Weekend Spree!

Good God! I had a busy weekend... but at the end of it I felt much lighter.
Before you misunderstand, What I mean is.. I shed a lot of weight from my wallet! I bought a fastrack watch, some accessories and some nice diet cookies and fresh honey.. I also bought the deo n perfume, "Energy" from United Colors Of Benetton. Well it was all fine till then but guess wat happens next.. My addiction.. I blew 200 bucks sitting on a chair! Why? Cause it is an automated massage machine and it relieves the occupant of all stress.. I enjoyed it... coupled with some manicure and pedicure..(cost factor is secret.. shhhhh) God.. heaven! I can do without a lot of things but this indulgence is not something I will ever give up.. its mandatory!
Little surprise to me that I was born a Taurean.

Mera Bhaai Mahaan! Shashank Murli..

Ok this is 'in honour' of my funny sweet amazing handsome smart bro' Shashank Murli.

He just made me laugh and laugh and laugh as he always does. Most of the times he is such a phenomenon to me. I have seen him grow up from the little baby boy whose smile made me melt into a young man stepping into college.

Today he calls himself Shauro (as in Shashank + Auro). And he is as cute, sweet and smart as the character I have no doubt. And he can talk exactly like Auro... Super mimic that he is.

And guess what.. he is the founder member of a party in college, he says. Its called, "Bharatiya Proxy Sanghatan" :) (I hope none of his profs are on blogosphere! Even if they are, He wont have a worry in the world as always i am sure! Only I shall have it from my aunt, his mom... )

Everytime Auro said 'bum' and 'potty', I only thought of Shash!!!
Shash you rock!

(OK Shash I made u famous, now I need a treat for this!)

Our Office Gang

By my dear colleague Pradnya...
A nice blog she has

PAA

Warning: I would not wish to spoil your experience of watching the movie.. So please read this only after you have seen the movie for yourself.

No doubt, a lovely movie. Made me laugh out loud and much as I hate to admit, I did shed a few tears too (:blush) Abhi's performance as usual deserves a 'thumbs up'. His expressions by Auro's bedside were the culprit for the droplets on my cheek! Lovely humour thats typical of a 12 year old boy... It makes you believe Auro is really 12 despite the appearance, his maturity at times and the fact that he is played by a man whom the world knows to be a senior citizen. I never once thought of Big B while watching the movie. He is just Auro.. So convincing. Cudos to the make up too. Vidya.. amazing in a saree.. other outfits thumbs down. But the girl makes me proud overall..

However, some parts I wish to deliberate upon…

Point one: Abhishek’s character… Contradictory ! A man who wants to change the country. A wannabe, I can probably understand but he is actually projected to be one of values and virtues but the same guy wont take responsibility for his child?? So he is partially self centered and partially selfless? He wants to be a successful politician ok… but he wants to serve people?? What characterization is that… Incongruous.

Point two: A woman who struggles for 14 years to raise a child… Gosh! She must hate that man. And I am supposed to believe its all rosy rosy in the end and they live happily ever after! Thats Bollywood for you! Women are candles made of wax.. to melt at the sound of a ‘sorry’.. no wonder men get away with everything that they do!

Point three: I was laughing when Vidya’s mother asks her “Do you want the child?” repeatedly… No now that isn’t funny.. How many moms would react that way?? Totally unemotional, mature reaction from a mother whose daughter is pregnant and the father of the child just shirked responsibility?!! One thing believable was in the end when that same mom behaves totally like our prototype Indian Mom and says to Mr.Young MP-ji, “All these years I was hoping you would show up!” Hahaha… now that’s the TRUE Indian Mom reaction!!

Illusion

Empty is full
And what is filled to the brim is void;
Such is the Creator's vision
Teaching, all along down this road called Life.

Green Tea :)(

Thanks to my colleague, some beneficial effects of drinking green tea have been revealed to me.. so I thought as much to share it here.

