How and why do they come up with such ideas?

my propah time for accessing/reading/writing blog posts is lunch time at work. and at work they've now come up with this brilliant idea that actually bans access to such "time-wasting sites". I mean, it's pretty unlikely that i am going to spend my lucnh time doing work....

unless i can find time to write from home (WEEKENDS), the countdown has begun. My blog's days are numbered....*sigh*

My take on Om Shanti Om

Yes, I did go and see the movie! In the cinemas, no less.

In spite of the annoyingly in-your-face marketing!
In spite of the overkill of SRK’s 6-pack abs!

And I have no excuse for seeing it except that I really wanted to - see the movie, that is, not really SRK's abs - I'd seen them enough during the promos!

New girl Deepika Padukone - did someone/anyone say she’s the next Ash? Please! The girl is definitely not that. She can actually act – and well! The only similarities with Ash are that they are both from Karnatka, tall, models and look stunning.

Deepika looks even better in the movie than she did in the promos. Killer smile! She’s a winner all the way and the best thing about the movie.

The first half of the movie was hilarious and a laugh-a-minute. Although if you go to the theatre expecting OSO to be a homage to the ‘70s style-Bollywood, you’ll be in for a rude shock. It is more a satire, and there’s nothing even remotely respectful about the way the industry is portrayed – be it the ‘70s Bollywood or Kollywood. If it all wasn’t so funny, it would be downright rude.

SRK’s performance can be summed up in one word: overkill. Whether it be in either of his roles or baring his 6-pack abs (what was all the fuss about?) or doing his usual monkey antics...but you put up with it all simply because it is SRK and he does a great job of it, as usual. It's the only item number I've seen in recent movies where the 'item' is male;-)

As for the story, I found it easier to believe in the re-birth/bhooth bit than the lamebrain second half, which was so weak and so unbelievable. And there’s nothing sizzling at all between the second Deepika (Sandy) and the re-born SRK (Om Kapoor) – maybe they decided to do it that way coz Om is scared of fire so no sizzling please. Their love (for lack of a better word) appears so platonic, she could be his (much) younger sister for all it shows.

But SRK’s scenes as an egoistic superstar were really good. Although he hams, some parts are really funny. Comedy is still his forte, although he sheds bucketfuls of tears at the drop of a hat to bring out the ‘mother sentiments’ in the movie. Thank goodness he didn’t have a sister too, else we’d have been drowned in the flood.

You have all these other talented actors like Shreyas Talpade, Kiron Kher, etc in the movie. Arjun Rampal was good as the bad guy, esply in the first half. But then, pretty much every thing was good in the first half anyways. The highlight of the second half is the OSO title song that features the who’s who of Bollywood.

Bottomline is: it’s a riot of colours and music and a feast for the eyes. It’s complete and total timepass and paisa vasool. Don’t question, just sit back and enjoy the technically high-quality ride.

And, as for the story, don’t ask me – just go and watch the movie.

Food, In The Main...: KiwiGee's Recipes from Down Under - Groundnut chutney powder

Food, In The Main...: KiwiGee's Recipes from Down Under - Groundnut chutney powder

Worth my weight in gold

If I was made of gold, then apparently, I'd be worth $US723388!!!!

I am rich...in my dreams.

Mugshot

Is there anyone out there who loves their own mugshots? Do tell. As for me, I simply loathe mine but have to keep seeing it being published month after terrible month.... Aaaaaaaaaaaaargh!! Only consolation? Others have to see it too;-)

Gen Y in action

This was at the Diwali day celebs in Wellington, on 21 Oct, at TSB Arena. See if you can spot a familiar face or two...;-)



The youngsters performed a Carnatic music recital. They did a great job. And a lot of credit must go to teacher Jaishri and to Wlg Tamil Talkies.

Pics courtesy: WTT and Pixeload

Suffering from sunlessitis and Navarathri Syndrome...

OK, enough of gray, something cheerful, colourful coming up.
There was a dance troupe from Akl that performed the Kamba Ramayanam here recently. Such a pleasure to watch, it surely was!

Aograyroa

Grey clouds of gloom hanging all over the Land of the Long White Cloud today. And at work, long faces and post mortem discussion on the ABs’ quarterfinal loss to France. The absolutely foul weather (gale force winds, rains and no sun) and Monday morning blues don’t help either…something’s gotta give soon and I am hoping it will be the weather…

Note: The Maori name for NZ - Aotearoa - means land of the long white cloud: ao=cloud, tea=white, roa=long.

