tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9530902882398574622023-08-04T21:05:19.622+05:30So Far So GoodCharuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15284409922527103904noreply@blogger.comBlogger16125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-953090288239857462.post-52405300500924018822010-06-14T00:17:00.003+05:302012-04-28T06:34:09.872+05:30The Invisible Bond<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<i>"Close your eyes. Fold your arms and bow down. Now say 'Oh Lord. Protect me'. And He will protect you Forever."</i> This was my first ever experience in Prayer. A simple act of obedience towards my Mother. An act of blind faith, without even knowing what Faith meant. They say it takes a miracle for one to start believing in Him. It took several miracles for me to affirm allegiance to Him. These weren't life changing incidents, but were miracles nonetheless. The fact is, what might be a miracle to me, might sound like an ordinary chain of events to someone else.<br />
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When a non-believer, I mistook the purpose of Prayer. Whenever I prayed, I felt God was being thrust upon me. I resented prayer to resist His thrust. Prayer didn't calm me. It agitated me, instead. I claimed that I had a lot of Faith in my own abilities and that I found it cowardly to reach out to external forces. The virility of youth, it had to be. I would cringe each time I heard someone chant a shloka, a pang of guilt running through me. The guilt of non-conformance.<br />
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Adversity can be quite the eye opener. You will be surprised to discover how much battering your mind/ heart can put up with. Dealing with a crisis and coming out of it unscathed is very rare. The scars of experience cannot but leave their mark on you. At the end of it, you could be strengthened/ hardened to such an extent that you cease to trust anyone, but yourself. Otherwise, you may be humbled to the point where you trust noone, but Him. Which one of these transformations you undergo, is not just a coincidental eventuality. It is the consequence of a conscious choice between two paths - One that gives you total control over the situation versus another, that requires you let go of the need to be in control.<br />
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I chose the latter. That will probably remain to be the best decision of my life.<br />
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Though this sounds like the easy way out, it isn't. Its hard to go beyond reason and leave everything to that imperceptible force that is called God. Even harder is, to do this without doubting the outcome. It happens often that we don't know what is best for ourselves. We tread a chosen path, assuming it is the right one. When once something goes slightly wrong, we look all around for the one who gave us wrong directions. Thus begins a malicious blame game and we forget about our journey itself. On the other hand, say we choose Him as our compass. We cannot possibly be misguided by our compass at any point. So, even if the road is rough for a while, the destination is in sight and we know we're on track. But the important thing is to know that your compass will always be right. No matter what.<br />
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The rewards of unflinching Faith are known to be abundant. Who am I to validate this? Nobody. Just another believer, like you. They say:<br />
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<i>Jo bhi tere darr aaya, jhukne jo sar aaya<b> </b> </i></div>
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<i>Mastiyan piye sabko jhoomta nazar aaya</i></div>
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<i>Pyaas leke aaya tha, dariya woh ghar laya</i></div>
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<i>Noor ki baarish mein bheegta sa tarr aaya</i></div>
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</div>Charuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15284409922527103904noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-953090288239857462.post-80288011708811813962010-03-01T22:22:00.002+05:302010-03-01T22:34:21.885+05:30Just Like ThatThis one's dedicated to my blog idea giving, gypsy friend Nishant Biswal. Popularly known as 'Bisi'. :) More than a year ago, he suggested to me that I should write about some of my favourite songs and the memory I associate with each of them. I really liked the idea. But somehow, I couldn't get myself to make this list, until today. Why today, you ask? Probably because, I've spent about 6 hours of the past 24, on YouTube. :) I've tried to list out some not too common songs and their videos here. Hopefully, you're seeing this video here after a long time. Gear up for some strong doses of nostalgia.<br />
<ul><li>The perfect start to my list. I "<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BMSDgNtBD8o"><i>Remember the Time</i></a>" when my Dad used to play this cassette on our car audio system. He used to be crazy about MJ. We (Ajay and I) didn't pay it too much attention at the time. But, we too got hooked when we watched the video on Channel V a few months later. It was akin to watching a mini-movie. The Pharoah and his Queen, MJ in his golden suit, his apparating and disapparating acts, the Egyptian break dance. These were scenes that were going to stay in memory forever. A classic video, this. RIP, Michael Jackson.</li>
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<ul></ul><ul><li><i>Khalnayak </i>was a cult movie of the 90s. Everyone's heard <i>Chholi ke Peecche</i> & <i>Khalnayak hun Main</i> a million times. Undoubtedly. But <i>Palki mein hoke</i> is my pick. Madhuri looking gorgeous as ever and Sanjay Dutt looking inebriated as usual. Need I mention Alka Yagnik's voice during these years when she peaked. Overall, nice song. The scene etched in memory about this song (and film) is the grand outing my family undertook to go watch this movie at Lido Cinemas (the old one). It was certainly easy for our parents to please us in those days. It didn't matter where we were going and what we were doing. All that mattered was we were going out. What would I not give to rewind to '93! Right now, I'm watching this video and having a hearty laugh at the tribals dancing! Ridiculous.</li>
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<ul><li>Fast forward to high school. Probably 9th standard. My friend, Rachana, was the one who introduced me to this song. I wonder if she even remembers. It was a time when we were all trying real hard to improve our knowledge about American Pop and Rock music. The era in which Britney Spears and Backstreet Boys were chart toppers. It was uber-cool to talk about such things, those days. For me, it was critical to sound cool because I was trying to catch the attention of a classmate on whom I had an enormous crush. No names. I'm still in touch with him and now my feelings towards him are neutral, tending towards cold. Its only today that I learnt that this song is actually a cover. You see, we didn't have YouTube or Wikipedia those days. There was only good old World Book Encyclopedia. :)</li>
