28 Jun 2009
Turn back time!
27 Jun 2009
Tidbits
MOBILE TECHNOLOGY FOR INTERNET is the best thing I've discovered in recent times! It allows me to keep in touch with my inbox, tweet (the fashionable word for microblogging these days) and most importantly google answers to life's numerous questions, anytime, anyplace.
And all of this for FREE! Wasn't there something about all best things in life being free? Well!
MICROBLOGGING is a blessing. It's a little like fast food. Whip up something in a jiffy, while racing through life. Yet it isn't quite 'junk' like fast food. I haven't been able to blog for over a week now. In fact, when I occasionally login, all I do is post a poem from an older era. On the other hand, I have time to tweet atleast thrice a day. It keeps me in touch with writing and it feels great.
TWEETING has become a part of my daily activities, like brushing or having a bath! 'Following' now has a totally new meaning.
I heard the first news of MJ's death when I logged in for a quick tweet, as I was getting ready for work on Friday morning. Without Twitter or my Nokia 5800 XpressMusic, I might have been ignorant until one of the no-work-so-surfing-the-internet colleagues in office mentioned it.
MJ's DEATH has sparked off various threads of discussions all over the internet. Shashi Tharoor, who I'm following on Twitter, said post the MJ news, "MJ's songs and impact will of course outlast the recollections of his oddities. All we remember of Elvis now is the exhilarating brilliance". How true!
26 Jun 2009
I Wandered Lonely As A Cloud by William Wordsworth
That floats on high o'er vales and hills,
When all at once I saw a crowd,
A host, of golden daffodils;
Beside the lake, beneath the trees,
Fluttering and dancing in the breeze.
Continuous as the stars that shine
And twinkle on the milky way,
They stretched in never-ending line
Along the margin of a bay:
Ten thousand saw I at a glance,
Tossing their heads in sprightly dance.
The waves beside them danced; but they
Out-did the sparkling waves in glee:
A poet could not but be gay,
In such a jocund company:
I gazed---and gazed---but little thought
What wealth the show to me had brought:
For oft, when on my couch I lie
In vacant or in pensive mood,
They flash upon that inward eye
Which is the bliss of solitude;
And then my heart with pleasure fills,
And dances with the daffodils.
25 Jun 2009
Anniversary
This is what I'd believed until recently. And then I realized how this is a situational thing too, just like most things in life.
A couple of my friends mentioned anniversaries recently. One of them was celebrating 3 decades of being together with his partner... isn't that lovely? Especially because they are such a loving couple, it makes the event so touching! Another friend was simply making note of the day he left home to another land, in a quest for better career opportunities. In this case, the anniversary was all about leaving behind things that he loved. Touching again, but in a sad way!
A Blog that died an early death
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
Saturday, June 20, 2009
Friday, June 19, 2009
To know or not to know
Thursday, June 18, 2009
Welcome aboard
Leaped first... then looked
Day 1
24 Jun 2009
22 Jun 2009
21 Jun 2009
20 Jun 2009
All The World's A Stage by William Shakespeare
All the world's a stage,
And all the men and women merely players;
They have their exits and their entrances,
And one man in his time plays many parts,
His acts being seven ages. At first, the infant,
Mewling and puking in the nurse's arms.
Then the whining schoolboy, with his satchel
And shining morning face, creeping like snail
Unwillingly to school. And then the lover,
Sighing like furnace, with a woeful ballad
Made to his mistress' eyebrow. Then a soldier,
Full of strange oaths and bearded like the pard,
Jealous in honor, sudden and quick in quarrel,
Seeking the bubble reputation
Even in the cannon's mouth. And then the justice,
In fair round belly with good capon lined,
With eyes severe and beard of formal cut,
Full of wise saws and modern instances;
And so he plays his part. The sixth age shifts
Into the lean and slippered pantaloon,
With spectacles on nose and pouch on side;
His youthful hose, well saved, a world too wide
For his shrunk shank, and his big manly voice,
Turning again toward childish treble, pipes
And whistles in his sound. Last scene of all,
That ends this strange eventful history,
Is second childishness and mere oblivion,
Sans teeth, sans eyes, sans taste, sans everything.
Below the waist
I paid 1800 rupees for a pair myself, during those days when I hadn't seen enough of these to realize that my modesty will come in the way of my being able to carry off a pair of low-waist jeans. So, now I wear knee length tops to hide the areas of exposure. Last week, I was wondering if there was another way I could deal with these.
I hit upon my best ideas when I'm in the bathroom. Sometimes I get so excited that I'm forced to remind myself that Archimedes was a man who could afford an eccentricity that I cannot. I digress here.
So, how best can I wear my no-waist er.. low-waist jeans without hiding the belt under a butt-covering kurta? My jeans are black. How about I get myself a black panty with 'You sneaky bastard' written on the back, in bright yellow? Do you think it... will... work?
Shit hit the fan
What better way to make the day worse than by reading a wannabe Indian author? Well, he sure seemed like that. I never understood Indian-English writers who use Indianisms liberally in their books. What are they thinking? Indianism is not a bad thing but one should know when to stop! I've enjoyed R K Narayan's books and he has a fair deal of the local flavour in his writing. But when someone starts saying, "Like that only" for a question on why he was doing something, it irritates me. That was lingo I stopped using in my 1st standard! And it's not cool!
I won't name the author for fear of being sued for money when he reads this. Okay, he may never read this but just indulge me a bit here alright? I'm having a really crappy day. The best moment I've had so far is when I was day-dreaming as I waited for my laptop to boot up. I imagined that I was sitting down to write a master-piece, pasta on my spoon and a glass of Bournvita next to me, and that I was going to become famous when people start reading this write-up! Of course, Windows announcing that I've logged in brought me out of my reverie but I didn't let go of the moment.
Now, I just had a sip of the Bournvita and the moment jerked out of my fingers and ran away. Well, there is no milk in the house, so it's just some brown powder and boiled water. How comforting can that be? Buying groceries was on my To-Do list this morning but I've been too busy napping and reading about somebody's friend Sancho, so the fridge is empty but for some of yesterday's rice and sambar.
