December 6, 2008

Hey, you look beautiful today!

Some people say I have good communication skills, and I don't really believe that. And I kind of realised that my worst area is accepting compliments. I guess it must be obvious from the first line though. I find it really difficult to receive a compliment gracefully. I get nervous, and then blush furiously (which is very obvious given my skin tone), then I deny it altogether, or say it's not really how it seems, or I get aggressive and ask "Why? Why? Why do you say that?". Though that's not what I always intended. At the best, I fumble, smile awkwardly and look down and say 'Thank you'.

So I read up on this. Yes, as usual, google. It seems what I described above are classic signs of low self-esteem. LOL! Do I hear my colleagues laughing? Oh, yes, I do) And wikihow actually gives me ways I can learn to handle them. Oh well, I really hope they help me with the usual ones we get.

Most often, the compliments I have trouble with are these: "You are beautiful" (But not that I get many of that these days, now that I am fat horizontally challenged. Hmm, maybe I'll have to read the next wikihow link on how to react to that. LOL!. Anyway, getting back to the topic, the other ones I have trouble with are: "You are so smart", "You're a brilliant girl", "I think you can deal with all those people. you're good at things like this", yada, yada.

Today, however, I received a compliment I had no problem accepting. And I wondered why. And that's what got me started on this post. I think it has something to do with how really good I think I am at it, or rather how much I really believe in it. In some way, receiving a compliment makes me instantly do a subconscious comparison with the best. I tend to see how far I still have to go, rather than how far I have come. And me being who I am, the former will always be more. So I decided to come back and make a list of what I have been comfortable with, at least the most recent ones. And this is what I ended up with:

The best compliments I have recently received: (which btw, I did not have a problem receiving)

From Hamsa at work, the day I cut my hair real short the 1st time:
"Wow, this is great! I really admire your courage!"

From M, when I did a pixie:
"Whoa, you look like a punk star"

From B, when I spoke of going to some fancy restaurant:
"You are really different. Not many people would go the a dhaba one day and a real hi-fi restaurant another day"

From Dad, when I failed my exam: (not so recent, but... :) )
"You are a very sincere girl. I know you can do it this time"

I guess, listing these down, make me feel that I'm not really that ill-mannered. But I still have a long, long road to travel before I reach the point that I can look at every person who compliments me and really mean it when I say 'Thank you'. And maybe one day, I will reach there...

If I were a boy...

When I first heard Beyonce's song on Yasim's mob, I was truly moved. But I wondered about what she really meant. Now after watching the video, I understand.

"If I were a boy, I think I could understand
How it feels to love a girl; I swear I’d be a better man
I’d listen to her, cause I know how it hurts
When you lose the one you wanted 'cause he’s taken you for granted,
and everything you had got destroyed"

She's talking about how someone caused her a lot of anguish and pain, and how she would act differently if she were in that position, because she knows how it is when you cause a person so much pain. It's an awesome way of getting your point across by taking on that person's role and showing them how it is from your perspective. Like putting your shoes on their feet.

But the song also talks about how the other person in the relationship is not able to understand it all. "But you're just a boy... you don’t understand". It portrays how immature he is, and how he just doesn't get it. But that doesn't really excuse his behaviour, and she wont wait for him all the time. ....Hmmm.. It really gets one thinking about stuff, doesn't it?

So, if you have been hurt by someone close, this is for you. And if you have been immature like yours truly, try to think of the other person's feelings more often.

(P.S. To -. You know who you are. Sorry. And thanks for still being there.)

December 2, 2008

Would you buy my painting?


$10,000 for that? :o Almost unbelievable. (see it on ebay)
Anyways, read the story behind it. It is hilarious!

November 25, 2008

Dedications

Dedicated to B who finally cut down from 2l Coke/day to 1l/every few days.. :D
Maybe this will help. ;)

I found this site while stumbling today. It calculates how much caffeine it takes to kill you.
Seems my poison will take another 10 yrs... LOL!

To PK who really likes Obama Barack : pictures of the Prez when he was young
If ever, heaven forbid, the recession hits you, join, and I'll vote for you... :)

To J. Next time you do more of you Telugu / Tamil accents, you can be "better". LOL! Click away, you racist bugger :P

To M, my rock and my constant source of joy and exasperation, some medicine. Get well soon, dear!

And to H, seems like you need some time off.. So plan some holidays .. Remember to take me along ok da :)

November 14, 2008

Caterday


[from here]
Sleeeppppp...... I need sleeeppp....




Ok, I give up...

Angst

You say you are so tuned into me
That you know me so well
But a person is not just a few facets
Everyone has sides not many know

Some think I’m nice, some say I’m a bitch
Maybe there is a bit of truth in both
But does that mean I’m only what they see?
Not everything is just black or white, dear

I’m a soft toy in the store
I’m a porcupine with an itchy back
I’m so much more and so much less
Why do you then see me as only one of those?
Just because you’ve seen me purr
Does it mean I don’t know to scratch?
And just ‘cause I deal with all of your moods
Do you think my patience is infinite?

Yes, you know me, but no, not completely
Love me yes, but give me space
Lean on me, but not so much that I can’t handle it
And then don’t act so hurt. It makes me feel guilty

I like you and I will always care
But why do you place me on a pedestal so high?
Friendship and love will always be between equals
Everything else leads to anger, hurt and tears

You want this, I want that,
Sometimes it may be the same thing, but not always
Does that mean I have let you go?
Does that mean you don’t care for me?