Sigh! Honesty forces me to admit that I came out as Sleeping Beauty!!!

P'raps I should have said fur is in or I love quacking!!!!!

Thanks Shyam, 4 da link!

You scored as Sleeping Beauty, Your alter ego is Princess Aurora, a.k.a. Sleeping Beauty! You are beautiful and enchanting, and as sweet as ever.

Sleeping Beauty		81%
Donald Duck		75%
Cinderella		69%
Goofy		63%
Peter Pan		56%
The Beast		50%
Ariel		50%
Pinocchio		44%
Cruella De Ville		31%
Snow White		25%

Last weekend, I visited an old people’s home (or retirement village or whatever you want to call it).

No, I don’t have anyone I know living there. What I do, along with a couple of friends, is to go there at lunch time on some Sundays and help the attendants there, as they are especially short-staffed on Sundays.

The help takes the form of feeding old people their lunch – as many of them can’t do it themselves any more.

So, last Sunday, it was my turn to feed an old man. I hadn’t seen him during my previous visits there. He must have been 80+ – another old face in a sea of old faces.

He made some sweeping movements with his hands when his lunch was set down in front of him and I assumed that maybe he wanted to feed himself. But an attendant hurried up to me and said I was to take no notice of what he was doing as he didn’t know what he was doing himself.

So, I started spooning food into his mouth and he ate it obediently enough (although he did try to spit some of the meat out, saying it was “tough”).

I started making some conversation with him, general stuff such as “are you enjoying your lunch”, “would you like some more mashed potato and peas with your meat, etc”, as it is so much nicer to do that rather than feeding them in total silence. He answered me very politely, saying it (the lunch) was quite nice etc.

Then, figuring that it would nice to talk to him using his name, I asked him what his name was.

He turned to me with a smile and said “I don’t know.” And then added, “I’ve never been very good with names.”

Bad hair day?

I opted for a new hair style yesterday.

The end result was that I simply loathed way it/I looked.

I spent most of the night agonising about it and wishing I could make it all grow back a la Harry Potter.

Come morning, the wild mop had settled down a bit and I felt brave enough to venture to work, all the while cursing the instinct that had led me into opting for this haircut. (Although I must admit that the temptation to take the day off for my mental health conditions was strong, especially it being a Friday).

And now in at work, I am surrounded by workmates all of whom let out admiring cries the minute they saw me. And then told me how well it suits me, how "mod" the cut was, how it makes my chinky (almost non-existent) eyes actually look bigger and what not!!!

All very, very comforting to me and my fragile ego, so I choose to believe it;-)

Go figure!!!

Happy 60th!

Just to get rid of the media-loves-only-negative-stories hype (even after all these years, I am conditioned to think I am still part of ‘media’ – how sad is that!!) here are two feel-good real-life stories. And appropriate to put them up today, I thought.
So, you think you can get any work done quickly on your PP/visa only if you give up your Indian citizenship and take on a foreign one? Because that way, it won’t be the Indian embassy that is doing the work, right? Wrong!! So, so wrong.
I had a name endorsement I needed on my PP (and I am still on an Indian PP) – and the Indian High Commission (there’s only one in NZ – in Wellington) had it done (correctly) and sent me back my PP – from my dropping off my PP to receiving the completed product – all it took was two working days!!
Go beat that! Who says our Government can’t function efficiently (at least, when there are no meddling retards masquerading as politicians to throw spanners in the works)?
Here’s one more.
Another step forward – a happy beginning at least!
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/asia/article2246476.ece
Happy 60th, India! And may you have many, many more happier returns!

