The Weekend That Was...

Christmas, followed by the weekend, was rather eventful, here at home in Bangalore.

Our mostly empty house was noisy and bustling with people. Just the perfect thing to warm and cosy the house in chilly wintry December.

The kitchen kept serving out hot masala chai, to my parents and other guests. The aroma of crisp dosas and chutneys wafting out at breakfast, brunch, snacks and other times.

So mom and dad are visiting; L was also here with her family. The house was bursting with conversations; whispered and raucous; there was cartoon network blaring for the little boy, the news channels blaring 24/7 for the older people; vessels clanging in the cook, serve, wash routine; people scuttling about from room to room; water running in the bathroom. It was a welcome change from the quiet that A and me have been facing ever since Nov 2nd when A's parents moved back to Chennai.

There was a good amount of talking, tramping, shopping and gifting over these days- more Bang land landmarks put down for future references; movies being seen; actors being judged. I do this stuff all the time, anyways, but doing it with people who matter, adds that extra spring in your step and joy in your heart. Like L and Ma.

Current mood: Content.

Lessons Learnt !

While being invited to organise a birthday party for a 6 year old,

• Be prepared to lose your voice calling attention to 25 odd kids, who are also yelling
• Brace yourself for wee li'l lah-di-dah girls who refuse to wear the party caps, cos' it'll ruin their perfectly straight hair
• Be prepared for kids clinging to your legs and demanding your attention
• Also kids crying cos' they got out in Musical Chairs
• Kids refusing to eat cake unless they got the 'Dora the Explorer' face or backpack part of the icing
• Kids spilling juice all over your spunky clothes
• Kids will puke without rhyme or reason, just for the sake of drama
• Tinier kids pulling at your perfectly permed hair or terracotta jhumkas, whichever is more attractive
• Kids drawing you into , ' Aunty she bit me, is she an animal?' discussions
• ALWAYS ALWAYS carry your camera to these kiddy events 'cos they do the darndest things and hell yes, photo op dangling in your face

Today...

will be a day of new beginnings, in the lives of two good friends.I am not sure if the day is as significant to them. D said she was too drained running over numerous 'To do' lists to feel anything. L is coming home yet again, dragging her tired nomad feet to rest at what she hopes will be a life destination. Incidentally, these people will breeze past each other at the Mumbai airport - one on her way out and the other on her way in.

D is heading off to Cali to start a new life; actually to resume her idyllic life that was interrupted by several overseas projects, the lure of the great American dream and a several thousand miles of land and ocean . Enough resources by way of time, money, drained cellphone batteries, eyes glazed over by hours of typing away at numerous chat windows and numerous sleepless nights have been diverted into Project Lovelorn couple. D has never been more lucid about her choices. Over the last couple of years, I finally see her happy, relaxed and settling into her skin.

L comes home not knowing if she heads back - alone or otherwise, its another upheaval in all our lives as she will thrash through conflicted feelings towards family and society and career choices. I am bracing for several whys, what fors, and other soul searches. Nevertheless, her arrival is an event to look forward to.

Good luck children!

We have had a facelift!

Libra:Indecisive / changeable
Linda Goodman defines Libra as a rather vacillating sign, where a native is trying to find balance while moving through a whole gamut of unbalanced states. As such they may occasionally be quarrelsome, annoying, confused, depressed etc.

It took me a better part of an hour deciding on this template ; I'm still not sure it really reflects me, or even my current sentiment. I love the turkey background, but hey, Thanksgiving is long over and I'm a vegetarian, and it turned out a little too loud. Nevertheless, I may go back and change it when I'm feeling a li'il jobless.

Sometimes I wonder if God will forgive us for what we have done to each other,
Then I look around and realise that God left this place long ago.

~ Leonardo di Caprio, Blood Diamond.

Barkha Responds.

The media was accused of several misdeeds in their 70 hour coverage of the Mumbai terror on 26/11.
1. Breaching security by telecasting live military operations
2. Being insensitive by thrusting a mike under the noses of waiting relatives, friends etc.
3. Covering only the elitist Taj and Oberoi hotel situations and ignoring the CST situation

Lurking through my favoritest blogs , I chanced upon this link, with Barkha Dutt' s responses to the allegations
For those who have not seen it yet:
http://ndtv.com/convergence/ndtv/showcolumns.aspx?id=COLEN20080075194 (Thanks to the Mad Momma)

Who is Vishnu Zende?

While Satans took over Victoria Terminus (CST) , Mumbai on 26/11, a certain guardian angel was going about his life and work in the Announcements room tucked away in the throbbing mass of humanity, that is VT station.
This simple middle-aged man displayed tremendous presence of mind in beating those terror messiahs while they maniacally sprayed bullets around.
Hearing repeated gunshots around 9 pm , Vishnu Zende, peeked out of his cabin and saw injured people lying on the ground and some other panic stricken folks running helter- skelter.

A train was just chugging into VT station, with many more people. More potential victims of the mayhem that ensued.

Observing that the firing was focused near the front entrance, Vishnu announced that, people leave VT station from the rear exit. To avoid panic-stricken commuters, Vishnu firmly reiterated his instructions on exiting VT station from the back entrance, without revealing the seriousness of the situation. He repeated the announcement over and over again, for a full 20 minutes, until the terrorists started approaching the Announcements office.

Identifying the source of the announcements, the terrorists directed their attention to the cabin. Vishnu and his colleague, immediately switched off the electricity in the room and ducked down, just in time; a bullet whizzed into the cabin and exited through the back of the cabin.
The staff in the Announcements office lay low until the terrorists disappeared.

