Saturday, April 30, 2005

Chilling out on a Saturday afternoon.....

The best thing about being a very accomodating employee who seldom complains (to the boss atleast) is that when you finally crib, people really listen to you. I've had more than my fair share of trouble with my old ThinkPad starting from a HDD that crashed twice a quarter, a worn away external PCMCIA card and a battery whose charge never lasted more than 30 mts and so when I finally wrote my most diplomatic mail to the boss, he read between the lines and immedietly agreed to get me a new laptop. The only rider was that it had to be of 'reasonable cost suiting requirements'. Our online e-procurement tool gave me 6 options of which one was way too costly, two of which were too cheap to suit my tastes and one which didn't have wireless lan. So finally boiled down to yet another ThinkPad T42 and a Dell D610. Now some of my peers have a ThinkPad simply because it is sound and sturdy and has awesome battery life but most of the big bosses have a Dell D600 which looks so bloody sleek and is lightweight that when I checked out the features and specs of the D610, I knew this was exactly what I wanted. Can't wait to get my fingers on the baby...

On the business front, there has been a lot of news in the last couple of months that has caught my eye be it the recent flurry of investment activity in Sasken, the Adobe Macromedia deal or the rumor thats been floating since January that Siemen's mobile unit may be up for sale but the most interesting article I read recently was one on my favorite company Google.

SEARCH AND DESTROY
Bill Gates is on a mission to build a Google killer. What got him so riled? The darling of search is moving into software--and that's Microsoft's turf.

by FRED VOGELSTEIN

Microsoft was already months into A massive project aimed at taking down Google when the truth began to dawn on Bill Gates. It was December 2003. He was poking around on the Google company website and came across a help-wanted page with descriptions of all the open jobs at Google. Why, he wondered, were the qualifications for so many of them identical to Microsoft job specs? Google was a web search business, yet here on the screen were postings for engineers with backgrounds that had nothing to do with search and everything to do with Microsoft's core business—people trained in things like operating-system design, compiler optimization, and distributed-systems architecture. Gates wondered whether Microsoft might be facing much more than a war in search. An e-mail he sent to a handful of execs that day said, in effect, "We have to watch these guys. It looks like they are building something to compete with us."


To read more, check here

Okie, that's enough serious stuff for one post. Wanna take some time off to make a wish list ? You never know when God is listening, right ? So here is a site that lets you make a list of the 43 things that you want to do in/with your life. Go ahead and have a ball and yeah, here is my list ;-)

....and here are some movie recommendations that have been long overdue

Mumbai Express (Tamil) - 2.5/5
Chandramukhi - 5/5
Sin City - 3/5
The Upside of Anger - 3/5
Miss Congeniality 2 - 1.5/5
My brother Nikhil - 4/5

Coming soon:
Hazaaron Khwaishein Aisi
Hitch
Sachein
Kaal

Friday, April 29, 2005

*sigh* You can never win

Relationships and advice
I've just learnt that I don't need to do much to get into misunderstandings. It just comes naturally to me. The other day a very close friend of mine asked me for advice. I refused because it involved putting myself in his shoes and thinking, which I was simply incapable of given the circumstances. Needless to say, he was terribly pissed. Then yesterday, another very good friend of mine had a serious problem where she needed a second opinion. Not wanting a
repeat of the earlier fracas, this time I gave her what I felt was simple and sensible advice. Guess what happened. Of course, she didn't like it and we fought. You can never win. Can I just say one thing to people out there ? The next time anyone wants advice from me, pls also tell me what exactly you want me to tell you back :-(

A canine story
I am scared of most pets be it cats, rabbits (yeah) or even 'supposedly friendly' parrots. Maybe fish are the only creatures that find me likeable and vice versa. Yeah, in case you were wondering, I deliberately omitted dogs from that list because I am SHIT SCARED of 'em.

