Homage to 26/11 Mumbai attack martyrs

We are proud of you for your sacrifice...

if it was not for your efforts, some of us might not have been alive

Paying homage to the 26/11 Mumbai terror attack martyrs:

Shri Hemant Karkare

Shri Hemant Karkare, Joint Commissioner of Police, ATS, Mumbai (A brave officer and a gentleman)
Shri Ashok Kamte, Additional Commissioner of Police, East Region, Mumbai
Major Sandeep Unnikrishnan, Indian Army
Shri Vijay Salaskar, Police Inspector, Anti Extortion Cell, Mumbai
Shri Shashank Shinde, Police Inspector, CST Railway station
Shri Prakash P More, Police Sub-Inspector, LT Marg Police Station
Shri Bapusaheb Durugade, Police Sub-Inspector, LA 1, Naigaon
Shri Tukaram G Omble, Assistant Police Sub-Inspector, DB Marg Police Station

Shri Balasaheb Bhosale, Assistant Police Sub-Inspector
Shri M C Chowdhary, Police Head Constable RPF
Shri Gajendra Singh, NSG Commando
Shri Arun Chithe, Police Constable

Shri Ashok Kamte

Shri Jaywant Patil, Police Constable
Shri Yogesh Patil, Police Constable
Shri Ambadas Pawar, Police Constable
Shri Vijay Khandekar, Police Constable
Shri Rahul S Shinde, Police Constable, SRPF Group X Solapur
Shri Mukesh B Jadhav, Home Guard Constable

Why is Kasab still surviving 26/11???

I can never forget that fateful day two years ago on 26/11/2008. We returned from our honeymoon only to be shocked with the news on television. We couldn't believe our eyes and ears. Is it a nightmare? It can't be true. We were hooked onto the news channels and internet news sites for days together.

I can't explain the hatred I developed for Kasab and whoever the masterminds of the Mumbai attacks might be. For the first time in my life I wanted someone to suffer... someone to be brutally tortured. Little did I know that today, two years from then, I would still be wanting him to be punished. Kasab - why is he the one to survive the 26/11 attacks???  The person (no, he can't be a human) who walked peacefully after mercilessly killing many is still at peace!!! Why are we not setting an example by punishing him severely??? Why are we not sending a strong message to all the terrorists out in the world - DON'T MESS WITH OUR NATION OR ELSE...


We owe it to all the martyrs and all those great people who fought the 26/11 terrorists, don't we? But all we can do is wait for the system to take its course. Trials after trials after trials. The people who were killed for no fault of theirs had no trial for anything... they were killed in an instant, there families' lives changed in a day. And Kasab is still facing trials!!! Everyone saw what happened... yet???

I know there's no point saying all this... as whatever has to happen with those responsible will take its own 'procedural' course. But then all I can do with those in-humans is express my hatred, yet again!

If there were 2 Sundays a week!

Every Monday, every person is on the same page, “Sunday got over too fast!” A 2-day weekend (that some of us ‘enjoy’) is seldom sufficient. And we get into this regular Monday day dreaming mode… If only there were no Mondays, if only there were 2 Sundays…

They say everything happens for the best. I wondered what could be ‘best’ about having just one Sunday a week. So, I decided to evaluate the pros and cons of having 2 Sundays a week… aah a 4-day working week! And here are my findings on having an extra Sunday every week:

1. YIPPEE! More hours of sleep. OOPS! More weight gain.
2. YIPPEE! More time with better half. OOPS! More effort convincing the ‘better half’ to accompany us shopping, dining, movies, etc.
3. YIPPEE! More shopping at malls. OOPS! Being in crowd, traffic and noise one more day. More expenses.
4. YIPPEE! More dining out. OOPS! More waiting during crowded weekends, more expenses. More weight gain.
5. YIPPEE! More time at home. OOPS! More cooking, cleaning and getting frustrated when the house-help bunks on Sunday… I mean Sundays!
6. YIPPEE! More bank holidays. OOPS! Having just 4.5 days to do the entire bank related work.
7. YIPPEE! A longer weekend. OOPS! Wondering we work so much – more than half a week. Wishing if there were 3 Sundays a week!

Conclusion: It’s all for the best. One Sunday a week is good. There’s no harm day dreaming of an extra Sunday though ;)

SIM in full form thanks to KBC4

"What is the full form of SIM?"

Amitabh Bachchan asked this question to a contestant and I felt embarrassed. Smart? Subscriber? Service?... Seriously, what is the full form? I was so clueless when I walked into the room while my mom-in-law was watching KBC4. She instantly guessed aloud "Subscriber"!

Like most of our parents, she was never keen on having a mobile phone when we surprised her with it on her birthday. She uses the gadget only for answering and making calls when absolutely necessary. Of course she has never removed the SIM card from its slot. And there she spoke confidently "Full form of SIM is obviously Subscriber". Damn, I felt so embarrassed and while I juggled between Smart and Subscriber. I confessed I really have no idea... an idea that can change your life especially when you are seated in front SIRji's dad in Kaun Banega Crorepati! And even though I was not out there, I was so uncomfortable about not knowing the answer.

If Alibaba existed today, he must have been so disappointed. All he knew was that "Khul Ja Sim Sim" opens the doors to a treasure worth Crores. But not when the treasure lies with Amitabh Bachchan!

The moment Big B popped the question, people started Googling "Full form of SIM", "SIM card", "SIM means", "SIM fullform", "full form of SIM card" and what not. In fact, as I write this post on the next morning of the SIM waala episode, Google is still buzzing with these search terms! So, I was not the only one clueless about it ;)

Today, I did enhance my knowledge by Googling it. The full form of the abbreviation SIM is Subscriber Identity Module. A SIM card securely stores the service-subscriber key (IMSI) used to identify a subscriber on a mobile phone. By the way, the first SIM card was made in 1991, I had my first mobile phone and first SIM card in 2002 and now I know what it means ;)

A few years ago, Webchutney (if I am not wrong) made this viral / ad for Airtel + KBC. They used the Khul Ja Sim Sim idea... if only they had educated us on the full form of AAJ KA SIM then!!!

The four-word sentence

She called me up around 8 am. I saw her name beeping on my phone and I almost knew the bad news she'd to share. No... I wasn't prepared to hear it. Not today.

I answered the call with great hesitation. She was stammering. I knew it would be tough for her to inform us all. But some things have to be told, some things have to be heard. Those four words shook my day. "I can't come today", my househelp called in sick!

PS - I hope she recovers soon. Not for my selfish reasons. I really mean it.

Commonwealth Games 2010 Opening Ceremony 71 contingents update

Presentation of the teams from 71 countries participating in Commonwealth Games 2010 during the Opening Ceremony is impressive. Each team is led / welcomed by an Indian lady dressed in saree. So essentially we see 71 women dressed in 71 different styles of sarees. It's a beautiful experience to see the excited participants from so many countries - Cook Islands, Guernsey, Falkland, England, Australia, Bangladesh, Ghana, Guyana, Isle of Man, Jamaica, Jersey... and of course India!

Common Wealth Games (CWG) 2010 Opening Ceremony Live Updates

If you are not watching the Common Wealth Games 2010 Opening Ceremony on Doordarshan right now, you are surely missing a lot. I can't help but share the live updates with you. Check out the aerofloater with the larger than life puppets swaying elegantly. A little prodigy playing tabla as beautifully as Ustad Zakir Hussain. The musical covering the entire variety across India. Hariharan singing Swagatham with people forming a Namaste and the lovely dancing hands formed by people. Kids forming huge mehendi designs on a huge sheet. You have to see it to believe it. For me, it's one of the best opening ceremonies.

