The City of Joy

Postcard From London

2009-11-28T14:12:00.000-08:00

Tower of London

Stonehenge

Radcliffe Square, Oxford

Shakespeare's Globe, London

St. James' Park, London

Houses of Parliament and Big Ben, London

The Eye of London

Keats House, London

Two more pictures uploaded here and here by AFJ.

The Online Novel

2009-10-12T10:30:00.000-07:00

Yes, I am reading an online novel that is actually legal! Almost always, the fiction that we read online is a testimony to copyright violation or some archived work whose copyright has died a natural death.

However, Corduroy Mansions is a now and here novel that can be read online, without breaking any laws. Alexander McCall Smith's novel Corduroy Mansions was serialized in the online Telegraph between September and December last year. So you must be wondering why I am writing this post one year too late. Well, the reason is that right now I am enjoying the sequel.

If you click the link and like what you read, come back to say 'thank you'. :-P

You Win Some, You Lose Some

2009-09-30T01:24:00.000-07:00

Last week I was part of the audience of a cultural program at the Durga puja pandal in my neighbourhood. Before the events of the evening started, the president of the puja committee announced the winners of the sit and draw competition for children, held that morning.

During his speech I was hit by the change in our cultural values. He reminded the participants that participation was most important, wining or losing was not. Not winning the prize does not mean that an individual is inferior to the person who has won it. How political correctness has invaded our lives! Is this a gift of reality television? Or is it an example of a culture of political correctness that has taken over our social interactions? Whatever happened to good old winning and losing? As kids, when we won competitions we rushed home excitedly clutching the drawing book and set of crayons that were given away as prizes. When we lost competitions, we cheered for our friends. Yes, we did not win all the time, but…well…devil may care!

While it is important to tell youngsters that winning is not everything, is it that important to give them constant reassurance? Possibly the reassurance helps kids to cope with the fact of losing. Handling failures may be more difficult in today’s highly competitive world that we would like to admit. But by reassuring the non-winner, are we not undermining the achievements of the winner?

Sometime back I got an email forward about Bill Gates’ speech at a high school about 11 things school children do not learn in school. He talks about how feel-good, politically correct teachings created a generation of kids with no concept of reality and how this concept set them up for failure in the real world. Of the 11 rules, rule 8 reads as follows:
“Your school may have done away with winners and losers, but life HAS NOT.”

After all, you win some, you lose some.

Be careful what you wish for...

2009-05-17T05:49:00.001-07:00

...you just might get it!

Phone Phobia and a New Year Message

2009-01-02T21:58:00.000-08:00

Tring! Tring! Tring! There goes my phone again! Most of us have more phones than we can handle, don’t you think? And for some of us, mobile phones are the bane of our existence. Now, before you jump to the conclusion that this is another post decrying the tiny gadget, well, it is not! It is a post of how the nature of phone calls I receive has changed over the years.

Well, gone are the days of high school and college when friends used to call up and gossip for hours in the afternoons. It was the best time to get glued to the device, with mom safely away – enjoying her afternoon siesta. Gone are days when the only discussion over phones used to be that of college, friends and fun. Back in those days, I had only access one phone – the fixed line at home. But now even with several phones at my disposal most of the time I get one of three kinds of calls that I’d rather do without. First, from a telemarketing executive informing me about what I am missing out in life by not taking personals loans or credit cards from their organizations. Second, from work telling me what needed to be done yesterday. And finally, from relatives, eternally nagging about how bad I am at keeping in touch! Sigh! Very rarely do I get a phone that I am glad to receive.

Of course, one kind of message I am glad to send and receive is a new year wish. Tring! Happy New Year to all.

Missing Chennai

2008-04-09T02:54:00.000-07:00

As my archive indicates, I am blogging after months. And, as my memory indicates, I am blogging from office after years. Well, maybe I just ran out of things to say. Or, maybe, there were so many things happening together that I did not know which one to talk about. But I am back to blogging now as I can understand it will be a useful medium for me to keep in touch with my Chennai friends.

Yes, that is the most important update on life. I have left Chennai for good and have moved back to Kolkata, my hometown. I started by trying to find a good job in Kolkata. When I got down to it, I found it more difficult than what I had thought it would be. The result of it was that, I became even more resolute in my mission. Finally it did happen!

And before I knew it, I was thinking differently. I was missing Chennai even before I had left the city. No matter how much I complained about the place, the city was my home for three years. Now, after being in Kolkata for over two weeks, I miss everything about Chennai, but most importantly I miss my friends, the aroma of filter coffee and the beach.

Memories of Ooty

2007-08-16T06:33:00.000-07:00

View of the hills

Botanical Garden

The train seen from above

Tea gardens

Tag done. Finally!

2007-07-18T08:05:00.000-07:00

I have a long-pending tag to do and that is today’s blog trigger. Yes, it has come to that now. I need triggers! I don’t know why I do not blog as often as I used to. Maybe it is boredom, maybe laziness, maybe busy-ness. Or, it could be just that life is standing on its head right now. Anyway, the subject of this is post is not self-analysis, but completion of the tag.

AFJ has dutifully tagged me to say nine things about myself one of which is a lie. She wants her buddies, me included, to do this for ‘old times' sake’ and here, I oblige. :P

1. I have this irritating habit of trying to memorize the registration numbers of cars on the road. This possibly springs from my childhood fantasy of becoming a detective. In my opinion then, the ability to remember and report the registration numbers of vehicles was the supreme skill of a private detective.

2. I am not too fond of fish! Yes, that is true and I do call myself a Bong.

3. I am obsessed with spilt-ends in my hair. Whenever I am alone and mega bored, I try to kill time by twirling strands of my hair around my fingers and gently snipping of split-ends.

4. I am a cleanliness freak. Everything in my house needs to be in meticulous order for me to be able to sleep peacefully.

5. I want to get my ears pierced so that I can wear three pairs of earrings. Though I am pretty sure about what I want the trinkets to look like, I am not at all sure about the piercing part. I chicken out every time I get anywhere close to piercing. Same applies to my longing for a nose ring.

6. Try as I may, I cannot bake THE PERFECT CAKE. Something has to go wrong – every time!

7. The fantasy mentioned in point 1 above, naturally springs from a heavy dose of action-packed detective stories that I used to read during my school days. I am okay with the cop-chasing-goon stories, but I steer clear of horror stories. They freak me out and I avoid horror tele-serials and movies. Yes, you guessed it right; I’ve not read much of Poe.

8. I am quick to form opinions about people. Sometimes I am myself appalled by my judgmental nature. But I cannot help being that way!

9. I suffer from a dentist-phobia, if something like that exists. This is another case of chickening out at the last moment.

Phew! There, that is done. I am not tagging anybody to do this. Do the tag, if you wish to.

A Post About Nothing

2007-06-12T10:43:00.000-07:00

I like the word Nothing. It means...well, no thing (according to web resources). We use it to denote that something does not exist at all or even if it does, it is not important to us. We use it to avoid unnecessary probing, to cut questions short. Nothing. It means...zero, empty, zilch, cypher, blank.

My friend had a key chain that said, 'Who says nothing is impossible? I have done nothing all my life.' *Sigh*. Wish I could say that. But all I seem to say with Calvin is that 'There is never enough time to do all the nothing you want.'

Just waiting...

2007-06-05T08:02:00.000-07:00

...for the rains. And they never come!

Google Search

2007-04-21T08:08:00.000-07:00

This is something I came across a while back. Just proves how much a part of our lives Google is! I think, point 1 is completely true for most of us.

The author of that has also authored this. I downloaded and read it. Quite interesting! Check it out.

Indian Team is Back Home…Sigh

2007-04-01T06:12:00.000-07:00

So, all hopes of bringing the cup home have been mercilessly dashed (not that I had any hopes with our men in blue, to begin with). But I am sighing not because I realized that our team will lose even to gulli-mohalla teams, but because of my own selfish reasons. When they were out there playing, (read: losing) I was busy enjoying myself. The shopping malls were empty and there was no waiting in any restaurant even at 9’oclock on Saturday evening! I was having a ball and secretly praying that the men would hang on there for some more time.

But no, all good things must come to an end and in this case, two good things met their respective ends in one go. The guys are back. My hopes of shopping in almost vacant malls have come to naught. *Sighhhh*

Great show, team. You've not even been able to live up to the expectations of a non-cricket-crazy, non-fan!

Back to Blogging

2007-03-14T07:43:00.000-07:00

Yeah, it’s been a long time since I wrote! In fact, I think I am visiting my own blog after about a month. No, the delay in posting and the indifference was not due to the unavailability of an internet connection at home (that was sorted out ages ago and now I have brand new ISP. Yay!). Actually, there were way too many things happening at the same time. I couldn't handle so much!

I was so tied down with other things that blogging was nowhere near the top of my priority list. And yes, while I was away, so many things have changed, both in my life and in my blog. For starters, my sitemeter indicates that my blog has welcomed over ten thousand visitors in the last one and a half years!

Help!

2007-01-25T20:52:00.000-08:00

All of us have received email forwards that need us to help someone. Everytime we forward the mail, the needy person gets money from some organisation or some bank. I got this mail recently, that was half ridiculous and half hilarious. I don't know whether someone really means this, or is this a spoof on such forwards created by a fed-up soul! Read on to see what I mean:

Hi,
I am tillu , L KG sec-B. I lost my "rubber wala pencil " (pencil with eraser attached to it). The pencil costs Rs.3/-. If u forward this msg I will get 1 paise from ICICI Bank. If you have heart plz fwd it to atleast 10 mail ids. Please don't neglect. May God bless you . Otherwise my mom will scold me. :(

Regards
Tillu, LKG, Sec.B

However, what struck me as strange was the use of the bank's name.

Happy New Year

2007-01-06T22:50:00.000-08:00

Wishing a very Happy New Year to everyone. :)

I know this new year wish is rather late. The problem is I couldn't post earlier. My internet service provider is acting weird. Time to say goodbye to them, I guess.

