I’ve done 50 posts on my tumblog in 6 months. Why? because it was much simpler, faster and hence efficient. Love the reblog feature, the themes. Yes, tumblr can’t beat wordpress at seo, but hey, that’s what social media comes in play.

So yes, this is it. Goodbye to WordPress.com. (Though still use the self-hosted version for TheTossedSalad.com)

Pune: Ever-growing foodie paradise

I just got back from My Name is Khan. No, this isn’t a movie review. It’s what I left with from the hall. And I hope everyone else did so. If you haven’t, recollect the film and then read ahead.

It might’ve been a just-another-muslim-not-terrorist movie from the Dharma band camp. I really don’t care how the direction, acting, music, etc was. Looking at the current situation of the world, I even don’t care about the autistic character and his intelligence. No offence there, but what I really care about are those lines Raziya Khan told her son.

When an innocent life dies, the entire humanity pays.

Rizwan’s determination to meet the President might’ve been hard to digest for most, so for that very reason, let’s remove the President from the scenario. What do we have left? The determination of one man. Irrespective of issues he might’ve faced, he went ahead. If we look at it, the autism brought a certain innocence in the character, that of a child; a child who wants to touch the sky, a child who only knows love. Maybe that’s what helped Rizwan reach his goal.

Why aren’t we able to make that same difference in our lives?

Because we are busy trying to support our so called lives, earn a livelihood and survive in the community of social animals.

Yesterday I was at a group meet in the city, and had a small discussion on what is a business and a startup, and in turn leading to who is a businessman and an entrepreneur. Everyone has their own perception. The net worth and market growth is used to draw the line between the two. I opine differently. It isn’t the risk factor either as I used to mention earlier. Passion, it is.

Do what you like, and things come to you. Including money. Last week when I tweeted “God helps those who help themselves”, Navin Kabra applied a thought to the same and replied, “God helps those who do things out of passion and not personal need”. And I agree with him.

Had I started TheTossedSalad.com to make money, I would’ve shut it down long time back as I haven’t been able to generate traffic yet. And I would’ve lost the opportunity of creating a brand with time. The belief of two professors, one in my eye for design and another’s in my ability to bring results to the table, made me a freelance designer and today with Three November Designs. My love for food and hope to have my own restaurant to take that love to as many as possible, has me as a partner in an egg specialty outlet called Yolkshire. But these never started with the desire to make money.

I know it may seem preachy and blah blah blah, and you’re right. If I were in your shoes, I would think the same. But one incident changed that thought process.

After the German Bakery blast, the next morning I landed in Pune and the first thing I did was to gather friends for a peace walk. I didn’t know it would become a fund raiser. Never knew that 300+ people would turn up. Neither thought that every paper in the city, IBN-CNN, NDTV and BBC would talk about the efforts. I couldn’t believe that folks in Canada who had visited Pune some time back were trying to raise funds and send it to us. Never expected a call from the biggest band in India offering to help us raise the amount via a charity concert. Possibility of some really big names showing support? Never figured it could happen.

But today, it is true. Because I know Shrinath and I did it with faith in humanity. We hope to stay determined not only for this cause, but for every other one.

Maybe I could not preach this by telling our story, so I brought up Shahrukh’s character in My Name is Khan. These silver screen stars are looked up to by millions. Maybe their efforts to send a message wrapped in commerce motivate and inspire a few to take that step. Love, compassion and faith in yourself and humanity can take you a long way. Give it a shot when you get up tomorrow morning.

everyone across india is showing support for the views that srk, pc, and others have taken regarding the ipl situation. and we’re still with them when they are facing flak for the same from mns and shiv sena. its sad to hear how the maharashtrian political parties are behaving and holding My Name is Khan on ransom.

i recently put up “My Name is Khan. And I’m not scared.” as my status on facebook. following are comments from the same. no offence taken from anyone and this is just a healthy debate. none of us are attention hungry mongrels like mns or ss. this is just insight to what some of the educated section of our society think and feel.

only initials are used so that identity is not disclosed.

