Friday, December 31, 2010

Gulliver's Travels

Why... why oh why... do they do this to classics? There is no resemblance in the movie and the actual story. The movie is all about Jack Black and his adventures in the same situation as actual 'Gulliver'. I don't like Jack Black comedies... they are too Hollywoodish. Was there even a need for romance? I don't think so. It was a pleasure to watch Jason Segel... 'Marshall' from 'How I met your mother'.
Strictly for kids... adults must avoid.

Thursday, December 30, 2010

I bank with Citibank and never have to enter its premises. Everything is accomplished on phone and mail. Incase things are not working out my way I am pretty good at bullying them.
When SBI opened its doors near the house I decided to open an alternate account with them. I have visited the branch 5-10 times in the last year for various transactions and queries... account opening, locker charges, DD, internet account etc etc. I am more than happy with their services. The employees are always courteous and help me out. They offer a seat to everyone, listen patiently and give solutions. They do not seem like government employees at all. What a comeback. I know they got their act together long back but I have experienced it now.
There is a lot of checking on the roads due to the terrorist threat. Every night I come across cops stopping all cars and checking IDs. Thankfully, I never get stopped since there are no women cops. I need to carry my insurance with me incase they stop me.

Conversation between KC and me:
Me: Security has been tightened everyhwere. People cannot enter 5 star hotels without booking a table in advance
KC: Anyone can book a table and enter. Big deal
Me: They will also check IDs and bags at the gate
KC: Yeah well... Kasab and gang started shooting from miles away. ID checking won't help
Me: True. And cops did not have guns and proper bullet proof jackets. They still don't. How will cops defend us? Even now during a terrorist attack we are not safe. Wow!!!

It is going to be a lazy week since KC and me are on leave and the days seem to be flying. We have woken up and had b'fast and it is already lunch time.

Tuesday, December 28, 2010

Not looking forward to 2011

I broke down today like I haven't done in a long time. It was not because of something specific... just too many things which frustrated me. I hate manipulative people 'coz I am not like that. I am too honest and straight forward. Manipulating someone takes a lot of effort and I am too lazy to care so much. But everyone is not like me and I hate it when someone does it to me. Of course corporate life is full of such people and I should be used to it by now. But... it hurts.
I pulled myself off the floor and decided to postpone the breakdown after gymming. Yeah... sometimes I do take it too far. I have started losing weight finally and do not want to lose the momentum... no matter what.
And now that I am back the frustration is at the back of my mind. I am actually scared... very scared. The realization that sharing worries with your loved one is never the best thing to do has hit me. It makes the other person feel helpless and frustrated. It helps to vent it out to a neutral person.
I am not looking forward to 2011. I have a feeling things will go further downhill. In 2010 everytime I thought it cannot get any worse... it did. And now I have no hope. I think I will just resign myself to destiny without even trying. Go with the flow and stop trying to stay afloat.
I am tired of being stagnant... being neither here nor there. Precious time is passing me by and I am stuck in a rut.

Saturday, December 25, 2010

Super duper lazy day

Hiya. I just returned from a looonnnggg shower... approx 1 hour. Yeah... when there is no reason to venture out there is no reason for a bath also. The garage near my house is celebrating by playing un-naturally loud music and bursting crackers. I can barely hear myself think.
Gym time was good... grocery shopping is done... there are no clothes to wash... and I have reached Scrubs season 6.

Friday, December 24, 2010

Weekend blues

Hiya. It has been a hectic week and I have been looking forward to the break. The only problem is KC is not around. I am not sure how I will spend the weekend- sleep, gym, cook, finish chores, watch movies, download songs etc.
I spent 1.5 hours in the gym today- the longest I have ever been there. I have started lifting weights along with cardio. On regular days it is not possible to spend more than 45-60 mins in gym. But I plan to make full use of the long weekend.
Just finished reading 'Social Network'. Yes... I did watch the movie but I generally read the books as well. Good book. And it does bring out Mark's point of view.
I watched 'Anjaana Anjaani' last weekend. What a crap movie. Whats the point of sitting through 3 hours when the end is predictable? Obviously the hero and heroine will end up together. Sigh!!! When will Bollywood filmmakers learn?
No good movies also this weekend.

Tuesday, December 21, 2010

Blackberry Vs Nokia

Whew!!! It has been a few hectic days. I am supposed to get 2 blackberry 8520 as a reward from the company. The plan was to sell off one and upgrade to a higher model and give the other one to KC. When I got BB curve on Saturday I was curious about all the hype and opened the box, configured all the settings and was happily surfing. The next day KC and I went to many outlets to sell off 8520 and buy 3g 9300. In less than 24 hrs of opening the box the phone's value had depreciated from 12k to 4-8k. I was in no mood to spend another 10k on a new phone. I gave up and decided to stick to 8520. 18-25k for a phone is a lot of money and over the years I have realized it is a waste. A phone needs to have- call, sms, internet, facebook, push mail, facebook etc. Even a phone worth 10k has all this. I change my phones every 1-2 years and the value of the one year old phone comes down to one third of the actual MRP if I am lucky. What is the point of spending money on something that depreciates so fast?
I am happy now... I can use my Nokia e63 (which I still love) for official no and BB for personal no.

Buy a blackberry only if you need to use mails on the go. Else stick to a regular phone.
And blackberry messenger is used by connections to send forwards which is quite annoying. Anyway, how much can you connect with someone?
For example- my friend Abhinav is on my phone list. We speak every week. He is on gtalk friends list through his bb, on facebook friends list and on blackberry messenger. Do we need to connect on so many different applications? Ditto for other friends.

Are we all trying to connect too much to bridge the geographical distances or are we just lonely or we are looking to get entertained on so many media?

Information sharing overload?






Friday, December 17, 2010

Hiya.... weekend blues

I like Fridays... they bring me hope. Appraisals are done with. I was more nervous being the appraiser than the appraisee. I wish I didn't have to make decisions about other people's career but thats the way it is. And taking tough decisions is the worst. Handling a team is the biggest learning. I have definitely improved over the past year but there is a long way to go.

Anyway, I have an important question and would appreciate suggestions:

Nokia E63 Vs Blackberry Curve- which is better?

I am getting a Blackberry Curve and KC suggested I sell off Nokia E63. It was a scary thought... I have always had Nokia. My first phone was Nokia... the first thing I bought with my 1st salary was a Nokia phone. I wonder if I can survive without Nokia.

Like KC remarked; "You did not spend so much time deciding about me".

Hmm... brand loyalty in this day and age.

Btw, I read Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. Can you believe that? I had forgotten to read it. How is that even possible? When I watched the movie the realization that it seemed unfamiliar hit me. NOW I know how Harry Potter series ends. I liked the end... it was fitting, apt and full of suspense.

Tuesday, December 14, 2010

It was the carrot

Hiya. It has been busy busy. After the B'glore trip I was busy with appraisals preparation. On sat we headed to KC's friend's engagement and Sunday was spent relaxing. Appraisal is done and I can now focus on other pending work. Appraisals always throw up surprises... no matter how well prepared I think I am.
Anyway, so this friend's engagement that we were heading to. I was not sure what to wear... the usual problem. On Friday evening after office I headed to the mall-Biba, Shoppers Stop etc but did not like anything. It was a Marathi engagement which are generally low key unlike Punjabi events which can be quite flamboyant. I decided to head to my most reliable store- Globus.
Shopping for Indian wear is difficult for me since I don't wear it too often. I was so damn confused... and start picking up anything I vaguely liked. That generally helps. KC was great help too. Finally, I loved 3 churidhar kurtas and wanted to buy them all. But, sanity prevailed and I bought two. I wore the 2nd one to a lunch with the sales head at 'Punjab Grill' in Palladium Mall, Phoenix Mills. It was a reward for exceptional sales nos. Good Indian food.
Coming back to the engagement... it was nice seeing the traditions of Marathis. I was also telling KC about Sindhi engagements. It was a rare conversation. Generally, we steer clear of any tradition related stuff.
I am feeling happy right now and want to share the feeling but everyone is busy.

