the whole picture

"'The only people who see the whole picture,' he murmured, 'are the ones who step out of the frame.'"
— Salman Rushdie in The Ground Beneath Her Feet

A questioning truth - Does every country need a martyr?

Reading the editorial in yesterday's edition of The Times of India, I came across an interesting article that talked about the effects of a prolonged war with no end in sight on the minds and health of the soldiers of the US Army. The random train of thought on a Monday morning then led me to think what started the war (s) and how it was positioned as a war for truth, for the prevalence of democracy and righteousness. And how after almost a decade, it is nothing more than a string of locally won 'street fights' and a chain of lost battles! The very WAR is no where in discussion because it wasn't from the very start.

So what is it that started the war really? Was it just the greed of the US Capitalists as was positioned in the media across the world? Maybe. But I am certain that a lot more is being forcibly brushed under the carpet, unknowingly in full view of the world. The war (like most other wars) was started to give credence to the 'idea of war' and 'the notion of martyrdom', of a nation and its people.

How different is this war from the one waged by the "non state elements" against India? To be precise, how different is the idea of one from the other. One talks about giving the right to the Afghani people to decide and live in peace and yet after almost a decade, those very people are the ones who have suffered the most in the mindless bargain. The war on India has been positioned as all about giving the people of Kashmir their identity. And it is ironical that this battle at some level is being waged by a country that bears the albatross of a completely tattered social fabric around its neck!! Shouldn't the responsibility of that country be towards its citizens, those who toil on its very land?

This is what convinces me that it was never about the war itself but about the fanciful idea, an idea permeated with self created notions of power, responsibility and fame. Yet an idea riddled with the pain of continued failure and an indefinite loss of life. This is what convinces me that it was nothing but the notion of martyrdom that has become the governing rule of many modern day societies. The fancied idea of dying for a supreme cause.

And in this, how different is the institution of Army of any country? Taking India for example, the Army invites young fit people to join the honor of dying for their country! Really!! Any person with some decent sense of basic marketing principles will scoff at this approach which starts with the highest fear that any human faces, that of death. How is that you expect to find the best people when you are promising them death? Is it to say that a soldier who goes into the battle field but comes out alive is any less than the one who has perished to the enemy's bullet? Is it to say that the bravery of the one who has lived is not as much as the one who has laid his life? Shouldn't joining the army be all about serving the nation and not necessarily have to die for it? Shouldn't the premise of any recruiter be to promise the pride of service? How is the idea of a martyr greater than that of a loyal servant? But then maybe it is.

This is where the notion of martyrdom comes in. It is this notion of martyrdom that is causing an irreversible increase in the number of people taking to the gun. Maybe those on the right side of the fence need to reverse their tactics and hiring policies since the belief system of those on the other side seems far more superior and convincing than ours. The very notion of being a martyr for no body's cause (this is not really a battle for themselves, or for their people) is so heightened in each of them that this has come to form the very idea of a country's existence. Historians have argued over the years that Pakistan (politicians alone) will never want to find a solution to Kashmir because this very problem forms the basis of their existence. I will refrain from taking such an extreme view point but most certainly, am convinced that the one meeting ground for our neighbor and Uncle Sam is the urge to play policeman in absolutely unrelated circumstances from their daily life and to push millions from their country every year into a dark alley of war, nah martyrdom!

So finally, does every country need a martyr? Maybe. Afterall, isn't one man's martyr another man's terrorist? It is a questioning reality, repackaged as a believable truth!

Battle for Survival

A senior BJP leader after the election results was quoted as below in Outlook, June 1 issue,

" If there had been more terror attacks post 26/11, BJP would surely have benefited. But since the terrorists have gone to Pakistan to fight for their survival, BJP had to suffer in the results."

What the ****!!!!
Who needs terrorists when we have leaders like him walking free in our country? He should be the one booked under the NSA!!

Disgusting!!

Confused Identity...

To add to the woeful summer, the technology team in my office has gone ahead and changed my IDs. I now have three IDs on the mail system and half of those mails intended purely for purposes of my reading, have not been finding way to my Inbox at all!!!

It's frustrating as this has led to unknowingly pushing deadlines (which I hate) and most of the work not happening!!! Grrrrrr...

And like all things corporate, it will be a while before this is fixed!!!

The Battle of Vices

Came across a very interesting reading on the choice between Luxury and Premium products on Seth's Blog.
I love " Luxury goods are organised waste". How true!
Click here to read more....

Spoilt for Choice...

That's the mode Congress seems to be in. After winning 206 seats in the Parliament elections and notching up their best performance in abut 25 years, the party is enjoying the spoils, the riches and everything that comes with the victory.

The not-so-long-ago-foe BSP goes ahead and declares unconditional 'outside' support to the UPA coalition and the good weather friends Amar Singh couldn't be left behind. All through this, another 'long time' ally and now 'hurt' ex Railway minister Laloo Yadav secretly wonders what to do with his 4 MPs!!! By the end of the day, he too goes ahead and announces support for the victor :)

Such is the landscape of Indian politics. What a difference 20 odd seats can make!!

But the one good thing that came of these elections is that the 'Dalit and the Maratha Express' have been halted in their tracks and prevented from reaching Delhi atleast for the next 5 years. (relieved sigh)...So while Mr Singh enjoys the chaos and Rahul Gandhi leaves the country guessing about his next move, the others (read BJP, Left) can cool their heels in the opposition tables of the Parliament Central Hall. After all 5 years is not that long a wait :)

Move on Man!!

Sometimes I wish that someone would drill sensibility and sensitivity into our modern day ad wallahs!! They simply go overboard and have no clue as to what really clicks with their target audience. And when someone says that nowadays the purpose of an ad film is not to drive sales but to win awards, I couldn't agree more!! After all, how many of us knew the agencies responsible for the memorable Cadbury or Fevicol or Liril ads way back in the 1990s??

But the most recent ad for Fastrack watches beats the very purpose of its existence!! Again, what was it?? It is most certainly not a great draw as far as the brand is concerned. Nor does it make it to the gallery of classics!! It is downright...pathetic and tacky and sexist!! Now I have said on this platform several times that I am not a feminist but I do believe that everyone deserves some respect (even in anonymity). This ad breaks all such rules of decency. Broadly, it tells the story of this guy who gets close to a girl and then runs away when she begins to "get close"!! Closes with 'Move on Man'!! Really!! What are we saying here? Have we begun to propagate lack of commitment as a way of life? Is that what the brand actually stands for? It' just pathetic and sad that the makers of the ad and the bosses of the brand chose this line of communication. As someone who belongs to Gen Y and works on a daily basis with them, I know this is not what clicks with this generation. If the brand is looking at those 2% people who thrive on broken relationships and adopted cultures and who the brand managers perceive to be true representatives of their product or brand, I only have them to pity for their folly!! This generation is not easily smitten by the grandeur and false promises.They look for substance and move on if the promises you make are not met with.
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The dialogue from Pay it Forward:

Trev: You don't care.
Eugene: Yes I do. I will always care about you.
Trev: Yeah. You are my teacher. They pay you to.

Poignant. Beautiful.
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Kolkata Knight Riders won finally albeit without Mr Khan to cheer them on!! And on the way to the victory podium, made it just a little tougher for Chennai to reach the semis to where they were cruising. But all in all, a good match. Wonder what the Fake IPL Player has to say to that!!

Let the finger talk...

It is almost the end of the week and what a week it has been!!!