I hate you, I like you,
And I know you love me
And there will be times when we fight
But that needn’t be the be-all and end-all of life
Just try too understand.

November 13, 2008

Thanksgiving

It’s when you are down and you give up that you look for signs that say things will be alright. I was so down the last two days and I looked around and wondered if everything is going the way it should. And then you gave me all these signs. Thanks.

I solved the sudoku puzzle before I got out. The TV had the song I was searching for all these days. I talked to Ma and things seemed ok. My cake turned out good.And when I was humming ‘I’m yours’ and turned on the radio, the song was playing at the exact same line, the exact same word that I was singing :)

What more could I want?

It makes so much sense… "I reckon it's again my turn to win some or learn some"

So, I won't hesitate no more,
No more, it cannot wait I’m sure
There’s no need to complicate our time is short
This is our fate
I'm yours

You sent me the message to not worry about little details and just go with the flow. After all, what will come, will come. (… there ain't no better reason to rid yourself of vanities and just go with the seasons … )

Thanks for making things ok. Thanks for showing me you care in all the little things out there. Thanks for being there for me always.

October 23, 2008

Moon Navnirman Sena and Chandrayaan

I just love the way cartoons like this put things in perspective. People like Raj Thackeray think they can win by promoting discrimination and bigotry. But they forget that India has come so far only by embracing all and because of her tolerance. Let's just hope they realise that soon. And meanwhile, lets make a resolve not elect people like him.

P.S. Dont know who made this, so cant link it. Sorry. Just got it via a mail and it was too good not to share

October 17, 2008

Houses, changes and weird letters

Today is house-hunting day for a couple of my colleagues. I'd love to move into a 'real' house, but me being the choosy person I am, both about houses and people (:P), it isn't going to happen till M decides to move in. Which I pray is by the end of the year. Anyways, what got me thinking was the house itself. Take my room for eg. It nice, good shelves, the same ol boring yellow, could do with one more window to let the sunshine in, pink striped curtains (bless my landlord!) and a bathroom I can't fall down in.* Yay!
* That's because it is too small! lol!
But then when I move in somewhere, I think of what I would love to do to that place. Mostly, it's just furniture and stuff (I already made the extra bed into a fence for S's books and put in the table and chair from H). I'd love to break down a part of my wall and put a window there. It'd brighten up the place and save power. Ooh, or maybe put a rooflight! But more on that later...
Lotsa plans in my head to change things here. I wonder if the ones who put made the place would mind. I mean, they'd have put in lots of thought on why they wanted that chandelier in the living room right? Which, BTW, looks hideous and is totally unsuitable for the size of the room. Or maybe I just hate chandeliers. I know that I for one would be a little miffed if I created my dream house and then had to sell it and came back a couple of years later and found the place changed. Ya, they could have made it better, but.. umm.. heck, I made it good! (Now would be a good place to mention that my place = my way or the highway. LOL!)
Anyways, I cam across this page today that mentioned this person who wanted to fill in his pond. So he drained it out and there at the bottom of the pond was this letter.... from the previous owner! A letter to the person who drained out the pond, saying he'd be 'miffed' if this guy drained the pond. LOL! Snarky, yes, crazy, maybe, entertaining, absolutely! Hmmm, wonder if I'd ever write such a note?

Inspiration from the unexpected

You stumble and you fall. And realise you found a gem.

And that is how I heard Paul Potts. He was a contestant of the Britain's got talent show. The song playing as soon as you open the link of his site is Nessun Dorma, which was what he sang when he first participated. I do not usually enjoy opera music, but this blew me away! And when I read about him, it was like the feel-good factor just grew. Reminds one that you sometimes find the best of things at the most unexpected places. Real astonishing talent!



I loved everything that I saw here. His voice, the way he sang - it just moves you, the way he sang even though he was so nervous - you could just feel it from him; I thought he was going to cry, the transformation you see on the judges faces - 'so what are you going to do?' 'I'm going to sing opera' and then Paul starts to sing... Ah!

Paul Potts went on to win the show.

I didn't have a clue what he was singing, but then you don't always need to, to appreciate music. And doesn't music seem closer to your heart when you understand what is said? :) So for people like me who are opera virgins, here's the translation of Nessun Dorma /None shall sleep.

Italian Text

Nessun dorma! Nessun dorma!
Tu pure, o, Principessa,
nella tua fredda stanza,
guardi le stelle
che tremano d'amore
e di speranza.
Ma il mio mistero è chiuso in me,
il nome mio nessun saprà!
No, no, sulla tua bocca lo dirò
quando la luce splenderà!
Ed il mio bacio scioglierà il silenzio
che ti fa mia!
(Il nome suo nessun saprà!...
e noi dovrem, ahime, morir!)
Dilegua, o notte!
Tramontate, stelle!
Tramontate, stelle!
All'alba vincerò!
vincerò, vincerò!

English Translation of "Nessun Dorma"

Nobody shall sleep!...
Nobody shall sleep!
Even you, o Princess,
in your cold room,
watch the stars,
that tremble with love and with hope.
But my secret is hidden within me,
my name no one shall know...
No!...No!...
On your mouth I will tell it when the light shines.
And my kiss will dissolve the silence that makes you mine!...
(No one will know his name and we must, alas, die.)
Vanish, o night!
Set, stars! Set, stars!
At dawn, I will win! I will win! I will win!

Trivia: "After Luciano Pavarotti performed "Nessun Dorma" at the 1990 FIFA World Cup in Italy (his recording of the aria was also used as the BBC's theme song for its television coverage), his recording reached #2 on the UK Singles Chart - an event that has never happened for a classical music song." Hmmm... nice...

