I hate writing reviews of movies or books... especially as I am no good at them. But I just could not resist myself after seeing the Hindi Ghajini.
Not sure how many of you saw the Tamil Version of the movie. Surya and Asin were great and they seemed to gel so well and their screen ( much as I hate to use the word) chemistry was just awesome.
The songs by Harris Jayaraj were and are so wildly popular and extremely catchy. Oru Malai and Sutrum Vizhi still topping my personal favourite list.
Aamir being another favourite.. I was eagerly looking forward to his Ghajini. Saw it today and was pretty disappointed. :-( ...
Aamir and Asin both Rocked... unfortunately they rocked separately. Though they were on the same screen, it felt like they were not even talking to each other.
The songs .. An Aamir movie with Music direction by A R Rahman... Sheeesshh!!!!
I hear its a big box office hit... good for them!.. but still an over all thumbs down... :-(
Sunday, December 28, 2008
Thursday, December 25, 2008
Beauty and Brains
I wonder why the beauty and brains become mutually exclusive when the gals n guys enter a beauty paegent. Some people like Sushmita sen, do give me some hope (note I am not including Aish here), but invariably the brains seem to leak out of their ears.
The latest example for this was an interview in one of the famous news channels with the Miss. India-Universe (whose name I can really not be bothered to remember).
The lady was loaded with shopping bags and standing in front of a shopping mall all set to start her christmas shopping.
When the reporter seeing her all set, asked her what she wanted from Santa this christmas. Pat came the reply from the Miss Universe-hopeful "I am not at all materialistic. If Santa were to give me something, I would want ... (no prizes for guessing) World peace"
Well! Duh uh! I was not sure if I should gag or snicker.
I did snicker though when the reporter came back with a "Since we can't buy world peace at the mall.. why don't u just tell us what you plan to buy"
Honestly!! These gals must be taught to say something original or atleast different whenever a mike is stuck in front of their face.... World peace is postively going stale ... *smirk*
The latest example for this was an interview in one of the famous news channels with the Miss. India-Universe (whose name I can really not be bothered to remember).
The lady was loaded with shopping bags and standing in front of a shopping mall all set to start her christmas shopping.
When the reporter seeing her all set, asked her what she wanted from Santa this christmas. Pat came the reply from the Miss Universe-hopeful "I am not at all materialistic. If Santa were to give me something, I would want ... (no prizes for guessing) World peace"
Well! Duh uh! I was not sure if I should gag or snicker.
I did snicker though when the reporter came back with a "Since we can't buy world peace at the mall.. why don't u just tell us what you plan to buy"
Honestly!! These gals must be taught to say something original or atleast different whenever a mike is stuck in front of their face.... World peace is postively going stale ... *smirk*
Saturday, November 29, 2008
Siege!
India's two top metropolis both under siege, one by terrorists and the other by nature. Chennai (actually the whole of TN state) is drowning in water, while Mumbai in bullets, bombs and blood as death toll rises in both places
Mumbai: While the city was under siege with 100s of lives lost and an even greater number injured, two things were reassuring. The absolute courage, dedication and sheer grit shown by the Indian armed forces, from the firemen, police, army , navy upto the NSG and MarCos and the extemely responsible media coverage spanning the whole terror strike (I would have to specially mention Arnab Goswami and his team at Times Now for a job well done).
The Nariman house tragedy saw a two year old israeli boy orphaned on his birthday, while he was saved by his nanny. A man who came to the VT station to put his family of 6 into the train, went out to get them water and came back to see them all dead. The newspaper is full of horror stories of the survivors and the dead. The terrorists causing this carnage are said to be all in their early twenties. (I don't understand why I am surprised everytime, by the human ability to destroy brutally and ruthlessly)
The one thing that irritated me and the nation to the core was the political game playing that was played by the bureaucrats. One idiot politician actually came to the Nariman House while the terror situation was still on, and contributed his part in/by hampering the situation by collecting a crowd and attracting media attention to himself. Should this person be locked and key thrown away or should his sheer dedication to grab every bit of limelight be applauded, I am not sure. Our PM for once seems to have acted decisively and maybe for the first time in my memory all the political parties showed an united front.
But I hope against hope that this would not turn in to the usual 9 day wonder and be forgotten once all the juice has been squeezed out of the situation (which is what happens whenever our politicians are involved).
I really believe, India needs a strong national anti terrorist policy, especially as it has always been under terrorists' attacks from the time of its independence and not the wishy-washy excuses given so far to pacify us. Will the last two days awaken the urge to do it? Time should tell. Even as I write, 3 of the 4 places taken over by the terrorists have been brought under the NSG control and the war is still going on at the Taj Mahal hotel and I hope to wake up to the news that everything is under control and Mumbai is back.
Chennai: Nisha, the cyclone terrorizing Tamilnadu, is not yet ready to leave her hold on the city. After just four days of her creating havoc and mayhem, the city is almost at a stand still (it has to be, since even my company declared a holiday today :-)) and news sources say that we have enough water to last us for more than a year without another season. The water levels at lakes and dams have reached perilious levels and had to be drained by 1000s of square feet, bringing in more water to the already drowning low lying areas. Death toll has been on the increase as dams got breached and lakes flooded and people have lost their homes and are waiting on the streets for shelter and food promised to them.
The whole thing sunk in to me, especially yesterday, when my office let off early and I was coming home with a colleague in his car. I live in a relatively high area and we were about a mile from my place when I was commenting to my colleague that if the rain continues, we will need a boat and not a car to travel, when I felt something cold and wet on my foot, I turned to see, that the road was totally under water and it was lapping near the edge of the car window and slowly seeping in to the car. We were nearing a signal and praying frantically that it would be green (which it was... thank God!) or the car would have stalled and we would have had to leave it there and walk. If this is the condition of higher areas, I shudder to think of what is happening in the lower lying areas, especially with no electricity for almost a day and hardly any let up in the rain.
While it makes me sad that I am am not really equipped to help out in either situation much, what I can do is pray for the Victims and their families and hope we never have to face such a situation ever again
Mumbai: While the city was under siege with 100s of lives lost and an even greater number injured, two things were reassuring. The absolute courage, dedication and sheer grit shown by the Indian armed forces, from the firemen, police, army , navy upto the NSG and MarCos and the extemely responsible media coverage spanning the whole terror strike (I would have to specially mention Arnab Goswami and his team at Times Now for a job well done).
The Nariman house tragedy saw a two year old israeli boy orphaned on his birthday, while he was saved by his nanny. A man who came to the VT station to put his family of 6 into the train, went out to get them water and came back to see them all dead. The newspaper is full of horror stories of the survivors and the dead. The terrorists causing this carnage are said to be all in their early twenties. (I don't understand why I am surprised everytime, by the human ability to destroy brutally and ruthlessly)
The one thing that irritated me and the nation to the core was the political game playing that was played by the bureaucrats. One idiot politician actually came to the Nariman House while the terror situation was still on, and contributed his part in/by hampering the situation by collecting a crowd and attracting media attention to himself. Should this person be locked and key thrown away or should his sheer dedication to grab every bit of limelight be applauded, I am not sure. Our PM for once seems to have acted decisively and maybe for the first time in my memory all the political parties showed an united front.
But I hope against hope that this would not turn in to the usual 9 day wonder and be forgotten once all the juice has been squeezed out of the situation (which is what happens whenever our politicians are involved).
I really believe, India needs a strong national anti terrorist policy, especially as it has always been under terrorists' attacks from the time of its independence and not the wishy-washy excuses given so far to pacify us. Will the last two days awaken the urge to do it? Time should tell. Even as I write, 3 of the 4 places taken over by the terrorists have been brought under the NSG control and the war is still going on at the Taj Mahal hotel and I hope to wake up to the news that everything is under control and Mumbai is back.
Chennai: Nisha, the cyclone terrorizing Tamilnadu, is not yet ready to leave her hold on the city. After just four days of her creating havoc and mayhem, the city is almost at a stand still (it has to be, since even my company declared a holiday today :-)) and news sources say that we have enough water to last us for more than a year without another season. The water levels at lakes and dams have reached perilious levels and had to be drained by 1000s of square feet, bringing in more water to the already drowning low lying areas. Death toll has been on the increase as dams got breached and lakes flooded and people have lost their homes and are waiting on the streets for shelter and food promised to them.
The whole thing sunk in to me, especially yesterday, when my office let off early and I was coming home with a colleague in his car. I live in a relatively high area and we were about a mile from my place when I was commenting to my colleague that if the rain continues, we will need a boat and not a car to travel, when I felt something cold and wet on my foot, I turned to see, that the road was totally under water and it was lapping near the edge of the car window and slowly seeping in to the car. We were nearing a signal and praying frantically that it would be green (which it was... thank God!) or the car would have stalled and we would have had to leave it there and walk. If this is the condition of higher areas, I shudder to think of what is happening in the lower lying areas, especially with no electricity for almost a day and hardly any let up in the rain.
While it makes me sad that I am am not really equipped to help out in either situation much, what I can do is pray for the Victims and their families and hope we never have to face such a situation ever again
Sunday, November 16, 2008
Rain
The sound of rain never fails to bring a smile on my face. Just as the thought of walking out on it never fails to put a frown.When I am walking down the road, with the dirty rain water flowing at some places and stagnant at some.. never sure if I am going to step into an open drainage or ditch and break my leg, Wet. cold and miserable, the only thought running in my head is "Who ever said walking in the rain was romantic must be hit upside of their head and made to walk down this road".
But today when reminiscing ... one of my favourite memories is of my friend and me caught in a warm summer rain while standing in the cold water in the beach.
Now as I am all cozied up in my room, snuggled under a quilt and reading books or writing, listening to the soft patter of rain and loud growls of thunder all around me... sigh!! I can smile, for it truly is a wonderful feeling and I am content.
PS: For those who have not had a chance yet, the beach just before a storm is one of most beautiful places to be. You can actually see the two great forces of nature fight for dominance
Friday, November 14, 2008
This corner of the world!
It all started as friction between two factions of students in the Ambedkar Law college over wording in a hand notice and blew up into a major riot situation.
The pre- informed police and college management stood mutely by and watched while three of the college kids were brutally beaten up.
The whole thing was covered by the media and the violence shown by the instigators were shocking and the callousness of the police and to an extent the media, breath taking.I have been trying to imagine - what kind of mentality would it take to catch a running man and hit him with a thick stick, so mercilessly and brutally, throw stones at his head and still live with themselves... all over a piece of hand notice!
Even bombing can be understood, 'coz the cowards are nowhere near the place of impact. But to actually be there and inflict the kind of horrendous injuries on a fellow human being... to see the person break and bleed and still stomp and throw stones and sticks .. and dare to show their faces on the national TV with absolutely no fear of repurcussion (Divine or otherwise)... God!!!!
There was this boy... badly hit, bleeding and trying to get up and failing and the cameras were all around him trying to capture his pathetic condition until it was thoroughly utilized for ratings, before sending for help.
Another beaten student was dragged by two constables and dropped into a waiting share auto which did not even have a driver.
And while all this was happening, the government was busily collecting money to save the Tamils in the neighbouring country, as everything is milk and roses in our own. While the opposition was busy trying to glean as much support for itself and gain points against...
The capacity of the human species to cause so much pain, havoc and destruction and flick it off like so much dust, incessantly continues to surprise and nauseate me.
Sometimes I really feel sick and ashamed of my own and how sad is that? :-(
PS: My aunt says this kind of violence has its basis on movies. I don't really agree.. How about you?
