Wednesday, December 31, 2008

Year 2008 - Recap!

This year is gonna come to an end in a few hours! Somehow, the excitement of a new year is missing in me! Maybe I am getting old and getting used to seeing new years fly by! ;-) I am in a retrospective mood looking back on things that happened to me or affected me..in no particular order.

I started this year as a new mother to Alvin.. He crossed his first b'day this year in October! I had a job change. I got chicken-pox! I gave it to my son too! He gave it to his GranPa. Infectious diseases are a pain! We shifted house this year!This has become a tradition every year for us! I kinda have gotten used to moving to new houses quite often that I feel stagnant if we stay in a particular one for a long time! But, the current set up has suited all of us and I wudn't want anything to jeopardize it..

Coming to things that affected me.. The Mumbai Terror Attacks on Nov 26th. It had the entire nation glued to the news channels! My heart goes out to those who had to go through the ordeal;salutes the hero in every Mumbaikar and the Indian Armed forces; bows down to the martyrs who laid down their lives while fighting the terrorists!... The economic slowdown that has been going on! Barack Obama becoming the US President!Why can't India get a young PM and a Prez?!? ...The Shoe-Shower that the outgoing US Prez George Bush got in Iraq! Lotsa ppl would want to remember it forever!

The political scenario was hopeless as usual in India where every elected politician was vying for the award for the top non-performer! The award goes to Mr.Shivraj Patil, the former Union Home Minister. Cash was flashed in the Parliament during the No-Confidence motion against the UPA government in power! The common man lost faith in the political system after the Mumbai terror attacks!

2008 was a year of surprise when it came to movies! While the North was continuing to dish out the usual crap like Bachna ae.. , Karzzz,and Yuvraaj; the South saw some surprise hits in different genres like Anjaathae, Saroja, Varanam Aayiram ,Subramanyapuram and once-in-a-lifetime efforts like Dasaavathaaram! Thankfully, TR, the sloth bear dint make any movies!

Hope year 2009 also is as eventful as 2008!

Wishing all the visitors of my blog a happy and prosperous New Year 2009!

Wednesday, December 17, 2008

Ad wars!

Indian TV viewers must be shocked to see the recent brand war between Horlicks and Complan! The moment I saw the new Horlicks ad, I thought both the brands have gone thru Merger/Acquisition! But, it doesnt look like it! Never before has it been seen in India media where two brands blatantly attacking each other. Check out the horlicks ad!




I couldn't find the complan ad that came as a retaliation for this one! I dont like this! All you corporate brands out there, please take creative potshots at each other! Please make Ad viewing a nice experience for us, as we are stuck with hours of commercials during a cricket match! I like the following Ad for Set Wet Zatak deo which pokes fun at Axe deo! Watch it! Its quite funny!



Keep 'em creative ppl! Keep 'em coming!

Sunday, November 23, 2008

Vaaranam Aayiram - A tribute to all the dads in the world!



Warning: Girls who go to watch the movie, go at your own risk!!

Surya. This guy makes you fall in love with him. Through out the movie. He amazes you in all the stages of life! As a son and as a father! Its a poignant movie about father-son relationship seen through the eyes of the son! All credit goes to the actor and the director of the movie!

Surya is synonymous with dedication and it shows through out the movie. He has managed to live the characters he has played. As a father who wants the best for his son, Surya plays the role of Krishnan , a cool father for his generation. He will make you wish that all fathers were like him! .. a father who lets his son chase his dreams!

Simram plays Malini, w/o Krishnan and mother of Surya played by the actor himself. Its a nice comeback role for her and you can say she can give a lot of contemporary heroines a run for money! The love between the seniors is shown very touchingly.. the way they dance to their son's song and afterward the father gently massaging his wife's feet.. lest they hurt! Sigh! Makes all the married couple wish to be in the same love at that age!

Sameera Reddy as Surya's first love,Meghna has done her job.To look nice! So, does Divya Spandana as Priya , Surya's love after Meghna dies! Divya had more scope for performance as a person with unrequited love for a person who didnt acknowledge her existence till he needed her! She has done justice to her role!

Surya has given a riveting portrayal of a drug addict when he loses his ladylove Meghna to the Oklahoma City Bombing!The way he shows the suffering of a drug addict desperate for a shot is chilling... would make any punk kid wanna avoid drugs! The father advises his son to channelize his feelings into a positive energy as against wasting it on destructive habits like drugs and booze! The message is loud and clear, Mr.Director!

