Unloading my think tank...

excited, happy, nervous, jittery... just few of the things I feel every second of the day. The days are finally here. Or should I say, the days are finally here.

I know that is same, but thats not how the sentences sound in my head. You see, yesterday was my last day at work. I'm officially unemployed :) There were a lot of gasps, we-never-saw-it-coming, whys, was-it-a-secret, and "I can't believe you're going; we are all going to miss you". I, for one, didn't know that my colleagues thought so much about me. Make that ex-colleagues :) It was so surreal - emailing the resignation mail, talking to my boss about it, the long 1 month wait, and the filing of papers related to IT, then the signatures on various forms from the department heads, and finally the exit interview. I went through each of them not knowing what I was feeling, or what I should be. One moment it felt as though it was happening all too suddenly, another moment it felt as though it was about time. And even today, I can't put my finger on it.

So much so that I came home and cried. Couldn't hold back my tears. I don't know whats gotten into me these days; I feel overwhelmed by all thats happening around me. Sometimes even if I'm not a part of it. And all the feeling was funny cuz it was hubby's birthday yesterday, and I was crying. He consoled me and asked me to get ready since we were going out for dinner. I'd say that took my mind off the things going on. We 4 had a lovely time. I'm going to miss M.

Today I got a lot of packing done, since we are leaving this city. There are so many things to take, so many not to. But all's gotta be packed anyway.

I haven't been eating properly and neither have I been sleeping. Oh no I do sleep well, but only once I am in deep slumber. To get me to lie down on the bed is not an issue, closing my eyes isn't either - but I can't seem to fall asleep. My eyes burn, my head pounds - yet sleep evades me. The solution? Amrutanjan. A pea-size of it rubbed on my forehead and I doze off. But I don't like the idea. I'm 27. I should be able to sleep right? I should have no problems with that right? I guess... maybe... its all in my hands. The clutter in my head doesn't help. Or I'm too timid to get rid of it. *breathe* *be strong* *breathe*

All this in no way means that I'm unhappy. I am very happy with all the new things that I'm going to learn and enjoy in the coming days, but like I said - overwhelmed. But also happy!

I'm going to miss Aditi. She's like my daughter. I love it when she calls me "moushi", when she calls me "dummi"... I feel this happiness inside of me when she says, "nangu nee serti moushi"... I imagine her running around the house, talking constantly, looking at every object with those curious, round, big black eyes, looking for "naani", touching my mom's saree and asking, "naani??". I just want to take her in my arms and give her so much of warmth and love, and shield her from all the bad things in the world. I'm going to miss her. I already do. OK, there you go, I'm crying again. And I quickly wipe my tears cuz mom says its bad to cry during "mooru sanji hottu".

I'm going to stop right now. I don't want to face the emotional me. Thats too hard cuz the tough me can't handle her. I'll get back to packing :)

Nov 26, 2008 is a date that'll go down in history as the day when a city was taken hostage. A day of how a handful of young men (no more than 26-27 probably) leave aside all sanity, and decide to bomb places around downtown Bombay for no reason. Blood everywhere. People running scared. Mayhem. 

Purpose solved? Yes? If yes, then whose purpose is solved? And how? Is there sudden peace everywhere? Have apologies been tendered and lost lives got back? Have the Israelis and Palestenians made peace? Bush says sorry? Al-Qaeda boss retracts his statements of Jehad and condemns voilence? Kandahar forgotten? Dec 5 1992 forgotten? Advani repents? Guantanamo Bay closed? Mothers who lost their sons and daughters to suicide bombs, other forms of terrorist attacks, got them back? If all this is long shot, then at least has the path for any of the above taken?

NO.

So purpose solved? No? Okay. If no, then when will it? And now, if this is the way to achieve something, somebody explain why they think firing at innocent people at a railway station in random will begin to achieve what their leader envisions for them. Pray tell in what way this kind of behaviour gets any message across. 100 killed, 186 injured. Explain each one. 

Terrorists have been rounding up people with British and American passports, and Israeli people hostages. Point being? You think war since years will cease once you've taken them as hostages? Terrorists call themselves from a group called Deccan Mujahideen. Mujahideen! Log to apne aap ko aise hi mujahideen bolte hai. As if people dying from natural causes, suicide, diseases, accidental deaths wasn't enough that we have these men trying to kill? Who are these men anyway? I cringe, I cry when I look at the news reports. Have these people got any sense of what is compassion, mercy, peace, praying, faith. Or even having fun like watching movies, falling in love, marrying someone, bunking classes and go to watch movies, play cards, take a vacation, have a family meal together - anything?! Bloody anything at all? GUNS is all they understand. No purpose in life. No meaning to the life they are living. All means to try and show some balls. Avenge for revenge for something thats happening, the root for which is probably their predecessor terrorists like themselves. 

The Kandahar incident is a major contributor to this. If we hadn't released Mullah Omar (calls himself a Mullah!), he wouldn't have instigated. I believe that Osama talks and also provides money for ammunition, and this Omar breathes fire in people by way of his talks. No behind are Advani and Praveen Togadia. Saala saare fasaad ki jad ye hai aur bhugatna kisko padta hai? 

Check this picture. The kid is not even 3 probably. She's got bloodstains all over her. Who's she? Which religion does she belong to? The watch on the policeman's wrist says 11.10 PM.  The kid should've been asleep dreaming of fairys and playground and toys dammit! Not be in a hospital!

I see that Army, NSG Commandos, and RAF are in Oberoi and I hope all terrorists are killed - regardless of who they are, and which religion they belong to. I don't care if they are only rounding up non-Indians. It doesn't matter. An iron hand is needed. 

My prayers are with ATS chief Karkare's family, and all of the families who've lost their dear ones. Its as much a loss as everyone's as theirs, and may God give them strength to cope with a grave situation like this. May peace, happiness and sanity return to this world. AMEN. 

My Orkut profile today says - Today's fortune: You will have some wonderful new experiences. AMEN to that!

My 5-day vacation to my hometown was great. But I got lots pending here. My mailbox is flooded, I got lots of packing to do, change my spectacle frame, buy few warm clothes - and probably something more that I haven't realised yet.

Anyway, the engagement function was so grand it looked like wedding reception! Poo looked radiant :) She's all gung-ho about moving to US. I even went to Belgaum to meet my elder relatives, which was actually the main purpose of the trip :) My kaka was li'l sad that I would be leaving him and going so far. And my kaku cried a little. Makes me feel that I should've done more for them. I get overwhelmed everytime about it. I feel that I should've done more for them, for my mom, my sis...

Confession - there's never a time I'm not guilt-ridden.

Anyway, the towns are as dusty as they were when I left them. Why? Hardly any development. I pay my taxes regularly. And I expect them to go to develop such places. Or isn't what I pay not enough? I'd say it is. And when we passed these even smaller towns and villages on the way to meet my relatives in B'gaum, I saw small wheel-shops on the roadside, selling Lays ke chips and Coke and Pepsi. Even the diet variety! I thought, "Coke and Pepsi aa gaya, saala development nahi aaya!". But people are warm-hearted as ever :)
One man (a raeeta (farmer)) said - "Eee bus raylay tashannakka nindar taeetenri?". Translated to, "Does this bus stop at the railway station?". I burst into laughter hearing his accent.
Another man (again a raita (farmer)) goes - "Oh conductraa, wand swalp sheetee hodi paa bus nindars lagootne!!". Translates to, "Conductor, please blow the whistle and stop the bus quickly!". He could've just asked him to stop. It can even without the whistle. LOL. I again laughed out loud. Auto rickshaws still take 25 to go to any part of the city. Man, I'm really going to miss all this.

I had no time to meet Madhu or Krishna. Been ages since I met them.

And this one time we were going to B'lore, I remember seeing small star marks near our names in the list attached on the train bogie. Legend below said we were upgraded from 3AC to a 2AC compartment! Wah wah Lalooji ki jai ho!

Since then, me hourat girl (hourat is greedy in marathi), I always check for star marks near my name everytime I travel :D hoping that I am upgraded to 2AC :D What?! Who doesn't want freebies?! Sadly, this time, both ways, for all 4 trains, I had to travel in 3AC. No upgrade-shupgrade. And to top it, the train from to Chennai, arrived 45 mins late. And because the waiting room closes at 11 PM, I had to wait on the platform in biting cold until 12.15 AM. Lalooji hai hai.

