Hues of life

Airport Talkies

2010-03-31T05:23:00.000-07:00

Place: Mumbai Airport
Reason: Traveling back to college, came to Bombay for my visa interview. Yours truly is going to be in San Francisco for her summer internship.
Time: 5:45 pm, Thursday, 25th March.

Unless there is some pressing work at the other end, airports can be a lovely place to spend time in. And one of the many things that I love about Mumbai is its new airport.
(Friends call me a promotion advertisement for Mumbai.
Mumbai this, Mumbai that.
Mumbai there, Mumbai here.
But I genuinely can’t help it. Mumbai is where home is & Mumbai is where heart is. )

Call me kiddish, but I love the brightness of the airport. The many counters of food, chocolate donuts, steamed coffee, stark red colors, the plush seats, hot dogs, newspapers, overhearing snatches of conversations, interesting pieces of luggage (for example, the female seated opposite me is holding a huge tweety soft toy, making the ‘curious me’ worrying about who she is taking it for). The reason I love airports most is the random thoughts that sift through my minds while traveling, which inspire me to write every single time. Perhaps this is the only time there is nothing at all to do, no work to worry about, no assignment to finish and no quiz to prepare for. Airports are also a great place to catch up on novels, undisturbed with no buzzes by people in between. Having chosen consulting as a career, it is good that I like airports, considering the fact that I might be spending a considerable amount of time traveling.

Joos

2010-03-11T19:30:00.000-08:00

Wrote this for the IIMA blog
http://insideiima.wordpress.com/2010/03/12/joos/

They left it behind

2010-02-10T12:11:00.000-08:00

A half scribbled diary

Life strings: confused and wiry

An Orkut account

An entire life to mount

An old photograph

Into real people you wish it would morph

A blood Soiled shirt

A full cycle of death and birth

An uncontested remote

Myriad tragedies to emote

A mute phone

Blood chilled to the bones

A flick of hand

A wrong turn

A crash of glass

And silence forever

With halted conversation and speechless goodbyes, they left. May God Bless them.

Out of the blue

2009-11-13T23:27:00.000-08:00

Seafood Risotto and Chocolate Fondue
Anyone who knows me a little well, knows my food cravings from time to time. This is another one of the sets of food that I miss in Ahmedabad, in addition to Thai prawn curry and BBQ chicken, Chicken dimsums and Crabmeat soup:P. And this particular set was first tried by me at Out of the Blue, Carter Road, Bandra. We ventured there due to R's insistence, due to her fondness for Choc Fondue. I still remember that dinner. It was once when all 7 of us were present ( C took a lot of convincing). Most of us were pretty broke and everything on the menu looked tempting and "burn a hole in the pocket" kind, unfortunately when our pockets were kind of already full of holes. Then my eyes landed on the Seafood Risotto. The descriptions sounded heavenly:prawns, squids, cheese, rice..yummy..And the price tab said Rs 400. The 400 declaration made me swtich the page I was on to pastas and sandwiches and sizzlers which seemed much more in the budget. But the prawns seemed to call me to them and after much discussion, debate with everyone and internal turmoil, I decided to SPLURGE. The happiness that I got from eating the Risotto that day was something which I believe was worth the 400 spent. And then it was followed by the delicious fondue which sort of made the day complete. Well satisfied by the dinner and the banter over the dinner, we went back satiated and content. A night well spent!

I returned to the restaurant twice after that, once with a friend, and once with my parents. I missed it a lot in the last 3 months and yesterday I revisited it with my parents to have my favourite combination, and the contentment I felt was still the same. The law of diminishing marginal utility doesn't always apply:)

To memories!

2009-11-12T09:33:00.000-08:00

We never know when we're making a memory, perhaps if we knew, we would try and frame them in our minds better. This blogpost and some more in the future are dedicated to the memories that I have had in my life, the moments that have touched me: some crazy, some beautiful, some painful, some heartbreaking, some utterly romantic, some hugely embarrassing. Perhaps its an attempt to crystallize them before they burst away like bubbles.

Also, since some of these memories may have been shared with close friends, the other readers of the blog may not connect. So go on reading only if you have too much time to kill! And please pardon the fact that my writing is rusty from not having written for effectively almost an year.

H10 IDOL

So, R, N and I happened to be the only ones of the gang left on a particular weekend in IITB. And it turned out to be the HOSTEL IDOL weekend. Our amazing singing capabilities, (in case anyone is in doubt, Nithya is not the N, I donot wish people to even remotely confuse us immensely talented people with her:D) and the immense confidence that being in the final year had given us, and probably the lure of more masala in the valfies led us to participate in the competition. We decided to perform two songs, "Tu Tu hai wahi" and "Eli re Eli". We practised our lungs out and realised that our real talent could only be our costumes or rather their absence;) and not our melodious and cacophonous voices. Hence we went on to invent quite innovative costumes inspired by our songs. Our girl audience am sure would not have forgotten getting such a sight of their fourthies. People who are as talented as us and who have never got a chance to display their talent before, will understand the high that we must have got when we were given the mic and a full audience. We went on blaring into the mic, full of optimism, cheered on by our very supportive audience, adjusting our costumes fearing a wardrobe malfunction, forgetting all lines except for the chorus. Inspite of the ruckus we created, we managed our way into the second round (final year senti) but then lost to a freshie who had to be adjudged the best to encourage future talent!! Yet another bead in the string of crazy/foolish doings in last semester :)

But later that night, C, G and I had the mic and the superlounge to ourselves and we performed every favorite song, disturbed every person in the neighbouring rooms shamefully, danced till our feet ached, laughed till our throats parched. A moment that stays close to my heart.

TIP:For anyone who fears dancing and singing, get a mic, trust me it makes the fear go whizzzzz!!!!

To new beginnings!

2009-06-13T11:30:00.000-07:00

Its been 6 months since I signed into blogger. I can count this as my worst kept new years resolution (reference:previous post). Forget working on my writing, i have done nothing productive in the last 6 months except have a ball doing nothing :D. Have enjoyed every bit of the last four months at IIT. Now news for my readers : Yours truly will be joining IIM Ahmedabad in the coming week and subjecting herself to 2 years of torturous studies! I am excited as well as scared as I don't know how I will stand there. 2 more years of resume making and interviews and shortlists. Phew! And I thought I had enough of that after the 16 interviews that I gave on Day 1 of placements.

Its becoming very tough to write, it seems I have totally lost the habit, so pardon me for the bland posts for a few days. I am forcing words out of myself which I seem to have locked up and forgotten in some lazy part of my brain. Btw, just wanted to praise an author I am loving these days. Amitav Ghosh. I read three of his books, one was downright boring (Calcutta Chromosome), but the other two (The Hungry Tide and The Glass Palace) really left an indelible impression on me. The guy writes so beautifully , it seems as if you are viewing a painting/movie and not reading a book. I have never been one for descriptive authors, but this one changed my outlook. I especially loved Glass Palace for the way it dealt with the issue of Indian soldiers in the British army who revolted against the British in the Second World War to pressurise them for independence. There is some romanticism and charm in his key characters which make you want to read the book continually.

Waise now I am on to Sacred Games by Vikram Chandra. I am past 200 odd pages, it seems a really good book too. Will continue with the book now, need to finish 600 more pages before I leave for Ahmedabad. Will sincerely try to post here more often!

Of 2009 and new year resolutions!

2009-01-01T00:12:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year everyone:)
Last year has been an eventful one, with internship, CAT and then placement season.
And thankfully, its been a successful one in almost all respects:)
And now for another year, 2009! Thats when I will start working in a new city, Noida. (I don't know if I mentioned this before on the blog, but yes, ALAS! I am finally going to leave Mumbai after an amazing 8 year stay here)

I guess we do find reasons to make every year eventful:)

As for my new year resolutions:

1) I WILL read slowly and learn something from every book I read and jot down my observations somewhere. (I have been thinking of doing this for the last so many years but have been too lazy to follow this)
2) I am somehow going to work on my writing style in professional terms and try and improve it.
3) I am going to try every good restaurant in Bombay as I can before leaving the city ( atleast as many as possible)
4) And I plan to try all the weird outfits I have ever wanted to, before going into the life of business suits!

Ghajini - a disappointment

2008-12-28T11:07:00.000-08:00

A badly directed movie.
The action looks like in a South Indian Rajnikant flick.
Illogical show of strength and no use of guns and strategy.
Its like a collage. Different scenes just put together.
Except Aamir and the heroine, acting is very loose.
Aamir exposes more than the girl, and sadly his body is too much for his short height.
I expected much more from this movie:(

Shahrukh and Rab de rule the day!!

Ek garam chai ki pyaali ho!

2008-12-20T05:33:00.000-08:00

After a cup of hot steaming coffee and a a chocolate doughnut, it struck me that there were so many existing coffee cafes in India: Barista, Mocha, Cafe Coffee Day, Cuppa Coffee..and many more rumored to be opening soon: Starbucks, Gloria Jeans Coffee..but why don't we have any branded places for tea?

The only pseud place for tea that I have seen is Oxford Bookstore's Cha Bar in South Bombay. (By the way, thats one place you'll enjoy going to. They have so many different types of tea, and cool-looking designer cups, saucers and teapots. Though, I can't guarantee the taste of tea, as when I went there I had had a heavy lunch hence could only have a sip from someone else's tea.)

So coming back to the issue that there are really no pseud places which are made especially for tea in India. I guess we believe tea is something we will enjoy more at the nukkad shop rather than at a Barista? Now , I am more of a tea person. Infact, I like making tea a lot. Especially masala tea with kali mirch(pepper), dalchini(cinnamon), long(clove) and adrak(ginger). Throw it all in water, watch the water turn golden, then add chai patti(tea) and watch the water go black. Let it boil and add milk, making it go the muddy tea brown. Then pour it into colorful cups and tadaaaa..enjoy one of the most popular, tastiest drinks of India:). Nostalgically, remembering this whole routine, I once ordered tea at CCD. The waiter kept hot water, milk and tea bags on the table (for Rs. 32) and went off, allowing me to do the honours. I cribbed and cribbed for whole 24 hours till I got to have good tea in the hostel the next day.

Well, I wish someone would feel the same love for tea and open a chain of cool tea cafes. Or maybe I will, after 7-8 when I have enough money. Hmm, a cool startup idea. If someone plans to borrow the idea, do give me free coupons to your tea cafe.

Ciao!

The Secret Seven by Enid Blyton

2008-12-16T23:56:00.000-08:00

This is my collection of The Secret Seven series, considerably less as the books used to be thinner than Famous Five hence I was never keen on buying them as they finished too soon.

The Secret Seven were a group of child detectives. Lead by Peter, the society consisted of his sister Janet, their dog Scamper and their friends: Jack, Colin, George, Pam, Barbara. The secret seven normally met at a shed in Peter and Janet's house. To enter there meetings, all of them had to say the password that they had decided upon in the previous meeting and had to carry the secret seven badge.

The seven got into all sorts of adventures: recovering a stolen violin, tracing a dog thief, finding stolen medals in the woods, getting curious about what is going on in a curious castle....

I think there were 3 major reasons why I liked the books:

One because of the sort of independence those kids had, going off to movies by themselves, running off after thieves and robbers in the night, cycling off to watch the circus and so on...