P.S. I still have trouble mapping the words to what he sings, but then I listen and i doesn't matter...

October 16, 2008

Concotions

I have a very unorganised way of cooking. I start with something in mind, google the recipes, mentally out that into one of my ways of cooking, go to the kitchen, start, realise i want to add something else or don't want something, change the recipe and finally end up with something totally different. LOL!
But the last two time, I got lucky. So, to the ones who are willing to experiment, or to the ones who have iron clad stomachs: try these out.

1) Tofu - eggs - prawns

1 packet tofu
All the spices you can find in your kitchen (yes, all - so bring out the chicken masala, sambhar powder, cumins, coriander powder, chilli powder, turmeric powder, chat masala, everything)
4 eggs
2 tablespoon prawn pickle/ some boiled prawns
1 onion
oil
salt to taste

Cut the tofu into small cubed and boil it. Meanwhile, cut the onions. Fry it. By the time the onions are lightly fried, the tofu will be cooked. Add tofu to the pan and stir. Add Turmeric + Chilli + chicken masala and stir. Now take the eggs and beat them well. Keep aside. Keep frying the tofu till it becomes light brown. Add the eggs and prawns. Fry till eggs get cooked. Voila! It's done!
Proof that it is alright: I survived the day after having it, with No Problems.

2) Tuna and eggs

2 eggs
1 spoon tuna
Beat eggs and mix with tuna. Cook in whichever way you like it. Tada!
And for once it turned out like awesome! Proof: V, P and me are A-OK...

Preparation time - zilch
Cooking time - max 5 mins

I am a genius! :)

October 15, 2008

An Open Letter From Grand Pa

I get forwards through the day. It makes the 'lazy' periods of the day pass. Mnj had sent me this one. I read the title. 'Hmm, must be one of the sentimental ones about family and love'. To my pleasant surprise, it spoke about saving and money. Considering the current situation, both globally and otherwise (ya it s true :| ), it just makes sense to share this with everyone out there too...

Thanks to the person who wrote this.
So here goes....

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Thanks to Subhash Apte:

An Open Letter From Grand Pa

LATELY, I have been thinking a lot about the Lehman crisis. Spending money that they didn't have and going beyond their means is one of the main reasons for their situation today. In fact that is the cause for the current economic crisis in the US. When I see all this happening, I can only remember the good old days. Then, karz ('debt' is Hindi) was bad. People looked down upon those who took loans. Parents would not give their daughter's hand in marriage to a man with loans. But of course, the times have changed now. Everyone I know has a loan. The buzz word is EMI (equated monthly instalment).

Today, you can buy everything on EMI - a house, a television, an i-Pod. In fact I know of someone who just bought a fancy BMW 3 series on EMI, instead of buying a cheaper car outright with cash. I mostly prefer to take public transport, but then I am an old man with old thoughts! Anyway, coming back to what caused the crisis. Imagine having Rs 2 lakh in your bank account, no regular income, yet buying a house worth Rs 65 lakh, in the hope of selling it for a higher price. Even if the price of the house fell by just 5 per cent (that is Rs 3 lakh), you will go bankrupt.

This is what Lehman Brothers did; with around USD 20 billion they went and bought assets worth over USD 600 billion. And they are supposed to have employed best brain in the industry! Isn't it suicidal and simply foolish? I am sure things would have been different, had I been the head of Lehman brothers. But who wants an old conservative man like me to head a complex financial institution.

But there are a few lessons that we can learn:


1. Live a balanced life and avoid overspending.

Tip: As soon as you get your monthly salary, set aside a fixed amount, usually 35 per cent, for insurance, savings and investments. You can then spend the rest.

2. Not all loans are bad. Loans that are 'need based' (home loans, education loans) can always find a place in your finances against those that are largely 'want based' (personal loans, car loans).

3. Borrow only if repayment is financially comfortable. A thumb rule: Keep EMIs within 30 per cent of your monthly income

In that respect, there is one American who I really respect - Warren Buffet. He has lived in the same ordinary house for over three decades, drives his own medium sized car and leads an extremely regular 'middle class' life. If that's all it takes for the richest person on earth to be happy, why do all of us need to take extra stress just so that we can get things which aren't even essential?

India still has a lot of growth ahead and the future holds immense opportunities for us.

Let us make the most of it and save and invest it wisely instead of wasting our precious little on things we don't need.

Yours,
Grandpa.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Makes a lot of sense right? It reminds me of when I first set out to this place. Dad and Ma came to see me off at the railway station. And they too had told me to save and set aside some of what I get. It got me through some tough times too. I wish, no, I hope that everyone out there gets the same benefit from this as I did.

September 22, 2008

*I love you, baby* :)

There is this song stuck in my head, but all I know about it is that one of the lines in the chorus is 'I love you baby', and all the rest that I can remember is the really peppy tune.. Don't you just hate it when that happens.. so here I am searching through all the songs with that line in it. And that's when I found 'Ka - dree'.
<>
K3 is a Flemish girl band with a Dutch repertoire, mainly aimed at pre-adolescent children. (LOL! no wonder I loved them!) The name of the group is derived from the names of the three singers: Karen Damen, Kathleen Aerts and Kristel Verbeke. The music is produced by production company Studio 100. The music is written by Miguel Wiels, Alain Vande Putte and Peter Gillis. K3 is founded by Niels William. The band is also known for becoming famous without any airplay from the regular music television channels like MTV, instead using marketing via children and cartoon channels.
<>
Real neat, huh?
well in case you feel like visiting those 'good ol days' when you liked peppy, 'pop'sy songs, take a listen to this
(oh gosh, I get all these from listening to too much radio. Can anyone tell me if that sentence is correct? thanks a lot)



Edit:
Finally found the song that was stuck in my head! It is one from '10 things I hate about you' - the one sung by Heath Ledger "Can't take my eyes off you"
I love this version better than the original :D

September 21, 2008

Für dich - Die Toten Hosen



Ich habe 'Hier kommt Alex' gehort das erste mal am Frühlingsfest. Und, jetzt, da das OktoberFest ist gekommen, ich verfehle in die Bierzelte zu tanzen.

