Life sure is a snoozefest

The Art of Queuing

2011-10-15T02:18:00.000+05:30

You run out of reasons to smile about when you stand in line and wait for the person in front of you to disappear. You may blink 5-6 times to see if that works but sadly, it doesn't. The guy stands where he is and so do the others. There are times when I have felt oddly restless when the headcount doesn't change even after 15 minutes of my life spent standing, doing pretty much nothing. The picture above may be highly deceiving as smiling is the last thing one can think of when one's stuck in a queue.

Oh! The country's population...It doesn't help. No matter how hard I try to avoid bank work, the metro, or any other stupid work that validates my existence, I have to stand in line. Why can't life be simpler and all these paperwork be kept to a minimum? Surely, the ones who engage in filing these sheets and sheets of paper are not enjoying it. The SBI, the worst bank I have had the ill fortune to come across gives me nightmares. I jolted out of my sleep not so long ago when I saw myself inside this dreaded bank. Doing what? Standing in queue to get some bank work done from a mean-looking lady with cropped hair! What a nightmare it was; I was all sweaty and in shock and had a tough time getting back to sleep again. In short, it did qualify and made it to my list of - "One of the nightmares I'll never forget."

A Pain in the Neck

All these rules that have been laid down for us mortals so that we can live these 100 or less years in peace are such a nuisance.You can't get away from them though. You have to run around for your passport, pay your monthly bills, insurance..get your pic clicked so that they can have it. If I try and don't do any of these, I might get labelled as a suspicious person with highly suspicious activities, which might mean more queues for me.

The Greatest Reality Show Ever

2011-08-27T13:38:00.001+05:30

The mass hysteria surrounding the Anna Hazare campaign to get the Jan Lokpal bill passed, Kiran Bedi disgracing herself with her antics, a crowd of hooligans, housewives, crying children and freeloaders, announcements of kids getting lost in the crowd, Bollywood celebrities dropping by, promotion by news channels, sms promotions to gather support- What more could you possibly ask for from a Live reality show? Reality TV is the in thing this season and Team Anna seems to know just how to get it right with the Indian audience. They have media managers on board, who decide everything for Team Anna. When to give speeches, when to start swinging the Indian flag, food for supporters, songs to be played --- Keep the crowd entertained, give interesting bytes to TV channels and the show will be a success!

They make mistakes but are quick to backtrack when things backfire. They know how to come up with interesting slogans that will touch Indian hearts. Team Anna is concerned about Anna's health but wouldn't let the old man break his fast. Kiran Bedi insisted Anna must not end his fast and was quick to tweet about it. Why isn't she fasting?? Why so much pressure on Anna? We wouldn't mind if Kiran starts fasting for a change and gives Anna a much needed break.

Yesterday, the much hyped Miss Bedi spat fire on Indian politicians, elections, the Parliament, etc....

Speaking from the stage in Ramlila Maidan Kiran Bedi managed to make a fool of herself without help from anyone. Is that the way a senior leader conducts herself in public? She was spitting venom and the rowdy crowd could have taken the cue and turned violent. But, she wouldn't have taken responsibility for her actions. She is still happy about the things she said yesterday and would not mind repeating the act again. She got what she wanted --- media attention --breaking news in all media channels. Power turns people crazy - she is a living example of that.

The holier-than-thou Kiran Bedi herself has previously tried to get her daughter admission to an MBBS degree through unfair means. While posted in Mizoram, she had used the Mizoram quota to get her daughter admission. These quotas were reserved for the underprivileged students of Mizoram who didn't have the means to fulfill their dreams. In 1992, there were widespread protests in the streets of Mizoram but the media highlights only those issues where they see a benefit for their TRPs. The ruckus in Aizawl failed to hit media headlines in mainland India and was only published in single columns and newspaper briefs. Kiran's daughter, however, never completed her MBBS studies and flew over to the US to study journalism. The question is - Why is she pointing fingers at others when she herself has used the law and the powers vested in her while she was in the IPS to her own personal advantage?

Getting back to the reality show - The crowd is thrilled. Celebrities are making appearances, they can listen for free to music by Kailash Kher, tea and biscuit being served is another attraction at the Ramlila ground. In the history of revolutions and campaigns, I have a distinct feeling that this one will stand out for all the wrong reasons.

Much Hype About Nothing

2011-08-22T17:02:00.000+05:30

First of all let me begin by saying - What bullshit!

I have had enough of this 'Anna drama' that seems to have captivated the Indian media far longer than I had expected. My patience is running thin and people are texting me every minute for support. If you are an Indian, support! (What?? What if I don't support, I'm not an Indian anymore?) First it was Anna and then Baba Ramdev and now again Anna Hazare. Will it be Baba Ramdev next or someone else? Where is Rakhi Sawant? Why isn't she cashing in? Does the Indian media have nothing better to do than create hype about everyone who says he will be 'fasting'?! When Mahatma Gandhi resorted to fasting, it seemed sensible and not like a media gimmick. His ideologies were strong and he made a lot of sense. These days fasting seems to have become the latest trend.

No doubt corruption is a major issue, especially in India where you get a glimpse of corruption right at the school level. Wan't admission in a great school? Be ready to pay huge sums as donations. Your kid is failing in class? Why not pay for him/her to be promoted? This is a nation where some kids can even buy their education. While those who have the talent and the brains, struggle to prove their worth, some ignorant fools have an enviable career waiting for them, thanks to corruption! Every day is a struggle. You have to fight with the auto-wallahs and convince them to take the correct fare. You have to fight real hard.

When it comes to the Anna Hazare issue, you are not supposed to have an opinion of your own. Well, let me rephrase that - You don't have the Right to have an opinion. Either support Anna or go to hell. It's Anna's opinion that matters. Debates on news channels have stopped making sense as those who are against the Jan Lokpal bill are not allowed to speak, sort of :)

If others in the debate start screaming the moment you speak against the bill equals to not being allowed to speak...right?

But, is fasting going to change things for us? Is a 'bill' needed to root out corruption? What's the guarantee that these people who will represent the Lokpal be honest and not backed by a political power? We have seen enough and know of enough cases to not get fooled by such tall claims. Clean records mean nothing in this country. It's upon each one of us to say no to it and be honest in everything we do. Some people are going overboard with their love for the 'Jan Lokpal bill'. Half of them don't even know what Anna is fasting for, or what the Jan Lokpal bill is all about. I don't see the merits that are glorified and hyped to such insane levels. People are quitting jobs to be a part of Anna Hazare's movement. God bless these souls! I'm wondering what these people will do once the fasting drama is over and things get back to normal. Anna will go back to being Anna and corrupt people will carry on with their corrupt existence.

Death by Stoning

2011-08-18T00:49:00.001+05:30

Hajiyeh Esmaelvand was stoned to death for committing adultery in Iran on December 2004.

The International Society for Human Rights (ISHR) had reported that in the beginning of February 2003, the Iranian Minister of Justice Ayatollah Hashemi-Shahrudi had promised the EU Commissioner for Foreign Affairs, Chris Patten, to abolish stoning as a form of punishment no matter what the crime committed. In a similar case, Shahnaz, another 35-year old Iranian woman, was sentenced to death by stoning on 4 August 2003 for "adultery", in accordance with Article 83 of the Iranian Penal Code. International protests were only able to prevent her death by stoning sentence but her life could not be saved. Shahnaz was decapitated instead.

These are but a few cases which have been prominent in the media. Such cases shake us to our very core but once you move up to the far middle-east, they increase in number. Cases of stoning are mostly reported in Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iran and Saudi Arabia.

...Continue Reading

Rafa, the new face of Armani

2010-12-16T00:27:00.001+05:30

Rafael Nadal in Armani will sure be a treat for the eyes. (At least for me it will be) The campaign will be out by Feb 2011! He has great colour coordination skills, doesn't he? I am always amazed to see how colourfully dressed he is on court. The good thing is- he carries off these unusual, vibrant, not-so-manly colours quite well. Can't imagine any other player wearing bright pink combined with yellow. As a fan I always cringed when I saw him in pink. Never liked guys in pink. But, Rafa looks good even in the most hideous of colours. Thankfully, the Armani campaigns are always in black & white...

perdre la mémoire

2010-12-12T22:43:00.002+05:30

Meaning: To lose one's memory

No, this is not the beginning of French lessons on my blog. It just best describes the current state I'm in. I feel like I can't remember anything at all these days. Not a good thing to happen when you have a job that requires a lot of remembering. Maybe, that's the reason behind my memory loss issues. I am a girl with 'Issues'...lots of them. People tend to talk endlessly hoping I would remember every word uttered. The truth is not a single word is retained in my memory. This happens even during business meetings and the only solution I have is to write down every single thing that is being said. I am drained when meetings last for two hours or more. Can you imagine the amount of writing I have to do??

Reminders have stopped working so I need to think of an alternative soon. Today, I remembered I have a blog I had stopped visiting for months now. Maybe, tomorrow I won't remember once again.

Life has never been this busy and I still have so much more that needs to be done. Learn my favorite language French...this has been on my list of things to do for years now and still no success. Maybe, I'll end up learning a phrase or two, if only I remember.

Vuvuzela??

2010-06-16T13:13:00.000+05:30

For those of you not aware about the most annoying musical instrument ever, let me introduce the vuvuzela.

This year, watching the FIFA world cup has been a bit challenging what with the annoying noise in the background. The first day I thought I must be going crazy. I even thought there must be something wrong with the signal, or the channel or with South Africa. Maybe, there were too many bees out there.

All my doubts were cleared when I came across a newspaper article about the Vuvuzela. Now, why on earth would anybody want to listen to this god awful noise for 90 minutes? Should it even be allowed? I was not the only one annoyed by this noise, thankfully. Footballers have complained about how distracting the noise is... fans have complained too. There was a report yesterday which said Vuvuzelas are here to stay, as it is part of the South African culture. How disappointing is that? Mixing culture with football makes no sense at all. Sing, dance, clap, cheer but stop playing the Vuvuzela please!

Tennis is at least strict about these things and one can never distract the players. Why can't FIFA do something? This year's world cup will be completely ruined, if someone doesn't put a stop to this noise.

Football Fever...

2010-06-12T13:36:00.004+05:30

The FIFA World Cup began yesterday. The crowd was fantastic! Though, the first two matches were not that great, this world cup is going to be very exciting. The first match between South Africa and Mexico was much better than the second one. South Africa was all set to win the first match but an equalizer from Rafael Marquez dashed all hopes of a South African win. Who can ever forget the last world cup and the way things ended for Zinedine Zidane. I was so disappointed and heartbroken when France didn’t win. To lose it on a penalty shootout was even worse. But, it’s been four years now and I have certainly moved on. This year, my favourites are Argentina, Spain and Brazil.

Lionel Messi playing for Argentina is such an advantage for the country. His game has awed millions and I hope he continues to play the same way this World cup too.

Thank You Blogger!

2010-06-11T17:26:00.003+05:30

Blogger is amazing...I love it so much. It’s perfect for lazy people like me who will spend 30 hours every month thinking about changing their template rather than actually doing it. Their new design option is just what I needed at this moment. The arts and travel backgrounds are so beautiful. I can’t decide which one to select for my blog though. Conclusion: I will just change the template and background everyday now.

