For the love of Double Trouble

With overwhelming joy I took the box in my hand. I closed my eyes for just a second and in the same instant did what my friends call the 'Goat Dance'. 

After a mundane day at work, reading the plaints, tracking them down, checking to see if anything interesting was happening in the virtual world, I reached home ready to call it a day. Another 'nothing-special' day I thought to myself. If this is how my days are going to be once I start working full time, I wasn't so sure I wanted to do it. Pondering over how I'm going through a quarter-life crisis (yes, you read it right and yes it does happen!) the BB went ping.

Friend: ''Stay at home tonight''.

Me:"Ummm, Ok..where else will I be?!"

Friend: "Good! Stay awake till 11pm"

Now having known this friend for a while I was pretty sure she was going to pass by my place on her way someplace and so as the ritual at such a time was, would give me a call, say "hiiiiiii Ko..Byeeee Ko" in those 3 seconds it takes to cross my house, laugh, exchange a few stupid lines, laugh some more and hang up.

I was curious nonetheless. So a few more nonsensical messages were exchanged (yes, the word mental was created for us) and I went back to waiting for the day to end. So when I got a call from this friend to step out of the house my curiosity levels peaked. This was strange, I thought. What could possibly be the reason for a casual hi at this hour?

Saw her cab (she came here directly from the airport?! What's going on?!) pull up in front of the house. She got down holding something, in that instant Simba came running down and I got a little distracted trying to get him to go back in the house. I turned to say hi when my eyes fell on the cover she was holding. And then I heard the words "You always keep talking about them so I thought I'd get them for you"

And in the cover was *drum roll please* a box of *even more drum roll if you may* DONUTS! Yes, donuts from Mad Over Donuts, Mumbai, donuts that I abso-fricking-lutely love, donuts that I was craving for since so long, donuts that made me do the 'Goat dance'!

You would too if you were a dessert deprived foodie with an extra sweet tooth. 

Made. My. Day.

Authors note: Goat dance is a form of dance that one does in euphoric situations to express the immensity of one's happiness. Normally the person exhibiting it hops around the same place with hands bent at the elbows and fists clenched, head tilting to the right and left with each hop. There can be variations to it depending on the Dancer's level of euphoria and lunacy. The name has been inspired by the goats of Farmville in Facebook (No you needn't like the game to use this form of dance, you just need to be a little silly)

Festivals, Birthdays And Assignments?

So September started off with a festival, and welcoming it was another festival. One day devouring Biriyani and Sheer Korma a friends mom had made for Eid and then immediately the next all the sweet dishes made specially for Ganesh Ji. Festive spirit throughout the month for Ramzaan which will now be followed by Ganesh Chaturthi. Man I LOVE this about our country.
 My eco-friendly Ganesh Ji’s clay idol.
I have a whole list of books to read this month starting with ‘The Ultimate Hitchhiker’s Guide To The Galaxy’. Got ‘Lessons In Forgetting’ by Anita Nair lined up next followed by the entire collection of Khalil Gibran. 
Also around the corner is my best friend’s birthday AND my bro-in-law’s birthday. Naturally you’d think there’ll be a lot of partying, cake smashing, impromptu trips etcetera. Oh well, if only things were that easy and life was Vegas. Two assignments to be submitted by Monday on Cyber Law and Intellectual Property Rights each won’t leave much scope for guiltless enjoyment. Throw caution in the wind and go party? That’s when those voices in your head start to CONSTANTLY remind you, lecture you, scold you about how you’re supposed to be a good student and to not neglect your books for that’s how you’re going to be a top-shot-smarty-pants Advocate. Who can argue with that, and to live with the guilt!? Nahiiiiiiii….!!..
So no impromptu trips to the nearest beach (Sigh..Suryalanka, how I miss you), no surprising friends in other cities with a visit (SHRU! Happy birthday in advance!), no staying out late and dancing like it’s the last last night of your life life!
Here’s to completing your assignments on time. Punctuality wins Round 1.
*Procrastination sulks*

The week that was

The 3 things that had my constant attention this past week…

1) Census 2011- Bright and early as my days are for quite sometime now, I was up when a young girl in her early 20’s accompanied with a young boy came ringing the bell to my house. Soon I was helping her fill out the census form which focused on the education and livelihood details of the family. Rightly so as this was for population enumeration; Governments efforts to have a National Population Register. I had doubts about the accuracy of such a large operation which were confirmed when the girl who was filling out the form was doing so with a pencil and when I asked her why she said ‘So I can erase and write neatly’ :-/ Right. And some columns that she conveniently ignored as she didn't understand what was required to fill. Only when I interrupted and said I’d fill the entire form was it complete and accurate; till it would get erased out to be filled again ‘neatly’. With more than Rs.6000 crore being spent on this, lets hope for the result to be somewhere close to the the real thing.

2) Aarushi unsolved mystery- With the highest investigation team of the country throwing its hands up and giving the no-clue say, we’re left to speculate of what actually transpired that fateful night 2 years back. After requesting for a closure on lack of substantial proofs which was rejected by the court, the parents of the girl were accused with murder. Even with a number of witnesses we see the people responsible for the crime get away with it; with no witnesses, tampered crime scene and inconclusive proofs, can there be justice in this case? Lets hope there is, there’s a little girl who deserves that.

