Ah...the richness of tradition

I have rarely (rarely!) acknowledged my rather culturally - rich background - Tamizh brahmin-ness (note to readers: Please note the authentic spelling of my mother tongue).

This Sunday was very similar in composition to the ones enjoyed by my Madras cousins - Oil bath, puli avval for breakfast, a fantastic pre-lunch nap in the thereabouts of 12 to 2..Waking up to mor kozhambu and uralaikizhungu (potato) fry...eaten while watching Kandukondein Kandukondein and singing along to "Yenna solla" at the top of my rather jarring voice..

It was in short perfection! 

And perfection was rounded off by watching Bombay (albeit in Hindi..an Iyer maama with vibhoothi lining his forehead talking in chaste Hindi is rather disconcerting especially in the light of how absolutely challenged my Madras family is in saying anything beyond Namaste!!). I could devote an entire post to Adi and his attempts at communicating in Hindi which generally having me keeling over laughing...

Whole bunch of tamizhness that I have been enjoying (unknowingly!) throughout my life...About time I acknowledged them

1. Mani Ratnam/Gautham Menon (different genres I know!) movies..

2. ARR/Haris JayRaj/Ilayaraja for music...

3. Carnatic music...

4. Pujari-Bakery jokes (for the uninitiated..Pujari - Iyers/ Bakery - Iyengar..about all they are good at doing eh?). It is the birth right of all Iyers to mock their Iyengari brethren..We have made it a sport largely played in the playing fields that weddings offer us given the disproportionately high ratio of Iyer:Iyengar found here!

5. Saapad - I am not much of a foodie..I hardly eat and my oft-used phrase to this day remains "pasi-illai"(I am not hungry) but I just love my thair-saadam and rasam!

So..apparently you can take the maami out of Madras but you cant take Madras out of the maami...muahahaha

Right...so have a nice day and all such..started my day listening to Thenpaandi (again!)

Peekaboo!

A comment by an anonymous person on an ancient post reminded me of my blog...
I am quite sure no one reads this anymore...but I am rather bored of just writing B-School essays (and I am not very good at them it seems...)

It feels nice to not have a question glaring at you and have the word limit as that irritating red light just outside the peripheral field of vision that you just cant ignore! I am free to write as I please and I have not a word in my head!

Listening to "Socha Hai" from Rock On...I am in love with the peppy beat of this song..makes u wanna let down your hair and just rock!
Other songs that I have been tripping over the past month are..
1.Adiyae Kolluthae - From the movie, Vaarnam Ayiram (which has Surya in a double role..droooool!)For those of you who are shocked by my liking for a Kollywood actor, Surya is the ONLY exception I will make...even with a moustache (which is generally a no-no from me). The man is positively gorgeous although someone very nearly put me off him with some rather unflattering albeit vivid descriptions!!
*funda..Kodambakam is the birth place of the Tamil Film industry and hence the K..the more obvious Tollywood is for the Telugu film industry and (snigger)..it is Sandalwood here...hehehehe

About the song, it has a brilliant riff that weaves itself around the verses and a raw edge that I just loved (these days I have switched spectrum from wanting polished, sophisticated to wanting raw, uneven...everywhere!)My whimsical nature is legendary so it is not too much of a surprise I guess. Shruthi Hassan is the female vocalist and although she screeches in some places, for the most part, her 'rock voice' fits the bill vis-a-vis this particular composition..listen to it!

2. Kangal Irundal - Another Tamil song..incidentally, my Tamil speaking is improving it seems..any of you who want to verify, please do! (I could use the practice!). I liked the video of this song instantly..it showcased what is now a historical version of love..shy smiles, coy glances exchanged, the boy showing off riding his cycle with his hands on his head and subsequently falling in the gutter...love today is Saif groaning "I miss you so much it hurts"..what a ridiculous campaign! I can think of much better things to use to showcase a Voice Messaging Service..I digress..The song is also an excellent use and James Vasanth has used his music to reach the crescendo of a climactic middle portion (when watched with the video)..Adi has covered the review of this song here.

3. Cowgirl in the Sand - Thanks to Dhivakar, I got my hands on a whole bunch of Neil Young..While I enjoyed Southern Man, the lyrics of this one just stuck..
"Hello Ruby in the Dust, Has your pen begun to rust, After all the sin we've had, I was hoping that we'd turn back"...
A ruby in the dust...poetic! It was my FaceBook status for a week!
Work beckons so I will have to cut my lyrical detailing for a later post..

Thenpandi Cheemayiley is playing now...that break in Kamal's voice as he sings "Azhudha manasu thangadhe" (if you cry my heart will break) is brilliant...the movie makes me misty-eyed to this date..
The scene when he breaks down as they bring his son's body back in the courtyard...disturbingly real..that father's pain just reaches out to engulf you...and that last scene where his grandson asks him "Ninga nallavara kettavara?"...indelible memories...
Kamal remains my favourite actor of his generation..he looks regal,an emperor of his realm who wears his crown lightly at times! I prefer his dramatics to Rajni's exaggerations..