I'm still angry with the book and it's creator, so I'm going to beat him up some more here, bear with me. His book review on the back of the cover has a line that says he masturbates 11 times a day. Eeewww! Not surprising, though, if you see his picture on the back of the back cover of the book. He goes on to say that he was exaggerating, which makes me think he's a despo of some sort. He's a journalist in real life and one in the book... makes me wonder if he decided to pen his frustration and make some money out of his own misery. What does that say about the kind of person he must be?
I tried my hand at some witticism today, hoping to make some money on the Twitter Tees contest. More than half the people voted 'Hell No' on my wisecracks.
Mom's nagging me now, for all the 100 things I haven't done since I was born. Hell, I wish I'd just stayed in bed! Dad's just joined her and they have both successfully managed to kill my imagination. I'm fumbling for words and struggling to sequence them into meaningful sentences.
Well, life is... like that only. What to do? Ufff!
Funny thing about life...
19 Jun 2009
The Road Not Taken by Robert Frost
And sorry I could not travel both,
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it beng in the undergrowth;
Then took the other, as just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim
Because it was grassy and wanted wear,
Though as for that the passing there
Had worn them really about the same,
And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden block.
Oh, I marked the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way
I doubted if I should ever come back.
I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I,
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.
(http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/the-road-not-taken/#first
http://poetry.suite101.com/article.cfm/robert_frost_s_tricky_poem)
To know or not to know
Muhammad & The Mountain
Another related saying - "It's not the destination that counts as much as the journey". The lessons are in the experiences surrounding a task than the end result.
My company has these Q&A sessions of the Big Guys aka leaders every now and then. It's intriguing to listen to what they have to say. As you go higher up the ladder, it's very obvious that the person has a very clear picture of his goals in mind. They always have atleast one punchline that has really stuck with them through their years of growing in the industry. Most of them are well read and articulate well. The list goes on but what I noticed here is the striking similarity of a number of features, that stand out in just a few minutes of conversation with them.
This is what most books on leadership cash in on. Then there's the odd extra-special feature or two each leader possesses... not one that works for all but can be tried by all. It's like shopping... not all dresses look good on you. You need to choose what suits you best, based on your physical structure and occasion.
I used to aspire to be somewhere up this ladder - the management stream, as some would call it. I believed I had it in me and I never heard anything differenly from the various people who appraised me. It took me one detour to experiment with another line of work to make me realize that whereas I had all the basic characteristics required for a good leader, I did not have the survival instinct and the third perspective was hard to come by. Most importantly, I did not have the inclination to deal with people, people and people day in and day out. Nothing that couldn't be taught or learnt or adapted but I found myself falling head over heels in love with technology. I've never looked back.
I stopped once for a checkpoint. It was like standing at crossroads. Here I remember another of my favourite poems in school - 'The Road Not Taken' by Robert Frost. As expected, that is my next blog.
Well, I'll quickly end my blog by announcing that yes, I took the road less travelled by and have never regretted it once. It gets lonely at times but the few great men & women who have traversed this path are truly inspirational and their magnetism keeps me walking up towards the top of the mountain.
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I,
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.
Auto Raja
I met an auto-driver today who not only did NOT ask me for extra bucks but had a non-tampered meter and brought me home using the shortest route... wow! It was drizzling too, yet he didn't act like an A-hole & charge more or refuse to come. Amazing!
18 Jun 2009
Welcome aboard
Rip 'em quotes
Didn't someone say persistence really pays? I bet it was a woman! When I'm persistent, my man says I'm nagging. What's in a name, Shakespeare asked. He's right. No matter what you call it - persistence or nagging... it works just the same!
So what's new, you ask? Let's just say I discovered the exception to the rule. It doesn't always work. I learnt this the hard way. Here's an example. No matter how many blogs I write, I still can't get one good piece in order. Sigh! That's not the 'hard way' I was talking about but we won't go into that. I will spare you the misery of reading my stories meant for Agony Aunt.
I lost the thoughts in my head that threaded into a lovely blog. No matter how much I persist, I can't seem to string the words together again, so I give up. I was never a giver-up, mind you. I was forced to learn that the hard way too. No, I won't talk you down that road either.
Murphy rocks! He popped some of the most flawless laws ever! If you want all of it in one place, visit http://www.murphys-laws.com/. It's also got some amazing extensions, addendums and new ones by contributors. Here are some for a quick read.
- If anything can go wrong, it will (extension: it will be all your fault, and everyone will know it)
- Left to themselves, things tend to go from bad to worse (out of sight, out of mind)
- If everything seems to be going well, you have obviously overlooked something
- Mother nature is a bitch (addendum: and not an obedient one at that)
- Smile . . . tomorrow will be worse
- It is impossible to make anything foolproof because fools are so ingenious (this one is my favourite)
- Whenever you set out to do something, something else must be done first (and that's why I never get any work done)
- After you bought a replacement for something you've lost and searched for everywhere, you'll find the original (hmm... I've been looking for...)
- No matter how long or how hard you shop for an item, after you've bought it, it will be on sale somewhere cheaper (bingo!)
- There's never time to do it right, but there's always time to do it over (isn't that how most software projects go?)
- When in doubt, mumble. When in trouble, delegate (stuff leaders are made of)
- Anything good in life is either illegal, immoral or fattening (e.g. ice-cream)
- Murphy's golden rule: whoever has the gold makes the rules
- Anything dropped in the bathroom will fall in the toilet (last week I lost my soap)
- Your best golf shots always occur when playing alone. The worst golf shots always occur when playing with someone you are trying to impress. (Moral: Play alone. Always.)
- A knowledge of Murphy's Law is no help in any situation (saved my blog, don't you think?)
- If you apply Murphy's Law, it will no longer be applicable (if you apply an ointment, it will no longer be applicable. So, what's your point?)
And I'll end with one last - "If Murphy's law is right then it will go wrong"
Oh, by the way, check out the new Bumblebee Quips, would you? Here's how you get there... http://bumblebee-quips.blogspot.com/. Some of you have been invited to be authors in the blog, please make use of the honour accorded to you ;)
Leaped first... then looked
17 Jun 2009
Little Things
There's so much to the little joys of life. Maybe that was what someone was thinking when they coined the phrase, "Thank God for small mercies!"
