Whimsical and Quixotic..

26 Days

2011-07-16T11:07:00.000-07:00

26 days of wondering and waiting
26 days of not getting my hopes up.. and failing
26 days of delight and awe
26 days of making dreams come true
26 days of planning and thinking
26 days of secretive smiles
26 days of being good
26 days of ribbing and laughter
2 days of worry
2 days of pain
A lifetime of memories
No regrets. Ever.

Happy New Year

2010-12-31T02:28:00.000-08:00

On the last day of a fabulous decade.

A decade where I grew up but stayed playful, got older but remained naive, matured as a person and also got pickled, got educated but continued to learn, earned a salary and blew it all up, made some incredible friends and lost some as well, found and lost and found love again.

Much love to my family and friends - they are the cocoa and sugar to my dessert! Yes, Nishant is the nut.

Emperor - A Review

2010-11-19T03:19:00.000-08:00

The Landmark sale convinced me to try the first of the Emperor series written by ex-history teacher Conn Iggulden - The Gates of Rome. A big fan of Robert Harris and his Imperium, I was especially fascinated with the struggle between Dictatorship and Republic in Ancient Rome. The more erudite of readers can probably draw parallels with modern-day politics but I just enjoyed reading about Cicero and his life as told by Tiro. The follow-up Lustrum wasn't as gripping and suffice to say, I'm not panting at the bit for his final book in the trilogy. At the same time, I liked Robert Harris's unusual depiction of that famous Roman Julius Caesar and the Emperor series seemed to paint a different yet similar picture.

So when I raced through, The Gates of Rome, I quickly bought the other 3 books in the series (at full price) and settled down to pace myself through them. Emperor takes one through the life and times of Gaius Julius Caesar - from his childhood to his exile, triumphs in Gaul, Britain and even his time in Egypt. The author's detailed description of army maneuvers are gripping and I suspect will be the mainstay of the movie (rights to which have been picked up already) but the more interesting (for me, anyway) parts of the books is the complicated relationship between Caesar and Brutus culminating in that famous phrase - Et tu, Brutus? It is an unusual and ambiguous depiction of a friendship-cum-enimity where love and hate blur together and jealousy and awe jostle for supremacy. The stark contrast tugs at our heart strings especially when one quickly re-reads the first chapter of the first book after completing the final book. No surprise that while the author plans to write a fifth book, I would be happier if the series was left as is.

Advice columns

2010-10-07T23:31:00.000-07:00

So I have a guilty pleasure.
I enjoy reading advice columns in newspapers and magazines. Not the sleazy sex columns where every man seems to write in about the same thing. Ugh.
No, I enjoy reading what people write in, asking for advice to their personal problems. Maybe I get a kick out of trying to imagine what my advice would be and giggling when I'm off-base (Hey if Pooja Bedi can do it...). The problem is that the main paper I read doesn't have this kind of a column and I'll be damned if I go spend Rs. 100 just to satisfy my idle curiosity.
So I hit the motherlode the other day via an accidental link to Dear Prudence in Slate Magazine and then her archive section. I waded through all of 2010 columns including the live chat which often ran into multiple pages and enjoyed myself immensely. Between the Bridezilla mails and the one about etiquette (how long can I put off writing thank you notes etc), I also noticed a lot of mails about hurt feelings caused by friends and family members. Whether it was the mother-in-law who displays a wedding photo (without the bride - her DIL - in it) or the friend who doesn't invite her closest friend for her wedding / party / house-warming; the mails all spoke about people who have hurt the writer's feelings in some way making him / her (oh, alright they were mostly female) bitter and angry. While the advice columnist (sanely) told the writers to either speak up or shut up, I got thinking.
As someone who often gets foot-in-mouth disease and then worries her apologies sounds insincere, I also know that many-a-times people have no clue that what they've said may have come off as hurtful. While often, the recepient is too stunned to respond (hey its happened to me too - I was just flabbergasted that someone could be so rude! And to me no less!), I also think people should be called out on their gaffes immediately, if not soon after. No way should it fester and weigh on someone's mind and then erupt in a totally inappropriate time on the clueless, albeit rude person. Of course, if there is malice involved, an apology may not be forthcoming but at least you got it off your chest and sounded assertive too.
Now I just re-read this post and I think I am sounding a lot like Prudence so am jazzing off. Not to read all the columns of 2009 :)

Family Matters!

2010-09-30T21:41:00.000-07:00

Its been about 3 months since my last post. A post where I promised to myself that I would write at least once a month. I could make a dozen excuses enumerating how strange and different the time has been but I have no patience with specious reasons especially my own.

Instead I will simply write the post. A prosaic (though not poetic) solution.

So I have enough time to do some reading these days catching up on books both good and bad. People often find my reading habits strange. I remember a senior in school being non-plussed to see my name in both Isaac Asimov as well as Agatha Christie books in the library (written on the borrowing cards, not the pages of the books!) after having caught me with a Mills & Boon as well as pontificating on Ayn Rand. Anyway, my guilty pleasure these days is Regency romances (long enough to last, happy endings to suit romantic me) but after amassing many of these, I decided to pick another book of a different sort.

Enter Family Matters by Rohinton Mistry. A tale of a Parsi family and the illness of the patriarch, the book looks heavy (the hardback didn't help) but makes for easy reading. On of the themes (Parsi - non-Parsi romance) intrigued me while the who-will-take-care-of-the-ill-father struck a chord. However, Mistry's prose is light and doesn't dwell on the sadness of the story (though the description of the partiarch's affliction of Parkinson moved me). Even the subtle Shiv Sena-RSS sub-plot is well handled but doesn't overwhelm the reader, instead leaving silent questions for us. I especially enjoyed the deft descriptions of the Parsi religion and a provoking thought at how willingly we ignore religions unfamiliar to us. But in the end, what really works for the book is the engaging story and the way it draws us into the quiet life of a Parsi family in Mumbai (not Bombay). And in the end isn't that what a good book (whatever the genre) is supposed to be - A Jolly Good Read?

Textbook Romance

2010-06-24T08:03:00.000-07:00

As we walked down the streets of Paris, S questioned the city's reputation of being the most romantic city in the world. Perhaps I was merely tired and foot-sore after walking what seemed like a million miles all over Versailles, but I agreed with her. It was damp, cold and everybody spoke a strange language. And then we looked up and gasped. The Eiffel Tower! All lit up at night..

As we excitedly posed in front of the Tower (in every possible combination), we marvelled at the feat of engineering and the beauty of the design. Simple, elegant lines wrought of metal lit by glowing bulbs; flashing intermittently and drawing everyone's eyes.. Gorgeous.. and yet, I still didn't see how Paris could be all that romantic a city.

So we went on our way exploring Paris as all tourists do.. walking down the Champs de Elysses, admiring the glass pyramid at the Louvre, lazing in the chairs at the Jardin Tuillieres and taking pictures everywhere. Even the pretty little terrace at our cozy hotel room didn't inspire me to poetry!

Until the next night when, after going up and down the Eiffel Tower, my husband walked me across the river to the Palais de Chaillot. As he cuddled me, I enjoyed my chocolate crepes on the steps and gazed across the Seine to the Eiffel Tower.. it hit me.. this was easily one of the most romantic moments of our lives... and some of my cynicism faded. Paris may not be the most romantic cities is the world for me but boy, it sure comes close!

Anti-Social Media

2010-06-09T22:35:00.000-07:00

It feels very strange to be posting a blog after so long.. Not just because I'm out of practice but because sometimes I catch myself composing a particular sentence to use. Maybe I just find myself thinking almost exactly as I would write.. I frame amusing lines, find funny jokes, google what I want to explain.. And then I either tweet ir or post it on Facebook..
So is social networking the end of blogging? Not for other people.. Some have found a simple solution.. Write a post and their link is their status.. A few clicks is ensured..especially if the heading is provocative enough.. Hey, I may sound derisive but it requires real discipline to control that snappy one-liner and instead write a warm, funny blog post.
But the ones I reall envy are those who have this great imagination.. They continue to post some really funny stuff on Twitter and Facebook, while still writing amazing content on their blog. Sure, some are journalist so they're already at an advantage but what about the others.. They have a day job which they slog away at, keep their followers amused with hilarious tweets and give us something to think about in their blog post as well.. I think I'm rambling now..
But I know I want to write and for that I cannot use social media as an excuse.. Thus, I make a promise - to myself as I doubt anyone reads this except by accident - to try and write at least once a month. Movie reviews, book reviews, random jokes, funny pictures.. Something which I want to share.. And not on twitter or FB..

Lonesome

2009-10-25T08:28:00.000-07:00

Are you lonesome tonight...
Its fitting perhaps that I finally write a post after so many days the night I'm home alone..
Ah well, watching Dil Chahta Hai on TV, it struck me that some of our favourite movies are coming-of-age movies. Whether its Wake Up Sid or Rang De Basanti, the films that touch us and move us usually are about ordinary people understanding themselves better. I think its because it reminds us of our carefree days while reassuring us that the fact that we're so stuck-in-mud serious now is totally ok. After all if Hritik in Lakshya can do well in the army while still looking good in the uniform, we can still let down our hair (as long as its Saturday night and boss won't fix a meeting Sunday)...

Gulp!

2009-06-05T00:44:00.000-07:00

Why did you look? Why do you always have to look?

I love watching horror movies. Even when I’m terrified and I know I will not get any sleep that night, I have to see it. It’s a morbid curiosity that eggs me on; that makes me peek through eyes that closed shut when the last chump was murdered; that makes a shiver go down my spine when the spooky background music reaches a crescendo

Even as far back as a kid, I remember quite clearly hiding behind the curtain when we were watching the Invisible Man. The whole ‘I can’t see him’ gag was wasted on me as I found the movie quite scary. Granted I was about 6 at the time and someone jumping out from behind a door yelling Boo was the most terrifying thing to ever happen to me, I do remember peeking out from behind the curtain, my eyes tightly shut and then slowly trying to see what was going on.

This ‘watching-when-one-shouldn’t’ tendency isn’t just restricted to me. It also seems to afflict the characters in horror movies. I mean, ok I watch horror flicks but if the light goes out in my house during a stormy night and my torch isn’t working, I would have more sense than to go exploring in the basement!

Of course, I have no sense of judgement when it comes to horror movies watching Hindi and English, well-known and obscure directors, older clunkier versions and newer fancier films with equal trepidation-cum-anticipation. Whether its Vaastushastra or Rakht, The Village or Dawn of the Dead, Scream or Final Destination, I watch it all! The best part of my appreciation for all things scary is that even movies with spooky scenes like The Sixth Sense send me into delicious shivers and keep me at the edge of my seat.

My favourite scary movie is undoubtedly The Ring (the English version) – the first of my adult forays into late-night shows. I saw the movie at a late-night show wanting to preserve the atmosphere but paid the price when I stayed up (after the movie, from 1:30 am to 5 am) all night in case a girl crept into the room via a videotape. Other movies I re-call giving a good fright are Identity (the ending is brilliant) and Saw (simply brutal).

This multiplex-producer strike must end!

Au Revoir!