Na Jaane Kyon...

2006-12-07T05:20:00.000-08:00

Na jaane kyon hota hai ye zindagi ke saath
Achanak ye man
Kisi ke jaane ke baad
Kare phir uski yaad choti choti si baat.

-Chhoti Si Baat (1975)

Tintin

2006-11-21T09:47:00.000-08:00

Date of publication, foreword, historical note – these are not things school kids look for when they pick up comics. This is possibly why I was not aware of some social and political occurrences on which Tintin comics were based.

I’ve been reading Tintin for the last couple of days. Some excerpts that point towards the adventures being satires and social representations of the time, follow:

Tintin In the Congo

Foreword

Tintin au Congo first appeared as a serial from 5 June 1930, 0ver a perieod of a year, in “Le Petie Vingtieme”, the children’s supplement to the Brussels newspapaer “Le Vingtieme Siecle”. In 1931 the story was published in book form by Les Editions du Petit Vingtieme and a few months later by Editions Casterman of Tournai. It is from the former edition that the present book is presented in English translation.

In his portrayal of the Belgian Congo, the young Herge reflects the colonial attitudes of the time. He himself admitted that he depicted his Africans according to the bourgeois, paternalistic stereotypes of the period. The same maybe said of the treatment of big-game hunting and his attitude towards animals.

Tintin in the Land of the Soviets

Foreword

This first adventure of Tintin, the boy reporter, appeared in 1929 in a children’s supplement to a Belgian daily newspaper, Le Vingtieme Siecle. Herge, Georges Remi, then twenty-two years old, was employed on the staff as an artist. He had received no formal art training, but was already showing the originality and wit that would make him a unique figure in the world of the strip cartoon.

Herge’s satire on the Soviet state was very much of its time. He himself had not been to Russia, but had read a book published the year before, Moscou sans voiles: Neuf and de travail au pays des Soviets by Joseph Douillet, a former Belgian consul in Rostov-on-Don. Soviet propaganda to persuade the world outside Russia that the economy was booming was a particular target for Herge, as were the activities of the secret police, the OGPU. Incidentally he errs on one occasion in the story when he calls them the Cheka, their name before 1922.

Publication in Le Petit Vingtieme began on 10 January 1929. In 1930 the adventure was issued in album form, now a very rare book greatly sought after, the 500 copies being numbered and signed “Tintin et Milou”. There were, it is believed, nine subsequent editions, differing only in the layout of the print on the title page. With the exception of a reissue in 1969 for the personal use of the author, again limited to 500 copies, and some pirated editions, more than forty years elapsed before this adventure was again published, in the first volume of the Archives Herge. This volume (in which the original versions of Tintin au Congo and Tintin en Amerique also appear) includes a page which originally appeared in Le Petit Vingtieme No. 60, omitted for no apparent reason from the first edition in album form. This is reproduced here as page 97A.

The Blue Lotus

Historical Note

Herge first published Le Lotus Bleu in the magazine Le Petie Vingtieme in Brussels in 1934-5: the story itself is set in 1931. At that time Japanese troops were occupying parts of the Chinese mainland, and Shanghai, the great seaport at the mouth of the Yangtze Kiang, possessed an International Settlement, a trading base in China for Western nations, administered by the British and Americans. Herge based his narrative freely upon the events of the time, including the blowing up of the South Manchurian railway, which led to further incursions by Japan into China and ultimately to Japan’s resignation from the League of Nations in 1933.

Holding on...

2006-11-06T06:07:00.000-08:00

...for dear life!

Faces in the Crowd

2006-10-29T05:36:00.000-08:00

Does one ever manage to re-connect with people one really liked and has lost touch with? I really long to see a familiar face in the crowd. There are so many people moving up and down the streets everyday, so many people moving in and out of cities every month. Then how is it that I never meet even a single person out of the scores of people I want to meet?!

Sometimes, I really wish I would meet someone on way to work – old friends, colleagues, acquaintances, old neighbours from old cities, childhood playmates or my prep school teacher. But that never happens. Even if I happen to meet people they'll be here-and-now people, whom I would have met anyway.

Some faces are lost forever.

Conversation

2006-10-24T05:14:00.000-07:00

Stranger : Monela!! Wassup??
Ki korchees?

Me: heyyyyyyy
Howcome u're online at this time? :)

Stranger : Why not? I'm free all da time.

Me: I expected u to be online after 6 IST

Stranger: Why????

Me: Helllooo...if I'm not totally mistaken u're ABC, right?

Stranger: Tor mundoo!!

Me: Tale ke?
I am feeling foolish now

Stranger: Guess!!

Me: No guesses

Stranger: Hmmm…we're related
youre my cousin.

Me: ?? :O

Stranger: Cant u see my contact details??

Me: No, I haven’t.

Stranger: Mr. 'Funny name'

Me: WHAT?
I DONT THINK I KNOW U

Stranger: Why not?????
????
??????
???
???

Me: I dont know anybody called Mr. 'Funny name'
I think u got ur cousin's name wrong and I added u by mistake.

Stranger: What re u sayin??
So where are u from?

Me: Whom r u looking for? And where is that person from?

Stranger: Delhi

Me: Nopes...I'm not from Delhi

Stranger: Freaky

Me: That confirms the mistake

Stranger: Ok
So now what?

Me: Now...bye bye

Stranger: Delete each other?

Me: Yup

Stranger: Cool
I'm from mumbai by the way.

Me: And I dont have any cousin's in Mumbai...that confirms it further

Stranger: As u say
Take it easy
Ciao

Me: Bye

Stranger: U didnt tell me wher u from.
Calcutta?

Me: Nope

Stranger: Haha whyre u so secretive??
I'm not gonna follo u home or sumthin

Me: Look, I'm busy. Moreover, I'm not in the habit of chatting with strangers. I added u because I mistook u for one of my friends.

Stranger: okokokok
woooo

Happy Diwali

2006-10-19T02:57:00.000-07:00

Wishing a very Happy Diwali to all.

Nizim Ezekeil

2006-10-16T06:02:00.000-07:00

Touching

This is a song
About touch and touching
You touch me - a way of feeling
I touch you - a way of understanding.
We are touched
By a film or a book.
We are touched
When a stranger is kind.
How can we live
Without touching and being touched?
There is a healing touch,
It makes the sick whole again.
Let's keep in touch
We say to a friend who’s going away.
To have the right touch
Means to know how it's done.
Touching is an art,
It's the movement
To and from the heart.
Some are easily touched
Some are hard to touch,
You are often touched,
I’m often touched.

Back in Business

2006-10-11T06:29:00.000-07:00

I am back after a vaccation and a blast! *Grins from ear to ear*. I promise not to do the vanishing act again in the near future. I took this time off because I knew it would be impossible for me to blog while at home during the pujas and it is always decent to inform my friends when I won't be blogging, rather than have them visit my page for nothing.

Okay, now more about my trip. Well, the only thing I missed was an opportunity to laze around and do nothing. I was kept on my toes for all the ten days in Calcutta. Visiting friends and family, pandal hopping, gorging on street food, shopping after the pujas and generally splurging. It was all great fun. And ever since I got back, I've been looking only at this! :P

Oh yes! I forgot to mention the downside of the vaccation. My mobile bill will be soaring thanks to roaming charges. And guess who are the biggest contributors to that? Tele marketing executives who were forever calling up and trying to sell credit cards and personal loans!

Shubho Bijoya

2006-10-04T08:06:00.000-07:00

Heartiest Bijoya Greetings to all my blogger buddies. :D
And yes, today I complete one year in blogosphere!

Hiatus

2006-09-13T06:40:00.000-07:00

Will resume blogging soon. :)

My 3-in-1 Post

2006-09-09T00:18:00.000-07:00

I received this most hilarious email forward. It tells me what kind of job would suit me best, by asking a c-r-a-z-y question. Believe it or not the question is about spending a night in a haunted house! Don’t ask me the connection – maybe the office is equal to the haunted house or the boss is equal to the ghost. Check is out:

One day, you get lost in the wilderness while travelling. It gets dark and you have no choice but to seek refuge in a small hut nearby. The owner tells you all his rooms are haunted. Which room will you choose?

Room (A)- a human head stares at you maliciously from outside your window.

Room (B)- the bathroom door creaks open and close, and there are sounds of a woman sighing.

Room (C)- the bed starts rocking violently whenever you try to sleep on it.

Room (D)- a headless ghost sits at the foot of your bed when you awake in the middle of the night.

Make one comfortable (??!!) choice before clicking to see the expert analysis.

A) A human head stares at you maliciously from outside your window.
Explanation: You need a lot of private space and are more suitable to work alone. You look for stability i.e. a job that is not easily affected by external factors and provides steady income.
E.g. Doctor, lawyer, SOHO (small office / home office), teacher, administrator.

B) The bathroom door creaks open and close, and there are sounds of a woman sighing.
Explanation: You prefer a stable job that does not require you to run around or meet people. You are willing to be subjected to pressure from your bosses if that lets you sit in an air-conditioned office all day.
E.g. Civil servant, engineer, computer engineer, accountant.

C) The bed starts rocking violently whenever you try to sleep on it.
Explanation: You are an active person who cannot sit still and does not like to be restrained. You are easily adaptable to a job which is full of changes and not routine.
E.g. Marketing, insurance, sales, delivery man, chauffer.

D) A headless ghost sits at the foot of your bed when you awake in the middle of the night.
Explanation: You suit jobs that need you to meet people, especially large crowds. Your job will depend on these people, but you will not know who they are.
E.g. superstar, politician, PR, counter/frontline sales.

I chose option 1 simply because there was no option called ‘None of the above’. I thought it was safer to have the ghost outside the house that inside it!

PS: 1. I am stuck at page 16 of this easy puzzle. Please help! :(
2. It just cannot help posting this because right now I’m grinning from ear to ear. My chingri macher malaikari (Prawn Malai Curry) rocks!