The pre- informed police and college management stood mutely by and watched while three of the college kids were brutally beaten up.
The whole thing was covered by the media and the violence shown by the instigators were shocking and the callousness of the police and to an extent the media, breath taking.I have been trying to imagine - what kind of mentality would it take to catch a running man and hit him with a thick stick, so mercilessly and brutally, throw stones at his head and still live with themselves... all over a piece of hand notice!
Even bombing can be understood, 'coz the cowards are nowhere near the place of impact. But to actually be there and inflict the kind of horrendous injuries on a fellow human being... to see the person break and bleed and still stomp and throw stones and sticks .. and dare to show their faces on the national TV with absolutely no fear of repurcussion (Divine or otherwise)... God!!!!
There was this boy... badly hit, bleeding and trying to get up and failing and the cameras were all around him trying to capture his pathetic condition until it was thoroughly utilized for ratings, before sending for help.
Another beaten student was dragged by two constables and dropped into a waiting share auto which did not even have a driver.
And while all this was happening, the government was busily collecting money to save the Tamils in the neighbouring country, as everything is milk and roses in our own. While the opposition was busy trying to glean as much support for itself and gain points against...
The capacity of the human species to cause so much pain, havoc and destruction and flick it off like so much dust, incessantly continues to surprise and nauseate me.
Sometimes I really feel sick and ashamed of my own and how sad is that? :-(
PS: My aunt says this kind of violence has its basis on movies. I don't really agree.. How about you?
Thursday, November 06, 2008
Michael Crichton - A tribute
Michael Crichton, bestselling Author of many novels, such as "The Jurassic Park" and "The Andromeda Strain" passed away in Los Angeles on Wednesday. He was 66 and suffering from Cancer.
Today’s newspaper screamed this news, shocking and saddening me.
Today’s newspaper screamed this news, shocking and saddening me.
I am a fan of Crichton and consider him to be one of the best writers of his genre.
The best part about his books was the way he explained complex scientific phenomena in such layman terms, so that everyone could understand and still not make it sound patronizing. We would not require going back and forth to the Appendices or post-notes to check them either.
Though he has not churned out innumerous books, like many other authors, Crichton's style of writing and the depth of research shine out of each of his books, making it a best seller.
While his Jurassic Park, The Lost World and Prey remain my personal Favorites, I found every one of his books equally gripping and a compulsive page turner .
Salute to a great Author, whose loss will surely be felt.
Sherlock Holmes
One of my favourite characters has always been Sherlock Holmes. His style, his powers of observation, his sense of humour all strikes a chord with me. 
So well, I have always wanted to look at a friend and observe casually that she got up at 6.00 AM, ate dosa for breakfast and travelled half the distance to work by the metro and rest by share-auto, which she shared with 5 other people, all by looking at her ...say finger nails... a la Holmes
Today, I decided I would try and note my observations on anything that catches my fancy and when there is something to note, can a post here be far behind?
So here goes....
=> People dont take kindly to be gawked at by "Observers" ... :-p
=> Wished I had a camera when I saw this Macho looking guy, wearing a mean-looking Helmet, Denim jacket and boots, driving a scooty :-)
=> Obama Won... glad it happened to an ethnic .... but will it help India?
=> I was digging through my bookshelves and was sooo delighted by my collection. So many old friends forgotten and waiting for me to rediscover them.
=> Street Hawkers have a pretty interesting and colourful collection of great and unbelievable stuff available at such bargain.
=> Along the same line, there are no greater creative thinkers and sales people than those available in the big shops, such as Globus. I saw a bracelet made out of 100 or 150 safety pins and a piece of elastic, costing 200 bucks. (That's what?... like 10 times profit?)
=> There is a fat rat living in the crack on the platform near my bus stop... (I do mean the four legged variety)
=> Its pathetic the level drinks make a person drop to. Was most astounded and disgusted by a drunk's antics on the road today.
Life sure is interesting when one takes a few minutes time to slow down and look around.
Sunday, October 26, 2008
I am tagged!
After a looong hiatus, I am back again to blogging and I have to start with an Apology to my friend RS. (Sorry dear! I have not read or written blogs in over a month and Thanks for tagging me, I think :-) )
Alrite so RS has tagged me and I am supposed to : "Jot down 5 of your favorite quotes from the various books you’ve read. If you don’t have the books with you now, googling (Wikiquote and the like) can be used to find them. Tag five people and acknowledge the person who tagged you.”
So here goes
1. All animals are equal but some animals are more equal
- Animal Farm - George Orwell
2. Well I give it two weeks and it just don't work. She makes me get up the same time every morning. She makes me wash. I gotta wear them fancy clothes that just smothers me. I can't smoke, I cant chaw. I gotta wear shoes all Sunday. I gotta ask to go swimmin, I gotta ask to go fishin'. Well I'll be damned if I don't have to ask to do everything. I tell ya, I had to sneak up to the attic and cuss for ten minutes just to get the taste back in my mouth
- Huckleberry Finn - Mark Twain
3. Let's be clear. The planet is not in jeopardy. We are in jeopardy. We haven't got the power to destroy the planet - or to save it. But we might have the power to save ourselves."
-Ian Malcolm - Seventh Iteration "Destroying the World" - Jurassic Park - Michael Crichton
4. Discovery is always a rape of the natural world. Always.
- Dr. Ian Malcolm - Jurassic Park
5. If you keep quite and mind yer own bisiness, you might live until you die
- Sudden - Oliver strange
Now I have to tag some other people ... aah! that's more difficult than I thought.. So am tagging only two who i think may enjoy this exercise
Tamanna
Archana
.
Alrite so RS has tagged me and I am supposed to : "Jot down 5 of your favorite quotes from the various books you’ve read. If you don’t have the books with you now, googling (Wikiquote and the like) can be used to find them. Tag five people and acknowledge the person who tagged you.”
So here goes
1. All animals are equal but some animals are more equal
- Animal Farm - George Orwell
2. Well I give it two weeks and it just don't work. She makes me get up the same time every morning. She makes me wash. I gotta wear them fancy clothes that just smothers me. I can't smoke, I cant chaw. I gotta wear shoes all Sunday. I gotta ask to go swimmin, I gotta ask to go fishin'. Well I'll be damned if I don't have to ask to do everything. I tell ya, I had to sneak up to the attic and cuss for ten minutes just to get the taste back in my mouth
- Huckleberry Finn - Mark Twain
3. Let's be clear. The planet is not in jeopardy. We are in jeopardy. We haven't got the power to destroy the planet - or to save it. But we might have the power to save ourselves."
-Ian Malcolm - Seventh Iteration "Destroying the World" - Jurassic Park - Michael Crichton
4. Discovery is always a rape of the natural world. Always.
- Dr. Ian Malcolm - Jurassic Park
5. If you keep quite and mind yer own bisiness, you might live until you die
- Sudden - Oliver strange
Now I have to tag some other people ... aah! that's more difficult than I thought.. So am tagging only two who i think may enjoy this exercise
Tamanna
Archana
.
Tuesday, August 12, 2008
Flu -- Hmph!!
There is something very diabolic about getting the flu. Everyone suddenly notices you and you are pampered to death and you can't even enjoy it, coz you are busy feeling miserable.You go to the doctor hoping for a quick check up and a prescription and end up with having to take a helluva lot of tests, which always includes blood test or something similar that requires piercing or cutting your skin.
Armed with the test results you go back to the Doc, with a hopeful look on ur face and tell him please no injections.. he grins at u ( the devil!!!) and says its best if you have a course of 15-20 injections of some medicine or other... and it has to be intravenal... in other words.. most painful...
And this is one time when parents and relatives all ditch you to your miserable fate ..
Well! Yeah! the doc has asked me to take injections for 15 days and I hate injections... Waaahhhh
Thursday, July 31, 2008
Nostalgia :-)
Someone asked me "If you could go back time and change some event, what would be it?"
My answer then (and now) is that I would not change anything for I have always been a staunch believer in Butterfly effect, even before I knew the term.
But I would love to have a chance to turn back the clock and go back to some of the times of life's joys
A time where the only responsibility was to get up in time to reach college/school.
A time when all our friends were just around us and going to a movie or just hanging out meant turning your head to call out to them or at most call them over the phone. You never had to worry about your appointments or theirs.
Cutting classes, snickering about lecturers, playing pranks, teasing the "pairs", fighting with friends... feeling miserable and them making up, spending hours over the phone talking god knows what.
I remember a time when six of us, got together at a friend's place for group study and the next thing we knew...we ended up in the VGP Golden beach. It rained cats and dogs and we ate everything on sight and went on every ride and got sick. What Fun!
Another time when almost 15 of us went to see "Bend it like Beckham", bought wrong tickets at the theatre and went to see a Hindi movie (i don't remember anything about the movie except it was totally lousy) and none of my friends understood Hindi..
And there was the time when 10 of us and some of us meeting that day for the first time, went on a bus tour in the US. The bus was filled with Chinese, except us and another Indian family of three. I doubt the tour company will ever take Indians on another tour again.. hehehehe
Walking to the beach everyday with a friend, where we used to play in the waves and make up stories of all the people out there.
Sigh! where has the time flown away. When did we all grow up and away from each other. Different priorities and responsibilities.
Sometimes I wish....
my boss would let me dream in peace.. OK folks time to go back to work.
My answer then (and now) is that I would not change anything for I have always been a staunch believer in Butterfly effect, even before I knew the term.
But I would love to have a chance to turn back the clock and go back to some of the times of life's joys
A time where the only responsibility was to get up in time to reach college/school.
A time when all our friends were just around us and going to a movie or just hanging out meant turning your head to call out to them or at most call them over the phone. You never had to worry about your appointments or theirs.
Cutting classes, snickering about lecturers, playing pranks, teasing the "pairs", fighting with friends... feeling miserable and them making up, spending hours over the phone talking god knows what.
I remember a time when six of us, got together at a friend's place for group study and the next thing we knew...we ended up in the VGP Golden beach. It rained cats and dogs and we ate everything on sight and went on every ride and got sick. What Fun!
Another time when almost 15 of us went to see "Bend it like Beckham", bought wrong tickets at the theatre and went to see a Hindi movie (i don't remember anything about the movie except it was totally lousy) and none of my friends understood Hindi..
And there was the time when 10 of us and some of us meeting that day for the first time, went on a bus tour in the US. The bus was filled with Chinese, except us and another Indian family of three. I doubt the tour company will ever take Indians on another tour again.. hehehehe
Walking to the beach everyday with a friend, where we used to play in the waves and make up stories of all the people out there.
Sigh! where has the time flown away. When did we all grow up and away from each other. Different priorities and responsibilities.
Sometimes I wish....
my boss would let me dream in peace.. OK folks time to go back to work.
Friday, July 04, 2008
Ghost in the empty house
I move around restlessly in my sleep and suddenly jerk up awake... sweating and totally disoriented.
Tick tock tick tock... the only sound in the dark empty house.... I stare at the place where there should be a clock trying to remember where I am. Its either 12.15 or 3 in the morning...my eyes are too blurry... my heart starts pounding as I realize I am alone in the house after having bravely accepted to house sit.
Crrrrkkkkkkkk Crrkkkkkkkkkk ... the fan slowly starts rotating again as the current comes back up... when I suddenly sense a movement from the corner of my eyes...
I turn my head slowly towards the veranda,.. and there it is... it has a mop of dark shoulder length hair , pale body and is watching me with its head tilted to one side and floating some 2 feet from the ground....
