I want this I want that! Day 1

I want this I want that, I want love, I want money I want a beautiful house, I want kids I want power, I want more of this and more of that.
I guess I'm the biggest beggar in town. All of my being is about wants....
Is there anything like the biggest donor, I think we should meet.
I never thought myself as greedy, it quite a revelation when you look inside, I still can't beleive this.

All this desires/wants certainly not a good thing, or is it?

I have never given a serious thought to my desires, never made any plans to go after them, have always been happy with what was served to me.
I guess it's time that I'm no longer happy with what was served to me, and I have to get what I want.
So Focus should be the key word and one should know what one wants, but what if the list is endless, is there a benchmark to my wants?

I guess the painful part is working on and doggedly identifying the wants, analyzing whether it's worth it, or do I really want it.

More on that later I guess...

This is a part of my self medit programme where I have confined myself to solitary self exploration, to know myself and probably come up with a blue print for life. ( what luxury, isn't it?)

Manoj

www.manojnayak.com

Please excuse the typo's as this message is sent from an iPhone.

Loading mentions Retweet

The purpose of this personal blog.

Loading mentions Retweet

Having Trouble Sleeping?

Recently Since a month, I am having trouble sleeping, I have never really had insomnia. I could go to sleep where and when required. I can sleep all day and night long. In fact I used to worry I suffer from some sleep disorder since I used to sleep a lot.

I am trying to analyse what has changed in my life that I have trouble sleeping, I usually sleep around 4 am, and then there are days where I go to Madhu mess (which opens at 4.30am) and have a sumptuous breakfast and then go to sleep at 6.30 am.

I try to all kinds of activities, to make use of this time which is like a bonus for a working from home guy like me.

·         I do all my filing of papers,letter, biils, making cheques.

·         Making a task list.

·         Make a website, just for a heck of it.

·         Dabble in some cooking at 2 am.

·          {Cooking is something which gives me immense pleasure, its like meditation with all the sights, aromas.( I should have been a cook instead of a stupid Engineer (like 3 idiots).My father thought that there is no other vocation besides engineer and doctor) God help the middle class! Of course he bought 3 mercs in his life time. If we can use that as a bench mark for success. I have bought 3 cars till now, but all low end vehicles. But I rather not measure myself by the cars I have bought. Ok I think  I just flaunted, fack!! }

·         Read a book (currently reading Blink by Malcolm Gladwell).

After some thought I think the only reason I cant sleep, is because maybe I am very depressed about the changes in my life. But again I am not sure, maybe its just because so many changes have taken place in the last 6 months, plus I don’t have a  job or business responsibility. I work on what I like to work, on my own set timelines. Sounds good. But why am I having trouble sleeping, isn’t 4 am a bit too late?

Ok leaving you with one of my favourite track by Corrine Bailey Rae Trouble Sleeping.

Also I will be  serving my own ads after each of my blog post. Please click on it J

Ad

Loading mentions Retweet

Thanking all people who helped me on my path to Awareness! and some music for Saturday Night.

What a Year 2009 has been. I have never been so consciously aware of myself. I can say well I lived 2009 in awareness, and have taken some decisions fearlessly. What a beautiful year!!

So let me start by thanking people, in case you are embarrassed by my public display of love, please let me know, I will take your name off.

1)      _______________________

2)      ______________________

3)      ______________________

Okay I was kidding. I would rather thank you all in person.

Yes, here is declaring that Im officially back from my sabbatical  and now on a work mode.(what’s the difference anyway?)

Leaving you with some of my favourite tracks, hope you enjoy your Saturday Night! Most of the good music in nowadays ihas been introduce by my dear friend Jai Talwar or by the RJ Malini who I follow on twitter.

1)      This is a Song by Corrine Bailey Rae Trouble Sleeping, love her voice and of course she is very attractive,

2)      Bob Dylan sings Lay lady Lay , cant get over the lyrics. Amazing ! My friend Jai has a book of poems by Bob Dylan.WOW!

