such is life

Creative Weekend

2011-10-30T15:05:00.000+05:30

This weekend is dedicated to freedom and creativity of all art forms.

I happened to watch the 2nd episode of the "The Dewarist" a music documentary. It was a collaboration of 2 Pakistani singers Zeb and Haniya with Swanand Kirkere and Shantanu Moitra. I had seen promo's of this program but hadn't seen it . I am glad I got a chance to see it over the weekend. It was refreshing to see musicians collaborate and come out with an amazing song called "Kya Khayaal hain".

Right after that , I saw a documentary on TLC "Gaga by Gautlier". Lady Gaga has been in the Indian media lately, for her performance today after the F1 race in NOIDA. The tickets are @ 40,000 INR per person! Obviously, that restricts the India she gets to experience, but c'est la vie! The documentary was also a good watch giving insight into the type of performer she is and the music she makes. Well to me as a viewer, she spoke from her heart and she seems to know what she is doing.

I envy artists, I seriously believe creativity is a gift of God and I cringe every time I think of people who have talent but don't maximize on it because they get caught up in day to day life.I wish I could be like them, its soul satisfying to me, so watching the documentary was living that life vicariously.

Inspired with all of this, I had to tap into my creativity which comes out best in the kitchen. I headed there and made the best dish stir fry dish I have ever tasted! With no one to share since Mom is a vegetarian, I ended up eating it and praising myself !

Here's a message out to anyone who is creative, please don't let mundane things in life get to you , nurture the talent and I am sure it will take you places. A plea from a humble bystander :-).

Spice Route

2011-09-29T16:59:00.002+05:30

Had the opportunity to dine at a fantastic restaurant yesterday called Spice Route in the Imperial. This year has involved traveling to many places in Asia but never before have I seen such a place. Tastefully done, its a treat to the eye and the food is delicately flavored and the menu has options from the Malabar Coast in Kerala through Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Malaysia, and Indonesia to Thailand and Vietnam. You can request for a tour of the spice route . Our restaurant host took us to each section and explained the relevance and the architectural trivia. It was interesting to note that the restaurant took 7 years to complete, and was built on feng-shui principles. It has some pillars that date back 3000 years. The "relationship"section had seating that could accommodate only 2 ( rightfully so ! ) , there is no place for a third chair ! The entrance of the restaurant is designed in such a way that only one person can walk at a time between the pillars, this is to signify your birth in which you come alone ( unless you are twins! ). The wealth section has 24 karat gold sheets on the walls and is the most requested seating area by guests.

I loved the fact that they made a statement using the Indian heritage and it definitely stood out for me as well as my visitors. A definite visit for anyone who is thinking of a good dine out option.

Technology Wars

2011-07-02T19:14:00.001+05:30

I am often amused by the amount of money that is pumped in by tech giants to get to the users first. The latest in this has been Google+1 being launched and soon after Facebook has talked about launching "something awesome" the week after. The users obviously are enjoying this since they get the goodies usually free! Needless to say should any of these be accepted by the user then we have a team that walks away happy with fat bonuses.

These are interesting times we live in . It would be interesting to see what comes up next.

Speaking of tech companies, I loved this diagramatic representation of the org charts.Got this from bonkersworld.

This blog is not dead

2011-03-27T08:28:00.000+05:30

Swamped with work and with so much happening its been tough to find time to write posts. HOWEVER, that will change effective today and I am going to update this blog with some posts by end of day.

I will also try and revamp the template, if I find something suitable.

Cheers!

Year End

2010-12-11T10:34:00.000+05:30

Have been busy with weddings and the usual merry making that winter's bring along with them . Got a wisdom tooth extracted and now recuperating . Made the first barbeque chicken of the season and loved it! Looking forward to more. Looks like a "Dazzling December" is in store so excited as each day goes by .

Plan to do revamp this blog next year, hoping to re-invent it , lets see how.

Mobile Tunes

2010-10-09T20:59:00.000+05:30

Landing in Delhi is an ordeal . From the time the aircraft lands to the time we reach the disembarkation point is a long ride. As usual usually people consider landing on ground as an indication that their phones need to be switched on and unfastening their . It doesn't matter what the airhostess says , it seems the most natural thing to do.So what if the airhostess mentions repeatedly that you are putting other lives at risk!

This week when I landed, I heard at least 3 ring tones simultaneously ( Gayatri Mantra, A film Song and a kid who keeps saying hello! Wonder why would you have the last one as your ring tone! ) . The airhostess of the Jet Lite flight didn't even bother coming and asking them to switch if off, since it seems to be a futile exercise anyway. The perpetrators mind you , are not uneducated first time travelers but the standard office goer who travels frequently!

I keep wishing that this happens with a person next to me, and THEN I get chance to speak my mind!

Creating beautiful memories

2010-09-05T20:39:00.000+05:30

Soumya Bhattacharya of the Hindustan Times writes a column on a weekly basis in which he centers around his daughter. Its heartening to read it , and more importantly how he is able to capture his daughter's growing up years so well. Sample this.

I am sure his daughter will cherish these articles more than anything else in the world. I know I would if I were her !

A good example of making use of his skill to create ever lasting memories

What happened to the humble Thank you!

2010-08-03T22:41:00.001+05:30

Delhiites are so eager about reaching Delhi that inevitably the minute the plane lands people switch on their phones and remove their seat belts. The plane has to halt and in a minute everyone is up waiting to jump out of the plane! Lines for some reason just don't work here!

I was standing behind one woman who got out of her seat and trying to take down a bag that she had kept in the luggage cabin. Given her height she was struggling, so it just seemed proper for me to help her out in addition to carrying my luggage . I helped her get her luggage down so that she could move further and help us inch closer to the door of the aircraft. I would have assumed an average traveller in Kingfisher would be educated enough to reciprocate to this act of kindness ;) , but I was wrong . She just picked it up and moved on as though she had done me a favor !!

That' s when I knew I had arrived in Sada Delhi and I braced myself to face the reality :-)

Learning in the Loo !

2010-08-03T22:35:00.000+05:30

Skipped a month but back with a new post! I was travelling from Hyderabad to Delhi and at the airport washroom chanced upon a woman who was on duty in the washroom sitting on the ground and reading a book. I was taken aback because its very common to find most of them gossiping or cribbing about something, very rarely reading. Actually , I hardly see any one reading these days .. but that's a different story.

Curious to know what she was reading, I asked her the name of the book . It was a children story book about a Man in the glass house. She proudly told me it was in English. I was extremely overjoyed to see her making that effort. I asked her how did she find reading... and she said SHE LOVED IT! English she said, helped her talk to other people and she understand most of what was spoken . I was amazed at her will power to learn and it assured me that there is hope ! If people want to improve their quality of life .. they will because they choose to . I was tempted to take her picture, but wasn't sure if that would get her into trouble so let it be.

I promised her I will meet her again as I travel to Hyderabad frequently. The next time I meet her, I intend to buy her a new story book that she can read and explore the world of words ! No wonder Learning in the Loo is such an effective method!

Tokyo Musings- It all started with a movie

2010-06-03T21:02:00.000+05:30

Had a great time in Tokyo. Its funny how things add up . I was travelling from the US to India and was surfing through movies. I chanced upon " Hachi - A Dog's tale which had Richard Gere's picture and obviously I decided to go ahead with it. The movie revolved around a dog and his master in Japan . A very engaging story, a must watch ! Anyway, I decided to research more on this movie, like I do to all things that catch my attention. I turned to Google and found out that the story was about an Akita dog in Japan who was extremely loyal to his owner , so much so that he waited for him every single day for 9 years outside the station in hope of his return even after his death.. He is a local Japanese hero and there is a statue of Hachi at the Shibuya station.

Little did I realize that the place where I stayed was bang opposite the Shibuya station! How could I be in Tokyo and not see Hachi's statue .. so there I was looking at dear Hachi and kept thinking to myself it all started with a movie !

- t

Image source: http://www.baxterboo.com/catdogblog/assets/content//Hichiko

Hachiko at the Shibuya Station - The picture that I took

Packing bags

2010-05-07T15:00:00.001+05:30

Off to Sunny California for sometime. Lets see if I have some interesting travel stories to share when I get back.

Adventures in NY

2010-03-19T21:55:00.000+05:30

I am always energized whenever I visit NY. Every trip seems to be different! This time I am staying in the meat packing district which I noticed was quite hip! I wrote this on my facebook status as well, but the note that I received in my hotel room cracked me up!

" Dear Guest , please be aware of the transparency of our guest room windows and that activity in your room , when the curtains are open , maybe visible from the outside. We appreciate your consideration of the patrons of the public park and the surrounding neighbourhood below" :0)

This is the view of the hotel from the park . You can imagine what happens to people when they stare out of the window at night , without realizing that its peekaboo!!

Musings from Hongkong

2010-03-11T08:33:00.002+05:30

I loved my flying experience to Hongkong because it was such a pleasure to be onboard a flight for 4 hours or so and get off feeling fresh.Since this was my first trip to an South -east Asian country, I was pleasantly surprised when they didn't even charge us for the visa on arrival.

Needless to say none of my trips ever go without a dash of excitement! On board the aircraft, I was trying to get some sleep because had an early meeting on the day we landed. In my slumber, I heard some yelling. I thought I must be dreaming , but when I opened my eyes, I realized that there was a fight going on in the aircraft! No guesses for what it was--- Johnnie Walker Red Label refill :-)

A traveller must have asked the airhostess to make a stiff drink and wasn't happy with what she served him . He commented on it , and she took off. When I got up I could only hear abuses flying left right and center. And remember, this is what I am experiencing in Jet Airways one of the best in the industry. The traveller obviously to his defense used sentences like " I have been drinking Red Label for 10 years ... don't think this is my first time and I can't handle my drinks ! "
The airhostess started speaking in English first and then rapidly moved to using hindi words . It was nothing less than a local fight that one would hear at a train station or a bus !

The head of the cabin crew came over to advise the traveller to calm down (by then a few guests had got up from their seats) and told him if he didn't, then we would have to land the aircraft, irrespective of where we were. In my mind, I was thinking.. there goes my 9:00 AM meeting :-).

Anyway like the saying goes " All's well that ends well" . We got our share of unwanted entertainment and the traveller got his Red label :-)

Chandigarh Musings

2010-02-23T17:50:00.003+05:30

Image source : http://chandigarhexchange.com/images/Chandigarh.jpg

Travel to any part in North India is an interesting experience for me personally. The Punjab belt specially as I am not fluent in the language and it does require a LOT of effort to figure out what is being said.

The symbol of Chandigarh is the Open Hand, designed by Le Corbusier which depicts " Open to give and open to receive" .

Some observations from the trip :

1. Punjab is supposed to be famous for its food! Except for some stuff that I ate at Nick's bakery in Chandigarh, nowhere did I get to eat the quintessential finger licking Punjabi food! That was a bit disappointing.

2. I was visiting a salon where I overheard a woman asking the lady doing her nails to file one properly. The reason she gave the lady was that she wears contacts, and if they aren't filed her eyes will water. What came next made me laugh a lot ! The manicurist asked her innocently .... do you wear lenses because of a faulty eyesight or just for fashion! Its almost a done thing there to do both :-).

I am hoping my next trip around I am able to get some good food ! The trip was amazing as it was for a wedding and weddings, as we all agree are always loads of fun !

Chandigarh is a beautiful town and extremely well maintained. A must visit to anyone who wants to see what a clean town should be . What stood out for me was that every round about had cops manning it, rumour has it that even the Governor's car wasn't spared and was given a ticket for jumping the light ! Go Chandigarh :-)

Like the board that welcomes you when you enter it.

CHANDIGARH CITY BEAUTIFUL ( er!! What happened to the Hyphens , commas actually grammer! )

Thank God I am not a writer!

2010-02-18T20:57:00.003+05:30

To think that this would be the way I would earn my daily bread and butter! As usual I have been travelling a fair bit and therefore no time to write. If this was the source of my income, lets say my family would definitely not depend on me for their daily bread :-).

A few interesting trips are lined up in the next few weeks. Will post some pictures when I am back .