Thursday, December 9, 2010

Social Network


Wow... KC and I finally watched it in a theatre. I love that Hollywood can make movies on any personality or incident. Imagine such a movie being made about an Indian personality... it would surely get banned.
Correct or wrong... it is an interesting movie... but I am not going to judge the facebook founder- Mark after watching it.
It is just a movie.

Khelein Hum Jee Jaan Sey

I read bad reviews of this one and Dhruv warned us... but KC and I watched it anyway. As a rule Dhruv and our tastes differ as far as movies are concerned. When it began I thought; "How bad can it get?" Really, really, really bad.
There are a few rules to be followed while making patriotic movies:
  • Always make a movie about a widely known incident ... instead of something that happened ages ago and is not even covered by history textbooks
  • The movie should end on a happy note... imagine watching the violence, torture and realizing nothing actually came of it... absolute waste of time
  • Don't add romance if not required... every Bollywood movie does need to have a romantic angle
  • Have good actors in the main leads... and not Abhishek and Deepika who can't act to save their lives
There... please don't watch it.
KC beat me to the review... and has already used my views in his post.

Wednesday, December 8, 2010

Bengaluru

I hope I spelt it correct. The trip was damn good. On Saturday I visited the salon and rushed to the airport. My flight was from the new terminal. I was thirsty and hungry but guess what... none of the 5-6 outlets had bottled water. There were taps around but no glasses. Anyone know taps for drinking water in USA... where you have to place your mouth above the tap and open it? The water flows into your mouth... well, they were definitely there. I do not understand the logic... after all, 90% people using the domestic airport are Indians and would we drink water like that??? Never!!!
Anyway, KC picked me up and we headed to his guesthouse in Ulsoor. I had asked him; "Is it cold in B'glore?" and he said; "No".
Me: Will I feel cold there?
Him: It is neither cold nor hot. It is pleasant.
I decided to carry my stole anyway... since I am more sensitive to cold climate.
We walked around 1 km to the guesthouse. The plan was to meet Dhruv for dinner at Spiga.
Spiga is a nice lounge in the Crossword building on MG road. It is a rooftop restaurant with lots of lights. I loved it. There are not many options in food but I liked my red thai curry and chicken satay. Dhruv booked us for dinner on all days thereafter.
On day 2 we met RT, Appu and Arjun for lunch at Hotel Richmond on Richmond road. I had my fill of sambhar rice. After watching Khelein Jee Jaan se we headed to Mainland China for dinner with Dhruv. The night ended with chocolate fudge at Corner House. KC and I walked in the winter hand in hand. What a night!!!
I was in no mood to socialise on day 3 and cancelled plans. We had lunch at Ente Keralam (don't remember the exact name) near Manipal Center. The food was superb... appam, chicken curry and chicken briyani. They served us coconut water in actual coconuts. It was also reasonably priced. Yum!!! After spending a few hours at Forum we watched Social Network and ended the day with dinner at Nagarjuna on M G road.
KC was working on day 4 and I met Sinha and Sahana at Barista in Leela Palace. Time flew as they shared details of their life in Sweden. I got many many many stares and looks while waiting for them to pick me up at Manipal Center. After lunch at Nandhini I headed back to wait for KC. The flight was at night... I wanted to spend 2-3 hours with KC even though that would mean reaching home after midnight.
It was a good trip and here are my thoughts:
  • I miss winters.... B'glore winter was so good.
  • I loved walking in B'glore... there is space to walk... unlike in Mumbai... where we have to walk on the roads and jostle for space among vehicles
  • B'glore has many rooftop pubs/restaurants due to the awesome weather... Mumbai lacks those
  • I love South Indian food... and finally I managed to have a meal at Nandini
  • I bought KC a new perfume to replace the one I broke
I am feeling extremely tired today... managed to finish a lot of chores- unpack, wash clothes, grocery shopping, tailor etc

I was afraid of travelling alone at midnight but there was enough traffic and police on the road. The biggest advantage of Mumbai- safety.

Friday, December 3, 2010

Busy Days

It has been 2 busy days and I am looking forward to the break from it. We have a sales conference in Bangkok beginning Sunday. Fortunately or unfortunately, my passport has expired and the new one did not arrive on time. I am flying to B'glore tomorrow afternoon. KC was wondering why I didn't do so tonight... well, I wanted a break.. sometime to pack, go the parlour etc. I didn't want to leave directly from office.
This month will be busy and yet chill. I have appraisal in 2 weeks and there is a lot to prepare for it. It is weird... I have done well... the nos have happened... and yet I am wondering what to list as achievements. I guess, it will require a lot of thinking.
Chill... 'coz I can take as many leaves as I want.

I am looking forward to the break in B'glore before beginning preparation for the appraisal. Let me push it to the back of my mind.

Yenjoy!!!

Tuesday, November 30, 2010

Saturday night

Hiya. Saturday was extremely busy. I was part of a video being shot in office. It was weird... stand here... look here... smile... walk... etc etc. It dragged on for2.5 hours. Not a lot of fun staying in office till 6.30 pm. After that there was a distributor's wedding to attend. I am not into weddings and generally avoid attending them... but some things have to be done for the show. KC returned home from his gaming session at 9 pm. We rushed to Thane, gave the gift, ate some dinner. I was in the mood to relive some memories and we went to the old house I used to stay when we were dating... in Oct'07-Jan'08. It is near Hiranandani Meadows... a very peaceful area... there are nice places to hang out. We have spent a lot of time there... either in the restaurants or just walking around. I was pleased to find a new outlet- Aromas. It has a branch in Hiranandani Powai and serves good food and coffee. It was an extremely tiring day/night and for the first time KC fell asleep before me.

We had also gone for Italian dinner to Spaghetti in Hiranandani Powai. We ordered a pasta and chicken... good food but quite expensive. I thought Little Italy was pricey but this outlet beats it.

Thats about it... month end is done. Nos have been met and I can sleep in peace. Next month is chill... it is the calm before the storm in Jan.

Adios.

Friday, November 26, 2010

Break ke baad... garama garam review


For the first time (for as long as I can remember) I watched a movie without reading the review first... and lived to regret it.
It is the story of a couple who have been in love since they were kids. They assumed they would end up together. Imran and Deepika are complete opposites... she is impulsive, he is sensible... she is sure about her dreams, he is still finding himself... she is adventurous, he plays it safe... you get it. In real life the relationship will be a disaster... complete opposites cannot stay together... it takes a lot of hard work, commitment and love.
Anyway... Deepika plans to go abroad for studies and they try to work it long distance. It is a disaster... finally, Deepika breaks up with Imran. But Imran being the loser he is... decides to stick around, be at her beck and call and try to win her back. In the process he finds his passion.
In the end, Deepika misses Imran and goes back to him.

Such a dragggggg.... why can't Bollywood ever be real? Why all the pretence? Hollywood makes a lot of crappy chick flicks but the emotions of the women can be identified with. Not so, in this flick. I do see a lot of Deepika's character in me... but... Imran is a loser. And losers never win the women.

Sahana Goswami is looking quite ugly. She needs to lose a lot of weight. I don't know why she does these sidey roles... Deepika has worn shorts throughout.... I know she has great legs... but there are choices of outfits these days. I hated her super duper low waisted ghagharas. They look weird. Sensuality is in leaving some things to the imagination. Imran is predictable. He can play the good guy quite well. Deepika is adept playing such a character. Reminded me of Love Aaj Kal.

