Thursday, December 4, 2008

Long shot


"The recent terror attacks in Mumbai have been a total failure from the terrorists point of view. Instead of spreading fear, they have angered the nation, united the country, woken up the politicians, facilitated the strengthening of armed forces and police, given India international support and put a lot of pressure on Pakistan, where the terrorists were breeding.

Please also note : The muslims in Mumbai have declined to even bury the bodies of these terrorists in their graveyards. "

I came across this when I was reading a blog of Shoba dee, in the comments section. I liked it. I liked it very much. Many people/friends/fellow bloggers were curious to know why there was no blog from me about November27th attacks in Mumbai. They probably wanted to know whether it hasn't upset/angered/touched/inspired/scared me enough to write about it.Why wouldn't it? I also have a better half who is in and out of airports and planes in this sensitive situation.

What do you expect from me? I do not intend to write a dramatic monologue to give vent to what I feel. This is not the time to give lectures/criticize/express anger but give a constructive contribution or thought which can make us do "our bit of good to the nation". The title of my post also does not highlight or suggest the attacks. I have very good neighbors who are Muslims who in fact helped me in rescuing some animals.

If there are a group of school kids, and 2 or 3 have created chaos then it is not the time to change the teacher and Principal of the school, right? [I also want to know why a civilian like Ram Gopal Varma was allowed to enter the Taj where the massacre occured.But what's the use making a hue and cry about it, instead of helping the police solve the case]

The problem is with our entire system. If it was known by everyone that the coast of Mumbai/Chennai/Kerala were all little windows for terrorists/viruses to enter the country, why didn't we guard them, or raise an alarm?Why are we now talking like women who were raped? A thief can enter the house even through an exhaust hole now-a-days. The need of the hour is to ensure that such leaks are sealed. We need Damage Control not further chaos in the form of rebellions and demonstrations. Why doesn't the public protest when an official uses Government vehicles and services for his personal use? Why does the public bow to such authority? It is right at the grass-root level that our system is corrupt. When the roots are decayed how can you expect to have a great plant? There are hundreds of people/bloggers who are acting like true patriots, but have broken rules, encouraged corruption and themselves did their own little bit by boasting about their brother-in-law or cousin who is in a public office and uses such benefits. Why don't they be patriotic by shunning such relatives in public office? No, they don't. Instead they are extra courteous to them because, they could be "useful" to them in future. Reformers and patriots are those who have the guts to challenge such corruption,to me these men of action who can think right are true heroes, not those who make plenty noise outside and then like sterilized mice, get lost in their own safety.

Monday, December 1, 2008

Operation- Puppy Rescue



While Mumbai was grappled by fear and terrorism, back in Bangalore this weekend was very nightmarish for me, a dog and her 3 puppies. It rained this Friday. It rained all night in Bangalore(courtesy, the depression in Bay of Bengal) There was a lot of commotion in and around our street that night with a lot of debates by the dogs and the next morning we heard the cries of puppies trapped in the gutter, a couple of houses away from mine. The mother of the puppies was skinny and was crying nearby. She went and fetched another dog, but couldn't do much.


I waited patiently for the guarding mother to allow me to come near her pups and managed to squeeze those tubby-cute-rolly-polly puppies out of the crack in the gutter cover which was made of long blocks of stone. Then a few good men got around and broke the stone to get the third fella out. The operation lasted until about mid-night, but we went home happy and relieved for saving those poor souls.



Above is my rough illustration of the entire operation which lasted for over 6 hours. End of all this, I come into my house and say "Yay, we did it" to which my husband said cheekily, Okay, now you'll be put on the first elephant for the Republic Day Parade to recieve the bravery award. (I know he admires my spirit though)

Thursday, November 20, 2008

World Kiss Day


I heard it on the radio. Its World Kiss Day and guess what, the Radio jockey actually mentioned about the French kiss in Dostana(???). I don't know about kissing others, but I'll definitely enjoy being kissed by this one. Her satin, soft skin with oh-so-rosy and slightly moist mouth....if you are getting any ideas about me, and want to tell my husband about it, go ahead.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kWbpv6tKl5Q

Watch this, the elegant lady in the video is my sister-in-law.

Monday, November 17, 2008

Yester-years Part-1, Friends


My friendships started very early in life before I knew they were friendships. I guess I can just call it mutual understanding. All my life I had my brother who was my friend when we moved to a new place as children or went abroad, etc. He filled in my friends' place, for me to speak whatever I wish and behave as silly or stupid and still be considered smart. Later my husband became my friend who was my source of inspiration and strength. Now, my girls are my live-in friends. I dote on them all the time and re-live what I missed out in life through them. People don't realize that I am a very strict mom, though.
Stage1- >5 :I have a special mention of a certain girl called Ameena(who looked as cute as me back then), with whom I went in a cycle-rickshaw to school. She was given 20 paise everyday(were my parents so poor that they couldn't give me that much pocket money? No, I was told not to eat un-hygenic food sold near schools.) Anyway, Ameena bought me something everyday with 10 paise. I enjoyed my >5 totally because of Ameena who bought me ice-lollys in dark pink color, shared cotton candy, mango jelly, sweet and sour berrys, cut mango pieces.wow...my mouth is watering.... I still love all these things, and my brother used to joke calling me "street-side girl"later on.
Stage2- 5 to 10 :By this time, I was blessed with the gift of the gab. Once my mother happened to go through my books and read comments which my teacher wrote. Some of the comments were "Gas Cylinder", "Chatter-box", "Gas-pot" Stuff like that. By this time I had a pair of twins for my best friends, Called S and R. They were those very serious and calm types and found me highly entertaining. Incidentally, there was this guy called H who used to always go through my books and sign in them. I complained about him to my music teacher and he said "you know H really likes you" I was mad at my sir also then, but now I understand....that guy was trying to connect to me.
Stage3- Teens :In high school I was very close to my school head girl, who was 5' 8" tall, with bond-girl kinda legs and had this HUGE following of boys. Naturally, I got popular as I was her side-kick. It is an advantageous position as I was in the news all the time, almost the center of the storm, very happening, learning a lot, but all from another's experiences. It later became a huge asset to me, as I soon became a wise one with a store-house of information about how to deal with Boys!!
Rest in the coming post.