On that scandalous note (a tam who hasn't watched a Rajni move in the theatre yet..and who is yet to watch Baba, Chandramukhi and Sivaji..) I end this post...I managed to write something after all...

So...here I am

After Amrita (the better half) gave me the Brilliante Weblog award for what I think is a rather non-existent blog, I figured I needed to do something to deserve it.

First up on the menu is passing on the award to 5 blogs that I enjoy reading!

1. Namita - A fellow traveler with a rather sharp sense of humour that is refreshing and delightful. Unless of course that wit is being exercised on you! She cant seem to find time to write too much anymore but here's hoping she does!

2. Adi - The kid bro. Started reading at a belated age and has easily overtaken in me in both reading and writing style. For the most part, his blog is about daily observations (not always pertinent, mind you :-)). His love for "saapad", music and Sachin (in that order!) comes through in his blog.

3. Karthik aka Wimpy - This guy does not know of my existence and I only know of his blog. He is held in high esteem for his precise definition and treatise on the state of NED - a common state of affairs for a software engineer in Bangalore. His posts have a rather matter-of-fact-ness about them that I like.

4. Amrita - the person who started me on this of course! Fabulous writing style and all such. She is the better half truly and is poised for success as she completes her doctoral thesis soon.

I cant think of a 5th at the moment...the 4 I have spoken about..continue the good work! and pass on the awards..


Last on this post (phew! this is a long one..)
2 movies I watched over the weekend - with their places at the opposite ends of the "viewing-pleasure" spectrum.

The fabulous one was Wong-Kar Wai's "In the Mood for love" (yes I know! I cant believe it took me this long to watch it either!). I enjoyed the subtlety and the nuanced texture employed in portraying emotions. The judiciousness exercised in introducing new characters was interesting - they were introduced only if they had a purpose. Impactful presences yet seemingly shadowed. This interesting juxtaposition captures the viewer's attention far better than actually establishing them as solid characters. I enjoyed the moments of serendipity portrayed in the beginning of the movie - as the 2 lead characters are seen walking next to each other as complete strangers and yet you know that something is waiting to happen. The magic, at times tangible, at times mercurial makes itself omnipresent throughout the movie. Yumeji's theme has a haunting yet lyrical quality that ensures that it is etched in memory well after the movie. Watch it if you havent already.

The ghastly one was "Kabhi Kabhi"( yes I know I shouldn't have expected much). My love for Gulzar's lyrics was a significant factor in ensuring I watched this.Mom being a big AB fan also ensured that it was the thing to do on Sunday evening. Aaaaargh! the oblique references that Gulzar uses in his poetry was jarringly opposed by in your face hysterics. When the character portrayed by Waheeda Rahman tells her husband that she has a love child, the shock on AB's face is marred by the visual image of a bomb exploding (so that the user is able to see the shock that is absent from the actor's due to his ineptitude or some over-editing). I think AB has an expressive face (which looks awful when seen with a moustache and sideburns borrowed by force from a rater reluctant Kamal Hassan Im sure!) and the bomb imagery was an unfortunate instrument to convey his shock. The movie is peppered with such irrelevant visuals and I shall not relive my horror by duplicating them here.

The other recurring ghastly visual in the movie (yes there was one more) was Neetu Singh. Aaaaaaargh..even as a non-fashionista (yours truly!), I was positively groaning..wide bottomed bell-bottoms on an already unflattering figure. Red shirt with white trimming (I think I had something like that when I was 3!). Mom, a seasoned veteran with this generation of movies tells me that this is the norm rather than the exception with Neetu Singh movies. So be warned!

I end this long post here and shall endeavour to keep you posted on my return to cultural wakening as I have actively started reading and movie watching (like there is no tomorrow!)

A trip to Pondicherry over the weekend promises a travel post next week...All of you have a fab weekend...

Sororal musings!

And they lived happily ever after....
I have grown up on a healthy diet of fairy tales and spent the better part of my life imagining a Prince Charming and the happily ever after ending...

And then, life happened.
However, as much I would like to believe I am the cynic who does not believe in love, truth is I am still that little girl inside.
*******************************************
Watched Sex and City last evening. First things first..Sarah Jessica Parker has legs that are the stuff of legend and goddesses!! Sinewy and yet feminine, encased in the Blahnik's and Choos...they could actually have an ode written to them..

The movie was a regular romcom with the happy ending and all that. But what I really loved was the sororal bonding that the leads shared. It just struck a chord...there is nothing quite like having a bunch of girlfriends...doesn't matter when in life you meet them..just that when you meet a girl you can gossip with, laugh loudly with, be your worst self with...don't let go..don't let geographical distances or men (bah!) come in the way of the friendship. Make that effort to stay in touch..to laugh..even if it is over the phone..to drool over some hot actor...to cry..to hold hands..

Dedicated to the special ones in my life...
**********************************************************
My favourite line in the movie..
"The good men are out to screw you..the bad men are out to screw you..and the rest dont know how to screw...."

So...

A new title for my blog courtesy FreeRice...
I have resolved to post something at least once a week.Lets see..the musical tag was my entry of last week. In the spirit of airing my views of which I seem to have an awful lot recently, I shall put up something else this week...

