But cannot.. or won't .. cause the hand is acting up(set) again...
(my bday falls in June, and anyone who wants to send an advance bday gift of a speech to text converter can pls email the id provided - i shall send you my work address. Thanks!)
Despite all the hand issues, this was by far my most proactive week in the last few months. I've arranged to sked an appointment with a doc in India for a second opinion on the hand when i visit soon, and my effort has been duly applauded by those who know me, since it involves foresight and planning, the likes of which seemed to have abandoned me of late. I've initiated uncomfortable, yet essential conversations with my mother. I've taken charge of some things at work that I've wanted to for a while. And more.
I feel light, if nothing else. And clearer. No seriously, there's some things that need to be done, regardless of the outcome simply cause they offer so much clarity. Consequently, after a long time, I feel respect for myself.
The hand's not feeling too great though. And that tyrant, Penguin, she checks this space, and she'll kick my sorry ass tomorrow if I don't stop typing NOW. So bye!
Tuesday, February 19, 2008
Saturday, February 16, 2008
Linking up to something well written ..
Friday, February 15, 2008
Tagged ...
Was tagged long ago by someone to do this one ... (I'm terribly sorry for having forgotten who it was, but I'm doing the tag aren't I!)
Post 5 links to 5 of your previously written posts. The posts have to relate to the 5 key words given (family, friend, yourself, your love, anything you like). Tag 5 other friends to do this meme. Try to tag at least 2 new acquaintances (if not, your current blog buddies will do) so that you get to know them each a little bit better. Now don’t forget to read the archived posts and leave comments.
Family: Well I don't mention my bro or my dad too often here, completely in line with how much I interact with them, so here's the nicest post I've written for my mum. Apparently I called asking her to read this while she was at work, and she broke down and started sobbing from the sheer senti quotient!!! Oh well ..
Friend: I do mention wayyy many friends here ... Thing with people I'm incredibly close to and in touch with on a daily basis (Mogambo, Penguin, V, others) is that I sporadically mention them SO often, that I've never quite done a dedicated post for any of them! But here's a post I wrote to Shamu when she made it to IIMB last year .. and another for Kavz, the sunshine of my life through 2006.
Myself: Huh. I'm actually stumped... though I think these 3 posts capture me pretty well ... my love for conversation, who I judge and who I admire. Seriously, there's just a little too much about me on this blog to be able to pick and choose.
My love: Yeah whatever. Nexttt....
Anything I like: We're talking words, cooking, broad genres of people, and things I hope the world is never without!
Ok! Now to pass this on!!!
3 familiar people to tag: Penguin, Lucky and Quirky Quill.
2 unfamiliar people ...emm ... ok how about I tag Nutty and Somewhere over the Rainbow! :)
Post 5 links to 5 of your previously written posts. The posts have to relate to the 5 key words given (family, friend, yourself, your love, anything you like). Tag 5 other friends to do this meme. Try to tag at least 2 new acquaintances (if not, your current blog buddies will do) so that you get to know them each a little bit better. Now don’t forget to read the archived posts and leave comments.
Family: Well I don't mention my bro or my dad too often here, completely in line with how much I interact with them, so here's the nicest post I've written for my mum. Apparently I called asking her to read this while she was at work, and she broke down and started sobbing from the sheer senti quotient!!! Oh well ..
Friend: I do mention wayyy many friends here ... Thing with people I'm incredibly close to and in touch with on a daily basis (Mogambo, Penguin, V, others) is that I sporadically mention them SO often, that I've never quite done a dedicated post for any of them! But here's a post I wrote to Shamu when she made it to IIMB last year .. and another for Kavz, the sunshine of my life through 2006.
Myself: Huh. I'm actually stumped... though I think these 3 posts capture me pretty well ... my love for conversation, who I judge and who I admire. Seriously, there's just a little too much about me on this blog to be able to pick and choose.
My love: Yeah whatever. Nexttt....
Anything I like: We're talking words, cooking, broad genres of people, and things I hope the world is never without!
Ok! Now to pass this on!!!
3 familiar people to tag: Penguin, Lucky and Quirky Quill.
2 unfamiliar people ...emm ... ok how about I tag Nutty and Somewhere over the Rainbow! :)
Orkut lameness ...and free grammar tips ..
I thought it was bad enough when on putting up a niceish pic on orkut, I start receiving random friend requests and scraps from guys wanting to "make" friendship. (More on this later)
The pits is when I get that from a WOMAN!!!
Ok so here's the later portion (ref above) and some other grammatical facts I'd like to put out there:
====================================
1. One does not "Make" friendship with another.
Wrong wrong usage ... head hurts... STOP!
You can "be" friends with someone, maybe even "become" their friend, and at most they could "make" you their friend. But you don't "make" friendship! Which reminds me of "Make love... Not friendship"
ORRR... maybe not! :D
2. The word is 'anyway' NOT 'anyways'.
As in "I'll come over anyway" or "Anyway, that's all there is to the story".
Really! That's how it started, and then someone figured they'd add the grammatically incorrect 's' at the end of the word, and suddenly it's caught on!!! So to everyone who's succumbed to this disease - I repeat - It's 'ANYWAY' - NOT 'ANYWAYS'
3. The question tag for a 1st person statement is "Aren't I".
Indeed, the tag "aren't I" exists!!! As in, "I'm totally awesome and talented, aren't I?" (Not necessarily a rhetorical question that...). No it's NOT limited to plural 1st person contexts.
"Ain't" is a more colloquial (and recently turned formally correct) option, but "aren't I" is the proper tag to be used.
Just saying.
4. It's pronounced "OppErtunity" (not spelled, just pronounced like that) NOT "appOrtunity".
And spelled "opportunity", of course. You get the drift ...
=========================================
Yes, I'm a NAZI about these things. Yes, that's the end of today's grammar lesson. Oh, I'm much better health-wise and all that :-)
Kbai!
The pits is when I get that from a WOMAN!!!
Ok so here's the later portion (ref above) and some other grammatical facts I'd like to put out there:
====================================
1. One does not "Make" friendship with another.
Wrong wrong usage ... head hurts... STOP!
You can "be" friends with someone, maybe even "become" their friend, and at most they could "make" you their friend. But you don't "make" friendship! Which reminds me of "Make love... Not friendship"
ORRR... maybe not! :D
2. The word is 'anyway' NOT 'anyways'.
As in "I'll come over anyway" or "Anyway, that's all there is to the story".
Really! That's how it started, and then someone figured they'd add the grammatically incorrect 's' at the end of the word, and suddenly it's caught on!!! So to everyone who's succumbed to this disease - I repeat - It's 'ANYWAY' - NOT 'ANYWAYS'
3. The question tag for a 1st person statement is "Aren't I".
Indeed, the tag "aren't I" exists!!! As in, "I'm totally awesome and talented, aren't I?" (Not necessarily a rhetorical question that...). No it's NOT limited to plural 1st person contexts.
"Ain't" is a more colloquial (and recently turned formally correct) option, but "aren't I" is the proper tag to be used.
Just saying.
4. It's pronounced "OppErtunity" (not spelled, just pronounced like that) NOT "appOrtunity".
And spelled "opportunity", of course. You get the drift ...
=========================================
Yes, I'm a NAZI about these things. Yes, that's the end of today's grammar lesson. Oh, I'm much better health-wise and all that :-)
Kbai!
Wednesday, February 13, 2008
Gimme a break ..
And I mean that in the nicest sense possible!
I've been getting mails and comments on how 'it's been so long since you posted' and 'could you please write something new' and 'we're oh so tired of refreshing and reading that post on intent' that I'm flattered to the T! Sacchi, it's such an ego boost, as I was telling a friend, to have someone push you to write, almost the same as someone saying, we love hearing you talk, get up on that podium and say something, ANYthing!! :-)
I'm just back from a lovely vacation in Malaysia (Langkawi/ Genting and KL) and Cambodia (Siem Reap and Phonm Penh) and will soon regale you with tales of my first ever casino visit, downing and suffering the much renowned 'Happy Pizza' and firing a real AK47 (yeah I know!!! :D) ....pictures will also be shared and many pending tags shall be achieved!
However, the reason that'll all be later, and not right away, is cause I'm down with the worst case of cough and cold. I haven't had it this bad since I was 14 and had to be taken to a hospital all blue lipped and suffocating (there's a story of how i fought with the doc to let me go take my exams from the hospital coz I couldn't stand the thought of giving up my rank - but let's indulge in tales of my geekdom some other time) and hooked up to a saline drip with needles stuck in my arm for 7 (GASP!) days.
Every morning I think I'm better and go to work, spend the day working in aircon and talking normally (frequency AND volume), only to end up with a horrid bout of coughing in the evening that doesn't let me sleep until 3 am. COUGH! Sputter .. GAH!
Yes I've seen the doctor. Yes I have someone to care for me (Penguin cooks and cares for me at times like these - the angel!) and no, I don't think this of all things will kill me. But I'm staying in bed until I feel perfect enough to leave the house, indulge in dramatics (pun intended!) and sing aloud without sounding like a frog princess!
So any blogging will happen only post that. Please to put up with the break in writing, and HEY! send in your sympathies :-) They work faster than meds and are DEF less sleep inducing! :D
See ya all soon! Till then, we're on a break!!! :D
I've been getting mails and comments on how 'it's been so long since you posted' and 'could you please write something new' and 'we're oh so tired of refreshing and reading that post on intent' that I'm flattered to the T! Sacchi, it's such an ego boost, as I was telling a friend, to have someone push you to write, almost the same as someone saying, we love hearing you talk, get up on that podium and say something, ANYthing!! :-)
I'm just back from a lovely vacation in Malaysia (Langkawi/ Genting and KL) and Cambodia (Siem Reap and Phonm Penh) and will soon regale you with tales of my first ever casino visit, downing and suffering the much renowned 'Happy Pizza' and firing a real AK47 (yeah I know!!! :D) ....pictures will also be shared and many pending tags shall be achieved!
However, the reason that'll all be later, and not right away, is cause I'm down with the worst case of cough and cold. I haven't had it this bad since I was 14 and had to be taken to a hospital all blue lipped and suffocating (there's a story of how i fought with the doc to let me go take my exams from the hospital coz I couldn't stand the thought of giving up my rank - but let's indulge in tales of my geekdom some other time) and hooked up to a saline drip with needles stuck in my arm for 7 (GASP!) days.
Every morning I think I'm better and go to work, spend the day working in aircon and talking normally (frequency AND volume), only to end up with a horrid bout of coughing in the evening that doesn't let me sleep until 3 am. COUGH! Sputter .. GAH!
Yes I've seen the doctor. Yes I have someone to care for me (Penguin cooks and cares for me at times like these - the angel!) and no, I don't think this of all things will kill me. But I'm staying in bed until I feel perfect enough to leave the house, indulge in dramatics (pun intended!) and sing aloud without sounding like a frog princess!
So any blogging will happen only post that. Please to put up with the break in writing, and HEY! send in your sympathies :-) They work faster than meds and are DEF less sleep inducing! :D
See ya all soon! Till then, we're on a break!!! :D
Friday, February 01, 2008
Of intent...
It's been such an awful time, and work has managed to camouflage it all really well. My mum waited a few days to talk to me cause I was either sitting on the seniors' side of the floor and couldn't talk beyond a whisper or cause it was too late my time by the time she got out of her signal disrupting local train journeys in the evening. And there's others who tried getting through, got told i'd call back and never did.
But there's still others I'd make time for. Not even people I manage and get paid to make time for. But people that I have the "intent" for.
Like the Penguin. There's always one random conversation through the day that we do on the phone. There's times I tell her i'll call back, and sometimes 5 hours pass by the time I do, but I do. I call. Cause the intent is there.
Or N, who sits across the floor from me, also on the seniors side of the floor. And even through my busiest days there's still always 5 minutes where I walk over and sit cross-legged on his desk and take the time to catch up. Intent.
Too many friends who went to b-school have demonstrated how they get sucked into a warp of activity. That little zone of familiar people, of busy days and schedules that makes the outside world fade into oblivion. That delusion of being in a society/ neighborhood for life.
Unless there's intent of course.
People have made relationships survive even through these phases. And maintained friendships. Not cause they could. But cause they wanted to. And of course various commitments took up various degrees of time and energy. But it always took intent to fuel any investment of either.
While in b-school, I once asked my future telling friend how long my closest friend, SP, would stay in my life (cause I'd started to see how I was pushing her away as the terms progressed, and it bothered me that I seemed to have little intent to keep our once wonderful friendship going) and he told me "As long as you'll want her to".
It really was as simple as that. Intent. Ironic that S is today in the same bschool I went to, and we're going through a role reversal of sorts, and now having wised up to this bschool routine, I'm just calmly biding my time for the day that she indicates she's ready to have me back in her life. It'd be so easy to doubt her intent, had we not had all that time together before we parted ways. But now, we've seen enough to inspire faith in me about my place in her life.
What I think I started out saying, and lost somewhere in deliberate meandering of prose, is that regardless of how busy, how stressed or how crazy we think our lives are, if we're not able to accommodate some people, it's likely cause we don't want it badly enough. (No, I don't enjoy the conflict ridden conversations I have with my mom these days, and let me not even get into the issue of the "other" people I'm 'avoiding').
Conversely, if we're constantly making space and time for some others, even looking forward to investing that space and time in them, it's a sign of something bigger, hopefully better. We're lucky to feel intent at all. And for that, I hope we're being thankful.
But there's still others I'd make time for. Not even people I manage and get paid to make time for. But people that I have the "intent" for.
Like the Penguin. There's always one random conversation through the day that we do on the phone. There's times I tell her i'll call back, and sometimes 5 hours pass by the time I do, but I do. I call. Cause the intent is there.
Or N, who sits across the floor from me, also on the seniors side of the floor. And even through my busiest days there's still always 5 minutes where I walk over and sit cross-legged on his desk and take the time to catch up. Intent.
Too many friends who went to b-school have demonstrated how they get sucked into a warp of activity. That little zone of familiar people, of busy days and schedules that makes the outside world fade into oblivion. That delusion of being in a society/ neighborhood for life.
Unless there's intent of course.
People have made relationships survive even through these phases. And maintained friendships. Not cause they could. But cause they wanted to. And of course various commitments took up various degrees of time and energy. But it always took intent to fuel any investment of either.
While in b-school, I once asked my future telling friend how long my closest friend, SP, would stay in my life (cause I'd started to see how I was pushing her away as the terms progressed, and it bothered me that I seemed to have little intent to keep our once wonderful friendship going) and he told me "As long as you'll want her to".
It really was as simple as that. Intent. Ironic that S is today in the same bschool I went to, and we're going through a role reversal of sorts, and now having wised up to this bschool routine, I'm just calmly biding my time for the day that she indicates she's ready to have me back in her life. It'd be so easy to doubt her intent, had we not had all that time together before we parted ways. But now, we've seen enough to inspire faith in me about my place in her life.
What I think I started out saying, and lost somewhere in deliberate meandering of prose, is that regardless of how busy, how stressed or how crazy we think our lives are, if we're not able to accommodate some people, it's likely cause we don't want it badly enough. (No, I don't enjoy the conflict ridden conversations I have with my mom these days, and let me not even get into the issue of the "other" people I'm 'avoiding').
Conversely, if we're constantly making space and time for some others, even looking forward to investing that space and time in them, it's a sign of something bigger, hopefully better. We're lucky to feel intent at all. And for that, I hope we're being thankful.
Wednesday, January 30, 2008
A new template ...
