My First Poem - A Quatrain

I don't know what to write

My mind struggles for a clear sight

For days, I longed to start poetry

Unsure what it turns out to be

Yet I manage to hold my pen straight

Scribbling on papers for a poetic thought

My heart tells me the time is not right

Until the poet is born in you to take the first stride

Day by day, I console my heart to calm down

For its not a war to win and be afraid of the unborn

Many things in life are up for a start, it needs to come out someday
I am letting it out today because its a beautiful day

However naive this verse looks to many
I love the way it looks to me
For its my first endeavor towards rhyme
The thing that is entirely mine

Its not difficult to write a rhyme - I said to myself
Until the lines came out from my heart
I realized they were placed on my soul's shelf
Never leaving them to part

Beauty lies in poetry
Now I know its true
Filled with pride, my heart beats with joy for me
To write many more for you

An Eventful Year!

What a remarkable 2011 has been! A year of beginnings. A year of hopes. Many events that showed there is light at the end of the tunnel. It was the year of euphoria when India was crowned again as Cricket World Champion after 28 years of wait. The year that made prominent politicians jailed for their shameless scandals. The year in which one old man stood up and united the nation against corruption. The year in which individual record of little master was broken by his teammate and during which a fellow Indian, an  unsung hero who stood like The Wall, decided to quit ODI Cricket.

The world rejoiced when the most wanted terrorist was shot down. Ironically, India mourned the loss of great artists: a ghazal maestro - his songs pleasing our ears even today, a multi-talented actor and filmmaker better known as the youngest evergreen romantic hero and, a fanatic whose junglee portrayals ruled the silver screen between early '60s and late '70s. I mourn the loss of two great people who changed the world of computers. They made many others like me to be proud of the profession we chose. We also lost one of our renowned cricketers whose captaincy was as shrewd as a tiger who led India from the front. Its the year of commemoration of these people who embed themselves forever in our memories. Sad but true.

 As to me, I met two of my best friends who stay abroad and paid their visits to India earlier this year. I am glad I met them. It certainly became an eventful year for me when I met my schoolmates 10 years later. God! that get together was so refreshing and so cherishing to see those tiny faces fully grown to plump heads.

The place where it all started :)

The most distinctive of all, its been a great year of blogging. It started with a couple of technical blog posts which received positive response from few of my friends. That triggered me to start off exploring the extent of my writing abilities. It really turned out well. Readers began appreciating my work. I was delighted by the overwhelming response I got since this was the only thing owned by me which was completely exposed to public.

I have written about all those things that were indeed rumbles in my mind for some time. I wanted some means through which I can express these ideas and shut my mind up for a while. I was well aware that some of my friends were bloggers. I thought at once - why shouldn't I start blogging? Blogspot was the place. I was very timid and it troubled me a lot when I thought about my style of writing. I admit that there is no peculiarity in my writing, but something made me anxious about it. No doubt, I was confident about whatever I was going to write will be understood by common man. I have a decent knowledge of English vocabulary and sufficient grip on English grammar that was enough to pull it off in some style.

For now the rumbling has stopped. No! It has paused. "Stop" is a dangerous word because I won't let my new found interest to be lost so easily. Its just that I am trying to find subjects which qualify for a good write up. So, I wake up every morning with empty thoughts or with a nightmare having some kind of monster. I have been reading some best sellers lately and hoping that it will generate a spark to resume this work. I am sure that there is still a lot of it that's left in me to write on variety of things. The mind just wants just the right ignition on which I will be interested to express my thoughts. For instance, when I watched Memento, I found the screenplay so impressive that I read its script and I got involved in thinking of a simple story that would be a short film. I had a vague idea about the story, but could not decide the plot. I wanted the screenplay to be like Memento's. I started writing the script but it is still incomplete! Next time, I will think of a good story first before I pounce on writing a screenplay.

I even tend to start writing poems or songs. I am deeply inspired by works of my co-worker, who owns this blog: Junkyard of Songs, and songs by British Rock band: Oasis. I guess I need to have some built-in skill to write songs. When I asked my co-worker, he said that it got into him. I need to wait when it gets into me. Finally, to all my blog readers, I am grateful to all of you. Without you guys I am not completely focused. So, keep reading my posts and leave you comments. I hope to come up with interesting posts with fresh rumbles in my brains. I wish everyone a very Happy New Year 2012. What remains unforgiven is what took them so long to rock in India?

RIP

Jagjit Singh, Bhimsen Joshi, Shammi Kapoor, Dev Anand, Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi, Steve Jobs and Dennis Ritchie

The Reboot of Mahabharatha

How sure are you to believe those 100 Kuravas are children are of both Dritharashtra and Gandhari? How did Satyavati's son Vichitravirya die? Do you strongly believe that five Pandavas are sons of Pandu and Kunti? The version of tale written by Shashi Tharoor gives life to the great epic by being more realistic. There is no magic or wizardry involved. There is no boon or curse. But, it only tells the truth. Its all beautifully presented in The Great Indian Novel. It maps people and incidents of Indian freedom struggle to that of characters and situations in Mahabharata. It marks the beginning of politics. I am not referring to politics by Krishna as stated in Bhagavad Geeta. I am inferring to the birth of Indian politics that is witnessed even today. The only prerequisite to read this book is you need to have knowledge of Indian Independence movement and you should have read Mahabharata.

Do you think that India got its independence due to resistance of our freedom fighters? The book mentions that after the World War, British were tired and lost capacity to rule India. So they appointed the last viceroy to clean up the mess quickly and return home. Indian leaders were given just eight months to form government. Meanwhile, Pandu was unhappy with Gangaji's principles of non-violence. He went mad when Dhritarastra was hailed as Gangaji's successor. He always believed in aggressive means to get rid of British. He left Kaurava Party and went on to build India's army. He took help of Japan for its formation. Eventually his movement wasn't successful and he got killed in an airplane crash.

At this time India was in a great predicament and agreement was never drawn between Kaurava Party and the Muslim Group. So, it was Mohammad Ali Karna parted with Karnistan as a separate state. There were Indian Muslims who backed Kaurava Party and they wanted to prove that there are many Muslims in India and India will help uplift them. And it did happen. Karna's theory was falsified. He stood firm on his belief that Muslims can only flourish if they are in a separate state but definitely not in India. It was under Mohammad Rafi as party president when Manimir was annexed to India overnight by Vidur. It also describes about the aftermath of Partition. What ignited the Manimir issue? Because of Dhritarastra's blind idealism, he was blamed when he got UN involved in this issue. Because of UN, part of it was given to Karnistan and bulk of it to India.