SM: I hate SRk for callin Pakistanies in India and at the time when they are hurting out boarders the most now its doesnt matr whether its Khan Or Raj u need to decide which interest u need to keep. Wed at 8:23pm ·

SK: @sm ur kidding me right? he’s trying to save india’s ass here! you mean to say that mns regards india as their own and the rest don’t? and that the pakistani cricketers are like the rest of the terrorists? here people and businesses are keeping their necks on the line to keep the knot between the public of both countries together so that neither religous or regional fanatics come between us. are we less hypocrite than we think the pakistanis are?! just bcoz some dumb witted fucking morons are attacking our borders ill stop talking to my pakistani friends? Wed at 8:34pm ·

RR: totally agree with you, @ss.. besides, the terrorists here in this scenario ain’t Pakistanis, are they ? It’s pure Indians harassing Indians only. Wed at 8:41pm ·

SM: bro…. m nt talkin bout MNS neither m talkin bout SHIV SENA its bout the other things and the Ass saver ur supoorting actually trying on PR stuff man yeah and whn u talk bout business that is the reason why all the teams refuted pakistanies from their teams and i dint ask u to stop talkin to ur frnds thats non of my business bt whn smbdy talks bout smthing which intern come against my country there I have ryt to say my words…

U need to have ur priorities st. Wed at 9:18pm ·

SK: @sm its unfortunate that his film is releasing at the same time as this crap is going on. and PR? multiplexes and single screens will not be screening MNIK due to the entire agitation between the 2 parties. now where’s the business from all this PR?

people are talking abt the airport fiasco to be a pr stunt too. but too bad, that incident happens to many people. even ive been scrunitized at the mumbai airport once. my reaction was to call the airport manager and register a formal complaint against the officer. just cuz im a muslim cmin from saudi arabia dsnt make a terrorist.

yesterday on twitter, #iconicindianads was trending. what do i see today? a firang using that tag in a tweet referring to indians as fucking shit. i stood up. a bunch of reported him. and we’re done. if i were a celeb ryt now, this same thing wudve been blown out of propoertion and then a bunch of ppl wudve called it a pr stunt. Wed at 9:27pm ·

SK: @sm and FYI, that what SRK said has been said by chidambaram and man mohan singh too. about talking to pakistanis. the aman ki asha campaign preaches that everyday. why not attack them? because you can’t. you can only hold hostage someone who has an imminent financial stake. Wed at 11:13pm ·

SS: yeh @sk….ur right…….. Wed at 11:31pm ·

NT: Talking of those lunatics …. weather ur a khan, tendulkar or ambani they will pounce on you …….if ur name is big enuf for them to hit the headlines  Thu at 10:10am ·

SM: @sk Luk man whn I said PR stunt i can back up with many evidences eg. Total no. of prints of MNIK is around 1500 to 1800 and out of which 600 would be for international market and out of that 600 prints 200 would go in Pakistan and much of the portion will go to middle east so the revenue which will come from countries like Pakistan and Bangladesh will be huge even if u consider the losses which will be there (if the issue doesn’t get solved in MH) these losses will be very marginal and he can up the stake with media hype and public sympathy in other regions and this time he has to prove many things he has to beat the success of 3 Idiots in the international Market and thats why He choose this way (the outcome of the issue would be this would be higest grosser in international market with major collection of beloved country )and the way you looked into the issue is totally different than the way I look into it and trust me we will never be able to see this issue with the same Angle cuz when we see SRK or Amir Khan or Salman what we find is fine acting,great struggle and many other qualities but there are the other people who feel the closeness cuz either they share the same religion or the same name I am not pointing towards you but the whole thing the way u put infront of us looks this way and The Airport Incidence man look after what happened (9/11 and 26/11) in the past these scenario’s are quite common U shud’ve go on with the complaining stuff bout that officer but u dint gave the try and u know for National Security thing its kinda things are mandatory and If Salman Khan can cope up with it without coming out with arrogant statement then I think any Khan can do that…Because the term ” India ” is bigger than “Khan” and it should be the same for everyone and that is why I dint use any Ass words with India (Period).

And about the “Aman Ki Asha” Campaign that cant be done when somebody sending infiltrator on our borders everyday.no matter how cool ad they make no matter how cool songs or words they use we cant trust them after all they gave us backstabbing……

I am done with the talk stuff If anybody has any issues with the things happening around then they should go on the road and protest these things (In Gandhi way or Shiv Sena way Article 19 is open for them too )to the one who are raising the issue and I am not the one who is doing this….

