Grit, Grace & Gusto

Rendezvous with Jason Wade...

2010-03-25T23:05:00.002+05:30

After a really, really long time, I've finally got Linux loaded onto my system - thanks Ujji. And after a really, really long time, I sat back listening to last.fm's radio on the same. I usually put on my headphones when I listen to music, unless I'm all alone. And since old habits die hard, I put on my headphones ćoz I had company - Smurf. After a few numbers, Lifehouse's 'Hanging by a moment' crooned and involuntarily, I plugged out my headphones and let the number play out loud. Almost immediately, Smurf was by my side craning his neck and sniffing at my laptop wondering who this new person was and why he wasn't visible. A few seconds and he figured out where the speakers of my system were (it took me a few days to figure that out) and he just stood there, looking at those speakers completely mesmerized. We sat together through the next few tracks and he seemed to enjoy the experience thoroughly! Few more and he was sound asleep. I seem to have finally found someone who enjoys music the way I do. Perk - no nonsensical comments!

Of tiny-tots and Smurf...

2010-03-19T01:00:00.006+05:30

A long awaiting post, this. Thanks to Pooja and her new found zeal of blogging, I decided to sit back and finish this piece.

2009 has been a truly memorable year. Not just 'coz I finally tied the knot, but more so 'coz I've had the good fortune of meeting umpteen wonderful people. Thinking of them right now, makes me feel very warm... like I'm at home. These people brought along with them, a dozen perks that lit-up my life in the most brilliant manner - their adorable little ones. Aarya, Mit, Asmi, Aadit, Eshaan, Aadhyaa, Malhar, and few in the making... Each with a quality that sets them apart from all the others. Life around kids was always amusing... now it's a spectacle. You can feel the innocence that surrounds you... and the way life (or is it knowledge??!) grows over it. It makes you respect life itself. Someday hopefully, in this journey of life... innocence returns.

And then ofcourse, there's Smurf...

Murphy-dog

New Arrivals...

2010-02-03T16:44:00.008+05:30

Deepti and Sagar are proud parents of a beautiful, beautiful girl - starting today! Congratulations guys!!

(...and thanks for giving me a SOLID reason to flutter this sleepy site a little)

As much as I wanted to be present to witness this bundle of joy make her first appearance into this world, I've missed it by 2 pitiful days. I hope I can make up for them once I'm back in Bangalore. Nonetheless, a zillion hugs (if that's possible), tons of love and loads of blessings always showered on you, little one!! God Bless!

...

2009-08-20T12:25:00.008+05:30

Every once in a while I have this urge to pen something, to make a note of a particular incident, to make some memory last forever. And at all those instances, I've thought about my blog. This blog. But I haven't sat my ass down long enough to type each of those memories onto my keyboard. Why? 'Coz I've always ended up wondering, 'What the hell do I title it?' Yup. True to that last 't'. I suck at giving my blogs a title. And that makes me ignore my laptop (not just my blog) for days at a stretch. So there. My reason. Another reason.

What made me change my mind today? Hmm. I don't know, boredom maybe? Maybe another urge that didn't get bogged down by 'I have no title'? Or maybe I just plain wanted to reconnect. Whatever the reason, it felt good to update my 'books' section. And even better has been the feeling that I still have people looking me up! Thank you, whoever you are, wherever you are (although I know where you are from my livefeed, heh!).

Getting back to my daily routine - I'm not working on any projects anymore, so I get a LOT more time for myself. We've grown into the habit of sleeping late (and I mean REALLY late) and waking up late. After which I almost always go straight into my kitchen and get breakfast ready. Once Shree's out, I make my usual trip around the house cleaning and clearing every room. Following which I pick a new task for the day, like cleaning silverware or rearranging bedroom/kitchen drawers or doing an extra-neat bit with the dust-cloth. Bath comes next. More cooking, 'coz lunch time is just waiting to beat me out of breath and finally, peace. The whole afternoon. All the way up until 6pm. My time. Books, TV, Internet. Blissful. 6pm and get clothes off the line, put utensils back in their assigned places, evening diya ritual and it's back to cooking time. By 8:30pm we're done dining, and we either catch a movie or coffee or visit some friend's place. Back home by 12. Some more reading and lights off by 2... AM.

That's us. For the last few weeks. And I'm enjoying all of that. Thoroughly. For now.

Rat-at-(m)oui-ille

2009-03-24T10:39:00.004+05:30

Shree's uncle and aunt are in town and we'd invited them over for lunch yesterday. I managed to cook some chicken with the help of my mother-in-law and Mary (our ~~maid~~ support system). The kitchen sink is too small to hold dishes used to feed more than 2 people. So I dumped the whole lot in our tiny utility. Since we were in a frenzy to drop Shree's parents at the railway station, I didn't bother dumping any waste in the bin.

Today, I open the door of the utility to find a nice trail of bone pieces all over the floor. Follow the trail and it goes straight to our brand new washing machine. YIKES. First thought - 'Oh my God, another washing machine?!!' (Yes. I can be very materialistic too) Shree needs to get to work early and I've got to depend on our support system to get this sorted out.

So in come's Mary, zhaadu in haath (for the Hindi illiterate - broom in hand) and starts clearing the floor first. She walks up to the machine and while I'm expecting her to poke the broom in and draw the bones out, she sticks her hand around the corner (!!!!!) and checks for pieces behind the damned machine! While I'm standing awe-struck looking at her, she straightens her saree and declares - "Not to worry. A smart one, this. He's partied only in the corners. No machine-wrecking." Which I later figure out means, the little guy's only found a new place to enjoy his meals in. I wonder what I'm going to find in those corners tomorrow. Some low-fat cheese maybe?!!

My epic saga

2009-03-11T13:32:00.002+05:30

Marriage is quite an event in India. On second thought, it's quite an event in any culture - different rituals, different styles, different scenarios. The bottom line being - "Two people agreeing on sharing their lives together". That statement sounds real simple. And maybe it is. Except, we as humans complicate the whole 'agreeing' part.

I've had my share of agreements and disagreements with men. And honestly for some time I wanted to be by myself. The nagging never ceased, though. It's a conflict when you want to stay away from any kind of companionship and others want you to get a taste of it. For a long time I was resisting the idea of sharing my happy-go-lucky life with another person; someone I hadn't met before-hand, someone I wasn't familiar with, someone I hadn't spent quality time with. My whole argument started and ended with - "I'm way too comfortable with myself. Why compromise on that?!" I was never against the concept of marriage, but the minute it came to choosing someone, I'd prepare a list of prereqs. With every new person I met, the list seemed to get more complicated, more rigid.

Sometime in November, I had dinner with two of my colleagues. One of them - 45, happily married, father of two kids. The other - 35, happily single, trying to understand the need for marriage. After a casual discussion on the pros and cons of being married, the older chap said something that ticked off a thought in my mind. "The more time we spend deciding who we spend the rest of our lives with,", he said, "the more we want that person to be exactly like us." Turns out, that was right where I was heading with my list of prereqs. And I'm thinking - If I do end up finding someone exactly like me, life would be such a drag, wouldn't it? Yet, I didn't want to give up on my comfort level. Where was I to find someone unlike me and someone I was comfortable with?!

A few weeks and I was tired of thinking. I could feel the resistance in me. And like they say, "What one resists, persists". The thinking, analyzing, arguing just kept coming back. Each time with more complicated questions. Eventually, I gave up. I stopped thinking. Even if I sensed my thought process going towards the subject, I'd consciously turn my thoughts towards something else. Thankfully, it paid off.

In that state of stupor, I met someone and without the aid of my thinking mind, nodded a yes. Life hasn't been the same since. We got engaged in December and married in February. I've enjoyed every single moment of every single event. And yes, kept my thinking mind aside ALL the time. Life has never felt so beautiful! Maybe that's what they mean when they say - "Go with the flow"?!

Wishing all you guys a wonderful Holi!

Another adorable voice

2008-12-15T11:32:00.003+05:30

Back in B'lore

2008-12-15T00:23:00.004+05:30

And man it feels warm! Not weather wise warm, but feeling-wise warm. The moment we entered Devanhalli, Aai went, "No matter where we go, coming back to Bangalore always feels like coming back home"! Life is good :).

Just back from a dinner treat - three massive pieces of chocolate truffle & black currant ice-cream for dessert - I feel like a beast. More on the month long vacation naalle.

P.S: Listening to Nat King Cole's Unforgettable (Damn! I should've had another piece of that truffle)

'One lie short of true...'