P.S. Warning: du hast sehr schlest Deutsch gelesen, das weiß ich. Tut mir leid...

September 18, 2008

Grammar Rock Nouns

Was just searching stuff for the rapid fire round of the Dumb Charades we are holding in the office tomorrow and I found this... Loved it so much I couldn't resist putting it up. :) Sun and I were just watching it and I said "oh I so wish we had this when we were in school! I'd have loved it more!" and she said "Well you are so much of a kid, you love it anyways now" Lol! Anyways, check it out!

September 14, 2008

Narcissism / I m bored

01:30 hours in the morning. Roomie sleeping -> so not listening to music. Stumbled more than enough for a day. So what do I do? Aha! Ctrl+T. www.google.com. Type own name. Click on 1st link that comes up. And voila! There I am! But that's no fun. So hmmm what do I do now? click, go, click some more and I reach this site where they generate your fairy name. Type name and this is what I get.
"Your fairy is called Feather Hailshimmer
She is a protector of the lonely.
She lives in high places where the clouds meet the earth.
She is only seen when the first flowers begin to blossom.
She wears pale blue like the sky. She has cheery turquoise wings like a butterfly."
Wow! she sounds so cool! Obviously I googled her. And it turns out it is not a 'her' but a 'him'. Figures. My name was supposed to be for guys till around the 19th (?) century. Anyways,
Feather Hailshimmer is a pixie (LOL! I love being a pixie) who was born on the 12th of Blee in the woods just north of Dremdesh in the Dwarflands. Some joked that he had a little dwarf blood in his past since he was rather short and muscular for a pixie.
Personally, I'd rather be his grand daughter Silk Catdancer. Goes with one of my nicknames :)

Überraschung here!

I love nice surprises.
I love chocolate.
I love toys.
And I love getting all of them together.
No wonder I'm so crazy about the "ÜberraschungEier".
I heard about it first during our German classes. And the first time I saw it was in the Penny Markt in Flamingoweg. And from then started my love affair! It literally translates to "surprise egg" in English. The size of an egg, coloured in white and orange, this little thing has wormed its way into my heart! Aptly named Kinder Joy, or so Sun says (Kinder refers to children in German).
It has 2 parts. You break it up and there is a half that is a chocolate - white with yummy brown chocolate floating in it. There is a small spoon to eat ti with too. Hmm, thoughtful.. But it is the other half that made me go ga-ga. It is covered with orange cover. So you never know what is in it. It has toys, jigsaw puzzles, you name it! I'd buy it every other time. And in the rare cases when I feel that I must act my age and I don't buy it, B does.
On my return, this was one of the things I missed the most. (other than the Jogurt there! Someone please please bring some for me!). Anyways, I adjusted to it by playing with my cute little toys and with 'Sheridan', my first ever. He's a purple toy, named after the best coffee drink ever :P So imagine my surprise when a month earlier I saw this huge Egg in front of M2S ! I went like "woohoo!".I keep getting lots of it everytime I go shopping in M2S. I got tired of the chocolate though (ok so I lied a bit to myself about that. But its better than mentioning the d**t word). SO now I buy it just for the 'surprise' inside. And to all the people who think this is something for 4-year-olds, well so I'm four! <>

Butt...

Who'd have even thought people would sit on that?? Not moi for sure!

Like she once said:

LOL!

September 5, 2008

Why I am down...

For about a week, I have been
And after trying on some of my old clothes, I realised I am
... So i have to keep reminding myself to
or better still, take Dee's advice and

August 29, 2008

'what you want to be...'


Love this guy's sense of humour! Muah!

August 19, 2008

109 Crazy Things To Do

I remember reading this sometime and had this in my system. So today I just checked out how many of these I had done, and guess what, I scored 54 :D (list not published due to .. well, I don't want to get bashed up by the ones who 'care about me')
oh BTW, I think I have done crazier things than the ones below too.. Maybe I'll share that someday :D LOL!

Level 1
1. smoked a cigarette
2. smoked a cigar
3. done weed
4. kissed a member of the same sex
5. drank alcohol

Level 2
1. been in love
2. been dumped
3. shoplifted
4. been fired
5. been in a fist fight

Level 3
1. snuck out of a parent’s house
2. had feelings for someone who didn’t have them back
3. been arrested
4. made out with a stranger
5. gone out on a blind date

Level 4
1. had a crush on an older person
2. skipped school
3. slept with a co-worker
4. seen someone/something die

Level 5
1. had/have a crush on one of your Orkut / Facebook friends
2. been to Paris
3. been to Spain
4. been on a plane
5. thrown up from drinking

Level 6
1. eaten Sushi
2. been snowboarding
3. met someone BECAUSE of myspace
4. been mosh pitting

