Fashion

I am no expert on fashion. In fact, am so far from it that I am closer to the times of ...the garden of Eden! Ahem. Leetle beet exaggeration.

Anyway, since I know not so much about fashion (except a bit about the glamour dolls that are models and how they have to be ultra thin by not eating enough, gay designers, party scenes, etc.), I went for the film 'fashion' with a bunch of ladies whose common interests are aerobics and watching movies. A Hindi film and a Madhur Bhandarkar film, it stars Priyanka Chopra, Kangana Ranaut and some fairly cute / nice guys whose names I am not even going to pretend I know

The movie takes its time. Maybe the whole tone of the film is in keeping with the subject -- fashion, except that it is not so much about fashion as about models, but I'm sure the title FASHION sounds more glamourous than the word MODELS (Hmmm....says something, huh?). It's not boring if you have enough time to kill and are not the 'fidgety' types. The girls really acted well.

There are some puns on the fashion scene too like some 'Muahs' (kisses in the air) as is probably true of the Mumbai fashion scene. Drugs, 'mathlabi' relationships, real friendships, which by the way, are portrayed heartwarmingly...perhaps a little too heart warming. I seriously wonder if these kinds of friendships are true today especially in this industry. I am a great fan of the relationship that is friendship and so, I did believe it.

'Fashion' is about a girl (Priyanka Chopra), who goes to Mumbai to become a supermodel and has the looks, so carries it off and lands herself some plum roles with much of her charm being her innocence and the stars in her eyes. This charm bit is MY understanding! Once she reaches the top, she falls prey to the very things everybody is supposedly afraid of getting into. How she picks herself up is cool to watch. Kangana Ranaut plays another supermodel who too goes completely beserk at the top, but founders.

Their paths become entwined at some point and the story is actually very simple, but the performances all around are good, really.

Still, is it worth watching? Well, only if you are not looking for action -- and by action, I mean fights, songs, major romances etc.

I liked it.

Oh and the gay guys as portrayed in this film are really adorable. What a waste, I say! Actually almost all the male characters in 'Fashion' come across as wonderful people.

WHAT a wonderful world that would be!!;)

Aegan (Tamil film)

I don't think this film even deserves a review leave alone a detailed one.

What is the word for the opposite of substance?
That word would describe this film.

Of course if you like Ajit (the hero) you can manage to enjoy the film and even find him cute. For me, not only has he grown (nice little paunch and all), he has grown on me. I am not an Ajit fan though I do like to keep tabs on him!!

Liked him in this and it was quite interesting to see him attempt comedy of sorts. But then I had DECIDED to sit through the film even before I booked the tickets knowing well enough that it was not really worth watching.

Otherwise, I guess the director (Raju Sundaram I think) or whoever else in charge forgot that we moviegoers have brains. (Or, perhaps HE does not have any?) And the heroine Nayantara wears a bikini top for a blouse and she is a COLLEGE PROFESSOR??? Teaching the students whilst wearing that skimpy piece of underwear masquerading as a blouse? A Sigmund Freud moment, I think. They (director)could have allowed her to wear normal blouses to college and reserved the bikini ones for the dream sequences. (Hrrrumph)

Forgettable music. Think Yuvan Shankar Raja.

Most irritating of late is (especially in the film Seval which I noticed from a clip on TV) bad dubbing. The heroine especially is not Tamil, does not know Tamil and does not even lip synch properly. ARGH. drives me crazy. Slipshod for Rs. 120/-!

Coming back to Aegan, this film was more like a bad Hindi film than a bad Tamil one! By that I mean the silly comedy, ridiculous logic, etc. Besides, I seriously think that the days of the larger-than-life hero are numbered.

Thank God the popcorn was outstanding!

Scratching the itch

Don't get all excited. This is only about scratching of the head. It makes a statement. Well, probably any scratching makes a statement...forgot to have a bath?

Coming back to itchiness on the head, first of all, when my scalp itches, it is too close to my brain I suppose and so, the urge to scratch it is immense. Also, I cannot hide my head under a piece of clothing (like other unmentionable, itchy parts of the body) and in the guise of adjusting the cloth, furtively scratch away to glory. I cannot wait for the itch to go away since as I have already said, the brain's signal is very strong.

Moreover, any chance of NOT scratching an itch and instead making friction address the itch is non existent, unless I rub my head against the wall or worse, against another head (eeks). For instance, if I had an itch on my wrist, I could easily rub it against my clothed thigh or something, with the friction taking care of the itch. Perhaps embroidery and other embellishments on the cloth will enhance the 'frictioning'!

But the head? It stands out. And UP. So, no choice but to go up there.

What it signals to the other party could be any one of the following: -
1. I have dandruff
2. I have lice
3. I have a sweaty scalp
Heyyy. Don't judge. All this can happen to you too!
4. I want money
5. I want a favour
6. I am going crazy (very likely!)
6. I have not washed my hair in a while (at least a week) --heyyy. It does n't happen, OK?)
7. It's one of my bad habits. (Now, this we can believe -- quite like nose digging)
8. I am THINKING (... yeah, right!)

So, you see, head scratching is not just a simple action as it is too noticeable! And the reaction is almost always the same -- an Ugh expression followed by nervous observation. Even if you masked it, your eyes would show that you are on the look out.

Now, c'mon, it's not just me. I was being polite and going 'I, me, my itch'. I too give the masked ugh expression from time to time. Not that I am tolerant about other scatchings. Except maybe the back. I mean how can you help it if your back itches? (I bet you can help it by bathing regularly!)

This post is causing some amount of itchiness now, so I shall stop here with this sori story!

Gyan No. 5

Religious Fanatics -- Are they happily insane or insanely happy?

Uncomfy!

This whole class business makes me very uncomfortable. Should a person's money-status determine how high or low in class he is? Is that finally....IT?

Poor people supposedly form the lower class or worse, as some people put it -- 'Low class', then lower middle class (whazzat?), middle class (Ok, much mentioned and branded), upper middle class (you know those who are really middle class with a bit more money, but not enough money to get into the HIGH class bracket) and...high class (too much money and all that). Then there are probably kings and queens (the whole born-with-a-golden-spoon business)...

Have I missed any classes out?

Whew.

We must divide. Always. Religions, nations, colours, castes, races, communities, sub-communities even, languages, sexual preferences...and so on. (Please tell me there are n't any more).

What's with all the division?

Does n't 'United we stand, divided we fall' mean anything? Or is that only within the divisions?

Slam, wham, no thank you sir / mom / dad!

Yesterday afternoon, the lady who does the domestic chores at home did not show up for work. Today, when she came in, I asked her what happened. She said her husband was (a) drunk and (B) sitting outside his mother's house (with whom they don't even get along)

So, she had asked him why he was not at their own home. He simply got up and thrashed her so hard, she fell to the ground. Then, by-standers and her mother in law (!) intervened and the assault stopped.

This is not new in this world. Wife-beating (in most cases, it IS the wife who receives -- the weaker sex and all that) is supposed to be 'quite normal' and not restricted to certain sections of society.

What amazes me is the tolerance of the women at the receiving end and people around. How come there are no rage murders by the wife -- when she is assaulted, loses it and finishes her husband off for good? I am sure there are a few such cases but only a few. Amazing that there are so many many women out there who think it is ok to be hit. Even educated ones!

Of course, that brings us to the uncomfortable topic of violence in general.
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Anyways...sticking with the heading 'domestic violence', even whacking kids is domestic violence, right? But then how about the old saying ' spare the rod and spoil the child'? Does that mean that kids can be whacked now and then in order to discipline them? Is that OK?

Perhaps one of the first things we should be taught in school and the same reinforced in college, is that we should not hit anybody at all. Period. No raising of hand. I really don't remember having learned such a lesson, but perhaps it is much more relevant today with flying tempers, stressful lives, nuclear families and terribly intelligent and aware children?

Such a thin line between a whack and a wham. Such a thin line between irritation and rage. Such a thin line between sanity and insanity. And such a thin line between verbal assault and physical abuse.

Gyan No. 4

In today's world, nothing lasts...

Goofy Grin Vs Stupid Look

Goofy Grin:
At home yesterday, along comes a guy from the bank to pick up a cheque for deposit into my account. A seemingly boring and routine errand for him, and a necessary one for me. I open the door and am taken aback at the open smile he gives me. Now, I am aware that I don't react very well when I am taken aback. So, I tried smiling back in what I hoped was in a perfunctory way. I asked him his name, who sent him, etc. as part of an identification-check process that perhaps was not terribly necessary. Paranoia in full swing as usual!

Wonder of wonders, as he answered, he continued to smile and me, I have never been known to control my smiles, grins ...or indeed giggles and guffaws. I just grinned back. Quite disarming the chap was. But me, I was beginning to feel plain goofy and I knew I looked it. It was a meaningless smile, you know. And for NOTHING. But I could not help it. Amazing what a smile can do! I tried hard to finish the conversation as this mutual grinning was getting ridiculous or perhaps I had found a person quite as mad as I am! When I finally closed the door, I kicked myself (mentally of course, since physically kicking oneself needs a high degree of agility, am sure) for my goofy behaviour.

Now, this is not to be construed as flirting. It's just that I experienced SUCH an infectious smile after so long that I thought it worth blogging about!

Stupid Look:

The gym is a great place for stupid looks. Probably, this is unique to India? Hmmm. Whether I lose any weight or not, I manage to notice and experience weird things at the gym. Kind of keeps the interest and enthusiasm up! Furtive looks and sidelong glances are also quite common at the gym...and not just by ME, thank you very much.

