Good Omen ;)

Most of us 'want' to believe, what you do on the first day of the year; happens meticulously through the year. So here I am. :)

2009 was eventful. Beautiful. Blissful.

All the people around me made my life more prettier, meaningful and important. My family, my future family, friends, colleagues, stranger-turned-friends.

What special things did I do this year!? Numerous of them!

1. Photography went to a better level. Thanks to Persie.
2. Went to UK. Although for a week only. :| But a completely sponsored trip! Thanks to sweet sis.
3. Got into stage singing for the first time in years! Thanks to colleague's encouragement, Mom's support and Persie's training ;)
4. Did try to get back to Kalari.. But :| Thanks to my work and studies and ME. (Me bad girl).
5. Finished my MBA! Thanks to God :) ( Phew..)
6. Persie and me revamped our home. I will put up the pics sometime <|:)
7. Lost my cell phone for the first time. Persie said that was a sign of us being soul mates. So, I guess everything happens for a reason.
8. Did a FASHION SHOW!
9. Learnt many new dishes. Many more to go.
10. Went to places I haven't been before.
11. Ate and drank things I've never had before ;)

and so on and so forth... there were so many happy, funny, stupid, silly and beautiful moments shared with people I love.

My resolution is that I will not have any resolution because that will just limit my options. Right? :)

2010 holds many more precious moments coming ahead that I can already think of. I pray to God everyone around me sees a beautiful time , true love and mental peace ahead.

Flight 2010 taking off for a beautiful journey!!

( Clicked by Me in UK :) )

Sammilan '09 -Magic Personified!

Sammilan 2009, Bangalore.

I was fortunate enough to witness this year's breath-taking International Festival presented by Kalari Academy of Performing Arts. It was just yesterday. I was too exhausted out of my wits to write about last night.
Why? I was trigger-happy. What more can a photographer ask for than picture-perfect, elegant and beautiful artists!?

I agree it spilt over a little than the scheduled time lines. But, do we ever say no to extra food on a treat? No. :)
For those of you who missed it, what am I for? Here you go, the outline of the show. Pardon me if I miss out anything but that would be only because I'm in the hurry to cover the event in a single breath.

The thrilling Theekshana choreographed by respected Ranjan sir (my guru) where the live music got people biting their lips in anxiety. A glimpse...



Roopa Ravindran from Sristi choreographed beautiful sequence presenting all Animal Poses in a engaging way to promote preservation of wildlife.


Veena, sleek and swift Veena; choreographed a Musical Combat, which by the way is my brand new favorite now with the magical combination of soft instrumental in the background of a masculine strength portrayal. Check that out!


Maja.. The Koresian Ballet artist.. Who captured the audience with her perfect balance and immense focus. Don't miss her toes. Straight as Stick!! :O





Veena's Maya.. Can you stop admiring her poise!




Oh and how can I miss, Kannada Actress Bhavana was there as the chief guest. She looked stunning in the black sari and the knotty (naughty ;)) little blouse.

Salsa, Spice and Love..

Friday. Without a doubt, my favorite day of the week. I love cooking at any time, anywhere, but today; I was IN THE MOOD.

I picked up my grocery bag and headed to another favorite, the Super Market!
As I walked through the aisles of confectioneries and juices; "Hello There.." said the sexy sauces from Karen Anand's. "O-la-la".. whispered me under my breath and filled my bag with some goodies while my brain concocted tonight's menu.

It was just yesterday that me and Prasad were discussing in absolute seriousness that its just not fair; the quantity of Nacho chips in these theatres, that comes for what hundred bucks!! What's even more unfair is that Nachos don't come cheap and easy at every store around. :|

To me, food is an art. Whatever be the ingredients, the real taste, is of love.
And of course, which art is complete without creativity. Trying out new recipes or rather inventing my own gives me the thrill of a five-year-old making a sand castle. Just like that castle, I feel cooking food should always be easy, fun and quick!

So, presenting Friday night's Menu!

1. Starters... Crackers with Salsa Sauce. You can even sprinkle some cheese on this to indulge.


2. Marinated spicy soya chunks. I loved the way the texture turned out.


3. Mixed Vegetable Spread with Bread.


4. Happy Tummies.

Appam-Sambhar Khao, QUICK GUN MURUGUN ke gun gaao!

I licked my fingers clean off the Podi Dosa. Me and Prasad both agreed coming to SouthIndies for the brunch was a prudent choice over French Quarters.

The Real Reason being: French Quarters had closed their Sunday Brunches for the time being due to the Metro Work going on right in front of their doors. I loved The French Q. Whenever they restart the buffet, they have one die-hard fan coming back for sure.

Nevertheless, competition brings out more options for consumers. So, Me and Prasad marched through the Namma Metro debris towards SouthIndies right across the road. They have used a better strategy (according to ME!) to lure hungry people interrupted by Namma Metro. They have brought down their prices to 225 + tax == :D !

By our third Podi Dosa and the first Appam, we both spoke in unison. Food was fabulous.
Taste- Check
Appearance-Check
Service-Double Check. The waiter literally never let our plates have even an inch of empty space!
Ambiance-You think I cared about that by now!