Credits should be given to Surya for his efforts to live the characters he has played. He must have gone through heaven and hell to change his physique to suit the age of the character he is playing. You never feel a glitch when Surya's character grows from a teen, to a college-kid to a drug-addicted adult to a middle-aged army-man. And, so is the transition of the father's character as a college-kid to a middle-aged father to an old man with a prodigal son! I am a sucker for a guy with a guitar and a man in uniform! and, Surya has managed to floor me in this movie as both!

Harris Jeyaraj has done a commendable job with the songs and the background score! All the songs are haunting and melodious and they manage to stay in your mind for a long time.. The song "Nenjukkul peidhidum maamazhai..." is my fave! But, then.. I like the other songs too ;-) The song lyrics are also good!

This is a movie where everything has fallen into place.. where nothing has gone wrong.. much like the Indian Cricket team's performance these days! ;-) Surya has jus raised the bar for performance by a Tamil actor and Gautham Menon has jus given his masterpiece, a tribute to his father!

My husband said that he was able to relate to a lotta emotions that filled the movie as he is a father to our son while being a son to his father! This is not an entertainment movie... this is a movie for the movie-lovers and to all the fathers and sons who enjoy their father-son relationship! Hats off to the Vaaranam Aayiram Team esp to Surya and Gautham! I am gonna watch the movie again, jus for Surya! ;-)

Wednesday, November 19, 2008

Things I saw on my way!

Last evening as I was returning home from work on my bike, I saw a few things that touched my heart..some that irked my conscience! I wanted to do something about them! But, I didn't.. for some reason or the other!

I was stuck in a traffic-signal.. and I saw a few children begging for money! There was one kid of age around 6 with another kid around a yr old or less perched on his hips, begging for money! The younger one was making some noises and they two were going around from one vehicle to another begging for money and food. It touched my heart to see a kid of my son's age to be in this plight! I wanted to help these kids! But, what do I do? I see this scene almost everyday on my way. Who will take care of these children? Is there a Government Plan to take care of these kids? What can I do to help these kids?! I was even thinking of adopting them educationally..

Then I saw a lady in a scooty, along with me in the signal! I realised dat she hadnt turned the ignition of her vehicle off even though the signal isn't gonna turn green for quite a while. On top of that, she was accelerating while on brakes.. Who is she doing a favor?!I hate ppl with no ecological common sense! She is wasting petrol and polluting the environment! I wanted to tell her to stop doing wat she was..but,I cudnt get her attention! Sigh!

The signal turned green and I moved on with a heavy heart! There was an auto-rickshaw going ahead of me..it was crowded as usual.. A lady was sitting near the entrance with a girl on her lap and the kid had her right leg outside the vehicle. I was irritated at the callousness of the mother! Doesn't she realize dat her daughter cud lose her limb if its hanging outside a moving vehicle?! I couldn't alert her as the traffic was moving fast and I couldn't risk slowing down.. Sigh! I only hope that the kid reached home safely!

Life isn't fair and square! The rich is getting richer while the poor is getting poorer! But, this news about Infosys is coming as a whiff of fresh air in this suffocating global village! It may be a calculated and diplomatic move by Infy but, if something good is gonna happen to the Society out of this, I will be more than happy! I hope this news is true and employees taking this offer will be true to their pledge.

Thursday, October 23, 2008

Political irony of the day!

I am unable to keep quiet looking at the irony happening in India! Let me explain the two sides of the irony! one side,innocent Biharis and North Indians are being lynched in Maharashtra by the Goonda-Raj run by the Thackerays



Photo courtesy: The Times of India

On the other side, our External Affairs Minister, Mr.Pranab Mukherji and our Prime Minister are asking the Srilankan Government to protect the Tamils in their country. What an irony?!?

Photo Courtesy: Indian Embassy,Russia's Newsletter

The UPA government should first try to protect its own citizens within its country limits and then go point fingers at another country! This must be one crazy government in power in India! God save the country!

Thursday, September 25, 2008

Honest Leader of the day - Mahmoud Ahmadinejad

Ladies , Gentlemen and fellow-bloggers!

The award for the honest politician of the day goes to Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, the President of Iran.



His achievements:

He has achieved the status of one of the most controversial leader of the contemporary world.

His best political statement:

"[The] American empire in the world is reaching the end of its road, and its next rulers must limit their interference to their own borders."

BBC reports: Addressing the General Assembly in New York, Mr Ahmadinejad also accused the US and Nato of being "aggressors" in Iraq and Afghanistan, and of starting wars "in order to win votes in elections".

Nice to see Leaders who speak their mind in this age!!