What are memories but the little things that brought us great joy or pain? Little drops of water make the great ocean, they say. A little smile in the morning sets off the day on a good note. A little tear on my best friend's face brings my day's work to nought. The little itch in your pants is enough to make you forget your lines on stage.
I once gave an impromptu speech that had every para ending with "Short people, great people". No one remembers the long story I told them or what won me the prize but this little chant remained unforgotten! My dog has arthritis and struggles to walk. Yet, she values the little time we give her, so when my husband or I get home, she comes running to us with the ball in her mouth. She wants to play. She doesn't remember the ache in her bones but it's that little game that makes up for her entire day of waiting!
Whether it is at work or at home, in a strange land or an oft-visited pub, it's the little things we do that people recognize us by. I'm grateful to the security guards at office for reminding me to leave office by 8PM everyday. I hardly notice that their job has the larger objective of protecting my organization from thieves and frauds! It's our little actions that make or break a relationship - it's not the daily emails or funny forwards from a friend that count but the rare hug when you meet them. It's not the expensive gifts but the gift of time... the few seconds of making beautiful memories that we treasure forever!
My husband is happier when I cook rice and dal for him than when I work ten hours every day, making money for the household. Which reminds me that I've been in office for over 9 hours now. I gotta run and make my man happy. Be back soon. Until then, collect those little shells of happiness and store them away... you'll need them during lonely times
Girls will be girls
A friend of mine once looked at a picture of me with another girl and said she looked cuter! Blimey! Okay, I hear protests, so I'll explain what really happened. I sent a picture of me with 'my twin geisha' and asked him to find me in the picture. Two people, simple enough right? I did NOT ask him who was cuter, I swear! He said the 'one on the right' was cuter and therefore must be me. Well, as it turns out, I was sitting on the left. I was going to simply write 'he called the other one cute' but that would be unfair to him for, since then he has found me cute in every picture that I have sent him... including one where my head was clean shaven (now I'm lying, I have NEVER been that)! One day I will send him a picture of Gandhiji's 3 monkeys and see if he will still reply saying I look cute!!! Maybe I ought to get him to find me in that picture, eh?
Then I went on to cut my hair. Real short. I walk a lot these days, thanks to gcc (http://www.gcc2009.com/) and I get a fair share of attention, what with my new monkey-mobile, ear-phones, round-is-a-shape-too figure, et al. A couple of evenings ago, on my way home from work, a 12-year old kid grabbed his mom's hand and started yelling, "Amma paaru ma, kutti payya". Whoa! I don't know what I did to get that but believe me, I nearly jumped! So now, I am a kutti and a payya? A kid - okay, listen... we like to be young but not that young Alright? Even if I took that as a compliment, he called me a BOY! All because of a hair-cut? Really! There are other things... well... he was only 12 years old....
Salads. Ever heard of a guy say he is on a salad diet? Why do we need good health from a special dish of raw veggies and grass (ugh)? Why not boys? My husband eats chicken from KFC, burgers at McD's, pastas and what else... so what? I eat the same and round is not just a shape but the shape of Mother Earth!
Ever read a blog by a guy talking about his feelings, about salads, about movies that make them cry? My blog has all of that! Why? Because I'm a girl. I need to bitch. I need to yak. I need to be heard. Uh actually, I just need to yak... I don't even know if... I... am... you know... being... 'heard'... or read... or whatever...
13 Jun 2009
Turn back time
Aunt Lucida - 86 years old. Daughter of Arthur Spiderwick, the author of the Spiderwick Chronicles, referred to as 'The Book', in the movie.
The story behind the story of The Spiderwick Chronicles goes like this. Arthur Spiderwick & his daughter Lucy stumble upon a world of magical creatures. While Arthur is fascinated by his findings of these life-forms, chasing and stumbling upon all their secrets one by one, he forgets his 6 year old daughter Lucy who patiently waits for her father! Further and further he goes from his child as he gets busy digging deeper into the life of these bewitched creatures.
As all secrets go, some of Arthur's discoveries could lead to serious destruction! To safeguard their little-known world and protect themselves, fairies take Arthur away into their world and hold him captive in time. Eighty years pass. Lucy spends these years of her life waiting for her father to come back and hold her in his arms.
Cut to the present, Helen Grace moves into her Aunt Lucinda's house, with her children - twins Jared & Simon and their sister Mallory. The kids chance upon the magical world of these little creatures, find the book and stir up the goblins, led by Mulgarath, who is out to learn the secrets and take control of the enchanted world. When Arthur meets Jared and learns of his "Aunt Lucinda", he says, 'Aunt Lucinda? That cannot be! Lucy is only 6 years old. I just spoke with her this morning! Or was it yesterday?' Alas! While Arthur chased after the mystical world, time has moved on, taking with it the 6 year old daughter he loved so much! As Jared puts it, he has spent 80 years unaware of the real world while his daughter waited for him, all because of his book!
Later in the movie, when the children finally destroy Mulgarath, they bring Aunt Lucinda back to the house. In the garden, who does she see but the "daddy" she has waited all her life for! Arthur walks towards her, trapped in the spell of the fairies. He still looks the young father she remembered, whereas she is all of 86 years. "My child" he says when he sees Aunt Lucinda. My heart tore when I watched this scene... it brought tears to my eyes!
Lucy wants her daddy to stay, she doesn't want him to leave her ever again. Arthur cannot come back into the real world for if he does, all his years will return to him and he will turn to dust. So she pleads, "Daddy, this time take me with you!". Her papa's hand reaches out to her and she steps into the charmed circle of the fairies. She turns 6 again and in the beautiful world of goblins and fairies, daddy and 6 year old Lucy start again.. where they left off!
Often we move so far away from our loved ones in the quest for something that when we finally find it, we are alone! Time does not give us a second chance like it did for Lucy and her papa. What a pity that we cannot break away for a while, to chase our dreams, and come back to start where we left off...
