True Lies...

What is your verdict?

2010-05-07T08:36:00.005+05:30

I am back here after a looooong time and its not because I didn't have anything to tell.. its only because I've been super-busy with my online store for my handmade items. You can find the link to my store onto your right on this page.. So, what made me break the silence??

Image courtesy: rttnews.com

Yes.. Its the Ajmal Kasab verdict on the Mumbai Terror attacks.. Half the world is debating whether he should've been given death penalty or life time imprisonment..I will present my case here..

For a guy who came mentally and physically prepared to die on a suicide mission, do you think death penalty is really a punishment? Isn't life time imprisonment a better punishment for a man who wanted to die killing innocent people?! Sometimes, death is not a punishment..It could be a relief..

So, I wish they had given him life-time solitary imprisonment..so that he will ROT in jail..physically and mentally.. I don't know about the legal loopholes, but I really wish it wasn't death penalty that he got.. what is your verdict?? Leave your comments with your verdict..

-Josie

2 States by Chetan Bhagat - Book Review!

2009-12-12T00:34:00.007+05:30

This is my first time reviewing a book! Its an enjoyable read..promises a few good laugh! If you are a Tamil or a Punjabi, read it only if you can take jokes on your lifestyle and your community.. ;-) If you are a regional fanatic, please stay away from this book! It takes quite a few potshots at the Tamils and Punjabis! It is a progressive book..which looks at modern romance in India through the eyes of a madly-in-love fiercely independent couple of contemporary days! It is written as a sequel to 'Five point someone' taking its gist as the past under-grad life of Krish, the protagonist of 2 States.

Image courtesy: chetanbbhagat.com

Krish Malhotra is a Punjabi pursuing MBA in IIMA and he falls for his classmate Ananya Swaminathan who is a Tamilian. The novel revolves around how they make both sets of parents understand and accept the modern metropolitan romance between them.Krish and Ananya, both are unscrupulous when it comes to making their parents accept their love but the love between them is shown as one without any pretense, one where both know what they want out of the relationship. Krish goes a long way to woo Ananya's parents..from volunteering to tuition her brother who is preparing for IIT entrance exams..to preparing business plans for her banker dad...to getting her bathroom-singing mom a break on a public stage! In the end, he even proposes to her entire family!

Krish is shown as a perfect modern Punjabi guy who wants to go after his girl, but doesn't want to offend his mom. He faces the dilemma most guys do at one point or the other in their life.. the tussle between his mom and his lady! Ananya is shown as a progressive and independent lady of contemporary India who doesn't think of being a woman as a handicap which is quite shocking for Krish's mom who mentally lives in the previous century. The novel explores the quirks of a typical Tamil Brahmin family and a Punjabi family in a humorous way.

Since I am Tamil and I know Chennai, I could relate a lot with the book location-wise! The book takes you back to your younger days when you were willing to do anything stupid or otherwise to make your love succeed..gives you a hope that love can succeed cross-cultural differences.. If you loved 'Five point someone', you will love this too.

Oh!But, I wish I hadn't read the epilogue! The epilogue narrates the ordeal of the couple in a labor room where Ananya is giving birth.Here, the author goes the filmi-way.. Krish and Ananya are surprised that they are having twins as they realize it only on the labor bed!! How ridiculous!?! Didn't they find it in ante-natal check-ups?!? I find it hard to believe! Despite having twins for himself, the author has forgotten to do his homework here!Oh! how I wish I hadn't read the epilogue!

Otherwise, I enjoyed the book thoroughly and I finished it in one go! The narration is contemporary interspersed with Punjabi and Tamil words.I would love to see a sequel to this book..about what happens after the wedding..when the reality starts! ;-) Its a feel good book for a relaxing read!

-Josie

Since when...

2009-11-11T21:50:00.003+05:30

...did they start naming natural disasters?!?
Cyclone Phyan..Hurricane Katrina.. Hurricane Ike.. Hurricane Jimena..Typhoon Morakot!!
Who on earth names them?! Funny naming business it is!!

Nadodigal - a magical journey!

2009-07-25T20:40:00.006+05:30

I watched this movie yesterday and I couldn't help but write this. This movie starts where the other films finish. We have seen countless movies where a couple's friends move heaven and earth to get them united. And, this movie starts there and explores the aftermath. The entire movie is based on one line: a friend in need is a friend indeed.

Image courtesy: Indiaglitz.com

This film is a excellent example for a great success when the story is good and a script that does justice to the storyline. Sasikumar as Karuna has done a real good job as the protagonist who along with his friends Pandi and Chandran try to unite his childhood friend Saravanan with his lady-love Prabha much against their parents' wishes! Pandi becomes hearing-impaired and Chandran loses one of his leg while Karuna loses his lady-love in their efforts to unite the lovers.

Then comes the irony! The lovers decide to separate within a few days of their marriage as they realize that they are incompatible with each other. What the friends decide to do after hearing this news forms the climax. The climax explores the failure of fleeting relationships in this ultra-modern fast-paced world. The movie has an engaging screenplay, keeping you guessing on what would happen next. Its not your run-of-the-mill predictable formula movie! All the actors in the movie have done justice to their characters. The one who stands out the most other than the main cast is Chandran's father who displays an unwavering optimism through the adversities.

Image courtesy: Indiaglitz.com

To think that one of the heroines Abhinaya who plays the sister of Sasi kumar and Chandran's love is hearing-impaired is unbelievable. I found this out only after the movie and never once during the movie did I doubt that she is deaf and dumb. She deserves a standing ovation and the director Samudhrakani and Sasi Kumar deserve an applause to have helped her enact this wonderful performance. Ananya as Nallamma, Karuna's love plays the village belle role with ease and poise.

