You Tuesday, Jun 24 2008

You
Are one
Among the few
Who can hear
The song in me;

You
Love to hear
The song in me;

You
Want to always keep alive
The song in me;

That is precisely why
I will
Always, for you,
Sing sweet
The song in me.

PS: Inspired by a couple of lines in The Kite Runner (Khaled Hosseini), with which I totally disagree  - “Every woman needed a husband. Even if he did silence the song in her.”

31 Responses »

 

Satvams Monday, Jun 23 2008

Just the other day, I was watching Laughter Challenge on TV and, as always, I was laughing harder at Siddhu’s antics than at those of the participants. With the way he laughs, it is a wonder he does not fall off his chair!

Have a look at Siddhu laughing his head off in one of my favourite episodes of the Challenge:

I find his laughter contagious! Almost always, it catches on to me!

Siddhu’s laughter and his one-liners are probably the closest I will ever get to cricket. I simply adore his ‘Sixers’ – his one-liners, what I call Satvams [(S)iddhu's Th(atvams)]. He has got a hell of a sense of humour and wit. I leave you with a few of my favourite Satvams, which had me either ROFL or pondering:

~ There is light at the end of the tunnel for the team, but it’s that of an incoming train which will run them over.

~ We are all Adam’s children – it’s just the skin that makes all the difference.

~ The Srilankan score is running like an Indian taxi meter.

~ He will fight a rattlesnake and give it the first two bites too.

~ He’s wallowing in foolishness like a rhino in an African pool.

~ Beauty, even when silent, is eloquent.

~ He is like an Indian three-wheeler, which will suck a lot of diesel, but cannot go beyond 30!

~ Faith in your abilities will help you face the music, even if you don’t like the tune.

~ You aren’t rewarded for having brains, you are rewarded for using them.

~ That ball went so high it could have got an air hostess down with it.

~ The only thing you get in life without trying is dandruff.

~ Winning is not important, but wanting to win is.

~ You can take the tiger out of the jungle, but you can’t take the jungle out of the tiger.

~ Statistics are like mini skirts. What they reveal is tantalising, but what they hide is crucial.

~ An optimist is one who looks at bullshit and sees fertiliser.

~ All that comes from a cow is not milk.

~ In London, they drive on the left. In India, we drive on what is left.

~ Troubles are like babies. The more you nurse them, the bigger they grow.

~ I have seen many ladies displaying different styles and different styles displaying ladies.

Ciao! Keep laughing!

Go here for the quotation source.

18 Responses »

 

The Wishing Tag Wednesday, Jun 18 2008

I have been tagged by Joel with what I call ‘The Wishing Tag’. Here goes:

Rule: Please thoughtfully consider the following, and choose one item for each of the categories below. (Be sure to describe your reasons for choosing)

1) One religious work from a non-familiar tradition you’ll read…
The Bible…I have always wanted to read it, but never really got around to it.

2) One song that you like–from your ‘least likely to listen to’ genre…

UPDATE: Initially I had put up the song ‘Ya Ali’ because I believed it was by Himeshbhai, HR songs being the genre I am least likely to listen to. But Niths was good enough to clear this misconception of mine. This song is actually sung by Pritam. I guess I got confused with the album ‘Ya Ali’. Anyways, with all due respect to Himeshbhai, this proves that he is not at all my type.

Now, to answer this question, let me choose a different genre. Tamil kutthu songs are another genre I am the least likely to listen to. However, I somehow love this song. Maybe because it has many beautiful memories associated with it. Check it out:

3) A book from a genre you almost never read, that you have read, or you will read (promise!):
I have never read psychology. I bought ‘Blink’ by Malcolm Gladwell a looooooooong time ago, and it is gathering dust in my library. I do intend to read that.

4) Somewhere you’d never thought to go on holiday/vacation, and why it might be fun to go there?

I would like to go to Seychelles some day. I fell in love with the place when I saw it in ‘Papa Kehte hain’. Go, have a look here.

5) A specific food you’ve never tried, but will because of this meme, honest!
Trying out a new kind of food? I don’t need a meme for that.

I have always wanted to try out Dhansak, a Parsi recipe, but I never really got around to it. Guess the time has come for me to do that.

6) A sport or game you really hate, or haven’t tried yet, but are willing to give one more go:
Sports and me are just not made for each other. As for games, I have never played Chess, but would like to try some day. God, the wish list is just going on growing!

7) A style of dance you probably won’t try (we won’t make you promise on this one):

I am fascinated by dance in general. Though I have never tried it myself, I love watching people dancing – be it Bharatnatyam, Garba, Raas, Ball dancing, just about anything. I just love watching all that energy, activity, and enthusiasm. I might just try out something someday, I never know!