Tuesday, November 4, 2008

Vegetarian to Vegan


I was again bitten by the vegetarian bug again. Not just vegetarian but Vegan bug. I am not only bitten by it but of late,I'm going into my "introspective mode" and debating with myself whether this should be implemented in my "non-vegetarian" household. It would definitely generate a "how-can-you-deny-us-of-our-only-food":-( kind of expression on them, especially my husband. I know, I know I cannot sin against him.

So my internal debate is still revving up on and off, blinking like some lights at a traffic signal. I want to organize my dialogue and reason it out.These are my answers, share yours if you have...
  1. Why give up meat of birds and animals? Because the animals suffer and I can't see someone so hurt that they are have to die for my pleasure. Afterall anything that once passes our tongue cannot be enjoyed in our stomachs, small or large intestines, right?
  2. Vegetarians kill plants, isn't that killing? There is a difference. Sure, plants have life. But the degree of killing differs, say our Upanishads.
  3. What is wrong with consuming diary products? Our lifestyle is such that we begin the day with milk(coffee/tea) and end the day with curd. But imagine how we are stealing the food of all those little calves and torturing the cows (which we consider holy in India) by artificially prolonging their lactating period.
  4. What about all those fish and sea-animals? I always admired gold fish in an aquarium. But somehow, since sea is a totally new territory for me, and I never did go snorkeling or scuba-diving, I have a lesser empathy for the consumption of general fish. Endangered species like Dolphins and whales are so intelligent and adorable and am personally against hunting them. Digressing a little about the sea life and my knowledge acquisition,, the flora and fauna undersea is so beautiful, I used to read and be amazed going through the pages of some encyclopedias which my dad bought for us.(We never had a computer at home and I never dreamt back then that I would have my own laptop one day!)My only access to knowledge were a collection of medical books, some encyclopedias, photography books, Reader's digests and an odd collection of books on Palmistry etc. So when I was very young in school, I started reading about Freud and his theories, some thrilling and scary post-mortem pictures and case-studies etc.which I read inquisitively, but again got scared a great deal. My dad who was a pathologist, was blissfully unaware of all this)
  5. End of the story, I conclude that being vegetarian is also bad. Be vegan and leave all the milk to the calves. Don't steal it from them, you all would've had your mamma's milk, when you were babies right. I guess that's enough for you guys. Taking all this one step further, I have started giving up on the ocassional tea and coffee that I have too. I am substituting it all with fruits, how does that sound?
  6. Its not that I don't appreciate non-vegetarian food, curd or the yummy paneer and all those cheeses(that is one way to impress me, I mean, show me you knowledge of making blue cheese recipes or Feta and its taste appreciation) and you have already half impressed me, Show me the cheese...(Show me the money...) I say, in Tom cruise's movie-style as in Jerry Mcguire.
  7. But, I have now broken certain frontiers of my mind...and my soul is preparing to soar(I am not dying:) if that was how this sounded) Hey, I'm cutting this bullshit short, I think that this is an idealistic thing, and I have to practice before I preach. QED.

Thursday, October 30, 2008

Nothing Compares to you

I love this one by Sinead O'Connor, not only because she looks rebellious with her bald head, but she sings her song full throttle with very less background score. Back in the times when she went bald, the music scenario was littered with glam/punk dolls who colored their hair in red/blue/pink/yellow. It was years later that Demi Moore opted to go bald in "G.I. Jane". I find it extremely brave for a woman or man with a head full of hair to go bald. It just reveals their confidence levels. I can name only a few who can feel and sing like her. It is an honest song which deals with love and relationships, and how we tend to count time apart in days/hours/minutes/secs when things go wrong in love.

Wednesday, October 29, 2008

Right here waiting for you...

Boy! This voice makes me go oh so w(hhh)eak in my knees. That is the power of music, of a voice, of love. I have always felt this song move me. I used to listen up to this song very late into the night over and again(yes, my insomniac blogger friends) thinking about love...and that slow, delicious heartache and waiting all combine into this melodious voice and poetry that there was a time in my life when I wanted to marry any guy who could sing or write like this...
But end of the day, we all know that he is probably a songwriter and singer making out a living with his song.



Close your eyes, let the music flow and allow the voice to lead your heart...and fall in love. I just fell in love with Richard Marx's voice yet another time just now.

