ibelieve

2012-01-22T15:06:00.000+05:30

What if the baby happens on 14th Feb!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Time flies fast.. faster..

2012-01-22T12:17:00.000+05:30

Suddenly, things have changed for me.

9 months seemed like a looooong loooonnnggg time. But this last week, my doc has completely "transposed" my world.. if you get what I mean..

I have started taking insulin and just last week, she dropped a bombshell on me. We will deliver you in the 37th week due to this reason, she said. I just stared at her. I couldn't say anything. I was flabbergasted, which is also a mild term for what I am feeling still.

Now for those of you who do not know, my due date was March 2nd. So in my mind, I have been thinking and planning for 1.5 months more. But now my dates are likely to be closer to mid Feb. And that has completely thrown me off balance.

For most of you, it maybe silly. But damn it, we haven't bought our car yet. I don't know what to do with work. What about maid? Absolutely everything on the list is "yet to be done". And no, I cannot be prosaic about it. Yaaaaaaaaaaaarrrrrrrrgggghhhh

Anyway, deep breath. One thing at a time.

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More confusion - now I have lost weight ( about a kg) as I was not well for sometime. And haven't gained that back. A big issue as per my doc. Till now everyone was after my life to follow "the diet". I have gestational diabetes for which they prescribe a diet. Its not so much about cutting down as it is about avoiding certain food items, mostly whatever you love.

Till the day before, the diet mattered. Yesterday was when the doc gave me an earful. Now everyone says, eat. To hell with the diet. Your weight is too low. Don't starve yourself, they say. But am not starving. I feel full most of the times I try to tell them. But no one is listening.

My mind cannot adjust to all this.

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Working from home is sooooooooooooo boring. Nothing to do besides work.

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This cough is making me mad. I cannot sleep on my side anymore. Someone please take this weight off me. I want to sleep on my back, which incidentally I never did much earlier, but ask someone to tell you not to do something and irrespective of whether you like it or not, you will crave for it.

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Last weekend was nice. I shopped. I like shopping when one gets everything at the same place. We bought :

3 sets of salwaar kameez - 2 for my mom to gift to me on god bharai day (she gave me money as you wont get anything as nice in Kerala), 1 for my sis in law

4 saris - for the aunts who came to visit me

Bangles from Jaipur - 2 sets of 8 bangles for me (this is even though I don't wear bangles, but I was too attracted to it), 5 sets of 2 kadas (for me, my sis, sis in law, mom, MIL), 1 set of 8 bangles for my niece.

3 pairs of pretty earrings

2 Ganeshas for home (one huge one)

New cheap curtains for my room

And I was so happy!!!!!!!!!!!

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For my god bharai 4 saris got added to my stash. Thankfully the ceremony was short and peaceful. Phew!!

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No one understands my anguish at time flying past.. least of all A. The more am trying to spend time with him, the more the no of things coming up his way / people want him to be involved in. Damn it!!

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Yesterday, watched Asianet filmfare awards for 5 mins. Dhanush came and sang Kolaveri. That guy is so down to earth. He said things like "please don't embarrass me by comparing me to any singer... not with so many great actors/ singers sitting here.. this is a hit by mistake.. " Then they made him sing the song.. he played along and said.. now you know how much technology helps people like us. Really really really sweet chap, no airs around him. I quite liked him.

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I am going to watch Agneepath next weekend. Come what may. I think it will be a hit. Everyone who is shown in the trailer looks awesome.. Hrithik Roshan, Sanjay Dutt, Priyanka Chopra. And don't you just love Chikni Chameli!!!

I loved : Sherlock Holmes, A game of shadows

2012-01-12T12:15:00.000+05:30

Swooooooooooooooooooooooon .. and once more.. swoooooooooooooonnnnnnnnn

Isn't Robert Downey Jr the most handsome(st) person in the world. Sigh!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

And the combination of Robert Downey Jr and Jude Law, the most electrifying!!

So I watched Holmes last night and I am still unable to get over it. It was just mindblowing. Brilliant.No, not the storyline, but the two gentlemen in question.

The movie is a Guy Ritchie movie, no doubt... absorbing, doesn't allow you to blink an eyelid even throughout the movie. Fast paced is too mellow a term.

As you can see I really enjoyed watching Holmes. I enjoyed the action. And believe you me, the action is nothing short of brilliant.

The storyline - well, there I had a small , a teeny thorn in my flesh. I had thought, with Moriarty coming into the picture, the movie will be much more intelligent, much more of a duel of brains than brawn. If you remove the action, the thrills, Jude Law and Robert Downey Jr, the plot kind of falls apart. It was weak, in the sense of the expectations caused due to Moriarty's presence.

Moriarty himself - ah, he was ok. When the first Sherlock Holmes movie was released, there was a lot of talk of Brad Pitt being cast in this role. And I wish he was. Though this chap was not half bad. Its just that, then it would really have been a meeting of equals!

The movie of course, out and out belonged to Robert Downey Jr and Jude Law. The music was great, just as the last time. The action much more thrilling than earlier. And then there was Stephen Fry too. What is there not to like.

I totally loved it. A must must must watch. Who cares about the "intelligent storyline".

A new year post

2012-01-02T20:03:00.000+05:30

Am unwell and so is A - what a great way to welcome the new year!!! Cribs aside, at least I took an off today, I slept through the day.. and I am taking an off tomorrow too. To hell with work. Right attitude isnt it!!

So all in all a good way to start the year - I mean with the right attitude. Prioritise what matters.

I do not have any resolutions for the year except not to forget myself or us (me and A) in the confusion of having a 3rd member around. I am determined not to forget myself. And by that I mean - blog, travel, read, watch movies.

Happy new year folks.

ps: This is the scared me talking!!

Inheritance.. finally

2011-12-30T20:19:00.000+05:30

For those who do not know, Inheritance is the 4th book in the Eragon series. There's Eragon.. I have amnesia.. I cannot remember the 2nd book's name for the life of me..then there's Brisingr and finally Inheritance.

The entire story starts with Eragon, who becomes a dragon rider and his dragon Saphira. I thought the first 3 books were okay. I did not find them to be breathtakingly exciting or anything of the sort. So, my expectations were not very high from the 4th instalment in the series. In the first book, it was all about Eragon and Saphira. Uptill the 4th book, some other characters also came into prominence like Nasuada, Roran etc.

Like any other book, there has to be an "evil" to be conquered.. the objective to the entire series. In this instance, evil is present in the form of Galbatorix, the magician.

So here, I thought, the entire finale will be about Eragon defeating Galbatorix and there would be nothing else to it. I simply bought it as I had already read the first 3 books and just had to finish the 4th for my own satisfaction. And no, curiosity had nothing to do with it.

Funnily enough, I quite enjoyed the book. Inheritance, I am happy to report, is not about Eragon and Saphira. Yes, they do have their own part to play. But so do all others and their role is definitely not inconsequential. In fact, if anything Eragon couldn't have achieved anything much without them. And that stands out.. and I quite like it.

I liked the character of Roran. The strength of character, the intellect I should say.. way better than Eragon. I quite liked Nasuada,Murtagh, Orik, King Orrin, the magician Angela, the werecat Solembum etc. Each one had a definite role to play and I enjoyed reading about each one immensely. I do not think I would be off the mark, if I say all of these characters undermined Eragon and Saphira. In fact, that's the very reason I liked it. It was by far the best of the series.

There were 2 things though I couldn't come to terms with - a) Galbatorix. After the entire build up to Galbatorix, the character is weakly etched into the book. Throughout the entire first 3 books, his character builds fear, despair in one.. pretty much like Voldermort. Sadly, the strength of character doesn't live up to the build up at all. He appears and disappears as quickly.

b) It is quite a thick book. And it keeps you absorbed, almost till the end. The post Galbatorix part gets a bit annoying and becomes more of a drag. I just wanted it to end. But it goes on and on and on with Eragon dithering over things. It was so not required.

But all in all, surprisingly, I enjoyed it. Time worth investing in.

Don 2

2011-12-26T23:49:00.000+05:30

I had wanted to write about Inheritance.. but Don 2 takes precedence.

I just watched it last night you see. Question No 1 - Did I like it? I am not very sure actually. You read my post and tell me if I liked it.

SRK as don - his entry into the screen frame is just awesome. If only I could whistle. He looks lean and mean.. literally!! His hair is long and untidy, tied into a half pony (as we used to call it). He is on this motorboat. He is thin. Thin to the point of looking malnourished. He looks as if he hasn't eaten for days. He has an untidy beard to go along with the untidy hair. And he just looks fantastic.

He looks every bit mean as Don was meant to look like. He looks positively villainous. His dialogue delivery is brilliant. He is ruthless, he doesn't care two hoots about anyone. The first half an hour.. Don in the Thai Prison is just all about SRK. And don't we just love it.

But then.. there's always a but isn't it! Then suddenly he reaches Berlin.. all clean shaven having escaped from prison.. and his hair is all nice and shampooed, dyed even. And I missed the Thai SRK throughout the movie. The plot tries its best to be intelligent.

It is definitely a slick movie. Theres no doubt on that. But I got bored in the middle.. for a good half an hour.. and I was thinking about intermission and eating popcorn..tried to peer at other people's faces to figure out their reaction, twiddled my thumbs.. I am sure am exaggerating.. but then again, I was mightily bored. Is there a word called mightily?

In any case. There was no need for Roma or Mr Malik in the movie. Remove them from the equation, it does not make an iota of a difference to the movie.

Lara Dutta looks ravishing, especially in the title song. She beats Priyanka Chopra hands down. But as much as she says, "mere aur bhi khubhiyan hain" etc, none of the other khubis besides her beauty and dancing skills get displayed in the movie.

And there was absolutely no need for Don to start swinging and singing and dancing in the song. The entire meanness factor built up in the initial bit of the movie goes for a toss.

And what was it with getting Don to roam around with cops to free hostages. With a gun in hand.. and Don doing heroics and saving people!!! Villainy destroyed. And which cops in the world would allow a dreaded criminal like Don "jisko pakadna mushkil hi nahi namumkin hai" to roam around like this. Many funny scenes dominate the bank heist. With SRK sitting sitting in the bank and calling Malik and asking to speak with Roma. Malik also obliging and giving the phone to her.. him complaining about helicopter lights etc..And to save best for the last, Roma still in love with Don and unable to shoot him. Whhhhhhhhaaaaaattt was that all about.

And there was another character in the hacker.. who seems to explain every step he takes, for the Indian audience (??). Example.. now I am recording this.. now I will show the same clip on video to the silly guards.. and now I will switch off the lights.. grrrrrrrrrrrr

Finally in the end, they grant my wish and show SRK with his beard .. close to the Thai Version and I am happy.

It could have been way better. A tp movie for sure. A slick movie for sure. A hollywoodish movie for sure. BUT, I wish..

Already 2012!

2011-12-20T20:58:00.003+05:30

Where did the year disappear. Someone pinch me. I feel as if I have sleepwalked through the year. It was just a few days back that I was at my previous company.

I changed companies after some 5 years and am pregnant. Quite a year I must say, though I still cant tell you what is it that I have exactly done in the year.

Next year, 2012, is full of change of course.. given my situation. I wonder what would I be doing next year. Here's what I wish I would be doing next year, besides the baby part of it :

a) Traveling
b) Reading
c) Blogging
d) Being with my family and friends, as much as I can.

Some of you, who know me from before, would be aghast that I haven't added working to the above list. I have always been a workaholic. Work has always defined who I am. This year saw a change in that thought. And no it is not a pregnancy related realisation. The change in priority started way before. The questions started last year I think - Is work really that important in my life, that I have woven everything else in my life around work. I used to map my entire day, week, month basis work. Well, I still do it.. but not as fanatically I used to manage things earlier.

And its not that suddenly work holds no importance in my life. It still defines me, to a certain extent. I still wouldn't know what to do if I did not work. But, these days I think, if I ever were to take a break from work, I don't think I would be at a loose end.. twiddling thumbs.. getting scared of thinking, rather brooding about "no job" situation. Somewhere I would like to think I have changed a bit. At least I say it aloud - I am bored of working, of whatever I am doing. Earlier, I would be astonished at people who could say such things.

If I had written a post an year or so back, Work would have been the top most item in my list. But now, am ok leaving it off work. But that does not mean I do not want to work. I do. I do get scared of the "no work" situation and becoming totally dependent. I don't fret as much about clients giving me a hard time or team not doing well or not meeting numbers.

As compared to the earlier me, I probably am not as likely to get into a panic about it.. am more accepting .. or so I would like to think.

This post was meant to be something else!!!!!! Its different :D

2011-12-09T15:08:00.001+05:30

I am inspired by a post by melee on weight issues. My post doesn't have anything to do with weight issues but on the dieting pain that I can now understand.

I do not need to diet. I have never had to diet. And I wonder how many people I doled out the advise to - "come on, just eat a bit less of this or don't eat so much junk etc". Careless statements, I know realise.

I have been told not to eat -

a) Pickle - pregnancy related, doc recommend. Apparently high on salt content
b) Fried stuff - same as above
c) Chocolates - doc recommended, caffeine and sweet
d) Pumpkin - In laws said not to eat
e) Mango - Mom said not to eat
f) Any sweets including ice cream - doc recommended as right now I have high sugar
g) Red meat - Doc recommended, Have no idea why
f) Chinese - Doc recommended, I guess because of the ingredient ajinomoto
g) Coffee - Doc recommended, caffeine

Now, a few months back, I would have scoffed at this list. What do I care about coffee? I am a tea drinker. Mango - who has so much mango anyway!! This is easy peasy.

Ever since I stopped eating all this, I crave to eat each and every single item on the list. I realised the importance of pickle in my life post becoming pregnant!! It brings so much flavour to same dreary home food that I eat everyday for all 3 meals. When I say dreary, let me also clarify - my cook makes same food almost everyday. Her repertoire is kind of limited. Everytime my mom comes over, she teaches her one or two new things to make. And I eat the same food for lunch as well as dinner. And many a times in the evening too when I feel hungry. She really cant make too many things!! My " food outings" are very limited these days!! You can imagine my plight. Pickle just instantly uplifts the flavours of everything I eat. Initially I didn't have pickle, but I have started it everyday now. I cannot live without pickle. Anyway, now that mom is here for a few days, I am eating interesting things - macaroni, sandwiches, mooli paratha etc!! And I am loving it. But the dark dreary days will be back again with a vengeance soon. :(

I love chocolates. I do not like sweets. I bought a pack of nutella. Its sitting on the kitchen shelf, forlorn. I cannot eat it as my sugar levels are high. How I want to cry everytime I spy it on the shelf.

Pumpkin is one of the favourite vegetables in my mallu household. Before marriage, my mom used to make it about 3-4 times a week. Post marriage, I used to make it a few times in a month. But now I crave for it. Because of random superstitions, I cannot eat what I love.

I cant say I love mutton. But the other day at Koshy's I fought with A on ordering a mutton stew. I salivate whenever I see mutton curries. And I have to eat its poor cousin - chicken curry :( am sick of it.

And these days, I love the coffee smell. Especially the filter coffee smell. Everytime we go to a South Indian joint, I am the only sitting duck, probably in the entire restaurant who orders tea!!!

I crave for the "forbidden fruit"!! Its only now I realise the importance of these things in my life. And next time, I wont be so free with my random advise on people's eating habits.

Gawd, its painful!! And my patience is fast running out.

I want to have momos right now!!

ps: I have 2 more crib posts. Sorry, but thats how it is. After that, I will try to write to happy posts!!!! For now its grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr

Of course I am annoyed right now. My driver has decided to take a circuitous route to a meeting saying its a short cut. Just told him off. I am late and the roads are bad!!

The language issues

2011-12-06T10:15:00.001+05:30

Whats with calling someone "babe"!! I know it doesnt have anything to do with language .. but there are some words that annoy me to the extreme.

The other day, a friend called me and said, "how are you, babe!!" I find it so unnatural. And I have a name. I guess this friend is used to being abroad and thats how they refer to each other which I can still comprehend. What irritates me is this "babe" thing on FB. Conversations between women, girls will have one "babe" and one "muaaahhh". I cant help but cringe at the sight of these terms used affectionately (??). To me it sounds so wannabe!! Maybe I am becoming senile.

Another thing I do not like is the abbreviated version of english that you see on FB. "dis" for this, "dat" for that etc. A young cousin of mine messaged me on FB. Her message was full of "dis" "dat", "d" (the), "hv" (have), "ma" (me.. this one annoys me the maximum I think). After trying to comprehend it for 5 full mins, that I had to finally ask her to message the same message again but this time in proper english. Turns out, all she was asking was the distance between 2 places in Bangalore!!

Even the kids in my team send me such messages regarding work. Its so awful, this rubbish I am subject to. Till now, I havent pulled up anyone though I really had to control myself!!

I shudder to think of this kind of language permeating to official emails! Going by what I see, by the time my cousin starts working, it may very well happen. What is the world coming to.

Master Chef yet again..US this time

2011-12-01T10:15:00.001+05:30

This is going to be a very profound post. So if you do not want to read a profound post, this is the moment where you can close the window. I am sounding like the prologue chapter of Series of Unfortunate Incidents. LOL. Nevertheless.

I say profound because of 2 reasons - I am writing on the way to work, while traveling in my car, even before I have started working! So, probably something profound coming right up. I have never been motivated enough to write when in the car. This is a first!!

And second, its on MC again. Hah!! Profound Cr**.

So, Kate won MC Aus. I am happy.. happy Micheal did not win. Gawd, he is so whiny!!!!!!

After MC Aus got over, I was still semi-happy as MC US was starting in the same time slot. At least something to watch.

So after 2 days of MC US bakwaas, I was motivated enough to post. If none of you have caught it -

Day 1 of MC US - Selection of Top 50 or whatever it is.

One guy comes in with a girl to cook.

Gordon Ramsay : Is she your wife?
Contestant : No
GR : Is she your girlfriend?
Contestant : No. She is a part of the dish (or something to that effect). I am going to make you body sushi.

And then, the girl removes her dressing gown and guess what, she is totally naked. This contestant puts a mattress on the cooking table and proceeds to put sushi on her unmentionables!!!

To which GR says : "I wouldn't want to get any hair on my sushi" (GROSS)

The contestant dribbles the sauce over sushi which is flowing everywhere.

GR : "your sauce is dribbling all over her."

Of course, they didn't select the contestant. Rather I should say, Thank God, they didn't.

Theatrics define MC of all other countries. Why cant they just focus on food like MC Aus. Why do they need to do all this drama. Even contestants are like this. One girl who has won beauty pageants.. and says in her introduction, I have bl***y walked in 5 inch heels in a swimsuit on a stage... trying to talk about how she is different and what all accomplishments she has had in life!!

Or another one.. this time a lawyer who pleads her case with the judges.

Or a judge (GR again) who tells a trucker who has a tattoo on his b**t to show his tattoo.. and he promptly drops his pants and shows it. The other judges tell him to wash his hand before cooking.

What the heck is this show about!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Why are the contestants so arrogant and cocky. Why cant they be normal like people in MC Aus. Even people at MC India are better.

This show is like another version of big boss. And all it incites you to do, is slap people.

Some fillup required

2011-11-28T21:39:00.001+05:30

From you guys!

Please post. With the exception of melee, no one is posting. Please help me get on a higher plane.

Help me help myself.

Crib time

2011-11-11T20:22:00.001+05:30

I am sick and tired of visiting docs and getting tests done.

My schedule for the week starting today :

Friday : Went to the hospital to meet a diabetologist. Waited for 2 hours for an appointment which took exactly 2 mins

Saturday : Need to go to my doc to show reports

Sunday : More tests involving drinking glucose. And not just once ...Uggggggggggggghhhhhhhhhhh .. and a half day process, there goes my weekend. :((

Tuesday : Go to diabetologist again in the hospital

Saturday : Meet the doc for a regular check up

And in between all this, I need to meet 2 docs. They have been referred by my doc who is retiring. So I now need to figure out who will take me through the next 3.5 months.

No wonder am pissed off.

And did I tell you how I hate hospitals! I had forgotten about it - today's visit brought it all back to me :(

A million ad breaks

2011-11-10T21:37:00.001+05:30

Now I know why there are ad breaks during any show. A combination of MC Aus and HD made me realise why there are these 5 min breaks between the show and why it is a heaven sent.. for people like me!!!!

I have HD on my Tata Sky. And watching anything without a break is quite a treat really. It attracts you like never before. You don't need to channel surf, you can just watch a programme in its entirety together!! No cuts in between.

Come MC Australia, I have changed my mind. While I would love to watch the show without any break, the problem is the timing. It is on air between 9 and 10pm and that's the time I have my dinner.

So many a days, while watching MC on HD, I would sit with a plate in my hand.. loath to get up for a second helping.. even worse, sit with a plate that goes totally dry waiting for the show to end. I didn't want to miss a minute you see. And one thing I hate, is a drying plate, a drying hand. The minute I finish eating, I get up to wash my hand.s I really hate sitting around. Even during breakfast, if I finish eating but am still having my tea, I first go and wash my hands and then have tea. You get the drift, am sure.

And now am back to watching MC on regular TV. I need the breaks. The first break to heat my food, another one for second helping, a 3rd one to wash up and a 4th one to clean up.

Never thought would say this - cheers to the million ad breaks!! :))

Cooking ahoy

2011-11-06T19:00:00.004+05:30

This weekend I am on my own. I remember having posted earlier on the joys of being alone for a change, the fun in shopping alone. In this situation, remove the driver from the equation and things turn on its head.

Actually the driver was present yesterday, but I had to get tests done. Thankfully, it didnt take too much time. I wanted to go to a bookstore and sit there for a while but these days, I get tired out quickly and run back home.

I ate, read, slept, put some clothes in the washing machine. And then asked myself - now what. So I made a lemon pickle for myself.

And today it was a cake.. a plain vanilla cake. I have no idea of how it has turned out. It is cooling in the kitchen.

When you dont have company, 2 days really stretch in front of you!!

In my free time, I figured out a good site for Indian recipes - NDTV cooks. They seem to have nice chicken recipes.

And a nice place to stay at Coorg - Rainforest retreat it is called, I think. It is a farm basically and is run by an NGO. There is no electricity at the plantation. Seems like an ideal place to switch off and relax. For whenever, I can travel next!

And now I again find myself at a loose end. Thankfully, a friend is visiting soon.

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Anyone caught MC India? Yesterday's episode was not bad at all. The challenge was similar to MC Aus though I thought that Indian one was tougher. They had to mix and match a core ingredient and a cooking instrument. In the Indian context, they got ingredients like marigold, grapes, thai aubergines (which are bitter), tinda etc. Some of the instruments were old things used in pre historic times - a tawa, a stone thing (looks like a pestle, used to be used in Kerala apparently), a steaming instrument etc. One pair of contestants made tarts.. on a tawa!!!!!!!!! Another one made chicken stuffed with crab meat, a berry sauce and a pomegranate couscous. I thought these guys were very innovative.. a far cry from last year's MC where they would stick to what they know.

Time to check on the cake!

Update: Cake is rock hard! When microwaving, I checked using a knife. Though it came out clean, the top was moist. I microwaved it again and now it is like a stone. :((

Maternity wear.. pah!!!!!!!!

2011-11-03T22:32:00.000+05:30

It really is.. pah!

I want to wear nice clothes. I DO NOT want to wear a sack or some ridiculously insipid clothes.

Can someone please go and tell Mom & Me stores that! It was the most upsetting...my visit to the store. The thing is I am quite happy wearing my old nice Cotton World tops - I don't want to hide my belly or anything. Cotton World has lovely cotton tees, which is really thin and comfortable to wear. They just stretch over you, the right way.. without making you feel constricted.