New Blogger

2006-09-05T06:28:00.000-07:00

This is my first post this month and it is being done in the new Blogger beta. Yay! Yes, I finally did upgrade to the new Blogger. For sometime I was scared to even touch it. Knowing the techno goof that I am, I was sure to screw something up!!! Finally, I managed to do it successfully only to find that from now on I cannot post comments on not-upgraded blogs!
:(

Love is...

2006-08-29T06:53:00.000-07:00

...an irresistible desire to be irresistibly desired.
-Robert Frost

Cool Article!

2006-08-23T06:47:00.000-07:00

A colleague forwarded this to me. Bless the poor soul who wrote it!
Those who relate to it, must raise their hand while reading it. :P

Comments Please

2006-08-18T11:35:00.000-07:00

I just watched a celebrity talk show on NDTV where the topic of discussion was “Have the rules of marriage changed”? The trigger was of course, Karan Johar’s new release ‘Kabhi Alvida Na Kehna’. Though I’ve not watched the movie and do not intend to either, the points of view that came up in the general discussion were interesting.

I am posting this only to solicit comments on one of the points raised in the talk – twenty-somethings and thirty-somethings do not consider infidelity a good enough reason to end a relationship.

People in the quoted age group, do comment on this.

The Rain

2006-08-10T10:35:00.000-07:00

She looked out of the window to see whether the rain had stopped. It had - almost. She decided she could venture out as she did not mind the drizzle on her face. Stepping out, she was waiting to cross the road when another downpour took her by surprise. She rushed towards the nearest shelter in sight – an ATM.

Standing there, amidst the swarm of people she sort of reflected on how things had changed. The rain soaked city was always refreshing to her. She loved the whiff of the rain. Earlier, she used to run towards the rain – instinctively. Today she runs away from it – mechanically. Would she ever run towards the rain again?

In a few minutes the rain had stopped completely. She walked out of the shelter and proceeded to cross the road throwing all questions out of her mind. She had urgent work to attend to.

In Boredom Lane

2006-08-04T07:04:00.000-07:00

Life has taken a turn towards ‘boredom lane’. Everyday is just like the previous day and there is nothing ‘blog-able’ happening. I’m even tired of whining, cribbing and window shopping. The highlight of this week was a ride in a lady auto-driver’s auto!

You must me wondering about what keeps me occupied during leisure. The answer is, thought of going home. Looking forward to going home to Kolkata for Durga puja has almost become a full-time occupation.

Words

2006-07-30T07:27:00.000-07:00

We are betrayed by words so very often. Sometimes you are brimming with emotion but find yourself incapable of expressing them just because words do not measure upto the depth of your feelings. No matter what, you never quite express what you want to say. Words, sometimes, leave you totally unable to say what you mean.

Some other situations are the exact opposite of this. You get so emotional that you are unable to contain yourself and just shoot the words you can think of. Very often you live to regret such outbursts. Slowly you begin to realize that you did not mean what you said.

The gap between words and emotions, ‘meaning’ and ‘saying’ is eternal. However, the result of both the situations is always contrary to your wish. Who is responsible for this? The words, the emotions, or just you?

Apologies

2006-07-18T07:03:00.000-07:00

My computer has gone berserk. It is not allowing me to log into blogger. This problem, coupled with work, is keeping me from blogging. So until next week...take care.

Quiz

2006-07-10T07:36:00.000-07:00

It's been a while since I took a quiz. Could not resist this one. Just wnted to find out how scorpio I am! :D

From: Blogthings

'One'

2006-07-06T06:47:00.000-07:00

There are scores of people who live their lives with ‘one’ – one idea about life, one opinion of people (either black or white) and one world view. Neither do they have more than one idea at a single point of time, nor do they have different ideas at different points of time. In other words there is neither conflict nor change. Having different ideas at the same time can often drive you crazy, but it is easier to handle different ideas at different points of time in your life. That kind of change is rather natural as people grow, mature and evolve.

Moreover, such people are curiously contented and at peace with themselves as there is no conflict tearing them apart. They tend to regard their world view as the only or, if they are ready to admit plurality, the best. It is possibly this perception that helps them hold their sanity much like the fabled frog in the well.

It is interesting to see such perceptions rattled.

Friday Evening Tale

2006-06-30T08:22:00.000-07:00

For a while now I had been wondering why everything was suddenly right with the Chennai auto drivers. No arguments, no tamasha, no hilarious incidents. They were neither giving me reason to complain nor to laugh. And lo and behold, it happened last Friday. Okay people, okay, I agree that this is a little too late to post the last Friday occurrence, but honestly I did not find time before this. Actually, I did, was too lazy to post!

Last Friday evening my colleague and I left office around 8.15 and stepped out into the rain! We hailed the first auto that came our way and jumped into it even before we negotiated the fare. We were barely two yards down the road when the signal turned red. The driver took the opportunity to clean his auto. He got off and began rubbing the windscreen with a liquid. (Er…well, I am not sure whether that is called the ‘windscreen’ at all! It is an auto after all, and there is no question of screening the wind.) In an instant I realised that he was happily pouring shampoo out of a sachet and using it to clean the glass! But at least we expected him to rub it clean before the signal became green. But no the auto started moving with the white foam on the wind screen. We almost freaked out at the idea of going home, or maybe ‘trying to go home’ in an auto whose windscreen was opaque.

It was only later that we understood the man’s intentions, when the rain washed the windscreen sparkling clean!!! Talk about things being put a variety of uses by different people?

Change...

2006-06-18T10:44:00.000-07:00

There were so many things in life that were Important. At different points of time different things assumed importance and it seemed that my life would fall apart if I did not have them. I must have that...I must get that...I must achieve this...that should be like this...or else, life is a waste.

But when I look back now, vey often I ponder on the importance of those 'things'. What was the importance of those things, of those achievements, of having things the way I wanted them? Nothing. My life today would have been that same even if I had not got what I hankered after, then. My concerns, interests and notion of importance have all changed. 'All that' seems pretty redundant now, sometimes even childish!

Does that mean that whatever, I hanker after today will seem redundant after a while?

Sad

2006-06-13T09:18:00.000-07:00

Either you be interested in what everybody else is interested or be left alone. All matters end in Hobson’s Choice. I am facing yet another similar situation in this world caught with the world cup fever. What do poor souls like me, who are not interested in what e-v-e-r-y-b-o-d-y seems to be interested, do? That “leathered rotundity” is making my life miserable!

The Weird Side of Me

2006-06-08T07:20:00.000-07:00

Sanny tagged me. I've been asked to list out six of my weird habits. So here goes:

1. I hate silence. I cannot keep quiet and I do not like it when everything around me is quiet. I like to have people talking to me or around me. That way I am glad that my workstation is in a noisy bay. At home keep playing music when I am alone.

2. I dance in the kitchen. Yeah, you heard that right. Like I said, I can’t stay in silent mode for long. So when I’m cooking I play music and enjoy myself in the kitchen. Ahem…that does not affect the food in anyway.

3. I am not particularly fond of fish curry and rice. I mean, I can manage without it. This may not sound weird but trust me, it is really weird coming from a bong.

4. I love bursting the bubbles on a bubble wrap.

5. I cannot recognize people outside the place where I normally meet them. This does not apply to family, friends or colleagues. Say for instance I see my vegetable vendor in the bus, I’ll be looking at him and wondering where I’ve seen the man. I will not be able to place him if is not in his shop!

6. I have a mental block against anything remotely scientific or mathematical.

I tag:
AFJ
AquaM
Zee
Vee
Rohit
Aklanta

By the way San, I'm still wondering why you called me the 'tag queen'! :)

Dilbert 2

2006-06-04T07:36:00.000-07:00

Dilbert is my way of postponing San's tag. :P

Nothing is Like Something Else

2006-05-30T07:42:00.000-07:00

Nothing is like something else. Today is not like yesterday and tomorrow will not be like today. Today you are at the nadir of despair, tomorrow you maybe at the zenith of hope. What is inconceivable now maybe a reality later. Sometimes you feel like you are just standing and watching the mad rush swooshing past you. Sometimes you join the rat race. Maybe someone else is watching you. Who knows.

You shift bases from place to place. You lose and find friends. Everything changes – people, places, things, emotions relationships – slowly and steadily, bit by bit. It is almost imperceptible. But one year down the line you suddenly wake up and realize that nothing in your life is the way it was last year!!! What do you do then? Nothing.

If things have changed for the better, good for you. If not, too bad. Life, they say, is a roller coaster ride.

Random Thoughts

2006-05-26T07:19:00.000-07:00

I’ve rediscovered my passion for Tom and Jerry. I’ve watched some 15 animations in the last two days. Re-living my childhood is great fun!

My favourite pastime, right now, is googling for names. I’ve come across so much of information about people and even caught CVs floating around. It is ubelievable!

I’ve so many posts stashed away in my Blogger account. I really don’t know why I’m not posting all those ‘saved as draft’ posts. In fact, I should be posting one of those instead of penning my random thoughts. Hee hee, that’s me.

The last two weeks were bad. Lot of work and very little rest coupled with my inexplicable depression. But now that the weekend is here, looks like my usual self is within sight. Before you know it, it’ll be Monday, so enjoy your weekend guys.

Dilbert

2006-05-23T07:01:00.000-07:00

Click for a closer view.

Break

2006-05-15T10:13:00.000-07:00

I will not be blogging for a week as I will be away.

Didn't Think of That

2006-05-10T20:13:00.000-07:00

People see me munching all the time. I cannot have my coffee without some munchkins to go with it. Naturally, my colleagues were surprised yesterday when I did not have anything from the canteen today. ALL DAY!

One of my colleagues could not take it anymore by evening. When I refused for the third time that day, she asked what was up. I innocently said "I will not have any of that junk today – on resolution". She gave me a puzzled look and asked, 'Kyon? Weekend me weight liya tha kya?'