The same day as the goofy grin, I went to gym and as I was working out, a guy I had never seen before finished his workout on the treadmill in front of me and turned and looked me straight in the eye. I have had quite a few strange experiences at the gym especially with the opposite sex so I was not about to honour him with one of my smiles, leave alone goofy grins. I just looked back and he looked quite expectant for a second -- like he thought I would smile. My earlier goofy grin flashed through my mind and I decided I could not afford to have my carefully maintained not-so-friendly 'gym image' ruptured and so, I quickly turned away. That split second in time just BEFORE a smile, has the face set into an expectant, curious expression which frankly looks less cool than it sounds. Quite stupid really. So, the stupid look. His, I mean.;)

A penny for my expressions, I say.

Sadly even I am not willing to spare the penny!;)

Two worlds and foodie thoughts.

The two worlds I refer to are food and fitness.

These two worlds go together IFF the food is healthy and by healthy, I mean low fat and perhaps taste-free! But my current experience of these two worlds under one roof happens as I try to 'frequent' a gym located in a posh office building with a Food Court almost adjacent to it. The options for food in that food court are by Planet Yumm and yum the choices certainly are...Noodle House (Chinese), KFC (Fried Chicken, basically), Palimar (Indian vegetarian), Qwiky's (coffee and snacks place), Sam's Kitchen (biryanis, etc.), Pathankot (Parathas), Pizza Corner and as a saving grace, Subway. I am not even sure if this is the right list nor am I sure whether there are more eateries inside the Food Court, because, I have not yet set foot in it! This is not to say I don't gaze longingly at it or kick myself for not throwing caution to the winds (as I am prone to doing often!) and just GET it out of my system, eating at this food court.

It's not as if I don't eat out. But, this proximity kills me what with the gym being situated right next door to the Food Court and all. Got me thinking I need to blog about it and feel less GRR.

Both these worlds are good. Here's what stares me in the face all the time...

1. Good facilities at the gym, good options at the Food Court.

2. You can buzz in and out of the gym anytime including during odd hours, you can do the same at the Food Court.

3. You can enjoy the ambience at the gym, and so also at the Food Court!

4. You can experience some of the best equipment at the gym, you can savour some of the best delicacies at the Food Court.

5. You can get aches and pains after visiting the gym, and so also after the Food Court.

6. You can pour out the stuff at the gym, you can pour in the stuff at the Food Court.

Oops.

6. You can burn calories at the gym and earn calories at the Fooc Court.

Ok, ok, it goes downhill from there I know. THIS is why I have steered clear of it. The thought of burning all those calories and then 'earning' them back a mere stone's throw away is too much for even me to bear. So, this is what I have decided...when I finally cave in to my deep, dark desire that haunts me during every gym visit, I will strut in to the Food Court, pack up some food and leave with it...Haaaaaaaaaaaaaaa. Yes, so THEN, when the calorie-earning begins, I will be far away from the gym and it will be like I have visited any other eatery. Hah.

It's a different matter that the end result will not change. Not relevant to this post, you see.

Until then, everyday, I think to myself...Soooo near and yet soooo far.

Bad moods

This ought to sum up the bad mood situation but I have more to say...as usual.

Poster 1:
"Nothing helps a bad mood like spreading it around".

Years ago, I picked up a poster with these wordings on it and really enjoyed it. Now, I realise how true it is. And not in a good way. The bad mood hits, you snap, perhaps you snap at the person who gave you the bad mood and then ...also at others who did not! Then those others get into their own bad moods and then, I guess they pass it on. Maybe after it reaches the 3rd or 4th person on the path, your own bad mood is quite on its way out. Kind of interesting and...can make you feel satisfied if only for a minute and then...you feel quite quite small. Regret takes over sooner or later. Sigggghh.
Personal pearls of wisdom??!

Poster 2:
"I might as well exercise. I am in a bad mood anyway."

This poster too I picked up many years ago. Quite funny I thought, since I was not into exercising at alll then. Now that I am far more aware of exercise and its wonders (Hrrrrrrrrrumph!), I am not as full of 'josh' about this clever poster. Still, for a lazy, the thought of getting off his or her butt and getting to exercise is probably enough for a bad mood to set in. The exertion and all that good stuff! BUT, I can definitely say that exercise does help a bad mood cos, after all that pounding (feet) and huffing (breath), there is not much energy left for a bad mood. No wonder, exercise is also a cure for depression.
Argh. Don't I sound preachy?! WEll, as long as it's common knowledge that I don't all the time practise what I preach;), I won't be made out to be a holier-than-thou character -- the type I sincerely dislike! On second thoughts, I suppose I am more the eviller-than-thou types...

Poster No. 3:
Oh and speaking of posters, there is one I love even today....the one where Garfield stands on a weighing machine and goes"Liar!" at it.

That is still so great! Unfortunately, the one thing that has changed about this poster is that I have finally realised that the weighing machine does not, in fact, lie. Sooo sad, no? Worse, it is also quite unforgiving. Crafty thing, really and a serious bad mood-causer!

More posters coming up...

My First Solo

One thing I will never tire of talking about is my romance with flying. I can't say I don't harbour hopes of ever flying again...but of course, right now, I don't have anything to do with flying except as an occasional passenger. Sigh.

One of 'those times' I will always cherish is when I learned to fly a small airplane. Cessna 172, single engine, propellor driven.

It was October 13th and a Friday...in 1995. Yesterday was October 13th and brought up this memory. But that October 13th was special. It was also Friday, the 13th! I knew it but did not want dwell on the horrors it bespoke*, because my flying instructor Joel Rogers finally said to me that day, "Ok, Su, I think you are ready for it." I was quite ready -- for the previous few hours of flying, I had felt an impatience. I directed this to my instructor (whom I quite respected -- read: was afraid of -- although we were almost the same age!) and fiinallly, he got the vibes / confidence.

So, he signed me off, wished me luck (looked nervous, he did). I was later told by a friend there at the flying school in West Virginia that he was certainly nervous as hell and even said once: "I can't look" and walked away. Well, in Charleston, WV, there were very few students at the flying school. And, I was the only foreign one and perhaps a bit more exotic than the average foreigner! (Naane sollikiren / even if I say so myself!)

As an Indian student, I was supposedly given the most 'stable and mature' of the 3 available instructors who were all in their early twenties and trying to make it as commercial pilots by building up flying time and experience by teaching flying.

So I jauntily walked up to the airplane. Took my time (as my paranoid, usual self) with the pre-flight inspection of the aircraft, perhaps slightly delaying the actual flying on purpose! Just some nerves and all, mind you. Finally, I taxied out, and took off down the runway.

Taking off is always easy, it's the landing that's tough! SO much like life, eh?;)

A first solo, I think, usually consists of the student pilot on his or her own handling the airplane and doing 3 takeoffs and landings, going around the airport to do so. Now, the airport I was training at was on top of two mountains. Two mountain tops were cut off and the area flattened, to make the airport and obviously, there were many up and down drafts of air that could buffet the small airplane about a bit etc. Yeah, baby, 'Almost heaven, West Virginia', indeed!Of course I was not THIS wise on my first solo and after the first take off, coming in to land, I started singing Dum Maro Dum, giggling feverishly. I still remember how idiotic I felt...and how exhilarated. My second take off was ok too, but during the landing, I was a bit 'off'.

The runway has lights that guide the airplanes but they also indicate whether the pilot is making his or her descent within safe and permissible limits. The easy-to-remember code for the two pairs of lights on either side of the runway was...
White over white = too high (need to descend faster / sharper)
Red over white = You are all right (maintain that descent and you will probably land OK and stay alive!)
Red over Red = You're dead. (nothing more needs to be said!)

So, on my second landing approach, I saw red over red. (This was probably when my instructor turned away feeling queasy!) Trying not to think about crashing into the mountain side and ending up dead, I increased power to get up higher and then landed sharper. My third take off and landing were perfect...as far as memory serves me!

It felt so good. It just did. It still does, I think. Unforgettable.

After all, what's life if not for memories?

*p.s. Have always wanted to use the word 'bespoke';)

Life's all about ultimatums

Ultimatums follow us from babyhood to 'deathhood'!

If you don't eat your food, you can't play with your favourite toy.
If you don't drink your milk, you cannot watch your favourite TV show.
If you don't finish your homework, you cannot chat with your friend over the phone.
If you don't come out of your room when guests come, you will not have a room.
If you don't study well and get good grades, you will not get that birthday present.
If you don't come back home by 10 pm, you are grounded for a month.
If you don't get a job soon, people will label you a loafer.
If you don't get married soon, people will label you a spinster / bachelor. (Now, why does 'bachelor' sound so much more cool than 'spinster?' Or is there a better word these days?)
If you don't have a baby soon, you have a problem.
If you don't admit your child into a 'good' school, you are a careless parent.
If you don't get your 'kids' married early, you are not a responsible parent.
If you don't babysit your grandchildren, you are not a good grandparent.

If you...
then you...

ARGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGH!
Where does it end?

Oh, and there are more...
If you don't exercise and diet, you may get some terrible disease.
If you drink and smoke, you will die young.

Now, don't even think that you can do good for the sake of doing good. Noooo. You have to do it so you are not perceived as BAD. Cool, no?

Observation: If you are given an ultimatum...the job will be done!

Inference1: Adi Odhai udhavaraa maadhiri annan thambi udhava maatanga. (Whacks and kicks help shape a person better than even your own siblings' support!(??)
Inference2: We are not just God fearing, we are MUCH fearing. Or are they branches of the same tree?
Inference 3: If you want someone to 'be good', you have to threaten him first...to BE good...or else.
Inference 4: Nobody is free from ultimatums...???

If I don't make another inference...



nothing will happen. Therefore, I will NOT make it.

Howzzzat?
Cheers!

What I REALLY wannabe and oughtabe...

