confessions of a not-so-teenage drama queen

Only in America!

2011-01-06T20:35:00.001-08:00

Only in America you would find a white belly dancer in an Indian restaurant who does Bhangra!

Road Trip!

2010-12-27T21:25:00.000-08:00

SF -> Grand Canyon -> Flagstaff, AZ -> Sedona-> Phoenix -> Los Angeles -> SF

..10 days, and a fun, wonderful, loving, sweet boy for company. what more could I ask for? oh, and cookies :-)

will be back soon!!

Phone-a-friend

2010-12-18T12:12:00.000-08:00

I have a bunch of friends on facebook who I have known since pre school. 'Since' might not be an apt word cause I lost touch with them after the 5th grade when I moved to another school and only recently got back in touch. We haven't hung out like ever, probably only in the playground or at the swings. But we all share similar childhood memories of sliding down the err.. slide, watching tadpoles in the puddles after rains, holi at school etc.Yeah, our school was cool. We celebrated Holi. Only that I was too scared and din't go out to the playground but I remember that day very clearly. There's this one guy who is in my list, who was the first friend I ever called - on the phone.

So one day in the third standard, everyone decided to exchange phone numbers. I ran around the entire time during 'workroom hour' asking everyone for theirs and noted them down on a sheet of paper. Our school was small, only about 50 kids or so, and I had about 25 numbers crammed into a page. After school, a very excited little me ran to my grandmother.
"Aaji, look! I got the phone numbers of all my friends!!!"
"Ok, let me see" She took the paper from me, glanced at it and started laughing.
"But where are the names for all the numbers????"

Cream puffs with Chocolate Cream and Strawberry Filling

2010-12-15T10:26:00.000-08:00

I decided to make Cream Puffs yesterday. Why cream puffs? I don't really know. What I usually do when I get one of these 'I'm-going-to-make-something-I've-never-made-before' thoughts is to look up a bunch of recipes online, check out a couple of youtube videos to see what the procedure and the steps should look like and start. I usually do some minor modifications, take suggestions from a few recipes and use my judgement. I've learned to make sure I write down what I've done differently so when I want to make it again I know I have something to fall back on. More than once I've forgotten.

I started by making the batter. I could have spooned the mixture on the baking tray directly, but I wanted to pipe it out. I dint have a pastry bag so I just kind of dumped the dough into a ziplock bag, snipped the end and piped them on the tray. This was another first for me. Piping. My mehendi skills came into play here, I think. I was able to hold the bag quite steadily and work.

I stuck these in the oven and was getting antsy. I can be REALLY impatient at times and I have to occupy myself suitably if not I just drive myself crazy. I was walking back and forth from the computer to the oven checking to see what was going on.

Ooh, they look good don't they? At this point I was VERY excited. They've puffed up just the way I wanted them to.

So I don't really have a plan. I want to fill then up with chocolate cream. I have some strawberries lying around too. Decide to cut them up, and fill along with the chocolate cream that I just made. The best part was that they baked so well and the puffs were hollow inside so there was ample space for filling.

I don't have a picture of the cream though :-( and I should have made it nice and thick. I was impatient and made a shortcut cream filling. I filled them up...

And then I dusted them with powdered sugar and some chocolate syrup.

If you notice closely, each picture has one puff less than the previous one. This baker likes to sample :D With the husband hovering around, I have learned to share.

Credits to the husband for photography, editing and kitchen cleaning :-) <3

P.S - lurkers - I see you guys! Tell me who you are :P :-)

2010-12-13T17:40:00.000-08:00

We have huge lovely windows in our kitchen and the mornings are gorgeous with the sunlight streaming in and everything is just so pretty! It would be criminal not to take advantage of that right? So we decided to paint the kitchen yellow. In preparation, we signed up for a class at home depot on painting interiors. One bright sunny saturday morning, we(I) dragged ourselves out of bed and went to the closest home depot store. It was a short 1 hour introduction to painting type class. We looked at painting accessories and rollers, paint textures and chips, and realized there's more than one type in each shade of paint. Deciding on a shade of yellow took a week. Should it be bright? Sure, but what if its 'too bright' we dint want silk saree bright. It had to be that right color of bold but not lame light grandma yellow. Armed with a can of a nice cheery shade, rollers, plastic sheets, blue tape, and a host of other materials we got home and set to work that afternoon. It was fun! The actual painting part took just about 20 minutes. It was the preparation that took an hour. Other than the wall, our hands, feet, hair, stool, and table were covered with paint. Ever our faces had specks of yellow. We cleaned up, left everything to dry and relaxed with some blue moon.

Result : The strong sunlight and the yellow walls were TOO yellow.

After some deliberation, the husband set out to get another can of lighter yellow. After he got home, we painted one wall light yellow. Which was too light. And then, the genius in me decides to mix the two and paint the insides of the windowsills a medium yellow. So now, we have one wall thats light, one thats bright and the insides that are somewhere in the middle. yeah, sure laugh all you want!

And guess what? The next morning, it all looked absolutely gorgeous! The light and bright shades complemented each other really well. We put up our curtains which are cream and light yellow organdy and set up our white dining table and chairs . The rest of the kitchen is painted white and we have some green vases lying around.

This is our table against the wall

Curtains

lotus candle holder. Isn't it pretty? =)

my Peanuts shower curtain that I just HAD TO HAVE the moment I saw it and our happy sun kissed(read:burned) honeymooning feet =)

2010-12-08T11:55:00.001-08:00

I have a feeling I'm going to be having many more of these conversations in the years to come.

Chatting with the husband (I happened to be in an adventurous mood that day, wanting to try something new)

me: shall i make naan or egg paratha?

him : ok

me: hello? u just said ok without even reading??

him : yeah i read
ok make

me(thinking) !!!!!!!!!!!!

2010-12-08T11:08:00.000-08:00

I'm back. I'm wondering if I have any readers left. Lurkers maybe? Those of you who don't leave comments but land on my blog by googling " words not to use in front of the Queen." How the heck did that happen? I don't think I ever posted anything about the queen let alone what not to talk in front of them. weird.

In the other news, I went and got married this summer amidst lots of drama. yeah, thats me. =) More on that later. That requires a whole host of posts I think! For now, we're back, and I never thought setting up house would be so much fun. Doubly so because EVERYTHING is new and we all know how much I love shopping and shiny new things right? I've also started noticing things that I would have never given a rat's ass about before. Like rugs. Floor rugs, bathroom mats, kitchen mats, rugs for the bedroom. I've been obsessing about it to the point that we haven't bought any because I haven't found anything(affordable) I love. You know what I mean right? You look at it, love it and HAVE to have it. I've found a couple of $1000 ones that are awesome, but I don't think the husband is leaning anywhere close to splurging on 1000 buck rugs. heh heh. We(when I saw we, its mostly I) want something that goes with our color scheme, that's not too busy, that's muted BUT grabs the attention of people like my former(uninterested) self "wow, where did you get that from? Its so contemporary"

I have a feeling we're going to be walking around in socks for a while.

2010-04-24T17:43:00.000-07:00

I was asked this question today... "what excites you about cooking?"

It must have all started sometime around 1991, I think. My cousin and I wanted to bake a lemon sponge cake. I still wonder what possessed my grandmother to allow a 6 and a 13 year old into the kitchen to bake! A messy kitchen, burnt pans, lots of spilt flour and 4 hours later, we had on our hands a cake; the base of which was a nice thick yellow rubber like consistency and the top was as hard as stone. One of our cousins happened to drop in at that unfortunate time, and we generously offered him a nice thick slice, our watchful eyes taking in every painful bite he took waiting for compliments. I think we did manage to get one before he decided he would finish it 'later'.

Fast forward 8 years and I experimented with brownies and chocolate sauce. It came out pretty good, and was gone within minutes of taking them out of the oven. I spread a thick layer of chocolate sauce on the brownie cake before cutting it up for that extra gooeyness that the brother and the rest of the family loved. That was when I experienced the first joys of watching people enjoy what I make. Another batch of brownies was whipped up and sent to my aunts place, and since then I've officially become the family 'baker'(for want of a better word).

In the year 2000, my recipe book was born. It started out only for desserts, where I would diligently note down recipes when I would come across them in a book, or from friends and family. When I was in the 11th grade, during an english exam we had a section of process writing where we had to list the process of making tea or something. I decided to talk about my brownie recipe instead. My teacher was quite amused and asked me if it was a real recipe with correct measurements and not something I made up. I said yes, she tried them and they came out pretty fab. She also brought her book to school the next day and shared her chocolate chip cookie recipe that is so good, I use it even today! I experimented with lots of other kinds of desserts as well - fudge, lemon tarts, cheesecake, strawberry shortcake, and a whole bunch of stuff. I graduated to making lasagna and dinner type food after that.

Also, my dad has been a pretty big influence on that side of me. He loves to experiment in the kitchen and many hours were spent hanging around him and chatting while he made pasta and vegetables in white sauce, baked lemon fish, and of course the world's best biryani, among other things! That kind of got me started on cooking from baking.

So what IS it that excites me about cooking? It's the creativity of being able to come up with something new. And being a foodie, I love trying new cuisines and dishes. It's the fun of trying to make something from scratch, from decorating desserts to watching the spices sputter in the oil releasing that heady aroma that is the essence of Indian food. It is the pleasure of being around loved ones, my family and friends and watch them enjoy it. At times like this, I'm not hungry and its ok if the brother doesn't exactly save some for me and finishes it all up =)

Alice In Wonderland

2010-03-10T07:24:00.000-08:00

Isn't Alice supposed to be this little 10 year old who is letting her imagination go wild? Why are we watching this 19 year old girl grow and shrink and fight dragons according the prophecy?

That, my friends, is the beauty of this spectacular movie. Tim Burton brings alive the characters from the original book, in this twisted, tongue-in-cheek morbid dark fantasy. A true visual treat. Traditionalists may argue against, saying this is not the original, but this is NOT MEANT to be the original at all.

The references to the book, strike you only if you've read it. That is what failed with respect to the audience. Most people today haven't read the book. They wonder why the caterpillar was blue and keeps accusing Alice of not knowing who she is. In the book, Alice grapples with an identity crisis in her dream and the caterpillar ridicules her and asks her to repeat 'You are old, Father William' which he subsequently dismisses saying it was wrong. Why is the red queen playing croquet with a flamingo and a hedgehog? Or why are the knaves painting the white roses red? Hallucinogenic, sarcastic humor at its best.

The movie starts off with a grown up Alice and her recurring nightmares. She ends up in Wonderland - that's what she calls it when she was young - and meets these curious characters who seem to remember her well and have been waiting for her all this while. The plot does get a bit confusing for someone like me, who hasn't read 'Through the looking Glass' and wonder what exactly they are talking about when they mention the Jabberwocky and where did Tweedle dee and dum feature in this?

Johnny Depp looks every bit the mad character that he portrays. The mad tea party is crazy and dark. You get this weird feeling while watching it, which is what I think Tim Burton was aiming at. It feels like one of those dreams where the characters are crazy and weird and you don't quite know what to do. The only part I felt that was forced is when Alice walks through the woods and says 'curiouser and curiouser'. It was almost like that line HAD to be there to make the movie legitimate. A little more conviction and expression would have made it work. The costumes were outstanding. Alice's couture dresses deserve a mention. Over all, the movie, the acting, make up, costumes, were out of this world - literally. A definite must watch, just make sure you read a bit of the book to really appreciate it.

Raspberry Chocolate Tart

2010-02-25T12:22:00.000-08:00

Its official. I'm addicted to chocolate.

I'm at my cousin's place in NJ for a week, and this is what we have been upto. Yes, it tastes as good as it looks :-)

Part 4

2010-02-08T23:48:00.000-08:00

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

Part 4

It was the second year of college. Lakshmi, Preeti and Durga applied for the same Home Economics course at the Women's College in the same city. Suresh got accepted at IIT Delhi and moved from Madras. He did not want to leave the city, but after getting accepted into a premier institute, it would have been stupid not to take it up. When he saw pride and joy in his parents eyes the moment the admission results came, he could not think of disappointing them. He really wanted to study at the National Institute of Design, but it was his father's dream for him to go to one of the IITs. The weekly phone calls became monthly. Lakshmi literally started living for them. She spent the whole month waiting for the third Sunday when he could call and talk to her for ten minutes.

It was a friday. Lakshmi was walking back home from college, when she was greeted at the door by her excited mother.

"Lakshu! Lakshu! We have something to tell you" her mother's eyes shone. That only meant one thing. A marriage proposal. She knew it the moment she saw her parents smiling. That's all they talked about these days.

"Amma, let me get done with college first ok? And then we can talk about it. I'm not saying no. Just give me a year"

"Ashok is a really nice man. You have to meet him. His parents are coming over this weekend. You have to meet them."

Lakshmi was trying to buy time before she could break the news about Suresh. She was sure her parents would be happy when she would tell them about him. He was a Tamil Brahmin boy from a respectable family, who would graduate from one of the top colleges in the country. There was no reason for them to say no. Suresh and her had this conversation a million times already.

"Why don't you be strong and at least tell them a little about me? That's the only way it would work" was what Suresh told her.

"No, you don't understand. My father will be disappointed. My mother will get angry"

"Disappointed?! Why would they get angry? You're just giving me excuses. Don't you want this to work?"

"You don't understand. I can't do it"

This went on and on. Lakshmi couldn't take it anymore. There was no way she could tell her parents. Ashok and his parents came to meet her family that weekend. Things moved very fast. She couldn't say no. She was not able to find a reason to say no. Ashok was a nice man. He was well educated, kind and nice to talk to. He would treat her well.

...................................................................................................................

Lakshmi was getting dressed for the wedding. She looked at herself in the mirror, the peacock blue saree shone as she wrapped it around her girlish frame. She walked out of her house to get into the car. Suresh was standing outside and watched her. She could not bear to look at the hurt in his eyes. She deceived him. She was not strong enough to stand up for herself. There was no time. Her mother was in a frenzy, getting things ready and there were a hundred things to do.
...................................................................................................................

Ashok was a good husband. He treated her with care and respect and kept her happy. Lakshmi did not think of Suresh as her life moved on, and then the children were born. Life became busy, taking care of her family and running a house.

It's been seven years since Ashok died. When she got the news, her life was turned upside down. She did not know what to think or do. This woman-child, who was always taken care of had to suddenly take decisions on her own, and was alone. She had to be strong, bring up her daughters and be both a mother and a father to them.

"I've been thinking about this too much today" thought Lakshmi as she left the temple. She decided to clear her mind and go to the art gallery.

She entered the place, and took in the surroundings. It was well decorated with the right amount of lighting. She walked around looking at the paintings, a mixture of modern and traditional at the same time. She stood in front of a painting contemplating if it would match the decor of her living room. There were a few people standing to the left of her talking loudly, distracting.

"Haha, that's funny. No, I'm not married. I just moved back to Madras a year ago" she heard a male voice tell another.

An amused Lakshmi turned and looked into the familiar, most beautiful chocolate brown eyes she had ever seen.

THE END

Part 3

2010-02-07T11:36:00.000-08:00

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

Lakshmi found herself talking to Suresh almost everyday. She would call him the moment her parents were out of sight. The feeling was funny, exciting even. To hear his voice and share events of the day with him and hear him talk about his life. She would tell Durga and Preeti a little bit of what was happening, but she liked to keep somethings to herself. That evening, when her mother had gone to the temple, and while she was talking to Suresh, she found herself agreeing to meet him at the library.

"Why don't I see you at the library?"

"I told you this before, I cannot be seen with you anywhere"

"Ok, I'll sign up to become a member today. At least we can talk a bit in person rather than on the phone every other day. And in 6 months we will both be done with school. And then what if I go off to college in another state? I am going to write the exams for IIT and the RECs. At least that's what my father wants me to do"

Lakshmi paused for a minute not knowing what to say.

"Think about it. But I'm going to sign up at the library anyway"

"Alright. I will see you there sometime. I'm going there this evening."

"Ok. Don't be scared. Nothing is going to happen."

That evening, Lakshmi stood in front of her cupboard for half an hour wondering what to wear. She finally chose the light pink salwar kameez with white embroidery. As she carefully did her hair and lined her eyes with kajal, she wondered how it would be to meet him in person. Choosing her kitten heels and a matching bag, she walked out of the house before her mother could ask her too many questions. Her heart started beating faster as she neared the library.

"Hello!" She greeted the librarian at the desk and quickly walked to the section that wasn't clearly visible from the front. She chose a book from the fiction section and started reading it, the words not making much sense to her. Lakshmi usually liked taking time in the library. She would choose a few books from different sections and then narrow down on what she wanted to take home with her. But today, her mind was far from it.

"Hi"

Lakshmi turned around and looked at Suresh. He had the most beautiful chocolate brown eyes she had ever seen.

"Hi" she managed to squeak.

"Nice library huh. What are you reading?" Suresh took the book from her and looked at it, turning it in his hands "Judith McNaught"

"Yes, it's her new book. I've been wanting to read it"

"Interesting. I doubt I'll ever want to read this" laughed Suresh. "Whats wrong with this?" said a mildly irritated Lakshmi. She couldn't help wondering why he laughed and poked fun at everything. Are all boys like this?

"Nothing. It's just a girls book I guess. Anyway, I have decided what I want to read, so I'll see you outside the library in 10 minutes Ok?"

Lakshmi dint say anything. She just looked at him and Suresh left.

This became like a weekly thing. Every week Lakshmi and Suresh would meet at the library. Sometimes they would walk a little bit together. One day he even went with her to the new jewellery store. Lakshmi was surprised at her actions. She was becoming more and more gutsy. She would never imagined doing something like this. Everytime she spoke to Suresh on the phone and even in person, she felt her feelings for him grow everyday. She knew he felt the same for her too. She could feel it, especially when she would catch him looking at her when he thought she wasn't looking.

........................................................................................................................

Lakshmi looked at the clock. It was almost 5 o'clock. Shruti was getting dressed to go meet her friends and Smriti was in her room. She decided to go to the temple and then quickly check out the new art gallery that opened a few blocks away. She changed her sari, instructed the maid on what vegetables she wanted cut for dinner and left. As she neared the temple, her thoughts slowed a little. She liked spending time at this place. This was a old temple, not too crowded like how most of them today are. She would do a small 'Archana' and then spend about 20 minutes sitting there before leaving.

As she was sitting there, she thought about her wedding day, something that she could not bring herself to think about, it still brought her pain even till now. But she should not feel guilty for feeling this way. She knew it, but couldn't help it.

........to be continued..............

