Be Wise.. WEAR IT!

I want people to wear masks ALL THE FRIGGIN' time! Why?
I was a hail n hearty gal last evening till I could hear people snorting away and sneezing at work. And I knew it, I was gonna catch something. :|

It was just today morning when I got up with a croaky throat, I wanted to go out and give away free masks to ALL the people as a measure against bio-hazard. Because the ill ones for sure won't wear it.

Why is it that people who have an infection just wouldn't give a break to themselves and to others; BY STAYING AT HOME! I've seen people hiding the fact that they are ACTUALLY suffering and proving (I really don't know to whom) that they aren't ill. Isn't the magnitude of Indian population harmful enough in its own right that people have to inflict this sadistic germ-weapon on fellow mates.

Phew. Done ranting. On a serious note (which comes out rarely from me, might be due to the overpowering germs within me); I really wish people realize that its OK to wear a mask while they are ill. It doesn't make them The Untouchable. Masks can be really cool. See, Spider Man wears it! Zorro even made his identity out of a mask! Jim Carrey swears by it too. Although I do agree that our regular green mask might not be that cool. Nevertheless, I've come across some cute ones or rather fashionable ones on the net;

Some more at http://inventorspot.com/articles/eight_surgical_masks_survive_swine_flu_style_27297

Now these have gotta make you feel hip about wearing them. Alriie! :)
To all the fellow sick-people, Get well Soon and Don't Sneeze On Others as form of Revenge.

BACKSTREET's BACK ALRIGHT!!!

A group of three makes me claustrophobic. The dust in the neighbor's house makes me sneeze my head off. So, when Prasad got us free tickets for Backstreet Boys @Rock In India (Thanks for Arpan for that! :) ); my first reaction was dread...deep down. The expected crowd was of the order of 10,000 odd people. But, then with Prasad protecting me under his wing, we reached Palace Grounds by around five thirty pm.

OK. Here's the thing, after being in Bangalore for almost nine years now, I've never been to a concert! I've been to Prasad's performances which were swarming with metal-heads. But then, being the vocalist's chick ;) ; I was always in the safe area, away from the wild head-banging crowd.

So I was all jittery with excitement when we finally arrived at Palace Grounds for the show.
With the sun shining in its peak ( I can almost imagine it with an evil smile) I was hyperventilating and by now, looking at the ticket below....

I was sporting an ear-to-ear smile.

The Boys only showed up on the stage by nine pm or so. By then my legs were already shaky..half to due exhaustion half.. with excitement :D. I vividly remember how me and my sis would replay their cassette for As long as you love me.... over and over again..until it wore out. Now, they WERE ON THE STAGE! OMG... I was ACTUALLY looking at The Boys.. LIVE. I've NEVER seen anyone LIVE! I mean.. any CELEBRITY! And. Ooooh.. I gotta mention the hotties who danced with them. I always wished I could dance like that. So sensual.

For once, I knew ALL the lyrics for EVERY song. I was not an ignorant-out-of-fashion-outcast! (Hurray!)

Me and Prasad sung our heads & throats off for an hour while they whipped out all their old numbers, which we'd grown up listening to. ...

Whatever people may say or shun...This was MY FIRST LIVE show.. and it was the BackStreet Boys.. whom I used to blush looking at.. as a teenager. It was a night to cherish. :)

OUCH! That hurt!

Mmm. Balmy Sunday Morning.
After a major upheavel of brain Vs. body I dragged myself to brew the morning cuppa of Earl Grey. Yawning all the way through, collected the paper from outside. Its something about Sunday air that makes you a slug.