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<ul><li> Enter ARR. I love this song. My Mom hates it. Thanks to me. Thanks to my singing it a million times as though I was Windows Media Player on Repeat. I think what annoyed her the most was when I used to try and mimic the interludes with my voice. :) I love the strings and the violin peices in it. Of course the lyrics too! Sadly, all those songs which I think I sing well are male solos. :(</li>
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<ul><li> I won't rant again about how much I like this actor. You're spared. Count your blessings. This one's a soulful song sung by the maverick actor himself from the movie <i>Anbe Sivam</i>. If you haven't watched the movie, I'm not sure the video will move you. But, if you undestand the tongue you're likely to appreciate the import of the lyrics. I remember being affected for a week or so after watching this movie for the first time. Some scenes in this movie are unforgettable. Probably the first movie that got me thinking.</li>
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<ul><li>The <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8xQOb51qZ-c"><i>City of Blinding Lights</i></a>. U2, of course. This surely doesn't count as an uncommon song. Sorry, if I disappointed you. I like most of U2's songs but this one somehow reminds me of college. This was one of the first few songs that I heard on my first ever MP3 player. I remember listening to it during my sporadic attempts at the early morning workout. If I knew Rock parlance well enough, I'd have been able to describe to you what exactly I like about this song. I like the guitar pieces in the interludes, basically. Now, if there's a term for that, I'd be more than glad to know what its called. :)</li>
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<ul><li> Have you watched this movie? A gem of a movie. A tiny, sparkling gem. It's for the movie itself that I put this song in here; no specific memory that I can recollect. This song effortlessly captures the essence of <i>Dor</i>. It shows you don't need to force the name of the movie into the lyrics to create the title song. I've always adored Gul Panag. She's as charming as can be in <i>Dor</i>. On the contrary, I hate Ayesha Takia in all her movies, <i>except this one</i>. In <i>Dor</i>, I think she outshines the rest of the cast. I can't imagine anybody else in her character as an innocent, raw widow. Thanks, Nagesh Kukunoor. And thanks Salim-Suleiman (I know, quite unbelievable!).</li>
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<ul><li> Haha this song reminds me of one evening in particular during grad school days. A stressful evening that continued into a feverish night! Also associated with the evening is my friend, Sethu. He played this song atleast 50 times that evening when we were racing against time to plot a million graphs to substantiate the working of our cache simulator project. It was madness. We were so engrossed in the graph plotting exercise that we didn't give a damn about switching to a different song. It must've played for four hours. Only when we submitted our projects at midnight, did we realize that we had listened to one, single song all the while. I'm sure Sethu remembers this evening as vividly as I do! :) I still don't know what they're trying to say/ do in this song though. Craziness.</li>
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<ul><li> If this list has Kamal Hassan and A R Rahman, then it had bloody well have Aamir Khan and Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy. Even if its one song to cover them both. What a song! Sets you free. Literally. Though this is the most recent song on the list, I don't remember when I first heard it. Must've been courtesy Akshay. I'm reminded of Akshay's resourceful external hard disk. :) If I ever get to learn to play a guitar, I would like to sing/ play this song, first thing. Someday. But you see my point? Again, male solo! :| </li>
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I hope y'all liked this compilation. I thoroughly enjoyed creating it. If I had it my way, I would've posted the MP3s with an embedded player or something. I'm not liking this dependence on YouTube that much. I wish I were savvy enough to spin some HTML magic. Let's see. That'll be my target for the next list. :)<br />
<ul></ul>Charuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15284409922527103904noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-953090288239857462.post-47846832777790139022010-02-27T01:20:00.001+05:302010-02-27T01:24:46.965+05:30Writing on the WallI officially hate Facebook. If I have become unfocussed, unproductive and useless over the last few months, Facebook is squarely to blame. Naturally, one cannot achieve anything remotely constructive if one is forever preoccupied with contemplating the implications of one's latest status message on FB. <i>Who'll be the first one to comment on it? Who'll like it? Will anyone like it at all? What if nobody comments on it? </i>Such are the thoughts that fog my mind for most part of the day, when I respond to the tempting question: <i>What's on your mind?</i>. And when I haven't put up anything of interest to others, there're a hundred posts by others I can choose from, to think about. <i>How can I sound witty? Should I even comment on his picture? Man, I can't believe 20 people like her photo! It's not even that great!</i> The list is long.<br />
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The architects of this social network are clearly very manipulative and innovative. While initially I thought that it was obtrusive to broadcast my exchanges with a long lost school friend to everybody in my network, now I know its a mind game. If you too went to school with me, then you probably know this friend of mine. And there you have it - an addition to your friends list, simply because you happened to spot our little dialogue. Sweet, isn't it!? And it doesn't end there. She'll now write on your wall, since you were nice enough to add her. And then, you'll reply. Some five posts later, I'll feel so left out that I'll butt in, hankering for some attention. And we'll keep up the spirit of sorority for as long as it lasts! And you'll hear the cheeky architects cheering "Mission <b>Create 3 Addicts</b> Accomplished".<br />
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If you were to ask me to pick a subject for research, don't be surprised if I say "A qualitative analysis of highly popular and influential Facebook users". I'm more than just intrigued by this particular subset of the community. My research would aim at highlighting the mechanisms and phenomena that lead to a high popularity quotient on Facebook. With the substantial amount of groundwork that I have already performed, I can tell you that parameters like the frequency of your profile picture changes, novelty of your status message, your ability to elicit responses to any comment that you make, not to forget the sheer number of hours you spend on the portal itself, are critical to your blossoming into Ms/ Mr. Popular. And no, it's not as hard as it sounds. I'd be glad to help you out. I'm quite good at this stuff.<br />
