Hmm

Check list for 2011:

New glasses. Check.

Haircut. Hmm thinking,

Sibling thinks the new glasses gives me a nerdy look (she said intellectual, but I knew what she meant. hmpf)

Oh well. I guess there's no turning back.

One more day for new year. And still no plans. Hmm

Why the vacuum cleaner sucks

You've caught me. The title has nothing to do with my post, I just wanted to indulge in some err wordplay, perhaps. You can't blame me you know, its 8.46 pm and I'm at work, persistently (if I may add) for the past 5 days. Including Christmas eve, Christmas and Boxing Day! I'm no Christian, but when the whole world takes off and lazes around, its only fair that I long for one! (Especially when you have a sibling who sleeps tight till 10 am while I trudge off to work). Oh and its a Sunday today. No one I know works on a Sunday! And add to it the sleeplessness of 4 nights in a row - there you have it! One grumpy child. Waiting to get away.

In other news: N is having fun with person-I'm-not-naming-here. Let's call him anon. N and anon are having the best time, I hope it really works out for them :) They make sucha cute couple!

D, my colleague, is pregnant and might take leave only in May end. What a huge sigh of relief! She's one of the most efficient worker and awesome gossip-person and partner-in-spitting-crime. I shall miss her when she is gone. I might leave by May also. Sets me thinking.

T's quiz is not loading. Damn, now how do I kill time at work? Also I've seen it a million times. Just trying to check if I know all the answers every time I view it.

Craving some extra dark chocolate. (Why do all my posts of late contain a reference to chocolate?)

I wanna hold your hand

Remember that little voice in your head? Well, mine instructed me to play the Beatles. Just like that. And this is the first song I reached out to instinctively. No clue why.

Indulgence is when you lick Nutella off the spoon. Over-indulgence is when you sit with the Nutella jar and lick it straight from that, ignoring the spoon. And that is what I did today (also spread some over toast) while watching cartoons. Felt like a kid again. Much fun, sososo much fun! 

Read the Mahabharata for some peace of mind (as I always do). I cannot wait for Bheema and Arjuna to kick some ass! 

No mood to write articles, absolutely none. I feel *so guilty* and sleepy. 

Title inspiration: I wanna hold your hand (The Beatles)

Harry Potter, a post was in order

Okay so the title isn't exactly captivating, I assure the post will be. Tons more. 

When the trailer came out I was all gung-ho about watching it first day, first show. But you and I know better that it did not happen. Worse, my sister and her gang had watched it before me. And other non-Harry Potter fans. That's when it infuriated me. I had grown up with the series (along with other books, of course) and vividly imagined Hogwarts, Diagon Alley, Hogsmeade and the like in my mind while reading. But I still stand by books > movies. Always! (Ok except for Chocolat where you can see the chocolate and drool) 

So while I was deciding whom to go with and when to go with, (after starting to work, I'm either busy or lazy to do other stuff) a perfect opportunity in the form of cousin from US of A (yes, he already has been mentioned twice in the earlier post) presented itself. We therefore decided (friend, cousin and myself) on an impromptu night show, notwithstanding the amount of work we had the next day. Carefully laid plans were given a toss. So on 15 of December we set out to HP and the Deathly Hallows - I with much excitement. As stuffed as we were we still bought a large packet of popcorn topped with seasoning, waiting for the movie to start.

This movie was touted to be the darkest of them all. Even Scrimgeour looked scruffy. Anyway moving on, the movie was interesting and mostly silent. For most parts the theatre was dead quiet. I kinda enjoyed the silence  though, it showed how intense the movie was. One of my favourite parts was the one where Ron comes back with the sword and exclaims he's back and Hermione's all angry. It's just so damn cute! Another favourite part was when Dobby dies. My cousin had to kill the moment by shouting (when the theatre was silent) "Are you crying?" (It was just a few tears ok) Ditto with my friend. I sunk into my seat. In my defence, it was Dobby, and if you'd read the books (and lived it) crying would've been the right thing to do. 

I liked how it ended, with Voldy facing us (I swear he's one of my fav villains) and leaving me wanting for more.  

Cannot wait for the second installment! And it's in 3D (sigh I'm predicting a headache).