Keffiyeh

2010-01-23T20:38:00.004+05:30

Pic Source : http://townhall.com/columnists/MichelleMalkin/2008/05/28/rachael_ray,_dunkin_donuts_and_the_keffiyeh_kerfuffle

Many people call it the "Middle east scarf ", which is known as the Keffiyeh. Its a fashion statement across the world. Not many people would know about the fact that the Keffiyeh at one point was usually considered to be an accessory worn by people in the Middle east or associated cultures. Yasser Arafat was never seen without it. It signified to the westerners a rebel or a person who was rigid in his religious beliefs and who wore it proudly on his sleeve. A Dunkin Donuts advertisement was taken off air in 2008 as it fueled a lot of controversy .

Obviously fast forward 2 years and things have changed. It has become a style statement because its a fashion accessory that has the fashion ramps in Paris . It has even been endorsed by Shah Rukh Khan who made a public appearance with a Keffiyeh and it didn't take long for it to become a style statement.
As usual China is the largest supplier of this scarf as its cheaper to make it there than the middle east.

I am proud to see the acceptance amongst people, knowingly or unknowingly. Keffiyeh is truly the PHOENIX

Shaky ground

2010-01-13T21:53:00.002+05:30

Today was an important day in 2010 primarily for 2 things.

1. Google defied China sensors and threatened to pull out of the country . There is a lot written about it on news websites and blogs so I am not going to talk about it.

2. Haiti was rocked by an earthquake of magnitude of 7.0 on the Richter scale.

Google threatening to move out of China made bigger news on many channels than the earthquake . This talks volumes about the interest level of people and what captures their attention!

I wish the Haitians are able to recover from the shock quickly and are extended timely aid. As for Google, we will get to know the story once the dust settles.

Another year goes by

2009-12-31T10:07:00.003+05:30

This year closes and I am really excited about entering into 2010! I hope that it brings a lot of love and luck to all!

I obviously have some targets to achieve in this year, but am going to hold off making any resolutions ! We all know what happens to them. Its funny though about this resolution bit, its almost fashionable to break them ! Even kids in school consider it lame to keep them now! I am yet to meet ANYONE who has kept up to their new year resolutions.

Well for the ones who can manage to make and more importantly keep them ... Cheers! For the others, enjoy your party !

Avatar

2009-12-20T19:48:00.004+05:30

I never go to watch a movie the day its released , simply because I never plan in advance ! I was lucky enough to get the tickets to watch Avatar this weekend. I scouted to see the tickets and realized that all the theaters that I frequent were selling them for nearly 1000/- per ticket! The price hike definitely has something to do with it being screened only in Gold Class category, which means that you get 1. Great Seats ( Reclining ones ) 2. More leg space 3. Combo meals as a package for the Rs 1000/-.

When I did some research I realized that there were tickets available for Rs 200/- in NOIDA. which I obviously booked! I was unsure throughout if I was going to watch the movie in 3D or as a normal film because the price difference was high! Much to my delight I got to watch the entire movie in 3D and might I add very comfortably for a fraction of the cost !

The movie is a must watch for everyone! Like its stated in many reviews, it definitely transports each person in the hall to Pandora. The screenplay is very simple but then again you don't watch a James Cameron film for the story but for the special effects! The best part of the film was at one point the entire hall was cheering the Na'vi's when they fought fiercely to protect their land from human invasion!

Some Trivia about the film : This movie has taken nearly 12 years to make and had a code name Project 880 while being produced. James Cameron got a linguistic expert from the University of South Carolina, Professor Paul Frommer who helped them develop the language spoken by the Na'vi's . There are over a 1000 words in the language vocabulary now all painstakingly worked on by the Prof and James Cameron.

Its an interesting watch . Go and find out for your self. Just make sure you don't repent spending 1000/- if you are in Delhi :-)

Jet Airways - The Joy of flying!

2009-12-12T10:07:00.003+05:30

This is my third post in the last 1 hour ,clearly indicates that I have been meaning to write but haven't had the time to " pen " my thoughts.

On the flight back from the Brussels to India we had a young sardar from Toronto sitting behind us. He was a young lad with an opinion on everything. He was able to quickly establish rapport with people around him who were from Delhi as well kept everyone around him entertained with his antics. A sample conversation below.

This was when we had landed and we were waiting to leave the aircraft.

Young Lad : Auntyji Tussi kahan ke ho ?

Aunty : Delhi

Young Lad : I am from Haldwani , Tusi jante ho ?

Aunty: Haan, my sister is from there. She is married to a famous restaurant owner there .

Young Lad: Kaun ji?

Aunty : Some name she mutters

Young Lad : OOOOO mein janta hoon unko. I mean , my dad knows them. We don't say hi or anything but we know them ( I am standing right behind them trying to figure out how can you know them if you don't know them! Some confusion around knowing of them and know them ! )

Aunty: Haan ... bade sharabi hain wo! Unko pura khandaaan hain :-) ( Again, I am wondering why oh why am I subjected to this conversation! )

Young Lad : Haan , I know he is notorious , people talk about them .

Aunty: ( Glad that she has established a connect, now her turn ! ) Do you know of the sardar who runs the hosiery business in NJ .

Young Lad : Now his turn to do the thinking!

I am not going to write the whole conversation because trust me , it went on for sometime and kept me entertained. By the time I had disembarked from the aircraft, I knew almost everything that was to know about both the parties . Don't blame me for eavesdropping, can't help it if people discuss it right next to your ear! I must admit it kept me entertained !

No wonder its called Jet Airways - The JOY of flying :-)

Aiport saga's

2009-12-12T09:22:00.004+05:30

I was at Lucknow airport this weekend as I was there visiting someone for a day. To set context, the Lucknow airport serves as one point of exit and entry for international and domestic travellers, unlike what we see in Delhi which has 2 different airports.

The glaring observation that I had while I was waiting for my flight boarding announcement to be made was of people at the Lucknow airport. Almost each and everyone of them, including myself had a tikka on their forehead. Tikka , as we know in the Indian tradition is usually done when a person leaves the house for travels ( usually long journeys ). It was uncanny that most of the people who I saw had the tikka on, which I have never noticed in Delhi. It reinforced to me that some of the traditions will never fade away ( Thankfully! ).

I regret not having taken a picture , it would have done justice to this post of mine :-).

Black Friday

2009-12-12T09:01:00.002+05:30

I was in the US during Thanksgiving and got a chance to witness the mayhem and madness associated with Black Friday . For those unaware, Black Friday is the day after Thanksgiving . There are many explanations around how that name originated. The one that I am aware of is that, that is the day when the retailers books reported a profit ( hence black ) and not red ( which indicates loss ) . The shops open up early ( as early as 3:00 AM ) to let the shoppers in and get them to take away things literally at a throwaway price. TV's , electronic gadgets can be purchased at 1/4 th the price! This obviously means that sometimes things go out of hand and can lead to disastrous outcomes. Last year one of the Walmart employees was crushed under the hordes of shoppers who entered the store! For people in Delhi , one can relate it to the rush at Big Bazaar where people go crazy buying stuff specially when there are deals on .

What caught my attention was this maniacal desire in the US on material gain . Black Friday or Cyber Monday ( which is the Monday after the Black Friday! where you can shop online ) tempt the consumers to go through some level of hardship , in form of waiting in line and getting up early to buy stuff that in all likelihood they don't really need!

It seems "Simple living " is not exactly a popular mantra anymore!

Interesting talk

2009-10-28T17:01:00.002+05:30

Had an opportunity to attend a Tech Talk with Jacqueline Novogratz the author of " The Blue Sweater" . She talked about her interesting journey and the kind of work her organization " Acumen Fund " is involved in . Some of the stories that she shared with the group were very heart warming!

I particularly liked the one which is connected to the title of the book " The Blue Sweater" . She had a blue colored sweater that she loved and wore it for many many years. When she outgrew it , she gave it away to the Salvation army like everyone usually does with old clothes. Fast forward a few years, she was in Rwanda working on a micro finance scheme with 6 other Rwandan women. While walking in the fields of Rwanda she chanced upon a boy who had worn a blue sweater very similar to hers. She walked up to him and turned it at the collar to check if it was her's... and true enough it was !! This obviously was something that she had never imagined would happen.... and that is how her journey began.

Her stories were so real and she clearly knew what she was talking about. What impressed me about her was that even while she was talking about a few of them, she had a lump in her throat. Her passion was infectious! Its interesting to interact with people and hear their stories! Thanks to Google :-).

Fragrance Less Flowers

2009-10-19T21:47:00.003+05:30

I had gone to the Flower bazaar on Diwali to buy flowers in bulk to beat the market rates. I obviously thought I was the smart one only to realize that I was not the only one who thought that way! The market was packed to capacity at 630 AM in the morning, with no place to even walk. All one needed to do was stand still and you would automatically get pushed ahead . There were all types in the market, workers, house wives, husbands tagging along with their wives all in search of flowers that would make their home look beautiful on Diwali. The rates were exorbitant 500 Rs for a bunch of 10 marigold strings from Calcutta!. You can see them in the picture above. The rates did not deter people from visiting this market , because it was almost acceptable that the flower vendor made money only on occasions like Diwali, so why not be generous! In that chaos I found the courage to take out my DSLR to click this picture, luckily better sense prevailed and I decided to put it in before it got scratched. There were some tourists who were there just for the experience! What stood out for me personally was that inspite of being in a Flower Mandi , I couldn't smell the fragrance of the flowers....and not because I had a blocked nose, but because all the flowers looked like hybrids to me!! Its sad that such simple joys of life are being taken away in the quest of money and to cater to the never ending demands of the consumers.

I finally managed to get out of the chaotic market after bargaining hard and buying flowers worth 1000/- ( Yes. can you beat that! ) only to find a snake charmer trying to " charm " people with the almost dead python coiled around his wrist. He made a beeline to all fancy looking cars and tried to cajole people into giving him some money before they got into their cars. Luckily for me I was in a Santro ( which obviously wasn't in the target profile of the snake charmer :-) ) , so was saved ! Phew!!

The flowers now adorn my living room but you could easily mistake them for fake flowers because of no fragrance ...alas!

IFLY

2009-08-16T12:24:00.003+05:30

As a part of our team outing while in the US we went to do indoor skydiving at IFLY. This was again an experience which I won't forget. IFLY is located in the bay area in San Francisco . Its frequented by all age groups to get an experience of what sky diving feels like. We were taken in for a briefing and shown hand signals to be used inside the tunnel. The air pressure is so high in the tunnel that its tough to hear anyone speak and we have to rely on handsignals to communicate. This was a classic example of " On the Job " learning where we were given 10 minutes to assimilate our learnings and put it in practice. Some did a brilliant job and some struggled but in all it was the best experience ever!

Whale watching pictures

2009-08-16T12:07:00.004+05:30

The whale jumping out of water

The classic tail shot

I was up at Cape Cod last month thanks to my wonderful hosts. I had the best ever Whale sighting and managed to see one breach more around 7 - 8 times. We stayed at a beautiful Inn in Sandwich and even shared a breakfast table with a pediatrician and an officer with the Chicago Police Department who kept us entertained with his experiences about drug trafficking and how does his average day look like as a cop. Suddenly everything that we did paled in comparison to his life! Full of action and high strung!!

The whale watching was absolutely fantastic. Just imagine the force of the Whale jutting out of water with so much of force . Its a rare sight to see it breach and we were lucky to see it several times. Its a once in a lifetime experience which I strongly recommend to everyone.

I want some Happy Lassi!

2009-08-16T11:43:00.002+05:30

I was in the US for sometime to meet up with all the colleagues of my department from the Asia Pacific and Latin America. In one of our gatherings we were discussing about cuisines in different countries, so I started by asking my Korean countepart if he knows what is " Manchurian" ...he obviously drew a blank. We then quickly checked with our Chinese and Japanese counterparts who didn't have a clue of what was I talking about. I then had to explain to them that manchurian is the only chinese dish that everyone identifies with chinese cuisine ! We even got them to taste some of it at an Indian restaurant where we got some Indian chinese as a part of the buffet spread.

One of our Korean counterparts who had spent some time travelling to India then very cofidently asked us if we like " Happy Lassi " ..... for a second I thought that I heard it wrong and maybe she was referring to Mango Lassi or something. When I asked her what was that.... first of all she was surprised that we had never heard of it , and then went on to tell us that when you drink it ... it makes you happy!!! I still couldn't figure out what she was talking about, so on further probing asked her where did she drink it. She replied" Pushkar" when she was visiting there for the fair.

Now it seemed so much clearer. She was referring to Bhang Lassi which was given to her by someone in the fair as Happy Lassi. She was told that its a popular drink and she will enjoy it , which I bet she did!!