The subtle screenplay with comedy interspersed in unexpected frames make this movie an enjoyable watch. This movie gives us the hope that good cinema is still around.Tamil cinema these days has become bold enough to cast ordinary looking people who are close to our lives in characters that seem very real. There is no unrealistic heroism or idealistic situations in this movie. The movie was as close to reality as it can be and yet had the magical quality of good cinema!

Music by Sundar C Babu is engaging as well. The song "sambo siva sambo.." is like a war cry and stays with you even after the movie is over. The background score is good too without overpowering the screenplay. Vaali's lyrics for the song "Ulagil entha kaadhal udanae jeyithathu.." touches your heart as immediately as you hear Hariharan's voice singing it.

This movie is not a commercial entertainer but, there is something for everyone in it!

Verdict: Must watch!

Whatta shame?!!?!

2009-07-23T23:30:00.003+05:30

The recent news that made me feel ashamed of our nation's bureaucrats was that our former President Dr. A.P.J Abdul Kalam was frisked by the US Airlines company, Continental Airlines It saddened me to know that a man of such greatness and importance was frisked by an American airlines company in our own Indian soil!!

When this topic came for discussion at our lunch table at work, I asked my colleagues: "Do you think we will do this to Bill Clinton or Hillary Clinton?!? and, we let this happen to our own former President in our own soil!!". One of my colleagues quipped: "We won't do this even to Monica Lewinsky!!"

Whatta shame!! Lets go dig a hole and hide our heads in it!!

After a long time..

2009-07-02T00:48:00.006+05:30

...I am back here to write something!I have been neglecting this blog, working more on my other blog. I wanted to write about many things as and when they were happening but, I postpone it and then it becomes outdated! One thing that nagged my thoughts is the recent attacks on Indian in Australia! Its very sad and Australia as a nation should be ashamed of itself for not being able to protect its guests! The Indian government is playing the onlooker's role in the Australian attacks on Indians. Why couldn't we issue a travel advisory warning our citizens about how unsafe Australia is?! How long are we gonna be spineless?!?

And, the ads on TV as usual kept and keep me intrigued! Can some one explain what this Ad is trying to convey?!

Of course, the song is catchy and my son loves to watch this ad!

Why is SRK a bad manager??

2009-04-26T21:21:00.002+05:30

Here is why:

He thinks he is the best manager in the world.
He wants the team to perform right from the word "GO".
He thinks his team should ALWAYS win. He doesn't like to lose.
He thinks being rude and demotivating the team will make them perform better as they will fear him.
He thinks money can bring his team victories.
He is a bad manager.

Seeing the IPL league matches, its no surprise that the Deccan Chargers are in good form after their poor start last season. The team management had confidence in the team. They didn't make any haphazard changes in the team hoping for the team to perform better! Changing the captaincy sends out a wrong message to the team that the management doesn't have confidence in the team and it also puts a pressure on the replacing captain. What can a Captain do that the team couldn't do?

Deccan Chargers are a perfect example for a team where there is good management. I assume the Owner of the team has left cricketing decisions to the team, which is letting the team perform to its fullest potential. When there is no mismanagement clutter in the environment, the team is happier to perform. I hope the managers of the world take a lesson here that a positive environment goes a long way in getting the best out of the team.

SRK should leave cricket to the people who play cricket. Then, his team may start a winning spree. Till then, he can only hope for a miracle.

Where is this world going to?!

2009-04-16T17:17:00.005+05:30

We've been seeing a lot in the news regarding the ugly turn ragging in colleges are taking these days! Made me think of my college days..of how I was ragged and how I did! It was pure and harmless fun from both sides! But, hearing the ragging stories doing the rounds these days send a shiver down my spine. Young freshers in college being beaten till they go blind! That's shocking! I am glad I finished college in better times! I was only asked to count the number of trees in the campus, made to sing and dance. The funniest that they made me do was to play kho-kho with jus one other girl. Imagine: I had to sit on the floor and she will run around me and when she says "GO" I will start running around her while she sits on the floor. It was HILARIOUS, not at that time though!

But, I don't think freshers these days are made to sing and dance or asked to count the number of steps and trees in the campus. They are being asked to strip and booze. And, when they refuse to comply, they get beaten black and blue! Is that why we are bringing up our kids? Jus so that they have to go through this at college! I can't imagine how twisted the minds of these Senior kids are these days! Kids these days aren't brought up with values. I am scared of the time when I will have to send Alvin to college!(He is not even into pre-school now!)

I have read somewhere that one should have a past juicy enough to share it with his/her kids when the time is right. I will definitely share my youthful days with Alvin. But, imagine the college freshers who are losing their youth to ragging!Who would want to recollect the trauma of stripping in front of strangers?! What will they have that can be shared with their kids?! Sigh!

Career crossroads,anyone?!

2009-04-07T10:47:00.002+05:30

I have been in this corporate rat-race for quite sometime and its taking a toll on me. I need a break. Maybe that's why I am not compelled to write anything here too..

Thanks for all the people who still check here often.. I will be back soon when I get over this phase or at least the mental block! :-)

The Curious Case of Pink Chaddis!

2009-02-12T13:04:00.004+05:30

I am sure most of the young Indians understand what I am talking about! Yes! The 'pub'rouhaha dats been brewing in the metros! The Moral policing of the various Senas in this country! I totally support the cause of the Consortium of Pubgoing,Loose and Froward women! No, I dont drink.Neither do I go pub-hopping! But, I support their cause! A recap for those who are out of context: The so-called moral police of India called Sri Ram Sena(SRS)led by Pramod Muthalik attacked women in pubs saying that they are maligning the Indian Tradition. So, they attacked and molested them in broad daylight! Now, the SRS has warned against the Indians celebrating Valentine's day as they consider a celebration of love against Indian tradition and culture, a culture which gave the world Kamasutra and Khajuraho! So, a group of young Indians have started this campaign for donating used/fresh pink chaddis(underwears) to Pramod Muthalik and the SRS as a token of love for St.Valentine's Day! What an idea?!?