Second was the description of food. Things as simple as lemonade and cookies were described so well that they made my stomach grumble. I remember sitting down to have biscuits and water in an elegant manner after finishing yet another book, pretending to eat what they were eating in the books!:) (I got a similar craving last night when I re-read one of the books in the series). As for when Enid Blyton described tea, my stomach shouted out aloud! Ham and cheese, bacon and eggs, cream tarts, hot chocolate and what not! That got me my love for salami sandwiches which holds till date.

Third was Scamper! What a name for a dog. I can imagine a healthy golden spaniel with mischievious eyes running around licking every person in sight. I loved it when the Secret Seven kept passwords related to Scamper: Scamper, Wuff (his bark), and Thump ( the sound his tail made on the floor). I think that made me laugh a lot as a kid, when Scamper could also pronounce the password.

The town where the seven lived, was an idyllic one, modern yet traditional. They had access to telephones and motor cars, and also to the nearby woods. I always enjoyed the way she described the woods.
"The woods were full of springing bluebell leaves, their long green spikes standing guard over the flowers pushing up between them. "
"They had their lunch in the bluebell wood with the blackbirds and thrushes singing loudly overhead, and a little robin hopping around their feet, waiting for a crumb."

As this was my first series ever (rather first book ever) I have a soft corner for them, even though Famous Five are a much better read with the characters more defined.

But still as Enid blyton used to conclude her books, Way to go Secret Seven!

Since 1995!

2008-12-11T11:31:00.000-08:00

Yet another fulfilling visit to a book store, and three expected-to-be-good buys inspired me to trace my reading history. I have been reading since 2nd standard. That makes it since 1995. Simple maths:D and its been 14 great years in a wonderful relationship. Books are, so to say, my childhood sweethearts. I have been known by friends and family as someone who gets so lost in books that even going to the washroom in between reading, becomes an onerous task :D. To all the romantic couples out there, beat this commitment.

The first book I read was a Secret Seven by Enid Blyton. I went on to Famous Fives, Five Find outers. Took breaks with Archies. Went on to school books: Malory Towers, St. Clares, Naughty Girl Series, Classic series: Anne of Green Gables, Little Women, Pollyanna and lot of other single classic novels: The Old fashioned Girl, The princess, Daddy Long legs etc. Then came the Nancy Drews, Hardy Boys, Twins of Sweet Valley. Then came onto Jeffery Archers..And now devour arbit authors: Vikram Seth, Gregory David Roberts, J.D.Salinger, Robin Cook, P.G.Wodehouse...A long and varied list..

So I have decided to dedicate this December to book reading and book reviewing. Starting tomorow, I will start from the first book I ever read and take you through my 14 yr old journey.

Get set and go!!!!:)

Welcome Aboard!

2008-12-03T20:01:00.001-08:00

All your prayers have paid off! I am finally a consultant:)
I got a job in Opera Solutions on the 1st of December, 2008.

15 interviews and then this job in hand, to decribe what I went through would take a lot more characters and a lot more retrospection.

What I' doing right now: Relaxing for the first time in many months and enjoying every minte of it

Countdown begins: 16 days

2008-11-13T20:19:00.001-08:00

16 days to go for the D-day (Placement Day 1)

First job, first company. Wonder how that will feel. To belong to a company. To go to office everyday. No more having days when you can just bunk and sleep. No more hanging out generally at shack. No more cack sessions in hostel. No more afternoon naps. But, newer horizons. Crisp formals. Official parties. Travelling. Good food daily. Money;).

Mixed feelings.

Coming back to the topic: The countdown has begun. 16 days to go. Well wishers better start praying for me now :D:D

Dreams Unlimited!

2008-10-03T00:35:00.000-07:00

A step closer to my dream
Visualizations turning true
Satisfied for the moment
Geared up for the future:)

BE MORE!

2008-07-19T02:17:00.000-07:00

A recommendation from moi:

Watch this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OMLvqOMB5-U

Be born everyday..aaj rockstar kal pilot and who knows what the day after..

Kabhi kisi anjaan station pe utar kar dekho
Kabhi kisi gumnam shahar ka ticket katao

Doosro ki galtiyon se kya seekhna; make your own mistakes yaar..

And never resemble your passport photo for more than 3 months
Har subah shock your reflection

Explore..

Bachpan me to kya kuch nahi ban na chahte the
Why not today

Be born..everyday

BE MORE!

Schlumberger Internship-Summer 2008

2008-07-17T02:31:00.000-07:00

Thats me:)

I put this pic on orkut, and a junior commented "Oh man!", my reply was " Oh woman!" *grin*

I was in the wireline segment at Schlumberger, Baroda. As wireline engineers, we are the people who send tools down into the oil well to check its various properties and hence give readings which help people know the well conditions *in very layman language:)* Also we are engineers with the most rigorous schedules and perhaps the best paid among all. We deal with catwalks, dog houses and monkey boards *these are all components of a rig:D*. We also deal with guns, explosives and radioactive sources:D

Its been a very different month for me. I have been on an oil rig twice - once for 26 hours and the next for about 8 hours. I've done it all right from washing oil off the tools to holding equipment while getting drenched in the rain to standing within about 3 metres of a radioactive source. I've used the hammer, the filer, the wire clipper, solder iron etc. again *mech workshop memories*. I've worn double layer of clothing for 32 days in the summer heat. I have worked for 40 days straight without any holiday * no weekends*.

I have also watched every movie released- hastey hastey, sarkar raaj, mere baap pehle aap, indiana jones. I have played TT, carrom and chess. I have eaten awesome food *courtesy our cook babun*- fish, prawns, chicken, mutton, pancakes, pasta etc. I have gained 3 kgs *sniff sniff:( * I have had a chauffer driven car take me to office and drop me home everyday *grin grin*. I have cooked dinner with 4 indians, a thai and an american.

Most importantly, I have met an amazing set of people. Everyone from a different background with a different story, but each one with a hearty sense of humour.

Cheers to Schlumberger Baroda for making summer of 2008 such a memorable experience!:)

Family Gossip!

2008-07-14T10:16:00.000-07:00

Eccentric relatives and mind boggling family trees
Marriage of Blah's daughter with Blah's son
Grudge for this gift and that money
Divorce of Blah's son and Blah's daughter
New borns, and passed aways
Burlesque, mockery and snorts of laughter

This is how I would describe family gossip sessions:). I just had one when I went to Delhi to my relatives place. Everyime I go I'm treated to a new eccentricity of some new relative, with an amazing imitation(thanks to mami:) ) of the same. A treat to the eyes, ears and the heart:D

Jaane tu ya jaane na..

2008-07-09T01:41:00.000-07:00

A little late to be putting this on blog, but better late than never.

One awwesssommmee movie, left me wondering why it only got 2.5 stars. Hell of an entertainer with the right amount of smiles and laughter. Excellent acting by every one. Perfect casting! Imran Khan is too cute to miss, and I love Genelia's clothes.

All in all, a must watch and a very fresh performance. I wouldn't mind going for it a second time.

God:MAN::MAN:Robot

2008-07-06T10:57:00.000-07:00

“One man's "magic" is another man's engineering. "Supernatural" is a null word.”

---Robert A. Heinlein

The above words have never seemed truer to me. Today, I came across an article which talked about a machine called Rep Rap which can duplicate 3 D objects. A 3 Dimensional xerox machine!

I have never read of anything more amazing and astounding. Though it is slow at present and has lot of limitations, it can be improvised with time. It could be used to replicate itself also. It is mind boggling to think of the vast impacts it will have. Imagine what it can do to the manufacturing industry. The cost of setting up an industry, hiring labor, etc. all reduced to one simple machine!

It almost seems like a device hurtling out of a science fiction novel. The concept could be thought of as self reproducing robots. We could say,

God:MAN::MAN:Robot

By such discoveries, is man interfering with nature or is he doing exactly what the nature intends him to do. Maybe nature intends him to discover the ultimate truth of existence, of this universe gradually through such experiments, through science. The day we end up making a world of machines similar to the world that has been made for us, would perhaps be the ultimate day.

Maybe Science is God and God is Science?

Cheers to Summer 2008!

2008-06-19T09:57:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow comes to an end the most awesome and the most different month of my life.

I keep thinking that I will write a nice long blog on all this, but till that happens, this will suffice.

Cheers to Summer 2008!

whats cooking these days part 2

2008-05-09T10:35:00.000-07:00

white chane/punjabi chole(for 3 people)
ek katori chane
2 medium sized pyaaz
2 medium sized tamatar
1/2 inch ginger(adrak)
2 harimirch
namak to taste(3/4th teaspoon)
aam choor(3/4th teaspoon)
chana masala/chicken masala(catch/everest/MDH)
sukhi methi(calld kasuri methi)
kali mirch sabut(3-4)
elaichi(choti+moti:2-3)
coffee powder
dhania

overnight bhigo ke rakho..

take chane and add elaichi and ltl salt nd water to just cover in cooker..let it boil on high flame..den keep on sim after 1 whistle fr 20 mins

side by side prepare masala..add oil, den pyaaz den adrak den harimirch den oder masalas nd all...aftr onions turn pinkish brown, add tamatar..keep stirring...till masala pak jaaye...after ample time, add chane..nd 1/2 teaspoon coffe powder..(add water also of chane: DNT THROW IT AWAY)..let it mix..add dhania also...keep mixin under heat..
and punjabi chole are readyyyyyyyyyy!!!:):)

PS: now tats it...more aftr my training..am bored of this now..3 dishes more than enuf..:):)

whats cooking these days!

2008-05-09T00:42:00.000-07:00

Just putting recipes here so that they're always accessible to me and also to show off what all I am cooking these days:)

Lemon Chicken (to be served as starter)
1 spoon oil
1/4th kali mirch
1/4th jeera
chicken(2 leg piece)..
salt:1/4th
lemon:1 lemon

first add oil, den jeera, den kaali mirch, den chicken..keep mixing on sim..den add lemon..keep stirring..now switch off gas and keep it covered..and thats it..its simple..its less oil..nd its yummyyyy

Gravy Chicken (main course)
onions(3)
garlic-lassan(7-8 pieces)
adrak(1 piece)
tomatoes(2-3)

cut onions and lassan(garlic) and adrak..make paste if mixie..add to kadhai..add oil...let it become brown/dark pink..
then add tomatoes(2-3 big ones)..mix..
add salt to taste(1 teaspoon)..chicken masala if available..haldi..long..elaichi
mix and make gravy..now add chicken pieces(3 leg pieces)..keep heatin till pak jaaye..
do it on sim flame..
if u have to make chicken wid gravy, add to cooker..add water to just cover the chicken..heat..

chicken ready tra la la la

Absurd..

2008-05-04T20:55:00.001-07:00

We all have our idiosyncrasies. Some weird habit thats so normal to us, but annoying to others. Some people talk too much, some talk too less, some shake their legs continously, some knock their fingers, some drag their feet while walking, some sing tuneless and continuous, some sing in tune and continuous.

But its weird how, if you like someone, either as a friend or as a lover, the same habit becomes a sign of familiarity. Something which was annoying earlier, becomes an action you tend to love and miss. Thats the reason I think we can never criticize or find faults with our loved ones. Because we fall in love with their absurdities too. Absurd isn't it?:)

A beautiful statement by Carrie
"Somewhere out there, is another little freak who will love us, understand us and kiss our three heads and make it all better"- Carrie Bradshaw (Sex and the City)

Some days don't end the way you wanted them to..