I grab my pillow petrified... Just when a Whineeeeee loud enough to wake the dead (pun unintended, of course) ... by now I am shaking from head to toe and stumbling up to put on the light, all ready to run screaming out of the apartment.
As I fumble with the door latch, the light comes on and I turn my frightened eyes towards the veranda and stare in disbelief at my ghost.....
Sigh!!! A white plastic overturned bucket was sitting on a dark platform, on top of which there was a small pot, tilting crazily and a mop was placed next to it, so that the stick was hidden and the mop was hanging over the pot. The mop must have moved from the breeze....the Whineeee BTW was a police car going on its rounds.
As for me... my knees wouldn't hold me after I finished scaring myself half to death. So I sat shaking right by the door for sometime, before going around the house once, to check there were really no one (hey! better safe than sorry) and then spent the rest of the night cursing myself for seeing horror movies late in the night.
Needless to say next day I was safely cozied up in my room at my house :-)... *Phew*
Tick tock tick tock... the only sound in the dark empty house.... I stare at the place where there should be a clock trying to remember where I am. Its either 12.15 or 3 in the morning...my eyes are too blurry... my heart starts pounding as I realize I am alone in the house after having bravely accepted to house sit.
Crrrrkkkkkkkk Crrkkkkkkkkkk ... the fan slowly starts rotating again as the current comes back up... when I suddenly sense a movement from the corner of my eyes...
I turn my head slowly towards the veranda,.. and there it is... it has a mop of dark shoulder length hair , pale body and is watching me with its head tilted to one side and floating some 2 feet from the ground....
I grab my pillow petrified... Just when a Whineeeeee loud enough to wake the dead (pun unintended, of course) ... by now I am shaking from head to toe and stumbling up to put on the light, all ready to run screaming out of the apartment.
As I fumble with the door latch, the light comes on and I turn my frightened eyes towards the veranda and stare in disbelief at my ghost.....
Sigh!!! A white plastic overturned bucket was sitting on a dark platform, on top of which there was a small pot, tilting crazily and a mop was placed next to it, so that the stick was hidden and the mop was hanging over the pot. The mop must have moved from the breeze....the Whineeee BTW was a police car going on its rounds.
As for me... my knees wouldn't hold me after I finished scaring myself half to death. So I sat shaking right by the door for sometime, before going around the house once, to check there were really no one (hey! better safe than sorry) and then spent the rest of the night cursing myself for seeing horror movies late in the night.
Needless to say next day I was safely cozied up in my room at my house :-)... *Phew*
Tuesday, July 01, 2008
Boys will be Boys
If you are a guy, you are probably nodding your head in agreement with the title. Well!!! dont
Having been lucky (touch wood and all that) most of my life, I have hardly had to fight my way through road side romeos and other leches at work or school... until recently.
Suddenly a whole group of flirts seemed to have sprung up around me and I was most irritated. I did not find it funny and they did not care how I felt about it.
While this was shocking by and of itself, what really made me mad was when I was cribbing about this to some of my friends of the male variety, they blitheley brushed it away saying that it happens everywhere and I should not take it personally... after all boys would be boys...
Hello!!! while I did not expect them to stand in front of me with a sword and armour... this is hardly the kind of response I was expecting and not take it personally? It is something very personal and not the kind of behaviour to be condoned at all, especially so matter of factly.
For all these boys and their approvers - GROW UP. We dont find you amusing... just pathetic.
PS: Tut tut! I do seem to be doing a lot of lambasting the last few posts.. hmm!!!! gotta change that
Having been lucky (touch wood and all that) most of my life, I have hardly had to fight my way through road side romeos and other leches at work or school... until recently.
Suddenly a whole group of flirts seemed to have sprung up around me and I was most irritated. I did not find it funny and they did not care how I felt about it.
While this was shocking by and of itself, what really made me mad was when I was cribbing about this to some of my friends of the male variety, they blitheley brushed it away saying that it happens everywhere and I should not take it personally... after all boys would be boys...
Hello!!! while I did not expect them to stand in front of me with a sword and armour... this is hardly the kind of response I was expecting and not take it personally? It is something very personal and not the kind of behaviour to be condoned at all, especially so matter of factly.
For all these boys and their approvers - GROW UP. We dont find you amusing... just pathetic.
PS: Tut tut! I do seem to be doing a lot of lambasting the last few posts.. hmm!!!! gotta change that
Friday, June 27, 2008
Back to college
Had gone to a college to meet a prof. Was waiting for him in the teachers’ lounge in his department and there were other lecturers and profs hanging out in their leisure time.
I wouldn't have been surprised if some of the ladies were probably only my age.
Anyways there I was sitting twiddling my thumbs and thinking about my college days and grinning at the students' antics outside...when suddenly one of the ladies came to me and said "excuse me ..."
For a moment I forgot I was not a student anymore and the long forgotten college etiquette, of standing up when a teacher talks to you, blasted into me and I shot up from my seat...
The poor lady had just wanted me to pass a book to her, but my getting up so startled her that she dropped the things she was holding.
Anyways it ended up with both of us apologizing and me going my sheepish way.
Funny what lurks in the bottom of your subconscious to spring up and embarrass when you least expect it.
I wouldn't have been surprised if some of the ladies were probably only my age.
Anyways there I was sitting twiddling my thumbs and thinking about my college days and grinning at the students' antics outside...when suddenly one of the ladies came to me and said "excuse me ..."
For a moment I forgot I was not a student anymore and the long forgotten college etiquette, of standing up when a teacher talks to you, blasted into me and I shot up from my seat...
The poor lady had just wanted me to pass a book to her, but my getting up so startled her that she dropped the things she was holding.
Anyways it ended up with both of us apologizing and me going my sheepish way.
Funny what lurks in the bottom of your subconscious to spring up and embarrass when you least expect it.
Monday, June 09, 2008
Rediscovering books!!!
For as long as I can remember books have been my most loyal and staunch friends. I could lose myself in so many different worlds with so many different people, sometimes even at the expense of whatever work I needed to do. (I've been known to bunk school/ college or work just so I could finish a book :-))
Some of my happiest memories include cutting classes in college to sneak into the library, sometimes just so I could smell that lovely perfume of old books. Hiding a book between my class notes and reading it while my lecturers droned on.
It used to amuse my friends and parents that I loved the smell of books and I do, it ranks right up there with newly soaked earth...mmmmm
But I digress....
The last few years I have hardly been into any libraries or book stores. I had discovered the eBooks and it was so much more easy to just read it off my computer as I am on it most of the time.
Last week, thanks to a friend, I had been to a book store after God Knows how many years... oh!!! what an experience. I had not realised how much I missed it until then. Though I was tempted to buy every book out there, I controlled myself to just three.
Reading them now was like falling in love all over again.
On the flip side, one of the books I got was a self help/ philosophical kinda book and reading it reminded me why I generally run from them ;-). Can't remember the last time I fell asleep so fast.
PS: Tamanna, I did like the Kavitha Dasavani you suggested I buy.... Thanks :-)
Some of my happiest memories include cutting classes in college to sneak into the library, sometimes just so I could smell that lovely perfume of old books. Hiding a book between my class notes and reading it while my lecturers droned on.
It used to amuse my friends and parents that I loved the smell of books and I do, it ranks right up there with newly soaked earth...mmmmm
But I digress....
The last few years I have hardly been into any libraries or book stores. I had discovered the eBooks and it was so much more easy to just read it off my computer as I am on it most of the time.
Last week, thanks to a friend, I had been to a book store after God Knows how many years... oh!!! what an experience. I had not realised how much I missed it until then. Though I was tempted to buy every book out there, I controlled myself to just three.
Reading them now was like falling in love all over again.
On the flip side, one of the books I got was a self help/ philosophical kinda book and reading it reminded me why I generally run from them ;-). Can't remember the last time I fell asleep so fast.
PS: Tamanna, I did like the Kavitha Dasavani you suggested I buy.... Thanks :-)
Wednesday, June 04, 2008
Rambling in to the night!
Its 00.35 AM and my work requires me to be here for another hour or so.
I am sooo sleepy I can't think straight.
I think I have been staring at my monitor for the last 15 minutes and not been able to make any sense of what’s on it.
I have a deadline for tomorrow.. but hey wats a deadline when u r half dead...
Two people are fighting over the mails and I am following it with some interest until everything smoothens out and everyone is friends again *sighhh* :-(
They have cut all access to the Net and I am sure I totally enraged by it....ummm!!!! yeah I am... totally ...
OK! I got this great idea suddenly to see if I can post a blog from my mail id.
I am punchy as hell… so will stop right here before …zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz!!!!!
PS: Next day: hehehehe reading back, it sounds just like I was drunk and rambling... thought for a minute I should remove the post... but then Naahhh!!!
I am sooo sleepy I can't think straight.
I think I have been staring at my monitor for the last 15 minutes and not been able to make any sense of what’s on it.
I have a deadline for tomorrow.. but hey wats a deadline when u r half dead...
Two people are fighting over the mails and I am following it with some interest until everything smoothens out and everyone is friends again *sighhh* :-(
They have cut all access to the Net and I am sure I totally enraged by it....ummm!!!! yeah I am... totally ...
OK! I got this great idea suddenly to see if I can post a blog from my mail id.
I am punchy as hell… so will stop right here before …zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz!!!!!
PS: Next day: hehehehe reading back, it sounds just like I was drunk and rambling... thought for a minute I should remove the post... but then Naahhh!!!
Tuesday, May 27, 2008
Losing Independence ?
Last sunday's "The Hindu"-> Open Page featured an article about Women Losing independence after marriage. It struck a nerve as I was discussing about something quite similar just a few days back.
The example the author had quoted was this. Her well educated and well employed colleague was engaged to a guy abroad and when she wanted to go out with some friends for a party, she called him for permission and he refused. The girl did not go.I bet the thought in most of your minds is "So what?"... right?Do you think if the guy had been in the girl's place, he would have even thought of getting her permission?
We were sitting at the canteen eating lunch and in the course of our discussion my friend casually commented, how his sister hated cooking but after marriage she has no say but to cook. Everybody noddded their head like it was something common (and sadly it is)
I know this lady who got a great job offer in India and her husband got one abroad. There was no question of her taking up her offer, instead she quit her job to follow her husband. Sounds Familiar???
A girl married off even before completing her studies and in the family way, Pronto!, despite her wishes. Why? "Its God's wish, what can we do?" (I had to bite my tongue to not say anything for that excuse)
After waiting the longest time, this friend of mine got a chance to go abroad. She was quite excited about it and she did leave too. Hardly four months later she was forced to come back ... her husband was not sent by his company and he was not ready to go on a dependent Visa.
In so many interviews with Kiran Bedi, they ask her how her family and husband have adjusted to her work and if they approve of it. Have you ever had the same questions asked of a male policeman?
I can go on quoting more examples...
Yes! I do know of a few cases (a very few instances) where the guy has adjusted to the girl's requirement. But in these cases the men are so feted for being so understanding (and don't mistake me, I am real glad to know and see such men do exist), while when the same is done by the girl it is taken for granted.
While there is a lot of talk about equality and modern thoughts, traditions and out dated values still bind us very tightly, stopping us from making much progress . :-(
The example the author had quoted was this. Her well educated and well employed colleague was engaged to a guy abroad and when she wanted to go out with some friends for a party, she called him for permission and he refused. The girl did not go.I bet the thought in most of your minds is "So what?"... right?Do you think if the guy had been in the girl's place, he would have even thought of getting her permission?