Wednesday, October 22, 2008

Just another blog....Shobaa de


I chanced to read Shobaa de's blog about PETA, and was pretty ticked off. Not that I held her very highly from the very beginning, but I thought she was admirable in the way she rose from being a model to an Indian Jackie Collins of sorts. Overall, she made it to a certain level in her alternative career, proving that not all good lookers are dumb, whatever.
I have on and off read articles written by her in various magazines and very discreetly enjoyed (must confess) the way she hits back at people especially men. So all those male bees reading this save your backs and run Shoba's now here on this page to disrobe your langots. Hey, take it easy, I was simply kidding in her style :-)
Back to PETA. What disappointed me about her writing about PETA, was she wondered why PETA used women in all their disrobed glory to spread their good words. I have my answer for that but there are 15 comments published, of which one hit back at her a volley of replies which she chose not to reply or acknowledge(Not following Blogorisms, good manners of all bloggers, akin to table-manners)
My reply to Shobaa de would be, PETA is hitting right where the metal is hot [double entendre, intended:)] Whether it is Alicia Silverstone baring all for PETA or John Abraham in India wearing a "Real men are kind to animals" T-shirt) PETA's message is clear and loud. Yes, they use show-stoppers who can grab eyeballs with their aggressive campaigning. But, PETA's message has spread like a forest fire bringing awareness, in everyone. (Shobaa de some times lacks maturity in her thought processes, though she authored so much of pulp fiction.) Personally, I am always in and out of the idea of turning not just vegetarian but vegan. (I have reserved it for a few more years from now, after my girls are a little older.) That does not stop me from supporting vegetarianism and spreading kindness towards animals. A sofaa made of pure leather? No, imitation goods will do for me.
P.S. to Shobaa De: Maybe a tutorial in Blogger will help for damage control. Go to Dashboard>Settings>Comments> Comments Moderation> Review comments before they are published.

Monday, October 20, 2008

Know more about the human brain


This subject never ceased to interest, amaze and fascinate me. Most of my blogs try to analyze why children, people or men and women behave the way they do. I don't want to sound too nerdy but I guess I sort, judge or try to understand at which level people are around me. I came across this amazing video which consists of a great talk on the brain, the CP in each one of us. The fact that the talker is a neuro-scientist is both impressive and fascinating to me. Her flawless performance( I prefer the word performance over talk) will win you over.

I have had the kind of disorientation which Dr.Jill describes when I woke up after being administered anesthesia, post operations.(I did have a couple of them) It is truly enlightening. Dr.Jill's talk says all those things which saints are known to have experienced. She uses the word 'Nirvana' to describe the essence of ultimate mental liberation. Kudos to her.

Monday, October 13, 2008

How 'bout a cuppa, some crackers and a blog?


Hmm...I wish life was as simple as I just made it sound. I cheat my work once in a while to visit my favorite bloggers and jot a couple of my oh-so-precious-comments to acknowledge that I've-been-there-done-that. Just in case, you are one of my blog friends and added me to your blog-roll, shelf, study-room,attic,patio,verandah,carpark,street,city,country,hemisphere, planet,galaxy,heart,mind,or any other internal or external organ this is to you: I am still reading your blogs and am looking forward to reading more about you, though I'm invisible to you now-a-days. As you can see today is code freeze day for me and all these days were spent tying some loose ends. You can see something in red and blue right? It is me trying to smile through all the work:-)

Thursday, September 25, 2008

Tall, well built and goodlooking?



Flying dream machines can be like a walk on the clouds for every little boy or grown up boys.....To be a captain at 29, in a leading Indian airline with 20/20 vision and flying a fleet of planes ranging from Airbus 330-200, Boeing 777, Boeing 737-400/700/800/900 (whatever) is like a dream for most men. I know that every man would love to be a pilot for "other" reasons...but problem is she is not finding a suitable match.Yeah, my second cousin whom I met at a recent wedding is not finding a nice qualified guy. I was impressed when I met her this time-un-opinionated, with a pleasant disposition and a total daddy's pet despite all her achievements. I mean I don't think I would even listen to my dad (I didn't in real-life, because he was very chauvinistic) if I carried home a 3 lac/pm kinda salary and owned a luxury flat in Mumbai!

I wondered why she is not finding any guy(maybe her daddy dearest is not getting impressed), as they are looking out for only Indians! Perhaps Indian men find it hard to digest a woman with a high profile career... Forget careers and high profile women, most men can't sit in a car when a woman is in the driver's seat.

Bangaloreans are kind of cool with women driving cars everyday but on highways I have faced a lot of jeering and honking(when my husband wanted to relax)

I know that this could be the start of a debate, but I'm not getting into it. A man is more equipped physically but most(not all) women are on equal footing. I don't want women bloggers to criticize me about this but hey! I'm being fair and honest. I have developed male-like-abilities to do most stuff like driving, planning, reading maps, designing homes and a million other things. There are multi-taskers like me , but speaking of the average women, I don't agree that they are as good as the men are in general. I have seen at least 10 women for every one man who have caused traffic irritations in Bangalore. That explains it. The left-side of the brain is better developed in men than women. This results in men having more logic, mathematical abilities and reflexes. The women have their right side of the brain developed more which means that women have more emotions, are extremely creative, sensitive, can connect better(hence can rear children better than a man.)

A balanced individual is one who works on improving the other side of his/her brain. I worked many dog years to evolve better logic, but in the process lost some of my emotional, creative abilities. (I write less poems now, because I am less emotional now. I feel sorry for it.)

Thursday, September 4, 2008

Love Thy Breasts


I was recently in and out of some surgeon's, physician's and oncologist's rooms in Manipal Hospital, Bangalore, and emerged like a Buddha. Enlightened and ready to spread the good words, Love thy breasts, all you women. (And the men who love the breasts of the women you love.)There was some tension in my mind when I discovered a lump in the armpit, which was later diagnosed as a simple swelling after a mammogram. But, the storm which it raised in my mind about what would happen to my children, is best left unsaid. I know that the title of my post would've sounded a wee bit voyeuristic, but I promise to enlighten all those who read this post.
Magazines, movies, stars, internet, surgeons and you-name-it, everything visual, makes billions of dollars selling human breasts. Such a powerful word. Sadly not many give enough thought to what could actually go wrong with breasts. Every woman is blessed with these twin assets, with a certain purpose. The West actually deteriorated the meaning and existence of breasts. Read on below, about the hazards that women face by simply having breasts:

One of our biggest breast cancer risk factors, is simply getting older. Take a look at these startling statistics of how age alone influences the breast cancer risk:

