...And All That Jazz...

A visit to my roots..

2011-01-19T19:02:00.003+05:30

Don't blame me for my aggression...its there in my blood :)

I can help it, a bit, maybe...but cannot do away with it completely.

Did I get you confused? Am sure you did :). Read on and you will understand why.

My next holiday, starting in the next 36 hours, is a very special and different one.

There are several reasons for the holiday being special. This holiday is with a group of close friends, who till some months back were actually strangers. Fate brought us together, we were lucky to be able to spend good amount of time with each other, at the end of which we developed some great (and hopefully, life long) bonds. When we started planning the holiday, we did not really expect it to materialize in the fashion it has. At the planning level, it is already a success, since we were able to plan much more than we expected. Though the holiday is yet to start, going by the history of the group (ie me and my friends), I can say without doubt that it will be a wildly successful one.

Anyway, back to the main topic of what makes this holiday special. This is going to be my first visit to my ancestral land, Chittorgarh, apart from my first ever visit to Rajasthan.

Having been settled in Bihar for generations together (not even sure how many generations), we are Biharis in every sense of the word. However, we are Rajputs too, and the origin of Rajputs historically has been from Rajasthan. The fact that we have descended from the clan of Amar Singh Rathore, and our roots are from Chittorgarh area, does not really match the facts from history, and that could be due to the earlier families migrating from one place to another over different generations. I tried to find out more info from the elders in the family but unfortunately they could not provide me with more than I already knew.

Am I excited? Yessss !!
Will I feel a connection to the place? Have to see...
Is this all true? Not sure.

Regardless of everything, there a certain romance associated with this whole story about my ancestral land, which I grew up with and which am not willing to give up now.

And last but not the least, next time someone calls me aggressive, I definitely have my lineage to blame :)

Turning to someone...

2011-01-18T20:51:00.002+05:30

He felt lost.

He felt low.

He felt lonely.

He needed to turn to someone.

He turned to himself.

Does he realise the battle he just won?

We are unique....

2011-01-08T00:03:00.001+05:30

...not in happiness and suffering life throws at us, but in the ways we handle them...

Daybreak in Hampi

2011-01-03T00:38:00.000+05:30

The alarm went off at 6 am. Even in my sleepy state, I managed to calculate that I had slept for only 4 and a half hours. I wanted to sleep some more, but then I remembered that I was in Hampi. I also realized with a touch of sadness that this was my last day in Hampi. Eager to make the most of my remaining time, I dragged myself out of my bed, put on a light jacket, floaters and grabbed the travel book I was reading, before closing the door softly behind me to avoid waking up my two friends with whom I was sharing a room.

I climbed the narrow iron steps to the terrace of the home stay we were staying in. I could see the main gopuram of Virupaksha temple in the soft light of dawn right it front of me. It was a beautiful sight, to say the least. I stood there for some time absorbing the sight of the temples and the rocks all around me. This was my 4th trip to Hampi, and I was still in awe of the place, like I had been when I had first set foot here in August, 2003. Each time I come back feeling the need revisit and explore more. And it never ends...

Keen to see more of Hampi at daybreak, I climbed down from the terrace and made my way to the main Bazaar, which was just a few steps away from my home stay. The shopkeepers were in the process of opening their shops, some were already in a state of readiness to serve the early morning customers. Being in the Bazaar opposite the temple meant that business always started early for them. Today was a little different though, it was 1st January, so they had an additional task. Each of them were busy making Rangolis in front of their shops, wishing everyone Happy New Year. What a pleasant way to greet the new year !!! These Rangolis were big ones covering the entire breadth of their shop entrance and would have taken them considerable amount of time to make these, even with the entire family working as a team. The Rangolis were filled with bright colors and made a beautiful sight. I had never seen so many big Rangolis, one after the other, and as I walked past them, each of them seemed to be better than the earlier one I saw. I was specially struck by this unique fusion of Eastern and Western cultures. People in Hampi, in a Bazaar opposite Virupaksha temple, welcoming the Christian calendar New Year, by drawing Rangolis...how strange and how nice. I cannot really describe the feeling.

I needed to buy some water. Gingerly avoiding stamping on the Rangolis, I walked into one of the shops. The shopkeeper beamed at me and wished me new year before handing me the bottle. When I paid him, he smiled even more and said I was his first customer in the new year and that he was sure the year will be lucky for his shop. I smiled back and echoed his wishes.

The Bazaar had a lot more people now, a few headed towards the temple and some walking towards the river. I skirted the temple and walked towards the river, following a group of Sabarimala devotees, who I assumed were headed for a bath in the river before going to the Murugan temple near the river. There were a few tea stalls near the temple. The owners called out to me asking me if I wanted tea or coffee (I am sure I made a very sleepy sight with loose cotton bottoms and my tousled hair). I simply smiled back at them and made my way to the river, finding a nice spot under a tree on one of the steps which led down to the banks.

There was quite a varied crowd gathered there and it was quite interesting to watch their activites. First, there was a group of young boys, maybe 10-11 year old, in their briefs, circling a Nandi statue on a high rock in the middle of the river. I do not know if they did this as some ritual or simply for fun. After a few rounds, they all sat down near the edge of the rock with their legs dangling down. I half expected them to jump together in the water, though I knew the water is not so deep and the river bed rocky. After some time, one by one they stepped down from the rock (I realized then that there was a rocky pavilion on the other side of this rock, which was how they had managed to climb onto the rock). Once they had descended, they started swimming and splashing around the water in the usual boisterous manner, so typical of a group of boys. There was also a group of young girls fully taking a bath. It was the difference in their demeanour compared to the boys which was very striking. The girls were almost the same age as the boys, but fully dressed, even though they were in the river for a bath. They were standing huddled close to each other, laughing and joking with each other. Most of them had long hair and were washing their hair and obviously enjoying it. Even in their restricted movements, there was fun and warmth in the group. I looked at them and thought of the lives they would lead when they grow up. There would be marriage, husband, in-laws, children, and hopefully some education in between for them. I also wondered why I only thought of the hardhips the girls would have to face. The boys I saw circling the Nandi would face hardships too. Is there a hidden feminist in me, who I need to acknowledge? Hmm...food for thought for me.

There was increasing activity on the other side of the river. The first boat was beginning to fill up, there was a guy astride the motorcycle on the boat as well. Another group was beginning to form at this end of the river waiting for the boat to arrive.

A huge family arrived next to me. From their exclamations, it was obviously their first day in Hampi and their first sight of the river. There were excited discussions on what to visit and how, where to stay, what to eat etc. The younger kids smiled at me, the older ones looked at me suspiciously, thinking why someone should be sitting near the river clutching a bottle of water and book in hand.

I looked at my watch and realized it was time for me to go back to my room. Today was the last day in Hampi and a lot needed to be done. Though I had not seen anything "new" or "exciting" in the last one hour, I had seen the "living" Hampi, something which connected me even more to the place.

I walked back to my room thinking I could not have wished a better place or hour to start my new year with.

Happy New Year everyone :)

Prepared for the unplanned?

2010-03-23T22:02:00.003+05:30

In today's world, with time being a premium, we spend so much time on planning our lives so that we get more from each day, each hour, each minute.

Time management is one of the most sought after skills, and I doubt if anyone is ever really happy with their time management skills. There is always more to be done than you can plan for.

In all this mad rush to do more and be on top of everything else, life has its ways to remind you that there are things beyond our control and planning, and it often comes as an eye opener.

So just like that....out of nowhere...and for no rhyme or reason...I met with an accident.

Yesterday, on the way back from badminton, I hit a road divider. There is no explanation for why and how. The divider was a prominent one and not easy to miss in any way. It was a combination of me forgetting to turn on the headlights, bad lighting in that area and last but not the least, my carelessness. I sure was in some deep thought when this happened.