So here is for some Happy Lassi this season for everyone.

Trip Up North

2009-07-16T12:13:00.003+05:30

Slopes flooded with water ( just the beginning of the torrential rains ) in Vaishno Devi

I had an opportunity to visit Vaishno Devi ( close to Jammu ) last week. It was a weekend trip which included people of all ages ( luckily no children! -- and not because I am mean but you will find out why towards the end of the post ! ).

The journey as it is with a large group was not smooth and had its own share of speed breakers ... which included talking to the TT in the train to confirm tickets to haggling with taxi guys... to lugging your own and OTHER's luggage! For some reason the Delhi station and the other's in the country have decided to do away with " COOLIE CONCEPT" ... I have been told that the coolies have been given jobs in the govt and are obviously delighted to having moved to a fixed pay from daily wages. The losers in the bargain are the travellers, who now have to carry their own luggage in the poorly designed station ( No escalators/ Elevators or Walkalators! ).

We decided to go up to the shrine by Choppers instead of trekking it ( Its an easy 30 KM steep trek ). That involved waiting at the Helipad lounge for nearly 3 hours... as one of the pilots from one of the choppers was on a lunch break and the services would resume only when he gets up ;-). While we waited, we chatted with the guards who were only too happy to share their experiences when film stars and other Indian VVIP's visit the shrine.

We also got a fair share of rain enroute some of which left us " drenched to our bones " . I write this in quotes because I cannot emphasis enough what it feels like, for a person who doesn't like rains to be caught in a downpour ! At one point there were people on the slopes sharing space with disoriented horses... ... neither of them willing to move least someone slips!

The aarti was fantastic but it clearly caters to people who have either paid a sum or have got clout because of which they are able to cut the never ending queue. The place ( its called the Bhavan ) is jam packed all the time .... with devotees standing in queue to pay their respect to the goddess. This was my third visit and I got third time lucky because I had enough and more time to look at the goddess... usually because of the rush, the priests keep telling people to not blink least they miss the view and can't see the goddess ( Funny but true! ).

All in all a good trip....geting caught in torrential rain with no electricity and disoriented horses around me was the highlight of course! I am glad to come back alive :-). Here's to many such trips ... Am okay if the horses are not there .

Seal hunting

2009-07-08T15:27:00.003+05:30

Am posting after a long time but this is a sad post. I was reading in the Huffingtonpost about the seal hunting that goes on in Nambia. Every year there are over 90,000 seals that are killed as a part of the hunting season ! Its shameful that in this day and age and with so much money being spent on animal rights no one has been able to stop this !

Actually not that we are in a position to comment , given that in our own country the tiger reserves are emptying so rapidly.

The more I read the more it seems like everyone is in a blame game. The developing nations are blaming the developed countries and vice versa. Crazy time this!

Guilty as charged!

2009-07-02T18:47:00.001+05:30

I feel guilty for having neglected my blog for the last few months. Right from searching the right blog skin to even posting .... things have been taking forever! I am hoping I improve from now ;-).

Pulitzer Prize-winning author, Anna Quindlen's speech

2009-05-28T20:26:00.002+05:30

" I'm a novelist. My work is human nature. Real life is all I know. Don't ever confuse the two, your life and your work. You will walk out of here this afternoon with only one thing that no else has. "I'm a novelist. My work is human nature. Real life is all I know. Don't ever confuse the two, your life and your work. You will walk out of here this afternoon with only one thing that no one else has. There will be hundreds of people out there with your same degree: there will be thousands of people doing what you want to do for a living. But you will be the only person alive who has sole custody of your life. Your particular life. Your entire life. Not just your life at a desk or your life on a bus or in a car or at the computer. Not just the life of your mind, but the life of your heart. Not just your bank accounts but also your soul.

People don't talk about the soul very much anymore. It's so much easier to write a resume than to craft a spirit. But a resume is cold comfort on a winter's night, or when you're sad, or broke, or lonely, or when you've received your test results and they're not so good.

Here is my resume: I am a good mother to three children. I have tried never to let my work stand in the way of being a good parent. I no longer consider myself the centre of the universe. I show up. I listen. I try to laugh. I am a good friend to my husband. I have tried to make marriage vows mean what they say. I am a good friend to my friends and them to me. Without them, there would be nothing to say to you today, because I would be a cardboard cut out. But I call them on the phone and I meet them for lunch. I would be rotten, at best mediocre, at my job if those other things were not true.

You cannot be really first rate at your work if your work is all you are. So here's what I wanted to tell you today: Get a life. A real life, not a manic pursuit of the next promotion, the bigger pay cheque, the larger house. Do you think you'd care so very much about those things if you blew an aneurysm one afternoon or found a lump in your breast?

Get a life in which you notice the smell of salt water pushing itself on a breeze at the seaside, a life in which you stop and watch how a red-tailed hawk circles over the water, or the way a baby scowls with concentration when she tries to pick up a sweet with her thumb and first finger.

Get a life in which you are not alone. Find people you love, and who love you. And remember that love is not leisure, it is work. Pick up the phone. Send an email. Write a letter. Get a life in which you are generous. And realize that life is the best thing ever, and that you have no business taking it for granted. Care so deeply about its goodness that you want to spread it around. Take money you would have spent on beer and give it to charity. Work in a soup kitchen. Be a big brother or sister. All of you want to do well. But if you do not do good too, then doing well will never be enough.

It is so easy to waste our lives, our days, our hours, and our minutes. It is so easy to take for granted the colour of our kids' eyes, the way the melody in a symphony rises and falls and disappears and rises again. It is so easy to exist instead of to live.

I learned to live many years ago. I learned to love the journey, not the destination. I learned that it is not a dress rehearsal, and that today is the only guarantee you get. I learned to look at all the good in the world and try to give some of it back because I believed in it, completely and utterly. And I tried to do that, in part, by telling others what I had learned. By telling them this: Consider the lilies of the field. Look at the fuzz on a baby's ear. Read in the back yard with the sun on your face.

Learn to be happy. And think of life as a terminal illness, because if you do, you will live it with joy and passion as it ought to be lived".

Changing loyalities

2009-04-28T16:34:00.002+05:30

The latest sprite advertisement on TV caught my eye. Shahrukh Khan in a Coca Cola Ad after being a Pepsi brand ambassador for ages was a bit disconcerting, specially after all the spiel that the actors give when they are endorsing a brand. Its almost equivalent to the Gandhi's deciding that they have had enough of the tamasha and move on to BJP :-). There is a story doing the rounds that King Khan was dropped like a hot potato by Pepsico for a " younger " ambassador.. who obviously didn't take it too kindly ( You can't say that to a 40 year old flaunting a six pack now can you! ).

I don't know what is it with changing loyalities . Its seems to be almost everywhere.
1. Maids - they don't think twice before letting go of one house for some extra money
2. Drivers - Again tough to find .. don't think twice before saying bye
3. Beauticians/ Hairstylists - Just when you get used to a parlour and a beautician you get to know that the person has left ;-)
4. Bosses - Just when you get into a comfortable working environment ... your boss decides to chuck it away for ( more money --- usually ) and join another organization.

No wonder they say Dogs are loyal.. No matter what you drink , wear, where you work and how much money you make your dog at home will be as loyal as it was on day 1 !

Humans on the other hand are obviously different. They couldn't think twice before changing loyalities there as well! They get a dog because its in fashion but outgrow the charm and very soon are thinking of ways to dump the poor dog.

So why blame Shahrukh!

Skin Searching

2009-04-27T10:41:00.002+05:30

I am in search of a skin... for my blog! I haven't done anything to beautify my blog since its inception.. which I really don't think is fair . Can't do much about quality of content.. because I write what I think needs to be written.... so might as well beautify the blog :-)

The search is on.. in case anyone knows of interesting blog skin websites please let me know.

Mamma Mia

2009-04-06T12:06:00.003+05:30

Was listening to Abba right now and it struck me that I have not penned down my fantastic experience of watching Mamma Mia at Broadway . It was like a dream come true. I try and make it a point to go for a Broadway show every time I am in NY.

We got tickets for Wednesday .. mid-week I thought.. we will definitely get good seats. True enough we did manage to get good seats but what amazed me was the hall was jam packed. During the course of the play .. when you looked around almost everyone was humming an Abba tune or singing along with the actors. It reminded me of my childhood where all the ABBA songs were such a craze and everyone knew the lyrics. It was the best night out during my stay there.

Highly recommended for anyone who loves Abba and enjoys their music.

Trivia : The Agha sisters ( Salma and Sabina ) sang for a record label called AGHA and sang all ABBA songs in Hindi :-). Its funny how the lyrics are translated .

Obama's first

2009-04-06T11:55:00.003+05:30

Obama's first year as the President of the US is nothing short than a newly wed bride in a household. To give context to this in India ... particularly in North India ( I use this data point because this is what I have seen the most ) a new bride's first year of married life is followed very closely ... Her first day in the new house, the first dish that she made as a bride, Her first Holi and what she wore ... Her first Diwali and the gifts she gave and got :-)... and the list goes on .

Similarly the journalists have gone crazy with the Obama's. Their first dance.. first trip overseas ( which ended in Istanbul ) , first international crisis ( the rocket launch by North Korea ).... and the list goes on.

I wonder what Obama thinks of this... I know what a bride feels ( been there done that ! ).. you just waiting for the first year to get over so that you can lead a normal life .Some people however love the attention and feel really bad when they complete the first year of marriage and have to give up the spotlight for a new couple.

Chinese Whisper

2009-04-01T10:43:00.004+05:30

Source : www. Businesspundit.com

This is such a comical depiction of the current state of the stock market . I loved it !

Note : Thanks to my twin for emailing it to me :0)

Open Doors

2009-03-20T19:31:00.002+05:30

Suddenly everyone's life is so visible almost like we live in this giant apartment complex and each person can see what's happening in the other person's life. Twitter/ Facebook/ IM status messages or even blogs .. almost everyone is expressing what they are feeling /thinking real time and they elicit responses from others as well. Its great to stay in touch with people but sometimes you just don't want to know what are they thinking or feeling..E.g If someone's status message is " I am sad" imagine how rude would it be if no one checked on the reason etc. etc. That will lead to the person not feeling loved etc etc !! Its taken over like this wave.. I am riding along as well.. will see how far it takes me.

Who said America is in Recession

2009-02-23T18:46:00.003+05:30

I was in Atlantic city over the weekend and did the touristy stops at the Casino. I went to Trump Plaza and Caesars. Like my friend traveling with me pointed out that none of the casinoes have windows and clocks.. obviously the idea is not to let the ones inside know what time it is and let them keep playing.

What surprised me of the trip was the fact that there were so many out there playing non stop either at the slot machines or at the roulette tables. It obviously made me think that if the American economy is in recession how is it that there are so many out there willing to burn up their hard earned ( or may be not! ) money . Either its optimism or addiction but whatever it is the gambling industry will never ask for a bail out package!

Parents= Google

2009-02-23T18:10:00.003+05:30

I always get time to collect my thoughts when I am travelling. The airline check in system in India gives one ample time to do that. My flight to the US was at 11: 35 PM and I was at the airport by 8:30.I was done with all the formalities within an hour so had ample time to just sit in the lounge and collect my thoughts.

I could see many families who were there at the airport going back to the US ( which was now home for them ). Many of them with children for whom this was probably the first time they were visiting India. I couldn't help but notice a family with 2 children ( probably of the age of 6 and 8 ) sitting in the lounge waiting for the boarding call. The children were busy with their laptops and so was the dad with his. Seeing this took me back to my childhood when obviously we didn't have any of this . The only way of getting any kind of information to the outside world was by asking our parents. I distinctly remember at one point as a child asking my father what was the capital of Iceland ( God only knows How on earth did I find out about the place !! ) and the best part was that my dad knew!! Reykjavik he told me. I remember struggling to get the spelling right and my dad wrote it down on my note book for me to remember!

That conversation is still clear as crystal in my mind.

Sitting in the lounge I thought to myself that the way I and many others use Google to find information ...as children we used our parents to do that for us. Obviously time has moved on and things have changed and probably its a case of role reversal now, but I would definitely acknowledge my parents for getting me introduced to the life of " Search and thou shall find" :-)

Bloggers in Iran

2009-02-12T16:34:00.002+05:30

This video has been doing the rounds lately in office. Very interesting... it talks about how blogging has gained popularity in Iran . It has been made by students in Vancouver Film School

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MChlT0GvFPM

The long weekend musings

2009-01-26T22:05:00.002+05:30

The long weekend was spent at home , didn't get a chance to go out anywhere. The painful part of it was that almost every channel surfed only had 2 news stories besides reports on the PM's operation.

