September 8, 2009

Breast Implants, anyone?

So you are a psychopath...

You stalk your suspect for ages, you lie in wait in the shadows, you plot your moves.

The long anticipated time arrives and you close in on your prey.
*pounce*
*struggle*
*stab stab stab*

The deed is done. You clear the evidence. Remove the teeth (dental records you said?), chop off the fingers (fingerprints?? "ha ha") and pat yourself on your back for a job well done.

Few days later:
"You are under arrest for the murder of xyz. Anything you say can and will be used against you"

-Whaaattt?? How?? When??
-Ha ha, loser, you left vital clues for the police to find the identity of the victim and trace it back to you.
-Bbut, but, how did you find whose body it was??
-You think you are smart, but you are not that smart! You may have done everything, but you left the breasts.
-Breasts?
-Yep. We traced the body from the seriel numbers on the implants of the victim.
-Nooooo...
*sound of jail door slamming shut*

Adapted from a true incident

Seems a boob job helps even after you die.



P.S. RIP

September 4, 2009

The melting of 1000 people

Ever felt like you were melting away? I have.

And as it happens when you browse, you see the one thing that makes you think “yes, that’s what I feel like”.

I had one of those a-ha moments today. I came across these pictures of an installation by WWF.


source : Theme

It had a thousand tiny ice people on the steps of Gendarmentmarkt square in Berlin. It was made by Brazilian artist Nele Azevedo. Really cool stuff. All the ice people melted away when the sun came up though :(

A fitting portrayal of the effect on our polar ice caps, don’t you think?

P.S. Read more on it. The installation was intended to do show that the sea levels rise more than 1m by 2100.

August 17, 2009

sɹǝʇʇǝן uʍop ǝpısdn

((: sıɥʇ ǝʞıן ƃuıʇıɹʍ ǝʌoן ı ˙˙˙˙ɐɥɐɥɐɥɐnɯ

P.S. And now I have forgotten how to!!

August 9, 2009

Dirty Work

Do good things come to the people who work? Have a look








































July 8, 2009

Word of mouth

About a month since I last posted... Well B-schools have their own schedules, and so far I've just been 'adjusting' :P I will post some things that happened here, but not now. This post is to share what I found today... About word-of-mouth topics. So here it goes...

Andy wrote this short and sweet article here: (reproduced)

"Your topics are what fuel you word of mouth. A great one isn’t a slogan or a generic brand message — it’s something simple that spreads easily among friends. And remember, if your topic works well in a traditional press release, it’s probably a bad one.

What to look for:

  • Emotional. People share things that make them happy — the funny, surprising, and remarkable elements of products and experiences.
  • Portable. A portable topic is something that can be slapped in a blog post, an e-mail signature, or a T-shirt. If it’s too complicated or needs explaining, nobody will repeat it.
  • Repeatable. If someone has to make an effort to remember what to say, they won’t say anything."

June 9, 2009

Ride with me

Feeling it move under me is the biggest high I have got in recent times :) It is faster, when I want it to be faster, slower when I want to go slow. When I push it, it murmurs approval. It responds to every touch! Ah, bliss!

Had I known driving a car would be so much fun, I’d have tried it eons ago…

Today was the third day of my ‘driving classes’ from Dad. Each lasting close to an hour. I was so elated to be driving that I did not even mind him trying to steer the vehicle in the 1st class and saying ‘Go slow, go slow!’ whenever we approached a car, bike, bump, person, dog.. oh you get the picture! So considering that today, he only did that twice: once when a group of guys did not move off the center of the road and the other when we were at an intersection and vehicles were approaching, I must have done ok. :D

But this is what elated me the most today. We were at Dining, a big hall at the beginning of our ‘village’, when I announced “Ok, let me try a U-turn”. Dad said ‘Ok, do it at the next streetlight’. I reached it and started turning. And then found it so much fun that I decided to complete the circle! What fun! And all Dad said was ‘That was a circle, not a U-turn’. Lol!

But I still have a long way to go (literally) before I get anywhere near ready to hit the traffic in this city. If I thought that people in Bangalore drove badly, Chennai is worse! But I sure am glad it is not Pune, because that is where I saw the worst… (‘Course take this with a pinch of salt as I haven’t travelled much. Yet.)

