10V

10 Day YOU Challenge | 9 Loves

2011-10-12T15:01:00.001+05:30

Day two of the YOU challenge brings me to my nine loves. There used to be a time when I used to be able to do things I love, but social commitments leave less room to be able to enjoy everything you love. So here goes...List of 9 things I have and will always continue to love :

Family: My family parents, siblings and in-laws have made me the person I am today. From all my happy moments to my most frightening times, they have been behind me all the time. I love them in spite of everything and most of all, I love the one person who has been a part of my life since last 3 years now. My Friend, My partner and my soul mate, My husband. I love you all a lot.
Dancing: Dance has always been something to take me to a different world and i know it sounds cliche, but dancing was something that used to make me a more confident person. I used to experience beauty when I used to dance. Music gives soul to my life. Foot tapping on the way to the gym, or on morning walks, I used to always have my hands swinging when I used to hear music on my ipod or radio.
Photography: This was a hobby I discovered when I created a new photoblog for myself. The travelling I used to do used to give me ample opportunities to explore and capture some of the unexplored sides of the city. Do check out some of the blogs on Memories are just a click away.
Movies / Plays: I am a complete movie buff. any kind of movie, any time, any place, no matter how tired I am, I can catch a show and still enjoy it. There used to be a time when I have seen every movie released in the theatre in every language I know, English, Hindi, Marathi...In every genre I know, Action, Fiction, Romance, Animation, etc.
Painting: I love to paint and draw freehand stuff. When time permits, I like to sit back with some paints and explore the different styles of painting and if possible go back to the techniques I learnt during my textile designing days.
Long drives:... and I dont mean only in cars. Long drives could be any long destination drive in any mode of transport. Cars, Bikes, Rickshaws, and most used mode of transport lately...Bus. I like going around the city exploring the different sites of this fascinating place called Mumbai....Also giving me time to click some of the moments on the 3rd Love...Photography
Television: As a child and even now, T.V has been my way to escape from the reality called Life. I can sit and watch the Idiot box for hours together. This was one thing my dad always used to dislike and still tends to keep pointing it out to me, but I dont tend to listen anymore. :)
Samosa: I am not much of a junk food person, but Samosa is one thing I can trip upon any point of time. This love has come from the college canteen that used to serve this delicacy all day long and with lengthy hours of college with no option to bunk, samosas used to be the only break we used to get from the tedious routine.
Last but not the least... Singing. My mom used to say I had a good voice and she got me into the singing classes (which unfortunately don't fit in my schedule anymore). Singing for me, was always something I used to do for myself... No. I dont mean bathroom singing, but when I used to sit in my balcony listening to old songs on radio at night with noone but the company of moon and stars, I used to be able to forget any and every stress that I might be going through. *Sigh* those were the days.

So here are my nine loves. So long...See you again tomorrow, with my Eight Fears.

Adios, Ciao.

10 Day Challenge - 10 Secrets

2011-10-11T14:36:00.002+05:30

Lately my blog might have looked like it was obsessed with mumbai city, but it just had run out of things to write posts on. So when I read Shirin's Blog recently, I knew that this was the best way to get the blog back to its rhythm and change its state of mind. I do remember doing this kind of a post in the past 10 things tag, so it will be difficult to find new things but I guess that's why its a challenge.So here goes...

I wonder if this topic really brings out the top 10 secrets of a person's life, or does it just mentions the 10 things that normally people wouldn't know about any general human being? Well, no one shares secrets..specially to strangers...So here goes my 10 "secrets" (aka things) that not many know

I am an absent-minded person. Unless the work, or date or appointment is important for me, chances are that I will probably end up not sticking to it. My long term memory is pathetic. Its like the girl in movie 50 First Dates, my memory tends to get refreshed every night as I sleep. It tends to discard the unwanted stuff and only register important data in my life.
I am a person who plans everything. Many people who know me hate this habit of mine. I always HAVE to know in advance my coming week's plans...But with a lot of spontaneous friends, I tend to drive them up the wall trying to ensure that they are available to meet if I m PLANNING something.
I love playing snooker. There was a time when there used to be lot of gaming zones that used to encourage this game, but the sport seems to be disappearing with time and its been forever since I played a game with someone. Looking forward to another game...hopefully soon.
I prefer being alone a lot, any time any place. I am not saying I am a loner, but if asked if I would prefer company or loneliness, I would definitely chose the later.
I love beaches. Don't give me that Oh-gawd-another-typical-girl-look. If I had to settle down somewhere I would always prefer some place near to a water body of any kind (..and i don't mean gutters of mumbai). Beaches, sea, ocean, lakes, anything that makes the soothing sound of the water.
I am a day dreamer and by that I mean, I can doze off at any place, sitting, standing, or lying down. Any moving vehicle will instantly put me off to a deep slumber. I have many times ended up missing my bus stops and train stations due to this habit of mine, but with practice the disease is now in control.
I want to try backpacking someday. Just pick up my bag with bare necessities for survival, minimum amount of money, and start traveling on whatever mode of transport available...now that's a dream I want to be able to fulfill.
I know I have said this before, but it can never be said less... I love my sister. I know she knows it too, but at times I make her life miserable. There is also something that I wish I could tell her, but I see so much of my mother in her. She has a lot of qualities that my mom used to have and seeing her, I miss mom a lot. My sister has always looked out for me and I am lucky to have her.
Except samosas (they are my weakness), I prefer home food to any other place to eat. I would trade a plate of junk food to a plate of Dal, chawal, chapati and sabji any day.
Lastly, I am scared of heights. I don't mean paranoid, but there are times when I m climbing down and I tend to just stop for seconds with the fear that I might trip and fall down the flight of stairs.

So these are my 10 things that not many people would know. hopefully I can continue my 10 day challenge without any delays or speed bumps.

Hope to see you tomorrow, Adios, Ciao,
Take care.

Mumbai Meri jaan

2011-07-20T13:56:00.000+05:30

'Taxi Nau do Gyaarah'...That was the title of the news article I read recently in the newspaper, wherein they were talking about how the taxis across Mumbai city have reduced and how they used to be the look of Mumbai at one point of time. Being a suburban girl myself, I have hardly ever traveled in taxis except when we used to go towards the extreme end of south Mumbai during college days and could afford a lavish spending on the transport.

This city means different things to different people and being a Mumbaikar all my life, it means lot of things to me too. As i sit looking out my balcony towards a view that once used to be the horizon of vashi Creek, now is blocked by the upcoming complex (apparently an 'address' to peace...???), I ponder over the things that the city is just not complete without.

Mumbai Monsoon: I absolutely love the rains of Mumbai. No matter where I am, I completely relate monsoon to mumbai. I know people complain about the dirt, the traffic and the muddy roads during this season, but rains have always been special for me and I have always imagined myself walking on beaches, or empty roads getting drenched in the rain, and probably having Tea from the local vendor or the ones who sell them on their bicycles. Mumbai is completely a different scenario during this season and I would be anytime willing to ignore all the other setbacks these 3 months bring for the city.

Vada Pav: I know even the mention of this delicious mumbai treat is supposed to be bad for me (me being on a diet and all...Lol) but vada pav is something that is easily available on almost any busy part of mumbai. An easy snack for any person who isn't weight conscious, or who prefers a nice meal at a mere Rs 10-15. This dish was initially started as the most cheapest form of a meal for low income group, but due to its taste, this dish became so popular that many sophisticated hotels also have started dishing out this wonderful dish, at extra cost of course. However, this dish has still retained its charm as an evergreen dish, and many people have it at breakfast, lunch or even dinner as well. Vada pav can be easily included as a part of my walk in the rain section mentioned above. Tastes heavenly with a cup of tea.. :) Yummy....!!!!

Local Transport: Trains, Buses, Taxis, Rickshaws and a new addition to these old modes of transport are the cool cabs and private call-a-cabs....all add up to the look of mumbai, and the traffic that has become the identity of mumbai. The life-lines of mumbai is the right word for these vehicles, since even one day of strike or petrol-diesel-CNG problem can bring the fast moving pace of mumbai to a halt.

South Mumbai: This is a part of mumbai that every tourist, or a person coming to mumbai from a small town would want to visit, for the simple reason that south mumbai is the hub for the financial buzz in mumbai. For me, it has been the most memorable place to visit, when I saw south mumbai from the eyes of someone else. But that's another story... :P Some Places that make this part of mumbai the most prime location for activities would be:

Share Markets (Bombay Stock Exchange,Reserve Bank of India,main offices of Bank of India, State Bank of India, etc),
Jewellery Markets (Jhaveri Bazaar),
Government office in Mantralaya,
Cooperage Sports Ground, Wankhede Stadium, Brabourne Stadium,
Starting points of the Railway lines of Mumbai (Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus and Churchgate),
Defence colony of military and navy personnels - Navy Nagar,
Prince of Wales Museum, now known as Chhatrapati Shivaji Vastu Sangrahalay.
Nariman point & Marine Drive making the beautiful queen's necklace during the night time on the coastline of South Mumbai
Dhobi Ghat, the famous open air Laundromat located at Mahalaxmi.
The Mulji Jetha market in Mumbai is the largest textile market in Asia.

These places make south mumbai crucial for the financial, political, and commercial activities.

But lately Mumbai has been going through a lot of torment in the last decade with floods, bomb blasts, and terrorist activities on the rise. Even though for me the places and things that define the city are mentioned above, what makes the city what it is (in a good way or bad) are the people living in it...Mumbaikars, who are known for their never die spirit. However, with the recent events, I am forced to think whether its this Never say die spirit that is leading to the most deaths in the city. Is the reason behind repetitions of these activities the fact that we are not reacting and carrying on with our lives??? I sure hope not. Anyways, its a thought I can't seem to get out of my mind.

Anyhow.....I know I might have miss a lot of things, places and locations that might define mumbai for you, But I give you the chance to discover my city at your own leisure and then share with me your experience. Will wait for your comments..

Till then, adios...ciao.

Trip down memory Lane - Be the Change

2011-06-08T15:09:00.000+05:30

Be the change you want to see in the world - Mahatma Gandhi

I had read this line somewhere a long time ago. Honestly? I am not much of a memory person... Ok I admit, I am bad at remembering references, but this line has stayed with me since a long time and that is the reason I chose to share it with you today.

They say school days are unforgettable for everyone and childhood never returns. But 3 years back that myth was proven wrong by my batch classmates who apparently got together via every medium possible, from long-lost hotmail, to most recent twitter and facebook. Somehow the idea of a reunion clicked in the minds of some of us and a series of emails were shot through to every known batch-mate who had access to internet. It was amazing to see how networks work, and one person can make a difference. 4^th May 2007 was decided as the date for the reunion with an approximate head count of 28 people expected to ‘rock the party’ as we called it. What we didn’t realize was that this reunion would end up getting us together for a cause that none of us anticipated.

Most of the people who turned up eventually for the event were US visiting batch-mates who promised to stay in touch, few were the shy ones who only came because of all the insisting we did, some only came to see what the whole big deal was and the remaining were me and my few other friends who stayed back to discuss what we can do as a group.

Me, Mrudula, Jatin, Nihar, Ashwin, were very keen on doing something for the community especially for the school who got us where we were today. The conversation led to the old days and what we as students would have enjoyed having in the school and how much we miss being associated with it. So we decided to visit the school and meet up with the teachers and principal just to re-live those days.

We reached the school one late afternoon, (of course that only happened after several calls to convince the principal the reason why we wanted permission to be in the premises) Old school playground that lay deserted, the classrooms which still bore our names carved on the desks, the staff rooms as always bubbling with conversations, library that hadn’t lost the fragrance of books and polish of the cabinets, reminded us of the Golden days. Apparently the guys even visited the boy’s washroom and re-lived some of their old times and came out with a weird code language that I and mrudula just couldn’t decipher.(it still remains a mystery to me and mrudula, :P but I guess some things are better that way). Meeting old teachers went quite well when we realized that they knew a lot of mischief we used to do around class with the impression that the teacher isn’t looking.

After a tour around the school, we met up with the principal who much to our surprise was very curious to know why we wanted to visit the school. We explained to her our attachment with the school and how we would like to keep our association in every way we can. We were given an idea of how children who cannot afford their education are dropping out of school and even though the school does everything to reduce the pressures for such families, there is little they can do since it’s a school with a board of trustees to reply to.

On our way out, we all had the same look and thought and we barely needed a second opinion on the same. We decided to utilize all the resources to reach out to all our reunion list of batch-mates and do something for the students who could not afford their education. The principal helped us out with the names of 10 unique cases where the child had the talent to learn, but parents were either single parent, or had genuine reasons for not being able to come up with the money. We came up with the money of approximately Rs. 30,000 that year. With the fees of 1500 for the year covered in the contribution, the remaining amount of 1500 was used to provide the remaining necessities to the child, notebooks, pencil box, crayons, pen sets, Tiffin boxes, school bag, etc.

We personally visited the school to give this contribution and the principal had made sure that we get the chance to meet every parent of the child we are contributing for. A mother suffering from cancer, a single mom taking care of 3 children whose father abandoned them, a sister taking care of her brother by doing part-time job while studying herself, and many more cases came to our attention.

It was an amazing feeling to reach out to such kind, and we have continued to do it since last 3 years. This year, we are starting our drive again for this cause and hoping to raise the bar a little higher. Its our school’s 50^th Anniversary and we intend to make sure its special in a lot more ways than just monetary contribution. Sports kits for the school, money for the annual function this year, a prize for the competitions held during the annual celebration and a special something is planned for the teachers in the school from our batch.