1) How Slum Dog Millionaire has made India proud : I saw the movie over the weekend.. quite liked it. Interesting narrative .. keeps you engrossed. The best part about the movie is that there is no character who hogs the limelight or is in all the shots unlike any other masala film. The debate about how it glorifies ' Slum Tourism' continues .. but then this will go on till the Oscar verdict is out. I guess we will have to hear about this movie every day... with repeat telecasts of Danny Boyle's interview! Its fun for sometime but unbearable if you have to watch the same thing over and over again .. with the news channel reporters putting in the ' 2 cents worth ' of stuff.:-)

2 ) The other story that did the rounds was that of the ' Mangalore Taliban ' . A news channel reporter must have come up with this name for sure! Its a story about how the moral police in Mangalore dragged some girls out of the pub because ' they ' didn't think it was right for them to be there! Disgusting considering that we are celebrating our 60th year of independence.All I can say is that appropriate action is taken against them and no one loses interest in it as the time passes by.

I also watched Ghajini over the weekend ... a very violent film I must say. I would DEFINITELY not have been able to watch it on the big screen . What surprises me is how can a character like Ghajini Dharmatma speak like a Jat. Throughout the film I kept wondering if it was intentional or clearly a directional flaw!

Also watched Dostana .Will leave it there.. nothing to write home about !

Obama Swearing in

2009-01-21T11:47:00.003+05:30

( Source : http://www.nytimes.com/slideshow/2009/01/18/us/politics/0118-OBAMA_14.html )
Am still groggy after watching Obama's swearing -in ceremony. It was amazing to see the crowd turnout and the misty eyed people standing the cold , all bundled up rejoicing the entry of a new leader. The joy , enthusiasm and the optimism was hard to miss. What particularly stood out for me was the concert at Lincoln Memorial .I couldn't help but notice the girl in pink fast asleep when the historic concert was taking place :-). While everyone spoke about the stars in the concert and what Michelle Obama wore etc etc.... what stayed in my mind was this picture, with the girl in pink fast asleep!.... One day when she is old enough, I am sure she will know what she missed !

1000/- Rs saved!

2009-01-02T11:37:00.002+05:30

I am so pleased about the fact that I didn't succumb to the mania of watching the Shahrukh Khan or Amir release namely ' Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi ' and ' Gajini' . Not sure if I will be able to take 3 hours of bollywood drama in both of them. Apparently the former is supposed to be good, I have heard conflicting reviews whereas everyone seems to be of the opinion that Gajini is an over dramatized version of the original. Whatever that means... I have sworn that I will not watch either of them ... don't want to contribute to the box office collections for either :-).

Some quick math shows me that I have saved over 1000/- bucks in not succumbing to pressure :-).. and boy I am feeling kicked.

Linear Bombay

2008-12-22T12:57:00.003+05:30

I was speaking with my husband about Bombay and the way the city is. I remember some bits of it when I used to visit it frequently as a child. Since he has never been to Bombay I was trying to paint a picture for him . He asked me , so if you had to use one word to describe the place and the people what would you call it, the only word that came to my mind was " LINEAR " .

Linear, not because the people don't have any dimensions in them ... simply because I personally think that they can lead a life without any agenda. A lot of them are too busy just figuring out how to live in the city and fixing their next meal to be bothered about the petty issues in life ( Like you see sometimes in Delhi ). You can expect your neighbors to be nice to you without expecting anything in return . I am not sure if that still exists, because as I mentioned earlier my image of Bombay is really old... so old that I even refer to the city by its old name and not the new.

Linear , because the there is the town and the suburbs. If you are stuck in a jam then there is no way out. Almost all the tertiary roads lead to the main road, unlike Delhi which has the outer and the inner ring road. In case you are stuck in one place... and if you are smart enough to find a short cut you can escape the traffic jam.

Secret Santa!

2008-12-22T12:47:00.002+05:30

Everyone has been going crazy in office these days playing " Secret Santa". You get a chit which has a name of the person who you are secret Santa to, and you need to buy that person a gift. The variation being followed in office these days is that the Secret Santa buys gifts for the person for 5 days. Every day you come to office only to discover a nicely wrapped present with a beautiful note from SS ( a.k.a Secret Santa ) . Obviously the budget is up to the Secret Santa,so you can expect anything from a single flower in a soft drink bottle right up to expensive stoles.

Some of the ones that I saw.
1. Dry fruit in a tea cup :-)
2. Books
3. Earrings
4. Coffee Mug
5. A Big Brinjal :-)- Someone actually got that! He kissed it hoping it will become a princess :-)
6. Tee -Shirts
7. Kurta's etc etc

In case you are not happy with the gifts given to you by your Secret Santa , you can publicily declare that you would like some interesting gifts.. and beg of the Santa to improve his/her taste :-). All this of course has to be done publicily because you don't know who the Secret Santa is ( hence the word secret ;-) )

The D-Day is when everyone gets into a room and the Secret Santa names are announced and that marks the end of the 5 day long game ;-)

Google Phone

2008-12-13T21:39:00.002+05:30

I had gone to the GK M-Block market to search for a few DVD titles that I was interested in buying. I landed up at around 8:15 PM and realized that due to the recent bomb blast in the market, all the shops shut down by 8:30 PM. With only 15 minutes to go , I moved quickly and finally reached the DVD shop only to realize that the guy who mans it had left for the day. I inquired if there was any other shop close by , and was told by the security guard that there is another just 5 shops away. I reached there and got the dvd I was looking for ( The Good Shepherd).

Just when I was about to leave the shop , a man walked in to check on the HTC phone. The shop keeper showed him a few and then insisted on showing off the Google phone. The customer... obviously blissfully unaware of the internet and what Google was asked the man... why is it called the Google phone, to which the shopkeeper responded.... ( Pata nahin .... kuch to karta hee hoga ! :-) .. The shopkeeper's wife who was manning the counter realized that my husband had worn a jacket with a Google logo. She first took time in reading the letters ... and mouthed Google to herself, once she realized it was the same Google that her husband was selling to the customer, she made all efforts to ask him to tone it down ! Clearly , she knew that since the phone that was being sold wasn't publicly launched , it could get them into trouble.

Turns out, what the shopkeeper was selling was an unlocked T-Mobile !

Makkad Man

2008-12-11T18:42:00.002+05:30

Toys being sold on the road-side. Watch closely and you will see ' Spider Man ' on the rope .

For the uninitiated... Makkad Man is the hindi translation of ' Spider Man ' . 'Makkad' means an insect in Hindi and therefore the name. Given 'Makkad Man's ' popularity in North India, Delhiites have devised new ways of marketing it.

Mumbai Attacks

2008-11-29T21:48:00.002+05:30

A lot has been written and spoken about the Mumbai Attacks. The NSG along with the Police and Army did a fantastic job of helping people out of the situation . Personally I have never felt so much of anger and helplessness the way I have felt over the last 3 days. For once, it was too close for my comfort..... it could have been anyone of us who could have been there that day. I have heard of stories of how friends have gotten impacted because of this. And to me , this is only the tip of the iceberg..... the real impact is only once the dust has settled and life has to supposedly 'go on'.

I don't think anyone deserves to live this kind of live. Living in this constant fear of not knowing if you will come back home alive. And once it has happened, pretend to pick up the threads and move on till the next attempt!

I wish the next year is better and brings some peace and harmony to everyone .

Flying in style

2008-11-23T15:38:00.003+05:30

On my way back from Hyderabad I had the privilege of flying in Kingfisher airlines. Much to everyone's delight who think that the small red pouches that Kingfisher gave was a waste , well in order to cut costs they have done away with it! I loved them, every time I flew Kingfisher inspite of having the choice of other airlines ;-) ( If people have listened to Vijay Mallaya's message onboard the aircraft, they would know what I am talking about ) , I would get one of those. I have a whole stackful in which I keep all my trinkets. They have done away with all of it and now give a slim paper made box which has the headsdets and a pen , they have done away with the menu card as well ! What they have added on as a frill is the fact that when the airhostess approaches you to check on your order, she addresses you by your name. Personalized service.... and that too in economy class !! What more can I say . A lot of hard work for the cabin crew!

I wish they decide to get back the pouches and keep the addressing by first names as well.. that would be a great way to fly .

2 minute syndrome

2008-11-23T15:34:00.000+05:30

I seem to suffer from the " 2 minute syndrome " . Every time the alarm goes off , I invariably click the snooze and wait for it to ring in another 5 minutes. This entire exercise starts off at 4:40 AM every morning. Don't ask me why does it have to start off at 4:40... just one of those things. After having clicked on snooze twice...... I keep telling myself that I will be up in 2 minutes.. and almost at the success rate of 100% have overslept. Its dangerous and I see myself treading on thin ice here given that winters have set in , in Delhi. Its going to be punishing getting up early ... and if I don't cure this syndrome I will succumb!!

God grant me the strength to fight this 2 minute syndrome. :-)

Fading away 2008

2008-11-14T15:13:00.002+05:30

Never before have I waited for a year to end , the way I have for 2008. While this year has been great in a lot of ways ( personally and professionally ), it just seems that everything has come to a halt since Nov 1st. All the days are moving at snail's pace . The days are longer and nights shorter. The weather has changed and winters have finally settled in Delhi . It is predicted to be a cold winter this year, harsher than the last. Am looking forward to it! I love winters as long as I am not down with flu :-).

Coffee, Soups, Quilts, Stir fried food, Roasted Peanuts, Lazy afternoons, Lunch in the lawn or on the terrace... all of this = Winters for me .

Am not sure what 2009 has in store for me but am really looking forward to the 1st of Jan. I am hoping to close on a few things I have always wanted to do ... something like the " 100 things I want to do before turning 40 " list.

Leaders of the future

2008-11-06T09:52:00.005+05:30

The first picture is a 'Thank you Banner' from Obama's website . The second one is a picture of the Call-in Campaign that was conducted to encourage people to vote for Obama. This one has been taken with the volunteers working even without electricity so that they don't lose a single minute . All of this has of course paid off and Obama is now the first Afican-American President -Elect. What surprises me is the enthusiasm displayed by so many people who joined his campaign and worked really hard in making it a success. I know of instances where people have left their jobs and jumped on the Obama Bandwagon to campaign for him . Even if he wouldn't have won, they all would have gone back ... satisfied that they were a part of the biggest and the most charged up campaign in the history of the United States of America.

I am not sure if this would happen in India.. because I am not sure if our political leaders demand that kind of respect. The last thing one would do is quit their job for them.....only to know later on that both the parties have merged :-). All the campaigning down the drain.

I am sure American politics is no different from politics in any other part of the world. What I am amazed about is the belief in people to contribute to a better future. There are stories of people having registered to vote after 20 years.. because they saw hope in Obama.. This truly has been outstanding ! I am not sure if I will get to see another election like this in my lifetime. But if I do, I am truly blessed.

Obama Rocks!

2008-11-06T09:25:00.003+05:30

Yesterday was a historic day for the world with Barrack Obama being elected as the President of the United States of America. I was unable to watch his acceptance speech live so had to make do with the its transcript.

I am pasting the transcript below which I have taken from the CNN website. I am sure most of you would have read it ... I felt the need to have it there, so that I can look back after a year and feel the same energy that I did when I read it for the first time. At least that is what I hope :-)

Hello, Chicago.

If there is anyone out there who still doubts that America is a place where all things are possible, who still wonders if the dream of our founders is alive in our time, who still questions the power of our democracy, tonight is your answer.

It's the answer told by lines that stretched around schools and churches in numbers this nation has never seen, by people who waited three hours and four hours, many for the first time in their lives, because they believed that this time must be different, that their voices could be that difference.

It's the answer spoken by young and old, rich and poor, Democrat and Republican, black, white, Hispanic, Asian, Native American, gay, straight, disabled and not disabled. Americans who sent a message to the world that we have never been just a collection of individuals or a collection of red states and blue states.

We are, and always will be, the United States of America.

It's the answer that led those who've been told for so long by so many to be cynical and fearful and doubtful about what we can achieve to put their hands on the arc of history and bend it once more toward the hope of a better day.