Helpless without househelp

What is happiness? Your househelp doesn’t turn up. You start feeling helpless and try to reschedule your day. You start washing the utensils and wonder how you’ll manage the rest of the work. The doorbell rings and the angel arrives!

Rahman's new Common Wealth Games song video

The new and official song video of Common Wealth Games (CWG) is now available. Now this is what we call a short and sweet anthem. And of course it's much peppier than the earlier version - Rahman and Bharatbala magic we must say!

Here's the Oh yaaron, yeh India bulaa liya video:


Click here for the earlier lyrics of the CWG theme song.

Take your health seriously. ACT NOW!

I learnt it the hard way but you need not. Ignoring symptoms like aches, fever, stomach problems etc. etc. can sometimes take a horrible toll on you. Especially if you have regular but 'bearable' episodes of such things. Remember, there's no harm in consulting a doctor (allopathy, homeopathy, ayurveda... whatever you believe in). But being 'busy' or 'lazy' and postponing the doctor's appointment for a long period can really make your condition difficult. The more delay in visiting a doc, the greater time it takes to heal.

Does it appear I'm exaggerating? Not at all. 

Not always, but at times the condition reaches an incurable phase. And trust me there are medical conditions you or people around you haven't heard of. Some, like Spondyloarthropathy, affect your daily life and job. When you start facing immense difficulty in the smallest of activities like waking up, lifting your handbag, working on the computer, standing for a while, walking for a while, managing the tiniest household chores... sooner or later you are considered to be a 'lazy' person. Working full time gets really impossible. Feeling of dependency and helplessness seeps in and you spend more time trying to work things out and convincing people that you are really suffering. Irritability is obvious. Why on earth do you even need to assure people that you really are in pain??? Why on earth must the effect of your condition on people's perception about you be more important than its effect on you? But it can happen, sooner or later. Unless of course you are super duper lucky (I hope you are).

Anyway, there's one way out though. Don't be too lazy or too busy to visit a doctor when you face some problem in your system (when you face issues in your computer system, how quickly you meet the hardware guy!). Boring as it may seem, but it would help you in the long run. And as all the wise people say, exercising does you a lot good.

Send this article to at least xyz people and you'll feel better.
Send this article to an important place in your brain and you'll STAY BETTER and HEALTHIER.

Funny Google Translation - Bollywood Ishtyle | Movie Madness

Why would I not book Country Club holiday?

Because I prefer Smirnoff over Country (daaru)!

Just too much in PJ mood!

Queue kyun queue

Just wondering about the spelling of QUEUE.

Q, the letter, already sounds queue as we know it.

So why is QUEUE spelled so? Why didn't they just spell it a "Q"?

Aakhir kyun?

Why would I love to book Thomas Cook Holiday?

Because Thomas will Cook for me as I enjoy my vacation!

WHY DOES IT ALWAYS HAPPEN TO YOU?

And here's for my dear friends like SG who are unable to view the jpeg [psst... tried hard increasing the size of the jpeg but the larger pic size just blows out of proportion; retained the jpeg coz i tried hard to make one ;)]

WHY DOES IT ALWAYS HAPPEN TO YOU?
You finally decide to tell your boss you would not work until late anymore. Before you could, your outlook has a new mail – An instruction to put in a couple of extra hours and Saturdays for an important pitch this month!

You buy brand new fiction books for the first time, that too without any discount. You misplace them somewhere you’d never know!

You buy an IPod touch and wish it had a camera too. This once, the God fulfils your wish… only it is too late for you!

You snatch the camera from your boyfriend saying that he will drop it. You drop and break the camera in the process!

After waiting for months in vain for an increment, you finally put in your papers. They announce a hike soon after your last working day!

Your parents have been advising you to open a Fixed Deposit account for years. You finally do it one day. Of course, the interest rates increase the next month!
After much delay, you get hospitalized on your trusted surgeon’s strong advice and assurance that he’ll help you recover soon. The next day, he gets admitted in the ICU!

Rabale skywalk will have elevators

Skywalks are sprouting in the city for a while now. But how often do we use them? Or for that matter, how often do we see people using the skywalks? Today’s news about a skywalk being constructed at Rabale station might bring some relief; temporary or permanent that has to be seen.

The Rabale skywalk looks promising for one reason – elevators. NMMC is considering the convenience of senior citizens and physically challenged people. Whether the elevators will stay functional, whether they’d be able to meet the need of pedestrians who need to use it (apparently 5000 commuters use the Rabale station everyday) is however a different question. But the idea of having elevators is really very thoughtful. I am assuming that escalators (that can benefit a larger number of pedestrians) aren’t planned for budget constraints.

I urge citizens to start using the skywalks. After all, these are constructed for our convenience and safety. Moreover crores of rupees are spent on these. Though there are just two reasons (laziness and knee / joint pain) you won’t use them, there are several and more logical reasons why you must use the skywalk where it exists.

WHY SHOULD YOU USE THE SKYWALK:
1.    Keeps you safe from the vehicles speeding to reach their destinations
2.    Helps prevent traffic congestion
3.    Helps reduce the sound pollution that follows honking and abuses shared between drivers / car owners and pedestrians
4.    Helps you burn calories – Most of us are already in rush in the morning. Imagine the benefits of climbing up and down the stairs when we are already walking at a higher speed!
5.    You can enjoy the city view as well

So welcome the Rabale skywalk with a smile and resolve to use it (and the others in town) for your good.

Lyrics of Commonwealth Games Theme Song Swagatham - Oh yaaron, yeh India bulaa liya

Here are the entire lyrics of the Commonwealth Games 2010 Theme Song Swagatham by A R Rahman:

You can listen to the Swagatham song at the official Commonwealth games website here.

TEMPTED TO SHARE THE LYRICS ON YOUR SITE? I'D KNOW WHEN YOU DO SO. DON'T FORGET TO LINK THEM TO THIS SITE... IT REALLY TOOK ME GREAT EFFORT TO UNDERSTAND AND TYPE OUT EVERY WORD OF THE SONG.

Clarification: I have tried to listen to the song on my audio system and type out the lyrics that I followed. Now I may not be the best person to do this. So please pardon me and correct me if there's any error / missing part here. Would really appreciate it. Don't want to type out erroneous lyrics of this lovely song. Mr Anonymous already has corrected me on this, would love more inputs.

Oh yaaron, yeh India bulaa liya

Diwaano yeh India bulaa liya... bulaa liya

Yeh toh khel hai

Bada mail hai

Milaa diya... milaa diya

Yeh toh khel hai

Bada mail hai

Milaa diya

Oh rukna rukna rukna rukna rukna nahi

Haarna haarna haarna haarna haarna nahi

Junoon se kanoon se maidaan maar lo

Let's go

Let's go

Play o jiyo heyo let's go

Play o jiyo heyo let's go

Oh yaaron, yeh India bulaa liya

Diwaano yeh India bulaa liya... bulaa liya

Parvat sa ucha uthoon toh yeh

Duniya salami de

Sard iraade na ho jayein kahin

Dil ko woh suraj de

Jiyo utho badho jeeto

Tera mera jahaan let's go

Kaisi saji hai saji hai dekho maati apni

Bani rashke jahaan yaara ho

Kai rang hai boli hai kai desh hai magar

yahi jag hai samaaya saara ho

Laagi re ab laagi re lagan

Jaagi re mann jeet ki agan

Uthi re ab iraadon mein tapan

Chali re toli chali ban than

...(still finding it tough to get this para in English, if you know it, please update me)

Play o jiyo heyo let’s go

Kadmon mein ek bhanwar ka hai din

Jashn ka aaj din hai

Seenon mein Toofaan ka hai din

Baazu aazmaa yeh din hai

Yeh din hai

Tera din hai

Tu zor laga, chal aankh milaa

Kal na aaye din yeh

Jiyo utho badho jeeto

Play o jiyo heyo let’s go

Jiyo utho badho jeeto

Tera mera jahaan let’s go

Jiyo utho badho jeeto

Tera mera jahaan let’s go

Rahman's Common Wealth Games Theme Song Oh Yaaron

A R Rahman has just launched the theme song for the Common Wealth Games 2010 to be held in New Delhi. The CWG theme song goes as, "Oh yaaron, yeh India bula liya..."

