.

Acknowledgements!

2008-07-06T10:54:00.000-07:00

Thanks to all those who expressed (minute amounts of) distress at my moving outta here. You guys are nice souls and I like you. Those of you who visited my new space or tried to, you are all sweethearts, I like you very much. For those meanies who feigned sadness and then forgot about my move, I'm presuming your jealous and hene glad competition has moved, but it's ok - I'm a nice girl and I like you too. BUT, I'm still here and I've still got a comp at home and so this space isn't gone, ok???

Oh I also wanted to mention, all of you who miss my commenting (ahem), Idling has come up with a way for me to comment without it being directed to blogger.com. He says,

"I think I have a solution to your commenting problem on blogger. “Blogger In Draft” allows people to embed the comment form in the post itself so that the URL won’t change to http://www.blogger.com when you try and comment. Try it on my page, and if it works, may be you can get your other blogmates to embed commenting in their posts as well."

And I did try and it did work. So, if anyone is interested, you could try making that change. I mean like atleast TRY! Hmmpph!

P.S: Yes, nasty mood!

Farewell

2008-07-03T03:01:00.000-07:00

I can't believe the time has come for me to say Goodbye to my first blog page.Well, I guess I still will come back and use it whenever I can.But thanks to Blogger being censored at my work place, I've got no choice but to move to keep my writing skills intact.I know I can blog from home, but a 9 yr old PC is definitely not blog-friendly. Infact, it isn't 'anything' friendly...Besides, I write to combat work-induced boredom, and so if I don't get to blog from work, I probably never would. I considered quitting my job and moving to another place, but right now this seemed better...*sniff*

Cheer up people, I'm not gonna stop writing, you can now get to read my stuff at www.beetlejuice357.wordpress.com. Just some shmall minor changes. See ya there.

One Tag, Many Questions

2008-06-26T01:52:00.000-07:00

Tagged by Satti. I see 2 ways to do this tag. Considering that it contains a set of highly profound questions that warrant some very thought-provoking answers, one way to do it would be the heart-felt way. But that isn't me (atleast not now) The other way is 'my' way. Any guesses which way this is gonna be done?

I am: Preeti

I am not: Dolly (my sis. A lotta people get our names interchanged. I can never get why!)

I think: Actually I don't

I know: that I'm hungry now

I want: Pepperoni pizza

I have: no money

I wish: I had money

I hate: Arrogance and not being understood

I miss: being a kid

I fear: the boogey-monster in the dark

I feel: hungry! (should explain the Pepperoni)

I hear: Some guy here saying, "Ramakrishna is our team-member" on the phone.

I crave: A couple tequila shots right here, right now :( :(

I search: My bag for my comb

I wonder: What I'd wear on my Birthday this year

I regret: Not being able to go to aerobics for the past month and a half

I love: Chilli chicken and honey roasted peanuts (Yea it's all about food!I'm hungry!)

I ache: When I fall down the stairs every-single-time

I care: A little more than necessary

I always: Have my phone around me

I believe: In God

I dance: All the time. People say I dance when I'm normally talking itself (I shake my head and move my hands a lot)

I sing: because I like to sing.

I cry: Pretty easy actually

I don’t always: like company. I need to be alone at times.

I fight: silly!

I write: hardly anything. I type is more like it.

I win: if I'm lucky

I lose: when I'm unlucky

I never: wanna be unloved

I confuse: myself - all the fuckin' time!

I listen: to music I like (obviously)

I can usually be found: talking. No, I can always be found talking.

I am scared: of the dark! Isn't it the same as I fear...Wait a min now, is this some kinda psychometry test?!?

I need: to turn the AC off here before I freeze!

I am happy about: the fact that my Birthday is coming up in just 15 days :D

Q: One religious work from a non-familiar tradition you’ll read:
A: I like reading about Ancient Egyptian Mythology. You know, Ra, Amun Ra and the likes. I don't know if any 'religious works' exist, but just information from google is interesting enough! Blame it on Nefertiti and Tutenkhamun if u wish :)

Q: One music video–that you like–from your “least likely to listen to’ genre:
A: Weird question. One of 'em songs by Bond Girls. I'm not really the instrumental kind.

Q: Somewhere you’d never thought to go on holiday/vacation, and why it might be fun to go there?
A: If I haven't thought of going somewhere, why would I think it would be fun to go there...!?

Q: A sport or game you really hate, or haven’t tried yet, but are willing to give one more go.
A: Bowling. Because I end up falling every time!

Q: A style of dance you probably won’t try..
A: Ballet. Balancing my body on my toes - OUCH!

Q: A career job you don’t feel you’re suited for, and why:
A: Anything to do with software or finance. How much ever I try, I can just never understand writing a program or the stock market!

Q: An item that’s “thinking out of the box’ for you
A: Ahem ahem, cough cough, wink wink! Go figure! :P

Q: If there’s one thing in life you wanted to do, and will do, what will it be?
A: At any given point, there are close to exactly 1 million things I'd wanna do, but what I would do is certainly a mystery, even to me. And so, if I'm asked to confine my doing-desires to just one, it is a task close to impossible!

I tag all ye guys I've linked up on my side bar - too many for this lazy one to type out :) [Excepting 'The One Who Doesn't Wish To Be Tagged'. Hahahaha!]

P.S: 1. Satti, seriyana potti?? Hahahahahahaha!
2. Others: Don't bother figuring out P.S.1!
3. Some kind soul just turned the AC off :) :) :)

Trippin' Pics!

2008-06-25T02:12:00.000-07:00

Part of the 'wild-life' at Thekkady

Those goddamn trees that kept us awake. There were million more of these around!

A Waterfall somewhere up-hill to Munnar

Smiling Harsh atop Sankarankutty (we were behind)

There's baby Kannan with his mommy.

View from our room at Munnar.

Stopped the car somewhere in between to get this.

The World Acclaimed Wild Goat. Beware!

The Wild Bison - Thekkady

Our House-boat - Manikandan! (Yea, he had a name)

City City Bang Bang!*

2008-06-22T05:12:00.000-07:00

Finally, it's out! Pardon the delay, I was just not in the right mood to write. This one is gonna be long, so, pardon that too!Anyway, let's start off with the basics trip details:

Locations: Ernakulam -> Munnar -> Thekkady -> Kumarakom
Total distance to be covered: Close to 600 kms
Time available: 5 days to be exact.
Mode of transport: Chennai -> Ernakulam => Train, To everywhere else => Qualis
Company: 2 couples and 1 stag. Total fun material.

After a 12-hour train journey to Ernakulam (11 hours of which we slept) our white Qualis met us, along with Raju- our guide cum driver. I, keeping up with tradition, was the back-seater. Which in this case was so not cool. Which meant having American Tourister trolleys for company and being the official supply cabin of the vehicle. Which also meant that it really didn't matter if I had motion sickness, I just had to hand over whatever was required whenever required. More fun material!

Destination I: Munnar
Temperature: For a Chennaiite, just the right temperature to be turned into a human popsicle.
Ok, embarassment time. I have to confess my ignorance. I don't know why or how, I always thought Munnar was one of those beachy places with an abundance of sunshine. Somehow 'Munnar' just doesn't have a hill-station-ish ring to it, like say, Kodaikanal or Ooty. Thankfully, when I was just about packing my bags, Pp 'reminded' me to carry warm clothing. And the closest to 'warm clothing' I carried along was a couple of shrugs (For those uninitiated into women's-clothing, these are those small jacket-ish things that are meant not to cover anything but just be worn anyway. And oh, both of mine had holes all over).

The trip, though, helped me to discover another of my hidden facets - getting up a mountain makes me as sick as, uhm, someone sick (I should stop trying to use similies). I've heard a lotta people tell me earlier that they tend to feel nauseous when going up and blah, but I always thought I was that 'steel-body' kinds and nothing could affect me. And so through the entire trip, the only position I could be found in, in the car, would be curled- hugging the seat with my eyes tightly shut and that weirdly pukey, groggy expression on my face. But I guess the rest of the world in that car were oblivious to my discomfort. Every now and then I would hear someone go, "Preeti? What are you doing? Why so silent? And oh yea, pass me the water". And I would mumble something incoherently and they would go, "Always sleeping. Wonder why you came for the trip!" They should be thanking their stars I wasn't well enough right then.

To top it all, our 'resort' was located somewhere close to the tip of the mountain and the only other thing we could hear at night other than our own echoes, was the slow but constant zzzhhhhhhhh of the wind through the trees. And it was LOUD! Like each tree had it's own amplifier and 3-D surround speakers or whatever. I slept in between my parents (Fine, I'm a killjoy, but in my defense, those noises were pretty eerie!) Dad fell sick and Dolz was puking through the night. So much for a 'relaxing' vacation.

We did do our share of 'sight-seeing' and 'photo-taking'. We even climbed some real high peak to spot a couple of 'wild-goats'! C'mon, they are goats!!! Incidentally, when I was passing on this 'just goats up there' information to the rest of the family, one of the officials out there happened to eavesdrop on our conversation and he immediately burst out, "It is naat justa goatsa madam! These goatsa are seen wonly here! Nowhere else in the entaayree warld you will see this, ok???So don't say 'just goats' ok??? Too bad for him I was just recuperating from the journey uphill. (My motion sickness seems to have been a blessing in disguise for a lotta people, huh?)

The rest was the usual valley, waterfall, echo point thing. I mean, what else could a mountain offer!? Yea, yea it was beautiful, picteresque and all that. Yea, every crappy picture of mine looked frame-worthy because the place was just so-damn-beautiful, but even excessive beauty could cause sore eyes! We were really glad when 2 nights after, it was time to head to Destination 2. I must say, you see one mountain, you've seen 'em all!

Destination 2: Thekkady
Temperature: Uhm, sunny but cold. Not too bad
We found Thekkady a lot better than Munnar. We reached around 12.30 pm, had lunch and wanted to check-in. But we were told by our driver that once we check in, we couldn't get out after 6 pm. We were intrigued and assumed it was because wild animals would be on their rampage or something equally exciting, but he confirmed it was nothing of the sort and had to do with political crap.

We were in a 'Tiger Reserve' with supposedly 45 tigers inside and we spotted anything but. Infact, I think all we saw (apart from killer insects) were 'Wild' Domestic animals. Like wild pig, wild buffalo, wild goats etc etc.

Me and Dolz were certain we spotted quite a large no. of UFIs here -Unidentified Flying Insects. And by large no., I mean LARGE. If in Munnar it was the noise that kept me awake, here it was the lack of it and the fear of waking up to an insect-infested body! (inspite of sleeping in between my parents!) Thankfully, we spent just one night and a couple of hours before that here.

Other stuff we did there was: Go on an early morning boat-ride (we saw a lone elephant somewhere in the distance, or so I think), watch a Kalaripayattu show (which was AWESOME really. Will try and post the videos), go to a wax museum (which had wax dolls of Mohanlal and Mammooty, which we got to know from the sign-post below. They also had aquariums and really ugly paintings on display), do a bit of shopping (for nothing really) AND do an elephant ride. This was good. Me, Dolz and Harsh atop Sankarankutty (who was anything but kutti, ie, small). A 30-minute ass-fracturing ride. But who am I to complain when I'm not the one with 200 kilos on top huh? Oh, there was also this absolutely adorableeeee 1-year old ele baby named Kannan. He was just soooooooo cute and naughty! He even caught my mum's saree with his trunk and almost did a mini Draupadi-sequence there, if not for his care-taker's rebuke. It left my mum giggling and blushing while my Dad was FURIOUS! Time now for Destination 3.

Destination 3: Kumarakom
Temperature: Hot, humid, sweaty
This is the Kerala I thought I knew. And also what I wanted to see. Coconut trees et al! We stayed on one of 'em house-boats (corrected thanks to xh). Pretty good actually. Even the food. We were really in for a surprise when the boys on the deck turned out to be really good cooks! And they made alllllll of our favorite mallu food - puttu and kadalai, pazham pori, Pomfret fry for Daddy - all of it.

I know I sound like I really liked it. I did, but not for more than a day. (Part of my liking was because I was thankful as ever to be on levelled roads and no hair-pin bends!) The initial ride across the back-waters was really nice. It even rained. But how long can you stare at a huge expanse of water!?? After a point, I was just yearningly looking at the land across. It was the thought that there was just another day to go that kept me going. But I must say, the best food and sleep that we had through the entire trip was here. (Ignoring the million mosquitoes and lizards)

Finally, it was time to get back. We pit-stopped at 2 beautiful temples - Chottanikara and Vaikom Sivan temple on the way to Ernakulam. There we met up with a couple of our realllyyyy close family friends from Bahrain and it was time for a lotta nostaligia. That done, we were all set for Chennai.

I realized that I'm a total city person. None of this wildlife, greenery stuff for me. It's all fine to a limit, but not more. I just love the noise and bustle of a city, the fast-life, the luxury- everything! I need to see people move around, not just still-life. I can get my dose of the nature stuff from Discovery& NatGeo, paintings and google and I'm totally fine with that! I'll put up photos shortly. Left them at home and didn't wanna put off posting this because of that. And oh, thank you for your patient reading. You asked for it!

Update! P.S: 1. *- The title IS a popular show on Radio City (as Scribblers Inc. pointed out) It isn't a coincidence, I used the name to express my love for the 'city' but I guess I should've included this attribution before :P
2. I've also come to the conclusion that most of you thought I had a good time. Well, I had an O.K time which definitely is not the same as good. This post was meant to be sarcastic but I guess a lot of it wasn't received. Anyway, maybe I should accept that (it sounds like) I had a good time!

Happy Birthday!

2008-06-19T09:00:00.000-07:00

Before I put out my trip-log, I just have to post this wish for one of my BESTEST friends- Janie Wanie! There are like a million names that I've called her through our 7-year friendship (Can you believe it has been 7 whole fucking years..!??) Janie, Johnny Bravo, Panni etc etc, basically anything but her real name Jane!

Through 4 years of engineering and another 2 years of MBA, we've been through every-single-shit of ours together. There were some crazy times when we stopped talking to each other for totally pointless reasons but I always knew deep down that together we were meant to be! Ok, being senti is sooo not us, so I'm cutting this down totally :D

Whether or not I express it (it just wouldn't come out right, however I try), I know for sure that you know what you mean to me. The both of us somehow have that weird connection - we just know it, accept it and don't care to express it. And to me, that's what keeps us going. Love you always and forever - so, so very much di. You truly mean the world to me. And we're gonna make it through tough times ahead together :) Here's wishing you a super Happy Birthday and an awesomely, absofuckinglutely (quoting you!) kick-ass life ahead. Muahhhh!!!

P.S: This post hasn't done even 1% justice to what you mean to me, Jane. There are way too many things to mention if details are to be given. I could go on (pretty much) forever on this!

I'm BACK!!!

2008-06-18T05:13:00.000-07:00

Buhahahahahaha!

I've just GOT to tell you all about my tour. I'm like brimming with enthusiasm (!) to let it all out. But I just haven't gotten around to writing it out today. So I'm gonna let that be done tomorrow. BUT I just couldn't resist coming here and telling y'all that I'm BACK! And boy! Am I happy to be back or WHAT?!*
*Did that give away how my trip went???

P.S: I 'almost' kissed the Chennai Central floor today morning. But, uhm, decided against it as the 'suveet shmell' hit my nose :D
2. I will clear all the back-logs in replies to the comments in the previous post tomorrow as well! I'm HAPPY!!!

No Peanuts for me Please!

2008-06-11T03:23:00.000-07:00

I'm a very weird person really. As I've probably mentioned a million times over, I'm crazily sensitive and sometimes the weirdest of things gets on my nerves and irritates the hell outta me. One of those things is, going by the title, what is most commonly known as the F word - Flirting! (Not that F word!).

Oh, before I continue, I realized that the title relevance would be lost on those who aren't local, ie, not from Chennai. In youth-Tamil (Tamil of the youngsters), we call flirting 'Kadalai podardu'. Kadalai = peanuts, podardu = putting. Now, eating peanuts is considered a time-pass and so is a guy talking to a girl. No clue where this phrase originated and where it was used first. Most likely to be in some Engineering college and as a code-word. There are many such interesting phrases but we shall look into them as and when required, ok class..?? *laughs at own alpa (trivial) joke*
This translation game is getting konjam (little) stale..Aaaah!!!

Anyway, as I was saying, I hate being the flirtee in the entire process of Flirting. I really don't mean to come across as vain (not even close, please!) but I have been on the receiving end of some lameeeee attempts and it kinda makes me :( I've got noooo clue why!Like this one sms conversation:

Me (tensed): "Ok, so I'll send u my resume by tomorrow. Hoping for the best!"
Guy: "Haha, you are so cute"
Me: ?!?!

The history behind this guy I unforunately cannot tell, just incase, but the reason it was sooo annoying was because I know for a fact that his intention was to flirt (though he claims he is in love with me. Like yea rite!)

I just wish guys would be normal when around a girl. Whether or not they have a crush on her or are trying to get her out on a date. Not all girls fall for flattery! And also when the display of affection or care has an (obvious) underlying motive, it creeps me out.

Like when I was sick last week (with just a goddamn cold), this guy actually gave me a mini condolence talk (that's what I call it) like I had some extremely communicable disease and would just about drop-dead any second.

And then there's reassurance. The you-are-so-pretty or you're-just-perfect routine. Sometimes I wonder if my adverse reaction is because I don't like, as in like, the guy in question and whether if I did like him, maybe I wouldn't mind this. But no, that's not true. It's just that it's all so obviously flaky and fake!

Unfortunately I'm a person loaded with guilt. My Guilt is the bane of my existence, really. I feel miserable not to reply to an sms from these guys because they are friends, afterall. But at the same time, I'm extremely conscious of my intentions being misconstrued!

Friendly is fun and funny is fine, but flirty....? No, no, no!

P.S: 1. I'm not a mean girl! I'm not :-/ :(
2. Today is special. EXACTLY 1 month to go for my Birthday!

Happy Birthday!

2008-06-11T03:00:00.000-07:00

It's Prathiboo's Birthday! The Day of the Pink Lady has finally arrived! As always, I'm excited, but here is one girl who probably shares the sameeee amount of excitement for Birthdays as me! The ensemble shopping, the hype and allllll that jazz!

For all that she's going through right now, I'm hoping and praying with ALL my (big) heart that the year ahead is gonna be allll full of smiles for her and she gets exactly everything that she's wished for! I'm kinda more than certain that this is going to happen! You just wait and see di!

A part of the veritable Sexcee Six, Princess Cinderella from the Elegant Group of Princesses, this girl is one person I totally totally love. I know you know this but lemme say it again today I do love you so Prathi! :) Muah!!! And Happy Happy Birthday to you!

