Happy Birthday Babbbyyyyyy :)

As I waited for her with roses in my hand,

A thousand thoughts crossed my mind,

The feeling of being with someone for the first time,

But as she came out, all the thoughts were left behind.

That beautiful smile, with those sparkling eyes,

I couldn't take my eyes of her,

I felt a chill down my spine, got cold hands n feet,

Although it was the mid of summer.

She has been a change in my life, a pleasant one,

The one who I am excited to see every time I wake up,

Someone whose smile and happiness matters the world to me,

and for it, anything I am ready to take up.

That night I would never forget,

In a candle lit room, I was down on one knee,

With a song on my lips and ring in my hand,

The expression on her face was priceless, I could see.

As I waited for her to speak up after my "will you",

I felt the same chill,

but it turned into a smile n then to a tear,

When the reply was "Yes I will".

I love her with all my heart and soul,

and we complete each other in every way,

Till the end of time, I wouldn't forget to express that,

She makes my life, and not just my day.

She came into my life like an angel,

Someone who made it more beautiful and worth,

And on this special day when she cuts the cake,

I thank God for giving her birth.

Happy Birthday Babbbyyy.. Hope you have a great birthday :)
(More surprises yet to come ;)

A Beautiful Story... !!!!

From the day he understood that word,

he was hopeful right from the beginning,

"Love" to him was just a beautiful word,

until she came in, and gave it a meaning.

He always knew what love was and how beautiful it is. He always thought he was in love, but a series of events that happened with them made him realize what love actually is. Just a casual recommendation by a friend, and he added her on facebook, never ever imagined what was going to follow after that. He had seen her profile picture once before (could not see more because of the privacy thing.. girls dont share the pictures with strangers hehe), and had actually thought "yea she is cute", but never had thought about adding her or talking to her.

Her entry in his life was unexpected,

something he had never thought,

she came in with all smiles and laugh,

along with her happiness she brought.

They started talking very often, over the chat, phone and skype. There wasn't a day where they would not talk, and they started liking talking to each other as their mental wavelengths match pretty well. And for him it was very important, that finally he found someone who actually understood what he meant to say. Whether its early morning or late nights, they did not miss a chance of talking to each other, so much so that they actually were sleep deprived for so many days. And then came the most beautiful phase, where they confessed that they like each other and where they explored and knew more about the other.

Knowing her was pure bliss,

Like her appearance, she was beautiful inside,

but the best thing about her was,

she was the one with the feminine pride.

If asked before, both of them would not have agreed on crazy silly bollywood movies saying that " someone somewhere is made for you ". But if you ask them right now, they would agree to it. All of a sudden songs started making sense, they could relate to them. Love was in the air. They complemented each other very well. He started dedicating songs, and he remembers the first one being Elvis Presley's "Wise men say, only fools rush in, But I can't help, falling in love with you". This was followed by a series of songs. With every compliment, she would blush, she would smile, and the smile would travel across the other side of the globe and make his day.

His quest for love had a meaning now,

Definitely, she was the one he was looking for,

He is grateful to her, and the heart within,

that he experienced this feeling, so beautiful, so pure.

He wishes her all the happiness in life, because she deserves it. They both feel blessed, feel lucky that they are going through this fascinating phase. They both wish and pray that this feeling never dies, and they would do anything it takes to keep it alive. As I said before, Love is always is something we all know. But when you go through that, it is the most enthralling experience.

He likes her more than theres water in the sea,

he is as mad as one can be,

And she is happy cuz she found him,

And I am lucky, cuz "he" is "me".

P.S- It was mentioned that he dedicated songs to her. Getting a bit more creative, he tried to make a small poem kind of a thing with a few of the songs.

Wise men say... only fools rush in...

but I trip n tumble and get Clumsy cuz m falling in love...

cuz when you smile, I dont know about the world,

But I definitely stop for a while.

To catch a grenade for ya, to do anything for ya..

cuz gal u r amazing just the way you are..

and I cant help falling in love with you..

and I cant see me loving nobody but you for all my life,

And I'll be there for you,

when the rain starts to pour, or just like before,

Cuz at the end of it, its gonna be me and you..

Happy Together.

Poem... after ages!!!!

I still remember that night,

with a bunch of red roses, I was standing on my knee,

looking into your eyes, reaching your heart,

I was as mad as one could be.

The warmth of your presence, the smile on your face,

I wish I could freeze the time for hours,days or week,

quietly but with all my heart, I read out a rhyme,

a small drop of tear rolled down my cheek.