That little voice inside my head

The above video just about describes my chocolate craving on a normal day. On special days it doubles. 

The recent rains in Chennai have done nothing to stop me from craving chocolate, also (note) visiting cousin from US of A who's brought bags of those sinful delights. Argh! How the HELL am I supposed to stop then? So I don't! I just go on :) Someday I hope to own a big larder, mind you a BIG one at that, filled with copious amounts of chocolate, chocolate and more chocolate. And pasta. And more such scrumptious items. Oh yes my dreams are big and delicious. 

I also dream of cooking all day, with fancy pots, pans, ladles and ooh knives. Stirring here, marinating there, chopping and sautéing (I kinda like the way its pronounced). Gosh that makes me sound like a house-wife, but I'd like to disagree. Cooking all day does sound strenuous, but fun all the same. I cannot wait! 

In other news: The above-mentioned cousin from US of A has also brought me an ipod Touch. Ha!

--- Linkin Park on the loop ---

:O

Yes yes, the title will suggest the expression on your face when you read this. But I have to say it.

I have finally set my hands on this and reading it for the first time.
Kals Nats is now shocked. Or I hope so. :P

The how-to-be-a-journalist handbook

Lesson 1: Learn to like coffee and tea. This was said by my friend Nandita Raman in one of her posts. I would like to rephrase it quite differently. You must learn to like the liquid that they pass of as coffee/tea. While tea becomes 10x sweeter, coffee on the other hand metamorphosizes into a muddy, dirty concoction that can turn poisonous if you don't drink it immediately.  

Lesson 2: Always, always, ALWAYS carry a notebook (notepad, paper etc) and a writing instrument. Make sure it writes though. You obviously don't want to be borrowing it from the person you are meeting and thus embarrassing yourself in the process (these things happen, yes)

Lesson 3: Do your research. Even if it involves Facebooking the person or searching through his Linkedin profile to unearth depths of unwanted information. In other words, stalk. Yes, I mean it in a good way.

(P.S. Questions on 'What do I do if his/her FB profile is blocked' will not be entertained here. Wait for a separate FAQ page on that one).

Lesson 4: (a) Have quite a good appetite. By good of course I mean BIG. 'Cause as a journo you're entitled to attend events at 5 star hotels and eat the free food they pass out. The average is about 2 events/week, if not more. 

(b) Also brag about how you get to attend these cool events (mention the food of course!) till the people listening  drool their saliva away and beg you to please take them. Promise that you will. Later if you don't (which will most probably happen) always use the I-don't-think-my-editor-will-approve reason, or the It-won't-look-professional one. Or the quintessential Oh-I-totally-forgot. Works every time!

Lesson 5: (a) Keep Google open. Whether you use it or not, is secondary. Always pays to have it open, you can check for sources if not for anything else. If all fails please open any one of those networking sites and network! 

(b) Side-la keep your newspaper/magazine's site also open. When editor/colleague passes by swiftly but deftly open the news site. This doesn't require much practice. 

Lesson 6: Post important links on important happenings in the world, whether you find it important or not. Comment something on it. Preferably something intellectual. 

This post reflects the author's personal views and does not mean to harm or hurt any single person. If you find it offensive, just quit reading it, seriously.  

If you have any comments or suggestions or any more points to add feel free to write in to me at pseudojourno@im-not-a-journalist.com

Prancing and pondering!

This post comes at a time when my emotions are in full swing. Happy to say at the least. Actually it goes through phases. Really happy-happy-sad-sadly sad-hyper happy and so forth. Till I'm confused. I actually don't know what I feel. Then it hits me and I start analyzing. And I over analyze till things can upset me and so I stop.

Why do some things happen? Why do you see certain people in your life but not meet them? Or why do you meet them and not talk (but you want to talk to them). Or you talk to them and nothing happens. Is it all a carefully planned out route-map that has a pot of gold at the end of it. Or a life plan. Or whatever.

There are some people who come and go in your life. People who you think make a difference, a significant one at that, but actually don't. Then there are people who teach you a little something about life and its operations. 

Sometimes, two people are not meant to be together, even if one of them really wants to. It's for the best maybe.  You just slowly pick up the pieces and move on. Working your way out of the maze.

And eventually you'll find life has many things to offer, keeping you occupied on the way.

