Repeat Orders 2008-02-20 06:51:00 Such is Life...with a capital L. The past week has been tumultuous.One of my favourite blogs has this beautiful poem that just summed it up really well. No more..no less. That it revolves around food is no coincidence.I sit at my favorite tableIn a purple coffee shopWearing smart corduroysAnd a flimsy orange top.I usually just take the largest cupOf the hottest, strongest brew,But it’s one of those days when I decideTo check out the menu.Next to a dried blob of ketchupIs a dish that sounds wryIt’s called ‘A slice of Life’And it’s a piece of creamy fruit pieI order it immediatelyIt sounds so cheery brightIt promises of taste and sinAnd sounds just about rightI get my pie on a yellow plateIt’s a heaving slice in the centerA long metal spoon to scoop up withIt’s a positive Demen Read more:Repeat
The snug feeling 2008-02-15 05:14:00 Hrithik is Adonis personified in JA. Those rippling well cut sinews are up for grabs…….by eyeballs that is. J It must be snug stuff.I have been happily ignoring the snug feeling all these years. Yeah, it’s been 10 years, on and off, (more on than off) that I’ve been working out now. There’s not a machine I did not try or a technique I have not used. It took years for something close to a bulge to be added to my biceps, triceps, quads and calf. But when they did emerge finally, they were there to stay. I have given up on the six pack dream long ago..so we’re not going there. As long as I can see my feet completely when I bow my head and look, I’m OK, I think.Gymming is a religion. The brotherhood of iron. So where were we..yes..the snug feeling. While my muscles decided to gro
Celebrating F.R.I.E.N.D.S !! 2008-01-24 04:23:00 I shot an arrow into the air,It fell to earth, I knew not where;For, so swiftly it flew, the sightCould not follow it in its flight.I breathed a song into the air,It fell to earth, I knew not where;For who has sight so keen and strong,That it can follow the flight of song?Long, long afterward, in an oakI found the arrow, still unbroke;And the song, from beginning to end,I found again in the heart of a friend.A more apt poem hath never been put to paper. To all the friends I am privileged to have in my life and hold! This one is for you with everlasting love.
The Reason 2008-01-17 03:45:00 I'm not a perfect personThere's many things I wish I didn't doBut I continue learningI never meant to do those things to youAnd so I have to say before I goThat I just want you to knowI've found a reason for meTo change who I used to beA reason to start over newand the reason is youI'm sorry that I hurt youIt's something I must live with everydayAnd all the pain I put you throughI wish that I could take it all awayAnd be the one who catches all your tearsThats why i need you to hearI've found a reason for meTo change who I used to beA reason to start over newand the reason is You [x4]I'm not a perfect personI never meant to do those things to youAnd so I have to say before I goThat I just want you to knowI've found a reason for meTo change who I used to beA reason to start over newand the Read more:Reason
Flowers in the sky.... 2008-01-11 12:13:00 Laxmi Pujan is the best day of Diwali. I love it when Mother takes out the silver coins and other jewellery items for the puja and careful decorates them with flowers and rangoli. Then there is the unlimited Mithai to eat... yum!The thing that most delights moi though is the festive fireworks that light up the night skies. They come in all shades of yellow, reds, blues and green...typically from the coloring agents used. Each variety has a typical burst audio and visual. First, they scattered in perfect alignment of a flower form, releasing a lot of light and heat. Latently, you hear a sharp (trrrac..t!) or a dull (dhum..t!) report of the burst. The fiery sparks fall to earth as they die out and I can hear their pitter-patter on my roof. Year after year, as I watch the magic unfold it rema Read more:Flowers
2 items in my wishlist! 2008-01-10 00:45:00 I am a great one for convenience. Little attributes that make a great product…..friendly, fast, cheap, and usable. Here are two I would love to lay my hands on.I love cartoons and comics, and by correlation also love people who love these two. And I believe you can learn or impart much more learning/training from using comics that anything else. Which brings me to product # 1. Anybody who has seen the Adams Family toon, even in passing, will have noticed 'The Hand'. It runs, scurries, holds cards and fetches things. Well, now you can have you own ‘Hand’ to do your bidding. Read the interesting comments from geeks who follow such kind of things. :) [Sample: Can we get video of two of these hands jousting?] Very interesting!And the second is a convenience for all those who love to cycl
Whew! 2007-12-21 17:50:00 Whew!For those who know what this means.....well, you know what this means....For those who don't...........go figure... :P
For some 'thinks' are worth it 2007-12-09 02:45:00 Today is a special day. The Math of life unveils itself in strange ways. It changes a lot of things. A window opened today.