Your risk of breast cancer by age:

  • One teenage girl out of every 2152 girls develops breast cancer before age 20.
  • By age 30, the risk of breast cancer in women increases significantly to 1 in 251.
  • The risk factor for breast cancer at age 40 is 1 in 69.
  • By age 50, breast cancer risk is up to 1 woman out of 36 women.
  • Then by age 60, breast cancer risk factor has soared to 1 in 26.
  • Finally, by age 70, breast cancer risk is a whopping 1 in 23.
  • Overall, 1 out of every 7 women faces breast cancer diagnosis during her lifetime.
Check out this link for more info: http://womenshealth.about.com/od/breastcancer/a/whogetsbreastca.htm

There are 6 symptoms that women are unaware of which could lead to breast cancer.Read them below,
Breast that is warm to the touch: A breast that always feel warm, sometimes hot to the touch is a symptom of inflammatory breast cancer, a dangerous and rare type of the disease.
Flat or inverted nipple: A nipple that is flat or inverted is also a symptom of breast cancer. This does not include having an inverted nipple since birth.
A breast that is often itchy: If you have itchy breasts or nipples, talk to your doctor. These are both symptoms of breast cancer.
The skin around the breast is dimpled or looks like an orange peel: Breast and surrounding skin can take on a dimpled appearance, looking like an orange peel. Many women are too embarassed to show a doctor, thinking it is cellulite or from being overweight. This is not the case.
Swollen or breast that does not change with menstrual cycle or size increase: It's normal for a woman's breast to become swollen and tender during a normal menstrual cycle, but when it's constant, it need to be evaluated by a doctor. Women also need to be aware of a sudden breast size increase.
Breast that is red or blotchy: A breast that is red or blotchy, even having a rash-like appearance should be evaluated by a doctor. It is a symptom of inflammatory breast cancer. Inflammatory breast cancer is a type of cancer that is often undetected by a mammogram and self breast exam.

I have lost my favorite aunt a decade ago to breast cancer. My mother-in-law is suffering from it today. You also would be having someone close who might need some timely advise. So read on and recognize the symptoms earlier. Breast cancer when detected in the first or second stage is completely curable. Save someones breasts on time. Save their life.


Monday, August 25, 2008

Little Miss Bean



I had been meaning to share a few babbles of my 3 1/2 year old on my blog for sometime now, and somehow procrastinating it. I guess I'll highlight a few of her wise cracks and otherwise here.
  • After watching "Ugly aur Pagli" the other day, she wanted to play "Ugly aur Pagli" game. She explained later, you carry me on your back and take me upstairs. Very ingenious like her mother naa.
  • She addresses her all-so-respectful Principal Kasturi ma'am asTaskuri ma'am.
  • One day she came and asked me for a favour. I was stunned at her knowledge of English. I later learnt from her that she wanted to eat a Wafer.
I especially love her saying her rhymes with all those little inversions. I encourage her to talk about school and the day's activities in an attempt to amuse myself.
  • Recently at the 61st Independence Day celebrations at her play school, she learnt how to sing our national anthem. I am You-tubing it below. With all due respect, I am only showcasing her ability to pull through most of it(without giving up, despite her lack of vocabulary)
  • One of her favorite activities is to watch the incredible Mr.Bean and his very real-life portrayals. "He's very funny"
  • I personally love Just-for-gags and MAD on POGO. Nobody joins us, but we both never miss it. She also shares my passion for cooking and our faves are watching the beautiful Nigella Lawson preparing feasts and taking an international cuisine tour on Planet Food, not to forget the cookery show on Times Now.
  • I have an alternative career plans if she for any reason finds regular studies too mundane. An enthu-cutlet that she is, she'll make a world class chef or dancer or anything she wants to be. I am one parent who loves to give wings to children and say, do what you most enjoy.FREEDOM (I was on a flight yesterday, and as usual wanted to film this fantastic view, and my hubby frowned as he read my intention, but I did what I wanted to do, anyway. This clipping below is what I call freedom and beauty and imagination all rolled into one.)

Wednesday, August 20, 2008

An Ode- His lighting of a cigarette


His fingers curl inwards
Like a disturbed sea anemone
To shelter the orange glow
In his cupped palms.
-I remember his soft murmur
on my cheek.

The night blackens in the background
As his lighted cigarette triumphs.
He reclines soulfully
Little aware of the desire
He raked in me.

Those lips which once killed my defenses
Now aid him in breathing out opague fumes
He holds his cigarette lightly between fingers
And taps silkily at brief intervals
Each time he ends his paragraph of thought

On his hand is a cigarette
In my thoughts is him.
My gallant knight
does not carry a sword
does not wear an armour
He dons a soft heart and honest eyes
And a pack of lights
In a flip-top box.
Seperating a man from his love
Is like breaking a child's best toy.

Thursday, July 24, 2008

I am what I was

I oversaw the rules when I answered Shekhar's tag, it clearly stated that

"the guy who has been served with this tag has to post the links of his/her five previously written posts, one each for each of the 5 keywords - Family, Friend, Yourself, Love, Anything you like. And then, tag five blog pals two of them new acquaintances.