We were sitting at the canteen eating lunch and in the course of our discussion my friend casually commented, how his sister hated cooking but after marriage she has no say but to cook. Everybody noddded their head like it was something common (and sadly it is)
I know this lady who got a great job offer in India and her husband got one abroad. There was no question of her taking up her offer, instead she quit her job to follow her husband. Sounds Familiar???
A girl married off even before completing her studies and in the family way, Pronto!, despite her wishes. Why? "Its God's wish, what can we do?" (I had to bite my tongue to not say anything for that excuse)
After waiting the longest time, this friend of mine got a chance to go abroad. She was quite excited about it and she did leave too. Hardly four months later she was forced to come back ... her husband was not sent by his company and he was not ready to go on a dependent Visa.
In so many interviews with Kiran Bedi, they ask her how her family and husband have adjusted to her work and if they approve of it. Have you ever had the same questions asked of a male policeman?
I can go on quoting more examples...
Yes! I do know of a few cases (a very few instances) where the guy has adjusted to the girl's requirement. But in these cases the men are so feted for being so understanding (and don't mistake me, I am real glad to know and see such men do exist), while when the same is done by the girl it is taken for granted.
While there is a lot of talk about equality and modern thoughts, traditions and out dated values still bind us very tightly, stopping us from making much progress . :-(
Monday, May 26, 2008
Numbed to Violence?
Two weeks back in "We the people" in NDTV, the debate was "Have Indians become numbed and indifferent to Violence?"
The answer is a Big Fat YES. Everyday and I do mean every single day there is news of one or other death, maiming, massacre, suicide, murder and mayhem in the news.
A 14 year old girl and her 45 year domestic help are brutally murdered and the media, police and everyone involved are having a gala. Every bit of blood and gore is shown, multiple times a day... just in case someone misses it. The father of the child is suspected and all kinds of vulgar innuendoes are flying around.
Brother kills brother, parents kill children and vice versa, father abuses a 4 year old daughter and the court gives the guardianship of the child to the same father. Police brutality is a by word. Women cannot walk down a road and expect to reach their destination safely. Bomb blasts by terrorists and then bomb blasts for saving the people from terrorists... (like we had in Afghanistan). Irnoically enough in both the bomb blasts its only the innocent people who suffer. Hundreds dying due to drinking poisoned alcohol.
And the reaction from the masses varies from lurid, obscene interest to a total indifference.
And where humans stop killing, nature takes over.
78000 people were killed in Myanmar, thanks to Cyclone Nargis. 65000 people killed in China due to an earthquake. And this is just yesterday's news.
I guess the phrase "Familiarity breeds contempt" holds true here too.
The answer is a Big Fat YES. Everyday and I do mean every single day there is news of one or other death, maiming, massacre, suicide, murder and mayhem in the news.
A 14 year old girl and her 45 year domestic help are brutally murdered and the media, police and everyone involved are having a gala. Every bit of blood and gore is shown, multiple times a day... just in case someone misses it. The father of the child is suspected and all kinds of vulgar innuendoes are flying around.
Brother kills brother, parents kill children and vice versa, father abuses a 4 year old daughter and the court gives the guardianship of the child to the same father. Police brutality is a by word. Women cannot walk down a road and expect to reach their destination safely. Bomb blasts by terrorists and then bomb blasts for saving the people from terrorists... (like we had in Afghanistan). Irnoically enough in both the bomb blasts its only the innocent people who suffer. Hundreds dying due to drinking poisoned alcohol.And the reaction from the masses varies from lurid, obscene interest to a total indifference.
And where humans stop killing, nature takes over.
78000 people were killed in Myanmar, thanks to Cyclone Nargis. 65000 people killed in China due to an earthquake. And this is just yesterday's news.
I guess the phrase "Familiarity breeds contempt" holds true here too.
Stereotypes
Girls gossip, girls love cooking and cleaning. Girls cry.
Guys just grunt for communication and don't even know what gossipping is all about, a Macho guy does not cook and definitely not clean. Guys dont cry.
Well! Hello! The ice age is over and its the 21st century. Grow Up!!!Maybe in the Ice age, the men hunted while the women kept the house.But now men and women work at offices and the old ways are no more.
I am sure there are girls who like to gossip... Just as much as guys do. Dont u dare deny it! for I see it every day around me.
During a tea break, my colleagues of the male variety, were cribbing about how women are not "domestically trained" anymore (Sounds like maybe a puppy???) and dont show any interest in cooking and cleaning. I obviously could not stand this kind of a statement so I casually mentioned that I dont like to cook. You could have heard a pin drop. Then a colleague with a most baffled look on his face turned to me and said "But you are a girl!!!!". Well Gee!!! thanks... I did notice that. But where does it say I have to like cooking?
I will vouch that some of the best food I have eaten were made by men and as for keeping a neat place. Well! anyone who is interested in living in a house rather than a pig sty would be neat. Why should that be gender oriented?
Girls cry and guys dont. I totally agree and my full sympathy to you guys. Its a great way to vent emotions and its closed to you just cause it will not be macho... well boohooo...
I really do get pissed with women who use their tears to get their way though...
People! look around you! It is one thing to do something because we enjoy it, but is it not unfair that tradition, peer pressure or stereotyping forces a person to do what they dont like or prevent from doing what they like?
Guys just grunt for communication and don't even know what gossipping is all about, a Macho guy does not cook and definitely not clean. Guys dont cry.
Well! Hello! The ice age is over and its the 21st century. Grow Up!!!Maybe in the Ice age, the men hunted while the women kept the house.But now men and women work at offices and the old ways are no more.
I am sure there are girls who like to gossip... Just as much as guys do. Dont u dare deny it! for I see it every day around me.
During a tea break, my colleagues of the male variety, were cribbing about how women are not "domestically trained" anymore (Sounds like maybe a puppy???) and dont show any interest in cooking and cleaning. I obviously could not stand this kind of a statement so I casually mentioned that I dont like to cook. You could have heard a pin drop. Then a colleague with a most baffled look on his face turned to me and said "But you are a girl!!!!". Well Gee!!! thanks... I did notice that. But where does it say I have to like cooking?
I will vouch that some of the best food I have eaten were made by men and as for keeping a neat place. Well! anyone who is interested in living in a house rather than a pig sty would be neat. Why should that be gender oriented?
Girls cry and guys dont. I totally agree and my full sympathy to you guys. Its a great way to vent emotions and its closed to you just cause it will not be macho... well boohooo...
I really do get pissed with women who use their tears to get their way though...
People! look around you! It is one thing to do something because we enjoy it, but is it not unfair that tradition, peer pressure or stereotyping forces a person to do what they dont like or prevent from doing what they like?
Wednesday, April 30, 2008
Beautiful day!!!
Got up smiling... was sure it was going to be a beautiful day. Didn;t realise how prophetic I could be, especially as my office starts in the middle of the day.
Stepped out of home in to the cool weather. Walked to the bus stop, and the bus was late... of course.
Did I forget to mention that the weather in chennai is hovering at a low 110 with a humidity factor, thanks to a depression in the Bay of Bengal, of infinity. And the weather guys dare forecast rain.
By the time bus lumbered down to where we were standing I was ready to bite the driver's head off... but contented myself with a glare and sat down... *OOOWWWW* the seats were #$%$% hot. The open window was blowing in a gentle breeze... I swear I could feel the gentleness when my skin was being peeled layer by layer.
Just in case we did not realise that it was summer... There was a huge machine spewing out HOT air to welcome us right at the entrance to the office.
Came in ready to tear someone's head off... hmph! everyone here is sitting with a scowl and the same idea in their minds... In the name of cost cutting... the office had reduced the AC...
Aaargh!!!
PS: Anyone enjoying cool weather, snow etc... Pls don't tell me about it or I shall not be held responsible for my actions .. boohoo
Stepped out of home in to the cool weather. Walked to the bus stop, and the bus was late... of course.
Did I forget to mention that the weather in chennai is hovering at a low 110 with a humidity factor, thanks to a depression in the Bay of Bengal, of infinity. And the weather guys dare forecast rain.
By the time bus lumbered down to where we were standing I was ready to bite the driver's head off... but contented myself with a glare and sat down... *OOOWWWW* the seats were #$%$% hot. The open window was blowing in a gentle breeze... I swear I could feel the gentleness when my skin was being peeled layer by layer.
Just in case we did not realise that it was summer... There was a huge machine spewing out HOT air to welcome us right at the entrance to the office.
Came in ready to tear someone's head off... hmph! everyone here is sitting with a scowl and the same idea in their minds... In the name of cost cutting... the office had reduced the AC...
Aaargh!!!
PS: Anyone enjoying cool weather, snow etc... Pls don't tell me about it or I shall not be held responsible for my actions .. boohoo
Friday, April 25, 2008
Languages, Accents and Places
A colleague of mine and I were discussing about accents and how the places affect it. I was cribbing that I was not able to get an american accent during my tenure there and he was cribbing that even the americans at his place were now speaking in Indian Accent :-)
Which of course started me on this journey...
In my last company, the helpdesk recorded message was changed to a man's voice that gave us the different options in a Spanish accent. What an accent!!! I used to dial in sometimes, just to hear it. Music!! Of course I would probably have suffered if I had not already known what the different options were, for it was very difficult to understand him. Nevertheless...Music!
Antonio Benderas for example, I like the Italian accented English too but not French ... Kevin Kline in French Kiss, Hugh Grant and Rupert Everett's clipped British accent (hmm though I think I like the actors better than their accents :-p) ... I will ofcourse hold back further comments on the very great hope that I might actually visit these places and research... all in the name of furthering my knowledge, you understand!
I love to hear urdu mixed hindi too.. the kind you can hear in movies like Jodhaa Akbar and other old Muslim related ones. The way they caress some words and clip others, sounds so ... posh?!
The first time I went to Cochin. I was staring at everyone wondering if they were really talking or singing... but now with time and exposure I seem to have lost the music in that language... :-(
Speaking as a perfect novice who does not understand a word of the language, the first time I heard Konkani was at a function. This old gentleman was "scolding" my friend for a long time and I was wondering how she could smile at him all through it. It was later I was told that he was actually blessing her in Konkani :-)
Oye theenk oye weel finis ze post heere ;-)
Which of course started me on this journey...
In my last company, the helpdesk recorded message was changed to a man's voice that gave us the different options in a Spanish accent. What an accent!!! I used to dial in sometimes, just to hear it. Music!! Of course I would probably have suffered if I had not already known what the different options were, for it was very difficult to understand him. Nevertheless...Music!
Antonio Benderas for example, I like the Italian accented English too but not French ... Kevin Kline in French Kiss, Hugh Grant and Rupert Everett's clipped British accent (hmm though I think I like the actors better than their accents :-p) ... I will ofcourse hold back further comments on the very great hope that I might actually visit these places and research... all in the name of furthering my knowledge, you understand!
I love to hear urdu mixed hindi too.. the kind you can hear in movies like Jodhaa Akbar and other old Muslim related ones. The way they caress some words and clip others, sounds so ... posh?!
The first time I went to Cochin. I was staring at everyone wondering if they were really talking or singing... but now with time and exposure I seem to have lost the music in that language... :-(
Speaking as a perfect novice who does not understand a word of the language, the first time I heard Konkani was at a function. This old gentleman was "scolding" my friend for a long time and I was wondering how she could smile at him all through it. It was later I was told that he was actually blessing her in Konkani :-)
Oye theenk oye weel finis ze post heere ;-)
Power of Mom
God Knows I have faced many situations in life and not been nervous but I have no armour against the "Power of Mom".