My ears buzzed. That's when I recollected that my second ear piercing which I'd forcefully re-activated yesterday wasn't gonna take it easy. The thing is, it was about ten whole years ago, when I got into the piercing frenzy and finally convinced my ever-supportive dad (and proved myself as non-hippie) to get second shots on my ears. Many years ahead, the fashion-victim me had got bored of it and decided to close them. Now, a few more years ahead, I regretted doing that. A De-ja-vu of piercing scenario was unthinkable when I remembered the agony of gun shots on my tender earlobes and the following miserable weeks of a bee-stung look-alike face. So, yesterday, in my moments of zeal, I forced in a tiny stud back on! :|

Thus, the buzz.

If your face already twisted listening to that. Beat this. I repeated history when I went ahead with my nose piercing. Yup. But this time there was lesser bloodshed. Or, maybe my pain threshold has risen to that of a buffalo; Because my fickle-minded brain (or, rather short-term-memory-loss-for-pain brain) kept going from closing the piercing to piercing again to piercing different.

Now with all these painstaking embellishments on myself and being an adult woman (or so I like to believe), I think its high time to flash the red signal to my impulsive juvenile brain.

But all whining apart, I think its only sensible to do anything of this sort to yourself if it suits you. I see so many ladies who're forced to get their nose pierced because they were going to be brides(Yeah! Beat that! Why dint they make the groom do that!) Because just like Elizabeth Gilbert said, (rephrasing her to suit my idiom of wisdom :|) all these are permanent like getting a tattoo on your face! So, you gotta be really really sure of it. Once done, you gotta live with it publicly unless, its in a place where public can't see. ;)

Do you know how to Gift!?

Have you got any gifts which you sheepishly hid in the remotest corner of your cupboard to never encounter ever again? Worst case being with the weird-so-not-my-type-apparel gifts; you'll need to wear them and provide an evidence of acceptance to the presenter.. :|

The most arduous task when you receive such gifts is when you gotta over-compensate (like Bridget Jones rightly says) for their flaw by displaying your ecstasy on receiving them by hopping around like a rabbit!

No wonder I could relate so much with Chandeler's reaction in F.R.I.E.N.D.S with the Gold Bracelet of Best Buds inscribed on it. I mean come awwwwwwwn. People should see this and learn something. Really. In case you haven't... I think this episode has a few lessons for life http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WDRLQkODrfs

To my disbelief, I have actually KNOWN people who'd gift away their discards, or stuff bought with maybe E.T. in mind! I've myself received stuff which can fit me if I blew up into the size of a blue whale or maybe shruck into a hobbit someday. Wishful thinking.

There's this particularly funny incidence when I received a piece of clothing which I just couldn't decipher. . I tried fitting it on myself in all possible angles and styles, but to no avail. But then spongy part of my heart didn't even let me discard that as well.
For that matter, its the easiest for the kids to express likes/dislikes to the gifts they receive. You give them something they love and they will 1)Make you their favorite aunt/uncle immediately 2) Make that fact world-known 3) Carry it even to the loo until its molecules are falling apart. So is the loyalty for the gifts they like. On the contrary, if its something that wasn't on their list... you can expect apart from their howls of crying and whining...your gift lying in the most disgraceful corner of the house.

The other most common mistake I have realized in Gifting Theory is, people gift others what they love themselves! I cannot deduce any sort of logic to this. Why!? Whyy!? Just because you might love a bold floral dress doesn't mean others will fall in love with it in first sight. But, I confess having done this deed myself. As a teen, I'd gift my elder sister a few things which I knew were outright not-her-type; but definitely My Type! So, the minute she discarded them, I did her a favor and inherited it. ;)

All said and done, I think a Gift is a gesture ( supposed to be thoughtful one as well) or a surprise. And an unopened gift is just not right, like a half-eaten cake. But, its what lies inside is what matters. Not the material, not the packaging, not the cost, but the thought behind it.

LOL..The word Gift ALWAYS reminds me of the The Gift of The Magi. Borrowing a little something from someone's hilarious works!

Gift with love and get gifted with love.