So here’s to learning to drive, cars and me getting my first one as soon as I repay all my debts. Cheers!

May 18, 2009

Shoes or slippers

I hate packing!

I have been thinking about how to send the few pairs of shoes / sandals home without it occupying much space but still having the same boxes, 'cause it'd be dusty later, wouldn't it?

So it was a joy seeing these:

Shoes? Slippers? Both!

Ah! If all my sandals and shoes could be combined like this, the headache of packing them would be reduced by half! :)

Love them!

See more here

May 11, 2009

Spreading some cheer

I'd love to be in this spot!
I love swings, and to have one to while away time while on a routine trip, ah! that is fun!
What you see is the work of some 'pranksters' (I call them angels). 3 red swings on the BART in San Francisco about 2 weeks ago. Doesn't it bring a smile on your face just by thinking about it? It sure does on mine :)

So here's to more joy and fun in our lives!

For more pictures, visit Flicker

May 3, 2009

Chronicles 1/3

Life deals with you in different ways. Sometimes you love it, sometimes you wonder why it turned out so. But whichever it is, it fills you with wonder.

Many things have happened since the last time I posted here. Days of unbearable expectation, huge disappointment, enormous joy. In no particular order, these are what I remember most of my past few days.

The days before the results were most excruciating. Especially when ‘sources’ said that it would come at evening 5p.m. of xyz day and you ran home from office at 9:45 just to see others like you cursing at the online communities. And exhilarating. Like when you get your first acceptance. And then the second too! The day you resign and finally feel like telling you-know-who to @$^&#&*#. But then you listen to the voic of reason and just put on your best smile and tell them the news. And learn never to raise your voice even though the ones 15 years your senior act unprofessionally. Makes you feel old and irritable. And then you hit yourself on your head when you realise that everyone else can find out how frustrated you are, just by asking you ‘oh so did they agree on the date?’ Ha! All that tact for what now… What seems funnier is when the company puts your picture in two of the four bulletins of the month and people you had just sporadic touch with, call you up soon after that.

It has been a month where some of my beliefs, nay, that’s too strong, some of the thoughts I had, have been turned on the head. Someone I assumed had not much spine, showed that that illusion was created because he just did things civilly. Another who I thought was one of the best, reared his ugly head. People I knew to be always nodding their heads at the management, said enough is enough. Someone I admired, and with whom I disagreed many times, offered me a hand of friendship. I realised the difference between the thin line separating leadership where you let others grow, and the one where you don’t ‘interfere’ at all that everything just isn’t the way you want it. It must be a bit like steering a car. When you see it veering off course, you step in. And when asked for advice, you give it. Just asking the team to come up with a solution after they are really stuck only makes one side feel incompetent and the other side seem so. Hmmm, I will also have to come back and read this when, heavens forbid, I feel I have grown so much that I no longer need a reality check.

There was a day of nothing but fun. The day we met at the Beach to celebrate B’s 23rd birthday. This day was so different from the other times we meet to rejoice over something, because almost all of us had something special to cheer for. A and S’s starting their own venture, B finally joining the world of the salaried and also being a year older (though I doubt she thinks it is something to be told to everyone), N’s going to Sweden and my imminent departure. Oh and the fact that this was the 1st get-together after Lent added nice touch. Of course the dancing was the highlight, though I confess to having two left feet. Ha!

Packing this time, before coming home, was a pain. I never really realised how many books I had. 94! Not a bad number to collect in the past 3 years, huh? Seems like my childhood dream of owning a library may one day be a reality *touchwood* But to pack them up and send them home soon after knowing how many I have, that was real tough! I finally did end up doing it. About 2 hours before leaving the room for the station. Ma was understandably shocked on seeing them. But then she was an absolute sweetheart as usual and repacked them into a nice little box. I don’t think I could have stood that.