Wheeeeee :)

You Are Soap Bubbles

You are free spirited and a heck of a lot of fun. You refuse to act your age. You can always find a chance to play a little. You bring whimsy to an otherwise boring day. It drives you crazy to be cooped up inside for too long. You need to be outdoors to be able to breathe. It's likely that you crave a nontraditional life. You have to do things your own way!

What Kind of Bubbles Are You?

Blogthings: Take a Quiz. Annoy Your Friends.

For old times' sake

How does it feel to be a school-going kid again? Pretty much fun, yes :) To meet with friends and goof off. All the more fun.

But I think my best times were (and I say unabashedly) when I had innumerable crushes on boys. Sorry, but no names shall spilled out. They were truly my best moments, ones that made me get up early and go to school without any sort of hesitation. What did they feel like? Well, to say the least I felt immeasurably happy, everything felt cheery and positive and of course I enjoyed going to school. In short, I loved those days.

And why am I writing about this now?

I have my reasons. You just have to guess :)

L-i-f-e

Life. A 4 letter word that has me laughing sometimes, crying sometimes but leaves me confused and puzzled most of the times.

Mumbai Ho! (Pre departure)

I'm muchly excited! 'Cause I'm leaving to Mumbai tomorrow evening. Mumbai-my birthplace, my Vada-Pav-Mumbai!

I once ate Vada Pavs the whole day and never got tired of it. I can never get tired of it! Even on the phone today with my cousins I spoke about the joy of eating Vada Pav, till no end. Also my kutti cousin promised to bring back Vada Pavs from her school (cause they make the best ones according to her!)

Long walks along the Nerul highway is another thing I enjoy. Going to the local dairy wala to buy curd, or the pani puri seller to snack a few or to play football in the rainy, muddy and slushy streets in Nerul are things I miss the most!

But the real reason I'm going to Mumbai is to attend my cousin's Upanayanam! (thread ceremony) 

So before I go here's wishing Dear Madras a very Happy Birthday! (This shall have its own post soon)

P.S. The writer wishes to painfully note that she won't be attending the Madras Quiz on 22nd August. To other lucky idiots: Have fun and good luck! :)

As good as it gets

It's been almost 2 weeks since I started working, and I'm feeling dreary already. The routine has got to me. And to top it all, my computer refuses to work. And I have to shuttle from Nungambakkam to Guindy, 6 days a week. By the time I'm home, I'm bushed. 

But on the other hand it keeps me occupied. From 8 to 8, round the clock. I've learnt a good lot about commerce and economics (still no expert on the subject, though) Covering events are part of the routine. Which means: Good food at almost every event. Especially when the invite mentions Taj, Le Royal Meridien etc.

Almost quit watching television. For starters I have no time and even if I do, the TV is hogged by dad/sister/grandparents. Meh. And even if I do watch I'm honestly getting tired of watching news. Who wants to watch Arnab-in-your-face-shouting-with-papers-in-his-hand when you're home from a tiring schedule? Or Sagarika and her nonsensical questions and self-made replies. Really. I'd rather watch some cooking shows and ease off, or some football. 

Bottom line is: I'm glad I have something to do. Whether it's travelling round the city or sitting at office (and goofing around) life's going good :)

Quick update

Have got a job, working in a business-economist magazine. First week of work was fun and keeps me really busy. Also my computer at work sucks, big time. So I'm having a hard time existing without a proper computer, I use my friend/colleague's for the time being. 

Okay at this point, I dunno what more to say.

Think I'll update later.

Laziness is a virtue

I just cannot get myself to write nowadays no matter how much I enjoy writing. Laziness has taken over me, teaming up with another villain - joblessness. Btw my UK plan has been shelved thanks to various reasons and I'm presently searching for a job. Between all this, my cousin who's barely 22 has her marriage fixed. Just when I thought she'd be pursuing her higher studies I get a frantic text message from my mother while I was out: "When will you come? Your cousin's marriage has been fixed, next year scheduled." I replied with a shocked "Whaaaaaaaat? I'll be right there!" After an hour I came home to listen to what my mother had to say. My cousin was to get married before 23 as the astrologer directed. Or else she'd only get married after 5 long years. I knew it was no use to talk more than that. Not that I despise astrology or anything I just couldn't believe she'd agree to an early marriage, something I can never come to terms with yet. As I wound up the conversation I casually asked my mum when she'd want me to get married. She replied: We want to get you married once you're 25 or later, the horoscope says so. Not earlier than that. And she smiled. While I breathed a sigh of relief :)

Plunged in darkness

Power cut! o.O

My apologies

My deepest apologies to my blogger friends. Haven't been able to write at all thanks to ongoing World Cup (which I have been following with great enthusiasm!)