It's been a long time coming, but tonight, because of what we did on this date in this election at this defining moment change has come to America.

A little bit earlier this evening, I received an extraordinarily gracious call from Sen. McCain.

Sen. McCain fought long and hard in this campaign. And he's fought even longer and harder for the country that he loves. He has endured sacrifices for America that most of us cannot begin to imagine. We are better off for the service rendered by this brave and selfless leader.

I congratulate him; I congratulate Gov. Palin for all that they've achieved. And I look forward to working with them to renew this nation's promise in the months ahead.

I want to thank my partner in this journey, a man who campaigned from his heart, and spoke for the men and women he grew up with on the streets of Scranton and rode with on the train home to Delaware, the vice president-elect of the United States, Joe Biden.

And I would not be standing here tonight without the unyielding support of my best friend for the last 16 years the rock of our family, the love of my life, the nation's next first lady Michelle Obama.

Sasha and Malia I love you both more than you can imagine. And you have earned the new puppy that's coming with us to the new White House.

And while she's no longer with us, I know my grandmother's watching, along with the family that made me who I am. I miss them tonight. I know that my debt to them is beyond measure.

To my sister Maya, my sister Alma, all my other brothers and sisters, thank you so much for all the support that you've given me. I am grateful to them.

And to my campaign manager, David Plouffe, the unsung hero of this campaign, who built the best -- the best political campaign, I think, in the history of the United States of America.

To my chief strategist David Axelrod who's been a partner with me every step of the way.

To the best campaign team ever assembled in the history of politics you made this happen, and I am forever grateful for what you've sacrificed to get it done.

But above all, I will never forget who this victory truly belongs to. It belongs to you. It belongs to you.

I was never the likeliest candidate for this office. We didn't start with much money or many endorsements. Our campaign was not hatched in the halls of Washington. It began in the backyards of Des Moines and the living rooms of Concord and the front porches of Charleston. It was built by working men and women who dug into what little savings they had to give $5 and $10 and $20 to the cause.

It grew strength from the young people who rejected the myth of their generation's apathy who left their homes and their families for jobs that offered little pay and less sleep.

It drew strength from the not-so-young people who braved the bitter cold and scorching heat to knock on doors of perfect strangers, and from the millions of Americans who volunteered and organized and proved that more than two centuries later a government of the people, by the people, and for the people has not perished from the Earth.

This is your victory.

And I know you didn't do this just to win an election. And I know you didn't do it for me.

You did it because you understand the enormity of the task that lies ahead. For even as we celebrate tonight, we know the challenges that tomorrow will bring are the greatest of our lifetime -- two wars, a planet in peril, the worst financial crisis in a century.

Even as we stand here tonight, we know there are brave Americans waking up in the deserts of Iraq and the mountains of Afghanistan to risk their lives for us.

There are mothers and fathers who will lie awake after the children fall asleep and wonder how they'll make the mortgage or pay their doctors' bills or save enough for their child's college education.

There's new energy to harness, new jobs to be created, new schools to build, and threats to meet, alliances to repair.

The road ahead will be long. Our climb will be steep. We may not get there in one year or even in one term. But, America, I have never been more hopeful than I am tonight that we will get there.

I promise you, we as a people will get there.

There will be setbacks and false starts. There are many who won't agree with every decision or policy I make as president. And we know the government can't solve every problem.

But I will always be honest with you about the challenges we face. I will listen to you, especially when we disagree. And, above all, I will ask you to join in the work of remaking this nation, the only way it's been done in America for 221 years -- block by block, brick by brick, calloused hand by calloused hand.

What began 21 months ago in the depths of winter cannot end on this autumn night.

This victory alone is not the change we seek. It is only the chance for us to make that change. And that cannot happen if we go back to the way things were.

It can't happen without you, without a new spirit of service, a new spirit of sacrifice.

So let us summon a new spirit of patriotism, of responsibility, where each of us resolves to pitch in and work harder and look after not only ourselves but each other.

Let us remember that, if this financial crisis taught us anything, it's that we cannot have a thriving Wall Street while Main Street suffers.

In this country, we rise or fall as one nation, as one people. Let's resist the temptation to fall back on the same partisanship and pettiness and immaturity that has poisoned our politics for so long.

Let's remember that it was a man from this state who first carried the banner of the Republican Party to the White House, a party founded on the values of self-reliance and individual liberty and national unity.

Those are values that we all share. And while the Democratic Party has won a great victory tonight, we do so with a measure of humility and determination to heal the divides that have held back our progress.

As Lincoln said to a nation far more divided than ours, we are not enemies but friends. Though passion may have strained, it must not break our bonds of affection.

And to those Americans whose support I have yet to earn, I may not have won your vote tonight, but I hear your voices. I need your help. And I will be your president, too.

And to all those watching tonight from beyond our shores, from parliaments and palaces, to those who are huddled around radios in the forgotten corners of the world, our stories are singular, but our destiny is shared, and a new dawn of American leadership is at hand.

To those -- to those who would tear the world down: We will defeat you. To those who seek peace and security: We support you. And to all those who have wondered if America's beacon still burns as bright: Tonight we proved once more that the true strength of our nation comes not from the might of our arms or the scale of our wealth, but from the enduring power of our ideals: democracy, liberty, opportunity and unyielding hope.

That's the true genius of America: that America can change. Our union can be perfected. What we've already achieved gives us hope for what we can and must achieve tomorrow.

This election had many firsts and many stories that will be told for generations. But one that's on my mind tonight's about a woman who cast her ballot in Atlanta. She's a lot like the millions of others who stood in line to make their voice heard in this election except for one thing: Ann Nixon Cooper is 106 years old.

She was born just a generation past slavery; a time when there were no cars on the road or planes in the sky; when someone like her couldn't vote for two reasons -- because she was a woman and because of the color of her skin.

And tonight, I think about all that she's seen throughout her century in America -- the heartache and the hope; the struggle and the progress; the times we were told that we can't, and the people who pressed on with that American creed: Yes we can.

At a time when women's voices were silenced and their hopes dismissed, she lived to see them stand up and speak out and reach for the ballot. Yes we can.

When there was despair in the dust bowl and depression across the land, she saw a nation conquer fear itself with a New Deal, new jobs, a new sense of common purpose. Yes we can.

When the bombs fell on our harbor and tyranny threatened the world, she was there to witness a generation rise to greatness and a democracy was saved. Yes we can.

She was there for the buses in Montgomery, the hoses in Birmingham, a bridge in Selma, and a preacher from Atlanta who told a people that "We Shall Overcome." Yes we can.

A man touched down on the moon, a wall came down in Berlin, a world was connected by our own science and imagination.

And this year, in this election, she touched her finger to a screen, and cast her vote, because after 106 years in America, through the best of times and the darkest of hours, she knows how America can change.

Yes we can.

America, we have come so far. We have seen so much. But there is so much more to do. So tonight, let us ask ourselves -- if our children should live to see the next century; if my daughters should be so lucky to live as long as Ann Nixon Cooper, what change will they see? What progress will we have made?

This is our chance to answer that call. This is our moment.

This is our time, to put our people back to work and open doors of opportunity for our kids; to restore prosperity and promote the cause of peace; to reclaim the American dream and reaffirm that fundamental truth, that, out of many, we are one; that while we breathe, we hope. And where we are met with cynicism and doubts and those who tell us that we can't, we will respond with that timeless creed that sums up the spirit of a people: Yes, we can.

Thank you. God bless you. And may God bless the United States of America.

Diwali Musings

2008-10-29T13:47:00.002+05:30

Winter has slowly tip toed in Delhi. There is a nip in the air when I leave for office early in the morning. The Diwali madness has decreased, this year the Delhi Diwali was low key but it still meant at least lakhs being burnt away . The common logic is that its auspicious to burst crackers so lets all do our bit ;-).

9 to 5 syndrome

2008-10-15T22:38:00.001+05:30

A lot of people have this mindset that a 9-5 job signifies the end of life for them. Over the last few months there was a lot said about the Delhi Chief Minister's comment on women traveling in Delhi at night. This lead to a bigger debate of how safe are women who work odd shifts. ( Beyond the 5 of the 9:00 -5:00 :-) ). This triggered off a nation wide debate and brought forth ideas from almost everyone from every walk of life. The unanimous decision was that a 9;00 - 5:00 job is for losers or for people who do not want to succeed in life . ;-). You can also extrapolate that to Govt officials who would cringe at working a minute over 5:00 . ( For the one's reading this post ... this isn't my opinion but what was discussed on TV --- thought I should clarify ;-) )

I was totally amused by all this hulabaloo. Nothing unusual about this , as its my natural reaction.Having worked late night shifts I for one am totally appreciative of the 9:00 to 5:00 shift.I couldn't care less, if it was labelled as a shift for losers... but I thoroughly enjoy working those hours. I am happy for the others who wouldn't want to get caught in this 9-5 trap .. but for the one's like me who do ........ Cheers

Gogola

2008-09-22T15:15:00.002+05:30

Found this picture on http://www.creativereview.co.uk/crblog/google-or-gogola/. This is the work of 2 enterprising individuals from Mumbai. Read more :-)

Only in Bollywood or Tollywood

2008-09-20T19:14:00.003+05:30

I know I am going to hate myself for putting these lines on my blog... but what the heck! So while I was figuring out what to do over the weekend, a thought crossed my mind. Only in Bollywood is it possible that the hero sings in at least 3 different voices ( e.g Ranbir Kaboor in Bachna Ae Haseno has lip synced songs sung by Lucky Ali , Shankar Mahadevan and Sukhwinder Singh , talk about being versatile :-) ).

Listed below are a few famous lines by a Tamil Film star ( as usual picked them off the email circuit )

1. You can study and get any certificate but you can't get your death certificate!

2. You can become an engineer if you study in an engineering college , but you cannot become a president if you study in Presidency College!!

3. You can expect a bus from a bus stop , but you cannot expect full from a full stop!!!

4. A mechanical engineer can become a mechanic but a software engineer cannot become a software!!!!!

5. You can find tea in a tea cup but you cannot find the world in the world cup!!!!!!!!!!!!

And to think these are the people who end up becoming the politicians later on in our film star crazy country :-(

Kite Runner

2008-09-20T14:51:00.004+05:30

Ahmad Khan Mahmidzada in a scene from The Kite Runner

Finally got to watch The Kite Runner today. I got my hands on the movie before I did on the book... which is not exactly the way I had wanted it to be, but I am really glad I saw the movie. The movie clearly belongs to the two boys ( Amir and Hassan ) who are friends in Kabul and the movie tracks their lives over 20 years . Young Hassan played by Ahmad Khan Mahmidzada and Young Amir played by Zekeria Ebrahimi are exceptional and keep you engrossed throughout the first half. The kite flying shots are spectacular and when I saw them , I wished I could have seen the movie on big screen.

Watching the movie first or reading the book is a point that can be debated on ,but what cannot be disputed is the fact that its an exceptional movie and is a must watch for everyone!

Minal's rating :

Story : *****

Star cast : ***** ( None of the big budget stars.. but they keep you engrossed throughout the film )

Visuals : *****

Overall : ***** :-)

Ways of media

2008-09-14T21:55:00.002+05:30

Bomb blasts in Delhi played spoilsport over the weekend. The city shook up on Saturday evening when the news of blasts in major markets in Delhi poured in . I guess we were plain lucky not to have stepped out as we were contemplating going to the Greater Kailash market for some shopping, we decided against it because we got lazy . There were many others who weren't and got injured seriously . The evening was spent watching the news on TV and listening to a boy named Rahul who is a balloon seller who had seen 2 men place the bomb in a dust bin in Connaught place.

What was shocking was the news next morning. One leading news paper reported that there was a person by the name of Rahul whose photo has been withheld because of security issues ! ( I am not sure if anyone from their team was watching the TV last night because the child was giving interviews for almost all the channels !). What made matters worse was the news in another newspaper which talked about the same child by the name of Rahul ( said name has been changed ....this is again after his identity has been revealed on national television! ) and had his picture in the article!

Its sad the way papers are far from calibrated on issues like securing the identity of a minor. So now what happens to the balloon seller is any body's guess. Such is life.............

Musings from Allahabad

2008-09-13T09:14:00.003+05:30

I was in Allahabad this week and as always was taken aback by the pace of the town.Don't get me wrong, I have been travelling to the city since I was a child , but it seems like its in a time warp.While some parts of the city have improved the others are just the way we have seen them ages ago.