Yesterday he stood before the bullet scarred cabin talking to the NDTV crew. The mild mannered man, still visibly shaken by what he had seen quietly goes about his work even today. So do the staff in AH Wheeler, and the tiny Cafe Coffee Day Express kiosk in VT station. They say, ' kya karen, kaam toh karna hi padegaa na?', Uss din apna ek dost ko goli laga. '
Look, he is already bustling about his customers.

On that dark Wednesday, Vishnu did not realise how many lives he had saved with his public address system.
An instance of extraordinary courage from the common man. It doesn't take a uniform or a designation to step up, does it?

Link: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/12/02/world/asia/02heroes.html?em

Moviemeter!

I caught Sorry Bhai the other day...
Its a sweet fluffy movie, nothing to write home about. The movie belongs to Boman Irani and Shabana Azmi and eye candy : Chitrangada Singh (SHE IS SOMETHING). Sanjay Suri and Sharman Joshi could as well be wall paper. Flaccid storyline, made watchable ONLY by Boman Irani's bittersweet humor, comic timing and his very presence with Shabana.

Also caught the not so new Music and Lyrics, with Hugh Grant and Drew Barrymore. Again, sweet- a must see for lovers of Hugh Grant's very Brit humour and Drew Barrymore's complex screwed self esteem. And Hugh G does look delish in the gelled hair, medallioned , slightly aging musician look.

Post 26/11...

There has been a lot of cynicism in the last couple of weeks following the terror strikes. And justified too!
Though I'm not jumping with joy yet, there maybe light at the end of the tunnel. The powers that be are rolling some wheels into motion:
At Chennai station:

• There are a sizable number of gun wielding Railway Police glaring down at you; mind you not chatting away!
• All departures have their baggage screened at the Chennai Central entrance and a 'security cleared' tag affixed on it.
• There are metal detector passages for the peoples and male and female guards who run their hand held detectors down your person
• No hanging around. I was brusquely told off for waiting for A, post my security check.
• Dogs were sniffing around trains and no there was no delay in departure, on that account.

I did feel a little secure but I'm not gloating yet.

I want to know, that this will be a permanent fixture and not just a ' in the wake of terror' or ' around the Babri Masjid anniversary' thing.

I want to know that this will happen at every railway station.

I want to know that the train doors will be secured by some hydraulic power each time it halts at signals in between stations.

I want the citizen to be able to propose a reforms bill to make all this happen. If it takes more money than the government has, I will not flinch or complain about more tax levied.

The anger at being violated as a nation will not simmer down into nonchalance as we settle into our lives with a , ' I know what happened was wrong, but MY life goes on.' Probably not this time.

PS: One can still walk through Bangalore City Station, with or without a ticket, with or without a weapon. There is a detector passage, and a gun wielding cop, but neither did he bother to ask for your ticket or even look at you. The TTE, was standing by, he too seemed least interested. What will it take, to shake up Bangalore?

3.12.08
Arrivederci- Chennai Central: 4:15 am.
Odor fest begins: Unwashed railway station smell. Collective bad breath of all arrivals including self. Consignments of fish stacked up on platform; arriving and departing fish. Fresh filter coffee from Saravana Bhavan. Smell of Dosas on the Kallu soaking with ghee, in prep for the 50,000 odd dosas that will be churned out in the course of the day. Lingering smell of mud in the wake of the rains that assailed the city, over the last week.

Surprise Surprise: PEEPS in sweaters, in CHENNAI. Point is, most peoples in Chennai dont own sweaters :-P.

Is this the path?

Understand
Recognise
Cogitate
Actionise
Do
Mobilise
Do

Scared shitless

Last night while at dinner, my mom calls from Mumbai. What ensued is:
Mom (apologetically): were you asleep , I know its 10:45 pm
Me: No ma, Out for dinner
Mom: Is A(better half) with you?
Me: No
Mom ( marked increase in decibel, almost borders on hyteria): What, are you mad, or stupid, you know how times are lately.
Me: I'm OK, I'm heading home in a bit
Phone beeps: Dad (SMS)- Call me when you get home, where is your sense of responsibility?
Nevertheless, I did get an earful from Dad.

~*~

At breakfast, skimming through TOI,

Me: He actually passed through the metal detector with a .32 tucked in his waist

A: Yeah. The guards did not hear it beep.

Me: Now, how lame will that sound if he had decided to fire a couple of rounds.

A: Its Mumbai babe, people are bustling about on their mission to earn bread and butter.

Me(angrily): It helps to look around once in a while. They can't treat their lives like this.

A: Are you making excuses for faulty metal detectors or non-vigilant cops?

Me: It helps if people are a wee bit more alert.

~*~

At the bank, while in a queue for stamp paper:
Me(in the head):What if someone bombs us here? It seems ideal, lots of people, main road etc.
Me(looks around): That man looks shifty- he keeps staring at us in the queue.
Me( shaking her head, as if to purge thoughts): Don't be silly, you are overreacting.

Shocked, Pained, Angered and Hurt...

By what is happening in Mumbai over the last 12 hours.

God, be with the people who lost their lives and sacrificed theirs in their crusade against terror.

Update 16 hours after the attack began:
Q: So have they finished with Mumbai yet, ripped her breast, and crushed her beating heart and silenced her ?
A: No

21 hours into the siege

Waiting for the military operation at sundown.

34 hours into the siege

The war has taken on epic proportions.