And the damages? My car needed to be towed away to the service centre and I ended up with a muscle sprain on my left rib cage and quite a few bruises on my body. I am yet to know how much I need to shell out for the car repair (thankfully its insured) but not having a car for a few days will definitely cause a lot of inconvenience. Added to it is the physical discomfort of wearing a adhesive bandage for the next two weeks to enable the torn muscle to heal.

And all this when I really need to be up and about...and very much mobile, with several last minute things pending before I can shift into my new house this weekend.

So much for planning your life :)

I got quite a bit of interesting advices from my friends and well wishers...right from keeping a driver to donating my car (on account of the accident frequency off late) to not thinking when I drive. As expected, quite a few of my male friends were more bothered about the state of my car than me !! :)

Anyway, they say every cloud has a silver lining....the silver lining here is some time off from work...though I wish the time off was under better circumstances.

At this point, am not really sure when I will get behind the wheel again, but when I do, I hope I am a better driver.

And as for managing my life better, should be more prepared for the unplanned :)

Amen !!

Out of touch?

2010-03-23T21:57:00.001+05:30

Two possible reasons why people do not keep in touch.....either they don't care....or they care too much...

So look beyond the obvious...

March and Holi

2010-03-01T23:05:00.003+05:30

Time does fly fast. It's already March. The year is no longer "new". Another month and the first quarter will be over. And then we will already start reflecting at what we acheieved and what we missed in Q1. And am yet working on plans and targets for the year. Somehow the onset of March month has also set in a sense of urgency...so much to do in 2010 and so little time !!!

By the way, all the above feelings are only related to office..thankfully :). On the personal front, I continue to take things as they come..each day at a time. Off late I have been keeping busy with setting up my new house, which is quite an interesting though tiring business. I will write about that in detail in my next post.

The real reason why I sat down to write today was because apart from being the first day of March, today also happened to be Holi. I was reminded of how I celebrated Holi when I was a kid..and how things have changed since then.

As a person, I was never naturally inclined towards this festival (have always liked Diwali more). Its a different thing that once I overcome the initial "Holi inertia" and start playing colors, I end up having a great time..always :)

I grew up in Patna where Holi is one of the major festivals, and is celebrated by the old and young alike. Not playing Holi was not an option for everyone, in fact the more you resisted the more you were targeted. And all was done under the slogan of "Bura na mano Holi hai". :)
Our closest neighbors, who were Bengalis, Uncle, Aunty and 2 sons, were the most enthused family in the entire neighborhood when it came to playing Holi. I still remember how every year either "Bengali Uncle" or "Bengali Aunty" (as we fondly called them) or their 2 sons would come and stand in front of the house and urge us (me and my brothers) to step out to play colors. I would stay hidden as long as I could, till Mom would finally throw us out, because they would threaten to come inside the house. As soon as I stepped out, I would be painted within a few minutes and the amount of color put on me would be directly proportional to the time I took to step outside the house.

Having got past the first round of colors, I would instantly start feeling comfortable..how dirty can one get anyway? We would then form a group and go from house to house calling out people and playing with them. The guys would go one step further...putting mud, silver paint and tearing each other's clothes was common tradition. Trying to recognize who was who in the multi colored crowd was always fun. And the sheer sadistic pleasure of putting the darkest of colors on the cleanest of people was unimaginable. This was also the time when you meet and get to know new neighbors and instantly connect to them through colors.

The time of Holi is when winter is just fading out and summer is yet to set in...so we would feel cold when someone threw water on us and hot once the color started dryin on us. Once we had done a round of all the houses in the neighborhood, we would come back to our own and then the slow and long cleaning process would start. Inspite of covering ourselves lavishly from head to toe with coconut oil to be able to remove the color easily later, cleaning oneself would still be a tough task. After several rounds of cleaning with wheat flour paste, soap and shampoo, we would still look like discolored extra terrestrial creatures.

In the evening, we all would wear brand new clothes and visit everyone's houses again (this time we would go inside the house) and play with dry colors or "abeer". We would touch the feet of all elders with get blessed.

And how can I not mention food? Like all Indian festivals, Holi is also a food rich festival. Since this is probably one festival when we do not do any pooja, cooking non-veg is allowed. One of the favorite combinations during this festival is Pua and mutton. Dahi wada, malpua, black chana, gujia were some of the other commonly made dishes in most of the homes.

So colored, stuffed and happy...is what we used to feel during Holi. It would take weeks for the color to go from the body, esp ears and nails. We would proudly show our discolored selves to our friends the next day. It was an obvious indicator of how "well" you played Holi.

This year, Holi was on a Monday. I did not have leave. I had a super hectic day at work and was on calls till 7 pm. Apart from Dahi wada, there were no other Holi delicacies which were cooked today. Of course, I did not play colors at all, playing even dry colors has been banned in office premises for past 2 years.

One more Holi over, one more Holi wasted.

How I wish I could go back in time and to play Holi the way I did when I was a kid....

More on Playground....

2010-02-27T20:56:00.005+05:30

Some update on Playground.

There is a proper board which has been put outside, which confirms that it is indeed a playground...and not a piece of land temporarily cleared to build another high rise. It has put my mind to rest :)

There are karate classes in the evening, some days when I come home early before it gets dark, I can see really young kids in their white outfits with green and yellow belts practising their moves.

Car driving inside the playgorund has been stopped, there are big cement blocks put in front of the gate to prevent that.

And football has started too...since the ground does not have much grass, a game of football is usually accomapnied by lot of dust.

And yes, there are many more morning and evening walkers....

As for me, I still have not gone for a run there (neither to Cubbon Park)....talk about the art of coming up with excuses !!! Will tomorrow be the day???

Silence

2010-02-27T20:52:00.002+05:30

Some messages can be delivered loudest and clearest through silence.

Playground

2010-02-10T02:10:00.001+05:30

I stay in a nice residential area of Bangalore. It is a small layout with narrow tree-lined roads, bungalows..big and small, and a few apartment complexes. If you look down from your balcony, you can see the daily vegetable seller pushing his cart on the road, calling out his stock of the day. Then there is this guy who makes at least two rounds in a day to buy old newspapers and bottles. Diagonally opposite the small road, sits a guy who irons clothes for most of the houses in the area. The neighborhood still has the charm of a small sleepy town while still being fairly close to the shopping malls, supermarkets and offices of big IT companies.

In the two years that I have stayed here, I have relished the peace and quiet of this place, the luxury of being able to sleep till noon without being woken up by the noise of traffic and the sheer enjoyment of being able to enjoy the rain from my balcony while looking out on the greenery below.

Right opposite my apartment was a large piece of empty land, overgrown with wild bushes. The entrance to this area was closed by a gate. There was a small brick tenement near the gate which housed a watchman. Sometimes while having tea in my balcony, I would catch a glimpse of the watchman taking a bored walk near the compound wall. Clearly, he did not have much to guard. I always wondered who was the owner of this wasteland and what plans he had for this piece of property.

A few days back, I saw some activity in the enclosed area, the ground was being cleared with a sense of urgency. The first sinking thought which came to my mind was that a new big apartment complex is going to come up opposite. There goes the breeze and the view !!! I can no longer enjoy a cup of coffee standing in my balcony and will need to keep the curtains of my rooms drawn all the time. I can also forget the unobstructed sunlight which lights up my house during daytime. Such were the thoughts racing through my mind.

Things did not quite go that way though. Yes, the ground was cleared and nicely. To my surprise, the gate and the watchman's hut was removed. The empty wasteland has now become a playground !!!

Now there is a lot of activity in the ground during the entire day, right from sunrise till darkness sets in. I wake up with the sound of people playing cricket, as early as 6 am !!! Till date, I can never understand the love the male population of India has for this game. I cannot imagine how more than 20 people, teenagers and adults, wake up at 6 am on weekdays, that too daily, to play cricket !!! Some addiction !! Then there are some people who play badminton, earlier they used to play on the road in the evenings, and had to stop every time a vehicle needed to pass. Now they have place to play uninterrupted. There is a goalpost for hockey which has been put, but am yet to see anyone play hockey there. Also there are two poles which have been put up in one section of the ground, I think in preparedness for a volleyball court. The younger kids who had only the building parking to play in and were not allowed to go on the road for fear of vehicles, have now found a safe place to freely run around and chase each other. The lack of restraint makes them look happier. In the evenings, when the field becomes empty after dark, I have even seen someone learn driving in the ground.