2008-11-30T21:07:00.002+05:30

Title - Honestly
Band - Cary Brothers

Think I’m goin home
I think I’m gettin lost for a while
Tired of getting stoned
And thinkin ‘bout you in the night

So I’ll file away all my dreams
Though I still believe in everything

I wished your love away
I wished your love away

Honestly over you
Honestly over you
One lie short of true
Honestly over you

Lookin for some hope
Polished off the whiskey tonight
You turned a man to stone
For lookin at you straight in the eyes

So I’ll drive away with all my things
Though I’ve a faint belief in everything

I wished your love away
I wished your love away

Honestly over you
Honestly over you
And I’ll tell the world
Honestly over you

I wished your love away…

Visiting Relatives

2008-11-28T21:51:00.004+05:30

Here's a question - "What is the meaning of life?" - Would love to read your answers.

Inscrutable

2008-11-11T09:54:00.004+05:30

Ever tried telling a professional baker that his pastry was missing an ingredient? I did. Last night. When I picked up Baba's b'day cake. Black-Forest.

Long, long ago (and I honestly mean a really long time ago), ladi-tai handed me a recipe for baking a Black-Forest cake. I memorized the ingredients. Not 'coz I thought I'd lose that piece of paper she'd written it on (infact I still have that ancient piece tucked into my recipe collection book), but 'coz those ingredients felt almost divine. Atleast in that era, it certainly did (Aai would NEVER use such exotic stuff in her cake preparations).

Last night ofcourse, on tasting my Rs. 20/- pastry piece (meant for making a choice among several pastries), I happened to tell the baker that there wasn't any rum in his Black-Forest preparation. The response - dumb-struck awe.

Picture this scene - In a town that's been introduced to the world of pastries only a few years ago, a female (maybe I should highlight that word), wearing a worn-out, unkempt, soiled pair of jeans, with an even more worn-out, unkempt, soiled T-shirt and a pair of slippers (ahh! disgusting!), orders for a black-forest pastry so she can decide if that's what she wants to buy and ends up complaining - it has no RUM!

I must say, the guy was truly modest when he recovered from that momentary breakdown and smiled gingerly, revealing his white Dabur-Lal-dant-majan teeth, and said, "No madam, no rum. Only sugar-syrup."

Food for thought - 8

2008-11-10T10:19:00.004+05:30

"Truth is not beautiful, neither is it ugly. Why should it be either? Truth is truth, just as figures are figures.

When man wishes to learn the exact condition of his business affairs, he employs figures and, if these figures reveal a sad state of his affairs, he doesn't condemn them and say that they are unlovely and accuse then of having disillusioned him. Why then condemn truth, when it only serves him in this enterprise of life as figures serve him in his commercial enterprises?"

- as answered by Owen C. Middleton in On the meaning of life, Will Durant

P.S: It's Baba's 58th birthday today. Not sure how we're going to celebrate it. Will need to hunt for a cake shop here in Amravati. He's celebrating a birthday in his native village after 30 long years :)!

Happy Birthday ol' man :P!

Another 'Credit Crunch'

2008-10-30T11:10:00.004+05:30

Albeit, a different kind...

Two planets eh?! That would be fun - I'd like to work on one, rest on another :P!

Couldn't help...

2008-10-25T21:37:00.005+05:30

...putting this up, after we (Ujji and me) noticed.

This picture's been going to and fro for some time now. The last time I saw it was in March, when Sudi forwarded the same. After a few text messages and a lot of arguing over who's who (Ujji thinks they've painted Mandela playing a flute and I think it's Kofi Annan), we realized that they've painted OBL right above GWB (right-hand, upper-half)! Heh! Nice!

Food for thought - 7

2008-10-24T11:23:00.000+05:30

"What is spiritual realization? The belief that you are a spirit? No, that's a thought.
(...)
Spiritual realization is to see clearly that what I perceive, experience, think, or feel is ultimately not who I am, that I cannot find myself in all those things that continuously pass away."

- A New Earth, Eckhart Tolle

And you thought...

2008-10-23T11:06:00.003+05:30

...only your 'kind' could blog?!! I think NOT! Following links on Amit's blog, I found my way to this page.

Not long before we have more competition on blog-o-sphere, eh?!

Slouthful

2008-10-16T11:09:00.004+05:30

My blog isn't the only 'thing' that has suffered in recent times due to my sluggishness; my trips to Crossword have been a rarity as well. Work seems to have taken a backseat and my search for 'The Seven Ages of Rock' DVDs, is almost a closed chapter.

But guess what?! I ain't complaining. And you know why?! 'Coz I've spent all this time reading books. Books that I knew made up my dad's collection, but were more often than not, ignored. And it would be drastically understating if I said, "It's been fabulous!"

Lying on a cozy bed, a quilt to protect from the occasional chill, some drizzles, a few heavy rains, warm sunshine here and there, not a soul intruding (:P!) and books! A few too many of them. No particular subject. Or actually, maybe there was - soul-searching - if that qualifies for a subject.

I think I could do this forever.

Looking for I Need...

2008-10-13T10:55:00.006+05:30

...Serenity...

'...Where do we go when we just don't know
And how do we relight the flame when it's cold
Why do we dream when our thoughts mean nothing
And when will we learn to control...'

Cheap Thrills

2008-10-07T13:58:00.002+05:30

Enjoyed this tag on Deepti's blog. Too lazy to put it up here and read your answers (*yawn*). So, pliss to be doing honor - read, fill-out and let me have a laugh.

Couple o' things

2008-10-03T22:00:00.002+05:30

Baba's moved from wearing traditional pajamas to tracks
Aai's moved from humming Pal Pal (Lage Raho Munna Bhai) to Socha hai (Rock On)
Sheru & Munnu have shifted base from a one-room-kennel to an entire alley

Nice.

Hola

2008-09-28T11:39:00.003+05:30

I've been trying to think of a reason as to why there have been no posts on my blog recently. And the best I could come up with is - I didn't feel like it. Hmm. Go figure.

Anyways, this video on Heather's blog, changed the procrastinating me. I absolutely HAD to put this up here for all those who haven't had a chance to laugh their heads off. (I would love to hear her views on the crashing financial sector! *guffawing*)

P.S: It might seem stuck, but the video does work. And while you're at it, check out the ads too (Heh!)

In other news, Santosh had this tag up and here are my favorites -

"The difference between a person and an angel is easy. Most of an angel is in the inside and most of a person is on the outside." - Mister God, this is Anna
"The only true law is that which leads to freedom," Jonathan said. "There is no other." - Jonathan Livingston Seagull
"The world has no existence whatsoever outside the human imagination. It's all a ghost, and in antiquity was so recognized as a ghost, the whole blessed world we live in." - Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance
"The best love is the kind that awakens the soul; that makes us reach for more, that plants the fire in our hearts and brings peace to our minds." - The Notebook
"Experience is what you get when you didn’t get what you wanted" - The Last Lecture

All those who stop by... you've been tagged.

Gung-ho?!

2008-09-06T19:50:00.008+05:30

Two days after Heather posts this (...and for which I'd put all my bets on her, if she ever entered American politics - Heather, you absolutely rock!...), Obama comes out with this statement. Smashing or what?! He'll probably get a lot'a Indian fan-fare following him for that one statement! Think it's time to celebrate yet? No?! Well, here's another reason for Indians to raise their glasses tonight - the NSG waiver! MUHAHAHAHA... Baba and me were wondering last night as to how Dr. Manmohan Singh must be perspiring profusely after having put everything at stake for this deal. Well Mr. Prime Minister, we sure hope you sleep well tonight!

And if none of that brought a smile on your face, maybe this will... You've probably heard this number -

Pehli Nazar Mein - Atif Aslam
You can find the lyrics here.

So I'm standing next to Aai in the kitchen helping her prepare dinner, when they play this track over the radio. Everything's normal until chorus starts; and Aai goes -

"Bembi I love you, Bembi I love you..."

(for the Marathi illetrate, Bembi translates to belly-button)

Google's next assault on MS

2008-09-02T10:49:00.005+05:30

It's called Chrome. As explained in the instruction guide, this new web-browser promises improved speed and responsiveness.

It's been years since I used IE. Firefox is almost second nature. Yet, I'm looking forward to try my hands on Chrome - I like the name :P!

Google's first screenshot of Chrome

Rushing through

2008-08-31T19:25:00.002+05:30

Million things happened over the last week. Here are a few, that didn't go unnoticed -

McCain picks Palin (OH. MY. GOD.)
Mamata Banerjee steps in to rescue Bengal farmers (ROTFL!)
Sheru provokes Munnu for a fight and accepts defeat even before they begin (Nope. They're not pedigree dogs.)
Aai sits through 'Rock On' and actually enjoys the story-line (The ONLY 40+ person in the entire theatre!)
I manage baking some 'Carrot Cake' (and that's not what Sheru and Munnu were fighting over - hmpf!)

I guess you have to be Indian...

2008-08-22T13:22:00.003+05:30

...is just one of the comments posted on this site. No offense taken. I hope none given either :).

