Everyone's Entitled To My Opinion

The Crown, Residency Towers

2012-01-23T15:00:00.006+05:30

Ok, so picture this. You hear from someone that there is a jar in the kitchen with delicious cookies inside. So you reach out for the jar and put your hand inside, only to find it empty and also get bitten by some nasty red ants. Well, that petty much sums up my visit to The Crown at the Residency. Yes, the dome did look elegant and the outdoor seating that gives you a great view of Chennai was quite splendid, but then, I went there for the food, didn't I? So anyway, here is my impression of The Crown. The trip itself was a few weeks old during a business meet, but found the time just now to actually jot them down.

(Crispy Fried Calamari)

So we admire the interiors and the awesome view and quickly get down to ordering the starters. We picked the Crispy Fried Calamari and the Jumbo Fried Prawns. The waiter informed us that the Jumbo Prawn has only 3 pieces and so we ordered two of those. They arrived pretty fast and oh boy, were they terrible or what. The prawns were huge in size and got you all excited. However, try biting into it and you are met with stiff resistance from the hard coating which is difficult to bite into. Wrestle for a few seconds and you reach the jumbo prawn, which by now is completely dry and chewy. A real waste of those amazing sized prawns. The Calamari was equally disappointing. There were more crumbs and batter than the calamari itself. I can safely say that I have had better Calamari at Fisherman's Fare.

(Pan Grilled Pomfret)

(Prawn Ravioli in Creamy Mascarpone Sauce)

The main course took around 45 minutes to arrive. Thanks to the good night view, we really did not complain and instead waited patiently. The Pan Grilled Pomfret was ok in flavor but a little sad in regards to size. It was thin and could easily be finished in two mouthfuls. The sauce that accompanied it did enhance its flavor. Another big disappointment of the evening was the Prawn Ravioli. The sauce was a little too salty, it had hardly any flavor of the mascarpone and if that wasn't enough, the Ravioli shells were too thick and not cooked well. Biting into it was like biting into raw dough dipped in some gravy. We did not bother finishing that dish and just left it.

(Grilled Tenderloin Steak)

(Oregano Lamb Rack)

The Rosemary Tenderloin and Grilled Tenderloin were decent dishes. Surely not the best steaks I have eaten. Not even close, but considering how the other dishes were, the steaks were given a thumbs up. The plus point was that both the steaks were cooked right as requested. One was to be well done and the other was to be medium rare and they did get that right. The gravy was a little thin on the Rosemary Steak and could have been a little thicker. The lamb racks were again not the best. I felt it was a little too dry with its juices and flavor squeezed out and if it was a little more juicy, it may have worked.

(Rosemary Tenderloin Steak)

The mashed potatoes and the vegetables were the same on all the dishes. The veggies did not seem to have any flavor of its own, unless it was combined with the sauce or gravy. The mash was really consistent in its texture but could have been a little more creamy or moist. At this point, we decided that we really did not want to experiment with the desserts.

All dishes are priced in the range of 500 to 700. I have previously read some good reviews about the Indian food served there and this experience of mine got me wondering if they specialize in Indian food. So maybe I should stick to Indian the next time if I ever go back there.

Ambiance: 8/10
Taste: 5/10
Service: 6/10
Quantity: 6/10

The Farm

2011-12-27T22:24:00.007+05:30

I was wondering where to head to on Christmas day for a decent meal, and at the same time avoid the usual noisy, loud, packed ambiance you would expect to find on Christmas day. So I saw the add for the Christmas lunch at The Farm and instantly decided to go for it. I have been there three times before, but my wife hasn't. So what better day than Christmas day.

I also heard that it was a buffet, so all the more reason to go. I was quite bummed when they cut off the buffet previously. Anyways, I think they still usually have only an A la carte menu, but being Christmas, it was a buffet. Now before I get started, let me give a small disclaimer stating that the lighting at my table was really really bad. With all the covering, it was quite hard for enough natural light to get in. Hence the photos are not really up to my satisfaction.

(Baked Potato Skins)

The menu itself was quite impressive. Now there wasn't like a lot of stuff, but there was just enough so that you would get to have a taste of all of them. It's quite a bit to mention here so to know more on what was on the menu, check this out. One of the best things about this place is that you are really made to feel welcomed. The setting is casual and you are told that you can just chill out for as long as you want to. For those of you who haven't been there, they also have a decent pool and a few other games and not to mention enough wide open spaces where you can just roam around on a normal day. A nice way to build up your appetite.

(Stuffed Tomatoes)

We were told that the starters would be brought to our table and as for the mains, we could help ourselves. From the starters, the winners for me were the Stuffed Mushrooms, Stuffed Tomatoes, Beer Can Chicken, Achari Chicken and even the salads. The flavor on both the chicken dishes were unique and good. Not to mention that both were grilled to a nice juicy texture and there was no dryness. The mushrooms were also creamy and melt in your mouth types.

(Paneer Tikka)

The dishes that didn't quite work for me were the Paneer Tikka, which was surprisingly a little dry and hard. I was surprised because on a different occasion I had had the most amazing paneer here but this was a let down. The Garlic Butter prawn was surely not on my favorites list. It was dry and overcooked, and very tiny. It was more like a salad shrimp. I also did not give a second thought to the chicken and beef satay dishes. I wont really judge these two dishes because I am not really a satay fan and hence didn't give it a fair chance.

(Aloo Tikki Chat)

Dishes like the Aloo Tikki Chat, Garlic Bread, Potato Skins were decent though not outstanding. Now what was outstanding there was the Lassi. This is something you really have to try. Thick, rich and everything else a good Lassi should be. So it's a no brainer that the farm fresh Buffalo Curd would be quite exceptional as well.

(Farm Special Pizza)

Another fun activity at The Farm is that you get to make your own Pizza. Yes, you really get to do that. Of course the dough is made by them earlier but you get to flatten it, add the sauce, pick and add your toppings and cover it with cheese as well. Quite a popular activity with most people who come here. Once its all set, its pushed into the open over right in front of you and in maybe 5 minutes, your pizza is ready. The sauce, cheese and the crust were awesome.
Other winner of the day for me were the Naan, Dhal, Chicken curry and of course the mighty Pork Vindaloo which was super duper and had a very home made feel. Very similar to the way we make it at home.

(Mutton Biryani)

The Biryani was decent. In fact it was way better than what I expected it to be, knowing how fussy I can be about Biryani. The mutton pieces were slightly hard to find, but when found was tender and juicy. From the main course what did not work for me was the Fish Fry. It was dry and the marinade was not to my liking. So excluding the fish, it was quite a decent and impressive spread.

We spent a good 2 and a half hours having the starters and main course. We had eaten so much that there was no space left for any dessert, which I was quite tempted to try, but wisely avoided. The apple pie did look good though, but no idea how they tasted.

So YES, it was a good Christmas indeed. The Farm is a good place to go for a relaxed day off. Don't go there just to eat. Go prepared to roam around and relax or even jump into the pool. The Farm is located on OMR, a little after Sathyabhama University, on your left side.

Ambiance: 7/10 (Not your usual hep setting but a different feel)
Taste: 7:10 (closer to a home cooked feel)
Service: 9/10 (really excellent hospitality)
Quantity: N/A (this was a buffet so cant comment on that)

Kudumbam

2011-12-14T13:00:00.007+05:30

Now there have been quite a few Kerala restaurants that have come up in the last few years, that serves us something that takes away the true meaning of Kerala food. I agree that a sear fish or pomfret fry does cost a good sum even in Kerala, but what I find ridiculous are places that charge Rs 40 for a Kerala Porotta or Appam, and an ordinary veg meals is above Rs 150. Let me not even get into what these places do during onam. Two years ago I waited 2 hours in queue at Kumarakom Restaurant for an Onam meal, only to be served crap and asked to eat fast and leave, for Rs 300.

Anyway, that's beside the point here. Kudumbam has opened up on Kodambakkam High Road, opposite Palm-grove. The exterior looks cute, but the ambiance inside is a sure shot winner, done up in a contemporary Kerala style. You are received by polite and well dressed hosts in traditional Kerala attire. All along, the interiors impress me.

(Prawn in Rice Batter: Deep Fried)

For starters, we went with the Prawn Fry and Chicken Fry. Both dishes looked the same and only the taste could tell them apart. The chicken was not impressive in taste or texture. It was just strips of boneless meat, with average marinade, deep fried. The prawns were slightly better and was juicy inside. Both dishes were around the Rs 150 -180 range.

(Syrian Beef Fry)

For the main course, most went for the veg meals, served on a banana leaf and ridiculously priced at Rs 190. I am assuming the leaf was the expensive bit. Two of us decided to try the Beef Biryani, again priced around the same range. The sides we ordered were Syrian Beef Fry, Red Fish Curry and Sear Fish Fry. Of course, no trip to a mallu restaurant is complete without Porotta.

(Red Fish Curry)

After the meals were served, we waited for the fish curry to arrive. In fact it had come earlier but none of us noticed it and had mistaken it for a small bowl of pickle. The quantity was a joke as you can see in the pic above. Quite disappointing indeed. The taste was just average and nothing to really rave about.

(Kerala Porotta)

The Kerala Porotta and Beef combo was the best of the day. The porottas were soft, flaky and quite huge. Finally a dish whose size was proportionate to its cost. The beef was more on the dry side, but had excellent flavor that was a perfect match even for the meals

(Sear Fish Fry)

The Sear Fish Fry was another winner of the day. Decent in size and excellent marinade that was not too spicy, but just right. It was cooked right and was not chewy and also lacked the fishy flavor. One of the dishes that I would recommend if you ever visit this place.

(Beef Biryani)

I had mentioned in my previous posts that I am a huge sucker for Biryani. When I heard they had Beef Biryani, I knew I had to try it. In my opinion, mallus are the worlds worst Biryani makers, so my expectations were not too high here. I don't really understand if they are plain lazy to make Chicken, Mutton and Beef Biryani separately or if it is how it is meant to be in Kerala. The rice is the same and made in one shot. The meat is cooked separately. The meat and gravy is mixed into the rice and served, depending on what meat you choose. So, the rice will always taste the same. It did have good flavor here, no doubt. It was more like a good tasting Pulao or Ghee Rice with a side of Beef Masala. That was more like it. We avoided the desserts since we were on a full stomach.

Ambiance: 9/10

Taste: 6/10

Service: 8/10

Quantity: 5/10 for some dishes and a 6/10 for the others

Azulia: A True Mediterranean Experience

2011-12-05T14:57:00.003+05:30

I was pretty bummed when I had to miss out on the Azulia invite for the CFG as I had to be out of town on work that day. Having read the reviews that followed, I knew I had to visit soon, and so I did. Located inside the GRT Grand, the fabulous interiors welcome you as you step out of the elevator. It has been done up quite well and has some Arabic music playing throughout which might even make you believe that you are in Egypt or even Turkey. The menu itself is quite a tour of the region it represents. There are photos and details of each country and at times it could get confusing and make you flip the pages back and forth. However, the staff were quite courteous and polite and was patient through the few hundred questions we threw at them about the menu and the dishes.

(Falafel)

(Cold Salad Platter)

For starters we went with Falafel, Cold Meat Platter, Turkish Sausages and an Italian Sausage Pizza. The Falafel was perfect and bang on. Crispy and crunchy on the outside and full of flavor on the inside. It's a great combo with the humus dip and the pita bread. Though a veg dish, it was polished off quite fast. The Turkish Sausages were not really outstanding, but still good and had a unique flavor when bitten into. That might score slightly low on the value for money charts though. The Cold Meat Platter was a mix of your typical cold cuts like smoked Salmon, ham etc. The Italian Sausage Pizza was good, and at the same time very different from your usual wood fired Pizza. The cheese on the Pizza was hardly visible, but there was enough and more sauce to make up for it. We did not complain as the sauce was quite delicious and all of us did enjoy it. Now who doesn't enjoy a nice juicy Pizza?

(Cannelloni)

The mains took about a good 30 minutes to arrive, but what was really great about the whole thing was that in the end, all 7 main dishes came at the same time. I hate it when in some restaurants one dish comes first and the others wait for theirs. In the mean time, those waiting have polished off the first dish. Or, the person who gets served first wait politely for the others dishes to arrive and meanwhile his has gone cold. No such Problems here.

(Manti: Turkish Lamb Ravioli)

(Salmon Gnocchi)

Our list of mains included Cannelloni, Manti, Salmon Gnocchi, Spaghetti and Lamb Meat Balls, Chicken Risotto, Lobster and Crab Ravioli and a Grilled Chicken in Creamy Sauce. The Cannelloni was what we tasted first. Taste was awesome and so was the sauce. I felt there could have been a little more sauce as it felt a little dry after the first half.

The Manti was an experimental dish I tried after one of the waiters recommended it and said it was one of their top dishes. It's nothing but tiny ravioli shells filled with lamb, in a tomato based sauce and topped with yogurt. I am pretty sure that's how it was supposed to be but the yogurt topping did not really suit my taste. I would have preferred the same ravioli without the yogurt.

The Salmon Gnocchi was one of the top dishes of the day. The salmon was cooked to perfection with a good amount of moisture inside. I hate any fish that has been cooked dry. The salmon was surrounded by a lip smacking pesto based creamy sauce with a few Gnocchi shells. A delicious dish all around, but I would wish for a few more Gnocchi shells in the sauce.

(Spaghetti with Lamb Meat Balls)

(Lobster and Crab Ravioli)

The Spaghetti was not on the menu, but the waiter obliged and said that it could be done. He suggested the meat balls, which was a winner. They were soft and juicy and did literally melt in your mouth. The sauce was just perfect. Most places screw up this dish with a sauce that is heavily laden with tomatoes that you just cant taste anything past the tomatoes. However, this sauce was a good balance and it left you with enough space to actually taste the meat balls and other flavors involved.

The outright winner of the day was the Lobster and Crab Ravioli. Three perfectly cooked juicy lobsters, with their shells, perched on top of some awesome crab ravioli and the creamiest of all sauces. Crustaceans are usually very easily overcook and dried but the way this lobster was cooked shows the skill of the chef. A must try dish if you ever do visit.

These dishes don't really come cheap. Be prepared to spend a good amount to experience this, but if you are really looking for authentic Mediterranean fare, then head on down. Most non veg main course dishes are priced in the 800-1200 range. A chefs special T-bone steak showed 1800 on the menu. So, a meal for one person, with starters and NO desserts will come to 1500 or more.

Ambiance: 8/10
Taste: 8/10
Service: 7/10

Quantity: 7/10

Jaavaid's

2011-11-07T15:22:00.007+05:30

I must mention two points at the very outset. The first point is that I am a sucker for Biryani and it is something I can happily eat twice a day. What pushed me to visit Jaavaid's was an add I saw on facebook about their biryani during Eid. More on that later. The second point I want to mention is that I have never had Kashmiri food before and have no clue what it is supposed to taste like. So this being my first time, it would be unfair for me to pass a comment on the food from a Kashmiri angle. My comments are purely based on the experience I have had there, as well as my personal taste, likes and dislikes.

The place itself is located on KNK road, a prime location for Restaurants. To be more precise, this is where the old Cedars used to be. You can enter either from KNK road or even Wallace Garden road. The interiors are decent, with nothing really fancy or overdone, but eerily quiet. Some music on low volume would have been nice. The menu card is simple and easy to read but I did expect something a little more fancier than what could be mistaken for my spiral bound college project report.

(Paneer Tikka)

The Chef and his wife were kind enough to interact with us and welcome us, and even give us an insight into Kashmiri cuisine. They explained that their food was strictly authentic and that along with the chef, the few kitchen staff were from Kashmir as well. Through this conversation we shed our misconceptions about Kashmiri food being very spicy.

(Pasanda Kabab)

For starters we went with a Paneer Tikka and Pasanda Kabab (Mutton). The Panner looked its usual red and fiery self, but it was not close to spicy. The flavor was likable, but the texture wasn't. Paneer can be a flop if it isn't soft and the melt in your mouth types. This was a little towards the not-soft side and hence was just an average dish. The Pasanda Kabab was another story. This is basically ground lamb, marinated in yogurt and spices. This was juicy, had a good flavor and it did really melt in your mouth. Surely a dish I would recommend and say is worth trying.

(JKNK Special Fish)

For the main course we tried Mutton Biryani, Steamed Rice, Butter Naan, Garlic Naan, Mutton soup, Spicy Chicken Curry, Mutton Dhaniwal, and the ambitiously named JKNK Special Fish. The fish is a grilled dish, with minimal spices and flavor. The creamy sauce was a mix of green chillies and yogurt. This was the dish where we were divided on whether we liked it or not. It was cooked to perfection and the texture was awesome. The lack of any intense flavor made some feel that it was a bit fishy and left an after taste. For me, I liked it, thanks to the creamy sauce that came along with it.

(Mutton Dhaniwal)

The steamed rice does not really need a comment. You can't really mess that up, can you? The Naans were good, with generous swabs of butter on top. It was not chewy at all and was easy to tear and chew. Now the Mutton Coriander Curry was the dish that left us all wondering if we liked it or not. I liked it, but let me also mention that the flavor was something totally new for me and which for some might be an acquired taste. Not spicy at all, but it did go well with the steamed rice. It somehow did not seem a right match for our Naan and so we ordered a Spicy Chicken Curry. Now this could look like it could set your tongue on fire, but it doesn't. Again, a new flavor for me which could take some getting used to. The pieces were boneless, though I would have preferred otherwise.

(Mutton Biryani)

Now I mentioned at the beginning that I was a sucker for Biryani and that that was the main reason I visited Jaavaid's. Well, huge disappointment that was for me. I was personally unhappy with the Biryani and I must say that I have had better ones at our local Thakapakkati joints. For the price, it was absolutely not worth it. The joy of having just eaten a good Kabab was suddenly fading away. Again, I don't know if this is how Kashmiri Biryani is supposed to be, but it did not suit my taste.

So would I recommend this place? Well, yes, I would because this is one place where you get to try a different cuisine. Be adventurous and try a variety of different dishes on the menu that you would not find in any other restaurant, rather than the usual Naan with Butter Chicken or Tikka. Maybe ask the Chef to recommend something, which they gladly would. Most importantly, have an open mind and be prepared for a different kind of flavor. It's not the cheapest place. It's on KNK road, remember? With all the above dishes it came to approximately Rs 500 per head, minus desserts.

Ambiance: 6/10
Taste: 6/10

Service: 9/10

Quantity: 7/10

Burgundys At MRC

2011-10-14T12:46:00.009+05:30

Burgundy was on my radar from the moment I heard of the names associated with it. After Tuscana and Kryptos, Burgundy was a long time coming. So we were invited over for lunch on Thursday, to get a feel of what this was all about. Frankly, for some odd reason, I had assumed that Burgundy was a Greek-Mediterranean joint, along the lines of Kryptos. But no, and I sure was surprised to know that it was Indian, Pan-Asian and European cuisine. What hits you first is the swankiness of the building it is located in. As I stepped into the plush lobby of the luxury "Somerset", I was guided promptly into Burgundy, which in itself looks hep n' tidy.

(Grilled Vegetable Pizza)

Vipin was kind enough to take time and join us; sharing with us valuable information about the restaurant, the kitchen, the food and the whole industry itself. We were offered soup, Roasted Garlic and Pumpkin and Chicken Tofu, both of which I passed, after seeing the large spread that cried out to us. I was delighted when the Pizza came. There were two types and both had quite a unique flavor which I had not tasted before. The crust was perfect and so was the oozing cheese. The Roast Chicken Pizza was a killer and I could swear that somewhere deep in between the crust, the cheese and the chicken, there was a Chinese flavor to it, in a good way though. I would normally pass on the Grilled Vegetable Pizza, but decided to try it, and no regrets. I wouldn't mind being veg for a few days if I could eat that throughout.

(Paneer Tikka)

The starters were Tandoori Vegetables, Paneer tikka, Chicken Tikka and Chicken Malai Tikka. The Malai tikka. The Malai Tikka was the pick of the lot, being juicy and full of subtle flavor, allowing it to almost melt in your mouth. The Chicken Tikka was leaning more towards the dry side and lacked the juiciness of the Malai Tikka. Now, Paneer is one dish that most chefs can screw up big time by overcooking it into a block of rubber. With that in mind I never considered the Paneer Tikka, until I noticed a few others pass their forks through it easier than a knife going through butter. It was soft, fluffy and cooked to perfection. One of the nicer Paneer Tikkas I have eaten.

(Pumpkin Salad)

(Shrimp Salad)

Since I am not a salad person, I didn't care much for the salad section, maybe except for the Shrimp Salad with a nice garlic based dressing. You can say that I fancied the Garlic dressing more then the shrimp itself. I must mention that there was also a Chat counter with the works, a counter for cold cuts, as well as a counter for dips such as Hummus, Baba Ganosh and few others. I really would have tried them if only I had more space in my tummy.

(Malabar Prawn)

One of the unique things I noticed, and later explained by Vipin was that almost all items were plated and served in smaller quantities. No large steel trays overflowing with food, but instead what you see are smaller quantities tastefully plated to grab your attention. I grabbed the Malabar Prawn, which was a let down for me. With seafood, especially prawn and calamari, there is a very thin line between under-cooking and over-cooking. The Prawns were quite dry and hard on the inside, making you not want to take another bite. There were however some excellent tasting Indian dishes. The Lamb Rogan Josh was to die for. It was one of the better ones I have eaten. That along with the Veg Biryani or even the soft Naan, was a killer combination, which is sure to leave you wanting another helping.

(Braised Fish in Vietnam Style)

The Vietnam Braised Fish was another unique try. You never know what taste is going to hit you until you bite into it. It had a very powerful ginger flavor, which was good and not overpowering enough to hide the flavor of the fish. It is served on a bed of fried rice noodles which adds the crunch to the whole experience. Worth a try. There were tons of vegetarian dishes which I skipped. On the Non-Veg side, I made sure I did not miss the Stir Fry Beef and the Beef Patties in Gravy, both of which were good, with the Stir Fry Beef being a notch ahead.

(Stuffed Chicken)

I save the best for last and for me, the best dish of the day was the Stuffed Chicken. I didn't quite get what the stuffing was, but it was quickly polished off. It is topped with a baby carrot that seemed to be glazed and roasted in honey, and all that served on a bed of caramelized sweet onions. I guarantee you that it will make you want to have one more.

(Banana Cake)

The dessert spread was average. Not the best I have had. Also having overeaten already, I decided to try the Banana Cake, Mango Mousse and the Malai Sandwich which was the winner in my books. One of the best Malai sweets I have eaten. The Black Forest Cake is passable and so was the Sacher tart. I don't think I could do justice to the Dessert menu, considering I was too full to try most of them.