How well did Dhritarastra perform as first Prime Minister of India? He was becoming ignorant about social values that he had when he started the movement. Uplifting rural India wasn't being considered by him. That led to the rise of the Pandavas with Drona as their mentor. They stood for a cause of up bringing rural sections of Indian society. This posed a threat to the ruling party. Between Kaurava Party & the Pandavas stood Ms Draupadi Mokrasi; Ms D. Mokrasi, in short. I hope you got what I trying to say. And this is how she was objectified and exploited between the two. Yet she was protected by the five pillars of the nation: Judiciary, Army, Media, Diplomatic & Administrative Services.

It also discusses about expulsion of colonial rule in Comea and finally it was joined with Indian union. This happened under the leadership of Dhristarasta's most trusted minister: Kanika Menon. Kanika was India's representative at the UN and notorious for long speeches. The book elaborates about cause for Indo-Chakra dispute and also throws light on how India failed to defend Tebia. Indan jawans fighting in mountain regiments had no all weather rations and were obliged to wear canvas tennis-shoes in Himalayan snow. Dhritarastra was so immersed in the company of his popular minister Kanika that he had no desire to listen to the warnings. Our soldiers with their unprotected backs turned, warming glove-less hands before domestic stoves in icy mountain passes, as Defense Minister Kanika danced with a mask of confirmed conquer while Dhritarastra makes visionary speeches about non-aligned unity and brotherhood of Indians and Chakras. So he was criticized for his negligence and his decline was gradual but decisive. Gradually his daughter Priya Duryodhani gears up and takes the role of India's CEO. Her stubbornness and her will to operate as per her wish was her sole objective. Many initiatives were taken by her despite strong opposition. Her only appreciative accomplishment was India's victory in the Gelabi Desh war. She was found guilty corrupt electoral practice. The famous scene of Draupadi cheer haran is associated with how Duryodhani and her handpicked minions had been stripping the nation of the values and institutions we had been right to cherish.

It is no doubt that as we read along, our minds will start associating characters of the epic to the real people involved in Independence movement. Today's youth will definitely be enlightened after reading this book because I honestly did not understand what Manimir issue is all about. I couldn't make head or tail of it when I read about it in the newspapers or when I watched on television. I feel so relieved and inexplicably happy now to know all these things about my country. I was startled to discover so many things about Indian freedom struggle and its aftermath. The cunning nature, the shrewdness and the wickedness of those people whom we think as noble men are justified.

The language used is at its best. It is one of finest English literary works I have ever read. You will definitely start reciting the conversations as mentioned in the book.  It has a modern touch of everything. Sarcasm and humor are both just brilliantly played. And, you will also admire Tharoor's skill in the way this twice-born tale is organized and narrated. Definitely this book must be made a TV series with Tharoor as a screen writer and director, and cast should consist of acclaimed actors filling the screen with astounding performances portraying the characters - delicately and carefully - as described in the book. Undoubtedly, this book is a must read for every Indian.

Further reading:
The Great Indian Novel - Wikipedia

Dangerous Profession

Enter Bangalore. The Silicon City of India. If you are an engineering graduate and you have the desire to see yourself in a technical role in the world computers, then you land yourself in a software company if you dream of working for it.

Software engineers have aspirations of many kinds. Get a load of this blog post: I Won't Go Onsite. It throws light on some things that goes through an Indian IT professional's mind. People die for onsite assignments to earn more money, to have a look at other side of the world. I find people dying to climb up the career ladder; promotions, better salary hikes, and so on. Also, I find geeks who drive with the motto of "Excellency is Success", you know, who are always hungry to learn new things on technology, management, etc. I agree, all these aspirations are completely valid.

Facebook Inc employees are the youngest and most satisfied, and yet the most stressed, among workers at big US technology companies, a survey found. Read more

Let's look at the other side of this business. You find many people who work just for the sake of their livelihood. They work very hard to earn more. Apart from work, people have plenty of financial liabilities to handle, personal issues related to their families, loaded with responsibilities & commitments, etc. Its way too much. Earning more is directly proportional to more work getting done from you. There is always a catch behind earning money. Its not as easy as we think or the way other people think about us. As we all know there is no tree that bears money. Secondly, there are situations where employees are exploited. For example: pressurizing employees to finish the task(s) within short time, provoking fear of getting sacked, etc. This leads to disasters. Couple of incidents are spotted below.

BANGALORE: A 31-year-old techie killed his 2-year-old daughter and later committed suicide at his house on Tuesday night...Failure at work is suspected to have pushed him to suicide. Read more

BANGALORE: Depressed over professional complications, a 38-year-old software engineer allegedly committed suicide. Read more

The question remains: what's the point working very hard that costs your life? I mean, is there a need to sacrifice your life for the sake of work? I don't think so! There are many other jobs available, but only one life! For the mankind's ever changing and everlasting desires, how long are you going to work? How much more are you going to earn, than anyone else? How long are you going to stay abroad experiencing the pleasure of alien life style? It is a matter of few days, few months or may be one or two years. Ask yourself:

Am I really happy?

If the answer is - NO, then you are definitely in the wrong place. Its time to walk away! Be contended and satisfied with whatever is given to you. But, don't ever let anything come near you that will take away your life or hamper  your well being! Whatever you do, make sure it has certain limit and also make sure you are enjoying it to the fullest. All that matters is the realization of the question: "What makes me really happy?" And, remember, life is very short to be very serious! It seems a little funny, but as a matter of fact the answer to this question changes with time. It is always better to introspect and choose the right answer which suits happy & healthy life in the long run.

My Role Model, My Choice

Since childhood, I think of being someone like Arnold Schwarzenegger, George Clooney, or Hugo Weaving in the recent Matrix trilogy or anyone I am fond of on the silver screen. These desires were only part of my dreamworld; not those things which drive me crazy. I get excited when I see those guys in movies. Even now, sometimes when I am alone, I talk to myself delivering all the dialoguesin prominent movies in the way these guys deliver. Its not only about these celebrities, I also wonder about how beautifully these innovative movies are made; for instance films by Chris Nolan and James Cameron are my all time favorites. I even think of becoming like them one day. When it comes to music, I get inspired by Oasis, Iron Maiden and Metallica. I wish I could write songs like Oasis and Metallica or even play music like Iron Maiden. The songs are simple; but they have so much meaning in it. Music composition of Iron Maiden just turns me on and takes me to new world all the time.