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Precisely the reason I hate Facebook. Because, I love it. I can't do without it. It adds purpose to my life. It's the reason I wake up every morning. (Wow, I can be pretty dramatic!) But seriously, my virtual persona is swiftly stealing attention from the real one. I don't care for returning people's calls as much as I care about responding to a friend request. And that's quite freaky if you ask me. Nothing you or I can do about it. It's not even like Global Warming, for which you can hold international debates to discuss cause and effect. The Facebook Juggernaut continues to wreak havoc. If Shakespeare were a contemporary, he would have gotten Hamlet to lament with the words, "Frivolity, thy name is Facebook."Charuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15284409922527103904noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-953090288239857462.post-59749026310172791452009-11-06T22:41:00.010+05:302009-12-31T15:30:44.968+05:30Judgement Day"Judgmental" has become quite a fashionable word of late. Tune in to a talk show on TV and the most common statement of defence is on the lines of "Well, you can choose to be judgmental about the whole issue, but the fact of the matter is... blah blah blah". Eavesdropping into a conversation about Obama winning the Nobel for peace, yields the same result. I admit, I've used it on several occasions myself. So many times, that I have come to question the negative connotation of the word itself. What is so bad in being judgmental after all? Nothing, really. As long as you're not biased, its ok to be judgmental. Just as I get into the mood and switch to my psychoanalyst avtaar, better sense prevails and calls for an abrupt change of topic.<br />
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On an average, I spend nine hours at my workplace everyday. Of this, I put in about six hours of productive work that counts towards progress. About an hour towards lunch and coffee breaks. And the rest of the time is dedicated to my "Watch, Listen and Enjoy" sessions. The first two factions of my day are quite mundane and any elaboration on them will put you to sleep. Let's not go there. However, what I must share with you is the experience of WLE. Here is what I do. I have a program or document opened up on my computer screen and I stare at it, seeming visibly attentive. Now that the stage is set, I let my mind wander. Not too far. Just far enough to observe and absorb the happenings and conversations among my neighbour colleagues. I'm careful enough to make sure that I click randomly on the screen, switching between tabs, scrolling up and down, lest someone suspects me for my unusual stillness. Honestly, this turns out to be the liveliest portion of my work day. Although my observations are based on what I notice around me, the fear of losing my job prevents me from giving you specific details. :) So what I'll let you peek into is a generalized taxonomy of the contemporary workplace.<br />
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First there's the quiet, shy guy. Asocial. Remains rooted to the seat from 9 to 6, oblivious to his surroundings. The only talking he does is during meetings, which is when you realize he's been working enough to put an industrious worker bee to shame. Quite the dedicated chap. Then there is the kind who can't work in silence. They love to let the whole world know what they're up to. One thank you mail from a higher up for having delivered a task promptly and they'll rave about it the entire week. Of course, they're cunning enough to avoid even the slightest of embarrassing incidents. Who isn't!?<br />
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But right across from there is probably the loudest, most obnoxious person in the office. He does everything, but work. Sitting at his seat, he pays his bills, discusses grades with his kid's teacher, chats up his ex-colleagues, trades on the stock market and despite that, cribs constantly about how much work there is to do. His cellphone ringtone is forever set to the highest volume possible. The worst part is that he does all this so unabashedly, completely disregarding basic work etiquette. It's hard to understand why companies tolerate such incompetence. But you know, this doesn't annoy me half as much as the next type. The ladies. The evil, conniving ladies. It seems like I possess a certain magnetism that strongly repels my female colleagues away from me. I would not be exaggerating if I said that they despise me. They make it a point to leave me out of their coterie. Not that I'm dying to be part of it. But, such things make a difference to me. I would rather <span style="font-style: italic;">choose</span> not to be part of it than be <span style="font-style: italic;">left out</span>! I'm amazed at how they have the cheek to look through me even when we come face to face. Of course, these women are not part of my generic classification. They thrive only in my current habitat. Hopefully.<br />
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Apart from these most prominent ones, there's the kind who itch to get up from their seat every five minutes, the cellphone whisperers, the Christmas trees who come decked up everyday and not to forget, the late-latifs who come in to work coolly at 12 noon blaming the early morning mist and mid morning traffic! A few months more, and the Carl Linnaeus in me is sure to discover many more of these classes.<br />
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And you tell me not to be judgmental! Come now. This is fun! :)Charuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15284409922527103904noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-953090288239857462.post-42736651880891295322009-09-18T21:13:00.011+05:302010-02-28T17:23:19.570+05:30For the love of my favourite NayaganHe's the typical Tam Brahm. Not too fair, not too dark. Not too tall, not too short. Impressively bright. Enviably talented. Extremely charming. Not to forget, reasonably sexy. Wow, that almost sounds like my dream guy! I'm now having a compelling temptation to alter the course of this article and call it "My Kinda Guy". Thankfully, will power prevails. Getting back to this guy. Actually, its hard to nonchalantly call him a "guy", considering he's as old as my Dad! :D As the whole of Tamil Nadu celebrates the 50th anniversary of Padmashri Kamal Hassan's foray into cinema, here's my miniscule contribution.<br />
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Paramakudi, in the district of Ramanathapuram (southern TN), takes pride in being the birthplace of KH (I respect the guy, but I can't repeatedly type his full name out). Its a different issue that KH left Paramakudi at the age of three, but he still talks in his interviews about this insignificant town from where he hails. At the age of five, he sparkled as an orphaned boy who ultimately unites with his parents, played by superstars of that age - Gemini Ganesan and Savitri - in <span style="font-style: italic;">KaLatthur KaNNamma</span>, his debut. And sparkle, he did! Imagine if you watched and re-watched Kuch Kuch Hota Hai for the sake of Sana Saeed (who plays Shahrukh's daughter), rather than for the chemistry between Shahrukh and Kajol. That's what you end up doing in this movie. KH is so endearing in his role, its hard to believe he's acting.<br />
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Cut to 12 years later and KH turned up as this wiry youth in many a random movie. I haven't watched any of these, so, no comments. But thank God, K Balachander didn't make the same mistake. He more than just noticed KH and hoisted him by giving him secondary and sometimes even tertiary roles. A loser in love, a struggling actor, a cynical ventriloquist and many other such. Its beautiful to see how he stands out in all of these roles, regardless of the overbearing cast surrounding him in most of these attempts. My personal recommendation among these - <span style="font-style: italic;">AvaL Oru Thodarkadhai</span>. Don't miss this one!<br />