We were discussing how healthy vegetarian food can be and especially South Indian cuisines when it came to a quickie breakfast. I completely swore by that fact and proceeded to order my next coin parantha. It was Kerala speciality, how can I betray the food of my mother land?
Although when the coin parantha came in, it was I agree a little bigger than a coin. Maybe a few coins put together and squashed under the railway tracks.

By the time we waded through the sambhar-dosa-chutney, appam-stew, pulav and gallons of chutney-podi-with-ghee-which-you-must-eat-with-every-bite...we looked content. Not to mention the payasam and ice cream, which maintained the quality & our expectations.
I topped it all with the filter-coffee!




(Pics borrowed from some fellow bloggers for depicting the food from heaven)

We walked back lazily to the car and drove back home.
I leaped into my bed for my Sunday siesta wondering, They must have kept the caffeine dose at the end of the meal for a reason.

Iron(y) Maiden... :|

I reached office listening to the radio. It played, "I believe I can fly.."
What if I could? With all that flight sickness I have! I would be flying around with a ton of air sickness bags. Ewww.

I am no good at the sea either. In fact, any mode of transportation, extending beyond a few hours at a stretch, leaves me bundled up in one corner with a pale face. This is so ironic because I love to see places. I love seeings new places, new things, finding beauty in the simplest of things.

My stomach; hates me for this liking of mine. I am the kinds who can spin into bouts of retching at the sight of an unhygienic place. Leave alone touching the food there. But then again, I love food. I love trying new dishes. I envy people who have the tummy of a stone crusher and relish even the road-side chat.

This is absolute Irony. Its like your favorite piece of cake falling down face first. Or, the last nut in the bag turning out to be stale. Or, the electricity going away just when you gather your lazy bones to iron your weekly quota of clothes. Or, the only shoe you loved in the shop of thousands, not having your size.

:|

I have been onto novels now for a little while. I guess its because although I cribbed and whined about doing my MBA, it has sort of got me used to reading before I go to sleep. ;)

Suchitra has been my library. Right now, I am reading, "Eat, Pray, Love".



Beauty. Love. Desire. Realization. You can't stop thinking of these if you ever get to read this. I have never been the novel-reading kinds. Those who know me well, will swear by that fact. And guess what, as I proceeded in the novel, I see the novelist say the same things as me, she's a traveler with a constitution as weak as of a premature fetus. But, she travels.

I suddenly feel good about myself. I keep the book aside and sleep with a smile.

On the table top...

You just can't deny it, meetings can be a real dud sometimes. Especially, corporate.
I have seen an instance where it was supposed to be a day-off-work meant for employees to rewind and relax. They were taken to a beautiful resort with amazing landscapes, a swimming pool, board games, outdoor games and (behold!) a big conference room.
Conference ROOM!? You must be wondering my dear friends. Yes, everyone was locked up there for the next four hours and presented slides by all managers about how to make the place fun.
...No comments.

Don't be judgemental and conclude that I don't pay attention in meetings (I even take notes as proof!). But, there are so many distracting agents and lets accept it, monologue meetings are the undisputed winners in this category.



Things you DON'T want in a meeting:
1. Coffee slurrrper sitting next to you.
2. Nail-biter sitting next to you, for that matter anywhere in your frame of vision (Eww gross!)
3. Leg shaker anywhere near the table. The last thing you want is to feel the seismic vibrations coming all the way from a restless colleague while you're already battling a post-lunch meeting.
4. A "Same-Word-Repeater-Speaker". "OK!", "You getting me?", "Basically". I know we all do it, but as audience, by the time you're done with the hour long talk with all the OKs, you are ready to shoot yourself at the next "OK!". :|
5. What you DEFINITELY don't want is; to be the last person in the row. Here's the thing, the first person at the table bends over to see the projection ahead. So, does the next and next and so on. So, you better be sitting on the table top if you are the last person at the table!!

Fashion ka hai yeh jalwa..

The last time I had participated in a fashion show was back in school.
It was a cheesy, wanna-be, teenage performance. But, it was fun.

Well, I did it again. This time at work and with just double the crowd. Although I have always loved dressing up, I would say the conditions around me weren't that flattering for the occasion.

1. Thirty-minutes-FLAT to change.

2. Loads of make-up. I've been told natural goes the best on me. At least most of my close ones tell me not to scare them with red lipstick.

3. Rain. Rain. Rain.

4. A kaput Green Room. Now I must say, that the organizers took the term 'Green' Room too literally, coz it was on Grass! People, someone's wearing a two grand stilettos here!

5. Two-Grand Stilettos. Not the price. But, the height.

6. The wind. Wind is welcome when it flies kites, not skirts.

Putting all the above factors in a blender and what do you have;

1. Wet stage...Get ready to see some skating championship!
2. Drenched green room remains.
3. Me running around with stilettos in hand and skirt tucked between legs.
4. Make-up? Who cares! Didn't you read the point 3!!!

However, things are always not as bad as I make them sound. Although last picture is the supporter of my 'Go-Natural strategy'.

I, Robot.

Rigourous aerobics after a month-long break; you'll agree I look robotic today.

My legs won't move. I am skipping few breaths here and there cause my abs can't take all that breathing motion. I almost screamed along with my sneeze. My calves scream in pain almost making me wish I could slide down the stairs on my chair.