We are all doing our bit for the institution that made us the people we are today and we genuinely believe that if every little help counts when it comes to promoting education.

We, students of North Bombay Welfare Society high School, Ghatkopar, Mumbai are doing out bit…Are you?

A Reason to believe....

2011-05-11T14:14:00.000+05:30

As children, I know we hear a lot of things that we believe or don't believe. I know its difficult to believe everything we hear even when we grow up but the reason for me to write this post today is because I have believed today 3 lines/phrases that I have heard very often, but never really got anything to authenticate. Of course, this are only few of the lines for me to mention here, but I hope at the end of this post, you might find your three lines too...

I have never been a 'mills and boons' girl, and I used to find the idea of a fantasy man bogus and very childish. I have been of a belief that a couple needs to work a lot on their relationship to make it work. So when I used to be told "There is a special someone for everyone" I used to laugh it off, just like Shahrukh in 'DTPH'. But I genuinely have seen and experienced that we might not find our perfect soul-mates, but whoever we find has a potential to be the man/woman of our dreams. God sure works in mysterious ways to give every person a chance that he/she needs. Its just upto us to not negate everything in him/her and give a chance for our love to unfold themselves.

You know how they say "Distance makes heart fonder" That has somehow been true for me in the past few weeks. I know how people say that they can't live without each other and cliches like that, but with everything I have felt, those lines don't feel like cliches anymore. In our lives, we take a lot of things and lot of people for granted. Of course we only realize their true worth once they have gone away from them. It could be someone as common as our maids, or someone as important as our parents, or even the most special person in our life. I don't mean to compare my parents or my love with maids, but I know every housewife will agree with me with regards to the importance of maids. Anyways, the point I am trying to make here is, whether its a newly married girl missing her parents, or a couple away from each other due to husband's relocation, everyone goes through a phase where they miss each other and realize how the other person used to make us feel. That distance only makes the heart grow more fond of him/her. It's a different issue that we don't let that distance come in between the relationship and work with each other. A small poem based on these feelings sent to me by someone special. :)

I spend my time thinking,
Wishing you were here.
I stop and look around,
Hoping you were near.

Just because You are not with Me,
Doesn't mean a thing.
It's knowing that You know,
That I'm Your everything.

So whenever You feel lonely,
Just look inside Your Heart.
And know without a doubt,
That in our " s p i r i t " We will never be apart...

"Everything happens for a reason". If only I have a rupee for every time someone has told me that. I know people might say how can tsunamis and earthquakes be a good thing? Well, in my defense, I am not talking about things that we don't have control on. But the attitude with which we accept these circumstances. I remember the time when I was down with heavy fever for 3 days and couldn't go to work. On the third day, I came to know that all the people in my office had been asked to stay back in the office for 3 days due to heavy flooding in the city. Yup, that was 26th July, the worst floods Mumbai had experienced.

There are lot of instances for me to share like these but the blog is just not enough. I guess what I am trying to say is that if we are patient and open-minded enough to wait for a while, every bad thing will unfold itself into a good thing and when THAT happens, will you be smart enough to accept it to yourself that I am glad that happened?

These are three lines that I have been able to experience that hold true to their meaning. What are the phrases of your life?

Think about it.

Until next time..Adios, Ciao.

Chai Garam...Chai Garam...

2011-04-21T14:26:00.000+05:30

"Chai Garam, Chai Garam....!! I had heard these words several times during my recent travel in one of the long distance trains. If you are a tea person, that call would surely tempt you to respond with a "Oye bhaiya, Ek chai", but those words got me thinking about the national drink of our country (unofficially, of course)

Tea as a drink has now become almost synonym to the small 'tapri' (roadside stalls) in Mumbai. A small stall with the least investment, It's a very common sight to see vendors, workers, middle-class men, and nowadays call center crowd flocking around these tea stalls during their free time.They seem to be around every corner. From outside multinational company complex to railway and bus stations, from new construction sites to industrial areas, these stalls are making their mark everywhere.

Tapri chai is a fix most office-goers can't do without. This is a place where friends gather during the day in true convivial spirit to partake of this hearty brew and catch up on the local gossip. It’s usually served in small tea glasses, but you haven’t really enjoyed it until you pour it on an empty saucer and simply slurp.Tapri also gives solace to a lot of college going kids who find the tapri the most affordable place to pass time between classes (...or during class, hehe). The easiest way to recognize tapri is firstly by seeing a group of people around it, or by their kerosene operated stoves.

The Mumbai tapri chai is also a relief to many of the mumbaikars who go on foot till Siddhivinayak (A famous temple in Mumbai) on Tuesday mornings. Tuesday mornings, this tea is the energy drink that drives these religious ones to their destination. Many generous stalls provide free cups of tea to these regular walkers at various stops on the way.

Also, one of the oldest restaurants in Mumbai known for its tea is the 'Tea Centre' at Churchgate, Mumbai. Its not only known for its variety of tea, but more for its ambience. Even though its very different than the standard tapris in mumbai, the experience there, can transfer you from today to yester-years look, with small silver bells on the table to call out to the waiter, beautiful surroundings and old-style furniture. The Tea Centre was initially opened by the Tea Board of India to promote the drink.

I, however have never been able to come to terms with the ability of certain people to spend more than 10/- for a cup of tea. So to find out what is the thrill all about, I decided to once find out how it felt and went to one of the coffee shops and ordered Masala Chai. Eventually I ended up spending Rs. 40/- for boiled water in a stylish cup, milk, sugar and tea bags given separately. But that of course is a different story. At the end of this little social experience, I had to go to the nearest tapri to enjoy the feeling of having a true masala chai.

Mumbai is known as the city of dreams, but the tapri's of mumbai are the alarm clocks that help people wake up to achieve those dreams.

Its just difficult to imagine a city without few of them around the neighbourhood. This article sure has given me a craving for a chai, Anyone care to join?

Making my suffering a "Safar"

2011-02-10T13:18:00.000+05:30

Local transport makes up for a great amount of time in a mumbaikar's life when it comes to traveling from and to work. I am one such mumbaikar who spends 5 hours a day in a local bus. A blogger like me just couldn't resist the temptation to write about my experience in this mode of transport since just like our regular interaction gets us acquainted with weird people, this journey also lets us observe variety of human behaviors. I present to you... top 5 kind of people you will see in any mode of public transport:

Conductor: Generally a calm personality, this species tend to show various mood swings during the overall journey. "Chutta nikalke rakho" (kindly give change) seems to be the copyrighted statement of theirs but somehow the change automatically seems to emerge out of the pocket if we stick to the "chutta nahi hai" (sorry no change) line. However irritating they might seem on the outside, I have come to be grateful to these public workers specially for the fact that they are practically on their feet 80 percent of their working hours. I thank them from the bottom of my heart.

Ladies first: Public services have been really nice to us ladies in terms of seating. With 4-6 seats reserved for ladies, we get a lot of envious looks from the opposite gender. Working women who strive to balance personal and professional lives, tend to find their alone time in this very gracious travel, whether its knitting, reading, gossiping or just taking a quick nap this woman can do it all. Hats off to this species.

Business men type: This species are the most entertaining and educational for me in my journey. Most of these types belong to the gujarati and marwadi clan. Their identities generally include sophisticated mobile phones with either bluetooths or hands-free attached to the ear, loud voices, and lot of business talk "entertaining" everyone in range of their conversation. From how to handle vendors to the optimum resource to how to increase revenue, no detail is confidential for this kind. In fact the louder they talk, the better businessman you are supposed to be. The irony of this kind is that they are the same people adding to the growth as well as the corruption of the country. What contrast!

Lovebirds: This kind is generally found in buses occupying the last seats to ensure least stares. What they tend to forget is that the cat does not become invisible just coz it shuts its eyes. This kind can be identified easily by their held hands, giggles, whispers and coy smiles. A/c buses help the new generation couples to snuggle up and get cozy, clear misunderstandings, make up their fights and spend a little alone time without the moral police bothering them. If not anyone else, the extra money paid as the ticket cost seems worth it to this kind.

The men: Last but not the least lets not forget the male population that travels without getting any special privileges, incentives, or reasons to take this mode of transport. They make up for 70% of the crowd that travels in the bus standing for most of the time, sacrificing their hard earned seats to the women and senior citizens. Agreed that they hardly have a choice in the matter, but I have also met some gracious gentlemen who give up their place for uncomfortable lot in the crowd, offered to reduce the weight of our baggage when needed and never fighting over petty issues.

So these were the top five people who stand out on my chart for my daily journey from and to work. These species have inspired me to start my blog today. I can't assure that it will continue, I surely hope to keep this blog alive.

Adios. Take care.

New Life, New Beginning, New Change

2011-01-25T16:05:00.000+05:30

Was trying to find something to base life upon,

Something in the world around that went on & on,

Years went by & time faded away,

Good days were then filled with dismay.
A New day came, and then again, it went,
My ambition to become something more, grew more and got spent,
Around the corner, yet miles away,
The life I wanted then, got closer each day.

All I ever wanted was something to live for,
I didn't want to be this little person anymore.
I had been basing my life upon what others thought,
I wished I could go back and redo everything, give back every bad thought I bought.
I had fought to become who I was and what I wanted to be,
I had to remind myself that one day, I will be free.
Free from the rules I followed as a child,
When everything was a game and life was so mild.

Soon times had changed and I realized life was fair,
And somehow felt I found someone to care,
Someone to pay attention and know what is best for me,
and understood what I felt about how things should be.
I understand now, that I’m no more on my own,
And I know a lot of what I CAN do.... is yet to be known.

To the person who makes me a better person. :)

2 years of blogging.

2010-09-24T16:16:00.000+05:30

I was reminded by someone who reads my blogs with utmost dedication that I completed 2 years since the first time I wrote a blog on this site, and He feels that it needs to be acknowledged. Hence I write this post dedicated to a trip down my memory lane as a blogger.

My First blog was a review on the book "Shopaholic and Sister" and I used to read a lot those days, hence couldn't find a better topic to go with. That post made me realize that I wasn't a very good critic. It's not in my nature to criticize easily, and hence I haven't written an reviews after that.

I have mentioned before in my blogs that my ONLY reason to start blogging was expression of my views and observations of things happening around me, and I genuinely feel that my posts reflect the person I am.

Blogging certainly opened up a new side to me, and has helped me make a lot of friends for whom blogging has the same meaning, and I would like to thank each and every one of the comments that people have given me, good or bad. It's only helped me get better with my writing.

Thank You one and all, for reading through my posts at some point or another.

Hope to post more often.

:) Adios, See you soon.

The 10 things tag...

2010-08-17T12:17:00.001+05:30

I generally don't go for tags, but after a lot of effort in bringing my blog back to life, I don't want it to go stale again, So here Goes.

My Friend Shafi has tagged me for this post, where the Rules of Tagging are:

Tell your readers 10 things about yourself that they may or may not know, but are true.
Tag 10 people with the award, and be sure to let them know they’ve been tagged (a quick comment on their blog will do).
Link back to the blogger who tagged you.

So here goes: hmm....10 things seem very difficult, because after trying to tag of 165 things about myself (yeah...had answered that many questions about myself...phew...longest time i took to write a blog), I really should avoid attempting this again. but what the heck?

I love dancing. Not just dancing at home, but I actually end up tapping my feet or swaying my arms even when I am walking on the road (I always have a hands-free in my ears while traveling) on whatever beats I am listening to.
I love traveling alone. Even if it means catching a BEST bus and going to town and coming back. I know there are people who find that weird about me and its been a while since I tried that, but I find that fun.
I have a lot of friends who are guys, and I always used to think I could never get along with girls, since all they do is gossip and go shopping (which is partially true), but these days 60% of the time, I am in touch with my 2 best female friends who made me realize that girly stuff can be fun too. :) thanks Anu, and Bhavika. :)
I HATE shopping. No offense to people who enjoy it, but the idea of going to 10 shops looking for something, and ending up buying the first thing you saw in the first shop you entered, really doesn't make sense to me.
I love photography. It's a hobby which I have recently realized that I am really good at. (Apne Muh Miya Mithhu... ;))
I believe in the idea of arranged marriage. I know people say ,making an arranged marriage is difficult and you have to compromise a lot, but with a lot of discussion on this topic with both the species (friends in love marriage and friends in arranged marriages) I have come to a conclusion, that marriage itself is something which isn't easy and needs working on from both ends. I remember a line from one of the movies that I love, "Life's a climb, but the view is great". Similarly, marriage might not be easy, but it's all worth it. :)
I am a scorpion by sun-sign, but unlike what people perceive us to be, I ain't revengeful. I know that's the first thing that comes to mind when people think about scorpion, 'The Sting', but I don't remember ever taking revenge on anyone. Not that I haven't been hurt, but I don't believe in getting back to people. Again, a line that I live by, 'I don't regret getting hurt in the past because that's the reason I am the person I am today'. My revenge is not going to make my life any better. So what's the point?
I love my sister, Mansi. I know I don't show it to her as often, but She means a lot to me. :)
I am not futuristic. Even though I am a planner, I don't plan my life at all. I go with the flow when it comes to my life. I hate to admit it, but its true.
I am an artist. I love drawing. Unfortunately for me, It's all freehand stuff...stuff that doesn't make sense logically. but I love smooth lines. Somehow ruler (in every sense) makes me nervous. LOL.