2008-04-11T07:19:00.000-07:00

Happens and Happens.

Cliched yet different!

2008-03-11T01:03:00.000-07:00

Just came up from a long session at the mess table with everyone narrating their love stories. I got all mushy at the end on how sweet every relationship was. Also, I realised how a common link ran through the building of relationships. It was almost as if there were random combinations of the same parameters. Maybe that is a very non romantic way of looking at it, but its true.

Every relationship can be divided into two categories-with senior and with batchmate

With batchmate: It starts with the inevitable bonding during some arbit project in December. Infact statistics will show maximum anniversaries during December. Maybe some Christmas spirit spills over to India also. Meals together, night outs, movies. The project gets ditched, but the relationship reaches completion..

With senior: Some fundae for some company, resumes, scholarships, fundaes for insti activities, MI seniors, dept seniors. Intellectual sessions leading to the gal being impressed. Resume gets made, schols get awarded and you get hitched in addition..

The weird thing is that inspite of every relationship story being cliched, with the same tricks and games being played, yet its still so sweet and beautiful to listen to..!!

Hats off Cupid!!

For the unphoenix

2008-03-01T21:22:00.000-08:00

One could not count the moons that shimmer on her roofs
Or the thousand splendid suns that hide behind her walls

These are lines by Saeb-e-Tabrizi, a seventeenth century Persian poet while praising Kabul.

These are the lines that Laila, the protagonist of A Thousand Splendid Suns remembers when she is returning to war torn Kabul after the US forces have defeated the Taliban there.

These are the lines that every citizen can find befitting to describe his/her home nation.

Just finished reading this touching bestseller in which Khaled Hosseini has tracked the history of Kabul from 1980s to now. It seems a pity that a country so beautiful is destroyed and shattered by war. All because of power play. Power play, a game that twists your conscience and breaks all your moral bindings; wrenches the heart right out of your body and hurls it away.

In such times of adversity, what does it take to survive? Laila survived. She did not come out unscathed or unscarred. Memories of the terror, nightmares of the massacres continued to haunt her, but still she learnt to live with hope again. She still had the courage to come back to her home country which had taken away everything from her-her parents, her youth, her freedom. But that was Laila. She was undefeated by the war demon. What about the thousands who succumbed to the terror the demon yielded? What about the thousands who didn't have the courage to return? Everyone is not a phoenix.

And for those unphoenix(pardon narrative license), I mourn today.

PS: Bunked a CAT class to finish the novel and write this blog. Back to the world of books, I am loving it!

Midsem week!

2008-02-17T03:10:00.000-08:00

Disclaimer:This is written for the sole purpose of cribbing!

I don't like studying..I don't like exams..and I don't like people who make me J by going out and having fun when I cant..

I want something good to eat..I want to sleep..I want to finish my novel..do anything but study..

Those were the best days of my life!

2008-02-10T22:08:00.000-08:00

Innumerable night outs....

Shameless oversleeping and running for lectures..

Ridiculous reasoning to get tests postponed..

Absolutely absurd excuses for coming late to class..

Flippantly forgetting about quizzes..

Reckless rush for last minute submissions..

Constant cribbing about mess food..

Leisurely loitering at lakeside..

Walking around getting drenched in rains..

Cursing the unfair sex ratio..

Teasing everyone and anyone nonchalantly..

The first crush..the first date..

The first cigarette..the first drink..

Complaining about everything the institute had or did..

But loving it even more every moment ..

There are countless intangible things that we take away with us from IIT Bombay apart from the degree. What we are when we enter, and what we become, as we leave this institute, are two completely different personalities. And definitely, the change is for the better. Lord only knows the reason for the change, for such an amazing grooming—whether it’s the campus, the academics or the impressive seniors who always show us how much more we can improve.

Whoever be the magician, the institute has cast a spell on each and every person who has stayed in it. A spell which keeps calling us back to it, forcing us to miss it daily. For our mission, we are hoping to remind everyone of the magical times(if they need any reminding!) so that people will shell out some money to give something back to the institute.

WRITTEN FOR SARC(Student Alumni Relation Cell) FOR THE FUNDRAISING CAMPAIGN

One for the cravings!

2008-02-01T22:51:00.000-08:00

I am one of the worst people I know in terms of food cravings..

Thai vegetable rice
Black forest pastry
Cheese pasta

That makes it Pop Tates, Red Box and Pizza Hut

Presently, I have people who listen to my whims and take me out to satisfy these urges. And I live in Bombay, where cravings can normally be satisfied by a single auto ride. Dunno how long this will last. Thats why I want the future to be like the present. Always..

Story of a free spirit

2008-01-31T02:12:00.000-08:00

Flying high
Across boundaries
Breaking barriers
Breaching bonds

Running- a free spirit
Memories washed away
Feelings drenched
Awakened, strengthened

Lilliputian issues forgotten
Towards a greater purpose,
I walk ahead
I rise alone

Adeos 2007, Welcome 2008!!

2008-01-01T23:24:00.000-08:00

2008 deserved a new template..
2007 was an amazing year and I hope 2008 continues the same way..
Will be an eventful year with internship, CAT and placements..
Hope the good luck continues!

PS: They should have released the movie welcome in 2008..then they could have advertised "Welcome 2008 with Welcome" :D:D

My sweetheart!

2007-12-28T04:45:00.000-08:00

Cudnt resist sharing these pics..
Thats our maid's daughter..
When this sweetheart of mine cries, I tend to attract her attention to any weird stuff lying around da house...This time, when after the photo session she refused to leave the tub, I had to lure her away with a box of matchstix which made a rattling sound that somehow appeased her..
How easy it is to distract kids..and how difficult to do the same once you're grown up..

“We've had bad luck with children; they've all grown up”

The Original Cuppycake Video

2007-12-27T08:10:00.001-08:00

auuww!!!
Girls as cute as this..and so many people still find girls a curse if born in da family..
Shame to them!!

Cooking again!!

2007-12-24T07:48:00.000-08:00

Taddaaaa!!!
I cooked again today..
My old pasta recipe revived with pieces of chicken salami thrown in..
And lemon pepper chicken..
Yours truly cooks well!! :D:D:):)
Though only when she feels like cooking:D

A suitable boy

2007-12-23T11:55:00.000-08:00

Currently reading
When a book makes you smile aloud and keeps you awake for four hours alone in da nite, you know its good!

Taare Zameen Par

2007-12-22T05:48:00.000-08:00

Aamir khan really does things differently..
He may come out very rarely, but when he does, he creates a sensation..
First RDB and now this..
Good things come in small packages indeed..

Amazing movie..nice songs..awesome acting..the kid rules da day!!
A must watch for all parents, all youngsters who wil be parents in a few years' time..all teachers..and anyone who likes kids..
Really go out and catch the movie..you won't regret it!

In the right place...

2007-12-21T23:52:00.000-08:00

It seemed sudden then
Seemed full of twists and turns

Now looking back,

Seems a straight path
Totally expected, meant to be
The dots when joined backwards do make sense

Surprise, shock or expected?
I understand the expected answer now:)
Weird that it seemed unexpected then
But maybe things look clearer from a distance always..

Sem of "firsts"!!

2007-12-18T23:04:00.000-08:00

Back to home and I guess back to my spell of being a regular blogger..

First a bit on the present month and the past sem..
Haven't had a better semester I guess!!

Goa, internship and friends..--what else would one need..appetizing starters

Then the present month..--quite the delicious main course
All friends with amazing placements..
A whirlwind of treats..
Circus(literally and figuratively), dinners, night outs, Pune..

And then the SPI--lets say the lip smacking dessert
Yours truly a nine pointer finally..

So summing up, its been a sem of "Firsts" bigtime..Hoping this huge big party continues forever!!

HiGh oN liFe

2007-12-04T00:10:00.000-08:00

Yo!!!
Can things be any better!!

Photogenic life!

2007-11-29T08:48:00.000-08:00

An orange hued sun
Shadowing on placid waters

Lush green blades of grass
Palm trees to match one's leisure

Housewives cribbing about half made dinners
Grandpas discussing politics

Chirping kids struggling on bicycles
Coocooing love birds holding hands

Nothing less than a photogenic life
Captured in the memory lens!

Masked!

2007-11-21T09:37:00.001-08:00

Masked faces all around,
Wish to meet some real people!!

Words of wisdom from I, me, myself:

Don't expect everyone to meet your expectations!!

Your ethics may be and will be different from people's. So don't compare!!

Don't waste your anger and effort when things can't be changed!!

What you have to do, you have to do. So don't crib. Do it or don't!!

Music: Al pacino- Peace with Inches Speech

Mood: Sad-->Pondering-->Peaceful-->Wise-->Happy

Huhh!!!!:(:(

2007-11-12T09:37:00.000-08:00

This post is from a frustrated student...
I miss home like helll...
I miss being pampered...
I miss getting proper meals to eat..
Finally a deviation from my "High on life" mode...
I dont like being back that much today coz I finally havta studyyy!!!!! :(:(:(

Heee haaaa!!!!!!!

2007-11-07T22:48:00.000-08:00

Sometimes you write for a reason..
Sometimes when you write,
you want to say something..
express some thought, some whim..
but sometimes, you just scribble..

hee haaa

Sometimes you just write prefect nonsense
which you absolutely can
after all, its ur blog..ur space
you're allowed to write total crap:D:D

This is what inactivity does to me after a while..
God meant me to be a workaholic:D:D

princess days!!

2007-11-05T23:10:00.000-08:00

Royalty..Thats what i feel like when i am at home..
A full fledged princess whose every wish and whim is fulfilled..
Home is such a huge luxury..
Like a grand hotel with someone taking constant care of you..
No wonder I never feel like coming back much:D:D
Days are going past so fast..3 down and 5 to go..
And considering this will be my longest stay for a very long time now(Dec and Summers--interns and then placements), I am feeling time is running away..

Schlumberger

2007-11-04T07:50:00.000-08:00

Internship in Schlumberger from May-July 2008!!

sporadic thoughts!!

2007-10-23T06:44:00.000-07:00

Blogging after ages!!!

Im calling my thoughts sporadic today..coz they are damn scattered..
Life is going quite good..Won't say much about it coz I think everytime I say its fundoo and all it gets a bit jinxed..But its going pretty nice(there I said it again..cant help it:D:D)..

Spent time with I, me , myself today..felt good..was reading something about Indian women writers in India Today..raised my writing dreams and ambitions and all again today..its cool how I always manage to get work which involves writing..nostaljigs, insight, department newsletter and now the alumni association newsletter..doing work which you enjoy is really a blessing..

Today is a day for relaxing and arbit writing as I have the whole day off tomorrrow..I can finally pick up my book again..Ohh for people who dont know, I am reading Shashi Tharoor's Riot(from my leopold-strand book shopping spree)..Interesting read..

Going home in another 10 days..looking forward to that too...mom is already asking me the menu for the week:):)..

Some great songs I am listening to on the play list right now
"Abhi na jao chod kar"-mohd. rafi
"Move your Body"-Johny Gaddar
"Khamaj"-Fuzon
"Tere mere sapne ab ek rang hain"
"Its rocking "--alisha chinoi

Haha..quite a cocktail(or mocktail :P:P)

Its rocking!!