I have a few questions that I would like to ask Pramod Muthalik and his SRS.. Who gave him and the SRS the authority to attack innocent people? Is attacking women good culture? When the entire world in moving into a futuristic world, he wants Indians to go back in time and live like animals as we used to. A tradition is not a written rule to be followed. Its an evolving potpourri of culture and society that moves ahead with time! If we were to follow the traditions that once were being followed in this country, then women from certain castes wouldn't be wearing clothes above their waist and widows will be burnt along with their husband's funeral pyre! That backward were our traditions!

Men like Pramod Muthalik and Raj Thackeray are cowards who can show their might only against the "weaker sex"(I dont like this terminology!!)as they call us! They can only mobilize the illiterate and drunkards towards the cause of moral-policing! Find one educated person in his right mind supporting their cause. You won't! Where was Raj Thackeray when the Mumbai Attacks were going on?! He was too scared to step out of his home.Where was his Uncle Bal Thackeray at that time? All these men are spineless cowards who satisfy their hunger for domination by oppressing women and quench their thirst for power by ruling over the illiterates and hooligans! Cos, they can only show their might among their likes! They are scared that the women in their communities won't give a damn about the men if they also go the 'forward" way like the pub-going women..

Pramod Muthalik and his men have now threatened that if they see any couple(a guy and a gal) being together and holding hands on Valentine's Day , they will either take the couple to the nearest Police Station and get them married or make the girl tie a rakhi to the boy and make them brothers and sisters!Wat crap?! Instead, if all the hooligans spend their energy in cleaning up our metros or regulating traffic, our cities will be better places to live in.

They(Pramid Muthalik, the Thackerays and their Senas) have achieved what they are after. If they have made me blog about their activities, they have achieved their most important goal! Fifteen minutes of fame! But,they have also started a movement among the educated youth.. a campaign against these SOBs that the Youngistan of India will not take these kind of crap lying down! I totally support the Pink Chaddi Campaign . We need more campaigns like this in this developing yet mentally-backward country.

One motto will save this country: Live and let live! We have enough troubles with our neighboring nations! We dont need such moral police to create tensions within! Let us live and let live! So, if you guys leave me, I have to go rummage my closet. I have a donation to make! ;-)

Ghajini - The phoenix!

2009-01-19T11:43:00.006+05:30

The long pending review of Ghajini! Here we go..

I watched the movie at last and I want to tell the world about it! Its a must watch movie! The Director A.R.Murugadoss has analyzed the Tamil version enough and has eliminated all the flaws in the much better Hindi version! Aamir Khan as a man with seething anger and vengeance for the killer of his ladylove has done a good job!All credit should to the director and Aamir Khan! Aamir Khan has gone the "six-pack" way though there was no need for it in the movie!

Photo Courtesy: Sify.com

All the actors have done their job! Aamir is awesome as a man with unquenchable anger! But, he is starting to look old! He looks quite old against Asin. Asin looks very innocent!She is an odd one in the Bollywood film industry! Doesn't look like the usual size-zero waif-like heroines found in the North! More like the "healthy" Southie Heroine! She better return back to South Indian Film industry before committing a harakiri of her career in the North! Jiah Khan is also convincing! She comes as quite a daring lady in the movie..unafraid neither to meet a psychopathic-looking hero nor to meet the underworld goons! Quite a lady of this century, I shud say!

I liked Surya better for the first half of the movie..for the romantic scenes! But, the Hindi climax was way better than the Tamil version! I personally don't buy the twin-theory in Indian films! So, I was happy that the twin-element was not there in the Hindi version! The climax is fast-paced unlike the Tamil version dat dragged a bit! The scenes where Aamir looses his memory again in the presence of the villain were awesome! One kept praying for his memory to come back somehow and wreak a havoc to the villain! Finally, he gets his revenge as the villain himself digs his grave!

AR Rahman has done a good job with the songs though the Tamil version had better and more haunting songs by Harris Jayaraj. The background score is good! But, the songs are no match for the Tamil version!

The final scene shows an Aamir living a quite life playing with a few kids , still the same "short-term memory loss" patient ... but,with no unspent anger...with no need to remember a gory incident..no need to avenge a death...with a memory of only his lady-love! An out and out commercial entertainer! A Hindi movie I watched after quite a long time and I am glad I watched this movie! A movie to be watched in the theaters! All credits to Aamir and AR Murugadoss!

Year 2008 - Recap!

2008-12-31T14:39:00.003+05:30

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!

Ad wars!

2008-12-17T00:06:00.003+05:30

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!

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

2008-11-23T22:41:00.005+05:30

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! ;-)

Things I saw on my way!

2008-11-19T10:22:00.003+05:30

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.

Political irony of the day!

2008-10-23T11:24:00.005+05:30

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!

Honest Leader of the day - Mahmoud Ahmadinejad

2008-09-25T10:10:00.005+05:30

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!!

Funniest Politician of the day - Shivraj Patil!

2008-09-16T09:27:00.005+05:30

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?!

Height of Fanaticism - The Thackerays!

2008-09-10T21:57:00.004+05:30

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!!

Rain! Rain! Go away!!

2008-08-05T09:46:00.006+05:30

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!!