That brilliant splash of autumn colors on the new template is a picture clicked with a regular camera at Central Park, NY, on November 7th, 2007. And now the entire template has been revamped to "Fall colors" ... reds, oranges, yellows and greens...
I cannot sleep cause I've been staring at it lovestruck for a while now ... Wat a beauty!
p.s: (Just to be clear, the regular camera belongs to a very special Ms. Mogambo and has been broken, replaced by her fiance and lost again- who will break this family jinx? - the mystery continues...)
Edited to add: In the spirit of giving credit where it's due, my inspiration to do this was Ms. Penguin
I cannot sleep cause I've been staring at it lovestruck for a while now ... Wat a beauty!
p.s: (Just to be clear, the regular camera belongs to a very special Ms. Mogambo and has been broken, replaced by her fiance and lost again- who will break this family jinx? - the mystery continues...)
Edited to add: In the spirit of giving credit where it's due, my inspiration to do this was Ms. Penguin
Monday, January 28, 2008
I love ...
- Mornings that start with music of the best kind ... read "Kholo Kholo" from Taare Zameen Par and "Sakhi Piya" from Khoya Khoya Chand ... no one in the bus can figure out what mad person would grin SO much on a Monday morning en route to work .. :-)
- Early morning dreams that tell me my life will turn out exactly the way I wish it to ... I lou!!! They're hilarious in their own way because of the impossible scenarios they make true, but that's probably why I love them so! :D
- Playing song games with Penguin and IceCreamBoy. No really. It's too much fun. I give them random words they need to contain in songs, "Antaras" sans the tune and they need to compete to figure out the song, I play the starting 15 s of songs from the last 4 decades and they have to guess which one it is ... the more arcane, the better the competition gets ... I spent the weekend at Penguin's place cause it was too depressing to work alone at home, and seriously I had so much fun playing in breaks and getting pampered by them both - chai at my desk, inspirational DJing by IB and amazing homemade breakfast that Penguin cooks up. I love these guys!!!
- Discovering interesting people across the world. Like last night I read this post Chandni wrote about herself way back, and realized this woman's like a twin living in another part of the world... I even have little silly quirks that are the same as hers! And after 6 months of reading Ganju's blog, I discovered he's my senior from B School! That the MadMomma is a friend of a friend! I love love love that the world is so small, and the blogworld that let's me discover exactly how small :-)
- This blog. :-) Getting back to writing is the best gift I gave myself last year. That and the promise to travel and cook and read and more. And the chance to talk about all of it. The most wonderful thing about blogging is something I described to a friend, about how this growing courage to speak up online slowly seeps into real life too. Being a braver person and less afraid of judgment is fulla awesome! Who wouldn't love? :D Oh, let's not forget the awesome people I've gotten to know through this medium. Years from now, I'll cite this as the thing that brought about the turning point in life in many ways. But years from now. Not now :)
- My amma. I'm putting her through the worst kind of pain right now and giving her sleepless nights worrying about my future .. all this for reasons beyond my control. I wish I knew how to handle this any better. But I don't. I wish there was an easier way to let her know I understand what she's going through dealing with me and that I see no other way for it to be right now.
But she doesn't read this blog and I'm too proud to say it to her on the phone (when we do get time off from arguing with each other over the hot topic of the season - my marriage - more like the non occurrence of it) so she'll never know. She'll only continue to wonder how between a kind reasonable person like herself and my mild mannered father, they managed to produce the stubborn willful daughter that I am.
And coz I can't face her right now on a medium that doesn't let me hang up on will, I'll travel to India on work next month and avoid going home to Bombay. Sigh. Did I mention I love her?
- Early morning dreams that tell me my life will turn out exactly the way I wish it to ... I lou!!! They're hilarious in their own way because of the impossible scenarios they make true, but that's probably why I love them so! :D
- Playing song games with Penguin and IceCreamBoy. No really. It's too much fun. I give them random words they need to contain in songs, "Antaras" sans the tune and they need to compete to figure out the song, I play the starting 15 s of songs from the last 4 decades and they have to guess which one it is ... the more arcane, the better the competition gets ... I spent the weekend at Penguin's place cause it was too depressing to work alone at home, and seriously I had so much fun playing in breaks and getting pampered by them both - chai at my desk, inspirational DJing by IB and amazing homemade breakfast that Penguin cooks up. I love these guys!!!
- Discovering interesting people across the world. Like last night I read this post Chandni wrote about herself way back, and realized this woman's like a twin living in another part of the world... I even have little silly quirks that are the same as hers! And after 6 months of reading Ganju's blog, I discovered he's my senior from B School! That the MadMomma is a friend of a friend! I love love love that the world is so small, and the blogworld that let's me discover exactly how small :-)
- This blog. :-) Getting back to writing is the best gift I gave myself last year. That and the promise to travel and cook and read and more. And the chance to talk about all of it. The most wonderful thing about blogging is something I described to a friend, about how this growing courage to speak up online slowly seeps into real life too. Being a braver person and less afraid of judgment is fulla awesome! Who wouldn't love? :D Oh, let's not forget the awesome people I've gotten to know through this medium. Years from now, I'll cite this as the thing that brought about the turning point in life in many ways. But years from now. Not now :)
- My amma. I'm putting her through the worst kind of pain right now and giving her sleepless nights worrying about my future .. all this for reasons beyond my control. I wish I knew how to handle this any better. But I don't. I wish there was an easier way to let her know I understand what she's going through dealing with me and that I see no other way for it to be right now.
But she doesn't read this blog and I'm too proud to say it to her on the phone (when we do get time off from arguing with each other over the hot topic of the season - my marriage - more like the non occurrence of it) so she'll never know. She'll only continue to wonder how between a kind reasonable person like herself and my mild mannered father, they managed to produce the stubborn willful daughter that I am.
And coz I can't face her right now on a medium that doesn't let me hang up on will, I'll travel to India on work next month and avoid going home to Bombay. Sigh. Did I mention I love her?
Sunday, January 27, 2008
Today's fortune ....
"You and your wife will be happy in your life together"
Yeah, after THIS incident, my fortune on Orkut sounds just about right ... I'm tired of saying Alas ... Sigh!
Yeah, after THIS incident, my fortune on Orkut sounds just about right ... I'm tired of saying Alas ... Sigh!
Thursday, January 24, 2008
Right .. so an eventful start to the year ...
Indeed it has been. In more ways than can be described. Not that that's ever stopped me eh? So here's what the year's looking like .. so far and now on ...
- Drama: (No, not the kind I'm an expert at! The REAL thing! Theatre and all!!) The last play production I worked on was in engineering college and ever since although the intent's been around, initiative just never overtook my lethargy.
I remember thinking at the end of last year that new things need to happen in life, beyond the singing and blogging and cooking .. and Voila! an opportunity to asst direct an independent production comes knocking at my door (my inbox is more like it - but I live in a virtual world and it's all the same to me!) :-)
I won't get into details of the how and why and when, suffice to say that 6 hours every Saturday and Sunday are now spent at drama rehearsals and the medley of short stories goes on stage end May 2008.
(Did i just jinx this myself? Do i believe in the concept of jinxes? Wh00 knows!)
If you're in town, you shall be invited. Pls to grace with kind presence! :) (Or not! :D)
- Storytelling: This one continues from last year. Seriously, reading stories to 4 - 6 year olds at the Library is the best stress-buster there ever was. :-) For those of you with kids in the age range, do land up on Saturdays at the kids' reading section at half past midday if the kiddos are game for a fun story session :-)
The most exciting start to the storytelling this year was a 1000 piece jigsaw puzzle that the library gifted me for being a wonderphool volunteer and storyteller :D
(Pls note: They have many many volunteers and I go twice a month when they ask me to turn up for English reading. Do NOT walk up to the storyteller and ask if she's Ms. Unpredictable. It doesn't sound particularly flattering esp if being enigmatic and complex isn't appealing to the lady in question)
On special request from Mogambo, the jigsaw puzzle shall be saved until her wedding in March when the 4some (Mogambo the bride, Superman the groom, PuppyManohar the best man, and Unpredictable the err ... best woman :P) will solve it together and gift to the newlywed couple :-)
Who would've thought reading to 4 yr olds at a library could end up in so much unrelated fun :D
- Travel: One mini trip in Feb to Malaysia and Cambodia with the b-school gang, something we've had planned for about 2 months now. Another to the West Coast of the You Yes Yay later this year (in keeping with the 'one big trip a year' tradition, and with the kind grace of my one year visa which expires this October!) and sundry others back home and on work ... varrry exciting no? :-)
- Spanish: I've been promising myself this 'one new language' thing for a while now. After mild deliberation and alternately swinging between French and Spanish, I let Wikipedia decide for me and hence the most populous language it shall be!
This language thing gets relegated to the 2nd half of this year though, there's WAY too much happening right now. I'm barely managing to sleep and meet friends over weekends and anymore will be overkill! But someone chase me for this in June ok? (wat a hopeful indeed!)
- Cooking: I've promised to learn one new recipe, one for each of 10 major Indian states. So there's Avial from Kerala, Gojju from Karnataka, Undhiyon from Gujarat, Sabudana Khichdi from Maharashtra, Koftas from Kashmir .... emmm .. someone help with the rest?
(Wat an enthu pataaki no!!)
So that's the 5 biggies for the year. Not so much resolutions, more like things to remember this year by. I'm going to hold myself to them, if nothing else, the impending shame at breaking a public commitment will ensure i follow through with them all! :)
And on a related note, something that captures the essence of what I want this year, and every subsequent year to be is this post by Chandni, more so cause it articulates exactly what's been running through my mind for some months now. (Chandni, I don't know how or where you found this, but I KNOW WHAT YOU MEAN!!! It's like he took the words right out of my mouth!)
And while I'm indulging in self-rant anyway, here's a post dedicated to your's truly in response to my question "What does 'Alas but hurrah' mean?" to an earlier post on the same blog.
Talented bunch of boys, aren't these? :-) If randomness is your thing, then this blog is IT.
----------------------------------------------------
Tata my lovelies! Good night and sleep well and in case I haven't said this already, have a wonderful new year!!! :)
- Drama: (No, not the kind I'm an expert at! The REAL thing! Theatre and all!!) The last play production I worked on was in engineering college and ever since although the intent's been around, initiative just never overtook my lethargy.
I remember thinking at the end of last year that new things need to happen in life, beyond the singing and blogging and cooking .. and Voila! an opportunity to asst direct an independent production comes knocking at my door (my inbox is more like it - but I live in a virtual world and it's all the same to me!) :-)
I won't get into details of the how and why and when, suffice to say that 6 hours every Saturday and Sunday are now spent at drama rehearsals and the medley of short stories goes on stage end May 2008.
(Did i just jinx this myself? Do i believe in the concept of jinxes? Wh00 knows!)
If you're in town, you shall be invited. Pls to grace with kind presence! :) (Or not! :D)
- Storytelling: This one continues from last year. Seriously, reading stories to 4 - 6 year olds at the Library is the best stress-buster there ever was. :-) For those of you with kids in the age range, do land up on Saturdays at the kids' reading section at half past midday if the kiddos are game for a fun story session :-)
The most exciting start to the storytelling this year was a 1000 piece jigsaw puzzle that the library gifted me for being a wonderphool volunteer and storyteller :D
(Pls note: They have many many volunteers and I go twice a month when they ask me to turn up for English reading. Do NOT walk up to the storyteller and ask if she's Ms. Unpredictable. It doesn't sound particularly flattering esp if being enigmatic and complex isn't appealing to the lady in question)
On special request from Mogambo, the jigsaw puzzle shall be saved until her wedding in March when the 4some (Mogambo the bride, Superman the groom, PuppyManohar the best man, and Unpredictable the err ... best woman :P) will solve it together and gift to the newlywed couple :-)
Who would've thought reading to 4 yr olds at a library could end up in so much unrelated fun :D
- Travel: One mini trip in Feb to Malaysia and Cambodia with the b-school gang, something we've had planned for about 2 months now. Another to the West Coast of the You Yes Yay later this year (in keeping with the 'one big trip a year' tradition, and with the kind grace of my one year visa which expires this October!) and sundry others back home and on work ... varrry exciting no? :-)
- Spanish: I've been promising myself this 'one new language' thing for a while now. After mild deliberation and alternately swinging between French and Spanish, I let Wikipedia decide for me and hence the most populous language it shall be!
This language thing gets relegated to the 2nd half of this year though, there's WAY too much happening right now. I'm barely managing to sleep and meet friends over weekends and anymore will be overkill! But someone chase me for this in June ok? (wat a hopeful indeed!)
- Cooking: I've promised to learn one new recipe, one for each of 10 major Indian states. So there's Avial from Kerala, Gojju from Karnataka, Undhiyon from Gujarat, Sabudana Khichdi from Maharashtra, Koftas from Kashmir .... emmm .. someone help with the rest?
(Wat an enthu pataaki no!!)
So that's the 5 biggies for the year. Not so much resolutions, more like things to remember this year by. I'm going to hold myself to them, if nothing else, the impending shame at breaking a public commitment will ensure i follow through with them all! :)
And on a related note, something that captures the essence of what I want this year, and every subsequent year to be is this post by Chandni, more so cause it articulates exactly what's been running through my mind for some months now. (Chandni, I don't know how or where you found this, but I KNOW WHAT YOU MEAN!!! It's like he took the words right out of my mouth!)
And while I'm indulging in self-rant anyway, here's a post dedicated to your's truly in response to my question "What does 'Alas but hurrah' mean?" to an earlier post on the same blog.
Talented bunch of boys, aren't these? :-) If randomness is your thing, then this blog is IT.
----------------------------------------------------
Tata my lovelies! Good night and sleep well and in case I haven't said this already, have a wonderful new year!!! :)
Wednesday, January 23, 2008
Alas indeed ...
In a random survey conducted yesterday in a room of about 10 men and 10 women, 8 out of 10 men said they wouldn't consider going out with me for 1 of 2 cited reasons:
1. I'm too quiet (LOL?)
2. Variations of I'm too scary/ I'd yell at them (Appallingly unoriginal or eerily consistent?)
Also note that of the 2 men who did, 1 was my dear N who cannot see me in any other manner but fraternal and the other was this nice but polite dude who said yes to pretty much every woman he'd ever spoken to before, in the spirit of being nice and all (yeah, doesn't count!)
Life is an alas indeed. Sigh.
Well, even if I'm doomed to dying alone, I can be assured I'll go quietly and with a mind unburdened of grudges, having unloaded onto the objects of my grudges by yelling at them.
Silver lining? No? Oh well ....
Edited to add: The statistical expert (ahem) in me woke up this morning and realized I need to point out, 10 men doesn't count as a stastistically significant base (30 is the bare minimum) so don't go concluding that 80% of the random men in this world would not go out with me. It could be true, but please note that conclusion would be independent of the story above :)
Also edited to add: Wow. This seemingly silly post might actually end up with the highest comment rate on my blog. Ever. Whoever would have thought that the alasness of my life would be such a motivator. More Alas!
P.P.P.S: A friend asked me this evening if i was speed dating (based on the story above). Emm .. let me clarify that I was NOT. (I don't judge anyone who does!) I was with a bunch of friends I don't spend a lot of time with and seriously clam up around for many reasons. So I understand that their impression of me is exactly what I want it to be. For those who mailed/ msged me out of concern, I'm not upset or anything close to it. Just clarifying :-)
1. I'm too quiet (LOL?)
2. Variations of I'm too scary/ I'd yell at them (Appallingly unoriginal or eerily consistent?)
Also note that of the 2 men who did, 1 was my dear N who cannot see me in any other manner but fraternal and the other was this nice but polite dude who said yes to pretty much every woman he'd ever spoken to before, in the spirit of being nice and all (yeah, doesn't count!)