Just managed to get the video of the full theme song of the Common wealth Games, click here.

The Ironic Crores in India

All I could notice in today’s newspaper were the figures in crores. And it seemed very ironic. While there’s no money where the need is, money is distributed leniently among those who are just sitting idle. Picture this:

Rs 12 Crore – Spent annually on Ministers of State with no work.

Sometimes you don’t need to be born with a silver spoon, luck does the needful. 11 ministers with no work but excellent perks cost the state Rs 12 crore. This includes an annual phone allowance of Rs 1.8 lakhs! While most of the allowances don’t make sense to me, the phone one in particular is shocking. Corporates have excellent deals with telephone service providers (at my previous workplace, we had this Vodafone offer wherein all calls to Vodafone numbers are free, those to other service providers cost 30 paise per minute and 40 paise per minute for landlines. 1000 SMSes free every month). Why can’t the government crack a deal with a particular service provider and have all the ministers use the same service? Won’t this cost reduce drastically? Or if the government is already doing so, why such a huge telephone allowance that would feed many below-the-poverty-line families?

Rs 32 Crore – Donated by Asit Koticha to Mumbai University.
Rs 68 Crore – Still needed for the project.

Chairman and founder-promoter of ASK group and a Podar College graduate has been donating for noble causes time and again. When he learnt that Mumbai University is planning to set up a philosophy school, he decided to contribute Rs 2 crore. However, after meeting the vice chancellor and understanding the requirement to set up an international convention centre as well, he increased the amount 15 times! The mega project needs around Rs 100 crore and guess what - Koticha is even trying to convince his friends to contribute.

Rs 24.5 Crore – Carbon credits earned by BMC for reducing methane emission.

The BMC has impressively managed solid waste at Gorai dumping ground in Mumbai. It has been collecting the methane gas that is continuously released from the dump. The gas is burnt to prevent it from entering into the environment. In fact, the Solid Waste Management department is considering energy generation from the gas instead of burning it.

There needs to be a solid wealth management system to ensure that the hardworking taxpayers’ money is used for sensible projects instead of providing luxury to a lucky few non-working people. And we are talking crores here!
Stats referred from TOI 25th August 2010 edition.

Rakhi - Auspicious time / Muhurat on 24 August 2010

The festival of Raksha Bandhan will be celebrated across India on 24th August 2010. But before I get into the auspicious timing details, let me take a trip down the memory lane.

Nah, I'm not going into the significance of Raksha Bandhan, customs and all. That you'd already know / find all over the internet and you'd close this window right away. I'm gonna just scribble my memories.

As long as me and my younger brother Anup were in school, the rakhi plate would have already been set by mom by the time we'd get ready on the day of Raksha Bandhan. When I grew up, of course, I did the needful. There would be 2 plates. One would be the aarti thali and other would traditionally include our favourite sweets, Gits gulab jamun, cream biscuits (bourbon to be specific), Frooti at times, chocolates and wafers.

Now me and my brother have a different kind of understanding. Since the sweets would have been brought the previous day itself, we would convince mom to allow us to have some already, "Kya formality hai, whether we eat tomorrow / today, how does it matter?"

Similarly, Rakhi would never be a surprise. I would buy it well in advance after browsing all the shops possible and pestering the shopkeepers to show me more options and zeroing down on "the perfect one" for my brother. Yes, all these years, I've been proudly biased while selecting rakhis for my brother and other cousins. Anup's rakhi had to be the best (and the most expensive of all). Also, I would try to hide it until the day, but then would always end up showing it to him to ensure if he really likes it or should I get another one.

As long as he was studying, he'd present me with money taken from our parents. He would smartly take it from mom as I would look away just before the rakhi ceremony. Whenever mom gave him the same amount as previous year, he'd cutely ask for more saying, "Yeh kya hai, last year bhi itna hi diya tha!"

How proud and overjoyed I felt when he used his salary for the first time! He gave just too much and I told him there's no need to give so much hard-earned money and how he'd never listen! Those were the days when even I'd started earning and I would buy him a little gift as well.


I'm so glad this festival exists. It undoubtedly is one festival very close to my heart. Isn't it one-of-a-kind celebrating the brother-sister bond? 

By the way, the auspicious timing / Muhurat for raksha bandhan on 24th August 2010 is:
1:48 - 4.24 pm (IST) is the best duration
9.23 am onwards is also good

HAPPY RAKSHA BANDHAN!

4 din ka andhera, phir chandni raat hai!

Spondyloarthropathy is trying its best to pull me down. But the final combat begins tomorrow.

The doctor has been advising me to have a spinal traction since a month now. But considering the painful nature of the procedure and the commitments at hand, I've been delaying it. Now that I'm done with the assignments at hand, have attended the Indiblogger meet yesterday and have dined out with my hubby last night, I'm gonna rest in peace... I mean "take some rest" for 4 days or so.

The doc has ensured me that the 4 days of painful traction (read super duper painful) will make rest of my life almost painless. I'm counting on him and am all set to get admitted tomorrow. There are some good and bad things about this hospitalization though:

GOOD: Hopefully, I will recover from the daily excruciating pain and fever that has bothered me for 6 weeks now. Super hopefully, I might be in a position to work full time and have a better pay and buy a house.
BAD: My best friends and I have been discussing about getting admitted on a weekend. You know, so that they can easily drop in (after all I stay really very far from where they are) with fresh flowers and give me all the bhaav! I also suggested that instead of getting fruits, they can get me fruit salad with forks and tissue papers so that I need not wash them with the hospital's tap water... But alas, I'm left with no choice but to get admitted tomorrow. My hubby suggests he can try some "rent friends for a week" thing ;)
GOOD: The hospital doesn't smell like we know how it generally is.
BAD: For some weird reason, they'll be putting me on drip.
GOOD: The doc said I can play games on my Ipod touch. There's a cool TV and fridge in the room. I'm allowed to wear my colourful pajamas and shirts instead of boring hospital uniform. Plus, the hospital is painted in good green and orange colours.
BAD: I'll have to lie down on my back all though it. It's tough for me since I could never sleep on my back.

Anyways, won't be blogging for some time now. So catch you guys after a few days! Need to rush to the parlour to feel better though. 

Indibloggers Meet Mumbai - A refreshing experience!