And it Continues :)

2008-06-09T17:30:00.000-07:00

The Happy-Happy phase continues. I guess all that tension from last week is slowly fizzing out thanks to the all-pervading happiness :)

The babe is fine. He's shifted outta the ICU now. Pretty soon you think? Well, apparently inspite of the sedatives, he was sooo hyper inside that they decided it was OK to let him out :) And now that he's out, he's all raring to go. Though he does complain of pain intermittently (like obviously!), he's doing fine and blabbering non-stop! :) These are moments when I guess Ignorance is really Bliss. He doesn't know what's happening to him and all he cares about is being done with whatever's happening to him, whatever's holding him down from getting on that cycle and romping around my grandmum's place scaring those kittens away! And he'd do anything to get out of his present state (of misery).

But imagine on the other side, someone like my Mum. Paranoid about dying in her sleep. Paranoid about waking up, sitting down, walking etc etc. According to the Doc, she had one block and after her angioplasty her heart is probably in a better condition than most normal people and her chances of having another attack would be the same as any other normal person! And yet she's scared. Why? Because she 'knows' (or so she thinks), she hears, she reads, she's supposedly 'aware' and that is just about a big pain in the...wherever!

Anyway, this was meant to be about me being happy, so continuing on that note, Pp is back from Singapore :) :) :) And he got me a Tommy girl perfume. I'm super-super-happy for that. And he also got me (Ok, fine it's for Dolly) stickers - like LOADS of stickers. Disney stickers, shiney stickers, awesome stickers. WOW! Any wonder why I'm happy? :)

Next, I did some stuff to my hair again and I really like it. There's more to be done though. All this is for my Big Day!Yup, the countdown for my Birthday has begun [There is just about a month left ;)] I'm gonna be sooo busy from now on planning for my Birthday - Clothes, hair, shoes etc etc etc. Damn, I'm gonna get busy! :)

Next, the family is gonna be off on a trip! We are going to Munnar this week for 4 days. It's been ages since we went on a proper family 'vacation' => Not a temple visit. From Bahrain to Singapore to Kodaikanal, we finally settled down on Munnar. I'm pretty worried about the train journey though, because almost everytime, I come back with some skin allergy or the other and that is positively the worst thing ever! But it's ok, we are going and I'm happy because Mum and Dad need this break :)

My Boss is off for the week and there's nothing more :) than that!

P.S: 1. Okie Dokie, don't I sound a lot like you? Not the way of writing, but the extreme levels of 'everything-is-oh-so-perfect'- ness...??? Hehe...
2. I kinda find all those smileys and that over-happiness a lil gag-worthy right now. I think I just sounded too weirdly bimbo-ey up there, but I just don't know how else to express how happy I am!!!!

Euphoric, Ecstasic, Elated, Exhilarated

2008-06-06T12:44:00.000-07:00

Cheery, Glad, Sunny, Fortunate, Bright, Upbeat, Jubilant, Merry, Joyous, Delighted, Pleased, Blessed, Beaming, Gleeful, Light-hearted, High, Jolly, Buoyant, Exuberant, Perky, Glowing, Laughing, In 7th Heaven, On Cloud 9......Add alllll those synonyms you know for the simple word "HAPPY"!

The operation on the lil baby was a Success!!! His heart is Fine and the babe is Fit as a Fiddle. Maybe a lil too early to say that yet, considering the operation got over just an hour back, but of this I am certain. He is fine and he is going to be fine! And Everything is A-OK!

When I went to see him yesterday, he was a tad bit cranky thanks to those sedatives they injected into him to take the scan. He was crying and complaining that his hand was paining. But then slowly, as the effect wore away he was back to riding his cycle with one hand within the confines of the hospital room (which looked more like a 5-star hotel room!) And was busy reciting rhymes from his Smart Cookie DVD! And we were all mellow thinking of what was in store for him today. But now it's all over. He's fine!!!!!

Prayers can work miracles really. Because a miracle of sorts this was. From the scans, the docs were pretty skeptical and kept saying there were a number of follow-up procedures and surgeries that would be required even after this one. But itseems today, when they opened it up, everything seemed to be OK and he may not need the other surgery after all!

I really really wanna thank ALLLLLL of you for your wonderful, heart-felt prayers. It really really means soooooo much. I truly believe it all worked out fine because he had the blessings and prayers of all of you out there. Thanks, thanks, thanks and more thanks! (Don't think I can EVER thank everyone enough!)

Love you allllllll! Hugs by the dozen, all FREE! :)

2 is Company, 3 a Crowd, 4 is FUN and so this TAG!

2008-06-05T12:55:00.000-07:00

Anoo tagged me thrice (!) and Wolfie once. I'm gonna do 'em All-in-One, my way. I'm combining 6 quirks-about-me and 5 things-people-dont-know-about-me and making it 6 Whatevers About Me:

1. I've got 15 first cousins. Thanks to Grandad's favourite past-time => Mum has 10 siblings (and she's the first)

2. I'm shit scared of the dark. Which explains why I can never ever sleep alone. I would never dare to. Infact even when friends stay over, and if we ever do get around to sleeping (a rarity), I would do so only if they agree to have the lights on, or I would let them sleep and slowly walk out into my parents' room and cuddle up to Daddy.

3. On any day, at any time, if you ask me,"What's up?" I'd only say,"Nothing. It is soooooo boring!". I'm a born cribber.

4. My eyes are extremely 'power-full'. -4 and -4 to be exact. Yea, I wear lens (and glasses at home)

5. I love, collect and cherish (after stickers) pencil boxes. I've got close to 30 pencil boxes from my adult life (=> engg and MBA). And scales and pencils and sharpeners and erasers and colour pencils and water colours and brushes.

6. I dislike long hair. On me or anybody. Most of my friends would be profusely shaking their heads for this (you can stop now before it falls off). I'm alwayz the one to remind them it's time for a haircut! I would never dream or dare to have hair more than 2" below my shoulders. You should see Dolly, she's like got it down to her waist. *crinkles nose* If only she would listen!

10 Things I miss in my life right now: (In random order)
1. Pp, who is in Singapore right now. Come back soon :(
2. Being occupied
3. Being carefree
4. Being thoughtless
5. Everything about
6. College life - engineering to be specific
7. ICECREAM! And soon, mangoes :(
8. Being able to fit into many of my old clothes. Especially those jeans :(
9. Life alone (-) parents. Those into-the-wee-hours-of-the-morning talks with friends and those million stay overs and LOUD music. I love it with Dad and Mum around too, but those days were really something.
10. The good 'ol days with Aj and Andu (and the gang). Those 4 days - were entirely something else, huh? Lazying around with Lays and Pepsi, Dumbcharades, google and you-tube, Russel Peters and Grey's Anatomy, Simba hair and all those tears. Wish I could relive that for just one day. Time for next!

10 Things I Wanna Achieve (not necessarily) Within a Decade:
1. 10 kilos off in 10 years...? Or maybe more. The more the better :D
2. Get married and have 2 kids.
3. Take Mum and Dad on a World Tour. This is something I really, really wanna do.
I'm definitely short-sighted as I haven't been able to look too deep into the future! I've been sitting with my fingers frozen for the past 7 minutes, to be exact. FINE! I'll just continue!
4. Go on a roller-coaster ride. Did I mention I'm ride-averse?
5. Get 3 more tattoos. I'm not letting out what and where for fear of idea-theft.
6. I just recently pierced my ears again, so now there are 4 on the left and 3 on the right (maybe I'd put up a snap sometime) so I think that option is out. Maybe my nose again (I had pierced it once and it fortunately or unfortunately closed). But I know quite a few people who are against this :D
7. Get my hair cut real short. Boy cut kinds. It's been a dream for toooooo long. (Yes, I dream weird)
8. Just reached #8?? Oh man, this one is difficult. Hmm, oh yea, start my own restaurant.
9. Start my own boutique.
10. Go to the Himalayas. Not to surrender, but just to see the heavenly abode. I'm as pious as it gets!

Last, but not the least, The Book Tag by Adi aka Wolfdude. It comes with its own set of rules:
Pick up the nearest book.
Open to page 123.
Find the fifth sentence.
Post the next three sentences.
Tag five people, and acknowledge the person who tagged you.

I swore I'd do this asap only because the book next to me would provide a lot of interesting information which I just really wanted to share.

Book: KHANDWA MUNICIPAL CORPORATION, BID DOCUMENT, VOLUME II, PRICE OFFER-I
Page No. 123, Line 5-8 read:
'D' is duties/ excise payable per unit of electrical energy (KWH) on the date of submission of tender, if applicable. 'A' is Any other levy/ charge per unit if applicable on the date of submission of the tender. 'E' is the Amount of difference payable/ recoverable by KMC for prevailing bills of energy charges.

If you understood that, hats off to you. If you didn't, Welcome to my World. Any wonder why I hate my job? :D

Yaaay! I'm done! I'm going to go on and pat myself on my back while you guys take your time to recover from my brilliance. I tag Mayth, Wolfie, Janie, Satti, Prathiboo, Aneri, Arun (ONLY cuz I know you won't do this), Anoo, Maverick, K10, Busygurl etc etc on Tags you haven't already done from here. Take your pick. The rest of you can do it too.

Randomness at its Best

2008-06-02T12:47:00.000-07:00

I have a lot of random stuff I wanna write about. Stuff that definitely doesn't warrant a separate post for itself, some of them updates from previous posts:

1. My baby cousin's operation: He got admitted yesterday. They haven't fixed his operation date yet. Apparently there are close to 10-20 operations happening there on a daily basis and they aren't able to find a 'slot' for him. The only thing, more than the operation itself, that everyone is worried sick about is how to keep that lil hyper-active nutcase bound to his bed for godknowshowmany days! Damn, the irony of it all.

2. Daddy's wallet: He got it back guys! I kinda forgot to put up this update actually. But yea, he got it back. He had dropped it at some shop and some guy (God Bless his soul) found it and returned it back to him, with everything intact. Nice people really do exist :)

3. I have a lousy ass cold. The one that makes you feel like your throat is on fire and your nostrils are stuffed with cotton. The one that makes you feel like your head is filled only and ONLY with solid lead and ears are high-pressure cabins with scary 'pops' going off now and then. Lousy!

4. Some crazyyyyyy stuff has been happening in a friend's life (those who know, know). I really don't know how else to describe it but for crazy, silly, nonsensical, irritating, frustrating etc etc. I don't wanna get into details here, but seriously, I think I would be on a ship on the way to NeverLand by now had I been in her situation. So much for it being 21st century with 'modern' values and all that. Just praying time would sort it all out for her and him.

5. Why I write. Ok, let's down to some facts. I don't generally new-blog-hop. Not even when I'm dead bored (which is like 99.95% of the time). I don't think I have that much of patience. It works this way for me. When someone new comments on my posts, I see theirs and leave a comment and the bond is formed. As a daily ritual, though, I check the pages of those on my side-bar and I'm close-to-content with that. (I know the list keeps increasing). So, why do I write? At the expense of sounding Highly (with a capital H) cliched, I write to vent. I really don't write for others to read. Agreed, I do use 'guys' and 'people' and stuff like that, but it isn't directed at anyone really - it's just a figure of speech. I like writing, no, I LOVE writing and that's why I do it. And this goes out to noone in particular.

6. I'm ADDICTED. To Icecreams. And I would never ever agree that my cold has anything to do with it. I've never quite been this addicted before. Excepting the last, what, 4 days...? I think I've had icecream pretty much everyday. My favourite flavour of the season is this totally deliciousss strawberry yoghurt from Emilios. Oh yummmmm! I can't go on with this, I'm way too tempted and knowing that I can't have 'em right now is downright torture.

I'm pretty cryey- whiney right now. So, That's All Folks!*
*I'm just quoting Warner Bros.

P.S: 1. Uhhhm, the 'Best' in the title isn't an adjective to describe this post, I just liked the way it sounded in totality. And uhhmm, this is directed at noone in particluar too :P

Star-ry Eyed

2008-05-29T11:42:00.000-07:00

Warning: Profundities ahead. In abundance.

Another month in the passing. It's so weird to imagine that this new month actually signifies that half the year has gone by. The Birthday season has begun. The first half of the year, sparing March, is not that packed. But the second half has Birthdays and festivities galore. Soon my meagre monthly wages would be spent merely on gifts and party-planning. And ofcourse, forget not that MY birthday is coming soon. The one day that I look forward to every year, no matter if it means I'm growing older.

I don't know why I get the feeling this year is gonna be different. If I could give it a name, it would probably be "The Year of Changes". Because deep down somewhere I feel things are gonna change from now. And there's nothing I or anyone can do about it because, I believe, it's already pre-set. Yes, I'm talking about Destiny.

I know a lot of you out there won't agree with a word of what I've got to say. But I'm a firm believer in Destiny, Fate, Karma and the likes; Astrology not included. (Though it does arouse my curiosity quite a bit, and I have consulted astrologers because I just 'wanted to know'). I think my life has already been etched. I'm meant to be where I am, doing what I am doing. Silly, you think? My Dad certainly thinks so. He always tells me we can change our Destiny. But how can we change something we don't know anything about? And even if we try to alter a situation that seems likely to happen, THAT in itself was probably meant to be...?

A lot of things have led me to reiterate this belief. There were soooo many times when I was on the brink of getting into something extremely dangerous, and I was saved just in the nick of time. I never looked at it in the right sense intitally. I used to lament and bemoan my fate, till from somewhere the truth would be in my face and I would do nothing but sit and wonder just HOW things would've been hadn't I gotten out - hurt but unscathed.

This has made me positive. Because when something goes wrong, I have the strength to accept it and expect happier times ahead. Whatever happens, happens for a reason and for the good. Besides, I'm certain of one thing - I have never wronged anyone intentionally and so my current low is just fair-play. It's really helped me get a better grip of life. It's my right hand excuse - That I am the way I am because I'm meant to be the way I am (I know quite a few people who are gonna smirk for this :) Ok, now, enough!).

I'm not and have never forced this on anybody. This is how I look at things and it keeps me happy thinking this way. For some, the belief in one's self is stronger, the belief that they rule their life is what drives them. So be it. As for me, I'm a simple, lazy girl - not taking blame for my mistakes - instead accounting it to what's written on my forehead - just keeping up with it's zigzag course - and trying to be happy through it all.

P.S: 1. I guess I probably sound like a Grandmother, but it's just me being starry eyed :*)
2. You know what I just realized? That my current header has a slight Cosmic tinge to it...Tee hee!

Tag Along and Sing A Song!

2008-05-27T12:32:00.000-07:00

Another tag! Battling writer's block has never been so easy. Thanks CRD and Superficial! Anyway, the rules of the Tag are as follows:
1. Put your MP3 player/Media player on shuffle.
2. For each question, press the next button to get your answer.
3. You must write the name of the song no matter what.

I'm gonna do this just once and so the answers are most probably gonna be super random. Here goes:

1. If someone says "Is This Okay?" you say?
A. New york Nagaram urangum neram......from Jillunu Oru Kadhal. Sexyyyyyy songggg. I can listen to it 24X7 on repeat mode. No relevance to the question, but I'm known to blabber so noone would notice if I sing this in response to that question :D

2. What would best describe your personality?
A. Dard-e-Disco from Om Shanti Om. "Woh haseena woh neelam pari, Kar gayi kaisi jadugari" So much for modesty huh?

3. What do you like in a guy/girl?
A. Paint my Love by MLTR . Uhm, he should paint my love...??

4. How do you feel today?
A. Kya mujhe pyar hai from Woh Lamhe.

"Kyun aaj kal neend kam khwab zyada hai,
Lagta khuda ka koi naek irada hai,
Kal ka fakir aaj dil shehzada hai,
Lagta khuda ka koi naek irada hai,
Kya mujhe pyar haiiii!"

Ahem. *cough cough*

5. Whats your life's purpose?
A. Pehla Nasha from Jo Jeeta Wohi Sikander. Thu, this is never my life's purpose and all. I mean love.

6. What is your motto?
A. Hakuna Matata from Lion King!!! How COOL is that:

"Hakuna Matata! What a wonderful phrase
Hakuna Matata! Ain't no passing craze
It means no worries, For the rest of your days
It's our problem-free philosophy
Hakuna Matata! "

:O I'm still in awe that the PERFECT song came through :D

7. What do your friends think of you?
A. Run to You by Bryan Adams. Awwww! :")

8. What do you think of your parents?
A. Wonderwall by Oasis. Lines I pick- "I don't believe that anybody, feels the way I do, about you now!"

9. What do you think about very often?
A. Best of Me by Bryan Adams.

"When you want it, when you need it,
You'll always have the Best of Me".

This goes out to alllll of you out there :) Damn, I'm so sweet ;)

10. What is 2+2??
A. Leaving on a Jet Plane by Jewel. Uhh, whatever!

11. What do you think of your best friend(s)?
A. Sultans of Swing by Dire Straits."We are the Sultans... We are the Sultans of Swing". Oh, that we certainly are :D

12. What do you think of the person you like?
A. I'm gonna get you by Shania Twain. Hahahaha! This is super-funny!

"Don't wantcha for the weekend - don't wantcha for a night,
I'm only interested if I can have you for life".

Not bad for coincidence huh? ;)

13. What is your life story?!
A. Kya Surat Hai by Bombay Vikings. I'm gonna have to confess, "It's been so long since I last fell in love, baby I swear I swear by heaven up above". Really ;)

14. What do you want to be when you grow up?
A. Hound Dog by King Elvis! Hahahahahahahahahahaha! This is getting nuttier by the minute :)

15. What do you think when you see the person you like?
A. Subah Subah from I See You. I absolutely LOVE this song. Such a mood lifter, and yea, I guess it would describe what I would feel in such a situation :)

"Subah subah yeh kya hua,
Naa jaane kyun ab main hawaaon mein chal raha hoon,
Nayi subah, nayi jagah,
Nayi ada se nayi dishaaon mein chal raha hoon".

16. What do your parents think of you?
A. I Swear by All For One.

"I swear, by the moon and the stars in the sky, I'll be there.
I swear like a shadow that's by your side, I'll be there.
For better of worse, till death do us part,
I'll love you with every beat in my heart, I swear!"

AWWW!!! Though they definitely would've never heard of the song. :)

17. What will you dance to at your wedding?
A. Meter Down from Taxi. 9211

"Kisi ka chutta, kissi ki daulat,
Kissi ka love, kissi ki mohabbat
Yahan pe zindagi ki har khushi,
Rupaiyya hai ya dollar ya pound,
Meter down!

It's all about the money huh, honey? ;)

18. What will they play at your funeral?
A. Everything I Do by Bryan Adams

"Search your heart, search your soul,
You'll find me there, you'll search no more!"

Awesome huh?

19. What is your hobby/Interest?
A. Woh Lamhe by Jal. I'm thinking I could equate the song to Reminiscing? That is a definite past-time.

20. What is your biggest secret?
A. This Love by Maroon 5. Oh yea, BIG secret ;)

21. What do you think of your friends?
A. Beauty and the Beast by Celine Dion.

"Tale as old as time,
True as it can be,
Barely even friends,
Then somebody bends,
Unexpectedly"

Isn't that how all friendships begin? I'm a believer in Coincidence now. I'm a believer! :)

22. What would you post this as?
A. Shut up, just Shut up by Black Eyed Peas!

Ah! I guess that's like a message from up above. So, it's time I do that. Not bad that it 'coincided' with the end of the tag itself, huh? I tag all of you who see this. Please do it, I think it was fun :D

Block and Tackle

2008-05-23T12:15:00.000-07:00

Oh please, don't get silly, we are NOT gonna play games on my blog. You get that? Huh? Ok??