Isn't it surprising how much change a playground can bring? True, the peace and quiet of my neighborhood is gone. But now there is action...sweaty, tired but happy faces...screams of joy and despair....life in its most expressive form. Maybe one of these fanatics who wakes up at 6 am to play cricket will turn out to be a Tendulkar tomorrow. Someone who never went for walks on the pretext of not having a park will finally run out of excuses and take up walking. And for someone like me who drives all the way to Cubbon Park to run on weekends because she hates running on the road, I can save a lot of time and fuel :)

Never truly realized earlier how important a playground can be. A playground is more than just a piece of land..its a way for life. So let's try and preserve them and keep the child in us alive :)

Be unreasonable, stay unreasonable...

2010-01-31T22:30:00.003+05:30

The reasonable man adapts himself to the world; the unreasonable one persists in trying to adapt the world to himself. Therefore all progress depends on the unreasonable man.

- George Bernard Shaw

So if people call you unreasonable, feel proud..and stay that way :)

Babe Aur Bahu?

2010-01-29T12:23:00.002+05:30

New soap idea for Ekta Kapoor...."Babe Aur Bahu"

I can already visualise record breaking TRPs.:)

What say?

Conversations - 1

2010-01-27T20:42:00.003+05:30

...after the usual pleasantries are exchanged on chat...

He : How tall are you?

She : !!! Is that the first thing you want to know about me?

He : You see I am 6"2...height is very important to me.

She : I am 5"3...I believe I have mentioned that in my profile....

He : Ok. I asked because people lie often about such things in their profiles

She : Oh ok...they can easily lie on chat also :)

He : But chat is different

She : And how?

He : Looks like you are the kind of person who always likes to have the last say.

She : I try to question...

He : Life is not always black and white..

She : Agree

He : Do you like to dress up?

She : Depends...

He : I am looking for someone who can be a babe to me and a bahu to my family...

She : ....

He : Someone who can wear a sexy dress when she goes out with me but is willing to wear a saree on a festive occassion when my family wants

She : ....

He : You see I am looking for balance

She : !!!!

He : You see I have had a bad experience once, so I don't want to go through the same thing again

She : ....

He : I am very clear on what I want

She : Yes..I can see that

He : So what do you say?

She : Trying to understand your requirement. Let me work towards the kind of clarity you have..this definitely doesn't look workable

He : Are you saying no to me?

She : I thought I already did...

Inappropriate content?

2010-01-27T18:25:00.003+05:30

One more unsuccessful attempt to get Google AdSense on this blog.

The application was rejected again citing "Unacceptable Site Content" !!!

I have reviewed and re-reviewed my posts and frankly could not figure out what is so unacceptable here.

Is my post on "Sex and the city" is what AdSense considers unacceptable, just because it has the word "Sex" in it? Let me try to rename the above post and re-apply to AdSense. Maybe this time it will work.

And yes, any insights into how to get my application accepted, is most welcome :)

Impressions from Cambodia

2010-01-26T21:05:00.005+05:30

When I reflect on my recent trip to Cambodia , I can safely say that there were three things about the place which left a mark on me, and will stay with me forever : temples, history of the place and Buddhism (not necessarily in that order).

I am sure most of the tourists who visit this country might have something similar to say. I am here to share my connection with these things.

Let me start with Buddhism, since for me its the most difficult to explain, to myself or to anyone else. Having visited other Buddhist places earlier (like Thailand..twice), I was surprised to realise the effect it had on me during / after the trip. Was it a function of seeing thousands of Buddha statues and carvings in the temples there? Or did it happen on acount of browsing through countess Buddha paintings and statues to carry back home as soveniors? Frankly I do not know. One thing I do realise that any image or thought of Buddha inspires a feeling of peace and serenity now, unlike earlier. I am keen to explore Buddhism and its teachings, which am sure will be a wonderful intellectual and spiritual journey.

The second impressionable fact about Cambodia is its history. A visit to the Tuol Sleng Genocide Meuseum and The Killing Fields will expose you to the hair raising stories of the atrocities of Pol Pot and the Khmer Rouge , which resulted in the death of 25% of the Cambodian population between 1975 and 1979. I did not have the courage to visit The Killing Fields after I had finished with Toul Sleng, it was far too depressing for me to handle. During my trip I picked up a book called "First They Killed My Father: A Daughter of Cambodia Remembers" which describes the the inhuman condiditons which the people of the country were subjected to, under the brutal Khmer Rouge regime. I also saw the movie "The Killing Fields" on youtube, which captures the life of a reporter during the rule of the Khmer Rouge. I would highly recommend the book and the movie (which is based on another book) to anyone who really wants to understand what the country has gone through. Be warned though, it will not be easy on your mind and feelings.

The third thing, which Cambodia is most known for, are its temples : Angkor Wat and the group of temples around it. If you are an Indian, you will be easily able to relate to the carvings of Ramayana and Mahabharata on the walls of the major temples. Most of the major temples are devoted to Shiva, Vishnu and Buddha. Carving and statues of "Samudra Manthan" are pretty common. It's a really wonderful journey and one of the most enjoyable and not to be missed things is Angkor Wat at sunrise.

Walking through the temple ruins, you will be reminded of Hampi several times, and you will be tempted to compare the two places. Hampi is one of my favorite places in India, somehwere where I look forward to going again and again and spending more time each time. By the time I finished Angkor, I still was not able to decide which was better, Angkor or Hampi. The one obvious difference between the two places is the size : Angkor is definitely bigger, the temples are huge and much more awe inspiring in terms of size. Hampi continues to still hold a special place in my heart even after my Angkor trip, and I still cannot decide which is better :)

The above three things more than justify the Cambodia trip for me and the trip will remain one of the most memorable vacations I have had in a long time.

I would want to make a special mention of the people of Cambodia, we had a great experience with them, very polite, non-agressive and hospitable. They speak English with a distinct sing-song tone, something you are bound to catch up within 2-3 days of your stay there :). Last but not the least, a trip to Cambodia simply cannot be complete without a Tuktuk ride, so make sure you don't miss that :)

Sixth Sense

2010-01-25T21:18:00.002+05:30

Attempts to rationalise spontaneous behavior and activities of people, is the surest way to suppress sixth sense.

And it kills the fun associated with spontaneity as well :)

Whether the act of rationalising is right or wrong is highly debatable.

Let me just put this down as my point of view. Unjudged.

HNY 2010

2010-01-04T18:41:00.003+05:30

Happy New Year to one and all !!!

I know am late on this, but there are 6 more days for Jan to end, so I guess this greeting still qualifies :)

Looking forward with eagerness to what this year will brings...the highs and the lows...and the fun associated with handling both.

And yes, hopefully more posts on the blog....

Mob Self

2009-11-24T23:10:00.004+05:30

Every man has a mob self and an individual self, in varying proportions.
~D. H. Lawrence~

Very true.

The rather unfortunate thing is most of the times we are our "mob self", when we look at life as per the views, needs and expectations of others.

When did you last connect with your "individual self"?

Thought for the day

2009-11-23T18:36:00.002+05:30

Never look down on people and situations.

Life humbles all....it's only a matter of time.

Predictability

2009-11-13T20:20:00.002+05:30

Sometimes, unpredictability is the only thing you can predict :)

One more of life's peculiarisms I guess....

Inferences

2009-11-05T12:32:00.000+05:30

Inferences are inevitable.....necessary.

There are always more data points apart from the words that you "hear".

Stereotyping

2009-11-05T12:27:00.000+05:30

The world strives to streotype. Anything else is not easily acceptable.

No wonder, changes take decades and ceturies.

P.S - The world is you and me.