I finally attended the Indibloggers Meet Mumbai 2010. Attending the meet was an exciting experience for me for various reasons:

1. THE JOURNEY - I reached Juhu all the way from Koparkhairane on a day of harbour line mega block (click on the link to know what a mega block is... alright, I meant 'to help me increase traffic to the Mumbai local blog'). The best part was that my train from Vashi directly reached Dadar and I ended up boarding just two trains instead of three!
2. NAYI-PURAANI YADEEIN - I met many interesting people. Most importantly, I met my cool ex-colleagues Vijeeth (vijeethshetty on twitter) and Netra after more than a year. And I met Neha Silam in person (I hop on to her blog whenever I donno what to write about).
3. SENIOR CITIZEN? - I sat on the side of people aged 27+ during the debate moderated by Gul Panag. I felt proud to be on that side and weird when someone referred to us as "senior citizens". Now I demand cheaper airfares, lesser tax, better interest rates at banks...
4. THE GUL PANAG AURA - Vijeeth suddenly told me to turn behind as he noticed Gul Panag. And then during the "write on my back" session, it was fun to see guys dying to get a pic clicked with the lovely lady. During the debate, you could see guys constantly clicking her pic (instead of those who were participating)! 
   The best part was this - I was seated next to this sweet girl from Vietnam (pls tell me her name, the one who has already travelled 11 countries). She asked me who the moderator is and she obviously found Gul Panag extremely beautiful. I felt so proud to tell her all I knew about Gul Panag. She wanted to know her age. When I googled it and told her, she was amazed to know that Gul looks so young (I was amazed to know I look younger than Gul)!
5. FREEBIES - So what I did not utter a single word at the debate / gave a cool introduction to end up winning a prize! And for the little quiz, I am always clueless when such questions are asked. But then, like everyone, I got a cool t-shirt (small size still bigger for me, damn my hubby gets this one), a post-it pen I don't know how to use and a free .in domain that I will definitely use! 
6. TRAIN PAL - I saw this gal when she introduced herself, then in the washroom, then at Santacruz station and then we eventually spoke. She gave me company until Vashi and we chatted nineteen to the dozen and how! Meet Rati, a talkative-like-me fashion communication student who told me that I don't look my age!

All in all, it was worth travelling all the way (oops, all the alls seem to be in this sentence). It was nice to meet new faces and faces that were just an online profile picture until yesterday. It was great to know that a few people did recognize me. It was nice to realize that I fall in the elder category now and that the youngsters are so cool and enterprising. It was amazing to see a mother-daughter blogger duo and so many bloggers much senior to me!

The only thing I disliked about the Indibloggers meet was the too much doodh-waali tea served. But then, almost all hotels serve that kinda tea!

Looking forward to the next Indibloggers Meet! And to bring about some change with my blog!

Friends - the best choice we ever make

Happy friendship day to all of you! And now that mauka bhi hai, mausam bhi, let me scribble a few things I like about having friends:

1. Unlike other relations, you love to do things for your friends because "you just love to" and not because "you must do".
2. You know they'll hear you out not because they "have to" but because they genuinely "want to".
3. It's not that they'll give you more / less bhaav because you have more / less money. When they call you an idiot, they don't mean it. When they call you a genius, they really mean it.
4. Just when you are about to be irreversibly lost in your dreams, they bring you back to reality and you realise this is where you should be.
5. Just when the reality gets harsh, they sway you in the world of hope and dreams. You return back to reality with all the strength and confidence.
6. There's no obligation whatsoever.
7. Arguments are minimalistic. And so are fights, if any. The best part is they never give your heart any scars for life.
8. If they don't call / mail you for days, you call them with a few swear words and time flies as you catch up for the lost time. If there's no contact for a few months, you do the same. If you're not in touch for a year or so, ditto. In case of other relations, you simply forget such relatives.
9. Friends are the best choice you ever made in life.

Watched Telugu movie at CineMax

When my husband asked me the other day if I'd like to watch a Telugu movie with him and my mother-in-law, I said a quick yes. I made him assure me that he'll keep translating the dialogues since I barely understand the language.

Since it was a comedy movie (or I felt so), I followed it with ease except some 3-4 places where I had to request him to translate. Of course, whether I got the story right is a different question, but I did enjoy my self-understood version of the movie.

All I asked my hubby at the end of the movie was, "What was the name of the film?"

Wish

This post has been published by me as a part of the Blog-a-Ton 12; the twelfth edition of the online marathon of Bloggers; where we decide and we write. To be part of the next edition, visit and start following Blog-a-Ton.

He has been working 24x7 for years together. Yet, the demands of those dependent on him do not stop. Earlier the demands were lesser and not that difficult to be met.

“I wish to buy that toy.”
“I want to learn karate.”
“I want a new shirt this Diwali.”
“I want to join that company.”
“I want to be richer than our neighbors.”
Et cetera. Et cetera. Et cetera.

But before he could know, expectations increased… a million times.

“I want Apple iPad with Wi-Fi + 3G + 3H + 3Y.”
“I want to be the next American Idol.”
“I want to buy a 3BHK this Diwali.”
“I want to start two new companies.”
“I want to be the richest person in the world.”
Et cetera. Et cetera. Et cetera.

He just wishes he could get a day’s rest. He totally deserves it.

But then, God does not have that liberty. All He can do is answer prayers and fulfill wishes, as many as He can. People keep disturbing Him and want Him to grant the most trivial wishes:
“God, I want it to rain this weekend so that I can stay back home. “
And even as He is about to fulfill this wish, another person demands:
“God, I don’t want it to rain this weekend… my daughter is getting married.”

Overworked and tired God is left with no choice - it showers at intervals! And eventually, instead of thanking Him, both the wishers complain for not fulfilling their wish.

He faces this problem every gillisecond (in God years). Millions of people across the world demanding contrary things at the same time! Worst still, they talk in technical language - OS 4.0, Signal Bug, Android 2.2 in Java script, Weblogs…

How on earth (I mean how on heaven) can He decipher when someone says, “Oh God, please let Android support in-app payments and changelogs”. He has to first go through crores of files (all right, just Google) to understand what on earth is an Android… He just created humans, animals, birds and trees!

Here’s wishing we fulfill God’s one wish – give Him a day off. Thoda kam wish karo… aaj ke din God ko chutti dedo! Let’s manage ‘big’ problems on our own for just one day – jeans getting tighter, charger not working, maid bunking, husband watching football, no new neighbors in Treasure Isle, colleague picking nose, cockroach in our room, hair fall, cool dude next door not giving any bhaav, wishing we win a blogging contest (oops)…

Looks like I’m getting an idea from Bruce Almighty? You think I should come up with a 100% original idea? You wish! I am not Tom Shadyac or HIM ;)

Psst... “God, let me come up with original ideas!”

The fellow Blog-a-Tonics who took part in this Blog-a-Ton and links to their respective posts can be checked here. To be part of the next edition, visit and start following Blog-a-Ton.

"I'm rich. I travel by auto rickshaws."

Baki jo bacha tha woh mehangai maar gai... aur chillar jo bacha tha woh rickshaw kha gai...

Ever since the auto rickshaw fares increased (around 2 weeks ago), it's decreasing the weight of my wallet. Read more here - The Navi Mumbai Blog: Increasing auto rickshaw rates in Navi Mumbai

Ek chidiya, anek chidiyaan... films division video

Nothing nothing can ever beat this! The cutest sweetest and the first animation song I saw on television... ek chidiya, anek chidiyaan...


The most amazing Unity in Diversity video. I still remember the entire song with the cute and meaningful lines.

Didi agar hum ek ho jayein toh bada kaam kar sakte hain?
Haan haan kyun nahi!
Toh is ped ke aam bhi tod sakte hain?


Hind desh ke nivasi sabhi jan ek hain!

They must start showing it on television again. What say?

Folks, Volkswagen is pronounced with an "F"

Ladies and Gentlemen, it's with an "F"! Volkswagen is pronounced as F-olkswagen. In German, "V" is pronounced like an "F", the reason why we must "F" it!