Uhmm, I'm sorry I snapped out like that. I have a reason - a proper, justified, totally-makes-sense explanation. The juices aren't flowing, the connection isn't there- it's short-circuited perhaps? Some evil person has put an evil hex on me, thanks to which, a strange something is wedged in between my thoughts and my fingers, thus breaking that connection, thereby resulting in lack of flow of thoughts. See how complicated I made that sound? See how I just used exactly 40 words to desribe what can simply be said in 4 words- I have writer's block. See how my mind is thinking 4 words but conveying them 10 times? You see???

I've been reading this over and over at many others' blogs- xh, Drenched, Busygurl - but I was always like,"Ha! Fat chance of that happening to me!" I guess I 'thought' a bit too early. And now the spell has started taking effect. Everytime I think of writing, nothing pops up! And I thought it was easy :(

It just doesn't feel right not to write. Thankfully, inspiration came in the form of a comment! In my previous post, C R D had mentioned How Relatives say the Darndest (read: nerve-wrackingly-annoyingest) Things. I found that sooo totally true and so I decided to write about a few such irrelevant dialogues spoken when there was absolutely no need for it to be spoken. (that's what irrelevant means right? Now you see what I mean???)

Situation 1: When Mom was in the ICCU after her Angioplasty, this one class mate of mine, who sadly lost his Mom to heart-attack a few years earlier, held on to my Mom's feet crying and said,"Aunty, meri mummy bhi heart-attack se hi mari thi". The word to note is "bhi". Thankfully, she was partially conscious and her knowledge of hindi isn't extensive. But she still managed to remember it a while later and ask me about it!

Situation 2: A Friend's wedding last week. Now, this is hearsay, for I wasn't there when this happened. Apparently a 'cousin' of the bride came upto her when she was getting ready for her big moment and told her,"Ippo dan paaka ponnu madri iruke (Only now you look like a girl). Much better than your dumb jeans and t-shirts in which your ass protrudes out". Awww, now isn't that just the sweetest thing to say???

Situation 3: A family friend's recent visit home. (Unfortunately) I was caught alone with the uncle, just when I wanted to catch some sleep. Nice uncle really, he was earnestly giving me advice on "How to Choose the Right Guy in 5 minutes - Arranged Marriage Style". Mom had gone out and happened to call right then and I gave the phone to Uncle to talk to her. And as they spoke, I guess she mentioned that Dad recently had a giddy spell for Godknowswhatever reason. An absolutely flabbergasted uncle said,"Oh! That isn't good, I say! Please ask him to get it checked, I say! Because, sudden fainting means either:
1. He has a heart problem
2. The brain stem has some problem and could result in haemmorhage
3. His spinal cord has some issue OR
4. Could be nothing.
So please be careful".(Did I mention he's not a Doctor...??) I'm surprised Mom didn't faint on the other end of the phone. (He started off the conversation by asking her why she sounded breathless and how sweating isn't good for a heart patient. He also successfully managed to undo 2 years of our convincing talks with Mum in just under 2 minutes, by telling her,"Heart attacks can come again. Blocks can come again. We are never safe". No comments.)

Situation 4: My Cousin's Class 12 results. A few years back I figured out she's dyslexic and even though the entire family would never get close to understanding the symptoms or her, I stopped asking/ advicing/ pressurising her to 'study'. And so when she got 63% in her 12th boards, I was bordering on elation because, knowing her, it really was no mean task. Heart of hearts I know she was happy with her results (basically passing) too but she couldn't obviously let it be known that she was content with just that much and so she had, no choice but, to cry. Right then, one of her paternal uncles called and said,"63%??? You won't get admission anywhere. And oh, your other cousin xyz got 94%. Bye." and he hung up. Encouragement was his middle name, by the way.

I'm not even claiming to be the Perfect Speaker in all situations or anything. Actually, not even close. The foot-in-mouth syndrome is common but I guess there are certain situations when extra-caution must be taken. If all of us just think before we speak (and that includes me), the World would be a better place to live in.

(You see how how I extrapolated a seemingly simple topic to World Peace..? Damn, I'm losing it. I rest my block)

P.S: 1. For those of you who didn't get my initial outburst, the title is a popular game/ event played at most school and college culturals.
2. Long time since I professed my undying love (on my blog) to BujiBoo, Pp and my Best Friends* - Robo, Janie, Satti, Prathiboo, Andu San, Ani, Rekoo etc. MUAH! *I've included only the Best Friends who read my blogs, the others are loved no less :) Ok, I'm nuts. I'm gonna shut up! :)

Cuteness in the Darkness :)

2008-05-19T17:00:00.000-07:00

One night last week, something really cute happened. It actually involves a biggg bag of mixed emotions but I still think 'cute' topped the list :)

It was around 3 am. We were all asleep (like naturally. And yea, I sleep with my parents. No further questions). Through my hazy, sleepy-as-hell state, I heard someone sobbing like a baby. Initially I thought it was someone laughing in my dream but then I realized it wasn't and that it was my mum crying.

Now, lemme tell you, ever since her heart attack 2 years ago, she's paranoid about dying in her sleep. We've realllyyyy tried talking to her about this a zillion times over and tried getting her outta this silly mental framework, but it just doesn't seem to work. And to top it all these stupid tamil magazines that she reads and TV shows keep harping on sob-stories and tragic incidents in people's lives. Once in a while it is ok to probably get a dose of reality, but otherwise I think such shows must truly be banned. Oh, and credit must also be given to those veritable pakkathu-aathu maamis (next-door aunties), who keep going, "Rukku, epdi iruke? Heart attack ku apram elam ok dane? Unaku teriyuma, aniki kooda enoda akka-ponnu oda maamiyar heart-attack la apdiye thookathla sethuta. Careful aa iru" (Long dialogue, sorry, but here goes: Rukku, how are you? Everything is ok after your heart attack aa? You know, even that day my sister's daughter's mother-in-law died in her sleep of a heart attack. Be careful). It isn't a wonder that my mum doesn't sleep at night. So much so that she refuses even to get her tooth extracted because one such 'aunty' told her that her Dad passed away of a heart attack while having his tooth removed! I wonder if there is a personal-life analogy for every death that goes around.

So, thanks to all that and the fact that my mum is really weak herself, she never sleeps. Apparently she gets proper sleep only after dawn breaks because she knows the new day has come and she isn't gonna die in her sleep. (Forgot to mention, the 'stat' she gave an extremely irritated Dad and me that night, was that most deaths due to heart-attack happen during early morning or some crap! Source: Unknown).

And ever since we didn't take her symptoms of an attack to be anything worrisome back then, we now tend to take even small signs slightlyyyy seriously. We try not to show it out because we don't want to increase her already sky-rocketing anxiety levels.

Ok, so where's the cuteness in all of this? Let's get back to the 'situation'. Dad wakes up, jolted from his deep sleep by my sudden,"Appa, amma azhara" (Dad, Mom's crying). And he immediately takes mum into his arms like a baby and rocks her slowly, soothing her down and intermittently asking her,"Enna da aachu? Are you ok? Naa iruken illa? Enna achu? Bayapadade da kutta" (What happened? Are you ok? I'm there, no? Don't get scared baby). And I just couldn't help but feeling like one total idiot for being there in that room right then. But I was rooted. Because it was soooo cute and special to see their love going rock-solid strong even after 30 years. I've always admired that in my Dad. His love and the way he expresses it, it just makes me cry all the time. And my Mom is such a baby. She uses it, you know, her innocence trick. Doesn't work with us but works allll the time with Dad.

Infact, yesterday Dad was realllyyyyy upset he lost his wallet. One reason, apart from the existence of all his cards and contacts in it, was that getting a white wallet is really difficult (Dad wears only white, even his belt, shoes, socks etc etc). But it was only slowly that he blurted out the real reason - He was extremely sad because the wallet had a 30-year old snap of Mom - the way he fell in love with her. And he was pissed as hell with himself for being careless. Not for the wallet, not for the money or the cards, but for that 1 snap. I seriously, seriously found that super-cute.

He isn't the eloquent, quixotic, romantic kinds. Really isn't. But these small gestures of his are sooo...soo....special in their own way, it really rekindles my dying respect for love and its hype. Makes me feel like that little girl waiting for her Prince Charming to come get her :)

P.S: I've been away from the Blog World for 9 days. 9 days of not posting is huge by my own standards. I actually didn't feel like getting on. I guess battling the call to turn Anonymous had a lot to do with it, with mild coaxing from people around me. I still need more thinking on that.

Prayers.

2008-05-11T16:52:00.000-07:00

I need your prayers. All of you out there.

My little 3-year old, adorable baby cousin Ashwath is gonna have an open-heart surgery to remove a block in his aorta on the 30th of May. He was born with Congenital Heart Disease. Multiple complications. He had an open-heart when he was just 20 days old. Now suddenly they realised that this growth is growing pretty rapidly and the aorta is 60% blocked. He'd also need to have another valve replacement surgery before he's 20, but ofcourse, there's a long time for that.

The kid is totally normal though. He's as active and hyper as any kid. Like totalllyyyyy adorable and totally cute. Which I guess kinda makes things worse to know that there are so many things going wrong inside that tiny little body.

I was talking to my Dad about this the other night and I was really worried. An embodiment of practicality that he is, he was trying to convince me that the operation would definitely be successful and that prayers could really do wonders. Which is why I'm turning to all of you. Not only for him, but for all those little kids out there with similar problems. You don't even have to believe in God to pray for someone, just goodwill would do.

I think it would make a difference. Thanks.

Getaway!

2008-05-08T11:21:00.000-07:00

Now that me hating my work is stale news, it obviously is no surprise that I don't work at all. And so I don't know whether I would qualify as one who requires a 'break', 'vacation' or a 'stress-relieving outing'. But I still feel I deserve it. Because I'm like a bird in a cage, stuck where I don't wanna be and that's as stressful as it can get. Ok, that's like heavy logic and all, so I'm gonna skip that. But, I'm glad that I went on a recent trip to Pondicherry that my sister made me go to. (made => forced, threatened, black-mailed).

Planning for vacations is one of the most important pastimes for my family and friends. It's like building castles in the air. In the midst of a conversation, someone would get a brainwave and say,"Hey! How about we all go to Pondy next week? Ok, we'll call so and so. We could take this car and that. And we could stay here and..........". The next time another one would break out,"Hey!How about we all go to Goa next week?Ok, we'll call so and so. We could take this car and that. And we could stay here and.........". The next time it would be Coorg, Ooty, Kodai - you see we were never short of ideas. We'd plan and plan and plan. We'd laugh about how much of fun it 'would' be and what all we 'could' do.We'd even crack the jokes we 'would' crack and crack over them way in advance like cracks. But on the trip we would never go.

This one, though, was different. It wasn't a family trip (Dad & Mum weren't there) and it wasn't with my friends. It was just the 5 of us -Me, Dolz, Harsh and his 2 best friends (it was one of their b'days on the 4th). I felt like the 5th wheel, the wet blanket, the kebab mein haddi -you get it. My Dad and Mum were insistent I shouldn't go, like I was flying in the air for going on a trip with a mushy couple and unknown guys. Dolly felt otherwise. She felt she would be alone amongst her man and his buddies and she needed me along. Like that stuffed teddy for security.

And go I did. Surprisingly, I had a super-awesome time. Doing nothing much but just lazing around. We started from Chennai by car at around 1 pm. It was like freaking hot and half the trip went by cursing the weather. By the time we reached, it was like 4. We stayed at this really nice resort - 10 km or so from Pondy itself. I LOVED the place. A nice, ancient recluse kinds.

We got to our rooms to change into more comfortable, summer clothes. Now, we sisters aren't swimmers, thanks to Dad being hydrophobic, so we just sat around by the pool sipping cold orange Breezers and watching 3 grown up men act (as nutty as) 3 year olds in the pool. After a while, it got really boring and we decided to get into the pool and just wade around.

We got out at around 8, went up and changed and headed down for dinner. The restaurant was beautiful. French style architecture et al. (It also had a very 'natural' setting, like, we had insects exercising their natural right and flying about unattended) Harsh then came up with a brilliant idea of going down to the beach for a walk. I'm a total dark-o-phobic and I pretty much walked the way with my eyes shut. Thankfully though, the 'men' ran back once they heard a couple of wild dogs howling somewhere in the distance!

My Darling bro-in-law is really smart and his next idea was to talk about, what else at 11.30 pm, but ghost stories. I was mad as hell, I mean, he knowsssss I'm really, really scared! I let him go ahead with it only because I knew how to get my revenge- I would sleep with the lights on and not let him sleep the entire night! Buhahahaha! [Unfortunately a combination of Bacardi and Vodka turned out to be a potent sleeping pill and he was in Dreamland the second his head hit the pillow].

Anyway, we headed back to the room for a drink-and-music session. Harsh was the man of the day. He was in some mood, trust me. Usually the un-romantic types, he seemed bent upon singing only 'romantic' songs (which was the only reason my sis didn't mind the sharp increase in his alcohol intake). Kishore Kumar was everyone's favourite and each one of his songs was brutally rendered by us 4 vocally-challenged people (minus my sis, who's is an awesome singer). Oh, I even played hip-hop tutor for a while. Public demand, you know, tsk tsk. It was hilarious to see them trying out the steps, especially when they were high :D

Finally by 3:30, we retired tired to bed. I couldn't sleep till like 5 am and I woke up by 9 because I vaguely heard that the 'complimentary' breakfast table would close down by 10.15! Once again, the men decided to get sun-bathed in the pool and me and Dolz, for fear of skin-cancer, stayed back. We cut a cake for the birthday boy, had lunch and headed back to Chennai.

Short vacation but high on rejuvenation. I somehow didn't wanna get back. I guess a vacation always does that. It is true, y'know- the lesser expectations you have, the more satisfied you would be. Because I went thinking I'm gonna have a miserable time, but I ended up having a fantastic time.

Work Culture??? Pah!

2008-05-07T12:20:00.000-07:00

This is probably the only moment in (my) blogging history that I feel i should've maintained anonymity.

Why? Because I HATE my office and I'm gonna be all super-bitchy in this post and what if someone from here is reading it...? Hmm, actually thinking of it, I'm sure none of these stupid, sad-ass morons around me would even come close to understanding the meaning of blogging.

Why am I here then? I guess it was because my aunt recommended it and so once I got the job, I couldn't turn it down. Also, the pay is decent and then there's the proximity factor. Hardly 10 min from my house. I should've just listened to my Dad. He kept telling me NOT to take this up. But I was insistent, as always, for no apparent reason. First of all, work and me itself are like miles apart. On top of that, I need to work in a place like this. So much for career idu adu. I quit my previous one 5 months into it cuz of this. And it's just been 4 months here. So, Why this frustration?

Reasons:
1. I work in a 3-member department. 2 men & me. Both married, both cheap fuckers. And they have ego-clashes as to who the bigger fucker is.

2. No Freedom of Speech & Movement: There's just ONE girl in this entire damn office that I talk to. Which in itself is a first for me. As in, I generally tend to make friends really fast. But here, since I'm in a totally different department, interaction with others is low. And I'm not complaining because I think I already have too many friends to handle. Now, I sit in the basement and she in the 1st floor. There isn't a loo on my floor (Yea! Imagineee!!!) and so I need to go up everytime. When I do, I just stop over at her place and do the usual "Had lunch?How's work?I'm so boredddd!" talk that lasts all of 2 mins and get back to my seat. Apparently sometime recently, her boss asked her why I keep coming up and talking to her so many times!!! (For 3 l of water, 3 loo-visits is within permissable limits, right??)

3. They have like a fuck-all 'dress code'. You have to wear a dupatta. Even if it has a high neck and full sleeves. Apparently, there are people from local colleges who work here as well and so the precaution.

Corporate Culture - my fucking torn bamboo chappal! I know it probably isn't reason enough to quit, but I sincerely wish I could. I could just say it a million times over that I'm not meant to work. I should be having my own restaurant or boutique. I should be designing clothes and conjuring up delicacies rather than preparing tender bid documents! Ayo ayo, enna kodumai sir idhu! (Translation: Oh!Oh! What torture sir this is! As alwayz, effect lost in translation)

These are also moments when I wouldn't mind being married - as long as the Mister is loaded and I would be designated "Home Maker"! *sigh*

HipHopper!

2008-05-05T18:10:00.000-07:00

Update: Taken off the snaps, just incase :)

Moving away from the gloom of the previous post, lemme share one of my happiest, proud-est moments with all of you :)

I passed the Hip Hop Intro-2 examination conducted by the United Kingdom Alliance and received the highest grade for our level- Highly Commended!!!I'm officially, professionally, properly, truly a "Highly Commended" Hip hop dancer!!!! YEA!! WOOHOO!! :) Ok, so is the rest of the group from dance class, but that includes MEEEEEEEEEE!!!!

Rewind:
I've alwayz loved dancing. When I was a kid, I mostly stuck to swaying my body because I was really conscious of not getting the right moves. And most of my friends were classically trained dancers. Even in college, initially I used to help others choreograph but never had it in me to actually dance on stage. Till, on my 2nd yr "College-day", one of the girls suddenly fell sick on the day of the event and she couldn't get on. Since I had helped them and knew all the steps, I was asked to take her place. My knees were doing their own little jig outta total petrification there (noun form of petrified, don't care if it isn't a word). I've done a lotta stage dramas and shows and stuff as a kid, but this was infront of the entireee college. And you know how guys in college are, especially the kinds in Sathyabama who behave like they have never seen a girl in their life, let alone a girl dancing! But I did it and it was sooo much of fun that the dancer in me was awaken :D

After that there was no looking back. There was the usual dancing at parties and at 'discs' and blah and I realized I realllyyyyy enjoyed dancing. Talks of joining dance classes have been in the air from when I joined MBA, which is like almost 3 years back, but we (Ruby, Janie and I) finally got around to doing it just now at "The Academy of Modern Danse".

Why Hip-hop? Actually, it was the only one with convenient weekend timings. And also, we assumed it was slightly a laid-back form of dance and would be a good choice to start off with. Oh man, were we wrong or were we wrong! Out of a 1 hr class, we basically do 30 min of gruelling, back-killing, muscle-tearing stretches! Even aerobics felt like heaven in comparison. This, combined with the revelation that we have an 'exam' with 'syllabus' for it, made me decide to leave it half-way, keeping up with my excellent track record of hobby-jumping (tennis, gym, music class etc etc). After a lot of convincing by Jane and Ruby, I stayed. And it was worth every-fucking-injury!

Oh and I must add we have like THE BESTEST of instructors. The dude -Balaji, is one of THE best dancers I've ever seen. He is like the embodiment of energy, attitude and style. In the remaining half an hour of effective class, we girls ogle at him for 29.5 min.