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The 70's saw the rise of this promising star. As Chevalier Sivaji Ganesan's movies declined in their appeal, KH delivered hits, one bigger than the previous. And for competition, he had none other than Rajni. Especially interesting are the movies in which Kamal and Rajni are pitted against each other. <span style="font-style: italic;">16 Vayathinile</span> and <span style="font-style: italic;">ILamai Oonjal Aadukirathu</span> being the best examples of this. At this juncture, I cannot possibly omit mentioning the well known, widely discussed camaraderie that Rajni and KH share, to this day. Touch wood! Its so heartening to see the mutual admiration these two stars exhibit, notwithstanding the disparity in their genres.<br />
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Talking about camaraderie, I am reminded of another C word - Chemistry. Most people like romantic movies. They'll deny it, but its human nature to like romance. Sridevi and Kamal Hassan had something going in every scene that they enacted. Sparks fly and hearts flutter when you watch these two on screen. Sridevi's innocence silently luring the shrewd Kamal. A vicarious falling-in-love experience! And SPB and S Janaki's voices elevate this experience several levels higher! I particularly like the song "Sippi irukkudu" in <span style="font-style: italic;">Varumaiyin Niram Sivappu</span>. Watch it <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JiW8qxUrzZ8">here</a>!<br />
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A necessary requisite for a Tamil Hero to become a superstar is that he address socially relevant issues. MGR did it, Sivaji continued it and Rajni upheld it. KH did it too, but, at his own terms. In fact, he still does it and his most well remembered movies belong to this genre. From <span style="font-style: italic;">Unnal Mudiyum Thambi</span> (addressing alcohol addiction) to <span style="font-style: italic;">Nayagan</span> (heavy duty stuff!) to <span style="font-style: italic;">Hey Ram</span> (on Partition) followed by <span style="font-style: italic;">Anbe Sivam</span> (Be good, Do good) and then to <span style="font-style: italic;">Virumaandi</span> (on Capital Punishment, I think). Strong ideals, strong messages.<br />
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I would have to be beside myself to wrap up without talking about my most favourite thing about KH. According to me, KH is one of the finest comedians in the country. Make that world. Exquisite timing, impeccable dialogue delivery (in any dialect of Tamil there is) and brilliant body language. Add to this an undercurrent of intelligent humour disguised under an icing of senseless, chaotic comedy. If laughter is the best medicine, then KH's comedy is panacea. <span style="font-style: italic;">Simla Special</span> (where he plays a theatre artist), <span style="font-style: italic;">Michael Madana Kama Rajan</span> (quadruplets, separated at birth - and that's just the beginning of the confusion!), <span style="font-style: italic;">Panchatantram</span> (four becomes five) are a (very) few of my all time favourites. I just realized I should be owning all these on DVD!<br />
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And this, as the saying goes, is only the tip of the iceberg. I can go on and on about KH and what I know of his achievements. If you're looking for as much mental stimulation that reading a book gives you, pick one of his movies and watch them. I guarantee that you'll like him, love the movie and itch until you watch the next one. Oh except of course, <span style="font-style: italic;">Dasavatharam</span>. Why not? That would require a whole new article!Charuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15284409922527103904noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-953090288239857462.post-77933836021395207912009-07-22T22:12:00.006+05:302009-07-26T16:40:18.926+05:30Q: How abt dat? A: No ways!"<span style="font-style: italic;">hi sharanya! how u? hows evrythng..v shd meet smetime!</span>" read a post on my Facebook wall. I winced when I read this post, cursing my luck for knowing a person that wrote so "badly" and then cursing Facebook for broadcasting this enquiry on all my 200 friends' homepages. How they would poke fun at this post, and how they would think low of me, for having a friend that couldn't even frame a sentence without a spell check error. I do agree that Facebook is an informal platform and nobody expects you to follow all rules of spelling and grammar. But, I thoroughly detest this distortion of the English language. It is painful enough to read people's SMSes rife with grotesque short forms of already short words and now the laziness has infected qwerty users! It's hard to term it laziness even. How can one possibly feel lazy to type a "we" as against a "v"? It's not laziness. It's sheer disregard for the language and its norms.<br /><br />I have a psychological block against users of this notorious tongue. I get the feeling that these are people who are not confident in their language and use this as a mechanism to conceal their linguistic limitations. Honestly, I find it much harder to read a message that doesn't spell the words the way they are supposed to be! I find it confusing to miss letters in the words that I read. Ironically, the universal essence of communication (in any form) is to ensure that the recipient understands the message. Sigh. I hope I've convinced you to abstain from employing <span style="font-style: italic;">spelling cryptography</span>. Each time you're tempted to use it in the future, think of this post. Think of people like me who would cringe at the usage and deem it to be a sign of lack of sophistication, or worse still, lack of knowledge! If you must know, there are tons of us puritans out there. Now, who wouldn't like to put in a trifle of extra effort, if it means creating a good impression, right?<br /><br />Finally, a sincere request. Next time you want to say "anyway", say <span style="font-style: italic;">anyway</span>. Please don't say <span style="font-style: italic;">anyways</span>. Its even one less letter to type!Charuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15284409922527103904noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-953090288239857462.post-38995440197860059412009-06-30T20:27:00.005+05:302009-06-30T22:23:33.852+05:30Oops.. I did it again!Have you ever been in a situation where you were terribly embarrassed with yourself? Embarrassed that you could be as foolish as you seem to have demonstrated. The only saving grace being nobody noticed it and hence, nobody knew/ knows about it. Just this morning, I started reading a book - I will not state the name of the book, simply to spare myself of your mockery. The story has been narrated in first person and I had somehow taken it for granted that the author was male. Well ,these Americans can get funny with their names I tell you! I once met this guy at a house party who introduced himself as Axel. Call me stuck up or anything you want, but I don't think too much of the name!