2009-04-22T04:47:00.000-07:00

The last time I left Bangalore, I wrote farewell, never imagining that in less than a year I would be back in the Garden City. I am older and wiser so this time – I say “Never say never”.
But I will miss this city which has been my home for the past 13 months.
I will miss my cousin V who I got to know better and beyond multiplication tables. I will miss S and K who now have a new angel S to play with. Once again I will miss I who happens to be in Amsterdam this time and not Paris (globe trotting ******!)

After almost 3 years of not drinking beer, I will miss my girl gang and all my other colleagues who made office a whole lot of fun.

I will miss all the movie-watching in Fame but I will not miss their awful caramel popcorn
I will miss the pocket friendly tickets at Fun but I will not miss their giddy parking
I will miss my car but not the traffic or the Ring Road
I will miss the MAC shop and the second-hand book stores

I will miss Cornerhouse which sprouted a franchisee near my place prompting many a late night sprint for some Choco Nut Sundae

Totally too much!

2009-03-24T03:34:00.001-07:00

Hilarious video to a very catchy song.. imagine there are people who haven't seen this yet!

The Original Cuppycake Video

2009-03-09T04:22:00.001-07:00

What an adorable tune.. Listen, re-play and sing along...

Appalling

2009-02-09T01:28:00.000-08:00

So this is childish and perhaps not very subtle.. but it makes my stand (and feelings) on the whole 'pub culture' hullabaloo quite clear

Great Expectations

2009-01-27T02:47:00.000-08:00

Has anyone ever heard of a book called Q&A? Unlikely. Ever heard of a phenomenon called Slumdog Millionaire? You would have to be insanely ignorant not to have! Vikas Swarup’s engaging book released in the aftermath of Amitabh Bachchan’s KBC was shown to me by N and I quickly read it. While a pleasant read and the technique of splitting each chapter by the questions necessary to ply the game, it didn’t seem to have a story capable of being translated into a full-length movie. Apparently Danny Boyle doesn’t agree. He takes the book and skims through it and then proceeds to throw it away and make the movie. Many crucial parts of the book (the duplicity of the channel, the brutality of the police, the sheer disbelief of seeing a slum-dweller on TV) are swallowed whole while more attention is given to the love story and the depressing under-belly of India. The cast is superb – the kids deserve special mention for their absolute believability – and Anil Kapoor and Irrfan Khan are suitably nasty. Adult Jamal, Latika fall short of the standard set by Adult Salim and it is he who is most engaging as the story progresses. I watched the film to satisfy my curiosity but if we win any Oscars (apart from Rahman’s who’s score is outstanding), I will be very surpised.

'Tis a burden to be Aamir Khan in India. Every movie you make is held up for scrutiny and judged by standards way above the average film. Whether it is the fans or the critics – everything is surrounded by hoopla and a lot of unwanted opinions. Of course, Aamir being Aamir, he decides to cash in on it and makes Ghajini the biggest grossing weekend movie in some time. I saw this movie in Mumbai on the eve of the New Year and perhaps seeing it alone tainted my perspective. Perhaps it was the sheer length of the movie (3 hours and counting) that baffled me. Or the fact that while the average ticket price in Bangalore for a movie is 150 (even a PVR charges about 200), Ghajini tickets were priced at 300 for the initial weekend of its release. Any which way, I felt very let down. The plot was threadbare and while this may work for most movies, the whole revenge-while-being-mental felt a little dated. This is a man who gave us TZP and Lagaan and even with lemons like Mangal Pandey, always re-written the rules of what a Bollywood movie can be. While SRK sticks to the formula and wins, Aamir goes against the formula and wins and earns my respect everytime. Not this time. Ghajini is a disappointment in many ways and did not move me. At all.

memories

2009-01-19T01:10:00.000-08:00

A song half remembered
A tune hummed just out of sight
A book read so long ago that you wonder why
That scent of perfume that nags at you all day
A shop that makes you want to browse
A feeling you wish you could recapture
An anticipation you never ant to end
A touch you wish had never begun
A color that takes you down memory lane
A voice you could listen to forever
A party you want to repeat every weekend
A memory too precious to write down

Arrogance

2008-12-26T03:17:00.000-08:00

After going movie-less for a whole month, it was manna to be able to take in 2 movies in 2 days.

Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi was an interesting movie to look forward to since Aditya Chopra was returning to direction after so many years. DDLJ is a movie I really adored and I still pause whenever I come across it on TV while Mohabbatein was an awful awful movie. The biggest plus for RNBDJ is that it is closer to DDLJ than to Mohabbatein. And of course it has SRK who finally seems to be flexing his acting muscles. From the giggly Baazigar, SRK has essayed more intriguing roles with films like Swades, Chak De (while sticking to commercial Rahul / Raj mold in OSO, KANK) but here he seems to be combining the two. As shy Surinder wooing his broken-hearted wife, he paints a fascinating picture of the common man to rival R.K. Laxman. Unfortunately, he is the only saving grace of the movie with his insipid wife and irritating alter-ego making one want to scream with annoyance. And perhaps what is most displeasing is the sheer male arrogance where a woman’s gratitude magically becomes love and overcomes poor styling for a virtuous happy ending. Not to mention, the over-reliance on Rab for everything under the sun got my goat. I fear Aditya Chopra lives in DDLJ-land and is completely out of sync with today’s love stories. Or maybe he’s a marketing genius for making all of us long to live in his picture-perfect small town.

Dostana was seen almost a month after its initial release and with friends having diametrically opposite opinions on it, it was a must-see. An excellent script and fabulous comic delivery from Abhishek means this movie is a hit for me. John Abraham’s body should have had a paean dedicated to it (and not half a song – he put Shilpa Shetty’s body to shame!) and he did a creditable job. Priyanka was a waste and it’s sad that one of her hits this year isn’t something she should put on her resume. Abhishek Bachchan is a delight (despite his tie-n-dye clothes) and his fake love story enactment with John in Venice is one of the most memorable scenes from the movie. Dostana is also the height of female arrogance where the lissome babe is totally unaware of her effect on her ‘best’ friends and would any girl really choose pathetic Bobby Deol over John and Abhishek? Come on!

For anyone who like his/her comedy dark and smarter than Adam Sandler, I heartily recommend Burn After Reading. George Clooney looks better and better and Brad Pitt cruises through his role. Favourite scene:when Pitt ‘blackmails’ Malkovich on the phone.

:)

2008-12-18T23:32:00.000-08:00

It might be cliched, it might be silly.. but I just can't seem to stop smiling for now..

Ball and Chain

2008-11-18T03:46:00.000-08:00

It is a common sight at airports everywhere but I have been forcefully reminded every weekend. Nearly every single passenger (including me) was carrying a laptop. I conjectured that the lovey dovey couple were newly weds making a quick trip home, the stern distinguished man was racing home after a business meeting, the tired looking parents with an energetic kid were visiting the in-laws and so on. But all of them had the ubiquitous black bag/briefcase bulging with a laptop. Sad isn't it that even on a weekend away, carrying the office laptop is mandatory - just in case. This weekend, on my way to to Shillong, I carefully put my laptop in the office cabinet and my personal Vaio in my wardrobe at home. My little bid for freedom

OD

2008-10-30T02:27:00.000-07:00

Goregaon East went hep with the opening of the Oberoi Mall and we spend our weekend there as well. Movie @ PVR, lunch /dinner @ KFC and browsing through Lifestyle, Debenhams, Mumbai Central, all the shops.. Sounds good - yes, well, we did it for 3 straight days! And after watching Body of Lies, Karzz and Roadside Romeo, we retired hurt..
Hoping for better with the release of Fashion and Golmaal Returns

Love is...

2008-10-24T04:27:00.000-07:00

I remember my parents having this absolutely adorable plaque-type thing with the 'Love is..' cartoon on it. I dug around a little (God bless Google) and found the info needed on Wikipedia (God bless Wiki as well). Turns out the comic strip was created by a NZ babe called Kim Grove who got the idea from making love notes for her husband. After her death, her son Stefano Casali continued the strip.
I think the most appealing part of the strip is the simplicity of the message and the fact that it makes one smile regardless of age or gender. I also love that the 2 main protagonists are adorably naked but obviously adult :)

For those who liked it, the official website is http://www.gocomics.com/loveis/

Just

2008-09-17T23:51:00.000-07:00

Back to the Theatre

2008-09-01T02:48:00.000-07:00

After a long hiatus, I watched two back-to-back movies and thoroughly enjoyed the experience. Of course, the best part was the caramel popcorn and the free lipstick and nail polish Amway was giving away as part of some promotional offer but the movies were decent too.
Bachna Ae Haseeno disappointed, especially since every single (female) friend had told me how good it was. I didn’t like Ranbir one bit and was continuously cheering every time someone took the mickey out of him. Minissha was extremely irritating and I really don’t think she deserved Kunal Kapoor! Deepika was a notch above; but her perfectly groomed exterior seemed a bit odd for a business school student with 2 part time jobs. The real scene stealer, according to me, was Bipasha. As the lean mean model, she was simply scorching and she got the best dialogues from the soggy second half – she got Ranbir removing nail polish from her feet!I am sure every girl was silently cheering her on. Another grouse was the movie wrapped up a little too fast so though that was good for running for my next show, I felt a bit cheated. Where was the angst, the agony, the tear-jerk ending?

Rock On was a little more paisa-vasool. The music was simply amazing and merged perfectly with the narrative; the way it never did while listening to it in the car. Farhan was a pleasant surprise while Arjun’s mostly silent performance was very intense. Purab as the fun-loving K.D. was adorable and ‘Debbie’ was very very good.. Prachi disappointed though she made an excellent clothes-horse and Luke Kenny seemed to sleepwalk through the movie. The movie was a good watch overall and I would recommend it despite the lazy editing. In fact, it was refreshing to see a good movie about a rock band without the usual drugs and loose women plotlines. A little too Bollywood perhaps but heck, who’s complaining.

For V and S

2008-08-29T04:35:00.000-07:00

We’re going to miss you…
..and the office will be strangely quiet.

Crazy Frog

2008-08-18T03:44:00.001-07:00

Just a 5 second snippet played in office triggered off memories of this insanely catchy tune and video which was a rage 2 years back. Surprisingly, I never liked any of the other videos or tunes of Crazy Frog. I remember showing this video to my mum and she liked it as well. The storyline for the video is that this big bad thing wants to get rid of the annoying frog and will do anything to achieve his evil end. Crazy Frog is one ugly piece of carbon but you find yourself rooting for him to escape even as he 'ding dings' with his toothy grin.
So sit back and watch The Most Annoying Thing in the world (No, not me!)

I love Istanbul!

2008-08-01T04:37:00.000-07:00

Another of the reasons I just love my company. After Malaysia and Thailand, our 'conference' this year was in Turkey! Despite the gruelling journey and a packed schedule, we managed to explore quite a bit of Istanbul.. I especially loved the whirling dervishes.. The guys, of course, were floored by the belly dancers and I couldn't get a decent snap because of the crowd next to the dance floor ;)
The cruise down the Bosphorus was incredibly appealing especially since it came after a rainy morning.. The two different sides to Istanbul (Asia on one side and Europe on the other) also made for a lovely contrasting effect. This picture, while of a modern day ship, got everyone talking about Pirates of the Carribean!