3)The crisis in Egypt-  To see a country that tops my to travel list amidst such a crisis was saddening. The past few days saw the results of years of oppression, of that unyielding desire for a democracy even as we take ours granted, the future of one of the oldest civilizations on a knife’s edge. All eyes on Tahrir square and on this growing movement of protest against the administration the Egyptian nationals are unwilling to settle for anything less that the Presidents ouster. Well if over 30 years you haven’t quite made an impact as a leader on the people of your nation then this had to happen.As a last resort to cling on to power Mr.Mubarak’s plans of forming reform panels and amending the constitution didn’t go down well (the time for that has now long gone), what do you expect to achieve in 8 months that you haven’t in 30 years?

On the brighter side now Hosni Mubarak has finally stepped down, having to give in to his own people; with the nations hope for a government of representation to build on the pillars of peace and equality, all we can hope for is for the beautiful country to save itself from the after effects of this turmoil, for a future it deserves best.

It's good to know you

So here I am done with breakfast, done reading the paper, finished reading the news online (checking if I missed anything really), latest scandals involving politics, sports, the entertainment industry, while simultaneously checking my FB home feed and tweeting my thoughts (social media gets to you), wishfully browsing the different smartphones in the market and ordering a laptop (finally) for myself. How gadgetfreak-ish do I sound! I mean I was far from being one; you tell me anything techtype and I’d go zzzzzz but not so much anymore, now I listen and you have my unfailing attention. I find myself reading the entire article about the new Hp touchpad being launched and wonder will it give the ipad any competition. That’s NOT me! I was a complete dud when it came to this, I’d have a better shot at understanding Greek and Latin.

What started as a simple research for the right laptop, reading a million reviews and the specifications, gave way to curiosity that clawed its way in till I was reading not just about laptops and notebooks but about phones, tablets and ipad, DSLR’s and the likes. And today when certain terms didn’t feel all that alien, when I knew what I was looking at and understanding the words when I was reading them, I did a mental happydance jig of sorts in my head, because FINALLY I was able to crack that solid wall of defense system that technology seems to have against people like me! Ok so it might be a centimeter of a crack but who cares! Achievement is just that, big or small regardless :P Being an amateur is better than being completely inept and looking plain foolish!

Such joy…

Scary looking gadgets, I shall conquer thee!

Old love

There’s something irresistible about them, like wine they keep getting better and more enjoyable with each passing day. People from every generation can’t help but fall in love with them, finding them intoxicating; and very rightly so for they serve the same purpose, wine for the soul...the classics, the eternally loved…
Old Hindi songs. Ok enough with the dramatic intro but with the topic at hand it was needed, melodrama was the life and soul of old bollywood movies and the songs were just overloaded with it. Not that we don’t like them quite the opposite in fact. Oh no we love these songs, like we’re listening to a shiny gramophone which plays the disk oh so brilliantly, not minding the minor tweaks in the sounds now and then. I say listening because watching these songs is quite different, I tend to find the actors, the costumes, the entire set-up a tad bit too weird to concentrate on the amazing music and the beautiful lyrics. A few favourites of mine..off the top of my head in no particular order would be…

♥ Pyar deewana hota hai Movie-Kati Patang Singer-Kishore Kumar (I love all the songs from this movie, Yeh Jo Mohobbat hai, Ye shaam mastani.. all of them!)

♥ Ek Ajnabee Haseena Se Movie-Ajnabee Singer-Kishore Kumar

♥ Pal Pal Dil Ke Paas Movie-Blackmail Singer-Kishore Kumar (Awwwwwness)

♥ Chu Kar Mere Mann Ko, Chalte Chalte Mere Ye Geet, O Saathi Re, Ye Shaam Mastani, Aane Waala Pal Jaane Waala hai, Dilbar Mere Kab tak Mujhe, Hum Bewafaa, Tum Aa Gaye Ho Noor Aa Gaya Hai… there are so freaking many!

Let’s just say every song that the legend Kishore Kumar has ever sung. Simple. And all of them are so melodious, such a treat to the ears.

♥ Aap Ki Nazron Ne Samjha Movie-Anpadh Singer-Lata Mangeshkar

♥ Ajeeb Daastaan Hai Ye Movie-Dil Apna Aur Preet Parai Singer-Lata Mangeshkar (This HAD to make it to the list)

♥ Lag Jaa Gale Movie-Woh Kaun Thi Singer-Lata Mangeshkar (Double in the awwwwwwwness quotient)

♥ Tere Bina Zindagi Se Koi Movie-Aandhi Singers-Lata and Kishore

I think this establishes the fact that almost every song by these two is undeniably great.

♥ Kabhi Kabhi Mere Dil Mein Movie-Kabhie Kabhie Singer-Mukesh (Love his ‘Main Pal Do Pal Ka Shayar Hu too)

♥ Bade Ache Lagte Hai Movie-Balika Badhu Singer-Amit Kumar (This one is the cutest… the pangs of innocent love, sweet grief)

♥ Baahon mein Chale Aa Movie-Anamika Singer-Lata M

♥ Tujhse Naraaz nahi Zindagi Movie-Masoom Singer-Anoop Ghosal

Omg look at the list and I haven’t even stated with Rafi! I fell in love with his ‘Tum Bin Jau Kaha’ the first time I heard it. And the others like Tumne Mujhe Dekha,  Badan Pe Sitare, Kaun Hai Jo Sapno Mein Aaya…..Uff!

