Moving Mountains

Buy a Porsche

I recently joined Citi as a guy. The man responsible for helping me set up my Mac was called Andrew, lets say. He said I had a surprisingly short last name for my people. He also felt my parents would be proud of me for having achieved what I have. I said it is just par for the course, at which point he laughed. He said he was Jewish and neither a lawyer nor a doctor and his parents should have nothing to be proud of him for. I said, "But you do live in Long Island. So that's something." I din't know he lived in Long Island.

Climb Everest

I was at Dumbo, Brooklyn to check out the 4th of July fireworks. There was rain in the forecast and to no one's surprise, it rained! I stood by a wall, where I ran into an old lady from West Texas. I'm assuming she smoked a lot, because she smelled like cigarettes. She told me she had a son who wanted to perform on Broadway, like a Broadway performer. She was afraid there'd be a bombing because it was the end of Ramadan and "those people" would want to go out with a bang. She was happy it rained because she felt it would affect "their" plans.

Learn Spanish

We had happy hour one evening after a demo. There were two Irish guys discussing Irish things like beer. One guy had moved from Seattle and another guy from Los Angeles. They were discussing about Brexit and how it would affect the UK in the long run. Another guy asked the guy who moved in from Seattle if he hated the weather there? The guy from LA said he hated the same type of weather over and over again. He also said he needed some variety. My team lead said "Variety is good". I said "It's the spice of life."

Write a book

The Beatles were an English rock band, formed in Liverpool in 1960. With members John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr, they became widely regarded as the foremost and most influential act of the rock era.[1] Rooted in skiffle, beat, and 1950s rock and roll, the Beatles later experimented with several musical styles, ranging from pop ballads and Indian music to psychedelia and hard rock, often incorporating classical elements in innovative ways. In the early 1960s, their enormous popularity first emerged as "Beatlemania", but as the group's music grew in sophistication, led by primary songwriters Lennon and McCartney, they came to be perceived as an embodiment of the ideals shared by the counterculture of the 1960s.

A colleague asked me if it would be ok to call a loved one during a fire escape? I said it's your call.

It's times like these you learn to live again
It's times like these you give and give again
It's times like these you learn to love again
It's times like these time and time again

Celestron 3X

I do not drink, but I do drive occasionally

I just got back from a trip to the west coast where I had the good fortune of visiting the grand canyon, monument valley, antelope canyon, Zion national park and Vegas. Somedays you're positive. Somedays you're just lucky. But its important to keep the doors open and drink a lot of water. Ninety percent of your problems go away with a good night's sleep. Its nice to be able to wear expensive clothes and dress classy. I don't but I can if I want to.

I had free tickets, couldn't go and don't have strong feelings about it.

I met this wonderful couple from Wisconsin. Their names were Paula and Paul. Yes, those are their real names. I met them at the Duck on a Rock turnout of the Grand Canyon and we hung out for almost an hour. There was a sign there which spoke of how humans assign symbolic meaning to natural formations. It also suggested coming back in 50 years to see what wonderful new formations the canyon would turn out. The nice lady said I won't be back to see it. This is it for me. The husband said "Fingers crossed".

You only do two days, the day you get out and the day you go in

On my flight back from Las Vegas, I met this lady from Norway who claimed she was just denied a part in a Matt Damon movie. She was there for the weekend and staying with a friend. I had booked tickets to Norway for the weekend, but I couldn't go because I din't have enough time to plan out the trip. She said it was one of the most beautiful places on earth. She also said she was going to write a book about her struggles to make it in Hollywood. I'm not sure if she was being honest, but she was definitely interesting. How did I even get here?

Vamos Rafa

Your knee joint is made up of bone, cartilage, ligaments and fluid. Muscles and tendons help the knee joint move. When any of these structures is hurt or diseased, you have knee problems. Knee problems can cause pain and difficulty walking. Knee problems are very common, and they occur in people of all ages. Knee problems can interfere with many things, from participation in sports to simply getting up from a chair and walking. This can have a big impact on your life.