The Exam and the run towards it:
Now, the Exam in itself was to be a mere 3 min affair on the 1st of May. We were divided into 3 groups of 4. Ours was the only group that had 3 - me, Jane and Ruby were fucking happy to be together. We were taught 4 steps that had 8 counts, ie, 4 sets of 8 steps. The song was 'Bebot' by Black Eyed Peas. We had to dance it out infront of our 'firang' judges, who flew down from the UK for this.

We actually bunked office the previous day and spent 4 hours rummaging through Spencer's for the right 'hiphop' clothes. We decided on black and pink as the colour-theme and settled on something simple and comfortable, yet cool.

I was really, really, really nervous. We had tons of practice and I was sure of my steps but I guess just the word 'exam' is enough to give me cold feet. We managed to pull it off pretty neat, though and the result is our grade and certificate.

It's supposed to come in the papers and stuff, if and when it does, I shall put it up here for all of you.

"D"

2008-05-02T17:23:00.000-07:00

"D" for Death.

Sorry for this morose beginning, sorry for writing on this Dreary Dreaded Depressing topic of Death, sorry to all those of you who thought I'm a happy-happy person all the time, sorry if this post isn't gonna be a happy one and sorry if this is gonna bring you down. But today is one such day when everything else seems immaterial and life itself seems larger than it is.

This post is replacing a VERY HAPPY post. Something I was dying, uh, something I REALLY wanted to share with all of you. Something that meant a whole lot to me, but right now this seems more important.

Someone died in my office today. This boisterous, bold, loud, energetic, live-wire of a woman. I didn't know her personally, ofcourse. Just met her a couple of times, but Death is always shocking, it always hits with full-force. Worst part...? She killed herself. I don't think details are necessary, not that I know much but for this, but it still is unbelievable.

It's moments like these that make me extremely vulnerable to a torment of emotions. I'm sad for her death. I'm happy for my life. I'm thankful for everything. I'm anxious about the future. I'm shocked at her courage. I'm appalled at her timidness. I'm glad I've got all those who are important to me with me. I'm worried for her family. I'm scared for her son's future. I'm curious to know where she's gone. I'm surprised it's HER. I'm admiring the woman she was. I'm wondering why.

I have always felt I am a practical person. I dislike and do not believe in living a quixotic, highly romanticized life. Does not necessarily mean I'm Miss-I-can-take-anything-that-happens, but I try to be. I cry, I break down and all that, but I talk to myself to have the strength to get out less hurt. I try because I want to try. I look forward to living. We do have just one life afterall. All that jazz on re-birth, past-birth and blah can go to heaven. If it happens or did happen, i'm never gonna know right? So I may as well forget what may have been or what will be and concentrate my energy on what is. And that is this life I have.

But I guess it's close to impossible to be practical about death. Probably because of the suddenness of the event itself. And then having to deal with physical absence and all its associated emotions. Anything can happen in the wink of an eye. Good, bad, ugly- anything. It is all going to end one day, so why think of it? Today is here and today is nice. Today is special and today is interesting. Today is NOW. It irritates the living hell outta me these days when small issues are blown outta proportion. when everything is made a life or death situation. Silly don't you think?

Let's forgive and forget. Let's move outta pain and into happiness. Let's try to just make OUR own life worth living. Let's celebrate the smaller things. Let's stop finding fault with ourself and others. Let's try to appreciate the goodness in others. Let's try to accept others the way they are. No point regretting later right?

As my Dad always quotes,"Eat, drink and be merry for tomorrow we may die". Nothing else seems right to me right now.

May Her Soul Rest In Peace.

Update: I've been brooding ever since and I thought I must share this really awesome quote by, none other than, Thalaivar from his latest movie Shivaji-"Saagara naal terinja, vaazhara naal naragam aayidum" which translates to "If you know when you're gonna die, your living days become hell". I kinda reflect on it all the time.

Silver Screen Debut...

2008-04-28T18:35:00.000-07:00

So I had a pretty okay weekend. The usual Saturday-with-friends and Sunday-with-family routine. But this Saturday, in order to take out our pent-up frustrations (against ourselves) on ourselves, we decided to try self-torture techniques. This was suggested by, none other than, my adorable sister. And we actually agreed. We watched a movie called Tashan. Starring: Akki-bhaiya, Style bhai Anil, Slinky Chinky Saif and Size 0 Kareen-o.

Oh, I must tell you, this post is less of a critical review and more of an "Issued in the best interest of the public" warning.

Ok, so to start, I'm going to attempt 'classifying' the movie genre-wise. Is it a comedy...? Not even close, unless you find the usual Bhai-ised English funny. Is it an action movie? Not if you call the usual barn-blowing-up in the climax and hero-escaping-unscathed-with-heroine as 'solid-action' Is it a lou-story? Uhm, maybe, everybody seems to be in love with everybody. Saif loves Kareena loves Akshay loves Kareena who is also loved by Anil. Is it a tragedy movie? Oh yes, yes, YES! For the audience.And Yash Raj films. Is it an educational movie? Maybe, they teach you how not to speak Englees.

Ok, attempt failed. Next let me try and find a basic point to the entire story (from whatever little I did understand from whenever I was awake)

Attempt#1: Do not steal from the Bhai-log. Or you'd have to face his red-haired wrath
Attempt#2: Do not trust a (flat-chested) woman just because she wears revealing clothes
Attempt#3: Englees hamara Universal language nahi is.
Attempt#4: Never trust the one you love. Worse, never trust the one who loves you. She just may end up being the bad guy's childhood love.
Attempt#5: .........................

Ok, failure again. Forget it, guess I'd get into narrative-mode. Starting now.

Scene 1: Random car down a deserted desert. Hollywood-ish look. From the car emanates, alternatingly, some English song and Kabhi-kabhi-mere-dil-mein. The car swerves this way and that and finally catapults off the mountain and *splash* into water. Next shot: Saif. He bubbles something under-water about how he should've listened to his mother about something and blah blah and suddenly a gun is pointed at his head.

Flash-back time. Saif is, keeping with the current times, a BPO-guyand a part-time English tutor. Enter heroine: Wet-in-the rain plus padded-bra minus the pads Kareena. Love at first sight. She approaches him and says she needs his tutoring help but it would have to be home-tutoring. Would he refuse the offer?? Never! Duet song by the waterfall beckons, afterall! Unfortunately, he discovers it isn't she who requires the tutoring but her Boss, aka, Anil dada. He has 2 pachyderm-look-alike assistants, you know, the dumb, trained to kill types, who add that extra humour (?) element.

All is well until suddenly one day, Anil lashes out at Kareena for some unknown, mysterious reason and she runs away crying. Saif, all angry and protective, asks her to leave her job and "mujshe shaadi karlo" dialogues follow. But she refuses, because she is bound to work under him as it was her "pitaji's karz". Master plot: They decide to steal money (Kareena receives the 'money bags' containing crores from Anil's 'Clients') from Anil, run away and live happily ever after. So now, Saif realizes he needs to apply for 'leave' from office because he's 'running away' (!) and so he goes leaving her alone at his place. As expected, he comes back to an empty room.

Scene change: Salwar-clad desi girl becomes Bikini-sporting babe and she warns noone in particular "Don't look at me like that baby". There's really not much of her to look-at unless bared ribs are an attraction. Anyway, this is the right time for the entry of Main Hero: 'Akki' Bhai. He's the bred-on-violence-Dada-doting Associate Baddie. His mission: To search hither and tither for the 2 perpetrators and kill them. Wish that was the way the movie ended, but nope.

Akki 'interrogates' Saif but to no avail. That's when Saif realizes,"She would have gone to Hardiwar to lay to rest her father's asthi". And the journey begins. It's too boring to even get into details. Lemme gist it out. So they find her and threaten her to give the money and all that. But she's one helluva clever woman ok? She's hidden the money in different locations all over India!!And so the journey continues. In the midst of all this, she makes an indecent proposal to Saif that they could still take the money and run away now. So, to take care of Akki, Kareena 'flirts' with him to make him fall for her evil vices (depicted by cutting off her jeans into the tiniest of tiny shorts, baring her legs etc etc).

Highlight scene of the movie: Akki and Kareena having a tete-a-tete over Daaru and snacks on a boat by the river. A teary Akki reveals his innermost secret- how he, Ullu Ram, lost the only girl he ever loved- Guddi. Second flashback: He was a bijli thief and she, the cute lil girl-somewhere-near-next-door. Minor squabbles leads to big-time love and he asks her out on a date by the banks of the river. He goes there and some people attack him for stealing electricity. He puts a knife into one guy's leg, thanks to which, he gets sent to prison. Gets out 2 years later to find Guddi missing. End of love story. He completes his story and looks up to find Kareena, eyes glistening et al. She jumps up and says,"Ulluram, Guddi is I"! in not-so-poetic words. Yes, REALLYYY!!!!!

The rest of it is obvious. They join hands and decide to end Anil Dada's life in Tashan (style). And how! Our very own Bebo does a Kill Bill Uma Thurman-ish sky diving attack on Anil and pierces her long sword into his chest screaming "Aarrrrggghhhhh". The scene is unbearably gruesome, uh not the killing, but Kareena's contorted face!

Bad guy dead. Good guys live on. End of movie. End of post.

Here, this Crocin's for you.

Note: If any of you has seen the movie and liked it, please leave your contact number as a comment. A fellow hiphop-ian suggested rifle-shooting as a hobby and I'm planning to enrol. I'm not too sure yet, but I guess we would be required to bring in our own targets and I'm certain you could be of some assistance. So please, don't forget.

Tag-athon! Cause: Run (the memory cells) to aid eternal-preservation of Memories.

2008-04-24T17:11:00.000-07:00

Tagged by OK. He used his space to pen down memories for him to remember but after Drenched's slight persuasion and Payal-Rohtagi as bribe, this has been made a tag. And I decided to get down to the task asap, because my other post doesn't seem to be shaping up the way I want it. Besides, I'm using this as an exercise to try and remember because, as I've mentioned earlier, I've got bad memory. Anywayz, here goes:

1. Everyday when Dolly used to go to school (and I didn't cuz I was 1/2/3), I used to 'bid farewell' by wailing by the lift and begging my mum to let me go to school with her. After much convincing, I used to shut up and get in and I'd wear my sister's uniform and wait for her to come back.

2. The day I joined school. I was 3. This I remember not from the event itself, but mostly from what my sister told me. I didn't know which bus I had to get into to get back home. My Class teacher was in my bus and had told me to follow her. I guess I was too busy gazing at the other nutty kids around that I followed some other teacher and got into another bus. The buses weren't starting and there seemed to be a mini-commotion outside. That's when someone came in and asked if there was anyone called Preeti Ramachandran from Prep. I stood up and when I got out, there was Dolly, all crying big-time because she thought I was lost! (Now she regrets having looked out for me)

3. I used to wanna celebrate my birthday every-single-day of the year. I remember it clearlyyyy. Dad would be standing by the bathroom mirror, shaving, and I would be standing outside the door asking him if I could wear 'colour-dress' to school and take 'chocolates' to give everyone. And he'd say No, every-single-time. Associated memory: I'd celebrate my birthday 3 times a year. Schools in Bahrain would close down for summer vacations during July and August, the hottest months there. My birthday is in July and since it's holiday time, I would do the colourdress-chocolate-party routine in June itself, before I go on vacation. And then, I'd have another party with relatives in India. And the third would be on Dolly's birthday. Really.Every year (till I was 7) I used to get a new dress and my own (smaller) cake for her birthday. Most of my friends thought my birthday it was July 16th (Even me, for a long while :-/ cuz mine is July 11th and Dolz's is Nov 16th and I was just too confused!)

4. My Barbie House: Dad got it when he had gone for a trip somewhere (Uhm, yea, I don't remember where). It was this 3 story house which even had a lift! Well, not an automated one or anything, but it had a thread attached and we could pull it up and down. It had 8 rooms, fully furnished with bed, dressing table, bath-tub and all.

5. There was this kid named Adithya who used to be my neighbour. He was the youngest in the building, after Mayth moved out, and we used to bully him like crazy. I remember playing Monopoly and we used to steal all his money and make him lose everytime. But he used to pretty much adore/dote-on me. Inspite of all that jesting and jousting, he used to write me cute, cute Sorry notes with "I love you, Preeti" written on it and slip it under my door. (Don't even THINK otherwise, he is 6 years younger => total kid) And I used to melt all over.

6. My own sorry notes. I have this habit of writing people notes or letters when I'm angry or sorry, especially to my Dad. I've written sooo many "I hate you Daddy" notes and magnet-ed them on the refrigerator, a strategic location cuz it would be the first thing he'd see when he enters home! He used to pretty much ROFL at it, minus the ROF part and that used to BUG me BIGTIME. And then he'd tickle me till I didn't have a choice but to laugh.

7. I used to write stuff and send them through to magazines. Everyday after getting back from school, I'd start writing. Then I'd put it an envelope, write the address and keep it silently into my dad's briefcase. He'd find it the next morning and laugh, but he used to post them (atleast so I'm assuming). I've had quite a few articles published in the Indian magazine 'Gokulam'. I guess they did put mine cuz it probably would show their far-and-wide reach of their magazine, but yet it made happyyyyy to see it published. I had written a Gokulam rap, a store "All for my stone" etc etc.

8. Once on Channel 55, there was this program on animals and that episode was on chimpanzees and orangutans. At the end of the program, they gave an address for people to write into incase they would like to 'adopt' a chimp. It was obviously for people in the US but I still wrote a letter to them! I don't even know if my Dad sent it.

9. I had an imaginary friend called 'Atta'. Ok, this is realllyyyy embarassing :-/ Apparently, I used to keep talking about Atta alllll the time. Like Atta and me played this, Atta said this and so on.

10. When I was in my 1st standard, there were these 2 boys- Harpal and Jaspal, who used to call me everyday sharp at 6 pm and play the piano for 1 hour. My mum still reminds me of my 'boyfriends'.

11. I won the 1st place in the Memory test in 3rd standard. We had to walk once around a room in which there was a long table with 60 items. We had to then get out and write down whatever we remembered. I wrote 58/60. This guy, Adil, copied it all from me. My teacher knew he did but she didn't want to point him out. He got second place.

12. Me and Dolly used to call ourselves the 'Cross Sisters', no clue why. We'd pose in front of the mirror with our hands and legs all crossed up like idiots.

13. I remember this 4-wheel cycle that me and Dolz had. She used to ride it (most of the time) inside the house on the carpet. That was the only cycle we EVER drove.

14. Dad was very strict about girls playing on the road and stuff. So me and Dolz never used to go down and play inspite of alllllllllll our friends playing. We used to sit inside and play Scrabble, Uno, Mastermind etc. Mum used to feel sad for us and she'd let us go down (all the other kids would begggg her) ONLY if we didn't tell Dad she let us (I am a blabber-mouth by birth, you see). Dad had a white car and more than enjoying our play, we would constantly keep looking down the road for any white car that happened to pass. And if we spotted one, we'd rush up 3 floors in a hurry and jump into our rooms.

15. I had a black-board and I would 'teach' all my 'students' as I studied. I loved chalks and Dad used to get me alll colours and I'd preserve them.

16. We used to jump outta the bus with our bags in the front and beat on it screaming "Thunder, thunder, thunder, thunder CATS!" from our favorite cartoon.

17. On our Chennai trips, my great grandmother used to always give us Poppins. She had this Butter Cookies dabba that we had given her once and she kept her Poppins in that, along with her medicines. It was always sooo special.

18. My thatha used to buy us these kutti, colourful rasagollas and round bubblegum when he gets back from his walking trips with his friend Dar-bur chittapa (Christened so because of his sleep-fartness). I miss him sooo much :(

19. Fridays meant Calling-India-day. And every time, Mum and Dad would talk to all my relatives and then pass the phone to me and Dolly. Our Tamil wasn't great and we used to be sooo shy to ask "Epdi irukeenga" (How are you). We would awake early and remain in bed practicing how to say it right. But we'd always end up asking "Ammamma, how are you?" and she'd laugh.

20. I used to love it when Dad used to drop me at the bus-stop. It was just across the road but on Thursday mornings when he had an off, he would drop us. Dolly used to find it a lil embarassing cuz she was older and all, but I used to get outta the car like I was a Queen, all-smiling and showing off (for God knows what reason).

I've written more than I thought I would. I could go on but this would do.

Bouquets, Brick-bats, Claps, Stones, Praise...

2008-04-21T18:24:00.000-07:00

*Drum-rolls, pa-pa-ra-pa-pa-pa, confetti, balloons, crackers, the works*

*Me clearing throat*

I hereby take this solemn opportunity to thank each one of you wonderful readers for taking the time out to come, read and leave your esteemed opinion on my silliness-personified-posts. It really means oh-so-very-much to me that here are people, known and unknown, offering me reassurance when I need it, and even better, just listening to me when I rant on and on. *sniff*

I started writing here merely (like everyone else) to make this my-rant-hole. But I didn't realize that there would be takers (not too many, but yet). I wouldn't be here continuing if it wasn't for each one of you. Just gonna mention a few:

1. My Beshtu friendsu: For all the love you guys have alwayz given me. And for reading my blogs whenever I tell you to. *sniff*

2. Dolly- You read ONLY when I beg you too, but yet, you ARE my sister and I do love you. *sniff*

3. Pp - You are the only one who checks my page veryyyy often even when I don't tell you to. Whether you like what I write or not, you still ask me why I haven't written if I haven't written in a while. Loveeeee you! *sniff*

4. Close buddy bloggers- Mayth (you belong in Category 1 too), Xh, Drenched, OK, Gradwolf, Uncle S, Busygurl, Keshi, Anna, Mustang: I may have not expressed it, we may constanly bicker over blogs and I may take sides with whoever is available just for the sake of a fight, but I still do love you. *sniff* (Incase you guys are having a stroke or heart-attack, do take care)

5. Not-so-close but yet buddy bloggers- You guys are super sweet to read my stuff. Love you all too. *sniff*

Now that I have reiterated that 'melodrama' is my second middle name (after Happy), lemme give you the reason behind this *sniff* speech- This is my 50th post!!!!!

*Crazy tribal dance* Uhm, I know it doesn't go with the entire ball-gowned-Oscarish speech and all, but hell, I'm as happy as a...I don't know I'm just happy! I know it isn't anything at all. Not a figure to reckon with (I just noticed a few days back that OK had 192 blogs for 2007 alone) but this is my tiny lil figure of I-me-myself thoughts and I'm HAPPY! (I've said it too many times huh?)

Another thing all of you must have noticed is the NEW-look of my page. (If you haven't, please quit blogging) It has been 'released' today to commemmorate this auspicious occassion (Ahem!) and was given to me as a SURPRISE by XH, aka, Anoop!!! Ok, the sniffs are coming back again. He actually took a LOT of time and effort to make this for me, just because I had asked him a long while ago to help me out with my template. When I recently mentioned my upcoming 50th post, I guess my excitement was evident, and he put 2 and 2 together and decided to make it! I'm all like super-touched right now! Thanxxxxxxxxxxxxxx a million, billion, trillion, gazillion Anooooo!!!