2007-10-19T23:21:00.000-07:00

yup thats the mood...
High spirits!!
A word of thanks to all the people who have made my life rocking these days..
one word which describes my mood --"Yo"
Friends rockkkk!!!!

Rest In Peace

2007-09-25T19:48:00.001-07:00

A tribute to my dear old nokia 1100..(Lost it in Sheesha yesterday)
Will miss you:(:(:(:(:(
May you rest in peace and work very badly for your new owner(coz hes has stolen itX(X(X(X---so dont you dare work properly for himX(X( )

Yo!!!!

2007-09-24T10:44:00.000-07:00

electric atmosphere!!!
edge of the seat match literally!!
voice hoarse from cheering!!
hands numb from clapping!!
fingernails bitten off!!
The best team won!!
Yo Yo Yo Yo!!!

PS: And this one inspired by you, aarathi: "Losersss!!!!!In your face"

Leopold!!

2007-09-23T02:08:00.000-07:00

Yesterday deserves a mention as I finally went to Leopold cafe (of the shantaram fame). People who have read the book know why its worth putting a blog post on it:)
Bombay roxxx!!!
And South bombay more so!!!

"I am the best"--no more:)

2007-09-06T00:28:00.000-07:00

The title refers to the song "I am the best" by SRK from Phir bhi dil hai hindustani..
I realised while talking to a friend that IIT teaches you one good thing for sure..that you are not the best..all of us here, have been mostly school toppers etc etc before coming here..so there is a feeling of being no 1..IIT sure takes that out of u as it punches you in the face with so many people who are smarter and better than you...love this institute for taking all my air out and making me humble about everythng..and making me able enuf to accept losing and even appreciate the people who defeat me..
(reference reference to the ITC interview..still hurts a bit:D:D..will blog about it later)

Solitary thoughts

2007-08-19T06:44:00.000-07:00

mixed emotions,
jumbled expressions,
confused desires,
labyrinth of wants,
solitary thoughts..

life is damn confusing at times..

Is killing always a sin?

2007-08-17T22:32:00.000-07:00

killing is a crime
Its God that gives us this life and to take it away is a sin
But inspite of that we find some killings justified or better said, not that sinful, as they had a reason

cases in mind

---Rang De Basanti where a corrupt politician is killed by a group of friends to avenge the death of a friend and claim his honor

---Provoked where a lady kills her husband after having suffered years of torture and abuse

---Phir bhi dil hai hindustani where a father kills a person to avenge the rape of his daughter

---euthanasia or mercy killing where a person is suffering extreme non-ending pain and wants to be killed himself or in a sort of last stage terminal illness and wants to die..

---in the case of war

so is killing right or wrong..or is there no definite answer..too subjective an issue maybe..infact this sometimes confuses me when i try and think whether there should be death sentence for rape offence..most of the times i end up supporting death sentence for it, as in a rape you are emotionally and physically destroying another being totally..scarring someone for life..but does that give us license to kill??dunno..confused on what my opinions are-- as usual..

My Barefoot Doc

2007-08-10T07:34:00.000-07:00

Dear Diary,

Today was the most beautiful day of my life.

I became a mother today. I gave birth to a beautiful baby girl. And I am not saying that she is beautiful because she is my daughter. The whole hospital wing’s nurses said that she was the most beautiful baby they had ever seen. Her almond-shaped eyes are like a gateway to heaven. Her innocence is reflected in every feature of hers. I am so happy and so is Zean. I have never seen him happier, not even at our wedding. He just adores our daughter. We have decided to name her Jeannie after Ralph’s daughter. And guess what? Ralph is flying in tomorrow to bless Jeannie. I’m looking forward to talking to him again so much.

As I closed my diary and put it on the bedside table, I felt pleasure and excitement for our new beginnings. I looked towards Zean who was sleeping, sitting in the chair itself, and then towards Jeannie in her crib. I felt complete. The contentment gave way to a feeling of immense gratitude to God, and of course my mentor, my guide –Ralph, my barefoot Doc.

I snuggled deeper into my hospital quilt and my mind wandered to our first meeting, three years back at Santa Marina. Perhaps it was coincidence that he happened to be there that same evening or perhaps it was my destiny.

As I sat on the beach that day, and watched the waves come and go, I felt a sort of resentment towards the sea. I hated it to be so huge to unsettle the sand and take it into itself. I felt resentment towards the birds flying so high in the sky. I hated their merry chirping which unsettled my gory feelings. I hated the young child making a sandcastle that would be washed away by the next huge wave. I thought of warning the child, but something cold and crass inside me awoke and I thought ‘Let him get what he deserves. Let his castle be destroyed. Serves him right to be so happy ’. A tear glistened in my eye. It was starting to drizzle and I was happy that I would be able to pass off my tears as rain.

Then suddenly from nowhere, this man came and sat two rocks distant from me. As I took a quick glance at him, I assumed him to be around 50 yrs old. Though he was wearing normal clothes, there was a difference in the way he carried himself. He had a presence, if you know what I mean. When he saw that I was looking at him, I quickly averted my eyes. Afraid that he would strike a conversation, I decided to go back to my hut.

There was a blizzard for two days after that. I was happy. The weather suited my mood and gave me something to mope about. Finally, unfortunately, the weather cleared up. The sun shone again and my mother, in the hope that my mood would improve if my surroundings changed, pushed me out of the hut. I did not have the energy to argue, so I just left.

As I took my place on the rocks, the same man suddenly came and sat beside me. He was in normal attire; the only thing strange was that he was barefoot on the hot burning sand.

He spoke first.

“Hello, I am Ralph. Ralph Hookes.”

I realized there was no getting away. I had to be cordial.

“Hi. I am Sinara”

He said” Nice name. Definitely unusual.”

“I need to go for a walk. It was nice meeting you. ”, I said, hoping he would take the hint and leave me alone.”

“Sure. Would you mind if I join you?”

“Umm… I guess not”, I replied. I decided that I couldn’t exactly tell him on his face that I wanted to be alone.

As he talked to me, I came to know that he had come along with his daughter for his annual holiday. He was an accountant. I couldn’t help asking him why he was walking barefoot on the hot sand.

“Well I think you will find this stupid, but actually it makes me feel good. It is one of the main elements of my sand theory”, he answered.

By this time my curiosity had got the better of my sardonic attitude. I asked him,” Sand Theory? What is that?”

Ralph looked a bit sheepish and replied,” Well, I believe that sand is the origin of human philosophy. Sand is time, sand is relationships, sand signifies life.”

He paused a bit and said,”Well if you join me for a cup of coffee, I’ll tell you more about my theory.”

I thought for a minute, but again my curiosity got the better of me and I said yes.

We moved into the nearby coffee shack and found two corner seats where we could talk undisturbed. As the waiter served coffee, he started speaking, ”I believe that sand is the simile of life. My three main elements of sand theory are like this. Firstly, the reason why I like walking barefoot on sand. I believe that when I walk barefoot on the sand all my repressed emotions, pent-up feelings go through my body to the sand. After that I wash my feet in the sea and purify myself by purging out all the disturbing emotions of jealousy, anger, envy, hatred and weeding out my worries.

Secondly, I believe sand symbolises relationships. The tighter you hold on to sand the more it falls out of your hand. It is the same with relationships. Sometimes you just need to let it go. You can’t hold on too much. As the old adage goes ‘If it comes back it was yours, if it doesn’t it never belonged to you’

Thirdly, and maybe the most important, sand has taught me to move on in life. Have you ever stood at one particular place near the sea such that the waves are rushing in and out from beneath your feet? Well if you haven’t, then try it. You will realize that sand covers your feet and you feel you are sinking. It is exactly the same in life. If you keep standing at one place, you are destroyed. Life is all about learning how to move on and leaving unfortunate incidents behind.

Sinara, are you okay? Are you listening?”

I was speechless. Without saying a word, I ran back from the shack to my hut. By the time I reached my room I was in hysterics. I let myself cry for a long time. Then after I had cooled down, I decided to try it. It was a signal from God. Everything fitted so perfectly. I took off my slippers, went down on the beach and started walking.

I had never been sad or depressed as a child. In fact I had had a very happy childhood. At 20, I was in my third year in bachelor of mathematics, studying my passion. I was the captain of the women’s basketball team and the assistant editor of my university newspaper. I had a perfect boyfriend, Roy. A perfect life in all.

But 22^nd May changed everything. As I was coming back from a game with Leese, a co-player and a very good friend, on her motorbike, we had an accident. Miraculously, I was saved as I fell on the road but Leese fell with the motorbike into the valley. I escaped the accident with a slight head injury and a ruptured spine, but Leese was dead. I became well with 2 months of hard physiotherapy. But I couldn’t play basketball anymore and had to wear a brace for an year.

Though my physical condition improved considerably, I never recovered emotionally. I couldn’t accept that Leese was dead. She had always been so lively. She was the chirpiest girl on our team and I somehow could not come to terms with her absence. Perhaps I felt guilty that I was alive. I don’t know. But my attitude changed considerably. My grades dropped, I stopped caring about college. I became over possessive about Roy. But that was the time I needed his support most and that was the time that he left me, saying he had found someone else. I was distraught. I broke off from everyone, even my parents. Then as my summer break approached, Ma and Pa decided to take me to the beach to stay, as I had loved beaches as a child.

I stopped walking. I sat on the same rock on which I had sat a few hours before, but I was not the same I washed my feet in the sea. I purged myself of so many parasitic emotions- my hatred for Roy, my guilt of being alive, my disgust that I had developed for anything and anybody merry. I realized that Leese wouldn’t like me living my life like this. I realized the amount of hurt I was causing my parents with my behaviour. Something changed inside me that night.

As the sun’s rays streamed in the next morning, I rushed to Ralph’s hut, which he had pointed out to me the evening before. As he opened the door with groggy eyes, I gave him a hug and thanked him for telling me his sand theory. I told him,” You know Ralph, you were my doctor last night. You cured the deepest incisions in my emotions. Thank you, thank you so much, my Barefoot Doc.”

The next year I met Zean. We got married and the rest is history.

I again looked at Zean and Jeannie sleeping peacefully and decided to say a silent prayer of gratitude to God for everything-for Jeannie, for my rebirth, for sending me my angel- Ralph, My Barefoot Doc.

COMMENTS: I wrote this in 12th standard; the part I like best in it is the one about moving on in life. I believe the story can be improvised upon a lot in the way of its presentation. There are lots of things which can be expressed without saying them outrightly which I haven't done in this. I was scared about it being any good at all but got tanvi’s approval so I decided it was at least some good writing it. I know its still fart:D:Dbut I guess I can be excused as I was quite young that time.

The wonder day

2007-08-07T00:58:00.000-07:00

I had a perfect day yesterday..:):)

had a gr8 time in the department with a lab cancelled..then i finally got the anti-termite treatment done (tho temporary)..that was followed by me getting my first pay..got 5000 bucks all of my own..and cant think of what to spend them on..im finally understanding the worth of money maybe:D:D(tats something which my mum has spent years on making me understand and still failed:P)

then came ravali's birthday..we all gifted her cutteee cutteee stuff and she loved them all..it was great to see pure glee on her face(sometimes seeing people happy can make you feel gr8 from inside)..love u baby:*:*:*..ul go a long way:) coz ur such a gr8 kid at heart:)

then i came back to the room and was taking a book out when out fell a small book/card my parents had sent me on my birthday which had beautiful words on how special daughters are.. now while writing all this(il be able to post it in the morning only coz of lan ban) im sitting in
my bed listening to howie day-collide(gr8 song..plss hear), and looking at my cheque and the card:)..gives a warm feeling inside..a friend recently asked me why i get happy on such small stuff..i told him, isnt that better..because i get to be happy more frequently this way:):)

PS:love you chinka and gult junta..wudnt be the same here without you all rocking the hostel:):)am thankful i have 2 more years with you here:):)
PS1:my blog juss completed 100 posts(this is the 101th)
so..

