Unputdownable, fantastic read!

Needed some patience to get through this book.
Certainly have mixed feelings about the writing.
PS- Thanks to someone special who wrote me a few lines in this book........it's the only reason that really kept me motivated to reach the end. :)

A few pictures from a recent Lalbagh trip............certainly has the old Bangalore charm still....
The little black dog followed me where ever I ventured........always dutifully a few paces behind, and posed like a professional for the photograph and then mysteriously disappeared at the gates......

I have always liked what Jeffery Archer has written - this book is no exception.
Long live British authors!

My latest temptation!
Soon my room will have more books than it can handle :)
Getting lost in a bookstore is by far the greatest thing to do - it is also my favourite thing to do in this crazy world.

Every day for the last two weeks, every time I have been out, I have seen an ambulance maneuver in traffic...........very scary and sort of unsettling :(

Birthdays!
My 26th birthday is a week away. Quarter century completed without any major destruction to self and others :)
I hope it's normal to feel like a theatre mask.
Have decided that growing old is great just as long as it doesn't happen to you.Sure, you want to cross over and be taken seriously but being a kid forever has its own advantages. You are mostly allowed to get away with everything. Now some rather idiotic concepts of the future begin to disturb an already diminishing quantity of grey cells.
Yeah yeah.............let the "old jokes" and fun begin!

Grumble grumble grumble,
But old age knocks on the door,
You may as well enjoy it now,
B'coz it can't be ignored any more.

The week that was...........
Some interesting places and lots of rain :)

Ever since I have been a little girl, every saree would seem like an extension of some bed spread.........until I went shopping a few days ago and bought these for my mother.......I dont know exactly when but somewhere in between the entire experience ( I made the poor saleslady remove every saree she had to show hence building up this little mountain right under my nose) and actually buying, I fell in love with this glorious and graceful attire...........Someday I hope I can wear these and carry them off.........
Hmm........maybe it is true........maybe I am growing old........

Happy New year once again to every passerby.........
That time of the year again when resolutions are made and broken.
When you believe everything is going to start afresh.
When no matter how the past has been you believe the future can only get better :)
Brand new slate and squeaky chalks..........write whatever you want.........
A joyful, naughty, perfect year for everyone! ;)
Happy New Year '08!!!!

"Life should NOT be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely, but rather to skid in sideways, totally worn out, and screaming "WOO HOO what a ride!"

Merry Christmas everyone! Time to forgive and forget......stay happy, healthy and eats lotsa plum cake :) may the spirit of this season last forever!

I was talking to someone very senior at work and we were discussing the faith and zeal one puts in the jobs given to them.

He likened it to something very remarkable……

“Every job,” he said, “is like a sufficiently long train journey to somewhere.”

“You enter the compartment and see your co passengers. How you behave towards them and how they behave towards you will determine how pleasant the journey eventually becomes.
The destination may be something you can’t help but the journey and how much fun it can become is entirely in your hands.”

“You have a stake in everything you do. You may not consciously think about it but you do. The deeper your stake the better you do the job,” was his conclusion.

Ever had that feeling when a tiny bulb comes on in the camouflaged nook of your head?
This was one such moment for me :)

THE WEEK THAT WAS............

In all affairs it's a healthy thing now and then to hang a question mark on the things you have long taken for granted.

-- Bertrand Russell

#####

* What a song!!!!! *

Bitter Sweet Symphony- The Verve

'Cause it's a bittersweet symphony this life
Trying to make ends meet, you're a slave to the money then you die
I'll take you down the only road I've ever been down
You know the one that takes you to the places where all the veins meet, yeah
No change, I can't change, I can't change, I can't change,
but I'm here in my mold, I am here in my mold
But I'm a million different people from one day to the next
I can't change my mold, no, no, no, no, no

Well, I've never prayed,
But tonight I'm on my knees, yeah
I need to hear some sounds that recognize the pain in me, yeah
I let the melody shine, let it cleanse my mind , I feel free now
But the airwaves are clean and there's nobody singing to me now

No change, I can't change, I can't change, I can't change,
but I'm here in my mold , I am here with my mold
And I'm a million different people from one day to the next
I can't change my mold, no, no, no, no, no

(Well have you ever been down?)
(I can't change, I can't change...)
(Ooooohhhhh...)