The End

P.S: I had to edit the names on the Best Friends cuz you guyz know who you are, and all of you are worth a million bucks. Just incaseeee I leave anyone out!

Funny takes on the IPL

2008-04-18T15:50:00.000-07:00

Heyloo! For the first time, I'm gonna be putting up some funny stuff I found. Hope you guys enjoy this as much as I did. Please click on the image for better readability.

If you can't Love 'em, dont Hurt 'em!

2008-04-16T16:44:00.000-07:00

Disclaimer: I'm not a member of the PETA. I am not one of those vegan or whatever people as well. I am just an emotional, Animalitarian pet-lover.

Opening Speech: (At the expense of being ridiculed for sounding like a 5-year old, I'm gonna say this) "I have a dog. Her name is Chintu. I love my Chintu very much. I love all dogs very, very much. They are very nice, sweet and playful. They are very loyal animals. They are much better than most ****ing humans. Infact, all animals are better than those ****ing humans. Thank you."

It's true. Animals are far superior to the on-the-top-of-the-food-chain bunch. They may not have as much grey matter or white matter or whatever, but they definitely have a lotta heart matter and that's what we lack. Or atleast quite a few of us. Picture these:

Scene#1: At Dad's factory
Sounds of whimpering in the air. Like someone crying. Dad gets out of the car and looks around and finds a scrawny dog a little further. The dog looks up and Dad sees red. Nope, not anger, blood. The dog's eye is gouged out entirely and it was holding it up with its paw. Pushing the flesh in and it came falling back. Again in, and then down. And then it bent low and went back to whimpering. An absolutely appalled Dad asked someone what happened and the man told him that some sadistic, sad-ass fucker beat it with a stick. Cruel?

Scene#2: My Home
My lil Chintu darling is a harmless 4 yr old German Shepherd. And when I say harmless, I mean she's probably a million times more scared of you than you are of her (you => those of who are scared of dogs). All she does is spend her time in the garage looking out through the gate, catch flies and a lotta sleep and enjoy all the attention we smother her with. Now does this little innocent thing, behind the gate deserve to be stoned? Many a (moronic) passer-by has, chumma, for the heckuvit, picked up a huge stone and thrown it at her. At times, it would merely created a loud twang against the metal gate, while at other times it would get into the gap in the gate and hit her. And she'd be limping for a while after that. Heartless?

Scene#3: Footpath outside Vivekananda college
Eeyore maybe a hero, and maybe the Donkey in Shrek, but the ones found here are not even close. Tiny, cute things (I'm not being girly, baby donkeys are really, REALLY adorable) with shrivelled bodies and that dazed, bored expression, staring up at nothing, and then down at nothing again, too lazy to move, too lazy to even turn their head. Feeding on some scraps of paper thrown at them from time to time. Mean?

Scene#4: Bahrain
*Thwank* Mom rushes to the balcony and sees a tiny pigeon fluttering its wings trying to get away. Mom gets closer and it flutters furiously but unable to move. Mom lifts it up and gently smoothes its feathers and she notices its wings are safety-pinned together. Atrocious?

If you nodded your head vigorously and answered YES to the above questions, then Congrats, you have a heart. If you answered No, with a so-what-? expression, turn to the wall and lower forehead towards the wall with full force and repeat the action 100 times. If you can't, let me know, I'd be glad to do the honours.

The World is indeed a small place. The idiots are everywhere. Everytime I find a stone in the garage, I feel lava flowing through my veins. When I rush out to see the perpetrators, more often than not, it would be a bunch of young boys laughing and back-slapping away. I've tried screaming & cursing but they just mouthed obscenities back. No point talking to a wall, no?

There are manyyyyy people who don't really like animals. It's a matter of choice. I have a best friend who doesn't enter my place even now unless (baby) Chintu is tied up. It's because she had a real bad dog-bite experience once in her childhood and she's paranoid till date. Such incidents may cause rationality to take a back seat and that's understandable, but to go ahead and hurt those vaay-illada jeevans (mouthless creatures, or rather voiceless creatures) makes Cruella DeVille look like an angel.

Having a pet is really one of the best things ever. Watching them prancing around, doing their silly antics is a total stress-buster. Everytime I enter the gate, my (not so) lil Chintu greets us with a huge jump and a slurpy kiss. Even if she isn't well, she would walk up slowly, with her tail wagging away to glory behind her and stretch out her neck for a pat. If that isn't unconditional love, then I don't know what is.

Animals are intelligent. Period. Animals are loyal. Period. Animals are the best companions. Period. If you don't agree, fine. But If you can't love 'em, please, don't hurt 'em!

Ok, I'm tagged!

2008-04-14T11:15:00.000-07:00

Tagged by OK , Gradwolf, Drenched (And I didn't have to threaten them to do this. Honest). I'm putting another post on hold for this tag ONLY cuz OK said I would respond first! ;)

1. Last movie you saw in a theater?

A. Considering people in Chennai seem to have nothing else to do and all the theatres are 'House Full' all the time (and so are all the restaurants, coffee shops, pubs etc etc), the last movie I saw was "Velli thirai" - a Tam movie by Prakash Raj and Prithivi Raj. Decent movie. Pretty interesting.

2. What book are you reading?

A. "The name is Rajnikanth"- By Dr.Gayathri. His Biography. And I'm extremely honoured to be reading it. I'm gonna do a post on Thalaivar soon.

3. Favorite board game?

A. Monopoly & Scrabble. Monolpoly because it's probably the only time I'd have enough money to buy hotels and stuff. And scrabble because I alwayz win ;)

4. Favorite magazine?

A. Hmm, I don't know. Used to read Young Times as a kid. Read Reader's Digest for a while. But it's too sob these days. Read Cosmos once in a while, when my sis asks me to check out some latest shade of blush-on or the likes, but not otherwise, too much of sex for me to handle.

5. Favorite smells?

A. Mummy's cooking. And food in general.

6. Favorite sounds?

A. Daddy's voice. He sings like a dream and I can never, ever get enough of him singing. Yes, Im a total Daddy's girl!

7. Worst feeling in the world?

A. Self-pity

8. What is the first thing you think of when you wake up?

A. On a weekday, I'd wish I was in college. MBA to be specific, because I never went to college at all during those days

On a weekend, it'd be,"What's for lunch?" Because I'd pretty much wake up around that time.

9. Favorite fast food place?

A. None of those fast food places really serve anything 'fast', so I don't know.

10. Future child’s name?

A. I don't trust the people in the Blog World and hence to prevent name-theft from occuring I'm not gonna mention them (though my friends know of this). Maybe when the lil one is born I'll let you all know.

11. Finish this statement. “If I had lot of money I’d….?”

A. I don't believe in hypothetical statements.

12. Do you drive fast?

A. Yea, in my dreams.

13. Do you sleep with a stuffed animal?

A. If that's what you'd call my Dad, then yea ;)

14. Storms - cool or scary?

A. Scary. I'm scared of the dark. Storms are dark, gloomy and hence scary.

15. What was your first car?

A. Considering Q.11 is hypothetical, you should be knowing that I don't have a lotta money. Infact, I don't have any money. Not even to buy one of those miniature play cars. And so this Q is baseless and doesn't deserve an answer.

16. Favorite drink?

A. Water. And Tequila. And Vodka.

17. Finish this statement, “If I had the time I would….”?

A. Another 'if'. I don't have the time for this!

18. Do you eat the stems on broccoli?

A. I'll eat anything on anything. Uhm, not really ;)

19. If you could dye your hair any color, what would be your choice?

A. Black. Because right now it's (a nice) brown.

20. Name all the different cities/towns you’ve lived in?

A. Bahrain, Chennai.

21. Favorite sports to watch?

A. Cricket, soccer, tennis & basket ball.

22. One nice thing about the person who sent this to you?

A. There are 3 people who sent this to me. So here's one nice thing about each:

1. OK: He thinks I'm cool. Ahem.

2. Drenched: She called me the Don of the Blog World [However she meant it, I'll take it the good way]

3. Gradwolf: He tagged me. And he said sorry for not tagging me the last time.

23. What’s under your bed?

A. Dust. Time to change the maid.

24. Would you like to be born as yourself again?

A. Oh, most definitely! Just maybe in a different place, with a different name. Also, maybe a different nose, thicker lips and bigger eyes. And oh, silky hair and a petite stature and a bit shorter and......

25. Morning person, or night owl?

A. I'm sleepy either ways so that would make me...?

26. Over easy, or sunny side up?

A. I don't know what Over easy is but sunny side up isn't my style.

27. Favorite place to relax?

A. My green sofa.

28. Favorite pie?

A. Apple pie, with vanilla ice-cream

29. Favorite ice cream flavor?

A. Baskin Robbins Rainbow Sherbert

30. Of all the people you tagged this to, who’s most likely to respond first?

A. Haven't tagged anyone yet. But I'd say either Satti or xh. The others just don't do requests!

Anywayz, I tag xh, Satti, Prathiboo, Janie, Mayth aunty and Busy Writer.

P.S: 1. I read Drenched's tag completely now and realize she also felt I'd respond first. And so, this tag is for you too, lil gurl ;)

2. I also realize I'm not the first one to do it cuz Shenoy (from OK's list of Tagged) beat me to it. But I still am the first from Drenched's list (of 2).

Sorry seems to be the hardest word!

2008-04-10T14:25:00.000-07:00

Everyone makes mistakes. Come on, to Err is Human after all, right? But what if you make the same (or any) mistake over and over again? Are you to be forgiven? Or, more precisely, am I to be forgiven?

I seem to have a mental and verbal block when it comes to mouthing the word 'Sorry'. I actually gave a 15 min lecture to Prathi recently on why I feel saying sorry is total bullshit. My arguement...? That there's no point in saying sorry once the damage is done. I think it adds insult to injury. Like- "I'm sorry I said you were a fat pig". "Oh, I'm soooo sorry I made fun of your teeth, hair, eyes and nose the other day". "Oops, sorry for stepping on your freshly pedicured feet with my freshly soiled (& hard soled) shoes". I mean, what's the point? Does saying sorry really assuage that moment of pain/grief of whatever?

It's not like I don't say sorry at all. It just takes me a while to say it like I mean it. I need to feel the need to say it. To feel that I've done something wrong. I equate saying sorry to melodrama. Because the word alone is never enough and it has to be supported by explanations. And I suck at it. My (copyrighted) explanation for anything would be,"This is me. This is how I am. Period". Which obviously is never a strong enough reason for what I did, and definitely never understood by the other party. Most times, I just say it because I have to. Like a template. To appease the situation before it blows out of proportion. Like that pinch of sugar/salt you add to take the fizz outta aerated drinks.

I also get irritated when someone says sorry. 1 sorry is definitely not equal to 1 liter of saline water. And 1 sorry is definitely not equal to @%^&* joules of energy spent bawling like a mad woman! But if it is hurled at me, it wouldn't elicit more than an "Uh, ok. Because I don't know whether to say it's ok, or it's not ok or...what? I don't know!

And so, if and when I do say a sorry and it is accompanied by a decent-sounding explanation, you can be sure it means I'm really, totally, absolutely sorry. Like from the bottom-most bottom of my big heart. From every artery, vein, auricle and ventricle of my heart. You get it right?

Now, I'm gonna do something pretty dumb. I'm gonna use this post to apologize to someone I've NEVER said sorry to till now. For all the pain and hurt I have caused. Sooooooo many things I wish I could go back in time and Ctrl+Z!

That person is 'me'. This apology is for:
1. Hurting myself over and over again.
2. Unecessary, unwanted quanitities of tears shed.
3. Making stupid decisions (in the past and now) inspite of knowing that it wouldn't work out.
4. And most recently, for using the eye make-up remover unjudiciously, knowing that I'm allergic to it, resulting in, like obvious, a scab-like under-eye allergy.

I sincerely hope that I shall be forgiven by my Divine Self.

P.S: 1. Don't reach out for the phone to call the asylum. Don't worry, I certainly do not suffer from "Multiple-personality disorder". This is just me. This is just how I am ;)

2. If it seems like I've contradicted myself somewhere there, it maybe so, because my thoughts on this aren't all that clear, even to me.

3. I started this post day before yesterday during one of my usual low moments. I did something stupid again and I really felt like saying sorry (to myself) for letting myself go through those shitty emotions and all that crazy pain. But then, the whole of yesterday, I was doing a lot better and I didn't feel like going ahead with it. But then again today I got reminded of what I did and so here it is, a full-blown apology note to myself! [Confused...??? :D]

4. Uh, I was supposed to add another P.S, don't remember it now :D

And then there are the FAT...

2008-04-05T00:58:00.000-07:00

Men, Women and then there are the Fat. As far as I see it, this is THE most prevalent classification of mankind. The others, based on religion, caste, geography and all that blah, fade into oblivion.

I maybe digressing now, but lemme tell you a recent and relevant incident . Another one of those girl-inspection days. One set of parents walked in, walked over (us) and walked out. The 'Mom' was pretty sweet, all gushing that I was THE daughter-in-law they were looking for, while the 'Dad', well, he was a different story altogether. For the first 20 min of the conversation, the dude remained silent. So we were deceived into thinking he was the placeholder Decision Maker in the family whereas auntyji was the Real Deal. But then he opened his mouth. (Uhm, he did earlier too, but that was to stuff it with halwa, 25 pooris, potato AND unimaginable quantities of kalakhand that we served!) His first words were, "So, do you exercise?" If till then I was smiling and obliging, this question left me flabbergasted, because I knew where this was heading. I said,"Not really. I've been planning to, but haven't yet". Initially my mom got all defensive and for some godforsaken reason felt the need to justify," Illa, she used to go to the gym earlier but......no time now. And once she left it she put on more weight. But she loves working out. She....is very enthusiastic about it. She....diets a lot." etc etc.

Then he went on about how fitness is important and how his wifey aces 40 min on the treadmill every day (auntyji was beaming across the room) and how he is Mr.Calisthenics himself. All that with a belly the size of that cooking vessel in Jodha Akbar! Now, on a normal day, I would never be so mean as to say this about someone else, especially someone I hardly knew and that too well over 60. I wouldn't be judgemental about 'guests' coming into my house unless, UNLESS, he hadn't said all that he said!

Next he said, "I don't know what your weight is but I can tell you, you have to lose 10 kgs. And you should not gain it back after marriage". If I was flabbergasted before that, now I saw red. But I didn't say anything. Not that I care about what they think but I didn't want to make it seem like my parents haven't brought me up right. I could see my Dad and Dolz realllllll pissed on the side. Surprisingly, this time my mom (who is generally the one pleading/ screaming/ emotionally-blackmailing me into losing weight) laughed and said, "Actually, I've been after her to lose some weight for a very long time. But she says that Being plump is not a character flaw*. If that is the reason for someone to reject her, then she doesn't need a hyprocrite like that. She feels that what if after marriage if she puts on weight, the guy will leave her and go or what?" That moment, I could've just about jumped across the room, lifted my mom off the floor and given her a bear hug. I'm sure she would've thought I was nuts, but she deserved it!

{* That is a quote by a famous, wise, smart and intelligent person, aka Moi}

The opposition Mom decided to take charge again and subtly asked her husband to 'Ssshhh' and went on to pacify me saying,"Adellam thaana korayum. Just konjam exercise good dane. Don't worry, you are tall. Your weight doesn't show on you at all. You look really nice the way you are". [Translation: You will naturally reduce. Just a little exercise is good only] Sweet of her, yea, but not like I was worried and besides, the damage had already been done.

I may not be the dainty darling they are looking for but, what, if I'm fat I'm not marriage material but if I'm thin I'm the epitome of bahu-hood??? Maybe they should be looking out for Jane Fonda's daughter for their US payyan!

Forget just for marriage, fat bashing is everywhere. Fat people are the butt of all jokes. Harmless, at times, but never hurtless. All that extra adipose doesn't really cushion the heart from feeling bad! And you know...? Just because I'm taller and fatter than my older-by-4 years-but-shorter-and-thinner sis, I'm always considered to be the older one. It's almost like I'm gonna have to sport a disclaimer on my forehead henceforth reiterating my 'younger sibling' status.

It's such an annoyingly vain world out there that it really drives me nuts!Why is everything based on face value, or rather figure value? Even before saying hello, people have said,"Oh my god, you've put on soooo much of weight compared to the last time I saw you!" As I've said earlier, niceties are rare and unimportant.

But you know what? Call me plump, fat, gundu, chubby or whatever, atleast I'm happy. And I really would be a lot happier if everyone could see it too.

Baby Talk...

2008-03-31T15:19:00.000-07:00

There are 2 basic reasons for this post:

1. Baby talk is in the air, or rather talk on babies is in the air. And poor Dolz is bearing the brunt of every Gita, Sita & Rita (Incase your going huh...? It's the Indianized, womanized version of Tom, Dick & Harry) enquiring in hushed tones and dumb charades-ish actions- "Any good news??" So much so that our family prefers not to talk or get too socially involved with anyone other than the 5 of us and ofcourse close friends. That is just sooo much better than having to give 'excuses' like,"Oh, they both are in IT. No time you know" or "Ippo vendanu solranga" or "They are trying, but..." I mean, whatever their reasons are NOT to have a kid right now, it needn't be published in the Mylapore Times, right?

2. All that baby talk made me think of my childhood. I mean,I can't believe Dolz is gonna have a kid!I really feel me and her are still stuck somewhere in between adolescence and adulthood and are still nutty as ever. And here she's gonna have to raise a family..?!?!? And what would that kid call me...chitti, aunty, masi...? Uhm, I think I'd rather have her/him stick to calling me Preeti. It is way cooler, isn't it? Besides, it would be an Ego booster :)

Till I was in the 10th standard, me and her never discussed the B word (B=>Boys). I wouldn't dare breathe a word about the cute guy I had my eyes on. And she used to consider whatever I did or said as "Baccha stuff" ['Baccha stuff' was this ultra-famous phrase used back in our school by all the 'Seniors'] I never called her akka or anything, but I always felt the 4-year difference between us. Once we moved to Chennai, living alone really brought us closer. I've been really mean to her cuz of some a**-hole. I didn't talk to her for a while just cuz 'this guy' told me to (Don't ask me what I was thinking then, I really don't know). She used to cry and ask my friends to get me to talk to her, while I would turn away and cry silently :(

Leaving that silly phase aside, I must say that now me and Dolz are inseparable. She's probably the only one who knows me inside out. We still love watching cartoons together, have these CRAZY names (we both call each other 'buji'. The others are unmentionable) and brawl like maniacs in detention. I can show you nail marks on my right forehand that she gave me last month. I responded with a solid punch on her back :D buhahahaha! My friends have been witness to some extra-violent, true-blue WWF at our place. Hair-pulling, dress-tearing, expletives^infinity et all! But the next second, we'd act like nothing happened! (My mum gets super pissed for this cuz if she tries stopping our fight, we gang up against her instead)

For all that she's been through in life, I'm so, SO glad she's happy and married now to this superlicious guy. And the fact that she's still in Chennai and we still get to do all our silly stuff together is another thing I'm thankful for!

