Will It Make It To The List?

With movies like The Bucket List, Dasvidaniya and Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara doing the rounds for years, you will more often than not come across people listing out their personal Bucket Lists - on either one form of social networking or the other. Blogs to the effect of '10 things to do before you die' have been the in thing for a long while now.

I have always been inspired to publish my Bucket List... but have somehow not bothered to take out time for it. Maybe I am lazy, maybe I am not managing my time well enough, or maybe I am hesitating to publish my only item on the list that I would want to do before I die - 'To prepare my Bucket List' (and obviously live to see it materialize!) :P

I am not quite up to getting this list published as yet. I need some more nudging and pushing. I also need to spend some time and prioritize my wish list - just to make sure what I desire the most gets due attention before the cliched 'bucket' is kicked!

For the moment, I am listing out random thoughts that are screaming out loudly enough to ensure they make it to my coveted list. Maybe I can refer to this list later when I get down to preparing 'The List'.

Make My Trip

I wish to travel to every corner of India and if I am done with that, then possibly nearby countries and eventually the rest of the world. I want to meet people of all kinds, eat all kinds of vegetarian cuisine, experience all the must-do's and must-see's of all the places I visit, take loads of pictures (it's been ages since I had photo updates on FB :P) etc. Basically this one's about realizing the freedom of being able to experience everyone and everything that has been created around me.

Chit Chaat

Another of my wishes is to satiate my appetite for Indian chaats, leaving no plate unturned :P. From all the details I have collected so far Indore's street food and chaats seem to top the list. So for the moment the plan is to travel down to Indore for a day long chaat experience and catch the last train back home :)

Are the Roads Ready for Me???
This has been a long pending wish. I wish to play Roadrash... real time!!! Several strings attached though. I should be allowed to drive as I please on roads and terrains of my choice. I should be allowed to switch between a whole array of automobiles that should be available at my disposal. I should be allowed to drive and ride at speeds of my choice. I should not be held responsible for all the bloodshed I cause en-route. I should be allowed to choose the people who would trespass my route so that I enjoy the bloodshed I cause (I barely knew I had a 'wicked me' hidden within :P) !!!

Trucking Along

This one's a more sober wish if pitted against my Realtime Roadrash wish above. I wish to drive a huge truck on an empty road. The truck must be fully loaded with goods to make the drive a tough and slow one. I don't know why I fancy this idea but I want to do it. Maybe I'll know why, when I do it eventually. I did forget though, to mention that the empty roads should have a couple of dhabas that dish out lip-smacking homely food. This will help me complete the whole truck driver experience :)

Winged Wish

This one is a rather simple and relatively achievable wish. I wish to fly a helicopter and am also OK with flying as a passenger. I'd rather leave the technicalities to more experienced hands to ensure I live to see my other wishes materialize :) I want to fly around places I visit by road otherwise and get a birds eye view of all those places. 

Super Powers

I so badly wish I am blessed with some superhuman powers to set right a few things and a lot of people around me. It hurts to feel helpless in daily situations where some 'strangely blessed' people get away with their ways. Whether it is a government servant not doing his duties, or a corrupt politician busy filling his coffers, or an educated idiot breaking traffic rules on the road, I wish not to feel helpless the next time I come across these kinds. I would like to have some superhero-like powers to be able to teach them a lesson. For starters, maybe, I should have the option of picking them up and hurling them onto some other planet... without a return ticket attached!!! 

Get Published

A very far-fetched wish this one. I would possibly surprise myself if this one materializes some day. But I still would like to fancy the idea of getting published in this lifetime. After all, 'Thoughts become Things'!!! :) I want people to purchase my paperbacks off bookstore shelves and I want to see my husband smile at them  with pride. He has been instrumental in getting me to dream big and get this one on to my wish list. Seeing him see me realize this wish means a lot to me, even more than getting published itself :)

Big Applause

Another crazy wish I have is to be able to get a stadium full of Indian cricket fans to cheer for me like they do for an India-Pakistan match. I am ready to practice a bit of cricket, try some rare shots like the Dhoni Helicopter or the Sehwag Uppercut or any other cricketing gimmick that will get the audience to roar in applause and cheer for me. I have no clue why I wished this one up, guess the self-obsessed narcissist in me got me to do it :)

I guess I am done for now. I think I should rather spend some time looking for brass lamps that I can rub out a Genie from. I am very sure it is going to take a Genie of sorts to get most of these wishes to materialize :)

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dil toh bachcha hai ji...