Its because of you, I experienced the feeling of being selfless,

its because of you, I understood what the word "unconditional" meant,

through you, I felt the most beautiful thing called Love,

a feeling, an experience, a journey I would never repent.

I always used to dream one thing,

the dream of waking up next to you every day,

but not all the dreams turn to reality,

both of us carving our own different way.

Each and every moment spent with you, was a moment to cherish,

may it be the laughs, tears, smiles or pain,

you are not around, but the love is still there,

and I cannot wait to fall in it all over again.

*************************************************

Comments welcome!!!!

Chalta hai.....

Good Morning..

I woke up today and as usual after checking facebook (a habit which i hate) I opened the Times of India website and on the homepage there was this article titled "Lets celebrate a day in the life of India".

Please visit this links for more details- http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Lets-celebrate-a-day-in-the-life-of-India/articleshow/7415498.cms

I did not expect what I was about to read. Seeing the title I thought it would be something positive, something about our culture, festivals , or the growth India has seen in the past few years, about haow Indians have done good all over the world may it be in any field.

I open it and the first thing I read was "Cows on the expressway, people urinating and spitting.... blah blah blah", this is not how you celebrate a day in the life of India. The times of India has arranged a competition and asking for entries on topics like chaotic India, Jugaad India, Chalta hai India, etc etc.

Ok it is the fact and I dont deny it, these things happen in India, even after the economic growth India has seen, it only applies to a part of the crowd, there are still millions below poverty line. But as the most widely read newspaper in India, I dont expect them to come up with such things and arrange competitions on those. I understand that it is very important to look into our ownselves, point out mistakes and even laugh at it... nothing wrong in that. If TOI can arrange such eventss, why havent I seen a positive event that has been posted on TOI.

Our ex-president rightly said in one of his letters.. "the media is very negative".

There were thousands who shared it on FB and Twitter, and there were hundreds of comments on that article (thts what TOI wants, every hit takes them closer to the title of the most widely read news daily in India) some posted by "emotional Indians", some posted by people who thought practically n faced the truth and some posted by people who were swearing at Pakistan. WHY. Why do Indians have to get Pakistan into everything. Everything bad that happens in the country, and even if a Indian Muslim comments on it, they tell him to shut the fuck up and start the whole conversation about 26/11 and terrorism.

I was reading a article on one of my friends blog yesterday and she had the same thoughts as TOI but rather than asking for people to click pictures and jokes about it, she asked what could be done about the situation.

I am as optimistic as one can be and I also know how the Indian mentality works. There have been times when the whole nation has stood together, but why it has only been during the cricket matches, kargil war or 26/11, or injustice in someones murder case, why cant people stand for their rights and the way they want to see "India". Its not that the people are too lazy or they have the "chalta hai" attitude. They might be saying "chalta hai" on the outside, but on the inside everyone wants to see a change. But what can a single man do? His voice is never heard and it really doesnt matter what his inputs are. That is the whole reason the "aise hi chalta hai n chalta rahega" attitude comes from.

I know writing a few words on my blog wont make a difference... I know the way things are being practiced since years.. will continue to do so... My only concern is that "if you cannot do anything about it, dont do something that makes it more worse".

Chicago!!!! I miss........

Its been around 4 months now that I have left Chicago. And I miss it.... badly... Everyone says California is good.. weather is great blah blah.. but I feel Chicago is the best place I have been till today... and not just cuz of the city .. its the people in Chicago who make that place special.

Those 3 years in the university were amazing. Why do have to graduate.. why do have to grow up and get a job n face the real world.... at times it feels all bullshit... We dream of having a car, whn we have to travel by CTA in the freezing cold winters, we dream of having an appartment to ourselves when we stay between 4 others in a 1BHK, we dream of having money in our accounts n higher credit limits. But when we get all these.... one thing we miss are those days... where we used to eat only hashbrowns n frozen parathas for lunch, when we used to split bills equally and then ask each other "yaar tip kitni deni hai", fill $5 gas in car cuz we still hadnt got our off-campus pay, and 6 ppl sharing $45 booze on the house at V-live. Man I miss those days...

Master (Vibhor) , the one person who I miss the most from Chicago. It was like a default thing to see both of us together whnever we went out. May it be clubs, restaurants, movies. casinos, etc... gng to clubs.. gettin drunk and then the subway on 31st n halsted.... gng to samah and bars to watch games....
Everyday I wonder, why am I in such a place where I fall short of someone who could give me company... Master undoubtedly is one of the best companies u will ever find...