'Cause it's a bittersweet symphony this life
Trying to make ends meet, trying to find some money then you die
I'll take you down the only road I've ever been down
You know the one that takes you to the places where all the veins meet, yeah
You know I can't change, I can't change, I can't change,
but I'm here in my mold, I am here in my mold
And I'm a million different people from one day to the next
I can't change my mold, no,no,no,no,no
I can't change my mold, no,no,no,no,no
I can't change my mold, no,no,no,no,no

(It justs sex and violence melody and silence)
(It justs sex and violence melody and silence)
(I'll take you down the only road I've ever been down)
(It justs sex and violence melody and silence)
(I'll take you down the only road I've ever been down)
(Been down)
(Ever been down)
(Ever been down)(Lalalalalalaaaaaaaa...)
(Ever been down)
(Ever been down)
(Have you ever been down?)
(Have you ever been down?)
(Have you ever been down?)

#####

Been listening to Linkin Park, AC/DC, Def Leppard, Metallica, Creed and Nickelback all of last week

I have to end off with a cheesy line so here goes……….

In the End, apart from the tingling in the ears I am quite Numb to everything and Nothing else matters. :)

#####

Does lowering your expectation about something/somebody make you hurt any lesser when it doesn’t happen?

I don’t know…………..it seems like no matter what the expectation, the intensity of hurting is just the same…………..

#####

Traveling by buses everyday is a new experience. The streaming multitude of unknown hoi polloi and the comfort of being unrecognized and nameless among them is such a freedom.

Sure you get pawed and pushed sometimes, but I don’t think such a potpourri of life can be seen and experienced in any other way.

#####

Walked in the rain- exhilarating!!

*The fever and cold that follow don’t make any sense though*

#####

A close friend said this about my father last year

Of manners gentle,
Of affections mild,
In wit, a Man
In simplicity, a child.

I would like to add on that he was and always will be all this and much more.

Miss you pops, and I love you even more.

#####

I Wonder.

I saw the moon the other night, distant and tranquil,
It caused a quiver somewhere and a little sigh
I wonder if he feels it too?

A mellow zephyr infringes the deliberation,
A thought occurs and a heartbeat misses,
I wonder if he feels it too?

Everything stands frozen for that ephemeral instant,
Brings the memory of a stolen glance and a shy smile,
I wonder if he feels it too?

Love doesn’t happen in the unvarying talk,
It happens over the million moments of silence,
And I wonder if he feels it too.

Chak De India!!!!

Finally saw the movie everybody in the world has seen......my verdict in one word?
"SUPERB"!!!
After a longish time, a movie made me sit on the edge of my seat and wish.....go India go!
A fantastic soundtrack, committed acting and more that anything, is the way the movie makes you feel........you laugh, you cry, you get goosebumps and you stand up and cheer. At the end of the day, thats what entertainment is all about isnt it?

Am beginning to think maybe, just maybe, bollywood can think beyond its regular mix of dishoom dishoom, meri tumhari bacche ki maa banne waali hoon, namesake heroines and larger than life heroes. :)

As long as there will be movies like Iqbal, Dor, Chinni kum, and now CDI, there will always be fans like me.........

Definitely a well made movie this!

http://www.yashrajfilms.com/microsites/cdi/cdi.html

The Circle of Karma- Kunzang Choden

A very enchanting tale of a woman and the journey she makes from birth and beyond. This is the first time I was reading something by a Bhutanese author and I must admit I came away impressed. There is nothing hidden in this novel.

It is a beautiful description of the reality of life and the struggles of being a woman in the Himalayan kingdom. Deeply influenced by religion, belief and karma, this tale is about a journey Tsomo, the main character takes.

It is a story of her life and the travails in them. It is about how everything you do comes a full circle someday. It’s about realizing who you are and where you eventually want to go.

My conclusion- Captivating read but requires some patience to get the flow!

Can You Hear The Nightbird Call- Anita Rau Badami

An absolute outstanding weave of a story.

The story of three women and their entwined lives. This magnificent book is about Bibiji (Sharanjeet Kaur), Leela, and Nimmo. From the narrow streets of a small village in Punjab, called Panjaur, the lanes of Bangalore, to the opportunity filled Vancouver, this book covers everything.