Arrrrggh! Indian-Scorchy-Summers are here! :S

I realized its here when I had just deposited myself on the car seat and my kajal was already melting down my cheek. I can feel my skin begging for mercy while I walk towards the shade. Gaaaa....I hate this scorching sun. I really really do.

Its that time when you get up in the morning and suddenly the ceiling fan seems implausibly slow, the blanket seems far too thick and the bed feels like an oven on which you're being roasted. To make matters worse, the morning tea feels like hot lava being poured down your throat. But, must drink tea. Addiction-bound. :|

Nevertheless, I thank God that I'm in Bangalore and not being subject to pure human torture unlike Delhi-'tes. I remember when I would visit my parents in Delhi for a few days in the summers, I would be walking around with a wet towel wrapped on my head. I can practically imagine it emitting vapors. Jeez..

And in this situation, NOTHING helps. You only end up drinking gallons of fluids, ending up like an elastic water bottle, squishy-squashy. And it all comes out as sweat. That's it.

I think I'm gonna make some cold juices at home and drown myself in them. According to me, the mention-worthy life savers are;
1. Butter milk ; Whipped curd mixed with chilled water and maybe spiced a little with salt, roasted mustard, ground ginger and curry leaves. Or, the sweeter version with just sugar.

2. Lemon Juice with Mint leaves ; Trust me the mint leaves are a bliss. :)

3. Mango Panna ; This is the yummiest thing made on earth for Indian Summers. You get this ready made in markets nowadays to be added to chilled water. I remember Mom making an ocean of this at home and feeding us all summer long. Brings down your body temperature to humanly degrees and is appetizing as well! :D

So, stick to whites, eat light and drench away your summers in these drinks!! \m/





Clicked by Me.. At Take FIVE.. :)

Whats the time! Its FRANKIE time!

Yesterday I got back home early. I was in a real good mood, so I decided to cook something special, maybe Italian, or, Euro. But, as fate had it, I had lots of Atta (wheat dough) and tons of vegetables staring back at me begging for consumption. Bluuurrghh..

Voila! I knew exactly what was the need of the hour! Its gonna be Frankies!

The best thing about vegetables like potatoes, capsicum, carrots and cabbage is; they are so versatile. I just saute'd these chopped veggies in some olive oil and added salt n pepper (and if you got some Aji-No-Moto crystals) and tad bit fresh cream (Melty..In..Your..Mouth..).

I had a few Rotis ready by this time.

I beat two eggs, seasoned with pepper and salt.
Spread out about half an egg's batter on an oiled pan. Drop your Roti flat on it. Basically you're going to get your Egg-Roti stuck together like two lovers. In a minute, you'll be able to remove the egg off the pan. Trust me, it will need a whole lot of will power not to to finish off this ingredient right here. .

So, once you have this outer cover for your Frankie ready, all you gotta do is, spread out the vegetable filling in it. If you got any cheese spread/sandwich spread/pizza spread on you... you can add a dash of it here.

TADA!! Chomp..Chomp..Chomp...

I really wish I could have added the pictures. But, the Frankies were in my tummy by the time this brilliant idea struck me. :| So, here are some Google-d pictures for getting the hang of it.

V-Day Screams!

This Valentine's Day was one of heart thumping, anxiety, screams and much more...
Not just that... had lots of gore (Ummm...WHAT!?)

Yes..We decided to watch WolfMan!!! :D
So, tons of food and then lot of tummy churning horror to digest the food; I'm sure Prasad's Hands would second that after what my nails did to them.

Visited Juke Box in Koramangala for the Lasagne and Sizzler. I loved the ambiance I would say. It wasn't one of the finest decor but, somehow the Jazz playing there, set the mood. We topped it with Brandied-Apricots-On-Vanilla-Ice-Cream.

Valentine's Day; like Prasad says, isn't a special day. But being honest, to me, its just another excuse to hang out with the person I adore. So, Happy Valentine's Day to everyone and may it fill your hearts with love for everyone.

Shoot At Sight!!!

