Life Happens

The list!

2010-10-08T18:06:00.005+05:30

While life has a room for "n" number of lists, the list of the moment is the things I shall miss about Mumbai when I move to London. Off course people top this list. But besides that too, on land I've called home for 25 yrs and have been in o so dearly in love with, theres a lot tht at least I think I'll miss. And the things randomly strike me,as "o I shall miss this". So am making the post now and shall keep updating for my records.
- Queens Neckless! Marine drive, worli sea face, juhu beach, Band stand/carter... Thr are seas world over. Nothing replaces good old Arabian.
- Eating Roadside Chaat. Ok Mom Makes Bhel & Sev Puri at home. So does my MIL. But den! If its not dirty its not wow either!
- Ditto for Vada pav!
- So Navratri starts today and everyone in train was wearing green. Where else in the world do u find this? Entire compartment of color coordinated ppl in train. And like every year I was wondering Y I am not dressed in green. I shall miss feeling out of place!
- I shall miss ppl volunteering/ providing help when not asked for/not required.
- The cultural jokes!
- Natural Ice cream
- Ok This is something I've noticed only off late courtesy the fiance that u often get to see two guys holding hands! And only in Bombay!
- The smell of wet mud in Mumbai rains
- The poo poo idli ( okay too much about food na?)
... (more to follow)
Update:
- Getting out of station and waiting endlessly to catch a rickshaw that agrees to come to your locality
- THE MAIDS!
- Sounds weird, but I am actually missing the comfort of my regular mall.
- Going to a posh club,ordering dirty posh food, not liking it but knowing u will get out and have some thing nice like Cooper's Tawa Pulav or Amar's Pav Bhaji or Paneer Rolls at Bade Miya.Sigh! For a veggie, U just stay hungry here, that's it :|

When Women Are nothing but bitches!

2010-10-01T11:53:00.003+05:30

So me sends a link of a this beautiful D&G watch tht just came on to my wish list to a friend. Off course that its available on an offer doesn't help. You can avoid things that are absolute luxuries but not those that are just about marginally over budget & something you know you would be able to afford in a few yrs!

This is the conversation that follows:
(The conversation is mostly unedited except for minor correction in chat lingo.)

: hmmm...i saw dis one
wait 4 a few yrs baby
i'l b rich den...
me: Its sooooo pretty
:(
She: will gift dis 2 u
me: shit he already couriered bday gift
els cud;ve told it to him
:(
y am i seeing this late!
She: wow...wat did he giv u?
me: I dunno
hes sent something, will know when I get the courier
But u know whats the prob
She: wat????
me: Well
he uses his head
spends hrs thinkin
n sends thoughtful gifts
:(
She: OMG
sad...even am a victim of my partner being like dis
me: he doesnt know tht i m a bitch n i like proper normal stuff like perfumes n watches n bags n dresses
She: :(
heheeeeee....he'll understand re
me: :'( n den coz they've spent so much time u cant even tell them its nice but they need not take so much efforts
She: once u guys get married
yeaaaaaaah,ur rite
:'(
see initially i appreciate it
me: I KNOW.
She: bt later i make him realise k wid dis amount of money n effort....we cud hav bot an awesome bag/watch
or an FCUK dress
me: I KNOW. i mean thoughtful gits are nice n all! And Often I like them. But...!
She: heheee...its ok
me: lol
She: he'll improve
nw a days he doesn't surprise me at all wid gifts
coz i really get surprised in d other wayhttp://help.blogger.com/bin/answer.py?answer=42197
wid d thoughtful gifts of his :-/
he just takes me shIopping 4 any occasion
or asks me what do want
me: :P
Okay I'll cross my fingers then
She: for nw...u can only do dat ;)

But heeres how it is! Often,It is NOT TOUGH TO UNDERSTAND WOMEN! SOMETIMES IT REALLY IS AS SIMPLE AS THIS!Ok Maybe not all women are like that! Maybe we ruin it for good women or whatever! Who cares!

The post is not about poor guys! Its about celebrating women comradeship. Its good to have friends like that around when men think misunderstand you as a nice girl. Well if you wanna call us a bitch you can, but more often than not when you open you realize most women ARE This way! And that includes my mom mind you! In fact its the good girls who make it tough for us! A big yay to all my girlfriends!

Baby Steps.... Towards Life!

2009-02-08T22:51:00.002+05:30

I am nervous.
And I hate it. I hate being uneasy. This emotion isn’t familiar anymore. I dished out all such things as feeling anxious, hurt, cheated, lost, …….. & nervous dinosaurs years ago. I threw them out of door and stood against it. And when the all leaked I held it, pressed my body against the wall till I was all against the wall, hugging it, stopping these restless things form coming back in. . It was all fine for a while. I almost slept against the wall.

& Then it happened. The tremors began. They began when the first complaint came... " you don’t feel a thing, do you?"

How do you feel happy when you don’t feel sad? And more importantly... what do you do if you are not born to be blasé?

The tremors have increased & they are far too rampant. Before the wall breaks, I’ll slowly move away & stop hugging it. That will save wall from breaking at one go! But I am not used to this anymore & hence I am nervous, this taking U turn isn’t easy. That too is new! So, I am keeping my fingers crossed & taking baby steps in discovering myself…

As Step two I tried writing today…. And I could… & I m hoping I don’t fall along step 3, & 4 & 5…

Those Games...

2008-12-22T12:37:00.003+05:30

Paying/ offering to pay/ insisting on paying 250 bucks for coffee on 1st date with any guy/ guy friend is a rather cheap investment.

Its imp to put a guys chivalry at test, totally worth it to know if hes worth a 2nd date/ interested at all/ what kinda manners Blah blah!

Revisting...

2008-12-16T23:38:00.002+05:30

I was looking for Khushbu. I stopped by here... and found her footprints; if not her... helped me get to know her better...

Hope

2008-10-17T16:25:00.002+05:30

Gleamy eyed

On a starry night

Unabashed hope

and a blooming hearts might!

Gyan # 3

2008-06-29T18:37:00.002+05:30

Paulo Coelho said, and more recently Sharukh Khan did, that "When you really want something, the entire universe conspires to make it happen"

They forgot to mention that there are chances, by the time you get it you probably wouldn't want it all that much anymore...

Confessions!

2008-06-25T21:11:00.004+05:30

- I am a dumbass! or at least not very intelligent! People are either too polite so they don't tell me, or they just don't figure out. But I am slow, I take time to grasp things, to comprehend them, and half the times i don't speak up coz I've nothing intelligent enough to say.

- I am always in lala land! it dosent matter to me wt makes national headline, wts happening in sports or finance or politics. I don't care! to be honest mostly never well informed. I dont read too much newspaper or watch news either. ok i follow something! but thats rare! And if you ever heard me taking a stand or debating something, i prolly had dad or some friend put it in my head a day or two before.

- I've never in my life made good or atleast good enough effort to make relationships with people work. I've let a lot of important people walk away just like that...and its time I do something about it...

- You may think you are a good friend of mine. And yeah I may behave like one. But in my head I prolly just slot you as network. No am not insensitive, just that life had made me learn this tougher way.

- I prefer to be politically correct. Even in my head. And if I want to really really say something, I'll speak my mind like its an emotional outburst

- Have you ever seen grumpy 40+ ladies who are ready to bark at whosoever tries talking to them, Have you ever made fun of themand wonder if they've fought with husband, kids? or are sexually frustrated? or is it her mother in law and giggled?

I have those tendencies. I fear growing up into one of those grumpy ladies al the time...

-Although i claim to be a a 2008 lady who's fought her way into the world, I am in my head still my parents product both genetically and upbringing wise and have gongs flying wild in my head every time i do something i know they wouldn't approve off. I, 23 and half, decently educated, move around in open minded social circles, have worked for 2.5 yrs and am doing if not great atleast well, but am not an independent thinker when it comes to little things that concern myself.

- I am recently coming to achieve everything I always wanted to in bare minimum! And now that I've come here I don't know where to go next.

- I don't have any hobbies! Not many at least! they keep dying! I cant hold a paint brush anymore and i wonder how i ever cleared intermediate. I used to love blogging, Now I've had writers block for months and months. i used to catch any random movie... don't remember when i last saw one, I say photography... the amount of pictures i used to click has certainly come down :)

- I fear making intensely personal blog entries like this, uploading pictures, making friends on internet till date. Working with a web company hasn't helped me :)

Updated:

- I am an ironical blend of contradictory virtues. If you think I am ruthless, wait till you see my kindness. If you've seen me nervous, wait till you see my confidence, If you've seen me mature, wait till you see me act on impulse... Just when you think you know me, I'll surprise you...

- If I love you, If I put my trust and faith in you, and you disappointed me, I'll just shut up and before you know I'll turn the situation around and we being friends will be all about you in a manner you wont even realize... And then when day when I cant take it... I'll leave... without any explanations.

- I am a blabber mouth, and when I am telling you entertaining stories of whats happening ... I am just making you believe you are updated with me and that I am doing my duties of a friend by keeping you informed. The real stories are never entertaining....

- I'll let you believe I can take care of myself :)

Gyan # 2

2008-01-04T11:20:00.000+05:30

A Guy is FOREVER trying to test/ judge/know what is the kind of effect he has on you; irrespective of weather he is interested in you or not :-)

Its a hap happy happy new year

2008-01-02T16:57:00.000+05:30

:D

Something makes me feel this is going to be the most Awesomest year :)

Movie Mania

2007-10-22T21:56:00.000+05:30

Sunday after noon, 4.48 p.m

My cell rings. I see the name and smile in anticipation.

Moi: Hey
AD: Hi kya kar rahee hai?
Moi: kuch nai yaar, tv dekh rahee theee; tu kya kar rahe hai?
AD: soyee thee yaar, abhee uthee.

(The conversation stays just as lame for next one min. I wonder why AD is not coming to the point.)