It has taken me over a month now to get over the fact that I am a year older all over again!!! I am one step closer to stepping out of my 20's and it is a somewhat weird feeling.

I am not of the vain variety who dreads growing old. I do not hear an 'aunty... aunty... aunty' echo when younger ones call me 'aunty'! I do not freak out when I see that odd silver strand on my head. Well, atleast I do not yell loud enough to let the neighbours know :)

Aging, according to many other like minded people, is a state of mind. And thankfully for me, I have managed to keep the child in me alive and kicking! There's a thin line between holding on to the kid in you and being kiddish and immature. I am guessing I haven't crossed the line. Maybe the grown-ups around me can answer that. :)

I was reminded today of all the fun things I did as a kid. Took this chance to list out some of them.

School
I miss everything about school. From classes to special classes, homework to handiwork, black shoes to white sneakers, uniforms to 'colour dress' days, Open Days to Annual Prize Distributions, Class I to Class X... I miss it all. I still remember how we had this freeze bell rule at school. Whenever it was time for class after a break, we would hear 2 bells. The first bell was called the freeze bell. It was like a game of statue. You stand still and do not move for a good 30 seconds or so. On hearing the second bell we were to line up and get to class. Funny and peculiar it may sound, but we did it day in and day out. So much that I miss it till date. Loads of memories from school time are flooding my mind now. I think I will save them all for another post.

Summer Vacations
You call it jealousy or you call it reminiscing old memories but I simply cannot stop envying all the school kids in my apartment. Their summer vacations are on... and they are in the best of spirits. This part of the year used to be the best in all my years at school. I loved making that day long train journey from Bombay to Madras for a 2 month vacation with my grandparents. I miss all those long warm summers that I spent with them and everything they did to make my vacation even more special. Love you thatha and paati!!!

Doordarshan
Satellite transmission and DTH services have taken the television by storm. Channels have run into triple digit figures. Reality shows are the order of the day with melodramatic serials not far behind. Kareena Kapoor can throw a tantrum about missing her favourite saas-bahu serial, only to see Saif recording it for her to watch later!!! Cut back to a few years ago (few is not an understatement... the kid in me adds :D). Doordarshan was our only source of entertainment on television. DD-I and DD-II were more than enough to keep us entertained. I miss all the TV shows I watched on Doordarshan as well as the movies that were telecast over the weekend. Nukkad, Wagle ki Duniya, Mungerilal ke Haseen Sapne, Jungle Book, Circus, Fauji, Byomkesh Bakshi, Tehkikaat, Mahabharata, Ramayana, Superhit Muqabla, Chitrahaar, Daawat, Udaan Surabhi, ... Oh I miss them all!!!

Bedtime@9.30p.m.
The Parent's Rule Book at our house clearly stated that we needed to get to bed by 9.30pm. That ensured we caught up on all the sleep our body needed. Over the years I have been wishing my family a good night's sleep later and later on the clock. I cannot remember when was the last time I went to sleep as early as 9.30pm. It is well past midnight by the time I retire for the day. Crazy lifestyles need a little order too. I have decided to consciously work on this. Early to bed and early to rise (the bigger challenge!!!) will surely make me healthy, wealthy and wise... on second thoughts let us make that - healthy, wealthy and wiser :)

Fancy Dress Competitions
I miss the many fancy dress shows I participated in. My mum looked forward to these more than me :). I remember getting dressed up as Baby Krishna once and as a Hawaian girl on another occasion. I won prizes for both :). We had these annual functions in our residential complex for Diwali and New Year's Eve. The whole process of deciding on what we're going to dress up as, preparing for it and going up on stage and enacting it out was a wonderful experience. I also participated in some group dances for some of these functions but somehow the Fancy Dress Competitions linger on in my mind. I will look up some of the pictures and hope to P.S. them to this post.