Chronicles 2/3

Meeting Murali was like old times. We lose touch ever so often, but the times we meet, it is like we were never apart. No wonder he’s my bro. And he’s probably the only guy my parents enjoy talking to, and the only person I’d be allowed to be with after 7p.m. Even Ma reminisces about the first times she had met him “Oh, how shy he was then to even come from his birthday party… And now look at him acting in the movie and pursuing his dreams!” Dad of course has other thoughts. The moment Murali said that he’s graduate in Finance and marketing, Dad’s eyes lit up. Sometimes I believe that he thinks the best things to be in are IT companies and banks, but oh well I try not to get involved in such discussions with him. We are too alike in our temperament and the situation would easily become combustible. Sometimes I think, oh dear I really must be more ummm.. well maybe ask more advice from him. But then I know deep inside that he loves me so much he’d never let something come up where there is a want of advice from him. Sometimes it is easy to be a rebel when it happens (when does one really stop being an insecure and cocksure teenager in front of one’s parents? I don’t know), but then most times I know it is just love. Ah the wisdom that comes with age! :)

Mrl and I had been to Creamy Inn in front of our school. It used to be the only cool hangout place when we were studying, and the years seem to have treated it well. Hordes of school children and kids with their parents were at the place. I stood outside looking at the school and went back to the happy memories ages ago… Perhaps someday I’ll elaborate on that. As of now, SBOA is completely built up. Loads of new buildings. Classrooms with A/C and lockers! Of course fees have doubled, but that doesn’t seem to surprise me anymore. Mom and I love the concept of cool classrooms, but Dad and Mrl agree that it was better without the a/c. Dad ‘cause children have better immunity when they grow up in rougher environments and Mrl ‘cause he’d have happily slept through the classes and never passed. Though I doubt that.

We went to Coffee Day, but the new one at Anna Nagar West. Seems so different from the days when CCD usually meant the one near Round Tana. A boisterous group at the next table reminded us of how we used to act during our teens. Talk revolved around many of our old classmates. Sweet ol’ Mangal and how he was mistaken for a fresher in his new company. Now I realise why guys place as much importance on facial hair as girls place on the lack of it. Why I ‘must’ come for the trip to Mumbai so that there’d be one more to bear one among us. How I always used to coerce a classmate into buying ice-creams for the whole gang. Which, frankly speaking, wasn’t that difficult since I was probably the only female who was really nice to him. PK, the other Murali and me, and our constant struggle for the top 3 spots. Hmmm… maybe I should correct that. No one ever did beat Murali!

Chronicles 3/3

It is funny how most of my closest friends are also the ones I have known the longest. Navin’s been my buddy since 6th when I used to sit next to him and jabber away non-stop. And finish all his water too. Some say I used up everything I wanted to talk about when I was young itself, and that’s how I turned out to be a quiet one in the years later. Lol! PK, who has been my friend and rival over the years; Kiran who knows my deepest darkest secrets; mad, mad Madhu; Murali, who will always have a special place; dearest H, my only constant from a place that hurt me the most and made me tougher too; Elz dear; Stabby a.k.a. Sapota my alternative for a wisdom tooth; Butter, the exasperating cheer-me-up factor; Chimpf and Kaka, the ones who give me splits every lunch hour; and all the others I haven’t mentioned here, oh I love you all! Muah! Consider this a warning to anyone who tries to come between us… That includes all prospective life-time cooks my mom is going to set me up with 2 years down the line, ‘cause I’m definitely going to make you read all of this. Why ‘cook’? Cause I sure can’t, so you better know how to. :P

Most of all I think I realised why I love home. Even though I love staying away from it. Having someone who cares for you like no other, it is awesome. Ya it always was like that, but when I was a kid I took it for granted, and as a teenager I found it stifling. At least now, I have learnt to appreciate it. Especially at moments like this, when the scary thoughts of not having this forever creep in. Now that so many of my college classmates and cousins are either getting married or engaged, it is becoming tougher to keep Mom and Dad from the topic. I can’t believe I’m admitting this, but yes I am becoming open to the idea of an arranged marriage. (!!!) I know I want it someday, but even 28 seems too early! And the idea to have to cope with someone new, and his family to boot, whoa it seems too huge! Add to this, the constraints that society put in w.r.t. religion and region, it seems too huge. And then comes the question, would I go with someone I love more, or someone who loves me more, or rather adjust with someone I know I can live with, regardless of the ‘love’ factor. Tough decisions.