3)      This a great and haunting tune On the Beach by Chris Rea

4)      This song was twitted by miss malini wonderful , warning if you listen to it, it will get stuck in your head, I can see Annu Malik copying this tune in 2010. Check Impossible by Daniel Merriweather

5)      Now this is the Super Duper HIT of 2009, check out this flash dance with Oprah watching awestruck , here you go I Got A Feeling – by Black eyed Peas

Loading mentions Retweet

Does Blogging about your personal life mean you are seeking attention? and Pasta in Basic tomato sauce.

• Yes I want to connect to strangers through my writing(if that's what I do), would it be necessarily be attention seeking?? 
• Yes i want to make new friends by sharing my experiences {of course no graphic details here}, is it still attention seeking??
• Trying to connect to people who are not your immedaiate freinds or relatives, is it still attention seeking??

             

Click here to download:

Does_Blogging_about_your_perso.zip (5958 KB)

Loading mentions Retweet

Friends,Airport and twitter is gay!

As you know I am on a mission to discover Bombay through this list here 100 things to do in Mumbai hence forth referred by the hashtag #100T2DM 

But sometimes (or always??) you plan something and you end up with something else, So I was planning to check out

Point no.53 Gape at famous residences: Shahrukh Khan's Mannat, Amitabh Bachhan's Jalsa

But i landed up a meeting a few friends and went along them to check out a Gig by a band called Airport. I loved the band, it was soft indi-rock genre, no where near international standards, but I thot they had melody. But a friend opined that the lyrics are good, but the band kinda.... anyways he also suggested that the name Hawai Adda would be more apt, (Raj Thakeray would prefer a Marathi name though) To each his own!

Check out a short clip of Airport performing at il terrazzo bar delitalia, Juhu. Also for more pics and a write on this band check out Miss Malini post on the same http://www.missmalini.com/2009/12/11/airport-fly-me-to-the-music/#more-10408

Also this friend made a interesting comment about Twitter he said Twitter is gay? not gay gay, but gay! " H thinks FB is cool though. His friend A remarked he gives Twitter a year and then it would go bust! ( Both of them are media professionals)

Interesting perspective, thought I should mention it.

Click here to download:

M4H00843.flv (2836 KB)

Loading mentions Retweet

How to cook Pasta in minutes

Pasta is the most convenient meal for me, I cook it at least once a week. I have 2 stereotype version which I make.Also my maid is missing in action(kiski nazar lag gayee hai). So I might be doing more cooking this week.

1. Pasta in cheesy white sauce(with lots of pepper).
2. Pasta in a tomato base which is ready available in any supermarket.

Here is my recipe, this doesn't take more than 10 mins, if you have the veggies all chopped, pasta boiled.
(I would appreciate some improvisation advise.)

Ingredients for Pasta in tomato sauce

Pasta(cooked in salt water) any make but i prefer the ones with more fiber.
assorted veggies chopped & cooked lightly.
Tomato base which is also called as a pasta sauce.(available off the shelf)
Olive oil preferably.
Red chilly powder.
Finely Chopped garlic
Soya Beans cooked. (you can replace it with shredded chicken)
( I have recently turned in to a social non-vegetarian, that means I will be eating non-veg food socially only :). )
Salt to taste.

Preparation.

Saute the finely chopped garlic(you can replace garlic with onion if you want), add the lightly cooked veggies and soya beans,saute for somewhile, add the pasta sauce and red chilly powderand little water if needed, cook it for 2 mins, add the cooked pasta, mix it well.

You are ready to serve! Enjoy!

                 

Click here to download:

How_to_cook_Pasta_in_minutes.zip (7564 KB)

Loading mentions Retweet

Get high on qawwali at Haji Ali-100 things to do in mumbai

Click here to download:

M4H00808.flv (18513 KB)

Yesterday I ticked of one more of the 101 things to do in mumbai list

I went straight to no.1 Get high on qawwali at Haji Ali

Haji Ali Dargah was a long time wish, I had never been there, I used to think only muslims need to go there.