Kid Books
Tintin, Asterix and Obelix, Noddy, Chacha Chowdhary, Target, Tinkle, Champak, the complete Enid Blyton series, Secret Seven, Famous Five, Nancy Drew, Hardy Boys - I am sure all or most of these feature on your list of favourite childhood books. I used to eat, drink, walk, talk, yawn, sleep and breathe books. Somehow, over the years I have not been able to devote as much time to books. I still love reading all of these books. I actually enjoy it even more when I read them now. I remember bringing down the library shelves in our clubhouse to find the best of books. Since I could get only one of them issued per week I would hide my personal selection behind some books that were rarely ever touched by the others. This would ensure they remained there for the rest of the week :). The best part would be the glances others shot at me when they saw me climb up a chair to reach the top-most shelf. The glance would be followed by a feeling of awe and shame put together when they noticed that the top-most shelf stocked books as heavy as micro or macro economics, physics or nuclear research. They thought they needed to learn a few things from this whiz-kid called ME :)

Fun Games
There used to be a host of games we kids would play every evening. Played a lot of interesting outdoor games like Catch 'n Cook, Blind Man's Buff, Kho-kho, Lagori, hopscotch (Googled this out... we used to call it 'Tippar' or 'Tipri' :D), Kitty Kitty Coming, Chor Police, Saakhli, Langdi, Hide 'n Seek, GoooooooollllllddddddSssssppppppott (that's how we used to yell it out :D) and many more. It has been years and years since I have even made a mention of these games. I have not seen kids playing all of these in the last so many years. Let your kids be kids and let them come up with silly yet interesting games like these and give it a name of their choice. Urge them to use their PC games and TV videogames as stress busters when they are much older.

*******

Wow!!! This post has been such a refresher. It took me back down memory lane and brought back many pleasant memories... each with a smile on my face. There sure are a lot of other things that may come to my mind. Will share those on my blog space later.

My take on growing up would be - Grow up as you are doing anyways but remain a child at heart always. I love to pamper the kid in me. I try as much to do everything I loved doing as a kid. This post has only helped me strengthen my stand. The kid in me is happy! The kid in me is jumping with joy! The kid in me is waiting for more! The kid in me is nudging me to hum along... 'dil toh bachcha hai ji' :)

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Random Ramblings

THIS IS MY BLOG AND I STILL OWN IT!!!

Guess I needed that disclaimer given the fact that I have been in hiding for so long :).

My blog ranking on indiblogger got promoted to 43!!!! Yaay!!! All the more reason to write more and keep my space online alive.

I was not sure what to write about and that was when I realized that there are so many thoughts zipping through my head. I thought I could simply share them with you all... at the risk of rambling randomly :)

I have begun to love cooking and I enjoy learning and trying out new dishes once in a while. For all you novices like me, here's something you could refer to when you're left wondering how much sugar and how much spice :)

I have realized that aerobics is a fun way to lose weight. I have no doubts about the fun part, about the weight I will have to wait and see :)

I read in the news about how this psychic excise officer shot and killed a young girl and got killed by the police himself!!! Some people think the police should not have opened fire! I think it was better he paid the price for what he did. Otherwise this too would have ended up as long drawn legal battle that would go on endlessly till the girl's distraught family finally gives up.

I read somewhere that Raj Thackeray has been pulled up for calling VT... 'VT'. For me Victoria Terminus will always remain 'Victoria Terminus' and Bombay will always remain 'Bombay'. So I really do not see a problem with the way Raj Thackeray referred to it. They are having trouble remembering the names they have given. Doesn't irk me one bit!

There is a lot of talk and tweet about the Womens' Reservation Bill. I am confused whether I should celebrate because my clan has been empowered or whether I should worry about the probability that 33% of the Parliament could be filled up with remote controlled Rabri Devi clones!!!