1. Less paranoid
2. More happy
3. More funny
4. Less fussy
5. More loving
6. More patient
7. More physically active
8. More positive
9. Less fat -- eeks this comes everywhere and then...goes nowhere!!
10. More strong -- mentally and emotionally
11. Less snappy
12. More quiet
13. More caring
14. Less in-charge
15. More 'musical'
16. Less curious about vetti things!

Oh dear. This seems more difficult than my wannabe list!;)

DappanKoothu

This is what I call a real Tamil Nadu dance. This super dance style lays maximum emphasis on the beat. The best thing about dappan koothu is that it is informal. Anything goes and this gives the dance a sense of freedom that cannot be matched. (Ok, maybe 'disco dance' is also like that...but this is so very local-Tamizh).

One does not need formal training in dance to do a dappan koothu. In fact, perhaps formal training will not help for dancing dappan koothu, since you need to let go. You just need to get with it, feel the beat, groove and MOVE. The moves can range from very stiff to very loose. Cool, huh?

Ideally, the dancer's back will be straight, with head held high unless the step requires you to bend a bit. The impression is one of confidence and mock seriousness. Then come the funny steps which make the others laugh and stop their dappankoothu for a bit. Seriously, life does not get more fun than the uninhibited dappan koothu. 'Koothu' itself was (I think) derived from a sanskrit word meaning dance, but is also loosely used to describe a fun scene or incident with some amount of chaos in it. Dappan Koothu is for everyone -- those with grace and...those without.

Ideal film songs for Dappan Koothu of different types and moods (maybe available on youtube)...but hardly a comprehensive list:
1. Vaalameenu from the film Chithiram Pesudhadee
2. Jalsa pannungada from Chennai 600 028
3. Surangani from where I dunno (!)
4. Annatha aadurar from Aboorva sagodharargal (quite an orginal dappan koothu variety)
5. Appadi Podu from Gilli
6. Singari sarakku from Khakhi Chattai
7. Indadi Kappakazhange from Dhool (PUCCA dappan koothu beat)
8. Kathala Kannale from Anjadhey
9. Nakku Mukka from Kaadhalil Vizhundhen
10. Yennadi Muniyamma (remix version?) from Vaadhiyar -- stylish yennadi muniyamma

Some people look down at dappan koothu. They are the uptight la di da ones. Quite 'ignorable' folks, those, only fit for a cuppa and smooth, formal talk. Besides, who gives them right to look down at any folk dance?

The only thing is you have gotto be in the mooood for dappan koothu.

Dappan Koothu -- very very 'local' and very very good.

Wannabe

Quite idly only...

Not at all in order of priorities, I wannabe...

1. A music composer
2. A popular writer
3. A fabulous mother
4. A best friend
5. A pianist
6. A good entertainer
7. A good singer
8. An artist (woo hoo even I did not see this coming)
9. A model daughter (in law too;))
10. An aerobics instructor (in my cousin's words, BWAHAHAHAHA, I know)
11. A DJ
12. A pilot (finally, something you cannot laugh at!Yes, a PPL does count;)
13. Streetsmart
14.An excellent cook
15. A kind soul
16. A frequent holidayer;)
17. A strummer (guitar)
18. A modest know-it-all!
19. Less fat (very noncommittal)
20. A party animal...but only sometimes. Not as young these days, you see...

'BLEAH!' to the pseudostars, cos SAROJA does Kollywood proud!

SAROJA entertained me for three hours today. From the first scene, until the end. The movie refreshes Kollywood to say the least. Even though I am yet to watch 'Chennai 600 028', I did learn about this entertaining film from a friend (www.spotlightsu.blogspot.com) and when I got the opportunity to spend my Monday midday with Saroja, I just upped and went.

The film is mainly about friendship between four friends. It is also about other things -- a missing girl, another friendship, unrequited love, and so on, and everything is the main plot! Yes, plot it is. Even if you did anticipate somethings in the film, which is unlikely, it is a very well taken film.

Now, I don't usually do film reviews, nor can I call this one. But, I so enjoyed it that I felt it deserved a post on my blog.

I enjoyed it because...
1. I was watching a film after a long time (3 weeks to a month;))
2. It was unscheduled...
3. I expected it to be good (weird logic I know, but it worked for me)
4. The friendship portrayed between the four guys was wonderfully painted and so realistic...such as fighting with each other in a crisis, finally standing by each other, working together against odds, showing weaknesses openly, sharing 'two-aside' secrets, inviting a spouse's irritation by 'just being' , etc.
5. The fights seemed real, unlike in most films when the hero lifts a leg and sends the opponent flying through a glass wall, or he punches / gets punched fifty times and the fight still stays fresh with the fighters quite unscathed. Also, the fights did not have the hero (es) fighting gunmen with his/their bare hands, oblivious to lethal weapons. Oh and people got hurt even when you did not want them to...
6. The songs were pretty good and entertaining with one song showing Macarena-like steps, except it was just A step;) Cute and ...doable. Watch the film and go back and try the moves. Hoo hoo. and upload to youtube or at least pass it to me for MY entertainment.
7. Imagine, I was not even interested in my popcorn and cold coffee. The film was enjoyable enough. Now, that's a first!
8. The dream scenes were scarce, but when they appeared, they were as funny as they ought to be.
9. There were no idiotic duet songs with a couple dashing around or rolling around.
10. The pace was racy.
11. The actors all delivered. Except perhaps for Prakash Raj (who was average), whom the other actors with less experience, simply outshone!
12. Because of one of my favourite actors' presence -- Jayaram. Now, HE delivered.
13. THERE ARE NO SIX PACKS! Whew. Relief. These guys look real and act it.
14. The girls look their age and part. AND, they are attractive; even the siren is super good looking.
15. THE HUMOUR in it...and not always from the designated comedian (although it seemed there was one*), but from the entire cast.
* The guy (Premji) truly brought out the full meaning of the phrase 'comic relief' with not just witty, meaning-to-be-funny remarks...he was funny as a person, and never-endingly so.Definitely a must-have guy in any gang of friends!
16. Fairly good looking villains;) (Sampath, his cronies, etc.)
17. It actually made me long to be part of the cast!
18. The 4 guys -- SPB Charan, Shiva, Premji and Vaibhav were all believable and likeable characters and not because of their looks or screen presence but because of how well they were 'in character'.
19. The film made me laugh heartily, loudly, scream in frustration or fear, yell suggestions and egg the characters on...basically, I lost myself in it and reluctantly found myself again at the end;) Even the end credits were entertaining with not unusual clippings of funny takes.
and
20. The background score...scores. Yuvan Shankar Raja I think. Damn good.
21...Oh, dear! I wish could go on, but the rest will be the story, which I ought not to divulge and rob anyone of their enjoyment. I will just stop now and say...FINALLY, it's not a bad thing after all that Rajini and Kamal, the original Kollywood superstars are getting old....cos there are some super duper films being made and excellent performers being served up. As for the pseudostars, even if you pull up your socks and work at those six packs to make them five and a half or whatever (Sheesh!), or deliver more of those lame punchlines, you DO have some great guys to compete with, who don't even have THE so-called LOOKS to brag about. Well, pseudostars, 'BLEAH!' to you!

It's a Venkat Prabhu film, by the way.

Cheers!

Yours truly entertained,
Teesu.

Bear Hugs

A bear hug is the best kind of hug.

I don't think I want to be hugged by a bear in real life although a bear hug from a human (wonlee a human I be liking very much;)), is great. We Indians -- oh, ok, we South Indians, tend to underestimate the hug as a gesture and often get embarrassed by them -- regardless of whether we are looking at people hugging or experiencing a hug.

Hugs are great. A hug is a gesture of affection really, and nothing more, nothing less.

I am not referring to the kind of pseudo hugs that are followed by one or two 'Ummm...uahs', which are kisses blown in the air by smacking your lips. Typically, these Ummuahs go with: "Hi, darrrrling" or "Oh, hellllloo sweetheart" and so on. That would be drip drip drip, my pseudo ship.

No, I mean the kind of hug you may give / get when you are meeting and greeting somebody after a long time (at least a month) and you have really missed and / or are REALLY happy to see him or her. The hug should be tight, warm, whole hearted, platonic (thank you) and feel-good. Ahhhh, yes. Such a hug is almost like therapy, I say.

Anyway, so, sometimes we may be a bit shy to hug someone or are put off by the false hugs. But I don't let such hang ups stand in my way these days. I was taught the art of great hugging by a friend from college and must remain thankful to her forever:). Before that, hugs just made me uncomfortable and conscious of onlookers.

Now, I hug like ...a bear. I do pseudos too sometimes(!), but cannot bring myself to Ummmuah anyone;)

Pommanaati (Tamil word)

Pommanaati.

I am sure there is something seriously wrong with this word. I love my mother tongue Tamil or Thamizh to be precise, but this word I strongly object to. It means woman -- general, just 'woman', but I sure cringe every time I hear it.

It is the sound of it being pronounced that sounds ugh. Somehow, even though it just means woman, it sounds like an insult. 'Pombalai' sounds better although am sure it came from 'Penn Pillai' -- quite charming then.

I am sure there are more words I dislike but for now, it has to be just pommanaati.

Pee in my pants!

Umm no, don't get scared. This is not actually about the pee in my pants, nor is it about me peeing in my pants (well, maybe a little about that!), because that is another story, he he. No, stories -- plural.;)

What I want to say is that I miss the pee in my pants. Er no, I don't want to suffer from incontinence or any other such embarrassing health issue, nor do I want to be in a situation where I am so scared I pee...but I want to laugh so hard that a little pee will make its way out.

For a really satisfying laugh, something has to tickle you. For a really hearty laugh, the laugh has to last. I want both obviously.I honestly think it's been a long time. I do of course laugh from time to time but not quite that way.