Tuesday, September 16, 2008

Funniest Politician of the day - Shivraj Patil!

Ladies and Gentlemen,
The award for the Funniest Politician of the day goes to the present Union Home Minister of India, Mr.Shivraj Patil.



His achievements:

He has achieved the state of "nirvana" where nothing matters to him, even the peace and health of the nation!
His best political statement:
"It (information) was available with us in Delhi. But what was not available was the timing, the place and the method to be used for the purpose,"
In an exclusive interview to CNN-IBN, Patil claimed that the information was not actionable since it didn’t provide specifics on when and where the attacks would take place.

Oh!C'mon,Mr.Patil!! If we had the information you are talking about, don't you think even the meekest would've prevented the bomb blasts?!? Do you expect the extremists to give you the information to you before they go and make it happen?! Why are you still in power?!

Wednesday, September 10, 2008

Height of Fanaticism - The Thackerays!

I am flabbergasted by this political family - the Thackerays! They dont have anything better to do than instigate like-minded idiots to fight for something as flimsy as regional sentiment! When the entire world is warming up to the concept of a Global Village, these losers want to restrict their State to the natives. It is a known fact that the ancient civilizations flourished because of the trade-ties they had with different countries with varied cultures. How can they expect their State to prosper if they dont want to be nice to immigrants from other states?They think that they are doing good to Maharashtra! If you dont know who I am talking about, try a google search on Bal Thackeray and Raj Thackeray!

Who appointed them as the guards of the Marathi culture? If they are so consumed with their culture, they should be wearing langoti instead of shirt and pants like their ancestors did. It amuses me how an entire family can be schizophrenic. They live in a parallel world where only Marathis can live. They have been hounding celebrities from other state who did the only mistake of making Maharashtra their home.

I want to know what is their criteria for living in Maharashtra?! Isn't it enough to be a human being to live in Maharashtra? I want to know what is so special about the Marathis and their culture that the immigrants are polluting it.I want the Thackerays to give reason why we should believe that immigrants aren't worth living in their state. Will they take it lying down if all the Marathi immigrants in other states are plundered and lynched just because they chose to live in a foreign state?

Maybe someone should give the same treatment to the Marathis that the Thackerays are doling out to innocent immigrants in Maharashtra.Do you think they(The Thackerays) would care if a Marathi is dying in any other state? These are people who are drunk on their power and autocracy, who want to prove themselves that they are above the law. But, they are also heartless people who instigate the ignorant and the idiotic to fight for their own irrational beliefs.(I am sure they hypnotize their followers!). In the end, what do they have got to lose?! They are never the people who directly involve in violence. No stone ever gets pelted at them.No bullets get fired at them. It is their crazy followers who fight it out for what their leader irrationally believes in.

As long as there are idiots to follow these sociopathic leaders, these kind of violence will go on.. these kind of beliefs will be rooted in our country! God save Maharashtra! God save India!!

Tuesday, August 05, 2008

Rain! Rain! Go away!!

Hyderabad is one of the worst cities to be when rainy season starts! The large scale maladministration that is rampant here becomes evident during the rains! I commute on a 2-wheeler daily to work and it took me 2 hrs to cross a 6km stretch! I ended up with a back-ache! The road I take was repaired hardly a month ago and now there is no trace of a road there. There are gorges and canyons on the road. The rule is to drive on the left side of the road, but here we are driving on what is leftover of the road!!


Photo Courtesy: The Hindu

I pay my taxes regularly hoping for good roads and public infrastructure. But, no one in the ministries concerned are intent on serving the public.There must be a large scale scam involved in laying roads in Hyderabad because all the roads here are sub-standard and of very poor quality. Everyone involved right from the contractor to the Ministry should be taken to task.

Chandra Babu Naidu laid a strong foundation for the IT industry in Hyderabad.But, gross negligence, lack of foresight and corruption at all levels of administration seem to have eroded the foundation. The powers that be in India work under the principle of "Make hay while the sun shines"! Everyone plunders the country to the maximum extent possible leaving the layman with a country characterized by bad roads, even worse traffic , crumbling infrastructure and corrupt officials.

Learning from mistakes is something the officials will never do.We still dont have many cities flourishing because of the administration there but we definitely have cities that crumble because of their lack of foresight. Bangalore is the best example.Why cant Hyderabad learn from the mistakes B'lore made?! Chennai as far as I know, is known for better traffic management among the metros. Why cant Hyderabad learn good practices from Chennai?!