The IPL is on in full swing. I know because that is the only thing that runs on TV at home and also because it has been a fortnight since I have even seen the TV remote and even more so because my husband pretends like he's paying attention to me... only when Akshay Kumar begins to laugh like he's been bitten by the Rahul Mahajan bug :D

Bangalore is getting hotter and hotter. Very unlikely they say. Grow more trees I say!

And on that note, I think I have a blog post ready to publish :). I hope to come back with something more concrete soon!!!

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The 2-minute Magic Spell

'Mummy bhook lagi hai' mumbled two little hungry kids... 'Bas do minute' said the mother... and quite rightly so in the midst of an exciting television ad jingle a yummy platter of noodles was ready in two minutes flat!!! Oh yes, I'm talking about everyone's favourite - Maggi Noodles!!!

If you're in your twenties or thirties and if you have not had Maggi... then you've probably just landed from some other planet. Maggi was and is my favourite kitchen rack item. It takes you just two minutes to decide to want to eat Maggi, then just about two minutes to get it ready and if you're really hungry... just another two minutes to slurp it down :)

Amit's ode to this favourite snack of mine prompted me to write this post. Apparently Maggi completes 25 years this year... 25 years of filling hungry tummies in the quickest possible time! It sure is quite something. I'm quite impressed by the different variations that the Maggi family has tried to offer over the years... somehow though the original Maggi Masala will always remain my favourite.

As kids, my sisters and me were even part of the Maggi Club. We used to get these fancy Maggi memorabilia, Maggi Club pin-up badges, loads of mailers from the Maggi Club etc. The mailers would be something that we waited for longingly... who else would be kind enough to mark letters to some less-than-10-year olds :) Maggi did!!! It connected with us right then... and the bond continues to last right through... up to now and am sure for a long way down the future. It is almost as if the 2-minute magic has cast a spell to last us a lifetime :)

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Generation Fast Forward!

The young and trendy like to be referred as Generation Next... but the generation that's catching up loud and clear is Generation Fast Forward - a generation branding that I've done for the kids of today, clearly much quicker in thought and action than most of us who'd want to call ourselves GenNext just coz it sounds cool.

My little niece, who's as little as one does so many things that we would have probably never imagined when we were that age. She does everything from humming a lullaby to put her doll to sleep to walking around so matter-of-factly with a mobile when someone calls. She even speaks in some kind of language that she understands so well and speaks with a 'you don't understand this??!!' attitude!

When we were kids, we were known to be sweet, cute and cuddly. Kids of today are not just all of that but are also smart, intelligent and quick!

Here's a conversation I heard at a bookstore between an affluent mom and her smart little kid, a young guy all of 7 years maybe:

Rich Affluent Mom (RAM): Come on son, we've picked up enough books for yourself.
Smart Little Kid (SLK): Yes mom, just for Rs.2000. We can add some more to it. Check out this one, its ONLY Rs.675/-
RAM: Don't you think its expensive, son!
SLK: It's really worth it, mom! I've read about it somewhere and it is really worth the price (economics pro in the making... I never knew to judge if things were worth their price at 7 years of age!!!)
RAM: Son..!!
SLK: Come on mom, be a sport! You could even pick a copy for yourself!!!

Now how mean was that! Just imagine your own kid not willing to 'share' his books with you. Imagine him/ her asking you to get yourself your own copy of music, books or whatever else. I'm sure the kid didn't mean to sound rude, he was just being practical and detached... Now whether that's a good sign or a bad sign or no sign at all... I'm really not sure. Somehow that conversation struck me... and in a way made me believe that Generation Fast Forward have ways of their own... ways that may shake you up at times.

I'm intimidated at times... sometimes amused!!!

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Mysore Mazaa(la)

I have been long waiting to blog about my holiday to Coorg/ Mysore in January. I've finally mangaged to get down to that

I was between jobs when I took this trip - that kind of took away the excitement of being away from work :)

Here's the Mysore half of the trip. The Coorg experience will follow in my next post.