Overall a good experience which I would surely recommend. Weekday Buffets are priced at 750 for Lunch and 975 for Dinner. Weeekends I was told it is 1200, but with a much larger spread. They also have an A La Carte if you prefer that. Burgundy is open all day and you can get any item on the menu, any time it is open.

Ambiance: 7/10

Taste: 7/10

Service: 9/10

Quantity: 7.5/10

5enses Restaurant

2011-10-03T01:20:00.013+05:30

When a new restaurant opens in town, rather than wait for others to tell you how it fares, the best way to experience it would be to try it out for yourselves. Opinions and tastes differ after all and hence on a lazy Sunday afternoon we head out to this new place called 5enses on KNK road. Not difficult to find at all. It is the building right after Casa Picola when you come in from Nungambakkam High Road. Must mention that for such a location, there was ample parking available. Once you get there, take the lift up to the third floor.

The place is huge. I mean, like quite huge for a Chennai restaurant. Plenty of outdoor seating was visible, which i am assuming would be quite inviting on a balmy evening with some live music. We sat inside, thanks to the humidity. The staff were real courteous and guided us inside and since the place was quite empty when we entered, we had the freedom to choose where we wanted to sit. We were handed out menus, which I must say were quite cute as well as innovative. Food and pricing on the right side and plenty of stories, snippets and a little history on the left side. We actually spent a lot of time going through the menu. Ok, let's get to the food, shall we.

(Tapas Platter)

For starters we decided to go with the Tapas Platter which contained Baked Chicken Escalopes stuffed with mozzarella and chorizo, Smoked Salmon Roll, Garlic Crostini loaded with wild mushrooms, red peppers, goat cheese and corn and wasabi allioli. The presentation looked awesome and the taste was even better. It was tempting to not disturb the presentation. However we dug in immediately. For me, the pick of the evening was the Baked chicken with Chorizo, which is another name for a kind of pork sausage. The low point for all of us was the quantity. When you spend close to Rs 700 for a dish, you expect a little more than two tiny servings to each item. Now with our appetites as well as our expectations built up, we waited for

the main course.

(Pepperoni Napoli Pizza)

As far as Pizzas are concerned, Tuscana is one place that has set the benchmark in my opinion, and hence we hesitated when it came to ordering the Pizza. After much debate, we ordered the safest bet, Pepperoni Napoli 12" Pizza. I must tell you, it did not disappoint. Thin crusted, plenty of awesome cheese and a very different kind of pepperoni. It disappeared so quickly that we immediately ordered another one; this time Prosciutto Ham Pizza, which was equally good and disappeared just as quick.

(Dajaj Mashwi Grill Chicken)

(Pesto Baked Chicken)

The next dish I got to taste was the Dajaj Mashwi Grill Chicken. The chicken itself was well cooked and Juicy. Not dry at all. However I was not a big fan of the black bean Jasmine rice. The sauce on the chicken is an acquired taste, with yogurt as its base. I thought it went well with the chicken but a few others disagreed. The Pesto baked Chicken was a notch better. It was stuffed with awesome feta cheese and olives. Once again, cooked to perfection with the right amount of moisture. A dish I would surely recommend and even order again when I go back.

(Grilled Prawn Harissa)

(Lamb Moosaka)

The grilled prawns looked really tempting and well presented. I admit that I loved it. I loved the seasoning, though it was kind of overpowering in my opinion. One low point of this dish was that it tasted very similar to any prawn masala I would find in any Kerala restaurant. The chef later explained to us that there was a lot of similarities between our spices and the spices used in Mediterranean cooking. Another point was that you would expect a little more than 4 pieces of prawn when you shell out around Rs 600 for a dish.

If I had to pick my flavor of the day, that would be the Lamb Moosaka. The quantity was slightly better here but I felt the presentation could have been a tad bit better. The seasoning and the flavor makes up for that though. A good balance of ground juicy lamb and soft egg plant, mixed with the flavored sauce and baked. We also did try the crab and prawn Raviolli, which was just ok. Nothing great to rave about, and in my opinion, the poorest dish of the day, thanks to the thin sauce.

No matter how full you are, there is always space for dessert.

(Tiramisu)

(Cannaloni)

With quite a bit to choose from, we went with just three choices for dessert. Most places screw up a Tiramisu like nobodies business and we did expect some kind of screw up here as well, but NO. Great flavor and great balance between that coffee taste and mascarpone cheese, but then again, it could have been a tad bigger.
The Cannalonis were awesome and they came in black and white chocolate. We dig in quickly and before you knew it, the plate was clean. That was my pick among the desserts and really worth a try.

(Crostata and Baileys Gellato)

A Crostata is basically an Italian pie or tart. Ours was filled with gooey chocolate mousse which gushed out the moment we cut through. The tiny coffee bean line thing you see in the pic is not actually a coffee bean. It's chocolate that has been shaped that way. Along with the gelatto, it gave the perfect flavor and taste to die for.

Overall a good experience and a must visit. Be prepared to spend. It costs us around 1200 per head with mocktails. Don't be surprised at the relatively small portions served.

Ambiance - 8/10
Taste - 8/10

Service - 8/10

Quantity - 5/10

The Ordeal of Commuting

2011-07-05T14:08:00.002+05:30

For the last two weeks, I did something that I had never ever done before. I commuted to work. Yes, you heard me right. For those of you who were not aware, I have a job where I work from home. My room is my office. No commuting in the terrible traffic. No dealing with the unfriendly weather and no long distance to cover. Yes, call it a blessing or whatever, but I have a job that offers some privileges that almost all my friends would kill for.

Initially when I was informed that I needed to be working from a client company for two weeks, I welcomed it as a change in environment. I was looking forward to it. Day 1 was kind of fine. I knew what to expect. What I didn't realize was that during peak hours, it takes an hour to cover 10km. Well, how was I to know? I never step out during peak times. The process of getting back home in the evenings seemed like forever. I still shouldn't be complaining because I was back home by 7.

By the time I was into my 3rd day, I had had enough. I couldn't handle the commute any longer. I began to wonder how some of my friends travel long distance for work. I wondered why on earth they do it? Yes, compared to most of them, my commute seemed like a short distance and yet, here I was complaining of the distance and traffic. By the time I finished my first week, I had developed a new found respect for all those who commute to work, especially the ones who drive themselves. Hats off to you all.

So, finally I managed to finish 2 terrible weeks. Now I am back in the comfort of my home and my old routine which I missed so much. No more sweating and no more honking to deal with. Life is good, and I sure as hell feel blessed. Lucky me.

A Tale of Many Guests

2011-06-15T17:31:00.002+05:30

We have always had a lot of guest at home, growing up. Every week there was someone or the other. It was either an official visit or sometimes a family visit. Since dad was with the church and we lived in a parsonage, official guests of the church usually stayed with us, from other priests to even bishops. On days when they were not around, we had some family visiting. Having grown up in this kind of environment, it's no surprise that even today, I love having guests over.

Being young, there was always some excitement about guests coming over. That would mean special food; something out of the ordinary. Being young, the guest would always bring something for this young boy. So after the excitement of seeing the visitor, my excitement would shift towards their baggage. From a piece of candy to a small toy, anything would do. I would eye their pockets and even scan their baggage without their knowledge for anything that might be meant for me. Rarely was I disappointed. Some uncles would hand me Rs 10 or 20 and if they came from abroad it as usually Rs 100. When the guest was official, I obviously had no interest for them, but only for what they might have for me. On the other hand, if the guest was an uncle or a few cousins, then it was all about them.

Apart from the guests, we have always had people over. Living in a campus, ours was something like an open house. The only time the doors were closed was when we were going to bed. It was always open and people would always walk in and out. We were the fortunate family to own a TV. Really; no one else had one initially. So for the weekly Sunday movies on TV we had a full house of kids and a few adults. If there was a cricket match, we had kids sneak away from the hostel to come and watch. "The World This Week" was another program when we had our house full.

Plus points aside, there are downsides to it as well. There are times when you just don't want anyone at home. You just wish it was just your own family and no one else. But we cant chase anyone away, can we? Sometimes the much loved guest might dig into my favorite piece of chicken that I usually have. Sometimes that guest might take the bed and I have had to hit the floor. Sometimes the guests have been in total control of the TV, that on more than one occasion, I have gone to the terrace and ripped of the wire from the antenna, hoping to interrupt their TV watching. Just my rotten luck, the Doordarshan TV tower was right next to our house and I learnt that the TV didn't really need an antenna for crystal clear pictures.

Many years have passed and I still love having people over. We visit a lot too. My wife too loves having people over and so between her friends/family and my friends/family, we have someone at home almost every week or at the most every other week. It's great and no complaints. It's great to stare at a different face once in a while, have a different kind of conversation and it's always nice to share your environment and make someone feel welcomed. When guests leave, I would want them to leave with the feeling that they would want to come back, and I really hope they do.

Conflicts. How To Make The Best Use Of It.

2011-05-18T11:58:00.004+05:30

We all fight or have conflicts. As long as two living being exist in the same environment, conflict will co-exist. In one of my previous posts I had mentioned that, from a very psychological and theoretical angle, "conflict is growth trying to happen". I agree. Through the fights and arguments, there is so much you learn about the other person and provided you are open minded, you even develop some level of tolerance. So, through conflicts you grow and you grow, but all said and done, every now and then you wish you would grow a little less.

Especially with couples, a lot of people get very stressed at the slightest conflict. If there is a fight, the individuals spend sleepless nights until it is resolved. I used to believe in this but not anymore and a lot of people still vouch for the fact that no conflict should be left unresolved by the time the sun goes down. It might work for some, but for me, NO. I have let a few sunsets go by before anything has been resolved. A few days of no communication is a good break indeed, but then again, that's my perspective and what works for me.

With marriage, my lifestyle has changed to a great degree. Expected of course. Going to bed around 3am or 4am does not seem practical now, so 12am it is, maximum. So this is where conflict comes in and gives me a chance to revisit my glory days. During a conflict, I treat myself by staying up as late as I want to, and watch anything I want to on TV, without a fight for the remote. I get to watch all IPL matches without interruption. During the world cup, as fate would have it, we fought exactly on the days when India was playing. I took it as a blessing and watched all of India's games. Contrary to popular belief, I sleep best when we fight.

In all fairness, let me clarify that I do not go looking for conflicts nor do I instigate it for my benefit. Sometimes it just happens and it is beyond your control. So when it finally does happen, quit whining about it and think of it as a holiday, a time to break all the rules. A few pretty sunsets later, you are all ready to make up, and you're off again, on your beautiful journey together.

Happy fighting...!!

If Rockstars Ruled The World

2011-05-03T12:13:00.003+05:30

I remember reading something similar long ago in an issue of Readers Digest so I figured I would come up with my own version. We all go on about how politicians mess up everything everywhere. We also know how music makes this world a much better place to live. So, what if these musicians ruled the world, or lets say they ruled our country? So for the sake of this post, let's look at our very own Indian cabinet and fill them up with Rock bands.

Prime Minister - Presidents of the USA

Minister of Finance - Dire Straits

Minister of Defence - Guns N' Roses

Minister of Food Processing - Meat Loaf

Minister of Home Affairs - Police

Minister of Railways - Train

Minister of External Affairs - Foreigner

Minister of Rural Development - Village People

Minister of Power - AC/DC

Minister of Health - Poison/Anthrax

Minister of Civil Aviation - Jefferson Airplane

Minister of Coal - Coal Chamber

Minister of Road Transport - Journey

Minister of Animal Welfare - Pantera and Def Leppard

So yeah, the world is a better place now, so ROCK ON..!!

How We Feed This Monster Called Corruption

2011-04-08T12:37:00.003+05:30

So here is yet another movement that is gaining steam; Anna Hazare's fast unto death. Great bold initiative I must admit. Every once in a while, there are these few great ones that show up, hoping to make a difference. Hazare has indeed done great deeds and might do a few more, but the focus here is on corruption. How much will his hunger strike achieve and what impact will it have in future?

First off, corruption in rampant. In fact, we as a nation created this monster called corruption and knowingly or unknowingly, we are all a part of this body of corruption. I hope the Jan Lokpal Bill gets passed. It has not been cleared for a good 42 years, but better late than never. If it does get passed, that might go a long way in dealing with corrupt politicians and those holding any office. But does it eliminate corruption completely? I guess not.

We always blame our politicians for being corrupt, but that is only because we have allowed them to be. We always speak about how corrupt a traffic cop or a government employee can be, but they are because we have not held back from slipping a Rs 100 note into their palms so that we can get away with something. Our palms are as greasy as theirs. We feed this monster called corruption and we suddenly we want to kill it.

Suddenly everyone on Facebook has been clicking the "like" button to any comment in support of Hazare. Everyone is joining a Facebook page in support of Hazare. Everyone seems to be busy clicking "attending" to the numerous support events that have come up. These very same people will bribe a cop, bribe an official, buy pirated movies, download illegally, buy stuff from the black market and so on. So much for clicking the "like" button. No doubts, I am one of those downloaders and bribe a cop person and hence I find it pretty hypocritical to click "like" or "attending".

We need to be the change we want to see, and sadly that we never can be. Hazare will fast and the bill might be passed and eventually he might end his fast. We cannot expect corruption to end the minute he ends his fast. That wont happen. Chances are that with the IPL starting, Hazare might be forgotten in a few days by us. To begin with, getting the Lokpal bill passed would be the best start. From then on, it is in our hands. Let us stop blaming the politicians, like they are the only ones corrupt. Maybe a look into the mirror might do us good.

The Cup That Counts

2011-04-04T14:28:00.003+05:30

So here it is finally. We won. Unbelievable scenes all around the country and even two days after the win, it is yet to sink in for many. I was 4 years old when we won the cup in 1983. That was when black and white TV was up to date and only the privileged few had a TV set. I have absolutely no memory of anyone mentioning anything or celebrating that victory in 1983. Now 28 years later, I have memories that are going to last me a lifetime. India deserved to win.

Dhoni has been dashing as a captain and an even greater risk taker with his decision making. In the end it paid off. He has easily displaced Ganguly as the most successful captain. Under him we won the T20 world cup, became the no: 1 test nation and even ripped apart Australia in Australia, and now the world cup itself. The media has even referred to him as the man with the Midas touch, keeping in mind that he made CSK the winners in IPL last season and even went one better on the world stage by winning the Champions league. It does not get better for him.

Having said that, we were not without our share of hiccups, blunders and luck. During the early stage of the tournament, our bowlers struggled to bowl out even the weaker teams. We did not win by a huge margin. Even the game against England where we scored huge, we should have won. During the middle stages, our lower middle order and tail collapsed faster than a deck of cards. Dhoni was criticized for his team selection when he omitted Ashwin. I still believe Ashwin would have been a better bet than Chawla or even Nehra, but in the end, we still made it through, so the brickbats might be spared this time. We are an unforgiving nation, aren't we? The lowest point for me was of course the performance of Sreesanth. Zero contribution.

Another high point for me was Sachin. That guy deserves a post all to himself, but that's later. What a journey it has been for him and yes, I totally agree when most of the players said that the cup was won FOR Sachin. After all he has done, he deserves it. The icing on the cake would have been his 100th century, had he reached there.

So where do we go from here? They say that once you reach the top, the only way forward is DOWN. True, maybe, but we can prolong our stay at the top for a while. We can keep the momentum going. With this win, we probably have enough confidence to keep ourselves going and play like champions. Hopefully this Indian dominance will last for a few years, maybe even beyond the next world cup.

On a lighter note, got this joke in my inbox this morning. "Two Sri Lankans were seen sipping tea out of a saucer. When asked why, one of them said that the Indians took the cup"

The Gospel of Mac: Chapter 2

2011-03-15T12:07:00.004+05:30

Behold, I say unto you, all of mankind,
Thou searches for me at the altar,
Where frankincense and incense burns.
Where heads are bowed and palms joined,
knees on the floor and hearts raised.
Forgetting what lies beyond the walls,
Where I really do prevail.
Create a frenzy and scream my name,
"Shout to the Lord", you think you are closer.
Let your child come unto me,
But you, behold yourself, unfit for glory.
It matters not to me where you go next,
But where you are now, in this life.
Shine the light and be the light,
Lend a helping hand.
Share the love, to all alike,
How different they may be from you.
Cause no hurt by words, it matters what you say,
If you think you are already safe; sad, but you have failed.
Follow these, my humble words and look not above,
For heaven lays here, right where you created yours.
Thus spoke the Gospel of Mac.

Friends For All Seasons

2011-03-10T12:13:00.002+05:30

I have had quite a few friends ask me why, in all these years of blogging, I have never written anything about any friend in particular. Yes, more than two individuals have asked me this. Then at one point, I did consider writing a post, dedicated to a few friends. I think it was on a friendship day two or three years ago. I started writing, but soon stopped. Not because I couldn't find anything to write, but because of fear that I may leave someone out.

I have always taken pride in regard to the friends I have. I do believe that I have the greatest bunch of friends. There are some I see often during the week. There are some I meet without fail at weekends and have a blast. There are some I wish I could see more often but don't, and then there are some I meet once or twice a year when we end up in the same city. With so many friends, my days are full. I enjoy every minute I spend with each of them. There is so much I have learnt from some of them, and I am certain that there is so much I have taught some of them.

I have always believed that it is necessary to have more than one set of friends. No matter how close you are, seeing the same face again and again is going to get to you one day. I also believe that different set of friends can also meet different needs in you. For me, there is one set with whom I do the most crazy things while acting like fools. This I can never do with anyone other group. There is another set of friends with whom I can open up and share my inner thought and be a little emotional, which I can never do with the others. With another group I can just sit and chat for hours about anything and never ever feel bored. There are few with whom I can sit quietly and have a few drinks and just feel good. I can go on, but just wanted to show how each set of friends meet a different need in me.

Few days ago, I was thinking a lot about all these friends. I felt so grateful for them, while I tried to recollect all the good times we have had. Yes, we have had fun, fun and more fun and have stuck by each other all this while. This also got me thinking about the fact that there has never been a crisis situation with any of these friends, where the fun has to be put aside, and a different role has to be taken. Of course we have all had our share of ups and downs and have been supportive to each other, but I mean something on a greater scale. Some life changing experience that someone goes through. In such a case, I was wondering what role each of these set of friends would take up.

Anyway, for those of you who had asked me why I don't mention any friends in particular, that's because there are too many of you, and each of you mean a lot to me, in so many different ways. It cannot be summarised in a blog, and its best left at that. But, I love you all.

The Never Ending Spam Mails and Forwards

2011-03-03T12:32:00.003+05:30

Now haven't we all received spam? Well, most of us still do. There are these crazy fwds that we sometimes don't bother to open. As annoying as they may be, some of them are really amusing. Amusing as long as you don't fall for it. Unfortunately some of us do fall for the pranks. Tough wood, I have been safe from spammers until now and hope to remain so. Meanwhile, I thought I would run through my top 5 (ridiculous) forwards.

1. Movie portraying Jesus and his Disciples as gay.
This has got to be the oldest one. I remember receiving this even way back in 1998, saying that a movie is going to be released, showing Jesus and his 12 as gay. Well, 13 years on and I'm still waiting for the movie, but I still receive the fwd every now and then. A lot of people signed the petition and forwarded it further, mostly out of ignorance, and hence sharing a lot more email id's with awaiting spammers. If I receive this one more time, I just might make that movie myself, just so this would end.

2. You have been chosen to receive a million dollars..!!
When you see $$$ on your subject line, you are tempted to open it. Well, who doesn't need money. Then you read that some old rich lady living alone in a London mansion just croaked her last, and that her bank has randomly chosen YOU to receive all her fortune. Wow..!! Now, really? Some of us actually believe that? Don't be stupid. It does not happen in real life. I had blogged before about one such conversation I had. Check it out here.

3. Fwd to 20 people or you will die.
Ok, its amazing how some think that the "send" button on your screen has the power to kill you, if not clicked. Hey, I'm still alive, in spite of not sending anything. Sometimes it says you will have 20 years of bad luck if you don't fwd this, or you will lose your job or whatever. OK, I choose 20 years of bad luck over annoying 20 people I know. So far my luck has been great and I am doing just fine.

4. Save a little girls life.
Then we have a fwd that does not ask for your money or address or anything else. All it says is that there is a little girl dying of cancer and that her folks cant afford the money to cure her. Apparently microsoft has stepped in to help, saying that they will pay 20 cents for each person who forwards the mail. Ok, apparently that girl is still not dead, and that mail still comes every now and then. Use your brains. Microsoft has enough money to pay for her treatment if they wanted to, plus there are thousands of people dying from cancer, so you spamming your friends will NOT save this little girl.

5. Apple is giving away free iPads.
Yea, right. That's how they made their money; by giving free ipads. This apparently is the latest spam, mostly on facebook. You click a link that says "click here and receive your free ipad" and that message is immediately posted to all your friends profile. And did you get the iPad? Hell no. You only made me think you are stupid.

Nothing comes free in life. Whether iPad or money or whatever, no one will ever give it away for free. That's just not how it works. Sometimes we act stupid and try our luck. "Oh its from microsoft so much be genuine" is what we think. "Jesus wont forgive me if I don't act christian and do my bit to stand up for my lord" is what some of us think when we receive the fwd about the Jesus movie. We wouldn't risk denying our God, so we fwd it anyway. Just in case. Then some of us fwd crap out of pure desperation. Our life must be in the pits and it couldn't go further down, so if forwarding an email is going to work, then no harm trying. If forwarding an email is going to give someone that hope, then hey, why not; isn't it?

So yea, that's it. Now within the next one minute, type out a comment about this post. Otherwise your computer screen will burst into a million pieces and about a half a million of those tiny sharp shreds will pierce your eyes.

Facebook Killed the Blogging Star

2011-02-16T12:02:00.005+05:30

Anyone remember this song from the 70's, a popular one called "Video Killed the Radio Star"? This was also the very first music video to be played when MTV was launched. How apt or how ironic, considering how important music videos would become towards the success of a song. Surely the radio star did not die, just that it took a back seat, but it is still very much alive.
I remember the enthusiasm with which I started blogging. I had so much to say and so much to express. There were a lot of stories from my past which were wort sharing. Some were worth laughing about and some were worth pondering over. I have now reached a point where I feel I have said it all, or maybe I cant think of anything more to blog about. NO, this is NOT a goodbye post and my blog is not shutting down, but I cant help but hold myself responsible for allowing it to take the backseat.