Aah.. days like these are a bliss, when you go to bed with a smile...Content.

It was a hectic day indeed as I travelled across the town. But, today was officially my first portfolio shoot! (Hurray!)

My Subject; Two beautiful and I must say sexy ladies.

More about them; Veena Basvarajiah, who is multi-faceted artist at Kalari, Bharatnatyam, Ballet, Attakalari, Painting and well I just keep losing track!
Her little sister; Kirti (well, not so little anymore as you'll notice); who's now doing her course in Dance Movements.

The Location; Veena's beautiful, empty space...

The Colors of the Day; Blues, Whites, Blacks and Skin tones.

The Theme; Dance Drawings. A new piece being choreographed by Veena. Do look forward to that one!

Now I won't keep you waiting, this is what we got...

Which one is THE ONE?!

I galloped towards the empty table at the cafeteria as I saw another person swaying towards that table. Finders, Keepers! And I deposited myself on the chair with a thud. I win! :)
Then I continued guarding my loot like a Dog protecting its prized bone; waiting for my gang to join me. I bet I would have snarled too, if challenged. What all hunger makes you do.

Its always the Survival-of-the-fastest in our cafeteria. Almost reminds me of the Musical Chairs, except for the heart-thumping music. You enter the cafeteria and your eagle eyes start surveying the options.

Near the exits; Nah, too noisy.
Near the wash area; Nah, too stinky.
Near the gardens; Either rainy or too sunny.
Near the food stalls; NAHAAA! Unless you wanna be the breeding ground of flies!
Ideal positioning for your hog session has got to be in the middle. Snug and Cozy.

The most baffling situation is if you enter the cafeteria early and all the tables are EMPTY! :O Decision was so much easier when you had to just win that one empty table in the ocean of peers. But, here you are all by yourself.

Its even more fiddly if you have a group of people to settle down for lunch. Each one eyes a different table for some obviously different merits. After strolling through all the empty tables, weighing your options, sometimes even switching tables after settling into them, we declare to our lunch boxes; ATTACK!!

The calm and unsuspecting tables in the cafeteria.. Clicked by Me.. :)

What do you do in solitude.. ;)

The first thing I do as I step into my car is turn on the radio. Second, turn on the A/C.
In fact a good stereo and the A/C were the prime reasons I went through the pains of a car loan and thereby, a new car. But, I must agree, they have changed my life.
My everyday idiosyncrasies due to the traffic, added onto the sweat melting away the last bits of my make-up and the non-existence of a good music system in my older car; convinced me that it was time I bid adieu to it.

While I sit in the car, lost in the radio, looking around with a blank gaze, its amazing to notice the people around while I'm stuck at the red signal or a railway gate or just a Traffic Jam; all of which happen a little too frequently around here.
Every person is sitting inside that safe little cube of their vehicle lost in their own personal bubble. The ones I encounter more often than not ;

1. Some of them are the edgy, anxious drivers; who are holding their clutch, gear and brakes by their life. You cannot break their concentration even by bombing their car.

2. Some are busy picking their nose (EWW!) Its incredible how they imagine that no one is watching them inside their secure 'glass' case. Buddy, have you forgotten you're surrounded by rear view mirrors!

3. Some are busy retouching their make-up or hair-do. I fall into this category
because getting to office is no lesser than a marathon by itself and thus, driving is multi-tasked with these outwardly-minor-personally-MOST-critical chores.

4. Few people are just a small detour to the category 3. They are just double checking the hygiene of their facial organs. Nose, eyes, teeth, tongue. Its comical to see these folks enjoy their little self-sanitation-session or an eye-picking ritual ending with a satisfied smile.