Beyond this, other pressing things demand my attention. Let me start at the beginning. Working at Ditzingen made me hope that one day I could have that work culture for longer. The absolute demarcation of professional and personal time, and how somehow more work just seemed to get done in the same time, it was incredible. And the sheer absence of politics was like a breath of fresh air. But of course, now I realise it was just beneath the surface. So when the dual-degree course came along, I yearned for it. What made my expectations grow was when I thought I’d make it. But the waiting list number disheartened me. It took me till I met my future classmates of the other offer I’d accepted for me to accept reality. This is where I am going and it seems like a nice place. With people I know. And today’s loan discussions just confirmed what I’d known deep down, but had just refused to acknowledge: We wouldn’t have been able to afford the other one. The One above truly makes things work out for the best, though then I did not know so.

There will be times over the next few months that I will celebrate, or curse, the occasion. And through them, I hope I never lose hope, and that I remain steadfast in the belief that it will all work out for the best. Peace!

March 21, 2009

Why I Hate Pepsi/Coke



Source: here

Children, carbonated drinks make you fat! Have juice instead!

[Edit, after the first few comments]: More info :) Reproduced from here
  • In The First 10 minutes: 10 teaspoons of sugar hit your system. (100% of your recommended daily intake.) You don’t immediately vomit from the overwhelming sweetness because phosphoric acid cuts the flavor allowing you to keep it down.
  • 20 minutes: Your blood suar spikes, causing an insulin burst. Your liver responds to this by turning any sugar it can get its hands on into fat. (There’s plenty of that at this particular moment)
  • 40 minutes: Caffeine absorption is complete. Your pupils dilate, your blood pressure rises, as a response your livers dumps more sugar into your bloodstream. The adenosine receptors in your brain are now blocked preventing drowsiness.
  • 45 minutes: Your body ups your dopamine production stimulating the pleasure centers of your brain . This is physically the same way heroin works, by the way.
  • >60 minutes: The phosphoric acid binds calcium, magnesium and zinc in your lower intestine, providing a further boost in metabolism. This is compounded by high doses of sugar and artificial sweeteners also increasing the urinary excretion of calcium.
  • >60 Minutes: The caffeine’s diuretic properties come into play. (It makes you have to pee.) It is now assured that you’ll evacuate the bonded calcium, magnesium and zinc that was headed to your bones as well as sodium, electrolyte and water.
  • >60 minutes: As the rave inside of you dies down you’ll start to have a sugar crash. You may become irritable and/or sluggish. (Edit: Well I don't know about this as I don't have Coke. But what say B? )You’ve also now, literally, pissed away all the water that was in the Coke. But not before infusing it with valuable nutrients your body could have used for things like even having the ability to hydrate your system or build strong bones and teeth.

This will all be followed by a caffeine crash in the next few hours. (As little as two if you’re a smoker.) But, hey, have another Coke, it’ll make you feel better.

[end] (Thanks to Liz Lewis)

March 15, 2009

Forbidden love and my love

I was a bookworm.

I used to devour books like a shark on a feeding-frenzy. I'd come home from school, take the book I had stopped 'cause Mom asked me to get ready in the morning, and start. From 4 to 6:30, when she'd get back from work, I'd be lost. Take shoes off before jumping on the couch? Remember to ask M where he was going? Close the door? I had a tough time remembering to do them before I went with Nancy to solve the next mystery or empathised with Tracy while she plotted her next move or got wild at Nanethal when he broke Samantha's heart. I had to get off this addiction for 3 years though. For my board exams. It was do that or else...

It was when I went to T that books became my solace again. Stuck in a place where I was an anomaly, where hardly anyone communicated in the language I knew, was a bit of a culture shock. (A huge learning experience too, but well sometimes tough lessons last longer) Anyway, my years in T passed smoother thanks to the library there. Bless you! The journey continued.