Mysore - a clean and beautiful city that immediately charmed me. We spent a day and a half there but saw almost everything that Mysore personifies. Here are a few quickies on what I saw or did at Mysore:

The Mysore Zoo - This is the best zoo I have ever been to. It spreads over a vast area and is home to a whole lot of animal and bird species. I'm sure anyone would enjoy a trip to the Mysore zoo - irrespective of how old you are or how old you feel! The magnificent tall giraffes were our hot favourites. This was the first time I ever saw a giraffe for real - and not just one. There were four of them standing tall. I almost couldn't take our eyes off them :)

St. Philomena's Church - We made a quick trip to this church built in the honour of St. Philomena in the Diocese of Mysore. Brilliant architecture, beautiful stain glass interiors and a stoic silence inside the Church made the visit worth every minute spent there.

Brindavan Gardens - Sprawling gardens and the beautiful water fountains are simply soothing. Once it was dark the fountains glittered in various colours. The musical fountain was beatifully choreographed. It was a very relaxing experience at the garden. Superbly maintained.

Mysore Palace - Awesome interiors. Left me in complete envy :). I could almost imagine the Wodeyar clan walking around in the huge palace (effect of an overdose of Jodha Akbar maybe :P)

We saw other places like the beautiful Karanji Lake (including a pedal boat experience), the Chamundeshwari Temple, the magestic Nandi and the Cave Shiva temple on Chamundi Hills, and the Lalit Mahal Palace.

The other good part about Mysore were the yummy dosas. Never had such tasty crisp dosas before.

What impressed me most about the city was it's people. I found almost everyone around to be extremely courteous - including people like traffic policemen who are otherwise so rude and grumpy. Almost every one of them we interacted with were ready to help - with a smile on their face. Something that has gone amiss in our bigger faster cities.

I sure am going back to Mysore soon - for its people, clean wide roads and its yummy dosas :)

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Be an Alchemist

I had heard loads and loads about Paulo Coelho's 'The Alchemist'. One of the most common reason this book was recommended for reading was its extremely positive remarks about how it pays to remain in pursuit of your dreams - no matter how long it takes.

I happened to chance upon a copy of 'The Alchemist' at my aunt's place - picked it up for reading instantly.

I believe in omens and I am always on the lookout for them - in my own small way. Some of the dialogues between the shepherd boy and the people he encounters are so striking. I am not sure whether this book would have the same impact on everyone. I loved the book! Never felt so positive and charged up about my own dreams ever before. I am not sure if I am over-reacting; but somehow I can relate to almost everything that the shepherd boy goes through whilst pursuing the treasure of his life. I don't know... maybe this is an omen by itself!!! And I chose to believe that it is a good omen!

Coming back to the book; I think Paulo Coelho has drawn a brilliant parallel between human dreams and alchemy. Relentlessly trying till you're smiling about what you've achieved is common to both. The metaphor is striking and leaves an impression.

I've compiled some of my favourite lines from the book and what I feel about them. Here goes...

When you really want something, all the universe conspires in helping you achieve it.

This one's the best... has inspired many included our very own SRK in Om Shanti Om :P. I blindly trust my conspirators... whoever they are, wherever they are!

The world’s greatest lie: At a certain point in our lives we lose control of what’s happening to us and our lives become controlled by fate.

This one's for those who have stopped having faith in the earlier line :( We cannot let fate control our lives... it's just not right!

Most people see the world as a threatening place, and because they do, the world turns out indeed to be a threatening place.

Lesson for me... and maybe a couple of you too.

There is only one thing that makes a dream impossible to achieve: the fear of failure.

Another gyaan byte for us :)

Everyone seems to have a clear idea of how other people should lead their lives, but none about his or her own.

Especially true of all nosey uncles and aunts who somehow have an opinion about everything we do or want :P

If what one finds is made of pure matter, it will never spoil. If what you had found was only a moment of light, like the explosion of a star, you would find nothing on your return.

Beautiful simile!

It’s the possibility of having a dream come true that makes life interesting.

I agree totally... your dreams are your only true companion for life!

Never stop dreaming.

Believe me... it serves as enough motivation to keep on trying till you get there someday! Don't forget to keep the fingers crossed too :)

Every search begins with beginner’s luck. And every search ends with the victor’s being severely tested.