*start of flasback*

Going back in the past, maybe it all stems from my initial experiences with 'the dog' in our street in Trichy. There was this old lady Dr. SS living a couple of houses away from mine who'd, having lost her husband and having no kids, raised a ferociious mongrel (c'mon, pls don't expect me to know what mix of species it was..It wasn't a pomeranian or a dalmatian, for sure) whom she affectionately called Selva. We, the kids, who used to play cricket near her place would often hit the ball into her house and then quarrel amongst ourselves as to who would retrieve the ball. On one of those occasions when I was the chosen one, I remember jumping over the gate and walking towards the shed where 'the dog' was tied in search of the ball. And lo, suddenly there he was with the ball in his mouth charging towards me. As I ran towards the gate hollering "Naai Naai", this is what happened

SS: (peeping out from her home cum clinic) Don't call it naai.. call it selva.. he has a name
Me: But aunty, it is still a dog....
SS: If you call it dog one more time, i will ask him to bite you...and then u'll need 25 oosis around ur thoppul....
Me: Ayyoo... plssssss.....plsssss.... ask selva to move away

Having licked every part of my foot, Selva was now sniffing near my cr*$ch and I was perspiring like crazy.

SS: Will you behave yourself and be nice to Selva ?
Me: Sure Sure
SS: Shake hands with him
Me: Nooooooo

By now, my other friends were howling with laughter and 'the dog' still seemed to be fascinated with u-know-wot

SS: C'mon, he is a clean boy, my Selva...Shake hands Selva
Me: Ugggh...Hi Selva
SS: Give b***u the ball, Selva
Me: Thanks Aunty... thank you doggie.. ooops.. thanks selva...

*end of flashback*

So much more to say about dogs, especially that horrible night during my autumns where I ran from K2 to our flat (1.1 kms in 3 mts flat) chased by a hungry pack of sex-starved dogs/bitches *shudders*...but why all this now you may ask ? Hear me out sweeties...Last week I had to drop something at a friend's place and knowing that his extended family included 4 huge dogs, I pleaded with him to meet elsewhere - in vain. Warning him to keep his brothers/sisters
in leash and armed with an expensive packet of doggie biskis (just in case) I dared to set foot in hostile territory. And the rest as they say, is history.

My welcome party:
Wow wow wow wowwwww
WOWWWW WOWWWWW WOOWWWWW
woww wowww
WOW WOW WOW WOW WOW WOW WOW WOW WOW WOW

Note: Caps denotes intensity

My next 10 minutes:
SNIFFFF SNIFFFFFF SNIFFFFF SNIFFFFFFFFFFFFFF
sniff sniff
sniff sniff sniff sniff
SNIFFFF SNIFFFFFFFFFF SNIFFFFFFFFFFFFF SNIFFFFFFFFF

I don't think I need to remind you that I did not grow up all these 27 years to lose everything there to 4 dogs hence beat a hasty retreat. What is it with me and tall & sniffy dogs ? You can never win.

FAQs about the blog and my 0.02$ on the same:
Why does your blog have such a dullish grey-green for a background ?
Someone once told me "Hey buddy, your color scheme is classy. You rock !". I'll leave it to you two to come to a mutually acceptable decision.

I remember seeing links to other blogs you read on the right hand pane. Why have you taken them off ?
Maybe it has something to do with this offline message I got "You are such a loser. I see only women being linked up in your blog." Or maybe it has to do with something like this.....In my early days, I used to provide links to other blogs that I found interesting till I discovered newer and newer blogs which actually made the goddamn right pane a little too cluttered for my liking.....And then I found that many ppl were using this linking thingy as a you-scratch-my-back-I'll-scratch-urs kinda tool which was just so sickening that I decided to bury this controversy once and for all by yanking off all the links. Today, as and when I find something interesting, I do provide links within posts which I guess is working fine for me.

Why don't you keep a shout box ?
Too lazy to do it. If someone can send me the html code, I'm game.

Why do you need a sitemeter ?
One reason is that I'm running a couple of experiments on key word promotion and optimisation and I hope to use my findings from this page to build more traffic to my corporate page. Okie, so you didn't buy that story. The fact is I wanna know who visits my site...Yeah, I can track visitors by IP. So beware, God (me) is watching you !!!

Despite all my weird fundae and crazy justifications, there will still be people who aren't satisfied and who will continue to crib.

PS: God save me....I 'discovered' 4 more blogs yesterday night and a couple of them belong to my SP seniors, people who weren't exactly known for their academic orientation but guys who knew exactly what their priorities were.. Real rockers....Shit, so much to read, so little time. You can never win.

Wednesday, April 27, 2005

Oozing positive energy...