Then I have pairs of shorts, Abercombie & Fitch and Cotton World again - which I love wearing. What I am missing is my pair of jeans. I have 4 pairs and 2 are redundant now. There are 2 I can wear but the doc has now advised me to give it up. She was the one who asked me to go buy maternity wear.

So I went to the Mom & Me store. I was really upset, I cannot tell you how much. Not only are the bottoms ugly, they are ridiculously overpriced!!!! 2K for a pair of this baggy green 3/4ths. Can you imagine! Even higher than beautifully fitted Levis!!! Just because you don't get maternity wear in India.

Even worse - if I say Mothercare, what comes to your mind? I walk into Shoppers Stop with the same intent of picking up nice maternity wear. There is this big giant board that announces in capital letters MOTHERCARE. And I find only baby stuff there. Dude, who named this store Mothercare. Go check a dictionary. It is mothercare and not babycare. There was not a single thing for a woman in that part of the store. And if that is Shopper Stop's doing, of not stocking stuff related to moms, then WELL!!!!!

As you can see - its incredibly frustrating. Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrr.........I don't want to wear drab bedsheets. I want to wear nice stuff. Why doesn't anyone understand this. Stupid companies.

Someone I know bought material and got it all stitched.. the dresses. I, for one, don't have so much patience.

I think I will stick to M size at Cotton World.. soft soft comfortable beautiful material I want against my skin. Had I seen any company person there, I would have slapped them hard. Silly asses.

Pictures as promised

2011-11-02T21:46:00.000+05:30

A few pictures of Fisherman's Cove, Chennai. A beautiful property, and am sure you will agree!

Bay of Bengal

The sea changed colours everyday. The first day, it was the colour of ink, deep blue. And the next day, when it was cloudy, it became steel grey. Just gorgeous. I can actually sit in front of the sea for hours at end.. without even a book in hand!

A pathway within the property

This was a path running through a certain stretch. You cant see it, but there is a framework on top that covers this path and there are bougainvillas planted on the side. Seems like they would be covering the entire roof with flowers. It will be even more beautiful soon! Or will it? I liked the night lit sky as well.

White flowers, dont know which ones

A part of the butterfly garden within the property. It looked beautiful and I couldnt resist taking a picture.

Remains of a fort

And right somewhere in the middle of the hotel grounds, besides the pool, in the midst of the garden, is this wall. Apparently the only remains of an 18th century dutch fort, that used to exist where this hotel was. They say it was possibly a small armory. I, for one, am extremely fascinated with history!!!

Post the rains

I dont know what plant this is. But it was a bright green in the midst of all greenery. And this picture was taken right after it rained.

First day of my last vacation?

2011-10-28T20:27:00.001+05:30

Last vacation with only the 2 of us, I should say.

We are at Fisherman's cove. It is a beautiful property on the outskirts of Chennai, about 1.5 hrs drive from the city. We had actually made this plan with 2 of my good friends who ditched me (are you listening, mommie). But we decided to go ahead with the plan as I didnt want to not go on a vacation. Its only a 3 day vacation, before you people feel envious or anything.

It is a beautiful place, I know I said that already. Nevertheless, this picture should do it for you :)

I am sorry guys. Mail on my phone is not working..so I cannot show you how blue the sea looks, how inviting the path lined with lights look. The minute it works, I promise to put up pictures.

There is no plan for next 3 days, except to laze and enjoy my last vacation as one without an attachment :)

I wish I could take another break in January :(( . After this, I can take my next break only post June I guess :(((

Can time please pass slowly?

Diwali uptill now

2011-10-26T14:10:00.001+05:30

A hectic Diwali to say the least.

It all started last evening when we stuffed ourselves at lunch, tried to light some ghee diyas, tried to pick up Diwali presents for people at work in the middle of a heavy downpour (finally unsuccessful), picked up about 40 diyas and colour to make rangoli.

Since morning, I have put my mom upto making laddus. This time of course it came out right.. turns out I had missed a crucial element when making laddus on my own. After making boondis, you need to put some more ghee in the remaining sugar syrup and thicken it and then add the boondis yet again and wait for the sugar to crystallise before rolling it into laddus. Thats why my boondi didnt stick!!!

The plan for rest of the day -

Step 1: Take a nap
Step 2 : Go to parlour
Step 3 : Figure out a sari to wear in the evening. The thing is none of my blouses fit. So we worked out a solution, my mom and me i.e. .. I will wear my mom's blouse (it just about fits) and my own sari
Step 4: Make Rangoli
Step 5 : Cook dinner, rather help mom do that. A's family is dropping in to celebrate with us. So we are planning to make Cholle - Puri!!! Given that we need to make some 10000 puris (out of 7 of us, 4 men!!!), I have decided that we will make only 20 puris and rest will be rice. Mom wants to make kheer as well!! Gawd!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I already dont have the energy even though my contribution to the laddus is very small.
Step 6 : Wear Sari
Step 7 : Do a quick puja
Step 8 : Light diyas and put up bulbs.
Step 9 : Eat puris, cholle, laddu and kheer AND CRASH

PHEW!!!!!!!! Thank god tomorrow is a holdiay.

I hope it doesnt start raining. HAPPY DIWALI everyone!!

It has a face

2011-10-23T12:16:00.002+05:30

Well, what do you know. It has a face!!! Joy and glory.

Till now, it has been there - a thing, a foetus in me. I never thought of it too much except the discomfort it was causing me. But now that I am more used to it, I am somewhat more amenable towards it.

Day before, I went for my 5th month scan. And I actually saw its face!! It has a chapta nose like A.. A says it has a small brain, like me!!! So we are even. :)

And the funniest, when the doc was showing me my blood flow to the baby, only one thought came to my mind and I have to say this in Hindi : abhi se mera khoon choos raha hai. I somehow controlled my laughter. Totally contrary to what the doc must be facing in and out : women in tears at the first sight of their child. And here is this woman laughing!!

But of course I didnt make my thought public. But it was quite funny, at that time!!! My stomach was wobbling with the effort of silent laughter.

Here's to hoping it causes me as much amusement and merriment as it does right now :D

ps : Are my posts becoming as scattered as I think they are becoming?

A day post.. a first

2011-10-20T14:06:00.002+05:30

So this is how it feels like.. I am at work and posting during the lunch break. There's no one at work besides me. Everyone has gone out for lunch except me. Well, I have to get "home lunch" everyday and no, am not cribbing. I am quite happy doing that, having faced outside food for a long time!!

But I digress. As I was saying I am alone at work - we are only 6 of us and hence being "the only one at work" for some time an easy possibility!!

So I read and subscribed to Dilbert, ate my lunch, replied to personal mails.. ho hum... and finally decided to put in a post.

About nothing at all.

It is anyway a dead day - clients are off. People are off. Its Diwali. Why the hell am I at work!!

I should go and do Diwali shopping. Hrrmmmpphhh

I am BORED. Its a topsy turvy world..just yesterday I had a very exciting day at work and today I dont feel like lifting a finger up.

Well, such is life. I think I should close this random post. Until tonight, then :)

Another MC post but what the heck.

2011-10-18T22:57:00.000+05:30

Yes I know, we are back to the same old topic. But I cant help it.

This post has come to the fore because of the reply to Bluestocking that I had put on my blog yesterday. I had said, I like most of the MC contestants. The minute I posted that I realised it was untrue.. LIAR that I am.

A quick correction - I don't like some of them. Now that there are only 8 or 9 contestants left, you can start to make out what each person is about.

Hayden : I like. Initially he appeared to be cute, charming, sweet. He has been a part of many eliminations and in most of them, he decided to stick with his team and face the elimination except for the one last one! Shows strength of character.. and he is quite smart mind you! Not the picture that a lifeguard creates in your mind. But he is good.

Billy : He is my FAVOURITE. He is always cheerful not matter what happens. And he is b****y good!!

Alana : She is pretty. But besides that I haven't really formed an impression about her. In the last team challenge though, she played the role of a very good leader.

Kate : She is sweet, down to earth, seems very motherly, helps out competitors in challenges!! Nice but doesn't evoke the feeling that Marion used to evoke in me.

Peter : Well he got out. He was a strong contender but very under confident. I would say that the judges moulded him a lot. He was quite cool by the end of it.

Sun : I find her strange. I cant say I like her, I cant say I don't like her. I am not able to read her. She normally doesn't say anything, express anything. Even if she wins a challenge, she doesn't react. Don't know what to make of her.

Ellie : She is pretty with a smile that lightens up the place. Though she is all over the place most of the times, especially in team challenges.

Michael : I LIKE him. He is really good, very creative and seems very very very grounded. In fact, he is one person I have liked throughout the competition, besides Billy of course!!

Dani : Now her.. I don't like her. I don't know what is it about her that I don't like. It is not that she does something wrong, but I don't know why there is this something about her that I don't like. She used her immunity pin!!!!!! I know that she has earned it and and she should use at the first opportunity. But she was the captain of the team. She was supposed to be the lead, why they didn't get dishes out in time - the primary responsibility would be hers, being the captain.
Ah well, when I think rationally.. all of us are like her aren't we. All of us at work, we usually want to look out for our interests. I do. So why is it wanting to win, seems so out of place in this scenario!!!

Beats me.

Who are you rooting for? Scarlett, you are not allowed to post any spoilers. :p

Restlessness

2011-10-16T14:37:00.000+05:30

I do not know why I am restless. I am not able to pinpoint the reason.

Work, pregnancy, lack of sleep, the heat, traffic snarls, general irritation, health of family members, annoying people all around me.

I think I am due for a break.

************************************

Billy left MC and came back. The one single person am rooting for.. Awesome.

Coming up : my favourite festival

2011-10-08T13:15:00.001+05:30

Diwali.

I just read a post on Bluestocking's blog. And I just had to write about it. My fingers were itching to write about it.

I love this festival. Actually I love this time of the year.. the run up to new years. The most festive time of the year. And Diwali is my favourite - I have very many warm memories associated with it. It is one festival, where I make an effort to dress up, really dress up. Even now as I am writing this post, I am feeling happy.

What is it about Diwali that lights my face up? I think having celebrated Diwali in Delhi for the better part of my life, has spoiled me for life.

a) The lights for one. I love lights, I like the fact everything is lit up. I dont like darkness much. In fact, even on normal days. the first thing I do when I step in home, I switch on all the lights. And my most treasured part of the day on Diwali, is the lighting up. I usually put a combination of lights (the small bulbs.. yes I had to convert to these lights, I didnt have an option.. the diyas tend to go off) and diyas. I buy about 50 odd diyas, and light up the entire house. I find it so peaceful.

b) The brightness of everyone's clothes. I love dressing up for Diwali. As we were in Delhi, we always used to dress up. My mom would wear a new sari. And us kids, we would wear new clothes.. new frocks, new skirts and tops. And we used to so, look forward to dressing up. Even now I do. I wear a sari or a really nice salwaar kameez that I do not wear usually. A also gets into the groove of things and wears Indian ethnic clothes, a big change from his usual shorts!! Post marriage, I go full traditional on Diwali.

c) Sweets. I am not a very "sweets" person. I do not have a sweet tooth. But I have tried to maintain one of the traditions that my mom used to ensure when we were in Delhi. She always used to make Laddus. And we kids used to help her in rolling them up. I still remember we used to make about 60 laddus!!! :)

Now I try .. to make some sweet or the other. And usually I find I am not successful! Last time, I tried to make laddus, I couldnt get the boondi to stick together. And once a cake. Just the day before, for Dussehra, I tried to make kheer and burnt it all. But never mind, this year for Diwali, I will try yet again. Laddus perhaps? :D

And this time my mom's going to be there. So this time, laddus should turn out to be just all right!!

We also used to give and receive sweets from everyone. By the end of the day, we would have about 30 odd packs of sweets! Of course, people became more creative and we started getting nuts, chocolates, juices, haldiram gift packs, biscuits packs etc. And even now, I do it. So what if none of our neighbours celebrate Diwali - we still give everyone sweets.

d) The shops. I love going for a walk during Diwali to a main shopping place and I do not mean a mall. In Delhi (yes I know I keep talking about delhi but I cant help it.), we used to stay near a market place. And we used to visit this market every year. Besides the shops, in front of the shops, by the footpath, these sweet stalls and firecracker stalls would spring up.. there wouldnt be any space at all to keep your foot. And they would put up lights and streamers going across the road. Just so festive. It used to be a pleasure walking down the road.

Oh and the smell of sweets in the air as you walk the road.. the halwais busy making laddus and barfees and gulab jamuns etc. Even without a sweet tooth, one just feels happy!

And buying new clothes. When we were young, of course afforability was much lower. But we still used to buy something new.. maybe a top, maybe a skirt or something. And to date, I buy something for Diwali, for everyone.
As a rule, I dont burst firecrackers. But I do admire the beautiful firworks in the sky. At night, every year, the two of us spend time in our balcony, just there, for a long time, admiring the night sky.

And one thing I terribly miss now that am in Bangalore : Ram Leela. In our colony, in Delhi (yet again), we had an all boys amateur drama club. They used to do Ram Leela every year without fail. Everyday at 10, it would start. And we had to have had dinner and sit there on the carpet put outside on the street. Awesome.

I think all these memories are because of my parents. We are Malayalees and usually Malayalees do not celebrate Diwali. But being in Delhi, also probably because my mom was brought up in Jamshedpur, she used to ensure we celebrated the festival. She used to ensure that we participated in every activity - whether making laddus, lighting diyas, shopping for sweets for neighbours, going to all houses to give sweets, whatever it maybe!

Delhi also has a lot of communal spirit. We used to stay in a colony of surds and all of us used to celebrate diwali together. Actually all festivals - be it holi, diwali, janmashtmi, lohri.. anything and everything.
It is a pity Bangalore doesnt celebrate Diwali with as much gusto. But I am festive, nevertheless. Happily festive.

News is out

2011-09-26T22:50:00.000+05:30

Oh well! What the heck.

I am 4 mths pregnant. I didnt blog earlier.. I cannot believe I did not!! Usually whatever I am experiencing, I post online. And a change as big!!! I didnt post it!! Whats wrong with me.

Its the hormones. So its been 4 months. Initially, it caused a big upheaval in my life.. our plans.. our neatly mapped out plans.As it always happens, it was unplanned. With everyone sitting on my head, we had planned or thought of planning for next year. But then ... Hmmmm.. And I guess, right now, we are left with no choice.. pretty much!!

So initially, I was completely off track. Now its been 4 months and I have kind of come to terms with it. I am not thinking of next year - what will we ever do!! But am taking each day as it comes.

And yes I had nausea, thankfully only for 10 days!! And then it passed.

And I am hormonal even now.. I break down at the slightest thing, fly into a temper very quickly!!! Am I excited? Am not sure. I am more"used to it" now!!

I also did not blog about it - as my parents had this "dont tell anyone yet" thing. So only the immediate family and close friends knew.

Day after tomorrow, we have this big conference where everyone will come to know about me.. and it is only right to put it up on my blog first!! :)

And I have started showing. Usually people dont show so quickly.. but I am showing already. Everything is happening too fast and too quick. While I did say am used to it, am wondering, am I?

It is exciting at times.. the future discussions with A.The excitement of your parents and near ones!

But the changes one needs to cope with, frustrates the hell out of me at times. The constant need to eat, people trying to stuff you up always, the everyday food , the frustration of eating the same things over and over again..the same spinach.. the same anaar.. and every 2 hours....I fight with everyone a lot on this. I want to slap people when they keep saying, eat this more, eat that more.. grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr

The exhaustion I can deal with. It is the nagging I cant.. and the changes (both mental and physical).

This post is haywire... just like me and my hormones!!!

But hey guys, welcome to my current world ! :)

A long long time ago..

2011-09-19T20:21:00.000+05:30

I posted!!

My blog is going into a limbo. This is just a revival , shake me up post.. to cure me of my laziness and wake me up into posting more often.

The thing is my personal machine has conked off. The battery discharges very quickly. And I usually do not post in one sitting. I do a lot of timepass when writing. So am now discouraged. Also A refused to plug in the cord in the living room. I hate sitting in the other room and posting.. its in one corner and usually am alone. So I dont like being in that corner when I am alone in the evenings. And that deserves another post. I have to be in the living room, watching TV or doing other various things!!

Well, one could argue, I could plug in the cord myself.. I did do it a few days. But A painstakingly takes it out everyday and plugs it in the other room. I hate it!!

Plugging in the cord in the living room requires you to know the basics of gymnastics!! Really. I am not joking. And thats why I have stopped attempting it now.

I do have an office laptop.. but I work on it!!! I cannot bring myself to post using the same laptop that I have been sitting in front of the entire day. And of course, I am tempted to check my office mail.

But today, I have defied convention and posted using my other laptop.

And that is my excuse. What is yours : Scarlett, Mommie, Nothing really, Being Sunni, Moony...

My newest friend on FB

2011-08-27T11:48:00.000+05:30

My newest friend on FB is my DAD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

And surprise surprise....... he didnt add me. I added him.

His settings were set to private. My dad.. private settings, doesnt allow anyone to see anything, except his friends.. my dad!!! I cannot imagine.

I could see he has put some of our family pics up, and curiosity led me to add him. Of course, he promptly added me. Lol.

Hmmmmmmmmm.. interesting times? Note to myself : Limit profile lol.

MC Australia - Why I love Gary, Geroge and Matt.

2011-08-20T13:13:00.000+05:30

I think whoever watched yesterday's episode would agree with me. For those of you, (Scarlett) who have already watched the entire season, I am referring to the elimination episode where they need to make Coconut Alaska Bombe.

The dish in itself is quite complicated. It has 4 different layers - cherry sorbet, ice cream, sponge cake and finally meringue. And all of it needs to come together, so that when you cut a slice, one can clearly separate out the layers.

Complex doesnt describe it - especially given that you have 2 hours and 4 different things to prepare.

So the people in the elimination round included Ellie (isnt she cute, a 75 mm smile she has!!), Billy (I like him too) and Alex. While Ellie and Billy got on fine with their recipes, Alex struggled to get it done.

In the first hour, Gary plodded along him, tasting his stuff saying things need to be done again. And so did Matt. Perhaps they helped the other contestants too, but they didnt show it on TV.

And finally in the last 15 mins, the judges couldnt stand it anymore. Gary started guiding Alex and helping him out , encouraging him to plate the dish. In the final 5 mins, all the 3 judges were standing behind Alex , trying to get him to plate up till the last second!!!

And plate up, he did. The intention of this post was not to give you a minute by minute commentary on the episode, but I just couldnt help it!! :)

Now compare this with any other show where the judges throw contestants food around, scream at them, throw tantrums, include our very own MC too. There is a reason why MC Australia is the most popular.

The judges are humane and genuinely encouraging. They want the contestants to put their best foot forward. They want the contestants to win. As badly as Alex wanted to plate up the dish, the judges wanted it more!! Never do you get to see such involvement, such passion, such desire in any show.. never ever.

In another previous episode, wherein an apprentice of a heavyweight chef competed with Hayden (MC contestant), the chef helped out Hayden much more than he did his own apprentice, even though his neck was on the line - if his apprentice didnt win on his dish, then it would be embarrassing!!

Maybe it is an Australian culture thing. Thats how the people are, maybe - believing in giving everyone a fair chance.

I recorded this show with the intent of watching it again later. A was home and was on a call. By the time it finished, he was still on the call. The minute he was free, I got him to watch the entire thing and I watched it all over again a second time. Such is the pull of Gary, George and Matt.

Scarlett, you had asked which of these 3 I like the best.. I still cannot decide. I like all of them. :)

And all the rest of you reality competition shows - LEARN from MC Australia, just how it is done.

What is next?

2011-08-01T22:21:00.000+05:30

I am totally zapped , zapped is too mild a word.But till I can think up a new one, I am totally zapped.

Zapped by social networking. I dont get it. I just dont. There are new applications that are coming up everyday.

There's one that tells everyone where you are at, at every point in time. As if status updates were not enough. Why would anyone want to activate such a thing is beyond me. Why would you want to tell the entire world you are having lunch at XOXO with XOXO. Or XYZ checked into this building. I can understand if you are in a new city, and you want to let your friends know where you are. But wait, there's a phone isnt there. The wanting to meet 2 people need not convert into a mass movement.

Why, I ask you!! And then these people, the very same ones, talk about privacy. They would be vehemently opposed to joint families, and probably constantly talk about space.

I am not annoyed by these updates, they do not bother me as a Facebooker. But I am just wondering about this innate need people have. I wonder how FB or the people who developed this application per se unearthed this money making insight. I guess they must have analysed all status messages and realised that 90% of the status messages are about what people are doing at that point in time. Hmmm

Not to be outdone, there are others riding the bandwagon too. Just saw an ad on TV talking about an application that will tell your friends what you are watching. What joy does anyone get out of reading what some person is watching.

Next will be what - a homing device that uploads status messages like I walked into office, now I am in the washroom and now I am eating daal, and just about now I am chomping on beans.

I dont get it. I really dont.

The perfect job

2011-07-29T19:53:00.000+05:30

Is there anything like it? I have been contemplating on this for a long time.. and I keep repeating the same thing over and over again at different points in time at work.. every 2-3 months I think!! And I have been thinking about it, yet again.

When one says a perfect job, for some reason, I can only visualise one :

Meg Ryan's corner bookstore in You got mail. Would'nt I just love to have such a place!! I think it would be a dream come true for many of my book loving friends - a cozy place, surrounded by books and coffee as it rains / snows outside. I can never ever get that place out of my mind. Even now, even though its been ages since I saw the movie. I am in love with the place.

There is this place called Secret Garden Cafe in Bangalore - it is this marvellous verandah of someone's beautiful house. It has plastic chairs and tables and surrounded by mango trees. Amazing - a perfect work life, to own something like this?

Actually it has to be Meg Ryan's corner bookstore.

What do you think? Does it exist? A perfect job?

My tryst with Harry Potter & Zindagi Na Milegi Dubara

2011-07-19T21:48:00.000+05:30

I hate to say this.. I enjoyed ZNMD.

What should I say!! Potter. I think its got to do with the expectations that you have with a Potter franchise. It cant be anything but sheer excellence.

Dont get me wrong. Its a good movie. It stays true to the book, mostly. And is visually as appealing and as close to the actual vivid picture drawn up in the book, as possible. And that is something I maintain about all HP movies. They have been very very realistic in how they portrayed the fantastic imagination of JK Rowling.

So when you go to watch the movie, you are already expecting the visual treat that these movies are. You dont expect any less.. and I can easily say, that this expectation is met quite well.

But somehow, I dont know why.. this movie did not thrill me as much as the book did. Dont get me wrong here. I know no movie can ever ever match up to the book. I think to that extent HP franchise has succeeded in coming close to the book.

Its just that the book tends to build up anticipation nicely. The war sequences are amazing - I remember reading about the moment when Neville walks in through Arianna's picture.. it was so thrilling. And the entire war as described in the book. It was awesome. in movie, I felt like we were zipping through it.

In the book, JK Rowling has taken a lot of pain to build each and every character.. and they each have a story.. a beginning and an end. Obviously its difficult to capture all that in a movie. But I kind of felt cheated. They whizz through the individuals to focus on the story.. there is no mention of Hagrid's brother.. Hagrid himself appears towards the end... Fred / Lupin / Tonks, they are just declared dead. Maybe they could have extended the movie by about 30 mins. No one would have minded. And the Voldemort vs. Harry fight was not much to talk about.

I was let down.
*************************************************

ZNMD - now thats a movie I went to watch with no expectations. And it turned out to be good. A breezy movie, yet not. 3 central character with their own demons to deal with. I quite liked the story. It was nicely presented. The" hot quotient" of Hrithik Roshan just skyrocketed with this movie.. it certainly helped.