Will get back to the business as soon as possible :)

P.S. I've got into University of Central Lancashire for Intl. Journalism. Just thought I'd let you guys know.

Take care!

My biggest enemy?

This is a phrase that I'm sure everyone's heard of : "Don't put off what you can do today, till tomorrow. Procrastination is your worst enemy" It's this what gets me pissed off. I don't mean to procrastinate anything, it just happens. And as it does I find it utmost convenient. For nothing gives me bigger joy than procrastination (okay, maybe not that big). I find that the more I put off things, the more perfectly I get it done. So procrastination can be a good thing, contrary to what all parents think and especially mine! 

This post was due months back.

One of my favourites :)

Here's wishing

my darling sister a very Happy 15th Birthday! :D

My nomadic mind

You know sometimes when you're sitting in a corner with a book to read and something to drink, your mind wanders somewhere else or rather to something else. Mine has done a lot of introspection and retrospection over these 20 years. Recently while reading, I was thinking of a bad patch that I was going through (still going) and I stopped for a moment thinking of a 'what if' situation that happened in between that seemed to provide some relief. What if I had taken on that situation. Life surely would've been different- independence, new people, new city and a new life. Maybe I would've liked it. But that's not how it turned out to be, life indeed takes a different turn at varied junctures. Right now it's at a standstill. And my train of thoughts halted, just like that. I returned to my book, waiting for my mind to wander yet again.

Not your average guy :)

This post is dedicated to my friend, Arun Srinivasan. Not only did he make me feel really special, but also gave me hope that there is true love still left :) Seriously, this guy is a million bucks. Talk to him about true love, he'll come up with the most romantic definition and yet the most workable. Talking to him on a normal day is good, but talk to him when you're down and out, that's when you'll be damn thankful you talked to him! A very talented musician, he's pretty shy around compliments. He's a total romantic all over and is not afraid to show his emotions! I mean which other guy is like that? Sample this. "Each girl deserves to be treated like a queen, no matter what. I think you girls more than define us. Seriously."  I have not heard words like this before from any other guy. As I went on about guys having inflatable egos that grow by the second, all he told me was this, "Wont deny that I don't have an ego. but there's nothing that can melt it than a sweet girl." His girl is indeed special :)

Thanks for all the hopeful, encouraging words, you truly are a great friend :D

So I'm going to aptly sum up in his words:

"Just wait for that love part of your life to happen. Things'will change. Don't rush into it. Don't calculate, don't predict. Just go with it :)"

Spiritual Quickie

Nine people, nine stories. That’s what William Dalrymple’s ‘Nine Lives’ is all about. While on the surface it might seem like a ‘short stories for children’ kind of a book, but it actually has something more. Being a travel writer is certainly not easy but Dalrymple handles it with ease, making every story as interesting as the previous one.

The book opens with the story of Prasannamataji, a Jain nun from a monastery that is unkempt and grotesque in Sravanabelagola. Her story unfolds with an introduction to Jainism which underlines moksha as the highest form of liberation one can attain. It ends with the nun fasting to death. The second story from Kerala is about a Dalit prison warden who for two months of the year, is transformed into a theyyam dancer and is worshipped as a deity from December to February. Following these two starters, the next story is about Rani Bai, the Devadasi who at the outset resisted her own initiation into sex work, but later pushes her own daughters into the trade.
Sufism comes alive as Dalrymple explains to the readers how the religion brings together people and for once does not separate them. Sufism differs from orthodox Islam as it absorbs Hindu ideas and practices. The chilling tale of a monk who took up arms to oppose the Chinese invasion of Tibet and later spends the rest of his life trying to atone for the violence by hand printing the best prayer flags in India is one of the beautiful stories in the book.