Delhi went to polls and after days of endless messages and random calls from Vijay Goel and Ajay Maken (the BJP and the Congress candidates from New Delhi) my phone breathes easy today!! And yes, I voted..and let my finger do the talking. But (un)fortunately, the finger was not the same as the Bachchans!! Actually, I am now wondering if it had been, would I have done the finger show in front of my parents..nah!! I would have gotten a good kick smack in the middle. I guess good values don't come easy after all. Hope the Bachchans are listening!! Anyhow, back to the elections..Delhi saw a voter turnout of 50%, much higher than the city that reeks of political and social hypocrisy (atleast on this front)!

In other election related news, I happened to see a debate between Raninder Singh and Harsimrat Kaur (the Congress and Akali candidates from Bathinda). One, the son of Amarinder Singh and the other the daughter in law of Prakash Singh Badal. And the debate yielded much surprise. I atleast expected Raninder to be a good orator, if not a great politician. And he disappointed on just about every front, including this. The lady on the other hand might belong to one of the most corrupt families of Punjab but she surely came out unscathed in this battle of wits and words. She chose her words carefully (or not so much coz such is the politics of Punjab) and literally tore her opponent to pieces all the while in convent school English! Man, she was impressive. Maybe the man was just being a gentle-man (pun intended) and that wouldn't be surprising given his political lineage. But he soon needs to smell the coffee coz the lady for sure is in no mood for kindness. Anyhow, all we can do is wait till the 16th and see which of the political horses crossed the finishing line victorious.

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Work wise, it has been a greeeat great week. The much awaited good news finally came along, and I had my Miss India moment (literally) :)

And now, I am all geared up for the next innings..just wish I would get a month long holiday ;)

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Made the most of the election day and finally watched The Kite Runner and it left me asking for more tissues. Ok, not really but it is a sensitive film made from the heart and it shows. In every frame and in every shot. Hassan is adorable (the child actor) and specially the scenes where he says "for you a thousand times over" and the one scene in which Amir throws tomatoes at Hassan (in a display of helplessness and anger against his inaction), his eyes say so much more than he could otherwise. I don't know if the kids are established actors but Hassan surely does a great job in the film!! He is adorable and your heart goes out to him everytime he appears on screen, whether as a faithful play mate for Amir or as his dutiful servant during Amir's birthday or as his "confidante" during the scene where he is accused of stealing Amir's watch.

Amazing film.I am sure you have watched it but just in case you haven't, go get it. It's not a dampener.

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The one reason I can watch We are Marshall again and again is the Chak de like moment when he says that "The funerals end today". Everytime it leaves me wondering if all of us sometimes in our lives need those two minute speeches that can change the course of our lives and stay with us much after the moment has passed.

And then I think if I ever got mine. And then my mind veers towards those people who hold places of distinction in my life and a couple of incidents stand out. But none more than the recent session with Ankur where he gave me a very important lesson that I am sure will stay with me atleast for the entire duration of my professional life. Yes, I did have my eureka moment :)

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And how could the week end without the staple dose of IPL!!! Many matches and many 'DLF Maximums'. And the dismal performance of Kolkata Knight Riders continues. It breaks my heart every time they let the ball fall from between their butter fingers!! Clearly not their tournament.

Anyhow, amidst the many matches what stood out was the match between CSK and KxiP last night. Well Hayden has never been a favorite but his sixes set the place on fire. And Dhoni with his cheeky smile enjoyed every minute he was out there. Not to say the Prince of Patiala (courtesy Fake IPL player) did not join the party but it just wasn't enough!! In the end CSK made their way to the top of the points table with a hard fought win. But the icing on the cake was the presentation ceremony. Rameez Raja called on "the loser" and while I was still wondering if it was a slip of tongue and about the standard of English among the new breed commentators, in walked Yuvraj Singh! Well it was my 'citi moment of success'.

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A great week. All ready for the weekend!

On an aside...

I loved it that Shah Rukh voted and as did Aamir. The Bachchan khandaan was out in well coordinated clothes flaunting their middle finger :)

Strange choice of the finger. I would always prefer to have the election mark on my index finger!! The only choice actually :)

A no-show of hypocrites

It is a classic case of "Barking dogs seldom bite"...i could have euphenized it but it was deliberate not to!!
After all, didn't the whole country and specially Mumbai cry hoarse about the Government apathy in the aftermath of 26/11?? And just about 5 months later, given a chance to correct their past mistakes (we choose the government after all), the very same people chose the comfort of their homes. I guess it must have a pretty hard choice between the heat and future of the country. But a choice well made!!

Just 43% voting and that too when the temperatures hovered not above 37 degrees. What in God's name can be the excuse? Well atleast, the government's think tank got it right and the decision to post pone the elections to April-May seem to have paid off. The ploy to avoid the public anger was well thought out and will get them what they had wished for...the public didn't show up!

The next time there is a threat to the national security, those who didn't vote shall have no moral authority to raise a finger at teh government coz they didn't bother to get the stain on their finger on the day it mattered. I am beginning to convince myself that the government apathy is well deserved after all!!

Meeting of Minds (or not)

Having worked in a Corporate setup for over 18 months, the one thing I have seen in abundance are meetings! They meet so that they can decide what to meet for!!
So, today when I read the following post, I couldn't suppress a smile. It's so true and seems straight from the heart of someone who's been made a victim of such calls of no-action time and again.
Read on, pure pleasure guaranteed.
http://sethgodin.typepad.com/seths_blog/2009/03/getting-serious-about-your-meeting-problem.html

Take Two!

The title of the post is a reflection of several thoughts, a follow up on a friends post, a late night chat about second chances in life and some such banter!! So the flow of the post might not be necessarily restrained. At this point, I don't even know what it is going to be about. Let's see.

Life isn't always fair. We always wish for a retake, some way that we could go back and make it better. "I wish..." The omnipresent need for a "Take Two".
So, here it is.

Over the last few days, much has gripped our attention and the national media. Much has slipped away and much that we have let slip. Intentionally. In my previous post, I said that the nation is suffering from a cricket-elections fever. It's only got worse over the last few days. But what I find strangely amusing is how as a society we have a knack of closing doors (literally and metaphorically) at just the right time (or not so..). So, the IPL is happening is South Africa and while the stake holders slug it out, we are only concerned with our morning cuppa and a reassurance that we will get the staple 1600 and 2000 hrs telecast for around 50 days staring April 18. Second life actually. Not too bad, huh!!

And then we have the Laloos (with the funniest version of I-am-not-concerned-what-you-think-of-me English) and the Mulayams (of the many criminal cases) and the Paswans (mmm...not too sure what he is about though except a failed ex Railway Minister) coming together and forming an alliance or as they say, a 'front within a front'!! Really?? I don't get it. Wonder if you do. But this long ceased to be the hot favorite in gossip circles in the political capital of the country and we are back to "Singh is King" talks. So let's move on. We can wait till after the polls to see whether they stick with the UPA. What's for lunch by the way??

And the there is the world of make believe, of new aspirations and broken dreams. Bollywood (someone please help with a new name). This week Neil Nitin Mukesh is back as a wildlife photographer in Aa Dekhen Zaraa after making a rather promising debut in Johnny Gaddar as a conman. In this movie, too, his role is not very different. He graduates from being just a photographer to something like a conman with his 'magical futuristic' camera. It is really about how the camera changes his life by predicting the future not so subtly. And then it all goes wrong. Life gives him a second chance but then takes it away. It is, after all, the master's call! Don't know how the movie will fare but maybe it's worth the wait. Damn!! I need coffee!

