Small Words

Breast Implants, anyone?

2009-09-08T04:37:00.000-07:00

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

The melting of 1000 people

2009-09-04T05:57:00.000-07:00

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.

sɹǝʇʇǝן uʍop ǝpısdn

2009-08-17T08:30:00.000-07:00

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

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

Dirty Work

2009-08-09T11:23:00.000-07:00

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

It's ok to make mistakes...

2009-08-05T08:20:00.001-07:00

Word of mouth

2009-07-08T20:21:00.000-07:00

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."

Ride with me

2009-06-09T10:41:00.000-07:00

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!

Shoes or slippers

2009-05-18T09:06:00.001-07:00

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

Spreading some cheer

2009-05-11T10:29:00.000-07:00

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

Chronicles 1/3

2009-05-03T18:28:00.001-07:00

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

2009-05-03T18:26:00.000-07:00

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

2009-05-03T18:23:00.000-07:00

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!

Why I Hate Pepsi/Coke

2009-03-21T00:32:00.000-07:00

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)

Forbidden love and my love

2009-03-15T10:10:00.000-07:00

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!

The highwayman

2009-03-09T10:49:00.000-07:00

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!

A toast to remember...

2009-03-01T06:04:00.000-08:00

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

Aarambh update

2009-02-07T17:34:00.000-08:00

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!

Her Morning Elegance / Oren Lavie

2009-02-03T19:03:00.000-08:00

One of the best videos I have seen on youtube!

Sir Rupert, the gay knight

2009-02-02T01:34:00.000-08:00

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!)

Update / Random jottings

2009-02-01T02:47:00.000-08:00

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.

Cycle

2009-01-17T08:19:00.001-08:00

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

Clean this up!

2009-01-14T09:01:00.001-08:00

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!

2009-01-14T01:25:00.000-08:00

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

Vividity

2009-01-01T04:09:00.000-08:00

Image from here

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

Hey, you look beautiful today!

2008-12-06T13:44:00.001-08:00

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...

2008-12-06T13:06:00.000-08:00

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.)

Would you buy my painting?

2008-12-02T07:02:00.001-08:00

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

Dedications

2008-11-25T17:15:00.000-08:00

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 :)

Caterday

2008-11-14T12:11:00.000-08:00

[from here]

Sleeeppppp...... I need sleeeppp....

Ok, I give up...

2008-11-14T05:44:00.001-08:00

Angst

2008-11-14T05:16:00.000-08:00

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.

Thanksgiving

2008-11-13T06:22:00.000-08:00

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.

Moon Navnirman Sena and Chandrayaan

2008-10-23T09:29:00.000-07:00

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

Houses, changes and weird letters

2008-10-17T23:51:00.000-07:00

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

2008-10-17T10:22:00.000-07:00

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...

Concotions

2008-10-16T13:16:00.000-07:00

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! :)

An Open Letter From Grand Pa

2008-10-15T17:28:00.000-07:00

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.

I love you, baby :)

2008-09-22T11:17:00.000-07:00

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

Für dich - Die Toten Hosen

2008-09-21T06:14:00.000-07:00

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...

Grammar Rock Nouns

2008-09-18T11:24:00.000-07:00

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!

Narcissism / I m bored

2008-09-14T12:58:00.000-07:00

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!

2008-09-14T11:28:00.000-07:00

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...

2008-09-14T11:12:00.001-07:00

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

Like she once said:

LOL!

Why I am down...

2008-09-05T04:18:00.000-07:00

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

'what you want to be...'

2008-08-29T11:12:00.000-07:00

Love this guy's sense of humour! Muah!

109 Crazy Things To Do

2008-08-19T21:37:00.000-07:00

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

Left Right Left

2008-06-19T00:20:00.000-07:00

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

Lass Redn / Let the people talk

2008-06-15T01:15:00.000-07:00

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

Rollercoaster ride

2008-03-10T07:04:00.000-07:00

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?

What if God was one of us?

2008-02-28T09:51:00.000-08:00

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.

You know its time to stop..

2008-02-04T11:37:00.000-08:00

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?

2008-02-04T11:09:00.000-08:00

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 :)

Oil Oil Oil

2008-01-15T07:18:00.000-08:00

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 6^thlargest 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!

Brrr...

2008-01-14T12:19:00.000-08:00

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

2008-01-14T11:57:00.000-08:00

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
;)

Bucknor is not biased - He's just not well

2008-01-08T07:16:00.000-08:00

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

New Year's Resolution Song

2008-01-02T08:46:00.001-08:00

Out of Service

2008-01-02T06:30:00.000-08:00

"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!

