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*

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.

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?

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? :-)

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.

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!

World Groove

Refinement of tongue has become a thing of the past. Now languid prose is found only in the classics, whether books or movies. Nobody talks in eloquent prose anymore, much less write in that style.

Slang has invaded every corner of the world. And is unique to its region, territory, location, even within a country, there are so many different terms.

Singapore has a distinct sing-song style of speaking, where when talking to a friend, every sentence ends with ‘lah’. It’s almost musical. I said almost.

Bombay ought to trademark its ‘bambaiyya’ style of talk. The ‘tapori’ style has been used in many movies, especially among the 'goondas/dadas/bhai log' of a 'colony’. After “Munnabhai MBBS” became a hit movie, this kinda talk is now not restricted to just Mumbai, but all of India. Friends give 'maa behen gaalis' to each other in regular every day speak. Street talk has become a way of life.

Everyone thinks its ‘cool’ and ‘hip’ to talk in slang. Gals think 'Its soooo happenin', babe!'. ‘Aapun ka style hai, bhai’, guys say, and turn up their collar. 'Dudes' who like to think of themselves as a ‘stud’ mostly practise this.

The word ‘stud’ reminds me of a funny incident…
Some years ago, when all of us cousins got together from different parts of the globe during holiday season, we decided to play the board game 'Pictionary'. The game was gifted to us by one of the aunties. It occupied most of our summer vacation and was quite a rabble-rouser and super fun. We couldn’t stop laughing at how atrociously some of us drew, or at least, tried to. Me, the conservationist of the family, insisted that we save paper and draw within the same sheet for as many turns possible. Since others were too caught up with the game, they sorta forgot to mention this could get highly annoying. At every turn, I would remind the person drawing not to use up too much paper. Of course I was scrupulous in saving paper when it came to my turn, practising (for once) what I preached.

Anyway, to spice things up, we decided to enact the keywords instead of drawing them. Pictionary with a Dumbcharades twist, if you will. The competition was between two teams and a representative was chosen from each team to act out the chosen word. The team that guessed the word faster would score points.

It so happened that each team ‘actor’ were two of my youngest cousins, both girls about the same age, roughly 12 at the time. The word was ‘stud’. The cousin belonging to India (CBI) pointed to her ear lobe. At the same time, the cousin in America (CIA) (no puns intended :-)) pointed to the muscles on her arm. All the onlookers gaped. "How can they show different body parts," was the question writ large on the confused faces in each team. CBI continued to point and tug at her ear, (which was reddening by the minute) while CIA began striking macho he-man and muscleman poses.

It was a sight for sore eyes. The little ‘uns had interpreted the word so differently! Of course, Pictionary being a popular American boardgame, the answer was the clue provided by CIA. Poor CBI! It wasn’t a ear stud! I won the game with this clue and managed to corrupt li’l CBI at the same time. For the rest of the day, she cross-questioned me and CIA about what ‘stud’ meant and who 'stud boy' was.

In America, hip-hop lingo and music introduced slang in one clean sheet...err...sweep. Once CIA’s mom asked her son about his roommates and life on campus. Her 19-year-old son had moved to a new college away from home and had begun sharing an apartment with some fellow college mates. He replied ‘PHAT, mom!’ His mom thought he was being rude. :-)

Slang can be confounding, confusing, and yet delightful. Well, sometimes at least.

Well, slang words are a never-ending topic. Feel free to jump in with other interesting and fun terms. No, I am not compiling an Idiot’s Guide to Slang All Over The World. Aise hi, time pass yaar! :-)

World Groove, by the way, is an amazing CD I got at Landmark. Its got dance, electronica, R&B et al from musicians all over the world. New age music rocks! :-)

Addendum to 'Memoirs Of A Geisha' post

Ok, I'm still nursing a Japanese hangover. So sush(i) me.