Khushi's food and her constant complaining about her lab, job etc etc... hehe.. i miss that too.. the long philosophical talks... or sometimes she gettin emotional and shedding a few tears... late night baskin n dunkin.... n obv her butter chicken a puff patty... i miss you......

Kanwardeep... Cheers bro.... i guess that enough to say hehe... long nights... long talks... long puffs of smoke... n alotttttttttttt of beers... the only scene that comes to my mind whn i think about him... one of the best person to be with and also the best person to sit and drink with.... Man i miss you and hopefully I shall soon be in NC !!!

Pooja... I consider myself lucky to have 2 frnds who are amazing cooks.. Khushi n Pooja... Doing garba randonly at home... makin me eat whn I got drunk.... Beer bottoms up... hehe... and just like the 6th member of 1204... thanks for everything.....

Zennnnnnnnnnn, beautiful smilee..... but constant questioning (tht inlcudes Divya too)... zero direction sense.... n continous laughing, n tht too silent.. u wont hear a sound from her mouth whn she is laughing... a good cook again.. specially chicken... miss those dinners at 1815... tabboooo... pictionary and seeing her gettin drunk.... lol...

Special mention to Patel.. although he is not here. .. i guess everyone miss him... n if u read this... B#$%h$d... u have to call everyone....

One more special mention is Bijal, for 3 reasons--- Firstly, I miss her, 2- She is a constant supporter of my writing n my blog... 3- She is gettin married in a few days.. Congratssssssssssss.... I miss you too......

There are many many more things and ppl I miss abt Chicago ... but these are the closest to my heart...

It is cuz of all of u guys that I wish so badly to be in Chicago, and I shall soon be there, no matter what.... (although I am thinking of skipping this winter) hehe............
Thanks all of the woderful time, those 3 years in Chicago and in 1204....

Love u all....

Me in 2004 :)

Ok guys after the longest time. This one is from the box.. I was going through all the poems I wrote ages back and I thought I should share like a couple of poems. You guys would think I am crazy but thats how I was. These were dated somewhere in 2004. So, yea like 6 years back hehe....

****************************************

I will love you,

Till my heart will beat,

Till I walk on my feet,

Till my eyes will cry,

Till my tears dry,

Till my ears hear,

even if it is not clear,

Till my fingers write,

Till my teeth bite,

till my mouth eats,

even the smallest of bits,

Till my hair grows,

and I stand on my toes,

And finally,

Till my death,

Until I take my last breath,

I'll always love you.

********************************

********************************

You can see it on my face,

You can see it in my eye,

You can see it in my truth,

You can see it in my lie.

You can see it in my speech,

You can see it in my talk,

You can see it in my run,

You can see it in my walk.

You can see it in my sit,

You can see it in my sleep,

You can see it in my laugh,

You can see it in my weep.

You can see it in my smile,

You can see it in my tear,

You can see it in my depression,

You can see it in my fear.

You can see it in my aim,

You can see it in my goal,

You can see it in my heart,

You can see it in my soul.

You can see it all around,

You can see it here and there,

My love for you is the only thing,

You can see each and every where.

***********************************

Comments welcome...

SMILE :-)

Hey guys... Please search “validation short movie” on youtube and see the first video. It’s a 16 min video, and its one of the most beautiful videos you would ever see. One of my friends asked me to watch it the other day and I found it amazing, I had a smile on my face after watching it.(Thanks Riddhi) . But it made me think a lot of things, about how we are, how we were and what has happened to us. Where have all the smiles gone??

I remember as a kid,
Even though our canvas shoes were soiled,
Our uniforms were stained,
Our hair was partitioned with lots of oil.

We still had a smile,
An unconditional, natural smile

We wear Armani suits, with Italian leather shoes,
Our wallets filled with cash and credit cards,
Driving the Benzes and BMWs,
Living the dream, for which we work hard.

But where has that smile gone,
That unconditional, natural smile

At a roadside restaurant, we used to meet,
And all it took was a single stem of rose,
We complimented her on her looks, hair, clothes,
That’s the only way we knew how to propose.

