Walk With Me

Disc Drop

2010-04-18T01:32:00.001+05:30

Everyday Conversations

2009-03-01T22:53:00.003+05:30

Me: I deleted this one file randomly... n now I think I will need it
Him: Look for it in the recycle bin
Me: I don't just delete, I Shift + Delete all the time!
Him: Even I do the same thing.. hmmm... We should recycle you.. :D
Me: We should Shift + Delete you! >:|

The Sound of Music

2009-01-26T12:00:00.006+05:30

There are so many songs that I totally connect with and my heart fills up with an emotion which is very abstract, something I can't place a finger on, something difficult to explain. I can feel the very heart or pulse of the song, in some way I believe that I understand what the composer wanted to convey, or atleast a part of the idea or an emotion which he never thought of evoking, probably beyond. The most amazing thing about music or any art for that matter is that it can paint a thousand pictures. It can mean several things to different people. Music is like love,it is pure, flowing, timeless, boundless. When added with lyrics that justify the melody it is only magic and nothing else.
Here's one such song that totally pulls at my heart, lights up certain areas of my brain cells, a song that resonates in my soul even after hearing it:) This alchemy of music and lyrics can only be created by the likes of Rahman & Gulzar
Movie: Dil Se
Song: E Ajnabi
Music: A.R.Rahman
Lyrics: Gulzar
Singers: Udit Narayan & Mahalakshmi
The translation has been taken from here, but I have edited some of it looking at this.
Here it goes...

paakhi paakhi pardesi	O Wandering bird, visitor from a distant country
Chorus:
e ajnabi tu bhi kabhii awaaz de kahii.n se	Hey stranger, do call out to me sometimes from somewhere
mai.n yahaa.n TukDo me.n jii raha huu.n	I'm living here in pieces --
tuu kahii.n TukDo.n me.n jii rahii hai	somewhere you too are living in pieces..

roz roz resham sii hava aate-jaate kahatii hai bata	Day after day, the silken wind, as it comes and goes, says, "Tell me!"
resham si hava kahatii hai bata	The silken wind says, "Tell me!"
vo jo duudh dhulii maasuum kalii	She who is as pure & innocent as a flower-bud
vo hai kahaa.n kahaa.n hai	that girl, where, where is she?
vo roshanii kahaa.n hai	where is she who is like a beam of light
vo jaan si kahaa.n hai	where is she who is like my life
mai.n adhura tuu adhuri jii rahii hai	I am incomplete, and you're only half-alive.
Chorus
paakhi paakhi pardesi	O Wandering bird, visitor from a distant country
tuu to nahii.n hai lekin terii muskaraahaT hai	You're not here, but your smile is.
chehara kahii.n nahii.n hai par terii aahaTe.n hai	Your face is nowhere to be found, but the sounds of your footsteps are here.
tuu hai kahaa.n kahaa.n hai	Where are you, where?
tera nishaan kahaa.n hai	Where is the sign of your presence,
mera jahaa.n kahaa.n hai	Where is my world?
mai.n adhura tu adhuri jii rahii hai	I'm incomplete, and you're only half-alive.
Chorus

2009-01-21T00:02:00.005+05:30

This is an social awareness ad put up inside a multiplex theatre by the blue ribbon campaigners for socially underprivileged children, urging people to contribute for the cause. I thought it was highly effective way of advertising. It is life-size poster of a shoe-polish boy we usually see on road-sides or on railway stations. A few things like brush, laces, soles, polish is kept and his carrying case is the contribution box if you can see the pic clearly enough.

It reads:
Inke aage pair nahin, apna haath doh.
padhayi ke liye inka saath doh.

Translation:
Don't give your feet to them, give them your hand.
Support them for their education.

2009-01-19T21:17:00.007+05:30

Dear blog and the blogging world, I'm back. This may not mean much to the rest of the world, but means something to me. It is just something I had to do, if you know what I mean..
I'm even considering a new blog but that will have to wait for the time being, something I'm mulling on. My thoughts are now crowded with things I want to put in here, but let me take one step at a time.
Furst things first ;) let me allow you to glimpse through what I have been up to in the year 2008.
The things I did last year- some I always wanted to do and some of it well...just happened.
1) Joined dance classes- Salsa, Jive,cha cha cha and I'm still learning, man I can't believe my commitment, 4 months now and still going. If you don't know me well enough I'm easily bored, impatient so yeay! *pats her own back*
2) Taught in an NGO for 2 months. I really wish I had continued this but for some reason it didn't work out on a long term. I feel guilty about it. Anyway sigh! *bad shobz! No cookies for you!*
3) Went to Coonoor - Ooty after say 9 years( I lived there for 2 years, met a friend after 13 years and had a rocking time!)
4) I hitch-hiked on the trip to Ooty! Our bus broke down and we were stuck between Ooty and Coonoor so we took a lift in vegetable van!
5) Colored my hair. I got red-streaks done and yes it is a big deal for me :P
6) Got my nose pierced. It only stayed a month and then it came off. Might try that once more...*thinking* Ya I will...
7) Learnt to play poker. Though its not something I always wanted to do, it was something new I did last year.
8) I saw The Taj Mahal in Agra once again. Its absolutely mesmerizing no matter how many times you see it. My cousins and I were only wondering what if Shah Jahan's dream to build a black Taj right behind it had come true! And ya I saw Akbar's tomb in fact I touched it! Ain't that awesome! Especially after watching the movie Jodha Akbar just before going there you can gauge my excitement. I also saw where Shah Jahan was locked up by his son Aurangzeb during his last days, where he died watching the Taj Mahal. What a tragic life! And the marble dais where Tansen sat and sang for his King Akbar.
Okay I think thats about it and enough of history lessons!
Will add new things if I remember them later.
Now to things I want to do this year!

This is a part of life list, but this is a short-term plan for this year.
Yes I'm the kinda person who has a BIG plan and a realistic immediate plan.
Don't ask me about the BIG plan now!
Trumpets and Drum Roll!!! 20th Century Fox style;)
Here is goes- my list for the year 2009:
1) Do the beginner's course with the art of living foundation.
2) Learn something new again - kick-boxing, guitar.. just anything new and fun
3) Travel a bit more, visit a place I haven't been to before. That's something interesting b'cos I been to most of the touristy places in India. Ya I know I am lucky :)
4) Do some amount of photo blogging.
5) Dance dance and keep dancing :)
6) Buy a Digi SLR or the Wii console
The list is not yet complete, people can help me here with ideas.. though I think the one I have made so far is a tall order!

Till my next post.... Au Revoir!

Nutty Professor

2008-02-03T14:44:00.000+05:30

Let me introduce him to you as Zee Bee for the sake of anonymity- ZeeBee who kept us all Beezee studying! For those of you who know him, zip it!

Well, it all began on a day when we were silently insulted by this man who calmly stood on the podium looking down on us for not reading the article he had asked us to, a week in advance. This composed demeanor did what all the months of screaming didn’t and couldn’t do…. It made us realize this one can’t be taken on a ride, he dictates and it’s up to us to either listen or not attend. He taught well, he brought a whole new dimension to the subject… there was less teaching more learning, more thinking, pondering and discussing of various subjects so that made up for what he expected… seemed like a fair deal.

He has a very carefully designed evaluation technique where you were free to stay away from class to escape the truck loads of articles and endless assignments with details from the word count, font size, 7x7 ppt rule, the number of slides to the quoting of source was mentioned. I think he only left out the color and the ppt design out; otherwise nothing was left in doubt or better to our imagination! But then escaping all this cost you when you saw your mark sheet.

We all felt trapped and going on a one way road to becoming a workaholic in those months with sleepless nights and tension packed mornings. He pushed you to the very limit and it only got harder. Emails send 5 minutes before deadline and acknowledgements received within an hour at any god forsaken hour of the night. We only shook our heads and felt sympathetic towards our friends who were going to specialize under him and prayed for their mental well-being.

Their torture as predicted only grew worse with reading material provided on cds to reading fat books of 20 chapters for a miserable 5 marks test!

We all crack up on this joke by my friend JR, if ZeeBee’s essays (which were endless and numerous) had a word count of say, 2000 words, the minute a person hit 2000 he would just stop even if the last word was an incomplete sentence or ending in and!

When my friends asked him for guidelines for a project he sent a long winding mail. What I read only made my laugh till my sides ached! :D

Here’s a situation… if ZeeBee were to choose a girl in marriage:

The girl wishing to marry me and stay under my shelter will be expected to comply with the following guidelines.

The selection will include the following phases:

Cooking review with a synopsis of methodology followed
Primary data collection from friends and acquaintances
In-depth compatibility study and analysis of the outcome
Minimum of 5 references from non-family members with nos. and email addresses provided
Decision to whether marry or reject

The cooking review is to have an understanding of the culinary capabilities of the girl with ateast 10 dishes in 3 cuisines to test for consistency and accuracy for a period of one month.

The primary data will be collected from at least 50 friends from each social network like facebook, orkut etc. if not applicable other sources such as school, college, building and office friends will be tapped or 20 neighboring families to test for behavioral inconsistencies and the frequency.

This round two is an elimination round if cleared, the candidate is eligible to participate in round three.

The compatibility study comprises various parameters such as characteristics and behavior which will be ranked and rated. The data will be analyzed by using Z score to assess the level of significance and margin of error.

The girl is deemed ready for marriage only if the final conclusion is approved by atleast 5 references who are non-family members with names, nature of relationship with the candidate, numbers and email addresses are provided in the prescribed format.

Based on the above findings the final decision will be taken.

Those who wish to apply will be provided with best sources for cookery books/ recipes and the guidelines to join at least 1 social network. For the data analysis, you will have to arrange for and study the software yourself.

Once you decide upon whether you want to apply and have the basic methodology in place, you are free to call and fix up a meeting!

All said and done he is still one of my favorite profs. After all he did make us feel we are worth every effort we put in, every time he nodded in satisfaction or uttered ‘good’ it was like holding the Oscar statuette in your hands. And not to forget he taught and also got me interested in a subject which was considered by most of us as a hopeless invention of an idle mind!

My Lucky Star

2007-03-13T13:51:00.000+05:30

Looking for magic

Looking for perfection

Looking for you

A figment of my imagination

The quest never ends

And I won’t quit

You keep coming back to me

Till someday we meet

Waiting to be mesmerized

Waiting to be charmed

To be in a state of wonderment

To be warmed

I look for you in stars

I look for you behind the trees

I’ll look for you everywhere

But nothing puts me to peace

You tease me in my dreams

And again I start looking

Till someday I find you within me

Till someday I feel complete

Hopeful Hoping...

2007-02-09T23:24:00.000+05:30

Throngs of people gathered at a gate, waiting for just a glimpse that gives them a hope that there is a better tomorrow. I am not talking about Shah Rukh’s house ‘Mannat’ in Bandra but this is a different kind place, where everyone asks for a mannat, a prayer.

My visit to His residence was long due and my mind refused to be at peace for the last couple of days until I paid my visit. So there I was too, with a prayer on my lips and hope in my heart wondering what it is that drew me there. But sometimes people like me too require an affirmation that there is place with symbolizes hope.

I am neither an atheist nor a staunch believer who would religiously pray everyday. For me God is personal, my perception of the Supreme. I see Him however I wish to see Him, wherever and in whichever form. There are people in my life who are no less than a God’s angel, which makes me want to believe that He is looking out for me. And that alone is enough to keep me content and thankful.

As I looked around I saw hope, desperation, desire, blind faith…

Amidst all this, those same old thoughts came back to me which made me wonder whether I fell in any of those compartments. And I realized there is one more face we see in these faces and that is of the one who is grateful. And so, even though I wished for all the good things, I also wanted to thank Him for everything- just for the life, the way it is.

I saw a small crowd near an idol, where people were whispering their special appeal to God in the idol’s ear. I realized I didn’t need a secret messenger; he had already heard my prayers and answered with blessing I didn’t even particularly ask for.

Hello!!? Are You Listening To Me?

2006-12-02T00:28:00.000+05:30

With a country like this who needs enemies? Who is ruining my country? How far can we stretch democracy? Is vandalism a justified form of democracy? Are the lives of people alive today at stake for the men and women who are revered as heroes in the eyes of the masses? What’s my fault to suffer the consequence someone else’s actions? Who will answer these questions of an inconsequential being who only asks to be heard?

You act, I pay. The common man (and by common man I mean an ordinary man who wouldn’t normally resort to abnormal deeds to show his dissatisfaction) spends every day struggling to meet everyone’s needs. He only asks for a sound government who would know what’s best for him and a safe city to live in so that he can worry about only things which are under his control.

Life in Mumbai is never routine. If we haven’t already been psyched out by the rains and terrorist attacks we have the local protests by various clusters trying to disrupt the peace.

Since, the economy seems to be doing well these people who in no way contribute to the economy positively decide to burn a deeper hole into the tax payer’s pocket. Call it politically motivated or otherwise, the end sufferer is the aforementioned common man. One’s ulterior motive is fulfilled through another’s actions and yet another suffers the consequences. The people protesting and causing violence, chaos and destruction to public property are in no way getting affected. It is you and I who pay for it by suffering the disruption caused to the already hassled life and shelling out for the re-creation of public utilities so that they can be destroyed by the former in the future.

Why shouldn’t I ask these questions? Why don’t we ask these questions? Aren’t the people of my country answerable to me as I am to them? Or will they listen to us when we speak their language?

Warning: The Following Post/Ramble Is Bound To Have No Meaning/Significance To Anyone But The Author :)

2006-12-01T00:07:00.000+05:30

Today started out as a not-so-great day but somewhere along the way managed to turn into one of the best days I've had in a long time. Infact I'd say it came pretty darn close to being what I'd call a 'perfect' day.I really wanted to put it down somewhere for posterity and this blog was nominated. However not feeling very verbose right now (Have I even used 'verbose' in the right context here?) so this is going to be brief.

Here is my perfect day in a few words-little boys (Some of whom I have a crush on) and girls who made me laugh...lunch at home...typical hindi movie (Dhoom2...and no matter what anyone else says, I had fun watching it)...Book exhibition (Bought 7 books)...Pizza....Home after a whole day around town (Not to mention quality time with mom)...Television...Coffee...and now sleep!

Perfect.

To Be What You Are

2006-09-06T20:45:00.001+05:30

To put up a fight,

To never give up,

To find your way,

To make it all worthwhile.

The joy and the pain,

All this to be something,

Having found what you wanted,

To be there and smile one day.

She bloomed with joy,

It made her cry,

She broke the ground,

And today, she stands high.

To look down and see,

I am what I thought I would be,

She thought,

Was this fate or me?

She looked up and saw the sky,

And thought there is much more to try,

To do what you can,

And never ask why.

We all can go far,

It takes will,

To be a flower,

To be, what you are…

Happiness :An Exercise In Poetry

2006-08-20T15:28:00.000+05:30

Happiness.

Smells like sunshine, green grass, a gentle breeze.

Tastes like honey on toast.

Sounds like the chirping of birds on a Spring day.

Feels like a surge inside you, you can't contain.

Feels like a song you have to sing.

Feels like the clown inside you, just waiting to get out.

Happiness.

Copyright 2006 Ratlion a.k.a Amber

Cheers Grandpa!

2006-07-02T23:27:00.000+05:30

It was my grandpa’s birthday two weeks back and had he been alive today he would have turned 97.

