The Middle Name Tag!

Another 'finally I'm here!' post. Been over a month I see. My excuse would be - sheer exhaustion from roaming the streets of Chennai with a penchant for acquiring indepth knowledge on new eateries so as to enlighten my blog readers on the same and ofcourse, having an ultra-slow, irritating pc to work on! :D

Anywayz, credits for this blog go to Mayth for tagging me, or rather, for giving me a reason to blog!

The rules of the tag are:
1. The rules must be mentioned in the beginning of the tag.
2. You must list one fact that is somehow relevant to your life for each letter of your middle name. If you don’t have a middle name, use the middle name you would have liked to have had.
3. At the end of your blog post, you need to choose one person for each letter of your middle name to tag. Don’t forget to leave them a comment telling them they’re tagged, and to read your blog.

Now that the rules are done, lemme get down to the main task at hand- thinking of a middle name! Frankly, I'm already a little miffed with my parents cuz they weren't the ones who decided on my first name, Preeti!* And now, to top it all, I don't have a middle name! Thankfully, the tag let's me chose my own middle name and this is the only one I could think of: HAPPY. And so, that would make me 'Preeti Happy Ramachandran'.

H- Happiness.
Happiness to me is a relative term. People try to set standards for being happy. Like, I would be happy if I pass all my papers. Or, I would be happy if I could lose 10 pounds in 10 days. (yup, weight related issues are a mainstay in my blogs so try to ignore it if it's bothersome!) But the point is, in the process of aiming at being happy, one loses out on present happiness. Like, laughing at silly jokes with friends. Or, having a pleasant meal with family at the dinner table. Those little 'happy' instances get shoved under the table in the "Pursuit for Happiness". Hmmmm...

A- Apple.
I'm just writing down the first thing that pops into my head for each of these letters and 'A for Apple' is probably the most basic of basics!Considering, I just saw the movie Taare Zameen Par yesterday and the day before, this phrase gets me thinking on whether the letters would really dance in front of my lil dyslexic cousin's eyes when she tried reading. Wish I knew.

P- Preeti*
Now, I'm gonna let you into the story behind my name. After my sister was born, my mum wanted a baby boy next. But unfortunately it wasn't to be, and her hopes were thwarted. All those boy-names she had thought of weren't gonna be useful.The hospital authorities in Bahrain needed a name immediately for their records and my parents had to come up with something right then. My mum in her depressed state couldn't think and my dad couldn't do it alone. Our neighbours back then, the Malhotras, came forward and offered their daughter's name 'Preeti' as a choice cuz my sis is Pratibha, and it does go together you know. And so, just like that I was christened Preeti. No thoughts, no nothing. Just one name. No pet name even! I'm still sore about this 23 years later!

P- Priya and Prakash
People I love unconditionally till eternity.
Priya- my awesomely fun, beautiful and entirely LOVABLE dido. Worries about greying and being away but is such a baby otherwise. The funnest and funniest moments have been with her and I WAIT for her trips to India just to get to be around her.
Prakash- my darling kid bro who makes me smile. My every minute companion and the one I can't do without ever. Every day begins and ends with a conversation with him and throughout the day as well. A total kid, an adventurous 18 year old with a baby-face, I love this lil guy to bits! :)

Y- Yummy.
I'm a total food junkie and can eat just about anything. And so, Y is for yummy, for the Copper Chimney butter naan and vegetable makhanwalla, Sathyam's coffee and vanilla cream donut, Priya's (the brand) avakka pickle to Oreo, Toblerone and butter biscuits!

I'm done. I've wrapped up the Middle Name tag. Kinda fun doing it. I tag (nothing to do with the each-letter-of-the-word bit in the rule) Satti, Janie, Prathiboo and Jag (if ever you decide to let readers into your secret blogpage!)

Don't Go Anywhere!

Please my dear pally pals...Don't go anywhere...A tag and a post coming up asap...

Can't wait to post them!

Luv, luv!

Why me? Why NOW?

What, just WHAT is the necessity for marriage for a 23-year old girl?I'm perfectly normal, happy and content with the life I have. Ok, maybe not perfectly normal- there's no such thing as perfect anyway. Uh, maybe not totally happy- everyone has their fair share of worries and well, maybe not entirely content as well- I mean, tell me one person who doesn't wish for 'just a little more'! Oh, forget that, that's not the point! I don't understand why people around me- those nosy relatives, who are never there when you need them but alwayz around to cause trouble, have somehow succeeded in brain-washing my dear darling parents into getting me married! Damn them and the astrologers who said I'd get married by 2008!

To top it all, I'm single, which makes me ineligible for a 'love-marriage'. Not that I want to and not that I trust myself to find my own, but I CANNOT go through the entire pathetic, hypocritical, judgemental process of an 'arranged-marriage'. I find it prettyyyy embarassing that I am now officially registered on bharatmatrimony.com and keralamatrimony.com, thanks to my mixed lineage (Now I've got something to fill up that 'most embarassing moment' slot in slam books n stuff).

Horoscope matching, seeing photos, meeting, talking, unnecessary questions on my height, weight, complexion etc etc and more etc- God, I can't even imagine it all! And its happening- right here, right now. All the details on the website aren't me. Very fair, very intelligent, very beautiful, very......My Dad just loves me too much and I guess the love just overflowed in his description of me. Imagine them coming in and seeing a medium complexion, tall, fat, normal looking girl with brownish hair (and red and gold here n there), a tattoo (that can't be seen, ofcourse and actually, can't be known as well), 3 piercings on one ear and more blah??? Isn't that (to them)...blasphemy...???

I'm not ready for marriage. I'm young, not ambitious maybe, but yet I don't wanna be awife/ daughter-in-law etc so soon. And most importantly? I just can't imagine, not even for a sec, having to leave my parents. I mean, Dolz just got married man. My parents need me. They can't manage alone. I just love them way too much to think of being away. I wanna be Daddy's little girl alwayz...ALWAYZ... *sniff* Yea, I'm crying, yea I'm being childish, yea I'm being silly, but I can't help it. I can't stop feeling what I feel, can I? Damn, its difficult to see through blurry eyes.

All I can do is just wait and watch. I trust my parents not to push me into something I don't want, so I guess it isn't gonna be allll that bad. The choice is still mine. And if I say no, no it is.

Man, Why (the fuck) couldn't I have just been lucky in love...?

I Quit...Uhhh...I think...!

Yea, yea I have dunnit! :) ....Or so I'd like to believe... :)

After a million hair-yanking sessions (thanks to which my straightened/ coloured/ streaked hair seems to be facing an onslaught of increased hair fall, more than the normal 100 hair per day, and not because of the straightening/ colouring/ streaking!) with dad, mum, sis, bro-in-law, friendz etc etc, I finally, finally took the step- To go and 'inform' my 'boss' that he no longer has the pleasure of having me work for him! No more "Preeti, staple this" or "Scan this and print it". No more "Are you done with the work...yet?" (when actually it was him who told me he'd do the work and pass it to me for, well, filing!)

As a self respecting, educated (!) person , I was pretty miffed with :
1. Being paid peanuts (though for someone like me even a million peanuts wouldn't suffice- to eat or otherwise)......

2. Having to travel half the way across the world (ok exaggeration IS my middle name, but c'mon, Mylapore to Sriperumbudur isn't really any better is it?) at 5 am to get to the 'factory' right in the middle of nowhere, where water and electricity is a luxury AND...

3. Talking in Japanese at every turn, which has made me a pretty confused individual with a serious crisis because every time I try to talk, my mind scans through the languages I know- Tamil, English, Hindi and Japanese (Thank God I don't know how to speak my father-tongue Malayalam well enough!) before I can get to the right word! And I am not exaggerating this time!!!! I got a call from my mom this one time I was on a trip with one tiny Jap and kept saying 'Hai' for 'Yes' and 'Aa so!' for 'Apadiya'! Considering I alwayz blabber, she didn't seem to notice but it left me feeling like a fool.

And so, I decided to take the plunge. Maybe my 1st job, maybe just 5 months but I don't wanna wait it out just to get the experience thing up on my resume. Maybe I'm wrong but it doesn't take much to realise what's not profitable. (I had people at work and friendz tell me that in words I definitely wouldn't wanna repeat here. But trust me, it worked!).

Now, the reason I say 'I think' is because, ever since I told him I quit, I've been loaded with work and absolutely no mention on our talks! If you're wondering what I'm doing at work still, well, there were these minor settlement issues and the 2-week notice thingie which I needed him to get back to me on so that I could put in the right dates in my letter, and I'm still, being the fool I am, waiting for him to 'get back to me'!