I hate to ask the obvious and oft repeated question--should this really take this long?

Are we ill-equipped/ incompetent?
I don't want to admit to anything not when 25 Mumbai policeman have died. Not when THE Army has stepped in.

Don't we deserve better?

Like Suhel commented yesterday, cant we be the instruments of change?

36 hours later

Casualties: 25 policemen, 137 civilians, unknown number of NSG.

Some of us have the option to turn away from the disaster, by changing channels, switching off the television, not the men on guard in Mumbai. The real men are those who are manning the hotels, engaging with the terrorists, rescuing the hostages ; not the wimps, who rule the state and center, who issue lack lustre robotic statements from prepared pamphlets, not those publicity hungry politicos, who show up at the site of terror to be 'seen' to give a 'soundbyte', and thereby posing a security hazard and unwarranted distraction to our already harried security personnel.

Shobha De on TV yesterday: We as taxpayers have spent billions on providing Z plus security to these politicians, and what do we get in return? Terror attacks of some form in some part of the country, every other month.

I agree-- they owe us an explanation.

I am reminded of a scene from the film Mumbai Meri Jaan, where one of the protagonists, is mulling whether he should move to work in the United States. He then finds himself in the midst of the train blasts in Mumbai. He is caught between loyalty for his country and the lure of a better life in the Americas. Moved by the resilience of the city, after the blasts, he decides to stay on.

How many times are we going to call upon each other to be resilient.

How many of us are thinking: I deserve better!

I am awestruck by the beauty of terracotta jewellery at Aakar. Thanks to my akka H's (also!) single minded determination, on a cold overcast Banaglore morning- we actually drove 30 kms out of the city, in circles, with slightly skewed navigational skills and reached the sprawling jungle property/ boutique.
More about the gallery here.

~*~

Tomorrow is dad's birthday and he is travelling in cyclone hit Chennai with bad network coverage. Whoo...

Its also Soo's birthday; and I cant help but think, that, this time last year, I was planning his birthday party. And today so much has changed in the last three months that, I am wary of intruding in his life. Of course Goddess Sou is all set to make him a special birthday snack. Well she is shining proof of what i said ' on Relationships'.

Poetry with caramel

I made a slightly wobbly , runny but nevertheless nice tasting caramel custard for dessert yesterday. Since the caramel decided to swirl around , it could be poetry. :-)
The idea is, we eat it through the week for our post-dinner sugar hit; this, so that we aren't left craving- binging dessert over weekend. More so cos' gym don't happen over weekend.

~*~

Anyhow, I am seriously contemplating getting me a conventional oven for bakin' and grillin'.
Two years ago, I never thought I'd ever look beyond a microwave for the cooking or the lack of it that (un)happens in our life.
But well, stuff happens and then it doesn't!

A cousin and his fiancee have come up with a lovely wedding website! Now why did I not think of that, two and a half years ago?
Now, I'd go back and redo my make-up and my hair and all the other wedding weirdness that befell me. We'd need a time machine for that then? I wonder what else, I'd have changed with that time machine, anyways.

oN ReLaTiOnShIpS

Relationships are undoubtedly the most dynamic and complex societal contraptions.

And after 27 entire years of meeting greeting bonding bickering quarrelling misunderstanding un-bonding drifting away and reconciling with various people I have realized that relationships don't come with a real expiry tag.
By real, I mean they may seem extinct at some moments, but they actually are dormant. Because a connection once made, or nurtured, exists at some inexplicable level - it exists with a sense of permanency, one cant comprehend. It's never over, it just can't be.
Vacuum can never replace a 'once -was' relationship.
There can be doubt, anger, suspicion, aloofness, indifference, hatred, it still is a relationship. And yeah these feelings are dynamic. Anger today could fade into hurt tomorrow or into indifference or into aloofness or forgiveness. Its a delicate and fickle thing- this whole relationship deal.

I know I'd give an arm and a leg and a lot more for the stability and reassurance of a relationship that's rock solid , transparent, unchanging ! But I guess, you come to learn that an equation which with all these constants may not evolve. I must admit, a relationship does acquire some character, after some upheavals.

Its at the oddest times that inspiration finds you. And certain impulsive individuals like me, simply have to act on it right away, lest it drift away.
Yesterday evening, while clearing out the fridge, I was inspired to throw together a salad with left overs: so it was cottage cheese, spring onion greens, tomato. I had wee bits of each, so I decided to stir in some wheat pasta to give it some body and colour.
Recipe
I poured out about 4 tablespoons of olive oil in a bowl. To it I added, about 4 cloves of minced garlic, some chili flakes, some mixed dried herbs- oregano, basil, thyme, rosemary and some salt and pepper.
I chopped up the cottage cheese in small strips and swirled it into the oil and herbs mixture. To this I added spring onion greens and largish pieces of firm tomatoes and then let them all sit there for about an hour covered.
I then cooked up some pasta, drained it out, ran it under cold water and then added it to the dressing prepped in the bowl. I then mixed it up with a salad ladle.
Needless to say, it was a nicely Mediterranean tasting pasta salad.
Rather pleased with myself now :-)

So my tried and tested Hummus recipe, for the slightly zingy hummus that the Indian palate craves...
A handful of chickpeas ( soaked overnight and pressure-cooked)
Throw the chickpeas into a blender with the following:
3-4 cloves of garlic, 2 Tbs of curd, a handful of mint leaves, some white sesame (til), red chilli flakes ( leftovers from a Pizza delivery), salt, some peanut butter(optional).
Add the water in which the chickpeas were cooked (if the mixture looks coarse).
Blend to a almost fine paste.
Throw in some olive oil and serve with toasted french bread or pita.
Hint: The Hummus absorbs its flavors if served cold, a couple of hours, after it is made and hence tastes nicer.