Level 7
1. been in an abusive relationship
2. taken pain killers
3. love/like someone right now
4. laid on your back and watched cloud shapes go by
5. made a snow man

Level 8
1. had a tea party
2. flown a kite
3. built a sand castle
4. gone puddle jumping
5. played dress up

Level 9
1. jumped into a pile of leaves
2. gone sledding
3. cheated while playing a game
4. been lonely
5. fallen asleep at work/school

Level 10
1. used a fake/someone else’s ID
2. watched the sun set
3. felt an earthquake
4. killed a snake

Level 11
1. been tickled
2. been robbed/vandalized
3. robbed someone
4. been misunderstood
5. pet a reindeer

Level 12
1. won a contest
2. been suspended from school
3. had detention
4. been in a car/motorcycle accident

Level 13
1. had/have braces/retainer
2. eaten a whole pint of ice cream in one night
3. had deja vu
4. danced in the moonlight

Level 14
1. hated the way i look
2, witnessed a crime
3. pole danced
4. questioned my heart
5. been obsessed with post-it notes

Level 15
1. squished barefoot through the mud
2. been lost
3. been to the opposite side of the world
4. swam in the ocean
5. felt like you were dying

Level 16
1. cried yourself to sleep
2. played cops and robbers
3. recently coloured with crayons/colored pencils/markers
4. sang karaoke
5. paid for a meal with only coins

Level 17
1. done something you told yourself you wouldn’t
2. made prank phone calls
3. laughed until some kind of beverage came out of your nose
4. kissed in the rain

Level 18
1. written a letter to Santa Claus
2. been kissed under a mistletoe
3 watched the sun set with someone you care/cared about
4. blown bubbles
5. made a bonfire on the beach

Level 19
1. crashed a party
2. have traveled more than 5 days with a car full of people
3. gone roller skating/ blading
4. had a wish come true
5. humped a monkey

Level 20
1. worn pearls
2. jumped off a bridge
3, screamed “p****” at a football game.
4. swimming with dolphins

Level 21
1. got your tongue stuck to a pole/freezer/ice cube
2. kissed a fish
3. worn the opposite sex’s clothes - (and made my neighbour(boy) wear my frilly mini skirt too.. lol!)
4. sat on a roof top

Level 22
1, screamed at the top of your lungs
2. can do a one-handed cartwheel
3. talked on the phone for more than 6 hours
4. stayed up all night

Level 23
1. picked and ate an apple right off the tree
2. climbed a tree
3. had/been in a tree house
4. are scared to watch scary movies alone

Level 24
1. believe in ghosts
2. have/had more then 30 pairs of shoes
3. gone streaking
4. been in jail

June 19, 2008

Left Right Left

It started with the “Biggest Brain” contest in Facebook. One bored Tuesday night at around 3 am with nothing to do and only one person online, I clicked on it. The game loads. You ‘estimate’ (yuck I’m sounding like an I.T. professional!), you count, you remember and you order. Played it and found out that my scores were skewed towards the first and the last. I sucked at math and at remembering what was where. No big surprise there! So then Hs comes online and I’m like “yay yay I beat you yay” and we were like discussing what I am good at and what I’m not and he says “Hey you are right brained!”.. and I was like “whaaattt??”. So that’s wen I got to searching out the left and right brain stuff. All the ones italicized are done so by me.. would have been fun to tell yall if its true or not. But that would be like telling the whole wide world who I am. That’s making the game too easy! Lol!

So here is is: *

Right brained :

Right brains don't like to listen to directions and don't like to read them. Reading directions carefully is a detailed activity for the left-brain.

They don't memorize well and need to visualize a picture so they can recall the facts. They may have bizarre images in night dreams leaving them confused as to what they mean.

When right brains talk to you, they look at you while listening and look away to the left when answering a question. This is a brain shift from one side to another. This is not a sign of fabrication. They are listening with one side and now switch over for the response. They are not creating an answer in an attempt to deceive. (Hmm.. how do I convince people that I’m right brained when I have to lie? :D )

But this was the ulimate:

Word Association

On a spelling test, a right brain hears the word "dog." Their mind wanders to the thought of the neighbor's dog which barked most of the night, that reminds them of the fact that the neighbors are in the Bahamas, which takes them to an island with palm trees and sandy beaches, which reminds them that they need a bathing suit for this weekend, which reminds them that they will need to take spending money... Teacher says, "Word #7 is house." Student raises hand and asks what word #6 was. They've checked out for a while.

I read that and I’m like “OMG! C’est moi!!” Freaky…

Right brains don't explain what they feel well and are misunderstood. They think of one thing, say another because their brain has already moved on to another thought. (That will explain my omcept of ‘headings’ and ‘paragraphs’, right Bt?). They also don't like to follow rules which don't make sense to them. (Wat say, Viv?)

Right brains are non-judgmental and often have no opinion on many topics. They can see both sides and are often seen as wishy washy or lacking values. They see the whole person and are less likely to condemn a person because of a flaw. (No comments.)

(Now this is a tough cookie:) Rights are trusting--too trusting. They easily have patents and ideas stolen from them, usually to a left. Lefts know how to use an idea. They just can't come up with them on their own.

They believe that everything is possible, tend to be very creative, and don't see the pitfalls along the way. (This, I think, depend on the situation)

Left Brained:

Left brains are seen as "smarter". They do things in the "proper" order and feel there is a proper order. (Is this for one activity, or is it like when there are so many going about?)

These subject areas have "sequential rules" and they respond to this.