Oh, and when such a laugh happens, it is most enjoyable if it comes on in the company of your best crazies -- friends or friendly relatives(!). During such a laugh, you will laugh so hard you cannot stop, with belly shaking, eyes watering, stomach aching, a lot of noise making, looking at each other and shaking your heads, which will keep triggering off more such bouts and then finally for the grand finale, some pee will escape and you will think "uh-oh, I have peed in my pants and I had better stop now...". This thought itself can make you laugh even more a;though you will now be guarded (more pee = wet spot and all that). Sadly then, like all good things, the laugh too will come to an end.

Now that it's been such a long time, I really won't care if I do laugh and the grand finale happens.

Right here...waiting for you

The song. 'Right Here Waiting For You' by Richard Marx, whose songs all seemed to me to sound sommmmewhat similar! Yet I chose that song for my hitherto one and only solo vocal performance. Oh, yeahhhh, those were the days when i roamed around the campus with my guitar in hand. Heavy stuff.

The guitar, I meant. Definitely not my perfomance.

I chose that song in my final year of school in the inter house competition (Western Music category) precisely because it was not challenging and I would not easily make a fool of myself. Now, I don't normally sing soppy stuff, but this was an easy song, I say! So I went up there on the stage and sang my heart out. Closed my eyes and all. Really FELT the moment of waiting for 'you'. Thankfully, when I opened my eyes, the audience was still around. In fact I got them woo-hoos and cheers. Oh well, after 14 years in the same school (Rosary Matric. Chennai), I had better have been at least that popular!;) Although, of course, it was my big group of friends and acquaintances who rooted for me.

SIGH. In spite of all that, I did not get the best vocalist prize -- even out of 4 measly singers. Sour Grapes Inc.

But I contributed to my position too. Not by singing badly -- er, not that I sing great but my friends did tell me I sang SOULFULLY and was very impressive -- AHEM. The truth was, because of a misguided goodness of the heart, I went about coaching another girl (my at-that-point VERY nervous and high strung junior and my namesake) competing in the same category on how to sing 'Nothing's Gonna Change My Love For You' and taught her to use her high-pitch moments beautifully. Stupid I was. I see it now. Only 16 years later.

Lost moment of glory.

Hmph.

Keep it on your head!

So many motorcyclists around me. They weave in and out, zig and zag, fast and aggressive or slow and wobbly. And so many of them have no helmets or worse, have their helmets attached to the handle at the rear of the seat. What is that about?Are these characters in so much of a hurry that they forget their heads? Literally, they can forget their heads. Ha , ha. Morons. I feel even those with no helmet in sight are ...well, as stupid and careless. They obviously don't care if they may at any point become brain dead -- well, then if that's the choice, HMPH.

Those who ride their bikes and hang their helmets around them -- oh please! I want to shriek at them, I want to intercept them, put my hazards on, get down and go and shake the twit's shoulders and yell into his face "WHY DO YOU HAVE YOUR HELMET BEHIND YOU IF YOU'RE NOT GOING TO WEAR IT?" Obviously, he has taken the pains to buy his fat head a helmet. What for, then?

Please one of you idiot bikers, have mercy on me and tell me what it's about. Is there some funda my small brain is not able to fathom?

Going crazy with this here.

And another great man or woman will say "I am only going a short distance so I do not need a helmet". Or, "Mine is only a scooty. It does not require a helmet". I salute you, dumb sirs and madams. Your logic is astounding.

Perhaps I really don't know better.

Oh and don't even get me started on all those who let their small kids hang out at various angles from their motorbikes.

That deserves another special post...later. I am all wrung out now.

Arrey, baba!

The gym I go to. Yes, it is a very good one with very good facilities. That's why i go there. Point made.

Now, I am no GREAT writer but I am usually with it when it comes to writing simple sentences. I corrected a badly written 'thought for the day' kind of thing on this gym's notice board, which is visible to all members as they work out.

The weirdly written thought for the day glared at me for ten minutes until I could bear it no longer and summoned the one who wrote it and requested her to correct it at least to SOME extent. The whole thing goes something like this -- i.e. the corrected version: -

"Try to be unique in life the way 'SALT' is -- Its absence makes things tasteless / useless"

Right. Slightly more relieved though still not 100% satisfied, I continued with my workout, which was the purpose of my going to a gym! (Yeah, yeah and not to vettily / joblessly edit stuff, but mind YOU, I did not stop huffing and puffing all through my suggestions.)

Then I saw another member -- a guy whom I shall now unfondly call Mr. Know-it-better-than-you (who was watching all this), call another gym-employee and make a further (SNORT) correction to the above. Below, please find the wronged version...(Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr)

"Try to be unique in life the way 'SALT' is -- Its absence make things useless / tasteless"

Yes, he removed the 's' so I now understand that 'SALT' is plural.
Soooper pa.

Arrre... arrey... arrrrrrrrey Baba. I really need to scream long and hard sometimes.

I still cannot bear it ("its absence make"...ARGHHHHHHHHH)...
You know these people can even have you doubting your own eenglees I say!With such confidence they go about wronging things!

Am sure tomorrow, I will wage a fresh war. Today, I managed to focus away from the damn notice board!

Is it just me?

Catty talk, but heartfelt;)

Oh God. This Kollywood place is full of them. Heroes, heroines, comedians, villains, monkeys, donkeys and more (last three are mostly wannabes). This post however, is only about heroes, not heroines -- heroines are quite a separate chapter. No, wait, I may mention them too.;)

Coming back to heroes and the sheer numbers out on the loose...

Agreed -- with all this knowledge and information explosion, more is 'in'. Gone are the days when a handful ruled the roost. MGR, Shivaji, Gemini, Muthuraaman, etc. followed by the nextgen Kamal, Rajini and more recently Suriya, Vikram, Vijay, Ajit...but does it stop there? We got Arya, Vishal, Simbu, Dhanush, Prasanna, etc. also on the scene and admittedly, doing quite well for themselves. Okay. BUT. but, but but.

There are also all kinds of new faces that honestly, I don't GET. Oh, how do they think they will make it as heroes? Beats me. Now, am not going to name those who just are not going to sell, because quite frankly, I don't even want to KNOW their names leave alone, remember them. Even some heroines...ugh.

Okay, I AM all for 'beauty lies in the eyes of the beholder' (um, kinda my point) and high self esteem, etc. Being a wannabe is also very important because what's life without some hopes and dreams? But there is a LOT of over-confidence and blind faith in one's saleability as a filmstar, and these are often but not always limited to, sons and daughters of the who's whos in the industry. Romba Dhayariyam (lot of courage) for some, I must say. But I call it Ashattu Dhayariyam (silly courage). And who suffers? People like me of course, who might chance upon such movies with such actors. Even if such characters ASPIRE to become film STARs, it can ruin the moment. (not my life, nope...always the silver lining!;))

Just reading about these characters bothers me...enough to write this post! At the very least, I would ask people interested in Kollywood adventures to gaze for LONG at themselves in the mirror and analyse what roles they would be best suited for, if any. Good looks alone are not enough although they are of course, necessary. If not GOOD, at least some arresting characteristic, please. And if nothing's there, how about some talent? Huh?

Analyse, analyse ...it's not just for your own sakes, please!

So, wannabes of Kollywood, I say, please rethink and get objective opinions before launching your mugs out there. There is only so much the world can tolerate.

Miaw.

Gyan No. 4

The real power is will power.

What's a good word? Pang!

The English language maybe a bit of a puzzle sometimes and maybe 'other' things as well. But there are some nice words that really give the real feeling of the meaning behind them. One such word is 'pang'. There is a certain ring to this word. "He felt a pang" is self explanatory. To a Tamilian it means the 'dwainnngk' sound. It may be a pang of hunger (insistent ringing of the stomach for food) or a pang of grief (a DWAINNNGK dramatic sound) or just a pang. This last one would be a strong whoosh of feeling-feeling (will take a true Chennai-local to get this) -- an emotional pang, that is.

That's why I like the word pang. It means what is says.

Serious Question (perhaps morbid too!)

Ok, so we all have to go one day. But where do we go? Heaven, hell, space... cyberspace? True, I am sadly ignorant since I don't read books on spirituality or LIFE or certainly not on life after death. Still, the question persists in my mind and I now insist on asking it. What happens after?

I asked a dear friend this question soon after my father died. Since this friend is definitely older (just a tad) and always seems wiser than most people I know, I remember I posed the question to him in utter grief and frustration: "But WHERE do they go? Can you tell me?" I vividly remember that his answer was equally helpless but deep. I say deep because....I dunno. It sounds deep, at least in this context. Shaking his head decisively he replied "I don't know. I just don't know." Clearly, most people don't know. Perhaps even the ones who die will not know. Hah. How weird is that thought?

I think we also on some level may not want to know because we then will invariably think of death itself and then spend some feverish and paranoid moments wondering how that fellow will greet us! Ugh. The 'how' puts me off it even right here and now.

Right. So, since I am too lazy to read any of those 'telling' books, if anyone knows, please feel free to enlighten me... perhaps as briefly as you can because lengthy explanations are the reason I don't wade through them books. I could not even finish The Monk who sold his Ferrari because of the long, rambling and seemingly similar stuff about some things that I just found blah. No offence to the book or its author because: (a) It is a bestseller (right?) and (b) I could also see on some other level, how it could be useful to one in a similar or close-to-similar situation. I personally own no expensive car leave alone a Ferrari (hmph.) for it to make a world of sense to me and bring that damn elusive halo closer to my fat head.

Ok...so back to my question: Twinkle twinkle little star, how I really do sometimes wonder what you are. Ok, ok, I know you must be a celestial body or something but... are you more than that???