Life is an alas indeed. Sigh.
Well, even if I'm doomed to dying alone, I can be assured I'll go quietly and with a mind unburdened of grudges, having unloaded onto the objects of my grudges by yelling at them.
Silver lining? No? Oh well ....
Edited to add: The statistical expert (ahem) in me woke up this morning and realized I need to point out, 10 men doesn't count as a stastistically significant base (30 is the bare minimum) so don't go concluding that 80% of the random men in this world would not go out with me. It could be true, but please note that conclusion would be independent of the story above :)
Also edited to add: Wow. This seemingly silly post might actually end up with the highest comment rate on my blog. Ever. Whoever would have thought that the alasness of my life would be such a motivator. More Alas!
P.P.P.S: A friend asked me this evening if i was speed dating (based on the story above). Emm .. let me clarify that I was NOT. (I don't judge anyone who does!) I was with a bunch of friends I don't spend a lot of time with and seriously clam up around for many reasons. So I understand that their impression of me is exactly what I want it to be. For those who mailed/ msged me out of concern, I'm not upset or anything close to it. Just clarifying :-)
Tuesday, January 22, 2008
Coffee bytes ...
There's something to be said of a cup of coffee with its trademark bitterness.
Only one who can down it and enjoy it with that vile streak can actually know and love coffee as it is. The rest who try to sugar it down aren't really drinking coffee no?
Only one who can down it and enjoy it with that vile streak can actually know and love coffee as it is. The rest who try to sugar it down aren't really drinking coffee no?
I wonder how coffee feels about this ...
Can coffee feel?
Monday, January 21, 2008
I'm learning about conversation ...
A few things than can be done to make someone feel at ease vs. feeling like a failure of a conversationalist .. once in a while .. (when one is feeling extra generous maybe?)
Nod along:.... or at least raise eye brows once in a while. This assures the 'talker' you haven't died of sheer boredom at their stories and encourages them to continue to tell you more. When you give the 'talker' the very serene yet very blank look, it's the non verbal equivalent of saying "Bugger off, you're stories are BORRRING, I don't want!"
(Unless you want them to shut up, in which case, staring stone like at them should pretty much do the trick)
Smile: ....maybe, just maybe, offer a hint of a smile when they're trying to tell you funny things or trying to amuse you? Bridges are usually built in this manner with unfamiliar people. It's laughter that brings souls together at least in the beginning of an acquaintance, so dole it out in generous amounts. Too tough? A mere smile then? Thanksverymuch! We all know expensive they are .. so thanks for sharing ...
(Unless the 'talker' has an appalling unfortunate sense of (non) humor, in which case you really shouldn't be around them too much, and the stony expression is SO the way to tell them that. You keep right at it! Bravo!)
Contribute: ... meaningfully so: You know how they taught us that to be successful at group discussions, one needs to take off from where someone else left off so it offers the illusion that you were actually listening? Surprisingly, the rule doesn't only apply to GDs when you're cracking B school processes. It also applies to real life situations, so apparently when someone says A ... I must try to say something that's connected to A (hopefully A isn't so dreadfully dull / esoteric / complex/ irrelevant that I can't possibly think of a way to contribute or build off it) and that's how it all works! Brilliant!
(That's when we call it a conversation btw .. when we talk to each other ... not when we talk alongside each other... that's just a dual monologue ... NOW U know :-)
I'm just saying, you know ...
Nod along:.... or at least raise eye brows once in a while. This assures the 'talker' you haven't died of sheer boredom at their stories and encourages them to continue to tell you more. When you give the 'talker' the very serene yet very blank look, it's the non verbal equivalent of saying "Bugger off, you're stories are BORRRING, I don't want!"
(Unless you want them to shut up, in which case, staring stone like at them should pretty much do the trick)
Smile: ....maybe, just maybe, offer a hint of a smile when they're trying to tell you funny things or trying to amuse you? Bridges are usually built in this manner with unfamiliar people. It's laughter that brings souls together at least in the beginning of an acquaintance, so dole it out in generous amounts. Too tough? A mere smile then? Thanksverymuch! We all know expensive they are .. so thanks for sharing ...
(Unless the 'talker' has an appalling unfortunate sense of (non) humor, in which case you really shouldn't be around them too much, and the stony expression is SO the way to tell them that. You keep right at it! Bravo!)
Contribute: ... meaningfully so: You know how they taught us that to be successful at group discussions, one needs to take off from where someone else left off so it offers the illusion that you were actually listening? Surprisingly, the rule doesn't only apply to GDs when you're cracking B school processes. It also applies to real life situations, so apparently when someone says A ... I must try to say something that's connected to A (hopefully A isn't so dreadfully dull / esoteric / complex/ irrelevant that I can't possibly think of a way to contribute or build off it) and that's how it all works! Brilliant!
(That's when we call it a conversation btw .. when we talk to each other ... not when we talk alongside each other... that's just a dual monologue ... NOW U know :-)
I'm just saying, you know ...
Thursday, January 17, 2008
In home cooking ...
It's been about 10 days since I cooked and ate a decent meal at home. I've lost my appetite recently. Stopped running. And blogging, in case anyone was keeping track. Exhaustion is catching up. A hectic travel sked is on its way here. It'll be another few weeks of living out of a suitcase, forgetting toothbrushes everywhere I go and literally feeling my system go toxic with all the outside food.
So I'm glad to record that today, after almost 2 weeks, I cooked up a nice meal with rasam (tomato lentil soup of sorts) and cabbage and peas sabji (vegetable dish). The rasam had cilantro. (Baby V, are you listening?) And more tomato than tamarind juice (Mum threateningly wagged her finger in my face last time and went "Too much tamarind makes your bones brittle, use more tomato, not tamarind." as I shuddered from fear of falling apart any minute.) The sabji didn't have dhaniya and chilli powder. Too much lazy came, alas, to put all that.
But I feel content. Tummy wise anyway. :-)
So I'm glad to record that today, after almost 2 weeks, I cooked up a nice meal with rasam (tomato lentil soup of sorts) and cabbage and peas sabji (vegetable dish). The rasam had cilantro. (Baby V, are you listening?) And more tomato than tamarind juice (Mum threateningly wagged her finger in my face last time and went "Too much tamarind makes your bones brittle, use more tomato, not tamarind." as I shuddered from fear of falling apart any minute.) The sabji didn't have dhaniya and chilli powder. Too much lazy came, alas, to put all that.
But I feel content. Tummy wise anyway. :-)
Tuesday, January 15, 2008
Anybody there?
Hello anybody who's been visiting and the subset that's wondered where I've disappeared. I'm only here to say
a. there's way too much been happening and it's left me with seriously little time (sometimes inclination, I admit) to blog.
b. Work is 'hecticish' and even as I type I'm in a terrible serviced apartment in Manila just having gotten back from work.
c. The hand issue is back to bite me. I've been type chatting way too much and lugging around heavy suitcases (Did I mention Manila?) and so my right hand is begging for mercy .. serious begging .. so I'm being merciful for now ..
Normal blogging will resume in 3 days or less. Take care and ta! till then :)
a. there's way too much been happening and it's left me with seriously little time (sometimes inclination, I admit) to blog.
b. Work is 'hecticish' and even as I type I'm in a terrible serviced apartment in Manila just having gotten back from work.
c. The hand issue is back to bite me. I've been type chatting way too much and lugging around heavy suitcases (Did I mention Manila?) and so my right hand is begging for mercy .. serious begging .. so I'm being merciful for now ..
Normal blogging will resume in 3 days or less. Take care and ta! till then :)
Wednesday, January 09, 2008
Idiotdom in all its glory ..
9 am: Step into office reminding self that meeting with the boss is at 1 pm.
**Spend all of the morning beautifully assembling everything that is due to be sent out. Miss lunch at lunch hour and slot it for after the meeting at 2 pm**
1 pm: Expertly wrap up work and mail out to boss documents as planned (feeling supremely smug at perfection and punctuality)
1.01 pm: Check calendar to realize meeting with boss is actually slotted for 4 pm.
Sigh. I am the VERY personification of idiotdom galore!!!
**Last seen at 1.15 pm walking down to Cedele with copy of Kartography in hand. Meaning to eat pasta salad in joyous and wondrous company of self. Life is not THAT bad after all. :)**
**Spend all of the morning beautifully assembling everything that is due to be sent out. Miss lunch at lunch hour and slot it for after the meeting at 2 pm**
1 pm: Expertly wrap up work and mail out to boss documents as planned (feeling supremely smug at perfection and punctuality)
1.01 pm: Check calendar to realize meeting with boss is actually slotted for 4 pm.
Sigh. I am the VERY personification of idiotdom galore!!!
**Last seen at 1.15 pm walking down to Cedele with copy of Kartography in hand. Meaning to eat pasta salad in joyous and wondrous company of self. Life is not THAT bad after all. :)**
Monday, January 07, 2008
Arrogance
Arrogance ... there's the kind that's defined as displaying overt and unacceptably excessive pride at owning something. That's our classic Webster definition.
But there's another kind. The kind that lets you take for granted things that seem easy to come by...
Like you have this incredible relationship that happened out of the blue, and when you've settled into it 1-2 years down the line and realized the other person still loves you like crazy (know what I mean? Still hangs on to every word you say, still smiles to your smiles, can't have enough of your stories...)
And one fine day you find yourself suddenly thinking "Wow, I'm wonderful and lovable. I'm probably super precious and awesome. (I must be for this person to love me so much no?) Having THIS is SO easy. BUT I want THAT. OUT THERE. Damn ... single life was so awesome. Do I really need this badly enough? Don't I have better things to accomplish than sit around making *this* happen. I have dreams, ambitions, the works. WOW, THERE'S A WHOLE WORLD OUT THERE! WTF AM I DOING TRAPPED HERE!"
{This even if 2 years ago you'd have given an arm and a leg to find someone you could simply talk to without having to tune your frequency to someone's, without "adjusting" ur povs to sound acceptable to them (know what I mean?) and spark with (you crack a seemingly idiotic joke, they laugh from deep down and vice versa, you like listening to their stories and vice versa, you like telling them your stories and vice versa, you care about their welfare and vice versa. Many many many many little yet significant vice versas those.....) }
Or you have this fantastic job. That elusive thing they call a dream career. You know you're doing well. You know you're loved by the boss, the colleagues, everyone. You know you have good stuff in store for you. They like you. They seem to wanna keep you.
One fine day Mr (Ms?) Arrogance visits. Suddenly you're thinking, wait, I don't need to slave anymore. They all LIKE me. In fact, they LOVE me! This is SO easy. I don't need to exceed expectations anymore. I'm IT! I've made it! VAO!!! I'm here to stay!
{This, even if two years ago, you waited in line nervously to see if your resume was one of the 20 that this company picked out of a gifted batch of 250, experienced exhilaration at being picked to interview and AFTER the interview, to find that the job is EVERYTHING you thought it would turn out to be, and thought to yourself "I'm never ever gonna screw this up! Never. EVER"}
Have you heard about the theory of 3 pillars?
(OMG I had to dig into old emails to find something I'd once written about this 3 pillar theory. I must really love blogging to have subjected myself to that!)
The theory says that there's 3 pillars in all our lives - health, relationships and success: And that even if we have 2 of the 3, the third continues to haunt us with its absence, endowing a strange feeling of incompleteness. Also endowing us with a strange arrogance wrt to the pillars we ARE gifted with. Leading to emotions of arrogance expressed above.
There's a section of people who know exactly when they're being stupid enough to let go of something wonderful ... when they're cognizant of the heady feeling that arrogance brings along, and the consequent "idiotdom" they will be tempted to indulge in.
These are the lucky ones, cause the cognizance brings with it the will to keep from losing what they have .. they use friends to put sage advice into their bloated heads, use memories from a deprived past to understand how badly they once wanted this and how much they'll regret it if they lose it as easily as they plan to.
Then there's those who experience the said arrogance over possessing a certain pillar with a casualness that's surprising to those who are deprived of it. Especially when they're oblivious to how tough somebody else is finding it to acquire the very same thing that they're taking for granted.
This is when screw ups occur. Royal screw ups. When people act like utter fools and give up the one thing they once had, to go after the one thing they thought was more important (coz they didn't have it, duh?!) ...
I wonder how it feels after one has achieved what one chased after with a blind vehemence and lost something else in the process, I wonder if all such 'lost' souls are lucky enough to be blessed with another chance to find anything close to what was lost.
Maybe losing what we value the most is sometimes the only way to understand how much it meant when we did have it? Maybe that's the only way we'll never make those mistakes again? Maybe, just maybe, it's life's way of imparting practical lessons that theory can never quite do justice to.
This is my theory. You've had your own practicals no?
But there's another kind. The kind that lets you take for granted things that seem easy to come by...
Like you have this incredible relationship that happened out of the blue, and when you've settled into it 1-2 years down the line and realized the other person still loves you like crazy (know what I mean? Still hangs on to every word you say, still smiles to your smiles, can't have enough of your stories...)
And one fine day you find yourself suddenly thinking "Wow, I'm wonderful and lovable. I'm probably super precious and awesome. (I must be for this person to love me so much no?) Having THIS is SO easy. BUT I want THAT. OUT THERE. Damn ... single life was so awesome. Do I really need this badly enough? Don't I have better things to accomplish than sit around making *this* happen. I have dreams, ambitions, the works. WOW, THERE'S A WHOLE WORLD OUT THERE! WTF AM I DOING TRAPPED HERE!"
{This even if 2 years ago you'd have given an arm and a leg to find someone you could simply talk to without having to tune your frequency to someone's, without "adjusting" ur povs to sound acceptable to them (know what I mean?) and spark with (you crack a seemingly idiotic joke, they laugh from deep down and vice versa, you like listening to their stories and vice versa, you like telling them your stories and vice versa, you care about their welfare and vice versa. Many many many many little yet significant vice versas those.....) }
Or you have this fantastic job. That elusive thing they call a dream career. You know you're doing well. You know you're loved by the boss, the colleagues, everyone. You know you have good stuff in store for you. They like you. They seem to wanna keep you.
One fine day Mr (Ms?) Arrogance visits. Suddenly you're thinking, wait, I don't need to slave anymore. They all LIKE me. In fact, they LOVE me! This is SO easy. I don't need to exceed expectations anymore. I'm IT! I've made it! VAO!!! I'm here to stay!
{This, even if two years ago, you waited in line nervously to see if your resume was one of the 20 that this company picked out of a gifted batch of 250, experienced exhilaration at being picked to interview and AFTER the interview, to find that the job is EVERYTHING you thought it would turn out to be, and thought to yourself "I'm never ever gonna screw this up! Never. EVER"}
Have you heard about the theory of 3 pillars?
(OMG I had to dig into old emails to find something I'd once written about this 3 pillar theory. I must really love blogging to have subjected myself to that!)
The theory says that there's 3 pillars in all our lives - health, relationships and success: And that even if we have 2 of the 3, the third continues to haunt us with its absence, endowing a strange feeling of incompleteness. Also endowing us with a strange arrogance wrt to the pillars we ARE gifted with. Leading to emotions of arrogance expressed above.
There's a section of people who know exactly when they're being stupid enough to let go of something wonderful ... when they're cognizant of the heady feeling that arrogance brings along, and the consequent "idiotdom" they will be tempted to indulge in.
