The "Rang De Basanti" effect is what the media is calling it. People protesting in the streets of India has become an integral part of all TV channel headlines of late. It started with the Jessica Lal case, which prodded on by the media, snowballed into actually setting the wheels of justice in motion--that too in India--a humongous achievement. Around the same time, a group (now that the political party has split) called Lok Paritran was formed and fuelled this new-age subconciousness among the Indian youth. And of course, the anti-reservation issue, which is still burning up blogworld, broadcasting media, campuses, drawing room discussions, and a lot of ink everywhere. This page got so many hits in the past coupla weeks, probably more than our very own homegrown Priyanka Chopra got hit on since she scorched up the screen.
In the midst of all this fire and brimstone, came Aamir Khan's support for the victims of the Narmada issue. Rajdeep Sardesai gushed all over the actor, who was earnest to a fault, and yet managed to charm through his dimples. Read the transcript and watch the interview here. Other news channels also had special programs inviting Aamir into their studios to bravely and gravely voice his opinion not on Bollywood, or matters of the heart, or the debacle of Fanaa, but to hear him speak on current affairs. Khushboo, however, got a raw deal and tearfully rendered a public apology for what some termed her "outspokenness" in the media. The irony was that this was the same southern state that had deified this actress by constructing a temple in her name!
Are they for real? Back in school, civics and history classes were all about freedom of speech and believing in the maxim that "democracy is for the people, by the people, and of the people". In today's times, it seems that this country is only for the politicians, by the politicians, and of the politicians, and minus the people altogether. This might sound naive and idealistic, but seriously, what the heck is wrong with the times we live in?
Public memory is short, but hopefully not for just causes. Hope has emerged just as we appeared to be turning into a callous materialistic tech-dependent generation. There is still some soul left in our hearts, even if the flame is but a flicker. Time will tell if this is just a phase.
[In other news, (since this post sounds like a broadcast feed from a newschannel) I managed to break my toe and am now hopping around the house. All laments about accrued leave have been duly taken care of!]
Wednesday, May 31, 2006
Sunday, May 21, 2006
Saturday Blues
Had to go to work today. Aaaaarrrgh!! Really, what could be worse! (Ok, don't need the count your blessings speech now, thank you).
Its SatuRANTday.
Sherry and I were cursing under our breaths. Actually, it was loud enough for all to hear. And we are in two different cities. Most Saturdays we have to go to work, only to find that there is absolutely no work.
I have this nasty habit of piling up my accrued leave and Sherry is just the opposite. She exhausts even the leave that she is not entitled to. She loves taking vacations after her vacations. She insists she needs a break after the vacation itself. Me, on the other hand, has grown roots that have fastened to my desk and spread their tentacles around my non-ergonomic chair. Sherry has tried beating me over the head about my accumulated leave, but has not succeeded in penetrating my thick skull as yet. I must take a few tips from Kusum Dishoom who seems to take off on a holiday every other month! God bless her employer. (Kusum, chocs and my CV coming your way).
Coming back to Sherry, all of last year she consistently kept her signature out of the attendance register almost every Saturday, as a rule. A laudable effort indeed. All her evil vacation deeds came back to bite her this year and hence, she has taken tips from my book and is chained to her seat all week, week after week. You see, she has exhausted her quota of leave, and how! She has negative leave balance now. So, 2006 sees Sherry at work every Saturday, very busy "leave gathering" as she put it.
Chat with Sherry today went like this...
Sherry: You at work on a Saturday again?
Me: *sheepish laugh* Yeah. I have an RS to attack, only it is attacking me. (RS stands for 'rambling story' aka report).
Sherry: Ok, then its allowed.
Me: Right back at ya, btw!
Sherry: I know, I told you my problem.
Me: Ah...yes.
Sherry: Leave gathering.
Me: Leaves gathering, eh? Its summer, not autumn.
Sherry: Huh?
Me: I'm such a rake. Never mind.
Sherry: Went out for lunch though.
Me: I've given up on life on weekends let alone lunch. Where d'ya go?
Sherry: Hathworks Buelevard.
Me: Sounds fancy shmancy.
Sherry: Had YUMMMMMY dessert at lunch.
Me: Sure, rub it in some more.
Sherry: B-o-u-l-e-v-a-r-d. Ugh...whats the spelling??
Me: You got it right the 2nd time around :-)
Sherry: First time sounded demented.