They are sensitive to flaws of self and others almost to the point of not being able to accept a person because of their flaws. (Hmmm.. scary.. but kinda like explains some of the behaviours I see.)

Lefts are skeptical of anything new. They defend the familiar and ordinary.

They don't usually talk in excess. Why say a paragraph when three words will do?

And here’s the freaky section for the ‘lefties’

Word Association

On a spelling test, the left hears the word "dog." They quickly write d-o-g and wait for the next word. Usually, without doodling or looking around the room. Focusing is usually not a problem.

(Again, depends on the context.;)

Once an idea has been mentioned, a left may be able to use the information and actually make the plan work. However, without the right brain, they would have never created it.

It is obvious that lefts and rights need to team up and work together. One side completes the other.

Reading all this, I’d love to be a right brained person. But put it across like the one below, and I wonder:

Left:

Rational

  • Responds to verbal instructions
  • Problem solves by logically and sequentially looking at the parts of things
  • Looks at differences
  • Is planned and structured
  • Prefers established, certain information
  • Prefers talking and writing
  • Prefers multiple choice tests
  • Controls feelings
  • Prefers ranked authority structures

Right:

Intuitive

  • Responds to demonstrated instructions
  • Problem solves with hunches, looking for patterns and configurations
  • Looks at similarities
  • Is fluid and spontaneous
  • Prefers elusive, uncertain information
  • Prefers drawing and manipulating objects
  • Prefers open ended questions
  • Free with feelings
  • Prefers collegial authority structures

* got all this info from the right brain chars. and left brain chars.


Thank goodness on person uses just one side! :D

June 15, 2008

Lass Redn / Let the people talk



Lass die Leute reden und hör ihnen nicht zu
Die meisten Leute haben ja nichts Besseres zu tun
Lass die Leute reden, bei Tag und auch bei Nacht
Lass die Leute reden - das haben die immer schon gemacht

- Die Ärzte


Something to get you by when you hear what you were not meant to...
:P

March 10, 2008

Rollercoaster ride

You know those times when your mind is all so full of things you just don't want to think about? And you listen to music or whatever suits you just to stop thinking? You turn on the radio, not even bothering to change the station when the song suck. And then you hear it. And snap, it just fits. The connection.
I felt that today. it was playing on Indigo. "If you're lost, hurt, tired or lonely". I listened to it for want of better things to do on the ride back from work. And he sang "All your friends think you're satisfied. But they can't see your soul"
... And I knew. Why it seems so hard these days. Every one's so excited about 'opportunities'. And all I see are the things that will soon be gone. Dl and Mn trying to help her be strong enough. Trying to scare the Grim Reaper's shadow far away from the hospital. Mr dealing with the reality of his parents splitting. Me coping with the loss of trust on someone. S having no idea what to do about the subtle abuse at work. Do they understand us?
All that is seen on the outside is the faint ripples of the turmoil inside. Dealing with it is all easier when you vent it all out. At least Bt helped me channel my sorrow to anger. But now he's about 8000 kms away. And Hs did more than that. He made me forget it all for a while. But how many times do you bounce back till it seems less like a bounce and more like a semi-low state. One part of me says "Bah" and the other quips "lah di dah". The 3rd is silent. Who will be the 1st to puke when the coaster turns upside down?

February 28, 2008

What if God was one of us?

What if God was one of us? Just a slob like one of us. Just a stranger on the bus, trying to make his way home. Like a holy Rolling Stone. Back up to Heaven all alone. Just trying to make his way home. Nobody callin' on the phone, 'cept for the Pope maybe in Rome. Then it makes sense, it all just makes sense. Why the moon is not full all the time. Why the poems dont rhyme. Why Butter may need more than bread. Why Chillies lose their heat and hash is outta head. Why the Shadow proved the sunshine. Why guys need a pick-up line. Why it gets dark again. Why it started to rain. Why I'm forced to lie. And why people die.

P.S. Joan O, Thanks for your question.

February 4, 2008

You know its time to stop..

wearing your blue jeans when it starts to be brown instead.

trying to finish your Harry Potter book when you are walking along a corridor and someone comes along and you look at him and realise it's Voldemort and you wake up with a start and thank goodness it was a dream.

wearing orange, bright bright orange, when your best friend says "aah, my eyes, my eyes! i am blind!"

pulling the blanket on a sleepover when you finally wake up enough to realise that it is half under that big girl from the next room and you'd only injure yourself if you tried any more.

putting so much eye shadow when your friends look at you and say "oh Gawd, how did you hurt your eye??"

spending so much time on the phone when more than half you allowance goes on in.

ordering the same thing at the take-away when the cook starts making the dish as soon as he sees you coming.

buying your next drink when you start thinking that dancing to .. oh gosh, i can't even remember!.. well now you know that was a good time to stop!

blabbering when you see that 'eeeww, gross!' look on someone's face and you realise some things are better left unsaid.

boasting about how strong you are when your brother finally challenges you to an arm-wrestling match and you can't win even after putting all your weight on him. (I have never lived that down!)

going to each and every book fair when you realise that at this rate you'll soon own a whole rack of books... and you have only finished about half of them!

frequenting pizza joints when you suddenly feel hungry during the day and all you can think about is that 'Arabic Chicken' pizza...

sitting in front of the comp at 1:45 in the morning when you hear the words "are you going to sleep or not" (with a silent 'or else') attached to it.

So off I go, to dream about the cute guy I saw last night and the cheesecake I have been yearning ever since dinner was over. Nighty, night....

Must what?