However, this love affair was headed for something I'd not expected. The move to B. Work. And the non-availability of a library within easily commutable distance. Which here must be less than 2 kms on weekdays, since my 4km journey from work takes half an hour to 45 mins depending on the traffic. (Some things you live with in this cosmo world!) Now reading books depended on the e-books which so totally took away the feel of a book, or buying the ones, which meant I'd so often pick up an author I know or based on the excerpt I read. Where's the joy then of discovering so many others?

Then came the second hand bookstore 5 mins down the road! Nice! I am building my collection solely from that store. Blossom on Church St. is closing down and this is nearer anyway. But the craze had gone. It was spurts of enthusiasm which lasted till the final page of the book. Something like what happened with my TV addiction. Now I can’t watch it for more than an hour!

So it was with no special expectation that I picked out Twilight. Actually, it was with slight trepidation that this book would bomb. 'Cause I hate horror! Ugh! And here I was picking a book about a girl falling in love with a vampire! Woohoo... The only reason I did end up getting it was because of the lines on the back cover and the fact that the name Stephenie Meyer sounded vaguely familiar. And boy, was I blown away! I read half the book till my eyes wouldn’t stay open any longer. I read it on the way to work. I read it while my computer booted up. I read it during my coffee breaks. Hell, I went to the rest room and took long breaks because I was hooked! It was on that day that I came back and logged on to Shelfari and actually took the 50 books a year challenge seriously!

I downloaded the movie immediately, and watched it the next day. Frankly, it was sort of an anti-climax because all the subtle nuances that are in a book cant always be shown in movie. I felt the same way about Harry Potter. Well, happens. So why am I writing about this book today? Two reasons. This was one book that made me beg for more and made to look out for it at the shops. I bought New Moon today *cheer* And the second is this: I was just about to start reading new Moon after dinner since I did not want to spill anything on it, when I stumbled on this: a blog about twilight! It was like a sign. And this is the result.

Thank you Stephenie!

So off I go to find out more about Isabella and Edward… And if you want to try out a new book, this is one you must read!

March 9, 2009

The highwayman

The wind was a torrent of darkness among the gusty trees,
The moon was a ghostly galleon tossed upon cloudy seas...

Listening to this reminded me of my English class when I first read it :) It still is one of my faves!

March 1, 2009

A toast to remember...

I am a sucker for weddings, songs, toasts, bride's maids and the whole concept of happily ever after... But most of all, what touches me is having friends together for the special events of our lives. This video below (from here) is the ultimate expression of what a wedding toast could be! It was pulled off by the Man of Honour and all of the bride's friends and family, spread over so many states.. Such an awesome expression of love!



Amy and Brad, Thanks so much for sharing this with us. Wish you the very best! Muah!
xox

February 7, 2009

Aarambh update

Aarambh was yesterday. It was the most fun I had recently! We reached at 7:30 am at the Kanteerva Stadium and the kids reached by 8. There were about 12 institutions present, with over 350 children and 100+ volunteers. The meet and all related events got over by 5. It was humbling to see the enthusiasm put in by the kids. They do not think of being blind or deaf or whatever as a 'disablilty'. To them it is just a matter of fact thing. And they make the best use of everything they can. Saroja is partially blind and she is studying in the 9th standard and is learning western and classical dance and karate. Harshita is deaf, dumb, blind and mentally challenged, but she still took part in the races. People like them really blow my mind away! I really hope that there are more events like this in the future, and that atleast some of these kids will reach the Special Olympics or the Paralymipcs one day. :)

P.S. Getting sunburnt yesterday was no fun. But it got me from Miss Pink Cheeks to Miss Red Cheeks. Free rouge. Lol!

February 3, 2009

February 2, 2009

Sir Rupert, the gay knight

I saw this really cute video about a boy called Rupert. Who did not like girls....
A sweet story about acceptance...
(from here)
[Edit:
Embedded video removed because copyright infringement is possible even if the credit to the author is given.]

Seems appropriate to bring this up now that the world has its first openly gay PM,
Johanna Sigurdardottir of Iceland. Not that the people there care about it, which is the best thing there! (story here)

Hope more people over the world concentrate their energies on solving the problems instead of just fighting over religion, or throwing non-natives out (Raj Thackery, change your stance), or beating women up when they go to pubs (shame on the guys who did that in Mangalore), or just talking about it (Davos, stop yapping and do something!)