Can you imagine my state of mind now? !"£$%

Book Fair

2006-05-06T02:52:00.000-07:00

A ship full of books. Yes, that’s what it is! This floating book fair has been in town for sometime and I’ve not had the time to catch it. It is of interest for two reasons. The first and the obvious one is that it's a book fair. The second reason is the fact that it is a different kind of a book fair. It is held aboard the “oldest sea faring passenger ship” called the Doulos. The captain says that the crew of the ship comprises of people belonging to forty-six countries and Chennai is the five hundred and forty second port they are visiting. Browsing books on cookery, health and literature aboard an old sea vessel can be a very different experience.

I want to visit it before it leaves the Chennai port on May 8th.

Weekend

2006-05-03T06:40:00.000-07:00

Okay, that's it. I've decided on the following:

No more cribbing
No more whinning and
No more 'incomprehensible posts'

I've had my much needed break and I am back. The last weekend was long and we made a trip to Coorg (pure bliss). I'm back now, feeling fresh and happy. So snub me if you catch me complaining.

All That is Gold

2006-04-26T01:00:00.000-07:00

All that is gold does not glitter,

Not all those who wander are lost;

The old that is strong does not wither,

Deep roots are not reached by the frost.

From the ashes a fire shall be woken,

A light from the shadows shall spring;

Renewed shall be blade that was broken,

The crownless again shall be king.

--J.R.R.Tolkien

My Space

2006-04-24T23:40:00.000-07:00

Some people have no civic sense at all! I’ve seen this several times – while I was living in hostels as well as now that I live in a flat. Some times it is too much to bear. People hardly realize that there is something called community living and each one is responsible for making their own as well as other people’s lives a little less miserable. We share parking space, common space within the building compound, staircase, terrace etc. Life was worse in the hostels as people share washrooms as well. A little concern for others can really, really help.

Of course parking space and common space is nothing compared to breathing space. Some people refuse to allow you even that. Have I ever told anyone that my personal life is open to discussion? No. Then why is it that people show interest in the goings-on in my life? This used be a perennial problem during my hostel days, thankfully it is less – almost non-existent now. But there are other questions that I am not open to. Well, there are so many that I can rattle off as examples…but then, God only know who is reading this blog!

Why?

2006-04-19T10:21:00.000-07:00

Today is only Wednesday
I want to shop madly
I am bored, tired and restless
Why am I getting these crank SMSes?
I’ve fought with three people this week
Just discovered that I can cook awesome doi potol.
Got to know that an ex-colleague, who never knew that I blog, follows my blog regularly
I don’t mind going back to hostel
I can’t live without chocolates
My phone bill is killing me
Why can’t I write poems?
Today I put my Tamil vocabulary to test
I’ve not told anybody about the existence of my blog in the last four months
Bengali New Year was a fantabulous day :)
Why do I suffer from these inexplicable bouts of depression?
I love the Besant Nagar beach
I want to go back to my small town roots
Why am I writing this?
This is not a tag
It is just listlessness

I will be back with a more meaningful post.

Fundoo Fotos

2006-04-17T19:32:00.000-07:00

I got these snaps as an email forward. The subjectline read 'How Indians get photos clicked' or something like that. Initially, I thought it was a little offensive. But when I saw the pics, I could not stop laughing. Take a look:

Subho Nababorsho

2006-04-15T11:18:00.000-07:00

Today is Poila Boishakh (first day of the month Baisakh) which is Bengali new year. Wish you all a very happy new year. May all your cherished dreams come true. Subho Nababorsho!

Laws of Life

2006-04-13T00:03:00.000-07:00

You know what? Mr. Hobson and Mr. Murphy are out take control over my life. I know I’ve been cribbing enough lately and you guys will kill me doing more of this, but I can’t help it. Mr. Hobson is not too much of a problem though. I can make good choices even when there are no choices. But somebody help me when Mr. Murphy comes looking for me!

Are these the only laws of life? Just thinking aloud.

How Much is Too Much?

2006-04-11T06:54:00.000-07:00

In practical terms convenience is often equated with comfort. But they are very different and I say that with reference to my relation with the internet. I find it convenient to use the net but my comfort level with it is pretty low! I hope that this does not sound contradictory.

Well, I am into blogging, social bookmarking etc. I invariably fall back on the net whenever I need info and that happens countless times in a day. Good old email is always there. However, I’ve not registered in social networking sites. Moreover, I am really, really sceptical of matches made over the net as well - whether they are love in chatrooms or arranged marriages over matrimony sites. Neither have I done online shopping ever in my life nor have I chatted with any unknown person in chat rooms. The former is precisely because I am wary of divulging my credit card details even over a secure server. The only time I do that is when I need to book rail tickets and the case is helplessly urgent. That’s it!!

My friends make fun of me saying that I will be at a loss in a few years when everything will go online. It is not that I am not aware of such possibilities. I also have a fair knowledge about the less technical aspects of the net, having worked in that industry for sometime. Actually, I still do – in a way. But I’ve heard of people who have gotten into trouble because of over exposure on the net. Internet frauds also scare me to the hilt. This sometimes makes me think whether I am an outdated model with a third world look out?

* In true AFJ style, I want to say that the girl in the pic is not me.

Some Cribbing and a Meme

2006-04-05T07:11:00.000-07:00

My sincere apologies for vanishing without informing. Actually I was maha busy. I do not blog at work and I can’t blog at home. I do not blog at work because I do not have the time to look away from my monitor and I can’t blog from home bacause I am quite brain-dead when I get home in the evening. Sigh! Sad but true.

Enough of cribbing, now for some business. This is the loooooong-pending guilt meme. I was double tagged by AFJ and Soumyadip! So here goes:

Culinary Guilt: Well, there are severallllllllll. But to make matters simple I will mention only one – the worst of them. I do not know how to cook authentic, Bengali fare. I am not saying that what I cook does not taste good. It does, but it is not traditionally Bengali and I hang my head in embarassesment when people ask for Bong recipes. Yes, you guessed it right, internet to the rescue. As for myself, I miss ma ke haath ka khana. What I cook never tastes the same! (Of course my green peas kachori and dum aloo are exceptions!)

Literary Guilt: Moving on…hmmm…literary guilt. Now that is something easy and something I am really very guilty about. I lost my reading habit somewhere down the line. I used to be a voracious reader as a child. I clearly remember my dad used to ask me what I wanted from another city, everytime he was about to leave on an official tour and I used to say “A book”! Well, I’ve not been able to hold on to that habit.

Audiovisual Guilt: Difficult! I like serious, food-for-thought kind of movies. But, but, but I must admit that once in a while it is nice to watch Paisa Vasool movies. Actually what gives headaches to my mom actually relieves me of them!! Is that guilt? Naah!

Musical Guilt: That again is an easy one. I did not pursue music. I suddenly gave up after having been trained in hindustani classical music for seven years. I regret it now. Well, the lesser said, the better.

Celebrity Guilt: I used to be a huge fan of Ajay Jadeja. Geee. That was during my school days. So let’s not talk about it now. And yes, though my friends used to make fun of my taste back then, I still do not consider it to be guilt.

Oops, guys at the end of this exercise I noticed that I’ve revealed more about myself that I intended to. Anyways, I still went ahead and posted it.

Update: I know this comes two days after the post, but I had to say it. I forgot to tag others to carry out the meme. :P

My DNA

2006-03-28T09:06:00.000-08:00

Well, why am I doing this? There is so much I want to write about. There is a pending meme that I have to post. And here I am taking tests! Why? Actually, AquaM tempted me into this. I tried it and it was fun. Despite the fact that is rather long, I would say that it is interesting.

According to them I am an 'Attentive Analyst'. In fact, I found the DNA Map quite interesting and enjoyed reading about my character traits on mouse overs. Here it is:

What say?

A Movie and Some Catching Up

2006-03-25T06:41:00.000-08:00

Wowwww! What a time I had this afternoon. I went out with the gang for a movie. For those of you who do not know, the gang includes AquaM, AFJ, Zee and me. Of course, we missed Vee and Mru, but as they say, one can’t have everything.

We went to watch the Memoirs of a Geisha. I was supposed to meet AquaM and AFJ at the bus stop and we would take off for Satyan theatre. Zee had already booked the tickets this morning and would meet us at the theatre. I was the first to reach the meeting point, despite living furthest away from it!! AFJ was the next to join us and we waited till eternity for AquaM. Madam has no sense of time. Finally, after she reached, we took an auto and rushed to the theatre only to find that Zee had not arrived. In the meanwhile AquaM, got her ‘funny snap ’ clicked at the Bharti counter at the theatre. You can ask her for the details of that episode. She will get a digicam if she wins the contest!! So if you see her blog turning into a photoblog, be sure that she won it.

AFJ and I turned down offers of hair wash from the Sunsilk counter. But I have to admit that AFJ got the offer, not me. One look at me can make the Sunsilk folks run for their lives. The length of my hair can consume bottles of shampoo and that is certainly not the idea behind offering a free (read: product promotional) hair wash to casual moviegoers!

Finally, we managed to enter the theatre after the movie had begun. Both AFJ and AquaM told me that ‘somebody’ (whoever that is) had told them that the movie is crappy. But all of us liked it immensely. Memoirs of a Gheisha is an extremely well made movie and I recommend it as a must watch. Now don't ask me for movie review. I fail in that department miserably. I am sure one of my buddies will have a review on her blog. I will let you guys know which blog and when! :P

In all, it was a fantastic afternoon outing. I had lots of catching up to do after being out of touch with these guys (I don’t consider virtual connections as keeping in touch) for three months. Thanks people.

Spring

2006-03-21T08:35:00.000-08:00

Caught a cold. Running a temperature. Went to work. Saw a tree on the way that was in full bloom. The white flowers covered the sight of leaves as well. It was as though the tree was covered with white snow. “Enjoy”, I said to the tree, “while spring lasts”.

Another Test

2006-03-17T08:54:00.000-08:00

Well, internet quizes are helping me make important decision. Take this one for example. Wondering whether to take it seriously or not!

Happy Holi

2006-03-15T21:04:00.000-08:00

Here's wishing you all a very Happy Holi.