P.S. Please do NOT teach this version of the rhyme to any child, thank you;)

Cheers!

Tag on Page 123 of a book

This tag came from my cuz. Bit of a 'homework piece' for me and not the random sort of bullshit I usually like to indulge in;) Hence, the delay. But am still obviously OK to do it quite cheerfully and so here I am. Also, was a wee bit 'embraced' about the book am presently reading so the reluctance. Then I decided...what the heck?
(And now as I REALLY read the rules herein below I realise that it is the NEAREST book. All this while I had thought it had to be the book I am currently reading. OHO. )

Now, for the Page 123 tag.These are the rules:
1. Pick up the nearest book.
2. Open to page 123.
3. Find the fifth sentence.
4. Post the next three sentences.
5. Tag five people, and acknowledge the person who tagged you.

Now, very revealingly, the nearest book to me all this while was the Gourmet Guide!! (Chennai's restaurant finder -- like I need one!) but then the book nearest me today right now is one MODERN Mills and Boon called The Billionaire Boss's Secretary Bride by Helen Brooks. It is rather boring (too much thinking on the part of the lovebirds and not enough conversation) though the theme was good since the usually skinny, svelte, slender and downright frail heroine has in this book been replaced by a curvy and rounded figure which although does not necessarily translate as 'fat but beautiful' (Ahem!), is still better than the 'I will huff and I will puff and I will blow this Mills and Boon heroine away' types;)

The necessary part from Page 123 for this tag is:
"She needed milky cocoa to help her sleep, she told herself firmly. And perhaps a couple of slices of buttered toast too. Her heart might be in shreds, she might be looking at an empty future devoid of husband and children and all the things she'd thought she'd have one day, but she was n't going to crumble into tiny pieces now or at any other time."

Now for tagging others. My cousin shyam tagged me and now I ain't gonna. Anyone wants to take this on, you can feel free. Cos am lazy to think of anybody now.:)

Oh and if I had gone with the Gourmet Guide, I would have landed on this supposedly snooty restaurant called Prego where a meal for 3 may cost Rs. 9000/- (hearsay) and this restaurant is located in the Taj Coromandel hotel in Chennai. The hotel's chinese is rather superb but that restaurant (Golden Dragon) is presently closed for renovation.

Cheers.

Ten Secrets

Ten secrets about me (copied idea from my dear cuz's blog).
1. When I was around 4 years old or just over, I developed a major crush on MGR after watching him relieve a lion of it's pain (thorn in the paw) in 'Vettaikaaran'. So much so that I wrote feverishly on the walls of my home ..."MGR MGR MGR MGR" punctuated by the odd "Latha" who used to be his then heroine.
2. I wanted to become a vet until I realised I would have to treat pigs and cows too. (I had seen a vet put his entire forearm into the womb of a cow to remove the placenta after the calf's birth -- at least I think that's what he was doing!)
3. I was my older sister's 'fan' until I turned a teenager. I am not sure if fan is the right word. She was my master!
4. I was mortally afraid of my father until I turned around ten or eleven even though he never ever beat me even once! I was just shit scared of him. My mother did a good job of "Appa kitta sollatuma?"(Shall I tell dad?)
5. I am still a bit scared of my mother! (Though it does n't look that way)
6. Although I always wanted to fly, once I started learning, I was actually quite scared of the whole thing. Only through sheer will power did I get through my PPL course. But was not scared after the intial hours in the sky.
7. I am horribly afraid of natural disasters -- earthquake, tsunami, volcano eruptions, storms and even rain! I am paranoid too!
8. I am afraid of the dark.
9. I have once lied blatantly to a policeman once and pulled a fast and smooth one on him. He stopped me in my car once on Mount Road after midnight and asked for my license. I knew I did n't have it with me in the car (though I had/have a valid one) but I said "Sure, sir, RIGHHHT here" and leaned over to the dashboard. I was so convincing and dramatic that he quickly waved me off without checking!
10. I once stole (I was 8)my classmate's ruler from her and NEVER gave it back. I felt bad later but still did n't own up. Later that same year, I also stole a fountain pen. When i later discovered my then best friend crying and hunting for her new pen, I panicked, dropped it down somewhere and then pretended to 'find it' and pounced on it and triumphantly handed it back to her. I never stole anything after that!

How are my secrets?;)

Gyan No. 3

It's food that makes the world go ROUND.

I....I...I...

May as well say am a copycat. Nyooo problemo.

I am: BASIIIIICCCAALLY nice;)

I think: too much about some things that don't deserve so much thinking.

I know: that my thinking is at least a bit impractical.

I want: to grow old looking and feeling GOOD.

I have: more body weight than I care to have.

I wish: I had more will power.

I miss: my childhood.

I fear: losing loved ones.

I feel: bad for the orphaned, old and lonely.

I smell: usually bad before a bath and good after.

I search: for misplaced bills mostly.

I wonder: who will read all this.

I regret: having regained much of the weight I lost.

I love: being in love.

I ache: in weird places at weird times...(eeks. too honest?;))

I care: too much about those who don't really matter sometimes.

I am not: a rule breaker.

I believe: in love, in music and in the fact that a healthy low fat diet combined with exercise is the ONLY good way to lose weight. (HMPH.)

I dance: a GREAT DEAL less than I want to.

I sing: these days better than I ever did before.

I cry : at movies very easily.

I don’t always : get my pedicures done.

I fight : sleep some days for no good reason.

I write: for deadlines that I have now come to dislike.

I win: when others lose to me.

I lose: quite easily, as history as shown.

I never: sleep at night without brushing my teeth.

I always: pray to God before I sleep.

I confuse: too easily for my liking.

I listen: to most people who want me to.

I can usually be found: if someone really wants to find me.

I am scared: of many things.

I need: a lot of love (high maintenance;)

I am happy about: my school and college life.

Gyan No. 2

Size Zero...HEY! Where did she go??!

Gyan No. 1

Life's short, yet we can't always make the most of it!

Lofty twits

I had some handycam back-up to be taken pronto and it took me three phone calls to be convinced that Konica Nungambakkam would do it for me in an hour just as they promised they would and I convinced myself of this through my various cross 'qosteens'. Cos I needed it done in a hurry.

Then, I had all these great photo-stands and all these great snaps that I wanted printed and fitted into some nice stands and frames. So, I took it along to Konica Nungambakkam together with my handycam. Now, this place is supposed to be good, and the 'ultimate' Konica in Chennai. Whatever.

The reticent lady there first fumbled with my handycam and looked disbelieveing when I told her it was a hard disk camcorder -(bet she did n't know much about it -- well, i did n't either but SHE ought to have) . She coolly told me :
1. that it would take 2 days to get the dvds from handycam done
2. that TWO of the 3 photo stands I gave to her to examine would fit only ONE photo in each slot although I repeatedly told her the design was such that one could slide two in -- front and back. She steadfastly refused to agree and insisted in her reticent way that only one would fit into each.

Now, do I have some sort of anti-people personality that puts many people into some sort of loop where they feel giving me wrong or incomplete information gives them a sense of satisfaction?

Anyway, the person I am now trying to become, I told her in no uncertain terms...
1. that she had BETTER get me my dvds that day since I had spoken to that office the previous day and they had given me their word that they would do it in one hour...so she reluctantly made a show of consulting colleagues and said it could be done in 5 hours. (something is better than nothing)
2. that i wanted double the number of photos than was suggested by her despite her 'expert' advice, 'just in case' my idea about the photo stands worked.

Well, I got my DVDs ok that day and my photo stands are now proudly sporting all the photos I got printed and more. The words imbecile and incompetent come to mind when I consider this woman. Sure, it is no earthshattering mistake, but it was indifference mingled with lazily misplaced over-confidence. Had it not been for my inherently innocent-turned-suspicious nature that most 'service' people today don't give a damn and that I better look after myself, I would have had to make 2 more trips for this small job.

Grrrrrr.

Make out list

Ok, another from my cuz www.shyamram.blogspot.com where she listed ten literary characters she would totally make out with, but with whom she won't because...you know. Now, I'm not as well-read as she is, and therefore cannot remember that many literary characters and so, I am going to change the rules slightly.

SO, mine will also be a list of 10-20(!) characters or actors;) , NOT whom I would 'totally make out with' (yedhukku vambu?) but er, those I was/am romantically or generally inclined towards, shall we say?: -
(Pssst! It means the same , does n't it?)
(Psssssst, cuz whom I copied from, forgive me, I know not what I do -- am going overboard as many literary characters went flying out of my head suddenly!)

1. Rhett Butler in Gone With The Wind. (oo la la anyday -- be he or be he not, Clark Gable)
2. Dick of Famous Five -- as a kid, was quite interested in this character with his humour and all that -- Julian was a bit of a bore. George of course was not a boy...SIGH;), Anne not an option.
3. Frank Hardy from the Hardy Boys -- again, WHEN I was a teenager, if you please. I think I liked his name and dark hair more than anything else.
3. Ned Nickerson, boyfriend of Nancy Drew -- Again during my early teens, and imaginary boyfriend-nabbing is/was no problem. Also, at the time, his surname did n't bug me as much;)
4. Cary Grant -- if I had been born at that time
5. Rock Hudson -- if he had n't turned out to be gay...and if I had been born around then
6. Karthik -- ONLY in Mouna raagam and Agninatshathiram
7. Kamal Haasan -- in Sathya and younger version in Nayagan and as Raju in Michael Madana Kama Rajan
8. Sirius Black -- Harry Potter's Godfather as described in the Books (not movies)
9. Severus Snape -- the supposedly mean ol' Professor in the Harry Potter Books, not films. As an adult, but after a good shampoo bath followed by conditioning of course.
10. Sylvester Stallone -- in Over The Top
11. Surya -- as police officer Anbuchelvan in Kaakha Kaakha
12. Vikram -- as police officer Aaruchaami in Samy
13. Vikram -- in Dhool
14. Sivaji Ganesan in his youth-o-youth, portraying ...some characters -- angry young man or stylish and suave 'eng' man!! (shocking, is n't it?)
15. George Clooney unless he is smaller made in real life
16. Michael Moretti -- the bad, powerful man in Sidney Sheldon's Rage of Angels
17. Rajinikant -- as the autodriver with the Don-past in Baasha
18. Laurie -- Little Women
19. Jeff Stevens -- the conman from If Tomorrow Comes
20. Superman!