And then there is the "poet politician" with the loose tongue and an inactive mind. He apparently went to London School of Economics. Inactive mind still. He seems hypnotised either by the legacy he has not been able to fathom and his supposed derived yet non existent burden of expectations or by the political line of the party he endorses which he doesn't really believe in but has no other choice but to moot. In either case, he went overboard. And I am sure he realises it. Else, he wouldn't go about denying the speech as his. He is still taking baby steps in the bad bad world (he is all of 29 after all) and am sure has seen that he can't get away with murder (or even the talk of it) on the political front. His own party, whose blue eyed poster boy he was till a few days back and a perfect answer to the other Gandhi scion, has as much as distanced itself from his comments and in principle from him. The poor little lamb seems lost without knowing the way out. "They told me, it's a jungle out there but I chose not to believe them." I just hope that the perceived butcher is not the one whose beheading we watch as a spectacle.

It actually gets better. According to our man, he was only trying to "safeguard the interests of and instill confidence in the community which feels it is under seige in its own country" and then in the following statement goes on to say that "There is no question of saying anything against any community. India is the home to all faiths and beliefs and I respect this,"...ahem!! Little contradictory, don't you think. Is this a country of Hindus or is this a country where Hindus live just like Muslims and the Sikhs and the Jains and the Buddhists. Whose interests is he trying to safeguard. The Sikhs who were relentlessly killed in 1984 because of some 'environmental' issues or the Muslims who have lived in this country in doubt since 1947 or the Christians who were raped and their places of worship destroyed? Or just the Hindus who have apparently faced wrath time and again!! It just reinforces my belief that he went out in a state of daze and blurted some nonsense which he is now regretting!! (Atleast I hope he is..)

And all talk of legacy is better in the closet. I really do think that he secretly wishes he could be where Rahul and Priyanka are today. Whether or not he is the rightful heir to the family name and political legacy or not is not a discussion we should even start right now. Rahul hasn't done much to prove himself and Varun just started on the wrong foot. And I am certain he thinks that he'd be better off with the Congress. But he has no choice but to live with the choices his mother made some time back since he can never really go back to 'the seat of secularism' atleast till she is around. I don't know if this is his second chance that he has blown away or will he still get another one. For his sake, I hope this is not and that he swings to the music of 'Take Two' in the years ahead! An early dinner would be great. Salad maybe!

So, in what has now become a daily fare so much so that it doesn't escape the clutches of mundane, I was slightly amused but more surprised at the fast veering conversation with my friend. He was deeply upset about some mention of "hero worship" one of our friends had made in the regard of the person (poet politician after all) above. He couldn't understand how someone who we have known for over 10 years could be so insensitive or simply speaking, alienated from sane thinking. And all my efforts of convincing him that this talk should hardly matter to him was obviously not paid heed to :). And just as I was talking to him, it occured to me that I had become so passive to what happens around me. Some years ago, I would have been a crusader of change after reading the absolutely irresponsible comments from Mr Gandhi but not any more. I have convinced myself that this is all talk and nothing beyond and that this talk doesn't meet the sensibilities of an educated yound man (Gandhi or not) who espouses to be an Indian. I have convinced myself that this is a gimmick to gain those elusive votes from the people who still believe that religion can get them three meals a day. I have given in to apathy and that is my doom. Or it could very soon be. And just then, I realised that this, maybe, is my second chance - my Take Two- and maybe I should wake up and smell the coffee. Maybe I shouldn't wait till my 'saviours" turn up against me. Maybe it's time I did something.

...but just then... a lemon cheese cake with whipped cream!
It's delicious.

Damn!!

Light at the end of the tunnel

She heard a faint voice. She looked around. In the dark that surrounded her, she couldn't see anything. She couldn't figure out what it was. But she was sure that something was there. Something that kept watch, noticed her every move and heard her every breath. Thinking of this, she shuddered. And then, she thought of the day she had seen him for the first time. The droopy eyes that longed to smile called out to her. She didn't know him but he seemed like someone she would like to know.
And then just like that, they became friends. She saw in him a reliable friend, someone who would listen to her endlessly. But inside she had this lurking fear that there was a side she hadn't seen. A side which with every passing day she grew desperate to see. A side which she needed to see. A side which scared her for a reason unknown to her.
And today, in the dark that surrounded her, it all came rushing back to her. All she could see was that side. With every passing moment.
And then she wondered why she hadn't seen it before.

The rising fever

..and while we are at it, the two main events coming up in the days ahead have gripped the nation (they have literally) even if the main reason is that the existence of one is spelling doom for the other (and when the other happens to be the IPL, what really do you expect)!!

Anyhow, with the elections poised for the month of April (Well into May) and the IPL (which now, as is common knowledge, will not be held in India but on the foreign shores of England or South Africa), prepare yourself for an insightful discussion on your next dinner (or drinks) out with friends, unless of course you are fine with being labelled as ignorant!! So, gone is the hype around Obama (and from what I read even the "US Americans" are getting enough of him..they are tired of the continuous lecturing apparently, am I surprised) and even the supposed recession or slow down seems like staple fare now. What is being served hot is the new version of the spicy IPL and the Great Indian tamasha (that is obviously an NDTV pick up) with a perfect garnishing of Indian politics.

Now, while I am not much of a patriot, I am sad that the IPL is not happening in India (not that I understand my silly point from the off drive, but still). I do have a lurking fear that the fizz just seems to have died out of the pot boiler. Let's just accept it, it will never be so much fun again. So no matter how much Mr Lalit Modi tries to fake a smile putting up a picture of all's well, we do know that the public thinks it's not. Well largely atleast. And just like that, we have the other Mr Modi shouting from his rooftop of how this is a national shame. Ahem. Now if my memory serves me right, that is not really an area the latter should pride himself in. After all, Godhra happened right under his nose (and anyone who knows me, knows that this has a fair degree of euphemism).

And what completely breaks my heart is that Mr Khan (who else) will most likely not travel to South Africa or England as much as he would have had to Delhi or Mohali or Chennai to cheer his team. Now, that is something I will dearly miss. Now from all of this, what we can't even pretend to ignore is the 'high possibility' of a political angle to this. Now is there one? I would be very surprised if there wasn't!!

And lastly the elections. The much debated candidate lists are out. I am not too sure who is contesting from my area but whoever it is, it fails to excite me to cast my second vote (the first was during the last Assembly elections). And I really want to ask, what is it that they were thinking while they announced the candidature. Why in God's name can't we be involved in the election process from the stage of selecting the candidates!! It is so frustrating having to choose between one devil and another.

And the politics (what else) of it all is blinding. The allies being broken. New ones being made. And then broken again only to be remade. It's a crazy world out there. And in the midst of it all, I break into a cold sweat thinking that Mayawaiti could be my next Prime Minister. Oh God!!

This is not the world I lived for. Even if this is a dream, this is not what I dreamt of.

(On an aside, read this amazing piece of writing on Faraz' blog today..it's beautiful. And while I don't follow Urdu, it's been a language I have always wanted to learn and while I am nowhere close to it yet, writings like these do serve to strengthen my resolve :))

Dreams

The thing with beauty is that it often deceives
The thing with hunger is that it often leads
The thing with dreams is that they often come true
The beauty of the hunger to dream is that there is no beauty at all
Or is it?

Happy 25!!

Have been 25 for over 2 weeks now but just didn't get the time to write this much intended post anytime sooner..it was a very special day and deserved a special post!! So, here goes..

March 7, 2009 at 11:30 PM: Damn!! turning 25 in less than half hour. That familiar yet unknown sinking feeling..Damn!!!