These are the lucky ones, cause the cognizance brings with it the will to keep from losing what they have .. they use friends to put sage advice into their bloated heads, use memories from a deprived past to understand how badly they once wanted this and how much they'll regret it if they lose it as easily as they plan to.
Then there's those who experience the said arrogance over possessing a certain pillar with a casualness that's surprising to those who are deprived of it. Especially when they're oblivious to how tough somebody else is finding it to acquire the very same thing that they're taking for granted.
This is when screw ups occur. Royal screw ups. When people act like utter fools and give up the one thing they once had, to go after the one thing they thought was more important (coz they didn't have it, duh?!) ...
I wonder how it feels after one has achieved what one chased after with a blind vehemence and lost something else in the process, I wonder if all such 'lost' souls are lucky enough to be blessed with another chance to find anything close to what was lost.
Maybe losing what we value the most is sometimes the only way to understand how much it meant when we did have it? Maybe that's the only way we'll never make those mistakes again? Maybe, just maybe, it's life's way of imparting practical lessons that theory can never quite do justice to.
This is my theory. You've had your own practicals no?
Monday, December 31, 2007
The year that was ... :-)
I wondered and wondered this morning what my last blog for the year would be about. And now as I walked back home from a last minute errand for mom (did I not mention? I'm home! In Mumbai :) I shall hit my darling Chennai for about 3 hours over dinner on Wed and head back to Singapore to my normal yet wonderful life) it hit me...
After a stable low amplitude life for the last 25 years, this has been one year that came with what I swear was the highest amplitude sinusoidal waves I've ever encountered.... So much has happened and so much of that has been written about and it felt just right to end the year with a recap of my favorite events, stories and thoughts on this blog ... so here goes ...
==========================================
My favorite posts at the outset:
- The importance of conversation
- Things this world should never be without
- People I admire
- wondering if it's too late to live life
- How bosses are so similar to moms
- Things I wonder about
- The very relevant and omnipresent topic of the pressure on marriage
And amongst others....
Started 2007 with telling myself this is what my vision of happiness should be ... good to start with a vision no? :D
Passing on newfound wisdom on making priority calls to be able to enjoy life and do justice to relationships and oneself... inspired by a senior person in my company ...
Enrolling for my first new activity in the year ... the long delayed singing lessons ...
Understanding why they come and then leave ... borrowed wisdom this ...
Discovering the magic that is kids ... (not my own!), reaching 100 and 200 posts respectively, painting
Discovering blessings such as good bosses and wonderful cities to live in, a wonderful mom
After a stable low amplitude life for the last 25 years, this has been one year that came with what I swear was the highest amplitude sinusoidal waves I've ever encountered.... So much has happened and so much of that has been written about and it felt just right to end the year with a recap of my favorite events, stories and thoughts on this blog ... so here goes ...
==========================================
My favorite posts at the outset:
- The importance of conversation
- Things this world should never be without
- People I admire
- wondering if it's too late to live life
- How bosses are so similar to moms
- Things I wonder about
- The very relevant and omnipresent topic of the pressure on marriage
And amongst others....
Started 2007 with telling myself this is what my vision of happiness should be ... good to start with a vision no? :D
Passing on newfound wisdom on making priority calls to be able to enjoy life and do justice to relationships and oneself... inspired by a senior person in my company ...
Enrolling for my first new activity in the year ... the long delayed singing lessons ...
Understanding why they come and then leave ... borrowed wisdom this ...
Discovering the magic that is kids ... (not my own!), reaching 100 and 200 posts respectively, painting
Discovering blessings such as good bosses and wonderful cities to live in, a wonderful mom
Rants on what I judge, why I blog, questions that plague me, quirks im not too proud of and more questions that plague me!
A brilliant year end vacation to New York ... right from the airport welcome to the famed treasure hunt
==============================================
They say whatever you're doing at the stroke of midnight lasts through the year, so I hope all of you wonderful people can keep a smile on your faces, hope in your hearts and a prayer on your lips for an incredible 2008 :-)
I love you all and wish you the very best in the year to come ... HAPPY NEW YEAR!!! :DDDD
Wednesday, December 19, 2007
Twiddly Thumbs and Idle Intellect :D
It's been like forever since I've wished I could take a day off work for ABSOLUTELY NO REASON. My day is finally here!!! :D
Remember P and I did a whole weekend of work 2 weeks ago? As her manager I asked her to make up for it with a nice whole day off anytime she wanted and my own manager (bless her soul) asked me to do the same :D So today's my day! :-)
Thing is I'm not entirely sure how to do this. :S I mean I've planned and agenda-ed through several days when there was TOO much to do, but this? This I've never done before! There's still lurking guilt somewhere about not working (Emm, Unpred, you've wrapped up most work for the year! Give it a rest bleddy!) on a working day and since my over-efficient system is not used to empty time, it's taking some time to come to terms with no rules for the day :)
Nothing planned for now .. and going with the flow is the overall theme .. and I'm seeing how I can make that happen ... there's a few things I do need to do before leave for India tomorrow .. pack, shop some, put the house in order and ensure the maid knows when to come back ... also edit Mogambo's reception invite (who will otherwise skin me alive and feed me to the dogs when she sees me next, incidentally AT her wedding!) ..
But broadly, there's plenty of time and as the title suggests, Twiddly Thumbs and an Idle Intellect that will stay put and rest through the day :)
Have a Merry Christmas everyone! And a great new year in case I don't access the blog from India ... I hope to see you all once again next year :D
Remember P and I did a whole weekend of work 2 weeks ago? As her manager I asked her to make up for it with a nice whole day off anytime she wanted and my own manager (bless her soul) asked me to do the same :D So today's my day! :-)
Thing is I'm not entirely sure how to do this. :S I mean I've planned and agenda-ed through several days when there was TOO much to do, but this? This I've never done before! There's still lurking guilt somewhere about not working (Emm, Unpred, you've wrapped up most work for the year! Give it a rest bleddy!) on a working day and since my over-efficient system is not used to empty time, it's taking some time to come to terms with no rules for the day :)
Nothing planned for now .. and going with the flow is the overall theme .. and I'm seeing how I can make that happen ... there's a few things I do need to do before leave for India tomorrow .. pack, shop some, put the house in order and ensure the maid knows when to come back ... also edit Mogambo's reception invite (who will otherwise skin me alive and feed me to the dogs when she sees me next, incidentally AT her wedding!) ..
But broadly, there's plenty of time and as the title suggests, Twiddly Thumbs and an Idle Intellect that will stay put and rest through the day :)
Have a Merry Christmas everyone! And a great new year in case I don't access the blog from India ... I hope to see you all once again next year :D
Monday, December 17, 2007
The Happiness Project
Oh this is absolutely brilliant! :D
I loved this site sent to me by Mr RK himself - in line with his incredible equity as the "active happiness pursuer" :-) I particularly love the latest post so am pasting here for the lazy bums who won't click on the link.
Disclaimer: This site is likely to evoke polarizing responses. For good reason too. I know of people who hate thinking too much about how they want to live life and believe in living it by the moment. I also know people who love actively going out and finding their happiness (the part that's within control anyway). I belong to the latter and am warning those who don't to pass up the chance to visit the site OR read ahead. :)
"“To attain something desired is to discover how vain it is; and…though we live all our lives in expectation of better things, we often at the same time long regretfully for what is past. The present, on the other hand, is regarded as something quite temporary and serving only as the road to our goal. That is why most men discover when they look back on their life that they have the whole time been living ad interim, and are surprised to see that which they let go by so unregarded and unenjoyed was precisely their life, was precisely in expectation of which they lived.”
--Schopenhauer
Beautiful isn't it? :-) It's mostly stuff that's not necessarily NEW but hits you in your face for the first ever time with its impact, cause u've been forced to sit up and take notice. The rest is great too ... I'm browsing through sporadically and relishing the motley collection of tips it hosts on finding and cherishing happiness.
*Dear P ... this is for you .. for calling me a bleddy phool for not blogging for FOUR days ..ok va? *
I loved this site sent to me by Mr RK himself - in line with his incredible equity as the "active happiness pursuer" :-) I particularly love the latest post so am pasting here for the lazy bums who won't click on the link.
Disclaimer: This site is likely to evoke polarizing responses. For good reason too. I know of people who hate thinking too much about how they want to live life and believe in living it by the moment. I also know people who love actively going out and finding their happiness (the part that's within control anyway). I belong to the latter and am warning those who don't to pass up the chance to visit the site OR read ahead. :)
"“To attain something desired is to discover how vain it is; and…though we live all our lives in expectation of better things, we often at the same time long regretfully for what is past. The present, on the other hand, is regarded as something quite temporary and serving only as the road to our goal. That is why most men discover when they look back on their life that they have the whole time been living ad interim, and are surprised to see that which they let go by so unregarded and unenjoyed was precisely their life, was precisely in expectation of which they lived.”
--Schopenhauer
Beautiful isn't it? :-) It's mostly stuff that's not necessarily NEW but hits you in your face for the first ever time with its impact, cause u've been forced to sit up and take notice. The rest is great too ... I'm browsing through sporadically and relishing the motley collection of tips it hosts on finding and cherishing happiness.
*Dear P ... this is for you .. for calling me a bleddy phool for not blogging for FOUR days ..ok va? *
Wednesday, December 12, 2007
My favorite brand of people..
People who speak their mind:
No sugar coating. No "this is excellent .. BUT .." No "I agree with you.. BUT....".
No beating around the bush. Just telling it as it is. Spade = Spade. And the abiliity to say "I don't agree with this even if you're senior and more experienced" or simply say what they feel in forums with "biggies" who scare the heck out of everyone else.
The ability to be different from others who walk the line always and tangible fearlessness is the most respectable quality in a person. Even with my 5'8" frame, I SO look up to such people.
Dear G: Help me be one of them when im older. Heck, help me start now!!!
People with unlimited zest for life:
This junior who replaced me in my previous role is one of my favorite people. His zest for life is so inspiring! His philosophy is to make the absolute best of every waking moment. In his words, "Sleep is so useless, i wish it wasn't physically necessary, imagine how much we could do with all that saved time!" :D
Another junior from bschool and now work is very similar. Every once a week, we spend atleast 15 mins talking about our "cool plans" for the next few months. Travel, adventure, dramatics, learning musical instruments, new languages, swimming, interesting people we met, interesting posts on the internet and so on ..
Penguin is another classic example. As much as she may sometimes think her life isn't moving, she's ALWAYS on the lookout for interesting things to do with time. From art fairs to random auctions, the most interesting times in the last 6 months have been had with her :)
Dear G: So long as I appreciate this about others, it'll continue to be personally aspirational. Pls to help...
People who can ENJOY music
Not just listen. But enjoy. Like let the melody seep in and permeate every single pore. Like let your soul dance and laugh from deep inside. Find it in you to sing along. To take the high notes at the right points, and then switch to low just as spontaneously ( A la "pyaar humein kis mod pe le aaya" :D).
Music with Penguin and IceCreamboy is an experience like with nobody else. We sing ourselves hoarse, Penguin and I alternate between foreground singing and background music and have perfect, picture perfect, sync. IceCreamboy, despite zero training in the arena, is mindblowing simply by virtue of his enthusiasm.
Sha and N (esp Sha) are brilliant at how well they know the most random songs SO well. Antra AND Mukhda. Right from Tezaab to Tridev, singing with them is like being in a designated "random song" music show. When you add alcohol to the above, the fun doubles coz inhibitions are let down even more (That's how we got Mundra's pseud BCG friends to join in our rowdy act the night before his wedding :D) and an incredibly good time is had by all.
The thing about people with music is when you see them respond to the nuances of notes, you know they have the ability to appreciate the little nuances of all else. (The converse may not be true but ...) And that makes them interesting to be around for reasons beyond the music. :) I like :-)
Dear G: I may never complete that singing course I started. (My teacher returned to India midway through teaching me, and i'm left wondering if it's a sign!), but this ability to mind-dance to music, I'd like to keep this for life. (Even through the grins from colleagues who sit in the vicinity and are shocked by the constant foot tapping and smiling to tunes.) Thanksverymuch :D
There's so many more,
- Determined never say die people with astounding will power like my mom ...
- People with an enviable ability to balance their professional lives and personal loves like SuperMan,
- Those with the ability to constantly laugh make others laugh like Mogambo and PuppyManohar
- Dependable and rock solid like Penguin .. always on time, always keeping promises ..
- Always dissatisfied with status quo and wanting more out of life .. like my junior RK
- Intelligent as hell, yet surprisingly down to earth like my ex manager A
- At peace with how different they are from what SO many others want them to be, like T
Dear G: I don't ask for everything all at once .. but little by little, slowly slowly, through life can?
No sugar coating. No "this is excellent .. BUT .." No "I agree with you.. BUT....".
No beating around the bush. Just telling it as it is. Spade = Spade. And the abiliity to say "I don't agree with this even if you're senior and more experienced" or simply say what they feel in forums with "biggies" who scare the heck out of everyone else.
The ability to be different from others who walk the line always and tangible fearlessness is the most respectable quality in a person. Even with my 5'8" frame, I SO look up to such people.
Dear G: Help me be one of them when im older. Heck, help me start now!!!
People with unlimited zest for life:
This junior who replaced me in my previous role is one of my favorite people. His zest for life is so inspiring! His philosophy is to make the absolute best of every waking moment. In his words, "Sleep is so useless, i wish it wasn't physically necessary, imagine how much we could do with all that saved time!" :D
Another junior from bschool and now work is very similar. Every once a week, we spend atleast 15 mins talking about our "cool plans" for the next few months. Travel, adventure, dramatics, learning musical instruments, new languages, swimming, interesting people we met, interesting posts on the internet and so on ..
Penguin is another classic example. As much as she may sometimes think her life isn't moving, she's ALWAYS on the lookout for interesting things to do with time. From art fairs to random auctions, the most interesting times in the last 6 months have been had with her :)
Dear G: So long as I appreciate this about others, it'll continue to be personally aspirational. Pls to help...
People who can ENJOY music
Not just listen. But enjoy. Like let the melody seep in and permeate every single pore. Like let your soul dance and laugh from deep inside. Find it in you to sing along. To take the high notes at the right points, and then switch to low just as spontaneously ( A la "pyaar humein kis mod pe le aaya" :D).
Music with Penguin and IceCreamboy is an experience like with nobody else. We sing ourselves hoarse, Penguin and I alternate between foreground singing and background music and have perfect, picture perfect, sync. IceCreamboy, despite zero training in the arena, is mindblowing simply by virtue of his enthusiasm.
Sha and N (esp Sha) are brilliant at how well they know the most random songs SO well. Antra AND Mukhda. Right from Tezaab to Tridev, singing with them is like being in a designated "random song" music show. When you add alcohol to the above, the fun doubles coz inhibitions are let down even more (That's how we got Mundra's pseud BCG friends to join in our rowdy act the night before his wedding :D) and an incredibly good time is had by all.
The thing about people with music is when you see them respond to the nuances of notes, you know they have the ability to appreciate the little nuances of all else. (The converse may not be true but ...) And that makes them interesting to be around for reasons beyond the music. :) I like :-)
Dear G: I may never complete that singing course I started. (My teacher returned to India midway through teaching me, and i'm left wondering if it's a sign!), but this ability to mind-dance to music, I'd like to keep this for life. (Even through the grins from colleagues who sit in the vicinity and are shocked by the constant foot tapping and smiling to tunes.) Thanksverymuch :D
There's so many more,
- Determined never say die people with astounding will power like my mom ...