All those crazy solos, all those beautiful duets with Lata Mangeshkar like Teri Bindiya Re, Baago Mein Bahaar Hai, Kitna Pyaara Waada hai…

The entire album of movies like Yaadon Ki Baraat, Amar Akbar Anthony, Hum Kisi Se Kum Nahi, Padosan etc.

Eeeks I’ve got to stop this post right here else I’ll end up writing down EVERY song there possibly is! I sound like a music junkie! It’s 5 a.m and I’ve had all these wonderful songs to give me company through the night. Any amount of appreciation is still insufficient. AND what I did here was spread the love, so peace.

What’s new?

I’ve always been big on procrastinating. Each time getting more adept at it and somehow the guilt quotient seems to be on a decline; works for me. So here we are almost a month into 2011 and I’m wondering what is so different apart from the date, the year, what has changed? The monotony of my days suddenly seems to hit me in the face, what’s frightening is that I’ve become quite comfortable in it.

Yes I have a very big and grand to-do list, all the glorious things I’ve always wanted to do, but somehow these things always have remained in the corner of my handbook, on my study table. They just lay there, never forgotten but never put into action. And the list keeps growing, as does my interest in the varied activities. Today I found 5 such lists I’d made for the last couple of months and when I sat to tick off the things imagine my shock to see the same 1st list with a few additional to-do’s from 1 to 5!! Why didn’t I go for those painting classes I’ve always wanted to? Why didn’t I go learn the art of pottery that has always been on my mind from the time I had seen a documentary on TV showing a woman molding clay into the most beautiful urn ever! And so on… Damn I did not see this coming. Ranting is good, but also I think I had enough, my sincere efforts this year would be to let procrastination be for things I DON’T wish to do, but for things I’ve dreamed of, there’s no putting them off anymore. To-do lists are bad, just plain useless. I’ve decided to have a list that reads ‘things accomplished’ list. So much more better, serves as a reminding slap on the face when ever you look at it and see how short it is than the ‘ever-growing-warming-my-table-to-do’ list. To write, to travel, to do all those things I’ve always wanted to, to stop existing and start living my life, for myself, that’s what 2011 will be for me. *fingers crossed*

A royal engagement

Her father a businessman, formerly a flight dispatcher for British Airways, her mother a former stewardess in the same and she from a normal middleclass family, a commoner, Catherine Middleton.


His father, the Prince of Wales, is first in the line of succession to the thrones of 16 independent states, his late mother the most beloved Princess, his Grandmother the reigning Queen, and he a Royal Prince, known as His Royal Highness Prince William, the Prince of Wales.

The two had met while studying at the same university; what started as a college romance has survived the long years and now finally has taken form of an engagement and what we have is a Royal Wedding to look forward to. A true fairytale of sorts where a commoner (though a wealthy one) and a Prince fall in love, are college sweethearts; face the many problems that being a Royal and being associated with a Royal automatically trigger, the constant media glare and the various speculations. We have a break-up due to all these factors and more but we also have a reconciliation. And then the big happy announcement, that the Prince has finally asked the question which is answered in the affirmative, and as we all know there’s always a ring to seal the deal there was one here too. It was not just another ring but the very ring worn by the late Princess Diana, the Prince’s late mother, on her engagement, that was used to seal the 8 year long romance; a gorgeous blue sapphire surrounded by a cluster of diamond! *swoooonnsss* Sounds like straight from a fairytale book doesn’t it, like the one’s we used to read and fantasize about, well good to know that someone out there is living it for real!


One happy event that 2011 will bring is assured, as this will be the biggest Royal wedding since Prince Charles had married Lady Diana almost 30 years ago. Kate Middleton’s fairytale turned true with her handsome prince popping the question; aah well your story will be told over and over again for a long time now about how reality just got a touch of royal magic. And to the rest of the female population watching their most beloved and precious Prince being taken for real, let’s just wish for each one’s Prince to turn up and real quick too!


Till then, here’s to “happily ever after”.. Cheers!

Calvin and Hobbes

I remember reaching for the newspaper first thing in the morning and flipping past all those pages with incomprehensible intimidating words to the page with all the wonderful looking, coloured cartoons being funny, comic strips! My all time favourites are Garfield and Calvin and Hobbes, and of the two the latter tops the list. And that hasn't changed, even today as soon as I'm up I need to say hello to my favourite pair ever(even though the comic strip ended more than a decade back)and so I start my day with a smile.. a quiet laugh too sometimes.. :)

From Calvin's fantasies about adventures and his friendship with Hobbes, to their humorous antics, to the thought provoking philosophical and ethical questions these two raise, they are simply adorable in their best and worst days.

''Reality continues to ruin my life''

''As a math atheist, I should be excused from this.''

Calvin: I'm a genius, but I'm a misunderstood genius. Hobbes: What's misunderstood about you? Calvin: Nobody thinks I'm a genius.

''I think life should be more like tv. I think all of life's problems ought to be solved in 30 minutes with simple homilies, don't you? I think weight and oral hygiene ought to be our biggest concerns. I think we should all have powerful, high-paying jobs, and everyone should drive fancy sports cars. All our desires should be instantly gratified. Women should always wear tight clothes, and men should carry powerful handguns. Life overall should be more glamorous, thrill-packed, and filled with applause, don't you think?''

"Do you believe in the devil? You know, a supreme evil being dedicated to the temptation, corruption, and destruction of man?"
"I'm not sure that man needs the help."