Me: Haha! Anyway, it's a Saturday, and you're at work. We're allowed to be demented.
Sherry: Yes, I have the same excuse for Monday too.
Me: True. And what about Thursdays and Fridays for you?
(Midweek is when Sherry's workload really hits her between the eyes).
And Mondays, Tuesdays, and Wednesdays for me!
(Start to midweek is when I nail work and bring it to its knees).
Darn. That doesn't leave much of the week left, does it?
Sherry: *looooooooooooooooong sighhhhhhhhhhhhhhh*
Me: *looooooooooooooooong sighhhhhhhhhhhhhhh*
Its SatuRANTday.
Sherry and I were cursing under our breaths. Actually, it was loud enough for all to hear. And we are in two different cities. Most Saturdays we have to go to work, only to find that there is absolutely no work.
I have this nasty habit of piling up my accrued leave and Sherry is just the opposite. She exhausts even the leave that she is not entitled to. She loves taking vacations after her vacations. She insists she needs a break after the vacation itself. Me, on the other hand, has grown roots that have fastened to my desk and spread their tentacles around my non-ergonomic chair. Sherry has tried beating me over the head about my accumulated leave, but has not succeeded in penetrating my thick skull as yet. I must take a few tips from Kusum Dishoom who seems to take off on a holiday every other month! God bless her employer. (Kusum, chocs and my CV coming your way).
Coming back to Sherry, all of last year she consistently kept her signature out of the attendance register almost every Saturday, as a rule. A laudable effort indeed. All her evil vacation deeds came back to bite her this year and hence, she has taken tips from my book and is chained to her seat all week, week after week. You see, she has exhausted her quota of leave, and how! She has negative leave balance now. So, 2006 sees Sherry at work every Saturday, very busy "leave gathering" as she put it.
Chat with Sherry today went like this...
Sherry: You at work on a Saturday again?
Me: *sheepish laugh* Yeah. I have an RS to attack, only it is attacking me. (RS stands for 'rambling story' aka report).
Sherry: Ok, then its allowed.
Me: Right back at ya, btw!
Sherry: I know, I told you my problem.
Me: Ah...yes.
Sherry: Leave gathering.
Me: Leaves gathering, eh? Its summer, not autumn.
Sherry: Huh?
Me: I'm such a rake. Never mind.
Sherry: Went out for lunch though.
Me: I've given up on life on weekends let alone lunch. Where d'ya go?
Sherry: Hathworks Buelevard.
Me: Sounds fancy shmancy.
Sherry: Had YUMMMMMY dessert at lunch.
Me: Sure, rub it in some more.
Sherry: B-o-u-l-e-v-a-r-d. Ugh...whats the spelling??
Me: You got it right the 2nd time around :-)
Sherry: First time sounded demented.
Me: Haha! Anyway, it's a Saturday, and you're at work. We're allowed to be demented.
Sherry: Yes, I have the same excuse for Monday too.
Me: True. And what about Thursdays and Fridays for you?
(Midweek is when Sherry's workload really hits her between the eyes).
And Mondays, Tuesdays, and Wednesdays for me!
(Start to midweek is when I nail work and bring it to its knees).
Darn. That doesn't leave much of the week left, does it?
Sherry: *looooooooooooooooong sighhhhhhhhhhhhhhh*
Me: *looooooooooooooooong sighhhhhhhhhhhhhhh*
Thursday, May 18, 2006
The Dark (K)night on the Horizon
Aa raha hai!! Mera knight in shining armor...literally! Here is the pic...and its not the person who clicked the picture, just in case some dhakkans get the wrong idea :P
Sorry yaar Rohit, please don't mind, I am like this wonly :D
My knight
Shamelessly horked this from a fellow Beatle maniac. Sigh...isn't that a simply boootiful shot? (The second one, peeps.) So morantic! No wonder mera number aane mein itni der ho raha hai...itni door se jo aa raha hai! Yes! From another century itself :P
Thanks, Rohit. I feel good 'coz of the pic.
Now if only the knight can croon a la James Brown.
Sorry yaar Rohit, please don't mind, I am like this wonly :D
My knight
Shamelessly horked this from a fellow Beatle maniac. Sigh...isn't that a simply boootiful shot? (The second one, peeps.) So morantic! No wonder mera number aane mein itni der ho raha hai...itni door se jo aa raha hai! Yes! From another century itself :P
Thanks, Rohit. I feel good 'coz of the pic.