The benefits of green tea and its effects were discovered 4,000 years ago and since then has been considered a wonder drink!
Green tea acts as an antiviral agent. It contains fluoride, a mineral that helps prevents cavities and strengthens tooth enamel. A cup a day can help reduce plaque formation and bacterial infections in the mouth. It acts as an anti-inflammatory, maintains a healthy, active metabolism and circulatory system just to name a few. This proves that this drink is indeed a miracle in a cup!
Your body responds to the negative effects of free radicals by utilizing defensive antioxidant molecules present in your systems in order to detoxify these harmful effects.
This is the reason why you are being encouraged by nutritionists and other health professionals to increase the levels of antioxidants in your body.
Luckily, this is easily achieved by simply adding nutritious foods in your diet such as fruits and vegetables that are naturally rich in antioxidants.
The antioxidant levels of green tea is hundred times more effective than vitamin C and twenty-five times better than vitamin E in protecting our immune systems. Another great reason to drink several cups every day.
The green tea ingredients are the ones responsible for its amazing health benefits. They are called catechins!
Catechins are considered the most effective of all antioxidants and the amounts as well as the effects are far higher compared to black tea. The fact that green tea undergoes less internal changes from fresh leaf means that it contains the largest quantity of intact catechins.
Asian population are experiencing its wonderful effects and benefits. Statistics have shown that Asians have a lower risk of acquiring diseases because of their healthy lifestyle.
One of the health benefits of green tea is it's potential to act as a protective agent against premature death from heart disease and cancer.
Drinking this tea is said to lower the levels of total cholesterol and LDL-cholesterol, thereby reducing platelet aggregation, and helping keep blood pressure in check.
Other health benefits of green tea are the following:
• fights against cancer

• helps stabilize diabetes

• prevents cardiovascular disease

• it keeps your skin acne-free, making it healthier and prettier

• assists in weight loss regimen

• slows the aging process

• aids your digestion

• encourages bowel regularity

• provides you with a mild stimulating effect without causing sleepless nights or nervousness especially during pregnancy
You can do a lot of things with this wonder drink. Did you also know that the health benefits of green tea are not only confined to drinking but you can also medicate with it? What else does it do? You can even cook with green tea or use the leftover liquor to water your plants, and keep your cat's litter box fresh and pleasant smelling.
These powerful benefits cannot be compared to any other substance in the world without a single side effect.

Ghazal

Beautiful Song by Hariharan, beautiful lyrics too.
Click here to hear this song


Jab Kabhi woh milein, waqt par bolna
Muddaton sochna, mukhtasar bolna

Pehle kuch door tak saath chalke parakh
Phir mujhe humsafar, ‘humsafar’ bolna

Umr bhar ko mujhe besadaa kar gayaa
Tera ek baar muh pher kar bolna

Meri khanabadoshi se pooche koi
Kitna mushkil hai, raste ko ghar bolna


Reference/Meaning:

Muddaton: Long term
Mukhtasar: Abridged, Abbreviated, Brief, Concise, Epitomise, Laconic, Short, Small
Parakh: Examination, Experiment, Judgement, Test, Trial
Khana-badoshi: Nomadic ways. (Khana-badosh is a beautiful Sufi word meaning one who carries his house on his shoulders. One who doesn't get rooted, his feet does not get planted.)
Besadaa: Speechless, Voiceless

Immobilized with a ligament tear on my ankle, :(
My foot encased in a heavy cast,
Yet the blogger in me does not die,
Here's making use of the opportunity....

"Badminton khelte khelte humari kya haal ho gayi,
Chale the wazan ghatane, par yeh idea to hume bhari pad gayi!"

(Yes, literally bhari.... why doesnt someone invent lightweight casts boohoo!)
:)

STRAIGHT- Ek tedhi medhi love story (??!!)

Slow paced yet comic in parts.
Its Vinay Pathak's usual style. Gul's same old smile.
I thought Anuj Choudhry was cute.His voice quality amused me..
Cant call it a must watch but "chalta hai".
(I dont think i can devote any more space in my blog for this movie!)

One of my favourite quotes from School days!

"I am not beautifully perfect as the flowers with which I
worshipped. I have many flaws and blemishes. I am a
traveller in the great world-path, my garments are dirty,
and my feet are bleeding with thorns. Where should I achieve
flower-beauty, the unsullied loveliness of a moment's life? The
gift that I proudly bring you is the heart of a woman. Here have
all pains and joys gathered, the hopes and fears and shames of a
daughter of the dust; here love springs up struggling toward
immortal life. Herein lies an imperfection which yet is noble
and grand. If the flower-service is finished, my master, accept
this as your servant for the days to come!"


THESE ARE THE WORDS WHICH INSPIRED ME AT AGE 16 AND CONTINUE TO DO SO TODAY!

"I am Chitra. No goddess to be worshipped, nor yet the
object of common pity to be brushed aside like a moth with
indifference. If you deign to keep me by your side in the path
of danger and daring, if you allow me to share the great duties
of your life, then you will know my true self. If your babe,
whom I am nourishing in my womb be born a son, I shall myself
teach him to be a second Arjuna, and send him to you when the
time comes, and then at last you will truly know me. Today I can
only offer you Chitra, the daughter of a king."