Keep watching this space for more....

My Musical

So, this is in response to Amrita's tag..

If mylife was being made into a musical, the OST would probably comprise of these songs...

Comment away..and any of you want the songs in this list..mail or leave a message..

Opening credits: Adhbhuta - Ganesh Kumaresh/Joy of Life - Corrs

Waking up: Walk of Life

Average day: No Rain - Blind Melon/

First date: I'd love you to want me - Lobo/Tiny Dancer - Elton John/Yeh Shaam Mastani - Kati Patang

Falling in love: Can’t help falling in love - Elvis Presley / Have I told you lately- Rod Stewart/ In Dino - Life in a metro

Love Scene: Light my Fire - The Doors/Chaudhvin ka Chaand

Fight Scene: Battle without Humanity - Kill Bill 1

Breaking up: Kadhal Rojave - Roja/Romeo and Juliet - Mark Knopfler/Coming Back to Life - PF

Getting back together: WonderWall - Oasis

Secret love: Hai Apna Dil to Awaara - Solva Saal

Life’s ok: Raindrops keep falling on my head - BJ Thomas

Mental Breakdown: Baba O' Riley - The Who

Driving: RoadHouse Blues - The Doors/Black Dog - Led Zep

Learning a lesson: I dunno..i just cant think of something here..help away..

Flashback: Rembrandts..OST of any sitcom that I have watched from 3's company to Wonder Years....Time of your life - Green Day is another one

Partying: Anything quick paced...mind is presently a blank given how slow paced it is right now..bleah!

Happy Dance: Kabhi Kabhi Aditi - Im just in love with this song!!

Regretting: Din Dhal Jaaye - Guide/ Hum bekhudi mein tum ko - Kaala Paani

Long night alone: Uyire - Bombay

Death Scene: Grave Digger - DMB

Closing Credits: Nila Kaigurathu - Indira (Dont appreciate the moon when it is there..how terribly poignant in my opinion..)

Its been a while...

Yello,

I am not even sure if people check my blog to see if it is (and by extension I am) alive!!! I was not going for morbidity when  I said that before I get cans of whoop ass (thanks for this word Sandy) opened on me...

It is a Wednesday evening. Tomorrow is a holiday on account of Labour Day and I am hoping to taking off on Friday to enjoy a nice, long Labour Day weekend. Hoping on going for a trek or some such. If any of you do have ideas/ want to do similar things mail!!!

For the moment though, lovely weather outside is tempting me to play truant with work and bunk. Nice long drive/ride interspersed appropriately enough by hot tea and chaat/pakoda types is far too pleasant an alternative. Sigh!! Everyone should have summer holidays...

So, tis was just an "I am alive kind of post!"..But I think I do have some post-worthy thoughts (or so I would have myself believe!!). Lets see..I really must get back to blogging!!

So long and enjoy the weekend.

Paris -1

It has been a month to the day since I landed in Paris..and not even a single post!! Not sure if anyone actually missed my ramblings. Yeniways..having seen most of what Paris has to offer...and this has been already been well documented in this space..I have not had much to write about...

 

But I discovered some very cool things...all accidentally of course and all bloody brilliant!! Shall try to go in Chronological order of discoveries...my memory for trivia like this being insanely good..

 

Musee Jacquemart Andre...Paris is truly a city for museums..each museum showcases its art in such a novel fashion that you could visit museums all day long and not get bogged down by "Not another Impressionist!" or some such...Of course, I speak for myself when I say this. I know loads of people for whom the very idea of spending an entire day flitting from one museum to another is anathema. This museum is in fact the house of this couple, Nelle Jacquemart and Eduoard Andre who were enthusiastic collectors and when they died, they bequeathed the entire place to the Government. Beautiful house. The stairway was my favourite bit with a beautiful balustrade and a nice wide curving structure. The landing was dominated by this huge wall fresco by Tiepolo. Some lovely concepts that I liked..an interior garden, the stairway, a nice skylight etc.Most people know about my new found fascination for architecture and interior deco...so will not find this comment out of place. The best part though is that the original dining room has now been converted into a "Salon de The"..a very quaint French notion of a salon or a parlour with the most scrumptious desserts!!! And you get to eat in a beautiful, gilt adorned dining room. Very highly recommended.

 

Discovered a wildlife photography exhibition called Vivant...gorgeous stuff. Brilliant photos capturing the very essence of the wild. I think it is one of the "seen-to-be-believed" sorta things because I cant think of superlatives befitting enough as tribute.

 

Will be discovering the concept of hammams this weekend. Turkish baths..Romanesque actually. Have always been curious about these having seen them in some movie( think it was "Only You" )...shall experience it first hand and if it is not too queasy, shall put an update on this blog.

 

Will also be doing some rock climbing this weekend. Paris apparently has one of the world's largest indoor rock-climbing arena's. Promises to be super fun!! Cant wait..all mundane domestic chores that are generally on the agenda every weekend shall be dispensed with on a weekday...hopefully..

 

Sunday...am back at the first Sunday of the month...plan to visit at least 3-4 museums..undecided as to which ones yet...will put an update on that as well next week...