Anywayz, doesn't matter now. To me, I've quit and as of now, I'm happy to be screaming it aloud from the roof tops! IIIIII QUITTTTT! :)

P.S: 1. If you're gonna ask 'What's next?', then hold on, I really haven't decided yet. I guess I'll take a break from all the working for a while...hehe...1st job, 5 months and here I am basking in the glory of leaving it :)

2. I'm giving in my letter the sec I publish this ;)

Cranky Corner...

Working the day after Diwali absolutely kills. Just a day off for the most revered festival in Indian history! The Japs really derive sadistic pleasure in being and making others workaholics. Makes me wanna quit all over again. But then, I get to blog allll I want from here. Which is pretty obvious considering the sudden increase in frequency of my blogs. Two in a day today!

Anywayz, I really,really wish there could be some place where I could vent out my frustrations. A place where people could go and scream out LOUDDDDD, some sound-proof room with shatter-proof glass! Either people just have very high tolerance or something of the sort hasn't been introduced yet. (Hmmm, not a bad idea for a business venture really. And well, I am awfully bored with working.I could call it - 'I Scream' or something. Ok,ok it does sound pathetic and lame to me too!Hmmm, something to think about)

Another Diwali just went by. The new clothes and the fact that it's a holiday sparked my interest in it. Other than for that, it was just like any other normal day. Or like any other festival- vada, payasam, bindi & bangles and family lunches that alwayz turn bad. I guess this is why a family shouldn't consist of 10 kids, uh, right now adults, but with retarded mental make up!I cannot imagine that thse guys are actually blood related! Me and Dolz are God sent angels then...!

Ofcourse, the up-sides of the day were wearing my new designer jeans (Ahem!Flaunting time :D) and my not-so-designer top (actually not at all a designer top, just said it for the rhythm...hehe) in which I ended up looking like a stuffed chicken but yet it's alright cuz it's new, playing with my baby cuzin, all of one and a half years, who makes me happy,happy when he cutely calls me peeeeeti, watching the beautiful sky crack up into beautiful hues of electric blues, reds and greens AND getting to spend time with the ones I love tons! (a few of them I couldn't meet though). Almost perfect...man, almost!

Oops! Work beckons. I've gotta rush now. Until next time, Chotto matte kudasai! :)

M.E = Mount Everest!

I've alwayz wanted to go somewhere high up, especially high up on the Everest. But I never thought it would ever happen! Until last week.....

3 days last week. Nov 1,2,3 2007 - 3 amazing days when I experienced the heights of heights. And loved it totally! :) The Mount Everest part was Ryan's. When I told him I was high, he joked I was Mount Everest. And I thought it was hilarious and soooo true! But yea, I was up there. Free floating and wow-ed. Looking down at all those tiny miracles around me happen- Prathi losing her 'single' status, Ruby partying along with us, Janie and Satti joining us late-nite, AJ down from Pune! Whatever happened after that doesn't matter. The fights, the abrupt ending, the DJ's crappy excuse, I'm just glad I got to look at the world from up there, through rose-tinted glasses- atleast while it lasted :)

The worst part of a high, is the accompanying low. And moreso, the emotional one!I actually said a lotta senti stuff I never imagined I would. Oh crap!

P.S: Pardon the evasiveness but I guess it isn't really rocket science to guess what I'm talking about. And Satti- nope I'm not a compulsive craver of the high-ness. Sometimes it doesn't hurt to break free and let your hair down. And trust me, I get the wild streak from my dad. More details later ;)

Judicious Mis-use*......

....of work space- Blogging :)

*Ah! The pleasure of coining an oxymoron ;)

Just Another Day in Paradise...

.......or in other words, just another day in the life of P.R.E.E.T.I....and trust me, if this is paradise? I can't imagine hell :)

This was something Satti had asked me pen in ages ago -when I wasn't working my ass off like now [I know I don't need to pretend to you guyz, but, if not you then who else???Tamil la sola pona, unga kita scene podama vera yaar kita mudiyum???hahaha...Itz a senti 'awwww' moment ppl!!]. I told him I wouldn't do it. I mean, cmon, who would wanna take time out to read about me:

1. Waking up at 12.30 a.m (technically pm, though I'm still gonna maintain the 'a.m' cuz anytime I get up is morning and morning is a.m and I'd still say good morning when you call me then though it technically is afternoon!!!confused???)

2. Watching anything and everything on T.V. As I have professed a million times over, I am a couch potato and love being one. I used to watch Oprah on Star World at 2, but thanks to Hallmark buying the broadcasting rights, I was forced to watch Ellen- which I didn't like, not only cuz it just isn't O, but also cuz it just isn't O! Yet, I sat and watched it anyway cuz, what the hell! it's on TV at 2 and 2's a good TV time, just as 3,4,5,6,7,8.......!!!

3. Eating uneventful food like...red rice and rasam..or papadam and curd rice...or bread and jam....or chapathi and dal....or.....

4. Sitting online and blogging. Sitting online and chatting. Sitting online and checking mail....

5. Getting down the stairs as my cuckoo clock starts 'cuckoo-ing' 5 times at 5 (d-u-h!) and 5 is tea time , sitting at the dining table and waiting for Padma to give me tea [and biscuit if I've been a good girl ;) Makes me sound like a dog..hehe]

6. Talking on the phone to Ruby/ Dolz/ Rekz/ Dad/ Prathi/ Jane/ Satti about how bored I am, how I need a job, how I need my own money, how I've aged and put on 5 kilos, how I........

7. Getting back to my comfy green sofa and settling down just to watch the next round of anything- tattoo artistes, cooking shows, Kareena dancing to some silly music or the zillionth repeat of Friends...

8. Talking fervently to dad at 8,when he gets back from work, about my future and what I want to do with it....

9. Finally deciding at 1 p.m [I'm sparing y'all the post meridien explanation :D] to hit the sack and dream about...nothing or something or anything!

Now, temme, you wouldn't really wanna read about all that, would you??? :D

P.S. a) The routine has changed now. I work. And the details are too boring for me to get into :D

b) Coming to think of it, compared to Just Another Day at work- sitting in a freezing cold office on a beautiful rainy day and doing NOTHING- sitting at home and doing ALL the above does seem like Just Another Day in Paradise ;)

Tantalizing/Tormenting Tongue Ticklers...

This time my thank u's are directed towards Andu san. As I heatedly explained my tryst with skin-thin salami, he suggested I write on it. This is one suggestion I did take :)

I'm an absolute food-junkie. After music, I live, breathe and crave food. And God has blessed me with the best of friends and family who share the same passion. (P.s: do take a look at the snap on the rite. Yours truly indulging in some 'finger-licking'..hehe) And so, I am gonna take you all on the astronomical sensation giving- gastronomical route- a trip though the roads of Chennai with pit-stops at my favourite and not-so-favourite joints.

1. Gallopin' Gooseberry: My rating *****

Mayo. Lots and lots of it. No order of mine here is complete without extra, extra mayo (Ahem, when I am not dieting that is...which is like almost alwayz :D). Their Rosemary chicken sandwich- 3 slices of white bread with just the right amount of meat, mayo and herbs- is heaven. If you thought a sandwich would be lighter than a burger, think again. This one is HUGE and absolutely sinful. Add to that a Carbuncle from the Fruit Shop below & I couldn't ask for more! Their burgers are good too. But I pick the sandwiches. To me, the prices are a lil high, around 90 for a sandwich, but it certainly wouldn't leave you hungry at the end of it!

2. Tangerine: My rating *****

Think steak, think Tangerine. Me and Dolz were weekly goers here till she got married,I started working and well, this happened-'the family'- me, aj, andu and dolz- were served a family of cockroaches 'on-the-house' with our basket of french fries. As the tiny lil creatures ran hither tither on our table, our appetite died a natural death (do read andu's blog on this for further info). That hasn't stopped us from going there though because the food is beckoning. Our standard order would include: French fries and stuffed mushrooms for starters, a nice, tall glass of minty iced tea, maincourse of either Stuffed cottage cheese steaks, Paneer and corn cutlets or Chicken Desiree and Dessert-Oh!this is the BEST part about Tangerine. Their desserts are to-DIE-for!I would suggest the Death By Chocolate (literally!), the Tiramisu and the Rum & Walnut cake (for the faint hearted, dont you worry, a lil bit of rum wouldn't do any harm. Tho' dolz claims she did get high on it!hehe)

3.Sparky's Diner: My rating *****

By the Americans, for the Indians. This is one highly priced burger joint which keeps with the American tradition of serving absolutely fatty, greasy burgers which are not necessarily tasty. I remember feeling high and dry the 1st time. I wouldn't suggest it EXCEPT for their Friday nite buffet priced at 375 nett. It is strictly for meat lovers with heady quantity of meat and excellent serving sizes. Burgers, sausages, breads, salads, pastas, soups and dessert-it's all there. Definitely worth a try on a Friday evening.