The first thing that struck me was the frequent power cuts. Not that it is any different in metro's but it just seemed to be prolonged! I kept wondering how on earth do the children study especially the ones who can't afford the luxury of owning an invertor or a generator. What was ironical was the fact that this city has given so many academicians to the world and its state hasn't improved.

When I was cooking in the kitchen in my mom's ancestral home I could hear children doing riyaaz for over 2 hours. It was heart warming to hear them practice the various raaga's in the morning instead of getting into the grind like its usually seen in metro's. What is sad though is that the likelihood of these children moving to Delhi and getting into the rigmarole of the city was very high and there goes the creativity out of the window. Making money and getting used to life in the fast lane takes priority.

On our way back , we shared our train coupe with 3 south Delhites who with their aggressive behaviour towards almost everyone gave the Allahbadi's a taste of what to expect in Delhi ;-). One of the ladies was horrified on seeing cockroaches in the train and kept blabbering about how she couldn't travel and about how she was the only one worried about the roaches and no one in the train seemed to be bothered! Her sister who was travelling with her volunteered to get someone to spray an insecticide and finally bullied one of the guards to do it but in the wrong coupe ! This obviously lead to some healthy ( loud ) banter between the sisters . I kept thinking to myself throughout... why can't they just shut up and sleep given that this is an overnight journey. I kept wondering which one was worse... the snoring Delhite who was sharing the coupe with us on our way to Allahabad or these three cockroach fearing south delhite's on our way back..Amidst all this confusion I fell asleep and woke up in Delhi and got back to the grind :-).

Twintoition

2008-09-04T14:23:00.002+05:30

Was talking to my twin sister yesterday and told her about " Tech Crunch" which had featured the Google Chrome release story. (http://www.techcrunch.com/2008/09/02/google-officially-announces-chrome/). The minute I mentioned this she said that it was exactly the same thing that I was thinking about 5 minutes ago! We both got excited and yapped about it for sometime.

Considering that we are in different time zones and we thought of the same thing at the same time was uncanny. It reinforces my belief in the fact that twins are special and share a special bond :-). I have named this bond as Twintoition ( Twin + Intuition ). Toyed with other names as well but this was the best of the lot.

Reality Bites

2008-08-31T21:27:00.004+05:30

It seems like Reality shows are the order of the day .. Switch on any channel and you will find someone singing or dancing and trying to get their day under the arc lights. Clearly the channels have underestimated the viewers intellect. Collectively they waste crores of rupees in the name of entertainment !

As usual saw a movie this week.

Mumbai Meri Jaan - Starring Soha Ali Khan, KK Menon and Mahadevan

I saw this movie with 2 of my colleagues while I was in Hyderabad . Saw the 9:00 PM - 12:00 PM show . Unlike Gurgaon halls, Hyd halls still have a baggage counter where you can deposit your laptop bags which helped. A grim movie about the Mumbai blasts, clearly you don't need to be a Mumbaikar to understand the impact of the movie. Its almost like a documentary but an interesting watch . Not to say that documentaries are not :-).. just that this had a doco feel to it.

Long Weekend

2008-08-17T23:25:00.003+05:30

A still from Shubho Mahurat - Sharmila Tagore and Raakhee in the background

This weekend started off with a Bang! We thought we will leave early from office in order to beat the Gurgaon traffic and hence left office on Thursday ( 14th Aug ) at 4:00 PM . Well it took me nearly 5 hours to reach home from office on that day just because of the pathetic drainage system in Gurgaon . It seemed that almost every road was water logged and there was no way out. At one point, our indica cab was almost floating in water, some of which had entered the cab! I kept wondering throughout my journey back home how the people living in Gurgaon were dealing with this , considering that almost each of them has spent a fortune buying those houses.

Independence day was duly celebrated at mom's place like any other year as its her B'day as well.We watched a bengali film called " Shubho Mahurat" directed by Rituparno Ghosh in which Sharmila Tagore looked gorgeous. I could follow the film thanks to the subtitles.. I would strongly recommend it to anyone who is interested in watching regional cinema. I simply loved it. Thanks to my sister for having recommended it. The other known stars in the film are Nandita Das and Raakhee and a host of other actors who are known in the Bengali cinema scene.
A good movie to watch on a rainy day with a cup of coffee and some steaming hot momo's ;-) .

Moving Lock stock and barrel

2008-08-08T17:14:00.001+05:30

Yet again as I write this post I am traveling to the airport at the City of Nizam's. This post came to my mind when I noticed people traveling on the roads of Hyderabad in fancy cars. This city is now falling prey to all the trappings of a metro city... frequent traffic jams, roads which are jammed with multiple cars,most of them high end sedans. So many people have moved into the city with the hope of making more money .. earning more and spending less by metro standards. It obviously takes a lot of thought to move lock stock and barrel to a new place and start life afresh. Its like walking away from everything you know and moving into a new place armed with hope of a better life. Having a few friends at the place obviously helps... but the enthusiasm of hanging around with them dies out and just when you have settled and made a new beginning its time to move on.. because a better jobs beckons!

Weekend Musings

2008-07-21T08:46:00.002+05:30

Yet again this was a movie marathon weekend. I managed to finally see Jaane Tu Jaane Na after 2 weeks of its release. As usual this was a last minute decision and I ended up frantically booking tickets over the phone for the evening show at Adlabs, what amazed me about the experience was that unlike PVR where the call takes forever to get through someone who can do the booking, this one was totally automated! I was extremely impressed by the customer service provided by Adlabs and even sent them a note saying so ( So much for customer satisfaction and all ).In my happinesss , I would want to discount the fact that the security woman at the gate threw away the Orbit chewing gum pack that she found in my purse, I normally would have fumed and fought but in this case I didn't mind :-)

Minal's rating:

Story: ***

Star Cast : **** ( Naseerudin Shah and the Khan brother's take the cake )

Overall : **** ( A one time watch , good value for money )

Came back and then watched Charlie Wilson's War which was recommended by my twin. What got me totally engrossed in the movie were 2 things.

1) I had never heard of the movie before , so much so that I didn't even know that it had Tom Hanks and Julia Roberts in it!

2) The plot of the movie was extremely engaging right from start till the end

Passwords

2008-07-03T18:10:00.003+05:30

My life is ruled by passwords. Its almost like there are locks for everything..... the computer I log into , my bank accounts, my mobile ( although I have chosen not to have one there ) even the suitcase in which I carry my stuff when I am travelling. I hate it specially when I have to keep changing it regulary when I get the auto trigger. The information security folks obviously have their reasons sending that trigger... But I sincerely wish life was simpler.

This post stems out of the fact that I have spent nearly 4- 5 man hours trying to fix passwords to accounts which got locked after 3 attempts!

Teething troubles

2008-06-16T18:35:00.002+05:30

Teaching parents the sms feature on a mobile is almost like them teaching us how to write the alphabet. I spent a lot of time last week teaching my mom how to use the sms feature on her new mobile handset, which by the way is a simpler version than what she used to use before , but is taking time getting used to it. I turned on the T9 dictionary to make it easier for her to understand to type messages, but realized that there were many Hindi words which obviously wouldn't get recognized in it... so had to teach her to type the lengthy messages.

Some of the examples of the messages that have been written to my friends by their mom's .

1. Call me Beta - This is the only template that the mom uses and gets her daughter to call to do the rest of the talking !

2. Blank sms's - There were nearly 20 of those sent by a friend's mother to her friend to wish new year's!

3.Ihavelearntitit - This was an sms that was sent by another mom to her daughter who laboriously taught her the art of smsing over the phone. She obviously forgot to tell her mom how to insert space between letters, which resulted in the sms :-)

Its amusing whenever I spend time teaching my mom on how to write elaborate sms's. I obviously store each one of them because I know that she has spent a lot of time writing them.

Writer's block

2008-06-06T11:55:00.003+05:30

Yet again I face it. Its difficult to maintain a blog, I have ideas all the time and stories to tell but if you miss the moment then its gone. Its very difficult for me to relive it again and write about it with the same enthusiasm.

Have been watching a few movies lately , managed to catch up on The Chronicles of Narnia, Prince Caspian. Liked the movie, though liked the previous Narnia movie more. Also saw Iron Man after a lot of recommendation by friends and my twin. Surprisingly ........ I loved it :-). It obviously is total time pass , but I thought it was money well spent.

Am off to see Sarkar Raj ( starring the Bacchan family ) which releases today , will post my reviews tomorrow .

Pictures from the Smithsonian Museum

2008-05-02T09:25:00.011+05:30

This is the Hope Diamond in the museum.Its a 44.5 carat diamond which originated in India.

A monkey looking at water drops .

Mother Cheetah with cub

This is the 3D movie that I saw in the museum. Wanted to see how 3d looks on camera !

This is a fox jumping into the snow.

The Mammoth at the entrance of the Smithsonian Museum in Washington D.C

2008-05-02T09:21:00.001+05:30

Nice picture!

Amir Khan's blog and IPL

2008-05-01T23:06:00.005+05:30

Read Amir Khan's blog today. There was a lot of speculation whether he was writing his own posts or not. After reading a few posts , I have come to the conclusion that he does it himself. I guess people can't get over the fact that a star like him can have time to write posts, where mere mortals like us keep pushing posting on the blog for weeks together! I thought of posting a comment there but realised that mine would probably be the 5000th comment , I was sure he would never get around reading mine :-), so gave up the idea .
Oh by the way I have been having animated discussions with a lot of my friends on the Indian Premier League. With all the hype and the controversy that have surrounded it , I have only one thing to say, in my opinion it will lead to the lose of form of the Indian team. All the players need to practice together to ensure that everyone is calibrated.I know there is this argument of every other sport being played like this, with teams being divided into smaller groups ( Like football clubs ), but in Indian cricket just building the brand of team India should be the prime focus, not these IPL matches. I am heavily outnumbered in these discussions, but I stick by my belief!

Busy Bee

2008-05-01T22:44:00.002+05:30

Weddings are always busy , exciting, emotion filled events and if there are siblings involved all of this gets multiplied several times over . Have returned from a family wedding and am recovering from the tiredness of it all . Will write a detailed post later

New York Broadway

2008-04-03T08:19:00.006+05:30

Was in the US for a couple of weeks last month. I mentally kept note of all the things that I wanted to post on my blog but unfortunately have forgotten 90% of it :-(

Some of the things that I do remember are listed below in order of preference:

1. First ever Broadway show : That was the best part of my trip. My sis managed to get me tickets for a show called "Curtains" which featured David Hyde Pierce a.k.a Niles Crane from the popular sitcom " Frasier " . I was sure excited to see him on stage, it was a full house with some people standing as well. What I wasn't able to do was to take pictures because that is a complete No-No while watching a show. I did however manage to take the picture of the stage before it started in true Delhi style ( My sis threatened to disown me if security approached me :-) ).

2. Smithsonian Museum in Washington D.C.- I loved the 3D movie shown in the museum on Dinosaurs.

2. The lovely streets of California.

3. Brooklyn Bridge - Very touristy thing to do , but I LOVED IT :-).

What I obviously hated about the trip was the travel back and the security check at the airport.

On my way back I had two Indian women from the back and beyond of Punjab traveling with me. While fiddling with the remote one of the landed up watching all the in-flight movies in Chinese and the other in Russian. They just couldn't figure out a way of getting it back to the original state and kept wondering when will they get to watch normal television :-)

Cricket mania

2008-03-05T08:26:00.002+05:30

It seemed like gone are the days when the television sales used to go up because of a world cup series or an India- Pak series . India's win in Australia has restored faith in the Indian cricket team and I am sure the television show room owners are heaving a sigh of relief. I am not much of a cricket buff but one can't deny that the cricket enthusiasm is infectious. I was in the market yesterday and was amused to see a whole bunch of people standing in front of a television showroom watching the match. Every one had their head turned upwards at an angle of 45 degrees as the show room was on the 1 st floor. :-) This included senior citizens as well. I was there for nearly 30 minutes and people stood like that for the entire duration!

Once the match was over they dispersed discussing the outcome animatedly ... net outcome, the Indian cricket team gets a 10 crore award from the Indian Govt ......... and many of those who stood watching the match go back with a sprained neck :-).