I have been intending to write this post for a long time and so here it goes-to the person I totally look up to…

My grandpa was a lawyer who started his practice somewhere in the mid 1930’s. He used be proud of his English, since he had done his schooling during British rule in India. He was the walking dictionary for us- the grand kids. His knowledge about Sanskrit was also superlative.

He used to tell me stories about his life… like how he used to trek to this holy shrine, every time taking a different and difficult path, about how he learnt astrology just by listening to people having the knowledge, his travels to Burma by ship for his work when he used to work as a legal advisor to the Raja of Chettinad who had business in Burma and my favorite story of them all- a dog which he owned and also a cow (!!). Almost every house in the village had a cow in those days, but this cow made it a habit to go to the village court, where he used to work and wait for him to take it home! As a kid I used to find all this pretty amusing and adventurous.

Grandma tells us that he was a very handsome man in his youth and he worked out and swam regularly and he used to be impeccably dressed in a suit even in those days. Even when he was 90 he used to tell me with a boyish smile how a beautiful Burmese lady asked him to marry her when he was already married to my grandma and was a father to half a dozen kids!

His stories totally fascinated me and I saw and still see him as someone who has lived his life fully. He was a religious and also a spiritual person and read the Ramayana every day without fail for almost 40 yrs or more.

He was also a very stubborn man and would not listen to anyone in the family and since he was the eldest, no one really could say anything to him. We both used to fight when it came to watching T.V. He would want to see the news all the time and me as a kid wanted to watch cartoons.

He was always so proud of every small thing his grandchildren did. He used to go to grandma and say, ‘Look at her, she can draw so well!’ and his eyes would well up with tears of joy. He grew very emotional and sentimental in his old age.

He used to treat me like a small kid, even when I was 15. If I happened to be around, when my grandparents discussed about someone’s tragedy, he would say, ‘Don’t mention that in front of the poor child, she’ll get scared!’ And none of us could sit backwards on the chair or on the edge of the bed, when he was around, he would totally start panicking that we would fall off, even if it was my 20 year old brother!

He loved food even when was too old and had only ten teeth or so. He slept well for his age and never took sleeping pills. I remember this one incident where he slept off at noon and woke up at 1:30 pm and went slowly to the basin and started brushing his teeth. We were wondering what he was up to and then he asked me isn’t it 6 in the morning?

I also remember him putting bindis on all my photos because according to him south Indian girls shouldn’t be without a bindi! It used to drive me so wild.

He wanted to live till 100 and more if possible! When my grandma used to say that she has seen enough and wants to the die happily, he used to tease her saying, ‘Go if you want to, I want to live some more.’

His simplicity was something I can never forget. He never wore any piece of jewelry. He hardly ventured out of the house unless it meant going for a hair-cut every month or travel, after he turned 85. His belongings included two kurtas which he took out only for these occasions, a few veshtis (which looks like a lungi but its plain white), his books and a chain of beads which he used while meditating.

My grandpa’s death was something unreal to me. He passed away almost three years back and it was the first time I lost someone who meant a lot to me. The worst part was I couldn’t even be there when he passed away and I had seen him a few months ago. In a way I am glad that I didn’t see him during his last days because I remember him as someone who was healthy and happy all his life, unlike the person who looked all frail and weak in the photograph I saw later.

Like most people do, I started wondering about life and death and what happens to you when you die, when he passed away. And I realize that there is so much I want to tell him and ask him and I can’t anymore. Many a times I was busy with my life to spend much time with him.

Nothing I write here will be enough to describe him. To me he was an extraordinary person, who will always have a special place in my heart.

The Revival Ritual

2006-06-22T22:31:00.000+05:30

Back!
I had to come back and say something and soon! Not that right now I have the time or patience to write an elaborate post, but this is just to keep the blog updated since no one else has bothered to and funny that I still expect them to.

Anyway, there is a lot to say,

Firstly I am not in LUDHIANA but in MUMBAI! So ye!!! It’s because of the last minute unexpected changes. Then I got through a PGDBM program with Welingkar Institute in Mumbai itself. So double ye!!

I was without an internet connection for almost a month and this one didn’t seem to be happening soon either. So after a lot of phone calls and temper tantrums from my side, the internet services guy gave me the connection and I am just praying he doesn’t screw something and take his sweet revenge…

I have been in college from 10 to 15 hrs in the past 2 weeks including Sundays, in a blazer suit and the rigorous foundation program is coming to its fag end(thank God!) and regular college is gonna commence soon. And God permitting and of course the director of our college too we will have a one day outing before regular college. So hurray!!

I have to go now though there is a lot to write about. I will pen my thoughts or rather type my thoughts in a couple of days or so, if and when I find some time.

Until then…

Goodbye Chennai!

2006-05-01T21:56:00.000+05:30

We are moving out of Chennai and moving into Ludhiana next week. Dad has been transferred once again. I am not particularly sad about this change but then I will miss some things. Chennai is my native place and wherever we went when the transfers happened, we would come to Chennai once in a year or two. I never thought I would spend one whole year in Chennai, but then I did.

Things that Chennai had offered me are:

A couple of friends whom I wouldn’t have met if I hadn’t shifted here and one of them has even become a close friend.
I had gotten to know an old friend better, though we hardly met more than 4-5 times in the whole year.
I prepared for MBA without much distraction. No matter how much I curse this place, I wouldn’t have got those scores if I had stayed in Mumbai. I would have taken a job in Mumbai and would have had less time to devote to my preparation. Thanks to the stupid job offers I got in Chennai, I stuck to one goal.
I discovered that I had some talent in teaching by giving tuition to a couple of kids. The meager income still made me feel I earned it.
I took fish as pets and though I didn’t keep any exotic fish at home, I still learnt a lot about fish, its behavior etc…
I learnt a bit of yoga during the spare time and I feel great every time I practice it, though I am not very regular.
It gave a lot of time to myself, to get bored and frustrated, to think and ponder about life, and more importantly it made me realize I am not meant to sit at home. I can’t be idle in life. Though I don’t know what is it for me, I do know what is not and I am ready to work towards it.
I learnt to swim and though I am not very good at it. I finally did something I wanted to do for a very long time.

Things that I won’t be having when I leave this place:

The library- Its one of my life lines. In fact, the only one which has kept me sane till now.
The yoga lessons- unfortunately I won’t be able to take up the advanced course in yoga. I will have to do it if and when time permits again.
My fish- It’s my baby now. No matter how stupid it sounds, I have grown fond of this fish I have. This is the only gold fish which survived and has been with me for the past 5-6 months. It even keeps coming to the surface and blows bubbles expecting us to feed it every time someone goes near the bowl. Till morning it was up for adoption and then Bhavdeep agreed to take it into his humble abode. Thanks Bhavdeep! And thank God I didn’t name my fish!
I am going to miss my space, this 9X10 room where I practically lived this whole year. I never had a room of my own till I came to Chennai and I may have to share my room, if I get into some college and live outside.
I might slightly miss the Tamilians with their wide grins and oily faces and their unbearable opinions about others. After all you find them only here or in US of A!
Also, the simplicity of the people in Chennai. They may be a pain but they aren’t that bad after all.

All in all, its good bye Chennai. I will keep visiting....

For Us Marriages Are Made By The Stars In Heaven!

2006-04-18T19:11:00.000+05:30

So I went to a cousin’s wedding yesterday and missed the main part too! Well, first I woke up a bit late, then I was too caught up in trying to tie my saree properly and then I was stuck in traffic for 45 minutes… not my fault! The mangal-sutra tying ceremony got over some 10 minutes before I reached.

It’s the marriage season and I am tired of hearing, who is getting married to whom, who is getting engaged or who is looking for a suitable alliance for their kid!

You end up meeting relatives who were present at the last wedding in the family and not recognize them. It’s very frustrating when they come to you and say,” remember me?” Now tell me how am I supposed to remember this person when he forgot to introduce himself/herself last time we met? Is it really my fault that you came to know from others that I am so and so’s daughter and they didn’t tell me who you are?

And then there are groups of aunts and uncles, cracking not-so-funny jokes about, who is gonna get hooked next! And teasing every poor 20 something year olds about it!

I once got this sms about how elders keep teasing you in a wedding that you are next. So the next time you go to a funeral you rag them by saying, you’re next!

Here’s a brief account of how marriages happen in highly conservative south-Indian communities.

To start with the stars play a more important part than the boy and the girl who are about to get married. Horoscopes are everything. It’s the alpha and omega of establishing an alliance. Exchanging of horoscopes with relatives and friends, having a huge data-base, collecting it from a few web-sites, sharing references are the routine. The families work harder at making a match than the boy and the girl!

Everything starts with exchanging of horoscopes and if there is sufficient match in both the horoscopes, then there will be a second round of exchanging of photographs. If they like your face too, then it’s a hit combo!

There is a session where boy sees the girl at her place. If he is in the US of A (which is a fact in most cases), boy’s family sees the girl, while girl has to make do with the guy’s pic till the week before their marriage!

Or boy and girl meet for five minutes in the balcony with the family eavesdropping and if it’s a bit open-minded family they get to talk in the other room with some amount of privacy and poor things know if it isn’t this guy or girl; it will be someone else whom they will get to meet for five minutes.

If they think they can deal with each other, they give their consent and the so-called engagement ceremony which doesn’t even have a ring ceremony, takes place anywhere between 5 days to 6 months.

And the marriage takes place anywhere between 2months to 1 year. 2 months because come on you can’t prepare for a wedding in less than two months!

And so they are stuck with each other ever after… happily or otherwise!

Trust me I am not at all exaggerating!

Once decided no one breaks the alliance. It’s a shame to the family and blah! But I feel it’s because the couple hardly know each other to reach the point of breaking up the alliance!

I mean I am not against arranged marriage, but you at least need the freedom to choose your partner, spend time with him/ her and decide whether you really want to marry that person.

I don’t know when these kids who act like programmed robots are gonna take things I their hands!

I just hope my stars don’t let me down…

Raindrops Are Falling On My Head....

2006-04-15T15:25:00.000+05:30

It's raining, it's pouring!!

Woke up to see that it was raining cats and dogs outside. This after days of unusually high temperatures (atleast unusual for B'lore). Been wishing for rain so many times the last few days and here it is finally! It's an absolutely bee-u-tiful , hard, cold downpour! :D

I'm usually pretty wary of rain. I'd rather enjoy rain from the cozy indoors with some hot soul food and coffee. But today? Today, standing there in the balcony with my head half out, letting the rain semi-drench me, listening to the kids in raincoats and umbrella's sing 'pitter patter raindrops' as they sploshed playfully through the puddles, I felt like dancing and singing in the rain myself! It's a wonderful feeling!

Ok, just fixed myself a mug of coffee. Time to stop gushing and get some work done.

*Sigh*

Coffee, the sound of rain outside, and a blissful drop in the temperatures....I'm in heaven!! :)

*Wander's away humming 'Raindrops are falling on my head....'*

(Images from here)

Ten Things You Can Do On A Boring Day...

2006-04-05T19:22:00.000+05:30

Things were just not going my way. I was down with a bad cold and fever and still am. So couldn’t go for my usual swimming. The damned library was closed the day before and so there were no books to keep me occupied! There were no cds to watch and I was done giving tuitions since the exams are over so I am jobless once again.

All this meant I was gonna be wasting a precious day of my life. Nothing new. Whenever I am faced with such a situation, only one thought comes to my mind… how many people would have died to live one more day of their life! And here I am sitting and wasting it.

I studied for an hour or so, imagine that! Thankfully, the medicines put me in a semi-coma state and I slept for 4 hours straight!

I woke and once again was faced with the same dilemma. I had to do something. At 6 I was ready to make one more trip to the library and determined to get a book this time. And then I remembered I had bought glass paint a few months ago and it was high time I experimented. I went down to the shop first and bought 3 pieces of glass. Then went to library and to my disappointment, the librarian had still hadn’t managed to get a copy of the second book of the trilogy I was reading and so I picked up another set of trilogy, so that I wouldn’t have top wait for the copies.

I came home ad very excitedly set at task. I got to work made a photo frame from the design which was given in the book that came with the paints. I had fun and I should say the first experiment didn’t disappoint me at all!

Things I recommend that people do, if and when they are bored, though I am sure everyone has a way out most times:

Do something you always wanted to try, if this is not the best time, no other time will be!
Do something wacky or something you wouldn’t find yourself doing or think of doing normally. It will give you a kick out of life or at least a sense of achievement!
Spend this day putting things into perspective….. Where are you heading, are you where you wanted to be a few years back, where do you see yourself in a few years (I don’t mean just career).
This is the best day to clean your room, chucking out things you don’t need and also if you want give your room a new look, or simply rearrange the furniture, it will be a good change!
Spend an hour or so calling people who mean something to you but whom you just didn’t manage to get in touch with in a long time… people who are far and away.
Remove your old photos and albums, scrap books, letters, cards etc… and spend some time bringing back fond memories.
Write a diary entry.
If have enough money, spend a good day shopping and may be buy things you wouldn’t usually think of wearing. You never know you may even look good in them! A sort of a make over!
Getting a hair cut helps big time if you are feeling sort of low. I am the happiest when I get a hair-cut done!
Cook your own dinner, try a new recipe, make your self an exotic drink, shop for the ingredients and figure it out.

All in all, the above suggestions just spell out one thing… do something new, something different, it won’t hurt. It will give you some sort of thrill and if nothing at least you will realize what you are not meant for!

To Munnar And Back

2006-04-01T21:54:00.000+05:30

The much awaited snaps of Munnar are finally here!

Jade: It all started on my visit to Bangalore last month when I mentioned to Amethyst that my dad’s planning for a trip to Munnar and I wasn’t very enthusiastic about it because I wanted company. So Amethyst said she too wanted a break and would like to join us. (Amber was in college during this conversation). And by the end of the day Amber too was coming with us!

Amber: Obviously! I mean when I returnrd from college and heard that Jade and Amethyst were going to Munnar, I had to jump onto the bandwagon. So tickets were booked and plans formulated. Me and Amethyst were to take the Friday morning train to Chennai. We would reach Chennai in the afternoon and then leave with Jade and her family for Cochin in the night. The journey to Chennai was pretty uneventful. I met a friend who was also on the way to Chennai and the rest of the time was spent in reading a book I’d picked up the day before (I never travel without books for company). Reached Chennai, reminisced how the city had changed (or not, in some cases) with Amethyst, met Jade, had lunch and then the three of us wondered what Amethyst and I could do while Jade went off to take tuitions. Ultimately, it was decided that me and Amethyst would tag along with Jade and meet the kids she seemed to talk about often.

Jade: Yes, it wasn’t a disaster I should say, in fact quite the contrary. They helped me wind up soon and wondered whether there was any hope for the girl to pass in her exams! Not that I neglected my duties just that she has turned into a bad student lately.

We are digressing here.

We got back home and Amber who was excited with the prospects of taking pictures bought two rolls of film and in some time the three girls(minus the dog) set out on the trip to Munnar.

The train journey was not very exciting. The next morning we reached Eranakullam station at 6:30 in the morning. Eranakullam and Cochin are twin cities, so don’t get confused when Amber says Cochin and I, Eranakullam.