4.Paprika- at The Courtyard Marriott: My rating *****

*Drool* This is one place my condescending Dad (pardon me pa!) actually approved. And I fifth-ed it (after Harsh,dolz n mum...hehe). A refreshing change from our usual Main street- Copper point routine, Paprika was a whiff of not just fresh air but aromatic delicacies which seemed endless. No doubt it created a dent in Harsh's pocket (around 6k for the 5 of us) but none of us were complaining as it was worth every penny. Finally a new place to go to, one that my whacky family would unanimously agree!

5. Coffee World: My rating *****

Coffee World is now the official hangout of my gang-of-gurls (me, ruby, prati n janie..n satti ofcourse when he's around) for our TLC sessions. This has more to do with the proximity factor than their menu. The skin-thin salami experience was here. Being on one my infinite diets, that hardly last a day, I decided to stick to it and order a salami sandwich (lean meat) with brown bread (!!!) and *sniff* no mayo!I was just excited at the prospect of eating anything other than oats, skimmed milk and peanuts. But when I was served, I literally had to squint and scratch to find the light pink salami on the dark brown bread! Then why do I rate it 3/5???Awwww...I'm just partial to the place cuz a lot of good moments have been here. I'm a sucker for sentiment ppl! :)

6. Eden: My rating *****

Do not get outta here without trying the fried baby corn, mushroom crepes and aloo chutneywalley.

7. Cream Center: My rating *****

Another regular JUST for their near-perfect rendition of the lebanese Hummus. Something only me and dolz can relish (and gladly so, cuz we don't have to share then..hehe).

[P.S:On demand from my dearest bro-in-law Harsh, who couldn't believe I rated his fav. place 3, I am upgrading it to 4. And it is 4* worth, lemme tell you. And also, he SWEARS by their vegetable biryani..real awesome!]

8. Arabian Hut @ Citicenter: My rating *****

Closest to Bahrain's shawarmas and so a regular on my list.

9. Mocha- My rating *****

Blueberry brain freezer shake, Oreo shake and Nutella crepes- sums up Mocha in my eyes. I must add that their service borders on lousy. It may be a strategy to have ppl lounging in, but by the time you place the order, get it and get out- a Bollywood film with all its songs and dances would be complete!

10. Saravana Bhavan- My rating *****

Not for their food, which is already well known, this rating is for their delectable range of natural icecreams. Do try guava, strawberry and banana. Yummm!

Damn, all this writing has gotten me hungry as hell...Time to go feed by growling tummy :) I'm not letting you go that easy though, as alwayz, your turn to spill the beans.... :)

Music-My Marijuana

I crave music. At times I feel my head would explode if I don't get a nice shot of my favourite song. Just one dose and I'm peaceful. I'm quietened and my mind and body relax. I could just stay that way for hours, as though in a trance. Yup, music is addictive.And how!Right now, I would give anything to yank out my shuffle, plug it into my ears and listen to Dire Straits or Elvis or,ofcourse, my man Bryan Adams (I'm basically an any-music person and I can listen to anything, but for heavy metal and the Norah Jones kinds). That heady rush of lyrics and beat, that giddy pleasurable sensation..oohhh...neither caffeine, nor alcohol, nor sex nor drugs can beat that!

I don't really pay much attention to the lyrics of a song, especially Hindi or Tamil. (Basically cuz I wouldn't really understand it even if I did!) But then there are those that just drawwww you to the lyrics, and I analogize with every single word being sung. Few of my picks would be-

1. "So far away" by Dire straits

"I'm tired of being in love and being all alone
When you're so far away from me
I'm tired of making out on the telephone
And you're so far away from me

You're so far away from me
So far I just can't see
So far away from me
You're so far away from me..."

[For those of you in long distance relationships, Im sure this makes a lottaaaa sense...To me, it did...Every time... ;)]

2. "Best of Me" by Bryan Adams

"Sometimes words are hard to find
I'm looking for that perfect line
To let you know your always on my mind
Ya this is love - n' i've learned enough to know
i'm never lettin' go
No, no, no - won't let go

When you want it
When you need it
You'll always have the best of me
I can't help it believe it
You'll always get the best of me"

[Y'all friendz out there, this goes out from me to U! :) Love!]

3. "Right Here Waiting" by Richard Marx

"Wherever you go
Whatever you do
I will be right here waiting for you

Whatever it takes
Or how my heart breaks
I will be right here waiting for you"

[Extremely simple lyrics, but I'm not complaining when I'm the one being sung-to!]

There are lik a million zillion more songs that I could think of and I wouldn't wanna venture into that now cuz this is a blog and not a lullaby, though music is what we're talking about here!

As I said, genre doesn't matter-R&B, hip hop, rock, hindi,tamil whatever, music is just the best thing EVER! If Elvis melts my heart with "Can't help falling in love", Sean Paul makes me wanna get up and groove to "Temperature". If "Cocaine" makes my fingers ache to strum a guitar, "Nattu Saraku" makes me wanna do the koothu! Just goes to prove that Music, my pals, is My Marijuana!

Go on now, gimme an insight into your musical inclinations. Let me know what gets your body moving and soul stirring :)

TAGGED again!

Heya all! I've been caught by the "tagged" bug again. Thanks again Srini. This one is definitely gonna be difficult cuz it warrants a serious twist of my grey and white matter way, way back in time- and trust me, old age has resulted in my memory being slightly, or rather totally, muddled. Yet, an attempt:

1999: Hmmm... Definitely one of the worst years of my life. Left Bahrain, my parents, shawarma and Um-Al-Hassam to come live in Chennai. No, that isn't the bad part. D.A.V is. Thanks to dad and mum, who felt any good student should belong there, I was 'forced' to join the 'all-girls' school. Unimaginable things happened. I flunked most of my papers, never went to school, was one of the 5 'worst' girls in my class, hit my fingers against the ceiling fan (!!!) , had ligament tears in both my ankles AND became BSNL Mylapore's Best Customer cuz of a telephone bill worth 50k [Not kidding ONE bit]. But, I did manage to meet 4 of my best ever friends through those 2 years of hell- Malar, Karpagavalli, Uthra and Akshu (8 years and still going strong, touchwood). And I also did learn the art of independance. Learnt but haven't mastered it. Yet :)

O.K. Now, to make life a lil easier for me, I'm gonna combine all the previous years and make it common:

1990-1998: Life in Bahrain. [For all of you who are tsk-tsk-ing rite now, I am offering you no respite. You will have to go through with this :) :) Feels like it's pay back time!Hahahaha!!]

The happiest period of my life. [From 1984 onwards itself, actually ;)] And happiest not cuz I was in love or cuz I graduated or I got a job or whatever, but happiest cuz all of that didn't happen. I was just a kid. In love with the smaller things in life. Just kept stuffing my face with all the burgers-pizzas-chips-candy-coke-chocolates-icecreams I could ever eat, never once having to worry about the needle on the weighing scale tipping menacingly to the right-growing love handles-slim fit denims-silver dusted kohl or lipgloss. Details evade me, but I just remember being happy- in my tights and tee, weird curly fringe and those big,pink plastic glasses (which,according to my sis, glowed in the dark!) that covered not just my eyes but literally my entire chubby face as well. I cringe everytime I see myself in those snaps and would never, ever show them to anyone. Hehe.

The best part of that memory, more than the food [yes, there is something that is more important!hehe] is my house. Flat # 34, 3rd floow, Al Fadhel building, Um-al-Hassam. I can visualise every single corner of that beautiful home. The new pink carpets we got in our study room. And the amazing way in which the sunlight used to scatter that pink-ness on the white,white walls. Those big, big balcony doors. Wall-to-wall glass that had a view of, well, the roadside (hehe) but yet, the living room used to be brighttttttt every morning.

Our car [White, ofcourse, cuz of my dad] Our bedroom. The people. It was all so good while it lasted. But all good things have to come to an end and thus, 1999 saw the ending of that. Though I did go back twice every year for vacations, nothing was the same again. Annnddddddd, well, I've let it be. I'm just glad I got the chance to have been in that awesome place which would alwayz, alwayz, alwayz be home to us.