Part 2

2010-02-05T11:28:00.000-08:00

Part 1,

PART - 2

The sound of glass breaking in the kitchen jolted Lakshmi out of her reverie. "What happened?" she called to the maid who was cleaning the kitchen cabinet, mildly irritated at the disturbance. She stood up, adjusted the folds of her saree and walked to the kitchen. The sunlight streaming from the window reflected off the shards of glass scattered on the floor making it difficult for them to find all the pieces. She helped the maid clean up with a wet cloth and some Lysol. Lakshmi walked back to the bedroom and stood in front of the mirror. She eyed herself critically. Her eyes were starting to wrinkle a little at the corners and her waistline wasn't as slim as it used to be. She dint expect it to be the same after 2 children anyway. Sighing lightly, she looked around her room. The photographs of her family on the wall always made her emotional. She looked at the smiling face of her husband lovingly holding her two daughters and her eyes went moist.

She tried to clear her mind of her thoughts and settled herself on her neatly made bed with her favorite book. Jane Austen always transported her to another time. However, today she couldn't stop thinking about the day she called Suresh.

...............................................................................................................

Lakshmi walked back from school with Durga and Preeti, her bag feeling heavier by the minute. It felt as though the crumpled piece of paper weighed a 100 kgs. She neared the end of her street and ran into her house without the usual goodbyes that took about ten minutes everyday. She ran into her room panting slightly and sat down on her bed, her hands clammy from sweat.

"Lakshu, come and eat something. You must be hungry" called her mother from the kitchen.

"Yes Amma. I'm coming". Lakshmi washed her hands and face and went downstairs to the kitchen where her mother was heating up lunch for her.

"How was your day?"

"Was fine Amma. We did the usual. I want to go to the library this evening and then to the new jewellery store to buy some earrings".

"Today? No. Your father and I are going to visit his colleague and his wife. They've been calling us over for a while so we decided to go today. They just bought a new house"

"Today? At what time?" Lakshmi immediately started thinking about that phone call.

"At about 6 o'clock. Why? Why are you looking at me like that?!"

"Nothing ma. I was just trying to figure out what time I should go out to be back by 6.

"What is wrong with you? You have to be back by 6 pm any day you go out, before the sun sets. Anyway, you have to help me make sweets for the Puja day after tomorrow. Go to the library tomorrow"

"Alright" Lakshmi finished her lunch and went to read and attempt to do some homework. Her thoughts were on Suresh and if she should call him or not. Her gut feeling said she should. But what should she say? She started practicing various greetings in her head. Should she say Hi? Hello? Oh, what if someone else picks up the phone? Should she ask to speak with him or hang up? The whole afternoon was spent with disconnected thoughts and she was feeling more edgy than usual. Before she knew it, her parents said they were leaving and would be back by eight. Her mom was dressed up in a nice silk sari with flowers in her hair. She looked at her mother, whose sweet smile lit up her day and her father who was so overprotective of her that she felt her love for them rush in and squeeze her heart.

After her parents left and she made sure she saw the car leave the end of the street, she looked at the clock. 6.05. Lakshmi opened her History book and then closed it five minutes later. She went and drank some water. She attempted reading her book and looked up at the clock every five minutes.

6.30. Finally.

She picked up the phone and dialed the number. She could not back out now.

"Hello?" said a voice on the other side.

"Hello?" Lakshmi's voice trembled a little.

"Lakshmi? It's me Suresh"

A small sigh of relief that it was him who answered the phone went through her. She dint know what to say, so she kept quiet. Partly because she was scared and partly because she dint know what to say.

"How are you? Don't be scared. My parents work late everyday so I can talk. I really wanted to talk to you and I'm happy you called"

"Yes, but do you know how much trouble I'd be in if my parents find out I'm talking to you? They would kill me. Or send me away"

"Haha" Suresh started laughing. "Where would they send you?. You girls are always full of drama. I mean I have two sisters. I'm not talking about any other girls" he was quick to add.

"Anyway, I cannot talk now. I have to go"

"Talk to me for five minutes and then you can go"

They continued talking for sometime. About school, about exams that were coming up and the college they wanted to get accepted into the next year. Lakshmi dint know what had come over her. She felt comfortable talking to him and was actually enjoying the conversation.

"Oh no, its 7 45! My parents will be back anytime now. I have to go"

"Alright.But I will talk to you tomorrow around the same time Ok?"

"I don't know if I can call you tomorrow. I am going to the library"

"Library? Which one? Shall I see you there?"

"NO. Are you crazy? If anyone sees me with you I will get into trouble"

"Ok. Don't worry. Bye"

"Bye"

...............................................................................................................

"Ammaaaa! I'm hungry" called a voice from the living room.

Lakshmi's younger daughter just returned from school.

She smiled and wondered why was she thinking about the past. It was so many years ago. Twenty years since Suresh, and eighteen since she got married. It had been a while since she let herself dwell on her teenage years and her thought process then, even though they might be silly to her now. She did not forget the happiness she felt, irrational and free. Those days of getting to know each other and then getting married. The early days of her wedding. How naive she was and how the events of the last twenty years has made her strong in ways she would have never thought possible.

"Momsie" said Smriti, who liked calling her mother all kinds of names. "Whats with the weird smile and faraway look?"

"Nothing" said Lakshmi. "Why don't you tell me what happened in school today?" she smiled at her daughter who was growing faster everyday. As Smriti started talking, she heard the front door open and close and her elder daughter walked in.

"I can't wait to get done with this and be off to college. Hi Amma!" Shruti walked into the house holding a bunch of books.

"OK girls, who wants to watch a movie tonight?"

"I'm meeting some friends at 6 Ma" Shruti informed her mother. "I have a test tomorrow" said Smriti.

"Alright. Some other day then!" Lakshmi couldn't help thinking Shruti informed her these days about her whereabouts rather than asking her. The girls went into their respective rooms and Lakshmi went back into hers.

For some reason, maybe because of the mood she was in all day, she took out her wedding album. She looked at herself, how her slightly hollow cheeks brought out her cheekbones and her eyes. Oh, her eyes. Her husband would always tell her how he would just get lost in them and feel her long beautiful hair. She touched her hair now. Shorter and more bouncy, her face devoid of makeup, her eyes without kajal.

And she was transported to another time and place, a different generation altogether.

.........to be continued.............

Part 1

2010-02-04T11:13:00.000-08:00

“Amma, I told you not to buy those green ribbons. I hate them. They make me look dark. I like white”

“Don’t make a fuss Lakshu. I bought them in a hurry from Geetha stores and that’s the only color they had today. Now just wear it and don’t make a fuss”.

Lakshmi was angry. More than angry, she was irritated. She wondered how her mother couldn’t understand such simple instructions. What was so difficult in not buying green ribbons or brown? But she dint say anything. She just made a face and wore them. Shouting and an argument made her disobedient, which she din’t want to be. Appa would get angry and then she would be grounded for the evening. She quietly wove them into her braids and got ready for school.

On the way to school she saw Durga. They started chatting and were soon joined by Preeti. This was their daily routine. They met every morning before school and hung around each other the whole day till the end of the day. Neither of them was ambitious or intellectual. They dint aspire to become doctors or to major in physics or anything along those lines. They were perfectly content discussing what 17 year olds usually do – movies, boys and clothes. That was why they got along so well.

“Ei Lakshmi. Did u do the maths homework? Hissed a voice from the back.

“No dee. I dint do it. I hate doing Maths. I’ll copy it down from Preeti’s book. I don’t think geometry is going to help us in life much anyway. The second class is Sanskrit. I’ll finish it then.

“Oh, ok I dint do it either. I’ll also copy it from Preeti if she finished it. Have to make sure we don’t get caught”.

The rest of the day went on uneventfully except for the usual scolding from the teachers which were being called brats, accused of rowdy behavior and being compared to boys. That was the worst insult a girl could get according to the teachers - to be branded a boy. Not that too many of the girls cared anyway. There were a few who would cry if they were singled out, but by and large the school population grew immune to it by now.

When the school bell rang to signal the end of the day, there was the hurried shuffle of feet and the shoving of books into bags. The din was unbearable. But among a bunch of excited school girls it was inconsequential.

“ooh. Look, Look!!! It’s Suresh! He’s looking at you.”

“No Way. I don’t like him” Lakshmi could feel her face go red as those lies escaped her lips. She turned her head to an angle she knew was flattering. Lakshmi dint really like Suresh, but was flattered by the attention she was getting from him. This made her feel as though she liked him. He would look at her when they crossed paths to and from their respective schools. She was in an all girls school and he was studying in all boy’s school. Which were at opposite sides of the road. Lakshmi always wondered what the whole point was. It just made the high school students want to look more and more to the opposite side.

Lakshmi was never the gutsy type. She was too scared to look him in the eye, going up and talking to him was unthinkable. His name reached her ears one day when someone called him and he turned in response. He was one of the popular boys – The School Pupil Leader as his blue colored badge was proudly displayed on his white shirt. Lakshmi longed to speak to him, to hear how his voice sounded when spoke her name. She often wondered how it will be if she went to have an ice cream with him sometime at Cool Blue ice cream shop. And have him hold her hand and declare his undying love for her. Many a math and history class was spent thus. If the class was particularly boring, she would concentrate on all kinds of details like what clothes she would be wearing. Would she wear her black salwar kameeze with the scooped neck or will it be the red one with the gold trimming and the sheer chiffon dupatta? She really needs to check out which one would look more flattering on her complexion. Suresh was tall and dark and had that little bit of a wave to his hair that was so ‘in’ among the boys. Lakshmi stole another quick look at him and started talking about something else to her friends to distract their attention.

“Do any of you want to go to the library this evening? I requested Ms.Rao to keep a copy of Pride and Prejudice for me.And then we can go to the stores along the temple. I've been wanting to buy green earrings to match my new dupatta..." Lakshmi said as she was rummaging through her bag checking to see if she took her history book from class.

No one was really paying attention to what Lakshmi was saying. All their attention was drawn to something that was happening a few steps away. Lakshu looked up from her bag and saw four pairs of eyes staring at her.

"What?!"

"Aren't you going to read it?" asked Preeti expectantly. Durga's eyes were bright and looked like as if they were going to pop out of her head.

"What is it?" Lakshmi repeated as her eyes spotted a small slip of paper with her name lying on the ground.

"Oh god. Looks like she dint see what happened" gushed Durga. This small boy from the boy's school came running this side, threw this piece of paper at you and ran away"

Lakshmi dint know whether to laugh or not. This was absurd. These things happen only in movies and not in real life. This even looked a bit shady to her. Curiosity got the better of her and she picked it up.

'Lakshmi, call me at this number at 6 30 pm today. please. I want to talk to you. Suresh'

For some reason her hands started shaking. Her eyes got bigger than usual, and accentuated by eyeliner, she looked like a timid, small child. Her expressive eyes did not hide much. "What do I do? Amma will kill me if she finds out"

"You HAVE to call him" insisted Preeti. "C'mon! You like him right?"

Lakshmi's face turned red. She crumpled the piece of paper and hid it in her bag, not before memorizing the number.

....to be continued.....

*I don't have a name for this story, hence the unimaginative title.

2010-02-02T17:02:00.000-08:00

I haven't written anything in a while, and I still have visitors here. awesome. :-)

I've been fairly good. Worked all year, did well in school, and I graduated with a Master's degree. yaay!

One of the things that's been on my mind lately is the impending big 2-5! I'm turning 25 in a month. O.M.G. Where have all the years gone? The character in one of my favorite books 'Fried Green Tomatoes At The Whistle Stop Cafe' says something to the effect of "You spend your childhood waiting to grow up but the moment you hit your twenties the years go by like a fast train to Memphis" (I forget the exact words here)

Remember the time when the highlight of the day was when you just wanted to go and 'play' with your friends after school? When it was a big deal that you were allowed to stay up late and eat ice cream on Saturday nights. We dint have video games other than that nintendo(?) where we fought for the controls to play Mario. Another fond memory I have is when my cousins and I used to play 'tent'. We would arrange four chairs in a circle and spread a large sheet over it. I don't really understand the fascination of sitting under it and playing/fighting/arguing, but I guess it was a lot of fun! Or the time my little brother fell down and scraped the skin off his nose that bled all over the place and I cried more than him. Or how about the time my cousins taught me my first cuss words.

But my love-hate relationship with pepsi/coke/all forms of soda hasn't changed.

2010-01-30T22:37:00.001-08:00

Can someone please explain Saif Ali Khan being awarded the Padma Shree?!

500 days of Summer

2009-08-14T08:33:00.000-07:00

Last night on impulse my roommate and I went to watch the movie '500 days of Summer'. I usually avoid late nights when I'm working but I dont regret coming in to work sleepy eyed. The movie is refreshing, honest, down to earth and not glossy with beautiful people with perfect hair and nails. It is boy meets girl, but not a love story. Its a relationship story.

Haven't we all been there? Being so in love with the idea of love that you just lose focus on the bigger picture. The want of things to be a fairy tale, the concept of a soul mate that slowly disintegrates when you realize you're going to be 25 and wondering where your life went. As Carrie from Sex and the City says something to the effect of "I'm 40 and waiting. Where is he??"

Where is he!? I don't know! Does he even exist? hmm. not quite sure anymore. Thats the problem! From even before we could read, we have been fed with stories of a handsome prince and living happily ever after. While I don't exactly blame parents and society for trying to instill some faith in us, don't you think its more wrong than right? Girls spend all their time thinking that someone is going to come and rescue them and make all their troubles go away. WRONG. The moment that is expected, its all downhill from there.

The movie for once, is not about the girl.It's not about how in love with the guy she is, and she doesn't know what he thinks blaah blah blah.. only for him to come to the airport just before she boards the flight to kiss away her tears. It is the guy's perspective. It's about how he falls in love with the girl and she is not in love with him. She is unsure.

YES. That does happen to us too! Sometimes, we are not in love with a guy but just like him. Sometimes we want to take things as they go too. But no one likes to acknowledge the fact that we can be confused, and don't really want to plan where its going. We women always have to be portrayed love struck, crying and waiting for the man of her dreams. The stereotype of guys using girls doesn't really exist anymore I'm afraid.

What if we don't believe in love? That statement might just negate a few thousand years of literature, a few hundred years of novels and a hundred years of movies! I'm sorry, but it just might be true :-)

physics lab and more

2009-07-23T08:17:00.000-07:00

Being a TA is not easy. Uh uh, not easy at all I'm telling you. You have the responsibility to manage a class of rowdy undergrads who ask questions like "ok, now what do I type?" hoping for you to give them the answer. When you know that you're just a couple of years older than them, and when they know that they can get away making cheeky comments by making you laugh its tough.
People who know me won't really call me a strict person. I'm fairly talkative, lots of fun(at least I like to think so), like to go out with friends and party and do all the student-ey stuff.(which makes it weird when I see my students at the bars near school. I just turn away before they see me) So when I have to change my role to an instructor and go into the lab and yell for them to keep quiet, I'm actually secretly marveling at my no nonsense tone and wondering where on earth that voice was hiding all this while. (I sometimes wear my glasses to class for extra effect).
My friends from my college days couldn't believe that I was going to be a TA in the physics lab of all places. My news was met with a lot of "HAHAHAHA! YOU AA?" too "ooh , I wish I had a teacher like you ;-) " and all kinds of comments. I took it in my stride and laughed along. For the first few lab sessions I was a bit nervous wondering how I was going to handle twenty five freshmen college kids a section. And 4 sections at that. It was not so bad after all. There were the geeky kids, the slow ones, the cheeky ones and it was a fun experience.

This took me back to MY 1st semester Physics lab class in college. Where my professor Mr Ponnusamy would refer to everyone - even us girls - as 'thambi' which means 'younger brother in Tamil. I know. Go figure. Needless to say, his yelling across the lab 'thambi thambi lab coat enge pa?' was met with confused faces all around. I was like 'err are you talking to me? from which angle do I look like a thambi to you?'
We would try and manipulate readings which we did not get so that we could leave the lab early, finish pre lab in our observation 5 minutes before the session starts so we would not get thrown out. The usual stuff, nothing the profs dint know we did. And they let it pass.
Maybe it was because of this that I could see through fake readings in my lab and send the student back to complete it properly. Yes. I know. Me. I did that. =) no student was going to fool me. HA.

Why am I blogging about this again? The course Evaluations had come out today and I have to share a few comments by my students.

"Neha was a great instructor. She helped me when I had trouble within the labs."

"The professor would help when the class was having trouble and did not have a problem explaining things step by step on difficult tasks"

"Great TA! She made lab simple and easy to understand.The instructor was good."

So all that grading and teaching lab for 4 hrs and AFTER that attending my own 3 hr lectures seems worth it after all =)

2009-07-17T08:06:00.000-07:00

This just happened so the conversation is fresh in my mind.

I was sitting at my desk at work trying read something.I see this guy looking for something and after the usual good morning/how are you we start talking. He pulled up a chair and we started having a conversation. The usual questions come up - how do you like it here? How does it feel to work at a company etc etc. When he learns I'm from India he asks me "So how different is it here from India" I don't really know what to say. He wants to know how different India is culturally.

Ah.Where do I start now? How do I explain to a typical American the love-hate relationship I share with my country? Born and brought up in the city, I don't really know rural India or know how it is to live in a village. I went to an upper middle class English speaking school, I grew up reading Enid Blyton and Nancy Drew. I watch english movies. I talk to my friends in English. I am not a part of a circle that calls each other and says *"enna di enna pannare?" I wear jeans and tee shirts and drink pink lemonade at Anokhi. I never traveled by bus until I went to college which was 40kms from home. I was forced to since there was no other mode of transport. I din't even know that there were local trains in Chennai till I joined college.

At the same time, I am as Indian as they get. People might scoff at me and say "What does she know? She hasn't really undergone any hardship in life.She never had to want of anything material". Is that true? Only few people know really.

Just because I don't talk in tamil/telugu all the time or don't wear mallipoo(jasmine flowers) in my hair doesnt mean I do not understand our culture. I do believe in tradition. I go to the temple, I believe in God the same amount that you do. I just do not wear a saree and do 'Archana' every weekend. I don't have to fast and make 10 varieties of sweets in order for me to get a good husband and pray for his life to last longer than mine.

A culture shock for me was when I started going to college. There were people from all walks of life. From towns/villages to the uber rich NRI kids. I was stuck somewhere In the middle. My middle class english speaking life did not really get along with the giggling girls nor with the partying kind. It took a while for me to fit in and find the crowd I could hang out with. Needless to say, I was branded a snob.

How do I explain something like class system(caste is a bad word these days I hear). "Does your family believe in the class system Ne?Will your parents want you to marry a boy in the same class as you" They ask me. Do we? Or don't we? We don't want to admit that we do and will never talk about it. But deep down inside we do right? Do you blame us? From grade 10 when marks matter the FC/BC* was an issue. I could not dream of going to a public medical college. Why? Because for our 'caste' we need to get 99.8% to make the grade. Is that fair? I will not get admission when I want to go for general seat in any public university. Why? Because I'm FC and I do not have 99% in my exams. "Oh, FCaa neenga?" is what I heard from time to time with a look on their face from the admin people at school offices. We studied as hard as the others. Don't we have a right to choose what we want to study?