Take your time, baby, your blood needs slowing down
Breach your soul to reach yourself before you gloom
Reflection of fear makes shadows of nothing, shadows of nothing.
You still are blind, if you see a winding road,
'Cause there's always a straight way to the point you see

Why Modern Men Cheat?

Its easy to write jokes, if you're funny

Are we successful? Are we making strides? Are we heading in the right direction? Do we have our story straight? Is this the life we were meant to live? Yes, probably. Whatever you believe to be true is true. If its not true, you lack belief. But who knows? I started adding milk to my coffee to make it look whiter. Its not a lot, but just enough. I could add sugar, but I don't. Its hard to explain why people do things. Its harder to explain why you did things. Its almost impossible to explain why things are the way they are.

Health is wealth. Stay alive and good things will happen.

When a man walks into a room, he brings his whole life with him. He has a million reasons for being anywhere. If you ask him, he'll tell you how he got there. How he forgot where he was going, and then woke up. If you listen, he'll tell you about the time he dreamt of being perfect. And then he'll smile, content that he realized the world isn't perfect. We're flawed because we always want so much more. We're ruined because we get these things and wish for what we had.

The best things in life are free

Its always now. What you only truly have in life is this moment and being consciously aware of this moment. Everything else is a bonus and in most cases, surplus to requirement. What matters is not what you did, but what led you to doing what you did. Life is fragile. If you haven't had a Strawberry Cheesecake milkshake yet, you might want to. You can only make so many trades for your happiness. Life is what happens when you're busy planning other things. I've made a few bucks in the stock market and got a raise. I'm only happy about it because I choose to.

When good fortune finally comes, no one can ever stop it

A parking lot, also known as a car lot, is a cleared area that is intended for parking vehicles. In most countries where cars are the dominant mode of transportation, parking lots are a feature of every city and suburban area. Shopping malls, sports stadiums, megachurches and similar venues often feature parking lots of immense area. Customers prefer parking lots which have trees planted and parking lot owners have been antagonistic towards the same.

Work hard and be nice to people

I be tryna rest, but lord, the devil busy
And when I do, I dream of you and then the devil pinch me
Do you ever miss me?
Do you ever wish we'd get it right, and the rest is history?

An Open Letter to Salman Khan

When in Rome, walk aimlessly.

The first or last thing I should be doing is writing a blog. But I am presently in a state of mind where my ego or the ego has dissolved completely, or so I have myself believing. I hope to finish this post by the end of this week.

If I'm in a conversation with myself, I find me interrupting 

One fine winter afternoon, I really had a craving for a peanut butter and chocolate milkshake from Shake Shack. I had just had my lunch and was in two minds about what I should do. I spoke to my colleague about it and he suggested that I should get it. So I made my way downstairs and crossed the road to get to the Shake Shack or get to Shake Shack depending on how you word it. Yes, who proof reads a blog? When I got to Shake Shack, I found that there was a huge line and I had to stand in the cold if I wanted a milkshake. So I decided to pass. On my way back, I stopped by the deli and got some Dove milk chocolate. It was neither emotionally nor aesthetically gratifying, but you just do these things for whatever they're worth. 

If time is money, I'm an hour past paid

I left work around 5. I usually leave around 5 to go home. I don't go home directly, but I physically leave the office around 5. Right before leaving, I wished my colleague a good evening. I never paid much attention to the kinds of evenings he has. But that's for another day. He told me to get a nice PB and C( Peanut Butter and Chocolate) milkshake on my way home from Shake Shack. I thought about it for a minute and realized that I don't feel like getting a milkshake anymore. Its all different now. When you're going through rough shit in your life, you feel like you badly need a quick fix. Then time moves forward. You, your problems and priorities are all different. I also started listening to Black Sabbath and watched a complete documentary on Galileo.