The conversations were easy, free flowing. There were no heavy weight dialogues.. just a simple story of 3 men who kind of find themselves through a 3 week trip in Spain.

And all 3 were brilliant. Farhan Akhtar was a bit over the top. But he was great still. Abhay Deol as always is good. The surprise package to my mind was Hrithik Roshan.. his transformation through the movie.

I quite enjoyed watching the movie.The songs were just superlative. It was a fun 3 hours. And again I am inspired to think of myself - am I really free? Is my mind really free? When was I last free?

Bye bye Blackberry, hello i phone

2011-07-15T22:31:00.000+05:30

You are looking at the recent'most' I phone acquirer.

I have had it for a week - but havent used it for anything else but phones and calls. Today I have decided I will download games and archie comics and the likes!!! :)

Fun times!! More about the fun part later once I download apps!!

************************************************************

I am watching HP tomorrow!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes!!!!

So there was some problem in booking it online.. while the bookings opened for every damn city, it wouldnt open for Bangalore. From Wednesday onwards, I have been checking sites on an hourly basis.

Finally!!! Finally, I am watching it tomorrow night.

And then Zindagi na milegi dubara day after. I am happy. :)

Waiting

2011-07-08T20:31:00.000+05:30

Waiting to watch the latest installment of Harry Potter on July15th.

Only .. now that there are no more books, at least one could relive everything watching the movies.. something to look forward to.

Did it have to end so soon???? :((((((

What will we do after July 15th .. no more books, no more movies.

What will we do now?

Message to JK Rowling - please please please revive Harry Potter. How will we ever live our life knowing there's no more of HP to come!!! Life has no meaning. Sob sob sob sob.

Delhi Belly : Its a 5

2011-07-06T20:09:00.002+05:30

This comes in late I know. By now, most of you must have already seen Delhi Belly.

But I had to write about it.

I am sure I say this for every other movie that is released... but this one. What a movie!!!!!!!!!!! What a movie!!! One of the best I have seen in recent times.

Who is the star you ask?

The story.. it just doesn't allow you to pause and say ha! It just goes on.. takes you crashing along in the vortex. The director did a great thing by not putting in an interval. We were enthralled all throughout and didn't feel the need to get anything at all. It grabs your attention and it never ever wavers. I wont get into what the story is about.. watch it for yourself. For some reason, it reminded me of the English movie, Snatch.

The actors.. Imran Khan has broken out of the chocolate hero mould for sure!! He actually looks hot as opposed to cute!! And he is a step up above Ranbir Kapoor as of now. Who would have thought? The beauty about this movie is that all actors get equal attention.. rather you remember them equally. Whether it is Vir Das, the butt scratching Kunal Kapoor or Poorna Jagannathan or the Gangster played by Vijay Raaz.. he was just awesome. The music that comes on when he appears on the screen.. or just his dialogues. He is an intelligent villain. Most of the movies have duffer villains who just laugh evil"ly". But yeah, all of them shine. And shine very bright.

The direction, editing.. Its just superb. Like I said earlier, the movie doesn't allow you to breathe. Editing is just awesome. And the director, Abhinay Deo has done a fantastic job, keeping the runaway movie, characters all together. Leaves us spellbound I must say. And its very real... from the making out scene to the horrible house they live in. Though I do wish they wouldn't show close up of crap!!

Dialogues : Dialogues are a beauty and whoever says it has too much swearing.. really?? You think?? Isn't it normal. I have seen guys in my college talk to each other like this day in day out.. and that was 10 years back. It is real... And very much so. I don't know why people are making such a brouhaha about it.

Music : Bhaag bhaag DK Bose. I hate you (like I love you).. Goooooood music!! Holds it own. Fabulous. Just Fabulous.

And the piece de resistance.. Aamir Khan's item number.

5 / 5 from me. Everyone has to has to watch it.

Oh and BTW, MC AUSTRALIA is starting soon ...AUG 2nd....... Yipeeeeeeeeeeeeee

If only pigs could fly

2011-07-02T21:55:00.001+05:30

Sigh!!!!!! I am not a very talented person.. I have written many a posts about it.

I cannot sing, dance, paint, sculpt, play an instrument, sports .. anything. Cooking? I caann cook.. but I am not at all creative!! I pretty stick to the tried and tested.

If, if I had just one wish.. to be able to choose one talent for myself. What would I pick?

I would anyday, pick singing. No question, thats what I would pick.

It truly is a god's gift. Probably to a certain extent, you can learn everything else.. but you need to know how to sing.

And of all things, I am the horrible"est" at singing. Everytime I watch these song based reality shows on TV..I wish with all my heart I could sing. For some reason, I get this feeling, more of it actually, when I listen to Hindi movie songs.

Hindi movie music and I have a kind of an inseparable relationship. I grew up with Hindi Music. English music came into my life much later.. when I was already a teenager (except for Boney M and Abba, I hadnt really heard anything). All India Radio, that was our lifeline then. I dont how much I appreciated music then.. but I guess somewhere, somehow it stayed with me. The Binaca geet mala.. Ameen Sayani ...used to define AIR for us.

A few years back, when A used to work very late... I remember one night I got scared of the silence. I was scared of falling asleep. And music was my solace. I dragged the speaker of my home theatre system and listened to the comforting sounds of old melodies. Of course, the very next day A bought me a stereo.

Till date, I fall asleep listening to the radio. I cannot imagine bliss as pure as listening to old hindi movie songs to the beat of rain. Some songs are so beautiful.. I get goosepimples when I listen to them.. songs of Andhi, badi sooni sooni hai, tum jo mil gaye ho, beeti na beetayi raina, rimjhim gire saawan, yeh kahan aa gaye hum.. actually there are too many to be able to list down!!

And everytime I hear any of these songs on radio, I too sing along.. all the time wishing I could sing well. And at that point in time, there's nothing more I want... that desperate crazy all encompassing want.. to be able to sing.

If only pigs could fly, and I wish it with all my heart.

If you had to pick one single talent for yourself, what would you pick?

A city I thought I remembered well

2011-06-24T22:44:00.000+05:30

I was in Delhi the last 2 days. I was curious to visit the city I left a few years back.

It is one of my favourite cities.. it has a lot of charm, culture and history associated with it. So I was curious, to know if it was still the same.. the way I left it.

I had visited Delhi last year but I did not get a chance to experience it much - I was pretty much cooped up in the hotel the full 3 days. But this time, I had decided, come what may, I will take some time out for my beloved city.

It was a strange experience to say the least. I had heard about the bedazzling airport.. so I wasnt surprised. I came out of the airport in a daze of walking a million miles.. well you do!! If you land in terminal 3. And if you have a car parked somewhere.. well, what should I say. I just recollect, going up and down several times. Phew.

First thing that struck me.. I could not recognise the road when I got out of the airport. And I used to traverse this road everyday. Everyday .. for how many years I cannot recollect now 3-4 yrs maybe!!! I was disappointed that I could not recognise the road to Palam, the hanuman mandir.. then I was later told this was a new road. Damn!

How I reached Aurobindo Marg without recognising a single sight or sound of Delhi is beyond imagination!!!!

Anyway, I consoled myself with the thought, everything will be fine once I eat Delhi food. So I ordered Chole Bhature as my mid morning snack/ breakfast. Err.. I didnt enjoy it.
For lunch, I had chaat. That was not bad, but I have had better. And for dinner, I ordered daal makhani and chawal. Daal was floating in butter ... not the other way round... and it did not titillate the taste buds.

Somehow any of it.. didnt match up to the Delhi taste. Maybe it was all in my mind.. the breathtaking food perhaps has something to do with the fond memories associated with the city..

And then swanky flyovers and toll nakas and the metro stations that have sprouted everywhere making it totally alien.. To top it all, I didnt even see many sardars during my visit.

All in all.. disappointing, saddening :((

I for one, cannot be Aunt Linnie

2011-06-21T22:21:00.000+05:30

For the uninitiated, Aunt Linnie is a character from Enid Blyton's book .. the six cousins and mistletoe farm!

It is a nice book.. takes me way back to my childhood when I used to read Enid Blytons.. the rosy apples, the sparkling streams et al..

This book is basically about a family staying in the country side and are basically into farming. Their "townie" cousins come and stay with them as their house gets burnt in a fire.
And of course the town bred look down upon all farming activities, the chores everyone needs to do around the house etc.

And being a typical Enid Blyton book, both the sets of cousins learn from each other. The townies learn the value of helping out at home while the other learn how to be well groomed and be courteous.

So Aunt Linnie who is the farmer's wife - she is shown to be someone who is always on her toes.. cleans hen house, counts eggs, cleans, cooks, not just cooks meals but makes preserves, makes butter and sews .. you get the picture. She does everything in the house.. doesnt spend a single paisa on herself.. is a plump lady with a face that is always red (because of slaving over stove.. really, thats how the book describes her) .. the last time she got a dress was about 12 yrs back before her 3rd child was born. She whips a giant meal when having a party..obviously everyone loves her, adores her, husband waxes eloquent about her..

And on the other end, is the mother of other set of cousins.. who is only bothered about personal grooming, needs household help and doesnt do much work at the farm.

Both the characters are so starkly painted black and white.. not a twinge of grey.

I assume the times Enid Blyton was in, the "Aunt Linnie" character was what you had to be.. she would be the epitome of a good woman .. a good housewife and a good mother.. a self sacrificing wife..

And I wonder, if this book were to be set in today's context, what would Aunt Linnie be like? What balance would Enid Blyton find her? I cannot imagine a woman in these times to be like this character drawn up - not having a new dress for 12 yrs??????????? And of course the author keeps punctuating the story with things like.. even though Linnie is worked off her feet, her joy is in seeing to everyone.. and it is fine as you must think of your family everytime before you think of yourself. Which actually we all do, but its just that its too extreme!!!

What do you all think?

ps: loved the book. :)

Wake up Sid.. yet again..

2011-06-16T22:26:00.000+05:30

And again and again and again. I am watching this movie the umpteenth time.

About 2 years ago, I had written a post on the same movie.. Wake Up Sid, Yawwwn the title was!! I really cannot fathom why I was yawning throughout or why I called it a movie that college kids would be attracted to. What was I thinking!!!

I am watching the movie now as I speak. And everytime it comes on TV, I watch it. And I have it on my laptop as well.. I watch it when I am feeling restless and dont have anything "feel good" to watch. And like today, I was just channel surfing, came upon this movie and stopped.

I love it every time I watch it. Why you ask - I dont know. Its so refreshing a movie. Maybe in some parts I identify with the independence Konkona displays.. the cooped up feeling that Ranbir talks about.. the idea of being with someone with certain particular traits that all of us dream about and realise that in real life, things are so different.

I like it for the portrayal of love they show in the movie - the warmth and comfort. It is so nice!! Makes me feel very happy..yeah, this movie does.

I take back the critique I wrote 2 years back. This movie should have got and gets 5 stars from me!!!

Running a business is not for the faint hearted

2011-06-07T22:33:00.000+05:30

I always knew this.

Starting up on your own is not for the faint hearted.. but I always envisioned the problem to be something else.. getting the business for one.. who will give work to someone wet behind the ears kind of a thing.

Little did I know.

And no I haven't started my own business.. this is like a surrogate to doing so. Need to start something on my own.. but part of an organisation.. makes sense? Starting a branch that is to say.

And I am restless. I hate working from home.. and that is exactly what I am doing. Why? Because I dont have an office here yet.. Why? I am looking for one.. and I suck at it. And its only been a week.. And I hear horror stories of how it took 2 months and more to find a place.

And I am a one man army.. as of now. My team is not there yet.. next month hopefully, it should all be sorted.

There is no one to talk to. And my boss is not bothered about what I am doing with my time.. errr.. yeah you heard me right. I always thought that would be the most delightful thing... the best situation to be in. Its crazy I know.. but I do start when I want to.. stop when I want to.. and I am bothered by it. God knows why.. but I am.

Years of being monitored I think. Now that I am not.. I dont know what to do.

Basically I am not a self starter. I become restless very quickly.. I realised that every organisation I have been with till now.. I have always come into the middle of a crisis and my first week at work always till date, entailed late nights!!

And now as I twiddle my thumbs .. looking at a blank piece of paper.. thinking of how to start, where to start... trying to do something I have no idea of (finding an office, doing random admin stuff, thinking of expenses).. I realise its tough.

And funnily enough, business does not worry me. It will come.. I know. It is running an office that is staring into my face. And I shudder to think of how I will run an office!! lol.. yeah, its funny!!! I will probably be crying on the shoulders of all freshers who join me. Poor souls. Hehehe..

A decade of work

2011-06-01T21:45:00.000+05:30

I cant believe it. Today was the day, 10 years ago, that a young girl with rosy view of the world stepped into the big bad corporate world. 10 years ago.

A babe out of the woods.

I used to run scared hither thither at a mere look from my boss. I had no idea what office politics was all about. I didnt know one could say no to work, whether mine or someone else's. All I knew was that I was grateful... someone was paying me to do something. And since they are doing such a huge favour to me, I better work my a** off!!!

I still remember the first assignment my new boss gave me - I had to work on some data.. calculate something.. I had some 10-15 sheets of paper with rows and rows of numbers. And 10 yrs back, we had a limited number of computers. There were about 4 computers shared by some 15-20 of us. And that day I did not get a machine. And I used a calculator.. an actual one (not the PC one) and did about 1000 odd calculations. After all, I couldnt let an excuse like, no machine, be the reason why I didnt complete the first assignment !!!

And in 10 years time... much as I would like to tell you that I have become street smart.. no one can get the better off me ... much as I was prepared to write how have I changed and all that.. very honestly, I am still the same. A little wiser perhaps. But I still, however much I may claim otherwise, am a grateful person, at heart. Grateful and a bit amazed that people actually pay me for what I do!!!

Time flies fast. Indeed it does.

Did anyone lose their posts / comments?

2011-05-14T12:03:00.000+05:30

Arrrrrrrrrrrrrgggggggghhhhhhhhhhh

Has anyone lost their posts? For the last couple of days, I couldnt see my most recent posts.. the last 2!! And now that blogger is finally not under maintenance.... grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr... it was such an annoying experience.. really!! I couldnt log on.. and if I just went to the site, it showed a post I had written a few days back. A really frustrating time I had.. I was logging in every hour or so to check.

And then finally my net gave up. A friend checking the site yesterday told me it was still showing the same old post. I was extremely angry. I dont know why!! Maybe its the age.

Today the net has started working. My posts are back. BUT whatever comments were there HAVE GONE!!!!!!!!! I hate it.. absolutely. My precious comments.. grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr

A victim of cute salesmanship

2011-05-12T21:36:00.000+05:30

I bought a bag today. My mother and MIL following me from one shop into another faithfully. We walked the entire length of commercial street.. their faces downcast when they realised I didnt intend to buy one today. I visited about 4 places and if you know me, thats a lot. I dont quite like shopping. I get bored very quickly.

Thats one of the reasons I have been sticking to HiDesign. Its quick and simple. I had actually liked one of their bags. But I have been picking up their bags for last 5 yrs and I felt like a change. My plan was to check out various places today and then go back to HiDesign to pick up the one I liked.

In any case, finally once we had seen every shop (Baggit, Westside, Green Hills etc) and I had rejected every garish / too small / too big pieces, I contemplated if I should climb into one final place called Thunderbird. I could see a lot of leather jackets and wallets in the place. We were feeling too tired and finally my mom prodded me on. One last place she said.

We walked in and I found at least 3 bags I liked. And I picked up a nice big brown (safe colour I know.. my next purchase will be purple / green, I swear) bag. It fits me properly, if you know what I mean.

And that boy who sold me the bag .. a teenager still in college probably. He talked so nicely, not the slang or "dude" type English which I find extremely annoying. That could have been easily one of the reasons why I may not have bought from there. I cannot stand obnoxious kids who think very highly of themselves. But this boy... not only was his English proper, his clothes were also not the falling off the bum variety!!!

He talked to my mom and MIL properly. In many of these places which are pretend swish places, they dont treat old ladies well.. as in they maybe polite but you can actually see them smirking away to glory probably thinking 'what do these old ladies know, they cannot be coming to such places'.

And here is the best part, he was not working there full time. He was actually helping out his mom in his free time!!! How cute!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

He sold me the bag. The world is a better place...mmmmm..... I am easily swayed!! :))

Changeling, Percy Jackson, Grown ups etc

2011-05-11T19:56:00.002+05:30

I am racing through books and movies I have on my laptop.

For some reason, my brain has decided that I would not be able to read or watch movies much once I start working again.

So in the last few days, I have read and bought at least 10-15 books.. the entire Percy Jackson series, White Mogul, some Vampire novel I dont remember the name of, Anthony Bourdain, some Archies etc etc etc.... I am somewhere half way right now. Am racing through the books, reading continuously. For some strange reason I want to finish reading all this by coming Monday!!!

And am watching one movie after the other. Yesterday was Changeling & Grown ups and today I started watching Mothman Prophecies.

What is it with taking a break. I have this morbid fear (totally irrational as I used to read even when working like crazy) of not having the time to do things I like. It is the taste of freedom I think!!!

I promise, NJ, you will take a break someday for at least 2 months.. and for yourself.. to read, watch movies, write and learn dancing and swimming. And on that happy thought, I will retire for the night. :))

Turning into a shrew

2011-05-11T13:02:00.003+05:30

Its not that difficult really. I have been developing (ed) into this mean creature. It has been festering inside me for quite a while. And while I know, I realise I am being mean, I am unable to let go of it. I like it, I am enjoying it.

I have been at home for now 2 weeks. 2 weeks that I thought would be for ME, about ME. But unfortunately, my parents and MIL arrived for these 2 weeks. My parents had planned for a trip in week 2. I was happy bout that as Week 1 I would have been alone. But MIL turned up in Week 1 (unplanned). Any other time would have ok (would it?). It would have been ok. MIL is reserved. You can see she is getting bored. But we dont have much common interests. While there is no expectation from me that I need to hang around with her every waking moment, you know it is. You feel guilty half the times!!! Thankfully my parents landed.. they can / have been entertaining each other.

So the thing is, it is a weird state of mind. I dont do anything the entire day. I eat, sleep, read, watch TV...try to make conversation. By the end of the day,I feel lethargic which continues on to the next day. The first few days were fun as I was alone. I would just get out of the house for sometime and do something.

Now I just feel very guilty of leaving them in the house while I go off gallivanting somewhere. So I dont go and I end up feeling insanely miserable and broody. Of course the feelings are more intense towards MIL. I can tell my own mom whatever I want!!! But you cannot do that to MIL. Poor her. She is a sweet soul who has to hang around a morose person like me. So we do go out.. but all of us together, not me alone.

And of course, A is having the most hectic week of his life. He leaves in the morning and doesnt show his face till 12 in the night when everyone is fast asleep.

As I cannot vent on anyone else in the house, I am taking out all my frustration on him. Everyday, my maid cooks food which we eat for both lunch and dinner. And invariably something falls short for dinner to be had by 4 people (A has dinner at home). Day before, both the ladies decided to keep the potato subji (left from lunch) for A as potato is his favourite and made bhindi for us late in the night. I tried to tell them not to do all these things and that he can make himself an omlette if he likes (which he does most days) but they were like, no no let him have it. Not only this, they saved him a big bowl of daal (a small bowl is not enough, no sir) just in case we finished it and he has nothing to eat. And he left the damn potato!!!!!!!!!! Gotcha!!!!!

Yesterday saw a repeat performance but I put my foot down on anyone cooking anything late in the evening. Anyway, again we saved a big bowl of daal and subji for our man friday!! And we, the ladies had more of curd!!! And I told him off late in the night.. how people cut their dinner so that he gets fed nicely (yeah I can be very mean).

You may think why does this annoy me. This kind of a thing is always done by women. Have you ever seen a man do this?? In our house, my mom / aunts, all the ladies would sit later.. so all the curries will vanish. Only thing that would remain is the rice. If it is breakfast, then chutney would be over by the time they come into the picture. And no matter what amount of chutney you make, it will always be less.

Once I really scolded A and bro in law for not being considerate enough to notice that there are other people wanting to eat. This really really gets to me. Just because someone is at home, doesnt mean they are anyone's slaves. Really. I dont know what is it with housewives. Is it the guilt at self inflicted thoughts of non contribution?

My sis, being the smart one, found a remedy for this. If we are sitting in the 2nd round, she saves a big bowl of "whatever" for us. My mom of course keeps every damn thing on the table. Hmmmppphh.. she will never learn!!!

So coming back to the frustrations of the mind.. all this built up desperation is relieved on A. I punish him by not talking to him.I have been avoiding him. Poor thing, he has been trying to talk to me.. smsg me from work. But the ice wont melt. He should also be punished for what I am suffering. Dont ask me why I am doing all this. I think I am finding comfort in the fact that I am not going through this alone (I get fed have the babies talk by both parties.. isnt it reason enough). He can also suffer. Hrrrmmmphhh

The weird thing is.. weirdest I should say, I am also enjoying this. As in, if I dont brood, I am enjoying with my mom / MIL. We do whatever we want. Watch movies. Read. Watch IPL. I just dont tell A. Out of spite.

Its funny...as soon as they step out of the door I start missing them. Then I will be depressed. It really is depressing to come back to an empty house after a long time.

:((

So what is it, again, I am troubled about? I dont know. The evil me is enjoying attention while it lasts. I am trying to reign that part of me in without much success.

My Blackberry, sniff sniff :(

2011-05-09T21:50:00.000+05:30

My blackberry is behaving very erratically. At times it gives up and refuses to switch on. At times, it hangs.. wherein I cant make or receive calls, or sms. Some keys refuse to work - like I mentioned in my previous post, I just realised I use the keys N and H a lot!!! Its transferring mechanism from phone to laptop stopped working long time back. And its buttons (all rubber frame) fell off.. dont ask me how. First it was the volume button and then the camera and then whatever was left... in order of usage. I use the phone a lot.. mis'use' as my husband would put it as.

I have about 200 songs on my phone.. about 100+ photographs .. the ones I keep posting as "pic of the week"... about 50 odd videos (all corrupted now).. I text a lot.. ever since I started using instant messenger on my BB, I stopped counting. Its for free you see!!! :)

So as I said, I use(d) my phone a lot.

Now am wondering which phone to pick up. I really like blackberry 8520 (my current phone), and A says I can just pick up the same phone...!!!!! Men will be men!!!!!!!!!!! I of course would love to try out something new.

You all must have understood my usage pattern - so please to suggest what should I buy now!!! I don't have any touchscreen preference. Even if I have a touch, I would prefer to have a QWERTY keyboard too. Any ideas??

Grrrrrrrrrrrr

2011-05-05T12:31:00.001+05:30

He is expecting me to pay electricity bill since I am anyway at home!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! The cheek!!!!

Really. :(( Anyhoooo...

I will pay it tomorrow.

But today, have my MIL around. So wondering what to do. Yesterday spent my alone time at the bank, crossword.. remember? She was sitting and twiddling thumbs.

I have decided today is movie day. I will take her along as well... I had, before her arrival i.e., planned to experience watching a movie alone. Whats there I say!!! Its not as if you need to talk to people during the movie. And whats an interval really.. cant I spend 15 mins without blabbering / feeling secure that if I need to urgently talk, I have someone to do so. But whats there I say!!! I have my phone.So what if I need to slap it a bit to get it to function.

Anyhow, I am taking her along as well. The only change to the program being .. Source Code to Dum maaro dum. Hope she doesnt slap me after this movie!! Hahaha.

I want to be a Housewife

2011-05-04T19:26:00.000+05:30

That is my new found ambition. And before you say it, I do not have kids.. So I would be doing exactly .. NOTHING except things I like .. like sleeping, eating, cooking, reading, watching TV.