I haven't had such a good laugh in ages: just wanted to share it around. Believe me, it'll make your day;-)

http://www.rediff.com/movies/2006/apr/28mistress.htm

3 minutes' silence

I don't know what or if it will do any good, but after reading this http://www.stuff.co.nz/4151898a10.html and much much more about this little girl, who is just the latest in a long line of horrendously-abused children, I felt, like thousands of others in NZ, that we had to do something, at least what this email (which I have reproduced below) asked:

Call for Nationwide ‘Stand’ Against Child Abuse
This Wednesday
12:12pm for 3 minutes
Family First NZ , For the Sake of Our Children Trust and the Sensible Sentencing Trust have joined together to call on all NZers to stand against child abuse this Wednesday.
They are asking NZers to stop whatever they are doing - to come out onto the street, outside the office or classroom, to stop their car or truck and stand outside their vehicle - and make a symbolic ‘stand’ against child abuse for three minutes at 12:12pm.
The three minutes represents the three short years of little Nia’s life, and the number 12 is significant as it represents the months of the year where children are abused, neglected and killed in NZ.
The three short minutes is an opportunity for each person to reflect on what each one of us can do to be part of the solution to our unacceptable rate of child abuse .
They are also requesting all radio stations to play Destiny Child’s “Stand Up For Love” during these 3 minutes. This song was the Anthem for the World Children’s Day 2005.
OUR CHILDREN ARE SUFFERING. NO MORE.
Please forward this message on.

There are others who feel this isn't enough, but I feel something has to be done - and if different people want to do it differently, so be it.

1. Interventionist
2. Militates
3. incentivised
4. volunteerism
5. inter vivos

These are five 'new' (to me) words that I learnt on the job yesterday.

Here's one thing I absolutely can't stand!

It happened again this morning on the train. The guy, two seats ahead of me, switched on his iPod. And I could hear every screaming word of all the songs he was listening to.

Given that anyone (normal) who travels on the train to work at the unearthly hour of 6.30 am in winter, will be far too miserable to make conversation, the iPod sounds practically reverberates around the compartment.

And, it's all I can do to control myself from walking upto the offender and telling him: "Look mate, you may be deaf, we're not, so turn it down, will ya?"

Missing portrait

(spoilers ahead for all you people from Mars who still haven't read the book)

I now have another query - on 'HP & DH" of course.

Everytime you read the book, new things strike you. At least, they do strike me.

Ok, the question is, why was there no portrait of Snape in the Headmaster's study when Harry, Ron and Hermione go in there at the end?

Harry, of course, goes in to check with Dumby on what to do with the Hallows. But at the end of book 6, there was a new portrait of Dumby in the room as soon as he died. So why was there not one of Snape, as he had been the Headmaster and had died by then? (Hopefully, Harry would have been humane enough to bury Snape next to Lily).

Also, very conveniently for Harry, he starts reading Voldy's moods again throughout this book. How did this change, from Book 6, when Voldy was employing Occlumency against Harry so he could not read his thoughts? I guess Voldy had other things on his mind in this book...

I am very nearly obssessed, need to get off Potteritis soon... anyway, answers anyone?

And hopefully, no one will still want me to put up spoilers now... but maybe I should, just in case...

HP & Deathly Hallows - thoughts from second reading

I still don't get why Dumby had to be downsized in stature - he was such a towering impressive figure in all the other books. Maybe just so Harry would find everything harder and still triumph in the end? And also to fit in the Deathly Hallows etc?

And if Marvolo (Voldy grandpa) was a Peverell and Harry is also the last of another Peverall line, does this mean Harry and Voldy are distantly related? Is that why Tom Riddle felt there was a strange likeness between himself and Harry ? (Book 2)

And I noticed just now that Harry does not kill even one Horcrux in this book, although he did start the process in Book 2. Funnily enough, even Crabbe (or is it Goyle) gets to kill one (unknowingly of course) using Fiendfyre.

I was thrilled to see I had guessed right about three things,after finishing Book 6:

1. That RAB would be Regulus Black and that he may not have destroyed the Horcrux.
2. That Dumbledore's photo in the principal's study would play its part in helping Harry.
3. And that Snape wasn't as bad as he seemed to be - and he's probably one of the best characters Rowling's created. So effective and after being such a heel to Harry in all the books, he still earns our sympathy when we get to hear his true story. Truly, I ended up feeling he may have been a better man than James Potter. Although Rowling did her best to confuse us by showing Snape making the Unbreakable Vow, killing Dumby etc, so that we wouldn't figure out where his loyalties lay.

The last chapter was a lost cause. I could and did work out that Victoire was Bill and Fleur's daughter, but how on earth was 19-year-old Teddy Tonks on the Hogwarts train? Don't students finish with Hogwarts by the time they are 17? And too many kids and too many names in this chapter. I liked the bit about Albus Severus, though.