Offsite in Coorg

2008-02-05T05:27:00.000+05:30

I was surprised when I enthusiastically told people that I am going to Coorg for an offsite and nearly 90% of the people whom I spoke with didn't even know how to pronounce the name, leave alone know where it was on the map! It was a 3 day offsite where we ended up traveling for nearly 32 hours to and fro. The travel from Delhi to Bangalore was good cause it was an early morning flight and my group of 10 slept through most of it. What was amusing was the fact that one guy had taken a seat next to the window, inspite of the aisle seat being allocated to him. When the couple came to ask him about it, he refused to acknowledge their presence ( quite similar to the situation one sees on the train/bus - the window seat is the most prized possession ). Finally when the guy had enough he asked him to vacate it as it was his seat, the guy at the window seat very sheepishly said... " Sir first time traveller by plane, I want to sit near the window". With such a compelling argument the couple had to relent after some discussion and that was the kick off of our trip :-)

The work shop which I attended at Coorg was moderated by Jayant Kriplani .His diction and his powerful voice remain just the same, although he has now started sporting the salt and pepper bearded look which makes him look a bit like Amitabh Bacchan! Will post some of his pictures later on. You could easily figure out the ones who knew who he was and the ones who didn't . The newer generation clearly had no clue and had to be told about it, whereas for the seasoned ones it was a pleasant surprise.

We just about made it for our flight back from Bangalore , reaching the airport at 6:45 for a 7:20 flight Indigo Flight. The journey back was good fun , where we played Dumb charades for nearly 6 hours non stop. Obviously we didn't know the names of so many movies, so it was time for some names to be churned on the spot ( e.g The Sexy Pilates Instructor, Demystifying the secrets of the Ku- Klux Klan - I made up these two names ! )

It was one of the best trips I have had in a long time and I am really looking forward to going back again soon .

Some nice pictures

2008-01-30T09:20:00.000+05:30

RED BRIDGE

THIS IS A DESERT IN ISRAEL

GARDEN DOOR ( SO INNOVATIVE !)

I keep downloading pictures as and when I see them.

Google!

2008-01-30T09:17:00.000+05:30

A picture from the rediff website. Note how the saree is in the form of search page.. Did you notice the missing " G" ?

Lots happening

2008-01-30T09:09:00.000+05:30

Like a trip to the US Embassy in Delhi to get a visa. It took me nearly an hour to get in the building after standing in the queue in the biting cold . There were toddlers in the queue as well who just kept wailing due to the cold. I pity their parents who have to endure all this to get into the US! What amused me was that there were people who had come to drop their family member, that group was larger than the group standing in queue. Most of them were praying so that their family member gets the visa (:-) )

A person standing in front of me kept chanting throughout ! His father came over and kissed his forehead and blessed before he got into the queue ;-). He then joined the group which was praying for the visa.

No wonder this is the most coveted visa in India .

Back in Jan

2008-01-17T14:28:00.000+05:30

Its been a long time since I have managed to update this blog. The last 2 months just flew by didn't realise when did I stumble into 2008! Winters in Delhi are so beautiful that I tend to spend a lot of time just admiring it rather than writing my observations about it :-)

So the one thing that I have been meaning to write for a long time is about Tax Planning advertisements that are aggressively pushed during this time of the year. In my mind India is probably the only country where you can spot billboards advertising on " How to save tax '!! Think about it , the Govt of India has actually given a green signal to these advertisers. Not sure if there is any other Govt that allows it because my understanding of tax was what the govt levied on the residents of that country to provide better infrastructure.

The picture above is from an online campaign for LIC ( Life Insurance corporation of India ). Note the picture of the model. Note how the person is definitely not an Indian :-)

Commitment Issues

2007-12-06T20:22:00.000+05:30

Before this post shocks people who know me let me clarify.... I have commitment issues with updating my blog. Almost everyday I make a note of something that can make an interesting post but somehow never get around posting it. Its one of those new year resolutions which every one breaks before the first week of Jan !

Anyway getting down to business. Got an opportunity to listen to ( Ex President of India ) APJ Kalam talk in a conference. He was FANTASTIC.... a little teacher like but an extremely humble person. He talked about funny incidents during the course of his presidency and had the audience in splits on several occasions. He got a standing ovation which was extremely heartening coming from people who franking couldn't care less of who was in the Govt.The best part about the event was when he was given some gifts as a token of appreciation. Being the humble man that he is , he accepted just a sweat shirt and politely refused the other one's

Here's to Kalam.. all said and done he has impacted the nation in more ways than he can even imagine.

Gutter Kailash

2007-11-22T08:08:00.000+05:30

I haven't been able to update my blog but I couldn't resist this post when I heard a driver commenting yesterday . He seemed to be new in Delhi and was beginning to learn the names of localities.While passing through GK he very innocently mentioned that he had heard a lot about this posh locality in Delhi and he knew it was called " Gutter Kailash "!!

I kept thinking to myself on the way back imagine what the real estate agents would think once they knew the rechristened name of this locality :-)

Some pics from the trip

2007-10-14T11:52:00.000+05:30

People never sit with their feet facing towards the golden temple.
The golden temple
Pretty strawberry dustbins in Patnitop
More horses
An albino horse

On our way to Sanasar from Patnitop

Exploring religion

2007-10-13T09:29:00.000+05:30

Have been away for sometime now hence couldn't update the blog. So where was I?? Let me just say that I was on a journey exploring religious beliefs and getting a first hand experience. I took some time off to go to Vaishnao Devi shrine along with a group of friends. The start of the trip obviously wasn't great because out of 8 people scheduled to travel 7 missed the train ( even when it was 45 minutes late! ). After a lot of debate and back and forth negotiations ( which typically happens when you travel in a group ), we all agreed ( for some - were made to forcefully agree! ) to make the trip by road. The journey was comfortable with very few stop overs right upto Katra.

On reaching Katra, we weren't happy with the rooms booked so changed our hotel before settling in . Katra has a very touristy feel to it and that just about gives you an idea of what to expect ahead. We started out trek at night , its a trek of 14 kms one way . What amazes me whenever I visit any holy place ( which is not a frequent feature ) is how families make a trip out of it. I could see babies barely 1- 2 years old bundled and taken along that 14 km walk. My friends and I on the other hand were well geared with jogging gear and comfy shoes .

I don't want to get into the details of the trek, all in all it was fun climbing up specially if one's in a group. The crowd on top was unbelievable ! To cut a long story short although we reached the main temple at 3:00 AM, we only got to go for the visit insde the temple at 8:30 AM. So what does one do while waits , either get some space on the floor anywhere and crash or just keep loitering around or get some place on a stair case and park yourself. All of this requires strategic thinking , bear in mind you are competing for the limited space with more than 10,000 people like you !

A little about the final darshan,let me just say if you blink you will miss it :-). That's how the crowd is made to move while you are inside the cave. The J&K police officials don't let anyone stay in front of the temple even for 1 second. While I am sure they are doing that to manage the crowd, I personally feel it's just a put off! The trek down was long and tiresome specially as it was during the day and boy was I glad when I reached base camp!

The group then headed to Patnitop which is around 110KM from J&K. Its a beautiful hill station and one of the cleanest I have seen so far. The place is spotless and I would strongly recommend it as a long weekend getaway. Will post pictures of this place .

Amritsar Calling :
4 of us had this idea of breaking our journey at Amritsar since it was a long drive back. I was thrilled because of several reasons.
1. Would get to eat at famous Dhabas enroute
2. Visit the Golden Temple
3. Get to shop at Amritsar .

Here are my thoughts on the points mentioned above :
1. Would get to eat at famous Dhabas enroute- Contrary to what I thought the entire stretch from Jammu to Amristar is a hard core vegetarian belt and one can only eat Dal Makhani, Yellow Kadhi and the famous Rajma obviously all of this with either Parantha or roti. I swear there was one dhaba which didn't even serve rice!

2. Golden Temple visit - I found the place absolutely serene and I thought it was the highlight of my trip. We visited the place at night and it was a sight to see. The place is spotless and extremely well organized ( at least that was what my experience was ). I would love to go back there someday.

3. Shopping at Amritsar - I picked up some fantastic stuff in my 1 hour of shopping before the markets shut down. Shopping with my punjabi speaking friend in tow was obviously an advantage because we could bargain :-)

Note : I cannot end my post without mentioning that enroute to Amritsar I saw 2 limousine's getting cleaned on the highway at Ludhiana :-). Talk about small town's prospering.

City of Nizam's turning into City of Djinns

2007-09-13T19:47:00.000+05:30

I am at the Hyderabad airport while writing this post . The Jet airways flight which I was traveling in has been delayed by 3 hours, so whilst I was waiting I thought I should write a post. On my way to the airport I realized how in so many ways Hyderabad is transforming into Delhi .It took me over an hour to reach the airport from office. Traffic jams are a common sight and the place is slowly giving away to either a new shopping mall or a housing society... its soon going to lose the essence of being " The City of Nizams'. Its such a shame..... almost all the cities want to become recognized and soon become clones of each other, it works the same way as fashion does . Initially each individual has an identity and before you know it , in an effort to be in....almost all of them start to look alike, dress alike and even talk alike. Not too much of a difference between cities either .

Celebrating Independence Day

2007-08-18T10:28:00.000+05:30

So I have been busy the last few days celebrating Independence day. I was on a high when I logged into Orkut on the 14th , amongst the other official applications that I log into every morning ( wink wink :-) ) and saw the log in page . If a country can make a service provider customize their page, simply by sheer strength of subscribers.... its arrived!!( Not that it should be taken as a true measure of progress :-) )

The next day was a holiday and mom's b'day as well... so it was celebrations throughout the day followed by dinner outside.

The day after that - 16th of Aug is when my team went to watch " Chak De - India " . Honestly I didn't have any hopes from this one, as I thought like all other Shahrukh Khan movies this one is over-rated. I am so glad that I was proved wrong! I LOVED IT!!!

What was the best part of the movie was the National Anthem which was played a the beginning of the movie. It felt good when everyone in the hall stood up together when the anthem started. There was no noise in the hall throughout the time it was getting played....... ( This is very unlike Delhi / Ggn crowd. ).

The movie is a great watch . Shahrukh Khan carries the movie on his shoulder as the coach of the Women's hockey team preparing for the world cup. A very unconventional theme to be taken up in these times. King Khan has done all the Indian hockey players proud!!

A must watch .

Minal's ratings.

Story : ****
Music : ***
Performance : *****
Overall rating :****1/2

Wednesday with Larry Brilliant

2007-08-08T14:13:00.000+05:30

He lives to his name - Larry Brilliant. Today we attended a talk on Optimism by him. For people who don't know Larry Brilliant is leading google.org which is the charitable arm of Google. The talk was very interesting , it ranged from the global climate crisis to the process of eradication of small pox to the current water situation across the world. Larry is absolutely brilliant (:-) ... pun intended ) in engaging the audience with his jokes and anecdotes. He knows how to speak Hindi and is very familiar with Indian culture , so he understands the context of a lot of things which typically would have gone unnoticed by any other westerner. He talked about Small Pox and how he was a part of the core team . The audience could only imagine what it must have been like because by the time most of them were born, small pox had gotten eradicated!

An eye opener of a session this was. I am glad that the organization took it up as a priority and I was a part of it.

Joys of life

2007-08-03T16:44:00.000+05:30

Tom and Jerry ... Everyone's favorite.

Thomson and Thompson -The famous twins

Tintin with Snowy

These are the asterix and obelix toys available. I wish I could get them .

Check out Obelix's outfit

I have been wanting to write this post for a long time. The pictures in this post are cartoon characters I have known while growing up.The favorite of them all is Asterix and Obelix. There was a library right above my house when I was growing up. My mom used to pack off the 3 musketeers ( me along with my sisters) to read some books every evening. I thank God for that! Had it not been that I would probably have not developed reading as a habit the way I have now and would probably have never known the magical world of the Gauls :-)

The other famous one's were Tintin comics. I loved the series and all the characters.At a point in our life we used to wish that someone would gift us the whole series.Snowy is Tintin's dog's name .. and many million other's because he became so popular. It seems like any dog which was white had to be named Snowy.

Last but not the least are Tom and Jerry. They have been like chasing each other ever since I remember. I recall as kids we used to all assemble at one of mom's friend's place and watch cartoons for 2- 3 hours non stop while eating popcorn and drinking lemonade ( so typically famous fiveish :-) )

Lately the one's that have caught my eye are " Nemo" and "Shrek" . I must also mention Mowgli which we watched as kids but not as much as the other's.