<div><br /></div><div>Coming back to this book, I sailed through the first two chapters of the book, building an opinion about the protagonist - a 5 year old kid, describing his relationship with his older brother and other playmates. All very cute. Somewhere in the middle of the third chapter, this older brother gets all sentimental and talks about always being there to protect his "little sister". I paused for a moment, trying to recollect any reference to a third sibling. When I could not, I was faced with the sudden realization that it had been a girl narrating this story all along. I could not believe myself. What a fundamental miscalculation this was. I felt silly, stupid and almost cheated!</div><div><br /></div><div>In my defence, the "girl's" name was hardly feminine. Neither was the author's! (Again, I don't wish to provide specific details) But that one moment, I blushed in the face and I remember slapping my forehead chidingly. Of course, I immediately looked around me to see if anyone had spotted my gesture. Thankfully, I was safe! :) It is only now that I find out that the author is indeed female and that, in her pen name, she has deceivingly left out her first name (which, incidentally, is glaringly feminine) and writes with her middle and surnames. </div><div><br /></div><div>Frankly, I often have such moments and I'm pretty sure I'm not alone in this matter. Why in fact, I have many more in the midst of company and everyone has a hearty laugh about my lapse! I am a good entertainer after all. Above all, a lesson well learnt. Before I start my next book, I'm going to pay some attention to the blurb along with doing some serious background check on the author!</div>Charuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15284409922527103904noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-953090288239857462.post-4509587785512684332009-06-02T14:45:00.004+05:302009-07-26T16:41:11.686+05:30Everyday Morning BluesIt feels good to be back. Back to watching endless TV. Back to waking up to the smell of coffee decoction. Back to being chided for the most unexpected of things. Back to the cliched "hustle and bustle". Back to a more familiar existence. Back to Bangalore. Back Home.<br /><br />I was reading the newspaper the other day, (Yes! One exercise I'm so glad to be back to doing!) as usual peeved by the almost pornographic front page of Bangalore Times. With their surveys that tell you how couples in Bangalore are "spicing their bedroom up" and pictures that irk your sense of decency, this is one newspaper a parent would shudder to find his kid reading! But the truth is, we still buy it, we still read it. At home, we ourselves have tried to switch to a different paper time and again. It simply doesn't work! Sadly, Indian Express, Deccan Herald or Hindu can't seem to cope with the variety and resourcefulness of the TOI and its supplement editions.<br /><br />Its a pity that we have to stare at half clad women every morning before we can get to the Speaking Tree. (A column that appears everyday on the Editorial page; its your dose of philosophy for the day) Its high time we got a newspaper that's a fun, clean read. Where I can solve a nice, stimulating word puzzle in the morning, read about the elections, read my horoscope prediction and also know what sale is on at Safina Plaza. If I want to know the latest in fashion trends, I should have to buy a fashion magazine. If I want to know who partied for whose birthday at the Windsor, then God save me!Charuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15284409922527103904noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-953090288239857462.post-26785214600402489012009-02-27T23:16:00.009+05:302009-03-14T12:00:37.542+05:30The Sound of MusicSince I've talked about my love for music in one of my previous posts, it wasn't going to be long before I wrote a post on the subject. So here goes. Of late, I am constantly reminded of my music student days. This thanks to my roommates who are equally interested in the same kind of music as me. We can spend hours on end singing, listening and exchanging "notes". :)<br /><br />As a seven year old, I was enrolled into a music class that my Mum had found out about after extensive consultation with the Maamis of our neighbourhood. Of course you know that a Maami refers to the quintessential Tam-Bram Aunty who is well informed about schools, music teachers, dance teachers, summer camps and what not! My teacher was a locally well known AIR artist who performed at <span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">kachcheris</span> (concerts) conducted around the city. But what nailed the choice for my Mum was that my teacher was the sister of a world famous violinist. Why look further! Like in any other art form, in music, lineage is of prime importance. Since my teacher was related to this hot shot violinist, it was guaranteed that the school of music that I would be trained under would be widely accepted and hence, I would turn out to be a good singer. Quite straightforward actually. They refer to this lineage as <span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">paaNi</span> in the Carnatic world.<br /><br />And so I obediently began attending music classes twice a week. The start was pretty good because my teacher certified that my voice was decent enough to be trained in the first place. Moreover, I was grasping stuff rather quickly. So all was well. The first few months were spent in familiarizing with the notes - <span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">swaras</span> as they are more technically called. Many a time I've been spanked for not singing in tune to the <span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">shruthi</span> (the pitch) or messing up the <span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">taaLa </span>(the tempo). I don't blame myself. Seven is not really an age to start mastering multitasking! Nevertheless, only after perfecting these fundamentals, did I progress to the next level where I was taught to sing "songs" - ones which had <span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">sahityam</span> (lyrics).<br /><br />It was probably around this time that I began to subconsciously hum to myself. I would walk back from music class, humming the tune that my teacher had just taught me. Gradually this escalated to a level where I began to hum any song that I might have heard on the TV or in a movie. The humming continues to this date. Only, it has gotten louder, much to the annoyance of the people within earshot!<br /><br />Five years into Carnatic music and I fell in love with it. And it was as though my voice approved of this love, for, it just transformed from its nasal, timid self to what it is in its present form - loud and mature. Naturally, my guru was the first one to sense this change. She capitalized on the metamorphosis and immediately got me to sign up for the state level junior music exam. After five months of rigorous practice and no ice cream, I gave the exam. Whats more, I did really well on it further cementing my bond with music. By now, I was the star singer of the family. Something I didn't really enjoy! Any function in the family, I would be asked to sing- my Mum egging me on to sing each time, and me glaring at her, vowing that I would not take this kind of embarrassment ever in the future. All in vain of course!