Disillusionment

2009-10-29T21:12:00.001+05:30

When it hits....it hits hard...

Say Cheers !!

2009-08-19T21:32:00.002+05:30

While on a Friday evening outing with few colleagues, I got to know the history behind saying "Cheers" before you taste your drink.

One theory says the clinking of glasses was to ward off the evil spirits. The more popular belief is that when you crash glasses together, it causes the drinks to spill over in the other glasses, hence establishing the faith among the drinkers that none of the drinks is poisoned.

Interesting stuff, isn't it?

Today vs Tomorrow

2009-08-19T17:18:00.000+05:30

One today is worth two tomorrows.
- Benjamin Franklin

Where the mind is without fear....

2009-08-18T08:58:00.003+05:30

Heard this on radio today, while driving to work. Not sure in what context the RJ was mentioning this poem, I had just switched on the radio.

This poem used to be one of my favorites, when I was in school. This is actually a prayer from Tagore's "Gitanjali". It embodies his vision of the kind of country and life...which he dreamt of.

Only when one reads this, realisation dawns on how far we are from where he wanted us to be....

Where the mind is without fear and the head is held high

Where knowledge is free

Where the world has not been broken up into fragments

By narrow domestic walls

Where words come out from the depth of truth

Where tireless striving stretches its arms towards perfection

Where the clear stream of reason has not lost its way

Into the dreary desert sand of dead habit

Where the mind is led forward by thee

Into ever-widening thought and action

Into that heaven of freedom, my Father, let my country awake.

- Rabindranath Tagore

No posts?

2009-07-28T20:47:00.003+05:30

In case you are wondering why Devika isn't blogging for the past few weeks, it's because her parents have not found time to "type in" her posts.

Hope they read this...and oblige :)

Bucket List

2009-07-23T23:17:00.003+05:30

For the past few days, I have been thinking of creating my Bucket List. Had some interesting discussion with my friends to find out the things which they would want to put in their bucket list (some of the wishes were hilarious and cannot be shared here).

There are some things which I know I definitely would want to do before I die. Have decided to restrict my list to only 10 items as of now (it could be the effect of the movies I have seen on this topic).

Here are a few of my bucket list items :
1. Driving a Formula 1 car
2. Writing a book
3. Having my own photography exhibition
4. Running a half marathon with sub 2 hour timing
5. Owning a beach house

Some look impossible, don't they? What the heck, if they are easily acheivable, then no fun.

There are five more to add....the thinking process is on.......

India's youngest blogger?

2009-07-23T23:08:00.002+05:30

Devika is 6 and a half years old.

Stays in Mumbai.

Got inspired to blog when she her mom started her own blog.

She writes her thoughts on a piece of paper, and daddy dear types it for her.

It's called Rabbit Hops.

It's amazingly refreshing and very cute.

Take a look. It will definitely remind you of your childhood :)

The Photo Connection

2009-07-23T22:54:00.003+05:30

For the last year and a half, I have been trying my hand at photography.

While different people have different things to say about the photos I click (the ones who know about photogrpahy have lots of things to say of course :)), there were a few things which really touched me.

For example, I saw one of my friends using one of the pictures I had clicked as her laptop wallpaper. I was pleasantly surprised that she would think it good enough for a wallpaper.

Another friend wanted to put up some of my pictures on the "photo wall" she planned for her new house. Very flattering again !!

The last but not the least was when a friend said she found the nature pics of mine very soothing and peaceful and looked at them when she was upset or low. I seriously did not know how to react to this. This was far more that I had expected and it really took me by surprise. One never can expect what different things can mean to different people.

Maybe I should stop being so lazy and take this hobby of mine a little more seriously.

Also, now that I am working on my bucket list, maybe ..just maybe..I should think about having my own photogrpahy exhibition sometime in the future.

Sounds like a target, doesn't it :))

Life Learnings

2009-05-05T10:49:00.000+05:30

I have learned silence from the talkative, toleration from the intolerant, and kindness from the unkind; yet strange, I am ungrateful to those teachers.

~Kahlil Gibran~

Selfishness

2009-04-24T10:22:00.001+05:30

Life makes one realise his/her selfishness in unexpected ways.

We all are selfish, whether we like to believe it or not.

Power

2009-04-24T08:19:00.004+05:30

He who knows you the best, has the ability to hurt you the most....

Is there Fate?

2009-04-13T11:53:00.004+05:30

Intellect annuls fate. So far as a man thinks, he is free.

...says Ralph Waldo Emerson.

Something to chew upon.

Rakhi and Reality

2009-04-08T19:23:00.006+05:30

I absolutely HATE reality shows.

I have NEVER watched even a single episode of the likes of "Indian Idol" and "Big Boss". I do not mind feeling out of place when people around me get into excited discussions about these serials, who should win, who is overrated, who was unfairly dealt with etc.

Basically reality shows is too much of drama for me to swallow.

Seems like things are going to change this time, thanks to Rakhi Sawant.

I cannot wait for this show to start !!!!

The Pursuit of Happiness

2009-03-24T18:37:00.004+05:30

Interesting take on happiness.

Following lines in particular caught my eye:
Unhappiness is the natural outcome of fine-tuning one's sensibilities to the awful truths about the world.

Does "Un-tuning" do the trick?

Introducing the apple of your eye...

2009-03-22T13:35:00.006+05:30

This is a write-up prepared which a friend of mine prepared on his 2 year old son, when he was sent to his first day care. The idea was to acquaint the day care staff with the kid's habits and preferecnes.

Read on......you will definitely it interesting....(and hilarious if like me, you know the kid personally - :))

Background:

General habits

- Active kid, curious to touch things especially SWITCHES, put things in his mouth (especially BUTTONS - we often make him wear clothes with buttons on back instead of front, at home)
- Loves CAR and AUTO. (But we are careful NOT to give him toys which have PARTS WHICH ARE REMOVABLE-things he can PUT IN HIS MOUTH). Also, phones and remotes.
- Loves ball. Good at throwing, spinning and kicking gently.
- Loves cuddly stuffed toys. But he is not attached to any particular one as such.
- He is not toilet trained. Sometimes announces AFTER THE ACT.
- Day time sleeping approximately is 1 and ½ hr on average. Usually around lunch time. Can get sleepy at 12.30 p.m. Active engagement can keep him awake till lunch is finished most of the times.
- He loves touching soft skin. (BEWARE HE OFTEN DIGS HIS LITTLE HANDS UNDER OTHER’S CLOTHES).
- Affectionate. Very liberal with gestures such as TATA, BYE-BYE and KISSES (incl FLYING KISS) on cue.

Speech
Limited vocabulary-English/Hindi. (List not exhaustive)

Key words:
- Mum-mum: water
- Mama: Mother
- Papa: Father
- Baby: Himself (He does not call himself Arnav, though he responds to it, BUT NOT ALWAYS)
- Dudhu: Milk
- Chu-chu: Urine
- Potty: Bowels
- Hawa: Passing wind (!!).
- Fan: Fan (useful object for distraction)
- Bhu-bhu: Dog

Eating habits
- At home, he always eats on a HIGH CHAIR
- He is exposed to variety of fruits, vegetables and eggs on a daily basis. Eats many of the healthy foods eaten by the rest of family. Comfortable with natural flavourings and sprinkling of mild spices like pepper (and salt) with boiled egg.
- HAS NO STRONG DISLIKES for any food.
- A typical session requires patience. Only a VERY, VERY FIRM REFUSAL ACCOMPANIED BY CRYING AND RESISTANCE THROUGH LIMBS, signals that he does not want to eat for the moment. This could be due to fullness of stomach, disagreeable food or desire for toilet.
- We DO NOT feed UNHEALTHY and PROCESSED FOODS like potato chips, noodles, packaged juices or confectionaries like toffees and chocolates.

Quite well written, isnt it? You might want to save this away for later....:)

All or nothing

2009-03-13T19:57:00.000+05:30

...is how certain things in life should be.