Its been so freggin' hot in Bangalore for the last one week that I've seriously been wondering if Tanner Kinglsey really died or not...Neway yesterday's rains offered a huge respite from the sweltering heat and its been so pleasant since morning that I am so tempted to say

"Gar firdaus, ruhe zamin ast, hamin asto, hamin asto, hamin asto"

After managing to stay in bed for as long as I could (which I've found after careful trial and error as 7:06) and then quickly rushing through the daily routine, I was just in time to catch the last bus to work. And believe it or not, as if to reinforce that this day is going to be special, Saggy (who IMHO is much better to listen to than Vasanti early in the day) played some really awesome tracks...the rollicking O Saaki Saaki from Musafir (which is absolutely what you'd love to wake you up from the bus nap..and I so love Sanju baba dancing and doing his knife routine in this song), the slow and sensuous Tera Mera Pyar (Bombay Vikings and Falguni Pathak) and finally capping it with that brilliant Suno Na from Jhankar Beats which kinda summed up exactly how I felt.

Dil Ne Tum Ko Chun Liya Hai
Tum Bhi Usko Chuno Na
Khwaab Koi Dekhta Hai
Tum Bhi Sapne Buno Na
Dil Yeh Mera Tumse Kuch Keh Raha Hai
Suno Na

Dur Ho Kar Bhi Dur Tum Nahin Ho
Paas Ho Lekin Paas Kyon Nahin Ho
Tanha Tanha Sama Mehki Mehki Hawa
Keh Raha Hai Jahan Jo Suno Na

Dekhlo Mausam Kitna Suhana Hai
Pyaar Karne Ka Yeh To Ek Bahana Hai
Muskurati Fiza Gungunati Hawa
Keh raha Hai Jahan Jo Suno Na


Brekka then happened with JB (*smile*) and when I finally got to my seat, was pleased to see that there was no fire-fighting to do which means I can focus on getting things right for the two biggest days since I joined here, tomorrow and day after. Fingers crossed.

PS: These days work is becoming really interesting..I am having more than my fair share of 'celebrity' interections ...The CEO of a billion dollar US company who was tipped to succeed Carly Fiorina before he ruled himself out, a hot shot reporter from CNBC, the Governor of Virginia and a possible meeting couple of months down the line with Tony Blair (if he wins his reelection which I am confident he will considering the TINA factor)..What more could I hope for ?

Sunday, April 24, 2005

Hrrrumpppp...

It sickens me. It maddens me. It pains me.
The way people can be so judgemental. A couple of days back I had the fortune (??) of meeting up almost half a dozen of my old friends. Now I use the term 'old' and 'friends' very loosely here (for lack of an appropriate alternative) simply because I knew them for a very short time span in the distant past and none of them can even claim to have genuinely known me. As it usually happens with such gatherings where no one knows exactly why we've assembled together in first place, conversation tends to be more of the perfectly polite "I-am-working-here-now-but-why-are-you-still-working-there" kinds or the extremely impersonal "I-got-married-so-why-are-you-not-married-yet?". Knowing well that I was bound to lose my patience and cool somewhere along the line, I steered clear of joining these discussions preferring to sit in a corner and observe, only to realise soon that this was the worst possible thing I could have done. For even if I'd joined in the conversation, there was a good chance that people might have 'heard' me but not 'listened' to what I was saying, but since I was aloof, it was almost like I had something to hide so pretty soon I had two people for company. Now, one of them happens to have come across my blog and seems to have been a silent reader for long (I hope he IS reading this stuff now..I would have told him all this that day itself IF only he'd taken my hint of wanting to talk to him alone...nothing personal) Now, this particular friend of mine had just moved from Noida to Bangalore and soon we were disucssing about different cities, cultures and living conditions. Somewhere in the conversation, things got a little heated because he was going on and on about how lousy Bombay was and why it will never become a Shanghai. There was probably merit in his arguments too but then the problem was that he refused to see any positives despite me trying to drill some sense into him (considering I had lived there for 2 yrs and his only Mumbai experiences were limited to jetting in and out of the airport) Beyond a certain point, I got the feeling that his opinions weren't his own and mentioned that he'd probably been a little over influenced by Pinki Virani. And that was when all our problems started...Or rather the particular problem which has made this post a necessity...

"Hey, I didn't know you read Pinki Virani"
"Why shouldn't I ? "
"Cmon, that is serious faction and I did not quite think you liked those kind of reads"
"I read good books irrespective of which genre they belong to.. in fact, I've read Aruna's story too ?"
"Really...c'mon, not an MCP like you.."
"Jesus Christ, what makes u think I am an MCP... and even if its so, whats that got to do with my book choices"
"Naaah.. it doesn't quite fit the image I have of you from the blog"
"....and what is this stupid image you've formed, if i may ask so ?"
"hey, cool da..."
"Illa maams...sollu..."
"You see, I have never seen any intellectual debates, any thought provoking posts...you know what i am talking about right ?"