This book explores the lives of nine different people Dalrymple comes across while traveling through the length and the breadth of religious, spiritual yet mysterious country that is India. His style is simple but erudite, compelling the reader to get lost in the book. A beautiful read, Dalrymple goes into the depths of spiritual and ancient India to get in touch with the modern one.

Pepsi's new ad for Football World Cup

Don't miss Messi at the end! He's adorable :)

Just wondering

How long do I have to use Dove shampoo before I can get beautiful hair like the 'Real Women' models in the ads?

Bliss

is drinking lemon flavoured green tea on a windy evening in my terrace
:)

Epic fail

Battered and bruised after a 5 minute marathon waxing of both hands at the SAME time
:O

Currently reading

The Mahabharata - a modern rendering by Ramesh Menon; Vol 1
:D

The perfect love story?

A tall, dark and handsome guy meets a fair, beautiful lass and falls for her dazzling smile. Their first meeting begins with cold stares and ego fights but that leaves the guy wanting for more. Enraptured by her beauty and personality, he slowly begins to fall in love with her. After a series of run-ins that end in arguments, they cool things off later. She discovers that he is a wealthy, philanthropist without a family and craves for all the love he can get. He finds out that behind her steely and serious image, she is a romantic at heart. They then take their 'relationship' to the next level and find out that they are indeed right for each other (which includes a night of hot lovemaking and endless talking). Then comes the drama. A misunderstanding about his past (might include his ex) or a comment he made against her before he fell in love with her, comes up. Brief separation prevails and the two of them long for each other. A chance meeting later, they reunite. And so they live happily ever after. Sigh if only all our lives ended like a Mills and Boons story!

Currently reading

The Rainmaker - John Grisham and a guide on Organic Chemistry!
Also shuffling between comics and the quintessential newspaper!
:D

Mellu madness!

Now that Vinnaithandi Varuvaaya is out, people have once again become besotted with the phenomenon that is mallu. Yup yours truly is ranting and raving bout it too, as her dad has been always obsessed with it to add to the matter. While I haven't seen the film (and probably won't) I'm totally fixed on one song Omana Penne :) So everyone likes it, what's the big deal you may ask. Granted that I'm not like everyone else, my true-blue carnatic soul has become attached to it! Not that you have to learn carnatic music to like the song, but it does help in appreciating it. Omana penne is composed in Bilahari ragam, one of my personal favourites! Never before have I appreciated a Nadaswaram in all its glory, the closest is in a wedding. The nadaswaram bit in the ending is one of the many reasons and the first that I'm completely hooked onto this song and play it in a loop, again and again and again. It somehow reminds me of joyous times and pleasant beginnings, lifts my mood in an instant! I can replay it in my head any time I want.
Aaromale is another song from the same film to capture my interest. Ranking second in my list this is also based on ragam, which I'm yet to find out (I'm sure Google will help me in my quest) The way it starts, with the guitar strumming, has a very grungy feel to it. And it slowly moves into carnatic. The chorus has a distinct feel to it, and the song is unusually unstructured unlike the pallavi-charanam formation found in almost all songs.
Listening to these songs is a must for me everyday, helps me cheer up (and also reminds my mum to resume music classes for me!) and refresh. Waiting to tell my dad about these advancements, I'm sure it will please him as it involves Malayalam.

Turning point

My last post was published on November 9 2009, so it has been quite a while! I think I've actually forgotten how to write after I joined journalism. as there are only 30 odd days for college to get over, I'm pondering over what to do next amidst pressure from parents, peers and of course relatives (who find a perfect moment to ruin happiness by asking what kids are going to do next!). I hate planning, I absolutely hate it, but obviously this is an answer I cannot use, so instead I have to come up with something soon. Everyone wants everything to happen so fast, but it's just not possible. I can only do things at my own pace and asking me to slow it down or speed it up is just not fair, it's just not me! At the same time, I still have my own fears - like being unemployed while the rest are doing something that fetches them money!
Moving on, this year (or rather the two months) has seen me attend quite a number of quizzes :) Met some people there which have added to my contacts list. "Life's chugging along" - this has become my paraphrase when people ask me about life.
Life has gotten rather boring, too monotonous. Hope something fun comes along! :D