I was sick and tired of staring at the balloons which were there on top for quite a long while. I had given up all hopes of ever finding something decent for this blog. I envy the way Leo (a fabulous and patient blogger) keeps changing his templates, changes the font colours, links, text and what not. Sometimes, I feel dizzy just by looking at the amount of good work this talented blogger does.

Cannot thank blogger enough for this new feature!

Vamos Rafa

2010-05-25T17:29:00.004+05:30

Been M.I.A for quite a while now. Have missed blogging...

I am feeling great this week. Don’t feel like complaining about anything at all. Though I can complain about a lot of things passionately, I simply don't feel like it today. I have made up my mind about updating my blog more often and start posting like I used to. Have a lot of catching up to do as well.

Good days are back…I will see more of my favourite Rafael Nadal. The French Open has started and Rafa seems to be in great form. I really hope he wins the title once again this year.

He has the most amazing smile. Doesn't he?

If you are a fan too...join the Vamos Brigade!

What's in a name?

2010-02-23T17:37:00.003+05:30

My head has been aching continuously for two days now…so what I do? I Google Head aches. This is one of my newly acquired habits. Every time my stomach, teeth or any other organ or part aches, I do an extensive Google search just to be on the safer side. I don’t want to look back and regret tomorrow that I didn’t do enough to save myself from all the diseases in the world. Everyday a new disease is talked about in the paper and I skim through the paper, studying in detail all the symptoms.

Every time I Google something, the search results leave me feeling more perplexed than ever. It doesn’t enlighten me one bit. There are millions of reasons, causes, symptoms for diseases and every time I go through these lists of symptoms, it’s a 100% match. Even if it’s not, my mind tells me otherwise. It says, “There! Look at that symptom; you surely have it…don’t you?” I rush to my doctor as soon as I catch a cold and start coughing. He smiles at me and tells me, it’s nothing but a common cold. Common?

Whoever named these diseases surely did it to ruin our day. Laryngitis, Meningitis…Mention these words in your conversation and see how many hit the bed. It will take about three days to recuperate. When somebody names these diseases, he/she does it with a scientific bent of mind so it’s still fine. But, what I really cannot understand is why some people try their creative skills when it comes to naming their child. I had two neighbors, ‘Smart’ and ‘Difficult’. Names like these are not so common and once you stumble across people with such names it’s hard to forget them.

A gloomy outlook...

2010-02-17T17:37:00.005+05:30

I have noticed a visible growth in my pessimism lately. My glumness levels are now at an all time high and if there was a billboard chart for the pessimists, I would have blown away the competition and captured the top spot for 9 weeks in a row. While the good folks talk about all things nice, I find myself utterly speechless and at times even a bit nauseous when there’s too much cheerfulness around. An optimistic thought out of my head is as rare as finding fresh water in a desert. Though I try to be very optimistic, my subconscious (yes that annoying little voice inside my head) is not. My conflicting thoughts always lead to bad decisions, stupid moves and disappointing results. But the good thing is that I always expect the worst so when something bad really does happen, all that I feel is satisfaction. Being right about things that are about to happen makes you feel great, doesn’t it?

Years of practice have made me good at talking about earthquakes, drought, unexpected rainfall, clogged pipes, leakage and other similar stuff. My conversation never dries up when the topic of discussion is how evil spirits can haunt the shit out of some unfortunate blokes sometimes. Yesterday, in a meeting when we ended up discussing some new love based services, and how some matches are made in heaven, my mind drifted off to thoughts about matches which were definitely made in hell. But there’s no fun when others are not as enthusiastic about such topics. Marriages are supposed to be a beautiful union between two souls in love and we are supposed to feel happy for the new couple. Somehow, I find the act rather tedious and it always ends up drifting me to a sound sleep. It’s definitely not a nap that I take when I have to witness such ceremonies. The time that is spent is too long to be categorized as a nap. People excused this habit of mine as I was not a grown up then and after a certain point I stopped watching people get married altogether. It’s not marriages in general that I find tiresome; I’m talking about the ones within people in my community. Marriages mostly take place in the wee hours of the night/morning sometimes between 3 AM – 5, definitely not a good time to watch an oath taking ceremony.

It’s no wonder I love European movies so much. The dark, depressing visuals bode well with my diabetic eyes. I find the morbid atmosphere in these movies quite refreshing. I had no idea German movies were so good. The day I started watching these German flicks, I knew there was no turning back. It felt like I had discovered a hidden treasure. These were certainly my kind of movies.

Blogging hazards

2010-02-15T15:54:00.009+05:30

A colleague of mine was caught blogging about our boss by the boss herself. Miss. b didn't confront my colleague regarding her blogging adventures the day she read the post. She keeps it a secret and reveals it just days before my colleague leaves the company for good. Now, this is a case of leaving things till a more opportune time. No awkward glances were exchanged, no 'I know what you did at your blog' eye contact happened between the two. Everything turned out for the best.

This however, happens only with a lucky few. My friend, the enthusiastic blogger is one of them.There have been many cases where bloggers have been fired after a not so touching post about the company was read. I, for one am going to join that list of people as soon as I’m done posting. It really is not my fault that I’m not in love with the company policies. Every time I say I have to take a few days’ leave, the management looks at me like I had asked for a 60% share in their profits, along with other perks and benefits. It really is beyond me why Our HR, who is supposed to be dealing with our problems, adds to our list of problems, always knowingly. There are other crooks who will do all that they can to make us work a few extra hours everyday. Work will always be assigned 3 minutes before our leaving time. There have been days when I had to keep from asking them to shove the work down their throats. I make sure I leave as quickly as possible, sometimes rush out the door like my life depends on it. Exchanging goodbyes is something we never do. It gives them 1 or 2 minutes to stop us and assign some urgent work. All work that comes to us is marked 'URGENT'. 'SEND IT ASAP'... I wonder if an article about Christiano Ronaldo will make all the difference to this world we live in and make it a better place. I remember an incident, where the HR was discussing a leave application-

HR- Is it so urgent? Must you take a leave starting Monday?

Leave seeking guy- Yes! I'm getting married on Tuesday. It's very important for me to reach at least a day in advance.

HR- Aren't you in too much of a hurry? You must think of an alternative...Can't somebody else go?

Leave Seeking Guy- (amazed and all purple in the face) Since, I'm the bridegroom, I have to be the one who shows up there.

HR- All right...if you think it's that urgent, I guess there's nothing can we do. Go if you must!

Now, that is how our HR deals with people who ask for leave.

A walk down memory lane...

2010-02-11T17:05:00.011+05:30

A few days back I had taken a break from work and gone to my hometown to visit my parents. It was an early morning flight and it was really cold outside. Things couldn’t have begun on a better note. I was thrilled to say the least. It had been four years since I had seen my family. I knew my younger brother would have grown much taller. The last time I had seen him was when he was a 12 year old. When I finally saw him waiting for me at the gate, I was really surprised. He had grown so tall. I was feeling a bit disappointed as I had never realized I was missing out on so much all these years.It felt good to walk in silence through the same lanes again. The hills behind my house were now a mix of the colors: green, red and yellow.

The air was fresh and I had never felt this relaxed in months. You never notice how a place keeps changing with time when you get used to seeing it everyday. But once you move out of that place and return after a long time, things suddenly seem to have changed completely. People you were used to are no longer there. There were families who had lost their kid, kids left without a father. So much had happened in what seemed like a very short period of time.

The Same old Things...

2010-02-09T15:28:00.009+05:30

What do you do when life is busy and you have no time to breathe? Watch some bad movies, listen to Shiv Sainiks complain/preach/damage public property/ swear live on TV or see your inbox full with all love related messages just because Valentine’s day is around the corner? That is exactly what’s going on right now. I wish I could shift base to another planet and see if that does me and my sanity some good. It’s really difficult to understand why things can’t change and why do we have to put up with the same old crap year after year.

If things weren’t bad enough already I went ahead and watched ‘Veer’. I can’t imagine how I came out of the theatre alive. Maybe, I was strong enough to handle the chronic boredom. When the lead star has a broken leg, he starts shaking it vigorously and breaks into a jig all of a sudden. In another marvelous scene he stops the sword which is about to kill him with his bare hands, which by the way is much stronger than Tata steel products. He squints throughout the movie and makes the audience wonder if there is something wrong with his eyesight.

What really pissed me off while watching movies these past few months were the people who never stopped talking. Isn’t there a better place to chit chat other than the theatre? They talked about their relatives, the upcoming holidays, other movies, their friends and what not. They just went on and on.

The weasel hasn’t stopped being a weasel. There is utter confusion with regard to what he does to while away his time in office. Now, it’s time for me to put a stop to my rambling and delete all these spams which have found their way into my inbox.

It's Celebration time...

2009-10-16T15:43:00.011+05:30

Happy Diwali everyone!!

I am going to have a great time today...enjoy all the fireworks.

Have a nice weekend :)

More Annoying Words...

2009-10-14T17:26:00.008+05:30

Lauren who has a very refreshing and fun blog called ' Thinkspin' asked me to come up with more annoying words and add to her list. It was quite a nice change for me to talk about things which annoy me rather than talk about things I like. Here's Lauren's list of annoying words:

Literally - Literally speaking, this word is literally the most overused word in the English language. And literally, every time I hear the word, I literally think my head's going to explode.
My bad - Why doesn't any one just say, "I'm sorry," any more. No. It has to be "My bad," which is a twice-removed apology from a distant cousin on the other side of the planet.
Give me five - Five what? Five bucks? Five excuses? Five falafels.? And if you're not sick enough of hearing "Give me five" there's also . . .
Give me a high five - WTF? Just say, "Great job!" Why does every one have to be such a goddamn drama queen?
Dude - Is this short for doody?
No way - Get real! There are only four directions in which to travel: left, right, forward, backward. Pick one!
That's rad - Radical? Radioactive? A Jihadist is rad. Maybe the correct usage should be "Who's Rad?" Some radical dude who glows in the dark right before he explodes.
Gobsmacked - This word sounds like it belongs in an x-rated movie.
Knock yourself out (okay, I cheated it's a phrase) - Just give me a brick, rock, or 2-by-4, and I'll be happy to bang it against my head until I slump to the floor bloodied and unconscious.
Do me a solid - Thanks, but I'll do my own solid. Is this some type of Metamucil jargon? Must be the headline of their new "Do me a solid" ad campaign. I guess you've got to be really, really close friends or really, really stupid to do someone a solid, or just be into that kind of s**t. Sorry, couldn't resist.

Now, I have to add words/combination of words which annoy me-

Daddy- This word in all its creepy versions ( puff daddy, suga daddy,big daddy, who's your daddy now? ) annoys the hell out of me...It may be a very simple word but it annoys me very much. Kids, especially spoilt brats wailing daddy! daddy! ...even that annoys me.

Yo - Aaargh...why do people even use this word??

Baby- Call me whatever you want but never ever call me baby. Couples coochie cooing 'baby, baby' in a theater when all you wanna do is watch a movie silently has got to be annoying.