I grew my beard out just a little, to show that I'm indeed a man

Typically, people gather to drum in drum "circles" with others from the surrounding community. The drum circle offers equality because there is no head or tail. It includes people of all ages. The main objective is to share rhythm and get in tune with each other and themselves. To form a group consciousness. To entrain and resonate. By entrainment, I mean that a new voice, a collective voice, emerges from the group as they drum together

Above the planet on a wing and a prayer
My grubby halo, a vapor trail in the empty air
Across the clouds I see my shadow fly
Out of the corner of my watering eye

Crumpled Shirt on Chair

I am a vegetarian and haven't had drumsticks in a long while

I was on the subway this morning to get to work, because they pay me money which helps me buy cereals which in turn enables me to not worry about what to eat. So, I saw this guy wearing one of those wrist bands which had Linkin Park printed on it. I get that he's trying to represent a time in history which he deeply cared about, but what sort of precedent is he setting? Maybe it glows in the dark, but life shouldn't be about all this, should it?

I have a few goals for this month and the last one.

At this point, I have really given up trying to make any sense of anything. I am still scared of dogs, even little ones. I had been to the Metropolitan Opera yesterday at the Lincoln Center to watch Rusalka. I like the idea of making your life a masterpiece, one that you would willingly live over and over again till all of eternity. Just the whole idea seems rad. Its something to talk about while drinking coffee that you bought from the Deli.

I am learning Spanish. That is all I have now.

Hola. Buenas Noches Como Estas? Estoy Feliz y Cansado y Confundido. Me llamo Subramanian Sankaran. Mucho Gusto. Me gusto aprender nuevo idiomas.  Que Tal?Mui Bien. Gracias. Y tu? Bien. Yo Es Stupendo. Yo Es Fenominal. Soy De India. De Dhonde Eres? Feliz Navidad. Bien Venidos. Adios y Hasta Pronto.

I prefer to use black pens whenever possible, but I am open to considering other options

Black pepper (scientific name: Piper nigrum) is a hot, pungent spice with a host of health benefits. In fact, it is used extensively in Ayurvedic medicine. It has an active component called piperine that gives black pepper its characteristic taste. Plus, it contains iron, potassium, calcium, magnesium, manganese, zinc, chromium, vitamins A and C, and other nutrients. Black pepper usually is added to savory dishes when they are done cooking, otherwise its volatile oils tend to evaporate and diminish its flavor. Freshly ground black pepper has the most flavor. Peppercorns work well in soups, stews, marinades, and other sauces that are cooked slowly.

Like a wolf in sheep's clothing
You try to hide your deepest sins
Of all the things that you've done wrong
And I know where you belong
 

Pay it Forward

Context: I landed at Porto Alegre International Airport at 6 am and had no cash on me. I tried using my debit/credit cards at the ATM. I couldn't quite follow the instructions in Portuguese leading to multiple failed attempts and my card getting blocked. I had 3 hours until the Australia Netherlands game started and couldn't even get to my hotel, let alone the game. I was wandering around the airport when a man, who worked for the local government gave me 50 Reals to get a taxi to the Hotel. I sent him a thank you note before leaving and got his reply this morning.

Brazil

I recently heard about the Chinese concept called Yuanfen which considers fate and destiny as two separate entities. Two people might be fated to meet each other, but not necessarily destined to be together. And how appropriate it is, that I came across the concept of Yuanfen after having experienced it just a few weeks before. This coupled with similarly empowering concepts like the denial of death, quantum physics and the illusion of free will led me to believe that I am me when I'm one with the universe. There is a stark contrast between being disenchanted by the here and now and being completely ravished by it. If you believe and you're willing to step out of your comfort zone, life will begin at the edge of your comfort zone.

I applied for tickets to the world cup last December. I never expected to actually get tickets. I booked flight tickets to Brazil from New York once I got the tickets. I recently got back from a trip to India which was very disappointing due to certain events that transpired while I was there. I thought of cancelling my tickets to Brazil as I was still down, but somehow I din't. I had no plans of what I was going to do here in those 2 weeks.

I am writing this post from Brazilian capital. Until the age of fifteen(lets say), all I was was a fat butt scratcher (not a scratcher of fat butts), which is ironic because I plan to write this post right out of my ass. But weak joke attempts apart, it has been a brilliant couple of weeks here in Brazil. I have gotten deeply philosophical over the last couple of days, thanks in large part to the amazing events my consciousness has been subjected to during the trip. Some of the words below were randomly scribbled by me when I felt like it.

Its very hard to put into words what my exact feeling is.