AD: Sach mein bore ho raha hai yaar, picture dekh ne ka maan kar raha hai.
Moi: Haan, Muje bhee dekhee thee aaj! Lekin I spend too much today.
AD: *yaws* to kya karengee shaam ko? Ek baar dekh lete hai paper mein.
Moi: Nai yaar, aaj shopping kiya. I got 2 dresses, phir chotti moti cheezien lein, sunscreen and fluff filp- flops. Plus Moms bday gift was pending so we got that in the morning. Ek din ke liye it will be too much expense.
Pause
Aur last Sat ko hee laga dekhee thee. Uske last Sunday ko dil dosti etc. 180 bucks just for a ticket is way too much ya! And that too every weekend. I am running broke!
AD: haan aur shayad ticket bhi nai milega aaj. rehne dete hai!

15 mins later we were sitting together in the 1st row of screen No 4, of 5 p.m show; missed the national anthem and the titles and are watching 3rd scene of Bhool Bhulaiya!

I ask AD: peecha ka ticket nai mila?
AD: nai ye hee tha. Chodd na!

And we are get back to watching the film. I think she knew that I had would’ve cribbed further had she not gotten the ticket. She would’ve heard “1st row to 1st row, le leneke tha, abhee wapas thodee jayeengee” Just as I knew I was asking a lame Q when I asked “peecha ka ticket nai mila?” . The point is, does it matter ke kahan ka ticket hai?

No it doesn’t. It never has. We’ve borrowed money from each other and seen movies, we’ve lied at home and seen movies, we’ve seen movies when my mother thought I was working on some project from cyber and later I was working late in office. We’ve seen movies when we used to actually go for getting forms of colleges or for submitting them. We’ve gone shopping but have come back after watching a film. We’ve seen movies so crappy that starts must’ve themselves not seen it after having acted in it. We’ve seen movies on Diwali, Raksha Bandhan and Christmas. .

I dunno how we manage it or how often. I think we are not tuned in to resist our desires when it comes to this. Every time AD calls I know we’ll land up making a immediate movie plan. I think she knws it just as well. A joke I tell my family “I think we’ll just part ways if multiplexes get banned some day for some reason”. I told this one to AD today. She laughed and said “yeah I know may be we will” Not that we don’t care for each other otherwise. But it’s just that a common passion takes over “What’s happening in your life?” It’s great to have a friend with a common madness. ;-).

On and by the way next min after having expressed concerns about our friendship with each other; we were making plans to see the movie releasing next Friday.

10 Things I want to do before I die

2007-10-18T23:22:00.000+05:30

1) I want to visit Goa
2) I want to visit Kerela
3) I want to shop once like things are for free, without thinking of the practical uses of the the stuff that I am getting
4) I want to have a pet dog
5) Have one relationship that made it worth living
6) Have 3 friends whom I can wake up at 2.30 in the night because...."just"and do it rightfully
7) I want to be able to adapt one physical sport as a part of my living (preferably badminton offcourse)
8) Make love and babies ;-)
9) Write my official documents without spelling and typing errors :D
10) Learn to cook really really really well!

Bounus

11) Have experienced most common adventure sports atleast once!

NOTICE :D

2007-09-29T12:34:00.000+05:30

ok ppl!I've long waited to do this. Always wanted to write without a thought, like this is a diary! I guess I've a fear of stalkers! so as an experiment, am shortly gonna make this blog by invitation only. If you would like to read up email me at wanderingbutterfly@gmail.comI'll duly send yor invitation.

The 1st ramble

2007-09-21T23:18:00.000+05:30

I've been trying to dodge this...
This ramble...this sudden urge to talk...
Do I have nothing to say? Well not really! I think theres a lot... a lot that I cant organise, in my head, I start off with a thaught, and leave it before I can complete it.

So I'll just talk! For Gods sake things dont have to make sense always. Do they? :D

Lifes moving fast. I made a huge set of wishes at the begaining of this year. I wonder what a long way I've come since then. Not just because a lot has happened. Because I've grown. or may be just changed.

I was wondering at the begaining weather I'll ever move on over DIREM, weather I'll ever settle at the "new work place" I sure have . Quite easily. and by now have also moved on over "the new work place". Both places have given me a lot in their own ways. It wasnt a small decision, this quiting a job as shortly as 3 and half month. without knowing what next! But I am happy. No regrets. I know that the "new workplace" was the right decision. And so was quiting it. Learnt lots. Some were lessons that have changed they way I'll look at my career forver.

The break too was right decision... I am sorry that it didnt work out the way I planned. The badminton didnt happen! the salsa class didnt happen! but I loved it neverthless!

2 months now since I started work again. This time may be I've just found "the place"

Meanwhile all this happened at work, there has been a trnasformation within. I hate it lothe it abhore it when I always act some 5 yrs older then my age. I always promise myself I'll try n keep "the child within alive" . I've been searching for it... the child, the excitement, the innocemnt smiles, the small litlle joys, the things... that mean something...cames close to passions... have all become subdued, bleak, faint.

And yet I am fine. I think I am fine. Or may be it just dosent matter if I am fine....not even to myself.

ok so then I am fine. :-)

And yeah btw the blogs turning one soon.1sct Oct. I might not be able to post its birthday wishes. I hope I am not that unjust. But just in case.... This place means a lot. I know I dont post a lot. But thre are posts that I make in my head... and loose them in mind notepad somewhere... Blogging is one of the very existing things that still makes me break into instant smile...

n post blog turns one... I am soon having my own bday ;-)

Lingering Moments!

2007-08-17T17:01:00.000+05:30

The Mirror seems to have lost the beauty

The gait has lost grace

The smiles are now all fake….

The eyes are anxious…. And they wait!

...No more

2007-07-25T17:12:00.001+05:30

This insomnia I cannot take

Let the storm subside

Evoke the passion in me no more

I am better dead inside

Do not Breath life within a mortal

Nor hope in a deceased soul

This hurricane will wash me away

I am better calm and quite

I am terrified…petrified with this emotion

Afraid of my this side

Evoke the Passion In me no More

I am better dead inside

On Travel by Train

2007-07-15T22:13:00.000+05:30

The issue may b trivial, flippant and frivolous for some, but Local trains remain an essentially important part of most Mumbaikars. Hard as we try, it is not within capacity of most to avoid local rails. Personally I started traveling at a very young age… like many more junior college going students. Its been 6-7 years now that I’ve been traveling. Here’s something I wrote as a part of college assignment about my daily train encounters about 5 yrs ago.

Sadly today I can’t look at things with same amount of humor…the essence stays, but gravity increases… I will explain … meanwhile if you have the patience read on.

On travel by train

For those who haven’t been to Mumbai, a city travel guide must see has local trains on the top of its list. And it is also essentially important to travel by train in the peak hours to enjoy the real thrill

The Reason:- Anyone who has lost of trouble in their lives and considers their lives a misery will see that they are wrong after witnessing a clear picture of physical assault experienced daily by Mumbaities. I am sure even Devdas would’ve forgotten his sorrow, had he once compared his miseries to these people.

I remember the first few days of traveling in 2nd class when I had recently joined college. It felt like ladies didn’t enter the compartment but invaded it like a squad of honeybees at 9 in the morning. That makes me glad I wasn’t born a potato because I would’ve been squashed to death for more than a couple of years now. Then I got myself a pass for 1st class and used to travel late when all honeybees are already settled in office. It’s a different story; that I had to change a subject, to change a division, which had less worldly timings and allowed me not only to travel late also to wake up late.

Then with Gods grace I pushed up to Degree College which usually has early morning timings like 7 am or so. Which means you have to leave much earlier; which in return means you got to wake up earlier than that and t just prayed to God that I didn’t want to get up sooooooooooo early in the morning. Mainly because he had showered my dad with enough wisdom to buy a flat in far flung suburb of the city. Anyway for a change, God answered my prayers (Why this time?). I realized I made a real big mistake by praying. Because I landed back on catching a 9’o’clock local. And it doesn’t end there. I hang around holding some weird structures hanging from ceiling. My position here is like a sandwich filling and I try to grab some sleep amidst slices of bread. Then the lady next to sees a daughter in me. So she wants to know everything…. I mean everything about me. In spite of the logically visible fact that this is my daily dose of travel she wants to inherit me by all the wisdom gained by her in her graying years. She tells me to take care of my bag and on which side my station would arrive etc..

Great! So I’ve a unknown relative. My station arrives and I get down hoping I don’t bang into her tomorrow. But it doesn’t end here as I haven’t reached my destination. I am only supposed to switch trains here.

And while crossing huge long platforms, I get feeling that I am the next miss world. I can’t help it. The way men stare at me and try to grab a feel here and there; I do feel that I am privileged to be the most beautiful lady ever born and I am Gods’ gift to mankind.

Ultimately after banging into another bunch of unknown relatives and born to be enemies, I reach my destination, I feel refreshed stepping put of train. Not because suffocation of crowd has ended. I feel I’ve won the battle and emerged victorious. I feel I am the most powerful person born and can do almost anything if I can travel in Mumbai locals daily.

Episode two:

As I said, I just can’t settle with sarcastic humor anymore. When you are a teen you don’t look at grave side of issues. But I’ve experienced more and more in my later years. I am just recalling certain episodes I incidentally happened to witness in last yr or so. One worse den oder. I wont need to go on and on on dangers after that.

The 10 sec game:

I was waiting for my train to arrive on platform no2 like thousands of others. I don’t think I need to emphasize on how much hurry the city is usually in, forget 8 in the morning. Suddenly on the hind side I heard a whole bunch of ppl shouting
“aye,”:aaaaa”, ”aaaaayyee”, ”train”, ”trraaaaaiiiiiinnnnn !”

It didn’t help. It took the exact amount of time for me to take about turn and see what was happening on track next to plat form no 3. and the guy who was crossing the track to come under a train.

I don’t think it the worst of all disasters I’ve witnessed. In the bitch of a city, u turn immune. I think the commuter may be at a fault to have not noticed/ignored the train which had arrived on the platform halfway through.

The Cat Fight:

Fights off all sorts, fights between men, in general compartment, in women’s compartment, between vendors etc are very common. I’ve myself beaten up!

This is the mother of all cat fights I’ve seen till date.

