Lost in Utopia

Tamil Movie Villains !!!

2012-01-15T10:00:00.000+05:30

It has been more than a year since I came here and registered [shared] anything. My kid is 1 year already and no wonder time just flew away !! When I read all the previous posts everything seems like a dream. Well let me come straight to the point and share what I feel about the recent villains in Tamil Cinema.

Yesterday I got free tickets for the movie 'Vettai' starring Madhavan, Arya, Amla Paul and Sameera. The casting was so interesting that I didn't want to miss the chance. The movie was 'okay' types and I did enjoy the comedy here and there. There was something that was annoying me ever since the movie started and that was the non-tamil speaking villain with a very bad lip sync. Gosh it was intolerable. Not just in this movie but it started long back [remember movie Dhill?] and the worst part is all villains have the same person doing the dubbing !!

Since they don't know the language, their body language seems so kiddish. For eg - If the villain says 'Jump down from the tall tower' , he literally raises his hand up [with so much extra effort] and swings it down to enact the above lines. This is so kiddish and makes us feel like we are watching some school kids drama.

Also the villains have very few dialogues and more threatening noises [which is annoying again] like.. Eeeeiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii, Oiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii.... etc Glad my daughter didn't accompany us, else she would have started imitating all these sounds !!

There are so many good Tamil speaking villains whom the directors can opt for or at least they can train them properly for the lip sync so that it does not become very irritating by the end of the movie. I so wanted the villain to die [poor guy] so that I need not get annoyed often. Also the villains need not perform a mini dance raising their hands and legs up in the place of simple acting.

I feel I would have enjoyed the movie much better if there was a Tamil speaking villain in the Tamil movie Vettai.

Few Updates

2010-11-08T16:48:00.005+05:30

Hi All,

I have enjoyed each and every minute here in my blog space along with your encouragement and support. I like to thank all of you here who have enjoyed this space as much as I did and also for your awesome response and valid suggestions. Thank you :)

I wanted to update few things here and they are

1.Wish you and your family and very happy and prosperous Diwali :) Wish this Diwali brings you all luck and all that you have wished for :)

2.As most of you know I am expecting my first kid any time soon. This 10th is my due date and God only knows when I'll get the labour pain. So after my delivery I am not sure when I can be back here. So till then I request you all to hold back and wait for sometime. Thank you.

3.As blogrolling has ceased their operation I have removed the widget from my blog. Though I remember most of your blog links I might miss few of your links. So kindly apologize and please mail me your blog links to desirenzeal@gmail.com.

Till we catch up again, Love you all and Take Care :)

The Cute Lil Feel

2010-10-07T15:33:00.002+05:30

Towards the end of my pregnancy !!!!!! Really excited to share all those wonderful moments [last few months].

When it started it was very simple and normal. As it was just 3 months after my marriage, it was too quick when I came to know that I am carrying. Got an appointment with my doctor and nothing struck me until I was lying down for my first scan. When I was peeping at the screen all I expected to see is an oval egg shaped image. [I thought it is too early to expect any human shaped figure] To my surprise what I saw was really really a tiny figure with a big head and not so proportionate body. I couldn't believe my eyes !!!!! I didnt expect this at all... and I had gone all alone for the scan. I couldn't control my tears and I think the Doc guessed it and asked "Is this your first child?" I said "Yes" showing all my teeth.

As soon as the scanning was over, I rushed to the loo and cried for few mins. My happiness knew no bounds :) The moment I felt I have a baby inside me.... Gosh.... I tell you the best feeling anyone could ever get. [I really pity all guys for not having this option of having a kid ;)] Holding my tummy and embracing it I could not stop my tears for a while. I was glad that neither mum nor my hubby was around, else I would have just bursted out and embarrassed them.

From then on I kept noting down everything new that happened to me or the kid. On our 6th month anniversary [if nothing exists of that sort then assume we created it for ourselves ;)] was the day I felt my baby moving inside me for the first time. I really wished my hubby could feel the same and yes he did the very next moment. Then it slowly grew by playing with the kid, talking, tickling and all fun followed :)

Having just 4 weeks to go !!!!!! I really couldn't believe that I have crossed 36 weeks already. Everything seems to be happening so quick and sturdy as if I am rushing for something :) Now baby doesn't have much space to play around in my tummy that it keeps pushing me on either side as if it is waiting to pop out any time.

It is really God's gift that we women get this opportunity to carry a life within us !!!!! I feel blessed. :)

Knock Knock..

2010-08-06T12:50:00.007+05:30

I think everything has happened very quickly, as if I was rushing to finish it all. When I turn back and see my spinster days.. Gosh I miss you very badly and I know I can never get back to you :(

This does not necessarily mean that I am not happy with this married life, but it is different and new and the feeling for my spinster days is kind of nostalgic. Having a lovely husband and carrying a tiny little kid – all happened in 9 months :) I am expecting my kid by this November. I feel really fortunate and blessed and all my prayers these days are for the little angel I am carrying inside me. Once again it makes me feel proud that God made me a women who gets such an awesome feeling of motherhood :)

I was really into a new world and it took very long to get back to all of you here. I am really sorry about that and I am making it a point to continue with my passion here after. Don’t know how far I will be successful but all your support will draw me back here for sure :)

I am really happy to be here and the mere thought that I am going to do what I love makes me excited and gives me a boost. I really don’t know how to express what I feel. I missed all you guys here Preeti, CU, Jaggu, Shashi, Aashi, CM-Chap. Sorry if I have missed anyone here, each one of my visitors are special to me.

Also planning to open a new blog for my recent passion for cosmetics and make up. If you get a chance do visit me there as well. Love you all :)

Cosmetic Craze-2

2010-07-03T16:15:00.004+05:30

I am here again after a while as a to-be ‘Makeup Addict’ !!!!!!!!

As a sequel of my previous blog here are the updates related to my cosmetic craze ;)

I have become a member of the IMBB – Indian Makeup and Beauty Blog where I have started blogging about beauty products that I have been using and letting people know my views on the product :) I am still in the initial phase of “Detailed Reading along with Craving” -trust me. Though initially my plan was to purchase products worth Rs.3000, I ended up spending Rs.1100. Not bad right ???? I have not even crossed half of what I had planned, so I told myself- “Good, You are still under control”

Today I am here to put up a shot note on a International Give Away Sale on IMBB !!!! All girls are so excited as this is an International Give Away of beauty products. I am so excited jumping [not literally as I have my baby sleeping inside me – another happy news to share with you guys. This needs a separate post, so will write one soon.] This sale is to celebrate that we have reached 500 blogs in just 9 months time and I think it is worth this big celebration !!!

All girls here, do visit the link below and try grabbing those awesome stuff listed there.

All guys here, do tell your wife, daughter, friends, girl friends and I am sure they’ll be excited too. Who would like to miss such a chance of getting awesome brands in their pockets without spending even a penny?

The link : The International Give Away on IMBB

I think I am making the competition more tough, adding more competitors, but still hoping for a small luck to favor me : ) Wish me good luck and do visit the blog.

You can also see my blogroll and click on ‘Makeup and Beauty’ to visit the blog whenever you would like to :)

Cosmetic Craze

2010-05-13T17:24:00.007+05:30

Having no work I was just ‘googling’, I actually don’t remember what I was looking for.. [These days I even forget my husband’s face!!! lol ;) Sorry Raj. I pity myself for my bad memory] Anyways I was just rambling and I ended up reading two ‘beauty and cosmetics’ blog, one stumbled upon by myself and on discussing about it with my friend she suggested the other one, helping me to kill more time.

Initially [or just 2 days back] I was shocked and confused thinking...
1.How can anyone buy / afford to buy so many cosmetics?
I’ll say they would have at least 20-25 lip gloss, 10 foundations, 30 moisturizers, 50 brushes, 30 eye and lip liners, 10 shampoos and conditioners and list goes on and on and on.
2.How can anyone try so many products and yet not spoil their skin and hair?
3.They have been doing this for years and still have not lost interest!!!!
4.How their husbands don’t complain about their cosmetic craze!!!!!

The above few are just samples [I really cant list all of those silly questions here]

It started with a shock in my face and I ended up as an addict :( I’ll blame my superiors for not assigning me work and hence this still continues though I dont want to…

My Stages of Development:

2 days back -> Yesterday -> Today :(
Just Looking ->Brief Reading ->Detailed Reading along with craving :(

Now I ended up listing a few things. Yesterday there were just 4 products in my list [costing approximately Rs.2500] and today it is 6 [might be Rs.3000]. This is not in my budget for the month but given another few days I might buy at least 2 of them. [My mind voice: Guys please distract me or just give me some work]. Then I thought of my blogs and here I am.

Hi all !!!!!! Have fun :)

P.S : Im a girl wearing just a lip gloss and kajal everyday and even during any occassion.

Face the(of) Horror

2010-02-25T12:13:00.004+05:30

I still remember the times I’d mention to my friends saying,

“Oh please don’t take your mustache, it might not be in trend but it is very unpleasant to see a guy without it. Actually I’d say mustache reflects a guy's manliness.”

This would have happened approximately 3-4 years back and till then I was pretty sure that I’d get married to a guy only if he had a mustache [I cant believe I said that !!!!!] Aarthi you were soo.. sooo.. I dono.. absurd.. nope it is not the perfect word. I still remember guys teasing me

“Your husband will have a muruku meesa [big curled mustache] for sure.”

Fortunately after 3 years I found this guy completely shaved [not his head though] and I still liked him.

This guy has gone completely insane in the past few weeks. He is growing his mustache vigorously. Vigor is not in the growth [poor hubby] but only in his intention. He accepts it is not very comfortable to have it and he has no reason for growing it, might be my objection drives him the most ;)

It has already been a month and all his friends and colleagues are teasing, pleading, shouting at him to change this new avatar as he looks like an uncle and not a 'just-married' guy. In between there are also sympathizing mails, chat and conversations and supportive words to encourage me to face this terror everyday without taking any shock.

The pathetic thing is sometimes I don’t even recognize him when I see him at a distance or when he crosses me and I get to have a glance for a second.

I just say to myself “Oh someone new is around” .
I was glad to know that this is definitely not an abnormality within me but even couple of his friends have shared the same experience with me.

I’ve been trying my level best to post his pic here with the new mustache but all in vain.

So guys pray for this co-blogger to have a strong and healthy heart for a considerable period of time.

Soon you can see the ‘Before’ and ‘After’ pics of him and you all will get a chance to vote your choice. So be prepared to cast your vote and remember guys I’m your co-blogger. It should keep ringing in your ears while you vote. ;)

Coming Soon….

I'm Alive

2010-01-19T18:12:00.001+05:30

To continue with where I stopped, my birthday went really well, would say this was one of my best birthdays ever!!!!

The last time I blogged [April 14th] think was the last time I was really upset, after which everything till now is smooth and fine. Love u blogosphere.. :) and pity you people who read all my emotional crap and still ask me to blog more. I appreciate your guts ;) and love you all a lot.

Though I am not very comfortable to sit next to my boss and blog, I thought I should at least start now and finish it whenever I get some time at home. Thanks to all the servers that are down and developers who are still on their way to work till which I can spend some time in this utopia. Trust me I am really happy to be here after a long while.

This period of time- April to Jan had taught me a lot, I really mean a looooooooot. Every one of us would have heard a million times about it but only when we experience it we get the true essence and we realize it completely.

I am talking about marriage, life partner, the new life, etc. I had to face this terrifying ‘M’ factor on December 6th of last year and I really did face it with a big smile. I had to admit that it is one of the main reasons for me to stay away from this world, my space – utopia. Almost back on routine – it is still ‘almost’ coz I haven’t started blogging with my old hyper ethusiastic mood or whatever you call it yet :( things are very new, fresh, sometimes weird, thrilling, adventurous and challenging too.

1.No more lazy nap at mum’s place.
2.Responsibilities
3.Adjustments
4.Late night outings [Honestly I saw the outside world after 10 p.m only after my marriage]
5.Plastic smiles at everyone I see.

Things that have not changed

1.More number of elders to advice us [OMMMMMGGGGGGGGGGGG!!!!!!!! Yes I know I should be responsible. Yes I know I should be patient enough. But I’ve heard this a million times already so…excuse me I don’t need one Plssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssss]

2.Still working in the same place with no change in spite of the tip they give me for my work. [Btw I just get a tip and no salary- anyone who knows my condition would agree to it ;( ]

3.My longing for blogging. Yes it never dies.

So all people out there have a great year ahead. Let me wish you all for.. ummm...
Ya.. starting from this year 2010
1.Happy New Year
2.Happy Birthday
3.Happy Sankranthi
4.Happy Anniversary
5.Happy break ups
6.Happy reunions

Did I miss something????

Happy Blogging :)

It is bad day in April

2009-04-14T20:27:00.004+05:30

Usually in the month of April I become a kid…. getting excited about my birthday and the gifts I’d get. I know I shouldn’t be excited about gifts at this age, but the kid in me peeps out and makes my eyes wide open to look into what dad, mum and friends have got to surprise me on the special day. Well the day is special not coz I was born, but that’s one day when I get almost all I want :), people don’t mess up with me and wherever I go I’ll be met with a smile and handshake. Wow…. The whole month I’ll be hyper and excited – before my birthday awaiting the surprises and after the day cherishing those wonderful moments and gifts ;) This time already people started gifting me and I just loooooooooooooove all my gifts.

Today, it is 14^th of April but I’m completely off and down. Reason-misunderstanding with my friend… I tried my level best to console and patch up with her, but of no use. She’s a person very close to my heart and life, but unfortunately she ended up the conversation saying, “Just leave me and stay away” These words keeps ringing in my ears since morning. It is really weird that when some thing bothers us and we are upset we don’t recollect all good things that happened in the past rather all bitter thoughts rush into our mind and make one feel more miserable.

Usually I don’t express much of my feelings these days, but today I couldn’t do that. I was telling or rather bugging all my other friends who ever called me today. I was a non- stop nonsense going “blah blah blah blah blah” trying to explain what happened and to make them say “Ok Aarthi it is not your mistake”. I didn’t feel like having or even do anything to distract myself. That is when blogging clicked me !!!!!!!!

Oh My Gosh… It’s been 2 months since I blogged. Why did I become so lazy? Fine this is the best time to let out everything and that is the story behind why I’m here after a period of two months.

Well to say what is happening at my end all this while…

1.Lay off is happening at work and each and every round I escape I feel myself lucky. I really can’t imagine sitting at home without work :(

2.Gazal, a friend of mine resigned her job as she’s getting married in May. I made sure I don’t cry during the farewell and embarrass myself in front of all my colleagues and boss. The end result was Yeayyy I didn’t... :)

3.Funny thing is Priya, who people (including me) thought won’t cry… was a cry baby on that day… hahaha.. she’s gonna kill me for this. Hey Priya I want to tell this to as many people as I can… hehehe.

4.Gaagi has gone to Kerala to see her parents, so till she’s back my tempo is gonna be low for sure.

5.Lost my birthday mood and excitement about gifts, still I keep saying “C’mon Aarthi cheer up”..... :)

A day at work

2009-01-29T18:29:00.004+05:30

After a long struggle I somehow managed to write this blog and you want to know between whom? It is just between me and myself. Yes, I don’t know why, I always get the time to blog with a nice subject in hand ready; I still didn’t feel like taking the pen in hand or more realistically opening the word document.

I got a bit worried too – Did I lose interest in blogging?

I still haven’t found the answer but I’m happy to be here for now :)

Just like any other day I came to work and was surprised to see my friend already there. Fine you might ask me what is the surprise in it, well nothing much but she used to come 30 mins to an hr after I reach work and I was really happy for 2 reasons
1.Not having any pending work for the day.
2.I can have a small chat with my friend until my boss appears.

Before I explain further I’d like to tell about her [my friend]. She’s Priya- as sweet and simple as her name is. She is not something extra ordinary but I have always admired her for her plus and her minus has petrified me too. I always admire people who are bold and straight forward and especially who don’t cry that often. Priya is one such person. Though she is younger than me, I’ve learnt a lot from her, to be more specific.. on how to deal things, be it personal or professional. She being the only kid at home I thought she’ll be a spoilt brat for sure and being younger than me, I could never guess that she could be really sensible.

As a friend you have 100% freedom to point out her mistakes for which she won’t get offended at the same time she doesn’t care to bother about what others think or say (unless you are her friend) if she feels it is not her mistake. A very helpful, caring and most supportive friend any one would ever get. When I’m really upset a small chat with her will make me feel better for the whole day, so that I really don’t think about it again. I have never seen her dull or never felt she’s boring for that she’ll always have something interesting to share!!!! In simple a very energetic, smart and pretty girl.

Now don’t predict that something went seriously wrong with such a sweet person… Nope.

Coming back to the current day…. Yes I was happy as I saw her early at work. I just switched my PC on and rushed to her with a broad smile (which I later realized need not have been that broad) saying ‘Hi’, the next thing she said was not really that pleasant because I saw tears in her eyes for the first time and she said “My dog passed away.....” When I heard it for the first time I really didn’t understand the impact like many of you who read this. All that was bothering me was..... she was crying, a person who doesn’t cry that easily. I tried to console her after she explained me how it happened and tried to divert her a bit talking about shopping, movies and other similar things that is of common interest to both of us.