IF by Rudyard Kipling
Are losing theirs and blaming it on you,
If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you
But make allowance for their doubting too,
If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,
Or being lied about, don't deal in lies,
Or being hated, don't give way to hating,
And yet don't look too good, nor talk too wise:
If you can dream and not make dreams your master,
If you can think and not make thoughts your aim;
If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster
And treat those two impostors just the same;
If you can bear to hear the truth you've spoken
Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools,
Or watch the things you gave your life to, broken,
And stoop and build them up with worn-out tools:
If you can make one heap of all your winnings
And risk it all on one turn of pitch-and-toss,
And lose, and start again at your beginnings
And never breath a word about your loss;
If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew
To serve your turn long after they are gone,
And so hold on when there is nothing in you
Except the Will which says to them: "Hold on!"
If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,
Or walk with kings--nor lose the common touch,
If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you;
If all men count with you, but none too much,
If you can fill the unforgiving minute
With sixty seconds' worth of distance run,
Yours is the Earth and everything that's in it,
And, which is more, you'll be a Man, my son!
Angels and Demons
When I was a kid, all movies with the hero emerging a winner. The villians were bashed up by the hero and they either died, retired hurt or turned over a new leaf. I was given to believe that movies, like the 'moral' stories we heard so often, had a message - something about good prevailing over evil.
Times change, themes change, movies change but for a long time the ending never did. The heroes always won, the baddies ended up losers.
In the recent past, I have noticed a change in the trend. It's not the traditional 'good wins bad' story anymore. Movies aim at touching the mean streak in a person. Take the The Dark Knight, for example. The Joker completely over-shadowed every other character in the movie - not just the actor but the role itself. Come to think of it, this 'villain' did not even have one of those all-famous 'bad childhood', 'abused by society' stories behind his evil streak.
Think 'Angels and Demons'. You see a dark picture forming... not one of fairies or white, fluffy clouds. Not to blame anyone. The movie was made that way, the story was told in that fashion. Where are the angels in this story? The hero wins, nevertheless he is not what is most talked about or remembered.
Someone once told me to 'step into the real world' as if it was foolishness to expect an honourable act to bring results. Time and again I've heard people say that it "doesn't work" to be too straight, that honesty is only good in theory. Words like 'saint' & 'naive' are used to mock someone. No doubt people write books and publish papers talking about the wonderfulness of all of this, biographies claim that all their protagonists are men of truth and honour. Only because that is what will sell. People will not practice any of this because it 'does not work in the real world' but everyone likes to read that the path of righteousness is the only way to nirvana. Nobody wants to tread that path for fear of losing foothold!
There are so many who make harsh decisions and stick to it, as a show of strength. The resolve is stronger if it hurts someone... the claim is that it's harder to make that decision but they are 'being strong'. Have you tried being true to yourself is what I want to ask them. If you want to show your strength of mind, hold tight and make it through that difficult journey. Everyone chooses the easier path and convinces themselves that it's the best. Eventually, the road to kindness becomes the one less trodden and therefore harder.
It's easier to become a demon because everyone around you is. Is that true? Everyone has a shade of light and a dash of dark in their hearts. You view the tyrant in others in order to favour yourself. It's easier to look outside then peek inside. Right?
When you smile at a stranger they will smile back at you. Try thanking a door-man for opening the door or the security guard who stops you for a 'bag check' outside a building. He will smile at you, for theirs is a thankless job.
Cut your neighbours some slack. Step back and re-do your actions differently. Think of the people you have touched in your life and think of the nice things that you missed to see in them. Take a chance with life. Try kindness, try good even when the world is bad to you.
Rudyard Kipling writes about this beautifully in his poem 'If' (that's my next blog).
12 Jun 2009
Order, Order, Order!
I've heard that it's a wonderful thing to "be in control of your life". What exactly does this mean? Is it being in control of what happens in your life? Is it being in control of your responses to what life offers?
It's hard but possible to achieve the latter, they say. Yet, most people have not been able to do that. Like common sense being a rare trait, eh? I wonder if there is a word for such things.
I digress again! Pulling myself back on track... I received a forward this evening. Some cheeky stuff, I admit but notice...
Someone I know closely fits into the second category to the T and it frustrates me to hear him speak. How does one deal with such people?
- Don't feel bad. A lot of people have no talent.
- Wise men talk because they have something to say; fools talk because they have to say something.
See how many of these sayings revolve around feelings?
- Don't choose a person you want to live with, pick the one you cannot live without... but whatever you do, you'll regret it later.
- You can't buy love... but you pay heavily for it.
- True friends stab you in the front.
- Forgiveness is giving up my right to hate you for hurting me.
- Real friends are the ones who survive transitions between address books...
My favourite is the last one. I've always envied people who have been able to achieve that!
Next time you are on the streets of Bangalore, look out for writings on the backs of auto-rickshaws. Most are in Kannada but I bet you can find a few in English too. Almost all of them are about love, friendship, mother or God. If I can find a few pictures, I'll put them up here sometime. I recently came across a cab that said "CAUTION: A girl may be pretty but her heart is dirty". Wow! Strong words but clearly someone who's been bitten by the love bug, don't you think?
To have loved and lost is better than to have not loved at all (who said that?)
If most people could take control of their reactions and make peace with life, creativity wouldn't be so prevalant. There would be scarcity of good stories, poems, quotes, forwards. In fact, most songs that touch us are ones that relate to an emotion deep within us. When you grieve a dear one you've lost, do you think about 'control'?
So, what really is being in control of your life all about?
11 Jun 2009
A friend...
It's not saying that first 'hello' that's difficult but to keep the conversation flowing...
It's not so much what we're saying but who we're saying to;
And to never tire of the person or the conversation...
Than having a friend for life... an honest relationship to cherish!
http://blogsofnote.blogspot.com/
Some links I found in there (in order of my preference):
http://stefsketches.blogspot.com/
http://www.poetichome.com/
http://aez1001.blogspot.com/
Resilience
Let me not get started on Graham. This blog is not about him (I want to watch the movie again!!!). Nope, this one is for Jasper Bloom (Rufus Sewell), Kate Winslet's ex in the movie. Jasper has very little physical presence in the movie but plays a striking role in Iris Simpkins' (Winslet) story.