I was sitting on the fourth seat and sleeping. a station came and a min later a fight started on the usual issue ”you pushed me”. One lady may be terribly frustrated. She hit. Hit real bad. And it took a new turn. So off course I opened my eyes since it had reached entertainment levels by now. (yah I ‘ve turned sick enf to find it entertainment)Abusing, abusing families, manners, education standards pulling of hairs, and eventually snatching of cell phones and banging it on train’s floor. The Bitch eventually got out of train, and the innocent one sat and was crying aloud like a kid because she was terribly hurt and she was wondering how to make her cell phone work.

I am not in a mood to add melodrama to the act. But when two well dressed working ladies from good families reach to this level, It is something.

The Baap of tragedies:-

The commuters have the habit of standing at the edge of the platform and watch out for oncoming train. History has witnessed that its dangerous. And the ones standing that way are all well aware of the disasters.

When the train arrives, there are thousands of idiots hanging out, ready to fall out of train. All sorts of mishaps happen in the 10secs in which train arrives on the platform and slows down.

On this unfateful day at 10 in morning, this one idiot who was hanging out tried to feel up a girl while the train moved ahead. He hit one particular girl hard on the front in mischief. Now this girl bounced back due to spontaneity, injury and an attempt to save herself further. There was another girl standing behind her.21 or 22. Perhaps she was on her way for an interview, perhaps to a hospital, perhaps….

Now the girl 1 hit back so suddenly and so hard that she was straight on the face of the innocent girl 2 who wasn’t even stupid enough to have stood at the edge. She was calmly and somberly JUST standing. Only to land up with a bleeding nose. No not just bleeding! She fell down with a thud. The bleeding was so severe, it seems a nerve or something from her nose has busted.

The worst part is while help gathered around her I had already climbed in the train, feeling a mix of pity and wondering why I didn’t help back, and watch the pool of blood that was flowing. That I had a chore to attend seems trivial now. Nothing seems more imp then attending to this, but I realized that I didn’t. My impulses are not tuned to doing good. They are tuned to walking on. I couldn’t sleep for next two nights..

She was innocent. Her only crime was she was at the platform. It could’ve been me. And If it does, I only hope my karma doesn’t decide to bounce back at that particular time.

That feeling....

2007-07-11T22:05:00.000+05:30

Every time I walk into crossword I get the feeling that if i have to bump into a guy whr hopeless romance has to pick up in 'i met a challenge to my ego' kind of a way,

a conversation has to start that nver ends it has to start right here at this place...

The arguments have to be about Tolkeian philosophy! The talks about Amitav Gosh's upcoming book! and...

Nver mind! Atleast lemme read the tolkein 1st n den go on wit it :D

PS:- I dunno weather its d guy or books dat I m in lov wit! Pardon me, I m usually not so mushy!

happiee bdaaaay to you

2007-07-09T17:19:00.001+05:30

My neice turns two tommorow...

Two years... of having played whith this angel...
...God send gifts in lil packages!

Krishna calls me "koochu fooiya"
Needless to say its more musical den beethvan himself!
Krishna eats plum and paints her face red.
Krishna loves every tom dick and harry dat stays in mu building.
Krishna hugs me tight if strangers are around.
Krishna is bothered about whoose come whn door bell rigns and whoose called whn phone bell rings.
Krishna makes a small face and requests about goin back to her mom whn she knows shes done something wrong and feels guilty.
Krishna goes on a singing spree whn shes happy, she sings nursery rhymes.
Krishna loves rains, coz she gets to play with umbrellas and stay under them.
Krishna sits on a plate and likes to b takn arnd the house while som1 sings"ganpati bappa moriya"
Krishna loves everything dats devine, aarti, prasad, and chants.
Krishna acts diplomatic whn shes asked whos daughter she is!
Krishna is practically bald :D
Krishna does not like playing with dolls.
Krishna likes playing "CLEEKEET"and gets upset whn her dad does not tk her along for a sunday match.
Krishna bounces a ball against wall n den shouts "GOOOOD SHOT"
Krishna loves watchin crows while they eat, and the night whn its dark outside she says crows lites r shut!
Krishna forces me to eat whatever shes eating
Krishna sometimes randomly hugs me for no reason.
Krishna can make me smile whn i m incredibly low!
Krishna knws tomm is her "HAPPEEE BAAADAYYY"
Krishna knws shes gonna cut a cake, she wants gifts!

Sometimes God send gifts in lil packages!

Happeee baaadayyyKrishna :)

Google again! Serious this time...help!

2007-07-03T21:31:00.000+05:30

I finished reading “The google story” some (by the time I m posting this many) days ago! This aint a book review. Now just scribbling certain pointers which’ve been goin to n fro in my head. The books gd! It quite effusive on the google and beyond. But it’s a internet world! Things work fast! And a book dat descriptively ends somewhere in mid 2004 and provides financial nos upto mid 2005 seems outdated. Very outdated. After having known the 1st half, I am hungry! Hungry about the second interesting half of their success journey! I’ll describe further why! If ppl have answers trivia pls let me know (if you bother reading the long post)

The Brin n Page Blog Episode

I came across this blog a few months ago. Its neat! I recommend readers to check it before progressing with this section.

http://www.searchguild.com/googleblog/

It says somewhere down below that the blog isn’t real! Now I don’t know for sure if it’s a joke of some kind or serious! But for some reason it appears real to me! A real pretending to be fake!

Now “The Google story” carefully and meticulously leaves out the episode of “Bill gates trying to buy out google.” Completely leaves it out… I aint a “analyst from wall street journal” n I don’t get ”scoops” but from what is known of Microsoft empire, it seems but natural that they might’ve tried to bring it down before getting into a squabble.

I am not getting into my own analysis and thoughts n calculations in details. The blog link speaks my heart. There is some food for thought here…d book carefully seems to suppress certain corporate facts. ( I might be missing another perspective here)

Youtube

Rage!
Invention of year 2006-Time Magazine!
My sentiments: the “Invention of year“ might be a little over hyped!

The media attention that this website has been lucky enough to gather is probably the main fuel behind it's laudations.

In last two years there a lotta video exchange platforms dat came up around d same time. Youtube was launched in 2005 in my belief.

This youtube story needs documentation! The way Google is dealing with issues related to copyrighted content, (“The Google story” describes how they managed to deal with the issue related to digitizing the libraries around the world) and how and what is legal for a user! Google recently signed a deal with certain leading entertainment companies of US
to make available copyrighted content.

Contarary to popular belief youtube was not a Google invention! They purchased it somewhere in mid 2006. (After gaining money and name Google follows Microsoft trend it seems)

Orkut

Business

I dunno how dey earn. Honesetly! No ads nothing! If some1 knws lemme knw why wud some1 entertain such a huge network on der server without any monetary benefits?

Some1 pls enlighten me on how dis business works n how it earns! Chuck Orkut! Any social networking site for that matter that doesn’t have ads!

Social

Now God alone knows if it’s a bane or a boon! There has been a boom of social networking sites but orkuts been yeah… another rage! Its just picking and picking and picking! Lately I’ve been hearing 10000 crime stories and mishaps dat happen thx to or over d site.

Who’s not addicted to it! I’ve personally been a victim. Addiction to scrapping addiction to communities… I can just go in bout my stories, ppls stories! But in spite of all d love I dislike dis one!

This on too needs documentation of its own! In both aspects!

Update: i was just made to notice ads dat appear below communities recently.

And our own Blogger…

I think going by the Google standards blogger is a shame to googles fame. The blogger interface has been magnificently tacky until very recently. For godsake we are in 2007 n there r video blogs coming up!

I am glad they’ve finally started paying attention to this step baby.

Again not their original product!

Since its in googles possession since quite some time now, wonder why Google story doesn’t document even this one. The trend of professional blogging and putting up google ads has become another internet fad.

Google economy

Google share stock market price July 21 2005 (one year after IPO release) $317.80

*On August 19 2004 Google share got listed in NASDAQ @ $ 85 per Share

I checked sometime last month various major site additions and another 2 years later: approx $500

Wonder why growth rate has slowed down. If anyone understands these economics, pls explain…. And mind u I m not being sarcastic. I would honestly like to know!

*Footnote:- Due to procrastination other sub titles queries etc have been scrapped :o :D

Silent talks

2007-06-16T00:08:00.000+05:30

Twinkle in the sky
in my eyes
soul in my heart
on your face
Music without violins
Songs without sounds
Magic in the moment
moments filled with joy
Passion aglore
in the hands that behold mine
Symphony in the notes that silence raises
Mumble in my ears
Messages in your touch
Smiles on our lips
Tears in our eyes...

PS:- I aint in love

....and you wont ever know!

2007-06-13T21:55:00.000+05:30

If this makes it anymore easier for you,
then thats the way it will be...
I'll gladly accept what comes my way,
and not give its knowledge to thee.

This virtual world, this false dream was my calling too...
and now out of it, you will be free
You wont know what came my way, or if tears fell..I'll save your guilt
and to you, I'll still be me...

If this makes it anymore easier,
then thats the way it'll be...
I;ll take the pain and let you go...
no you wont know...
nor feel a pinch of what you just did to me....

I'll smile the same...
I'll laugh the same
and take you sweet nothings... with all the grace I can gather

... if this makes it any more easier
you wont knw... wont ever know.... what you did to me....

A Woman Shd....

2007-06-03T20:24:00.000+05:30

Vibrance sent me dis Fwd. I loved it so much i decided to post it...

A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE

...enough money within her control to move out and rent a place of her own, even if she never wants to or needs to...

A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE

...something perfect to wear if the employer, or date of her dreams wants to see her in an hour...

A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE

..a youth she's content to leave behind....

A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE

... a past juicy enough that she's looking forward to retelling it in her old age....

A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE

.....a set of screwdrivers, a cordless drill, and a black lace bra...

A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE

...one friend who always makes her laugh... and one who lets her cry...

A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE

....a good piece of furniture not previously owned by anyone else in her family...

A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE

...eight matching plates, wine glasses with stems, and a recipe for a meal, that will make her guests feel honored...

A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE

...a feeling of control over her destiny...

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW

...how to fall in love without losing herself..

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW

...how to quit a job,break up with a lover, and confront a friend without; ruining the friendship...

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW

...how to quit a job,break up with a lover, and confront a friend without; ruining the friendship...