Also not sure how Kreacher, whom we last saw in 12 Grimmauld Place, turns up to join all the other house elves in the Battle of Hogwarts.

Pettigrew's death was a loser and Dobby's death was terribly sad. Bellatrix's end was satisfying, although I would have loved it if Neville or Lupin (before he died) had been the ones to kill her.

But what a wonderful way in which Rowling has fitted all the charaters together. What a read. What a read!

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

Stayed up way past midnight on Saturday (July 21)to finish reading this one.

Maybe I should put up a spoiler alert before talking any more about it.

The good news for me is that Rowling kept deaths to the minimum - if even so many didn't die, You-Know-Who kind of loses his scare appeal, doesn't he? Some of the deaths are really, really sad. And again, there are soemtimes sections of the book that are very depressing (unlike the previous book). This one's a bit like 'Order of the Phoenix'.

And JK being JK, almost all the loose threads from the previous books are neatly tied up, thanks to the ever-convenient Pensieve and a chance encounter Harry has, titled 'King's Cross'. I say almost, as I am still not sure about a couple of them. Will revise the book to see if I have missed it...

I wished she hadn't painted Dumbledore in so many shades of grey - but I guess the end justifies the means.

And the biggest surprise is how Harry manages to destroy the Horcruxes (come on, you knew that this book was only about how Harry manages to do that). Hermione and Ron actually get to destroy one each. And unbelievably, Neville destroys one more. And the last one is destroyed by none other than You-Know-Who himself....hard to believe? But that is the truth. Hats off to Rowling for that one.

And for all of you out there, if you still haven't read it, do. It is well worth it.

There, a review without giving away too much of what really happens.

This touched a chord

Read this today - this story goes by the headline of "Unwanted Indian granny thrown on rubbish dump".
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/2/story.cfm?c_id=2&objectid=10452613
Words fail me. What are we coming to?
I think it's high time we gave up double standards and admitted that what we need in India are good quality old age homes like in the West. At least, that way, we won't have to dump them so horribly. It can be done in a more refined way...

Another day

another dollar! Back at work yet again!
And is there anything good about today? Yes, my comments section is back, thank goodness!

More than 100 hits in two days and not one comment!! So what does that tell me? It tells me that I've successfully managed to do something to vanish the comments section ...have to work on this...

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Saw HP and the Order of the Phoenix last night. And actually, I found it well-made and quite crisp. Enjoyed it. It was as good a movie can be when you take out the 1000 extra details that can figure only in a book.

Can hardly wait for Book #7.

Sivaji – the Boss in Windy Wlg – my review

Probably the zillionth review of the movie online, but who cares, it’s what I think that counts and my two cents are important to me.

Prologue: Even before you get into the theatre, school your mind to employ a very high degree of willing suspension of disbelief technique.

Alright, yesterday was the day we saw this movie.

Extremely entertaining, technically brilliant – typical director Shankar trademarks – hats off to art director and cinematographer. And of course, being a thalaivaa movie, the fights were snazzily choreographed as well. A la Matrix and Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon style…But the huge wheel fight reminded me of Pirates 2, where there is a similar scene.

A lot of touches from Shankar's other (and older) movies are visible. And I found the movie a bit stretchy…by the time Mottaboss came on screen, I was a teeny bit restless...and the last half hour of the story was too crowded - too many things fitted into it.

Rajini is Thalaivaa, no doubts about that. And he gets away with it all here. Nevertheless, he does look tired and jaded – there is no freshness in his acting or mannerisms. And yes, in spite of the careful makeup, he does look old enough to be Shriya’s dad. And (I know that I am going to be murdered in my sleep for saying this) I think he should quit while he is ahead instead of being forced to quit due to a string of flops (that has happened to the best, eg, Rajini’s Baba is a case in point). Or he should go for more Sultan-type movies (his next, which is an animated pic being made by his daughter, where he does the voice over). His take-off of yesteryear stars like Sivaji Ganesan and MGR was hilarious. But his scenes of bathroom humour were pretty crass.

The movie was less of Shankar and more of Rajini – but full marks to Shankar for presenting a much more stylish Rajini – my pick was ‘Mottaboss’ (although his motta did look a bit artificial). And the worst of the lot was the vellai Tamizhan – blond, blue-eyed, white-skinned Rajini – gross as!