PARTNER:a must no watch

2007-08-02T00:32:00.000-07:00

a warning for all the considerate people who read my blog..dont dont dont watch the movie PARTNER..its the most pathetic movie i have ever seen..ruddy dialogues...imagine dialogues that rhyme..reminded me of GUNDA..salman khan wears gay clothes throughout(orange pants and yellow tweety tshirt..ugghhh)..looks for any excuse to take off his shirt..govinda opts to take off his pants..theyve juss spoiled HITCH out and out..i mean how can you go so wrong in a remake..
i sat through 2 hours of the movie and finally thought it was over..but nooo..i just felt it was over..seems they decided to extend the movie to include some nonsense obscenity..and there they went on for half an hour again..
this movie almost moved me to throw my chappal at the screen so dont dont dont go for this torture..
PS:only go if you wanna gawk at katrina..

All smiles...

2007-07-29T02:52:00.000-07:00

yiippeeeeee
that describes my mood today
euphoric
just came back to the insti while it was raining..got a little wet..came to my room which is soooo beautiful..(its has to be considering the pains i took to decorate it:) )..i have wall hangings..i have posters..i have cuuuuteee flowershaped yellow slips..a bright curtain..great bed..ganpati idols..a gentle breeze coming in..
what else does a gr8 room need:D:D:D..nd most of all its my ownnnnnn for 2 years now:)..gr8 feeling..tho i do find being alone a little odd..but il get used to it soon i guess:)..
so the result being i'm all smiles:):):):):)..i wish blogspot had smileys...just want to stay in da room and take in the beauty of the rains outside now..

The catcher in the rye

2007-07-26T21:37:00.000-07:00

I dunno if most people have heard about this book..its been a very controversial book at the time it was released..written by J.D.Salinger..i still dont understand why the author wrote what he wrote..but still i loved the book..couldn't put it down once i started though not much made sense to me..but just putting some quotes here i loved..

“You take somebody that cries their goddam eyes out over phoney stuff in the movies, and nine times out of ten they're mean bastards at heart.”

"If a girl looks swell when she meets you, who gives a damn if she's late? Nobody. "

"If you had a million years to do it in, you couldn't rub out even half the "Fuck you" signs in the world. It's impossible."

"I'm always saying "Glad to've met you" to somebody I'm not at all glad I met. If you want to stay alive, you have to say that stuff, though" "I don't even know what I was running for - I guess I just felt like it. "

"I'm the most terrific liar you ever saw in your life. It's awful. If I'm on my way to the store to buy a magazine, even, and somebody asks me where I'm going, I'm liable to say I'm going to the opera. It's terrible. "

"People never notice anything."

"It's funny. All you have to do is say something nobody understands and they'll do practically anything you want them to."--and I think thats what the author did..:D

PS:its finally raining here..yaayyyyyyyyy...mmmmuaaaahhh mumbai:)

Phir bhi dil hai hindustani

2007-07-22T04:37:00.000-07:00

Recently when my cousin who lives in canada came to visit us, we ended up discussing on settling abroad and I heard myself telling her how I didn't want to settle abroad.

Even I did not know my views clearly until that moment.
I don't want to settle abroad as I don't want to sit in taxis playing english songs and kill the pani puri craving with burgers always.

Mindgames..

2007-07-18T06:41:00.000-07:00

I was thinking today about the things I fear in life. There came out to be a lot of fears like losing my loved ones, people I love being angry with me, lizards, cockroaches etc. and one of the major fears was a situation in which people can read my mind and heart.

I realised that, thats the most private thing; your thoughts, your true opinions about people, your memories. Is this true for everyone? Or are there people who are dead frank with all they feel. Because I know am not.

Everyone's mind jumps from one cue to another uniquely. There are so many links to my thoughts--like books make me crave for coffee/tea and cake..rain always reminds me of mumbai..a particular person always makes me smile--and i would never want to reveal those links to anyone at all. I detest some people in my life(i have a vague feeling they know my true feelings) but sadly i can't say it to their face; but it wud be pretty bad for me if they came to read my thoughts :D..(waise not bad for me..just awkward..hehe)

Just imagine a situation when your mind gets a voice of it own.

You're sitting with some relatives saying"what a beautiful dress" and your mind blurts out "this gaudy dress makes you look even fatter than you are"

Or you are sitting with a classmate talking and suddenly your mind blurts out "why da hell are you such a flirt"

Or you're listenin to a friend talk and suddenly your mind starts snoring...zzzzzz...

:)))..hehe..thank god people cant read minds..and our minds dont have voices..

To kill a mockingbird

2007-07-17T01:40:00.000-07:00

the cover page:) at least of the edition I read

Jem and Scout in the movie

I just happen to be plain lucky these summers to chance upon one good book after another:). Just finished To Kill a Mockingbird written by Harper Lee. Its a beautiful book:) and quite hard hitting as it shows the hypocrisy and prejudice of society through the eyes of an innocent 8 year old.The plot revolves around 2 siblings-jem and scout-elder bro and younger sis(maybe thats why i loved it even more:) ). The story is narrated by 8 year old Scout of her childhood, based in a sleepy town Maycomb, when the society was fraught with feelings of racism towards the blacks. It also covers the rough times faced by these kids when their father, a lawyer, is handed a case to defend a black man accused of raping a white woman. Inspite of everyone knowing the fact that the black man was innocent, the jury pronounced him guilty, despite all the efforts put in by their father to save him. At one point in the book, Scout is baffled by one of her teachers who criticizes Hitler’s prejudice against Jews while indulging in her own prejudice against blacks. So, the book shows in a satirical way, how irrational adults can be, due to prejudice. It also makes you reflect upon the fact that children are the purest human beings, as they haven't been exposed to the evil in the world yet and thus have clear-cut concepts of what is fair and what is not. Putting some lines I liked below:

"I wanted you to see what real courage is, instead of geting the idea that courage is a man with a gun in his hand. Its when you know you are licked before you begin but you begin anyway and you see through it no matter what. You rarely win, but sometimes you do."--said by Atticus(father of jem and scout)

"Shoot all the bluejays you want, if you can hit 'em, but remember its a sin to kill a mockingbird."--Atticus

"I came to the conclusion that people were just peculiar. I withdrew from them, and never thought about them until i was forced to."-- Scout

"..chewing gum cleaved to her palate and rendered her speechless."--reason a lady gave to Jem for not eating shewing gum :D

There is a movie on it also. I haven't watched it yet but I can bet it can never catch the essence of the book. And its a short book of 300 pages so an easy read also. Do try it:)

PS: The book won the pulitzer prize in 1961, an year after it was published.

Shantaram

2007-07-16T08:21:00.001-07:00

I have been planning to put up this post for very long now. Happened to read shantaram in these summer holidays and have one word for it"awweessoooommeee". Its the best book I have read in quite a long time. The last book that impressed me this much was Godfather i think or maybe atlas shrugged. This book is one which doesn't lose its pace at any point. Full of action, drama, emotion. And the picture it paints is very colorful. Very vivid descriptions and amazing use of metaphors.aahh..il run out of adjectives but will not be able to praise the book enuf..
I loved the characterization also a lot..of khaderbhai, lee, abdullah tehari, lisa carter and of course karla, one of the most impressive characters(atleast in the initial part of the book). Another thing lovable in the book are the lines spoken by karla..which have inspired an earlier post also..:D so just putting some i liked here(most of them have been spoken by karla my all time favourite:D)..read them with a little attention..ull love them..:)

"The world and I are not on the speaking terms. The world tries to win
me back, but it doesn't work. I guess I'm just not the forgiving
type."

"It's my favourite place in the whole world, to be treated like dirt."

"The truth is a bully we all pretend to like."

"He is the kind of man who wears his sleeve on his heart."

"I could never respect a man who didn't have the good sense to be at
least a little afraid of me."

"Sometimes you have to surrender before you win."

"Wisdom is just cleverness, with all the guts kicked out of it."

"I'd only give you advice if I didn't care what happens to you."

"If fate doesn't make you laugh, then you just don't get the joke."

"I take everything personally- that's what being a person is all about."

"They look like monuments of something that died. Something very
unpopular.. like... human spirit, for example."

"Sometimes I think that's what heaven is- a place where everybody's
happy because nobody loves anybody else, ever."

"Happiness is a myth, it was invented to make us buy things."

"I don't know what frightens me more,the power that crushes us or our
endless ability to endure it."

"Mistakes are like bad loves, the more you learn from them, the more
you wish they'd never happened."

"It isn't a secret, unless keeping it hurts."

"Depression only happens to people who don't know how to be sad."

"Luck is what happens to you when fate gets tired of waiting"

"The past reflects eternally between 2 mirrors:the bright mirror of words and deeds, and the dark one, full of things we didn't do or say"

"Poverty and pride are devoted blood brothers until one,always and inevitably, kills the other"

And for all those who are too lazy to devour the 900 something page book, there is a movie being made on it. But I suggest the book.

summer of '07

2007-07-14T03:24:00.000-07:00

holidays finally nearing their end..juss another 10 days to go..i have enjoyed dese hols juss so much..best hols ever..so i thought they deserved a blog post..summer of '07 :D

they started with a family get together after quite some time..bhai me mama papa..livin in 3 diff cities..mum dad in one, me in another nd bhai in 3rd can be quite tiresome..we r together juss 2-3 times an year..and tat too for not more than 2-3 days at a stretch..so it was nice being together for almost a week for a change..

and den came my cousin sis from canada who is gettin married in august..she stayed wid us for a month..and i had a balll...really..had an elder sis for da first time..nd it felt gr8..felt especially nice to have company to talk late into da nite at home..was shoppin everday for a month i think..it was interesting..jewellary..wedding lehenga..wedding suit..sherwani..saris nd da rest..punjabi weddings are so grand really..i thnk dey must be leaving parents quite impoverished:D..

den after she left, i started reading and devoured awesome books this time like midnight's children, shantaram, 1984, 48 laws of power...by the way, those who havent read shantarm are really missing out on something(a blog on shantaram l8r).

also, all this time i started blogging wid new fervour and i think building this blog has been the most constructive thing i have done this summers..because it has given me sumthng to look forward too..i am totally smitten by it and love nurturing it..blogging dus being my fav daily activity:)

and den the gr8est trip ever to mussoorie and singapore..enjoyed just too much coz tried so many new things..and saw so many new places..made me feel i want to host a travel show one day:D:D hehe

and tomorrow, am going to my brothers place for a week ..gosh..cant believe he has his own place nd all..seems like yesterday we shared a room..aahh..ok am gettin senti..probably coz its my last day at home..im gonna miss mum nd dad..im gonna miss my house..am gonna miss my library(320 books at da recent count:D )..im gonna miss home food..nd am gonna miss da clean bathrooms:P:P..
bbye fairyland..aka palace..aka dreamworld..:(:(

eww..ewww..ewwww

2007-07-13T09:53:00.000-07:00

I happened to watch a news report on India Tv today..which showed that the sheets that we get in the trains are hardly washed, inspite of them charging extra for it..i had seen the sheets lying on the station, but i always believed they must be washing them later..but it turns out that they are used by about 8-10 people before they are washed.. The only thing which is done to them is that they are ironed, so you can't tell that they havent been washed..Fake bills are shown of the washing and the officials hog the extra cash..
my reaction to this:ewwwwww...ewwwww....ewwww
am travelling in a night train day after tomorrow..:(:(:(:(
ewwwwwwwwwwwwwwww
bloody corruption

We're like assembled PCs

2007-07-11T10:53:00.000-07:00

The credits normally go last , but i am putting them first. This blog is inpired by a conversation with my friend, nimit who was with me in school.
"Be what you want to be, Taking things the way they come,Nothing is as nice as fine in Paradise and sipping on Bacardi rum."