March 8, 2009 at 0002 AM: Surprise!!! A singing clown with flowers and cake to wish me!! Aha..not so bad after all..

And so began the day. The day when I completed 25 years on this planet and stepped into a year where, if left to my parents, I will surely get married :)
Cut the cake (btw, the surprise was frm Mansukh the Mann) and with the blown out candles went to sleep after attending calls from the few 'best' friends (and for those who didn't call, you wait up..)
Next morning..rushed plans. Movie, lunch, dinner, shopping??? Finally went for a not-so-birthday movie..watched it with Mansukh and Blob after the yummiest Chocolate shake in the world (this post is intended to serve just one purpose, act as a record of the wonderful day I spent when I read it 10 years down the line so excuse the minutest details). And then followed it with an amazing amazing amazing lunch with two pf my favorite people (so Miss Mann, if you are reading this, don't burn your eyes out :))
Back home after a few social visits on the way. And then its down to the 'moolah'!! "Many happy returns of the day" in the truest sense.

And the gains from the day, well aplenty (some which can't be mentioned for public reading...hahaha)

But really a day well spent, and spent not working or sulking at home!! Turning 25 doesn't pinch anymore.
Hope the rest of the year is just as great!!

Thank You all for making the day (and all the others) so special.

And yes, thanks a lot for all the many birthday wishes in mail, facebook, orkut or any other media you used (Except for the two clowns who wrote me virtual msgs when a call could have been made..I hope you get the point guys :) !!)

Friends on Flickr

I am not a follower of flickr..primaril;y coz it showcases the one thing I want to be good at but am not..yum photography!! (ok not yum really but you do get the point)

But when you have age old friends putting up the pics of the world through their eyes, you are bound to give it a second look..as for me, i have given them a second, third and many more looks :) (what are friends for after all...)

So, here are the links to my favorites from the leagues of Anne Geddes and Christopher Burkett (hehe, i said i was a good friend..)

faraz @ http://www.flickr.com/photos/farazmeansgreat/page1/ - the food pics are really nice
adeep @ http://www.flickr.com/photos/adeepc/page1/

Good work guys, you have a fan!

Just like that..

Looking away does not show me a new land
It also takes away what I have and what can be mine!

hmmm...

Out of hibernation...

heard from a really old friend today (via mail and a strange Google Calendar invitation, what else!!) and was sooo happy.
Actually heard from two of them, Faraz and Sandy, and both being the people they are brought a big smile on my face for absolutely different reasons.
Now Sandy is on ship and somehere close to Australia (or so his mail states) and his mail was a follow up to an apology mail for missing out on my birthday!! And also about what gifts he should get me from phoren land!! hahaha...so u see, happy for two reasons..gifts and gifts from a friend of over 15 years...

Next up, Faraz Khalid (Faraz means High...that's his fav line seemingly). Saw his blog after months and loved the pics..and he made me smile coz it's Faraz!! He is just endearing in a very strange way. And apparently he discovered the 'real me' in these pages (confused look).. So, happy yet again for hearing from a friend of the same 15 years..on and off!! And seeing him back in action reminded me that I hadn't put up a post in over 3 weeks, so I followed him out of Hibernation :)

more in the following post, this one is just for two of my favorite people!!
Thanks guys :)

In love we believe...

Watched Patch Adams last night. Out of everything else that I loved, the thing that stayed with me most was an expression of love, done in the most 'lovely' manner.

It's a poem by Pablo Neruda and it goes as below...

I don't love you as if you were the salt-rose, topaz

or arrow of carnations that propagate fire:

I love you as certain dark things are loved,

secretly, between the shadow and the soul.

I love you as the plant that doesn't bloom and carries

hidden within itself the light of those flowers,

and thanks to your love, darkly in my body

lives the dense fragrance that rises from the earth.

I love you without knowing how, or when, or from where,

I love you simply, without problems or pride:

I love you in this way because I don't know any other way of loving

but this, in which there is no I or you,

so intimate that your hand upon my chest is my hand,

so intimate that when I fall asleep it is your eyes that close.

Since I am a sucker for mushy romantic nothings, it made me shed a few silent tears but am not kidding when I say that you will cry too when you watch the movie. Specially the end.

To choose between....

...."a tower" and a "workaholic"!!

Now that is what two of my friends and blog mates seem to tag me!! Thank you Aishwarya and Tanu for including me in the treasured list.

And if I were to choose between the two, I think it would be a rather difficult job. While I will shout to the world that I am not a workaholic, I secretly know the truth and lying to myself is an art I still haven't mastered. So, I bow in thy honor, Tanu.

As for the Tower, like I told Aish, an adjective wouldn't hurt. (For the uninitiated, this has much to do with the 'demographics' in my case and is not intentionally metaphorical). But I love it since I made the cut out of the millions she knows from this world and outer space. So, thank u..muah!!

So, out of a list of Miss Smarty Pants, Goody Two Shoes, Shopaholics and much more, I guess I am the 'Towering Workaholic'!! Not bad.

In case any of you has any more adjectives or tags that you want to attach with my name, feel free!! We live in a democracy, after all.

(BTW, I know Mansukh has certain fondness for 'Tyrant' when it comes to me ;))

Thank you guys, once more

It's you who sets me free

I often ask myself
Who is it that I really am
The face that stares back
Is familiar, but is it really me

I often ask myself
If I really know
Who is it that hides beneath
Who is it that scrapes the surface sometimes

I often ask myself
And then I hear
A faint, very faint voice
That says “You are me”

I often ask myself
What that means
Who could it be
Who dwells within me

I often ask myself
If I heard that before
If I know the face that smiles
Back every time I peep

And then I hear it again
That voice
That look
That says “Here I am”

“Look no further
For it’s me
Look at me
Just look at me”

I turn back to see
It’s you
You, who have been within
You, who have always given

You are what makes me who I am
You are what tells me it’s not a sham
You are what makes me smile at the thought of love
You are what tells me it’s not just a thought

And then I know
Just like that
It’s you
It’s always been

From deep within, you have held me
Close so that I don’t fall apart
From deep within myself
You have given me what I could never ask

I look back at myself
To see that glint in ‘your’ eye
That tells me it’s you
Telling me you knew

I talk again
And I hear
That faint whisper that says
Nothing but echoes what I want to hear

You are me
I am you
I am who
You always knew

You knew when I didn’t
You knew what it meant
Love was never easy
But you made it

With you within
I know why they say
It’s not everyday
You find someone

Who knows you as you are
As you would want to be
Who knows when you smile
And why you cry

And now with every smile
I know it’s you
That makes me shed that tear
To tell me to value a smile

And with every sob
I know it’s you
Telling me not to forget
What pain can do

With every tear and every smile
I know it’s you
And without that
I don’t know what I would do

I am thankful
To every look and
And every echo that says
“You are me”

The fear of Valentines

Strolling into Costa Coffee, I came across a horrific sight. A heart shaped pink cheese cake!!!
And then I saw that the 'season of love' had claimed three victims right there, right then. Just like that. Like a secret wand came out and filled the air with love (which is blind obviously) and made these people leave whatever meaningful work they were doing and order that cake!! Just like that.

I am certain it is the grey hear too many on my head that got this reaction from me (quite similar to what my mother would react like when we went shopping a couple of years back, shucks it was decades). Or may be not!!