I don't remember my mom ever scolding me, even when I used to get caught after doing some mischief, nevertheless her glance and the thought I might have disappointed her was enough to make me squirm. (not that it stopped me, when it was time for the next mischief)
Its funny how even now, as soon as my mom calls me by my full name and says she wants to talk to me, I start quailing.
I rapidly go through the last few days trying to find any mistake I may have done, what could mom have found ???? and start getting nervous :-p
Ofcourse most times she just wants to talk to me about something innocuous.
Guess this is one piece of my childhood that is never going to vanish.
I don't remember my mom ever scolding me, even when I used to get caught after doing some mischief, nevertheless her glance and the thought I might have disappointed her was enough to make me squirm. (not that it stopped me, when it was time for the next mischief)
Its funny how even now, as soon as my mom calls me by my full name and says she wants to talk to me, I start quailing.
I rapidly go through the last few days trying to find any mistake I may have done, what could mom have found ???? and start getting nervous :-p
Ofcourse most times she just wants to talk to me about something innocuous.
Guess this is one piece of my childhood that is never going to vanish.
Sunday, April 20, 2008
Asianet's Idea star singer 2007 - :-(
A really big but expected disappointment for all the viewers of Asianet channel's Idea star singer reality show when the results for its mega finals was announced.
I have always wondered why a marked partiality was shown to the one mediocre singer who won the show when many really great singers were pushed out during the eliminations under one guise or another.
I am still not sure what could have initiated the three masters in the music industry to consistently give high marks to a most undeserving candidate, despite people's disgust. Because sure as hell, it was not his singing capabilities.
There was even a furor sometime back in Kerala about this one guy being consistently shown up by the judges and rumours going around that the judges have already decided that he would be winning the 40 Lakhs worth of flats, which was the prize for the first place . The three permanent judges, naturally, vehemently denied any such claims.
This was a person who should not even have come as far as the semi finals and now he seems to have won the show... all due to extreme partiality from the judges. While the best singer came up at the 4 position, the third and second position were taken up by extremely good singers... its just the first place that grates on my, and every viewer I know's, nerves. After patiently having followed it for one whole year.. I really dont think we and ofcourse the contestants, deserve to see this end.
The one good news I hear is that while most of the talented singers have been booked by music directors, no one seems to have booked this guy to sing in their movies. Sounds catty , sure, but it is good to be vindicated.
The 2008 star singer starts from April 28. Here's hoping this one is not going to be as much of a disappointment as 2007. :-(
PS: Its almost 1 AM and I am still so pissed that I cant sleep... grrrrr
I have always wondered why a marked partiality was shown to the one mediocre singer who won the show when many really great singers were pushed out during the eliminations under one guise or another.
I am still not sure what could have initiated the three masters in the music industry to consistently give high marks to a most undeserving candidate, despite people's disgust. Because sure as hell, it was not his singing capabilities.
There was even a furor sometime back in Kerala about this one guy being consistently shown up by the judges and rumours going around that the judges have already decided that he would be winning the 40 Lakhs worth of flats, which was the prize for the first place . The three permanent judges, naturally, vehemently denied any such claims.
This was a person who should not even have come as far as the semi finals and now he seems to have won the show... all due to extreme partiality from the judges. While the best singer came up at the 4 position, the third and second position were taken up by extremely good singers... its just the first place that grates on my, and every viewer I know's, nerves. After patiently having followed it for one whole year.. I really dont think we and ofcourse the contestants, deserve to see this end.
The one good news I hear is that while most of the talented singers have been booked by music directors, no one seems to have booked this guy to sing in their movies. Sounds catty , sure, but it is good to be vindicated.
The 2008 star singer starts from April 28. Here's hoping this one is not going to be as much of a disappointment as 2007. :-(
PS: Its almost 1 AM and I am still so pissed that I cant sleep... grrrrr
Wednesday, April 16, 2008
मैं शायर तो नहीं...
अर्ज़ किया है ...
आपकी मुस्कुराहट ने हमे बेहोश कर दिया
आपकी मुस्कुराहट ने हमे बेहोश कर दिया
हम होश में आने ही वाले थे
की अपने फ़िर से मुस्कुरा दिया
====
कोई पत्थर से न मारो मेरे दीवाने को
बंदूक और बम का ज़माना है
उड़ा दो साले को :-)
====
वक्त गुज़रता रहा, पर साँसे थमी सी थी
मुस्कुरा रहे थे हम, पर आंखों में नमी सी थी
साथ हमारे ये जहाँ था सारा, पर न जाने क्यों
तुम्हारी कमी सी थी
====
तुम्हारी इस अदा का क्या जवाब दूँ ,
अपने दोस्त को क्या उपहार दूँ ,
कोई अच्छा सा फूल होता तो,
माली से ले आते
जो ख़ुद गुलाब हो उसको क्या गुलाब दे !
====
तुम बनके दोस्त एसे आए ज़िंदगी में
के हम ये ज़माना भूल गए
तुम्हे याद न आए हमारी कभी, और हम!
हम तो तुम्हे भूलना ही भूल गए
====
ज़िंदगी में हमेशा नए लोग आएंगे
कहीं पे ज़्यादा तो कहीं पे कम मिलेंगे
एतबार ज़रा सोच के करना
मुमकिन नहीं हर जगह तुम्हे
हम मिलेंगे :-)
आपकी मुस्कुराहट ने हमे बेहोश कर दिया
आपकी मुस्कुराहट ने हमे बेहोश कर दिया
हम होश में आने ही वाले थे
की अपने फ़िर से मुस्कुरा दिया
====
कोई पत्थर से न मारो मेरे दीवाने को
बंदूक और बम का ज़माना है
उड़ा दो साले को :-)
====
वक्त गुज़रता रहा, पर साँसे थमी सी थी
मुस्कुरा रहे थे हम, पर आंखों में नमी सी थी
साथ हमारे ये जहाँ था सारा, पर न जाने क्यों
तुम्हारी कमी सी थी
====
तुम्हारी इस अदा का क्या जवाब दूँ ,
अपने दोस्त को क्या उपहार दूँ ,
कोई अच्छा सा फूल होता तो,
माली से ले आते
जो ख़ुद गुलाब हो उसको क्या गुलाब दे !
====
तुम बनके दोस्त एसे आए ज़िंदगी में
के हम ये ज़माना भूल गए
तुम्हे याद न आए हमारी कभी, और हम!
हम तो तुम्हे भूलना ही भूल गए
====
ज़िंदगी में हमेशा नए लोग आएंगे
कहीं पे ज़्यादा तो कहीं पे कम मिलेंगे
एतबार ज़रा सोच के करना
मुमकिन नहीं हर जगह तुम्हे
हम मिलेंगे :-)
Monday, April 14, 2008
My Ramblings
=> Just when you think you know everything, someone comes along to hit you upside your head and show stuff that you didn't know. Quite a humbling experience :-p
=> Read Aamir Khan's blogs, it was a bit too much like reading his diary, but he writes well and sounds pretty down to earth. (http://www.aamirkhan.com/) I know it should be none of my business, but he sure lost his shine after his divorce :-( )
=> Am waiting for the Hindi version of Ghajini... Aamir promises a different end to it. I found the tamil ending quite stoopid.
=> Dontcha just hate it when miracles are expected of you and they dont teach u any magic. *Phew* Talk about pressure.
=> A long lost friend from school popped up in messenger. Here I was feeling whinny about all the pressures in my life and there she was cheerful about her life, which consisted of having to stop studies to marry and move to a strange, war stricken country and raise two kids, while trying to convince a husband to atleast let her get a part time job. Sure put things in the right perspective for me.
=> History lesson or a 4 hour bore, I still loved Jodhaa Akbar *phew got to see it atlast. Maybe because of Birbal stories but Akbar has been one of my favourite characters from History. But Hrithik gave a whole new face to him. My favourite scene was where he tells Jodhaa that he never learnt to read. Dunno why but it touched me... and sent me on a flurry to find if it was true... (No, I still don't know)
=> Read Aamir Khan's blogs, it was a bit too much like reading his diary, but he writes well and sounds pretty down to earth. (http://www.aamirkhan.com/) I know it should be none of my business, but he sure lost his shine after his divorce :-( )
=> Am waiting for the Hindi version of Ghajini... Aamir promises a different end to it. I found the tamil ending quite stoopid.
=> Dontcha just hate it when miracles are expected of you and they dont teach u any magic. *Phew* Talk about pressure.
=> A long lost friend from school popped up in messenger. Here I was feeling whinny about all the pressures in my life and there she was cheerful about her life, which consisted of having to stop studies to marry and move to a strange, war stricken country and raise two kids, while trying to convince a husband to atleast let her get a part time job. Sure put things in the right perspective for me.
=> History lesson or a 4 hour bore, I still loved Jodhaa Akbar *phew got to see it atlast. Maybe because of Birbal stories but Akbar has been one of my favourite characters from History. But Hrithik gave a whole new face to him. My favourite scene was where he tells Jodhaa that he never learnt to read. Dunno why but it touched me... and sent me on a flurry to find if it was true... (No, I still don't know)
Magic Fairy Tales
Every one of us have grown up hearing and loving the tales about Magic and Fairies. If not the ones about Cinderella and Sleeping Beauty, then the tales from Panchatantra or about dragons and Knights of Romanian Legends. As a child my aunt used to tell me the story of the three little pigs and 
about "Huffing and puffing and blowing the house down". I remember getting frightened for the pigs everytime the wolf huffed and puffed, even when I knew the end of the story. Later when I discovered the world of words, I got an old fairy tales book, which would send me dreaming about kicking the dragon's butt and swimming with Ariel. The tales from Panchatantra from my granny was a source of great entertainment too.
I still Love the Fairy tales but now they always make me just that little bit sad.
Do you know that the Grimms Fairy Tales and the Panchatantra and the 1001 Stories of Scherezade and all the children's stories of yore are stories for adults and mostly have sad endings. :-(
Little Mermaid was my most favourite story from childhood, when Ariel and her Prince live happily ever after, it used to give me great satisfaction. But the original version of the Grimm's Fairy Tales ends with the Prince falling in love with another princess, and Ariel commiting suicide.
In the Three little Pigs, the first two pigs are killed by the big bad wolf, before it is killed by the clever third pig.
While I rue my lost innocence in having read the original versions and knowing the sad endings too, it makes me happy to see that the pessimistic views of the original authors have changed to make the stories so much more joyful for the children of today.
PS: Was seeing Shrek yesterday, all the three parts. Wow! its so cool...I loved every minute of it.,despite seeing it god knows how many times... :-)
about "Huffing and puffing and blowing the house down". I remember getting frightened for the pigs everytime the wolf huffed and puffed, even when I knew the end of the story. Later when I discovered the world of words, I got an old fairy tales book, which would send me dreaming about kicking the dragon's butt and swimming with Ariel. The tales from Panchatantra from my granny was a source of great entertainment too. I still Love the Fairy tales but now they always make me just that little bit sad.
Do you know that the Grimms Fairy Tales and the Panchatantra and the 1001 Stories of Scherezade and all the children's stories of yore are stories for adults and mostly have sad endings. :-(
Little Mermaid was my most favourite story from childhood, when Ariel and her Prince live happily ever after, it used to give me great satisfaction. But the original version of the Grimm's Fairy Tales ends with the Prince falling in love with another princess, and Ariel commiting suicide.
In the Three little Pigs, the first two pigs are killed by the big bad wolf, before it is killed by the clever third pig.
While I rue my lost innocence in having read the original versions and knowing the sad endings too, it makes me happy to see that the pessimistic views of the original authors have changed to make the stories so much more joyful for the children of today.