I am proud of what I am and my family. I am proud that 90 years back my grandmother's father and brothers shunned the caste system and were one of the first to be a part of the Brahma Samaj(for abolition of the caste system and of the dowry system, emancipation of women, and improving the educational system etc). I am proud that everyone in my family was and is educated and knows the value of it even though we dont have rice fields back home pumping money into our bank accounts.

In the future, I wish my children understand our background, appreciate and be proud of who we are.

"So Ne.. how different is India culturally from America?" I just smile and say "Very different. India is a very old culture".

*Whats up,what are you doing? - Tamil
*Forward class/ Backward class

2009-07-10T09:52:00.000-07:00

Ne walks into the living room and sees her dad reading the newspaper and drinking coffee.

Ne : Nanaaaaa? Naaanaaa?

Nana (without blinking or looking up) : How much will it cost?

Ne : :-/

2009-06-04T20:59:00.000-07:00

I've signed in and trying to keep up with my monthly blog post. An eventful month I must say. Everything is so uncertain right now. A month back I had no idea what I'd be doing this summer, I was thinking I might end up teaching(again) for the 3rd semester in a row. And then one day it all happened and the internship came up. A few weeks of nail biting and checking the phone every ten minutes for the HR to call and talk about paperwork followed. Once that was done and everything confirmed on paper, a couple of weeks of searching for a place to stay followed. I don't know what I would have done without google maps, and their street view option. I had fun dragging that little stick figure along the streets of TX to look at the place where I'm going to work.

I'm so used to studying now, I wonder how work life is going to be. I'm guessing its going to be different from India where I was among a bunch of campus recruits and I had people my own age to goof off with during lunch and after work.

I'm excited, nervous, a bit apprehensive since I'm going to a new city and a whole lot of other things. I'm packed and ready, and unable to sleep even though I'm dead tired. I'm supposed to report to work at 8 AM every morning which is going to be a challenge. My day starts at 11,especially the last two semesters, which is like a year. I had lab classes to teach and office hours only post 12 30 pm. I'm guessing I'm going to be asleep at 10 and up at 6 every morning this summer! Wish me luck on that front!

2009-05-11T13:18:00.001-07:00

I was studying quietly at school minding my own business when a couple of people come and start talking to me. We were discussing random stuff about course work when one of them made a very rude comment about my team and presentation. When I asked him to explain, he had little to say. I just hope my answer and following silence made him realize he should think before talking.

I find this a lot around Indian guys. I don't mean to sound prejudiced or judgmental,because I'm Indian too. But I feel a lot of them lack basic courtesy in things they say and also when addressing women. The worst part is that they don't realize it and think its cool to act that way. It might be when you're an obnoxious 17 year old but not when you are 25 and in a professional environment.

This makes me wonder if they were taught basic etiquette at a young age. Should it begin at home? or at school? It starts off very early when young boys observe their fathers treat their mothers and other women with more authority than necessary. Right through school and even through college and beyond nothing is done to even imply that such behavior is not right. And when they leave home and go to other countries, this reflects badly on us as people! By voicing these 'concerns' they are not going to listen. And the worst part and what makes me real mad is they get away with being able to say what they want to without realizing it reflects so poorly on them and their character.

What does one do in such situations? Stay away and hope they don't embarrass you in public.

2009-05-06T16:59:00.000-07:00

Its exam week and I've been eating extremely unhealthy food. Watched Super Size Me recently.

Teamwork and more

2009-04-28T16:48:00.000-07:00

I just fail to understand why some people have no teamwork ethics. When you're working in a team its imperative to recognize other people's work and give them due credit for it. Maybe its because we are a part of a class and in school some students don't bother too much. But that's no reason to behave this way. I know I'm ranting but its for a very valid reason! I haven't had a very good experience this semester with some people acting the way they do. Last month, a team member changed the layout of the presentation just 30 minutes before submission time. A very upset colleague confronted her since she spent a lot of time the previous night working on it. And she was given the reply "Oh yeah, I changed it because I dint like the template". Now, this person was angry and without losing her cool explained that this is not correct work ethics and if she had a problem with anything should have brought it to her notice. A lot of explanation later, the incident was put to rest. One would have thought that the person wouldn't do the same thing again. But she did exactly the same thing the second time around.

What do you do with such a person? Do you shout and scream which is obviously not the solution. Do you explain calmly and voice your concerns that this behavior is not right and one will not get away with it in an organization? I just don't understand why some people behave this way? Is it because they don't think? Or is it that they haven't been taught such basic etiquette and manners?

Anyway, this semester is almost over and I'm done with group work for this class. The idea of having such groups and presentations in a business setting was implemented by our professor for a reason and clearly has been lost on some people.

2009-04-14T19:54:00.000-07:00

One would think that such a reputed website would conduct a spell check before posting!

http://movies.indiatimes.com/Special-Features/25-Must-See-Bollywood-Movies/articleshow/msid-1250837,curpg-11.cms

Read the last line in the paragraph about the movie 'Bobby'.

2009-04-13T10:34:00.001-07:00

Someone who judges you even without knowing you is not worth it..right?

2009-04-07T18:35:00.000-07:00

Kitne ajeeb rishtey hain yahan pe..
Do pal milte hain saath saath chalte hain

Jab mod aaye toh bach ke nikalte hai
Kitne ajeeb rishtey hai yaha pe

Yaha sabhi apni hi dhun main deewane hain
Kare wahi jo apna dil sahi mane hai
Kaun kisko pooche kaun kisko bole
Kaun kisko pooche kaun kisko bole
Sabke labon par apne tarane hai

Le jaye nasib kisko kahanpe
Kitne ajeeb rishtey hain yahan pe

Khwaabon ki yeh duniya hain khwaaboh main hi rehna hain
Raahen le jaye jahan sang sang chalna hain
Waqt ne hamesha yahan naye khel khele
Waqt ne hamesha yaha naye khel khele
Kuch bhi ho jaye yaha bas khush rehna hai

Manzil lage kareeb sabko yahan pe
Kitne ajeeb rishtey hain yahan pe
Do pal milte hain saath saath chalte hai

Jab mod aaye toh bach ke nikalte hai
Kitne ajeeb rishtey hai yaha pe
Kitne ajeeb rishtey hai yaha pe

These lyrics really hit you don't they? The last year has been full of ups and downs for me. Getting to know new people and whole new different perspective on life. I'm not sure if that's a good thing or a bad thing. I don't know if I'd rather be how I am now knowing so much more but not happy about all these realizations, or how I was a few years earlier, happier but unaware.

2009-04-04T18:30:00.000-07:00

Food cravings have been a part of my life ever since I remember. I don't eat much as such, but sometimes I feel like having some chocolate,or rice and aavakkai(Andhra mango pickle) with some ghee and pani puri. Sheesh. I'm very picky about the aavakai I like and prefer the homemade variety made with mustard oil. This drives Amma nuts since we dont have the summer aavakai making ritual at home. :) I've always loved to cook and used to hang around when my dad took over the kitchen. He makes the world's best biryani. (I'm having intense biryani cravings right now). I just don't have the motivation to cook lately. The kitchen at our student apartment is pretty small. I'm just waiting to get my own place with a nice large kitchen and big room and light scented candles all over the place. sigh. I guess first I need a real job. Waiting to get done with grad student life as much as I love school.

2009-04-01T15:29:00.000-07:00

So we're more than half way through this semester and I have loads of work piling up. It feels like forever since I've been home even though its just a couple of months.

A good friend uploaded a whole bunch of old pictures from our undergrad days on facebook. Brought back a lot of memories. Some good, some not so good. But kinda makes those days seem a lot simpler in retrospect. Also, I seemed to have put on some weight.To think I was that thin at one point. :-(

I've been hooked on to a few silly sites lately. But they are so much fun I just can't seem to help myself! highheelconfidential, failblog,fmylife,engrishfunny and graphjam. No judgements please!

And I'm feeling super guilty for drinking chocolate milkshake before class.

2009-03-30T10:12:00.000-07:00

There are some people you come across in life whom you really hit it off with. I'm not talking about the opposite sex m/f chemistry thing. I'm talking about just being friends with people irrespective of age and sex. There are a few people I've come to know recently after moving here.Friends of friends and some others whom I haven't spent too much time with, but really enjoy talking to them. Maybe under different circumstances and maybe if we were all at school together we would have become really good friends. Thank god for google talk :) They're on my messenger list and it feels good to connect with some people who kind of think like me.

The other day I used a zinc based cream on my face which turned my silver nose ring a bronze-ish color.Any ideas on how to turn it silver again? I'm going to try rub some lime on it and see what happens

And so I made peas pulav for dinner today.Hope it turns out well. :)

Also, any ideas on what to get a 17 year old boy for his birthday?

2009-03-04T23:13:00.000-08:00

I'm a year older. :-O

2009-02-11T20:50:00.000-08:00

I know, I know! Please forgive me, ardent followers of my blog, I haven't posted anything in a while. The last month has been quite eventful. I went home for the holidays and came back feeling rejuvenated and energized and happy. I think the trip home did good things to me. And when I thought I wouldn't TA again, I should have known. Its computer science this semester. sigh. Give me strength.

Now, With the Ram sena acting all self righteous and threatening to marry off couples who are dating? Don't you think that couples can actually use that to their advantage? Especially those who are from conservative families who do not approve of their respective boy/girlfriends? Just blame it on the sene! "Oh,well we were FORCED into it" and "um, now that we're married, you might as well approve". Wouldn't that be an easy way out? haww. It's not THAT bad a thing after all. And if you have any of those pink chaddis, post them right now. haha.

In the other news, I read some very nice books lately. Escape by Carolyn Jessop is amazing, a must read. You can Vikram chandra's Sacred Games a miss. I haven't even finished it. Gossip girl and shopaholic was nice light reading. Also The Glass Castle by Jeanette Wells was very touching. I finally read the Kite Runner, and I cried three times during the course of the entire book. Currently I'm reading The great Indian Novel by Shashi Tharoor. I must say its written very well, but equally intense. I have a feeling I'm going to take a while to finish it.

So that was what was happening in my life until.. well.. today!

2009-01-02T20:08:00.000-08:00

I am home and things are no more clearer than before. Hmm. Not sure what I was expecting.

2008-12-22T14:44:00.000-08:00

I just found I have a very sharp tooth.The inside of one of my incisors(?)(trying to recollect class 8 zoology here) has suddenly turned nice and sharp.Funny I dint notice it before.I've been running my tongue up and down that side of the tooth for the last couple of days in fascination. Teeth are a very sensitive area for me. I am paranoid about anything to do with them.Even a glimpse of that small mirror like thing and that slightly crooked dentist's tool is enough to send me running in the opposite direction. I also have weird recurring dreams of my teeth falling and that I'd never ever get new ones. Maybe I need help.

The last week has been slightly mad. I've been running around here and there to get somethings done before I leave for home.Home? So which IS my home now? College Park is my home too! :-)

Last week we'd gone to the National Geographic headquarters at Washington DC. My friend/roommate was interning there for the last semester and there was this 'open day' like thing going on. We got to look around inside and also go to her lab. We met her supervisor and colleagues in the lab and spent time talking to them and getting to know what kind of work they do! It was truly wonderful. To be inside that office and see pictures and talk to the people who's work we have grown up watching on TV.

And of course DC. I love walking down the streets of DC and Georgetown.Every time I go there I fall in love with the city even more. If only it wasn't so expensive I'd live there.*wishful thinking* I'm really happy I live so close by though.It takes just 20 minutes to get there by the metro.

I just finished reading The Glass Castle by Jeannette Wells. Written very well, its about her life and her parents and the dysfunctional life they lead through her childhood. It takes you through quite an emotional up and down and at the end of it you wonder what makes people behave a certain way? Especially when they are responsible for other human beings, their children.

Too many thoughts, too many things to do, so little time.Till next time... Toodles dearies!

the countdown?

2008-12-17T22:28:00.000-08:00

Ok, so the countdown has officially begun.. to going home this December. I never ever thought I'd look forward to going home so much. I mean, I'm pretty happy here, I've set a (non)routine for myself, managing decently -school and work. Most of the desi people here literally LIVE for going home. A trip to India is accompanied by 'wow's and 'awesommmme' and other similar adjectives. Beats me. If they dot want to be here, then why are they? I mean might as well go home right? If they think home is THAT awesome, then why did they leave? Did anyone force them to come here? I always feel whatever conscious choice is made should be taken as a learning experience. By complaining and whining, nothing is going to change, or help. And if it is something that CAN be helped, the bloody well do it!

As for me, I guess I'm missing family the most. And my friends, whom I've grown up with. I'm really looking forward to seeing everyone again. After this very eventful summer, I need some love from the parental unit and the friends, not to mention the brother. Who is growing taller every minute.I guess I am going to miss my life here. And I'm more confused than ever. Im hoping my trip home can answer some questions and make a few things clearer.

So here's to chennai'ness..Walks on the beach,Nana's biryani, shopping at the silver shops at spencer's plaza, late night ice cream at freez zone and snow field, pani puri and gangotree, stay overs at friends place, home made yoghurt, spending time with cousins, fighting for the TV remote with the brother,being woken up at 8 30 AM for the maid to sweep the floor, Amma yelling 'lei lei leyyyi*' in the mornings..and last but not the least.. my room and my bed! :-)

*wake up wake up wakkkkkke up!!

2008-12-07T19:53:00.000-08:00

Its 11 30 pm on Sunday night and I'm still at school. A burrito bol, packet of chips, brownies, rice and channa, fries, coffee, 12 hours and other random stuff later and we're still half way through the book for the exam. sigh.

And another tag, this one I want to do.She dint tag me, but I'm going to do this anyway! :-)

Your oldest memories:

Fussing what to wear in the mornings before going to school. Yes. I was three.
Watching tadpoles in the puddles made by rainwater in Abacus (my school).
My grandmother reading to me in the afternoons and dad in the night before putting me to sleep.
Shampooing my barbie's hair.

What were you doing 10 years ago?

10 years ago, I was 13, in 9th standard. Most of that year was spent listening to all the teachers go on and on about the board exams we would have to 'face' next year. This was also the year Sne and I stopped 'playing' downstairs with the other kids and started talking more..We would spend hours on the terrace discussing what most 13 year old girls would. We read a few Mills&Boon books that year too!

Your first thought in the morning..
'Just five minutes more?'

If you built a time capsule it would have..
Taken be back to school to relive some of those days? Or would it take me a few years into the future to know what its going to be like? Where am I going to end up and who am I going to spend my life with? It feels like I'm the only one in the dark since all my friends are slowly getting hitched.

This year..
I started studying again..I moved to the US to do my masters. Learned to operate the washing machine(I know I was slightly pampered at home), manage my life and my house. I feel I have grown so much more in this one year than I have ever felt before.

What do you see yourself doing 14 years from now?
My mind is drawing a blank right now. I just wish I'm happy with whatever I end up doing.

Of disbelief and helplessness??

2008-12-01T09:07:00.000-08:00

I wanted to refrain from writing and talking about this. The last 5 days have been absolute madness with what happened in Mumbai, we all know it and its all we have been talking about. Everyone is still reeling with shock, anger and the worst of all helplessness. Usually, we see people blaming each other, other groups and sects, and even the government. But this time, everyone seems to be taking the blame. The government says that they have failed, and so are we. Now, isn't that the most confusing bit? If the citizens ourselves take the blame of not being responsible enough, what are we going to do to make things better, in effect, damage control? Isn't that the worst feeling? Of helplessness? What are we going to do? And what is going to happen? Most of us, and by us I mean my peers and the people I interact with. Did we even vote the last time? I know a lot of us who dint. Do we have the right to blame the government and say that they are not taking care of us and we need to live in a safe India? What about those of us who are not living in India anymore? I wake up this morning and see my mailbox flooded with email and my facebook home page full of events on Candle lights and walks, and gatherings and marches. I am not against such gestures, nor am I against people or groups who organize such events. But what good is that going to do? Doesn't that just reinforce our position of helplessness and fear? Light some candles, walk a 100 meters and then what? Go back home and watch the news, cry out in disbelief and voice a hundred opinions as to what the government should do? I cannot deny that I am scared. I am scared for my family, my loved ones back home and for myself as well. What can I, or even we do today? Honestly, I do not know. And neither do you. So please, do not pretend to.

I'm back!

2008-11-25T13:32:00.000-08:00

It's been a while since I blogged. Almost a month in fact. I don't really know why I dint feel like posting anything. Not that nothing has happened, or I dint find anything blog worthy. In fact my life seems to have changed drastically since my last post. A lot of things have happened and I'd like to think I've grown past certain things in my life and am looking at myself, people around me and the world with a different perspective. A more mature, positive way of thinking I'd like to believe. A lot of things to let go, a lot to embrace and look forward to in the future.

I have a presentation in an hour for the final of one of my courses.Wish me luck! More later..

Some more bread?? aargh!

2008-10-23T16:06:00.000-07:00

I'm in school and I'm hungry. I go to the food court at the student union here and what are my choices? Pizza, Stuffed Pizza, Stromboli(yumm), sandwich, burgers, wraps, the inevitable taco bell, panda express, subway and some more. Notice one common factor among them all? BREAD. Filled with carbs and nothing more. And then we have cheese and the fried stuff in them. Now how does anyone expect to lose weight and stay in shape? I'm sick of all the bread around me. It's not just at school but everywhere we go, its all about bread. I was never big on it back home, and now I'm forced to eat it. When I go home, I'm not going to even LOOK at bread. That's decided. I'm sick of it. This happens ALL the time. Even now. I'm feeling guilty as hell. I was so hungry after lab I had a slice of pizza and fries. And now I feel terrible for feeding my body all this junk.This was in the afternoon. Sufficient time has passed for me to feel hungry again and what were my choices? Coffee, pastry, danish and eclair. I settled for the eclair and now guilt strikes again. I'm going to have roti and dal when I get home. Or just some dal. sigh. And now get back to my paper on GE's business strategy on outsourcing.

Tagged again

2008-10-10T10:34:00.000-07:00

The best thing about this semester is that I have Fridays off.Which explains my extreme laziness this morning..err,afternoon.

I started writing this post on Friday, before I got distracted, and now I'm attempting to finish it up! School and work are going on as usual, right into the middle of the semester with a lot of submissions, profs making us turn in papers left,right and center.Sigh. This should be titled 'Travails of grad student life'.

So Aishu sent me an email tag, and instead of replying to her, I decided to post it! How interesting. Now you get to know a little bit more about me, which I'm SURE you are dying to know..here goes..

What time did you get up this morning?
8 30 AM. That was the time I dragged my a$$ out of the bed. I actually woke up at much earlier thanks to my wonderful roomies who's alarms ring every 5 min from 7 30!! (its alright. I still lou you guys! :D)

Diamonds or pearls?
Diamonds. Is that even a question??

