On my bookshelf!

Despite all my attempts not to buy any more books, I landed up with five more. This time the bookshop came to the office campus. With discounts!! Now how can anyone resist a good bargain?

Picked up The Da Vinci Code (Dan Brown), River Dog: A Journey Down the Brahmaputra (Mark Shand), Yadav: A Roadside Love Story (Jill Lowe), 52 Weekend Breaks from Bangalore and a city road map.

I recently finished Bringing Down the House by Ben Mezrich and loved the book. The amazing inside story about a gambling ring of M.I.T. students who beat the system in Vegas -- and lived to tell how. Filled with tense action, high stakes, and incredibly close calls, this book is a nail-biting read that chronicles a real-life Ocean's Eleven. If you happen to come across the book, it's worth a read.

Another book I read recently was Dave Barry Does Japan. Written in his truly inimitable style, it's pretty howlarious! He will have you in splits as he belts out oldies in a karaoke bar, marries a geriatric geisha girl, takes his first bath in public, bows to just about everyone, and explores culture shock in all its numerous humorous forms, including: Failing to Learn Japanese in Only Five Minutes Or: "Very Much Good Morning, Sir!" ; Humor in Japan Take My Tofu, Please!; Sports in Japan "Yo, Batter! Loudly Make it Fly!" , and more. Not a book if you're looking for a serious insight into Japanese culture, as Barry himself admits!

I love recursive ad-infinitum arguments

Don't people just hate it when they are labelled as typical and are generalised upon ? Everyone wants to be different. Everyone wants to be unique. And everyone is different. So when someone attempts to group people of a certain type together because of their traits or their behaviour, the subjects of the grouping normally do not find it very amusing. Bah they say, 'I'm not really like that'. Generalization hurts.

Ok now I'm beginning to generalize. I love recursive ad-infinitum arguments.

Some cool stuff!

A Bookaholics delight!
Found a really cool lending library with a pretty good collection where you can book online and get delivery at your doorstep (for a small price, but very worth it). I’ve been trying to find a good library for a while now, so I am thrilled to bits when RM asked me to check out this site! It’s a nice concept and this is the first time I’ve actually come across a library making use of the Net so extensively. If you’re in Bangalore, and like reading, it’s worth trying.

A manager to manage your bookmarks!
del.icio.us is a social bookmarks manager. It allows you to easily add sites you like to your personal collection of links, to categorize those sites with keywords, and to share your collection not only between your own browsers and machines, but also with others.I am pretty much hooked on it now. Simple and great idea. I have now stopped bookmarking in my browser and instead use del.icio.us.

Connecting to the world
While I was researching the internet connectivity options, I discover (thanks NG) that even BSNL has an "account free" dial-up connection scheme called NetOne that authenticates based on Caller Line Identification (CLI) and is reasonable at 10 paise per minute. This is apart from the normal outgoing call charges for ISP dial-up numbers (17xxxx). TouchTel in fact has gone one step further and has eliminated the ISP charges altogether for its subscribers! Anyone with a landline connection from either BSNL or TouchTel can therefore start using their dial-up services right away and there is also no hassle of renewals. Now you don’t have to buy an ISP pack from VSNL or Sify?

Encyclopedia
I recently rediscovered the excellent online resource Wikipedia - I had seen it in its early days when it didn't have much useful or accurate content but I was quite pleasantly surprised to see just how much it has evolved in the intervening period. I was also quite sceptical of a wiki producing anything useful, considering just how much it can be abused, but I seem to be wrong after all. Wikipedia is quickly becoming the de-facto starting place for me to find out about something. Very highly recommended!!

Happy Women's day!!

By the time the Lord made woman, he was into his sixth day of working overtime. An angel appeared and said, "Why are you spending so much time on this one?"

And the Lord answered, "Have you seen my spec sheet on her? She has to be completely washable, but not plastic, have over 200 movable parts, all replaceable and able to run on diet coke and leftovers, have a lap that can hold four children at one time, have a kiss that can cure anything from a scraped knee to a broken heart -and she will do everything with only two hands.

The angel was astounded at the requirements. "Only two hands!? No way! And that's just on the standard model? That's too much work for one day. Wait until tomorrow to finish. "But I won't," the Lord protested. "I am so close to finishing this creation that is so close to my own heart. She already heals herself when she is sick AND can work 18 hour days."

The angel moved closer and touched the woman. "But you have made her so soft, Lord." "She is soft," the Lord agreed, "but I have also made her tough. You have no idea what she can endure or accomplish."

"Will she be able to think?", asked the angel. The Lord replied, "Not only will she be able to think, she will be able to reason and negotiate."

The angel then noticed something, and reaching out, touched the woman's cheek. "Oops, it looks like you have a leak in this model. I told you that you were trying to put too much into this one." "That's not a leak," the Lord corrected, "that's a tear!" "What's the tear for?" the angel asked. The Lord said, "The tear is her way of expressing her joy, her sorrow, her pain, her disappointment, her love, her loneliness, her grief and her pride." The angel was impressed. "You are a genius, Lord. You thought of everything! Woman is truly amazing."

