Perfect Day

A perfect day goes like this:

1. In the morning, you get scalded by the tea you make.
2. At work, you get rogered by your boss for the bungling-up he did.
3. When you return home with a throbbing headache, you discover that the cable TV has still not be restored and you will be missing your favorite teleserials for yet another day.
4. You nick your finger while slicing mangoes for your bro and dear friend, TK. Grrr...
5. When you put on the soup to heat, the gas cylinder suddenly finishes.
6. You decide to fix the creaking door by oiling it and a splinter lodges itself in your finger.
7. Your bro and dear friend take it upon themselves to remove the splinter using an unsterilized needle and tweezer.
8. Your fingers swells up to double its size under the attention of the quacks.
9. By the time all the excitement subsides, its close to midnight and when you call your sweetheart, you find that he has also slept off blissfully.
10. Your heart and finger hurt with equal intensity that whole night.

Good night folks!!

Busy bee makes a realization

Today is turning out to be one of those days where I have so much work to do, my wrist hurts and I've had no time to eat... oddly enough, these are the kind of days I like.

And a realization:
I'm beginning to appreciate and understand the value of the tone of voice. People don't listen to what you say, they listen to how you say it. You could get away with saying a lot of things just by using a polite and considerate tone.

After effects of a panic attack

List of things to do today

• Publish the people metrics reports at work
• Complete the promotion process
• Service dhano (my car)
• Apologise to Booboo
• Call PS and NG
• Buy Medicines
• Make credit card and mobile payment
• Book gas
• Go to the gym
• Breathe

Sometimes it’s hard to be brave and face the music, it’s so much easier to go out into the desert and die.

Sometimes it feels like nothing is worth the butterflies that seem to flutter around ceaselessly in your stomach, increasing the tension and the nervousness.

Sometimes you need to count the cost before you put it all on the line.

Sometimes it takes a lot of courage to put things into perspective.

Sometimes it’s so much easier to quit than to push forward.

---------------------------------------------

I came, I stood, I shivered in my shoes. I’m still standing... because I'm not alone. Thank you dear friends!

Yukon Ho!

I totally adore Calvin. Man, that small guy is a genius. 6 years on the face of the earth, blonde spiky hair and an attitude the size of Mt. Everest. He's Mr. Know-all, Omnipotent and he's got Hobbes as his faithful, but smartass sidekick!!! Together, they take on the problems of the world, sometimes contemplate on life itself, and get into the occasional mischief. Calvin does what he wants to do. He lives a normal life, goes to school, has the bossy baby sitter, the parents, oh, did I mention he has an overactive imagination that has the tendency to run amok!!! Not to miss his superlarge alterego, Stupendous Man.

Sometimes, I wish we could be like that! Carefree, without having to think about the future, living life on our terms without having to care for rules set by the society, doing whatever we wanted whenever and however we felt like. Once upon a time, we were like that!!! That time is gone.

My tiger friend has got the sled,
And I have packed a snack.
We're all set for the trip ahead.
We're never coming back!

We're abandoing this life we've led!
So long, Mom and Pop!
We're sick of doing what you've said,
And now it's going to stop!

We're going where it snows all year,
Where life can have real meaning.
A place where we won't have to hear,
"Your room could stand some cleaning."

The Yukon is the place for us!
That's where we want to live.
Up there we'll get to yell
and cuss And act real primitive.

We'll never have to go to school,
Forced into submission,
By monst, crabby teachers who'll
make us learn addition.

We'll never have to clean a plate,
Of veggie glops and goos.
Messily we'll masticate,
using any fork we choose!

The timber wolves will be our friends.
Well stay up late and howl,
At the moon, till nightmare ends,
Before going on the prowl.

Oh, what a life!
We cannot wait, To be in that arctic land,
Where we'll be masters of our fate,
And lead a life that's grand!

No more of parental rules!
We're heading for some snow!
Good riddance to those grown-up-ghouls!
We're leaving! Yukon Ho!

--- From Calvin and Hobbes, Yukon Ho!

Wish I could escape this adult world to Yukon Ho too!!

PS: I found this fairly sizable list of Calvin quotes. Another cool site with 25 best of Calvin series. Check it out!

This and That

There is so much happening at the same time in my life that I am unable to keep up: Work has clambered back up to my throat and is screaming revenge for the idyllic afternoons spent chatting with my sweetheart. I had to become a superwoman this entire week to face the frontal attack of schedules and deadlines, full force! The dust has settled and the battle is won (for now!)