The Aarushi Talwar case - The unasked questions!

2008-07-01T21:24:00.004+05:30

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!

Dasavaatharam - It unmasks the hypocrites!!

2008-06-17T16:36:00.005+05:30

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"!

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

2008-06-09T17:18:00.002+05:30

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.

What's with these foreign tummies?!?

2008-06-05T09:46:00.002+05:30

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!!

My blog on motherly life..

2008-05-23T18:02:00.002+05:30

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..

Children of tomorrow!!

2008-05-14T10:11:00.002+05:30

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

I hate Insurance companies!

2008-05-03T23:00:00.004+05:30

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..!!

Taming the chicken!

2008-04-13T17:34:00.003+05:30

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.

Ads: The good and the bad!!

2007-12-11T20:25:00.000+05:30

I've been thinking of blogging about the advertisements that really irritate me and the ones that impress me..here are some samples of ones dat irritates me..These kind of ads should be banned along with the products!! ..and I hate any Ad dat Shahrukh khan comes in..Its guaranteed to have zero creativity!! Remember the infamous bath-tub ad for Lux??

All these ads will have a warning that these are done by professionals and shud not be imitated by anyone...in a print that will be so minuscule dat you have to use the Hubble telescope to read it!! Imagine the effect these ads can have on young kids.. At this impressionable age, do you think they will have the patience to read that excuse-for-a-warning in micro-print before attempting to imitate the stunt?! Who are these people sitting on the CBFC who allow these ads to be to be aired?!Crazy buggers!!

Then there are ads which really impress me with their creativity and the message. Of the ones I love watching, here are a few..
The MTR Gulab Jamun Ad(Cudnt find the video!).. where a mom makes Gulab Jamun for the kid cos he came 2nd in a running race and dad gets impressed.. When the dad asks how many ppl where in the race, the kids says.."Two!!" and runs.. Whatta sweet ad!! Reminds me how much fun childhood was... Sigh!

Then comes the Mentos Ad.. Dont know if anyone has really tried this idea in college?!

Recently, I saw this ad for Iodex which caught my attention..

Baby talk!!

2007-11-02T22:39:00.000+05:30

I have a baby now.. I am a mother... phew!! Life will never be the same again. Parenting comes with one-the-job training..it freaks me out that someone's life is in my hands and I am responsible for them...it started the moment he was conceived.. somehow I feel that the nine months when my son was inside my womb was easier than this one month he has been out in the world. Sigh!! People keep telling me that the difficult years will just fly away like a dream..yet,somehow I am not able to look at my current plight as a dream when my son cries at my hands for apparently no reason and I have no idea why he is crying nor what I can do to help him..

I haven't had a whole night's sleep since the day he was born.I guess I will; once he flies away from my nest to make one of his own...and thats a long way to go... The only person keeping me sane in this mayhem is my husband..Thank you,Honey!! But, why is this thing so difficult?! difficult for me and the baby.. The only way my son articulates is by crying and that doesn't convey much to my birdbrain. The more he cries, the more helpless I get.. and it really pisses me off to see him pacified by someone else other than me... his crying only intensifies when he is in my arms and gets pacified the moment he is switched to someone else's arms.. how mean and rude of him?!

One thing this new way of life is making me realize is how great our parents are and how hair-raising the experience of bringing us up would have been for them...Trust me!! But still, I pick up fights with my mom on how wrongly she is doing things for my baby...and that I know the best for my baby. Then I have to tell myself that there is no one best way to bring up a kid.. there are only thousands of potentially best ones and it takes lots of patience, commitment and oodles of unconditional love to find the right one that works for you and your baby.

Who are these guys?!

2007-07-04T09:55:00.000+05:30

I am really irritated about the hype created about this seven-wonders-election!! who are these people conducting this election?? What is the need for the election? why not preserve the ancient seven wonders of the world?! Who gave these people authority to elect the wonders of the world?

I remember leaning about seven wonders of the world in my history class in my childhood. To think that these will change every few years makes it less charming. In this age, everything is being made a joke. People cant let history be history.

How can they assume that every one has access to the net or phone?! In a developing nation like India, where there are millions who live without internet and telephone, how can this method of voting be made fair?! Does that mean people without access to internet and telephone will not enjoy these wonders?!

Its a sick method to vote for seven wonders of the world this way, let alone the sickness of thinking to elect one.The funny part is no one is protesting this craziness. All the news channels are only boosting the hype. Who is benefitting by all this revenue generated? There is nothing transparent in the process and every one is okay with it.

Nowadays, even beauty-contests are decided by public voting. Talent-show are no exceptions either. Nobody is realising that the business moguls are jus exploiting the regional/religious/ethnic/racial sentiments of the consumeristic population. Are you going to gain a single penny by voting for any of these events? NO!! Are the winners going to share their loot with you?! NO!! Then why vote for these events?!? Why make an already-stinking-rich person richer?!

Instead, this money can be donated to genuine social work groups who work for the betterment of the helpless and the needy. I really wish there is someone who feels the same way about this as I do.. sigh!!

My birthdate means...

2007-06-18T13:41:00.000+05:30

Your Birthdate: June 20

You are a virtual roller coaster of emotions, and most people enjoy the ride.
Your mood tends to set the tone of the room, and when you're happy, this is a good thing.
When you get in a dark mood, watch out - it's very hard to get you out of it.
It's sometimes hard for you to cheer up, and your gloom can be contagious.

Your strength: Your warm heart

Your weakness: Trouble controlling your emotions

Your power color: Black

Your power symbol: Musical note

Your power month: February

What Does Your Birth Date Mean?

Zen Estilo - A car with an identity crisis!!