Imagine shopping at your favorite mall - dabbling with 'this-piece-or-that', or eating-out at your favorite restaurant - relishing every 'sinfully-tasty-bite', when your neighbor's phone goes - "condom, condom"! Damn! I'd choke!

*rolling on the floor, laughing*

Self-inflicting torture machine

2008-08-21T13:31:00.005+05:30

Ever seen this episode of F.R.I.E.N.D.S? Yes, this -

Well, if you thought epilators were better - take my word for it - they're worse! WAY, way, worse! Atleast waxine doesn't go - 'one-at-a-time'!

In other news, here's the cover-page for the latest edition of Sports Illustrated -

Mamma mia

R. I. P

2008-08-20T15:08:00.006+05:30

LeRoi Moore (September 7, 1961 - August 19, 2008),
Founding Member, Dave Matthews Band

"It's always easier to leave than be left" - Dave Matthews, DMB

Agree.

The Economics of Love

2008-08-16T11:36:00.003+05:30

Of late, I find a lot of my friends talking investments, returns, bonds, shares and all other buzz words associated with the 'economics enchilada'. I guess it's the age. I've done my bit too, I must admit. And I'm willing to go all the way to get my wise returns.

So while on the topic, I'm browsing other blogs and as usual, find interesting stuff on Amit's blog. Economics being the current state of mind, I am directed to this page.

Gyaan from this view point, makes it SO much simpler for a numbers crazy person, doesn't it?! So all the young-at-hearts - go invest! Wisely, if I may add.

Food for thought - 6

2008-08-13T20:03:00.004+05:30

"Who would the 'believer' be without the 'unbeliever'?"

- Stillness Speaks, Eckhart Tolle

Ironies?

2008-08-11T13:17:00.003+05:30

A few days ago, news channels broadcasted the verdict on how a young couple were banned from aborting a 25-week old fetus. They aired discussions between a large divide - from doctors, to priests, to law-makers. Apparently, the court thinks the couple and their gynecologist were unable to prove that the child would face a substantial health risk. Honestly, I'm speechless.

During the same time, I came across this news article. A perfectly healthy child, almost pushed into substantial health risks, by another couple, elsewhere. Now I'm flabbergast!

If you're thinking - different country, different rules, different people - hold that thought right there. Just this one time, overlook boundaries, rules, systems; and maybe ask yourself - is any of this making sense?! If yes, help me understand. If no, where are we going wrong?!

Gardening Bouts

2008-08-03T20:03:00.004+05:30

I'm not a plant-person; animal-person - yes, but not a plant-person. Someone wants me to tend to dogs, cats, horses, birds, if I get lucky - snakes, wild cats, primates, etc. - I'd do it without a blink; plants - and I'm a complete dodo - no offense to the bird. Aai on the other hand is a vehement plant-person. You can find her singing to them at times! She treats them like her own babies!

Over the last two days however, we've had some role-reversal. She's been cleaning up after my dogs, and me - getting my hands dirty in her garden. No, we're not in a mother-daughter bonding phase, it was more experimental - for the lack of a better word. I think her intention was to keep her garden clean. And mine, to explore earthworms. I've enjoyed it - I must admit. I can't say the same for her...

The part that made me sit down and make this post, is our common weakness for cleaning. Yup, cleaning. We both enjoy it tremendously. Infact, Ujji has gone far enough to say - "If you were tied up with some mafia crowd tai,... you'd make a perfect handler"... From animal-person to handler - Hmm... quite a transition you think?

On a side-note, here's something that's been playing in my mind over-and-over again -

Incase you're interested in the originals... here they are -
Somewhere Over the Rainbow - Judy Garland
What a Wonderful World - Louis Armstrong

P.S: Happy Friendship's Day!

Junk night

2008-07-29T23:07:00.002+05:30

Dinner consisted of -

ek masala-puri
ek allu-tikki
ek paani-puri
ek bhel-puri
ek aattaa-ladoo
ek veg-grill sandwich
ek watermelon juice (less melon, more water)

My stomach feels abused...

Quirk : An idiosyncracy

2008-07-25T11:22:00.003+05:30

Tagged by Deepti.

Tag Rules (hmm... this is new) -

Link the person who tagged you
Mention the rules on your blog
Tell 6 unspectacular quirks of yours
Tag 6 following bloggers by linking them
Leave a comment on each of the tagged blogger's blogs, letting them know that they have been tagged

Here goes -

Everytime I enter a restroom, I HAVE to turn on the lights; no matter what time of day it is
When in deep thought, my tongue folds backwards - halfway through; pretty much like a frog
Even as a child, I'd put all my might in holding a pen/pencil. Result - I have a corn on the first knuckle of my right hand, middle finger. Now it's pretty much a cushion for my writing instruments
Curling-up in bed, I cradle myself to sleep by rocking the lower half of my body
I always note the last page number of a book I pick-up to read
Everyday I wash one handkerchief - whether used or not; I change to a new one everyday

phew!... Done! Following people tagged - Smini, Sudi, Santosh and Anushree/Pooja. Two others will have to be non-bloggers. Jump in and leave yours on the comments section guys :)!

Goodbye to blackouts?

2008-07-23T09:35:00.003+05:30

Let me begin with - Yay! We've finally got the verdict on the confidence vote! - And while I'm not proud to have witnessed the way this vote was won at the Lok Sabha, it's comforting to see some of our MPs have a sound mind on their shoulders. Why the Left front has been so adamant about scratching the deal, is anyone's guess. I'm just glad there'll be less arguing on which equipment stays on and which not (our UPS is a shame to it's kind!).

As P. G. Wodehouse would put it - 'Cheerio, for now!'

Going Musical

2008-07-18T23:33:00.004+05:30

Baba's always been musical. You can find him humming to himself when he's in a REALLY good mood. And music soothes him. I think I get that part of me from him. After presenting Ujji with books for his birthday, we were discussing other gifts we could've bought him. We came up with musical instruments. Honestly, Ujji's not someone who'd go buy some such thing for himself. So it would've been a good gift. And that got me thinking.

I've always wanted to buy an instrument for myself. And thanks to Baba's musical gene, I've made them buy me stuff earlier :). However, over the last 3 years I've given myself reasons not to do certain things I want to - buying an instrument is just one among them. Ujji's birthday kinda broke that spell.

After much experimenting, researching and thinking, I realized, saxophones need too much room in your lungs. So do flutes (don't go by the sheer size-difference between these instruments). Mine barely help me breath normally! Baba suggested the sitar. And while it's a really good suggestion, I don't see myself sitting with a sitar after the first few times (and I wouldn't want to see an instrument lying around, unused). Aai went back to casios... I'd love to play a piano someday, but then the mind goes to... "Nah... Not something I'd buy for a LONG-long time". So it's the most common instrument - the guitar. Hmph.

I have nothing against the instrument, except... everybody wants to play the damn thing! Looking at it's pros, though - It's affordable (at this point), it's something I can take along wherever, I can learn it by myself off the internet and most important... I think I'll look good on it, Heh! So there, I'm buying a guitar.

P.S: I might just mention this - the idea of an instrument occurred to me 'coz a friend mentioned he bought a guitar. This was a few days before Ujji's birthday. Now I'm thinking - is that why I'm buying a guitar? Hmm. Well, if it's so... so be it! I'm still buying one. Wish me luck.

Month packed with Birthdays

2008-07-14T12:31:00.007+05:30

Yesterday was Ladi tai's and Ujji's birthday (HAPPY BIRTHDAY, guys!!). While the day was more or less a usual Sunday, there were some unexpected guests and good food. The highlight of the day was my brother going missing :D!

Ujji's gift from us. Thanks Deepti, it's after you mentioned these

It so happened that Baba's car had a dead rat in the AC system and there was absolutely no way Aai was going to travel in that vehicle (Heh!) We were suppose to meet Ujji at CMH and have some junk for dinner (not Baba, ofcourse; he helped himself with some leftovers...) So Aai and me rode on my gaadi, while Baba came along in an auto-rickshaw. After dinner, Ujji wanted to take Aai home on his Pulsar (which she always avoids; she thinks I'm a safe driver/rider *grinning*). Me and Baba rode back on my gaadi. So by the time Ujji started back to the institute it was almost 11:15 - 11:30 pm. He had an early lecture today and so nobody insisted on him staying back.

One hour later, my parents are frantically trying to reach him on his mobile to confirm he's reached the institute. Some strange man picks up his mobile, is rather rude, doesn't tell who he is and cuts the line. Aai gets all hysterical, Baba looks worried and I'm thinking - Wow! You really getting yourself into trouble this time, bro!