Enter Facebook, and there is no denying that it has changed the way people communicate. My stories are now on Facebook and not on the blog. My feelings, moods and emotions are also on Facebook. My photos, trip reports are there for all to see on Facebook. Lets face it, when I want to show off something or get a response, I would rather do it on a forum that has 400+ members as opposed to 40. Well, do I even have 10 people who visit this page?

It's a phase. It was blogger yesterday and today it's Facebook. Who knows what it will be tomorrow. No I am not going to abandon the blog. It has indeed taken a backseat, but it is still special in so many ways. So it shall remain. Happy Blogging.

Very Very Annoying

2011-01-13T13:08:00.004+05:30

If we look around, there are numerous things that happen that can annoy us. Some of us are able to turn a blind eye and let things pass. Some of us are blind and don't see it. Anyway, I have realized that there are certain things that wont change. We got to deal with it. So here are my top five things that really annoy me no end.

Honking:
I rarely honk. That is because I have come to realize that there is no point. Traffic is only going to get worse and roads are going to be more clogged. Now how hard is it to understand that? How difficult is to to look in front and see a red light and see vehicles piled up, and realize that no one can move until the light turns green? Then why honk? I guess I became intolerant to honking after my stint in USA, where there is NO honking. When the light is red and if someone behind me honks, I make it a point not to move an inch, no matter how loud the honking. Horns should be banned. Really!!

Slow and Steady:
This slow and steady ain't going to win any races. How often have you waited at a counter and the person who is supposed to attend to you is paying zero attention to you, and is instead busy on his cell phone. Or sometimes he just roams around doing nothing, or moving at his own slow pace, as if there is no one to attend to. Makes you feel invisible and it is indeed frustrating that your presence is not even acknowledged. When I am at a counter, I expect to be attended to.

Autos:
Of course, show me one person who has only good things to say about autos. No surprise but auto drivers are among the most hated creatures, but unfortunately for a lot of individuals, they are dependent on them. In my opinion, the autos in Chennai are the worst, hands down. No meters, no fixed fares, no regard to passengers, absolutely nothing. In Chennai they will come anywhere you call them, but you pay what they ask for. This is daylight robbery or extortion at its best. A pity that this is an issue that can never be resolved. I do my best to avoid autos and in the last few months, I have not hired one. Believe it or not, but in Chennai a taxi can be a cheaper option.

Timing:
It is only in the last few years that I developed the importance of being on time. I find it really disrespectful if someone does not keep their time with you. If someone wants to meet me at 7, I am always there by 6:45 latest. I hate it when I have to wait until 8 or beyond before the person shows up. I would not mind if the person told me that he/she was running late and can make it only by 8. But it is annoying when they keep saying, "I am on my way" or "I am almost there" and still show up after an hour. It is not like I had something important to achieve in that one our, but keeping your time is a way of respecting someone. It does not hurt to be a few minutes early and wait. It wont kill you.

Cellphones vs Movies:
This has got to be my numero uno. Yes, I am most annoyed when people use their cell phones at movies. Some talk real loud, as if no one else is there. Then there are some who have horrible ring tones and when it rings they take it and stare at the screen, at the name of the person calling, wondering if they should answer it or not, while the annoying tone screams out aloud. Would it really hurt to switch it off for a few hours or even put in on silent? Even if you are sending a text message, the light from the screen annoys me. So if you are expecting an important call or if there is something you cannot avoid, please stay at home, and spare the movie goers.

So there, if any of you have any of these above said habits (I know some of you do), make a change, and please make my life better. Ha..!!

Goodbye 2010 and Hello 2011

2010-12-31T16:01:00.007+05:30

I think I have faithfully posted at the beginning of each year, so here I am again, bang on time. So, what an year this has been for me. To begin with, starting of 2010 by getting married, and then living the rest of it as a married man. A sharp contrast indeed from years 1979 to 2009. So was it better? Well, yeah. In many years, this last one year has been great. A good learning experience for me in a lot of ways. Learnt that women ain't that hard to deal with after all. A trick or two can keep them in the palm of your hands. Hey, it worked for me, so don't argue. Of course, they have their moments, that no trick can overcome, but those are just those few bumps or potholes on an otherwise smooth road. We also will celebrate our anniversary in another few days. So there you have it, in the last one year, married life/my life has been good.

On the work front, nothing has changed. I still am those few fortunate ones who love my job and those very very fortunate ones who enjoy the luxury of working from home plus a flexible schedule. I still have those great friends, some whom I meet often, some all too often and some hardly. Still, we are great friends, so that's good as well.

Come Jan 1st and I will also successfully complete one full year of being smoke free, barring the occasional one at a party once in a few months. A great achievement indeed. Yes, I used to crave occasionally, but these last few months have been crave free and now that I have completed one year, no doubts that I could go the rest of my life this way.

On the downside, my blogging has suffered. If you look back at the number of posts this last year, they have suffered in terms of quantity and quality. I honestly don't know why. Maybe I have finished saying everything I wanted to say. Maybe the lemon has been squeezed to its skin. Anyway, lets see how next year goes. Maybe I will have something interesting enough to blog about. Oh, I have been wanting to start gymming and maintain my health for the last two years or more. Now the apartment we stay in has its own health club, steam room etc, but guess what? I'm yet to set foot inside that Gym. So typical me.

So here's wishing you all a great new year and I hope the new year would be an awesome one for all of you, as it is for me. Peace.

When will she die ?

2010-12-15T12:14:00.003+05:30

With her birth began my misery,
Claws of agony, holding on forever.
Never ending torture, enduring forever,
Oh when will she die?

Cruelty and the beast, all in one
Immature reverence demanded.
Nonchalantly she awaits,
Oh when will she die?

Occasional words of love,
Turns sour with each bite.
Scars from her bite reappear,
Oh when will she die?

Safe in her solitary shell,
We wish she will remain.
Will someone please tell me,
If she will ever die.

Coorg, Bylakuppe and Mysore

2010-10-22T12:23:00.004+05:30

I never really needed a break or had to get away from a very hectic life. Life has always been quiet peaceful for me, but when you see a four day weekend looming ahead, you always want to make the best use of it and head out somewhere. So that's what we did last weekend. With a four day weekend, we decided to head out to Coorg, which I personally have always wanted to visit.

So on a Wednesday night we caught the train to Mysore. We reached in the morning and headed out to the bus terminal to take a bus to Gonikoppa. I need to mention that after experiencing autos in Chennai, autos everywhere else feels dirt cheap. So anyways, a two hour bumpy bus ride and a few wild elephants later, we reached. You just have to feel grateful that you have people you know so that you always have a place to stay. So we did stay in an estate, somewhere deep deep inside, far away from everyone and everything. It is kind of eerie when you realize that yours is the only house on top of a tea estate and you have no neighbours for a few miles. But, we enjoyed the eeriness.

We spent the first day relaxing, unwinding and doing absolutely nothing but eat good food, drink some scotch and enjoy some amazing oldies music with an uncle who is an amazing singer and guitar player. Perfect setting for a holiday evening. The next day, we headed out to Bylakuppe, which is yet another place I have always wanted to visit, thanks to the Tibetan culture and more importantly their amazing food, which I got hooked on to on my visit to Dharamsala a few years ago. We stuffed ourselves with all kinds of meat, walked around and tried getting enlightened in their monastery and finally did some small scale shopping. It's hard to believe that you do find cheap stuff even today. Back home late, and another round of scotch and music and this time some amazing pandi (traditional Coorg pork) to enhance the experience. Oh this was bliss.

Day three fell on Ayudha puja, so we walked down to the estate factory where the rituals were being performed. Finished that and then spent the morning walking around the estate clicking snaps. Yes, my wife loves to click and I kind of hate posing. So I try to wrap it up quickly so that I can get back home and enjoy some lovely home cooked biryani. After a knock out lunch, the only thing on your mind would be to crash out, but we decided to go to Irupu Falls. No one told me that there were 250+ steps I needed to climb. So I slowly crawled along while the others made it to the top quite quickly. I reached the top and got my biryani digested at the same time. The slight drizzle and teasing rain did actually make the experience more enjoyable. We were also able to make a quick visit to the elephant park where you can feed, scrub, bathe and even ride an elephant.

Day four was our last day. We left in the morning, via Nagarhole national park, which was quite an amazing experience. Depending on the time and of course luck you could see an array of wildlife. Of course I would have been absolutely lucky had I spotted a tiger. No such luck, though the park is home to 40+ tigers. We did however see the usuals, like spotted deer, bison, wild boar, elephants, and a very friendly samba who walked up to the car and shoved his head inside. We drove quiet slow that we reached Mysore post noon, which hardly gave us any time to explore the place. That day being Dussehra, the whole town was lit up. It was bright as bright can be. We drove up to Chamundi hills, from where you get a really amazing and panoramic view of the brightly lit up city. Awesome experience.

We reached the station and boarded the train. As the train pulled out we realized that four amazing days had just flown by and in the morning when we wake up, we would be back to the reality we call Chennai

My God Is An Awesome God

2010-10-06T15:46:00.002+05:30

My God is not on a throne,
Looking down at the mortals below.
My God does not need to be worshiped,
No need to bow down low.
My God is for everyone,
Not only for the saved.
My God is everywhere,
Not only at the alter.
How much longer will you pretend like you know him?
How much longer will you search where he isn't?
How much longer will you judge the others?
What makes you think you're better?
He does not punish, neither does he bless,
Those are creations of your conditioned mind.
My God is in me, My God is me,
My God is an awesome God.

The Greatest Flop Show On Earth

2010-09-22T14:08:00.004+05:30

So, the event of the decade is almost here. In just a few days, India will host the Commonwealth Games, amidst loads and loads of problems, both natural and man made. Even a few days before the big event, there are problems at almost every nook and corner. The venues are not ready and neither are the accommodations. Yesterday a pedestrian bridge collapsed and today a part of the false ceiling in one of the stadiums collapsed. So are we really ready? Are we going to go down as the laughing stock of the whole world?

Many have debated about how the games are a waste of money and how it should have been used for other purposes more important than sports. I disagree. Events such as these go a long way in promoting a country and it also does play a huge role in the overall development of sports in our country. I am all for hosting such grand events, but at this very point, we are just not ready. We do not have what it takes to impress the rest of the world. Like it or not, our standards are way below what the rest of the world expects. Our ideas and concepts about hygiene, cleanliness etc are at a much different level from the rest of the world. Unless we are ready to match all that, we cannot put on a world class show. Kalmadi keeps using the term "world class" and I wonder what he means by that. Maybe he has not seen what the rest of the world looks like.

Thanks to the news channels, we have seen how much money has already been swindled in the last few months. In the last few days, some of the top athletes have pulled out, and even a few countries have opted out. In the next few days leading to the event, we can expect a lot more pull outs. So what kind of show are we going to put on? Once the event is over, what happens to the infrastructure? Will it be utilized to help athletes and develop sports, or will it just rot and fade away? Reports indicate that the response from the public to the ticket sales and overall interest in the games has been lower than poor. Quite frankly, no one is interested.

In a country obsessed with cricket, we would do well organizing the world cup and IPL, so I guess we better stick to that and we really should not have bid for the games in the first place. There was a talk of India trying to bid for the future Olympics and I cross all my fingers and hope that it does not happen, at least in the next fifty years or so. Why? Because we are just not ready to take on something like that. The screw up from our end will cost the other capable developing nations from getting a chance to host the Commonwealth event in future. So, we have mucked it up not just for ourselves, but for a few others as well.

All negatives aside, for the sake of my dear country, to salvage the pride, I do hope we manage to put on a decent show at least. We hope the event passes off with minimum hiccups. We pray the weather holds and that the terror threats are contained. Cheers to those who managed to make a few quick bucks. Good luck to those participating and a huge thank you to those who did come and participate, in spite of everything going wrong. Now, over the next few days, enjoy the greatest flop show on earth.

Going home: The Afterlife

2010-08-10T20:13:00.003+05:30

Just around the corner, is a place called home,
Eternal, forever, but that's how it seems.
We struggle in the race, to occupy our place,
It's exactly what I have seen, in my recurring dreams.

Childhood stories, about its glories I remember,
Not destined for all, but just a select few.
You better be good, you better say your prayers,
Eat the forbidden fruit, and forget your due.

Questioning the answers, is a less travelled road,
Afraid where it might lead, maybe to the depths of hell.
Fear, as they taught, is never the beginnings of wisdom,
A real wise man, is never a frog in the well.

Death becomes ours, there is always an end,
We head right home, to that beautiful shore.
The journey leads nowhere, we are back where we began,
Our home was where we lived all along, right from yore.

Googlies and Doosras

2010-07-22T15:56:00.005+05:30

I just finished watching the India Sri Lanka Test match which India lost, but this time, my focus was not on India for a change. Going into the match, Muralitharan needed 8 wickets to reach the magical number of 800 test wickets, and that is exactly what India gave him. Sadly this was his last game and we will never see any more of the spin wizard.

From the time I have followed cricket, I was always fascinated by spinners. I just loved the way the ball turned and the magic that flowed out of the fingers. No bowler has even come close to the spin trinity, consisting of Muralitharan, Shane Warne and Anil Kumble, all retired now from test cricket. Sure, they have had their moments of shame as well, but for most of the games they have played, they have delivered for their country, in all forms of the game. With Warne, there are just too many deliveries to pick from. I found a video that shows his best 8 wickets. Check them out. As for Kumble, my favorite moment has to be the Hero Cup finals with West Indies where he finished with figures of 12/6 and not to forget him cleaning up all 10 Pakistani wickets in the test match. These were individuals that could change the course of a game and they made the games worth watching.

Now that these three have called it quits, test cricket will never be the same. There may come a time when someone might go above the 800 wicket mark or take all 10 wickets more than once. But for now, these spin wizards rule and without them, cricket will never be the same.

Goal Goal Goal

2010-06-16T13:55:00.002+05:30

The FIFA world cup is here and at the moment that seems to be the sport of choice. I was never a football fan and cricket was always my game of choice. The Asia cup and India's tour of Zimbabwe seem to be overshadowed by football for now. Now as most of you know already, I have not played any active sports since my 10th grade. I have had my moments being a part of the school cricket and hockey team, but that was way back in the days when I was healthier and more fit. So in this world cup, we have had out first self goal by Denmark and this incident quickly made me remember a one off football match I played while in college. Now does anyone remember Andres Escobar from Columbia, who was shot dead after he scored an own goal due to which Columbia lost to USA 1-2 and also resulted in their elimination? Ouch. Well, I have not been shot yet.

In the college halls, the competition was always between the four blocks A, B, C and D. We had cricket, football, badminton and a host of other stuff. Now some of us seniors get to choose which block we want to reside in so it always ends up that a bunch of like minded people end up in the same block. A majority of those in A and B blocks consisted of Tamilians and a few other out station guys. C block had a majority of Tibetans and a lot of them from the North east. D block had a lot of Mallus who were mostly PG students, with sports being the last thing on their mind. Then came the time for the annual football tourney. The lots were drawn and for the elimination round A block was slated to play B and C block would play D. The winners of both games would face each other in the finals.

With the kind of team composition we had we surely never fancied having a chance. We however hoped to play either A or B block so that at least we would not be humiliated by C block who were the strongest with a good composition of Football loving guys from Tibet, Nagaland, Mizoram, Nepal etc. We accepted out fate and we decided to have a good time and we made a joke of how we were going to be slaughtered. The whole hall laughed even before the game started because it was a clear case of the strongest playing the weakest. Since we never had uniforms, we agreed that we would toss the coin and one team would play topless, so that we could differentiate each other. As luck would have it, my D block team had to play topless. That was mentally upsetting. Imagine a bunch of pot bellied hairy mallu men running around topless in a football field. Not a pleasant sight. Anyway, off goes our t-shirts, and the whistle blows and its game on.

Few brief minutes into the game we came to the agreement that we would not just fool around, but make a proper game out of it. We decided to not try and score any goals because that would be impossible, but instead we would all stay back and defend our goal with all we have. We wanted to make C block work hard for the numerous goals they were going to hit. So according to plan we stayed back and played very defensively. My position was defence anyway so I stayed in and around the goal post and occasionally wandered towards the half way line. Our strategy was paying off and by the time the half time whistle blew, the scores were still Nil. We couldn't believe that they had not scored anything. So we exchange sides and the second half gets under way. We decided to stick to the same strategy and just continue defending.

Unbelievably we were defending well. Though we never ventured out much into their half, we defended well using unconventional styles and tactics. Those watching the match were amazed that the scores were still nil. The frustration was beginning to show on the faces and in the game of the short tempered C block guys. With each passing minute they became more and more frustrated. We were counting down to the finishing whistle and though the scores were Nil, this would indeed be a huge victory for us. It did not really matter that we might get murdered during the penalty shoot out. With less then five minutes for the game to end, came my moment of glory.

What happened next happens all within a matter of five seconds. So try imagining this in slow motion. Someone from C block kicked the ball towards our goal, from quite far off, even though there was no one near our goal to receive the ball. The ball crossed almost everyone and it was headed towards me. Behind me was the goalkeeper and then the goal post. Since the ball was not directly aimed at me, I had to turn and run to catch the ball, which had now passed me and was heading towards the goal keeper, who would have safely caught the ball. However, I continued to run behind the ball, towards my own goal post. I was determined to gain control and kick it back or even kick it out, before the goal keeper had to catch it. What if he missed, was the thought on my mind. As it neared the post, I realized that it was too late to stop it and kick it back to their side, so I decided to kick it out, away from the goal post. I must have had bad aim, or I must have been wearing my left shoe on my right leg. The kick did not deflect the ball enough to take it away from the goal, but it did deflect the ball enough to move away from my own goal keeper and rest safely behind the nets. There was silence for a while.

After a brief few seconds, everyone realized what had happened. C block had a goal to their name, thanks to me. I sat down with my head bowed. Within a few minutes, the final whistle blew and the we had lost 0-1 to C block. They did not know if it was worth celebrating or not. They won, and yet not by their playing. If was a rare sight to see both teams walk out of the ground with their heads down, though one of the teams had won. About what my teammates had to say to me after the game; well, that's another story. For now, lets enjoy the FIFA world cup.

My Time Alone

2010-06-05T11:41:00.006+05:30

There have been stages in my life when I used to be so contend if I was on my own. I could stay alone, cook and eat alone and do pretty much a lot of stuff on my own. I enjoyed it, though the craving for company existed every now and then. The phase of my life when I was unmarried gave me the freedom to be alone when ever I wanted to. Every once a week or so I had the need for company and would head out to a friends place for a day or two. This was one luxury I knew I was going to miss once I got married.

Having spent a lot of time alone, and now suddenly spending all your time with someone new takes some getting used to. I had the whole day and whole house to myself and now I have to share it with someone. Thankfully for me the transition happened smoothly. For most of the time I really did not mind the company and pretty soon I began to enjoy it and even sooner it became a part of my routine. However, every now and then I used to crave for those days when I was alone. When I could sit in front of the TV until it was almost daybreak and then finally crash on the couch. I used to miss waking up past noon, without much care and working on my own sweet schedule. I got a chance to relive those old glory lazy days when my wife had to go out of town for three weeks.

Apart from that fact that I missed her, I enjoyed the first few days of being alone. I enjoyed crashing on the couch with the TV on and waking up around noon. I enjoyed going out at nights and not even returning home the same night. Yes, it was the joys of bachelorhood all over again for a few days. Maybe four of five days into this, I began to get bored. The TV or the long sleeps did not satisfy me anymore and at times, even the company of friends did not satisfy me fully. Oh yes, I had to finally accept that I had kind of got accustomed to being with someone and sharing my life with someone that when she was gone, it kind of sucked. I still do the things I want to and go when and where I want to, but it's just not complete somehow. Funny how life can make you feel one particular way one day and few months later you feel the opposite.

And so I decided that there's going to be no more long trips away for my wife, unless absolutely needed. At least, I don't wish for it anymore. I really could do with being alone for a day or two, but at this point I don't think I need more than that. So here I am right now, counting the days for her to come back.

Holy Diver

2010-05-17T14:23:00.006+05:30

Ronnie James Dio: July 10, 1942 - May 16, 2010

It is really a sad day for me. Most of my readers probably have no clue who this guy is, but he was one of my major influences when it comes to music. Ronnie James Dio passed away last night after a 6 month battle with stomach cancer. He was 67 years old, and a true rocker. He is most popularly known for being the singer for the band Elf, after which he sang for Rainbow. He replaced Ozzy in Black sabbath and in the recent past he was leading the band Heaven and Hell. Not to forget his highly successful solo career that spanned a few decades.

I first heard Dio by accident. When I was in the 7th grade, a friend of mine had given me an audio cassette which had a few assorted pop numbers. One unusual track on that album was "The Temple of the King" by Rainbow, with Dio on vocals. Not knowing who Dio was or what Rainbow was about, I heard that track a few times and was soon hooked on to it. It was only years later that I realized that it was Rainbow and Dio. Then there was no looking back. It was always hard to decide if he was better in his solo ventures, or if if was more powerful with Blackmore in Rainbow, or Tony Iommi in Sabbath.

He was one of the most powerful singers in heavy metal. Anyone who has heard him will agree. He has also been misunderstood many times, just like various other rockers, for being associated with the satanic side. Those who closely followed Dio will really know what he was about. All his songs were fantasy. He sang about dragons, mythological creatures, good vs evil and so on. All his solo albums had a mythical touch to it and it never failed to mesmerize the listener. Those of you who have been to a rock show, have you noticed everyone raising their hands with their index and pointing finger pointing? (see pic below) The "Horns" as it is known now was a trademark created by Dio himself and now ever single person who is into rock music flashes that sign.

Dio was instrumental in the Hear N' Aid project, which involved almost all the heavy metal musicians, and they released an album to raise funds for Africa. He also has a charity he runs called "Children of the Night" which benefits runaway children and the song "Throw away children" was recorded for that. One of his last efforts came last Christmas with Tony Iommi for a heavy metal Christmas album he produced, where he sang the track "God Rest Yea Merry Gentlemen" which my band had covered for a Christmas show.

Dio has passed on and this puts the end to a truly magical era. His influence on me and some of the other musicians are truly unmatched. He will indeed be remembered always, for years and years to come. His music lives on.

This Is It ?

2010-05-05T12:31:00.005+05:30

In life, we don't really know what it takes to make us happy or content. Sometimes we wonder if we can ever be happy, or ever say that we have enough. The more we have, the more we want. It is human nature to want more and more and never be satisfied. I sometimes feel that this urge is what keeps us going. In our quest to grow and have more, we sometimes trample on the less fortunate. Some are just lucky and are born at a much different level. That's life. Sometimes few of us get so content in life that we miss out on a lot. We don't know what we are missing. Some of us think that owning a Ferrari is the greatest thing on earth. Some of us feel that there is nothing more we want in life than getting married and having a kid. Yes, everything we achieve and strive to achieve are important, but I hope and cross my fingers that I would never ever feel that "THIS IS IT", Because, that's when we stop growing and become stagnant.