The first part was an easy affair for me, since all my rants and raves usually center my family, friends and of course myself : Here we go.
Family - http://maverick-smartalec.blogspot.com/2007/09/once-upon-rain-in-bangalore-city.html
Friend-http://imaginativehead.blogspot.com/2008/07/dog-which-knew-too-much.html
Yourself-http://unlearninglife.blogspot.com/2008/07/oops-i-was-tagged-by-shekar.html
Love-http://maverick-smartalec.blogspot.com/2008/02/spectrum.html
Anything I like-my poem published here http://www.poetbay.com/viewText.php?textId=50475
And my recipe published here
http://shortcutstocook.blogspot.com/2008/07/maa-ki-daal-simpler-version.html


Now the challenging part: I do leave comments once in a while here and there, but chiefly limit my interactions to 3 or 4 people only. So now tagging them is an ordeal. Would they let me tag them? is the million dollar question. Dharye, sahase, lakshmi. Where there is courage and a sense of adventure, good fortune always follows is a rough translation of this sanskrit proverb. Here I go tagging my favorites, some altogether from a different blogosphere:

3 favorite bloggers

Sarath Chandra - http://probabilityisgod.rediffiland.com/iland/probabilityisgod.html
Hakuna matata - http://hakunamtata.blogspot.com/
Cutting the chai - http://soumyadipc.blogspot.com/

Now, the 2 new acquaintances, I started reading :

Funny man Drake - http://drakescakes.blogspot.com/
Cheeky Christopher Roshan D'Souza- http://scriptedinsanity.blogspot.com/

Having met all the parameters, I'm pushing the publish button.Viola!

Thursday, July 17, 2008

Oops, I was TAGGED by Shekhar!


I had plenty fun reading my friend Dee's and Shekhar's Tag, but must admit that my questions and answers are going to be more leaning-towards-bringing-out-the-true-essence-of-me, rather than just telling about what I eat, like, wear,sleep,read-sort-of-thing. {Incidentally, I had a request from a friend to join Netlog, which I did, (stating that I was married, very much in love, and a working woman with kids at home.)I got requests pouring in by the dozens. I accepted 22 in a day. I wish to borrow some Q & A from Netlog for doing my TAG.}

I'm living
  • in a row house
Do you have children?
  • Yes, I am a great parent
My greatest assets
  • My attitude towards life
  • My family and friends whom I nurture very lovingly
Clothing style
  • Casual
  • Stylish in my own way
  • Love accesorizing (does this word exist in English language?)
Favorite tv channel
  • Travel and Living(Love travelling and getting to the core of others' culture and life)
  • Nat. Geographic Ch.
  • HBO
  • POGO(I love those gags and laugh at them with my little one)
  • Discovery( I am an avid animal lover/watcher. That's how/why I understand men and women so well)
  • A & E - Arts & Entertainment
Car interests
  • Don't like cars. I like Trucks and jeeps(I was a railroad man in my previous birth)
Favorite car brand
  • LAND ROVER
Music style
  • Pop
  • Indipop
  • Top50
  • 80s
  • 70s
  • Classic
  • Film Music
  • Rap
  • Country & Western
Favourite cities abroad
  • Paris
  • Cologne
  • London
  • Kerala (Haven't been to any of them, but would love to once my husband is confident with his finances)
Smoker?
I don't smoke!(Hate tobacco, and my better half when he does smoke)
Favourite brand of beer
  • I don't drink beer!!(I don't do beer, drugs. But I always existed with them. However i I aim at learning to enjoy the art of wine drinking. I've mastered the art of wine appreciation and style(with the 4 Cs) but haven't really started enjoying it)
Jewellery
  • Love it. Especially stones, rocks, mountains and the blue ocean around them.(Just kidding. I admire delicate and exquisite jewelery. But personally, I lead a happy life with cheap, creative stuff and aim at living comfortably, rather than make my husband pay EMIs through his nose for something which will end up in a locker. I also believe that it is dead investment when compared to real estate. Why wear a lakh to feel like a queen when you can stay in a bigger place and live like one?What say?Do I sound too practical and too much like a man? Well, I certainly think like one.
What kind of movies do you like?
  • Horror
  • True story
  • Comedy
  • Romantic movies
  • Thriller
  • Mystery
  • Underground movies
  • Film noir
What do you think is romantic?
Green valleys, tree house, a stream running by(Yash Chopra filmy background) children taken care of, just me and my husband alone, with nothing better than get an aromatherapy stress-relieving back massage.How does that sound?
What do you hate?
Gossip. I don't like to waste my time in such things, in fact they are major turn offs.
What do you do when you are bored?
Write, read, cook (I'm passionate about cooking)surf the web, do gardening, paint (never actually get time to do), compose poetry. Actually I'm never bored in life, because I always need time to myself, to sip life in solace.
My favorite Film Heros Yesteryears to Now
  • Guru Dutt ( I find his personal as well as filmy love very irresistible)
  • Manoj Kumar(For his handsome looks with a pout et al)
  • Shashi Kapoor(later his son Karan Kapoor too){Major flirt that I was}
  • Vinod Khanna (later his sons Rahul and Akshay- God save all of you, you are sitting in a confession box)
  • Tom Cruise(I told my husband that I've watched Tom kissing Kelly McGills in the movie"Top Gun" a thousand times, and my husband used to actually feel jealous every time he saw Tom Cruise on HBO, years ago(Not anymore, though)
  • Kevin Costner(he's a diehard romantic to the core)
  • John Abraham (he's charming and has his head firmly on his shoulders)
  • Hritik Roshan (for his dancing prowess,discipline and dedication towards body)
  • Ajay Devgun (Don't say uuurgh! he's a brooding romantic, its not always drop-dead-good-looks that works for me, he's got to be real, and sensitive and a man of action)
  • Neil Nitin Mukesh for his looks(Now, don't say that I'm not sparing the guys younger than me, you see, there's nothing wrong in admiring the same guys my daughter is admiring. infact I'll be happy if she acquires my good taste, what say?Beauty needs appreciation, otherwise it is like a rose in the desert)
Women I admire
  • Mother Teresa(I know its not a Miss India contest) for her commitment.
  • Sister Marietta(A nun whom I knew since my schooling days)
  • My mother(for her sacrifices and steadfast support and love)
  • My mother-in-law(For raising her children so well)
  • My Lady boss(who's not going to read my blog, but is very shrewd, smart, impartial,funny and reasonable,all the time) In short, my idols are all real people most of them are around me.
What would I do if I had to live life all over again?
  • Excellent question. I would've had less fights with my husband and produced one more cute offspring. Can't think of it now, though.Hey I'm being brutally Honest.
Do you dance?
  • Louuuve dancing. Singing. Instrumental music. All Performing/fine arts.Though I made a very odd pair with my husband whose an entire foot taller than me. I was blessed with great moves and shakes whereas he was born with two left feet(though he's a Punjabi). Nevertheless we had loads of fun at discos. Thank God our offspring cleverly omitted his genes when it comes to anything being remotely creative.
Do I believe in GOD
  • Very very much. I'm not very ritualistic and stuff. But I know that there is this force which exists and is omnipresent and omnipotent. I don't support any religion as such but I am always in this mode of self evaluation and introspection. I teach my kids how to listen to their conscience.
My contribution to this world would be
  • One day, I will retire to establish an orphanage which will run with my own funds. I am idealistic and will nurture a bunch of homeless children and teach them how to earn a livelihood for themselves.
  • I will also publish a couple of poetry,a couple of fiction and plenty childrens' books.
What are my hallmark qualities?
  • I have a very subtle sense of humor.
  • I have the ability to sense the others feelings very quickly.