P.S: Srini..!!!MAN!!I admire the fact that you remember so, so much. Awesome! :)

I just HAVE to add these:

Issue #6- The Condolence Talk.

After the **** face, the next thing that bugs the crap outta me (the list of 'Things that bug me' is quite long and the order varies by the second, but yet) is what I call the 'Condolence' Talk. A pissing off day at work and you happen to tell someone that. What do I expect in return? Nothing! Really, all I want is just to tell it out and I don't want to know how 'alright' it is, or how i shouldnt 'worry' or how 'nice' a person I am [not just cuz I know it all already ;)] I don't need/want/expect sympathy. I don't, I don't, I don't. This, by the way, is one of precedents for Issue #1. I'd rather not speak out my woes than to have to listen to a sympathetic out-cry. No, I'm not dying or dead and neither is someone I know. Neither am I depressed or suicidal. So, thank you. Can the lecture.

Issue #7- The Needle-Got-Stuck-On-the-Record!

One day after something happened (by saying 'something' I mean I don't even know what happened!)

The Other: "Are you ok?Are you sure you're ok?Are you positive you're ok?" (over dose of KBC)

Me: "Yes, Yes and Yes."

The Other (yet again, persistence is his/her middle name): Uhhhmm....U sure right?"

Me: @#$%^&

Another day, when some other something happened

The Other: "I'm sorry. I really am. I didn't mean it"

Me: O.K

The Other (an hour later): "Are you still mad at me?"

Me: No

The Other (a day later): "Hey, well...Uhhh...I'm sorry about the other day. I mean...I didn't, you know, like...mean to...u know...Well, I'm just sorry".

Me: ( *blank*) "What other day????"

Time flies. People move on. Situations change. All in a day. Then Why, just WHY, would I remember some spat or low moment I had days ago. Just appreciate that I'm not miffed enough never to talk again. If I do talk, it means I'm fine. Any reference to the past or digging up that buried hatchet could prove to be fatal.

Issue #8- I don't take hints.

I'm bad with games. Card games, board games, guessing games and especially mind games. And so, it is no wonder that I cannot (also read: will not) read someone's mind??? If there's something bothering you, go on, spill the beans. The low voice, the extra low murmur, the glazed eye or the guilty cough would just go unnoticed. I wouldn't even notice something is wrong. I don't take hints.

Couldn't help but add them :)

Breaking the Sabbatical...

There is no reason for this blog but to break my sabbatical from blogging. It isn't even intended for public reading. I know, I know. I did promise a faster and a more interesting next post, but somehow didn't get around to it. A peek into my page the other day revealed that my last post was a month ago. And i actually felt a twinge. I seriously doubted my communication capabilities then. The previous 2 drafts, that I intended completing the very day I had started them, seemed lame. Infact, I don't even feel the need to write on them now. Trust me, I tried. For the past 2 days, all I've been doing at work is staring at the (dumb) lines I had written [Yea, Yea. This IS what I do at work!] Staring, typing, backspace-ing, staring, typing and deleting. The titles always seem to pop into my head first and then content. This time- no title, no content. So I'm just going to keep going with a few nagging thoughts and see where this heads.

Issue #1- My Tale of Woes.

Quite a few people have been telling me lately that I'm a cribber. I laughed it off at first and then (as alwayz a little late) I realized that, sadly, it is true. Soooooooo, I decided to make a pact with myself- that I wouldn't crib to anyone anymore. And even if I do want to, I'd make it short. I mean, why would anyone want to listen to the history and geography of my silly problem! [Don't refute, guys. I KNOW I'm right on this. I can't handle them myself , so why you?] I'm going to try and solve it internally before letting it out!

Issue #2- The **** Face Syndrome.

Certain people have this uncanny ability to irk at a glance. Nothing to do with their physical appearance, really. Just that certain actions and words of theirs ruin the chemistry of history, bringing it to this. I alwayz knew my temper wasn't the best but now, all I have to do is look at certain faces and my blood starts boiling like a cauldron! Instantaneously a dozen abusive words find their way to the tip of my tongue and I literally have to hold myself back from uttering them out loud. Worst part? It irks me more that it irks me in the first place!

Issue #3- The Selfishness Streak.

Some are born with it, some acquire it, while some others try to implement it because they are told it helps survive. Funny huh? All through our childhood, parents go on and on and on about how sharing is important but all of a sudden in the World of the mighty adults [fuelled by the Darwinian theory of 'survival of the fittest'] it is only right that we claw, bite and gnaw our way into excellence. It doesn't matter how many trees are felled, it doesn't matter how much blood is shed, as long as the end is good. It certainly is a sad,sad situation!

Issue #4- The Feud Fetish.

I've alwayz maintained that I don't like fighting. I hate being the object of one or even worse, being in the midst of one. Which seems to be happening a lot lately. Which is why I kinda feel maybe these guys actually have a fetish for it! I feel like I suddenly have a cabbage for a head which people really relish eating. I don't get it (and I really don't want to) but everything I do or not do, say or not say is an issue. Silly to me, important to others. I guess that's where the problem is. To me all that bickering, bashing and bitching is such a waste of time,energy and emotion. Bury the hatchet and everything is back to normal. So, what was the point in getting all worked up at all?????

Issue #5- The Mad Ad World.

This is a serious turn off. 30 min program, 20 min ads. I was surprised when I was looking at the T.V guide last Saturday when I noticed that the program me and my sis wanted to watch was scheduled for 10-11.55 pm. Pretttttty long right? No points for guessing why. All we got was Glimpses. The show, Shah Rukh Khan, the show, HDFC, the show, a baby, the show, Big B! Takes allll the fun out of a relaxing T.V experience. To top it all, none of the ads themselves make any sense. Some silly man cooking a meal for his silly wife and trying to talk silly stuff which happens to be an ad for some even sillier anti-ageing cream! A Mad Ad World in a Mad Mad World!

There's lots more where that came from but I guess this should do for now. I feel a ton lighter getting these thoughts out and Breaking the Sabbatical.....

TAGGED!!!!

OH man!I've been tagged! And it couldn't have come at a better time...For, all the while I cribbed at being unemployed, now, I wish to be able to wake up at noon rather than dawn!!! Thanks Srini for the tag and also for giving me something to post cuz I was just beginning to think I wouldn't have time to blog again! :)

1.(a) Pick out a scar you have:

Uh...emotional?or physical?Ok, ok..I'm not gonna get all whiney...A scar...hmmm....Got this tiny thing on my knee...Actually there's more than 1, thanks to my accident-prone self!

(b) And explain how you got it?

Well...not like it was a moment to remember and celebrate or anything, but I think I fell down somewhere sometime!One second I was walking and the next..WHAM! down on my knees :D

2.What does your phone look like?

Nokia 6600..Pathetically maintained...so...This is getting personal man.. :D

3. What is on the walls of your bedroom?

STARS :D and planets and some weird satellite kinda stuff...hehe...you know, those self adhesive glow in the dark stuff that I find totally cool....makes me all starry eyed...literally!

4. What is your current desktop picture?

I never guessed it would matter!!!But right now, thanks to my PC's extra slow performance and extra low memory, it's just a blank blue screen ( as suggested by the comp guy)

5. Do you believe in gay marriage?

Marriage itself is questionable...now gay marriage??? Well, I don't really have an opinion...To each his own!If it makes someone happy, then good....

6. What do you want more than anything right now?

To sleep....and wake up noon tomorrow... :D

7. What time were you born?

Sometime July 11th 1984!

8. Are your parents still together?

Uh...yea...!!!

9. Last person who made you cry?

Myself...really...I can make myself cry anytime...

10. What is your favorite perfume/cologne?

Elizabeth Arden Green Tea...and well, Orange Tonic by Azzaro...

11. What kind of hair/eye color do you like in the opposite sex?

Never really mattered...

12. What are you listening to?

My sad-ass singing...No more questions on that plz ;)

13. Do you get scared of the dark?

YEAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!!I get all paranoid in the dark and my brain works overtime...

14. Do you like pain killers?

What's there to like? You got pain, kill it...Wanna hold on to it, your choice...

15. Are you too shy to ask someone out?

I'm pretty archaic in my thinking here. I still feel the guy's gotta do the asking out....

16. If you could eat anything right now, what would it be?

Anything...that's me!

17. Who were the last persons you made mad?

My mom...that goes on forever...and the feeling is mutual... :D

18. Is anyone in love with you?

I certainly hope there is some 'one' !

That's all Folks!!!!

Incessant Chatter to Mindless Rambling...