But hey, wait a minute, where am I heading? My skills are different, my qualification is different. All these things are way different to me. These guys are unreachable unless you are fully involved in it. Well, I always admire those people who work with me and who have better skills compared to me. I have seen people who design solutions to the most complicated problems we have in requirements. And what's more - these people inspire me to follow their path. Share their knowledge, make me learn new things and deliver better. These people are not celebrities, but they just normal people who meet me daily and I sit next to them at work place or at lunch. So, a sense of hope arises in me to tell me "If they can do it, why can't I?" All it takes is a little push to get me going in the path to learn what they have learnt and be capable of what they are doing or do more than what they have already done. Believe me, these guys are not my managers or supervisors at work. I hang out with them, have lunch, tea breaks, etc. Earlier I thought, its not good or cool to discuss about the things that I want to (technical stuff, to be precise) during breaks. But, in fact, its perfectly all right to talk about it. Some people like the topic as well. So, my thought processes matches the way they think. Thus, they don't fail to inspire me. It really matters how I choose my role models.

The whole idea is its not necessary that a Hollywood big shot or hit single musician to be my role model. It can be any one around me! Well, when it comes to movies, music and books, these celebrities are with me to keep me happy and occupied. Inspired by Chris Nolan's screenplays, I am thinking of a really good plot to write a script. Apart from blogging, I believe writing scripts is also a good choice as a hobby. Hmm, learning to write songs (like Oasis) is also not a bad choice. But, I find it unlikely, because I don't possess the built-in skill of being poetic. I had began writing script for a simple story and screenplay was more or less like Memento. I couldn't think about complete story and a strong plot. So, it remains unfinished. I can't sit idle, can I?

Expecting Expectations

Expectation - one word, different meanings. This is one of the things which troubles my mind and I fail to draw a line to conclude this is how it should be. I am going to say about just one meaning that explodes into many things. I am sure many of us have faced situations like the one I am about to tell here. As human beings, we all have many expectations. But, expectations from people whom you think are dear to you are of special priority because dear people are bound by relationship.

Expectations from dear people can range from the most silliest things to the most enormous things. If you get what you expect from them, you will be the happiest person on earth; unhappiest otherwise. And as far as my experience goes, the silliest expectations hurt the most. I cannot call them as silly because we have feelings, that's why we are humans. What good is a life without feelings? Let me elaborate on this point.

I meet new people. We gradually become friends. We quickly become good friends. Now I start giving in more of myself into this relationship. Just when we are about to know each other well and everything is going on fine (no collisions of any sort), strange things happen. Friends stop talking to me. I try to call/text/mail them, no responses at all. I am unable to figure out what went wrong between us. Relationship becomes  fragile instantly. I cannot even call it as friendship. Another instance: friends will think of me only when they need help. They won't even care whether I am dead or alive rest of the time. The most annoying thing about this is I come to know I am puppet only some months later. My questions are: Why lose touch suddenly when a simple "Hi" once in a while would have kept me happy. Or at least let me know what is wrong with me. Why think of me only when there is purpose? I have highlighted friendship here but I have faced these annoying things in other types of relationships as well.

Having experienced such things, I have realized these people don't deserve to be my friends at all. I believe it is the Lord coming to the rescue. I have the sense of judging people's character. Before they judge me, I am quick enough to judge them. This sense fails sometimes. So, it is by His divine power I am protected by all negative forces. Not only under these circumstances, but in many other cases as well. This belief not only acts a recovery from grief but also allows me to hold my head high and keep moving on. It is stupidity to have many friends if we fail to understand each other. I have a handful number of friends and I am very happy to have them as friends. Once in while, even today, when I think about those people who lost touch (weirdos) with me or about those self centered people, I feel very sad and I lose myself in clouds of  thoughts to realize what went wrong. Now I take care of myself in such a way that those people should never enter my life ever again. I wish them to be vanished into thin air.

The Facebook Song

Winding up this silliest expectation, here is an example of high expectations. I have seen high expectations from grown ups: people who are middle aged or mostly in their 50s or 60s or even some of them have in their natural instinct. When I was a kid, people did many good things to see me happy. Even today, many good things are being done with a thought that I will in turn satisfy their expectations. And these are not just expectations, but they are intense desires. This doesn't end here. They shamelessly ask "I have done so much for you, what have you done for me?" Now this is where it causes immortal pain! If they have such expectations at the back of their minds, why do anything to me? The side effect of this is you will become very stubborn and you will promise yourself "I won't do a damn thing for them"

I have expressed about a smallest sector of many instances ever possible in many situations. Enough said! I feel so much better now. Taking a break. Don't know how many of you will feel this as a crappy subject, I just wanted it to let it out. I will be back with something new again.

A for Anna Hazare

A for Anna Hazare - a more perfect title could not be thought of. I am seeing a revolution in the making. The events  happening now in India are no less than what is depicted the movie: V for Vendetta.

Remember, remember

The fifth of November

The gunpowder treason and plot.

I know of no reason

Why the gunpowder treason

Should ever be forgot.

This quote was said in 1605. It was during religious movement in Britain. In India, the movement started on 15th of August 2011 for a noble cause of eradicating corruption. Anna fights with the system to make Jan Lokpal bill to go live. Well, he is not alone, but he is followed by millions of frustrated Indians who are desperate to witness the change. Its remarkable to see one old man standing very firmly without any fear against the Government. I must highlight few facts about this great personality.

1. He served Indian Army as a bus driver. All his comrades were killed in war in 1965. It was a narrow escape for him from a bullet that was aimed at his head. Then, he understood the meaning of life & death. He considered himself dead from that point on and he decided to begin serving mankind in a most dedicated manner.
2. He is never married. Though he has brothers, he stays alone in a small room attached to a Temple. He has Rs.1500.00 in his bank account. His only income is pension which is received from Indian army.
3. He made a totally self reliant village: Ralegan Siddhi. He brought in education, removed social evil - untouchability, prohibited alcohol in the village and started a Grain Bank to provide food security for the farmers.
4. His anti corruption movement started way back in 1991 against Government of Maharashtra.To know more about his activism, visit this page: Anna Hazare

Having all these noble characteristics, some political parties are spreading stupid messages: Anna is himself corrupt. These party people are not at all bold enough to face this man. Firstly because, they are corrupt to such a high level that they cannot forgive themselves. Secondly because, now the whole nation is against them. Its really a shame to see the government is failing to act and letting Anna continue his fast!

People should not be afraid of their governments. Governments should be afraid of their people.

Coming back to the movie, V fights against the system, backed by all citizens, for similar causes and creates a revolution. V sacrifices his life in the end. The system is unable to bear the intensity and pressure created by people. Ultimately, the Government crumbles down. This is exactly what will happen in India if it does not  fulfill Anna's demands. I believe in Anna and he will be victorious. I think the day like the 5th of November for India will be marked very soon and it will be commemorated by every Indian. Its just a matter of time. At the same time, I don't want to see Anna sacrifice his life for this cause. Otherwise, the Government should be ready to face catastrophe. It is now or never! I salute to Anna Hazare and to all the citizens of India who are fighting against corruption. Jai Hind!