News: Danish PM visits India! Now whats that got to do with me? Nothing, 'cept the roads will be blocked after 9:30 today so I ve to get up early and go to office. Blah! They close the roads, they oughta give a holiday also, right? Anyways, I'm rather enjoying this desperate struggle to stay awake...

What I shouldn't be doing is spend hours on Facebook and doze on the keyboard.

What I should do is take my eyes off the comp.

What I must do is go to sleep.

What I must not do is laugh when i hear the snoring. :P

What I am not doing is letting my roomies sleep.

What I am doing is yaaaaaaawwwwnnnniiinng.

Its much more fun this way :)

January 15, 2008

Oil Oil Oil

Chain mails and forwards do not usually mean much to me. It’s usually open – smile - forward for nice ones and open – delete for the others. But this one warranted special attention. This one blamed the rising oil prices on the companies.

Hi everybody,


Petrol in Pakistan Rs 17 per liter

Malaysia Rs 18 per liter
In India it's 51 per liter


Why this difference in Asia itself? World Market CRUDE Oil is not the reason for this. It's all Gain for private owners. As we are the general public, or Common Man as R.K.Laxman wud have said, we have to raise our voice, let's rise thru Emails.


Forward this to all Indians who care.

IT HAS BEEN CALCULATED THAT IF EVERYONE DID NOT PURCHASE A DROP OF PETROL FOR ONE DAY AND ALL AT THE SAME TIME, THE OIL COMPANIES WOULD CHOKE ON THEIR STOCKPILES.


AT THE SAME TIME IT WOULD HIT THE ENTIRE INDUSTRY WITH A NET LOSS OVER 4.6 BILLION DOLLARS WHICH AFFECTS THE BOTTOM LINES OF THE OIL COMPANIES.


THEREFORE "24th JANUARY" HAS BEEN FORMALLY DECLARED "STICK IT UP THEIR BEHIND "DAY AND THE PEOPLE OF THIS NATION SHOULD NOT BUY A SINGLE DROP OF PETROL THAT DAY.


THE ONLY WAY THIS CAN BE DONE IS IF YOU FORWARD THIS E-MAIL TO AS MANY PEOPLE AS YOU CAN AND AS QUICKLY AS YOU CAN TO GET THE WORD OUT. WAITING ON THE GOVERNMENT TO STEP IN AND CONTROL THE PRICES IS NOT GOING TO HAPPEN. WHAT HAPPENED TO THE REDUCTION AND CONTROL IN PRICES THAT THE ARAB NATIONS PROMISED TWO WEEKS AGO?


REMEMBER ONE THING, NOT ONLY IS THE PRICE OF PETROL GOING UP BUT AT THE SAME TIME AIRLINES ARE FORCED TO RAISE THEIR PRICES,
TRUCKING COMPANIES ARE FORCED TO RAISE THEIR PRICES WHICH AFFECTS PRICES ON EVERYTHING THAT IS SHIPPED. THINGS LIKE FOOD, CLOTHING, BUILDING SUPPLIES MEDICAL SUPPLIES ETC. WHO PAYS IN THE END? WE DO!


WE CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE.IF THEY DON'T GET THE MESSAGE AFTER ONE DAY, WE WILL DO IT AGAIN AND AGAIN. SO DO YOUR PART AND SPREAD THE WORD. FORWARD THIS EMAIL TO EVERYONE YOU KNOW. MARK YOUR CALENDARS AND MAKE 24 JANUARY A DAY THAT THE CITIZENS SAY "ENOUGH IS ENOUGH".


We forward so many junk email to many of our friends, now let us do it for some useful cause to cut down the price of the petrol........

REMEMBER: JANUARY 24, 2008.... NO Petrol Day...!
Please "Think Of It ...............


Oil pricing has always been a sensitive issue. When I got this mail, the first thing I checked for was its veracity. Luckily, someone had taken the initiative and made a comparison of oil prices. And btw, the price of petrol in Pakistan is not Rs.17, its Rs.43. There are many other countries that pay much higher than India does. And there are reasons why countries like Malaysia have low prices. But we’ll come to all that in Due course.

*Look here also to know about the real prices in Asia

India imports most of her crude oil. And with the global crude oil prices touching $100/barrel, it’s inevitable that we pay more for our petrol. The government of India is maintaining the prices at the level currently available to us only by subsidizing the product. But for each liter of petrol, half the money is for the taxes. An oil company in India makes about Rs 8 loss/liter they sell. Petrol is being sold at a loss of Rs 8.74 a liter, diesel at Rs 9.92 per liter, kerosene Rs 20.53 a liter and LPG at a loss of Rs 256.35 per cylinder. (Source) Without the price hike, oil companies would suffer a revenue loss of about Rs.75,000 crore in one year! Their condition is so bad that if they do not get enough money via bonds or from the government, they will go into the red and be forced to shut down their refineries. Can you imagine the impact it will have on our country!

* (The prices touched on January 2, 2008. It also reached that peak during intraday trading on January 3, 2008)

*Also read “Raise fuel prices or sell the PSUs

So if we are not paying to the companies for the petrol and the diesel, where is all the money going? The Times of India printed this table in their Bangalore edition on January 13,2008. (I guess with the data about the breakup from the link above)

----------------------------------Petrol--------- Diesel
Price paid to the refinery --20.38
---------23.50
Inland freight----------------- 0.68
---------0.74
Marketing cost ---------------0.57
--------- 0.57
Return on capital ------------0.67
--------- 0.63
Excise duty -------------------14.66
---------4.69
Sales tax ----------------------- 7.26
---------3.39
Dealer commission ---------- 1.02
--------- 0.60
Oil marketing Cos. ---------( -1.72)
-------- ( -3.64)
under-recoveries

Retail selling price * --------43.52--------- 30.48
* In Delhi


More than half of the amount is due to various taxes. So I guess one way would be to change the amount levied on each liter. But if that’s really viable is something I don’t really know. Subsidies are making the pinch in the pocket lesser, but it may not be really feasible to continue with the current prices.