The Hero in red undies 2007-12-09 01:06:00 You are Superman Your results: You are mild-mannered, good,strong and you love to help others. Click here to take the Superhero Personality Test.Superman80%Supergirl75%Robin75%Hulk70%Spider-Man65%Green Lantern65%Iron Man65%The Flash50%Wonder Woman45%Batman40%Catwoman30% Read more:undies
Where is Xistinchaos? 2007-11-28 02:45:00 There have been no confimed sightings of Xistinchaos in recent times!! Where has our friendly neighbourhood blogger gone?Callers from various quarters claimed to have seen X in action.....in discos, at rallys, as a part of morchas and wierdest of all, at fashion shows. All these claims have turned out to hoaxes since even wild horses could not drag X there.This reporter was lucky enough to corner X into revealing what has been going on behind the scenes. So here is the scoop....X was busy following, cheering and celebrating a very dear friend's achievement! It is not easy being friends' with COO of you-know-what. X had to field and filter numerous calls so that only a select and legitimate few got across. And then there was the launch of this dream project to attend. :) It was a very well
One for my Folks! 2007-07-02 13:30:00 Time: 1.08 pmPlace: CanteenLunch time conversations, subjects floating freely around. A group of middle aged moms settled itself near my table.One of them had a son who just passed his Class Xth exam. To the uninitiated, this exam is considered as the most important event in anyone's life by everyone around, except the one attempting it. It is next only to marriage in importance. Anyways, so she began her tale.Her son had cleared the exam with reasonably good marks. This was followed by making rounds of different colleges to collect forms, gathering info on different entrance exams and their dates, etc. She was excitedly going on about how he was doing all of that on his own since both his parents were working and could not accompany him. She sounded thrilled as she related his accomplishm
375 ml of Life 2007-05-15 07:39:00 Yesterday, I gave away about 375 ml and gained a good deal in return. I have a tiny medal to prove it! We had a blood donation drive at the office. They had announced it a week ago so that everyone who wished to donate would be prepared. Mentally, more then anything. The blood bank technicians and the doctors came well equipped. 4 beds were laid out in the board room.... yes, the board room. :) One lady checked everyone’s hemoglobin in an adjoining cube and another handed over the collection bags. The whole process was very methodically and somber, but I found my little moments of hilarity even there..mostly as a result of my own actions. :) I filled my form and sat down for the customary hemoglobin test prick. Ouch! A drop of red blossomed on the tip of my finger. She swiftly sucked it
What's your story? 2007-05-06 03:31:00 Its amazing how seemingly normal, otherwise-well-rounded people (yours truly included) find their way into physically taxing sports? Of course, there will always be those mysteries of nature who can burn up endless calories without even trying. But where does the rest of the pack come from? Say, how does an individual decide that doing push-ups for all 24-hours or swimming some incredible distance is something that they might be good at”? Or even scarier, how do they say - “Hey, that might be fun!!.” I’ve ask myself this question before. I feel like I can trace it all back to one mid morning hour when I was 16. I was at Rajmachi near Lonavala at an adventure camp. My mum, for want of other options to keep me occupied in the summer holiday months, had enrolled me in one. They promis Read more:story