"Square peg, round hole" is what Jasper says to Iris, explaining why their relationship can't work. While he is engaged to someone else, Iris has just swapped homes with Amanda in a desperate attempt to nurse her broken heart. Slowly but surely, she's gaining control of her life and picking up the pieces with the help of all her new friends in NY... and forgetting Jasper for all he's worth. Whereas the affair is long dead, Jasper continues to stay in touch with Iris 'as a friend' and she sees no way to ward him off. Until, her new life teaches her "gumption". She finds a way out of her past and begins to enjoy the new seasons in her present.
One day, Jasper lands at Amanda's home to meet Iris. He claims that he misses her, cares about her and her not staying in touch is driving him crazy. Iris believes that he's "coming back" to her and does not know what to do. A very normal reaction, considering what's been. Imagine her horror when she finds out that he's still engaged to his fiancé! He has left her, gotten engaged to someone else and will not break the engagement... but he will not let go of Iris or let her move on! He expects Iris to stay, as a pushover that she's always been with him, while he has nothing to offer to her.
The old Iris might have been shattered, not known what to do. The new Iris deals with him with just two words - "Get out". Then she gets ready to attend the function where her neighbour-friend is being honoured for his lifetime achievements in Hollywood. She goes on to find happiness with Miles (Jack Black) and her tale ends with a happily ever after!
There are men like Jasper and women like Iris all around us. Unfortunately, the story does not end happily for everyone like it did for Iris. That Jasper ended up losing her is a good thing but all real stories do not end that way either. It was probably easier for Iris because she had met Miles by then. What would have happened if she went back to England, alone as she was, when she swapped homes with Amanda and came to NY? What would have happened if she had not met the dear old script writer Arthur Abbot (Eli Wallach) - her temporary neighbour - who helped her bloom into the strong woman that she always was but never knew? It's anybody's guess!
Among the two, Iris' story touched my heart more than Amanda's did, in spite of the various emotional angles in that one too. Amanda's story touched me too, but in a very different way... I fell in love with Graham around the same time she did! A lovely fairy tale, a movie I can watch a hundred times and still have tears in my eyes all along!
A broken heart
This is a song from a Hindi movie titled 'Anamika' (anonymous). One of my favourites.
Meri Bheegi Bheegi Si Palkon Pe Reh Gaye (Wet, they stayed on my eye lashes)
Jaise Mere Sapne Bikhar Ke (My dreams strewn)
Jale Man Tera Bhi Kisike Milanko (May you burn with desire for that someone)
Anamika Tu Bhi Tarse (And may you feel the desperation)
Tujhe Bin Jaane Bin Pehchane (Without clearly understanding who you were)
Maine Hrudayse Lagaya (I gave you my heart)
Par Mere Pyar Ke Badle Mein Toone (In exchange for my love, you...)
Mujhko Yeh Din Dikhlaya (Showed me this day)
Jaise Birha Ki Rut Maine Kaati Tadapke (I have spent a season of loneliness)
Aahen Bhar Bharke (Doing nothing but sighing)
Jale Man Tera Bhi... (May your heart burn with the same desire...)
Aag Se Naata Naari Se Rishta (Being in love with a woman is like playing with fire)
Kaahe Man Samajh Na Paaya (Why did the heart not understand that?)
Mujhe Kya Hua Tha Ek Bewafaa Pe (What had come over me that I)
Hai Mujhe Kyon Pyaar Aaya (Fell in love with a traitor?)
Teri Bewafaai Pe Hanse Jag Saara (The whole world laughs at your betrayal)
Gali Gali Guzre Jidharse (On every street I pass I see that)
Jale Man Tera Bhi... (May your hurt burn with desire...)
Don't watch the video for this one, it sucks! Just listen to the song... it is beautiful. There's a दर्द (pain) in the singer's voice that is so endearing!
10 Jun 2009
Walk-buddy
After I last mentioned it, Air Rainbow hasn't played anything to my liking. Shabbeer never turned up either... maybe the time I walk doesn't match the time he talks! I'm listening to Radio One in office these days and loving it. It took me a while to understand Shilpa's "Oh Anyone?" was actually o-n-e 1. She says "Type 'Oh Anyone?'
One interesting guy on this station is Chamarajpet Charles, who pops in as fillers every now and then. He's got an accent and tone that makes him sound funny. Reminds me of MJ from school, without the thick accent. My favourite among all his anecdotes is when he's wondering what the fuss on Twitter is all about. Among numerous tweets, he finds one from a Brenda who says "I'm pregnant with Charles' baby!". So much for her excitement, our man hastens to create an account to 'tweet' that "Chamarajpet Charles' has never met Brenda". LOL!
Radio One, Commute Easy and the Bangalore Traffic Police have come together with an initiative for car-pooling which apparently, has caught on big time in Bangalore and even led to reducing the number of cars on the road. Logon to
I switched to one of the Kannada stations later today. Except for a handful of good songs, there doesn't seem to be any. So, all stations either play the same evening after evening or slip in some songs that leaves one with no choice but to switch channels.
9 Jun 2009
Self-Awareness, Who Art Thou?
In the last week, I met 2 people who have been very different in the absence of their peer group. What struck me most is the level of cheerfulness and their relaxed disposition when the person(s) they try to impress were not around them. I can't help wondering if their day-to-day events are governed by their 'friend' (for want of a better word) and they are grateful to let go, in an event when the governing body is absent, or if it is an unconscious act of servitude (again, excuse the term). Whichever may be the right answer, there is no doubt in my mind that there is a lack of reality in the picture they are painting, making the colours appear mostly dark and sometimes garish. Instead of an earnest attempt to fix their shortcomings or portray a confident attitude, they have chosen to hide behind a charade of over-confidence and when required, sidle up to a chosen benefactor. What a pity! In the melee to hold their own, at the same time living up to their expectations chart, the individuality is lost. Staggered adolescence, perhaps?