This tale brings forth the pain and the trauma that take root in their lives, caused by some grim realities in Indian history including the partition, the assassination of Indira Gandhi, the subsequent terror that followed a particular sect and the bombing of Air India Flight 182, Kanishka, where all 329 people on board were brutally blown up in a terrorist attempt………

It is a tale of want, ambition, and how deep beneath the skin, everyone is related by his or her circumstance to each other. This book is so true in it narration the reader can almost reach out and touch the lives of its characters. This novel clearly depicts the closeness one feels towards one’s countrymen in a foreign land. It talks about the bonding that might be forced but is a necessity to survive in a home far from home.

A very well written story, the author manages to make you grimace at some of the descriptions of terror. It is however a book that leaves you sad in the end, because no matter how much you wish what you have read is not true; the reality is that there is nothing that can be changed now.

My favourite line- “Coincidence? Perhaps. Chance brings lives together in unexpected ways and breaks them apart with equal randomness”

My conclusion- A definite must read! Brilliant candid work!

One for the soul................

Life is like having a cup of coffee. You sit by the window, lift the cup, take a careless sip and find no sugar.
Too lazy to go for the sugar, you somehow manage with that sugarless cup. On finishing you discover undissolved sugar crystals settled at the bottom.
Thats how life is.
We do not make any efforts to value what is around or within us. So look around, may be the sweetness you are looking for is closer than you think.

One for everyday at work.........

Never argue with a stupid person. First they pull you down to their level and then beat you with experience.

One for belief......

Let your faith take the first step even if you don't see the entire staircase

One for Romance......

"If you love someone,you say it, you say it right then, out loud, or the moment just.....passes you by" ( My Best Friend's Wedding)

One for Life......

The most amazing songs ever......sweep me away everytime i hear them.

Thousand years- Sting

A thousand years, a thousand more,
A thousand times a million doors to eternity
I may have lived a thousand lives, a thousand times
An endless turning stairway climbs
To a tower of souls
If it takes another thousand years, a thousand wars,
The towers rise to numberless floors in space
I could shed another million tears, a million breaths,
A million names but only one truth to face

A million roads, a million fears
A million suns, ten million years of uncertainty
I could speak a million lies, a million songs,
A million rights, a million wrongs in this balance of time
But if there was a single truth, a single light
A single thought, a singular touch of grace
Then following this single point , this single flame,
The single haunted memory of your face

I still love you
I still want you
A thousand times the mysteries unfold themselves
Like galaxies in my head

I may be numberless, I may be innocent
I may know many things, I may be ignorant
Or I could ride with kings and conquer many lands
Or win this world at cards and let it slip my hands
I could be cannon food, destroyed a thousand times
Reborn as fortunes child to judge anothers crimes
Or wear this pilgrims cloak, or be a common thief
Ive kept this single faith, I have but one belief

I still love you
I still want you
A thousand times the mysteries unfold themselves
Like galaxies in my head
On and on the mysteries unwind themselves
Eternities still unsaid
til you love me

*************************************************
Old friends- Simon and Garfunkel

Old friends, old friends,
Sat on their parkbench like bookends
A newspaper blown through the grass
Falls on the round toes
of the high shoes of the old friends

Old friends, winter companions, the old men
Lost in their overcoats, waiting for the sunset
The sounds of the city sifting through trees
Settle like dust on the shoulders of the old friends

Can you imagine us years from today,
Sharing a parkbench quietly
How terribly strange to be seventy

Old friends, memory brushes the same years,
Silently sharing the same fears

**************************************************

The Boxer- Simon and Garfunkel

I am just a poor boy and my storys seldom told
Ive squandered my resistance for a pocketful of mumbles, such are promises
All lies and jest, still the man hears what he wants to hear
And disregards the rest, hmmmm

When I left my home and my family, I was no more than a boy
In the company of strangers
In the quiet of the railway station, runnin scared
Laying low, seeking out the poorer quarters, where the ragged people go
Looking for the places only they would know

Li la li...

Asking only workmans wages, I come lookin for a job, but I get no offers
Just a comeon from the whores on 7th avenue
I do declare, there were times when I was so lonesome
I took some comfort there

Now the years are rolling by me, they are rockin even me
I am older than I once was, and younger than Ill be, thats not unusual
No it isnt strange, after changes upon changes, we are more or less the same
After changes we are more or less the same

Li la li...

