खिडकी

आज संदीप खरेच्या कवितेतल्या या दोन ओळी अगदी माझ्या मनातल्या भावना व्यक्त करतायत!!

इथे दूर देशी माझ्या सुन्या खिडकीच्या पाशी..
धरे सर काचभर तडा!!

खरंच..खिडकी..मला माझी खिडकी फार फार आवडायची..
माझ्या रूम मधल्या खिडकीतून सुंदर चाफ्याचं झाड दिसायचं..
पौर्णिमेच्या रात्री त्या फुलांवर पसरलेला चंद्रप्रकाश!!
काय सुंदर दिसायचं सगळं..

खिडकी..जग दाखवणारी..
मनाची असेल किंवा घराची..

आज खिडकी वेगळी आहे समोर..
पण आकाश मात्र तेच आहे..
दिसत नसेल चाफ्याचं झाड समोर..
पण त्याचा वास अजून मनात दरवळत आहे..

याच खिडकीत स्वप्नं पहिली..
काही पूर्ण झाली तर काही..
याच खिडकीतून उडणारे पक्षी पहिले..
पडणारे पतंग सुद्धा इथूनच दिसले..

याच खिडकीत कित्येक प्रश्न पडले..
उत्तरं शोधत किती तास घालवले..
काही उत्तर मिळत गेली..
तर काही प्रश्न गुंतत गेले..

बाहेर तर जग पाहिलंच या खिडकीतून
पण मनात सुद्धा इथेच डोकावलं..
हरवलेल्या गोष्टी शोधता शोधता..
सगळं काही इथेच सापडलं..

खरंच आज खिडकी तर आहे इथे पण ते चाफ्याचं झाड मात्र नाहीये..

Damsels in Distress

                 What an adventurous day we had!! We can not forget this day..This is the glorious day when my dear friend decided to get married!! This is the day when w e roamed around Dallas, Irving, Lovefield airport and whatever you can think of!! This is the day when we just trusted on intuitions..This is the day when I actually said, "प्लीज भगवान जी अब तो हद पार हो चुकी है अब इस दिन में बहोत excitement हो गयी..बोरिंग बना दो जी इस दिन को!!"

              आता अजून न ताणता आपण आजच्या दिवसाकडे येऊया!! So here we are, Sunday the 13th!! 13th OMG!! Now the morning was quiet usual..Tea and old hindi songs..As I am moving to another place, I went ahead and shifted some of my stuff..Now the adventure begins..Now the situation is we have to go to National to get Sonia's car. It is open till 4. We start at 2.45, half way through I just asked Sonia if she had her credit card!! Dear Ms Patil realized that she had left it back home..So we come back and pick it up..Then we try our best to find the National outlet but just can't! Thanks to google maps for the directions..we are lost now..Sunday afternoon..Downtown Dallas!! As the National outlet closes at 4, we decide to head towards LoveField Airport!! Dallas दर्शन!! The American Airlines Center..Place we have never been to!!
रणरणत्या या उन्हात आम्ही फिरतोय..Then finally we reach the LoveField Airport..There Sonia gets in and decides to rent a car from National..Dear god..Thanks a lot, I said in the car..But sometimes relief is a momentary phenomenon I guess!! Looks are soooo deceptive!! The good looking guy at the counter charged Sonia's credit card for ALAMO!! Really!! आणि आता त्या कार्डच लिमिट सुद्धा संपलंय..उद्या काका काकू येणार आहेत..काय करायचं आणि कसं ??

             काही दिवस खूप मजेशीर असतात त्यातलाच हा एक !! मग आता आम्ही घरी यायचं ठरवलं..

             एकदाचं घरी जाऊन चहा प्यावासा वाटतोय..पण पिक्चर अभी बाकी ही मेरे दोस्त!!

             थोडं पुढे आलो..आणि गाडीतून आवाज यायला लागले..आता हे काय नवीन म्हणून मी चुकीच्या लेन मधून गाडी कशीबशी, एका काकांचा कर्कश हॉर्न ऐकून बाहेर काढून पार्क केली..आणि जय हो!! गाडी बंद!! आता काय??

The new scene is me and sonia sitting on a footpath..आणि माझी आयुष्यभराची सगळी महत्वाची कागदपत्र!!