The beauty is, you never realize this while you're doing it. With every crunch I did, I smiled at my reflection saying "Not bad at all, eh".
My reflection smiled back at me saying "We'll see tomorrow, toughie!".

And it was just a matter of time, before I tried to get up from bed in the morning and OUCH, that HURT. :|
I remember being told that Lactic Acid is the culprit here.
But, Google begs to differ.
Let's not blame the poor acid. The muscle stiffness that we experience after hard or unaccustomed exercise is the damage/stress to the muscles and not the crystallisation of lactic acid. In fact, its not even called Lactic Acid, its rather Lactate.

I think the only body part which doesn't hurt right now is my mouth. Infact its begging for a morsel of food. So signing off for tonight then, tomorrow I'll be BACK with a smile just like this one..


Found this picture from another blog, just apt :)

Why does it have to be THAT bad!?? :S

I was setting up my cupboard, today being a Sunday; when I came across some of my fasion disasters. Purple scarfs, maroon pants, green skirt. I'm not saying these are BAD, probably can be used for dressing up the Grinch! :|


The only thing crossing my mind while folding those clothes was; "What was I thinking!!?"
I remember myself dressing up like Mary Poppins for this one occasion. A Cow-girl (almost) for another. Thank God I was just ten or so at that time else, people would have recommended some medication for me.

But then, when I think about it. EVERYONE has done it. Right?
Just look at these following pictures..





We ALL know these people. No body knew ME!
THEY ARE ON TV! FOR GOD"S SAKE! The WORLD is watching them!!
I was on my own. But, these people had a team of designers behind them.
Suddenly, I feel good about myself. I mean come on, "WHAT WERE THEY THINKING!!"

How far would you go to protect a secret?

Friday night. Cup of Tea. Piece of cake. Comfy tee and pyjamas.
FINALLY I DID IT.
One more down in my MUST-WATCH-MOVIES-AFTER-FINISHING-MBA list.

Prasad had almost given up on me. You see, he's a complete movie buff and movies for him, mean serious business. I love movies too, but not to the extent of holding up my eye-balls to finish a flick. O.O

The Reader.

As always, Kate Winslet was brilliant. What I love about this lady is how natural she is! I don't think I can be that natural even in real life. I had loved her in Revolutionary Road. I had loved her in Eternal Sunshine of the spotless mind. I want to see the Holy Smoke, sometime real soon.

I hate it when people die in climax of any movie, especially if one of the lovers. Its simply unbearable. But, somehow most of Kate's movies conclude that way. :'( The Revolutionary Road was again one of my favorites but, I would never want to see it again. Why? Because it was so real that it makes me cry. The Reader goes to the same category.

You see her movies don't have a major plot. Its almost always about the small and tiny things in life which we actually care about. Feelings, pride, shame, aspirations, ego, jealousy. Do you realize HOW difficult it is to base a movie on these? I just realized that it is so true how we always assume any well spoken person to be well read as well!

Sleeping like a dog...

There I was...knocked out cold when suddenly something landed on my face with a thud.
Yes..My younger sister's hand missile.
She's one active sleeper. By that I mean, she kicks, punches, rolls over and sometimes even deposits herself on top of me.

I have survived most of these occurences. Because...I have things keeping me busy.
I talk. I talk in my sleep. Not one or two sentences, I chit chat to myself, I laugh and conclude my self dialogues.

I have almost freaked out my sister, mom and yes, Suchitra dear in China, where we happened to share a room and in the middle of the night I let out my ghostly laugh. Suchi, being the light sleeper, went, "Excuse Me?". No response. I was busy talking you see. )o)

During teenage, my mom would tease me that she would get to know all my secrets through my sleep talk. But, soon I realized I only spoke gibberish. Phew... ;)


Kicking. This according to me is the MOST ANNOYING Sleep Habit out of all. More so, when you're the victim!
My sister used to kick. For that matter, any younger sibling of mine who has been put to sleep next to me eventually inherits the kicking genes overnight. E.g. this lil' sis has turned out to be a Bruce Lee descendent.

But, whenever God closes all the doors, he opens a window (As they say).
So, point to be noted is that, I sleep like a log. As my sister puts it, you could have the Mahabharat next to me, I wouldn't even change sides. Come light, come sound, my eyes don't even wrinkle. And the best part, I have successfully accomplished my record of sleepin at the drop of a hat. I have done it in a single seater bus, twin seats of aeroplane, taxi back seat, sofa, office chair ;), driver's seat (not while driving), even in a crowded-semi-shared-bus seat.

Now...How's that for a sleep habit. :D

I came across this adorable pic of lil' cousin of mine. Thankfully he doesn't kick, he only spins around the bed like a Minute Hand. :)

I love to singaa...

I sang on the stage after eleven years.
I wouldn't say that I have the stage fright. But, singing is altogether a different game. The last time I did it, it was a pure disaster. I still remember how people's faces twitched when my pitch went from high to higher till a baritone came out.

That's my nightmare.

Now, only difference is, I am a twenty five year old. So, a failure will be only little more humiliating. The office crowd won't really mimic me! Although, I might go away from public sightings for a while. Which is Ok. Right. So analyzing the risk involved, I signed up.