And Im laying out my winter clothes, wishing I was gone, goin home
Where the new york city winters arent bleedin me, leadin me to go home

In the clearing stands a boxer, and a fighter by his trade
And he carries the reminders of every glove that laid him down or cut him
til he cried out in his anger and his shame
I am leaving, I am leaving, but the fighter still remains
Yes he still remains

Li la li...

*****************************************

Random musings………..

Whining about life is a constant time-pass
Having probably heard enough from me, one of my friends asked me to list out the three greatest worries of my life…….
The question left me stumped! Even after complaining so much, I couldn’t think of a single thing to say to him that would classify as a “worry” that wouldn’t subside after some point! Everything moves on and time heals, even if you refuse to believe it at first.
Future, life, relationships, work- all uncertainties in someway but nothing that you can actually control, fight or rebel with, then why do these things worry us in the first place?
Heartbreak, loss, pain, loneliness- it all eventually goes away doesn’t it?
Which one of us doesn’t go through the “can’t meet a deadline, boss sucks, work sucks even more, can’t define a personal life” routine at some point in our lives? Most of us live through it day in day out.
I have discovered after falling several times, that learning to laugh at your goofiness is an art. It sets you free. After some point letting it go is the best policy to adopt.
Things can only worry you if you let them worry you.

Saw Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix- what a terrible way to fit a marvelous book in a couple of hours of cinema. All effects, no soul movie. Leaves you cold.

Reading P G Wodehouse. The man really does leave you short of superlatives. I haven’t read a single book of his where I didn’t end up smiling. For me he shall always remain the best author ever.

Cooking is clearly God’s gift to a select few. The others should stop trying.

One of my closest friends recently got married. The youngest and the most spirited, and clearly the baby of the gang.
Fills my heart with joy when I see her so happy and full of love. Bless them. I still can’t believe we have grown up so much we are all ready to build our own nests. Wasn’t it yesterday that we bunked classes and caught the first day first show Shahrukh movie? When we spoke about clothes and cars and boys? Roadside chaat and saved up religiously to buy that glorious pair of jeans………..time flies doesn’t it?
Maybe, just maybe, marriage is not such a bad idea to think about in the future ;) till then I am born free……..

Over and out.

Writing after a longish time……..forgive the rust
Caught up in the mundane daily work :)

Ever wondered how radio has changed our lives?
I travel quiet a bit every morning and evening to work…….. Leave home when its dark and get back when its darker……
Some days are worse than the others…you just don’t want to wake up…..don’t want to leave the nice warm comforting environs of your blanket…..but you get up anyways……you curse the world……you curse the system…..you wish something…….anything……would just give you an excuse to stay back….be a kid…….then you sigh…..no divine intervention……no such luck……you wake up still mumbling how the world conspires against you and hates your sleep……
You move at a sluggish pace……slower if possible……
No matter how much you try……you still want to sleep!
You walk towards your stop……..you wait for your transport…..
You enter the cab……you feel like the grinch so you growl at the driver when he smiles and says hello……
You slothfully walk towards your seat……
The cab moves……
You think to yourself…..this isn’t so bad……maybe I can sleep now……you close your eyes…….
The driver switches on the radio at a volume that even the stone deaf would oppose……
Suddenly there is music everywhere!
You wake up with a start and if you could you would be willing to stab the driver……
You grumble again……mumble under your breath…..
You have no choice but to listen……
An annoyingly cheerful RJ telling you what’s happening in your city…..you begin to listen with a frown…..someone calls the station…….says he loves his wife, she means the world to him….wants to dedicate a romantic song to her……..in your head you smile……think “aaaaawwwwww”……a soulful number comes up……you don’t know when you start humming…..
You are now listening with all ears……..addicted…..
You listen to the ads……they fly past you……you listen absorbedly to the songs and wish…..oh so badly wish……that they play your song next………they do!……you feel joy…..you are now fully singing the song in your head……brings back memories……of people…..of situations……of some good times…….
Before the song ends….you don’t know it……but you are smiling…..a certain peace fills you……the world isn’t such a bad place after all huh?……the cab stops, the RJ is still telling you whats new in your city……work beckons……you are still humming…….you bid a bye to the driver....one lopsided grin deserves another....
You are ready for another day……..