Later the same day during a chat with her close friend I found her doggy was more like a sibling to her (as she doesn’t have one) and her absence will affect her a lot. Only then it struck me, yaa… she mentions every now and then about her pet. It made me think for a while… how terrible it’ll be for her to go back home and to not find her in her usual place.

OMG …

Fine, I told myself I’ll make sure that I keep talking some nonsense so that she’ll get distracted. I opened gtalk to ping her .......................

Her status message startled me ................. made my eyes wet ............ and it took a while for me to forget those lines.

It said, “ You are still my first love”

Note:
1. This is my quickest blog.
2. Priya sorry if I reminded you about her... but you asked for my next blog, so here it is :)

Terrifying ‘M’ Factor

2008-11-20T17:47:00.002+05:30

I’d say something that irritates me the most next to driving in Chennai roads will be this ‘M’ factor. Well, it will be easy for anyone (or at least for the people of my age group) to guess what this ‘M’ factor is all about… for the rest let me say it is this terrifying ‘M’ ‘M’ ‘M’ ‘M’ ‘Marriage’.

If you hate me to the core (or) you are too jealous of me being happy and smiling all the time (or) you just feel like irritating me, all you have to do is just say that word to me… but make sure the very next second you vanish away from my sight or else I’d guarantee that you can find our names in Newspaper the next day for you being killed and me becoming the murderer.

I’m so damn frustrated with everyone around me talking about it all the time....Grrrrrr
The concept of “Arranged Marriage” (as my Sydney friends stress those words within quotes) sounds really weird and makes me think is so absurd.
Step 1: X and Y meet
Step 2: Exchange looks and smiles
Step 3: Talk for a max of 30 mins
Step 4: Parents say ‘Yes’ as they like the family and astrologer says they make a great pair.
Step 5: Decide the life partner in less than a month.
Though this process has proved to be surprisingly successful…I still can’t accept it.

All of a sudden from no where comes my aunt’s sister’s husband’s brother’s wife’s mom who would have met me a couple of times (that too unwillingly), will pour so much of love on me that she keeps bugging my parents about why haven’t they got me married to anyone!!!!!! [She would not even remember my name properly, confusing it with my sister’s name often.] I’ll then carry a broad smile with sooooooo-sweet-of-you-aunty look in my face and I let only my mind speak “Why the hell are you bothered about me now?” This will eventually make my parents worry for a week or two, thinking they skipped to perform their duty as parents, blah blah blah….

Hallo, What is the big deal here? I still have time or I need time. Now don’t ask me ‘How long?’ When my parents still feel that I’m not grown up enough to drive a car myself, don’t you think I’m too young for this ‘M’ stuff ;) My dad calls this a ‘Clever stupid logic’ but yaaa I can’t do something or pretend to like something when I don’t really believe or agree to it. This is going to be my future and 2nd half of my life, I really can’t rush and decide something but my parents can’t wait. :(

This life as a single is so much fun-filled, why would anyone like to take risk or gamble in life? Don’t you agree guys and girls????

Tagged(9)-Jus a casual one..

2008-10-28T22:58:00.003+05:30

RULE #1 People who have been tagged must write their answers on their blogs and replace any question that they dislike with a new question formulated by themselves.
[I don’t dislike any, so I’m not replacing any question]

RULE #2 Tag 6 people to do this quiz and those who are tagged cannot refuse. These people must state who they were tagged by and cannot tag the person whom they were tagged by.
[I was tagged by m.flowerr]

Continue this game by sending it to other people.

1. If your lover betrayed you, what will your reaction be?
Wait for time to heal all the pain and try my level best not to get cheated again.

2. If you can have a dream come true, what would it be?
Have a trouble free and peaceful life [which is impossible] :)

3. Why do you blog?
I love writing and reading. Got a couple of friends here too, which was actually a surprise gift :)

4. Will you fall in love with your best friend?
Why not?

5. Which is more blessed: loving someone or being loved by someone?
Being loved by someone ofcourse.

6. How long do you intend to wait for someone you love?
I don’t mind waiting if his love for me is true and unconditional.

7. If the person you secretly like is attached, what will you do?
Of course be happy.

8. If you could root for one social cause, what would it be?
Child Labour

9. What takes you down the fastest?
Lie and Betrayal.

10. What resurrects you the fastest?
Friends and their support.

11. What’s your fear?
Separation ……

12. What kind of person do you think the person who tagged you is?
Sweet, Simple and Sensible.

13. Would you rather be single and rich or married and poor?
Money and Marriage...both doesn’t matter me much. :)

14. What’s the purpose of such Tags?
To know each other better.

15. If you fall in love with two people simultaneously whom will you pick?
Pls, I wish it doesn’t happen.

16. Would you give all in a relationship?
I might.

17. Would you forgive and forget someone no matter how horrible a thing he has done?
I might forgive, but definitely not forget.

18. Do you prefer being single or in a relationship?
Currently, single.

19. Who/what inspired you to start blogging?
Nothing but the interest in me :)

20. Tag 6 people.
Sandhya, Aashi, Shashi, xh, Jaggu, Sindhu

I Miss Her....

2008-09-06T14:34:00.003+05:30

Separation shatters me down…

First it was my sis....

When she rang up and said “Hey I’ll be coming to India and be staying there for 2 months” I was like “What the Hell…Why such a long stay?” …but now it seems like ‘just’ 2 months…:( Already all the fun, joy, laughs vanished and the house is empty again without her. Can you even believe that this was the first time I felt that I miss her!!! Though we stay together only occasionally these days…I had always felt it is better that we stay away to save the house being transformed in to a war field and all spoons and forks being turned to be the proud swords and cannons.

This time there was no much war, might be that is reason behind this ‘I miss her’ story. I really don’t know whether it is our parents who failed to build that bond between us (or) as the elder one I should have made it strong and should have been holding on to it (or) is it my misconception that she never loved me and hence I didn’t love her (or) vice-versa.

I miss her…truly…for the very first time. She said she’ll be back this December again…
Waiting for her…for her laughs and pranks to fill the house back with her noise. She doesn’t read my blog and after writing this I don’t think I’ll even let her know my blog link , though she’s my sis I think I feel a bit odd or even shy to say ‘I Love You’ to her.

During this wait for my sis, the next separation happened…

It was followed by Gaagi…

She was a colleague, then friend now I could say my mother…

“Gaagiiiiiii” I used to drag her name and she’ll know I’m going to ask her for something…
“Ya tell me…What is it now?”
“Can you get me my brush and paste pleaseeeeeee”
“Gaagiiiiiii water pleaseeeeeee”
“Gaagiiiiiiiiii can you feed me pleaseeeeeee”
“Gaagiiiiiiiiiiiii tell me some bed time stories pleaseeeeee”
"Gaagiiiiii tell me do I look fat in this dress for one last time" [I would ask that for the 100th time...]

I absolutely become her child and this list goes on & on & on & on…

She left home for a weeks time. It is not even a day since she left and I already feel completely lonely. Technology transmits sound, images, etc across borders, I think the next should be the sense of touch…I really don’t know how I slept yesterday without her pat. This is so terrible and for the first time I wish I had work even on weekends.

Separation, be it temporary or permanent is the most unbearable thing according to me.

Stir Me Crazy!!!

2008-08-01T18:03:00.007+05:30

On a Friday evening, having finished all my pending works a day ahead…aaaaaaahhhhhhh at last got some time to wander in my utopia…:) Should say it is a real stress buster…even better than shopping…:)

So wanted to change the look of my blog for so many reasons
1.I’m too bored with my blog’s skin.
2.Think it is in trend now....saw so many people doing it and their space looks really great and inviting too!!!
3.Might attract more readers/ the same readers to read my blog.

So mission started at around 12 p.m today.

I was looking for different templates and I chose a very pretty one in the combination of black and blue…my favorite colors….I was all teeth…eeeeeeeeee:E I downloaded it and pasted in my ‘Edit HTML’ space, clicked ‘Preview’ and closed my eyes. Just preparing myself to see my blog (at last) looking really cool and warm [What?%&!@]

Ya, I opened my eyes in less than a minute with so much of expectation to see my utopia in black and blue….and still my teeth showing eeeeee.[Remember the orbit gum ad….here I replace the Cow….trust me.. ya I do replace and not duplicate]

O M Goooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooood

It was not B&B but all White and Red. Though I liked the white I hated the “Red” there.
It said some error “blah blah xml blah blah close all tags” Shit man…again…what the hell is ths???? This language scares me :( Now what is this xml crap.

I tried again and again in all possible ways with different templates. Some one asked me to try dreamweaver...I thought it was dreamviewer...ok fine I did download it but what to do with this dreamweaver/viewer. This was even more complicated. By then it was 4 p.m. I would have annoyed at least 5 of my friends… not letting them do their work and enquiring about what to do with that xml error and racked 3 to fix it immediately, where only 1 at least tried something and said “SORRY”.

Why should this happen to me? Only me???? My eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee was no more there and it was mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm now... completely zipped up. I still remember struggling to fix the blogroll thing in my blog and one fine day [probably should have been my lucky day...no no luckiest day..] I fixed it and slowly made it look better……if not the best.

Seeing me struggle even past 5 p.m, my friend suggested me ‘Why not ask your blog friends?” Ya not a bad idea…but how well can they communicate through mails and comments. I was thinking for a while….then came to a conclusion….Why not try it coz I have no other option left.

So here is the birth story of this blog….Now, are all those kind hearted bloggers ready to pool in your valuable suggestions?

P.S – Pls “bulb” kuduthudadheenga …tell me whatever you know.
This drives me crazy :(

Tagged(8)- I s

2008-07-15T18:19:00.004+05:30

I am: Aarthi. [I don’t know more than that]
I think: Positive
I know: Lil bit of everything…hope so ;)
I want: Love and Peace
I have: Biggggggg Smile
I wish: [Day] Dreams come True
I hate: Nothing
I miss: Sydney Life
I fear: My future.
I feel: I’m growing fat.
I hear: Keyboard clicks
I smell: Rain on earth
I crave: “Death by Chocolate” [Chocolate dessert at Tangerine]
I search: Truth and Honesty together.
I wonder: Here…
I regret: My mistakes
I love: Almost Everything
I ache: Only when it is unbearable
I am not: skeptic
I believe: Whatever has happened.. is for good.
I dance: In Gym
I sing: When I see or listen to songs.
I cry: When I’m all alone
I don’t always: Cry
I fight: With my sis..
I write: All that hits my mind
I win: When I can bring a smile in someone’s face
I lose: When I hurt someone
I never: Want to hurt anyone
I always: Respect my parents [At least wish too..if they dont agree with this]
I confuse: Very rarely
I listen: To suggestions and not advices
I can usually be found: At work / home..:(
I am scared: Of loneliness
I need: Someone by my side always
I am happy: With what I have
I imagine: Too much [That’s what my friends n parents say]
I Tag: Kuttibalu [who has disappeared suddenly... so wish to welcome him back with this tag]

I saw God...U?

2008-06-25T20:06:00.002+05:30

I wanted to write about this S n S [Serious and Sensible] stuff really really long before. As you all know the obvious reason of me being held up with my work, didn’t let me spend much time for this. It is never late and no regrets, so here it is… some awesome read for all you there.

Ramavaram…..- I don’t know how many of us know this place, or how many of us will be even interested in knowing about this. Well, if you want to know then go ahead or jus chill out this stuff might not be for you.

Ramavaram is a slum, which is surprisingly situated very near to the metro… Chennai. Why I mentioned “surprisingly” here is, the place is very much underdeveloped or to be honest completely undeveloped!!!!! when compared to the metro. People here don’t meet even their basic needs like food, clothing and shelter!!!! It is a small slum with not a huge population and well the link will take you to further details about the place.

If it is not about the slum…then what am I going to write here?
About Gods!!!!

I have heard people saying “God sent angels” or God appearing in disguise as Humans. I should say I’m lucky and fortunate….Lucky- coz I saw those Gods on Earth and Fortunate- coz I’m sharing their pics with you guys…:)

These Gods are doing their M.B.B.S [To be Doctors] 1st and 2nd year in Ramachandra Medical College, Porur. Well don’t be surprised that these Gods are far younger than us…..Yes, they are still in their teens and early 20s!!! M.B.B.S is considered to be one of the most hectic under graduate degree, where people really have to put in 100% effort, dedication, interest not only during the course of study but even during their service period…and their hard work extending till their death. Unlike many they didn’t find their weekends as time to hang out in pubs, cafes and movies but THEY ADOPTED THIS SLUM…and they are providing all kind of possible support to the people living there!!!!!!!!

Let me list few of them…
1. Education to kids.
2. Supply of stationeries like pencil, pens and notebooks.
3. Clean clothes.
4. Nutritious Food.
5. Teaching hygienic habits.
6. Getting jobs for men and women.

And you know what they still invite more suggestions!!!!!

Something we all got to know is, the team that is working towards this has no support from anyone but they are just on their own. Another interesting fact is only a couple of them can speak the local language ‘Tamil’, in spite of which this service continues…..

I’m totally speechless and thanks to my cousin Malar, who is one among these Gods who sent me the link. Let us all try to support these Gods, if at all we can’t become one.

P.S. Pls do visit the blog and let those Gods realize that there are still few humans left in this world.

This stuff is...

2008-05-31T13:57:00.005+05:30

Been a while since I blogged….

As I pick up the Ergo [free local newspaper targeting the IT Industry] today morning I bumped into this article about the Indiblogger meet in Chennai. Oops !!!! I thought I could register later…...but at last I missed it...:( Then it clicked me…..when did I last blog?? what happened to my 3-4 blog per month count???

Aaahhh...It is never late I can still write one and change the date and upload, so that it looks neat and clean Jan 3,Feb 3, Mar 3, Apr 3, May 3.

Coooolllll!!!!
So what should I now blog about? Something nice? Or Something weird? Or Mix of both? Well, lemme figure it out at the end.

Some New rules were set at work-

No more listening to music while work hours, so total ban to speakers and headphones. People had that WTF reaction on their face, which was neatly camouflaged with that “Oh that’s ok”, the simplest reaction they could ever give as it was declared by our head…
It is “better” to “minimize” chatting. …[Thank God it is not “should” and “stop” but just “better” and “minimize”…hehe….be positive guys!!!!]. We laid emphasis on those unstressed words, but it was followed by a shock.

“I got even the logs of chat, orkut and other social networking websites, which was not really pleasing” [Again I thanked God… they didn’t mention Blogging]

Gosh why do they have to do that???????

“So until something is very important/necessary/urgent [good he mentioned all those words] please guys be in control”

We were predicting the other rules they might include in the future

1.Don’t drink/eat [even water or snacks] at your desk unless it is very important [you got hiccups], necessary[you couldn’t breathe] or urgent[ you might die].

2. Don’t talk to your colleagues unless it is work related. Sometimes you might say a ‘Hi’ or ‘How are you?” or “Good morning... so and so” since you might forget their names!!!

3.Don’t take leave at all. Though you have that 10+12 days quota every year. I’ll be more pleased to see you work 365 days or 366 if it is a leap!!!!!

Oops again a blog about my work…mmm fine…next time let me not irk people with the same stuff…;) And yaaa I figured it out…. This stuff is pretty weird of course.

The Black Driver

2008-05-23T16:26:00.006+05:30

Venue: Nairobi, Africa

Date: 5-6 yrs back [approx.]

Characters:

My Aunt-Tara,
My cousins-Gowri and Malar, [Thanks for sharing this with me]
Tara’s family friend-Let me name her ‘X’ [who by then had recently shifted to Nairobi with her husband and whose native is Madurai, a town in Tamilnadu.]

The Story:

I think people from India…if not whole India, at least from South India mention the car boot as ‘dikki’. In fact I was doing the same till I heard this story from my cousins!!!!!

X’s family and my aunt’s family planned for an outing. They decided to take both their cars with their African drivers. When they packed everything for their trip, X was bringing it out to place all that in the car. Gowri, Malar and Tara were following her.

X called for the driver and before she placed them in the car she said..…
“Open the dikki…….”

Totally shocked and out of words…the driver stares at her…She again goes…
“Open the dikki…….”

This time the driver was really furious….

Gowri and Malar who were watching this couldn’t help and were laughing out aloud and ran to Tara. When Tara came out she heard X saying it again for the 3rd time…or for the nth time...

!!!???@@@@@@@@##!!!!!!!!!

Tara had to rush or else she would have seen X being killed by the Driver!!!

Confused? Or Clear?

Read further….

The word ‘dikki’ means a guy’s reproductive part [I tried my level best to make it sound decent]
Now can you imagine the bewildered look on the poor driver’s face?

Moral of the Story:

Better you learn the local language [even local English] before you speak, when you are out of your Country.

...continues

2008-05-12T10:04:00.002+05:30

I can say this is a sequel of my previous blog. I wanted to mention about it in my previous blog itself, but was worried whether it would bother my friend who shared her experience with me….But surprisingly when I told her about my ‘Appraisal Fever’ blog she insisted me to write about her experience too…:)

Boss: I am appreciate your performance from last appraisal.
[Don’t get confused this is how his English is-just an sample I can’t continue in the same filthy English coz I’m afraid whether I’ll lose my vocabulary]

My Friend: Ok

Boss: Why have you rated ‘B’ for certain tasks?

MF: I was not assigned any such tasks so I thought it is not fair to rate myself ‘A’.

Boss: Since you were working on a more important task and it is my mistake to have not assigned you those tasks I give you ‘A’.