I always took great pride in the friends I have had. In fact, that is something I am still proud of. I hope that I would never feel that I have achieved it all. Friends sometimes fail us. Friends are sometimes not there when you want them. No they don't share all your joys and sorrows and NO they are NOT your life. They are only a small part of your life.

Families are no different. Sometimes the most reliable blood happens to the be the first one to stab you in the back. No matter how much they love you, tomorrow they can hate you. Sometimes it makes you feel that your unreliable friends are way better. You may have the best parents in the world and best siblings or cousins, but they are NOT your life. They are only a small part of your life.

Some of us take great pride in the kind of job we have. It could be a job at the highest level with astronomical figures for salary. We often make the mistake of believing that our job is our life. It only ends up denying you your friends, family and every other small aspects of your life. One day when they feel like, it might just drop you from high above and you will land with a thud. You job is NOT your life. It is just a small part of your life.

Health is wealth, and that's what we have heard at least. We get so engrossed in dieting, exercising and doing everything healthy as possible, but one day we can get hit by a car and die. Yes, health is important, but in trying to be healthy, don't forget the small pleasures we miss out on. Strike a balance if we can. Imagine life without fried food. Your health is NOT your life. It is only a small part of your life.

When we are young, all that some of us want to do is to get married. We feel that is the ultimate we can achieve. Marriage does consume us in many ways than one. We forget the other small things like friends and few other pleasures in life. Our life does not need to change much after marriage. No matter how much you invest into a marriage, it can come crashing down for no fault of yours. Don't ever think that your marriage is indestructible like the Titanic, or that it is the most important thing in your life, because marriage is NOT your life. It is only a very small part of your life.

Children can bring about a huge change in ones lives. We feel powerful that we have created this new life and of course, the joy of holding ones own flesh and blood. We invest everything we have into the child. No matter what you do for them, one day they will leave. They can forget you and they can ignore you. So no matter how cute or sweet they are and no matter how much joy they give you, they are NOT your life. They are just a small part of your life.

So then, what is life? For me, adding up these small things and giving good importance to all small aspects, no matter how insignificant they may seem, constitutes life. I feel it would be mundane and boring to have my life centered around one area. Cheers to life.

Hot News, Breaking News and A Lot More

2010-04-16T10:55:00.005+05:30

If any of you have turned on any news channel on TV in the last few weeks, or maybe even flipped through the newspaper, it might have just left you wondering what the heck is happening. No, there is no war, and this time it's no terrorist attack. It's something much bigger than any war or any political scandal. I guess it would go down to how an individual perceives it. Some might find it juicy, some would think it's annoying. For me, it was kind of annoying, but all the more amusing.

The biggest focus over the last few weeks was the Sania-Shoaib wedding. Frankly, who gives a damn? The media thought otherwise. As the vagabond mentioned somewhere on facebook, it was a wet dream for the media. Every single English news channel, went on and on about it. The same shots, the same clips, the same dialogue, for days. Someone please enlighten me on what the big deal was. Was it because they were celebrities? Was it because it was an India-Pakistan affair. I even read that the Pak media has termed this wedding as a huge victory for Pakistan, as they have "snatched" a valuable sportsperson from Indian soil. By all means, take her. Not to forget this over sized character called Ayesha, who added masala and got her few hours of fame. Who really cares if what she said was true or not.

Moving on to the IPL, let me admit that I love the game and I sincerely follow it. If I remember correctly, it was supposed to be a gentleman's game, wasn't it? Oh, look what they have done to it. There was a time when the beautiful game of cricket involved the players and only the players, and rightfully so. Look at it now. The players take a back foot, while politicians and Bollywood stars take center stage and hog the limelight. Suddenly in the game of cricket, SRK makes more news than Ganguly. CSK's much needed victory against KKR was overshadowed by Tharoor and Modi.

Now for more Bollywood drama, SRK, who was not quite visible this season, comes forward and says that he takes full responsibility for his teams pathetic performance, and even apologized to the fans for the teams poor show. Come on. Really? Did he really think cricket was anything like what he played in the movie chamatkar? What a fool. The KKR team would have played exactly the same, whether he was there or not. Frankly, apart from owning the team, he makes no bloody difference to how they play. Don't fool yourself SRK.

Still sticking to the IPL, the media is all ready to ejaculate over the Tharoor-Modi issue, which has been consistently going on for the last week or so. Meanwhile the media forgot to give enough space to the PM's important visit to the US and the happenings there, and they even didn't really care that our very own indigenous GSLV D3 with cryogenic engines, went up and came down almost immediately. Who cares. We surely care a lot more about Tharoor and his third new love Sunanda. Modi and his cocaine/kidnapping attempt days in the USA and his short term fling with a "friend"/model called Gabriella while in South Africa last season.

My point is, So what if Tharoor has a stake in the Kochi IPL team? So what if Modi has personal stakes in the Rajasthan Royals team? Let them milk it. Coming to think of it, for those who have followed IPL from the first season, have you ever wondered how Rajasthan got a team in the first edition? How many players from Rajasthan really represent the Indian team? Bihar I feel was more qualified. But lets not forget, Modi has a couple of relatives, who owns stakes in that team. So, thats forgiven.

No, I am not dying for real news. As I said, I find all this amusing. Where all this is going, we will come to know in the next few days when the IPL committee meet. Till then, the media is going to have a ball of a time in this orgy.

The Annoying Partner

2010-03-29T14:58:00.002+05:30

Life after the knot has indeed been busy. A little bit of extra responsibilities thrown in and quite a lot of work related travel, and the lack of Internet at home made it all the more difficult for me to log in. Ok, so now am done with my travels for a while and we even have Internet at home. Never realized how much it meant to be connected.

So, married life goes on, without a hitch. I am enjoying it and so is she, I assume. Before I got married, one of my worst fear was that I would be married to someone who was nagging and annoying. These are among the few things I cannot tolerate for long. I would have nightmares of someone going "yap yap yap yap blah blah blah blah" or even "do this, do that, why you doing this, why you doing that, do it this way" and so on. Now seriously, how do you find out something like this before you are married? No way was i going to ask Rush if she is the nagging type. Well, if she was, as if she was going to say, "Yes dear, I am the nagging and annoying types". The only way would be to figure out during your courting days. So, all the time we spent before we were married, I saw absolutely no signs of nagging. How cool. But, don't we see the things we don't like to see, usually after marriage?

So now we are married, and trust me when I say it, our married life is full of nagging. But wait, it's not her who nags. Sigh. It's me. Yes, pathetic me is a big time nagger and I never realized it. Worst examples happen in the kitchen. I nag when she tries to cook. I have to tell her how it's done. Of course, I believe I am the expert right? If she puts in two spoons of sugar, I have to correct her by saying it is probably one and three quarters, just because I have to. Since she pointed it out, I have felt like this strict school teacher with a bamboo cane, who stands over a poor student working on his math problem, waiting to spot the first mistake so that he can strike hard on the knuckles. Yes, that is how I am, unfortunately and Rush, bears the worst of it. She does put up with it most times, but yes, I know that her patience has a limit too.

The irony of it all. My worst fear was having a partner who would be exactly like what I never knew I was. It really is true that we will really hate and despise something so much because we ourselves carry those very traits we hate so much. Most of the times we are unaware of it, but if we really explore, we will identify it. So anyways, that's the story of how I turned out to be the nagger in the marriage.

Life After The Knot

2010-02-22T12:42:00.003+05:30

To carry on from the last post about the knot, what has that led me to? How has life after the knot been?Have I become that serious married man who suddenly stops having fun? Have I given up my past times and passions in the name of being more responsible and a dedicated family man? Would I not have time to blog anymore? To be honest, these were a few fears I had in me prior to marriage and these were few things I swore I would never become.

Certain aspects of my life has not changed one bit. I am still having fun and still following my passion. I still play with my band and we meet very often. In fact we had two shows in the last two days and it was awesome. Some were betting on the fact that I would be forced to give up on the band after marriage. I could never see why they felt the need for that. Maybe they never got a chance to follow their passion after they got married. In fact, Rush gets along perfectly fine with all my band mates and their respective wives, so that's awesome. So Rusty Moe continues to rock harder than before, post knot.

Like most of you know, I love cooking, and so I was never particular on having a wife who cooks. I enjoy it and and seriously like doing it myself. It does not bother me one bit that Rush does not like cooking, though it could be partly because she has never tried her hand at it. I however cannot begin my day without a cup of tea, and every single day since marriage, I have had my cup of tea when I have woken up. How blessed am I? The first time she made tea, Rush was quite excited that she sent an sms to almost everyone on her phone list saying that she made tea and more importantly that I loved it. Oh, those small things that makes one happy..!!! So, on the whole, she does most of the cleaning and I do most of the cooking. She never nags me about having to clean up. She just does it. I don't bug her about having to cook. I just do it. We have a deal here and it seems to be working out just fine for the both of us.

Setting up the house has been fun. Deciding what we need to get, budgeting it, paying and finally waiting for it to arrive has been exciting in its own cute little way. Our house is almost set now and it is finally looking like a home. We enjoy spending time at home. The lack of a TV means we talk much more and maybe catch an occasional movie on the laptop. Not for long though. I want to get a TV before IPL3 next month. One thing lacking is the internet. Since it is a new building, it is going to take a while to have our own connection. So that can be my excuse for not blogging often, if anyone cared.

So there you go. The story of my life post the knot. Pretty normal isn't it? Now with Rush being a part of my life, I guess I might have more things to blog about. Cheers..!!

ps: The secret to a happy marriage lies in using separate toilets.

Tying The Perfect Knot

2010-01-22T12:15:00.005+05:30

So, I am married. Quite frankly, life has been good but I still feel like I am single. My world has not turned upside down and nothing has gone haywire. I am still enjoying every minute and I definitely view it as a good sign. Well, you could argue that it is probably a little too early to comment.

Anyway, the whole event and everything else associated with it went on just fine. To begin with, I think I used up my quota of anxiety and nervousness during the days leading to the wedding. On the day of the wedding, I woke up feeling completely at peace, and I did feel excited if at all there were any feelings. I walked around in my night clothes way past 10:00am, when most of the others were dressed. As always, I got dressed in a short time, and by 10:30am I was good to go. The prayer at home was small and consisted of only family, which was what I wanted. In a short while after that, we were off to the church.

The bride reached a few minutes after I did. We both tried to catch a glimpse of each other and my buddy paunch was thoughtful enough to go to her car, click her snap and show it to me. That helped. The highlight for me was the march into church. Any guesses which song I walked in to? I had my cousin play the keyboard and the song I walked in to was "November Rain" by Guns N Roses. Now how often does something like that happen in church? Believe it or not, I was very much relaxed through all this and I made it a point to smile at everyone and make eye contact on the way. In a few minutes, in walked the bride.

What happened during the service was a blur. Frankly I hardly paid any attention and Rush and I laughed, cracked jokes and giggled a lot through out the ceremony. Later on someone even asked me how I managed to remain so relaxed and cheerful throughout the ordeal. Personally, I had decided that I was going to be relaxed and always smile, no matter what, and that worked. The reception too went by real fast. We also managed to have a perpetual smile on our faces while photographs were clicked one after the other. Every now and then we kept reminding ourselves that we were actually married.

Overall it was a great day. I was so happy to see so many of my loved ones how up. Quite a few people I did not expect, did show up. A few I expected did not show up, but that's how it always is. We did feel a little tired, but there was more disbelief about the fact that we were really married. Rush's friends and family rigged our room with alarm clocks that was set to ring at one hour intervals, all through the night. We managed to search and deactivate a few, but one untraceable alarm did keep us awake through the night. I got my revenge the next night when I took those alarm clocks and rigged her family's room. What fun.

So how do I feel now? Still the same. We are in the process of setting up our own place, so a lot of moving and lifting and arranging going on, but it has been fun. In a few days, we should be fully set. Like I have always said, we never know how things are going to turn out and where we will be ten years down the line. I am still taking one step at a time like I always have. So cheers to life and here are a few snaps of the event.

2009: The Year That Was

2010-01-02T19:07:00.003+05:30

Oh what a year this last one has been. So there goes 2009 and hello 2010. On many fronts, there is probably nothing that differentiates this year from the last. We still have our ups and downs. People are pretty much the same. A few good and bad ones here and there. Bombs go off here and there, and in Pakistan, it's now front page news when there is a day when a bomb does not go off. So looking ahead, how different will things be? Who knows.

At a very personal front, 2009 was, hhhmm, well, should I say great, or just good? Definitely not a bad year. I did pretty good at work and nothing to complain about. I also take pride in the fact that I am one of the very few people who can say that I love what I do. I still have the same great set of friends and every one of them have been awesome in their own ways. I met few new people, who have also been nice so far, and we get along great. With the band, again this was an awesome year. We finally recorded few of our tracks and released it online. The cherry on the cake was the Christmas single we released.

So, I had my career, friends, band and everything else set. the next logical step to take was probably marriage for me. Maybe not everyone will agree, but that's why I said "for me". So, I did get engaged in September, to this wonderful person called Rush, about whom I did make a brief mention in some previous post. In another few days, 7 to be exact, I will be married, and there will begin a new chapter. Being married does not guarantee you a good year. Maybe a year later, in 2011, I will update you on how one year of married life has been. So, we just rented out a new place, a cute one, and now lies the challenge of buying things and setting it up. Hope to have all that done before the end of January.

Exactly a year ago, I had written a post with a bunch of resolutions for the year 2009. There were four points I mentioned. The first one, well, I have controlled a bit. I used to be sucker for Pepsi. I still am, but from having one or two bottles a day, I have now gone down to maybe a bottle every week or so on average. I also did hit the gym as planned, which was my second point. I worked out for a few months and also lost a little bit of body fat. I did feel healthier and I can say it really helped me. Well, am I still doing it? No. I stopped when the subscription ran out and did not bother to renew. Hope to get back into the habit soon.

The third point is what I have suffered with the most. Until now I did not have a good excuse to quit. Well, my health is excuse enough, but I never saw it that way. Now that I am getting married and now that someone else has a right over my body, it's only fair that I take care of it. Even if I don't nurture it, I don't want to harm it in any way. This time, lets hope I remain a quitter.

My fourth point was something I did easily, surprisingly. It was a momentary decision and just like the flick of a switch, my attitude towards those people changed and now things are fine. In fact, things are awesome. I also realized, it just wasn't worth it disliking them. So yes, now I love everybody. Oh I do bitch about people and do this and that, but I can confidently say I carry absolutely no dislike. Cheers to that.

So, no new resolutions for this years. I don't think I need any. If at all any, my only resolution would be to make make all my implementations last long term, for my own good.

So here's wishing you an awesome New Year. Remember, this is the year of the Moes.

Rocking This Christmas

2009-12-17T01:23:00.005+05:30

As a band we wanted to try something new and something fun, and something that probably no band in India has tried before. So we decided to record a song for Christmas. This is our version of a 1958 Johnny Marks classic, "Rockin Around The Christmas Tree". Thanks to Toby, who helped us with the recording and mixing. As always, we believe that music, which is one of the best things in life, should be easily accessible for all. So go ahead, you can download or even just listen to the track. Do pass it on and continue to support the band.

LISTEN HERE

United State of Mind - 4

2009-12-07T19:50:00.002+05:30

The problem with looking up to someone is that you sometimes forget your ability to look back down at yourself.

Take A Bow

2009-11-17T13:55:00.002+05:30

I do keep a brief track of what happens around the world, so I was not too keenly following Obama's visit to the far east. In China he spoke about being "partners and not rivals" and what not. I sometimes wonder if these so called diplomatic trips do more harm than good. Ok, so does this mean USA and China are now best of pals? Probably not and I am sure that they disagree on a million things. Our PM or anyone else can visit China, but does that resolve any of the border dispute that has been ongoing?

Anyways, what amused me the most about the trip was the big hue and cry that started in USA when Obama bowed down to the Japanese emperor. Some said that he was stooping low. Others shouted that USA should stand tall and firm and never bow down. Few even viewed it as a sign of weakness or humble surrender. Then of course, another group who said that he has disgraced his country. Now isn't that stupid or what. If I'm not wrong, don't the Japanese kind of bow down when they greet? It's not like Obama was on his knees, with his forehead touching the floor. It was a gentle bow, out of respect and nothing more. More so traditional I would say. But who there would understand that.

In the middle of all this, there was another "bow" that happened. In fact, this was more of a stoop down than a bow. While meeting Hu, Obama made a statement that he and his whole country recognizes Tibet as a part of China. He also said he favors the resumption of talks with the Dalai Lama. What for? Was that last sentence a bid to cover up a nasty statement he should not have made? In my opinion, this was the ultimate in stooping low for the Obama administration. We sometimes say that India is spineless in dealing with China, but now, so is USA. Maybe people should comment on this particular act of bowing down and maybe they should make it clear how low their country has stooped down. Some bowing indeed.

Most Memorable Meals

2009-10-27T16:36:00.002+05:30

Saw this post on Chandu's blog where someone tagged her to list out the top five memorable meals ever had. At the end of it there was an open tag, and of course, being about food, I had to take this tag up. So here are my most memorable meals ever had, in no particular order.

# I was introduced to momos only when I came to Madras. Prior to that I had no clue of Tibetan cuisine and I had not even tried dumplings before. I had my first taste of momos at one of our college fests, from a Tibetan stall. I was hooked and there was no going back. In my final year, the lead singer of my band was Tibetan and once he invited the whole band over to his place for lunch and the only thing on the menu were momos, on request. Out came this huge tub, like the one that carries fresh fish and ice in those fish markets. On opening the tub, I could swear I counted a million and one momos. We shamelessly dug in and went on and on. So, how much did I eat? Ten? Twenty? Thirty? Oh well, I remember counting till forty, then I just did not have the energy to count further.

# While growing up, when ever I visited my grandparent's place, I was always fascinated by the few farm animals they had. I took particular interest in the turkeys, mainly because of the way they looked and the sound the made. On one such trip, my grandmother announced that to welcome us home, she was going to cook up one of those lovely turkeys. I remember watching them the previous day and imagining what they would look like in my plate. The next day, I made sure I never missed any of the action. Right from the time the right turkey was chosen, slaughtered, skinned, cut, cooked and served. Somehow, that taste still lingers and it was the best turkey roast ever, along with the best gravy.

# Does food taste better when you are high? It probably does.How else can I explain that one night in USA where a friend and I developed this craving for something Chinese and something sweet. So we ring up this Chinese take away place and order pork friend rice, chicken noodles, pork roast and one box of sweet donut buns, which were soft, fluffy and sprinkled with powdered sugar. We cleaned it all up no sooner than it arrived. This was the best Chinese meal I had eaten in ages, from what would otherwise be just another take away restaurant. Oh, and did I mention that this carnal onslaught was just after we had finished dinner where we had downed a large Philly cheese steak, with hand cut fries and Pepsi, from Penn Station?

# Staying away from your country can make you crave a lot for the local food. While in USA, I really missed the regular Dosa, Vada and sambar types. Believe it or not, there was an Udupi right next to where I lived. There were other places too, but no matter how many times I went there, it never gave me the satisfaction I was looking for. On my first vacation trip to India, I had nothing but Saravana Bhavan on my mind. I reached late at night, and the very next day I headed out to Saravana Bhavan for breakfast with my close buddies, Paunch and Babu. Idly, vada, dosa, poori. I tried it all. I burped, and tried some more. Considering that I am not much of a VEG fan, I did eat a lot, and was more than satisfied. I could swear a tear rolled down my eye.

# I take great pride in the fact that I can cook. Now I am not the best by any standards, but with some level of arrogance I can confidently say that I can cook better than most people, both men and women. Keeping aside the daily common lunch/dinner, I take great care when I try something out of the way, like maybe a biryani, or pork ribs or a pizza and so on. With all the care that goes into making it and when the outcome is much better than what I expect, it gives me great pleasure. I think my all time favorite would be my biryani. For me, cooking is a personal experience and hence every meal I cook is a memorable one, so that surely finds a place in my top five.

Goa to Darjeeling

2009-10-14T16:20:00.002+05:30

For quite some time, I have always been bothered by the fact that I have not been to Goa. When I say this, most of my friends say, "WHAT?" Ok, so here I am, all set to go, on my first trip to Goa. I leave on the 16th and am back on the 19th.

This trip is special in so many different ways. One, like I said, it is my first venture into Goa. Secondly, a couple of us have been planning this trip for close to two years, but we never got a chance to make it happen. Someone always had some unavoidable reason and so we kept putting it off. So this coming weekend worked out fine for most of us. The third reason is, this is a BOYS ONLY trip. It took some convincing for the men to ask their wives to NOT come, but I guess the wives are quite understanding/accommodating and hardly created a fuss. At least, that's what I believe. Now, I really have no problems with the women coming along. It's always fun, but when it's just guys, it's something else. I guess you need to be a guy to understand that. I guess I also kind of consider this my bachelors party. Anyone seen the movie "The Hangover"? Well, this seems to be similar to that in many ways. We just hope all of us come back in one piece with all our teeth intact.

The day after I get back from Goa, I am off to Darjeeling for a three day trip. This is an official trip for some work, but I do have a lot of time off and I hope to roam around a bit and try my best to get a glimpse or even take a ride on the world heritage DHR, which has always been one of my dreams. Apart from that, I have no clue of Darjeeling or any place close by. Hopefully can post some pics if I am not too lazy to carry my cam along.

Alrighty then, see you all after the trip. Be good, you all.

END-GAGED

2009-10-05T14:20:00.003+05:30

Well, I'm actually fumbling on how to start writing. This blog has been a witness to the last few years of my life and the changes my life has gone through. The ups and downs and the smooth sailings and everything else that has happened. Now when there is a new beginning, what better place to let it out than here.

Yes, I am officially engaged now, to a wonderful person, who will now on be referred here as "RUSH" for the obvious reason that some of you already know, and some will figure out eventually. So, Rush and I got engaged last weekend, in a very peaceful and serene ceremony with close family. The setting was in Kumarakom, Kerala, facing the backwaters, with an awesome view. I could not have asked for better. The whole ceremony was quite casual with some beautiful singing by Rush's family, and also from my darling cousins. Cool breeze, good food and a houseboat ride only made the already beautiful day better.