Movie Music - Then and Now

2006-03-12T21:31:00.000-08:00

There was a time when I used to wait for Wednesdays, to watch Chitrahaar on TV. Yes, you heard it right! I am referring to that ancient programme on DD that used to be my weekly quota of Bollywood music. My association with Chitrahaar was rather prolonged as my mom forbade any association with the so-called ‘Cable TV’ (read: menace) till I was safely through my boards.

But the exposure to Hindi movie music has undergone a sea change!! They are playing everywhere these days. There are remixes of new songs being created even before the original soundtrack is released. The next problem is ringtones. Every other person on the street has a ‘hit song ringtone’. For some odd reason, I thoroughly dislike filmi ringtones.

Well, there is a third problem too. Ever paid heed to the music that plays when people run their cars on the reverse gear? Believe it or not, thrice a week I wake up to the sound of ‘Dhoom Machale’. Yes, you guessed it! There is a car in my neighbourhood that has the music playing when it runs on reverse.

I really like movie music, be it a soft, sentimental number or some rocking tapori number. However, sometimes I feel that overexposure is taking the charm out of it. Seriously, we seem to have come a long way from the days of Chitrahaar!

See You Tomorrow

2006-03-09T07:12:00.000-08:00

Found. Lost. Found again. Lost again. Found yet again. Thank God for that. It was purely by chance that we found each other again. Good friends are destined to meet. And lose touch!
Then, we tried to find each other in the crowd and succeeded. Good friends don’t lose touch - maybe.

I am clapping in glee.

PS: I am sorry if this sounds incoherent. I am just thinking aloud.

To Inform or Not to Inform...

2006-03-07T08:43:00.000-08:00

You know, some of the good part of blog theory was that blogs would be like diaries that the world could read. They would be spontaneous, whatever pops into your mind, as a diary would be.
-Gregg Easterbrook

Well, I do not know anything about blog theory. What is important is that I do consider my blog to be my diary. To me, it offers the best medium to say whatever I want to say. I can write anything, without any hassels. I can let off steam as well. While doing what I like doing, I made some great friends as well.

Work pressure coupled with domestic commitments kept me away for a week and my previous post was meant to inform my blogger buddies that I would be back with them in no time. It was not meant to sound self-important as some people thought it did.

Hmmm…I guess, that about all I wanted to say in this post.

Unavailable

2006-02-25T03:22:00.000-08:00

Rita will be away from blogosphere till next weekend. Till then, be good and enjoy yourselves! :D

Commercial Blogging

2006-02-20T09:04:00.000-08:00

I was always under the impression that bloggers don’t blog to earn. I mean…a lot of bloggers don’t, as a blog is only a medium of self-expression. Naturally, I was surprised when I read this. If you are interested in earning big bucks by blogging, then this article may be your guide. Blogging is fast becoming a serious profession and is growing into something called ‘entrepreneurial blogging’. The question that remains to be answered is that, will these commercial blogs give competition to small time bloggers who blog at leisure?

Well, technology pundits have forecasted a huge growth in blogs and net telephony in 2006 (The Hindu, Wednesday, February 15, 2006). So why not take the opportunity to cash in on this growth?

Rita’s Sob Story

2006-02-16T21:12:00.000-08:00

Work, work, work! Rita is neck deep in work. It’s so bad that she does not have time for anything else. No wonder this bloggy is suffering!! Rita is so far away from herself that she is referring to herself in the third person. *sob* No time, no fun!

In the new workplace Rita is only discovering the truth of Robert Frost’s observation “By working faithfully eight hours a day, you may get to be a boss and work twelve hours a day.”

Happy Valentine's Day

2006-02-14T20:37:00.000-08:00

Rita has had several ‘special’ experiences on Valentine’s day. I want to share two such experiences here.

Scene 1
Year 2002, 13th Feb, midnight.
Rita’s hostel

I woke up from sleep by a loud knock on my door. There was this woman employed by the hostel to attend to calls from 9 p. m. to 6 a.m. I heard her familiar voice saying “Amma phone aya”

Phone aya?! I was rather surprised.

I opened the door to see the giggly face of my friend accusing me “You never told us that you have a boyfriend in Dubai. He has called you exactly at midnight on Valentine’s day!!”

What the hell is she talking about? I thought while I proceeded to receive the call.

I soon found out from the caller that the call was actually for another girl in the hostel who stayed in room number eighteen. The lady who received the call had mistakenly called me from room number eight!!

Scene 2
Year 2006, 14th Feb, 6 a. m.
Rita’s house

Yes, it happened this morning! The door bell rang loud and clear and I woke up to open the door. What do I see? A man standing at the door with a bouquet that somebody had apparently sent for me. “No way”, I said. “Show me the address”.
He did.

The door number was nine, which is mine. But the address did not mention any block number. Each of the seven blocks in the complex would have a door number nine! I shut the door on the man but could not go back to sleep.

Moral of the story: When you send gifts or cards to people, or even call them up at unearthly hours, please make sure that you provide the correct and complete address. Why should I ‘lose sleep’ because somebody chooses to be romantic??

Anyway, wish you all a happy Valentine's Day.

Rare Photographs

2006-02-11T23:54:00.000-08:00

I am sorry about posting forwards too often. But this one is so good that I could not resisit the temptation.

The daughter of an Indian maharajah seated on a panther she shot, sometime during 1920s. This picture and the others in this series appear in a new book, 'India Then and Now', by Vir Sanghvi and Rudrangshu Mukherjee, Roli Books, India. Pictures courtesy: Roli Books.

A throwback from the Raj: A British man gets a pedicure from an Indian servant.

The Grand Trunk Road, built by Sher Shah Suri, was the main trade route from Calcutta to Kabul. Here, transport leaves Ambala for Delhi.

A group of dancing girls. Dancing or nautch girls began performing at courts around 1830. They were known for their elaborate costumes and jewellery.

A rare aerial view of the president's palace and the parliament building in Delhi, both designed by architects Edwin Lutyens and Herbert Baker.

Women gather at a party in Mumbai (Bombay) in 1910, a sign that women were very much part of the social scene in many respects.

A group from Vaishnava, a sect founded by a Hindu mystic. His followers are called Gosvami-maharajahs and own several temples.

An aerial view of Jama Masjid mosque in Delhi, built between 1650 and 1658 by the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan.

The Imperial Airways 'Hanno' Hadley Page passenger airplane carries the England to India air mail, stopping in Sharjah to refuel.

T-shirt Wisdom

2006-02-08T06:10:00.000-08:00

I have always maintained that words written on a T-shirt are words of wisdom. So I collected some from my friends' t-shirts and added some from my posters (posters I owned during my hostel days). Finally I came up with some gyan that I decided to post. Read on...

1. Where there is a will...i want to be there.
2. Do you believe in love at first sight...or should i walk by again?
3. I never promised an a la carte meal. I promised an a la cart meal. (Guys, don't try this on your girlfried, unless you are sure you want to break-up.)
4. I was born intelligent, but education ruined me.
5. I would rather be beautiful that brainy. Men can see better than they can think. (Which woman will deny that these are words of wisdom?)
6. Copy from one, it's plagiarism; copy from many, it's research.
7. I love work. It gives me something to between weekends.
8. There is one thing in the world worse than being talked about and that is not being talked about!
9. I don't forget faces, but for you I can make an exception. (I wish I could say that to my boss.)
10. I went to college for three years and all I got is this stupid T-shirt and no job.

What say, folks? Anybody feeling wiser?

Tagged – Not Again!

2006-02-06T22:13:00.000-08:00

Well, well, well…looks like 2006 is the year of memes. This is the third tag I am doing in one and a half months. AFJ never gets tired of tagging me!! So, here we go...

Four jobs I’ve had:
Copywriter (This was my firt part time job which I took up during my university days)
Copyeditor
Web content writer
And…er…my present job (Don’t want to reveal details)

Four movies I could watch over and over:
I am afraid that this category is dominated by Bengali movies. But I’ve tried to keep a mix.
Pather Pachali
Unishe April
Any Amol Palekar movie
Braveheart

Four places I’ve lived:
Calcutta
Hyderabad
Delhi
Chennai

Four TV shows I love to watch:
Sarabhai Vs Sarabhai
Dil Kya Chahta Hai
Friends
Tom and Jerry Show

Four places I’ve been on vacation:
This, again, is a long list. I’ve tried to cull out the places I liked best
Simla
Rajasthan
Gangtok
Pondicherry

Four of my favourite foods:
Since I am a foodie, this section will only have categories and not dishes
Any Bengali dish (elish mach, khichudi, etc.)
Any kind of junk food (jhalmuri, phuchka, etc.)
Pizza (Any kind, anywhere)
Chocolates (This is not food, but addiction. The darker, the better.)

Four places, I’d rather be right now:
At home with my mum
On a trip to any hill station
I like beaches too…so a seaside getaway is not a bad idea
Touring Europe

Four sites I visit daily:
Google (That’s a necessity)
All my mailboxes (That’s more than four)
My blog
My Del.icio.us page

Four bloggers I am tagging:
Abaniko
Naveen
Soumyadip
Aklanta

Confessions of Kid

2006-02-02T08:49:00.000-08:00

My friend sent me this awesome forward. Though it is called Confessions of a Kid, I prefer to label it as a good pressure tactic. Well, my confession is that, I've used this tactic once in a while. It actually works!!

Read on...

Little Bobby came into the kitchen where his mother was making dinner. His birthday was coming up and he thought this was a good time to tell his mother what he wanted. "Mom, I want a bike for my birthday." Little Bobby was a bit of a troublemaker. He had gotten into trouble at school and at home. Bobby's mother asked him if he thought he deserved to get a bike for his birthday. Little Bobby, of course, thought he did.

Bobby's mother wanted Bobby to reflect on his behavior over the last year. "Go to your room, Bobby, and think about how you have behaved this year. Then write a letter to God and tell him why you deserve a bike for your birthday." Little Bobby stomped up the steps to his room and sat down to write God a letter.