We got to see Aya Sofia square but could only explore Hagia Sophia in detail (complete with proper guide!). For the Blue Mosque, we snuck off from the main group to take some pictures and had to be content with viewing the other monuments en route only. I would have loved to spend a whole day walking through Sultanahmet..

Despite being rushed for time, us girls managed to shop in Grand Bazaar, which seemed like a magical Palika bazaar - complete with grumpy shopkeepers and flirtatious salesmen! I was entranced by this lamp shop and I wish I could set up a similar room in my home as well.

2008-07-22T03:24:00.000-07:00

Dashed off for a quick weekend to Pondicherry. What a sweet little town! Spent an enjoyable two days eating, shopping and enjoying the sea (or is it the bay?) Auroville is an interesting place and a must see for anyone visiting Pondy but I do confess – I spent more time shopping in the 3 boutiques than investigating the spirituality of the township.

Matrimandir is a splendid but am the only one who thinks it looks like an alien space shuttle? And I was a little disappointed that we couldn't go any closer or even inside. Ah well, maybe when I become an Aurovillian?

But the most spectacular part of the trip was sitting and watching the waves crashing onto the rocks – what beauty, what violence, what serenity – simply amazing!

Interlude -Jaane Tu..

2008-07-09T22:30:00.000-07:00

When I first saw the trailer for the movie, I was convinced that Jaane Tu.. would be just another teeny bopper, candy floss movie. The debutante Imran too has an uncanny resemblence to Faisal Khan - Aamir's ill-fated brother - which reminded me of the insanity that was Mela. But after being told by a number of people how good the movie was (esp compared to Love Story 2050) I decided to go watch it. The saga of watching it is a different story altogether. But I absolutely loved the movie!

Its fun, cute, hilarious, enjoyable and with 2-3 really good numbers and not one item number or any overt mention of sex or any Emran style kissing.. What's not to love?

The real star of the movie are the dialogues, the production and the editing. It takes you along and doesn't give you time to dwell on niggly details like Imran (im)mobile face and Genelia and Manjari's irritating acting. Naseruddin Shah and Ratna Pathak are hands down fabulous in their scenes together and everytime an actor starts singing (Jaane Tu in the beginning, Tu Hi Re by Rothlu, Jaane Tu in the end), you can't help giggling and then guffawing!

Imran is 100% star in the making and his chocolate boy looks seem great for his current age but unlike Shahid Khan, his bone structure indicates a very handsome old man too. None of the other kids stand out but then this is his star vehicle..

A definite must watch and then another watch..

American Saga - Part I

2008-07-04T04:52:00.000-07:00

Charlotte, North Carolina is a lovely piece of suburban America – totally wholesome and delightful. But yes, one does miss the occasional Indian face (since it is overwhelmingly American) and we didn’t see a single Asian taxi-driver either! My brother’s apartment is simply adorable and I adored the pretty flowers and garden just outside his door. What struck me was the apartment’s sheer self sufficiency (kudos to my brother as well) whereby it’s a joy to take care of the flat and live in it.
The neighborhood grocery store – mysteriously named Harris Teeter – was stunning for its sheer range of products. Even a Hypercity in Mumbai can’t beat it for the absolute number of brands available in any product category (though Harris Teeter is much smaller). I also got a good look at TiVo and believe me, I’ll be the first to queue when it launches in India. I got to see all my favorite shows – seasons ahead! – and recorded whatever I missed! American ads are a bit boring compared to our song-and-dance routines but they were surprisingly more intelligent. Of course, the absolute most fun thing was the shopping! Be it low cost Walmart or Target or the expensive (for us!) Macy’s – I went berserk buying whatever I could. Sigh, am quite sure I spent most of my dollars in Charlotte only..

Ahoy there!

2008-06-14T17:01:00.000-07:00

I never realised just how far the United States of America was till I travelled there by air! Phew, we're talking 30 hours of travelling including 3 flights and assorted waiting times and check-in time and baggae collection time. And let's not even get into getting over my fever (thanks to freezing flights) and jet-lag!
Still when I did recover it was to appreciate this country - a lot! First stop in this vacation is in Charlotte in North Carolina - not listed in Lonely Planet attractions but still genuine Americana.. Lots of space, well-behaved people, this city is very quiet and extremely polite!! I felt shy here saying Hi to every sales person who's shop I was window-shopping in.
But the best part is definitely eating and shopping! Tried Twinkies and grits and Cajun food as well as Wendy's and pancakes.. Shopping is making me wish I earned in $ and I think even that wouldn't help much :)
Took a weekend trip to Smoky Mountains and really enjoying the scenery and the weather.. Wow.. so much to see and so little time...

Ciao!

2008-06-08T07:04:00.000-07:00

I had planned a couple of posts based on books I had read recently - Daughter of Persia - and movies I had seen in the last 2 weeks - Indiana Jones, Narnia, 21, Sex and the City and Sarkar Raj.. but work and boredom intervened..
Now I'm off to the States and hope to post a little more frequently from there - Charlotte, Washington DC and NEW YORK CITY!!
Ahoy there :)

Americans are NOT stupid - WITH SUBTITLES

2008-05-09T02:46:00.001-07:00

Ohmigod- I'm inclined to think this is fake except Jay Leno did a similar section on the Tonight Show a few years back. I believe there are as many ill-informed (read stupid) people in America as there are in India or any other country.

Kasamh Se!!

2008-05-07T03:06:00.000-07:00

V and I were doing a little maths the other night while watching another episode of our love-to-hate soap Kasamh Se. The soap is about 3 sisters focussing on the eldest played by demure 19-year old Prachi Desai. Now she stood in for her younger sister during her marriage so we assume she started off being 19 years old on TV. (Her younger sister was supposed to be married to Mr. Walia and assuming legality, she would be 18 and her elder sister Bani at least 19). Now despite her new hubby furious at her deception, marital relations were still on (men!) so she has twins who die when they're 4 - yes, yes very sad. That takes her to 24 yrs. Then due to some scheming she gets banished from her hubby despite being pregnant with her daughter (Ganga for those who really want to know). There was some sort of time jump because we next see her when Ganga is about 6 and in school and all. Age check - 30 (we're giving her the benefit of one year less because she was enciente when she got thrown out. Ok, now she gets back together with her hubby (who's re-married by the by) and has another set of twins. Another generation gap and actress change and now we're 16 years ahead. So she should be 46.
Technically this role was to be played by the 19 year old Ekta Kapoor favourite but she's onto bigger things - namely Farhan Akhtar and Bollywood. The actress currently playing the role is TV veteran Gurdeep Kohli who is older at about 25 but definitely not 46!. Oh well, that's the way the cookie crumbles in Balaji-land. And let's not even get into how Mr. Walia (played by Ram Kapoor) ages in the serial since he was the older man (complete with white streak in hair) when Bani got hitched to him to begin with.

IPL Twenty20 Match

2008-05-04T23:50:00.001-07:00

360 degree experience of Royal Challengers vs Deccan Chargers at Chinnaswamy Stadium on 3rd May 2008

Challenged and Charged

2008-05-04T06:50:00.000-07:00

There are days I simply love my company and yesterday was one of them. No, I didn't get a raise.. I got tickets to our corporate box for an IPL Twenty20 match. Granted it was between the Royal Challengers and the Deccan Chargers - 2 teams who seem to be competing solely for the Fair Play award and granted than I almost sold my soul for the second ticket - it was still worth it. Chinnaswamy stadium was choc-a-block with people eager for some fun on a balmy Saturday afternoon. But we parted ways with the public when we swooshed up an elevator to the 4th floor where the corporate lounge was (oh la la!). It was a bit of a red light area with Kingfisher colors everywhere but it also looked very classy with PYTs dressed in red escorting us to our box. When we entered the box, the view was phenomenal! We were directly in front of the pitch facing the Force 1 model car and the Royal Challenge stage. The stadium was simply huge and branding was everywhere - I was hard-pressed to find a patch free of commercial branding. The stands were disappointingly empty but by the second innings when a Bangalore victory seemed probable, it filled up.

For me one of the funny (and silly) things that struck me was the time lag between the TV view and the actual play! It was kind of like when Harry Potter went for the Quidditch World Cup in GOF. Ok, ok - I'm a bit of a geek as well. Oh yes, I also sounded really smart (in front of the office gang) when I was clearly astounded when the bowler went to the other side to bowl every other over. Hey, it doesn't happen when you watch it on TV, you know. And it might be sour grapes, but I thought the hot cheerleaders were terribly unco-ordinated and disappointing. I wonder what they've been told - when the ball goes out of the field, its like a touchdown so dance like you mean it??!! <meow>

The free food and liquor was really cool though I hated the Zinzi champagne and I refused to drink the Romanov based cocktail - hey, I have standards you know!! But the choice of single malts, scotches and whiskey was truly luxurious..Then there was the fact that all the commentators went up and down the stairs bringing me that close to greats like Sunil Gavaskar, Ajay Jadeja and Rameez Raja (of course someone pointed him out to me - duh!)One of my favourite moments was when the crowd got really into the mood of the game and did the Mexican Wave - it sounds cheesy but it reflects the energy to a tee. To be totally honest, I didn't really care who won but the last over was rollicking and the fireworks that went off when the home team won was the perfect cap to a wonderful experience.

The Latino Comedy Project's

2008-05-02T08:01:00.001-07:00

Hilarious Spoof on one of my favourite movies ever! Sharing the video also spares me posting for a while :)

Timbaland - The Way I Are OFFICIAL MUSIC VIDEO

2008-04-10T05:37:00.001-07:00

Adore the beats on this song - not so sure about the video!

Vacation Time

2008-04-10T05:23:00.000-07:00

Its that time of the year again.. Family vacation time! Every year, mum, dad, brother and I get together (usually in Delhi) from 4 corners of the world - ok just four different cities - meet up.
Its lots of fun and generally consists of lots of food, shopping, parties and at least 1 fight! Can't wait..

Go to HAL

2008-03-28T23:23:00.000-07:00

There has been a lot of furore over the new airport in Bangalore. Numerous citizens have come out in full force against the closing of HAL airport saying it takes too long on crowded roads to get to the new airport. For my own part, I wasn't too fussed as the the new airport is marginally closer to my office and home - about 30 km. Unfortunately for me, I had to travel out of Bangalore last week. And boy was I in for a surprise.

After battling traffic for over an hour, I reached an airport that looked less than a airport and more of a railway station! Maybe I'm just spoiled after using Mumbai's newly re-furbished airport for almost a year but nothing could have prepared me for the absolute madness that is HAL airport. It is impossible to tell which gate to use to enter, the check-in counters fight for space, the security gates are choc-a-bloc and once you reach the boarding area, you struggle for a place to stand! I kid you not. Boarding gates change depending on which flights are late and which are not, causing serpentine queues of travellers to move en masse across gates. And trying to grab a quick bite before you board a no-frills airline (which charges you 100 rupees for a sandwich!) is next to impossible. Even my brand's scroller is lost among the crowd and I'm contemplating asking for a re-fund from my vendor!

My vote's now firmly for BIAL. Even if I have to travel 30 km to the airport, a trip which shouldn't take more than 30 minutes, at least I can relax once I reach BIAL!