"I'm learning real skills that I can apply throughout the rest of my life ... Procrastinating and rationalizing."

...Some of my personal favourite C&H quotes... :) A smile ensured!

Bill Watterson, THANK YOU! :)

P.S.Today's strip=SO ME!

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="518" caption="Calvin and Hobbes by Bill Watterson"][/caption]

Monday Movie Marathon!! ♥

A Monday like no other indeed! With a mug of coffee and Sleepless in Seattle!!! And oh did I mention I absolutely LOVE romantic comedies!.. One place, no, the only other place apart from books where you always find happy endings and the best guys ever… I’m not the romantic kind, oh no I’d end up having a fit of laughter if reality was anywhere close, but movies I don’t mind, I totally love them!...Melodrama looks good as long as you know it’s made up. Hypocrisy? No, it is knowing what is and what will never be.

Whatever my views on the emotional sensitivities of the world in general, I totally love to watch it on screen or read about it in books, and genuinely like them even. There are a couple of movies that I’d watch over a million times and never once feel I’ve had enough (Ok maybe not a million but you get the idea). Oh no not the overdose of emotions with unnecessary weeping, unrealistic events, over the top icky romance, no that’s downright pathetic. Those are just plain dumb, exaggerated a little too much for normal sensibilities to live with.

Easy going movies with the perfect ending…♥

I love the idea of a lone heart with just a cat for company finding herself in the middle of a big adorable and loving family, a fiancé she always had a crush on and eventually finding the Mr. Right one Christmas (While You Were Sleeping).

How a single day, even if nothing seems to go right, can turn out to be the best ever (One Fine Day).

Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan are always so good together, be it in ‘Sleepless in Seattle’ or ‘You’ve Got Mail’.

And the Classics! Witnessing Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth Bennet putting aside their pride and realize they’ve found in each other what they’ve always been looking for (Pride and Prejudice). When the proud Miss. Emma Woodhouse realizes that her heart, which she had been sure would never love, is no longer in her power, and her fate in this matter is now uncertain due to her own misdoings; the dangers of misconstrued romance! And then to see Mr. Knightley fix it all is a delight (Emma). The stately manors, the lush grounds, the carriages, the balls…the feel of 19^th century England…who’d think any different?!

A good start to my week surely, Monday morning blues? SO not for me!

No Tacit Temper

Warning: The author was at the time cranky, irritated, frustrated, depressed, angry, exasperated, affronted..in an indescribable mood. For better effect of the post imagine the author in the most animated form with arms flying all over, eyes popping, eyes rolling, draaaaaaaaaagggging accent at the mossssssttttt feeling words. Also appreciate the author’s herculean efforts to remain civil throughout the post, something that is a formidable task given the state of mind.

AARGGGHHH!!!!... Sometimes.. no scratch that.. Almost always things go awfully wrong and one such incident plunges you into an abyss of such melancholy it’s more vexing than depressing really! Like the vacuum sucking out all the light of the place.

What is really annoying is that the very undesirable bad luck waits lurking in the dark for that one moment when you absolutely need no miracle or a great stroke of luck for things to go smooth and make them work. Smooth running, no glitches, job done. But NOOOOooooo…. Bad luck comes and comes with a force that knocks the day lights off you. Casting its shadows on every turn, a curse upon the happening and there goes the simplest of things that COULD’VE been. And the result? A restless, agitated, frustrated mind! When nothing goes your way, when every attempt of yours comes right back to the ground, and it seems like the universe is conspiring AGAINST you as opposed to doing it for you, nothing else seems to be making sense either!.. You’re thrown into a world on confusion and a restlessness that keeps dragging you back into those murky waters you’d rather stay clear of. Like you’re running amok with the “Target me” sign around your neck, with a bulls eye mark and so the continual bombarding. And this is how I find myself at this very moment. How many times have we shouted out at the sky with the question “WHY ME?”, “WHY THIS?”, “WHYYYYYYYYYY?” .. Ok maybe not everyone is as dramatic but I certainly have. And find myself doing that yet again. :( :( :( :( :( :( :( :( :( :(

WHYYYYYYYY?? :-( Can you not give me a rest? Can you not find a rock to torture?!!!!!Can I not have one single thing go smoothly without any struggles and so much of head-breaking/nerve-wrecking/maddening complications that have me on the brink of insanity? Well apparently no. That’s all the answer I get and a very subtle ‘get on with it kid’. OK SO BE IT!... HMPH!... I may not win but I will definitely put up an undeniably good fight that will make things considerably difficult for the universe to ruin it for me! HA! There you go!.. *deep breaths* *calming down process* Ok I cannot do it, I need yummy food, bye!

P.S. I had to delete all the unnecessary exclamation marks, a direct consequence of my mood!!!!!!!! Poor keyboard of mine..

Romancing the Rains.

Pitter patter they fell; drenching the world,

Soaking the mud the trees and men alike,

A varied set of emotions they unfurl

Of gloom, of hope, of simple bliss or love?

I’ve always had a super liking for the rains, right from my school days when we were made to wear those horrendous coloured raincoats, all through my teen years and now. All I feel like doing is stay cuddled up in my blanket and stare outside, something I found out a lot of us would love. And it makes me do one more thing I totally love.., write.

No more a child, no more a teen even(although that’s a bit difficult to sink in), and still the sound of the threatening thunder, the whiplashing lightening, the soft calming drizzle and the total downpour each hold something special…The weather has always known to be a metaphor for one’s thoughts, feelings, moods et all, for none the same..