Munnar is some 140 kms away from Eranakullam and it’s a hill station and we were supposed to drive there in the afternoon, once my dad had wound up his official work. So we checked in to this hotel called Gokulam Park Inn. (morning view from the room)

The room was well furnished with two TV sets and it had an electronic locker too! I was excited ‘cos I had never seen one before and took a pic of it. We went to have our breakfast and I had a little bit of everything and started feeling sick! Amber was happy reading in the room, so Amethyst and I set out to see the swimming pool on the third floor. The pool was sorry looking and so we came back wondering what to do. We saw the news, caught up on some sleep and soon it was time for lunch.

Amber: And so lunch we did. Lunch was an affair at Jade’s dad’s office, where he’d had a meeting. His colleagues had heard his family was with him and so we were invited to a traditional Kerala style thing that had been laid out for the delegates. Nice. Brown rice and payasam (a sweet dish made of rice and milk and a few other things). After lunch, it was off to Munnar in the rented Qualis. Mr. Badshah, Jade’s dad’s colleague had regaled us with the many interesting places in and around Munnar, and so we were especially eager to see as much as we could in the very little time we had.

Now the Qualis as you know has 3 rows of seats. The one in the front beside the driver, and 2 sets of passenger seats behind. (Am I making sense?) Anyway…for the sake of a comfortable journey I volunteered to sit in the last seat with the luggage, with Jade, her mom and Amethyst in front of me and Jade’s dad beside the driver. (finally left Eranakullam!)

We took a lot of pointless pics on the way, stopped briefly at a temple dedicated to Sri Shankaracharya and then Jade managed to cajole her dad into dropping by an elephant training thingie (institute? Complex?) Mr. Badshah had told us about. While we were waiting for passes to enter the place we wandered around a tiny zoo that had been set up on the side.(the temple) (The temple)

Jade: The temple was in Kaladi, the birth place of Adi Shakaracharya, the inside of it had pictures which told the life story of Adi Shankaracharya. Dad was not very keen on stopping on the way ‘cos he wanted to reach Munnar before it was dark, but then he succumbed to our pestering and we decided to go to the Elephant training center( Amber?) in this place called Perambavur.

Before checking out the elephants doing their so called training, we entered the small zoo and clicked a few pics. We saw Sambar deer, a few ducks, monkeys, a python, spotted deer, etc.

(the 1-2 yr olds)

When we went further to the elephant training place we were told that all the adult elephants were in the jungle to haul the lumber and wouldn’t be back for two months, so we had to make do with pictures of the babies. So much for watching them at work! So we took picture on the 1 and 2 yr olds. The one in the enclosure made of bamboo is a 6 month old baby, which was taken away from its mom and brought to this place when it was just born!

( 6 months old baby elephant)

There was a small lake down a muddy road where the elephants took bath, they also had a boat ride there, but we didn’t have time for all that. So we left.

There was also this place called Iringol Kaavu, where there was a jungle in the centre of a small town. Inside the jungle was a temple and the trees in the forest were never cut (dad told us that in Kerala it was illegal to cut a tree, even if it grew in your own premise!) and in all these years no one has spotted a snake in that jungle. All this was told to us by Mr.Badshah, but we didn’t have the time to check it out.

Amber: So, in spite the disappointment of missing out on the jungle with no snakes….we carried on. Up the mountains, towards Munnar. By this time I’d gone a bit loopy in the back seat. And so was pretty much entertaining myself by singing out aloud to whatever song happened to be playing on the cd player at the moment (Actually the way I was singing, I probably entertained Jade and Amethyst too. You’ll have to ask Jade about that).

(River-Bridge)
As we neared Munnar and more and more hair-pin bends began to make an appearance, the view began to change. More and more mist shrouded valleys, and mountain ranges covered with forests and flowering trees began to appear. It was breath taking. Particularly when there was a sudden downpour, which transformed the scenary into something right out of the Jurassic park.

(Speeding through the rain)

I would’nt have been surprised if I saw a long necked dinosaur lift it’s head from amidst the foliage right then. After many miles of ‘is this Munnar’…we reached and passed Munnar. To see, the place we were staying in was supposedly some 18kms from the main Munnar town.

Jade: Yes, she did make me forget about my stomach ache by singing in to my ears from her strategic position behind me in the Qualis! So, as she said we passed some small towns and also Munnar for that matter, ‘cos our guest house was in Devikullam which was 18kms from Munnar! I can say that we took a trip to Devikullam. There were tea gardens on both sides of the road and the guest house was supposedly located in the middle of one. It was dark, the road was bad and at one spot there was a huge crater and Amber who couldn’t see it from her seat, for a second thought we are heading for the trees whenwe were trying to by-pass it!
We were told the guest house was just opposite to find Club Mahindra, so we were looking out for boards which led us there.There was one which said Club Mahindra-18kms and another later which said, Club Mahindra-1 km. How could you get lost?!! So we reached Club Mahindra and asked for directions to the Chancellor’s Resort and were told that we should have taken a diversion down the road. We back-tracked and managed to reach the Chancellor’s Resort, only to find that it was not just the opposite of Club Mahindra but on the opposite hill!

Amber: Finally after about 5 hrs of traveling, we finally trudged into ‘Chancellor Resorts’ and after being made to wait a while, were shown to ourcottage. Thereafter we explored the cottage, freshened up, ordered in (as we were ravenously hungry by then), and sadly pondered over the fact that we now had only half-a-day in Munnar to sight see. The best part about that night were the stars. I stood out on the balcony for atleast 20 minutes staring up at them. There’s nothing like stars out in the country and I felt that alone made my trip worth while.

After food, we fell asleep. The next morning I was woken up by Amethyst, who wanted me to see the sunrise. (early morning view from our cottage)

(our cottage)

(this one was very cute)

So I did, and managed to witness the sky lightening (if not the actual sun-rise) and also see how exactly the resort looked in daylight. Pictures were taken, and I managed to sketch the view from the balcony of the cottage. Plans of exploring a near-by trekking path were abandoned because all of us took too much time to get ready and because there simply wasn’t much time anyway. We were going to visit a nearby dam and then return to the hotel, pack and leave for Cochin.

( things we didn't do!)

Jade: Ain’t that funny?!! We had arrived only the night before and we were already getting ready to leave. All that because we had booked the tickets to leave the same night from Eranakullam, we could stay longer since Amber and Amethyst had already bunked 3 days of college and couldn’t afford to bunk more! Don’t know what we were thinking when we said we’ll go on a trip!
Well, Munnar is a place where you just relax and enjoy the peace and serenity. Take the ayurvedic massage packages offered by the resort and to simply rejuvenate.
The hills and the tea gardens were definitely therapeutic. We took some snaps in the morning just outside the resort and went to have breakfast in this cute restaurant named ‘The Rock Restaurant’. It had pretty windows and on the inside there actually was a rock on one side of the restaurant which oddly looked nice.

(The Rock - restaurant)

We decided to make the best of the time we had and set out to see the tea estate and the hotel desk told us there was a dam some 4 kms away. So what the heck! We skipped the tea estate as we weren’t keen on watching the tea getting processed (have already seen that and the other two weren’t interested).

(Amber tries technical shots with the digi-cam, cool huh?)

On our way to the dam we saw cinnamon plantation.We reached this dam called Anairangal, whose source is a lake made purely of rain water.

(view of the lake from the road outside the resort)

(view of the road, from the road!)

The dam was closed and the water was flowing through an underwater tunnel at that time. By now we were too used to disappointments to react. Though, we did see a family of ducks swimming in the lake. Mom and dad were having a conversation with a man who was apparently in charge.
(Tree house on the way to the dam)

(Signboard leading us to the dam. Photography was prohibited on the dam itself.)

We made our way back to the hotel; we had packed already and decided to have lunch on the way down at Adi Mali.

Amber: When I go to Munnar next, I plan on taking ample time to just wander around aimlessly!!! Ok..Now that I’ve got that off my chest, to continue, we got back in the car and headed toward Adi Mali. On the way we stopped in the Munnar town market and purchased various souvenirs. Actually Jade and her mom bought little wooden lamps, plates etc. Amethyst fell in love with a silly wooden tortoise which we persuaded her not to buy as the price on it was exorbitant and not worth the actual toy. I bought tons of homemade chocolates and atleast 3 different kinds of tea. Then it was back in the car to resume the downhill trip.

More breathtaking scenary later, when we stopped for lunch, Amethyst wasn’t feeling so great thanks to car sickness. Lunch was a dismal affair. Well, because, the place we stopped at to eat lunch was dismal.

Anyhoo! Got back into the car, resumed journey, with me again, singing along loudly to the songs and persuading others to do the same. A few hours later, about an hour or two away from Ernakullam, we realized we’d wandered off the road we came in. So stopped at a tea-shop, asked for directions and thereon arrived at the hotle in Ernakullam we’d left the previous day, an hour later than we were actually supposed to.

Jade: I was on the front seat after lunch, playing DJ, half singing, half praying. Praying because the driver had freaked us out the previous day when we almost got hit by a bus and landed in a pit. There wasn’t much improvement the next day; there were a few narrow escapes on our side as well as the others on the road! I was also busy clicking pictures of our potential victims.

We managed to reach Eranakullam safely. It was time to go back, the sky was overcast with some lightening and thundering….

Amber: At the hotel in Ernakullam we freshened up, ate, and left for the railway station. En route we got a glimpse of a part of Marine Drive. A lot of family gossip was indulged in while waiting for the train, which arrived on time. In the train, Amethyst and Jade’s mom fell asleep (Jade’s dad was’nt traveling with us as he had to go on to Coimbatore for another meeting) almost immediately. Jade and I sat up till midnight I think talking about life and love. The next morning we got off at Chennai Central and headed home. A quick visit to my grandparents followed later in the morning, after which it was time for Amethyst and me to board the afternoon train back home to Bangalore.

So was this trip or rather series of trips worthwhile? I’d say yes, definitely. It’s always fun for me, Amethyst and Jade to spend time together and I guess this was a break from routine we all needed. Plus, as Jade likes to keep saying who knows how often we’ll be meeting in the future? (Once she gets through to a management programand goes where that takes her, and I graduate and get a job and go where that takes me) I disagree with her, I think we’ll find a way to keep in touch and meet no matter where and how busy we are. : )

So there you have it. Our trip to Munnar. It’s nothing to write home about. You’ll agree with me, if you’ve actually read the whole story above and are still around to read this. But doing this collaboration with Jade to write down our memories of the trip was fun. J
Looking forward to more such trips and collaborations in the future.

With that, this is Amber and Jade signing off….

A Day Of My Life....

2006-03-31T21:04:00.000+05:30

Last year we took a trip to West Bengal and Sikkim. It’s one of the most beautiful places in India. You can trust me on that ‘cos I have seen quite a few places in India.
But this post is not about West Bengal or Sikkim, so go ahead and find out!

So we went to Darjeeling, which is popular hill station in India. Though I was totally disappointed with the place as it was very dirty, it had a few good spots worth visiting, one of them being Tiger Hills.

Now Tiger Hills is a special spot because you visit it at dawn just before sunrise and catch a glimpse of the first golden rays of the sun falling on the Kanchanjunga mountain ranges on the west which makes these snow capped mountains shimmer as if they are made of gold. This lasts for somewhere around two minutes after that there is a full sunrise.(See picture)

So to watch this we set out at 3:30 in the morning. I wasn’t very keen on it as nothing is more important to me than sleep. Nevertheless, we got there at somewhere around 4 in the morning, half frozen and sleepy. I was covered in three layers of clothing with a snow cap and a muffler (I was nothing keeping well on top of it). There were other tourists as well who had gone through the same trouble to get there and we were all taken to a room similar to a glass house. And this is where the story begins…

Amongst us was an American. Now let me tell you this, I have a thing for foreigners… I think it’s their eyes, ’cos most Indians have dark brown eyes (how boring!). Now this guy was alone and was giving friendly smiles left and right. Another family was enthusiastic enough to reciprocate the gesture and was soon chatting away with him. Soon this guy was standing next to us and started talking to us. Now he was not just an American but he was also cute! I came to know his name was Tom and he was from San Francisco or California (damn my memory!), working for an MNC. He was dark blonde with blue eyes, was somewhere around 5’11”. It seems he was here with a bunch of friends, but he alone came to Darjeeling and was asking our opinion about places he could visit, though he had a travel itinerary planned. And he was going to visit Mumbai too. I forgot all about the chill and my fever when we started talking.

I kept meeting him the whole day wherever we went. The monestry, the wild life sanctuary etc... And we kept giving smiles to each other. I was hoping to see him at the carnival in the evening, he said he would be coming but it never happened. At the end of the day I was so sure I had a teeny tiny crush on him.

The next day I was leaving for Calcutta and I remember him saying he would be flying to Delhi, so I had no hope of seeing him again. We drove to Bagdogra airport, which was the only nearest airport and a small one at that. And guess who else is at the airport?

The funniest part was he didn’t recognize me at all! I figured that was because I was all bundled up in heavy clothing the other day with a snow cat and all, looking twice my size and here I was at the airport in a sleeveless top and jeans!

I saw him go here and there, then through the security check. I was mentally wishing him good bye when he came back with a luggage he couldn’t carry as a cabin baggage. He was the last passenger to board the flight to Delhi. The whole while I was watching him discreetly, for I had nothing much to do but wait for my flight to announce departure. It was convenient to watch, since he did not recognize me. But part of me was sad. Crazy, huh?

Then finally I was sitting in this coffee shop overlooking the tarmac and saw him walk towards his plane…

This was the closest I came to having a crush on a blonde guy with blue eyes…

The Signs

2006-03-30T11:21:00.000+05:30

You know your blog is dying when:

You open other people’s blog page before you open yours.

You don’t open your blog page for almost a week.

The only comment on your blog is, ‘Where are you these days? Why aren’t you posting?’

You don’t even want to look at your blog hits anymore.

You are surprised you got a comment

You use your user name only to comment on other’s posts!

Update

2006-03-29T20:54:00.000+05:30

It seems people miss reading my posts. Okay, I wont lie… its only Ronin our faithful reader who misses me and so here I am! But looks like I have hit a wall. There is nothing much to say.

Just an update on the current events.

I have got my results of the last exam I took. It’s good but not good enough. So instead of going to the best college, I’ll be going to the 2^nd, 3^rd or the 4^th best college in Mumbai. And that too depends on how well I perform in my second round. Sigh… I will survive….

Amber, Amethyst and I took a trip to Munnar in Kerala. There wasn’t much to see and all we did was travel without much of a break, but the drive was beautiful and it served as a good break.

Scenic photos and if you are lucky enough a post will follow soon.

Now we are back to our normal life and more importantly trying to live it normally.

And oh! I have enrolled for swimming classes. I am over the swimming with a tube and drowning without a tube phase! It’s my 10^th day in the pool tomorrow and I hope to swim successfully!

That’s all for now folks!

Rainbows End

2006-03-15T18:44:00.000+05:30

At one end of the rainbow, you will find,

A witch of a very unique kind.

With violet hair and purple shoes,

She runs a cauldron, in which a magic potion brews.

Violet, indigo, blue and green,

She got by adding flowers, ink, bits of sky and grass with a dewdrop sheen.

To get the colours yellow, orange and red,

She mixed in sunshine, fruit and poppies straight from her flower bed.

Once all the ingredients were in,

She stirred till it bubbled upto her chin!

When magic words over it she had uttered,

Her magic wand over it she fluttered.

Finally after a hour or two,

A beautiful rainbow out of it grew!

Lol...This is far from being a perfect or should I say 'great' poem...I'd say it's just 'ok'. Could use some polishing.