Food trip...

Today is Hummus day.
After my last largely successful attempt at making the perfect hummus, I am embarking on a 'tweak the Hummus, to add an interesting edge to it' project!

While on the subject of cooking, I have discovered dill!
Dill lends itself to make an interesting subzi with garlic and peanuts.
Dill also zings up the daily dal, rather nicely.

After my trip to Trivandrum, I'm craving Appams and stew, more than ever before, 'cos not a single kutti chaya shop/ hotel/ restaurant etc. have sit on their menu... Aghast!
Its pretty much like getting a Mysore Sada Dosa, in an Udipi hotel in Mumbai, but drawing blank stares, in Mysore and Bangalore.
And just for the record Mysore sada dosa is just some Mysore chutney smeared on the inside of a plain dosai.

Its no wonder then, that the boys on 'Highway on my Plate' struggled for an entire episode, in Kerala,to get Puttu and Kadala curry!

A month after hitting the gym after a hiatus AGAIN (yeah yeah, again again), I agree with watsinaname.
but the problem with an undecided Libran like me, is the inability to see things through.
Aug '06: Join gym for 3 months
Sep '06:Step out to go to gym, but walk into Namdharis instead and spend time dawdling over exotic fruits and veggies, pore over and sniff at herbs, read fine print on jars of fancy guacamole dressing and haul jars of pesto et al. back home.
Sep end '06: Convince self that gym is a waste of time and don't even make eye contact with shoes, track pants etc.
Oct '06: Stroll in to gym guiltily, on an odd day of the week . Promise instructor to show up more often and then disappear.
Oct end '06: Go off on vacation, forget all about gym and feign deafness and understanding disabilities on any mention of fitness, exercise, gym etc.
Nov '06: Contemplate and join a sports club to play badminton. Go with hubby, get exhausted and get laughed at for playing a miserable "girlie" backhand.
Rest of Nov'06: Transfer badminton membership to a friend
Rest of 06: Forget exercising, and put on weight.
Jan 07: Resolve to join Yoga , at least am convinced that it may be my thing.
Feb-Mar'07: Mull over the Yoga idea
April '07: Buy a yoga mat and 2 kg dumbbells
May '07 onwards: Exercise on and off inspired by the better half.
Until June '08 my erratic exercising pattern continued.
And then, the office announced the opening of a gym, for employees. Just my thing. Right here in my backyard and since then, till date, have been a regular gym person .
Here is to a long spell ( always the Libran optimist) at working out!

view-counter view!

On a T-shirt:
God is too big for any one religion.
~ Tantra

Agreed, but for nay-sayers, God don't figure in life; real life.
For them zealots, religion is larger than God.

Papillon

I saw the heart-wrenching Papillon yesterday. And yeah, for the first time.
And more endearing than Steve McQueen (Papi), was the quirky counterfieter-Dustin Hoffman (Louis Dega).
Though it may be a story of perseverance and adventure, it was poignantly funny in parts, especially parts which focussed on Dega's conversations.

Clusiot: You're Louis Dega. I'm Clusiot. How come you ended up in a place like this?
Dega: Favoritism!

Prisoner: I know you, you're Dega. You're a very intelligent man!
Dega: Thank you. I seem to be known in all the wrong places.

Doctor : You're fine. Next!
Dega: Must be better than I feel.

I received an invitation from a friend (or the friend's email address) to join a dating network.
A. I am not interested in dating anyone, while B. I am married and C. much married, at that! and D. am totally not interested in enrolling in a dating network when E. I am just beginning to squeeze in my books and writing and cooking and ' project pamper yourself' into my schedule now.
And just for the record, I feel the same, 4 invites later.

And yards and yards of beautiful Indian prints..

Nothing ever beats Indian fabrics- seriously nothing. Especially cotton and silk with the lovely motifs and textures. I have been peering at swathes of fabrics in the trunk of a friend's car, in the office parking lot.
I am weaving designs and sketches in my head and am getting super excited about it.
So there's this lovely exhibition called Nandana in Safina Plaza, by Rati Bhat,
She showcases some exquisite fabrics (cotton, silks, tussars) and must haves.
When? 21st to 23rd July.
Of course, Safina Plaza, is the very end of Infantry Road, Bangalore.

We all have those days, eh? Days when you have shit loads of work and no inclination to touch it. Days when, you realise you have the gray pallor of fatigue and interestingly, no seemingly valid reasons to cause the fatigue. Days when the brownie sits and stares at you - and divine brownie that, and you dont wanna touch it. Days when the left eye feels weird and keeps fluttering of its own accord.

And what about days when people are making interesting conversation and you are nodding, and smiling knowledgably, interjecting your 2 pennies of wisdom while you are really drifting off into your litte dark dungeon in your head, hoping people'd just leave you be.

Well yes, today was that day and now that I got it out there, I dont care anymore, about the day or what I felt or what I just wrote. Then again, I probably feel the new way, 'cos of what i wrote... Hell !

United States of Leland

I watched United States of Leland last night , and I think it was beautiful and sad, at the same time.
What stayed with me, through today--

Kevin Spacey: I recall when our lives were unusual and electric. When we burned with something close to fire. But now we sway to a different rhythm. Lives lived without meaning or even directed hope. The passage of time measured only by loss. Loss of a job, loss of a minivan... a son.