- People with an enviable ability to balance their professional lives and personal loves like SuperMan,
- Those with the ability to constantly laugh make others laugh like Mogambo and PuppyManohar
- Dependable and rock solid like Penguin .. always on time, always keeping promises ..
- Always dissatisfied with status quo and wanting more out of life .. like my junior RK
- Intelligent as hell, yet surprisingly down to earth like my ex manager A
- At peace with how different they are from what SO many others want them to be, like T
Dear G: I don't ask for everything all at once .. but little by little, slowly slowly, through life can?
Tuesday, December 11, 2007
I want ...
To be in Chennai now ..
Do the Fisherman's Cove catamaran thing again ..
Visit Dakshin Chitra and make misshaped clay pots again ..
To sit by Besant Nagar beach and quietly watch the waves crash onto shore again ..
Eat oily parathas by the sea side with yoghurt and pickle again ..
Speed on a bike down ECR again (get my leg burnt by the engine again?)..
Eat veggie club sandwiches at Galloping Gooseberries again
Drink the Lime Mint cooler from FruitShop on Greem's road again ..
Walk through Spencer Plaza and shop at Fab India ...
Brunch at Eco Cafe and dine at Cedars ...
All of it ... all over again ...
To see Bombay as I rarely did,
Walk down Marine Drive watching the sunset,
Eat Bhelpuri in all its unhygienic glory at Chowpatty,
Shop for Indian clothes at the quaint Shivaji Park shop Sha tells me about,
Eat at Oven Fresh once again (Burittos, Nachos and Enchlaidas, no less),
Stand at the gateway and feel like an insider among the tourists clicking away ..
Run along Juhu beach at sunrise,
Drink cutting chai at the shop across the Bombay office,
Drink elaichi chai IN the Bombay office,
Sit by my window ledge and drink chai as Lagaan plays in the background,
Watch clouds gather over the hills seen through our window ..
Pick up saris at Nalli, awesome rich colored saris that will make my collection reach the aspirational 25 in the next few years ...
Walk around on the phone, irritating mom as I bump into random furniture along the way, but not sitting down coz I just 'Can't do conversation sitting down!"
Sit in the 2*2 area near the microwave and talk as mum hurries through her chores coz I want to make as much conversation as possible in the 6 days that I'm visiting ...
Talk to my bro about life and such profound matters that don't matter, my bro who adores his big sister and shows her off to his friends (he does! :) i love it that someone does :D)
To be in New York all over again ...
To be picked up from the airport like royalty, garlands and shawls included!
To feel SO at home vs. feeling like a 'visiting guest' ...
To eat mexican food near Times Square with A,
To have A and PM call me "Failure" for saying Queens is "pretty as hell!"
To run around the east village trying to beat the only other team playing the NY treasure hunt with us :)
To party at Cafe Wha again .. to get drunk and sing Christmas Carols on the NY subway and have PM join in as A and G give up and look on and other passengers herald the early arrival of Xmas :)
To walk down the Newport riverside, coffee in hand, earphones plugged in :)
To stand atop the Empire State building and feel like the wind would carry me away with its sheer force
To click 30 pictures and more of the Statue of Liberty and Liberty Island coz it was just so beautiful
To pick up cheap trinkets at Soho again :)
To curl up in Mogambo's couch after a long day and talk to her, have her be persistent and painful and argumentative about how I need to "get out of it" despite my unwillingness to so much as listen ...
To make Dal and have PM agree that THIS is how it's supposed to be made!!! WITH ginger and garlic and a lump of jaggery! :D
To have G's mom ask him "who that nice sounding young girl is" and if she's married and burst into laughter at the many possibilities here! :D
To gape open mouthed at the color burst of autumn as the bus drove across Baltimore to DC ...
To relish the fall colors, the lake and cheese pretzels at Central Park and then yelp in delight on discovering the fountain where George Clooney spontaneously picks up Michelle Pfieffer in "One Fine Day' :D
To eat Ethiopian food and delight with every single bite how "absolutely delicious" it was ..
To have A drop me at the airport and stay until I was PAST the security check and I could no longer see her, cause she could still see me ..
To stay curled up in bed for a whole week after, and suffer from withdrawal symptoms of my most brilliant vacation ever!
I want .....
Do the Fisherman's Cove catamaran thing again ..
Visit Dakshin Chitra and make misshaped clay pots again ..
To sit by Besant Nagar beach and quietly watch the waves crash onto shore again ..
Eat oily parathas by the sea side with yoghurt and pickle again ..
Speed on a bike down ECR again (get my leg burnt by the engine again?)..
Eat veggie club sandwiches at Galloping Gooseberries again
Drink the Lime Mint cooler from FruitShop on Greem's road again ..
Walk through Spencer Plaza and shop at Fab India ...
Brunch at Eco Cafe and dine at Cedars ...
All of it ... all over again ...
To see Bombay as I rarely did,
Walk down Marine Drive watching the sunset,
Eat Bhelpuri in all its unhygienic glory at Chowpatty,
Shop for Indian clothes at the quaint Shivaji Park shop Sha tells me about,
Eat at Oven Fresh once again (Burittos, Nachos and Enchlaidas, no less),
Stand at the gateway and feel like an insider among the tourists clicking away ..
Run along Juhu beach at sunrise,
Drink cutting chai at the shop across the Bombay office,
Drink elaichi chai IN the Bombay office,
Sit by my window ledge and drink chai as Lagaan plays in the background,
Watch clouds gather over the hills seen through our window ..
Pick up saris at Nalli, awesome rich colored saris that will make my collection reach the aspirational 25 in the next few years ...
Walk around on the phone, irritating mom as I bump into random furniture along the way, but not sitting down coz I just 'Can't do conversation sitting down!"
Sit in the 2*2 area near the microwave and talk as mum hurries through her chores coz I want to make as much conversation as possible in the 6 days that I'm visiting ...
Talk to my bro about life and such profound matters that don't matter, my bro who adores his big sister and shows her off to his friends (he does! :) i love it that someone does :D)
To be in New York all over again ...
To be picked up from the airport like royalty, garlands and shawls included!
To feel SO at home vs. feeling like a 'visiting guest' ...
To eat mexican food near Times Square with A,
To have A and PM call me "Failure" for saying Queens is "pretty as hell!"
To run around the east village trying to beat the only other team playing the NY treasure hunt with us :)
To party at Cafe Wha again .. to get drunk and sing Christmas Carols on the NY subway and have PM join in as A and G give up and look on and other passengers herald the early arrival of Xmas :)
To walk down the Newport riverside, coffee in hand, earphones plugged in :)
To stand atop the Empire State building and feel like the wind would carry me away with its sheer force
To click 30 pictures and more of the Statue of Liberty and Liberty Island coz it was just so beautiful
To pick up cheap trinkets at Soho again :)
To curl up in Mogambo's couch after a long day and talk to her, have her be persistent and painful and argumentative about how I need to "get out of it" despite my unwillingness to so much as listen ...
To make Dal and have PM agree that THIS is how it's supposed to be made!!! WITH ginger and garlic and a lump of jaggery! :D
To have G's mom ask him "who that nice sounding young girl is" and if she's married and burst into laughter at the many possibilities here! :D
To gape open mouthed at the color burst of autumn as the bus drove across Baltimore to DC ...
To relish the fall colors, the lake and cheese pretzels at Central Park and then yelp in delight on discovering the fountain where George Clooney spontaneously picks up Michelle Pfieffer in "One Fine Day' :D
To eat Ethiopian food and delight with every single bite how "absolutely delicious" it was ..
To have A drop me at the airport and stay until I was PAST the security check and I could no longer see her, cause she could still see me ..
To stay curled up in bed for a whole week after, and suffer from withdrawal symptoms of my most brilliant vacation ever!
I want .....
Woohoo .. Dum aloo ..
(Yes, yes, I'm a poet and I don't even know it! :D)
I sms my mum telling her I made this awesome tasting Dum Aloo (with pureed tomatoes, ground peppercorn, cardamom, almost-deep-fried-in-ghee potatoes, you know.. the works!) and she replies saying "Sanjeev Kapoor haar gaya. You know why? When he cooks, the smell is just domestic, yours is international! :D I can smell it all the way here?"
And when I msged her saying I'm about to put up pics on my blog, she calls me to tell me she was JUST THINKING THE SAME!
Yeah, yeah, madness pretty much runs in the family!
I sms my mum telling her I made this awesome tasting Dum Aloo (with pureed tomatoes, ground peppercorn, cardamom, almost-deep-fried-in-ghee potatoes, you know.. the works!) and she replies saying "Sanjeev Kapoor haar gaya. You know why? When he cooks, the smell is just domestic, yours is international! :D I can smell it all the way here?"
And when I msged her saying I'm about to put up pics on my blog, she calls me to tell me she was JUST THINKING THE SAME!
Yeah, yeah, madness pretty much runs in the family!
Monday, December 10, 2007
Hamlet EATS!!!!
Hamlet, my pet hamster (scroll down in case you haven't already seen the pink piggy character) EATS!!! OMG!
ER just walked over to my desk when I tried to show off my new pet (Stop sniggering it's rude! You'll know when you have your OWN pet) and as I dangled that strawberry around teasing Hamlet, ER dragged the mouse to Hamlet's mouth and Hamlet ATE!!!
The SPCE will soon be at my door trying to get me for starving the poor thing through the weekend, so I have to go hide. But Hamlet EATS!!! :D
ER just walked over to my desk when I tried to show off my new pet (Stop sniggering it's rude! You'll know when you have your OWN pet) and as I dangled that strawberry around teasing Hamlet, ER dragged the mouse to Hamlet's mouth and Hamlet ATE!!!
The SPCE will soon be at my door trying to get me for starving the poor thing through the weekend, so I have to go hide. But Hamlet EATS!!! :D
Dear Monday....
Dear Monday,
I have a few wishes for today, please to adjust and fulfill.
1. I want chai. With Amul milk and Brooke Bond chai patti. And i want SOMEONE ELSE to make it for me instead of walking to the kitchen in my sleep deprived state. Can?
2. I want this to end today. TODAY. Inputs blah is fine, but if I have to spend another weekend working on anything, no matter how enjoyable it is, I shall .. I shall ... I shall go back and think of something appropriately scary to threaten you with. Note however, that it will be MEAN and NASTY!
3. At 12 pm this afternoon, I will have reached POG - point of give up - when I throw my hands up and say "I did all I could, the rest is in the maker's hands" and will just go do that presentation. At that point, please to make any sense of attachment and involvement flee my system. I DON'T want.
4. At 2 pm this afternoon, I will reach POF - Point of Freedom. At this point I'd like you to make the unbreakable glass of the 22nd floor windows breakable for exactly 15 mins (before the next meeting starts) so that I can jump out and be a FREE BIRD.
(While you're at it, do NOT seal back the hole in the window until i re-enter from my flight of fantasy. I need to be at the next meeting. P needs me)
Please let me know if you need any clarifications on the above requests. In case of further questions/inputs, I'll be happy to talk over the phone. Note however, that I haven't left a number. If you want it badly enough, you will find it.
Regards,
Unpredictable
I have a few wishes for today, please to adjust and fulfill.
1. I want chai. With Amul milk and Brooke Bond chai patti. And i want SOMEONE ELSE to make it for me instead of walking to the kitchen in my sleep deprived state. Can?
2. I want this to end today. TODAY. Inputs blah is fine, but if I have to spend another weekend working on anything, no matter how enjoyable it is, I shall .. I shall ... I shall go back and think of something appropriately scary to threaten you with. Note however, that it will be MEAN and NASTY!
3. At 12 pm this afternoon, I will have reached POG - point of give up - when I throw my hands up and say "I did all I could, the rest is in the maker's hands" and will just go do that presentation. At that point, please to make any sense of attachment and involvement flee my system. I DON'T want.
4. At 2 pm this afternoon, I will reach POF - Point of Freedom. At this point I'd like you to make the unbreakable glass of the 22nd floor windows breakable for exactly 15 mins (before the next meeting starts) so that I can jump out and be a FREE BIRD.
(While you're at it, do NOT seal back the hole in the window until i re-enter from my flight of fantasy. I need to be at the next meeting. P needs me)
Please let me know if you need any clarifications on the above requests. In case of further questions/inputs, I'll be happy to talk over the phone. Note however, that I haven't left a number. If you want it badly enough, you will find it.
Regards,
Unpredictable
Sunday, December 09, 2007
Poetry across the seas ...
After PuppyManohar booed my blog's birthday yesterday in a rather insensitive (or so I thought) comment, I msged him asking why, alas, he does not think this worthy of celebration. This led to a rather poetic sms chain which turned out so good, we thought the world MUST see it (and applaud?).
Context: Daytime for Unpred, Night time for PM, Unpred and her teammate P working through the weekend for a Monday deadline, a rare first time occurence, both in Unpred's house working away ...
*images of 2 bleary eyed girls and burning midnight oil float by*
Pasting here for your eyes only
===============================
Me: "Nonsense" is it my blog budday?Alas.
PM:
It's not a birthday. It's a double century!
Rejoice and be merry!
Me:
Poetic boy.
So much joy?
But now i'll go.
Work to do.
Sad sad plight.
But good night!
{Me: (Revelation hitting hard) One full day poetic sms should be done. Talent is going to waste here.}
PM:
Alas dear Unpred please don't cry.
I am making dal fry.
Then i will come online like that.
And then we can put the google chat!
Me:
:) work has to be done alas,
saturday slog is in a different class.
P is here to work with me,
so how still can our chatting be?
PM:
That sounds like a lame excuse.
Office networks are to be abused.
As soon as P looks away,
then It's time to chat i say!
*Unpred inserts disclaimer: Dear boss/ colleague reading this - these are PM's views - not mine!*
Me:
:) poor little child of mine,
with my insincerity she's prob fine,
its my own guilt you see,
won't let me live with me.
PM:
Dear Unpred this i can't help.
If your conscience decides to yelp
everytime you do something bad,
how can fun times be had?
(Unpred by now too engrossed in work, rudely doesn't reciproacte the poetry)
PM: (post an hour or so)
Dear Unpred i've turned out the light.
It's time for you to wish me good night.
Please don't be all work and no play.
After all It's saturday.
Me:
Dear pm i've had my lunch,
work's not still packing a punch,
i do hope to party tonight,
wake up tomo fresh and bright,
i hope you too sleep well,
by then i'll be back from hell :)
==============================================
And that's it for today folks! I'm going back to work!
Context: Daytime for Unpred, Night time for PM, Unpred and her teammate P working through the weekend for a Monday deadline, a rare first time occurence, both in Unpred's house working away ...
*images of 2 bleary eyed girls and burning midnight oil float by*
Pasting here for your eyes only
===============================
Me: "Nonsense" is it my blog budday?
PM:
It's not a birthday. It's a double century!
Rejoice and be merry!
Me:
Poetic boy.
So much joy?
But now i'll go.
Work to do.
Sad sad plight.
But good night!
{Me: (Revelation hitting hard) One full day poetic sms should be done. Talent is going to waste here.}
PM:
Alas dear Unpred please don't cry.
I am making dal fry.
Then i will come online like that.
And then we can put the google chat!
Me:
:) work has to be done alas,
saturday slog is in a different class.
P is here to work with me,
so how still can our chatting be?
PM:
That sounds like a lame excuse.
Office networks are to be abused.
As soon as P looks away,
then It's time to chat i say!
*Unpred inserts disclaimer: Dear boss/ colleague reading this - these are PM's views - not mine!*
Me:
:) poor little child of mine,
with my insincerity she's prob fine,
its my own guilt you see,
won't let me live with me.