And so our mood interprets the rains as well, but the one common ground is that it is always welcome.

Of Gloom and hope...Even for those who think rains are gloomy, sadness is still beautiful. The feeling that the sky knows you’re in pain and is crying along with you, and then goes on to give you the most splendid rainbow lit up across its bosom gives you the hope needed, to tell you it’s all alright, that the worst of storms come to an end and that it all happens for a reason, that in not giving you what you want the universe is getting you something even better…you only have to wait for the sunshine, and together with the glistening raindrops a rainbow is formed. And so we live on with this hope, following nature’s example.

Of the simple joys...For some like me, the simple task of watching the rain splash across your window while you sip at your hot chocolate, reading one of Jane Austen’s classic, makes it the best time ever spent. Having oneself for company, it’s a very satisfying sign of being completely content, at peace with yourself and surprisingly with the world at that very moment. If there is any feeling that would describe harmony, between mankind and nature, between the heavens and earth it is this. The smell of earth during the showers is divine; it is the smell of tranquility, of nature, of purity and is easily every human’s favourite. (So that implies… think about it)

Of love...And then there is that lot who simply love the rains for somehow... for some strange reason they find it very (for the loss of a better word) romantic. And no not just the ones who’re in love with someone, even those who’re in love with the idea of love, love rains… right! This mostly is due to our highly creative and entertaining cinema, apna Bollywood where we have from time immemorial witnessed the suave dashing handsome ‘hero’ and the shy rosy cheeked (no mention of makeup it would ruin the whole mood) ‘heroine’ dancing around trees in the rain, or just looking into each other’s eyes while it rains with that deeply-in-love look, basically an overdose of the lovey-dovey coochie-cooie sentiment they want to convey.. ok we get it, you’re madly in love…Paani ki barsaat se gaano ki barsaat aa jaati hai, as we croon the cheesiest of rain-themed songs.

So here we are, linking rains with romance and why not, it’s a time when we all want to feel warm and cuddle up, be it your soft toy, your dog or the person you love.

End of it all, each one of us loves a rainy day, we have all found immense joy in getting drenched against the elders’ warnings, standing alone facing the sky hugging the rain, riding our bikes in the drizzle, craving for garam pakoras, sipping hot tea, chocolate, coffee whatever your taste.. Easily the best time of the year, no summer days, no cool winters will ever be anticipated as much as this splish-splash season.

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I'm no psychiatrist so I cannot possibly unravel the mystery and answer the question as to why we’re so hooked onto Facebook. Why every face is glued to it, why without it the day feels incomplete, we feel restless and we fear the world would end *eyes wide in horror*, oh yes who needs 2012 for that. But its true!

So we all want to stay connected, want to catch up with long lost friends, want an easy and convenient way of letting them know what’s going on, but FB has taken it a whole notch different. Apart from being a brilliant site there are a lot of things about it that irritate the life out of a sane person. To list a few…

1. We have people spending hours together taking care of their ‘farms’, making a living in ‘yoville’, taking care of their ‘pets’, feeding them on time, harvesting crops, buying tractors, waiting tables at their ‘cafes’, playing ‘uno’ to ‘cricket’ to warring with others donning the avatar of a mafia or a socialite or a vampire, there’s a whole range of choices you’ve got. So we turn into farmers/chefs/event managers/socialites/mafia don/werewolves/zombies/vampires/treasure seekers/completely jobless morons.

Till a certain point it’s actually fun, then bearable, but jeez people seriously get a life!

2. Another highly irritating thing about FB wannabe’s is God-save-my-ear kind of screams, the shouts for attention.

So you took a quiz that says you were a princess and you publish it with the awwww’s and the hearts and you actually have people commenting on it! Sweetheart, you need help..So you took a quiz that says today your ‘lifebox’ gave you a ring.. do you even HAVE a guy?... So you took a million quizzes that say you’re caring, loving, true friend, will save a puppy from the villains(get the picture?) and you publish one, then the other, then the next, for which you keep commenting and liking. Seriously you need help if defend yourself saying the results of such quizzes make you feel good and happy..WHAT ARE YOU.. 4?

3. And another pain.. ‘LIKE’… Again with the FB wannabe’s, you think liking gazillions of pages would make you interesting? Sorry to burst your bubble but you will remain the same, just that your profile will be a total mess… Right from ‘The sky is blue’, to ‘you suck’ to ‘we’re jobless’ to ‘dude can you like get a life’ you go and click that teeny like button on every darn page you can set your eyes on saying 'ooohhh I feel this way too', 'ooohhh I do this too' or 'oooohhh I would want to like this' or 'ooooohhh I wish I could do this but wth I’ll just go ahead and like it cze heyyyy it’s easy'.. One could write an entire novel out of just the pages some people like! One thing I’ve never really understood is why on earth do people go ahead and ‘like’ their own status msgs?! Or any of their posts or pics?? Dude, if you hadn’t liked them you wouldn’t have posted them, we get it!!

4. Also, STOP COPYING!.. That’s just so lame! Do you even read faking news? NO! But when one person likes it, next thing you know you have a dozen other friends liking it as well!... It’s fine if you read it and genuinely like it, but in the ‘faking news’ case out of personal experience I can tell that there a lot of people out there who’d like just about ANYTHING!  The ‘Ooh she /he liked it must be good/cool/happening let me like it too’ will NOT make you cool and happening you poor babies!