The idea originated in my head this morning while I was in the bus, and I completed the rest at college before classes began. Done for fun more than anything else :D.

An illustration to follow in the (very) near future.

Where Are You Going?

2006-03-01T10:18:00.000+05:30

For our blogger friend Ronin...

Where Are You Going?

Walking down the lane I see,
People going where they should be,
But sometimes I stop and wonder…
Is it the place they want to be?

I know not my place or the road,
I just let time unfold,
I am not further from where they are,
Both awaiting a future told, untold…

I go my way,
And so do they ,
Some will find their place sooner or later…
And some will keep hoping anyway…

Dear Ronin, do not worry... We are all in the same boat: )

PS:-Amber, I hope I didnt disappoint you!

An Illustration For The Poem / Amber's Ode To Jade's First Attempt At Poetry

2006-02-23T21:53:00.000+05:30

Jade wrote a poem yesterday that I was totally bowled over by. I mean, I've never known her to write anything remotely like a poem before and then suddenly one day I'm faced with a really great first attempt by her! Way to go Jade!

I love the message or should I say, the 'heart' of the poem and somehow the first thing I said to Jade after I'd read the poem (and gotten over my intial speechlessless) was 'I'll illustrate this'. So here it is, my ode to Jade's first attempt at a poem. I had a lot of fun doing this. Got to experiment a lot with the software and my style .

Jade said she's happy with it...so maybe I'll get to illustrate her next poem too! ;)

(Yes, Jade I remember what you said...I know it can't be forced, but you really have to do this more often now!)

- Amber

The Half-Full Cup....

2006-02-22T12:14:00.001+05:30

Sand castles that tumble down,
The waves that are gentle and yet strong,
Take away what you think was yours,
No matter what you try, it’s all gone.

How foolish can you be?
To build sand castles near the sea.
But funny, isn’t it?
Where else will sand castles be?

Nothing stops you, not even the pain,
Still there is nothing to gain,
The waves will come, the castles will fall,
All you can do is, build them again…

Simple Simon.... Not So Simple Afterall...

2006-02-18T20:59:00.002+05:30

I have been thinking about this post for some time now and somehow its not very clear in my head how I want to say what I am about to say. So here’s my honest attempt to say what I have to say.

Do not fret; my subject is not as grave as I make it sound. I am only trying to understand the other half of the human kind by writing this post. :)

Men I believe are a simpler creation of god when compared to women…. Just that they don’t stay simple. I can safely say that I know quite a few guys and most of them seem to have one major problem… they are not able to handle the woman in their life.

So one fine day the phone rings and I am glad to see a familiar name on the screen and that to a particularly good friend’s name and I go, ‘So how are you? What’s up?’

And soon I realize he is totally down.

Most men rely on other close woman friends to solve their relationship problems.

I suppose it’s because of one or more of the following reasons:

They want someone to listen patiently and not laugh about it and say I told you so.
Their guy friends wouldn’t appreciate it if they dwell on the topic for too long.
A guy’s way of discussing such problems is resorting to boozing and bringing up their experience in such matters, which results in a further depressed atmosphere.
They want a girl’s perspective in such matters.
They don’t mind some sympathy and concern at such times.
Girls are so good at bitching!
There is a possibly that this girl friend might hook him up with some of her girl friends, which will in turn help him forget about the girl and look at the matter with a fresh angle. (Can’t change these creatures…sigh...)
In many cases, if this girl friend is herself single, there is a 100% chance that he starts going around with her. (Come on! She has all the qualities I have always looked for in a girl and she understands me!)

(If she isn’t single then sigh… if only he had the sense to get her before another guy had a chance.)

* I mean no offence to the men in this world.

PS: - If you have anything to add, feel free to do so. I am interested in knowing other reasons.

PPS: - Amber wants me to convey that she has disappeared for the same old reasons- no time, nothing to write about in life.

Love Is....#2

2006-02-08T20:29:00.000+05:30

Love is...
Wishing for a rainbow on a warm sunny day...

Love Is....#1

2006-02-07T22:24:00.000+05:30

This is the first one of my 'love is' series.. Just some random thoughts. There will be more. : )

Love is…

Being the one to call and make up after a fight, even though you know you are still hurt and angry…

She's Back!

2006-02-04T18:12:00.000+05:30

Hello! I am home after almost 10 days.

My week in Mumbai was simply awesome! It’s the best break I have ever had in a long time. It felt as if I never had left that city and it was nice to know that I still have really amazing friends who do care a lot about me though they are busy with their lives to buzz me regularly.

I didn’t shop much but I am more than happy with my purchases :). I bought a pair of really sexy shoes from this place in marine lines called The Loot. It’s a honey brown more towards sandalwood yellow pair of sketchers. Its showroom price is 3200 Rs. But I bought it at this place for 2200 Rs. I am more than happy! Bought two more sandals on the road side for a good bargain. Plus bought two really cute tops which I am not sure how often I’ll use at a sale! Otherwise spent the rest of the time in watching movies, meeting friends, eating out. I went to all my favorite places in Mumbai. In the end there wasn’t enough time to meet some more friends and to go to a few places.

Now I am back to good old Chennai with a mission to crack the next exam. It’s the only one left if I want to get into an insti in the next academic year. A bit nervous and also pepped up.

PS:- you can wish me luck : )

Hairy Otter. Oops! I Mean Harry Potter.

2006-01-20T19:19:00.000+05:30

Yesterday, I managed to get a copy of the latest Harry Potter from my neighbor. Thought I’ll watch the movie once more. I enjoyed the movie just as much as I did when I saw it the first time, thanks to the funny senseless sub-titles!

The person who did the transcription could have done a better job, had he/she used the book to find those dialogues.

Here are a few of them. Enjoy!

Original Dialogue: It’s a ‘portkey’

Sub-title: It’s a ‘pokick’

Original Dialogue: Three schools for a series of magical contests.

Sub-title: These schools for a series of manticore contests. (???!!!)

Original Dialogue: Can anyone tell me, how many unforgivable curses there are?

Sub-title: Can anyone tell me, I forgot how many classes there are? (lol!)

Original Dialogue: The use of any one of them will earn you a one-way ticket to Azkaban.

Sub-title: They used funny word of the world and you don’t have any one way to get into Azkaban. (Excuse me, but is that even a sentence?)

Original Dialogue: Longbottom is it?

Sub-title: Long one was it?

Original Dialogue: Prof. Sprout tells me you have an aptitude for herbology

Sub-title: First our spell tells me you are up to pursuit for hypallage.( err… what?)

Original Dialogue: Ron was here?

Sub-title: Roast it?

Original Dialogue: It’s as much as a fairy princess as I am!

Sub-title: It’s as much a wary process as I am!

Original Dialogue: You know how to duel I presume, first we bow to each other

Sub-title: You know how to duel I presume, first of all we’ll bark at each other. ( This one had me in stitches!!)

Mumbai Meri Jaan

2006-01-16T12:00:00.000+05:30

I am going to Mumbai next week! Yes, I am very excited and I have every reason to be. It’s been almost six months since I made my last trip to Mumbai and after all I have started thinking of it as my home town now.

I never really had a place I would like to go to during my vacations, because my grandparents live with us and they had sold their house in the village ages ago, even before I was born and never bought any place after that. During vacations I used to visit Chennai or Mumbai and spend time with my cousins who lived there or dad used to take us on trips to different places, I really used to like that because I have almost seen all the beautiful places in India.

Till the age of 11 I have lived in different cities for a minimum period of 6 months to a maximum period of 3 years. I even believed that every family does that; no one lives in the same city for long. Later I realized that only some of us keep moving because of our parent’s occupation.

And then at the age of 11 I landed in Mumbai (then known as Bombay). I hated it. I couldn’t speak Hindi and the kids used to tease me whenever I spoke in English. On top of it all I had to study a whole new language- Marathi!

Slowly I discovered new friends, started learning Marathi in which I scored more marks than I did in Hindi, learnt the worst colloquial Hindi which is still dominant when I start talking in Hindi. People immediately come to know I am from Mumbai! Nothing I am proud of because I am one of those many people who ruin that language!

Every year dad used to say, looks like we are going to move this year, which was fine with me except when I was in the 10^th and then 12^th, because those were crucial years. Nothing happened and then I went to college. In my second year of college, dad gets transferred to…..where else….Chennai! At the same time, Amber’s family, who had moved a year ago to Mumbai, got transferred to Bangalore. So, it was finally decided that the three of us-Amber, Amethyst and I would stay as paying guests for our education’s sake.

I discovered a whole new life of living all by myself, had some real fun, learnt a lot of new things, met a lot of new people, went out quite a bit (I hardly went out when I was at home, don’t get the wrong picture)which I wouldn’t have done if I were staying at home.

And so the two years of having fun and staying out came to an end. Went through a phase where I was confused as to what I want to do in life. I didn’t want to come to Chennai, but nothing went right when it had to. Tried for a job really late because dad wasn’t sure I should stay in Mumbai alone any more. So came to Chennai started preparing for entrance exams for further studies. Got a job which wasn’t great but was something, but decided against taking it up because it would leave no time for exam preparations……. That brings me to today, sitting in front of the computer, thinking about Mumbai and the life that I had there. I am unbelievably sentimental about that city. Whenever I see Mumbai on TV or in movies I try to guess which place is it….. sometimes I sit and think about the places I really love in Mumbai, the beaches, our gang’s hang-outs, those few amazing places in Mumbai which not many people know about but which my friends and I discovered…..and many more sweet memories…

After spending ten years there, that's the only place I can think of as my home town.And, home is where the heart is….

Leave Letter;)

2006-01-14T22:02:00.000+05:30

Hey ppl,
There has been hardly any activity going on on this blog for some time now.There is a good reason for it. Amber's computer has conked and my net connection has had some problems since one week. Will be back with new and better posts very soon. Posting this before i get disconnected again.
Ciao.
PS:- I'll be back....

What I Did This New Years Eve - Amber's Version

2006-01-05T12:08:00.000+05:30

December 31st, 2005

Saw a movie and hung out with a friend.

Spent the night with Jade, Amethyst, A.B. and two of Amethyst's other classmates C and V ( the two seemed intimidated by me and Jade,). We had the house to ourselves, Jade got totally drunk for the first time in her life (drunk enough to eventually throw up), Amethyst and A.B. - who were'nt as drunk - picked a fight with each other (Amethyst in tears, A.B. trying to pacify her and everything). Thus, I (having had only one breezer) basically spent the night playing nursemaid and arbitrator, and generally feeling sad, irritated, lonely,amused and angry by turns.

January 1st, 2006

The next morning...

...We laughed over Jade's behaviour (She was hilarious, and in hindsight adorable in a way), listened to music, shopped for ingredients for breakfast (I made a gigantic tomato, onion, capsicum, cheese omlette and burnt the toast), ate cake and chips and drank 7Up (all before 10 in the morning); after which we spent the day at A.B.'s house (where I guess I napped for 2 hours in between lunch and dinner) just hanging out and playing with the dogs.

--------------------------

And there you have it. My extremely brief account of how the three girls and the dog (he spent new years at A.B.'s, with A.B.'s dog for company. Actually I think he drove the other dog crazy with his antics...) rung out the old and rung in the new...

Happy New Year, everyone...

So What Did You Do This New Year's Eve?

2006-01-05T10:20:00.000+05:30

Guess who’s back!!

I went to Bangalore or should I say Bengaluru for New Year’s. Spent time with Amber, Amethyst and the Dog.

We decided to have a house party or something close to a party.

Amethyst wanted to booze a lot this time and I generally thought it wasn’t a bad idea… only if I had known better…sigh…

So it was somewhere around 6 in the evening, Amber was at her friend’s place and said she wont be back any sooner, Amethyst was bugged and was totally in a crappy mood and didn’t want anyone to come( not that a lot of people were expected anyways). A.B. our friend said he wasn’t in the mood either, but said he would come anyways since I had come all the way from Chennai… and I was getting bugged because everyone around was in a rotten mood and was left hoping that Amber would come home soon.

A.B. turned up in some time and we went liquor shopping…

We got back and found two of Amethyst’s friends, C and V, waiting for us at the door. And I realized they were the only ones to join us and even those two were gonna leave at 10:30. I don’t know why they thought they could leave at 10:30, it was New Year’s damn it! Its not gonna happen earlier this year! Some company we had….

Amber was still not back and we hadn’t yet ordered dinner…so we all set out to buy dinner.

By the time we came home it was around 11…

Finally settled in and started boozing… and this is where the real story of the memorable New Year starts!

We all started out with a few Bacardi breezers and Amethyst and I were trying to finish everyone else’s bottle too. Then we brought out beer and I was busy making personal bottles for everyone with the empty breezer bottles. By now Amber became really quiet, she didn’t like the way Amethyst and I were gulping down beer and behaving silly. The two guests decided to stay back and weren’t much of a drinker. A.B. challenged me to do another bottoms up….so I drained another bottle. I was kinda drunk by now, but didn’t feel drunk at all. It was 12! Yippee! Happy New Year everybody!

So what the hell, we brought out some vodka. Ended up gulping it directly from the bottle, which totally did it!

Everything that happened after that is still a blur. I later came to know, Amethyst got pissed with A.B. because he said something and she was also a bit drunk and they both were fighting inside. I was trying to reach A.P. on the phone, in spite of the jammed network. I couldn’t hold the phone properly, so I was asking everyone to help me reach him….even explained to V how to dial the number!

I realized when I am drunk: 1) I am very polite.2) I get an accent, as my tongue grows all numb.

Since A.B. was busy fighting and Amber was bugged and was inside. I ended up in the hall with C and V.C was trying to help me with the call but then got busy attending his calls. V looked a bit worried because he didn’t drink at all and didn’t know what he was doing in the mad house! So left him alone.

By now I got really bugged and don’t know why or how, but I started crying. That did work because everyone rushed to me. Amethyst took a break from the fight and said, “You wanna call A.P. na? Gimme the number.” She dials and wow she got through the number. Me thinking, ‘Thanks gurl! These men are good for nothing!’

Started ranting to A.P. about how others didn’t help me and Amethyst did. Amethyst realized I was using her phone and she didn’t have much money left in it and was after me trying to take it from me. Spoke but forgot to wish him Happy New Year. Amber says, “Gimme the phone” and she spoke to A.P. told him I was just a bit drunk, but I was under control.

Me still thinks I am not drunk and to prove that I go looking for the vodka bottle, but couldn’t find it. A.B. tells me it’s over. I found out the next morning that he hid it behind the TV.

Laid my hands on a pack of cigarette that the guys had bought and wanted to smoke. I asked C to get me a matchbox and he comes with an empty matchbox, like it was some joke! I threaten him that I’ll go and switch on the stove if I don’t find one and so he helps me light it with the gas stove. I almost burnt my hair trying to light the cigarette.

The way I smoked, the guys must have thought I have one everyday. Smoke is not meant for me and I realized it once again.

I don’t remember anything after that. Except asking Amber to gimme some air in the room and not wanting any flavor in the sugar water which Amethyst tried giving me to save me from dehydrating.

Things I did this New Year’s eve:

Ended up with my head in the pot.
Apologized to Amber a dozen times for spoiling her new year.
Called A.B. a bitch I think or was it someone else?
Was yelling at the middle of the night.
Became a joke in front of two guys whom I didn’t know at all. ( They made sure that everyone in Amethyst’s class knew that her cousin was drunk!)
Entertained a bunch of bored people.
And of course got drunk for the first time in my life!