What was the last film you saw at the cinema?
Rock on. Apart from the fact that Farhan Akhtar was looking HOT beyond belief, the movie was ok-ok. A bit cliched, but made well nevertheless. I usually don't like guys/men with long hair but this time I had to make an exception. Farhan in that 'rocker' type image, bandana and shades.. oooh!

What is your favorite TV show?
I'm not much of a TV person. But if I do watch, I like watching comedy..and sex and city.

What do you usually have for breakfast?
IF I have breakfast its usually bagel and cream cheese, or cereal. Coffee is a must though.

What is your middle name?
I don't have one.

What food do you dislike?
Upma. Otherwise I'm not too fussy.

What kind of car do you drive?
Being the poor grad student that I am, I rely on the school shuttle.

Favorite sandwich?
Does an Eggel count? Thats like my FAV EVER!

What characteristic do you despise?
When someone tries to be something they are not.

Favorite item of clothing?
I love skirts and dresses.Especially summery ones.

If you could go anywhere in the world on vacation, where would you go?
Long list. Italy, South Africa, Egypt, Turkey

What color is your bathroom?
Umm, White and cream?

Favorite brand name of clothing?
I like Guess!

Where would you retire to?
Some warm place for sure. I despise winters.

What was your most memorable birthday?
My 21st.As cliched as it sounds, its true!

Favorite sport to watch?
Cricket? I hardly watch sports.

Farthest place you are sending this?
Someone in Zimbabwe could be reading this for all I know.

Favorite saying?
Blah. Fits almost anywhere.

When is your birthday?
March 4

Are you a morning person or a night person?
I'm an Owl

What is your shoe size?
7 1/2

Pets?
No. But I'd love to have a dog one day.

Any new and exciting news you’d like to share with us?
I wish there was!

What did you want to be when you were little?
A teacher.

What are you wearing today?
Formal pants, shirt and closed shoes.Career fair. Need I say more?

What is your favorite candy?
Chocolat!

What is your favorite flower?
I don't know what they're called, but those small yellow ones you get in bunches.

What is a day on the calendar you are looking forward to?
Diwali I guess.Been like forever since I have worn a saree. Very very bored of jeans I must say.

What church do you attend?
I don't go to church.

What are you listening to right now?
'Yeh Tumhari Meri Baatein' - Rock on. I'm addicted to this song!

What was the last thing you ate?
Roti and aloo

Do you wish on stars?
Yes. *blush*

If you were a crayon, what color would you be?
Pink

How is the weather right now?
End of fall and winter is on the way. :-(

Last person you spoke to on the phone?
Nishita I think. No one *interesting* if thats what your implying.

Do you like the person who sent this to you?
Yes. *louu* :D

Favorite soft drink?
Fanta

Favorite restaurant?
I'd give anything to go to The Kabab Factory now.

Hair color?
Black with streaks of Fuschia

Favorite day of the year?
Any day I get to sleep in late

What was your favorite toy as a child?
My barbie

Summer or winter?
I used to hate summers. But it was only after I got here I realized how *terrible* winters are. I LOVE summers now. The weather, summer clothes and shoes.. already waiting for summer 09

Hugs or Kisses?
Both!

Chocolate or Vanilla?
CHOCOLATE

When was the last time you cried?
A month back I think

What is under your bed?
Nothing. Its clean.

What did you do last night?
Um. Slept.

Favorite smell?
Sweet pea spray by Bath and Body works

What are you afraid of?
Scorpions

Plain, buttered, or salted Popcorn?
Salted

How many keys on your key ring?
One big and two small ones

How many years at your current job?
Since I work at school, its been half a semester I guess.

Favorite day of the week?
Thursday nights.

How many cities have you lived in?
If College Park can be counted as a city, then 3. If not its 2.

Do you make friends easily?
Sometimes.

How many people will you be sending this to?
I am not tagging anyone, but whoever reads this, feel free to do this tag and post it!

Moving

2008-09-27T00:19:00.000-07:00

I hate moving. All that packing and shifting things. Unpacking and setting up the house all over again. Opening boxes and bags and more boxes and more bags. Ugh.For the world of me, I fail to understand how I managed to accumulate/gather so much stuff. My roommates and I needed 2 trucks to carry all our stuff.In two trips. Needless to say, I'm exhausted. I'm so tired I'm unable to sleep. I need some help to get through this week.I have a bunch of assignments to submit.God,give me some strength.

PHYS 103?

2008-09-15T13:00:00.000-07:00

Ok. So I'm going to be teaching Physics to the undergrads from now on. Wish me luck peepal! :D

Back to school

2008-09-03T14:58:00.000-07:00

Technically the day before yesterday was the first day of the fall semester and we're back at school. After a summer(??) of 40 hours of work a week on campus, I was looking forward to half the work and classes. The fact that I dint have to take the 7 15 bus in the morning itself was enough to make me smile. So I woke up this morning late and happy, but then I dint have to go to school till the afternoon. I was actually bored. I dint like the nothingness of the morning and was feeling so bleurgh. Why? Why did I miss going to school in the morning when every morning was spent complaining, cursing and whining? Not just me, but by my room mates as well. It was something like how I used to wait and wait for the summer holidays and then get bored after a few days. There is something about work that makes you miss it when you have none!

Now its back to the grind of assignments,reading and writing. I have all these strategic management type courses this time and it looks like I have a lot of work cut out for me. Reading all these cases and stuff. Exciting yes, tough yes. My mind hasn't yet started adapting to the management way of thinking.. but I'm getting there.. I know I am! (yes, positive thinking works).

The parental unit seems to be missing their darling daughter a lot these days. Calls everyday and stuff. Wonder why! :-) Yes parents.. me is missing you too. And the brother as well. Much loouve and big kissies from me! <3

2008-08-29T06:55:00.000-07:00

The weather today is sooooo good. Its light and rainy and pleasant. It should be against the law to work on days like this. Right now, all I want to do it go on a long drive on ECR. For the uninitiated, its the East Coast Road along the beach from Chennai to Pondicherry. Today's the day for laziness, to stay curled up in bed with the comforter wrapped around you.. all fluffiness and pillows. To wake up to some nice coffee and read a book. To have someone to cuddle up to and take long walks.

Sigh.

The French Vanilla Cappuccino helped some. :-)

2008-08-28T07:56:00.000-07:00

I had this conversation with someone I knew yesterday and its been running in my mind since then. Someone made a snide comment yesterday and it kind of hurt my feelings. Especially since I was being genuine about something and it took me by surprise. Later in the evening I confided in a friend and we were talking about it, and I just let it go. Mostly because we came to the conclusion that the said person dint mean any harm and that's just a part of their nature. What I just don't understand is how can people talk without thinking? Its not like we are kids anymore and we just say things for the heck of it. Even though they might have been brought up in a different culture and a place that is no excuse for such talk and behavior. I might have let it go if it was the first time, but I noticed that Its a habit and it puts people in awkward situation when s/he makes an open ended statement in front of everyone. These kind of silly baseless statements have really started getting to me.

Or maybe its just me? Am I getting less tolerant towards such talk? I find myself getting increasingly irritated with people making conversation and saying things because they can find nothing else to talk about. The worst part is, its not that s/he is just an acquaintance that I should let it go, but not close enough to tell them the truth. I guess I'll just let it go. Maybe only time will teach and they will (hopefully) grow mentally and learn what to and what not to say to certain people.

2008-08-26T15:32:00.000-07:00

I really don't know what to say when I read this today.

All that needs to be done to avoid such incidents is basic safety precautions. A small sign saying "Please do not cross the tracks" does not suffice. Thousands of people commute by the local trains everyday. We used to travel to and from college by train. I confess I did cross the tracks a couple of times but most of the time I made it a point to use the over head bridge. This is really scary, especially since I know people who took to crossing the rail tracks all the time completely neglecting the over head bridge.

I really can't do anything much sitting all the way here, but I would like to put my 2 cents worth and tell everyone..Please use the foot bridge when you travel by the local trains in chennai.

2008-08-20T19:59:00.000-07:00

Oh well, here I am on a wednesday night and its 11. 10 pm. As usual, this morning I decided to sleep early tonight and it isn't happening. Im such an owl. I also need to go to the library and get some new books. With my hectic schedule I haven't really had the time to do anything.

Its Hema's wedding today. I guess by this time they would have finished the ceremony and everything. I am slowly coming to terms with everyone getting married. Its no longer who's 'going out with' who. Its more of when and where is the wedding type of thing.Life. :) I SO wish I was there right now.

This is for you Hema.. A BIG hug and lots and lots of love from me. All the best for everything. Love you lots. And love you Aishu,Scoob and Aarthi who are there with her now. Photoshop me there right next to you guys. *mmuah*

Just... there!

2008-08-12T07:54:00.000-07:00

Contrary to my last couple of posts, I don't have much to say. No inner thoughts, rants,contemplations.. nothing! Which is a refreshing change. My brain is being used for other things right now, so you have a very overworked Ne staring at the screen not having much to write about. Everyday is a mad rush to get to school, to catch the 7 17 bus and start work. Everyday we decide to sleep early, but never happens. Everyday I decide to do this much of work but there is more piling up waiting for me tomorrow. Weekends are packed with either a hundred people wanting to do a hundred things, or absolutely nothing to do. I can do with some nothing for a little while. It looks like the summer is more hectic than my semester with full time work at school.

Otherwise, I've been getting pretty bad reviews of 'Singh is Kinng' so decided to give it a miss. Not even going to take the effort of watching it online. When I saw the promos and the hype it dint quite go down too well with me to begin with so its alright.

Its just tuesday and I'm already counting the days to the weekend. Its like I'm living for saturdays and sundays to come.

H and her parents went to my place to invite the parental unit for her wedding. I'm feeling terrible I'm missing it. I've known her since we were 9. Through fights, growing up, funny clothes and hair, stay overs, make overs, height comparisons, long phone conversations, exams, tensions, love life(s), moving out of home and whole lot of others. When I miss all these things, it makes me wonder if all what I'm doing is worth it? I'm missing home, my parents, my friends, girl stuff. But I love it here too. I'm really happy to be here and I'm discovering a side to myself I dint know existed. And its been just 9 months since I've left home.

Not-so-Little brother decides to chuck his psp and learn the guitar instead. And also complimented me on my hair. Interesting. When I heard it I was speechless for a whole minute. His days usually comprised of calling me names and showing his affection in similar ways. So when he told me he is wants to do something 'productive' with his time like learning to play a new instrument, I was really happy with this change. I hear he's around 6 ft tall now too. Someone's growing up. Personally, me thinks he and his friends found out that girls like guys who play the guitar and sing and stuff. He's a big boi.

And then he told me he ate roti and jam for dinner. :-)

Me??

2008-08-08T19:06:00.000-07:00

According to www.wordle.net, this is what I am supposed to mean..in more than 2 words.One of my friends likes these fun word things, came across this link, and entered my blog URL to see what is generated.

This page is supposed to describe me. figure it out. figure me out. I'm still trying. :-)

Jaded

2008-08-01T13:44:00.000-07:00

Sometimes I don't want to talk.
Sometimes I don't want to listen to your incessant talk.
Sometimes I don't want to have meaningless conversation.
Sometimes I don't want to to talk about other people and their lives.
Sometimes I don't want to be a part of anything.
Sometimes I don't want to think.
Sometimes I don't want to laugh or smile or be nice. or answer stupid questions.
Sometimes I don't want to pretend everything is alright.
Sometimes I don't want to just have to do what they tell me to.
Sometimes I don't want to be there.
Sometimes I do want to be left alone. Sometimes I don't.
Sometimes I want to be a part of everything. Sometimes I don't.
Sometimes I just want to lie there and wait. for what? I don't really know.
Sometimes I want to just be. Sometimes I am..jaded.

Of summer love and the sea

2008-07-22T12:53:00.000-07:00

I wish I was free to go back to the era of summer love and daisies in the field. To run with the wind in my hair, our hair, and feel effortless light but liquid like the air around us. Smell the sea breeze from far. If I thought about it, I would like to travel more, see the gondolas in Venice and the pyramids of Egypt, privy to more secrets than you or I could ever imagine. Open my eyes to the love of life, to the unconditional love dripping from the eyes of my golden Labrador. Look into the mirror, have the freedom to move to different places,different times. I wish I was elegant like the tango and the ballet and be invisible because the possibilities are beyond imagination. I'd like to paint, bold colors of red,green,peacock blue and gold.But also mix in the subtle mauve and white, a dot of black for that is life.Brilliant vibrant strokes across the wall, across time itself. Bring an angel along, a blessing for everyone, but remember the red at the center of your eyes like a camera flash. Block prints, dyes,flaming orange skirts with bells at the fringe, streak of blue through midnight black hair. Walk along the sea shore, wonder about the other side of the ocean, at the exact same spot, is someone standing there too? Wishing upon a star? With pristine white gloves and shoes to match. Someone who looks through her veil and has to return..Or is it someone who stands there with a grimy shirt but free as the wind and the sea in front of her. Is it you? Looking at yourself from afar wondering if this is what it means to be alive.

Fuschia Flash

2008-07-22T12:35:00.000-07:00

I finally did it.

Streaked my hair I mean. Dint get the actual dark purple I wanted (after my last disaster where I spent an hour carefully applying the purple color but it dint show on my dark hair. One has to bleach and then color it seems. Decided against. My poor tresses have gone through a lot already), but I'm very happy with dark pinkish maroon, Fuschia is what they like to call it at L'oreal. So now I get to toss my un-boring hair fashionably..adding a little more color to my life. :-)

Peeps, be happy for me.

Why so serious??

2008-07-20T17:19:00.000-07:00

So you might have gathered I saw The Dark Knight. I am not a big fan of super hero or action movies as such, but since everyone seemed to be raving about it, I decided to go ahead and see for myself what all the fuss is about. And did I surprise myself or what? I totally loved the movie. Apart from the awesome direction,costumes,dialogs and everything, it was Heath Ledger who made the movie worth watching. I agree I cringed during the gory blood-on-the-teeth scenes and couldn't watch two face in the beginning,I kinda got used to it after a while.The most difficult part for the next movie would be for the actor who would play The Joker to live up to Ledger - The lip twitch, mannerisms, psychotic eyes, everything.
I also found that Batman wasn't much of a stranger to me after all. Given that when he was a kid my not so little brother wanted to be Batman when he grew up. There was this one day, he was very vocal about not liking his name, Nana asked him if he had a choice what he would like to be named, and without batting an eyelid he replied 'Batman'. Till he was about seven, every birthday card and gift for me would be complete with the batman logo at the bottom, drawn out with his kid handwriting.
Don't miss the movie. And this is coming from someone who almost never watches action or superman/spiderman and all that jazz. So it really must be good! Oh, and white is definately Christian Bale's color. Makes him look even more gorge. Which might explain why when he isnt in the Batman garb or in a suit, he's always in a white shirt, save one 30 sec scene where he's wearing green.
In the other news, I finished 'Unaccustomed Earth' by Jhumpa Lahiri. I have read her previous books 'The Interpreter of Maladies' and 'The Namesake'. Her writing is pretty much the same as her previous books, trying to bring out the stark reality of Indian immigrant life. The only difference is that in this book, she talks about second generation Indians in America. The sons and daughters of the Indians who have settled here,called ABCDs(American Born Confused Desis). As I said before, I always feel that these authors talk only about the bland side of life. Why cant they write about happy things? Its not like everything that happens here is all monotony and gray. When I'm reading I go through these weird thoughts, and the story doesn't do much to make me feel better. Its like reading in black and white.
Right now I'm reading two books at the same time. (I know, I tend to do this a lot). One book for the bus and travel and one for at home. 'The Catcher in the Rye' by J.D Salinger and I just finished 'The Vine of Desire' by Chitra Divakaruni last night. Her writing is getting better with each book.I felt this one is more deep than the others,she defines each character more and was able to portray the different emotions one might have at different points of time in life.
I'm totally loving Salinger. I remember reading 'Franny and Zooey' long back at home. I think it's one of Nana's books and I read it in class 10. I don't remember much of it now and I need to read it again.
I'll start with The Inheritance of Loss in sometime and will keep you posted!

Blue bee doo

2008-07-07T12:53:00.000-07:00

Yesterday morning the moment I woke up, the desire to go home was so strong it took me by surprise. I have never felt such strong an urge to wake up in my own bed - I mean in Chennai - in my room, and to find Nana reading the paper,Amma making dosas for V while he fusses and gets ready for school. I don't usually get into such moods, I do miss home and everything, but yesterday was different. I guess I was generally bummed that I din't go anywhere this long weekend while everyone had their respective plans.I had to cancel my trip to visit Savi at Philly because of my final project for the summer course I'm taking. To add to it, the project seems waaay longer than it actually is and it feels like it will take forever to finish.

I watched this movie called 'Outsourced' which provided me with a few laughs. Its about this guy in the US who is sent to India to train the employees at a Call center and how he adjusts there. He lands up in this weird ass village outside Mumbai(I dint know they have call centers in Villages), stays in this Auntyji's guest house and endures extra sweet tea and ironed underwear. Oh, and he falls in love with the smartest girl in the office(Surprise surprise!!).

Other than that, I fell down like a child the other day - twisted my ankle a little, and bruised my knee. *sniff* Now I can wear only floaters. Wore my pants and capris the whole of last week so that my bruise doesn't show. I'm fed up and back to my skirts. So what if I have a bruise? Hmph. And then I cut my finger while cutting onions a couple of days back and now its all bandaged. Wonder why its been such an accident prone week?

The library at school finally decided to issue Unaccustomed Earth by Jhumpa Lahiri to me. Will give my valuable inputs once I'm done reading it. He is waiting for me to finish so I should be done reading by tomorrow if my wonderful project doesn't get in the way.

Oh, and I went to DC on the 4th to watch the fireworks. In spite of the rain I had a nice time sitting huddled under an umbrella eating fries and watching the display. Too bad I dint have someone sitting with me. Under the same umbrella I mean. blah.But I've had enough of the male species anyway.

Watched Jaane Tu Ya Jaane Na last night. Was quite nice I guess. Had all the ingredients of a hindi movie but wasn't one of those heavy bollywood types either. A one time watch if you need some good laughs. Genilia looks pretty, but got slightly irritating after a while with the giggly girl image(Which was worse in 'Bommarillu'). Amir Khan's nephew put up a decent show being his first movie and all. No movie is complete without one of those stupid comedy routines. If it was Jaaved Jafri in Salaam Namaste, it was Arbaaz and Sohail Khan here. Argh. WHY? WHY cant a hindi movie just be nice and fun without people making fools of themselves? And the clichéd ending at the airport and all dint do much for the movie. oops. Did I just give out something? The movie is so predictable anyway you'll know the ending even at the beginning.