Like I said, till a certain point it’s fun, and then you MOVE ON! Not continue being addicted! Give those silly quizzes a rest and let them be, leave them for the time you are bored to death and have absolutely nothing to do! And WHAT IS the deal with the death calculator!?!?! :O Don’t even get me started on the Lifebox! Right now I just happened to get a request for something called the ‘Fire God Mountain’! Helloooo!!!

Among this set of rubbish is are some very few decent applications, social interview for one, and a few more like it..the games are pretty alright till a whole bunch of friends keep pestering you to ‘help them raise their barn’, or ‘gift them a dish’ or ‘do whatever it is that you’re bugged to death for’. Then is the time you ask them all to simple grow up!

I wonder how many people actually care or know or make an attempt to know about the zillion awareness groups they join…Join join join…like like like… If that was a real wall I’d bang their head on it!

Play all you want, looks like you’ve got a lot of time on your hands to spend, but when that box appears that asks you if you want to publish it or skip, do us all a favour and SKIP!.. We’re the ones with the messy homepages cze FYI we’re NOT interested if you’re a butterfly or a stinky bat, if you were Cinderella or Cruella or if your bridal dress is made out of leaves or if you’re going to die listening to Himesh Reshamiya (Although if you do listen to him you probably deserve it).

So grow up, get a life, get out, play some real games, get some real adventures, do some real shopping, take care of some real plants and trees, adopt a real dog, give a real hug to a friend,  enjoy the site and DO NOT take it to the extremes that would drive others up the wall!.. NO not the FB wall!!...

Pardonnez-moi whilst I...

When ‘tis tummy turns grumpy growly grumbly

All else bows and leave they take

'ere thou arrive, ending the wait o merciful thee

Stuff in’ say ye, o ravenous ye

Chomp chomp time for the sidey foodie

Chicken tikka with extra mayo to go from SUBWAY!

=)

Rise and shine (:

For someone who lives in a ‘different time zone’, early mornings are time to go to bed, and especially during those wretched days we’re haunted by the ghost of the most unpleasant time of our student life.. EXAMS!! That’s when we turn nocturnal (most of us) and our whole schedule goes haywire.

So today, after a very unsuccessful attempt at studying, I sat gazing out my window. The breeze felt so good and made me feel  so fresh after hours of the head-breaking session with my books, I was tempted and so decided to go for a morning walk( :O), giving my darling Simba and Dad company.

Finding me up and waiting for him Simba was quite ecstatic. Gave me a very hearty, love filled good morning wish (slobbering technically but wth), and then we set out for the walk.

It was then I realized how totally refreshing and rejuvenating a simple morning walk is. We often read in books or papers about the sounds of the birds chirping, the smell of fresh dew, the fresh pollution free air but to experience it is something else. The trees look so green and welcoming, the chirping of the birds is music to the ear, and the air..aah nothing like the fresh morning air, making you feel healthy, just like that. The combination of all these, the cool breeze sweeping across your face while the warm sun rays touch gently is all that is needed to uplift your mood, a big feel good factor, a great start to a day, like a silent prayer reaching out from the smile that morning brings thanking the heavens for this beautiful day, the unpleasantness of yesterday long forgotten.

As I stroll about while Simba is busy finding the right places for doing the job he has to, I find other dog owners walking about with their pets, enjoying the morning along with them. And so I continued enjoying my morning when a few stray dogs caught my sight and I knew it was time to go back home else I would’ve been flying with the leash in my hand while my Simbu chased them. Headed back home, had a glass of lime water to make this morning perfect followed by buttered toast with nutella and coffee, read the paper (scanned actually).

Makes me want to get up at sunrise every day!! Ahem but yea I know myself too well ;)

Cheers to more such beautiful mornings!!

And now I have no idea what to do!! Still have hours to go before lunch time :P Hence the post! Although nature sure is lovely and deserves appreciation, God bless technology(read my laptop, the internet, my ipod and my T.V)! =)

Dopey soapy ruckus.

A piece of news that was being followed religiously, much more than the incomprehensibly twisted daily-soaps, much more than the serious issue of the Indians facing a death sentence in the Middle East, a real life pukka Bollywood style story that managed to retain the top spot and hold the undying interest of a billion people even when over 70 members of the Central Reserve Police Force were massacred by the Maoists in Chhatisgarh and more importantly shifting the entire country’s focus from the ongoing IPL to this highly entertaining affair, please note that  stealing IPL’s thunder is no joke! What was everyone hooked onto the last couple of days was not a human greatness-earth saving- discovery, nor any breakthrough in hunting down aliens (like living beings on earth weren’t enough), no it wasn’t anything to do with Daulat-ki-beti Mayawati either!  A simple issue of marriage, yup just that. The blunders of youth, rash decisions, making statements, contradicting them, contradicting the contradictions earlier made, sheer stupidity, constant obstinate denials et all. Such drama!! Lord have mercy!

So Shoiab Malik decided to get married and then denied ever doing such a thing, addressing his wife as ‘elder-sister’ once, ‘aunt’ another time, all for his LOVE Sania Mirza to whom he is scheduled to get married this 15th.  If the wife Ayesha Siddiqui is to be believed he wanted to do away with her because of her weight. Hmmm as silly as it may sound it is plausible, totally believable. This followed by a very foolish thing to do was Mr.Mindless Malik denying the fact completely. And thence started the accusations and allegations from both the sides, “he married my daughter” , “this is a cheap publicity stunt”, “he’s a liar, I have all evidences”, “Sania will be my first wife”, “I have been cheated”, “I have been cheated”, both claiming they are the victims.