 

Thats it for now folks....

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This is me at my bored best!!!

This irritating feeling of ennui has crept up unseen and is stuck to me like a leech....it is sucking most of the joy out of working...I generally enjoy the work I do...and I have had some excellent work coming my way this past 2 weeks..and yet the enthusiasm with which I usually attack it is replaced by this very complacent "What-can-be-done-today-can-also-be-done-tomorrow" attitude which is soooo not me and thoroughly vexing...

 

I need to be properly shaken up from this stupor...Just dont quite know what it takes to shake me up or ruffle my feathers....very few things it seems..I am a fairly tolerant person....dont get angered too easily..esp with my friends..at home..I am quite the short-tempered brat that I have always been and somehow always get away with being....

 

My Line manager just caught me playing games on my team lead's PDA..shite!! my bad...properly chastised although he did not say anything....I have now returned to the realm of preteneding to be busy..I seem to have mastered the art these past couple of weeks...

 

Okie.....Light my Fire blaring in my ear aint helping matters....

Shall go and attack my work....sigh!

 

 

 

These are a few of my favourite men!!

Alrite, Pirates of the Caribbean is releasing over the weekend...so what better time to indulge those salivary glands?? :-)..

Women..read on..

Men...I tend to rate men on how tasty a dish they are..now if that did not get the bile up and out..continue reading...

 

Hmmm...Superficial as I am made out to be..for me a hot guy is as much about the character he portrays as it is about the way he looks....and I dont particulaly have a "type"...I would fall for a tal-dark-handsome just as easily as I would for Pretty-White-Boy so here too, I swing both ways ;-)

 

So here goes my top 5..

 

1. Captain Jack Sparrow - This is one bad boy I totally love...I am generally the sappy kinds who falls for the good guys..but Johnny Depp with his quirky ways and "good" badness...hell yeah! 

Why is he here?? - His smile, that square jaw...and his character!!!

Tastiness Rating (TR) : Scrumptilicious!! Tiramisu with a good bit of Kahlua for the extra kick ;-)

 

2. Derek Shepard - Nothing quite like a combination of drop-dead-gorgeous looks and brains...and a neurosurgeon at that!!! The only nearest thing that comes a close second for me would be a gifted, hot mathematician types..complete with horn-rimmed glasses et all..ok I digress as usual.... As a neurosurgeon, Patrick Dempsey is indeed "McDreamy" :-)

Why is he here?? - He has "caring" eyes (as corny as that sounds) and a smile that lights up his eyes..and his hair..the wavy types..droooooooool

TR : Scrummy!! Chocolate...with that dash of vanilla that signifies stability and all...

 

3. Jesse - I think I watched "Full House" more for him than anything else...a funny guy with a rockstar image and a heart of gold...who wldnt melt in the knees?? John Stamos rocks!!

Why is he here?? - That wicked smile..and well he is "bootylicious"

TR : Dark Chocolate Gateau with white chocolate inside like a pleasant surprise...

 

4. Orlando Bloom - He is a surprise entry (more in the top 10 than top 5 types....)..but its POTC season..so what the hell?? Pirates are the flavour of this season and Will Turner is a guy after my own heart...the scene where his shirt gets ripped off in "Dead Man's Chest"..I think my jaw just hit the floor...drooooooooooool..

Why is he here?? - Those high cheekbones...and he is just gone helluva ood looking package..

TR - Black Forest with lots (lots!) of whipped cream...

 

5. Danny Ocean - George Clooney is a gorgeous man...as a bad guy playing good.he is "sakkath hot" magaaa....of course, I loved him in One Fine Day too...as the irrascible single Dad flirting with the prim and proper Michelle Pfeifer..aah..nice, good feeling all over when I think of that movie...

Why is he here?? - My fave "old" man...

TR - Belgian Chocolate Ice Cream...

 

I am starving now so shall dash off to get something to eat...Bon Appetit to u as well..

 

These are a few of my favourite things!!

Dunno why...but I suddenly feel like remembering all the things that bring an instant smile on my face...not that I am not smiling or laughing these days...but I have this strange feeling that I have forgotten the smaller pleasures in life....

 

Alrite...lets see....

 

the smell of rain....the feeling of rain on your tongue as you stick it out when you're riding...the sheer joy of walking when it is pouring buckets...ok enough about rain...or I might start sounding like a wannabe Yash Chopra heroine...

 

the smell of seasoning wafting from the kitchen...the smell of the Temple Flower...jasmine in my mother's hair...the smell of chocolate...to eat molten chocolate and have it all over your face..looking quite like the cat that ate the canary :-)....the smell of a clean baby...the smell of "rasam saadam" mixed with dollops of ghee a la mummy....fresh air on a crisp winter morning...to exhale little clouds while waiting for my school van....

 

the first mango of summer..to have it with vanilla ice-cream like when we were kids...to sit on a swing and have someone push you so that you can go as high as you want to...the butterflies you get in your stomach on a the Giant wheel...or on a dip in the road....to laugh and laugh till I have tears streaming down my eyes...to completely exasperate a person...to be welcomed home with a warm hug...to look back after saying goodbye...