I present myself the 'Honest Scrap Award'

Well, so that's 10 things about me. I haven't really given this tag a lot of thought, but I am randomly chosing 10 people who I would like to tag. I leave it upto them to take it or leave it. So here they are.

Thanks for reading through.Feel free to take this tag if you liked it. It's fun!

Adios. Ciao. Take care.

....and so it began.

2010-08-01T11:49:00.000+05:30

Recently, I received an invitation for a Mumbai blogger's meet to be held on the 15th of august 2010. I really felt the urge to be one of them, and started going through the details mentioned there. Venue, Date, time, etc, and finally decided to scroll through the kind of attendees and their blogs, so as to get an idea of what kind of people would be expected there so I don't feel out of place.

Sitting for my cup of tea, I was anticipating what kind of conversations I would have...IN CASE I decided to go there. That thought sprung me back to 2 years back, when I used to have conversations with my friend Andy and my Sister Mansi about what blogging was all about, and what topics I could possibly write on. Those were the days when blogging was the In-Thing, and celebrities had recently started networking with us oh-so-humble fans on various networking sites, twitter, blogs, etc.

Before I start rambling about my initial days as a blogger, I wanted to share the first reason I started writing in the first place. My sister Mansi had started her blogging @ http://shubbhi.blogspot.com/ and as a curious bug, I had read it for a little insight on what blogging is all about. She explained to me the whats and hows of the whole idea, and I realized that this is where I could probably satisfy my urge to express. Of course..After a lot of Dos and Don'ts about what I should be careful about on these things, I decided to register myself and wrote my first blog on 24th September 2008.

I remember writing diaries during my college days and they used to be like everything I felt. With working parents, I had a lot of free time on my hands to keep thinking to myself and quite frankly....writing them down helped me get it out of my system. That's how I started blogging about various thoughts I used to get. Book reviews, my frustrations with the news channels, Critics, Emotional outbreaks, Childhood memories, personal conflicts, etc etc etc.

Did you ever have a feeling that your mind is a continuous machine which keep chattering all day, but you just don't pay enough attention to it?? I used to feel like that and I used to keep looking for the mute button of the damn thing...blogging helped me mute those thoughts and gave me an outlet.

I didn't know that people's comments really mattered on blogs, until I spoke to my blog-guidance-counsellor 'Andy' and he tried to drill to me the importance of other people 'appreciating' what we write. (I still don't get the whole idea of "getting appreciated") HAHA. There was a time in my blogging phase when I started writing on topics that people would be interested in reading. In fact, I did write some vague posts on the same, eg. ARK, to read this blog press #1, Women's dictionary, etc. But after few of these posts, I realized the mute button of the thoughts in my mind stopped working. I couldn't get rid of the thoughts that kept crowding my brain. I spoke to Andy about it, and realized that I need to get back to the reason I started blogging in the first place. and So I did.

Anyways, I could keep writing a lot on my reasons and ideas of blogging, and my continuous debate with my friends on whether we should write on topics that we want to, or topics that we feel will attract most comments??? I am sure, at some point of time or another, you must have gone through this phase of your blogging as well, and tried to find reasons why you write?

What do you think?? Don't worry...I am not trying to attract comments, but I think it's time we all gave it a thought. I leave you with that question on your chattering mind.

Until next time....Happy Friendship day, and Ciao..!!!!

Trip down memory lanes...in the rains

2010-07-01T13:21:00.003+05:30

Hi all,

I know its been a long time since I posted something here, but life has been really busy lately and I have been literally feeling like on a roller coaster ride since last one year with so many things changing around and within me.

The sole reason for me to write this post today is the weather outside.I have always been a die-hard romantic, and monsoon just brings out the creative side of me. So I thought, what better time to write than the season of romance and beauty.

I know a lot of people crib about a traffic, mud, puddles, wet clothes, power cuts, and lots of other things that don't seem to work in this season, but no matter what happens, I can't seem to avoid enjoying this weather.

One thing that rainy season always reminds me of, is my childhood. We used to have a terrace flat with a wooden swing and pots of plants all around. Our terrace used to look out to a mountain with small huts on them (accessories in Mumbai that we call 'slums'). First few days of rains used to make that mountain filled with dwellings, look like a rain forest with drops of color smudged on them on purpose.

Its used to be a sight to see and If i was old enough to handle a camera, I would have definitely clicked pictures to capture every year's rain. It was some kind of family tradition to get drenched in the first rain all together and we all used to cherish those times together when it was raining heavily and wind was blowing and the family used to be all cuddled up under the roof that held the swing. The memories of those days still brings a smile on our faces and that location is closely associated with my memory of rainy season of initial years.

As I was growing up, the meaning of rain changed for me. During school days, heavy rains used to mean holidays for us, and the excitement of staying home, watching T.V. and playing with friends all day used to add to the fun element. We used to love in a neighborhood where children from all buildings used to be friends and we used to have a group that gathered on the society terrace for playing games like football and classic games like 'hide and seek' and 'catch me if you can'. I am sure that bruises in rains and catching cold during those days make a small part of every child's memory.

Unfortunately, as I got into college and career, job, friends, social life and obligations made me take rains for granted. the 5 years of BPO life somehow took me away from the day view of the rainy season. However, I still remember the day when heavy floods got us stuck in the office for 3 days. We had all slept in the office with 2 chair becoming our royal bed and the few foam beds giving comfort to our Oh-So-Special agents. Unlimited flow of tea, biscuits, and sandwiches was what we had to avoid dehydration of our agents with energy and thirst. It was a definite memorable rainy season of my adult life.

These days, rainy season has a new meaning for me, and that is something every girl who is newly in a relationship experiences. Even though the feeling is different from person to person, it's difficult to describe the effect that this season has on people in relationship. I now understand why rainy season is mostly associated with 'Romance' in Novels and Movies. I am still getting over the feeling of this season's monsoon, so maybe my photo-blog will have some clicks from the season this year. Do visit for sharing my view on the Monsoon in Mumbai.

I hope this post helps you re-collect some of your old memories of rainy season. Feel free to share in the comments anytime.

Hopefully see you soon with a new post.

Thank You.

2010-03-27T08:23:00.009+05:30

After a long gap from blogging, I feel like writing today, for those who matter a lot to me. You know who you are...

People say i have changed,
Don't know if its for good or bad,
Though i have realized that,
I have more than I ever had.

I have this feeling that the world around me,
is what I anticipated to see,
U ask me if I am happy?
I would say i surely agree.

I have friends to share,
A person who cares,
A family that is rare,
And a life that's been fair.

There were time when
i thought i was misunderstood,
But i realized that I found someone
Who understood me more than i ever could.

Today i thank everyone who is dear,
who brought to my life lot of cheer,
Hope you find my poetry sincere,
and wish you would always stay near.

THANK YOU ALL FOR BEING A PART OF MY JOURNEY - MY FAMILY, FRIENDS AND THAT SPECIAL SOMEONE. :)

Short Series: From A to Z and back...Part Three

2010-01-07T09:37:00.004+05:30

After a lot of pondering, A decides to give him a call..After all, What harm would it do. I mean, if its meant to be, it will be...right?

A dials the number ...Tring Tring...

Hello...!!

A: Hi.. May I speak to V?
(This was a bad idea...!!..Hang up...right now..)
V: Speaking, who is this?
A: Hi..I am not sure if you remember me, we spoke around a week back just once. A here...??
(please say yes...)
V: Oh yeah...hi...wassup..I was wondering why you didn't call back, I mean i would have, but you never gave me your number.
A: Oh, yeah. I just wasn't sure if it was appropriate..Anyways...Will give you my number by the end of this call. (its better to play safe..I mean lets see if I still enjoy talking to him)
V: That sounds fair..I mean I don't know if will still like talking to me the second time..right?
(shit he read my mind)
A: Ha ha, So, hows life in the last one week?
V: Life's good...Have been busy doing stuff...Wassup with you?

And the conversation goes on...A cant believe that it AGAIN went on for more than 30 mins.

V: Hey by the way...Which part of Bombay are you from?
A: What makes you think I am from Bombay? (assumption is the mother of all dot dot dot)
V: Well, I find it difficult to believe that someone would spend so much time and money on an STD call...Lol
A: Smart..I am from Vikroli.
V: Hey that's like 15 mins away from where I am..What a small world.
A: I guess the Internet is bringing people closer... (small world indeed)
V: yeah, so you think we can exchange numbers and maybe catch up sometime? I mean i m working on some new stuff lately..Maybe you wanna hear some of it.
A: Are you asking me out? (that was quick)
V: Haha, well...if that term makes you say Yes, then yeah... How about tomorrow?
A: Why don't I let you know by evening? (I don't wanna sound desperate now...do i?)
V: Take your time, but I got to get back to work. In case we don't talk again...It was nice knowing you.
A: Why do you think we wont talk again? (It cant be a brush off...specially since he has "asked me out")
V: Well, Just a thought.. :P
A: Don't worry, You are in for a surprise..
V: Talk to you soon?
A: yeah..by the way, my number is.... ********** (I hope i don't regret this)
V: Thanks :)
A: Sure.. See ya.

A hangs up...and goes into the balcony wondering what just happened and reminding herself...He is a stranger...Don't get carried away....Don't get carried away....DO NOT get carried away...Or was it too late?

I miss my Old Self...

2010-01-06T12:50:00.001+05:30

I Look down deep,
deep inside of my mind;
an old part of me,
I know I will find.

The part that is hiding
and doesn't want to be found;
it has hidden too long
and won't come around.

I know it is there,
hiding way down inside
the place that I think
I have gone in to hide.

I want to Let myself free;
let it run, let it ride.
Let it out, let it sing;
let it out from inside.

It has hidden too long,
that old self that was me;
because I was hurt,
I want to let it out and leap.

There is something there
that is wonderful indeed;
it was once nourished -
it came from a seed.

That wonderful me
that I hide deep inside,
I want to let it out, let it run;
I dont want to let it hide.

Those who really know me
miss the old me indeed;
and for that they are sad.
They only want what's best for me

I wanna let myself out;
be happy, be glad.
Not let the past hold me;
the one that was bad.

Oh, I see bits and pieces
every once in a while;
the old me shines through
and gives out a smile.

I miss that part,
that old part of me
I miss all the fun
and the laughter indeed.

I wanna come back.
I hope I find the way
back into the life
hoping i will stay that way;

Because I do miss
that old part of me,
the one I was,
my old self indeed.

That one that is hopeful,
joyous, and glad -
in a world full of love,
even though good and bad.

The world won't change.
It's sad but it's true;
but I know that I can
come back out through.

The one who is happy
and sees all that is great -
the one who's optimistic,
who doesn't care if they're late.

I've hidden too long
deep down inside.
I've crawled into myself,
and I tried to hide.

I'm still learning
to set myself free;
one day I will learn
how to be the old me.

Short Series: From A to Z and back...Part Two

2009-07-20T13:36:00.005+05:30

For Part one....Click here ---> contd

....CRASSHHHH!!!
A is startled by the sudden crash and looks towards the window. It was the beautiful crystal vase that her mom's friend had gifted them on her parent's 25th Anniversary a couple of months back.

"Damn..not another stormy night", she said. But something about this night made her feel like Anything's possible. While A starts gathering the shattered pieces off the ground, Ding goes the msn messenger that A had forgotten to log off before she got to her reading.

V says: Hey Happy Friendship's Day to you too.
Happy Friendship's day says: (Damn, shud've changed that friendship day status a week back)Hi...Thank you, May I know who this is?
V says: Yes, I THINK you added me a week back from datingtoday.com's dating profile. I might have emailed in response to your profile.
Happy Friendship's Day says: (Oh..its one of them) Oh, Ok..Yes. I am sorry, but a week has impacted my memory. Do you mind if we start over again. But just need a few minutes before I get back to you.
V says: That's fine. I might not be available since I got some stuff to complete. Maybe another mins here. Maybe we can talk on the phone if you want later.
Happy Friendship's Days says: (hmm....someone's quick) hmm..well I dont trust people off net so soon. Lets see. Talk to you later. Brb.
V says: sure.

A gets back to clearing the mess and mopping the floor up. After about 6 mins, she get back to the comp.

Happy Friendship's Days says: (yikes...is he gone?) hey...u there?
V says: which version of msn msnger are you using? because last I checked, if the person shows online, he/she is still ONLINE. Haha. Just kidding...
Happy Friendship's Day says: (oo...someone with a sense of humour...thats refreshing) Haha, yeah, sorry. I have some people here who always show online but never talk. I thought you might be like them.
V says: Ohk...Nice save. :P

The conversation goes on for about 30 mins, where they discuss music, likes, dislikes, politics, etc. A had never felt the same way before. She was talking to a stranger, and actually LIKING it.
V says: Its been really nice talking to you. But i got to get back to work. Have some music compositions to complete before tomorrow morning.
Happy Friendship's Day says: (ooo...music composer, interesting) Oh, no issues. Will keep in touch. Hope to see you on msn soon.
V says: Actually I hardly check my msn. Mind if we talk on the phone. 25707841 is my number. Do call if you wanna talk later. Bye...Adios...
Happy Friendship's Day says: (there we go again with the number...lol) Ok good night.