Decision Paperweight

2007-12-18T10:03:00.000-08:00

When I was a kid, I so wanted to be big.

To me, being big was the best thing that could happen. You could eat what ever you wanted, and more importantly NOT eat what you did not like (bye bye beans, bye bye karela!), go wherever you wanted, whenever you wanted, buy all the cool things you saw in the shops and the best thing was that your parents couldn't scold you now that you are an 'adult' (Oh how I wish this part was at least partly true!) In short, you could make all your decisions. Yippee!

But sometimes, making a decision is so hard. I mean, you have to check out all the possibilities, of which not all may be of equal importance and then consider all of them. And at the last minute you find out there was this one more aspect; phew, sometimes its an energy-draining activity...

So when I found this I fell in love with it immediately!

A 'Decision Paperweight'. A paperweight that spins to help you out with your dilemmas. The ideal gift for people who love procrastinating [:P] Coz now the question "Should I do this?" has more choices than just 'yes' or 'no'. No more breaking your head over all those 'what should i do' questions. This is the ultimate answering machine (pun intended).

This definitely has a place in my "Weird Gifts" list.

P.S. For those who believe this will actually work: Please leave me your contact numbers. My psychiatrist will be happy to make your acquaintance.

"No!"

2007-12-18T08:58:00.000-08:00

"You should learn to say no, my dear"

Daddy used to give me these nuggets of wisdom from the time i was a kid. But it took me quite a while before I realised what he meant to say. Like: Saying "no" doesn't mean you have to use the word "no"; it means setting priorities, and meeting them, and for the ones you have put in your folder called 'no', just mark some "think time" on the calendar and deal with them when you know you can (or when you can't put them off any longer).

So here are others that I finally understood. And some over which I am still mulling.

It is easier to come to a common understanding if both sides understand that either has the power to walk away
Sometimes a "wrong" only someone else's definition of what I think is "right"
Truth and fact are not the same thing. Truth is whatever people *believe* to be fact, whether or not what they believe in really is a fact or not.
Sometimes it is better to tell a person why you think there is a problem, rather than to assume they would understand just because they are older.

(I still have to keep drumming this into my head)

Looks to me like the good ol' pearls of wisdom have to come with their own dictionary.

Christmas List

2007-12-14T08:55:00.000-08:00

Why CRY? - Last minute attempt to be on Santa's "Good" list ;)
The others - To make all the pretty modifications on the cards.
(edit - gave the cards. the decoration did not happen, but I'm sure the ones I gave the cards to, wil treasure it for what I have written :) )

Coz I am an Angel for helping all those kids, and for spreading love and joy... at least to all the people who get my card :)

Wonder if any of this will happen...
Except of course, getting plum cake for Jal, or she'll kill me!
(edit - Johny boy did not have the wine and instead got a liquer-filled chocolate for me. As usual, I didnt believe him. Til I ate it, that is..
Jal loved the cake from Variar's bakery, which btw has awsome milk biscuits too.. they just melt in you mouth!
I showed Mom the steps, but she recognised it from parts of Nach Baliye, so I did'nt have to go through all the steps. Thank goodness!
However, Murali wasn't that easy to get rid of - I ended up 'teaching' him in our park under the floodlights at 8 pm! And he ended up making me double over in laughter by making it looks like a cross between a hip-wiggle and 'i'm-too-macho-to-dance' lol..
And Dad and I finally spent some quality time: he taught me about stocks, I ended up being the one person at home who actually likes hearing about all that, and we bonded a hell lot.
Christmas is be-yoo-ti-ful!)

Thinking about Mom's cake, cutlets and soups.... yummm....
(edit- I agreed to forgo everything else, if Ma made Buffad.. Her speciality. The last time I described its taste, Jose made me promise to bring some over. Sorry, dearie, the temptation to finish it was too hard to resist!)

Very unlikely that I will manage to stick to this condition :(
(edit - I have just progressed to the stage where my Mom is considering putting me on a diet! )

From free tee shirts to nifty ads

2007-12-13T09:33:00.000-08:00

I hate cleaning up.
Most of the time at least. And looking at that huge pile of clothes on the bed, all I could think of was "Oh no, not again!"

Half-heartedly, I began sorting them, all the while thinking about whether this can be put off till the weekend. And that's when I noticed that crumpled white tee shirt peeking from beneath the jeans. My "I survived the Audi 10.42 project" tee shirt. :)

First thought: "Wow, that car sure does look nice. Wonder how the others are like?" Clutching at that 'excuse', and putting 'arrange the clothes' into my ever growing to-do list, and dumping the whole heap into the cupboard, i got online to check out the other hotties from the Audi stable. I am not a huge car person, but someday I am going to have a real classy one. And of course a sports convertible. In red, of course. Jumping from one image to the other, I went on fantasising about when I would get it and where I would go, yada yada...
If wishes were horses...