I shouldn't be trashing it this much because the movie is actually decently fun. Watch it if you have the time.

tantrums

2008-07-01T10:46:00.000-07:00

Have you ever wanted to scream till your lungs burst?
Cry till you dont have any tears left?
Forget about everything and just do what you want that brings you peace even if you know that it might not be the wisest thing to do right now?
Just take a random walk and think for yourself even if you dont have all the answers and probably never will?
Felt when you were younger that when you 'grow up' things will be clearer to you, and now that your grown up they are still the same?
And you are still asking yourself the same questions?

More than a bit of wood..

2008-06-27T13:43:00.001-07:00

In a 5 year old's life not many things are as interesting as the latest game of 'skating' on a floor 'sprinkled' generously with talcum powder wearing our Uncles socks. So one normal un-eventful day, Nana and Pedanana inform us (my cousins M,M and I) that we are proud owners of a new desk each. Now you can imagine what such information could do to three children under the age of 10. We forced our mildly interested selves to hang around until the tables were brought in. Along with it, came a red coloured chair for each of us. Only once the table and chair was set up for each of us,the real excitement began. Lines had to be drawn and borders established so that we wouldn't venture into each other's 'territory'. The chairs were put together facing outwards with a sheet on top to make a tent. The drawers were filledd up with our precious possessions of colored paper, pebbles, shells and other such treasures.Each of us had our own fort and it was our new place to eat, read, play, and err.. sleep. Which was when the parental unit drew the line. Our names were carved not so neatly on the surface and one look at the table even now will take you through our handwriting progress over the years. The drawers were privy to more than just one secret of our growing up years, and graduated from holding pebbles and shells to music cassettes, books and a lot more. It was my place for storing precious stationary, especially the glitter glue my darling brother used to 'decorate' my table. Anything that I wouldn't want to throw away would go into the desk drawer. From time to time Amma would remind me to clean it up and would gently inquire if it all was being kept for my grandchildren. To which she would quite sternly inform me that no one in their right mind would want to keep any of that stuff.
Just before I left home, when we were deciding what to keep and what not to, it was time for my friend to go. Looking at it made me think back to the day it was brought home, and was a part of my life, my growing up years. The books dumped on it, the paintings painted on it, my name carved on every available space in different colors and fonts.It seemed like I was leaving a part of my childhood behind, and in a symbolic way, a time for new beginnings.

Mad Mornings

2008-06-26T10:45:00.001-07:00

5 45 - S's alarm . Switch off . Every 15 minutes . S's alarm . 7.45 . Gasp . Run for a bath. 5 min shampoo . Blue cut offs . Printed super cute tee . big blue earrings . Pack bag . Laptop . Charger . Keys . Wallet . mp3 player . Thumb drive . ID . Lunch . Youghurt . Water Bottle . Dry Hair . Black Kajal . Pink Gloss . 7 min left . Gasp . Printed Flip Flops . Make S change from brown to cute green tie up tee . Scrunchie . Grab bag . Lock . Elevator . Downstairs . Phone . Run upstairs . Find phone . Run downstairs . Gasp . 8.09 . 1 min left . 8.10 . Bus stop . Sigh . Smartrip . Metro bus . Get down . Run . Work . French Vanilla Cappuccino . Croissant . Work . Sigh . Made it . Tired . 5 pm . Shopping . Movie . Grin.

Another week goes by

2008-06-22T18:44:00.000-07:00

Here I am, on another sunday night, doing the assignment at the last minute. I guess thats just another part of student life. Last minute work, cram for a test,whatever it may be. The whole week was so hectic that the weekend pretty much compensated for it. I actually got bored. I really want to do something that occupies my time, so that I just dont have to THINK. My mind has been driving me up the wall the last one week after certain changes in my life. A conversation with Schmetterling and a couple of other girlfriends made me wonder if everyone is going through these changes too.Change IS inevitable. What I feel today might not be the same as what I feel 5 years later. What I felt when I was 18 isn't necessarily how I feel now. Somehow, coming to a different country and a new place has made me realize that I can be way more independent than I thought I could be earlier. Its Ok if I don't always have to ask for someone's opinion. Its alright if I do not make a best friend everywhere I go. I already have my wonderful bunch of girlfriends who I know will understand me through every phase of life I go through and I will understand them too. I wish they were there with me right now. I really need some girl time. A stay over, junk food and a long talk into the night.Yes Nana, how ever scandalized you might have been when you saw my gtalk status message, maybe its girlfriends who are your soulmates. And no, people.. dont get any ideas.

The way you are

2008-06-19T10:56:00.000-07:00

Do you believe in Karma? That whatever that is meant to happen will ultimately happen how much ever you try and make it go your way? What if you were meant to think that way in the first place? That is written for you to feel that way. You think that by making those choices and behaving in a certain way you are trying to change your fate. But those thoughts and the sequence leading to those thoughts was the way you were meant to think. That doesn't mean you sit back and take life as it comes. But even by doing everything that you are, and by living the kind of life you have is going to take a certain path irrespective of your decisions. Yes. Another debatable topic because we don't have an inkling about the external forces in this world. Are there even any external forces? I don't know and neither do you. But what about that gut feeling? That little voice that pipes up when you are going to do make a decision.Even if it is as small as is it going to be a Tiramisu or the Raspberry cheesecake? Do you just ignore it and still have that slight feeling of 'what if' or would you go by what it tells you?
I don't claim to be one of those sad women types who have to take on all the troubles of the family and world in general, but when do you start thinking for yourself? When is it what YOU want and not what your family, friends and even society wants out of you? I don't mean to even imply that it is easy for men, but how do you deal with expectation? How do you deal with the wants of you to be a good daughter, cousin, aunt, mother, friend and even a good neighbor and a part of good 'society'? Do you just do what you know that they think is right? Or do you do what your gut feeling tells you? And you know that by saying 'you have to strike a balance' is easier said that done and both the points of view and opinions are completely opposite.

Or do you want and need some just-be time?

Q tag,

2008-06-12T14:33:00.000-07:00

Like I said, all Brat has been doing lately is flying,tagging and getting tagged. So here goes..

Let's start with the "rules":

* Link the person(s) who tagged you - Brat
* Mention the rules on your blog - the rule is..no rules! (cliche! :D)
* Mention 6 unspectacular quirks of yours - nothing about me is unspectacular!
* Tag 6 bloggers by linking them - *insert evil laugh*
* Leave a comment on each of the tagged bloggers' blogs letting them know they've been tagged - *more evil laughter*

Ok, so here goes for my 'spectacular' quirks..

1. I can never eat plain potato chips. Not even the no-one-can-eat-just-one Lays types. There has to be a dip..Salsa and sour cream are my fav. Although chips with sambar and curd rice is what does it for me. Must be the South Indian genes.

2. I get irritated with people who don't type full words and sentences properly. The occasional 'u' or 'r' is alright. But the 'H r u m fyn' and 'I wnt 2 go to skul coz m nt flng wel' drives me up the wall.

3. I cant sleep without reading a book.If I haven't gone to the library and don't have anything to read, I take out a book by Roald Dahl, James Herriot or Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe. I can read them over and over and over again to tide me over until my next visit to the library.

5.I have to sleep with 3 pillows. One for under my head,one to hug and one to put over my forehead/eyes. Like a small one. Even if I don't have one to sleep on, there has to be on ON my head.

6.If I ever kill an ant or any small creature type thing, intentionally or not, I always feel bad and say a silent prayer.And then horrible thoughts of what if it was me and some big creature stamps me kind of thing goes on in my head for two minutes.

A little more about me is now in the open. Hmm.I wonder who is reading this stuff.

And now... I tag..

Schmetterling
BG
Vamsee
Nikhilesh
I think..
IMJ

so one big evil laff to sign out! MUAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!

Calforniaaa Caaalifornia

2008-06-08T20:46:00.000-07:00

The wait is over boys and girls. Now you lucky people finally get to know how my trip to CaliforniaAAaa was. First of all, can I be mean and bitch about the effing long flight? Cheap tickets, and with very good reason I must say. Because of the stupid time difference between the East and the West coast, I spent like a day in the plane. And all they had to serve was some BAKED chips and juice. Over and over again after every stop. I now know why they call it an airbus. It literally felt like I was in a bus with 3 stops on the way. Thank god at least I dint have to change planes.
Anyway, once I reached I was d.e.a.d tired and slept like a log. A d.e.a.d log. I dint realize a 3 hour time difference would result in a bit of 'jet lag'. Which meant at 11 pm, 2 AM my time I was sleepy for the first two days. And I woke up at 8 30 AM which is actually 11 30 AM my time. That worked out fine for me. This holiday comprised of all the essential ingredients to have a great time. We shopped,ate, slept,visited places, partied, and gambled! SF was good, we dint get to see the golden gate bridge since it was foggy as usual. We drove to Napa Valley. Wine tasted and now I have a few favorites too. I realized I like White better than red, Reisling being my favourite and I absolutely LOVE dessert wines. The drive to Reno was perhaps the best part of the trip(apart from all the amazing shopping) and the Casinos even better! I won 30$ at the slot machines. Cheap Thrills!! It was all i expected it to be. Bling! Bling! Bling! People at tables, some of them with those suits and shades, some of them casual. But what I dint expect was the number of old people around.I guess they were the ones with the money. the 4 of us were probably the youngest in the place.
Now I'm back at School and back to the grind.The moment I stepped foot in College Park was when it struck me how much I have to do. Get back to school, attend summer class, assignments,project, work, sigh. But I love it. I'm not complaining. My week was so hectic I was determined to stay home this weekend and not do anything. I got to sleep in late,ate when I felt like, lazed around,watched a movie. The only productive thing I did was my assignment so I don't feel THAT useless. A bright new day and a new week from tomorrow. Lets see what it has in store for me! :-)

kinda blah but not quite there

2008-05-13T14:22:00.000-07:00

Its been a while since I've blogged and with a good reason. Falling sick during the final week Isn't the best thing let me tell you. The health center at school seems to know me quite well. Especially since they couldn't find my veins for their dumb IV. So anyway, I'm done with those presentations and have the test coming up on Friday, a fact that doesn't quite thrill me considering that I would have finished it on Saturday if it wasn't for me being sick. Now all I'm looking forward to is the summer at CA. Will keep you posted on that. And so my state of semi-blahness continues till then!

If Only

2008-04-21T01:26:00.000-07:00

As she opened her eyes, the early morning sun hit her face, she knew it was just another day in store for her. She shifted in the bed a little and the sheets crinkled under her weight. There was something comforting about the starched sheets and the solid wood of the almirah. She let her gaze linger on her reflection in the full length mirror. Her hair in a mess at the nape of her neck and her slightly smudged red bindi. The mark that almost dictates the way her life flows. She knew exactly what was the day was going to be like. The children had to be sent to school, the maids had to be supervised, breakfast, lunch and dinner had to be planned and cooked.

She got out of the bed, and entered the bathroom to brush her teeth. As she brushed, she checked for zits on her face, a habit that started when she was 15 and was never able to get rid of inspite of the smooth skin she now owned. She quickly showered while the phone rang a couple of times. She checked e mail sipping her morning coffee, and laid out her outfit for the day. Knee length pin striped black skirt, black stockings and white shirt with pink pin stripes. A black jacket to go with it as well. Shoes. She looked at the 40 different pairs of shoes she had and decided on the black low heeled pumps. She double checked her laptop bag to see if she had everything for the presentation. Today was the big day. A meeting with the boss and she hoped to floor them with her new designs. She walked out of the apartment mentally running through her checklist..Phone,Laptop,Keys,Wallet,cards...She felt the wind in her face and was happy to be alive..

She scolded herself for such thoughts as she got out of the bed. As she brushed her teeth and checked for zits on her face, she glimpsed a life she could have had..if only...

Old is gold?

2008-04-15T23:40:00.001-07:00

Now, how many times have we heard this statement? Quite a lot I must say.Since we went to school and wrote 'proverbs' on the top of the board. How many times have we heard elders say that the olden days were golden days? Even more than that. At every family gathering, there would be some talk about fun times they had in 1960 or 1970 or whatever. When Shammi Kapoor came out with dil deke dekho and baar baar dekho and all his different dekhos they talked about the classics of the 40's. When we listened to 'Hum Bewafa', and 'dil Kya Kare' they extolled the beauty of Shammi Kapoor and Asha Parekh's songs. When Baazigar was a hit, Hum Bewafa was a classic. Well, we all have grown up with this kind of talk and just nod our head listening to this stuff. Slowly, this thing called age creeps up on us, silently while we aren't looking. We are so busy waiting to grow up as a teenager, we don't realize it until we start getting marriage proposals. Now we start reminiscing about school, and in the blink of an eye we are done with college too. Missing college life is a new topic. And then comes missing the first job.
So today, here I was sitting quietly in my room trying to get some reading done for tomorrow's class, and I open youtube. In a hindi song mood,start listening to 'Churake Dil Mera' , 'Jadoo Teri Nazar' and the like. I scrolled the page down a bit and read the comments. "Oh, my favourite song. What a classic. They dont make such songs these days. Thanks for bringing back old memories" were some of the comments. I couldn't help thinking it sounded familiar. When these songs came out, I would hear the exact same words. What rubbish is this? Look at Shilpa Shetty's clothes. They dont make them like before. How melodious R.D Burman's songs were.

I just smiled to myself. I dont want to say anything. I will probably talk about 'classics' like Om Shanti Om (new version) 20 years down the lane. So will you. So wipe that smirk off your face.

The Internet and Us

2008-04-11T11:29:00.000-07:00

Is the Internet reducing the creativity among us? I know this is a debatable topic and that are two big sides to this coin. But in a way, I feel it does, in a few ways. We have this Indian night thing happening at pur school, and needless to say everyone is involved in some show or the other. I dont exactly know how I ended up in the dance event thing. After my initial reservations, I got into the mood and started having fun with the other girls. So we got together the other day with a bunch of songs in mind and started making up dance steps. Let me rephrase that. We opened you tube and started watching videos for ideas. It's besides the fact that we dont have too much time to spare for these dance shows and have to get things done as quickly as possible. You tube was the quickest way to ideas and we were almost done in no time. What im trying to say is that,we find almost any kind of information online. Are we really thinking as much as we used to? One could argue that we are infact using more innovative technology, different styles of architecture for the web and a million other advantages, most of which are technical. But for the layman, isn't this the easy way out? Just google it! Earlier, if I wanted to paint something, I would probably try to find a book, go to the library, open my window. But now, in a matter of milliseconds I have options in front of me. Literally. Is this in someway slowing down our thought process? Some of us wouldn't even attempt to think of new ideas. Especially for trivial things. The usual answer is "How difficlt will it be? We can find it online". I'm sure people who have been aroung much longer than I have, who have seen how the internet has brought about such a radical change in our lives and they way we look at things have something to say about it. I can say that I have been around longer than this phase of the net. But by the time I got to class 12, everyone was online. So I effectively have spent most of my time in this phase. I cant remember how it was before the Internet became our saviour. Maybt thats because school work dint warrant the use of such 'advanced' applications! :-)

Now don't get me wrong. I am a big fan of google and youtube. My lappie is my best friend these days. Im just trying to look at it from another point of view. The first thing I do after I wake up in the morning is check e mail!

I'd better get going. Need to search for some cool tattoo designs online!

2008-04-05T10:51:00.000-07:00

Another tag!! Thanks Brat! grr!

1. Last movie you saw in a theater?
Juno - The first movie I watched after I got here. I really liked it.

2. What book are you reading?
I have been reading 'Brick Lane' by Monica Ali at snail's pace for the LONGEST time. I still havent finished it nor have I borrowed anything new from the library. On the other hand, I have been reading 'Information Ecology' By Davenport. I dont think it counts as leisure reading though. :-(

3. Favorite board game?
Monopoly and Cluedo

4. Favorite magazine?
Reader's Digest. I dont read magazines much other then when Im waiting at the Doc's or something.

5. Favorite smells?
Sunset heat buy Escada, Hugo's Deep red, Davidoff's Cool Water on a guy. :D
Also, I like the smell of mud during the first rains of the season. Reminds me of the days when I was at Abacus, when all of us would stand around puddles and watch tadpoles.

6. Favorite sounds?
Sometimes, the sound of silence is the best. Other wise it depends on my mood. But the smell of Amma making vadas on a Sunday morning beats them all.

7. Worst feeling in the world?
Losing someone and the realization that you will never see then walk through that door again. Ever.

8. What is the first thing you think of when you wake up?
In School - Ayyo. I dont want to go to school. I havent studied for the Maths test properly.
During Undergrad - Damn! I have to go to college! Cant I just bunk today?
When I was working - UGH. Do I have to go and deal with HER(a certain someone in my team) today again?
Now - Hmm. I'll wake up in half an hour. I have class only in the evenings. :D

9. Favorite fast food place?
Gangotree and Kenzo's for us old timers. Its called Eatalica now.

10. Future child's name?
:D this is a long list. I'm one of those types who loves names. So here goes - Rayaan, Vyas, Raiha or Mihiraa

11. Finish this statement. "If I had lot of money I'd....?"
Buy a car for myself. Right now, being the poor student that I am rely on the horrible horrible public transport.

12. Do you drive fast?
I havent driven here yet. According to my Amma's standards I was always fast. But all Amma's tend to think this way. So it cancels out!

13. Do you sleep with a stuffed animal?
No. I need to have my 3 pillows next to me though. One fur under my head,one to hug and one over my face. yeah. I dont know why. My fav stuffed bear hugs my fav photo on my side table. (A,this is for you!!! <3)

14. Storms - cool or scary?
Scary. Just the right time to cuddle up to someone.

15. What was your first car?
Considering it was Nana's car i drove first and I dont have one of my own yet, its a Santro.

16. Favorite drink?
Coffee. Also Sangria, and white wine.

17. Finish this statement, "If I had the time I would...."?
Travel more.

18. Do you eat the stems on broccoli?
yup

19. If you could dye your hair any color, what would be your choice?
Dark Purple. Which I actually did. But it dint show since my hair is already black. Im going to lighten and then streak it dark purple soon.

20. Name all the different cities/towns you've lived in?
Chennai, Bangalore and now College Park,MD

21. Favorite sports to watch?
Cricket I guess. I like watching Ice Skating a lot too. But not an avid watcher as such

22. One nice thing about the person who sent this to you?
Although I never spoke to him during 4 yrs of college, its fun chatting with him now!

23. What's under your bed?
Its a couch turned into a nice mid size bed. No place for anything under it. If there was, I would have arranged my shoes since there is no place for another shoe rack here.

24. Would you like to be born as yourself again?
Yes!

25. Morning person, or night owl?
Night Owl. I dont even have to think twice to answer this. If there was a petition for starting the day at Noon, i'd be the first one to sign.

26. Over easy, or sunny side up?
I used to LOVE sunny side up as a kid. But now its cheese omlette with green chillies.

27. Favorite place to relax?
On my bed with a good book, a packet of chips and sauce. Or chocolates. depending on my mood.