Watch it if there is absolutely nothing else to do.

Thursday, November 25, 2010

Hari Putar

This review is a little delayed. There were 3 good movies in the theatre last weekend- Social Network, Guzaarish and Harry Potter and only 1 day to watch it. Picking this one was an obvious choice. KC had actually come home to watch it with me. (Big Smile)
It has been a long time since I read the book so details are sketchy in my mind. I liked the movie. I think the recipe to a good adaptation on screen is- perfect cast which should not change in sequels and sticking to the original story.
Harry Potter has both- we can see him in Daniel, Hermoine in Emma and Ron in Rupert... also the rest of the cast is as I imagined it to be... even better.
Eagerly waiting for part 2.

Wednesday, November 24, 2010

Mind fuck

Hiya... I was stuck in a 3 day training session without internet and could not blog.
Here is an update:

On Monday morning I left for Malad while KC headed to Vashi. I felt bad for not being able to drop him at the bus and his constant "I will miss you" increased the guilt. I was scheduled to attend a 3 day residential training session on "Team Management" at 'The Resort' on Aksa beach. Sounds great???? It was not. The resort is located in one corner of Mumbai... the stench of fish greeted me as I stepped out of the car. It is a Raheja property and very old. The view of the beach and sea is beautiful if you can ignore the smell. The food was not too great. The pastry for dessert had pathetic cream. Remember the b'day cakes we cut as kids? The ones with the cheap cream? The pastries had those. And there were many families on vacation and weddings. I wondered how they could celebrate in that smell. I could not open the balcony door of my room overlooking the sea and pool 'coz of the terrible smell.
Coming to the training... where do I begin? 12 sales managers from all over the country had gathered for it. Thankfully, I had 2 other colleagues from my region and another 1 who had recently shifted from West to Delhi. We stuck together and gossiped.
Anyway, they put us in a conference room with a trainer and HR female and taught us how to manage our team... motivate them... delegate work to them... and understand them better. There was also a session on salsa so people could learn about co-ordination with other people.
By day 3 I was mind fucked. There is a lot of work pending and I could not access my mails/internet due to no network. I wish they would have taken us outdoors instead, divided us into teams and made us do some activities. Atleast we would have ENJOYED that. The trainer was sweet but......... it reminded me of all the HR courses I avoided in B school. Nobody would have caught me dead in them. How things have changed.
I was feeling quite homesick and am glad to be back home. I have done the washing, giving clothes for ironing, unpacking etc already and the thought of innumerable mails to catch up on is giving me a headache.
The first disaster at home was accidently breaking KC's perfume. I had been badgering him to bring it home from Hubli... he did so 2 weeks back and I broke the bottle. Poor guy!!! He must think I am taking some sort of revenge. The second disaster is that the cooking gas is over. I need to look up recipes for microwave cooking and eating rotis is out for next few days.
Ciao... I will be back tomorrow.

Saturday, November 20, 2010

Naam kya hai

There is a weird tradition in India... maybe even around the world. Women have to take their husband's name after marriage. I don't know know how it began and the logic behind it. Another way to oppress women? If yes, why is it still followed? Convenience???
Before marriage I told KC I would not change my name. He freaked out a little. In his defence we were going through a tough time with parents and everything freaked us out. I avoided any further discussion and decided to cross the bridge when we reach it (this is a good way of avoiding conflict with spouse). After marriage we got a marriage certificate to prove the wedding without having to change names. There has been slight pressure from in-laws regarding this... ok, not pressure... but whenever the topic has come up (twice) I have refused to change my name citing inconvenience. They dropped it after that. Anyway, I have to sign documents to change my name and so it cannot be done without my consent.
Below are my reasons for this (I cannot believe I have to give reasons to keep my name):
  • I cannot think of even one logical reason to change the name... why? why? why?
  • I have been BG all my life.... becoming BC is like changing myself... and it does not sound "Me"
  • How do I change from BG to BC on all documents- passport, pancard, driving license, business card, investments, facebook, email etc etc. Who has the time to run around government offices? Like I do not have to do already
  • Will my hubby agree to change his name to mine? No....then why should I. 'Coz I am a woman? What happened to equality?
Ok... Maybe it is convenient when you have kids... but the same question arises. Why should my kids carry my hubby's surname and not mine? My body will give them birth and they cannot have my name? Hello.... 90% of the work in birth giving process is mine, after all. But then we will cross that bridge when we reach it. Hopefully, we never will.

The good part is nobody in my professional life expected me to change my name. It is definitely a rising trend among working women.

Everytime I come across any effort on anyone's part to change my name it infuriates me. Why do I have to fight for my own name? Why? Why? Why?

Monday, November 15, 2010

Confessions of a Listmaniac

This is the 2nd book my Meenakshi... you can read her blog on my blog roll- eM. I found the first book ok, it surprised me that she writes chick lit. I was expecting something intellectual. I shied away from picking the 2nd book since it was stocked in the kids section. But... chick lits can lighten the mood, provide the break between the heavy reading and I was more than happy to order it from the library.
The book is humorous... about a teenager Layla. It is not very different from any Hollywood chick lit flick. I managed to finish it in 1-2 days.
Not bad.

Sunday, November 14, 2010

I am thinking...

  • Samsung is a great company with good products and good service. We have a TV, AC, Fridge and washing machine which have not given any problems in the last one year. The fridge freezer door broke down because I do not defrost it often. One call and the engineer was at home with the door the next day at my convenient time. Wow!!! I am a fan for life.
  • I am reading the blog of someone I knew in college. She was a friend's friend and is on my facebook list. I cannot believe there are soooo many dimensions to this lady. Blogs reveal sooo much
  • Watching Koffee with Karan and my initial thoughts about Ranbir and Imran... 'Ranbir- Cold, manipulative, competitive, spoilt brat, playboy but a good actor. Is he a scorpion?' 'Imran- Kiddish, cool, sweet, friendly, innocent and still to mature as a actor'
  • Diwali bakshish works. I have given it to my maid, cook, laundry guy and trusted watchman. They have all seemed happy and grateful to receive it
  • You need to have time by yourself to be able to blog well- without TV, laptop, books or any other activity. I tend to do atleast 2 activities together at any point of time and thats why blogging is suffering. Ditto for KC

Saturday, November 13, 2010

Doctor Woes

My dad has been my doc for the longest time... till I moved to Manipal. My immunity was quite low as a kid but it became normal once I entered my teens. Our B School had given us insurance in Kasturba Hospital, Manipal. This meant that instead of regular docs the interns attended to us. We had to wait for hours to see a gawky, under confident and sometimes cute doc. Thankfully in Gujarat I never fell ill... my job involved travelling to all sorts of places, eating unhygienic food basis availability and yet there was never a problem.
Mumbai has not been that kind. I have been falling ill almost every month since August. When I had malaria in August the sales targets were not met. Now my illness gives my Boss nightmares.
Anyway, I didn't know the difference between a good doc and a bad doc until now. The medical field is not just about prescribing same medicines to patients with same symptoms. It is like a salon where the services have to be customised. Unfortunately, a bad doc does not understand that. I cannot take too many pills... they make me puke. I have met 2 bad docs who have prescribed me soooo many medicines for even mild illness. Looking at the list I knew I was never going to take all of them. Then I met this doc who understands what I mean and keeps the list to the bare minimum and has a very kind manner.

Falling ill is a pain and the nights are worse. I was up till midnight yesterday feeling almost fine. As soon as I tried to sleep the puking started. Sigh!!! I hate falling ill on the weekend.