I enjoyed Vivek’s comedy thoroughly, have always found his style a lot classier than Vaigai puyal’s (Vadivelu), which is largely slapstick and mostly unsophisticated.

Heroine Shriya seems to have a lot in common with yesteryear Rajini heroines like Meena and Soundarya, including the fact that she is baby-faced (kind of) and young enough to be his daughter. She provides the oomph factor adequately in the songs. But why was her ‘dhavani’ tied so strangely? And why so many wardrobe malfunctions during the songs? In most of them, she appeared in a variety of beautifully made and absolutely stunning lingerie-type outfits. Maybe they were meant to be passed off as her costumes, but I swear I had to grab my glasses to make sure – no wonder they’re calling her the hottest thing after Simran!!! But all the clothes, be they lingerie or not, flattered her figure and she looked ravishing. As for her acting, well…..not really much to say. And Nayantara in the 'item number' Balleilakka' was so lost...

Rajini’s mannerisms: no punch lines, and no flipping ciggies into his mouth. Instead we have him first flipping chewing gum into his mouth. Later on, he goes around flipping the one Re coin that the villain (fairly good job by Suman) gives him. Of course, he flips the coin into his pocket, not into his mouth – just thought I would explain the obvious, just in case;-). Then towards the end of the movie, Mottaboss starts drumming on his motta head in every scene. The sound is actually quite hollow - an empty top storey? Or was it a false ceiling?

Music: ARR had done a great (not fantastic though) job given the constraints of composing music for a Rajini film. And song picturisation was the usual Shankar – classy!

Disappointments:
Rajini’s bathroom/toilet humour.
Too much of Rajini’s family chasing Shriya’s family – got tedious during the lunch scenes.

And the biggest disappointment of all, at least according to me, was the way Shriya attacks Rajini for being dark and says they won’t make a good pair, simply because she is so fair and he is so dark. And our Thalaivaa, instead of telling her to go jump, actually goes home and rolls around in fair and lovely and bleaching powder, soaks in a tub of multani mitti, wears an airconditioning suit to avoid getting tanned further and drinks gallons of saffron milk (another opportunity for toilet humour) in the quest to match Shriya’s fairness.

Of course, at the end of it all, Shriya says she was actually lying and she likes him because he’s dark, but I did wonder what sort of a message this sent out our junta, who are all already obsessed with Fair and Lovely! Too bad this issue was used as an opportunity to further the comedy track rather than to let our Thalaivaa tell the junta that black is really beautiful.

Of course, the thrill of watching the Boss on big screen, surrounded by a desi audience, who screamed and whistled at all the right places, was great.

And storyline: One man Boss(Bachelor of Social Service). That man Sivaji. As simple (and non-existent) as that.

And my verdict? Paisa vasool alright, but only just!

Epilogue: 8 out of 10, I think (after much thought, coz the movie was overall a really good show. For me the let-down was that it was not a 10 on 10, especially with all those credits and after all that hype.)

Punctured and taped

Me! Or more accurately, the skin on my left shoulder/back.

First punctured with acupunture needles.

And then the remains taped up by my very able physiotherapist to 'pull' my shoulder back to its right position. All thanks to OOS.

Computers have a lot to answer for!

'Sivaji - the Boss' in Windy Wellington NZ...almost here

They also serve - those who stand and wait, at the world's end. No no, not the pirates. I meant us film-mad southie Indians (I don’t think too many north Indians would be rushing to see Rajini – they can anyways see Hindi movies in the regular theatres) here in NZ, specifically in Wellington, waiting patiently to watch the latest offering from Kollywood.

Down here in the Antipodes, the drip effect takes a long long while to reach Wlg.

After doing the rounds in Oz, Aucklanders became the first Kiwis to cheer at the first sight of da Boss or to wolf whistle whenever Shriya came on screen. Reactions have been mixed.

Now that they are done with the movie, we were waiting here with bated breath for Thalaivaaaaaaaaah to land here.

Finally, Sivaji - is here. The Boss is here. Finally here in Wellington. At long last. Rajini - king of Style...(and to think I didn't give a hang for da Boss and was never a big fan when I was in India - of course, no one's gonna believe me if I say that now)

We are having 2 shows of ‘Sivaji – the Boss’ on Sunday (July 8). And come what may – hail or wind or temperatures of zero degrees C (which is a possibility, given that it’s winter here), you can bet our frozen toes (or any other parts of our nearly-thawed anatomies) that we will be there at the theatre on Sunday.