28. Favorite pie?
Apple. with vanilla ice cream.

29. Favorite ice cream flavor?
Vanilla with chocolate sauce, nuts and gooey choco fudge sauce.

30. Of all the people you tagged this to, who's most likely to respond first?
Im thinking Nikhilesh

And now, I tag..

B.G
I think Therefore..
Nikhilesh

yenjoiiii!

HB

2008-03-23T21:43:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday Anu Atha. Wish you were here with us. But now, I'm sure you must be happier with Aaji and Thatha with you. Love you and missing you lots.

Kangana - Tag!

2008-03-22T15:02:00.000-07:00

New tag!!!!

Rules:

1. Put your MP3 player on shuffle
2. For each question, press the next button to get your answer.
3. You must write the name of the song no matter what. No cheating!

DISCLAIMER : I'm adding this after finishing the post - I was in a very 90s mood the other day, you might find quite a few of the old hindi hit songs. Darr and the like!

IF SOMEONE SAYS “IS THIS OKAY?” YOU SAY?
money for nothing and chicks for free - dire straits
money for nothing- yes, no problem with that! But chicks for free - I don't think so! Although a few people might be happy with that arrangement.:-P

WHAT WOULD BEST DESCRIBE YOUR PERSONALITY?
zara sa jhoom loon mein - Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge
Looking into the deeper meaning, I am a very cheerful person! :-P

WHAT DO YOU LIKE IN A GUY/GIRL?
ghazab ka hai din - Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak
Is deewanapan dekho zara... maybe!!!

HOW DO YOU FEEL TODAY?
ondra irenda asaigal - kakka kakka
err...This is a family page. (muhahahaha)

WHAT IS YOUR LIFE’S PURPOSE?
tum se hi - jab we met
Let me be honest and say, I'm not too sure if this fits here!

WHAT IS YOUR MOTTO?
In Dino - life in a metro
really???!!!

WHAT DO YOUR FRIENDS THINK OF YOU?
Rukh Ja O Dil Diwane - Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge
HAHA, was this what u you guys were singing when I left?

WHAT DO YOU THINK OF YOUR PARENTS?
beautiful stranger - Madonna
Well, when they got married I'm sure they must have been beautiful strangers to each other! (Can't think of any other explanation!!!)

WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT VERY OFTEN?
jaded - Aerosmith
I might be a little over worked because of all those assignments, but I dont think I am or ever been Jaded.

WHAT IS 2+2?
I want to break free - queen
If two is company, three is a crowd, 4 will definitely want to make you break free.

WHAT DO YOU THINK OF YOUR BEST FRIEND?
romeo and juliet - dire straits
Awww... she's getting married sometime soon, so looks like an apt song..with a happy ending though! :=) btw, two of my best friends will be getting married soon.

WHAT DO YOU THINK OF THE PERSON YOU LIKE?
aaj ki raat - Don
erm... ??!!!!!! I hope nothing happens aaji ki raat since I'm all the way over here. If it does,someone will be in BIG BIG trouble.!

WHAT IS YOUR LIFE STORY?
Ae mere humsafar - Baazigar
hmmmm..

WHAT DO YOU WANT TO BE WHEN YOU GROW UP?
jaadu teri nazar - Darr
This is when I went into the 90s mood and loaded all those romatic songs. I cannot answer any more questions!!!!!

WHAT DO YOU THINK WHEN YOU SEE THE PERSON YOU LIKE?
tu mere saamne - Darr

This is more like it. *grin*. A... are u reading this??? :D

WHAT DO YOUR PARENTS THINK OF YOU?
aankhon mein teri - Om shanti Om
I know they like my eyes. They must be thinking someone's drowning in them? and you know what... they might be right! :-P

WHAT WILL YOU DANCE TO AT YOUR WEDDING?
main agar kahoon - Om Shanti Om
Wont this be so *awwwww*?

WHAT WILL THEY PLAY AT YOUR FUNERAL?
tere bin - bas ek pal
*sniff*

WHAT IS YOUR HOBBY/INTEREST?
butterfly - crazy town
I know Schmetterling is one of them, but I wouldn't call her a hobby or an interest.

WHAT IS YOUR BIGGEST SECRET?
Crazy In Love - Beyonce
Secret???? At one point of time, yes! which was what made it more awesome! :D A, are u reading thisss????

WHAT DO YOU THINK OF YOUR FRIENDS?
Ignition - R Kelly
NO!!! I don't think so!!

WHAT SHOULD YOU POST THIS AS?
Kangana - Dr. Zeus
I dont like bangles as such, but love bracelets.

I think therefore tagged me, and I totally agree that it was super fun!!! :)

And now I tag :

Schmetterling (Obviously!!)
B.G
Brat
Zudec
Nikhilesh
Nikhil

(Dint want to subject the guys to pink links! :) )

el em en oo peeeee

2008-03-12T20:17:00.000-07:00

My friend has decided he has become more philosophical and now qualifies to become a saadhu. Although he has to grow a beard first, stand on one leg and have birds pee on him.

Which brings me to the next question. Do birds pee? We, (at least I) have seen only kaka pee, which when translated from LKG jargon is crow poop. Which ALWAYS falls on some poor soul wearing that favourite new t shirt who happened to be standing under the neem tree housing over-fed crows. what'd u guys have to say about this? *EWWWWW*

Little Clouds Of Thought

2008-03-09T13:25:00.000-07:00

I just made up that random title. Here I am on a Sunday afternoon bordering on the evening, doing an assignment. Other than organizational politics, there are a million things running in my mind right now. The first one of them is today would have been my Grandmother's 81st birthday - Aaji, I hope you're reading this, and all my love is with you. Do you read my blog regularly? :D - I am also wondering how I'm going to get all my work for school done in a very short time. I was asked by a certain someone to write more serious stuff here. But what if I dont want to? Its my space just to be. I don't have to write all kinds of techie stuff in order to be cool. Nor do I have to write about management and my ideas of a better strategy. I love writing about general things, my thoughts, friends,family and I have a fun time writing about my shopping escapades.
This is the second or the third saturday night and sunday I'm spending studying. If this was Chennai, saturday night would have been spent having dinner outside or a general night out with friends. Sunday afternoon would have been at A's place watching That 70's Show episodes or some movie. Shyam providing us with entertainment. The evening would inevitably end at Subway, with A finishing his sub and mine, and then going home to Thayir saadam. (next time you ask me why ur jeans size went up without you realizing, i'm going to direct you to this space)
All these things make me miss Madras more and more. But on the other hand I do love it here as well. I don't really know where it is that I want to end up. One of my best friends is getting engaged tomorrow and needless to say, I am not going to be there. I will probably miss her wedding as well. "Be prepared to miss a lot of things now that your here" was what I was told by my cousin. But I dont want to. I dont want to miss things that are happening with my family and my friends, with people whom I care for. At the same time, I dont want to forgo what I am doing here. I guess I'm speaking not just for myself, but a whole bunch of people in the same situation. I do not regret coming here, I will not regret any decision that I probably am going to take. Cause thats one question that I always ask to make things clear to myself "Ne, are you going to regret this decision a year or 10 years later?" If the answer is no, then I know what to do.

One thing that really puts me off, is people who come here and then complain that this place is not like India. Why the eff would it be? You are half way across the world, how can you even EXPECT it to be the same? I come across a whole bunch of these types. I dont like the supermarkets here. I dont like the way the vegetables taste. Its not like home where everything is so tasty. The Indian store is too expensive. What is this we are studying? Such a stupid subject. I just cannot refrain from asking why did they make this choice to even come here in the first place. Why would one spends lakhs of rupess to come and study here, and then diss the country? I feel that the whole experience and quality of education is wasted on them.
Some thing that I have tried to explain to people. I am not anti-any country. I do not love or hate any place. I will just probably gravitate towards an opportunity that will help me grow professionally and on a personal level as well. I have a special love for home because of the support system that exists there. Why wouldn't I love to be closer to my family and enjoy the benefits of a good education and a career? I did not come to a country half way across the world just for fun!

Shreg, Ne, Dcee and some more

2008-03-06T09:13:00.000-08:00

The best birthday present I could have asked for landed up at my doorstep last Sunday night. I open the door to find Ms.Schmetterling standing there with one big suitcase. After recovering from the surprise, we quickly made plans to go to the mall the next day. I really cannot ask for a better shopping partner. There is this vibe you have to share to really enjoy the whole experience. I've tried in vain to feel the same vibe with other people, but I can REALLY shop with only a few! (Amma, you're included) The best buy was Shre's, a cheek stain by Tarte. Check out her blog for more info! My best buy was a pair of jeans. I have always had a huge problem buying jeans from India, especially Levis. They're made for size 2 women who have the same waist and butt size. Oh, and I love my white summer dress as well. The fact that it was on sale makes it even more attractive. Cant wait to wear it at Ann Arbor this summer!
We were off to Washington DC the next day. We walked and walked and did more walking. With my bad foot.(Do you hear this Shregs?) We did the touristy thing.Walked around the mall area, saw the Capitol building,the Washington monument, looked at all the
Smithsonian Museums. Thats what we did..Looked and then walked right past them.The next day we drove to Phily- Thats Philadelphia but I call it Phily to sound waaay cooler than I actually am- The day after that was spent at Baltimore. Walked around the Inner Harbour and took this boat ride. That boat ride was quite interesting I must say. A loud gay german guy got on board and started showing everyone his purchases and how much 'fun' shopping is. And then started talking in German to shregs. I almost died laughing. The only word I think I understood was ich. It was time for the flight back all too soon. Over all, a super fun birthday week. What are best friends for if they cant make the homesickness go away and sit with you in Class 722 for Copyright and Digital Law?

Tagged

2008-02-20T12:09:00.000-08:00

Thanks to u-know-who(read : schmetterblllaaahhh) I was reminded how long its been since I carried a handbag. I am heavily into backpacks now. I havent carried once since I finished school and moved on to the cooler side sling bags with a couple of keychains with 'witty' sayings. 'I am not perfect, but im so close its scary' . Another one was 'Boys have two faults.Everything they say and everything they do'.I still have them somewhere as a part of college memorablia.

I am looking into my backpack right now and this is what I find...

The big compartment :)

. My Laptop, which is my best friend these days

. Multicolour folder with a bunch of resumes, papers, labels etc

. 10-15 Pamphlets of various companies which had come to school for some career fair(which I have to wait for another semester to apply, but got them anyway!!)

. A Lipton Raspberry Ice Tea Carton they were giving away

. Red Spare jacket, Im thanking my stars I have it with me now. I havent gotten used to checking the weather report and I dint know snow fall was predicted and its snowing. Going to play in it after class :)

. Super warm woolen scarf. Although I thought it was an ultra drab grey colour and cursed chennai for having such crappy winter clothing, its pretty good.

. Pink Gloves, my fav. Light nice pink with slight light brownish cream thread interwoven here and there to give it a warm glow and pink fleece lining.

. Small dabba with a hummus and jalapeno sandwhich.

. Kutty water Bottle

. Orange flowered address book

. gold and bronze bling wallet which has the $(notice I dint say $$$$). Also has cards, A's old visiting card :), pics of Nana and vaibs, Amma's is at home, Indian drivers licence, PAN Card, Senthil Lending library card(i miss uuuu), Kumaran Lending library card(which shut down when Senthil took over), bunch of folded bills from some shops, teeny weeny thin perfume bottles by BLV.

. Black Sunglasses case

. Umbrella borrowed from my friend when it rained the other day and I dint have one. I promised myself I will buy one tomorrow.

. Small dabba with my ischool USB drive which they were giving away at the research facility do

Now for the front compartment - This has essentially what my handbag usually does!

. 3 small packs of tissues - I am tissue freak. My wet tissue pack is over.mental note made to buy a new one

. School ID card

. Metro Bus smart trip card

. My house and apartment building keys

. 2 small butterfly clips

. 3 scrunchies in 3 diff colours

. A couple of bills - target, shoppers, and Bed,Bath and Beyond :)

. Tube of soap Slivers Amma bought for me in chennai. super cute. also in pink and white, in pretty shapes. hearts and stars. U never know when you need to wash your hands.

. 4 boxes of mints in different flavours - normal, extra strong, orange and sour berry. Im freakish about bad breath.

. 3 pens. in blue and black

. cocoa butter box, which Ammamma got from jaipur. its the BEST.

. Small hairbrush

. Random pieces of paper ive scribbled on

. Streetwear plain lip gloss

. Extra pair of specs

. Revlon diamond lipstick in pink crush. my abs fave. esp when mixed with lakme's mauve.

. Clinique glitter gloss

. Earbugs - these woolen things which fit on top of the ear and protect from the windchill. cant go out without it.

. Bronze earrings which I removed the other day and forgot to put back inside

. Empty mentos packet which I JUST threw away.

. USB Drive

. Lappie charger entangled with my cell phone charger. They're always together, and im always in a hurry so I just dump them in.

. Label from my dept with my name printed on it

. Honey and Oat Granola Bar

. Caboodles 2 in 1 Lip gloss. One side is the lightese of pinks and one side is clear with a bit of glitter

. 2 Handouts which they gave in class, folded and put inside

. Bill from USPS

. Small size adidas perfume

. Fav kutty mirror

. That spare mascara

. Extra Lens case

. Tiny lancome pink perfume. somehow always lands up in every bag i carry

. blue flowered notebook that goes everywhere I go

. Black Glitter eyeliner

. Cell Phone, but thats usually in my pocket

. Tube of hand cream

. Latest addition - Davidoff Cool water pocket perfume

I dont think I should add the stuff in my handbag at home for now... hmm. no wonder I was asked if I was going camping the other day! :)

Gloves and warm socks

2008-02-01T14:37:00.000-08:00

OK so I have settled here. Waiting for my lappie to arrive. I was all excited waiting for my Dell to get here yesterday when I found out 31st jan was the SHIPPING date, not the delivery date. grr. so its back to square one. As most of u know, at the risk of sounding redundant, we cant SURVIVE without a comp. So different from how college was. I would just scribble something onto sheets of paper, wihout a margin and submit my 'assignment'. Not like the staff cared much anyway. The other day I spoke to two friends, at two different times of the day, in different locations and they both HAD to mention i was the fastest 'writer' among our group(or whatever you call it. group sounds too high school). Im serious. Learning to multi-task was a bonus too. I could effortlessly combine writing an assignment with listening to class, reading my novel,replying to SMS, laugh at Fadil and Girish's antics who were sitting behind us. Oh, and talking to harshini too. Is there any award for such talents? If there are and it involves a nice month long spa holiday as a prize I am a willing contenstant. Otherwise im not interested.hmm. A nice new wardrobe and matching shoes are ok too! Perfumes count as well.

I cant deny im missing home. I cant believe im saying this, but im missing the weather. After spending 22 3/4th long years complaining - Im sure I complained in baby language till i was about 11 months old.That was when I was supposed to have said my first word - By the time I get into the various winter paraphernalia-socks, shoes,scarf,sweater,coat, and gloves, its time to take them all off.

So any time your at College Park during the next couple of years, or any surrounding areas, irrespective of the weather, no prizes guessing who the one bundled up like a bear is. Or anywhere near Dallas or Ann Arbor for that matter!!!

And my nana dint think too much of my gtalk status message. Quoting him : your status message is ridiculous. grr. fine. hmph. im 22 and 3/4. I can get away with it. So whats my birthday present? I know you read my blog, so start working them grey cells. looouve.

Jet Lag and more..

2008-01-20T04:44:00.000-08:00

This is a first for me I must say.. I woke up at 7 AM on a SUNDAY MORNING. If Amma knows she's going to faint!! All these years of trying to wake up Ne early.

I havent had the time to blog the last couple of days.Inspite of having two months to 'prepare' to leave, I couldnt escape the last minute stuff. One cannot pack a month in adavnce even if she wants to right??? My room looked like it was hit by a tornado. clothes, shoes and accessories all over the place. Being a girl, clothes are just one part of it. We have so much of other stuff. It pained me to leave behind so many things. Although I managed to squeeze in ALL of my new shopping and memorablia. 23 kgs * 2 is nothing. NOTHING I tell u. Those stupid suitcases take up 5 kgs EACH by themselves. Needless to say all my luggage was over-weight. Including my backpck. The said backpack was around 11 kgs. It was HUGE. I was the only one on the flight with such a big bag..on my back. Let alone people leaving way for me, they had to leave way for Mr.Heavy too. Now I know how the turtle felt. Carrying its house on the back and that kind of thing. My back went for a sixer. I was aching and paining the whole time. To make it worse, I was going from chennai-doha-washington DC. Which meant my flight left at 4 AM, reached doha at 7 AM THEIR time. And landed at D.C 7 30 THEIR time.
Essentially I was travelling in sunlight all through. I thought I prided myself on my ability to sleep through thick and thin. I survived 4 years of sleeping from home to SRM in the college bus. I swear I was jinxed. Everyone put 'kannu' on me all through. Ne can sleep anywhere. She can sleep standing was Amma's fav statement. sigh. I dint get a wink of sleep. I read, ate, watched Game Plan, an Italian and a french movie with subtitles. Also 'Friends' and 'Joey'. For the nth time.

I kept thinking about my family and friends. When am I going to see them again? A year later? Im missing out on getting to know my brother on a more grown up level. He'll be 16 now. The previous day, my house was literally bursting at its seams. Every one was at home. I felt so loved when they came to see me off. Im going to miss this. Mindless chatter and coffee, Talking to nana, cooking at home, making stuff my brother likes. Although now, i'm closer to A and to schmetterling. It was a weird feeling. Like as if I was outside Ne's body and looking at her getting ready. Saying bye. Hugs and kisses. Amma forbade tears. This is a happy occasion,higher studies. No crying.

Listening to everyone's first experiences in America, I must say mine has been awesome. Nana's friends came to receive me at the airport, and brought me to their place. A very smooth transition. This is just like home. I dint have to battle the cold,snow and lug 3 over weight cases with me. I am being taken care of so well. It feels wonderful to know such good people. At times like this, one realises the strength and importance of good relationships. Be it family or otherwise. This is something that will be understood as time goes by.

As nik said, The little baby has to eventually fly away from its nest, or run or walk away even if its too late and grows into an ostrich.

Madras Music And Dance Festival

2008-01-06T07:41:00.000-08:00

I was wondering what to name this post. Initially, I started off with Madras Winter Music and Dance Festival. But then realised where I erred. The words 'Madras/Chennai' and 'winter' dont go together in the same sentence!I duly changed it.

I'd gone to see a dance performance last evening, by Alarmel Valli(Bharathnatyam) and Madhavi Mudgal(Odyssey). It was fab. Im not a connoisseur of dance, but I do know just that little bit to say if a performance is really good or not. Bharathnatyam as a dance is of straight lines, and a cutting smart performance. Odyssey is more slow and sensuous. The contrast between the two was quite pronounced. It was apparent especially during the first 3 dances which Madhavi and Valli did together. I felt that Valli stole the show and outclassed Madhavi. Maybe that was because odyssey being a slow dance has its own pace and beautiful when seen by itself. It was obvious during Madhavi's solo performance. Danced to hindustani music, a story about Krishna.