And to answer the question about the pricing differences in Malaysia, Pakistan and India - Malaysia is an oil producing country. And Pakistan uses its gas reserves, which btw is the 6th largest in the world in addition to the oil it uses.

So instead of just blaming companies, what we should look at is reducing the taxes on these to some extent and work some way out. I do support the initiative to reduce petrol consumption, but I don’t agree with the statements that this is because of money going to the oil companies.

One more thing, if there really is a day when you know there won't be petrol, do you really think people would just walk or something? Hello no, we'd all just fill up the tanks and stock up!

P.S. The reason for the increase in crude oil prices over the world has been explained beautifully by the BBC here.

P.P.S To those who actually read the whole thing, whoa! Thanks!

January 14, 2008

Brrr...

Saturday.
Walking around in Heaven (read - tons of factory outlets).
Me sweat.
Me think: 'Wow, summer coming.'

Monday.
Wake up. Freezing.
8:30. Work. Get out. Foggy. Can't see.




Summer is still a long way off! :(

Advantage Me

Me: I'm hungry
He: Its only 8
Me: So? I'm hungry!
He: Ya ya
Me: Let's go na.. come on..
He: Naah. U go. I'l watch some tv.
Me: Lazy bum. Get up!
He: (makes a face at me)
Me: You getting up or not?
He: No
Me: Fine (sulks)
He: Ok ok, what do you want to eat?
Me: Umm, something light. Fruit Bowl?
He: Fruit Bowl?? blah! (sticks tongue out)
Me: ok, how bout sandwich?
He: naah..
Me: but I want the Aloo Palak Sandwich.. (pout)
He: o-kay...(gives a pained look)
Me: Fine.
(my i-always-sacrifice-stuff expression)
Me: So what do you want to eat?
He: rice...?
Me: oh ok (more of the same expression)
He: ok ok. We'll have sandwich.
Me: No its ok, lets go have rice
(overkill, with the same expression)
He: No, we'll go to Juice Junction and you can have your sandwich, ok?
Me: Ok (big grin) So you want to try aloo palak too?
He: Naah, I'l go there and see da
Me: Do you want butterfruit juice?
He: Aren't you going to have that juice?
Me: Naah.. I thought I'd try chikoo today. But I can share yours... (bigger grin)
He: Ya ya go on like this. Why don't you just get two juices for yourself?
Me: It's no fun like that na

Life is so much more beautiful when I get my own way
;)

January 8, 2008

Bucknor is not biased - He's just not well

I'm not much of a cricket fan. Start the topic and my mind switches off... But if every time you turn on any news channel all you hear is how biased Bucknor is, there's just no escaping it! (Note: for the few who, like me, do not follow cricket, and for the even fewer number of you who haven't heard/ seen / read the news and are reading this blog (so sweet :)) - now is a good time to start checking out the news! )

But I digress.. Anyway, Bucknor's decisions made the blood of quite a few of friends' boil.Many ranted and raved about how unfair it all was, but what I read here was one view that just was too beautiful to not share.. Here goes..

"I don't think that we should conclude that Bucknor is biased against India. He maybe is suffering from the following 2 Defects.

1.He has a hearing defect which could be why he could not give Symonds out.
2. He has a vision defect which could be the reason why he gave Rahul out caught behind.

He should be examined by a panel of Doctors and if these defects are confirmed, he should not be allowed to stand as Umpire until cured and cleared by the Panel of Doctors.

If the doctors feel that his Hearing & Vision are Good then he should be stopped from any further Umpiring as it proves he is biased."


Gran'cle gave a better diagnosis:
" 3. Maybe his finger is broken and he can't lift it to make someone out. "
Just like mine is... :P


But even more than that, what I loved were the new words added into the dictionary. The ones on top of my list are:

Bucknor: (n) (adj)
1. Temporary blindness leading to missing out on the obvious.
2. To be at the wrong place at the wrong time.
3. Situations leading to grave judgmental errors.
Usage: I feel bucknored by my boss; Life often throws a bucknor at you.

Benson: (n) (adj)
1. Something that legitimises a severe bucknor.
Usage: First they bucknored me and then they bensoned it! I am toast.
Also see bucknor

Pontingity: [ pont in gətee ] (n)
1. Possession of firm principles: The quality of possessing and steadfastly adhering to high moral principles or professional standards.
Usage: You cannot question my pontingity in the game.

Ponting: (n) (adj)
1. A substance or entity or even a person of unquestionable integrity
2. An act of uncivilised behaviour. [Also, pontingness (n)]

Hmm.. Looks like the world of Cricket is not as boring as I thought it was.

P.S. Also read the views of my friend Ram on this topic.
P.P.S. Ram, you owe me one for the free advertising! :D

January 2, 2008

New Year's Resolution Song

Out of Service

"The subscriber you are trying to reach i currently unavailable. Please try again after some time."

A minor fracture and some torn tendons. 2 things preventing me from posting right now. Till then, have fun!

And to the few who read this blog:
Wish you a Happy New Year!