8 ) A career job you don’t feel you’re suited for, and why:

Doctor – First of all, I would never make it past the exams with all that Science. Secondly, I don’t think I am cut out to deal with all that pain on a daily basis. To let you in on a secret, my parents wanted me to become a doctor. Thankfully, I didn’t go for it. I would have sucked horribly.

9) What is it that you will dare to wear which you have never worn before?

Something like this. I have never worn such heavily embroidered stuff before, but would definitely like to try out someday.

10) If there’s one thing in life you wanted to do, and will do because of this meme, what will it be?
I promise to watch more English movies. I am a newbie wrt English and Tamil movies.

Now for the tagging. I tag these people:

~ Niths

~ Sharan

~ Sathej

~ Vijay Ganesh

~ SN

~ Aparna S

~ Arv

~ Rambler

~ Veens

~ Anyone else who wants to take this up

Waiting to read your versions, people! And thanks, Joel, it was great fun doing this!

38 Responses »

 

Can’t stop humming… Tuesday, Jun 17 2008

I saw Santosh Subramanian today and loved watching and hearing these songs.

Santosh Subramanian parthadhu enakku romba santhosham! A different concept, treated in a nice way. Light, romantic, emotional, entertaining. My type.

I fell in love with the character of Hasini – simple, unpretentious, eternally cheerful, so full of life. She did go overboard at times, but was still likeable.

I loved the message of the movie, and the way it has been conveyed. Yes, it does have a typical happy ending, but for a change, I liked it.

Veteran Tamil movie-watchers, I hereby solicit your guidance regarding other similar movies I can watch. I am in the mood for such light entertainers, a good mix of comedy and emotion. Please do bombard the comments section with your suggestions. Looking forward to them.

25 Responses »

 

The 3 mistakes of my life Monday, Jun 16 2008

Finally, I am done with reading Chetan Bhagat’s new novel ‘The 3 mistakes of my life’. And, as usual, I am here to rant about what I found in the book and what I didn’t.

I had been reading this book for more than a week, which is too much, by my standards, for a Bhagat novel. Both his earlier books – ‘One night at the call centre’ and ‘Five point someone’ – were devoured by me in a single sitting, in one day max. I couldn’t put them down, but this – I put down many a time.

I used to believe that Chetan Bhagat = Humorous light reading + Simple and beautiful narration of an otherwise average story. On these counts, this book disappointed me. I missed the typical Bhagat style of narration. The storyline is good, but I somehow felt Bhagat has not written this piece with as much heart as he did his earlier two books. Maybe it is because I couldn’t help comparing this to his earlier works. Also, I had huge expectations from this book, at some level because it is a tale woven around my city – Ahmedabad.

I would not like to put down any writer or, for that matter, any creative person, as I know how much effort goes into a creation. But this book is in need of some serious proofreading. We are not ‘Ambavadis’, we are ‘AMDAVADIS’.

Like his two other books, this book also has youth, which translates to a lot of cuss words, booze, an affair. It also has love-hate relationships, a lot of melodrama and a typical Hindi movie-type ending. I am not saying that everything about this book is horrible. Some parts are very well-written and effective. The description of the 2001 Gujarat earthquake, the 2002 Gujarat riots, the hero’s friend’s love for cricket and the country – all these touched a chord. On the whole, it is an OK-ish book. A you-don’t-miss-anything-if-you-skip-this-one kind.

PS: 1)Orbis Terrarum Challenge Update : I could not find PG Wodehouse’s ‘Love among chickens’ anywhere. So I’ll be reading ‘Aunts aren’t gentlemen’ by Wodehouse instead.

2) I agree with Mr. SN – Tara-rum-pum Challenge does sound way better than Orbis Terrarum Challenge.

23 Responses »

 

Looking through the window Friday, Jun 13 2008

 

It was still early in the evening and the dinner crowd at Hotel Regent had not started coming in yet. Only a few tables were occupied.

 

They sat at tables diagonally opposite to each other. She was with a huge group of friends and he was with his parents.

 

He envied the rich, exotic dishes that the waiter brought to her table. He envied the huge sundaes that she and each of her friends held in their hands. He envied the wad of currency notes that she pulled out of her large purse and counted, in the midst of a chat with a friend. Shards of conversation drifting in from their table made it clear that it was her treat – she was treating her friends for something. When would he be able to treat his friends in such a fashion? His mouth almost filled with a bitter taste as his thoughts drifted. Why should life be so unfair? Why should a girl almost the same age as himself have so much money to spend? Why should he, a young, school student, having his own peer pressure and desires, be deprived of such luxuries? Why could they not afford such things? Why did they have to wait for an occasion, such as his father’s birthday today, to dine out? When would they rise to the high class from the middle class? Would they ever be able to order from the menu in a restaurant without being conscious of the price of a dish?

 

She couldn’t help noticing the sweet, old-fashioned way the boy and his parents seemed to eat their dinners. They seemed so close to each other, and so happy. She wondered when would she be able to dine out the same way with her parents. When would her parents find time for her? When would they start giving her more importance than meetings and parties? When would she stop coming home to cold dinners and notes stuck on refrigerators? When would her parents stop substituting money for their love? 