Why do people run away from who they are, without gauging if who they are is better than who they want to be? Where do people go to make that decision to follow rather than lead? Why are they scared to let go of what was, when they have decided to move on to a newer, possibly better personality? To 'travel light' is one thing everyone wants to be able to achieve. Yet, they trudge through life, lugging chunks from their past - good & bad memories, lessons learnt & ignored, dreams which they never have the guts to realize and some that have been broken. In the bargain, what is achieved is neither what was nor what is set out to be but an intermediacy which no one understands. Not even themselves. That, my friend, is when they reach the point of lacking in self-awareness.
Stock the good memories, stow away the bad ones. Remember lessons learnt and bookmark the ones ignored. Sweep away the the shattered dreams, hold on to the live ones. Whatever you do, always be aware of where you stand and know when the ground under your feet is shifting. Be prepared to move along or jump out - but let the decision be yours and yours alone. If you lost something in the bargain, do not forget that some did stay back and some new ones sprung up while you were not looking.
Ever wondered why appraisal discussions more often than not, causes extreme stress to both the parties involved? One lacks self-awareness and the other lacks the tact to deal with it.
Like they say, we come alone and we go alone. All that was in between is all we have to cherish. Why let someone else make that decision for us?
8 Jun 2009
What's cooking?
I like Twitter better these days. There's much more useful information out there, you just need to follow the right people. I like Shashi Tharoor's writing style... very simple, very casual and precise. I need to buy another book of his. That's only after I finish the 2 books I've borrowed from the office library (it's been 3 weeks and I've not done more than 30 pages on each... sigh) and Nicholas Nickleby (I've been reading this for over a month now). I might not read the one on EQ completely. I can't remember what I've read so far, which probably means it's not holding my interest enough to get to the end of the book. 'Imagining India' by Nandan Nilekani, on the other hand, is interesting. It's not a gripping novel or story (well, it's not meant to be)... it's more like a presentation (can't help wondering if he's a good presenter). He makes me see a lot of things I never had and some things that I'd already seen, I'm seeing in a new perspective. It feels like he's talking and I feel guilty that I'm walking out of his speech when I close the book.
Thanks to GCC, I've to read the book walking, so that I don't end up sacrificing one for the other. Time is not exactly my best friend. How, on earth, do people manage to find time to do all the stuff they do? I'm always running from one thing to another, no matter how well I think I've planned.
The 'diet' I was trying to get started with, isn't working at all. I've given up sugar for 5 days now and this afternoon, my fingers were trembling. I checked on the net... among hundreds, two of the causes could be caffeine & low-sugar... I fit into both these categories. Just the thought of giving up carnivorous food and living on 'grass' makes me feel tired. I just can't do it! Simply put, it means I need to walk more. I've got 30000 steps planned for today.
Having access to blog from office is a blessing. It gives me a break from work, especially in the evenings and I don't need to login to the net when I get home. That means, more time for cooking, reading & walking when I get home. Now, that's a gift!
The One-Stop Shop For All My Music Needs
I must say that GCC has multiple benefits. I'm getting some exercise, I'm hoping I'll lose some weight and I've developed a fondness for the radio. I've got 9 stations tuned on my Nokia 5800 Xpress so far and I'm looking forward to adding some more. Here's where I can get the complete list of stations :)
http://www.asiawaves.net/india-fm-radio.htm
My current favourite is the All India Radio Rainbow FM (101.30). They play Hindi classics. They also play Kannada. Most importantly, I love RJ Shabbeer who's on when I'm walking back home. Awesome voice, cheerful and in-your-face line delivery. Last week, he made people call him up to tell him a nick-name they hated most and then he analyzed why they might be called that :D
Thanks to Jeena, I found a station that plays Hindi music (new and old). At work, I switch between Hindi & English. There's a number of stations that play Kannada... unfortunately, only a handful of songs that make good listening.
7 Jun 2009
Interesting date today, uh? 06-06-09
None of the pet shops here have enough of what we need - socks/booties, mattresses... sigh! Poor Lucky (we met her namesake @ the vet today - a really huge chick that one)
Went shopping with Ullas & bought nothing for me. I am so proud of myself! He, on the other hand, turned out to be a sucker for promos - bought an extra pair of socks so we meet the criteria for the FREE 600 rupees voucher (awesome!)
As part of my new diet & exercise regime, I
- had Ceasar Chiken Salad at Pizza Hut this afternoon (that was before the cheese-crusted, chicken & mushroom pizza, of course)
- walked from here to Indiranagar and back but got only 20K steps (it's a different story altogether that Ullas refuses to wake up & I can barely move either)
Lakshmamma (watchman's wife & maid around here) is going to see her daughter who quarrelled with her husband and 'drank poison'. Crazy girl, she's just back home from an operation about 2 days back! Poor lady... what with their financial status and the constant issues at the daughter's place... such a harrowing time!
Following Ellen Degeneres, Oprah, Shashi Tharoor on Twitter. Ellen's got loads of stuff on her site and she seems like fun. Shashi, of course, is a writer. Oprah hasn't impressed me on Twitter as yet!
Besty still manages to hurt me & make me cry - atleast some things haven't changed. Good, you think?
I nod off at my laptop these days (my laptop?). Gotta go catch a few winks, before the maid wakes me up for the sweeping & mopping (what, may I ask? nothing looks clean after she leaves).
Goodnight. Sleep tight!
5 Jun 2009
Snip, snip, snip
Amma (mom-in-law): Don't you think the guy cut it too short?
How cute! It's the barber's fault... he cut it too short, my daughter-in-law would've never do something this atrocious!!
Appa (dad-in-law): It's interesting
Hmm... what most people say when they want to say '"Ugh! Girl, what have you done to your hair?" He didn't like it either!!
Babie (husband):
Well, he's still not out of shock! I'm waiting for the actual reaction... so far it's been 'nice', 'hmmm', 'fat ass', etc
Mom:
Sanchita (sis-in-law): You look like my husband without his facial hair
LOL! This is my favourite, really! I'm still rolling on the floor laughing at this one :))) PS. Her husband is my brother
Sam (bro): Dude!