Should A call him ?? Is it safe to trust a stranger off the net ?? that too from a dating site ?? But she really thinks he is genuine....Maybe he should give him a chance. Afterall... what can one phone call lead to??

Why don't you help her decide....any suggestions??

Short Series: From A to Z and back...Part One.

2009-07-08T17:06:00.007+05:30

Rain was banging against the window of A's balcony, while she was reading the then-latest Sidney Sheldon's "Doomsday conspiracy".

Its been almost a week since A had joined her multimedia classes and was utilising 3 hrs in the day for some much needed extra-curricular activity. She still had no clue what to do with the rest of the time. Out of curiousity, she had ended up registering a dating profile on one of the then famous dating site. she definitely underestimated the power of World Wide Web, because she did not expect more than 4-5 responses on her profile. To her horror, her inbox was full with 350 emails from various parts of India.

The crucial task of sorting the responses into Yes, No, Maybe, Are you kidding me??, and Why do they even bother? had taken her 3 days and 5-6 hrs per day, leaving her with Sidney Sheldon as her only hope to find something close to entertainment.

When suddenly... CRASHHHH!!!!!!

...to be continued.....

Back from the dead...umm....I think...

2009-07-04T17:39:00.004+05:30

If you are reading this, thanks for remembering me. I know its been a while since I made an appearance and people have been asking me reasons for my disappearance. There were many times when I decided to write something, or times when I was on the way to some place and I thought,"Hey, that is something I could write about". But whenever I came back home and actually sat to type it down, I simply ran out of things I could write on that topic.

I don't know what led to this, but I guess this is what they call a 'Writer's Block'. However in my case, its just a BLOCK.

I write here today, to just keep this blog alive. Frankly, I have been very regular on my photo blog "Memories are just a click away". One of the reasons for that was that it didn't require any writing or any topics (most of the times).

I am going through a lot of changes in my life right now, and for once I thought I would write about it, but changed my mind, thinking that "hmmph ....no one wants to read about my life." So I gave up.

Right now, I am looking for an inspiration, a thought, a reason to write. I hope to find it soon. Till then, please be patient with me.

Hope to see u soon.

Adios. Ciao

Yeh dosti hum nahi todenge...

2009-06-07T00:05:00.007+05:30

Its 10 mins past 9:00 and my phone rings on its usual ring tone...Jaane kyon...Dill chahta...Tu hai to...."hello...?" The familiar voice on the other end sounds somewhat like a charcoal operated train...on speed breakers..."Haha..hey babes...hahaha...Shut up yaar, I am calling her...Hi...wassup..??" and I know, this is one time, when none of my excuses are ever gonna help me. That's Bhavika and Anu, two of my best friends recently...Calling me down for the thrice-in-a-week session of Talk-listen-talk-comment-talk-listen...with all the talking mostly done by just one person. ;)

I try every excuse (which sound genuine for that moment...to ME) in my book. Unfortunately, none of them work, and I end up changing into my gym workout clothes and shoes and reaching down. After a 15 minute wait, and several Phone calls, Anu turns up...looking all charged up to enjoy the these-days-rare "trio-session". Bhavika, is still out of sight and after 30 minutes and several phone calls and 'I am in the lift' excuses, we see her in a distance.

The session starts with me and Anu cribbing about how she makes us wait EVERY TIME and how she needs to be more 'available' and then "Arrey...sorry yaar..Actually na..Blah blah blah." The blahs are not an indication of her excuses...but honestly, she narrates her whole trip of where she has been ...with who...what she did...what was funny....etc etc etc. And by the end of the story, we both (anu and me) end up forgetting the reason why we were angry...Or EVEN the fact that we WERE angry with her.

The session goes on for more than 90 minutes and we are back to feeling the way we have always felt in each other's company. Our group of 3 has had the most absurd, serious, hilarious, and eye-opening conversations we ever cud have with anyone else.

Bhavika: She is the talker in the group...There is no topic in the world that she CANNOT talk about. She can make a story, even at the mention of a small fly sitting on the road.."arrey that reminds me, You know what happened?" and there she goes...with another exciting road trip of hers... Bhavika is one person, who has always been the positive breath of fresh air in the group. With her around, I find it most difficult to keep a straight face..or a negative thought in my mind. :) Do read her blog, to read her first amazing attempt at story writing, and you will know what I am talking about. Please help me encourage her at blogging regularly, by commenting on her blog.

Anu: She is the listener of our group. I wouldn't call her an introvert, but with Bhavika around, even she rarely gets a chance to talk... An ambitious, free-spirited girl, with opinions about everything, and suggestions for every healthy food under the sun..She is my inspiration when I get bored of eating the same kind of diet every week. She probably doesn't know, but I sometimes call her during the time she is having her lunch/dinner, just to find out what new experiment she has done with her diet today. I am proud to say that out of all 3, she is the only one who was determined enough to stick to her schedule and achieve her targets. Keep up the good work darling..We both admire you for that.

Our group is unique, because each of us complete each other...and compliment each other. Bhavika talks, Anu listens, and I write blogs on them. Hahaha, I love you both gals..

I am sure we all have such buddies in our lives...Ever tried to share your friendship with the world?...or at least with me?? Go ahead...comment and tell me a bit about them.

Introducing....

2009-05-31T23:58:00.006+05:30

I have recently started clicking photos whenever I get a chance to...and thankfully...I discovered a way to get them to my comp for uploading without going through the hassle of data cord. Here's the much awaited (for me) photo blog.... Kindly visit it every day for new updates...

http://tanvi-photosofmylife.blogspot.com/ This is a small trailor of my first post there...

This photograph is clicked on the Vashi flyover...The only flyover, where the network is lost AFTER I get off the bridge..Strange!!!

**Kindly bear the quality, I dont have a very advanced phone on me (yet)

Men..!!! - Top 10

2009-05-25T12:10:00.026+05:30

A Phase that every girl of a marriageable age goes through...Groom hunting. I too have been "blessed" with the opportunity to go through that phase recently. After the few initial stages, I started finding the entire process of arranged marriage quite amusing. It wasn't just the getting prepared mentally, getting appropriately dressed, the anticipation, the wait for the response, etc..but the whole idea of two strangers meeting up and trying to decide their future together is quite interesting.

Recently, me and one of my female friends were discussing the kind of guys we had met, and I thought it would be an interesting thing to try and jot down the kind of guys we meet during these "dealings" and meetings. As my attempt to achieve the continuity on the "TENs" post on my blogs, I now bring to you..The List of top 10 kind of men I have met...

TAT = Turn-around Time: This refers to the time it takes for the guy to respond back with a Yes or a No for you.
1. Kind who doesn't talk much: These are the kind who have always sat at the back of the class not drawing any attention, really timid and spoke only when spoken to,and who never really got a girl in his class. Now due to the set rules of these kind of meetings, its understood that the guy is supposed to ask all the questions (at least initially). So when a "shy" guy is encountered with a situation where he is supposed to make conversation, it would sound somewhat like a conversation with a TB patient, with a lot of Ahem ahem and coughs..."Ahem...Cough cough...Hi..How are you?" This kind lets you speak a lot, mostly asks open ended questions, so that he can buy time to cough enough and try and figure out what to ask next..lol

TAT: You will probably end up calling him/his parents for a response.

2. Kind who doesn't stay silent: These are the kinds who are totally opposite of the Kind # 1. Toppers in class, Outgoing, surrounded by girls, life of the party. The conversation with these kinds, either become one-sided (from their side)...and sounds somewhat like this...

Guy: Hey, How are you?

Me: Fine, how are you?

Guy: So what do you like to do?

Me: Well, I like to write and paint.

Guy: really? You know, one of my friends is an artist too...He is into blah blah blah ....I used to like to sketch too..blah blah...then i got into engineering...blah blah...in college i used to get A on my assignments...blah blah blah.. and it goes on and on and on...... These kinds most of the times do not give a certain idea of whether they liked you or no...its one of their "mysterious personality" things.

TAT: Though they act mysterious, these kinds are faster at making decisions and conveying them.

3. Kind who wants it all: These are the ambitious sorts. People who plan their lives 20 years in advance..who know exactly what they want..and have a clear view of what kind of girl they want as well. These kinds generally have a set list of qualities they want in their partners and would compromise on maximum 2 points in that list.

TAT: The good part about this kind though, is that you can expect a faster TAT (turn-around time).

4. Kind who can't keep to themselves: One of my friends had met this kind in one of her rendezvous, who had started fighting with her while asking her questions. He felt she was answering too fast and he felt she had memorised her answers. Overbearing, Over agressive and over the top in admiring themselves, are few traits of these kind.

TAT: These will probably not respond quickly, due to their male ego and urge to see you suffer for their response.

5. Kind who keeps it all in (no pun intended): He's the guy that seems so sensitive and caring when you first meet. He's able to share with you the heartbreak of a broken relationship. unfortunately, you only find out after a few more encounters that he's still nursing a broken heart from the relationship he had with someone over ten years ago. These kinds are not so much heartbroken but already committed to never caring about someone again. No matter how much time you spend together, you can never get through.

TAT:The response time for this kind is as slow as a snail, but once recognised, make sure you contact them back for a response.

6. Kind who refuses to grow up: These men are the ones who can't keep a job, who blame everyone else for their own stupidity and laziness, who are constantly outraged that the world is not giving them the respect they deserve. Ironically, they never realize that they are in fact, getting the respect they truly deserve.

TAT: These kinds are always coaxed by their grown-ups to respond and most of the times, its a negative due to constant pressure.

7. Kind that THINKS he knows you: These are the guys who think they are Freud. They spend all their time thinking and little time actually doing anything constructive. They have put a big label on you after one date and a night of conversation. He's the guy who sits there watching you, with that stupid smug "I knew it" look on his hound dog face. He's clearly thinking that by putting a label on you, he has you all figured out and knows just what to do to fix you. He looks at you as if you were some broken piece of pottery he's going to glue back together. What's sad is that he still can't figure out how to get someone to actually like him.

TAT: He doesn't get time to respond. You will know why IF you ever meet this kind.

8. Kind that is prettier than you: These kind makes you feel like a manly cow just by standing next to him. You know the type, don't you? He's the "metro man" who spends more time fluffing his hair just so and takes more time doing it than you would spend painting a Kitchen door. Ladies, the secret to feeling pretty and feminine is to never agree to a man that's more beautiful than you and more delicate than you.

TAT: This kind changes TAT on how he is as a person. Kindly analyse him better and refer to other kinds for related TAT.

9. Kind who is always paranoid: These are the kind who will ask you questions about your friend circle and who you hang out with, rather than questions about YOU. Beware of this kind, because eventually, you MIGHT end up with a paranoid weird violent man who can't stand you out of his sight but can't stand the sight of you. He needs you to have nothing in your life but him.

TAT: This kind (if he likes you) will respond quickly, only hoping that you don't refuse.

10. Kind who will listen to only one person: These kinds generally are a one-woman man,when it comes to making decisions of their lives...and chances are rare that THAT one woman is YOU. It could be their mother, sister or whoever is responsible for his upbringing. Its easier to get these kinds on your side, but that could mean a whole lot of Saas Bahu drama in the household.

TAT: Whatever his "momma" says...

Now for all the girls that are reading this, Lemme see whether there are any kinds that I have missed out.

And for the guys reading this post, What kind are you???

Until Next time..

Adios...Ciao

10 Stages - The journey from love to love

2009-05-23T09:26:00.035+05:30

I saw this movie "He just doesnt feel that way about you" when it had initially released, but somehow there is no sign of it on google.com or youtube.com. I had liked the movie and today I probably understand one of the levels of relationship that it dealt with....Falling for someone who you know will never be yours. I am saying "falling" for someone, because initially, I am not sure if people call it Love..... There are lot of words in the vocabulary that define the initial stages of "Feelings"....Infatuation, emotional incline, crush, passion, fascination, admiration, attachment, puppy love, etc, but LOVE is definitely not one of them.

The heartbreak.... the contemplation.... the agony... and yet the fact that my heart skips a beat everytime I see his number flashing on my phone, or his message blinking on my google talk. I see him online and wonder why isnt he messaging me? Was it something I said? Was it something I did wrong? Did I say too much last night? All kinds of thoughts cross my mind...and as I sit and go through every detail that led me to this situation, I break the phases down to its TOP 10......I call it...The journey from love to love...

First Stage: Attraction: The first time you see that person..on first day of college, on the street, in your sister's friend circle, or maybe in a coffee shop...You remember every detail of that person, clothes he/she was wearing, perfume, the way he walked, the first words he spoke..his first sms, his first IM...his first email...etc. The first time that person comes near you or sees you on webcam, your heart rate increases; temperature rises, palms get sweaty; stomach flutters; throat tightens and 1001 emotions that run in your mind and heart that you cant even define.

Emotionally, you start knowing each other, hobbies, ideologies, career, education, or some other common grounds. You start asking questions to get to know the other person even better...

Second Stage: Romance: You start accepting the person as they are. You start doing small things for each other for selfish or selfless motives. Giving gifts, writing poems, PDAs, and taking her for dinner, inviting him over for lunch, etc. Eventually, the selfish motives of the Romance die out and the selfless motives turn into 'passion'

Third Stage: Passion: This stage mostly evolves when the romance (emotional relationship) is replaced by or taken over by Passion (physical relationship). Verbal and physical flirting, teasing, Obvious PDAs, etc. Even though this stage is the most fun amongst all the journey, this becomes the deciding point of the relationship. From here, either the couple can reach a dead end in the feelings or become a stronger bond.