There are lotsa instances where I feel the officials aren't using their brains which got them into power..The GHMC(Greater Hyderabad Muncipal Corporation) has constructed Road-Over-Bridges in many places including crowded places like Ameerpet, L.V.Prasad Marg and Dilshuk Nagar.But, they have forgotten to raise the height of the barricades on the dividers on the road to avoid people from crossing the road directly. The entire purpose of the road-over-bridge is defeated!!Who would wanna climb the stairs and cross the road when the road is open for everyone to jump into the traffic.


Photo Courtesy: Deccan Chronicle

Another instance I see is vehicles hogging Free-Left turns in the city.If the barricades are made such that anyone taking the Free-Left lane ends up in the road in the left with no chance of an U-turn for another kilometre or two, no one will think of hogging the Free-Left lanes.I see almost 8 traffic police officers manning the Cyber Towers Junction in Hitec city. But, guess who also use the road in this junction during the peak hours in the mornings?! Buffaloes! Almost 20 of them cross this junction right when daily commuters are struggling to squeeze thru the traffic! Then comes the hawkers-menace and eunuchs coercing money from the bike riders waiting for the green-signal. What are these traffic police doing all the while?! I will tell you what they are doing? They will stand in the middle of the junction on their traffic island and signal Go! Like we all dont know that green signal means GO!!They must have kidneys in the place of their brains!!

The list will go on if I talk about the stupidity of the officials here. What I am looking for is a Forum where sincere Government Officials interact with responsible representatives of the public to hear out their grievances and ideas,if any, to make this city a better place to live in. The population of Software professionals working in IT/ITES companies is increasing in Hyderabad and each and everyone of them is educated.The city can do much better if the administration creates a rapport with the people living here, involving them in the city's welfare schemes. But, I guess mine is quite a far-fetched dream!!

Tuesday, July 01, 2008

The Aarushi Talwar case - The unasked questions!

Almost everyone would have heard about the recent gruesome murder of an innocent teenager,Aarushi Talwar and Hemraj, the servant of her house in her own house when her parents were supposedly sleeping in the adjacent bedroom. The entire case can be tracked in this website.There has been so many theories on the motives behind the murders and too many suspects.. But, this case made me think about the lifestyle issues associated with it...

All the servants involved in the murders are male. I have seen that in many North Indian families, the servants and cooks are male. But, take a South Indian family which is looking for a servant. The search, by default is for a maid-servant. Why do you want a male stranger entering your home to do household work?? and,that too when you have a teenaged daughter at home?!? When the parents' profession is very demanding which requires them to leave their kid in the hands of servants, won't you think twice to leave your daughter in the hands of a man?? I am not saying that maid-servants are totally harmless but, with male-servants around, can't you see a disaster waiting to happen??

In this age of Internet and Social Networking, kids grow up with an overdose of technology. And, that comes with its own set of problems. How much can parents monitor their kids' activities on the Net?? For all you know, your kid might be chatting with a stranger online, giving information about your household, knowingly or unknowingly. Technology, and gadgets & gizmos to bring it into your life is not a solution for your absence from your kid's everyday life. A teenager in this century has a cellphone, computer on his own, a PSP or a XBOX to keep themselves occupied when their parents are away..When the parents allow these indulgences for their kids,it is their responsibility to make their kids understand the perils lurking in every corner.

It is indeed a sad thing that happened to Aarushi and Hemraj.I dont seem to be able to forget the innocent smiling face of that lil girl.. May justice be served in this case. May their souls rest in peace!

Tuesday, June 17, 2008

Dasavaatharam - It unmasks the hypocrites!!

I am amazed at the hypocrisy of the Times news group. I read the review they had given for Dasavathaaram which was totally biased. They are saying that the "avtars" Kamal has taken in the movie are comical...They must be outta their mind!! C'mon!! Give credit to an actor who has taken the pains and risks to experiment on something he is good at!! Compare the Dasavaatharam review with the review for Om Shanti Om!! Such hypocrisy?!?! What has ShahRukh done great in his films?? He doesn't even have the guts to try new storyline, a gut-less loser who sticks to time-tested, cliched scripts.

Have you ever seen any South Indian filmstar in the prime of his career turn to Small Screen to make money?? NO!! Have you ever seen any South Indian Film Star so consumed with his ego like Shah Rukh Khan?? Bollywood heroes are so insecure that they have to do shows on small screen to keep reminding public of their existence!! Times of India will eat its own words!! May Shah Rukh keep making crappy movies!! May Kamal keep up the good work!!