Don Cheadle: I'm only human, man.
Ryan Gosling: It's funny how people only say that after they do something bad. I mean, you never hear someone say, 'I'm only human' after they rescue a kid from a burning building.

Of Red Earth...

My long overdue piece on the Nrityagram visit, a couple of weekends back:

Saturday was the day of the red earth.

Hessaraghatta village is home to the beautiful Nrityagram.
Nrityagram of the tweeting of a million birds, of foliage so lush and dense, you could be in a tropical rainforest.
Nrityagram of the beautiful dancers. Of the cobbled stone walkway, of the stone cottages, of the red oxide floor, of feet rhythmically pounding on the red oxide,in unison.

We walked in on three Odissi dancers rehearsing a Mangalacharan piece.

The Mangalacharan is an auspicious rendition, which comprises of the Bhumi Pranam, the Vandana and the Sabha Pranam.
As the names suggest - Bhumi Pranam, is a a prayer to Mother Earth, the Vandana is offered to Lord Ganesh (to overcome all obstacles and pray for a beautiful performance) and the Sabha Pranam, is an offering of respect to the Gods, the Guru and the audience, at large.

We couldnt peel our eyes off the dancers - and they werent even in costume . Its quite amazing to see, how beautiful one can look in a much worn cotton saree, with a string of flowers in one's hair.
Nrityagram seems like a piece of red earth, stuck in a time warp - a lovely time warp. But its still plagued by the harsh realities of modern day needs - no donors, no sponsors, no other funds, not many students. Nrityagram's aura has faded, after the passing of its celeb founder- the charismatic Protima Bedi.
It seems in dire need of a resurrection. Else the sharks might just take it over to flaunt an erstwhile dance school.

Paraprosdokian :-)

It does sound like the Armenian/ Assyrian Yossarian, don't it!

Hehe and it means

A paraprosdokian (from Greek "παρα-", meaning "beyond" and "προσδοκία", meaning "expectation") is a figure of speech in which the latter part of a sentence or phrase is surprising or unexpected in a way that causes the reader or listener to reframe the first part. It is frequently used for humorous or dramatic effect, sometimes producing an anticlimax. For this reason, it is extremely popular among comedians and satirists.

In the course of my web ramblings, I chanced upon this piece of work by Amruta Patil:

Click the image to get to the website with the actual illustrations.

I keep seeking...
Knowing not, where the search ends...
Knowing not, what it is that I seek...
I sense a void , not of something wrenched out,
But of something, unborn...
A hidden someone, who preys on my thoughts and seizes my heart sends me on a voyage...
I travel through mystical lands and witching climes on a frail gossamer train...
And when I arrive at the fork , I slip out of my reverie and wonder what lay beyond.

Snippets from the news- Asia

The loss of so many children is particularly poignant in China, where the government's family planning policies, aimed at curbing population growth, mean that most have lost their only child.

- ExpressIndia, reporting on the earthquake in China.

Bunkered away in the centre of the country, the secret and reclusive generals who rule Myanmar fear all foreigners. Rather than alleviating the suffering wrought by Cyclone Nargis, the top generals' primary concern at present is to preserve their power and protect their families' future position and wealth.
For decades, the ruling military regimes have kept Myanmar isolated, fearing that opening the country up would impact both its businesses and culture, and still worse, foster subversive thoughts like freedom of speech and democracy.
-AlJazeera.net

The Cricket Premier League.

The IPL has changed my life as it was - and not in a nice way.
The surfing spouse, is a changed man. Am I glad for twenty over games ? I am not sure , anymore.
Evenings are occupied by the IPL games and mornings by re-runs. And yes, the quality time in between, is spent in avidly following on-field/off-field cricketing shenanigans and silly post- match, pre-match commentaries and cheerleading morality.
Any movement - real or imagined, towards the remote , is swiftly quelled by yelling, whooping, mild threats and angry gesticulation.
A physical barrier of human limbs and entire humans sprawled across the expanse between the couch and the TV seeks to thwart potential trespassers.
Don't get me wrong here. I used like cricket, a good deal, in the one day fifty over games; my affinity being driven by a strong sense of nationalistic pride. You see the problem now? I dont care enough for any of the states / regions to firmly support one. To add to the disarray, my tiny brain finds it hard to process that MS Dhoni from Jharkhand plays for Chennai, Harbhajan for Mumbai and Sreesanth for Punjab (I could be wrong about one or more here). The Southerners don't play for the South and vice versa. Yeah,yeah! IPL goes beyond boundaries and all that - Bah.
And what's with the uniform -I mean, Hello, how does one correlate . There are no GLARING visual identifiers - as they'd assert in marketing, I am the consumer, they lost to the brand association/identity lacuna.
I, in all earnestness, have tried to the follow the damn league games. I pride myself on being a thorough 'start at the grassroots' kinda girl and I find myself stumbling right there at
Stage 1: Identify the team. :-(
The spouse draws huge laughs from this Q & A session , we have
He: So honey, who is playing- DON'T LOOK AT THE TICKER!
Me: Uh....uh... there's Yuvraj, must be Delhi Daredevils!
He: Sweetie ( feigned patience) we went over this ten minutes back.
Me: Ok Ok! There's Parthiv Patel cute boy, so I'm sure Baroda's playing.
He: BARODA's not even an IPL team, OK.
Me: Ha... I know Chennai is playing - (Source: visual association- yellow {color of summer= only season in Chennai}= Chennai uniform)
Yaay ( whooping) , I was right!