And she is! Women have strengths that amaze men. They bear hardships and they carry burdens, but they hold happiness, love and joy. They smile when they want to scream. They sing when they want to cry. They cry when they are happy and laugh when they are nervous. They fight for what they believe in. They stand up to injustice. They don't take "no" for an answer when they believe there is a better solution. They go without so their family can have. They go to the doctor with a frightened friend. They love unconditionally. They cry when their children excel and cheer when their friends get awards. They are happy when they hear about a birth or a wedding. Their hearts break when a friend dies. They grieve at the loss of a family member yet they are strong when they think there is no strength left. They know that a hug and a kiss can heal a broken heart.

Women come in all shapes, sizes and colors. They'll drive, fly, walk, run or e-mail you to show how much they care about you. The heart of a woman is what makes the world keep turning. They bring joy, hope and love. They have compassion and ideals. They give moral support to their family and friends. Women have vital things to say and everything to give. However, if there is one flaw in women, it is that they have forgotten their worth.

Happy Women's day!!

Poor Little Me!

TK is the nastiest, unkindest cruelest meanest person I know. (All the nice things I have said about her are not true anymore!!)

One week after the wound on my knee started to heal, the doc advised that I should get my dressing done at home instead of traveling to the hospital everyday. (Yes, the Operation Theatre experience was very painful. Yes, I cried, but not too much. Yes, I am a brave girl. Yes, I should be resting at home but there’s too much work. Yes, health comes first, but if I am jobless I shall starve and that’s not healthy either. Yes, I am open to all the sympathy that I can get. Yes, I sound needy. Yes, I am needy. Yes, Yes! I shall get back to the story.)

TK had a field day changing the dressing for me. T could not stop giggling. I gave her a reprimanding look and told her that it hurts when she rocks during her giggling fits. T, still giggling, removed the dressing and gasped. A deafening silence ensued for a brief five seconds. And then she spoke, “There’s a big gaping hole”. Breaking into another uncontrollable giggling fit she said, “We can use it for a candle holder.”

As I said, TK is the nastiest unkindest cruelest meanest person I know.

Life rocks!

well it's a long way up and we won't come down tonight
well it may be wrong but baby it sure feels right

well we won't come down tonight
ya we won't come down tonight
no we won't come down tonight

we can watch the world go by - up on cloud number nine...

Went to Bryam Adams live concert last nite with RM, SP, M, NG, PG, AM & a couple more ppl! It was worth the pain of finding a parking, the serpentine queues, the dust, the cigarette smoke and the long long wait filled in by Aasma and Dragonfly. From "Summer of 69" to "Everything I do" and from "18 till I die" to "The only thing that looks good on me", Adams played everything he's possibly ever sang. It was a night to remember. Bryan totally rocks! I love this guy!

So while we were dancing I looked around, saw some doped and drunk teenagers, saw some available girls grinding against desperate boys and thanked God for not making me like them (I know it's judgmental of me, but I detest such crass behavior).

My bestest buddy - Nuts got married on February 6. Went to Wayand for the wedding. The place and the wedding were just awesome. Nuts looked stunning in her white wedding gown. EP couldnt keep his eyes off her. Wish the newly-weds a very happy married life!

On the way back, saw a herd of wild elephants with two adorable baby calfs frolicking in the water. We went closer to get a few pics but were chased back by the matriarch of the herd.

Bangalore's weather has turned absolutely amazing. Cloudy, with a bit of chill in the air, and intermittent rains in the evening or night.

Life JUST can't get any better than this!

Mr. Nosey

I am sure most of you have met one of these species at some time or the other. My problem is that I am seated next to one. I sit in a huge cubicle where each gets enough space. This has no meaning to Mr. Nosey. He twirls his chair and sits prosperously facing my monitor. My freezing scorpion stares have no effect on him. He is meddlesome and is proud of it.

He does not think twice before questioning me on the document that I am working on; with which he has nothing to do. He has the chutzpah to inform me that I have a new mail icon blinking on the status bar. He does not simply look at my screen, he imbibes the details. Initially I tried to make him conscious of his irritating behavior – in vain. Oops! he is looking this way again. I wonder if he realizes that he is the subject of this blog...

Today I put up my tchotchkes for display (includes the candles from P, doggie from RM, "I am the best" cup from Sam) My desk looks too cool! but I believe my co-workers think I'm a crackpot because I'm always decorating and redocrating my cube. But I figure, since I'm here 13+ hours each day, then why the heck shouldn't I decorate my cube? I freakin' live here!!

You know you are a fauji brat when..

Okay I had to share this one!!!