Mahatma Gandhi and auction

2009-03-08T17:10:00.002+05:30

This , I would say, is patriotic use of money.

Long live Vijay Mallaya :)

Night time milk

2009-03-07T01:47:00.002+05:30

Well, I know this is old piece of news (the article is dated 2004).

But I happened to stumble across this only today, while reading up some articles on the net on insomnia (its 1:50 am now :)).

Does anyone know if we get this in India? Would definitely want to see if this helps.....

Et tu Wikipedia??

2009-03-04T00:08:00.003+05:30

Saw "Manorama Six Feet Under" over the weekend. My second Abhay Deol movie in two days (Difficult to accept that Abhay Deol is from the same clan as Dharmendra, Sunny, Bobby. Anyway, am happy for whatever happened to Abhay for him to be different from the rest of the bunch !!!)

Anyway, getting back to the point, was mighty impressed with the movie so decided to check out some facts on the movie and especially the director.

Wikipedia threw me this . And when I clikced on the name of the direcor, this is what I got.

Double checked, didn't you? And so did I.

“Be suspicious of anything that works perfectly - it's probably because two errors are canceling each other out”
- Dave Bartley

So watch out from now on :)

101st Post...a new milestone

2009-03-04T00:02:00.002+05:30

I have acheived a new milestone in blogging....my last post was the 100th one on my blog.

I started this blog way back in Dec 2005, and frankly, did not expect it to survive this long.

I am happy it did. Once in a while I go back to my earlier posts and really enjoy reading them. At times I wonder what exactly was I thinking of, when I wrote something, while some of my earlier posts leave me happy and even impressed :). Was it really me who wrote all that?

Hope to see more milestones going forward....

Review of "Dev D"

2009-02-28T14:35:00.004+05:30

A must watch.

I haven't seen anything like this for a long long time.

The film is a modern adaptation of the famous story Devdas, which has already been made into 9 movies so far.

This one of course is different, the characters are tweaked to fit the modern world, they are pretty bold and of course the story does not end in the same way.

After the movie, I read a little about the director Anurag Kashyap. The wikipedia entry on the director is quite interesting. He seems to have had a life of dreams, consfusions and frustrations before he could make it in as an acclaimed director.

When Anurag Kashyap was in college, he seemed to be heavily into drugs and alcohol. Maybe that explains his wonderful portayal of the "sense of high" his characters feel in his movies. I found it absolutely brilliant !!!

The music in the movie is a wonderful blend of quirky (Emotional Attayachar), hard rock and folk music. Very different and refreshing. Great job here by Amit Trivedi.

Now I am waiting for Kashyap's "Gulaal" and "Bombay Velvet". I can safely say that 2009 will have at least 2 good movies from Bollywood.

Quote

2009-02-26T11:56:00.000+05:30

To truly hear you must quiet the mind.
~Unknown~

Optimism

2009-02-24T02:18:00.002+05:30

Optimism (rather the concept of it) is misused in its worst form when once does not want to face the truth.

How does one realise that the feeling is actually cowardice?

Happiness

2009-02-22T00:11:00.000+05:30

Happiness....everyone has their own unique definition of it.

Learnings

2009-02-17T14:59:00.001+05:30

The best learnings in life often come from the worst experiences.

Ironical...isn't it?

Random Hearts

2009-02-11T20:18:00.002+05:30

Yesterday, while switching channels on TV, I came across a movie called Random Hearts. When I read the movie info, it reminded me of a book I had read many years back.

Curiosity got the better of me and I decided to watch the movie, mainly to confirm if the movie was really the adaptation of the story I remembered.

I did not remember the name of the book, nor the author, but for some reason, I remembered the story very well, and remembered it fondly. Sometimes some things stay in your memory, for reasons which cannot be rationally explained, and this was on of those such things.

It turned out to be the same story after all, the movie was an adaptation of a book by the same name, authored by Warren Adler (I got these details when I googled later).

I was happy to see the movie, especially since I recollected the story pretty clearly, even after so many years later. Of course, the script of the movie had some deviations from the original storyline. The adaptation from paper to reel was still a good one.

I was therefore pretty disappointed to read the reviews of the movie and its ranking on IMDB, a mere 4.8 out of 10 :(. Also, there was no appreciation for Harrison Ford's work in the movie, something I thought was done very well. I have never seen Kristin Scott Thomas in any other movie earlier, so cannot say much about her performance.

Inspite of all the above published facts, I still like the movie and would love to watch it again.

Maybe this was one of the good movies which did not do well in box office....

Maybe I liked the movie because I am a romantic at heart....

Maybe this is one of those things which cannot be explained rationally....

The "Insect Syndrome"

2009-02-10T19:51:00.002+05:30

An insect, no matter how hard it tries to improve, does not evolve into a higher animal. Its life continues and ends as an insect.

All of us, at some point in our lives, go through this. We feel limited by our limitations. One reaches a point when the only thing that hinders progress is not attitude and effort, but one's own capability, or rather lack of it.

And there is no worse feeling one can have than than feeling powerless, and feeling like an insect.....

Shots...Bhojpuri ishtyle

2009-01-27T21:02:00.001+05:30

And now presenting Bhojpuri Shot Glasses

Truly amazing :))

Invitation

2009-01-27T20:45:00.002+05:30

If you are visiting this blog via non-google search, chances are you are one of my friends and are checking for posts on this site.

I have been busy, really busy....and lazy too as always....hence no posts.

I guess am getting more and more into "slow blogging" (that sounds cooler than lazy :))

But I do intend to keep this blog alive. By sharing my experiences and thoughts as well as those of others who are close to me in life, my friends, family etc

I have asked one of my close friends to pen down his experience of Jagriti Yatra, for which he was one of the thought leaders and organisers.

Hope to have that entry here soon.

And other entries from you, on the things you would like to share.

So come forward and use this space to share your thoughts, feelings, opinions...

Looking forward to more posts. Till then Ciao.

Matters of the heart....

2008-12-08T23:10:00.001+05:30

Why does the heart yearn for the unattainable?

Home They Brought Her Warrior Dead

2008-12-07T17:32:00.003+05:30

This poem, by Alfred Lord Tennyson used to be one of my favorites in school.

It has been really long since I last remembered these lyrics. The 26/11 blasts in Mumbai brought it to the fore.

Home they brought her warrior dead:
She nor swooned, nor uttered cry:
All her maidens, watching, said,
'She must weep or she will die.'

Then they praised him, soft and low,
Called him worthy to be loved,
Truest friend and noblest foe;
Yet she neither spoke nor moved.

Stole a maiden from her place,
Lightly to the warrior stept,
Took the face-cloth from the face;
Yet she neither moved nor wept.

Rose a nurse of ninety years,
Set his child upon her knee—
Like summer tempest came her tears—
'Sweet my child, I live for thee.'

- Lord Tennyson

India vs England ODI

2008-12-01T03:21:00.005+05:30

Continuing my talk of firsts in my life from my previous post, this was another first for me....the first cricket match which I saw live.

Though not much into cricket, I really enjoyed myself. Inspite of the match being stopped twice due to rains, the energy in the stadium was unbelievable. I whistled and jumped and waved the tricolor.

I also saw Sachin and was quite thrilled about it, since he has always been and will remain one of my favorites.

India played very well and won the match. Needless to say, that made my first live match even more unforgettable.

Here is the last winning ball of the match, which I captured with my camera.

And thus went November.....

2008-12-01T02:48:00.002+05:30

The month of November is gone, bringing us a step closer to the end of the year.

November was quite an interesting month for me, in more ways than one. There were several highs, as well as lows, a lot of first time events for me, as well as some unplanned enjoyable activities.

One of the firsts in my life was my very first half marathon, and that too Ultra. Yes, its true !!! I know those who know me personally would find it impossible to believe that I could manage to run a half marathon. I have never been much of a sports person, and have been on the wrong end of the weighing scale for most of my life till now.