I am actually beginning to enjoy IPL myself, especially during the endless Vodafone 'Happy to Help' cute pug commercials and the Pepsi -MS Dhoni- Rajinikant commercials.

One cannot weep for the entire world, it is beyond human strength. One must
choose.
~Jean Anouilh

I choose a friend in lonely lands, a friend in a loveless relationship, and a friend without a real family, to call her own. Am I overstepping the allowed ?

Two days in a row, my flowers bloomed ebulliently. They pranced around in the breeze and gaily animated my landing. They seem rather blue this morning. Maybe they just slept in. Or maybe, I liberally dispersed my blue contagion and they just picked it up.

Early today , I woke to a dark gloomy sky, a tiny nip in the air and the still lingering smell of wet earth from yesterday's sudden shower. The air hung heavy with the imminent promise of a wet gloomy day. And then I noticed my tiny hibiscus bud, trembling under the dew...

I made a mental note to not douse my plants in water today.

Eventually the clouds drifted along to another land and the sun shone- nice and bright.

And lo and behold, my tinny bud had blossomed into a youthful Hibiscus rosa-sinensis.

I think I would recommend "The Savages" to anyone, who'd appreciate the need to forgive, especially a parent.
"Jon, he cared, Dad did-he possibly forgot all about us, because of the ...(dementia)."

I have 'dog -eared' my copy of Kari, by Amruta Patil.
Its doing its rounds among the community of feeful , who were sucked up by it, at first glance, on a certain evening at 'Nivedita'.
I hope it leaves a happy ache in the heart of all you devourers.
I get all misty-eyed and achy when I think of the book.

To be continued, it says , at the very end, when Kari seemingly bobs out of her sewer.

I will wait...

Of a haunting late evening at work.

I have always loved her with a reverence bordering on obsequiousness. I always chose her over compatriots as the only object of my intense affection...
But today, in the quiet of the office at 7: 00 pm, I discovered him.
Ah the "but" - the beautifully worrying harbinger of a dark something to come.
He smelt of a faint burnt something, tingling the inside of my head. The redolence that hung in the air, drew me to him almost like a smooth slithering fluid movement in space. I closed my eyes, felt around for the source and urged myself away. He was no good, for my clingy self. I did not need him, to latch onto - not when I had pledged my allegiance to her, through solemn oaths, serious money and passionate research.
What do I do? My heart draws me to the forbidden, while my mind wills me to stay with my faithful paramour. She was this warm brown subtle concoction - ever delightful...
Tea, I am sorry for doing this to you.
Damn the new roasty beaned coffee machine! You, I will briefly indulge and wait to pooh-pooh away.

An entire post here is dedicated to Prats and Air Deccan

We love what you did Prats!

And Air Deccan- You rock.

Did we talk about the trip to XLRI yet?

1. I loved being a student again, if only for a week.


2. That doesn't mean, I'd willingly lend myself ever to another trip to Jamshedpur in a dry parched summer of 42 °C.


3. I'd also not willingly let my ass get hauled into Bishtupur market at 12:30 pm , not even for Chappan Bhog mithai wala.


4. I will still not go to the zoo in Jubilee Park, irrespective of season ( this means you K).


5. If by some strange stroke of warped luck , I do find myself in J'pur in summer, I 'd beg/ bribe/ do what it takes, to get an air conditioned room on campus .


6. I will remember to carry a Tristano / Rafael/ Nina type paperback, so I can lull myself into a sleep in the wretched heat.


7. I will not travel the Azad Hind from Tatanagar to Howrah or do anything that requires me to hang around the Tatanagar station till 3 am in the morning - I would much rather travel by road, the Naxals notwithstanding.

And this may not be a comprehensive list ....

The Day so far

I have been dragging my feet on my day so far.

• I think its all got to do with my 7:00 am wake up call , that did not show up. Well yes, the cook did not show up, due to an inclement cycle chain. Atleast he called. He still stays in my good book.
• So breakfast was Maggi, which I hate- Sorry, I just do. I miss Muesli. (note to self: get Muesli for broken cycle chain days.)
• I took an extended shower and primped up my hair for an hour... (aghast)
• I had a tête-à-tête with my plants :-).
• I strolled into work at 11 after having stopped by to pick up some medicines et al.
• I hung around watching some glass cleaners dangling from the top of the 10th floor and pondered awhile on their 'life on the edge'.
• I cancelled some lunch plans, cos it looked way too sunny outside.
• I am wondering whether I should do something constructive yet- like work. :-)!

Re: Emancipation

Thanks to Munna who shows up at 7: 00 am each morning to cook, one of us is sleepily walking to open the door.
Again, thanks to him, I keep wondering, what I'm gonna ask him to cook the next day. Cooking and hence picking up groceries is a planned affair. sigh
I'm obsessing about cleaning up my kitchen, after the cooking.
I have to deal with the maid, who doesnt like him much.


But then... he cooks well.

just by way of a log...

yet another girl stopped me in the cafeteria, today to admire my hair.
I may be a minor celeb, I say!
well well.

I moved locations within the office.
Have found new admirers for my sexy curly hair, apart from the airhostesses on Kingfisher!
I sit across from a snappy to be bride- bridezilla :-P.
Bridezilla likes my hair too.

Hyderabad Musings

A brief 3 days in Hyderabad on some training:
Other than my flight into Hyd. Everything was superfine!