I am just sick of seeing people going the overtly commercial way to celebrate love. And mind you, I am not a cynic. I mean even logically speaking, would you really want to tear into someone's heart of all things!! Not me. Whatever happened to the simple 'I love you' or those silly nothings like burning a CD of their favorite songs, making a presenttaion or a video with yoir pics or even the staid chocolates and perfumes routine!! Or am I just too old as these are dated. I am still in love with the idea of being in love. And meaning it too.

I would still vouch for these. So, while I wait for that someone to sweep me off my feet, I wouldn't mind some luxury chocolates delivered by a 'singing clown'!!

Mansukh Mann, got you some business!!

Anyway, happy valentines to all (this generation I tell you...whatever look)

Weepy Wednesday

It's something about the middle of the week. the once favorite day has invariably become a drag. From wow to weepy...quite a transition, I say!!

So after working endlessly on a submission (yes, the same one as yesterday) I am literally dead. And as I dig into the thought of something to divert my mind, right on my laptop screen pops up an image of yummmmy chocolate. And then...anyone who knows me knws about 'the pwer of chocolate'. So automatically, it qualifies for the picture of the day.
Not again the best picture but it did wonders for me. So, here goes,

Deeper and deeper I sink
Into the mystery of those eyes
Not for what you said
It is a mystery
Ah a mystery to me
A mystery I like
Deeper and deeper I sink
Into the mystery of those eyes

Picture of the Day

Sitting in my office today working on a rather boring submission, i thought that I should add a little colour to my blog. And what better way than some pictures.

So, going forward every day, I shall have a 'picture of the day' post..pick up random pictures and then jot down the first thoughts that come to my mind. No reason why. Just to break the monotony.And the best the very tired and overworked brain of mine could come up with at this time.

So here goes, today's 'pick':

The mask behind which we hide.
I wear this so that you know not who I am.
I am scared. I am scarred.
I smile to you while I cry inside.

...end of a long day at work. Time to go home. Good Night.

Photograph courtesy - Source: www.kodak.com, Photographer: Stefan Nielsen

Celebrity Collage...

..on a not so free Tuesday evening sweeping aside the piles of work, I decided to test a link that showed me pictures of celebrities who looked like me.
What you see in the post below is a result of that endeavor...

I am just thinking..I am secretly quite happy with what I see here. So, I am convinced I don't need nose jobs or chin jobs or cheek jobs or anything is is Miss Alba looks like me ;p

PS: when I did the same 'experiment' with two different pictures, the results were startlingly different. One of them even said I looked like Serena Williams!! (I am not quite amused you see).

Needless to say, I chose to put up the best collage :)

But then, that's human nature. After all, we are like this only...

More experiments with other pics to follow soon..so watch this space at your own risk!!

Celebrity Collage by MyHeritage

MyHeritage: Family tree - Genealogy - Celebrity - Collage - Morph

Oye Lucky, By Chance

The cynics might kill me for the proclamation but I do think that Indian cinema has finally come of age!! And this I am not saying because I had a dream wherein the Gods of cinema came avisiting and threatened me with my life if I didn't say this. I am saying this because the last few movies that I have seen, some of those have been really good. On one hand we had Oye Lucky, Lucky Oye and now we have Luck by Chance (yeah yeah we also had Rab Ne...and I loved it...but still..). Movies that are redefining the stretch of Indian movie makers. Movies that are gripping and are actually making it seem more like an editors' and the directors' world than the six pack actors or the petite actresses. Okay, if not so drastic, atleast a world where they can co-exist!! So, we have the little known Neeraj Pandey as the star of the Screen Award and not the smashing Hrithik Roshan or the homely Aishwarya Rai Bachchan. Quite a change, wouldn't you agree?

Anyhow, coming to the point that actually led me to make this one. I saw Luck By Chance over the weekend. And oh-my-God!!! What a movie. It was great and I think, as far as I'm concerned, it puts Farhan Akhtar leagues ahead of the other actors (barring Shah Rukh ofcourse :D) . That guy talks through his eyes...no over the top dialogues, no rona dhona, no slapstick. He is the actual 'hero' of a modern thinking woman!! And Konkona, as always is a treat to watch. Again, no rona dhona, no skimpy outfits shouting look-at-me. Just restrained performances through and through!!

The movie on the whole was a great treat. Everyone from 'rolly' polly Rishi Kapoor to the cool, breezy and 'minty' Juhi Chawla to the sexy siren like Dimple Kapadia and the dancing diva Isha, everyone captures your attention when in the frame. Even the loud Rishi Kapoor character does not look tacky. It seems so-made-for-the-character.

Some scenes (and characters) that really stood out for me are below:

• The car scene with Hrithik Roshan. It beautifully highlights the starkness of the two worlds and the bleak attempt of the star within to remain in touch with the outside world. Beautiful. Oscar winning, no less :)
• The scene with KK and Farhan on the terrace. The effortlessness of the relationship between the two. It is so beautiful, simple and yet true. It might not give the less romantic their share of goose pimples but it's beautiful in it's own sense.
• Rishi Kapoor is lovable as the santa claus like producer who sheds some very believable tears when the 'new-generation' makes him run around for elusive dates. Uncle Rishi is back to his Bobby days!
• Dimple aunty is her magnificent self. She looks like a wretchedly beautiful evil mother of a Bollywood wannabe. And as Rishi Kapoor sums it aptly, "Crocodile in chiffon sari"...that by the way is my favorite line in the movie
• The scene where Farhan cries after a fight with his friend. Man, what a relief!! Real men do cry. I most definitely intend to use this scene for future reference ;p
• Farhan has so truly proved he is the 'thinking woman's actor'. He is not only their actor but their newest crush and the rising star...no beefcake looks, no stupid cheeky smiles, no greek God looks that put him in another world. Nothing else but the achievable smartness of the guy next door. That's Farhan for you. (If I were filling slam books today, he would all over them...hehe)
• Isha Sharwani - now that woman dances like a dream. I am one of the few fortunate ones to have seen her dance in real life but in the movie, she is the effortless diva...atleast when it comes to her dancing. And she looks like a 'rose' in that romantic ballad...actually wait..she is supposed to be one there....true!
• The scene with Dimple, Isha and Farhan at the breakfast table where Isha is at the receiving end for having 'puffy eyes' after her nightly encounter (secret rendezvous) with Farhan..and he quietly pulls up his shades. That is the new age Indian comedy and we don't need Govinda for screen space here.
• The look on Hrithik's face at Kareena's party when he sees the rising star hogging the limelight. That apparent insecurity. The lurking fear. Beautiful. I'm just surprised he doesn't do more films. With those eyes, who needs him to talk??
• The scene where Konkana wins the refrigerator after the slogan that Farhan wrote for her. And it's empty while she stares into it. So meaningful. It just doesn't get better.
• Shah Rukh Khan..who needs an explanation here. In the one scene that he is there..he does a good job. Ok, i am partial but so what!!
• 'You live in a cake'. I think the second most favorite line in the movie. Quite my style of humor..no silly jokes, no loud masala explanations.

And I think the best part of the movie is that it is as much Konkana's as Farhan's. No special sisterly love for the brother. It's balanced treatment is what sets it apart. Actually, I do secretly think, Konkana got the better part of the deal. But who's complaining??!!!

I am not!!

...and now that I am back

...there are many things which I have been meaning to write about but haven't, actually couldn't, because of the very rotten amount of work that has been shoved onto my plate!! Ok well not really, but what the heck!!
So, this post is about all that I have wanted to say for over 2 weeks and couldn't.