 

the feel of fresh linen....the feel of my mom's hand ruffling through my hair...cold fingers around a hot mug of chocolate...the feel of a little hand clasped around your index finger..my mom applying "vibhuthi" before every exam or important presentation...the feel of cold metal against my skin....

 

 

And the best sound of all...the first sound I can ever remember hearing....my mom calling me Amu....and no matter how many people call me Amu today....noone can say it quite like her!!!

 

 

 

 

 

Awards - The Good, The Bad, The Ugly...

Its the awards season everywhere....so just figured would put in my award categories with nominations...lets see how many ppl actually read my blog and vote!!

Most Under-rated Film of the Year: (good movies that did not garner too many awards!)

Khosla ka Ghosla - Quite well - made. I enjoyed watching it
Dor - I am yet to watch this...but I have heard fantastic reviews abt it!
The Prestige - brilliant movie...just sakkath!
Don - Granted I am a die-hard SRK fa..but this movie was well-made! </em>
The Devil Wears Prada - I loved this movie..everything..from the costumes..to Meryl Streep's brilliant portrayal of Miranda Priestly...

Most Over-Rated Film of the Year

KANK - I dont even know why it garnered so many nominations..lousy lousy movie..but AB's baby did a great job!
Dhoom - 2 - I have not watched this movie....but I am yet to meet the soul who liked this movie....or Aishwarya in it for that matter!

Movies that should never have been made in the first place!

My Super Ex-Girlfriend - Eeeeeeks! One of the worst movies I have seen in recent times!

Advertising...I seem to be developing an interest in advertising...dunno if its for the better or worse..anyways...here are ad campaigns I loved and hated!

The Good..

1. Happy Dent - The one in the Palace</em>
2. Sony Bravia - With all the coloured styrofoam balls
3. Surf Excel - With the lil boy bashing the mud for his sister
4. Chocoliebe - The one with the lil boy and his fractured hand
5. Fosters - Australian for Habit with the World Cup in the foreground. Simple yet brilliant....my style

The Ugly

1. Ujjala - Safedi tujhe salaam! It is a stupid concept where if you wear sparkling white clothes, you are of noble heart and character,,else you're not...I dont even know what the target demographic for this concept is!!

While I generally groan at the ads I see on TV these days..I seem unable to think of anymore right now..so I will be updating this a little later...and people who do read my blog..please add ur nominations....

Here today....gone tomorrow

I have never actually confronted death....Except for my grandpa and I was too young then to register all that happened. But now I am older and these things tend to affect me a lot more.

One of my classmates, Shwetha Bhutada passed away in a road accident on Sunday. I last met her 2 years ago and not being particularly good at keeping in touch, I had not seen or heard from her since. Except of course, through other classmates who would in fact keep in touch. And now, I have lost the chance to amend my mistakes.

Made me realise you cant take a person's presence in your life for granted. Putting off sending an email or returning a call thinking you can do it tomorrow might just end with you never quite getting around to do it and then its too late...

So...you'll be hearing from me soon....even its just a HI!

PS: This is not so much a post as a random musing...

Life just turned into one looooong bad hair day!

Sigh! Impulsiveness is my middle name..I always do something stupid in the heat of things and bitterly regret it later. Past 2 years I have actually been fairly sane and I guess that is what led to "the Debacle" last Saturday..

Moi decided I was bored of how I looked and decided to go for a haircut. Went to Limelite Salon which is the worst place to go to. Trust me, your neighbourhood butcher might do a better job with your hair! Never ever go there unless looking like a moron was your intention in the first place. They dont have photos displayed of what exactly they are going to do to your hair so till the damage is done you have no idea what exactly you're going to get...

As it happened in my case,bloody awful! I have to spend at least a month looking a rat started eating through my hair..got bored somewhere in between and walked off into the sunset. So I am going to be an anti-social freak for the next 1 month :-(..Excuse moi...

Woe is me...I was asked "What happened" by a couple of my colleagues...some people tend to wince everyone everytime they see my face...aaaaah! Never mind...I will survive this humiliation for the next month or so.

May the lady who did this to me be fired from her job and may she be seen next in a butcher shop ( I dont know where they are in Jayanagar but I will find out!)

Nothing much else form my end..Work is going great..lots of it and I am generally liking what I am doing...2 Intra-team weddings in the pipeline from my very own team in the office (and no...I am not part of either of them :-P)...

2 dear friends getting married this year..I will be attending one wedding with the mongoose look that I am sporting these days..for the other I hope I look fairly human ( at least as much as I was before!)

Nothing much else to report acually..watched Nishabd....nice idea...decent execution..bad editing. Thats my review in a nutshell ( or 6 words :-))

Lowe is in the air....it seems!

What is it about this 4-letter word that makes the women go mushy and the men go weak in the knees(is that why they go down when they propose?? bad bad PJ..shame on you amu!)..Honestly I dunno..

I dont believe in love..I think of it as a brilliant marketing gimmick by Archies/Hallmark that helps them make billoins nd zillions each February...But before I am written off as bitter and cynical..I do belive in 2 people being comfortable with each other...if you want to call that love, fine by me.A rose by any other name is still a rose..