Anyway, somewhere between all the drooling and wishing, this ad caught my eye.

"Duh??"
That's the first thing that crossed my mind. What is a bar of soap and screws on it doing in a car ad? Audi is characterized by 4 rings which is represented by the 4 screws. Also the screws prevent the soap from slipping off the basin bed which corresponds to some anti skidding thing in the car. That's the explanation i got. Pretty nifty huh? Hey how come they have such cool ads about ESP (electronic stability program) and not many cool posters about airbags?

I remember seeing lots of cool videos, but catchy posters about airbags? Those were definitely fewer. This one here is one of the ads that i like.

I can actually feel the grin on my face getting bigger now. Ah! the sublime joy of seeing something you work on , being put in an ad!

Hey now that I think about it, I really wonder if we would ever have zany ones like the Audi ad above... Maybe. But not in the near future. We still feel like a 'serious' being. I wish we would at least make some weird and abstract pictures about it though. Hmmm, wonder if they will let us have a go at it? ;D

P.S. Till then, drive safe. :)

Peace, brother

2007-10-18T12:35:00.000-07:00

Whatever happened to the values of humanity
Whatever happened to the fairness and equality
Instead of spreading love we're spreading animosity
Lack of understanding leading us away from unity
That's the reason why sometimes I'm feelin' under
That's the reason why sometimes I'm feelin' down
There's no wonder why sometimes I'm feelin' under
Gotta keep my faith alive 'til love is found
And ask yourself

Where Is the Love?
Where Is the Love?
Where Is the Love?
Where Is the Love?
Father, Father, Father help us
Send some guidance from above
'Cuz people got me got me questionin'
Where is the love (where is the love)

-Love, BEP

The song that first brought me closer to BEP. Connected from the first instance. It made sense then, and still does. This is one group that always inspires... Love you guys! Muah!

From the Doldrums

2007-10-09T09:30:00.000-07:00

The air is too calm. Too still.
I stand an look around.
I can see the horizon
A faint blue line.
I no longer desire. I don't have the will
to be there: to lie on sold ground -
Its been burnt by the sun
I no longer pine.
All around me, people die
Of hunger, of thirst, of heat
And some like me survive
Empty shells long gone.
We don't move, we've stopped to try
Thinking of it is too big a feat.
Listless and still, I no longer strive.
There's something in the sky - a spot.
I watch it grow. And something,
A faint spark - of interest? -
Begins to flicker in me.
There is a breexe now. Or not.
But the feeling pushes me. Quite surprising.
I make myself stand lest
Another such time may never be.
Even now, as I look back
I really don't understand:
Was it hope, interest or madness
That made me to carry on?
What ever it was, I'm glad.
For though then my head was full of sand,
Now I've taken control. And
That's what really matters.

Me: A model!

2007-08-20T11:04:00.000-07:00

The world of glamour now has even more glitter in it!

How to get to this link: Go to Boschindia.com -> About Bosch in India -> Robert Bosch India Ltd. -> Jobs and Careers at RBIN and there I am! Or just click here.

Now this is one what Bosch makes its employees seriously happy :) We had gone for a corporate photo shoot in May. The sessions were from 9 till whenever the lighting was bad. I went for the shoot right after my German classes. The days were fun! You spend half your morning learning a new language so you can say "ich arbeite bei Bosch" and the rest of the day doing all the girly stuff like dressing up in petty clothes (er.. pretty 'corporate' clothes) and putting on makeup and smiling and getting your pictures clicked... Ahhh.... It’s a girls dream come true!

Those two days were nice and weird in some ways too... We were told which colors to wear by a dark guy who was bald and wore a earring, (not the stud but the ring) which was extremely cool, and getting our pictures taken by a guy named Sheetal (Yes! that's a guy! no other comments on the name :P) who btw “appeared on Page 3 of the Times of India exactly one week after the shoot with Ramya, the actress” ( in the words of one of my friend who was positively gushing! :) )

The down side was that there was so much time when all you had to do was wait and wait while people took their pictures in batches. Fortunately for me I had Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows with me! (the fake version thought I did not know at that point of time) We also made friends there and had a blast. Krithi (the girl in the pic with me) learnt to be a professional make-up artist! And she was pretty darn good too! And I found out that Bosch does have cute guys (thank goodness!!) and that there are a lot of people out there who are as crazy about Harry Potter as I am... Though, after being called a 'kid' for the n^th time, I started fooling people into believing that I was reading "War and Peace", which did give me some "Hmm, must be brainy" looks till I met this one guy who had actually read the book and I had to confess.. Darn him!