A revolution without dancing is a revolution not worth having. We are told to remember the idea, not the man, because a man can fail. He can be caught. He can be killed and forgotten. But four hundred years later an idea can still change the world. 

Here is the high level picture on what Jan Lokpal Bill can do if it is applied. This information is what I have got by an e-mail sent to me.

The other side of Mahabharata

101 Kauravas - good figure; but only one female child: Dhushala - not fair. This thought triggered me to think about the great Indian epic when I was travelling for work. Out of 101 Kauravas, I remembered my mother sharing her bit of knowledge, most of their names start with "Dhu". Well she is not fully correct on this but,  its really surprising to know Saint Vyaasa was able to think 101 names in a family! If you are interested to know the names, here is the list: Kauravas

During my childhood, I used to listen to the stories of Pandavas. I came to know about their bravery, their self respect and respect to humanity, and all other characteristics about each one of them. When I read the the epic few months ago, I was unhappy with some characters being portrayed. For example, take Shantanu - the great grandfather of Pandavas & Kauravas. Despite his great qualities of honesty, bravery and capability to rule a huge kingdom, he was a womanizer.  He was not even satisfied when he and Ganga gave birth to his eighth son - Bhishma. He in turn falls in love with Satyavathi, a daughter of a fisherman, marries her and has two more children. God! this is the limit. And yet, this character is of great importance. Its a fact that some attributes of parents are inherited by children, but by what measure? Arjuna broke all the records set by Shantanu. He got married four times and had at least one kid with each of his wives. He may be having noble qualities, but having such a list of marital relationships raises questions on his character! On a funny side of the matter, I appreciate Bheema, who had only one extramarital affair with Hidimbi, They produced a warrior - Ghatotkacha. Among the five Pandavas, I believe in Yudhistir - a noble man; honest, obedient and a strict follower of Dharma. Marital affairs of Arjuna

Shakuni - The bad guy of bad guys! But, I believe he is the good guy. I know he is the master mind behind war of Kurukshetra. I don't know how many of you know, but as a matter of fact, he was against Kauravas. He could not digest the bitter truth that his sister - Gandhari is married to a blind man. Dhritarashtra, on the other hand, destroyed Gandhari's family when he learned he is her second husband. This enraged Shakuni and he came up with a clever plan. He knew well in advance that Pandavas will be victorious. So, he added more fuel to fire to make the war happen. Read more

During the war, I suppose everyone knows the live feed by Vidur(Sanjay) to Dhritarashtra. Vidur was most respected as an advisor by the Pandavas whom he forewarned on various occasions of Duryodhana's plots to exterminate them. Krishna respected him for his devotion to the people's welfare and his proficiency in every sphere of knowledge. Now, how could Saint Vyaasa imagined the live telecast ages before existence of TVs, video cameras and satellite communication? All these techno stuff came into being only in the late 1900s. This is what I call incredible foresight!

What I most liked about the epic is, at the end of it, no one is spared if he has committed crimes. No escape from sins - not even the great politician Krishna is forgiven. He might have played smart in political games against Kauravas or even exploited their weakness, but all are sins according to Dharma. The only verdict is death - whoever he may be!

The stories in it are so peculiar that I believe each of instances described in it happen in everyone's lives in one form or the other. And it also teaches how to face difficult situations and solve them. I also believe all  the situations covered in this epic take place from a man's birth till his death in one form or the other. Its not only an epic, but a lesson of life. Haa, that's all I have to say about this eternal epic. What are your thoughts about this which made you feel different?

Stay Out!

It was yet another Sunday afternoon, she looked steaming hot and absolutely delightful. By the way, she was very red - an absolute pleasure to my eyes. She was introduced to me as Ms. K by Mr. R. We became very quick friends and I fell in love with her in minutes! She was very charming.

I introduced Ms. K to my secretaries; Mr. T and Ms. S. These guys took great care of me since my birth. They always ensured my well being. So, I consider these people as the  most trustworthy people of my life. On escorting Ms. K to my home, Mr. T soothingly said to me "She is wonderful! Very good sir!". I was very glad that he approved of her. But when she met Ms. S, both exchanged spiteful glances at each other. I know, women won't do well with each other when a handsome guy like me is around them. I had the feeling that all they both need is time, to sort out things between themselves, and then everything will be just fine.

After dinner, I was lying on my bed working on my laptop, I heard heated arguments between Ms. S and Ms. K. I tried to take control of the situation. I even tried to understand what the matter was. All Ms. S said was "She does not belong here. She is unacceptable! I will throw her out!" I began sweating like anything. I tried to convince Ms. K very much, but I lost to her every time, because she is logically right all the time. I didn't know what to do. Soon, both women started to fight with swords and pistols. I was really feeling very uncomfortable and uneasy.

It was time to call in my external agent Mr. B. He has tremendous experience in handling such things incredibly well. He always comes to my help to clean up the mess. He wasted no time in acting swiftly. Meanwhile, I went to the restroom to freshen up. Soon, I realized that, it was not cease fire or settlement between the two women, but as a matter of fact, Ms. S had actually won the fight! Ms. K looked shamefully ugly and her hands were cuffed. Ms. S kicked me in the bottom and demanded; "Show her the way out and moving on, don't trouble me like this by letting such people in! I won't tolerate such things! Do I make myself clear?". I had no other choice but to agree with her, "Yes ma'am, you're perfectly clear."

I had very nice sleep later that night. I remembered the last words by Ms. S. I know, I will forget these words after few weeks.

*    *    *

CAST OF CHARACTERS

Ms. K - The very hot and spicy, Veg. Kolhapuri

Mr. R - Roti

Mr. T - My tongue

Ms. S - My very own stomach

Mr. B - Banana

Developing web services using Apache Axis2

I am going to present to all folks who are eager to develop web services using Apache Axis2. I am assuming that you guys have fair idea about what web service is, SOAP, structure of a valid WSDL, and all the basics about web services.

What I am about to tell you is if you have a valid WSDL document(xml) then it's quite easy to develop a web service out of it in simple steps. This is called the top down approach. Apache Axis2 distribution provides set commands that generates Java code when WSDL is given as input. The generated code is just a skeleton of the web service wherein you have fill it with your business logic.

Requirements:

• Eclipse IDE 3.4 or above
• Apache Axis2 (stand alone) 1.4 or above: Download releases
• A WSDL ( I am using CalcWSDLFile.wsdl)

In the axis distribution folder: ${AXIS2_HOME}/bin, you will find two script files: WSDL2Java.bat & Java2wsdl.bat. I will be using wsdl2Java.bat for since I am working on Windows and also because it's a top down approach. If you are working under Linux, there will be respective .sh files accordingly. 

My WSDL file: CalcWSDLFile.wsdl

This script (wsdl2java.bat) uses few options to generate code accordingly. Now, we are all set. Along with this, these steps will allow you to setup your development environment correctly.