I took an IQ test today (JLT!) and scored a 134. The questions were fairly simple and I could definitely have scored much higher. Anyways, in the last IQ test that I took I had scored a 146. I have been rated down from a Genius to a Gifted. Is it possible that IQ levels drop? How is that possible? I don't feel dimmer, but I have been exposed to monumental stupidity the past few weeks, it must have rubbed off. No!

Today was 'phone call' day. I think I received a record number of phone calls... especially from people I had not spoken to in close to two months or so!!! I am really contemplating becoming a shrink. With all the good advice that I dish out to troubled souls, I may as well make some good monies for it!

It rained last evening. T and I went for a walk in the rain. The heady fragrance of the freshly wet earth, the canopy of bright red Gulmohurs overhead and the pitter-patter of raindrops... Brought back so many memories. It was the coolest thing we did in a long long time!

GR and I frequent this Barista near work for lunch. It is full of smokey teens! I have nothing against people who smoke, it's their life and they can do whatever they want to with it! But I'd so wish that sometimes restaurants would have a clearer Smoker's/ Non-Smoker's demarcation. For people like me with wheezy lungs and breathing, it is really a huge torture to inhale those fumes! So, for lunch we usually have a Smoked Chilly Cheese Sandwich (Nah! No attempt at being funny here... that is what the sandwich is called!), an Iced Cafe Mocha and three cigarettes (passively, of course!) each. By the end of lunch, G and I were totally into Hip-Hop mode! We were s-m-o-k-i-n'!

Winding this up with this quote by Albert Einstein.....
"The most beautiful thing we can experience is the mysterious. It is the source of all true art and all science. He to whom this emotion is a stranger, who can no longer pause to wonder and stand rapt in awe, is as good as dead: his eyes are closed."

God Exists!!

I lay in the dark, hugging my fat and ugly gorilla - KK, stroking his belly, feeling the tears run down from the corners of my eyes to collect in pools in my ears. The tears came from the depths of my soul. I was crying as I haven't in a long, long time.

And then I got not one call, but three from close friends. Sent an sms to TK at 1:00 am (our secret coded msg) and she knew instantly that there was something was amiss. She insisted on coming over in the middle of night even though I was downright rude in putting her off. She came over and hugged me tight. I sobbed my heart out on her shoulder.

Nuts called in the middle of the night to check how I was doing. There is no way she could've known. Sobbed my heart out to her too!

And then Ro. smsed this morning:
"My tea's gone cold.
I'm wondering why I got out of bed at all.
The morning rain clouds up my window,
and I can't see at all.
Even if I could, it'd all be grey,
but your picture on my wall,
It reminds me that it's not so bad.. its not so bad." - Eminem!
Have a wonderful day, princess!!

There is no way Ro could have known either!!

He may throw hurdles and pain my way, He may make decisions heart rendering and difficult, but at least He didn't leave me friendless last night.

Kargil's first Hero

I Found This In My Mail...

HATS OFF TO THE INDIAN ARMY!!

They died protecting our lives. Spare some time for these brave men....

Lt. Saurabh Kalia of 4 JAT Regiment of the Indian Army laid down his life at the young age of 22 for the nation while guarding the frontiers at Kargil. His parents, indeed the Indian Army and nation itself, lost a dedicated, honest and brave son. He was the first officer to detect and inform about Pakistani intrusion.

Pakistan captured him and his patrol party of 5 brave men alive on May 15, 1999 from the Indian side of LOC. They were kept in captivity for three weeks and subjected to unprecedented brutal torture, evident from their bodies handed over by Pakistan Army on June 9, 1999. The Pakistanis indulged in dastardly acts of inflicting burns on the Indians with cigarettes, piercing their ears with hot rods, removing their eyes before puncturing them and breaking most of the bones and teeth. They even chopped off various limbs and private organs of the Indian soldiers besides inflicting unimaginable physical and mental torture. After 22 days of torture, the brave soldiers were ultimately shot dead.

A detailed post- mortem report is with the Indian Army. Pakistan dared to humiliate India this way flouting all international norms. They proved the extent to which they can degrade humanity. However, the Indian soldiers did not break while undergoing all this unimaginable barbarism, which speaks volumes of their patriotism, grit, determination, tenacity and valour - something all of India should be proud of. Sacrificing oneself for the nation is an honour every soldier would be proud of, but no parent, army or nation can accept what happened to these brave sons of India.