I don't mind... all's well that ends well.

Everyone on earth has a treasure that awaits him.

Makes me feel special! I'm waiting for mine.........

Wherever your heart is, there you will find your treasure.

Wow... Paulo Coelho even gave us a hint :)

If I really am a part of your dream, you will come back one day.

Some call it emossional atyachaar... some call it pyaar :)

“Even though I complain sometimes,” it (heart) said, “it’s because I’m the heart of a person, and people’s hearts are that way. People are afraid to pursue their most important dreams, because they feel that they don’t deserve them, or that they’ll be unable to achieve them. We, their hearts, become fearful just thinking of loved ones who go away forever, or of moments that could have been good but weren’t, or of treasures that might have been found but were forever hidden in the sands. Because, when these things happen, we suffer terribly.”

How true... we subject our poor li'l hearts through a whole lot of what not. I actually found this dialogue between the shepherd and his heart really really sweet - almost like an innocent kid giving an alibi! Let's stop being mean... let's be good to our hearts!

Life really is generous to those who pursue their destiny.

One more reason to keep going.

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Slamming Success

I'm not sure if I am a big enough tennis fan to blog about India's performance at the Australian Open... but I sure am proud enough to do that.

The year has started off on a good note for Indian tennis - what with Sania Mirza, Mahesh Bhupati and Yuki Bhambri sizzling on court and emerging winners.

For Bhupati this may be another feather on his Grand Slam cap. I'm sure this is just the beginning of feathers for Sania and Yuki.


Congratulations guys, you've made us proud!!!

I was reminded of my stint as an avid tennis follower (you thought I was going to write player?? :P) when I read this post by a friend. I remember how we used to have Graf vs Seles camps set up at home during Grand Slam tournaments. Somehow over the years the interest in the game has kind of dwindled. Guess the interest levels will only get higher now... and am glad that this time round we'll be rooting for Indians given the promising talent we have.

Now that we've slowly made it to the ranking sheets... it's only fititng that we raise the bar. I'm looking forward to some day when we'll have an all out Indian vs Indian Grand Slam final. What say?

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50 and running

2009 is probably yet another year with a lot in store for all of us. Our year-end posts will take care of summing that up :)

Among other things, 2009 marks the golden jubilee of 2 of my favorite comic characters - Asterix and Obelix!!! Just wanted to let them know how much I love them and the rest of the Gauls :)

I've read practically every one of the 33 titles and I doubt if I'll ever get bored of reading them up over and over again. The names of each of the Gauls - including the cute li'l Dogmatix - is something that always charms me.

The complete Asterix collection is definitely worth its space on your bookshelf - and mine too. Did I hear someone saying 2009 is good to go gifting??? :P

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Movie Time...

'List out your New Year Resolutions'... I have been telling myself to sit down and work this out for the last week or so. But somehow I have not managed to get myself to do it yet. Ordinary people find it difficult to live by their resolutions. Some like me find it tough to even sit down and get those resolutions on paper (make that blogger :P)! I wanted to do it over the weekend but I ended up watching two movies back to back.

Ghajini was the first. I loved it! Aamir is at his perfect best. Asin did a good job too. I was only left wondering why the movie was named after the villian... and why Ghajini! Also Aamir's character was supposed to be some super popular business tycoon. How come no one recognized him then when he played Sachin!!! Oops sorry... when it's movies... you're not supposed to 'think' and ask! That apart it was a fine movie. I've decided to watch the original Tamil version now. I love watching sequels, prequels, originals, 'inspired from' movies and then play 'spot the differences and similarities' :P

Alright then... next on the list was the recent Tamil hit Vaaranam Aayiram. I could not get beyond the interval. No no no... don't frame opinions about the movie! I could not get beyond the interval coz my PC went for a toss around that time. Oh by the way did I tell you... one of the resolutions I'm contemplating is to stop watching DVD rip offs? Oh by the way again, did I tell you... I was contemplating that for my list of resolutions for the year 2045?? :P

Alright, coming back to the first half of Vaaranam Aayiram... it's an awesome movie! Yes, even though I watched only part of it for me it seemed like a perfect complete movie. And I must tell you that my review is not biased by the first half alone... the 'I hate suspense' keeda in me made sure I find out what happens in the second half :P.