To start with, Sanjay Dutt. Now I know this debate has seen its end but I still feel it necessary to contribute my 2 cents worth to its cause. He has to be insane for a couple of reasons. Why would he really agree to contest on a Samajwadi Party ticket. I agree it's a democracy and not that I really have some long lost affection with the Congress but still, not the Samajwadi Party. And then he addresses his first press conference and takes a line against his party. what a flip when he says he will contest even if Mr Vajpayee does. His party, btw, says he will not in that case. And then he goes and opens his big mouth in national media and says that married women should not keep their parents' name!!! That is so ridiculous. Who really is he to get into the moral policing act and decide for us what our identity should be. Nowhere does our law or even our heritage and culture say that a woman has to change her name after her marriage. It is her will and should always be. So, Mr Dutt, watch that blabber. It might cost you much more than you think. And now specially since you will end up representing millions of people.

When we are on Sanjay, how can his better half (or not) be too far behind!! Manyata goes on national television and says things which no well brought up and educated woman would say on national TV. Using phrases like 'shit things' helps no body's cause Manyata, nee 'Mrs Dutt'. The family of your adopted name would never utter such words on such a medium. But I guess that's the difference. You don't adopt everything by just adopting a name. Neither do you leave it. BTW Sanjay, your wife thinks you have 'loser friends'. Atleast that's what she said on TV!!! Pathetic,

Barack Obama: Now now. What a let down!! From his emotional election night speech to an over rehearsed inauguration day speech. Mr Obama, we are getting to see that you are fallible too. While I am sure the election night speech had been rehearsed as well, it was still emotional, straight from the heart like. This time, not many of those millions who turned up to watch you make history shed a tear. Probably too many words or too much force. Either way, killed it.

Inauguration Day: The Obama daughters are so adorable and such a sight. While Malia is contained and responsible and endears you with a disarming smile, Sasha is hard to put in place. She jumps around and straight into your heart. And Mrs Obama is definitely the most 'loving' wife amongst all others in her company. The way she looked at Barack when he made the infamous flip in the oath, showed that he was first 'her husband' and then the President!! Atleast for her. And that's what counts.

Michelle's wardrobe: Elegant and really really smart!! That's what she is. And that dress at the Inauguration Ball was so amazing. On a side note Jill Biden is really pretty and looked ravishing in her red gown at the Ball. (Joe Biden is a 'funny' man. Period)

Mangalore pub attack: I have no words for this dastardly act. It's sic. Why attack women when men are there too!!! Why attack anyone???

So that's it. I still have another post coming on an amazing movie I saw some days back and I think, I know, that I owe it a post atleast. And no, it's not Slumdog Millionaire though that's good too. (And I think all the protests around it are just stupid and silly. We need to appreciate the cinematic effort and not say that we are not a country of slums alone. Actually, Danny Boyle never said that. He said that you have slums and you have the wealth. But I think i will make this movie about the slum. The wealth, maybe next time!!!)

...finally. And i am glad I am back!!

xxxx

Between what I want to be and what I should be, which one is it?

You want me to be yours

I want to be free

You want me to remain within the glass ceiling

I want to touch the sky

You promise me a world which I can see

But I want it too

You want me to be you

Or maybe not

But I want to be just me

And that alone

What you want is what it should be

What I want is what i want it to be

Now which one is it??

....and I am not letting you decide

Me v/s Me

..am I a little too Cosmopolitan?? Far removed from the realities of life. Consumed by the gloss. Taken in by the shimmer. Turning a blind eye to the grime.
I used to enjoy it once upon a time. And now I don't have the time!!

Is this the real me or am I trying to be what you would like me to be?

I wonder...

SE7EN Days...

Ok..a rather pathetic attempt at being cheeky. All I wanted to say was that it's been 7 days and I haven't had one post to my credit!! Darn.

It's just that I am too lazy to even start and just can't seem to shake it off!! It's the worry of a few pending things I guess. Whatever. I just don't feel like writing so am going to bid a short goodbye to the 'rosy' world..

(I hope I can be back at writing soon...hope hope)

...rukavat ke liye khed hai

Finally after two days and three nights I can breathe easy. I was worried sick when a rather unexpected HTML error threatened to take away this rather dear blog away..forever!! It so happened that just as I clicked "OK" on the final post before slipping into the blissful weekend, there it popped up it's ugly face...some random HTML error which would not even give me a chance to surround myself in the pink abode. So, there I was virtually stranded before the weekend!! Went home and checked again and again and again and again till I finally gave up and thought that I was never going to really see it again. But then thank God for Sandy (not the one mentioned in a post below, the other one)..he proved to be my knight in shining armour and "AHOY!!" here I am...

Missed you so much over the rather eventful weekend..will fill in more . So, here I go.

After formally kick starting the weekend with the great great ALDO that puts me a few notches higher than most others (I am not being bitchy, just the rather scandalous heel that I am talking about here) followed by a yum Chinese meal that capped Friday. By Saturday, I had almost forced myself to get out of the sombre mood (because of the blog mishap, sheesh low attention span I tell you) and got ready for some moments of critical reasoning. This followed some great shopping which included a very very nice pair of jeans (I am not getting into more details here but I will just share that coupled with the ALDO, they make me look taaaallll). And then there was Mango!! What what!! I have never really been a big fan of the brand but then I just entered the shop lured by the word SALE (true to practically every woman on the face of this earth) written a font size bigger than me. And there hidden away not so discreetly were two of the most amazing jackets I have ever seen or owned. They were OMG heavenly. But that's where I let my sensibilities get the better of me and stopped. Not too bad. There's always a next time. So on we went looking at more ALDO and Nine West (which btw, had the most horrendous shoes I had seen in a long time). Nothing. Most other shops had more Chandni Chowk stuff than the whole of Chandni Chowk put together. So, there ended the euphoria. But we dragged our feet a little longer. The silver lining was that, surprisingly, the place was devoid of screeching aunties, pot bellied uncles and completely out of control kids who know not the purpose of anything in life running diagonally across the entire length of the mall with their mothers trying rather hard to catch up with the little masters!!

And oh!! I couldn't not mention the stupid ugly man who almost forced me to break my vow of not losing my cool over the two days. It goes that as he stuffed his face with a kathi role, he couldn't help signalling to us in a not so covert manner about how "yum it was", if you get the drift. So wanted to stuff that role up his ***. He almost spoiled it..just almost.
So overall the weekend wasn't that bad after all.

And now that I am back, I will be writing much much more just coz I missed this so much. But for now, I am just soaking up the sun.

Love..

AHOY!!

And I couldn't resist anymore. The lure, the pull was too much for me. I tried to look away but he pulled me closer and closer every time. At last I just shrugged and gave in.. rather meekly at that. I might regret it later but there's nothing much that I can do to undo it now. I have literally swallowed the forbidden fruit. I don't know what to do!! And now that I have set foot on this perilous path, I am sure that this is a one way journey!! There is no looking back.

Finally, I must give in to the fact that yes I did it. I must just let myself believe that I went ahead and let myself be driven to his sensuous leathery feel. And his mind boggling scent too. My oh my!!! Do I love my new ALDO or not!!

Now what did you think..it's just a shoe my dear that I am talking about here!! Don't let your imagination run wild. Tame!!!

Axe-ing the myth!!

A latest study proves that Axe actually works. "Sort of".

Here are the details:
A study conducted in UK shows that men who used a branded perfumed deo are more liked by women. The catch is that these women have never really met the men!! How you may ask...here's how. The men were asked not to bathe for 2 days and then a group of men was given a perfumed deodorant to spray and another was given a non-perfumed one. Then the team made videos of each of these men. And based on these videos, the women expressed their preference!!
(I am still a little unclear how but whatever...)