That's so hot!- Paris hilton chants these words almost all day...I wonder if every little thing can be That Hot! A new line of clothes launched- That's so hot!, papparazi going crazy- That's so hot!, a kid wailing- That's so hot!...I really hope she stops saying these words.

What- ev- errrrr- This annoying word is so frequently used and it appears everytime I switch on the idiot box.

Once upon a time- Seriously?? I really think stories should have a better beginning now :)

If you want to add more words to the list, go ahead and do so...I will be happy to read them :D:)

Innocent or Guilty?

2009-10-12T17:13:00.013+05:30

Tagged by Monica...

RULE 1- You can only say Guilty or Innocent.

RULE 2- You are not allowed to explain anything unless someone messages you and asks!

RULE 3- Copy and paste this into your notes , delete my answers, type in your answers and tag to your friends to answer this.

Asked someone to marry you? Innocent.

Ever kissed someone of the same sex? Guilty.

Danced on a table in a bar? Innocent.

Ever told a lie? Guilty.

Had feelings for someone whom you can’t have back? Guilty.

Kissed a picture? Innocent.

Slept in until 5 PM? Guilty.

Fallen asleep at work/school? Guilty.

Held a snake? Innocent.

Been suspended from school? Innocent.

Worked at a fast food restaurant? Innocent.

Stolen from a store? Innocent.

Been fired from a job? Innocent.

Done something you regret? Guilty.

Laughed until something you were drinking came out your nose? Innocent.

Caught a snowflake on your tongue? Innocent.

Kissed in the rain? Guilty.

Sat on a roof top? Guilty.

Kissed someone you shouldn't? Innocent.

Sang in the shower? Guilty.

Been pushed into a pool with all your clothes on? Innocent.

Shaved your head? Innocent.

Had a boxing membership? Innocent.

Made a boyfriend cry? Guilty.

Been in a band? Innocent.

Shot a gun? Innocent.

Donated Blood? Innocent.

Eaten alligator meat? Innocent.

Eaten cheesecake? Innocent.

Still love someone you shouldn't? Innocent.

Have/had a tattoo? Innocent.

Liked someone, but will never tell who? Innocent.

Been too honest? Innocent.

Ruined a surprise? Innocent.

Ate in a restaurant and got really bloated that you couldn't walk after wards? Innocent.

Erased someone in your friends list? Guilty.

Dressed in a woman’s clothes (if you’re a guy) or man’s clothes (if you’re a girl)? Innocent.

Joined a pageant? Innocent.

Been told that you’re handsome or beautiful by someone who totally meant what they said? Innocent.

Had communication with your ex? Innocent.

Got totally drunk on the night before exam? Innocent.

Got totally angry that you cried so hard? Innocent.

I would like to tag Srivatsan,Shravan, Lauren and Bard :)...Not tagging too many people this time

Taking care of Customercare...

2009-10-09T17:10:00.010+05:30

Oh I was sick and tired of being at the receiving end of those darned customercare calls. No matter how many times you repeat 'Not Interested' they will call you back again and again. Two weeks back I started getting repeated calls from a girl about a new offer. First time I told her I am not interested she listened and hung up the phone. A few days later I don't know what got into her she kept calling me everyday.

Day 1-

Annoying Girl- Hello! We have an exciting new offer especially for you!

Me- Not Interested!

Day 2-

Annoying Girl- Hello! We have an exciting new offer just for you!

Me- Busy & Not Interested!

Day 3-

Annoying girl- Hello! We have an exciting new offer just for you

Me- What part of 'Not Interested' don't you get girl?

( I wished our sportsmen had the same kind of determination this girl had. We would never lose a match with determined souls like her playing for the country ;P )

Day 4 ( I give up)...

Annoying Girl- Hello! We have an exciting new offer just for you!

Me- Just for me?? Really?? OMG! I can't believe it!

Well go on..

Annoying Girl- Go on?

Me- Go on...sell whatever you are selling. I am very interested.

Annoying Girl- Blah, blah, Blah... you need to do nothing just submit your ID proof and a photograph.

Me- Just an ID Proof, a pic! That's it?? Wow i didn't know it was so easy. Please dear I am kinda busy right now so I can't discuss it further. I so want to discuss the details. Please call me back same time tomorrow. I will be eagerly waiting for your call. Don't disappoint me please. I can't handle disappointments well. ( I hang up and feel a lot better)

Day 5-

Annoying Girl- Ma'am are you free now to discuss the details of the offer?

Me- Of course! I am. But I completely forgot what we talked about yesterday. I have such a poor memory. Old age is taking its toll on me.

Annoying Girl- But according to our records you are just 22!

Me- Ahem, I am more than 2 decades old! Ok now go on about that amazing offer you have only for me :)

Annoying Girl- Rattles off the whole blasted thing once again. Doesn't even take a break to breathe in between.

Me- Uh oh! Seems like I'm busy once again. Please call me back tomorrow same time...Will be eagerly awaiting your call :P

Day 6-

Annoying girl- Repeats the whole thing and goes on and on about the amazing offer

Me- Oh! I am so confused about the documents that I need to submit...

Annoying Girl- It's just an ID proof and a photo

Me- That's sounds so easy...will you call me back tomorrow please?? I am so busy right now. I have to go..

Annoying Girl- Are you really interested in the offer Ma'am?

Me- Of course I am...How can you think I'm not? Please call me tomorrow. Plzzzz...

That was the last call I received from the annoying girl with the amazing offer. They finally got the message. It's been more than a week now and I haven't been disturbed by any annoying phone call.

P.S- Behaving like a lunatic can be fun sometimes :)

A new tag

2009-10-08T17:07:00.008+05:30

I am back to blogging I guess. Too many tags pending right now and I’m confused which one to do first.
I was tagged by the lovely Eidothia sometime back with this tag. Here it goes-

Your last FB/Twitter update:

FaceBook – I’m Not on Facebook. I really have no clue what I’m supposed to do there. Stay in touch with more humans?? ;)
Twitter – I twittered for the first time today and this was the tweet “ I’m tired of the Weasel who works with me :P”

3 TV/Movie characters you relate with:

Eric Cartman on South Park

George Costanza on Seinfeld

Can’t think of the third one :)

3 countries on your travel list:

There are so many countries I would love to visit…the list is endless.

Iceland: Love everything about this country and it would be a dream come true to visit this place.
France: Very Romantic…love Paris. When it comes to fashion there’s no other place I would rather be. Would love to see Rafael Nadal win the French Open.
Spain- Rafael Nadal was born here…Gotta pay a visit sometime.

Hit the shuffle on your iPod – list out the 3 songs:

Kanye West – Stronger
Kings of Leon– Sex on fire
The Ting Tings – That’s not My Name

3 daily must-haves:

Tea: Keeps me awake when all that I want to do is doze off.
TV: A life without TV is no life at all.
Bath- Must have my bath come what may.

3 things you’re confused about:

Maths- Why was I put through this ordeal at such a young age?

Body Hair- Why did God bless the Human body with such a fine thing?

Marriage- Why is it necessary to follow the trend and get married?

Browse your DVD rack or bookshelf – pull 3 out at random:

The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini- I felt like strangling Amir while reading this book.
Gone with the wind- Vivian Leigh was amazing in the movie.
She- Great work by Rider Haggard

If you had to date a celebrity, who would it be?

Rafael Nadal Please ;P

If you were a celebrity, what would you be?

I have no clue and right now my mind refuses to work…Certainly not a Monster though.

If you had to give your blog a face-lift, what would you tweak (layout/content-wise):

I would like to change everything about it. Everything! Since I am technically challenged I can’t make any changes. Blaming blogger won’t do so I’m doing nothing about it.

Life Sucks!! Doesn't it?

2009-09-18T17:30:00.005+05:30

Life sucks big time! It really does when you are not born an heiress. I really am in the mood to smash the phone which has been ringing off the hook all day long. I really think having a genie would have solved my problems and put a stop to my rant. I would be vacationing in Hawaii right now and not busy doing this mundane work that I so wish I could stop doing. There’s no way I can enjoy my life if this is how things are going to be.

Lately, there has been no time for anything except for work. I miss my precious blog and I miss the excitement of reading new posts written by my blogger friends everyday. I do manage to read the posts once in a while but it’s not the same like staying glued for hours in front of the computer screen. My boss is turning into Miranda Priestly from ‘The Devil Wears Prada’. She expects everything to be done ASAP :)

The only problem here is I have to face all the problems that the girl Andy faced on ‘The Devil Wears Prada’ minus the fashionable makeover. If I got clothes from Gucci, Givenchy and Prada for doing this job, it wouldn’t be as painful as it is right now.

I really want a genie for myself and I want it before I hit my 30’s.

Your Blog is freakin fabulous!!

2009-09-18T17:00:00.006+05:30

The Awards season is not over yet and I'm going to pass on a special Award today given to me by my not so loyal vc TSW long time back :)

He has an amazing blog called ‘The Solitary Writer’. Some of you might think I get paid to promote his blog all the time but seriously I’m not :(

Rules of the Award:

* List five current obsessions.

* Pass the award on to five more fabulous blogs.

* When you post your five winners, make sure you link them as well.

* Don’t forget to let your winners know they won an award from you by leaving a comment on their blog.

My 5 current Obsessions :)

1.Rafael Nadal- the Hottie ;)

2.Howard Roark.

3.Complaining about the Weather.

4. Whining about my work

5. Getting worked up about the Traffic Jams

My 5 Fabulous bloggers

Eidothia- This fun blogger knows it all...& her blog is freakin fabulous :)

Little Ms Blogger- She rants and raves on Wednesdays and does it extremely well. Her readers love it!

Polly- Awesome blogger! I love her style and her blog Sotto Voce

Sugandha- My sweet friend and a great blogger who likes to be politically incorrect all the time.

Jaywhyjay- Her posts are always very interesting and I like reading what she writes.

Awards!!

2009-09-12T13:40:00.004+05:30

It’s time to distribute some awards and let some amazing people know how much I love their blogs.

I have been waiting to pass on these awards to some great bloggers with fabulous blogs. I absolutely love their creative work and admire the amount of effort that they put into their blogs.

It’s great knowing you guys and I hope you enjoy these awards.

The Superior Scribbler Award given to me by Rahul with the amazing blog ‘The Skeptical Observer’ goes to:

Ste (VC TSW) who has a great blog called ‘The Solitary Writer.’ He will always be one of my favorite bloggers and a very special friend.

Matthew who has an amazing blog called ‘Resurrected Ramblings.’ I am in love with the way he uses words and comes up with great posts every time.

Alpha who has a lovely blog called Simplify. It’s really nice to know her and I enjoy reading her posts a lot. Do join Alpha’s cool book club!

Saad who has a cool blog called ‘Bombay Blogger.’ His posts are hilarious and I always end up having a good time reading what he writes.

Louis who has a brilliant blog called ‘Pursuit of Something Real.’ He expresses himself beautifully with his superb writing style and it’s a pleasure reading his work.