• I mean I flew a premier airline. And no... the service was good and all that. But midway, through my flight Indra/ Zeus/Thor decided to do their bit and the sky was rent apart by a flash of silver. We were in a good 20 mins of turbulence, with a fair number of fellow passengers gripping their seats and mumbling prayers- but a certain Franseco (the commander) or his crew, decided not make any reassuring announcements and most of us took that as a bad sign. Well , as is obvious we did make a safe landing !
• Hydie's new Rajiv Gandhi Airport is smashin' , notwithstanding my cabbie, who, went around in circles in the swanky new- not so well lit parking lot, before finally pulling out.
• Lovely new approach roads to the airport.
• Pula Reddy sweets still rules.
• Novotel is the new address of luxury; move over Taj.

Chubby cheeks, dimpled chin.

Rosy lips, teeth within.

Curly hair, very fair.

Eyes are blue, lovely too.

Teacher's pet, is that you?Yes! Yes! Yes!



Yeah well, all I have now is curly hair. Nothing about the poem, ever indicated me.
It is a rather caucasian poem thrust upon us by the Raj - I mean which Indian, ever had fair hair (unless you had a pigmentation issue) or blue eyes or what have you

We are the proud dusky Indian women, with dark hair, dark eyes and wide hips.

Funny Insults- from an e-mail forward

1. Any similarity between you and a human is purely coincidental!
2. Are you always so stupid or is today a special occasion?
3. As an outsider, what do you think of the human race?
4. I'd like to kick you in the teeth, but why should I improve your looks?
5. At least there's one thing good about your body. It isn't as ugly as your face!
6. Brains aren't everything. In fact, in your case they're nothing
7. Careful now, don't let your brains go to your head!
8. I like you. People say I've no taste, but I like you.
9. Did your parents ever ask you to run away from home?
10. If I had a face like yours. I'd sue my parents!
11. Don't feel bad. A lot of people have no talent!
12. Don't get insulted, but is your job devoted to spreading ignorance?
13. Keep talking, someday you'll say something intelligent!
14. Don't you love nature, despite what it did to you?
15. Don't think, it may sprain your brain!
16. Fellows like you don't grow from trees; they swing from them.
17. He has a mechanical mind. Too bad he forgot to wind it up this morning.
18. He has a mind like a steel trap-always closed!
19. You are a man of the world-and you know what sad shape the world is in.
20. He is always lost in thought-it's unfamiliar territory.

21. He is dark and handsome. When it's dark, he's handsome.
22. He is known as a miracle comic. if he's funny, it's a miracle!
23. He is listed in Who's Who as What's That?
24. He is living proof that man can live without a brain!
25. He is so short, when it rains he is always the last one to know.
26. He is the kind of a man that you would use as a blueprint to build an idiot.
27. How come you're here? I thought the zoo is closed at night!
28. How did you get here? Did someone leave your cage open?
29. How much refund do you expect on your head now that it's empty.
30. How would you like to feel the way you look?
31. Hi! I'm a human being! What are you?
32. I can't talk to you right now; tell me, where will you be in the next 10 years?
33. I don't want you to turn the other cheek; it's just as ugly.
34. I don't know who you are, but whatever you are, I'm sure everyone will agree with me.
35. I don't know what makes you so stupid, but it really works.
36. I could make a monkey out of you, but why should I take all the credit?
37. I can't seem to remember your name, and please don't help me!
38. I don't even like the people you're trying to imitate, if you are at all.
39. I know you were born silly, but why did you have a relapse?

40. I know you're a self-made man. It's nice of you to take the blame!
41. I know you're not as stupid as you look. Nobody could be!
42. I've seen people like you, but I had to pay admission!
43. Why are you so stupid today? Anyway, I think that's very typical of you.
44. Do u practice being this ugly?

Emancipation!

Munna began cooking for us, starting today.
So, here's to freedom from pressured everyday cooking.
And here's to healthy home cooked food everyday...
Yaay!

Ambrosia!

Over the last 2 years , I have discovered a passion for cooking. It is a huge stress buster and you get to satisfy your creative urges too.

Last week my friend J gave me the quickest easiest recipe for a chocolate fudge and it took me a grand total of 10 minutes including cooking time to make it.
I tweaked her recipe with surprisingly satisfactory results.
Gooey Choco Fudge (microwave)
Cadbury's Cocoa powder- 1/4 of a cup
Cooking Butter - 1/4 of a cup
Milkmaid - 1/4 of a cup
Vanilla essence - 1 tsp
Walnuts - handful- coarsely chopped.

1. Mix all the ingredients except walnuts in a microwave friendly bowl and beat them to get a smooth consistency
2. Place it in the microwave at high power for 1.5 to 2 mins.
You can see the mixture bubbling.
3. Remove it from the microwave and mix in the coarsely chopped walnuts
4. Refrigerate until it sets
5. Watch it being polished off- even before you can cut it :-)

Can it get any easier.

Thanks a ton J!

P.S: J's version calls for 3.5 cups sugar and 1/ 2 cup milk. I substituted it for Milkmaid.

what the hell was that?

When my mind is doing its wandering act and trailing from thought to mental image to thought, this one widget keeps appearing like a news ticker, over the last 5 years:

Class 9 or 10:

Location : hallowed classroom of the erstwhile lah-di-dah Smt. Sulochanadevi Singhania School

All of us kids, poring over a fancy pencil box that belonged to one loaded kid.(I remember the kid :-))

A silvery grey and black narrow pencil box.