MF: Ok

Boss: Do you need a promotion?

MF: Will any one deny?

Boss: But I think you don’t deserve one.

MF: Ok

Boss: blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah………………….

MF: Whatever….OK

So by this time you’ll think this is all over……but No

------------------------------

Episode 2: After a Couple of days……

When both MF and her boss are in a meeting with some one else, who has a very good opinion about MF.

Boss: I think you could have performed better.

MF:???????

Boss: You had so many opportunities to prove yourself but you didn’t utilize it…

MF: ………………………………?????????!!!!!!!!!!!------------

Appraisal Fever

2008-04-30T11:33:00.003+05:30

I walk in to my office as usual and I am surprised to see people are not as usual. With so many ‘????????????’ in my mind and no patience to wait, I go and ask my colleagues….is everything fine…?[I think it sounds better and positive than –is something wrong?] They tell me…it's appraisal time….:) ...:(... oops I donno which smiley I should use now…:-/

Not having my appraisal now…I can happily sit back and watch all that is happening around me. They go one by one in random order. While they go they rush with a blank face and when they come back.... I really can’t predict anything from their face. I think this is the only time people can show so many expressions on their face at the same time [better than those kollywood/bollywood/hollywood actors]….I don't mean they act but it comes so naturally... producers should think about giving appraisal to actors too...:)

Ok, so no one is happy?
No, they are happy coz they mentioned a line saying you did good work.. on that hour.. of that day.. for that project.

So, are they not sad?
No, they are sad for not mentioning the other ‘n’ achievements that went unnoticed.

So, they are not angry?
No, they are angry coz they didn’t get what they want-both in terms of rating or hike.

So, nothing left out?
No, they keep advising others about how to talk during their appraisal, in spite of knowing it would not help them in any way but help themselves in spitting out what was all missed out during their appraisal.

So….What is the moral of the story guys?
“Talk as long as you can and argue, though it wont help you in anyway but at least you can have a nice boring chat with your manager[which he calls "interesting to know about you"...]. Another advantage is next time he’ll make sure that you have enough stamina to fight back and sustain for hours together, so he wouldn’t prefer to fight but to praise you....coz that’s the only time we stay quiet...and don't argue...:) Last but not the least-->Don’t expect anything as you get only what they want to give you”

My only doubt: Isn’t this an obvious waste of productivity, man hours……..and the big list they mention during every meeting?

Tagged(6 n 7)-10 R's and 30 Q's

2008-04-25T14:45:00.003+05:30

10 Reasons Why I Blog (By Jaggu)
(In random order)
1.No rules to follow and I’m being completely myself.
2.Stress buster.
3.Blogger Friends.
4.Never lets my brain to be a Devil’s Workshop.
5.Love Reading.
6.Love Writing.
7.Online Diary-At least now accept my life’s an open book.. :)
8.Feedback for my writing helps me improve my skills.
9.Learn a lot from others experience.
10.Hey…this is my Utopia…What more should I say?

30Q’s (By Sandhya)
1.Last movie you saw in theatre?
Santhosh Subramaniam
2.What book are you reading?
Many Lives, Many Masters
3.Favorite board game?
Scrabble, Pictionary
4.Favorite Magazine?
Marie Clarie
5.Favorite Smells?
Dosa on pan, Frying Onions and Mehandi
6.Favorite Sounds?
Baby Laughs
7.Worst feeling in the World?
I don’t know…I don’t want to even think of it.
8.What is the first thing you think of when you wake?
It should have not been 7 a.m so soon.
9.Favorite fast food place?
Mmmm…Gangotree [Chat center]
10.Future Child’s name?
Why would I tell…:)
11.Finish this statement-“If I had a lot of money I’d…
I would build my dream house.
12.Do you drive fast?
He he….I hardly drive…:(
13.Do you sleep with a stuffed animal?
Nope…those days are gone…I’m grown up mommy…:)
14.Storms-Cool or Scary?
Cool... from distance.
15.What was your first car?
Santro...not mine though...Dad's and Dad's gift for me was Honda City.
16.Favorite drink?
Pina colada –Pineapple and coconut milk mocktail
17.Finish this statement-“If I had the time I would….
Blog more and visit my friends more frequently.
18.Do you eat the stems on broccoli?
When I don’t eat broccoli why would I eat the stems…
19.If you could dye your hair any other color, what would be your choice?
I love blonde but since I have tried it already I want burgundy…
20.Name all the different cities/towns you have lived in.
Mettur, Chennai, Sydney
21.Favorite sports to watch?
Cricket
22.One nice thing about the person who sent this to you?
Name->I love her name…I donno much about you Sandhya..:(
23.What’s under your bed?
The Cot
24.Would you like to be born as yourself again?
Yaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa
25.Morning person or night owl?
Night Owl
26.Over easy or sunny side up?
Sunny side up…:)
27.Favorite place to relax?
Home sweet home
28.Favorite pie?
No pies so.. no favorites
29.Favorite ice cream flavor?
Chocolateeeee
30.Of all the people you have tagged, who is the most likely to respond first?
Don’t know…might be whoever sees this first and whoever gets time first.

Tags are open to all..:)

Should I ?

2008-04-11T16:45:00.004+05:30

I’m really confused, irritated, frustrated, tired……….
Continue reading and tell me what I should add on to the list above.

Dad’s Stand:

Why should 'you' drive when I gave you your favorite car [Honda City] with an efficient driver to take you around? In spite of his 23 years of experience he himself couldn’t avoid an accident, though it was just once in 23 years I really care for you a lot and I’m still not out of that shock. It is not that I don't trust you but I don't trust the rash drivers you might have to tackle.

Being a loving father and knowing about the uncontrollable traffic here and terrible drivers on road how do you expect me to let you drive in the chaotic environment. Even if I let you drive now [just coz you are pestering me so much and you’ll be really unhappy if I don’t] each and every minute I’ll be tensed thinking about you. I really can’t be normal until you reach home everyday.

Do you really want to push me into this situation?

My Stand:

I know you love me so much and I’m really lucky to get such a loving dad. I insist you to understand that I love driving and I’d say it is my passion. Not only the drivers, however efficient a person might be we can’t predict when we’ll meet with an accident. If at all everyone gets worried like this, there will be no one driving today.

You have to trust your daughter dad and I’m not a rash driver. You know that too. Whenever I see any women driving on the roads, I’m almost into tears. [Well I don’t cry that easily, a bit of exaggeration to convince him] In spite of you giving me so much liberty, when I think about this I feel so bad that you are grabbing away my freedom.

Why don’t you gimme a chance and see. Might be for approximately 6 months?

After all this argument for more than god-only-knows-how-many- times he still says the same and me still sticking on to the above words there seems to be no end. So should I have to just go ahead and take my car? But I’ll feel dead guilty to hide something from him.

Help me guys!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! And of course girls.

Catty..Cutie Cat

2008-03-31T15:17:00.005+05:30

I don’t remember his name, but I still remember exactly how he looked. I’m not even sure whether it is a him/her. Yaa…I should have been less than 5 years old and he should have been younger than me. I really didn’t bother about his sex and I prefer to refer to him as “him” and not “her”. I remember how I tortured him but inspite of that how he loved me. But he was my 1st and my last PET …ya he’s my catty cat-that’s how I mention him.

He was usually found roaming on the roads and on a special rainy day he was cuddling under a small shrub in my garden. I was making paper boats and was enjoying the scene….shouting loud in enthusiasm while it floats for a longer distance than my sister’s boat and shouting loud in disappointment when it sinks...:( Let me first tell why I mentioned it as a “special” day…....ya for the obvious reason that was the day he became my friend. Though I have seen him before, I was more happy when he came to me..:)

I saw him shivering and somehow wanted to help him. I asked mummy for a ‘small’ blanket, she was confused, then I said it was for the catty there. She came out with a torch to see him and he was frightened on the flash of the blinding torch light. He tried to run away, I was shouting at mum “Mummy please don’t scare him away” Then she switched it off and we tried to find him out in the dark rainy night. We couldn’t find him and I had to go to bed with a big sad face and no wonder my dreams were all about him.

Next day morning saw him again and this time I didn’t want to scare him so I waited with a bowl of milk and a bread slice and made that “chu chu” and “meow meow” sound to attract him. There he came…my brave boy…to get his food after a lot of hesitation and a long wait with a hungry tummy. He was not very fluffy like the other posh home grown cats, but I liked him for whatever he was…The torture I mentioned above was-- I used to wake him up by pulling his ears and I never used to carry him…might be I thought I’m too small to carry anything/anyone and I always used to call him, if he doesn’t come then I used to drag him with his tail. Poor cattie cat he won’t even scream…and has not even scratched me with his nails for all I did. He was such a nice friend but I had to lose him due to nature’s call-I don’t want to elaborate on this one.

I asked myself why I thought about him after a very long time and why I felt like writing about him ???

Reason 1-I read about cats in Curious's blog and I wanted to write about my one too. Thanks to Curiously Curious…:)

Reason 2-Since I didn’t do the same for a while, he came in my dreams and reminded me and hence this catty cat story is here for you and me.

Jana Gana....

2008-03-23T17:06:00.004+05:30

Two weeks back we went to Sathyam Cinemas on a Saturday as per my routine to watch a movie. I’m a person who will get the true essence of watching a movie or who will be able to enjoy the movie to the fullest only if I watch it from the trailers/ads. We were rushing since mum delayed… as she had to collect clothes from dry clean. I was yelling at her saying even if I miss one scene…might be even the productions name in the screen then she would have to take me to the same movie again. As usual she paid no attention to what I was talking!!!!!

Hell with this traffic…each n every time we near a signal I used to pray to God that it shouldn’t turn red and make us the unlucky ones. God gave us green signals..all the way..at around 5-6 traffic signals…I couldn’t believe it….overwhelming with joy but still not able to enjoy it completely we reached the theatre….Now, we can’t wait for the lifts and mum is slow in steps…which is the quickest option…I started thinking. Well I can’t urge the lift but my mum,yesss. I was literally chasing mum to be quick…she mumbled “People pushing in Thirupathi are better than you” hehe….I giggled.

With all those running, climbing, yelling and gasps we reached and I would have bumped into that ticket collector. Poor guy he gave a confused look and even before I asked he told us –“Movie has not yet started. 5 more minutes, don’t worry” aaahhhh Thank God. Mum’s face had an terrible expression which conveyed “You should have let me take the lifts…..you idiot/stupid/whatever” I tried to give an innocent smile …:)

We got to our seats and now it’s her turn to yell at me. “What do you think you are doing to me. Is this an age to run? From next week I’m not coming with you to watch movies……..” and it was going on. Do you think I would have been upset…hehe no way…it happens every time we go for a movie and shopping. Her standard dialogue would be “I’m going to tell dad, I can never manage you, ever. From next time I’ll ask him to take you”

Suddenly everyone stood up….didn’t understand what was happening…people were not even hurrying so nothing is wrong…but what else....whole theatre was silent….and so mum stopped. Everyone were staring at the screen where S.P.B started singing Jana.......... Gana................... OMG…..I got goose bumps….A.R.Rehman’s music in DTS and S.P.B’s voice and the whole crowd singing together….each and every word uttered with laid emphasis and complete feel….I don’t know what to say but EVERY INDIAN SHOULD EXPERIENCE IT.

I remembered my school days where we get to sing our national anthem everyday, but now we hardly do it and this idea is really awesome. I loved it. Wish they would implement it in all theatres. I was sure mum won’t shout at me for rushing, after this and I won’t rush to see the ads or trailers but to get this feel again and again that refreshed my mind, body and soul.

So guys n gals, auntys n uncles, thathas n paatis...everyone in Chennai go to Sathyam Cinemas not only to watch a movie but to experience this....it gives a feel better than the one you get after a bungee jumping. Well, I don't mean it's scary but the feel you would never forget or you would never wish to forget.

Celebrating Women's Day !!!!

2008-03-11T18:52:00.003+05:30

Getting up early in the morning ready to face a fresh new day ahead and with all the energy and enthusiasm we go walking when he comes and gives a small dash over the shoulder… “Ouch” we say and turn back expecting him to apologize but surprisingly he gives a disappointing cum happy look-huh…confused???? Disappointed since he didn’t dash where he wanted to and at the same time happy to have touched a women’s body!!!!!! Great what an achievement thinks himself…..Shit should we face this even on a women’s day thinks the female.

Appearances are deceptive-100% true; people who look pucca decent can even do that. I have heard about harassment but this one was pretty surprising. Small dirty talks, trying to touch hands while passing money, unnecessary conversations like why was Mallika wearing such an exposing dress and how did she look in that and which exposed part looks the best…..Shit man …Why do you want to talk about that to me….Why do I care about what she’s wearing….Well if you flirt you need not exhibit that you are a flirt….coz I know you are one…hmm and what kind of a pleasure do you get when you rub your hands in mine when you pass on something…haven’t you ever touched your mum’s or sis’s hands…it feels the same…try it out to them if u want to know how it feels.

Dressed very well and when told to people around no one would even agree that you are a flirt coz you are very old…..why are you so desperate…don’t you have your wife…well if she’s out of station or you don’t have one then I’m extremely sorry I’m not the one to replace your cravings to…you have other people around for that. Won’t you understand until you get a slap…really didn’t want to create a scene that is the only reason for holding back. See normal flirting is different and harassment is different and I know the difference very well coz of the obvious reason that I’m a girl.

Why can’t you have a true “FRIENDSHIP” like other decent guys out there????? OMG Prem, Logesh, Sandesh, Rejish, Balaji, Ashwath, Hema, Niks, Satish and to all such friends…..hats off to you!!!!!!! You are rocking guys!!!!!!!!!!

Can’t understand? This is what a gang of girls were talking sometime in last week. I wanted to write it as a blog to let people know that girls are still being tortured or harassed however they defend themselves, especially in workplaces. I used to think that this is not possible in this century but believe girls and guys…it is happening till this date. These are very few which I was able to mention here ….there are worse things happening…which has been censored!!!!!!

I have a doubt ….Are you guys facing similar kinda problems too???????? Or is it just we are the lucky ones ????

Tagged(5)-Object(s) of Affection

2008-02-24T13:32:00.004+05:30

Now I have been tagged by ‘Thinking Aloud’ to write about the object of my affection. It was not very pleasant to see my blogs being predominantly filled with tags but this one is quite different, which I can say gave me a break and made my brain think for sometime. Hey ‘Thinking Aloud’ thanks a lot for this….you made me think aloud…:)

I’ll pick it up as “objects” of my affection and not the “object” of my affection…coz I can’t find out the real object of my affection. I myself am confused about what is the object of my affection....is it in the past, present or future? Is it the best things in my past that I’ve lost now and I’m still in nostalgia or the objects [includes people] I’ve got now and feel gifted for that or the fear of the future that I might lose what I’ve got now….hmmm…I really don’t know.

Not getting to the serious side there is a big list of objects of my affection….friends still tease me for calling all my gadgets my babies…..:) I can say at any given point of time these gadgets will be in my mind, thoughts and even dreams…Will you believe that I dreamt about having Nokia N96 in my hands!!!! Even a small mark on any of them will upset me…my new Dior [obviously expensive] sunglass which made me fight with my friend G3 since she was pointing at a scratch and saying yes it is a scratch!!!!, that cute heart pendant, LG viewty [which I’m begging people to get for me from S’pore], Sony flash drive 2 GB, yet to be released Nokia N96 for which I visit GSM Arena at least once everyday to check whether they have preponed the release date…phew!!! still a lot more but I don’t want people to think I’m crazy..actually they already tell I’m crazy…..hope at least they don’t conclude.

Other than this the first thing my friend suggested me to write about is mirror, she suspects whether I talk to the mirror everyday coz of the time I spend with it….which is actually not more than 30 mins/day but still she says its abnormal…C’mon I am a girl and I think there is nothing wrong to be girlish and hence this is not abnormal…..the argument is still going on....I leave it to you to decide whether its normal or abnormal. The 2nd suggestion from her is my poor weighing machine….to which I say “I love you” when it shows my weight less or exactly 58 and which I curse, kick and hurt myself when it ERRONEOUSLY reads my weight 0.5 or a kg more….he..he..:)

I think everything that is related to me in my routine life will remain close to my heart be it very small and silly to big and important…its all the same. So this [also] forms the object of my affection.

Fine…. again…I have to do this…like passing on a burden to someone after i've done my part....but Thank God no rules and numbers to be followed so I’ll ask Shashi and Karthick to write about their object/objects of affection. Have fun guys….:)

Awards from Preeti->Me->You

2008-02-24T13:15:00.001+05:30

Omg this was a very big surprise for me.......so many awards.......just for me!!!!! from just one person.....Thanks a llllllllllllllllloooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooootttttttttttttttttttttttttttttt Preeti................:) and I give all this to you too. I would like to pass this on to my other blog buddies.

1.You make my day Award
I would like to pass this on to 'Compassion Unlimitted', 'Kuttibalu' and 'Shashi'.

2. Friendly Site Award
This is again to 'Compassion Unlimitted', 'Kuttibalu', 'Thinking Aloud', 'Prats', 'Meghna' and 'Ranjani'.

3. Best Blogging Buddies and Forever Friends

These awards I pass it on to everyone in my blogroll....:)

4. Sweet Blogger and Roses Award

This is for m.flowerr, CM-Chap, Nithya N, Curious and Thinking Aloud.