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW

...when to try harder... and WHEN TO WALK AWAY...

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW

...that she can't change the length of her calves, the width of her hips, or the nature of her parents..

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW

...that her childhood may not have been perfect...but its over...

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW

...what she would and wouldn't do for love or more...

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW

...how to live alone... even if she doesn't like it...

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW

.. whom she can trust,whom she can't,and why she shouldn't take it personally...

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW

...where to go...be it to her best friend's kitchen table... or a charming inn in the woods...when her soul needs soothing...

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW

... what she can and can't accomplish in a day...a month...and a year...

The Google Doodle

2007-05-29T23:05:00.001+05:30

It would be very apparent to those who have been regular to my blog [those friends whom I force into reading :-) ] that to me Google matters. I am a Google fan like a million others and to me it is the biggest Global brand; iorrespective of the fact that it hasn’t spent a penny on its marketing and advertising. Or may be because of it. Proof of the fact that product speaks of itself.

I am currently reading “ The Google Story” and eventually might land up writing plenty as stuff keeps occurring to me while I read.

Topic for the day is “Google logo”. Google personalizes almost everything It possibly can. That perhaps is one of a major adding factor to why people connect so strongly with Google. The few top of the mind recall personalization’s to me are as follows:-
Google ad words ( although the real reason to personalize this is revenue)
Google’s language translation of search results.
Google Logo

Off course there’s a lot more I’ve missed out. Now coming back to Logo, how often do we find companies willing o experiment with logo with just as much comfort and ease. The whole idea of what is labeled as “Google doodle” by the Google team is so much against the flow or standard idea that entire brand identity is not to be messed around with, that the logo is not to be touched.

Every time a company wants to reinvent its brand identity, the amount of money spent is outrageous. Recently Anil Dhirubhai Amabani group of industry spent Rs. 500 crores on the change of logo after the split of Reliance industries. Off course that includes total media costs etc…. but see, there is a cost involved. When Brand Gurus write down Corporate Identity manuals, there are pages and pages scribbled on how a particular logo is to be used, how much of clear space are is to be left around it. What background colors are allowed and not allowed against it, what side of page to place it on…… ufffff the never ending list.

In a world where minor iteration in use of logo is considered an insult to the brand, Google has dared to do just the opposite. It uses its asset, the playful logo, to wish and greet its users by doodling around it. The doodle that accommodates, warm festive sprit and good wishes, transcends beyond language barriers and strikes just the right cord.

It is strange that be now we are all accustomed, to being greeted by our favorite website be it St. Valentines or New Year or Halloween. Brightly and cheerfully. This is trend setting. Our own local review website Mouthshut now does the same. The “o” is mouth is played with on an occasion.

This is pure display of confidence by owners. Whoever thought that playing with the logo could be brand identity in itself.

Note:- This isn’t a research thesis paper. If it turns out that some1 else did this before Google, don’t kill me for it. Information will be appreciated.

It seems we still have a Cricket team...

2007-05-28T12:32:00.000+05:30

... yeah! the newspapers wrere sayin somethin like India won test series against Bangladesh or something like that.

I cheked the date. No it aint april fool anymore. But then who wants to chk the source of this practical joke. I thought the team had died. And I am gonna hold it true from now on!

I might be a little too late in letting of my frustration, but whatever little bit of circket that exisited inside me died after world cup fiasco. I refuse to acknowledge the new reports from now on. The reason I am writing is I think media is wasting space giving the dead team some importance. Channels... listening... moove on seriously! find some oder game...

If you want I'll give u a scoop next time kids in my building play "Dog and the bone"... trust me its a real match! much more entertaining! No kidding! Everyone shd look for an alternative favourite game! N who knws babloo who never fails to snatch the bone might be the next big thing...

Spur of the moment

2007-04-11T13:41:00.001+05:30

Will you hold on or let go
You can hide it or let it show
You can let it happen or may be no….
It is all about the spur of the moment.

You can love or hate
You can make or break
You could suppress it or let it blow
It could be or not be
And its all about the spur of the moment

You can spare a glance, a chance
Or you can ignore, abhor

It will blow up and make something out of it
It will be crushed, and under you own feet.
You could be you and then two and then one.
Or you could be you and you and the same one
It is all about the spur of the moment… will you let it go?

You have chance to create
Something you have always dreamt off
Yes it can come true
Everything you ever wanted to show off

But you can let it loose
Let it fly
Crush your own hopes
And let it die

Its all about that spur of the moment when you decide
To hold on, or to let it go…

Radio Ridiculous… all the fms!

2007-04-11T13:30:00.000+05:30

Ok I can’t afford an Ipod! Nor do I have the enthusiasm to update my memory card. So I thrive on what radio has to play for me.
Not that I am a very good listener, I just need something playing at the back of my head. But on those rare occasions when I bother to listen, to rj’s go yap yap yap… its gd fun. It’s like getting kicks out of laughing over how ridiculous can people and situations get. (Sometimes its real fun, not the ridiculous one)

For a moment I m drifting. There are times when these distant relatives come over and out of hospitality my parents hand over them remote to realize that they are in a soup because the relative happily enjoys “saas bahu” sagas. For me and my sister however, this acts as a stress buster ( if taken in occasional doses) . Stories are so haywire that me n Pux land up laughing holding our tummies. Its like watching snippets of some sarcastic mockery laughter show. It’s a different story that relatives feel offended because we are laughing our guts out when their favorite heroine his being thrown out of house. But that’s ok.

Ok. Back to radio. I realized recently that the situation is similar with radios. 100s of channels fighting to get good RJ’s, new content by the minute and what not. On the whole its ok because they aren’t as hopeless as TV yet.

Now on my way back from work, a couple of times I landed listening to a show when RJ helps the caller asking someone out (no fresh idea here). This is done live on air, and the person who is being called is given an option of either going on a date with caller or take 2K from radio channel. Its quite a typical cute thingy. The caller blushes, the called blushes, the RJ happily announces dat the date will be paid by radio channel and we are the cupid of the world. The audience gets its share of melodrama. Everyone’s happy. I was wondering that the caller has to be real confident about the called though. I mean imagine, called says in front of whole city that “ oh wow 2 K, fck u. I prefer money. “it could be so goddamn embarrassing for the caller.

Also if you know the friend n respect the person but don’t really want to go out., you wouldn’t want to insult the person by rejecting him/her live on air. It’s weird. I was wondering who would do that to a friend.

But this other day, I actually heard this happening. And not in a very nice way either. Rejection was almost like” Get lost, wt made u think I’ll ever go out wit u” and I didn’t kwn weather to laugh at the stupidity of the girl over such major ill judgment or pity her for she almost started crying on radio.
Burt real peoples real emotions have long turned a point of entertainment for us. Be it reality T.V or reality radio.
What I can’t stop wondering is, WHY DO PEOPLE CHOOSE TO MAKE FOOLS OUT OF THEMSELVES IN PUBLIC.

Now today I heard this one more ridiculous thing, I don’t remember on which channel (I swap a lot and don’t know which RJ goes with which channel anyways). If you have been rejected in a garden call me and I’ll play u a song”

[:o] what? Rejected in garden? Call us? Huh? Its soooooooooooooooooo cool. You share your personal moment with the city and tell them that u were rejected (in garden) and RJ goes out of his way to play u a song! Wow! So ppl laugh at ur expense and u get paid for it by a song of ur choice! How kind!

And ppl ( I decided against calling the idiots, thy are heartbroken after all) do call up! I guess they are happy as long as thy get to be on radio. (I m still trying to figure out the garden part).

My sentiments on the issue are like so “whatever” that I don’t have anything much to say. Off course if u were physically present to see my facial expressions I would’ve explained it the best…

And yet I listen to radio! Cheap entertainment (pun intended)! I am just as radiculious I think!LOLz

Smiling again

2007-04-05T12:19:00.000+05:30

I wonder why. I smile sometimes for no reason,
I wonder why... fresh winds blows on my face?

Things appear beautifull... The same ones that made me sulk yesterday
Why is it like I've more air to breath? ..more of life to live?

Nothing has happened... not significant enough to make me happy
Not significant enough to make me laugh

And yet here I am singing in my heart...
Smiling again... for no reason.

- (originally written on) Dec. 29, 2005 Reflects true today as well

They taught Cleanliness in School....

2007-03-28T13:06:00.000+05:30

...and a couple of weeks ago, while waiting for a train on Dadar station's platform no.2, I suddenly had a wake of conscience. By a weird co incidence I realized I had something in my hand which I needed to dispose at that were moment. Now usually( when I have conscience attacks)I don’t go looking around for dustbins. I just make a paper ball n put it in my bag, dispose it when a dustbin is around.
But on that day I had eaten Vada Pav and a lot of liquid chutney was pouring out! Damn jumbo king! Couldn’t really put it in my bag.

I looked around. No bin! I walked around (quite a bit) ( both ways left n right) no bin! Agitation! Wt crap! It’s a station platform for God sake! N there is a canteen right besides where I am standing…! Yeah! Even the canteen has no bin.

I’ve delayed this post by a couple of weeks n I swear the reason is not procrastination. I found this surprising… and I decided to confirm my doubts. I made sure that I walked up the entire platform this last week ( the reason for delay). Yeah! DADAR STATION CENETERAL RAILWAY Platform no 1 and 2 does not have a single dustbin.

Either that, or moms right! Mom thinks I can never find a thing. Some ppl say moms are always right. In that case I would like to apologize state government/railway ministry/ Mumbai Mahanagarpalika for such allegations. Fine it was too crowded, and I could’ve missed if there were one or two here and there. And I sure should walk up to wherever (if ever) they are located to throw stuff. Off course its not such a big deal to go through the ordeal of pushing people fighting your way and finding your bin if it helps keep city clean. Right people? Oh Come on, Not a big price to pay at the end of a tired bad day at work. Please don’t make a deal out of it!

But then there is generation gap, and I think that mom exaggerates! Come on! I walked up entire platform especially to find bins! Give me some credit. If I am still hoping that I maybe I missed bins, it might be sheer optimism.