Nevertheless, Sis, Mom and Dad were supportive as hell. But you know, somehow, you cannot believe your own Mom when she praises you. Cause, she'll ALWAYS praise you. :)
So, I relied on Prasad. He is a true critic and can't help himself in telling the truth. I know he wouldn't praise me AT ALL if it wasn't genuine. :/

So, when Prasad gave me the green signal. I went ahead. \m/
The show was on Sep 11. I practiced and practiced. I practiced till my throat went sore, till my Mom knew the lyrics, till my neighbours in Office had the song on the back of their hand, till the song run in my dreams as well.

The show began. I swear I could have given ANYTHING if they let me sing from behind the curtains. I requested that the lights be dim when I go on stage. Atleast not having to face the audience staring back at you would help in this situation.

But, the audience was smart. And I don't like that.
They requested that the lights be ON! :O
I mentally took a note of my friends who were part of this mischief. :X

I began to sing.
But hey, this time it wasn't THAT bad. I wasn't all hands and legs. Words flew out smoothly, the person in first row was ACTUALLY enjoying the melody. I can bet I saw some people swing along as well! Before I knew, I had finished the song and the audience was applauding. :')

I can't believe it even now, that after spending days and nights of restlessness and anxiety; it went by so swiftly. But, my joy was short lived only until I saw the video recording of the show...

Ok. Why was I moving like a swaying coconut tree?
Here, have a look.


P.S. And feedback is welcome, as long as its positive ;)

First time Guardian! :S

My younger cousin sis is now supposed to move to Hostel and start her college. A new phase for her. But, let me confess, more than her, I'm having butterflies in my stomach...well, I'm going to be the local guardian for this little girl!
I still remember my first day at college so vividly. That silly short-harido.
Those jeans which I thought fit me perfectly. I even wore sunglasses now that I remember. What was I, like 17? :)
I was accompanied by Dad. He went and met all teachers, introduced me to them as well.
The usual advice of studying well followed.
Its going to be nine years since that day, its still so fresh in my memories. I don't remember many things out of college perhaps because of being a day scholar or, maybe just because my memory sucks. But, I do remember I always felt back then that the children staying in the Hostel had all the fun. Late nights, friends always around, bigger pocket money, outside food, sharing snacks...had to be more fun than just coming back home and eating home-made food with parents.

But, now that I've grown past those years and work has forced me to stay away from parents. I realize, how important parents are during those college days, not just for making your life easier with the food and money but, the morale support!
God knows how many times I would come home in a stroke of panic. It would be some assignment, a project, just a fight with friend, or some shoutings from lecturers.
Just an hour or so with family, would make me forget everything and focus on bigger & better things in life.

Now, what makes me anxious is will I be able to provide that sort of support to my lil' sister who'll be staying away from home?

I suppose I will learn it myself with her. After all, despites of all possible Guides, parents never have a prior hands-on experience as well :).

Check out this one I found for first time parents!!

Male Vs Female Control

Its a BIG sigh after finishing all my MBA papers which had been looming on my life for the last two years. It almost equivalent to the relief you get on relieving yourself after holding back peeing for a LONG...LONG...time. Honestly.

Remembering that feeling, my thoughts bumped onto a fact that a LOT of my friends mentioned to me, that Girls could control pee for a whole lot longer than Boys(!!) I was astonished. In my twelve years of science, not once had I come across this biological difference between Male and Female physiology! How was that possible. When more than five people swore by this fact, I started reasoning to myself. It could be the fact that females were designed to tolerate more pain. Hmm... Nah..

I asked Dad, my anytime Medical Dictionary. He said, False.
It is solely the fact that men have got so used to using the availability of the "Universal Urinal", the Nature; that their brains are conditioned not to hold back for long.
Whereas, girls have been "trained" not to do so! As simple as that.

So the next time, any guy whines about having a small bladder and being a poor Male. Just give them The Dirty Look.

(The pic is for representation only.. plus for practice ;) )

Sleeping with a smile..

I woke up smiling today. At nine o' clock (I think I haven't done that late in ages!)!! \m/
Just that I took another crawling step towards completion of my PGDBA! So, I decided to spoil myself today. I needed to break out wild and paint the town red.
Well, not exactly..but, I still did my own bit. :)

1. I made Palak Paneer. No boasting but it not only looked stunning, it melted in my mouth as well. :D
Evidence:




2. I dressed up, rather dolled up. Which btw, din't last beyond point 3. /:|
3. I went over to Ayesha's place. We clicked some great pics of hers.
4. I went with Ayesha and Ashrita first to Commercial Streets.
5. Then to Brigades.
6. We ate orgasmic Dosa and Pulimunchi Chicken at Peco's. Although there were some bunch of weirdos around, I stuffed up to my throat before we left the place.
7. I came back and saw Ice Age Three. Super Cute movie for light fun & a hearty
laugh. Thanks Suchi for passing this on. I just love Sid the Sloth.

Another random, vague yet happy-incident-of-the-day was bumping into Prasad while on a traffic signal (which is not unusual in Bangalore Traffic you see), while he played a FLUTE (!???) Yes, that explains why I called it vague. LOL. I know, its not the description of my psychotic dreams, we just have a knack of bumping into each other at all odd times and MOSTLY peculiar situations. >:)

In general, I spent not a single minute of the day studying, which I think is after a couple of months. And I don't feel guilty about it ( I might just feel so tomorrow :| ).