Gosh if there's more, will add/replace. Not to mention many of the Mills and Boon heroes who have wasted my time...and still do!

Cheers!

Four-time movies

Young and impressionable days -- teenage is full of them. Much of my leisure time was spent with my gang of friends --chats, lunches, dinners, cuppas, sleepovers, spend-overs(!) and movies.

Movies we loved because
a) we loved the hero / heroine,
b) ONE of us loved the hero/heroine,
c) we or some of us loved the movie
d) we loved the experience of going to that movie together or simply
e) all of us loved everything about it.

I think the maximum number of times we have seen the same film on the big screen is 4. Four times! The films that enjoyed this ...er, privilege are: -

1) Mouna Ragam -- deserves a mention even if we did not catch it 4 times on the big screen (we were around 13 then and probably not allowed out all that much!) but together, we would have seen it at one of our homes at least 10-12 times. And a few of us knew the dialogues to the 20 minute Karthik's part of the film BY HEART! Boy was he fab then!

2) Jo Jeeta Wohi Sikander -- Aamir Khan, whom i did not much care for in QSQT -- uruchuvitta kozhi look (plucked chicken) and all that, as I was always after macho-er men in reel life. BUT in this film, he was...my GAAAD. The film was great, had this whole cute love story thing going as well as great songs -- one in particular that triggered off this post is 'Pehla Nashaa' , which is still a beautiful song. Then there was the 'schooly' competition (bicycle race) thrown in. Wonderful experience although am pretty sure 4 times were warranted only because it had one of those first time kissing scenes (aamir khan and pooja bedi) that gave us desperate housegirls;) a major kick.

3) Agni Natshathiram -- because of Karthik, t'was a great entertainer and also because 2-3 of us liked Karthik while one liked Prabhu and the rest liked the fact that we liked them...oh, the joblessness of teenage...mmmmm. (Nostalgia bout)

4) Gopuravaasalile -- Karthik again. Just for him (although he was already beginnning to lose it then; his hair as well as his charm). And for the songs. Otherwise, a very sidey film I must admit. But 4 times we did see it on the big screen ...and in quick succession. HOW did our parents allow us to do so? Beats me!

Can't think of anymore although I did see Cliffhanger (Sylvester Stallone) 4times in the theatre -- once or twice with friends, once with my mom(!)-- yeah, ANYTHING to drool at the SLYman then! --and once with some other unsuspecting friend;)

Am sure there are more on the list. Perhaps some friend from that movie-hungry gang who reads this can help me out.

Those were the days!

Cheers!

Ring Ring

One of those 'chargrining' things is when the phone rings just when...

You drop off to sleep in an 'anandhamaana' (blissful) way and then...ring ring
You postpone a trip to the loo because you were...just postponing it and then as soon as you hit the pot...ring ring
The door bell rings on one of those mad days when it just rings too often and then comes the phone simultaneously...ring ring
You are on your cell phone having a scintillating conversation with someone when your landline goes...ring ring
You are reading a fabulous book and are totally into it; it is that unputdownable stage of the story and then...ring ring
You are watching an interesting film and not in the mood for any conversation when...ring ring
You are enjoying the most wonderful hair (or body) massage ever and drifting into space when...ring ring

OK, ok, I have nothing great to post. But feel I must. So, this;)

Friends, please continue calling me, this is just a post!

Bad on me

It's in my head but not in my actions. So many one liners are lurking in my head, born from so many thoughts and experiences. Many are funny and usually, am on the throne when they come to me and I end up chuckling to myself, appreciating my own wit. But when I exit the loo, they have left my head.

It's in my head but not in print. I have so many little things I want to write about and they are roaming around in my head but I do not actually sit down and write them or type them out.

It's in my head -- all the things (mostly nice) that I want to say to people -- close pals or relatives and they are kept inside my head safe, since I do nothing about them.

It's in my head -- my imagination and creative ideas, because I am not implementing them.

It's in my head -- imaginary conversations that I should have had. (Conveniently blocking out whatever 'loser'-conversations I ended up having).

It's in my head that all this holding back and non-action is very wrong and a colossal waste...

The one good thing I have deduced from all this introspection is ...there is SOMEthing in my head. And it's working. Now for the rest of the body to follow suit.
Ahh. That's another matter altogether. Or is that the main matter?

How tough IS it??

When someone smiles at you, DO smile back. I mean how tough IS it? When my smile is greeted by a suspicious look, I can tell you, it is most annoying. It's not as if I smile all the time (idiotically, like some -- ahhh that's another post!) but there are situations when you can indeed, acknowledge another human being by smiling at him or her. Earlier, whenever my smile drew a blank, I would be highly embarrassed and try to act like my smile was not actually a smile, but more of a grimace. ..to myself. (Who wants to seem goofy?) These days, older, wiser and all that good stuff (self proclaiming), when I get THE LOOK in return for my smile, I can actually frown at the jerk and go quick from warm to frosty. Cannot help it. Art of survival...for smiles, anyway.

Most of us look fine enough when we smile, if not more attractive. I cannot think of a single person who would look ugly or horrible when he or she smiled. On the other hand, 'long' faces are a nightmare.

Unbelievable. One thing that human beings can do over the other beasts is smile and laugh . I mean can you imagine if you caught (say) a buffalo grinning at you? You would probably take to your heels thinking you saw Yama!

Oh, JUST smile now and then and be done with it...it is said to make people wonder what you are upto.

Those one-offs

Ever notice how chance buys end up being great buys? You shop and you shop, thinking you know what you want -- you may even have a list. Then, you see something that you kind of take a fancy to and voila, you have paid for it thinking that you don't REALLY need it. But then it turns out, that you REALLY do and it soon becomes a much-used item and eventually, something you treasure. For me, it has been a pair of earrings, a pair of trousers (for that great fit), a tray, a penstand or even underwear. (There's more on the list but my hotshot here-and-present memory only allows for these) It's that one-off buy that brings the greatest satisfaction despite not having got that coveted place on your to-buy list!

The downside to chance buys is that you cannot, often, repeat them. The thing becomes elusive -- usually, just after it has been established that it was a great buy. Try as you might, you may never be able to get your hands on quite that kind of similar item. No new ones for old ones on chance buys. It's the ONLY one. I have finally resigned myself to this (all good things must be tough to obtain more than once) and after one attempt to repeat, I move on to something else. I figure if the last great chance buy was a T shirt, this time, it might be...sommmething else...

One word

Copycat time -- from shyamram.blogspot.com

One word answers! Anyway, I love these 'about me' questions;)

If you get something out of a vending machine, it's most likely to be: Nothing (vending machines intimidate me)
A word you sometimes catch yourself misspelling: misspell
You least want people to see you as: Mean
You're a little scared of: Hospitals
The least attractive thing you do in your sleep: No idea...drool?;)
The number of contacts in your cell phone: Fifty+
How many of them are restaurants: 4
You lose your cool when someone: derides
When you go to the drugstore, you often can't leave without buying: something
Your dance moves can best be described as: safe
The majority of your underwear is: comfortable
Something you eat even though you hate how bad it is for you: chips
You think you're really not a great: guest
How much cash is in your wallet right now: Rs. 1000
The majority of your shoes are this color: Black
You don't think you'll ever be able to get rid of your: fears
If your breath is bad, it's most likely because you had: onions
You feel embarrassed when you: trip
The last public place where you used the restroom: aeroplane
Something you don't like to debate in mixed company: periods
You don't think you can pull off wearing: stilettos
Something you own entirely too much of: knickknacks
Someone you would love to see in concert who might bring down your street cred: MJ
The last thing that you spilled on yourself: Water
If you were on a reality show, the producers would likely portray/characterize you as the: Jester

Excuse me?

So, I met this older lady at some dinner at someone's house (don't ask me whose cos I cannot remember -- new acqaintances, part of some rotary club) maybe a couple of weeks or more ago. At the dinner party, we sat next to each other for at least a good twenty minutes and even were on the same team of three that played a very funny game.

Then, today at a wedding reception, I saw her again. Frankly, I did a spot of feverish thinking to place her and once I did, I went up to her and sai 'hi! Do you remember me? From that rotary dinner party?'

Vague smile at first turned to bewilderment and then recognition. This was sadly followed by a 'i must recover by blabbing' statement. She said to me" Oh, you were wearing another dress that day no? That's why you looked different then".

I agreed with her. Yes, I was INDEED wearing another dress. "Which dress.....????" she pondered to me. Yes, she actually did ask me this.
Really.
I said happily 'I have NO idea whatsoever'. I think she realised that I thought there was something quite wrong with her and her statements because she stood just one foot away from me for a full ten seconds (it seems longer during awkward pauses) looking ....silly.

(After such statements, am sorry to say, my saying 'silly' is quite polite).

Beaming I said 'ok, bye then'. Clearly, I was not gunning for a bosom-friendship with her in the near future. Ta ta.

Did she think i wore only one outfit to all parties? Was that the problem? The i-did-not recognise-you bit in a conversation should be breezy right? But here, it was the focus. And it was MY fault. For not wearing the same outfit and making it easy for her to recognise me.