So gimme a break…. Thu at 3:55pm ·

SM: And the success of the flim dont worry it would fetch enough money and it would be soon be declared Hit Oh super Hit cuz everything is kinda spun so smoothly they know how to catch the profits and economic side of the movie when they kinda venture to this side of the story….

and If u still wants to discuss this issue then we shud meet and discuss it healthily I am ready u tell me the day,time location U’ll find me there……. Thu at 3:59pm ·

NT: PR part is amazing, even Amir, chidambaram and Mr bachan echoed similar sentiments abt the IPL auctions ……that means SRK and SS planned it out together for mutual PR  Thu at 4:18pm ·

NT: Talking of searching its even better to search for Shiv Sena + javed Miandad Thu at 5:47pm ·

SB: Deleted my comments from here on purpose – as I see most ppl like to just talk in tangent and not abt the issue itself and I dnt have time nor patience for reacting to each tangent. Thu at 6:00pm ·

NT: opposing SRK is understandable ………….. but supporting the hooligans ………… absolutely no way Thu at 6:03pm ·

NT: well the debate here was never really abt pak players coming for IPL. but can someone be allowed to hold a city on ransom everytime they disagree with someone ??

abt IPL srk has his own views i have my own …. they may or may not match, but let them remain personal ….dnt bring them out on the roads at least .. Thu at 6:28pm ·

WK: whatever ur trying to say @sm…one thing is for sure.. u dont sound nice how much ever global a bollywood film goes, 25% of its revenew is still from the mumbai circuit.. and SRK has been the first and the only person from bolly who has not bucked under Shiv Sena’s pressure.. although he knows very well that MNIK may have to face the consequences… expressing ones views and opinions, and that too for goodness of the world and society as a whole is no crime (an opinion echoed by Chidambram, amitabh, and many icons)… Shiv Sena is a murderer of democracy and personal liberty, a promoter of violence… (have also attacked national icons like Sachin, Ambani, Rahul).. every Indian should be proud of SRK for taking a stand!! Yesterday at 2:52am ·

ZAK: i agree wit @wk, @sm.. u dont sound nice.. Yesterday at 11:17pm ·

living isn’t a responsibility. it’s a job. but living a good and happy life is a responsibility.

on an everyday basis, you will have close encounters of the 3rd kind with so many things. but since they’ve been just around, you don’t pay attention. how you interact with your environment, both- animate and inanimate, marks your understanding of life. and hence your quality of life.

deepak chopra, at the TiE annual summit last year in mumbai, was stating certain facts about the massive number of atoms that we breathe in and out, and in the process making them a part of us. so?

it means that unconsciously, the 6 billion plus human beings and other colleagues from the animal and plant kingdom are one. but yet, the separation of mental waves rises the walls between each living being. and this brings us back to the unique imprints that we social animals leave behind.

with the course of time, one develops an attitude that determines his/her capability of gauging the consequences of not only of ones doings, but also of their thought. this is what we call maturity. or atleast i think so.

i know i’m going to be held against on charges of self-destruction. and yes, irrespective of the fact that i’ve apparently done pretty well for myself on the professional front. because the other side of the coin has made up for the black hole.

i think i should simply live on the coke side of life. doesn’t the retro design seem so much more cheerful?

my amazingly beautiful mom. i was probably around a year old.

my 21′st birthday.

a huge thanks to everyone who has been and is a part of my life. and that obviously goes to my parents as well who brought me to this world. bad, greedy, dirty, no matter how villainous the world is, i still love it. because i live here.

really don't remember how old i was. but this is when i got my first guitar. a toy it was though. bought my first proper one when i was in 11th grade.

i’ve learnt a lot these 21 years. started with crawling and mumbling the first words. and today i run my own business. many don’t last this long. a minute to those souls.

i still remember the 15 years i stayed in saudi arabia. i don’t miss those days, but i did enjoy the luxury, inexpensive petrol, 24×7 air conditioning, fattening but amazing arab food (shawarma is still my favorite). my love for the magic in self-creation took a spark in 9th grade when i started writing. i recall my english teacher calling me the william wordsworth of the batch. that was the start of encouragement turning in to inspiration.