The casting and execution was brilliant. Sameera Reddy had the perfect combination of oomph and girlish innocence. Surya and Simran played their roles beautifully! Surya stole the show in all the three roles that he portrayed. The school boy look and the old man look were well crafted. About the awesome hero look that had me floored... I think it just comes naturally to the guy! :-)

The movie's a little emotional. It hurts when Sameera dies in the blast and Surya's left heartbroken. Apparently he gets over it in the second half... drugs, realization, an army stint and a poem that his mum recites... come to his rescue!!! Somehow made me think that every real life love story that's not meant to work out should end that way. A blast or an accident or something fatal would make it a lot easier for the lady. For the brave macho gentlemen... life will somehow move on!!! (Thank God we don't have a Aadmi Mukti Aandolan trend around :P)

If I have to wrap up this review... I'd just say that it's a must watch for the 'romantically challenged' :P

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Wish Wash

It's a New Year again!!

Time again to draft out 'Happy New Year' and 'Seasons Greetings' mails (the lazier lot have the mail forward option :P). For those of us who still believe in paper greetings it's time to go greeting card, envelope and stamp shopping. For those who eat, drink and breathe blogs it's time to adorn our online spaces with festive stuff and the ever popular list of resolutions (mine's coming up soon :P).

'Happy New Year! Have a great 2009 and may you have all that you wish for in the year ahead.'

Sounds familiar, doesn't it? You either just read or heard a wish like that or wished someone the same just a couple of minutes ago.

How much do these wishes really help? Will the coming year actually brighten up with a handful of 'live the moment' wishes? I'm suddenly not convinced.


I don't mean to sound like a pessimist on New Years... but wishing each other on New Years or for that matter any similar occasion seems more like a formal pleasantry to me.

Life brings in its share of ups and downs irrespective of the wishes we accumulate. Of course I buy the philosopher's argument that little things like these add value to life. But I'm still confused about how much we really mean it when we wish each other. Is the well-wisher's job over once he or she simply conveys the wish??

Why wait for an occasion is what I ask!!! Why wait for the calendar to run out of pages before you want to wish all and sundry in your address book? Why not keep in touch and exchange similar pleasantries more oftener?

I believe that a truckload of clock-worked wishes don't really help. It sounds more like a part of the whole orchestra that's playing its chorus. I'd rather have a gentle hum through the year, even if it is from one person or a small bunch of people. It's this hum that will keep me going... especially during my 'life's not fair' moments.

Happy New Year, nevertheless.

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Make way for the Competent Communicator!

This post is just a reflection of the one thought that's on my mind since afternoon today.

I completed the Competent Communicator series of the Toastmasters program today. And I'm so glad I have :)

CCTM, my home club, has brought me the best in more ways than one. I'm glad I've wrapped up at least one of the things that I took up here. I'll just work harder and keep my fingers crossed for getting the others to work!

The last of the 10 project series is one where you need to inspire your audience! I tried my best to inspire and move the audience. I'll post the script in my next post maybe, but for the moment I just wanted to brag a bit about my achievement of the day!

I am now Priya S, CC!!! :)

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Another year slips by...

2008 is slipping away. Another 5 days to go. Each of you probably have your own way of bringing on the New Year. Some like to keep it simple. Some hit the dance floors. Some keep their pitchers full. Some seek blessings from the Gods above. And for some January 1st is just as ordinary as any other day on the calendar!!! In the end it all boils down to ushering in the New Year on a note that appeals to you the most.

For me, it's that time of the year when I take stock of all that happened to me and all that brought me a smile or a tear (usually works the plural way!!!).

Here are some of my bestest moments of 2008...

A little princess made her way into my family and all our hearts. My li'l niece , Harini, was born on the 13th of February 2008. She's a darling and is by far one of the best things that happened to me in this last one year. She's the reason I'm officially an 'aunty' :P... but she beautifully covers up for that with her smile and by doubling up as my punching bag :). That's a recent picture of hers alongside... post-processed and touched up by me... stuff I picked up from her dad.