2007-03-12T11:38:00.000+05:30

I pity this car.. every time I see it on de road, it reminds me of some other car of some other brand but, never a Zen Estilo.. From the side view, it reminds me of a shorter version of a Toyota Innova, a Daewoo Matiz from the front and a weird car from the behind... Even its name is borrowed from our very own old Zen. When the model was so radically different from Zen, why did Maruti chose to retain the name Zen for this model also??

Truly a car with an identity crisis!!

Why you shouldnt care about Celebrity Big Brother?

2007-01-21T18:25:00.000+05:30

I dont understand why almost everyone in Indian politics and media are making a hue and cry over the Shilpa Shetty Episode in the reality show CelebrityBigBrother.Do they realise that there are worse incidents happening in the world in the name of race and caste?? why talk about the world when there are sick incidents happening in our own country?? There are still places in India where people are discriminated on the basis of cast,race and religion.

Why are the politicians talking for Shilpa Shetty? She is an actress who is getting paid for what she is going through. Why should the politicians and media cry racism when the lady in question herself is still going along with the charade?? Why doesnt she walk out of the show?? I will tell you why.. 'Cos there is fame and money involved in it. Who will walk out of a show where you have the chance of winning thousands of pounds, jus cos somebody called you a four-legged creature?!?

The politicians are behaving as though she is representing India. The world outside India thinks of the likes of Shilpa Shetty and Aishwarya Roy when they think of India. What a shame?!? What have these people achieved in their lives to bring India any good?? The real India is represented by the scientists it brings into this world, by the engineers it makes out of its citizens,the enonomists and the academicians, the philosophers, the artists , the sportspersons , the enterpreneurs who give back the society what they got from it...

Dont politicians have better things to do?? They are following this episode as if they have finished their duties for this country and this is the only thing thats happening around them. Why dont they do anything about the casteism rampant in Indian villages. Why dont they do something for this country?? I have still not seen a true patriot in any politician in our country. Why is our political scenario filled with oldies?? They dont have the strength to even walk around. All of them are spineless losers who go back on their words to suit their political careers..

The country's development starts from its citizens. Every one should have civic sense. Why will there be traffic-jams if every one follows the traffic rules?? Why dont the people fear the traffic police?? I will tell you why.. Cos every one knows that they can handle the traffic-police with some cash in hand... If the traffic police are strict in their duties, nobody will flout the traffic rules.

Why is India still a developing country even after 50 odd years of independence?? Look at Japan. Look at Singapore. These are countries which were more backwards than our country. Look at the development there.Discipline is instilled in every individual at the very basic level. They grow up to be citizens with civic sense. I guess it is difficult to change India overnight. That explains why we have hit movies like Indian and Anniyan where a common man has the happiness of seeing corrupt politicians and government officials brought to punishment, which he can never see in reality. I remember a story I heard a while ago...

"There was a 20 year old guy who wanted to change his country. He worked hard for decade but he couldn't do much. so, he decided that he will change his state at least. He tried hard to change his state and make it better. He fails. so, at 30 years of age, he decides to do something about his district. He works hard to make his district better. He realises that he has failed after years of hardship. So, at 40 years of age, he decides to do something about his city and make it a better place to live in. How much can a guy do with a city of irresponsible people?!? He realises that he cant do much to his city either. So, at 50 years of age he decides to give up working for his city and tries to change his street and the people living in it. At the ripe age of 60, He realises that he cannot change the people in his street. So, he decides to change the people in his family. At the old age of 70, he realises that he cannot change the people around him. The only person he can change is himself. But, its too late for him to do anything..."

The development of a nation lies in the hands of its individual citizens... and how can a country become a developed nation when its citizens dont care for the country?!?

Note: I started somewhere and ended up somewhere else. I guess I jus poured out all the pent up frustrations about our country.

Its that time of the year again...

2006-12-25T19:58:00.000+05:30

For those who wonder what time of the year it is... let me explain... It is the end of the year when one looks back dismally at all the broken resolutions and think of new ones to break the coming year. The funny part is I dont even rememeber my resolution for the year 2006. :-(

What shall I take as a resolution for year 2007?!!?!? Oh..now I remember...I am going to decide never to go shopping to a super-market when I am hungry. I recently did so and I ended up buying a lotta junk food. I think this one resolution is enough for me lose lotta pounds...

I am looking forward to the new year.... let me see...what it brings me and my family....

Happy holidays to everyone and have a happy 2007!!!

Cheers,
Josie

Million dollar question!!

2006-11-15T22:51:00.000+05:30

Almost every other guy I come across nowadays is a jerk...It disappoints me to know that the rare breed of fine gentlemen is dwindling...I hope it doesnt reach the point of extinction. Some guys aren't jus made for any relationships, I feel. People dont know what to do next in a relationship. They really dont know how to take a relationship into the next level.

But, the thing is, if the person is really planning his/her next move, then he/she ceases to be themselves and become a pretence of a nice person. In that case, I prefer a jerk.. atleast, I can find out wat they really are and stay away from them. They are natural... ;-)

Someone had asked me earlier as to why women are such complex beings?? Now, I have a question.. why men are such jerks?! I guess no one will know why... :-(

Reality shows...What a pain!!!

2006-11-08T00:17:00.000+05:30

I have been getting enraged by the spate of reality shows. Everything has been commercialised in this age.From religion to people's emotions..jus every damn thing has been commercialised. If you want to make money out of people's emotions, start a reality show. Its a pain to come back home from a long day's work jus to see people crying over some crazy show or a "me-knows-it-all" judge criticizing a hapless contestant ruthlessly. C'mon!! I jus hate to see the haughty judges dissecting the bewildered contestants, shredding them into oblivion.