1. Create a folder with name CalculatorWS. I have created it under C:\Amit\webservice\. This will be your workspace (project) folder in Eclipse. 

2. To generate server side code: Execute the below line:

wsdl2java.bat  -ss -g -u -sd -ssi -d adb -uri  C:\Amit\webservice\CalculatorWS\wsdl\CalcWSDLFile.wsdl  -o C:\Amit\webservice\CalculatorWS

-o: The path where the code is generated. The absolute path of folder: CalculatorWS

-uri: The path of of your WDSL file

The command should execute without throwing any error. To know more about rest of the script options mentioned above, have a look at the reference. 

3. Copy the lib folder under ${AXIS2_HOME} to C:\Amit\webservice\CalculatorWS\

i.e. the absolute path of lib will look like: C:\Amit\webservice\CalculatorWS\lib

4. Open Eclipse. File -> New -> Java Project. Now, provide project name. In the Contents frame, select “Create project from existing source” and provide the path of folder: C:\Amit\webservice\CalculatorWS. Click Finish. Your Eclipse work space is now setup successfully.

Look of my workspace: CalculatorWS

5. Now, next thing is to fill the generated with business logic. As highlighted in the screenshot, there will be a source file with the name: {service-name}Skeleton.java. {service-name} is got from the WSDL. This is the file where you come in, process the request, do some logic and reply with a response. 

Deployment

Once you are done with your development, it's time for deployment.

1. Create a folder named CalculatorWS under ${AXIS2_HOME}\repository\services. Then create a folder with name under META-INF under ${AXIS2_HOME}\repository\services\CalculatorWS

2. Copy all the files under C:\Amit\webservice\CalculatorWS\resources to ${AXIS2_HOME}\repository\services\CalculatorWS\META-INF. This folder contains XSDs, WSDLs and other web service related XMLs.

3. Copy all the compiled class files along with packages from work space folder: C:\Amit\webservice\CalculatorWS\bin to ${AXIS2_HOME}\repository\services\CalculatorWS.

4. Your web service is now successfully deployed. Open command prompt, goto ${AXIS2_HOME}\bin

5. Run the command axis2server.bat. You will see that your service is being deployed successfully. From the browser, navigate to URL: http://{your-host-name}:{axis2-server-port-number}/axis2/services/. For example, in my case: http://localhost:8090/axis2/services/

Web service getting deployed successfully

A list of deployed web services is displayed. Click the hyper link of your web service, the WSDL is displayed. Look for the tag soap:address. The value of the attribute location is the URL for the clients to connect to this web service. SOAPUI is a good client to test your web service.

I hope people will find this post useful.

First Impression is NOT always the Last Impression

In the recent years, I am not believing with the quote - first impression is the last impression. Its only about how I present myself to the people around me. I believe this saying rather discourages or demoralizes people from proving themselves.

Let me substantiate my belief with live instances. I am a less talkative guy. But that doesn't mean that I don't I talk at all. By this characteristic, people judge me as an introvert. I remember one of my managers at workplace saying this when I first joined the company. So, my work in the company was scrutinized for first few months. They thought I wasn't working well. This was their first impression. I knew it was uncomfortable to work under such conditions, but I suppressed this feeling. I said to myself "I am gonna show them who I really am!" As days went by, I worked stretching myself a little longer but made very sure I work my way. When the product delivery was made successfully, everyone was happy. Moreover, my potential and my work was highly recognized. This is the second impression. I guess the first impression is vanished now. My managers are happy with me as long as I get the work done.

Similar thing happened within my family. Even though I was a hard worker, my effort did not get reflected in my engineering result sheets. My parents underestimated me very much. They dreamed of me working in a reputed company. But what they were practically watching was that I was going nowhere. Finally, with God's grace, my effort became fruitful when I started my started my professional career three and half years ago in August 2007. With some  struggles & troubles during beginning stages of my profession, I am sure they are happy to see what I am now. Again, the second impression is what really counts.

If you have the potential then you don't really have to worry. It takes some time to show itself. But, don't let yourself down. Hard work really pays off in a grand fashion. Don't even make an attempt to impress anyone. Because you are only one of your kind. Be happy the way you are. Never look back. Always look ahead in search of learning new things, that you think, helps you prosper your life and gain the right potential. And as I move on, I don't rely on first impression of a person. Instead I study that person for sometime because I know it might change with time. Some quotes remain just as quotes.

Doyle and Christie

I have been reading stories of Hercule Poirot by Agata Christie for a month now. The volume has 51 stories. I am done with 31. There are few observations to make. In most of her Hercule Poirot stories, Captain Hastings is always an admirer of women. Here is one of descriptions:

"In another minute one of the most charming girls I have ever seen was ushered into the room.  She was perhaps about five-and-twenty, with big brown eyes and a perfect figure. She was well dressed and perfectly composed in manner." - from the story: The Million Dollar Bond Robbery

 And another one:

"'Mrs. Robinson did not seem to notice anything amiss. Very curious. is it not? Did she impress you as being a truthful woman, Hastings?', Poirot remarked.

'She was a delightful creature!', I said
'That's evident! since she renders you incapable of replying to my questions. Describe her to me then'
'Well, she is tall and fair, her hair's really beautiful shade of auburn - blue eyes and a very nice complexion and - well, that's all, I think', I concluded lamely" - from the story: The Adventure of the Cheap Flat

In Sir A. Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes stories, Holmes and Watson admire women in rather different ways. Here is a famous example:

"To Sherlock Holmes, she was always the woman..... In his eyes she eclipses and predominates the whole of her sex. It was not that he felt any emotion akin to love for Irene Adler. All emotions, and that one particularly, were abhorrent to his cold, precise but admirably balanced mind..... They were admirable things for the observer - excellent for drawing the veil from men's motives and actions. But for the trained reasoner to admit such intrusions into his own delicate and finely adjusted temperament was to introduce a distracting factor which might throw a doubt upon all his mental results..... And yet there was but one woman to him, and that woman was the late Irene Adler, of dubious and questionable memory" - from the story: A Scandal in Bohemia

Do you notice the difference between the two great writers? Women's appearances are better described  in Poirot's stories as compared to that of Holmes's stories. And, you will also find women will be in leading roles in most of Christie's tales, but its quite the opposite in Doyle's stories; men are in leading roles!