And if my accurate description isn't enough, the news that a Kingfisher ATR had to crash land because it hit a jackal on the runway should make any Bangalorean opt for BIAL over HAL.

History on drip

2008-02-22T04:38:00.000-08:00

Phew what a week! Been loaded at work and when it seemed that my weekend was going to go the same way, decided enough was enough.
Bought a new phone - Nokia 5310 - a slim Xpress Music model. Despite everyone (who's opinion I value) telling me that Nokia's phones were going down the drain and reccomending everything from Sony-Ericsson and Motorola, I bought a Nokia. Don't know why but I learnt my lesson the first time around when I bought a non-Nokia phone. Just too used to the Nokia brand, I suppose and while people might say I'm being lazy, let's admit it, this is one brand that is almost intuitive in its interface. Anyway, decided to go with a blue phone (well, they didn't have pink!) and it looks quite snazzy! The only problem is that its so thin, I keep forgetting its in my pocket!
Also saw Jodha-Akbar, managing to squeeze in a show in the ubiquitous First Week - ok ok it was last day last show! And I really wish director-ji had stuck with the love angle and given the politics a kick. Ash and Hritik look dreamy and their chemistry is perfect - don't even bother listening to their dialogues! But what I really liked was the way the Rajputs spoke in perfect shudh Hindi and the Mughals lyrical Urdu - never mind that I was guessing most of the meaning. However, the second half is just soggy and my hand was itching for a fast-forward button. The battle sequences couldn't hold a candle to LOTR and I really wish they had stuck with good CGI instead of hilarious looking extras. All in all, worth and dekko but one needs a lot of patience for this movie.

Bah Humbug!

2008-02-15T04:23:00.000-08:00

I don't know why but Valentine's Day always brings out Scrooge-like tendencies in me. Don't get me wrong - I love receiving roses and chocolates and protestations of love delight a closet romantic like me. But I draw the line at dedicating love songs on air to some hither-to unknown person and soppy classifieds make me gag.
We celebrated Valentine's Day in office with a profusion of red and white balloons strung all over and roses to be given to the person whom one loves the most. Needless to say, I swiped two roses and they now reside on my very own desk! Meanwhile, we also scarfed down chocolates dutifully distributed by HR.
Oh well, wonder what we'll be doing on Good Friday.

Glitch in the Matrix

2008-02-05T22:01:00.000-08:00

Yes, its déjà vu time. I’m back in Bangalore again..I have such mixed feelings about this city. I’m not looking forward to the endless traffic jams (if I get the company car soon) or the haggling with the auto-wallahs (till I get the company car!) or the absolute helplessness when someone lapses into Kannada. At the same time, I still love the weather – can you believe it’s warm here while Mumbai was chilly! And I love that Cornerhouse is still around and my second-hand bookstore Bookworm should still be there. I can’t wait to pig out on the Brown Bomb dessert and spend the weekend happily browsing through piles of books. Ah and also to catch up on some much needed sleep! I actually wake up by 7:30 am and am in office before 9:30 am!! Shocking but true.. Will definitely miss Mumbai with its party places and gazillion movie theatres and yes, I’ll even miss the local trains! But its nice being back in a place one knows a little and reacquainting myself with all my favourite spots. And let’s face it – the languid pace of Bangalore has always been more my style than Manic Mumbai.

Must Try

2008-01-12T01:01:00.000-08:00

This is a really wonderful site where apparently for every word you get right in the vocab test, 20 grains of rice is donated to help end World Hunger. Best part - it marks your vocab level as well. The top level would be 50 but the highest people have gone is 48. Me - I'm still languishing at about 43 with a mixture of guesswork and actual knowledge. Gah!

Milestones

2007-12-29T02:59:00.000-08:00

This is my 50th post (on this blog anyway) and will also be my last post (this year anyway!)
2007 has been one crazy year. Everything that could have happened, happened.. And 2008 should be equally insane. Since I like things quiet and routine I'm not really sure why I'm looking forward to the new year.
I guess, its just the feeling of anticipation and promise that a new year always brings. Whether I'm sitting home relaxing with some white wine or partying up a storm outside, a new year always feels good. Its like the feeling one gets at a good movie just before the credits roll - a sudden thrill and clenching of the stomach muscles and the thought running through your head "This should be good"
Happy New Year!

(Un)Scary Movie(s)

2007-12-21T05:31:00.000-08:00

Last weekend, we decided to do a movie marathon focussing on only horro movies. Ok, ok we didn't decide any such thing. After scarfing down free drinks and food at a 5 star, we watched The Hills Have Eyes at home. I was the only one cringing with terror but then I was also the only sober person around. But then again, the movie wasn't that scary.. Anyway, then I got the idea of watching all the so-called scary movies that premiered last Friday. So we sat through 1408, I am Legend, 30 Days of Night across 2 days. And except for covering my eyes through most of 1408 (come on it is Stephen King!) I was only marginally terrified. A far cry from when I sat trembling after watching The Ring. So its left me wondering - am I getting braver or are the movies getting less scary? And since I still leave my light on during the night, I think its Hollywood's fault. More gore, less terror; more spills, less thrills; more yawn, less yikes!
On a different note, despite an obviously aging face and less than supple body, Madhuri Dixit's comeback film Aaja Nachle is still one of the better movies I've seen all year. And when you think I'm talking about the year of Jab We Met and OSO, that's quite good company for a 40 year old Bollywood actress.

Movie Overloaded

2007-11-28T04:37:00.000-08:00

I feel like I've been watching way too many movies.. Before the whole OSO-Saawariya showdown, there was Jab We Met and No Smoking. I also suffered through A Mighty Heart and survived Stardust. And then I went and saw Om Shanti Om but couldn't get up enough nerve for Saawariya. Then this week, I worked my way through Beowulf, Elizabeth and Goal. Considering all these movies were in the space of less than a month, I think I've OD-ed on movies.
The truly sad part is that not one of these movies really touched me. I didn't 'love' a single one. Either I'm getting too finicky or the standard is getting worse. The Hindi movie disasters are clearly a case of too much hype and publicity. Whether its the Shahid-Kareena breakup or media war against No Smoking and Goal or the over-exposed OSO / Saawariya - I already knew more than I wanted to about the movie before the national anthems started. For the English movies, I think we're getting too many duds (Stardust, Elizabeth) and overestimating Hollywood (A Mighty Heart/Beowulf).
Still, there's hope with Aaja Nachle and Tara Zameen Par - after all, the first Hindi movie I loved was Dil!

Spotted!

2007-10-16T05:33:00.000-07:00

I saw my very first fashion show yesterday and I was quite pleasantly surprised. I wasn't expecting very much and the crowded area with its short and narrow ramp made me silently compare what one sees on TV. Then the show started and the area was plunged into darkness. As the show started, I divided my attention between the gorgeous models (God was so unfair while handing out cheekbones and height!), the lovely dresses (some surprisingly normal, wearable and of a decent color and the celebrities (spotted 1, John Abraham and Madhur Bhandarkar were pointed out to me). And just as I was contemplating that John looks much thinner (read less built) than I expected, out stepped Bipasha Basu in the grand finale dress. My total celebrity sightings count in Mumbai has now gone up to 10 in about 5 months. Depressing but there it is.
I think the real reason I don't see too many celebrities because I don't recognise so many of them...

Recent reads

2007-09-12T05:11:00.000-07:00

Bought a lot of new books recently and plowed my way through them as well. Some notable ones are Warlock By Wilbur Smith. Its a sequel to his brilliant book River God set in Ancient Egypt and following the adventures of the eunuch Taita. And even though Warlock is shade below River God (especially switching from a first person account to a third person account), its quite a good book. His action scenes are really riveting and even though I was sure of the ending, I found myself tensing during the Red Road narration. It can be read as a stand alone book as well as a sequel to River God which is really great.
Also found Brethren - yet another Knights Templar book but surprisingly well-written. And believe me, I'd know having read quite a few Da Vinci Code look-alikes in the past few weeks. The battles scenes are also very deftly told and I was frankly surprised considering the writer is a woman - no, I'm not being sexist but since I personally skip such passages... Its got a sequel which I might fish out but I can't promise.
Meanwhile someone was supposed to send me some books for my birthday but since he's not well-known for his punctuality I'll bide my time before buying more books. This is what I spend my money on and though people might think it silly, I'd say its better than spending it on dining out - not that I don't do that as well!

Women Bartending

2007-08-28T05:21:00.000-07:00

Could not believe this little snippet - Delhi women shouldn't be allowed to bartend because they are not safe from the drunk men there?? This is Delhi we're talking about right? Women aren't safe anywhere in Delhi forget behind the bar.. But this gives rise to the next step.. since women aren't safe in bar, don't allow them in, hell don't let them go out at night - why not just slap a burkha on us and be done with it!

Beach Haven and Shopping Paradise

2007-08-15T22:22:00.000-07:00

Office conference was in Thailand this year and we got to spend 2 days and 2 nights in Phuket...absolutely brilliant. Especially for a beach bum like me. Pristine, untouched beaches with white sand and green waters.. bliss. The only sad part was that we got about 3 hours to shop in Bangkok and that was just not enough - though I suspect even 3 days would be less - ah well, at least I avoided bankruptcy!

Serial Killer and Scary Movie

2007-07-30T23:35:00.000-07:00

Zodiac - The Zodiac Killer was a serial killer who operated in California for ten months in the late 1960s. His identity remains unknown. I had read about the Zodiac Killer in a book about serial killers but I guess killers like Gacy and Wuornos are much more famous. The director obviously beleived that God is in the details because God! the movie was detailed - 3 hours of painstaking detail.. The only good thing was we saw it for 75 bucks - IMT style!
The Grudge 2 - quite scary in comparison to the first movie. I mean I only leapt out of my seat twice last time.. This time, I shut my eyes for a lot of scenes! The good part was I went with a friend instead of boyfriend and we spent most of my time making fun of each for being such scaredy-cats.. Also, we kept asking why the girl / little boy / schoolkids would go into a haunted house or open meant-to-be-shut doors.. What are they stupid or something? And why hang around when all the creaking noises happen?? Me - I would run a mile.
Moral of the story - take boyfriend along for scary movies and girlpal for deep movies

Movie versus Book

2007-07-27T02:27:00.000-07:00

One of the most debated question is always whether a movie adaptation will live up to its source book. I find this a singularly silly question as the two are too (sic) different for any objective comparison. After all, a movie can show in seconds a scene it might take an author 3 paragraphs or 3 pages (go read a Clancy) to build up. While a book is never constricted by the 3 hour format (go watch Zodiac!) and can ramble on for 12 volumes (go read Wheel of Time!). I guess the other reason I find this a silly question also because I can never make up my mind. I always find a movie unable to live up to its book - but LOTR is my favourite exception to this rule and so its much easier to rubbish the question!
But that's not the point - HARRY POTTER!
First I watched the movie - OoTP - Order of the Phoenix for the un-Pottered people. Disappointment galore but it was to be expected I guess since this was my least favourite book. But was it my imagination or did every seem to be a little too calm.. I mean - hello, Dark Wizard loose! Harry seemed a little distracted... But the Department of Mysteries scene was fabulous.. The never-ending walls of prophecies! The Voldy-Dumby battle!! This is where a movie scores...
Then I waited and waited for the last book. Unlike some insane people (PP and I!), I didn't pre-book and arrive at the shop at 5:30 am! I did stick to tradition and get my brother to buy it for me. I was in office when it arrived and I grabbed it and went striaght home to read it in about 4 hours - man I'm losing my touch! No real surprises in the book but JK Rowling has neatly ties up all loose ends and if one of the last chapters resembles a scene from The Matrix, we won't dwell on it!