For all there was, it was a fun time...
And now I’m a model!
Today I’m walking on cloud no. 9!!

P.S. Couldn’t stop grinning while writing all this down. Still cant :D

2 a.m., Sunday morning

2007-08-19T08:29:00.000-07:00

What do two hungry girls do at 2am on Sunday morning?

------------------------------------------------------------------------

I just lazed around yesterday. Eat, sleep, surf, eat some more and sleep again… And as it happens every other time.. 12 am and eyes wide open. Suddenly..

“Grrrrrumble…”
(laughing) “Hey what was that pathetic sound?”
(embarrassed grin) “Umm..”
“Your stomach just grumbled…”
“Ya da, I’m so hungry. Is there anything to eat?”
“Um, I don’t know. I guess there must be something in the cupboard.”

And we started searching, searching, and searching….

“Great! Everything’s empty!”
“Hey, there’s Maggi in the top shelf!”

Quick scramble to reach for it.

“Just wonderful! Now I’m even more hungry and nothing…”

All the mixture packets and soup sachets and Maggi noodle covers were empty! No restaurants would be open. And here we were, two people with our stomachs on fire.

“Hey didn’t we get those channa packets yesterday?”
“Ya… what you want to make channa??”
“Da, we have tomatoes, right? Onions? All the masalas?”
“Ya…but-”
“ok I’ll bring the stuff, you bring the vessels k”
(muttering) “Stubborn female!”

“Da, you did not finish your milk or what? There’s some left over…”
“Er… I don’t want it da..”
“So what should I do? It will get spoilt.”
“Did you not buy custard powder long time back?”
“Ya, but I never made any. Why you want to make that too??”
“Umhmm… it will be like dessert!”
“But do you know how to make it?”
“Yep, I am an expert! (I pat my back) I made it for T and the others too”
“ok.. but if its bad, you are eating it all… I wont touch it”
“What? (mock horror) you are questioning my cooking skills?”
“That’s not all I’m questioning. (giggling)”
(I just stick my tongue out)

So here we were doing this. Somewhere along the way, we decided that we were going to have not just channa masala, but rice too. Thankfully there was some channa kept for sprouting :) We cleaned rice and cooked both the rice and the channa in one go. Then, while N cleaned up the utensils, I started cleaning and slicing the tomatoes. Next were the onions (hey I chopped them without crying!!) and the chillies.
So here is what it looked like after all the slicing and dicing.

Then we waited for the rice and channa to get cooked. Once that was done, I started mashing some of the channa while she fried the onions. We added the garlic ginger paste, tomato puree, and let it simmer a while with the masalas till the raw smell of the turmeric and the puree went off. Then we added the channa and the chillies and voila.. Our channa masala is ready…

So rice and channa masala. That’s what hungry girls make at 2am. It was yummy! Just spicy enough for me :) But I think N was a little red from all the chillies I put in :D

When we finished gorging, we realized we still hadn’t made the custard. So out came the sugar, the spoons to stir, the milk, and the custard powder and 10-15 minutes of stirring later- Heaven! Sorry, I don’t have a picture of it right now. My sweet tooth did not wait any longer.

5 minutes after we finished our binge fest and keeping the plates for washing (who has the energy to clean them up after all that), we were off to dreamland… right after promising ourselves we’d start our diet plans tomorrow. (Fat chance!)

"hum tum"

2007-08-14T21:34:00.000-07:00

no comments from me :P

Water, water, everywhere

2007-08-11T22:39:00.000-07:00

To many of my friends, the monsoon brings to mind the smell of wet earth, playing in the rain, the greenery and all those things that make you go aah, but to so many others it means losing their homes and their means of livelihood. Images I see in the papers about families on rooftops waiting for relief, about farms totally flooded, about people packing all they have and moving somewhere else, some where drier, just like they do almost every other year, disturb me to the core.

Now a serious question t whoever knows the answer, because even after knowing so much, I’m totally bewildered. We may not be good at predicting the exact day of the onset of the monsoon, but haven’t we found a way to predict whether it is going to be a good or a bad monsoon? Even if we haven’t, don’t we know that every year we have to be prepared for the eventuality of either a drought or a flood? Given the fact that approx 60% of our people engage in agriculture, shouldn’t we take the situation more seriously? Then why aren’t we doing anything to contain the situation?