This award was given to me by Alpha. It’s a very special award to me and I would like to give this award to-

Shravan- The Graveyard of My Own Thoughts

TSW- The Solitary Writer

Leo- Figments of Imagination

Matthew- Resurrected Ramblings

Louis- Pursuit of Something Real

Shruti- Hits and Misses

Manju- Manju Gone Blog

SunshineMeg- Float On…

Bard- Bardspeaks

Monica- Ruminations

Rohini- Train of Thought

Saad- Bombay Blogger

Srivatsan- A Cartoon A day

Parzi- Xpressive Thoughts

Arjun- Rekindled Imaginations

This Award was given to me by Shruti the queen of 55 fiction. She has a fab blog called Hits and Misses. Do check it out!

Some special bloggers I would like to give this award to-

TSW- The Solitary Writer

Ladytruth- Happily After Ever

Lauren- Think Spin

f8hasit- f8hasit

Jeannie- Going Incognito

Monica-Ruminations

Srivatsan- A Cartoon a day

Rahul- The Skeptical Observer

Michelle- The C-Z Cocktail

Ekam- Expressions of a Life

Indian Pundit- Live The Dream

Kaka- Memoirs

Sugar Cube- Squaring a Circle.

Thank you all for being so nice and for making my day with your great posts! :)

Life and People...

2009-09-02T16:33:00.008+05:30

People fascinate me. I can go on observing people and not get tired at all. My early morning walks have always been very pleasant. After wandering about aimlessly for a while I find a park bench with trees all around to just sit and do nothing. While I sit there I observe the old folks doing all that they can to stay healthy. It’s really nice to see their enthusiasm for life. It was during one of these rare trips to the park that I met this old man who had fainted in the middle of the road. I somehow managed to get him to the sidewalk and asked him where he lived. He said he was ok, which he clearly was not. I asked him again but he insisted he wanted to go to the park. He was very weak and was about to fall any minute so I asked him to hold my hand and walk with me.

He seemed pretty emotional about going to the park. We found a place to sit and he was still shaking pretty badly. I asked him if he was sick and he said he was suffering from Parkinson’s disease. He found it very hard to sit still or walk without falling. He was finding it really hard to speak and his hands never stopped trembling. But he wanted to speak. There was no hope left and he said he wasn’t expecting to live much longer. The whole situation seemed very sad and unfortunate and I was at a loss for words. I asked him about his family. His daughter was living in the

and his wife was sleeping. The emotional part of me started thinking about the daughter and the wife. How could they not be bothered about someone they are supposed to love?

The man wanted to do all the things that he liked to do before he died. He didn’t just want to stay in bed all day waiting for death to claim him. He seemed delighted to talk about his travels and his career. He was an ex Ceo and had achieved a lot in his life. He started smiling when he spoke about his career. He said that was all he had done in his life …think about his career. He would have done things a little differently but now it was too late so he was making the best of the time he had. He said he envied me for being young and having something as precious as time ahead of me. After an hour went by it was time to head back home. He gave me the directions to his home and I dropped him off and said goodbye. It was really nice to know him even if it was for an hour.

The Empty Closet

2009-08-30T21:26:00.009+05:30

Three years back I moved to a new city and made a lot of friends. My social circle was growing at a much faster pace than the Indian economy. It was during the first year of living in this new city that I found a new friend. I had fun in her company and thought she was nice to hang out with. She always went through relationship troubles and I was always busy listening to her problems. One day she asked me if she could stay with me as she didn’t want to be alone. I said, “Of course! You can stay.” The next morning when I woke up I saw my closet clean and empty. Well not fully empty but all my clothes were gone. The clothes that mattered to me were gone. The girl was nowhere to be seen. She had left during the early hours of the morning when I was dead asleep. She had not even left a note stating some reason for her strange behavior. I would have been polite enough to leave a note. I got in touch with her after a few days and asked her if she had any plans to return my clothes. She said she was going to return it but couldn’t drop by as she had a crazy schedule. Finally, she sent a message with an address where she had kept my clothes. I went to that address and found no one there. The girls who were supposed to give me back my clothes had moved out. I was pissed and I called the girl. The girl listened and said Oh! I’m so sorry I didn’t know the girls were going to move out. I didn’t know what to say to her. I just hung up and never called her again.

After a year she was at my door again pretending like nothing had happened. I noticed she was wearing my precious pink sweater. She seemed to be in a very cheerful mood and was behaving like someone just out of prison. She laughed gaily and started a sermon about certain people who borrow clothes and never return them back. After chit chatting for an hour she asked me if I had bought anything new. Now you guys must be wondering why I didn’t just throw her out of the window by now. I wish I could. I have always had a dream about being very rude someday and doing something as appealing as throwing my hot coffee on someone’s face. Just never got around to trying it. There were many occasions which demanded such action on my part but the damned moral science lessons made it impossible for me to act on impulse.

Reviewing the week that went by

2009-08-22T21:54:00.013+05:30

The weekend's here and I thought I must do something worthwhile this time. I thought about contemplating and reviewing the week that went by. Sometimes we need to do these things to look back and think if our time was used well and in an efficient manner. This can even be done when you have got nothing better to do. Did I use my time efficiently?..umm... Nope! ..I tried to remember if something significant happened. None that I could remember. I pondered for a while and came to the conclusion that nothing that would scare the living daylights out of me happened. Something significant like me appearing in someone's most wanted list, some random stranger sending Chanel and Gucci bags as gifts or at least me standing in the background like a prop in BBC's Hard Talk..damn!

What did I do and how did I while away so much time? Now that I think of it...I remember I was really pissed with a New weasel at work. Whenever I'll look back I will associate this week with that New weasel. Also, I spent a lot of my time watching TV...As soon as I was done watching movies, I would start watching those TV shows...one after another. I remember I was really mad at Carrie Bradshaw in Sex and the City for even thinking about sleeping with Mr. Big again. I really cannot understand why Carrie goes back to that big guy. The guy does whatever catches his fancy and even marries that Natasha for God's sake. When he gets bored with Natasha he again chooses to come back to Carrie. I really don't like the way Carrie cheats on Aiden. I had to get it off my chest but enough of SATC now. I fell in love with Bill, the hot vampire in True blood. The vampire is so charming and I absolutely love the show. I watched that movie Kaminey twice…loved it so much. Shahid Kapoor was fantastic in that movie. The rest of my time was divided between Heroes, South Park, Friends, Seinfeld, The Simpsons, meeting my friends, spending time with THE FAMILY, sleeping and once in a while chatting and blogging. Ok..I know you guys must be thinking this is an absolute wastage of time...some would even preach about how precious every minute of our life is. That is exactly the reason why I keep reminding myself that..The time that I enjoy Wasting is Not wasted time!

Have a Nice weekend everyone :)

The Number Tag

2009-08-21T14:54:00.008+05:30

I was tagged by a very sweet and creative blogger..Prashansa..

I got so lazy that I kept delaying it...like I always do..Also, I'm not at all good with numbers so I really didn't know how to write about me or my life in numbers :)

So here comes the tag:

1 One brother…thankfully a younger one. I emotionally blackmail him and sometimes bribe him and get all my chores done.

2Two sisters. Don’t have to bribe them to get my work done. All I need to do is ASK!

3 Favorite Tennis stars- Rafael Nadal, Maria Sharapova and Djokovic

4 Was born on the 4th

5 My five favorite Fictional Characters- Heathcliff from Wuthering Heights, Howard Roark from the Fountainhead, Shylock from the Merchant of Venice, Lord Emsworth from Blandings Castle, Becky Sharp from Vanity Fair

6 Six singers/bands I like- Nirvana, Amy Winehouse, Lily Allen, Alanis Morissette, Kings of Leon & Kanye West

7 Seven football players I really… really like- Kaka, Zinedine Zidane, Lionel Messi, Xavi, Samuel Eto, Karim Benzema, Raul

8 Eight random things I love- The rain, Volcanoes, My friends, Renaissance art, Novels, Good Movies, Early Morning tea, Winter

9 Nine Things I don’t like- Traffic, dust, dirt, heat, hypocrisy, bad movies, Chocolate, Ice Cream and Diseases

10 Ten Things I like to do-

Getting wet in the rain,

Eating raw mangoes with green chili,

Disturbing my sweet friends with long mails about my wellbeing,

Falling in love with fictional characters all the time,

Whine whenever I can.

Start cutting my Parent’s clothes when they are asleep and transform them into my own design and give it a completely new look.

Watch Rafael Nadal play tennis.

Chit chat with small kids and bore them until they beg me to leave them alone

Sleep, sleep and sleep some more

If my painting doesn’t turn out right... I make it an abstract :)

I would like to tag 10 awesome bloggers...TSW, Srivatsan, Saad, Suga, Shruti, Lauren, Abby, Sobhit, Kaka & Bard

Thanks Prashansa for tagging me :)

On working with weasels...

2009-08-18T15:46:00.017+05:30

I don’t know where to begin and how to begin…my thoughts are all over the place today. I want to quit this job that I have been doing for more than a year now. It’s the same weasels month after month and somehow, almost magically when one of them leaves, the HR has an ability to hire a much bigger moron than the previous one. And why do I have to be the one who has to bear with all the questions and queries this new weasel seems to have? Ok…I understand this work is new to him and he needs some time to get used to it but the trouble is the new guy doesn’t seem to have a clue at all about anything. I wonder if he is from the same planet or if he even has something which is called ‘common sense’. The answer is No. None at all!

Every time I’m doing something really important the guy would stand behind me like a creep and suddenly throw some questions my way. I stare at him with a blank look on my face but after a few minutes go by I realize he expects me to give him an answer. Then I open my mouth and a long winded conversation begins. Throughout this conversation all I can think about… the only thing I can think about is …why god why? Why do I have to put up with this Moron?

I wouldn’t mind a young intern asking me all these questions but to see this much older guy pester me with all these stupid questions is a little too much for me to bear. I would rather bang my head against a wall than get stuck in a long meeting with this new weasel.

This is how a normal conversation with this new weasel goes:

New Weasel: Hey! do you have any idea about this ABC Service?

Me- No! I handle only XYZ Services. So, I have no clue about the ABC service.

New Weasel- Hey! Do you have any idea about the CDE services?

Me- No! I handle only XYZ Services! So No!

New Weasel- How does this GHF services work?

I get visibly annoyed this time and I reply back as politely as possible…

Me- I HANDLE ONLY XYZ Services!!!

New Weasel- Would you mind taking some time out so that you can explain the KLF Services to me?

I am speechless now… I don’t know how to get my point across to this new weasel that I only handle XYZ services!! Sometimes I even think about writing XYZ SERVICES on my forehead so that the guy doesn’t bother me again.

Politeness flies right outta the window and I reply back in a sharp tone this time- I handle Only XYZ Services so would you mind not asking me about the other services. Finally he seemed to get the message. He smiles and says “Oops I’m so sorry I keep forgetting.”

Believe it or not the same thing happens the next day…

He again stands behind me like a creep…he again fires away the same questions about all the services except for XYZ Services! The Conversation always ends with me getting mad and him saying “Oops I’m so sorry! I keep forgetting.”
It’s not like I haven’t tried to quit and run. The last time I gave my resignation, the boss got all emotional on me which made me take back my resignation and agree to come back again. During this conversation she asked me why I want to leave. I told her straightaway I can’t work with weasels anymore. She seemed to understand and even told me to be patient and pretend they don’t exist. She said you will find weasels everywhere. It’s not like this is the only office where weasels work. I wonder if it’s true…this thing about weasels working everywhere.