Now if only the knight can croon a la James Brown.
Sunday, May 14, 2006
Guilty Pleasures
Multiplexes, coffee shops,
Lounge bars, restaurant rooftops,
Designer labels and fancy fast cars,
All contribute to unblemished souls and zero battle scars.
Spa treatments, first class air tickets, a happening night life,
A rich, dashing husband and a trophy wife,
Even charity causes,
All meant to be flaunted,
Without a care in the world for the lesser privileged,
Or the simple things in life that we all take for granted.
New age spiritualism and yoga,
All filling the coffers of the likes of Deepak Chopra.
What will it take to set free,
The mind, the heart, the spirit, and the soul,
Will humankind ever be allowed a reprieve?
Lounge bars, restaurant rooftops,
Designer labels and fancy fast cars,
All contribute to unblemished souls and zero battle scars.
Spa treatments, first class air tickets, a happening night life,
A rich, dashing husband and a trophy wife,
Even charity causes,
All meant to be flaunted,
Without a care in the world for the lesser privileged,
Or the simple things in life that we all take for granted.
New age spiritualism and yoga,
All filling the coffers of the likes of Deepak Chopra.
What will it take to set free,
The mind, the heart, the spirit, and the soul,
Will humankind ever be allowed a reprieve?
Wednesday, May 10, 2006
Gettin' Hitched!
What a coincidence! Two of my best pals are (finally) getting married (something so final about marriage, no?). These gals have been a big part of my life at different stages.
Kamal and I spent some super fun five years together during our carefree childhood days. Between age 5 to 10, we played in the sun, in the shade, in the pool, on the grassy maidan, on the shuttle court, fought over the same guy that we both had a crush on for all those years (this would make a whole other post), had slumber parties and sleepovers at each other's houses...sigh...it was a magical childhood indeed.
Mona and I spent less time together in comparison, but as twenty-somethings we bonded over projects, assignments, student strikes against lousy lecturers, group study sessions, gossip about our fellow classmates, boyfriends, and food. Oh, we just loved to yak and yak. Still do!
The interesting thing is that these two gal pals o'mine are in whole other countries. Kamal has been in the wild wild west for such a long time, it's a wonder she didn't marry a cowboy and set up a ranch in the middle of nowhere. Mona has been a globe trotter for some years now, shuttling between cities, countries, even continents.
When I met Kamal 17 years after our last meeting, it was simply awesome (for want of a better word--this one fits best somehow). The venue was thousands of miles away from the roads less traveled by yours truly, but pretty close to where she was (Austin, TX). She simply drove over when I called to say "Houston, (that was as far as I could get), we have a problem!" We spent a coupla days together getting re-acquainted. That took about 5 minutes. :-)
Haven't met Mona since we last said goodbye, but sure hope it doesn't take 17 years!
And now, Kamal and Mona are getting married. No, not to each other. Hope some dhakkans reading this were not under THAT impression! Although that might have made this scorching summer juicier for some!
So, they are beginning a new chapter in their lives. (A whole new book if you ask me).
Kamal's wedding will be a wonderfully happy occassion with her family and some friends around. I sincerely hope Mona's is the same. Mona is marrying into a different religion (now this step would entail beginning a whole new library even!), so there's all the typical Bollywood style drama--a mandatory part of such (circus?) events. The only probable drama at Kamal's wedding could be the confusion over names. When the priest calls out the groom's name, I just hope her brother doesn't step up to the altar. It would turn into the Bold & the Beautiful. You see, Kamal's betrothed and her elder brother are namesakes. :-)
I'm so excited sitting here so far away from either of them. They can probably hear me yelling (for the bouquet).
Mera number kab aayega? :-)
Kamal and I spent some super fun five years together during our carefree childhood days. Between age 5 to 10, we played in the sun, in the shade, in the pool, on the grassy maidan, on the shuttle court, fought over the same guy that we both had a crush on for all those years (this would make a whole other post), had slumber parties and sleepovers at each other's houses...sigh...it was a magical childhood indeed.
Mona and I spent less time together in comparison, but as twenty-somethings we bonded over projects, assignments, student strikes against lousy lecturers, group study sessions, gossip about our fellow classmates, boyfriends, and food. Oh, we just loved to yak and yak. Still do!