I am so swayed by this entire thought.

Dont blame me. I spent the last week in Goa where I did nothing. And this week.. On Monday I went to a bookstore to browse, met a friend, cooked mutton curry. On Tuesday, met a friend for lunch, did some house work, met old colleagues and then watched TV at home. Today, I made breakfast, read Archies, watched the movie Parichay. The only taxing work I did was to go to the bank.

And I really dont feel like going back to a hectic lifestyle. I just want to loll around more... I dont want to think about work for sometime.. sometime meaning a few months. It would be so nice to just plan your days with what you feel like doing. I would probably join a swimming class, go for a walk in the evenings, cook, learn a language maybe, meet friends, watch movies.. ah!!!!!

That moment when you realise... when you dont need to think of running back to work post a lunch.. well, you can have as long a lunch as you want.. and drink too.. that moment is just breathtakingly beautiful. You can sit in the sun for as long as you want, run around after butterflies if you want, sit and have coffee post lunch watching the raindrops pitter patter.. there is no hurry.. and you have all the time in the world. Mmmmmmmm...

Its kind of difficult to let go of this nice, insanely warm feeling.

And I wonder, when did I forget to live.

what ho, what ho, what ho...

2011-05-02T21:43:00.002+05:30

I am back. tralalalalalalaa.. come to think of it, how many times I have started my post with the same sentence... I am back!!!

So in any case, the thing is.. I am very happy. Very very very very very happy. Why you might ask?

I am in between jobs. Isnt it the best feeling in this world!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I spent the last week in GOA. The best part... the bestest part about the trip was there were no mails to check. No one called me to take my inputs on any presentation, on any crisis.. on anything. You see I had declared my last day in the company to be the day before I left for Goa.

So Goa was completely, bafflingly idle ... nothing.. NOTHING distracted me from the pure blissful state I was in.

And for the first time in.. in about 8-9 yrs.. ever since I have had a cell phone, I discovered that I can .. REALLY CAN, live without my phone .. for at least 5 days. I was using my phone only to clock in with my parents everyday. That is IT!!! Well, mostly... a couple of messages did happen. But if you know me.. I send and receive at least 30 messages a day!!!! So you can imagine what it was like. Unadulterated fun and no phone.

This is what our typical day looked like :

a) Wake up at 9 (me, not A.. he was up at 6 am everyday)
b) Go for breakfast
c) Come back to the room, wash.. wear a sundress.
d) Sit in the sun deck chairs by the pool, in the shade..
e) Order bloody marys, jal jeera, lassi (that was A), aam panna.... and read.
f) Break for lunch.
g) Come back to the same position.. and read more.. drink more
h) Go to the beach by around 5ish
i) Stand in the water hand in hand.. just stare at the far yonder.. and ponder..will the next wave reach till our knees.. will it splash my dress
j) At 7, walk back to room.. change into swimsuit and jump into the pool. I dont know swimming... well I tried. A tried to teach me. I can just about manage to float!!!!! Note to my self : I must try to continue with the swimming lessons
k) At 9, dress nicely.. toodle off to one the restaurants.. it used to be a tough decision : free meal vs paid meal. Not free free... we had taken an all meals inclusive offer. But the buffet gets boring after 3 meals!!!!!
l) Take a walk.. and crash

Add to these .. a spa session.. a TT match with A.. cycling..a tatoo (the washable variety.. I got a pretty butterfly done on my shoulder) Awesome. Why cant everyday be like this, I ask you!!

The hotel was Taj Exotica in the south of Goa. It was really really nice. The best part about staying in a hotel.. you dont need to clean up.. you mess up the room during the day and when you come back in the night.. the room is beautiful, sweet smelling room again!!!!

We spent a bit.. a fair bit.. but whats money in the face of a bit of peace of mind!!! Its the memories A says.. I agree.. well, I better!!!!!!!!! Thats how I console myself... turn a blind eye ..

We celebrated our 5th anniversary there!!!! Doing the same as above from points a - l. And a special dinner. What an anniv but. A very superior experience :) I recommend it to everyone.

*************************************

My phone is not working.. you can make calls.. kind of.. and you can sms.. though it is a bit trying as half the keys are not working.. apparently I use a lot of n, h, space key exclamations etc. I just found out.. it works if I slap its behind!!! lol

No matter.... I am still on leave.. in the nether world.. phones do not matter! Have i received enlightenment you think?

*************************************

I watched Chalo Dilli. An above average movie. I liked Vinay Pathak. Lara Dutta was also good. But the moral of the story was so not required!!!!!!!!!!! Niether was the entire skirmish with hooligans. Besides that, the movie was quite fine.

There have been so many movies on Delhi recently - I guess it is because movie makers have suddenly discovered that there is a lot of personality to people from Delhi.

Whatever it maybe, I am happy to hear the sights and sounds of Delhi!!

***************************************

Today is Monday and didnt have to go to work. Thats why the song. I am enjoying my time off.. by sleeping in.. going to Blossoms and buying many books.. and chatting with a friend over lemon juice..

I also discovered, at Blossoms, that there are many PGW that I havent read. And many of these are out of print.. but joy....I found them on Flipkart.. well some of them.. And I intend to order all of them. This month no salary.. so I will order them One by One!

Right now, I am trying to make mutton curry.. a recipe I caught on BBC entertainment today. I am also discovering interesting TV shows!!!BBC entertainment (a channel I never watch BTW and which I intend to correct) has quite an entertaining programme called the antique roadshow. People come with their bric bracs and get them valued. A very interesting show! Where do people get all these ideas!!!

And now am onto Uma Thurman and Kill Bill Vol 1.

Ah.. life is but a song....... lalalalalalalalalaaaaaaaaaaaa

Palace of Illusions : Mahabharat through Draupadi's eyes

2011-04-05T22:49:00.000+05:30

A book by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni that I just finished over the weekend.

Let me rephrase - I just could not put it down. I finished the entire book in 2-3 days (including Saturday when I read in between the match.. can you imagine!!!!).

Scarlett had messaged me about this book and when I saw it at Crossword, I couldn't resist after I read the backflap.

It is a wonderful book. It is about the age old epic we have all been brought up with - stories we listened to, watched on TV .. who can forget BR Chopra's Mahabharat aired every Sunday!! The magnificent sets , the glittering jewellery, the handsome men (yes yes, about 15 yrs back, there really was a glut of handsome men on TV.. Alok Nath was all we had :( , the beautiful jewellery.. ah.. Now though when I see the rerun, I gawk at it!! Why did I like it again? Never mind.. back to the topic at hand.

We are talking about Palace of Illusions. Mahabharat through Draupadi's eyes - one of the most powerful characters in the epic story. What a wonderful concept - it could have gone wrong completely. It could have been the same old Mahabharat we all know. And I am happy to report - it is NOT!

It brings to light a different world, with the same events.. but a completely different world. It is as if you are wearing a different pair of lens when seeing the same set of instances.

The book starts with her birth. All the events unfold around her.

I thought the author would not be able to bring in the events from before her marriage to the Pandavas that do not involve in her. But she does. And weaves each of those incidents in, so nicely.

There is no chronology that is followed. That was refreshing. Sikhandi is introduced in one of the initial chapters itself without a context as to who she is. There was no introduction to Pandu and Kunti.. But do not despair - she does manage to give the story about each and every character.

So in a way, the complete epic is encapsulated in this narrative.

The focus of course is on Draupadi - what she feels, thinks as all this is happening around her. Every facet to her personality is explored - the initially insecure woman blooming into a full blown confident woman, her patience, her arrogance, her envy, the struggle for power, how she feels about being married to 5 men.. everything.

For a change, her character is drawn out to be a bit grey portraying a dark side to her personality as well , very unlike any other mythology serials on TV - fter all she is a goddess. But through this book, she just like any other woman like you or me.. with her doubts and fears and insecurities.

She is shown to be an extremely forward thinking woman who has her opinions and does'nt hesitate to tell anyone. When reading this, you wish she had been born in the world. She would have been an awesome person for anyone to contend with.

There are many things I came to know about her too - I didn't know she had a soft spot for Karna, or that she was dark in colour (like Krishna), or that Krishna used to refer to her as Krishnaa, or that she had a power struggle with Kunti, or that she did not bother with her children too much.

I liked it for the aspects of this grand epic it opened my eyes to. I loved it being a woman - a book about a powerful woman like Draupadi and her fears and joy. The nuances she brought in to Draupadi's personality was breath taking.

The only thing I was left wondering is if it was all fact or was some of it fiction. I presume especially the ones where her emotions are described would be fiction. But its so nicely done.

I was really racing through the book - to know how she felt when Duryodhan fell into the water, was she really so arrogant.. what about the time when Dushasan tries to remove her sari.

I just completely loved it. It is a must read for everyone. I, for one have been recommending it to all the women I know!

I love MSD

2011-04-04T13:11:00.000+05:30

And it is not an empty declaration!! I really do. :))

About 2 days late, this post. but the revelry is still on!! And how!!

What a feeling!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! The most awesome, the greatest feeling ever. Am I emotional? of course I am. I also shed a few tears along with Yuvraj, Dhoni and Sachin!!!!!! As Knife said, in 1983, I was too young to appreciate what we got. And now at 32, I am beyond words. And I am so glad to have witnessed this piece of history in my lifetime.

Of course,we had it coming. We all knew in our bones, it is going to happen. We were the test champions, the T20 champions.. world cup the only one that eluded us. It had to be this year - we all knew, deep within us.. a bit scared to mention it aloud, in case we cast our evil eye on the team! God Forbid.

Coming back to the matter, oops, person at hand.. MSD!!! He is the person who needs to be credited with the win.. of course the entire team came together, fielded well, everyone contributed.. but ultimately, under his leadership. In the entire world cup series, unlike many others, we all did not depend on Sachin or other one of two players. Every person has done well across games. There is no one who has not performed.. except Sreesanth (well, I cant stand him!!!) .. this could have been only possible under a great leader.

In fact, I would go out on a limb and say this - even if he hadnt made 91, we would have won.. and I would still credit him with the victory!!

He has been the most dynamic leader of our times. Everyone will follow him to the end of the world, thats the kind of a leader he is. Accepting responsibility for what went wrong, understanding his mistakes and correcting them immediately instead of pandering to his ego, taking decisions crisply without hesitating, without paying heed to billions of opinions, standing by his players, trusting them and giving a second chance to those he believes in.

He epitomizes what is talked about in terms of leadership abilities, leadership values in every organisation. It is very weird but as I get into a semi-leadership kind of a role, I know what I lack when I look at him in the commanding position. I have been thinking I am damned good. But when my leaders said, I am not ready yet, I kind of know what exactly they mean when I look at Dhoni. You may laugh at the comparison, but I am perfectly serious. Theres so much to learn from him.

Of course, I agree with Scarlett when she says that seeds of this win, rather this world champion tag, were borne by Ganguly. Till then, Indians did not know an aggressive captain!! He demanded, didnt feel sorry about anything, didnt care what others said, sledged the aussies as much as they did, nudged everyone, brought the team together!!

Hats off to both of you!!

If it were not for Dhoni (as a captain), I am not sure if we would have won. Scarlett had said, immediately after we won the cup " I know whats your next post gonna be - a devotional post on Dhoni"!! Lol.. so Scarlett, there you go :)

He is the hero of billions, he is where we all aspire to reach someday in our line of work.

A little on Sachin too - Virat Kohli hit the nail on its head when he said, Sachin has carried the entire nation on his shoulders for 21 yrs, its time we take it up now! And that is so true - game after game, for so many yrs, we have depended only on him. I am so happy we won the cup now, that he is still playing.

And the gen next - Virat Kohli & Suresh Raina - level headed, more than capable, no fear in the world. They are going to script the brilliant future that Indian Cricket is bound to have.

Next captain to take on the mantle from Dhoni many years from now - Virat Kohli. Watch my words.

A long awaited addition!!!

2011-03-31T22:02:00.000+05:30

I am talking about a pair of specs!!! Yes sir!!!!! Finally I got one.

I have always loved specs.. let me rephrase, I have always loved the idea of wearing specs!! Seeing my love for specs, many suggested I buy a zero power specs. How tacky!!!!!!!! As if I would.

Everytime I would go to an eye doc, he would tell me to do that stupid eye exercise.. which I am sure would have helped but its so hard to act on whats good for you!!!!

So finally, at age 32, I have discovered I have power - +0.5 in each eye.

I was the most excited person on earth.. finally I would get to buy a pair of specs! I went to select my pair in the morning, took A along but couldn't make up my mind. Hes way too practical!

I needed a girl.. so I took my friend along to buy me a pair of specs. And we selected the most awesome pair - awesome enough to suit me even for important meetings. It is a plain black pair of specs.. with some blue on the sides.. enough to make me feel funky!! :) And it costed me .. a bit.. well!! Never mind!! My first pair... :))

Here are the pics.

I bleed blue!!!!!!!

2011-03-29T21:09:00.001+05:30

A change of guard (pic) in support of the Team India's big match tomorrow!!

Isnt it absolutely terrifyingly exciting!!!!!!!!!!!! If India had not met Pak in any match, I am sure everyone would have been disappointed. I wonder how gods above managed to arrange all this!!! But there is this other side to all of us I am sure.. a scared side.. what if.. what if.... we dont win!!!!! There I said it.

It is an incredible tension inducing match. Look at all the news stories.. the run up to the match creates half the tension. A one hour programe dedicated to just this!!

And the tickets selling like crazy. 1 lac per ticket a news programme on TV reported. 1 lac!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Reports of our neighbours coming down to the country to watch... news of Indians giving away their tickets to their brethren.

Half days in office.. even if it is not said obliquely, no one.. not even a single person, expects you to put even 2 cents worth of work. Most of the people plan to "work from home" ( we all know what that means).. or watch at work on these mighty screens set up in offices itself!!!! I know people who are refusing to travel tomorrow. And no one bats an eyelid even if they refuse and are vocal about the reason. We should just declare it as a half day officially! lol

In my sister's society where she stays.. they have put up a big screen in the grounds.. and there is free chaat, tea, samosa etc!!! They are making and distributing flags among the residents!!

It is a full circus everywhere. This is NDTVs main story today!!!Not just NDTV but actually all the news channels!!! Statistics being spouted every where.. how many players in both teams have played against each other in previous WC.. all the people remotely associated with cricket are sitting in some panel or the other!

The Pak PM has apparently announced a half day in Pakistan tomorrow. How cool is that!!!!!

And me.. I was to travel to Bombay for a meeting and had made a full plan to go to some pub.. and cheer!! But all plans came crashing down as the meetings got canceled! :(

But never mind... I will watch peacefully at home with my ever present wine bottle and A if he deigns to get home early!

Dear god, please let us win tomorrow. Please Please Please.

Actually in my heart, I know we will!!!! After all we have never lost to Pak in a world cup. Smirk Smirk..

This is the time when I really love MSD!! He is so cool. So chilled out!!!! Its a wonder really, the pressure doesnt get to them!!!

A silent hug and a loud CHEER for all of you in the team!!!!!!!!

May we win (I think my grey hair will rise by 30% after this match)

A special month

2011-03-23T22:54:00.000+05:30

March is a special month - 3 very very very ultra special people I know were born this month! And the world is already a happier place!! :))

Mommie , Scarlett and of course ME!! Women's day was also this month - is it a surprise really!! :)

Its funny really when you think of it. The 3 of us are completely different in how we are or how we are leading our lives,even the stage of life and sometimes even our outlook!!! I met Mommie 15 yrs ago and Scarlett 5 yrs back!!! Even after moving cities, going through various ups and downs in life, we still remain so close.

It makes me feel very happy. You two make me feel happy!!!

And if all of us were born this month, then March really must be special!!

A toast to all of us. Happy birthday guys!!

Mangalore beckoned

2011-03-22T23:23:00.000+05:30

The question I have been faced with for the last 1 week - Why Mangalore? Do you have family there? Or is it work? And EVERYONE asked me this question.

While there was a reason why we selected Mangalore, I was really surprised to hear the surprise in everyone's voice!!

The reason was we had to exhaust some gift vouchers and the easiest destination was Mangalore. I was also enticed by pristine beaches (whatever little I had read about the place) and the food!!! And of course with all the things happening around me, I needed a break desperately!!!

It is a small city. An extremely small town.. pretty much like Calicut. A few kms in a rick and you have almost covered it all. Theres not much activity it boasts of. But then if you like lazing and not doing much, its a place you can be at!!

On Day 1, we went off to Udupi! Its only about 1.5 hrs from Mangalore. Udupi is like a temple town, though we went mainly to sample the food. The name Udupi strikes a bell? Yes, you are right.. it is famous for its food.. albeit vegetarian. They have a huge temple complex at Udupi - a krishna temple. Apparently the food is associated with the Krishna muth, or so says Wikipedia!

The food is lip smacking. Within the temple complex, there is a small ramshackle place called Mitra Samaj. Thats where we ate - when I say ramshackle, it really is!!! And you wonder if you can stand eating there. The food is delicious!!!!!!!!!! It is very simple and humble fare but amazing!!

There is some chariot towing or something in the evening but we didnt hang around for it as it is really hot and theres only so much you can see in all the temples!! We also tried going to Malpe (the beach is great though it was too hot to enjoy it) and from there to St Mary's isle.. the ferry people refused to take us!!!! Min 30 required we were told. We also drove around in Manipal.

Of all the places to have dinner at in Mangalore, we chose Gajaleee!!! Yes the Bombay one.. why, dont ask me. Food was ok.. conversation was brilliant!! :)

Day 2 we ventured out for lunch at a very sad place called Pallkhi .. apparently an awesome restaurant in its heydeys! Sad sad sad food. But we brightened it up with Ideal ice cream (very famous) parlor called Pabba's .. while the name is a put off, the ice cream was good!!!

We went to St Aloysius Church.An Italian painted the church and has depicted the life of Christ & of St Aloysius. It is a gorgeous place and full of colours right upto the ceiling. And then to Kadri temple & Mangaladevi temple.From Mangladevi temple, Mangalore gets its name. We also visited Panambur beach which is really pretty though a tad bit crowded.

The evening dinner was the best in terms of food. Just awesome, fish and prawn preparation we had!! Totally lip smacking.

And day 3 we did.. zilch. I read JK Rowling's biography while A watched the match or slept!!

A true holiday :)

Its a cute town - go when the weather is more conducive to just chill!!

If only the last over were bowled by Bhaji !!! Sob Sob!!!

2011-03-13T13:48:00.001+05:30

What a waste!!!!!!!!!!!! Its been a long time since I have watched cricket avidly. I used to be a big fan during college days.. used to watch each and every match no matter what!! During my board exams.. it was economics exam to be precise.. all we could think of was to quickly write the exam and get back home - in time to watch the India - Pak quarter final match!!!

Then steadily I lost interest. These days I watch it only sometimes. And world cup is one such event that I do watch. Anyway, enough with the history!

Why did MSD give the last over to Nehra!!!!! That is one question that will always play on everyone's mind!!!! Why Why Why Why..... another match which we literally gave away .. the first one being England... literally fattened up the chicken, cooked it and plated it up and fed it to them by hand!!!!

Well, I shouldn't begrudge them the excitement they created. Indian team, no matter what happens, always makes it totally value for money for the people who bought tickets!!! Look at the India - England match!!! Even if we had made "450 runs" yesterday (har...har...har...har...), we would still have made it interesting enough.. maybe that would have resulted in a tie!!!!!!!!

So, being the good fan.. I am glad the team lost. At least we will not be complacent for the next match with the West Indies!!!

But MSD, I still trust you totally!!! Please please please don't make our lives so exciting!

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Gone are the days when 287 used to be a big total to defend. I wonder what the big total now would be.. 450? 550?? Where will it end?

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The Tata docomo mobile number portability ad.. the boy buying eggs and other people playing trumpets and acknowledging him as a hero... what does the chorus say?????????

I always hear IDLI..tararartararataarara IDLI..tararatarararatarara..IDLI...

A says Vicky.. has to be that guys name..

Logic is no fun. IDLI is better :))

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Whats with the coke parrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr ad!!! What does it mean?? How does it denote open happiness?

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And theVodafone 3G ad is SUPERB!! Totally SUPERLATIVE!!!! The music.. the Rajni style action!!! Just AWESOME.

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If anyone is interested in the pic, it is Kahlua mousse - available at Toscano. As amazing to eat as it is to look at!!! Yummy.

What it takes to get a cup of good filter coffee - @Airlines hotel

2011-03-06T18:07:00.000+05:30

Yes I am in Bangalore. On an average, the filter coffee you get here is way better than the rest of the cities i.e Mumbai, Delhi and the likes.

And yet, I am never able to finish a full cup of the coffee, never able to slurp it down , never get a craving for it... no matter how big or small a place I go to!!

And I had kind of given up till we went to Chikmagalur a few years back.. and the coffee was simply beautiful. I would down 2 cups of it every time we sat down. And I just had to have that coffee powder!!! I pestered A to find the place where we could Panduranga coffee powder (PCP) ... we just could not locate it. Finally, the hotel guys very sweetly, as we were checking out disheartened, gave us a pack of THE coffee powder. I was ecstatic!!

I bought a filter from Mysore, especially to make coffee with PCP.. used it exactly once!!! Coffee as limpid as ever!! I never get the proportions right.. as A said " it is in the hands of the maker"

Since then, the filter coffee machine has joined the puttu maker in one corner of the kitchen.

But lo and behold.. the maker we found yesterday at breakfast.. truly a great talent!!! :)

For the first time, by chance, at the insistence of a guest, we trooped off to airlines hotel. It is not a hotel hotel.. more like a snacking / breakfast place serving idlis, doshas etc.

It has the essential closed restaurant and totally restful open air joint built around a big banyan tree...I didn't take a pic of the coffee but of the Banyan tree I did!!

It is as peaceful as it looks in the picture - though 8am on a Saturday morning may have something to do with it!!

The food is regular, pretty much like any other south indian udipi like place.

But the filter coffee - it is to die for!!!!!!!

As soon as I walked in, I saw this waiter carry a big glass (not the small steel ones).. filled with dark brown coffee... It smelled glorious (the first test of a good coffee!). He would then proceed to first mix the sugar before giving you the coffee. And I followed him around with my eyes everytime he brought out coffee. I just couldn't wait to get mine!!

And finally one of the guys got our coffee - he didn't mix in the sugar :( .... I thought it was a tradition .. like Indian coffee homes.. but anyway we did it ourselves..

And it tasted divine. And for the second time (first being Chikmagalur), I finished my whole glass of coffee. A was flabbergasted ... usually I am just able to finish half - especially true at all CCDs, Baristas of the world..

All coffee lovers should just head there.

Airlines hotel is small unpretentious place like Koshys and apparently has been in existence for age immemorial!! The banyan tree soothes your frayed nerves.. you can hear the occasional honk of the car from a far far away place. pssstttt.. it is right on the main road. It is a feel good place. If you want fast service (as advised by our waiter, please to sit inside). If you want wallow away to glory, then outside is the right place. Perfect place to head to during summers, early in the morning.

Now if only, it were a non smoking area!!

A princely feeling

2011-03-03T22:00:00.001+05:30

Its been a long time.

hmmmmmm... have not been "feeling" like blogging. I have no idea why. I have been thinking of so many things I would like to write about... but once I get back home.. a big fat zero!!!

And its not even that I have been busy at work or something. In fact, these last 2 weeks have been chilled out!! I think a lot is to do with the fact that my blog friends are not blogging!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

So guys, please blog!!

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My Goa holiday is coming closer... and I want to slim down!! And no I havent started exercising yet. I have my excuses ready :))

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Why does it always happen that when you have guests over, your maid will never be there!!