The explanation to this could be that the men who used the perfumed deodorant were high on self confidence as compared to those who used the non perfumed deodorant. This is the reason why the women favored the first group over the second!!
?????
Anyway, to read more of this article, click here http://adage.com/article?article_id=133621

PS: Well one thing that sure stands out from this is that men will continue to spend their lives spraying on a rather stupid deodorant trying to impress the women while the fairer sex will focus on more important issues like confidence while looking for that perfect partner (and the money, the cars, the killer smile, a great sense of humor, drop dead gorgeous looks, an adjusting nature will always be an added advantage :). Did I say I was not going to be demanding this year!!!)

random ramblings or not

"Conversations with God"
"Communion with God"
"I'm ok. You're ok"

"Life is not about discovering. It is about creating."

• Don't be judgemental!!
• You are God. You can be what you choose to be.
• Have a dream (long term - islands, wealth, health, cars etc). Goals are not always necessary. Dreams give you perspective.
• Be positive. Don't focus on removing the clutter. Focus on making it clean.

More on these later...

Meanwhile, came across this rather interesting article today on India Uncut, one of the true blood political blogs I follow. A rather difficult conversation between a father and son but amazing humor....

Read on:
http://dawn.com/weekly/images/images4.htm
(First read on India Uncut.)

NO-THING and NOTHING

I think I am miserably going to fail at my resolve of writing atleast one post every day. It's the middle of the week and I have nothing to say or do. I mean technically, I have a lot to do else I wouldn't be at work at 11 PM!!! (Actually I think this is the cause of all concern as far as I am concerned).
I wanted to write about something nice. But no, people would just not let that be. I have a rather horrible website to work on (and that has been continuing for 3 and a half months now. That by the way is no reflection of my competence, just the indecisiveness of the other team who can't decide which font color goes well with what background color. That, actually is another story for another post.) And to top the mundane work, I am famished. I have had the Costas of the world and refused to be fed another synthetic morsel. I have munched on Good Day Choco chip cookies since the afternoon (and they are really not all that bad) so much that I am feeling sick now.

And to say that this is just the middle of the week. I dread to think what the rest of it would be like!!!

Ok..back to work now.

BTW: In my time of nothingness, i came upon a rather interesting question. Is NO-THING different from NOTHING??

It's Tag Time of the year

Got this tag today and decided to break my rules at never responding to tags and entertain myself this time.

So here goes.

1. What is your occupation?
I would like to believe it is Communications Consultant with AMEX but what the others would have me believe is 'to bother them with details till the last breath'. I shall go with that too :)

2. What color are your socks right now?
Black

3. What are you listening to right now ?
With or Without You :)

4. What was the last thing that you ate ?
Yum yum yum...BROWNIE...gobbled it up against relishing it. I don't think it was the hunger but the greed.

5. Can you drive a stick shift?
No!!!

6. Last person you spoke to on the phone?
My boss's wife advising her about some great places for dinner. I do take my job rather seriously.

7. Do you like the person who sent this to you?
Yes.

8. How old are you today?
24 years 10 months

9. What is your favorite sport to watch on TV?
Don't have a favorite. I can tell you I hate WWF though.

10. What are your favorite drinks?
Orange juice. Followed by plain drinking water. And then Coconut water.

11. Have you ever dyed your hair?
Yes.

12. Favorite food?
Dal rice. (And I know Mansukh Mann will have a few things to say about this :))

13. What is the last movie you watched?
To Sir, With Love. Planning to watch Kite Runner rather soon.

14. Favorite day of the year?
None in particular really. But I do like March 8 (which is my birthday), December 30 (the excitement of December 31 is too great) and think December 25 (it's something to do with Christmas)

15. How do you vent anger?
Depends on who it is that I am venting it on. Mostly I yell. Or I just simply pretend that the cause of the anger has just been swallowed up by the earth and is so not worth my attention!!

16. What was your favorite toy as a child?
Child????

17. What is your favorite season?
Winter. I love the idea of hot milk and all the parathas.

18. Do you want your friends to e-mail you back?
Always.

19. When was the last time you cried?
Can't recall. Can tell you when I made someone cry though (evil evil)

20. What is on the floor of your closet?
Shoes. And my closet is mostly really clean.

21. Who is the friend you have had the longest that you are sending to?
None. My long standing friends are not very active on the virtual medium.

22. What did you do last night?
Slept.

23. What are you most afraid of?
Fire. Cooking too :)

24. Plain, cheese, or spicy hamburger?
Cheese I guess.

25. Favorite dog breed?
Golden retrievers and Labradors. And I hate all the small ones.

26. Favorite day of the week?
Wednesday. Don't ask me why!!

27. How many states have you lived in?
Three. Delhi, Maharashtra (Pune) and Karnataka (Bangalore, though Bangalore was only 3 months still)

28. Diamonds or pearls?
Diamonds. Big ones. (guilty pleasures)

29. What is your wish for this new year?
I want to be able to exercise regularly. For a more detailed wish list, hop down a few posts.

30. New year resolution?
To let people live....(Mansukh will swear by this)

Of those who made a mark

In almost 25 years since I came on this planet, I have met a lot of people. In school, college, during Post graduation in Pune, work and outside of these places. But when I look back, there are a few people that I think have actually had a big hand in shaping me as the person that I am today, professionally and personally. So I decided to write down this post about those few who have made a mark for life.
I don't know how many would be there in this finally but I do know that I am excluding some people from this list (mom, dad, mansukh, cousins and other relatives and blob) for reasons of bias.

So here goes:

• Fr. J A Carvalho: He was my Principal in school. For those 13 years that I was there, he went from being a terror to actually being a great friend and guide. In my junior classes, I was like really really scared of him and would run in the opposite direction when I saw him. However, as I came to senior school, I saw a very different side of him. He started treating us more like equals and not children. He would come and sit with us. We could talk to him about anything. He would pull a leg and was always ready with a joke or two. He knew almost all students by their name and their parents too. In my case, my mom would change her decision about me if it clashed with his because she was sooo sure that he would make the best decisions for both me and my sister. We have stolen innumerable After 8s from his office and he would just give a knowing smile each time. He has counseled me on many a personal issue, which of course I didnot understand then but when I look back today, I do. He was the one who forcibly sent me on stage and actually got that dread out of me. I haven't met him in the last 6-7 years but he has stayed with me forever and I am certain he always will.
• Ma'am Jacob: My English teacher in many a class. Not only did she make me love this subject, she made me admire her too. Never one to mince her words, she taught me (quite unknowingly) how never to take s*** lying down. She taught me how never to be a doormat. She would never mince her words and called a spade a spade, even in front of the Principal. I picked this up from her.
• Sandy: Now now. I have known the boy for over 16 years now. We never were the best of friends in school but I have seen his journey from being a reckless nut to the School Headboy to his Merchant Navy days and now a very loving husband-to-be (Gauri, you are really damn lucky). And through all this, he has been a very very dear friend. I know I can just call him up anytime and he will be there. He can bring a smile to my face in the most dreadful situations with his heartfelt mails that he writes from different corners of the world and with his very very few gifts that he has got for me after all his travels. He probably is the only guy who gives some pretty amazing marriage pep talk (to me atleast)!!Don't think I will ever say this to him on his face coz I am extremely concerned about his ego touching the sky but still sandy boy, you deserve every bit of what I wrote.
• Garima Sharma: Met her during college. The one reason I absolutely adore the girl is her attitude and her general love for mankind (and animal kind too). She has shared many a missed bus with me in college and many a gol gappa too. She is just so forgiving and loving that I would love to pick this trait of hers (I don't think I ever can, but still). And most of all she is damn chilled out. She will surely teach you a thing or two about life in her own charming manner. And the best thing is, she will cap it with a smile. I haven't been in touch with her in a very long time but again, she is someone I don't think I can ever forget (also because her birthday is one day before mine)
• Sukrit Singh: Probably the most unlikely name in this list. But, he absolutely deserves to be here. He was the CEO of the company I worked in for a very brief period. And why he gets a mention here is....I have never seen the CEO walk upto an intern and introduce himself as the official chef and take his role very seriously at that. He will talk to an office boy just like he will talk to a Senior Manager. Well, he didn't teach me a lot about office ethics but yes, he did teach me a lot about work, creativity and what not. And most importantly, he taught me never to let work become bigger than any person (I am yet to completely follow this advice but still...)