Drama at its best! The bride to be appearing on her balcony along with the tainted groom to be, the atmosphere appearing tense.  As the nation waited impatiently for any further development, people even betting on the outcome, the very evening you see all across the news channels  both Mindless Malik and Stupefied Sania waltzing (I think that was what they were trying to do in any case) romantically in her house, ‘preparing for the wedding’. What a disappointment to all those who seemed to have a dislike for the Paki they thought was undeserving of a wife as Sania (NO COMMENTS! REALLY!).

What followed was evident, a case was filed against Mindless Malik by the Siddiquis, one of the sections (498A) being a non-bailable offence. T-R-O-U-B-L-E!!!!! Passport seized! Paki govt. coming into the picture pledging their support to their citizen (why a nation has to interfere with a marital issue is beyond me, also that he was the same citizen who was snubbed by the country is a thing of the past apparently). Now Mindless Malik claims he did marry a girl (thank heavens he admits it was a GIRL) but not the one who is claiming to be his wife. Another twist! She isn’t the girl whose pictures were sent to him and he got married over the phone!! This just keeps getting more entertaining or what!! And so in reply to this, the Siddiquis produce pictures of the “WIFE” and Malik together. Yada yada blaah blaah and more BLAAH! Phew…  With the high profile wedding of an Indian tennis sensation (????), with all the efforts of denial hitting back making Malik sort of a dartboard, with legal difficulties and a probable visit to the Indian Jail which didn’t seem to be a good place to go for one’s honeymoon, Mindless Malik has done the first ever sensible thing. Admit every allegation made, and sign the divorce papers, something that was all the Siddiqui’s were asking in the first place.

What were you thinking all this while Moronic Malik???!!!! That they wanted you to be sent to a one man expedition to the Bermuda Triangle???

And so the case is withdrawn, the wedding is to take place as per schedule.

What a shocker to all those who have been hoping to get so much more from this highly enthralling drama. Really??? We don’t get to see the full-on aggressive Sania with a slightly deranged look about her declaring her undying love and support to the guy she has stood by amidst all his lies? Don’t we get to see Ayesha whacking Malik on the face (using her full power to do so mind you!) and hurling at him the foulest, filthiest abuses ever? Don’t we get to see Malik struggling to form a simple sentence and take eons to try making it intelligible?

Well turns out we don’t. If the sneaking rat had solved the issue with a little more maturity and sensibility this would have never come about and he still could’ve faced the masses with some traces of dignity. But apparently he needed a baap of all controversies, allegations, accusations, evidences, and a fiancé better articulate than him (not considering the fake accent), a legal suit , an inviting jail cell, and constant media glare and a gazillion hate mails, all this and much more to come to his senses.

So now the country can go back to its normal routine. Wives back to their daily soaps, everyone else back to cribbing about the Summer heat, bookies concentrating on IPL et all, you get the picture.

:P

Long weekend at Lonavala..comical really!

Well it isn’t like I’ve been having a really hectic and tiring schedule to actually feel the need of a weekend getaway, quite the opposite really. But when you have parents who insist on the “family trip” funda, with a nice spell of the choicest senti emotional dialogues ever , then there’s little you can do. And so we leave for Lonavala. Yes yes “but whyLonavala?” right, got a lot of that, so here’s one thing you should always keep in mind, plan things well in advance else the only thing every nice place will offer you is a “no vacancy” and you will end up in a place with few takers.

Essentially a holiday for my lovely mother (who made sure she pointed out that even though she had stayed in Pune for 3 yrs Dad darling had never taken her to Lonavala), my sis and I managed to while away time (People who say music isn’t important are WRONG! It saved me from boredom!!). It took us no longer than 3 hours to cover the whole town. The place would be perfect during the monsoon, the view all around pretty pretty. Real good for people who indeed have a tiring time and need to get away for a while.  As for us, we somehow survived for there was something every girl finds life-saving… SHOPPING… And then having friends come down to meet you just does it. It’s a different thing altogether that they find the fact that we’ve travelled all the way from Hyderabad to Lonavala highly amusing , something they cannot possibly comprehend ( unlike you we don’t stay in Mumbai silly people..duuhh!!). And so we become the butt of all their jokes, in short a very louuuuly time. And so we’re back from this utterly funny trip in a way, bags loaded with every kind of chikki and fudges.

Stomach full khushh.. parents  khushhh.. toh hum bhi khushhhh!! :)

A bundle of joy :)

There’s a general notion that people of all ages across the globe are in constant search of love. They seek love, they try to understand love, to comprehend its depths, and are ready to endure any amount of pain, heartaches, grief’s and woes for apparently it’s all worth it (yeah.. sad I know). If  that is the case, if having a taste of true , unconditional love is all that matters then surely people have been looking at the wrong places for it, either that or that fact that what they fancy is completely different.