Friday, June 27, 2008

So many bloggers, so little time....


Of late I have been googling a lot for the most "Must read" blogs of the time. My younger daughter wanted Aamir Khan's blog, my elder one wanted Imran Khan's blog(he happens to be Aamir's nephew debuting). I managed to get Aamir's blog. Now I know that Chutki is going to be thrilled. Her all-time fave is Taare Zameen Par, and her heros are Darsheel and Aamir. She was taught Bum bum bole in school and is shaking her tush a la aamir in the song. Will utube it. Boy! she'll be softly floating in seventh heaven.

Thursday, June 12, 2008

Secret Scent


Once again the scent
Of a stray blossom
Awakens the memories
Of an exquisite night
When you cradled
My crushed soul
With the sweetness
Of your lips and voice
With drunken face
And feverish hands
I resisted and succumbed
To your loving embrace
a frail dove without wings

Wednesday, June 11, 2008

No naughty corner for me...


Yesterday my 3 and a half year old threw a fit of anger when I snatched the TV remote from her. She had been hanging on to it as if her life depended on it and was engrossed in watching first Mr.Bean's cartoon show, then the Mr.Bean show and then the Daffy Duck show and....whatever. I thought she had enough of this nonsense when she hid the remote, intuitively under the cushions. When I traced it she started wailing so loud that I told her that I eardrums have broken hearing her cries. I then came up with a punishment ritual where she had to stand in the naughty corner and say sorry to me.

It was a big ordeal for her. She hated this punishment as it is below her dignity to stand in the naughty corner, she also hated the word "sorry". It took me about 12 minutes to execute this as she is a very strong-willed child and learned to pit her head against mine for a head-on collision without batting an eyelid. (No she does not listen to anyone except, when I use her Principals name during my blackmail.)I often wonder what she will be up to when she grows up. She is a strong girl who loves life and social activities. Her photographic memory is so efficient that point zero zero seconds were enough for her to capture all the wonderful treasures she sees over an unreachable area (the reachability factor decreases when a hoisting device like a chair or stool is pulled closer to the once unreachable desk, Almirah etc) It is timing + absence of other adult bodies + quickness all put together, which help her in achieving the forbidden tasks (read juicy). Here are a few listed

  • Have you ever washed your autocop car keys in a mug of water to clean the dust off it?
  • Have you ever whitewashed your walls yellow with mango puree?
  • Have you ever given a thought about how your mom's sindhoor(the red kumkum which married women in India use) would look all over the face?
  • Have you tried eating noodles with fingers, and tried drinking water with a fork?
  • Have you ever considered using vaseline to improve the hair and scalp?
  • And Dabur Amla Hairoil for your body?(Believe me it doesn't smell that heavenly)
  • Have you powdered the floors with talcum powder/ (Now, this smells good)
I am still glad that she only used to pull the dog's tail, never bit the dog. She emptied bottles of water on the carpet, but never on the bed. She @#$@#$ but didn't (((-: **************?????? She only hissed at the snake and didn't eat the frog.......she only...etc.

Thursday, June 5, 2008

Have you tried the gelato...




I finally had a gelato after hearing and reading a lot about it. There are just about a handful of them here in India(I did see one in the all new Shamshabad Airport, Hyderabad). I did my googling and wiki-search about it and this is what I can share with you guys.
Gelatos are typically, traditional Italian Gourmet ice-creams. Now why are they suddenly a craze in the United States? Because they help you sin without feeling guilty. Didn't understand? Well, you see American ice creams are loaded with butter, eggs and fats, hence they are undeniably fattening. On the contrary, Gelatos are vegetarian ice-creams, prepared with varieties of wonderful fresh ingredients like pureed fruits and very less or absolutely no butter/cream. Impressive, ain't it? I've seen a documentary on Gelatos where the anchor is told by the Gelataria owner in Italy, that the American ice-cream is full of butter, and subtle tastes cannot be relished, as it leaves a coat of butter on the tongue.