Until then, signing out with a smile. :) Goo Goo

Mooche ho to nathulal jaisi...

...warna ho hi na..


Recently my brother went for the clean shaven look. After being the object of ridicule for almost a week at his work, now we've grown used to the unpopulated area on his face.

I'd say you shouldn't consider swiping it clean in one shot unless you want to walk around covering your mouth for a while and have people reading your lips while you talk! So usually the strategic move of going from Heavy Mooch (Moustache) to No Mooch is PHASING IT OUT.
One day the Heavy-Mooch-Guy comes with a properly trimmed one.
Day Two its thinner than usual.
Day Three you ponder whether he always had a one-liner Mooch.
Day Four, you pass by The-Earlier-Heavy-Mooch-Now-Clean-Shaven Guy and wonder, he looks different doesn't he? :\

All a game of Optical Illusions, I would conclude.

But we all have to agree that a Moustache becomes a part of the identity. Its equivalent to a archetypal haircut or a typical beard or even model side burns! People start recognizing you with it. (Psst...they even keep your names to go with it). Although I do feel that a Moustache should be either all the way or no way. Just like my opinion about shoes, they should be either an absolute HIGH heels or a super flat sandal. No 50-50.

We were eating at Chowka, place known for hard-core Rajasthani food (authentic sumptuous food for just 100/- !! ) and Prasad wouldn't stop cracking up about the fact that some absolute Chikna guys in the Rajasthani attire were serving us the food! He wanted a huge curled-up Mooch on all of them to complete the look. Just like he wanted a French Beard for all the waiters at the French Quarters!! LOL.

This just makes me realize how much a small thing like moustache chip in to the guise of a person! I see it on myself when I haven't visited the parlor for a month! :{)

Zerobics...

The digital clock on my comp strikes 4:50 P.M; I latch my drawer and sprint down the stairway. Only to find the ladies changing room clogged as usual.

The Aerobics class starts at five but almost as a silent agreement, the late arrival by me and my Instructor are always mutually exclusive. Besides, I feel its a much higher level "universal conspiracy" that the day I am the first one to arrive to the class, the session is invariably called off. X|

I think the last time we had this kind of rush to be in the front row was back in school. Of course, you get the best view of "yourself" in the MIRROR! YOURSELF. Although, its not a very pretty sight after precisely thirty minutes when watch your flushed face and legs & hands moving sinusoidal.

Another thing about my Instructor & me is, our level of telepathy. Yeah! Its just incredible how he knows which Body Part is in excruciating pain & INDEED decides to work on that EVEN MORE.
They say working those muscles will make them stronger. Yeah I will confirm on that when I rub the Moov on my sprains in the night!!

O.K. Done cribbing :) , its not AS BAD as it sounds. There are days when the instructor includes dance steps into the regime. It sure is a laugh riot. Watching the bunch of guys struggle. LOL. I know that's just being mean but, we gotta accept, girls can never be THAT bad.
What makes it worse is you almost start feeling heroic until you get a glimpse of yourself dancing while jumping on the Aerobic Stepper. You can only see a dancing Kangaroo.

Yet, all in all, I feel these sessions are good stress busters and I am sure most of us who have a daily workout session feel the same. And it doesn't bother me when I crawl outta the class sipping on water hydrating my body back to humanly critical levels.

(Yeah Right, I WISH we looked like THAT!! But, pic for representation purpose only :| )

Jelly-Belly!!

Belly Dancing. That's been center of my conversation for the last two weeks now.
One of my friends, (not to mention, a hot looking babe ;) ) told me that she's been going for them here in namma Bengaluru!


(Pic for Representation only :) )

Being a die-hard fan of dancing, this form of dance has obviously always got a lot of attention from me. Not to mention the grace and beauty that it integrates which are the epitome of a woman. So after I came back home that day, I looked up on the net about this enticing art form.

Some facts that rung a bell or two in my head:

1. My first encounter of a beautiful lady doing the shaky thing was when I had SNEAKED in on a scene from James Bond's "The Man With The Golden Gun" where this belly dancer Saida uses a spent bullet fitted into her navel as an ornament, which Bond accidentally swallows while trying to retrieve it from her. LOL. I found the same on Wiki! WOW. The facts you find on net.

2. This dance was ORIGINALLY from Iraq. But, I wasn't completely wrong about Arab being a major contributor as well. They are next in line along with Egypt for the best Belly dancers in the world.

3. Men do belly dance TOO!! Now Prasad won't be disappointed after all. (Yayii).

4. A single session of Belly Dancing class is not just a great cardiovascular exercise, it burns almost 400 calories as well. Not bad at all.

5. This would be the icing of the cake for MiLadies;
- Helps ease Menstruation troubles. Say Bye-Bye to Best Friend troubles.
- Makes you ready for GENTLE child birth! ( I don't know HOW GENTLE 'can' it getting a human out of you be, nevertheless, worth a try ;) )

6. SHAKIRA is listed as our SUPERSTAR for Latino-American belly dancer. Yeah, we do need to give her some credit, she's not only revived this art form, she's also professionally trained in it unlike Mallika Sherawat doing the Anything-But-Belly-Dancing in song 'Maiya Maiya' from the movie Guru. Just look at her; http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IrhxBsHkaNk.