Day 3

2006-01-02T10:13:00.000+05:30

Field trip to Balmuri falls and a nearby bird sanctuary.

Took some good photographs.

Found out how much fun it can be to jump and lay on a haystack.

Held a lamb in my arms.

Figured that being in a boat in the middle of an almost totally calm/still lake, with only the sounds of birds and the oar lapping through the water penetrating the stillness has got to be one of the most peaceful experiences on earth.

Day 2

2006-01-02T10:10:00.000+05:30

Booooooooooorrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrring, with a big B.

The only saving grace was an half-an hour lecture by one of our professors, which made us feel good about our institute (He was so much better than the other faculty present) and the fact that I took some good photographs.

The Photography Workshop - Day 1

2005-12-28T22:53:00.000+05:30

Today was the first day of a four day Photography conference cum workshop I'm attending.
Here's a quick glimpse of the ups and downs.

~ All of us (Me, and classmates) reached the venue without our camera's. We figured we'd only have lectures and such today. Got way intimidated when we saw practically everyone else there arrive with humongous camera bags and loads of equipment. Rushed back to our respective home's to get our camera's before the event started (Huge waste of time and money and effort as you'll see soon).

~ Sat through the terribly organized inaugration program. Almost all...no...All of the organizers, or rather all the members of the organization that organized the event seemed to be above 50 years of age. The person making the announcements and inviting the important guest faculty etc. on stage was the epitome of the word 'Clueless'. A few of the faculty members even managed to doze off on the stage while the schedule for the day etc. were being explained. Everyone seemed to keep insulting everyone else! (Hard to explain...can't find the right words...you should have been there...Rest assured, I was embarrassed for the whole lot of them!)

~ Attended two work shops, on - Macro photography (we'd already learnt the stuff this guy was talking about and his photographs were'nt that great), Composition (the lecture was ok...this guy's photograph's were amazing! Wish I could shoot like that) and one short one on video shooting, which I was'nt interested in at all.

~ More about the Video workshop: As a part of the workshop, they decided to show us some video on lighting, but there appeared to be some prblem with the cd player. So while they were trying to fix the problem, I started doodling on the notepad we were given in the morning. One of the delegates had brought his family along and his little boy (named Cezanne) was peeking over my shoulder the whole time. He appeared really interested in what I was drawing. So on an impulse, I drew this little picture of him and handed it over to him. His dad ( this guy with long hair and glasses who would've probably made a striking portrait!) asked him to get me to sign it and I did before handing it back to him as a keepsake (To Cezanne, from Amber). Lol...it felt so weird and nice at the same time!
Oh, and when the problem was finally fixed, we were treated to this really stupid short film that was supposed to give us an overview of the various lighting techniques - all I can say is that, it had a guy with scuba diving gear on, wandering around trying to figure out the tricks 'Dr. Lighting' had up his sleeve, after which he disappered back into the sea!! (Don't ask).

~ And the best part was that none of the workshops required a camera, and inspite of having one or two opportunities to shoot somethign good, I simply could'nt muster any enthusiasm for it at the time. I think that was partly because I knew I was expected to shoot just because it was a workshop and everyone else was...shooting i.e....Am I making sense? :)

Well, that's it about Day1. Have to go back at 9:30 tommorrow morning for Day 2.

I'm off to watch 'Cheaper by the Dozen 2' now, so adios! :)

The Year Review

2005-12-27T21:28:00.000+05:30

Source: Tuesday Tales

1. What was the best thing to happen in 2005?

Me discovering the institute I'm currently studying in and finally getting into something art related.

As far back as I can remember, my answer to the 'What are you going to be when you grow up?' question has always been 'A Fashion designer or something else definitely related to art'. Not that I'm into clothes per se, but somehow it was the only 'arty' career known to my then younger self.

Somehow I got into commerce in junior college and ended up in an institute that stressed on academics above anything else. My professors figured I had potential (I got pretty good grades) and were determined not to let me waste it. So even saying something like 'What if I became a fashion designer?" would have probably sent them into spasms of shock and horror. By the end of those two years, I had an amazing marksheet, the experience of real hard work and a career goal of 'Uh...maybe an MBA?' (My new standard answer to the 'What do you want to do in the future?' question. I would get tons of advice on a daily basis to quit the management stream and get into something art related.

Then college happened.
Three years of amazing people, fun times and learning to live by myself (Of course I was'nt entirely alone. I had Amethyst and Jade for company). Three years of management. Three years of having people exclaim 'What on earth are you doing in management?' when they happened to get a peek at my doodles in the utterly boring finance lectures or my ideas and work for the college fest as the Head of the Creative department. And all the while I was fighting my own battle with my insecurities and self doubt. I knew was good at art/drawing, but who was I to think I was good enough to do it on a professional day-to-day basis? Did I really want a 9-5 job in some multinational company? Did I want to spend my life doing something in management that I might be reasonably good at/might work hard at but really did'nt enjoy? Or did I want to take a huge risk and get into a field I enjoyed but was'nt at all sure of? And even assuming I was ready to take the risk, did I want to spend another 3-4 years studying art?

Such questions continued right till the end of college and even after I graduated. I settled on some half-baked idea to get a job with my management degree, maybe even get a post graduation in the field and all the while try to do something (I had no idea what that something was) with my creative/artistic abilities.

But getting a job was'nt easy. The offers coming my way did'nt excite me, and were'nt that great either. And all throughout I had visions of being stuck in horrid job I did'nt like and spending my life with the regret that I had'nt had the courage to work for my dream.

Two months, many interviews and a horrible period of self-doubt, worry about my future and dissatisfaction with myself and my life later, in the midst of half heartedly preparing for an entrance exam that would get me into a post graduate management program, I decided to give this institute I had come across while researching my options in an art related field a call. What appealed to me about them was the fact that they had a one year course as opposed to the usual 3-4 year courses offered by the other institutes and the fact that they did not require candidates with prior degrees/qualifications in art (I did'nt have any).

I called them up with the intention of gathering some details and maybe doing a course with them the next academic year if things did'nt work out with the entrance exam. But before I knew it, I was called for an interview, I'd shown them some of my work and I'd gotten admission! I'll never forget the day. Here was this guy who was quite well known in his field, telling me that I was really good! It made a difference to hear that from someone who I thought knew what he was talking about. I signed up for the one year course the very next day.

Five months later, I'm pretty happy with my choice. I get to do the things I enjoy on a daily basis and finally feel that I'm in the right place, that maybe this was what I was meant to be doing. I'm not sure what the coming year will hold for me, or whether I will be able to make a successful career in my new chosen field, but I do know that I'm happy with my career choice at the moment (Am already fostering dreams of becoming a freelance illustrator cum designer, getting something published, maybe even selling a painting - funny how I never had any dreams and ambitions in mangement) and that I will not regret not having done this years down the line.

So definitely the best thing to happen in 2005 was to finally have the courage to accept fate's push and start on the road to fulfilling a dream. :)

2. What was the worst thing to happen in 2005?

The two months right after graduation, before I got into the institute I'm currently studying in. I never want to relive that period of my life again. I was totally miserable. I'd come to realize that management was'nt the career for me and that I'd be miserable in it but at the same time I was incredibly insecure about my artistic abilities and unsure about how wise it would be to study art for three more years inorder to switch careers. I think I woke up everyday thinking about how my life was going nowhere while some of the very people I had graduated with seemed to be getting jobs and basically striding ahead with confidence and a sure knowledge of what they wanted in life. Was not a nice feeling.

3. What is your biggest regret of the year?

Tough one. But you know what? I don't think I have any. Not breaking away from mangement and giving art a try would have been my biggest regret of the year, but thank god that did'nt happen! :)

4. If you could do anything over again what would it be?

Relive my college days - all three years of fun, good and bad experiences, and the most importantly the people.

5. What do you see for the rest of the year?

Wish I really could see...but then again, where's the fun in that? Hmm...the usual ups and downs, graduating this course with flying colours :), hopefully landing a nice job, maybe even meeting the special someone ;)? Who knows?

I'll just have to take things as they come.

This or That?

2005-12-26T23:58:00.000+05:30

Source: Monday Madness

1. diamonds or pearls?
Diamonds

2. paperback or hardcover books?
Paperback

3. carpet or hardwood floors?
Hardwood floors

4. dogs or cats?
Dogs!

5. fluffy or firm pillow?
Hmm...I'm going to have to say a bit of both

6. fine point or medium point pens?
Medium point

7. clocks a little fast or on time?
A litle fast - so I'm not late

8. mahjong or spider solitaire (or other)?
Neither

9. wall calendar or desk calendar?
Does'nt make a difference to me

10. 'Survivor' or 'The Amazing Race?'
The Amazing Race

How Was Your Weekend?

2005-12-25T20:57:00.000+05:30

In the last 48 hours I have,

- come close to finishing a drawing I'm kinda proud of ( You get to peek at a part of it below)

- said something that sounded incredibly stupid the minute after it was said
- done something incredibly careless and idiotic (ergo the "I'm an idiot" post)
- eaten way too many Gulab J amuns (Amethyst made them. They turned out pretty well. I've eaten so many, I think I'm gonna be sick!)

- walked the dog numerous times
- run after the dog trying to rescue various items like socks, shoes etc. numerous times
- been bored to death on more than one occassion
- watched 'The Incredibles' for the third time (love it)

- watched 'Where Eagles Dare' and totally drooled over the very young Clint Eastwood in it

- submitted my entry for this week's Illustration Friday theme 'Holiday'
- cancelled a plan to go out with friends
- argued with Amethyst a million times
- wished I were ushering in the new year on a beach somewhere
- eaten a lot of 'snicker' candy bars
- taken this test and gotten the following result

You are a Helper Who Finds Missing Children Over The Internet!
(Submissive Introverted Concrete Feeler)
You are a HELPER WHO FINDS MISSING CHILDREN OVER THE INTERNET (SICF). You are very tentative in the world and introverted with people— which means you are the shy and silent type (hence the Internet.) But behind your reserved exterior lies a dedicated person with a passion for the concrete truth who wants to, in his heart of hearts, help find missing children. God bless you.

Hmm...in other words, done nothing much worth writing home about.

Wish you a Merry Christmas, or to be more politically correct, Happy Holidays Reader!

Teacher, Teach Me

2005-12-24T16:05:00.000+05:30

Writing about teachers who taught us is like the most common post.

But then my professors aren’t that common! : )

The law professor: Mr. L

This guy’s lectures were the best sleep inducers ever! Stronger than any sleeping pill ever discovered.

He had this really sinister smile, with a stupid cowlick falling on his forehead and used talk in this droning monotone which was a lullaby by itself.

His lectures used to be for 3 hours after the lunch break and he never gave us a break in between. So people peacefully resorted to sleeping in his lecture no matter where they were sitting, be it the first bench or the last. We used to rush to sit on the last bench, preferably near the walls so that we could put our heads on the walls and snooze.

No one ever dared talk in his lecture, partially because he was scary and the other reason being that they preferred to sleep after a good lunch.

I remember once he had caught me and Amber…. He thought we were upto something whereas we were just taking down notes.

He said, “Ladies of the last beeeeeeeench, what are you doiiiing?”(Yes that’s how he spoke)

Amber and I, “Taking down notes sir.”

Him (with that idiotic smile which I hated to the core): “I’ll know when I come there and check your books.”

I was totally pissed by now and said, “Sir you can if you want to.”

Him: “Let it beeeee. I don’t want to embarrass you.” (And again that smile)

Me thinking: That scum, how could he say that?!!!!

The other incident I remember is:

At the end of a lecture he called out to the class and said, “If you class rep is awake, I would like the attendance register.”

That oaf knew we weren’t listening to him, but he tortured us just the same…

Some of his classic dialogues were;

“I am not your father’s servaaaaaaaaant.”

“I don’t want noiiiiiiiiiiiiise, I want voiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiice.”

Whenever someone entered a second late, and would say please sir, he would go: “I am not here to please youuuuuuuuuuuuu, you are here to please meeeeeeeee.”

He was definitely creative with his dialogues I must say.

All the guys used to try and mimic him. Sometimes me too!

On the last day of his lecture, one of my classmates wrote ‘good riddance’ on the black board and Mr. L who had arrived early that day was standing at the door, trying to read what that fellow was writing. When he realized that the prof had already arrived and saw him, he somehow managed to bunk the lecture before others could settle in.

The quantitative techniques professor: Mr. P

This professor was one of the best we had! He can make the most boring subject like quants, materials management, logistics etc. simple and interesting.

The best thing about him was that though his papers were tough; he gave marks generously and didn’t fail any of us.

He was an IIT Mumbai graduate and that says a lot about his intelligence. He had a lot of experience in the real world and was well read. All the above reasons made his lectures all the more interesting with his anecdotes and case studies and not to forget his sense of humor.

No one really knew where he was from, because he spoke most of the languages fluently. If anyone asked him about it, he would say, “I am from everywhere.” All of us kept guessing till the last year. Though I had a strong feeling that he was a Tamilian because no one can speak tamil so fluently, that too when you have been living in Mumbai for so long, unless you are one. And he used to have a special corner for three people in our class who were tamilians: me, Amber and another guy. We scored full marks in internals in all his subjects. At least I did!

Whenever he wanted either me or Amber to solve something on the board, he would say, “Inge wadi!” (Which means, ‘come here’ in tamil)

No one else understood what it meant and from that day, we came to be known as ‘The Ingewadi Sisters!’

Once in class, when a boy was caught talking to a girl, thus disturbing him, he got so furious that he called him and made him sit next to a guy on the first bench and said, “ Now be happy and gay!”

He had something to say about everyone in class. Once when he was walking through the rows, he came up to a friend of mine, who happens to be a Catholic and says, “Do you know, if I walk in to a church and shout D’Souza, half of the crowd will stand up!”

I believe he was the only student-friendly professor we had and who really helped us out whenever we were in trouble and agreed to the fact that our co-coordinator was a total nut-case!

The economics professor: Mr.M

Mr. M was really talented at mugging up the notes and dictating it without a reference, during his lecture. I think even that’s an art, though I didn’t believe in imitating it. He used to love it when people by-heart their speeches and repeat it, during the presentations and mark them higher than others. It was totally unfair because I could never by heart the speech like many and could never speak without a reference note!

He had this tendency to add the phrase ‘like say’ at the beginning and ‘it out’ at the end of everything sentence.

Like say we are having inflation in the economy.

Like say the farmer has a produce and wants to sell it out.

Everybody write it out.

This is the topic for your group; I want five of you to present it out.

He has to finance it out.

After a few days most of us stopped using the phrase ‘it out’ even at the right places….

The coordinator: Mrs. N

She was the most erratic person we have ever met! One second she you find her yelling at the top of her voice and the next second she is smiling fondly at the same person she yelled at, like she was kidding a few minutes back!

People believed she was a maniac and some of us had overheard a professor mentioning that she was going through some psychological treatment. I won’t be surprised if she is!

Her favorite dialogue was: “I am going to kill you! And I mean it!”

We used to try hard not to laugh whenever she said that.

The finance professor: Mr. H.B.

He was the coordinator’s pet. She considered him a boon to our college.

I agree that this professor has good knowledge about the subject…. But Mr. H.B., I am sorry to tell you that you just cannot teach.

The first hurdle in his sessions was that no one understood what he spoke.