Waise, he has done a great deal for the Indian Railways. And its actually a pleasure travelling in trains now :) The comfort, the options to take a train, the service - is all good :)

I'm gonna miss that too :(

I watched Quantum of Solace last night. In theatre. From 10.30 PM to 1 AM. And I fell asleep post-interval HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA. No the movie wasn't bad, just that I was too tired. When hubby woke me up, I asked, "Oh! Movie khatam? Kya hua end mein?" ("Movie over? What happens in the end?"). He replies, "Bond jeet gaya. Ab chalo ghar chale!" ("Bond won. Now lets go home.") LOL.

One day my housework-challenged husband decided to wash his sweatshirt by himself.

Seconds after he stepped into the laundry room, he shouted to me, "What setting do I use on the washing machine?"

"It depends," I replied. "what does it say on your shirt?"

"University of Oklahoma", he yelled back.

And they say women are dumb...

*****

A couple is lying in bed. The man says, "I'm going to make you the happiest woman in the world."
She replies, "I'll miss you..."

*****

"Its just too hot to wear clothes today,", said Jack as he stepped out of the shower. "Honey, what do you think the neighbours would think if I mowed the lawn like this?"

"Probably that I married you for money", she replied.

*****

Q: What do you call an intelligent, good looking and sensitive man?
A: A rumour.

*****

A man and his wife, now in their sixties, were celebrating their 40th wedding anniversary. On their special day, a fairy came to them and said that because they had been so good, they could have one wish each.

The wife wished for a trip around the world with her husband. Whoosh! Immediately she had airline.cruise tickets in her hand.
The man wished for a female companion 30 years younger. Whoosh! He turned 90!

Gotta love that fairy!

*****

And my favourite...

Dear Lord,

I pray for wisdom to understand my man, love to forgive him, and patience for his moods. Because, Lord, if I pray for strength, I'll beat him to death.

AMEN! :D

... key... well forget it. There will be thieves everywhere. "What can you do? Leave it."

Lately, the kind of people I seem to encounter are jerk-people. You know, the kind, who are narrow-minded, or are overtly-proud of themselves (not in a nice way) and mean. It bugs me no end to face these people every single day and if I didn't have my priorities right, I'd show them where they could all go.

I say "if I didn't have my priorities right", because I'm not going to jeopardise my future for a bunch of people who don't even figure in my future.

Yesterday, I went to get a solid case for my guitar. I took a bus which I thought would take that route. The bus conductor says this bus takes a diff route, you can get down at blah blah stop. I'm like okay. But I got down few stops earlier and went to opp side bus stop, thinking I can take a bus that back to where I wanted to. Not wanting to take the wrong one this time, I asked few people which bus to take. ALL, can you believe it, ALL replied, "I don't know!". So I took whatever bus I thought was right, and ended up getting down one stop before a bus stand thats close to my house! Well! Its so confusing with the names all written in Tamil, and conductor nodding his head when you ask before you board, only to be told while taking the tkt that this bus goes nowhere where you want to. So at the bus stand, I marched into the control room and asked which bus would take me to place A; my sentence spoken very very slowly, clearly, and supplemented with actions.

Finally! But guess what. The market was closed as it was a Sunday, which of course doesnt apply to "pattu" saree shops and "thanga maligai" shops. Silk sarees and gold jewellery. So I didn't alight from the bus (I could see the music instruments shop that I wanted to go to, was closed), instead went all the way upto a stop where I knew that crossing the road to opp. side bus stop would help me take the same bus back. Else, I would've got entangled in that whole "I don't know" and wrong buses and one ways again.

So this was one uneventful weekend.

Can't wait for Nov 11th, then Dec 14th, then Dec 26th, finally! :D

... so says my Today's Fortune on Orkut. Well then, lets start with a post!

I am back from a 6 day vacation! My cousin, the beautiful, talented, intelligent Kanch, got married and this was a perfect opportunity to meet few relatives I hadn't met in a long time, and wouldn't be able to do so for a long time either. Weddings are such a fun time. Dress up, tease the groom, eat good food, hugs, good wishes - ah!

Best part was meeting my neice. What a cute kid :) I want herrrrrrrrrrr she so pretty and thin and tall! She kept saying "Naaanni beku" ("I want my grandma" - she loves my mom!), "Aaaaaiiii aaai aai aai" (calling out to her mom), and loads of such cute things. During the reception, she saw my hubby and stretched her arms, a sign that she wants him to take her in his arms. :O She NEVER did that with me! Bataati hu use... no boyfriend tips, or supporting her when she wants to take up tatooing as her fulltime job!

I will get to meet few more ppl at Poo's engagement, dunno after that. The tickets are booked. Now is the time to dispose of the things at home we won't be needing.

I was watching America's Next Top Model, and my! Beauty is overrated isn't it. But I guess as long as you are willing to go the extra mile to look good, it shouldn't be anyone's concern. Its purely upto the individual.

Everytime I login to orkut, I look at my fortune and go into a deep, extra, too-much thinking mode (not that I need a trigger for that... ). I start wonderting if this is what it means, or what it doesn't mean, and begin relating things that happened recently, or I might do differently because of it. What crap. I need to snap out of it. Things will happen. Look at the past 2 months. Its all happening. Dekhte dekhte it'll be Dec last week. Life does throw challenges to us doesn't it? Or we dive head first into it. Who knows. Sab maaya hai. I got my passport in 2002, and the "Date of Issue" was same as "Place of Issue". I tried getting it corrected, but somehow it never happened. Then, in Feb 2007, 5 years after getting it, (which means half the validity period is over :)) ), the kind man at the Regional Passport Office corrects it. Without bribe, without us needing to stand in queue, without needing to fill any forms. He says its a "clerical mistake" and corrects in 5 seconds. Lo! So things happen. Will happen.

I'm currently reading Midnight's Children. Who's read it? Any thoughts?

Who's not seen the movie Transformers? Anyone? You? Pls, take the nearest newspaper and roll and whack yourself on your head with it! Its an amazing movie! Full AI and robotics. Fun, with a message and extremely enjoyable! I bet you wished you had a Bumble Bee to protect you :)

I have lots to write and now I'm going to do just that.

We have taken some important steps in our life, both work and personal, and those steps are huge. Hell, its not a step, its a leap!

It all started with a thought - how about if we... ? It seemed like a right thing to do, so we printed out the forms, filled them. After 2 attempts at me (alone) filing the application as independent candidate, we finally did it the 3rd time (for me), 1st time (for him) and applied together on same day. We got the results a month and 21 days later, again on the same day.

The tickets are booked too. Its all going to work out. It has to :)

I'm going to look at it as an opportunity to learn, grow and enjoy. Think of all the places I'll see, people I'll meet, cuisines I'll get to try, new friends I'll make! It's going to be a lot of fun!

Read this article 'Don't take pleasure in bankers' pain' in the Telegraph. While I'm no expert in finance/banking/investments, and I speak here as a layman, that this kind of fallacy has been brought upon them by themselves. Banks issue credit to subprime customers (fraudulent customers too), leading to subprime crisis. nd they, as investment bankers, initiate or follow (push) M&A. Much to the chagrin of the co. getting bought I'd say. Since they are bound to lose jobs. And now, its happened to them. Who'da thunk that Lehmann Brothers, that withstood crisis in all times (Great Depression, 1930s etc) would one day file for bankruptcy? I shudder thinking about the employees and their future now. I hope the top brass of other cos. learn a good lesson from this.

I feel that now-a-days, its all about hype. In everything we do. Buying a house, going on a holiday, sponsoring a honeymoon for your beloved son/daughter, education in that top institute - all circumstances wherein the party gets immensely tensed, works out finance charts for the next 20 years, brings out investment plans, savings chart, how to apply for that loan, get it, and then slog/worry to reply it over the years. There should be better means to do it. Simpler, non-bait. I'm wary of taking loans for anything unless and until I know I'll be able to repay it. Its not a case of 'if I take loan, I might be able to repay it' - that doesn't work for me.

As for my current job, words fail me in description of how pathetic it is. It is very much so in terms of quality of work, quantity of work, environment to work in, people to work with - you name it. Its like I'm a stone, and I've gathered a humoungous amount of moss, since I'm not rolling. Stagnant. Statue-esque.

Though it does help me save for a rainy day, I have plans.

Is there a de-addiction/rehab for addiction to Hajmola pills? I've taken to those tiny tangy tablets like fish to water, and thats not good. But they are so chatpatey and tangy and tasty! I'm craving for one (or ten) right now!