 

PS: I have been pottering around with my camera a bit these days, trying to learn photography. Here are some of my attempts. Would love to have your comments.

21 Responses »

 

The Threesome Tag Monday, Jun 9 2008

Mme. Niths does it again!

3 JOYS:

~ Reading, writing, and music

~ Exploring life and places with friends/family or alone

~ Good food

3 FEARS:

~ Loneliness

~ Helplessness

~ Cockroaches

3 GOALS:

~ To go on a world tour

~ To constantly learn and grow

~ To make a difference in the lives of atleast a few people

3 RANDOM SURPRISING FACTS:

~ I had Panipuri for dinner tonight.

~ I discovered a fantabulous new place for chaats today.

~ Today was a mixed kind of day for me.

3 CURRENT OBSSESSIONS:

~ This song from Jillunu oru kaadhal

~ Swami and friends by RK Narayan

~ Chaats

TAG 3 PEOPLE:

Had to tag 5 people actually, but since everything in this tag is in threesomes, I will tag 3 people. Here goes:

~ Aparna S

~ Sathej

~ Rambler

14 Responses »

 

Back to base!!! Saturday, Jun 7 2008

I’m back home at Ahmedabad after what I would call a ‘bittersweet vacation’. And it sure feels good.

Of the 2 weeks I spent in Chennai, the first one was spent fully in roaming the city, while the second was spent in complete relaxation. For the most part, I was at home the second week, with time spent in talking, relaxing and reading. The memories worth mentioning from this period include:

~ An evening spent shopping at T. Nagar. Yes, I shopped there, had fun, and came out alive and breathing. I bought reprint versions of Jhumpa Lahiri’s ‘Unaccustomed earth’ and PG Wodehouse’s ‘Aunts aren’t gentlemen’.

~ Falling in love with ‘Black Forest’ icecream at Saravana Bhavan. I could only say ‘Wow!’ as the sinfully chocolate-ey thing melted in my mouth.

~ A beautiful evening spent at Marina Beach, when the waves were extraordinarily huge and forceful. The feeling of standing in the water was wonderful.

~ An informal meeting with blogger Sathej, my first-ever sort-of bloggers’ meet. It was a nice experience. Unfortunately, could not meet any other Chennai bloggers.

~ Vetti talks

~ Fun time spent with kiddos, an enlightening experience.

Like all trips do, this trip too has changed me in little ways. I’m back with memories, new realisations, a few extra kilos, an extra coating of melanin on my skin, a lot of books I am waiting to read, and already dreading the Monday round the corner.

12 Responses »

 

An irritated post Wednesday, Jun 4 2008

Yesterday was one of those days when I was irritated to the core. Why? I was travelling by the local bus service when I saw a poster stuck inside the bus. It pertained to a child who went missing a few days ago. It contained the name, address, contact details, etc. of the child, as well as a photograph. Only the face of the child had been very carefully scratched out from it.

I couldn’t help but feel the pain the child’s parents would have felt, had they seen the poster. It would probably have felt like reaching a dead end to a road they had hoped would take them to their destination. It would have felt like a light going off suddenly, deserting one in darkness, when one had hopefully followed the guiding light in the hope that it would perhaps lead them to their destination.

Maybe I am over-reacting, but I could not help feeling a mixture of anger, disgust and pity for the perverted attitude that led to such an action. My heart goes out to the child and his family.

6 Responses »

 

A letter to a friend Monday, Jun 2 2008

Dear friend,

I don’t know if you are reading this, but I had to say it. Certain things brought certain realisations, and I wanted to write this. Maybe it is the lot of free time I am having now that is making me think so much.

As you probably already know, I was very hurt and very angry with you for what you did, but now, I can see things from your perspective. I think now I can understand you and your actions better. I think I can now see why you did what you did, though I do not quite agree with the way you did it.

I am sorry things did not work out between us the way they should have. I would have been happy had our friendship ended in a perfect manner, instead of the way it did. But then, there is no use in digging out old corpses.

Both of us have moved ahead in life and apart, and I understand that it is best that it stay that way. I would, however, like to thank you for giving me some of the best and most memorable days of my life. Those memories will stay with me for ever. I learnt a lot from you, for which I shall be eternally grateful to you.

I don’t know if our friendship meant the same to you back then. I don’t know if saying this now has any meaning at all, but I want to do it.

This is probably the last time I am writing to you, and from the bottom of my heart, I would like to say ‘Sorry’, ‘Thanks’, and ‘Wish you all the best in all your personal and professional pursuits’.

I am filled with peace now, the kind of peace that one has when a long-pending matter has been laid to rest. May you be always peaceful as well.

Good bye and God Bless.

Your well wisher.

8 Responses »