When asked for a feedback about his teaching, most of my classmates wrote, ‘we would like to know what language he speaks in class.’

The most interesting thing was his papers. First of all, no one could solve his papers. Even professors from other colleges used to find it tough.

And secondly, he used to make us sit according to our roll numbers and used to have codes like: add the numbers in your roll numbers and answer the corresponding question number.

All this for a stupid class test, which we were bound to fail!

Not that any of the others were crazy in their own way, but these were some of the unusual professors we had in the three years of our college life!

2005-12-23T20:52:00.000+05:30

I'm an idiot.

Kids!

2005-12-22T23:11:00.000+05:30

Kids never fail to amuse me…. Be it the 5 year old who visited us or the kids I teach.

These are a few conversations I have had with my tutees.

Me: Hey, is your mom home?

Terrified stares from both, the boy and the girl

The boy: Why Ma’m?

Me: I would like to talk to her.

Both even more terrified now

The boy: Why? Are you going to complain?

Me (with a devilish smile): Yup I am going to.

(Though, I wanted to speak to her on some other matter.)

The boy and the girl make unhappy noises

The boy: But I have been doing my homework…

Me: But you aren’t studying right now and that’s what I am going to complain about…

Both start studying seriously.

_____________________

The boy: Ma’m, how many years were you in Bombay?

Me: 10 years…

The boy: 10 yrs!!!! That long??? I’ll be ten only in February! (Giggles)

I couldn’t be more amused!

____________________

The girl calls me at 11 am to check at what time I will be taking tuitions:

The girl: “Ma’m, when will you be coming?

Me: I’ll be there around 3:30.

The girl: Ma’m, morning or evening?

Me: Err… I don’t think I can make it in the morning, I’ll be there in the evening..

The girl: Ok Ma’m.

I have no idea what made her ask that, I am sure she didn’t get the last part either!
_________________

The girl: Ma’m, I cannot listen your handwriting…

Me (blank): I didn’t get you… Can you repeat?

The boy: Haha!! Ma’m, listen it seems!!

Me to the girl: Do you mean you can’t understand?

The girl (who looked perplexed till now, gives a relieved smile): Yes Ma’m.

And this happens almost everyday whenever she comes across something she cant listen to….

_____________________

Kids…. They truly make my day!

Are You That Much Sought After Species - The Returning Visitor?

2005-12-22T21:24:00.000+05:30

Hey all.

I was wondering...does anyone apart from me, Jade and Ronin frequent this blog? Am really curious so at the risk of finding out that we have only one genuine 'returning visitor' (Give it up for Ronin, people!) I'm going to request people who've visited this blog more than once to please say 'Aye!'.....

Pretty please?

It's A New Day, It's A New Start

2005-12-22T07:31:00.000+05:30

Hello.

It occurs to me that lately the task of keeping this blog updated regularly has fallen squarely on the shoulders of Jade - with little help from either me, the dog or Amethyst - and she's done an amazing job.

I was wondering today morning about how this came about. I mean, I was the primary instigator of this blog and probably the one among the four who was most enthusiatic about it in the beginning - which is quite obvious from the fact that my posts dominate the beginning of the blog. But things changed along the way... I got caught up in work and more unfortunately ran out of thing's to say! I had a case of blogger's block so to speak, and fortunately Jade had the words to replace mine.

Hmm...About how I got busy...I'm a student of Visual Communications - which means I get to learn stuff like graphic design, animation, photography and a bit of fine art (as seen in the photographs) all day long :) - and my college is pretty far from where I stay. Far enough to require two hours of travel each way. That's four hours of travel in a day. By the time I get back home, I'm usually tired and have just about enough energy to drop in here, smile at Jade's post's and maybe update my other blog where I put up some of my work ( What can I say? Forgive me, but I love to draw! ).

Coming to the lack of words, well, I have no idea why or how that happened. But this morning, during one of those two hour bus journey's (which by the way are extremely conduscive to thinking and generally day dreaming....and ah..butt ache!!) I felt some of my earlier enthusiasm for blogging return. I found myself trying to make resolutions to try harder and well, blog more.

Now, I don't know if you'll henceforth find me here more often , but I do want you to know, I'll try :).

This is Amber, signing off!

10 Reasons Why A Book Is Better Than A Boyfriend!

2005-12-21T11:29:00.000+05:30

It’s never too busy to be with you. It is free when you are free.

You can have a different one for every mood.

It doesn’t get jealous if you enjoy the company of other books.

Even you don’t mind it, if some other girl is enjoying your book.

You don’t mind lending it to other people for an indefinite time.

What’s inside is clearly stated on the covers.

In case lost, you can always replace it with another copy.

You can have as much ever books you want at one time.

Size doesn’t matter to you!

You can always READ them!!!

Let's Talk....

2005-12-17T13:17:00.000+05:30

The other day, I spoke to this guy, who was my senior in college, after a very long time. Actually, he has been on my messenger list for a very long time but we hardly talk and is online 24*7(God knows why or how!)… maybe that’s why we hardly talk….

This guy was like the super- nerd amongst my seniors and was kind of weird too.

Don’t know whether it was brains or hard work, but he managed to get through the most prestigious B-school in India, the IIMs.

So, the other day he had put up his pic on display… a profile view.

I could hardly see his face and plus the guy in the pic looked older than I expected him to look.

Curiosity got better of me and I pinged him, “Is that you?”

This guy quickly removes the pic for God knows what reason and then says,” Hi”

(Oh, pic gone and now I have to make conversations… sigh…)

So even I say, “Hi, How are you?”

Him: “I am good. How are you?”

Me: “I am doing fine too.”

Silence….

Me: “So, are you done with your course?”

Now, this is a very stupid question because it’s just mid-term, but then the last time I spoke to him he had mentioned something about completing it earlier than the other institutes. So I asked him anyway, since I didn’t know what else to talk about.

Him: “Three more months to go.”

Long silence…

Then he asks, “What are you doing these days?”

Me: “Preparing for entrance exams.”

Him: “That’s nice.”

Long silence again…..

Him: “So what have you been doing over the last year?”

Me: “Err… completing my final year…”

Long pause yet again….

Him: *winking smiley*

Me: *smile*

End of conversation.

Told you he was weird…

Que Sera Sera..

2005-12-14T16:29:00.000+05:30

The other day I was teaching the boy Hindi. He had questions like:

What’s your name?

Where do you live? Etc...

And he has to write the appropriate responses.

So, we came to this question, what do you want to be when you grow up?

His school teacher had provided the answers already and he had written, “I want to become a doctor.”

The kid starts saying, “But I want to be a rocket scientist!”

So I tell him, well that’s nice! But I want you to write ‘doctor’ because you might make some spelling mistake while writing ‘rocket scientist’ in Hindi. The other reason why I told him to write that was because I wasn’t sure what do you call a scientist, that too a rocket scientist in Hindi…

I came home and started thinking about my ambitions, yes ambitions as a kid.

As a kid I used to think I want to be everything, a scientist, an astronaut, a doctor, an engineer and what not! I thought I will be all of them, not just one…

Now when I think about it, I wonder what made me think like that. At least this kid has an achievable ambition!

I am still as confused about what I want to be in life… I am just doing what I think is the right thing to do…

But now I have a somewhat sensible list of things I want to be and do in this life time.

They include:

An entrepreneur

A social worker

A photographer

A fire fighter

A guitarist

Study literature

Own a restaurant

Work on a movie (as in the technical side of it)

Start a school

I am sure there is more…can think of only these as of now...

I hope to do at least a few of it, if not all of it :)

Jade's Avatar!

2005-12-13T14:11:00.000+05:30

Is this cool or what!!! Had fun doing this : ) and couldn't resist putting it up! Go try your avatar!

Amber's Avatar

2005-12-12T22:18:00.000+05:30

Ok...just had to share this discovery.

Is'nt she cute? Ahem...She is my avatar after all! :D

What are you waiting for? Go get yours...

Funny Store Signs!

2005-12-12T12:38:00.000+05:30

Came across these somewhere. Thought I would share it with others. Some maybe old, but some are really good!

Outside a muffler shop: “No appointment necessary, we hear you coming.”
Outside a hotel: “Help! We need inn-experienced people.”
On a desk in a reception room: “We shoot every 3^rd salesman, and the 2^nd one just left.”
In a veterinarian’s waiting room: “Be back in five minutes, Sit! Stay!”
At the electric company: “We would be de-lighted if you send in your bill. However, if you don’t, you will be.”
On the door of a computer store: “Out for a quick byte.”
In a restaurant window: “Don’t stand there and be hungry, come on in and get fed up.”
Inside a bowling alley:” Please be quiet, we need to hear a pin drop.”
In the front yard of a funeral home:” Drive carefully, we’ll wait.”
In a counselor’s office: Growing old is mandatory, growing wise is optional.”

Amethyst's First Post

2005-12-11T18:20:00.000+05:30

11th December 2005 5.47 pm
My first attempt at writing a blog.

Hi I’ am Amethyst. You guys must have heard of me. The reason I haven’t posted an entry before was because I wasn’t sure that I could, and I did'nt want to sound stupid. But then I thought ‘What the hell, its worth a try….let me give this a shot!’.

Hmmm. Am not really sure what to talk about. Okay let me start by telling u a bit about myself. Am the youngest among the three of us (Amber, Jade and I…. the dog is younger but he doesn’t count). Am pretty, smart, a tom boy, very moody, sometimes aloof, stubborn, selfish, and Amber occasionally calls me a ‘bitch’, but I don’t care.. I am what I am!

I managed to drag Amber out with me today; there was this ‘Habba’ at M.G road that I wanted to check out. I thought it would be something like a gypsy fair. But then when we got there, turned out that today was the last day, and there were hardly a few stalls open. It was pretty disappointing. Amber decided that we should just eat and head back home. Ah well, that’s what we did (with Amber cribbing all the way). But I'm glad she came anyway.

Um.... the dog just massacred a stack of news papers. Thought I’d share that as he doesn’t contribute much anyway.

Guess that’s all I can manage for today. I’ll be back.

Ciao!

The week so far...

2005-12-10T15:16:00.000+05:30

Monday, 5^th Dec: Jade is a dolt! ( so you knew that huh?)

Jade goes to get the application form for a college she wants to apply. Now there are two colleges affiliated to this university, she got confused between the two and bought the wrong form. It’s not like her to mess up things like this. She might as well apply to the other university, now that she has bought the form.

Tuesday, 6^th Dec: Fish commits suicide.

A small fish whose breed could not be established, ended its life by jumping out of a glass container, before Jade could come to its rescue.

The maid- servant had not fed it in days and had asked Jade if she wants to keep it. Jade agreed and the girl brought it to her place the next morning. The event occurred while Jade was still asleep…

It was later found by Jade that the water in the container was not more than 150ml, and it was possible that the fish got claustrophobic and decided to end its life.

Wednesday, 7^th Dec: Jade is feeling guilty…

Jade has recently started giving tuitions to a 7 yr old and an 8 yr old. So when generally their mom was asking her about their studies and progress, Jade happened to mention how the 8 yr old needs to work harder and how he doesn’t have time to study. The mom gets all serious and says no tennis sessions from tomorrow! The next moment the kid starts crying! God! That’s the last thing you want to ever do to a kid! I mean that’s the age to run and play and do so many things! So, she tried to pacify him however she could, explaining how he can join tennis after the exams are over, and all the while feeling terrible inside…

Thursday, 8^th Dec: Jade is not feeling guilty anymore!

The kid tells Jade, he has been told he can continue his tennis sessions after the English paper, which will get over the next day! Kid is happy, Jade is happy!

Friday, 9^th Dec : Jade is happy-sad….

Kids do well in their respective exams. Jade is really proud of them! But Jade is unhappy with herself because she has an exam on Sunday and she has not at all started any preparation! It so nice when you are a kid…. You just do what you are told to do and people around you make sure you study. When you are adult enough to take care of yourself, you tend to get lenient with yourself, procrastinating all the time…. Sigh…

Saturday,10^th Dec: Jade is writing this post…

It’s Saturday and Jade who is supposed to be studying is sitting here and writing this post…she hasn’t written the mock paper as yet and has to brush up on the basics too…

So, she is taking your leave for the time being and going to do what she is supposed to be doing…

You can wish me luck! : )

Don't Pay Attention To Me...

2005-12-03T17:50:00.000+05:30

Today after generally doing some surfing and stuff, I thought why not just visit random blogs. Though I visit a select few blogs of my friends and leave a comment as anon, I never really paid a visit to many other blogs.

So I thought it’s not just enough that I reply back to people or the person who leave/s a comment on my posts, its time to ‘pay it forward’ (I like the pay it forward concept in the movie which goes by the same name).

So I set out into the blogger world, hitting random blogs which where updated a few hours ago, and to my surprise most of them were new ones, with hardly anything written in them. Though I should a lot of people have decorated their blogs quite well.

By the way, Amber the template we use seems to be the most common one…

Also, it was difficult for me to follow what they were trying to say because few people write like how they speak, or talk about things like the sitcoms or soaps or the stars they like or their college without an introduction or description to it. Thus, leaving me confused.

Moreover, the english we use is slightly affected by our native language, not just others but mine too I feel.

Okay, I am not saying I write brilliantly but still I make an effort to keep a universal standard in my writings and ramblings. I know people who visit my blog may not be from my country or know my country or know about the things I am talking about. So if I talk about something from India which people may not know about or if I write something in Hindi (national language), I either leave an explanation or a translation, whichever suits. Also, I have my self- imposed rules to blogging, with regards to font, errors, the subject itself, the slang and I always proof-read before I post and edit if required.

I don’t expect others to follow what I do or don’t and this post is just an observation…so people out there who are more than eager to rip my writings apart, you are welcome to do so, but please don’t hate me!

There She Goes Again....

2005-12-02T21:28:00.001+05:30

Hey people!

The lyrics below are of the song-Love me when I am gone. The lines probably will make you think of a guy singing about a love that hurt him a lot… but to me it makes sense even in parts and in different situations…

It goes…

There's another world inside of me that you may never see.
There's secrets in this life that I can't hide.
Somewhere in this darkness there's a light that I can't find.
Maybe it's too far away or maybe I'm just blind, maybe I'm just blind.

So hold me when I'm here right me when I'm wrong.
Hold me when I'm scared and love me when I'm gone.
Everything I am and everything in me
Wants to be the one you wanted me to be.
I'll never let you down even if I could.
I'd give up everything if only for your good.

So hold me when I'm here right me when I'm wrong.
You can hold me when I'm scared but you won't always be there,
So love me when I'm gone, love me when I'm gone

When your education x-ray cannot see under my skin.
I won't tell you a damn thing that I could not tell my friends.
Now roaming through this darkness I'm alive but I'm alone.
Part of me is fighting this but part of me is gone.
So hold me when I'm here right me when I'm wrong.
Hold me when I'm scared and love me when I'm gone.

Everything I am and everything in me.
Wants to be the one you wanted me to be,
Ill never let you down even if I could.
I'd give up everything if only for your good.

So hold me when I'm here right me when I'm wrong
You can hold me when I'm scared, you won't always be there,
So love me when I'm gone.
(Maybe I'm just blind)

One more thing before I go, can someone tell me who sung this song?

The person who sent this song to me saved it under the name Creed and when I looked up the lyrics on the net, it said The B-52’s, but I can’t find it on either band’s website or anywhere else. So I really don’t know who sung this song.

If you know, do let me know!