Well, these are the people who have in many ways decided the course of my life. I respect them all and I think I will always continue to do so. And here, today, I want to thank them for introducing me to myself. I am sure I will never forget many a lesson that you have taught me, unknowingly most of the times.

Thanks a lot in every possible way.

Rewind January 2008 into 2010

About a year ago, I had written these posts about how tiring my new year had been (2008 that is) because of the unending calls and messages and just what New Year resolutions I should make. Reading through them today I couldn't help but feel a strange sense of nostalgia. I still remember (vaguely, of course) sitting in my office and writing those posts. Am back doing the same thing at the same place today :)

But what stood out was that as I looked back at the new year's eve this time, my phone was pleasantly quite. Now, I am sure that not everyone I know read my posts. So I was a bit surprised and spent a better half of the day thinking "WHY". And then out of some dark corner, peeped the half shy answer. I juts haven't been in touch with sooooo many people in the year gone by that I am sure half of them will be jumping out of surprise and vague recollection when they find my name on their contact lists in a few months, going, "Oh my god!! There was a Ruchi I knew too!!". And that's when I decided. I am going to be far more socially active in the coming 360 days than I have been in the last. And oh!! hide that smirk off your face. It's got nothing to do with getting more New Year wishes which I delete as soon as I get them. I will make a conscious effort in 'reaching out' to those I have known. I will wish them all on their birthdays. I will call them up on times away from work too. I am sure 2010 will be a different story!! So, that is one closed book dusted and ready to be read again.

And as for the other, the pink book that I had announced I will make last year (which never saw the light of day), I will finally work on it. And what better way than to start with this blog. It is afterall, my pink book with all the goods, the bads, the uglys. With the pains, the triumphs, the falls and the rises. It will also soon have a big bright yellow flower that will make it just oh-so-puuurfect!! But till then, this is it.

So, I do believe that this year has started on a rather promising note. It has been great thus far and I am sure, I will have much to write in my 'new pink book :)'

PS: If the colour hurts your eye, haha, let me share it hurts mine too :). But still, this is for keeps.

Love.

To Sir, with Love

I finally watched the movie. And it was a tad disappointing. I mean I had cried when I had read that book and was certain the movie would be just as great.

It was great alright. But pales in comparison to the book. For those amongst us who think celluloid can never do justice to the words immortalized on yellowing pages, I would disagree (LOTR is a masterpiece as much in motion as in words). So, when we have Sidney Poitier, the expectations are bound to be high. And there lies the trap!!

However, to be fair to Mr Clavell (Director and Producer), it was definitely far better than most other movies from that period (1967). The scenes were not choppy and it didn't stretch into years. If you ask any child fed on razor fine editing of the movies in late 1990s and 21st century, you are opening a Pandora's Box there. But compared to that time, it was great. Crisp. To the Point and yet not choppy. Poitier was great and looked rather handsome compared to other boys (who looked nothing less than cartoons in front of our man). The women were great. But what was absolutely a treat was Lulu. The song, the skirts and the hair. Mind blowing.


Actually, as an after thought, it wasn't that bad after all if you remove the glitz of what the movies in later years have fed us. It was grounded, real, resonant of those times and in many a way path breaking. A black teacher in an all white school. The new grounds of student - teacher relationship. The accidental inspirational leadership. The anguish on Thackeray's face when the girls burn a sanitary napkin in his class and his subsequent loss of composure. Thackeray's handling of questions on black women dancing naked and his composure. His unstated resolve to upstage racial scorn and discrimination. Amazing.

But what absolutely stood out for me was the title track. But before that, a quick capture of else worked wonders for the movie, a few dialogues that I loved.

• A fellow teacher, to Thackeray: Ah, so you're the new lamb for the slaughter - or should I say, black sheep?
• Denham: You was wrong about Potts.
  Thackeray: Yes ... from his point of view, at his age ... I was.
  Denham: The girls was right about the gossip, and all.
  Thackeray: From their point of view.
  Denham: Well, what other point is there, eh?
  Thackeray: You're going to have to figure that one out for yourself, Denham.

And now for Lulu and those oh-so-magical words:

Those schoolgirl days,
of telling tales and biting nails are gone,
But in my mind,
I know they will still live on and on,
But how do you thank someone,
who has taken you from crayons to perfume?

It isn't easy, but I'll try,
If you wanted the sky I would write across the sky in letters,
That would soar a thousand feet high,
To Sir, with Love

The time has come,
For closing books and long last looks must end,
And as I leave,
I know that I am leaving my best friend,
A friend who taught me right from wrong,
And weak from strong,
That's a lot to learn,
What, what can I give you in return?

If you wanted the moon I would try to make a start,
But I, would rather you let me give my heart,
To Sir, with Love

And just for this moment I let my prejudices die and be taken over by the beauty of her voice. Do I recommend this movie. You bet. I do!! It is a masterpiece. Okay, not really in the LOTR league for it's cinematic excellence but for the sheer beauty of the thought that envelopes the entire movie. So overlook your disappointments (As I did) and enjoy the movie.

In one word, amazing. Watch it.

2009 - Of wishes and many more

This new year I decided not be overtly demanding. No no don't celebrate just yet. I will still continue to be my mean bitchy self, will still ask you Ms Mann to clear the room and the almirah, will still hound Blob to eat less and proper, will always continue to hound Sandeep to work, and will still write 166 mails in a day (all official).
But what I will most certainly not do this year is be demanding - literally - in terms of my demands. I will tone it down just a wee bit.
So here goes my dream list for 2009:

• A big branded bag in brown animal hyde
• A smashing red overcoat
• One really sexy pair of really really high heel boots in black
• One really sexy pair of boots in white (notice the difference in heels)
• Pink sunglasses (no questions please)
• Growing my hair really long (atleast till below my waist)
• Getting down to exercising every single day
• Eating healthier
• Blogging regularly
• Sleep less on holidays
• To read many more books
• To buy atleast 20 DVDs/VCDs of hindi and english classics
• Watching atleast 25 good movies this year
• To meet many more friends
• Going to Big Chill atleast 4 times this year (that is not too much for a fan but knowing myself...it's just fine)
• Finally getting my marksheets from Symbi
• LEARN TO COOK - that is a real big deal

I am sure I will add many more to this list as I go along. But for now, this is it 9I said I wasn't going to be very demanding :))

edits from an old year..

...in 'edition' to the last post, since my sister reminded me, I also remmber Vikas Dahiya (not really my memory as much as hers, but what the heck!!)

And Happy New Year all :)

Time to now take out the pink notebook again.