5.Bear Hug and I love you Award

These awards goes to Sandhya, Being Oxymoronish, Curious, Shalini, Sindhu,Ranjani, Prats and Thinking Aloud.

Please take it up....:)

Tagged(4)-20Qs...

2008-02-09T15:34:00.003+05:30

Instructions: Remove 1 question from below, and add in your personal question, make it a total of 20 questions, then tag 8 people in your list, list them out at the end of this post. Notify them in their chat box that he/she has been tagged.

1) Who are the most & most important persons you like to meet in your life?
Abdul Kalam, Dan brown and Mother Teresa. I will kiss their hands AK-for his hard work and brain, DB for his writings and guts, MT for her heart and love.

2) Name Three Most Valuable Assets?
Me, my family and my friends.

3) If you have the chance, what would you probably say to your beloved one?
I Love You

4) If you were to be stranded on a deserted island, who are the 3 blog buddies you would take with you?
If I’m in trouble why should I trouble my blog buddies too????? If at all it is some kinda place to enjoy then my answer would be Preetilata, Compassion Unlimitted and Kuttibalu.

5) Where is the place that you want to go the most?
Sydney, Australia.

6) If you can have 1 dream to come true, what would it be?
Ms.Aarthi, CEO, ********** Telecoms.

7) Till now, what is the moment that you regret the most?
When I would have hurt someone and when I don’t think before I talk.

8) What are you afraid to lose the most?
My assets.

9) What would you do if you found a briefcase full of money?
I would hand it over to the Police for 2 reasons.
a)I follow rules.
b)I can't enjoy other's money.

10) If you meet someone that you love, would you confess to him/her?
Yes, of course.

11) List out 3 good points of the person who tagged you.
I don’t know him much…all I know about jaggu is
a) He is a die-hard fan of Chiranjeevi [Telugu Super star].
b) He loves singing.
c) He hates love!!!

12) What are the requirements that you wish from your other half?
Love, care and understanding.

13) Which type of person do you hate the most?
I don’t HATE anyone, might be there are people whom I don’t like much, but c’mon everyone has their own + ves and - ves.

14) What is your ambition?
Career wise I have answered already, other than that to be a Good Human-> Good daughter, good friend, good sister and might be a good wife and a good mum.

15) What is the thing that will make you think someone is a bad person?
I don’t conclude about anyone like that.

16) If you could do one thing different in life, what would it be?
Food for all and completely wipe out the word 'hunger'.

17) Something which made u laugh today?
Poornima’s jokes.

18) How do you deal with a friend who has wronged you?
I’ll wait till he/she realizes himself/herself. If it is my very close friend then I might talk about it and sort it out.

19) Name one favorite song of yours.
I just can’t name one……the recent ones are from the movies Kalloori and Bheema.

20) If you are about to lose all your memory and you have an option to remember just one person, who will it be? [My Question]
My mum. It will be terrible if I see my mum and say “I don’t remember you”.I strongly believe mums are Gods on earth.

Now comes the toughest part...I have to tag someone...hmm...
1)kuttibalu
2)CM-chap
3)Thinking Aloud
4)-xh-
5)Tys on Ice
6)Ranjani
7)Preetilata
8)Meghna

If you have taken up the tag already no worries....:)

Tagged(3)-Fav fives/Five Favs

2008-01-24T10:49:00.002+05:30

Just copy paste THIS and everything below up until my Five links:
I thought it would be cool to have a meme where we post links. We can post up to five. Then we tell five more people to share their links. If we all share who tagged us, our links are sure to be seen! )They can be business links, favorite sites, affiliate links, whatever you want…
There are Five Rules:
1. MUST be clean. No R rated sites.
2. Only FIVE links.
3. MUST tell 5 people.
4. A link back to the person who tagged you ;)
5. Lara’s Place is the meme originator. ;) (an active link is appreciated)
———– end copy paste ———————————–>

My Fav Fives/ Five Favs

1.Google-Not just the search engine but even others like gmail, gtalk and orkut -all my favs and the most used by me.
2.Blogspot-ofcourse coz i blog..either to just post mine or to read other's blog...another fav....my Utopia.
3.Gsmarena-My mobile world..that sets up my dream phone everytime...which is now being the Nokia N96.
4.Dictionary.com-Thanks to them otherwise I would have been punished for my grammer and vocabulary.
5.Wikipedia-clears all the confusing questions in my mind, from really big to small...so might say my online tech guru.

And now I'd like to torture/bug/whatever 5 poor souls..They are
1.Meghna
2.Sandhya[Abt me]
3.Curious
4.xh
5.Ranjani[The Pensieve]

Please take up the tag guys....:)

I beg your pardon........

2008-01-12T22:55:00.000+05:30

I can say this blog is a sequel of my previous blog-observations. I’m supposed to mention about the following people or incidents in my ‘observations’, but I wanted to elaborate on each one or did I try to escape… I really don’t know, but I’m here to express my guilty feeling…might be asking for pardon…but I’m sure I want to write about this. Let me list the causes of my guilty feeling and some say I need not be guilty and some say yes I have to be….

Cause 1: I see this really old lady near that signal almost everyday. Sitting on the road she keeps talking to herself angrily....or to someone whom I can’t see or might be she's talking to God. Mum said that to me once, when I was small. I pointed a mad person and asked her “Mummy to whom is he talking to…. [Giggle]….Is he mad?”, “No honey, God speaks to such special people, you know. You should not laugh at them.” I remembered that...The old lady’s face will always be filled with worries and anger.....I wonder why? Might be her kids just kicked her out of their house?? Or is that she just don’t have anyone?? I don’t know, but so many vehicles crossing her everyday and so many people at least give a glimpse…but why has no one done anything to her. Or why haven’t I done anything to her?… but still people say “It’s ok don’t bother yourself for such small things”….Is this a small thing…another human being…who might have been normal like any one of us at some point of time, is abnormal now and no one could do anything about that???? I’m disturbed.

Cause 2: This person I see near the same signal, whom I doubt might be the old lady’s husband or might be even my weird imagination, seem to be sane, but a beggar. He looks more terrible….like a white cloth dipped in dirt and sand, losing its original colour and completely torn into pieces. Every time he comes begging I rush to get out some money from my purse….but by the time I do that he moves to the next car. Still, I could pass it on to driver and would have helped him with that Rs.10 or at least keep that money out the next day….After 2 weeks of this guilty feeling I managed to give him that small amount, but I have just helped him for a day…What about the rest?????

Cause 3: This must have been the cutest of puppies I have ever seen. Running so enthusiastically around people waiting in the bus stop, as if pleading for love….looking at him for the first time any girl would go “cho chweet” but no one seemed to care about that little one. In the beginning I never thought it was mad….no one would ever imagine that…but everyday I just pray to God to save him from being beaten up by any truck/van....he is just too small to meet God…that’s what I thought…..:(

I know I can do something for these three ceasing souls, but I don’t know what’s stopping me- laziness, or just being irresponsible, or the feeling ‘when no one cares, then why should I?’ .....

P.S- I haven’t seen that mad dark guy I had mentioned in my ‘observations’ later. I’m disturbed again…:(

Tagged(2)-New Year Resolutions

2008-01-06T18:39:00.001+05:30

Shalini had tagged me to write about my new year resolutions…Well I’m supposed to take up this tag before new year, unfortunately I was held up at work, with relatives at home, trips every weekend n blah blah blah….. I am so sorry Shalini …But I’m happy to write a New Year blog in this New Year!!!..Oops what does that mean??…neways let me start …..

I hardly remember taking up any new year resolutions!!!! When I was a kid and when my parents used to stress the importance of studies, they even helped me to decide my resolutions…So I can say I had never had any New Year resolutions in my life…:) So the suggested New Year resolutions were
1. I’ll get 100/100 in all the subjects and be the class 1st - I never thought this is possible…and I never wanted to be the class 1st and being called a nerd!!!!
2. I’ll help mummy in kitchen- this didn’t work out coz I had to wake up early, so dad opted for a better option- a cook…:)
3. Not fight with my sister- Hallo!!! That’s quite natural....I think so…..:)
4. I’ll wake up early everyday- Impossible……coz of this factor I had to kick off some other resolution….so this one is ruled out.
5. I’ll obey my parents- Well I don’t want to say about this…coz my parents have to say how obedient I am…:)

So this was all my childhood “suggestive new year resolutions”….and there must have been many other silly small ones which I don’t remember…I already have another tag to take up…:) Hope will be able to do that soon.

Missing you all……….Take Care and Have fun……………..:)

Observations...

2007-12-14T17:23:00.000+05:30

Comfortably seated in someone else’s place in my office [coz my system has some IC problem already] and no one around to see what I’m doing and no work to do on a Friday afternoon and what else does anyone need to write a blog peacefully….

Not being able to blog frequently I had fixed up that no matter what I have to write at least 1 blog every week, but it is already the 2nd week of December and now this is my 1st blog for this month…:( I’m really really worried for not being able to enjoy like others….especially when I see people writing more than 2 blogs/week….Grrr... Aarthi don’t be like this….you silly…

Now having heaps of things to share with co-bloggers, I’m really confused about which one to pick. Since I’ve already written about my work environment and people here.. I think it’s better I don’t bug you guys with similar kind of stories but with something else…:)

The journey is quite long from my home to my work place and I have been noticing so many things happening around as a routine in people’s life that might be simple but still grabs my attention…might be coz I feel something odd/extraordinary in them. I should say it is a wonderful mix of all kind of human emotions like all existing colors splashed on a white paper- It is attractive.

It starts with the thin old lady with a sad longing face strongly pressed against her balcony grill as if she’s trying to push herself, wishing to get through.. hoping to escape someday and her eyelids seem to be too heavy for her to hold it up and open…then the road side idli shop lady…as fat and fresh as her idlis are.., selling breakfast really fast….may be even faster than they do in Saravana Bhavan…the hot steam from that fresh food makes my mouth water early in the morning. Wish I stop there some day and taste how good those Idlis are…:)

Then comes the gang of girls at the signal with that extra dash of turmeric in their faces which makes them look like they have actually finished 1kg of turmeric powder at one go and that eventually makes them look worse or like people from some other planet!!!

Though it is not a signal it is for sure that I have to stop at least for 10 mins before moving from that place, coz of the excessive traffic [I often doubt whether there is some Tsunami warning and people are vacating the city-Gosh that’s how crowded the roads are!!!!!] I heard a loud frightening shout that made me turn my head towards my car window with a sudden jerk to see what’s happening and that is when I saw that very dark and dirty boy in his late teens with a more dirty shorts.. scratching his head and that loud noise was some other guy shouting at him…for some unknown reason. From then I see that insane guy everyday...wishing to do something to make him sane....but still hesitating….only God knows why…

Other small observations like the school going kids with their parents carrying their heavy bags, bulged bus with few people hanging outside not cared that they may slip out, over-speeding two-wheelers and lorries, guys combing and worried about their looks during traffic signal halts, the pan shop person rubbing something in a cover on a hard surface making me feel he is selling some drug, frustrated yet fresh traffic regulator cum cop, college students talking to themselves...might be revising for their exams and the list goes on…everything interesting in some way or the other and even if I miss out one of them I feel the day strange…

I should actually thank all of them for contributing to make my brain think/work....which is not an easy task and keep me occupied through out my traveling time…:)

Redirected to a New Land

2007-11-25T22:36:00.000+05:30

This must be my quickest blog ever, coz I “don’t have time” to enjoy what I write and elaborate all the interesting things that happened in the past 2 weeks. I never thought I would even say these words- “I am busy” or “I don’t have time” in my life.

To my surprise I found it hard to hold on to lengthy blogs!!!! I’m a person who enjoyed reading/ writing blogs and within a week everything changed…though I wish it doesn’t continue for long. Unusually I had to talk family issues with my mum over the phone and had no time to discuss it at home…:(

It was a mix of all kinda emotions-angry, tensed, upset, disturbed, happy, hesitating, confused, doubtful and again these are just a handful of examples. The new place was not very odd; I managed to carry that smile with me all the time, so that people don’t think I’m bad or unapproachable. I should say it did help me. All people around me belonging to more/ less the same age group; were not that similar as I expected to be. More guys and very few girls in our team didn’t bother me much.

My entry into my work place was with my Tech Lead introducing me to my teammates. There were just 2 girls other than me and heard that they wanted a ragging session…thought OMG!!!! Don’t I have an innocent look, why should anyone want to rag such a beautiful and calm girl [And btw if you are confused I’m talking about myself!!!!] Guys were too demanding…. yes I had to pay them to make them smile.

The first day was full of boring meetings-3 in 3 hrs and I was already tired with repeated introductions. Being a late riser, I was happy to hear that I need not wake up too early everyday. I guessed that the work won’t be too demanding [at least not most of the time] but staring at the computer screen all day didn’t please me at all and I’m afraid whether I’ll soon develop an aversion towards it.

I wanted to write a separate blog about this person-my saviour in this new Island-Gayathri. Thank God I was thirsty that day, so I approached her asking where I could find drinking water and she was kind enough to walk with me to show the place and I felt myself very comfortable with her. I know good things won’t last long and as I expected she told me the next day she’ll be leaving soon!!!!! She’s such a sweetheart I must say and I really feel bad for not being able to elaborate on this one.

So many people, each with a unique attribute and I remember each one with one word in my mind [coz whenever I see them that’s what I felt they are], before I registered their original names- friendly but hesitating, wicked smile, rigid face, mr.smart [tries to be so], flirt n troublesome, just mind your own business, oh my god don’t see me, smiley, dumbo, why should I and who are you kind of reactions in their faces.

It has been a week already and I’m happy that I knew all their names and have got a reasonable number of friends around me. Thank God….the only trouble being I’ve already got enough work to keep myself occupied for the next 1 week!!! Got a presentation to do as well...Am I stressed???? Have to hit the sack now and longing for the next weekend already..he he..:)

Hoping this situation is for just this week and after that I get some time to completely get lost in my utopia and enjoy visiting other blogger’s lands. So till then keep smiling everyone.... like I do…:)

Tagged(1)--8 Facts about me

2007-11-13T14:18:00.001+05:30

Tagging rules: 1. Each blogger must post these rules 2. Each blogger starts with eight random facts/habits about themselves 3. Bloggers that are tagged need to write on their own blog about their eight things and post these rules. At the end of your blog, you need to choose eight people to get tagged and list their names. 4. Don't forget to leave them a comment telling them they've been tagged and to read your blog.

I was tagged by Shashi on eight random facts about me, long long ago. Sorry about the delay Shashi.

1. Novice-I’m a novice at many things. I’m a bharathanatyam dancer [think I can say so..coz done stage performances] yet to do my ‘Arengetram’ but done with my ‘Salangai pooja’, learnt carnatic music till 'varnams', an interior designer for just my home, amateur writer having bunch of stories to be disclosed and the list goes on. Wishing some day I might be an expert in any one at least :)

2. Short-tempered- Any of my friends/relatives or even people who know me since a week would easily highlight this quality of mine. Trying hard to get over this. There were times when I have even felt proud to say that I’m short-tempered but now ‘no way’ I have to change and I’m trying hard to stay calm.

3. My name- I love the way my parents chose my name. It has a part of my dad’s name and a part of my mum’s name, ManohAR and SumaTHI was made ARTHI. Lovely isn’t it? [They even had a boy baby’s name SUmathi and MANohar-SUMAN.]

4. Cleanliness- I can say I’m obsessed with cleanliness-no exaggeration!! Even a small crinkle in my bedspread would disturb me, so I hardly let anyone inside my room. A bit too stupid…my mum says…:p

5. Things people keep- I have this habit of collecting pretty shopping bags and covers. Strange huh!!?? I don’t remember when I started but now would have around 250 different shopping bags with me. Might be when it reaches 1000 or 500 you can find me in ‘The Hindu’ –“Things people keep” segment.

6. Gadgets- I’m a bit crazy about the gadgets and I have named all of them. My mobile phones-Samsung P300-Sweetoo, Apple I phone-Ice [Donno why I named so..might b coz it is cool], Laptop-Dell Inspiron-Chamcha[It means spoon in Telugu n don’t ask me the reason why I named so coz there is none], I-pod shuffle-Snuffy and I-pod shuffle mini-Pouchy, Sony USB Memory stick-Numo.

7. Fitness freak-Diet, exercise, aerobics, tread mill- people who chat with me should be able to talk at least about one of the 4 topics here, coz I’m so conscious about maintaining myself within the 55-58 kgs limit. Though the graph has never been constant, I can’t sleep until I achieve the target.

8. Aries- I’m an April born and according to Linda Goodman’s Love signs “So you are in love with an Aries women, I don’t know whether to congratulate you or pity you” and I completely agree with her !!!!!!!!

Hope it was not too boring….I tried my level best to keep it short.

I would like to tag

1. Compassion Unlimitted
2. m.flowerr
3. white window/Preetilata
4. curious
5. sandhya
6. kuttibalu
7. Random thoughts
8. Thinking Aloud

Diwali

2007-11-11T11:33:00.000+05:30

The festive mood is on and my house is getting filled up with crackers, sweets, gifts, clothes and people. Me always stressing about the cleanliness at home have to take a small break for a week, coz I know I can’t really do it with all the above mentioned things scattered all over the house. Thank God my room is still under my control, coz the keys are with me and I lock it even when I go for dinner to the dining table. Given a 30 secs gap my mum would dump my room with something…

Keeping aside the cleanliness issue I enjoy everything about this Diwali season. I get to do the maximum shopping and this is the only time I totally get satisfied with whatever I buy, be it clothes or footwear or cosmetics or handbags or just anything. Eventually my dad will be the only sad person at home-I heard him saying to my aunt-“En pant, shirt ellam uruvitaanga, idula innum tailor bill vera irukam, I think after that en nelamai Pazhani andavar nelama dan” Me and Mum would laugh at this!!!!