I started running at the beginning of 2008. This was one of my New Year resolutions (am glad that the year is about to end, and my resolution is still alive and getting better). As expected, running was tough for me. It needed a lot of practice, discipline and strong will. Practice I did, though not as much as I would have wanted to. Within a month and a half, I enrolled for a quarter marathon in Pondicherry (Auroville was organising a marathon as part of some celebrations). I managed to complete the distance inspite of the scorching heat and not much experience and practice. That kind of boosted my confidence, though the timing was not so good.

I continued to run on and off after that, till a ligament tear while crossing the road put me out of action for a few months (what a shame it is for someone who runs to get a ligament tear while walking !!!). My leg was in cast for a month and the max I could do was limp with great difficulty from one room to another.

Post August, I started running again, now with more seriousness, since the last quarter of the year is the marathon season, when most of the big marathons are held in the country.

I missed the Kaveri Trail Marathon (KTM) due to my trip to US, but did enroll for Bangalore Ultra 2008 , before I left for my trip. For those who don't know, the Ultra marathons are tougher marathons and their philosophy is to push oneself. So while the normal half marathons are 21km, Ultra is 25 km.

I started getting cold feet 3 weeks before the Ultra. I had not practiced much and was afraid of not being able to complete the distance and giving it up midway. I kept telling myself that if I could not run, I should be able to walk the distance (this confidence was due to a recent Himalayan trek where I did uphill walking for upto 14 km a day).

Friends and fellow runners convinced me to give it a try and so I did. I managed to complete the 25 km, and ran much more than I thought I will be able to. I did walk some distances, esp most of the last 6 km, since my right leg gave away (I definitely needed to practice more than I did). I was however determined to finish the marathon, even though it meant putting spray and getting my leg stretched by the meds at every aid station. I finally made a limping finish.

It was tough but it was worth it. I believe what carried me through was simply my will power.

I received a certificate and a medal (my lifetime first for a sports activity). And last but not the least, a real sense of acheivement, and stronger belief in the saying "Nothing is Impossible".

There are 3 more half marathons in the near horizon. I am looking forward to them....

Life...

2008-11-12T23:45:00.001+05:30

Life is to be taken lightly, not frivolously.

It's a fine line.

Hope...

2008-11-12T00:09:00.001+05:30

Sometimes giving up hope is far more difficult than keeping it alive.

The day ends later...

2008-11-04T18:25:00.002+05:30

With the clock back by an hour in the West, things have gotten worse.

Maybe India should adopt DST !!!

Sharing...

2008-11-03T19:21:00.002+05:30

Why is sharing feelings considered a sign of weakness?

Does bottling up your feelings make you a stronger person?

Or simply unhappier?

Review of "Fashion"

2008-11-02T23:12:00.003+05:30

Let me keep it short and sweet.

It is a ok kind of movie. I would give it 2.5 stars, maybe 3.

It was disappointing, because I had high expectations from a Madhur Bhandarkar movie. It's sad to see that he has failed to make anything even close to "Page 3". He is the Arthur Hailey of Bollywood, as his movies usually centre around an industry and introduces the audience to the inner and ugly details which is not so obvious to the outer world. Unfortunately, "Fashion" had nothing new to offer which we do not know about.

Priyanka is ok, not bad but had not really done any soul stirring scenes. Mugdha Godse is decent too, much better than I had expected. Thankfully, she does not give wooden expressions typical of most models who act for the first time.

The one and only saving grace of the movie is Kangana Ranaut. She rocks. She comes across as a natural in her role, as the show stopper model in the ramp walks in the movie. She shows loads of attitude typical of someone at the top in the modelling world. Also, the way she plays her addiction to drugs and her subsequent downfall in the industry is really admirable. She certainly takes away the cake with her brief but powerful appearances in the movie. Frankly, I never really thought of her much in the past, my perception of her has changed after the movie. With the right kind of non-stereotype roles, I think she can go places.

So if you like Kangana Ranaut, this movie is worth going to. You can give it a miss otherwise.

And with this, my wait for a good Hindi movie continues...

The weekend limbo

2008-11-01T14:32:00.002+05:30

This is one of the weekends where I did not have enough to do, or so it seemed, till yesterday.

That meant there was plenty of time to laze around and do nothing important in life. The problem with a weekend like this is that you start feeling guilty about having nothing to do, and try to dig up things have not got done due to lack of time in the past.

I have been thinking about my long weekend to do list since yesterday and trying to decide what to pick up from those.

Today morning while I was still sleeping, I got two calls which even to my sleep drugged mind, brought a sense of relief. A friend called me up for lunch at her place and another one wanted to check with me if I would be game for a movie on Sunday evening. I already had plans to go running on Sunday morning. So just like that, my Sunday was suddenly packed with activities and now looks a little hectic for a Sunday. But I am not complaining, always game for anything fun :))

That also means now I can enjoy a really really lazy Sat without any feeling of guilt :)). Tomorrow is a busy day and I do deserve one day to chill out, don't I?

Let the limbo continue......

The workout challenge

2008-10-30T21:29:00.003+05:30

Exercising never comes easy to me...especially after a long break...

Today I went to the gym after a really long time. Got quite a few "where have you been" queries and looks from my dietician and the instructors.

With my best smile, I told them I have been travelling (which is partly true) and promised them that will get regular from tomorrow.

They responded with a smile and "you have said that before" look.

There is always hope for tomorrow....

Feelings post Diwali

2008-10-29T21:55:00.005+05:30

If there is something called as "post festival" depression, I have it now :((

This year, for a change, I did not have any plans for Diwali. I had decided to take it easy after my recent over hectic US trip and just chill at home.

As it happened, I got invited by a friend for a card party (teen patti), to which I went reluctantly because he would just not take a no. As it turned out, I not only had a fabulous time at his place but also ended up winning some money, which is a big big acheievement for a bad card player like me.

I think that did the trick and the festive bug finally hit me. Next day, that is Diwali day, I had to goto work. Inspite of several conversations with myself, I just could not make myself do that and finally called up my boss and took the day off. I was just too distracted to work. Once I was over the guilt of bunking office (which did not take much time), I did my bit of Diwali at home, with the usual cleaning, cooking, decorations, pooja etc.

The grand finale was a potluck dinner at another friend's house, where we got together and burst crackers and ate a lot of yummy food. Inspite of the all the cacophony created by the kids, we still managed to have a great time.

All this fun when I had not planned a thing !!!

Moral of the story - It pays to go with the flow and take things as they come :))

Today, after a 4 day weekend and the last 2 days of Diwali high, life seems very empty and meaningless, and the usual routine of life seems even more daunting :((

That is what festivals are for, to bring some welcome change in our otherwise routine lives.

Are we not lucky to be in India ?? :))

Confusion....

2008-09-21T01:15:00.002+05:30

Sometimes confusion is better than clarity. It doesn't hurt as much.

Life is not fair, but it can be fabulous

2008-07-26T17:44:00.002+05:30

Demanding fairness from the universe is a debilitating waste of effort, says Karen Sentio

Read here

The faster we learn this, the better for us.

Dave Barry on Cosmopolitan

2008-07-22T22:54:00.003+05:30

A hilarious Dave Barry classic - take on Cosmopolitan magazine, which a friend of mine mailed me recently. Could's resist putting it here. I used to be a regular Cosmo reader once (for some reason then it seemed very "in" and "upmarket" thing then).

I feel this is the one of the best ways in which the mag can be described....Read on.....

When I'm in the supermarket checkout line, I always look at Cosmopolitan magazine to see if the editors have made any progress in their ongoing effort to figure out men. I'm sure you're familiar with Cosmopolitan ("Fun-Fearless-Female"). It's the one with the cover that always has a picture of a woman who looks as though she has a prestigious and rewarding executive career as a hooker.