At 12:30am, Aai - half-heartedly yet determined - sat in the same car that was stinking of a dead rat and Baba drove all the way to the institute. I was home, incase he called us on the landline. 45 minutes, one worried friend and an even more worried uncle later, Baba informs us all that his bike is outside the hostel and our man's happily sitting in his friend's room, celebrating his now-gone birth-day and completely oblivious to the fact that he was suppose to inform them he's reached the institute!

Aai almost slapped him (earlier today, when I asked him if she did (?), he said - In her dreams...), Baba as usual, gave him a stern warning and I asked him to kick himself twice for me :)...

All in all, Ujji's 23rd birthday was quite a day for Aai and Baba. They're gonna laugh over this years from now, when Ujji's kids ask them about his forgetfulness.

Food for thought - 5

2008-07-09T10:49:00.002+05:30

"Imagine the universe beautiful and just and perfect.
Then be sure of one thing:

The Is has imagined it quite a bit better than you have.
The original sin is to limit the Is.
Don't."

- Illusions, Richard Bach, Delacorte Press, New York, 1977

Celebrating Nadal's first

2008-07-07T19:13:00.003+05:30

A rightly deserved win!

In other news, we've been trying to locate my gaadi keys the whole day, only to learn Aai slipped them into the trash along with her garden kachraa...

Regular conversation

2008-07-05T23:35:00.005+05:30

M: ah
back
m: crapping is it?
M: who won wimbledon womens?
m: venus
M: no - was playing game with someone else online
thoo..
m: :D
M: anyway
m: what you support serena?
either of them waste... how did it matter?
M: yeah
m: tomorrow will be fun
M: true
yeah
m: if nadal is in form
M: yeah, but i dont mind either of them winning
exact opp of today
m: hehe...
would like to see nadal win
but i kinda doubt it
M: that too..
m: he's better off skidding on clay
M: funny he is
m: watte ass!
M: used to have big crush on him
then i saw more of federe
m: haha...
federer is good boy
M: yeah..
m: nadal nice ass... :)
M: very!
and he keeps drawing attention to it
m: totally man!
M: by scratching, or pulling his pants up
m: yeah
Sent at 11:33 PM on Saturday
M: i'm off to sleep now
yaaaaaaaaaaawn
m: wokay
Sent at 11:35 PM on Saturday

M is offline. Messages you send will be delivered when M comes online.

I am:

2008-07-05T22:55:00.003+05:30

...completing Santosh's tag
I think: I ponder over thoughts too much
I know: gaallees from 5 different languages (mostly Indian)
I want: to live with Cheetahs, a Falcon, couple'a Orangutans, some Stallions, a dozen-odd dogs and a Python
I have: a lot'a hiccups about how life's played out itself so far
I wish: I could be a bit more 'on-the-face' at times with some people
I hate: fanaticism of any kind
I miss: LA times
I fear: my mind winning over my heart
I hear: my dogs complaining about their meals everyday
I smell: stale by 4pm
I crave: for freedom from my thoughts
I search: for too much spiritual gyaan
I wonder: what those two little baby-crows on our coconut tree are doing this very minute
I regret: letsee... that... and that... and that... and that... and... nevermind...
I love: ME
I care: a rat's ass about Tom, Dick or Harry
I am not: a feminist
I believe: in love
I dance: fairly well by myself
I sing: everytime I'm asked to; no much bhaav required
I cry: without a whisper
I don’t always: play by the rules
I fight: only with my brother
I write: my grand-prarents rarely - almost never (*sigh*)
I win: accolades for my patience from many
I lose: to my brother ALWAYS (*hmpf*)
I never: read a novel twice; unless the first time was a bouncer
I always: manage to find common ground with everybody in a group
I confuse: Venus for Serena & Serena for Venus, among the William sisters
I listen: to every word my mother says and grumble
I can usually be found: reading on my terrace
I am scared: of lizards
I need: to get out and do all the things I've listed in my mind
I am happy about: how I've turned out

Thanks Santosh. This was fun :).

TADA!

2008-07-03T19:57:00.003+05:30

For all those who might not know, (or might know and forget) tomorrow I complete 28 wonderful years of my life in this physical form (Heh!). So go ahead and wish me; make my day! Life's too short not to have people sending good wishes your way and I'm reminding you guys a day earlier :)!

Just so I don't forget - Happy Birthday Pranjal :)!

Highlight of the day

2008-06-27T22:42:00.003+05:30

Salon, Jelebis and this -

Heh!

I've been down and
I'm wondering why
These little black clouds
Keep walking around
With me
With me

It wastes time
And I'd rather be high
Think I'll walk me outside
And buy a rainbow smile
But be free
They're all free

So maybe tomorrow
I'll find my way home
So maybe tomorrow
I'll find my way home

I look around at a beautiful life
Been the upperside of down
Been the inside of out
But we breathe
We breathe

I wanna breeze and an open mind
I wanna swim in the ocean
Wanna take my time for me
All me

So maybe tomorrow
I'll find my way home
So maybe tomorrow
I'll find my way home

So maybe tomorrow
I'll find my way home
So maybe tomorrow
I'll find my way home

So maybe tomorrow
I'll find my way home
So maybe tomorrow
I'll find my way home

Connecting with self

2008-06-23T11:47:00.007+05:30

I've been reading a lot on the Law of Attraction and it's various sub-laws, over the last few months. In order to get myself in-sync, I've even tried meditating. But I guess you really need to learn the basics from someone who's well-versed in the subject. I've been meaning to approach someone for the same. As the law might have it (Heh!), I found myself at the Art of Living, International Center, Bangalore.

Spent the weekend attending one of their courses. Liked what they had to offer and absolutely enjoyed the tranquility of the place. I think I'm going to find myself visiting this place more often.

Ofcourse, there is the occasional irritation of having to see people flock in dozens to touch Mr. Ravi Shankar's feet or seek his blessings (arrgh..), but that's for a fraction of a second. Look around and understand what he's trying to communicate, and none of that irritation persists :)!

*Photo courtesy - Discover Bangalore

Food for thought - 4

2008-06-15T19:54:00.005+05:30

"Brick walls are there for a reason. They give us a chance to show how badly we want something."

- Randy Pausch, Professor, Carnegie Mellon

(w.r.t road-blocks one faces)

Finally - Once

2008-06-13T16:39:00.004+05:30

After a long, LONG wait, I finally manage to get my hands on this movie. A simple story, repeated a million times over maybe; and told in the most beautiful way! Icing on cake - the music!

"how often do you find the right person?!... once"

Mystery solved

2008-06-12T22:12:00.003+05:30

Rains are such joy. Hot pakoras, steaming coffees, warm quilts and couches...*sigh* absolute BLISS! Oh and there's the hot water bath! Although, for a few days now, the hot water faucet's been gurgling out some weird stuff. Last few days I've been seeing a lot of feathers in my bucket! While I didn't want to admit, at the back of my mind was a thought that maybe - just maybe - I'm dealing with a...! (Hey, I'm just really good with my imagination, so don't squirm!) I let the thought pass. And the feathers. They kept appearing. Today, I found a leg. With claws. One leg. (I told you my thoughts turn to reality! )

We spent the whole morning cleaning tanks - underground sump, cold water tank, hot water tank... and nothing... phew. There was not a single piece of evidence that it was a bird. But I swear I found a leg! So we decided to drain all pipelines. And nasty as it may sound - bit-by-bit, degenerated chunk of flesh kept finding it's way out through the hot water faucets. YUCK!

Now, the big mystery is - how did it find it's way into the water?! No tank is open. All have solid covers - metal or stone ones. There's absolutely no way some stupid bird flew down and got caught! The verdict?! - BWSSB (Bangalore Water Supply & Sewage Board).

And the verdict was unanimous.

Suggestions Required

2008-06-10T11:48:00.002+05:30

Santosh's dad sent him a list of books. He's trying to figure out which ones he should buy for his old man. I've read just one from this list - A Beautiful Mind - and was hoping you guys might suggest some from these -

Fermat's Last Theorem - Simon Singh
The Code Book - Simon Singh
A beautiful mind - Sylvia Nasar
The Man who loved only numbers - Paul Hoffman
The Victorian Internet - Tom Standage
Fingerprints - Colin Beaven
Can Reindeer fly? - Roger Highfield
Mendeleyev's Dream - Paul Strathern
Snowball earth - Gabrielle Walker
The fifth miracle - Paul Davies
Strange beauty - George Jonson
The Cogwheel Brain - Doron Swade
The making of the atomic bomb - Richard Rhodes
Chaos - James Gleick
Flatland - Edwin. A. Abbott
A Mathematician's apology - G. H. Hardy
Our final century - Martin Rees
The surgeon of Crowthrone - Simon Winchester
The Pahntom Tollboth - Norton Juster
Roses In December - M. C. Chagla
Artificial Intellegence and Natural man - Margaret. A. Boden
Dimensions of creativity - Margaret. A. Boden
The Philosophy of Artificial Life - Margaret. A. Boden
Swami Rama - Swami Ajaya
The Traditions of The Himalyan Masters - Pandit Rajamani Tigumant
The Emperor's New Mind - Roger Penrose
Theories of Everything - Joh. D. Barrow
Don't You Have time to Think - Richard Feynman
Narrative - Fredrick Douglars
Autobiography of a Fugitive Negro - Samuel Ringold Ward
The Fugitive Blacksmith - J. W. C. Pennigton

Classics

2008-06-09T12:37:00.003+05:30

HBO featured a 'Top 10' tear-jerker's list. 'The Notebook' stands at the number 2 spot. I hadn't heard about the movie, but that's not what I'm writing about. So I download the movie and 30 minutes into it, this song plays in the background. It's one of my favorites and it goes well with the movie. Here it is -

Hope you like!