Excuse me.

Poem from a long ago

I wrote this poem at work when I was a shipping executive and the stars in my eyes over a period of time merely became the lights from that colourless office which shone bright...
This job that i don't enjoy

The Dream:

Am in a job I thought I would like
And one that would appeal to my psyche.
I thought it would take me places literally and figuratively,
And would enhance my potential positively.
I thought I would do some extensive travel...
The mysteries of shipping I wuld unravel.
From Trainee to President I would rise
Albeit for the success I would pay the price!
Perhaps a few enemies I would make,
And a lot of stress in life i would have to take.

But in the end, I would make it to the top
And be someone to reckon with -- a true daughter of my Pop!

The Reality:

Am in a job that I now actually dislike
And that does some serious damage to my psche.
It has taken me absolutely nowehere
And has chased my high spirits away to...I don't know where!
It has led me to suffer severe stagnation,
And has begun to leave little hope of any salvation.
I have visited places only on a personal level;
More towards home and hobbies my mind has begun to swivel!
From Trainee to Officer I have progressed-
Though in my 'personal achievements' I have sadly regressed,
I am feeling very much a failure nowadays...
I may be hard on myself now ... maybe it is just a phase.
Few real friends have been made, some acquaintances gained-
Career-wise, dithering away uselessly -- about this, am pained.

Sure I could be making a mountain out of a molehill,
But that is because I have a lot of time here at work to kill!

Idle Thoughts

Idle Thought 1: Not that am going to have a tombstone, but I think I might want mine to read: "In hindsight..." It sums up my understanding of most things. All real knowledge about people, events, things, comes 'in hindsight'!

Idle Thought 2: The world would be a better place if we could spend every weekend with our favourite people doing what we like to do best whether it is eating, lazing, partying, chatting or playing games like pictionary...

Idle Thought 3: Giving advice for me is NOT like a piece of cake because I would not want to part with THAT, whereas advice...hey! Need any?:)

As you can see, present status: IDLE

Road-bummers

This morning at around 9.30 a.m., I met with around 40-50 morons. All in one shot. Yes, they were all driving westward bound on St. Mary's Road. They had formed at least 4 parallel lanes of which 3 were unauthorised. Poor me, going eastward on St. Mary's Road as usual and was suddenly confronted head-on by 4 lanes of vehicles acting like no rules existed.

Bah. Being a lone woman driver and afraid for myself(and not for any nobler reason), I steered clear of expletives but insisted on asking them with angry, wild gestures "WHAT in the world ARE you doing?". At one point, I was quite unnerved because I was the only car facing the 'right' way on my side of the road, while all the rest in front of me were facing me and trying to bully me to go...where, I don't really know. Where was the space? Suddenly I wondered whether this road had been made a one-way overnight or something. I took heart in the fact that there was a possibility I was right, since some vehicles were right behind me.
(Imagine, they had me doubting my rule-abiding senses!)

I tried to nudge through aggressively and am quite surprised how no one bumped or scratched me. Sheer good luck, I tell you.

Then, I finally decided I could not beat them -- the rogues! So, I swung extreme left and managed to get out of that quagmire of morons and shot out of there like a bat out of hell (Hah! always wanted to use that bat expression!).

I spotted a policeman further down and asked him what the heck was going on and whether the road was a one way to which he said nope. So, I was even more indignant and told him to go sort out the chaos. Thankfully, he understood my frustration. (In chennai, you cannot ask for more, usually.)

Mildly satisfied with dispensing a piece of advice to a cop, I belligerently ignored the red light and the waiting motorists whose green signal it was, and swung into a lane leading to my destination,
secure in the knowledge that no one was going to pull me up after what I had been through.

Nobody did.:)

Cheers.

Qs and my As

I copied this idea and list of Qs from my newest favourite blog, www.shyamram.blogspot.com. I also love answering questions like this if only for myself... gives me the importance I think I deserve;)

1.)Q. Can you cook?
1.)A. Yes. But dislike cleaning up after myself...in the kitchen.

2.)Q. What was your dream growing up?
2.)A. To fly, become a pilot; which I did but not exactly the way I wanted, since today, am not a ‘professional pilot’.

3.)Q. What talent do you wish you had?
3.)A. Bit of talent in many things, which does not quite cut it. Wish I were better at outdoor activities – inclination and skill-wise too.

4.)Q. Favorite place?
4.)A. My Bedroom

5.)Q. Favorite vegetable?
5.)A. Colocasia or arbi or cheppankazhangu (all mean the same)

6.)Q. What was the last book you read?
6.)A. Why can’t I remember the name? Although do remember story and the author’s name. Very light and vetti (jobless) read.

7.)Q. What zodiac sign are you ?
7.)A. Scorpio but am sure am weirder than most.

8.)Q. Any Tattoos and/or Piercings?
8.)A. Pierced ears. Tattoos? Ugh.

9.)Q. Worst Habit?
9.)A. Many, am sure… two top the list -- procrastination and nail biting.

10.)Q. If you saw me walking down the street would you offer me a ride?
10.)A. Only if I know you and like you, or if you are a lost child below 5 years –can’t bear the thought of lost children and what they may come to – I would desperately want to return you to your oh-so-desperate mom.

11.)Q. What is your favorite sport?
11.)A. Have not one but I do like to swim (though I don’t often), play badminton or snooker, if I get the company. Just don’t care for watching sports.

12.)Q. Negative or Optimistic attitude?
12.)A. Mixed. Sometimes this and sometimes that.

13.)Q. What would you do if you were stuck in an elevator with me?
13.)A. Depends on who you are. But unless you are a gallant, hero-ish kind of person, I would panic big time. Scared of elevators.

14.)Q. Worst thing to ever happen to you?
14.)A. Dad’s death.

15.)Q. Tell me one weird fact about you:
15.)A. Too many. Just one of them, not necessarily the worst, is that I must check if sleeping people (especially children) are breathing normally.

16.)Q. Do have any pets?
16.)A. Not currently

17.)Q. Do u know how to do the macarena?
17.)A. I know how to do ‘a’ Macarena.

18.)Q. What time is it where you are now?
18.)A. 12.15 p.m.

19.)Q. Do you think clowns are cute or scary?
19.)A. Neither. Just not very impressed with them unless they are VERY funny.

20.)Q. If you could change one thing about how you look, what would it be???
20.)A. Size and hair! Oh, only one thing? Then size;) And I can change it but it will take a lot and am not YET up to it.(looks like!)

21.)Q. Would you be my crime partner or my conscience?
21.)A. Conscience but only if I HAVE to. I don't care to partner much.

22.)Q. What color eyes do you have?
22.)A. Brown

23.)Q. Ever been arrested?
23.)A. No and don’t ever want to be!

24.)Q. Bottle or Draft (draught)?
24.)A. Don’t know the difference except that I do know there is a difference.

25.)Q. If you won $10,000 dollars today, what would you do with it?
25.)A. Spend some, give away some, save some.

26.)Q. What kind of bubble gum do you prefer to chew?
26.)A. Don’t like the habit at all. Except if am in desperate need of a mouth freshener in which case, strawberry.

27.)Q. What 's your favorite bar to hang at?
27.)A. It’s the people I bother about when it comes to hanging out, not the place.

28.)Q. Do you believe in ghosts?
28.)A. Why?! Is there one here??? Quick, stay close to me and we can try to scare it away together.

29.)Q. Favorite thing to do in your spare time?
29.)A. Workout or do yoga and meditation. HA. Who am I kidding? No, I like to read, watch TV, spend time in front of computer.

30.)Q. Do you swear a lot?
30.)A. Yes. And I usually vow to myself to swear less each time after I just finish swearing.

31.)Q. Biggest pet peeve?
31.)A. I don’t get a reasonable amount of space and time to myself.

32.)Q. In one word, how would you describe yourself?
32.)A. Nice (basically).

33.)Q. Will you repost this so I can fill it out and do the same for you?
33.)A. No, sorry, you do it yourself and let me know how / where I can read it.

Jolly Walkers

Why in India, at least in Chennai, do walkers do their best not to make eye contact? Ok, they may be complete strangers but one walker will either acknowledge another with a cold stare or furtive glances, or simply by turning away his or her face to avoid any expression.

If someone does decide to overlook these cold-shoulder techniques and smiles at another co-walker, he or she is usually greeted with suspicion -- either a suspicious look or a tentative half-smile which says: SHOULD I be smiling back at you?

I usually appraise a co-walker in the far distance and screw up my eyes in concentration to see if he or she is recognisable. If so, then I quickly think of how to go about saying hi and figure out whether I really want to stop and talk or just pretend to see them in the last moment and quickly say hi, how are you and bye. If I don't know them, so much the better. As I get closer I 'check' him or her out and then decide if I fel like giving him or her more than the one furtive glance (Thiruttu muzhi it is called in Tamil).

'When in Rome...' syndrome, i call it. Don't want to be known as the only whacko who smiles at everyone in sight.

Of course, I need to clarify at this point that I do not really qualify as a 'walker' -- two days does not cut it. But having gone for walks erratically and otherwise for oh so many years, I have observed enough walkers to know better than to smile at co-walkers I don't know.

Mostly cos I hate it when my smile is not returned!

Weird things

There are people who hang up the phone as you are talking to them, cutting you off in mid-sentence. There are those who don't say hi when they answer the phone and know it is you -- they say "mmm" (HOWW ruuude) and then those who hang up without saying bye.

Also, don't like those who respond to your phone 'hi, are you busy?' with a resigned 'Tell me'. That's lukewarm, to say the least. May as well say 'yes, bit busy..later?'