Don't take my word for it. Read some reviews. Go here:
1. New York Times Review
2. Bookbrowse.com

I dislike overhyping anything, really. So if you read the book and don't feel the same way I do....well, you're just plain crazy! :P

Took the liberty of posting a couple of pics from this amazing photographer's website:
http://www.phototravels.net/japan/photo-gallery/

Hope he doesn't sue me. *grin*

Jap Happy!

Two things have been on my mind lately and can be summed up in one word—Passion.

passion (noun)
1. A powerful emotion, such as love, joy, hatred, or anger.
2. a. Ardent love. b. Strong sexual desire; lust. c. The object of such love or desire.
3. a. Boundless enthusiasm: His skills as a player don't quite match his passion for the game. b. The object of such enthusiasm: Soccer is her passion.

Thoughts of these two things have been consuming me on an hourly basis, in both wakefulness and sleep. No, not that, those with a one-track mind! :P

One has been about blogging. To blog or not to blog is the question I have been pondering/battling/wringing my hands over since eons now. You might wonder what is the big deal? Like friends and Nike said, ‘Just do it, man!’. And you might ask why starting a blog of all things should be such a dilemma that should haunt anyone. (Sigh…being a perfectionist is rough and tough and causes too much wear and tear, I swear.) Then again, blogging has turned into such drama, so becoming a dramebaaz blogger has to kinda go with the territory.

Reading (in the old days—books, and today—blogs) has been an all-consuming pastime since childhood. Reading blogs in particular has taken up a lot of my time in the past one year. It’s been a long while since my first love—reading (a book). And to some extent, it was computers and blogging that kept me away from fine print. Had forgotten the soothing effect of a book’s scent on the olfactory nerves. Only a book lover can appreciate not just the content and writing style of a book, but also its look, touch, feel, and smell. Books are truly a feast as well as a thirst quencher for the hungry and parched reader’s soul.

This connects to the other thing occupying my mind lately—this book—Memoirs Of A Geisha by Arthur Golden. Golden words by an author indeed! Such lucid and elegant prose! This book has captivated and enthralled me with its story and the way it has been told. Yes, I say told, rather than written, because of its charming first person narrative. It’s almost like being a child again and listening to a story session. I now understand why this book has come to mean something so special to me. It has brought back one of my childhood emotions and passions in a flood—the joy of reading. And it has actually spurred me to finally start reading and writing in…err…write earnest!

Memoirs of a Geisha has all the trappings of a great book—innocence, awe, treachery, mystery, betrayal, passion, oppression, jealousy, cruelty, misery, and beauty and one could go on adjective nauseum. The book is a real treasure. It transports the reader into the strange and unbelievable world of an earlier era swiftly and easily. It compels the reader to ponder not just about its subject, but there are many questions raised in the course of the story that deal with human emotions.

gei•sha
n., pl. geisha or -shas.
A class of women in Japan trained from girlhood in conversation, dancing, and singing in order to entertain professional or social gatherings of men.

Some fascinating Japanese customs and exotic words elaborated upon in the book that linger on long after reading it...

- Gion
- Okiya
- Tatami mats
- Bowing down
- Tea ceremony
- Tea houses
- Kimono and obi
- Shamisen
- Dances of the Old Capital
- Mizuage
- Danna

They have been dealt with at length, in beautiful, elegant prose, rousing the curiosity of the reader, and heightening interest in the whole story.

Whereas, popular culture relegates a non-Japanese’s interest in Japanese culture to Ikebana, Origami, Bonsai, Sayonara, Sushi, Samurai warriors, Sumo wrestlers, Sake, not to mention Pokemon!

Useless fact of the day: Madonna, the singer (what were you thinking, heathens!), dressed in geisha garb in her music video ‘Nothing Really Matters’ in 1999.

A few images to visually represent the book’s subject...

Calligraphy for the word ‘Geisha’ (pronounced “gay-shuh”) meaning ‘a person of the arts’


Maiko (apprentice geisha) in Kyoto


A Japanese postage stamp depicting a geisha in a kimono with obi—-the traditional costume of men and women in Japan.