Love does not make my world go round...I dont need to be part of a couple to be happy. I have had people looking at me in askance when I say this but I dont get why!I mean..why should be my happiness be linked to the fortunes of another? It's a simple case of cause and effect..I do things that make me happy..ergo I am happy..there is no second person in the picture at all!
"Having been there done that" as Adi would put it I can safely say I am happier without than with..that of course need not always be the case...but in that particular case..its true! Even if I were to be part of a couple soon..I know that I would still be my own person(this time round at least!)

Love again is not a reason to commit to a life long relationship..that works only in the movies..here, you need common interests, compatibility and hell of a lot more than a stupid 4-letter word to make it work!

I am not quite sure where exactly I am headed in this rambling...but my point is..that Love is given a little too much importance in a world where materialistic pleasures rule the roost...I mean, look at Valentine's Day..its special if the guy goes bankrupt in arranging for a nice dinner,, a gift, the flowers..good lord! madness...I am all for materialism..hell yeah! I love gifts and am always spoilt by the lovely people I am surrounded by...but to pay 10 times the price just because its feb 14th is insane...

My point is...dont wait for love and fireworks and all that riff raff..find a nice person you are compatible with, share common interests with and get along like a house on fire...hang on them like sea weed on a ship's bottom..

This post is dedicated to 2 very special people...may you both be happy...irrespective of the outcome...

Awards...the good, the bad and the ugly!

Its the awards season everywhere....so just figured would put in my award categories with nominations...lets see how many ppl actually read my blog and vote!!

Most Under-rated Film of the Year: (good movies that did not garner too many awards!)

Khosla ka Ghosla - Quite well - made. I enjoyed watching it
Dor - I am yet to watch this...but I have heard fantastic reviews abt it!
The Prestige - brilliant movie...just sakkath!
Don - Granted I am a die-hard SRK fa..but this movie was well-made!
The Devil Wears Prada - I loved this movie..everything..from the costumes..to Meryl Streep's brilliant portrayal of Miranda Priestly...

Most Over-Rated Film of the Year

KANK - I dont even know why it garnered so many nominations..lousy lousy movie..but AB's baby did a great job!
Dhoom - 2 - I have not watched this movie....but I am yet to meet the soul who liked this movie....or Aishwarya in it for that matter!

Movies that should never have been made in the first place!

My Super Ex-Girlfriend - Eeeeeeks! One of the worst movies I have seen in recent times!

Advertising...I seem to be developing an interest in advertising...dunno if its for the better or worse..anyways...here are ad campaigns I loved and hated!

The Good..

1. Happy Dent - The one in the Palace
2. Sony Bravia - With all the coloured styrofoam balls
3. Surf Excel - With the lil boy bashing the mud for his sister
4. Chocoliebe - The one with the lil boy and his fractured hand
5.

The Bad


The Ugly

1. Ujjala - Safedi tujhe salaam! not good at all.....
2.

Wherever I go....trouble follows...

Mischief and me are two sides of the same coin..No matter where I go or what I do I cannot avoid it...sigh..such is the way of life...

Back to where and how I got into trouble...this weekend we went to Bandipur..by we, I am referring to my team at NDS.We left early Saturday morning..the definition of early is different for different people..for me...7am is early in the morning! Yeniways..left for Ranganthittu..via Mysore Road...saw RVCE on the way..the place looks nice! Looks like the uncle is improving external appearances at least...

Ranaganathittu is a bird sanctuary created on one of the islands of the River Cauvery. It is home to many birds that migrate here from all over the world. It was started by Dr.Salim Ali in 1940. You have boards describing the various birds and their habits. We took a boat around and saw all the birds at close distance. Statutory Warning: The combination of bird poo and stagnant water is very potent and the ride is not for the faint hearted (especially ones with sensitive olfactory senses!). Saw some very beautiful birds...and a marsh crocodile! totally cool..saw bats..for some reason people found it bizarre that I had not seen a bat yet..but where in Bangalore does one get to see bats?? Yeniways....it is exactly like the batman symbol..it is not unique but I had never seen a bat...so the resemblance excited me no end! But those who know me well..will vouch for the fact that he smallest of things crack me up and amuse me...I am quite a child that way...

Back to the trip...finished Ranganathittu and started on our way to Bandipur...stopped for lunch at this small place in Gundlupur..nice breeze...but the food was not that nice..I am yet to understand the Karnataka fixation for "meals"...I dread that word on every trip I make outside Bangalore...for many reasons...
1. It is way toooo much food for one person. Most places don't have a mini thali as well..
2. Being a Tam (one of the rare times when I acknowledge that side of my genes!), I have a certain standard when it comes to Rasam/Sambhar and the kinds served in these "meals" miss the lowest possible standard by a long shot!
With the result that I generally starve at these places...

Off to Bandipur now..after the losing the way once..we managed to find the place where we were staying...Tiger Ranch..though the closest we saw to a tiger was a ranch dog by the same name...dashed off to make it to the last safari of the day...