I have something to confess. I went to watch Asia Cup match last year here where this incident took place. It was at the stadium; entry is free for all. I guess its a move to popularise the sport, and I could see that for every match, the stadium was jam-packed. This one was during the finals - India vs Korea. Me, Paro and her 2 friends went to see the match. We sat on those cement benches. We'd taken the Indian flag along with us and also made some pickets to encourage our team. Also, this was sometime after the bomb blasts at Hyderabad. So, there we are enjoying the match and having a good time. Suddenly, I hear cries of "Allah hu Akbar"! A bunch of guys sitting behind us were shouting it repeatedly. At once, (and I'm ashamed of myself) alarm bells rang in my head! OM MY GOD! What if they want to blow up this place?! What if ... ? Unthinkable questions came into my mind and I couldn't concentrate on cheering our team. The other girls were busy doing it, but my heart was pounding. I whispered my fears into Paro's ears and immediately, she said, we should to the VIP area of the stadium. We had passes, but we chose to sit on the benches cuz we were in a hurry. The queue for VIP area was long, and everyone was being frisked. Whereas to go to the common area, people were just let in. Anyways, she said we should move ASAP to the VIP area and we did. Nothing happened. Match proceeded smoothly, and we won by 7 goals to 2.

I felt really bad about myself. Ashamed. Guilty. Since when did I start thinking that a Muslim praising Allah is a terrorist waiting to blow up the place? Why did I think like that? Does it mean that I'm one of those narrow minded people, who decide whether to befriend a person or not by judging him/her by his/her last name? Or religion? No. A big resounding NO. I'm a person who thinks religion is only a way to have faith in a super power above, the Almighty. It maybe Krishna, Allah, Moses, Jesus - all. And I don't bias anyone on anything. People have a reason to behave the way they do, and the only way is to understand them, not simply judge them. But for that day, I can't seem to forgive myself. Muslims in our country have been wronged. But their methods are not right. Bloodshed is not the answer for anything. But, just because one of them is bad, doesn't mean all end up as terrorists! I have a couple of Muslim friends who love India, and are extremely peace-loving. Recently, all Imams came together and said that what Islamic terrorists are doing is not jihad, its fasad. And fasad is prohibited according to Quran. If today some are fanatics, don't you think that something/someone has rubbed them the wrong way? Who would willingly, for no reason, want to kill people? Who would want to blow themselves up in a hospital, killing sick people and doctors?

The Kashmiris are facing insurgency since 61 years now! 61 years of bloodshed, tension, no peace. They don't enjoy that; they want to get out of it and live in peace. The Islamic Rage Boy hasn't become angry in one day.

For people who've brought in such rich culture and a strong dynasty to our country, least we can do is accept them.

I'm sorry for thinking like that on that day... I have lots and lots to write on this... but this is too long already.

Another thing, do you vote? If you are an Indian and are above 18, please take part in the poll you see on right side of this page. I strongly believe we can bring about change by way of elections, but I've done so only once in twice Lok Sabha that were held (since I turned 18). Do you think too that elections help? India's current Air Force chief says he hasn't cast vote in 10 years! Thats because he's always been on duty during . I was shocked to hear most of my friends haven't voted even once, neither has my hubby. And many even think that its a sham. I wanted to know your opinion.

PS: I've labelled this post as "being Indian" because I strongly believe in एकता में बल है , that Muslims are our brothers and that all Indians do not hate Muslims or judge them.

I've been trying hard to pass time; I have so much idle time I really don't know what to do with it all. And then sometimes there's so much to do, that I hardly have time to breathe. But mostly, its the former. At work, I really do nothing. I add if-else statement in 2-3 events and test them. That's a "project" mind you. I'm sick of it all I can't wait to run away from all this.

So to pass time, I'm trying out various new dishes in the kitchen, the results of which are on my food blog for all and sundry to see. I haven't written some of the recipes that I tried (and were really good), I promise to do that soon. Meanwhile, its caramel custard and washing clothes tonight on the schedule once I reach the house. All I do at work is nothing. I'm so bored of it all. Now that SB has quit, it makes it all the more yawn-inducing. Others in the team ask me, "so you feeling alone?", "you missing her?", "your cubicle seems quiet" - hell ya I miss her! We gossiped and chatted away till 6 PM, and then left for our houses together. It was fun yeah. Now, its all quiet. And though I go to lunch with a group, the same problem persists - TAMIL BOLNA NAHI AATA! I've given up. I'm so through with these girls that I assume that I'm eating alone. Really, its that bad.

Forget it. I had a good time in Bangalore the weekend before last when we went to attend RK's wedding reception. Poor thing had a fever of 102. Then when they were given garlands, they put it around their own neck rather than their partner's, saying its too embarrassing to do in front of a crowd, and on the stage. Hehehehe. Food (the main thing why I went) was yummy - I love the Karnataka cuisine. And when I'm having authentic dishes after months, you can't really say that I hardly eat. I guess I subconsciously starve before a Kannada wedding hahahahahaha.

Then the tuesday following that, we went to watch Singh is Kinng. A small incident before I give my verdict on the movie. Once me and hubby were relaxing and we recalled an incident in which something happened (details unimportant) to which hubby said, "bakwaas tha ekdum". I said, it was not just "bakwaas"... like bakwaas ki hadd paar kar di types. So I coined a new word for that - KABWAAS! Effect can be felt when you said it loud, with emphasis on the "WA", and also, stretch the "WAAS" a little more. That's when you put across your point of that stuff/incident/whatever being over bakwaas limit, hence KABWAAAS! So coming back to my point, this movie was KABWAAAAAS! Comedy? Comedy ke naam pe Great Indian Laughter Challenge ka current season chal raha tha. That bad. But Akshay Kumar was good, as usual. Katrina Kaif looked gorgeous. How can someone look this pretty?! :-)

Then last weekend, long weekend in India due to Aug 15 being our Independence day - began real quick for me. From wednesday! I called in sick cuz I wanted to pack my bags and also the mehendi waali was supposed to come to my place. She came at 5, for her appointment at 2 (very good) and I got henna only on my palms - both hands. No time for back of the palms :-( Anyway, we went to Hubli and had so much fun! The weather over there was breezy, cool, and a temp of 25 deg C max kept us cool. KK looked radiant (it was her engagement ceremony) and we really had so much fun! I met most of them after my wedding - which means close to 2 years! :O Anyway, my niece has gotten cuter and as usual, is playful and never cries. If I ever decide to have a baby, I want a girl - exactly like her :-) And it turns out that this gawky, nerdy, geek is no more a simple belle. I'm talking about me. I've become good at applying make up. Credit goes to all my sister-in-laws - pure Punjabi girls. Before my marriage, I used to pull up my jeans and tee, brush my hair, spray deo and walk out of the house. Now, I take care of how I look - and I enjoy that. Kabhi kabhi aate hai occasions, to subtle make up lagaana chahiye. So all cousins were like "whats this, what have you applied here, let me too, do you have that blush/eyeliner/gloss/bindi with you now? Can you apply make up on my face" - So I had a line of girls waiting, including the bride-to-be. I happily obliged. Made me so happy to see them line up. And yes, I kept it minimal, as I'd done for mine. Sab khush.

After the ceremony, we went to stay over at Poo's house for the rest of our trip. Sukanya moushi is total fun and so is Poo. Poo's getting engaged this Nov, and she was gushing about her groom-to-be, who is a hi-fi aerospace engineer working in Atlanta. Her mom made awesome jowar-bhakri for lunch - traditional North Karnataka fare! Man I couldn't get enough of those! And she packed some of that gurolpudi chutney for me :-) yummy!

What else? We returned to this sad city on sunday afternoon and aur kya. WORSHT place this is. Can you guys guess where I live in India?

I miss mom. She'll back this month-end from US and I can't wait to see what she's got for me :D Bas, nothing else to write. I'm waiting for time to pass by quickly. Lot of things waiting to happen :-) I hope its all what I wished for :-)

I am a Snapdragon What Flower Are You?

"Mischief is your middle name, but your first is friend. You are quite the
prankster that loves to make other people laugh."

Whoa! I didn't even know that Snapdragon was the name of a flower! If someone told me that I'm a Snapdragon, I'd snap, bring on my dragon avtaar, and say to them - "hey you watch what you saying before you are sorry!" :D

Say, does the snapdragon flower smell sweet? Cuz I was recently given Salvatore Ferragamo's Incanto (as a gift) and also use Burberry London. Just curious....

Gimme a SIGNATURE!

