Million Dollar Baby

Saw the movie Million Dollar Baby today and could not stop tears from rolling down my eyes. It definitely makes it the must-see-movies list. The most unforgettable scene is when Clint Eastwood tells Hilary Swank the meaning of the gaelic word Mo cuishle i.e. "My Darling, My Blood".

What a Journey !!!

I have completed 2 years in my professional life. And this journey has taught me a lot of invaluable lessons for life. The most important thing that I have realized is that its the people who make your journey even more special. Being with them, the good times turned even better and I was able to sail past through the bad times. Today we again stand at a point where in we have a lot of paths to choose from ! Lets hope that our bond still continues to be strong when we embark on our journey through these different paths ! I dedicate this song to all you amazing people who have taught me a lot of things right from Day zero of my training days !

Song : Kar Chalna Shuru tu
Movie : Ek Main Aur Ekk Tu

Music: Amit Trivedi
Lyrics: Amitabh Bhattacharya
Singers: Vishal Dadlani , Shilpa Rao



Jo hua hai woh hota hai
Jo hona hai woh hona hai
Jo tere bas mein baatein hain
Unhe khamakha kyun khona hai
Ho jitni bhi hain jitni bhi hain, umeedein leke
Jaayen kahan tak jaayen kahan tak, raaste dekhen
Kar chalna shuru tu
Mud ke na dekh tu
Jaise hain sahin hain
Ek main aur ekk tu

what has happened, happens,
what has to happen, has to happen,
the things that are there in your control
why should you lose them for nothing,
as much as there are, taking (all those) hopes,
how long do we go, the paths see..
you start walking
don't turn and look back,
we are good as we are,
you, and me..

Nazariya dono ka
Mile na mile
Kadar dono ko hai dono ki
Safar tay yeh karen, saath mein bhale hi
Alag hain manzilein dono ki
Tukda tukda dhoop ho
Chaahe chutki bhar ke chhaon bhi
Baraabari se baanTein ho zaroorat jo jis tarah ki

jitni bhi hai jitni bhi hai, koshishein leke
Jaayen kahan tak jaayen kahan tak, raaste dekhen

for both (of us)
whether attitudes match or not,
both value each other..
even if (we) travel on this journey together,
both have different destinations,
there be pieces of sunshine
and we want a pinch of shadow too,
and we divide equitably whatever the need is..

as much as as we can, taking tries,
how long do we go, the paths see..

Kar chalna shuru tu, shuru tu
Mudke naa dekh tu, naa dekh mudke naa dekh tu
Jaise hain sahin hain, sahin hain sahin hain
Ek main aur ekk tu, ek main aur ekk tu

Kar chalna shuru tu
Mud ke naa dekh tu
Jaise hain sahin hain
Ek main aur ekk tu
Ek main aur ekk tu

Jo socha hai kab hota hai
Yehi hamesha ka rona hai
Soche bin mil jaaye jo
Usse khamakha kyun khona hai
Hmm jitni mile jitni mile, raahatein leke
Jaayen kahan tak jaayen kahan tak, raaste dekhen

what we thought, rarely happens,
that's the sorrow always,
if we get something without thinking about it,
why do we have to lose it for no reason..
as much as as we can, taking the relief,
how long do we go, the paths see..

Revolution 2020 - Chetan Bhagat

I neither love nor hate Chetan Bhagat's books. But I certainly like his style of writing with his characteristic simple language and wry sense of humour which arises when he aptly describes situations and emotions which we all Indians go through in our everyday lives.

Revolution 2020 is packaged with all the usual ingredients which makes Chetan Bhagat the most widely read Indian author in Fiction category.

It is about 2 friends who prepare for the entrance exams to study at the IITs, who fall for the same girl, and the results of those competetive exams on their lives and the choices they make later about what they want to do in life.

For me the take away from this book is the admirable way in which the author describes the journey of an average Indian student and the problems plaguing the education system in India, without exagerrating and without becoming hyper-critical.

Verdict : 3.5/5

Read it for the accurate description for problems plaguing the Indian Education System.

What's in a Name ?

What's in a name ? Apparently a lot ! According to numerologists, it even influences your life ;)
Ok coming to the discussion of names, I cringe each time I see my blog's name "MY-FREE-THOUGHTS" in orange and that too bold :(

Way back in 2008, I was looking for something like "Random Thoughts", "Time Pass" etc etc but everything was taken up already and I did not have the patience to come up with new names or experiment with more names :(

So all you people making fun of my "free-thoughts ? are-there-paid-thoughts-as-well ?" blog, please be informed that the blog's name has been henceforth changed (though the url obviously will stick with the old name) and therefore no comments on the oldname will be entertained ;) !