Fourth Stage: Intimacy: This word has often been associated with physical closeness, however its mostly deals with comfort that the couple share. The difference between Attraction and Intimacy is the inquisitiveness and appreciation. The couple share their thoughts, their feelings, their dreams and everything that is the Base of their relationship. In true intimacy, there is nothing that you cannot tell this person (though we often hesitate because of our own unfounded fears).

Fifth Stage: The Realization - You start noticing that things have been a bit rocky between you and your partner, well ROCKY may be an understatement! TREMULOUS, ROLLER COASTER RIDE FROM HELL is much more like it. Okay, maybe I'm exaggerating...But, you've come to realize that things aren't going to work out, unless you enjoy getting the "silent treatment". Somehow, the sparks that were flying at the beginning of the relationship have now turned into an uncontrollable forest fire. Ultimately, you need to muster up the courage and face the fact that things aren't AREN'T WORKING

Sixth Stage: The ACTUAL Realization: - Okay, so you had the biggest fight ever and vow never to see him/her again. So, what happens now when you realize you can never call them again for a quick cup of coffee... or, at all? What if you start to miss them? What if they DON'T miss you? You might start to think maybe it wasn't a good idea to break up after all. And then you have an epiphany. OF COURSE it was a good idea -- the relationship wasn't working out. Don't call them, remember you broke up for a reason. Just because you miss them doesn't mean it'll be great when you see them again. You just keep reminding yourself why you broke up in the first place and DON'T CALL THEM!

Seventh Stage: The Crappy Part: - Once you realize that your life will be different, this is what I call the crap-pi-phany. You go through the phase of listening to songs that remind you of them, cry into a pillow that still smells like them, read you old text msges/chat histories, call him/her up and hang up...go through the road that you used to meet on hoping that he/she might be do the same... and agonize about what's going to happen next. Your life may seem over...

Eight Stage: The Rage: - That bitch/bastard! I treated them like gold! This is the most critical stage - Bitterness. You list all their annoying traits that you once thought was actually cute. Who actually uses the word "poopy/bubblegum"? At this point instead of wasting your day in front of the comp reading old chats, you get out of bed and dress to impress. Now that you look good and feel good you can actually say and believe, "if they don't want me, that's their problem, not mine." Over time you start missing them less and love yourself more. You keep yourself busy with new hobbies, school, work and friends. You stop feeling sorry for yourself and realise that there is a whole world out there waiting for you with plenty of new and exciting people to meet.

Ninth Stage: FREEDOM: -You haven't thought about your ex in days, (well it's a start) and BAM, there they are strolling down the street with someone else..... and your stomach doesn't lurch neither does your face doesn't turn bright red. When you say hi , your ex looks more uncomfortable than you. Once the encounter is over, you stroll away proud and tall and don't think about the encounter for more then 10 minutes ever again. (PS. Have they put on weight?). You smile, because now you know you are finally free and ready to open up and love again.

Tenth Stage: The Crush: - Over time you'll begin to realize that your ex isn't the only one in the world. Wow! There's some damn fine peeps in this city. The point is, once you're able to open yourself up again, other people will want to get to know you. Even if you're not ready to start an intense relationship with somebody else, get out there and start having fun again...and then... there is that LOOK again...

But no matter who we are with, where we are, and how we end up living our life, We still get that look on our face when we pass across the corridor where you first saw them, or the website that you visit where you met him in virtual world...That indeed was your true love...that you lost...somewhere in the journey.

Until Next time....

Adios ....Ciao.

Cakes that help you lose weight...

2009-05-20T14:05:00.014+05:30

I am on a weight loss programme lately and looking for every possible exercises/diet programme/method/equipment to help me achieve that. I was just surfing through google.com and this is what I came up with. I am not sure about loss of weight, but I am sure one will deifinitely lose appetite to eat cakes forever....Haha...Enjoy..
So Here goes....

Anyone for a 'Spidey-cake'???

'Wanna-be-dead-? Cake'

Reminds me of the creature from "The Legend" of Will Smith.

Need company for a bath in chocolate???'

New toppings available in the market...!!!

I really can't figure this one out..!!!

Brains anyone???

Hannibal Cake!!

Eat it or It'll eat you!!! hahahaa....

Rodent Cake..!!!

Enter-at-your-own-risk CAKE

It-looks-the-same-from-every-angle CAKE

Aarrgggh!!!

I always had a fascination for Blue eyes...!!!

Anyone for a handful???

Such a lively set of neighbours!!!

Ask your MUMMY for the cake....!!!

and finally.....

My personal Favourite...

Can anyone suggest a caption for this cake?...C'mon people...get your minds churning....!!!

Adios...See u later...

My Salsa...

2009-05-19T22:15:00.001+05:30

Thats my Salsa Video...

Tagged down memory lane via numbers.

2009-05-18T14:33:00.015+05:30

This is my first experience at being tagged by a fellow blogger "Bala" and I am currently going through a writer's block. So this tag came along at the right time. I have never been much of a number person, except that I remember phone numbers much more easily than Birth dates...

So here we go...My play with numbers starts here:

One: I have 1 sister, who I love dearly..People ask me "would I have been happier if I had a brother"...and I reply ..Hah..My sister is no less in any way..if you know what I mean. *wink*

Two: I have worked for 2 MNCs till date. Industele and Wipro BPO. Few best years of my life.

Three: I had come 3rd in 3 different sports event when I was 12 years old in one of the community Annual sports event.. "Bhatia Annual Sports Day"...Long Jump (yeah...i could jump the farthest)....Shot put...(no prize for guessing why it went the farthest)...and 400 metre running race..(longest I have run at a stretch till date..)

Four: Till date there are just 4 girls I consider as my best friends...Bhavika, Anu, Sarita and Vaishali. Its quite rare for me to easily befriend girls, but I would never trade any of my guy friends with these 4.

Five: I have had a work experience of 5 yrs in Wipro BPO...met many friends...enemies...traitors...mentors..guides...and best friends. :)

Six: I have a strong 6th Sense when it comes to people..not in judging them, but to read their minds.

Seven: There are 7 wonders in the world...which are all on my list of "Things to see before I die"

Eight: I have 8 fingers without a Ring....I am largely a jewellery person, but can't stand gold. **The 2 rings on my finger are an exception to that fact.

Nine: I like to play 9-ball game in pool...Quick finish..and in an hour's play, we can play more games.

Ten: I was 10 years old when I had got mumps...the only major disease I had since childhood. I remember my mom applying a weird paste on my throat which smelt bad, and apparently tasted bad too, since I could almost taste it every time I gulped...Yuck..!! even the thought of it still makes me pukish..!!

This has been an interesting ride with numbers...and I would love to tag few more friends..some who HATE being tagged, and some who have experience in being tagged...so guys...have fun...!!!

I would like to tag Prateek, Anand, Impie, Alok, DD and Sakshi.

Dos & Donts of Dating

2009-05-16T12:29:00.018+05:30

These days, thanks to the age of technology everything is one phone call or one click away ...from tickets, books, movies, groceries, even baby sitters. While I was still getting used to the advances in this world of web, I came across a site where you could find 'LOVE'.

I wasn't surprised, because I have heard of people getting married on Internet, and I could digest the fact that people could find life partners online., But Love? I wasn't sure. Whats the difference u ask me? Well, Finding partners for life doesn't HAVE to include love, but that's a different topic, isn't it?

Anyways, I have had many friends find their "dates" online and gone on Blind dates with a richboy999 or sweetgal25 and even though the thought of going on a DATE is exciting, online dating opens a whole new door for unexpected surprises and questions.

Luck matters a lot when you are looking for friends/dates. So how does it all get started?? There is a reason why sites like orkut/facebook/twitter, etc are called social networking sites. Being a girl, I receive at least 2-3 invites on orkut and facebook every week from strangers wanting to be friends and I am sure many females face the same issue. But for guys it probably becomes a different issue altogether. Many people wrongly assume that using an online dating service is the equivalent of throwing in the towel and screaming, "All right already, I'll do it -- I'm desperate!" Actually, online dating is not for the desperate (alone). It actually could become a very successful way to find 'compatible' people.

So when our mail box shows the magical mail of "Speeddate recommends you rahul007 " the first obvious thing we do is scan their profile. Maybe that is one reason why many online dating services are even hiring psychologists to help with their personality profiles. They want to make sure that they have scientific studies to back their "matching" programs.

Recently, I had one friend of mine come to me with wanting tips for her first experience at online dating. Here's what I told her...

1. Catch Phrase: "Its not personal, its business". These are the kind of lines that suit as a dialogue of a 'godfather' movie, but just imagine the impression it would create on a personal profile. You would'nt want your online dating dream to be a business now, would you?? My personal approach to finding the best Catch phrase is --> close your eyes, and take your name. Whats the first thought that comes to your mind? Adjective, quote, or even a cheesy 'about me' line whatever it is, is what defines you.

2. Sorry you are not my type: Don't take these responses from others personally. You may find that you send a lot of "hello" messages, with no replies. The truth is that some people date online more for entertainment and to find out where they stand, than to meet their soul mate. Also, feel free to say "no" to anyone online. And if you don't want your profile tortured by students or desparados, make sure you make a clear mention of the same.

3. Be what you are: Last week, one friend shared with me his frustration that the women he met in person did not match their profiles. Some people aren't honest and don't post recent photos. But be advised, you need to be truthful when describing yourself. Outright lying just won't work -- it'll blow up in your face when your date learns you are not an MBAite, or a professional dancer.

4. Take your time: Studies show that relationships develop faster onlineI would recommend to wait at least two weeks before you meet face-to-face. And, before you meet in person, move the conversation from online to phone. During a phone chat you'll get a better sense of whether your personalities click. (time frame mentioned might differ from person to person..go by your instinct)

5. Oh my gawd, he looks just like Brad Pitt: Avoid choosing your dates based on photos. It’s all too easy to scroll through Internet profiles, selecting the Brad Pitt look-alikes and bypassing the rest. Remember, real men lose their hair and grow love handles , yet if you met them in person, you just might find them charming. Besides, if you’re anything like us, you probably don’t look that much like Angelina. DO brush up on your math if he sounds too good to be true: Subtract 3 inches from his height, Double his weight, half his income, and add a decade to his age.

6. Roop mahal, prem gali, kholi number 420: Avoid disclose where you live or for that matter, personal information that could lead to your address, such as your home phone number, last name, or an email address that includes your last name. While most men on the Internet are just as normal as you are, you don’t want a K..K..Kiran type psycho ringing your doorbell, even if he’s carrying a box of Toblerone chocolates.

7. Beep a.k.a SMS: Avoid asking for a first date via smses. I hate that. It makes the other person seem like you don’t have the balls to call. It’s a regressive approach. Most people want to feel special when they’re asked out on a first date. Why cheapen it by using an electronic medium for that?

8. "Seat belts please" a.k.a Safety rules:
1) When you give someone your phone number online, use your cell, rather than your home or work phone. If things don't work out, cell phone numbers are much easier to block.
2) If you do meet in person, always pick a neutral busy spot like a coffee shop or a mall. Don't have your date pick you up or drive you home.
3) Tell a friend where you are going to meet this person, what time and your date's name.
4) Don't drink too much on the first meeting. People seem much more attractive and interesting after a few glasses of wine and it's easier to say or do something you didn't plan on doing.

9. Follow-up: Always send an sms after the first date. "Had a great time, looking forward to meeting you again" or "Thanks for meeting up. Talk to you soon" would never hurt anyone.

10. Post first-date hangovers: Scenario 1: If you like the guy and don't hear from him within a few days, it's fine to shoot off a quick email: "Thanks for the drink and the fun company. I really enjoyed meeting you." He'll either contact you for a date or not. If it's "or not," cut your losses and move on. Refer to the first tip AGAIN. Scenario 2: You don't like the guy and he keeps bugging you for a return engagement. Just send a quick note: "While I truly enjoyed meeting you, I just didn't feel we were compatible enough to pursue a relationship. But I wish you all the best."

I am still to hear how her dating scene is coming along...but I am sure all of us have had one or few disaster dates...I would love to hear some more experiences.

Till next time..
Adios

Hand that rocks the cradle...

2009-05-11T14:02:00.015+05:30

Hand that Rocks the Cradle, rules the World.

- William Ross Wallace

How many of us believe that there are 2 kind of women....House-wives or working women?

Well, I have come to realise that being a mother is a full time job, and is no less painful than our so-called corporate life.

"Mother's Day" I have never been very crazy about the concept of Mother's Day. Those who have read my blog on Valentine's Day, would know my opinion about using these so-called Days to express feelings.

But yesterday changed my whole opinion about this Day.

Lately, due to a busy days and various activities taking priority in my schedule, I haven't been able to dedicate much time to my mom and dad. Even yesterday, I had plans for the evening to attend a "Salsa Night" arranged from Anand Majumdar's dance classes..@ Rio Lounge, 7 Bungalows, Versova. I was sleeping half the day due to a tiring day and a late night on Saturday.

Thankfully, my sister keeps track of these days and reminds me to order appropriate bouquets for these occasions, which I had done the previous day. My mother was pleasantly surprised since she hadn't expected it.