Or specifically Suleman Mirza, there's a looker you've got! The dance duo Suleman and Madhu Singh of Signature kick 'arse'! I guess most of you'll have heard of them and even seen their videos on youtube (or met him if you stay in UK). Here's one I've got from youtube :D





I watched 'The Happening', 'Aamir' and 'Sarkar Raj'. The latter 2 at home, downloaded through Limewire. Piracy? Wellwhaddyagonnado, everyone does it.

Sarkar Raj is okay; its all hype. As usual Aishwarya can't act. But pretty she is :-) Very pretty. If you've seen last 30 mins of the movie, thats enough. You can save yourself the initial 1 and half hours of bore. The Happening is not so happening. It lacks the brilliance of Sixth Sense, but is much better than the Lady in Water. No need to watch it in theatre. Wait until the DVD/VCD is out. Or Limewire ;-)

Aamir, is a must watch. I never thought Rajeev Khandelwal could act. Of course, I steered clear of his daily soap and only read about his feud with Ekta Kapoor (idle at work is my justification to subject myself to torture of TV gossip). Back to the movie. He mentioned that most parts of th emovie was shot with hidden cameras, and that he got stares from the public when following instructions from the director.
About the plot: Its the story of how an urban Muslim doctor, played by Rajeev Khandelwal, finds his life suddenly thrown out of gear the minute he lands at Mumbai. His luggage is stolen, a mobile is thrust into his hands, and he's forced to carry out whatever the man on other end of the mobile asks him to do. His family is held to ransom. He knows of the enormity of the grave danger task only in the end; he's led to believe that he only has to deliver money to somebody and that he'll get his life back after that. He's made to go through the dirtiest, filthiest of Bombay's slums/areas, and is made to think that he's not doing enough for his community, i.e the Muslims. Rajeev doesn't buy the argument and says that a man can make his own destiny, religion has got nothing to do with it. Does he carry out the job and frees his family, or he backs out to do what (he thinks) is right - marks the end.

Its a well thought-of and well directed movie. The lead actor is very apt for the part, and his dialogues of how religion is no deterrent to come up inliffe, is not at al preachy. It sounds like its coming from a man who's led a simple, though hardworking life. The locations are realistic; you feel for the actor as he huffs and puffs his way through those streets, to complete the unknown man's job. I'd give it 3 stars out of 5.



And what the hell is happening in Zimbabwe? Rubert Mugabe doesn't want to quit. The first round elections held in March, in which Morgan Tsangvirai won, signalled end of Mugabe, so now Mugabe's supporters are killing Tsangvirai's supporters and other commoners who don't vote for him. Poeple have started applying ink on their fingers themselves to show they've voted (just to escape Mugabe's monsters), and on knowing this Mugabe's men have started cross-checking it with the people's voter IDs. Kitna bura haal hai wahan. All this violence in a country that got independence in 1981, whose unemployment is above 80%, inflation is at 100000% (yes one lakh percent. 1 US $ = 7 billion Zimbabwean dollars). People have 500 million dollar notes over there they use to buy vegetables! Hai o rabb! Kya ho raha hai duniya mein? Whats the world coming to?


And here's some feel-good news. WALL-E has released! Waste Allocation Load Lifter, Earth-Class-- thats WALL•E!!



Its an animation movie by Pixar, the lead is the cute robot called WALL-E. The movie has almost no sound, except for the sounds and grunts of WALL-E. It captures the story of this robot in an Earth where humans no longer exist. There's a pile of garbage all over the world. And he starts collecting and adding them to his souvenir collection. An animation movie with no voice? Only a robot? And a set that screams 'Earth is now full of garbage'? As an animation movie fan , take my word for it - it's gonna be a great movie. Check out this article on Time magazine. I can hardly wait for it! Here's the trailer!

I'm putting drugs into my eye and also taking drugs orally. I hope this ordeal gets over quickly. Doc asks me to have patience. Patience gaya tel lene yaar yeh jhamela theek karo jaldi.

I tried baking cake last weekend. It was a little crumb-y in the middle :( I used microwave oven. Should've known. I even took photos for my food blog hoping it'd come out like it did when I had electric oven. Alas, I was reminded that I have miles to go in cooking. (If it gives you the impression that I pressurize myself, you are right. I also (conciously or otherwise) encourage others to do so. OCD?)

A girls' evening out is much needed. Really, things around me are stiffling.

I asked mom to bring the guitar along. I want to join classes again!

I also have power yoga on my mind.

Which means I'll end up doing neither... lets not get there!

Mom left for US. She's going to NYC, NC, MA, MI... phew! I met Narain Karthikeyan at the airport and he was so nice. Happily obliged for a photo with me!

I feel guilty about being superficial, at times. I mean, I can be a little superficial, isn't it? As long as I don't harm anyone... then why do I feel so? And its not that I feel like being a tyagi and heading to the Himalayas. Where do I draw the line?!

I checked my weight just now. 46 kg. Not bad eh? There was a phase, of years, where I stood at 43 no matter what I ate. Or didn't.

I am crving for some lip-smacking, bowl-licking, mushroom and spinach soup. I find cooking therapeutic. It does depend on my mood, but not just happy moods anymore. When I'm feeling a little blue, I start thinking cooking what can perk me up, and do it. That way, end of it, I have something quantifiable. Satisfying.

Sometimes I think all this crap about being happy no matter what, is a big fat load of shit. When I'm feeling sad/angry, first thing I do is accept it. Whats the big hue and cry? I'm not an angel. Who's to say what I can feel or not feel? you want me to think otherwise, convince me. Else, leave me alone I'll handle it. And I can't pretend something didn't happen, when it actually has. I can't pretend something didn't affect me, when it actually has, very deeply. I have every right to do things the way you do. Why should it be any different for me? And for what?

Phew. *breathe in, breathe out*

"Hope is a dangerous thing. Hope can drive a man insane. Hope is a good thing, maybe the best of things, and no good thing ever dies."

... to one of those online personality judgement quizzes...

You are Elizabeth Bennet of Pride & Prejudice! You are intelligent, witty, and tremendously attractive. You have a good head on your shoulders, and oftentimes find yourself the lone beacon of reason in a sea of ridiculousness. You take great pleasure in many things. You are proficient in nearly all of them, though you will never own it. Lest you seem too perfect, you have a tendency toward prejudgement that serves you very ill indeed.

You too can take the quiz here!

I like the way her hair is done...

Na main moman vich maseetan,
Na main vich kufar dian reetan,
Na main pakan vich paleetan.
Na main andar bed kitaban,

Na main rehnda phaang sharaban,
Na main rehnda mast kharaban.
Na main shadi na ghamnaki,
Na main vich paleetan pakeen,

Na main aaabi na main khaki.
Na main aatish na main paun,

Bulla ki jana main kaun (4)

Na main arabi na lahori,
Na main hindi shehar Nagaori,
Na hindu na turk pashauri.
Na main bhet mazhab de paya,

Na main aadam hawwa jaya,
Na koi apna naam dharaya.
Avval aakhar aap nu jana,
Na koi dooja hor pacchana,

Mai ton na koi hor syana.
Bulle shah kharha hai kaun,

Bulla ki jaana main kaun (4)

Na main moosa na pharoah,
Na main jagan na vich saun,
Na main aatish na main paun,
Na main rahnda vich Nadaun,

Na main baitthan na vich bhaun,
Bulle shah kharha hai kaun

Bulla ki jaana main kaun....

***

Here's the English translation:
Not a believer inside the mosque, am I,
Nor a pagan disciple of false rites,
Not the pure amongst the impure,
Neither Moses, nor the Pharoah,
Bulleh! to me, I am not known

Not in the holy Vedas, am I,
Nor in opium, neither in wine,
Not in the drunkard's craze,
Neither awake, nor in a sleeping daze,

Bulleh! to me, I am not known

In happiness nor in sorrow, am I,
Neither clean, nor a filthy mire,
Not from water, nor from earth,
Neither fire, nor from air, is my birth,

Bulleh! to me, I am not known

Not an Arab, nor Lahori
Neither Hindi, nor Nagauri,
Hindu, Turk (Muslim), nor Peshawari,
Nor do I live in Nadaun,

Bulleh! to me, I am not known

Secrets of religion, I have not known,
From Adam and Eve, I am not born,
I am not the name I assume,
Not in stillness, nor on the move,

Bulleh! to me, I am not known

I am the first, I am the last,
None other, have I ever known,
I am the wisest of them all,
Bulleh! do I stand alone?