PM:
Dear Unpred this i can't help.
If your conscience decides to yelp
everytime you do something bad,
how can fun times be had?
(Unpred by now too engrossed in work, rudely doesn't reciproacte the poetry)
PM: (post an hour or so)
Dear Unpred i've turned out the light.
It's time for you to wish me good night.
Please don't be all work and no play.
After all It's saturday.
Me:
Dear pm i've had my lunch,
work's not still packing a punch,
i do hope to party tonight,
wake up tomo fresh and bright,
i hope you too sleep well,
by then i'll be back from hell :)
==============================================
And that's it for today folks! I'm going back to work!
Saturday, December 08, 2007
Say hi to Hamlet the Hamster ..
Scroll down ... yeah right there below the Neoearth counter is my new pet Mr (or Miss? I don't genderdiscriminate when I adopt as you can see) Hamlet.
Pls to say hi :-)
This is my gift to myself for wrapping up 200 posts (come to think of it, all these cheap friends of mine asking me for treats should be treating ME!) and for working through the bleddy weekend (and enjoying it no less - i'm an official freak!)
Pls to say hi :-)
This is my gift to myself for wrapping up 200 posts (come to think of it, all these cheap friends of mine asking me for treats should be treating ME!) and for working through the bleddy weekend (and enjoying it no less - i'm an official freak!)
Friday, December 07, 2007
Blogpost number 200 ...
No hurrahs, no whoops. Just my quiet enigmatic smile (stop laughing I say!!) to accompany the 200th post on this blog.
It's been 12 months of fairly sustained blogging with no motivation to hit any target numbers (I get enough grief from doing that at work . Sigh!), just the pleasure of writing and feeling like there's a good friend to go to every evening (You think that's sad? I think it's self reliant :-)). It's been so much fun rediscovering the "writing" side of me that not blogging for a while actually makes me feel less happy and blogging regularly keeps something inside that thoughtful mind ticking away constantly, preventing any grey cell decay. I like :D
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
P passed on this lovely piece of writing she found on the net and put up on her own blog. It talks to me and might be relevant to your paradigm of the present (if not, you'll skip ahead anyway right? :)) ... and would be a nice way to celebrate 200 posts on Mystic Pizza. (PuppyManohar offered to interview me on this special day and we actually did half an interview but my hands gave up on me midway through the chat and I had to retire to bed, next post maybe?)
"
ME : Why are we constantly unhappy?
GOD : Your today is the tomorrow that you worried about yesterday.
You are worrying because you are analyzing.
Worrying has become your habit. That's why you are not happy.
ME : But how can we not worry when there is so much uncertainty?
GOD : Uncertainty is inevitable, but worrying is optional.
ME : But then, there is so much pain due to uncertainty...
GOD : Pain is inevitable, but suffering is optional.
ME : If suffering is optional, why do good people always suffer?
GOD : Diamond cannot be polished without friction.
Gold cannot be purified without fire.
Good people go through trials, but don't suffer.
With that experience their life becomes better, not bitter.
ME : You mean to say such experience is useful?
GOD : Yes. In every term, Experience is a hard teacher.
She gives the test first and the lessons afterwards.
ME : But still, why should we go through such tests? Why can't we be free from problems?
GOD : Problems are Purposeful Roadblocks Offering Beneficial Lessons to Enhance Mental Strength .
Inner strength comes from struggle and endurance, not when you are free from problems.
ME : Frankly in the midst of so many problems, we don't know where we are heading...
GOD : If you look outside you will not know where you are heading.
Look inside.
Looking outside, you dream.
Looking inside, you awaken.
Eyes provide sight. Heart provides insight.
ME : Sometimes not succeeding fast seems to hurt more than moving in the right direction. What should I do?
GOD : Success is a measure as decided by others.
Satisfaction is a measure as decided by you.
Knowing the road ahead is more satisfying than knowing you rode ahead
You work with the compass. Let others work with the clock.
ME : In tough times, how do you stay motivated?
GOD : Always look at how far you have come rather than how far you have to go.
Always count your blessing, not what you are missing.
ME : What surprises you about people?
GOD : When they suffer they ask, "why me?"
When they prosper, they never ask "Why me?"
Everyone wishes to have truth on their side, but few want to be on the side
of the truth.
ME : Sometimes I ask, "Who am I, why am I here?" I can't get the answer.
GOD : Seek not to find who you are, but to determine who you want to be.
Stop looking for a purpose as to why you are here.
Create it. Life is not a process of discovery, but a process of creation.
ME : How can I get the best out of life?
GOD: Face your past without regret.
Handle your present with confidence.
Prepare for the future without fear
"
======================================================
Easier said than done, but brilliantly said nevertheless eh? :-) Happy birthday dear blog :)
It's been 12 months of fairly sustained blogging with no motivation to hit any target numbers (I get enough grief from doing that at work . Sigh!), just the pleasure of writing and feeling like there's a good friend to go to every evening (You think that's sad? I think it's self reliant :-)). It's been so much fun rediscovering the "writing" side of me that not blogging for a while actually makes me feel less happy and blogging regularly keeps something inside that thoughtful mind ticking away constantly, preventing any grey cell decay. I like :D
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
P passed on this lovely piece of writing she found on the net and put up on her own blog. It talks to me and might be relevant to your paradigm of the present (if not, you'll skip ahead anyway right? :)) ... and would be a nice way to celebrate 200 posts on Mystic Pizza. (PuppyManohar offered to interview me on this special day and we actually did half an interview but my hands gave up on me midway through the chat and I had to retire to bed, next post maybe?)
"
ME : Why are we constantly unhappy?
GOD : Your today is the tomorrow that you worried about yesterday.
You are worrying because you are analyzing.
Worrying has become your habit. That's why you are not happy.
ME : But how can we not worry when there is so much uncertainty?
GOD : Uncertainty is inevitable, but worrying is optional.
ME : But then, there is so much pain due to uncertainty...
GOD : Pain is inevitable, but suffering is optional.
ME : If suffering is optional, why do good people always suffer?
GOD : Diamond cannot be polished without friction.
Gold cannot be purified without fire.
Good people go through trials, but don't suffer.
With that experience their life becomes better, not bitter.
ME : You mean to say such experience is useful?
GOD : Yes. In every term, Experience is a hard teacher.
She gives the test first and the lessons afterwards.
ME : But still, why should we go through such tests? Why can't we be free from problems?
GOD : Problems are Purposeful Roadblocks Offering Beneficial Lessons to Enhance Mental Strength .
Inner strength comes from struggle and endurance, not when you are free from problems.
ME : Frankly in the midst of so many problems, we don't know where we are heading...
GOD : If you look outside you will not know where you are heading.
Look inside.
Looking outside, you dream.
Looking inside, you awaken.
Eyes provide sight. Heart provides insight.
ME : Sometimes not succeeding fast seems to hurt more than moving in the right direction. What should I do?
GOD : Success is a measure as decided by others.
Satisfaction is a measure as decided by you.
Knowing the road ahead is more satisfying than knowing you rode ahead
You work with the compass. Let others work with the clock.
ME : In tough times, how do you stay motivated?
GOD : Always look at how far you have come rather than how far you have to go.
Always count your blessing, not what you are missing.
ME : What surprises you about people?
GOD : When they suffer they ask, "why me?"
When they prosper, they never ask "Why me?"
Everyone wishes to have truth on their side, but few want to be on the side
of the truth.
ME : Sometimes I ask, "Who am I, why am I here?" I can't get the answer.
GOD : Seek not to find who you are, but to determine who you want to be.
Stop looking for a purpose as to why you are here.
Create it. Life is not a process of discovery, but a process of creation.
ME : How can I get the best out of life?
GOD: Face your past without regret.
Handle your present with confidence.
Prepare for the future without fear
"
======================================================
Easier said than done, but brilliantly said nevertheless eh? :-) Happy birthday dear blog :)
Wednesday, December 05, 2007
So much masala!
Bollywood is brilliant!! The last few weeks have seen a multitude of anticipated movies finally reach eager audiences. Some turned out to be dull duds.. others were just the right dose of masala for a rather deprived Indian populace... here's my ode to some ...
Om Shanti Om:
Wat a fultoo paisa vasool movie this was! A seasoned Shahrukh Khan (except for the Dard e Disco Fiasco - what's with the 40 year old fake muscles), a refreshing face + decent actress, Deepika Padukone (she has my vote for best female newcomer this year), a song with 31 stars and some of the best music in this year (Vishal Shekhar are superb with this one), OSO is as Bollywood Masala as it comes.
Note: If you don't think you'll sing and dance with glee to the star studded 'Deewangi' song and/or laugh at Shahrukh's quick gun Murugun "Mind it" spoof, then kindly stay home, else you are encouraged to go on and indulge in what may be a sub standard storyline, but is a brilliant masala entertainer! :D
Jab we Met:
Ok so I fell asleep during this one, but that had NOTHING to do with the movie! It was ME not IT. (Drat! I sound like I'm breaking up with the movie - "it's ME - not YOU" style) but I swear, if there's one movie this year I've heard CONSISTENTly good reviews about, it's this one.
Kareena delights in her role of an annoying yet lovable girl and Shahid is controlled and mellow as he slowly succumbs to her positivity and allows his being to be infected by her hopeless optimism.
The music is incredibly "foot-tap-able" (if you see me at work mind-dancing away with a grin on my face, I'm likely listening to 'yeh ishq hai') and an interesting combination of slow and fast numbers.
Breezy and light hearted, Jab We Met is a classic case of under-promising and over-delivering. A must watch for anyone and everyone!
Aaja Nachle:
Madhuri makes a comeback after what - 6 years? And how! She plays her age as a 10 yr old's mom and yet retains every bit of the dancing talent that propelled her into stardom in her Tezaab days.
Kunal Kapoor is yummy! (Penguin will tell you how I jolled over this extremely talented, very promising, 'its sinful to look this good' actor all through the movie - but ignore her will ya?) You really just have to see him (and belong to womankind) to understand .... Sighhhh ...
Konkona Sen is adorable as the bumbling simpleton trying to audition for Laila's role and Ranvir and Vinay are their usual hilarious + poignant selves.
And the music!!! Oh the music!!! And the dance!!! We simply COULD NOT sit still through either the title song or the very hummable "Show me your Jalwa" and although we irritated the life out of the uncles and aunties ahead of us, there really IS no other way to enjoy the music! :D
An out and out Bollywood masala movie with the usual quirks and lapses of logic, this one comes recommended for any Madhuri fan and definitely for any fan of her dancing! Simple story of good vs. evil and no terribly evil characters, this one's perfect for a Friday evening viewing. Go watch!
Coming up:
Taare Zameen Par (Aamir Khan as a teacher to a dyslexic child) and Khoya Khoya Chand (the glamour and glitx of the 70's movie industry with the talented Shiny Ahuja) ...
Bollywood rocks! :D
Om Shanti Om:
Wat a fultoo paisa vasool movie this was! A seasoned Shahrukh Khan (except for the Dard e Disco Fiasco - what's with the 40 year old fake muscles), a refreshing face + decent actress, Deepika Padukone (she has my vote for best female newcomer this year), a song with 31 stars and some of the best music in this year (Vishal Shekhar are superb with this one), OSO is as Bollywood Masala as it comes.
Note: If you don't think you'll sing and dance with glee to the star studded 'Deewangi' song and/or laugh at Shahrukh's quick gun Murugun "Mind it" spoof, then kindly stay home, else you are encouraged to go on and indulge in what may be a sub standard storyline, but is a brilliant masala entertainer! :D
Jab we Met:
Ok so I fell asleep during this one, but that had NOTHING to do with the movie! It was ME not IT. (Drat! I sound like I'm breaking up with the movie - "it's ME - not YOU" style) but I swear, if there's one movie this year I've heard CONSISTENTly good reviews about, it's this one.
Kareena delights in her role of an annoying yet lovable girl and Shahid is controlled and mellow as he slowly succumbs to her positivity and allows his being to be infected by her hopeless optimism.
The music is incredibly "foot-tap-able" (if you see me at work mind-dancing away with a grin on my face, I'm likely listening to 'yeh ishq hai') and an interesting combination of slow and fast numbers.
Breezy and light hearted, Jab We Met is a classic case of under-promising and over-delivering. A must watch for anyone and everyone!
Aaja Nachle:
Madhuri makes a comeback after what - 6 years? And how! She plays her age as a 10 yr old's mom and yet retains every bit of the dancing talent that propelled her into stardom in her Tezaab days.
Kunal Kapoor is yummy! (Penguin will tell you how I jolled over this extremely talented, very promising, 'its sinful to look this good' actor all through the movie - but ignore her will ya?) You really just have to see him (and belong to womankind) to understand .... Sighhhh ...
Konkona Sen is adorable as the bumbling simpleton trying to audition for Laila's role and Ranvir and Vinay are their usual hilarious + poignant selves.
And the music!!! Oh the music!!! And the dance!!! We simply COULD NOT sit still through either the title song or the very hummable "Show me your Jalwa" and although we irritated the life out of the uncles and aunties ahead of us, there really IS no other way to enjoy the music! :D
An out and out Bollywood masala movie with the usual quirks and lapses of logic, this one comes recommended for any Madhuri fan and definitely for any fan of her dancing! Simple story of good vs. evil and no terribly evil characters, this one's perfect for a Friday evening viewing. Go watch!
Coming up:
Taare Zameen Par (Aamir Khan as a teacher to a dyslexic child) and Khoya Khoya Chand (the glamour and glitx of the 70's movie industry with the talented Shiny Ahuja) ...
Bollywood rocks! :D
Monday, December 03, 2007
She made it!!! YAYYYYY!!!! :DDDDD
For context, read post below.
Mom just made it past the interview process and is officially promoted to AGM (Asst Gen Mgr) from a Pvt Secy :D It's such a weird feeling to go through for one day what she went through as we took exams and interviews all these years, but I'm SO SO SO proud of her and SO SO excited and happy for the opportunities that lie ahead :D
Icing on cake: She gets to stay in Bombay with her family and around her friends! :-)
Ma, if you're reading this, you make your family soo proud - in SO many ways! You SO deserved this and I hope you realize that as you say your thanks :-)
Hugs and lots of love from us (even the silly son who refuses to express) :D
P.s: Broom and Nm - thanks for your wishes! :)
Mom just made it past the interview process and is officially promoted to AGM (Asst Gen Mgr) from a Pvt Secy :D It's such a weird feeling to go through for one day what she went through as we took exams and interviews all these years, but I'm SO SO SO proud of her and SO SO excited and happy for the opportunities that lie ahead :D
Icing on cake: She gets to stay in Bombay with her family and around her friends! :-)
Ma, if you're reading this, you make your family soo proud - in SO many ways! You SO deserved this and I hope you realize that as you say your thanks :-)
Hugs and lots of love from us (even the silly son who refuses to express) :D
P.s: Broom and Nm - thanks for your wishes! :)
Mum's day to be nervous .. Prayers please?
It's an important day for Mom today. She's in an interview as I type this message out.
Mum belongs to the generation of people who stayed in their jobs for 30 odd years and to the generation of women who declined offer after offer at a promotion coz it would mean making a tough choice between either staying away from her children or moving their lives to a new city to accomodate her move.