You can always be what you want to be. What you are today is not what you were at any point of time before. As we have all heard before, nothing is constant except change itself. Consciously or unconsciously, we keep changing ourselves continously. A habit here, a habit there. Changing to become a person that what we want to see ourselves as. That is the reason that from childhood to now, the no. of role models has been decreasing for us. For example, at one time i admired a family friend for the way she carried herself. Now i don't. Probably becauseI carry myself da same way now. At one time, i used to admire a close friend for her confidence. Now I don't, as I am tat confident myself. For example, one of my friends now signs off in mails as her bf used to, wid da same exclamatory expression i mean. Some people may call that aping, but thats not aping as you are not copying someone totally. You are just building qualities in yourself that you admire in people. So as a person, you may be made of several bits and pieces, developed at different times within you. Sort of similar to an assembled PC. Where you get da best of everything.(this expression assembled PC is copied from someone's orkut profile..sorry:D)
And if you want to be , you can reorganise the pieces and make yourself a new person. I realised tat everytime I changed schools (which was every 3-4 years because of dad's job), I became a new person. If my school friends from two schools try and compare my qualities, they would find huge differences. Talk about major time mpd:D(multiple personality disorder). hehe. and if my skool frnds (frm 11th 12th) saw how lukhi I am in college they would never believe it.
Waise I can't say if the above said holds for everyone. It does hold for me.

Everything happens for a reason

2007-07-10T11:14:00.000-07:00

Everything that happens in life is for a reason. The consequences of every occurrence are pre-decided. Things that may seem very small also have a reason as to why they occur.

Sometimes you can see the good things hidden behind an event, but sometimes you can’t, as the bad thing has been prevented from happening(which is also a good thing:D). Sometimes you can understand the reasons immediately, at other times it may take a lifetime to understand why a certain thing happened. Somehow I feel that I am able to comprehend quite a lot of things from my past(not much of a past waise considering only 19 years:P) understanding why it was good they happened. Some things are unexplained yet, I cannot understand everything, but quite a lot that happened makes sense. As a friend told me(I thought it was original but later realized those were steve jobs’ words) you can only connect the dots looking backwards. It makes much more sense then.

The jigsaw does get completed eventually to form a full picture. So if you find certain past events unnecessary or wrong, wait. You’ll see the better side of them sooner or later.
*******************************************
ekta kapoor continues to catch my fancy:D:D
chanced on another serial my grandparents were watching today:D
take a look at the dialogues(put senti music in background for effect)
"aapne apni zindagi dekar jis bagiya ko sawaara hai, koi bhi bahar ka mali aakar nahi ujaad paayega"

"batwaare ke zehreele beej boke ja rahe ho tum"

wouldn't you say the script writer was obsessed with gardening?:D

*******************************************
a nice quote
"live some loves, let go some"
-gurveen bedi:D;)

Care for a smoke?

2007-07-07T23:13:00.000-07:00

Belonging to a Sikh household, among my peers I was the one who detested smoking most I think; probably because since none of our acquaintances smoked, I never had to face anyone smoking except strangers at railway stations, bus stops, and such other public places(where actually smoking is banned). I hated the smell and used to get furious at the forced passive smoking, so in such situations, I always made it a point to give a huge glare to the culprit. I had this notion that anyone who smoked was either a rich spoilt brat or a poor addict; whoever it was, always managed to induce a dislike in me for them and their weakness, hence the glare.

But gradually things changed. I moved on to college, where almost every 4^th person smokes. No one considers it a big deal anymore. In fact in dram practices, we have had cigarette breaks at 4 in the night for people who are not able to work without their standard puff. I found all this weird in the beginning but gradually accepted that people do smoke, and that too without any sense of guilt which I (as a kid) thought they would have.

I really respect people who stay away from this slow poisoning habit or who have quit it; that shows a will power which is admirable. Though I don’t give angry glares to people who smoke anymore (now I even have good friends who unfortunately smoke), I still continue to detest the habit. Or maybe I just fail to understand the reasons for smoking. All I can see is that probably something which started as an experiment went on to become a habit, and then supposedly a tension reliever to which they got addicted. For a non-smoker, it is difficult to comprehend why killing yourself slowly is such a fad. People who smoke and by chance happen to come onto this blog , please do enlighten me.

Anyways, the reason I started thinking all this recently was because I happened to come across a good idea I wanted to put up. On cigarette packets in India we have a statutory warning “smoking is injurious to health”. On my recent holiday to Singapore, I saw that on their cigarette packets, along with the same statutory warning, they have images which show what smoking does to you. The images(spoilt teeth, tongue, disfigured neck) are quite gross and I think they may be able to remove the glamour part (which I think lot of people associate smoking with) from cigarette packets. Maybe this would at least encourage beginners to stay away from this poison. I don’t know whom to suggest the idea to, so just putting it up here; so that it may circulate, and maybe, reach the right head so we can have something like this in India too.

On a lighter note, couldn't resist putting these up..

“People always come up to me and say that my smoking is bothering them... Well, it's killing me!”

“I tried to stop smoking cigarettes by telling myself I just didn't want to smoke, but I didn't believe myself”

“I'm not really a heavy smoker any more. I only get through two lighters a day now.”

“smoking is one of the leading causes of statistics.”

Provoked - Official Trailer

2007-07-06T09:00:00.001-07:00

Provoked

2007-07-06T07:54:00.000-07:00

I saw provoked yesterday. It is a beautiful story of indomitable human spirit. It is a real story about the life of kiranjit ahluwalia, an indian staying in UK, who after having been emotionally, sexually, physically abused for 10 years, burnt her husband to death.

Imagine being scared in your own house for yourself..imagine protecting your kids from their own father..imagine just being quiet , suffering, so as to protect family honor..imagine being abused physically during your pregnancy..having to beg money from your own husband to feed your children..And this is the hell that, kiranjit ahluwalia faced and a huge number of battered women continue to face everyday of their lives.

So finally, after another particularly vehemant beating, quite rightfully provoked, she killed him and landed in jail. People feel restricted in a prison and she, ironically, felt free for the first time. In her words "jail of law where atlast i found freedom". It is in prison that she started living her life finally, learnt english, made friends and rebuilt her broken spirits.

Aishwarya rai's acting in the movie is really commendable. She has raised the bar for so many actors with this superb piece.

Some lines i liked in the movie-

"In life there is no honour in silent suffering. There is no affection,no comfort to be found in love that is abused. It is our responsibility as mothers, to raise our sons to treat women with love and respect not violence and anger only then will the suffering end. My story is a part of the picture. I may not be important, but the issue is. Please donot forget that there are many women who need help from you"-(spoken by kiran(aishwarya) at the end of her trial)

"a women is a toy, a plaything broken at will, stuck together at will"-(spoken by kiran(aishwarya) describing what she felt about the abuse)

"wat sort of a world is this..where a women has to lose her marbles to get justice and a man just has to lose his temper"-(spoken by nandita das who plays a woman working for the NGO which helped kiran)

What kiran faced and how she managed to hold herself through the torture reminded me of a line by karla in shantaram-"I don't know what frightens me more,the power that crushes us or our endless ability to endure it."

PS: the society that supported her cause is SOUTHALL BLACK SISTERS
in case you want to read more on the case

singapore trip

2007-07-04T02:33:00.000-07:00

Finally back home after an amazing holiday..can't remember the last time i had this much fun..infact this strengthens my resolve of travelling all around the world..its really interesting to go to a new place..you learn so much about a culture so different from yours..so here am putting up a list of things i did for the first time on my trip..

1) I saw penguins ..they are sooo cutee...they walk in this weird manner as if theyr too fat to walk..found dem adorable..esp the baby penguins..global warming has a huge impact on penguins as they need cold waters to survive..never thought of that..so if also find penguins cute..save electricity and pollute less nd all u can do to prevent global warming..2) At the jurong bird park we paid 2$ to feed the birds and while 2 birds were pecking in the bowl, a bird came and sat on my shoulder..and i was..i guess scared initially..coz it was so sudden..but it was such an amazin feeling..of exhilaration..pure fun..u can tell from the pics i guess..
3) i saw dolphins playing football:D nd doing somersaults and wat not..it seems tat dolphins are grey when theyr young and turn pink once the grow older..the ones i saw were pink..tho the pics are not clear i guess

4) i knew parrots talk but dint know that they sing..they paint..they act..and even add and subtract..theyr intelligence is equivalent to a 4 year old kid..wow rite?here is a pic of a parrot hoisting a flag..
5) had chinese tea at this traditional chinese tea shop where we had gone to shop..the shopkeeper was very nice and made us drink chinese tea..
6) sat on da top of an open double decker(they dont run in mumbai anymore)..had seen it in old hindi movies and always wanted to sit in one:D
7) sat in a shoehouse:D
8) saw an amzing laser and lite show..never seen nythng like tat..
9) the best example of the world becoming a global village.."a cheeni baby in hands of a sardar":D:D..haha dats papa holding a chinki kid..
enuf for today i guess..rest later:)

untold story

2007-07-04T00:33:00.000-07:00

what was it that enticed me about this pic?

a color i find gawdy
soothing it seemed
serenity and mystery
beauty partially revealed
maybe 'twas the mischief
or the suppressed twinkle
the smiling eyes
or the concealed dimple
defying the norms
without defying any
she beheld an untold story
which was best untold

i cant think of a title and i know it is cliched putting this as a title..

2007-06-22T11:23:00.000-07:00

Im off for a holidayy..so my seven week itch somes to an end..(mayb couples wid seven year itches shud also solve da problem da same way:D:Dgo on trips)..anyways going to mussoorie and den to singapore(or singa-freaking-pore as salhotra said or singa-f%$%ing-pore as shantaram said) ahh..my PJs above indicate my happiness and excitement so dont mind them:D

went shopping today..and went inside a book shop for about five minutes..intoxicated me really..made me realise tat i can so easily spend a fortune on books..infact once i start working i am going to start collecting books of a genre called "coffee table books"..which are basically books(normally highly illustrated) you keep in da drawing room..something u can skim through while sipping tea or even guests can have a look..dont require continous reading..( i think the first i will buy wud be"to be or not to be"..tats amitabh bachhan's biography)

was just browsing for coffee table books and chanced upon this book on sikh marriage ceremonies reminding me of one ceremony i love which is da choodha ceremony..u must have noticed the mahrun bangles that newly married punjabi girls wear(if not see below)..those bangles called da choodha are dipped in milk nd slipped on to the bride's wrists by her maternal uncle just before the wedding..somehow i find dis ritual very sweet..

so bbye adeos sayonara for a week i guess..give your eyes rest coz there will be no blogs for somedays now..:):)

Random musings..