Picture by the sea

2007-08-02T15:06:00.000+05:30

Found this picture very interesting.

Weekend with Harry Potter

2007-07-29T14:01:00.000+05:30

So I finally got an opportunity to see my first ever Harry Potter movie. I was a little anxious about going but my sister's persistence paid off, I decided to watch it. I wasn't too sure if watching the movie version of the 5th book was a good idea of starting off with the Harry Potter series, but I went ahead nevertheless.

To be honest I quite liked the movie. I thought visually it was really appealing and had I watched this when I was a kid, I would have been transported to a new world altogether . At first I couldn't understand what was the fuss all about, and I refused to be one of those who would talk about Harry Potter just because the world was. Watching the movie on a 70 mm screen obviously adds on to some of the magic.

Overall , I think its a great watch. Now that I have seen and identified the characters, I am not averse to the idea of picking up the book and reading it :-)

Viny and I ended our evening by going to a place called Turquoise cottage which is famous for the non punjabi music that is played ... and yes its packed to capacity :-).

Gupshup over chinese food

2007-07-21T18:42:00.000+05:30

That is exactly what happened when Viny and I met up with my brother , sister and mom at a fancy chinese eating joint called Mainland China. The place is very upmarket and is known to serve good chinese food, not the delhi Chinese.

We sat at a non smoking table and while everyone enjoyed the meal and sipped on the fragrant chinese tea , I kept observing a group of loud women discuss their day to day lives over food at a table close to us. I use the term Loud because clearly they were :-).I assume they were punjabi because they spoke in that language, and I figured that they were at the kitty party because they all kept deciding who is going to host the next lunch :-).

It was a sight to watch, with almost all of them in western outfits which they could barely fit into but had worn them because it was the fashion. Diamonds were flaunted openly , if one was to assemble all the pieces worn collectively it could easily have been an exhibition. :-). The group clearly was unaware of their surrounding and behaved as though it was a drawing room, because they talked very loudly. We almost had to shout over them to be heard!

The reason why I write this is to highlight the kitty party culture which is prevalent throughout Delhi. It is a win-win for everyone, for the restaurant because they make a quick buck in 1 sitting, for the women because its a good place to flaunt jewelery, figure and exchange notes on what's happening in each other's lives and for the observers who get to write blog posts thanks to them. ;-)

To Aspiring Doctors

2007-07-19T08:54:00.000+05:30

So if you are an aspiring doctor ( I mean the MD one .. not the PHD one ) stop.. read no more. Although if you want you can.. :-)

So I was reading the newspaper yesterday and saw Shilpa Shetty getting an honorary doctorate from the University of Leeds . On my way to office I kept thinking what does it take to get one of those. I have listed down some of my thoughts.

1. A pretty face.

2. Some good deeds ( Like stand up against a bully on national television ) = an act of dignity and bravery ( as the media calls it )

3. some great cinema.

4. get affiliated to the biggest name in Bollywood ( Amitabh has an honorary doctorate as well )

5. A great figure

6. Become a well known social activist.

So what happens to those who are actually slogging to get those two letters against their names . I am sure there is more to their motivation than just being called Dr ....... . I think I can imagine their frustration because I happen to be related to an aspiring one. ;-) All I can say is God bless you guys.

All I can say is that the Medical doctors are lucky. One can't use their titles the way it is for Phd's . :-)

THANK GOD I AM NOT IN THE RUNNING FOR EITHER

Potter's Hill

2007-06-30T17:19:00.001+05:30

Viny in the forest

Viny in the Deodhar Forest

Viny at Wild Flower Hall

Butterfly on a flower

My effort of capturing a raindrop ;-)

View from our Cottage

Sunset from the Machan at the Camp site.

This is Sheru the Camp Dog. He is a Bhutia which is a local hill dog

This is the trail leading to the forest

Some pics from our trip to Potter's Hill.

Viny and I finally decided to take a much needed break and headed off to Potter's Hill. An amazing place tucked away 7 kms from the commercialized town of Simla. Our agenda was very clear, we wanted to go to place which wasn't a tourist attraction and wasn't located near the town. After a lot of search which included asking friends as well as searching online we narrowed on Potter's Hill. This place was highly recommended by a friend of ours who in fact was planning on visiting it the week before our travel but got canceled the last minute .

The place was beautiful and very well managed. The staff was extremely polite and took good care of the guests. The day we arrived was the day when a corporate group comprising of 52 people were leaving. So there was 1 day when there were only 2 families in the camp site. Talk about an exclusive getaway !!

A little about Potter's Hill.
Its a beautiful camp site right in between the Deodhar Forests. So besides indulging in the regular adventure activities like Rafting , Rappling, Bridge crossing ( I have been told its not easy as it sounds ) one can also just take walks in the forest and go for long treks). The place has around 12 cottages which have basic amenities and are comfortable to stay in. One can also choose to camp in tents to get a true camping site experience.

I would strongly recommend this place for a weekend getaway for any one who want's to get away from the fast paced metro life.

The journey was equally comfortable , took a volvo both ways and that too got the tickets booked online :-). A word of caution for the car sick folks, opt for the train instead cause the sickness will ruin the vacation.

Hyderabad chronicles

2007-06-14T22:34:00.000+05:30

So work gets me to " The City of Nizams " yet again .I have come in just in time to witness the hysteria of the release of "Sivaji" which is Rajnikant's film. There is a buzz everywhere, all the local channels have nothing else to show except for his antics and how this is an out and out blockbuster film.

So in a TV channel some guys were getting interviewed who said that, for them watching the first day first show of Shivaji is a matter of life and death. They would rather die than miss it !! And people have died in the past just because they couldn't get tickets..... Such is the power of Rajnikant. I was reading the Hyderabad Chronicle and this is how they described the movie.
Sivaji- THE BOSS ( The Bachelor of Social Service !!!) :-) in a multi crore luxurious thriller of all time !!!! :-).. Wonder what Luxurious Thriller means ;-)

Another movie advt that I came across . I don't know the name because it was written in Telugu, it said " A LOVELY ROMANTIC GAME WITH HILARIOUS MUSIC !!!!!".

Well I had my share of Luxurious Thriller movies and Hilarious music , I am heading back home tomorrow before it starts affecting my vocabulary !

Simmering Delhi and Buddhas in Bamian

2007-06-01T21:47:00.000+05:30

This is the footpath leading to the Buddha of Bamian
Front View

So got back from the City of Nizams last night. Not sure what didn't work this trip because for some strange reason I couldn't enjoy this trip as much as I have done in the past.

Was at home today melting away in Delhi's heat , watched a documentary on Travel and Living on Buddhas of Bamian which is a small town in Afghanistan. The Buddha statues in Bamian are more than 1000 years old. They were carved out of rocks and they were the first to depict Lord Buddha in a human form, before them Buddhists worshiped objects like the Wheel and The Banayan Tree which were used to depict Buddhism. The documentary talked about the filmaker's journey in Afghanistan and how he managed to finally explore the Bamian Buddha after not being able to get permission from the Taliban for a whole week , all in exchange of a polaroid picture of a Taliban Commander with one of his mates. :-).Strange are the way of Taliban.

All the statues of Buddha in Afghanistan have either been destroyed completely or defaced by the Taliban , which is such a shame because the picture of the Bamian Buddha was breathtaking. Standing tall at 58 Feet , it almost stood out like a protector of the tiny village on which it stood.

Its sad that we can only see the pictures on TV and know for a fact that we would never be able to go there.

Note: The black and white pictures have been taken from a website www.imagesofafghanistan.com.

Life in the Fast Lane

2007-05-25T20:53:00.000+05:30

So as I set out in the wee hours of morning to the airport to take my flight to the " City of Nizams", I saw a sports convertible completely smashed being towed away by a crane. Clearly the accident had happened just a minute before as there was smoke come out of the almost finished car. What made me swear involuntarily was when I saw 2 boys coming out of the car. They must have barely been in the age group of 12- 14 years, and were busy explaining the situation to someone other person ( Not their Dad , I am assuming :-) ), over the phone.

The only thought that came to my mind when I saw that was, serves them right .. I know its an evil one, but clearly one needs to be accountable for ones actions.

These boys were lucky that they escaped without a scratch in the accident, because the car was completely smashed. I am sure their parents would have gotten a fit when they woke up this morning!!! ...because 25th May has suddenly turned into the most expensive day of their Life !!

Slow Saturday and Sunday

2007-05-13T18:01:00.000+05:30

Didn't contribute significantly to mankind this weekend. Was at mom's , so pretty much lazed around. Saw Metro on Friday, thought it was alright. Loved Irfan Khan's performance as " Monty " in it. Expected the movie to be mind-blowing..... but honestly it was kind of lukewarm. Don't know the technicalities of movie making so wouldn't want to venture there and put my foot in my mouth :-).

Saw "You got Mail " on Saturday , although had seen the movie earlier I couldn't remember it frame by frame. As usual fell asleep in the last scene when they get to know about each other's true identity :-).

Spider Man and Bheja Fry

2007-05-06T17:50:00.000+05:30

Went out to watch "Bheja Fry " with my friends today. Landed up at PVR Saket nearly 40 minutes early so didn't know what to do. First we went up to the Audi where the movie was to be screened and sat right outside the auditorium.Tara Rum pum was being aired inside , while we waited we saw nearly 5 parents step out to take their children to the loo :-)...... Seemed funny because just when the critical race scene was on , the children wanted to pee :-) (Parenthood is so much fun ). Almost all of them ran back with children in tow to see the end, least they miss it.
We were politely told by the usher to move away and can wait beyond the divider. We hadn't realized that we had crossed it :-).

Whilst we waited on the stairs, we kept ourselves busy by playing Dumb charades. I was trying to enact the movie Glen Garry - Glen Ross ( Not many know about this movie, Alec Baldwin stars in it ) but gave up midway , because it was impossible to make the others understand. My friend completed it for me.While we did this I saw a man in a spider man costume come down the stairs with a TV crew tailing him. Wish I had the presence of mind to take his picture , it would have made a good post . I can only imagine his discomfort in the Spidey Suit in the Delhi heat!

Anyway finally got to see the movie. As usual ,like for any other non mainstream film , the hall was only 75% filled up. The movie is good value for money with great comic timing by everyone including Milind Soman . His smile lights up the screen :-)

Vinay Pathak is an aspiring singer who leads a simple life and works in the IT department. The movie is all about his interaction with Rajat Kapoor ( An arrogant businessman in the music industry ), Sarika ( His wife ), Milind Soman ( His wife's ex husband :-) ) and Ranveer Shorey ( His buddy in the IT dept ) .

Watch this film if you want value for money, its 2 hours of full entertainment.

Minal's rating:
Script - ****
Dialogues - ****

Overall - ****

Spider Man

2007-05-05T21:40:00.000+05:30

Saw Spider Man - 3 yesterday, it was a bollywood film masked cleverly with the hero in a Spider costume . Not my cup of tea, and I have been told that there are talks of making Spider Man 4!! Don't think its worth my while to even write the review.

Please go and see it and then leave a comment

Colors of India

2007-04-23T17:25:00.000+05:30

I found some of the pictures sent to me by a friend through email really nice so decided to post them. Enjoy!

Long time no write

2007-04-22T12:32:00.000+05:30

That is my version of " Long time no see", which is a common remark when you meet someone after a long time . Well changing Jobs, getting used to a new routine, taking a week break in between jobs, and then finally getting adjusted to Delhi's heat has been taking up most of my time.

Yesterday a few close friends planned an evening out to celebrate my husband's b'day. Good fun it was .. with the tastiest B'day cake I have had this year ( I can vouch for it !! ) . It was absolutely sinful with butterscotch on the sides and chocolate in the middle. 3/4th of it got over between us in the evening itself. Listened to some good music , Theme song of Wonder Years, Yellow , Songs by " Extreme" and some hindi music as well.

Finished off really late at around 3:00 AM and while heading back saw that there was a traffic jam on the Gurgaon road... Guess why.. , because there were 2 elephants with their mahouts walking on the road( See that is why I say these things can only happen in Delhi !! ). I kept telling myself , no wonder people who come to delhi the first time are disoriented ... because a traffic jam at 3:00 AM is something which only a Delhi or a Mumbai can boast of .