• You were born in a MH- possibly with Pop not being around on the big day due to being required to go suddenly 'on duty' at short notice !
• Half your toddler years were spent with Dad being away!
• You went to school either on Bhaiya's cycle or in a Shaktiman
• You know what a Shaktiman is! ( No! it isnt the TV serial about half man and half machine starring AB look alike)
• Jeeps & Jongas don't excite you - they were your regular mode of transport!
• Your entire family (including the inevitable pet dog !)could survive in one room temporary accommodation with 25 trunks/wooden crates, the shell-based table lamps, lovely artistic drift-wood, a centre table, few 'peg' tables and of course-two bhaiyas flitting/hovering around.
• The smell of Brasso & shoe polish was regular morning staple.
• Mess was not what you created in your room, it was where you went every Friday for the free movie and the Sunday south Indian breakfast or Biryani/Chole- Bhature lunch.
• Baccha party is not a party dedicated to you, but yes it’s the clan name you earn as you learn to belong to the regimental parties with the rest of the “just as lost” kids sit together, whiling away time, while our parents conveniently join the main “party”.
• The "English Movie" was very often a western and you couldn't follow a word! Sometimes you just went for the samosas and the local drink that they insisted was Cola.
• At the end of the month your dad had to pay for many pink slips showing how many samosas and local drinks (that they insisted was Cola) you had consumed. They never missed any!!!
• You attended many many May / Navy Queen Balls before you knew what Miss India was.
• Your mother regularly got dressed, perfumed and disappeared for the Ladies Club.
• You knew towns like Mhow, Wellington , Fazilka, Pallawala, Twang and Bomdilla etc, which are generally extremely difficult to locate on any standard map of India.
• You weren't a millionaire but hey you had access to Olympic style Swimming, Horse Riding, Squash, Tennis, Flood- light lit Badminton courts and boy oh boy, Golf !!
• You can still take one quick look at the epaulets and figure out the rank.
• You can still recall the special & particular smell of the CSD canteen! A special prize for the correct concoction - mine is - it was a mix of Hamam Soap, Ponds Dreamflower Talc & Surf I think. In some corners it had overtures of Brooke Bond red Label as well.
• You remember the fun you used to have in the grilled 3-ton vehicle that was your regular school-BUS for years together.
• You know the full form of words like 'OG', "OLQs", 'CO' etc and that the meaning of "field' is not what is as given in the dictionary.

My bestest friend

Best friend - a term that has been long in use and will continue to be so for decades, perhaps even centuries to come, that is if this stupid race of humans manage to last that long.

Who or what is a best friend? Ask a kid that and he will tell you that it is the person you share all your secrets with. Ask an elder that and chances are that he will tell you the same thing. Of course, they recognize the other aspects of the relationship but at the end of the day it boils down to that one simple fact: the freedom to be yourself with that person, the comfort level that allows you to share everything from that stupid flirtation you had with the guy next door to the fact that you have flunked your exams and they know it before anyone else in the world does (not even parents....man! they are always the last ones to know everything)

My earliest memory of a best friend dates back to class 3. She was a sweet kid from whatever little I can remember now. Of course it goes without saying that I was a sweet kid too!! Ok so I bullied people perhaps a wee bit too much and should have paid more attention in the maths class instead of sucking on the end of my pencil like a moron, but chalta hai....I mean a woman is allowed some liberties in life, right!

When it was time for us to move (fauji kids! we stay in a place just long enough to unpack and then it is time to pack things and move again. Weird! but that's life), I wondered if I should cry for leaving Neha. I still remember screwing up my eyes and trying reaaallllllly hard to squeeze a tear out. My little bro offered to box me, said it would make the task easier. I declined and finally did not cry.

We promised to keep in touch and did so for a few years. I kept hearing about Neha from "uncles and aunties" who had been posted with Neha's dad. Many years later, I came to know that her mother passed away. I wished I could have been by her side to console her.

Then suddenly out of the blue, NB now Mrs. NS contacted me through www.batchmates.com. It was a huge surprise when she told she would be in Bangalore next month and looked forward to seeing me. I am so looking forward to meeting her too! After 18 long years!

Separated at birth

I don't know what it is about me but most people I meet for the first time tell me that have seen / met me earlier. Like today, I accompanied Sharo for her photo shoot, a male model there tells me, “Haven’t we met before?” No, it was not a pick-up line, he genuinely meant it. In reply, I say, “Wish I had met you before” :) *Eddie Murphish smile*

The other day at a restaurant, a guy (with a killer smile) exclaims (in hindi), “Aap yahan kaise? I thought you were in Cal”. Sorry! I haven't been to Calcutta in the last 16 years. He mistook me to be his friend's sis.

And then one morning at the gym, this lady comes up to me and asks, “Are you Deepali?" I say, "Not that I am aware of... I definitely remember my folks christening me S." The lady gave me some very suspicious looks like I was pretending not to be Deepali.

And yes how could I forget, a very very dear friend, has met not one but two women who look like me. Incidentally, one of the them even shares my name. According to my friend, she is "exactly" like me. Same ideas, same style of talking, same jumpy self etc.

Well, I couldn’t help wondering then, was I separated at birth? And how many times? I mean how many births?