… that’s how they started … what would be the best sound while i open a new n97 multimedia device … i warn you, it is no longer just a phone …
axel meyer, head of nokia explore design, said it like that … it was an experience faced by 20 some blogger from bangalore on a sunny afternoon at oberoy hotel… endorsed by their own slogan “connecting people”, this is something that connects “personal” to “digital” … if you want to put it that way…
this touch screen gadget is one of its first kind in n series and truly own the heart of many gadget gurus already… two colors , black and white were selected while making the design of this cool piece or art and technology …
in this world of internet, social networking, blogging, photo and video sharing, twiterring and everything … you need a device what lets you to connect your inner world to the outer world … you need a device which works at real time … you needs a device which assist you for everything while you are on move and everything …
and you have the answer with you, n97 …
your choice of interest varies with mine and so does with Rahul’s and Megha’s … i need to personalize my home page, err, home screen for my own interest … you need for yours and blah blah blah … your widgets are different than mine and so on… it is no longer a global any more … it is more of locale, it is more private, more personal than anything else … it is more on empowering people’s interest and choice … nokia respected it and brought out this device …
now, if you are convinced enough to get one for you and thats for free, here is chance … “search for N” is a campaign by nokia which is nothing but a quiz on this technology and device which you need to participate and yes, your time starts now … june 15 -june 19 is the campaign week … follow the link.. who know you might be one of the lucky owner of a brand new n97 … and the best part is there is no SMS contests … 
this time i wanted to meet some of my lost friend with whom i shared a 10X10 space in kolkata for three years … 1997-2000 … since then i do not know their whereabouts …
i was a student that time … used to get 1500 bucks per month from my home to spend over a month which include food and rent expenditure … we used to share all our expanses and maintain a very low life… we knew that, we are here to finish our study … that’s all… some of them were there to get coaching on competitive exams.. some of us were students … means, we did not have enough money in our hand … it was just ok to have …
there was a concept of half tea from a local tea shop… we used to have a sip for 75 paisa … we used to take our lunch early in the morning , so that we can skip breakfast and save some money … we used to travel through local train, so that sometime we can travel without tickets… many students do that even now …
after i joined IT industry, i was put out of kolkata, i was in southern india since i joined the industry.. i could not go back, i could not catch them up with the latest happenings on their side… i was kind of pretty ashamed about it and somewhere in my mind i was feeling sorry for not able to connecting them… in this era of internet, they still do not practice internet at a large…i did not know their mobile phone number, i lost my old phone book as i don’t use any of them now… everything i manage electronically … so i missed them … it has been years even they could not contact me for whatever reason… i don’t blame them, i blame myself …
and this time i really wanted to meet them… i met one of my room mate who stays near my home town and on a winter evening we decided to see them… and next morning we started on a bike ride … they stay 80 km away from my house , however, i have never gone to their home … i was not even sure, whether i would see them at home …
i only knew the place name but did not know how to reach there … asked many people en route and finally i stooped myself at a local bazzar to find one of them… surprising i found him, but i was so sorry to see him… he changed himself totally different… once he was all our boss and now i saw him working on some video editing stuffs … don’t know what he does actually .. his attire was not right … i wanted to reach other friends through him… he was totally absorbed with local politics, i found eventually …
he took me to another friend and then from him to another to another … the whole day we spent was awesome … we could go back to those days, saw old albums, shared those chit-chats, cracked jokes about people we did not like those day blah blah blah …
it was an eventful day altogether …we were so happy to see each other, so happy to meet once again …
i took loads of photos … i did not want to miss this day in my life… i was coming back to my home with loads of memory this time … i was little carried away that day … it was a national highway i was coming through … i saw the sun is setting in … the day was just going to be finished … suddenly i stooped in the middle of the road and parked my bike side by … i looked back at the road from where i came … it was an awesome experience for me just before it became darker …
[ first photo was taken in 1999, just 10 years back, guy with a black color high-neck T shirt is actually me !! ]