Wondering why I am writing about this NOW? Well, Volkswagen Vento is unveiled today and the news channel are complete with the info about the launch date, specifications etc etc. I thought it's high time I tell this to those who are clueless about this. And to those who have been telling me that I am wrong.

Now, ever since I first worked on a pitch for the brand with one of the ad agencies, I have been telling my friends and all about this. After all, along with the briefing we were told to take care we pronounce it with an F. I found it very interesting. But most of my friends would simply make fun of me when I would "F" it. Obviously, at that time the German car had not arrived in India and people were not aware about the pronunciation. But now when the news channels talk about "F"olkswagen, I can only smile proudly! 

So remembering Shahid Kapoor in Kaminey, I would just say:

KaiFe kaiFe, aiFe aife: F-olkswagen

Logo image courtesy: Volkswagen India website

Remembering college days - Addas in Bhavan's campus

It's Sunday morning and even after deciding that I'll stay away from computer, blogging, facebook... on Sundays, I find myself on this chair with my eyes stuck to the computer screen. This place (chair + computer table) has kinda become my adda in the house. Reminds me how we used to have these fixed addas in college

Now for those who don't know what adda means, the wiki definition says: In Hindi, adda is a noun, with the nominal form of the word meaning the location or nest of a group or community, usually shady people. The etymology can be traced to the original meaning of the word, which means the "perching spot or perch for birds".

Aam junta lingo / Annu's definition, adda is a place where you see a person / set of people hanging around daily. It's a fixed spot within a campus / locality.

Talking about addas, I think I should now pakaaofy you about our addas in Bhavan's College campus. This is part 2 of the Rememberring College Days series (Part 1 - Guptaji's Canteen):

We were a huge gang of Chemistry students. Those were the times when Shet Sir, as we called him, was the HOD of Chemistry department. Attending lectures used to be necessary for us coz if we didn't we had to miss our practicals on the following day (which could turn out to be a disaster coz the same analysis was never repeated in the lab... it would be a shock to get it in the practical exams).

Adda No. 1: A regular day would start very early in the morning with Science practicals and would be followed by lectures. We would have very little time to finish our lunch. So more often than not, we ended up occupying the 3-4 stairs' staircase leading to the Chemistry lab on the ground floor. It eventually became one of our addas. We would share our dabbas, the guys would check out the girls who passed by and occasionally we would all sing together (the golden oldies). In the beginning, the HOD obviously did not entertain us, but gradually as he saw that we did make it an adda but were good students as well, he started giving us a smile instead of trying to shoo us away! Those were the days!

Adda No. 2: Our other adda were the landmark benches in the garden area of the campus. Oh how we all would occupy them, 7-8 at one go sitting at every possible part of the bench. This adda gave us a 360 degree view of the campus and people looking for us would always find it easy to locate us.

Adda No. 3: Another adda of course was Guptaji's canteen.

Adda No. 4: At the risk of sounding nerd - during exams and TYBSc, the best-in-the-world reading room was the adda of a few of us. It was the best place to study and it did work wonders for us!

Now I am dying to visit the campus with all the college buddies. Who's joining?

I am like that only ;)

I never got into the ‘tags’ things. I mean this type of tags; though my job includes working on meta tags ;)

In this tag started by IHM, you are supposed to list at least ten things you have ever wanted to do or have done which your gender is not supposed to be doing. I saw this on Neha’s blog and couldn’t resist:



Here it goes:

1. I play computer games, PS2, Nintendo, Zapak…
2. During school days, I would not miss any chance to play kabaddi and cricket. Since a few years of course, cricket is restricted to the one we play on computers / Ipods. Kabaddi… kabaddi… kabba… kab… ka… kk… kk… is completely gayab ;)
3. I love to lazzzzze around and sleep until late
4. On weekends, I hit the shower only in the evening when we have to step out of the house
5. I don’t like to cook everyday
6. I have offered seats in the bus to young and fit men who can only lean on your shoulders while standing
7. I have hit hard and screamed at men in public who misbehaved
8. I love to stand on the footboard of the train (the long distance ones) and stretch my neck out enjoying the speed
9. I always wanted to play football in the mud and rain… alas the ground was always occupied by guys
10.  I am elder than my spouse

I would like to tag Aparna, Keyur, Aseem, Ramesh,SloganMurugan, Chandru Bhojwani and Siddhesh. Anyone who wishes to take up this tag, please go ahead!

Remembering college days @ Bhavan's Andheri - Guptaji's Canteen

I  happened to land on Bikramjit's blog post about his college days and phir kya tha... cut to flashback and I could see my college days' memories floating between my eyes and my spectacles ;)

It's impossible to pen down the memories of my 5 years at Bhavan's College Andheri and 2 at SNDT Santacruz (both in Mumbai) in one single post. More than that, I'm certain no one would find it interesting to read 50-scroll long blog post ;) So I'll continue to blog as I do and on some days I'd write about my college life and memories.

Let me start with Guptaji's canteen. It was right before the main entrance of Bhavan's college and provided us with all the junk food to keep us active before and after lectures (ya... I did attend the lectures until January every year). I haven't been to the campus for a long time now so am clueless if the canteen still exists and by the same name. There were hardly 8 tables at Guptaji's canteen and we would always wait for our turn to get a place... despite the fact that there was Shetty's canteen and the college canteen within 1-2 minutes walking distance. It kinda became one of our addas. I remember how Guptaji would talk very nicely to all of us and he had an amazing ability to remember all the students! I once visited a couple of years after graduating and he did remember me! Oh the sandwiches, chaat, vada pavs, cold drinks and little bit free gyaan from him. And I remember the occasional Parle G with chai just before the science practicals.

And the habits... like Jignesh would always rinse his mouth after having chai with an amazing reason - the water will rinse away the chai-waala sugar accidentlally deposited in his mouth and save him from cavities! Then there was this guy from some coaching classes who was kinda pestering me. I suppose Bharati came to canteen and told us that this guy was inquiring about me in the college (he was not from Bhavan's). Within no time, our guy gang (I think at that time we were in the canteen with Apurva, Chaitanya and Swapnil... sorry if I missed someone) walked out of the canteen. They were back within an hour and assured me that the guy will never bother me again. He never did. And I still don't know what they did. They apparently gave him some story! Thanks guys! And how can I forget talking nineteen to the dozen with Sush, Varsha, Polly, Sonu, Kalpana. And chatting up with Ankush, Ashu, Amol, Dhawal, Santosh, Romanus, Shailesh, Ankit, Neeta, Anita, Neetu, Saloni, Shweta... (oops... am sure I'm missing out on many names) And the giggles, the laughter and all the masti mazaak! Wish the days could return. But I am glad we all are still in touch 12 years after graduating... touch wood!

When girls change their surname… some get lost

I don’t know about any other part of the world, but in India girls mostly change their surname to their husband’s surname after marriage. Don’t ask me why and all… I have no idea! However, nowadays many girls (all right, women) are retaining their maiden surnames or simply adding their husband’s surname after their full name. So I took complete advantage of this trend and Anuradha Khanna became Anuradha Khanna Pentapalli ;) Mera astitva bana raha ;)

Recently, I came across some of my school friends on Facebook and can’t explain the excitement of catching up with them after so many years. Obviously, I got into looking out for my other school friends on Facebook. Now here’s the reason behind this post – I find it almost impossible to trace my female friends from school. Why? Because they changed their surname! How on earth can someone looking for say Anuradha Khanna find her when her online presence is Anuradha Pentapalli… knowing that Anuradha is indeed a very common name!