The day was spent in playing host by my mom to the guests who had come over on Saturday. They left early in the evening, giving me and my mom some time to have a nice mother-daughter time alone. Singing is one of the common interests that we share..and I know that she loves to hear me sing and sing along as well. I sang 'In Dino' for her, and after I was done, she hugged me tight, with an immense sense of pride and happiness.

(Thats the song I sang for her...)

That moment I realised how much I had missed talking to her, and how long its been since I have told her how much I love her. My mom is always waiting for me to take out time out of my life to spend time with her, without making me even realising it. I realised that the real reason for having Days to celebrate relationships is not to commercialise relations, but to bring people closer when we get caught up in our every day lives. Thank you mom..for a wonderful time. I love you. This poem is dedicated to you...Happy Mother's Day.!!

Mom, you're a wonderful mother,

So gentle, yet so strong.

The many ways you show you care

Always make me feel I belong.

You're patient when I'm foolish;

You give guidance when I ask;

It seems you can do most anything;

You're the master of every task.

You're a dependable source of comfort;

You're my cushion when I fall.

You help in times of trouble;

You support me whenever I call.

I love you more than I can express;

You have my total respect.

If I had my choice of mothers,

You'd be the one I'd select!

So for those who don't have enough time in their race to success to tell your mother that you love her.... trust me, All that work isn't worth it.

Think about it..!!!

Women's Dictionary - Part II

2009-05-09T08:54:00.007+05:30

With the recent blog on Women's Dictionary, I got many messages/comments on the blog from people who were trying to research our species. If you don't know what I am talking about..Click Here. I have received emails from certain readers (whose identity has been changed for security reasons, since they are afraid that they might be in potential danger from their wives/girlfriends). Here are few of those emails and my replies to them:

Dear 10v,

My name is Kiran (name changed). Thank you so much for sharing this valuable information with me. I always used to wonder about ways to avoid conversation with my girlfriend when she is in a bad mood, since I never was able to understand what she meant when she said certain things. I have tried your tips and trust me, I am a much better boy friend than I ever was.

I want to try and de-code one more word that she uses very often, which is generally used when I am trying to explain her why I behaved the way I did. I used to feel a sense of victory earlier when I used to hear that word, but somehow your blog has got me thinking otherwise. Kindly Explain. The word is "FINE"

Dear Kiran,

Thank you for writing in. Well, I am glad my thesis is helping you. The word you are referring to is the most commonly used word which enters the scene after a heated argument or debate. The Word "FINE" might sound like a victory call, but don't be fooled. This is the word women use to end an argument when they are right and you need to shut up.

Good luck with your future life. Hope my tips help.

______________________________________________________________

Dear 10v,

My wife always says thank you whenever I get gifts for our kids. Is she trying to say something else?? Should I be worried??

-- A Confused martian.

Dear Martian:

As of now, you don't have to worry at all. If a woman is thanking you, do not question, or faint. Just say you're welcome. However, I want to add in a clause here - This is true,unless she says 'Thanks a lot' - that is PURE sarcasm and she is not thanking you at all. DO NOT say 'you're welcome' . Good luck.

_______________________________________________________________

Dear 10v,

Hi...Since you have done deep analysis on your topic, I would like a clarification. My wife is a perfect home-maker. She always takes care of everything from cooking, etc. Normally, I take care of the bills of the home, but someday if I forget, She takes care of it for me and makes me feel very nice saying "Don't worry, I got it"

I am so proud of her, but am I wrong in interpreting what she is saying?

--Almost -loving-Husband

Dear A-L-H,

Well, I wouldn't say you are completely wrong. But in a way, it could be a potentially dangerous statement for you. Mostly used when there is something that a woman has told a man to do several times, but is now doing it herself. This will later result in a man asking 'What's wrong?' For the woman's response refer to Women Dictionary Part I, # 27. But if your wife is an exceptional Venusian, it might genuinely be a case of a very understanding soul mate.

_______________________________________________________________

Few more additions to the earlier de-codes:

Loud Sigh: This is actually a word, but is a non-verbal statement often misunderstood by men. A loud sigh means she thinks you are an idiot and wonders why she is wasting her time standing here and arguing with you about nothing. (Refer back to # 27 for the meaning of nothing.)

Whatever: Is a woman's way of saying F--YOU!

Again, Thank you all for writing in and Keep posting...Will be looking forward to it..!!!

I want to dance...!!!

2009-05-06T22:47:00.002+05:30

That's right, I want to dance.

U asking me "Why?" Do I need a reason? As a matter of fact, why should anyone need a reason to dance. I recently had a girl's party at a friend's house, and realised how much I love to dance.

Again you probably want to ask me the same question? "WHY?" Well, its 3:00 am in the morning, and we all are playing cards. Suddenly the computer manages to forget what time it is and plays the song "Pappu cant dance s**la"

People who know me, would know what happened next. People who are unaware of my sudden strokes of dancing...I suggest you leave it to your imagination. My friends told me when I was normal again, "We actually wanted to dance, but couldn't since You had occupied half of the space and we were afraid of getting 'hit and dance'...lol"

I have always been passionate about dancing, and unlike my sister who is a professional BharatNatyam dancer, I am more of salsa and quickstep kind of girl. So few days back when I was surfing facebook taking variety of quizzes (not one of which told me I am a good dancer, haha...) I saw the advertisement of Anand Majumdar's quickstep and salsa classes. Well, it hardly took me few minutes to pick up the phone and dial in and next day I was enrolled for their Bandra classes. (A small trailor of what I have got myself into...though I dont look half as graceful as the lady in the video, *wink*)

Its been 2 sessions so far and I absolutely love it and the way I feel when I am learning this form of dance. I just thought I would share it with everyone. Will upload some videos of my dancing talent real soon. In the mean time, I will leave you with a thought....Read On....

~Dance Like No One's Watching~

We convince ourselves that life will be better after we get married,have a baby, then another.

Then we are frustrated that the kids aren't old enough and we'll be more content when they are.

After that we're frustrated that we have teenagers to deal with,

we will certainly be happy when they are out of that stage.

We tell ourselves that our life will be complete when our spouse gets his or her act together,

when we get a nicer car, are able to go on a nice vacation, when we retire.

The truth is there's no better time to be happy than right now.

If not now, when?

Your life will always be filled with challenges.

It's best to admit this to yourself and decide to be happy anyway.

One of my favorite quotes comes from Alfred D Souza.

He said, "For a long time it had seemed to me that life was about to begin -real life.

But there was always some obstacle in the way,

something to be gotten through first,

some unfinished business, time still to be served,

a debt to be paid.

Then life would begin. At last it dawned on me that these obstacles WERE my life."

This perspective has helped me to see that there is no way to happiness.

Happiness IS the way, so, treasure every moment that you have.

And treasure it more because you shared it with someone special,

special enough to spend your time... and remember that time waits for no one.

So stop waiting until you finish school,

until you go back to school,

until you lose ten pounds,

until you gain ten pounds,

until you have kids,

until your kids leave the house,

until you start work,

until you retire,

until you get married,

until you get divorced,

until Friday night,

until Sunday morning,

until you get a new car or home,

until your car or home is paid off,

until spring, until summer,

until fall, until winter,

until you are off welfare,

until the first or fifteenth,

until your song comes on,

until you've had a drink,

until you've sobered up,

until you die,

until you are born again to decide that there is no better time than right now to be happy...

Happiness is a journey, not a destination.

So, Work like you don't need money. Love like you've never been hurt

....and Dance Like no one's watching.

So next time you want to do something in your life...Don't stop and think...Don't wait for the RIGHT time..Go for it!!!

Till Next time...Adios...

Why do people blog?

2009-05-02T23:37:00.005+05:30

I recently had a friend of mine ask me "why do I blog?" and that leads me to my new post. Quite an interesting question and it really got my thinking. Why do I blog? or rather Why do people blog? Before I started this post, I researched on google.com the same question...and found many interesting blogs based on the same. So my post is no different than many of the other bloggers on the world of net.

But interestingly, I feel like writing my reasons for blogging. There are many people who express themselves in different ways, some people talk...some people sing, some people share jokes, and some people write. Blogging in a way is no different than expressing ourselves. The only difference is people who chose to write, think they are better at communicating through words than any other mode of communication.

I started writing diaries during my late teens as a mean of letting out emotions that I couldn't express vocally, or probably that I didn't want anyone else to know. I gave it up when my mom got her hands on my diaries. Of course it only helped my bonding with her in that stage of life, but I gave it up since my friendship with my mother didn't require me to write anymore. I recently started blogging to write about things that I would normally wouldn't discuss or speak about or rather on topics that aren't really supposed to be 'discussed' with anyone because they are either really not that important or they aren't that a big deal.

I realised that I enjoyed blogging. I liked the fact that I could have my own world where I could express my thoughts, emotions, and feelings, without trying to impress anyone.

But lately, I realised that I have become more commercial and ended up writing stuff that I wanted people to read and comment on. I have a friend who started blogging around the same time that I did and he used to end up getting 150-180 comments on his blog. I started envying him, because I started questioning my ability of writing. Am I not writing good enough for people to read my posts?? Why don't I get as many comments as him??

I ended up writing blogs that I wasn't really anxious on posting, but which i thought would attract a lot of comments. My blogs like 'Women's Dictionary', 'Why should boys have all the fun' and the 'automated system blog' definitely attracted a lot of people, but I started losing my soul in the writing.

I started writing posts and topics that got people reading my posts. It was a nice feeling, but the question that my friend asked me, made me realise that I had forgotten the real purpose of why I had started writing, and hence I write this post today....to get back to the root of my blog..My 'about me' used to say that I write to share what I feel, with other people who feel the same way. But it ended up happening the other way round. I started writing what other people WANTED to read, instead of writing what I felt. I compared my old posts like no-time-to-stand-and-stare and 'Dreams' where I used to know that I mean all those things..

I always want to meet like-minded people who have the same interests as mine and hence I promise myself, that from now on, I would only write and publish posts that reflect me as a person and if that gets people to my blog..fair enough...but if not, I would assume that there aren't many people who are like me, which would eventually make me UNIQUE. Feels nice...doesn't it?

So next time you are posting something on your blog, think..WHY ARE YOU WRITING THAT POST? Maybe it will give you a new perspective.

Hopefully you will visit my blog again...(haha, no harm publicising...it will take time for me to get over my commercialising approach)

Adios...Ciao

Why should boys have all the fun??

2009-04-28T14:50:00.013+05:30

After my latest blog on "Women's Dictionary" I was now tempted to target the men too, who had had a lot of laughs at the cost of my post. I even had a word document sent to me giving some one liners and jokes on women. Certainly, some men who read the post were smart enough to admit that women are complicated, but for others who think they 'know' women well, I suggest you think harder. Also, This post is for that particular gentleman, who thinks 'women will pay $20 for an item she doesn't need' and for all others who agree with him. You know who you are...Haha...

In the mean time...Enjoy few jokes/one liners for all the guys across the world...

Q: What is the thinnest book in the world?

Ans: "What Men Know About Women"

Q: What do men and beer bottles have in common?

Ans: They're both empty from the neck up.

Q: What's a man's idea of helping with the housework?

Ans: Lifting his leg so you can vacuum.

Q: What does a man consider a seven course meal?

Ans: A hot dog and a six pack of beer.

Q: What do you call a man with half a brain?

Ans: Gifted !

Q: What do you call an intelligent man in your country?

Ans: A tourist.

Q: How do men sort their laundry?

Ans: "Filthy" and "Filthy and wearable"

Q: Why is it good that there are female astronauts?

Ans: When the crew gets lost, at least she will ask for directions.

Q: How does a man show that he is planning for the future?

Ans: He buys two cases of beer.

Q: Why are blonde jokes so short?

Ans: So men can remember them.

Q: Why is it difficult to find men who are sensitive, caring and good looking?

Ans: They all already have boyfriends.

Q: How do you get a man to do sit-ups?

Ans: Put the remote control between his toes.

Q: Why does it take 1 million sperm to fertilize one egg?

Ans: They won’t stop to ask directions!

Q: What do you instantly know about a well-dressed man?

Ans: His wife is good at picking out clothes.

Q: What is the difference between a single 40-year-old woman and a single 40-year-old man?

Ans: The 40-year-old woman thinks often of having children and the man thinks often about dating them

Q: Why do women live longer than men?

Ans: Someone has to stick around and clean up the mess after them.

Three dreams of a man

To be as handsome as his mother thinks

To be as rich as his child believes

To have as many women as his wife suspects...

Message to Guys: no offence to you...'Our kind' still loves you all...

Message to Girls: Trust me girls...there are many more where that came from...So do comment if you want Part II of this post...lol.

Women's Dictionary - Part I

2009-04-22T15:08:00.017+05:30

If the topic itself has made you click on it and got you here, then trust me you would not be disappointed. I had got this email long time back and thanks to the art of Forwarding emails, it has probably reached your inbox sometime or another. For those who are lucky enough not to get forwarded mails, here it is....

I would recommend that women don't read further. I don't want to be criticised of being AGAINST my own kind. :P

Ok...So here goes....

They say women never say what they want..As a matter of fact, they always tell you EXACTLY what they want. Its just the matter of decoding it...So here you go...Some of the basic codes, specially decoded for you.

You want...You want : We need OR I want.

It's your decision: The correct decision should be obvious by now.

Do what you want: You'll pay for this later.

We need to talk: I need to complain.

Sure . . . go ahead: This is a dare, not permission.. Don't Do It!

