...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.