Oh, buj, I know this is all senti, and you and me are never that way, but I must tell you that I couldn't have asked for a better sister. And I don't know what I'd ever do without you. "Buji buji boo, I love you" [to be sung to the tune of the title track (!?) of Scooby doo ;)]

The Tag Bug!

2008-03-25T13:25:00.000-07:00

UPDATE: I've just updated a snap of my tattoo. FYI :)

Bitten by the Tag Bug again. Busy Lil Writin' Gurl has done the honours this time :)

Ok, frankly, I'm as confused as hell about this tag. It's supposed to be 5/6/7/8/... quirks about me or something. Each person doing the tag has edited it to suit themselves (kinda like that Chinese whisper game. Amazing how one simple word (here,tag) could change from origin till end!) And so, here's what I'm gonna do- Join the bandwagon and edit the tag to suit myself. Gonna reveal 11 things ppl don't know about me. Or atleast ppl in Blogsville High. (Why 11...? I've got noooo clue!)

1. (This is gonna sound like some Tamil film hero introducing himself)
En paeru (my name): Preeti. But everyone calls me: p3 (san), peeto, peeti, peetu, peetri, !#@!@, uhhmm...it's better we stop here
Appa paeru (Dad's name): Ramachandran. Ooru Kerala. (Place: Kerala)
Amma paeru (mom's name): Rukmani. Namma ooru Iyer ponnu. Orey Louves you see!
Akka paeru (Sis's name): Pratibha aka Dolly. Ava oru Seth payyan a kalyanam panita. (She's married to a Seth aka Marwari guy) Avar paeru Harsh. (His name)
Naay paeru (Dog's name): Chintu. Our 4 year old German Shepherd. The apple of our eyes!
Thozhil (Work): Naan oru Engineer. With MBA. Aana naa ippo paakara vela, blogging. (I am an Engineer. With MBA. But now the work that I do is, blogging)

P.S: For those of you who expected some masala answer like "saaraya vyabaram" (liquor brewing) and the likes, I'm sorry to disappoint. I'm just a very ordinary young girl :P Enough of my family! This is about me :D

2. I was born in Bahrain. And raised there till I was 15. The rest is history.

3. I don't know how to ride a cycle. Dad never let us. I never bothered and had no regrets till this one Kodai trip our class went to during engg and every-single-freaking-human being in the class went cycling around the lake. I, on the other hand, had to walk around freezing my ass out and stuffing my face with home made chocolate waiting for the annoying riders to stop. I had a friend for company, who couldn't ride cuz Miss. Smarty Pants wore heels for a close-to-trekking trip to Kodai (!). And we got lost while climbing up-hill. In the darkness. Alone.

4. I talk at Bullet Train speed. Forget the fact that I can talk non-stop for however long on whatever topic. That's nothing. I've been compared to the likes of Ben Johnson for my talking speed, even when I was a kid! On a recent conversation with Andu, he pointed out (God bless him) that I just completed a relatively mid-length sentence in less than 3 secs. Are the Record book people listening...?? I'm not proud of it.

5. My phone is eternally busy. I'm either on the landline or the mobile. Satti christened me "The Call Center". Which is what flashes on his phone when I call. (If ever I do call) I'm not proud of it either.

6. I love Water. I can drink any amount of water. At times, I drink upto 8 litres a day. It's like a compulsion. If there's a bottle near me, I just have to finish it. Which obviously means I visit the loo !@# number of times a day. Though, most of the time it's to check myself out ;)

7. I'm a matching-matching FREAK. I'm kinda known for it. I match my accessories, basically earrings and bangles, earnestly. I pretty much have allllll colours with me. Not the flashy kinds though! I can't imagine an unmatched day. *shudder* [I manage to make it in time to office every morning, inspite of this ;)]

8. I looooveeeeee stickers. I collect them. Any kind. Especially ones with glitter! *starry eyed* I've got alllllllll the stickers I've ever bought till now with me in this big bag. My Dad threatens to throw it out everytime he gets angry thereby forcing me to comply with his (baseless) orders. Best part is I never use 'em! I'm hyper-senti about my stickers. If I do use one of my precious ones for anyone, you can be assured that person is extremely special. More than 'the sticker'.

9. I have a tattoo. On my lower back on the right side. It's my name in Japanese. Decided to commemorate myself and Japanese and so the tattoo. Besides, I couldn't think of anything else. Raring to get more. But the problem is my parents don't know :D I've managed to keep it a secret for a year and a 1/2 now. And there's no other hideable place *sigh*

10. I hate working. I'm a total home body. I would love to be a house wife. Just laze around the house, doing nothing. And in between all that lazing, get some cooking/washing/cleaning done. I'm not ambitious and not the go-getter/gotta-reach-the-top-of-the-corporate-ladder-by-eating-other's-heads types. Nope, not me. Not in the least! Very simple girl, you know!

11. I have BIG palms. Long fingers too, but big palms. They are so big that when I put mehandi, they are tempted to charge for 3 palms, for the extra mehandi and extra effort taken!I actually have a complex about it. For all you know, my 'man' would probably have smaller palms than me! :-/

I guess this should do now. Will save the rest for similar future tags ;) Oh and btw, I tag Janie, Prathiboo, Satti and Mayth to do this!

Happy Birthday again!

2008-03-25T11:57:00.000-07:00

Spate of birthdays this month. And all of them are extra special people!Today is Andu san's birthday. Andu san aka Anand Johnson-of the Johnson brothers' fame.

As I alwayz say, the Johnson brothers (Aj and Andu & co.) are the reason the Ramachandran sisters smile. Really. They brought happiness into our life. And I just don't mean happiness, I mean belly aching, rolling on the floor, heart stopping, breath choking Laughter with a capital 'L'. From the time we met till now, I guess we've been laughing all the way. Literally!

Andu san- ur a laugh riot! With your smart alec jokes and whacky expressions, you crack us up allll the time. And ofcourse, ur super sweet, "Love you P3 san" messages that make me smile the instant I get them. Somehow you alwayz know when I'm low and that message of yours comes right on time! Didn't I say you were Godsent?

Wishing you a Happy Happy Birthday. You rock, we rock and we'll keep rocking! Loooooooooveeeeeeee to itsy witsy teeny weeny bits. Hugz! Muah!

P.S: Yet to load a snap of yours cuz I don't have one at work right now. Will do it asap. Pardon!

Happy Birthday!

2008-03-24T22:18:00.000-07:00

Oh am I happy or am I happy!!??! It's Pp's Birthday! Finally, the day is here :) I've been waitingggg for this day to go on to tell him how super special he is! Though he should be knowing, but yet :)

Check out this lil hunk:

[All you 18 year old girls out there, behold! He's a perfect catch. Certified by ISI, ISO et all ;)]

No matter what I say right now, it wouldn't be enough to let you know what you mean to me. But I'm just gonna wish you an extremely Happy Birthday. This is the millionth time I'm wishing you, but hey, it's your birthday and you can never get enough wishes now, can you?

Just know that you are loved loadz n loadz by this crazy sis of yours. Wanna see you smiling, smiling alllll the time. (With me around, how else would you be huh??) God Bless! Muahhhhh!

Minna-san, Okurimono ga suki desuka?*

2008-03-17T00:53:00.000-07:00

Japanese to English Translation: All of you, do you like gifts?* (That, btw, is a dual purpose title. One, to show off my Japanese proficiency and Two, to increase curiosity in the post. Smart, I know)

*I know I do. I LOVE gifts - both giving and getting. I know it's the thought that matters and all. I totallllllllyy agree. I don't get sad if I don't get a gift. But I'm super happy/ elated/ jubilant/ springy/upbeat....(you get the drift) when I do get a gift. And I truly consider myself blessed in that respect. Cuz I have some of the BESTEST people in the Whole Wide World around me!
See, it goes like this. During my engineering, my parents were abroad => cash inflow was pretty good. That was probably the time when I gave the most. After that, I went on to do my MBA. At that time, most of my engg friends had gotten into TCS/CTS/Infosys/some IT Company. And Dolz was also earning top-notch. So, I was the pampered friend/baby-sister. Birthdays meant a million gifts. I'd get every single thing I wanted. Mum was absolutely disgusted at the way I used to squeal with delight at the gifts and she used to remind me that I have to also give in return. But my friends never let me. "You're not earning yet", they'd say.

And then after MBA, I waited 4 months to get a job. By then the engg set was well settled and the MBA ones started working. So I was pampered again. Then when I did get a job, I got one which paid me peanuts. I couldn't even meet my own auto needs from Mylapore to Adyar and again they'd say, "C'mon, you don't have to spend. When you get a better job, you can get us something". I've received gifts ranging from: Clothes to Cellphones to Ipods to Customized-Calendars-with-my-Pics-all-over to Bags to Shoes to Watches to Books to Flowers to Cakes to Chocolates to Make-overs to Jewellery to.....!!! And now, finally, I have a good, decent paying job. And it's time I start giving! Trust me , it isn't easy. It requires sooooo much of thought!

I cherish each and every one of those gifts. I even save the wrappers and the tiny 'Best Wishes' cards that come along with them. I've got every single card I've received since I was a kid. But one of my most recentest gifts is definitely one of my most bestest gifts. Totallyyyyy unexpected. It was given by my Pp. My lil bro baby, the sweetest, cutest, nuttiest person I've met. Whom I love oh-so-much and whose smile is just to-die for! All of 18 years and full of fun and spunk!I simply cannot imagine an hour without this lil hunk, forget a day. When I opened the gift he handed me, I just sat there, not saying a word cuz, for once, I didn't have anything to say!I was speechless. Stunned into silence! (For those of you who know me personally, that is a pretty impossible task) Din't know whether to laugh or cry, to jump in joy or run outta there and show it to everyone I know!He designed a CD for me. Like, put in a few of my ultimate fav songs, designed the front and back AND got it printed on the CD. My FIRST Customized CD. And he addressed it to -"The Best Sis in the Whole World!"And he did it for ME. *sniff* While I get down to some crying and nose-blowing, you guyz can check it out:

Beautiful huh? Pp, Muah! Love you alwayz kiddoooooo!!!!

Next is by Ruby. Ok, to get into the history behind this, I must tell you I'm totally not a gadget person. Cellphones are solely for 'communication' purposes and I find absolutely no joy in wasting money on a new phone. My friends have tried over and over again to get me to change my phone. I had a 3310 till a year back when a friend gifted me another. That stopped working and I've been using my sisz throw away 6600 ever since, which was in a deplorable condition when I received it and I've managed to damage it even further. It was silver earlier. Now black. It didn't have the keys 'enter' and 'a,b,c' and so i had to use my nails to get inside and type it out. I didn't even find it necessary to change the panel! And so, Ruby dearest decided to do the honours. Gifted me a whole new panel, with a new keypad, a new battery AND a memory card (which is from Satti too). My folks actually thought I got myself a new phone! And me, being the bitch I am, have been cribbing that the 'new-look' for the phone isn't me. And that the phone isn't quite the same now! I know I'm a pain! Rubyyyy, I LOVE it. And I LOVE you! Thanks really, really, reallyyyyy!!! Don't have a snap of it. But it looks super sexy. Totally new.

Don't you think I really am blessed to have these people?

*sniff* There I go again! *sniff*

P.S-Update: It is NOT my birthday. I'm a Cancerian and hence, my birthday is in July! And if my Birthday was coming, the countdown would've started 2 months in advance! :D These are just chumma gifts, which is what makes them a lot more special-er :)

Happy Birthday!

2008-03-16T23:45:00.000-07:00

This is gonna be a new feature on my blog. There are these extra special people in my life whom I love to itsy-witsy, teeny-weeny bits. And I decided it'd be a super cool idea to honour them on their birthdays with a small post. And the lucky one to kick-start this feature is my Handsome Hunk of a bro-in-law- Harsh, whose Birthday is on the 16th of March.

It is a wonder how things change with time. It's been a year and a half since he's entered our lil family and I actually feel like he's been around forever! I may have not said it in as many words, Harsh, but I really do love you. For the way you make my sis smile, for the way you take care of her, for the respect you give my parents and for the person you are. You are everything and more than what I could ever ask for Dolz.

Thanks for alwayz, alwayz being there. Wishing you an Awesome Birthday. God Bless You! Hugz!

BLuSh, CrUSh and ALL that MuSh!

2008-03-14T12:07:00.000-07:00

Update: Note to Public- I am NOT getting married YET. What I meant by arranged marriage time is that, my parents have been bitten by the 'kalyanam virus' and decided enough is enough and wanna push me out. Considering poor lil me has noone to show-off to my parents as 'the man', I'm left with lil choice but to say ok to the entire (pathetic) process! And the process has just started. Will definitely keep you all updated. So please, I'm not aunty, YET! :(

As much as I have tried denying it, as much as I hate accepting it, I blush. At the drop of a hat. Uhh, actually a name. Ask Jane. She'd tell you. Cuz she's the first one to figure it out yearz back. I blush when you mention certain names. I don't know if my complexion allows me to turn red, but if it did, I would. Beet red. That sudden rush of blood to my face, causing a flush that's called a blush when you mention the name of a crush that makes my insides go mush!

Honestly...? I must admit I don't know if I know what love is. As in, the real love or true love or whatever. I mean, there may have been 5 guyz in my life, but they were all the wrong ones. Only 2 of them meant something. The 1st one cuz that was the longest and the 3rd cuz he treated me the best. In the 1st case, I was wayyyyyyy too young when I was in it. I was more in love with the 'idea of being in love', than in love itself. Carried away, quixotic, all that. And then reality struck. The other 3 were friends, on the verge of becoming more. Professed their love for me and I was in the confused,"Hmmm, he's a nice guy. And a great friend. Maybe he's the one...???" state. But nope, they weren't. Cuz they just weren't genuine. And I found that out later, luckily before things went further. Now, with the 3rd guy, everything was perfect. Like in every-fucking- possible way. The real deal and then wham!it was over (Short and sweet...?) As I did mention in My 10 most, he passed away a year later and the only explanation I see for us breaking up was that God willed that way. To save me the trouble of having to deal with the grief of him going away that way.

Ok, this is sooo not meant to be sad! So lets regress to the basic point - Blushing and crushing and mushing! (henceforth BCM). I may not know what love is but what I do know is that, to blush, it doesn't have to be love. Could be that cute guy passing by. Or, a call from a guy I really like. I even blush when people make fun of me with some random guy! I have this smile stuck on my face -Colgate style - 32 teeth, cheek-to-cheek (or rather whatever my tiny lips would allow) and thanks to Jane's publicity, everyone I know, knows it now. And I hate it! I hate that I blush and I hate it that I'm so readable!

I really am not all that romantic a person. I'm not in denial here. I really am not that extra mushy,'oh my baby baby' kinda person. I don't mind being called that way. But reciprocating it is a different ball game. I love flowers and gifts and all that. But am not much of the candle-light dinner type. I would prefer to go to a movie (I actually went for Marudhamalai!), normal dinners (as long as there's food!) or even coffee (the drinking kinds, d-u-h).

I don't feel the need to hype every occassion (but for a birthday) and disappoint/get disappointed when high riding expectations aren't met. The simple things matter to me. You know, simple caring gestures go a longggg way in making me feel secure rather than mile-long speeches professing undying, unrequitted love and its likes. Everytime I've heard it, I was left stupefied at how people could actually say stuff like that. My reply:
1. Aloud: "Aww, that's sooo sweet!"
2. In the confines of my mind, "Naa already 3 timez kaadhu kuthiyachu pa! (Translation: I've already pierced my ears thrice. Uhmm, doesn't make sense in English, so forget it)

And now it's arranged marriage time. I'm not gonna get into my woes on that but my sentiments are: Unknown guy = extra low levels of BCM. Friends say that'd change and things will get all happy, happy and al. But, I can't help but feel doubtful now. Hmmm, all I can do is wait and watch. Let's see, pakalam, dekhte hain, mitteyou!

Sooooooooooo...Temme guyz, what's your take on all this? What makes you BLuSh, CrUSh and ALL that MuSh!?

P.S: 1. I'd especially like to hear from Mayth aunty on this. If you don't mind :)
2. I take this opportunity to profess my unconditional love for my Best Bosom Buddies, my Darlin Dido Dolz & Ultimate Superstar Pp ;) And I accept your respective speeches, and I promise my 'inner voice' is silent through it :D I have a crush on you guyz man ;)

Belly Dancers...

2008-03-13T10:31:00.000-07:00

This post is alllllll about shakes, creamy moves, lotsa meat, spice and delicious eye-candy!Presenting to you my second food post! (Did I just burst that bubble, shucks!) I've been accumulating quite a bit of yummy information to dish out to y'all. So, without any further delay, let's sink our teeth into some of my favourites from around Chennai:

1. Peppers
My rating: *****
Location: Down Chennai Kaliappa signal, towards Park Sheraton.
Pricing: Approx Rs.300/- per head
Definitely, definitely a 5/5. For ambience, service, the super-rich, super-yummy food AND the pricing. What's better, it's a veg only place! [Mayth be happy :)] What's even better..? They have an extensive menu comprising Indian, Chinese and Continental.They also have an extra long list of mocktails and juices. The dessert section lacks variety but the few that do figure are extremely good. They have the 'Dessert of the day' concept and when we went it was 'Shahi Tukde'- pieces of ghee-fried bread in thickened milk with saffron and nuts. Sinful :) I can safely say that in the 3 times that I have been there, all of what we ordered (cheese naan, paneer burji, spinach pasta etc etc) was perfect. Just the way anyone would like it.

2. Tasty Joe's
My rating: *****
Location: Besant Nagar (Next to Cozee/Pupil)
Pricing: Approx 150/- per head
A small, neat place that has tables in the open air as well as inside. Frankly, my expectations from the place weren't too high when I walked in, but we were in for a pleasant surprise. The entire meal was extremely satisfying (with my Best boyz as company, it is but natural). The menu is decent. Burgers, pizzas, steaks, sandwiches, pastas and from somewhere Indian. We pretty much had a taste of most of them - Paneer tikka, Chicken/ Beef burgers, Spaghetti with cheese balls/ bolognaise (came with garlic bread), Chicken/ Beef steaks (came with mashed potatoes and grilled veges) and Paneer & Cheese sandwich. Though the quantity didn't look all that much, it left us feeling just right. And the best part was they gave us 2 plates of brownies with icecream on the house! (We assumed it was a thank you gesture for our noisy bunch getting out!hehe)

3. French Loaf
My rating:*****
Location: Opp. TTK road Univercell, Alwarpet (heard its got branches elsewhere too)
A lil bakery with all those lil pastries that Hansel and Gretel would go ga-ga for. This place has got to have the BEST tarts and quiches in town! Priced at around 50-60/- a tart, they have a number of differenr flavours like berry, pear, apple etc, that are a treat to the eyes and the tongue alike! They are totally 'melt-in-the-mouth' fresh, giving an oral orgy with every bite! Also available are a variety of flavoured bread loafs like garlic, herb etc.