आता मला खरच हसू येतंय..आणि सगळ्यात महत्वाचं..हि गाडी बंद पडण्याची जागा..

We are at one of the best shopping places in Dallas..Highland Park Village!!

In the worst possible attire, we are at the Shoppers paradise..And look it starts raining!!

दिवसभराच्या कडक उन्हानंतर आम्ही फुटपाथ वर असताना पाउस!! नशिबाने माझ्याकडे जिथून गाडी घेतली त्यांचा 

कार्ड होतं..Pure luck!! आता त्यांनी फोने उचलला तर ना..खूप वेळाने त्यांनी फोन उचलला आणि मग towing van ची व्यवस्था केली..त्याला अजून तास दीड तास नक्की लागेल..आता मग काय करायचं? मग सोनिया गाडीजवळ थांबली आणि मी गेले कॉफी आणायला..

              सकाळपासून २ ब्रेड चे तुकडे खाल्ले होते..आता तर भूक सुद्धा मेली होती..I entered Highland Park village..It is super classy..Jimmy Choo, Escada, Five and Ten, Bang & Olufsen and what not..Amazing luxury shops..and I didn't even think of going in..My credit card is going to be happy for that..:) Finally reached starbucks..Got coffee and muffins..Good to go..Most importantly WATER..ये सोडा-शोडा सब अपनी जगह..पाणी का काम पाणी हि कर सकता है!!

              खरच जब वी मेट ची आठवण येत होती..मग मी गेले परत गाडीच्या इथे..

आम्ही खरच छान गप्पा मारल्या इथे बसून..आणि ठरवलं..It is time to take life second by second..Not month by month, day by day, minute by minute as we didn't know what adventure is in store for us next moment!!

The most important thing!! This day should be engraved in GOLD as my dearest friend finally finally decides to get married..देवा संकटांनी का होईना..लोकांना सुबुद्धी सुचते !! Yes! Now you know this is the where Sonia decides to get married..आता यंदा कर्तव्य आहे!! म्हणा जर २०१२ मध्ये सर्वनाश नाही झाला तर..:):):)

            Ohh..Back to our story..SO this towing truck..आजोबा आले एक towing truck घेऊन..मी इतनी प्लीस्ड किसीसे मिलकर नाही हुई ठी जितनी आज  आजोबा से मिलकर हुं...आता त्यांनी गाडी त्या ट्रक मध्ये लोड केली..माझ्या मनात धाकधूक..सगळं काचेचा सामान होतं ना त्यात..मग आम्ही दोघी त्या ट्रक च्या एका फ्रंट सीट वर बसलो..आणि सीट बेल्ट मध्ये पण मावलो..मी आणि सोनिया!! I know..Very hard to imagine!! आता घरी जायच्या रस्त्यात..आजोबांना बोर होऊ नये म्हणून आम्ही मध्ये मध्ये बोलत होतो त्यांच्याशी..पण खास काही नाही..ते फार जोरात गाडी चालवत होते..मला वाटतंय विसरले असावेत कि हा ट्रक आहे!! आम्ही  कसेबसे घरी आलो..गाडीतून सामान काढलं..आता माझा या घरी गरजेचं काहीही सामान नाही..उद्या घालायला कपडे पण नाहीत..मग साईसोबत आम्ही walmart मध्ये गेलो, माझ्यासाठी कपडे घ्यायला नाही

सोनियाला सामान घ्यायचं होतं..मग दुसऱ्या घरी जाऊन कपडे आणले..आता बास..आता भूक लागली आहे..घरी आलो आणि मग पिझ्झा मागवला..तो सुद्धा उशीराच आला..

              आणि आता मी झोपतीये..संपला आजचा दिवस!!संपला एकदाचा हा दिवस..आता उद्या काय होईल माहित नाही!!

वादळापूर्वीची ती भयाण शांतता..

जणू काही निसर्ग स्वतःचाच 

रुप एकदा न्याहाळतोय..शेवटच..

काळ-कुट्ट झालेलं आकाश 

भरून आलेलं आकाशाचं मन..

त्यात सगळं दाटलाय..

भावनांनी थैमान घातलंय..

आणि मग..तो क्षण..