I happened to visit the Forum Mall in Koramangala,Bangalore and found this Gelataria in 'More'supermarket. There were an array of choices ranging from 96% fat-free to 100% fat-free gelatos.And the presentation too is soothing to the eyes with carved fruits sitting between the ice cream. And speaking of flavors, forget the butterscotch, vanilla, pista et al, we can now taste the real fruity flavors of melon,strawberry,blueberry and mango.In Singapore, you can even get a Durian flavored one. There are hundreds of flavors. You can also get them in cups/wafer cones. Sorbets are, roughly speaking, frozen fruit juices. There are Gelato cakes too on offer. Priced a little higher than Baskin Robbins, minus the guilt(pang/pangs)
Wanna try some?? My blog looks like a copywriting for the Gelatos and Gelato bar, I think I ought to be paid for this, folks, hey, is anybody listening out there?

Tuesday, June 3, 2008

Come let's commit suicide with happiness...



...is the literal translation of the Bollywood item song starring Nisha Kothari and Fardeen Khan from Ram Gopal Varma's movie called "Darling". The movie is supposed to be a thriller but I was cracking up with laughter, looking at Fardeen's expression:-/ every time Esha's ghost turns up. No, I'm not debating about his acting prowess, I know he doesn't have even an iota of it, but he came up with this funny expression where he is not-really-crying-or-laughing:-( ?? (-: It was simply hilarious to the hilt. I mean, I was all eager to watch a serious flick but it turned out to be a rib-tickling comedy. I somehow liked the silly lyrics of the song mentioned, and wanted to teach my little one how to do the jig, in hot pants a la-Nisha-kothari. Will tube-it soon.

watch this jig

Monday, May 12, 2008

Men versus Women- Part #1 of chapter#10 of Volume #9 from library archives #8


I received yet another of those "pass on this email to all those women who need an education and all those men who ....whatever" from one of my like-feathered friends. I suddenly had a lot of cud to chew on my fave topic and thought I'll put my eloquent mind to immediate action. I colored the list of men's rules in Red and my comments in-line in green color as both are primary colors and very simple to distinguish for the men. Here we go:

All of the points on the list were numbered as#1 on purpose.
(Hmm, I agree to it as men are bad at multi-tasking and are poorly equipped to remember things beyond #1, in addition to the 9 to 5 jobs that they hold.Hey guys, that's acceptable, no probs.)

Rule#1 of 1: Shopping is NOT a sport. And no we are never going to think of it that way.

Imagine this :Scenario 1: Leave husband in a mall, give a gift voucher of Rs. 10,000. Meet him after an hour. He is in KFC eating a chicken out of a bucket after checking out the latest mobiles/laptops/Boss music system. Balance money, 10,000-475= 9575 Scenario 2: Leave wifey with Rs.10,000 in a mall. Meet her after 45 minutes. She has already bought a pair of jeans, couple of shirts, a couple of kurtis, a branded handbag and shoes. All the clothes come from one single new store called "for Plus- sized women". Balance money, 10,000-9575=475. She definitely has better judging and quick decision making skills. Plus you can still buy your bucket of chicken from KFC.

Rule#2 of 1:Crying is blackmail.

Hey, don't forget, that was precisely the moment you put your hand around her and gave her your shoulder to cry on. You thanked God for it back then.

Rule#3 of 1:Ask for what you want. Let us be clear on this one:

Subtle hints do not work.
You see, men are dumb.
Strong hints do not work.
They lack understanding.
Obvious hints do not work.
They are cabbages.
Just say it!
YOU ARE DUMBER THAN WE THOUGHT.


Rule#4 of 1:"Yes" and "No" are perfectly acceptable answers to almost every question.

Yes, we agree that we too want role reversal for a change. No, we don't mind if you let us watch TV, while you cook a meal for the family.


Rule#5 of 1:Come to us with a problem only if you want help solving it. That's what we do. Sympathy is what your girl friends are for.
No probs, if you are busy. You see its not that I mind sharing, but we have this cute guy in our office who lends a sympathetic ear to all of us girls... anytime.


Rule#6 of 1:A headache that lasts for 17 months is a problem. See a doctor.

I know. The sooner you see, the better.

Rule#7 of 1:Anything we said 6 months ago is inadmissible in an argument. In fact, all comments become null and void after 7 days.

Do you guys suffer from a short term memory loss or something/ Just curious...

Rule#8 of 1:If you think you're fat, you probably are. Don't ask us.

I'm not asking you if I'm fat. I'm informing you that I need to upgrade my wardrobe to a higher version, and so have to hit fashion street.

Rule#9 of 1: If something we said can be interpreted 2 ways, one of the ways makes you sad or angry, we meant the other one.
Now, don't be chicken.

Rule#10 of 1:You can either ask us to do something or tell us how you want it done. Not Both.
How 'bout using discretion...

Rule#11 of 1:If you already know best how to do it, just do it yourself.

This is escapism...

Rule#12 of 1:Whenever possible, please say whatever you have to say during commercials.

Honey, the puppy is pissing in your shoes.

Rule#13 of 1:Christopher Columbus did not need directions and neither do we.

That's why he discovered America when he went in search of India. There are no new continents to be discovered. Google even finished mapping all the streets and by-lanes also.


Rule#14 of 1:All men see in only 16 colors, like Windows Default settings. Peach for example, is a fruit, not a color. Pumpkin is also a fruit. We have no idea what Mauve is.
What 'bout the orange and rose in the WDSettings?

Rule#15 of 1:If it itches, it will be scratched. We do that.
I will accept if you have the guts to do it in front of your boss.If you control it there...you're chicken.

Rule#16 of 1:If we ask what is wrong and you say "nothing", we act like nothing's wrong. We know you are lying, but it is just not worth the hassle.

Nothing is the matter with my love life in my office, darling...Now don't ask questions,I hate these probes you see...

Rule#17 of 1:If you ask a question you don't want an answer to, expect an answer you don't want to hear.
I was planning on going on a date with a gay-colleague of mine, do you want to tag along?