And why (even though you know you need to do the dishes) do you prepare eggs for breakfast in the morning and that too in the non stick pan.. when you know how much you hate scrubbing an egg pan!!!

Why do people want to take you out to dinner - when all you want to do is sit at home and watch the finale of MC US!!! In fact I ran back home early yesterday to be able to sit in peace and watch. :((

And why in the world cant Star World repeat it today - when they can show the stupid KJo show some 10 million times!!! They are repeating MC Aus finals.. dude, that I have seen already!!! grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr

Why does it happen that the day when all you can think of is a hot shower and you have been told geyser is fixed.. that you get into the washroom only to realise that the water is just not turning hot!!!

Why does chana take so much time to chew.

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I think I should just end the day and at least sleep well. The world will right itself by morning I am sure.

ps: the title is obviously scarcastic!!!

Its MC America now!

2011-02-08T22:23:00.000+05:30

Writer's block!!!!!!!!

Did I say writer??? Oh, I mean blogger of course!!! Slip of tongue.. pen.. thought.. whatever!!

It happens when the blogger community (the ones you follow... blogger also to blame here, half the times it does not show the updates!!) are also being lazy. Today I saw 2 new updated posts.. and here I go again.

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MC America is starting on Monday!! Yipee!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The only problem is, it is MC America!!!! So it is going to be over the top .. for sure. It also has Gordon Ramsay in it as a judge.. so obviously he is going to be throwing plates here and there!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Very very very unlike the nice judges on MC Australia - by nice, I do not mean spineless.. they would tell a person how they fell short of expectations without much drama and you could feel the pain your favourite contestant was going through!!!

But anyway.. I am happy we are done with Bachelor / Bachelorette episodes - men/women sleeping with all contestants and then saying no. But then the girls/guys too signed up for it. Why do they do this. It is so very strange.

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And another deep thoughtful question I have - why do random people at work want to be friends with you on Facebook?

a) One fine day you have a call (work related call) with someone sitting in some other location - and in the evening you find you have a request waiting for you!!!

OR

b) hey, I would like to introduce you to XYZ .. is working with so and so.. in such and such location..

OR

c) you may just be sitting next to a person in some random session..and the next time you login, you know what you will find!!

But let me tell you.... I am hard as nails (snicker snicker) ... I am refusing ALL these requests. Ok, so I haven't strictly refused them (what if they come to know) ... but I have some 10-20 requests on the "to add list". And they can stay there on the list. What is it that prompts people to send send requests to 20,000 people!!!! Maybe they are new to FB?

hmmm.. I absolutely cringe to think of the FB invites I sent out to people when I was new.. did I sit on anyone's list like this.. benched? "Shudder, Shudder"

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Last week sent a mail to husband's super boss by mistake!!!! You see.. this is what happened. I was on a call and I got a forward from A stating lunch at so and so's place. Now what he had sent was a calender invite. And since I was in a call, I didnt pay attention and wrote to the big boss... saying why aren't you going!! you must go. Thankfully thats all I wrote.. usually I would have also written - you have destroyed my Saturday, you please go alone, I do not want to socialise on a Saturday. But since I was tied up, this was all I wrote!!! Thank god for small mercies.

In any case, I didn't realise the blunder I had committed till I got a reply from the big B! lol. And then I sent a face saving mail :)

But MY MAIL WAS BETTER.. infinitely better than B's mail. So I told A as much.. and he says maybe people in my organisation don't write good mails. But at least they write to the right people. Oh well!!! Some people !!! Hahaha.

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Today I did not work. Powerpoint stopped functioning (and in my organisation thats the bane of our existence... what will we do without powerpoint!!!!!!!!!!!). And then by noon it got corrected.. but then mails stopped functioning. So I trooped back home early(ier than usual I should say) and have been vegetating in front of the TV!

All days like this.. etc etc etc :)

A blissfull saturday

2011-01-31T23:27:00.000+05:30

We were to avail of the free weekend offer this last weekend!!! And boy was it fun.

I was extremely extremely excited on Friday.. we were to check in on Friday night. A turned up late and we checked in at 1am. A bit of waiting outside the hotel gates.. they refused to let us go in - they were zapped with the 1am check in and us driving into the hotel!! And in my mind I was thinking ' god, this is off to a bad start'! Calmed A down and finally we were welcomed into the hotel.

We slept till 11am on Saturday morning and turned up at the hotel for brunch. The walk upto the main building is a beautiful walk. Westend is a beautiful property.

It is green and it just makes you feel happy not to mention fresh. So there are cottages away from the main building.. about 2 mins from the main unit and you feel you are out of Bangalore. The traffic sounds are totally muted. It is so peaceful and serene.

A view of the property interiors!!

After a nice leisurely lunch and short nap, I got a massage done. WOW!!!! I totally gave up to the ministrations of the masseuse.. she was GOOD!!! mmmmmmmmm... And we figured out later that the vouchers we had for the spa wouldnt work!!!! But no matter.. It was BLISS!!!

Post massage, we limbered on to Blue Ginger, their Vietnamese restaurant. Now, the restaurant is expensive!!! Very expensive!!! But we were feeling good.. relaxed after the massage.. wanting to spend.. it is a good strategy on the part of the hotel... threw caution into the wind.. and spend we did.

I loved the meal and the company!! :)

We ordered some beef.. it was mouth watering. Sunil, who was helping us out, recommended prawns in tamarind sauce and new zealand lamb rack.. both were good but sweet. Now I dont usually like too much sweet and I was saying so to A when the chef descended on to our table (A maintains it was because of faces I was making that he came).. I just couldnt bring myself to say that the food was too sweet. A jumped right in and told the chef. The chef then made some prawns in satay sauce just for me....... on the house........!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I was sooooooooo embarrassed!!!!!!

We refused dessert but our guy refused to let us go and served some home made rose icecream (it had rose petals in it).. again on the house!!!!!!!!!!

And finally we asked for a filter coffee.. now Blue Ginger does not serve filter coffee but the guy got it for us from elsewhere.

We were pampered silly by them!!!! And yes we paid a lot.. but really.. how joyfull it was .. to be spoilt like that.. i just cannot explain!!! I totally loved it. And as A says.. better to have moments like these than have lots of money and think about the fun we could have had!!! Its ok.. I will regret it later.. right now I am too busy feeling happy :)

And then picked the DVD of Iron Man 2 to end the day and watched it in the room. Bad movie.. but how can Robert Downey Jr be bad!!!! He was just awesome.. so handsome.

A perfect end to a perfect day. Why cant all days be like this!!!!

Dhobi Ghaat

2011-01-24T23:26:00.000+05:30

This is going to be a quick post.. I hope :)

So we watched Dhobi Ghat on Saturday night. What surprised me was.. A booked the tickets without me even asking about it. I guess that goes to show that he too was curious about the movie! Just to give you a context - usually I pester him on booking a show - thats an initiative usually I take. So I am often surprised when it happens the other way round - last it was Terminator salvation / Avatar I think.

So anyway, I have been working late these days (yes Scarlett, what to do!!!) and have been traveling. So I hadnt actually read the review for the movie before watching. So I didnt really expect anything - not having read, heard or seen anything.

And I loved the movie. It is so refreshing. Its been a long time since I watched such a movie.

4 stories intertwined. A simple story (ies). Nothing complicated.. no shouting.. no loud music.. Kiran Rao portrays life as is..

I loved Prateik Babbar - the emotions flitting across his face are so real. You can actually see him falling in love with Shai... the initial stage where you are just friendly.. the realisation of the crush building up.. the awareness of the "other"... the sense of touch..the jubilation, the jealousy.. He is just perfect!!!!!!!!! And it is all you can do to stop yourself from giving him a hug. He is GOOD!!! he is BRILLIANT.

Shai, a New York returned character, on a "sabbatical" so to speak.. she was good too. Monica Dogra I think her name is. She was good. Her character was refreshing.. refreshing from the perspective that usually rich children in movie are always portrayed to be like snobs, b*****s of the first order. And that was so not the case here!!!! I quite liked her character and the actor!!!!!!!!!

For me the character who was outstanding was - Yasmin. Besides Prateik Babbar i.e. I was hard pressed to decide who is better. Kriti Agarwal I think who played Yasmin was brilliant. Her screen presence is limited to some shots, her voice is the only thing you can hear as she shows you around Bombay through her eyes. Despite this, despite this, she was awesome. Her presence in the movie is through her voice - and her presence in the video she shoots as a message for her brother.

You actually go through her full journey along with her- you feel her excitement as she reaches Bombay.. when she sees the sea.. and then little by little the despair creeping in her voice as the realities seep in. She was the most beautiful of the lot.. Yasmin's story gets you!!! Pretty much as it gets Arun, aka Aamir Khan.

Now the best thing about the movie - it does not shine because of Aamir. He is good.. he is subtle in his role of the "painter". But this is not his movie .. very unlike a Ghajini OR a Lagaan...

All other characters outshine him - and that is the best thing about it. It is not 'touched or sullied' (I cant think of any other word).. not overpowered by stars. The director sticks to the story.. the story is the hero.. the characters are the heros.

And when I watch Aamir's interviews and he says he needed to convince Kiran Rao about his playing a part in the movie - I believe him now that I have watched the movie.

The casting is brilliant.

I wouldnt mind watching it again. A 4.5 / 5 from me.

MUST MUST watch.

Step 2 to my resolve : a bit of selfishness :)

2011-01-10T23:38:00.000+05:30

A quick post but couldn't help but share with you guys!!

We have some vouchers from this hotel through which we get a free weekend at their hotel(s) in the city!!!

And we are using it up... contrary to the last few times we had the opportunity to do so!!!!!!!!!!!! Weekend at a hotel... that too within city!!! Bliss :)

Please do keep it to yourself... (note to myself : this is a blog, you moron).. but in any case if you happen to see anyone I know.. DO NOT TELL!!! I AM NOT KIDDING.

Of course I am hoping that A doesn't read this.. he will kill me. Actually, I need not worry.. he really doesn't read my blog!!

And to top this.. we are planning a week long vacation in April. Rather I am supposed to plan it... to celebrate our 5th ANNIV!!!!!!!!!!!!! IMAGINE!!! 5 long years!!!!!!!!!!!!! GOSH!!!

But the thing is we don't have much money between us.. so thinking about options right now.. Andaman / Goa is what I thought?

Any suggestions you guys have?

Yay!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Cheapad.. Kanjre.. quintessential Delhi - Band Bajaa Baraat

2011-01-09T22:18:00.000+05:30

First week of the new year and 2 days of the week, I was working real late!!! Tuesday night I worked till 3am and woke up at 5.30am!

But on the bright side - the rest 3 days of the week, I have been home by 7!!

So I am assuming 2011 is going to be a mixed bag really... though I am hoping more of the latter (7pm) than the former (3am)!!

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And on Tuesday, Scarlett messaged me and reminded me of my resolve - to spend more time with near and dear ones.. and to reduce my workaholic ways!

Well, it is going to take time!! But I am happy to report that I am already on that path. We had booked tickets to go to Hyderabad for Sankranti to in-laws place, the added attraction being meeting my sis and niece... this is before the 2011 holiday list was declared.. and to my dismay I found that Sankranti was not an off unlike usual. And to top it, my boss wanted me to travel along with him for an important internal presentation in Bombay.

I vacillated... it is but natural!!!!! An important presentation.. important to my career and a trip to Hyderabad to meet family... ah well!! A very very tough decision for me!! But a decision I took - to forgo the meeting and go to Hyderabad.

Am I happy - yes! But if only the meeting could get postponed!! :) Well, a leopard cannot change spots and that too so quickly!

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Watched Band Bajaa Baraat. A really really good movie. Definitely in the "Must watch" category.
I have lived for about 25 odd yrs in West Delhi... right next to "Janak Puri" .. in rajouri garden (a surd area) and then Vikas Puri (mixed culture).

And the movie transported me right back into the streets of Delhi!! Its been ages since I heard the words "cheapad" and "kanjre"!!! Cheapad, pronounced as it is written, used to be one of the "it" words when I was in school - a term used between friends affectionately!! And "kanjre" the bad word, choti aunty (thats how we referred to that aunty) used when screaming at her surd boys!!!!

A very very refreshing movie.. very progressive.. but then punjus are progressive as a race, whatever you may say about them. And the movie captures this beautifully.

I also liked the love making angle to the story - the director doesn't shy away from reality... he shows is as is!! I mean to say there is no post s*x guilt trips or any moral of the story funda and you should not indulge in such acts before marriage that happen in the movie.

I quite liked both the actors - Anushka Sharma, the street smart delhi girl (believe me, to get that you need to live in Delhi) and the newbie Ranveer Singh (the biness guy). They fit in right into the dhingchak west delhi culture!! Delhi thrives on the sir ji culture... sir ji, uncle ji, aunti ji, bhaisaheb, bhaiya (in Delhi everyone is a bhaiya or an uncle, no exceptions. I remember we went to footwear store and the sales guy refused to show us sandals till we stopped calling him Bhaiya.. oh well!!)......... All of us have done that "uncle jis and aunty jis a gazillion times!!!

How much I miss the city is not funny!! The history.. monuments at every corner.. the wide roads.. the people.. everything!!!

One more movie that I will watch everytime its aired (the first one being Khosla ka Ghosla)

It is a 4 on 5 for sure for Band Bajaa Baraat!!! Worth going a second time.

A post for the new year

2011-01-01T18:21:00.002+05:30

Happy new year all of you!!

You do know what they say - Whatever you do on the 1st of the year.. thats what you end up doing most of the year!! I try to do nice things on 1st Jan every year.. even though the year(s) never turn out to be as fun!

If I think of the year gone past - while we had a barbeque party on 31st night going right into 1st Jan, I hardly partied last year.. rather I was barbequed (!!!) royally through the year.. the first 6 months the most painful!!

Even then, I would still like to believe in it.... It is a nice thing to believe in too!!! So I like cramming the day with things that I like - in the hope I spend time doing what I like through the year.

So what have I been doing or plan to do today?

a) Last night I read a book untill 12. Thats how I welcomed the year!!
b) Fell into deep sleep waking up only at 10am!
c) Went out for a long long lunch - 2-5pm. I tried everything on the buffet.. well almost everything, I really could not bring myself to try oysters or octopus. A was game enough to try oysters and he had about 4-5 of those!! I tried all the dishes though - MC australia in the back of my mind :) Pic of remains of the dessert below. One of things below is profiteroles (so what if I had to google the spelling) - I picked it up purely because of MC australia!!!!!

d) Wanted to catch a movie in the theatre desperately. But did not happen as some friend turned up. Damn.. Should have gone to the theatre today!!
e) Wanted to and I am putting in a post so that I post through the year!!
f) Sleep a lot
g) Spend time with my husband
h) Speak to family on either side and close friends!!
i) Listen to good music
j) Watch nice romantic movies
k) Not work at all :p
l) Probably buy books (though right now it seems difficult to fit into the evening)

Yup, thats about it. My ultra small list :))

Love of my life : mathematics!

2010-12-27T22:25:00.001+05:30

Ever since I put the title of the book up, 'the universal history of numbers', I knew this post was coming.. and soon.

I hate maths... completely.. from the bottom of my heart. Actually it is kind of difficult to distinguish the exact emotion I feel - is it hate or fear. More of the 2nd one , thus leading into the first.

As a child, I always questioned the necessity of knowing mathematics as a subject. Why does anyone need to know calculus or algebra or trignometry.. what is the application really... I couldn't wait to get rid of it. Unfortunately, it has always been with me through my life.. like an unwanted pus filled sore.

When I went to 11th standard, my parents thought I should continue with maths at least till 12th. Post 12th, I opted for Economics.. and guess what!!!!!!!!!!!!!! There's maths there too!!! And then MBA...

And now funnily enough, I am in a profession which requires a "comfort with numbers" as a basic skillset.

How I am scared of Maths is not funny!!!!! Even though I have scored well in the subject.. in fact that was my highest scoring subject (!!!!!!!) in 12th standard boards.. I scored 88 or 89% I think!!! So even though I have scored well.. it just scares the s**t out of me!!!

In fact, in campus when the placement season was on.. we had these aptitude tests as the first level screening for many jobs. And I almost threw up. I went to my friend in tears.. and told him there's no way I could get a job.. . He very patiently tried to teach me.. I just have this big big a mindset..a block.. that I just cannot do it. Now matter how much I read the problem and try to understand it, I just doesn't get into my thick head at all!!! And I shed many tears.... I used to be a tortured soul.. but finally I did clear a couple of tests :)

During recruitment, I begged my would be boss to not put me in the "quantitative" department as I do not like maths. But he just pooh poohed the idea and there I have been for the last 9 years!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Now of course my confidence levels are higher - excel helps of course :) ..

But ask me the area of a hexagon..the number of hours it would take for the water to drip from the tank.... I feel weak in my knees ...a bit dizzy.. (what helps is that my job, thank you god, does not require trignometry and the likes)

Any maths and I just zonk out for those few minutes from the meeting OR wait for one of those gifted individuals (who are always there in every meeting.. the first to raise their hand and give the answer ) to say something while I nod intelligently.

I cannot even calculate very quickly. If someone asks me to add stuff up.. I just go the excel sheet. If no one is looking or stressing me out, then I can calculate quicker. Mental maths always used to terrify me.

I think maybe its to do with my maths teacher. I used to be petrified. I wish she had been kind and gentle .. I for sure react better to that approach than the stick one. I just wish she had in my formative years made it interesting to tackle problems. I know so many people who delight in solving problems.. I am not one of them and I envy them for it!!!

Education could have been so much more fun.

So what was /is your favourite (read hateful) subject?

Adrian Mole .. dont go ..

2010-12-23T23:14:00.000+05:30

He is ill :((

I just finished the latest one.. Adrian Mole , the prostrate years..

In the flight.. I was praying as I was racing through the book..hoping she doesn't kill him!!!!

Phew!!

The book is still funny.. though the world is not sunny (I did mean sunny and not funny!!) anymore.. as it used to be! One of my favourite literary characters.

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I just got back from Bombay today. I am happy to be home.. I have been out for the entire week.. and by yesterday I was craving to be back home.. in my bed.. doing what I do .. instead of going to a guest house!!! I am growing old. Thats what it is.

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My most exciting moment of the week : has to be when Scarlett messaged me on Tuesday to tell me Sidin Vadukut of Dork fame had commented on my blog!!!!!!! What a moment!!! My presentation was going to the dogs... the data was all c**p..the client was sitting on my head ....And I had a happy smile on my face.. my colleagues were astonished.. I had a spring in my step.. and feelings of pure joy were radiating from me..everything that the client was saying during the meeting was falling on deaf ears and I was all smiles!! He must be fuming... must be thinking.. what in the world are you doing woman.. you miserable twit.!!

And the most taxing moment , frustrating moment - not accessing blog during this time due to excessive work ....to share the joy!!! Hrrrmmphh. Can be very frustrating.

Anyway, so I was on cloud 9.. and Bombay, the presentation, and everything else actually passed me by in a haze.

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And I missed you guys so much... I am so happy to be back to my bed, home and my laptop. :)) I cant wait to meet my friends at work!!! You can make gagging kind of sounds, all that you want.. but its true!!!

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Its Christmas!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! And we had secret Santa at work. Everyone participated.. I was secret Santa to our security guard.. and from the day it was announced till yesterday we had to make our secret"child (that sounds weird) feel good. So I sent one egg puff on day 1.. chocolates on day 2.. a Christmas cake on day 3 and finally a box of chocolates on the final day!! Other people were more enthu and did nicer things :)

What did I get ? I will let you know tomorrow... I am so very excited.. being the materialistic person that I am....... I love getting gifts!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It is so very very very exciting.

On that note. goodnight!! And can I say once more.. I am happy to be back :))

A little bit of perspective..

2010-12-19T22:23:00.000+05:30

Its been a kind of an icky weekend.. cloudy, dull, grey, gloomy .. not to mention the work which has been on the back of my mind and I am really not doing much to solve it (by working i.e.) !!

And then we decided to visit old family friends.. actually relatives now.. Uncle has been hospitalised. While they have been in Bangalore last one week, we couldn't meet them earlier.

Uncle was diagnosed with cancer... was extremely unexpected.. he quit smoking a decade ago.. went to the doc for some check up!! Now they are here to get some tests done.. to check how much it has spread.

I find visiting hospitals really difficult.. if there is one thing I am scared of.. terrified of.. that is illness.. especially in the case of family. To see so many tubes and stitches (indicative of the operation)... a shiver passes down my spine.

And on these occasions, I do not know what to say - should one console or talk about other routine things to take their mind off things!! I usually opt for the 2nd way... but mostly people can make out from my face.. blood usually drains out.. and one conversation can have me in a flood of tears.

I wish people were never ever ill.

Over the weekend I have been worrying about a presentation.. this hospital visit has brought in a bit of perspective .. what idiotic things we worry about.. when actually you could be out enjoying.. and just being with the people you love. I get this jolt every once in a while.. I got it a few months ago when I resolved that I am going to stop being a workaholic and spend time with parents and with A.. I haven't met my sis in ages!!! And a month hence, I am back to working late nights.. traveling.. with no time for anything..

And today again as I introspect.. I have spent the entire year working, working and working more. And when I was not working, I was worrying... anxious about work ....thinking about clients, business, presentations.. I cant remember when I had a full day to myself when I was completely free from work, physically or mentally.

Sad isn't it.. It takes something like this to bring you back to earth with a thud.. makes you take a step back and look at your own life.. and wonder what is it exactly that you have achieved.

While I work over the weekend...

2010-12-19T12:41:00.004+05:30

I hate working weekends. And as you can see I am in no mood to work.. since I am blogging and not working.. this slavery never stops!! Ho hum

But anyway on to a brighter note...

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I finished Dork and boy is it a hilarious book!!!! I picked it up on Scarlett's recommendation. When I started reading the book.. I was like "Oh man, this is going to be a crass humour" kind of a book!! But joy behold.. it is not!!!! It seriously is laugh out loud funny.. literally!!!

It is about a Mallu Man trying to fit himself in, by hook or by crook in a consultancy firm!! What did I love about the book - whats there not to like!!! The affable character 'Robin Einstein Verghese' who in all his funny ways, is the most super confident being on the planet, no matter what the rest of the world thinks... and he is not worried either.. he breezes through without much of a care in the world.

When I say its laugh out loud funny.. it literally was for me. I narrated the incidents from the book to my colleagues to work and went hysterical with laughter... and that day when I came back home, I was like, was it really so funny. I dont think so.. it always seems funnier when you are in a bunch of hysterical people... and you also kind of, KIND OF start exaggerating things ... a wee bit....when you see everyone hanging on to every word... so that night when I started reading the book, I was conscious of the fact that I had read 2 chapters and not laughed out loud even once. I thought it was all in my imagination - OR what I liked to think I did.

And suddenly I started laughing and couldn't stop... even when I shut the book to get some sleep.. I was shaking uncontrollably with laughter remembering the book.. A, who was snoring away to glory by my side, woke up with a start and asked why I was crying!! lol

The scene was - Robin buying off a micro from his hated roommate when he leaves.. and he wants to cook food in the micro.. and suddenly he says.. that ba***d... the micro would only switch on for 20 secs.. so he has to stand next to it and press it every few secs.. and it took him 1 hour to make Instant chicken curry!!! And I laughed and laughed and laughed till I started crying!!!!!!!!!

It is a very good take on consultants.. actually office life in general.. the faffing.. the put on camaraderie...all of us who work would be able to identify with it!! And of course being a mallu I do identify with the mallu-ness.. what with babykuttys and blossoms..

Apparently a part of the trilogy.. I am waiting with bated breath. I am buying the next 2 too, Sidin.