होत्याच नव्हतं करणारा.. 

अनेकांचं आयुष्य बदलणारा..

वर्षानुवर्षांची मेहनत उध्वस्त करणारा..

अस्तित्वावरच प्रश्नचिन्ह आणणारा..

तो क्षण..आता मात्र भूतकाळात गेलेला..

आता जणू काही पहिल्यांदाच 

आकाश स्वच्छं दिसतंय..

ते काळे ढग दूर निघून गेलेत..

मन मोकळं करून आकाश शांत झालंय..

दमून गेलंय..निरभ्र आकाश..

एक नवीन उमेद देतंय..

पुन्हा एक नवीन सुरुवात करण्याची..

आकाशाच्या आरशात स्वताला पाहण्याची..

सर्वस्व गमावलं तरीही नवा डाव मांडण्याची..

Predictions..Speculations..

                  Computer Architecture on my Mind..I am currently working on my CompArch project..I really find this one really really interesting..It is all about predicting outcomes and increasing the speed..Isn't this human tendency?? I would really like to know my future before it actually comes and off course I want to do everything as fast as I can..The only difference is in the computer architecture course we are talking about microprocessors and here about life!!
                   Lets start with a simple example, I am leaving office..My mind is filled with calculations and prediction for the time I will reach home..Then I start considering parameters like speed limits, traffic, lights, roads etc etc etc and predict the destination time! How on earth am I going to enjoy the drive back home??
Similarly in computer architecture, we study how to increase the speed of computations and how to predict the outcome of operations without actually doing them..
                   I wish the predictions were easy and most importantly accurate!! There are different types of predictors(Now I am back to microprocessors..I wish I was talking about life.:):) ) For people who do not know much about this subject(including myself) lets try and make it simple..Lets stick to only branch predictors..These are the methods for deciding whether a branch will be taken or not..In simple terms it will decide whether I will or will not be doing a certain thing..
                    Lets start with the basic ones, "Static Predictors"..These are pretty dumb..They decide the direction of the branch even before the program starts executing!!These are like our attitudes, some of us start working on a project/goal by deciding they will/wont be able to complete it..We call them pessimists or optimists..
                   Then come the "Dynamic Predictors"..They predict the behavior by taking into account the last prediction of the same branch and all other branches..This is like the example we discussed about leaving office..We predict the time by considering all the situations we had been into..Generally we call them the "practical people"..A person who analyses the situation and then decides his/her course of action without getting emotionally attached to them..
                  There are five more types, but for now these two are good enough!!I hope someday we will achieve 98% efficiency in predicting life..:):). .Just kidding..Hope that doesn't ever happen..Otherwise the word  "surprise" will no longer be in the dictionary!!

Theory of Relativity!!

                    No no no, I am not talking about any one of the two theories(special relativity and general relativity for those of us who are ignorant of his great work) by Albert Einstein..It is my new found understanding about Life, problems, happiness everything!! I wont say that it occurred to me from no-where..It was there..Always there, but I never named it!!
                   So here it is..Everything in this life is relative..Lets start with a very simple example, height..People who have seen me won't(hopefully) say that I am short!!(FYI I am 5'7").. But in my family, my father, mother and my little sister all are taller than me..They all keep teasing me for being short!! They won't even let me talk in some matters just by saying, "ohhh sorry dear , this one is not for short people!!"      :(:(:(