We saw peafowl, deers and monkeys on our way to the starting point of the safari.. Made it in time...used my sad face to get a good viewing seat ( thank u Guru!)...and was set to see the jungle and all that it had to offer.... Not much as it turned out an hour later....some tame elephants..bison..samba..wild dogs..langoors...antelopes..a beautiful sunset..guess the tiger eluded us..pity! but what we saw was not half bad either..

Returned to Tiger Ranch and checked out our rooms...very quaint and rustic..made of logs with wood boards as doors...basic amenities..but nice...the rest of the evening was just a frenzy of eating....music..some dance...lotsa drinking(for the guys!)...me and the other 2 girls retired by abt 10...My habits are getting more geriatric by the day..it is not a good sign..

Woke up at 6.45 the next morning by the ruckus created by some monkeys running on the roof...apparently reproducing ( from an "eye-witness" account :-))..Played some games of badminton...and a game of cricket...my team won!!! and I also contributed..yay!! then we had a hearty breakfast..and left on our "walk" in the jungle..

I was involved in an animated discussion with Miloud and Christophe about religions..and we did not realise how far away we had wandered...The forest officials came and rounded us up..a group of 10 people...for trespassing in the jungle..We were to be taken to the Forest Official!! Miloud was very excited about going to the "commisariat"...

Yeniways, we went to meet to Forest Range Officer...the guy was as obnoxious as they come..he had a major chip on his shoulder when it comes to us "city people"...and he let us have it...having never been spoken to rudely by anyone in all my life..I was more than a little miffed! Paid our fines and we had to trudge back the 3 odd kilometres back to the ranch...a nice walk..it was not very sunny...

We returned to a very worried lot at the ranch...it never occurred to me that people would be worried that we had disappeared in the jungle for over 2 hours...had a sumptuous lunch and started on the way back to Bangalore...

And that is all about a rather eventful weekend...shall put up some pics soon...

Happy New Year ppl

The year 2007....All the best people...hope its a super duper year...May you break your resoltions before the week is out...:-)
I hope to keep some of mine ( I can hear the snickers already...bah!!)

Been ages since I wrote something...the last post was written a while ago and posted recently...
For those of you who read my blog to know what I am upto..well here it is..

Mysore

Went to Mysore for a weekend to attend a colleague's wedding...actually they are both my colleagues..and I hardly know either of them..but the promise of good-looking Coorgi and Rai boys made the offer hard to resist!! Besides, had super company..Anu, Ganesh and JP...Ideal people for anything...never a moment of boredom with those madcaps around...

Left on Saturday afternoon....Brilliant roads (Anu's "Freshly laid virgin road" quote comes to mind :-))...reached Mysore in no time...Nitin had booked us all rooms at Ginger which is this budget hotel by the Taj Group...not too expensive...decent luxury...

Set out for the pre-wedding bash on Saturday night...damp squib..it turned to be a completely formal affair...we pretty much stuck out like sore thumbs..and left at the earliest...
Woke up late the next morning(:-))...went for the wedding...no cute Coorgi boys...but liked the Coorgi costumes..very intimidating...the fact that some of them were built like bouncers made it all the more so!

Had oota..pit-stop at Chamundi Hills and we were on the way back...took a loooooooooooong break at Kamat Lokaruchi...and reached Blr by 7...super weekend...lazed around...watched TV..managed to get some reading done too...

Karnataka..One State...Many Worlds...

None with good food in them!!

Went on a North Karanataka trip organised by KSTDC...saw a lot of nice places...
First stop was at Hampi (technically Hospet..coz our accomodation was booked there!)..Went to the Virupaksha Temple...saw the Tungabhadra River, an elephant and an odd-looking sadhu! In a foreigners eyes, this was probably the India they come looking for...at least most of them..

Then moved on to the KadaleKalu(channa gram) Ganesha Temple..its huge belly (lambodara :-)) destroyed by invading Muslims who thought it was filled with gold! Then moved on to the SasiveKalu (mustard) Ganesha Temple..this had a saraswathi imposed on the other side..very interesting...A number of other pit-stops on the way which included the UgraNarasimha Temple , BadavaLinga temple and Lalith Mahal. This beautiful summer palace has been maintained really well by the Archaeological Society of India (ASI). The elephant stables are worth a dekho. Saw a group of school kids who had come there for a picnic. We took a pic of them and thanked them for which we got ( a very prompted "No Mention"). Next stop was the Hazaara Raama Temple which has some amazing carvings depicting the Ramayan and Mahabharata. Then, one of the most beautiful sights of Hampi and the most amazing Pushkarni ever!! It was stepped uniformly..I cant explain it very well..maybe a pic could speak the 1000 words..shall put up one soon!

Lunch ( the less I say about it the better!) and then on to the Vittala Temple which is undoubtedly the best that Hampi has to offer. Amazing musical pillars, beautiful carvings..really well maintained..kudos again to the ASI..

Back to Hospet...rested for a while and then went to see the Tungabhadra dam and the musical fountains it offered as entertainment. Belted out the Dhoom and then a slew of kannada songs, one of which I recognised thanks to the performance on our annual day. Think the crowd went berserk over a RajKumar song but we left before the exit got too crowded.