Roughly half the articles in Cosmopolitan are devoted to explaining how you, the Cosmo reader, can make yourself look like the cover model. All you have to do is follow the two-step Cosmo Beauty Regimen:
STEP ONE: Using a combination of fun and fearless beauty procedures such as the Eyebrow Yank, the Hot Wax Torture, the Hydrochloric Acid Skin Peel, the Hoover Vacuum Home Spleen Removal, the Cage of Thigh-Eating Wolverines and the Industrial Drain Cleaner Enema, you remove all of the physical elements that make you unattractive, such as your fat, hair, skin, fingerprints and internal organs. At this point, you are essentially a skeleton with eyeballs, or, to put it another way, Ally McBeal.
STEP TWO: You smear your entire self with a complex system of foundations, bases, creams, lotions, gels, powders, moisturizers, conditioners, mousses, sprays, mascaras, eyeliners, lip glosses, enzymes, lacquers, organic papaya-enhanced roofing tars, etc., until you are encased inside an impenetrable layer of beauty products thick enough that there is no way for anybody to tell, without giving you a CAT scan, what you actually look like. You could be a Shetland pony under there.
Once you have achieved this fun and female "look," it's time for you to get started on the other topic that is discussed endlessly in Cosmopolitan: Figuring out what men want. It's a tough one!
Cosmopolitan editors wrestle with it day and night, and they're constantly announcing new breakthroughs. Pick up any issue, and you'll see articles like:
"23 Ways to Drive Him Wild in Bed!"
"127 Ways to Make Him Want to Get Naked Right in the Foyer!"
"387 Ways to Make Him Completely Lose Biological Control of Himself While He Is Still in the Driveway"
Over the decades, Cosmopolitan has printed literally thousands of sure-fire techniques for driving men insane with passion. If these techniques actually worked, by now the entire male population of the United States would have been wiped out by lust, literally exploding into little mushroom clouds of vaporized bodily fluids. But this has not happened, except in the case of President Clinton.
The problem, I think, is that Cosmopolitan is making this issue way more complicated than it actually is. I mean, we're talking about MEN here. You don't need rocket science to drive them wild in bed. All you need to do is to get in there with them Or, leave them alone for a while.
Because men don't need much. Using a complex, sophisticated technique to get a man excited is like preparing a gourmet French meal for a Labrador retriever. So I think Cosmopolitan is trying too hard. In fact, it may be doing women more harm than good. For example, the August issue has a feature titled "What to Say to Make Him Ache for You-Whisper these frisky phrases if you wish to drive him wild."
One of the frisky phrases Cosmopolitan advises you to whisper to men is - really - "We'd better hurry home, because at midnight I turn into a vixen."This frisky phrase might actually alarm the man, especially if he knows that the dictionary defines "vixen" as "an ill-tempered, shrewish woman."Basically, you're telling the man he could suddenly find himself in bed with Lorena Bobbitt.
Another frisky phrase suggested by Cosmopolitan is - get ready -"My bikini waxer went a little overboard." Listen, women: If you actually say those words to a man, he's going to assume you want him to take you to the emergency room.
So my advice to the editors of Cosmopolitan is: Just drop this subject for a while. Trust me: even without technical advice from you, your women readers will have no trouble getting men excited, as long as the men are aware (and believe me, they are) that the women, underneath their clothes, are not wearing clothes.
And consider this: If you Cosmopolitan editors stopped obsessing about men, you could focus your brainpower on the Middle East peace process, health care, Social Security or the federal budget surplus.I bet you could give us some important insights into these issues! Or at least tell us how to drive them wild in bed.

Dave Barry

Washington Post Magazine

Flowers....

2008-07-10T18:50:00.007+05:30

Shot by me, using my Canon S3 IS.

The mauve ones are really small flowers which grow in the grass. The out of focus green background helped to accentuate the color of the flowers.

This one is a Marigold in full bloom.

Pretty, aren't they??

Planting trees...

2008-07-10T18:21:00.005+05:30

For someone like me, whose hands age on a laptop keyboard in an air-conditioned office, planting trees was a much more different experience than I had thought :
- It's not as glamoruous as it looks (unless you are a Page 3 persona, where you just need to sprinkle some mud in the end and pose for the camera)
- Digging takes a lot more strength than you thought it would.
- There could be earthworms and ants in the mud (you realise their existence only when you see them).

Maybe that's the reason there are few takers for the "afforestation" drives.

Or maybe, we have become too much of city people and disconnected from nature :((

Future....

2008-07-02T20:11:00.000+05:30

The future looks clouded....

There is too much of past....

Uncertainity....

2008-07-01T20:13:00.002+05:30

Just when you start thinking you have it, its goes away.

And the uncertainity prevails....

Anniversaries

2008-06-30T19:33:00.001+05:30

Wish you could never forget the good ones....

and never ever remember the bad ones....

Alas...its only a wish !!!

More....

2008-06-28T00:55:00.001+05:30

The more you get...the more you want....

Drive away....

2008-06-23T00:05:00.003+05:30

Light shower

Cool breeze

Empty roads

Kishore Kumar songs

Sometimes, getting behind the wheel can be truly enjoyable....even in Bangalore. Like tonight.

Rare but true.

On vegetarianism

2008-06-23T00:03:00.000+05:30

"Now I can look at you in peace; I don't eat you anymore."
-- Franz Kafka
(while looking at the fishes in his aquarium)

Blind

2008-06-20T00:01:00.001+05:30

Love is blind....and that is the only reason for its existence....

One simple act

2008-06-14T18:33:00.001+05:30

Sometimes, one simple act of ours can change the way a person looks at life...forever.

*** and the City

2008-06-14T18:19:00.004+05:30

I don't care what the men have to say, but I am dying to see the movie "*** and the City". I used to enjoy the serials too.

So the plan is to go for this chick flick with female friends from college days.

They should also make a all male movie on the same lines, 4 good looking single men staying in Manhattan. My choice of cast would be

- Pierce Brosnan
- Brad Pitt
- George Clooney
- Johnny Depp

Wow !!! What a movie it would be !!!

Moustache vs Women

2008-05-19T23:30:00.001+05:30

Q : What's the difference between Moustache and Women?

A : You can stroke your Mush in public :)

- Contributed by "Anonymously C"

"Run"away groom

2008-05-18T23:17:00.002+05:30

One of the participants of the Bangalore Sunfeast 10K run, which was held today.

Any takers??

No-thing?

2008-05-17T00:52:00.003+05:30

Sometimes, nothing is better than "something".

Isn't it??

P.S - Thanks C, for inspiring the above in me.

Most "undateable" Brit

2008-05-14T23:23:00.005+05:30

This sounds seriously sad.

Dunno what he means by
"In all, it was great to meet my ex-girlfriends over the years. It made me realise I've hurt some really nice girls but I think it all worked out OK in the end”

Worked out OK??????

Dead vs Dying

2008-05-14T01:35:00.003+05:30

A dead relationship is far better than a dying one.

The dead one spares you the agony of hopes and disappointments.

There was something about May

2008-05-03T19:02:00.003+05:30

.......summer holidays
.......afternoon naps
.......long evenings under the starlit sky
.......reading books late into the night
.......cold showers
.......mangoes and mangoes
All this was long ago.

Now, May is just another month....and life goes on

Lance the Runner

2008-04-25T22:41:00.002+05:30

Did you do a double take of the title? Wondering if I erred there?

Actually, I haven't. Yes, that's what Lance Armstrong is doing these days...running.

Last week, he ran the Boston marathon and finished in 2:50:58 hours, breaking his own goal of 3 hours.

I am really not into sports (if you have been following my blog, you would know by now). However this impressed me enough to share it with everyone.

Just reminds you its never too late to start anything.

"Pretty Woman"...Trivia and Mistakes

2008-04-24T10:47:00.003+05:30

This is definitely one of those evergreen movies, which you can watch again anad again and again.

I caught it on Star Movies yesterday.

If you like the movie as much as I do, these trivia and mistakes during filming the movie would definitely interest you.

Have fun.

The Queen

2008-04-22T23:16:00.001+05:30

Queen Victoria.

Shot by me.

Isn't she majestic ?