...and so the conversation went on...

Let me clarify this once and for all. I'm sure we are all in agreement that there are multiple sides to one's personality and a blog may or may not reflect any of them, leave alone all. I hope there are readers intelligent enough out there to perceive that online personalities could be different from real personalities and that bloggers choose to reveal / project whatever they wish to which means that there is obviously more to it than what meets the eye. However this does not necessarily mean that they do not believe in whatever they write and that most of them are phonies. I know this has not come out as forcefully as I wanted to but I won't insult the intelligence of the average reader by trying to explain in more detail for I am sure that even the LCDs understand exactly what I am driving home here. So for Christ's sake, stop judging people based on what they write (or rather, what they do not write) and go get a life.

If you still insist on knowing why I think this whole 'Prince Charles and his good friends, the famous dabbawallahs of Mumbai' story is nothing more than interesting copy....if you want to discuss why I think Paul Wolfowitz is probably not the best choice to head the WB.... if you want to know why I think Narain Karthikeyan is a pathetic driver who has more fans amongst pseudo-patriots than genuine racing enthusiasts... if you are keen to know what my suggestions would be to improve infrastructure in Bangalore...then my blog is not the place where you'll get your answers...Mail me....

Needless to say, the blog posts will continue to recommend Salman movies, discuss F.R.I.E.N.D.S, rave about Chelsea (just 1 more match) and have mushy love stories :-p

Dear God,

This ain't much of a prayer...Just need a quick answer to a short Q....Ain't I the best ?

Love,
Me

A prospective son-in-law is born....

..and though his silly parents refused to take my suggestion for a name, I think I'll still call him Ishayu...or simply Ish :-) The little imp could not have chosen a worse time to announce his arrival in this world simply because I am working again this weekend and that means I won't be able to make the really long trip to check out if he is handsome enough to enter my family...Looks like my daughter is really spoilt for choice - Jaden Gil, Shashank (thats what his parents have named him....how on earth will they shorten this name ?) or the soon-to-be-born Bhavya (FF, start preparing for the dowry)...The gene pool is very important, you see...I can already envisage the swayamvar....

Quote Unquote:

Women are such big ?s - they seem nice enough when you first get to meet them, become a little imcomprehensible when you are friends, then morph into impossible-to-handle girlfriends, transgressing into annoying wives and finally to crazy mothers.

The provocation:

The first-time mother refused to let her husband take snaps on his camera mobile coz the radiations would affect her son... LOLLLLLLLLLL....And even after a digicam was hurriedly arranged, the snaps taken have been marked as "Not for Public Consumption" ...Kannu patrum, she says...She's completely lost her marbles !!

My day is made :-))))))))))))))))))

Friday, April 22, 2005

Atchoooooooooo !!!

I seem to have this absolutely uncanny knack of falling sick just when I shouldn't. Tis all so frustrating. There is so much to do @ work but everyone else seems to have switched off today and gone into weekend mode. Of course we are having our annual Plancomm in the evening but why does the whole world have to come to a standstill for this. Here I am stuck with a splitting headache, a nasty cold and a cubicle mate who I'm beginning to realise might be related to thisuck's best friend and to make matters even worse, FF is on leave (read: no MSN), JB is on training (read: no 'moments shared' over coffee) and Strand seems to be closed. (read: replan 30 mts of Friday schedule) Clearly one of those days when nothing, absolutely nothing, seems to be going right. I just hope this bad run does not continue to the weekend esp since I have made so many plans - the movie festival @ Collective Chaos, rugby, Hitch, that one act play scripting...

Baaaaah....Life is a bitch !!

Currently reading: Sidney Sheldon - Are you afraid of the dark ?
Currently listening: Yeh lamhe - Zeher

Thursday, April 21, 2005

Due Diligence

A phrase that sends the shivers up my spine... A phrase that reminds me of a million future scenarios, none too rosy...Simply put, a phrase that is giving me sleepless nights and quite a few harrowing days too...

The other day one of my peers sent me a very cryptic mail which went like this

Dear xxxx,

Not to worry. This is not an official mail :) Need a favor from you. No urgency but call me asap.