Freedom, Kites and Independence day...

2009-08-14T14:05:00.007+05:30

15^th of August always fills me with happiness and excitement. I always end up thinking how nice it feels to be free. Same time around last year, I was happily flying kites. I had a collection of the prettiest kites ever. There is nothing more beautiful than my pretty colorful kite almost touching the blue sky. I was thrilled to do something different last year…something so wonderful.

But last year’s Independence Day too was not all fun and happy. I was busy having fun with my friends when I saw these four street kids who just had one kite. I was on the terrace of a high building with many floors but the kids were clearly visible to me. They seemed so excited to have that one kite. They took turns flying the kite and I was so happy to see them smiling. I stopped flying my kite and just sat down and watched the kids for a while. People in the neighborhood were all competing with each other. Everyone was busy trying to claim victory by bringing each other’s kite down. To them it was just a sport. Just when it was the youngest of the kids turn to fly the kite the neighborhood kids unknowingly cut off the thread and the kite came crashing down. They looked at each other and were clearly very disappointed. The youngest kid was in tears. Maybe he was too young to deal with disappointment and pain. The other kids consoled him and they walked back home dejected and disheartened. I wanted to somehow do something for them but there was no way I could reach them. There was a huge distance and a big wall separating us. I felt so sad that I couldn’t make them smile…

My childhood memories of Independence Day have not at all been happy ones. I hail from a place which has witnessed innumerable terrorist attacks for many years now. There was always a curfew on 15^th of August. We were not allowed to venture out of our homes for fear that we might get killed in a bomb blast. There were times when I had to listen to gunshots outside my window at night and see dead bodies lying on the street the next morning. I always try to keep these sad memories away and just think about the happier ones. But, sometimes it’s not that easy to shut my mind off these memories completely. I am living far away from my home now but my loved ones are still there. News about a bomb blast in my hometown shakes me to the very core no matter how often it happens. I immediately call up my parents to make sure they are ok and safe. But, this fear that anything can happen to them anytime never seems to leave me alone.

This year my sweet colleagues were busy searching nice images of kites for me. They took a break from their work just so that I could have some images for my post. Couldn’t end the post without mentioning how hard they worked to find these images.

Wish you all a very happy independence day! Enjoy your freedom

When a friend elopes...

2009-08-13T17:19:00.010+05:30

I was going through my mails in my inbox today when I spotted one from an old schoolmate. The subject really caught my eye. It stated- “I have eloped!!”

I thought maybe it’s a joke and she really doesn’t mean that. When I opened the blasted mail…she really had eloped. For three years there was no contact between us...not even a 'hello' and now this. The mail was probably sent to her entire friends list. She had written a short little story about the hows and whys of her love life. How she met a guy called JD…What JD means to her. She goes on to explain some problems in her love life like how the guy doesn’t trust her sometimes and also how she feels it’s important for her to be with him so that the guy doesn’t cheat on her. Pretty interesting life she is leading I must say. She even stole her aunt’s jewellery and some cash and hopes her aunt understands that she had to do it for the sake of love. Her next statement- “If my aunt doesn’t understand, I don’t care. I’m in love.”

She goes on to explain what kind of a life she and JD have currently. She explains further the main reason behind her decision to elope. Her parents don’t understand. They don’t approve of JD because they think he is utterly useless and also shorter than her.

Her final declaration- “I don’t care if JD is a jerk who might someday cheat on me…I don’t care if he is useless and simply don’t give a damn if he is a few inches shorter than me. To me he is simply the best!”

I’m really glad I got this refreshing mail today. Not the kind of mails I get from my friends everyday…Was getting kinda bored at work and didn’t know what to do to amuse myself. I wonder what she was thinking when she wrote this mail :)

An amazing blogger...

2009-08-11T10:50:00.009+05:30

Today's a new day and I decided I want to start it on a happy note...I didn't want to think about things I don't like. So, this post is about an amazing person I accidently came across in this blog world...His name is Stephen (I fondly address him as TSW) and he is the author of the amazing blog called 'The Solitary Writer'. When I started this blog it was out of sheer boredom and nothing else. But I'm so glad now that I did..If I had not started this bloody blog I would never have known this great new friend of mine. Yeah, it all started with a 'bloody' comment as we like to say it..:)

Nice people like him are rare and I feel really happy that he is my friend now. There is nothing better than the friendship of a sweet person who cares about everyone and never fails to pay special attention to girls :P

There are so many things I appreciate and like about him that it's hard to put it down here in a few words. Also, you guys know by now how I like to escape from such situations where I have to WORK at something. I know tsw won't mind. He is such a sweet person...he doesn't have a mean bone in his body. He is also a very good human being who makes everyone smile with his kind words and actions. I wish I had met him when I was 15. That was the time when I needed someone who was good in Maths and Science. I would have taken advantage of his kindness and made him do all my assignments. How did I find out about his sweetness in such a short period of time?? Read some nice testimonials written by his cool friends on a social networking site :P

Yesterday, he published his 150th post and I just wanted to let him know how happy I am for him. I will be looking forward to reading many more interesting posts from this talented blogger.

Do check out his amazing blog...The Solitary Writer

I'm pretty sure you guys will be glad you did :)

Moving on...

2009-08-10T21:47:00.015+05:30

How hard is it to simply forget a person you once thought was your one true love? Surely not as hard as we thought it would be. Time makes us forget everything and we move on with our lives. Some of us are simply not willing to accept that things do change. If nothing else changes, maybe it’s us who change. There are many of us who are really unwilling to end a bad or dissatisfying relationship for the fear that this change will lead to an experience more painful than what we are already experiencing.

What’s really bad about these relationships is that some even put up with abuse and violence. I really feel disgusted when I have to say goodbye to a friend who I know will get beaten up and abused by the love of her life. There is nothing much to say or do to help her out when she breaks down and cries. I have known my friend since she was a young girl with silly dreams of finding her knight in shining armour. I much preferred her the way she was when she was happy. I wanted her to find the kind of love that she was looking for and certainly not the guy she ended up with. When she first fell in love with him she seemed happy but as time went by the last thing she felt was happiness. All her views about love changed and she did become a lot more cynical. I don’t know why some people behave the way they do. How can they be so insensitive? I miss that sweet girl I knew. Even when we went shopping she was not as carefree as she earlier used to be. It seemed like she was living in fear of the guy.

I asked her once to get out of that stupid relationship and find someone nicer...But she seemed a little uncertain. She wanted to hang on to whatever she had with that guy...I felt sorry for her but I knew some people are not strong enough to take decisions that are right for them. I wonder if it was love or fear that made her put up with that jerk. She knew he was a jerk but she didn't have the courage to start her life afresh. Instances like these really make me think twice about falling head over heels in love with someone. Sometimes I really think it's not worth it to give your heart out to someone. Love is not supposed to bring misery or unhappiness. Why can't things be as simple as they are in books and novels? Is a fairytale ending too much to ask for these days?

I'm sick of it...

2009-08-06T17:23:00.010+05:30

Being sick is not at all fun and when you happen to have one of the worst immune system in the world you can’t help it but stay sick. As soon as the head stopped aching, it was the stomach’s turn to get upset. Mentally I was happy and energetic but physically I couldn’t do anything fun and just lie there like a dead old stick. These are the times when I’m at my complaining… whining best. I curse the world (mostly inanimate objects), curse the whole damned junk food industry and just about anything I can lay my eyes on. My foul mood made it impossible for me to have a good time with the idiot box. I was not even in the mood to sleep, read a great book or the Constitution of India.

I picked up a Mills and Boon romance and thought about whiling my time away just like some of my good friends.

My observations:

The male protagonist is always stinking rich while the female works hard to earn a few bucks. He won’t be just another millionaire with a few millions. The guy has to have it all!

The girls somehow seem to have trouble breathing in all of these romances. I never had trouble breathing around anyone. Breathing problems, if any were caused due to dust and dirt and never by any Greek god.

The girls always give in. They always end up doing what the guy wants. Why can’t they just get a grip on their weak nerves and fight back.

Let me not even get started on their abilities to stand properly. They are so weak…they are always on the verge of fainting. Love seems to have a paralyzing effect on these lovesick girls. I want to see a guy go through all these problems for a change.

The end is the worst. The guy and the girl always get married. Throughout the book the guy behaves like a moron but the girl forgets all about it in the end. I would really like to read one practical romance for a change. I want the girl to give one tight slap right across his obnoxious cheek and Move On!

What's up with google today??

2009-08-04T16:40:00.015+05:30

Today google's been playing a weird game with me...all the word verification words seem to have a strange meaning. Normally I get meaningless words like tochicoka, boiyrtc, tapellfico, asenglor...Yeah words that mean nothin to me. But today, google's been sending words like Owlkeeper, Psycho, Andhi (which means I'm blind) my way, which I find quite surprising. I sort of start feeling guilty when I see these words that I can relate to so much. I would very much prefer those meaningless jumbled up garbage. I detested this word verification thing so much earlier...(main reason- it meant I have to work extra hard).

These days I'm ok with it coz I always wait to see what I'll get next... When you type in the wrong word there's nothin you can do except for stare in horror as everything goes away right in front of your eyes...the password, some other details...No apologies ?? just a blunt "fill in all the details and do not leave any field blank." Thats it?..They could do some positive changes like I'm sorry Madam...I'm so so sorry that you have to fill in this annoying little form again. Sometimes I find it really hard to figure whether it's an f or an I or is it an n or an m... Ok keep a word verification thing...it's absolutely fine with me but don't make it exclusive for those who are blessed with eagle eyes!! Make it readable atleast...Why do I get this feeling that they do not want people (real people with a normal eye sight) to get the word verification thing right??..getting too many users I think!

Friends

2009-08-01T21:38:00.007+05:30

"A true friend is someone who thinks that you are a good egg even though he knows that you are slightly cracked." -- Bernard Meltzer. I know there are killjoys everywhere telling you guys not to celebrate friendship day but seriously guys marketing gimmick or not it’s a wonderful reason to celebrate and have a good time. Who cares as long as you make your friends feel special. Be a good friend and don’t be so logical about everything. I really am slightly addicted to this bloggy thing and could not wait to wish my special, witty, friendly blogger buddies… HAPPY FRIENDSHIP DAY!! Have a great weekend P.S- Easy on the alcohol ;)

Yet another Tag!

2009-07-31T21:24:00.021+05:30

I have been tagged once again by a lovely blogger Monica, who has a wonderful blog called Ruminations. I like doing these tags though it involves a lot of hard work. Reason??...They keep me occupied. Half the time I'm wondering what to do now that I'm awake. More about the TAG: The idea is, to list five items in each category and not necessarily in order of liking. You can always add or subtract categories according to your will. Then tag five mortals.