Bulleh! to me, I am not known


PS: Its really late and I want to read. I'll update this tomorrow. For now, breathe in and let the meaning of the lyrics make you calmmmmmm. Om.

I've been doing a lot of re-reading these days; re-reading of news, interesting articles, anything that catches my eye and doesn't involve Britney Spears.

Part 1: The songs of Khuda Ke Liye are on loop on my iPod Shuffle, and I'm loving every sound of it. I understand some words, while others I don't. Whoever says music needs to be understood :) (apparently the Taliban, who numbering at 12000, need to be ignored brought to senses) Anyway, the move is Pakistani, and the language is part-Hindi and part-Urdu. The lyrics are mostly Urdu, with hint of Hindi in between. In the song Bandeya ho, Bulleh Shah is referred to. Now, we all know him at least by the way of Rabbi Shergill's song Bulla ki jaana main kaun. I looked for Bulleh Shah on wiki and read something interesting,

"Baba Bulleh Shah was a direct descendant of Muhammad, through the progeny of Shaikh Abdul Qadir Gillani of Baghdad.

A large amount of what is known about Bulleh Shah comes through legends, and is subjective; to the point that there isn’t even agreement among historians concerning his precise date and place of birth. Some "facts" about his life have been pieced together from his own writings. Other "facts" seem to have been passed down through oral traditions.

Bulleh Shah practiced the Sufi tradition of Punjabi poetry established by poets like Shah Hussain (1538 – 1599), Sultan Bahu (1629 – 1691), and Shah Sharaf (1640 – 1724).

Bulleh Shah lived in the same period as the famous Sindhi Sufi poet, Shah Abdul Latif Bhatai (1689 – 1752). His lifespan also overlapped with the legendary Punjabi poet Waris Shah (1722 – 1798), of Heer Ranjha fame,... "

"Bulleh Shah’s poetry and philosophy strongly criticizes Islamic religious orthodoxy of his day."

This led me to click on the article on Muhammed. And what I read surprised me. I didn't know that:

• Muhammed got enlightenment at the age of 40.
• He got married to Khadijah (15 years his senior) when he was 26.
• Khadijah had a 'Christian cousin' be the name Waraqah ibn Nawfal.
• Muhammed meditated for 3 years at a cave on the outskirts of Mecca, and his wife was the first to believe that he indeed was a nabi (prophet), and rasul (messenger of God).
• Though he had 14 wives in all, he didn't marry anyone whilst Khadijah was alive. He was content and happy with her.
• Khadijah chose Muhammed to be her husband after watching him conduct her trade business; and she was highly regarded in the field.
• He fled along with his family to Medina, when people in Mecca criticized him for his preachings.
• He believed in giving equal rights to women.
• "Muhammad did his own household chores, helped out with the housework, such preparing food, sewing clothes, and repairing shoes. Muhammad is also said to had accustomed his wives to dialogue; he listened to their advice, and the wives debated and even argued with him."
• There are 5 prophets of Islam religion. Muslims believe that the first prophet was Adam**, while the last prophet and rasul was Muhammad.
• Out of 124000 messengers sent by God, the most famous as believed by Muslims and mentioned in Hadith are: Nuh (Noah), Ibrahim (Abraham), Musa (Moses), Isa (Jesus), and Muhammad.

Source of all this is Wiki. Islam is the most misunderstood religion in the world, torn apart by its own people. When their prophet is so liberal, who are the Talibans to unleash torture on people? And look at their messengers - Adam! Yes the very first man created on Earth according to Bible! Now how does a belief in Christianity tally with a belief in Islam?! And the other imp messengers - Noah, Abraham, Moses, even JESUS! Oh please do they need any more proof that their religions stem from the same people known by different names? I was surprised and thrilled when I read this. As the years progressed, people got possessed by insanity and religious fundamentalism (thats redundant I know) and look what we have now. Make all the hate and blood stop God, please make all that stop.

I have a team mate who's Muslim. Lets call him R. I asked him if he was a Shia or a Sunni and whats the difference between them. I could've looked it up on Wiki but I wanted to hear from him. He said he's a Sunni and thats he's a true Muslim; the Shias are not. When I voiced my opinion, he flatly said he only believes in what he's taught in the madrassa (yes he's been to one.). I said ok, and asked him what was Nabi Muhammed? A Shia or a Sunni? He said he doesn't know and doesn't want to know because that might shake his faith in Allah. I mean c'mon! No one can take your faith away from you! Why would you want to give up on your own prophet in case you found out He was a Shia? What difference does it make anyway? If it does, I'd really like to know. The Iraq war is on between Shia and Sunnis isn't it?


Part 2: I was reading the Telegraph and they had a feature interview with Mikhail Gorbachev. Well what do you know?! The former Pres. of a communist country endorses Pizza Hut and is the face of Louis Vuitton! :) We think we know but... :)
While you are at it, check out their QI section. Quite Interesting.

Wie geht es dir? Wie sind alle beim dir? Wir sind zuruck and Indien vermissen. Was ist darüber? Hast du alles verstanden? Wenn du verstehst nichts dann ihr wörterbuch besuchen können.

Liebe Grüße

***

My bhabhiji, who stays in Germany, sent this e-mail to me :O ! I mailed her like a month back or something, and told her that I'm learning German. The mail I wrote was part English, part Punjabi, and part German (I'm such a show-off at times). She was thrilled and replied that next time I should write to her "nur in Deutsche, keine Englisch oder Punjabi" - those were her exact words. And she's so sweet, she wrote the above mail in Deutsche! I'm gonna mail my reply to her! Now if only I could lay my hands on an online German dictionary.... hehehe...

... are now a reality. I'd never thought about it, and seriously, its scary. And a certain something I'd like to refer as a blot on womankind, and also on Earth, who goes by the name of Condoleeza Rice, says people in China and India are to be blamed because our appetite has increased. Look who talking. Someone who hails from a country where number of obese people is huge. Seriously, US politics is a huge sham. And while I really don't care, I hope the new Pres will bring about some seriousness to the "superpower"'s governance.

Our economy is booming, people have jobs, govt. comes up withmid-day meal schemes - and this lady has a problem.

Everyday I see reports of bombs exploding in Pakistan, Iraq, Afghanistan, Lebanon, food riots in Sudan, civil unrest in most African nations, tigers vs govt. in Sri Lanka, Israel vs Palestines, Tibetan unrest - I mean, do people have a problem with peace? Don't people want to have a normal life where they can work, spend, go on vacations, and be content? I get shudders thinking what kind of world I live in. And what kind of world we'll pass on to the next generation. What if my kids ask - why were people so immature back then? why all the riots? Blood and gore - who needs that? Its like a mini WW-III. Sick. Sometimes I think who's wrong? And who do you think is right? Indeed if people from each party/country/fundamentalist religious groups think they are right, they won't give up ever on fighting isn't it? And then what? People seem to have very poor memory. With 2 WWs behind us, I'd have thought we have learned our lesson. A grip on reality is what is missing. Govts., people, religious outfits - they all think they can continue doing what they do as long as they have the resources, without stopping to think about the consequences. Look at the war in Afghanistan - how long will it continue? I remember reading Britain's plans to pull out its troops by Christmas 2007. Thats long gone and they are still there. If your peace-bringing attempts aren't working and one of the reasons is that your troops are still there, you should probably pack up your bags and leave. Since you've been there long enough.

And where's the UN in all these situations? Its reduced to a toothless tiger.

I think we still have a shot at maintaining a civil society, in what seems to be only on our planet in the whole Universe. And its not too late. How do we do that, is a daunting task and everyone's responsibility.

I'm writing a late-review on Khuda Ke liye. Words fail me. Its a beautiful movie. Do, please, do watch it. Review coming soon.

Its been so long! I haven't had the time to write anything, I have been really busy. There have been people at home, work at well... work :D and loads of other things.

But first, here's the thing. Who watches cookery shows on TV? I count me! I'm a huge fan of Nigella Lawson, and her cookery show on Discovery Travel and Living. Mostly she prepares non-veg, but I try and see if I can substitute that with potatoes. Hahahaha probably someone (or many) reading this will want to wring my neck like a chicken's for even thinking of that! Anyway, today I came home early from work *phew* and turne don the TV. There she was, preparing a dark chocolate icing for a chocolate cake. She cut 75 gm of dark choc, poured it into heated hoeny and water, and melted the whole thing. It looked so yummy! Then she poured it all over the cake she'd prepared and set aside. While at that, she said she'd done this for a friend's daughter's 1st birthday, and now she's doing it again. And she was baby-sitting that very little girl! Then, she, her 2 (or was that 3?) kids and the little tot sat down and enjoyed the cake. So basically, what we have here is a lady who cooks at home for her cookery show, earns for it, and is baby-sitting too! And enjoys the meal with her family! She's having her cake and eating it too! Wow I'd really like to be in her shoes! And you know how much I like cooking!