More Lists

2008-06-07T23:13:00.004+05:30

Another one from Deepti -

Wings
The Broadway Melody
All Quiet on the Western Front
Cimarron
Grand Hotel
Cavalcade
It Happened One Night
Mutiny on the Bounty
The Great Ziegfeld
The Life of Emile Zola
You Can't Take It with You
Gone With the Wind
Rebecca
How Green Was My Valley
Mrs. Miniver
Casablanca
Going My Way
The Lost Weekend
The Best Years of Our Lives
Gentleman's Agreement
Hamlet
All the King's Men
All About Eve
An American in Paris
The Greatest Show on Earth
From Here to Eternity
On the Waterfront
Marty
Around the World in 80 Days
The Bridge on the River Kwai
Gigi
Ben Hur
The Apartment
West Side Story
Lawrence of Arabia
Tom Jones
My Fair Lady
The Sound of Music
A Man for All Seasons
In the Heat of the Night
Oliver!
Midnight Cowboy
Patton
The French Connection
The Godfather
The Sting
The Godfather Part II
One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
Rocky
Annie Hall
The Deer Hunter
Kramer v. Kramer
Ordinary People
Chariots of Fire
Gandhi
Terms of Endearment
Amadeus
Out of Africa
Platoon
The Last Emperor
Rain Man
Driving Miss Daisy
Dances with Wolves
The Silence of the Lambs
Unforgiven
Schindler's List
Forrest Gump
Braveheart
The English Patient
Titanic
Shakespeare in Love
American Beauty
Gladiator
A Beautiful Mind
Chicago
Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
Million Dollar Baby
Crash
The Departed
No Country for Old Men

Bold - the ones I've watched.

Not bad eh?!

Update: (June 9th) Two more classics suggested by Smini -

Mackenna's Gold
King Solomon's Mines

Flavours

2008-06-06T11:43:00.004+05:30

Yesterday was refreshingly different. To begin with, it marked 3 years of my return from the U.S of A. Surprisingly, it doesn't seem so long!

The first half flew by engrossed in work. It's amazing how some results can make you feel on top of the world! Spent the afternoon watching some high-budget, poor-performance movies (and they make plenty of those in LA!). Evening was a teaser with a slight shower and a beautiful, beautiful rainbow! It was so enchanting, I didn't want to run upstairs to get my camera! For those who missed it - Rajesh has a snap of it. The spell of rain lasted barely 20-25 minutes. This was followed by anxious neighbors comforting a fellow resident, whose house had been robbed in broad daylight (that's a rare thing in this part of town), a murky discussion - over phone - with someone terribly confused, an enlightening conversation with Baba on some old Marathi music, some physical assault on a cold-infected brother (muhahaha), preparing Rasam, having dinner and another lethargic movie!

Life's good. It's so bloody amazingly good :)!

Let's hear it for Obama

2008-06-04T22:19:00.005+05:30

With Step-Father, Mother, Step-Sister - Barack Obama

...or should we wait until November?

Calling it a day

2008-06-03T22:52:00.002+05:30

I absolutely long for Friday nights. Not 'coz the weekend's a respite from all the week's work (I work 6 hours, 7 days a week; so no weekends for me), but because Ujji comes home for the weekend. And it's fun when he's around. Of course, that only means a drop in the number of hours I can put in on these days. Which I then have to make up for on Mondays and Tuesdays. Normally, these aren't bad either. This week has been an exception.

Work has been K.R.A.Z.Z.Y! Yes, that bad! Two continuous 16 hour days with barely a breather between. I'm so pooped... *phew*...

Gonna slump into that bean-bag and watch a couple of movies with a steaming cup of coffee and nothing - absolutely nothing - to eat. My stomach feels like it can go without food for a whole week! That's something I've gotto stop doing; crunch time and my routine's pretty much - Food-Laptop-Food-Laptop-Food-Laptop... If I repeat the word 'f.o.o.d' again, I might throw up!

So that's that. TV, here I come.

I MISS THIS SHOW SO MUCH

2008-06-02T10:51:00.001+05:30

I SO need to go get the DVD collection for these!

Maa-Baap ka PYAAR

2008-06-01T22:36:00.003+05:30

We had dinner at India Gate on 100ft road, Friday night. Lovely dinner. Good drinks too. Aai ofcourse, always avoids drinks (not that she drives after that; she'd probably cause more damage without being drunk - Baba's words). So on our way out, I was busy messaging someone, my brother was picking up some extra saunf and Baba as usual, is way ahead. In that split second when all this is happening, my brother and me hear a THUD!, turn around and see Aai on the floor!

Apparently, she didn't realize there was a step and was happily thanking the manager for his services (my mom). So anyways, we helped her up, massaged her ankle and walked out. The first thing she can come up with - "Maazha mhaataaraa kuthey gelaa"?! - rather irritated.

Baba was holding the elevator for us, he went - "Buddhi padli-re-padli"! - with a BIG grin!

If there's anything I enjoy more than stand-up comedy... it's my parents addressing each other. One helluva couple!

Why I love the Internet

2008-06-01T12:43:00.005+05:30

Years ago, there used to be this add on TV. Well, I don't quite remember the add. Or the year. All I remember is the background score - "I'm in the mood for love". Now basically, this is a really popular number with over 2 dozen artists recording it in their respective voices. And I'm looking for this one particular artist, whose voice plays in the background of that particular add. So I go hither-tither looking for this track, with no name for the artist, no add details and no year (nice)... and I find this -

I'm in the Mood for Love

Now, I'm not sure THIS is the artist or THE VOICE in the background of THAT particular add. But hey! it's close - real close!

Lyrics -
I'm in the mood for love
Simply because you're near me
Funny, but when you're near me
I'm in the mood for love

Heaven is in your eyes
Bright as the stars we're under
Oh, is it any wonder?
I'm in the mood for love

Why stop to think of whether
This little dream might fade?
We've put our hearts together
Now we are one, I'm not afraid

If there's a cloud above
If it should rain, we'll let it
But, for tonight, forget it
I'm in the mood for love

Love the rains...

2008-05-30T11:06:00.003+05:30

And the first thing that comes to mind each time I'm getting soaked is -

The number of times I went through this exercise as a teenager... Heh! A splendid way to enjoy the rains, no?!

Update: (6:45 PM) Another favorite during rains -

In the last few hours

2008-05-29T22:03:00.005+05:30

Scene 1 -
Baba: "Mazha dokka dukh-tay"...
Me: "Kashaani?"...
Baba: "Maahit naahi"...
Me: "Goli ghetli?"...
Baba: "Naahi... nantar gheyil"...
Me: "Hmm"...

Scene 2 - (Two hours later)
Baba: "Me challo zhopaayla"...
Me: "Huh?" (had headphones on)
Baba: (lip-syncing) "Me zhopaayla challo"...
Me: "Oh... Ok"...
Me: "Tumcha dokka banda zhalaka?"...
Baba: (just stares, trying hard not to laugh)...

A second later... all 3 of us are quacking bigtime!

They can use your help

2008-05-29T11:47:00.004+05:30

As usual, I get this from my brother, in my email -

| View | Upload your own

I've done my bit of search and found The International Federation for Red Cross, an easy way to donate online. They're even Verified by Visa, so you can safely use your State Bank, HDFC or other cards to give as much as your heart (and bank account) will allow. Make your donations... without a hiccup!

Have a good day y'all!

Kudos...

2008-05-26T21:50:00.004+05:30

...to this album, to this acoustic-guitar singer-songwriter. Like Heather rightly puts it -

"If you're looking for something to help you heal, no matter what went wrong, go buy this album."