Regards,

Whoever

Now, leaving aside the fact that he worked with our biggest competition for half a decade before moving over here which kinda explained the awesome communication skills he possessed, I was terribly intrigued by what personal favor I could do him. So when I finally got down to calling him 'asap' (a good 36 hrs after he had sent the mail..phones calls and me, you know the story) he explained that there was an alliance proposal for his wife's colleague's sister's sister-in-law (I might have missed one more link but w-t-h) with a Wipro guy who happened to be working in my BU and whether I could run a simple due diligence for him. Under normal circumstances, I would have politely declined to do it faking some excuse but this was one guy I had been rude to for almost the last 6 months so sensing a chance to make amends, in a moment of weakness, I accepted to help.

Usually I find it extremely difficult/embarassing to do even simple checks which involve finding answers to questions like

Can you pls check if the guy smokes ?
Can you pls verify if he is just a social drinker ? (read as: Drinking freq: daily/weekly/fortnightly)
Is he sincere at work ? (read as: will be get promoted soon)
Is he cultured and well mannered ?
Does he come from a good upbringing ? (read as: is he rich)

and in the rarest of cases (read: Telegu) , even not-so-subtle questions like
Does he have a valid US visa ? (read as: atleast potential to be rich)

Now all this is OK..Using one's ingenuity and judgement one can come to a fair conclusion about the person under the microscope but the real problem this time around was the presence of ONE damning question

Does he hang around with a lot of women in office ?

Now you know what my problem is, right ? Ever since, I have totally forgotten about this guy and all my energies have been redirected towards imagining what could happen a few months / years down the line...If this thing ever happens to me (God Forbid...is someone listening ?) I can already sense what the feedback will be..If they are unfortunate enough to get someone who doesn't know me well enough to give them the info they seek, then the worst that can happen is that I will be branded as aloof and snobbish. If they are fortunate enough to know one of my pals and then seek info from him, then I am sure to be scandalised simply because most of these guys resent the fact that I am friendly with a couple of smart ladies at work. In fact, I am fairly confident that given a chance, they would happily paint me as an obsessive womaniser :-( Given the problem, I am now worried how to set right this mis-impression. Should I swear off women ? (which firstly would be very tough..and then, in any case they would probably then brand me gay) Should I start cosying up with everyone who could be a prospective informant ? (Highly impractical) Or should I simply not care ?

Why can't we simply have a 'The Recruit' kinda scenerio (esp if the gal is a real hottie a la Bridget Moynahan) where the guy and the gal sit across each other and ask questions which are answered with a lie detector lurking behind ?

Hmmmmm....

Wednesday, April 20, 2005

Goodbye to old memories...

Its a new day, its a new start and hopefully this time we'll make it work. Yes.

We patched up. Yet again :-)))))))))))))))))))))))

Tuesday, April 19, 2005

Kela no: 1

04:42:21

Mahesh, the muhurth is at 6 am and we need to leave atleast by 5:30.. Wake up..Amma and I have taken our bath, Appa is in and you are next...
Viddu, do I really need to come ? I mean, I did not wake up before 6 even on Diwali and here we are talking about the Upanayanam of some second cousin...whats his name...Nishant... I've never met in my whole life and I'm expected to change my holiday habits......
But the entire family is congregating da. Murali mama is coming all the way from Singapore and you can't move your fat ass from BTM to Hebbal....
Its a bloody Sunday dammit..besides you guys need me only as a chauffeur...Why don't you take the car ? I'll manage with Pri's Zen...
The pottery class again ?
Yeah...Don't feign as if you don't know...
Hmmm...so what time will you come to the mandap then ?
Class is from 9 to 12.. I will come for lunch but remember, I am not staying beyond 2...
Movie ?
Yeah... and I have something else lined up too...
Is today the day ?
Maybe.. Haven't decided... will go with the flow..
All the best da...
Vidya, avana udu...He won't come somberi...Vandila petrol irukaada ?
Full tank ma...

08:33:19

Good morning Mahesh...
Hi Pri...
You sound very groggy...slept well ?
Illadi.....got woken up at 4:45 again... and as usual had to fight to stay off the function......
But you should be attending such get-togethers....
Not another lecture pls...OK...
Do you realise you promised to come and pick me at 9...which is like 26 minutes away...
Listen, can you go by auto today ? Something else has suddenly turned up and I need to borrow your car....Of course, I will pick u back from class...
No problem..Come home and take the keys from Mom..so eppo varuva ?
Quarter to 12... the usual ? fine ?
Yes buddy...
Chill....