All we wanted is to see her smile.
That unconditional, natural smile

Love has altogether a different meaning now,
With a carat of solitaire embedded in white gold,
We use our minds, more than our hearts,
Breaking all the dreams and promises that we once told

What happened about her smile?
That unconditional, natural smile

We shared our tiffins during the breaks,
Sliced a piece of bread into two, for me and you,
Shared our pencils, erasers, sharpeners, etc
Did the homework for each other the night before it was due

We wanted to see our friends smile.
That unconditional, natural smile


We don’t share assignments anymore, study alone for exams,
We don’t help someone who actually is in need,
We run this race and want to win it no matter what,
What’s up with all this greed?

Where did your concern about their smile go?
That uncontional, natural smile.

We have come a long way guys……
To Toyotas and Hondas from Marutis and Tatas,
To Nikes and Pumas from Libertys and Batas

From Samosas and Chats to Burgers and Subs,
From Parks and Grounds to Discos and Pubs

To Restaurants and Hotels from Classes and Dorms,
To Jeans and Tops from the Blue and White Uniforms.

We actually have come a long way..
But in the course of the way we have got lost,
We run, run, run… run the race the world has set,
And if it carries on, we will surely exhaust.

Without realizing that we are forgetting the basics of life,
Happiness lies within, within yourself and the people around,
But we try searching it in the form of money and possessions,
Not knowing that there it would never be found.

Just try to make someone smile today,

It’s not about ME,
It’s all about WE.

Ek chotti si love story....NOT

Hello guys. Finally…… :)
Its been like the longest time that I have written and now a days I have started doubting my writing abilities. Its really sad that in spite of having at least a few people that follow what I write, I never take the pains to do so. Anyways, today I am gonna narrate a story, a very long story which I have made it short, but if I get good response, I would want to write a whole book on it. This is just a gist of it. Let’s see how good I bring across the story to you guys.

Since childhood, we have read thoughts and proverbs of great writers. It sounds so good when you read those. Every morning in the school, I used to read the thought of the day and felt that one could never be true. It just words and those would be rather tough to put into actions. But I have seen one come true, and which one was that???? For that you would have to read the whole story.

And yeah it is a love story, so lets name the gal Kareena and lets name the guy Shahid. I would keep adding characters as the story progresses. I have used such name to make it a lil bit funny and you could picture a proper scene in your head while you read this.

Dec 1998;
Shahid and Kareena used to live in the same building since childhood. Both of them had a crush on each other, they also don’t remember since when. Kareena used to wish, whenever she pressed the elevator button, that she would meet Shahid in the elevator and both of them could spend a few floors together, without saying anything. Just smiling. Shahid was also not less. He used to wait for Kareena, sitting in his balcony and as soon as he would see her, he would turn on the stereo system inside the room and sit with a guitar in his hand, pretending to play one. Such a beautiful time it is, when we are kids and we think we are in love and we try our best to impress the other person. So such sweet cute and kiddish gestures continued for a couple of years, until they reached their late teenage. It was probably the mid of 2001 when Shahid gathered all the courage he had, to ask out Kareena. Ask out Kareena for what? To ride her to the tuitions on the new bike he had bought J… but finally both of them confessed their love and attraction for each other and here starts one of the longest love stories that I have ever known.

The first couple of years were amazing. The other person was the world for them. If you had seen them, you would have wondered that are there any other people who are more in love with each other than both of them. They used to go for movies, asked for corner seats and hold hands while watching movies. They used to sit on the same side of the table when they went out to eat. They shared the same bottle, with two straws in it. And when the guy was asked to have the last sip, he said I don’t need need this, I already have you. They used to celebrate monthly anniversaryJ. Things like these continued and within a blink of an eye, they were celebrating their sixth annual anniversary. J Kareena had already graduated from school and she was about to leave for London for her higher studies. This was a very emotional and touchy moment for both of them. Never in their lives, there hadn’t been a time where they would not see other for a long period of time. It was not at all easy for them to part. But they had to. They had no other option.

A couple of days before Kareena was supposed to leave for London, both of them sat on the rocks by the sea, their sights stretching out through the horizons, sitting hand n hand, speechless. The silence spoke everything. They could feel the presence of each other. They could imagine their life complete with each other. They decided that they would get engaged once Kareena finished her studies. Both the families also knew about their relationship. It wasn’t a secret anymore. Kareena’s brother, Ranbir, was also Shahid’s friend by now and Kareena’s mom, lets just call her Maa also knew Shahid very well and they were more like friends.

