Happy B'Day to me !!!!

"Happy birthday to me... Happy birthday to meeeeeeeee"

That was 20 days back though, but doesn't matter, its a Bday I will cherish for ever like last 2 Bdays :D :D Every time I think "This is the BEST a Bday can get" n BANG the next Bday is even better.

2 years back:
Smuggled out of the hostel.... Blindfolded at midnight on a bike in full speed... Tripsy... Blindfold opens... A familiar looking place, decorated wid balloons n candles n all Idiots(read friends) grinning... "wats this place?? looks like... err..." ..... OH SHIT.... The Pyramid Megastore's outer landscape, one of ma fav hangout places then..... Wow, how did they manage?? CRAZY ppl... (Murli had used her communication skills to persuade the watchman to let us do so....) Skills.... Shift of place... Z- Bridge... 1 AM.... Laughter.. Euphoria... Madness... Gifts... Singing... All the ppl I want around.... :D :D

Couldn't get better I thought.... PROVEN WRONG...

1 year back:
Hostel room... "why am I not being taken out...Its almost 12!!!".... Damn looks like no plans :( Sudden blast.... Everyone in hostel at midnight... "how did they get in???".... Shhhhh... Matron may come... Wat the heck... let her come, I'm past cloud 9.... Gifts lined up... Opening begins at 2AM.... ends after 5 AM.... Letters... Hand made gifts... Cartoon strips.... Mugs... Books (pages missing :P)... IPOD... Small pictorial biography... like that was not enough.... A hand made BAND... Lotta pics... Crazy dances n non stop chats... Exams coming up in 5 days.... Absolute unadulterated FUN... aaah how I miss it!!!!

THIS yr:
Too many things changed after college... Bdays were no more celebrated like 'Festivals' :P Not cos the emotions had died but time restrained us... I had no big expectations for my Bday, just wished the ppl who matter be around. But Mr. God has decided to become a good guy :P [Well, I have always cribbed bout Him in all my previous posts and I guess as He can't 'comment', he decided to "Act"] The news of training in the US broke somewhere in May... Dates were negotiated... As soon as possible... 6 months... no no 6 weeks... Late July... Mid May.. Some other work... 31st May FINAL... NO... Just a day short of getting to celebrate my Bday wid Friends... But then the opportunity of landing in US ON my BIG day... 31st May tickets not available :D :D... Final tickets booked for 1st of JUNE... My Bday.... So I was gonna take off on my BIRTHDAY... Double celebrations... Packing... Shopping.. Bday plans.. Office formalities.. Crunched for time... Friends coming from all over... House full of shopping bags... Hugs... All the best-s... Make the most of it... Big day huh... U made it on ya Bday buddy... Lucky eh.... Wow!! Felt great... Books n loads of books (as gifts)... All smiles... Apprehension of leaving... Excitement of flying... Hint of pensiveness on going away... MIDNIGHT.... Happy Bday to me.... :D :D.... Cakes, candles, chocolates.... Suddenly away from the scene of action and watching it like a Third person... Feeling TRULY lucky to have what I have... Feeling blessed and overjoyed...

Phew... That was a short nostalgic trip to the last 3 Bdays... Hope this unbelievable joyride continues and I'm sure it will.... :)

20 before 30

Well staying alone in US is giving me lotta time for self dialogue. I came up with this (yet another) list of the stuff I wanna do before I turn the frightful 30 (not in a particular order). I wanted it to be "30 before 30", but din wanna write anything for the heck of it, so here it comes..... 20 before 30....

I will need a lotta help on the way... so stick around guys....

1) Run my own NGO in Rural Supply Chain or Education - Non Profit
2) Start a Branding/Advertising firm or a Service providing website - Profit :P
3) Go to the best B-School.... On scholarship of course :P
4) Complete IMDb top 250 list... Thanks to Sagar will finish it very soon :D
5) Read at least 250 books.
6) Own a chain of coffee cum book store... The best in India.
7) Direct a movie and script it too.. Well this might go a lil beyond 30
8.) Write a book
9) Have a Website of my own which is updated regularly.
10) Learn dancing... Singing is outta question so dancing.. at least 1 performing art.
11) Learn to play a musical instrument and perform with a band, Drums lessons to resume soon .
12) Learn swimming and do all water sports :D :D
13) Learn to play Tennis (Had initial courses at Fargo :P)
14) Run a full Marathon and keep doing it every year 13)Watch Tennis Grand Slams, Cricket World Cup, F1 race, Football Finals :D :D
15) Learn a Foreign language
16) Build a school... At my native village or some village.... Ruju, you will be there na???
17) Complete at least 5 treks every year.
18) Go backpacking to Europe w/o a plan
19) Make as many blog/net friends as possible. Continue hanging out with my friends every day and stay insane :D :D
20) Get well recognised in whatever I finally settle down to do.

P.S: My Bday updates n US travel coming up shortly...Its under construction....