Enough said about the event. About Rush, well, it did not take us long to figure out that we wanted to do this journey together. It was NOT love at first sight for me. Somehow that does not make sense to me, as I view love as something that constantly grows, and sometimes disappears. We were introduced to each other by a common friend, who I am sure did not think that things would come to this. For the last few months, they have been trying to fix me up with someone and I always kept saying NO, to all the names that were brought up. Rush's was the last name that came up after months, and I randomly decided that I would try to get to know her. So then, we started talking and then meeting and then it took off. Some said it was quiet fast, and honestly, at one point I felt the same way too. I felt I was rushing into it, and that i should take some more time. Then one day I asked myself, "what exactly am I waiting for? I need time for what?" I really had no answer there, and so I decided I was going to take the plunge.

Rush is a great person and yes we do get along just fine. She isn't perfect and neither am I even close to being perfect, but I have always said that, "People are imperfect and it is their imperfectness that makes them perfect for each other." So this way, I feel we are perfect. We differ on a lot of things. Our faith and belief systems are poles apart. We disagree on the food we like and what's worse, we even do not like the same kind of music. All this do not matter. I have come to understand that a good relationship or a good marriage is NOT defined by how much we share in common or how alike two people we are, but by respecting a person for their own beliefs and learning to coexist. What was most important in me making this decision was the fact that she was able to accept me as I am, in spite of my lifestyle being quite contradictory to hers. That small gesture has indeed set the tone for the rest of our lives.

To be honest, I do not know where we will be few years from now. We can only assume what the future holds. Most of the time we get it wrong. I have always taken one day at a time, and this time too I take the same approach, only this time it's not alone.

My Next 30 Years

2009-09-11T09:39:00.001+05:30

Crossing into 30 is one big milestone as far as I am considered. Feels like I am entering into the second half of my life. I stumbled upon this song that pretty much sums up all that I feel and want to say right now. Quite apt.

My Next 30 Years - Tim McGraw

I think I’ll take a moment, celebrate my age
The ending of an era and the turning of a page
Now it’s time to focus in on where I go from here
Lord have mercy on my next thirty years

Hey my next thirty years I’m gonna have some fun
Try to forget about all the crazy things I’ve done
Maybe now I’ve conquered all my adolescent fears
And I’ll do it better in my next thirty years

My next thirty years I’m gonna settle all the scores
Cry a little less, laugh a little more
Find a world of happiness without the hate and fear
Figure out just what I’m doing here
In my next thirty years

Oh my next thirty years, I’m gonna watch my weight
Eat a few more salads and not stay up so late
Drink a little lemonade and not so many beers
Maybe I’ll remember my next thirty years

My next thirty years will be the best years of my life
Raise a little family and hang out with my wife
Spend precious moments with the ones that I hold dear
Make up for lost time here ,In my next thirty years

In my next thirty years

In Light of the SRK Incident

2009-08-17T01:22:00.004+05:30

Alrighty then, SRK was detained at the airport in the USA for a while. So what? Yes, that's exactly my question. So what? My apologies to any die hard SRK fans, but I never cared much for him anyway, but that's besides the point. Over the last few days, a lot has been said about this incident. I have heard reactions similar to mine, like "So what?" all the way to, "How dare they". Here's my few cents on this nonsense issue.

Whether this is a publicity stunt synchronised to perfect timing of his new release "My Name is Khan" or not, I don't know, don't care. What baffles me is how the heck do we expect an emigration officer to know who SRK is. I am pretty sure he wouldn't even be able to locate India on a map, leave alone know SRK. Well, assume that he did know him. What entitles SRK to escape any security check? Ok, so it could be his name KHAN. Again so what? The Americans have more than enough reason to be weary of Khan and Abdul and every other Mohammad. Call them paranoid or psychotic or whatever, but also remember that there has not been another attack from an outside source since 9/11. We on the other hand, keep getting pounded.

I have been detained at the airport in Indianapolis for close to two hours, for whatever reason. I was NOT offended and I let them do their job without complaining. So what makes SRK different from me? Well, yea, he is a celebrity and I am not (yet). Ok, so most people in India know him, but who the heck knows and cares, in the USA? Why should they? If a very random man lands in Mumbai and at the emigration counter says that he is a very famous Hollywood actor, would we just let him bypass the checks that the others are subject to? Oh well, coming to think of it, we just might. Our pot bellied, greedy officers might even drool after him for a photograph and an autograph. That's where we are different from them in the west. They have learnt from at least few of their mistakes. We have learnt nothing.

After 9/11, every single airport in the USA have adopted different security measures, which keeps on developing. These checks and methods are still in existence and like I said, there has not been another attack from outside. Touch wood. Here, first bombs rip through commuter trains, on the roads and everywhere else. The Taj and CST get attacked and yet, there are absolutely zero security measures in most of the railway stations I have visited. I frequent central station in Chennai. I have never been checked or frisked even once. There is one x-ray machine for the millions of people who travel, and it is not functional. Forget the station, even recently when I flew to Pune for some official work, I carried just a small carry on bag, that had a lighter, match box, razor, scissors and toothpaste. As far as I know, all these items are banned onboard a plane. So where is the security. Don't tell me that the x-ray machine at the airport could not detect my scissors? We just care less. That's it. In place of me, it could have very well been someone else, with the wrong intentions. We however don't miss a chance to raise our voice and make a big deal when someone as insignificant as SRK is put through some extra security check.

Either ways, SRK made it to American soil and even made a few million bucks, showing his hairless face and dancing and what not, on Independence day. He even managed to say, "I don't feel like stepping on American soil anymore, but it is the love and affection of my fans that will make me come back." Aaaawwww. How thoughtful of him. At the end of the day, our system still has a lot of lapses, and we largely remain unsafe. I am not saying that the USA is a much safer country, but as far as external threat goes, YES, they are safer.

Things wont change over night and there probably is no one right solution. But a change will slowly begin when we learn to treat everyone equally, and put everyone through the same procedure, irrespective of who they are in society. No extra privilege or special treatment for any celebrity or politician. If I am asked to wait in a queue, they will do the same. If I am going to be frisked, they will too. But, are these just Utopian wishes? Probably.

Over The Rainbow

2009-08-03T11:02:00.003+05:30

So finally article 377 has been flushed down the drain and of course, has received mixed responses from people here and there. I was quite amused by some of the responses I heard from people I am close to, mostly from my friends circle.

One person said that Indian has now become the Sodom and Gomorrah of the modern world. Of course, I look around and all I see are men riding each other. I dare not look again least I turn into a pillar of salt. Another friend of mine commented that all the gays should be put in a straight line and shot through their balls. Ouch. A pretty strong statement, coming from someone who has probably never even interacted with someone with a different sexual orientation.

Then I heard someone say that they were terribly disturbed by the court ruling. Alright, here comes a few sleepless nights and days of depression. No matter what the reaction was, the fact was that the high court ruling had absolutely zero relevance to their lives. Ok, your not gay, so why does it matter to you that a gay person has the same rights as you have? Would it make your life better if you shot them through their balls, even though they have in no way troubled you or affected your lifestyle? I have usually enjoyed having a healthy debate on this topic with some close friends, but when 377 came down, no one made a comment. At least, not to me. I can barely count three or four people I know who welcomed the change.

The misconception we all carry with us is that we believe that homosexuality is something one chooses to be. Yes, there are idiots who try it out for the sake of it or to be different, but in a much general sense, you can be gay due to various factors that are beyond your control. As of today, there is no concrete proof or theory that states that these are what makes a person gay. Research is still going on and there are various reasons that are beyond ones control that can make a person gay. If only people understood this, then they might understand another persons orientation better.

Genetically a person can be gay. If one the wrong mix of hormones and genes in his body, he will have a different orientation. Now is that his fault or was that even his choice? Now even if your hormones and genes are alright, your early childhood environment and upbringing can shape your orientation. A little girl child who has a terribly abusive father will develop a distrust towards males and if she has been over protected by her mother, when she grows up she might never be able to receive love from a man. Even when she looks for a partner, she will only be able to trust and connect with a women. I don't mean to say that every abused girl turns out like this, but it is a possibility.

It can work the same way with a boy too. It is also possible that if a boy has been over protected by his mother and has an absent father, he will pick up few feminine traits from his mother. With the over protection and too much attention, he will soon begin to act and behave like the people he has interacted with, in his case, his mother. These interactions will shape his character as he grows up. Was this his fault? Was this something he chose to be?

With the amendment of 377, what we need to understand is that this is NOT about giving people the green signal to have sex with the same kind. This is hardly about sex. This is about giving them equal rights as you and me. This is about treating another human being the same way you would like to be treated. Previously if a homosexual had some disease that needed treatment, he could not approach a doctor due to the fear that his orientation would be reported and he could be arrested. His basic right to proper health was violated.

No matter what your orientation, you should have the right to proper health care and education. You cannot be denied a job or thrown out of an institute because your orientation is different. This is what 377 is all about. So for all those of you who feel disturbed and want to shoot through the balls, you should know that this in no way affects you. If you discriminate someone for their orientation, then how different are you from some racist who discriminate based on color or caste? You do not have to love a persons way of life or his orientation, but the least you can do is to respect him as a human being and not deprive him of his basic rights that you very much enjoy.

Gone Too Soon

2009-07-10T12:40:00.003+05:30

So Michael Jackson is no more. Part of me has not really accepted that it's over. No more moonwalks, no more mesmerizing moves on the dance floor. I never thought I would be writing something like a tribute to Micheal Jackson of all people. For someone like me who eats, sleeps and drinks Classic Rock, the music of MJ hardly had any space in my life. However, as ironic as it may sound, it was through MJ that I discovered some of rock's finest musicians. So, for that reason alone, MJ deserves this tribute.

Back in the days when I was maybe in the 6th grade or so, music was still alien to me. When I did get into music, it was more of rap and some crazy weird ass Indian pop. I don't remember how exactly I discovered MJ, but I remember that it was not very welcomed at home. My dad probably considered him as one of those possessed by the devil types. I remember a friend of mine giving me the album "Dangerous" which I managed to hide at home and listen in my Walkman late at night when everyone was asleep. In no time, I was hooked on to every single song on the album. I had not yet discovered his other albums like "Bad" or "Thriller".

Soon, MTV launched in India and we had the privilege of receiving MTV on our Doordarshan metro channel for two hours every evening. These two hours were the best moments of my day as I sat glued to the TV while discovering more and more new musicians and realizing how wonderful the world of music was. It was around this time that someone gave me an album by Guns N' Roses. I did not care much for it as I thought it was too heavy. Once while watching a video of MJ on MTV, I noticed a peculiar looking guitarist, with a weird hair style that covered his face. The way he held his guitar and his presence on stage made me want to watch him more and more. I learnt that his name was Slash and that he plays for this band called Guns N' Roses. So there began by induction in the world of rock n' roll.

By now I had managed to get a few more MJ albums and while listening to thriller, I could figure out that the song "Beat it" had a different feel and I assumed that the guitars were done by Slash. While discussing further with friends, I came to know that the guitarist on that album was someone called Eddie Van Halen. Weird name, and he had a band called Van Halen which I thought was even more weird. I checked them out once, and I was hooked.

It started with MJ, that led me to Slash and Van Halen, that in turn took me into a whole new world of music, on which I live now. The say we should never forget our roots and where we came from. So yes, I never thought I would say this, but my roots in music go way back to Michael Jackson. If not for his music and his collaboration with rock musicians, I just might have missed the rock n' roll bus.

He is no more, but what he has left behind is so huge that he will be remembered and never forgotten. Be it the moonwalk from Billy Jean or the 45 degree slant he does in Smooth Criminal, he did things that no one else could do. He was one of a kind indeed. I found the lyrics to his song "Gone too soon" quite apt to end this post.

Like A Comet,
Blazing 'Cross The Evening Sky
Gone Too Soon.

Born To Amuse, To Inspire, To Delight
Here One Day
Gone One Night

Like A Sunset
Dying With The Rising Of The Moon
Gone Too Soon

Getting to Know Them

2009-06-25T15:09:00.004+05:30

I have always been really bad when it comes to remembering names. Well, sometimes I do remember names and faces individually, but have a really hard time matching them. It takes me a while to be really confident. It's not really a big deal as on an average I may come across not more than two new names/faces a week. Imagine how I struggled when I had to learn up and match more than 150 names and faces in a matter of 3 weeks or so.

Getting into college was an exciting phase of my life. The freedom that comes with leaving home and the thought of making a whole new set of friends, were too tempting to resist. Right from the day I entered my hall (hostel), I was eager to start a new life. I had no idea about ragging and did not know to what extend it existed, but I didn't care. I was in MCC, and was going to make the best of it.

I remember walking into the hall with my luggage and coming face to face with a bunch of guys. Since I had to pass them, I said, "Hi, I'm Divyan. What's your name?" I got no response, but instead got a few ugly stares. Hhmm ok, not the really friendly types i guess. I continue you walk down the hall and I hear someone from behind, "Hey you. What's your name?" Ah, finally the friendly types. I happily respond, "I'm Divyan. Whats your name?" No response. He just walks off without even a stare. What's wrong with these people? A few minutes later as I am just about to enter my room, I pass by another happy looking guy who asks me for me name. I reply, "I'm Divyan, and what's your name?" He just smiles broadly and said, "You will find out soon enough." Oh ok, I get it. We are going to have some ice breaker game later on where we officially get to meet everyone.

I was wrong. There was no game and no friendly gesture from anyone. I soon realize that I am supposed to find out the names, room numbers and departments of more than 150 seniors. The worst part is that everyone refuses to tell us their names. How the heck am I supposed to find out? If out of desperation I approach someone and said, "Sir, can I have the pleasure of knowing your name?" the response I always got was, "WHAT? You don't know my name? How dare you! Go jump into the pond. Go duck yourself you worthless piece of shit." Let me not even get into how random guys just show up and ask, "Whats my room number? Which department do I belong to?" Uh? Excuse me. How would I know? "You don't know? Do duck in the pond" was their response. Honestly I lost track of how many times I jumped into the pond.

All said and done, in less than a month, most of us juniors knew every single person in the Hall by name, room number and even department. Suddenly it all began to make sense. We were not strangers or just individuals who came and left. We were one big family where everyone knew each other really well. That is why we do not call our place of residence as a hostel. It is much much more than that.

As the year ended, I waited eagerly for the new batch of students to walk in, so I could torture them with the task of finding out my name, room number and department, while keeping it a secret all the while. I had my fun and one of my unfortunate victim was none other than Mojo Jojo. He still refuses to let go of that incident and still harps on the fact that I was responsible for him jumping into the piss pond for the first time. Either way, he knew me well and we got close and now are good friends. So, if you ask me if id still try and memorize a hundred plus names and numbers, I wouldn't hesitate for long.

Dreams Untrue

2009-06-09T02:02:00.004+05:30

Finally, I have come one step closer to realizing one of my dreams to have my own music album. Pretty ironic title for a song which helped me realize my dream, but what the hell. We have just finished a very rough mix of one song titled "Dreams Untrue" and it can be heard right HERE or even HERE. Please do download and listen to it and I would really appreciate your comments or even abuses.

Driving and Riding

2009-05-28T18:01:00.003+05:30

Some people stare at me when I say that I do not know how to ride a bike. Yes, that's true. I have never owned one and neither have I tried to ride one. Until Two years ago, I could not even drive a car. Trust me, this was never because I did not have access to any. In fact, all my friends right from school days had bikes and even while coming into college and passing out, I was around people who had cars or bikes. I somehow never developed a fancy for either.

I do feel left out of a conversation when guys talk about this bike and that bike. I do not even know what a two stroke or three stroke means. If someone spots a Ferrari or a Merc on the road, its a WOW moment, but I couldn't be the least bit bothered. So what if it has cruise control. So what if you think the bullet is such an awesome machine. I am just not turned on by it. In school, I was pretty much satisfied with a TVS 50 that was lying home. I am sure my parents felt lucky, cause I was one boy who never begged for a bike when I turned 18. It did not bother me that my friends zoomed away on their Suzuki and Kawasaki, while I tumbled along on my rickety old TVS 50.

When I look back, I realized that all my life, my father had warned me about getting on a bike. It was totally forbidden. I would not even ride along with someone else. Of course, this rule was always broken. Just by the number of time he mentioned this, I believe I developed a fear. I believed that riding is something that is totally unsafe. Well, lets accept it. To a great degree, it really is unsafe. Majority of the accidents happen NOT because of your mistake. I don't blame my father for being so paranoid. He managed to ram his Yezdi into a bus and go under the wheels, a month or two before I was born. He survived.

My mother has never been so paranoid, but I am sure that the feelings she went through when I was in her tummy, was enough to install the fear in me. Yes, even before I was born, it was determined that I would never enjoy riding. Even before I was born, I was taught that it was unsafe and that is was something to be feared about. Something I strongly feel even to this day. I feel stressed each time I need to go out somewhere.

Since I have never driven or ridden, I spent a lot of money on autos. It was always frustrating to argue and haggle with them and give away huge sums of money to the ones that never deserve it. Recently a friend of mine asked me to take her unused Scooty. I thought about it and decided to give it a shot. It has been a little more than a month now since I have been using it. I still get worked up before I need to go somewhere, even if it is to the store close by. I try not to ride it too far of. That thing does not go fast, so there is no question of over speeding. Something I really hate. I don't have a license and have never thought of getting one.

My brother got a car a while ago and I am not excited about driving. Again I don't have a license yet, but will be getting one soon. I figured its a lot safer than a two wheeler. It's funny but I learnt driving in USA. A friend I was staying next to, forced me to learn. He literally did force me. I was glad he did. He took the initiative to literally drag me to the license office and take a license, which I got at the first attempt. Again, I'm grateful for that. Due to that, I can now drive.

At the end of it all, I am glad I am trying to drive/ride. I am sure that I would get over the fear sometime soon. I really am saving a lot of money over the autos and it saves me the arguing and haggling. So next time I am behind any of you on a bike and if I cringe when you drive fast, please understand. If you are sitting next to me or behind me and if I do not go as fast as you expect me to, please understand.

Run Mac, Run

2009-05-13T09:01:00.003+05:30

I cannot run to save my skin. Blame it on my physique or on the fact that I have had no reason to run, ever. Few fast paced steps will leave me panting and I really cannot imagine how I managed to play hockey in school. Ah well, I was the goal keeper, but still. I don't think I ever participated in the school sports day ever. I preferred to be in the school band. I prefer a casual stroll any day, but what do you do when you have no choice but to run?

While in college, one of the most anticipated event every year is always the Heber-Martin Marathon. For the uninitiated, Heber = men's hall and Martin = women's hall. How much fun would it be to run along with the women and how terrible would it be if any man finished after any of the women. As always, only freshers take part in the race. The whole distance covered around the campus might be close to 1.5km. Now the women don't start the race with us. They wait in front of their hall, which is 500 metres away from the finish line, and they join in once the boys have crossed their hall. From that point, it is a race to the finish and every mans dignity lies in balance. My turn to run as a fresher came in 1997.

We were woken up early that morning by the seniors and were made to line up. Surprisingly, most of us were well dressed in our best t-shirts and shorts and really clean shoes, though it was just a race. We were briefed on the route and rules to be followed. We were warned of the terrible consequences that awaited us if any woman managed to finish ahead of any of us. "YES SIR", was our pumped up reply. "On your marks, set, GO". And we were off. Oh well, at least most of them.

The first few steps were important and I gave it all I had. After a few meters, the route turns left, away from the prying eyes of the mighty seniors. The moment they were out of sight, I stopped running. As far as I was concerned, my race was over. I thought that some of the chubbier and unhealthy ones might stop running, but I was wrong. The extent that some people will go to, to impress women. In a few seconds, the rest of the pack disappeared from my view. All except one. It was a dopehead, who was probably annoyed that he was awakened from his trance, and was probably still in his trance like state to even be bothered about the race.

With no one else in sight, the two of us decided to take a stroll. He told me that he knew a hidden path, through the forest that would bisect all twists and turns and take me directly to the turning near the finish line. Since we were inside the forest and covered by the thick greens, no one would spot us. Our plan was to wait near the finish line, hidden safely in the bushes and to wait for the runners to arrive. We would jump in and join the crowd and finish the race like everyone else. We ditched the main path and went into the forest. He led me through the dimly lit path. Well, it was hardly a path. We were just finding our way through the mess. Since we had a lot of time, we casually stopped along the way and admired a few flowers and plants. He even told me that it was a good place to grow some pot. I wouldn't have been surprised if he had a small harvest somewhere there.

We reached the main path, where we are supposed to hide and jump in with the rest of them. We crouched down and waited. And waited, and waited. Where were these people? After many agonizing minutes, we figured that something was not right. We came out of hiding and cautiously made our way towards our hall. To our horror, the prize distribution ceremony was going on. The race had been over eons ago and now we are in solid trouble. The pot head was least bit bothered. This is where it helps to be a little crooked.

Now it was my turn to lead him. We quietly took the road that leads to the back of the hall. We slipped in through the kitchen and on our way to the front, we stopped by at the bathroom and I took and mug of water from the tank and poured it over my head. I made sure that enough of it fell on my t-shirt to give it the sweaty look. Oh yes, now we really looked like we had been running overnight. We walked towards the entrance where the winners were being announced. The boys were busy looking at the women, and we quietly slipped in with the other boys in sweaty t-shirts, like we always belonged there.

After the women left, the seniors called three freshers who unfortunately finished behind the women. They were given a sound thrashing and made to jump into the piss pond as punishment. Well, that's whats happens when you try to do stuff to impress women. You end up floating in a pond full of piss. As for me, well, I won no race and I impressed no woman. Forget impress, I never even saw one, but I felt that I had won. I couldn't help but laugh when one mighty senior came up to me later and said, "Good job. Well run."

The Gospel Of Mac: Chapter 1

2009-04-22T01:46:00.002+05:30

I have been asked before about why I have never had a post on Religion. I don't really know what prevented me from writing. Maybe it could be because I am certain that a few might disagree. It could be because my own views have been changing. Either way, it does not matter as each one is entitled to what they believe. It might make sense to go one topic at a time. All views expressed here are my own and what I believe as of today. Prove or convince something else to me and I will gladly jump over. Disagreement and hate mails are welcome.

GOD: Creation, Responsibility, and a Whole Lot More.
I do believe in God. Let me make that clear right away. However I do not believe that there is a bearded man sitting high above the clouds and watching over us. I do not believe that there is someone up above keeping a track of all the good and bad we do. I find it hard to believe there is someone up above who with a flick of his finger, can make earthquakes and landslides happen. The God I believe in is a powerful force that exists all over. It exists inside you and me. You do not have to look up or stare at an alter to experience God.