Just when everything seems to be going right, something unexpected happens. I know you guys also might be sensing it, cuz everything was going so smooth, and that is not possible. There has to be hurdles, there has to be challenges. A few months after she came here, Shahid started acting weird. He started checking her mails, calls, etc. From the perfect boyfriend anyone could have, he started being over possessive and dominant, which was too much for Kareena to handle. Being away from home, from Maa, from friends added to the agony of Kareena, and it was not too late before the bubble busted and they decided to walk their own paths. It was heart breaking, for both of them. How could such a beautiful relation like that come to such an abrupt end? But it was the end and both of them had to realize it. Kareena was a lil slow in getting used to the fact that she was single again, after seven long years. It took her time, it took her courage, it took her tears and took her a lot of strength to get back up and now walk alone with no one around.

Let’s fast forward almost a year and half now. Life again got back to normal for both of them. Kareena studied in London and was working, made new friends, met new people. Shahid was in India, doing his own work. Both of them were on their ways. But the thought still bothered Kareena. She would have nightmares. She would wake up in the middle of the night. Things were not as easy as it would seem. On the other side of the globe, Shahid was still talking to Ranbir and also made it a point to regularly visit Maa. This was frustrating Kareena to the core, as both of them had stopped being in touch through any form, may it be calls, mails or texts.

But however good or bad the situation is, it changes. And for Kareena it was the same. On this very important stage of life, where she was done studying and wedding was on the cards, she met this guy in London called Saif. Both of them clicked instantly. It didn’t take them long to get acquainted to each other. They already knew each other from before, but they personally got to know each other in the summer of 2009. And it wasn’t even a couple of months that they were into a relationship and were thinking about engagement and wedding etc etc. Love was in the air again, the bells were ringing, the birds were chirping. It was one relationship that everyone including Kareena was excited about. But what was Shahid doing back in India. Was he dating someone?? Was he still waiting for Kareena?? No one knew his where abouts.

Kareena’s friend Abhisek always used to tell her that don’t you think this is going way too fast. He always said that the faster you rise, the more quickly you fall. And it was just a matter of time that it had to happen. Kareena left London to go back to Maa and Saif started showing his true colors. Why did this happen to her?? In both the times, why did the guys turn out to be like this as soon as distance came into the relationship? Kareena was not as broke as one would have thought after that. She was ok. May be cuz it wasn’t a long time that they were dating and good that it happened quickly.

She went back home, to the same building where Shahid lived. She wished not to confront him, trying to avoid. But one fine day, they landed up together in the elevator. The same scene was replayed, which Kareena always hoped would happen about 10 years ago. Both of them in the elevator, but no one uttered a word. It was weird. And as every Hindi movie, where mom plays a vital role, so did Maa play an important role here. She played the cupid. She told her certain things which Kareena never knew. Some stuff she absolutely had no idea of. Right after Kareena had left for London, Shahid saw that in this far away land, she was doing good, trying to focus on her career and so he did not wanna be a botheration in that. That was the reason he started acting weird and different, so that they could part off and she could not be constrained by the relationship and could strive for her dreams. That was something that she never imagined and could never think of. Shahid had a big heart. And this is what got both of them back together.

Today both of them are happy together. One of the longest love stories is on the tracks again, just that there was some interruption in between. But I am damn sure that after a hurdle like this, it will make the relationship more strong. Shahid took a chance, a very big risk. He could have easily lost her, had Saif known how to behave. This was not worth a chance to be taken. You don’t meet people daily who you fall in love with. He believed in the thought “If you love someone, let her free, if she comes back she was yours, else she never was”. And this did turn out to be true.

Present scenario:
Kareena – “I am very happy that I made the decision of coming back home. Although I miss London and my friend Tanaaz J, I am glad that Shahid is with me today. But this is not what Shahid does. Why does he always have to be like Shahrukh?”

Shahid- “ Maine Dance pe Chance maara, cuz Jab we met, to main uspe Fida ho gaya tha aur mujhe pata tha hum dono ka Vivah hone wala hai… yeh Ishq Vishq bhi bade Kaminey type ki cheez hai.. but at he end Mauja hi Mauja”

Saif-“Was I ever a part of it?? Chalo koi na, love aaj kal mein yeh sab chalta rehta hai. But real life mein aisa nahi hone wala ;)”

Ranbir- “Yeh hai Ajab prem ki gazab kahani, I have already woken up. But where is my Deepika?”