I start this blog in a very filmy way- swishing my freshly washed, sweet-smelling (thanks to L'oreal), recently 'smoothened' hair (though I don't really see any difference this time) and gently tucking it in behind my ear. I feel real good everytime I wash my hair. With all due credit to my secret serum and conditioner, my hair is reallll soft to touch, if I can say so myself. The effect lasts an hour. Good enough. An hour of feeling good, two days a week. Notches up my self confidence a bit.

As I alwayz say, I write to express. When something insinutates or amuses me. When bored or ecstasic. And I need inspiration. Hits me like a thunder bolt at the weirdest of times and my fingers itchhhhh to type it out. But now, I try and rack my brain to write something. Zilch. Nothing. So I decided I'll write about nothing-ness. A paragraphed version of my "Penny for my thoughts". An empty vessel making a lot of noise.

Something's changed me. My brain's short circuited. Can't attribute that to any one person or instance. But I'm different now. I alwayz thought I was talkative. People had to beg me to shutup. And even then I wouldn't. My idea of torture, you see. But now, 'I' don't wanna talk. I wanna be alone. I prefer the comfort of a book and the voices on t.v. Reel rather than real. It's a phase I know. And I'll get out of it. My phase of boredom! :)

I just don't wanna talk! I've got nothing to say most of the times. Conversations last 5 min. Anything more and it would resemble the hardly audible, soft humm of the air conditioner. Just hmm's and hmm's on either side. And then, when neither can bear it no more for fear of having the hmmmm echo on through-out the day, the byes are said. And I am back to basking in my own company! Aaahh...Solitude is Bliss :) :) :)

I know I sound weird, like some depressed maniac with skewed worldly views and latent serial killer tendencies ...hehe...But, y'all being my bosom buddies should know about my mood swings. This is just one of those low moments :)

For those of you who expected to read something a little more cheerful, sorry to disappoint and drag you into this quagmire of mine- earlier my Incessant Chatter, to now my Mindless Rambling!

P.s: I do requests....I also promise the next one is not gonna be about me :D ...And Jagannath, that sorry is soooo for you! I told u- yes blog, NO fun!hehe...

A Quickie...

Now,now don't get your thoughts twisted..! I mean this is a quick, mini sequel of sorts to my previous entry.Just a few more thoughts I missed out that I simply must share :)

For those of you with access to paid channels, I'd request you to watch atleast one episode of Channel V's "Get Gorgeous" which is (supposedly) the "Hunt for India's hottest face", whatever that is!The "panel", as they call themselves, consist of a stick like girl with a mop of curly hair, a very gay guy (and no, I don't mean gay as in happy) and some hugely successful make-up artist. Their rampage covers the hot cities of Delhi, Pune, Bangalore and,ofcourse, Mumbai (Talk of hot and Chennai should be way up there, but no, not to them. The Chennai they know still has girls attired in pavadai dhavanis!). The only episode I saw ( I couldn't bear to watch that and hence no more)had the moppy girl going to the most 'happening' places in these cities and handing over admit cards to girls whom they considered model material and inviting them for the audition.

The girls present themselves in weird hues and patterns and act weird-er in front of the panel to get themselves noticed. The panel goes by the mantra- the weirder, the better. Atleast that's how it seemed. I personally don't have anything against these pageants because I basically just don't care for them but watching this one infuriated me! Wanna know why? Listen to this-There was this one girl who walked into the audition room and the gay guy with the weirdly spiked hair and his characteristic nasal voice shrieked," My!!Who asked you to come here???" The girl was obviously taken aback and answered that her friends thought she was pretty and wanted her to audition. To which the dude, with an animated shocked expression exclaimed, "Oh no!!Your friends must be blind!You are U.G.L.Y. Your hair's too dry, your eyes too wide and your lips too thin. Please go NOW!" ....!!!!!!Poor parents of his, they must regret having raised a monstrous homo with a shoot-off mouth. I don't even want to get into what the girl's reaction was at this outburst!What makes him or any of those out there put someone down that way?

This brings us to the issue of hurtful motor mouth comments. I always thought people who said mean things were either enemies or just plain bad. But I now realize that there are people who believe they can simply speak their mind and think that's ok- whether or not it hurts the other. Recently at a friend's place, I had someone tell me that my hair looked real soft and nice. Just as I was all blushy and was about to tell her my secret serum story, she leaned forward, touched my hair and said, "Oh!Y'know what? It just looks soft, maybe cuz of the straightening, but it's actually rough to touch". I was stumped. I didn't know whether to laugh or cry. Laugh in wonder at the fact that there are actually people like that and cry because, well, I was hurt! But she didn't flinch, because she didn't think it was wrong to say that. And let me tell you, she was a friend. And a pretty good one.

I have always been the kind of person who has thought it alright to "white-lie" or rather hide the truth [Yup, Janie, you know what I mean. Not just in office but otherwise too :)] A firm believer in karma, I would never even dream of saying anything, knowing that it's going to hurt. Never, never, never!But it is saddening to see that there are those who feel that they wield the baton of truth. Knowingly or unknowingly, they say discomforting things, thinking that it's alright. They don't notice the shrivelled face, the slight drooping eyes and lips and that shattered expression of the other.

I don't know whether all of you would agree [Jane, Dolz n Ruby, I count you in with me, cuz of our million-hour tete-a-tete's in which all that would be voiced would be HOWs and WHYs...hehe...] . It maybe a trivial pursuit to few, or many, but it is something I feel strongly about. Lemme know what you think, and yea, make it (A) Quick(ie)!!!

The Devil Wears PRADA, The Angel Wears HERSELF...

Check out the pallette below giving this season Summer '07s MUST-WEAR shades. Dare to sport anything else and your stint in the everyday fashion scene is ka-put....So, are you IN...or are you OUT???

Oh yea, by the way? The primary 'requisite' to BE in the fashion scene in the 1st place, is that you have GOT to be a size, get this, ZERO! (translation: somewhat similar to the skeleton in your biology lab, but with skin..and (not necessarily)pretty features...and hair!) So, if you happen to be (shudder!) anything close to a size 1 or above, Get a Life, you are SO not stylish!

Who dictates the world of haute couture, you may wonder. It is not one, but a plethora of like-minded 'creators' of fashion who churn out fashion regulations by the hour every-single-day of the year. They get paid by the millions for it, their cranky whacky designs get noticed (God knows why), win accolades and all that earns them a place in the Golden Book of Mankind. More often than not, the huge (pun intended) chunk of people, not conforming to the pre-set standards of body architecture, get ignored.

[Below: Sketches by a top designer]

Hollywood in 2006 came out with a comical take on the World of fashion with "The Devil Wears Prada". The Devil, played sophisticatedly and with elan by a high-on-botox Meryl Streep, is a fashion guru, an icon feared by all in the industry for her ruthless ways. Editor of the most coveted fashion magazine 'Runaway', Miranda Priestly (Streep) runs her office mirthlessly, sorely testing her staff all the time. Her office shouts Prada!Armani!Versace! at every possible turn and Andrea Sachs (Anne Hathaway), her new assistant, finds her self plunged despairingly into a mire of impossibly thin, heart- wrenchingly stylish men and women in hot stilettos and tight leather pants revealing bodies that pledge life-long dedication to the gym! Andrea isn't the type. She's a typical cream-cheese bagel loving, jelly donut freak who, according to her, is a good writer and so, doesn't see why she must keep track of what she eats and what she wears!

[The movie is supposed to be inspired by Anna Wintour, editor of the U.S Vogue magazine]

I loved it, enjoyed every quip, every candid frame of the movie was hilarious but it left me wondering- if Andrea ( a size 8 ) wasn't acceptable, what about ME? I guess I'm entitled to eternal banishment from the very face of the earth for being a (humble) size 14+!!! I do have my moments of deep,dark sorrow when I look into the mirror and see my reflection,yet I do believe that that has nothing to do with who I am. I may not fit into any of this year's pret line from Milan or Paris or whereever, but I am happy wearing my cotton kurtas in fat-concealing colours like black with my inimitable dupatta wrapped around my broad shoulders and neck. THAT is my fashion statement and hence the anti-thesis, The Angel Wears HERSELF..... (not that I necessarily mean that the angel is me)

Style is intrinsic, it emanates from within. You maybe wearing the most elitest gown, but if you carry an attitude to match its price, you're not going to have too many fans! It is all a matter of confidence-how much thou love thyself! Style is comfort- if you like what you wear, it shows. Try it out, wearing your best jeans and your favourite t-shirt always makes you feel good, no matter if the jeans are Levi's or the T- Nike. But when you do dress up to,well, 'dress-up', wearing a short, slinky revealing dress, you may get a lot of winks but you couldn't care less because all you want to do right then is slip out of it.