For whosoever decided to spend ton loads of money on “Clean Mumbai Green Mumbai” campaign, and “Mumbai swachta abhiyaan” (hopeless ads playing on church gate station under bridge); for God sake, before preaching, just place dustbins at right places. If they are around people will use them. May be campaigns are worth it later on. But people, someone help make government flow chart (B-School ishtyle) of action steps and tell them what comes 1st!

Just when I thaught we were reaching the era of professionalism...

2007-03-15T12:04:00.000+05:30

Some samples of kinda marketing sms' I recieve these days. I am sure most of us do! But in case you havent paused and thaught, here you go....

1) Hurry! 1 Day Offer! Dial3030 today & get 1 Ringtone absolutely FREE! Also u can download Hindi, Marathi, English & many more tones. Charges Apply

2) Enjoy Unlimited Free Local Airtel to Airtel calls on Sundays to a max of 200 mins at Rs. 50 only. Offer valid till 31 Mar. To subscribe sms "SP"to 889. T&C Apply

3) Last Day! Free UNLIMITED Hello Tunes song download offer only till 3rd Jan.07. Hurry! Dial 678 now & keep changing songs as many times as u want. Charges Apply

I've no further (free) comments to offer!

Writers Dilemma

2007-02-20T16:07:00.000+05:30

Prelude:

“A” especially called up to tell me my last blog entry was shitty.
” boss, just delete it. Its crap” I like A’s brute honesty. So I promised that although I won’t delete, I will make sure that I write a lot more so that it goes somewhere down there below.
So I am writing some more crap, to avoid/hide some other crap.

PS:- This write up will probably also explain why last one was so shitty…

Writers Dilemma

Something that I’ve always found puzzling is….a writers’ capacity to edit.

A lot of people have creativity. It comes out in several forms. Why I find this amusing with a writer then? Coz for a writer everything is like a baby. Its your idea. Your execution, you view, your form, your shape, your style.

But the fact of life is…. It could all be a total crap. How many people would read you, if they don’t know you in person? And here begins the primary dilemma; the hero here being; objectivity.

Judging what you’ve written from an external perspective, twisting sentences so that they appear interesting, making thesaurus the bible so that you don’t get monotonous, adding in spice to realities, to give that melodramatic effect…. Uff!! The moment you twist it for reader discretion… you probably are hurting your baby somewhere…

I’ve always believed that writing consists of 2 major aspects.
1) Content
2) Style
If you’ve both… there you go… Imagine five point someone being written differently, or Discovery of India leaving you wondering what does Nehru have to say after all…. Nah!!!

You loose out on one and you instantly loose the audience.

Not an armatures job!

Yeah! People like me land up blogging. If I ever come up with solid original content... if!

On a more personal note:

Cutting the crap about external editing… to ANYONE who writes, and writes well enough to be read…I pay my respects… for it takes a thing to able to sit back and analyze what a reader may want to read…

When you just write your heart… it goes a bomber like my last one. I am not being sarcastic to A. Its just true. I read some blogs regularly. Some of them have started getting on my nerves. Coz people have same things to say… in different words.

One of my not so close friends recently stopped blogging, after having realized that his blog has turned a place if whining. Same shit. Hats off to this guy.

I’ve myself scrapped several ideas for entries, coz in my head I didn’t see them shaping up to be worthy of external amusement. Though I write for myself… I think I need to learn that if there something that has nothing to do with any1 else… I did rather write it in a diary…

Hope I live up to people’s expectation in future.

*Post script:- I feel this has turned out another morbid post severely lacking humor.Add to it I haven’t even effectively expressed what I set out to. I am already breaking my newly made rules. Haha!

Gyan # 1

2007-02-05T16:46:00.000+05:30

Ta ra ra ra ta rarara ra

Flirted with a long lost frd today.
Have been engaging myself in girl talk wit another frd for quite a while.
Took a longer lunch break and just ran away to near by ccd for a quick coffee with this colleague/friend.

So my heart went singing tar a ra … after quite a few days.

Under naturally better circumstances I realized the reason of my having turned so cranky lately. I was undergoing what most people I know undergo from time to time.

There are times when you are so pre occupied with work that a lot of other things don’t get into your head. There is no life left and den little things that bother you build up and bottle up. And there’s so much more that happens and kills u and you cant put it in words… or may be I can but I am too lazy for analyzing and describing symptoms. So to whosoever works I shall pass it off by saying ” you know what I mean”

I call this as nine to five syndrome. For the obvious reasons. Getting into a rut eh?

Routine is not good. Yeah I know everyone wants to come to peace, but too much is serenity is killing. I think prolonged state of 9 to 5 syndrome is what starts killing a person psychologically. It’s the beginning of the end.

I hope I remember to make efforts to get out of it from time to time…

Untill I write again

2007-01-29T16:44:00.000+05:30

Finally got time to post that I may not post a lot near future...

Things have been changing and I have a feeling that my blog will slowly turn into a personal diary if I write a lot right now. I am increasingly feeling the need for a personal blog. If the time permits, I'll have one soon.

These few months of blogging has confirmed that fact that I knew somwhr... that writing is important to me...but whn u r learn, whn you retrospect, whn u introspect, pause, and think... you cant write about what about google is curretnly making you hapy or unhappy, or how you think consumerism needs a revolution... yes! Certain things more selfish take over… and yet I crave to put up words, ringing in my head…

In addition, work is taking up most of my time. So if I don’t turn a perrinial workoholic I’ll make a sincere effort to let this blog live….

Untill then, miss u guies

Wishes for 2007

2007-01-10T04:30:00.000+05:30

Let me begin with a apology for delaying the wishes coz after 10 days new yr doesn’t stay fresh anymore. But new blogger was giving me problems logging in. So here is my 1st wish...May slow net slow server slow or anything slow never come in d way of any1 who has drafted half a blog entry and wants to update it.

God bless friends, family, colleagues and network in 2007. May God make me kind enough to look at larger picture and pray for world next year.

May India have stable governments in all parts and may we not get too see too many scams this year. May there be enough crops to reach the need. May no farmer of our country resort to suicide. May there be enough rain to fill dams and lakes but not so much that we see another 26th July. May there be no earthquakes or tsunamis or famines or any other such natural disasters. May this be a yr of prosperity.

May the globalization, retail boom, FDI etc.. not kill small businesses. If it does; may they find a better alternative to make living. May Reliance not take over the Hutch. If it does; may it not take advantage of the monopoly in telephony market May TATA win the bid over Corus. May it at least find a profitable partnership. May more Indian companies go international this year.

May Mumbai local transport turn compulsorily CNG. May the city stop being so God damn polluted that breathing feels like crime. May there be more and more well planned flyovers and bridges. May saki naka stop feeling like hell. May the metro rail and sky bus projects take off sooner and start getting implemented.

May menopause stop troubling mom so much. May dad stay chilled out and keep raining on us the stories of general knowledge. May Pux manage to manage work, studies and entrance exams together. May her hard work bestow beautiful results and may other girls her age learn to take responsibility. May Krishna grow up to be a cute kid and may her newly acquired social life when she joins play school doesn’t come in way of how she has made us all habituated to her.

May this year not bring in any more cultural shocks. May friends learn to distinguish between right and wrong. May they learn to distinguish their priorities. May they not give in to the pressures of surviving in real world and take wrong ways of life. May those who have been lost in the abyss find their ways back to righteous paths. May they not do any such things which will break their parent’s hearts forever.
May Karan and Nimesh start taking there careers seriously. okok If this offends both of you I'll add MORE before seriously... fine now?
May Jess’s boutique work very well and may she not have probs with tailors and artisans.
May it be a year of closures and new beginnings for Divya.
May Sappy finally settle down at new work, may it turn out to be what she really wants to do. May all Am8 work very hard and may all his dreams come true. May he turn better at jokes. May I stop taking him so much for granted.
May VJ always be around as a friend. May his education click for him in the right way.
May Dhi get to start his MBA this year. May he stop being so obnoxious and turn a little bit of gentleman.
May Sonu stay happy.
May Avani have fun.
May Ankita start spending on frds whn necessary.
May Vipa stop making pretext of dental treatment to avoid working.
May things ease out for Hiral.
May Sahana do justice to her parents investments in education.
May Ashu move on and settle down.
May Maggi always stay just as passionate.
May Niki 4get ppl not meant for her.
May Piyu 4give me 4 being such a bitch to her,moove on and get better frds who dont grow over her like I did. May she realize that there is more to life than gossip.
May Nikita realize that just coz I was bitch to Piyu doesn’t mean I am bitch to whole world.
May Jainesh always be a go getter.
May Nik be able to handle all the pressures all by himself in Dhi's absence
May Maddy stabilize.
May Santosh get every single thing that he wants and deserves.
May Kunnu’s parents think about marrying him off. hahaha!
May Naha stop lazying around whole of LA and her better Libran traits take over.
May Snigdha not have to face so many modern day women issues.
May Manu always rock, may he find peace this year.
May Shachi be as good a wife as she is at her work
May Nipun fall in love drop the idea of drinking himself to death by 40.
May Nagar top VGSOM.
May Vikram stop speeding.
May 2007 be a beginning of amazing beginnings for Jinali.
May Neha understand that all occasions do not call for jokes.
May she stay chilled out forever. Good luck and best wishes for career to Karishma,Rekha, Sheeba, Shraddha,Dhaval and the other Dhaval and Mehul May I move on from DIREM. And may DIREM have clients that spend money on communication, employess that stay and bosses who know whats happening. May Sandeep Mittal start holding on to imp ppl in organization.

May Rotaract club of Bombay Mulund Valley come back to life again.
May I always stay in touch with net buddies like Abhi,Piyush, Surbhi and the rest.

May my prayers reach all those people and all those things for whom/which I havent been able to pray openly but have prayed sciencrely.

And finally for myself....May this year be year of serious work and learning. . May it also be year or earning. haha! May I stop laughin online at my own jokes. May I turn healthy for a change (and also wealthy for a change). May it be a year of being a good daughter, a responsible sister, a friend in need and a gr8 collegue (whatever defines gr8 here, honestly speakin I dont knw)

Update:- My special apologies to dinzzz for leavin her out...
May all her wishes come true....(yeah 2007 + bday wishes!) may she right fully settle weherever she belongs... may it b a yr of bliss and happiness and love

When moms do not know the cost of living....