And yes, P.S. A huge Jelly Belly is NOT a pre-requisite for joining these classes, unlike what was told to me by Prasad. :\

New-York New-York

Its four in the evening.
As they told in the Perk ad, "iske to chaar baj gaye" :|
Hunger pangs ripping my stomach apart.

All I can remember is; New York Cheesecake that I had last night at Desmonds.

The restaurant was packed at Sunday night with a mixed crowd and Mr. Desmonds asked us to wait outside. When we got the table, I almost galloped to it and I think it was attributed to the momentum gained by the rats rebelling in my tummy.

I was whining with hunger from afternoon and finally we had decided to eat out.
It was a long, long wait from the Murukku, to the Kurkure, to the Lime soda, to the starters...finally I think I might have passed out by the time the dinner was served.
I was woken up by the aroma of Tandoori Platter.
The main course followed it.

I must say, full marks to the Chicken Lasagna. Beautiful creation and so creamy that I think I almost had a tear with happiness. Of course on the rich side, but don't tell me you expect a diet-conscious lasagna! ;)

By the time I was stuffed till the top, Suchi ordered for the New York Cheesecake ( Oh did I mention the Chicken Lasagna was her pick! I love this girl for her food suggestions :) ) . She was swearing by the taste of it and told me I will love it too.

It was the taste of heaven. Just to get you guys in the mood and a glimpse of it, few pics I found to represent;





Don't they put a smile on your face?
It was Sandy's treat and God's gift to a famished belly.

I left the restaurant with Prasad, swaying happily, thinking, "Sundays are so sinful...and how much I love that" :)

BACHAO! Its my Self Defense Weapon!!

My lunch gang was spurting out food morsels while I cracked my concocted jokes on self defense. Basically, my funda was, Choose your self defense wisely. The discussion had started cause lunch-partner-1 said she was checking out the Pepper Spray which cost a bomb. The lunch-partner-2 was just gaping at the discussion. While, I described a scenario where the self defense weapon was a small knife. The knife was conveniently overpowered by the hooligan and used against the victim!

I declared, hands down, my weapon would be my nails and knee.

Why?
Well, firstly, no one can overpower those and take them away!
Secondly, I 'think' you can do ENOUGH damage with these.

Of course, this is a much more serious matter when it comes to reality. It takes alertness, care, precaution and perhaps a lot more. We hear and read every now and then girls being attacked by morons who usually target them because they're the weaker sex. That makes me wish sometimes that we could be the stronger, the taller and the mightier sex, so we could do some irreparable serious damage to those morons. X|

While learning Kalaripayattu, I learned from my teacher that the integral part of self defense is first, alertness (which comes with practice and focus) and secondly, a sound mind.
The sound mind is what will tell you the best option that you should pick at that split second. Many people misunderstand that self defense always means landing two flip kicks on the Bad-Guy. No. Self Defense means protecting yourSELF.
This may many a times mean, being wise, ducking the mugger and making a smart escape from the trouble scene! You're not proving to be a Hero by sticking around and getting few of your limbs mashed.

Especially for girls, who will rarely be able to fight back and overpower, things to REMEMBER:
1. You are EQUIPPED. Use your nails, teeth, feet. Kick and scratch like-never-before.
2. Scream! Gather as much as attention as possible.
3. Remember, the person infront of you is human too. He WILL feel pain. Target the wise areas, you know!
4. Nose, Eyes, Ears, Throat. Remember, Serious damage to be done.

So as I sip on my bed-time-tea, I looked up more stuff on Self Defense.
I came across this hilarious video which I would recommend all of you to watch.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2REG3-Wb5gM

Cheers Girls, go kick some butt!

**CONDITIONS APPLY... DUH..

The smallest words in the print ad.
The fastest spoken words in any advertisement on radio.
The part that is mostly faded away in between transition of two scenes.
That's the **Conditions Apply Statement. You will never hear it, see it or know it. That's how you should recognize it.

I saw this irritating-wonderful-cheap-yet-magnetic tactic in the U.K. and now here as well.
The price tag said, 2 POUNDS! I galloped to that aisle and grabbed my loot. Smirked to myself at my catch. Marched to the cash counter and patted my back in my thoughts. Until, the billing machine beeped 20!! Placing my eye-balls back into their sockets, I grabbed that outfit back from the cashier and gaped at the price-tag. It said, 2 POUNDS!! (off). And in the minutest font I have ever seen was printed...20 Pounds.

That moment on. I stopped believing in offers. Although, I have always been the suspicious sorts. The ones, who never believe in offers, discounts, sales, Buy N Get N etc. I get lured to them anyway. (Remember, I am a girl! :) )
I am sure we all come across this tactic almost EVERY single day in every shop. We run to check it out, we buy the stuff, we crack the code and we think to ourselves, "Who's smart now?"

Now come on, whom are we kidding?
Why would a business man give you things for free! There's gotta be something in it for him. Unless, he's the reincarnation of Danveer Karna

So, I have decided. (From now on, I will not go for such offers.
That's what you may THINK I would say. But, no. :) )

I will go these so-called-sales. Obviously.
I will also run to the aisles with the loudest colorful fonts.
I will grab my kitty from all the cheapest bargains as WELL.
But, I will be much more patient when I abuse the store for how they cheated me into buying all that.