February 1, 2009

Update / Random jottings

Hola!

Lots of things been happening recently here. More like new thoughts in my head rather than new events in my life. So here goes a random post.

Last Sunday was like the most peaceful Sunday in a long time. It was also the first time in like months that my whole family was at home. So we celebrated Christmas all over again!:) Dad bought the wine, Ma made stew and buffad and prawns, Mun and I got the cake and ice cream and all of us just sat and talked and laughed and had fun. And in the afternoon, we came to know that my brother's results were announced and that he is now an Engineer! Whee! He's happy, even though he is now in the advertising field. Monday night I sat moping at home because I just did not want to go back to B'lore and work. Oh I miss home! A hard week at work, but one with some rewards...

This week I was listening to the talks at Davos and then someone obviously mentions global warming. You need proof? Here it is:















LOL! (pic from one of the forwards I got)

Anyway, the last weekend I was asked some questions that really made me look hard at the life I am leading. And I decided to make a few more changes. I have to stop being a work junkie and seriously get a life. A new one. I have to grow up and think of things that may be 2 years down the line. Ah ya, if you are an Indian, you'd have got it by now. Yes, the dreaded word... marriage! My parents (read Dad) think that I must be ready to get married by the time I'm say 26 or 27, even though I think it's a tad early. Then Dad get all like "Oh look at your class mates and colleagues! Even the guys are getting married!" da**!

Oh well, leave this topic. Then I thought of what I wanted to do. Somewhere on the top of my list is swimming. Checked out Nisha Millet's site and they have a batch from the 7th of Feb. Cool! But I am volunteering for Aarambh, the sports meet for the specially abled, conducted by Rotary on the 7th. So I called her up and she said that as long as I turn up on the 8th., it's fine. Hmm... one almost down :) [Edit: 8th Feb: Did not go for it. Planning something the coming weekend, and no it's not a romantic Valentine's getaway. That'd make me miss like 1//4th of the classes :( Maybe next time, Nisha Millet]

Then another thing I wanted to go for was a theatre show or something. Checked out the events page and there is a show on Tuesday. Wonder if I'd go for that because that would mean I have to out of work by 6pm, and though they have all the flexi-hours stuff, I feel its not going to happen. Anyway, fingers crossed. As for now, I'm making cake! Screw the diet, I'm gonna have fun. And then chide myself for not exercising enough. But as Micheal Scofield said (oh isn't he cute!), "everyone has their own crosses".

So till later, Ciao.

P.S. If you are interested in volunteering for Aarambh, a sports meet for the specially abled, please come to Kanteerva Stadium @ Jayanagar on the 7th at 9am. The meet will be for about 600 children and about 100 volunteers are needed. The meet ends at 6pm in the evening.

January 17, 2009

Cycle

What I feel like I'm stuck in..... see here
(Disclaimer: the 1st column is not relevant here :D )

January 14, 2009

Clean this up!

Loved this one...
Image from here
The best way to make all the God-fearing people, scratch that, Christians from harming the earth.

P.S. Glad this came my way now, 'coz I just reached 50 posts. :D
P.P.S. No offence intended. But the message was so good, I just couldn't resist from sharing.

Life in Technicolor!

I needed a little pick-me-up now, something upbeat, inspiring, full of hope. So I listened to a fave of mine.. Life in technicolor, by Coldplay. And I still have the same reaction as I did the first time I heard this song... Truly speechless! This is one song that just blows my mind! I remember someone writing about this song; the person said "this is what an epiphany would sound like". So True. To me, it always signifies beginnings. The joy of living. Hope. Love. The indomitable spirit in us. Something we always need. Muah! Coldplay, you rock!

And then I remembered the one with the lyrics It just adds a totally new perspective to it! So as they say in the radio, take a listen to it*.



* I think this is incorrect. But then, if it's used long enough, it becomes mainstream, and tada! it's in the dictionary. So well, can't beat 'em, so I join 'em

January 1, 2009

Vividity

Image from here
Hope your days ahead bring joy and colour to your lives! Prost Neujahr!