Talking about the stories, Doyle more convincingly describes the science of deductions and motives as compared to Christie. When you end up reading stories of Hercule Poirot, they are good, but you are forced to believe the facts, although at the back of your mind, you wonder - something is missing/wrong here! But, when you read stories of Sherlock Holmes, you feel you should remember these stories for the entire lifetime. The plots are complex enough to twist your mind and the way mysteries are solved is simply superb. Christie introduces too many characters which I find difficult to keep track of them and in some of her novels, the plot circles round the same thing and does not proceed further. In the meantime, I wonder what the plot was! I am sorry to all Agatha Christie lovers, but this is what I have felt. The bottom line is: if you want to be a flirt, read Christie's stories, otherwise read Doyle's stories if it is intelligence that absorbs you. I won't forget to mention few classics like, A Scandal in Bohemia, The Adventure of Dancing Men, The Man with a Twisted Lip, The Adventure of Second Stain, The Speckled Band and The Hound Of Baskervilles, which I consider are masterpieces by Doyle.

Let me remind you Doyle & Christie are not contemporaries. I believe the originality of a person or the power of thinking independently dies when you try to copy the work which is already done in a more beautiful fashion. All Christie did was she created a new Sherlock Holmes by a different name: Hercule Poirot. You can also find characters of Dr Watson, Inspector Lestrade and Mrs. Hudson mapped similarly in Poirot's stories. In Christie's autobiography, she admits these facts saying that when she was creating Poirot, she also wanted all the characters which were similar to those in Sherlock Holmes stories.

I don't know whether I am going to finish reading this volume because I am really bored with the stories. I am not finding it interesting anymore. Its going nowhere. So, which one's next?

Ageless Mind

When I met my schoolmates during third week of June it was beginning of monsoon in 2011. This meeting was after 10 long years. We had been longing for this moment since years. When all of them shot their first look on each one of us, everyone was quite observant on each other's features. Most of them said to each other "Look at you! What has become of you! My God! You have changed completely! I couldn't recognize at first! How could you change so much?"

Of course there were few of my friends, including me ;), who didn't seem to have changed considerably by looks. So, despite some trivial changes, some guys said, "You haven't changed a bit! You are still the same as I saw you 10 years ago back in school!" But no one can deny the fact that people can't change at all. It is just the face that remains as the identity of a person.

Look at the other side of this subject. You have brothers and sisters. You grow along with them. Even after some years, when people say that your brother or sister has changed, you don't agree at once! Because you have seen them grow all along with you. Their images get updated everyday in your mind as you have been seeing them till date since your birth. So, you hardly notice any change in them. You will realize the truth only when you look back to see those old family albums or old family videos you made during family gatherings, parties, etc.

Before I met my schoolmates, my mind had images of them which were 10 years old. And now, suddenly when I saw them, my mind was reluctant to accept current images of my friends. It accepted only couple of minutes later during which it analysed their new or updated features - his nose is elongated, her eyes are geared with specs, she was apparently taller, but she is now short, he has put on weight, he also has a double chin now, etc and updates its photo store.

All humans have ageless minds. If you update your mind regularly, its well and good. You say that everything is going fine and you are moving on nicely. But, when you meet your friends or anyone who was close to you, after a long time, you notice that there is something out of the ordinary, because you want to see them the same way as they were long ago! Yes, it sounds very funny but I think it is the bare fact. Just imagine when you don't meet your old friends at all or when you don't think about them, there will be some kind of twitching in your mind saying "Nothing much or major has changed." Mind is a constant learner. It always wants put new things into itself. I think it is very young to learn many things; and how does it learn? By means of our five senses and by thought processes involved in experiences of our day-to-day lives!

I understand that I should have described how happy I was when I met my friends, the nostalgic moments cherished; funny instances, quarrels, punishments for behaving badly or for not doing homework, gossip about teachers, etc. All these priceless moments are to be experienced at that very moment and are to be remembered forever. If I start writing, I suppose there will never be an end if I elaborate these memorable things. Moreover, we spent the entire day enjoying ourselves. So, it does not qualify to be a blog post which describes everything about that very special day.

Dedicated to all my schoolmates

Class of  2001

MR Sakhare English Medium School, Hubli

Switching Languages

Well, it's not the first time to happen to me, but many times. I feel it is very strange. Sometimes, I also feel that people are strange. I don't really have an answer for this. But, I am never concerned about it. I just accept it as a joke on my part :)

First time it happened to me in my college during my first year of engineering. It was a mechanical lab session where all the students where are asked to solder some pieces metal together in order to form a required shape. I went to the lab assistant asking for more pieces of lead. You know, we had to melt those pieces, using a soldering gun, on the joints. I said, "Sir, box khaali aagide, Lead pieces illa. Nanage innu swalpa beku." in Kannada (The box is empty. There are no Lead pieces. I need some more). He stared at me with a great surprise. His eyes were bigger than they were. Now, I was surprised to see him taken aback wondering what made him to be surprised. I knew something went wrong. But what was it? He cleared his throat and finally he said "Hmm, tum  ek-do minute ke liye wait karo, mein leke aatha hoon." in Hindi (Wait for couple of minutes, I'll get them). This time, I was surprised to see him reply in a different language. I was about to say "OK sir, thank you" in Hindi when I started stammering because my tongue finds its difficult to switch languages quickly. I managed to say "Ada...ba...than...ka..da..", then tried very hard to stop talking and  managed to mute my voice. Later, I kept wondering - I think he understands Kannada, but he is unable to speak it or did he think I didn't know Kannada? What makes him think so? After a short while, I thought latter was true when he was talking to his colleagues in Kannada.

Later today a similar thing happened when I was waiting at a bus stop. It was quite late. I was doubtful whether I could catch a bus this time around. I asked a man who was standing close to me, "Sanjay Nagar ge hoguva bus sigabahude, eega?" in Kannada (Can I get a bus which goes to Sanjay Nagar by any chance now?). His quick reply was in English, "I am waiting for the same bus. We will be lucky if we get one. Time is already up. We might have missed it, but I am still waiting for it hoping that I did not miss it!". I nodded approvingly. This time I made sure my mouth is shut not to speak out anything! I was little surprised. It reminded of the situation which happened during my engineering. Again, after a while, I saw that man talking to a fellow passenger in Kannada.

These are the instances I can remember now. There are many more if I recall. There must be something about me that makes some people decide that I am a non Kannadiga. Am I so different by looks to some people that they fail to recognize me as a native Kannadiga? What's on me? I don't know. I just let it go. As long as it's not bothering me, I enjoy these moments and laugh about it. On a final note, beat this tongue twister:

How much wood would a woodchuck chuck if a woodchuck could chuck wood? He would chuck, he would, as much as he could, and chuck as much as a woodchuck would if a woodchuck could chuck wood.

Platform #23

June 9, 2011, 10:00 PM at Majestic (KBS) Bangalore - platform #23. I was stressed out because of work, very tired, impatiently waiting for the bus to take me home. An incident took place that lasted for less than ten minutes.