<br /><br />Sadly enough, my dream run wasn't going to continue forever. Once in high school, I simply couldn't give music as much time as it deserved. It would sometimes be weeks between two consecutive practice sessions. It was terrible. Thankfully, my humming habit helped me stay in touch. While in the shower, I would practise one of the many <span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">kirtanams</span> (devotional compositions) that I had learned and try and improvise. :) It wasn't much. But it was just about enough to keep me going.<br /><br />It has been about 5 years since I discontinued music classes. But, I still believe that I am a student of music. Learning something from each song I hear. Even today, if I feel down and out, I sit in a corner of my room and practise. To me, this exercise is more liberating than any other. It elevates me to a state of complete satisfaction. There lies the true beauty of this art. Its an asset nobody can steal away from you. It is yours for posterity. Whether you decide to flaunt it to the world or you use it to better yourself, its yours!Charuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15284409922527103904noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-953090288239857462.post-2545287006856875842009-02-11T23:16:00.002+05:302009-02-12T01:36:21.532+05:30Caught in the WebUntil a few years ago, the first things I set my eyes on when I awoke in the morning were one of these - the poster on my wall that cried "NEVER GIVE UP", the tumbler of coffee that my Mom threateningly left on my study table saying "This is the last time I'm heating this coffee for you! You better get out of bed!", the clear blue sky outside my window (In India I lived on the 6th floor of our building, so there wasn't much to obstruct the view of the lovely sky) and sometimes if I woke up really really late (read 10 AM or later) then I was most definitely woken up by our maid servant sweeping the floor of my room. Ah, those were the days!<br /><br />Nowadays, I invariably wake up to one sight - the desktop background on my laptop! In fact, my laptop is closer to my bed than my cellphone, or even my spectacles! Subconsciously, the first thing I do when my eyes open up in the morning is to boot my laptop up, login to Gmail hoping to see some unread messages in my inbox. :) This is followed by some other inboxes, facebook, the news, some music and back to more facebook snooping before I can actually drag myself away from my computer!<br /><br />Its funny how much all of us are dependent on the internet. This other day, one of my friends missed a call on his cellphone from a number he didn't recognize. This friend I talk about is quite a slave of the internet. So, instead of calling the number back, he "Googled" out the number! Turned out that the number was one of those promo offer numbers from the service provider and in fact, there was a forum online that had discussed how annoying the calls from that number were! Man! Gone are the days when you used a 1000 something page telephone directory to painstakingly find the number of the local restaurant so you could reserve a dinner table for your big, fat family on a Saturday night. Now you just google out the restaurant and what's more, some of them allow you to check the menu online, so you can order over the phone itself!<br /><br />Two years ago, when I first came to the US, I never took the internet seriously. I would check my email once in a day. My instant messaging stints were limited to 5-6 line conversations. I didn't know the first thing about ordering stuff online. A big jerk came when I learned that most of my courses' study material was online. That was then. Now, I check my email every <span style="font-weight: bold;">five</span> <span style="font-weight: bold;">minutes</span>. I chat with my friends incessantly about the most trivial subjects. I've ordered everything from airline tickets to backpacks online. And for the most embarrassing part - I borrowed five books from the library last month in an effort to do some self studying. Ironically, I've been doing all my self study from online resources while those books gather dust in my living room! And if you think this is a lot, I know of people who take music classes over Skype. Beat that! :)<br /><br />But I wonder where all this is taking us. How much more virtual can we get? I do have an idea in that direction actually! It occurred to me the other day when I was video chatting with my Mum while cooking. I wished I could communicate to her the aroma that was emanating from the food that I was cooking! That was the only thing that was lacking in that whole conversation. My Mom could see what I was cooking, she could hear the crackling and spluttering of oil. Hopefully, there will soon be a day when she can smell it too! Atleast then she'll believe that I'm a decent cook. :)Charuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15284409922527103904noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-953090288239857462.post-70997191609337281972009-01-29T03:41:00.006+05:302009-02-01T01:30:28.577+05:3025 Random ThingsTurns out I'm not that good a writer after all. I ran out of ideas to write and then when I did get some, I just got plain lazy. This post is actually thanks to Gowri. She tagged me in one of her notes in Facebook where she wrote 25 random things about herself. This inspired me to do the same! Except its not on Facebook and I haven't tagged anyone on it. I hope I haven't drawn too much from her note :)<br /><br />Here goes:<br /><ol><li>I've never felt bad about being short. This despite being mocked at almost all the time by my "tall" friends.</li><li>I love the smell of wet earth - you know, when it just begins to rain. Whats more - I love to be out when its raining!</li><li>I'm extremely spiritual. Quite religious too. And these I inherit directly from my Mother.</li><li>Music feeds my soul. Trite as this sounds, its true. 100%. I find myself singing under my breath..ALL the time. In the shower, while checking my email, while cooking. Why, even as I write this gibberish.</li><li>I can listen to music all day. A good pair of plug-in earphones is vital for an enjoyable experience though.</li><li>I cannot dance. As much as I try to - I just cant get myself to jive to the beat!</li><li>I'm a good public speaker. But for the initial jitters, I carry myself well on stage.<br /></li><li>I'm terrible at handling money. I often lose track of my debts and loans. Thank god for Excel!</li><li>I can spend hours playing word games online. I'm addicted to them!</li><li>There are 3 things that I love to eat - chocolate, pulikaachal and snow :P</li><li>Talking about food, I hate to eat a meal all by myself. It throws me into depression!</li><li>There's one thing I look forward to every year - my birthday. I usually have a personal 30 day countdown towards it :)</li><li> I've never had long hair. Each time I decide to grow it long, I get tired of it and get it chopped!</li><li>I'm a tentative learner - be it a sport or a technical concept, I'd like to take my own time.</li><li>It takes me some time to make friends. A really really long time to break off from them.</li><li>I cry very easily. Sensitive me!</li><li>I'm good at giving advice. Sometimes this makes me think I should have become a psychiatrist!<br /></li><li>I speak my mind all the time. There have been so many times that I've asked myself to shut up. For my own good.</li><li>On the contrary, I'm a soft hearted romantic on the inside. Few people know this side of mine.