Then there are those who laugh noiselessly. Worse, there are those who shake their shoulders on pupose while laughing, supposedly to convince others that they are indeed laughing. Annoying habit.

Many hide whatever they are feeling with laughter and happy talk. Heck, I do that myself sometimes.

Then come those who laugh at their own jokes...alone. Nope, I ain't one of them...yet! But the world is getting weirder and weirder by the day that I consider often, of going with the saying: If you can't beat 'em, join 'em'.

Stand up!

What's the deal with stand up comedy? It seems to be everywhere now. I have always been QUITE interested in watching some acts but it took me rather by surprise (bordering on shock) that one of my friends SERIOUSLY thinks I should try an act of my own. Now, she is quite a wise and knowledgeable woman so when she keeps saying this "You should be a stand up comedian" I am like "REALLLLY?!!" Hmmm. Time for a quick spot of introspection I say...

I know people who are far funnier than I am. Friends and family, in fact. They would be better stand up comedy candidates because of their presentability and flow of speech and wit. Me, I am a bumpkin fraught with stage fear.

(According to some who know me quite well, i only have stage fear until I get up on stage but I cannot take the risk of checking THAT theory out!Not at this RIPE YOUNG age)

So, as many of us weirdos are wont to do, I began imagining it: my act, picturing myself standing up on some bar (I HAVE to be informal, no coat-suit and boot for this ol' gal) but why a bar? Why not on some stage or platform or spotlight-y corner...oh, wait. I know where I got that idea...it's from 'Cocktails', the Tom Cruise movie in which he was at his cutest best and much more than a decade BEFORE he jumped up backwards onto the sofa on Oprah Winfrey's show to proclaim his lovvvve for that Kate (or Katie) woman. Yup, that jump backwards was a jump backwards indeed! Am seriously unsure I will be thrilled with a sissy man wearing too wide a grin proclaiming his lovvve for me.
Men should grin, no doubt. But wickedly or sexily. NOT continuously and gleefully, to say "I LOVVVE her'. At least not in front of so many women. Oprah Winfrey did laugh but am sure that was because of how famous that episode of her show was going to be.

Look, at a poker game with his friends kicking him under the table, yes, a man may allow himself to grin about his LOVVE find. But on TV? With a female talk show host and thousands -- millions of women watching? Ugh. Nothing like starry eyes to take the man out of the manly.

Anyway. Tom Cruise made a real 'Tom Loose' of himself. (Tamil 'loose')

So...where was I? Ah. My idle thought about stand up comedy.

Heck...it remains idle. Too many bozos to compete with.

Happy New Year

Why do we wish each other a HAPPY NEW YEAR? Is it because we were not too thrilled with the year gone back and the next year had BETTER be happy? We are all always after 'happy'. I am a great example of that. Even though a nagging voice tells me that happiness has really to do with me, myself, rather than other people, I continue to happily point fingers at people around me and accuse them of messing with my happiness. Mind you when they actually make me happy, I don't bother mentioning THAT as much. Just generous with the pointing fingers;) (When am happy, I just grunt and grin. When annoyed, I rant and rave. Hey, don't look at ME. Am sure I have something in common with you even if not this particular virtue!;))

So, this new year 2008 had better be happy. Am not pretending to be something I am not...at least not in THIS post anyway; but here goes ...

Let's not ask for the moon.

Speaking of the moon and halos, this new year, let's ask for a lot fewer people to go hungry, let's hope terrorists will kill far fewer innocent people in their quest ...for whatever (hope at least THEY know what they are after!!), hope I become VERY fit and lose flab (ha. i am sure my selfish hope ranks first...for ME!), hope people (ESPECIALLY those i love -- yup selfish again) get HEALTHIER, hope fewer children end up or stay in orphanages, hope fewer marriages break up, hope NO babies and kids suffer and / or die, in fact, hope I don't hear any bad news at all...not just this year but forever!(Ok, now, let me just ask for the moon and get this wishlist over with)...you get the picture.

In my defence, I read in a weird-titled poem in iss-school (titled: SAY NOT THE STRUGGLE NOT AVAILETH--what the hell IS that supposed to mean!) : "If hopes were dupes, fears would be liars". I have forgotten the meaning but I think it sort of means you can hope all you want since you already are stuck with negativities like fears! Or maybe it means if you have fear, you can have hope too -- the silver lining types.

Whatever.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Warning! Socialite ahead!

Socialites are sometimes hogging an entire page in newspapers. Ugh! Most of the time, most socialites are up to not much good (and sometimes perhaps up to NO good at all!) so why should they get all the positive attention? They are almost always rich and trying to get famous. Their only claims to fame are coffee mornings and saturday night-outs for which they dress up, apply make up and strut. That's it. What's so noteworthy about that?

If YOU had the money, you could visit the beauty parlour every other day and wear branded clothes, make up and accessories too, right?

I hope not. Perhaps you could stay elegant and well turned out -- sure, but you could also actually do something worthwhile like contributing to businesses (get a job) or better still (since you have the money and the time) help with social causes...all through the same strutting that usually gets you nowhere but an invitation to the next party.

I don't mind being corrected if I am wrong here about socialites in general...willing to listen to any comments that could change the current picture in my mind of empty people. And why are they usually women? WOMEN, this is not good at all. As a woman myself, I must say this is not a feather in this gender's cap. More like a feather in the brain! Ok, perhaps the only use is that these socialites get photographed at some event or restaurant or bar, etc. and thereby bring publicity to that business which organises the event or to the hosts of the party.
Hmmm....nope, 'that don't impress me much'. (Thank you, Shania Twain)

When someone nudges me and says.." Look! There is so-and-so. I am like 'uh? WHO's that?' Sure, i don't know EVERYbody but if the explanation is just 'she is a socialite', I always feel the need to ask "But what does she DO?"

Partying as a full time occupation? Too much of a good thing never sounded more apt!

Western Voices

There are some 'voices in song' that can raise those goosebumps on you and get that lump up and big in your throat, leaving you a bit spent...such gifted voices belong to singers like Barbara Streisand. What a glorious voice and non judgementally speaking, a personality to match!

Old goldies like 'The way we were' and 'Memory' -- just listen to them to get that stirred-up feeling...brings out emotions and memories(!) nearly long-forgotten. I am constantly amazed by what music can do...no wonder they say it is for the soul.

You can see the emotions in the song when Barbara Streisand sings...It got me thinking that for best effects, the singer ought to be not-so-young so that experience can add flavour to every word. I can appreciate that more now with, ahem, age!

And how about those song writers at that point who wrote simple and meaningful words! (Doubt: Does anybody know ehther Barbara streisand herself wrote the lyrics for 'The Way we Were' and 'Memory'?)

A song without lyrics is like...well, it has a different effect -- subtle but pretty strong really. Oh well, that calls for another post altogether!

Old is gold

Why is it that people are paranoid about getting older? Wrinkles, extra curves, lines and grey hair all seem to bother them a great deal. Creams galore, machines and dyes and various 'beauty/anti-aging' elements, pills are prevalent today. For what? Surely, no matter what you do, you are going to look your age (give or take 2-3 years?)...and so what?

If these people would concentrate on health or even beauty (to some extent), that would be fine. But to grapple with growing older is stupidity. I mean why would a fifty year old yearn to look 35? Beats me. But maybe I cannot understand it because I am not even 35 yet, ha ha.

Besides, I always have considered growing older as a good thing. It means you're staying alive, collecting experience;). It does not mean that you have to look young till the day you drop dead. Nobody in their right mind would want to die young so be prepared to look your happy old and hopefully graceful age until it's 'your time to go'.

Old is one thing. Haggard is another. At 70, you may look haggard and that could be the time you could consider anti-ageing stuff. At 40 and 50 if you look haggard, it's your overall health that is the problem, not your skin and hair. At 30, 40 and 50 if you are trying desperately to look younger, you have too much time on your hands;).

There's something great about growing older, something wise, something graceful, a calm outlook, and something else...oh, yeah, you are still alive!

So, oldie (!), pull yourself together, get some fresh air, laugh yourself silly over something, catch up with friends, maybe even have ONE or TWO drinks ...and then check out your smiley expression in the mirror. Those wrinkles will look like laugh lines!

Cheers!

Dad-daughter cuteness

I noticed a father dropping his 6year old daughter off at school. However, perhaps it was a late, rushed morning,the girl did not have her hair neat and combed. The Dad whipped out a comb whilst just outside the gates of the school and for a full five minutes tenderly and smoothly combed his daughter's hair, gently getting rid of the tangles and really, doing it just as well as a Mom might!

I don't know what it is about fathers and daughters that melts my heart -- maybe cos I am a super 'Daddy's girl' candidate, but to watch dads bonding with their little girls is a real little pleasure indeed!

Coincidences

I love coincidences! Not the depressing ones, but the small stuff. For example, I was imagining what I would call my non-existent column in some famous publication and then, a few hours later, an old, good friend gave me his blog address and when I checked out his blog, there was one of the three options I had thought of for my column-to-(may)be! I was so kicked about it. Fools may seldom differ but then great minds think alike as well!

Then, there was the time when I wondering why one of my old, good pals (abroad) had not wished me for my birthday and I had just finished stating at home that she was the only one, surprisingly, who had forgotten my birthday and weirdly, within ten minutes of that, her mother who lives here in Chennai, called to wish me and it was too much of a coincidence not to mention it to her! Anyway, it turned out that my pal did not forget my birthday, she just did not manage to get through to me...frankly, in this case, the thought counted!

Then there is the 'vetti' (i.e. insignificant) coincidence of noticing a car in front of you on the road and it's number plate and on another location, a few minutes later, spot another one that shares the same license plate number.

All right -- I am a coincidence person. But it's the people-related coincidences that make my day!