PS: Was seeing Shrek yesterday, all the three parts. Wow! its so cool...I loved every minute of it.,despite seeing it god knows how many times... :-)
Friday, April 04, 2008
MuRdErEr!!!!
I hear the language screaming "Murderer!!!" whenever I hear some of the new tamil songs.
Was travelling in the Cab to office today when there was this song in Radio. Gosh! I was cringing with every line the guy was singing. He was mispronouncing at least couple of words in every line...Consistently. He was tamil guy at that. I am not sure if this massacre was because he could not pronounce it right or he thought he was being stylish. The end result was extremely hard on my ears.
Asha Bhonsle or Sukhwinder Singh have the license to mispronounce the words and it can be considered funny. But its a sad state fate affairs when a person can't speak their own mother tongue right.
This is not a curse that only Tamil bears... It seems to have contaminated most of the other ones too.
On the positive note it made me realize how good an "Unmassacred" songs sounds... sigh!!!
Was travelling in the Cab to office today when there was this song in Radio. Gosh! I was cringing with every line the guy was singing. He was mispronouncing at least couple of words in every line...Consistently. He was tamil guy at that. I am not sure if this massacre was because he could not pronounce it right or he thought he was being stylish. The end result was extremely hard on my ears.
Asha Bhonsle or Sukhwinder Singh have the license to mispronounce the words and it can be considered funny. But its a sad state fate affairs when a person can't speak their own mother tongue right.
This is not a curse that only Tamil bears... It seems to have contaminated most of the other ones too.
On the positive note it made me realize how good an "Unmassacred" songs sounds... sigh!!!
Saturday, March 22, 2008
Perspective :-)
So there we were chugging down the interstate towards Las Vegas or was it Red Rock Canyon..ummm
anyways it was evening and the 8 of us were singing our hearts out on the way to enjoy the long weekend in Las Vegas and its environs .. when what should happen but that we lose our way. It was getting on to be dark and we had taken an exit to ask our way back and there was hardly anyone around.
Worried, we were glancing around, discussing what to do next, when this lady walked out of the gas station to her car.
My friend, who was driving, immensely glad to see a human around at last, picked up the paper with the route on it and went hurrying towards her.
The lady gave him a most startled look and went running and scrambled into her car and locked it. My poor friend was waving the paper at her and only got a face full of exhaust fumes and sand for his attempt. By then we had come out of the car and were laughing at his befuddled face.
Maybe she thought he was thug or something . We were just grateful, she did not start screaming or pick up a gun and shoot him or something.
Of course we eventually found our way out and had great fun teasing him about frightening ladies in the dark.
While it was just a case of our missing someone to guide us out and startling a lady in the process for us...
What a story that lady would have had, to tell her family and friends.
There she was, late in the evening, in a deserted gas station, when a van stops and this strange foreign guy, in leather jacket and stubble, gets out from it waving a paper and walks straight to her. *Phew* straight from a movie with murder and mayhem, no wonder she went running. She probably spent the next few months thinking she had had a very close shave with something very dangerous.
Funny how perspectives work na?
anyways it was evening and the 8 of us were singing our hearts out on the way to enjoy the long weekend in Las Vegas and its environs .. when what should happen but that we lose our way. It was getting on to be dark and we had taken an exit to ask our way back and there was hardly anyone around.
Worried, we were glancing around, discussing what to do next, when this lady walked out of the gas station to her car.
My friend, who was driving, immensely glad to see a human around at last, picked up the paper with the route on it and went hurrying towards her.
The lady gave him a most startled look and went running and scrambled into her car and locked it. My poor friend was waving the paper at her and only got a face full of exhaust fumes and sand for his attempt. By then we had come out of the car and were laughing at his befuddled face.
Maybe she thought he was thug or something . We were just grateful, she did not start screaming or pick up a gun and shoot him or something.
Of course we eventually found our way out and had great fun teasing him about frightening ladies in the dark.
While it was just a case of our missing someone to guide us out and startling a lady in the process for us...
What a story that lady would have had, to tell her family and friends.
There she was, late in the evening, in a deserted gas station, when a van stops and this strange foreign guy, in leather jacket and stubble, gets out from it waving a paper and walks straight to her. *Phew* straight from a movie with murder and mayhem, no wonder she went running. She probably spent the next few months thinking she had had a very close shave with something very dangerous.
Funny how perspectives work na?
Friday, March 14, 2008
Are you God Fearing?
If yes, then my next question has to be WHY?
Is not God supposed to be a kind being? Why would one fear what should be loved?
If you are wondering what triggered this tangent of thought?
I was checking out some matrimonial candidates' expectation. Invariably everyone wants a housetrained (doesn't this sound like something you expect of a new puppy... aargh!!!) God fearing girl. Or they describe themselves as God fearing.
Why did the term even get coined? Who dya think first thought let us use Gods wrath to frighten people into our control? After all Power is a great aphrodisiac.
I have read and seen movies and documentaries about how the christians were threatened with everything from maiming to death for the least bit of blasphemy or crime against the church, how the church is the highest authority in all manner of things, especially from around 12 the century to the regency period
Kali ma punishes her offenders with Chicken pox and Paralysis until she is appeased (usually with a song and walking on fire or lighting camphor on the palms etc etc)
Even the oldest Epic of Illiad and Odeysseus has its basis on the roman gods' petty nature and tendency to play with humans for entertainment.
People who can ill afford it, still clean their pockets to bribe Him with all kindsa stuff, asking for all kindsa boons. Praying is a serious Business transaction (oh! I try it sometimes too *sheepish*)
But God to me is a buddy, a pal, someone I can confide with , go for help and sometimes wonder if He exists at all.
But coming to back to my point (and yes I do have one :-))
Why should God be feared if he is not the good guy? (Isn't being evil the work of Satan or asuras or all those zillion other creatures??)
I would, of course, love any opinions/ thoughts on this topic from y'all
Is not God supposed to be a kind being? Why would one fear what should be loved?
If you are wondering what triggered this tangent of thought?
I was checking out some matrimonial candidates' expectation. Invariably everyone wants a housetrained (doesn't this sound like something you expect of a new puppy... aargh!!!) God fearing girl. Or they describe themselves as God fearing.
Why did the term even get coined? Who dya think first thought let us use Gods wrath to frighten people into our control? After all Power is a great aphrodisiac.
I have read and seen movies and documentaries about how the christians were threatened with everything from maiming to death for the least bit of blasphemy or crime against the church, how the church is the highest authority in all manner of things, especially from around 12 the century to the regency period
Kali ma punishes her offenders with Chicken pox and Paralysis until she is appeased (usually with a song and walking on fire or lighting camphor on the palms etc etc)
Even the oldest Epic of Illiad and Odeysseus has its basis on the roman gods' petty nature and tendency to play with humans for entertainment.
People who can ill afford it, still clean their pockets to bribe Him with all kindsa stuff, asking for all kindsa boons. Praying is a serious Business transaction (oh! I try it sometimes too *sheepish*)
But God to me is a buddy, a pal, someone I can confide with , go for help and sometimes wonder if He exists at all.
But coming to back to my point (and yes I do have one :-))
Why should God be feared if he is not the good guy? (Isn't being evil the work of Satan or asuras or all those zillion other creatures??)
I would, of course, love any opinions/ thoughts on this topic from y'all
Wednesday, March 12, 2008
Bringing Superheroes home!
The kids all over the world are familiar of Superman, Spiderman, Batman, Sheena, The fly and all the comics superheroes
But India has always had its own set of superheroes for a loooong time.
The sad fact is that with the increase in nuclear families and yuppy parents, children depend on the TV and comic books for their entertainment. There are no grandmas or grandpas to tell them about these superheroes.Yes, I am talking about all the lovely mythological stories that have come down generation after generation.
How can Superman and Batman compete with the Pandavas, Krishna, Ram and all the tempermental Sages of old? Their magical powers, even when they reincarnate as humans is just way cool!
Can Dr.Who and Skeletor come near the Asuras and Kauravas?
Most definitely not! and unfortunately the kids had no way of knowing this.
But now our movie makers and animation experts have created a great series of Animation movies that bring Heroes of the Indian mythology home. Starting with Hanuman, now there is Krishna, The Pandavas, Chota Bheem, and Ganesha...(there could be more.. But I am aware of only these so far)
And even better news is that POGO is featuring these movies, every Saturday at 2 PM this month and next. Check it out and have fun!!
But India has always had its own set of superheroes for a loooong time.
The sad fact is that with the increase in nuclear families and yuppy parents, children depend on the TV and comic books for their entertainment. There are no grandmas or grandpas to tell them about these superheroes.Yes, I am talking about all the lovely mythological stories that have come down generation after generation.
How can Superman and Batman compete with the Pandavas, Krishna, Ram and all the tempermental Sages of old? Their magical powers, even when they reincarnate as humans is just way cool!
Can Dr.Who and Skeletor come near the Asuras and Kauravas?
Most definitely not! and unfortunately the kids had no way of knowing this.
But now our movie makers and animation experts have created a great series of Animation movies that bring Heroes of the Indian mythology home. Starting with Hanuman, now there is Krishna, The Pandavas, Chota Bheem, and Ganesha...(there could be more.. But I am aware of only these so far)
And even better news is that POGO is featuring these movies, every Saturday at 2 PM this month and next. Check it out and have fun!!
Friday, March 07, 2008
Sari on Women's day!
I have already let you all know about my feelings on Women's day.
Nevertheless when all the ladies (of which we are 4) in my project decided to wear sari and I tagged along too.
We entered the office and met our PM at the elevators, the guy who has never bothered to smile before, suddenly had a huge smile and a big hello for us.
By some weird coincidence all four of us entered the ODC at the same time.
The reaction was quite explosive and very amusing.
Today I knew what the models feel when they walk the ramp.
There was such a huge exhalation of surprise from the guys (of which there are many)... that people from other projects started peeking in to see what the hungama was :-)
One kid could not stand the excitement of seeing everyone in sari... he kept running around trying to see who else was in sari.
Everyone came down to our place to ask what was so special. I shan't even talk about the reaction when we walked into the cafeteria. :-)
Of course we also got sarcastic comments about how much of a shock wave it creates to see a woman in sari as they hardly wear it anymore.
And then some of the guys started cribbing about how unfair it was that there was only a women's day and not a men's day ... on which they could wear dhothi. (Guys I couldn’t agree more!!! Let us just start treating y’all like women are generally treated in the society and we shall not only have a Men’s day but I shall initiate the whole process too :-))
So far we have been getting a lot of compliments and getting teased to death. But the day is still young... let’s see what else it has in store for us.
PS: well waddya know … this is my 100th Post :-) … Thanks to all my readers (who I like to think are galore :-D) for having patiently read and commented on my many blogs.
We entered the office and met our PM at the elevators, the guy who has never bothered to smile before, suddenly had a huge smile and a big hello for us.
By some weird coincidence all four of us entered the ODC at the same time.
The reaction was quite explosive and very amusing.
Today I knew what the models feel when they walk the ramp.
There was such a huge exhalation of surprise from the guys (of which there are many)... that people from other projects started peeking in to see what the hungama was :-)
One kid could not stand the excitement of seeing everyone in sari... he kept running around trying to see who else was in sari.
Everyone came down to our place to ask what was so special. I shan't even talk about the reaction when we walked into the cafeteria. :-)
Of course we also got sarcastic comments about how much of a shock wave it creates to see a woman in sari as they hardly wear it anymore.