Quickie

2007-06-13T07:04:00.000-07:00

Sales seems to involve a lot of waiting and a lot of less of actual selling... just a thought..

Just watched more than 150 litres of beer being poured down the drain - I love my job!

Saw a whole lot of movies so am reviewing but shotgun-style

Shootout at Lokhandwala - did it actually happen like this - this being policemen minus bullet-proof vests, officers in casuals and criminals who sing and dance. Gah! Avoid
Pirates of the Caribbean 3 - well, its better than #2 and not as good as #1 - Johnny Depp is fabulous but frankly one isn't too interested in Keira-Bloom romance. Timepass
Ocean's Thirteen - Good popcorn fun and if everything happens so smoothly, you wanna turn to crime, who cares - long live cool thieves! Must Watch
Shrek 3 - Very cute stuff especially if you're an animation fan.. Must Watch only if you like the idea of ogre-babies

My God - That's like 3 sequels I've seen and all of them the third in their series.. odd! Ok, gotto go sell some beer

Fare Thee Well Bengalooru

2007-05-18T04:30:00.000-07:00

After 10 months in the Garden City, I'm moving and there are a few things I will miss
Farewell..
To cheating autowallahs and the honest ones with accurate meters
To friends who made office a wonderful time - P who eats very fast and S who wins at saunf throwing, T with her pint-size orkut window and S who never had time (to come for lunch, to go for lunch, to eat at lunch and to chat after lunch)
To Bangalore airport, where I seemed to spend more time waiting and less time travelling
To 2nd hand bookstores, which I used as a library and where I discovered some really good writer at some fantastic rates
To Garuda Mall, where we hardly managed to see any movies; Rex and Symphony - where we actually got tickets; PVR where any ticket seemed expensive and Cauvery - our last resort for a movie
To Brigade Road and Forum mall where I did a lot of shopping - most of it window-shopping
To S, my college buddy along with hubby K for whom I braved Koramangala
To our landlady who ripped us off so much cash - you have blood on your hands, aunty!
To my boss, who has spoilt me for anyone else and my team who put up with the only girl around
To I, who leaves the same city for Paris! Me coming dude so watch out...
And of course to N who got to know the HAL airport as intimately as I did CST airport.. Oh thats not a farewell, that's a Hello!

Spiders and Tears

2007-05-11T04:32:00.000-07:00

Saw Spiderman - 3 and Tara Ra Pum (not even sure how many ra ra's there are in that title!)
Spiderman - 3 is engrossing fare and the action stunts are unbelievable. Even though one knows fully well that everything is CGI, it still makes for cine-magic. But its fairly obvious the hero isn't Tobey Maguire and therefore I'm not surprised he isn't too keen on a reprise. Harry Osbourne is just brilliant. He dominates what little screen-time he has and does the about turn from villian to hero much better and more smoothly than Spidey. And it helps that even with half his face mangled, he is very very HOT. The surprising thing in the movie is that no one person is all good or all bad - well with the exception of Peter's aunt. Sandman loves his ill daughter and wants to save her, Spidey is good underneath the black leather, Harry forgives Peter, Topher (from That 70's show) is immoral but not evil and even Kirtsten Dunst has her moments of mood swings. Is there a point to that in the movie?
Tara Ra Pum was a disaster from start to finish and I won't complain too much 'cos well, we chose it over Mr. Bean. Perhaps the barely audible Englishman would have been a better idea. Except for Saif - who coasts through his role with ease - I couldn't stand anyone in that movie. Rani's frequent hair style changes, the little girl who loves everyone so much its nauseating and the little boy who is simply irritating - Gah - I could've just sicked up! Ok, so I'm complaining - big deal - watch the movie and then we'll talk.
PS - I preferred Javed as the Psycho Cowboy (Salaam Namaste) to the Good Gujju.

Redial..

2007-04-18T08:44:00.000-07:00

Saw two movies in Delhi yesterday - two ends of the spectrum you could say:
Namastey London and Bheja Fry
Bheja Fry was an interesting movie and quite funny in parts. And if I'm not full of praise for the movie, its because I wasn't impressed. My review for the movie would be that its a timepass movie. That's because my litmus test for any movie is - Would I watch it again? - and unfortunately I would have to say no.. The humor was tired and beyond my favourite phrase "Its ringing.." the dialogue wasn't exactly sparkling wit.
Namastey London is being famously hailed as the seconnd hit of the year after Guru and I strenously object to it being even considered in the same league. NL is a decent enough movie but I really wish they could have cut out all the songs which just seemed to come in the middle of the quite-interesting story without being all that great either. Katrina Kaif is beautiful and finally gets a role that suits her to a tee but I wonder if she can ever replicate this sucess with a different role. Akshay Kumar was predictably reliable but to quote my dad " had a nampy pamby role". Sorry but I like my men red blooded and passionate!! The parents in the movie are the real steal from Rishi Kapoor to his wife to Upen Patel's Muslim dad - quite delightful. The other thing really missing from the movie was how and why NRI children sort out the whole identity crisis they have to go to and I guess this is what separates (for good or for worse) Namastey London from say The Namesake

April Fool Banaya...

2007-03-31T22:58:00.000-07:00

Oh I had big plans for this post - my trip to Mumbai, N's birthday, shopping for his gift(s), reviews of 'The Pursuit of Happyness', 'Eklavya' and 'The Namesake' and opinions on varied topics such as India'a performance in the World Cup, the OBC reservations in the IIMs...
April Fool!
Will post later in the week...

Two conferences, some shopping and a movie

2007-03-20T01:26:00.000-07:00

Since the title of my post is self explanatory, I will not dwell too much on the conference beyond saying they were wonderful experiences and I had a ball in both. I will also not spend too much time gushing about my outfits for my cousin's wedding either - am quite sure am too fat to fit into them now!
But I will write about Water - the movie I saw last night. Since I didn't like Fire too much and had missed Earth despite being a big Aamir fan, I was very happy to be able to catch Water especially after all the Oscar hype. Surprisingly, we got tickets (believe me, getting tickets for an Oscar nominated movie at INOX in Garuda mall on Ugadi at 7pm is like prospecting for gold!) and settled down in decent seats (read not the first row!) The move is slow paced but it never drags and I think that is quite an accomplishment. Seema Biswas is wonderful and manages to hold your attention till the end. The little girl (Sarala I think?) is also adorable, well suited to her role with sparks of defiance combined with a lost-little-girl mien that steals your heart quite effortlessly. Lisa Ray didn't impress me much but I admit I'm prejudiced (have you seen Raaz??) while John Abharam has very nice dimples! The movie itself is well-made but I didn't feel touched at all (or perhaps that was the idea). Maybe activism via the reel is losing its charm?
I got up from my seat marginally disturbed and the only memory I carried home with me was of a sweet old lady who waits her entire life for a laddu denied to her by tradition.

Double Bill

2007-03-06T03:40:00.000-08:00

After weeks of not watching a movie, I finally took advantage of a 3 day weekend to go see 2 back-to-back movies last Friday. The movies I zeroed in were Honeymoon Travels Pvt. Ltd. and Music and Lyrics. Eklavya is being saved for another day!

The fun part was that I went for these movies alone. And would you believe it - I was actually on time for a movie (for a change!). Which means I got to see all the trailers (waiting for The Last King of Scotland!!) and enjoy the popcorn without missing a meal. Plus I also got to see the whole Nike Cricket ad on the big screen (excellent ad by the way). And, I could concentrate on the movie and truly enjoy the whole outing. But it felt weird too when there were funny scenes and there wasn’t anyone laughing with me (no, titters from the audience don’t count). Still, it was an experience and the two movies made it worth while.

Honeymoon Travels is actually quite a decent movie. It handles the six-couples-in-one-movies syndrome rather well and deserve applause for doing it much better than the over-hyped Salaame-e-Ishq. The first half was full of hilarious scenes and dry wit. Shabana Azmi, Boman Irani were splendid and their chemistry was worth watching. The girls in the movie out-performed the guys with Sandhya Mridul, Ameesha Patel, Minissha Lamba and Raima Sen pitching in while all the men (with the exceptional Kay Kay Menon being well, the exception) were disappointing.

Music and Lyrics was surprisingly good! I have never been a fan of Hugh Grant – I find his floppy hair and weak chin quite forgettable and Drew Barrymore lisps too much. But this movie is very cute and funny and the music and songs are definitely hummable. The climax is fun without ay of the usual ‘running-after-the-woman/man-you-love-before-they-leave’ and never lets the lump in your throat overwhelm. But the real star of the movie is the songs and the music videos – the movie is also quite a smart satire on the music industry/factory of today. Must-see – either in the hall or on VCD!

Don't Cha..

2007-02-18T20:03:00.000-08:00

Anyone heard this song by the Pussycat Dolls? (No, I have no idea why they're called that and I really don't want to know either..)
Anway, back to the song.. Its a fun song with an extremely catchy tune and the sheer self-confidence of the lyrics..
This is a song every girl wishes she could sing and this song also reminds every girlfriend of her inherent insecurity about her guy!

Oh, baby dolls I know you like me (I know you like me)
I know you do (I know you do)
Thats why whenever I come around shes all over you
And I know you want it (I know you want it)
It's easy to see (it's easy to see)
And in the back of your mind I know you should be home with me
[Chorus]
Dont cha wish your girlfriend was hot like me
Dont cha wish your girlfriend was a freak like me
Dont cha, dont cha Dont cha wish your girlfriend was raw like me
Dont cha wish your girlfriend was fun like me
Dont cha, dont cha

Fight the feeling (fight the feeling)
Leave it alone (leave it alone)
Cause if it aint love
It just aint enough to leave a happy home
Let's keep it friendly (let's keep it friendly)
You have to play fair (you have to play fair)
See, I dont care
But I know she aint gon' wanna share

[Chorus]

I know I'm on your mind
I know we'll have a good time
I'm your friend
I'm fun
And I'm fine
I aint lying
Look at me, you aint blind [2x]
See, I know she loves you (I know she loves you)
I understand (I understand)
I'd probably be just as crazy about you
If you were my own man
Maybe next lifetime (maybe next lifetime)
Possibly (possibly)
Until then, Oh friend your'e secret is safe with me

[Chorus]

Flashback

2007-02-08T19:53:00.000-08:00

What do you do when the world thinks you're invulnerable?

When its presumed that you're so hard you won't crack.. that you can take lumps and come up fighting still. When people whisper - what does she care? When they say - oh she can take it.
When people close to you also assume that your spirit is unquenchable and that you are never assailed by doubts, when they presume on your spine of steel..
What do you do when your heart is breaking and there doesn't seem to be any who can hear the cracking sound..

What do you do when the world thinks you're invulnerable?

Pretend.

Good Morning..