The song is right here, if you are interested!

I Feel Just Fine..

2005-11-30T18:40:00.000+05:30

It’s a beautiful evening… I feel blessed. I am just enjoying the present right now. One of my short-comings is that I live in the future, not completely living in the present. I hate that about me, but thoughts never cease to taker over me when I am all by myself. So I am lost thinking, dreaming and losing the present moment which has so much to offer.

But not now, I am in love…. I am in love with what surrounds me. I am in love with the present. I am peaceful, and feeling peaceful sometimes is more important, becomes more essential than being happy.

Such evenings make me want to celebrate and cherish life. Its nice to enjoy your own company and to stand there and watch life around you...

Things I enjoy the most about Chennai is the evening sky and the constant sea breeze throughout the city, no matter how far away you are living from the sea (thanks to the three storey buildings everywhere!) and the trees on both sides of the road which are nice, cool and shady. Right now the sky is changing hues, it is all white and blue, then I see golden streaks and some yellow and when I look again in a few minutes it’s orange and pink and purple and grey the next second… as if it is trying to decide what to wear for the evening…

In some time, the stars come out one by one, winking at you playfully. I sometimes wish I could stretch out my hand and pluck out a few… but things are enjoyed much more if they stay where they are meant to stay and that’s the beauty of life…

Off I go now to romance a bit more with life…

Now Where Did The Dog Disappear?!

2005-11-28T21:12:00.000+05:30

Hey all,
Those of you who read this blog might have noticed that the dog has'nt been around lately. Thought I'd explain why. You see readers, the dog is presently in the doggy version of boarding school. He will remain there for another week or so learning essential things such as 'why not to chew on shoes' or 'why running away with Amber's favourite books is not funny', so on and so forth.
We're all hoping he'll come back a changed canine.
So till then, you'll have to put up with just me and Jade.
Ciao

PS: Why Amethyst has'nt posted yet is potential subject for another post..so you'll have to wait a while to solve that mystery!

Just One Of Those Days...

2005-11-27T21:07:00.000+05:30

Its one of those boring Sundays again…as if it makes any difference to me! Right now every day is a Sunday for me! And the funniest part is, I remember telling my mom in the morning when I was half asleep, “It’s a Sunday! I want to sleep some more!” But Sundays feel different… don’t know why… Maybe because either everybody you know is online or nobody is. And when latter is the case, you kind of feel miserable sometimes, thinking why aren’t you out hanging out with people or making plans…

Well, I watched this really slow movie in the noon. I am in love with one of the songs from the movie… Amber and I have been only exchanging songs online these days! So downloaded this song and exchanged a few…

Both of us are kind of tired of our monotonous life. I am trying hard not to let things affect me and put me in a bad mood. I have been on messenger almost the whole day and people have been popping in and out. Most of them have signed in thrice already and spoken. Everybody has something or the other going on…. They want me to do this and that for them…this makes me feel my life has stagnated…even though I know I am doing what I am doing for a good reason and not doing what I am not doing because I don’t want to do it for the heck of doing it!

Well, that was pretty confusing!

Sometimes I wonder what its like to consciously waste one whole year of your life, when only the present moment is certain. But I let that thought pass…

There is still much hope left : ) Soon Jade is going to be so busy that, she is not even gonna have time to blog! And when she does have the time, she will be talking about her exciting life : )

Signing off for now! Ciao!

An Excerpt From The Diary Of Amber

2005-11-27T09:54:00.000+05:30

An excerpt from the diary of Amber
(Inspired by this post by Jade - 'But The Memories Remain')

------------------------------------------------------
Date: About 2 years ago
Time: 10 minutes to 2 in the morning

Hey there Di!

Well, here we are, the three musketeers awake doing god knows what….basically listening to music and just hanging out…

Went to college….was late…luckily this guy who was to hold the seminar in the auditorium was even later! (excuse the grammatical errors)….spent up to 2 hrs stifling yawns and trying (so very hard) not to fall asleep….all I could think of was, ‘if he catches me yawning/sleeping I can always tell him I’m on medication!!!’
*Amber was down with the flu at the time*

Came home, had two helpings of custard and ice-cream (yes, ice-cream) and touchwood so far haven’t felt its repercussions on my already sore throat….then spent a blissful hour catching up on much needed sleep…around 7:30 pm set out with my faithful troopers (Jade and Amethyst…who else?) to draw money and get Aunt and Uncle a gift (tomorrow’s their 25th wedding anniversary).

But woe the fates…

ATM’S in the city decided to go on a strike…as in they stopped working the precise moment we got there, as a result of which I’m broke and already mired in debt with Jade and Amethyst…

After rejecting a sorry looking silver statue and checking out quite a few shops with merchandise that left much to desire, alighted at Goregaon station in search of the perfect anniversary present…when I spotted a ‘SALE’ sign at this ethnic store…of course we then had to go and have a look and before we knew it we’d gone berserk! We left that store with our pockets barely intact (i.e. Jade and Amethyst left with their pockets barely intact…I left it owing more money to my creditors – the aforementioned Jade and Amethyst).

Here’s a brief damage report:

Amethyst left with
~One wooden trinket box
~One paper mache trinket box
~An advise to me and Jade to go on buying her similar boxes as future birthday presents

Jade left with
~One wooden coffin-like trinket box
~One paper mache box
~One paper mache bowl
~A scarf
~Feeling of exhilaration over purchases
~Vow to decorate her future room with the above purchases

Me?
~One heart-shaped Paper Mache trinket box with the picture of frogs in the front in the most adorable blues, greens and yellows
~Regret that I hadn’t splurged more

Got back with no gift and a lighter pocket, had dinner and went down for a walk. Jade met X and headed out to dance…me and Amethyst had just got comfy on the swings in the park when we were thrown out – quite politely – by the night watchman as – get this - it’s forbidden to sit in the garden after 7:30 pm!!

Walked around some before settling down on the bench on the front of the building…messaged a classmate…Amethyst abandoned me at around 12:00…sat by myself for awhile …got back home and the rest is history…

Ought to sleep…want to sleep and yet…don’t want to too!

Guess I’ll go now…Jade’s pulling Y’s leg…guess I’ll join in the fun…

Ciao, sweet dreams…G’night.
------------------------------------------------------
Yup, those were the days! :)

But The Memories Remain....

2005-11-26T20:23:00.000+05:30

Sometimes my play list just echoes my mood and knows exactly what songs to play, when I put it on shuffle. Those moments I feel it’s the only thing with me right now which some what understands me.

But what happened today was something different. I was sitting here doing the usual stuff, I am in the mood for something loud, so the volume is turned up, Bon Jovi is screaming ‘It’s my life, it’s now or never….’ and so am I…. And I am taken back to the past…. I remember how Amethyst and I used to scream along with the stereo sometimes (Amber wasn’t or rather isn’t the ‘screaming with the stereo’ types.) and then all the memories came flooding back…

There was a time in the past, not very long ago, when Amber, Amethyst and I used to be room mates. First time in our lives we were left to fend for ourselves….

I remember how we used to use the land lady’s computer as if it were our own. Music blaring in our room, (the computer was unfortunately in our room) for all we care the whole world can go to hell!

How we used to get home sick together and sit and bitch about life…

How we used to spend all the money in the first one week of the month either buying unwanted stuff because you have money or end up paying last month’s debt to each other..... And end up borrowing again. (One of us even bunked college because she didn’t have enough money for the bus fare!)

How we used to feel guilty when two of us were having fun or enjoying and the other was absent for some reason…

How we went all the way to this one restaurant to have pastas sizzling brownies because Amethyst claimed it was just awesome…

How Amber and I used to fall sick all the time and Amethyst used to tend to us…

How Amethyst and I used to bitch about friends or guys we didn’t like or just discuss guys in general. (Amber isn’t the gossiping types either!)

How we used to make a pros and cons list about why we should or shouldn’t go to our uncle’s place for a week! (Bad relations…)

How we used to argue about whose turn it is to lay out the beds or roll them up!

How in the last few months the blue room actually turned into a ‘blue room’, because of the exams, bad health and home sickness…

Those days may never come back… and I don’t think we’ll end up living together once again. But those were some of the best days of my life…. : )

Movies and Magic

2005-11-25T19:51:00.000+05:30

Abra-ka-dabra!

Oh yes! I saw Harry Potter and the goblet of fire today! And before your change your mind about reading this post, let me tell you this is not a movie review, so read along!

I went to Satyam Cinema Hall for the first time. Well, I would say its better that most of the old cinema halls in Chennai, but it looks like a mini stadium inside! I don’t know whether the seating capacity is greater or the seating arrangement is such that it gave me that feeling..

It took ages for people to settle down. Mostly all young crowd and a few kids with their parents- one of them was me and I don’t want to disclose which group I belonged to!

The ads bore you to death and you just want the movie to start, a few people are still looking for their seats and then…the lights go out. You see Warner Bros. on the screen, the crowd starts whistling, hooting, screaming etc. at last the movie starts and then the screen goes blank! Now the crowd is screaming even more loudly, few boos, a few shouts, some whistling and I even heard a few people barking…. In some 2 minutes there is a message on the screen: ‘sorry for the break’- management.

All is fine in a few minutes and the movie begins. You are surrounded by magic, the thrill, the excitement and those few hours you become a part of the movie, you live those moments with the characters. When a movie does that to the audience, the movie maker’s purpose is achieved….

Some may say that the movie doesn’t do justice to the book. But I say if you want the book read the book, if you want a movie watch it. Don’t try to mix both!

Its one think to be able to paint a picture with words, another to be able to build those in your imagination but to be able to recreate something like that for others to be able to watch is something wow!

The only word I can use is fascinating. And I am sure most of us took home a magical experience....

My Independence

2005-11-22T22:09:00.000+05:30

In the latest book by Paulo Coelho- The Zahir,he says that when people say they want to be independent, they mean they want the independence to choose what they want to be committed to. I feel its a beautiful thought…

What defines your independence?

A few things that mean independence to me is:

Knowing your way around the city, so that you can go wherever you want to, whenever you want to, all by yourself.

If not, having enough guts to hop into a bus and explore the routes, without depending on someone to show you around.

Being able eat in the restaurant alone, without having to depend on company, on those rare occasions when you end up alone.

Being able to go alone to a cinema hall and watch a movie. ( I am yet to do that)

Being able to shop by yourself and be happy about it. ( because there is no one to tell that looks ok, I don’t think you should buy it, when you are in love with something):)

Being monetarily independent.

Not depending on others to make you happy or cheer you up. Not having to depend on others for emotional support each and every time. Being able to handle yourself sometimes. (I am yet to learn that.)

Ability to express what you believe in, be it verbally or written and to stand by those beliefs, independent of others’ opinions.

And finally, to do something because you want to do it and not because you need to do it…

And They Lived Happily Ever After....

2005-11-19T15:27:00.000+05:30

Lately, a lot of people I know are either getting married or planning to get married.

This brings me to the realization that even I am growing up and I am going to go through that phase myself some time in my life.

Even the thought makes me nervous and I know only part of it is going to be easy for me if it is a love-marriage.

Marriage for a girl in India is not just about marrying a guy and starting a new life with him, it’s also about marrying into a family. New people around you, a new environment, and varied expectations are a part of the package.

In India its not like the West, where divorces are not uncommon and people get divorced like how they sell off an old car, and that too under the name of ‘irreconcilable differences’, because the wife thinks the husband snores too loudly and the husband wouldn’t take any therapy.

This is India, most marriages are a one time thingy.

Here mothers give their daughters lessons on leading a successful married life. E.g.: you are a woman be more compassionate, learn to compromise, etc.

Though things have changed considerably in recent times, they haven’t changed completely.

Here, getting the child married off properly is one of the many big responsibilities of parents. Once you reach the marriageable age, they start looking for suitable alliances and before you know it you are married!

It’s like you walking through that door and sealing your fate with that person for the rest of your life!

I do want to walk through that door some day and seal it forever but only when I am ready….only when I am sure. I am not the one to escape through the fire exit because I think I walked into the wrong place. I want to take that decision fully aware of the consequences and with the maturity to deal with them.

PS:-This post has been inspired by a person, whom I least expected to inspire me in any way! We hardly know each other and have met just once. I don’t even know who she is marrying or how they met… and I may never know. But we do have something in common.

The chances of her coming across this post are as good as me meeting a Martian in this life-time.

But there is something I want to tell her…

I hope you have moved on…

I hope you have found love again…

And I sincerely wish you a happy married life….

Amber Returns

2005-11-18T22:24:00.000+05:30

Hello Reader,

Well, the fact that I’m busy and have run out things to say for the moment not withstanding, I could’nt ignore that plea for help disguised as a letter. So Jade, here I am!

Hmm..I see Jade’s been telling you a bit about herself and us. Here’s my version of Jade’s ‘Who am I’ …
And to make up for not posting for so long, I've made mine a list of 35 things, as opposed to Jade's 25! (See Jade? I am making up for my prolonged absence :D )

So here goes...

35 Things You May or May Not Know About Me
(Or rather 35 Things You May Or May Not Want To Know About Me!)

1.Coming across people taller than me makes me feel wierdly short and gets me wishing I was taller, even though my height is perfectly respectable (I'm neither short nor too tall).
2.I love happily-ever-after's in books and movies.
3.I love coffee, OJ, bitter chocolate and ‘bhutta’ (Corn on the cob)!!
4.I like black .
5.Have a fetish for black t-shirts with slogans on them.
6.I get intimidated by people who I feel are smarter/more together etc than I am.
7.No. Scratch that. Not true in all cases.
8.The idea of treks, anything-outdoorsy involving nature and friends definitely appeals.
9.Cigarettes do absolutely nothing for me.
10.It goes for drinks too. If I do enjoy a drink it’ll be because it tastes really good!
11.I’m great at putting myself in other’s shoes. Something that works to my disadvantage at times.
12.I’m basically a verrrrrrrrrrrrrry lazy person.
13.But as opposed to that, when it comes to a deadline or project etc. I’m very organized and well…err…. un-lazy!!
14.I’m a very organized list-maker.
15.I like to think I’m logical
16.I often wish I could write. Like write write!!
17.I’m old-fashioned in many ways
18.if I found love, It’d probably make me deliriously happy and horribly terrified at the same time.
19.I’m not good with relatives in general.
20.I’m confident about something only when I’m good at it and I know I’m good at it.
21.I think I'm not good at...... (several minutes later) Just rescued the shoes from the dog....forgot what I think I'm not good at.
22.I LOVE compliments and get flattered very easily.(But then who does'nt, huh?)
23.I'm terribly indecisive.
24.I probably have the most gigantic conscience on the planet.
25.I don’t have a single ambitious bone in my body. Which, I sometimes think, could lead to my downfall.
26.Sometimes I’ve been most happy/most moved by a great book, great music or being in a beautiful place in good company.
27.Hmmmmm…I think as a person I constantly fluctuate between being self-confident and having no confidence what so ever!
28.A lot of times, I feel very gauche in social situations.
29.I’m not a people person though I can be good with people.
30.I love ‘happily-ever-after’ endings in both books and movies.
31.I think I love going to the cinema!
32.I really enjoy motorbike rides.
33.I can be incredibly selfish at times.
34.I often wish I could jump into a book and live the lives of the characters.
35.I don't think I could ever eat at a restaurant by myself. I would'nt know what to do with myself.