Unlike some idiots in Chennai who paid up to Rs 1500 for tickets, we are paying only $18 per person here. But we are still idiots, as a normal English blockbuster ticket doesn’t cost more that $15 anyways….and you wouldn’t catch me going for ‘Ocean’s 13’ (in spite of all that eye candy in it) on any other day except a hot Tuesday when I need to pay only $9 for my ticket….talk about priorities.

I am only scared that after all this hype, ‘Sivaji’ may be a big letdown. That’s been happening so often in the recent past….good reviews etc, but the actual product turns out to be pretty lacklustre. But wait…all will be revealed in 6 days’ time… Rajini+Shankar+ARR should be equivalent to at least paisa vasool if not equal to it…

The dark side

He may be the best thing that has happened to Tamil cinema since...well, since whoever or whatever. His movies maybe be slickly made and technically superb. Granted!!

But am I the only one who has noticed the dark thread that is a constant in Gautam Menon's movies?

Take Kaakha Kaakha, Vettaiyadu Vilayadu or Pachaikili Muthucharam. Even his light-hearted Minnale - I found it a bit depressing somehow. The other three - suffice to say that I won't watch them more than once. Even that was 'dark' enough.

Why is it that we seem to be picking up the worst along with the best things from Hollywood?

Lunch

Me: (talking to 5-year-old daughter who has just come back from school): So , what did you have for lunch today?
N: Sandwich.
Me: How many did you have?
N: (after a small pause): V - U - N.
Me: ?????

Navarathri Fudge

April 2005 to 7 May 2007.

No more pets for us. Can't take any more grief.

Aish forever

Today, we have two different Abhiash stories in NZ media - on stuff.co.nz (maybe there's more on others, haven't honeslty bothered to look):

http://www.stuff.co.nz/4043215a1860.html

First one says, that everyone is pretty sure they are not honeymooning in NZ, but still, exhorts readers to contact them in case they’ve seen the couple sometime, somewhere... maybe they are in Fiji’s paradise resorts…

http://www.stuff.co.nz/4042295a19716.html

And the second one talks about how flawless skin is a must-have for celebs to endorse products. And how Aishwarya Bachchan nee Rai has it all!!!

Now don’t ask me why an overkill of Aish in our teeny tabloid press down under – I wouldn’t have a clue…

Oh and there’s also a bit about how Indian models are more amply endowed than their Western counterparts. Check out http://www.stuff.co.nz/4010169a11215.html

Ooh, all hi-fi stuff for sure. Not at all like some of the third world tripe that’s normally dished out under the heading ‘India’.

Beyond ridiculous

Groannnnnnnnnn. Half the office has been asking me about this:
http://www.stuff.co.nz/4040200a1860.html

What is obscene about this? What crap!

To be perfectly honest, the idiots who are doing all this for publicity’s sake are the ones who ought to be jailed – for destroying India’s reputation as a tolerant, vibrant and wannbe modern country. They are outraging the country's sensibility.

What about Madhavan - he kissed Vidya Balan in ‘Guru’.

When will they toss Hrithik and Aish into jail for Dhoom 2? There was talk about it anyways.

And to go far far back, are we going to see Aamir and Karisma in the clinker for ‘Raja Hindustani’? Not to forget that the above kisses were mouth to mouth, not just on the cheek.

It’s very hard being Indian and having to explain all this s__t, especially to phirangis. More so when Gere didn’t do a bloody thing wrong. I want to be proud of being Indian, not embarassed.

Finally, I got out of my writer's block and posted on my other blog. Short and by no means sweet. But still, a post.

Calling people names

I had one of my nicest and most interesting projects to do at work today.

Got a call from one of our managers up in Auckland. She wanted a favour from me. And guess what it was? She was to be MCing a function that evening. And she had a lot of Indian/Middle Eastern names to get through as part of the MCing. So could I help her with the correct pronunciation?

I was totally impressed with her attitude. But still I had to ask her. Why?

Well, I would hate it if anyone pronounced my name wrongly (mind you, most people won’t as her name’s quite simple and straight-forward). So I guess it’s the same for everyone, she said.

How simply and succinctly put.