2006-12-28T11:43:00.000+05:30

"See. I got stripes for a change"

"Ya its nice" (Ok hold on mom! Are you okay? you liked my new pants? In one go? Are you SURE? Or Is there a catch coming my way?) (pause)
"Fitting is proper. Its also not very low waist." (ok, now that seems like a real reason)

" I loved the fits very much. Damn comfortable (Still tryingto sell it to her . Who knows when a fight may come up)"

"So how much did you get it for?" (Bomb. The Q I fear the most)

" Do you want to sleep in the night?"

" Actually I was planning on a siesta after the maid goes. Thought I'll sleep half n hour or something"

" Ok since you wanna sleep I am not telling you the price"

" Oh; Ok"

Kaleidoscope in a facade

2006-12-19T11:29:00.000+05:30

I look through the microscope, an enlarged picture of people I call friends,
They form a still; it’s a beautiful pattern,

I twist it a little bit and realize,
It really is not a microscope but a kaleidoscope, coz...
When I see through a different angle the patterns change...

The colours look different,
Though some pieces are still the same
Some others just change the picture in a way I will never comprehend...

I dislike this new pattern, first because the faces glare at me,
But slowly realize that microscope was an illusion, and kaleidoscope is what I have to live with
So I look closely, may be I will contemplate things in the end...

Facades, good and bad.
Insecurities causing destructions,
Greed leading to dirt and filth...
Innocence could be lethal
Basic instincts at war with morals....
Need for acceptance causing people to lie...
Fools living parallel lives,
Happy on the face of it....
All in drudgery inside…

I can’t take the sight anymore, and change the angle again,
It all looks same as before, all the pieces are back in place...
It’s a still, beautiful pattern.

I pretend it’s a microscope; that I never saw through a Kaleidoscope.
The pattern is comfortable in being seen like this, it doesn’t glare back at me anymore.

In the Reminiscence of my recent (and first) trip to Delhi …

2006-12-14T20:57:00.000+05:30

Delhi was Crazy. Yeah! I think crazy is a word more apt than good. As I sit, comfortably listen to baby doll remix 2 and bite an apple, I retrospect. Comfort is such a weird contrast to what I’ve been doing for last 6 days. I am lost while thinking for where to start from. I guess form the start will be technically correct. Although after 6 days of havoc, disorder and insanity I’ve forgotten how to be technically correct. But I need to get back to life right? So let practice being technically correct.

Background info

For one of the clients that my agency has, we had to, had to, HAD TO,do an event that we could not have possibly outsourced, to an event agency. The reason being it was closely associated event to what we do for them around the year. I am not on the particular client servicing team. But the prospect sounded like experience, Delhi sounded exciting, and IIT… hmmm I think some of my closer friends know I’ve certain emotional attachments to the institute. The team and I are comfortable with each other. So I got involved.

It was a National science fair where in kids from around the country came to participate, some directly after their entries being short listed and some winners of regional state science fair. My role? Well Mehul (In charge of the whole event) gave a program schedule of 4 days. 3 of them being actual event dates. The first one being registration. And I was told to take charge of one functional part every day. Who knew at that time that events never go as planned. And yet they are all about planning.

Our team on events consisted of:-
Mehul:- Account manager, In charge of the whole fair.
Piyush:- Regional coordinator, Gudgaon based, Imagine his plight…
Dhaval:- Project Executive, my colleague from Mumbai Off.
Joydeep:- Regional coordinator, as name suggests from east.
Hannah:- Regional coordinator, South
Paromita:- Regional coordinator, Mum off based. Joined us 7th morning. Late entry…in fair Myself:- lol. Am I in anyway connected to the team?

Why am I introducing everyone? Wasting words? Well did you read designations? To zero down on the fact that none of us had 1st hand experience of event management. Forget managing 4 day events.

Tuesday 5th Dec 2006
Before I knew I was on my way to Delhi. I was upset at having had the wrong start. At the last min I decided to have check baggage as hand luggage due to absence of a lock and key. Due to time constraint in time I had to leave my body mist, moisturizer and other such necessities at the airport. Damn the admin guy for putting me on a flight that forced me to get up long before sunrise. Man, I’ve a choice; I can miss my flight or rearrange my baggage. I choose the later.

For the entire 1st day I was cursing my talent of inviting troubles. I knew what I was getting into wasn’t I? I’ve a knack of getting into things I am going to regret. It seemed like I had nothing to do. Or probably I didn’t understand head or tail of what was happening. Add to this I got the news that I am to stay in iit campus itself (Girls hostel). Huh! I was raging inside. Dear Mehul, didnt I hear you say hotel before I left? I didn’t make a fuss out of it coz it seemed like Mehul and Piyush were handling more than enough troubles and I would only be adding to them if I create an issue.Not the right time to talk.

The only good thing that happened this day was by evening God blessed me by presence of Hannah (One of our regional coordinators). I was tired of being around men all day wand was severely missing company of my sex. She was probably my mothers age. But that’s ok. We could manage to strike and strike very well.

Wednesday 6th Dec 2006 :Registration day
My day began at 6. As I walked off my bed towards IIT main gate at 6.20 in morning on duty, without having had a bath; I experienced the weather, I experienced the green grass, the quite roads, the birds chirp and the pink flowers making the bush so thick that some of them fell down, not because they were withered but because the bush was too full. I think It must;ve been this precise walk that must;ve caused some kind of psychical metamorphosis in me. I often use the term when I undergo a mood change. Only this time, it brought me ton loads of optimism, vigor towards life, brought alive a soul in me that I think had died…

As I walked around, finding my way, passing the red brick houses, I also made mental notes, that these must’ve been the professors houses Chetan Bhagat must be referring to in 5PS. For some reason, I can relate to everything in IIT, as if I’ve heard of it somewhere. Déjà vu’ of one of the most legendary friendship I made in my life…

Later as the day advanced, craziness begun.Being a professional I wouldn’t like to get into details of what happened or why it happened on the whole, or how I managed both accommodation and branding together.Or how I managed countless rounds from Himadri to Kailash(both are girls hostels) to resident flats of Himadri to venue. But let’s just say taking corrective measures showed us the stars in daylight.

By the time I slept (2.a.m in the night) I was beginning to understand what I had gotten into. And why it was necessary for me to stay at hostel. Responsibility had sunk in.And I was beganing to like it.

Thursday 7th Dec 2006: Inaugural
The fire fighting with people had come completely under control. I made decent job of building relationships with all people whose hospitality I was in charge off. Also things changed today because Sandeep sir (my boss and marketing director of our firm) arrived. He is a stud at getting any situation under control.

By evening the routine was set. Problems come up. Solve them. People will see your organizers batch and ask you questions to which you don’t know answers. But you can’t say so. Neither can you say “oh I am not looking into that part.” Coz when you speak; you speak on behalf of your team, and your clients brand. Or they might come and say something like” oh so you are Khushbu mam” I didn’t know what to make of this particular sentence.It was siad in several different ways. I decided to take it positively.

I think by noon Mehul sympathized with me. There are certain very strong posatives about working with him. For one when he gives you a task he trusts you with it completely, hes not a nag. gives you full freedom to do things your way. Secondly he knows just when to pity you or just when to be curt.

Anyway. So I was sent to Akshardham where all students were packed off for a picnic in second half of the day. Imagine what excited me most bout this? 1) That I will get to have lunch on the way there, 2) I will get to sit in the bus both times to and fro and may be sleep a little. So I picked my packed lunch and ran towards bus at last min. The lunch leaked. God’s indication that I should not make any further attempts to have lunch. For a change we had an elaborate planning session today. Offcourse under the guidance of Sandeep sir (he made excel sheet dividing tasks for next day). When we finished, he said “ My God! I’ve never had such close experience of events; man they are crazy”.

Friday. 8th Dec 2006:- Juging
As I mentioned earlier I am not on the particular client. By chance Sandeep sir put me on something I love doing. By tomorrow we need to churn out an AV. In the morning I shot around interviewing people (students/guides/Parents). In the later half I went to hospitable(he offered me tea and snacks) video editor. Ate his head for like 3 hours and reached back to the exhibit venue with the CD in my hand.

Somewhere in between I managed to have lunch for a change. God given food. In you thought Cream Centre serves you the best ever Chole Bhuture that’s coz I hadn’t been to north fursat mein. Now if that sounds like a relatively simple day; my work began post sunset. The judging got over by 8 PM. After moving the judges respectively out to the hotel we sat for planning. The exhibit venue was in Nalanda ground which is open from all sides. Over set up didn’t have doors. And since I had decided to hurt the ego of “the delhi ki sardi” as not so cold. It now in turn got dedicated on proving its talents. Winners certificates, press release, typing out the students hand written synopsis (Searching the project synopsis of about 20 odd winners and making a combined synopsis report); all to be churned out overnight. Paid volunteers won’t work at this hour!

The Night would’ve never got over had we decided to sit there and work. Sandeep sir decided to take over 70% of this bit “I’ll sit and finish it in the night, its getting cold, lets just move out of here” Moving out to a warmer place meant dispersing. Hired cars were all gone at 11.30 in night. So Piyush came to pick up 4 of us (me,Paro, Joydeep, Sandeep Sir). In his maruti 800. Worse:- He brought along Dhaval.

I don’t know what do you call or what you should feel about a late night ride in campus of iit where 6 of you squeeze yourself in a Maruti 800 and drive around looking for a place which is 1) not opening air, 2) nearby and 3) where you can eat enough so that you can atleast get some sleep.Parallely I had to check for branding. Sadly it had to be left completely at vendors disposal. I think we were asking for too much (in terms of what we were searching for). We settled for boys hostel Kumaon’s (or was it Karakoram?) open air cafeteris wehere we used to have planning sessions (Mehul’s) before Sandeep sir arrived. Food has never been more satisfying.