2007-06-20T12:02:00.000-07:00

Is there something like partial honesty?like say you are honest about this not about that? Sometimes this confuses me.Does anyone who is completely honest exist?

Once my friends and I went to a shop to buy some stuff and he gave us bak more money than he should have.We realised this a minute after we left the shop and one of my friends thought that going back to return the money was stupidity....(tho by popular vote we went bak)

Another time someone was telling me how they went to a 5-star hotel and the restaurant forgot to charge them for some dessert..and they did not offer to pay as anyways the restaurant earned enough profit..seemed weird thinking to me..the hotel earned money for its services..even tho it may have exorbitant rates..it provided justified service..not paying seemed dishonesty to me when they were relating the story , but again it seemed stupidity to them..

Different people have different sets of morality i guess..its wrong to judge anyone also..the best thing is to stick by your conscience and not go by people's definition of things..

I am the sort of person whom cheating or dishonesty doesnt suit..i never cheat normally in exams..the one time recently i did , in a small quiz, i got the question wrong..talk about getting immediate punishments:D:D..am real grateful to God for this:D:D..coz really prevents me from doing wrong as i immediately get paid for it..

Sometimes i lose out because of I dont cheat in exams as almost everyone does..but i think tat everything is compensated somewhere so maybe the luck i get someplace else is because i got less marks where i was honest..or maybe the bad luck people get someplace else is because they cheated somewhere and got more than they deserved..coz finally you always get what you deserve..

In shantaram they say that the more you try to change things, the worse they become..

I am trying to figure out whether i believe in this statement..Can we change the world..or not..

Hues Of Life

2007-06-20T10:43:00.000-07:00

I see a painting
colours splashed on
brush strokes put in
hues spread across the canvas
i realise its analogy to life..

different hues
different moods
heart, the painter
face, the canvass
a way of expression
moods, thoughts
instincts, fears
come out on the canvass so clear

red is love
the strongest emotion
the boldest colour
shadows out all other hues

black means hurt
lonliness and pain
envy and revenge
angry and insane

yellow is friendship
the truest emotion
bright like the sunbeam
thats always indispensably there

white is purity
peace of mind
clarity of thoughts
confidence and sure

blue is stability
sincerity in thinking
unshaken determination
firmness of purpose

gray is melancholy
a somber shade
like the dark clouds
it casts a shadow of gloom

green is energy
livliness in views
enthusiasm to move forward
zeal to continue

indeed, life is a painting
an assembly of moods
a cluster of colours..

wrote this when i was in 11th standard..My blog is named after this poem..

Orkut pe Chirkutgiri part II

2007-06-19T03:39:00.000-07:00

am sad today..my elder sis..the one tat was just born yeterday disowned me;):D..she has changed her name to rani singhal and has got plastic surgery to become almost aishwarya rai..aahhh..this K serial effect..so i guess no need to ignore her anymore...or report abuse...

Orkut pe Chirkutgiri

2007-06-18T12:02:00.000-07:00

hey friends guess wat i juss got a twin sis..i hav always wanted a sis..and yippeee today i got one..and tat too an elder sis...only problem being that we are twins also somehow...tho r age is not the same..
aaha confused?
well u see someone stole my profile pic on orkut and created a new bogus profile with my name and pic...Well i was angry initially, but then i realised isnt imitation the best form of flattery;)..so a 23 year old aping me..aah mayb I shud take it as a compliment..

If you use orkut, thats me
http://www.orkut.com/Home.aspx?xid=1699112299847932890
and thats my clone(imposterX(X( )
http://www.orkut.com/Profile.aspx?uid=12757708661166794193

So please do take out time and report abuse or atleast ignore the second user...

The 7 weeks Itch..

2007-06-18T09:10:00.000-07:00

Bin about 7 weeks at home...and aaahhhhh..am finally bored..and feel like doing something creative..my hands are itching..and so are my feet actually( for travelling)..i may just go on a fantabulous trip in a week..but nothing is confirmed so i cant even be happy about that:(..
over the last week i have tried movies, cooking, writing , reading ,photoshop and even pot painting...but the damn creative itch doesnt stop..i guess i need to be working on something..am finally tired of being lukha..
even reading is making me feel more inactive coz shantaram is too active a book...
God, i need workkkk..make me busy pleasseee
any suggestions on what to do:( ?

Happy Fathers Day

2007-06-17T07:09:00.001-07:00

Today (june 17) is fathers day..So here's a tribute to dads all over the world and especially to mine:)
2 quotes i liked:
"The most important thing a father can do for his children is to love their mother."
- Anonymous

When I was a boy of fourteen, my father was so ignorant I could hardly stand to have the old man around. But when I got to be twenty-one, I was astonished at how much the old man had learned in seven years. "
- Mark Twain

Pasta chronicles

2007-06-16T06:40:00.001-07:00

What is the meal you find tastiest..the meal that you eat with maximum pleasure no matter how it tastes..
Its something you've cooked yourself..
Because only then do you realise the amount of effort that has gone into it..because you stand in the hot kitchen sweating..and in my case sneezing(because of the masala)..so when finally it is made..you are so tired that you gobble it up wid pleasure..even though it is a little inadequate in NaCl :Dhehe..for the first time i ventured into the kitchen today(perhaps cheeni kum chefgiri inspired me:D) voluntarily and made a proper dish totally independently..(tea and omelette and maggi and sandwiches are not exactly proper dishes)i made pasta today..yipppeeeeeeeee(am still excited about havin achieved this..so dont mind if u see expressions like this interspersed in the blog), so with nothing else to do and also to show off my achievement, i decided to share my grand recipe(yayyyyy) on the blog:D

pasta(serves two)
ingredients
1 tomato(mashed into curry)
1 onion (cut in big slices)
6-7 pieces of green beans(cut into pieces)
2 tablespoon of oil
2 handfuls of macaroni ( i prefer the elbow shaped one )
1 chilli (chopped)
tomato ketchup

procedure
1) Add macaroni and around 2-3 cups of water and 1/2 teaspoon of salt in a pan and keep it for about ten fifteen minutes(till the macaroni is cooked(read eatable)..taste it and ull come to know) on sim flame.
2) Add salt to taste in the tomato curry( i added about 1/2 teaspoon of salt..better less than excess..coz u cant do much about excess:D)
3) In a frying pan or kadhai, add oil and chilli. Then add the onions. Once the onions are brown, add beans and tomato curry..add tomato ketchup to taste..keep stirring continously..(everything on sim flame)
4) Now when the macaroni is well cooked, put it in the kadhai too..Stir properly..cover the kadhai and let it cook for a while..
tadaaaaaaaaa...the dish is ready...
serve hot with chilled coffee;)

When God closed his eyes..

2007-06-15T22:31:00.000-07:00

what the nazis did..the tortures that hitler subjected the jews to..the destruction..the barbarism..the utter senselessness of those years..the killing of humanity and of everything humane still surprises me everytime i come across an example showcasing that terror..
Recently I happened to watch two movies both on the same cause-"the pianist" and "life is beautiful"
It showed how old people and young children were taken to (supposedly) showers and instead killed in the gas chambers(sealed chambers connected by pipes to cylinders of carbon monoxide) there..It showed the ruthlessness of the soldiers doing it..carrying out the instructions they had received coldly, with no mercy..How did Hitler manage to convince them all..How was he able to turn them into such monsters..It is said that every man has a devil inside him..i guess somehow Hitler was able to inspire that devil to come out and carry out inhumane crimes in the name of race purification..I want to read "mein kampf" next ..to see what was inside his mind..his justification for all of it..
One of hitler's steps was to start legalized euthansia..by which he started eliminating all those who were mentally or physically disabled or were chronically ill, his reason for this being that such people were "unproductive national comrades"..what the hell..as if life is to be lived only while you're productive..and if you live a productive life, you're bound to become unproductive someday when your body becomes tired..and then according to hitler, you should be killed as you are of no use..
All this also makes me wonder what had happened to God in all these years..Did He just close His eyes and ears..but then i guess, why blame God for the atrocities by mankind..

Why i think love is crap

2007-06-14T07:32:00.000-07:00

Well I have been asked a number of times why i hold such a view on love and relationships and today "bammm", I found some lines said by Karla, the female protagonist in Shantaram which so fitted all my reasons..am i loving reading the book!!!

"Most loves are like that, from what i can see. Your heart starts to feel like an overcrowded lifeboat. You throw out your pride to keep it afloat, and your self-respect and your independence. After a while you start throwing people out- your friends, everyone you used to know. And its still not enough. The lifeboat is still sinking, and you know it's going to take you down with it. I'v seen that happen to a lot of girls here. I think that's why I'm sick of love."

Stay hungry stay foolish

2007-06-14T05:12:00.001-07:00

chanced upon steve jobs' commencement address at stanford for the second time..decided to put it up here
my favorite lines..
Something that may help you in making decisions (esp if you're as indecisive as me) and also in taking risks:

"you can't connect the dots looking forward; you can only connect them looking backwards. So you have to trust that the dots will somehow connect in your future. You have to trust in something — your gut, destiny, life, karma, whatever. This approach has never let me down, and it has made all the difference in my life."

Find what you love in life and do it..

"Sometimes life hits you in the head with a brick. Don't lose faith. I'm convinced that the only thing that kept me going was that I loved what I did. You've got to find what you love. And that is as true for your work as it is for your lovers. Your work is going to fill a large part of your life, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. And the only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven't found it yet, keep looking. Don't settle. As with all matters of the heart, you'll know when you find it. And, like any great relationship, it just gets better and better as the years roll on. So keep looking until you find it. Don't settle."

Just listen to yourself..

"Your time is limited, so don't waste it living someone else's life. Don't be trapped by dogma — which is living with the results of other people's thinking. Don't let the noise of others' opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary."

my first photoshopgiri..

2007-06-13T00:02:00.001-07:00

i knw its amateurish..but still putting it up..

Chicken Little..

2007-06-12T21:38:00.000-07:00

i watched "Chicken Little" yesterday..and found it amazinglyyy cutee..
some scenes were my favorite..like the one where a fish is driving a car cum aquarium..and the time when chicken little reaches the top of a tower by propelling himself with the fizz of a cola bottle..
and on nclgirl's "little" request, here is the brief outline of da story..
After Chicken Little causes widespread panic--when he mistakes a falling acorn for a piece of the sky--the young chicken is determined to restore his reputation. But just as things are starting to go his way, a real piece of the sky lands on his head. Chicken Little and his band of misfit friends, Abby Mallard (aka Ugly Duckling), Runt of the Litter and Fish Out of Water, attempt to save the world without sending the town into a whole new panic.

putting sum pics here..the sky is falllin...

friends...

fizzzz....

superstar;)

butt...the sky really is fallin...

umm..emmm...hmmm...uh..huh...ummm

words of wisdom

2007-06-12T10:28:00.001-07:00

found dis on sum1s blog..puttin it up..

tip tip tip tip baarish shuru ho gayi...