Do I need to add that I put my best efforts into getting her pronunciation right? He he. She even got my name right!!!!

Well said, Shilpa. Am so glad she didn't apologise and I think what she said was sensible too. Simply because I think this is ridiculous, to say the very least. I am, of course, talking about the big fuss about Richard Gere kissing Shilpa – and that too, only on her cheek. What is wrong with that? For starters, Shilpa herself didn’t mind. Why should any one else then? She seemed pretty happy with it, going by the pics. But was the kiss un-Indian? Oh yes, it surely is. We worship women as ‘mata’ in India, remember. But it’s perfectly ok to drool over the same women on screen – take even Shilpa for instance. She’s been prancing around in some pretty skimpy costumes for a while now, just like most of our heroines. Or to nudge or pinch or finger the same ‘matas’ in crowded buses and trains. Or to go onto porn sites via the Internet. Or to take sick pics on cellphone cameras..or to…..the list goes on and on. But all that is ok, because it’s all done by us desis. The minute a phirangi Gere comes along and goes something like this, so that’s totally wrong, isn’t it? Our cultural police swing into action because he is insulting Indian culture. Talk about double standards. And I didn’t really notice Shilpa protesting much. The way our movies (and our culture) is going is so Western. Our clothes are western, our speech is western and even our film actors look and talk Western. Heroines no longer have a pan-Indian look – they go for the pan-European look (a la Italian, Spanish etc). They even try and talk English with a Yank accent. Heck, they even kiss like the Western movies nowadays… But something small like this happens and we act as though we’re all dressed in saris and dhothis and talking only Hindi (or whatever) and as though Partition and Globalisation haven’t happened. As though it is now 1907. Talk about dumb and dumber…
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And then there's the Abhiash wedding...God, what an overkill!! The media’s becoming worse that the UK tabloid press. Reckon we’re making up for all the lost time with a vengeance.

All of a sudden

Someone must have been listening when I mentioned that bit about doing up a blog on my grandparents. Suddenly on March 16, got a phone call from my mom in Chennai saying my grandmother had been admitted to ICU. And the next day, I was on a plane, enroute to Chennai.

Back in NZ after a tumultous two weeks during which my family here somehow managed with a lot of help from good friends ( I went to India alone). My grandmother's now back home. But she's been afflicted by senile dementia. And all my fears are for my mom, who is now handling it all alone there on a permanent basis. With as much help as my brother (& his family) and a cousin (& her family) can give her. But unfortunately, they are both unable to be in Chennai on a daily basis and also have their own problems to handle anyways.

When human help fails, you can only look to the Divine.

Headstand

Last night, at yoga, we were practising how to do headstands (only partial ones, not the full ones where you literally stand straight on your head). And they were hard and tricky enough, never mind their benefits (flow of blood to the brain etc)

Doing that (partial) headstand took me years back into my past, when as a 8-year-old (guesstimate - I could have been younger than that) I watched my thatha (grandfather - mum's dad) do the complete headstand and jumped up and down with excitement of seeing someone standing upside down. He must have been at least 75 then. But I can still recall how effortlessly and for how long he stood on his head and how vehemently he opposed my desire to imitate him.
I can see why now - I would have probably broken my neck trying it.

I figure that in many ways they don't make them like that anymore. He and my grandmother had such a interesting, colourful and fraught life. Maybe it was a generational thing. ..
Maybe I should just blog about some highlights of their life. That would keep me in the blogging business for years...

Lost in translation

The other day, was trying to translate 'Kann kolla kaatchi' to a colleague. Messed it up big time I think, going by the fact that J was in splits with my random-as efforts.

Tell me, how can you do that one. What would you use - literal or contextual meaning?

Somethings will never change.

This morning, I saw an old man paying off a taxi driver outside the railway station. A gust of wind suddenly blew away a 5$ note from the man's hand. The note flew near the stationary taxi's wheel - and promptly, the old man brought his shoe down on the note to pin it, and then leaned down to pick up the money with a relieved laugh.

I physically cringed. I could see the practical side of it, but still, I cringed.

Somethings will never change.

I guess sometimes you can take the Indian out of India but you can' take all the India out of an Indian...

Love all these colours on my blog - they clash so magnificently with each other.

Why is it that you feel 'bhakti paravasam' when MS sings a song and feel nothing at all when someone else sings it?

'3' tag

Thanks Shyam for this one...