My cousin would always say that the house looks more beautiful with all this mess around. Me and my sis with our cousins, dad with his bros n sis and mum with his bros all at our place…OMG, anyone would prefer a fish market to our house, but I love that non stop nonsense, the get together that brings smile in everyone’s face--no price for that. Dad’s place being Sivakasi and having known most of those cracker factory people, this time there was no place at home to keep the gift boxes-imagine the size of each box which can hold a person in it. Yesterday night I had no other option; I stayed awake till 2 a.m segregating clothes, sweets and crackers for our driver, securities, servant and cook and made sure it was distributed before 10a.m. All were happy with their gifts and I was happy too.

I really missed all this fun for the 2 yrs when I was in Sydney and now it is my sis’s turn to miss this, who is in New York now. I really miss her for not being able to threaten anybody with those ‘atom bombs’ and ‘lakshmi vedis’, my cousins are brave enough to even hold them in their hands, though they don’t do that!!!!

After all the fun and freaking moments comes the unbearable thing-the departure. I really can’t imagine that. Suddenly the house looks haunted with no voices, no laughter and no bursting of crackers. It takes some time for me to get back to normal and this time I’m well prepared for that. So for all my blogger friends-“Wish you and your family a very happy Diwali”

P.S-I had time to write but not to post this before Diwali. Sorry for the belated wishes.

NaNoWriMo

2007-11-06T12:29:00.000+05:30

People who read ‘The Hindu’ regularly excuse me!! coz you would have read this already- this is about an interesting article I found in today’s Metro Plus.

So for the rest of you there, let me first chase that confused look in your face [if you have one!!!] which would have made you curious [I wish so] when you saw the topic of this blog, NaNoWriMo, which simply means National Novel Writers Month.

This is for people like me, craving there to write at least one novel in this birth but holding back coz they are very doubtful about their skills, language, etc. Here they give us a month time –Nov 1 to 30 [already 5 days gone!!!] and 50,000 words being the word limit and we can write a novel. You just stick on to this time and word limit and you name your work a novel :) and post your novel for other Wrimos [that’s how they address the participants] to read!!!!

They don’t give any awards or certificates for the best ones but this is just being a place to have a good start. It helps to initiate writing in people, who love to write, but just got stuck up with a starting trouble. Though some feel that lack of judgement and appraisal as a drawback here, the other side says they really don’t mind about that.

Once we post it on or before Nov 30, we can later have discussions in the chat rooms about how to improve and get suggestions from few experts on what to improve. We can even tweak the work later and make it better. So any amateur writers there…think you don’t know how to start the journey…try this one!!!!!

Interested-->www.nanowrimo.org

The Zoology test

2007-11-01T10:40:00.000+05:30

We were in class 9 and our gang [SPADSV-mentioned in my previous blog] occupying the last 2 benches, 3 in a bench- me, Poornima and Sush in the last bench and Dhana, Vai and Sheelu in the one before us. Comfortably seated in the last, to do all kind of pranks we still managed to study well [Sush was the class topper] so teachers [except few] never believed when guys complained about us.

Our Zoology teacher had announced a test for 25 marks the previous day. I hardly studied anything coz our gang decided not to study and planned to try failing at least once, just to know how it feels. Even if any of us studied, they won’t be allowed to write even a word in the paper declared Poornima. After the morning prayer we were asking other girls in our class whether they were prepared and all seem to have prepared---at least to pass.

Though we didn’t discuss among ourselves we were getting tensed as lunch was nearing, coz the test was after the lunch break. We knew that anyway we can’t finish studying in the lunch break and were really worried about the foolish thought that crossed our mind the previous day. After the bell the note books were distributed and all six of us were just............... as blank as our papers were!!!
Poornima broke the silence with her whisper- Hey did any one carry the zoology book with you today?
Sush: Ya.

She was the bold one among 3 of us, I mean Poornima, coz she came forward to copy it from the book and we can copy from her notes and at the same time warn her if the teacher is nearing us. Sheela started begging for the book coz none of the three had the book and finally managed to get one by threatening a new comer. While the test was going on, a couple of guys were sent out for copying and again another pair and almost 15 guys were standing out to be taken to the Head Mistress. Sush started shivering and Sheela said that the teacher saw us once and next time if she finds any of our heads going down we will get caught for sure!!!!!!!

The test was over and we handed our note books back for correction and were relaxing with a broad smile when Vai said “I saw her watching us from the beginning but Thank God she didn’t call our names” Sush became furious, “Why the hell we have to decide such a stupid thing, then get so tensed and take such a risk. Next time I’m not going to listen to any of you guys, but do remember our notebooks would look like photocopies and there are still chances for us to get caught” We all went dumb and for the next 1 week we were discussing about how to convince our parents, if at all they were called to meet the H.M----preparing ourselves for the worst case.

The day came; we were sitting holding our hands tight and I could feel the chill in Poornima’s hands. The books were distributed, almost all girls got their books except 6 of us. While submitting we made sure that our note books were mingled with others’ and not together, but in spite of that now, just our books were yet to be distributed. We were almost in tears, when we heard the teacher call our names. We 6 were standing and she was holding our notebooks in her hand, guys sitting beside us were laughing and their look conveying “Enna aatam poteenga..matneengala”

Teacher-Your parents send you hear not just to have fun but to study. How many of you have ever realized that?? [I heard someone among us sob, my face was red and the warm blood was rushing making it more colourful] When people around you can study well, why can’t you? [I didn’t want to see her face so was trying to hide myself behind] Today I’m really proud of these girls standing here. Whatttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttt…. [Did I hear her properly? Yes, coz the other 5 had that confused look in their faces too] After so much of hard work, see these girls, all 6 getting 25/25!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! [All were shocked and we 6 were still unable to understand what’s happening around us] Now every one, give them a big round of applause [And yes it happened, all were clapping hands for us]

We waited to get our books back and everything looked fine and we all breathed normally again. The guys beside us said “Adi paveengala” and we all laughed.

After 11 years we still remember all that happened on that day and this incident would be mentioned at least once by anyone of us during our meetings till date and we would laugh at it rolling down on the floor.

Do you know?

2007-10-30T10:57:00.000+05:30

I came across these interesting facts and wanted to share it with you.
Courtesy: Landmark shopping bag

The highest number of points that can be scored in scrabble on the first go is 126-QUARTZY.-I don’t know what this word mean!!
6 out of 7 gynecologists in the world are men. -I have heard people say that women gynecs are a bit rude but this piece of info is really surprising.
Watching TV uses up 50% more calories than sleeping.-Do we lose calories while we sleep????
No piece of paper can be folded in half more than 7 times. -Ya, it’s true I tried with 3 different sized papers.
The bible is the most shoplifted book in the USA-OMG!!!!!
Fingernails grow four times faster than toe nails.-The only fact I knew.
If you mouth the word “colourful” to someone, it looks like you are saying “I love you”-Haa ya very interesting.
Haley’s comet was visible on the day Mark Twain was born and he accurately predicted that he would die the day it reappeared.-………

The following is not a fact, but sure to bring a smile in your face.
Courtesy-The Hindu
“The length of a film should be directly related to the endurance of the human bladder”- Alfred Hitchcock.

We Grow up..Without Realising it

2007-10-25T22:38:00.000+05:30

Today after a very long time my best friends Sheelu and Poornima came home. We were schoolmates and though we know each other since class 3, we became really intimate in class 9. We named our gang SPADSV [pronounced as spadsiv] just to get noticed and used to scribble the name wherever we can- in benches, in charts, walls and sometimes in our notebooks too.

S-Sheela
P-Poornima
A-Aarthi
D-Dhanalakshmi
S-Sushmitha
V-Vaijayanthi.

[Highlighted names ->married. S,P n D sorry for declaring this.]

My house always used to be our meeting place and we used have a lot of fun. We were well known for our pranks in the school too. During the end of school days we decided to meet twice every month and no one would wish to miss that rendezvous, coz it used to be so much of fun. We would spend our time going out, talking [teasing and making fun] about our college life, the lecturers, new friends and of course guys.Just the normal things that happen within friends.

After our college days it was really hard for everyone to meet up, but we used to take oaths and one among that was to stay in touch wherever we are, coz people around us insisted that it is hard for girls to maintain the friendship, unlike guys. The obvious thought “When guys can, why can’t girls?” crossed us and the urge to prove them wrong was always in our mind.

Today 3/6 were out of station with just 3 of us left to meet up. We had the same kind of fun, laughing all the time and again this was another memorable day, but i felt a small difference. Both Poornima and Sheelu being married were discussing more about their family, their problems and how to handle it [though in a funny and light way I could understand it was bothering them]. It was really surprising to see my friends who were very dominating and house/group leaders in school to have totally changed. I never knew they could compromise so much, be so polite and adjustable. I felt the strangers in my friends for the first time and when I asked them they laughed at me saying “Hey, just grow up Aarthi or just enjoy being single and you’ll learn everything from your own experience”

I realized that people change-not coz they want to but they change even without realizing it themselves. They become more refined and responsible eventually!!!! We still talk about guys, tease people we know and make fun but this new thing being added in our conversation sounded a bit odd to me. May be I’ll understand only when I face a similar situation…but to be true I really miss and long for those lost innocent days.

P.S-After writing so many blogs they said it is a ‘sin’ if I don’t mention about them here, but have heaps of interesting stories in hold and this blog might not please them. Sorry chweet hearts…:)

It's not shit to spit

2007-10-22T20:10:00.000+05:30

I was returning from hospital after changing the dressing in my leg. Doctor said he would take the pin during my next visit “without any anesthesia” and added “Don’t worry it won’t pain”. I laughed thinking, then why did you mention about anesthesia? I was already scared about the pain and was discussing with mum what would be my reaction while he is taking the pin-kick the Doctor unable to bear the pain or shout like a mad beast and threaten everyone and other freaking possibilities.

The car stopped in Thirumangalam signal and I was looking at the platform where there were 6-7 kids following a lady in proper height order starting from the tallest to the shortest. I thought she must be their mum... but for all 6-7 or just few of them? Questioned myself in my mind.

The lady was having her mouth filled with beetel leaves that she was not even able to talk properly with her children. They were about to cross the signal but she was least bothered about the kids following her. She was pushing something in that already spaceless mouth and the red fluid started flowing out. Yaaaaaaaaaaaaak and she did that; She spat disgustingly… that too in the EB box nearby!!!! OMG-Why should she do this????- dump herself with so many leaves knowing that her mouth can’t hold that much and then spit it out? Why can’t she swallow it, its her own saliva…Gosh.. Even before she wiped her mouth the tallest kid behind her spat [though he didn’t have any beetel leaves], this time exactly on the middle of the EB box, happily smiled that his aim was good. Then the one behind him followed it and everyone one after one went
“Thoo"
"Thoo"
"Thoo"
"Thoo"
"Thoo”....
I pitied the EB box that was used innovatively as a dustbin for a short period of time.

When I turned back to tell mum what I saw, she was already watching all that and smiled at me looking the reaction on my face.
I asked, “Why are you smiling at me?”
She said, “Your face looks more bewildered than sickening and that’s funny”
I-“Why do they have to spit that mummy, can’t they just swallow, is it so disgusting for those people to swallow their saliva?”
She just smiled and reminded me Vivek’s comedy in a movie where he asks people “Does any one spit on the roads in America or Australia. This habit is in no other country, why do people have to do that in India , etc?”

Though I have seen that comedy before I just laughed at it but now watching it happen live somewhere that too a series of spitting on the road, Gosh it was really awful. Again I asked mum “Mummy why do they have to spit, it isn’t shit to spit, it’s just their saliva”

Her face turned red (actually pink) and she said, “First stop swearing and that is more disgusting than what you just saw now”

“When did I swear-Is shit a bad word?”

“Aarthi just stop it and shut up” and I turned my face away angrily.

My doubt yet uncleared there was another doubt that rose in my mind and now in total two doubts:
1. Why can’t people swallow it?
2. Is “shit” a bad word?

Time-My Teacher

2007-10-17T18:48:00.000+05:30

When I had all the time for myself and never had a chance to say “I’m busy”, I should say it was lovely too. I rediscovered myself again and again for ‘n’ number of times and the conclusion was not a motif thankfully. I identified the oxymoron in me, which I would have denied if pointed by someone else before or at least would have tried to camouflage it, but now I don’t think there is a need for it. C’mon everyone carries a bit of that. I should admit I loved this process of learning, learning me.. myself, though it is not complete yet….

Until this long break I never thought I too can do a bunch of interesting things or I never thought there are a bunch of things that interests me. I developed my passion for dance through aerobics and got obsessed with aerobics. Listening to music tempted me to sing along and I 'boldly' recorded my voice and listened to it and I’m still singing coz I wish to get completely satisfied with whatever I do passionately. I have to say I’m still a novice in all I do, but never mind today’s amateurishness might lead to a future pro!!!!!! I believe so coz I still have the amour and wish to carry it with me forever. I used to laugh at my irritated chweet lil cousin calling me a “perfectionist” when I stressed her about the cleanliness of the room I shared with her. Before I reminisce and get lost from this topic let me list those magnets that made me an iron/nickel/cobalt…fill in the metal u like.

1.Writing-be it blogs, short stories or just anything, I’m more confident now. All these days I never knew writing can be of one’s paramount interest!!!!!!!
2.Reading-I think I can draw equations and correlate my interest, coz ardent reading made me fall in love with my keyboard and pen and thus I’m here with my keyboard again.
3.Dance-I did both classical [I learnt during my school days] and free style and have choreographed myself for 2 songs. Wishing to sell it for school kids…lol!!!
4.Aerobics-Now with my bandaged foot I have invented a new kind of aerobics….might name it-'Hop Aero' [named it to sound something like a Tai Chi]
5.Music-My mesmerizing companion at all times.
6.Singing-Pushing aside the -ves for some time, I’m still enjoying the +ve feedback I got “Your voice is sweet” OMG!!!
7.Cooking-I’m becoming a pudding expert these days.Sticky date and sweet corn puddings being my specialties…yummy….Tell me you drooled I’ll serve you one.

I think 7 might be odd but not a bad count.

Exclamations and Questions

2007-10-08T11:21:00.000+05:30

“Go to heaven and send down your brothers to us”-I couldn’t guess anything from this title when I came across this article in Femina. The above words were told to just born female babies before they were killed!!!!! I really couldn’t believe that such things still prevail in India. Though it is not in the cities, people in some rural areas still don’t prefer girl babies and the worst part is they kill them. Gosh…How can anyone do that????? I still don’t understand.

Later in CNN, I saw that heart breaking news, that there were around 20 female fetuses thrown in a well near a hospital in a town called Patran [somewhere near Punjab] and this has been happening since a year. The doctors have been helping the parents who didn’t wish to have a girl child, so they declare the sex of the child [which is illegal in India-haa who cares!!] and helped even to kill them. This was disclosed by a nurse, not coz she had a heart but b’coz she was not paid properly!!!!!!!!!

It is really shameful for us to be among such heartless creatures and we couldn’t do anything about it. I usually don’t dare to see the killings and murders in news, but this time I wanted to see and I was in tears. It was too painful to bear!!!! The skulls were not even the size of our palm and were found broken near the well. It would have been very easy for them to kill those innocent lives but how such …………….[you can fill any bad word in this blank acc to the level of your temper] can be allowed to lead a normal life after the killing. Even animals don’t kill their own babies. I think only in India people worship God in Women form too….but what an irony!!!!!!

Is India a developing country?????????? Does the word “developing” just mean the economy? And is it right to be named so?

The Surgery

2007-10-05T15:25:00.000+05:30

It is not really comfortable to sit in my computer chair, with my legs flat on the bed nearby and my torso twisted towards the computer screen to my left and write a fresh new blog!!! Few days ago I thought this was impossible, but today I’m doing it coz I have to. It is v v v v v difficult to kill time, especially sitting or sleeping most of the time and standing hardly for 5-10 mins/day.

I had to undergo a surgery in my leg, last Tuesday 25 Sep 2007. Doctor had asked me to get admitted around 6.30 a.m in empty stomach. I was there on time and was asked to wait in my room when mum was filling up forms and I was signing declarations regarding the surgery. It was 7 and I already felt boring, thirsty and hungry. “Not even a drop of water” the anaesthetist had told me the day before. He was a north Indian in his mid 40s or 50s and was very sweet and kind to me.

I was given a green.. sorry white..oops no it was grey..hmm I’m still confused- let me say a multi-colored gown to be worn. I was really shocked to see even small holes in the gown.

I said “Sorry I can’t wear this, gimme a different gown”,

the nurse said-“Don’t worry it is sterilized and that’s why the color”

I-“Fine even if I don’t mind about the color I’m not ready to expose myself during the surgery, so please gimme a mended one at least”.

Even mum and dad were a bit shocked and mum suggested me to take up the surgery the next day in Apollo.