In other news, my in-laws were here 2 weeks back. Then my mom came too. Phew it was a packed house! 6 of us! I hardly had any time to breathe. My in-laws have left, mom's here. And its still choc-a-bloc. Its nice to have people at home, but sometimes I wish I had some time with me. To do something, to laze around, to read a book, to flip channels randomly, to drink tea and solve Sudoku...

So why does everyone think just because I live here I'm gonna go watch the IPL matches? I've had an overdose of cricket frankly. Now I can't even stand 20 overs of it. Its a spectacle of film stars and loud music everytime a batsman hits a six or the bowler takes a wicket. Such a racket! And not to mention the while-over-is-being-played ads by Godrej and Vodafone. And sometimes they don't even let the commentators finish! And please, cricket is being overfed to viewers. IPL is a good concept brought about at the wrong time, in the wrong country. We have other matters to take care of. IPL? Lalit Modi is dumb. Plain dumb. Not just the concept, even the name is a rip off from Barclays Premier League! Anyway...

Some friend asked me if I'm gonna go watch the matches. I said whenever my hubby talks about it, I manage a "hmm", "mm hmm", "lets see" kinda answer. Now whats wrong with that?! Apparently a lot when it comes to nosey people. So they suggest that I needn't accompany him. Well, we are married, which makes us a couple. Lemme explain to you how that works. We try and most of the times, go out together, do stuff together. Its but natural for us. Of course, there are times when he goes out for an evening with his friends and I meet a friend. But, that doesn't give you a right to actually suggest that, don't you think? I frankly don't understand how some actually have the nerve to do that. Now that I think about it, I see that don't care.

Work's OK. S is always in the dorm, except during lunchtime. M is fine and entertaining. She provides me fodder for my mimicry sessions during lunchtime. P is boring as usual (you'll never believe how dumb she is if I tell you, so I'm just gonna leave it at that). I'm playing Scrabble with hubby tonight! That'll be fun! And yesterday, I made Sol Kadi (my fav!) as after-dinner drink. Everyone loved it! And I made super dahi based tadka for the dal that aunty made. Gone in seconds! Believe it or not, and I'm saying that to myself more than anyone else, I never thought I'd manage a decent meal :-) Guess I changed.

Oh, one thing before I sign off. If you are a Harry Potter fan, you gotta check out this blog - Felix Felicis. The girls have amazing imagination. I'm just done with the HPNS series though, and I'm going back for more! Way to go girls!

Oh how can I forget?! I got my course completion certificate for German! I completed A1/1 level. Only 1 wrong in the final test! The letter that we had to write, the sir gave me a "Sehr Gut" remark in my test! I'm proud of me. I'll take a picture and host it up here. Just to make me happy :D

This, is what my Today's Fortune on O-rk-ut says. Yea yea I know I made a big deal about how useless these social networking sites are, and believe me they are. I was in touch with almost all my college friends and school friends anyway, but on a hi-bye basis. Most of them are married and settled here or abroad, and I hardly see them online (on my gtalk or yahoo messenger), so no marks for guessing how frequently we write to each other on o-rk-ut. They just say oh you finally signed up on o-rk-ut, why no kids yet (mere dost log bache the yeh sawaal poochne!), where you now - thats it. After that no more messages from them. Aur agar main bhejoon, then I get replies after a week or something. Looks like I'm the only one jobless and expecting that at least on this site friends'll respond and keep in touch. Nah. But my close friends (S, A, G and L) from college and me are still in touch over whatever means of communication we find. Rest were only through phone sometime, or through chat sometimes. Now, its become through o-rk-ut sometimes. Bas. Nevertheless, I signed up purely because I now have an option of keeping my profile, photos and videos private, unlike earlier. And if you haven't guessed already, the most interesting part for which I want to login to the site and have a good laugh is the "Today's fortune" part. Now, if o-rk-ut is really a genuine site, it better make all of those prophecies come true ;-)

My mom is still in touch with her 3 friends from school. No, she doesn't use o-rk-ut. Go figure!

Dido, one of my favourite singers. She's got a lovely husky voice, and each time, listening to her is a breath of fresh air :-) Listen to this song "Thank you" by her, and then hum along; it'll lift your spirits up!

My tea's gone cold, I'm wondering why
I got out of bed at all
The morning rain clouds up my window
and I can't see at all
And even if I could it'd all be grey,
but your picture on my wall
It reminds me that it's not so bad, it's not so bad

I drank too much last night, got bills to pay,
my head just feels in pain
I missed the bus and there'll be hell today,
I'm late for work again
And even if I'm there, they'll all imply
that I might not last the day
And then you call me and it's not so bad,
it's not so bad

and I want to thank you
for giving me the best day of my life
Oh just to be with you
is having the best day of my life

Push the door, I'm home at last
and I'm soaking through and through
Then you hand me a towel and all I see is you
And even if my house falls down,
I wouldn't have a clue
Because you're near me

and I want to thank you
for giving me the best day of my life
Oh just to be with you is having the best day of my life

... but then I thought why not try... try karne mein to koi harj nahi...





and... I think its looks pretty good!

Temple, door se. (notice the greenery behind?)

Glimpse of the garbha gudi.

Misty weather! (Ok am sure you have seen the greenery :D )

Lovely green mountains right behind the temple! (how about in this pic? lovely greenery no? :D)

Now see the photos below. What can you make of the first one?

Looks like some leaf isn't it? But leaf stuck on a wall?! Closer look, and I see this:

It was some insect! My my! Nature never fails to amaze me.

Standing tall and magnificient!

After my wedding, a visit to Kukke Subrahmanya temple, 120 kms from Mangalore, was in the must-do list. The time came more than a year later, when me, mummy and B decided to go there over the weekend and complete the pooja etc.

My last visit to that place, scenic place I must add, was very very memorable. Not only was the purpose fulfilled, but I also got the bestest present life gave me (ah philosophy). I made great friends at a great workplace, did the best job of my life, and did the worst (ok 2nd worst) mistake by quitting it. Knock me down :(

So anyway, we left friday morning and reached Mangalore, and from there took a taxi to Subrahmanya. Karnataka. I love this place. Of all the places I've lived in (the list is sorta big), this state has many places worth visiting. The climate at Subrahmanya was lovely - misty, rainy, cool. The moutain behind the temple was at its lushest green best :) and the mist was always there - it looked like white on green. Beautiful. The abhishek was in the morning, and later in the evening, there was Palki seva and Rath Yatra. Abhishek is usually done by bathing Lord Subrahmanya in milk, panchamruta, and Rath Yatra/Palki Seva is when you place the Lord on a Rath and Palki, and carry it around the temple. We did both the seva and pooja in the morning. Its all really really splendid. If you witness it, you'll know what I'm talking about :) I had a lot of fun and really felt nice being a part of those celebrations.

To pass time between morning pooja and evening seva, while at the hotel room (which was infested with khatmal by the way - GROSS!) we played "pass pass". Hahahahaha mummy is too much. Ok from the start. Rules are pretty simple. You choose a number, and each member says numbers starting from one. The multiples of chosen number, AND that number in tens position, when it comes, the player should say "pass". Eg., if the chosen number is 4, I'll say pass everytime I have to say a number thats a multiple of 4, and 14, 24, 34 etc. Pretty silly, and full timepass. Thrill when the players say the numbers real fast hehehe. So mummy used to cheat like - if chosen number is 4, she'd come to 32 and say 32, not pass.
Me and B: Ok mummy you are out.
Mummy: Oh, 4 was the chosen number???? I thought 3!!
Me and B: Hullo?! Phir aapne 32 tak 4 multiples pe kyu pass bola? Boliye boliye?
Mummy: *full wide grin*

After the evening seva, we went to bed. Early morning, we left Subrahmanya to reach Mangalore jaha se train leni thi to come back to this place (makes a yucky face). Anyways, the drive to Mangalore was so beautiful so beautiful, kehne ki baat nahi! Mast road, aur road ke dono taraf trees hi trees. Pine trees, coconut trees, and thick dense forests beyond them. Only few small buildings of Forest Officer Bungalows did we see. Baaki full greenery :) Badhiya!