Maa-“Aakhir Maa ki mamta hi kaam aayi (sob sob), main to pehle se kehti thi key eh ladka heera hai heera, par meri sunta hi kaun hai. Beti chali gayi videsh, aur beta poore din chocolate boy bana ghoomta rehta hai, ab aap hi batao ek maa kya kare J”

Abhisek-“Bhai meri to Aish ho gayi, Adios readers, if this made u smile please drop a comment. Love you guys”

Nostalgia :(

From the last two years I have been listening songs of Rihanna, Taylor Swift, T Pain, Soulja Boy etc etc.... the list is endless... they have given some awesome songs which I have been hearing since the last couple of years... But just one song, one tune... "tara vina shyaam mane ekladu laage, raas ramvane vehlo aavje", makes me forget all the songs, makes me forgot the place I live in, makes me want to go back to the place where I can spend those nine nights as the best nights of the year. There is NOTHING, i wrote it in capitals cuz i mean it loud and clear, there is nothing than can beat it. Irrespective of the place you might be right now, a guy or a gal like me, who is a garba fanatic, would die to be home these 9 days.

I can still recall those moments in my head, n its not just a vague picture. Its very clear. Never was there a day when I was in Baroda and I missed doing garba. The garba there are amazing. Its colorful, vibrant, young, refreshing. Looks like a celebration, a celebration of Life. The enthusiasm is same all nine days. And its not just me but there are thousands of people like me. Trust me guys you can never see better garba anywhere else. I can bet anything on that.

Getting ready for garba, wearing dhotis n kurtas.... trying to match everything, and wear nine different outfits all nine days, I remember each and every thing. Picking up the girls from their places, getting stuck in the traffic lines for parking, calling people to arrange somehow for VIP parking, so that we could save on some time. Walking in the grounds, with thousands dancing around on the tunes, cuz we were never early to the garba, waiting for a fast number to be sung and then entering, dancing till the last beat. Man I miss those moments. And the same thing continues in the second half after the aarti. The dancing is more intense and vigorous now. People dance till they run out totally on their energy. The break time is also fun.. checking out the gals in pretty chaniya cholis, checking who has the maximum backless cholis hehehe... eating those orange candies, n papdi no lot... I can keep on writing about it... m gettin nostalgic...

This is the only time in the year when I think what am I doing here in the US. There is so much I miss being here. Such feelings come often but this season is when those feelings at its peak. There is nothing more I guess I can miss than not being in Baroda during Navratri... I wish, I really do to be in India during this time... God knows when will that happen.

I miss those moments, those fun times with my friends, dancing all night. The only thing I am left here with is the videos which I can see, thanks to youtube. And a couple of garba nights that I go, which aint fun at all, when c0mpared to the united way in Baroda. Going clubbing and grinding with unknown chicks aint fun, fun is what you feel when you dance in one tune with thousands of others. Listening to rap, hip hop aint fun, fun is listening to the tunes on which you cant wait to start dancing.

"Aee karshan bhagwaan halya.. dwarika ne kai.. lidho maniyara valo vesh... ke hove hove"... I miss it :(

GUJJU..... :)

Before I start writin, i should admit that I realise how lazy a person I am. The frequency of me posting has been decreasing day by day. Anyways I am sorry to people to like to read and up yours to guys who dont care... hehe.. .

The last few of my posts have been quite sad. There have been people who have cried reading it. If not no one I can assure Khushi would have cried.. hehe.. Anyways so no more sad time.. no more talking about the guys who have left Chicago.. Oh by that I just remembered that Ashiq has also left Chicago and is being missed.. So this post shall be dedicated to him.. And the best topic I could relate to him is GUJJU.
Yes guys, this post is going to be about Gujjus, the guys who belong from the land of food, food, food, and Narendra Modi.

A few people I have seen have that misconception that gujjus are stingy. Let me clarify that first. Making money, I mean a lot of money, and being stingy are two different things. Having a lot of money in you bank account doesnt mean that you keep saving and dont spend. Infact, it means that even after spending , you are saving so much.

New Jersey. I guess jsut writing that much is enough to make you smile. Its a part of Gujarat. I mean 9 out of 10 gujjus you ask, they would want to go to the US. They dont say the US. It is said as "States". And more than half come n settle in this sister concern state of Gujarat called New Jersey. I mean all a gujju thinks and works hard, when he is back home in India, is about how to reach the "states". All the time, money and energy if channeled somewhere else would make Gujarat a better place than New Jersey.