Dad said “It is ok. Let’s see the gown they get now and still if it is bad, we can talk to the Doctor and get a better one. We have to see the Doctor’s preference for the surgery and not ours, so just bear with all these minor issues”

The bed linens and pillow covers were white turned blue in color. Other than that the service and ambience was good. No strong smelling floor cleaner and the room was pretty big, clean and convenient. My only suggestion in their feedback form was “Please change your launderer”.

I got changed and the Doctor came to the room asking “So, Aarthi. Ready?” I said “Yes, Doctor”. I was smiling unusually, coz till the day before I had all kinds of silly doubts and was very tensed. Though I have undergone a surgery before it was a very minor one and I was very casual until I saw the board named “Operation Theatre” and the sharp glistening blades, knifes and syringes. I was half petrified already but somehow managed not to shout or make a fuss, coz I was worried what if I disturb the surgeon by doing all that and as a result feared that the surgery many not be a 100% success.

This time they said they’ll give general anesthesia and I got many kinds of comments [some good and some really threatening] like,
Friend-Don’t worry you will be deep asleep and you won’t know anything.
MSD [My silly doubts]-What if I wake up in the middle of the surgery.
Mum-Don’t worry there will be one person completely concentrating on you.
MSD-What if something gets complicated with the operation and everyone including the person concentrating on me gets distracted to my leg and I wake up crying/shouting in pain?
Mum-She gave an indescribable mix of reactions and I stopped questioning her.
Friend-They’ll ask you to count 123 and you won’t remember saying 3.
Friend-It will be fun, you’ll feel like you are flying and when you wake up you’ll see your leg tied up with all bandages. You won’t feel any pain.
Friend-Don’t get tensed if they give you enema.
I was like “Whaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaattttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttt”
Iduku eduku enema, I’m going in empty stomach.
Friend-Just be prepared for everything. You’ll feel like vomiting when they give anesthesia!!!!!!!!!
Me-?????????????????????????????

All these conversations were flashing in my mind while I was getting on to the stretcher tying my hair and putting a cap. I was taken to the operation theatre. All people including dad in the corridor were staring at me with a sympathetic look on their face and I tried not to laugh seeing their reaction. Inside the theatre I was looking for any sharp instruments; Thank God I couldn’t find anything. The anesthetist tapped my head friendly and said “Hi”and I was again smiling and said “Hi”. He took my left hand and tapped the other side of my palm few times and I was injected with a yellow color fluid. Nurse asked the doctor mentioning the quantity of the fluid and he said “Yes” then she said “Given Doctor”. For pulse they clipped my forefinger. The nurse was angry seeing my long enameled nails, coz the signal was not proper or something and Doctor said something aloud in Hindi- I donno whether he was scolding me and I was least bothered about all that, at that point of time. They pasted some round stickers on me, saying it was for ECG. There were 2 split ACs and a small wooden clock ticking 8 a.m in front of me. I felt as if the clock is moving up and down slowly and then a bit faster and that’s it.

When I woke up the anesthetist asked me something and I said “chooffy”…. “Sify” and he said “ok ok”. My tongue was thick and I was unable to speak. My throat was very dry and I wanted to wet it with my saliva but I couldn’t. I felt a bit tensed when I couldn't do this. My vision was not clear yet but I was in the stretcher just outside the theatre waiting to be taken to my room. I felt very cold and was shivering. Nurse took my left hand and placed it slowly on me and covered me completely with the bed sheet making me feel warm. She was shouting at someone for making us wait for the lift. When I was taken to my room I saw mum and my grandpa there. They asked me to shift myself to the bed and I don’t know why…. I cried for some reason. Nurse asked mum “Why is she crying? She was fine till now” Mum “Might be after seeing me”. I was in my bed half asleep. I asked for time and mum said it was 10.45 a.m.

I asked for water and they gave me just 1 spoon. After sometime 2-3 spoons and that’s it. I was famished by that time and was waiting for my lunch. At 1 p.m I was allowed to have lunch. Friends came in the evening and I had a nice chat till 8. I felt tired and wanted to have a sound sleep, but I think I would have slept for hardly 2-3 hrs and I wanted to change my sleeping position. I raised my leg slowly but couldn’t turn myself to either of the sides coz it was hurting. I got back pain since I was lying in the same position facing the ceiling for nearly 20 hrs. I even felt little pain in my hand where they had pierced the needle and then started the pain in my legs.

It was bearable till 4 a.m and after that it slowly became severe. I thought I should bear the pain and should not disturb mum or nurse until they wake up and I controlled myself. I was lying in the bed saying “Hanuman Chalisa” and weeping so that my mum doesn’t hear me. At 5 I couldn’t bear anymore. The pain was EXCRUCIATING. I was thinking about the dressing that will be done in the evening and started to fear already. I have never been so frightened in my life. I called mum and she asked the nurse to give some pain killers. I was praying God wishing the nurse just gives a pill and not any injections in the pierced needle in my hand. I thought “I can’t bear anymore” Thank God the nurse gave a pill and I had slight fever. The whole of next day I was sleeping peacefully. I woke up just to have food and again slept. I felt fresh and better in the evening. The dressing was not as painful as I feared. Doctor asked me to see my leg, but I didn’t have the guts to see the stitches. The next day I got discharged and now I have changed the dressing once more.

It was really hard in the beginning, coz I had to expect mum for everything. Even now I don't say it is not hard but I got used to it. I had to use the wheel chair even to go to my room nearby and I really hated it. I got severe pain twice after coming home and fever following the pain. Slowly I learnt how to keep my legs so that it doesn’t hurt me. When they changed the dressing the 2nd time I saw my leg. It looked bad and I’m sure the mark is going to be obvious. I saw 2 needle like thing, one in each leg, pierced and which created the pain. Doctor said he’ll remove it after 2 weeks and for which I’m already scarrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrred and worried about the pain. I can’t leave my feet touch the floor and neither leave it hanging. My legs should always be at rest and that too perpendicular to my torso.

Only yesterday I managed to walk by myself, of course by holding the wall and other support nearby. Mum watched me happily, like watching her new born baby walking for the 1st time. Everyday I was able to type just few lines and that’s why it has taken so many days [more than a week] to complete this blog. Sorry for this really lengthy crap – you have to believe that I have written just 50% and I’m already exhausted.

My Thanks to

Doctors –you are really doing a great job!!!!! I was a bio student and had cried many days for not getting into medicine. But now I’m happy, coz I realized life is not comfortable watching blood, flesh, skin, knives, parts of human body, pain, cries, etc. So hats off to all Doctors there who really love their profession.

Mum-not just my mum but to every mum is the world, in simple words--Hats off for what you are!!!!

Things I missed a lot (in random order)

1. Blogs
2. Orkut
3. Friends
4. Internet
5. My room
6. Theatres and Movies
7. Gym
8. All my footwear
9. Shopping
10. Restaurants.

Sleepless Nights

2007-09-22T12:49:00.000+05:30

The phrase “sleepless nights” often finds its space in a sentence, paragraph or even a book, where the intensity of these words will not be truly felt. We just read it and pass on to the next line. Me, suffering from this trouble now could understand how terrrrrrrrrrible it is.

I am a late riser and used to go to bed late. I usually hit the sack around 12, 1 or even 2 and wake up unwillingly around 8-9. I make sure I sleep for just 6-8 hours and not less/more than this boundary and I don’t like to sleep in the afternoons or evenings. In spite of me being so conscious, for the past two weeks sleep is not favoring me. The posture in which I sleep will be the same till next day morning and I always had a sound sleep, but now I realize I have been turning to both sides so often and when I get down from my bed I feel tired rather than being fresh and energetic.

It is true that certain issues have been troubling me and my mind is always occupied with those thoughts, but I never thought it would affect my sleep. I started blogging, working out and social networking to get out of depression and keep my mind free of stress, but all in vain.

Not having a sound sleep does not let me face the morning with a smile, I walk and brush and do things half asleep. It slows down my pace and I had to skip my breakfast before going to the gym. So couldn’t work out to the fullest of my satisfaction. I had to pass the whole day half asleep, half tired and nothing to the complete. So, by this time you should be “pichifying ur thala”…thinking “enna dan solla vara iva”. Nothing buddy-Next time you come across those lines remember that having a “sleepless night” is not an easy joke. So try to sleep properly and stay healthy.

My Celebrity look-alikes!!!!!

2007-09-20T17:57:00.001+05:30

http://www.myheritage.com/collage

Pretty interesting, but hold down your temper, I'm not responsible for anything......:-)

The Guy

2007-09-16T14:12:00.000+05:30

It was a sunny afternoon [why should anything romantic happen only on rainy days and that too in the evenings or nights?-I know it makes one feel more romantic, but I prefer to be truthful] - Me and my friend were watching a English movie in a really cozy and fully air conditioned theatre, just to escape the sun burning and tanning our skin outside. There were very few people in the hall, not coz the movie is boring but it was a matinee show on a working day. I was waiting for the break so that I could go and get my favorite choc-coffee gelato ice cream [I often forget the actual name of this ice cream].

I was in the ice cream queue whereas my friend was getting popcorn and some drink for her. The stalls were on either side of the passage so that we were standing with our backs facing each other. Accidentally, I saw that guy standing behind my friend. I couldn’t see his face, but he was well-dressed with a cool blue t-shirt and black jeans. Now and then I turned my head to see his face but in vain. Something was very attractive about him or it would have been just my curiosity-I didn’t know. I was pushing myself to get the ice cream asap, so that I can go to my friend, pretend to chat with her and thus to get a glance of his face.

Wow I did, He was toooooooooooooooooooooo handsome that I couldn’t take my eyes off [I doubted whether he’s a film star, but nope]. He was very casual and normal but very attractive. [Thank God his lips weren’t dark, coz that turns me off-I hate people who smoke and hence the dark lips] I was talking unusually loudly so that he will hear me and turn his head towards me. Everyone in the queue did…….. except him. My friend had a doubtful look on her face seeing my unusual behavior. She came and told me “Aarthi you were a bit loud, didn’t you realize that”. I said “Yes, I did, I did that on purpose. Didn’t you see the guy behind you?” She turned and looked at him.
She said “Wow….he looks awesome”
Me: That’s the reason I was so loud, but he never turned his head. He was too much into his mobile. Must be sending messages to his girl friend. I giggled.
She: Yaaaaa….No girl will leave such a handsome guy to be single for this long. He must have a girl friend by now.

I regretted for saying that and was looking behind to see if any of his friends or girlfriends were with him. He was no longer in the queue. Pretty disappointed I was going inside the hall when my friend pinched me. OMG!!!!!! The guy was walking before us. We both giggled… We walked slowly to see where he is seated. Unfortunately, behind our row. Not lucky enough…., I started eating my favorite ice cream. I could neither enjoy the movie nor the ice cream. I was more worried that he didn’t turn his head towards me. I was dressed fairly well and wooooooooooooow what a coincidence…even I was in a black jeans and blue kurti. I was too excited to tell this to my friend but I know she’ll stab me if I interrupt her now.

After the movie we couldn’t find him and even I didn’t want to look for him anymore-it would be very silly. We planned to roam about in the mall for sometime. I wanted to buy few books and so I was looking for the books and my friend was getting some gift. Since it will take a long time for me, she said she’ll come back to me once she finishes billing the gift. I took the small cushioned stool and sat near the Indian authors section to find some books of my interest. Since there was no one in the books section I made myself comfortable covering the entire pathway when I heard someone say “Excuse me”. I got up pushing the stool aside and saying “Sorrrrrrr…Err..Sorry”. Yes, it was him again. My heart skipped a beat. He was so close and with a cute smile he said “Thank you”. His voice was so manly and blah blah blah. He walked past me and me back in the same position with the book in my hand and my mind roaming somewhere else. I should have talked to him, but what? It would have been very silly and God Am I flirting? No way!!!! I have never done that before and I never wish to do that.

This is not a movie, so started looking for the books again and again he came. This time Goshhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh he came to me-“Hi, have you read Indian authors before” [OMG, OMG…what’s happening]. I stood up like a school kid in front of the teacher and I said “Ya, I have”
He: I have started reading very recently and wish to give a try reading Indian authors, can you suggest me some books.
Me: I’m not a pro, but I can suggest you some good authors.
He: Oh, thanks.
After a few conversations, completely about books he said “Hey, thanks a lot and it’s nice to meet you” I said “Me too”. He was very decent with a very good vocabulary. I wanted to ask him many things like where do you live, what do you do, etc but I couldn’t. I don’t like to initiate any such conversations, if he had at least asked my name then I would have. “Why is all this happening?” I asked myself. Not wishing to stay there anymore I walked to see my friend and saw him again. I turned back to see whether he is seeing me. No.
Again I did. No.
Again I did and Yes, He did and smiled. Opppppsssssssss, I turned quickly and started walking.
Giving a long gap, say 1 min I tuned back again, he was standing very near to me, staring at me with a fishy cute smile and holding few books in his hand. Gosh-he got me. I was really shocked, didn’t expect this, I was almost running when he came behind me “Hey, stop” There were people around, so didn’t want to make it a show there and hence I stopped and turned. He gave his hand out saying “I’m ………” I didn’t hear him. It was something starting with “A”. I was deaf, my heart beat has stopped, not knowing what’s going to happen next, I was blushing and sweating at the same time.
I said “I’m Aarthi”.
He: Nice name.
Me: Thanks
He: Hey Aarthi I have been watching you from the ice cream stall. [Oh God-so shameful, he would have thought I’m flirting] You are really cute.
Me: …………………………………………………………………………………
He: I think I like you.

Mum: “Aarthi it is 9.30 already, wake up”.

I was never disappointed like this before. For the first time I regretted for being an Aerian, coz they dream a lot and they are very passionate lovers-might be in the dreams too.

Fatter side of my story

2007-09-14T16:35:00.000+05:30

When people tell me “Hey you have lost a lot of weight?”, “You really look better with this kind of figure”, “Wow, I couldn’t recognize you, you’ve become so thin” I’ll be flying. Today it makes me feel so nice, but the past and the experiences that made me a fitness freak is really hard to digest.

I still remember the guy’s name who first called me “Gundu”-Its funny but I do. I was in my 3rd class then and the guy named Alpha seemed to be the villain of our class. Everyone warned me about him. They advised me to give him my pencil/rubber and whatever he asks for or else he might break my pencil box or will steal my things. I never cared and hence he said “Po di gundu” Giggle...Though it sounds funny now, it did hurt me a lot. I was crying. That’s how it started.

Me and my younger sis used to go for something called the morning practice. It was sports training given by our PT masters in the morning. My sis used to be very thin then. There was a running track on the ground where me and sis had a running race. I was very sure that I won’t win the race but they purposely had it for them to have fun. It was really embarrassing for me in front of more than 30 school kids all big and small and 2 teachers. It happened as I had predicted. I controlled my tears, rushed back home and started crying in my bathroom.

I even remember when my uncle fooled his newly wed wife saying that my birthday was on Ganesh Chathurthi, where his intention obviously was to say that I look like an elephant. I cried the whole day - mum was consoling me and dad scolding me for not being sportive. Irrespective of age and gender people teased and bullied me. :-(

When I was in 8th I was really stout, weighing 68 kgs. Whenever I was called for sports they always compelled me to take part in shot put and nothing else. Once during the usual medical check up in my school I was asked to bring my mum to talk about my weight, the Doctor was really kind and sweet but still I felt very insulted in front of all my class mates. [Thank God!! Guys weren’t there] My parents have never told me to restrict myself on food or to exercise and even I didn’t realize the importance. Only when I saw my class group photo I realized how huge I was. I was really shocked. I was standing behind my class teacher and all looked like school kids except me and my teacher. That is when I started starving in the name of dieting. I maintained my weight to 65 kgs till my 12th, but still I have heard [even] some of my good friends mentioning me as “Gundu Aarthi”-coz we were 2 Aarthi’s in the same class. I always wondered why can’t they call us with our initials like M.Aarthi and P.Aarthi and not ‘Gundu’ Aarthi and ‘Olli’ Aarthi. Criticizing one's physical appearence is the worst thing one can do.

The irony is that the person who called me so, is suffering from obesity now and getting tips from me about how to cut down her kgs. My uncle who teased me, now weighs more than 100 kgs. Today when I told people in the gym that I used to be plump, they refused to believe me!!!!! :-)

After all this, now I feel happy about the way I look, if I had not faced all these comments I doubt whether I would have worked so hard to keep myself fit. So I always take this as an example and tell myself there is no good teacher than our own experiences. So let us learn from our experiences –good or bad and I strongly believe in the words of “Bhagavat Gita” which in simple says “Everything happens for a reason”.

An Error

2007-09-09T16:25:00.000+05:30

Desired profile:
Candidate has to be highly assertive, with excellent communication skills. He/She should be able to interact with customers effectively and should have a pleasing personality.

The above lines were the description given in a job search website for the position of an HR professional.

My Experiences:

Org 1- Nokia

The HR Executive welcomed me with a friendly smile. She asked me to wait in a room until the interviewer arrives. Since it was their lunch hour she asked whether I had my lunch and told me that I still have time to grab a bite in their canteen. After the interview she came back to me enquiring how the interview was and how did I perform. This was the first and last time I had seen such a friendly person.