On reaching M'lore, we boarded the train and wallah! The train came trough the choicest of scenic places in Kerala, and Mom Nature treated us to beautiful backwaters, never ending rows of mangroves, small islands (full green and lush!), coconut trees, and even beach on one side! Breathtaking! Don't ask me why I didn't take pics; if I think back why, the reason is so dumb I could wince. The train journey was awesome! And you know, whatever we saw of Kerala - be it the small railway stations, houses (people lived right at the backwaters!), small factories - all were super clean. Generally railway tracks are filthy, and used as dump grounds. But no sir, not in Kerala. Bahut achha laga woh sab dekh kar. And oh, also, I've never seen so many coconut trees and lungi-clad people in my life either! Heh Heh.

Next on my list - Coorg, the North-East, Rajasthan. Ah so many of them!

I read this -> India looks to Cuba to revive sports. Prompted me to write this post.

The biggest problem in India is that the parents say:
1. Oye khel kood ke kya hoga? Chalo padhai karo!

2. Tumhaare school mein khelne ko kyu bolte hai? Tum wahan pe khelne jaate ho ki padhaai karne?

3. Bahut ghatiya school hai, sirf khelne ko bolte hai. Kal tumhe naye school mein daakhil karenge.

The parents, since independence haven't asked the kids to play, the kids haven't grown up to be sportsmen and hence there are no good coaches today. If we don't have many kids playing the sport today, we won't have many coaches in the future. Problem - sports in India isn't enough to bring the bread home.

Indians now need to look at other 3rd world countries where, mind you, dictators have been ruling since past 60 years to tell us - BOSS THERE IS A PROBLEM.

As if we didn't know. As if anything is going to change very soon. As if in next 10 years we can get 2 gold medals in Olympics.

Also, the government has its own reason(s) - How can we make 20 hockey stadiums across the country if the farmers are dying of hunger and poverty??

Yaar yeh Orkut hai kya? I mean I know what it is, but why is it so popular?! I want reasons. No, solid reasons.

You not gonna leave us even if we leave the continent?! And here I thought, I'll kill you (shred you into pieces, gorge your eyes, lungs, heart out - take your pick!) and leave the country!

I hope you get married to a Chennai auto driver. That'll be fun. Bitch!

From L to R: Raghunath (standing), Rajpal Singh (the one with white patka), Gurbaj Singh, Prabhjot Singh, Dilip Tirkey (with his back at us)


We spoke to Dilip Tirkey. He shook hands and thanked us (each one of us - me, hubby, and K) for coming to watch the match. He is a total gentleman. In fact, the whole team is. No starry airs. Its high time they started getting offers to endorse products and get more coverage. A lot of people who come to see these matches know a lot about hockey, and by the looks of it are passionate about it. The match gets over in 70 mins and is a treat to watch. Why cricket is so bigger than hockey is beyond me.

The Olympics qualifiers is in March in Santiago, Chile. One amongst Austria, Bangladesh, Chile, Great Britain, India, Mexico will qualify for the Olympics. India stands a very good chance. Sardara Singh was saying, "Koi gall hee nai jee, qualify kar laange. Twaada s'port* chaida bass". Of course we s'port* you!


* s'port - Sikh's way of saying "support". (I know, I'm married to one!)

Weekend was so good; I bought lovely chappal footwear from Mochi, bought an ubercool top from Levis, AND met Shivendra Singh, Ignace Tirkey and Raghunath at the Adidas shop! I spoke to them for a while, and wished them good luck for the upcoming matches. I didn't take their autograph or photo, cuz I have them already! I have almost everybody's autograph from the men's hockey team**, I have photos with them, plus a beautiful bouquet that Prabhjot Singh gave me. So I'm pretty cool around them. Next time, I'll invite them for lunch/dinner ghar pe. (I can almost picture it - "Maine yaha ke sabhi matches dekhe hai; PHL, Asia Cup, sab. Main to bahut avid fan hoon ji hockey ki :D Aap kabhi hamare ghar aayiye na khaane pe... aaj kaisa rahega? Nahi? Ok ji phir kal?" LOL)

I also started by German classes. Ich heisse [my name], ich komme aus Indien!

Yesterday V called from London. Its good to know that someone who you haven't met since 2004, still thinks of you as a close friend :-) though we worked together for only a year, we had a lot of fun. Working at that call center for 6 months was bad, but it did introduce me to some of my good friends. I caught him on Yahoo! and then he took my number and called me immediately. Saala he's put on a firang accent and says "bloke" and "lad". I see the Brits have done their job. We remenised about the times when we worked together. Me, him, Sania, Sachin, Ninoshka, Sanoska, Sam Gupta - with our trainer Jamshed (we used to persuade him to get married soon so that we could eat free Parsi food, he was a "good bloke, eh"), Sandeep (arrogant and swinged the other way) and Allen (he called himself Big Al - cuz of his size).

He recalled the time I fought with this optician cuz he delayed the delivery of V's specs. V called me and told, "Yaar usne mera specs abhi tak nahi lautaaya! Kya karoon?" I said, "Main uski khabar leti hu" and in my usual style went and blasted him. We got the specs right then and there! V you owe our eyesight to me man! And the time when a few of us didn't get our first month salary (I still don't know why) but we were promised that next month we'd get both salaries. I demanded to get my sal. I went to Finance and said, "I work odd hours, I hardly sleep, I have no social life and now you tell me I got no money?!! You better be joking!!" Hahahahaha.. looking back, those days were so much fun :-)

Oh, and V told me a secret about himself. I hadn't heard one in a long time; knowing that you know something about someone*** that he/she prefers it to be privy, gives me license to indulge in mean acts ;-) like blackmail V that I'll leak his secret. But he's not the type who'll buy it. He'll say, "ok jaa bataa de, tum mera kaam asaan karogi". No fun in that :-l
Jokes apart, I have a patient ear, and neither ear has a hole. Jaise elders tell, "is kaan se sunke us kaan se nikaal do", I can't nikaalo from either of my kaans. So V, your secret is safe with moi. He's going to Paris with his love for Valentine's celebrations! Sorry I couldn't keep quiet about this one V! (ab mera pet theek lag raha hai phew!)

I also watched The Golden Compass over the weekend. Good movie, its got that Narnia feel. But you'll be left wanting to know more at the end of the movie, so be patient and wait for part 2, and 3.

** - also from the Indian cricket team /:)
*** - means "friends" only.

I'm going to watch India vs Belgium today. Hockey match. Olympics qualifier practise matches. Ok lemme rephrase that ridiculous 3-sentence thing I wrote. I'm going to watch India vs. Belgium hockey match for preparation of the olympics qualifier this evening. Yea this sounds better.

Anyways, thats about today. I am badly in need of some good chappals. Hahaha that sounds so silly. I really some footwear. Good, stylish, wearable, shoulds suit all my salwar kameezes and sarees, right colour, and above all, should be a steal for its worth ;-)

I'm finally finally starting with my German classes with this sunday. 5 hours per week. Ends in April. Only on weekends. Fair enough. I can deal with that. I don't plan to take any exams; I just like learning new languages. Next on my list - French. Or Arabic. Or Swahili. There are sooo many!

I've had some wierd/scary dreams last week. Worst was me cutting my hair. I dreamt I cut my hair into guys' like close cut, and then starting pulling ends to make them grow before I leave the parlour. I woke up with a start, and decided its best if I get outta bed. Time - 9 AM. Mom used to say dreams that we see in the morning do (mostly) come true. And though I'm not superstitious, I'm determined not to let this one come true. Creepy.
Then in another dream, I went to audition for Roadies - 3. AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAA pretty funny. And the dream was too. Raghu and Nikhil torture people who come to audition, though its all in good fun. This is one reality show audition that makes me laugh. And looks like its not setup or anything. Anyways, in this one episode, a guy who was 26 came to audition and he was told that he was too old (the average age being 18-23). He did get selected, but I raised my eyebrow at the you-are-old-at-26-to-be-a-roadie remark. So in the dream, I went to audition, and it all went very well. I made them laugh with my wit (which is true, try me) and impressed them no limit (hardly an achievement I know, but what the heck, it was a dream). In the end, they did select me! And I said, "Oh I hope my hubby will be mighty pleased!". To which they said, "Sorry this competition is for unmarried people only. You may leave." and handed me an orange card. (Apparently, it meant I'm disqualified. Only in the dream). I came out, shattered. And then my eyes opened. Time - around 3 AM. Whew. (3 AM isn't early morning isn't it? Or, is it?)