5. The most scandalous and rarely encountered category is the mush-mush couples. You see them once and you keep looking back for more! LOL. ;)

6. The winner of all is the The-Self-Indulgent-Singer category. Believe it or not, a car to yourself is only next to the Bathroom; in being a perfect venue for practicing your vocal chords! Just that, its only a little too side-splitting to watch others do that. Becoz, of course you can't hear them. So, all you get to enjoy is the mime with the person behind the car windows bursting away his veins. In fact, to me, Car is far superior of a venue than the Bathroom, because no one is standing outside the door listening to you and wondering, "Jeez! What a freak!"
In solitude, we're no less than Lata Mangeshkar or Sonu Nigam, aren't we?

STAR MECHANIC!!

The story goes;
This Star Mechanic in the town charges like 500/- as a humble fee for his services. Our lead of the story, lets call him 'Pal' here thinks its outrageous for something as simple as tightening few nuts and bolts!

But one fine morning, our Pal's car starts giving a creak. This is a new car, its just not fair!First day, he ignores it. Second day, he's perturbed. Third, he's trying to diagnose the issue himself. Fourth, he calls a Local Mechanic. The Mechanic comes and tightens few nuts and bolts (like Pal had thought), Tada! charges measly 100/- as fee and scoots. That, wasn't that bad, was it.. thinks Pal.

Next day, the creepy creak is back!! Now, our Pal is really losing it. Its not something you deserve after spending fortune on a new vehicle already!
He refers to other other Local Mechanic, who again tightens up another few bolts over the next few days. But to no avail.

Finally, annoyed and thwarted our Pal reaches the Star Mechanic, camouflaging his notions of distrust & cynicism.

Our Star Mechanic listens to the creak. Disappears under the car with his tools. Leaps back in few minutes and charges his fee of 500/-.
Our Pal isn't satiated, he wants justification of what has been done.
Star Mechanic says its a verbal promise, the creak won't be back!

Our Pal isn't convinced until he drives and VOILA! Its ACTUALLY GONE! But, the Star Mechanic did a minute's job and charged an exponential fee!
Star Mechanic is poised with a content smile and says evenly, "The charges are not for tightening the nuts and bolts, its for tightening the correct nut and bolt".

Now, just replace the Pal here with me with my new A-Star.
And you know what, I still believe this World is a good place, because my Star Mechanic didn't charge me a penny. *<|:)

LOVE TO LOATHE..

With this idiot box revolution called Ekta-Kapoor-Soaps, I love to hate and hate to love the fact that our whole family watches these, without fail.
No comments.

Found this DITTO picture on another blog, it says-it-all!


The most astoundingly comical feature of these is their addiction on your already-monotonous-life.
First and foremost, they make you so involved, they almost make you love or hate the character from the core of your heart. The vamp in that soap is your real life foe and the victim, obviously your object of affection.

What is even more astonishing is the fact that we 'loathe' these soaps, we really do. To the extent, we swear that one more episode of that every-facial-expression-repeated-ten-times will make us throw up.
But, next day, we tune in to the same show right on time.

I would be almost on verge of permanently twisting my neck by watching the T.V from one eye and working on laptop from the other.
Mom would be peeping from the kitchen, almost baking her hands on the gas stove.
My Dad would be spread out exhausted on the sofa and still watching it while his eyeballs need to be scooped out and shaken out of slumber.
We all would be shushing each other even when its only the background score roaring on the screen.

After thirty minutes of ironic emotions turning into irritation and then to murderous frustration; we swear in unison we should stop torturing our gray cells beyond this.

I particularly loathe the sitcoms where the male-female leads are parted. I just hate it.
I remember nearly pounding my fists on my couch in annoyance when Fox Mulder and Scully in X-Files would just not end up together. Or, when Ross and Rachel in F.R.I.E.N.D.S would come 'this' close to being a couple and then part their ways.
Aaargggh.

I would be so exaggeratedly overjoyed when these soaps would come to an end (which trust me, in India happens only once in few decades) just so that the lead couple will live happily ever after. :)

But when I think of it, none of these would exist if they galloped around happily-ever-after in the first episode itself!