I am my mother's only one
It's enough

I wear my garment so it shows
Now you know

Only love is all maroon
Gluey feathers on a flume
Sky is womb and she's the moon

I am my mother on the wall, with us all
I move in water, shore to shore;
Nothing's more

Only love is all maroon
Lapping lakes like leary loons
Leaving rope burns --
Reddish ruse

Only love is all maroon
Gluey feathers on a flume
Sky is womb and she's the moon

Finally moved

2008-05-24T23:10:00.003+05:30

Drove down airport road for an ice-cream. Passed the last stretch of the airport. Witnessed a quite skyline, a barren flying strip and no improvement in traffic :).

15 long years in this part of town; I miss the sound of planes taking-off and landing. I miss being 'close-to-the-airport' *sigh*.

* Photo courtesy Rajesh Dangi

Hmm...

2008-05-24T21:47:00.003+05:30

I was looking up the meaning for -

"Mangalyam tantuna nena
Mama jeevana hetuna
Kanthe bhadhrani shubhage
Twam dheeya sharadam shubam"

...and I was directed to this page :)!

P.S: Meaning -

"By tying the 'mangalyam' (sacred thread) around her neck, the husband entwines his life with his wife's"

...phew!

Also, I just tried making some Babycorn Masala... YUCK! I'm so sorry, but it really wasn't upto my taste :\.

Lists

2008-05-24T10:57:00.004+05:30

Here's Deepti's post and here's my list -

Addendum
Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell
Anna Karenina
Crime and Punishment
Catch-22
One Hundred Years of Solitude
Wuthering Heights <--
The Silmarillion
Life of Pi : a novel <--
The Name of the Rose
Don Quixote
Moby Dick
Ulysses
Madame Bovary
The Odyssey
Pride and Prejudice
Jane Eyre
ATale of Two Cities
The Brothers Karamazov
Guns, Germs, and Steel: the fates of human societies
War and Peace
Vanity Fair
The Time Traveler’s Wife
The Iliad
Emma
The Blind Assassin
The Kite Runner *
Mrs. Dalloway
Great Expectations
American Gods
A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius
Atlas Shrugged
Reading Lolita in Tehran : a memoir in books
Memoirs of a Geisha <--
Middlesex <--
Quicksilver
Wicked : the Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West
Frankenstein
The Count of Monte Cristo
Dracula
A Clockwork Orange
Anansi Boys
The Once and Future King
The Grapes of Wrath
The Poisonwood Bible : a novel
1984
Angels & Demons
The Inferno
The Satanic Verses
Sense and Sensibility
The Picture of Dorian Gray
Mansfield Park
One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest <--
To the Lighthouse
Tess of the D’Urbervilles
OliverTwist
Gulliver’s Travels
Les Misérables <--
The Corrections
The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time
Dune
The Prince
The Sound and the Fury
Angela’s Ashes : a memoir
The God of Small Things
A People’s History of the United States : 1492-present
Cryptonomicon
Neverwhere
A Confederacy of Dunces
A Short History of Nearly Everything - SorryMr. Bryson <--
Dubliners
The Unbearable Lightness of Being
Beloved
Slaghterhouse-five
The Scarlet Letter
Eats, Shoots & Leaves
The Mists of Avalon
Oryx and Crake : a novel
Collapse : how societies choose to fail or succeed
Cloud Atlas
The Confusion
Lolita
Persuasion
Northanger Abbey
The Catcher in the Rye
On the Road
The Hunchback of Notre Dame <--
Freakonomics : a rogue economist explores the hidden side of everything
Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance : an inquiry into values *
The Aeneid
Watership Down
Gravity’s Rainbow
The Hobbit
In Cold Blood : a true account of a multiple murder and its consequences
White Teeth
Treasure Island
David Copperfield

Bold - ones I've read
Underlined - ones I read for school
Italicized - ones I started but didn't finish

P.S
(*) - ones I liked and would (or did) read again or recommend
(<--) - books on my wishlist

Thanks Deepti!

Here are a few other's I'd recommend personally -

Jonathan Livingston Seagull *
The Day of the Jackal *
Roots *
Mister God, This is Anna *
Marley and Me :) *

Of people & vibes

2008-05-23T10:27:00.008+05:30

Baba's enjoying IPL whole-heartedly. He's even got Aai hooked to it. Come 9pm and you can hear him go, "Ahh... this team's out..." or "That's a stupid shot bugger...". Aai chips in with comments too, which is fun to hear!

So a couple of days ago, Ujji asked me why I wasn't interested in cricket and that got me thinking - why? I've never been a cricket 'fan'. Then again, I've been a 'fan' of no game really; definitely not the kinds to sit in front of a screen either booing or cheering a team or person. I guess I'm not a TV person. I'm not even fond of any particular movie personality, now that I think of it. As far as sports go, I've always enjoyed participating in person. I enjoy my time at basketball courts, badminton courts, race-courses, etc. Basically, I like being there, doing it myself. It gives me a 'kick' of sorts; one that seeing someone perform or do the same, doesn't.

I have to agree though, when I do watch some people on screen, they leave behind a 'good' feeling. Ofcourse, not one to make me go buy their posters or watch their every game or movie. It's a few seconds feeling - like sparing them a few thoughts and that's about it. Stefanie ~~was~~ is one of them. More recently (blame this on IPL), Glenn McGrath has been added to this list. Again, he's an old-timer, but it's not his game or his performance that earned him his spot in my list. It's a feeling - a vibe :)!

So there, I've just explained the title for this post.

Lucky me

2008-05-21T17:45:00.005+05:30

I had an episode with my bike some time ago. I parked it on a quite road in Indiranagar, spent sometime on CMH and got back to find it lying flat on the same spot. Not much damage... just the front left hand portion had a major dent. So when I left it at the service center, the guy asked me if I'd like to get that portion fixed. He said I could claim insurance for the damage and I'd get back 80% of whatever I spend on it. I agreed.

I just received my insurance cheque today - a 110% refund... Heh!

Road Trips

2008-05-19T13:37:00.004+05:30

Lack of posts?... Blame it on the roadtrips. First to Pune, then to Munnar. And it's been fabulous indeed! They're doing a splendid job with the Golden Quadrilateral. It makes road journeys all the more agreeable. While Pune trip included visits to relatives, Munnar was altogether a 'break-from-the-mundane'. And what a refreshing break... phew! Here's a glimpse of this beautiful place -

Between these 2 trips we've had a brief stay in Bangalore and Aai was busy tending to her garden. She's got her Ashoka trees trimmed and the place looks barren without them *sigh*. On the other hand, she's had some wonderful blooms too -

All-in-all it's been a busy yet happy time :)! Now... back to work. Heh!

Exhilarated

2008-04-22T21:35:00.002+05:30

So I finally got to a bookstore... Yay! I was hoping to pick up one other book along with 'god is not Great' and my mind was trying to choose between - 'Pride and Prejudice' and 'Maximum City'. I ended up buying - 'The Secret'! And WOW!... what a book this is!

I'd only heard of the movie (in passing) from a friend sometime in 2006, but never really had a chance to catch it. The book is exactly or maybe more that what I've been looking for! I immediately began reading it and wasn't able to put it down until I'd finished!

Whether it'll ring with you or not, I'm not sure. I sure hope it does :)! Fill me in on your experience!

6 months and counting

2008-04-13T18:50:00.004+05:30

I've been trying to get a snap of his for a whole week now. All I manage is him sleeping or barking at Munnu (he hates it when Munnu barks at strangers! Weird dog!) or hidden under some chair. So finally today, I put my efforts to rest. I bribed him with biscuits for snaps! Here's Sheru, 6 months old -

I'll try and put up a slide-show here sometime soon! This one looks like he changes every other day!

Hot under the Collar

2008-04-12T21:33:00.004+05:30

I came across this post today by another of my own species. The title reads - 'Awesome girls' profiles ........taken from Shaadi.com!!!'.

For a moment it didn't register. And when it did, I could feel blood rising to my head! Reading the post initially made me sick, then hateful and finally pitiful towards the author. To my dismay, the author turned out to be a woman too!

It's such a pitiable society we live in, isn't it? Here are some women trying to rise from their otherwise mundane and ignored lives to find a special someone. Agreed, their choice of words isn't anywhere close to yours or mine. Or even the author's who wrote that post! But hell, how good are you or me or she when compared to let's say Tony Morrison or Ayn Rand or Pearl Buck?!

How can you possibly find humor in something that could mean the world to another?! It's just beyond me! Oh and ofcourse, I'm sure there would be the lot that comes up with - "Hey, it's just a gag!" Sheesh! Where do these specimens come from?!

Sarcasm

2008-04-12T13:35:00.002+05:30

Another forward from my brother -

A world-wide survey was conducted by the UN. The only question asked was: "Would you please give your honest opinion about solutions to the food shortage in the rest of the world?" The survey was a huge failure! Here's why:

In Africa they didn't know what 'food' meant,

In India they didn't know what 'honest' meant,

In Europe they didn't know what 'shortage' meant,

In China they didn't know what 'opinion' meant,

In the Middle East they didn't know what 'solution' meant,

In South America they didn't know what 'please' meant

And in the USA they didn't know what 'rest of the world' meant!