4. Cake Walk
My rating: *****
Location: I only know of the Besant Nagar and Egmore ones.
Oh-so-yumm! I simply loveeee their blueberry ( I go there JUST for this) and lemon cheese cakes and their kiwi gateaux. Authentic as hell. They do have sandwiches and stuff, but I'm not too sure how that is. This place is a must-try for their cakes. Period. They make really pretty cakes for birthdays that are colourful and different in interesting flavours like lychee and kiwi. [I told you, Prathi :)]

5. Cascade
My rating: *****
Location: Besant Nagar. Above the Spencer's Daily super market.
I think I could rate this 5/5. But, I'm just being strict and so 4. Near perfect :) I'm sure there are hardly any of you who haven't tried Cascade. One of Chennai's fav Chinese places, I guess. Ask anyone why and they 1st reason they'd give is the quantity. It's every student/miser/pauper's dream come true. One soup for 90/- serves 4!And the food is really good too. Simple, delicious Chinese food and excellent service sums up the place.

Hmmm, I guess I should also give you all food for thought on places you-dare-not-venture-into.

1. U.S Pizza
Location: TTK Road signal Petrol bunk.
Innovative should be their middle name. Heard of any other pizza place (or ANY place) that serves petrol flavoured coleslaw? No, seriously. Don't ask me why I even went there. On one of our walk-outta-office routines, me and Prathi decided to go there to sit down and talk. Chumma. Just like that (Fate maybe?) First of all, the place was reeking with the smell of petrol (I know, I know, what more could we expect from a petrol bunk huh?). As if that didn't kill our appetite, the garlic bread arrived with black edges and an extremely brown topping, which on closer inspection we realized was burnt cheese. And the coleslaw, as I already said, tasted of petrol. Actually, it was more like the mayo had been kept in a plastic container forever and then dished out for the only customers in a good 6 months, aka, US.

2. Kabul
Location: TTK Road
Was good. Till Mr.Fangs arrived. In the biryani. Yea, we were served veg biryani with dead Mr.Fangs, wings and all. And then no more. Besides, the place isn't exactly cheap. I mean free insect and all ok, but 300/- per head for that ****. Never!

3. Saravana Bhavan
Location: Mylapore tank (This is where I had my tryst)
Stalwarts in the South-Indian cuisine lineage. World famous. Branches in every single freaking city. All that jazz is alright, but are they doing justice? I'm not gonna deny I love their food. But everytime I get out I feel fleeced and angry as hell. My last trip there went like this:

Me: "Tomato soup 1 by 2"
Waiter: "1 by 2 varadu madam" (1/2 won't come madam)
Me: "En?" (Why?)
Waiter: "Adu apdi dan madam" (It's like that only madam)
Me: "Adan en? Apdi na epdi?" (That's what, why? Like that means like what?)
Waiter: "Illa, 1 soup e quantity romba kammi. Adan sonen. Unga naladiku dan sonen" (No, 1 soup itself quantity very less. That's why told. For your good only told)
Me: "Enaku enna naladu nu enaku teriyum. Give me 1 by 2" (I know what's good for me)
*Soup arrives*
Waiter: *I-told-you-so smirk*
Me: *aghast and confused looking at the cup* "1/2 cup dane sonen, illa 1/2 spoon sonena???" (I did say 1/2 cup right? Or did I say 1/2 spoon!???)
And that soup was Rs.35/- 10 bucks more at another place and they'd serve 3 times the quantity in 1/2 itself! And yea another thing, my sis asked for an extra soup stick. (To give to my dog, cuz I guess only her teeth would've been able to crack it). And they said they wouldn't give it. Only 1 stick per soup. And that too she ordered mushroom soup, so not even that. Cuz apparently, soup stick is combination wonly for tametoo soup. In the World Of HSB.

That's not all. We decided to have icecream for dessert. Now they have a pretty tasty range of natural icecreams at Rs 27/- a scoop. Considering we had the 1/2 and all, I was still hungry and thought I'd have a sundae (!!!). Cuz, you know, it'd be bigger. I ordered a black current sundae, which according to their descriptoin, was vanilla icecream with black currant sauce, topped with whipped cream and fruits. And it was Rs 48/-. What came to the table was a Rs.27/- scoop with a tear drop size purplish blob, which I assumed was the black currant sauce, and 'yaaro nakki vecha madri' whipped cream (like someone licked it and kept it) I'm still fuming thinking of it!

Interruption!!!As alwayz, all this food talk is making me hungry. Do lemme know your favourites and not-so-favourites, wherever you are. Never know when information would be useful!

Happy Eating!

Excuse ME? Just who are YOU to tell ME that?!?

2008-03-09T23:09:00.000-07:00

So much of bickering, so much of judging, so much of bitching in the air. And it's all so over- whelming to think and react to it. Yes, I'm talking about nasty statements, hurtful words and watchamacallit- Criticism, with a capital C.

For once, this post isn't instigated by some recent personal experience (Thankfully, nothing mean has been said against me recently..hehe..Uhmmm, ofcourse I'm discounting the 'unmentionable terminology' my mum directs at me everyday!). I'm gonna try and make this an objective post. On criticism, judgemental-ism and the likes. That faint line between well and ill intentioned comments that's there and yet, not quite. And I'd like to know how y'all react to it.

A recent post by Keshi on her favourite Indians caused a huge commotion in her comments section. People were telling her who she should've included and who she shouldn't have. I mean, seriously, do they even know what they're saying? As she rightly said, it was a list of HER favourite Indians and she likes them cuz she likes them. She doesn't need to explain it out to the world? If they've got an opinion, state it. Not everyone likes the same things and that's understandable. But to go on and belittle her choice and her and blah blah, that's a little too much, don't you think?

I'm an extremeeeellllyyyy sensitive person, unfortunately, and am pathetic with criticism (All those Zodiac sign thingies say that it's a Cancerian trait. And so, I'm gonna blame it on that) Be it positive or negative, I'd take it to be negative. If my mum tells me I need to lose weight, I think,"She hates me. She loves Dolls more cuz she's thinner". (Not kidding, that's what I think) If Dad says I could've probably gotten better marks if I worked a little harder, I'd think,"Well, he hates me too. I should probably just run away!" And I'd extrapolate those thoughts to the rest of the World hating me and feel like a nobody at the end of it! [Ultimate result: Depressed blogs ;)]

My mind pretty much shuts-down when I'm the victim of any form of scrutiny. Rationality takes a back seat and my defensive mode kicks in. No matter what the other person is saying. Even if implementing what they say is gonna transform into an angel overnight. But then, that's me.

There are those who've got a fuck-all attitude and I seriously admire that. I'm in awe of those who can brush aside such issues and go on like noone's said a thing. This is probably one thing we gotta learn from celebrities. Being in the hot-seat all the time, every move of theirs being scrutinized and publicized, they really need to have a lot of endurance to get through with it all.

I don't know if i've digressed somewhere. I've read and re-read what I've written to try and add a lil more sense to it but...not happening. So I'm gonna stop now. But not before asking all of you to tell me how you'd react to criticism- constructive or destructive.

P.S: 1. The title is indirectly linked to the post. A common retort to such comments. Just incase anyone wanted to know :)
2. @OK: If your reading this, my sensitivities should probably explain why I gave you that unwanted, extra long comment in reaction to your meaningfully harmless comment. Just struck a wrong chord somewhere deep within. My apologies!

I NEED to know now...Does it really hurt...?

2008-03-06T16:25:00.000-08:00

Not love. Not breaking up. Not tattoos or peircings. What I wanna know is - Does it really hurt...to SMILE...?

My parents have taught me to be pleasant and polite. And being all full of manners as I am (atleast I try!), I smile at people I know. Not necessarily a buddy or the one-who-sits-beside me. I mean, could be someone on the same floor. There is this one girl at work, whom I see pretty often. I smile at her when I see her and what does she do...? Pass me by like I don't even exist! (This has happened,like, thrice)I mean, it's technically impossible to miss me, you know, thanks to my 'towering personality' (= huge). Besides, I was looking straight at her and smiling. And so, she cannot even use the pathetic excuse that I was probably smiling at the person behind her (or maybe she thought it was the cupboard...?or the wall perhaps...?) Doesn't anyone reciprocate niceties anymore?

She's not the only one. Me and Ruby joint aerobics recently. We were late (as usual) for our first class and the instructor told us to join the crowd and follow suit. We were all left feet and tripping and I looked at the girl in front and smiled sheepishly. She, inturn, threw me this disinterested, 'I'm-too-busy-to-waste-time-smiling' expression! (Adding insult to injury is the fact that she's as thin as a stick of asparagus while I'm that huffing, puffing plump tomato) Thankfully, there was another nice lady who just asked us to hang in there till the end.

With medical reports (eg: Smiling involves just 17 facial muscles and...), poems (eg: Smiling is a merry thing, blah blah blah"), songs (Remember Boyzone's biggest hit: Words, which began with-Smile, an everlasting smile.......??") and the likes of Hallmark/Archies coming up with the 'Smiley' (that cute, yellow thing on cards/keychains/anything & everything) , the entire 'Smile' concept is pretty much in your face. And so, I'm gonna assume the non-smiling kinds are extremely ignorant people with no life. Living in an igloo without a window and no humans around => Zilch people skills.

Or maybe I'm just ancient. Maybe being grumpy is in and I never realized. Well, the lean, mean men have always been considered hot. You know, the 'bad boy' image and all. Maybe that works for women as well.....? Maybe it's better. Would save guys the effort of saying those corny lines like "Your smile just killed me" or "I love the way your eyes light up when you smile" etc. Or maybe, they'd just change them and go, "Your frown just scared the shit outta me" or "Your dead pan eyes and frigid expression just turn me on".

Whatever maybe, a smile works for me. Lifts me up to smile and be smiled at. What do you think?

Million $ quote: "To Smile or not to Smile. That is the question" (by Will.I.A'int Shakespreeti)

P.S: Update: Ever since I've written this post (like 30 min ago), I've seen Girl#1 twice and I couldn't help but smile so hard, I looked sillier than the Cheshire Cat in 'Alice in Wonderland'!

MiSSiN' LoVe!

2008-03-03T00:49:00.000-08:00

Song to perfectly describe present state:
"I've been wandering up n down the house
Wonderin what the hell to do!
............(irrelevant lines)
Ah, this is torture, this is pain
It feels like I'm gonna, go insane
I hope ur coming back real soon
Cuz I don't know what to do,
Chorus: Baby when your gone,
I realize I'm in love
Days go on n on
N the nights just seem sooooo long!
Even food don't taste that good
Honey, doing what it should
Things just feel so wrong
Baby, when ur gone"

by Bryan Adams

The house is silent. (Almost. Faint sounds of Mallu comedy, thanks to Dad, fall on my deaf ears) Me...?I lay sprawled on my bed staring at the fan go round n round n round n round n....you get it. My heart feels like it would explode with emotion. It feels heavy. Bereft. I never knew it would be so hard. I thought I could brave anything. But, this...this is difficult.

I've lost track of time staring at the empty space before me. The space 'he' occupied. Me and him would sit for hours on end, staring at each other, not speaking a word. A million images, a myriad of colours would flash before us. And I would laugh, cry and more with the stories he spewed on me. My constant companion. At times, my only companion. He didn't have to go now. Especially not now. When I needed him the most.

I'm low. Freaking, totally, absolutely, all-time low.

Oh yes guyz, the unthinkable has occured.

My TV has stopped working.

P.S: I really hope it's coming back soon. Pray.

My 10 Most...

2008-02-28T04:34:00.001-08:00

This may resemble a tag cuz its one of those '10 most-' posts. But it isn't. What I did yesterday and the 'pats-on-my back' I received for it prompted this :) Here are 10 of my most dumbest and smartest moments/moves.

DUMBEST (In chronological order, not necessarily in dumbness order)

1. Joining DAV: Strict, disciplined, All-Girl's school, geeky girls screeching over gawky boys, flunking exams and lots and lots of special classes. Yup, it is a wonder I survived it. (Refer post: The Middle Name Tag for more details)

2. Trusting Guy#1: No comments (and no questions)

3. Joining Sathyabama: Girl-boy no mingle jingle, barren land - to enforce rule#1, ie, girl-boy no hanky panky, Black glasses & white teeth, Punishment for looking at a guy/carrying oranges/short sleeves/low neck and rules like these. Survived, yet again.

4. Trusting Guy#2: Sweet talker, cute looker and best friend. Short stint, friendship continues. No further comments. (and no further questions)

5. Trusting Guy#3: He's crossed over so, no comments. May his soul RIP.

6. Joining ITM: Every morn regret. Class of 55 morons (minus us 5, ofcourse..hehe) , Class of 60 senior morons, over-zealous party poopers- fist fights,broken pots et al, high level 'bit' technology and strains of "Abey o" at every turn. They should have renamed it Institute for Terminally Mental. I'm quite a survivor, ain't I?

7. Trusting Guy#4: Save your judgements. There's more! [Further comments, contact Ruby ;)]

8. Not learning from Guyz#1-4 and trusting Guy#5 (!!!): Dumb-bell brained, deported, alcoholic, self-obsessed freak. Yea, yea I am a sillly girl. But hey, everyone makes mistakes....right?

9. Joining the gym: yet-again and (like obviously) quitting it half-way through. Inspiration to join-d*** head above. Inspiration to quit- revenge on d*** head above!

10. The reason behind this post: Trying to send a 60 MB mail from my Outlook (which I learnt today can send a mail of max 10 MB). Resulting in, not just Outlook, but my entire system getting fucked! Prathi had an awesome laugh and took the humble initiative of passing the word around. But considering it gave the World this post, it isn't such a dumb thing after all huh? ;)

SMARTEST

Ahem, ahem. Beneath that dumb exterior facade lies an extremely smart, intelligent, bright.......ok, u can stopping the eye-rolling now :)

1. Staying away from the jing-bang in DAV: by staying away from school itself. Got me into truck loads of shit, but anything beats going there. Even flunking.

2. Dumping Guy#1: No small fea(e)t for me!

3. Using 'messenger service' to talk to the Forbidden 'boys-at-the-back': Uh, actually, if you study in Sathyabama, all boys are behind you...I mean literally, cuz they all sit at the back! (College rules, you see-Karls (girls) wanly in the firshtu aar shecondu row. In bus and class). It was more for practical study purposes, you see. To study the trajectory of the projectile (tiny, rolled bits of white paper containing important information not transmittable by sound), analyze the speed etc etc. You know, physics. With a lil bit of chemistry and lotsa biology!This, by the way, is the secret behind Guy#2 ;)

4. Dumping Guy#2: Best friend or whatever. Super sexy eyes or whatever. Cute poems/Love songs or whatever. It should be just me, baby!

5. Guy#3: I don't have a prefix for this one. Probably the only guy I've ever loved (Yay!Finally). Sad ending. And even worse that he is no more (this happened after we ended).But meeting him was one of the best things that happened to me. Trusting him was wrong maybe. Falling for him wasn't right. But he kept me happy while it lasted. That's all the matters, isn't it?

6. Joining ITM: Yup, really. And no, I'm not contradicting myself. I could fail a psychometry test with this answer but the reason is this- how many (ultra smart) people do you know, who decided to take a break after engineering and join an institite for humour's sake? Donate some 3.5-4 lakhs of dad's hard earned money to get to be with some of the World's classic nut-cases. Now, I can proudly say, I've pretty much seen them all. And earned a Masters in Barbarian Administration enroute.

7. No points for guessing- Dumping guy#4: Or did he dump me...?I don't know. But better to be single than being the man!

8. Damn, I guess I don't have as many smart moves as I thought I did. I'm really sweating it out here thinking. Well, hmmm...I guess I would have to go with Dumping guy#5. Actually, not that smart a move. Cuz if I didn't dump him...?That would've been the strongest contender for "The World's Dumbest". C'mon, I found out through orkut that he was dating (like for 3 years) someone else!

9. Quitting my previous job: Read here for more info. [Indirect smart move-Hyper linking to other posts for the impatient 'one-post-one-comment'ers! ;)]

10. Probably the smartest of them all. Ending this post right here, right now!

Think your dumber/smarter than me...? Lemme know :)

My Humour has gone to the....Blogs!

2008-02-25T21:53:00.000-08:00

Scene 1: Sitting alone at work
Me (thinking): "Hahahahahaha! Oh MY GOD! This's..hahaha...awesomely...hehehe...funny" *Tear wiping* *Reaching out to mobile. Ping*10 (X,Y,Z's no.)*
"Where are you? Are you online? Yea..? Ok, PLEASE check out this guy's blogs. They are just HILARIOUS! (continue giving her tidbits of info from them as well as the titles she just has to read)

Scene 2: Local chat shop in Purasawalkam
Dolz: "Oh man, marus (aka marwaris) are @$%$*@&&" (that, inspite of being married to one)
Ruby: "Hahahahahahaha"
Me: "Haha. Btw, that reminds me, today I read this blog and this guy said this and then he went on to say that and blah blah blah......Man, chance e illa! Hahahahaha!"
Dolz & Ruby: *Groan* (and they continue digging into their muruku sandwich)

Scene 3: Ruby's ZenDen #3033
Ruby & me (singing...uhh actually...SCREAMING) : "When you want it the most, there's no easy way out...Na na na na...That's the way it is!" [By Celine Dion. We couldn't resist singing along and recreating her contorted facial expressions, hand crunches et all, as it played on Radio City. Long time memories, you see :)]
Me (Struck by sudden thunder-bolt) : "Heyyyy, you know what....."
Ruby (Cutting me mid-way): "What? Your gonna quote another of your new found blog-love's extra-witty, extra-funny jokes...?"
Me (not taking in the sarcasm): "Yea!This one's realllll good.................."
Ruby (grimacing, groaning, cursing AND turning up the volume): " Go on...!"

Scene 4: My green sofa
Me: "Hahahaha"
Me: "Hehehehe"
Me: "Hihihoho" [only thing missing was the head-scratching :D]
My Mom (looking at me worriedly & calling Dad): "Inga vaango. Preeti enamo thaniya sirikra. Enaku bayama iruku!" [Please come here. Preeti's laughing alone. I'm scared!"]

Ok. This is really serious now. This is real bothersome material. Ever since I discovered I could blog from office, I've been sooooo happy that all I do is browse/read/re-read/think of writing blogs. It's my sole activity (other than the trail mails within our 'gang') and I hit IE and type out blogspot faster than I sit down at my desk! It probably is ok that I am blog-obsessed, but my humour (or atleast what I consider humour) is seriously taking a turn for the worse. Can't help it. I've just gotttt to insert interjections from the most recent post I've read. I've just got to take references from them and enlighten the non-blog readers in my group. (who don't read them cuz they really don't care to or would much rather do other things and hence do not really want the enlightenment!) I didn't quite realize (yea, the realization continues) the extent of this obsession until I started working on my next post and I couldn't go beyond what I read. I was (and am) so stifled by the super-talented other writers that my creative juices are just not, forget flowing, being generated! And the result is this :)

Hopefully I'm gonna get outta this soon. Till then, I'm giving you all the link to the funniest blogger I've come across: http://www.krishashok.wordpress.com/ (Responsible for my recent bout of crazy laughiness) A must-MUST read!