We, as a nation, have put a lot of emphasis on remedial measures time and again, but are we so short sighted when it comes to planning for all this? Despite monsoon matrices being plotted out, and all the big, big studies being carried out, what has been done? Flood control an Flood management programs were put forward in 1954 and yet in 2007 we still see houses submerged. I read in the TOI that “In a rain year, the average loss of life is 1590 and the collateral damage is Rs.800 crore.” Yet why do we let this happen year after year? Why let so many die? Why throw all that effort, all that we made away? Why?

Current mood: indignant, angry, pained

"Maybe if I had plants, I’d still be married"

2007-08-07T00:03:00.000-07:00

I’ve been living with a shadow, over head
I’ve been sleeping with a cloud, above my bed
I’ve been lonely for so long
Trapped in the past, I just can’t seem to move on

I’ve been hiding all my hopes and dreams away
Just in case I ever need them again someday
I’ve been setting aside time
To clear a little space in the corners of my mind

-“Way Back into Love”, OST Music & Lyrics

The 1^st time I saw Music and Lyrics was sometime in the 1st quarter of this year. And my heart was captured from the moment they sang

“I said I wasn’t gonna lose my head but then POP goes my heart,
I wasn’t gonna fall in love again but then POP goes my heart...
And I just can’t let you go, I can’t lose this feeling!”

It was sooo retro, I jus loved it! The movie can’t really be “classified” as a great movie, nut it has these amazing dialogues and these super retro / popsy songs like “Pop goes my heart” and “Way back into love”. Well, I have watched the movie many many times after that. I was just listening to “POP!” right now, and that’s when I thought, “Hey, lots of people out there haven’t even heard of this movie”. And that’s what brings me to the keyboard today, when actually I should be visiting the doctor like I promised to my family, most of my friends and my colleagues (who actually threatened that I will not be allowed to come for the trip this week if I don’t get better!). ok, first this, then I meet the doc, k?

When the movie started, I was all enthusiastic, but what made me really “fall” for this movie was the dialogue that follows. Its from the scene where Hugh Grant and his manager (Brad Garrett, from the “I love Raymond” show) are talking about why Hugh keeps plants.

HG: Well I had date come over once and she said that she finds plants soothing.
BG: Maybe if I had plants, I’d still be married.
HG: Ya. What broke your marriage was not your wife’s raging nymphomania, but your lack of vegetation.

And I love what Drew says when she gets the lyricist Hugh hired really angry. (lets call him the Indian guy)

Sophie: I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have gotten involved. I have no filtering system.
(hmmm.. I should remember that the next time I put my foot in my mouth)

Or this

Alex: The best time I've had in the last fifteen years was sitting at that piano with you.
Sophie: That's wonderfully sensitive... especially from a man who wears such tight pants.
Alex: It forces all the blood to my heart.

Or when the ‘Indian guy’ acts as if he’s shooting himself in the head in the concert when he realizes that Cora sings the song the ‘correct way’.

Or this, when Sophie’s sister, Rhonda, is cautioning her to be careful and only go on with Alex if she’s sure he’s passionate about her

Sophie: And besides, how do you know he’s passionate?
Rhonda: I think, I think you just see it in their eyes, feel it in their touch, or in Gary’s case (her husband) when h said to his mother “I’m marrying her anyway”.

Or (one of my faves) when Alex and Sophie finish the song and they are trying to catch a cab before Cora leaves.

Alex: [Hails taxi] She's going to have a baby!
Sophie: [Taxi continues driving away] Hey! What if it were true?

These short dialogues and the songs in it are what make this movie so close to my heart! And please, please, please listen to them…

And for those who haven’t seen the movie yet, here’s what the story is.

Alex Fletcher (Hugh Grant) is this old guy who used to be a pop star, of a band named POP! (no less :P ). Well he’s just trying to make a living by doing whatever gigs he can, which by the way are just singing his old songs at reunions and theme-parks. Then he gets this awesome chance to sing with Cora, the latest sensation in the music world. But there’s a catch: he has to compose a song for her in a week. Plus, the song has to be called “Way back into love”. But there’s no pressure of course

He ends up asking Sophie Fisher (Drew Barrymore), the girl who is temporarily taking care of his plants, to help him out, because she has this amazing ability to come up with rhyming lines. (Kind of like Fatty in “The Five Find-outers”). Sophie and Alex stay up for hours and think about lyrics for the song. Some of the best lines come up here. I especially loved this one:

Alex: It doesn't have to be perfect. Just spit it out. They're just lyrics.
Sophie: "Just lyrics"?
Alex: Lyrics are important. They're just not as important as melody.
Sophie: I really don't think you get it.
Alex: Oh. You look angry. Click your pen.
Sophie: A melody is like seeing someone for the first time. The physical attraction. Sex.
Alex: I so get that.
Sophie: But then, as you get to know the person, that's the lyrics. Their story. Who they are underneath. It's the combination of the 2 that makes it magical.