I'm not upset: Of course I'm upset, you moron.

You're . . . so manly: You need a shave and you sweat a lot.

Be romantic, turn out the lights: I have flabby thighs.

This kitchen is so inconvenient: I want a new house:

I want new curtains: ..and carpeting, furniture and wallpaper

Hang the picture there: No, I mean hang it there!

I heard a noise: I noticed you were almost asleep.

Do you love me?: I'm going to ask for something expensive.
How much do you love me?: I did something today you're not going to like.

I'll be ready in a minute: Kick off your shoes and find a good game on TV.

Am I fat?: Tell me I'm beautiful.

You have to learn to communicate: Just agree with me.

Are you listening to me?: Too late, you're dead.

Yes: No.

No: No.

Maybe: No.

I'm sorry: You'll be sorry.

Do you like this recipe?: It's easy to fix, so you'd better get used to it.

I'm not yelling!: Yes I am yelling because I think this is important.
That's Okay: This is one of the most dangerous statements a womencan make to a man. That's okay means she wants to think long and hardbefore deciding how and when you will pay for your mistake

IN ANSWER TO THE QUESTION: WHAT'S WRONG?

26. The same old thing: Nothing.

27. Nothing: This is the calm before the storm. This means something,and you should be on your toes.

28. Everything: My PMS is acting up.

29. Nothing, really: It's just that you are such a jerk.

30. I don't want to talk about it: Go away I'm still building up evidence against you.

So now you understand, Why women can get so complicated to understand??

You might want to try it and let me know if I was of any help... till then adios and good luck

To read this blog..Press # 1.

2009-04-21T22:43:00.009+05:30

Don't you just hate it when 30% of your phone bills are for calls made to customer service for credit cards, phone service, trouble shooting, etc? Well this is what ticked me off today....

I have been studying for my exams since almost 3 months now, and it was about time I got a break. I called up Justdial.com and was relieved to find no automated machine (trust me, the last thing I wanted was thousands buttons to press to just find out the movie schedule. Thankfully, I was directly connected to the operator, who even knew who I was (I am a regular caller to justdial for various reasons). I was given the number to the nearest location Adlabs cinemas... 39894040...Don't bother to call them..Its much easier online.

Anyways....I spent 35 minutes to know that no new movies had released this week and all other movies were either Marathi or English movies. First:

press the language option...
then which day you wanna see movie...
which theatre...
which movie...etc etc etc.

After selecting the movie, since the show timings were not suitable for me, I tried to go one step back to the previous menu...and to my horror, after selecting the theatre..I was asked to select the day and the movie I wanted to see.

Confused??? Well...I was too. Believe me, I love watching movies, but this experience has scarred me for at least a week of not even attempting to find out about the movie schedule.

I was SO horrified with this experience, that I ended up searching for "weird automated answering machine messages" on net...Just for fun.

Amongst the many hilarious messages, I found an article..and i knew I HAD to share it with everyone.

School Phone Menu .....
"Hello! You have reached the automated answering service of your school. In order to assist you in connecting to the right staff member, please listen to all the options before making a selection:

To lie about why your child is absent - Press 1

To make excuses for why your child did not do his work - Press 2

To complain about what we do - Press 3

To swear at staff members - Press 4

To ask why you didn't get information that was already enclosed in your newsletter and several flyers mailed to you - Press 5

If you want us to raise your child - Press 6

If you want to reach out and touch, slap or hit someone - Press 7

To request another teacher, for the third time this year - Press 8

To complain about bus transportation - Press 9

To complain about school lunches - Press 0

If you realize this is the real world and your child must be accountable and responsible for his/her own behavior, class work, homework and that it's not all the teachers' fault for your child's lack of effort: Hang up and have a nice day!

I leave it up to you to decide if this is a funny article or a sarcastic one for parents who are totally dependable upon the educational institutions for raising their child...Think About it...WHICH OPTION WOULD YOU SELECT???

One ARK can save you...!!!

2009-04-20T07:58:00.011+05:30

Good Morning everyone,

Wondering about the title??...well.. Read On...

I bring one more story of my morning walk today...If you wanna read few more of my morning stories...click here.

Its 6:15 am in the morning and very few people on the street.

Suddenly I notice dogs in bunch of 3-5 rushing towards me. I am not afraid of dogs, so I keep walking..Apparently, its not my personality they were attracted to...lol...

They were rushing towards someone walking a few feet ahead of me. That person was carrying a plastic bag in his hands. I thought it was natural for dogs to run towards someone who is probably carrying food with him, but surprisingly, THEY knew exactly who the food was for...

The man without stopping for a even a single step throws some Marie biscuits in a corner and keeps walking. The dogs obviously gather around for the one of the most lavish breakfast they might have received. I keep walking, now almost following the guy walking ahead of me and keeping pace with him. I was curious about what he would do when the dogs from the next area expect the same treatment. We walk a few more feet and the same sequence occurs...Dogs run towards him...He has a packet of Marie biscuits ready for them, throws them towards them and keeps walking. By the time we parted (him taking a different turn towards what i assume was his home), he had almost distributed 3 packets of Marie biscuits to this dogs of each area.

Surprisingly, he doesn't seem to be one of those dog lovers...Then why would he do this?? I felt curious and was wondering...One of the answers I can think of is explained below...

I am not sure how many of you know about the story of Noah's ARK...

but I saw the movie Evan Almighty a few days ago. The new definition of ARK is Act of Random Kindness.

One act of Random kindness is all it takes for you to help someone, and that's what I decided to do.

I travel by bus back from my morning walk...Today my inspiration made me give my seat to a senior citizen in a crowded bus. I did not expect a Thank You for the same, but it surely made my day.

We need not necessarily expect anything in return...You don't have to give up your money...stuff...or time for people who need it...All that we need is little observation around and small acts of kindness per day.

Can you do that?? I know my friend who did that a few days ago...Click here to read it...

A smile on a face...A relief in someone's life...An ACT of RANDOM KINDNESS everyday..makes your world a better place to live..

No time to stand and stare..

2009-04-17T12:14:00.008+05:30

I have been doing a lot of literary reading recently and came across a beautiful poem that touched my heart. There are times when you are thinking something and you end up reading something which expresses exactly what YOU wanted to say.

What is this Life if full of care,

we have no time to stand and stare,

No time to stand beneath the boughs,

and stare as long as sheep or cows.

No time when the woods we pass,

where squirrels hide their nut in grass,

No time to see, in broad daylights,

No time to turn at Beauty's glance,

and watch her feet, how they can dance.

No time to wait till her mouth can,

Enrich that smile her eyes began.

A poor life this is, full of care...

We have no time to stand and stare...

By W.H.Davies

I have never been able to write my blogs during my day's routine...so recently I started my morning walks again, in hope to find an inspiration to write something. Having read this poem a day before, I took out time to sit on a small bench by the road. The road was very pleasant and tapping with sounds of footsteps of morning walkers like me..when suddenly....

I notice a small squirrel on the tree next to the bench i was sitting on. I have never seen a squirrel so close..so really didn't want to move from my place in fear of scaring it away.

It sat their on the branch, leisurely having her morning breakfast of what seemed like a nut to me. I looked into its eyes almost striking a conversation with that cute ball of fur...

To my surprise, I see another squirrel joining her and trying to ...what we would call...WOO her...Loll. It was a beautiful sight, and by the time I could understand their mating ritual...a truck passed by, scaring both of them away.

I was disappointed since I would have loved to sit and observe that beautiful sight..

I am glad to have read the poem, because otherwise I would have never sat down to notice and stare anything around me and would have missed this unspoken conversation with my new acquaintance...

Ever wondered how many times have we actually taken time to sit down and observe the beauty around us?...Kind of reminds me of the small paragraph from Lage Raho MunnaBhai, Sheher ki is daud mein daud kar karna kya hai...Agar yahi jeena hai dosto...to fir marna kya hai??

(Click on the image to see the video)

If you have any beautiful incidents, do feel free to share...I am all ears.. :)

Why do we always go for and still carry on with the wrong person???

2009-04-01T20:19:00.009+05:30

I know the topic itself is depressing...so if you are someone who doesn't believe in LOVE...I suggest you stop reading right away..because comments like "Oh My God....Mush" or "how pathetic" or anything that sounds like it would not be tolerated...and no matter how sad and depressing you think this post is...i m sure you have been through this feeling / question....

Also, I have written this blog from a guy's point of view so you don't think i m targeting a particular gender....however i am sure the answer is the same for our female friends too....So think twice before you continue.. I give you 10 secs...

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WARNING: I am not saying this blog will save you from any future heartbreaks....but it can surely help you with the much needed closure.

Now I am assuming that if you are still reading this post..you are ready to find an answer to your question..

The answer to that is....

That's because you are hoping u r wrong ...and every time she does something that tells u she is no good, you ignore it. Every time she comes through and surprises you, she wins u over and u lose the argument with yourself that she is not for u.

I understand the feeling as small and as insignificant as humanly possible..and how it can actually ache in places that you never knew existed inside you.
It doesn't matter how many new haircuts you get or how many gyms you join or how many glasses of tequila you drink with your friends ...you still go to bed every night going over every detail and wonder what you did wrong or how you could have misunderstood....and how in the hell for that brief moment you thought that you could be that happy.
Sometimes you could even convince yourself that she will see the light and show up at your door ....
....And after all that.. however long all that could be..you go somewhere new...and u meet people who make you feel worthwhile and the little pieces of your soul will finally come back and all that fuzzy stuff...those years of your life that u have wasted..that will eventually begin to fade out...

Ever felt or still feel that way sometimes??...well...write back to me...as they say...बांटने से दर्द कम होता है

Things to do before I die...

2009-02-25T14:08:00.007+05:30

I have seen the movie THE BUCKET LIST twice...as well as DASVIDANIYA (which is based on same lines)..which gets me to a thought of my blog today...Have we ever wondered about what if we could know when we are gonna die??

No No...I ain't suicidal...lol.. Just thinking..Each of us has things that we think of doing/seeing/feeling/experiencing before we die..These movies are about the ironically fortunate people who found out that they were going to die soon. Fortunate...coz that makes it planning sooo much easier for us when we leave. I have heard recently... "हम इस दुनिया में कैसे आयेंगे यह तो हमारे बस में नही है...लेकिन कैसे जायेंगे इसकी तयारी तो कर ही सकते है...."
Mythology says, that any living being gets to be a human form once in a 1000 lifetimes and if that's true, I don't definitely wanna miss the chance to do everything i want to do in this lifetime. This list could have things as small as Being able to climb a 50 storey building in one go....(haha..I wish..) but that's what we are making...right?? A wish - List??...Ok...so here I go..

Going to Paris and standing on top of Eiffel tower: Its been my favourite place to visit...not just coz its one of the 7 wonders...but coz its romantic..This point USED to include "with someone special" before...but I have decided to be picky...so I removed that clause. lol
Adopt a Child: Well...I know I have been very lucky when it comes to family, friends, education, career, and finances. Lot of us crib about how less we have and how much others have..Ever wondered that YOU are that one person who has much better lifestyle than almost 30% of the population of our country??? I know its cliche to say "I want to make a difference" but i would wanna adopt the up-bringing of at least one child...(education-wise)...if not otherwise.
Donate my Eyes: I don't receive compliments a lot...but the most compliments i have received in my life so far is for my eyes..Find it a stupid reason to donate my eyes?? Well..sorry my friend...I don't need a reason to donate my eyes..Its just an information I wanted to share...hahaha...
See the 7 wonders of the world: Its a very common wish for everyone. and I don't have any different reason to have it here too. I just wanna see whatever of the world i can see.
Elope: hahahahaha...If not with someone...then on my own....No explanations...Just sounds like an exciting thing to do...Hahaha...I like the idea of leaving my house...not knowing where i wanna go...or how much will i end up spending...or where i will end up spending the night...taking lifts on the way...going from one place to another on trucks...(filled with lambs and hay...hahaha)...sounds crazy?? Precisely why i wanna do it.
Live a life of a princess for a week: I know it contradicts my earlier wish...but its wish...doesn't consult other wishes..hahaha...Ok...this wish basically means travelling on limousines...being catered to at restaurants....5-star treatment at spas...Living at 7-star hotels...Having breakfast in Greece....lunch in china...and dinner in Paris on the same day.....rose-water bath tubs...candles all around...etc...
Meet Juhi Chavla: Well...she has been my favourite ever since i can remember...Her smile, her eyes, her dimples...the twinkle in her eyes....I love them all..I adore, admire, and idolize her...
Throw a party and invite every friend I have ever known: I have had many moments in my life (till today) that I have lost touch with friends just like that...without proper goodbyes...There have been times that I have not been able to thank them or abuse them for whatever reason we haven't kept in touch...I want each and every person that I known and called a friend to be there during my last days of my life and if u r reading this...you are Invited.

Well...thats all i can think of as of now...and as and when i can think of something...will add it up here..

Now I need a little help from u...Can u help me to fulfill any of these things in the wish list? You are most welcome to lemme know...OR If u want to make your own wish-list...add a comment and write it up...Maybe me and other who read this blog might be able to help you out... Deal? cool...so what r u waiting for??

Cheers to life!!!

I see them....