</li><li>I enjoy working out in the gym. Its another issue that I don't do it often! But when I do do it, it liberates me. :)</li><li>I cannot stand incompetence, hypocrisy and betrayal.<br /></li><li>I often skim through old pictures of family and friends. Verrry often actually. :P<br /></li><li>I have a firm belief in Karma. What goes around, comes around.</li><li>I work better on my own than in a team. But this is changing - slowly and steadily. :)<br /></li><li>Having written this, I'm beginning to like myself more! :D<br /></li></ol>Charuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15284409922527103904noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-953090288239857462.post-29197442570403597912008-12-04T05:28:00.004+05:302009-02-06T11:04:20.685+05:30My Visual DNA<div style="width: 335px; height: 277px; line-height: 1px;"><embed src="http://widgets.youniverse.com/personality_landscape.swf" flashvars="clickstream=82bdb7b01fb6cd3076ce7f5045b991df" allowscriptaccess="always" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="330" height="242"></embed><a href="http://www.youniverse.com/personality/feedback/82bdb7b01fb6cd3076ce7f5045b991df" style="margin: 0pt; padding: 0pt; float: left;"><img style="border: medium none ! important; margin: 0pt; padding: 0pt;" src="http://widgets.youniverse.com/readMyProfileLink.gif" alt="Youniverse Personality Test" width="147" border="0" height="35" /></a><a href="http://www.youniverse.com/personality/" style="margin: 0pt; padding: 0pt; float: left;"><img style="border: medium none ! important; margin: 0pt; padding: 0pt;" src="http://widgets.youniverse.com/youniverseLink.gif" alt="Youniverse Personality Test" width="183" border="0" height="35" /></a></div><br /><br />I found this on a friend's blog. Its good fun! :)Charuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15284409922527103904noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-953090288239857462.post-89080622589698578722008-11-27T09:03:00.006+05:302008-11-27T10:31:19.634+05:30A Wish, A PrayerIts quite ironic that I wrote about Bombay just three days ago in my previous post. What's more ironic is that I watched this movie - "A Wednesday" also during the last few days. The ever resilient city is in the midst of yet another terror crisis as the whole world watches. "Terror grips India's largest city" screams the headline of a news channel as many of my friends here in Raleigh pray for their families and friends back in Bombay. In India, people are still recovering from the shock that jolted them on a mundane Wednesday night. To all those whose families were shattered and blown away just to sate the mad ambition of a frustrated terrorist, We are all praying for you. We pray that God gives you the strength and courage to fight this day. The spirit of India weeps with you today as you mourn the loss of your loved ones.<br /><br />My heart goes out to all those officers and policemen who lost their lives today. We always talk about armed forces protecting our borders from infiltrators and miscreants. What a brave act it must have been on the part of these officers to rush to action to protect their city and its citizens. And to think these miscreants are breeding at an alarming rate among our very own people is quite distressing. No form of government or policing can prevent, let alone predict, an act of such vile intent.<br /><br />It is the eve of Thanksgiving in the US. A day when people count their blessings and express gratitude for whatever they have achieved in life. I'd like to thank God for the fact that my family and friends are safe today. But, my sincere wish is that there is some answer, some solution to all this violence around us.<br /><br />I hope this period for us is like a turbulence on an aircraft - one during which you do feel scared and fear for your safety, but at the back of your mind, you somehow know that the Captain is going to regain stability sooner or later. So, Captain if you're listening - our seatbelts are fastened tight and we're laying in wait for you to take charge!Charuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15284409922527103904noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-953090288239857462.post-85213847092188615862008-11-23T06:13:00.012+05:302009-09-27T08:17:30.513+05:30Around the WorldThere are some days that you are so bored that your mind and body refuse to do anything remotely productive. Today happens to be one such day in my life. I have many such days. And very frequently in fact. The only noteworthy thing I've done today is cook a splendid meal of Vegetarian Biryani to go with Onion Raitha. SLURRP! The meal in itself is partially why I'm feeling this lazy today. I have a project due in two days and God knows how I'm going to finish it at the rate that I'm going! Never Mind! Projects are always there! Killjoys!<br /><br />But these are the kind of days that I do the most bizarre things really. A couple of weeks ago, I was bogged down with so much work that I simply resigned and decided that I would take a break for an entire day. I remember making a list of all the airports that I've been to. Sheesh! I know! The fun part was that I got my friend to come up with his list, only to realize that I had one more on my list than him. :) Whoever coined the phrase "cheap thrills", was talking about this. :) Today, I'm making another list. Again, travel related. A list of all those cities I want to visit in the next ten years. Fingers Crossed! :) Here it is:<br /><br /><ul><li><span style="font-weight: bold;">Bombay : </span>Well this has been a costly miss. I have a close friend from Bombay and the way that he speaks about his city is enviable! It seems to be a real fun place to be. I want to go to Bombay, not only to visit the places of interest, but also to soak in the city's local flavour that has been the subject of many a book and movie. A local train ride is gonna be a "must-do" on my itinerary! :)</li></ul><ul><li><span style="font-weight: bold;">Calcutta</span> : I myself cannot believe I haven't visited Calcutta in all these years. Howrah Bridge, the Trams, witnessing our rich colonial heritage. (Of course I've had glimpses of it in Bangalore, but I've heard the effect has lingered on more in Calcutta). Two movies - Parineeta and Hey Ram -They've further enthused me to make a visit here. So, lets see how soon this happens. Assuming that I am able to stand the pungency of mustard oil and fish in one breath. Guess I'll have to make up for it with the Rosogullas and those eclectic sweets.<br /></li></ul><ul><li><span style="font-weight: bold;">London</span> : Who wouldn't want to see the Big Ben, Thames, Madame Tussauds, Lord's, Wimbledon, London Bridge, Westminster Abbey. More recently, I've read about the London Eye, one of the largest Ferris Wheels in the world. Wow! That would be one helluva ride wouldn't it! Somehow, I always associate London with Lady Diana. Probably because I admire her so much like most of us. Who can forget that touching funeral of hers where her brother made such a moving speech. It brought tears in my eyes, even as an eleven year old. Sigh! London it is!