I know what it is like to be loved unconditionally, just pure out and out innocent love, unchanging, unaffected by things regardless. It was January the 23^rd 2008, little did I realize that my life was in for a major change thanks to the adorable angel who walked in.  Little did I realize that from that day forth I had by me a friend who would always be there through hell or high seas, seeing me through all my bad days, showering me with the same love and affection at times when I didn’t deserve it as when I did, never turning away from me, always there when I was in need, when I was not at my best, when I was down and low, always there…, whose rapturous presence was like that ray of sunlight that shone through the stormy clouds and gave rise to a rainbow, unaltered by my soaring tempers, who cannot bear to see a tear in my eye, who randomly turns into a complete clown to my amusement, and shifts to being protective and possessive when others are around. That wonderful warm feeling that spreads all over you and erases every anguish and woe, makes you forget every awful thing, makes you feel marvelous, and so you smile, genuinely pleased, no matter how the day turned out to be, all this and so much more, when you know love in its most pristine form ever. I do, for I have with me my angel, the perfect embodiment of love and friendship, my best companion, my Simba. :)



Every single day this little miracle with paws makes my life a much better one, every single day this naughty (giant) fur-ball makes sure I have a smile on my lips, his silly antics amazing me completely and sending me into a fit of laughter. He’s the first to wish me good morning, he’s the first to welcome me back home (even if it’s just for 5 mins that I’ve stepped out), the only one who shows the sadness he feels when I leave him( again even if it’s for like a min). Due to him I’ve seen, felt, and received what the whole world is after, unequivocal, unconditional love.

For all those who have a pet dog, you’d know exactly what I’m talking about, for all those who think I’m a deranged lunatic (that you never had a pet is a given) you don’t know what you’re losing out on. This isn’t just for kids, or animal lovers, this transcends all boundaries, specifications, generalizations yada yada. This one will never let you down, never! And I bet you wouldn’t have felt as good as you do when there is a dog that completely dotes on you, it’s totally out of the world to have that, the best feel-good factor ever. Seriously, get yourself a pet, if not for anything else then just for the fact that it does you good!

I talk to him when I'm lonesome like; and I'm sure he understands. When he looks at me so attentively, and gently licks my hands; then he rubs his nose on my tailored clothes, but I never say naught thereat. For the good Lord knows I can buy more clothes, but never a friend like that.

A most unfortunate, lamentable situation.

Of the 40 tiger reserves in our country, almost 20 of them have really very low tiger density, some facing local extinction and trying to recover, some where they already are locally extinct.  Various reasons like human encroachment of land coming under the area of the reserves, poaching, depleting habitat and felling of trees for agriculture, human settlements, industrialization etc have brought about the deplorable condition of our national animal.

With the many downers that we’ve been witnessing there is surely a big possibility of the extinction of these beautiful creatures. There is also a misconception among the general public that this hue and cry is just exaggeration and the world has enough tigers for something like extinction to never materialize. For all those ignorant minds, wake up! Else the day is not far off when you’d actually see it happen. So stop pretending that there is no problem when there is. Don’t put your hands up and say there’s nothing you can do for there is. The least one can do is spread awareness, it does wonders, it pressurizes the Government to act and act quick, it helps the NGO’s working for this cause, it throws light on the various alarming facts, it helps people understand the seriousness of the issue, it motivates the nation as a whole to put its act together and work towards saving the tiger.

A recent article in a leading national newspaper brought to light one of the few positive outcomes of the efforts of the Government and various NGO’s. A total of 16 villages have been relocated and rehabilitated from the Bhadra Tiger Reserve in Karnataka. This whole process had started in 1987 but picked up momentum in the late 1990’s with the active involvement of the forest and revenue departments and, more importantly, the participation of village representatives and NGOs.

This stands out as a one of a kind situation where to make way for the tigers, the humans have moved and it comes as a much needed ray of hope, for not all relocations worked well and had been handled badly. The Bhadra settlement surely would encourage the Government agencies and the NGO’s to work together and help save the tiger. This shows that there are things that if effectively and strategically done then the chances of the country’s wildlife to stay protected definitely come around.

So a bow-down to the villagers of Bhadra and the officials involved for overcoming the various political, bureaucratic hurdles and letting the tiger roar!

Here’s hoping we see many more such efforts become a success. Amen.

Yee-hawww!

Being a little biased towards the old traditional conventional way of penning down my thoughts, in a nice hardbound book with a very catchy, trendy, fun theme, using my favourite fountain pen, this had to wait a while. Very gradually the idea of blogging was growing on me, and finally, I gave in to it! Not that I don’t like my fountain pen or my JOURNAL anymore, nothing can ever take their place, blogging wogging nothing. But since I type faster than I write might as well have an addition,  go electronic,  providing a lil sneak-peek inside this head of mine which according to most people never rests.."Why do you always keep thinking?” “ Why do you not shut down that brain of yours?” Well for one I’d be dead if I did duuuhh(lame I know, you have to put up with it)!!.. Plus I like it, like to keep those gray cells working, assures me I have them ;)

So  there are things I keep pondering about, my musings, the numerous deeply insightful thoughts ;)

And those are exactly what I’ll be blogging about, my take on things a-z. To give a general idea, I tend to get very philosophical at time, poetic too, sometimes even the lamest of things make me laugh my head off, my chosen career, incase that doesn’t work out my alternate career plans (this was a friend’s suggestion, brainstorm whatever when we were being silly ;) ), BOOKS, the current happenings, my ever growing to-do list, French, ohk before you doze off there also are movies, shopping, t.v series, shoes, parties and the like..phew..

*totally bollywood/hindi daily soap style*And so a new journey begins …

:P