2009-02-12T14:07:00.011+05:30

I walk through the mall...multiplexes....colleges...bus stops. I see them. I walk across flower shops....gift shops...coffee shops....I seem them. I walk on roads....highways....platforms...gallis...I see them...Wondering who I m talking about??? Girls, Guys and "others" in love....ha-ha
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Have you ever heard of the term "PDA"?? Lemme give u a little insight on the same...PDA stands for Public Display of Affection...holding hands...sitting next to each other...kissing (hope the moral police doesn’t read this blog, *wink*)...resting heads on shoulders...or just feeding each other popcorns on a beach...

Recently I have started observing people around me while traveling...It helps the journey seem shorter. Few days back I saw a girl traveling in the bus with me. She must be around 19-20 yrs old...I traveled for around 40 mins...she was on the phone...from my stop till the last stop of the bus. I like the thought of love being in the air...takes the mind off the other terrible things happening around me..

Besides its February...The month that people who are in love look forward to...plan since months...say things like "Its our first valentine!!!" I don’t have a problem with people acting as if everything around them is make of pink fluffy balloons...doves are more than birds...and roses are talking messengers... But what’s with the day being special??? If two people love each other...shud’nt everyday be special...?? Why look for an excuse to express?? It’s of course a perception that many ppl share…that Valentines is over rated.

On other hand…what’s wrong with using a DATE as an excuse to express…??? With the competitive world…no one has the time to wait and say “I love you.” “I care for you”…”I like you”…etc...But there are practical ppl who wonder whats the big deal about Valentines?? and who declared the date as Velentine's Day....so lemme help you of WHY 14th FEBRUARY is celebrated as Valentine's Day.

I read this mail I got recently giving me insight on why is valentine’s day celebrated?? And how It all started… Read on…

Quick history lesson . . . Did u know why we celebrate Valentine's Day? Actually there are several stories about why Valentine's Day is celebrated but the one that is my favourite is that when Saint Valentine, a priest refused an unattested law attributed to Roman Emperor Claudius II, ordering that young men should remain single. The Emperor supposedly did this to grow his army believing that married men did not make for good soldiers. The priest Valentine, however, secretly performed marriage ceremonies for young men.

When Claudius found out about this, he had Valentine arrested and thrown in jail. Legend has it that, on the evening before Saint Valentine was to be executed, he wrote the first "valentine" himself, addressed to the jailer's blind daughter whom he had healed and fallen in love with. It was a note that read "From your Valentine."

So now you know the real history for the reason we celebrate the day that you look forward to???

But I need to know…What do u think?? Is Valentine’s day Over-rated? Comment your opinions…Waiting…..

In the mean time……………..Happy Valentine’s Day!!!

Sapne to apne hai....

2009-01-12T09:27:00.005+05:30

I sit in my most favourite place in the world at this point of time...My balcony...Its 11:30 pm...the night is silent..the world is still...The sky is clean...and its absolute silence that I experience. I am sure each one of us..at some point..need a special place of ours, where we can gather our thoughts..be with ourselves and just let the mind at peace.

My balcony is that one place i feel one with myself..place i can write...dream...sing...think...or just close my eyes and let the cold breeze brush my shoulder while i slip in the arms of sleep.

Thoughts that cross my mind in this place is about my dreams...no..not about dreams of what i wanna become or what i wish to achieve in life..etc..Just regular dreams that we see when we sleep. They say our subconscious mind shows us those dreams..What has occupied our mind is what we see...It is proven by science..and I believe its true...For eg. During my SSC exams, I used to see my friend's mom in the most hideous look with a book in one hand and a ruler in another screaming her lungs out at her daughter to out beat me..lol..(she used to supervise us in studies..lol) Another one i remember was someone always used to chase me down the stairs..and i used to become some kind of superwoman..jumping 8 flights of stairs at a time..haha...and eventually i used to slip and fall into an endless pit and wake up..

But most of my dreams have always had landscapes...photographs...like a slide show...of snow clad mountains...green landscapes...windy beaches...sandy deserts...hill tops with the never-seen flowers...etc and it used to be BEAUTIFUL...as i grew up...those dreams disappeared..and were taken place by dreams of a knight in shining armour..saving me from a fortress...haha...

I remember as a child i had made a list of things i wanted my marriage ceremony to be like...and the person i wanted to marry to be like. I was just 8 yrs old then. Mom says I was adorable and had mentioned things like "He should have hair (i.e he shouldn't be bald..lol)..He should be as white as snow (i.e he shud be fair..lol) and He shud have a red maruti car and a bungalow. I want to have 3 sarees in marraige...pink...white and yellow...all diamond studded..and i want to wear a crown in my marriage..(that used to be the filmy marriage in those days..*wink*)..

Dreams...mean different things to different people..at different ages...when we are young, we believe that whatever we dream can be achieved...as we grow up...apparently we become matured..and practical...and realise that somethings are just not achievable...or are they?? A food for thought..what one do you think is better??...dreaming as a child and feeling everything is possible if we try...or dreaming as an adult and giving up our dreams coz we FEEL its not possible and not even attempting...???

I leave the thought to you...Are you living your dream??? Do comment and tell me what you do and is it what you always dreamt of doing in life...If NO...then why are you doing it??

Awaiting responses...

Soul Mate or Solo Mate???

2009-01-05T12:23:00.015+05:30

Confused with the title??...Well...read on..and you will know what I m talking about...
I am going through a phase of life where I want to meet someone and settle down for good...to express what i mean...Ek shayari arz hai...

Zindagi में ...ें
... dost तो कई मीले पर... उस एक हमसफ़र की तलाश है ,
...dard तो कई मीले... पर उस एक घाँव की तलाश है ,
...धूप तो कई मीली ...पर उस एक छाँव की तलाश है ,
...raaste तो कई मीले ....पर उस एक Manzil की तलाश है।

I am sure everyone goes through this kind of phase in the life atleast once..which brings me to my question..Do you believe in the concept of 'soul mate'?? I know its a subjective question...but like a dialogue of a movie claims..."someone somewhere is made for you". Is that really true??
Is it an exagerrated concept ....or should I actually believe in destiny and wait for my special someone?

Since childhood, I have heard, marraiges are made in heaven...so are divorces the invention of earth?? or is it that divorces are for those who probably didnt suceed in finding their 'soul mate'??
There are two sides to every coin..and if i should wait for my special someone...how would i recognise him? What if he is right in front of me and I dont recognise him?? But i guess its a risk that everyone takes...and even i will have to one day...

The confusion begins here....If my soul mate means my SOLO mate..ie. there is only one perfect guy for every girl..and the other way round..then why not give the marraige or relationship a chance and work on it. So what i m trying to say is that if believing in the philosophy of 'soul-mate' is to believe that the person that we are with is the only one we are SUPPOSED to be with...then people would start working on their failed marraiges...broken relationships..etc....

Dont you think the concept of soul-mate is more effective than our so-called indian culture expecting us to work on relationships just because divorced individuals or individuals with a unsuccesful relationship are not accepted easily in our society...because they are termed as "failures"

I think its good...I guess I m gonna believe that the person I chose to marry is my Soul-mate..and he is my solo-mate...coz I chose to be with him...and no matter what anyone says...thats what i destined myself to do...right???

Think over it...and try and look at your partner with this blog somewhere in the corner of your mind...You just might be saving a heaven-made-relationship... *wink*

Woh Kagaz ki Kashti...

2008-12-10T08:43:00.004+05:30

I walk through the empty streets in the morning of mumbai....the morning breeze giving me goosebumps...and my soul waiting for the first ray of sunshine to fall on me...I prefer morning walks becoz they give me the energy I need for the day...But today, besides energy...I needed something...A hope...An inspiration...A thought...

I see a few kids walking through the street with me .... and before i knew it, I was chit chatting with them..those kids were the everything i was looking for...happy...enthusiastic...anxious...and self content...
Totally reminded me of the song:

Woh Daulat bhi le lo..Woh shohorat bhi le lo...Bhale cheen lo mujhse meri jawani..
Magar mujhko lauta do...Bhachpan ka sawan..Woh kagaz ki kashti...Woh baarish ka paani..........................................

Why cant we all be like that...innocent...friendly....without any inhibitions....without any prejudices...
One of the kids was dumb and deaf...couldnt communicate...A thought that crossed my mind...Whats the point of communicating?? when all it can create is differences...Our power to communicate has made more enemies then friends....be it inter-racial differences...Inter-caste differences....or cultural difference....or even the mere difference of gender...

I wish the world was a better place...I wish I could do something to help...I wish there was something i could change...someone i could influence positively...and thats when it struck me...This is what i wanted...A hope...An inspiration...A thought...A change i wanna make...A change I WILL make...

Critics...

2008-10-05T12:18:00.004+05:30

A friend who helps psychotic critics to do their work....

The word critic comes from the Greek κριτικός (kritikós), meaning a person who offers reasoned judgment or analysis, value judgment, interpretation, or observation The term can be used to describe an adherent of a position disagreeing with or opposing the object of criticism.

Do you agree with this? How many of you go with the movie reviews before watching a film? I m sure most of you would say yes. I am not one of those. I believe in making my own opinions of movies, so i have noone to blame if i end up not seeing a good movie, or the other way round.

An American author Raymond Chandler has said "Good critical writing is measured by perception and evaluation of the subject. Bad critical writing by neccesity of maintaining the professional standing of the critic" Does it set your mind rolling?? When was the last time u saw a movie that was rated 4 out of 5 star...and it didnt appeal much to you. Would you give the critic a benefit of doubt or question your judgement of movies??? Its time you start thinking about the movies that are given 1 or 2 stars, which you might end up liking...

I doubt if the critics realise that they few words decide 50% of the fate of the film.

Friday has become a D-Day for ppl making the film and hence impacting probably the creativity of the writer/director. With pirated CDs easily available in the market with a day of the movie being released, do we really want to trust the critics??

A Food for thought...???

News Channel...Information outlets or TRP gimmicks...

2008-09-25T22:31:00.004+05:30

News channels....Whats the first thing/word that comes to your mind??.....Think hard...and ask urself...why do u watch news channels??...for information download...for news updates??...for stock market checks?? or just coz u have run out of things to watch on the idiot box. I have reached a phase where nothing on TV seems to interest me, (except ofcourse the all time F.R.I.E.N.D.S series) which i watch not out of interest, but to loosen up for the day.

When I was in an age where keeping myself updated on the ongoings was important, I used to find the news channels the biggest medium for information (coz i was a couch potato....literally!!!) But I find the quality of news that we see is drastically receding. Not just because of the happenings in the city...but its the way they are covered. As far as I used to know the definition of Media, they are supposed to be sharing information, instead of making accusations (not quoting anyone) or reaching conclusions. It doesnt matter where, who, how and what the news is, media is always there making the most of it...whether its MNS trying to save the culture, or Terrorists trying to blow the country apart, Abhi-Ash wedding, Gold medalist not getting a cab story...or the world coming to an end story.

I am not denying that we are supposed to be given facts and updates, but do TRPs make a difference when you are just downloading information. I just recently surfed the channels giving out their versions of the investigations of the recent blasts. I am in a way glad that they chose to keep us up-to-date on recent news, but do u have the right to make a mockery out of people? Eg. Khali, or even Rahul Mahajan or even our common man.
FEW HEADLINES: (probably from a time when the country was most peaceful and there was nothing interesting enuff to cover.)
7:30 pm: A MAN RELEASED FROM JAIL AFTER 10 YEARS.
7:40 pm: THE MAN COMES OUT OF THE JAIL.
7:45 pm: THE MAN HUGS HIS WIFE AND CHILDREN.
What is this?? a reality show for minute by minute update???? whats the point of showing a personal moment on television just to cover air time????????

I would leave it to you to decide..Is media really about information download or are these TR gimmicks...I think the movie MUMBAI MERI JAAN, really throws a little light on this issue...a must watch...Good day/night.

Book Review: Shopaholic and sister

2008-09-24T10:40:00.007+05:30

Shopaholic and sister by Sophie Kinsella is an interesting book which any females siblings can relate to. I m sure a family always consists of siblings who are mostly opposite each other in personalities. I can vouch for this because I am a part of a terrific duo. Becky Bloomwood and husband Luke are back from their extended honeymoon, and trying to settle down into life as a married couple. Having moved back to London, Becky’s out of a job and needs a way to entertain herself, but having gone a little...well...over the top with her shopping recently, Luke’s laying down some rules when it comes to money. That’s part of the story – the rest

As the title would suggest, the major part of the novel concerns a sibling. While she’s been away it transpires she does have a half sister at the other end of the country – a girl just a few years older than her, who she never knew anything about. Becky is delighted with the prospect of becoming best friends and shopping buddies with big sis Jess, but when they meet she begins to realise that things won’t be turning out exactly how she’s been dreaming.

Another part of the book also includes Suze who has been Becky's childhood friend, but since Becky was away on her honeymoon, has become busy with her twins and a new entrant in her life, Lulu, apparently her new best friend. This relationship also shows shades when the friendship starts breaking apart and finds a reunion at the end of the novel.

I wouldn't wanna ruin the end of the novel for you, since its takes many twists and turns for Becky to find a new self and set her priorities right.

Good:
The concept is nice and so is the way relations are handled. On researching about Sophie Kinsella's way of writing, i found out, she is best at making relationships work in her books. The situations mentioned are definitely something we can relate to whether we are a shopaholic or sibling of one.

Cud be better:
I think the situation with Suze and Lulu has been sidetracked in the novel. This relationship could have been given more importance since she has been her best friend since childhood.

My rating: 4/5