Saturday, February 28, 2009

Summer of 09

YOU KNOW SUMMER IS HERE... 
...when u wake up in drenching sweat, (because the power went off and the fan stopped working) 2 hours earlier than ur usual eye-opening time.
 .... when a distinct dry, earthy breeze hits ur face in the morning, reminding u of the seasonal holidays u once enjoyed as a kid for 2 whole months.
  ..when, the excuse "its too hot to do anything", is accepted by all as  a valid reason for not getting the work done.
  ...when its practically impossible to get train tickets 30 days before the expected date of journey.
..when a dozen kids are chirping away beneath your window playing hide-n-seek, while u sulk over ur books.
...when suddenly personal hygiene seems to have become ur biggest priority, as u take 2/3 baths a day, not caring if the water was hot/cold.
...when u down umpteen glasses of water, crusing ur fridge for being a slow water chiller.
..when ur appetite suddenly gets the better of u, and u find ur self craving for food at odd times.
....when u succumb to the pressures of the heat and allow ur self a 3 hour afternoon siesta.
....when u put away the moisturier in favour of the sunscreen.
....when u resolve to learn swimming..at least this summer!


Thursday, February 26, 2009

Go Green like Miss A


i have a friend- a certain miss A-i've got to say this girl is a complete "go green" freak..she hates plastic, carrys a jute bag where ever she goes (complete with a mini water bottle in it), walks more than drives, uses public transport to get around etc.. u get the picture, dont u?..is it any suprise that she is a qualified Zoologist! -she's ur WWF (not the wrestling but the less popular wildlife fund)  stuff.. the complete wildlife conservation thing.. 
anyway..one wonders if this "go green" campaign is just a hyped affair..global warming?is there a distinct possibility that one day (not so far away) that the mega city of mumbai will possibly be submerged?.. sounds improbable nah?
well i used to a non believer..scoffing at the prospects of the "great flood"..(biblical more than scientific, i used to say).. but in reality "the truth is out there"
looking around i can no longer find the greenery that once enveloped our cities, the lakes are drying up, the kids have no place to play (remember those empty streets/sites that were our playgrounds.. where r they now?), traffic has overgrown our roads in monumental propotions bringing with it the smoke/fumes to irritate our lungs.. the list is endless.
we may never be able to give our children the same wonderful environment in which we had grown up in..the damage is irrepairable.. but we can do our little bit from deteriorating futher..like miss A..cheers babe!


Wednesday, February 25, 2009

Small town perks

living in 2 small towns over the last 4 years, after being born and brought up in a metropolis, has been a rather interesting experience for me. yes, initially there was the "reverse" culture shock and "metro-craving"..but as time goes by..the small-town thing began to grow on me. some of the best things i like about my "2-tier-city" life --
  • it barely takes 15 minutes to the railway station/airport/bus stand/where ever and back..thats something u'll NEVER get in a metro
  • there is less traffic..less traffic signals..less traffic police.. less of a mess
  • u can actually get movie tickets for a new flick on a weekend by going 20 minutes before the show! for 1/3rd the price of a multiplex!
  • the air is cleaner and grass is greener n u can see the constellations in the night's sky lying on the terrace 
but on the flipside...
  • night life..everything closes by 9.. finding a place to eat when u get down from a late night train can be close to impossible
  • hardly anything ever happens..no events.. no concerts..nothing outside of movies to entertain oneself..

Tuesday, February 24, 2009

Words of Change

its amazing how many words/phrases we are bombarded with every day. some new, some old. some in a unfamiliar tongue. i like the way new words/phrases come our way along with the times..here are some of them doing the buzz nowadays..
  • Non state actors- term used by pak to refer to all the terrorist elements in their land, very convieniently!
  • Recessionista- a fashion freak wearing budget wear in these times of "economic meltdown"
  • Slum tourism- what Dharavi slum dwellers are offering to all the foreign tourists visting the "sets" of Slumdog Millionaire
  • Terror tourism- infamously propagated by the RGV of bollywood
  • Conscription- compulsory military training for all youth.. after 26/11..on every news read
and here are some of the most overused words today-
  • Change!
  • Recession/Economic meltdown/Financial crises///
  • Terrorism/Cross-border terrorism//
  • Pink slips!
  • Breaking news/Flash/Developing story///

Monday, February 23, 2009

Smile pinki smile ..


I dont know how many of you have heard of the documentary "Smile Pinki" that won best documentary at the Oscars this year. Its about a young girl with cleft lip, who was ostracized by society, till a few good doctors corrected her deformity, bringing back the smile on her face. Well, i read bout this little known story, some time back, in the magazine "People" (of course, today its all over the news- now that its won an Oscar!). Must say, at the face of it, the magazine looked like just another "Page3 news issue".. but reading into it.. it actually had substance..it talked bout some  unsung heroes, some amazing incidents that never feature in 24 hr news channels,..got to say.. im now addicted to it.Read every issue that comes my way. For instance, there was this news story on a young medico from pune, who went to help in the Bihar flood disaster and in the process, got struck by lightening in a freak accident. It really moved me.In an age when all medicos can think of is moving up the academic ladder, this guy had to be special to have gone as far as Bihar to help out!..im sure there are many more such people..and i hope "PEOPLE" finds them and tells the world their stories. so people, get ur hands on the "people" magazine when u have the time..its worth it!

Taking baby steps


So finally, here i am. After looking at 10 templates. changing fonts and background colors, im now settling down for the real thing..my baby steps in blogging. "baby steps"..know where i heard that term today?..on TV..Frieda Pinto..describing her experiences of stardum as "her first baby steps"; must say.. frieda was taking her "baby steps" while, Danny Bolye was "jumping" on the stage like he was on a trampoline and  AR Rahman "leapt" into history books. Man!... im a proud Indian today..(i know ur thinking- whats with these Indians?.. they associate everything with nationalism!..but sorry man.. thats how we've been brought up!). Ive seen the movie"Slumdog Millionaire"..yes u guessed in.. on a pirated CD(what else to do.. when the movie doesnt release in India after all the hype!).. and i wasnt "floored" by it... yes thats right.. i wasnt "too" impressed!.. not taking anything away from the movie.. it was a great watch.. never boring..always keeping u engaged.. but its not the "best" ive seen..and as for the music.. great but again not Rahman's "best". there have been bigger and better films( in India) ive seen .. and more melodious tunes of Rahman ive heard..too bad they never get recognized..but may be someday they will be..Anyway till then "jai ho" Rahman!..u make me so proud to be Indian!

I believe in..

My photo
"Twenty years from now, you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn't do than the ones you did.So, throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Let the trade winds in. Explore. Dream. Enjoy."