Letter 1
Dear God,
I have been a very good boy this year and I would like a bike for my birthday. I want a red one. Your friend,
Bobby

Bobby knew that this wasn't true. He had not been a very good boy this year, so he tore up the letter and started over.

Letter 2
Dear God,
This is your friend Bobby. I have been a good boy this year and I would like a red bike for my birthday.
Thank you.
Your friend Bobby

Bobby knew that this wasn't true either. So, he tore up the letter and started again.

Letter 3
Dear God,
I have been an "OK "boy this year. I still would really like a bike for my birthday.
Bobby

Bobby knew he could not send this letter to God either. So, Bobby wrote a fourth letter.

Letter 4
God,
I know I haven't been a good boy this year. I am very sorry. I will be a good boy if you just send me a bike for my birthday. Please!
Thank you,
Bobby

Bobby knew, even if it was true, this letter was not going to get him a bike.

Now, Bobby was very upset. He went downstairs and told his mom that he wanted to go to church. Bobby's mother thought her plan had worked, as Bobby looked very sad. "Just be home in time for dinner," Bobby's mother told him.

Bobby walked down the street to the church on the corner. Little Bobby went into the church and up to the altar. He looked around to see if anyone was there. Bobby bent down and picked up a statue of the Mary. He slipped the statue under his shirt and ran out of the church, down the street, into the house, and up to his room. He shut the door to his room and sat down with a piece of paper and a pen. Bobby began to write his letter to God.

Letter 5
God,
I'VE KIDNAPPED YOUR MAMA. IF YOU WANT TO SEE HER AGAIN,
SEND THE BIKE! !!!!!!!!!

Attention Book Lovers!

2006-01-30T22:13:00.000-08:00

Here is your opportunity to vote for your favourite American Classic! All you need to do is visit the homepage of Penguin publishers. This year - 2006 is the sixtieth anniversary of Penguin Classics. You can visit this page to vote. You can also, if you wish, post a small essay which may be featured on the site! Isn’t that news, guys? *ear to ear grin*

Billy Collins

2006-01-25T05:14:00.000-08:00

I just noticed that I've not posted a poem in a long while. So I decided to post a poem that I really, really like.

On Turning Ten

The whole idea of it makes me feel
like I'm coming down with something,
something worse than any stomach ache
or the headaches I get from reading in bad light--
a kind of measles of the spirit,
a mumps of the psyche,
a disfiguring chicken pox of the soul.

You tell me it is too early to be looking back,
but that is because you have forgotten
the perfect simplicity of being one
and the beautiful complexity introduced by two.
But I can lie on my bed and remember every digit.
At four I was an Arabian wizard.
I could make myself invisible
by drinking a glass of milk a certain way.
At seven I was a soldier, at nine a prince.

But now I am mostly at the window
watching the late afternoon light.
Back then it never fell so solemnly
against the side of my tree house,
and my bicycle never leaned against the garage
as it does today,
all the dark blue speed drained out of it.

This is the beginning of sadness, I say to myself,
as I walk through the universe in my sneakers.
It is time to say good-bye to my imaginary friends,
time to turn the first big number.

It seems only yesterday I used to believe
there was nothing under my skin but light.
If you cut me I could shine.
But now when I fall upon the sidewalks of life,
I skin my knees. I bleed.

Tagged Yet Again!

2006-01-23T05:37:00.000-08:00

I could not believe my eyes when I saw it! I had been tagged for the second time in a week. Moreover, this one is a more difficult exercise than the previous one.

Abaniko tagged me. Here are the rules that I picked up from his post:
(1) write a 100-to-200-word entry using the following words: I, me, blow job, grapes, random, power, loneliness, water, robot and blue;
(2) use these words once and only once; and of course
(3) the entry should make sense.

So, here goes...

When the mind is vaccant, random thoughts begin to bother. That night, he lay awake on his bed. His gaze alternated between the blue clock on the wall and the glass of water on the table. Reflecting on the day's events drove home the realisation that all his life he had known only I, me and myself. His pursuit of authority had transformed him into a robot, rejoicing in his lonliness. Power seemed to give his ego the best blowjob.

Everything was still that night and the thoughts in his mind kept sleep away. Only the grapes on the bed-side table seemed to stare at him.

I managed to complete this post in 106 words. Tagged: Anthony, Arz000n, Krishanu, Naveen, Rohit, Shikha, Sangeeta, Vee and Kars.

AFJ, you told me that you are waiting for my post. Hope this was not a let down.

Featured blog

2006-01-20T05:15:00.000-08:00

My blog has been featured on worldseek project as blog of the day. I represent Chennai city. You an also be a part of this project by signing up at their website.

Thanks AquaM. I got to know from your blog that I've been featured!

Password Pain

2006-01-18T22:42:00.000-08:00

This post comes in response to Soumyadip’s post. Actually, I had been contemplating this post for a while now, but since Soumyadip expressed his helplessness (I will explain why I call it helplessness) I am tempted to justify his choice of password.

Well, have any of ever wondered about how many passwords we have to handle? I can only provide my own example. I guess the situation will be rather same for all of us. I will resort to a numbered list so that I do not lose track of what I am saying.

1. I have four personal mail ids, each with a different password. Can’t afford to have the same password for all of them. If someone finds the password to one of them, he can access all my mail ids. Not happening!!

2. Password to my Blogger account is different from that of any of my mail ids.

3. Password to my Delicious account is different from that of any of my mail ids as well as my Blogger account.

Well, so much for personal stuff. Confused? This is just the beginning. Enter office. I will put things in order of my doing them.

4. Office system login

5. Mail login

6. Intranet login

7. Time tracking software login

Each of these has a different password. Each password has a different specification. Some will accept only alphanumeric characters while others accept special characters as well. For others there is a requisite character count. To make maters worse some of these have to be changed every month! *Phew*

In a situation like this what is a person likely to do? Use an easy-to-remember name (read: special someone’s name) for his personal logins. This does mean that he is naïve or he is allowing others to take advantage of his naiveté.

PS: Guys, do not try to log into my mail or Blogger accounts using somebody’s name!!

Tagged Again!

2006-01-16T21:14:00.000-08:00

I’ve been tagged by Kars. Here are the rules of the game that I have taken from her post:

1. The tagged victim has to come up with 8 different points of their perfect lover.
2. Need to mention the sex of the target.
3. Tag 8 victims to join this game & leave a comment on their comments saying they’ve been tagged.
4. If tagged the 2nd time, there’s no need to post again.

Well, as far as I am concerned, I can describe the eight different points of my perfect lover in a single sentence. So here goes:

Target: Male

My perfect lover should be a
1. Young,
2. Handsome,
3. Sensitive,
4. Rich man,
5. Who irons,
6. Cooks,
7. And cleans.
8. And of course, loves me.

Is this too much to ask for? (hee hee :P)

Now for the victims: AFJ, AquaM, Zee, Vee, Naveen, Soumyadip, Karuna, Aklanta.

Of Chilli Paratha and Idli Manchurian

2006-01-13T01:24:00.000-08:00

Chinese food is immensely popular in our country. Beginning from the high-end restaurants that claim to serve authentic Chinese fare to the roadside thelas of dubious origin, 'Vegetable needles' and 'Chicken Manchawrean' is everyman’s food now! I had only heard that a different form of cooking called Indian Chinese has evolved out of the peculiar combination of Indian and Chinese culinary traditions. On Saturday, I experienced it as well.

I went out for lunch with some of my colleagues to a South Indian café and one of them said that ‘Chilli Paratha’ (whatever that is) is her favourite. After she ordered it, I was waiting to know to what it would be like. I assumed it to be some kind of stuffed paratha, rather spicy. But what was served was quite a surprise! It was sliced pieces of parathas dipped in a corn flour batter and fried. Then curried in the queer Indian way of preparing other Chinese dishes such as chilli chicken!

Is this what is called global cuisine? Well, this was my first experience and I am yet to taste the famed ‘Idli Munchurian’. Wonder why I did not think of these fantastic dishes. AquaM, will these find a place in Coffee, Tea or Me?

Working Women – Reality

2006-01-10T01:44:00.000-08:00

I found this article sometime back and thought it was interesting as it provides a good overview of the HR policies of the corporate world that take no notice of the female workforece. A survey conducted by the Confederation of Indian Industries (CII) cites three major reasons for there being only a handful of women at the top. According to their study the most prominent ones are:

1. gender bias in recruitment
2. gender inequality
3. sexual harassment at the workplace

It is time we acknowledge the fact that the needs of women are different from those of men. The reason we see very few women executives at the top is primarily due to the fact that family takes precedence over profession due to personal choice or familial pressure. In such situations there is no allowance made for women. In this case also the company policy is to be blamed. The one-size-fits-all nature of policies, in a way, leaves women with little choice other than to opt out of their jobs.

Working Women - Representation

2006-01-06T04:04:00.000-08:00

I have an insignificant, self-developed theory regarding the media representation of urban Indian working women. In Indian television and cinema women are either represented as sex objects or as instruments to run the home smoothly. Take for instance our movies where the heroine is the hero’s ‘love interest’ (I am using the term here to prove my point despite my strong dislike for it). At the other end of the continuum is our television which spew ‘saas bahu’ serials at us everyday. There is no room for the working woman!

The representations of working women usually oscillate between two extremes.

The first of these shows them in ‘sympathetic’ light – more often than not she is shown to be a mother, struggling to feed her children and run the household. In such representations the husband or the man of the family is either absent (dead) or depicted as weak (a well meaning man, unable to provide for the family’s needs) or irresponsible (a rogue). The woman is compelled to work in order to provide for the family. The noteworthy element in this case is that that woman does not work for her own intellectual fulfillment or financial independence. In other words, she does not chase a career.

When a woman is shown to chase a career, she is represented in a ‘negative’ light. The character of a woman who chases a career aggressively, acquires 'vampish' overtones. The image created is that of a person who is wayward and chooses to ignore home and children because of her own selfish interests. In the process she is often made to incur audience disapproval.