Only now at the age of 53, when her kids are 20 and 26 respectively is she finally ready to take the plunge that might send her someplace else, secure in the knowledge that me and S can both take care of ourselves in the rare event that she has to go away to another city, and a little more secure in the knowledge that this time they'll probably keep her in Mumbai itself :-)
Only I know how much this means to her. I get most of who I am from amma and I know it's never about the cash increments or the designations themselves (I haven't even bothered to get my business card upgraded after my promo to reflect the new status coz I think its such a waste of money and paper - you get what I mean?). It's usually about the chance to do better/ more interesting work that entails more responsibility and all that. My mum's exactly like that.
And although she's usually the epitome of confidence amidst people of ANY generation, she's been palpably nervous the last 1 week and this interview has been top of mind whenever we speak. And me, I'm nervous as hell too :-) I don't get nervous even for my own interviews, and I'm nervous for her. Not cause I doubt her abilities, but coz I know in her mind, the stakes are pretty high if she doesn't make it and she's going to be very upset and still have to put up a brave front coz people hate seeing her down.
I wish there was anything more I could do, but I know there's not much except to pray. And I'm doing that right now ... do send up a prayer for her if you read this anytime soon :-) Shall be much appreciated :-)
I'll put up what happens by this evening ... yeah, we'll know just that soon :-)
Mum belongs to the generation of people who stayed in their jobs for 30 odd years and to the generation of women who declined offer after offer at a promotion coz it would mean making a tough choice between either staying away from her children or moving their lives to a new city to accomodate her move.
Only now at the age of 53, when her kids are 20 and 26 respectively is she finally ready to take the plunge that might send her someplace else, secure in the knowledge that me and S can both take care of ourselves in the rare event that she has to go away to another city, and a little more secure in the knowledge that this time they'll probably keep her in Mumbai itself :-)
Only I know how much this means to her. I get most of who I am from amma and I know it's never about the cash increments or the designations themselves (I haven't even bothered to get my business card upgraded after my promo to reflect the new status coz I think its such a waste of money and paper - you get what I mean?). It's usually about the chance to do better/ more interesting work that entails more responsibility and all that. My mum's exactly like that.
And although she's usually the epitome of confidence amidst people of ANY generation, she's been palpably nervous the last 1 week and this interview has been top of mind whenever we speak. And me, I'm nervous as hell too :-) I don't get nervous even for my own interviews, and I'm nervous for her. Not cause I doubt her abilities, but coz I know in her mind, the stakes are pretty high if she doesn't make it and she's going to be very upset and still have to put up a brave front coz people hate seeing her down.
I wish there was anything more I could do, but I know there's not much except to pray. And I'm doing that right now ... do send up a prayer for her if you read this anytime soon :-) Shall be much appreciated :-)
I'll put up what happens by this evening ... yeah, we'll know just that soon :-)
Saturday, December 01, 2007
HELP?
Hi all,
Let me just get straight to the point. I did something terribly stupid yesterday and I need any help I can get on how to sort it out.
My bunch of friends from bschool is planning a trip to Cambodia-Malaysia early next year and the most resourceful and efficient of us, (emm.. not me as you will discover soon!) SB, has been managing coordination and skeds on this for the last 2 months now. Finally got around to booking tickets on budget last evening. Asked me to collate details on passport numbers, DOBs etc for the 3 of us travelling from Singapore.
Being the ever eager, trying to chip in, enthu cutlet that I am, I jumped on it. "Yes yes! Leave it to me!" I exclaimed and set out on the assigned task. Since Sha and N were on my floor you'd imagine it'd be a pretty simple exercise. Listen, note and email out to SB. Simple, one would assume.
I sent out what I thought was an easy set of details and then set out on the Fri evening dinner et al and came home to discover an email where N replied to my mail saying "Hi, sorry but one '2' is missing in my passport number" and SB had replied saying "Yeh kya kya karte ho tum log? Ab cancel nahi ho sakta, pad gaya Rs 10000 ka fatka".
I just sat there marvelling at my own stupidity for about 10 minutes. Emotions in abnormally large numbers flowed through my little brain - rage at self, more inadequacy at stupidity and carelessness, entry into official idiotdom (this episode having put me on the brink), impending disaster as a result of my overenthusiasm + lack of attention to detail, sadness at letting down friends and helpnessness at not knowing what to do - being some of them.
Now I'll handle the rest on my own, but I need help with the helplessness.
Everyone, anyone out there - If you've indulged in this stupidity earlier - skipped a numeral in the passport number for online bookings on budget airlines, how did you go about setting it right?
- Did you contact the airline?
- Did you just go to the airport and take a chance?
- Did you cancel (GULP!) the tickets and let the money go?
- Did you pray more often, maybe visit a temple / church/ mosque or 2 (As you can see, I'm at the absolute pits of desperation right now) coz I CAN do that (I may be stupid but I have faith in copious amounts!)
Kindly pour in tips on what might help in this situation and I shall be very very obliged. I shall even go to my favorite temple and throw in a prayer or two for you - a full archanai if you so desire. (Just send me your nakashtram details ok?)
And do not judge. You could've been JUST as stupid ok? Ok who AM I kidding! You couldn't. Go on, judge. But HELP!
Let me just get straight to the point. I did something terribly stupid yesterday and I need any help I can get on how to sort it out.
My bunch of friends from bschool is planning a trip to Cambodia-Malaysia early next year and the most resourceful and efficient of us, (emm.. not me as you will discover soon!) SB, has been managing coordination and skeds on this for the last 2 months now. Finally got around to booking tickets on budget last evening. Asked me to collate details on passport numbers, DOBs etc for the 3 of us travelling from Singapore.
Being the ever eager, trying to chip in, enthu cutlet that I am, I jumped on it. "Yes yes! Leave it to me!" I exclaimed and set out on the assigned task. Since Sha and N were on my floor you'd imagine it'd be a pretty simple exercise. Listen, note and email out to SB. Simple, one would assume.
I sent out what I thought was an easy set of details and then set out on the Fri evening dinner et al and came home to discover an email where N replied to my mail saying "Hi, sorry but one '2' is missing in my passport number" and SB had replied saying "Yeh kya kya karte ho tum log? Ab cancel nahi ho sakta, pad gaya Rs 10000 ka fatka".
I just sat there marvelling at my own stupidity for about 10 minutes. Emotions in abnormally large numbers flowed through my little brain - rage at self, more inadequacy at stupidity and carelessness, entry into official idiotdom (this episode having put me on the brink), impending disaster as a result of my overenthusiasm + lack of attention to detail, sadness at letting down friends and helpnessness at not knowing what to do - being some of them.
Now I'll handle the rest on my own, but I need help with the helplessness.
Everyone, anyone out there - If you've indulged in this stupidity earlier - skipped a numeral in the passport number for online bookings on budget airlines, how did you go about setting it right?
- Did you contact the airline?
- Did you just go to the airport and take a chance?
- Did you cancel (GULP!) the tickets and let the money go?
- Did you pray more often, maybe visit a temple / church/ mosque or 2 (As you can see, I'm at the absolute pits of desperation right now) coz I CAN do that (I may be stupid but I have faith in copious amounts!)
Kindly pour in tips on what might help in this situation and I shall be very very obliged. I shall even go to my favorite temple and throw in a prayer or two for you - a full archanai if you so desire. (Just send me your nakashtram details ok?)
And do not judge. You could've been JUST as stupid ok? Ok who AM I kidding! You couldn't. Go on, judge. But HELP!
Friday, November 30, 2007
Move on PuppyManohar, it's ME time!
I'm a sucker for silly tests on the lines of "What bird does your voice most resemble" and "Which of the 7 wonders are you likely to be". In fact, I remember a friend and I once spent about 2 hours on tickle.com doing random personality quizzes and comparing notes! (No - 2 losers are NOT better than 1)
My inexplicable interest in this stuff is for no apparent reason but that it gives me a break from writing long sentences and with some delightful easy peasy clicks on MCQs gives me a detailed analysis that is usually a product of someone ELSE's effort (or imagination!) :-)
So here's the latest I found on Nuts' blog.
And see what it has to say about me.
And I call myself Unpredictable. Failure!
My inexplicable interest in this stuff is for no apparent reason but that it gives me a break from writing long sentences and with some delightful easy peasy clicks on MCQs gives me a detailed analysis that is usually a product of someone ELSE's effort (or imagination!) :-)
So here's the latest I found on Nuts' blog.
And see what it has to say about me.
| You Have A Type A- Personality |
You are one of the most balanced people around Motivated and focused, you are good at getting what you want You rule at success, but success doesn't rule you. When it's playtime, you really know how to kick back Whether it's hanging out with friends or doing something you love! You live life to the fullest - incorporating the best of both worlds |
And I call myself Unpredictable. Failure!
Thursday, November 29, 2007
Chennai Superstars and an advert for PuppyManohar
Phunny video contribution from PuppyManohar. Please to see and yenjaai.
Also here's a teeny tiny advert:
Introducing ... PuppyManohar (tadaaahhh!)
- Single, ready to mingle
- Cooks really well (is discerning enough to understand that ginger, garlic and a lump of jaggery do a great dal make, soaks Rajma overnight and cooks it the next day once every week and so on...)
- Good housekeeper (spent 20 minutes cleaning Mogambo's microwave down to the last speck and was visibly frustrated at the hard time it was giving him).
- Is polite (Said "thank you" and "sorry" as i laid out every piece of dinner on the table, every spoon, every plate, every paper napkin was given a thank you, and everytime i glared at him for being so painfully repetitive, the sorry would be repeated)
- Has good grammar (pings me after every post to point out the difference between "its" and "it's" and then apologizes for being a pain in line with aforementioned politeness)
- Is a poet in the making (Check out this and this)
- Has sense of humor (Same comment as above)
- Can take whining with infinite patience (He was Mogambo's flatmate for a year, living with a girl pretty much prepares a guy for all kinds of whining, yes?)
- Owns a car, Lives in the US of A and has a post grad degree (This for potential brides' parents wonly, horoscope matching is frowned upon - so pls do not ask!)
So all ya women out there (hopefully single) pls to tell if interested and Unpredictable shall play matchmaker, an area she has seen many most successes in previously. :D
Also here's a teeny tiny advert:
Introducing ... PuppyManohar (tadaaahhh!)
- Single, ready to mingle
- Cooks really well (is discerning enough to understand that ginger, garlic and a lump of jaggery do a great dal make, soaks Rajma overnight and cooks it the next day once every week and so on...)
- Good housekeeper (spent 20 minutes cleaning Mogambo's microwave down to the last speck and was visibly frustrated at the hard time it was giving him).
- Is polite (Said "thank you" and "sorry" as i laid out every piece of dinner on the table, every spoon, every plate, every paper napkin was given a thank you, and everytime i glared at him for being so painfully repetitive, the sorry would be repeated)
- Has good grammar (pings me after every post to point out the difference between "its" and "it's" and then apologizes for being a pain in line with aforementioned politeness)
- Is a poet in the making (Check out this and this)
- Has sense of humor (Same comment as above)
- Can take whining with infinite patience (He was Mogambo's flatmate for a year, living with a girl pretty much prepares a guy for all kinds of whining, yes?)
- Owns a car, Lives in the US of A and has a post grad degree (This for potential brides' parents wonly, horoscope matching is frowned upon - so pls do not ask!)
So all ya women out there (hopefully single) pls to tell if interested and Unpredictable shall play matchmaker, an area she has seen many most successes in previously. :D
Wednesday, November 28, 2007
This is for you Superman ...
Dear Superman,
Mogambo mentioned that you wanted something "jollier" on this blog soon coz the misery is pissing you off / going right above your head :P
Here. This is as phunny as it gets. Its not my own. But you will love.
Love,
Unpred.
P.s: The Yale tee is brilliant thanksverymuch! :D
P.p.s: People who aren't Superman will ALSO enjoy this one. Please to read PuppyManohar's latest. I cannot stop ROTFLING.
Mogambo mentioned that you wanted something "jollier" on this blog soon coz the misery is pissing you off / going right above your head :P
Here. This is as phunny as it gets. Its not my own. But you will love.
Love,
Unpred.
P.s: The Yale tee is brilliant thanksverymuch! :D
P.p.s: People who aren't Superman will ALSO enjoy this one. Please to read PuppyManohar's latest. I cannot stop ROTFLING.
Oh also ...
Yes I did take down a whole post a week or so back. I had my reasons for feeling the way I did and writing about it. What I didn't count on was the sheer inability to deal with questions/ advice on the situation. I could've disabled comments, but mum mentioned the blog at some point and I was reminded that she might come visit and get unduly worried. Hence the deletion.
I got some mystified mails / messages from friends asking if I indeed deleted something, or if their eyes were playing tricks on them ... It was me you guys ... I deleted it.
(I also need to apologize to Mahogany and Viraj who had their comments summarily deleted along with my post ... now deleting my own post is something, deleting your comments (mostly written out of concern) is just rude. Sorry guys!)
You can now proceed to read the 4 odd (even?) new posts below. And in addition to focussing on the mediocrity post and getting riled up and commenting on it, please be kind enough to read the one below that and leave me a hug or two!
I got some mystified mails / messages from friends asking if I indeed deleted something, or if their eyes were playing tricks on them ... It was me you guys ... I deleted it.
(I also need to apologize to Mahogany and Viraj who had their comments summarily deleted along with my post ... now deleting my own post is something, deleting your comments (mostly written out of concern) is just rude. Sorry guys!)
You can now proceed to read the 4 odd (even?) new posts below. And in addition to focussing on the mediocrity post and getting riled up and commenting on it, please be kind enough to read the one below that and leave me a hug or two!
Dreams ...
My boss tells me if I don't pick up on how poorly I'm doing, I can pack my bags and leave, thanks very much ... I tell her I expected no less of myself, thanks very much in turn! (When I told her this, she went "Dammit, u mean I DON't get to tell you that first?" Fine! Fine! She has a sense of humor!)
My GM walks towards me purposefully in the corridor and demands to know "Where's that analysis your team promised me 2 years back" while I'm thinking "Boss: Just a small detail, I wasn't on your team 2 years ago!" and "Oh I'm so screwed" and telling him "You'll have it next week" all at once .......
My mum and I take a trip to a country I've already visited and sit in a stupid train that passes right by a classroom (yes, say it with me - STUPID!). My eyes zoom in and lock onto someone I know from a while ago and I'm stuck for a reaction as to WHY all this is happening! More importantly, why are we spending good money visiting a country I've already seen!
Another colleague and I are stuck in a building suddenly attacked by a terrorist group and even as we seek refuge in the nearest flat, my kid brother's friends aren't as lucky and get picked up and taken away ... (Of course I wake up scared out of my wits and realize its too early to call mom and check on S .. and too demented sounding to check on his friends)
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All of those in a single night. And the weird thing is except for the last one, I can actually trace a logical link with each one to my current reality. (despite that, the only one I DID act on was the 4th one, called my mom to casually see how bro's doing - 'slogging over his exams and relishing his newfound obsession with coffee', she tells me, 'early signs of aging and caffeine addiction beat being whisked off by terrorists anyday!' I retort to no one in particular...)
This freaky thing with dreams happens often. Hopefully not just to me. The things that are most important/ worry causing/ happiness/ excitement inducing at any point in time tend to occupy my dreamspace. And if it's undesirable kinda space, it takes a good deal of work in my conscious mind to eliminate their evil shadow in my subconscious mind. Hard work, as if the deadlines aren't taxing/vexing enough.
Does it happen to you? Do your dreams sound and look eerily close to some contorted version of your own reality and freak you out? Does deja vu for you sometimes have its origins in dream sequences? Importantly, is there a book out there that helps understand why we have the dreams we do? Tell me about it, will ya?