The next day we set off to the Badami cave temples making a brief stop at a nearby Banashankari Devi Temple. The view from the cave temples is just breath taking...really phenomenal..Then lunch followed by the temples at Pattadakal and Aihole. These were interesting too...but since I am running out of new adjectives, shall refrain from describing them in too much detail! Pit Stop at Bijapur!

The next day we saw the Gol Gumbaz. Huge monument..thoroughly enjoyed the Whispering Chambers in the dome...Also saw the Jumma Masjid and Ibrahim Roza. Rest of the day was pretty uneventful..Returned fairly well rested to Bangalore the next day...

While the historical monuments have been maintained really well, facilities like clean toilets etc are far from adequate especially on the highways. Even restaurants that serve good food are non-existent..I am not asking for MacD's every 100 miles but even a decent darshini that churns out quick fast food would be welcome!

Thats it for now folks!

Sigh!

I seem to have nothing to write abt...zilch...nought...
And I miss writing...it's become an essential part of my routine...so I shall just ramble on about inconsequential happenings. Those of you who like their sanity well-preserved..I suggest you stop reading this blog...

The other side...

I was watching this ad for Maggi Sambhar-flavoured (yuck!) noodles..and I notice a weird (apparently South Indian) accent..and a raag in the song..then there was this dance on Star One's Nach Baliye where they were doing a South Indian dance and hence the dancers were coloured black!
2 misconceptions that the Rest of India has about South Indians...that we are inherently dark-complexioned..and that we have a strange twang in our English...both of which are not completely accurate...I mean, yeah some of us are dark-skinned...but then I know a few North Indians too who are dark complexioned..and about the accent..heck..I think each state in India has an accent peculiar to it..
This North-South divide manifested itself quite vividly during my college life too! "Illad" was the term to describe us South-Indians...it was also treated as a synonym for being stupid and unenterprising apart from having a neanderthal connotation! Of course, we thought of the North Indians as "uneducated villagers"(unpad gavaars!)...but I have met a considerable number of exceptions to this rule as well...
So I guess you don't actually have a stereotypical Indian...or for that matter a stereotypical India..
One of my colleagues in Israel, when invited to India told me that she would "just die" if she saw a snake!!! Another expected to see elephants on the road....a third acted surprised when I spoke in the Queen's English!!! This is the India that people imagine..and yet, I have never seen a snake on the road :-)
Shall stop rambling here....and make myself useful...

What on earth is this country coming to???

This post is going to be in direct contrast to my other post abt "Why we aren't proud to be Indian?".

First on my hit-list : Ram Jethmalani.

One of India's most respected senior advocates. He has recently taken up the case of Manu Sharma, who is the (alleged) prime suspect in the Jessica Lal murder case. I am not condemning that. He is a criminal lawyer and is just doing his job. As an individual, Manu Sharma is entitled to the best legal representation he can get and is justified in asking for justice even though he is in fact guilty. And just because you,me and majority of Indians think Manu Sharma is guilty is of no consequence because we do not represent the judicial system of this country.

What I am condemning is the tactics used by the defense team. You cannot go about slandering a person's reputation especially one who is no more there to defend herself or her morality. Being a Page 3 person does not translate to being a person with loose morals. What exactly is the defense team's argument? That Jessica Lall is a "bad" person and hence deserved to get shot? That Manu Sharma did a service to society by ridding it of an "evil influence"?
I am questioning the morals of Ram Jethmalani. Does being a criminal lawyer entail that you sacrifice every shred of conscientious behaviour, every modicum of morality and every last drop of humanity at the altar of justice? Does being a criminal lawyer allow you to slander a dead girl's reputation? Does it allow you to justify that a man has the right to kill a girl who has (apparently) insulted his masculinity?

What is justice then? Does it even have meaning? If all it takes to walk away scot-free from cold-blooded murder is being able to afford the legal fees of Ram Jethmalani. He was yelling on national television indulging in what can flatteringly be described as buffoonery. He accused the media of "tampering" with the course of justice. When the truth is that, if not for the widespread media coverage of the case, Manu Sharma would be just another statistic in the growing list of influential people walking away from all sorts of heinous crimes.

Next on my hit list - the murderers of Manjunath.

I was not aware of this till they recently celebrated Manjunath's first death anniversary.
My aforementioned post was all about fighting corruption by refusing to join the vicious circle. Now I realise that the advice could well get you murdered.

Work ethic is all doing the job you have been asked to do to the best possible extent without any external factor (bribes) influencing your working ability. All Manjunath was doing was following his work ethic. There was a another case prior to this involving an IIT graduate called Satyender Dube who was murdered in connection to corruption involved with the national highway project.

The upside is that none of us are going to start encouraging corruption because of these incidents. In fact, it will just make us more determined to fight back. The downside is that we still have miles to go. If hitherto-unheard-of Lakhimpur is so diseased with corruption that it resulted in the murder of an honest official, just think of how many thousands of unheard Lakhimpur's are reeling under the same scrouge? Where do we start from then? How do we go about ridding this country of corruption?