And then some of the guys started cribbing about how unfair it was that there was only a women's day and not a men's day ... on which they could wear dhothi. (Guys I couldn’t agree more!!! Let us just start treating y’all like women are generally treated in the society and we shall not only have a Men’s day but I shall initiate the whole process too :-))
So far we have been getting a lot of compliments and getting teased to death. But the day is still young... let’s see what else it has in store for us.
PS: well waddya know … this is my 100th Post :-) … Thanks to all my readers (who I like to think are galore :-D) for having patiently read and commented on my many blogs.
Monday, March 03, 2008
Demo-crazy
While I absolutely love Chennai, I pity any one who lives here.Tamilnadu has always been known for its conservative society, but now it is trying to come out of that shell, and not very successfully. Other than the mentality of the people, the reason for this conservatism is that the government here always leans towards extremes and people here are forced to tag the line or else....
They are told ...
=> what to wear (Remember the actor shreya has cases filed against her because she was not "dressed" properly for some function, of course what I do not understand is how come it is ok for her to wear even skimpier dresses on screen and everyone drools over that?)
=> what to talk (Remember the case against actor Khusbhoo for sharing her opinions),
=> How to pray (Only in tamil, even sanskrit slokas must be translated and told in tamil)
=> Who to pray (Ram is not a god and neither is his "sister" Sita, as told by a senior politician in an National News Channel. I am just thankful the other religions, other than poor hinduism escaped, as the government, in its bid for "equality" opposes only hinduism and the so called forward class)
They are told ...
=> what to wear (Remember the actor shreya has cases filed against her because she was not "dressed" properly for some function, of course what I do not understand is how come it is ok for her to wear even skimpier dresses on screen and everyone drools over that?)
=> what to talk (Remember the case against actor Khusbhoo for sharing her opinions),
=> How to pray (Only in tamil, even sanskrit slokas must be translated and told in tamil) => Who to pray (Ram is not a god and neither is his "sister" Sita, as told by a senior politician in an National News Channel. I am just thankful the other religions, other than poor hinduism escaped, as the government, in its bid for "equality" opposes only hinduism and the so called forward class)
=> When to Pray (I hear the tamil New Year's day has been advanced by two months)
=> How to spend their evenings (Anyone going to Discos and pubs are asking for it... they will get arrested and harrassed by the Police).
=> What to study (Those unlucky people who fall in the forward class cannot study most of the courses as they will be filled by the so called lower caste people)
=> who should study (Dalits need not even get 60% to get scholarships and admissions etc whereas the people of the forward class need to get 99.9% and still NOT get any scholarship or admissions anywhere)
All in all Tamil nadu in general and chennai in specific is the very epitome of demo-crazy. The same kind of demo-crazy that was followed by Monarchy of old. Even the crown prince is chosen by the reigning king. :-p And the best thing about all this is that we do not so much as mutter a protest. We listen to all this and go on with our lives like it has nothing to do with us.
Saturday, March 01, 2008
Carefree Childhood???
Anyone who says they had a carefree childhood is either lying or has forgotten their childhood. Happy, yes… Carefree, no.
Couple of days ago I saw an adult telling a child how lucky she was, because she had no cares and responsibilities in her life. The child, being in a mood to play, just nodded her head and ran away. But it made me think back. Sure I had a great childhood, definitely happy but would I call it care free and without responsibilities... Nope.
I definitely did not have to think about how I was going to earn my bread or what my manager would say if I did such and such and I was not accountable for my actions as much as I am today, I still had to worry about what would happen if I did not finish my homework or How to make peace with my angry friend or even how not to get caught after whatever mischief I had perpetuated.
While from today’s perspective they seem so meager and petty, at that time it was of immense importance.
And in the current world, the Kids have so much to do that they hardly have time to enjoy their childhood. School, tuitions, music class, painting class, dance class, martial arts class and if they are lucky maybe meet up with friends in between all this and play, that they do not even know the meaning of a carefree (so to say) and irresponsible time.
Looking at them sometime I feel that maybe I have a carefree and irresponsible adulthood while compared to what passes for their childhood.
Couple of days ago I saw an adult telling a child how lucky she was, because she had no cares and responsibilities in her life. The child, being in a mood to play, just nodded her head and ran away. But it made me think back. Sure I had a great childhood, definitely happy but would I call it care free and without responsibilities... Nope.
I definitely did not have to think about how I was going to earn my bread or what my manager would say if I did such and such and I was not accountable for my actions as much as I am today, I still had to worry about what would happen if I did not finish my homework or How to make peace with my angry friend or even how not to get caught after whatever mischief I had perpetuated.
While from today’s perspective they seem so meager and petty, at that time it was of immense importance.
And in the current world, the Kids have so much to do that they hardly have time to enjoy their childhood. School, tuitions, music class, painting class, dance class, martial arts class and if they are lucky maybe meet up with friends in between all this and play, that they do not even know the meaning of a carefree (so to say) and irresponsible time.
Looking at them sometime I feel that maybe I have a carefree and irresponsible adulthood while compared to what passes for their childhood.
Tuesday, February 19, 2008
Why? :-(
- Why are trees always the victims of development and civilisation?
The narrow road between ECR and OMR used the be surrounded by quite a forest of trees. The road was really bad and I can understand the necessity of cutting some trees and making the road more navigable, but was it necessary to demolish the whole road and build a four lane highway there?One of those huge trees near madhya kailash had some branches spreading over the road. So why cut off the whole tree when just some branches would suffice?
- Why should religion always be synonymous to torture?
While I shall not comment on God, religion is something created by human. So why do we do so many inhuman things in its name? Not just talking abt the riots n stuff in the name of religion, have you noticed that every popular religion demands bloodshed in some way or the other. Animal sacrifices, torture to ones bodies in the name of appeasing one's deity ...Why do we not find God in a non violent religion?
- Why Blame the IT?
Why blame IT for all the ills thats happening in the soceity. Do u know where the work life of people in all other fields are probably 40 years, an IT professional hardly lasts 20. Its only fair that we try to earn as much as we can when we are still able to do it.
- Why do ppl think smoking relieves tension?
Nope, I have no plans of trying to see if it actually works. But it really pains me to see young kids just out of school and college, running out every two hours or so desperate for a puff. I have seen colleagues who get the shakes when they dont smoke after their dinner/lunch.Why try something when you know it is not good for health and addictive?
The narrow road between ECR and OMR used the be surrounded by quite a forest of trees. The road was really bad and I can understand the necessity of cutting some trees and making the road more navigable, but was it necessary to demolish the whole road and build a four lane highway there?One of those huge trees near madhya kailash had some branches spreading over the road. So why cut off the whole tree when just some branches would suffice?
- Why should religion always be synonymous to torture?
While I shall not comment on God, religion is something created by human. So why do we do so many inhuman things in its name? Not just talking abt the riots n stuff in the name of religion, have you noticed that every popular religion demands bloodshed in some way or the other. Animal sacrifices, torture to ones bodies in the name of appeasing one's deity ...Why do we not find God in a non violent religion?
- Why Blame the IT?
Why blame IT for all the ills thats happening in the soceity. Do u know where the work life of people in all other fields are probably 40 years, an IT professional hardly lasts 20. Its only fair that we try to earn as much as we can when we are still able to do it.
- Why do ppl think smoking relieves tension?
Nope, I have no plans of trying to see if it actually works. But it really pains me to see young kids just out of school and college, running out every two hours or so desperate for a puff. I have seen colleagues who get the shakes when they dont smoke after their dinner/lunch.Why try something when you know it is not good for health and addictive?
Friday, February 15, 2008
Clean India
Abdul Kalam has big dreams on the youth of India and all the big politicians/ scientists say they dream of this india or that india.
I am neither a politician nor a scientist but I do dream of a clean India.
I am neither a politician nor a scientist but I do dream of a clean India.
I always feel like I have ants crawling inside my skin when I see people litter, spit or blow smoke in public places. I could understand if this was just the case of the illiterate people or those who don't know better, but most of the litter in India is by people like you and me.
I had just returned from Singapore and was discussing the trip with a friend who had already visited the place. Even as she was saying how clean and neat the place is, she was throwing the disposable ice cream cup on the platform on which we were walking. :-(.. She actually had the temerity to ask what it matters since everyone throws litter on the ground in India.
Just yeaterday I was walking down the road from one bus stop to another and there were these two guys, quite well educated and probably working in one of the top IT firms (which i deduced from the tag around their necks), walking just infront
of me.
Suddenly plop, one of the guys dropped the paper cone from which he had been eating peanuts.Just 2 meters in front of him, was the trash can.
When I called him to drop it into the trashcan, i was given a very weird look and his friend mumbled that if I wanted to clean up behind them I should go ahead. Since I had opened my big fat mouth, I did throw the cone into the trash. Atleast the guy who threw it down on the ground had the decency to apologise and look chagrined.
of me.Suddenly plop, one of the guys dropped the paper cone from which he had been eating peanuts.Just 2 meters in front of him, was the trash can.
When I called him to drop it into the trashcan, i was given a very weird look and his friend mumbled that if I wanted to clean up behind them I should go ahead. Since I had opened my big fat mouth, I did throw the cone into the trash. Atleast the guy who threw it down on the ground had the decency to apologise and look chagrined.
While spitting pan on the walls and roadside is bad enough... the idiots actually spit from the bus windows and the side of the shareautos and autos. God forbid anyone going below or in the side of these vehicles.
There is supposed to be a law against smoking in the public places and I see that most of the smoking happens right in front of police stations...aargh!!!
Everywhere you go there is some cigarette, with smoke on side and a fool on the otherside happily puffing away. I make it a point to glare at these guys and wave my hand in front of my face. Not that anyone cares..sighhh!!!
Everywhere you go there is some cigarette, with smoke on side and a fool on the otherside happily puffing away. I make it a point to glare at these guys and wave my hand in front of my face. Not that anyone cares..sighhh!!!
I pray I could get magic powers so that I can put a curse on all the litterers. Everytime someone throws trash on the road, it will magically be transported to their homes and offices. Everytime some one spits on the ground, it will turn back and fall on their own faces and every time some one blows smoke in public places, their nose and tongues should start burning....
ummm!!! I only have coupla minutes to dream before I go back to work... so Adios.
Wednesday, February 06, 2008
what weird people we are
I have mentioned this before and it still holds true.I hate change... but what happens when I know the said change is good for me every way and I have voluntarily sought it? Simple!I still HATE it.
I recently made a big change in my life. Something I did with my eyes open.
But once done, I started missing my old way of life. After all the bigger the rut u have fallen into, the tougher it is to get out of it.
I was constantly comparing my new life with old life and finding it failing miserably and consistently.
To my great joy I found another friend who had done the very change that I had and he looked.... hmph! quite content with it...The traitor!!!
Needless to say I was a misery, moping around the place.
So, well, yesterday when I was talking to him.... he casually mentioned that he was thinking of making this new change temperory. Surprised I asked him why he would do that, as he seemed quite happy with it.
Haleluyah! Whaddya know? It seems he is no more happy with it than I...
hehehe! its miraculous... I dont feel quite so bad about the change anymore.
I guess its true... Misery definitely loves company :-)
Tuesday, February 05, 2008
The Olde Techies
Has ur father/ mother/ uncle/ aunt/ grandfather/ grandmother/ great uncle/ great aunt just discovered the world of computers and internet? Uhoh! you are in for a tough time.Take it from a person who has experienced all (gives me quite a guru like aura to say things like this :-) )
Its amusing as hell and big time frustrating.
I remember attempting to teach couple of the "olde" gang the secrets of computers and literally coming to fisticuffs.