Take Heed

2008-04-10T21:17:00.003+05:30

This is a report produced by 'The GreenPeace India Society'. It gives a detailed survey on the effect of climate change on the Indian Subcontinent.

Not interested?! How about this - Atleast 120 million people will be rendered homeless with the rise in water level, in India alone! Still no effect?! Consider this then - People are expected to migrate inland from as early as 2045! That's the same 120 million people who might lose their homes.

Think we're prepared for that?!

Fussing over food

2008-04-08T19:34:00.005+05:30

Aai has always complained about my eating habits. I've always had a sparse appetite, but that's just one of her concerns. She's making a big deal about what I like and don't almost every other day. Well, I guess that's quite understandable being my mother and all (and I guess I should appreciate the fact that I'm quite lucky in a million ways), but I thought I'd put the matter to rest once and for all. If I'm really that choosy, I should make room for more variety, right? So letsee, I'm making a list of things I think I consume & not -

Consume -

Milk & milk products
Eggs
Cereals & Pulses
Green Vegetables AND Other (er...um) selected Vegetables

Don't -

Beans
All types of 'gourds'
Vegetables that appear as fruit of a plant - Pumpkins, Eggplants, etc.

Hmm. I still think I have a healthy diet. My mom should see this list maybe! (Heh!)

City Cleansed

2008-04-04T16:42:00.004+05:30

Bangalore still looks beautiful when it rains. Many might say there's trouble with roads, with basements in apartments, with traffic - which is all true and yet, there's something mystical about the rains in this city. It's almost spiritually healing! Ofcourse, you're looking at Bangalore from the stand-point of someone who barely gets out of home (no traffic nuisance!), is pretty much confined to one room that overlooks a beautiful garden (thanks to Aai) and enjoys her mug of hot-coffee, all alone, slumped in a bean-bag at 2:30am, watching thunder and lightning from this confinement of hers! Rains are fun, aren't they?!

Google 'Quote for the day'

2008-03-31T16:10:00.004+05:30

"At the age of eleven or thereabouts women acquire a poise and an ability to handle difficult situations which a man, if he is lucky, manages to achieve somewhere in the later seventies."
- P. G. Wodehouse (Uneasy Money)

Jeremy Camp

2008-03-27T15:02:00.002+05:30

Spent the whole day listening to Jeremy Camp. Here's one of his numbers -

Artist - Jeremy Camp
Title - Give You Glory
Year - 2007

Lyrics -

We have raised a thousand voices
Just to lift Your holy name
And we will raise thousands more
To sing of Your beauty in this place
Well none can even fathom
No not one define Your worth
As we marvel in Your presence
To the ends of the earth.

We give You glory,
Lifting up our hands and singing holy,
You alone are worthy
We just want to touch Your heart, Lord, touch Your heart
Glory, lifting up our voice and singing holy,
You alone are worthy
We just want to touch Your heart, Lord, touch Your heart

As we fall down before You
With our willing hearts we seek
In the greatness of Your glory
It's so hard to even speak
There is nothing we can offer
No nothing can repay
So we give You all our praises
And lift our voice to sing

We give You glory,
Lifting up our hands and singing holy,
You alone are worthy
We just want to touch Your heart, Lord, touch Your heart
Glory, lifting up our voice and singing holy,
You alone are worthy
We just want to touch Your heart, Lord, touch Your heart

Our hope is drenched in You
Our faith has been renewed
We trust in Your every word
Nothing else can even measure up to You.

We give You glory,
Lifting up our hands and singing holy,
You alone are worthy
We just want to touch Your heart, Lord, touch Your heart
Glory, lifting up our voice and singing holy,
You alone are worthy
We just want to touch Your heart, Lord, touch Your heart

Frequenters

2008-03-19T11:36:00.004+05:30

Every morning, at around 9-9:30 am, there's a clatter on our terrace. A group of no less than 10 monkeys find it a convenient place to hang-out! Some have little ones pinned to their fronts, others simply jump around making merry :). It's quite a sight! This one mother-child pair, never fail to keep me company for atleast half-an-hour. After which I'm compelled to feed them :)! The little one's quite a handful. The mother's delight at being offered something she can have herself without sharing with the little one, is quite obvious!

Hiatus

2008-03-14T19:56:00.004+05:30

It's been a long time! The culprit? - my dial-up connection. I've been waiting for broadband in our native town for 3 weeks now (*sigh*)! And I've finally managed to get one (Heh!). So hopefully I'll be more regular at posting and keeping accounts of our exploits at Amravati :)!

Hope you guys still stop-by :)!

Recieved through email

2008-02-13T18:46:00.005+05:30

My brother forwarded this email to me today. The subject line read - 'She makes babies out of clay'. It instantly captured my attention! So I visited her website and read up everything I could. She truly has a God given gift! Hope you enjoy the pictures as well.

Valentine's is around the corner

2008-02-11T20:25:00.000+05:30

...and here's a wonderful way to say you care -

Gifts That Give More

You can make a difference!

Everything

2008-02-07T18:53:00.000+05:30

A skit performed on 'Lifehouse - Everything'

Yenjoy!

Confused? Maybe an editor can help!

2008-02-05T11:12:00.000+05:30

I read Heather's blog religiously. Today she had these 2 video links - 'Wiener Poopie' and this -

Hope they brighten up your day, as they did mine :)!

A True Friend

2008-02-01T10:03:00.000+05:30

...is a valuable treasure. I've said this a million times before and I'd like to reiterate here -

'On his death bed, if a man has atleast one true friend by his side, he's a succesful man!'

Today, I feel like one (and I'm not close to being on my 'death-bed'!). Sudi always says -

'When life asks you to put something down, it's because it wants you to lift something bigger; something better!'

He couldn't be more right. In all my troubles, you've been stedfast by my side, correcting me if I were wrong, showing me which route would be better and never judging me!

I might forget to thank the Lord for little things He's been blessing me with, but I pray I never stop thanking Him for you!

Thank You.

Food for thought - 3

2008-01-29T12:11:00.001+05:30

'Do one good deed and you'll get ONLY one back in return.
Do one bad deed and you'll get a thousand in return.'

Re-runs can be heart-warming

2008-01-28T12:42:00.000+05:30

The last time I watched this movie, I must have been in 7th or 8th grade. Watching it again yesterday, brought back some wonderful memories. If you're a Classics person, get your hands on this one. You won't regret it.

Song: Edelweiss
Movie: Sound of Music
Year: 1965

Edelweiss, Edelweiss
Every morning you greet me
Small and white, clean and bright
You look happy to meet me

Blossom of snow may you bloom and grow
Bloom and grow forever

Edelweiss, Edelweiss
Bless my homeland forever

For all 'Book-Lovers'

2008-01-26T10:36:00.000+05:30

True, we're a net saavy generation. True, we spend 3/4 of our time (or should I add more to that figure?) browsing, emailing, working online, etc. True, we depend on our systems/laptops today.

And yet (I wish I could emphasize more on that 'yet'), when it comes to books, there's a whole lot of us longing to flip through pages rather than use the scroll-bar; those of us who love the smell of paper, who'd drive that extra mile to visit a bookstore!

It's such people 'Librarywala' will always find a true customer in. Kudos to you guys! And thanks Pooja, you're an angel!

A 'Sudi-story'...

2008-01-23T13:37:00.000+05:30

I've known Sudi through college. He's been a dear friend ever since. We've always known the artist in him -

Sudi Art 1

Sudi calls this one - EyeSpy

...and today he's revealed another talent - 'Story-Telling'

Update (1st February, 2008): So it's not a 'Sudi-story' :(. And that doesn't make you any less talented :)...

Here's one of his latest ~~tales~~ forwards (edited version)-

A long time ago, before the world was created and humans set foot on it, God had put all human 'qualities' in a separate room.

All qualities were bored and they decided to play 'Hide-n-Seek'. 'Madness' was one of the qualities and he shouted, "I want to seek, I want to seek!". Since nobody wanted to seek 'Madness', the other qualities agreed.

So 'Madness' leaned against a tree and started counting, "One, two, three..."

As 'Madness' counted, the qualities went hiding. 'Treason' hid in a pile of garbage, 'Lie' announced he'd hide under a stone, but hid at the bottom of a lake instead. 'Madness' continued counting, "... seventy nine, eighty, eighty one..."

By this time, almost all qualities were hidden - except 'Love'. For stupid as 'Love' is, he couldn't decide where to hide. (And this shouldn't surprise us, because we all know how difficult it is to hide 'Love')

'Madness', "...ninety five, ninety six, ninety seven...". Just when 'Madness' got to one hundred, 'Love' jumped into a rose bush.