I consider this to be a good reflection of the patriarchal nature of our entertainment industry. The woman is never shown to have any aspiration of her own. In case she does, it is necessarily regarding her home and hearth, never regarding herself. Her role is always to prop up the male characters, either as a sex kitten or as a self-effacing woman. I guess, it is time things change.

Yet Another Test

2006-01-04T05:23:00.000-08:00

My Bloginality is ISTJ!!!

As an ISTJ, you are Intraverted, Sensing, Thinking, and Judging.This makes your primary focus on Introverted Sensing with Extraverted Thinking.

This is defined as a SJ personality, which is part of Carl Jung's Guardian (Security Seeking) type, and more specifically the Inspectors or Duty Fufiller.

As a weblogger, you may will have a dependable form of posting. You may be more likely to be judgementatal toward others who aren't as dependable. You may get taken advantage of in group situations because you are known as not being able to say no. Because of your respect for facts and information, you may need multiple blogs to keep all of the information sorted in your head.

PS: Thanks, AFJ. But I do not know whether this is my blogging personality or not!

New Year Wishes

2005-12-30T21:34:00.000-08:00

Time flies! As I sit at my desk typing this, 2005 is drawing to a close. Since it has been a special year for me in all respects, I sincerely felt the urge to pen my gratitude to it. Even though I feel a tinge of melancholy in my heart, I am hopeful that 2006 will be as remarkable.

I hope and pray that each year of my life be another 2005. Here's hoping that 2006 will be a smashing year for me, my family, my friends and each of my blog friends. I wish all my blogger buddies a very happy New Year.

PS: I am not posting this because somebody said that my recent posts are too boring and serious for this time of the year.

Kiddie Stars

2005-12-28T01:59:00.000-08:00

Some of you may accuse me of taking things too far. But when I came across this article I could not help posting it as it echoes my opinions expressed in this post.

The article discusses how parental ambition pushes kids to run from pillar to post at a tender age - learning to dance, sing, act etc. Most parents these days want to see theirs children as stars. In course of time, I think, academics possibly take a back seat. I am not saying that academics must take precedence over everything else. It is certainly the responsibility of parents to nurture the talents of a child if the kid shows promise in a particular field. But is it right to push the child into something only because its parents want to see it ‘successful’?

I see this as the flip side of the reality shows and talent hunt shows that are aired on every channel. Possibly, people see them as means to make some quick money and if luck has it, fame as well! It is a competitive world and the grooming has to begin at an early age.

The show that takes the cake in this respect is the item girl hunt that was aired on one of the leading Indian channels sometime back. An item girl as a career – is it worth a thought?

Warning: Do not read if not interested in history!

2005-12-27T22:43:00.000-08:00

I am aware that not many people are interested in history as a discipline. Neither was I during my school days. However, my university years changed my opinion to a great extent. The more I began to understand the politics behind certain occurrences and the complexity of ‘writing’ history (in the postmodern sense) the more I developed a keen interest in it.

I am saying all this because I found some interesting information on the History Channel website. One of the features is called ‘This Day in History’. This enables the user to choose a date from a drop down menu and find out about historical occurrences of that date. Of course there are a host of categories one can choose from. I chose to find out about happenings in the literary scene on a particular day.

The other feature is called ‘Maps’. It has some not-so-easily-available maps such as ‘Slave Trade in Africa’ or ‘European Empires of the 1700’.

Of course there is a timeline of history as well. But I chose not to put up that link here, as I did not find it to be comprehensive. I am aware that it is difficult to be comprehensive when a variety of subjects are concerned. Check out a great timeline of art and history here.

Hope you find it interesting and informative!

Weather Woes

2005-12-21T21:56:00.000-08:00

Only God Almighty knows when the Chennai rains are going to stop! When most parts of the country are freezing under the impact of cold waves, Chennai is faced with the sixth cyclone of the season.

Coming to my story. I was hopelessly lost while returning home from work on Monday - thanks to the auto driver. Getting stranded in an unknown place, caught in a downpour, is far from funny. Here I am trying to adjust to a new place and new people, and this is what I get at the end of the day!! As they say, trouble seldom comes alone.

Goodbye!

2005-12-16T02:59:00.000-08:00

It is pack-up-and-push-off time. I will miss you all. I wanted to post a nice, farewell poem today that would say everything on my behalf. But I did not find something that I liked. Here is 'Goodbye Karen' and I sincerely hope that this does not say it all on your behalf. (I found this poem online and I do not know the name of the poet. If any of you do, please let me know).

Goodbye Karen!

We're sorry you're leaving and going away,
It's with sadness we're saying 'farewell' this glum day,
To our fat funny Karen, the girl with the belly,
But at least when you're gone it will be much less smelly.

Your work was your life here, you loved every day,
I'm sure you'd have turned up without any pay!
No-one on earth could have ever worked harder,
Except maybe you when you're raiding the larder.

This place will be quiet and dull when you're gone,
We'll miss all your jokes and your stories so long,
Your dodgy political views we will lack,
And pretty soon we will be wanting you back.

But then we'll remember what you're really like,
And be happy you went for a very long hike,
And left us in peace to get on with our work,
Because, after all, you're a bit of a burk.

So farewell fat Karen, we wish you the best,
We're sorry you're leaving and flying the nest,
Your job here is done, and your role's come a cropper,
But at least in our office there'll be one less ex-copper.

PS: Kidding, guys! Thanks a zillion for those lovely gifts. You never fail to surprise me! :)

I am the Queen of the Gods

2005-12-15T22:32:00.000-08:00

I’ve always been interested in mythology and when I found this quiz on Praveen’s blog, I just had to take it. The quiz is called ‘Which Greek Goddess are You?’ But I am unable to post the result because there was some problem with the code and blogger refused to accept it. So I decided to key in my result. Here goes:

You are Hera
Hera was the Queen of the Gods, though she was know for her jealousy, it was mostly deserved because her husband was a man-whore. She was the Protectress of Women and Marriage. She had an unusually good grip of what was going on in the world around her. You are apparently a pretty grounded person.

Men can take this quiz.

Auto Luck

2005-12-14T21:01:00.000-08:00

Chennai auto drivers are the last people in the world I want to talk about. But something happened yesterday that prompted me to write this. Ever since I’ve moved to Chennai auto drivers have tried their best to make my life miserable. In fact, they have often succeeded to a fair extent. They always have a problem. Sometimes it is a problem with distance, sometimes fare, sometimes correct change *phew*. Not knowing the local language makes matters worse for me. I’ve stories to tell that will make you sympathise with me - the poor, harassed soul.

In my last ten months of stay in the city never did I find an auto driver who is ready to help, except yesterday. This is why I decided to blog about to give the fellow some credit.

Yesterday AFJ, AquaM and I went to have samosas (yum…) after work. We took an auto from there to get back home. They usually get off half way and I go the rest of the distance alone. Normally I take the auto only till the main road and walk down the rest. But the fellow yesterday wanted to drop me home!!

Given my experiences, I thought he would ask for extra money and I would have to haggle with him all over again. Just to avoid that I got off a couple of streets before my house. But believe it or not, that man did not charge anything extra!!

Now that is something, coming from Chennai auto drivers!

Divine Intervention

2005-12-13T20:57:00.000-08:00

If only God would give me some clear sign! Like making a large deposit in my name at a Swiss bank.
– Woody Allen

But *sigh* no such luck. We have to work for our living.

Sophisticated Child Labour?

2005-12-12T21:54:00.000-08:00

In India, everyday we see children working in teashops in our neighbourhood or in wayside hotels. We talk and discuss about children peddling newspapers and working in brick kilns. Activists take up the cases of kids working in hazardous jobs such as glass bangle factories and cracker factories. Child labour is huge problem in India that we are trying to combat. The argument of the government as well as the intelligentsia is that these children have a right to primary education as well as a healthy childhood. Instead, they are pushed to work at an early age because they are compelled to earn in order to feed themselves as well as their families.

But how many of us are aware of the sophisticated ‘child labour’ that is on the rise among elite families across India? Yesterday I watched this thought provoking feature on NDTV about child artistes in the Indian television industry. Nowhere did the anchor refer to it as ‘child labour’ but I could not help thinking about it.

Parents, in a bid to ‘make’ the career of their child get its portfolio done and post it off to a talent manager who then tests the child and screens them accordingly. She also gets appropriate work for the child. A lot of parents are gloating in the fact that people recognize them by their child’s name. But hello…what is child getting in the bargain? Kiddo stardom, awards, adulation? Is that all a child needs for a great future? Some families have even moved to Mumbai only to make the career of their children!! Who knows whether the child’s money is saved up for its future or used by its parents to support themselves.

The talent manager seemed aware of the problems with this arrangement. She said that she does not advise children below 4-5 months to work as they are not yet properly inoculated and the lights and camera may harm their health. Moreover, she agrees that in the long run the child’s academics are affected as the fame and adulation gets to it and of course, she does not deny the fact that the industry is exploitative!

All this makes me feel uncomfortable. Is this not child labour? I wonder…

Bhery, Bhery Good!

2005-12-08T22:16:00.000-08:00

Most Indians with knowledge of the English language speak neutral English. But at some point of time or the other, our regional accents betray us. Take for instance the inability of the Bengali bhadralok to pronounce ‘V’. Since the sound ‘V’ does not figure in the Bengali alphabet at all, it is conveniently changed into ‘Bh’ by Bongs to suit their requirements.

During my university days, I had a Kannada speaking friend who narrated an incident to me amidst peals of laughter. She had gone to a nearby shop with two of her Bong friends – Mr X and Miss Y. On reaching the shop, Mr X asked the shopkeeper, “Bhaiya, Bhatika hair oil hai?” Before the fellow could figure out and what his customer was referring to, Miss Y sprang another question at him, “Bhaiya, Bhicks hai, Bhicks?” My friend could not help laughing!!

When I related this incident to AFJ, she told me that it took her some time to understand what her friend was asking for when she had said, “Can I borrow your Bhaseline?”