2007-02-03T21:16:00.000-08:00

Its way too early on a Sunday morning to be posting but since I'm in a cybercafe for some work (I'm cursing my brother under my breath), I thought I'll say Hi to my 'loyal readers' {you know whom I'm talking about!}
Now I'm going back to sleep..

A Movie and A Marriage

2007-01-19T05:07:00.000-08:00

Last week, I joined a throng of movie-goers to watch Guru after frantically arranging tickets to it. Yes frantically, because in Bangalore, there are hardly any theatres, fewer still that play Hindi movies, lesser in number that deliver and none that deliver to my office. Anyway, I went in and saw one of the most-awaited movies of 2007. And it was worth it. Guru is a fabulous movie that in the finest of cinematic tradition draws you in even while your saner self is enumerating its flaws.
Anyone who doesn’t like the movie is welcome to not like it but say it is because of Abhishek and I will object. I remember being extremely skeptical of this actor way back when he debuted in Refugee and boy am I eating my words! Intense, playful, romantic, tongue-tied or delivering a sales pitch – this guy is incredible. In Guru, Abhishek delivers a stellar performance that puts him (I would say) in Aamir’s league. My favorite scene is especially when he convinces Aishwariya’s father to let them marry – the way he appeals to both the man’s business sense and emotional side to win her hand is brilliant.
The rest of the cast unfortunately pales in comparison. None of the supporting actors are given anything to work with so when I say Aishwariya is adequate, it is because she is given little and what she is given, she manages with aplomb. Madhavan and Vidya Balan are frankly unnecessary and I experienced instant boredom whenever they came on the screen. Mithun is a revelation - however, I would have liked to see more of a struggle between his conscience and his heart. Even the story of Abhishek’s rise is left to songs and allusions to relate.
Guru is essentially about Abhishek and while one may not want to spend as much as I did (an obscene 225 bucks for the 4th row from the screen) to see it, one should see the movie.
Barely two days later, the much awaited announcement of marriage between Guru’s stars – Abhishek and Aishwariya - was made, to the surprise of no-one except perhaps the two concerned. Suffice to say, I believe Abhiwariya will be the sole topic of conversation for the next month and beyond. TV channels, newspapers, water coolers and canteen will abound with opinions on how he/she could have done much better, it won't last, when are they actually getting hitched, whether a 3-yr age difference matters, whether Ash looked better in her shaadi ka joda or in Cannes and if Abhishek should shave his beard for the ceremony. And no prizes for guessing who will be gleefully watching!

One, Two..

2007-01-07T05:40:00.000-08:00

They say things happen in threes. First I ran short of the usual junk I read so I re-read Kite Runner. And then because I wanted to try the 'cinema lounge' experience I saw Kabul Express.
But the book. Wow! and Super Hot - I may be repeating myself but its a brilliant book. I'm always nervous reading such fiction but wow! The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini tells of Amir and his journey to redemption against the backdrop of the orginal occupation by the Taliban. Its beautifully written and I freely cried through parts of it. And while the ending isn't exactly brilliant, it has an Iqbal-like perfection.
In stark contrast, Kabul Express is a disappointment. It brought back to me forcefully that while I might admire John Abraham's ass in jeans, he just cannot act. And that Arshad Warsi is probably doomed to be second lead for the rest of his life - pity 'cos he is adorable.. The real steal in the movie are their Afghan driver and the Talib. Their chemistry set against the devastation of Kabul made for riveting watching especially as you already know that defiant Afghan is pertified of the Talib and what the fate of the Talib is going to be. Not a must-see perhaps but worth watching if comes on TV sometime in the future.
And yes, the lounge experience was quite cool - Lie back, Put your feet up, Relax, Spread the blanket if the AC gets too cold, reach occasionally for the popkorn and if you're the conscientious type watch the movie as well.

Happy New Year!

2007-01-05T19:55:00.000-08:00

Little Bo Peep

2006-12-20T06:05:00.000-08:00

I had planned 2 new posts about movies I had seen and a 300 year old tree I had taken pictures of and my parents' visit. But - My phone was stolen from me today.. My very expensive, brand-new phone - right off my table when I was in a meeting. So very depressed and sad.
Let us observe a few minutes silence... and yes, you can join me in heaping curses on the ******* who did the dark deed.

Indian Reality Shows Come of Age

2006-11-23T02:36:00.000-08:00

Tis true.. Indian Reality has finally moved beyond Boogie Woogie or its more sophisticated counterpart - Nach Baliye. Bigg Boss premiered on Sony a while back and after avidly following the series for 2 weeks, I think we have a hit on our hands. TAM viewership data will be the final judge but I think this is a definite winner. The spectacle of 13 B-grade celebrities (and I'm being kind here) politicking and back biting and keeping house for each other is captivating and appeals shamelessly to our nasty side. Each of them are no longer obscure-perhaps-seen people - they are well known and well loved (?) friends we discuss and analyse. And the fact that they are being kept in the lap of luxury (a spacious house with all basic amenities taken care of - including a gym!), mean that they have nothing to occupy them beyond a few odd domestic chores. And definitely a idle mind is a devil's workshop. Still, its a lot of fun to watch and let's face it-live vicariously.
Roadies on MTV (in its 4th season) on the other hand is different kettle of fish. I gave up watching it after the 1st season cos it seemed very juvenile. Besides who wants to watch people riding a bike - I would prefer to be riding on a bike! Anyway, while waiting for Bigg Boss to start (its timing are very temperamental - is this on purpose?), I came across what seemed like a huge fight among the roadies. Wow! What happened to the first season's pragmatic participants who kept their counsel and didn't fight or do much till the final epidodes? These people are polarised from day one on the basis of (hold your breath) of hometown. So apparently there's a Chandigarh gang versus a Delhi gang and the Kolkata guy is stuck in the middle me thinks.
Amidst desi reality, me still very much embroiled in firangi reality - watching The Amazing Race - both the American and Asian version. The American one is the real thing but the Asian one is hilarious - have to cheer on the Indian team (very buffed male models). Also stumbled upon a new one caled The Scholar where students aspiring to college fight it out to get aid for college - wonder how my brother managed without a television series.
Right now back to my own reality - office...

Salaam Mumbai

2006-10-14T00:35:00.000-07:00

All in the interest of work and career.. got rushed to Mumbai for some work at about an hour's notice. With any luck, I should be back home by Monday. Before anyone makes a smart comment about high-flying MBAs, I warn you - I am armed and dangerous. My weekend is shot to hell in a city I'm not that fond of, working here but intermittently so I have time to spare and brood. I am the organised type and do not respond well to sudden plans. Worse, at such short notice no time to party either. Plus point? I can whine at will. And I will!
Ok, now that's over. I finally enabled comments on my blog.. Didn't know I was supposed to do that :) so apparently, while I've been posting away secure in my belief that noone cares, now I realise people read and comment on my blog.. Gosh, I better mind my Ps and Qs innit?

Life Happens..

2006-10-08T03:30:00.000-07:00

My last post was almost 2 months ago.. its scary how caught one can get with everyday stuff and forget to think about what's really happening.. As they say, life happens and boy, how one learns from it.
My birthday happened.. I truly believe a person's birthday is a wonderful day for them. Its their day - not just 'cos its 14th Feb or Red Rose day or they happen to be someone's mother/ father/ brother/ sister/ friend/ best friend.. plus unlike anniversaries, its all about that one person. So I felt great getting presents and calls and smses and generally being treated like something special - hell, this happens about once a year, if I want to be smug, I will! As always, there were people who called earlier (I swear its your birthday today.. No, its tomorrow. I would know the date, you know) and the people who called late (I'm so sorry, I was ill/ working/ studying.. Its ok. At least you remembered that you forgot). And of course the people who didn't call at all. What can I say? I was hurt. I didn't think a single call/ sms/ mail/ orkut scrap was that difficult.. Oh well, cover the hurt with platitudes - it's ok, hota hai.. and move on.
Lesson - stop hoping for some things to be back to normal..
A trip back home happened.. Combining business with pleasure, I was home for about 4 days.. Boy, was it wonderful, it was so easy to slip back into the old routine - cursing traffic, searching for anonymous buildings in haphazardly-planned areas, meeting the family again, chatting with old friends at ridiculous hours, shopping for bargains in Lajpat Nagar and shanni bazaar. Leaving was a wrench.. Ah well, going back for Diwali..
Lesson - Nothing beats home
4 movies in 2 days happened. Squeezed in Pyar Ke Side Effects (decent movie but hugely borrowed from every English film made about committment-phobic men), Woh Lamhe (god story, bad execution but Shiney is yum!) on Saturday and watched Devil Wears Prada (Meryl Streep is brilliant but if she was ever my boss-I'd quit) and Khosla ka Ghosla (Over-hyped but brings back very Dilli memories).
Lesson - Movies are expensive to watch anywhere but in Ghaziabad.
Lots of work happened.. piled up, hectic, slow and then frenetic, racing for deadlines, gym forgotten, mental exhaustion and aching eyes from staring at scores of numbers. Honeymoon period over, I'm on the job where there is never a day which goes perfectly. My boss is adorable and so far, everyone is being very patient with my (extremely) stupid questions and queries. But obviously, this will not last.
Lesson - Desk job means I can wear heels again.

Yeh Mera Ghar

2006-08-22T02:27:00.000-07:00

They say home is where the heart is.. I still miss Delhi but I like my creature comforts enough to set up my place here in Bangalore.. It's a 2BHK so the blue and white curtains are put up in the hall where there is zero furniture. The red brick thing shows the sparsely equipped kitchen.. But my pride and joy is my room, where the pink curtains make me feel like I'm back in college. My books are obviously not on the shelf but clustered around my mattress.. It may not compare to Lakshmi Mittal's palace but its home for now.

KL pictures

2006-08-22T01:46:00.000-07:00

My Love..

2006-08-17T21:37:00.000-07:00

I'm in love.. with my new phone.. I've waited so long for it (well, only about 3 months!) and now I have it.. Bliss..

Scientific Research

2006-08-09T05:16:00.000-07:00

I read yet another article in the paper today about scientists (predictably male) who claim to have finally figured out what women want - romance (DUH!) Apparently they showed a sample of women both hard and soft porn and discovered (sic) that women got more aroused by kisses and cuddles (yawn!)

Ok how many of us didn't already know this? Yes, the men.. Men are so clueless (or pretend to be anyway) about what women want. Then they marvel at Casanova who figured out the obvious secret - it is very simple to keep women happy.

There is the whole cache of cliches of what romance is. You know - red roses, her favourite flowers, chocolates, moonlit walks, kisses, candlelit dinner, late night calls, poetry, Romeo & Juliet, walks in the rain, long drives, holding hands, slow dancing to romantic music like maybe jazz, songs like - Lady in Red ad nauseum. Or even the ultimate conclusion with the man down on one knee with a ring in hand and beautiful words.

Then there's a scene from a movie I saw (I think it was Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind) where romance was the hero collecting interesting looking stamps for his woman 'cos that's what she loved doing.

I thnk romance is actually much simpler - it could be cooking a meal together or even lying with his head on her lap.. the essence is being together and liking it.. Everything else is like window dressing - wonderful to experience and enjoy but let's face it, its the dress in the window we take home, isn't it?