They do write the song in time, but the movie also gives us insights into their lives. Like how Sophie has low self-esteem because her literature teacher broke her heart and then went on to write a book about her being a needy person. Which surprisingly enough won a National book award. And about how Alex is at such a low point in his virtually non-existent career that he even thinks of considering joining “The Battle of the 80s Has-Beens”, where the old singers fight and the winner gets a chance to sing!

Anyways, getting back to the main plot, Cora loves the song, but turns the popsy number into something “steamy and sticky” with Indian sitars in the background! Plus she says she needs one more stanza to the song. Alex and Sophie fight about the portrayal of the song, because Sophie thinks that it spoils the whole mood, but Alex thinks that they should just do whatever Cora wants as long as they get the part. Well this makes them part! Alex goes to make excuses about the last (unwritten) stanza, when Cora says that Sophie had already faxed them over.

The concert starts off with one of the steamy Britney/Christina “oh this skimpy thing IS a dress” kind of songs. Then comes the announcement that there will be a special song by “Alex Fletcher” (no “Sophie Fisher”!!) and Sophie feels betrayed and starts to walk off. And that’s when she realizes that this is a different song! Something touching, called "Don't Write Me Off" (cheesy, but so goes with the mood). Well they end up patching up, Cora sings “Way back into love” they way it was originally composed and everyone lives happily ever after.

(Hey, it’s a feel-good movie, how else do you expect it to end?)

I’d recommend it for the times when you jus want to curl up in your bed, munch some popcorn and have a few laughs and generally feel good :)

P.S. If you do end up watching the movie after reading this, and still dont like it, don't clobber me, coz i just got paid $1000 by Warner Bros. for writing this (just kidding!)

The Day I Couldn't Say 'R'

2007-08-04T02:27:00.000-07:00

I dislike having a cold. Well who doesn’t? my friend once told me that there was an American (or was it Chinese? I forgot) proverb that said something like “When the heart is at ease, the body is healthy” (ok, I confess, I searched for the correct words!) But right now, I truly feel it should be “When the body is healthy, the heart is at ease.” I really couldn’t stop thinking about many, many inane things. In a way, I used the time I was supposed to be convalescing very well. I made a list of the things I totally hate about the times one gets a cold. So…

The reasons I dislike a cold

1) You have to keep blowing your nose.

2) Your throat feels like it has been sandpapered, and the sandpaper is still stuck inside.

3) Your head aches.

4) You cant breathe properly.

5) No appetite, or in my case, less appetite.

6) You do everything slower.

7) The advice : “did you gargle/ take tabs/ meet the doctor/ take cough syrup” yada yada…

And so on.

I always thought there were things I missed out in the list, and my current bout of die Kälte (the cold) convinced me there was one thing that surely must be put up!

First, let me tell you why I came to the rule, and then what it is… So here goes.

11:30 a.m. Saturday. A short while after I finished off the 1^st of the innumerable bowls of soup I have when I get a cold.

Tring tring, tring tring…

Or in my case, my ring tone: (RHCP “Snow/Hey Oh”) “Come to decide that the things that I tried / Were in my life just to get high on /When I sit alone come get a little known / But I need more than my”

Me: Hallo.

K: Hey, wassup?

Me: Hey da, long dhyme… hows dhings, da? (cough cough)

K: Wow, you sound bad. Cold, huh?

Me: Ya da, 2 days.

K: Ok, ok. Not taking rest huh?

Me: A lidhel bidh. Godh off eahly fhum (cough cough) sohhy wohk yesdhuhday.

K: Take care, girl. You met a doctor?.

Me: No, nod yedh. I dhink dhis will go off soon.

K: Don’t take risk da, if you feel worse, go meet one ok?

Me: Ya suhuh.

K: Hey I heard you got a tattoo??

Me: Ya. On my shoulduh bahcg. It’s a dhybhal desyhn.

K: A what?

Me: A dhy-bhal de-sy-hn.

K: Oh. A tribal design? Cool! Actually I’d called you to ask if you’re coming for the trek tomorrow…

Me: The dhek! I fohgodh! Who all ahh coming?

K: Karthik, Krithi, Arun, Sheela, me and the gang.