Friday, November 12, 2010

Golmaal 3

This review is a little since I wondered if I should post about it. KC has liked first 2 parts... I have not watched the 2nd one and could not understand the big deal behind the 1st part. Being the Pati vrata stree that I am... I put KC's pleasure before my logic.
The movie is usual... those who liked the 1st two parts will like it.... others may avoid. Some parts will make you laugh... just like serials on Sab Tv do even though they are illogical. There is no romantic track which is refreshing. 2nd half drags since gags are fewer.
I survived the entire movie.

Tuesday, November 9, 2010

Diwali Trip

KC and I headed to Goa this Diwali. Diwali can get pretty boring if you are not religious and do not burst crackers. A colleague who has recently shifted from Kolkata was also complaining about the deafening noise of crackers. KC was travelling from Mangalore and I headed from Thane. The journey was uneventful and was not uncomfortable at all.
We had booked ourselves into Cida de goa which is 10 km from Panaji. It greeted us with a beautiful view of the sea. Thankfully, we could check earlier into our sea facing room.

The food at the resort was amazing... the buffet had everything- chicken, fish, mutton/lamb, pasta, Indian, range of desserts, sausages at b'fast. Day 1 was spent relaxing. I generally like to start on the activities- be it water sports, sight seeing, going to the beach. KC is the more relaxed (lazy) kinds. During every trip the 1st day has to be spent sleeping. Even if we check into a hotel in Mumbai I am sure he will want to sleep first since he would have travelled from Mulund to ABC. (With all due respect to his hectic travelling sales job).
The beach was a disappointment. It was dirty and the tides were low. I missed having a good time on the private beach. Well, atleast the swimming pool was overlooking the sea. The beaches at Dona Silva (have been there twice- once with parents and another time with KC on Diwali 2008) and Kenilworth Resort were heaven compared to this one.
We rented a bike on day 2 and headed to Fort Aguada which is 20 km from Panaji. We have done the usual sightseeing earlier- the church, the temple, the cruise and had no interest in it. We picked the Fort since it has a nice view. Beautiful!!!
Unfortunately, the Fort and lighthouse close at 5.30 pm and we had to leave soon. There are very cute restaurants along the way. The resort had organized a Diwali Gala dinner for which they had charged us 1200 bucks. I tried to negotiate out of it but was unsuccessful. Anyway, arrangements were made on the beach... there was a dance troupe and dinner under the skies. It started raining and the venue was moved indoors. It was 9 pm by then... people were hungry and we ended up eating whatever was available. It was an absolute waste of our money and I did complain while checking out. The manager was courteous enough to apologize. When we refused his offer for a free lunch he sent a wine bottle after us- too bad it is red.
Day 3 we checked out and headed to Panaji for lunch. The rest of the day was spent lazing around in the resort since neither of us wanted to shop.

Here are some tips if you are planning a trip to Goa:
  • Pick a resort with a good clean private beach. It doubles the fun
  • During Diwali and New Year's you will be charged anywhere from 500- 1000 bucks per head for the Gala dinner in most resorts
  • Skip the regular sight seeing... it is boring. Rent a bike and explore Goa's lanes. It is beautiful. You don't need to visit any other beach if there is a private beach
  • There is a good market in Panaji behind Inox where you can shop. We came across it on the 3rd day and it was too late by then
  • Relax... laze around in the sun... have some fun
  • Check out timings of sight seeing places... you do not want be late and miss the view like we did
  • Skip the cruise which resorts will book you into. They are total crap
I hated to go to work today... no matter how many times we part there is still the heavy feeling in my heart. I could not drop to the bus today since I had a lot of work in office and was in no mood to drive all the way to Vashi and back.

Sunday, November 7, 2010

White Man Falling


Reading 300 pages of this book took me 10 days. It begins well... the story is about a typical low class family in a South Indian family with a disabled husband, his wife and 6 daughters.
It started dragging mid way and I just wanted it to end. The end is predictable and 300 pages is a lot for the simple story.
I am surprised a foreigner has described the Indian scenario so well.

Wednesday, November 3, 2010

Goodbye

Hey people... Just dropped to say 'Goodbye'. I am off to Goa tonight. I have spent the day finishing chores outside and inside the house. Packing was pain since I pack for all situations. I hate to think that I might not have something I need and regret not carrying it. Please pray my suitcase does not burst at the seams.

Happy Diwali to one and all. I don't generally reply mails or smses wishing me. It is quite a pain.

Expect the next post on Sunday or Monday... until YENJOY!!!

Monday, November 1, 2010

Top 5 Updates

  1. Off to Goa on Wednesday... When Mom refused to let me come home KC and I decided to take a well deserved break
  2. What if you realized that the bad guy was actually the good guy and vice versa... that I had been trusting the wrong guy all along. But then again, isn't good and bad a perception? My perceptions are shaped by someone else's experiences
  3. Last month I was obsessed with purses... this month it is footwear. I have vowed not buy either for the next one year.... footwear from Linking Road, Bandra do not count. I believe in love at first sight when it comes to shopping
  4. It has been a good month... touched the highest sales nos. I have been lucky to have handled high potential sales areas. The only bad part is work for next month begins even before the current month is over.
  5. It has been soooooooooo difficult to concentrate on work. So much to do and so much excitement in the air...

Sunday, October 31, 2010

A Double Life


I love biographies- auto or otherwise and pick it up whenever I come across one. Alque Padamsee is the most famous face in advertising. The book is about his double life- in theatre and advertising. It must be a different feeling when your passion is your work... and overshadows everything else- even family. It must be a good feeling.
He is a lucky lucky man to have pursued his passion.
A damn good book.

Tuesday, October 26, 2010

Recent Trend

There we were... a group of 4 women and 2 men. All are married except one. One of us- R has shifted to Mumbai from Kolkata, her hubby is still in Kolkata trying to shift here. She is living alone with her kid and has no friends or family. J's hubby works in Merchant Navy. He spends 6 months travelling the world and she lives with her son. Thankfully, her parents are in Mumbai. And you know my status.
There is another female I know- M who is at a senior position... very senior. Her hubby was given an excellent opportunity in Kolkata. He couldn't refuse it... she couldn't leave her position. They have been staying apart for a year.
It is a recent trend... I had read about it.. I am meeting the people now. I thought such compromises have to be made only in the beginning of the career. It is not always possible to quit your job to change locations. It is easier to move ahead in the same organization than move and quitting work is not an option. And yet there is no life without the family.

Sigh!!! I hope... for us this is the end of the long road.. I know I don't want to stay away from KC ever again... even if it kills him (:P).

Sunday, October 24, 2010

Perfect Sunday

What a relaxing Sunday... I am loving it. I managed to finish ALL the cleaning on Saturday and most of the washing.
Sunday began with KC's call at 6 am... I picked him up from the bus... the maid turned up at 7 am... the car washer at 7.30 am... and then I snoozed till 10.30 am when the cook arrived. After b'fast and lunch it is snooze time again... for KC while I am online.
Wish all Sundays were like this...

Friday, October 22, 2010

Friday night fever

Its been a frustrating few hours. The first half of the day passed by peacefully... the upheavals happened in the 2nd half. Sometimes I like to look back to the year past and see how far I have come professionally... how much I have learned and how much I have contributed. There are some things which make me happy and contented and many others which make me feel helpless and frustrated. I wish there would have been progress in some of the important things. I hate to be standing at the same junction after a year. Sigh!!!

Note- Above reference to professional life and not personal

Friday night is special but I end up doing un-special things like watching Project Runway while eating KFC chicken. Today is a day I just want to sip coffee with a friend and de-stress.... but not at home... and not on the phone.

The plan for Diwali is to go to Goa. We cancelled the trip in April on our anniversary and we are making it up now. I am looking forward to the break... THAT and Khushi's arrival to Mumbai on Sunday (for a week) and Diwali gifts.