What you see below is NOT a grizzly bear nor the sketch of a rag-picker, it is infact one of the top designs for the Fall of 2006. I'm sure none of you would want to be caught alive-or dead- in THAT!Now you know what I mean..?? :)

At the recent fashion week in Paris, renowned designer Jean Paul Gaultier did something that shocked the world. As a fitting response to the controversy over the size-O models, he put a voluptuous size 20+ model on the ramp in a daring black corset, proving that BIG is BEAUTIFUL. Now, isn't that admirable???

Rather than join the bandwagon on the season's best colour, pattern, length blah blah, take the time to discover YOUR style. That sets you apart and makes others sit up and notice your unique image- just YOU.

So, the next time you are intimidated by someone claiming to be in vogue (and indirectly alleging that you aren't) let them go to Hell, because The Devil (may) Wear Prada, (but) The Angel? Wears HERSELF...

P.S: Dolz, I know you're laughing at the title..Trust me, it still is funny for me too...but I didn't wanna go back on the few literary bursts that grace my tiny lil brain :)

Silky, Smooth, Soothing, Surreal, Sexy.....

Wondering what this is going to be about??No,no it isn't about me...hehe.This is about this one person whose voice is an embodiment of all this.Listening to whom makes my knees go weak, my insides feel all mushy like lamb chowder and I'm transported to a plane way above the realms of reality.I write of none other than, BRYAN ADAMS. Me, the non-romantic [Atleast, I like to believe that!Jane, now don't get started :) ] start feeling all blushy and warm everytime I hear him huskily croon:

"Look into my eyes - you'll see,
What you mean to me.
Search your heart - search your soul,
And when you find me there, you'll search no more.

Don't tell me it's not worth tryin' for.
Y' can't tell me it's not worth dyin' for.
Y' know it's true, Everything I do - I do it for you."

OOOHHH!Just writing about makes me feel all....DREAMY! I don't know of any other singer who can do this to me. Noone can make my spirits go from eternally-drowned-in-self-pity to I-can't-wait-for-someone-to-sing-that-to-me! [See, I told you it makes me (all) dream(y)...!]

He's got a song for just about every mood...After a miserable fight,there's no better way to say sorry than:

"Please forgive me,
I know not what I do...
Please forgive me,
I can't stop lovin you...

Dont deny me
this pain Im going through
Please forgive me, cuz' I need you like I do..."

C'mon, who can be mad after THAT!???

And then ofcourse there's that absolutely breath-taking song, a question every woman wants the answer to, the song that every woman would want her man to listen to:

"To really love a woman, to understand her
you gotta know her deep inside
Hear every thought - see every dream
N' give her wings - when she wants to fly
Then when you find yourself lyin' helpless in her arms
Ya know ya really love a woman

When you love a woman
you tell her that she's really wanted
When you love a woman
you tell her that she's the one
Cuz she needs somebody to tell her that it's gonna last forever
So tell me have you ever really - really really ever loved a woman?"

Are all the men out there listening????I sure hope you are cuz THIS is what a woman wants! Men alwayz seem to have a problem comprehending woman (or so they claim, escapist strategy) when it is simply them who don't know how to express what they feel. Forget movies like What Woman Want, forget praying for the 'power' to be able to read a woman's mind, just tell her what you feel- a million,billion, ZILLION times a day!

On a day like today, when I'm upbeat, feeling cheerfully bright and liberated, it's time to listen to, what else,but:

"Free is all you gotta be
dream dreams no one else can see
sometimes ya wanna run away
but ya never know what might be comin' round your way...ya ya ya...

On a day like today
the whole world could change
the sun's gonna shine shine through the rain
On a day like today
ya never wanna see the sun go down"

And ofcourse, there's the song that inspired my blog page title:

"Here I am - this is me
There's no where else on earth I'd rather be
Here I am - it's just me and you
And tonight we make our dreams come true

It's a new world - it's a new start
It's alive with the beating of young hearts
It's a new day - it's a new plan
I've been waiting for you
Here I am"

And Here He is:

I'm sure by now all of you know that I am a HUGE Fan of his.I just LOVE every one of his songs.Whether I'm elated, depressed or beside myself with anger I can't stop myself from melting when I listen to his Sensual music-be it his Silky-Everything I do, his Smooth- The Only Thing That Looks Good On Me, his Soothing- C'mon, C'mon,C'mon, his Surreal-Have You Ever Really Loved a Woman or his Sexy- 18 till I Die...

P.S: Ruby, remember all the CRAZY times in the bus you and me sang (more like screamed) every single Bryan adams song possible!That and the silly dance moves to accompany it cemented out friendship :)

A Penny For My Thoughts (2)...

Date: 2 MAy 2007 Time: 16:30 hrs

Background music : Belly Dancer by Akon...A new favourite....

Writing a blog involves too mucha thought...Don't think my tiny lil precious brain can handle it!

Maria's DEAD??? Oh-My-God! [Self proclaimed Fashion House F.R.E.A.K]

So, now Caffeine helps me lose weight. Now I know!And all these days I've been drinkin black tea, white tea, green tea....

Ahhh, melted Dairy Milk..sheer Bliss...I must've died and gone to heaven!

As I see them now, the fotos that I've been dying to see..SUCK! Damn!

Cuppa with Chris? Chris with Cuppa? Interesting stuff by Janie Bravo a.k.a panni kutty a.k.a Chris a.k.a Mocha!

It's getting Hot in here..Don't think taking my clothes off would even help...!

YAY! It's a Wednesday!That means there's Heroes, Gray's Anatomy AND Fashion House [Self proclaimed anything-on-tv F.R.E.A.K]

I think my orkut pic is kinda funny..Helps ward off evil...hehe!

How does astrology work? Hmmm....

Oh!I LOVE Dolz to itsy-bitsy, teeny-weeny BITS with all my HUGE heart ;) The Cross Sisters Rock Alwayz! Next blog coming up soon...dontcha worry!

Juz 2 months to go for me b'day! Gotta decide on my clothes, my hair, blah-blah,blah-blah!

I can't believe I'm the only one who isn't working... :( sigh!

Sparky's dinner buffet...All the MEAT I can get...WHOA! And to top it all my 2 best men for company...That's gonna be fun....Can't Wait!!!! [When is it gonna happen guyz????]

Cassandra went around with Jake. Jake was 2 timing Cassandra with Andrea. And they both...huh??? How do people write such stories??? [courtesy: the latest book I'm reading. No, the name isn't worth mentioning]

So,burning fat results in weight loss and doing weights causes strengthening of muscles. Which means, I've gotta rent the gym out and STAY there if I've gotta get anywhere close to what I wanna be! Can Life be more miserable than that???

OOps....My cook's come...It's Caffeine time! No Cuppa, No Vodka just Kaapi and Biscoot ;)

Quid Pro Quo time guyz...A Penny for (Your) Thoughts! Until next time, TA!

The Cult of the IBCDs...

I am alwayz one to honour those who inspire my writings. This time,though, it's a personal request from a very special person- my very dearest Priya Didz. I am pretty over whelmed that she wanted me to write on this and clear a lot of misconceptions in the Indian mind. Given this challenge, I've decided to take my time in writing it because I want it to come out right. Don't want to disappoint. This may be a bit long. I'm not sure. Pardon me if it is! So, here goes....

Scene 1: "Ayyy, Beee, Ceee, Deee, Eee, F, Geee, Eych, Aiii, Jeyyy, Keiii.....Dubba-u,X, Y,Zeeeeee" - Perplexed? Sound weird like seagulls squawking? These were the sounds that wafted down and into our ears as me and Ruby walked into the tiny space we called 'office'. Between uncontrollable bouts of laughter, we realized that those utterances were actually 'vocal lessons' at the call center overhead! A classroom of different mother-tongued Indians were being tongue-washed,i.e, they were being taught the U.S.An way of speaking- rolled tongue, no- stress wording peppered with an easy-going and chirpy tone to enter into the make-believe world of Business Process Outsourcing, popularly known as B.P.O. They had a reason to be there. It was their JOB, their source of income, which required them to learn to talk 'right' if they have to be understood by their customers. Understable?Well, atleast compared to Scene2.