Me: Shoodh da, me dhoo sicgh to come. neghsd dhime, maybe ogay? (cough) Sohhy. By dha way, when did Gardhik come bagh fuhm home?

K: He reached day before. And that macchan got a new I-pod too!

Me: Awwsoommee!! How many GB?

K: 30GB. He showed it to me yesterday. Hey my mom’s calling. I’ll catch ya later ok? Take care. Bye.

Me: Ya I will. Bye, dhake cahhe..

You get my point? I sound like a freaking alien creature, or maybe like one of the voices they morph for robots on TV! Ok, a little more emotion, but hell! I absolutely hate it. Or in my present condition “I absoludhly hadhe idh!”

So here’s my other reason to hate colds

8) The difficulty in pronouncing ‘r’, ‘t’, ‘k’ and many other consonants.

Hope dhis pbhase gedhs ov-uhh soon. Idh would be nice dho spbeagh nohmal again.

Tattoo at last!

2007-08-03T11:55:00.000-07:00

Soon after I started working, I made a list of things I wanted to do before I grow old. And in that list were 2 things - a navel ring and a tattoo. Got the piercing after my 2nd salary, but the tattoo remained elusive. You see, I wanted the perfect design. I searched thru the design books in tattoo parlours, went thru the net, tried creating my own, tried almost everything, n yet it remained outta sight...

One fine day, while looking thru one of the countless car ads we get as forwards (occupational hazard), I spotted IT!! There it was, beside the pic of a merc! And I knew it was what I wanted. I tried to describe it, but the only thing that came to mind was a kid sleeping. (and that's what I told everyone for quite a while). That was many month ago. I still hadn't decided where I wanted the tattoo. I went from lower back (too common), to hip (naah... not "right" place), to arm (no way! mom would freak out!), to ankle (hmm... ok... can show it off whenever...), and finally to the back of my shoulder (cool!).

Now that things were decided upon, I had to "emotionally prepare myself" (recognise this mads? :P ) told M to get my appointment at the tattoo parlour on saturday. We reached there on time. Walked in. a nice lady stood there and asked:

“Can I help you?”

“Ya, I want to get a tattoo.”

She looked up and down the salwar clad female standing in front of her and said:

“I’m sorry, we do only permanent tattoos here.”

“Ya I know. I want one.”

(look of surprise) “Please come in”

She took us to this guy who was checking out some designs on the net and told him that I wanted a tattoo. I said that my bro had made an appointment with them. He then asked me if I had the design. I had a printout, but he wanted the digital copy, if I had one, as the pic was white on black and I wanted black filled in. thankfully the pic was in my mailbox. We downloaded it and I told him that I wanted the dimensions to be “2 by 4”. While he was changing that and taking the printout, I went to talk to M and D who were waiting in the next room and checking out the other designs there. The guy called me back in and asked me if the size on the printout was ok. Holy goodness! I couldn’t even see it! I had asked for “two inches by four inches” and he had taken a print with size “two centimeters by four centimeters”! Got that sorted out soon enough.

Then we asked for the cost of it.

Guy: “4.5”

Me: “What!??”

M: “We thought it’d be around 2”

Guy: “No. this is a tribal design” (me: hmm so that’s what it’s called) “The lines are too close. It will come to 4.5”

M: “But my friend A got one done here bout 5 months back. It is like this” (draws a rough sketch) “See he had this and he filled this with two colors, shaded it with orange and green and did this and it came only to 3”

Guy: “I don’t remember this one. Are you sure he did it here only”

M: “Ya I’m sure. You can call him and ask.”

Guy: “No that’s ok... “(thinks) “But I’m sorry we can’t do this for any less”

I was tired of the waiting any more (seriously, it’s been months since I decided and I jus wanted to get with it)

Me: “It’s ok M, I’ll get it done.” (To the guy) “Do you accept Credit Cards?”

Guy: “Ya, but its 12% extra”

Me: “Oh 4%... that’s”

M: “No da, he said 12%”

Me: “12! Oh…” (To the guy) “Well how bout you make it 4 and I’ll pay by cash?”

Guy: (To N, that’s the lady who ushered us in) “What say N, is that ok?”

N: “Well. It’s up to you...”