My favourite was the 3rd number, a thillana by the both of them.Composed by Balamurali Krishna, it was lively, and absolutely stunning. Valli's posture, movements and rhythm were superbly flawless. Madhavi was more fluid and smooth.
Valli finished with a slow dance, a tamil song sung for a baby Amman. Resplendent in white, the essence and expression was very nicely portrayed.

I generally like fast paced dance and needless to say the thillana was my favorite of them all. Amma and i enjoyed ourselves, and felt it was totally worth going early, and getting good seats.

Although I was sent for music classes(just like 99.99% of all south indian brahmin girls) I've always wanted to learn dance.Now its too late. They send girls to learn at a very young age, and now a 22 yr old girl prancing with 5 and 6 year olds will be slightly weird I must say.

This whole cultural experience takes on a whole new turn when we visited Dakshin Chitra today. Its this heritage center where they have recreated South India of the 1900s. Brick by brick, built ancient houses from Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Kerala and Karnataka. It was definitely beautiful. To enhance the feeling, there are numerous activities. We got our future told by one guy with a parrot which picks out cards, (where Hema and Aishu were told that they were actually supposed to be born as boys, and I shouldn't wear black for the next 6 months), did pottery,block printing. and took tons of pictures.

As soon as we reached, near the reception was a gift shop. True to ourselves, we went in there first. Where I bought the cutest kalamkari pouch bag. Hello. We have a reputation to keep up. How can we not go into a shop right in front of us?? I know I have lots to carry and am being warned about excess baggage everyday. But I have my priorities right. As many clothes, bags and shoes I can manage! :-)

A new chapter??

2008-01-03T08:39:00.000-08:00

Jan 3rd is a bit too late to be wishing everyone, better late than never! so.. Happy New Year to all u guys!

I usually don't celebrate new year as such, Its just an excuse to meet up with friends and go out(which we usually aren't allowed to do on account of bad 'elements' and their drunken driving). I'm not complaining..As i've said before, I'm perfectly content sitting around and chatting with friends. The last new year when I was in college, we coudn't do anything even if we wanted to. Coz we had an exam the next day. Now, how lame is that? An exam on new year's day? There was this big rumour that for our seniors, the university released their exam results on new year's eve. So writing an exam dint seem that bad after all.

This year, just a few of us school friends went out to dinner, not too far(for reason, pls refer paragraph 1, line 2) and got back to my place, chatting till the wee hours. But this time around, I actually did have a reason to celebrate even if according to the telugu calendar Ugadi(telugu new yrs day) is a few months ahead. A new phase of life awaits me. Moving half way across the world, to become a student again. A new country, lifestyle, people,surroundings.
I've been told its not as bad as I think, that when they went 50 years back it was so different. By they I mean tons of relatives and family friends, who are American Citizens now. Drinking only Evian, and snapping away with their Nikons, Jansport backpacks and buying look alike ivory elephant carvings for their friends ar work. Will I end up like that? Living in a different part of the world, my kids speaking with a foreign accent.Or maybe, I'll end up living in India itself? Only time will tell.I will look at this blog a number of years later and recollect the mixed feelings I have right now.OR

A part of me is looking forward to this move. I am gearing up myself. A part of me wants to stay back here. With family and friends. But later on I don't ever want to regret my decisions saying I should have taken the opportunity when I had it.

For now, I celebrated this new year, for new beginnings and a new life ahead.*Cheers*

Strawberries galore

2008-01-03T06:36:00.000-08:00

Strawberry cake, with cream cheese and strawberry frosting and fresh strawberry.. yes, it does taste better than it looks, et oui, I baked it from scratch. I have to show off. Does good things to my ego! No, there's none left. The family polished it off!

A good haul

2007-12-20T06:13:00.000-08:00

I went to the library this evening.I mean, no big deal.I've been going to a library ever since I could remember.First at school, and then one close to where I live. Its this little shop like thing, tucked between two others on the main road,something one can easily miss.But once you enter, it is stuffed with books,almost bursting at its seams.Shelves and shelves of books,old and new. a big desk behind which is the librarian whom in call 'Uncle'. The moment he sees me, all the good and new stuff comes out from under that desk.I love going inside, looking around,spending time and picking out books. Today was unhurried. Browsing is my favourite part.Only then shelves that are too high are kind of a pain.Its like this..first I look at the new ones,then go to the heavy reading section,Indian Authors,thrillers and detective novels,chick lit and then Archie comics.I Collect a huge pile and then read the back and segregate.I consider a successful haul with a nice little melange. 2 for heavy reading, 2 chick lit, and a Roald Dahl or James Herriot. I wish they were both still alive.I've read all of Herriot's books, and quite a few of Dahl's.I'm reading a collection of his short stories now. Preferably, I go alone. I hate being hurried with someone standing behind me, asking me to get done soon.
I just finished 'A Thousand Splendid Suns' by Khaled Hosseini.It was so good. I wouldn't say its amazing piece of literature, but so well written. I actually cried while reading it.Because although it is fiction, these things happen.'Truth is Stranger Than Fiction' is one of my dad's favourite lines. I picked up the Kite runner now. Hope its good.I've seen it before but somehoe never bothered taking it. I also got Jhumpa Lahiri's 'The Namesake'. I've already seen the movie. A first for me,cause I'm the type who likes the book better. I heard the movie is better from one person..saying its more visual(obviously!!) and nice. After that, a hundred others told me the book is more descriptive(sigh.obviously.again) I figured, I might as well try it out!

So here's to a good week of reading!

Me

2007-12-16T19:53:00.000-08:00

I finally got around to doing the Visual DNA thing. I cant cut and paste from the site, so here's a brief what-Ne-is. A few lines..
You love the sun,sand and wind in your face. A holiday is to recharge and get pampered.You things to be clean,neat and smelling sweet.(Which might explain all my fruity shampoo,soaps,conditioners,foot scrubs,and my sangria bath set!)
You treasure your possessions.Looking fresh is a standard for you.You like your surroundings to life your mood.For you, love is a long term commitment, it means devotion and tenderness. You are a bit of a romantic and have a taste for the exotic.

:-)

Hyderabad Highs

2007-12-05T21:29:00.000-08:00

After a month long hiatus,here I am again! :D I dint realize its been a month since I blogged.That was also because I was in Hyderabad for the last 10 days having a blast. Since I am leaving and all that, I decided to go to my grandparents place,meet cousins.I figured since I wasn't really doing anything here,I might as well go and do nothing there.Oh, and there was a wedding happening too! But I was truly in for a (pleasant) surprise. There was lots to do in hyd! I literally shopped till i dropped. The city is filled with malls and places to eat. The best part is,everyone seemed to be shopping and eating. What a change from the hyderabad I knew. Or maybe I dint really get to see the place since we would go there only for a wedding and my cousin sis,(who's just a year younger than me )and I wouldn't be allowed to stay out too late. Now that we're both working and "all growed up" we could do whatever we wanted. We had something to do everyday. One mall a day and a couple of shopping bags was like mandatory! The best part is, 10 minutes from their place is this HUGE row of factory outlets.From levis,to pepe,dockers and nike reebok and adidas. Need i say more?? *grin*

A typical day would be..wake up late,by the time we're all ready, its lunch time. eat. or go out to the various lunches organized in each aunt's place. shop.get home. go out for dinner.During the wedding time the lunch and dinner will be preceded by a function.In all this, my grandmother has a boutique.She does salwar kameez and saree business.So we would ooh and aah over the nice stuff she brought back from jaipur and when customers look at them. I seriously have the 'funest' grandma who brings back the most coolest stuff.I picked out this lovely toe ring which she brought back.The grandfather wasn't too happy about me wearing a toe ring since I am unmarried,but hello,its a fun thing and I'm wearing it only on one foot. He still dint seem to be convinced. Oh and we had this new flavor of Breezer called 'Jamaican Passion'. was yummy. Is it possible to sign some kind of a petition for them to start allowing Bacardi to market Breezer in Chennai? Grr. This is SO not fair. We have it in Bangalore and Hyderabad, Chennai really feels left out. Cant u see that??? H-M-P-H!!

I'm back in Chennai now. I need to learn to make all the types of Dal. Learn to IDENTIFY them first is more like it. I get so confused with the English,Hindi,Tamil and Telugu names! There are like some million varieties, multiply them into 4, and what do expect? One hell of a confused drama queen.

More updates on the dal et al later.ta!

right here right now

2007-11-04T08:17:00.000-08:00

I know I havent posted in a long long time and I was actually questioned by a few faithful readers of my blog!! ..And I thought I was the only one reading me.So,YAAY.
These last few weeks have been a bit hectic for me,what with getting my VISA to the US and quitting work and all.What do u expect? So, now as you must have gathered,I am going to get back to being a student and start burning the midnight oil.I am off to the University of Maryland,College park.I am excited,sad,apprehensive,tense and a whole range of things.
I will post again tomorrow I promise. Have to run now! oh and I have started shopping! :-) ta.

2007-10-16T10:19:00.000-07:00

So i've got eye trouble and am subjected to wearing my specs for like a week. blah.Apparently the inner eyelid of mine is all bumpy when its supposed to be smooth.And those dumb eyedrops end up at my throat when I lie down and it tastes terrible. :-(

The Life of Pi

2007-10-07T00:55:00.000-07:00

Initially when I heard of the book, i thought 'The Life Of Pi' would literally have something to do with math,or some kind of a child prodigy. I couldn't have been more wrong.This Booker Prize winning material by Yann Martel is about this teenage boy from Pondicherry who's thrown overboard when the ship he's travelling on with his family sinks. With a male bengal tiger in tow,he manages to survive 277 days at sea on a lifeboat. The kid calls himself 'Pi' which explains the title(anyone would considering he was named Piscine Molitor Patel by his parents!)Speaking of names, why would parents choose names for their offspring that would definately give rise to a good bout of teasing,name calling and the like? I mean,seriously.What about the kid who's name is Fakir?(no prizes for guessing what his nickname at school would be) or Balaji who's always Bajji,Madhav becomes maddie,Nikhil to Nikki, Srikanth to Cheeky,cheeku,so on and so forth...aarrgh.digressing.back to the book.So Pi's dad is a zoo keeper who's immigrating to canada with a veritable menangerie on the ship.Needless to say after the ship sinks,a couple of creatures climb in.A tiger, a zebra and an orangutan. A battle of strength follows and Pi is left with the Tiger.
The book is about survival, which tells us a lot about human nature.He manages to land on an uninhabited island for a few days.The place is filled with these arboreal beings called meerkats. They reminded me so much of those creatues in the movie 'Madagascar'.The ones in the middle of the wild dancing and partying! Im not sure if Martel intended it that way, but hey,its my imagination and its a free world.

I really liked the book.Especially the detail and research that went into it..like the part about the sloth and its habits(no im not talking about my brother here.im referring to the animal.no no...not him.but then again...*grin*) The inital part of the story is of Pi and family's life in Pondicherry and general south indian stuff. Usually when foreigners talk about India, they tend to mix up the facts about the South and the North. Like people's names, and food. Here, there is no mistaking the effort that went into detail. A good, refreshing change. In this same way,in a grotesque manner he goes on to explain bloody fights between the animals and how Pi is forced to eat raw sea food.I almost threw up. But that dint stop me from reading. I guess thats what a good author does.

I am not saying i TOTALLY loved the book. But it was definately much better than above average. I cannot judge if it was a worthy winner of the Booker prize for that year since i'd have to read the other nominations to comment.

Neha's rating :

The Life Of Pi by Yann Martel : 8/10

The next review will be of 'The Home and The World' by Rabindranath Tagore. An english transalation of "Ghare-Baire". But for now, a little chick lit is waiting for me. Oh, and I finally got a copy of Shantharam. A good haul from the library this time. :-)

kick ass match

2007-09-25T09:35:00.000-07:00

Well, as u just happen to guess, im talking about the awesome,fantabulous,enthralling,exciting India-Pakistan cricket match yesterday.which totally kicked ass.Im not much of a cricket fan.My knowledge of cricket is limited to the rudimentary.What constitues four runs,a six,a catch and a run out.But I just cannot understand for the life of me what an LBW means.Thats when the batsman protects the stump or something right???
Everyone was looking forward to the match like there was no tomorrow.E mail forwards, SMS messages were being sent by the dozen and it looked like the whole of chennai left work early to fix their eyes on the TV.I was stuck in traffic for like 35 min when its usually 15 to get home :-|

So i got home and plonked myself infront of the TV.The one in my parents room.aah,a nice 29" with a home theatre sound system and their plush comfy mattress, a bag of crisps. I totally love this whole 20-20 concept. Its not a whole day long,its fast,furious,and loads of fun.The fact that it was India-Paki made it deliciously nail biting.. But one has to admit that the Pakistani team played real good cricket.Their fielding and bowling was just too good.Stealing a single here and there was tough. The fact that India managed to score about 160 odd runs was good for 20 overs but not enough for a comfortabe win. A couple of 4rs and 6s by the pakis would have changed the game completely.Wickets were falling fast and the Pakis were scampering on the pitch for runs. India royally kicked butt.

Amma's telugu commentary was the best. ROFL. It's taking sometime for Nana to adjust to the 20-20 match thing. Especially since he was a part of his school and university cricket team. For them, the old timey concept of a test match is the REAL thing. To accept the one day plays was tough,and now 20-20.Oh My God. whats the world coming to???
But one cant NOT enjoy it.Cricket is so close to the Indian heart that you cant look at it objectively! And this was India-Pakistan. I mean,hello. u have to be insane not to watch it!
Nana, for all your Golf,birdies,pars and putting techniques, cricket is still WITH you. :)

well, for now.Back to the usual rigmarole.Work tomorrow. Dont these people hear of mid week holidays?? well, now take a HINT.

speaking of HINT, we went to that place in bangalore. quite nice i say :)

signing out now.gotta get some shut eye.

For now....toodle!

P.S guys, any idea how long it takes to get an I-20 from schools?? *sigh* seems like FOREVER! and while we're on that topic, any suggestions about Maryland,college park VS Syracuse? any insight would be highly appreciated!! :) now dont u get any ideas,absolutely NO money involved.

tee hee

2007-09-23T10:19:00.000-07:00

"Thats why you shouldn't have eyes as big as saucers" was the reply when I complained when some dust particles fell into my eye the other day.

now, was that a compliment or WHAT??? *grin*

that time in life

2007-09-15T21:40:00.000-07:00

There comes a time in every girls(may I be more specific and say an Indian girl) life when the 'M' word is all she can hear. Needless to say its Marriage.Or wedding.or Nuptials. Or matrimony.Nice boy,good family,27yrs,earning well,tall,fair are all a part of the M word.So thy shall just say M from now and thou shalt figure out the rest.
The interrogator may come in different forms.More often than not,they are female who have an affinity to shiny silk sarees and jasmine flowers. Largely grouped between the age of 42 and above.Exceptions may occur in the form of bored housweives.The male form feels rather awkward with this topic.They tend to shy away and gravitate to the TV. The victim is ALWAYS a girl who has just finished college and is working.The questioning can also start during the final year.

A typical conversation usually tends to go this way.

(Aunty comes home for pooja/dinner/lunch for a good gossip.)

Aunty : so tell me ma,what are u doing these days??

victim : im working in infy/cts/tcs/whatever.

Aunty : so what plans do u have now?

victim : ermm, nothing much really. Thinking of writing GRE/GMAT/CAT (she adds warily, knowing whats coming next,desperately trying to ward off the next question but in vain.)

aunty : ayyo.You girls these days.im telling you.This is the right age.how old are you??

victim: uh, 22. actually i JUST turned 22. so you can say 21. TOO early aunty!

aunty : nonsense. you get married to a nice boy. And then you study. whats wrong???so may girls are doing it these days. (now looking at the victim's mother)So have any nice proposals come for her lately?

Mother : well. yes, but she is saying no.It seems she wants to study furthur.what can we say?

aunty : see.i told you.if u want study.no ones stopping you. Do u want to study in the US? ok.we'll find a nice boy there for you.Or Europe?? that can also be done.(looking at mother again). In the US also,where ever she wants to study you can find someone close by.There are SOOOO many indians there.

Victim : heh. hmmm. uhh. let me write the exam first. Would you like some juice aunty?

Aunty(sensing change of topic) : No thanks.i have bad throat.Just went to the doctor that day.Actually, my doctor's sister's friend was my classmate in school. I heard her cousin and wife are in california.Looking out for their son I believe.He should be 26,working somwhere in Silicon Valley.I can find out if you want.

Victim : California?? i would love to get into Berkely! (starts dreaming)

Mother : So what is your sister's daughter doing? the one who studied in ASD college?

Aunty : You mean Kavitha? she is married. Has a baby now.2 yrs old.

Victim: ok.So she has a baby. but what is she DOING???

Aunty : err,she's married.

Victim: i know that. But what does she DO?

Aunty : i think she's planning to work. Her husband earns around 10 lacs per year.so.. u know..

Victim : no i dont.

(ding dong.doorbell rings)Mother opens the door.

Mother : look,its a courier.A wedding invitation. Your friend Meena is getting married on the 23rd of next month.

Victm : good for her. Im ecstatic?????

Mother : see..i told you..if your friends.............

Victim : *sigh*

....and thus it continues..

yes? or no?