My five favorite words:

1.Lethargy - Can't get enough of this word. It describes so much about me and has so much depth to it. I have used this word over and over again for many years now. If I don't mention it here, it will be so unfair. Lethargy...really can't describe the way I feel about this word in coherent sentences.

2.Slumber- What a beautiful, beautiful word. Whoever came up with this word...I have only one thing to say to you...Thank You!!!

3.Nausea- Like this word a lot. I have fond memories attached to this word. I like to use this wherever I think it fits. Nauseating view, nauseating smile etc etc..

4.Indigestion- Another favourite of mine..everything that happens in and around the globe seems to give me indigestion. Somebody's achievement, somebody's speeches, a bad movie, bad acting, my favourite team not winning a match...everything!

5.Weasels- I like this one coz it helps me identify people. Good for practical purposes. There are times when I need a certain word which serves multiple purposes and comes in handy. Weasel is one such word. Also, it sounds nice to me. I like saying it over and over again like a Mantra!

My five favorite celebrity crushes:

Rafael Nadal: He will always be on top of my list. I have had a crush on this guy for many years now. He has it all!! Charm, charisma, talent. He is like an ideal guy...very very sweet. When I see him play tennis..I can think of nothing else in the world.

Johnny Depp- Didn't like him when he was young but now I think he is fabulous.

David Nalbandian- Have a crush on this tennis player as well. He remains silent throughout the match and never shows his emotions which I find quite attractive.

Kurt Cobain- Love the way he sings!

Rob Pattinson- Like his dishevelled look.

My five favorite random things:

My Soap- What will I ever do without my soap :(

My Credit Card: I may end up in jail but I will always use this thing.

My TV- Very essential. This idiot box Keeps me informed.

My Wallet- This is where I keep all my cash.

My bed- Last but not the least my awesome bed. This is where I spend most of my time...catching up on my zzzzzzz's

My five favorite comic book characters-

1.Dennis the Menace- Naughty, entertaining.

2. Veronica- HAS CASH and an awesome wardrobe!

3.Jughead- Cool and has a good digestive system.

4. Garfield- His lazy highness has a great sense of humor.

5.Superman- Doesn't care much about fashion trends...has a unique style of his own.

My five favorite literary characters:

Ayesha from She

Conway from Lost Horizon

Mr. Darcy from Pride and Prejudice

Heathcliff from Wuthering heights

Lord Emsworth from Blandings Castle written by P.G. Wosehouse

My energy seemed to wane by the time I reached the end and that's why the answers got shorter and shorter. Now, I need to tag other Mortals. I am tagging you guys... Saad, blogger with the blog Bombay Blogger Srivatsan, blogger with the blog A Cartoon a Day Vice Captain TSW, blogger with the blog The Solitary Writer Imogen, blogger with the blog Write about what Dreamergurl, blogger with the blog The Adventures of a Dreamer

A Keen Eye For Weird Stuff

2009-07-31T15:32:00.008+05:30

Everybody has a thing unique to their personality. A unique quality, a distinguishing characteristic that defines the person. Don’t worry I'm not going to get philosophical. Philosophy is certainly not my thing. If there is something weird going on somewhere, I’m the person you need to contact for further details. My sweet boss told me to find out more details about all the calculators that are available in the market to attract naïve teens. I came across many love calculators, crush calculators, and break up calculators and what not.

The list was endless. But the calculator that really caught my eye was: “The amazing death predictor”. Questions started popping up in my head and I was dying with curiosity to find out more. The bloody market was flooded with this thing. You name it, you got it… The variety was huge. How can a death predictor be amazing? First, you spoil someone’s day by saying, your clock is ticking and then you ask aren’t the results amazing?? Anyways, even if they get it right how am I going to send my feedback about the product? I don’t know what kind of a system they have beyond the grave…is it postal or are they more technologically advanced???&^mghyyy…hmmm so many queries.

Of all the advertisements I liked the death clock’s promo lines best:

The Death Clock- "A gentle reminder that Life is slipping away!”

PS: I was almost tickled to death after reading this! :)

The Life and Times of a Couch Potato...

2009-07-29T16:39:00.010+05:30

The lifestyle of a couch potato is not healthy but if you are one of them ‘Couch potatoes’ what do you do? ...Do you really believe you can stop being one and have an active lifestyle all of a sudden??…I have tried many times to be more active or to at least move my arms and limbs once in a while. Today, I knew I had to wake up again, get dressed again and show up at work once again. But my mind was telling me otherwise. Thoughts about making excuses and falling fully flat on the bed seemed more tempting. I was in no mood to get up but dad was hovering around reminding me that I need to stop pretending like an 80 year old and get out of bed. He reminded me of my young age and expected energy levels. So, I finally gave in and made myself a little presentable for human society.This is still the new improved me.

The earlier me simply wouldn’t budge. My blanket was taken away or I should rather say snatched away from me to put an end to my slumber saga. I was getting chilled as it was during the freezing winters that I was put through this ordeal but I pretended to not even notice and carried on with my sleeping. After an hour or two my blanket was promptly returned back to me and I still carried on with my sleep (now a bit comfortably). There were times when half of my body lay on the freezing ground and the other half remained on the bed.

But did this slightly uncomfortable position stop me from sleeping some more??? Noooooooo…nothing seemed to matter as long as I could sleep a few extra hours. I was addicted to sleeping. I slept at parties, during dinnertime and once at a distant cousin’s wedding. Yup… slept right next to the place where the ceremony was taking place. If I remember correctly the bride and the groom were taking their vows when I drifted off to sleep. Slept right there and then. Woke up the next morning and found that the party was over and I didn’t even get to enjoy it :(

My New Year resolution was to do a lot of stuff…

Daily Exercise

Go for a Morning Walk

Don’t sleep for more than 10 hours

Don’t watch TV for 15 hours

Not a single one accomplished yet so I told myself I would use the same list next year J

Why does it rain when I have no umbrella?

2009-07-26T14:29:00.012+05:30

This always happens with me. After a hard day's work...really really hard work I am in no mood to be splashed with water. I know the water is natural and has no control over it but why does it come pouring down when I'm so not prepared. Hmmph!...Nevermind. I love the rain and I'm like one of its biggest god darn fan. Fact is, it never rains when I want it to. I want some kind of respite from the blistering summer.. unwelcome heat. Nah...it never happens. Not even a damned droplet. I remember some days ago how excited I was when I felt a few droplets of water coming from above. I thought it was coming from the sky but after a minute or two realized it was the next door neighbour trying to dry clothes by generously sprinkling water on people walking down the road.

I have been down with flu NOT Swine flu these past few days. But still I had to go to offfice as our office doesn't believe in something as stupid as sick leave. No sick leave! Who needs a sick leave anyway? Ok...but that's not my problem right now as I don't mind going to office everyday. My problem is why do I get drenched everytime I am without an umbrella. It's like people way above are keeping their eyes on me and saying...look, there she goes...No umbrella in hand. Lets get down to business..hehe

I was soaked and I had to get into an auto and sit there with all my clothes wet and ride for at least 30 minutes with the auto rickshaw driver. But as luck would have it my misery was prolonged when I got stuck in a nasty traffic jam. The traffic jam continued for more than 40 minutes and there I was... sitting, soaked and chilled! When I reached home finally I saw that it had not rained at all there. The neighbours must have thought I walked right out of a shower. I can't really bother about what others are thinking when I'm soaked without my approval.

Frida Kahlo...

2009-07-25T12:01:00.012+05:30

Mexican painter Frida Kahlo’s biography is a must read. She inspires you to live like there’s no tomorrow. She was a fascinating woman and an incredible artist. Her works were mostly self-portraits. Her work is a depiction of her emotions, honesty, heartbreak and life. She had to endure physical as well as emotional pain throughout her short life. She gained success as an artist with exhibitions in New York and Paris, becoming friends with the Surrealists and especially with Pablo Picasso, who was a big admirer of her work. Frida enjoyed her time to the fullest, despite immense pain, handicaps, heartbreak and suffering. She communicated her feelings through her unique paintings. Her work is bold, brilliant, and beautiful.

Here are some awesome Frida Kahlo quotes:

"I paint self-portraits because I am the person I know best. I paint my own reality. The only thing I know is that I paint because I need to, and I paint whatever passes through my head without any other considerations."

Feet, what do I need you for when I have wings to fly?

I leave you my portrait so that you will have my presence all the days and nights that I am away from you.

I love you more than my own skin.

I never paint dreams or nightmares. I paint my own reality.

I paint my own reality. The only thing I know is that I paint because I need to, and I paint whatever passes through my head without any other consideration.

Her last diary entry read: 'I hope the end is joyful - and I hope never to come back’- Frida.

I have been Tagged!!

2009-07-22T13:15:00.015+05:30

The Bombay Blogger aka Saad decided to increase my to do list today and tagged me...ok lets get down to business then...I will be answering these questions as honestly as possible ;)

The rules:

* Link the person who tagged you. * Post these rules on your blog. * Share your ABCs.. * Tag 3 people at the end of your post by linking to their blogs. * Let the 3 tagged people know that they have been tagged by leaving a comment on their website. * Do not tag the same person repeatedly but try to tag different people, so that there is a big network of bloggers doing this tag! The ABC of me...all that there is about me :p A – Available/Single? Neither Available nor single..hooked up pretty early.

B – Best friend? Mr.God :)

C – Cake or Pie? ewww ...none.

D – Drink of choice? Nicely cooled Coconut Water.

E – Essential item you use every day? My Soap!

F – Favorite colour? Olive green.

H – Hometown? The border between Meghalaya and Guwahati..

I – Indulgence? High heeled shoes.

J – January or February? February...coz of all the romance, drama and excitement around V' day.

K – Kids & their names? Kids if any will be named Thorny and Rough :D

L – Life is incomplete without? Cash...being a bit practical on this one. Wanna be that rich duck from duck tales ;)

M – Marriage date? December 5, 2024...everybody is invited :P

N – Number of siblings? 3. Two sisters & one brother.

O – Oranges or Apples? Apples.. Eating oranges is a bit tough..can't handle the neverending stages of peeling and throwing the seeds..can't even ask for help :p P – Phobias/Fears? Acrophobia,Cynophobia,Acarophobia,Agliophobia,Agyrophobia,Atychiphobia and some others Q – Quote for today? “I have learned that only two things are necessary to keep one's wife happy. First, let her think she's having her own way. And second, let her have it.” -Lyndon B. Johnson.

R – Reason to smile? I always smile without a reason...the beginning of a lunatic :D

S – Season? Freezing winters...love the bone chilling cold wind :)

T – Tag 3 People? I tag thee, Monica, Dreamergurl and Faith...Have fun filling this one out.

U – Unknown fact about me? .. I'm obsessed about bathing...gotta bathe as many times as I can..To me it's a form of recreation.

V – Vegetable you don't like? Potato...can't eat it any longer.Enough is enough :P

W – Worst habit? I yawn when I'm not supposed to... when somebody's talking about their break up, during meetings...long or short doesn't matter. I end up yawning :D

X – X-rays you've had? Not even once. Never felt the need to see the insides :P

Y – Your favorite food? give me Chinese anyday.