Painting of a geisha playing the shamisen, a traditional Japanese musical instrument.


A leap from the 1920s to the 2000s! Picture of musician Chie Hanawa playing the shamisen at the Penang Island Jazz Festival 2005


A geisha shielding her makeup from sunlight with a traditional Japanese fan



Two li'l Maikos posing outside Heian Jingu Shrine, Kyoto

Am eager to watch the movie ‘Memoirs of a Geisha’. Have heard and read reviews that the novel’s adaptation to the silver screen does not do justice to the book. For those presuming it’s a women’s novel only, do keep in mind that the author is a man. Sigh…there is something incredibly riveting about this book and its representation of Japanese old world culture. It evokes a feeling of wonderment in the reader’s mind. It reads like reality and fantasy at the same time.

Yes, the book is full of contradictions. Just like life itself.

Toon Talk

Watched the movie ‘Shark Tale’ finally on telly. The characters and voices of Will Smith and gang were so darn cute. Thoroughly enjoyed the animation, dialogues, and Lenny--the sissy shark :-)

‘Finding Nemo’ and the ‘Lion King’ are two of my favorite toon flicks. Now waiting like an expectant mother for Ice Age to come out.

One thing, though, is that technically brilliant animation movies these days are totally adult-oriented with smart-ass dialogues. They have to be cool and hip, else it simply ain’t happenin', brutha!

Movies like ‘Jungle Book’ were made purely for kids. But the adults that accompanied them enjoyed the simplicity too and it transported them back to their childhood.

Guess that’s why once we grow up(some of us at least), we continue to enjoy good ole cartoons on telly like ‘Tom and Jerry’ and ‘Tweety and Sylvester’.

Even cartoon strips like ‘Calvin & Hobbes’ and ‘Garfield’—two of the most popular cartoon strips and three of the most important characters (Hobbes is real, you know, plus he totally rocks :-)) are full of digs and takes on cynicism, sarcastic wit, what’s cool, and oh, ok, I concede, rocketships and pizza. Like space shuttles and pizza have anything to do with age. Uh-huh!

While the above two cartoon series are absolutely adorable, my other faves include Charlie Brown, Snoopy and the whole Peanuts gang, Beetle Bailey, Dilbert, Archies, and the full-blown series of The Adventures of Tintin and Snowy, and Asterix.

Its toon time, folks! Get the popcorn!

On your marks...get set...go!

How many times I've heard that (title of post) boomed into the mike during school races and events. And now am embarking on another adventure in life.

Finally at the starting line....of blogging.... Flag Off! :-)
This is one journey or run that I'm totally looking forward to and hope there isn't a finishing line.

Of late, a lot of blogs I've been reading have one refrain.....'i'm getting out of blogging'. Ab yeh kya baat hui? Is it some phase.....agreed, we go through all kinds of phases in life and a blog helps you to record atleast some part of it. I take my hat off to dedicated bloggers who have stuck around through the years. Very impressive track record indeed.

Perseverance is a virtue I probably lack, based on some past experiences. But somehow I now feel determined to overcome a lot of what I consider to be some of my despicable personality traits...procrastination, laziness, and getting my butt out of comfort zones I frequently find myself in. Keeping fingers crossed that blogging will help in this endeavour.

New Kid on the Blog

Hola! :-)

Finally put pen to paper or rather click to mouse and got going...er..sort of...on 'planning to start a blog'.

Just baby steps so far. (All Indians are apathetic to filling out forms. Registration is modern day torture).

That's one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind.
- Neil Armstrong

This (blogging) is one small step for all, one giant leap for my kind.
- Me

Have been in the planning mode forever. Procrastination is my middle name as well as my worst enemy. In my defense, as they say, keep your friends close and your enemies closer, so have only been practising that rule :-)

Let's see how interesting, exciting and/or painful the blogging journey gets.....

What's in it for me, you ask?
How should I know, I just got here!

Nevertheless...

Welcome to my okiya :-) (current fave phrase)