**Dying to see this movie! :D

Tough times call for Rough jokes..

Recession.
Just do a Google on that word and see the VARIOUS links and explanations that show up. Its mind boggling.
That just shows, How, for every person its a different definition altogether.
Somehow, I just feel that sometimes this whole recession thing is just twisted to suit our own version.

The tailor proudly says, its recession, so people are coming to him, as they can't afford branded stuff.
The petrol bunk guy says, its horrible, people are car-pooling and saving becoz of the recession!
The maid says, its recession, so she needs more payment. :\ ( I did ask why, she says cause all the prices are now going up. I still couldn't put the two pieces together).
The investment adviser says, its recession, don't invest in mutual funds. Rather go for insurance schemes. ( I thought its the right time to invest. Becoz the market WILL go UP. Right? Right? )
Boy! The EGGS are more expensive. Now I gotta think before I crack that shell every morning for breakfast. How'd that happen?! They say, its a long story all the way from the hen's feed to the poultry to the truck that carries eggs... to the petrol that drives the truck etc. etc.

And while I ponder, I come across this email forward;

Subject: Economic Slowdown....It was a Hard decision


On the impulse, I smiled to myself. Silly humor.

Then, it hit me somewhere, thinking about the same in our context. Obviously not that we'd sunny-side-up our kids. But, the fact that a such natural & crucial phase of life is now decided by an economic slowdown. Something that my parents always told me was God's blessing only, is now a Financial Checkpoint. Silly, but true. :)

The Vada Pav Weather..

I remember when I was visiting my sister in U.K. for the short and sweet duration of eight days; I couldn't help but beg for spicy food in that cold misty weather.

Its something about the rains and the mist that makes your palette beg for the Indian Spices. My theory of Glutton is, you need that hot spice to keep you warm in the cold. :)

True or not, its the most practiced ritual in India. The most common dialogue on the advent of rains, "Chai and Pakodey ho jaaye (Let's gobble Tea and Pakode). Wherein, majority of the fellow Indians are referring to the droolicious Onion Pakodas.

The heavenly cousin of this rain-time snack is the Vada Pav. Infamous for the sinful indulgence all the way from Pune, Mumbai.

Lately, Vada Pav have been making flashes in front of my eyes in many forms. I went to the cafeteria after the gruesome workout in the Aerobics class. There they were. Stacked up all pretty on the counter with those fried green chillies and the copyright green chutney. (Is this fair? :| )


Will power prevailed and I got back at my desk. An old edition of newspaper loiters in front my eyes (a coincidence...) speaking about how India's famous delicacies are world famous and making people weak in the knees. On top of the list, there was a glorified picture of, You KNOW WHAT!

I mean, what has a girl gotta do to resist the temptation.

Now, its raining. I haven't had a work out. Still, I am hungry and all I can see is the following images dancing in front of my pupils;

Catching up on Ketchup

I have heard of people eating all sorts of things with Ketchup.
They love Ketchup. They can't do without it. They even have Facebook communities to prove their die-hard love for it.

I like Ketchup, more lovingly known as Tomato Sauce here.
Although I will have to be sedated and fed in order to have combination like ice cream with ketchup etc. Nevertheless, I do prefer to make my fries swim in the pool of ketchup.

There are these debates on which Ketchup brand is the best. People would seriously come down to fight in the ally to make their brand win, or at least that's how serious they sound about discussing this topic.

To me, as long as it tastes like Ketchup. It will do. :)
And this DOES NOT include that weird orange-jam-paste-semi-solid-fly-clad sauce which our cafeteria used to offer. That is plain obnoxious.
I do have a liking for Maggi, Hot and Sweet Tomato Chilli sauce, cause, It's Different!




I remember how I would love to toy around with Ketchup as a kid. Mom would make Upma (also known as; Rava, Khara Bhath, Suji) and it would be playtime. I would make an Igloo, a train, a hut or even a stick figure. Dot the eyes, windows, wheels with Ketchup. Used to be good fun to eat it an hour later, not for poor Mom though.

Now, I have to act grown up. So obviously I cannot play with food. So, I just limit myself to doodling with remnants of Ketchup on plate. It sure is fun :D Try it some day. Few samples to start off with;

First time always hurts.. real bad.

ANYTHING. An emotion, an act or a routine. First time, is what you will always remember.

Today, I lost my phone. Just like that. I had it one moment and before I realized, it was gone. It didn't hurt because it was expensive or it was my favorite color. It hurt because I would save all these messages on it which meant a lot to me.
Maybe now, they would make some sense to someone who will read them as well.

I remember when my sister first lost her phone. It was Dad's gift to her.
She called me up from the phone booth, weeping. I laughed at her childish behavior. Now, I know it was mean to do so.

As Prasad said, its like losing a friend. A close one. Although he's lost it many times now, I guess you do feel bad every time it happens. Sometimes, its just the hassle of putting together all the phone numbers that gets you low. He felt really miserable when he lost his phone for the first time. I guess after that he just felt worse because I felt bad for him as well. So, then I decided that I won't feel bad about it. After all, nothing is bigger than the smile of a person you love.