Tender Thursday 2007-04-12 08:06:00 I feel like writing something today , but nothing very serious or ‘constructed’. I don’t much care for putting up unstructured posts on my blog. But at the same time, I don’t want to feel hostage to some 'bright idea'. So, I shall just do as I please for now, because it's my blog! :)It’s bright and sunny. My hair seems to be on fire and I would see black polka dots on practically everything around me if not for my Polo Club glares. I decide to have some tender coconut water from the bhaiyya on the corner . It does mean a walk from office in the heat to the corner but I love the water and the walk helps. The bhaiyya knows exactly what I want, I only had to tell him once. I usually have the pani and thicker-than-patli-malai variety. I have grown up around two bountiful coconut tree Read more:Tender
, Thursday
Of rabbits, warriors, vendors and Sushmita Sen from Disneyland 2007-04-04 05:45:00 It was a very sorry little rabbit that hopped away. The ears were all drooped, the head was hanging low, and even the bob that went for a tail, seemed to take it hard. He had been unable to open his mouth at all. He knew his little speech by heart, but just when the time came to say it all, courage failed him. He stood frozen for some time… resplendent white, whiskers shivering and feet together. All he could do was stare around with wide eyes and look for familiar faces. Suddenly, the only place he wanted to be was in his mommy’s lap. In a decisive move, he hopped away searching for her face. He felt better that no one booed him. Poor bunny, his chance would only come next year now.It was the warrior’s turn next. He walked in royally with slow, purposeful steps. He showed all the si Read more:Disneyland
, rabbits
, Sushmita
, Sushmita Sen
'Holi' turns Holy 2007-03-15 08:49:00 I so remembered Gerald Durrell for the past few weeks! (Delightful author, bless his soul.)His colorful tales in ‘My family and Other Animals’ has aptly colored my imagination since the days I laid eyes on his work. However, it was not the animals, but the part about the Family that made me think of him.Much like Durrell’s daily life in Corfu...the past 2 weeks were a riot at home. The whole paternal side of my family had descended into our house for a mega event. The deal for giving away the development rights of their ancestral property to a builder was to be finalized. There were aunts, uncles, cousins, nieces and nephews. Not to forget the sons in law.The process to find the chosen one had been on for months now. A willing fellow was found.Then the negotiations began. As with eve Read more:turns
Some fun...! 2007-03-07 06:30:00 Just as I like it...frothy and personalised. :) You can have your share of fun here.
Why have we let it come to this? 2007-03-06 03:36:00 A little incident back in my university days. A classmate from the Manipur, T, had accompanied me to the University Library to get our membership formalities done.We both had the necessary documentation like receipts and i-Cards. After I was handed my membership card, it was her turn. The conversation went thus:Clerk: Sagle 'dacuments' ahet ka?T: Sorry..I don't understand, can you speak in English?Clerk: Kay phoren hun yeta..kay mahit nasta..you have all dacuments?T: Yes, here is the receipt and the I card.Clerk: Where is foreign student's ID?T: Foreign student? But I am from Manipur....Clerk: That is like foreign only...kashala ikde lamb yetat..bhasha mahit nahi dhadT: ????Finally, I had to interrupt in Marathi and get the fool to accept all her 'dacuments'.A recent Economist article by t
The feeling 2007-02-19 08:18:00 I was trying so hard this morning.....trying to find just that one word..to describe the state of my mind.......what does it mean to feel the way I am feeling... I wonder as I sit at my desk... in an almost Holmes like concentration, except I don't have the violin to pluck at.Well..things are going right, everyone is making the correct noises, nobody has snicked or tried to snick the pink plusle figure I keep on my desk, I am having that oh-so-routine argument with my folks that helps clear the air, motorists are turning right when their indicators show left and infuriating me to no end, that long cherished camera is mine now, clients at work continue to be as obnoxious as ever, even the water pressure is holding up nicely and saving me the trouble of bathing in already drawn water........