I still have many unfinished tags, much to my everlasting shame....no wonder hardly anyone tags me anymore.....

Three things that scare me:
1. Losing family/friends
2. Loud sudden noises and people creeping up silently behind me (they're always doing to me at work, just to see me panicking)
3. The thought of becoming deaf or blind

Three people who make me laugh (really hard one, this):
1. Some friends (with them, not at them)
2. My little littlie
3. Vivek's and slapstick comedy

Three things I love:
1. My kind of music
2. The view from my lounge windows (all green hills and tall pines, with birdsong in the background and mostly, peaceful)
3. To be told that I am organised, friendly, helpful and efficient (yikes, what have I become)

Three things I hate:
1. Smell of any seafood being cooked
2. Abuse of any kind
3. Slugs (for sure, Shyam)

Three things I don’t understand:
1. Myself
2. People
3. Maths

Three things on my desk (at home- what desk????):

Three things I’m doing right now:
1. Feeling sleepy (it is 11.16 pm now)
2. Thinking how to find answers to all these questions
3. Wondering if I can make it upto 12 midnight, as today is Sivarathiri..

Three things I want to do before I die:
1. Become thin
2. Travel a bit
3. Gain true knowledge

Three things I can do:
1. Cook
2. Multitask
3. Yell and swear

Three things you should listen to:
1. The flute, played by any maestro in any genre of music
2. What your kids say
3. What your parents say

Three things you should never listen to:
1. Tamil 'sexy' movie songs - the lyrics are so salacious, they make me blush and worse
2. People who don't know what they are talking about
3. Politicians and CEOs

Three things I’d like to learn:
1. How to write a good media release
2. How to let my mind 'go'
3. Patience

Three favourite foods:
1. Puliyorai (esply made by my grandmother)
2. Dosas with milagaai podi (true Madrasi touch, that)
3. Podi potta kathirikkai
And I could give you at least 10 sweets that I love. You know me, I only never eat more than I can lift....

Three beverages I drink regularly:
1. Coffee (of all kinds)
2. Water
3. Fruit juice/smoothie

Three books I read as a kid:
1. Enid Blyton
2. Amar Chitra Katha
3. Nancy Drew/Hardy Boys mysteries

And what this tag has shown me is how much we still have in common, Shyam, even after all these years. Whoo hoo - way to go, girl! Amazing how many answers I lifted straight from your tag...;-)

I'd like to tag no one specific, thanks. Sorry to be a wet blanket - but anyone who wants to can go right ahead and blog on the '3 tag'....

The southerlies

have already started blowing...

Whatever happened to summer? Did I miss it when I blinked?

Frustrating

to think of perfectly satisfactory few-liner posts, only to forget what it was you were thinking about by the time you get a few minutes to blog .....

So, finally, Shilpa has even won Big Brother.
And what did she have to say for herself?

Quite a lot, from the looks of it and all of it.....someone, pass me a bucket, quick.

Iraqi justice sees Saddam hanged to death - in Iraq.
And we riot in India for that - and kill/injure our own people.
Am I missing something here?

Swarovski crystal

Ever seen/bought any of it?
I did, for the first time today.
Gorgeous - absolutely.
And the prices - atrocious.

Sans microwave,

life stinks. How did I ever live w/o one in my not-so-distant Indian past?
Now, till this one is fixed, my life is broken....

Papertree St she said, I thought as I drove down the road for the umpteenth time, looking for the street. Why couldn't I find it?

I passed another st that had a name beginning with 'P'. I reversed slightly to get a better look.

Peppertree St, it was.

Accents are funny things. Next time, I'll get her to spell it for me instead.

Pongalo pongal

HAPPY BHOGI, PONGAL, UZHAVAR THIRUNAAL, MAATTU PONGAL, KANU PONGAL, THIRUVALLUVAR DAY AND KAANUM PONGAL TO YOU ALL.

Today is Maattu pongal.
We don't have a maadu (cow/bull) to dress up like we used to in India.
So we are going to have a blast with our Fudgie.
He's got far too much fur for us to do much, but we will still try.
And if it works out, will put up the pics on the blog too.
Hee hee, that will be fun.
Happy Muyal (rabbit) Pongal everyone.

Hee hee

It was going to be her dream job.
It is turning out to be perfect -
A perfect nightmare!