Org 2 (Over the phone)

HR- Is this Aarthi? [No Ms or Mrs. not even my surname]
HR- I tried to reach you a lot of times but couldn’t.
Me- Oh really!! I have been waiting for your call so I returned all my missed calls and I am sure didn’t get any calls from you.
HR- [Not bothered about what I said] asked about my qualifications.
[After a series of conversations] Will call you soon.
Me- After 2 weeks time I called her.
HR- Why did you call me? I said I will.
Me- Ya, but it has been 2 weeks already and that’s why…….even before I finished.
HR- I’m out on a holiday call me back after this weekend.
And it was me who called her after that-always. It was an STD call and she made me wait for more than 5 mins while I could hear her chatting with her friend on some other line.

Org 3

This person was the best-I still doubt whether he knows how to smile. Some questions he had asked me

* What do you want?
* So what?
* Do you drive? [This was totally irrelevant to what we were discussing]
* Do you think you’ll do well in the next round? [In spite me doing absolutely well in the previous round]
* What have you been doing all these days?

Org 4

Monday-After introducing ourselves
Me- This person had asked me to meet you regarding this.
HR- Sorry who?
Me- I repeated.
HR-Just wait for a few minutes.

After 10 minutes
HR- We have certain things to be sorted out between us so you may go now and you have to come back when I call u.
Me- But that person told he had informed you already and all I have to do is just collect the form from you. [I had to travel for more than an hour and just did nothing]
HR- No, I’ll call you. You can come then.
Me- Ok, so when can I expect a call from you and do you have my contact number.
HR-Ya, I have all your details and I’ll call you before this Thursday.

Friday
I called him. I got the number by searching in google.
Me- Hi, This is Aarthi, we met this Monday.
HR- I told I’ll call you, Right. [Believe me it was so harsh]
Me- Ya, but you said you’ll call me before Thursday and today is Friday.
HR- Telling someone’s name-has gone out of station, will call you once he returns. You need not call me until then.

I thought HR executives are meant to be friendly, if not friendly at least not rude, but most of my experiences were very bad. I don’t know why they have to be like this, is that to show that it is not sure that I will be working with them or there is no need/gain for them to be friendly or it is to just create seriousness or they all have never been like that before?????? When I asked my friends regarding this, they said it was very common!!!!! and the best way to handle this is to just neglect their harsh words and reactions.

I feel the graduates who would be tensed already might get more tensed coz of such rendezvous. Eventually, more than the interview and the questions I started to fear the HR people. So, now-a-days I prepare myself to be as friendly as possible and to carry a smile always so that even the most lifeless face can lighten up seeing a smile.

Just compare my experiences[Actual Result] and the lines I had mentioned about HR Executives in the beginning[Expected Result]. I learnt that Error exists when expected result is not = to the actual result. ER is not equal to AR.

How well do you know me?

2007-09-07T16:32:00.001+05:30

Create your own Friend Test here

This one is really interesting. I'm jus waiting for all my friends there to take up this test. The questions are very simple so just give a try-pls. Don't forget to leave your comments too.

The IT Park

2007-09-05T13:35:00.000+05:30

The day before yesterday I had gone to one of those posh IT Parks in Chennai. I should say that everything was just mind-blowing---the roads, greenery, the buildings, the posh interiors and what not -even the people!!!!!!

I think after 2 yrs I got a chance to be there-I mean not the IT park but the area where it has been put up. I should admit it reminded me Sydney a couple of times –other than that the day was sunny. The roads were so clean and tidy. I was peeping outside my car to find something like bits of papers/dust accumulated in the corner of the roads, but found nothing. Not even a bump, I could comfortably write on a paper while traveling. OMG!!!!!-is this what all have been shouting out as the IT Revolution. Indeed it is a revolution. One should feel it to accept it. I cursed myself for not getting my cam:-(

Near the entrance, I had to undergo all those formalities to get a visitor pass and park the vehicle - all without any hiss. Everything was very well organized and it was a 'no-compromise' area. Rules are rules and I loved it….:-) Inside the building, I found myself in a whole new different world. It was centrally air conditioned. Most people in formal wear and with a professional look rushing around during the lunch hour. There was a hugeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee space for a food court-that naturally grabbed my attention first. It had everything I loved-Gangothree, some Café, Sangeetha, Marry brown…yummy. I wish I had someone with me to share a meal.

It also flaunts of having a health club, swimming pool, a book shop, knick-knack store, medical centre, florist, optical shop, beauty parlor, help desk, travel desk, courier service, ATMs and Forex services. Wow Wow Wow….I should be dreaming. To top up all these different flavoured ice creams there were these nuts and cherries-the people. More than anything I felt the people were very friendly and helpful.

The 'aayahs' were in their uniforms; gray pants and shirts- it was an unusual sight for me in India. Their hair was excessively oiled and few with those orange coloured flowers[I don't remember the name] and other few with jasmine flowers in their hair, which were not even my finger length. More than the aayahs themselves I felt I was more worried about how they managed to keep that in their hair and let it not slip down. I was giggling already….Errrrr I was the only one giggling and I stopped before anyone gave me an odd look. Not just the place even the people were chic and classy….mmm…Chennai Rocks!!!!!!!!! [I wanted to write a separate blog about the 'aayahs' but thought it might be boring for others]

I was about to enter the corporate office and slipped myself. God…..Wished no one saw me….but unfortunately, the lady in reception was already controlling her laughter and was trying to turn it into a smile on her face. Kadavule!!!!!!!!!!!!!! [Inda nelamaila English ellam varadhu].Thanks to those clear glass doors. HMMMMM. I managed myself a smile and went to the lady enquiring blah blah blah blah blah blah, as if nothing had happened.

I was in the waiting room for the person I had to meet, while I noticed another guy there waiting for someone. He was too much into the daily newspaper. He was dark with a very serious reactionless face and was neatly dressed. I could see his uneasiness when I sat beside him. Oopssss!!! I was sitting a bit too closer to him, that if he/me gets up we might stamp on each others leg. He gave a sign of relief after I moved myself away. It was funny-Aarthi this is not the place to giggle –mmm Be Serious. I was picturing how I would have slipped and what would have been the reaction on my face that made the lady laugh….Giggle-ne thirundhave maata. The dark guy gave an uncomfy jerk. Must have heard me giggling. Ayo Aarthi !!! Remembered what my cousin used to say to me-“Aadhivasi Adakivasi” –ok ok . I told myself-“Answer me now-what’s smoke testing?” Kilinjadhu.

Soon pulling me back from my thoughts [Thank God!!-he he he] the person the dark guy had to meet appeared. They were sitting on the other side of the room and I was all ears [what if I get the same questions]. The Dark guy goes “I’m aasdf, did my sghjk, in asdfghjkll….”, like an L.K.G child-“My name is Blah Blah, studying in L.K.G- B section in S.B.O.A Matriculation and Hr.Sec.School, Annanagar, Chennai” Yeppada…I’m far better, so won’t be a problem. He was still continuing “blah blah blah blah blah blah blah …..…My father is an auto-driver and my mother is a……” I didn’t hear the rest of the sentence. What!!!!!!!!!!! Cha cha I would have not heard properly. It should have been something like automotives and not an auto-driver for sure. Towards the end the person asked again-“What’s your father?” He said “My father is an auto-driver”. I couldn’t believe my ears. It was all mixed kind of thoughts into my mind. I can imagine how much this guy would have struggled to get there. I compared myself to him. I told everyone what I heard-Mum, Dad, Poori expecting someone to say something but all were blank like me!!!! I think this was much of a shock for me.

Laughter and Me :-)

2007-08-29T19:23:00.000+05:30

I realized how important it is to give statutory warnings, like the one in cigarette boxes and warning for expecting mums and heart patients before watching a scary movie or getting into a roller coaster ride. So it is my duty to give you a similar word of notice [not statutory though] before you go through this blog so that by the end you don’t conclude that I’m a bit insane.

I should have hanged myself to death!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Coz that’s what I told Karthik when he asked me to sleep immediately after my heavy dinner. :-) “I’d rather hang myself than to sleep immediately after a meal”. But that’s what I did today morning!!!

We were chatting till 3 a.m regarding Koundamani and his jokes in Tamil movies. Karthik was quoting all those funny dialogues and me being a professional giggler!! was laughing my head off, holding my tummy trying to stop it from aching. Sometime Koundamani's jokes will be absolutely irrelevant and I feel that makes it funnier. Some of the best ones being

Suryan-“Hello Mr. Vaidiyanathan, namma rendu paerum idhukku munnadi Delhi la meet pannirukkom, appo ongalukku mandaila mudi jaasthi”

Suryan-“Salethla mukkiya premugar kaidhame” and he goes “ En Coimbatore la mukkuna kaidhu panna maatangala?”

I’m not sure whether everyone considers this as a joke; I would say only very few who have keenly noted every bit of his comedy could enjoy his jokes to its best.

I would laugh even for the most silliest of jokes and which had occasionally made me an ‘outstanding’ student in my school and college days. Just when some one goes like- “Aarthi shall I tell a joke?” and I would have already been half way through giggling and just imagine my state by the time the joke would have come to an end.

Actually we started with something really sensible and serious- discussing about our career, interviews, etc and after a while my brain got heated up so just changed the topic to jokes and Gosh if at all anyone had seen me then they would have no doubt dialed KMH [Kilpauk Medical Hospital]-the one for mentally retarded ones. And all this mess ended up at 3 a.m and thought, I should hit the sack or else I might miss the gym the next day-which is a greater sin than ‘sleeping soon after eating’.

“Aarthi wake upppppppppp its already 9…….wake upppppppp…..” not able to bear mum’s scream, I got up. My eyes were burning and I just wished not to open my eyes and sleep for some more time. But I had to go to gym and hence should have my breakfast at least an hour before. It was 9.30a.m - I had finished my breakfast and was literally holding my eyes open to keep myself awake.

Trinngggggggggg Tringgggggggggggggggggggggggg. The usual normal ringing sound was unusually disturbing today. It was like someone sitting on my ears and blowing trumpets, I got up with a jerk. In spite of holding my eyes open, I had dozed off....zzzzzzzzz. It was a call from Mum saying that our driver didn’t turn up today and hence asked me to skip the gym for just 1 day.

Wowwwwwwwwowwowoww. Hurrrrrrrrrrrrayyy !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I got a valid reason to sleep. [If it had been on some other day I would have fought with mum to let me drive myself to the gym]. I have never felt happy if I had to skip my work outs but for the 1st time I did.

At 10 a.m I was on my bed cuddled myself with the quilt and making myself warm on a cold rainy day. I don’t remember when I slept but it was 1 p.m when I got up with my vision clear, brain working and me feeling human. Gosh only then I realized I had slept quite soon after my breakfast…..…just recollected what I had told Karthik yesterday and again laughter!!!!!!!!!! There should be an inseparable bond between laughter and me. Lucky me!! coz laughter is the best medicine. [Giggle!!!!]

Buckle Down Yourself

2007-08-27T12:45:00.000+05:30

I should say it was a mega shopping day for me and for the first time in my life I had grabbed so many books in such a short span of time-the count being 15 in 15 mins. I randomly picked “Homecoming” by Taslima Nasreen and I couldn’t resist myself from reading it. Being a very simple book with just 120 pages, it embraces a life in it. I just couldn’t hold back myself about this amazing book I had read.

Kalyani, the heroin of the novel leaves her home town [Mymensingha, Bangladesh] unwillingly, for survival. She comes to a different country [Kolkata, India] and never feels at home. In spite of her detachment, she had to pursue her life in this new land, where she gets a chance to go back to her place after a period of more than 30 years. During her visit she realizes that her homeland had existed merely in her thoughts and not in reality. The author brings out the fate of millions of people who have left their country for another and got lost belonging to neither. Reading through the pages, I was able to feel Kalyani and it brings an unknown burden in the hearts of the readers.

In spite of everyone teasing Kalyani about the accent she carried from her hometown, she always felt proud of it and she keeps emphasizing the beauty of her country-the Brahamaputra River, friendly people in the neighborhood, the land where she had met her first love and people like her friend Sharifa who had fallen on the ground and cried when she had left. She had told heaps of stories to her kids and had even fought with her husband flaunting about her country.

When she visits her country she completely feels out of place, though she knew she’s in the right place- where she wanted to be for the past 30 years. She's taken aback when she finds that even her best childhood friend acts like a stranger.

“Kalyani looked longingly at Sharifa; averting her eyes, Sharifa sat quietly. Kalyani looked at her arms, clasped in heavy gold bracelets. She had gone to the riverside holding those hands once. Kalyani thought, transported to the past”

The above lines are simple yet very cogent reflecting Kalyani’s longing for the love from her friend. One day, she lets her son play with the kids on the roads to get the aura she had enjoyed during her childhood. When he comes back she enquires about the game they were playing and gets humiliated listening to his answer.

“What sort of game is that-I’ve never heard of anyone playing with ants.

The ants were moving in a line up the wall, they were crushing the red ones, letting the black ones go free. When I asked why they were doing that, they said it was because the black ones were Muslims, the red the Hindus.

Kalyani shivered uncontrollably”

Facing all kinds of awful situations she thinks back about her love.

“He had said ‘I can’t live without you’……Everyone says this at one time or another and continues to live. Life doesn’t come to a standstill because another person is not there. …..you might not want to have anything to do with someone you had previously thought indispensable”

It is a blind fact that everyone should accept, are accepting and will accept. No one’s life stops with the absence of some other person, be it one’s own father or mother or brother. A hard truth to digest!!!!

The excerpts from the book have been mentioned here to give you the true essence. I personally feel that this book is a must read for all the people out there, especially for the emotional belt, who try to balance themselves between their hometown and the place where they live with a great nostalgia. Everyone can give it a try, since this book won’t take much of your time. I finished this book in 2 days, hardly 10 hrs totally. So what are you waiting for???Just buckle down yourself with this awesome gift for us from a humanist.

My 1st Day in Sydney

2007-08-23T15:36:00.000+05:30

The day I left India I wish to remember everything that was buzzing in my mind and that’s why I’m here writing this blog. I have such a bad memory, so thought of using this space and let me not regret in the future.

30 July 2004- I was in the airport. Dad asked me to check in immediately and assured me that I can come back after the check-in and talk to them. I got the two heavy suitcases-which were for sure exceeding the weight limit allowed by Singapore airlines. Ya, it had 8 kgs in excess-I didn’t want to take anything out of my suitcase-I asked the lady in the Check-in counter-“Can I pay for just 5 kgs?” She said “Yes”…Might be she felt pity seeing the any-time-I might-cry look on my face.

Everything was done and it was time to say bye to my parents. Mum continued her advices, “Don’t worry, uncle will join you in Singapore and you won’t have any problem in your aunt’s house, eat properly and don’t diet. Take care” for the nth time. Archu gave me her expensive watch, for which I had fought with her a week back. The person behind me-some airport staff asked-“shall we go?” Like a dam broke-open and water started flowing… I cried…everyone were looking at me, I didn’t bother. I was holding my mum’s hands and never wanted to lose the hold. But I had to go. I could see them till I stepped on the escalator [turned my head a dozen times before I reached the escalator] mummy and Archu were still crying, craning their necks to see me, dad with a very hard, rigid face and slowly... one by one...they were all gone. I was all alone now in the 1st floor of Chennai International Airport. I was waiting near the gate unable to control my tears-wishing to rush back to my mum and hug her.

The travel was comfortable and uncle joined me in Singapore. We reached Sydney on 31st July 2004. It was late in the night and Tara, my aunt [that’s how I called her when I was small-unable to pronounce her name Saradha properly and now everyone calls her Tara] had come to pick us. It was really cold outside, but I hardly felt anything. My mind was too much occupied with other thoughts. It all seemed to be a dream. Tara was showing me those tall buildings and saying “This is the city, and this is where your Uni [University] is. We are living in a suburb called Cherrybrook. You have to catch a train from Pennant Hills to Central and you can walk to the Uni from the station”. Half getting into my mind and half left in the air, I was looking out. It was very dark on a winter night; I could hardly see anything other than lights. Got home-the house was sooooooooooooo pretty, like the ones I have seen in Hollywood movies. Got down from the car and ran to see my cousins, both were jumping in joy to see me and their dad. Then Tara was dialling my home, I was so excited and picked up the phone,

Me: Daddy the house is soooooooo beautiful, It is really cold here….
Dad: Oh really!! Was your journey fine?
Me: Ya daddy, will be going to Uni tomorrow.
Dad: Ok ra, Mummy was crying through out the night and she hardly slept ra kanna. Talk to her first.
Gosh how did I forget her? Tears started rolling down, weeping loudly I spoke to my mum.
Me: Mummy...........like a little girl streching her hands and calling her mum..
Mum: Dear, How are you? [Kanna, Bagunnava?]
Me: mmm-this was the answer for all her questions after that.

Said bye and slept.

1st of August, 2004, I woke up at 8 a.m. I hardly felt any jet-lag. My cousins were rushing in their school uniforms. By the time I had brushed my teeth they were ready to go. After they had gone I went to have a shower. I loved the shower room and to see the bathroom without any bucket n mugs. I was shivering in the morning cold and Tara said I might feel better after having a warm shower. Opened the shower knob to the maximum and cold water just rushed out of the shower. OOOOOOOOOOFFFFFFFFFFFFFFF the water was ice cold…...I felt like 10000 needles trying to pierce into my skin.. all over my body. Couldn’t even look at the knob to close it…again tears….I was so fragile that every little thing made me cry…Later Tara told me to open the one with a red label first to get hot water.