I love to eat SUBWAY subs and salads (Veg only). Just a way to end this post.

I wanted to meet mom, since the last visit was for a day only. This time, I thought, I'll spring a surprise on her. She wouldn't know I was coming home!

Before I write it all, would you look at that clustermap down right on this page?! It looks like my journal is read by people even in Africa! Lovely! And apparently also someone on sea (?); check the tiny red dot to left (the reader's left) of North America. Whuda thunk?!

Moving on, I really wanted to meet mom. Besides, Sankranti was coming up and I didn't want her to be alone. There are a LOT of relatives at home right now, but it just means mom has to work hard and a lot of chores. I called her up to enquire her plans, and she told me K is coming too! With her daughter! Oh I have the cutest and the smartest neice in the world! Mom asks, "You coming too?". I said, no. I really didn't have plans at the time to take a trip to see her. Also I had work (in nearly 5months). But then, I thought I can finish the work stuff quickly and go see mom. I did! I got my leave approved and then scurried to find the train home. Too bad, all trains booked. I ended up taking 2 trains one way to go see mom. No issues. She still didn't know I was coming, so the surprise would be great. Moreover, mom was at Hyd with her bros and sisters (just for vacation) and would be coming on the same day that I was supposed to reach!

When I got the tickets booked, the departure time was 13.40. On the day I was all set to leave, it was 12.40 and out of curiosity, I checked the ticket again. Departure time was 13.20! Heavens! I had like 30 mins to reach the station! B drove like 10 mad horses were behind him. And thankfully, I saw the train still at the station! Phew! "Aaj to line cross ho hi gayi thi by God! Pata hai, aaj tak life mein ek train nahi chhooti meri. Thank you Babaji, mera record todne se bacha liya" ;)

Train ka safar kataa by watching "Eurotrip" some 100 times. No really, I've watched it so many times I've lost count; still I enjoy it everytime I see it. Fully bakwaas movie, dumb dialogs and absolute timepass! "Scotty doesn't know that Fiona and me do it in my van every sunday" :)) Journey well spent I'd say!

I called mom up at 9 AM from a station close to home. She had NO clue I was on my way to see her, and she told me how lovely a time she had at Hyd. I said great. After the daily dose of please-drink-milk-and-eat-chyawanprash-and-regularly-use-eyedrops lecture from mom, I hung up, supressing a chuckle ;)

Day 1:
Cut to 2 hours later, I ring the door bell to my home and mom opens it.... Oh the expression on her face was priceless! She kept staring at me! And then, guess what, SHE pinched ME to check if it wasn't a dream! Hullo?! Isn't that supposed to be the other way round? She should pinch herself to see if its for real! Welcome to my mom's world!

That day, we relaxed at home. I feasted on mom's cooking and it was finger licking good! Had a siesta and went to the temple in the evening. And there, you won't believe, people recognized me! "Oh aren't you the one staying in this building?!", "Oh you got married?!", "Where do you live now?". After I answered the latter question, I had a standard response from everyone - same response - "Ewww why do you live there of all the cities in India?!". I hear ya sisters.

Day 2:
Come sunday, I went to meet U mami and the twin cuties. Same thing, they didn't know I was coming. I woke up bright and sunny at 9 AM :D , had breakfast, took bath and left to see them. Just me, not mom. When I reached there after 50 mins, T just screamed on seeing me! S sprang outta bed (all her headache and fever flew right out of the window!) and we 6 of us, sat down to eating the kadlis from the kadli gida. :D I miss all that! Lunch was typical kannada affair - saaru, chapaati, navalkol palya (heavens I survived that) and masaru anna. G exhibited her idiosyncrasies, and so did R - which renders them famous in our family (and it also serves as fodder to me cuz then I can mimic them at family gatherings - Yea I'm my family's Russel Peters ;) ). All in all, it was their normal behaviour.
I went home and had dinner while watching Desperate Housewives. At the end of each episode, I wonder why did I waste my one hour, yet next week I find myself watching it again...

Day 3:
Next day, monday, was Bhogi. And the lunch was sooooooooooooooo yummy! You'd think I'm a glutton - and I'd say where's the next item, please serve!
Oh before that, I went to my college to get that certificate. Met my profs and HoD. College seems bigger than the last time I saw it; and now they are expanding the canteen and brining in two more departments - B.E in Telecommunications and an MBA program. Awesome :) I reached P moushi's place and find so many other moushis there! (I have a HUGE family!) Hugs and kisses followed (my L'Oreal blush almost wiped off!) and they urged me to mimic G and R's previous day's antics. I did ;) P moushi has changed so much. She's mellowed down. And is so so much nicer now. Poo didn't know I was coming, so she was happy on seeing me too.
Lunch was traditional Bhogi lunch - stuffed brinjal (tumbiddu badnikaai palya), tingla ourikaai palya, gojju, raagi bhakri and huggi. I don't know their names in English; but they were so tasty I don't even care. Check pics :)





After lunch, Poo and I sat down to discuss her latest boyfriend(s), and how many extractions did she do that day. None, thankfully. Extractions I mean, boyfriends - she has :)) She kept talking about 2 of them and I asked to show their pics. She looged in to her Orkut and showed their pics. Guess what happened next. We scanned their albums, whistled at other good looking guys in those pics, and scanned their friends list and looked through their albums! LOL. She kept circling the guys in photos who looked good, and at the end, narrowed the list of boiys down to 3. And said to me, "(phew) OK now there are 3 in line. Who do you think I should date??" LOL Hello?! You've only seen their photos on Orkut, what else you know about them?! Thats Poo for you! She adds "le" after every sentence in Kannada and says "oooooooo boyfriend iddra yeshtu majaa ala!!" Wonder what kinda dentist she is! Its all in fun, am sure. She's a great sis I'll give her that :)

Day 4:
My sis, her hubby and the neice to arrive in the morning. I woke up early, and had bath. Minutes later, they are at the door! The kid is so cute! She's started walking now, and even recognizes me :) She was so careful while crossing the hochhla (threshold) from one room to another, we all were stunned! She plays with anything and everything and doesn't fuss at all! She speaks 2 syllable words now - papa, mum mum (food), adu taa (gimme that), tou (take this). And if she sees a dog, she goes, "woofh woofh" and "meow" when she sees a cat! Intelligent! I'll put her pics here tomorrow. She wore those shoes which make sound when you walk in them, and kept stamping to make that noise hahahahahaha. She hugs the little stuffed monkey we gave her, and kisses it too! It all looks very cute. I took her pics when sis was bathing her - I can show the kid's nanga photos to her hubby later ;)

Mom made superb lunch. Kosambri, yellina undi (til ke laddoo), yellina holgi (til ke sweet chapatis), chapatis (plain ones), french beans, saaru (curry) and steamed white rice. Super yummy! I ate one full holgi (I don't like sweets much...). See pics...



Come 5 PM, I had to leave. Horrible. I got to be with my neice only for 7 hours. I boarded the slowest train ever - it went from Karnataka to AP, and back to Karnataka - poora round maarke! Took another slowest train from B'lore to come here. Super bore.

Oh one more thing, I met Amit on my way home. He is a gentleman. He insisted on carrying my bag, which actually made him a coolie, but he's a gentleman too :) We had dinner together. He's my bestest friend, and I'm glad its been like that since years. It won't change... he's my best friend. I hope he finds and gets married to a nice, sweet girl. I pressurised him to get married soon. He kept blushing all the while :)

This morning on my way to work, I saw this black auto decorted with flowers. It looked different among the sea of yellow-black autos, so I decided to peek in from my auto. I was surprised to see some non-Indian driving it! Plus there were 2 more sitting on the passenger seat, complete with luggage and all. What the hell, I thought and looked closely.

I saw posters of Rickshaw Run 2008 and WAYN (Where Are You Now). I thought I'll come to work and look them up on the net. Here's their website - "Why Not?? Rickshaw Run 2008". They call themselves "Why Not?" and "they" is made up of 3 guys - Stuart Darnley, Jeff Johnson and Scott Sveiven. Further reading the website, I saw that they are gonna cover some 3200 kms from Cochin through Nepal, and will raise money for charity through this. Check the charity page on their site. More about this here - The Rickshaw Run.

Hehe see their pic with the rickshaw



Personally, I think its just great to embark upon an adventure like this; have fun, explore new places, and all this for a noble cause!