Its Raining Sweets !

From Dussera, our house has been flooded with sweets. Everyone, right from acquaintances to close relatives, have never come empty handed in the last few weeks. At any point in time, there have been atleast 2 variety of sweets available right from the humble Kesari to the exoctic dry fruit varieties and Gullas. Keep It Coming People ! You all are Invited at all times ;) !

Not My Life ... ?

Did you know that by helping begging children, by buying products that are made by children, and by turning your faces away from child rag-pickers, that you are actually helping human trafficking and that it is a part of modern day slavery ?

I saw this documentary movie " Not My Life - Ending Modern Day Slavery " on CNN. Its about Modern day slavery in all its forms and variations. Its not just a problem existing in poor countries in Asia and Africa but in 190 countries(official figures) across the world including the USA and European countries. The movie tells us that its not just poverty which forces people to fall into this hell but a lot of other factors. Modern day slavery thrives today mainly because of the need for cheap labour, child soldiers and brothels.


The most disturbing scene in the documentary was this small hut/shack in Mumbai where
they found 25 girls hidden in a small room in enclosed spaces as small as 5*5 feet and in between false ceilings between the roof and the horrifying fact was that the ages of these girls ranged between 4 and 12 ! And they say in the documentary that the person who was responsible for finding and rescuing these children was killed in an accident within two weeks. There are many more such disturbing stories and incidents from Albania, Ghana, USA and Italy that is shown in the first part of this movie.

The director of this movie, Robert Bilheimer, clearly explains that many of us are not aware of how we indirectly help modern day slavery by thinking that we are not a part of it and hence we are not helping it to thrive.

And the film maker makes us realise that everyone is indirectly helping this slavery to exist. How many of us have helped children begging in the streets without realising that it is another form of human trafficking where children are forced to beg so that someone else can make money ?

How many of us realise that the food we eat or the clothes we wear or the crackers that we burst are often because of the labour of a child and therefore again helping in human trafficking ?


These children, after they attain a certain age, are again transferred from factories to brothels and again after a certain age back to slaving in factories. But usually these children do not live even up to 30 years of age beacause of various diseases, injuries that they get when working or because of the torture that is inflicted on them to make them work.

Did you know that in Albania, from a group of 30 children, 1 is randomly picked and burnt alive, just to show as an example to other children, the fate they will encounter if they try to run away ??

So what can we do to stop this ? How can we help ?

The first step is to understand the forms of human trafficking that exist in the world today and in what all forms it is projected.

Please go through this link and see the movie and facts about it -

http://thecnnfreedomproject.blogs.cnn.com/2011/10/16/director-we-can-change-the-world/

Once you see the movie and understand what modern day slavery is, you will surely find a way and do your bit in shrinking the size of this hell and pulling people and helping people out of it.

Please do not have the attitude of its "Not My Life" !

Enid Blyton !!

Yesterday, I found all my old storybooks and novels stacked up in a huge cardboard box in the attic. The books mainly consisted of Enid Blyton's Famous Five, Secret Seven, Malory Towers, The Five Find Outers and The Adventurous Four series. The sight of these books brought back a floodgate of memories of my childhood where books played a vital role.

It all started when Dad got me the Famous Five book - "Five Go Down to the Sea". It was during the summer holidays after 5th standard exams and unable to handle my tantrums at home for more Tinkles and Amar Chithra Kathas, he got me this book thinking that it would keep me quiet and busy atleast for a month (Since this book did not have cartoons and had around 200 pages he assumed I would be slow in finishing it). But thanks to Enid Blyton's skilled writing and simple language, I was able to understand and appreciate the story plot and loved the characters in them. The book kept me hooked and I finished the book in 2 days much to the dismay of my parents.

After reading this book, my parents dreaded taking me to any book store or mall or infact any place which had a bookstore in vicinity, because I always ended up with not less than 2 of Enid Blyton's books to buy. I still remember those days when I was oblivious to hunger, sleep and time when I started reading one of Enid's books. She used to bewitch her readers and take us into her world consisting of hot,buttery scones, lemonades, sandwiches, castles, treasure chests, picnics, dogs, friends, secret notes, maps, code words etc. Sigh ! Those were the days when you had no worries, no deadlines and you could just snuggle into a cozy corner and forget the world around you !

Thanks to you Enid, my dormant bookworm gene got triggered on and Thanks for sharing your world with us ! Thanks for making me a bookworm and for being an integral part of my childhood !