Taking Over

2006-08-04T22:18:00.000-07:00

Cheers!!

Yeh number maujood..

2006-07-22T02:47:00.000-07:00

I applied for a corporate connection a 10 days ago and after a lot of bullying and shouting and threatening, our connections finally started working last week. But the few days I spent without a mobile connection seemed the worst of my life.. and I started wondering, considering how much time we spend on the phone, do we really connect with anyone we talk to?
As part of my sales shadow stint, I've seen colleagues spend a good chunk of time travelling and talking on their phone.. arguing, joking, commiserating, losing their tempers and, thanks to the police, paying out fines for their trouble. And I can't seem to resist messaging when I have time and calling for something which could have easily waited.. So when I come across this line from Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, it clicks instantly - "Constantly talking isn't necessarily communicating".
That also reminds me that I haven't seen any movie since Superman Returns.. and Pirates is in theatres right now.. Excuse me, I need to call and friend to fix a plan for watching it..

Wishing and Hoping

2006-07-15T00:04:00.000-07:00

This is the hardest post I've ever had to write.. so much had happened since I left Shillong that it seems almost odd to try and concise it to a single post.. Had got so used to just loggin on and posting whenever the urge took me.. I'm right now at a Reliance Webworld at Forum Mall, Bangalore. The people here screwed up with myaccount so am busy enjoying free net access while the sort it out.. I like the customer care here ;)
Well, started my new job.. Met some really awesome managers at the top of my organisation and at the risk of sound fatous - they rock.. SO much knowledge, wisdom, drive and creativity.. Wish that I coudl be even half as good as them.. My Mktg Director told me to just soak up all the knowledge possible right now and am going to do just that. Hub Office Training finished in 3 days and 2 of our number were shipped off to Mumbai and Gurgaon.. I was told that I was marketing and therefore posted here in Bangalore.. the househunting started.. after 3 more days of Regional Office training, another of our number left for Hyderabad.. and last night after our sales shadow stint started, we got disbanded more to assorted hotels and guesthouses.. Now its just my roomie and me. My roomie is a doll and I really look forward to sharing with her.. Here's hoping she doesnt get too fed up of me.. We are moving into a 2BHK in Devasandra tonight and with the usual confusion (about bank accounts and ready cash), hoping things go smoothly.. Also get to swipe some of my brother's stuff lying here so we should have a TV at least which is a big thing..
What else? My feet still hurt from the sales stint yesterday and am currently hunting for flats..

A New Era Dawns

2006-07-07T08:32:00.001-07:00

There's some sort of saying about the best laid plans of mice and men.. but since I got about 15 minutes before my time is up..
Had planned to blog from Delhi then from B'lore but got caught up in life.. Left Shillong on 26th June and landed straight into the heat that masquerades as Delhi.. a rat in the house, no fan in my room, no broadband and a phone that didn't work seemed like the worst of omens.. But when we landed in Bangalore last Friday with 23 degrees and a lovely guesthouse, things started looking up. Met up with some friends too and started work this Monday after about 6 months of vacationing..
Phew! We are training till next week and since yours truly is posted in Hub Office, must start apartment hunting too.. the good news is that am doing shadow stints till October so no responsibilities yet! The bad news is that I don't have a local connection.. More news later when the muse comes around..

Double Take

2006-06-21T23:22:00.000-07:00

I saw a movie the other day - 13 going on 30 - and apart from liking the movie (chick-flick timepass) I also loved something a character said.

When asked by her daughter if she would like to change anything she did wrong she says
I know I made a lot of mistakes...but I don't regret making any of them. Because if I hadn't have made them, I wouldn't have learned how to make things right.

I've made so many mistakes in my life.. things I regret so much.. things I look back upon and wish I could have done differently.. In fact if I made a list it would probably run into pages and pages..

I regret I didn't fight to save some friendships, I regret I was so difficult to approach, I regret I didn't try hard enough, I regret I settled and compromised, I regret I avoided a problem instead of tackling it head on, I regret some friends I made and I regret some friends I didn't make, I regret I didn't hang in there, I regret I failed, I regret the choices I made, I regret I was talked into something I didn't feel was right, I regret being party to a lynch-mob, I regret not making time for something I believe in, I regret wasting so much time..

But what I perhaps regret the most is not doing what the smart lady in the movie did.. not making things right.. I've tried but I don't think I've tried enough.. I think its worse making a mistake when you realise later that you didn't fix it and no amount of justification (I didn't have time, they didn't listen, they wouldnt have believed me anyway, I can't act that way) makes it better..

So I think I'm going to go with something else I found..
Never regret. If it's good, it's wonderful. If it's bad, it's experience.

Dedications

2006-06-16T00:21:00.000-07:00

For R who liked my posts and N who finally read one

Friendship
And a youth said, 'Speak to us of Friendship.'
Your friend is your needs answered.
He is your field which you sow with love and reap with thanksgiving.
And he is your board and your fireside.
For you come to him with your hunger, and you seek him for peace.
When your friend speaks his mind you fear not the 'nay' in your own mind, nor do you withhold the 'ay.'
And when he is silent your heart ceases not to listen to his heart;
For without words, in friendship, all thoughts, all desires, all expectations are born and shared, with joy that is unacclaimed.
When you part from your friend, you grieve not;
For that which you love most in him may be clearer in his absence, as the mountain to the climber is clearer from the plain.
And let there be no purpose in friendship save the deepening of the spirit.
For love that seeks aught but the disclosure of its own mystery is not love but a net cast forth: and only the unprofitable is caught.
And let your best be for your friend.
If he must know the ebb of your tide, let him know its flood also.
For what is your friend that you should seek him with hours to kill?
Seek him always with hours to live.
For it is his to fill your need, but not your emptiness.
And in the sweetness of friendship let there be laughter, and sharing of pleasures.
For in the dew of little things the heart finds its morning and is refreshed.
Kahlil Gibran
http://poemhunter.com

2006-06-08T03:30:00.000-07:00

There had always been a running battle in our family as to whose English is the best and while Mum is Professorial and Dad quotes like a poet, my brother definitely takes the medal for writing.. His dry wit is wonderful and I've decided in true MBA style to plaigairise it.. My brother took a trip to London last week and walked through some lovely areas of Scotland and here are some fabulous parts of his regular emails..

On his arrival in London:
To not put too fine a point on it, nobody speaks English. Not even the English.
Immigration officer (Nice Punjabi Aunty) : Kahan se aa rahe ho aap?
Me (stunned) : Er Ah, New York se aa raha hoon
Her : Wahan kaam karte ho?
Me (weakly) : Haan..
Her : God Bless puttar, have fun.
Me (tottering away) : Thank you

On getting around London:
Somebody once told me, the best way to visit a place is to buy an all day bus pass and just sit and keep going, irrespective of where the bus takes you. I must say, I concur heartily. The same I guess must go for walking. There is a term called "Happily lost", which is what applies to most of the time for me in London. I have no clue as to where I am! And the bloody weather is so finicky, at most times, I cannot figure outwhere North is by looking at the sun.

Seeing the sights:
We managed to see "taming of the shrew" in the open air theatre at regent's park and the setting was idyllic. from time to time, an airliner would pass by overhead and drown out the sound, the actors would patiently wait and then resume.

His travails in Scotland:
Went for a rather curious pub crawl. Its called the literary pub crawl. Two actors quote poetry (both Scottish and English) and take us throughthe various pubs that were frequented by literary greats. One also gotto see the famous thriftiness of the Scots. One guy took a swig at a dram of whiskey and offered to his friend saying "Here, show some respect for Sir Walter Scott", The other guy took a swig and as he was about to take another swig, his friend grabbed the bottle stating "Now,that's enough respect!".
Another one went on the lines of... A Scottish prayer - "Lord, we do not ask ye to give us wealth -- but show us where it is instead!"

The Walk!:
As I went over the crest of the "Devil's staircase", I was a wreck, both literally and mentally. For this, I blame the Scots, wholeheartedly. Everytime i used to stop to ask a person "Are we there yet?" and he/she would smile and say "Oh yes, just a couple of minutes away!". The minutes turned into hours, my feet became blister ridden and in the end, I must have cursed the Scots to hell and back..... The views, were intense. Having hiked 34 miles in two days, I was weary, worn and sick of glens, loches and old women who could walk faster than me! However, revenge is sweet they say, revenge is a dish best eaten cold they say. While cresting downhill, I came upon this couple who were clearly exhausted while climbing uphill. "How much further", the man asked. Putting on my best Scottish accent and a wide grin I replied "Oh just a couple of minutes away!".

Reality Bites...

2006-06-03T00:50:00.000-07:00

Am very fond of Reality Shows on TV.. somehow, I bypassed the intellectual snobbery of turning my nose up at reality shows.. Granted of course, that being a Star World fan, I only watch American Reality shows..Maybe that skews my thinking.. Frankly, Americans are a hlarious bunch.. I cannot imagine any other country's citizen being so.. well, entertaining.. Americans seem to be made for Reality shows.. I doubt Indians are this much fun! One thing though, any admiration you might have had for America as the bastion of freedom and entrepreneurship will go for a toss.. I am convinced that America's hegemony rests on pure unadulterated luck..
Anyway, back to reality shows.. I started off with Survivor and while the sheer bitchiness, manipulation and back-biting both entranced and repelled me, I found it easier to just log onto the net and figure out who the winner was going to be.. the actual episodes weren't very captivating..
My favourite reality shows are therefore The Apprentice and The Amazing Race.. I simply adore The Apprentice.. I know exactly when all the re-runs come so that if I miss puff-haired Trump whacking the table and pointing out a "You're Fired!", I know when to watch it again.. Also the tasks set to the contestants seem very do-able and I love trying to figure out who screwed up what.. Cliques don't seem to work very well here and there are no points for popularity though I do think there are way too many blonde women ;)
The Amazing Race is fun for the sheer number of countries covered.. I love arm-chair travelling and this is definitely more fun than Travel Asia or any travel show where the hosts for some reason are hugely patronising.. You know they all have that 'I'm gorgeous and thin and I'm in this exotic place for free while you're gaining weight sitting at home' look!
However my fascination for reality has led to watch some other very odd shows.. My Big Fat Obnoxious Fiance is just weird - the girl has to fool her family and meanwhile she's getting scammed and the viewer is just cringing at the stupidity and crassness involved. I personally think there are always so many problems in a real wedding that I would need more than a quarter of a million dollars to try a fake one for my family.. but thats just me.. Then there is the fashion world's version of The Apprentice with The Cut where Tommy Hilfiger has better hair than Trump but much less screen presence. The social experiment of Beauty and the Geek, where 7 gorgeous women try to gel with 7 nerds is intersting but hey, I've only seen the first episode and some of the nerds are cute! I honestly don't get the Idol fever as I have vowed to never watch Hindi Mass channels ever and American Idol gets boring after the first few episodes where they show initial screenings of ahem! singers.. I really wish Simoan had a starring role later 'cos that's the only fun thing there..Then the ultimate The Simple Life.. I had avoided the 1st season but caught an episode of the 2nd season - The Simple Life: Interns - and was a little surprised.. Is Nicole Ritchie actually silly or does she really have the best straight-face ever.. Watch this space...