2007-06-09T23:42:00.000-07:00

Here I am, sitting in sweltering heat, with a temperature of 48 degree Celsius that makes you sweat even while taking a bath, and to add insult to my injury, Hindustan Times takes out a special edition welcoming rains. Its a Delhi supplement where rains are still a month away..but I think they pre-poned the edition for loss of other things to write upon..weird..so it made me miss rains even more and so indirectly made me miss Mumbai again..

Why do I like rains so much? Its dirty during that time..you get late for classes..you have to wash more clothes..you shiver under the fan in class..you cant travel much..but in spite of all tat, its beautiful..everything is wet and green..so green..the sea is even more scenic..you enjoy your cup of hot tea or coffee more than ever..its almost the most romantic season..everything seems fresh and washed..cleansed of all negativity..aahhhhhh…I reallllyyy miss rains..

One of my favorite smells is the smell of wet earth..the way mitti smells when it rains for the first time..saundhi mitti ki khushboo..and today I read in the same edition I talked about above that they are making a perfume of the same fragrance..which is to be made by steam distillation of baked earth on sandalwood..X(X(X( I hate them for that..some things are natural..let them be..how can you trap one of the most gladdening aromas in a bottle X(X(..huhhhhh..as if anyways it would be the same..its not the smell alone which people love..its the ambience of rain that comes along with it..so much for trying..

out of town..:(:(

2007-06-04T02:39:00.000-07:00

out of town..so no postings for a few days:(:(:(:(:(:(
miss u internet and blogger nd mail nd chat...

life is short

2007-06-01T11:38:00.000-07:00

someone i knew died today..made me realise life is precious..treasure it..
do everythng u want to in life..dnt postpone ur wishes...
be as happy as u can be..life is made for u to be happy..
never forget ur family..theyr most imp..theyr above everythng..includin work...
dnt be angry wid ppl for too long..

How to cook a K serial

2007-05-31T09:52:00.000-07:00

*minimum of two spouses of every person
*one plastic surgery
*one critical disease(varies between blood cancer and tumour)
*one extramarital affair
*one kidnapping
*one jealous saas
*one or two rapes
Sprinkle vamps to garnish and add misunderstandings according to taste

what thinking about MBA did to me.....

2007-05-31T03:59:00.000-07:00

I live in mumbai which used to be an archipelago at one time. I think of mumbai with a lot of ardor and tend to call it my hometown, though my parents say that that is asinine of me, but i guess i can ascribe that to their archaic and antediluvian views. Their views are quite often than not, an antithesis to mine, but sometimes when i talk about giving CAT, i do get some approbation from them. Its an aphorism that it is tough to bell the CAT, but with my assidous efforts i avow with aplomb, that i will succeed. Success, now tats a very relative term isnt it. Success for one could be failure for another. I realised that today when one of my frnds wid 7000 rank in AIEEE was ashen faced and on the oder hand , another friend wid 55000 was so happy that it seemed as if she had just obtained an ovation from an amphitheater full of people, all depends on expectations i guess. Now i think i should assuage your pain and stop writing further..just one more request..could the commentors on my blog step out of anonymity?:D:D:D
Started suffering from aphasia, so i stop..

Its not a piece of cake..

2007-05-29T21:16:00.000-07:00

JEE result came today..and one of my friends whom i expected to get through didn't make it..felt terrible..i can only imagine what it must be like for him...after 2 years of slogging, hard work, sacrificing lukha..not getting through your dream is shattering in a way..realised the value of myself being in IIT today..grateful to God..
IIT has changed me a lot in 2 years..and for the better..it has made me more independent, more confident..it has taught me to have a blast doing everythng..taught me to have fun..got me into touch wid so many amazin people..its a home away from home..and i love it for that..
mmuuaaaaaaaahhhhh..miss you IITB...

When you say Nothing at all - Alison Krauss

2007-05-29T10:02:00.001-07:00

my favorite song:)
It's amazing how you can speak right to my heart.
Without sayin' a word you can light up the dark.
Try as I may I could never explain,
what I hear when you don't say a thing.

The smile on your face lets me know that you need me.
There's a truth in your eyes sayin' you'll never leave me.
The touch of your hand says you'll catch me if ever I fall.
You say it best, when you say nothin' at all.

All alone I can hear people talking about,
but when you hold me near you drown out the crowd.
Old Mr Webster could never define
what 's bein' said between your heart and mine.

The smile on your face lets me know that you need me.
There's a truth in your eyes sayin' you'll never leave me.
The touch of your hand says you'll catch me if ever I fall.
You say it best, when you say nothin' at all.

The smile on your face lets me know that you need me.
There's a truth in your eyes sayin' you'll never leave me.
The touch of your hand says you'll catch me if ever I fall.
You say it best, when you say nothin' at all.

life dese days..

2007-05-29T05:29:00.000-07:00

i visited a newspaper office for the first time..:):)..but it was nothing as i had imagined..as in i had imagined a certain frenzy which was not there..i picturised it as

people running around
phones ringing
reports being typed in urgency
discussions on

and so on....
hehe
typical movie style image isnt it?but it wasnt like tat..it was very peaceful like normal offices..

anyways, JEE result is going to be declared tomorrow..destiny and future of loadsa people is to be decided again..i still remember wen my JEE result came out..i was so happy..the only thing i cared about is tat i wanted to get into IITBombay...in any stream as long as it was a little decent..so when my brother(who was telling me the result from IITB) told me my rank..1699..the only thing i asked him was will i get into IITB?he said ya ull get civil..nd i was satisfied:)..infact i was satisfied for my every result..not like some ppl i knw..i was congratulating this girl who got 95% in 10th and i said "so congrats..khush ho fir" and she replied"nahi didi..science me aur aa jaate to 97-98 touch ho jaata na..so khusb nahi hun"..i was pretty shocked..i mean 95% nd ur unhappy..i was happy with my 5000 result in AIEEE also:D..which is bad....but wen u don't expect anythng...i guess everything seems good:)

and am a little bored now at home..not much..but just tired of being inactive..i guess am too used to working hard..coz dis sem was busy like hell...and now iv become so used to being busy..tat being free is a little difficult..but lets see..im trying to find something to do..if i succeed..il post on the blog:D:D..

happy scared..

2007-05-28T00:32:00.000-07:00

sometimes in life, we are happy scared..by that i mean when you are scared, but not for something bad..when something good is to happen you get scared whether it will happen or not..
and its a beautiful feeling..tat tension of the moment..tat peak in your emotions..the racing heartbeat..the trembling hands..
i was happy scared today..:)..felt nice..

mera kuch samaan

2007-05-27T00:29:00.001-07:00

one of my favorite songs..have been senti after the song since the first time i heard it an year back..

miss you mumbai

2007-05-26T10:27:00.000-07:00

it rained today
and i missed you
i went for a movie
and i missed you
i went shopping
and i missed you

tats the teeny weeny bits tat really make me miss mumbai..a lott..miss you mumbai rains..miss you multiplexes(and ur popcorn)..miss you shoppers stop..overall i miss the buzz of the city..the fact tat it keeps me hell busy with everything..

things i miss having there
lemon chicken:legacy of china(andheri)
frappe(CCD)
herbal panini(barista)
the courtesy of the sales people there
shoopiinnnnnnnn( i dont end up likin stuff here:( )
crosswords
and the fact tat it makes me feel at home

tho mumbai is technically not my hometown nor have i been there since childhood..but have been there for 6 years nows and it somehow i have fallen in love with it..its a city which adopts you..its the city where i want to spend my entire life..i want my job there..and i want to retire there too..
aamchi mumbai:):)
miss youuuuu

My world of candyfloss

2007-05-25T06:28:00.000-07:00

Among the twinkling lights

colored bandanas around

gummy bears in bowls

mirrors riding the walls

stars ruling the roof

the sun peering through

sprinkling magic

blossoming tulips

wishes on trees

echoing music

a flowing gown

twirling under the moon

not alone; in arms

in a world of dreams

my world of candy floss

Enid Blyton built her own fantasy land in her series of faraway trees. Today I built mine.

vrindavan

2007-05-24T22:27:00.000-07:00

found this soothing and beatiful...simplicity in grandeur..

create not recreate..

2007-05-23T03:45:00.000-07:00

playing games now..
repeating incidents..
repeating happenings..
trying to recreate some magic?
but you dont repeat the same magic..
it loses its charm then..
to live on you create new magic..
create dont recreate..
you can never get copies..
and you shouldn't demand that either..
lead a new life..
dont linger on to what was..
dont let what was creep in..
the future awaits with open arms..
welcome it..

Startups

2007-05-22T13:39:00.000-07:00

There are some who spend their entire stay in IIT trying to do things not out of interest, but just to add points to their resume. As the placement season approaches, most IITians spend sleepless nights worrying about high pay packages and secure jobs.

And then there are others who believe in following their passions irrespective of the risk involved, who prefer creativity over security and have the courage to pursue their dreams.

We decided to talk to three such IIT Bombay alumni, who passed out recently and founded their own start-ups: Rohit Sai from Youtopia, Kunal Sharma from Aakar and Ankit Mehta from IdeaForge. Here is an overview of what we found on how to go about starting your very own start up.

THE IDEA

You don’t really need a path breaking idea to start with, but something you truly believe in. Your idea should not only evoke passion in you, but it must also be something that people want. The initial few months are just to enrich your experience. Most of the times, what you end up with evolves completely differently from what you started off with.

THE RIGHT TEAM

The success of start ups depends on the initial 3-4 people, nothing less and nothing more. The team should consist of an eclectic combination of people. They should possess complementary skills and leadership qualities. Most importantly, they have to be good friends so as not to buckle under the immense work pressure.

THE RIGHT AGE

Right after graduation or probably during the last year is the ideal time to start working on your idea. This is the one time when you can live on a shoe-string budget, can afford to take risks and have enough stamina to put in the amount of effort required.

FUNDING

In the development stage, start ups are usually either funded by friends, relatives or by angel investors. Angel investors are affluent people who provide some capital usually in exchange for equity. When you reach a stage where you have a fully developed product or service, you can approach VCs (venture capitalists), who usually invest large amounts of money from a professionally managed fund, in exchange for shares.

IIT AS A PLACE FOR STARTING

IIT is the best place to begin a start up. You have a huge resource pool which helps you in working on your idea or product. A large network of contacts makes it the ideal place to find your co-founders, people who have similar passions and think on the same lines as you. In fact, IIT Bombay has its own incubation center called SINE, which provides support for technology based entrepreneurship by IITians.

Not everything is rosy. In fact starting your own venture is like compressing your entire working life into a small number of years. There are problems: bills to be paid, no security, family opposition and expectations to be lived up to, but eventually it’s all worth the struggle. The satisfaction and sense of independence experienced is immense. It can be tough at times, but exhilarating all the time.

Life is very short. The only way to respect it is by abandoning your fears and following your dreams!

Rohit Sai and Gaurav Tripathi have founded Youtopia. Youtopia works in 3 fields-web based applications, mobile applications and wireless technology.

Kunal Sharma, Saurabh Saxena and Rohit Jain have founded Aakar. Aakar is an educational consultancy which provides user based services to clients.

Ankit Mehta, Ashish Bhat and Rahul Singh have founded IdeaForge. Currently, they make alternative energy based solutions.

-- Article by me and rutika for insight