I do not believe that God took clay and moulded two humans and blew life into them. It amuses me when I hear people talk about creation and evolution and how they argue that each one is the right one. Couldn't it be that they are both pretty much the same thing, but explained differently? How could you expect the authors of Genesis to explain in great detail about the early man? They wrote it in the most simple way they could that required the least amount of explanation. They simple said "God created man". This pretty much ruled out the need for further explaining. In the modern age, with the vast knowledge we have, people found a more logical explanation for how humans came to be. The problem is, each one claims that the other is wrong. I believe they are both the same thing. Evolution could not have happened without a much greater force and creation took place through the process of evolution.

One argument that I used to hate, or that which amuses me the most is when I hear someone say that God causes bad things to happen so that he can test how strong we are, or to teach us something in life. Really? Try explaining that to someone who just lost their only child. Try saying that to someone who lost all their family in an earthquake. Now what exactly was God trying to teach with the death of a child? I find it impossible to accept a God like that. The God I know does not do that. The God I know believes that we as humans are capable of figuring out things on our own, through our own experiences. So does God control the wind and the waves? NO. Earthquakes happen. War happens. Children die. Shit happens. It just happens. No one from above caused this. We love to pass the responsibility over to someone else, so we blame it on God, saying it was his mighty plan, thereby relieving us from the responsibility and from dealing with it. There is no plan. You decide your destiny. You work hard and earn something, it was because you worked hard and because you deserved it. If something bad happens, it's probably because you screwed up somewhere and definitely not a lesson from above. Even if you do not screw up, like I said, shit happens. The God I know would want us to be responsible for all actions and want us to take credit for our achievements.

So how exactly do I experience God? Never once have I experienced God in church. Not once have I found God in places where people have told me I could find him. Now don't tell me I have not searched hard enough. You know that's crap. I experience God when I go out of my way to help someone or do a good deed. I experience God when I try to live an honest and truthful life. I experience God when I do my best to never cause any intentional physical or emotional harm to someone. I experience God when I am able to put a smile on someones face. I experience God when I am able to give someone hope. I experience God when I can cook and eat something delicious. I experience God when I take the first sip of my morning tea. I experience God with each hug I receive. I can go on and on, but I have never felt this kind of experience in church. Raising your hands, jumping and shouting hallelujah in church just does not do it for me. No offence to those of you who experience God that way.

Praying (self talk) does wonders. I believe that it does, but it does work in a different way for me. In us, we have our conscious self as well as subconscious self. Consciously we want and need something, but our subconscious gives us a negative message, based on our past experiences, which tells us that we might not get what we want. For example, if a person is undergoing depression and if he decided to pray about it, there are chances that he could be cured to a great degree. Consciously he wants to be free from depression, but his subconscious keeps feeding him with messages like "you are not good enough", "you are worthless" and "you do not deserve a good life" and so on. When someone prays over and over again, the conscious self is fighting the subconscious and with time and with consistency the subconscious learns the messages the conscious self has been giving. Once this has happened, it forgets all the negative messages and starts to give out positive messages. Depression gone. For me, prayer is more like a positive self talk that we give ourselves. We consciously convince our subconscious to work towards achieving what we consciously want.

It would not be fair to go on about everything in one post. There are lots that can be said and lots that can be argued about. I had a professor in one of my theology class who said early on that we should all come to class with an open mind. We should be willing to change and explore new ideas. We should give the ideas a chance to convince us. If it does not, then it doesn't matter. We will still have something to believe in. In the same way, I change and so do my beliefs. To end this off, I feel that the most important trait we should always carry with us is the ability to respect another persons beliefs, whether we believe in it or not. To believe that your way is the only right way, would be your biggest folly. Thus spoke the Gospel of Mac.

Ah, That's Magic

2009-04-13T01:44:00.003+05:30

My favorite sweet dish has always been Rasgulla, and always will be. As a four year old child growing up in Calcutta, I was exposed to it quite early and I have been in love with it since. I could still eat it everyday and no matter where I have had it from, the ones that come from Calcutta are the best. The taste still lingers in mouth.

Since we had plenty in Calcutta, we always had some at home. There was hardly a time when we did not have Rasgulla. The problem with keeping that at home was that I would eat more than I should and always finish a pot full in a day. My parents decided that the best thing to do would be to hide it from me, somewhere high above, deep inside those unreachable kitchen shelves. After one point of time, I was given the impression that we did not buy Rasgulla anymore, and I had no idea that they were being hidden from me. Strangely, every day I was in school I would open my lunch box to find one Rasgulla. I was happy, yet curious to how it appeared magically in my box, considering that we never had any at home. One day I decided to confront my dad.

I asked him how those Rasgullas magically found their way into my lunch box even though we had none at home. Of course, my dad was not going to give his game up. He said, "Ah, that's magic. We do not have any at home, but I can do magic and make it appear in your lunch box everyday". Ah well, what the heck. I bought that story and I did not complain as long as they appeared in my lunch box every day. I went to school everyday believing that my father was a magician, who could make Rasgullas appear out of nowhere. How wonderful. What more could I ask for. I believe I have tried asking my father over and over again about the source of the Rasgulla, but the only answer I got was, "Ah, that's magic".

Sometimes it's amazing how kids learn and how they can leave their parents at a loss for words with the innocent things they do and say. Sometimes you just got to give in to the kids. My father probably thought that the magic story was a good one and might also shut me up from probing the origin of the Rasgulla. It was to meet it's demise soon.

Over few days my parents noticed that each day when I came back from school I had something small that did not belong to me. One day it was a pencil, the next day it was an eraser, a crayon and so on. Honestly, I don't remember, but I am assuming that I must have taken them from some of the students. One day however when my parents were cleaning or taking stuff out of my bag, they noticed a lot of stuff that clearly did not belong to me. There were many pencils, sharpeners, erasers, crayons, scales etc etc. Now they were concerned that their dear son must be stealing from others. I remember my dad calling me and showing me my stolen goods and asking me where I got all this from. I swear I did not think twice, but my natural response was, "Ah, that's magic".

The Rasgullas were back in the refrigerator the same day.

United State of Mind - 3

2009-04-02T14:14:00.003+05:30

I wish I could be half the person my dog thinks I am.

Time

2009-03-23T13:27:00.004+05:30

I have been thinking a lot about the concept of time lately. I was never looking to arrive at any conclusion, but I just loved exploring. I wondered how different things might be if time never existed. What if we did not have clocks? What if we did not have calenders? I guess some of these thoughts were triggered when I recently watched the movie "Chemical Wedding" about the life of Aliester Crowley, who had clocks in his house, but without any arms. I wonder why.

The whole concept of time sometimes puts pressure. I feel like I have a lot to do before a deadline. You got to finish your work before 6pm. You got to get a promotion before the end of this year. You got to get married before you cross 30. How would these be defined if time did not exist? Why keep running to catch up with something, that probably messes things up for you? Sadly, time exists.

One of my favorite lines from a song about time, and of course, titled "Time".

And then one day you find ten years have got behind you
No one told you when to run, you missed the starting gun
And you run and you run to catch up with the sun, but its sinking
And racing around to come up behind you again
The sun is the same in the relative way, but you're older
Shorter of breath and one day closer to death

Yawn. What am I supposed to do now? Stop chasing the sun?

Oreo

2009-03-11T01:27:00.002+05:30

After months of waiting and looking for the right one, we managed to find Oreo. She is a chocolate colored Labrador and is 40 days old as of today. She has blue and grey eyes and her coat is a shiny brown. Her behavior might be typical of any 40 day old puppy. She spends most of her time sleeping or chewing on anyone's leg she can find and before long we are going to lose a few pairs of footwear and cables. She has a long way to go before she responds to her name or becomes potty trained. For now, it's good to have her home.

The Dining Table

2009-02-26T02:58:00.004+05:30

They say breakfast has to be the biggest meal you have on a normal day but that has never been the case for me. It was always dinner. The best meat was saved for dinner and most of the fine culinary creations were always during dinner time. This also came to be the time when we always sat down together as a family, once we were all done with our busy schedules.

Since we always moved around so much, we never had any furniture of our own. However we had a huge dining table set. I mean, really huge and it could easily seat ten people if enough chairs were put around it. It came from my grandparents house and I can remember that table right from the time I had my first memory. So now we had it, and it always managed to find itself a spot even if the house we stayed in was small. Sometimes it was a pain to look at it, just because it always seemed like it belonged in a much bigger house with a lot more people. We still ate at that table every night. This is where I developed a liking to talking and catching up on the days events long after dinner was done and even as the food began to dry around our fingers. Somehow I always wished that this particular time of the day would last and never end. All this was years ago.

We eventually left home and went to college, left the country, moved to a new city and so on. Along with all these changes, I lost the habit of sitting around a dining table. Now dinner was always in front of the TV and sometimes alone. Even if there were people in the room, it felt like I was alone, because we all stared at the TV and did not talk. I missed the feeling of home. I missed the human connection. I missed scrapping off the the dry food around my fingers. No one to blame because where ever we lived as bachelors, investing in a dining table was the last of our priorities. Like all things that change, people began to get married and start families, and soon dining tables started to appear in every home. Hopefully it brought along the dry finger conversations too.

Recently my brother got married and as a part of setting up the house, we got a cute four seater circular dining table. I made sure this one fit perfectly. A few weeks ago, we sat down for our first meal around it. My mother made us promise that we would not have dinner in front of the TV, and I see why. It did not strike me much but after the first meal, as we sat around a little longer, I felt the food around my fingers drying up. That same familiar feeling I had missed so much. It was all coming back again. Yes, it felt like home once more.

Thanks To The Sena

2009-02-09T18:59:00.001+05:30

It feels as if we are gearing up for war that seems inevitable. There is something in the air that smells not quite right. Who knows what's going to happen on Feb 14th, but hey, I have no reason to be scared. Thanks to Mutalik (you jerk) and the Sri Ram Sena, I can now sleep in peace without any terrible nightmares.

Thanks to them, my "culture" is now safe. No western force can influence me and I can be assured that my culture will not disappear like the dodo did. Just imagine, if not for them, you and I would be a culture less lot.

I support their move to shut down all pubs. Since all acts of terrorism in this country are committed by people like you and me who walk out of pubs, I will feel a lot safer once the pubs are shut. Yes, fosters and kingfisher can bring out the Bin Laden in you and me. Coming to think of it, Vijay Mallya, with his control of alcohol, must be the evil mind behind the plot to turn our nation into a terrorist state. Oh and his team, the Bangalore Royal Challengers are really his suicide squad.

Women should most definitely not wear noodle straps. Mutalik (you jerk) and the Sena considers this as one of the most dangerous weapons. The straps can be detached, and it can be used to choke a person and it can even be used as a sling. Remember the sling shot story of David and Goliath? Now when a lot of women have access to these dangerous noodle straps, I am so grateful to the Sena for rightfully opposing it and even more, demanding a ban on noodle straps.

Forget straps. Women should not even go to pubs. What right do they have to do that? Don't we know that only men have a right to drink? Don't we know that a woman's place is in the kitchen and if she steps out, she should be beaten and sent back to where she belongs? What better way to save this country and it's rich culture. I am sure that as a generation we would be so grateful to Mutalik (you jerk) for safeguarding our women by molesting and beating the crap out of them.

Now coming to Valentines day, according to Mutalik (you jerk), this is the day when girls and boys gather together, and this is when the sex and drugs mafia influence them. Also, it could be a western ploy to completely destroy our culture. Yea sure. We all wait for Feb 14th to have sex and take drugs, cause that's the only day it is possible. Didn't you know that the drug mafia remains inactive for 364 days? So does the sex mafia. They wake up and strike with great force on Feb 14th, and hence, I agree with Mutalik (you jerk) when he says that boys and girls should not be together.

A wedding is a costly affair these days. I think I would be doing a great favor to my parents if I could manage to get the Sena to marry me off for free. Yes, all you unmarried folks should probably be out on the streets with the one you hope to marry. Remember to hold hands, but keep those dangerous noodle straps away. If the Sena are to be trusted, be assured that you would be married off immediately. For free. How cool is that?

Anyways, I got one question for Mutalik (you jerk). Have you ever got laid? If not, maybe you should, because honest to God, I don't see any other cure for your disease.

A Tale Of Two Foods

2009-01-30T00:17:00.006+05:30

No matter how big a foodie we are, I am certain that each one of us have one particular fruit/vegetable/meat that we just cannot stand, for no particular reason. I know people who can't stand pineapple. I know people who cannot tolerate curd. My nemesis is watermelon. So, if you do plan on eating a watermelon, stay far far away from me.

I have often argued that we just do not wake up one fine day not liking a particular thing. There has got to be some incident related with that particular food that has made the person despise it so much. The very sight or smell of it could trigger a lot of subconscious memories deep inside and makes you want to run away. Most of the time we do not know why we don't like something and we claim that we have always disliked it from the time we remember.

I used to love watermelons as a child. I remember eating like there was no tomorrow. During the season the fridge always had a few, and I never hesitated when it came to helping myself. One day however, when we were staying in Calcutta, I assume I over did it. Maybe I did not really over eat. Maybe it was just a bad melon, but I clearly remember vomiting for a very long time. I threw up all over the house and I felt sick and I remember that that was one lousy day. I forgot about watermelons for a long long time and I just stayed away from it. When I grew a little older, I remember someone sitting next to me and eating a melon, while I gag and run to the toilet. Right from then, I would always feel pukish and sometimes throw up at the very sight or smell of watermelon. I could not sit next to someone eating one.

Over the years I believe that things have improved. I just could not avoid someone having a watermelon juice when we went to a juice stall. Eventually I got used to it, and now I don't mind sitting next to someone who is munching, but I try to look away. I still cannot eat one and I cannot even touch one that has been cut open. But I guess I have my reason. I blame it on my bad experience. What's your bad experience?

One of my favorite things to eat is chicken liver. No it is not my no: 1 dish, but I really like it a lot. Any curry I make, the liver is reserved for me by default. Sometimes it is over even before the dish is on the table. Few days ago my mother made some liver fry, which I feasted on and around two days ago, she saw me hunt for the liver in the chicken curry she had made and she went on to tell me a story of how as a child, I did not know that chickens had livers, maybe until I was six or seven years old.

My mother loves the liver too, and even back then, the liver never made it to the table. It was claimed by my mother in the name of "taste check" as soon as the dish was ready. I never got a taste of it and I never even knew it existed. However one holiday we were in my native place and was spending time with my grand parents. My grand mother was in the kitchen and I assume she must have been making chicken. Before lunch was served she calls me into the kitchen and hands me one funny looking thing on a small plate. She was sure excited to give me that, as it was the only one in the whole dish. I look at it suspiciously and have a confused look on my face. I ask her what that was and she seemed even more confused that I did not know what that was. She tells me it is a liver and I think I tried convincing her that chickens did not have livers, cause I have never come across one in the few years I have been eating.

Right at that moment my mother walks into the kitchen and my grandmother looks at her and demands to know why I do not know what a liver is. A sly grin probably appeared on my mothers face as she explained how she "tastes" the food before serving it. That solved the mystery for my grandmother. I don't think I cared. I was busy biting into the yummy piece of new body part I had discovered. I walked out of the kitchen a much wiser boy and I don't think I may have missed many livers since.

Prayer

2009-01-15T00:24:00.003+05:30

I have not really understood how prayer works, or how it's supposed to work. I can't say that it does not work either, because it does have some comfort factor attached to it. I don't know if someone up above is literally listening to what each of us say or ask, or if it is another way we make peace with our subconscious, by striking a deal consciously, and hence feeling reassured of not having any more conflicting voices. Either way, does not matter, because that's not what this post is about.

I just remembered something from way back in my childhood, which I find very amusing. Growing up in a very church oriented household, I was taught the importance of prayer very early on. It was no surprise that my dad took great pride in the fact that I could recite the lords prayer very early on and even say the benediction without flaw. I never missed a chance to use my talents during family prayer time and the only hard time was when we had another priest or bishop visit home, and I just would not give up my right to say the benediction or prayer. Most of the time it turned out that we ended up having two prayers as well as two benedictions.

What I find amusing was how I got to learn the power of prayer. This incident happened when I was maybe three or four years old and yet I do remember it clearly. In Kerala we used to have power cuts that lasted for 30 minutes. We still have it. Anyway, 30 minutes without power was a little too much for me to handle as a three year old. The first ten minutes were OK and then I would start becoming cranky. By the time it was close to thirty minutes, I used to whine a lot and my dad came up with a very creative idea to pacify me. He told me to pray and that God would bring the power back. Now it always so happened that I reached this point just as the scheduled power cut was about to get over and almost every time, the power came back on as I was half way through my prayer, asking God to fix the lines, or when I had just said amen.

Each time it amazed me, that God was listening to my prayers and that I had the power to bring the power back. This probably made me feel more worthy than a bishop to pray or say the benediction. Little did I realize that each time I was asked to pray, there was hardly a minute for the power to come back. Now that I think for myself, it seems amusing. I did remind my dad and ask him about this incident and he says that he was not trying to trick me into believing that prayer works. He said that I reached the level of crankiness in 30 minutes and asking me to pray was a way of shutting me down and pacifying me.

Looking back at it, it does not matter. I still do pray, and not because I felt that I could ask God to bring the power back, but just because I want to. I still don't know how prayer works, but I don't think that it matters to me. The reasons I pray could be totally different from any of you and what I call prayer can be totally different too, but it does make my day better, and puts to rest any conflict or uneasiness I have within.

United State Of Mind - 2

2009-01-05T01:10:00.004+05:30

Never before have I felt hurt,
On hearing my own name.
I hoped that reference was towards someone else,
But it wasn't to be.

New Year, and Some Changes

2009-01-02T01:33:00.002+05:30

I was never the kind to make any resolutions. The reason was that I believed changes could be made any day. You did not need one specific day to change something or make a decision. Probably true. Some of my past resolutions have worked out fine while some have bombed. This year I thought I could try it differently.

I noticed that there are very few things that I want to change in me. I am pretty much happy with the way I am, but anyway, I will be happy if I could make the following changes too.

# My biggest concern is my health. In all these years, I have been really careless. I have eaten things that i should not and I have done things to my body that I should not have. However, I have never really fallen sick or suffered from any ailments. Touch wood. Well, all the pork and cheese and pizza will surely catch up with me some day, so I am guessing it's time I took care. No, I am not going to give up all those lovely food. I will control how often I eat fatty stuff.

# I don't ever want to have a 6 pack and a well toned body, but I do want to get rid of the excess fat around my face and tummy. Sitting at home and eating less alone wont help. In a week or so, I hope to be hitting the gym. Lets see if a few months of exercising can make a difference. Gosh, how I long for a much flatter tummy. Consistency will be the key.

# I have gotten rid of a few bad habits that I have and that have harmed my health. Hopefully this time it is for good. I have done it many times before, but now I really want to be a quitter.

# Over the last month or more, I have noticed that there were few people with whom I have kept my distance. Honestly, I don't know why. I did notice that in spite of me pushing them away, they continued to love me and show their love for me. It just made me feel ashamed for acting the way I did. Few weeks ago I asked myself if I could come up with one valid reason why I should dislike them. I got none. Shame on me. So this year Onwards, I am going to love everyone. I am going to be nice to everyone and before I decide to hate someone or say I dislike someone, I am going to ask myself if I have a valid reason to do so. Even if I do, I want to be able to push that aside and move on. Life is too short to be disliking people. I love all of you. Hell yeah.

So, a Happy 2009 to all of you. May all your dreams and wishes come true and may love reign over everything else. Cheers...!!

Wish You A Heavy Metal Christmas

2008-12-19T17:56:00.002+05:30

I am going off on a break for Christmas and should be back on the 29th, before New Years. Couple of weddings, time with family and some good food probably awaits me. I hope all of you enjoy this season and keep on Rocking. Once again, wish you a HEAVY METAL CHRISTMAS.

Meanwhile, enjoy this version of 12 Days of Christmas.

Weekend Food

2008-12-14T15:38:00.005+05:30

When I am really bored on a weekend, it can make me experiment with food. Nothing really fancy, but just stuff you can make with the average ingredients you can find in most kitchens. It does not get simpler than roasted chicken, which was marinated for 2 days, roasted in the oven along with baby potatoes, onions and tomatoes.

My brother is more of the dessert person, and it's pretty amazing what you can come up with a pack of cake mix and icing mix. In this case, he came up with vanilla cake with choco fudge icing. I like my food to look good and I believe that it does not taste good unless it looks good. A little shredded dark chocolate some choco chips does the trick.

United State Of Mind - 1

2008-12-07T16:02:00.004+05:30

Now I'm scared to fall asleep,
For fear of what I may dream.
And if I do fall asleep eventually,
I can't stand the all so real feeling.

I wonder

2008-12-01T12:03:00.004+05:30

I wonder...

....if this kind of carnage will happen again.

....when bombs go off on a weekly basis in other places like Assam and Manipur etc, why do we need it to happen in Bombay before we get shocked?

....if Raj Thackery had indeed managed to kick out all non-Maharashtrians from Bombay, then would his sena have been able to show some balls and fight the terrorist? Or would they stick to picking on the poor Bimari called Bihari?

....if we never thought about creating a division like Homeland Security before, or did we think it was unnecessary?

....If blaming Pakistan is the right thing to do. Pakistan has more attacks happening than India. Remember Marriott? Maybe the elements were Pakistani nationals, but does that justify blaming the nation?

....if it would be possible to have military rule for some time, while this country is sanitized. Remember how Punjab was wiped clean by the army? Sometimes we need some level of brutality to deal with certain things. Screw democracy for a while. I think I could stay at home and make do without a few rights for a while.

....why it makes me grin, that most of the news channels took a stand to NOT broadcast any lame speeches the visiting politicians made, and not even focus on them.

....if it is time to focus on more important issues that provides security, than to focus on banning few harmless bar dancers and party goers. Some people have their priorities all messed up.

....when RGV will make another lame movie which might be titled "Shootout at Colaba", since he wasted no time before he visited the "location" immediately after the incident.

....if Chennai being the only metro that has been untouched means something. The thought scares me. Are we next?

....i still wonder.