My GM walks towards me purposefully in the corridor and demands to know "Where's that analysis your team promised me 2 years back" while I'm thinking "Boss: Just a small detail, I wasn't on your team 2 years ago!" and "Oh I'm so screwed" and telling him "You'll have it next week" all at once .......
My mum and I take a trip to a country I've already visited and sit in a stupid train that passes right by a classroom (yes, say it with me - STUPID!). My eyes zoom in and lock onto someone I know from a while ago and I'm stuck for a reaction as to WHY all this is happening! More importantly, why are we spending good money visiting a country I've already seen!
Another colleague and I are stuck in a building suddenly attacked by a terrorist group and even as we seek refuge in the nearest flat, my kid brother's friends aren't as lucky and get picked up and taken away ... (Of course I wake up scared out of my wits and realize its too early to call mom and check on S .. and too demented sounding to check on his friends)
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All of those in a single night. And the weird thing is except for the last one, I can actually trace a logical link with each one to my current reality. (despite that, the only one I DID act on was the 4th one, called my mom to casually see how bro's doing - 'slogging over his exams and relishing his newfound obsession with coffee', she tells me, 'early signs of aging and caffeine addiction beat being whisked off by terrorists anyday!' I retort to no one in particular...)
This freaky thing with dreams happens often. Hopefully not just to me. The things that are most important/ worry causing/ happiness/ excitement inducing at any point in time tend to occupy my dreamspace. And if it's undesirable kinda space, it takes a good deal of work in my conscious mind to eliminate their evil shadow in my subconscious mind. Hard work, as if the deadlines aren't taxing/vexing enough.
Does it happen to you? Do your dreams sound and look eerily close to some contorted version of your own reality and freak you out? Does deja vu for you sometimes have its origins in dream sequences? Importantly, is there a book out there that helps understand why we have the dreams we do? Tell me about it, will ya?
Life's like an hour glass stuck to the table ..
Brilliant lyrics here ... the bold portion more than any other, rest just for context...utter brilliance! I couldn't have put it this well ever! Here's the song to hear along
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2 AM and she calls me 'cause I'm still awake,
"Can you help me unravel my latest mistake?,
I don't love him. Winter just wasn't my season"
Yeah we walk through the doors, so accusing their eyes
Like they have any right at all to criticize,
Hypocrites. You're all here for the very same reason'
Cause you can't jump the track,
We're like cars on a cable
And life's like an hourglass, glued to the table
No one can find the rewind button, now.
So cradle your head in your hands
And breathe... just breathe,
Oh breathe, just breathe
- Anna Nalick, Breathe (Lyrics)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
2 AM and she calls me 'cause I'm still awake,
"Can you help me unravel my latest mistake?,
I don't love him. Winter just wasn't my season"
Yeah we walk through the doors, so accusing their eyes
Like they have any right at all to criticize,
Hypocrites. You're all here for the very same reason'
Cause you can't jump the track,
We're like cars on a cable
And life's like an hourglass, glued to the table
No one can find the rewind button, now.
So cradle your head in your hands
And breathe... just breathe,
Oh breathe, just breathe
- Anna Nalick, Breathe (Lyrics)
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Tuesday, November 27, 2007
I just realized - 2
Mediocrity is a word so many of us avoid with a vengeance, yes? And why so? For the same reason that we all push ourselves beyond limits, sometimes, to the very point of breakdown.
Cause at the end of the day,
Ordinary = not good enough = failure
Not ordinary = better than the rest = success.
And admittedly, it takes courage to move past mediocrity into the land of "better than the rest".
Walking out of a comfy relationship when you think you think you deserve more than the few morsels of someone's attention and time that you currently get by on ...
Taking an exam that 10^5 students in the country take and only 800 can pass, despite being well aware of the odds ...
Taking up that offbeat profession with no contacts, no godfathers, no nothing to help you shine while everyone else you know is still walking the cushy foreign degree road ...
I just realized 2: It probably takes even more courage to live amidst mediocrity with the cognizance that it is indeed mediocre.
You know what I mean? I realize there's millions of people out there who live the lives they do simply because they know no better and in their paradigm of the world, this is as good as it gets. I'm not talking about them.
I'm talking about the people who make choices and even when those choices turn out to be disappointments and life threatens to turn into a mediocre series of days and nights, still stick by their committments and don't run, simply because they have way too much integrity. I'm talking about them ..
Women (or men as the case may be) staying in marriages that didn't happen of their own accord, done to keep families happy (yeah, it happens..)
Employees stuck in mediocre jobs that they have no passion for, because they have families to support and cannot afford to rock the delicate boat that rests on the single income they bring in ..
If that isn't courage, what is?
Cause at the end of the day,
Ordinary = not good enough = failure
Not ordinary = better than the rest = success.
And admittedly, it takes courage to move past mediocrity into the land of "better than the rest".
Walking out of a comfy relationship when you think you think you deserve more than the few morsels of someone's attention and time that you currently get by on ...
Taking an exam that 10^5 students in the country take and only 800 can pass, despite being well aware of the odds ...
Taking up that offbeat profession with no contacts, no godfathers, no nothing to help you shine while everyone else you know is still walking the cushy foreign degree road ...
I just realized 2: It probably takes even more courage to live amidst mediocrity with the cognizance that it is indeed mediocre.
You know what I mean? I realize there's millions of people out there who live the lives they do simply because they know no better and in their paradigm of the world, this is as good as it gets. I'm not talking about them.
I'm talking about the people who make choices and even when those choices turn out to be disappointments and life threatens to turn into a mediocre series of days and nights, still stick by their committments and don't run, simply because they have way too much integrity. I'm talking about them ..
Women (or men as the case may be) staying in marriages that didn't happen of their own accord, done to keep families happy (yeah, it happens..)
Employees stuck in mediocre jobs that they have no passion for, because they have families to support and cannot afford to rock the delicate boat that rests on the single income they bring in ..
If that isn't courage, what is?
*erm, yeah... in the battle of the thinking mind vs. sleepy body, the mind wins 1-0*
I just realized - 1
I'm exhausted. Really exhausted. My days have turned into an intangible + tangible nightmare. Tangibly, my shoulder (which takes very badly to stress, swells and becomes a literal pain in the back) hurts like mad and intangibly although I like what I do, I'm at most times possessed by this feeling of complete panic and uncertainty. And of inadequacy. Mostly inadequacy. And that's the worst for the kind of people who thrive on doing well at most things.
I just realized 1: People used to being good at most things have the urge to RUN when they encounter a situation that makes them feel like they're not doing their very best. They'd rather walk away themselves than mess it up any further or be asked to leave. Applies to work and relationships alike.
I want to run for the hills and not come back at all. I'm desperately waiting for December when the deadlines end and life begins. When I can come home ready to take on the evening - blog, run, read through scripts, listen to music, sing along, be an attentive listener over the phone with friends instead of hmming like an insensitive jerk and dozing off as they tell me about things important to them, cook and play host .. all of those things seem so distant with the 12 hour days and the sheer exhaustion in the evenings that leaves me with the will to do little more than flop into bed and fall asleep watching mindless TV ... YUCK! Who have I become!
Of course I won't. It's not that bad and I know its temporary. And that writing about it alleviates about 80% of the misery. Not the backache, but atleast the heartache of feeling like I suck at something!
I just realized 1: People used to being good at most things have the urge to RUN when they encounter a situation that makes them feel like they're not doing their very best. They'd rather walk away themselves than mess it up any further or be asked to leave. Applies to work and relationships alike.
I want to run for the hills and not come back at all. I'm desperately waiting for December when the deadlines end and life begins. When I can come home ready to take on the evening - blog, run, read through scripts, listen to music, sing along, be an attentive listener over the phone with friends instead of hmming like an insensitive jerk and dozing off as they tell me about things important to them, cook and play host .. all of those things seem so distant with the 12 hour days and the sheer exhaustion in the evenings that leaves me with the will to do little more than flop into bed and fall asleep watching mindless TV ... YUCK! Who have I become!
Of course I won't. It's not that bad and I know its temporary. And that writing about it alleviates about 80% of the misery. Not the backache, but atleast the heartache of feeling like I suck at something!
*Falls asleep muttering "It'll pass .. it'll pass ..."*
Thursday, November 15, 2007
How I met the perfect man, and lost him ...
Ok maybe I exaggerate a tad too much. It's an interesting story, nevertheless.
It highlights what a HUGE loser I am in the dating arena and why I probably need professional help. But so long as you get a laugh out of it, my self esteem can take a hike..(whatever little shall be left of it anyway)..right? I do after all, exist solely for your entertainment!
Cut to my last day in New York.
I'm put up in Mogambo's apartment in New Jersey. It's this awfully picturesque area named Pavonia-Newport and it's a bright sunny Sunday morning (even a sun hater like me is forced to qualify "sunny" with an adjective like "bright" when i'm freezing my ass off).
It's my last day in NJ and I'm determined to make the mostestest of it and so head out ahead of Mogambo and PuppyManohar (who are to accompany me to Central Park) to grab a coffee at the local Starbucks and take one last walk alone along the sunny riverside while listening to my current favorite playlist.
Stepping into Starbucks is as lovely as ever with the familiar whiff of fresh ground coffee that delights the olfactory senses, and not just for that.
Behind me in line I've just spotted a very interesting looking guy. Somewhat geeky but mostly intelligent looking with glasses and ruffled hair to complete the look and the hint of a smile to lend that much-sought-after air of simplicity.
I'm just done ordering my coffee, when the girl behind the counter asks for my name. I take off the ear phones and give it to her, my name, that is. And hear the motion repeated with Mr Interesting standing right behind me. "A" he says, nonchalantly. The name instantly rings a bell. Where have I heard it before? Wait! I know! This is the friend Mogambo and Superman kept mentioning - the Newport residing, Rasam and Sepankazhanga cooking boy "A"!!! I look back at him and ask in my most neutral voice, trying not to seem too interested ...
Unpred: Couldn't help hearing your name ....Do you by any chance know a certain Mogambo and Superman who live in the area?
A: (With uber-cool smile still intact) Ummm.... I don't think so ...
Unpred: Ah well... they kept mentioning an A who lives in the area...thought maybe you were him ... sorry bout that!
A: (Smile still on!) That's ok .. there's probably many A's around here
Unpred: I'm sure there are :-) ...
You'd imagine with all my 'smart alec'ness I'd have done something that demonstrated the slightest hint of intelligence/ presence of mind/ courage/ common sense/ any other admirable quality in the vicinity. Alas.
I plugged back my earphones into my ears, picked up my coffee and walked out the door into the New Jersey sunshine to take my solitary walk along the river side.
Yes, I'm just that stupid.
No, I didn't turn around.
Yes, the trio of friends pulled out hair and looked aghast at my utter stupidity.
No, they don't sympathize.
Yes, I tried arguing that he might be non single, even have a wife and a kid.
No, I still don't score any pity points, just continue to get incredulous looks at my pessimism (I call it pragmatism, but try explaining that to lesser mortals! Pah!)
Yes, they looked for him. Mogambo even kept up a steady chant of his name, calling out "A?" .. "A?" ... at the Path station, on the streets, at every floor of the building that the lift stopped at, even dragged me back to the Starbucks while keeping up the chant and shoving me into every nook asking me to run an identity check.
No we still didn't find him and eventually gave up.
Yes I know he's probably an ordinary person who has been deified purely based on elusiveness. But don't shatter my dream eh!
Yes, "Sigh" is very appropriate. "Alas" works too.
P.s: If you know someone by the name of "A" who has a similar story to tell about a stupid girl who ordered a Caramel Apple Spice Latte and ran off with earphones plugged into her ears, you know who to contact!
P.p.s: PuppyManohar - don't even think about it. I'll know if its you using a fake id! Don't ask how. I'll just know!
It highlights what a HUGE loser I am in the dating arena and why I probably need professional help. But so long as you get a laugh out of it, my self esteem can take a hike..(whatever little shall be left of it anyway)..right? I do after all, exist solely for your entertainment!
Cut to my last day in New York.
I'm put up in Mogambo's apartment in New Jersey. It's this awfully picturesque area named Pavonia-Newport and it's a bright sunny Sunday morning (even a sun hater like me is forced to qualify "sunny" with an adjective like "bright" when i'm freezing my ass off).
It's my last day in NJ and I'm determined to make the mostestest of it and so head out ahead of Mogambo and PuppyManohar (who are to accompany me to Central Park) to grab a coffee at the local Starbucks and take one last walk alone along the sunny riverside while listening to my current favorite playlist.
Stepping into Starbucks is as lovely as ever with the familiar whiff of fresh ground coffee that delights the olfactory senses, and not just for that.
Behind me in line I've just spotted a very interesting looking guy. Somewhat geeky but mostly intelligent looking with glasses and ruffled hair to complete the look and the hint of a smile to lend that much-sought-after air of simplicity.
I'm just done ordering my coffee, when the girl behind the counter asks for my name. I take off the ear phones and give it to her, my name, that is. And hear the motion repeated with Mr Interesting standing right behind me. "A" he says, nonchalantly. The name instantly rings a bell. Where have I heard it before? Wait! I know! This is the friend Mogambo and Superman kept mentioning - the Newport residing, Rasam and Sepankazhanga cooking boy "A"!!! I look back at him and ask in my most neutral voice, trying not to seem too interested ...
Unpred: Couldn't help hearing your name ....Do you by any chance know a certain Mogambo and Superman who live in the area?
A: (With uber-cool smile still intact) Ummm.... I don't think so ...
Unpred: Ah well... they kept mentioning an A who lives in the area...thought maybe you were him ... sorry bout that!
A: (Smile still on!) That's ok .. there's probably many A's around here
Unpred: I'm sure there are :-) ...
You'd imagine with all my 'smart alec'ness I'd have done something that demonstrated the slightest hint of intelligence/ presence of mind/ courage/ common sense/ any other admirable quality in the vicinity. Alas.
I plugged back my earphones into my ears, picked up my coffee and walked out the door into the New Jersey sunshine to take my solitary walk along the river side.
Yes, I'm just that stupid.
No, I didn't turn around.
Yes, the trio of friends pulled out hair and looked aghast at my utter stupidity.
No, they don't sympathize.
Yes, I tried arguing that he might be non single, even have a wife and a kid.
No, I still don't score any pity points, just continue to get incredulous looks at my pessimism (I call it pragmatism, but try explaining that to lesser mortals! Pah!)
Yes, they looked for him. Mogambo even kept up a steady chant of his name, calling out "A?" .. "A?" ... at the Path station, on the streets, at every floor of the building that the lift stopped at, even dragged me back to the Starbucks while keeping up the chant and shoving me into every nook asking me to run an identity check.
No we still didn't find him and eventually gave up.
Yes I know he's probably an ordinary person who has been deified purely based on elusiveness. But don't shatter my dream eh!
Yes, "Sigh" is very appropriate. "Alas" works too.
P.s: If you know someone by the name of "A" who has a similar story to tell about a stupid girl who ordered a Caramel Apple Spice Latte and ran off with earphones plugged into her ears, you know who to contact!
P.p.s: PuppyManohar - don't even think about it. I'll know if its you using a fake id! Don't ask how. I'll just know!
How to save a life ....
My latest addiction. Spent 7 hours on flight back from NY watching 10 episodes back to back. And then went back to episode 1. Yeah, I'm mad that way.
Watch the video. And read the lyrics if you feel like. You'll appreciate them if you're meant to. :-)
Watch the video. And read the lyrics if you feel like. You'll appreciate them if you're meant to. :-)
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