My review of the movie:
Its an awesome movie!! The climax fight is spectacular. One wont realize that the fight is between 3 characters done by the same actor!! There is Kamal's achievement!! They could have happily done away with Asin's character, but for the need for a commercial element. All she says in the movie is "Perumale..!!" The musical score by Himesh Reshammiyya is bad except for one song.."kallai mattum kandal.." Back ground score by DeviSri Prasad is good!

The characters of Vincent Poovaragan, Balram Naidu and Krishnaveni Patti done by Kamal stand out!! The love scene in the last scene was totally unnecessary! One cant imagine such feelings when a disaster like Tsunami is happening in the background!! What was K.S.Ravikumar thinking?!? Its fast-paced but for the scenes involving Asin.

What was the need for Tamil Subtitles if they dont translate NaCl as salt?! Kamal explains George Bush dat NaCl is sodium chloride, but who will explain the masses that sodium chloride s jus plain salt?!I am sure many people wont understand the link between Tsunami and the movie if they dont know NaCl is nothing but "Uppu"!! Its definitely not a movie for the C-class and its worth a 'dehko'!! Applause to "Sagala kalaaa vallavan"!

Monday, June 09, 2008

To my husband, the strongest man in my life!!

The strength of a man isn’t seen in the width of his shoulders.
Its seen in the width of his arms that circle you.

The strength of a man isn’t in the deep tone of his voice.
It is in the gentle words he whispers.

The strength of a man isn’t how many buddies he has.
Its how good a buddy he is with his kids.

The strength of a man isn’t in how respected he is at work.
Its in how respected he is at home.

The strength of a man isn’t in how hard he Hits.
Its in how tender he touches.

The strength of a man isn’t in the hair on his chest.
Its in his Heart…that lies within his chest.

The strength of a man isn’t in the weight he can lift.
It is in the burdens he can carry.

The strength of a man isn’t how many women he’s Loved.
Its in can he be true to one woman.

- Came across this in PravsWorld and I dedicate it to my Husband.

Thursday, June 05, 2008

What's with these foreign tummies?!?

Am sure the title of this post is weird!! What I am thinking of is this: There are a few foreigners, Canadians to be precise, in my office on a short visit. Every one of them got sick after coming to India.They have a case of acute diarrhea. We have been living in India all our lives. But we dont seem to be getting any of this often. Are third-world tummies stronger?!? or are these ppl living in such sterile environments dat they cant tolerate Indian atmosphere?!?Even when we go abroad and have their food, we dont get sick like this!!

This surprises me!! are all of them so fragile?!? poor them!!

Friday, May 23, 2008

My blog on motherly life..

hey ppl.. have started a journal as I journey on as a Mom..
Here is the link to my other blog..

My life as a mom..

Have a look and say hi to Alvin and his mom..

Wednesday, May 14, 2008

Children of tomorrow!!

And a woman who held a babe against her bosom said, "Speak to us of Children."

And he said:

Your children are not your children.

They are the sons and daughters of Life's longing for itself.

They come through you but not from you,

And though they are with you, yet they belong not to you.

You may give them your love but not your thoughts.

For they have their own thoughts.

You may house their bodies but not their souls,

For their souls dwell in the house of tomorrow, which you cannot visit, not even in your dreams.

You may strive to be like them, but seek not to make them like you.

For life goes not backward nor tarries with yesterday.

You are the bows from which your children as living arrows are sent forth.

The archer sees the mark upon the path of the infinite, and He bends you with His might that His arrows may go swift and far.

Let your bending in the archer's hand be for gladness;

For even as he loves the arrow that flies, so He loves also the bow that is stable.

- Excerpt from the book The Prophet by Kahlil Gibran

Saturday, May 03, 2008

I hate Insurance companies!


Every one knows that one day they will die and leave this world. But, it is one fact we conveniently forget when we pursue the worldly things in our only chance called life.

But, these insurance companies have a knack to remind us of this very fact. Check out this ad by one insurance company dat has been doing the rounds. Quite sick it is!! The lady in the ad is one darn pessimist I wud say.. its shown as if she is waiting for bad things to happen everyday.



This is one ad which spoils the viewer's mood when watching something on TV..!!

Sunday, April 13, 2008

Taming the chicken!

I am down with chicken-pox!! It sucks to be sick wen you have a kid of your own.It sucks to be quarantined from your own baby for almost a month.I have no idea how I will survive this.. I am sure Alvin will forget who I am. Damn the insecurities!!

I think by far the chicken-pox is the worst infection I have ever got.It is just the first few days which is tough to get through.Once the fever-phase is over, you will be up and about. But with all this liquid diet, I must have lost a few pounds.. That must be the only good thing about this disease.