to experience the climb...courtesy of our Taxi getting punctured before some 100 meters from the check post....


Man...this was an eye opener.....i realised the stamina level was pathetic and perhaps in the negative level...
truly there was a remarkable difference in the stamina level as compared to last year....

we decided to skip the horse and palki and decided to walk instead...not sure how many...but had to have numerous halt...to breathe...to drink water...before getting ready to climb the rest..

as you climb...or walk through the Jungle there are many other things that can interest you...
apart from the scenic...the Birds of the forest are also a key attraction....

To be continued..




Alexander Point








About Matheran:

Matheran was discovered by Hugh Malet in 1850. The British developed Matheran as a popular tourist resort.

At an elevation of around 800m (2,625 ft) above sea level Matheran is a hill station located about 100 km from Mumbai. Matheran literally means jungle on top. All vehicles (Except emergency vehicles) are banned here.

The only modes of transport are on Horseback, by man-pulled rickshaw, or on foot. Every one living in cities needs this sort of change once in a while.

Old British-style architecture has been preserved in Matheran and most structures are now heritage structures.

Matheran has been declared an eco sensitive region by the Union Environment Ministry (GoI).