Time is running….

First 6 months are already over in 2009. Now this is what it means when somebody says life is on a fast track. Around the same time last year, I was consoling myself that “It’s only July…” But after 365 days I am reminding myself that “It’s already July…”

IPL-2, Elections, T20 World-Cup, Budget and many other inconsequential have finished. Delayed or no monsoon has taken away the fun part of Pune life to a large extent. Lack of plush green locations is dampening our spirits. Lonavala & Khandala are synonymous with Pune life but these days’ people are hearing very less mentioning of these two iconic places.

We finished 6 months and these 6 months is really a so-called fantasy period in professional life. You get your increments, bonuses, budget surprises and few other pleasant things. But after that fun part is all over. The real number games start in the 7th month and continue till the fun part starts again. Targets, estimates, short-fall, back-up plans, what-ifs, how to…? And many such tough words begin to ring in your ears. In simple words, you begin devising “strategies” to convince others that 2+2 is 8 and not “6” (I mean it and it’s not a typo). But this is the real fun part of working.

Let’s talk about something good to hear and read about.

India has lost the T20 world-cup. Who cares when Indians have a weak memory and ICC is making life easy for us. I sympathize with Afridi when he says what it’s too early to have the next edition with-in 9 months. But his excuse was exciting, “Pakistan will be known as champions only for 9 months….”

Elections are over. Congress government at center is no surprise while it was a complete shocker at state level (Andhra Pradesh). But the loss of PRP has made us happier than the disappointment caused by TDP’s loss.

Then came the budget. I was wondering why Indian media tries to blow everything out of proportions now-a-days. First it was elections and then came the turn of budget. In both the cases, each incident was advertised as “Biggest in Indian history…”.If Dhoni doesn’t look at Sehwag in a photo-shoot, the next thing you see in the media is an altercation between them and a rift in the team. Some sections of media even went ahead and said that budget is the much need quota of steroids to the stock market. Sensationalizing the issue has been the main agenda for “some” media channels. But they are doing a very good thing of not letting government take people for granted. The idea of blowing things out of proportions is scaring many politicians and frightening them by constantly reminding them that they can be in the hot seat of tomorrow’s 9 PM talk shows where a simple many-to-one arithmetic rule is followed.

These 6 months have also seen the fall of GM and an attempt to reclaim the lost fame by FIAT India. While GM was a ticking time bomb, FIAT unsurprisingly grabbed all the attention of automobile critics and reviewers. Both FIAT and Yamaha are trying to regain the lost ground by launching fantabulous automobiles. Only time can tell how successful they can be in the long run considering the ASS and cost of spares.

Recently I have been feeling the urge to take a break and go on a vacation. Well the necessity of taking a break is not too far as we might be having a ceremony in my home @ Vijayawada.

If this year’s calendar is a friendly for all those people waiting for holidays during week-days, next year might be a disappointment considering that many of the standard/national holidays would be either on Saturdays/Sundays in 2010. We already lost August-15 this year.

I am hoping to make my next blog more pictorial with some scenic snaps which I plan to click in my next long drive which we are planning in the next couple of weeks. So let’s kick some dirt before the lands start drying up, before the hills start losing the green sheen etc (You know where I am going with this!!!)…

Before anything, its time for mid-year review.

And for all those music lovers, dont forget to listen to Dhan Tana Tan from Kaminey. Vishal Bharadwaj can make anybody look rustic. First it was Saif and now it is Shahid. I vote for this flick as the most awaited movie of the year.