I happened to see the auditions for the Roadies reality show in MTv.Whatta pathetic show!! It jus manipulates the emotions of the young crowd who are going through a serious case of identity crisis. I saw three judges including the infamous Mika Singh yelling at the aspirants of this lousy show. Maybe they deserved it for wanting to be on the show!! Who gave the power for the judges to yell at anybody?!? I was outraged... Wats de necessity for the kids to come all they way to a lousy studio to get yelled by some third person?!? The foolishness of the people there was too much for me to take..

I remember another show called America's Next Top Model. Number One: I hate reality shows. Number Two: I hate the benchmark for models and super-models. So,this was my favourite show to hate. Why do the models have to look ugly all the time?? I cant remember one girl who looked lovely and divine in that show. For this they have 3 judges who talk as if they invented fashion.

All this reality shows only cultivate negative thoughts in people. It motivates the people to achieve their goals by hook or crook.Many a times, the end doesn't justify the means.People forget ethics and become manipulative. Every reality show will have a rule called vote-out wherein the contestants have to vote-out one among them.It is jus a way to play with the cruel feelings of the contestants.These shows force you to think negatively, force you to plot against the people around you. Almost every reality show will bring out the bad you.

I feel that the reality shows are a negative influence on people and its a gross waste of time and energy!!! I jus had to rant about these shows as they are hogging the show time of my favourite comedy sitcoms.Grrrrrr!!!!

Why do I want to do so many things at a time?!

2006-09-20T10:32:00.000+05:30

Is it because I am a Gemini?! You have no idea how many things I have started but never finished... When I was a kid, I wanted to be a painter...I pestered my parents to get me water-colors, paint-brushes et al...only to see them lying in a dusty corner of my house a month after. Then I started learning Piano...for a lil more than 2 years...gave up piano classes to concentrate better on studies...

I was doing some embroidery on and off till I went to college I learnt it mostly from my mom and other DIY books...In college,I took up tatting from a friend of mine.I made some really cute edgings,book-marks and dat was all... I also did some tapestry...made frames of scenaries...Then there was a long break after which I started doing some glass-painting. I made some frames of abstract and non-abstract images..

Presently, I have shifted my attention to knitting. I am planning to join knitting classes and feed my fire.. ;-) I never wanted or want to be the best in any art form. But I have to learn all of them. The moment I get the urge to learn something, I move heaven and earth to get the materials, research about it and start off.And mostly, I learn things on my own and out of my own interest.

One thing I have noticed is..I rarely keep the things I make to myself. It has always been gifted to some friend of mine or other. Maybe it is my way of showing dat I love..maybe I want ppl to appreciate the thought and the effort that went into that small piece of art... Maybe I want my gifts to be a lil personal...maybe I am a lil old-fashioned...

My EQ!!

2006-09-07T18:09:00.000+05:30

My EQ is 133

50 or less: Thanks for answering honestly. Now get yourself a shrink, quick!

51-70: When it comes to understanding human emotions, you'd have better luck understanding Chinese.

71-90: You've got more emotional intelligence than the average frat boy. Barely.

91-110: You're average. It's easy to predict how you'll react to things. But anyone could have guessed that.

111-130: You usually have it going on emotionally, but roadblocks tend to land you on your butt.

131-150: You are remarkable when it comes to relating with others. Only the biggest losers get under your skin.

150+: Two possibilities - you've either out "Dr. Phil-ed" Dr. Phil... or you're a dirty liar.

What's Your EQ (Emotional Intelligence Quotient)?

To my parents...

2006-08-29T17:03:00.000+05:30

Jus a few days back I was thinking of my olden days...(not that I am very old)when I was in college...when my priorities were different...life was care-free then. I remember how lonely and petrified I felt when my parents left me at my college hostel and went away. Four years seemed like a millennium on dat day and yet I dont know how those four years flew away.

I learnt a lot in those four years. I learnt that you cannot trust everyone you see...that people come into and go out of your life and it is definitely your choice whether they will stay back in your life forever or not.

I also learnt that, even though parents seem like to be living in the previous century, it is good to listen to their words and obey them. It was those four years when I learnt to be independent...to take decisions of my own...realised that the world is filled with people, both good and bad.

I learnt not to regret the decisions I made for myself but to face its consequences head-on. I learnt to be true to myself..to follow my impulsive whims and desires with great zeal...to do justice to your role and responsibilities you have accepted...to enjoy life for the moment...which means to enjoy being a wife...to enjoy being a daughter...to enjoy being a daughter-in-law...to enjoy being a career-woman...to enjoy being a friend...a confidante..to enjoy life!

I learnt that God is there to help you through during tough times and His way of solving your problems are never your way of dealing with it and it is always better to leave troubles into His hands cos he is good at handling them for you. I learnt the valuable lesson that not getting what you want is a wonderful stroke of luck...

My stay away from home made my visits to home precious. I am forever thankful to my parents for letting me stay away from home during those formative years of my life, for letting me learn life's lessons on my own...for letting me go... I still have a long way to go..but I do know that I have made a good start...

Thanks a lot, Mom and Dad...

I love you.

Some serious blogging!!

2006-06-29T11:16:00.000+05:30

This piece of write-up was written by me years ago and I was looking for a medium to publish it... now that I blog here often, let me put it up here...

Love and be loved!!!

How often have you found yourself in a relationship in which you feel that you are only giving and not getting anything?! Have you ever felt exhausted in any relationship?!? There are lotsa hearts sailing in this boat...

But why do we get this feeling?? Any relationship - be it love or friendship- is a give and take thing. It is in the hands of the people involved in the relationship to keep this equation balanced on both the sides...