Scene 2: Vin: "Dai Arjun, Machan, Variya poi Chennai 600028 pakalam?" [Translation: Dude, Wanna go watch the latest tamil flick, Chennai 600028?]
Arjun: " Hey no man! No Tamil movies for me! Let's watch some English movie. That's where allllllll the action is, if u know what I mean! ;) "

Scene 3: Dad: " So, did you send in your applications? Try aiming for Harvard or Princeton or the likes. Atleast then you can into some good enough university."
Shaan: " Uh..yea Dad...I'm doing just that!" [Thinks: Man!I just wanna get away from home. Who cares which university I get into. It's all about the freedom and the gori babes!Sigh!]

Scene 4: Nita: "EEEEWWW!! Check out his shoes? Are they,like, cheesy or what?"
Tina: "Hehe, yea, Bata I think ;) hehehehe"
Nita: "Forget him, look!It's Shaan. He's the coolest dude EVER, GAP jeans and all!"
Tina: "Yeaaaaa!!!WOW! I could,like, look at him all day,y'know!"

Time out!Let me use this opportunity to introduce the protagonists of this blog, the new cult of IBCDs. The cool, sassy, West-aping breed of Indian Born Confused Desi's. Nope, you don't have to read the tag again. I didn't mis-word it. I do mean IBCD and not the ABCDs (I'm sure you all know the expansion of this one whether or not you know what NATO stands for!). The hype about them is now history. Come on, they have a right to be confused. Their brown skins can be counted by the fingers amongst a mob of black and white (And yellow and red and pink...No racism implied). They are born Americans but are made to follow 'values' set by their traditionally moralled, Hard-Rock t-shirt wearing, Carnatic music listening and oooh yea, beer- guzzling parents. Time and again they are reminded of their Indian roots and that they must behave accordingly. For those poorlings who haven't set their eyes on the Indian scenario yet, for whom Indian-ness starts & ends with their name, all this pressure can be difficult to handle and it is O.K for them to be bogged down. On the other hand, we have the bludgeoning cult I talk about....

After the plague, the most widespread epidemic to have hit India would have to be Globalization & Liberalization. Along with improving trade, commerce and relations with the West, it also brought with it Western ideologies and more of an exposure to their ways of life. The scenarios viewed in movies, sit-coms etched themselves deeper into the Gen-X of India and they realized that they have been un-cool all along. I mean,now, Nike is in and Bata is out. Who knows what a Dosa means, unless ofcourse your talkin about 'rice pancakes'. Yea, I may be exaggerating a bit, but it does emphasize the matter at hand, doesn't it? Nothing could be more embarassing than speaking in one's mother tongue. Hence, the rise in RJs who talk with such a put-on Tamil accent, it takes a moment to comprehend their babble!

I personally know more than a handful of kids, I'm talking in their early teens, who are already stalwarts in the dating scene. Being without a 'short-term better half' is unthinkable for them. We now have a bunch of pre-mature, know-it-all 'teeny boppers' mobbin everyplace in pairs! For this section,who have grown up listening to their mother's thalaattu, strains of Suprabhatham floating in from somewhere in the neighbourhood and the only 'colour variation' known would be different shades of brown, confusion, in any form other than academic, should be non-existant.

It is not that I am against Westernization. I'm glad India is moving away from the image of being the 'Land of Snake Charmers' to being in the running for the next biggest Super power. I'm glad Education is now valued more than ever before and elegance is slowly replacing uncouth. It is what Indians think is Western that is bothering. I somewhere feel we Indians aren't getting the picture right. The USA is viewed as a place where culture is unheard of, morals and values are gibberish, sex is in the open, illegal is legal and yet it is the place to be.Because in India, everything cool is taboo, everything is viewed with utmost critical skepticism and it is all so over-whelming at times that they yearn to be free from it all

What they do not see, however, is the America of the Americans, of those innumerable hordes of people who flocked to the "Land of Opportunities" and made it their home. This is the nation where people are so proud to be American, no matter what their origin. ABCDs, BBCEs or whatever acronym formed by permuation & combination of the letters in the English alphabet, salute the blue and red flag unanimously because it gave them the freedom to be who they are now.In India, if you've got a dream, can it. Parental & social acceptance is above all. You can forget being an art major or a history buff, especially if 'professional studies' is the only choice you have to make your career. And for those who do dream big, make it big- ABROAD. I'm not trying to drive home the 'patriotic theme'. All I'm saying is that it is unnerving to see flocks of youngsters filtering out the Western essence to suit themselves and using it as an excuse to change themselves.

As I end, I just want to say: America does have Culture- one that is Liberalistic, it does have Morals- that are Individualistic and it does have Values- Pragmatic values. THAT- is True Blue America, baby!

Now, aren't we all a part of The Cult of the IBCDs???? I mean, Indian Born CLEAR Desis!! ;)

P.S: Didz, Is it all right? I hope it is!

Of Pride, Valour and Honour...

On one of those girly nights, conversation never stopped, it just went on and on and on...It got personal and then it got political....And embroiled in that conversation was this awe-inspiring true story...It left me awestruck and hence the blog...

Thank you Rekz for telling it to me....

"In the fierce and unkempt forests of Africa, the crude and cruel men considered women as mere objects of desire. Innocent women and children were raped to satisfy their rampant hunger. Respect to women was something they had never heard of. One day, a gang of over zealous, moronic men ransacked the house of a young girl of 13 and carried her away for their silliness. She managed to escape their deadly throes and ran away. The men pursued her deeper and deeper into the forests.

Suddenly, the weeping girl spotted a herd of lions in front of her. Rooted to her spot with fear, she could not move. She stood, as though struck by a thunderbolt, till the furious cries of the men behind her jolted her out of her shock. The little girl, though young, was full of pride and she decided to save her honour and give her life away to the golden beasts before her rather than die disgracefully in the hands of the human beasts behind her. She ran forward towards the herd....

The pitiful sobbing of the little girl sounded, to the lions, like the whimpering of a wounded cub. Instinctively, they formed a protective circle around her, baring their razor sharp teeth menacingly to her pursuers, warning them not to take a step forward. The delirious fools fled the scene almost immediately! The herd remained there guarding her the entire night. The girl awoke the next morning, the trauma still looming over her, and was astonished to find herself alive. She looked around but the lions were nowhere to be seen. She was saved- by the 'Deadly Beasts' from the 'Humane Humans'."

Now wasn't that good??? Reiterates the fact that animals are far more 'human(e)' than most humans themselves! But whatever we are, whatever we do, I truly believe that all of us should try and live like the little girl, a life Of Pride, Valour and Honour.....

A Penny For My Thoughts....

Attention: From this day, 31 March 2007, A Penny for My Thoughts is going to be a regular feature... ;)

Dated: 31 March '07 Time: 21: 30 hrs

Can a day ever be sooooo boring?????

Man!!!!!!!!I L.O.A.T.H.E Fightin!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Do they really have people managing what plays on T.V everyday????

My tummy's rumbling...i need FOOD!!!

I wannna go outtttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttt.............................

I wanna paintttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttt.........!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Hmmm...I think I'm thirsty.....Water!!!!

Vodka Anyone????hehehe...

I need new songs...Bored of the usual crap....

What are all my friends upto???

Wanna dance...just let my hair down...I need the break!

Well...Break??? Whatever from...Man! I'm losing it!

Trust me, Marriage is a Dying Institution...!

I've got to change...but what???

Oh! I need to lose weight....I'm gonna keep trying n trying...!

A Job.....that's what I need....And MONEY...MY money!!!

Uhhh....Can someone help me get away from where I am right now????

Why can't Dolz just be here!!! :( :( :(

Food...FOOOOODDDDDDDDDDDDDD!!!!!!!!

"On a Day Like Today, the whole world can change....The Sun's gonna shine, shine through the rain..." [Background score]

Pepperoni pizza, KFC....Chaat???Cookie....Muffin, Banana & Walnut....Shawarma...Rainbow Sorbet from Baskin Robbins...A thick and juicy Dairy Queen burger...OOOHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!

Can this happen???I mean...Can the floor just suddenly give way and can I vanish????

Am I really nice? Nah...I think people just say that to make me feel good....hmmmm....

Damn! The library's closed....I should be reading a new book now...not fretting!

"C'mon, C'mon, C'mon..We're gonna make it home tonight".....[Background score now]

Do Aj and Andu have to go???Are my 2 Best Men gonna leave me and goo?????? :( :( :(

What do we name our niece/nephew-to-be??? :) :) :) Atlast...something to smile about...!

I better end on that good note...Now,Your turn....Here's A Penny For Your Thoughts....

P.S: Fill them in as comments...If you haven't figured that out already... :)

The Shoes Dont Alwayz Have To Fit......

Disclaimer: I am not a story-teller, I do not write auto-biographies, I am a ‘state-of-mind’ inspired blogger...My views are my own and need not be acceptable.....