I was so enamoured by the book.. I did a bit of search on the author Sidin Vadukut. Read his blog - which is as awesome as his book!! Read his post on his trip to to Sri Lanka.. I was rumbling with laughter even when reading that.. He is good. Now I "like" him on facebook, follow him on twitter and follow his blog as well!!

I have told everyone I know to buy the book.. and I have managed one sale as well!!! I should get commission!!! :))

Why cant I ever write like this!!! I want to be an author and make trillions.

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Now I am onto reading The Girl who kicked Hornet's nest. I am also reading the universal history of numbers - I hate numbers but I like history. So there!!! More about my love for maths in the next post!!!!

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I feel like the times when we used to have exams... When you need to study.. and you so do not want to study.. you take a break because of the smallest of reasons... you live for the breaks. That is my situation right now. I am chatting with people.. watching all kinds of mind numbing TV.. doing timepass.. I just dont feel like working!!!

Cant I just run away.

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Off to bombay tomorrow .. thankfully an evening flight.

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Watched MTV bakra after a long time.. Cyrus is a butcher who is offering fresh mutton to people.. and the fresh mutton is actually a human being.. one of the fresh pieces start screaming suddenly asking the shopper to help him....!!!! The guy got a scare.. scare is an inadequate term!!!! Cyrus will get beaten up one of the days!!!! In fact if I remember correctly, he did!!!

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Screeching women on splitsvilla.. such a derogatory show.. why do women do it..

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Now I should get back to work I think.. :((

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I am not able to get the highlight to go!! oops.

4 pairs of chappals, 2 pairs of earrings....et al..

2010-12-12T16:27:00.001+05:30

I just need one comment to get a boost and put in a post immediately!!! haha...

So here goes..

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All you need to do is laugh a lot and believe me your day goes well. I have experienced this!! You literally float on air.. Only one thing you should be careful about.. accepting more work in all your happiness.. You may regret that!

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I just finished reading connect the dots. It is quite an amazing book... so inspiring.. to read about these people who made it big.. just because of their passion and commitment. I wish I were'nt such a scaredy rat. :(

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Took mom to Chitra Kala Parishat yesterday. It is a fair like thing wherein people from all over India put up their stalls.. handicrafts. clothes, paintings, ceramic... I bought 4 pairs of chappals and all together only for 700 bucks. Quite a steal. And 2 pairs of earrings.. 50Rs!!

I would have bought more.. there were lampshades.. rugs... diffusers... candles.. candle stands.. bedspreads..mugs..

A bought bastar men frames and 2 wooden boxes inside which you can light incense sticks.. it ensures ash does not fall anywhere.. and incense remains hidden inside the box..

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Please watch the soap..saas bina sasural one day. It is very strange.. and thus humourous. This girl gets married into a household with very many men and no women. The day she walks into the house, she sees a mountain of unclean dishes, occupying one room!!! How is that even possible!! Apparently the men, each one of them, eat 3 plates of rice everyday... And she cleans the kitchen in her nice clothes and jewellery... her father in law instructs her that she needs to get the food ready everyday by 1.30 as they like to eat then.

That I found extremely sad, not to say annoying. The first day in a new house.. and she is expected to do everything.. I guess that is the reality in many houses.

Though one thing I really really liked.. and believe me I was completely astounded to see this coming my way.. So the new bride cooks rice and daal on her first day. And while she is cootchie cooing with her husband, a roach falls into the daal. And this is where I was flabbergasted.. actually I should say happy.. the husband, to my delight, does not tell her to cook everything again or that his father / family cannot to be served this trash.. he actually removes the roach from the daal and asks her to serve the dish as is .. to his family. And asks her to keep her trap shut!!

I was so happy to see that at least there is at least one serial in which they have shown a progressive husband.

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Tomorrow is monday again :(( ..on the top of that no Marion in MC australia.

Headaches, you ask!!

2010-12-02T22:40:00.000+05:30

I get headaches very often! That would be about once in 2 weeks.. maybe!

I get headaches because of -

Too much stress
Washing my hair at night
Washing my hair when its cold
Traveling by rick when chilly and not adequately warm
When I feel cold either due to weather or AC
When I travel a lot
When I sleep too much
When I sleep too less (less than 9 hrs)
When I stare at the machine for too long
If I do not eat, skip meals
If I put coconut oil on my head for too long

Basically I get a headache because of anything and everything... AC is the culprit more often then not!!

I get this from my mom's side of the family.. everyone has headaches!!!

Well, saridon is my best friend.. I just took one. I definitely do not belong to the set of people who do not pop pills at mere headaches!!! I do not know or understand why people choose to sit through so much pain in the hope that it will go away.. the pills are created for a reason right!!

So anyway, today, the reason I think is............ cold... yup! Definitely the chill in the air and the washed hair combination!!!

love it or leave it

2010-12-01T23:05:00.000+05:30

I have been leaving it.. mostly.

Today again at work (yes, I have very many conversations at work), we were talking about pursuing interests. And how we would not be able to sit at home doing nothing.. I know I am like that.. I need to work. I cant think of life without work.

Anyway, the point is, I thought of what my interests were - And I came up with reading, movies and of course blogging.

Till date I have never been able to sustain any activity that I have tried to pursue :

1) Drawing - yes I used to draw in school. Then one fine day, as an adult I decided I need to have some interests outside work and drawing was it!! I bought a sketch pad.. pencils.. colours , a book that teaches sketching.. I did it for one day .. exactly one day. Since then, I have torn out pages out of sketch pad and written letters!!! :))

2) Drawing again - 2nd attempt after 2 yrs. This time told A to teach me. He is good at sketching.. he made me draw a wooden chest.. and then told me about perspectives.. and then made me draw again and again.. till I just got up and left.

3) Swimming - yes, that still remains as the no 1 thing to do!! I found out eveything about classes - about 3 times and in different cities. Right now, its too cold to learn.. brrrrrrrrr

4) Learning a language - I decided first thing I should do is learn to read and write my own mother tongue.. my book on "learn malayalam in 30 days".. remains unopened.

5) Gym - you already know what I did. I also used to walk in bombay.. I think I did that for about month and then got bored. I bought walking shoes and gym clothese too!!!

6) Albums - I decided (yet again), that I should create an album of our jaunts..( I do not particularly like digital pics).. starting with london.. I bought a notebook which has handmade paper.. and I wrote LONDON on the first page..after that awesome (being sarcy here) start, I just didnt feel like doing anything with it and the notebook remains as empty as ever!! Oh if that wasnt enough, I bought a bright lime green colored book to record our pondicherry trip too... and it looks pretty.. pretty and empty.

I do not seem to learn my lessons, do I!!

So basically my interest wanes.. I make excuses like.. it is too cold.. do not get ricks.. I will join once I buy a car.. its too early in the morning.. its too late in the evening.. too much work.. its weekend...blah blah blah!!!!! Nothing holds my attention.

Now blogging is the only thing that I have been able to sustain my interest in... And boy am I surprised. And I dont know how... look at all my pathetic excuses (as above) !!!
So the reason I came up with :

a) I have my circle of blog friends who I interact with - I read their blogs, they read mine. I am happy at knowing more people .. and there is no pressure to go out.. and meet .. one can just opine if one wants to.. or not!!! Know some people more.. know interestign people.. know who you want to know

Basically its only because of you guys that I have been blogging.

Of course, you cannot sustain anything if you are not remotely interested!! SO some credit, I do give to myself. You have to be motivated to blog. And I am motivated even now! Its been 2.5 yrs!!!

Actually I almost didnt blog - when I had to start the site.. I saw the form and freaked.. and I was like.. God... I have to fill so much information. And thinking of a name for the blog etc etc and I left it. And Scarlett insisted that I try once. And my first post... I felt ridiculous .. writing to myself on a public forum!

Thank you Scarlett for persisting.......... for introducing me to this fun! :) I would never have known it otherwise.

I am happy with my big fat hard bound books, thank you

2010-11-30T22:11:00.000+05:30

This post has been long pending. I have been having discussions about about kindles with various people ever since it was launched.. and a colleague got her kindle to work. And we all got a chance to examine it.

Yes it looks like a book. Yes you can read it when on the go.

But it is so NOT for me.

In fact just last week, I was examining someone's kindle. Very many many books had been downloaded but none read!!! And I feel people who like, sorry , love books would be like me!!! Aren't you?

I need the real book!!! The entire reading experience is enhanced by the smell of paper and the feel of the book. I love reading in bed .. in fact that's where I read everyday. And I cannot, just CANNOT imagine taking a kindle to bed.

I love looking at my books too. It is very soothing, I find.. and it gives me this great pleasure when I look at my book rack... knowing and seeing there are so many books for me to read!!!

And for some reason, I never got the concept of reading books online! I can read articles.. really long articles but never books. I know someone who read deathly hallows online!!! Can you imagine!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Maybe it reminds me of work.. I really don't know what it is about reading books online that is such a put off!!

The touch and feel of books is the most important to me. I don't think I can ever leave it aside and download books and read on a kindle.

Give me a real book anyday!

Will hard bound books disappear? Not if there are many many more people like me.

I will never ever give up my books and read on a kindle. But then never say never is what some people say... I used to hate mobile phones too.. But look at me now.. I cannot live without my phone.

On second thoughts.......

Actually, no... I will never buy / read on a kindle... Downloading books... pah!!!!!

Rainy day stash of books

2010-11-28T13:42:00.000+05:30

When I am down and out, I enjoy reading fantasy , comics, children's books, comedy, chic flicks, a really racy suspense thriller...

But there are some days when you are totally out and want something familiar. So I have a stash of books which I re-read on my worst days when :

a) I am overworked, so stressed out that I need something familiar
b) When nothing around me is going right.. I am depressed.. and I need a few laughs
c) When I am scared.. the night is too silent and I am alone in the house
d) It rains like crazy and it is chilly and you are house bound
e) When am pms (ing) and I am depressed
e) Many a days .. just like that.. when you just feel like dipping into something nice

So my choice for these rainy days -

1) PG Wodehouse - My favourite author!!! Gives me quite the laughs when I need it. I never got bored of it no matter how many times I read it. I take refuge in PGW books quite often.. I remember the one night in Bombay when I was alone and I was so scared... I read PGW till 5am.. till it became sunny and light!!!!! You can never be scared with Bertie / Gussie Fink Nottle / Bingo around you ... As one of the introductions to PGW stated... when there is a bed in a PGW book, it is not used for s*x... it is used as a hiding place!!

I have read most of PGW.. save for one.. which I have had for the last 6 months.. I am saving it :)

2) The Faraway tree series by Enid Blyton - I can never ever ever tire of this book. This is one book I have read about 20 times at least... Every few months I read this book. 3 kids living in the country - Jo, Bessie and Fannie find this magic tree which grows different things every few metres.. and there are elves/ pixies who live on it... moonface, silky (who keeps washing her hair), the angry pixie, Mr whatshisname, dame washalot, the saucepan man.. and every few days, on the top of the tree, there is a magical land that comes.. land of birthdays, land of rolling (where you keep rolling), land of giants, land of wishes, land of toys , upside down land, land of nursery rhymes.... you get the picture! What a wonderful book... and what an imagination. One of my eternal favourites !! And this is what I read on rainy , drak, grey, dreary, gloomy days!!!
Actually all Enid Blyton books have such a positive atmosphere... rosy cheeked children, drinking ginger ade, going for picnics... eating scone and jams!!! Ah.. to be transported into that world.. sheer bliss!

3) Archies - I started reading Archies when in school and I read it to this day. I have about 50-60 odd Archies and I keep buying them every month. I love Jughead and Moose and Midge and Reggie and Mr Weatherbee and everyone else!!! It makes me laugh even now.. as an adult.. seeing Archie walk into lampposts.. one image permanently stuck in my mind is that of Archie skateboarding down a steep incline. Many a times when am reading Archies, you will find me shaking with laughter!!!! I love it ...light reading when overworked!!! It makes me feel all sunshiney!!!!

4) Harry Potter - You knew this was coming didnt you! I dont think there is any book as fascinating!! It is so fascinating that it makes me forget all my worries and troubles. Whenever I have read the books .. I have read the series 3 times now.. my head has been full of HP for that period.. and nothing fazes me.. so deeply am I entrenched in the HP world!! I wish it didnt have end though - I wish she would write more of it :(

5) Outlook Traveler magazine - Nothing else (besides whatever I mentioned above) makes you feel better than reading about beautiful destinations and dreaming about visiting these places when you are putting in about 14-16 hours a day. Whenever I have too much work.. I read outlook traveler and plan for a trip.. which invariably does not happen.. but makes me feel great at that point in time... the thought of taking a holiday and chilling!

6) Adrian Mole series by Sue Townsend : It is hilarious. While I havent re-read any yet, I read a few books of the series when I was really dying with work. And everyday late in the night, on my way home, I would feel happy thinking about the fact I am going to read Adrian Mole. Everyday I read in bed and I would be laughing so much that I would have tears in my eyes. So I used to feel happy that I went to bed happy and smiling.. all set to face work the next day.

So what does your stash of "feel happy" books comprise of?

Of headaches, Archies, Pictures and more

2010-11-27T15:50:00.001+05:30

The year is about to end.. and I have posted only 69 posts yet!

Prioritize moonshine, prioritize.... work will always exist, with you and without you.

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A colleague, S, gave me the Archie wedding series of digest! There are 7 digests in all .. i read it all last night itself.. IT WAS TERRIBLE.

We like Archies, we love Archies... because they remind us of a time gone by .. a connection to the old world charm.. my own school/ college. I really do not want to see them getting married and having kids. I want to see them walk into a lamppost, goofing up in school etc. I am not ready for the "married" world.

Can I disclose what I read? Please please? Let me know.

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I was reading all my old posts today.. I had so much fun reading them as well as the comments.. How much we all bicker!!

And as I read my old posts, I felt my writing has deteriorated!! :(

Will I ever write so well that I publish a book? Ho hum.. a billionaire me , like JK Rowling.. keep dreaming moonshine!

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News today :

1) CWG corruption scandal
2) Adarsh housing corruption scandal
3) Karnataka housing / land corruption scandal
4) 2G corruption scandal
5) IPL scandal
6) Pamela Anderson on big boss

Thats what I saw when I switched on to the news channel last week.

Pamela Anderson.......... so did she finally increase trps of big boss?

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Some changes to my blog layout - I copied the "currently reading" bit from Scarlett and posted that on my blog... also added one new thing called picture of the week. I keep taking pics on my Blackberry. Random pics of my surroundings that I keep taking. I plan to put them up, once a week.

The current picture of the full moon is a few weeks old. It looked amazing. We were driving back from Koramangla and that's the picture I took when we were at a signal.

I also added an online pet.. a tortoise named oliver :)
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I get headaches very often - if I travel a lot, if I sleep too less, sleep too much, eat food that doesnt agree with me, wash my hair in the evening when its cold, when its cold and chilly and I need to travel in a rick, if I stare at the screen too much , if I dont eat on time etc etc .. you get the picture.

Today I have a headache - I overslept. Saridon, my best friend.

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A gloomy grey no sun chilly day today. I want to watch some nice romantic movie and have a nice cup of tea. I wish I didn't have to make it myself!!

Why am I not creative :(( .. On a gloomy day, one should do something nice.. to chase the gloom away.. maybe make a collage of old photographs and hang it somewhere.. now if only I had a wand.. or summon up enough energy!

Top 100 books apparently!!

2010-11-23T22:37:00.000+05:30

Came across this on FB, someone had uploaded this. BBC apparently has published top 100 books. Though i have no clue if it bogus or not, it was still a fun exercise to carry out....

Have you read more than 6 of these books? The BBC believes most people will have read only 6 of the 100 books listed here!!!! (copied directly from FB)

Of the 100 , I have read 21!!!! I have havent added the ones the classics I read in school - Shakespeare, Dickens, Jane Austen as they were a part of syllabus. Whatever I have read as an adult is what I have marked!!!

I tag you all - Mommie, Scarlett, Knife, Moony ,melee ... and anyone else who reads my blog!!!! Please leave a message so that I can read on your blog.. if you dont have a blog then put in a message on mine!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! So here goes.....

1 Pride and Prejudice - Jane Austen

2 The Lord of the Rings - JRR Tolkien

3 Jane Eyre - Charlotte Bronte

4 Harry Potter series - JK Rowling

5 To Kill a Mockingbird - Harper Lee

6 The Bible

7 Wuthering Heights - Emily Bronte

8 Nineteen Eighty Four - George Orwell

9 His Dark Materials - Philip Pullman

10 Great Expectations - Charles Dickens (in school)

11 Little Women - Louisa M Alcott

12 Tess of the D’Urbervilles - Thomas Hardy

13 Catch 22 - Joseph Heller

14 Complete Works of Shakespeare

15 Rebecca - Daphne Du Maurier

16 The Hobbit - JRR Tolkien

17 Birdsong - Sebastian Faulk

18 Catcher in the Rye - JD Salinger

19 The Time Traveler’s Wife - Audrey Niffenegger

20 Middlemarch - George Eliot

21 Gone With The Wind - Margaret Mitchell

22 The Great Gatsby - F Scott Fitzgerald

24 War and Peace - Leo Tolstoy

25 The Hitch Hiker’s Guide to the Galaxy - Douglas Adams (I have it.. does that count?)

27 Crime and Punishment - Fyodor Dostoyevsky

28 Grapes of Wrath - John Steinbeck

29 Alice in Wonderland - Lewis Carroll

30 The Wind in the Willows - Kenneth Grahame

31 Anna Karenina - Leo Tolstoy

32 David Copperfield - Charles Dickens (In school)

33 Chronicles of Narnia - CS Lewis

34 Emma -Jane Austen

35 Persuasion - Jane Austen

36 The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe - CS Lewis

37 The Kite Runner - Khaled Hosseini

38 Captain Corelli’s Mandolin - Louis De Bernieres

39 Memoirs of a Geisha - Arthur Golden

40 Winnie the Pooh - A.A. Milne

41 Animal Farm - George Orwell

42 The Da Vinci Code - Dan Brown

43 One Hundred Years of Solitude - Gabriel Garcia Marquez

44 A Prayer for Owen Meaney - John Irving

45 The Woman in White - Wilkie Collins

46 Anne of Green Gables - LM Montgomery

47 Far From The Madding Crowd - Thomas Hardy

48 The Handmaid’s Tale - Margaret Atwood

49 Lord of the Flies - William Golding

50 Atonement - Ian McEwan

51 Life of Pi - Yann Martel

52 Dune - Frank Herbert

53 Cold Comfort Farm - Stella Gibbons

54 Sense and Sensibility - Jane Austen

55 A Suitable Boy - Vikram Seth

56 The Shadow of the Wind - Carlos Ruiz Zafon

57 A Tale Of Two Cities - Charles Dickens (In school i have read it!!! It was a part of syllabus)

58 Brave New World - Aldous Huxley

59 The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time - Mark Haddon

60 Love In The Time Of Cholera - Gabriel Garcia Marquez

61 Of Mice and Men - John Steinbeck

62 Lolita - Vladimir Nabokov

63 The Secret History - Donna Tartt

64 The Lovely Bones - Alice Sebold

65 Count of Monte Cristo - Alexandre Dumas

66 On The Road - Jack Kerouac

67 Jude the Obscure - Thomas Hardy

68 Bridget Jones’s Diary - Helen Fielding

69 Midnight’s Children - Salman Rushdie (I have read 3/4th.. that am sure counts)

70 Moby Dick - Herman Melville

71 Oliver Twist - Charles Dickens (Again in school , not as an adult)

72 Dracula - Bram Stoker

73 The Secret Garden - Frances Hodgson Burnett

74 Notes From A Small Island - Bill Bryson

75 Ulysses - James Joyce

76 The Inferno - Dante

77 Swallows and Amazons - Arthur Ransome

78 Germinal - Emile Zola

79 Vanity Fair - William Makepeace Thackeray

80 Possession - AS Byatt

81 A Christmas Carol - Charles Dickens

82 Cloud Atlas - David Mitchell

83 The Color Purple - Alice Walker

84 The Remains of the Day - Kazuo Ishiguro

85 Madame Bovary - Gustave Flaubert

86 A Fine Balance - Rohinton Mistry

87 Charlotte’s Web - E.B. White

88 The Five People You Meet In Heaven - Mitch Albom

89 Adventures of Sherlock Holmes - Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (I have read very many.. not the full collection though)

90 The Faraway Tree Collection - Enid Blyton

91 Heart of Darkness - Joseph Conrad

92 The Little Prince - Antoine De Saint-Exupery

93 The Wasp Factory - Iain Banks

94 Watership Down - Richard Adams

95 A Confederacy of Dunces - John Kennedy Toole

96 A Town Like Alice - Nevil Shute

97 The Three Musketeers - Alexandre Dumas

98 Hamlet - William Shakespeare (In school)

99 Charlie and the Chocolate Factory - Roald Dahl

100 Les Miserables - Victor Hugo

Drunken stupor.. in the company of fellow blogger Knife

2010-11-20T12:59:00.002+05:30

So one fine rainy day, Knife messaged me and asked if we could catch up for dinner!! I had many worries -

a) he had messaged saying, "dinner with you guys".. I assumed dinner along with many of his fans!
b) His 20,000 friends were leaving messages on FB and I assumed everyone would be invited with Knife sitting at the head of the table like a guru, and me trying to claw my way through to shake his hand, and
c) the stress of trying to suggest a place for a foodie like Knife!!!! You know, my amazing will not equal his amazing. I am happy with a nice ambience, good company and nice food.. which actually maybe substandard in his opinion!! Boy, was it tough. So I tried to convince him to go to UB city.. but he was in the mood for "grunge" food as he later told us.. and I was like, grunge food.. ehhhhh???

But finally what happened - a) guys = me and my husband b) no 20,000 people.. just us and him and c) we both arrived at Koshy's as the "it" place for grunge food.. I too like Koshy's.. but I wasnt sure whether he would like it .. it looks like old Indian coffee house.. with peeling paint.. ceiling fans.. friendly service with old waiters (who will disappear for ages and never see or hear you calling them.. but eventually they will turn up with a smile on their face, no rush and you cant help but feel nice and warm) .. and it has people like us dining there, you will find!

Koshy's is a Bangalore landmark... It has been there for donkey's years.. pretty much like Indian Coffee house. And you can sit there.. and sit there.. lounge around with your beer....no one will throw you out.

So amidst much trepidation, I met Knife along with husband. Husband had chanced to come home early last night and I got him along too!! And ........................... the verdict is.. it was fun. Koshy's passed Knife's test!!!

We ordered mutton cutlets.. now A is a foodie too.. so he suggested a couple of items. Mutton cutlets (A's recco), prawn biriyani (Koshy's recco), prawn curry rice (I love it and my recco) and pork vindaloo (Knife's recco). We reached at 10.40 just as the kitchen was to close.. and we were starving!!!! We nursed our drinks , A with his bud, K with his whisky and me with my old monk .. when suddenly we were served and asked for our last drinks order.. and we ordered another round.

Now with me the thing is, rum puts me in a "happy" frame of mind! Come to think of it.. so do the other drinks!!! Anyway.... good company.. high spirits.. and amazing food when you are hungry.. positively lethal combination! Research, food, work, food, scarlett, traffic, food, food, blogs, and more food.. were the conversation topics ;)

At 12 finally, we moved out of the restaurant with great difficulty.. boy we were stuffed!!!

It was truly fun and special! And no I do not have any pics!!! Check Knife's blog
for that!!

Knife... thanks for chocolates.. half way through it!!!! And like I said, next time UB City, rogue elephant, karavalli!!! :)

Preparing for the next HP release and more

2010-11-15T22:27:00.002+05:30

So Harry Potter Deathly Hallows Part 1 is releasing coming weekend (dang, I havent booked tickets yet). Last time when I went to watch half blood prince, I remember having known only the basic story.. I had read the book a year back. So when people told me that it wasnt true to the book, I was flummoxed. The only reason why I had been claiming it had been true to the book was that Snape killed Dumbledore (sob) and thats all that I realised I remembered. The sob was for Dumbledore getting killed.. I was positively depressed!!!!