-RABINDRANATH TAGORE

The Palm Trilogy, the world’s largest man-made islands…

“The Palm Trilogy” amazes me…
[The official website:
http://www.thepalm.ae/ ]

The vision, the amount of planning, the painstaking execution and the troubleshooting! The scale of operation however is the most awe-inspiring part of the construction. It is a laudable effort and once completed will be one of mankind’s astonishing accomplishments.

Strange as it might sound, it reminds me of the painstaking and coordinated effort with which ants build their homes! Not just ants, come to think of it, a whole lot of animals, insects and birds exhibit such fantastic behavior.

So I wondered (as I always do :) ) what’s the difference between humankind’s endeavors and those of the other species?

Is it true that “Nature fascinates Humans replicate”?!!

However the animal kingdom executes Nature’s programming but we choose our own objectives…We have THE 'WILL' which is unique to our kind!
Now THAT is a difference! Or else, all of us would have been carrying bricks and cement around!

Random Question and my RANDOMMMMMMM answer!!!!!!

Hey Google gave me a random question and I HAD TO write a story! Well I am so proud of my story writing skills, I thought I should post it!

RANDOM QN:
The children are waiting! Please tell them the story about the bald frog with the wig..

MY ANSWER:
Once there lived a bald frog named Baldy. He saw Ghoda, the horse and grew jealous of his mane. So he bought himself a wig. But wen he returned, Ghoda had shaved clean!Because "Bald is beautiful" now, coutesy: Aamir Khan!
Popat!

So....
Morals children:
1) Dnt be jealous of Ghoda.. B jealous of Bhaloo(???)
2) The mane looks greener on the other head(??? agn)

(Wat a story?!!!!!! Oh my God wats with me! I am becoming brilliant by the day! Send your children to me and they will never ask you for a story again!)

CHOOSE YOUR WAY!

(Well.... I scribbled these words 3 months back.... N thanks Mom for preserving the piece of paper! That’s y these words are here now!)

When there is a lull,
And the goals that once excited seem dull,
Hold on to the hull,
For it is time that, over your life's ambitions you mull…

Don't sulk like a bear and be a bull.
It is in your hands to make a life that is full.

If you are the wind, then life is a windmill,
It tests your strength to move it to its fill.
You may choose to take the hero's path that winds its way uphill,
Or choose to look at the peak, sitting at your window sill!

WISDOM

The demure exterior is a farce often mistaken for austereness. It takes acumen to set apart a knoll of worthless refuse and opt for a mountain of everlasting fortune.

We, The Tam Brams - The lost lot?

Where are we in our elements? In Tamil Nadu, we are ashamed of our own status, while the noose called ‘reservations’ tightens around our collar. In Mumbai, we try to lose ourselves in the midst of Gujjus and the Marathi manoos. In the US we manage to build a few temples / communities and man, are we proud! The rest of the world is an escape into oblivion!

Branded Idli vada sambhar and thayir saadams of the world, we are tagged “intellectual types”. Education given top priority, but told we lack the risk appetite to enter the entrepreneurial arena. Stuck between chanting the traditional slokams and fitting into the new age cultural plethora, we are a new set of gyanis with absolutely no clue what to do with all the gyan.. So we give away our gyan to the entrepreneurs or more boldly to the venture capitalists and hope somewhere to break ground and make it big. Hope a few of us really change the trend (not me!) and show some originality.

The Right Vision!

( A friends wondering made me think:
"Sometimes I wonder" http://www.facebook.com/note.php?note_id=107842160083&f&index=0 )

It always pays to ponder.
To each his own, be it the goal or be it the pursuit itself.
Happiness is an absolute state of mind. But I do not believe that you cant be ambitious without having to give up your core goodness and happiness.
Many do believe that ambition dies when there is satisfaction / contentment and satisfaction is what brings happiness. But to me, ultimate happiness is something which remains even in tough times when all is not going well. When the going gets tough, one draws upon the inner strength and optimism.

When you believe in “Ask and it shall be given unto you,Seek and you shall find. Knock and it shall be opened unto you ” you can do what you want to do without an ounce of doubt that it will ultimately lead you to your vision of yourself, there is no reason to be unhappy. It is just a matter of time and effort, which are self motivated.

The hurdles don’t trouble you anymore because they are to be expected, though they cannot be predicted. Every experience is a process of growth. Ultimately the belief and vision of what you want to be will find ways to materialise into your life. Just that many a times, we don’t clearly see what we want to be, visualise the wrong things and hence end up being the dissatisfied person that we visualised. So its all about the right vision!

So I guess for me its.. dare to dream and see your dream being constructed in front of your eyes into reality with nothing but your faith.