Saturday. 9th Dec 2006:Valediction:
The D day.Since Mehul decided to forget about sending certificates in the night; I and Paro managed to write it in the morning in the Dogra Hall auditorium itself. A quick check on all the things, training of escorts along with Sandeep Sir (he was getting a lil paranoid I think), trasportation back to exhibit venue post valediction, a quick run on AV. Somewhere In between or before that, having a quick check on display boards/branding around the venue. Ooof!!!!!!! We pulled it off. We really did. And pulled it of really well.

If at any moment during last few days I was angry or had a complaint… seeing the joy on winners face rubbed it off. For example like the whistles I heard when I packed them off in a car… “Oh so we are like being driven to the venue” “press conference! Do we have like interviews?” Happy parents, happy judges (to see the bright future of India), happy Client, happy children, happy us. Please don’t try speaking to me for next 2 hrs; coz I am not answerable to anyone. Let me feel it.

1 regret:- I've never bothered to take interest in science. I've no cluse how I managed to pass school exams. There were so many brilliant childern around me, I couldnt even go and take a look at project, whats they use? they use jargon that I dont understand. Dman me!

Anyway atlest India has some bright talent. Come evening I was on my own. Paro left on evening flight. Hannah decided to move to ladies hostel at Himadri with friends she had made from Banglore. Sandeep Sir left for Mumbai. Rest of the boys all left for Agra by night. I had two options:- a)To sit and crib cry be unhappy about being alone in the city b) To love to feel to experience the freedom, to have fun on my own. I choose later.

I went for a round in the local market of Malavya Nagar. I shopped crap.But chopping feels good. Ask me. It acted like paracetamol in fever. Tasted aloo chat, gol gappa and came back. By the time the boys left and emptied the room It was 9. I had a hot water bath saw some tv. Decided not to call mom. If she hears I am all alone in Delhi, I think she wont be able to sleep. But she called. I told her the truth. She sounded calm. I spoke to Pux, I realised how much I've missed my crazy sister.I saw some more TV and slept.

10th Sunday 2006:- My day, Surbhis day.
My fight was at 6, Mehuls at 5.30. We had to reach airport together by 4 30, leave hotel by 4. He will be back from Agra by 3. I’ve the morning to myself. The 1st advantage of blogging, right here at this place, I made a friend. Being in her town was a good opportunity to catch up. We were both keen on meeting up. My breakfast date with Surbhi was prefixed. I planned to go sight seeing and shopping by myself all alone after that. Surbhi had been kind enough to tell me that she will show me around in the 1st call itself. But I didn’t cling on to the idea as I didn’t want to be imposing myself.

She woke up to be unwell and postponed the breakfast by half and hour. My hotel was located quite near to Qutab Minar and instead of going back to bed for another half an hour I decided to check out the place and then meet her. Sensible decision. Qutab Minar was OK! Just ok. Post witnessing a war like event I didn’t have mental bandwith to admire a structure just coz when made it WAS an engineering wonder. 10 mins were enough to look around and walk out. I took a rickshaw (after bargaining) to Surbhis’ locality. 15 mins later I was greeted by bright cheerful hi. This is the first time I am meeting a female net friend. She seems my type.Trust me it feels great to have friends in city of aliens. Moreover I love girls day out. And this turned out to be just that.

My new friend is also only just visiting her home town. She says "Delhi roads have changed a bit in last two years that I’ve not been here". So she had a map in her hand drawn/ explained to her by her dad. This was a hand drawn road map to where we were headed. She kept referring to it for where to take turns. Man I love this. And am missing my dad, he is just the same. It feels good to know he is not the only one. When you have little things like these in common, bonding is easy.

We went to Lotus temple. I loved the place. Neat, well kept, peaceful. When we came back to parking, attendant asked for a sum which was way above government standard rates. Surbhi managed to blast and shake him up. She spoke law, she spoke rules. It was at this instant that my image of her drastically went up on the respect count. She spoke like a citizen should; knowing her rights, knowing the rules, using her education to speak up for right things. Being a professional now based in U.S; I think it is awesome of her to keep a tap on exactly what is happening in your country.

Back in car she told me"Its not about paying 15 extra bucks, its bout how they thry to cheat you". This rightly reminded me of Am8 who keeps blasting me about how pseudo secular I am. I think I need to hang out a little more in company of citizens like Surbhi, and see a little more of Rang de Basanti.

After Lotus Temple we went to “Delhi Haat”. I must say “MY” kind of place. It was fun window shopping, shopping and window shopping in the countryside atmosphere. The ethnic exhibition form different regions of the country, the snake charmer playing background music with a fake snake in his basket, the potters making pots and various such artisans with their work at display in a picture perfect village atmosphere on a lovely winter morning of Delhi… If there is bliss, then this must be it.

We had lunch Chinese lunch in Manipuri restaurant in North India.. Lunch was on Surbhi. Ok! By now I am drowning under her favors. She picks me up, shows me around, helps me pick a silk scarf with same enthusiasm as she is doing it for herself, picks random mementos from her bags and gives me… ( among which was a small bottle of ponds cold cream, she may not have meant it wrong, but I connected it to me having to leave my moisturizer at the airport in the beginning of my trip. Damn me for not getting a substitute decent enough, now people are giving me cold creams… can you imagine?)

Pardon my prejudices, but only and only a north Indian can show such genuine hospitality. Come Mumbai, would any of us be that sweet to someone to whom in all probabilities we may not even meet again? In spite of being unwell? I don’t know. I am not sure. F$%* me for having doubts.
2 regrets: - 1) I forgot to pick her dads hand drawn map as a memento
(it was scanned and e-mailed to me later on).
2) I don’t know what happened, my mind was too slow on deciding what to get her, and I landed up not buying Surbhi a single gift. Not even chocolates. Disgusting of me.

I will cut d rest and come to the end. While waiting for a delayed flight, in a state of acute anxiety, I had following conversation with Joydeep. I think I am going to remember it for a while coz something about what he said hit me hard. I don’t know if you will understand it just as well as I do.
“Khushbu do you realize, that in past 5 days we’ve taken care of 500 ppl of different age, different backgrounds and from different parts of country?”

Did I just say I love Google?

2006-11-19T16:39:00.000+05:30

Ok! ...So my relationship with Google is now maturing. Early romantic period has subsided and the realities are coming through. Off course I still love it.... and will try and make it through whatever difficulties we are currently facing between us. But it hurts you know; when Google doesn’t keep our matters private. Just to give you an example… I always knew and appreciated its business acumen. The search engine shows relevant ads and sponsored links on the left hand side of the screen to the search subject. (I know I knw Adwords right?) Cool! Good for me when I am searching. Good for the advertiser... he is getting interested audience rather than vague advertising. Win-win situation.

But the other day some of us were discussing this and a friend brought it to my notice... that the same happens with my e-mail. Now I get an e-mail from my alma meter notifying me about the details of forthcoming media festival. I am happy to hear from them. And what do I see besides the mail on the right hand side? Ads... n what ads? Ads bout photography about digital cameras, about theatre plays about.... well bout every important thing they could pull out from my mail. All these details were part of program schedule and not the subject line. Adwords again! Now why did the a#$hole have to go and tell everything to advertisers.

Well my sweetheart is scanning through my E-mail (I know I know, its automated, but who cares). Off-course Google must’ve found a legal way to do this. But as a consumer there is just too much data bout me (offline) floating in market anyway. And if that was not enough, now this gets extended to internet.

I sometimes get these really panicky thoughts. I may be wrong on them coz I absolutely lack technical knowledge. But that doesn’t stop me from wondering. Suppose I log on Gmail, it logs me on to all my Google accounts, and then if I am browsing through search engine do they study what kind of interests do I have? They already have sponsored links. Now suppose they start tapping the behavior. I mean at the most they will use it to market some product to me. But it is irritating, loose privacy to this extent.

Now coming to all accounts being connected… If all information from my Gmail, Google-the search engine, Blogger and Orkut is combined together; that’s my autobiography. Privacy, confidentiality, secrecy, discretion are the words of yesterday.

And now little examples that irritate. So the Orkut says whose online on Gmail! But who wants to tell world u are online! What difference will be left between friends and network? You don’t want to be chatting away to glory with the whole goddamned world anyway!

Ok! Now I guess I am really getting paranoid/sounding frustrated and its reaching no where so I will stop on abrupt note ! Coz I still love Google!

Love of my life... Google

2006-11-08T17:33:00.000+05:30

Alt + Tab = Blogger;
Alt + Tab (repeat) = Gmail ;
Alt + Tab + Tab = Gtalk;
Alt + Tab + Tab + Tab = Yahoo messenger ,
Alt + Tab + Tab + Tab + Tab = Random Word Doc;
Alt + Tab + Tab + Tab + Tab +Tab = Orkut

Thats the situation of my screen right now. 4 out of 6 open applications are Google based.

Look where the world is going.... yeah there are like 10000 guies around and I am in love with Google, Gmail, Groups, Docs and spreadsheets, Orkut, Blogger and every other possible form of Google (ok sorry! may be not the wierd ones like Froogle; especially since I am not into e-buying)

I love the way my one single account connects every single thing. Having a google id is like having a social security no online. There is no headache of making 10 ids and 10 passwords and logging on 10 times. And ya... the latest... logging on Orkut u can see whoose online on Google from your list...although I havent yet had time to figure out weather this one turns out boon or bane. But knowing them I am sure there are settings available where you can disable the option. This is another thing that I love... promise of innovation.

Introduction of simplicity. I mean I really dont need to use Google beta spreadsheets and docs yet. But I cant imagine how simple it would be.... to work across cities... no need of LAN. no need of attachments... Project updates instantly available. ..The internet becomes your LAN! I dont think thats too far...

Plus I like the modesty in the communication and user friendliness in the services. For example my Blogger beta dashboard is right now reading a apology for inconvinence in services that are currently occuring. And it reads genuine. It reads what they are going through to upgrade, provide better services. I like that. Offcourse there will be a professional copywriters brain at the way its expressed. But we do excpect professional service as well... dont we? Coming back, I like to be in knowledge of whats happening behind the scenes. There is no glamour here.... its all a matter- of- factly.

So why not to choose Google over guies... its loving, caring, modern, friendly, hip...( on part of my brain is shouting" STOP BEING SO MELODRAMATIC IN EVERYGODDAMN THING; IT IS NOT EVEN FUNNY) Gosh! but I cant marry google itself. Can I marry Larry page or Sargey Brin instead (c there I go again)? ok sorry!