Telling someone to buzz-off, asking someone to STOP bothering me, saying the dreaded 2-letter word, NO, to people- All of this comes R-e-a-l hard to me... I never want to hurt anyone by what I do or say....Even if something mean has been done to me...It's almost like if I'm gonna go ahead and say one wrong thing, I'm going directly to hell for having committed the greatest sin Ever...Which is why I wasn't really surprised when people tagged me "The Serial Pleaser!" However, I've started changing ever since the Phase of Introspection began (thanks to my dearest friends asking me to seriously Get A Life!)

Most of us, though undiagnosed, suffer from what medics call "The Empathy Syndrome"....This hinders the ability of the mind to think rationally....A clinical case of "Putting yourself in other's shoes"...Attempting,rather unsuccessfully, to 'understand' other's stance in a situation.... Too much empathy -borders on sympathy, though, and I'm sure noone wants that...

It is important for us to analyze things....to look at it from different angles before coming to a judgement...However, it is also essential to remember that All of us are different footed!!! There ISN'T and can NEVER be a 'one-size-fits-all' situation, you see....Having a towering personality (literally) makes it Veeeery difficult for me to actually FIT into most shoes...Either too small or too big (mostly the former!!)....Besides, even though I'm wearing someone else's shoes, I've still got MY thinking cap on....So..no matter how hard I try to understand, to say the right things, I'm most likely NOT to understand....and well, NOT say the right things... And that isn't wrong...I don't expect people to understand what I go through and similarly the other way round...

My Friends, those veritable creatures who keep me sane in this insane world, have now come to realize that it is highly impossible to convince me to stop thinking about stuff...That no matter what anyone tells me, I am on my own...I just NEED them to be there with me, through my temperaments, not necessarily to understand me....With that support, I'm sure I'll be alright :)

And so,once again, as wisdom descends on me, I realize, and thus impart, that the next time someone tells you to 'understand', moreso, to "Put yourself in their Shoes"....Do remember- The Shoes Dont Alwayz Have to Fit....

That Intricate Labyrinth called M.E.M.O.R.Y.....

From time immemorial, there has been a constant struggle between religion & science as to how the most intelligent species on this planet, MAN, originated.... One school of thought believes it is God who made Man and the other assertively says that it involves a series of micro-biological and chemical processes...i dont know what to think cuz i am religious and yet, like to believe that i am practical too....to me, the ideal solution is a balance of the 2... that way, neither side would be offended....God formulated the blue-print of HOW the universe would be formed and left the rest to science....There, that's my explanation....This blog, however, does not aim at gettin into the intricate details of THAT process...I juz wanna talk abt one such awe-inspirin feature of the human being, his MEMORY.....

Doesn't it amaze you how we remember the smallest of details that occured years ago? Don't you wonder how you remember the face of someone you met as a child? Well, isn't it plain amazing that we simply "Remember" ??? Agreed, we do also "forget" some or most of what we have seen and heard before....That would probably be cuz no system is 100% efficient! [Besides, it has afterall been said, To Err Is Human, which could also be interpreted as, To Forget is Human :) ]

Iv alwayz wondered where all this information gets stored, how is it that somethings "remind" you of somethin else, how smells can translate into a mental image ( Everytime i pick up the aroma of pizza, a fat- filled cheesy,delicious slice instantly pops into my mind...!) Certain recalls also have emotions associated with them...like when i think of pizza, i feel hungry n then,automatically, guilt!

I decided to juz read a lil bit about this so i could understand it....All of what i read was so intriguing & detailed( courtesy: Google) that i juz HAD to share it to all of u out there, in a way that i have understood it :)

We do not store entire instances in our mind,i.e., it is not a package deal...Each aspect of an instance, the emotions, the faces, the location, the smells...EACH get stored in separate pockets in different areas of the brain...Those aspects that have in some way affected us, that we wish to retain, get stored...rememberin any one of these would trigger a path in the brain that would bring all of these together....So, essentially, it works backwards....u think of somethin, the pulse goes back and gets images etc from the various areas and it comes to u.... eg: when i think of my last bday, first an image of me comes to my mind (not a pretty pic though) n then slowly, pizza hut...then the long table...as i walk in, the faces of my friends....the cake...now i feel embarassment (cuz i had to stand up on the seat and, get this, 'announce' to all that it was my bday!!!) Slowly the entire day comes rushin in....all in a matter of milliseconds!! Even dreams are a result of memory...Id rather not get into that now...This would turn out to be more of a psychology report then!

Everytime i close my eyes, a million images close in.....random images.....faces, smiles, colours, places...it is over whelmin! Itz a maze out there...intricately woven...and i find myself gettin lost in it...Some memories i wish to keep with me forever, others i pray i could just forget....

Through all this, i also realize there is somethin i want from all of you... that whatever may happen in the future, I wish to alwayz be a part of That Intricate Labyrinth called (your) M.E.M.O.R.Y.....

The Only Man I Truly Love.....

Everytime i contemplated writin a blog, I kept wonderin what i would write abt....there were a 100 different things on my mind....but at the same time, i would draw a blank when i started writin them!!! There was this one thing,though, that i really wanted to pen down from the start....Infact I thought i would start of my bloggin with this one topic, but that dint happn...so herez the time to let u all in my tiny lil secret :)

This is more of a tribute of sorts to this one person who really means more to me than anyone else....im sure a lotta of u who know me would be able to figure out who it is....for the rest of u, Im talkin about none other than my 'Daddykins' [tatz how me n my sis prefer to call him :)]

My pillar of strength....the one person whoz voice makes my heart melt (i can never ever ever ever EVER get bored of his singin!) Ideological differences???we've got plenty! Yet, i can juz never get enough of arguin with him...He finds it funny every time i enter into a heated, passionate arguement about how id like to make my life the way i want it....n tat annoys me, cuz, well..here i am goin all hyper tryin to convince him to see my side of the story, n there he is givin me an amused luk (to be read as: rant all u want, uv still gotta listen to me while under my roof!) Guess tatz what ppl call "Generation Gap"..........

I remember the first time he saw my hair streaked n well, FREAKED! so much for the rhyme though, cuz the picture that day was certainly not musical....he actually wanted me to go back turnin a 3000/- venture into a 6000/- one by colourin it back in black!!i was so furious, i kinda took an oath never to step back into my home ever again....i slept at nite wonderin where to go the next morn! but somewhere in between twilight n dawn, i found myself snugglin bak in his arms lik a baby, never wantin to let go....n i never will....

I so-believe that u can hate as strongly as u luv a person....n wit him tatz juz how it is... There r times i wish one of us would juz vanish into thin air....The funny part is, the stronger that thought gets, the harder i pray to never let him outta my site...Travails of a contradictin mind!Hez the only person who can move me to tears ANYTIME....all iv gotta do is think of his benevolent eyes, n BAM! the dam's broken n a torrent of salt water comes rushin down....Continuin with the contradictin tradition, the storm of tears is followed by the hull of a tiny smile as i continue thinkin of him :)

The first thing my dad told my sis when she started earnin was- "Dont even think of savin anythin for the first 5 yrz!" [but my sis seems to have taken tat a tad bit seriously..hehe!] Ridiculous as it may sound, itz what he preaches... According to him, 'if uv got the dough, spend it...n if u haven't, spend wat lil uv got! cuz ull never know whatz gonna happen tom'....TAT is our family's time-tested Happiness Mantra.....

If Jawaharlal Nehru's collection of letters to his daughter is coveted, so should his....Man, every letter is like a powerful speech of statesmanship....Proddin us to look beyond the frivolous details troubling us n believe in togertheness as a family...It is juz this tat has kept us goin thru tough times....When the goin got tough, the tough did get goin...N all that credit goes juz to him....

His belief in me n my sis strengthened us....Not the type to be judgemental, he stood steadfast by us, at times when all were against....He couldnt care less for the "society" , he juz trusted his daughters, n we wouldnt dare prove him wrong......Never once did he feel that we would have been on the wrong...He remained unfazed, inspite of having to severe relationships for havin chosen us over others......n if it werent for him, trust me, I wouldnt b where i am now.....

Mere words wud never be enough to describe what he meanz to me.....Hez an embodiment of patience.... Life without him is unthinkable...Teary eyed, I end this tribute to The Man In White, my DADDY-The Only Man I Truly Love.......

P.S: To the Man Im gonna Marry- Dont get intimidated by the above...You wouldnt have to worry abt me havin high expectations cuz I KNOW tat my Dad is WAY beyond comparison! :)