There are good and bad American reality shows. The bad ones can be VERY, VERY, VERY cheesy with unimaginable drama and the good ones are a class apart- So you think you can dance, Project Runway, Masterchef Australia (yes, yes, it is Australian). They focus on the content- dance, food, fashion etc and not on the drama. Unfortunately in India, Indian TV industry only includes the negatives in reality shows... Masterchef India focuses on Akshay's star power. There was this guy who gifted him a kirpan, there were close ups of them and lot of emotional drama. Why can't they just focus on the content instead of the celebrity?

Thursday, October 21, 2010

Minor Update

When I go to the gym there are few things which pep me up:
  • Fast music. The pace picks up with a hep, fast song and it drops with a slow song. I have not yet made a list specific to my gym routine 'coz this is the only time of the say I listen to music and I don't want to miss out on any song
  • If my neighbour on the treadmill is working out at a fast pace. I guess it is the competitive spirit... or maybe not. If my neighbour is running I am motivated to run and if he/she is striding along my pace drops.
The only high points this month will be- Diwali gift from the company and some products I have ordered. Thats it!!! I will be more than happy when it ends.

Yesterday, I could not move out of bed... I called in sick. I just wanted a day off... off from the work, the cleaning, the driving etc etc.
It helped me refresh a bit.

Yawn... Good night.

Sunday, October 17, 2010

On my lust list

  • A white Swatch watch for 7k. It looked fabulous on my wrist. Sigh!!! I have never ever spent money on buying a watch. Till college my parents bought them for me. The most expensive one was a Fastrack watch for 1k. It lasted a year. My sis gifted me a Skagen, then KC gifted a red Tommy Hilfiger and KC's friends gifted an Esprit. Unfortunately, the Skagen's belt and glass needs replacement, Tommy needs a new original belt and Esprit needs a new battery. The problem is the belts and glass are stocked out. I have contacted many many shops. And thats why I am reluctant to blow money on an expensive watch and then watch it rot away for months. But.... the white Swatch is calling me from the showroom. Everytime I close my eyes I can see it floating around beckoning me.
  • Orra platinum and white gold earrings with diamonds. I purchased gold jewellery from Tanishq in March but have not worn it even once. After seeing the beautiful pieces in Orra I don't like the jewellery I bought. All I want to do is sell it and buy the exquisite pieces. The white gold earrings will make me seem richer, more pretty and make my day... everyday. I can't live without it now...
Dussehra and Durga Puja on the same day has given me a headache. The usual traffic snarls, selfish people blocking the road while dancing and noise levels at their peak characterised the day.

Friday, October 15, 2010

Another trial

I cooked Thai red curry today. Its was ok kinds. I do like Thai food as a variation but would not be able to survive on it. I remember eating authentic Thai food in Bangkok and not liking it too much.
But... Thai food is quite healthy except for the coconut milk since coconut has a lot of calories.

Here is the recipe taken from Tarla Dalal's website:
Ingredients:
- Red curry paste- Ching's has launched a readymade red curry paste... available in hypermarkets. In case you cannot find it, the recipe is below
- Coconut milk- readymade available of various brands- 200 ml
- Cornflour- 1 tbsp mixed in water
- 1/2 tbsp soya sauce
- basil leaves, chopped
- vegetables- mushrooms, corn, zuchini, capsicum, broccoli- whatever takes your fancy

Heat oil. Fry the red curry paste. Mix coconut milk and corn flour and add it to the paste. Add soya sauce, basil leaves. Microwave the vegetables in water to make them tender. Alternatively, you can add them to the coconut milk and mixture and simmer for 10 mins. Add salt and Thai seasoning (optional if you can find it in the market). Boil till curry thickens.
Serve with rice.

Recipe for red paste:
- 10 red chillies, soaked in warm water for 10 mins and drained
- 1 onion, chopped
- 4 cloves garlic
- 1 tsp ginger grated
- 2 lemongrass stalks
- 6 stalks of coriander
- 1 tsp coriander powder
- 2 tsp jeera powder
- 1/2 tsp white peppercorn
- 1/2 tsp salt
Grind above ingredients to a paste with a little water.

Monday, October 11, 2010

Shobha at Sixty

I picked up this book and put it down 50 pages later. I don't understand why she wrote this one... she has written fiction... puts her views in columns... has written a book on letters to her kids... and another book on India at 60 which parallels her life.
She has nothing new to say.

Not worth it. Thank god I didn't spend money on it.

Sunday, October 10, 2010

Do dooni chaar

For lack of other movies and a good review in the paper KC and I headed for this one. It is a simple, good, time pass movie about a middle class family. Rishi Kapoor is a teacher in a private school and gives coaching after school. Neetu Singh is his sacrificing, cheerful, loving wife with 2 kids- typical teenagers.
The movie is about how and why they get a car.
The first half is very interesting and fun... 2nd half is ok types... kind of predictable and during the climax everything magically turns out right.
But thats ok... it is better than most movies releasing these days. All actors are great. Neetu Singh could not get the Punjabi accent completely right... but it was a pleasure to watch her.

Old Melodies

I spent Friday night downloading English music... not new songs... but old melodies which are stuck in my head... which bring back memories. Here are my favourites:
  • Part time lovers by Stewie Wonder- This is song is very special. At home we have owned only 2 tapes/music systems. The 1st one portable and played cassettes. It had orange buttons. In those days, English music tapes were expensive and my sis saved money to buy them as a teenager. I loved this song but over the years the cassette was lost. I have been looking for it since then. Btw, the song 'Na jaane kahan se aayi hai' in Chaalbaaz is inspired from this one
  • I love you from 'Runaway bride': This was the first movie we watched in a multiplex in A'bad. My mama had taken us. I love this song....
  • Dr Jones by Aqua: Aqua was a fun band and we played its songs over and over and over as a teenager. Dr Jones is the best one out of all their songs... even better than 'Barbie girl'
  • Desert Rose by Sting: What a classic... it never goes out of fashion. The perfect travel song
  • The Real Slim Shady by Eminem: The best one from him... the video is hilarious. I have spent a lot of nights watching late night MTV when this song was released...
  • Clint Eastwood by Gorillaz: Listen it once and you will get addicted
  • Mysterious Girl by Peter Andre: Tacky but loved it as a teen... Peter is soooo hot
  • Smack my bitch up by Prodigy: Everyone should watch the video once...
  • Du Hast by Ramstein: This was the theme song in TAPMI- my B school. It was played in all functions- informal ones.
  • I want you by Savage Garden: A good boy band... this one is my fav
  • Others: Pretty Fly by Offsprings, Fast car by Tracy Chapman, 5678 by Steps, Unbreak my heart by Toni Braxton, Heal the world by Michael Jackson
I managed to revamp my balcony this weekend. It was overdue for a month. I was tired of the boring, plastic, monochromatic pots. I purchased colorful pots and new plants. It looks much better now.

My successful recipe for the weekend is pizza.
Ingredients:
  • Pizza base- available in all bakeries and supermarkets
  • Pizza sauce- you can prepare this but why bother when readymade is available. I liked the one by Nestle of the brand Maggi. It will be available where imported items are sold
  • Oregano- available in all supermarkets
  • Cheese cubes
  • Mozzarella cheese- Amul brand
  • Veggies for toppings- chopped tomato, onion, capsicum, corn, mushrooms, olives, jalapenos- anything and everything you like
  • Pepper
Apply Pizza sauce on the pizza base. Do not apply till the edges else it will spill over in the oven. Grate cheese cubes on it and place the veggies. Sprinkle pepper and oregano. Top with grated mozzarella cheese. Place on the wire rack in the microwave oven on 200-360 degrees for 10 mins. Remove when the cheese melts. Cut into slices and serve.

It may not turn out perfect the first time since everyone has preferences. The best part is it can be customised.