Z – Zodiac sign? Libra...need sound judgement? Seek help from this Wise Libran!:P

I have tagged these three bloggers...check out their blogs:

http://ruminationsmyspc.blogspot.com/

http://dreamergurl2009.blogspot.com/

http://dazeoffriendz.blogspot.com/

Phew...I did it! Finally :P Thanks Saad for increasing my workload! :)

Boredom, Lethargy and What Not...

2009-07-21T14:09:00.011+05:30

The whole week has been all about getting bored. I have been checking out other people's wonderful blogs with lots of interesting posts, fun topics etc...etc. They all seem so active and so alive.

I read some quotes on boredom to find something fun and liked this one by Bert Leston Taylor 'A bore is a man who, when you ask him how he is, tells you.'

I decided to take a test to find out how lazy I really am...

These were some of the questions asked:

Q.What do you do when you wake up in the morning?

My ans: Hit the snooze button on the alarm clock and sleep again!

Q.Do you always fall asleep because of boredom

My ans: Yes, always.

Q.Do you consider yourself a couch potato??

My ans: I didn't like the term couch potato but I still decided to be honest and admitted...Ok I am one.

I went on to answer a lot more questions about monotony, inactivity, sluggishness, lethargy and finally passed the test with flying colours.

Then I decided to do a google search on how to drive away boredom. Came across these highly amusing tips which I don't think will be of any help at all.

The first tip: Pretend you're a robot

Is walking down the street with mechanical movements adding zzzzt sounds with each motion really going to drive away my boredom? By pretending to be a robot I am supossed to be entertained for at least 3 minutes.

The 2nd Tip: Scratch yourself(Yuck)

According to the guy who gave this tip I will feel really good after all the unnecessary scratching that I do. The 3rd tip: Rate passers by

Hmmm...this is not that bad. I may have a good time while doing this. Secretly award passers-by marks for their clothing, hairstyle and footwear choices. The 4th tip: Pinch yourself

The logic behind this tip is after pinching myself for a while, boredom will seem really nice next to being in pain. The 5th tip: Pretend to be a car Make appropriate revving noises in your head as you walk along and add a racing commentary as you pass strangers in the street. Use blinking eyes as indicators for extra authenticity.

The last tip was the worst: Make a low buzzing noise Keeping a totally straight face and looking nonchalant, make a low pitch humming/buzzing noise and see who reacts.

I would really look like a crazy lunatic if I even thought about trying this one out.

Hypocritical Morality

2009-07-15T13:03:00.008+05:30

Today's post was written after reading a sick person's comments about an actress.

This so called baba who gets on my nerves everytime gave me all the more reason to dislike him further. I am disgusted by his obnoxious behaviour. I really don't get it... what right does a 'baba' have challenging the high court's verdict on gay rights? He can do his acrobatic stunts all he wants but why interfere in other people's personal lives. He has no right to tell anyone what one needs to do with their bloody lives.

He is hell bent on curing homosexuality, which according to him is a disease. I really wish he finds a cure for his sick mind, and finds it before it's too late.

On actresses like Celina Jaitley standing up for gay rights, he says, "These actresses know nothing about Bhartiya sanskriti. They stay away from their parents and have no morals".

Does he really know enough about India to pass such lewd remarks? Do people like him represent the Indian society? If the answer is Yes, I would be glad not to be a part of it.

I get to hear a lot about this 'bhartiya sanskriti' and good Indian women with moral values. These people with all the good moral values never show up during times of injustice. Do we ever get to see them when a girl is raped? when somebody is killed in the name of religion?...The question that we need to ask is do they really care? Also, should we have any respect for these not so human people with all the 'sanskars' in the world?

When we have major problems like people dying due to starvation, child labour, illiteracy, poverty, child abuse, unemployment, corruption, diseases...what good will these moral values do? Will it make me a better person if I stop speaking to my male friends and concentrate on having better morals by sitting at home?? Is that really called living?

What good has the society ever done to any of us? Who laid down these stupid rules about what is right and wrong?

Why this much interest in other people's personal lives? Who are we to dictate and suggest? Why do people spend most of their time thinking about what others are doing with their lives?

Are they not concerned about their own problems or do they have no problems at all??

Good News for Rafanatics...

2009-07-15T10:04:00.011+05:30

Rafael Nadal will be returning to action at the ATP World Tour event in Montreal this August!

Rafa is confident that he will be doing what he does best: Play Tennis

He underwent medical tests in Barcelona yesterday and was cleared to resume practice. Nadal said: " I am really looking forward to doing what I most like: playing tennis. The event in Montreal is important and I expect to be there, fit to play."

Nadal will train at his home in Majorca and get back in form for the tournament, which begins on 10 August and where he is the defending champion. Tennis without Rafa has been awful. This is possibly the best possible news for us Rafa fans. There is nothing better than watching him play.

Vamos Rafa!

Valerie's letter

2009-07-09T14:44:00.010+05:30

This is the letter that inspires Evey Hammond in the Movie V for Vendetta...

"I don't know who you are. Please believe. There is no way I can convince you that this is not one of their tricks, but I don't care. I am me, and I don't know who you are but I love you. I have a pencil. A little one they did not find. I am a woman. I hid it inside me. Perhaps I won't be able to write again, so this is a long letter about my life. It is the only autobiography I will ever write and oh god I'm writing it on toilet paper.

I was born in Nottingham in 1957, and it rained a lot. I passed my eleven plus and went to girl's grammar. I wanted to be an actress. I met my first girlfriend at school. Her name was Sara. She was fourteen and I was fifteen but we were both in Miss Watson's class.

Her wrists. Her wrists were beautiful.

I sat in biology class, staring at the pickled rabbit foetus in its jar, listening while Mr. Hird said it was an adolescent phase that people outgrew... Sara did. I didn't.

In 1976 I stopped pretending and took a girl called Christine home to meet my parents. A week later I moved to London, enrolling at drama college. My mother said I broke her heart, but it was my integrity that was important. Is that so selfish? It sells for so little, but it's all we have left in this place. It is the very last inch of us...

... But within that inch we are free.

London: I was happy in London. In 1981 I played Dandini in Cinderella. My first rep work. The world was strange and rustling and busy, with invisible crowds behind the hot lights and all the breathless glamour. It was exciting and it was lonely. At nights I'd go to Gateways or one of the other clubs, but I was stand-offish and didn't mix easily. I saw a lot of the scene, but I never felt comfortable there. So many of them just wanted to be gay. It was their life, their ambition, all they talked about... And I wanted more than that.

Work improved. I got small film roles, then bigger ones. In 1986 I starred in 'The Salt Flats.' It pulled in the awards but not the crowds. I met Ruth working on that. We loved each other. We lived together, and on Valentine's Day she sent me roses, and oh god, we had so much. Those were the best three years of my life.

In 1988 there was the war...

... And after that there were no more roses. Not for anybody.

In 1992, after the take-over, they started rounding up the gays. They took Ruth while she was out looking for food. Why are they so frightened of us? They burned her with cigarette ends and made her give them my name. She signed a statement saying I seduced her. I didn't blame her. God I loved her. I didn't blame her... But she did. She killed herself in her cell. She couldn't live with betraying me, with giving up that last inch.

Oh Ruth.

They came for me. They told me that all my films would be burned. They shaved off my hair. They held my head down a toilet bowl and told jokes about lesbians. They brought me here and gave me drugs. I can't feel my tongue anymore. I can't speak. The other gay woman here, Rita, died two weeks ago. I imagine I'll die quite soon.

It is strange that my life should end in such a terrible place, but for three years I had roses and I apologized to nobody. I shall die here. Every inch of me shall perish...

... Except one.

An inch. It's small and it's fragile and it's the only thing in the world that's worth having. We must never lose it, or sell it, or give it away. We must never let them take it from us.

I don't know who you are, or whether you're a man or a woman. I may never see you. I may never hug you or cry with you or get drunk with you. But I love you. I hope you escape this place. I hope that the world turns and that things get better, and that one day people have roses again. I wish I could kiss you.

- Valerie"

V

2009-07-09T13:20:00.012+05:30

Watching the movie V for Vendetta was an amazing experience. At least for me it was. I have met many people who said it sucked, it was unbearably dull and yada yada yada

I thought about sharing some of the amazing quotes or scenes in the movie I absolutely fell in love with.

Remember, remember, the Fifth of November, the Gunpowder Treason and Plot. I know of no reason why the Gunpowder Treason should ever be forgot... But what of the man? I know his name was Guy Fawkes and I know, in 1605, he attempted to blow up the Houses of Parliament. But who was he really? What was he like? We are told to remember the idea, not the man, because a man can fail. He can be caught, he can be killed and forgotten, but 400 years later, an idea can still change the world. I've witnessed first hand the power of ideas, I've seen people kill in the name of them, and die defending them... but you cannot kiss an idea, cannot touch it, or hold it... ideas do not bleed, they do not feel pain, they do not love... And it is not an idea that I miss, it is a man... A man that made me remember the Fifth of November. A man that I will never forget.

V: Our story begins, as these stories often do, with a young up-and-coming politician. He's a deeply religious man and a member of the conservative party. He is completely single-minded convictions and has no regard for the political process. Eventually, his party launches a special project in the name of 'national security'. At first, it is believed to be a search for biological weapons and it is pursued regardless of its cost. However, the true goal of the project is power, complete and total hegemonic domination. The project, however, ends violently... but the efforts of those involved are not in vain, for a new ability to wage war is born from the blood of one of their victims. Imagine a virus - the most terrifying virus you can, and then imagine that you and you alone have the cure. But if your ultimate goal is power, how best to use such a weapon? It is at this point in our story that along comes a spider. He is a man seemingly without a conscience; for whom the ends always justify the means and it is he who suggests that their target should not be an enemy of the country but rather the country itself. Three targets are chosen to maximize the effect of the attack: a school, a tube station, and a water-treatment plant. Several hundred die within the first few weeks. Until at last the true goal comes into view. Before the St. Mary's crisis, no one would have predicted the outcome of the elections. No one. But after the election, lo and behold, a miracle. Some believed that it was the work of God himself, but it was a pharmaceutical company controlled by certain party members made them all obscenely rich. But the true genius of the plan was the fear. A year later, several extremeists are tried, found guilty, and executed while a memorial is builterected to canonize their victims. Fear became the ultimate tool of this government. And through it our politician was ultimately appointed to the newly created position of High Chancellor. The rest, as they say, is history.

A trip to LaLa land...

2009-07-08T14:20:00.007+05:30

My summer vacations had started so Mom asked, "What do you want to do this time?"...I thought about it and said I want to visit Grandma. I had heard a lot about the place where she had gone. Stories about spirits, ghosts, wizards and what not. I was dying to see if the place was indeed as scary as everybody said it was.

The village was located in a remote area of Assam. The bus stopped and said we need to get down and walk as after a certain point the buses don't go in. I didn't mind walking, as I had no idea how far I was going to walk. The walking bit continued for quite a while. After walking for two hours we reached the river. I amused the bunch traveling with me by getting stuck in mud. There was a boat waiting there. It was the only means of transport. The boatman was charging a sum which reminded me of the 1930's. There was no competition and he could have easily charged a little more than a one-rupee coin. We cross the river and finally get close to our destination i.e. my grandma’s place.