I was ready and Tara drove till Pennant Hills station, where we got to catch the train to Central. Only then I noticed how mind-blowing the suburb looked, as sweet as the name-Cherrybrook. I would never get a chance to live in a place like this. I still can’t explain the beauty in just one word. It was amazing, awesome, stunning, striking, wonderful, terrifying,……. We reached the station in 10 mins. The two-way train fare was $5.40 [approx 5*35=175] my mind started converting…OMG I need to spend Rs.175 everyday for just commuting….hmmmm.

In the process of getting enrolled I learnt to say few things like “Thanks, Sorry, Excuse me” frequently, which was new to me. We found an Indian restaurant in the ground level of my Uni. [There was a long argument between my uncle n aunt regarding whether they mean floor when they say level 1, 2 etc]. Since I missed my orientation I had to meet my course co-coordinator [oops!!! I already forgot his name]. Heyyyyyyyy I remember now--- Mr.Antony Kadi. He was surprised to see my aunt and uncle who had accompanied me. I felt a bit embarrassed too-I was supposed to do it all alone. While picking up the class timings, most were in the evenings and I remember him asking me “So, if you have to go to the bar on Friday evening then you can enroll yourself for the Monday afternoon session” I gave him a confused look. I told myself-Do I look like a drunkard????. He looked confused too. He was waiting for my answer. I said “No sir, I don’t drink”. Prof- “Oh, then you’ll soon learn to”. It was supposed to be a joke but I was not smiling. Frustrated he continued “Well, that’s all for the day, you can attend today’s class at 6 p.m”. Got up to leave...errr forgot...said "Thank you sir". He smiled.

An Indian guy named Prasad [from Chennai], who had already finished a semester came forward to help me, seeing that blank and bewildered look on my face. We had the 'Technology and Innovation Management' class by Kathy Kelen. I heard students calling her Kathy and not mam/madam-I was able to recollect the way I addressed Mr.Kadi in the morning[Giggle...]. Prasad helped me with everything he can for the next 1-2 weeks. Class got over by 9 p.m and by that time my uncle and aunt had gone home and had come back with my cousins to pick me up from the Uni. Discussing with them what had happened later in the afternoon, we reached home. Before bed I prepared myself to face the beautiful new world awaiting for me.

Lovely Rain

2007-08-22T14:22:00.000+05:30

Just had a shower and logged in to check my mails. Inbox (3), opened to see the mails-all three being junk. Go to Hotmail-nahhh…go to Rediff-no use….try ur luck in Gmail-wow 10 mails. Clicked Inbox and all were mails regarding scraps in Orkut….hmm fine…atlast can go to Orkut and reply for the scraps-all done in less than 5 mins. Thanks to the broadband internet.

“Ping! Ping! Open the Door Please”-that was my calling bell- the watchman was with a mail-again not for me….but for dad. Threw it on the sofa and came back to my room and sat in front of the PC wondering what to do. Was a bit hungry, had oats in the morning for the breakfast. I was tempted to eat the chocolate cake and buns mum had got for me, in spite of me warning her not to tempt me with bakery foods. The usual dialogue would be--

Me-Mummy, please ma let me come down to 55-57kgs and then will start eating all this.

Mum-Enough of dieting and exercising. You know something; you look like a duck already, with a craned neck. [I really don’t care-who worries about one’s neck-well, I don’t] And anyway my intention is not to tempt you [Lie!!!!!!!!!]What if you feel hungry sometime when I’m not at home-that’s why got this for you.

Ya mummy you are right, I felt hungry and opened the pack unwillingly, actually willingly…. Thank God-I remembered my cook keeping a bowl of pomegranate in the refrigerator yesterday night. Gosh-I saved another 300-400 calories. Good Aarthi-Keep it up. !!!!!!!

Damaaaaal Dimeeeeeeeeel!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!-ayoooo mummyyy@##$-heart skipped a beat-startled..it was thundering outside, sounding like a bomb blast in the street nearby. In spite of that, I kept the balcony door open-Kolupu di unaku. The wind was really strong and was letting the breeze kiss my face. I could see the clothes left to dry on the terrace in my neighbor’s house. I was waiting for the rain, envisioning my neighbor running and picking up the clothes on the floor and the ones that were getting wet. Wowwww-Rain-yeahhhh it started raining…. Rushed to my balcony…. awesomeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee climate…the next thing I’d love to enjoy after eating chocolate pastry is to drench myself in the rain… if not at least admire it. I ran to grab my digicam and took some snaps…. they were not up to my expectations. Dad…..Grrrrrrrrrrrrr-what happened to the SLR cam I had asked for????????????? How many times should I miss such amazing clicks…:-( :-(.

I loved to see the clean washed roads, hardly few cars and bikes on the road with their lights on [no noise pollution], people hiding themselves under umbrellas, trees and roofs…..the rain pouring from the sky….wow wow wow…and at last the lady in my neighborhood picking up the clothes…..hehehe-idula oru alpa sandoshama…. Actually no-I love, adore and enjoy almost everything that’s happening related to rain-except the thunder and lightening.

If I start scribbling about rain then, I would never stop. Got to study for the class in the evening. It is raining more vigorously now, already water being accumulated in the corner of the roads. Another signal to make me stop writing-lights flickering here, I could encounter power shut down at anytime…so before that, let me bid bye for the day. Do check out the pics in "My photos".

Reading Vs Writing

2007-08-17T22:19:00.000+05:30

Reading or Writing-which gives more pleasure? This question has been bothering me for quite sometime, might be from the day I started thinking seriously about writing.

Reading has always been my passion-no doubt about it. My reading habit started when I was as young as my Tin-Tin and Tinkle age and given a chance I would love to read them even now. Now, whenever mummy finds me with a Tinkle, she gives a sarcastic smile, which is stronger than her words, and Dad says “Why don’t you grow up? You have lots more to read and learn in this world.” He would have said this at least a dozen of times and hence I have zero interest to listen to it anymore. I have never shrunk my reading habit to any particular kind like fiction, non-fiction, romantic, etc. Give me any book [unless it has any pages missing/dirty/stolen] and you will see me disappear for the next few days.

Does writing mean the same to me? Well I can’t say a yes or a no, but 'might be yes'. Coz my writing involves others too-people who read them. I realized it is not just the passion that I need to write/scribble, but something more. For example when I read Dan Brown’s “Digital Fortress” and “Da Vinci Code” I started loving the art of cryptography [can I call it an art? Think so..] From then when I come across any word related to it….be it encryption, key, code, cipher just anyyyything….. my eyes goes wider, brows raised and ears sharper-that’s the power I could feel in his writing and that’s the power a writer needs. It is really astonishing that he could make me [not just me I’m sure there will be many] love something, even though I have heard about it before.

The writer’s words are meant to be like a magnet, where the readers being the opposite pole. For that, one needs to have a sound knowledge of the language and the grammar. Though I know 3 languages [both to read and write], for the 1st time in my life, I deeply regret that I’m still not comfortable expressing everything in just one language. I don’t know whether people who read my article are really enjoying it or at least they are getting the essence – something, which I want them to feel. Can I transfer my feelings through my writing? Can others enjoy it as much as I do? These questions are still buzzing in my mind. Writing gives me pleasure-but that is not all I want; I want even others to enjoy that pleasure. So yes I can conclude saying-I love Reading-100% and Writing- 50%...the rest lies in the satisfaction of the readers. Coz 50% I write for my pleasure and 50% to be enjoyed by others.

25th Anniversary

2007-08-16T14:23:00.000+05:30

While uploading my parents’ 25th anniversary photos, I thought it will be nice if I could pen down my experiences in organizing the function.

During the month of March people started asking me about my birthday celebration [which was in the month of April] and then about my parents’ wedding day [in the month of May]. Only when they asked about my age, it clicked me that it was my parents’ 25th anniversary. From then I was restless, at least mentally, planning for the special day. I decided not to let my parents know about my plan till the last minute. It has to be a surprise for them.

Honestly, I really didn’t feel comfortable doing all that I did. I did it just coz I wanted my parents to feel happy and special on that day. So pushing my personal feelings aside I started with the budget. It was really funny when I realized that even to prepare the budget it is necessary to have some prior knowledge. So to get a rough idea about all this I had called my friend Poornima and enquired her about her engagement, which was a year ago. With that information I called Hotel Residency Towers [where her engagement held] to check the availability of the hall and the rates. I thought I could just sit at home and make everything happen through just a phone call, but it was not that easy. They had asked me to come to the hotel to have a look at the hall. By then I found the hotel’s website and was having a look at the halls. The halls were of different kinds according to the number of people it can accommodate. I can’t go for a bigger hall if I’m going to have just 50-100 guests. Again I stopped looking at the halls and started to list the people whom I have to invite-the toughest part in the procedure.

It was not very easy to pick out the people I had to invite. After breaking my head for an hour I had 2 lists, one with less than 50 people and another with more than 150. Everything seemed to be more complex now. I really didn’t know where to start and also whether I can spend more if I had to go with list 2. Dad might not like that many people as he prefers everything to be simple, so I was worried what if at last Dad is not happy seeing the huge crowd. For the next 1 week I was just sitting with the lists trying to make a 3rd and final one with not more than 75 people. I really couldn’t do that.

I was feeling guilty that I had already wasted a week’s time, when, I got a call from the hotel saying there are just 2 halls left and rest all booked for the 27th of May. Gosh, in just one weeks time!!!!!!!! My brain got heated up. Without having a 2nd thought told mummy I need the car to go to my friend’s house and was in the hotel in the next 45 minutes. The outside look impressed me. I enquired about booking halls in the reception and had met the concerned person. She told me that among the 2 halls just one is free to have a look at. Something is better than nothing-so said “Ok, can I see the hall?” She took me to the hall named “The Raj”. I remember seeing it in their website and also could recall that it can accommodate a minimum of 50 and a maximum of 100 people. I liked the hall-it was above satisfactory. So I just booked the hall by paying the advance. I asked them to arrange for a cake, discussed with them regarding the seating arrangements and to arrange a garland. The 1st two was ok, but she told me they don’t arrange for garlands. Fineeeeeeeee…I told myself. They gave me a list to choose the menu for the day, I got it and had a glance and told that will get back to them later. At last I’m done with deciding the hotel so now I have to strictly stick on to the list 3 I still had to prepare. I was little bit happy about doing at least one thing on time, otherwise I would have missed this hall. Ironically, only a week before the function I heard through someone that one can bargain on the hall rates-which is actually rated per plate and also it clicked me that I didn’t have any options for myself regarding the hotel. I heard about just one, saw the same one and booked it. Anyway it was too late to regret then-“Aarthi learn from your mistakes, though it costs you something”

Deciding the menu was the easiest part of this mission. Me being a food lover and had tasted almost everything on the menu it was really helpful. Thanks dad and mum for feeding me so well, at last it helped me to do something.

Durga, my family friend-to whom I told about my plans, came forward to help me and she was the one who arranged for the garlands. We both had the same florists in mind-actually they were the only florist I had known. She asked me the color code of my parent’s wear, their approximate height and then arranged the garland accordingly. I was really surprised to see her involvement. She even wanted to pay for this, but I said a sweet “no no” since I wanted to spend every penny for my parents.

Photos!!!-Though the photographer was my dad’s friend I didn’t have his contact number with me. All I knew about him was his name. Again Durga came for rescue and gave the number. I called him and he said he’s sick but will send another person. I couldn’t do much about this but just trust his words and rely on the new person. He didn’t disappoint me. You can see - the pictures were good.

Now or Never-I had to start inviting people, it was already late. I literally had to steal my parents’ friend’s phone numbers from their mobile while they were sleeping. It was really odd to talk to people for the 1st time, though I had known them before I had hardly spoke to them. Few were really surprised by my call, few apologized that they might not attend the function coz of their other plans and engagements and few were not reachable. The day before the function I found there were 50-75 people who would turn up tomorrow-exactly the number I wanted to stick on to. Surprising!!!

I wanted to keep the surprise till the last min but unfortunately my parents were planning for something else, so had to disclose it a day before. They were very happy to know and were really surprised that everyone around them knew except themselves.

All that happened during the function was unexpected-you can see the photos, it tells you everything. All went on fine as per the plan-I thought at least one would go wrong and so I was prepared not to panic and to manage everything till the day ends. People even appreciated me for what I did. Until they did so, I didn’t realize that everyone is not as fortunate as me to do something like this for their parents. Before going to bed I thanked God for giving me such an opportunity and making the day so memorable.

The next day morning Mum woke me up with a kiss on my forehead and with her beautiful smile. Dad came to me saying- “I used to get worried that my wedding album was a black and white one and now you gave us a colored one and fulfilled my wish. All night mum n I were talking about you. We are really proud to have a daughter like you”. They left my room saying this without noticing the tears that were rolling down my cheeks..:-) At last this is what any one would wish to hear from their parents-I never expected to hear it so soon.....:-)

60 yrs of Independence

2007-08-15T02:26:00.001+05:30

Tomorrow, Aug 15th 2007; India is celebrating 60 years of Independence. For the past 2 years I was not in India, but I did celebrate Indian Independence. When I say this, I question myself- Did I really celebrate the day? Can I actually call it a celebration? Am I truly patriotic? Would I have envisioned it better, if I had been through slavery? To be frank I find it hard to give a clear answer to any of these questions. I’m sure almost every one of us, whom they consider patriotic, can try answering these simple questions and then come to a conclusion.

During my school days, all that I’ve realized on an “Independence Day” is – that it was a school holiday, day to watch special shows on TV [which would be as irrelevant as a romantic movie review, a movie star interview, debate on a topic something like –Is wife or a mum who plays the better part in a man’s life?, songs from new movies], etc. It was something like getting an additional Sunday in the same week. In the final years of my schooling all I remember doing was being a bit careful about the National flag, which I would pin on to my uniform and make sure I don’t drop it at least until I go home and get changed. I felt proud of myself for not dropping it on the floor/streets and stamp on it like many other crazy school kids do and who considered it as an act of heroism. I had neither thought about the country nor the people nor the government. If at all I had to face a question related to all this, my answer would have been-I’m not interested in politics and hence don’t know much about it-a blind, foolish statement. Now I realize, for one to love his/her own country they need not know politics.

Only when I was out of my country I have done the least- trying to emphasize the culture, tradition and other amazing facts about India to the outside world. I feel this is not all I could have done; I could have done more and as a citizen I have to do more. But how to start and where lies the problem?

Personally, I feel, being rebellious is not the only way to prove oneself patriotic, but everyone can give a try as much as they can. If people start thinking about this seriously I'm sure each one would come with a practical and simple suggestion. Parents can stress the importance of the Independence and Republic day to their children, not just the day but the importance of being a true citizen and let them understand what it actually means. Excerpts from the life of freedom fighters and freedom struggle can be told as short stories to make kids aware of the Indian History, than to make them learn it from schoolbooks, which many often find boring. This is just for a start…… but at the end I think every Indian should die with a fulfillment of having done at least 1 deed for his/her country.

I take this as an opportunity to disclose my desire to be a better human being and thus serve the nation in some way or the other. Also hoping to see a future filled with more ardent and enthusiastic individuals to support and lift the nation’s pride. [Thus creating a necessity for the shops to sell greeting cards for the Independence and Republic day, the telecom service providers to unusually charge extra for sending sms on days like Aug 15th, Jan 26th, Oct 2nd, to see clean roads without any worn out or torn tricolor flags and to wake up with the noise of bursting crackers and celebration of the whole country together without any differences.]

Now the time being 2.30 a.m IST I wish you all out there a “Very Happy Independence Day”.

Real Surprise!!!!!!

2007-08-09T21:49:00.000+05:30

I love surprises and even to surprise others. I read my 1st blog a couple of times but never ever thought to check if there were any comments left for me and my writing. I was too sure that none would read such a silly blog. Today an hour ago, I was really really surprised to see a comment for my blog. I was chatting with my friend Karthik and was telling him about my blog. I sent him the link to get his feedback and only then I noticed that I already had one. Now, reading both the comments has motivated me to write more, in particular more sensible ones. Especially Karthik's comment is a bit too much of a praise, which would create more expectation. That is what he expects from me, by praising me he indirectly encourages me to write more and had also asked me to cover a variety of topics. I felt really special and happy to get boosted up by two individuals-one being an unknown person and another a good friend of mine. This blog is like a thanks giving note for the two of them who tried to give wings to my fire-according to the words of Mr.A.P.J.Abdul Kalam.So for the readers there I will try hard to give my best and according to Karthik-it is a hot cup of filter coffee on a rainy day-will serve you one soon Karthik.

My First Blog-Can I name it a Blog?

2007-07-27T12:02:00.000+05:30

I think I have not even completely understood the concept of blogs, but just wanted to give it a try coz I like writing. I'm not a literature student but still have a passion for writing. Today was a lazy day, I was waiting for my Physical trainer in the morning. She said she won't be coming and instead asked me to visit her new Gym once at 11 a.m. I thought I would go, so that I get a chance to meet my school friend who comes to the gym. When the time was 10.45 a.m I was too much into the novel I was reading, I really wanted to finish it today, even before going to the gym. By the time I finished it was already 11 a.m and so just started browsing. Long back I heard about blogs and today got a chance to try it out. Though this blog sounds really mundane, I wish I could make it better and interesting in the coming days. This is just a flow of my thoughts and can I name this a Blog?