Guy: “No actually you say coz you’ll be doing it”

N: “Well… ok I guess”

Guy: “K. It’s a deal”

They asked us to wait for a while. D said she had to go and that she’ll catch me later. N traced out the design at the back of it. Then she asked me to come to the one of the rooms they have there and sign on the forms they have saying that I’m authorizing so and so to do the tattoo and that they don’t hold responsibility for so and so, you know, all that stuff. I saw the big needle they were going to use and decided against asking how exactly they did it. But then I decided against it. After all, ignorance sometimes is bliss. Newy, N asked me to lie comfortably. I could hear the “krrrrrrr” that I will from now associate with tattoos, coming from the next room. She wiped my skin with tissues sprayed with something, that I later came to know was Savlon. She put something on my back and then pressed the tattoo design on my back. I asked her what that was. “Deo stick.” - “Deo??” – “Ya. It makes the design trace transfer on to the skin” Hmm… I dint know that. She then took a pic to ask me if the position was correct. It was.

Then the tattooing started. It really doesn’t hurt that much. Quite bearable indeed. Girls note, it only hurts as much as waxing. Guys, don’t ask me, I don’t have an analogy. She put on the outline first. The only really painful parts were when she was tattooing near my shoulder blade (oh it hurts near bones! Remember that in case you’re planning to get one and haven’t decided where.) and when it came close to my armpit. It took 30-45 mins to do the outline. I called M as soon as that was done and he said “Whoa! She really does a neat job!” We took pics of jus the outline. N came back and we started with the filling in of the design. This was tougher coz when the outline is being done you can feel where the needle is and go with the design. It’s like, I felt I was creating something there. (though, with all due respect, it was N who did all the work). But the filling-in part, well it’s different. They jus ‘fill-in’ and since after a while my whole shoulder back started paining, I had to engage my mind in other ways. When it hurt real badly, I hummed along with the rock tracks they were playing on World space, or I thought of food, or moved my toes around or something.

We took two breaks in between. One coz N got a call and the other coz... well coz it hurt then... the 1^st time, I immediately hollered for M and he came pronto. He was describing how much has been done and whether it was nice or not and stuff like that. I was so curious that I asked him to take a pic and show me. Jus when he was gonna take it, N came in and said something. I don’t catch it, so I told her “Just a min, let him take the pic”. M took it and gave it to me. It was almost half filled. Looked nice, except… “Hey N, why is my tattoo all bumpy bumpy?” – “Umm, that’s blood.” – “Oh…” – “You guys should have waited for me to clean it up 1^st” – “Ummm, I guess… (feeling weird now) Hey M, pass me the water na. And could you go get some chocolates for me?” M went to get the chocolates and N started again.2 mins later : “Oww! N, it hurts!! – “That’s coz now you know that there’s blood.”

Much much later.

Me: “Is it done yet?”

N: “Almost. 15 mins more”

10 mins later.

Me: “Now?”

N: “Ya, just some touch-ups left. 5 mins”

N: “Ok it’s done”

Me: “Ah! The words I’ve been waiting for! Can you take a pic??”

So here it is! My first tattoo!

Small Words

Breast Implants, anyone?

The melting of 1000 people

sɹǝʇʇǝן uʍop ǝpısdn

Dirty Work

It's ok to make mistakes...

Word of mouth

Ride with me

Shoes or slippers

Spreading some cheer

Chronicles 1/3

Chronicles 2/3

Chronicles 3/3

Why I Hate Pepsi/Coke

Forbidden love and my love

The highwayman

A toast to remember...

Aarambh update

Her Morning Elegance / Oren Lavie

Sir Rupert, the gay knight

Update / Random jottings

Cycle

Clean this up!

Life in Technicolor!

Vividity

Hey, you look beautiful today!

If I were a boy...

Would you buy my painting?

Dedications

Caterday

Ok, I give up...

Angst

Thanksgiving

Moon Navnirman Sena and Chandrayaan

Houses, changes and weird letters

Inspiration from the unexpected

Italian Text

English Translation of "Nessun Dorma"

Concotions

An Open Letter From Grand Pa

*I love you, baby* :)

Für dich - Die Toten Hosen

Grammar Rock Nouns

Narcissism / I m bored

Überraschung here!

Butt...

Why I am down...

'what you want to be...'

109 Crazy Things To Do

Left Right Left

Word Association

Word Association

Lass Redn / Let the people talk

Rollercoaster ride

What if God was one of us?

You know its time to stop..

Must what?

Oil Oil Oil

Brrr...

Advantage Me

Bucknor is not biased - He's just not well

New Year's Resolution Song

Out of Service

Decision Paperweight

"No!"

Christmas List

From free tee shirts to nifty ads

Peace, brother

From the Doldrums

Me: A model!

2 a.m., Sunday morning

"hum tum"

Water, water, everywhere

"Maybe if I had plants, I’d still be married"

The Day I Couldn't Say 'R'

Tattoo at last!

I love you, baby :)