'Madness' turned around and shouted, "I'm coming, I'm coming!". 'Laziness' was the first to be found; he was too lazy to hide. 'Madness' searched madly and found 'Lie' at the bottom of the lake. One by one, 'Madness' found them all - except 'Love'. 'Madness' was getting desperate, unable to find 'Love'.

Envious of Love, 'Envy' whispered to 'Madness', "You only need to find 'Love' and he's hiding in the rose bush". 'Madness' jumped into the rose bush and heard a loud cry. The thorns in the bush had pierced 'Love's' eyes.

Hearing the commotion God came in and saw what had happened. He got very angry and cursed 'Madness'. He said, "Since 'Love' has become blind because of you, you shall always be with him".

And so it came to be from that day on - 'Love is blind and is always accompanied by Madness'.

Where he ~~comes up with~~ gets these, is hard to say. Appreciation, suggestions, comments, brick-n-bats, can all be sent to Sudi directly.

Please spread the word

2008-01-19T11:06:00.000+05:30

Apparently, the Govt. itself authorizes this!!

Maybe it's time we re-define the word 'humane', if this is what we've come to.

How do those people sleep during the night?!

A Tracy Chapman fan

2008-01-18T18:00:00.000+05:30

...all over again!

Dear Mister God

2008-01-17T18:32:00.000+05:30

"The difference from a person and an angel is easy. Most of an angel is in the inside and most of a person is on the outside." - Anna

This is how Fynn's - 'Mister God, This is Anna' begins. An exceptional book! Do read.

For a long lost friend

2008-01-17T11:45:00.000+05:30

It's your birthday today. Here's to you -

May you have many more!

Air Sickness

2008-01-16T10:30:00.000+05:30

It's been a crazy weekend. And an even crazier start to the week.

Last Saturday, we were to fly to Pune on an Indigo flight. It was scheduled at 3:30PM. On arriving at the airport ofcourse, we recieved news the flight was delayed for about half-an-hour (managable I'd say). At 4PM we boarded the aircraft & were expecting it to take off anytime. 30 minutes and the pilot says he needs to move the flight to a different bay due to some technical problems. Another 2 hours and they decide to cancel the flight. If you think that's crazy, wait till you read more...

So we got out of the flight and walked upto the ground control personnel to guide us to the cancellation counter. Apparently, there was none! So we had to wait in the line meant for booking tickets on the next flights. Another 2 hours, some frustrated passengers, drained personnel & broken glass later, we managed to cancel our ticket for the day, collected new tickets for the following day (Kingfisher this time) & drove back home.

The next morning, back at the airport, we met half a dozen people from our previous evening's flight. They were taking the same Kingfisher flight to Pune. Again, on arrival, the ~~trian~~ flight was announced as delayed due to bad weather. 2 hours on the airport & we'd seen every nook & corner of the place. No plane still. Another 2 hours & we were in the flight hoping this one would take off! It did.

A night's stay at Pune and we're back at the airport. This time it was worse. The ~~bus~~ plane was delayed 4 hours! 4 hours later - another hour! So a 1 hour 15 minutes trip from Pune to Bangalore had taken us 6 hours 45 minutes! Like that was not enough, we had another flight the next morning. This time to Bombay.

Again, flight delayed by 15 minutes (shortest so far). A day at Bombay and we're back at the airport by nightfall. I guess God really didn't want us to sit at another airport counting books on a shelf in a bookstore or wondering what the person sitting across us was thinking at that moment, so our plane was on time! And surprisingly landed before scheduled time!

Back home, mom's vowed not to visit the airport for a LONG, long time.

I don't have to tell you what was bad about those trips. But what was good was that I managed to complete Khalid Hosseini's 'The Kite Runner'. Good book.

Feeling Blue?

2008-01-07T19:53:00.000+05:30

...get a piercing!

P.S.: Don't let anyone tell you it's painful... 'coz it's not!

"Where did I go wrong..."

2008-01-06T11:48:00.000+05:30

Artist: The Fray
Album: How To Save A Life
Year: 2005

Step one you say we need to talk
He walks you say sit down it's just a talk
He smiles politely back at you
You stare politely right on through
Some sort of window to your right
As he goes left and you stay right
Between the lines of fear and blame
You begin to wonder why you came

Where did I go wrong, I lost a friend
Somewhere along in the bitterness
And I would have stayed up with you all night
Had I known how to save a life

Let him know that you know best
Cause after all you do know best
Try to slip past his defense
Without granting innocence
Lay down a list of what is wrong
The things you've told him all along
And pray to God he hears you
And pray to God he hears you

Where did I go wrong, I lost a friend
Somewhere along in the bitterness
And I would have stayed up with you all night
Had I known how to save a life

As he begins to raise his voice
You lower yours and grant him one last choice
Drive until you lose the road
Or break with the ones you've followed
He will do one of two things
He will admit to everything
Or he'll say he's just not the same
And you'll begin to wonder why you came

Where did I go wrong, I lost a friend
Somewhere along in the bitterness
And I would have stayed up with you all night
Had I known how to save a life

...and he's back!

2008-01-05T11:07:00.000+05:30

Thank you all!

On & Off...

2007-12-31T10:16:00.000+05:30

Wow! It's been a while since my last post, hasn't it? Here's my excuse - I've been trying to get some work done & it's taken longer than expected, especially with these frequent visits to our native.

The fact that the number of posts have reduced over the months, bites me everytime I visit my own blog (...and I do that regularly - visit. Don't ask me why...).

Anyway, more sad news - Sheru's not keeping well *sigh*. Food poisoning, apparently. It hurts to see him so low. Been nursing him for 2 days now. Please pray he feels better.

Food for thought - 2

2007-12-15T12:15:00.001+05:30

'Every time you hurt someone, you take away a part of their innocence.'

Born to be a star?

2007-12-10T12:54:00.000+05:30

Here's Cleopatra Stratan with her famous number - Ghiţă. Yenjoy!

Thanks Pooja

The coat is inside out,
There is no sun above
Nothing is going good
Since I think of Ghita.
But Ghita's not in town
I've asked for him around
It seems to me he's gone
He's gone abroad

Hard, I find it very hard
Want, I don’t know what I want
I know, that you like me too
Ghita what is up with you?
You, come or either go
You, tell me yes or no
Ghita, please don’t hassle me
Tell me, what your life will be?

Ghita,
Tonight I'm waiting at the wicket
Me at the station I bought a ticket
Come to,
But don't come as you did before
As usually with empty hands...
Who else
Will wait and sing for you as I do
Entire evening just getting there
Ghita,
Show me a girl who's fond of you
That loves you more as much as I do...

Who do you think will win this one?

2007-12-08T11:37:00.000+05:30

...Lord Ram & Lord Hanuman or the priest?

(Link on a friend's chat ID)

Why villages matter

2007-12-02T12:20:00.000+05:30

2 days since we returned from our native & I find it hard to believe I miss the place so much. Ofcourse, grand-dads & grand-moms always hold a special place in everybody's heart, but I miss the place. Driving back, I wondered how many people were fortunate enough to get a glimpse of such stark difference. Suddenly, pub-hopping felt boring, unattractive even!

At 7am this place looked beautiful

From milk-men delivering milk in packets to milking cows, buffaloes & goats yourself, from microwave ovens to chulhas, from feather stuffed pillows & foam mattresses to open air char-payis...

Villages definitely provide a taste of whole-some life!

After failed attempts, a passer-by helped us pick this one up

Cricket enthusiasts

Abandoned homes

100 year old stairway

End of festive season

2007-11-24T21:15:00.000+05:30

And what an end it's been, *phew*! Gifts are common during this time of the year. By far this year ended with the best of gifts -

Mom's not into chocolates; dad loves them equally but eats sparingly; bro's been busy with his exams. So all that you see up there, was for me ALONE!

MUHAHAHAHA...

Hope you guys had a fun time as well.

When words fail you

2007-11-15T15:04:00.000+05:30

Here's a prayer request from PrayWay -

"I lost my baby when I was 9 weeks PG this year. The baby was due last week on my birthday. Please pray for me. I cant talk to my family about the pain.

'''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''
My Angel

I know not why God took you. Your due date was on my birthday. You should be here now. One week old or so. I want to hold you and hug you. I want to see your shining little face. My heart aches for you. I so want to have you here with me. I love you little one.

One I will never hold, hug or kiss. I miss you so. I see others with their new little angels in the stores. I look close and I can almost see you in their place. I know you are safe and happy in heaven. I know you are taken care of and loved. I just wish you could have stayed here with me for a while.....to hold and to love.

Love always,
Your Mom, now and forever a mother of five."

Please spare a moment & pray if you will.