A Note From Amber

2005-11-18T21:48:00.000+05:30

Dear Jade,

I’m the ‘bloody’ captain? Well, that’s news :). Well, ok, ok, I’m not abandoning ship and just to prove it, here’s me dropping in to add my own two cents ( or paise as the case may be).

Yours,
Amber

A Note from Jade

2005-11-18T13:36:00.000+05:30

Dear fellow contributors,

Hi. I was told that this blog was a joint effort of 3 girls and a dog. Well, girl 3 failed to appear altogether. I don't expect much from the dog, after all he is living a dog's life! But dearest Amber, you don't abandon ship like this! You are the bloody captain! Given that you are busy with college and you think that you are out of things to say, but i still expect you to drop in and say something! Not just you but the others too!
I better see you guys here soon!

Awaiting response.
Yours,
Jade.

Who am I?

2005-11-18T13:21:00.000+05:30

Don't we sometimes wonder, what it is about us that defines us. What is it that makes up our personality, our likes and dislikes, our beliefs and opinions and so on.
I have made a list of 25 things which I think defines me or just things about me. These may be just a few of those many things about me, but its just an effort to know myself better.
Here it is:

I am a good sport! (I think so…)
I hate extreme weather.
Mumbai is one of my favorite places… I love Coonoor too.
I love pani puri!
I love strolls by the sea at night…
I love dogs and I always wanted one .
I don’t get embarrassed very easily.
If I do I have an inbuilt system to get rid of the thought which embarrasses me as soon as possible.
I want to learn martial arts.
I totally believe in the saying “Better late than never.”
I don’t like popcorn and apple.
But I like cold apple juice and hot buttered sweet corn.
I am scared of anything and everything that creeps and crawls!
I once slapped a guy! ( I don’t think I will be able to do that again)
I love traveling.
I am lazy.
Dark arts and black magic scare the crap out of me!
I freak easily in the dark.
I wonder about the mysteries in the world… stuff like- how big is the universe, crop circles, the Bermuda triangle, the pyramids etc
I am a constant worrier.
I hate losing my things!
I prefer tea over coffee.
I like going for long drives especially during the night…In fact I like traveling by road.
I am the antithesis of photogenic.
Eating cold things and desserts make my cheeks tingle….a weird phenomenon which started last year!!

The Age of Innocence

2005-11-15T22:53:00.000+05:30

“Oh my god! My goldfish!”
That was the first thing that came to my mind when this mischievous-looking kid entered my house yesterday.
At first he looked like the one who is going to turn my house upside-down. But soon I could breathe easily because I realized he wouldn’t do anything to my fish.

It was only a matter of time and I started enjoying his non-stop chatter. Most of it sounded non-sensical but I could figure that he was a bright kid, by his naughty replies.

He is just 5 and he already knows he wants to become a doctor when he grows a moustache (he would consider himself an adult when he has a moustache like his uncle!) and he would do it for free and won’t charge any money. But he was sure he is going to be really rich someday (don’t know how!) and he would travel abroad. (By the way, he said he is going to take me with him to America, just me and no one else! : ))

I could see some influence of Indian cinema on him, when he spoke about how he is going to have the police on ‘his side’, by greasing their palms, so that they would do anything he wanted them to do.

For no particular reason he started calling me ‘Monica’, till I corrected him!

He couldn’t sit still even for a minute, forget that even a second! Nor could he stop talking! Everyone just wanted him to shut up for some time, but I could have listened to him the whole day. Who would ever want such an adorable kid with so much energy and so much to say to shut up?

He had a lot of stories to tell from his school, where he beats up boys from his class, and how he got punished for no reason because some girl’s mother complained! Says he has no business talking to girls his age but doesn’t mind talking to older girls like me!

I think he somewhat grew fond of me in those 2-3 hours, the way I had and wanted me to come to his place with him. All I could say to not hurt him was that I would try to come the next day, but I had some work. He took it to heart and said he would come and pick me up at 8am the next day and asked me to be ready. Then he changed his mind and told me to reach his place next morning, since he wasn’t sure he could come to pick me up! And then he says," I hope you do come, because even my uncle says that and he usually doesn’t turn up the next day…"

He's armed without that's innocent within.
- Alexander pope

On your face!

2005-11-14T20:55:00.000+05:30

Have you been caught in a situation where you hear people say stuff which you least expected from them at that moment and you are speechless?

Things that have taken you off guard, the most unexpected compliments or insults or even smug replies…

Here are a few from my life:

“You have a bad attitude!” (Look who’s talking!)

“You look sick today!” (Well, you just made my day….)

“You have a good face.” (A guy who was new to my building said this, when me and my friend were sitting on the bench and chatting. This guy looked lost and was going up and down. Finally he comes to me introduces himself and says this! I say nothing but give a ‘I don’t know what to say-smile’, but my friend bursts out laughing on his face, embarrassing both of us….)

“You looked so sensuous for a second there, you almost made me fall!” (This came from the cutest guy in my class! I blushed stupidly but I was floating the whole day!)

“Talking to you is like aroma-therapy…” (It felt nice to hear that…)

Me: “Bhaad mein jaa!”

My friend: “Sorry, mujhe tere ghar nahi aana!”

[Translation: Me: “Go to hell!”
My friend: Sorry, I don’t want to visit your dwelling place!”]

(Though, ‘bhaad’ does not mean hell, it’s the closest translation I could find.)

These are a few I still remember …what about you?

That's us!

2005-11-13T21:02:00.000+05:30

Hi folks!
Guess who is back!

I thought in this post I’ll tell you briefly about the people behind this blog. I mean the ones who have posted till now, so that you know us better! So here I go!

Girl 1 a.k.a. Amber: In a nutshell, she is creative, intelligent, level-headed, dedicated, a dreamer, reserved, moody, opinionated, lacks confidence and treasures her individuality.

Amber is one confused soul. She is never able to decide what she wants, except the black printed tees she always loves to buy!

Most of the time she is really quiet and when she talks, she talks your ear off!

She is quite capable of doing whatever she wants in life because a) she is intelligent b) she is dedicated and slogs till she gets it right and is happy with the outcome. Just that she lacks confidence in her own abilities.

She is blissfully ignorant about simple details which generally most people would have a vague idea about. E.g.:, Ask her how much do you think a decent watch will cost, or whether a phone-code is local or belongs to some other city… on the whole she observes very little..

She is good at convincing people into doing what she thinks to be exciting, and when you see that she is genuinely trying so hard, you don’t feel like saying no… like this blog idea...

When she is excited about something, she tells everyone around her about it and she is loud. When she is angry, she is not loud, she doesn’t throw a tantrum, she just sulks…

She can draw beautifully and can sometimes write well too... these are again amongst those things where she lacks the confidence to accept that she is better than most.

She claims to be a vegetarian because she only “tastes” non-vegetarian food, every time we order some… the very reason I think she should call herself a non-vegetarian.

She dreams about a lot of things and she dreams big. If wishes were horses, guess who would buy them all before you get there!

Girl 2 / Me a.k.a. Jade: Well, I don’t like to brag… I’d say that I am cute, smart and fun-loving.

But seriously I think one of the others should tell you about me. As you can see, I am very much capable of hiding ugly facts about me!

The dog: In a nutshell, he is adorable, mischievous, a glutton, stubborn, handsome, likes to have a lot of attention.

This is one dog which never tires! If he is tired he will sleep, if he is not you better play with him or you don’t have a choice anyway! Like I have mentioned, he likes to have a lot of attention. Also, for him, shoes = clothes = paper = wood = hands = things to bite and chew = fun!

He loves to eat…. all the time! The way to this dog’s heart is definitely through his stomach! Have some food for him, he will more than happily shake hands with you, otherwise…. you can go to hell! He has better things to do like…. chew on your shoes!

He is a stubborn, handsome, 8-month old pup, who is a bloody 28 kgs! He likes to sit on you, mostly your face when you are sleeping… that’s his way of waking you up and it works better than the alarm clock!

He basically shows his love by biting you…. And we love him all the same!

You think you can crack this?

2005-11-13T20:37:00.000+05:30

Sneak-peek

2005-11-09T17:51:00.000+05:30

Hello all!
You might be wondering whatever happened to jade and amethyst...
Well, jade will be out of action for a few days due to technical reasons unlike the other... My internet is out due to the rains, looks like some major problem with the connection.. Couldn't resist coming to an internet- cafe to check on the status.
I hope to be back really soon, giving a lot of 'gyan' ( hindi for insight) on life or something of that sort.
Till then ciao!

Curiosity Killed The Cat, But What About The Human?

2005-11-09T08:58:00.000+05:30

Grrrowwwwwwwlllll!!

Humans!

Haven’t you guys heard about the cat? The one that curiosity killed?

Was surfing and just look at what I stumbled upon. All of my kind’s tricks and moves – scratch that. All of my kind’s codes and secrets – out there for all of your kind to see! And she thinks she’s being funny!

Humph!

"Cluelessness - There are no stupid questions, but there are a LOT of inquisitive idiots."
--Larry Kersten.

A Book, A Book, My Kingdom For A Book

2005-11-08T16:07:00.000+05:30

Bored.
Nothing much to do.
I wish I were lying by a lake in the sun, reading a book!

Hmm.

Maybe a romance novel, where the heroine is beautiful, the hero is unbelievably handsome and everyone lives happily-ever-after in the end (after the climax where the two almost break up of course) :). {To all the women out there who happen to be reading this post (and who like the genre.I know quite a few who don't) - you really must try Nora Robert's if you hav'nt already. She satisfies the above three criteria without making it too sappy and unrealistic.}

Maybe a nice sci-fi fantasy novel, complete with new worlds, alternate universes, magic, power, so on and so forth. (Like this one mentioned here . I love this series. Own every book out so far and can't wait for the next one.)

Or just any damn GOOD book. That way, I'm not very choosy. My criteria for picking up a book is the blurb on the back jacket. I'll pick it up if it sounds interesting at that particular moment, irrespective of the genre.

*sigh*

I wish I were lying by a lake in the sun, reading a book!

Give A Dog A Bone

2005-11-08T10:11:00.000+05:30

Grffffff...wooooorfffaaaaaaah...ok, ok, when in rome do as the roman's do, right?
So I guess, I 'll save the barking for my own kind.

I got a new bone. Not the real thing though. *sigh*
It's one of those chewy bones that are supposed to be good for my teeth, full of protein etc. etc.
It's not a bad substitute for the real thing.
Very....er...chewy.
And tastes like chicken.
I highly recommend it for all of you out there who want clean teeth but don't like to brush....or those of you who're trying to get off chewing shoes. That can be one nasty addiction I tell ya.

With that, here's the dog signing off.
Woof!

May you have bones and long walks where ever you go.

If a dog's prayers were answered, bones would rain from the sky.
--Old Proverb

I guess I've grown up

2005-11-06T20:10:00.000+05:30

Lollipops, ice-cream, chocolates – they have always been things kids everywhere are crazy about. I was too. As a kid I would listen to the adult’s warn against the excess consumption of these treats and swear never to do the same. I was going to grow up and become an adult alright, but I wasn’t going to turn into THEM.

But guess what? I grew up. I’m certifiably an adult now. And I still like ice-cream and chocolates (have a major craving for them sometimes). But it’s not the same. There are moments when I’m thinking about how unhealthy they are or times when I’m just not in a mood for them. The kid I was, on the other hand, was always in a mood for chocolate and ice-cream.

I guess I’ve grown up.

I’ve always been a bookworm and as a kid it was always a wonder to me that the people around me didn’t get the same pleasure out of reading as I did. Whenever I would exhort my mom to try out a few of my favorite books, her reply would almost always run along the lines of, “Oh, I used to read when I was your age, but I just don’t have the time or the inclination to read now”. And I would gape at her (how can anyone not take the time to read? Or worse, not have the inclination to read?!), and promise myself that I would never let that happen to me. I would always have the inclination no doubt, but I wouldn’t let anything like lack of time get in between me and my hobby either.

Today, there are moments when I realize I haven’t read a good book (or any book for that matter) in ages. Oh, the inclination is there, but I simply have been busy with other things.

I guess I’ve grown up.

I guess the point I ‘m trying to make here (yes, there was a point to all that rambling :) ) is that, as kids, you look at all the grownups around you – their rules and opinions on the stuff you like (maybe even your opinion on what they like/dislike) – and swear never to turn into one; you promise yourself that you will always be your 7 or 13 or 16 year old self even as a twenty or thirty something adult. But sometimes (most times?) you become them without even realizing you have.

I guess I’ve grown up.

And I don’t know if I’m amused at the kid I was or sorry that I’ve let her down.

But growing up isn’t altogether such a bad thing right?

I'll be ok.

As long as I remember the kid I was and don’t ever forget her; as long I have those moments where I let the kid take charge.

Cricket

2005-11-06T18:46:00.000+05:30

The India Vs Srilanka cricket match is going on and while most of my family is glued to the television screen, I can’t muster any interest whatsoever for the game.

It’s funny. As a kid, the last thing you’re interested in is sports. At least I wasn’t. I was more into cartoons and movies. Then I grew older – I was still a kid but old enough to understand the game – and somehow my views toward cricket (in particular) changed. It wasn’t boring anymore. On the contrary, it was fun to gather around the television with this whole group of people and root for my country, my team. For a while there, I and sis were so into it that we would actually rummage for our so-called ‘lucky’ coins (Hey. You’ve heard of lucky rabbit foot’s? Horseshoes? Four leaf clovers? Well, we had lucky coins :) ) so we could hold them and chant ‘Six! Six!’ or ‘Wicket! Wicket!’ (depending on whether our team was on the batting or bowling side), hoping that it would actually produce the desired and hoped for result.

And then I grew older still. The match fixing controversy happened. Our team started losing more and more; Players kept changing. For no particular rhyme or reason, my interest in cricket waned and continued waning until there was no interest left whatsoever.

Which was something, the kid who really enjoyed the game, never thought would happen.

I kind of miss the enthusiasm I used to have for the game. What the heck! I even miss the chanting!

Meet The Dog

2005-11-05T15:11:00.000+05:30

Grrrrrrrr....woooooorrrfffffff...woooooorrrrffff!

{Translation: Hey Caesar! Hey Spike! Check this out man! I have a blog!}

Girl 2

2005-11-05T13:41:00.000+05:30

Hi!
The only reason i am on this page, going blah, is because amber thinks its fun to create a blog as a surprise! Hmmm.. Maybe it aint the only reason.. I have been thinking about blogging for a long time now, but never got myself to create one.
Thanks amber!
So people, behold! Here is girl 2! jade!

Happy Birthday To You, Happy Birthday To You, Happy Birthday Dear Blog, Happy Birthday To You...

2005-11-05T00:50:00.000+05:30

Hello.

Wow.

My very first post on my very first blog and my mind already threatens to go blank! Guess this is going to take some getting used to :) .

Anyway, for now let me introduce myself as Girl 1 a.k.a Amber....

Well, as you've probably figured out from the title, this blog is about three girls - Amber (ME), Jade and Amethyst- and a dog, hereby referred to as 'the dog'. He decided if we girls were going to remain anonymous, he was too. Besides, he objected vehemently to a name like 'Moonstone' or 'Onyx'. Ahem. We don't blame him.

Anyway, where was I ? Oh yes…What's this blog about? Well, the usual ups and downs, joys, sorrows, hopes, expectations etc. etc. in the mundane lives of the three aforementioned girls...and a dog.

Ha.

Enjoy.