Bald n 50, hot n sexy..?!

2008-02-12T00:04:00.000-08:00

Rating: A

Disclaimer: This is not a work of fiction. Rather, as always, a work of emotion. It is not meant to hurt or please either sex. Dissent is natural and welcome.

Latest addition to my ‘List of Taboo Words’ - MEN (Also includes Man, Boy and anything masculine. FYI, few others would be diet, weight-loss etc etc).

Irrespective of age, I think they all think with the wrong part of their anatomy. I agree there are exceptions. There are those scattered, unintentionally good souls. The ‘decent’ lot. But then as my profs in MBA would say, “Exceptions are not examples!” And so, I can safely say that majority of the men in the world are born bastards. My views may seem extreme but I speak outta experience! I am pretty fortunate to have around me some of those real good guys. But then again, there are the others…

Case 1: The Boss - Right now the most happening story in my life.

The scoop: Getting hit on by my new boss at my new workplace. Bald and 50, glasses and a mole AND half my height! Oh and yea, he’s got a daughter who’s almost my age!

The Gory details: Unnecessary hand holding, extra long hand shakes (inspite of me trying to yank my hand away), irking references to ‘walks on the beach’ with us ‘holding hands’ and me in ‘western clothes’.

His explanation (for the ‘walking on the beach bit’): To test how conservative Chennai is, and to observe what stories people would spin seeing us together! [To which I actually told him something as lame as my ‘arranged’ marriage would get affected by it]

My retaliation: Though delayed, I managed to muster the guts to go and tell someone about what’s been happening. I know, I know. I should’ve done this earlier (waited almost 2 weeks, but then, it’s just been 2 weeks since I joined!). I should have probably told him off myself. I’m not denying I’m a coward. I hate the very fact that I am. But I just wanted to make sure of his intentions. I didn’t wanna seem assumptive or that I read in between lines. Come on, I was just 2 weeks in! Anywayz, case is pretty much solved. Sad part is I still report to him, but after a lot of convincing from the HR, the MD and a few others, I do see sense in remaining where I am.

After-math: Mr. I’m-so-sexy has his hands to himself and his tongue behind his teeth. (cuz hez got this ugly gap in between his teeth and he talks with a slight lisp when his tongue gets there. Blech!) Nothing untoward. As yet…

Case 2: The Random Lurker – Crass, gross and all those extra-eeewww stuff

The scoop: Me and Dolz. One walk through Rakiyappa theru at 9.30 pm. One stalker. Denim clad, cap and book in hand.

The Gory details: Dolz gets all paranoid that it’s too late to walk. [For all the right reasons. I, on the other hand, vehemently denied and condemned her fears as irrational. Afterall, juz WHAT could happen to 2 SALWAR clad girls walking down a dark alley hardly 100 yards away from their house. Special emphasis on the ‘salwar’ for those of you who are murmuring – jeans la pota pasanga paaka dan seivanga (i.e: if you wear jeans and all, obviously guys would look. Like it matters!)]

Anywayz, back to the scene of action. I keep telling her to shut up and walk. She walks faster. I beg her to slow down. Mr. Hunk walks faster. He overtakes us. I look at her and triumphantly think, “See, he wasn’t out to get us. Happy?” Just then she overtakes him. And I have no choice but to run and keep up. And then it happens. He says “Excuse me”. I don’t know what made me turn (my excuse still is that I thought he was calling to say we had dropped a bag or something). Dolz walks forward. I turn. He says, “If you don’t mind (!!!!), can I taste your ******”. In ENGLISH. Like saying ‘if you don’t mind’ would actually make me not mind. Like it’s mandatory to be polite at the most irrevelant-est of moments. Like I would be all forthcoming in the middle of the road (or anywhere). Like all I wanted was to turn around and….

My retaliation: Thu, oru mannu um illa. I ACTUALLY screamed, pulled Dolz’s hand and RAN. And HE turned around and walked away.

After-math:

1. Immediate: Shivering, sweating, heart thumping so hard it ached, tears and complaints to alllllllllllllll. (except appa amma cuz if they knew, I would be under house arrest irrespective of night or day)

2. 30 mins later: Embarassment. For having run away. Anguish. For his audacity and my foolishness at not listening to Dolz. Anger. At all men, and hence this blog. Resolve. To learn self defense and carry pepper spray. To never walk again- at night. To listen to Dolz more often, she is elder by 4 years after all!

3. Next morning: Sheer self-disgust. Thanks to my darling friends rubbing it in.

“You should have just turned and given him one-tight slap. I would’ve done that”.

“You ran? You should have held his hand and cut it! Carry a knife di”

“Medical advice: Crush his throat with index finger and thumb. Would stop blood to his brain and he would suffocate” (Like my dumb, numb mind could process that then)

Guys advice: “ONE kick where it hurts most. Would have put the fear of God in him”.

Questions my mind is throwing-up (literally) now:

1. Why me?

2. What if his family knows? (the boss)

3. Does he even understand what he is saying? (the stalker)

4. Why me?

5. Why can’t I be bolder?

6. IF (God forbid!) this happens again, what would I do?

7. Thank God Dolz was there with me. If not…? *shudder* [Not like I would have done anything but run otherwise]

8. Any one know where I can get hold of that pepper spray? A shot gun perhaps?

9. Any other suggestions for how to tackle mean men…?

10. And yea...are all men this way????

Answers please!

I’m Walking Away…

2008-02-06T07:18:00.000-08:00

“I’m walking away, from the troubles in my life
I’m walking away, to find a better place”

(Song courtesy: Craig David)

I don’t really think I can find a better place than where I am right now , but I don’t really think I wanna be here. Not right now. As always with me, that element of doubt is present. The ‘I really don’t think’ part. I’m not sure of anything these days. Infact, for almost 99% of questions people ask me, my answer is a stereotypical ‘I don’t know!’

Eg: Other: “Where do you wanna go for dinner?”
Me: “Uhm, I don’t know”

Other: “Do you even wanna go out….?”
Me: “Uh, I don’t know!”

Other: “Why are you feeling low?”
Me: “I really don’t know”

Other: “Are you sure you’re alright?”
Me: “I guess, I don’t know!!!”

Absolutely unsure of what I wanna do or say, what I’m doing or saying, what I’m gonna do or say. In constant doubt. And to top it all, I’m sore. And sensitive. I don’t know if I have the strength to go away and yet I don’t have the strength to continue here. I really am a bundle of contradictions and complications!

As I always keep saying in all my blogs, I have changed in the past few years or so. But I have also said that I hardly introspect into it cuz it’s like a Pandora’s box (I hate using this phrase, but it’s the best to suit my present situation) and analysis of depression could become the cause of further depression! But then during one of my recent (like yesterday and today) whiney and cryey moods, I decided that it’s high time I sort out the muck inside me. I’m starting to annoy myself with my own sob stories. An over dosage of melodrama and self-sentiment!

To me, the analogy of my past is to that of mosquitoes. Annoying, buzzing creatures that are found in every dark corner and every shaded place, flying menacingly at you and sucking your blood. If you let it be, it moves on happily, growing stronger with the blood I fed it. But the satisfaction of squashing it is immense. (Sometimes I worry I’m a cold blooded, blood thirsty killer when I feel the utter glee that I feel on seeing the red and black goo splattered on my white wall. Now after the new ‘mosquito racquet’ has been introduced, it’s the gruesome burning accompanied by those electric spurts of the lil menace being electrocuted!)

I realize the indelible damage the past couple of years have done to me. I realize the irreversible changes that have occurred to my gray matter. I realize the disastrous effects my own follies have. One part of me says it’s too late to go back. The other says it’s never too late to go back. In this constant struggle, my mind gives up and I decide to let bygones be bygones. But not this time. This time, I’m gonna get to the core of this. I’m gonna pick and cut and poke at those mottled bits till the cancer is out.

I really sound schizophrenic, living in the constant fear that the world is out to get me, don’t I? Though I do really feel it, there is something I realize [I realize I’ve been realizing a lot…Of what use that realization is, I don’t know! ;)]. Well, it is that the world isn’t out to get me on its own. I let the world get to me. One of those in-the-past-2-years changes of mine is transforming into an extremely insecure person. I’m way too cautious saying what I wanna cuz I’m way too scared the other person is gonna turn around & leave. And so in the process, when I am angry or hurt, I prefer not to talk about it. (and if someone tries asking me, my answer is, but ofcourse, I don’t know!)

I fail to trust. Anyone. Friends, family, blah blah. All of them. I know it is absolutely baseless cuz I REALLY do have the BEST of friends and family. The BEST. Appa, Amma, Dolz, Harsh, Prakash, Jane, Ruby, Prathi, Satti, Aj, Andu, Ry, Rekz, Arch etc who actually ‘work’ on keeping me happy. To whom I am not just another person, to whom I really mean something. Yea, there were those who left my side. Who probably felt I wasn’t good enough for them (or that I was too good, as I’d like to think, hehe) but they don’t matter. Cuz I have the ones I want with me. But yet, I’m insecure (I did mention I was nuts dint I?). Insecurity = distrust = hurt. Unfair huh?

I really wanna reach out and let them know that I love them. More than life itself. I don’t care if I sound all cliché but they really make life worth living, make me smile, make me happy! And so I should be thinking of staying rather than walking away. But I guess the mind is a bundle of contradictions, and mine is the embodiment of it!

I’m gonna end this now. But I reassure all of you that my depression, like my attention span, is extremely short lived (span = 5 ms) and so here I am raring to join dance classes and aerobics, battling a pathetic 50 yr old bald and flirting boss and making plans for the weekend like this spurt of depression never happened! Man, it really feels good to feel good! ;)

Song on my mind:

“Oh bloody, oh blah-da, Life goes on..
La la la la, Life goes on…..!”

P.S: Pp,Please dont laugh! And please remember, you keep me happy, happy, happy!!!! Luv u way too much kiddo!!

The Middle Name Tag!

2007-12-28T04:52:00.000-08:00

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!

2007-12-18T12:11:00.000-08:00

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?

2007-11-20T22:05:00.000-08:00

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...!

2007-11-19T01:02:00.000-08:00

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...

2007-11-09T00:16:00.000-08:00

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!

2007-11-08T20:07:00.000-08:00

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*......

2007-11-02T01:09:00.000-07:00

....of work space- Blogging :)

*Ah! The pleasure of coining an oxymoron ;)

Just Another Day in Paradise...

2007-10-30T03:57:00.000-07:00

.......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...

2007-10-29T22:33:00.000-07:00

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

2007-10-11T03:59:00.003-07:00

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!

2007-09-17T00:47:00.000-07:00

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! :)

2007-08-29T23:37:00.000-07:00

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...

2007-08-27T23:33:00.000-07:00

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!!!!

2007-07-24T08:57:00.000-07:00

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...

2007-07-03T02:03:00.000-07:00

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...

2007-06-08T07:57:00.000-07:00

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...

2007-05-16T03:15:00.000-07:00

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.....

2007-05-02T05:03:00.000-07:00

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)...

2007-05-02T04:02:00.000-07:00

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...

2007-04-28T11:02:00.000-07:00

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...

2007-04-14T06:59:00.000-07:00

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....

2007-03-31T07:00:00.000-07:00

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......

2007-03-19T03:34:00.000-07:00

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.....

2007-03-11T10:16:00.000-07:00

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.....

2007-03-05T09:43:00.000-08:00

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! :)

I-Want-To-Break- Free!

2007-02-26T04:03:00.000-08:00

Im sure all of u have gone through this phase where u juz wish u could get away from thingz around u....I certainly am there right now!!! I hate decisions n I juz realise I suck at them....All along i've never really had to do much of decision-makin (thanx to my papa dearest!) Educational decisions were pre-made for me...all i had to do was go ahead n study...So in that fashion, i sailed through 4 years of engineering,then another 2 crappy years of Post Graduate Diploma in Business Administration, specializing in finance (special emphasis on the expansion cuz of the preceding adjective 'crappy') n now im at that threshold where i've gotta take a career decision.....Trust me, i've got N.O. clue as to what i wanna do...on one side im an instrumentation engineer...n then i also have an MBA in finance....n i've juz cleared my jap level 3 [im usin this opportunity to show this off ;) ].....n i love fashion designing n art n anythin creative..so....now i gotta chose a career in.....................??!!!!!!

I believe in destiny...n so i kinda feel that i will be where i've gotta be...but then therez this unstoppable wave of "peer pressure" tat does not lemme be! how i wish life wasn't all about gettin the rite job....i wish i could've juz been given that chance to do wat i wanna do....though i dont know what that is, i probably would've if i did have the chance...!!

I feel incomplete...n am not satisfied bein where i am right now....somethinz amiss n i juz cant figure out what that is....I have this innate urge to do somethin whacky...juz do somethin radical....a tattoo???piercings???been there, done that....i'd ofcourse love to get some more....but then i face the risk of bein homeless cuz im sure my dad would want me off his property ASAP!I wanna take a vacation to some far off place.....a Holiday[ like 'The Holiday'] that would let me get a new perspective of life....relax under the sun, sippin a granita....or be in the midst of a real avalanche, rather than an emotional one! Oohhh!i could juz go on n on!

I dont dream of makin it big or bein the next biggest thing in history...but i wanna do soemthin diff...somethin creatively satisfyin that would keep me goin....suggestions anybody????? :)

Im sure things would clear out soon....cuz my life till now has alwayz been a set of phases....each phase, crazier than the other, formin tat formidable past that effaces ever-so-often in the present....n everytime this happenz, i cant seem to get this famous line by Queen outta my head....I-Want-To-Break-Free............

Every Man for Himself....

2007-02-22T08:32:00.000-08:00

This is juz for u andu....the font size i mean! i hope this one is gonna be easy on ur eyez....though im not too sure the pink would change...Anywayz, as alwayz itz been a while since i blogged....i somehow feel the need to get inspired to actually write in...n today was one such inspirational day :) Continuing on the same philosophical streak i began with, Im gonna share with all of u (by all i mean u poor lil thingz whom i COAX to read my blogs!) my new theory of Every Man For Himself.....If u've heard this before, ignore it...for noone...n i mean NOONE,can preach wisdom the way i can ! ;)

I hv started believin tat Companionship is highly over rated....Yes, it IS amazin to have someone around to call ur own i guess....but who could be better than urself to actually know u better???i've lived quite a long part of my life (all of 22 1/2 yrz) believin tat we should alwayz GIVE to GET....now dont get me wrong here....givin isn't wrong...but not one-sided crazy givin! Bein there when needed, forgivin even though raw n hurtin...in simpler terms- Bein a Livin D.O.O.R.M.A.T in-the-flesh! This stuff really doesn't make the other person sit up n notice u...it juz makes them take u for a ride! n that ride is initially good, trust me....u can call it,The magic carpet ride!!!u get to literally see a WHOLE NEW WORLD (courtesy: Alladin) n then the fall....that rock-bottom plunge that rudely reminds u that the heady rush of wind is gone...that suddenly, even though u give n give n give....ur not gettin....it may not be right to expect in return...but thatz for the saints man....itz natural n human to expect....so when u start feelin miserably low n whiney about not gettin enough, itz juz abt time to LET GO!... the revelation that follows is really amazin....atleast to me it has been thatway.....

I realized tat Friendz r amazin people....parentz r SUPER people....n my sis (Buj, ill ALWAYZ, ALWAYZ love u....n ur alwayz, alwayz my only true confidante) juz ROCKz...n im ever so thankful to be surrounded by all these people who make life worthwhile....BUT....(yes, all good things have a BUT(T), pun intended....) I also feel that the only way u can really be happy..?... is to understand urself...the way noone has understood u....juz do a bit of introspection....n u will see that inspite of havin so many people around u...ur only true companion is u...n it isn't all tat bad after all...! i seriously do enjoy my own company nowadays....[dont worry guyz, im still sane...atleast I think i am :)] I can make or break my life...itz I whoz gotta decide what I wanna do...itz I whoz gotta decide who I wanna b with....so make best use of wat u've got within u, rather than waitin for someone else to tell u wat u've got...rather, what u haven't!

Before I end, I'd like to clarify....i dont mean to say that u dont have to give at all or that u must be mean to people in the process...juz that....everythin must be done in moderation...dont over-do the givin....itz gettin u nowhere really...when thingz go bad n ur down in the dumpz...everyonez gonna go their way cuz...in this world,people, itz Every Man For Himself....(as seen through the eyes of a cynic)

Life....is a Perishable Commodity....

2007-02-11T05:44:00.000-08:00

Dont ask me WHY i wanna write abt this.....sometimez, the most weirdest of thoughts pop-up and i find this urgent need to pen them down....this is one such moment...juz sittin down...gettin Oh-so-bored with life around me....power failure on one side, crappy tv programz on the other....i get online lookin for solace...n well...NOTHIN!such boredom is dangerous...since it letz those crazy thoughts come in....i decided to probe a bit....probe into those deep dark areas i wanna forget.....the forbidden P.A.S.T*....past relationshipz have taught me never to fall.....to alwayz get up n move on even when battered....the more harder u fall, the more effort u must take to get up n walk....if u can do tat,well,uv juz mastered the art of livin! Anywayz, considerin this is not about philosophy, lemme get to what i was tryin to say....While gettin into one such dark area*...i realised the ironically humorous side of the homo sapien.....here i was starin at the "orkut" scrapbook of someone who has left this world n passed on to eternity(God Bless Him) n i was amused to find new scraps since the last time i saw it....some sayin sorry for tiffs tat had happened,1 sayin....'hey, thought of u today :) ' n another who happened to stumble across the profile n expressin how weird it is that he didnt get to do this earlier.....I found it funny, but i couldn't resist writin in....Knots in my stomach, cold shivers runnin down my spine, I sat wit an eerie anticipation that the message would somehow reach..thatz the irony i was talkin about.....i may sound cliche when i say u 'u never realise the value of somethin around u till itz gone' but tatz all i could think of then...u blink n the momentz gone...thatz how each day seemz to pass.....the smaller things in life r ignored....itz juz all about turnin dreamz into reality....im not disregardin that....thatz important to feel secure, but itz time we stopped, looked around n try to take time out for those whom we dont wanna lose....those who need us...the benefits,trust me, are mutual.....n then therez alwayz the aspect of karma...B good n get good :)

I dunno if the message would even reach him (yea, i did actually believe it would), but i felt a lot better.....like the albatross around my neck was unwrung...n trust me people, it feelz amazin....juz to reach out...one time....one last time.....n then slowly realization dawned on me- Life, guyz, is afterall a perishable commodity......

For Starters...

2007-01-20T11:11:00.000-08:00

i really dno wat to write or whr to start....cuz tho iv been tinkin of doin tis for a long,long while....iv actually gotten down to doin tis juz now!n well....from tat i guess u can get to knw one of my most innate qualities....im L.A.Z.Y!!! it may take me quite a while to actually get down to writin somethin interestin here...but this guyz...is juz for starters.... :)