What is meant by "giving"?? Giving doesnt only mean the exchange of expensive gifts, treats, candle light dinners et al... It also includes the simple things in day-to-day life, as simple as a phone call to your beloved at the least expected moment, a cute SMS at the busiest hour of the day(no forwards, pls!!), a hand-written snail-mail, any pleasant surprise...any simple thing that has your personal touch...

Deeds which let the other person know that you were thinking of them when you weren't with them goes a long way in strengthening a relationship.It is the thought that goes with the deed that makes the other person's day. So, start acting on your thoughts.

What is meant by "taking"??It is the art of acknowledging whatever you've got from your friend or your beloved. Make them feel appreciated for their sweetness.Thank them and let them know that your day was made because of their thoughtful actions. Give them back you love in your own subtle way.

When do you feel exhausted?? You will feel exhausted when your friend or your love just seems happy in taking from you and gives you back less or even worse, nothing. Girls feel it the most because they love to be pampered and cherished. Therefore, a little neglect from the gentleman's side will seem like a colossal error to his lady. So, all ya men-folks out there, make a mental note of this!!

What do you do when you find yourself at the wrong end of the deal?!?Express your need to your partner in a subtle way without offending his/her feelings. Let them know that you love them still.Be not disappointed by their thoughtlessness the next time. Nobody can change themselves overnight. Give your partner the time he/she needs to evolve into a thoughtful person..

Do not let your relationship die because of something as simple as this. Do not let the "giving" and "taking" become an obligation. Let it be a favour, a pleasure you enjoy doing. Let it be subtle and spontaneous. It is this everyday romance that keeps the flame burning in any relationship.Everyone should give a look at the relationships we share with people around us and ask "when was the last time I did something nice to him/her?? Am I in emotional debt??Am I giving less??" Any imbalance is unhealthy.

If everyone gives more, then no one gets less... Let us make those who love us feel loved...

Metro-shopping!!!

2006-06-26T12:26:00.000+05:30

How often have you been traumatized by the price-tag of a piece of bling jewellery in a hi-fi metro shopping mall?!? The other day I entered a pricey "vidheshi" outlet only to find dat a gypsy skirt which looked like a piece of rag dat my dog plundered, costs around 3k in INR. Looks like they are selling it in Dollars... lol... Why wud any moron pay 3 grand to buy a ragged piece of cloth?!?! Thats why I prefer window shopping... ;-)

You see any fashion show done by the leading designers of this planet...you can see a lotta clothing which cannot be worn by any normal human being... Not everyone one is a normal person who is living in an abnormal world,you see... then why design such clothes?!?! I am unable to relate to any of their line of clothes...such gross waste of money and material!! I am not against designing something which can be worn by normal people as daily-wear...

This reminds me of the clothing our heroines wear in the bollywood film industry nowadays... Its even a shame to call that piece of cloth as costume.. and for this, they have a designated costume-designer... There is so much sleaze in the film industry nowadays that everyone is trying to out-do it to get a better profit... and it only gets worse... I cant even imagine our film industry after 20 years... I wish these ppl leave something for our imagination... ;-)

That wonderful thing called Marriage!!!

2006-06-19T10:48:00.000+05:30

I have started advising marriage to all my single friends... Almost everyone who is single will be told by their married friends to "make hay while their sun shines"... esp. guys. That is because one looks at marriage as a loss of freedom. But why?!?! Consider it as a different way of life...

Marriage does come with untold expectations and responsibilities. Only people who have the maturity to face life as it comes should step into the world of marriage. Marriage is not for escapists. It is for people who are willing to face situations and take decisions. It is for people willing to compromise with a happy heart for the one they love.

But, very often we become hypocrites without realising so. We expect how we should be treated in marriage.But we forget to cross-check if we are treating our spouses the same way. Often it is the most trivial of things that will affect our happiness in marriage. All we have to do is to realise when things are going wrong and decide to make amends for it.

Life is fun when you share it with someone... You live your life, achieve great heights professionally, go through a lotta experiences... but what is the point if you dont have anyone to share it with?!? As they said in a movie, "We need a witness to our lives... and that is why we need marriage..."

Bad drivers 007 - licensed to kill

2006-05-16T14:08:00.000+05:30

Only after we bought a car did I realise what a menace the other drivers on the road are.. Last night, we bought a car and drove back home. I was very gingerly with my car. All these years, I have taken my father's car for a drive, I never felt the funny feeling in my stomach...a feeling that nothing should happen to the car and of course, the ppl inside the car. ;-)

The road-users here are maniacs waiting to pounce on the fellow road-users... Not a single person has proper road sense here. I am surprised...Is it because of lack of education and awareness or is it because of the eternal need of man to hasten things up..?!?! Education goes a long way in creating an awareness in people's mind, be it road-sense or anything...

The funniest part is even educated people are also behaving like maniacs. Last night, we were stuck in a bad traffic jam which is unusual here. The reason was: A narrow railway bridge being constricted by road-users of both the lanes. I dont know who came to the conclusion that by hogging both the lanes of the road, one can get home faster. C'mon.. it is common sense that going in a single file will free-up the ceongestion.

where are the educated people in this town?? I have to be very careful driving in this town.I dont wanna get my car scratched at the sides... The problem is even if you are careful, you cant help it if the others around you are maniacs... sigh!!!

blogging after a long time...

2006-03-23T17:27:00.000+05:30

life has changed and I have to look after a family now. I have to cook for one more person and take care of them... managing a career and family is a delicate thing. The main secret behind a successful career woman is keeping the work-life and the family-life separate. Dont bring your work-space issues to your home and dont bring your family issues to your work. Thats the best one can do to juggle between work anf family... And thats what I am doing...happily.. :-)

I am blank..