Rule#18 of 1:When we have to go somewhere, absolutely anything you wear is fine, Really.
How about wearing some lingerie to your boss's party?

Rule#19 of 1:You have enough clothes.

You are dressed like a macaw nowadays, I 'm not commenting on you.

Rule#20 of 1:You have too many shoes.

So do you.

Rule#21of 1:I am in shape. Round is a shape.
So do I..

Rule#22 of 1:Thank you for reading this. Yes, I know, I have to sleep on the couch tonight, but did you know men really don't mind that, its like camping.
I'm glad to have the bed all to myself. Enjoy your camping with the mosquitoes.

P.S: I have no regrets for all you guys out there. My views are intended to hurt,bruise,stamp,walk all over and kill all your male egos lurking everywhere. I owe no apologies to the mankind and have written all this with ill-meaning intentions.

If you want to send clever repartees(counter humorous ) you are welcome, if it is written as stylishly as mine. (Jokes apart, my actual intention is to increase the number of hits and increase traffic to my site.)

Thursday, May 1, 2008

Bugs are not insects


When I was in school my father brought home an encyclopedia on insects. I was fascinated by the wonderful photography, the up-close shots and the array of colors. Inquisitive that I was,I read a lot about ants, bees and other colonial insects and how some African varieties can be poisonous and deadlier than sharks or piranhas in water. My only source of information were books then. Then as I got older the cable TV opened up many doors, in the form of Discovery and Animal Planet where I could enjoy more delightful insights about insects.

Today, I use computer as my reference book. I ended up working in close quarters with software professionals and suddenly there was a sea-change in the way I look at insect kingdom. I found that they are omnipresent. There is a software dictionary which has a lot of terms and rules about bugs. Read some highlights below:

  • Bugs are not insects, but can be as irritating.
  • They show up when least expected.
  • They are very similar to the ones we see at home or in our gardens. Always make life miserable.
  • They are present even in the simplest of programs.
  • They call it the “SDLC” or Software Development Life Cycle, because it is similar to the life cycle of an insect, it never ends. Egg, larva, pupa, insect:: egg, larva,pupa,bug...
  • There is no such thing as “bug life” because new ones appear as the present ones get fixed.
  • There is no such thing as a “bug free” program. (Every body knows it.)

I would like to quote Murphy’s tech laws, before I end that “If it works, it's production. If it doesn't, it's a test.” And that

The only program that runs perfectly every time, is a virus”

Amen!!!

Wednesday, April 30, 2008

Your computer is sick


The other day I saw that my otherwise talkative colleague was silent. I thought she was sick, but soon found out that a virus has entered her laptop back home through a pen drive which she used to download the software. However this time it got corrupted and became malware and she was not even able to open the program. She was waiting with a long face while a I'm-gizmo-savvy-buddy of hers was re-configuring her badware. She waited praying to the computer Gods in heaven(these are the new-age substitutes of the Greek Gods) as her doctor-fix it- friend went ahead with his operation HELP. He finally succeeded and she too learnt her lesson in the process. She was going to test-drive all her software on the office computer as it had a lot of powerful antibiotic cover which could fight off most of the viruses.

From her experience, I learnt that Dr.Murphy was right with his laws;

The longer it takes to download a program the more likely it won't run.
You will get disconnected from the Internet or experience a computer crash when you are downloading. If you don't experience one within 80% completion, then it will happen at 99%. If you do manage to get the file, then it will turn out to be completely useless and/or invalid.


Friday, April 25, 2008

Hey,are you a software professional ...


Office-time means quality time spent at the expense of the employer. I would simply like to tell how productive an employee in a software company can be. The software professional swipes in his card on time, sits in front of his desk all the time, goes to the cafeteria on time, and leaves to his home, well, on time.
Then there are these delightful little breaks when the server of the company is down. All work or all that seems like work comes to a royal halt, I said royal because even the boss knows that he himself cannot do much in times like this. There are some very sincere guys who put on a very sad face and report first to the boss that the server is down because he was the first to find out when he was surfing some job portal or better chatting with this girl from United States on orkut.
But one day when the work inevitably gets piled on, gathers some dust and multiplies like bacteria, when the deadline is just around 54hours around the corner, you actually see these guys working. Wow! You can see them up all night, drinking buckets of tea and working their fingers off. Suddenly their efficiency level hits an all time high and they are working against the tide of time like Sherpas climbing uphill the unforgiving cold Kanchenjunga!They come to office with tired, red eyes and unshaven beard and you hear that they were up all night ,till about half past 3 and were back to the office along with you. Makes you feel that you are actually an under worker! They have a launch 14 hours away and the entire office crew knows that they are working. Where as your toil of silent hours a 3 or 4 extra hours per day goes unnoticed.
I look at it as the rise of the Titanic Wave and its denouement. Add a few works here and there and it gets all the more dramatic. The launch is finally done, and its party time. And then starts the swipe in-swipe out and have quality office time all over again, bringing it to a full circle.

Thursday, April 24, 2008

Coffee break and Tea time


They proceed
serenely
with coffee mugs
like brides
in the altar

Behind them
there are no
white long veils
trailing...

Some like
tea, others coffee
some like
the gossip
that is thrown
in-between
their cuppa
and the spoon...

Some of the prized moments in a day of anyone working in front of a frowning computer screen are breaks. Not koffee with karan, but coffee/Tea with colleagues. Some like them light some dark but the ritual of picking the right snack to go with it is the key. There were days when my friends even brought along the right savories to go with it, from home and shared with laughter and fun.
Tomorrow, when i am away from my friends, and perhaps go to another place, I'll still hold all my memories like gold fish in my water bowl of life.