What? That's it... yeah... well... men are people of less words (lacking in 'laboratory'... er.. vocabulary) :D
Granny is in silence, she must be wondering what happened to her grand-daughter and why is her grand-son-in-law living with a fat guy! Dad's not seen me yet. Tomorrow's the D-day.... aaaaaah, I had better keep an hour aside (maybe two) for a looooooong piece of advice on my antics.
At office, all the boys were unanimous in their reaction. 'Horrified' is the word! A lot of people asked me what I was thinking... someone even asked me what my intention was. Hmmmm... looks like I needed some preparation after all... if only I'd expected the celebrity status that I would attain!
Some people are getting used to it - KedU Vada said he liked it 50%... he he! A couple of girls liked the new cut - my partner in crime did (well, not surprising... after the geisha & the run, now this ;)). Some of the best reactions, however, were...
Zero defect tester: I loved the look on her face. Priceless! Her jaws dropped & eyes popped out! Till date, she calls me Aussie. I wish I was a better writer and could explain the look on her face!
ShahruKh: Looked pained! Whoops! Then he said he liked the hairstyle & seconds later claimed me as his competitor. Then he went home and left me a scrap laughing. 2 days later, he's still trying out different styles using gel for his hair... lol!
Felis: Had an anguished look frozen on his face for minutes. Asked me 'how long' it would take to 'fix this'.
Fair number of people feeling sorry for me and wondering if I'd lost my mind, not just my hair. So far I've been called Indira Gandhi (give me a break here guys, you say this for every hair cut of mine and I bet she didn't change her hairstyle so much at all), Priyanka Gandhi (how about a little more creativity here mates?), Aussie (yeah right, only Australians wear their hair short and all of them), Shriya (well)... Some people thought I look older, some said smarter (now you're talking :)) and most people said I am F-A-T (all my hair covering the excess fat these days??)
Seven-hundred-and-fifty bucks! I don't think I'd have had this much entertainment even if I paid for the hair-cut :D Thanks to my benefactor (I'm not allowed to mention names here), I'm now infamous... and strangely enough, loving it. Having the last laugh, you could say, esp since SB said I had a 'good look' :)
Cheers!
(I wish I'd written this earlier - I just don't have the right words or frame today).
Coming up next...
Well... all that and more (esp. what else people noticed since the coiffure change)... watch this space!
तुझसे नाराज़ नही ज़िन्दगी...
आपके हँसी में हमारी आसूं छुपे हैं
So I'd rather just be neutral
आँखें बंद करने से डरते हैं हम
क्यूंकि बंद अंकों में सपने बुन्ते हैं
Your deeds shatter my dreams and I can't take that chance
खुली आंखों से भी तो तकलीफ होती हैं
सच देखने की जो मझ्भूरी होती हैं पर
Better a bitter pill than sweet poison
तुझसे नाराज़ नही ज़िन्दगी हैरान हूँ मैं...
तेरे मासूम सवालों से परेशान...
Disturbed not angry, sorry not sad
3 Jun 2009
We ran... DNA has proof
http://epaper.dnaindia.com/dnabangalore/epapermain.aspx?queryed=9&eddate=6%2f1%2f2009
ಜನರ ಗುಂಪು
ಅಬ್ಬ ಆಫೀಸಿಂದ ಮನೆಗೆ ಬಸ್ಸಿನಲ್ಲಿ ಬಂದೆ. ಬರೆ ೨ ಕಿ.ಮಿ... ಅಂದ್ರೆ hmm ೧೫ ನಿಮಿಷಗಳು ಅಷ್ಟೆ. ಕಂಡಕ್ಟರ್ ಬೈಗುಳ, ಪರ ವಾಹನಗಳ ಮೇಲೆ ಚಾಲಕನ ಸಿಟ್ಟು, ಹೆಂಗಸರ ಜಗಳ, ಹುಡ್ಗಿರನ್ನು ನೋಡಿ ಜಲ್ಲು ಸುರಿಸುತ ನಿಂತ ಪಡ್ಡೆ ಹುಡುಗರು... ಏನ್ ಹೇಳ್ತಿರ! ಇವೆಲ್ಲರ ಮಧ್ಯ ನಾನು ನನ್ನ ರೇಡಿಯೋದಲ್ಲಿ ಹಾಡು ಕೇಳುತ ಪ್ರಪಂಚದ ಗೋಳನ್ನು ಮರೆಯುತ ಕೂತಿದ್ದೆ. ಅಷ್ಟರಲ್ಲಿ ನೋಡಪ್ಪ ಚಾಲಕ ಅನಿರೀಕ್ಷಿತವಾಗಿ ಗಾಡಿ ನಿಲ್ಲಿಸಿದ... ಕ್ರೇಏಏಏಏಕ ಅಂತು ಬ್ರೇಕ್! ರಸ್ತೆಯಲ್ಲಿ ನಾಯಿಗಳ ಗಲಾಟೆ - ಅಯ್ಯೋ ಇದು ಬೇರೆನಾ ಅನ್ಕೊತಾ ನಾನು ಸುಮ್ಮನೆ ಕೂತೆ. ಅಷ್ಟರಲ್ಲೇ ಕಥೆ ಮುಗಿದಿದ್ರೆ ಸರಿ, ಇನ್ನು ೫ ನಿಮಿಷದಲ್ಲಿ ಗಾಡಿ ಮುಂದೆ ಹೋಗಬಹುದಿತ್ತು. ಎಲ್ಲಿ? ಪ್ರಪಂಚದಲ್ಲಿ ಎಲ್ಲ ಅಷ್ಟು ಸುಲಭವಗಿದ್ರೆ ಯಾರಿಗೆ ಹೇಳಿ ಚಿಂತೆ? ಅದೇನೋ ಹೇಳ್ತಾರಲ್ಲ, ಕಷ್ಟ ಇರೋದು ಹಗದ್ರು ಜನ ದೇವರನ್ನ ನೆನಸಿ ಕೊಳ್ಳಲಿ ಅಂತಾನೆ.