Wednesday, October 6, 2010

Comfort Zone

I travelled to Pune yesterday by bus. I got onto a bus after almost a year and had forgotten how pleasant the journey can be. There was also the fear which made me realize I have entered a comfort zone. The thought of getting out of the cocoon is so tiring that I have stopped making efforts. I love to travel.... entering a new terrain gladdens my heart... whether it is the ghats near Lonavala or the stone houses at Saurashtra or dry land at Kutch... it is a new experience with new possibilities. Bus journeys have the maximum scope for imagination. Another great part is that travelling cuts me off from people... there cannot be long conversations on the phone (atleast not throughout the journey). All I can do is read and listen to music. I get the "Me" time. And since there are no distractions the thoughts come unbidden.
I wondered why I have not taken my car and driven to Lonavala. It would be extremely refreshing.

Through FB I realized an old friend is in Pune. I wondered if I should give him a call. We did not part on good terms. On reaching Pune I decided to throw caution to the winds and made the call (God bless FB... anyone contact is available there). He didn't answer. "Oh well!!! What would I have said anyway."; I thought. But he called back and sounded happy to hear from me. The meeting in Pune stretched till 7 pm and there was no time to meet up which was disappointing. There are some people we can call even after 10 years of not staying in touch. I have quite a few such friends.

On the journey I thought about my "happy places"... places in my mind/memories where I turn when life gets too much:
  • My bed at home. I dream of going home and sleeping on that bed. Everytime an opportunity to go home comes I somehow shirk it. If things didn't go well there, the happy place will not give me happy thoughts. I am just keeping the door open.
  • Taking walks at Manipal. You never knew where it would take you. Every path (even the well trodden one) managed to surprise me. The best place was "the hillside".
  • My trip to Corbett. I had the best time with Abhinav and Dhruv - specially our all night talking and drinking.
  • My trip to Bangkok- again with Abhinav and Dhruv. Those were good times and I am lucky to have such friends.
  • The time with RT and Appu at CCD in Manipal.... dinners of paratha and khichdi at Sheela (did I get the name right?) with them
  • Bike rides with KC when we started dating... I wish I had a bike instead of the car and he would still take me around everywhere
And this is probably the most "open", "frank" post of 2009. Savour it...

The reason I have not been writing anything with "substance" is I am so distracted I don't have a heart to heart with myself. I need to travel more... much much much more.

Monday, October 4, 2010

Khichdi


What a movie!!! I was laughing my ass off in EVERY scene. 2010 is the year for the underdogs. (LSD, Tere bin laden, Udaan etc). I am a big fan of the series and the movie is a very good extension of it. The best part is the characters and actors are the same (except for Jayshri). Picking Khichdi over Anjaana Anjaani was a very obvious decision.
Do not miss this one.

Everytime I watch Khichdi I remember Diya... my batchmate from engineering college. This bubbly girl would discuss the episodes of Khichdi in college with other females and it got me very curious. I did not access to TV in the hostel but watched it when I went home and loved the show.

Show Business

After reading 'Great Indian Novel' by Shashi Tharoor I was looking forward to reading another one by him.
Show Business is a book about life in Bollywood. Shashi traces the life of an actor while he is in coma. The actor's extra marital affair sounds suspiciously like the love triangle of Amitabh, Rekha and Jaya.
There are many chapters on film stories- as in an entire film story is narrated in the chapter which gets quite boring.
The book is strictly ok. I am kind of reluctant to read 'Riot'- another book by him.

The weekend gone by

Hiya. I just returned home... this week is hectic... this month is hectic. Festival season means loads of work. The weekend was tranquil. On Friday I rushed to Hypercity Vashi for weekly grocery shopping from office... finally, I could use my Sodexho vouchers. There are very few outlets which accept them. After that KC and I headed to his friend's treat at Zodiac Cafe in Fortune. Amazing buffet. The desserts were awesome. I woke up at 7 am on Saturday to supervise the maid's cleaning and cook. I have decided to cook something new every week... all by myself.
This weekend it was Pilsbury ka chocolate cake. Ok... ok... it is not technically a cake from scratch but why do I need to go through the trouble when packaged mix is available? I also tried saucy baby corn. It is actually a recipe for saucy paneer by Nita Mehta.
Ingredients:
--- Baby corn or paneer or any other vegetable
--- Corn flour 1.5 tbsp
--- Maida 1.5 tbsp
--- Soya sauce
--- Tomato ketchup
--- Chilli sauce
--- Tobasco chilli sauce (optional)
--- Capsicum
--- Onions (optional)
--- Black Pepper
--- White Pepper
--- Salt (to taste)
--- Ajinomoto (available in all provision stores)

1. Cut the vegetables in smaller pieces. Mix corn flour and maida with water. Add some salt and make a batter. Dip the vegetables in the batter such that it is completely coated. Fry (I prefer shallow fry to deep fry) to a brown color. The baby corn will still be soft from inside which I think is fine
2. Heat oil. Add onions and then capsicum after 2 mins. Add ajinomoto, salt, black pepper and white pepper
3. Add soya sauce, ketchup and tobasco sauce. Tobasco is very spicy so add it judiciously. Also do not add too much salt since soya sauce has a salty taste
4. Add vegetables/baby corn/paneer. Serve immediately. It does not taste as good if it is not served hot

The agenda for this week and weekend is to get pest control done and give the balcony a new look. I am looking for new colorful pots for the plants. I hate the monotonous plastic ones. Finding cheap pots is very difficult.

Ciao... I will spend time in researching a new recipe.

Thursday, September 30, 2010

The Verdict

As I drove down the roads of Mumbai I could feel the chill in my bones. They were mostly deserted (by Mumbai standards).. people were rushing home before the verdict was announced. My bro was on the train and I kept my fingers crossed till he messaged he had reached his hostel. The nation was holding its breath.
I don't know what the verdict means... I just hope there will not be any riots... I hope common man will realize that there is no point in riots. I think everyone is tired... everyone has had a brush with this kind of violence and it is not worth it.
And yet there is a fear... a fear to step out tomorrow... because these things do not begin with a warning.
The Muslim board has not accepted the decision and that keeps the uncertainty alive. It is not over. We are not safe till the issue is closed.

Monday, September 27, 2010

Mini Shopholic

This is the 6th book in the series and I have read each one of them. In this book, Becky Bloomwood has a 2 year old daughter who is already recognizing shops and on her way to becoming like her mother- a shopaholic... there is recession everywhere and Becky is planning the biggest surprise b'day party for her husband.

A damn good read if you are a fan.

Wednesday, September 22, 2010

I am sorry I have neglected the blog

This blog has been neglected all month.... first 'coz of illness, then I got a little busy with KC and also the net was not working for a few days in between.
I have started my work out session from today. The illness had interrupted the schedule. I have not followed the diet plan (or healthy eating) all month and I pledge to start again from tomorrow.
I have given in to all indulgences this month... whether it is chicken, potatoes, Mc D's burgers, cold drinks, fried junk etc.
Today is the last day of Ganesh Visarjan and we had half day off. Entire Mumbai is closed, there is traffic and crowds on the roads.
While gymming I was looking at the time on the panel and getting bored, then the songs of Udaan (Geet) came on and it took me back to my school days. I have downloaded the movie and plan to watch it again tonight. Some movies need to be watched a second time... I can concentrate on little things since I already know the story. Aisha is another flick I want to watch again.
The first scenes in Udaan is about 4 friends who go to watch a porn flick and get caught. They are running towards the school when 1 of them falls and hurts his ankle. He asks the rest to run back and save themselves but they refuse and carry him with them. They are caught, of course. Would any of us do that now for friends??? How many friends we would do it for?
I remember telling my mom when I was just out of school; "I will always be there for X.. no matter what. All she has to do is call". Those words sound so immature. After all, would she even call me when in trouble? But the best thing about my boarding school was that a lot of times the whole class took punishments instead of one person. We didn't give out the person's name who played the prank and happily stood by each other. I don't know if the authorities were happy to see this value or was it frustrating for them.