These are just a few instances of V being replaced by the Bh. But guess who takes the cake – the servant maid in my mother’s house. She keeps pestering ma for more Bhim.

Liar! Liar!

2005-12-07T22:48:00.000-08:00

Hmmm…how often do I lie in a day? When I reach office late, I either say that it took me long to find an auto, or that I got caught in a traffic jam. When I want to hang up on someone, I say that there is a call waiting. When I don’t want to cook, I lie to myself – “I’m not feeling well today”.

Wonder why I am thinking of this today. Maybe because I came across something as bizarre as this and this. Well…ahem…*sheepish smile* anybody interested in some more research funda?

A study at the University of Massachusetts found that 60 per cent of people tested, lied at least once during a ten-minute conversation. Of course they found a difference in the lying patterns of men and women. Women lied for two reasons – in order to save someone from being hurt and to make "commonplace things seem interesting" (whatever that means). Men resorted to falsehood for entirely different reasons - to make an impression and sometimes to avoid conflicts

Since I am an expert at white lies, it feels good to know this 'proven' fact. I am not alone!

Just a story

2005-12-06T21:39:00.000-08:00

This is the irony of life. When I have lot of things to say, I do not find time. But when I have time on my hands, I have nothing to say. Today is an all time, no say day. This is one reason why I am posting a forward. Of course there is another, more important reason – the fact that I like this story. I like it, not because it talks about love, but because it reminds me of classical myth with its personified emotions and rather humane gods and goddesses. Read on…

A long time ago, before the world was created and humans set foot on it for the first time, and vices floated around and were bored, not knowing what to do.

One day, all the vices and virtues were gathered together and were more bored than ever. Suddenly, Ingenious came up with an idea: "Let's play hide and seek!"

All of them liked the idea and immediately Madness shouted: "I want to count, I want to count!" And since nobody was crazy enough to want to seek Madness, all the others agreed.

Madness leaned against a tree and started to count: "One, two, three..."

As Madness counted, the vices and virtues went hiding. Tenderness hung itself on the horn of the moon... Treason hid in a pile of garbage... Fondness curled up between the clouds...and Passion went to the centre of the earth.... Lie said that it would hide under a stone, but hid at the bottom of the lake... whilst Avarice entered a sack that he ended up breaking.

And Madness continued to count: .... "seventy nine, eighty, eighty one..."

By this time, all the vices and virtues were already hidden - except Love. For undecided as Love is, he could not decide where to hide. And this should not surprise us, because we all know how difficult it is to hide Love.

Madness: "...ninety five, ninety six, ninety seven..."

Just when Madness got to one hundred.........Love jumped into a rose bush where he hid.

And Madness turned around and shouted: "I'm coming, I'm coming!" As Madness turned around, Laziness was the first to be found, because Laziness had no energy to hide. Then he spotted Tenderness in the horn of the moon, Lie at the bottom of the lake and Passion at the centre of the earth. One by one, Madness found them all - except Love.

Madness was getting desperate, unable to find Love. Envious of Love, Envy whispered to Madness: "You only need to find Love and Love is hiding in the rose bush.

"Madness grabbed a wooden pitchfork and stabbed wildly at the rosebush. Madness stabbed and stabbed until a heartbreaking cry made him stop.

Love appeared from the rose bush, covering his face with his hands. Between his fingers ran two trickles of blood from his eyes.

Madness, so anxious to find Love, had stabbed out Love's eyes with a pitchfork. "What have I done! What have I done!" Madness shouted. "I have left you blind! How can I repair it?"

And Love answered: "You cannot repair my eyes. But if you want to do something for me, you can be my guide."

And so it came about that from that day on, Love is blind and is always accompanied by Madness.

Third Time Lucky…?

2005-12-05T21:40:00.000-08:00

I called up my friends in Kolkata yesterday and was told that they had gone to watch Antarmahal. Suddenly I realised how much I wanted to catch the movie. Maybe, I would be third time lucky. Wondering why I am saying this? Well, I was not quite impressed by Rituparno Ghosh’s two previous movies – Chokher Bali and Raincoat. I am wondering whether Antarmahal will be able to recreate the magic that Ghosh had woven with Unishe April.

Chokher Bali is an adaptation of Rabindranath Tagore’s novel of the same name. The biggest disappointment in that movie was Aishwarya Rai. She seemed unable to portray on screen the nuances of the complex character of Binodini. Moreover, Ghosh made the case of the nineteenth century Bengali widow rather weak by presenting her ‘deprivation’ as merely sexual.

Raincoat marked Ghosh’s debut into Bollywood. The somewhat predictable reworking of O’Henry’s ‘The Gift of the Magi’ failed to impress. Again, the casting of Aishwarya Rai indicated Ghosh’s need for star power. The only commendable aspect of the movie was its music – refreshing and different. Subha Mudagal’s rendition of ‘Mathura nagarpati’, ‘Akele hum nadiya kinare’ and ‘Piya tora kaisa abhiman’ are, in one word, excellent.

This is precisely why I am curious to watch what Ghosh has to offer in Antarmahal.

PS: I am no film critic. The opinion expressed here is personal.

English – Desi Ishtyle!

2005-12-02T21:06:00.000-08:00

It is common knowledge that Indian English has gained recognition as a ‘dialect’ (if I may say so) of the English language. Indian writing in English is also an ever-growing body of literature.

Indians are doing their bit to enrich the English language. I found this amazing dictionary of Indian English on the web. It is an ingenious compilation. “The Dictionary of Indian English (DIE) hopes to provide a ready reference for words and phrases… that have changed in the Indian context. However, the DIE does not contain those words that have Indian origins but are now part of standard English.” Here are some interesting entries:

1. sindoor: n. [Hindi] vermilion (powdered red lead) applied as a dot on the forehead. The use-and-throw version of sindoor is called bindi.

2. jhatka matka: n. [Bollywood] Jhatka is the method with which non-Muslims kill animals (one blow, two pieces). Matka is a pot. In an old Jitendra-Sridevi movie, there was a song-dance sequence featuring a lot of gyrations (animals do gyrations for a few seconds after they are beheaded). The background contained a lot of pots. Hence, hero-heroine song sequences featuring a lot of gyrations are called jhatka-matka.

3. tortoise coil: n. [Urdu] mosquito-repllant coils
Origin: Tortoise® ™ coils (also known as Kachwa Chaap Agarbatti) do not use Allethrin.* Instead, they contain a mixture of extracts from herbs such as Tulsi, Vekhand, Zendu flower, etc.
* - Allethrin is a synthetic compound, belonging to the class of pyrethroids. It attacks the respiratory parts and the stomach before paralysing the insects. Because of its toxic effects, Allethrin should be handled carefully and kept out of reach of children.

I did not know that the origin of the words ‘tortoise coil’ was Urdu!

When the English knowledge of average Indians (like me) is so low, we do need Dictionaries of Indian English to help us gain a better grounding in the language.

Confused

2005-12-01T22:30:00.000-08:00

Anyone interested in more news on the latest, bizarre research? I seem to have a knack for finding crazy research results on the web like this and this. Not that I do not think about them after I read them. Well, don’t fly at my throat for posting this.

According to a study published in the December issue of Psychology of Women Quarterly, provocative clothing has a damaging effect on the career of women. Surprisingly this is only true of women in high profile jobs. Makes me wonder if this is true.

It is true that your workplace is certainly not is best place to wear short skirts. On the other hand, if a woman wants to dress in a particular way (of course without flouting office regulations) is it too much of a problem? Does this happen because people refuse to take a woman who shows skin, seriously? Do people see truth in the popular misconception that glam doll is necessarily a brainless bimbette?

Well, I don’t know. I am confused about my own stand. In fact, I don’t have a stand at all. Comments solicited.

Drool! Drool!

2005-11-30T20:45:00.000-08:00

Well…ahem…I think that Abhishek Bachchan is the most drooooooooooooolabe guy on the block now. Check out this slideshow to know why. Girls, there are also some great pics. Need I say more?

Superstition

2005-11-29T20:34:00.000-08:00

On Friday evening I a caught a programme on TV (forgot the channel) that really got me thinking. It was about superstition as against rational thinking in this age of science. I am sure, every honest individual would confess to believing in one superstition or two!

Some beliefs lose their meaning or relevance as they are handed down from generation to generation. Most of them start out as perfectly rational acts. When rational discoveries are followed blindly, without knowing their true meaning, they become superstitions. T. H. Huxley, the seventeenth century scientist, was not wrong in saying “It is the customary fate of new truths to begin as heresies and to end as superstitions.”

Take for example the Chinese concept of Feng Shui. Those are Chinese words for wind and water. When the ancient Chinese began practicing agriculture, they noticed that crops did not grow well when planted on the windward side of a hill. So they tried the leeward side which gave good results. From then on the Chinese believed that that the south is the most auspicious direction. According to Feng Shui notions, it brings both fame and festivity.

I also caught some interesting facts about the superstition of some great people. Here are some:

1. Napolean was afraid of black cats.
2. Nancy Raegan consulted an astrologer before she approved of her husband’s travel schedules.
3. Samuel Johnson, English author, never entered a house with his left foot 1st because it "brought down evil on the inmates."

I pursued the topic and found more facts on the net. You can find more on this, here.

Wedding Bells

2005-11-28T21:54:00.000-08:00

My cousin got married yesterday. This winter seems to be the wedding season in my family. There are weddings lined up almost every month and what is worse is that, my extended family expects me to attend each of them. If I were to attend each of them, my travel schedule would look like this:

1. November – Chennai to Kolkata
2. January – Chennai to Kolkata
3. February - Chennai to New Delhi

Phew! Isn’t that quite a handful? But hell broke loose the day I said that I will be able to attend only one of these. Oh! The music I’ve had to hear!!

I would like to add something on a lighter note. I remember watching the movie My Big, Fat Greek Wedding. Ever since, I’ve always wanted to make its sequel called My Bigger, Fatter Indian Wedding.