ಸರಿ ಅದಯ್ತಾ? ಮನೆಗೆ ಬಂದೆ. ಮನೆಯಲ್ಲಿ ಒಂದು ತಾರಾ ಬೇರೆ ಗುಂಪಿನ ಜನ. ಕೆಲವರಿಗೆ ಹೊರಗೆ ಕೆಲಸ ಮಡಿ ಸುಸ್ತು ಅಂದ್ರೆ, ಕೆಲವರಿಗೆ ಮನೇಲೆ ಕೆಲಸ ಮಡಿ ಸುಸ್ತು. ಒಟ್ಟಿನಲ್ಲಿ ಇಡೀ ದಿನದ ಚಿಂತೆಯೆಲ್ಲ ಒಬ್ಬರ ಮೇಲೆ ಒಬ್ಬರು ಹಾಕಿ ಕೊಂಡು, ಊಟ ಮಾಡುತ, ತರ್ಲೆ ಮಾಡುತ್ತ, ಟಿವಿ ನೋಡುತ್ತಾ, ಕೊನೆಗೂ ನಿದ್ರೆ ಸಮಯ.
ಕೆಲವೊಮ್ಮೆ ಇದೆಲ್ಲದರ ಮದ್ಯ ಉಲ್ಲಾಸ್ ಜೊತೆ ನಾನು ಹೊರಗೆ ಹೋಗ್ತೀನಿ... ನಡೆಯೋಕೆ ಅಂಥ. ಸಕ್ಕತ್ ಮಜಾ ಬರುತ್ತೆ ಅನ್ನೋದಲ್ದೆ, ನಾವಿರೋ ಸುತ್ತ ಮುತ್ತ ಜಾಗ ಸಹ ಹೇಗಿದೆ ಅಂಥ ನೋಡ್ಬೋದಲ್ಲ, ಅಲ್ವೇ?
ಮೊನ್ನೆ ಒಂದು ದಿನ rmz ಅನ್ನೋ ಕ್ಯಾಂಪಸ್ ಒಳಗೆ ಹೋಟೆಲ್-ಗೆ ಹೋಗಿದ್ವಿ... ಏನು ಜನ ಅಂತಿರ. ಬರಿ ಅಲ್ಲಿ ಕೆಲಸ ಮಾಡೋದೋ ಅತ್ವ ಜಿಮ್-ಗೆ ಬಂದವರಲ್ಲ... ಅವರಿಗಿಂತ ಜಾಸ್ತಿ ನಮ್ಮ ತರ ಹೊರಗಿಂದ ಬಂದವರೇ ಜಾಸ್ತಿ. ಸುಮ್ನೆ ಹೀಗೆ ಒಂದು ಜಾಗ ಇದೆ, ತಿನ್ನೋಕ್ಕೆ ಸುಗುತ್ತೆ ಅಂದ್ರೆ ಮನುಷ್ಯ ಹೇಗೆ ದೊಂಬಿ ತರ ಓಡಿ ಹೋಗ್ತಾನೆ ಅನ್ನೋದಕ್ಕೆ ಇದೆ ಸಾಕ್ಷಿ. ಅದ್ರು ಏನೇ ಹೇಳಿ, ಮಾನವ ದುಡಿಯೋದೆ ಹೊಟ್ಟೆ ಪಾಡಿಗೆ ಅಲ್ಲವೇ? ತಿನ್ನಲಿ ಬಿಡಿ ಅಂತಿರ? ಅಯ್ಯೋ ದೇವರೇ, ನನ್ನನ್ನ ನೋಡ್ರಿ... ೬ ತಿಂಗಳಲ್ಲಿ ೬ ಕೆಜಿ ತೂಕ ಜಾಸ್ತಿ ಆಗಿದೆ :( ಯಾವ ಬಟ್ಟೆ ಸಹ ಹಕ್ಕೊಲೋಕ್ಕೆ ಬರಲ್ಲ, ನೋಡಿದವರೆಲ್ಲೇ ಏನಮ್ಮ ಡುಮ್ಮಿ ಅಂತಾರೆ... hmmm!
ಸರಿ ಸರಿ, ಬರ್ದಿದ್ದು ಆಯಿತು... ತುಂಭ ನಿದ್ರೆ ಬರ್ತಾ ಇದೆ... ಹೋಗಿ ಮಲಗ್ತ್ಹಿನಿ... ಬೆಳಿಗ್ಗೆ ಬೇಗ ಏಳಬೇಕು. ೭ ವರೆ ಘಂಟೆ-ಗೆಯಾದರು ಆಫೀಸ್-ಗೆ ಹೋಗ್ಬೇಕು... ಸೂಸನ್ ಬರ್ರತ್ ಜೊತೆ ಚಹಾ ಕುಡಿಯೋ ಮೀಟಿಂಗ್ ಅಂತೆ ಏನೋ. ಹೋಗಬೇಕಲ್ಲ! ಸರಿ, ಮತ್ತೆ ಸಿಗೋಣ. Ta-ta. ಶುಭರಾತ್ರಿ :)
2 Jun 2009
Time flies...
Majja Majja Run
Optimist that I am, I refuse to fret. I picked up approximately 7000 steps on my pedometer (go GCC!), met a couple of old friends (it's a small world after all) and most importantly opened my eyes to the level of (or lack of) physical fitness I had. In short, it wasn't a vain effort after all.
The sheer number of participants in the stadium took my breath away! This was just a fraction of the city's population, willing to spend their Sunday morning running for various causes... some, of course, simply for the pleasure of running. The sponsors and charity organizations were plentier than I'd expected. I learnt of the existence of run clubs in Bangalore, of book reader groups I'd never heard of and of child-help organizations whose volunteers unleashed the children in themselves as they ran, jumped and laughed with the young ones. A unique experience, it was!
What really disappointed me, however, was the litter that was strewn along the way. On one hand, everyone claimed to be running for namma Bengaluru whereas on the other hand, no one was really giving a second's thought to cleanliness! The KF bottles being handed out at the water stations were dropped off on the roads as people ran along. Some kids even played footy with the plastic on the streets. What a pity that neither children nor the parents seemed to care!
Next time around, I hope people are more responsible and the sponsors take just a little more trouble to ensure they have enough trash bins and volunteers around, to avoid the mess.
Yet, all in all, it was a nice experience. The colours, the excitement, the energy levels, the myriad of people... very nice! Very very nice!