I am afraid every parent may think twice to send their child in the armed forces if we all fall short of our duty in safeguarding the prisoners of war and let them meet the fate of Lt. Saurabh Kalia. It may also send a demoralising signal to the army personnel fighting for the Nation that our POWs in Pak cannot be taken care of. It is a matter of shame and disgust that most of Indian Human Rights Organisations by and large, showed apathy in this matter.

Through this humble submission, may I appeal to all the civilized people irrespective of colour, caste, region, religion and political lineage to stir their conscience and rise to take this as a national issue?

International Human Rights Organisations must be approached to expose and pressure Pakistan to identify, book and punish all those who perpetrated this heinous crime to our men in uniform. If Pakistan is allowed to go unpunished in this case, we can imagine the consequences.

Below is the list of 5 other soldiers who preferred to die for the country rather than open their mouths in front of enemy.

1. Sep. Arjun Ram s/o Sh. Chokka Ram; Village & PO Gudi. Teh. & Dist.Nagaur (Rajasthan)
2. Sep. Bhanwar Lal Bagaria h/o Smt. Santosh Devi;Village Sivelara; Teh. & Dist. Sikar (Rajasthan)
3. Sep. Bhikaram h/o Smt. Bhawri Devi; Village Patasar;Teh. Pachpatva; Distt. Barmer (Rajasthan)
4. Sep. Moola Ram h/o Smt. Rameshwari Devi; Village Katori; Teh. Jayal; Dist. Nagaur (Rajasthan)
5. Sep. Naresh Singh h/o Smt. Kalpana Devi; Village Chhoti Tallam; Teh.Iglab; Dist.Aligarh (UP)

Yours truly,

Dr. N.K. Kalia (Lt. Saurabh Kalia's father).
Saurabh Nagar,
Palampur-176061
Himachal Pradesh
Tel: +91 (01894) 32065

Daaamn!! I am disgusted with us. My two paise:

• The soldiers were tortured because they chose to fight - and die - for their country. Why the hell were the Pakis allowed to get away with this? Was it not the government’s duty to avenge them? Why were our politicians working so hard to avoid a full-scale war?
  
• Whether the soldiers broke under torture or not is something we will never know, but it really does not matter. The mere fact that they were subjected to this kind of treatment justified a tougher line against Pakistan.
  
• What the hell was Arundhati Roy doing when this happened? I did not hear a peep out of this great “Champion of Human Rights” who “as a world citizen, implored the Vajpayee government to give up nuclear weapons”. Where were all the other human rights organisations that suddenly became very vocal during the Babri Masjid incident and the Gujarat riots? (I am not condoning these incidents in any way. What happened then was wrong, no doubt). Where were Teesta Setalvad and her slimy chums? Were they just too flush with funds obtained from questionable sources to speak out? Damn pseudos - the lot. Deserve to be lined up and shot.
  
• Should we bring international human rights organisations into this? In my opinion, they are a bunch of self serving dogs as bad as the home-grown variety. When they are not being used as political tools by their own governments, that is…
  
• Why do we continue to vote such weak-kneed governments into power? For them, such an incident is just another opportunity to let us down (Tashkent, Simla, IC-814, Pyridhwah, the list just goes on and on).
  
• Why am I so angry with this when I know that there is nothing I (Or anyone else, for that matter) can do about it? Such incidents will keep on happening and we will just “turn the other cheek”.

More information on this incident can be found here:

• Appeal of Capt. Kalia's father to all Indian Citizens due to the cruelty of Pakistan Army.
• Lest we forget: Kargil's first hero
• War Heros

Summer of 2005

If I thought John Abraham was the hottest thing this summer, I totally underestimated that shiny golden orb in the big blue sky. And how! The temperature seems to go only one way - up, up, UP! And I hate summers. I'd rather be chilled to the bone than be hot and sticky.

If there's one thing I hate about Bangalore, it's definitely the "May" weather. Am longing for a sudden shower to ease things around here. Right now, I'd sell my soul to the devil to be in June!! The start of the monsoons. Rainy nights, one after the other. June - Such a beautiful month!