Atleast pay me for the free publicity.

************************************************************************************
This little piece is irrelevant and from my personal diary... but I couldnt resist the temptation of putting it up

While I was writing this post.... I randomly put my Gtalk status as "I am in love"

It was funny d kinda responses ppl gave whn i replied its Google...lol... d most irritated respose being " the world does (do u even need to say this?) "

Being Blonde...wish I was one....

2006-11-03T12:55:00.000+05:30

Ok as I promised in my comment for last( to last) write up.... I am back with blondes! And hey, inspite of the title I am not one. Cant u see the Pic? Black! Like I've resisted temptation of not colouring my hair not even once for so many years. If blondes hear this, that I reached a good old age of 22 without one hair treatment (includes perming, straightening, rebonding and many more things I am not aware of) or colouring (I guess this includes colouring only crown or streaks or any other kind of hair colour) they would not even let me in their inner circle. So much so that even I go for hair treatment now, they would lable me as a fake or wannabe!

Ok so we've all seen so many movies about this one... that we all know waht they are like. Last year there was a show on TV . If I recollect well enough... Remix or something...Tia's Angels "omigod" , ok sorry! more like "Omigod! Omigod, Omigod. I am suddenly getting inspired u knw!

No seriously! I may not be like that! In fact I even radicule the gals who dont have life beyond "ehew! my nail got chipped by 0.06 mm and that too an hour before date with #$%%^& ( who has big brawns lotta money and either lotta brains or no brains) and the sole aim in my life is to arrange urgent manicure appointment".

But I envy them... a lot. I get fits of attack myself whr ppl rightly say that I am acting blonde. But sadly they are just fits that subside...

I mean some babes (in order that I do not offend an entire community online I replaced the word bitches by babes) are so God damnn lucky... as they say ignorance is bliss (I guess their perpetual obvlion to the whole world might be making me subconsciously jealous)... Doesnt too much knowledge fucks up the brains at times? In so many ways that I can think of the less you know the better ( reduces your chances of hurting inside). And offcourse if you face the tragedy of life... like a break off( yeha they have the best guys) or something... there is always a Spa therapy.... a chocolate fondue body wrap or a Pedicure to prep up ur spirits....Cool na!

Guess everything in life has two sides to it; including being blonde. I may find them stupid n radiculious... and yet I envy them.

PS:- I can already hear J or P objecting... sentences like " who told u r not one? besides the hair..." , and "trust me you've all the qualities ... .. .." and "...." already being thrown at me with full vigour...

Bean Bag... Not anymore!!!!

2006-11-03T10:19:00.000+05:30

In lieu of the sympathies I’ve been attracting… (Thank u all so much). I did like to make a official and a premature declaration of being OUT of the Bean Bag/ Garfield Phase.

Thanku thanku

Chronicles of a bean bag

2006-10-30T12:02:00.000+05:30

Since last week or so the only competition I’ve left is GARFIELD himself. I am increasingly breaking records of my own laziness. I have no clues what has gotten over me; but I’ve become a virtual bean bag. So much so that if someone comes and sits over me I wont even shout till the time I cant really really take it. Because it takes efforts to open your mouth and speak.

Lately my mind refuses to think, my face refuses to react. And even if I do I am a little slow at it. While I was speaking to my friend VJ last night; he suddenly started laughing. 55 seconds later I finally bothered to ask “What?” {I would’ve ignored asking (read making efforts to speak), but curiosity and laziness where suddenly hurling abuses at each other in my head. Finally curiosity won coz laziness was too laid back to fight further}.

“Khushbu you are high, tell me seriously what did u mix in your tea?”

“(stare followed by) Just ginger”

“Yeah right; u know how slow u r? (Pupils suggest answer is expected)”

(No response)

“See, you just proved my point ( Laughs )”

“That’s the effect you have on me”

“You cant get away with everything by flirting ( some long sentence follows on my state of mind which I didn’t bother listening to). (pause ) its going to take another 5 mins to register. Isn’t it ?”

“Na, I am not even gonna bother comprehending that”

That’s me. Waste! I know its just a phase. I know I will be over it. And I guess I know the reasons of all this at the back of my mind. But as long as I don’t get over it… I am glad all over again for having the kind of friends that I do. For bearing with me…. For having the patience…

I better stop writing or else I will be negating myself…

The Kite Runner

2006-10-25T21:27:00.000+05:30

I dont remember who but one of my friends was once saying " I think good books are those which help u visualize... take u back in era, in another country, in another culture and u can have a image /movie playing in your mind."

Sooooooo true!

I usually don’t like being judgmental about books until I' am through reading the whole of it... but "The Kite Runner “FORCED me to take stands... to have an opinion (upgrading it) after every few pages. Ok so I was late in reading the book! FINE! Happens ya! You don’t have to make me conscious about that bit. Now can I come to the point? Thank you!

You can feel the book! Absolutely! The streets of Afghanistan... the childhood of Aamir and Hassan and later the lack of it; the very basic human emotions of guilt, of insecurity, of devotion, of dedication; of a relationship between of parent and child, or friends, or a master and a servant or borthers, or the importance of kinship. Or may be just emotions - very basic ones, pure and naive feelings that cannot be described in a justified way through a simple adjective. The forming your own community alienated from your roots in search of your cult, your culture. And all of this and more set against extremely sensitive and realistic political background too. God! I can just go on about this...

I am acknowledging Aamirs passing references to Bollywood. The books truly deserves to be a movie. I am sure somebody will. Only if they make it in Bollywood they would be stupid enough to think they are smarter than the Hosseni and give it a commercial twist and make the end a little happier! Not that its sad! But anyway! True Bollywood style.I did rather someone like Moshen Makhmalbaf or Samira Makhmalbaf make it and keep it real.

When two was tow....

2006-10-11T14:05:00.000+05:30

I don’t come from a highly educated family. My parents have always put me through tuitions right since pre school. I am not saying this for sympathies... but its difficult for a child... to have a school teacher telling you to spell 2 as TWO and a tuition teacher a TOW.... till day when I spell it I need to pause for a split second to think weather I am spelling correctly.

Yesterday I saw a on the movie hoarding on bus... and advertisement for upcoming movie "Bhoot unKle"... huh? "unKle? Since when? Since when did uncle become unKle?

I've no right to object to people who believe in numerology and nor am I doing so. If someone tells them spelling a word differently might work wonders for them and if lots of money is at stake... they did obviously feel like giving it a shot. Whats the harm in trying huh!

But with the way spellings are rapidly changing weather it is thanks to ICQ short language or numerology or just an attitude of acting cool or being different...what is it leading too?

English is already not so easy an language. We've heard innumerable jokes about it in Bollywood movies... SO am not about to start giving examples... but its ridiculous what lil children must be going thru….

May be the whole slang can be identified as secondary language and Etymology can be taught as a subject…just like grammar …. Might help identifying the difference. But then would that be solution or just another addition to their problems.

Hats off!

2006-10-06T15:16:00.000+05:30

I’ve always believed that one telephone service provider brand is as good or as bad as other… The product is the same… Only depends on what kinds of brand impression you’ve…
My friends and acquaintances… Hutch/ Orange, Reliance fanatics always boast of being with the best. And I’ve been throwing “who cares” attitude for quite a while now. I am fine with Airtel; or rather my four year old number for that matter.

But my general beliefs about telephone service providers are these:-
It seems they are all always trying to figure out new ways to fool you.
Some are bad and others are worst.
Unless you’ve circle of people who use same service provider; what ever bill plan you take; you are going to land up paying the same.
In spite of all this BPL users seem to be quite loyal, God alone knows why.(May be due to same problem is myself, old phone no.)
So are Hutch users… the brand , the communication the look and feel, the tone of communication has solid harmony and impact… (or is it the “Hutch circle of friends)
For some reason (which we all know) half of Reliance people are always scheming to switch and rest half are scheming to convince others to switch to reliance.
For MTNL/ BSNL:-refer to my url name. For those who didn’t get it too bad.
Airtel… the only thing I like is their TV spots.

In but thanks to the hopeless competition every once in a while there comes up something better out of the product deliverable…for example: - when Reliance entered market with no incoming charges, it changed forever the scenario of mobile telephony.

Here is something that brings me hopes that these guys will go extra notch. Its time Marketing starts concentrating on building up service

I recently read a case study in “wrap around” by Jayanta Sengupta on how “Orange revamped itself as Hutch”. I must admit pretty smooth transformation. Solid brains at use. I am not sure about this info; but my McKinsey freak friend told me “Hutch is married to Ogilvy world over. It’s a global tie up”.

I was on my way to office and at 9.30 in morning in BEST bus a Hutch bill payment drop box brought a pleasant smile to my face. It’s a “service provider” and thus its all about providing the SERVICE and this is just what I mean by service. Whether it is Hutch’s agency banking on new media usage; or internal marketing team… Hats off!! I hope Airtel learns better.

One more candle to blow off….

2006-10-06T15:03:00.000+05:30

Yet another year passed by….my friend keeps telling me… “I don’t understand why girls are so excited about their birthdays; what’s the big deal!”
For once I feel like agreeing… that probably only symbolizes that I’ve turned old… I mean I don’t even feel like telling that I’ve only grown up… na… I’ve grown old….

What happened to Khushbu who use to feel that you just shouldn’t slip a reason to celebrate? However silly be the reason… life is a celebration… why do we keep forgetting that?

welcoming myself here!

2006-10-01T17:57:00.000+05:30

For quite sometime now; I've wanted to have a blog! Today I finally managed! Am in hurry so havent put thaught in details like skin n purpose and all. But then I am calling it life just happens ... and so will my blog... I guess I will just figure out over a period of time what I want to write and what I dont... You cant decide so easily can you? not me! (am a girl... add to it a librian)

Even the URL just happened. I tired several permutations and combinations. Its a joke why they even ask you your desired URL if in all probablities its not going to be available. That explains it! I laughed and the URL was born.

I dont know weather anyone would wanna read me! But I am happy writing.... and I am therefore wishing myself Happy blogging!