I saw an old woman - probably between 75-80 years of age, grey hair, wearing thick specs, old cotton saree - stretched out her arm in front of a young man. She was given one or two rupee coin. She thanked him and started approaching me. I generally don't entertain beggars of any kind, because I have the feeling that the money I give them is not being used constructively; most of them end up in spending money on bad habits like smoking, drinking, etc and most of all these people are ill mannered.

As she came limping towards me, I observed her features; she was very fragile. By her looks I could make out that she was not a beggar herself (I don't know how I deduced that). She stretched out her arm. I saw extreme emotional pain in her face so vividly that tears filled my eyes almost instantly. I am typically a man who doesn't lose control over my emotions in situations of this kind. I really don't know why I was so much occupied by her appearance. Thoughts like "She might have been dismissed by her family. She does not have anything to feed herself" flashed my mind. I observed that her thumb was twisted. I opened my wallet, and placed a 10 rupee note in her palm. She waved her hand with gesture that said “Thank you & God bless you" and she left. I couldn't stop thinking about her. I looked around. I was almost on the verge of crying. "How could Rs. 10 help?! Its nothing! How is that old woman leading her life? Why is the world so cruel? Why is God troubling such people in a bitter way? Why is life so unfair? Why, Why, Why?" - all these questions struck my mind like thunder bolts. At this time, my fatigue was gone. I was very much disturbed and extremely moved by her condition. "Do something to help her! Do something! What do I do? OK. I will give her another 100 rupees!" She was moving away toward another platform. I ran behind her, caught hold of her, held her hand and I placed money in her palm. When I returned, unanswerable questions struck me:  "Will that money really help her? Will it be sufficient? I mean, does it serve her food to satisfy her hunger for days? If yes, for how long? May be for maximum of two days. And what will happen to her after that? How does she spend rest of the days left in her life?" I got lost in these stabbing thoughts for some time.

The bus I was waiting for finally arrived. It took sometime to pull myself all together. I still had some kind of guilt feeling that I did not help her much. Extreme thoughts like - "I should take care of her. I must do something for her betterment. Life is really cruel. We die for eating junk food and buying trendy clothes, but just look at her. She is not having another pair of clothes to wear or money to feed herself. Is God here to help her?" - passed through my mind even after the bus started its journey couple of minutes later. All these feelings came directly from my heart. I could feel the difference! I pity her.

Honestly, I really don't know what turned me so much. I wrote this post as fast as I could not to miss out anything that had happened and to read it again and again just to remind myself "Be happy with whatever you have" and "keep helping people as much as possible".

*    *    *

Next morning, I was getting ready for work. I stood in front of the mirror. I asked myself "Was that really you last night? I don't think so... with those tears in your eyes... I can hardly believe it! I mean, I don't know." I discussed with my sister-in-law. She said "It's a good thing what you did by helping her! I have done it myself couple of times. I completely understand your situation. But, some people don't agree and think that we are crazy. It's really hard to watch people in such conditions. Now, let it go.”

До свидания

What else can be a better occasion when Federer is playing Nadal in Men's Final of Roland Garos 2011. Nadal is leading the way till now: 7-5, 5-4. 

Meanwhile, I am putting down my tenth post here and I want it to be special. While my sister-in-law is busy preparing dinner, she scolds my niece furiously because of her carelessness, my nephew slid down the smooth floor, hurt his head and gave a shrieking cry of pain. Oh no! What's this? It started raining at the French Open now :( Play stopped! When will it resume?

What should I pen down here? Now, the highlights of the game. Cool, I missed watching the first set. Wait a minute! What else is remaining now? - The IP datagram header, the routing protocols, etc, then the transport layer; I wonder how long will that take? Man! I got so much to study. When will I complete this? Wow! How cool is that drop shot! Federer is always good in this. Now then, where was I? Hey, who's that blonde? Its a tie breaker for the second set.

Let it take time. I will still be getting the better of it. It will always good to learn these things whether its fruitful or not. Play resumed. An engineering graduate should know the network stack. Well, better stop writing this useless post; either watch the game or go back and study. Federer lost the second set. :( That's it! I will sign off. I will better watch the match. Hoping that he will make a comeback! I wonder whether that blonde went. Will the cameraman focus her face again?

*    *    *

That was all that was running in my mind for an hour. Are you people wondering what could be the meaning of the title of this post? Or you might be lost in guessing the language of it :) Its a Russian phrase for "Good bye", pronounced as Dus-vidaniaya. I thought about it from the Bollywood movie by the same name. In the movie, it somewhat relates to the meaning: "10 things to be done before you die". Mind you, its no good bye from me so early. I am sure there is lot ahead. By the way, Nadal won; 7-6, 7-5, 6-7, 6-1. It was a good fight though! And this is a good movie to watch. This is rumbling of thoughts in my mind when its not in a place this time around.

Movies with a "Difference"

INCEPTION. One of the most intelligent movies in recent times; with its out of the blue concept and confusing screenplay makes the movie more remarkable and wonderful. I consider it as one of the masterpieces of modern cinema. But, most of the Indian audiences didn't understand this movie.  May be because, they expect the screenplay to start at one point and end at another point, linear format. If you jumble few scenes here and there - non linear format - they lose track of the movie.

"Hollywood movie Inception, with its mind-boggling train of events culminating in an open-ended climax that many failed to comprehend, has not only become the topic of discussion on social networking sites, but has also spurred online sales of the movie's script, besides spurring people to watch the movie again. Several sites have also spawned on the Internet trying to explain the movie's complex plot." - The Hindu Business Line, Bangalore. Read more

Adding to this, guess what's worse? If they fail to understand the movie, there are theories by columnists about various interpretations of the movie. I believe, when you accept the plot where the movie is set, then it requires little more concentration to listen to the dialogue and some memory of yours to remember the scenes which are already gone past. Trust me, the story is very plain & simple. Here are some theories: Click this (P.S. If you haven't watched the movie, then don't read this, it will mislead you!) I am sure you will find many other theories related to this movie.

The obvious question arises to common man is why movies are made which are difficult to understand? I, being a movie buff and a Christopher Nolan fan, hate watching a movie which is nowhere different than any other movie. The director, apart from entertaining people, expects us to understand the intelligence involved and the efforts put by the entire crew (actors, editors, cinematographers, etc)  to make the movie successful.

I am very glad to say movies like Memento, The Prestige, Inception are not made in India. Otherwise, these movies would have failed to run even for a week - a disaster at the box office! Who says India does not have good directors? There is Vishal Bharadwaj, who made movies like Omkara and Kaminey and Guru Dutt who made Kaagaz Ke Phool. Just watch these movies, you will certainly love them. The screenplay is unique and this makes these movies different. The performance of these movies were average at the box office.