So this time round, I decided to be prepared and read Deathly Hallows. Anyway I remembered thinking (when i read the book the first time) that it was complicated. So now I have almost finished the book... and guess what, it is as awesome as ever!!!!!!!!!!! You know I had forgotten how brilliant JK Rowling really is!!!! The small loops tied in... the fast pace.. it really is brilliant.

The only problem with reading the book again before the movie is the worry that they will not be able to include everything in the movie and it will fall short of expectations!!

The second reason of course is to get into the mood of Harry Potter!!! And I am so full of it right now.. you can ask me any question from the book!!! And I feel fantastic about knowing these details that you ordinary people may not remember.. hehehehehe!!! I feel so good.

A question for you die hard fans...Like.. whose patronus was the silver doe???????????????????????? Come come people.. answer.. DO NOT GOOGLE.

And while we are at it, what is Luna's fathers name?

Name the 7 horcruxes... And name the things that can kill these horcruxes!!!

What is Ron's aunts name who talks about Dumbledore's book during the wedding?

What are the deathly hallows?

Who helps Harry/Ron/Hermoine break into Gringotts?
You can submit your own questions and I will try to answer :)
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I am sick... oh ho, not mentally.. I am sick physically. I seemed to have picked up something from Sri Lanka.. food/water infection combined with irregular meal times = dyspepsia apparently. I feel like a character in a Wodehouse novel... the numerous uncles with dyspepsia.. was it Uncle Tom? Aunt Dahlia's husband?

It is sickening. I am supposed to have mini meals through the day as I am unable to eat a full proper because of lack of appetite.

Oh well!!!
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Did you all watch KBC???? The guy won 1 cr....for 5 crs called out Ganpati Bappa Moriya to give him guidnace.. apparently the guidance he got was to continue.. he did not have a f*g clue to the question.... first person born in antartica.. who will for that matter.........took a complete guess against all advise!!! And lost!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! AB was clearly frustrated and looked as if he wanted to slap the guy....... He got only 3 lacs ....... and this after he won 1 cr!!!!!!!!!!! Some people...............

And on that note.... goodnight!!!

Pictures as promised - Sri Lanka

2010-11-14T12:11:00.031+05:30

Colombo

The view from our hotel room - Galle face beach!

The Kalaniya temple about 7 kms from Colombo - this was our favourite!!!!!! Definitely not to be missed!!!

St Lucias church

The Wolvendaal church and one of the tombstones inside the church!!!!

The Gangaramaya temple. It is a beautiful place yet again but extremely touristy!!!!!

Kandy

The Kandy lake is pretty - and you can actually walk and sit in that peaceful area. We also saw monitor lizards basking in the sun. The 2nd picture is of the temple of the sacred tooth relic. It is a Buddhist temple. It is opulent, beautiful. No pics of inside the temple - I forgot to click!!!!!! :)

Earls Regency Kandy. A nice hotel - it faces the Mahaweli river. The only problem is that it about 10-15 mins drive from the city center. So if you do not have a vehicle, you need to rely on the autos!!!

Nuwara Eliya

St Andrews, the place where we stayed at Nuwara Eliya, a hill station like Ooty. All the houses at Nuwara Eliya are styled like English cottages.

Galle

Pictures of Fort Printers where we stayed at Galle. It is inside the fort and a really nice 18th century mansion!!!
Pretty much like Neemrana, they have tried to bring the restored mansion to the olden days as you can probably see from the pics (if you really stare at it).

Streets of Galle inside the fort, and yes thats me! :)

Galle cricket stadium - it is only fenced. So you can actually watch the match from the road and maybe atop the fort!!!! It is so close that you could probably see the cricketers from the road!!!!

What you can see in this picture is the Galle Fort Wall - On the right side of the wall is the quaint Galle town inside the fort and the left side is the regular Galle town. You can actually walk on the fort wall - it takes about an hour, a walk by the sea.

Sorry about the pic sizes!!!!!! It takes a hell lot of time to upload ... the entire formatting goes for a toss!!!!

But I do hope you get the general drift! :) Enjoy.

Back in time from Sri Lanka for Diwali

2010-11-07T16:56:00.002+05:30

Happy Diwali everyone. Hope you all had a blast and did NOT contribute to the noise or smoke pollution. :)

So here's a beginner's guide to what to do in Sri Lanka ... rather what we, beginners did in Sri Lanka :)

1) Day 1 - Our flight was late by very many hours.. and instead of spending the afternoon chilling in Colombo, we spent the afternoon at Chennai airport (I wish I could say roasting, but it was not.. was raining there). We stayed at Taj Samudra which faces the Indian Ocean... its, well.. nice. Doesnt live upto the expectations of a"TAJ" hotel. It definitely was not value for money!!! We strolled on the beach - ate some rubbish at the stalls there.. it really was rubbish!! Or maybe we did not know what to eat - we had some mutton thing with naan. And then we walked.. and walked.. finally landed at Bavarian, a german pub with live music!!!

2) Day 2 - City tour!! We made them include a Buddhist temple at Kelaniya and that wa sthe best decision we made during the trip! It is a beautiful, serene, calm place - visited by locals!

And then we were off to Wolvendaal church , St Lucia's church - both beautiful and extremely interesting!! Only for those who like history (I love it) or like architechture!!! Evening we visited the Gangaramaya Buddhist temple - it is slightly touristy!

And then to Odele!!! GO to Colombo for shopping. This is what I heard from every person!!! Odele was supposed to be THE place for it!!! Well, it is like another Lifetsyle! The stuff is good.. but usually I get very confused when faced with too many options!! And I am a terrible shopper!! So if shopping's your thing, you will feel right at home there!!! What did i buy - a pair of shorts (very cheap, INR = 300) and a dress (INR=600) which i will never wear!!!!!

Oh, thats one thing great about Sri Lanka.. it is cheap - the one place you can actually divide rather than multiply!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (ps : INR is double Sri Lankan rupees)

3) Day 3 - we left for Kandy. We reached in the evening, and promptly went to watch the cultural show. Another one of the things with Sri Lanka is that everything closes early in the evening!! We rested our tired selves at Earls Regency - a nice hotel though about 15 mins away from the city center!!

4) Day 4 - We went to the temple of the sacred tooth relic! It has a lot of history behind it but again is very touristy!!!! And then we left for Ooty of Sri Lanka - Nuwara Eliya! It is a beautiful place - has english type cottages .. all of them, not just one or two.. all the houses are built in that style!! It is a charming place.. nothing much to do there except walk around a bit and enjoy the chill (if you like cold places.. I for one hate cold)!!!! We stayed at St Andrews - a really really really nice place!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

5) Day 5 - We left in the morning for Galle - about 6 hours from Nuwara Eliya. And this was my aboslutely favourite part of the trip!!! I love the sea - I can sit and watch the sea for hours!!! It is so soothing.. you can actually walk around the Galle Fort.. not around, I mean on the Galle Fort!!!! And we saw turtles in the sea... and the town within Galle Fort (there is one part of town outside the fort which is like a regular town) is so pretty - i dont remember if there were cobbled streets... but sure felt like it!!! It had these quaint houses and shops!!!!!!! I loved it!!!!!!!!

We stayed at Fort Printers which is an 18th century restored mansion inside the fort ... amazing!!!! Though food was sad.. well i guess you cant get everything!!!

And then we trudged back to colombo for our flight back to Bangalore!

Travel Advisory

a) Buddhist temples are brilliant and so are the churches.. do visit if you are work harassed!!! You need to cover yourself up for these visits!! Long pants are a must.

b) INR = 2X Sri Lankan rupees.. joy to the world!!!

c) But transport is expensive!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

d)Food is expensive - a dish can cost about 1000 rupees (INR=500)

e) Shopping should be on your list - After all that i said, it is really cheap!!!!!!

f) I had fish curry rice everyday!!! Its quite nice - you will never feel the lack of Indian Food!! Though by day 5.. I couldnt have looked at curry-rice again!!

g) Carry all the short skimpy stuff you want!!!!!!! I felt so gloriously free in my apir of shorts!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

h) If you like something - buy it! You are not likely to find anything cheaper anywhere else!!

i) If you are visiting many places like we did, its best to take reddot tours. They are great - they sent us a car + driver who was extremely helpful. They keep to themselves, advise you if you need it!!!!!!!!!!! And just let you be.

Phew!!!! Pics of some of these places in the next post!!!

Dont you just wish!

2010-10-20T23:41:00.003+05:30

Why is it that it always post an important meeting , you come with these absolutely dazzling things that you could have said ... or think, why in the world did I ever open my mouth to utter such trash!!! After all how many opportunities does one get. And as one utters all this bilge, simultaneously the mind is churning the thought - oh god, what c**p am I talking. And by the end of it all - why did I ever say all this? Why couldnt have I said interesting things about Indian economy!! And this, after one puts considerable thought and writes these short and crisp bullet points on the possible topics that could be discussed. Basically all of it goes out of the window.

Actually, doesnt it always happen - at least to me it does.. everytime without fail. I finish an important discussion, leave the room and trash myself for all the rubbish I talked. Rather all the things I didnt talk about.

One can only hope and pray that people forget quickly...
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A very exciting trip to the Bombay airport - made it just in time to catch the flight with about 2 mins to spare. I left at 6.15pm (from Lower parel).. my flight was at 8.35pm!! I was at BKC (more than 3/4th distance) by 6.45pm... and then all havoc broke loose! A colleague was trying to drop me to the airport. We missed the airport turn and went over the flyover (this after negotiating all traffic and at 7.45pm)... and then we took some shortcuts, rode like Bond.. and zipped our way through to reach the airport with 5 mins to spare - only to realise we had missed the Indian Airlines departure terminal which is a separate terminal. And the only way to get there is to get out of the airport, take a full U turn and re-enter the airport!!!

The airport officials I must admit were so sweet - they bundled me into this shuttle which goes to the IA departure - the coach people were at first reluctant as they thought the check in time was well past - But then when they realised we had 5 mins .. they broke all the rules (literally speaking) in the world to get me there in 3 mins!!!

I thanked them with all my heart!!!:) I dont think this would be possible in any country but India!!!!

And I made it - actually I was the second last person to board the flight!!! Phew!!

Goodnight!!

Oh no, not you Jimmy!! :(

2010-10-19T22:10:00.002+05:30

This post is for those of you who watch masterchef australia, star world!!

I have been following this show right from day 1. I love the creativity that these people display - and these are not proper chef... they are amateur cooks.. though if you see what they cook.. you would never be able to figure that out if you did not know it already. They help each other out - And thats another thing I like about the contestants.. they are not fiercely competitive in the sense of trying to bring each other down.. they focus on their skills!!!

And I love the judges - they do not kick, scream, throw plates (except once, and that too when they liked it), throw food etc etc.. they are positive and have tons of energy. When they say its disappointing, I am sure everyone feels it!!

So one of the contestants was Jimmy - he is an Indian and actually was doing very well on the show. Why did I like him - besides the fact that hes an Indian, he was always ever smiling not matter what!!

I will miss him on the show :((

We are what we eat

2010-10-13T22:29:00.002+05:30

And if that is the case.. I dont know what to call myself!!!!

Today I had : Pasta, chips, chicken curry, 1 roti, fried rice, beef fry, chole (2 types), rajma, beetroot, veg curry, fried karela, tapioca, bhindi. And then coffee rum pudding(i think), one slice of a cake..

And then in the evening one more slice of biscuit cake.. another plate of pasta..

No wonder I felt so stuffed.

It was pot luck today and everyone at work got something.. my contribution was the chips! Unfortunately I missed another chicken curry,fish and dal! I just couldnt eat anymore!!!

So I had a plan to skip dinner... but skip I didnt!! I made dosa and chutney!!! This pot luck is not good for my paunch :(

There can only be one : AB

2010-10-11T21:46:00.002+05:30

There is and only one superstar.. for me... another A!!! Its his birthday!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! And what better than to dedicate a post to him.

For those of you who do not get it, I am talking about Amitabh Bachchan... swoon swoon swooooooooooooooonn...

Its his 68th birthday today!!! And he is still going strong.. he is my favourite actor.. I think one of the first movies I ever watched.. that i remember .. would be an AB movie for sure..

Can anyone ever forget.. Vijay of Sholay.. or Vijay of deewar.. the original don.. AB in Shakti (I still cannot forget the scene where he is clad in black and chasing the villian at the airport).. or in Satte pe satta.. amar akbar anthony.. majboor.. naseeb.. shan.. do aur do panch.. mr natwarlal (the song, mere paas aao mere doston.. I love it).. khoon paseena, hera pheri, kabhie kabhie, coolie, mard, lawaris, dostana,parwarish.. phew...god, the list is endless!!!!!!!

Is it any wonder why we dont have a super star like Amitabh.. not in the near offing!!!

And as I am watching KBC on TV.. the same thought just gets reiterated.. he is so humble.. he is just brilliant with people.. KBC brings out the best in him.. and it is a real pleasure to watch him host it!!!!! He is just super with people.. people gush all over him.. and he makes everyone feel special!!!!

And as I am typing this, everyone in the audience is singing Happy Birthday to him!!! How sweet..

I am one of those lucky people on the face of this planet who have had the opportunity to meet him!! It is the highlight of my life... my mom's side of the family which is completely into Hindi movies actually congratulated me on being the only one in the family to have shaken hands with him!!!! Ah well..

Yes, that is my absolutely favourite memory.

Some fresh and green pictures... makes you want take a deep breath!!

2010-09-26T20:43:00.007+05:30

On way to Calicut from Bangalore a couple of weekends ago -

Pictures taken by me on my Blackberry - these have been taken when driving.. through the window pane!!!!!

Photography and me... why not!!!! :)

Excitement galore!!!!

2010-09-20T22:19:00.002+05:30

Lots of fun on the cards for me -

1) A weekend trip to Mysore for Dussehra next month- mysore is supposed to be THE place to be for dussehra!!! The palace is all decked up and there is a full palatial procession!

2) Colombo in Oct end - Nov beginning - We just booked the travel tickets before we could change our mind yet again. We are yet to figure out the stay and all!!! I am soo very very excited!!!

3) A dear dear friend is visiting. I havent met her for the last 2.5 years!!!!!!!!!!!!! Am so looking forward to 5 days unadulterated fun & gossip!!!! My list - pubs, karoke, food , movies, Tv at home!!!! Check.

Chulbul Pandey hits the Jackpot :Dabangg

2010-09-19T11:46:00.002+05:30

Dabangg is awesome - 4 stars at least!!!!!

Apparently meant for the masses .. but cuts across all segments ..

The movie is about the one and only Salman Khan!!! So if you do not like SK.. please do not watch it!!!

I loved him in this role - chulbul pandey - the attitude, the literal puffing up of the chest, the racy dialogues (main tum main itne ched kar doonga, ki confuse ho jaoge..kahan se saas lena hai.. etc etc), the walk, the dance, the stunts, the in your face mooh fat character... everything about him is lovable!!!!!!!!

And Salman Khan fits the bill - he is perfect in this role and I cannot imagine anyone else as Chulbul Pandey!!! No beating around the bush - comes straight to the point!

Any wonder why Salman has so many followers!!! I wish I could meet him once .........

I like : Honda Jazz commercial & others

2010-09-14T21:29:00.005+05:30

I absolutely adore the new Honda Jazz commercial. The first time I watched it... i was waiting all through the ad to figure out whose ad was it!!! And then the next time I watched it.. I was still waiting .. waiting to watch the car spinning and dancing to the wonderful music!!

It has got me totally hooked on!! What I love about it... it takes me back in time...
Running with any thought of stopping.. swinging as high as possible .. boy, does it take me back in time!!! A sense of abandon, freewheeling, unhindered.. the ad is bang on...

It is a beautiful ad - hits right on target. Target being us..people in our age group, us working professionals, DINK, growing responsibilities - dont you just wish you could go to the park and let work and life be!!!!! Why am I not like that.. how i used to be.. the carefree me!!

The music is fantabulous too!! Everytime I channel surf and come across this ad, I stop.

A beautiful ad - will Honda Jazz make me feel free!!! :p

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Another one I really like .. the new Airtel DTH ad - take everything with you wherever you go!!

Brilliant execution - Its fun to watch the surd dancers and dhol walas suddenly coming out on the conveyer belt!!!! And the message is crystal clear.
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And I just caught the Blackberry on vodafone commercial... how does vodafone do it everytime!!! Everytime!!! Everytime they come up with something or the other new.. earlier it was zoozoos.. and then under power to you, these slice of life kind of ads!!

So blackberry on vodafone commercial.. essentially shows a bunch of suited booted corporates singing the blackberry song.. and as they sing, riff raff (meaning all kinds of people) also join in and start singing.. and it finishes on the note - not just for corporates!!!! Uber cool ad
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And one last one I have been meaning to write about - the docomo pay per site ad. I love the muscleman wala ad.. the guy who keeps looking at his doles (hindi word dole) no matter what he does!!! Pay for only the site you go to!!! Amazing idea. Though I did not like the knitting one so much.. it was average

And speaking of ideas - the new Idea ad is annoying!!! It just goes on and on and on and on.. why couldnt they have just shown 2 cultures and left it at that!! Did they have to show 6 people!!!!! And then show all the 6 people trying to live in the city speaking the "other" language!!! And the end is even worse... Abhishek Bachchan saying no language required to communicate!!! Gawwwwwdddd. Have mercy.

Salman Khan, an absolute dude if there ever was one

2010-09-06T22:15:00.003+05:30

Dont you just love Salman Khan!!! There is no one like him. I just watched the first teaser of big boss.. he is sooo cool!!!! He will beat the s**t out of the fake contestants!!!

He has the attitude.. doesnt talk much.. does not talk c**p.. wears his attitude like a second skin.. is the most non fake person I have seen on TV!!!

Though I admit I havent seen many of his movies.. but whatever little I have seen of him outside of movies, he is the one!!! Did you know he cycled to his sets somewhere out of Bombay (dont ask me where)... or that he has coffee at the shops near his house at bandstand.. or he randomly takes an auto when stuck ...read about how he fielded this contestant on some reality show when she talked about him and Aishwarya Rai.. etc etc

He is not really bothered about anyone.. it shows in his dance.. or the way he talks.. I wouldnt think he would suffer fools gladly!!! He wears his heart on the sleeve and doesnt hide anything!

And yes I want to watch to watch Dabangg

Finally the birthday gift

2010-09-05T21:59:00.003+05:30

Birthday gift hunting is over!!!! Just like that.. a snap of fingers! Yesterday we went to church street..

Let me start from the beginning.. yesterday, post lunch,I felt like buying myself some stuff from cotton world.. a small price to pay to feel better.. there was a sale and it was empty!! So both of us bought a couple of things.. and then from Barton center we walked over to Blossoms..

Blossoms is an old old old bookshop.. housed over 2 floors.. its been there for ages.. and it has all kinds of books. You ask and you get.. books stacked up right upto the ceiling.. cupboards after cupboards.. 2 people cannot stand side by side to check books.. thats how it is and I absolutely love it!!! If there is any book you cannot find in town.. Blossoms is the place to go to. It has the oldest books possible. Its an absolute thrill.So anyway happy with my book purchases and general browsing.. we walked over the Indian Coffee House..

You know, such places .. places. like Blossoms and Indian Coffee House.. they have this quaint feeling about them... they make you feel warm and cozy and wanted.. the mechanical baristas and the crosswords of the world can never be as charming!! It actually feels magical.. the smell of books.. the peeling paint.. the people who actually know about books / rustle up this delicious omlette and a smoking hot filter coffee!! In fact Blossoms is the place I found this old old version of not so famous PG Wodehouse.. it is like being smack in the middle of a treasure hunt!! And today we went to Koshy's...another one of the stalwart places here in bangalore.. checked table cloth.. sweet servers.. nice simple food, simple people..

Anyway the point I was trying to make.. post an amazing filter coffee, we saw this another shop tucked away in a corner.. hidden with some 1000 bikes parked in front of it... called Hysteria.

What drew me to it.. I caught a glimpse of miniature guitars.. they looked so damned cute.. I had to have a closer look. It is a shop that keeps music paranphelia.. accessories.. tees, belts, framed photographs of elvis, oasis, bob marley etc.. wallpapers.. miniature guitars, drum sets etc..

We walked in and got hooked on.. I bought a tee for myself. Husband was completely enamoured by the frames and the wallpapers.. a tad expensive .. he was going to drop the idea when yours truly stepped in.. I bought him the Jimmi Hendrix framed poster ..

His birthday gift!!!!!!! Phew.

Creative romantic suggestions required

2010-08-30T21:10:00.006+05:30

August is almost over and I have posted only 4 times!! How shameful - and this is something I really like doing!!!! What a waste

Ok so now to the topic at hand... I need help.

A's birthday is round the corner - and as usual I am flummoxed. I dont know what to get for him - he is allergic to perfumes, doesnt wear a watch.. wears only certain colours of shirts (white, blue, grey and I have no interest in buying these)... I have already got him a fountain pen .. and wine + dinner at home.. and a handwritten letter... ho hum!!! As you can see I am running out of options.

I want to make this an inexpensive but memorable exercise.. so personal touches are a must :)

Suggestions guys!!!!

Onam feast at home : a bit too much

2010-08-25T22:29:00.002+05:30

A bit too much is for all the cooking that I did on Monday!!

I was very enthu ...Monday being an off!!! My onam dishes have been progressively decreasing since the last 4 years - what started as 4-5 dishes came down to 1 last year!!! Of course as compared to the usual 10-15 dishes that true mallus usually prepare, this is but a drop in the ocean.

So this year, since I had an off and I made my husband also take an off - I was enthu - wanting to prepare the traditional mallu feast!!!

So I started on Saturday with one chutney like thing - husband spilled half the thing on the stove while cooking sunday dinner - and then I forgot to take it off the stove - so finally there was like some 2 teaspoons of the chutney there. This should have told me - something is not going right and I should stop.

But I never learn do I - So I prepared everything - thankfully not many incidents happened - it went off smoothly except for the kheer / payasam.. forgot that on the stove too.. all the milk evaporated and I was left with a congealed mass of sweet rice which hubby ate with great gusto!!!!!

I was totally exhausted at the end of it all!! And being in the kitchen for so long cooking everything- I felt everything tasted the same!!!!

So my menu for the day (besides rice)-
1) Sambaar
2) Beans toran - basically fried beans with coconut
3) Erissery - A very mild thick gravy made with red pumpkin and kidney beans / lobhiya (small ones) and coconut
4) Pachadi - Again mild thick gravy ; can be made using pumpkin or cucmber or carrot or beetroot etc..
5) Puli-inji - tamarind(puli) and ginger chutney
6) Lemon pickle - lemon and green chilly pickle (on monday tasted bitter, now tastes absolutey fine.. yum actually!!!)
7) Kheer / payasam - milk based
8) Can I say Papadam too and make it dish no 8?

Phew!!! Yes, thats a lot of stuff. No wonder am still tired.

But I am proud of myself - standing on my own 2 little feet!!!! A pat for myself on my back!!! :)

Slim, Swim, dance and everything....

2010-08-17T20:59:00.003+05:30

My version of Eat, Pray, Love!! :)

As you can see.. what do I need to with my life -
a) Be committed to healthy lifestyle - that could be exercise or eating out less (2nd is what am doing) .. first one.. um.. ahh.. I will start.. soon!!!!
b) Swim - I have been wanting to learn how to swim since ages.. and no matter what I will.. this year!!
c) I need to fix my transport problem - either buy and learn how to ride a scooter... OR buy a car!!!! This one thing which will help me.. to be independent.. to go or do whatever i want to do!
d) Dance... why not!
e) Play - like sports!!!!
f) Travel
g) The most important - take leave from work!!!!!!