Check in time at JFK - Officer was a Spain fan and I asked him if Iker should be dropped after the 5-1. These were his words.

Casillas- I don't know how you say, in Spanish, retirement is pure victory

Met 4 dudes from Gauetamala  in El Salvador - garrottas ass shakin gesture

wearing blue Brazil shirts going 2 Rio no tickets 

Smiling at strangers - ola, oi

Certain joy of traveling alone which can't be put in words

Destino final

Peruvian guy Walter briones, who I met on the flight from Salvador to Lima, girl near ichita asks are you drunk, I think I'm wasting my time , runs diamond business in Lima. Learnt the phrase 'Mui Bonita'

No cash, Ecuador guys buying jersey from a store in quitto called cheapest jersey in town. A guy from the government paid for my cab to the hotel and an additional 50 reals. Walked to the estadio with 42k fans, Dutch with their band, Aussies with their kangaroos, just realized why they're called socceroos. Crazy game. Sat next to a guy from Porto Alegre , had crazy conversations about the local teams gremio and internacional. Mexican wave to perfection, saw crazy goal by Cahill(maybe the goal of the tournament) and the Aussies completely lost it after the penalty conversion , Dutch won , walked back to the hotel, garrottas , 70 yr old guy dribbling the ball on his head at the city center. Somehow bought a power adaptor from an electronics store for seis(its spanish, not portuguese) reals, found out the location of the bus station and now on the bus to san paulo. 

Still had no cash, so called up Bofa using google talk, but went to supermarket to get cheap biscuits , suddenly I had 700 dollars from 20. Got expensive food, toured sau paulo today, met tourists from Colorado, two brothers from chile, one of whose's girlfriend is coming to Nyu next year. Took selfies at banespa observatory, went to Terraco Italia by subway, met a beautiful Brazilian girl, to whom I asked the location of Terraco Italia, she said this is Brazil and after 15 seconds smiled and I said " ohh you were joking :)" and then she smiled. Went to Terraco Italia which was closed, so got back to avenida paulista and asked directions to another beautiful girl to Skye bar, went to Skye bar and now back to hotel.

Took the 5 hour bus to Rio De Janeiro. Booked a hotel online, never realized it was in the shadiest part of town. I actually heard gun shots, but somehow woke up the next day. Started my tour of Rio with the Copacabana beach, went to the Santa Teresa neighborhood of Rio and visited the famous steps, saw local guys playing football on Sunday. Had a fantastic lunch buffet at Copacabana, went to the Santa Marta favella, which happens to be the place where Michael Jackson shot his famous "They Don't care about us" video. It was amazing to discover the lives of people living in the favellas, their priorities, their outlook on life, the dangers as well as excitement of drug dealing, the crazy parties and the infinite supply of weed. Went to visit the Redeemeer in the evening, was completely blown away by the view. Met English footballers Daniel Sturridge and Jordan Henderson on top. Went to Sugar Loaf the next day, met one of the nicest and prettiest girls named Leila, who is a broadway actress in Rio and was kind enough to show me around the place. Got back to Copacabana and the Fifa Fan fest on the beach to watch Brazil beat Cameroon 4-1 followed by crazy celebrations all through the night(Even Fred scored!). Caught crazy views of Copacabana from my sea facing room.

Went to the Fan fest again to watch Uruguay beat Italy 1-0 and the Suarez bite with 100k fans, most of whom had more than 1 serving of alcohol. Left for Brasilia the next day and had a 20 hour bus ride from Rio. I met an extremely nice old lady in Rio, who I spoke to for about an hour before the bus left, even though I couldn't speak Portuguese(everything from how Fred sucks to how Indian people have great facial features). Lots of time for contemplation on the bus about what is really important in life, what is life, what is importance, what is what and so on. Got to Brasilia to watch Portugal play Ghana at the Estadio Nacional. Saw Cristiano Ronaldo take one of his trademark freekicks with the patented run up. It was great to see the sheer desperation of both teams who were in with a chance until the very end. I am guessing this trip was worth it.

So understand,
Dont waste your time always searching for those wasted years
Face up, Make your stand
And realize you're living in the golden years