"The theme and tone on this movie were ages ahead of the Indian audience of the 50s who were used to simpler plots and storylines. The underlying tones of the film were complex and the story was controversial for the time." - Wikipedia on Kaagaz Ke Phool. Read more

What most of the Indian audiences want is a bunch of romantic movies with stories that end in tragedy with a happy start or vice-versa and screenplay as told in fairy tales or in bedtime stories. People! make an earnest attempt to accept change, have new ideas and most important - Evolve! Then, there will be new things in your life. Finally, I would like you guys to take a leap of faith and leave you with this interview clipping.

This post is dedicated to Christopher Nolan & all his movies!

The Devil's Son

This blog post is about the book that I read few weeks ago; Chengiz Khan - The Devil's Son by Vassili Yan (translated in English by Linda Noble). Vassili Yan is a Russian scholar whose journey & research led to the development of this epic chronicle.  I am writing this not only to recollect the facts what I have read, but the essentials of the main character: Chengiz Khan.

The book is very beautifully organized. There is no trace of Chengiz Khan in the first sixty pages of the book. It starts with a journey of a dervish from Baghdad in search of knowledge. He enters Gurjung, the capital of  the rich empire of Khorezm: The greatest Muslim Estate. it starts speaking about the mighty ruler, Mohammad Shah Khorezm, portraying him as the child of the almighty. Then with these introductory lines, behold Chengiz Khan:

"Who does not know of Temujin-Chengiz Khan! I left him. He does not forgive those who dare stand before him without bowing their servile backs! He avenges the willful, he hunts down those who once fought him and slays their entire clans down to the last infant!" - A prisoner fled after the battle.

At this time, he had already captured Europe and China. Army of just 60,000 soldiers, he was able to destroy armies of strength 2-3 lac and consequently conquering half of the world invincibly. Very wicked & cunning in approach & extremely disciplined by his virtue. He was the one who first united the Mongol tribe: Tatars, who were quarreling among themselves earlier, brought them together and led them way forward. The Tatars, being grateful to the the Khan, were very loyal & faithful to him. His people always had the pride of being ruled by a great leader. He himself chose the commanders of  his army. He named himself as Genghis Khan or Chengiz Khan at the age of 50. Chengiz means "from the eternal skies". He was earlier called Temujin.

“It is not sufficient that I succeed - all others must fail.”

He was smart in striking a trade deal with Khorezm Shah that ultimately led to war. The strategies employed by Chengiz Khan where impeccable during 1200s. For instance, making the enemy chase a group of Tatars and later the enemies were ambushed from all sides and slaughtered, putting the captured prisoners who are physically strong in the front line of battle, exploiting weakness very quickly and exercising psychological warfare; he used to keep craftsmen alive (who used to make armory, garments, etc)  and butcher rest of the people and the city. Handful of women and children were spared, so that they can spread the terror of Chengiz Khan in other places. So, when he invaded the cities, people would easily surrender. For quick mobility, all horsemen had spare horses at stations and horsemen jumped from one running horse to other along the way thereby covering long distances in short time. At night, every horseman and soldier would light five-six flame torches, which would appear to the enemy that their force was almost five times larger than it actually was!

"At military exercises I am always in front, and in time of battle am never behind. In the space of seven years I have succeeded in accomplishing a great work, and uniting the whole world in one empire." - Chengiz Khan

"He who wishes not to cling tight to the sword's black hilt will fall victim to the sword's sharp blade!" - a saying

The Khorezm empire constituted the wealthy cities of Samarkand and Bukhara. Both are the largest cities of Uzbekistan. Gurjang, Bukhara and, Samarkand being the richest city, were plundered by Chengiz. He was also very impressed by the architectural beauty of the Samarkand that made him keep monuments unharmed. He ultimately conquered the complete empire easily which was under Khorezm Shah's rule. Jelal ed-Din Shah, son of Khorezm Shah was the only one who successfully escapes, unites scattered soldiers and defeats one of the Mongol detachments. Later, he was unable to keep his army united for long. Khorezm Shah, the emperor with great stature, tired escaping from the Tatars, flees to an island in Caspian Sea filled with lepers, with his body decayed, dies in vain.

"All who surrender will be spared; whoever does not surrender but opposed with struggle and dissension, shall be annihilated." - Chengiz Khan, during the war with the Khwarezmian empire

 "What is there in the city of scorpions and tarantulas, when there is no unity even in the face of danger?" - Jelal ed-Din Shah, mightiest son of Khorezm Shah Mohammad

Now again there is no trace of Chengiz Khan. He sends his two eminent commanders in search of Jelal ed-Din Shah. They come across a river: Kalka which connects Russia. As usual, the commanders take advantage of the situation being the Russian princes fail to stand united against the enemy. It was a fearsome battle that lasted for few years. The Tatars were successful in taking control of whole of Russia. The Tatars proceeded to Hindu Kush where the weather conditions did not suit them. So, the Khan orders the entire army to return to Mongol.

According to historical study and research, Chengiz Khan's military conquests were frequently characterized by the wholesale slaughter of the vanquished. It has been estimated that his campaigns killed as many as 40 million people based on census data of the times.

The last part of the book describes the final days of Cheghiz Khan and his desire to become immortal in order to conquer other half of the world. He calls upon a wise ascetic who resides in Chinese mountain ranges to develop a medicine which will make him younger. The saint convinces the Khan that there is no such thing that can make a man immortal. He resolves to die at the age of 65. Till today, there is no clue of his tomb.

"When I die, don't reveal my death in anyway. Do not weep or wail, so that the news of my death should give our enemies reason to take heart or rejoice. When the Khan and the Tangut inhabitants come through the fortress gates with gifts, pounce on them and slay them!" - lasts words of Chengiz Khan

The powerful portrayal of Chengiz Khan is justified as he appears only in the middle portion of the book and nowhere else. He never enters the battle field till the end, he orders his loyal and able men to do the job instead. His leadership was a noble one. Its a fact that there are descendants of Chengiz Khan exist even today. Lately, I get alarmed when I see Chinks wandering here and there on the streets.

Genghis Khan - A prolific lover: An international group of geneticists have found that nearly eight percent of the men living in the region of the former Mongol empire carry y-chromosomes that are nearly identical. That translates to 0.5 percent of the male population in the world, or roughly 16 million descendants living today. His descendants extended the empire and maintained power in the region for several hundred years, in civilizations in which harems and concubines were the norm. And the males were markedly prolific. - National Geographic News

The narration style is unique, unlike any other book. Initially, I found it difficult to get hold of the storyline. Later I was sucked into it! All readers who love to read real war stories, an episode of history is here, this "must-read-book" is the best pick :)

Further reading:

Battle of Khorezmia
Mongol military tactics and organization
Battle of the Kalka River