A huge crowd had gathered there to welcome or maybe stare at the new lunatics from town. The house was well built and had a pond nearby surrounded by lovely woods, which made me feel a little better. The heat was killing me so I started looking for a fan somewhere. My relatives gave me an ancient fan, which I had seen in the show Mahabharat. I frantically looked around. Not a single bulb in sight. Not even a wire anywhere. They said there is no electricity if that is what I was looking for. Oh hell! I felt awful. One full month without electricity- I may as well shoot myself here and now!

I met all my relatives and by the end of the evening the entire village. The nighttime was the time I had been eagerly waiting for. I was waiting for the spirits to show up. None that I could see but still I did get to hear some creepy strange noises, which made me, tremble with fear.

Everything was ancient...the place, the furniture and the people. I asked my aunt how does she get grocery if there were no shops around. Her Reply- A bus comes here once a week. This time I'll take you along. There's a market called LaLa. GOD! I needed to see some sort of activity.

We wait in advance coz we don't want to miss the only bus that's gonna show up for a week. I get on that ancient thing which I wondered was a Bus or not. I was confused.

We reach Lala...Lala was the craziest market place I had ever seen. People were singing and dancing everywhere. Some were playing drums while others were playing trumpets. Others broke out into a melodious track about the prices of potatoes going down by a rupee or two. Some were singing about the types of oil available. I seriously felt like I was stuck in a weird play without a part. Everybody was busy.

The 'customer phaarst' attitude didn't seem to apply here :)

By the end of the crazy month I had almost forgotten what my friends looked like and what a normal life felt like.

Change

2009-07-07T21:35:00.005+05:30

The key to change... is to let go of fear-Rossane Cash

Change in the right direction can surely bring us closer to happiness...21 years have gone by and in these two decades I have changed more than I could possibly have imagined. I was born a normal kid but there was nothing great about me( Which sucked!! I wanted to be a Mathematical Genius). Some people thought I was Mute or somethin. I made many friends but I always sat with them drinking coffee without uttering a word. I knew all about them...the latest gossip, their latest crushes, break ups etc...etc. They called me an introvert( which seemed to be quite a common word for kids like me) and always pestered me with questions. They got no answers but they seemed very very curious.(Girls!!)

There was no explanation for my weird behaviour and I myself had no idea why I was the way I was. I did get normal from time to time and tried to have a good time. I was a very good student and never got into any kind of trouble(Life was seriously dull back then)I was defensive and was always ready to fight back.. I had trouble trusting people and liked being left alone. Some thought I was a troubled teenager and some thought I was just being a rebel. Some even suggested mental treatment... :)

Things have seriously changed in the past three years...it still feels like a new beginning for this cuckoo head..Now when I look at myself I can hardly see the old me...I still am a bit strange but in a fun sort of way(high energy levels..always in great spirits). I stay cheerful all day long and sometimes all night! I don't feel the need to explain, the need to form a good opinion or prove myself right or somethin...Nothin seems to matter these days (Maybe Now I have turned into a complete nutcase ;p ). It sure feels great to be able to say nice things to my friends( Earlier I didn't..no compliments came out of my stupid mouth).I realised it three years ago that I had changed...The first thing I did after I realised it was.. Send an SMS!!...yeah, really a stupid thing like sending an sms

All my childhood friends ( some I had barely had a word with), received an sms which said:

I have changed!

I am Human now..YIPEE!!!!!! :)

Women better than Men!!

2009-07-07T19:42:00.005+05:30

Ok...so now women are finally way better than men at something according to a recent study. This amusing study conducted at University of Massachusetts proved that women can hit the nail with a hammer better in the light...So, now as a woman myself what am I supposed to do with this uplifting piece of news?? Start doing all the home repair work myself probably :) I can imagine men coming back home and telling women Look honey you heard the news, you are way better at this than me...You would do a fine job. Men are better at it in the dark( 25% more accurate at hitting the nail with a hammer in the dark). Yes thats how construction work is done. In the dark! :) Some women are even feeling proud of being a woman after reading this news. Many questions come to mind when we come across such news. First of all, during this recession hit period who funds these useful studies? How much of their valuable time did these wonderful researchers waste?? Now what do we do with this new information??

Rafael Nadal & Federer

2009-07-07T14:59:00.012+05:30

I know all Federer fans have gone crazy about Federer's 15th Grand Slam win:)

Being a crazy Rafa fan I think there is nothing worse than seeing Fedex win and then get to see him make his overbearing speeches. I know he is one of the greatest but there is something about him which really pisses me off. I can't really seem to put a finger on it.

I don't know if I'm biased or blindly in love with Rafa that I want to see him defeat Roger year after year. I'm sure Rafa will be back with a bang and get the number one spot back.

The difference between Pete Sampras and Roger Federer's grand slam wins is that Pete Sampras managed to beat his arch rival Agassi 20 times in 34 meetings and 6 out of 9 times in grand slam meets but Federer failed to do so. Whenever he meets his rival Rafa, there is a 90% chance of him losing the match. That is exactly what makes these Rafa-Federer matches so exciting for us Rafa fans. They have met 7 times in a grand slam final and Rafa has won 5 and Federer twice.

Roger has been getting lucky for quite some time now. All the opponents that he gets during the finals seem to suffer from bridesmaid's syndrome. Andy Roddick is one such player who simply doesn't have what it takes to win grand slams. His other opponents during grand slam finals were Mark Phillipousis, Hewitt, Gonzalez and recently Soderling. When it comes to luck it doesn't get better than this. His grand slam wins will mean something if he starts defeating some real players like Rafael.

Rafael Nadal turned 23 and Federer will be 28 so surely Federer's grand slam titles will be more. Nadal has already won 6 so it won't take him much longer to break Federer's record. If he wants he can do so in the next three years.

Vamos Rafa!!

Fears...

2009-07-07T14:54:00.005+05:30

Somebody asked me what am I really scared of...it got me thinking. The list was way too long for any ordinary mortal :)

Some are afraid of the dark, some have a fear of spiders, heights, animals, snakes, insects etc etc. I have them all and some more. On top of my list I'll surely place fear of dogs. I am death scared of dogs and the only time I act normal around them is when I see them in a picture. That's just about the only time.

Fear of Heights: I love to see people talk animatedly about bunjee jumping and I wish I could be one of them. I tried getting on a ride once. By the end of it I decided it was not my thing. Felt like I had one foot in the grave...so nah...not gonna do it again no matter how exciting it looks.

Fear of the dark: I acquired this fear when I was a kid. All the ghost stories and dark secrets of the evil spirits, the horror movies that I watched as a kid helped me acquire this one. Having electricity in my house and my life is a must for me.

Fear of crossing roads: I start behaving in a strange manner as soon as I'm about to cross a road. My friends have now made it crystal clear that they can't do it with me anymore. They are way too young to take such risks. It's ok lovely friends :)

Fear of Public Speaking: I mentioned this one coz this is one fear I don't have. I speak to the public like they are long lost family. I can open my heart out to them and go on and on for hours ;p

Meet George Costanza...

2009-07-07T12:20:00.009+05:30

He is my all time favourite character on TV. He is self loathing, neurotic and inadequate.

His obsession: Bathrooms and bathroom related material including toilet papers. He has a thing for nice restrooms and lush work facilities so much so that he gives up his job when he is forbidden to use his boss's private bathroom. He is selfish, dishonest and insecure. Throughout the show Seinfeld he goes through innumerable awkward social encounters.

Some of my favourite costanza lines:

George Costanza: I have a bad feeling that whenever a lesbian looks at me they think "That's why I'm not a heterosexual."

George Costanza: Hi, my name is George, I'm unemployed and I live with my parents.

George Costanza: I've driven women to lesbianism before but never to a mental institution.

George Costanza: Jerry, just remember, it's not a lie if you believe it.

George Costanza: I just don't see what purpose is it going to serve your going? I mean, you think dead people care who's at the funeral? They don't even know they're having a funeral. It's not like she's hanging out in the back going, "I can't believe Jerry didn't show up".

George Costanza: It became very clear to me sitting out there today that every decision I've made in my entire life has been wrong. My life is the complete opposite of everything I want it to be. Every instinct I have, in every aspect of life, be it something to wear, something to eat - it's all been wrong.

Jerry: You can't keep avoiding her. George Costanza: Why not? If she can't find me, she can't break up with me.

George Costanza: I'll sniff out a deal. I have a sixth sense. Jerry: Cheapness is not a sense.

George Costanza: When she threw that toupee out the window, it was the best thing that ever happened to me. I feel like my old self again. Neurotic, paranoid, totally inadequate, completely insecure. It's a pleasure.

On being Chased...

2009-07-06T11:33:00.011+05:30

Dogs and I are simply not meant to gel well together. When my friends tell me that a particular dog is 'cho chweet' I stare at them wih horror in my eyes. I share a history with these dogs which is more than a decade old. It all started when I was a 7 year old..I had gone out for a stroll when the neighbour's dog which actually resembled a Lion came after me. (My Gran's advice: Stand still so that the dog won't attack. They can smell fear and will attack if you run). I thought about the advice and stood still for a moment but the dog was still running towards me and I could tell his mouth was positively drizzling with saliva. He was going to eat me alive. At that moment I ran. But unfortunately, I was not fully prepared and so I tripped and fainted. What can possibly happen next? The dog bites and I am taken to a hospital where I get some injections. I was utterly disgusted with the neighbour for keeping that Monster as a pet.

Some years go by without any dog chasing me... I turn 15 and had gone out to hang out with some friends.The place where I was coming from was the top of a hill. I was with a friend but the dog seemed to notice only me. This time I was prepared and was not going to waste a single second. I had no time to chit chat with my friend so without saying goodbye I ran for my dear life. The distance from that hill to my house was about 1800 m but I was willing to run. This time I was in no mood to let the beast feast on me. I kept on running and the bystanders on the road were staring at me like I was some kind of a lunatic. I stopped bothering about them coz they were no good to me. I was praying to god to keep my front door open otherwise all the running that I did would be for nothing. The dog simply didn't give up but he had no idea what he was dealing with. As soon as I reached my front door, which was thankfully open I dashed inside and banged the door on his face.

So how can I ever find a dog cute with a history so violent?? :)

The Latest MCD Scam...

2009-07-05T13:46:00.009+05:30

News about 45000 fake employees getting their daily wages hit the headlines quite a few days ago...and now many of these fake employees have returned to their jobs. A sweeper who got his salary from the MCD didn't believe in sweeping the roads. He had started a laundry business and had left sanitation in God's hands. But now he is back! He is not alone. Many gardeners, sweepers, workers have returned to their jobs and have promptly started cleaning. Now I understand why the MCD NEVER WORKED. When you have missing employees how can you expect them to function. No matter which part of the country we go to we get to see these corrupt scumbags. It always takes longer than required to get things done here. The main reason behind is always corruption. Roads don't get built, development doesn't take place the way it should. Has anybody ever realistically thought about and questioned how these politicians with their meagre government income turned so filthy rich?? Was it God's gift to them for their so called "Social Work" or what?