Girls, here’s a request – even if you have changed your surname, please retain your maiden surname on your online profiles. Who knows some old friend somewhere wants to connect with you!

Food at Jammu and Kashmir dhabas

I just returned from Jammu & Kashmir and the trip had been more than fulfilling given the locale and the delicious food. Like always, I decided to try out just anything and everything without thinking about calories (and little bit hygiene). I so not regret my decision! Check out about eating at Jammu & Kashmir dhabas on my Vegetarian Recipes blog: Aloo and Chini Parathas, Dal Makhani at J&K Dhabas

Saare April hum Jal jal ke jee liye

Scorching heat in Mumbai makes me sing:

Saare April hum
Jal jal ke jee liye
Ek pal toh ab humein
Bheegne do… bheegne do

Saare April hum
Jal jal ke jee liye
Ek pal toh ab humein
Bheegne do, bheegne do

Saari April hum
Jal jal ke jee liye
Ek pal toh ab humein
Bheegne do, bheegne do

Aa aa aa aa… a a aa aa aa … aa aa aa aa… aa aa aa aa… aa aa aaaa

Give me some cloudy sky
Give me some rain
Give me another shower
I wanna be a kid again

Give me some cloudy sky
Give me some rain
Give me another shower
I wanna be a kid again

Bijli ke bill ko
AC ne badhaaya
Short skirts pehenna toh khud
Mamma ne sikhaaya
Below 29 degrees hoga to capris, varna minis

Maar maar kar paani badan par
chipakte paseene ko hata daala
Overheated air ne poora
Poora epidermis jalaa daala

March to gaya
April bhi gaya
Ek pal to ab humein
Bheegne do, bheegne do

March to gaya
April bhi gaya
Ek pal to ab humein
Bheegne do, bheegne doooooo…

Saare April hum
Jal jal ke jee liye
Ek pal toh ab humein
Bheegne do, bheegne do

Aa aa aa aa… a a aa aa aa … aa aa aa aa… aa aa aa aa… aa aa aaaa

I could have never written the above (or should it be called spoofed) if it was not for Swanand Kirkire's lovely original lyrics for 3 Idiots and the super duper chubhti jalti garmi in Mumbai.

PS I hope it doesn't offend anyone / the filmmakers. If it does, I apologize and shall delete it.

List of survivors of Mangalore plane crash

Listed below are the names of the survivors of Mangalore plane crash (Source TOI):

1. Putturismail Abdulla 
2. Joel Pratap DSouza 
3. G.K. Pradeep 
4. Krishnan Koolikkunnu 
5. Mayankutty K.P 
6. Ummer Farook Mohammed 
7. Sabrina Nasrinhuq

Please pray more names are added to this list.

Here are the Helpline Numbers

Helpline numbers - Mangalore Air India Express flight crash

Mangalore Helpline Numbers: 0824-2220422, 0824-2220424

Bangalore Helpline Numbers: 080-66785172 and 080-22273310
Delhi Helpline Numbers: 011-25656196, 011-25603101

Mumbai Helpline Numbers: 022-2279 6161
Air India Helpline Numbers: (044)-2256-0266 and (044) 2857-8167

Air India Express Dubai Airport Telephone Numbers: 00971-4-2165828 / 00971-4-2165829

The Dubai to Mangalore Air India Express flight with 166 people on board crashed today (Saturday 22nd May 2010) while landing killing 158 people (as per the news). The AI airplane (Boeing 737-800) had 166 people on board including crew members. Unfortunately, the plane overshot the touchdown point on the Mangalore airport runway while landing early morning today.

Helpline numbers source: IBN and ExpressIndia

What the Whack!

There have been so many incidents in my life where I felt like whacking someone. But then, I did not. Education and civic sense does that to you… damn the mannerisms! At the most, I end up calling up my friends and sharing the incidents with them. We discuss and debate and that is almost the end of it. Almost… because the memories occupy an un-deletable space in your mind!

Now thanks to Blogadda’s Whack this Wednesday contest (click on the links to know more about the contest), I ponder over those incidents and am ‘virtual’ly whacking those I couldn’t.

Train Mein Kachre-waali: This seemingly educated female took a window seat (you’ll know why) in the least crowded Vashi-Thane local train that was to depart in a few minutes. She removed a wrapper from her purse and shamelessly dropped it out of the window. I really had a bad day, so for the first time I controlled myself from stopping someone. Then the train left, she finished eating some chips and off went the wrapper. Now I was furious but kept quiet again. I never do that. I kept staring the female so that she feels guilty! And then she littered again!!! I asked her to stop doing so. Can you believe she said what’s wrong since she threw the kachra after the train left the platform! She started arguing and asked me to mind my own business. That was it! I gave her a good lecture but she didn’t care. She said she’ll litter all the more and I have no right to stop her… damn I so felt like slapping her as I stupidly asked her if she littered the same way in her house and she said YES!!!

Haath Ki Safaai: Recently, there was a car and bike accident just in front of my building. The person driving the car did not hit and run, but stopped it a few feet away. He clearly felt guilty and wanted to help the biker who was lying on the road, perhaps unconscious. But within a few seconds crowd gathered. The car driver tried to come out of his car twice, but the crowd looked furious and he stayed inside. Instead of rushing the victim to the hospital immediately, people approached the car driver who appeared to be pleading but then one person slapped him hard and you know what Haath Ki Safaai follows in such situations. I so felt like going downstairs and whacking the crowd. I did do what I could in my capacity. But why don't people simply call up the police if they really care? Or allow the person to take the victim to the hospital if he wants to?

Stubborn Rickshaw Driver: I had a super hectic day and reached Goregaon station around 9 pm with lots of heavy baggage. As always, rickshaw drivers kept refusing to go to Bangur Nagar. I was feeling very giddy and eventually sat in a rickshaw even when he refused... he wanted a very long-distance passenger. I told him that he has no right to refuse and he must at least consider that I am feeling very sick. The argument gained momentum; I lost it and refused to get off. The stubborn rickshaw driver said he won’t move and I can stay for as long as I wish. Damn he did not move at all for long! I had to step out in tears, feeling miserable and cursing him.

Some Aunty: My dear granny passed away a few years back after prolonged illness. It was that time when we all sat around her just before she was supposed to be taken away. And then, I heard some aunty seated behind me asking someone “Annu ke liye koi ladka dekha?” “Iski shaadi kab kara rahe ho?” I did not see who she was, I did not want to. Definitely she was someone elderly… but hello… I just lost someone very dear and was she there to mourn or to indulge in some marriage celebrations? Grrr…

Kaatil Kasab: I feel like whacking him for obvious reasons. More so, I want to whack the cruel masterminds whoever and wherever they are.

My best friend's birthday!

Today, 20th May, is Ranjeeta's birthday and I dedicate this post to her. Ranjeeta / Ranju is my best friend from school and now that she is in the US and I'm in Mumbai, I am missing her birthday yet again ;) So comes this blog post :)

As with most of us, I've had many many good friends, but with passing time contacts decreased and some friends are now completely out of touch. Except, of course, Ranjeeta, my amazing college friends and some great ex-colleagues. I remember how I wondered if we'd be able to stay as friends for long when she first left Mumbai for her Engineering studies elsewhere in Maharashtra.