Toastmasters happened to me in 2008. A special thank you to Swastika for introducing me to the Covansys Chennai Toastmasters Club (Covansys Chennai Toastmasters Chapter now... name changes I tell you :D). I am so glad I joined Toastmasters. Improving communication and leadership skills maybe its USP, but for me Toastmasters means a lot lot more... I met the most amazing bunch of people at CCTM and the times I've spent with them will always be cherished.

My short stint with Rebelz - a Chennai-based English theater group - for one of their shows. I know I didn't make as much of a contribution, but the few weeks that I spent with the Rebelz junta was by far the most fun weeks in my two years at Chennai. All the best guys for all your shows in the future.

My trip to Munich and the awesome experiences it brought along - the places, the people, the special moments by myself - was a perfect trip... away and yet not away!!! Given a chance I'd love to go back to Munich... quite a few incomplete moments to complete!!!

This was one year I spent watching a lot of movies. Some of the movies that left an impression - A Wednesday, The Bucket List, Fashion, The Pursuit of Happyness, Bridge to Terabithia (on someone's recommendation!)... and a few eye-sores like Yuvvraaj and Karzzz!!

iGoogle and Google Reader - my 'kill sleep at work' pills for the year :P News, views, interesting blogs... all of them RSSed in one window... read on endlessly!!! Guess that's made me more regular on my blog space too :)

Five of my really close couple friends got married in 2008. I felt just as happy for them as they probably felt themselves. I could not make it to any of the weddings in person and I still regret that... but I wish them all great lives ahead with a special mention on my blog :). Congratulations jodis... Ramya and Suman, Jay and Vrunda, Ojas and Shital, Sheetal and Sachin, Amrit and Rutvij.

That's about all that comes to mind for the moment. A lot of not-so-happening events also happened during the year but I've ranted a lot about all of that in my earlier posts.

The one thing I want to say before I wrap up this post... some things missed the list above coz they chose to stay incomplete in 2008. So be it. I choose to believe that they'll feature on my 'bestest moments of 2009' list... coz am not giving up on them!!!

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My list for Santa...

Christmas is just around the corner... and so are cakes, pastries, Christmas trees and Santa Claus :)

I did my schooling in an English Convent. Christmas was as much a part of my annual festival calendar as Diwali, Pongal or Ganesh Chaturthi.

Christmas at school meant singing Christmas carols, putting up plays on the life of Jesus (played the role of a shepherd in the manger where Christ was born - this is what happens when you're in an all-girls school :P), wearing coloured clothes to school on the last day before the Christmas holidays and secretly working out a Santa wish list :)


Somehow Santa Claus seems just as real as he is imaginary. Somehow I wish to believe he's packing his bags somewhere in the North Pole with stuff for me and all of you who believe in him.

Here's a sneak peek at my Santa wish list this year... in no particular order :)

• Return Tickets to Bombay... i'm missing my frens there like crazy!!!
  
• A yummy chocolate cake (like the one's Enid Blyton spoke of in her books) with zero calories... :P
• A super-natural power to go kill those who master-minded the Bombay terror attack and other acts of terror.
  
• A laptop of my choice... Dell's Studio 17 in Tangerine Orange is my choice for the moment :)
  
• More of Abhishek Bachchan on the silver screen... and less of Katrina Kaif :P
• Big time hits on my blog space... the new look better work ;)
  
• The power to dream or wish for things that are possible... it hurts when your dreams remain incomplete... :(
  
• On second thoughts Santa, please make that last one... the power to believe that incomplete dreams are only dreams that take longer to realize!
  
• Additions to my Lucknowi Chikan suit collection... i can already sense one of Santa's elves coming along with them:)
  
• A nice boss at the new job... i wonder if bosses feel just as weird when they're going to have a new subordinate!!!

Ten items on the list!!! I've been moderately good through the year :P... so Mr. Santa please start packing up my stuff right away :)

Merry Christmas all of you!!!

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