Summer Rain
--- Belinda Carlisle

Whispering our goodbyes, waiting for a train
I was dancing with my baby in the summer rain
I can hear him saying nothing will change
Come dance with me baby in the summer rain
I remember the rain on our skin
And his kisses hotter than the Santa Ana winds
Whispering our goodbyes, waiting for a train
I was dancing with my baby in the summer rain

I remember laughing till we almost cried
There at the station that night
I remember looking in his eyes

[CHORUS]
Oh my love it's you that I dream of
Oh my love, since that day
Somewhere in my heart I'm always dancing with you in the summer rain
Doesn't matter what I do now
Doesn't matter what I say
Somewhere in my heart I'm always dancing with you in the summer rain

I can hear the whistle, military train
I was dancing with my baby, in the summer rain
I can hear him saying Ooh love is strange
Come dance with me baby, in the summer rain
I remember the rain pouring down
And we poured our hearts out as the train pulled out
I can see my baby waving from the train
It was the last time that I saw him in the summer rain

[CHORUS]
................ (continued)

Women Rule!!

Read about Gauri Nanda, the second-year graduate student and research associate at MIT, who invented Clocky (an alarm clock for people who have trouble getting out of bed. When the snooze bar is pressed, Clocky rolls off the table and finds a hiding spot, a new one every day and basically keeps pestering you until you wake up) has also developed a smart handbag (called bYOB, build-your-own-bag) for the forgetfuls (like me!). It helps keep you on track on a busy morning. It makes sure you haven't forgetten your wallet or house keys (My lifelong ailment!) and even lights up in the dark to make rummaging through it easier (I so need this!).

And wait, there's more. It even tells you if you've forgotten something you will probably need later in the day. A pen or your dairy, for instance. It can review the weather report and suggest that you grab an umbrella -- or your sunshades. This purse can even upload your favorite songs onto your scarf. It takes a girl to invent the really smart and useful things, haan?

Been a long day!

Its really been a long day..

First, it was the Bangalore International Marathon.. Yeah! I did the the 7 kms 'Celebration Run’ (despite all the cynicism) and lived to tell . We woke up bright and early at 5:30 am (what a Sunday!) and a grumbling TK, Chirpy SP, Sleepy SJ and an excited yours truly reached Kanteerava stadium at around 7 am. The Full Marathon and the Half Marathon were already in progress. And there was a huge turnout.. looked like some 10,000 or so people waiting for the 7 km wala run.. (you will get the actual figures in the newspapers in about a couple of hours)

So, there I was.. looking to run my first marathon and also trying to figure out if my exercising and jogging has had any effect. Well! I completed the run in about 59 mins. That’s a pretty decent time for my standards and even among approx 1000 odd brave guys and gals who had turned up there. And definitely better than T and Nuts who gave up mid way and strolled through the rest of the "Run" :)

My congratulations to Kennedy Chinna “Army” Ramu who upstaged his better-rated rivals from Ethiopia, in the full Marathon for his first win.

After that, I got back home, took a quick shower and dressed (in a sari and the works! And might I add mua looked rather cute) to go to GR's daughter's naming ceremony. Aarna, meaning Laxmi, is a bundle of beauty (thank god she took after her mom). The proud father, looking stunning himself in his new sherwani, was beaming from ear to ear as everyone gooed and gaaed over the neonate. Most of the office crowd had made to the function. We spent the afternoon chatting and bhatting over some scrumptious lunch.

At 4:00 pm, a panicky Nuts called me. "Where are you?” She screeched. "We have to go for the MCIM meet tonight and I don't have a stitch to wear". I kept the phone a few inches away from my ear and asked her what her 2 huge bags, which I had to lug, contained. She chose not to hear me and asked me to come back pronto. So, the afternoon was spent shopping for the perfect dress for Nuts. After much searching and lots of 'trying', we found IT. A joyous Nuts and a tired Sona headed back home.

That was not the end of the day. The Class of MCIM were meeting at the 13th Floor, sharp at 8:00 PM, to give Nutkins a warm welcome... Bangalore style! With Nuts taking hours to dress up and to apply her make-up perfectly, we were terribly late.. I raced through the city, cussing the other (horrible!) drivers. Anyways, when we arrived there at 9:00 PM, we found that we were the early birds!! Pah!! Women!

And then, by 10 pm when the party was in full blast and attendance, the days activities were catching up with me. I was totally exhausted. But then some good food, cool Bangalore breeze and ribbing with ol' classmates (in that order ;) rejuvenated me again. So, here I am at 2 am.. filing this post :) My Scooby also slept off on me. Me heading for bed too.

Chow! Nighty night!!