People get married to citizens, childs get adopted by uncles, some walk through the borders of Mexixo or Canada. For what? Some card they refer as "Green card". And what is that card for?? To do some labor job here in the US. But thats the story of a very small portion of the crowd. Even after working hard for years, gujjus here know what the finally want. It will be either a gas station, motel, subway, dunkin, convinient store, restaurant or a liquor store. The choices are limited. And its not limited because we dont venture anywhere else. Its because we only fall into businesses that will give you back huge profits.

The punchline of Dunkin Donuts is "America runs on Dunkin". I say "Dunkin runs on Gujjus". More than half of the countrys Dunkin are owned or operated by Gujjus. Just a quick glance at the reality. Of the 9 Motels here at the exit where I work, 6 of those are owned by Gujjus.

Anyways let me come to some eating habit of gujjus. I guess people in this world eat to live. And we gujjus, we live to eat. hehehe... The gujju ladies, married aunties, who are housewives, which most of them are. The only thing they do is cook cook cook. Before they go to sleep, they prepare everything for the next days lunch. Not to forget the huge dabbas filled with different snack items for breakfast, with "chai". Just as we guys finish having lunch, the first sentence we speak "chalo bav khavai gayu, ave thodu unghi jaiye". When translated this means "I have eaten a lot today, let me sleep for a bit". Trust me on this guys, the best of businesses remain closed in the afternoon in Gujarat for a simple reason- Afternoon sleep. We work less hours than you, but still make more money... hehehe... Around four in the afternoon-"bav bhookh laagi che, chalo vada paav mangavye".... translated version " I am hungry again, lets order some vada paav". And then dinner around 8. you guys must be thinking thats it.. No its not over yet... post dinner "chalo ice cream khava jaiye"..."come lets go eat ice cream". And than later at night people like me ashiq... start searching the fridge for left overs, for a simple reason, we cant just sit and watch TV... we always need something to munch on.. hehe... And the meals are not just one or two items in the plate, its like a lot of it... If gujjus stop eating, hunger from India will be gone hehehehe..

Let me take this opportunity to talk a lil bit about typical gujju dressing sense also. The generation which you see now is much better. But rewind a few years back, and you would see wierd dressing combination like formal trousers and sports shoes, Coloured tshirt and formal trousers, jeans and a collared shrt which is buttoned till the top, not to forget full sleeves not folded. Hair properly combed with partition. jeans and leather chappals.. not the flip flop kinds.. but the gandhi kinds hehehe... And believe me or not, we think we are the most happening hehehe... huge huge misconception. And gujju's way of speaking English is also the best. It the most hilarious accent you will ever listen to. Ever imagined a gujju speaking "yo wassup man, whats going on"... think about it.. you will laugh on it..hehehe...

How can forget to mention about a Gujju wedding. Its a celebration, a celebration for life. A gujju wedding is the best occasion you would ever see.. Its bright, its lively, its colorful, its happy. Irrespective of the fact that gujju females overdress themselves, it is one of the best things about the gujju culture. Its like a holiday, a four to five day program, with everyday showing you different colors of the gujju culture. And OMG.. gujju gals... they are beautiful. Its a saying in Gujarat "Never fall in love with someone during a wedding or Navratri".. this is because all the gujju gals loook hotttt with their backless cholis and elegant saaris. hehehe....

Anyways I have made a lot of fun about gujjus. Not to forget that I myself am a gujju. No matter what people may say, i believe that gujjus know how to live life to the fullest. Even after so many incidences like the earthquake, riots, flood, plague, etc etc.. Gujarat stands as the most developed state in the whole nation. From Australia to US, gujjus have been successful everywhere, and still have not seperated from the roots. A gujju will always remain a gujju no matter which place he goes. You would find a gujju in the most unexpected of places, cities, countries.. and there too he would be doing his business. Its in the blood. We dont need a MBA to do a business. Without any formal education, huge companies have been set up.

From Gandhi and Sardar Patel to Narenda Modi, great leaders have been born there. From Relaince and Nirma to Adani, great businesses have flourised there. Gujarat has developed and continues to. And this would not have been possible without the gujjus who you have been laughing on through out the whole post. We might eat more, we might dress different. Our accents might be funny. We might not have the knowledge of anything else other than the business we run. But at the end, all these qualities makes us what we are. And I can definitely say without a doubt, I am very proud to be a GUJJU.

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Comments welcome

Lovee...... Aavjo.. Jai shree krishna.... :)