2007-09-03T09:38:00.000-07:00

Should I? Or shoudn't I? But what if I do? what will they say??? On the other hand if I don't,what will I say? ....And it goes on. and on. and on.

dilli billi

2007-08-21T06:41:00.000-07:00

This post has been long overdue,I havent had time to even breathe from the moment I got back from Delhi.Did u hear that right??yeah.I spent an absolutely amazing time at the capital,at shreya's place.Her mom's technically,since madame has made Michigan her home since last year.I was so excited about the trip since I havent travelled anywhere above Mumbai,which is considered 'North India' for us chennai-ites!After much planning and packing,I was ready to face Dilli.
We did all the nice girly and touristy things.Shopping was super fun especially at Janpath market. There was so much cute stuff we dint know where to look first.The sad thing was I couldnt really buy too much since they were too skimpy to wear in chennai."but where will I wear this in Madraaaaas???" was my constant lament. But hopefully,if all goes well, I'll be out of here soon...that pretty much explains it all.(Nana,if you are reading this close your eyes.:-D).Dads.sigh.
Day 2 was a visit to the mall and we watched Chak De.What a cliche.Watching an almost patriotic movie on Independence day.We all actually stood for the national anthem before they started playing the film.It was awesome!The nicest part of the movie was SRK(big surprise there.he's the KING).He played his age and there was no faltoo romance or some hot actress just for the scenery! or any lame songs.10 points for that.
The next day we graced Agra with our presence.We headed out to Fatehpur Sikhri first to visit Akbar's palace/fort.En route,we got stuck in a 'traffic jam' involving 4 autos,2 carts,a couple of scooters and our car.Very rustic.
The Fort was lovely.Although I was piqued by the fact that Akbar built this huge gateway like thing,Bulandh Darwaza, when his son was born.And honoured that wife with the biggest part of the palace and all.
The Taj was our next destination.We were practically fried by the time we reached there. But the beauty was truly worth the wait.The symmetry was absolutely the best.And to think they did all that with just a piece of string and a ball for a pendulum! Well,to be brutally honest,the roads leading to the Taj and the entire place wasnt maintained too well.Being one of the wonders of the world,why doesnt the government put a little more effort to make the place a tad more presentable at least?? We have visitors from all over the world coming to visit.Do we really want to project India this way?? Apart from blaming the government,Every Indian must want to do a little something to for the country. Even a small gesture like not littering.And of course, a sense of basic hygiene for the surroundings.
One thing that struck me was the number of kids hanging around the place.In Agra,and all the way to the Sikri village.Playing,running around,and many at work with their parents.Weren't they supposed to be in school?It wasnt summer holidays either.All schools re-open in june.We caught sight of a few so-and-so memorial schools here an there.Tired looking nondescript buildings tucked in the middle of nowhere.
This made me think that for all the Big companies,be it outsourcing,malls,clubs,culture,and everything we take for granted,this is what the real India is.Not the handful of cities we are familar with.None of those kids would even have a chance to use a computer,the basic of most things today.That made me sad.To know that as a country we have such a long way to go.And a better education is only one of them.We have other things to think about.Such as the attitude of the people and other social metamorphosis that will only take time.A long,long time.

How this post started from my happy trip to the socio-economic state of India,i dont know.But yeah, food for thought?!

btw. Shre and I got lovely Mehendi on our hands half way to our elbows at dilli haat.Although I wonder if it was real un-adultrated henna,since it dint smell to strong,and it faded away fully within 5 days time.hmmm. But I enjoyed having someone put the mehendi for me,being the puttee,instead of the putter!! :D (license baby.poetic license)

rainy days in madras and then some more..

2007-08-11T00:03:00.000-07:00

I just finished reading a couple of books over the last week.
It's really easy to rip the book apart(which i will in sometime), but 'Madras On Rainy Rays' was actually kinda nice..in a weird way. What i liked about it was Samina Ali wrote it like how it really is.Without much exaggeration.It captured my interest enough to finish the book.Just about.The story as such was nothing to write home about. One of those sad-women type stories. In which the 'heroine' is brought up conservative,taught to listen to parents kind of thing but has lived abroad,gets married to this guy in India and needs to break free.Of course,in the end she does manage to.Which was kind of expected.But not really. You never really know how these kind of books end.Some of them end up just the way they started out. And then it makes you wonder why you went through those 200 hundred odd pages in the first place.Cant they just write something happy or fun??? It is not all about sadness in our indian women lives.What puzzled me was the name of the book. First of all,it hardly rains here.Second of all,they spend just 2 days in Madras.Maybe because it was here the heroine decided to leave her husband?? Because he was actually gay and his boyfriend lands up in a burkha and creates a scene. That was really icing on the cake for an already sad book.Oh yeah,after that,her pregnant cousin who is super close to her since birth is raped and murdred. I think we've read enough of stuff like that to last a lifetime.

'Never let me go' by Kazuo Ishiguro is an almost must read. Nominated for the booker prize for a reason.It is written through the eyes of Kathy,brought up at Hailsham,a private boarding school.She talks about her friends,about their reason for existance.Not a thriller,but definately a page turner.By the end of it,you just end up thinking quietly for a while.Not about anything in particular,but the book does strike something in you.That part of you,that you dont want to spend too much time with.Im talking about life.About death.About how when you are alone you think to yourself if this is the way it feels to live.

Neha's ratings:

Madras On Rainy Days by Samina Ali : 5/10
Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro : 8/10

2007-08-02T09:30:00.000-07:00

Its not that i dont believe in God. Its not that i do. I just know that there is some higher force and power up there that makes us just..be. I do the whole going to temples with parents and poojas at home,and everythng. im just not the type to go overboard to prove it. Anytime I go to a temple the first thought that comes to my mind is whethere it will be clean or not. Im talking about the wet floor that is supposed to 'cleanse' your feet,that a million people have waded through, and that place where u have to wash hands.
A place of worship should be calm, it should bring peace and serenity.I am superstitious enough to close my eyes and say a silent prayer not to be offensive to my religeon or to God himself. I just wish people would be more concerned about things like general hygeine.
Even going to Tirupati has become pretty much an ordeal. Buying tickets for the Darshan, standing in the line,and having a glimpse of Lord Venkateshwara for just 30 seconds? In all that mess,a hundred other people around you,praying.The wet floor just adds to the confusion. Do you think God wants you to do that? To spend crores of rupees every year to walk by him between those railings?
Aren't faith and belief on a higher plane than all these mundane things? Or maybe it is that as you grow older, you want something to cling to, something to make your life more meaningful.More than work,and home and kids and responsibilty.

2007-07-31T05:45:00.000-07:00

Are Indian men the most unchivalrous?

scrumpdillylumptious

2007-07-29T10:59:00.000-07:00

U should have guessed from the Roald Dahl-ish title that this post is about absolutely yummy food.And the Chef(s) in question are Shreya and of course, Yours Truly!Our Sous chef was Amma,telling us which dal was which and how much water to pour for the rice. I know this post took a while in coming especially since the said feast was a few days back, but with my hectic social life and all...u get the drift right?! *sigh* the woes of being a social butterfly :D
So we started out making red and yellow bell pepper pulao(read : coloured capsicum) which turned out very pretty looking,followed with panneer masala patties shallow fried,aloo gobi curry,dal,boondi raitha.
We started out with a nice little shock when we paid 44 bucks for four capsicum.just because they were coloured.
Other than that things went on pretty smooth. This time we remembered to wash the rice.We somehow dint think we needed to the last time we made pulao since the rice was in a nice fancy basmati packet.extra long grain!It directly went into the rice cooker.Shreya and I were happily eating when after the first spoonful my dad asked us if we washed the rice. So this time,needless to say we were the butt of a lot of jokes. A fresh one everytime I went to the room to ask a 'doubt'. "Dont forget to wash all traces of soap neha.HAHAHAHAHA" :-|
The first few shallow fried panneer patties were a little squashed but we got the hang of it after that and they were awesome! Lightly brown and marinated in masala made from scratch. The aloo gobi and the dal were lovely.wholesome and nice,as our very own german butterfly put it.
We rounded it off with extra fudge chocolate brownie and ice cream,home made again.
Now you can imagine how our satiated selves felt. A nice drive to the beach after dinner was truly icing on the cake.
A should thank his stars I cook well! :)

teens today - special edition

2007-07-16T10:26:00.000-07:00

Did i ACTUALLY name this post teens today? considering i was a teen myself a couple of years back?? Maybe this had something to do with the fact that I took my 15 yr old brother shopping yesteray. He took me to this 'cool' place, and 1600 bucks later(rather poorer), we marched out of the shop armed with a couple of linkin park and eminem t shirts,posters and an eminem key chain.
Now,im not against all these so called 'happening' accessories, but this is my baby brother we're talking about! he's going through the black phase. Loose blue jeans and Big black t shirts comprise most of his wardrobe. I remember when I was in class 11 what the 'cool' boys wore. Is he one of them? A part of the 'in' crowd?? what do those girls think? listening to Metallica,Nickelback and Guns n Roses.
Its just a little hard for me to digest that he's not that sweet little thing running around in shorts anymore! he hasnt been for a while now, but still. Especially when he's some 7" taller than me and looks down and says "akka.when did u stop growing?class 7??"
So now I have 2 huge posters staring at me.Eminem's is giving me this try-and-stop-me look with dynamite in his hand and I dont quite know what iron maiden is trying to convey. He's wearing this grotesque mask with an ugly smile to boot,grinning at the world screaming run to the hills. WHY?? Beats me.
So from now,these people are going to be an integral part of my line of sight(LOS.i remember my physics :D) they'd BETTER be. especially since those damn posters were @#$%ing expensive.

Sunset heat

2007-07-08T08:19:00.000-07:00

Im in love. And the product(not the man)in question is the new fragrance by ESCADA, Sunset Heat .D R E A M Y. It smells of summer.of the tropics.of light mauvy(i DO have poetic licence.When was the last time YOU checked?)flowers.a little fruity, a little spicy. Reminds me of amber.
SH hasn't been launched in India yet, but I was fortunate enough to have a whiff of it from a friend to whom the sample was sent by an aunt abroad.I was smitten and my olfactories almost had an orgasm. And that had nothing to do with me being on a moving train.
I've been scouting online to find out when the said liquid dream is going to be launched in india, but no avail. 'Sunset heat launch in india' threw up 2 half hearted links to the perfume, and the rest 2,92,816 links had to do with 'launch' 'india' and some strange housewifey recipes for the summer.
That can be my monthly birthday gift.I promised you to buy it for me!
HARK! Did i just hear A emit a gasp so strong that the flap of the laptop almost stuck to his mouth? considering Hugo Deep Red was my last birthday present? its ok. You'll get over it. People tend to become increasingly resilient in situations like this. yes? true? yes. Im telling u. I can get A to vouch for that! :)

2007-07-08T05:07:00.000-07:00

its exactly 4 hours and 40 minutes until log out time. This positively sucks! btw, i am at work, which you would probably have gathered from my last post.Everyone wants to make plans for sunday,even my team is planning some sad outing next sunday to some amusement park.dont ask me if i'll even CONSIDER going. Me answering this question might prove a tad dangerous coz i MIGHT be meeting the rest of the team at work tomo. same place but thankfully not the same time!

I was just going to say i was bored. AGAIN. Amma came into the room the other day when i was posting my sunday-work-polambals post, and she said "BORED. thats all you kids these days say, im bored. thats such an easy word to use". Excuse me. Do u mean that there was no such a thing as boring some 25,30,45, or even 57 yrs back??? Yeah we all hear the stories about the fun summer vacation at gummadipundi village at father's second cousin's grandma's place, which was so much FUN with some 19 other cousins.Sure it would have definately been fun, im not disputing the fact,but dont tell me there never was an occasional afternoon or two when u dint know what to do,and you had run out of ideas playing seven stones or goli or whatever.There would have been another word for boring,in telugu probably,something none of us modern day city kids know.

Thats not what i want to talk about now. I dont know what to talk about now. Call it a sad post! See..this is what happens when you are at work on a sunday evening!

will post again an hour or so later when im bored again. Me thinks i'l go and get something to eat now.

God gave us sunday for a reason

2007-07-05T22:51:00.000-07:00

OK. Im bored. I dont have work today cause I have to go on SUNDAY to work.Has anyone heard of going to work on sunday?? even GOD had holiday on sunday after creating the earth and trees and light and the rest of it.
And since im going to work on sunday AFTERNOON, i am off today,compensatory as they call it, with nothing better to do,and when all my friends are at work. :(
As you can see, im extremely cheesed off.
Just waiting for Schmetterling to come here so we can have some fun!

tag - as if!!!

2007-06-29T06:09:00.000-07:00

Shreya seems to be very excited that ive been tagged. And Rajiv wanted something interesting to read this weekend. "How will i spend my saturday if u are not going to post??", quoting him.OK Rajiv, i know u were TRYING to be sarci, so here it is.

The rules:

1. Players start with 8 random facts about themselves.

2. Those who are tagged should post these rules and their 8 random facts.

3. Players should tag 8 other people and notify them they have been tagged.

so here goes, 8 random facts about myself, mes amis!

1) I hate people snapping their fingers for no reason.

It irritates me,bugs me,irks me,pisses me off,gets on my nerves when i hear people snapping their fingers. It makes me want to go and rip their fingers off their palms. Strange, i dont remember having similar reactions in play school.

2) I love aavakai.(typical south indian mango pickle)

I have to have aavakai with at least one meal a day. I can have it with dosai for breakfast, rice for lunch and with rotis for dinner. Although onion and chilli pickle come a close second.

3) I always notice a guys feet and hands second. His face first of course.And his clothes. Tight t shirts and jeans are a strict no-no.

They have to be clean with short nails. I cant stand dirty fingers with long nails.Oh yeah, he should wear nice clean shoes too.

4)I was a nail polish freak between class8 and 12.

I had about 60 colours. From bright red to black. Blue,green,yellow,glitter, and all that inbetween. Im SO glad im over that stage and so are my parents.

5)I hate waking up early.

Although, if i do, i'd love to go and watch the sunrise,take a walk,listen to the birds and all that jazz. But that seems like too much of an effort. I wish they day would begin at 12 noon. Although I can compromise with 11 am. Now tell me, what is so special that you can do in the morning that you cant do a few hours later?(other than watch the sunrise.well, bully for you.) HA. u cant think of anything much that matters??? good. my point EXACTLY!

6)I need a dose of chick lit once in a while.

After a hard day at work/college/whatever, its nice to drown urself in a witty,romantic,sweet story where all guys are nice, and bring you flowers and candy and an occasional diamond bracelet.Where they'd rather spend their evening with you than rubbing paws with some grubby guys at some grubby pub drinking beer from glasses that were spit washed. And they'd cook nice yummy dinner while you put up ur tired feet. OF course it goes without saying that he's super rich,gorgeous,makes you laugh,is sensitive,and he has eyes ONLY for you.

*sigh*

7)Although I sometimes behave like I dont care, I am a very sensitive person inside.

Every little thing is dissected and pondered and analysed and mulled over and deliberated upon to the T. Not necessarily to a person as such, but in my head.

8)I love baking.

Be it cake, or cookies, or cheesecake,pudding,brownies or a souffle. I generally like baking from scratch,with flour,sugar,butter,cocoa and all.Not the ready-made mix type. I feel truly happy when everyone loves what i bake and when the little ones want "just one more piece akka!!!"

:)

A Hundred

2007-06-27T06:21:00.000-07:00

A little something to think about, which was forwarded to me by a friend.

If the population of the Earth was reduced to that of a small town with 100 people, it would look something like this:

57 Asians
21 Europeans
14 Americans(Northern and Southern)
8 Africans

52 Women, 48 Men

70 Coloured Skins
30 Caucasians
89 Heterosexuals
11 Homosexuals

6 people would own 59% of the whole world wealth and all of them will be from the United States of America.

80 would have bad living conditions.

70 would be uneducated.

50 underfed.

1 would die.

2 would be born.

1 would have a computer.

1 (only one) will have higher education.

When you look at the world from this point of view, you can see there is a real need for solidarity, understanding, patience and education.

Also think about the following:

This morning, if you woke up healthy, then you are happier than the 1 million people that will not survive next week.

If you never suffered a war, the loneliness of the jail cell, the agony of torture,or hunger, you are happier than 500 million people in the world.

If you can enter into a church,mosque, or temple without fear of jail or death, you are happier then 3 billion people i n the world.

If there is a food in your fridge, you have shoes and clothes, you have bed and a roof, you are richer then 75% of the people in th e world .

If you have bank account, money in your wallet and some coins in the money-box, you belong to the 8% of the people on the world, who are well-to-do.

If you read this you are three times blessed because:

1. Somebody just thought of you.
2. You don't belong to the 800 million people who cannot read.
3 .And... you have a computer!

As somebody once said:

Work as if you don't need money,
Love as if you've never been hurt,
Dance, as if nobody can see you,
Sing, as if no one can hear,
Live , as if the Earth was a heaven.

The last bit was a bit too much to take at the end of the mail. A little overboard. But im not going to say anythng silly. Let the words have their effect on you and just say a silent prayer of thanks to your parents and God for making you the way you are.

SO awwwwww!

2007-06-25T05:26:00.000-07:00

This is one of the most beautiful poems i've read.It was written by A. i couldnt resist posting it here.

The moon shining bright above,
The sweet wind flowing with love,
And i ride the wind, towards you it blows,
Every second i get closer, my love for you grows.
The trees, the flowers,the mountains bow down,
Seeing you my queen, my heart, your crown;
As the wind gets sets me next to you without a fall,
I'd lay there forever, forever and all.

Needless to say, this wasnt written by me. My poetry is strictly of the 'roses are red,violets are blue' kind. so NATURALLY, this is something that is waaay beyond my poetic ability!

the sky is the limit - not literally!

2007-06-21T22:40:00.000-07:00

This cliche has been exploited(in want of a better word) to the maximum. and im not talking about the weather here, which by the way is AWESOME!!! tell me, who has seen nice,light rainy days in chennai during june??? none i tell u. ask around and see. take a survey, a census, a poll, a vote, a few opinions. This year is different. so different that we are all wondering of the one above has blessed our very own chennai with some good fortune in the likes of the climate this year(yes, i have studied geography and I know the difference between weather and climate). But as they all say I shouldn't say this aloud too much and 'put the evil eye on us'. :-/

What I was actually saying was there are limits to cliches too. Especially if u live in a city which considers itself traditional, and does weird things to make it more 'happening'. Im talking about none other than our pattu podavais(silk sarees).
When they came up with an ulle velliye(inside-outside) saree, we dint say anything. The specialty was that it is one colour when you are inside, and changes colour when you go into the sun. Something i would NEVER wear, but hmmm ok..people do have different tastes.
Next was a saree with a pocket, we dint say anything more than before.After all, it can be kind of useful even though it looks weird. Another store is competing by making matching cell phone pouches with the saree you buy. We can deal with that in some convoluted way.
We thought they exhausted all ideas when they came up with a denim saree(suitable for all ages, quoting the bilboard). The pic was of some hot model wearing this super low saree,sleeveless blouse with tassles, a gun holster and a cowboy hat. She looked like she lost her way from kancheepuram to Kansas(i dont know if kansas is a cowboy town, but it just rhymes. better than saying Kancheepuram to Austin). Probably because even the horse felt embarrassed to be seen with her.
But let me tell you, we were sadly mistaken. This new idea REALLY takes the cake.
This is called jodi pattu(couple silks). Matching silk saree and matching shirt. Silk saree for the wife and a silk shirt for the husband which is the colour of the pallu. The shirt looks so gay, even a gay man wouldnt touch it with a ten foot pole. The picture is of this happy couple with the husband wearing that disgusting shirt with zari down the front. Cream shirt with leaves in gold and embroidery and green zari. GREEN.
Isnt it time someone does something about their warped sense of 'fashion'?? I cant imagine what they would think of next. I cant even think of anything more ridiculous than this to make fun of.
It has some advantages though. In case the husband's shirt gets burnt under the iron or ripped in the wash, all the wife has to do is cut off her pallu and make another shirt for him.
Simple na? all's well that ends well. After all, the sky is the limit.