The Elephant Paradigm 2007-02-06 13:03:00 What lies ahead...."The biggest danger of today's rampant economic optimism is that it could breed complacency about the need for reforms. That would be a sure recipe for a future slowdown."..and how not to get there..... in a nutshell.To boost sustainable growth, India needs to clear the path ahead rather than risk running an economy beyond its safe maximum speed. Indians are understandably eager for their economy to sprint like a tiger rather than amble along like an elephant. Yet few animals have an elephant's stamina or can travel as far in a day—provided its way is not blocked...."An excellent begining of the the year article from the Economist. Read more:Paradigm
Pension Pains Interest Gains 2007-01-24 12:37:00 "What would you choose to be if not yourself? Anyone, any object, anything at all.." Thus reads one interesting question HRD often asks prospective employees. If I was at the receiving end of one such, I'd say I want to be the Fin Min's mind.The move to get rid of pensions in stages is long overdue and kudos to the FM for saying it aloud. Subsidies are another area whose time for the chopping block has to come soon.The rising pension bills at all levels of the government would be increasingly difficult to finance in future, given the other demands that are there on our resources, particularly for enhancing our expenditures on essential social sectors such as health and education. The pension expenditure of the Centre could reach Rs 35,020 crore by 2009-10. For the states, the projected fi Read more:Interest
, Pains
, Pension
India poised? 2007-01-11 03:09:00 A small news item in the national daily went unnoticed. The Nithari carnage and election fever takes up all real estate in print these days. The news in that item was worth a headline. I could not let it pass without giving it thought or a mention in these columns.A farmer in a tiny WB village, yes, the very state simmering with discontent over land acquisitions and anti- SEZ sentiments, has found a simple way to spray fertilizers on this newly sowed crops. It’s very simple, really. But the convenience it has brought the inventor and his family can only be imagined.It began when he ran out of ‘means’ and ways to fertilize his fields. He hitched three bicycle wheels together (like a rikshaw’s three wheels) and mounted a tank on top. The tank had shower like outlets on both sides. At Read more:India
To earth thou shall return......... 2008-03-25 14:59:00 The shopping street was bursting at the seams with shoppers. They were undeterred by the intense heat of the Sun at it's best. The footpaths were occupied by hawkers selling everything from film star posters which gleamed due to their lamination and perhaps because they carried the image of current box office stars, to ropes and strings which could have as varied uses as hanging clothes to keeping pajamas in place. Jostling for pace among them were standee vendors selling lip smacking channa chor, cool cucumbers, delicious nariyal pani and even cubes of sugarcane. Crowd of shoppers congregated around these guys seeking respite, not from the sun, but from the non-stop shopping. Everyone had at least two bags hanging from their hands. It is amazing and paradoxical at the same time…this ine Read more:shall
Longing.. 2008-04-07 06:54:00 There she stood, as always, complete with a pretty outfit and her curly hair as golden as the sun. Sometime she was looking out of the window, her head raised slightly skywards. On other occasions, she stood sideways on the sill, looking inwards..perhaps introspecting? Whatever be her mood, the contentment on her face was unmistakable. Every time I passed her by I wondered, what made her day, or was it life in general that continued to woo her?Maybe it had something to do with her involvement with the differently-abled kids who visited her class each day. She gave immense pleasure and joy time after time.On rare occasions she stood with her hands stretched out towards the flowers on the other side of the window. On those days, her tranquil face belied her inner turmoil. When there were no Read more:Longing
Relationships... 2008-04-10 00:05:00 Later that day I got to thinking about relationships.There are those that open you up to something new and exotic, those that are old and familiar, those that bring up lots of questions, those that bring you somewhere unexpected, those that bring you far from where you started, and those that bring you back. But the most exciting, challenging and significant relationship of all is the one you have with yourself. And if you can find someone to love the you you love, well, that's just fabulous. Sex and the City Read more:Relationships
Michael Clayton 2008-04-15 04:04:00 Michael Clayton
is an exceptionally film in many ways. First, there is George Clooney and he is just so right. He’s this suited fixer of a lawyer (they call him the janitor, who cleans up other’s legal mess) who lives in throes of personal disarray. Yet there’s something so kind and generous in those vagabond eyes. He’s a really beautiful man. There’s a strong eternal warmth and genuine-ness in his smile.Then there is the cold..the film is shot in a cold city, in cold weather and has some cold hearted characters. The film starts with a car blowing up on a lonely highway and is followed by shots of empty offices, dark streets, and lonely buildings. The fire that envelopes the car, does not bring warmth. The film involves you from the word go. The clues and the plot start piecing t Read more:Michael
And in this way... 2008-04-12 14:02:00 And in this way I reach my 100th post. No, there is no great story hiding behind this....just trought I'd mention it out loud. Here is to many more centuries. . .PS. I might feel the need to update this post and say something useful..something worth the let's-uncork-the-bubbly-moment someday. Keep watching the space. :)
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