The dargah is dilapidated, the experience here is disturbing, beggars rolling on the ground, litter all around the dargah and also inside the dargah, as there is a refreshment counter right inside. The Highlight I thought would be the qawwali which started just after the namaz, the quality of the qawwali was good, but they sang in a place which was again full of litter.
This is certainly not a place for Mall rats, this is the place which is frequented by people who go there like it is a picnic spot, the place is full of softdrink bottles,empty tetrapacks, the dustbins are overflowing and so are the people.
Check out the pics and video below,I would say worth a visit, but only once!

After that I thought I would keep the Hindu God happy also, so checked out the nearby Mahalaxmi Temple, which is very clean and where you don't have second thoughts walking barefoot.Pictures were not allowed so no pics.

After all that I went to the Thali place called Thakkar Bhojnalaya at Kalbhadevi. This place is air-conditioned and as soon as I entered I was dissapointed that here the Thali would be costing much more than my budget of Rs100.
The Thali cost me Rs200/- , but what a thali, there is nothing left to chance. I am not a foodie, but I can say this is the best Thali I have eaten till date, this place flaunts pics of celebrities eating at the joint and as well the Times Food award for the  best gujrati eating joint for 2007.

After nearly 100 kms on the bike for the last 2 days, my tush needs a bot of rest, i wish i had a bulllet, wait i want a Harley!

For some reason if you cant see the slideshow below pls click this link http://picasaweb.google.com/impemails.manoj/HajiAliDargah?authkey=Gv1sRgCIiyiqXYl6XWSw&feat=directlink

Loading mentions Retweet

Joshi Bhojnalaya-101 things to do in mumbai

If you have read my earlier post, you very well know that Iam on a sabbatical till Dec end. I have decided to use this month long sabbatical to explore mumbai in the nights. Nights cause I travel on my Karizma, and the heat is bearable, infact yesterday I found the weather very nice for a bike ride.
I am basically using this list created by Zishan, so I have 101 things to do in mumbai.

I start with point 82 Eat a Gujrati-Marwari thali at Friends Union Joshi club
in Kalbadevi located at
381/A Narrotatam Wadi,Ist floor,
Kalbadevi Road,Mumbai-2.
Tel : 22058089 or 9969261777.

I reached there at 9 sharp and ordered the thali, which cost whole of 90 Rs + 10Rs Tip. The thali was nice, nothing spectacular, wont impress you like the Rajdhani thali, but I think for a budget customer like me, it was just the one I wanted. Had a small chat with owners, 3 brothers who say its more than 60 years and they really don't remember, and were happy when i told them this establishment is listed in 101 things to do in mumbai by Zishan

After the heavy unlimited Thali it was too late to explore the Kalbhadevi area, so I went of to Marine Drive for a walk and checked out Bonjour India - a Indo-French festival , would recommend you to take your kids there,the theme is sustainabie future.it was a lovely experience walking along the marine drive and checking those fabulous pictures.

Disclaimer: Like most of things I stop midway, I look towards my readers for some encouragement. :D

                   

Click here to download:

Joshi_Bhojnalaya-101_things_to.zip (4293 KB)

Loading mentions Retweet

Have you ever snapped? I did!

Snap: To break suddenly with a brisk, sharp, cracking sound.

OR To give way abruptly under pressure or tension

This is the dictionary defintion of the word Snap.

Okay I snapped, I have snapped earlier too.But who doesnt?

Let me give some analogy here to explain exactly what snapping is.

1. When a child leaves the house and goes missing.The child has snapped.
2. If a wife decides to take matters in her own hands and calls it a day, she has snapped.
3. When a girl-friend tired of the assurances of her boyfriend about marriage decides she has had it enuf, and marries the next available guy. She has snapped.
4. If married couple suddenly decides not to sleep on the same bed, one of them has snapped for sure!

I wonder if one can predict these snaps, would save the world of so much pain.

The damage done by these snaps are severe and irreversible.These Snaps are like the big bang, indicating change, beginning or probably the end.

Honeslty I wished nobody including me snapped, and whats worse as Im getting older Im snapping more often?

So I have decided to take a sabbatical and check myself in an asylum for a brain tuneup, till 1st week of Jan 2010.Hopefully I will be blogging from there :)

Loading mentions Retweet