This weekend KC and I went for dinner to Kareem's. We have been meaning to try out the restaurant for more than month now. On Sundays they do not serve regular kebabs... they offer 4 varieties of kebabs not on the menu. The peshawari chicken was the best kebab I have EVER tasted... soft, spicy.... yum. The chicken just melted in my mouth and I swooned with every bite. The kadai veg and chicken biryani were also good. The service is horrible, though... atleast in the Vashi outlet. I am not sure about the other branches. The surprise was when they brought the bill... the kebab cost 550 bucks... In the menu the kebabs were for 130 bucks and platter for around 400-500. I realized we had been fleeced. Yes... the kebabs were good but I doubt we (atleast me) would have ordered them if we knew 4 pcs cost 550 bucks. I was pissed off and have decided to ALWAYS ask the price before ordering.

On sat we (I) drove to Kharghar (as KC's chauffeur) and took a walk. I like Kharghar... the roads are nice, the center with the fountain looks beautiful at night, it is peaceful, there is no traffic. Dinner was at a Nerul restaurant where they play live music. I was hoping for western music but they were Jagjit songs which was a downer. The food was good and I had liquor after soooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo long. I really crave to get drunk and high... it has been so long but I have to drive and cannot take the risk.

Will be back with more updates...

PS: I have enrolled in this library in Dombiwali which delivers books at home. The collection is huge with latest books added every month (Shobha De's new book is already part of the collection) and they also stock magazines. Monthly cost is around 250 bucks (depending on plan chosen) plus 500 bucks deposit. They deliver in all parts of Mumbai. The website is http://www.friendslibrary.in/

Friday, September 17, 2010

The most hated festival

So... the drums start again on the road near my building. I have paused the CD player 'coz I cannot hear a thing. I can't even hear myself think. I have never hated another festival soooo much... not even Holi when you cannot venture outdoors... not Diwali when you have to look for crackers on the streets.
Ganesh Chaturthi is the most hated festival of all. What makes it ok for people to inconvenience others sooo much? There is fear in the evening while leaving work 'coz I can never be sure which roads will be blocked by people carrying the statue for visarjan.
Compare this to Durga Puja that I witnessed during my 1 month stay in Kolkata. For 4-5 days the entire city is closed... malls, shops, offices... everything. People go pandaal hopping in peace. I have visited 3-4 pandaals in one day without any nuisance... there was not too much traffic or crowd. People had fun in their own way without bothering anyone else. There was no blocking the streets, no blaring noise, no untoward incidents.
I think we should all learn how to celebrate festivals from the Kolkatans.
I hate Mumbai all the more now. The government is quite useless. Basic amenities are lacking- the city is dirty, roads have potholes, traffic is out of control, rents are sky high and so not worth it, there are diseases everywhere, slums as far as the eye can see and terrorist attacks every year.
Can it get worse?

Sunday, September 12, 2010

Dabaang

I did not think I would be watching this movie but KC insisted... and I gave in.
What can I say that has not already been said?
Is it a good movie?? No... Is it entertaining? Maybe.
The movie is about Salman and if you like him or can tolerate him... you will enjoy it. Else avoid. There is not much story to speak of... whatever little is there is full of loopholes. I am surprised Abhinav Kashyap didn't give attention to detail.
Sonakshi Sinha is good in her limited role... don't really understand her character.

Can be watched once to understand why Salman is revered by the masses. This is a movie for them.

Loooooong break

Hiya. I am back after a long break. Don't ask what happened. I booked my tickets for B'glore on Sunday. The plan was to catch up with friends on Friday, visit Mysore on Sat and return on Sunday evening. Guess what happens??? I fall ill. I was feeling down under on Sat itself. I managed to finish work and return home on time since KC and I had plans with his friends. But by 7 pm I could not move... my body ached all over. I curled up at home and ditched him. On Monday evening the puking began... the cough and cold were slowly building up. It was a terrible, terrible week spent in the doc's consulting room, spending money on blood/urine/swine flu tests and on a lot of medicines.
I came to the conclusion that there are good docs and there are bad docs. The good docs are the one who prescribe medicines which will cure me... they understand when I say; "I puke on taking tablets. Please give me fewer tablets"... and I consult them again.
The bad docs are disinterested... they will answer 5 calls within 15 mins while consulting me... their list of tablets is longer than the list of foods I can eat in a day...

Anyway, I have recovered now and do not wish to fall ill again.

Thursday, September 2, 2010

Hey Baby

I have to answer weird questions from friends/acquaintances when they get to know I am married. They are about kids... "When are you planning to have kids?". It stops at that when I reply in the negative. Of course, explanations and justifications have to be given and then the other person gets into a discussion about his/her family plans.

I am not writing this 'coz I do not like kids and never want to have them (topic for another post) but the fact that people equate marriage to kids. I would like to know why. Is it 'coz that is how we are brought up? Or is it 'coz our relatives question about kids once married? Or is it 'coz finally the world acknowledges that a couple is having sex. Sex in the Indian context is related to making kids.

Nobody asked me about kids when I was dating KC (you know what I mean by "dating"). So, why now? I knew KC quite well when when we were married but not all couples are like that. Don't you need time to adjust to living with someone before having kids? Don't you need to be stable in your career and finances before making babies?

The strangest part is KC has not been subjected to such inquiries... after all, only the mother can want kids. The father is just an on-looker in the whole process.

Wednesday, September 1, 2010

Kya baat hai...jo baat hai... taaza lage...

I love love love love love love love the songs of Udaan. The strange part is I have not heard them playing on the radio or TV while cheap songs like 'Munni darling' are on every music channel.
I can concentrate on music only on my Ipod. I need to block out all other sounds to listen to music... when it is playing in the background I am too distracted to actually "listen".
Gym time is the only time when I can listen to uninterrupted music... there is no time otherwise. I do not even have a desk job working on excel where music can be played.
I visited the gym after almost a month.... due to expiry of the membership and then the illness and then laziness. Getting back to the routine is most difficult after such a long break. Initially, the new Puma golden colored shoes (cheapest in the sale among Nike, Reebok, Adidas and Puma) were a motivation but for the past week I have been procrastinating. Every morning at 6 am on the sound of alarm I would tell myself I will go in the evening and in the evening I would put it on the next morning.
Finally, today I dragged my ass back and I know I will follow the routine.

Sometimes half the battle is the beginning.

I am also loving the songs of 'Once upon a time in Mumbai' specially- 'I am in Love'. Another song that takes my breath away is 'Aye Khuda'. Salim Merchant's voice is heavenly... and 'Bekraar' by Lucky Ali. I generally don't listen to songs of flop movies but these songs are too too good.

Saturday, August 28, 2010

There is nothing more relaxing than...

... 2 hours in the salon after a hectic day.

The house is a mess and full of dirt. I have not cleaned for 2 weeks now 'coz of the illness. There is so much to do tomorrow and I managed to finish some of it today... visit to salon, grocery shopping, clothes washing.
This is how my day will be like tomorrow:
  • 6 am: Wake up and pick up KC from Vashi
  • 7.30 am: The maid will come to clean the house. I have to ensure she cleans everything by following her around
  • 8 am: The cook will come to cook b'fast and lunch. I have to guide her since she will cook Chinese for lunch
  • 8.30 am: Clean the house
  • 9 am: Bath and b'fast
  • 10 am: Visit the salon
  • Rest of the day: Spend time with KC. I also need to find time to visit the gym
Sundays are so hectic. I wish I had Saturdays off. I would have finished the boring chores on Sat and relaxed on Sunday.