                  Sometimes whenever I feel that I am in midst of very big problem/situation, I simply say to myself..हे ब्रह्मांड..त्यात एवढीशी आपली आकाशगंगा..त्यात एवढीशी आपली सूर्यमाला..त्यात अगदी छोटीशी हि पृथ्वी..त्यात फक्त एक त्रीतीयांश जमीन..त्यात कोट्यावधी लोक आणि पशु-पक्षी, झाडं-झुडूप, देश, युद्ध आणि बरंच काही..त्यात माझा जीव केवढा..आणि मग माझे प्रश्न कसे काय एवढे अवघड आणि प्रचंड मोठे असू शकतील ?? See Relativity helps!! There is a reason Einstein was extra-ordinary..The concept of relativity is way beyond our brains..The second aspect of relativity is comparing your problems with your own problems!! Confusing?? Just take all your problems and then you will know what matters and what not!!
                 Talking about problems..I am fortunate to meet different kind of people in my life..People whose problems range from getting the right shade of nail color to making sure that they say the right words so as to avoid public outrages!! (FYI : Getting the right shade of nail-color can be very difficult)All kinds of people..When you meet people, who are working full time/earning their masters degree/giving back to community/working in the city council/being in fantastic physical condition still very energetic and enthusiastic to talk to you, (I am talking about just one person who does all of this) you know that you can't complain being busy..Relativity helps..It assures that everything is just fine!!
                  Enough of problems now..Someone had rightly said, Life is too short to keep thinking about problems..Well I do not live in any ideal world, so I know there are problems but there are solutions as well..And everyone one of  us would find their own solution..For now lets just remember..
हे ब्रह्मांड..त्यात एवढीशी आपली आकाशगंगा..त्यात एवढीशी आपली सूर्यमाला..त्यात अगदी छोटीशी हि पृथ्वी..त्यात फक्त एक त्रीतीयांश जमीन..त्यात कोट्यावधी लोक आणि पशु-पक्षी, झाडं-झुडूप, देश, युद्ध आणि बरंच काही..त्यात माझा जीव केवढा!!

Titanic Revisited..

                 Yes Titanic it is!! The only differrence is the third dimension that was added to it..I wish I could see all my "all time favorite" movies on big screen..I missed moghul e azam, dev anands lastest release hum dono..I wish one day hum apake hain kaun comes back!! It will be so nice to see my favorites on big screen..I won't say Titanic is my all time favorite, but yes definitely it is one of my favorites!!Lets come back to movie a bit later..
                 Exactly 100 years ago on April 15th 1912, the Atlantic ocean witnessed one of the biggest tragedies in the history of the world. The ship of dreams "RMS Titanic" sank taking more than a thousand and half people to the bottom of the ocean. This was the first and unfortunately the last voyage of this giant ship.Everyone is well aware of the details about the ship as there have been many movies, documentaries, books about it..A lot has been discussed and seen about titanic. There have been debates about whether movies should or shouldn't be made based on tragedies, so lets not get into all those details..
             Back to the movie, I like the movie because the actors have done a wonderful job. The details are beautifully taken, it all looks very real..The description of the ship in the beginning, the characters of Jack and Rose, Rose's family,everything..Rose, a woman stuck in her life, knowing that there is no way out..Jack a free soul helping her find a way out..The proud designer of the ship, the captain..
                 The iceberg visible in Thomas Andrew's eyes, the end of Edward Smith, the captain.. Ruth's pain when she says , We're women, Our choices are never easy..The differences between classes..The statue of liberty in Fabrizio's eyes..the orchestra members, playing till the end..marvelous details..hats off to the director..everything looks so real..You are sinking, not in Atlantic ocean but in your own tears..Most importantly, it is the trust.The trust Rose had in Jack when she steps up that railing, the trust she has in him even when she knows they are sinking now..Her life, she lives for her last promise to Jack, I'll never let go Jack..It was easy for her to die, but she survives, for the promise..She whistles with all the energy she had just for the sake of that promise..She does everything Jack wanted to do..She fulfills his dreams..He is alive only inside her..This movie is really an excellent piece of work..No wonder they won 11 Oscars!! For me it was a wonderful experience, watching it on the big screen..

चिंब मी..

या अवेळी आलेल्या पावसात भिजून चिंब मी
या हिरव्यागार झाडाखाली अशी उभी चिंब मी

ओल्या ओल्या गार वाऱ्यावर झोकून देऊन चिंब मी
हिरव्या हिरव्या पानांची सळसळ आणि चिंब मी

मातीचा हा दरवळणारा सुंगध अनुभवत चिंब मी
वेळेचं भान कधीच  हरवून गेलेली चिंब मी

अजून थोडं भिजावं...पावसात भटकावं...
एकटच फिरावं..विचारांमध्ये रमाव...
हळूच हसावं थोडसं..आपल्याच जगात हरवावं..
चहा-भजी खावीत..जुनी गाणी ऐकावीत..
कोण जाणे हा पाउस..हि वेळ..हा सुगंध ..
आणि हि अशी मी..पुन्हा कधी एकत्र येतील..