<br /></li></ul><ul><li><span style="font-weight: bold;">New York</span> : When I see pictures of my friends at Times Square, Wall Street and all those fancy places, I tell myself - Someday, I want to live in NY. But personally, I don't think I would enjoy living in a city that enormous. I tend to think I would feel lonely in NY. But how would I know unless I went there! Atleast once! :)</li></ul><ul><li><span style="font-weight: bold;">Hong Kong</span> : I have seen pictures of the Hong Kong skyline and its one of the most spectacular. I don't really know too much about the city, but I think Hong Kong will be a typical Asian city - Hot, Busy, Brimming with people and activity. Should be interesting to see how I manage food. Considering that snakes are not exactly my idea of a "delicacy". :P</li></ul><ul><li><span style="font-weight: bold;">Dubai</span> : Now this is one city I'm NOT going to miss. In fact, unlike the other cities on this list, I want to visit Dubai all by myself - ALONE. Why? Because I've had it with people asking me to hurry up while shopping. So, I'm going to visit Dubai during the shopping festival and SPLURGE! :D Oops, I forgot my Mum reads my blog! I guess I'll take just her along then :)</li></ul><ul><li><span style="font-weight: bold;">Paris</span> : Honestly, I am not the "Oh Paris is sooo romantic!" type. So, I've thrown in Paris here just for two things - The Eiffel Tower and The Louvre. I want to typically spend atleast three days exploring the Louvre itself. Much like one of those investigative travellers.The Dan Brown Effect indeed. :)<br /></li></ul><ul><li><span style="font-weight: bold;">Athens</span> : Ah now this is a classic. After reading the Fountainhead, Ayn Rand makes one feel that the Parthenon is the bane of modern architecture since it is so often copied and reproduced. Nevertheless, I will make my decision after seeing it with my own eyes. :) Another reason I want to visit Athens is something from my childhood. My Dad visited Athens as a young bachelor just out of college. At the time, he was naturally impressed by the historical richness of the city. So, many of his "gyaan" sessions were about his experiences in the city. Moreover, Greek guys are hot! :)<br /></li></ul>BANG and we're back to reality! Now that I've made this long long list, I better start working towards it right?! Which essentially means : "Stop dreaming! Start working so you can "afford" such trips in the first place" :(<br /><br />Ok ok, its not that bad after all. Just another few years and I'll hopefully be halfway down with my list.<br />Thus begins one of many nerdy chapters in my life. The darn thing! I don't care. As long as the traveller in me lives on. :)Charuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15284409922527103904noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-953090288239857462.post-26135741229092326842008-11-07T23:04:00.020+05:302008-11-23T09:49:15.803+05:30Weekend MajaaI have always looked forward to and waited for weekends. Come Thursday and I start making weekend plans for myself. No, no, its not what you're thinking! I'm not a party animal by any standards (my friends will tell you that I'm one of the most boring people my age). But barring this one last year as a "poor graduate student", my weekends have been exactly what they're supposed to be - FUN!<br /><br />As a ten year old, my only agenda each weekend was a visit to Eloor lending library on Infantry Road to pick up the next batch of Famous Fives, Nancy Drews and Amar Chitra Kathas. The four of us - my parents, Ajay (my b(r)other) and I - used to leave home on Saturday afternoon after a heavy, typical South Indian meal and drive across town to Eloor. I vividly remember sitting in the passenger seat of our Maruti 800 having trivial fights with Ajay about keeping the window open or some such thing. All this while my parents would have discussions, sometimes heated, most times casual, about happenings or developments in the family. Gossip basically. :) My Dad's office was in the same complex as Eloor. So, for more reasons than one, he would encourage us to spend more time reading and picking up books while he caught up on that something he had left unfinished on the previous evening because my Mum had ordered him to leave office immediately. :D<br /><br />Once in high school, my plans were focussed more on things I could talk about with my friends when I went back to school on Monday morning. Peer pressure indeed! Sometimes we would go watch a movie at Galaxy Cinemas (Its a pity they shut Galaxy down. It was my favourite among all the cinemas in BLR). Chomping on corn puffs and swigging down a tall glass of Mirinda, I would meticulously form opinions about the actors, their costumes, the music and all those things that make or break a movie. Sometimes my cousins would accompany us on such movie outings and it used to be all the more fun then. After the movie there would be a long drawn debate about "Where do we go for dinner?". Most of the time my Dad had his way. Nevertheless, we enjoyed dinner and got back home cribbing that we had a whole week of school to deal with before the next weekend!<br /><br />Weekends during the four years of engineering were most hectic! We lazed around the whole week attending classes and writing "lab record" and hence had so much fun to catch up on over Saturday and Sunday! :) Another reason why it got as hectic was that now I had to deal with multiple outings - one with family and one or more with friends. Saturday evenings were spent entirely with my Mum. She and I used to go shopping in the most crowded of places picking up a lot of stuff each time, mostly for me. Clothes, shoes, bags, junk jewellery, books, music-you name it, we shopped for it! Alongside, I had a bunch of crazy friends from college who always made the most bizarre plans. Lunch here, movie there and then coffee at CCD somewhere else! Phew! I was mostly reluctant to join them in their escapades since it was likely to create a hole in my Dad's pocket eventually! :) But having said that, I'm not really hard to convince, especially in matters of fun. So I used to tag along after all.<br /><br />Each and every one of those weekends was thoroughly enjoyable! It was not as though I was toiling during the week so as to crave for them that much. Still, they got me to feel good about life in general :) It is the exact same feeling I'm getting as I wrap this post up. I hope to get back to that kind of a carefree weekend routine soon. And this time its going to be a totally new experience for me since I'm going to be away from home and family. I'm sure I'll figure out something to do! :)<br /><br />In the meanwhile, hope y'all have a great weekend!Charuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15284409922527103904noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-953090288239857462.post-19413951480896639312008-11-05T09:59:00.003+05:302008-11-09T23:02:27.382+05:30Happy DaysToday I watched Barack Obama win the 56th US Presidential Election. What a big relief it is to think that the reckless republican regime has been successfully quelled (well atleast for the next few years, when it really matters to us). More than anything else, America is a relieved nation today as she looks forward to Barack rescuing her from the abyss that she is in right now.<br />As an insignificant contributor to this mammoth economy I consider myself lucky to have the chance to live in the US at such a time. I look forward to witnessing the most exciting and dynamic four years in the recent history of this country. In the words of the president-elect, "Change has come to America". And with this, Happy Days are here again!Charuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15284409922527103904noreply@blogger.com7