Even after Meter Jam initiative in Mumbai the cabs and auto walas have not changed. It is pure torture finding a cab/auto which will take me to my destination without over charging. I travelled by a cab today whose meter was faulty. I had to pay extra 'coz of the meter.
Does anyone know a phone no where I can register complaints against these monsters? Going to the police station to lodge these complaints is too tedious.

Thursday, August 26, 2010

No Smoking

I wanted to watch this movie for quite some time... it has been directed by Anurag Kashyap. I remember when it was released smokers liked it while non-smokers could not understand it.
The movie is ok kinds... I appreciate the experiment but it isn't one to be watched in the theatre. The story is about a guy who is a chain smoker. His wife leaves him because of this and he enrolls in a rehabilitation centre suggested by a friend. Thats when things go wrong... according to the centre if John smokes the first cigarette his bro who is in the hospital will be put in a chamber of smoke, on smoking the 2nd cigarette his fingers will be chopped off, on smoking the 3rd cigarette his wife will die and on smoking the 4th cigarette he will be considered too addicted to give up on nicotine and his soul will be separated from the body.
You get the picture... an experimental movie.

Inception

I was quite pissed with KC for watching this movie without me. I had been badgering him for 3 weeks. There were no good torrents to download and when he gave me a bad review I gave up.
Thankfully, my bro had not seen it and we headed to the theatre on Rakshabandhan.
Well... I don't understand what people found complicated in the movie and had to watch it again. I guess, you shouldn't get into the details.
The movie is ok kinds... I felt like the director went out of his way to complicate it. Worth a watch once but definitely does not deserve all the raving it has been getting.


Monday, August 23, 2010

It is nice...

... to talk to friends... there is the assurance that I am not alone... that there are other people (like me) suffering in a similar manner... and it is nice to gossip... there is the knowledge that strangers are also suffering in a similar manner.

Sunday, August 22, 2010

Lafangey Parinde

I don't know why I went for this movie.... these days I only watch "different" Bollywood stuff... none of the usual for me. KC was bored and wanted to catch a filum so we headed for this one. I already knew the story and the reviews.
Read any website for the story... it is a different story with Bollywood treatment. Very avoidable. There is no logic or sense in it but Deepika and Nitin have made genuine efforts of acting. Full marks to them.
Watch only if nothing else is available.

Peepli Live

I was eager to watch this one... 'coz of all the hype. Peepli Live is a movie about farmer suicides, government's apathy towards them and media circus. It is not about a happy ending or even getting a solution... it is about reality and the end is as real as it happens which may get disappointing. I liked it... but not many people will.
The chase for sensation by the media is hilarious and portrayed very correctly. I hope the channel guys watch it and realize how stupid they look on TV.
The actors are fabulous... worth a watch.

Saturday, August 21, 2010

Eat Pray Love

I caught up on reading in the hospital (yes... it was malaria... yes... I was in the hospital). KC bought me this book and I was glad. I have been reading about the movie based on it which stars Julia Roberts.
The book is a true story about a woman and her search for God... she travels to Bali, India and Paris after her life falls apart. It is an ok ok book which got too heavy will all the meditation and God talk.

I hope the movie is better.

English August

I wanted to pick up this book for ages. There is also a movie based on it but I cannot find the CD or torrent.
The book is about a young man who gets into IAS. The prestigious position in India... the book is about Agastya's one training during IAS. The profession is not what it is made out to be.
Agastya is from Kolkatta and Delhi... a youngster who loves his booze and drugs. He is sent to a small town- Madna where he spends most of the days boozing, masturbating and doping. There is a time when he thinks of quitting and going home but his father urges him to stay on.
In the end he stays on... and despite best intentions does learn a few lessons... but gives up.
It is a depressing book... and removes the lustre from IAS profession.

Worth a read.

Wednesday, August 11, 2010

Hiya... I am ill... just got tested for Malaria. I hope the reports come negative tomorrow. One moment I was busy with work in the market and could feel the beginnings of a terrible headache which I shirked off as stress.... the next moment I was puking my lunch in the office loo at 6 pm. I drove home holding on with difficulty. All I wanted to do was stop my car at Powai and puke.
I took the day off today and felt better by afternoon. But as evening crawled I started shivering and felt the fever on me. The doc was kind enough to prescribe fewer tablets (I cannot take tablets). KC is adamant about coming home over the weekend... but this month is hectic for both of us and we cannot afford to lose work days. The phone kept ringing every hour and I didn't know how to tell everyone to leave me alone. Sigh!!!
Malaria is becoming a problem in Mumbai but I didn't imagine it could affect me. There are no mosquitoes at home. Thankfully I stay on the 8th floor where the stench of garbage strewn around the building cannot reach.

Anyway... I managed to finish all seasons of 'That 70s show'. This is the only series after Friends and SATC that I have completed.
Here are my thoughts:
  • I wanted Jackie and Hyde to end up together... they made a combustible pair
  • Dana should have ended up with Randy... they were quite perfect for each other in season 8. But she goes back to Eric. Real life is about moving on and not getting stuck in a rut
  • Dana gives up college 'coz she cannot part from Eric but he does not think twice before going to Africa... and she talks about feminism???
  • It was shock to see the teens working at various jobs instead of attending college but thats American life, I guess
  • Fas's native country is not revealed till the end... and that is hilarious
  • Eric's parents were consistent through all the seasons... damn good

My bed is filled with clothes, medicines, laptop, books, thermometer. I hate to sleep in such a messy place but have no energy to clean.
Btw... illness did not deter me from washing clothes. :)

The Great Indian Novel

There are some books which make you feel like life was incomplete until you read them... you wonder how you went through life without delving into those pages... how you can have a library and not stock this gem.
TGIN is one such book. I am amazed... such imagination, humor, writing skills... very few writers possess these traits. I wish I could write like that. If I was asked for one boon I would wish to write like Shashi Tharoor.
This book is about Mahabharta and Modern Indian history. The characters of the epic become synonymous to the politicians in freedom movement and later period. So... Bhishma is Gandhi.... Karna is Jinnah... Duryodhan is Indira Gandhi... Pandavas are Congressmen... so on and so forth.

Worth a read.

Sunday, August 8, 2010

Aisha

Umm... hmm... umm... Where do I begin? KC didn't like it... I did.
Aisha is a simple movie... about love, match making, Aisha, Delhi high society. It has been years since I read Emma (the book this movie claims to be based on). There was a phase when I read all Jane Austens one after the other and all the stories are muddled by in my mind... there is Pride and Prejudice (have read and re-read and re-re-read it), there is sense and sensibility about 2 sisters... and some more.
Anyway, the movie is a total rip off of 'Clueless' with one difference... Abhay and Sonam share a sarcastic friendship in this movie while in Clueless Alicia's half brother (the hero) was sympathetic and patient with her.
Sonam fits the role very well... she is every inch the spoilt brat who thinks meddling in other people's life is doing social work and helping them. Ira Dubey reminds me of Lilette Dubey. Their voice is so similar. Somehow she reminds me of the female in Monsoon Wedding but thats not her.
Abhay Deol is damn good... as always.. Cyrus is every inch the "loser" he is playing.
The characters may seem far fetched to some people but I have come across such people. A lot of females (I know some of them) stay home waiting to get married and have enough time on their hands.
I loved the portrayal of Delhi high society.
Gals will love it... men, not so much.

AND the clothes surpass expectations... I have been reading so much about them... Sonam is dressed beautifully in every scene. At times the movie does become a brand endorsement for L'Oreal... Dior... LV... Bru etc but thats ok.

Anil Kapoor should have launched Sonam with this flick instead of the other duds. I still don't like her... but atleast she has done something right.