Facts vs Fiction

2008-04-22T22:25:00.004+05:30

I was watching "1942 - A Love Story" today (I picked up this movie a few days back along with a couple of others, from a bookstore a few days back).

If you have seen the movie, you would know that its a love story set in the backdrop of the Indian freedom struggle. The plot revolves around the assassination of the atrocious General Douglas, by the freedom fighters. The movie predictably ends with his death.
I have seen this movie earlier and liked it a lot, which is why I decided to have a copy in my movie collection. This time too, I enjoyed the film.

Curiosity got the better of me and I googled on General Douglas and the events surrounding his death. Of course I did not expect the full drama which was portrayed in the movie, to be documented somewhere. I was however hoping for the correctness in the year of his death (1942) and the place (Kasauli). My search got me none of these. The General Douglas shown in the movie actually died in 1964 and definitely not in Kasauli.

This led me to wonder if historical facts, like the year of death of a well-known figure, are allowed to be contorted by movies, under the disclaimer of the movie being a work of fiction.

How much of fact can fiction have?

Kiss therapy

2008-02-18T22:40:00.003+05:30

They say a "kiss" has amazing powers. Even if its by fishes :))

Apparently the Chinese do believe in the getting their skin blues kissed away by fishes. Check out the pictures here

Looks very creepy to me !!!

Finally arrested...

2008-02-13T17:16:00.000+05:30

Am happy. With the arrest.

Why did this take so long??

Here comes another bubble.....

2007-12-10T18:30:00.000+05:30

Check this out on YouTube. Adear friend sent this to me.

Here comes another bubble

News overkill

2007-07-30T21:08:00.000+05:30

Some of the news trivia surrounding Dr Haneef's return to Bangalore as seen on one of the news channels on TV

There is an atmosphere of celebration in Dr Haneef's residence.

But of course !!!

Haneef's wife, Firdous Arshiya decked up to meet her husband.

Is this supposed to be of interest to the viewers??

Chicken biriyani has been prepared to welcome his return.

OMG !!! Gimme a break !!!!

Am sure this is not the end of things.....there definitely is more.

News reading has come a long way indeed...from the serious broadcasts of Doordarshan in black and white, to this over colorful and over public nature of events.

Wonder what's next ??
What should be the right balance

Music and more

2007-07-28T23:40:00.000+05:30

I just finished watching "Phir Teri Kahani Yaad Aayee" ...... and as always I was moved by the music in the movie.

The songs are beautiful.....penned by lyricists Kaifi Azmi, Qateel Shafai and Zameer Kazmi....directed by Anu Mallik.

Timeless tunes, I would say. The movie went unnoticed but the music was pretty successful when the movie was released in 1993. A classic example of one of those movies who go into history only because of the songs.

I enjoy music....but am not the types who keeps track of who directed the music of my favorite songs. So I was pleasantly surprised when I found out that the songs of this particualr movie was directed by none other than Anu Mallik.

For the kind of songs Anu Mallik is coming up with in the past few years, and for all the "inspiration" he seems to draw from songs all over the world to give music to his own....maybe he does have some talent. Wish he would use his talent more and not just stick with "make what sells" kind of music.

Rajni Can :))

2007-07-26T20:15:00.001+05:30

Last Friday...I saw "Sivaji" finally.

I had been planning to see this movie since it was released, out of sheer curiosity, after hearing and reading about the mania around its release.

Three of us went for the movie...one knew Tamil very well, one knew Tamil partly and me...I do not know Tamil at all :)

Fortunately, the story was easy enough to understand and follow, though of course I could not follow the dialogues. There were times I felt that the movie has been made to suit Rajnikant and not the other way round, which probably could be true.

On the whole I found the movie okay......the story that is. I loved the songs..... especially "Sahana...."(downloaded the songs the very next day). I liked the sets and the picturisation of the songs (Shreya looks very pretty).

I did not find Rajnikant very good till he reappears after his death with shaved head and beard (new style....never saw that before). I loved him after that. I think he was much more comfortable with that part of his role than the earlier one. I could finally relate to the mass hysteria surrounding him and his movies.

I have heard he has acted in some really good movies where his true acting talents have been tapped. Hopefully, would get to see some of these movies in future as well !!!

Pottermania

2007-07-26T20:06:00.000+05:30

I have strongly come to believe that there will never be dearth of surprises in this world. The mania around "Harry Potter and The Deathly Gallows" is unbelievable.

Potter fans, both young and old, queued up outside book stores since midnight to lay hands on the book

Apparently, the sale of the book has broken all previous records in India.

Frankly I only heard of people queuing up like this for either train reservations or for US visa interviews. This definitely beats everything hands down.

Just wondering.....will I ever line up outside a book store at midnight to buy a book?????

Wah Taj !!!

2007-07-15T20:41:00.000+05:30

The entire nation recently celebrated the inclusion of Taj Mahal in the list of new 7 wonders of the world, in a ceremony in Lisbon on the just the right date 07/07/07.

I recently visited Taj Mahal in Feb, as part of a short tour of North India, which I have been promising to write about in my blog for quite some time :).

This was my first visit to the world famous monument.

Yes, I loved the place.

What struck me was the sense of peace which I felt there. It was kind of unexpected, but the serenity of the place was overwhelming, inspite of the milling crowd. Maybe it was because of the white marble. I just did not feel like walking out the place.

Surprisingly, the entrance to this world famous place is very unassuming. You need to pass a series of extremely narrow roads before you reach the gate where the entry tickets are sold. I think I entered through the east gate. Inspite of the fact that these narrow roads were outlined with shops selling souvenirs for tourists, I was still not sure if I had come to the right place. I was unsure even when I entered the gardens shielding Taj by high walls. Then suddenly I entered a huge arched gateway and there it was. I felt a shiver of excitement run through me, for setting my eyes on the Taj Mahal for the first time in my life, and also at the realisation that I had not lost my way :))

Just after passing the arched gateway, lies the "famous bench" where everyone who visits Taj gets their photo clicked with the Taj in the background.

The inner sanctum of the Taj has a foul smell to it. I was surprised because there is ample air flow inside because of the carved marble panels forming the walls. It is difficult to stay inside for a long time. More than that, it is very disappointing. Come on !!! The last thing you want to be greeted with, when you enter Taj Mahal is foul smell !!!! Its time something is done about it, especially with Taj being in the new list, and the new increased tourist activity.

It was evening time and the place was full of tourists. Photography was at the top of everyone's mind. People were trying to capture the monument in various creative ways, e.g, there were many lying prostrate in front of the small water body in the front garden, trying to capture the reflection on water. Others would pass by, first wondering what was going on, and later joining the activity :)

Anyway, I walked around and spent as much time as I could there till darkness set in. I would love to visit this place again and spend more time if possible.

I have been travelling.....

2007-03-06T19:26:00.000+05:30

For the past 2 weeks...To Delhi, Agra, Rishikesh, Amritsar.....Saw quite a few places and would love to talk about them...

And as a result of which you will soon see some travelogues up here...

Hopefully, the two week break will help me put an end to my blogging break and put some life back on this page.

Will be back soon !!!

Christmas quote

2006-12-25T16:50:00.000+05:30

What do you call people who are afraid of Santa Claus?
Claustrophobic. :))

~ Unknown

Cheers to longer life !!!

2006-12-25T16:36:00.000+05:30

Want to live long? Say cheers !!!!

Its too good to be true, isn't it ?? :)

The time is now....

2006-12-20T02:03:00.000+05:30

It is 9:58 and it is now. Tomororw at 3:00 it will be now. On my deathbed it will still be now. Since it will always be now, learning to respond to now is the only thing there is to learn.

- From "Notes to Myself" by Hugh Prather

From "online" to "offline" matchmaking

2006-11-06T22:01:00.000+05:30

They say the world is round...and hence everything comes back.

After the initial euphoria of online dating died down, what people mostly experienced was disillusionment and in many cases deceit.

Hence back to the age of matchmakers

A very wise move I would say :)