i came to india for my junior college. was in army public school, lucknow for 2 years. what a time it was. 2 years of hostel is definitely recommended to everyone. who i am today, that base was laid here (not talking about the values imbibed in me by my parents). my out going personality saw the light of the surface, learnt the guitar, got involved in extra curricular activities. and i shone among the hundreds within those 2 years.

graduation called me to symbiosis, pune for the specific course i was looking for. got more involved in everything apart from studies. though i did top in my first year . end of second year was the start of my early but long entrepreneurial journey. second year also i found an amazing person, and was glad to have her in my life for almost 2 years. far from family, and when friend’s none, she was there. she is the love of my life.

glad to have a mentor like vinod shastri. when did that relationship build, none of us knew. it just happened. he has silently shown me the path, has pushed me to be free. he is the reason i’m an entrepreneur so early in life.

each individual in my life today is unknowingly building my future. and i’m counting on them. knowledge only takes us this far. family, friends and a pinch of luck is what helps you achieve that dream.

i had seen that dream for years. today, i’m giving shape to them. what will be put up for exhibition? even i don’t know. the artist is at work. let’s leave it to his creativity and inspiration from the surroundings.

my 21st birthday. happy b’day to me.

this is me, now.

ps: don’t mind the dates on those pics. the old ones were shot from my new one. forgot to remove the time stamp.

the scene in question below, from "marley and me"

the movie, marley and me. about  the relationship of a dog with a man and his family. john grogan (owen wilson) worked for quite some time as a columnist at a florida daily. he then shifted to philadelphia as a reporter. he finds himself returning home one night to see his wife jenny (jennifer aniston) going through his columns from the florida stint. she said:

even on the crappiest days, when the kids are driving me nuts, laundry’s not done and a hundred other things are wrong, i always know i have this. 5 minutes of you.

sometimes they are sad, sometimes they are really funny; silly or whatever. but they’re all you. in those 5 minutes, you make me feel better.

that john was me, is me. but that jenny, who was her, has remained a certain past only. it’s no longer her. because she had decided not to be like jenny and was not happy with the 5 minutes of me on my blog where she used to read between the lines, love each word and savor the meaning behind those crooked words i used. she wanted more. and i couldn’t give her that back then.

this blog was the “5 minutes of you” for her. just that time fooled each one of us.

1. You see a gorgeous girl at a party. You go up to her and say: “I am very rich. Marry me!” – That’s Direct Marketing.

2. You’re at a party with a bunch of friends and see a gorgeous girl. One of your friends goes up to her and pointing at you says: “He’s very rich. Marry him.” – That’s Advertising.

3. You see a gorgeous girl at a party. You go up to her and get her telephone number. The next day, you call and say: “Hi, I’m very rich. Marry me.” – That’s Telemarketing.

4. You’re at a party and see gorgeous girl. You get up and straighten your tie, you walk up to her and pour her a drink, you open the door (of the car) for her, pick up her bag after she drops it, offer her ride and then say: “By the way, I’m rich. Will you Marry Me?” – That’s Public Relations.

5. You’re at a party and see gorgeous girl. She walks up to you and says: “You are very rich! Can you marry me?” – That’s Brand Recognition.

6. You see a gorgeous girl at a party. You go up to her and say: “I am very rich. Marry me!” She gives you a nice hard slap on your face. - That’s Customer Feedback.

7. You see a gorgeous girl at a party. You go up to her and say: “I am very rich. Marry me!” And she introduces you to her husband. - That’s demand and supply gap.

8. You see a gorgeous girl at a party. You go up to her and before you say anything, another person come and tell her: “I’m rich. Will you marry me?” and she goes with him - That’s competition eating into your market share.

9. You see a gorgeous girl at a party. You go up to her and before you say: “I’m rich, Marry me!” your wife arrives. - That’s restriction for entering new markets.

[content courtesy: the lovely phenomenon of chain mails]

Sometimes e-mail forwards are so f***ing true and perfect. Felt it was something to be shared with you people. Etch it, I say, young entrepreneurs!

Do not buy new what you can buy used,

Do not buy used what you can lease,

Do not lease what you can borrow,

Do not borrow what you can barter,

Do not barter what you can beg,

Do not beg what you can scavenge,

Do not scavenge what you can get free,

Do not take for free what some one can pay you for!