Nostalgia ad nauseum

2006-05-28T23:18:00.000-07:00

A post of a pal's made me really nostalgic..
http://funkypen.blogspot.com/2006/05/terms-at-imt-to-all-my-classmates-with.html
This is one is from S who knowing my low understanding for poetry decide to actually write prose..
Now, while I do like her musings, my memories also include some other stuff
1st Semester - everyone agrees that the PDP sessons tend to overpower all other reminscences of this term.. My God, when I think of the time and energy spent dancing, singing, arguing, yeling and generally proving our bhasad-ness to our seniors.. where did we get all the stamina from?? Heck, I even remember us hiding in our room, running home to Delhi, cowering behind locked doors and faking assorted illnesses to avoid the baddy court.. Also, this was the term we met Prof Biswas.. How we hated him and bemoaned our ill-luck.. little did we know that by the next term , we would be wishing for him to replace our Jhamy existence..
2nd semester is dedicated to the force of nature called Jham.. for she called to mind the quotation - 'Death is a better, a milder fate than tyranny' (No I'm not that erudite, I went to http://quotationspage.com) No words are enough to explain her effect on us and the memories we shall forever carry of that despot called Vimi aka Babli a la Bunty n Babli..
3rd semester is a bit of a blur.. One will find it easier to count the number of hours of sleep we got than try to remember with any clarity what exactly happened this term.. I mean S talks about LAOB and exams and tests and presentation, I can barely remember the months that encompassed this term! Passions was something that brings too many bitter-sweet thoughts to mind and I discovered the usefulness of the phrase 'No Comment'!
4th Semester is marked by the chuckles when every single person tried to bring their ST into the classroom.. Whether its was Sales, Branding (a moment's silence for AV), CB and yes, even Product.. we all knew our answers w.r.t. our own company!
5th semester was placements and nuthing much else... the Library (used for the first time since built), the CompLab, heated arguments over PlaceCom and companies and astonishing number of hits on websites such as ET, BE, FE et al! The actual Placement Process deserves a whole post to itself - V? S? Wanna help me out here?
6th semester was how to waste time while being broke and dreaming of the lucrative job that awaited.. Trips were planned right, left and centre, Movies and songs were traded like amphetamine in a rock concert and Convo dresses planned even down to matching jewelery and shoes!!
Phew what a ride! Congrats to IMT batch of 2004-06 (incidentally the 25th batch!) for surviving... we deserve a medal.

Scenic Shillong

2006-05-27T00:46:00.000-07:00

I had promised pictures so finally dug out some.. This is Umiam lake and is the best part after a long drive from Guwahati to Shillong. Its gorgous to look at and you know you've almost reached Shillong.. This is the time to nudge awake passengers and keep a eye out for lovely scenes of the lake.. Then one can see the outskirts of Shillong and enjoy the bustling markets as you approach the town... The waterfalls on the right are one of my favourite in Shillong. It is called appropriately Elephant Falls and is rather grand especially after a heavy downpour in Shillong. You also need to hike down some steep steps to get a good look which isn't my favourite part but is fun too..

Well, the last two pcitures are from our house in Shillong.. they aren't the flowers in bloom right now but you get the idea.. I just love the colors.. one of the advatages of being next door to the wettest places in the world is the sheer abundance of flowers all year round.. Unlike Delhi, where one has to wait till winter to grow anything colorful, Shillong has flowers everywhere.. Every house has some plants and phool-patti. Take a walk and you'll see rose-bushes, and even weed-type colorful blossoms in every shade imaginable..
Credits-Pictures stolen from Dad's stash

Yes, Minister..

2006-05-25T01:15:00.000-07:00

Was watching the old favourite on DVD today.. Suddenly got to thinking.. My god, the British are crazy..
Some of Humprey's gems

Well briefly, Sir, I am the Permanent Under Secretary of State, known as the Permanent Secretary. Woolley here is your Principal Private Secretary, I too have a Principal Private Secretary and he is the Principal Private Secretary to the Permanent Secretary. Directly responsible to me are ten Deputy Secretaries, 87 Under Secretaries and 219 Assistant Secretaries. Directly responsible to the Principal Private Secretary are plain Private Secretaries, and the Prime Minister will be appointing two Parliamentary Under Secretaries and you will be appointing your own Parliamentary Private Secretary
MY GOD and then one wonders at the inefficiency of the bureaucracy!

Minister, Britain has had the same foreign policy objective for at least the last 500 years: to create a disunited Europe. In that cause we have fought with the Dutch against the Spanish, with the Germans against the French, with the French and Italians against the Germans, and with the French against the Germans and Italians. Divide and rule, you see. Why should we change now when it's worked so well?
My history teacher could never have put it so succintly and so aptly!

Sometimes one is forced to consider the possibility that affairs are being conducted in a manner which, all things being considered and making all possible allowances is, not to put too fine a point on it, perhaps not entirely straightforward
Which basically means - You're lying!

And my absolute favourite
Minister, the traditional allocation of executive responsibilities has always been so determined as to liberate the ministerial incumbent from the administrative minutiae by devolving the managerial functions to those whose experience and qualifications have better formed them for the performance of such humble offices, thereby releasing their political overlords for the more onerous duties and profound deliberations which are the inevitable concomitant of their exalted position.
Which by the way means - Need to know basis, you don't need to know..

The real scary part - after my MBA, I actually understand Humphy's dialogues quite easily..

Panic Attack

2006-05-23T04:56:00.000-07:00

I am as vocal as any Indian Citizen worried about reservations and their impact on me, my future propects and my future kids' prospects but am a little worried about what we are doing..
I am not talking about the students taking to the streets and protesting and verbalizing what we all think of the reservations..
I'm talking about the armchair-activists across the country.. who through emails, SMSes and online petitions are adding their two-penny bit to the protest..
I got

8 SMSes about how 94 doctors collapsed while on a 96-hour hunger strike without any media coverage a la Emergency
5 messages asking me to sign/forward some petition to the President/Prime Minister/Arjun Singh/Sonia Gandhi protesting the quota idea - whihc btw, I did but who is sending this petiton where and how?
6 offliners about how some doctor in AIIMS has died again minus media coverage

Hold on a sec! NDTV just ran a segment last night on how all of the above are hoaxes? Did anyone catch it? Is it even true?

Conspiracy theory ki jai

Pl let's confirm where this news is coming from before we spread it like wildfire among friends - yes, even if we do have free sms plans ;) I got an SMS from a journalist friend but I still didn't forward it 'cos frankly I don't see why media is not being allowed to cover it.. Hell, I don't know how or who is stopping them.. In today's age of masal news, this is just the kind of news, NDTV/Aajtak/Zee/CNBC is looking for to boost ratings and rake in advertising money..

I know many of us feel frustrated that we cannot do out bit in this reservation uproar (job/location/willpower) but that doesn't make us any less responsible for it..

Why can't we check facts before forwarding this kind of news which when its proven false just hurts our case and casts doubts in peoples' (read elders) minds about what our generation is trying to prove.. In fact, am pretty sure the doctors on strike feel frustrated that we guys can't do anything more than pass on unverifiable news.. Let's not forget that news sent through SMSes and email and orkut is considered more credible 'cos it came from the guy/girl you partied in college with.

Guess what? I'm forwarding this link to everyone I know..

I now declare you..

2006-05-20T23:56:00.000-07:00

It was inevitable perhaps that the minute I declare in a post that I would be blogging more frequently now that I'm in Shillong without much to do.. I would then have a dry spell and not post for 5 days.. Nope, with family around, blogging comes low down on the prority list (the overall priorty list not my priority list) and thus, this is the first I've come near a computer in 5 days..
I had the opportunity to witness a Christian wedding first-hand last week.. Now unlike the stuff shown on TV, this was not a 5 minute afair and there was no commercial break.. The ceremony lasted an hour with a service in church in which vows took place.. Barring, Malayalee weddings (whihc last about 15 minutes), this was the shortest wedding I had ever witnessed. Which brought to my mind the fact that every Hindu wedding is long - supremely long in fact.. Nikaahs are short and apparently so are Christian weddings.. Why is it Hindu weddings which seem to have to be so ponderous and slow? And I'm not even including the assorted ceremonies before and after the weddings or the games that the bride and groom play..
Anyway, the wedding was also a unique mixture of pagan tribal rituals and Catholic ceremonies but very sweet.. The Readings which referred to the almost saintly virtues the wife must have and which will benefit the husband raised my hackles a bit but that's par for the course I assume..
And no, there was no throwing of the bridal bouquet..

Greetings from Shillong!

2006-05-16T00:55:00.000-07:00

Am now in Shillong, capital of Meghalaya, one of the wettest places in the world and my very own summer retreat.. Yes, quite like the Mughal emperors of yore, during the hot summer months of Delhi, I shift camp to Shillong.. Shillong of 19 degrees, light rain, cold nights with furry quilt and a house with lots anf lots of be-you-ti-fool flowers.. must try and upload some snaps 'cos they are really lovely.. roses (red and white and pink), snapdragons (pink, purple, maroon, magenta..), gladioli in royal purple and a whole hots of other flowers all blooming riotously..
Meanwhile, my father (who rocks btw) has equipped me well.. I have a local phone so I don't subject my delicate Airtel to roaming bills, there's broadband so I can mail/chat/post/orkut to my heart's content, there's also STD so I can call via that as well... So with TV thrown in for good measure and the fact that I get to bed quite soon, this is as close to bliss as possible.
Its weird though, why I can't use Airtel on roaming beyond receiving smses.. Airtel has breached the final bastion - the North-East.. It opened shop here about a year back and there are signs all over the city... I found the same problem in Srinagar as well.. despite Airtel being in operation, roaming wasn't permitted. I wonder if its a security concern for both palces.. After all, for years only 1 operator (Reliance) was allowed to open up this circle to mobile services.. Then, BSNL joined in and now Airtel plus Aircel.. odd.
Anyway, this is just the beginning of posts from here.. have a lot more fre time here and with my dad around, I tend to wake up early and be ready earlier than in Delhi.. So blogging will be more frequent and esoteric in content

Entry for May 12, 2006

2006-05-12T07:02:00.000-07:00

It's amazing what life teaches you - in the silliest of ways.. I had planned to spend a lot of time fixing up my blog here.. adding funny links with witty comments and making it cozy and comfy before posting.. You know.. how youy want to set up your dream house in the best furniture, gorgeous curtains and perfectly-chosen artifacts and only then do a griha-pravesam and enter it.. Well, then you realise, you can't afford any furniture beyond a bed and the one table you already have doesn't fit and since you gave in notice in your old place, you need to move in before you become homeless...
Same here, I have officially moved into blogspot/blogger (are these the same - can anyone enlighten me?) and abandoned my Yahoo 360 blog forthwith (or is it henceforth or herewith).. despite my template being slightly cock-eyed and my links list isn't ready yet.. yada yada yada.. But I'm here now and will start posting regularly on this blog.. and will try to learn html and fix it up as I go along..
For those who didn't get the moral of the story - forget it..

Welcome..

2006-05-11T09:07:00.000-07:00

Trying out a new place and new stuff.. patience while I make this blog just right.. then I'll post
Cheers!