Bomb-Bay

2008-11-28T02:00:00.004+05:30

Another bomb, another shot,
Another life, what have they got?
Blame time, play the game,
Wash your hands, you're all the same.
Political indecision,
Shrapnel incision.
Hostage scared,
Hardly cared.
Lives saved, lives lost,
Forgotten with every cost.
Move on each day,
Until the next Bomb-Bay

Still The Same

2008-11-24T02:19:00.006+05:30

If I could wait, would it be till a new shadow?
Or, will the next sunrise show the way?
Would those fishes come out of the water,
And would the dogs jump in?
Will the monkey wash the dishes and answer the phone?
Would you go back into the jungle?
I guess not, so why wait?
The same sun shows up each day.
The fish are still picky about which bait to take.
The dog still wont part with its fleas without a fight,
And the monkey still does what it does best.

Locked, And Ready To Dump

2008-11-13T00:49:00.006+05:30

This posted is truly madly dedicated to one of my close buddies: Mojo Jojo. I have been wanting to write this for a while but somehow didn't get around to doing it, since it's kind of hhhmmm bleeehhh, well, you'll see.

During my 5th year in MCC, I used to sleep with Mojo. Ok, don't get excited now. You too Mojo. Don't flatter yourself. I meant we used to share the same bed. Well, that didn't come out right either, but you get the drift, don't you? In spite of me having the luxury of a balcony attached room that was bigger than all rooms, I preferred dozing off in a room that was right next to the toilet. I swear, it was the good company that Mojo was. We used to lie awake late into the night and chat and chat until we fell asleep. Neither of us were too keen on making it for the 8:30am class so we usual slept in and woke up when ever we woke up.

On this fateful day, Mojo realized that he had a very important class at 8:30am or maybe he figured that his attendance was in jeopardy and so made up his mind to go to class. The previous night we followed the same ritual of chatting and dozing off. Mojo wakes up just in time and rushes to do his morning rituals. Thank God the toilet and his room almost shared the same entrance. If his door was open, a first timer could easily walk in mistaking it for the toilet. Anyway, I assume he was in a hurry that day because after he got dressed, he grabbed his books and ran out of the door in a hurry, and guess what, he locked the door with his pad lock, from outside. Either he was oblivious or he was totally nonchalant to the fact that I was still snoring away on his bed. I still ask him how he missed seeing such a huge figure curled up in his bed. Gosh, did I feel invisible or what.

Moments pass and eventually I wake up somewhere close to 11:00am. Oblivious to my fate-to-be for the next hour or so, I walk to the door and try to open it. Uhh, now that's weird. I thought someone had put the latch, which is a common prank. I wait for someone to visit the toilet. When someone does pass by, I shout out, "dude, could you take the latch off please?" His response was, "But there is a lock. Who locked you? Do you have the key?" This is where I panic. I don't think I mentioned before, but what usually wakes me up in the morning, is the need to shit, or pass my excreta, if I may put it mildly. Now here I am, in a room bolted and locked from the outside, and I want to shit like never before.

Meanwhile, my buddy Mojo is totally unaware of what he has done, or what he almost made me do to his room. After some class of his, he decided to come to his room for something. He walks up to his door and notices that it is locked. He assumes that I locked it when I left and that the key was with me. Not for a second did he remember that it was he who locked it and that the damn key was in his pocket and worse, I was in agony inside, totally oblivious that Mojo was standing just outside, wondering where I could have gone after locking his door. Not wasting much time, he quietly slips away to go search for me.

It has now reached a point where I cannot get up from the bed. If I do, bad bad scene it would have been. I think of my options. I open the window and take a peek. It's the top floor, but still I can't be choosy. Relax. The open view towards the road made me drop that option. I manage to stand up and walk towards the door. I kick it, and bang it hard with the glimmer of hope that some guy might want to take a leak and walk towards the toilet and might hear my cries of agony. I bet I would have hated him if he was going for a dump and did not stop to help me. No signs of anyone coming. I look around the room, but this guy Mojo doesn't even have any plastic bags that I could borrow. Not exactly borrow, but I mean, take it. DAMN YOU MOJO. Only option I see is something of a bucket. Ok, there is no water, but so what. I could probably rip off some pages of his Shakespeare or maybe Milton's Paradise Lost. I didn't care one bit. No, I did not consider buying him a replacement bucket later on.

Before the worse happened, I heard footsteps. I was overjoyed and stood by the door and cried out, HELP...HELP....!! The voice from the other end was very familiar. It said, "Georgieeeee... is that you? What happened? Jimmy locked you? Ha ha ha ha ha." It was another close buddy Mawi (whom I slept with in my 4th year). I almost cried while I said, "Have you seen Jimmy? He locked me inside. Find him fast, cause I need to take a dump." I don't think he understood how serious my condition was, because he just stood there and went, "Ha ha ha ha ha... Georgieee, you got locked? Ha ha ha ha." I almost lost it (my temper I mean) and I shouted, "MAWI.....FORGET JIM. GET A STONE OR HAMMER AND BREAK THIS LOCK.....NOW...!!!"

This is where Mawi figured the seriousness of my condition and within a minute he managed to find a hammer or a stone and was banging away on the lock. This was one of the occasions where I was glad Mojo never invested much in the safety of his room, because the lock broke pretty fast, and I rushed out next door, and what happened next was just heavenly. I'll leave it at that. One of those feeling you can't ever explain. It's like explaining to a deaf man what music sounds like. Meanwhile, one of those spectators who had gathered around while Mawi was breaking the lock, was walking back to class and he bumps into Mojo. He stops him and asks him, "What did you do to Divyan? Did you hate him that much?" I bet Mojo was confused but after some explaining, he realized what he had done and rushed back.

If I remember correctly, we exchanged very few words when we came face to face. Mojo had the nerve to complain about his busted lock. I still wonder what he would have had to say if Mawi would not have come at the nick of time and if I had used his bucket instead. Like all things that happen in college, in a few minutes we were sharing a smoke and laughing about it. We still do. We still talk about that incident. We still share smokes and laugh about it, and in case you were wondering, yes, we still sleep together when I visit Bangalore.

Awwwww Myself

2008-11-08T01:24:00.004+05:30

Yeah, Maybe I deserve this, and it definitely boosts the id, ego and super ego. So what the hell. After all, Everyone's entitled to my opinion..!!

Winner Takes None

2008-11-07T13:57:00.007+05:30

I want to win, but the problem is,
You want to win too.
Well, it's not much of a problem for you.
There was a time when I could win,
And you would lose.
However, I ended up losing,
And you ended up winning.
It hurt my ego, real bad,
And I swore I would never let you win again.
Now it has come to a point where,
If I win, you win too.
But I don't want you to win,
And I am tempted to embrace defeat, to see you lose.
How can I get what I want,
And not give you what you want?
I hate it that we both want the same thing,
But it was I who changed, so why blame you?
Actually, why does it bother me so much if you win?
Go ahead, knock yourself out,
And while you're at it,
I might win.

Hussein

2008-11-05T10:35:00.005+05:30

For a country that has never had a woman or a minority become president, this is indeed a historic moment. Barack Hussein Obama II became the 44th president of the United States and will take office sometime in January.

It might be too early to pass judgement on how he performs or what kind of image he would maintain. We probably know for sure that he ain't stupid like Dubya and we might see less spoofs on him on Jay Leno and Jimmy Kimmel. For me, Dubya was pure entertainment and I loved him for the fool he made out of himself on most occasions. From most Americans point of view, he screwed up a lot of things. Health care, Industries, and of course his war policy, where he believed the best way to peace was by bombing innocent women and children. I read a comment somewhere that said, "Bombing for peace if like fucking to cure virginity." Rightly said.

All said and done, its a new start and now hopefully, every American can proudly stand up and genuinely say that they are proud to be an American, and mean it. For the rest of the world, we hope to see a less arrogant America. For all you Dubya haters, here is one of my favorite videos. If you are familiar with the original song and it's lyrics, you will see the irony.

Peace.....!!

Tag From Scatter

2008-10-22T01:11:00.006+05:30

This tag came from Scatterbrain a while ago and I have been putting it off for a while pondering over whether I had to do it or not. Later it became a question of when to do it. I guess that's obvious now, so here goes, another bunch of funny questions that might seen dumb, but at the same time, make you really look into yourself.

1. If your lover betrayed you, what would your reaction be?

One thing I know for sure and that is, I wont be jumping for joy. Shucks, what can you do. I would probably sob for a few months, then pick up the pieces and move on. The show much go on.

2. If you can have a dream come true, what would it be?
Well, there is something I really wish would come true. Honestly I have not seen this in my dream while I was asleep, but maybe I have thought about it and wished it, so does it qualify? Oh, by the way, sorry to disappoint but I want to keep this to myself for a while longer.

3. Whose butt would you like to kick?
Right now, no ones butt for personal reasons, but in general there are many different kinds of people who's butts I would love to kick so damn hard that I wouldn't mind leaving behind a toe nail in their rectum.

4. What would you do with a billion dollars?
First I would invest or save enough to last me and my family till the time we die. Then I would give some away for a good cause or I might actually put the money to good use myself rather than assume that someone else will. I will spend a lot in buying things for my family, friends and of course myself.

5. Will you fall in love with your best friend?
It's very possible and it could happen to anyone and I believe that in every interaction between male and female, there is some hidden subconscious sexual agenda, which we may not always be aware of.

6. Which is more blessed: loving someone or being loved by someone?
To feel the blessing, I might want to be loved by someone, but I admit both has its own pros.

7. How long would you wait for someone you loved?
If I know that the person also loves me, then maybe for as much as it would take to sort things out. Or if i am waiting like a jack ass for her to fall in love with me, well, then maybe till my patience runs out.

8. If the person you secretly like is attached, what will you do?
Maybe think about her for few days and then quietly slip on to someone else. I would never mention it to another soul.

9. If you could root for one social cause, what would it be?
Civic sense. Our country would be way better and could match up to any country in the west if only we had civic sense. No matter how much our economy grows and no matter how rich we become, we shall not grow as a country until we learn to not litter, spit, shit, piss and what not, in public.

10. What takes you down the fastest?
If you are someone real close to me, then betray my trust and you can see me roll down the hill. If you are someone whom I am not close to, then forget it, you can't take me down.

11. Where do you see yourself in 10 years time?
Married with kids, still a marriage counsellor, and still rocking with my band.

12. What’s your fear?
Snakes, health and death. Maybe losing someone close to me.

13. What kind of person do you think the person who tagged you is?
I think the name scatterbrain says it all, but apart from that, she can be a sweetheart. That's enough. For those who know me will know that I am not the easiest person to get a compliment out of.

14. Would you rather be single and rich or married and poor?
Married and Poor. There is a kind of wealth that is worth a lot lot more than the monetary kind.

15. What’s the first thing you do when you wake up?
I need one hour to lie down awake in bed before I can get up. Once I get up, I got to have my large cup of tea and the newspaper.

16. If you fall in love with two people simultaneously who will you pick?
Assuming both of them love me, I might pick the one that can make me laugh more and can laugh at all the stupid things I do and say. Of course, the level of attraction also matters to me.

17. Would you give all in a relationship?
Always have and always will.

18. Would you forgive and forget someone no matter how horrible a thing he has done?
I can forgive, but I don't think it might be possible to forget. I should mention that I may find it hard to forgive unless the person approaches me and asks for forgiveness. Otherwise I am no saint.

19. Do you prefer being single or in a relationship?
In a relationship. In spite of all the shit that happens to relationships or marriages, I think it is still worth it. You are born alone and you even die alone. There is no one with you, so wouldn't you rather spend the time in between with someone?

20. List of 6 people to tag:

Well, the last time I tagged, most of them did not do it and two of those blogs have now gone past the burial date. This time I am going to tag Mojo, Penny lane and Orange Fling.

Until the next tag comes along, tata from the tag side of me.

The Mallu Hijacker

2008-10-09T01:14:00.004+05:30

Reading the last post by Orange Fling reminded me of something that happened to me while I was in the US. It was not anything funny, but maybe when I look back at it, it does seem a little funny now. This happened in my very first year in a new country and I admit that it slightly scared the shit out of me. As it is, I hate flying and I try to avoid it as much as I can. Even in the USA I took the Amtrak when ever I could, even if it took much longer. An experience like this was probably more then enough to make me hate it much more.

For one of my earlier semester breaks, I decided to visit one of my friends and spend a few days with him since I had nothing much to do where I was. Plus this was my chance to see Washington DC. The only problem was that I was not earning anything and my friend decided to get me the ticket and it was booked by him with his credit card. All I needed to do was get to the check in counter, show my ID and get my boarding pass. I reach way before time, like I always do and I walk straight to the counter and hand in my ID. A pleasant smile greets me followed by the usual hello, how you doing? and all that. In a brief moment I notice the expression on the lady's face change. She stares at the computer screen for longer than usual, and she had the, oh-my-God-what-do-I-do-next kind of look on her face. She asks me to hold on and then makes a few phone calls and then comes back to stare at the screen.

By now it has been close to ten minutes and so I asked, "Err, is there some problem?" to which she nervously replies, "Oh, its nothing. Just that your name has been locked. Don't worry, it's just a common problem we face when there are two people on the same flight with the same name, you know, like John Smith, which is quite common." The minute she said that, I knew for sure that that wasn't the issue. After all what are the chances of finding another person with my name, that too in Indianapolis and on a small twenty seater plane? Anyway, I decide to wait patiently. Not that there was much I could have done. She frantically continues to make a few more calls and by now her nervousness was quite evident in her body language.

In a few minutes, a few cops came over and flashed out their badges and behind them were few more smartly dressed people who walked much faster, and flashed out their badges faster and said something much faster that I did not understand. Before I knew it I was asked to follow them inside for interrogation. It was when they started talking to me that I figured what the issue really was. Now after 9/11, everyone has been quite paranoid about flying. I have been referred to as "middle eastern" by someone in my class and the final nail might have been the fact that my friend who booked my ticket for me had the name Mohammad Attaur, which is kind of the same name as the person who masterminded 9/11. I don't think me having a DOB of 9/11 on my passport would have helped one bit either.

Once I understood what the issue was, I relaxed because I know there was nothing for me to be worried about. They asked me everything they could about that person. Where he was from, how i knew him, why he got me the ticket, blah blah blah. All along, I could not help but laugh to myself thinking about how they might have assumed that I had plans to hijack and crash my plane, maybe into the white house. I kept thinking to myself, "hhhmm, now if I really wanted to crash and cause some damage, I might have opted for a slightly bigger aircraft, rather than a 20 seater. What can it do? Maybe damage the white house lawn?" Of course, common sense prevailed and I kept that funny thought to myself. Meanwhile, they ran a complete background check on my friend, and me and once they got the all clear, they let me go, after almost an hour and an apology.

As I boarded my aircraft, I couldn't help but watch the other passengers to see if anyone was giving me any funny looks. I watched the cabin crew and wondered to myself if they had been given information about a potential terrorist. Wouldn't it be cool to be the first high profile Mallu hijacker and terrorist, to take over a plane and ram it into the white house? One thing I knew for sure, and that was, that from my next trip, no Mohammad Attaur was going to book the ticket for me.

Isn't This How It's Supposed To Be?

2008-09-25T01:38:00.003+05:30

.............it's supposed to be.

Hush my little man, Close your eyes,

The world shall pause, for you alone.

What you have now, is not for you,

This is not the world, where you belong.

When you are asleep, it all shall change,

You shall not see, neither will you hear.

When you are awake, you wont remember,

You will be the child without fear.

And this is how...................

Spam Fun

2008-09-17T12:55:00.005+05:30

Yes, I know that for a while now I have not had anything interesting to post, and hence the Pizza post, so I could buy some time. Anyway, for a while now I have been using gmail and have kind of dumped hotmail, mainly because of the spam that keeps flowing in. Some common ones I have been getting are the kind that says, "you have won a lottery, so send $100 so we can send you your money" or maybe something like, "my uncle died and has left behind a huge fortune that I want to share with you." I sometimes wonder if people can really be that foolish and fall for it. I assume that there are people who do. So, feeling jobless one day, I decided to respond to one such nut, just for fun.

Dear Friend,
We are pleased to inform you that your name has been shortlisted to receive an amount of 800,000 USD. Your name has been chosen randomly from among thousands of others. We have the bank draft ready to be dispatched. Kindly do send us your address and contact number so that we can contact you. Also please send 200USD as security and processing fee, so that we can send you your courier at the earliest.

Sincerely

Sir Phillip Cruz

Dispatch Director

Hi,

I want to receive courier. Please tell where to send $200

Thanks

Mac

Greetings Mac,

Please update me today on the transfer process from your end via western union money transfer, so that we could embark on dispatch immediately.

Do send along your phone number

Sincerely,

Sir Phillip cruz

Whose name should it be sent? Please give full details. Will send in two days.
Thanks

Mac

Good day Customer Mac,

Payment of 200 USD should be make via western union money transfer only for security purposes. Payment details are listed below.

Name:Paul Olaye
Address: Wuse 2 Layout, Abuja Nigeria.

Text Question: Relationship

Text Answer: Friend

You have to send down the MTCN and your complete postal address. Reconfirm your full name, address, country and most importantly your phone number. We wait to hear from you in the two days proposed.

Sir,

i want to know if it is possible to deduct $200 from my amount and send me the rest. Will save me the trouble of sending money. You can take $ 500 if you want. I am willing. Thank you very much for choosing me to receive it. I am happy.
Mac

Good day Customer Mac,
We will not be deducting any money from the draft as it is not in our power to.I urge you to proceed at once to send the security keeping fee of 200USD to our office via WESTERN UNION at once with details we have provided for unless there will be no dispatch.
Get back to me on this so that we can take further steps.
Sincerely,
Sir Phillip Cruz

Sir phililp,
thank you for being so patient with me. I am really sorry that I have not been able to send the money yet. I hope you will be kind enough to understand what i have been going through in the last few weeks. I was really happy when i got your mail that you had chosen me to receive that large amount. I thought my prayers were being answered. I am going to undergo a serious surgery next month and i do not have the money to pay for it. I thought i would be able to go ahead with the surgery once i got the money from you, and I am counting on that. Please understand that you will be saving a life by sending that money urgently. I promise you that as soon as i get it, i will mail you double the amount you asked for. I will send $ 400 or more. I am living each day with hope, that i will get the money. If i don't, i will not be able to have my surgery and i may not live further than next year. I have a family and I have children. Please make me live and please for the sake of my family, send me the money.
Thank you very much
Mac

No response for a few weeks after this.

Good day Mr Mac
We still have your bank draft of 800,000USD ready for dispatch in our office.Please advise on what we do with this as it still stands that once you pay the 200USD security keeping fee,we will dispatch it to your residence.
Get back to me on this.
Sincerely,
Sir Phillip Cruz,
DISPATCH DIRECTOR

You DumbAss,

You think i am %$$#$@#$$@$...blah blah blah...

Too vulgar to put on the blog

Home Made Pizza

2008-09-03T15:40:00.005+05:30

I have always wanted an oven at home, so that I could start baking some stuff that I had always wanted. I did try some, and with today being a public holiday, my brother was home and in an experimental mood, so he took the initiative this time, and created some yum pizza. Of course, neither of us had the patience to make the base, so we got it from the store. Next time however I am planning to make the base at home, and maybe create a thin crust pizza. On top of the base went the pizza sauce. The toppings included onions, tomatoes, jalapenos, green peppers, pork salami, pork sausage, corn and of course, a very generous helping of cheese. Very little barbecue sauce was also added on one of the pizzas. Toss this into the convection oven for exactly seven minutes, and this is what you get. Easy to make and the whole process takes you less than fifteen minutes. Next time, I am not ordering from Pizza Hut or Dominoes, because this kicks every other ass. My next mission is to figure out making the perfect base.

Some things I Could Have Done Differently

2008-08-26T23:40:00.003+05:30

I should not have done that. I could have acted differently. Blah blah blah. So much I could come up with when I look back at my life and list out the things I could have done differently. I have mentioned many times in many of my previous posts that I have absolutely no regrets regarding anything I have done in the past, but still, some things, though it may seem funny now, could have been done differently. More amusing is the fact that all of those incidents involve my brother and I realized that just now, as I was trying to list them out. I know, I have done quite a lot of stupid things, but then, haven't we all at some point in our lives?

One of the earliest incidents I remember goes back to when I was maybe 8 years old, and my brother was 4. I remember it being a regular weekday evening when we were back from school and we kicked off our uniforms and shoes and ran towards our neighbors house, which was right behind ours. There was some construction going on and so there were a lot of bricks, sand, tiles, stones etc lying around. We played by making use of those materials and either built mock houses or just dug deeper into the sand. The neighbor smart ass kid who played with us took improvisation to new heights when he decided to pick up a foot long pointed tile, hold it in his hand and spin around non stop, while shouting "helicopter, helicopter." After a few impressive spins, the blades of his helicopter (read tile) slipped from his hands. Exactly at that moment, my brother who was ignoring the helicopter act all this while, decides to see for himself what the big deal was, and he turns around. The tile that slipped, glides with perfect aerodynamics and precision, as if it was controlled by a radar, and hits my brother hard, less than a centimeter above his left eye. Shocked that his black hawk was down, the neighbor kid jumped the walls and disappeared. That left me alone at the scene of the crash, along with my brother who was down on the ground in a small pool of blood, bloody enough to make me faint. What do I do? What do I do? Well, I casually slip away from the scene, leaving my brother behind, and I head back home as if nothing happened. My folks asked me where my brother was and I told them that he was still playing. The anxiety made me want to take a dump and I decided to go hide in the toilet. A few minutes later I think my brother managed to get up and he slowly walked towards home. My parents heard him cry and rushed down and saw him covered in blood. He was rushed to the hospital and a few stitches took care of it. I will just leave it at that. I am not even going to go into the sound thrashing I got and very much deserved. To this day, I don't know why I act that way.

Maybe around 5 or 6 years ago, my brother was admitted to a hospital because he had to be treated for some problem he had with his appendix. It was not being removed, but he had to be admitted for a few days and undergo some medication and many rounds of drips. My dad and I took turns to stay with him and offer our assistance. At nights, it was my duty to watch when one drip bag is empty and inform the nurse, who would come and replace it with a new bag. This process went on for a few days. The first night I stayed there, I was given instructions on what to watch out for and whom to call. I remember turning off the lights and hitting the bed. I did not wake up until morning. It seems that my brother tried his best to wake me up in the night when the drip was over and it was time to be changed. He called and called and even raised his voice and tried to wake me. No use. In the end, he gave up and he managed to rise up on his own. He got out of bed, lifted the drip bag, tube and the stand on which it is hung, with the needle still poked into one of his arms, and carried it out of the room and went and called the nurse himself. Once again, I am not going to mention about the sound blasting I got from the nurse in the morning. That was the last night duty I had. My dad took over from the next day onwards.