Being an organized person hits you all the more in a situation like this. You cant come to terms with something as simple as a case of lost key/phone/wallet. But then, now as I write, I realize that these are the things we take for granted the most. Like our loved ones, we adore them, we value them, we see them every day; but we DO eventually grow used to them. Just that we realize their impact in our lives only when they are not around us.



I will surely miss my turquoise colored Nokia. Hope it got more useful to someone than it did to me.

Playing HARD on the HAIR!?

This is one topic I did lot of survey on.
I moved in to Bangalore around eight years ago. Since then I've "progressively" gotten BALD. I know that would be an exaggeration to the current state, but lets face it buddies my head shines now.

Not only is it heart shattering but rather EMBARRASSING when lock of hair just comes in your hand while stroking it (pssst...that's a different tale of how you try to sneak them away in a miniature roll!)

There it was, Sherlock on duty.

I asked my lunch gang about it, my mom, dad, my friends, Prasad. EVERYONE agreed, I knew it, it had to be, H20.

I would NEVER given in to fiction and myths being the Miss. Practically-prove-it-to-me. So I Googled. So, there WERE people like me who complained of hair loss ever since they got to Bangalore, infact to South India.

Victims: Age group 20-30.

Residents? : Mostly people moved in to South India lately.

Symptoms: Hair comes into your hand more swiftly than sweat being wiped off your forehead. Some complained of itch and irritation on scalp as well.

Throw-off-the-track clues: Many people said they grew up all their lives using hard water. So, that couldn't be the reason. It has got to be the bad diet/stress/lack of proteins/hormones - chemical locha (as said Munnabhai).

This suspect was getting more interesting by the minute.

I knew for a fact that the water coming in our house was Hard. AS A ROCK. Funny to sound, not-too-good to taste. When I checked with other victims, they agreed to this hardness as well!

Now Sherlock jotted down all points together.
1. I could proudly say, I had a balanced diet.
2. Stress? : Facebook quiz said I just have 22% stress ;) . But jokes apart, I think I am pretty well-balanced-stressed.
3. I sleep well over 7 hours.
4. No chemical locha's (known to me as of now :) )

Thus, EUREKA: It HAD to be the hard water. A study said that the excessive minerals in the hard H20 tend to deposit on scalp over longer durations, sometimes causing irritation and dryness. Over due course of time, this also causes hair loss. Plus, a BIG factor that may add to it is using hot/luke warm water on hair.
As any other disease/pain/sickness/allergy, this is not applicable to EVERYONE, but to MOST.

Now, as they say, agreeing on a problem is not the solution, its just the first step. So the solution?

MEMORIZE THIS:
1. Everyday eat 15 soya beans soaked overnight.
2. ALWAYS use cold water on hair. Not even luke warm.
3. Boil the water previous night when you intend to wash your hair. This will cause sedimentation and use this cleaner/softer water on your hair the next day.

Of course, you need follow other disciplinary acts like, good sleep, proper food, putting end to torturing your hair with straightening, coloring, perming, dying etc., over-use of oil (Trust me, you just need to enhance circulation in scalp, do that with your fingers moving in circular motion. The whole oil business is overrated).

So all the best! Cherish those lovely locks!

The Blue BAR Lady...

TAKE FIVE. That's the place I visited this weekend.
Its a bar-restaurant-hang out joint on 100 Ft. Road, Indiranagar, right above coffee day.

First thing you CAN'T miss noticing is the CROWD. Jesus! Whole of Bangalore is out here, if not on the roads causing traffic. And yes, I became one of them :)
We got a seat immediately and bumped into not just one pair of friends, but two! (Psst...See, told ya, B'lore is here)

Its pretty much dark in there. People sit, drink and drink. Yeah, that's not a typo. There WAS nothing to EAT except appetizers. I was starving and my brain was already caught up in mirages of burgers and kababs. Being a non-drinker didn't help keep me occupied either.

I swear I could have eaten the beautiful glasses hanging on the bar but at that moment Prasad got down to distracting me. He's always so good at that. He asked me to go click pictures around. Sounds funny, at least it did to me. How can I go and click pictures while people sit and chat around me!?

Despite my hundred cries, I was pushed out of my cozy sofa-niche by him and left stranded in the ocean of people . :S

I walked down to the bar. Two men stood there whipping out the cocktails and mocktails. The drinks looked simply "B-E-A-U-T-I-F-U-L". Decorated by amusing Stirrers, delicate garnishes and colorful liquids.

The Bartenders were swiftly bringing out these yummy concoctions and lining them up on the bar. My camera swung into action. Sharing some of them for you as well. Don't miss the Blue-Bar-Lady pic, I christened this name for her cause it caught my eye.






Then we got down to our usual mindless fun. Prasad does his "expressions" while I give him the "moods" and he spins out these hilarious faces. He almost reminds me of Jim Carrey. Adarsh, Prasad's (and now mine as well) good friend was also engulfed into this circus.





I had just tormented them enough when I was captivated by the overpowering smell of Chicken. My Chicken Momos had arrived!! :D

To end it, I must say, if not for the drinks and a fun time, you should go to this place for their Chicken Momos. Outta-the-world I SAY!