The interesting thing is that these two gal pals o'mine are in whole other countries. Kamal has been in the wild wild west for such a long time, it's a wonder she didn't marry a cowboy and set up a ranch in the middle of nowhere. Mona has been a globe trotter for some years now, shuttling between cities, countries, even continents.
When I met Kamal 17 years after our last meeting, it was simply awesome (for want of a better word--this one fits best somehow). The venue was thousands of miles away from the roads less traveled by yours truly, but pretty close to where she was (Austin, TX). She simply drove over when I called to say "Houston, (that was as far as I could get), we have a problem!" We spent a coupla days together getting re-acquainted. That took about 5 minutes. :-)
Haven't met Mona since we last said goodbye, but sure hope it doesn't take 17 years!
And now, Kamal and Mona are getting married. No, not to each other. Hope some dhakkans reading this were not under THAT impression! Although that might have made this scorching summer juicier for some!
So, they are beginning a new chapter in their lives. (A whole new book if you ask me).
Kamal's wedding will be a wonderfully happy occassion with her family and some friends around. I sincerely hope Mona's is the same. Mona is marrying into a different religion (now this step would entail beginning a whole new library even!), so there's all the typical Bollywood style drama--a mandatory part of such (circus?) events. The only probable drama at Kamal's wedding could be the confusion over names. When the priest calls out the groom's name, I just hope her brother doesn't step up to the altar. It would turn into the Bold & the Beautiful. You see, Kamal's betrothed and her elder brother are namesakes. :-)
I'm so excited sitting here so far away from either of them. They can probably hear me yelling (for the bouquet).
Mera number kab aayega? :-)
Friday, May 05, 2006
Calmouflage
She paints her face to hide her face.
She talks non-stop to quieten her thoughts.
She drives her car to drive her thoughts.
She thinks it through to let it sink in through.
She writes it down to free her mind.
She sings aloud to drown out the silence.
She runs a mile to dash her dreams.
She dances all night to sit this one out.
She talks non-stop to quieten her thoughts.
She drives her car to drive her thoughts.
She thinks it through to let it sink in through.
She writes it down to free her mind.
She sings aloud to drown out the silence.
She runs a mile to dash her dreams.
She dances all night to sit this one out.
Wednesday, May 03, 2006
Onamae o shiete kudasaimasen ka?
Roughly translated it means "Would you not do me the favor of teaching me your name?" That is a very polite phrase in Japanese while asking someone their name.
And so, the hangover continues...!!
This one is actually an email forward, but it felt so close to my blog's present state of mind, that I had to put it up here while I sip my sake. So here goes...
What is your Japanese name? Take each letter of your name and substitute it with the Japanese sound to the right of the letter. Names might be kinda long.
A- ka * B- tu * C- mi * D- te * E- ku * F- lu * G- ji
H- ri * I- ki * J- zu * K- me * L- ta * M- rin *
N- to O-mo * P- no * Q- ke * R- shi * S- ari * T-chi U- do *
V- ru * W-mei * X- na * Y- fu * Z- zi
Mine is Aridorinkichika.
Atleast I'm some chica :-) Its even got 'dorin' in it...fairly apt in some ways me thinks (think Doreen from Finding Nemo :-)) Now if only I can get that name in Japanese script and I'll be on my way. Errr...where? To-kyo(to) bound, I say! And wearing a Tshirt with my name on it.
Sayonara!
And so, the hangover continues...!!
This one is actually an email forward, but it felt so close to my blog's present state of mind, that I had to put it up here while I sip my sake. So here goes...
What is your Japanese name? Take each letter of your name and substitute it with the Japanese sound to the right of the letter. Names might be kinda long.
A- ka * B- tu * C- mi * D- te * E- ku * F- lu * G- ji
H- ri * I- ki * J- zu * K- me * L- ta * M- rin *
N- to O-mo * P- no * Q- ke * R- shi * S- ari * T-chi U- do *
V- ru * W-mei * X- na * Y- fu * Z- zi
Mine is Aridorinkichika.
Atleast I'm some chica :-) Its even got 'dorin' in it...fairly apt in some ways me thinks (think Doreen from Finding Nemo :-)) Now if only I can get that name in Japanese script and I'll be on my way. Errr...where? To-kyo(to) bound, I say! And wearing a Tshirt with my name on it.
Sayonara!
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