I had to explain why I was pressing every button." How do u know when you press this button, the system will boot?", " What exactly happens during the booting?", "How do I configure some xyz in the Windows?"...
Of course they would not take my word for it and so sighing, I tried to explain the intricacies in the labyrinth of computers and the Windows administration, only to get my head bitten off. "What are u talking about?, I do not understand anything, You just dont know how to teach"
Aargh! Finally we agreed to disagree and they went happily to an institute to learn what I was teaching them for free.
The next few weeks the house was filled with computer jargons :-) ... they could not speak a few words without including something related to computers.. gotta say it was kinda cute and amusing
You would think that it would all end there right???? Hah! thats what u think...
Armed with their new found knowledge they keep trying to teach u how to send an email, how to use MS Word and every new thing that they have learned.... anything u say in ur defense will fall on deaf ears.while that is exasperating enough what really got my goat was the patronising look they give when they think u have done something wrong by their standards.
While my mom was most amused by my plight... I wanted to bang my head on the monitor.
I got my dad a new cell phone that has all these fancy thingamagicks such as camera, email options, bluetooth and what nots. Half the time when we are walking on the roads and I am talking to him, I find I am talking to myself and dad has stopped way behind, having found something new to explore in his phone. He gets a huge kick out of taking a foto of something in his new camera phone and emailing it to his friends from it, then copying it to the desktop using bluetooth and taking a print out of it in his new printer. Needless to say our new printer/scanner/xerox machine has him beaming everytime he uses it.
But as the computers, cell phones and internet have brought a whole new exciting life to our elders that I find I really cannot begrudge their happiness in it.
Monday, January 14, 2008
The overenthus...sigh!!!
Everyone of us have come across this type of people and am sure will empathize with me.They are the do-it-and-do-it-this-very-instant kinda guys with a small difference... they try to do-it for the whole gang.
Being the kind of person who likes to do things her way at her own time... I absolutely hate it when I am forced into a schedule.
And to my ever lasting misery I have fallen into a group that contains some four over enthus.
One day at the office, The HR asks would you guys like to leave early or want to attend some trainings and such. Brimming with joy I happily say yes and start to pack my things... when four loud voices vociferously disagree. They want to stay back and attend any and all trainings at their disposal.
The other 10 of us were left slack jawed and irritated as hell...
Obviously none of us wanted to go back to say we were not interested n look like slackers.
The day of an assessment... we were all thinking up of reasons to postpone it (as usual) and like a blessing from God, the server slowed down and we were given the option of postpoing it .. Oh no no no... cried four voices.... it is ok if the server is slow... we have prepared and we all want to finish it off today... "ALL"??? Aargh!!!
The morning on the day before pongal, the whole place is decorated, there is a feeling of festivity in the air... only a few of us have come yet and this includes our boss... when the four guys walk in and cry out... "Hey people how about we take a special presentation today.. we are going to do it... so u can also join in". I glare at them (which is ignored) and then just glare at my monitor (which is also ignored) and then my boss glares at me (which i am unable to ignore) and so join them for the darned thing...
I can understand this kind of enthusiasm at schools and colleges... but in people with so many years of exp..??
*groan* cant they just do their thing quietly? do they have to advertise everything they do?...
Jeez! Ppl, are you for real???
Tuesday, January 08, 2008
Eve Teasing??? hmm!!!
I have been accused of being feminist and I am unapologetically so.
I have written couple of blogs in favor of the worthy things done by the Blank Noise Project and was very impressed and relieved that someone had at last taken the initiative to throw limelight on the subject of Eve teasing and still am.
I can sympathize and more importantly empathize with the ladies/girls sharing their stories out there.
But much as it pains me, I have to say there should be a clear line of demarcation between what is perceived as eve teasing and what is plain paranoia.
They have a forum called “Unwanted” where women can take photos of the men who have abused/eve teased them. While I do applaud the thought behind it and even agree that it is a good idea for the mugs of gropers and pinchers and various other pigs to be posted, it does not seem fair to put in the photo of just any guy because he was looking at you or because you do not like his looks.
Have u tried glaring back or just asking him what he is looking at...before blindly deciding he is eve teasing and posting his photo
One photo showed a crowd, with three men in prominence. I am not sure why their photos were even posted.
Men, sitting in the women’s side of public transport do not really constitute eve teasing; it just shows the lack of chivalry. And since there is no such creature of chivalry in India, we really cannot be surprised by that.
There are so many more serious issues that women all over the world face on the roads/ public transports/ schools/ work place/ even homes that requires BNP’s attention.
There is, after all, only a very thin line between use and abuse of any power
I have written couple of blogs in favor of the worthy things done by the Blank Noise Project and was very impressed and relieved that someone had at last taken the initiative to throw limelight on the subject of Eve teasing and still am.
I can sympathize and more importantly empathize with the ladies/girls sharing their stories out there.
But much as it pains me, I have to say there should be a clear line of demarcation between what is perceived as eve teasing and what is plain paranoia.
They have a forum called “Unwanted” where women can take photos of the men who have abused/eve teased them. While I do applaud the thought behind it and even agree that it is a good idea for the mugs of gropers and pinchers and various other pigs to be posted, it does not seem fair to put in the photo of just any guy because he was looking at you or because you do not like his looks.
Have u tried glaring back or just asking him what he is looking at...before blindly deciding he is eve teasing and posting his photo
One photo showed a crowd, with three men in prominence. I am not sure why their photos were even posted.
Men, sitting in the women’s side of public transport do not really constitute eve teasing; it just shows the lack of chivalry. And since there is no such creature of chivalry in India, we really cannot be surprised by that.
There are so many more serious issues that women all over the world face on the roads/ public transports/ schools/ work place/ even homes that requires BNP’s attention.
There is, after all, only a very thin line between use and abuse of any power
Monday, January 07, 2008
SALE!!! God for Sale!!!
Are you Hindu? Are you religious? Are you plain curious or just interested in seeing all the beautiful and I do mean "absolutely mind blowing" architecture of the temples in TamilNadu?
Be ready to be blackmailed, begged, and harrassed to death. Also be sure to take a lot of small change and notes of small denominations... You are going to need it.... Coz Gods and their blessings are being sold here and the customers (read " Bhakras to be fleeced") are US. I never realised what a lucrative business a temple was until now.
Step down from your car you will first be overwhelmed by hawkers selling all kindsa things that just have to be submitted at God's feet/ for archana... if we require any of her blessings. The hawkers come in all ages from 6-60 and God forbid if you take pity and buy from one of them... the rest of them will be on you like fleas on a dog.
They are amazingly persevering and you will find hands pawing you, pulling your shirt, pallu whatever and begging you to buy from them. I think most people buy just to shut them up.
Having escaped this deluge you step into the temple and you have arrows pointing everywhere telling you ... Not which is the mandap for which god but which is the way to buy what... special archanai, annadhanam, special queue to see god and so on and so forth.
The priests are shameless too. They demand that you put money in the Aarthi plate. In one temple where I had forgotten my purse in my car, the priests and different temple workers would not let me get out of the "Garbagraha" (inner sanctum) until I had paid 10 bucks. Did I not want God's blessings? Did I want them to curse me for not giving money?... Arguing took me nowhere and I had to borrow the money to get out of the place.
As we come out, we meet the beggars, all healthy looking men and women, not even all that old or fragile. They do not beg, they demand and one guy actually asked me how I could expect God's blessing if I would not even be charitable enough to give him money or food. hmph!!! oh BTW! If you give them 1 or less Rs, be sure it will be returned back with a disdainful look. I am not sure what is the going rate of begging, but I sure got some dirty looks though
The serious part aside, at one temple the priest took a liking to me and came out of his way to tell me that it was very special to do 24 pradhakshinam (walks around the temple) for that particular god. Needless to say nothing would do but that I walk all 24 of them around the huge praharam... *Phew* came up quite dizzy after all that circling.
Despite all these hassles, it was a fun trip.
So those interested now know where to go to buy God's blessings :-) Happy Praying!!!
Be ready to be blackmailed, begged, and harrassed to death. Also be sure to take a lot of small change and notes of small denominations... You are going to need it.... Coz Gods and their blessings are being sold here and the customers (read " Bhakras to be fleeced") are US. I never realised what a lucrative business a temple was until now.
Step down from your car you will first be overwhelmed by hawkers selling all kindsa things that just have to be submitted at God's feet/ for archana... if we require any of her blessings. The hawkers come in all ages from 6-60 and God forbid if you take pity and buy from one of them... the rest of them will be on you like fleas on a dog.
They are amazingly persevering and you will find hands pawing you, pulling your shirt, pallu whatever and begging you to buy from them. I think most people buy just to shut them up.
Having escaped this deluge you step into the temple and you have arrows pointing everywhere telling you ... Not which is the mandap for which god but which is the way to buy what... special archanai, annadhanam, special queue to see god and so on and so forth.
The priests are shameless too. They demand that you put money in the Aarthi plate. In one temple where I had forgotten my purse in my car, the priests and different temple workers would not let me get out of the "Garbagraha" (inner sanctum) until I had paid 10 bucks. Did I not want God's blessings? Did I want them to curse me for not giving money?... Arguing took me nowhere and I had to borrow the money to get out of the place.
As we come out, we meet the beggars, all healthy looking men and women, not even all that old or fragile. They do not beg, they demand and one guy actually asked me how I could expect God's blessing if I would not even be charitable enough to give him money or food. hmph!!! oh BTW! If you give them 1 or less Rs, be sure it will be returned back with a disdainful look. I am not sure what is the going rate of begging, but I sure got some dirty looks though
The serious part aside, at one temple the priest took a liking to me and came out of his way to tell me that it was very special to do 24 pradhakshinam (walks around the temple) for that particular god. Needless to say nothing would do but that I walk all 24 of them around the huge praharam... *Phew* came up quite dizzy after all that circling.
Despite all these hassles, it was a fun trip.
So those interested now know where to go to buy God's blessings :-) Happy Praying!!!
Thursday, January 03, 2008
Repulsive Attraction
Hmmm Maybe attraction is not the right word for it.
But have you ever felt repulsed by something and also a weird curiosity to know more about it.
A part of you wants to shut it down and forget about it and another part of you is compelled to see it/ learn about it/ touch it ... whatever that "It" is.
The first time I felt this way was four years back when seeing a video forwarded to me by someone on some atrocities done by terrorists. God! that was awful! and left me totally shaken and trembling.
Anyway I digress.
This time on the repulsive attraction was caused by articles on the Footbinding custom of chinese women and the reaction of the chinese men to it.
Out to prove my sis wrong that Japanese women were forced into footbinding I ended up finding out that it was actually the Chinese women who were forced to do it.
The process and pictures, left my toes curling and totally weirded out.
I refuse to say any more about it in my blog.
But interested people can google it
Ughhh!!!!
But have you ever felt repulsed by something and also a weird curiosity to know more about it.
A part of you wants to shut it down and forget about it and another part of you is compelled to see it/ learn about it/ touch it ... whatever that "It" is.
The first time I felt this way was four years back when seeing a video forwarded to me by someone on some atrocities done by terrorists. God! that was awful! and left me totally shaken and trembling.
Anyway I digress.
This time on the repulsive attraction was caused by articles on the Footbinding custom of chinese women and the reaction of the chinese men to it.
Out to prove my sis wrong that Japanese women were forced into footbinding I ended up finding out that it was actually the Chinese women who were forced to do it.
The process and pictures, left my toes curling and totally weirded out.
I refuse to say any more about it in my blog.
But interested people can google it
Ughhh!!!!
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