I save the best for last. This one is my personal favorite but a really cruel and wicked one. Rewind back to when I was maybe 7 or 8 and my brother was 3 or 4, approximately. It might have been a weekend and I might have felt real bored and could not think of what better things to do, so I walk into the bathroom and turn on the geyser or water heater. I let it heat up for a few minutes so that the water would become boiling hot. Once that was done, I call my unsuspecting brother and tell him that I have a magic trick to show him. I very gently lead him into the bathroom. Imagine a cute little goat that has been looked after well, only that it has no clue it is going to be slaughtered soon. Well, that probably describes my brothers position. I lead him into the bathroom and ask him to close his eyes and stretch out his hands, which he did with unmatched trust, the kind that is hard to find. I place his hand under the tap and with great pleasure I turn on the boiling hot water. Poor kid came to catch some magic, and walked off with a burnt hand. I got my share of thrashing again, but this time I really got a lot more than that. The very next day, my cousins were visiting and we were going out on a trip. I was ironing my clothes, when as if by the hand from above, the hot iron box lost balance and fell on my right arm. I pulled my arm off and the whole thing was over in less than one second, but the iron had already ripped of a fair amount of skin from my arm and the scar remains to this very day, though it is almost invisible now. It's probably going to be a mute reminder to how well I got paid back for something I really should not have ever done.

I can't help but stare at the scar again and again as I glance at my arm while typing this out. The first two incidents happened because, that is how I am. That's me, but this one is probably something I wish I could wipe out. It's just not me.

I Am, I think, I know, And A Whole Lot More

2008-08-14T00:15:00.005+05:30

Yay, it's tag time again and this time from Pointblank. I am excited because at the end of this I get to tag others and I am going to tag some of those dead blogs that needs some reviving. Yea, I can be a pain sometimes. Anyway, this feels kind of similar to a tag I did few months ago but it has a few new ones so I thought I would do it after all. So here goes.

I am: Usually a fence sitter, but I am happy where I am.
I think: Way too much sometimes. I wish I could just cut out the thoughts and all the "what if's" and just carry on.
I know: That we will all have our momentary sprouts of happiness, which we all deserve. If only we noticed it always.
I want: To forget certain things and get to know some new things. I sometimes secretly wish I had amnesia and forgot maybe the last ten years. That's one freakin decade of my life.
I have: A lot more than I need, but I still keep wanting more, but hey, don't we all?
I wish: I didn't have to try too hard to go and get what I want, but I am wise enough to know that it does not work that way.
I hate: People who judge and think that they are going to walk straight into heaven. Well if they do, I rather walk towards the basement.
I miss: A lot. A freakin lot of things, some of which I know I can never have again. So now you know why I wish for amnesia? lol
I fear: Snakes, and apart from that the idea that some people may just go and ruin something beautiful that they have.
I feel: My music. If I play or listen to a song I like, I become one with it. It's like the song is in me and I am in the song. I understand how musicians feel on stage when they play. I feel it.
I hear: Some things that I should not have. I occasionally get some information which I could do without, but it's not I go searching. It just comes to me.
I smell: The fresh scent that rises up in the air when the first few drops of rain fall on dry land. Call me freaky but I can always smell it, no matter where I am.
I crave: Aah, quite a lot, but I think this song should sum it up.
I search: For the truth, because I believe that it changes everyday and what is true today need not be true tomorrow.
I wonder: If I will wake up tomorrow and if I do, what it holds for me. I also wonder if even a single person in this world would have learnt anything from me.
I regret: Not having said some things when I should have, but apart from that, no regrets in life at all.
I love: You, and you, and you, and you and you. All you crazy ass people who have made my life worth living. You know who you are.
I ache: In my heart when someone hurts me.
I am not: What you think I am when you see me once. My character is very easy to misunderstand. So talk to me more, or just read my blog, where I think I am more expressive.
I dance: No more. Was made fun of a few times so decided it was not worth it. More importantly, I never really enjoyed it anyway.
I sing: Even when I am told that I can't sing. Mostly when I am alone at home but I just refuse to give up. But don't ever ask me to sing, because I wont.
I cry: Secretly, because I grew up believing that men don't cry. I know that's a load of bull, but still I do it without anyone knowing.
I don't always: Answer my phone. Sometimes I just don't want to talk to you.
I fight: With no one. I don't remember the last time I had a fight or confrontation.
I write: Pretty ok, and I discovered that maybe a year into blogging.
I win: When I don't retaliate to being provoked. It has worked for me every time.
I lose: Some valuables because I can be absent minded and will not remember where I kept somethings.
I never: Want to choose between two people who are close to me. Didn't I mention that I was a fence sitter?
I always: Try my best to be genuine and non judgemental. I always want to accept people for what they are.
I confuse: Names of people. I sometimes mix and match names and call people the wrong name. Maybe I should pay more attention.
I listen: To everyone and what they have to say, because everyone has a story which is important to him/her and they need to be listened to.
I can usually be found: Drunk and lying in a gutter. Just kidding. Come home, because I am always there. I am either sleeping in bed, or working in front of my computer.
I need: Someone who can promise me that they will not give up on me and leave me stranded.
I am happy about: The way my career has shaped up. I have one of those dream jobs, where though the pay is not sky high, I have a lot of liberties.
I imagine: Another apt song for you. If you have not heard this song, or if you don't like it, go jump in a well.

Like I mentioned before, I have quite a few dead or almost dead blogs on my roll. Here is a chance for them to revive it. These are actually the last four on the updated list. No more excuses of "I don't know what to write". So, now get down to it. Just kidding. Understand that I love reading what you guys write and hence I wish you all would write more often.

List of tag victims:
Penny Lane
Orange Fling
Paunch
Babu Musings

Three Chances Too Many

2008-08-03T03:42:00.003+05:30

Don't most of you relate with the feeling when you are in a very random public setting, and your eyes fall on someone of the opposite sex and you just cant take your eyes off them? It's this weird feeling where your eyes keep following their every move, trying hard to not let them notice. You forget about your purpose of your visit to that place and you are totally oblivious and nonchalant to what is happening around you. All the while, you hope that that person would look back at you, even if it was for a second. It hardly happens though.

That is exactly what I did. I shamelessly kept staring at her all along, and i totally forgot what I was there for. It was quite a public setting and I felt that it might seem weird if I approached her and started talking. I let it go. Call me a chicken, but obviously it was a random person I met in a very public place. Just another face among hundreds, and there was no chance in hell I would ever come across her again. Imagine my surprise when the next day I walk into another smaller and more close gathering, and I see her walk in too. I fumble, panic, gulp, burp and what not. Here was my perfect chance to talk to her. Maybe not a conversation, but a simple "what's your name?" would do for now. Of course I knew her name, ...duhhh, .....but what the hell. Forget it. The ball-less creature that I am, I let the evening and the whole night pass with nothing happening. I got a second chance and I totally ruined it. Idiot me.

It doesn't quite end there. I totally thought it was too much of a coincidence when I bumped into her for the third day in a row. Most people get a 2nd chance and here I was getting my 3rd. I let it go to waste. What a freakin waster I am. Will somebody teach me the fine art of approaching someone and starting a conversation? Thank you.

Tag Time

2008-07-23T15:54:00.004+05:30

I think I am doing a tag after quite some time. This one is somewhat different from other tags. Here I have to dig and search my own archives and post links to my older posts, using the help of these five keywords, namely: Family, Friend, Self, Love, Anything. So, one post for each of these words. It seemed easy at first, but appeared otherwise once I started browsing. Once I am done, I am supposed to pass this tag on to five others. I however want to leave it open for anyone who visits my blog. Might be relevant for those who have been blogging for at least a few months.

Family: I don't remember writing much about my family and I think I can recollect just two posts, both of which had something to do with my dad. Not intentional, but it just happened that way. The first one was "Confessions of A Son: Part 1". It was the one where I went on and on about all the things I did, which I should not have, and then wrote about it, with the hope that dad would never read it. He still has not. So, I'm safe so far. The second one was more recent and it was based on me realizing that I could have some meaningful conversation with my dad after all. It was titled "My Dad and I" and I think I wrote it during my first visit back home after I got back from USA.

Friends: I was surprised with this one. I searched and searched and I did not find one single post where I had written about any of my friends. Bummer. I don't really know why. I love and adore all my friends and I am even proud of the fact that I have quite a few different set of friends, but not a single post dedicated to any of them? Shame on me.

Self: I know I have written quite a bit about myself. Most of the tags I did have been quite revealing, sometimes much more than necessary, but my all time favorite has to be the post about my name, and how I got to liking my name. It was a post titled "Varghese - D'Wergiz" and I believe it came at a time when I was realizing that it was indeed a nice name and nothing to be shamed about.

Love: This is one area which I did not want to write about again, but ironically, it has been the most written about. I don't really know which ones to post here but if I had to pick, I might go with this and this and this and maybe this one about the train ride, because back then it meant a lot to me. It's obviously obsolete and meaningless now though. There are a few more, so if you feel jobless enough, then go through the archives.

Anything: This should be a lot easier, but heck no. More options, more confusion. I think i would pick two in this category. One is quite recent, where I wrote about calling 911, and the other one was older and it was a one where I had listed out some of the most stupid or dumb moments of my life and it was aptly titled, "How Stupid I Say".

I do invite anyone visiting this blog to try a hand at this tag, and please do let me know you have done it, so I can go through it. And before I forget, I promise to do a post on my friends, pretty soon.

Rusty Moe

2008-07-13T02:19:00.003+05:30

Rusty Moe has finally reformed and has got moving. Those interested in knowing more about my band and about upcoming shows, visit RUSTY MOE and keep visiting for updates.

911: At My Service

2008-07-07T17:19:00.004+05:30

In USA the number to dial in case of an emergency is 911. By dialing these numbers, you can have access to the police, fire service and the medical emergency team. This number is supposed to be used only in case of an emergency, though there have been incidents where pranksters or even low IQ individuals have called the service for various reasons, including to find out the recipe for meatballs and spaghetti sauce. Now most of us would wish that we would never have to dial 911 and use any of these services, because if they show up, then something bad has happened. Now for a Desi student studying in USA, this is the last thing you would want. Most of us would try to stay away from them as much as possible. I however was fortunate to have my brush with all three of them. Yes, I invited the wrath of the medical team, firefighters, and the police, during my brief stay of four years in Indianapolis. The average American tax payer would not be too happy with my accomplishments.

How I had the medical emergency team come running, is no longer a secret or something to be ashamed off, since I already blurted it out in my previous post. In brief, I had a brief date with swooning during one of those damn early morning groups. I tilted my head back and swooned for a few minutes when someone in the room saw and heard me and declared that I was having a seizure. 911 was dialed immediately and by the time I was woken up from my peaceful and harmless swoon, the paramedics where there with their sirens wailing and with their stretcher and full medical kit. I was tested for any defects and after a few minutes was let free. It was an embarrassing incident, which you can read more about in my previous post if you want to. I waited for the bill, but even after months, nothing came. Thankfully that was my one and only brush with the paramedics.

Maybe a week or so before I finished my course, a few of us decided to have some fun. We always downed a few small drinks on weekends or when we did not have any work or classes. This one night was special because we had managed to get a cute little Mexican worker to part with his motorized bicycle. It was his only means of transportation. Anyway, it was a real puny machine. Much smaller than a bicycle but it had a motor, which at the most might hit 30 or 35 kmph. So this night, after getting slightly high, we decided to take the toy bike out for a spin. Bad idea, I know, but what the hell. We were having fun. We took turns to take it into the main road and drive it up and down the road and all over the sidewalk, screaming on top of our lungs. Did I mention it might have been around 3:00am when we did it? Maybe after an hour or so, the battery was almost drained out so we tucked it into a friends apartment and retired into our apartments. In less than two minutes after I entered my apartment, I heard sirens wailing in the distance. Then there was silence. Then there was a loud bang on my door. I open my door, half dazed, to find two not so happy looking cops. They mentioned that someone from the neighborhood had complained to them that some hooligans were driving a small bike up and down the street and making a lot of noise and that they sounded drunk. He asked me if I knew of anyone who owned such a bike. Of course I said no. He then asked me what I was doing awake at 3:30am and I said I was working. Not too sure if he smelt the whiskey on my breath. He seemed determined to find the hooligans and so said goodnight and left. I let out a sigh of relief. Had we been fooling around for another two minutes, I am sure we would have been behind bars for a while. That was my rendezvous with the police.

The shower in my bathroom always had constant supply of hot steamy water. The whole bath steamed up and used to become real foggy. I was not too fond of the foggy atmosphere and so if my room mate was not at home, I used to leave the shower door open, to let some of the steam escape. After one such bath, I quickly got dressed and stepped outside to my friend's apartment right in front of mine. As we stood talking, we hear the wail of the fire engine far off. We joked about how some poor guy would have set his house on fire. The wailing of the siren grew louder and louder. That's funny. They were headed to some place close by. In a minute, they pull into our drive way and a few of them rush out and head straight to what was.....damn....my apartment!!!! I run behind them and they walked in behind me. There was no fire. What had happened was, the steam from the shower had activated the fire alarm, which sent an automatic notification to the fire station. That explains it. I apologized to them and they seemed to take it in the right spirit. I however did not have a good enough explanation at the time when they came home because the smoke from my fish frying on the stove set the alarm off a few weeks later. A sheepish smile was all I had to offer. I think it happened twice more and then I decided that I could not stop the alarm from going off, so I would call 911 on my own and report a false alarm and tell them to not send the firemen. I think I did that twice more.

Since I always worked late into the night, I always got hungry around 3:00am or 4:00am. I had stocked my freezer with frozen mini pizzas, which I always loaded with extra mozzarella cheese before it was baked in the oven. One such night, my room mate was fast asleep and I loaded my pizza with extra cheese into the oven. I think I may have put a little too much cheese, that it melted and flowed over the pizza and over the pan and into the oven, on top of the grill, setting off thick smoke. Before I realized what was happening, the alarm went off again. Oh no, not again!!! My first instinct was to stop the loud alarm as my room mate was sleeping and did not want to wake him up at 3:00am. I had no idea how to turn the damn thing of. In the few brief minutes I fiddled with the noisy alarm, I began to hear the sound I dreaded the most. The next minute the fire engine had pulled into my driveway. I went and opened my door before he broke it open with their ax. The fireman looked straight into my eyes. He was pissed. He knew it was a false alarm. He expected a good enough explanation from me. I fumbles and sheepishly said, "I, err, well....was working late...and....err...was hungry... have my project due... needed to eat....so..baked some pizza...aaahh.. forgot about it...am sorry.....hhm... would you like to try some pizza?"

To Faint Or Not To Faint

2008-06-23T18:01:00.003+05:30

Our bodies are designed in such a way that it automatically adjusts to a change in environment. When faced with a stressful situation, it's a case of fight or flight. For me, most definitely it was a case of flight. My body somehow seems to possess this great ability to deal with almost any tense situation. It just shuts down. Simple as that. When i wake up, tension gone.

The instances are too many to list out here, but I thought I might entertain by listing out a few that stand out. The earliest memory I have was probably when I was maybe five or six. I was spending summer with my grandparents in Kerala, and since we had always lived out of Kerala, the climate and the environment was harsh on me. I always developed sores or boils on my legs and arms. I remember that I had one huge boil on my forehead. One day my grand mother decided that it was time to get rid of it and she heated some butter and told me to apply warm butter on the boil, so that it would break. I found the idea fascinating and told her that I wanted to see the process. So I held a mirror in front of my face and with one hand took a swipe of warm butter and put it over my boil. Within one minute, the boil parted and an opening appeared as if out of nowhere, and out oozed the puss, like toothpaste out of a tube. I remember my head spinning and before I knew it, I was falling backwards, thankfully on the bed, with the heavy mirror falling on my face. I woke up to see a panicked grandmother doing all she could to revive me. I was fine. I had my first experience with the world of fainting.

When I was in the 7th grade, I needed braces. Before they could be put, I needed to pull out four of my unwanted teeth. This meant four separate trips to the medical college that was far away from home, on working days. The first tooth was all ready to be pulled out. My father took leave from work and rode me to the dentist. As I waited for an empty chair, I couldn't help but notice the dentist work on another extraction. I heard the agonized screams from the patient and I saw the dentist struggle as if he was pulling out a long nail from the wall. I watched and watched and before I knew it, my vision started fading. I forget which way I fell. It didn't matter. I woke up on the dentist's chair, to the hellish smell of smelling salt. The doctor sent me home, and I rode back with a new appointment, and a very pissed off father.

Maybe two years later, I developed viral fever. We tried medication but it never went down, so a trip to the doctors seemed like the best idea. We sat in his room and explained what I was going through. He mentioned that it was only a regular viral fever and nothing to worry about. His words were, "It's just a viral fever. Nothing that a drip and an injection cannot fix". Those two words, injection and drip, struck a bad chord inside me. This time I think I fell face down, on to the doctors table. I woke up in the comfort of my own bed in the hospital. The injection and drips followed soon and i spent two days on that bed.

I could never wake up and jump out of bed immediately. I need at least thirty minutes, lying awake in bed, before I can get up. When I was in 12th grade, there was a time when I was home alone. Our milkman had this sadistic habit of delivering milk at exactly 4:00am. What a nut bag. Anyway, I kept the vessel ready and exactly at four, he was ringing our bell and banging on the door. I wake up and instinctively grab the vessel and head to the door. I take the milk back to the refrigerator and decide to make a pit stop at the loo before I jump back to resume my slumber. I remember peeing and this time I am quite sure that I fell backwards. I hit my head on the sink and it broke and fell over me. The pipe broke and the water fell over my head, speeding up the outflow of blood. Call it a miracle, but someone decided to walk into our house at 4:00am on seeing the lights on. When he heard no answer and saw that the door was open, he walked all the way inside and spotted me lying cuddled to a broken bathroom sink, with blood for company. He rushed me to the hospital. The scar at the back of my head with four stitches reminds me quite clearly of how good I can be at this.

Few incidents in between are too embarrassing to mention, so I shall skip to the last one. This happened a year and a half ago, while I was in USA. I stayed up on a Sunday night, watching a test match on my computer. The game finished around 6:30 am, which would have been 5:00pm in India. Since Monday was training day, I had to be at the counseling center by 8:00am. I got dressed and made it on time. No worries. The meeting started, and I began to feel terribly sleepy and weak. I had no sleep for a long time and I was on an empty tummy. I began to sweat and I thought I would slide my head back wards. Since I was on a chair, I did not fall, but my head had swayed back and I lost consciousness. The room had around thirty counselors and many supervisors. They saw my spectacle and concluded that I was having a seizure. In that quick moment, someone had managed to call 911 and when someone woke me up, all eyes were on me, and what's worse, the paramedics where standing right in front with a stretcher and all the equipment. They carried me out of the room (in style) and did a blood test and some other test. All the while I tried to explain that it was not a seizure. But how could I tell them that it happens always? They tested me and arrived at the conclusion that I was healthy and fine. Of course I was. I knew what had happened. They didn't. It was simple. I had fainted.

A New Today

2008-06-12T21:13:00.004+05:30

What once was carved in stone, now only pointless paper,
Yet the weight of rock it has, clinging on forever.
Wrestle tears and all emotions, fighting hard to let it go,
A Promise, dreams, hugs and kisses, with the ashes is shall flow.
A little flame that loudly leapt, took with it my yesterday,
And as the wind blew the ashes away, it brought along a new today.

Macabreday

A White Loving Nation

2008-05-23T11:16:00.004+05:30

Most of us know what Fair and Lovely is and what it claims to do for us, even though some of us don't use it. Enough has been said about our fascination for fair skin and plenty of blogs have been written, taking a dig at our love for white skin. Has anything changed yet? No. Will things ever change in future? Maybe, but most likely, NO. As Indians, we will continue to wish we had fairer skin. We will continue to envy those fairer than us. We will look down on those darker than us. We will continue to wake up in the morning and go through the matrimonial page and see the word "wheatish" a million times. Those manufacturing fairness creams will keep laughing their way to the banks.

The latest news I read in the paper was about one of the cheer leading squad in the ongoing IPL tournament. These girls were flown in all the way from London, and a few matches ago, the black skinned girls were asked to sit out and not take stage. When asked why, one of the organizers casually mentioned that it was because of their skin color. Have we become so senseless? In this day and age, we still hold on to baseless beliefs and are we stupid enough to judge a person based on their skin color? Apparently we are. In a western country, this act would be considered as a serious case of racism and those responsible would have been sued without mercy. Why then do we, as a nation get away when it comes to matters regarding the color of the skin? I sometimes think that we could easily put the KKK to shame. We however, can be so nonchalant about it.

While I was in the USA, I met an African American man who said that he had visited India few years ago, along with a Caucasian man. He casually mentioned that he was treated differently than his white companion, by the general public. Though there were no racial remarks, he said that he was able to notice the difference in the way people related to him and his companion. Listening to that, I could not help but feel ashamed to say that I was from that very country that treats people differently based on their skin color.

I have spent a lot of time thinking about why we think white is better. I don't think that there is one right answer to this perplexing query. However, here is what I think, and I believe that to a great degree it makes sense. Until about 60 years ago, we were ruled and dominated by the white man. This domination was spread across few generations and for a very long time, we as a nation were powerless against the might of the white man, who plundered us and pretty much used us as slaves to do their dirty work. Somewhere along the way, we began to associate power and domination with the skin color. The white man is powerful, it must have something to do with his skin, we thought. Once the white man was kicked out of our country, we were left with our own power struggle, where we fought against each other to gain power. States against states. Castes against castes. Through all this, we developed this notion that to have power meant to be fair skinned. No one likes to be the oppressed and one way to feel superior was to have fairer skin. The white man had done enough damage, by leaving us with the notion that white means power.

Few generations passed by, but this concept has hardly changed. Though no one taught us that fair skin is more in demand, we grow up in an environment that trains us unconsciously to believe so. We unconsciously exhibit it in our daily lives and eventually we will unconsciously pass it on to our children. What can we do? For starts, I think that being aware of why we feel this way, is good enough. Once we understand where our beliefs come from, we would be in a position to think more rationally and change accordingly.

If this awareness does not spread fast enough, don't be surprised when you ask your kid what kind of a husband/wife would he/she want to have, and hear them say "wheatish."

Of Boy and Sea

2008-05-18T15:59:00.003+05:30

The boy who lived by the sea,
Lost his family when he was three.

The cruel sea showed no respite,
Came crashing down with all it's might.

The boy soon became a man,
Fixing houses when he can.

Saving people from the sea,
This he did for a very low fee.

One night while he fixed a man's stay,
The sea came again and took his house away.