Enough things for me to target - to do things for myself!!!
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So I watched Peepli Live over the weekend. 4.5 stars from my end.
And amazing movie.. it is a satire .. villagers actually like they belong to a village instead of some made up village belles like they show in every other movie.. very real..

The story revolves around Natha who unwittingly declares that he will committ suicide.. he doesnt want to but he is talked into it! What is the funny is that this person around whom the entire story revolves - is the quietest through the movie. A very sweet cute guy - breaks into a song and a jig right in the middle of all issues, all problems on their head.. a person who is interested in the boiled eggs people are eating while his brother is begging the local politician to help them out..

So then the entire movie is about.. this piece of news which gets picked up by the national channels - the caricatures of the news anchors is ultimate - so you will see a Deepak Chaurasia and a Barkha Dutt feel alikes in this movie!!! The sensationalisation of news revealed completely !! Sample this - the hindi news channel (obviously aaj tak) comes to know that Saif Ali Khan had kissed a girl when he was 12!!! They get the teacher and the girl's interview and this news is named : 12 saal ka chumbhan!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

They really nailed the sensationalism part really well!!! The interview with the multiple people - whether relevant, totally irrelevant....And to top that all the politicians... the plans to introduce Natha card without funds (that ministry's job is to announce only.. who cares about funds in any case)..

We all know this happens.. and no one is a whit surprised.. It is a brilliant movie.. a must must watch!!!!! I know I havent done justice to this movie review!!! But just take my word for it - Watch IT!!!!!!
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Whats with the horrible chloromint ad ..the one with Salman Khan and many cows... how gross!!!! Yuck yuck yuck!!!!What were they thinking!!!

A letter to myself on Independence day

2010-08-15T13:24:00.002+05:30

Who cares if you are depressed, unhappy, restless, frustrated ... friends and family care.. but they will do so only upto a point.. then they will also start steering clear of you!!! STOP CRIBBING, STOP WHINING.

Take your life in your hands .... snap out of it. You are what you choose to be.. and hopefully you will not choose to be the "forever complaining" b***h..

Do .. do not talk. After all, life is passing by... spend it enjoying, savouring moments.. rather than stewing, rotting with worry. There are things bigger than your stupid work worries that people are battling.. Get a perspective!!!

Free yourself.. This time.. the power of battling with your own thoughts.. and coming up on top.. and giving yourself freedom.. lies with you!!

Happy Independence Day everyone!! :)

From Screen 1 to Screen 2 : Aisha to Once upon a time..

2010-08-09T21:37:00.002+05:30

So I am going to make this a quick post.. or this is what I think I will do.. will come to know at the end of this post.

First was Aisha. I liked it. It is based on a book I really like - Emma. The first half is fun.. Sonam is good - aptly irritating in her matchmaking ways .. saccharine sweet.. irritating and cloying.. living in her rosy world.. I wish I could live in such a world.. rich..going off wherever at a whim.. oh well .. siggggghhhhhhhhhhhh

Anyway, Abhay Deol is good.. I really really really like him!! How can one not! The suave.. sexy.. oh I really like him!!!

Cyrus Sahukar is a typical delhite.. and I was taken right back to the Delhi neighbourhood I grew up in.."you are mental.. dimaag kharaab ho gaya hai etc!!! You have to hear it to believe it!! I loved it.

The new boy - I dont know who he is.. whoever..Dhruv his name is in the movie.. he is dishy!! What I liked is there is no grey.. its just very regular life - he does not feel sorry for kissing another girl.. he is very matter of fact...shrugs and says hey you didnt show any interest in me..

Its reflective of regular life.. I liked it. I liked the "girl friends" too.. the rude hip Pinky Bose.. and the typical sadi dilli chic shefali!!!

However.. the second half bores you to tears!!!! And even though the movie is not very long.. you are just wondering when is it all going to end!!!!!!!!!! But I found it refreshing!! It was!!! 3/5 I think - I wished my "girl" friends were around me when watching it!!

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Once upon a time in Mumbai - I loved it. 4 stars for sure!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Ajay Devgun (gn rather.. thats how he spells it now).. the deep..intense. brooding eyes.. the flick of cigarette.. God, he has style!!!!!!!!!!! Emraan Hashmi tries to emulate him in the movie as his chela .. and rightly so..

So the movie is about the intensely charismatic Sultan Mirza.. a smuggler who draws a line at smuggling drugs /other unethical stuff.. a smuggler whose heart is in the right place.. but he is not weak.. a strong willed guy!!! Any woman would just swoooooooooooooooooooon for him!!! I did.

And then comes Emraan Hashmi.. he was good too.. a little overshadowed by Ajay Devgn.. but good. I loved the way his character builds up.. from a child to an adult.. I think the director was really able to bring out his personality right from his childhood.. his negotiation with the TT.. his need to move up in life quickly..

I think I have never said this and as a third party looking at myself wonderingly when I say this,I am surprised at myself.. Kangana Ranaut was fantastic!!!! She was awesome as Sultan Mirza's lover - the right amount of attitude - I am a star.. the thought which doesnt change even when no one is casting her...Usually, in hindi movies, the heroine becomes one slave post falling for the hero... who is trampled upon always..a rather insignificant being whose only job thereafter is to romance teh hero and sing songs.. nothing of character to the character..

But this character is not like that!!! She has her own style.. her own place in the movie and in his life and as a star.. which does not waver, thankfully. She has loads of attitude and grace as a diva. I think she was brilliant.. very different from her usual shrieking self. I am reminded of Manish Koirala in Company - she was also great as the gangsters moll- a face in the background with a forever bored expression on her face with the happenings around her.. yes, thats how I recall her!

Prachi Desai was there .. she doesnt have a very heavy role. Nothing much to talk about. She was quite ok.. nice..

And the surprise package - Randeep Hooda!!!! He was phenomenal as the no nonsense cop. He looks dashing - just right to play the role. A very very real cop...

What I also like about the movie is the absence of blood and gore - Thank god!! I think that made the movie really appealing.. at least to me.

The background music that plays whenever they show Emraan Hashmi was fantastic... I am looking to see if I can get it from somewhere!!! Sugegstions please?

I loved it - it just finished abruptly when you are least expecting it - and once it gets over, you actually marvel at the director's ability to be able do that!!!

Yes.. the movie was good...more than good in fact... I am surprised - never thought Ekta Kapoor could come up with something like this.

A must must watch - 4/5 for me.

Sridevi in her blue chiffon sari - Mr India of course

2010-07-31T18:57:00.004+05:30

2 posts in one day... but I just had to write this!!

Mr India is on air.. I just switched on the TV and landed on this channel.. right when the song "I love you" was to start!!

This song gives goosepimples to anyone listening. And while watching too. And its all due to Sridevi and of course Kishore Kumar who sang it. This incredibly romantic, sexy, lusty, gooey, caramely , chocolaty, velvety song can melt the strongest of hearts.

I usually do not like Sridevi.. I find her irritating in all the roles she did.. but this song!!! Oh man!!!! This was purely her song.. totally her song. Do a quick poll.. Ask for the first association with this song.. and the result would be - Sridevi in her blue chiffon sari!!! She looks hot.... she was miles, ages ahead of Madhuri Dixit in Dhak Dhak. Anyday, anytime Sridevi would win hands down.... without any suggestive or crass movements (unlike the Dhak Dhak song).. she managed to convey everything there was to convey (:)) so beautifully.

Even as a woman, my eyes were riveted to her... sridevi ...swaying lilting to the beautiful music.. Am sure it would have been tough.. dancing sexily without having a man around to help matters along. Think about it... ..hmmmm.. yeah..... tough... I wonder what she thought about when doing this song.. definitely not Anil Kapoor!!!!

She probably had every man wishing she was dancing for them.. staring with their tongues hanging out..ready to jump off a cliff at a mere glimpse of her..

I remember seeing Mr India when I was a child.. I loved it for the laughs.. We used to like the song even then.. were very embarrassed about it.. even to sing it! The taboo words "I love you" .. probably thats what enthralled us then..

Of course Anil Kapoor added nothing to the song.. except make you feel why this clod.. Sridevi in her ooommpph avtaar surely deserves better! Ok, I do like Anil Kapoor .. but definitely does not suit a sexy symbol kind of a role.. I wonder who would have fit right in?

How disappointed Seema (aka Sridevi) would have been when Arun (aka Anil Kapoor) says he is Mr India.

Sexy sexy sexy song.... No wonder she ruled the hindi film industry for such a long time.

For all you lecherous men and women (why not).. heres a pic from the (in)famous song...

Eclipse(d)

2010-07-31T13:55:00.004+05:30

I watched it late last night. Usually I do not go out in the night during weekdays.. transport is a big problem.. getting a regular rick that charges regular fare - almost an impossible ask.

So yesterday a colleague and me trooped off to watch Eclipse. We decided that either of our husbands would so not be interested in it .. we just had to watch it together.. we had read all the books and been on and on about it for a long long time.. anyway so we went for 9.45 show after having fixed our transport for the post movie trip back home.

It was a bore. The books were weirdly fascinating. I have no clue why... the movie .. well, I dont know.. it was true to the book.. it was ok.. so maybe I didnt like the book too.. I cannot remember..

Edward... was oh so sweet.. you feel like beating him up. Now Jacob I like. He is a normal human being (except he turns into a wolf) .. but a normal emotional character who talks like people usually do.. unlike edward!!!!!!! Robert Pattison as Edward is unusually white.. his hands looked as if dipped in plaster. For some reason I felt both Bella and Edward to be cloying.. I wish I could slap both of them. How can Jacob like Bella!!!!! They are so.. bleh.. (this colleague has this favourite expression that she uses when explaining her state of mind to me).. yes they are!!!

I prefer Jacob to Edward -
1) Jacob is hot - how can anyone like someone who is permanently cold (as marble, as the book says).. I just wouldnt be able to stand it.. that is the basic reason I would gravitate towards Jacob.. I like warmth.. I love warmth.. I love hot water.. I love hot tea.. I love sun.. I love sunshine.. And Jacob is hot.. literally and figuratively.. though my friend had a good viewpoint.. edward could be in delhi.. you could hug him through the day in may and june and feel fresh as a daisy.. well there are possibilities..hmmmmm...... but I still like Jacob!!!

2) He turns into a wolf - so you either have a hot Jake or a shaggy big loving dog by your side!! Isnt it awesome.
3) He is hot!!! Hotter than Edward

So many reasons to be with Jake!!! And the stupid woman has to go and choose the "cold one". I mean after a person warms you in the freezing cold.. you would think she would have had the realisation.. she is with the wrong guy!!!

The theatre was surprisingly full.. with many a gaggle of girls come to watch their beloved edward!!! What do you know... people in bangalore do have a life!!

A bore movie (I shouldnt have been surprised).. watch it if you are a teen or an adult and would like to goggle at edward.
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When we reached the theatre, I discovered.. we were chilled to the bone in the rick.. It had been raining all day..We walked into the mall and immediately went over to a shop to pick up a sweatshirt.. I felt very cool about it.. as in a few years ago, I would have never done it!!!

And here I was now.. thinking I would feel cold through the movie.. and picking up a sweatshirt just for that purpose!!!! I didnt even think twice.....I finally picked up a stole from a nearby shop... Boy, have I changed!!!!

Anyway, while I was picking up the stole.. a girl walked in.. she had a big roach on her back.. somewhere in the neck region.. I told her and literally started swatting her with some cloth I had!!! I had to swat a couple of times .. the roach was moving all around.. uggggghhhhh... gross!

Later on I thought.. she wasnt too bothered.. but it was a flying cockroach for god's sake!!!

Maybe she was ok with me swatting.. but its just that she didnt seem grateful enough.. probably it never occured to her the cockroach could have been crawling on her neck had it not been for us !!!!!! Uggggggggggggggggggggghhhhhhhhhhhh ...

She must have thought what whackos.. who are jumping up and down and trying to a hit a total stranger and all because of a roach. Thankfully she did not hit back..

I hate roaches .. find them disgusting.. utterly disgusting...and just cannot stand the sight of a roach!!!

Oh well... my good deed of the day! So what if people are not appreciative.

I am so sad

2010-07-27T22:23:00.001+05:30

I have been watching Indian Idol.. brilliant singers..

So talented.. And today Shivam .. one of my favourites got out!!! Not fair!!! :((

He was / is amazing. Am sure he will get into playback singing soon.

Hopeful 31st year..umm... ahhh...

2010-07-26T21:50:00.002+05:30

There was a recent report in the papers which said that at 31, women are the most beautiful.

I am 31.

The question is .....................does this mean I will start deteriorating now? Ho Hum...
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As an aside.. a kind soul gave me a lift in the rick today.. but it was an extremely strange encounter.. we had a common friend.. and the person immediately said.. I am her hubby's best friend.. and she is also my best friend.. then blah blah blah blah.. Till we reached the drop point.. I came to know her current role.. new expected role.. etc

How should one react at a direct question about the cost of the house .. that too from a total stranger!!!!

It takes all kind of people to make up the world.

But anyway, a sweet person who at least gave me a lift in the rick.. maybe I was looking forlorn.. standing and waiting.. whatever the case maybe, at least she had the decency to ask..

Had the boot been on the other foot.. I doubt if I would have done the same.

Then again, it takes all sort of people to make up the world. :)

Fish curry, Salt and Girlie shopping...

2010-07-25T15:12:00.002+05:30

First things first..
I just made Fish curry.. my first attempt.. turned out to be good!!! As usual referred to a recipe book.. made some additions.. and voila.

People who know their fish will probably think I massacred it.. but here goes..
1) I picked up (heres when they would want to kill me) Frozen fish.. I just cannot buy fish.. the smell and the sounds frighten me, disgust me to the core. So I bought frozen seer fish.. why seer.. well, thats what I got.. any fish I guess would do.. actually I have no clue.. I just picked up whatever was available.
2) I marinated it with turmeric and salt.
3) In the meanwhile, ground dessicated coconut (i think about 3 tbspns), red chilly powder (1 tspn), coriander powder (3/4th tspn) and some cumin and tamarind paste (recipe had suggested raw mango but I didnt have any).. and roast this in oil
3) Add the fish and some water.. salt as per taste..
4) One is supposed to fry shallot and curry leaves.. I thought i didnt have shallots so i fried onions and curry leaves.. and add to fish..
5) And then suddenly I found shallots and fried them as well along with slit green chillies and added it to the fish.
Thats it. Allepy Fish Curry (or whatever) ... A was extremely happy!! I am too :) . Actually we bought this mud / earthern pot which is used expressly to make fish in Kerala.. we bought this a few weeks ago.. and since then I have been jumping up and down wanting to make fish!!! Tasty fish with hot rice... yummmmmm

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Watched Salt yesterday.. bundle movie totally. Waste of money..I take back my words.. I cant call any movie..waste of money (how can I)...
They couldnt even create the suspense.. is angelina jolie with Russians.. is she with CIA or double crossing.. guess which side she would be on .. how can it be anything other than... well!! Hopeless. Silly movie.. probably made only keeping Angelina enthusiasts in mind.
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Went shopping with a girl friend on Friday... ostensibly to buy me a top / dress for our next opus jaunt. I lost count of how many things I was made to try..grrrrrrrrrrrr.. well, i did take revenge a while later .. rofl.

I hate shopping.. well usually... but this was fun.. I tried out all types of weird / pretty stuff!!! Someone who accompanies you, picks up stuff.. make you try and actually tells you that something suits you / makes you look strange etc.. It was fun. A sub to end the day... perfect!!! :)

Oh yeah.. and I bought a total of ........ 1 top!!! The hunt for a la di dah top continues!!!

Inception & Tere Bin Laden : Back to back

2010-07-19T22:09:00.003+05:30

Well almost.

Inception was a brilliant movie. Someone told me its like Matrix.. I was a bit disappointed as i was really looking forward to it. And Matrix is one movie i never enjoyed.. my non comprehension had a big role to play in it think. The machines and the things attached to the head and the million humans in goo was all gross to my mind ..

So when I went for Inception... I had decided I will focus on the movie so that I can comprehend it at least.. to decide if I like it or not. And focus I did... I understood it. :) My big achievement of the day. In fact, I saw updates on FB (other colleagues at work reporting the same) stating people hadnt understood it.. so i immediately felt happier :))

So anyway.. as i pass lightly over this feat (couldnt resist that).. It was a brilliant movie.. A MUST MUST MUST watch for everyone. So this movie is about dreams and reality.. can leave one utterly confused if one doesnt keep track of it!!! And you are in this maze of dreams and reality.. reality and dreams.. dreams .. more dreams.. reality dreams, dreams.... till you you dont know where exactly you are.. and you begin to question everything else you have watched.. was it...? Or was it...?

Well, I dont want to make this into a spoiler..so I will leave it at that!!

A question... did the totem spin even earlier through the movie? I cant seem to remember. :)

Rating 4.5 /5 for sure. Leonardo does it again!!! How can a movie with Leo in it not be good. Impossible, I say. The other characters were great as well.. I dont know who they are .. Arthur .. so was Eames.. Saito.. Yusuf..Ariadne.. All of them.
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After an hour's break, we went into the theatre again.. this time for Tere Bin Laden.. I thought it would be a laugh riot.. dont get me wrong.. it was funny.. but somewhere whatever trailers I saw I felt it would be a laugh a minute comedy.. a la Khosla ka Ghosla.. But it was not..

But the way some people were laughing.. literally rolling about in the aisles.. i didnt think it was that hilarious

It is a good movie actually... a satire.. the desperate attempt to reach America somehow.. and a farzi video of Bin Laden lookalike to get there... lots of running around in the jungle and running circles around everyone.. with the americans trying bomb the lookalike.... makes for good timepass..

Some laughs were zabardasti ka.. Quite a decent effort though.. a different type of a movie!! Worth a one time watch for sure.

Of course the back to back experience is fun.. one movie ends and you dont need to feel sad as you have one more to look forward to :)

Next week : Salt and Udaan

Opus again.. after a long time

2010-07-18T13:30:00.004+05:30

Its been ages since we went out drinking... we, meaning me and husband (yes, I do remember I posted about our binges a few weeks back.. that was with colleagues and not with A) . There was a phase when we had just come to blore.. when we discovered that pubbing together was fun.. and the two of us would set out.. go to Opus, HRC etc!!! And sing as loudly as possible along with the music!!

Yesterday after ages, we went out again.. to Opus. Not just the two of us.. but an odd assortment.. the two of us, my bro in law, my colleague K, his colleague S. Before leaving, I was wondering whether it would be fun.. It really really was an odd assortment.. and S was an unknown component.

And Opus whitefield, we had no idea about. This entire idea was floated by A. It was the kroak night finals. And he had been pestering us since friday that we should go there... us, being me and his brother. I had only wanted to watch movies back to back.. oh well!

Anyway after much dilly dally.. canceling and then re planning.. we finally decided to go. And collected all the jambourie.. and reached there at 8. Even after booking and reaching so early, we didnt have a table!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

That was the first blow. And I was like.. god, this evening is going to be such a flop... add to that the unknown quantity had an angrezi accent. After much rolling eyes.. and hounding the Opus people.. we finally got a table.. which was inside, in the back somewhere!! The "flop evening" feeling trebled.

But then the music started... WOW!!!!!!! Never had so much fun. We stood for more than 3 hours i think! Cheering.. singing.. crowing (i mean crooning.. hahha), drinking.. more crowing.. as loudly as possible.. amongst some 10,000 people!! A of course could not drink much as he was driving.. but nothing stopped us!!! We were happy, you see!

We laughed.. sang ourselves hoarse.. K and me danced.. and all this while, many men, various kind of men.. gravitated towards K.. chatting her up! Instead of giving "THE STARE" or some caustic comment which cuts down people to size, which comes very naturally to her, she indulged in polite conversation.

Finally to rescue herself... she had to lunge towards the bar. And all this while, A did not help. According to A.. only chatting, right! All in good fun.

Hmmm.. maybe I should have disclosed K is married. But then again... it wouldnt have been fun then!!!!! At least for us onlookers!!!! lol

In the middle of all this suddenly.. there came a young man on stage and started singing hindi music.. joy knew no bounds.. we danced and we danced..I loved every minute. Unfortunately there was no encore.. According to A, that could have been used as a tactic to put men off.. tell them how you love hindi music.. and actually listen to only punjabi songs.. and that you thought Opus only played those!! (Last bit was my addition) :)

Much like kids who play truant .. we finally trooped in at 3.30am in the morning.. Its been a long long long..long time since we did that!!!!!

Moral of the story : an odd motley group of people sets the evening up for fun
Of course, the environment helps. Opus is a great place. Unlike many other places where you feel aged, totally out of place.. with some teeny weenies dancing to random trance music... you feel at home at Opus.. with people your age.. regular working class population.. who have come out to enjoy good music. You would not find many teenagers there.. thank god for small mercies!!!! Thats actually what draws me to Opus!!!!

With that.. I look forward to my sunday.. back to back movies : Inception and Tere Bin Laden.

ps : what also came out of this night out.. an all girls trip to goa (or somewhere).. any takers? Note: it is only for girls. Sometime in Sept or Oct? Anyone game?

In absentia

2010-07-12T23:08:00.002+05:30

As usual... no time to breathe!! Thats how it has been.

I didnt realise that left arm plays such an important part in life... we always think right hand is THE hand! Yesterday I realised it was not the case!!

We recently shifted into this house. There is a 9 foot tall cupboard... with about 6 feet of plain glass (a showcase). It was not wedged properly.. and we knew about it. We were waiting for the carpenter to turn up once. But for some reason, yesterday, we decide to put some stuff in our showcase.

While we were doing that, suddenly (there was no wind or anything of the sort), the 6 foot sheet of glass fell.. vertically.. hit my shoulder.. and then hand.. neither broke.. though it did chip the floor a bit ....

More than anything else, it was the shock of it!!!! It was extremely heavy... and in that split second.. I could not / did not move out of the way.. the impact brought tears to my eyes!!!

Well anyway, a swollen / bruised left shoulder.. some bruises on the base of thumb.. Thank god there is no fracture!!!!!!!!!! Like A said.. its a miracle that glass didnt break or it didnt fall on my head or the impact didnt break a bone!!!

Bruises / swelling are a bit irritating though.. its neither here nor there.. and it is an irritating nagging pain that stays with you .. throughout your life (turns up
during monsoons / winters).. I have collected many of these actually!!

Oh well! Right now to deal with a stiff shoulder.. Iodex zindabad...

My mom asked which shoulder... now I know its an irrelevant question..

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As an aside.. went to Bombay last week..on the way back, I was running really late .. thought I may miss the flight.. after a bit saw that the flight time 9.05 and not 8.20 as i thought previously.. and then another realisation..the flight I was booked into had departed in the morning at 9.05...

Moral of the story - always check your tickets even if you yourself have booked it (In my case, I had not booked it.. )

While I booked myself into a flight about an hour later.. we all reached the same time!!!

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Way back from airport - cab company sent a Tavera as they were short of Indicas! Not only did I travel in comfort... the driver was very sweet. As always is the case.. I asked the driver to play the radio.. He played music and then suggested playing old hindi numbers on his mp3- Kishore / Rafi .. which I established did not have jhankaar beats and in fact were original songs..

Beautiful music.. nothing I like better than listen to old Kishore songs (from Saagar/ blackmail etc) in the night!!! Both me and the driver were the humming the songs .. we both knew the full lyrics... lol...an amusing sight am sure!!!