2005-12-21T09:39:00.000+05:30

Why do I go blank when I sit down to write a blog?!?! Beats me!!!

Relationships - they make you or break you!!! How do we handle bad relationships?? The sad part is we realise it is a bad relationship only when things start getting outta hands... and by the time we decide to call it off, the damage would have been done...

Human mind is the most complex thing ever known to man. No two persons think alike in this world... No two relationships are same either. The more we move with a person, the more we tend to like them. Familiarity is the essential ingredient in a relationship in its budding stages. This stage is called the "Out of sight, Out of mind - stage". This is when the first impression is made which decides the future of a relationship.

Then comes the "Wanna know you better - stage". This is when we get in touch with each other often and gradually get to know the other person. We compare our likes and dislikes. We decide whether we can handle the other person's thought-process, their likes and dislikes. This stage forms the foundation for any relationship.

Then comes the "Cant live without you - stage". This is the stage where people start getting possessive of the other. Expectations run high and girls start thinking about commitments and long-term plans... Days wont go well if we dont hear from the only person who means the world to us. Guys will be freaked out if girls bring up the topic of commitment - not ony at this stage, at any stage, unless they arent serious. If the guy start distancing himself from the girl after they discussed about commitment, it is better to let him go. He is not the kind to settle down with. If he decides to stick to you, but still doesnt wanna commit, give him another chance and wait as long enough as you can.

But, dont keep fooling yourself that you dont have any feelings for the other person, cos there will come a time when you have to take decisions for your life and you will be left in a lurch. Decide what you wanna do with the other person and then proceed. Otherwise, you will end up hurting yourself or the other person. Dont give the other person false hopes. After all, life should be hassle-free.

Then comes the "Life is good-stage". The more the relationship falls into a routine, the more you will be lulled by a feeling of security, till reality wakes you up with a jolt. I am trying not to be a pessimist about relationships, but reality bites, doesnt it?? Both of you are comfortable with each other and understand how the other person works and handle each other better. There will be some "Gosh!! Am I lucky or wat- days" and some "God!! Gimme a break- days" and life goes on like this.

Then comes a time when you have to really decide on the course of your life and ask the other person about their plans with you. This is called the "Please say Yes - stage". This stage might end in bliss or break-up which reminds me to talk about break-ups. Break-up teaches you to be stronger and makes you realise how strong you are. Let me tell you, you will be surprised to know how strong you are. Studies show that women are better people in handling emotional stress. But this doesnt mean that they are happy in moving on after a break-up. A break-up affects both the sexes equally. It is the extent to which we let it affect us, decides how we move on and how good we can handle it.

There is no point in prolonging a relationship which doesnt make you happy. There are two types of break-up according to me - the one that happens when you are still in love and the one that happens after you have started hating each other. The latter is easier to handle. The former leaves you traumatised... But, dont give up hopes. There is always a better person waiting for you. I dont believe in the thought..."Let go of a person. If they come back to you, they are yours. If they dont, they never were.."

Loving and losing are part of lessons life teaches us... Dont miss it. Lucky are the ones who learn it the hard way... Keep learning!!!

Ciao!!!

Trying to cheer myself up..

2005-12-16T10:37:00.000+05:30

I have been a bit moody these few days and I want to cheer myself up... Have been binging on chocolate like there is no tomorrow. Wat is it with this chocolate and mood-swings?!?!

Let me divert myself from my mood...

How does it feel to be a tech-illiterate in this tech-savvy world?!?! Do you feel handicapped?!?! Can you do without Email and Telephone for a day?? Maybe a day or two.. but No!! not more than that... Not for people who have been growing with a good dose of technology... But YES!! yes for people who never felt the need of technology to a humungous extent.

My Mom and Dad are in their fifties and neither of them have an email account. Neither of them know how to go about a computer. And their line of work doesnt expect them to know comupters either. I call these people survivors, when every damn field of work is being invaded by computers.

There was a news article on a plan to digitize every thing on paper. Nothing beats the feel of curling up with your favourite book in your cosy bed. Can you snuggle with your PC or your Notebook?? NO!! I have so many e-books in my PC but I havent yet opened a single one of 'em. Nothing like the feel of writing a hand-written letter and receiving one... An e-mail, how much ever personal and intimate it might be, doesnt give the same feel as a snail-mail...

One doesnt have to travel back in time to keep the older means and medium of communication intact. One can find a balance between the older and modern medium of communication. So, go out and write a snail-mail to your beloved... put your thoughts in pen and paper... buy your all-time favourite book and settle down with a cuppa in your cosy couch and get lost in time...

Till then...
Ciao!!!

M's Acceptance of Banana Peel...

2005-12-15T14:54:00.001+05:30

It might seem like a funny title... but acceptance is a virtue, which makes our lives simpler. It gives us less to worry about in our day-to-day life. But one should draw a line between acceptance and sacrfice. One should learn to say a NO, when one cant accept things in life. Acceptance helps us eat bananas without worrying about the peel!! and apples and oranges too!!! ;-)

Where are we going??

2005-12-14T10:48:00.000+05:30

Young adolescent and teen-age is a crucial age which decides how we live the rest of our lives. Lucky are the people who happen to make meaningful relationships during this age. As we grow old, we stop making friends and start making just acquaintances. How many of us relate to these words?? Most of us, ain't we??

Long time...

2005-12-13T11:10:00.000+05:30

Its been a long time since I entered the world of blogging. Its funny how life moves on... with its countless twists and turns. Trials and tribulations only make it worth living, I guess...