Now comes the fancy part- I remember that we kids were trying to solve a riddle that appeared on the box. I can only remember part of the riddle and I have sought it out on Google a gazillion times-you know how Google with its incredible predictive search jazz can do anything.

This one draws a blank though.

'Facing the son of genesis, one cannot help but think.....(cant remember here on)'

I remember the loaded kid, explaining to us, how no one in the world has ever been able to decipher it, her wide eyed stories of a mystery million dollar prize money and us li'il all-believing fantasy seeking children.

I'm stuck between figuring out what the riddle was and why this widget refuses to vaporize.

Migration.

Last nite, the swallow took off on her South Asian - Australasian Flyway.

Good Luck on your journey li'il swallow!
No you did not flee!
May you chance upon the life, you choose to want!

25th February' 2008!

Movies I saw over the weekend.

Kiterunner!
"For you, a thousand times over ", is what one could say about the book , but sadly not about movie.
Like most movies ,based on books, this one too falls a wee bit flat and fails to communicate Amir's guilt, Hassan's dogged loyalty, Abba's presence in the life of the boys and the wound in little Sohrab's heart .
Ok, but not quite there!

Jodhaa-Akbar
Disappointment! What could have been a splendid film of epic proportions, lacks just that - splendour or passion. The movie is patchy, and fails to involve you as an audience. It ends up being a comical interpretation of the love between the protagonists. Ashutosh Gowarikar who gave us the sooper Lagaan and the heartfelt Swades, has lost his way in the movie's narrative and made a lengthy, silly costume drama.
Saving grace: the good looking Hrithik, the music.

My new books.

1. Aunt Erma's CopeBook by Erma Bombeck.

She says, in the Acknowledgements page:

For Betsy Bombeck, Andy Bombeck and Matt Bombeck.
If I blow it raising them...
nothing else I do will mater very much. :-)

Contents (interesting)

1. how do i like me so far?
2. the sub-total woman
3. is there a draft in your open marriage?
4. fear of buying
5. looking for Mr. Goodbody
6. is there life after packages?
7. get off your cusp and live!
8. raising consciousness in your own home for funa fn profit
9. the complete book of jogging
10. how to tell your best friend she has bad body english?
11. bringing up parents the okay way
12. go suck an egg
13. a house divided against itself cannot stand one another
14. living cheap
15. tidying up your life
16. I'll give you guilt, when I stop making you feel rotten
17. contemporary etiquette that's AWRIITE
18. I dont care what i say... I still like me

I am itching to get started on this fluffy thing!

2. The Fourth Hand - John Irving
This one is about visitation rights of widow, whose dead husband's hand has been transplanted to another man - how darkly comic is that?

Gleefully,
Happy Karma

was i complaining about valentines day?

Hell Yeah!
"It's so commercial and Yada yada yada..."

So, mine was a spectacular surprise - the husband( hitherto referred to as sweetheart on account of the surprise!)aranged for a candle- light dinner (detailed images may follow in a subsequent post)on the terrace and got wine and a mushy
2 foot high card and a a Swarovski bauble.



Its called the Foursome pendant( giggle giggle)!

he haw.

What was sweet was that the sweetheart was so exhausted at the end of the dinner thing - because of all the runnning around to pick up all the thingies for dinner - I felt sooper sorry !

The above feelings of mush/ sweetheartliness might last for maybe a week. :-P

Notes on "Feb 14th"

So, its that day of the year again - every mall/store/restaurant/chinty dhaba is offering "valintin"(:-)) specials.
Everywhere you see - red baloons - heart shape and all. GAAAH!
Its such a commercial event - there is immenese pressure on gifting spouses/loved ones/ prospective girl/boy friends etc. Its no longer , " bottom of your heart " feelings or such like, cos, hey you dont need a day to express bottom of heart type feelings. But what the hell, maybe some folks really live for THAT day , to express, undying love.

That apart, I love Google's Valentine look: Eventually, isnt that what , we all want out of a relationship?

Walk into the sunset, with your gnarled arms linked into another wrinkle-lined one? :-)

My friend baked her 5 year old boy a spectacular cake and wrote him a , "will you be my valentine?" letter in wax crayons. He loved it and is apparently, taking it to school to show everyone.

I got the husband a jacket, he had been eyeing for a while!(no rude surprises, there)

I got myself some books from my old book store, on church street.

And yes, I am waiting for my evening!:-)

Of the many Highs!

I have never been too much of a " invest your money " person. But having a parent who, worked in a Bank for some 25 odd years, and who can nag the living day lights out of you really works.
So I discovered a new high the - Stock market. And am I on a roll ? I completely get my kicks out of moneycontrol.com.

Redecorating the house. he he... Floor mats, curtains, cushions - any woman in her basic womany elements will swear by this one, as it falls under the larger, high called Shopping.

Films Films Films: what do I say. The spouse and me spend a good 20 mins every 2 days in the local DVD place arguing over which film to rent.
The Bucket List (Jack Nicholson always rocks), Juno, The Curse of the Golden Flower (What opulence??)- for me the nicest part of this movie was the hilarious court criers, who go yelling every hour - hour of the Tiger, hour of the Dragon.. hourof the Monkey (giggle giggle).

Books - Turkey is so exciting - atleast in Orhan Pamuk's world.

Recipe of me!

The Recipe For Harini

3 parts Drive 2 parts Wit 1 part Attractiveness Splash of Naughtiness Finish off with an olive

What's the Recipe for Your Personality?