But, touchwood, we wrote to each other regularly. Those were not the times of the internet and the traditional pen & paper letters did wonders (alright, we aren't that old, I'm talking about 1995)! I still treasure those blue inland letters and 3-4 pagers! Then she used to come during vacations, we used to spend great times together and she would leave. Initially, as my contacts with other school and friends started decreasing, with every passing year I had this feeling "Will we stay as friends forever?" And each year she would scare my fear away. The letters continued and there wasn't any gap. Then came our career... and she went abroad for the first time for a few months. And now I wasn't worried about being in touch with her anymore... I was sure we would! And we did. She had frequent visits abroad and her narrations of the places and the life in various parts of the world made me feel as if I was there too. The best part was the internet and Google talk :)

Ranjeeta missed my marriage, but she would call me frequently. At least I got to attend her wedding! How I felt like her soul sister being there all the while! And then came the day she had to depart to the US with her sweet and caring husband. I hadn't ever sobbed in her presence whenever she left. But this time I couldn't hold it back as I bid her farewell and told her I won't be coming to the airport. She assured me we'll stay in touch like always. I had no doubts. And we did!

18 years of great friendship. Amazing understanding. Not a single argument. Lots of birthdays missed. And one lifetime guarantee - best friends forever! I am lucky to have met Ranjeeta in my life - she's a gem of a person with a heart of gold, really caring, loving, making you feel better when you are low, motivating you when you wanna make it big in life, a great daughter, great sister, great wife... and a true friend!

Love you Ranjeeta! May you have a lovely birthday and a great and happy life! HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

Hey, aren't you gonna wish the lovely person too?

Game baja daala!

My husband loves games... and unlike other women, I love this! Before marriage, when I felt like playing computer games with someone, I had to go on Zapak for multiplayer games. Not anymore. Coz Mrinal is the complete PlayStation, Nintendo and computer games guy! And now we play together... no need to find strangers online anymore!!! Another great thing is that now my special occasions gifts range from iPod Touch with great games already added to Nintendo to gaming CDs!

And now that we both are on vacation, it's like those summer holidays again. Looks like soon our daily conversation vocab would include:

• Let's have "Fruits" for breakfast, we'll get more energy
• I'm worse than a cat, I've just got "1 Life"
• There's water shortage today, let's "Tap it" to fill buckets
• Shopper's Stop has announced Sale, let's "Run"
• Let's "Jump" for dinner
• My "energy is low"... time to go to sleep

And humans could fly! But could they all land safely?

We humans always wish for things we don't have. So once we wanted to fly. Some people felt it's absurd, but Wright Brothers, Wilbur and Orville, designed their first aircraft and then many others made inventions... and humans could fly up above the world so high! Great... really?

Ever since we started flying, there have been thousands of plane crashes. Humans always wished and prayed that they could fly. Who spoke about landing safely??? Over the years, newer and better air carriers kept coming up. Why wasn't so much emphasis given on 100% safe landings?

Listed below are some statistics compiled by ACRO based on aviation accidents of aircrafts capable of carrying more than six passengers, not including helicopters, balloons, or fighter airplanes. Source - Wikipedia.

year	deaths	no. of accidents
2009	1,103	122
2008	884	156
2007	971	147
2006	1,294	166
2005	1,459	185
2004	771	172
2003	1,230	199
2002	1,413	185
2001	1,534	200
2000	1,582	189
1999	1,138	211

I know I'm not proficient enough to design a foolproof something. But among millions and millions of us, isn't anyone capable of designing a crash-free aircraft???


Today (12th May, 2010) at Tripoli airport, a Libyan plane from South Africa crashed killing all 105 people on board. All passengers and crew members died! Geniuses in the world, please come up with something so that flying becomes a really wonderful and stress free experience. So that we need not pray for safe landing every time we take a flight.


My condolences to the families of those who suffered such loss.

Housemaid, housemaid, come again!

Yeh daulat bhi le lo, yeh shoharat bhi le lo
Bhale cheen lo mujhse meri jawaani 
Magar mujhko lauta do meri woh bai
Woh chamakte huey bartan, woh room ki safaai

And this one goes too!!! Finding a housemaid / domestic help in Mumbai (esp Navi Mumbai) is a tough task. Finding a good, tikau and reasonable one is tougher than finding a kumbh ke mele mein lost brother! The latest was the best housemaid I ever came across ever since I shifted to Navi Mumbai. She's really sweet, great at her work and does not indulge in gossip! And for some reason, she disappeared and it appears she might not join back.

Now if it was just our family in the building looking for some help, it would have bean easier. But considering that the nice female was employed in many households in the same building, the competition is tough. And obviously, the other housemaids working in the 'lucky' homes (who still have them) are taking too much bhaav... bhaav as in importance as well as money-waala bhaav. After all ladies from at least 5 flats in the building are vying for their services! I'm optimistic that I should be pessimistic about having a new housemaid in the next few days. So if you notice me being less active online since the last week, it's coz of the household chores machaaying shor! Gotta go now, time to take care of utensils...

Money comes, money goes

Money comes, money goes, unless you are some moneyratnam!

- Annu's pravachan

Happy to find the Giant Robot show video!

How we loved to watch GIANT ROBOT as kids. Found this cool Giant Robot's great video thanks to Mrinal!

Watching sunset daily until...

I have always loved watching the sun set. Actually, I even love sunrise but then I can't remember when was the last time I woke up so early in the morning ;)


Coming back to sunset... I was quite a studious student always. So most of my time before and during exams went studying for insane number of hours (don't take me for a nerd, I was very much involved in games, fun and extracurricular activities too). And I used to take many breaks while studying. The sunset time break however was the most relaxing and pleasant one. I would just stand by the balcony and watch the sky playfully changing colors as the sun ended its journey for the day on our side of the world. Those 10-15 minutes refreshed me a lot and helped me study better. Those were the days I would reach the terrace just in time to watch the sunrise ;) How I loved studying and having fun with other friends on the amazing terrace our building had!

 I got married little over an year ago and was in for a surprise when I first saw our room. It has an amazing sunset view and yes, mountain view as well!!! The balcony directly faces the west and I love the sun swaying northwards and southwards (uttarayana - dakshinayana) as seasons change.

But soon it will all change :( There's this 14-storey building coming up right in the way. It's b(ro)ad enough to cover the entire uttarayana - dakshinayana route the sun takes. Every month the building completes one level. Now I'm on the 7th floor and the construction has reached it's fifth level. Slowly and gradually, the sunset view will disappear. I can feel how construction (due to increasing population of course) is really coming between us and the nature, right?

Overwork to Work is Over

Annu's pravachan number 11:

From "overwork" to "work is over" is somehow always a long journey. And for some reason, it has a lot of "work all over again"!

Annu's pravachan number 22:

It's only when you overwork that you realize how much you can... or rather you can't.

Me and my money evaporating this summer!

The heat seems to break every record since the last two years and more so during the last two weeks. And I am sure, the sales of bottled water, soft drinks and juices, tissue papers, handkerchiefs, short pants and sleeveless shirts, refrigerators and air conditioners too are breaking (read 'making') records with the increasing temperature. 

Two things however don't seem to increase with the increase in heat - my weight and the money in my wallet!

Looks like I am evaporating. The popular question, "Why don't you put on some weight?" somehow has gained momentum since March. As if the 70% water in me is evaporating in the sun (despite my extra liquid intake)! Am not very sure about it, but I am certain my money is evaporating with the heat.

Those who know me well would be shocked to know that I actually bought an air-conditioner this time (ya ya a 5-star rated, am not harming the climate the way it's harming me). If you don't know me well, I am like the ones who argue in the office over the chilling AC temperatures. So, my bank balance trembled after the major kharcha on AC and then the over-expenditure on sprite, juices (ranging from guava to mango), ice creams, cucumbers, jelly, face wash and cotton clothes. I think it's about time I charge companies and clients summer allowance that's tax-free!

This is a dry weekend!

And once again we decided on a particular restaurant (Pot Pourri) since Mrinal wanted to have beer and it turned out to be a dry day! So guys and gals if you are planning to drink and dine out this weekend (10-11 April), remember it's a dry one on account of elections.

Aam junta's commonly used English words in daily lingo

How often have you come across these kinds:

Girl 1: Arre, he's so cute you know. He actually picked up the books I dropped. I was so happy yaar you know. And then he smiled... you know... smiled at me... wow!!!

Girl 2: Read more here - A Copywriter's Blog: Most commonly used English words in daily lingo! 

Stupidest questions, silliest conversations!

Once in a while, we end up saying something really very silly we can laugh about all our life! The best part is, these silly things actually become the fodder during reunions with friends and you love to recollect such memories time and again. So this one conversation happened today and I can't stop laughing at my sillygiri:

Ratish: Tomorrow is a holiday, it's Good Friday
Me: Ya? Wow, so Mrinal will be at home tom... I thought Good Friday was on Monday!

He he! I have been part of (read responsible for) many such funny conversations. What about you?

Tata bye bye to Maruti 800 and Omni cars

As per the latest reports, Maruti 800 and Omni cars will not be sold in some 11 cities across India from April 1. These cities include Mumbai, Delhi, Kolkata and Chennai. Why? Well this step is taken in view of the Euro IV norms. From April, the automakers will have to upgrade their cars so that they are Euro IV emission norm complaint (in major Indian cities). Now, making Maruti 800 and Omni cars Euro IV emission norm complaint appears to be a costly task and might end up in considerably increasing the cost of these cars. So, it has been decided to phase out these cars.

Well, I've grown seeing Maruti 800s plying on the roads. And whatever they say about it, I believe  Omni cabs give us the best leg space. Will miss them both!

Check out the Moneycontrol report on the same.

Image courtesy - maruti800.com

Let's take World Water Day seriously too!

There's enough hype created for several special days like Valentine's Day, Women's Day, Mother's Day, Father's Day etc. Greeting cards, gift items, discounts on shopping, dining and hotels create the mood for these occasions days in advance. We all know it's marketing gimmick  but don't we give in to the temptation? But when it comes to days marked for really important occasions, we are either unaware or don't bother.

Take for instance March 22, 2010. How many of you were aware that today is World Water Day?

But then, how would you know since you did not see Archies stores displaying Save Water cards and gifts during the weekend. You did not see any television ad on saving water. And neither did you have the front page of today's newspaper complete with a creative ad on the same!

I'd admit that I had no idea that today is World Water Day until I noticed the page 15 of The Times Of India dedicated to the Day. I think on Valentine's Day they have 2-3 pages of messages, in addition to various V-Day articles and ads, right?

Anyways, now that we know that today is World Water Day, let's do our bit in saving water today and always. A few days ago I had written some funny tips on saving water. But on a serious note, we all are well aware what all has to be done and it's about time we act really seriously.

2 pointers that we might have missed:

1. Does our housemaid keep the tap water running all the while she's washing utensils / clothes?
2. Are we digging a borewell without proper consultation / permission?

By the way UN-Water is dedicating World Water Day 2010 to the theme of water quality, reflecting its importance alongside quantity of the resource in water management. Read more here.

Here's hoping we all really contribute in saving water.

10 Behinds behind every successful woman

I've had my views on the quote "Behind every successful man is a woman."
I thought I'd create a few for women too. Here we go!

1. Behind every successful woman is her successful, boastful female friend.
2. Behind every successful woman is the increasing cost of cosmetics (or costmetics). 
3. Behind every successful woman is her beauty.
4. Behind every successful woman is sour relationship / divorce.
5. Behind every successful woman is her mom pestering her to get married soon.
6. Behind every successful woman is her ex-boyfriend's current and rich girlfriend.
7. Behind every successful woman is competition by men.
8. Behind every successful woman is her shopaholic nature.
9. Behind every successful woman is her desire to prove "women are better than men".
10. Behind every successful woman is a man who truly, madly, deeply loves her (on a serious note).

10 behinds behind every successful man

"Behind every successful man is a woman."

I came across this quote once again today and thought it's about time we look at it again. So I'm getting back to my favorite hobby - creating quotable quotes / funny versions of quotes. Here are my versions of the quote that might be applicable today:

1. Behind every successful man is his insecure boss. 
2. Behind every successful man is a man (his gay partner).
3. Behind every successful man is his woman's male friend he's jealous of.
4. Behind every successful man is his team who actually works while he takes away the credit.
5. Behind every successful man is his age.
6. Behind every successful man is his home loan. 
7. Behind every successful man is sheer chance.
8. Behind every successful man is competition.
9. Behind every successful man is media.
10. Behind every successful man is a woman who'd have otherwise been successful if he had been behind her ;)

Now should I replace "every successful man" with "many successful men"? (in the above sentences of course ;))

Next in queue (On the occasion of Women's Day): Behind every successful woman

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7 Cool tips to save water on a regular basis

1. Don’t bathe on weekends when you intend to stay at home. The stink will keep uninvited guests away.
2. Don’t wash your hair regularly, try braids or buns. Or go for a taklu (bald) avatar… you’d save lot of water, shampoo, conditioner, time and money.
3. When thirsty, opt for alcohol (neat).
4. Cook non-spicy food. Avoid drinking extra water in the name of chillies.
5. Don’t eat / drink more than you need to survive. This way, you won’t have to visit the washroom frequently and you’ll save the water in the flush.
6. Don’t mop the floors daily. Opt for a jungle look for your house.
7. Repeat the same jeans for a week or two before washing. Trust me, no one can make out. Dump it in the washing machine only after you notice people holding their nose when you approach them.

On a serious note, c'mon we all know how to save water. It's time we act! 

Kala Ghoda Arts Festival 2010 - An enriching experience

If you ask me to describe my experience at Kala Ghoda Arts Festival 2010 in one word, I won't ever be able to do so. It was like the entire area had come to life, as if Mumbai was talking to us!


I reached Kala Ghoda with my mother (second time visitor) and mom-in-law (first time visitor) and we were more than thrilled.

The installations near the iconic Kala Ghoda were so lifelike! You got to be there to see those lovely pieces of art. Elephants, giraffe, lion, deer, monkey... captivated kids and adults alike and we all couldn't help but pose with the animals.

Our lives have been so hectic all these years. When was the last time we went to a wildlife safari / zoo? When was the last time we saw these animals? Are there enough of them left now? Is the concrete jungle eating into the real jungle?

Equally impressive were the installations near Jehangir Art Gallery. And then this time there were several stalls selling beautiful plants. How we thought of purchasing a few but had to resist the temptation since we had to travel back all the way to Navi Mumbai!

We headed to NGMA to watch Munshi Premchand ki kahaniyaan. Three artists performed an act on bonded labour and how! You much catch up with these plays when you hit Kala Ghoda.

Next we watched Bhatarnatyam and Kathak performances at the amphitheatre. Trust me, watching these dances on television is nothing close to watching them live.

After watching the play and the dances (and even the paintings at Jehangir Art Gallery) one thought still keeps lingering on my mind... why did I not learn all this? Well, I guess it's never too late. Might join painting classes soon.

You may also like:

• Kala Ghoda Arts Festival 2011 - Photos
• Kala Ghoda Arts Festival 2010 Photos
• Kala Ghoda Festival 2008 - Review
• Photographs of the Kala Ghoda Festival, Mumbai 2008