12:02:54

Been waiting long ?
Nopes...Just came a couple of minutes back...How did the class go ?
...and what should my answer be ?
Hahaha... You are right.. Whatever you say, I don't get it... so why ask... you are right...
Finally you're seeing some reason...So what plans for today ?
Can we just drop in at that function ? Periamma called and blasted me...Thalai kaamichittu vandhudlaam......
Appa....Thank God you finally relented...But I am not appropriately dressed and this is a family affair where I won't fit in so why don't you go ahead and we'll meet later when you're free...
Are you mad ? If you come I'll atleast be able to wriggle out earlier.. Please don't refuse deee...
Uffff.....fine... let's go....

12:25:28

Amma, Mahesh anna has come...Hello anna, you've become taller...
Hahaha...and so have you Ajit....
Akka kaettiya... anna also thinks I am taller...
He knows anything else will upset you...Stop making a fuss about it Ajit...You'll grow, don't worry...Hello Mahesh...
Hey Shwets, how did the sem exams go ?
Good. Thank you.
Harini enga ? Aala kaanum ?
Anna, she is in the Store room with Brinda manni arranging the thamboolam packets...
Dei Ajit, how is your tennis coming along ? I told you to come home and borrow my Wilson and you haven't come yet...
Vendaam Mahesh... As it is, he wastes so much time with sports..Next year he has his board exams and he has to start now....
There you go, playing typical elder sis....Give him space Shwets.. He'll do fine...
Yeah.. Btw, Mahesh, aren't you gonna introduce your friend to us ?
Ohho... sorry.....Ajit and Shweta, meet Priyadharshini my friend...Pri, Ajit and Shweta are my second cousins...My mom's eldest cousin's kids....
I am no kid...
Hahahaha.. I know you're doing your post grad but you'll always be my kid sis, Shwets...Ah, there comes Harini...
Ayyyoooooooo..Mahesh, eppo vandha ? You've become fatter...chaaaaa... no exercise-a ? And lips are black...dhum uttutannu sonna ?
Cheee podeee...Harini, meet my friend Priyadharshini...I can see Saambu Periappa coming... Let me go meet him before he sees me... why don't you folks chat up till then...and Harini, no kusumbu ok ?
Seri seri.. Nee poda illena Periappa vandhu kadiya poduvaar inga...
Akka, can we call you Priya ?
Of course Ajit...So you play tennis huh ?
Aamaam akka...Was more regular when we were in Calcutta but ever since we moved last year haven't quite settled down.
No problem.. Mahesh has friends in the Koramangla Club so maybe you can take his help...
He already has...Neway don't let Ajit bore you with his stories.. Why don't you tell us about yourself ? What do you do Priya ?
I work as a fashion designer...I help my brother who runs a garment store....
Wowww.. Very interesting...You're a Bangalorean ?
Yes. Was born here, studied a couple of years in Chennai but everything else has been in Bangalore. I stay in Malleshwaram.
Oh ho..and how do you know Mahesh ?
Common friends.

Hey Priya, nee eppo vandha ? Thanks ma.. Mahesh naan sonna ketka maattan.. Thanks for bringing him here...
No Aunty..I tried to convince him but finally I think he made his own decision... You know how obstinate he can be !!
Ha Ha Ha...Still thanks ma..Its such a relief that he hangs out more with sensible people like you....andha Venky veetukku varumbodhellam bayamma irukku...I need to go now but u shud definitely stay back and join us for lunch... Harini, Priya kootindu introduce her to all our family...
Seri Chithi...
Bye...

12:29:26

You don't worry... I shan't do anything like that if you are uncomfortable..
Thanks a million Harini.. you know how embarassing it can be...
So Aunty knows you huh ?
Ya.. I've been home a couple of times...
Mahesh took you home ?
Ya... why do you ask ?
Illa... aise hi...and is your brother married ?Do you have any other sisters ?
Forget Shweta... You tell us where and when did you meet Mahesh first ?
Yeah akka.. Tell us no...
I hope you don't think we are intruding...
No No.. though I am just a little curious about why I am suddenly being questioned...
Nothing to be afraid of.. We are just two curious cats...
Mahesh and I... we met sometime in October just before I went abroad..I used to work in a software firm at that time......I think it was at PVR that we first met..You know that place right ? At The Forum on Hosur Road..
Yeah.. I know....and then how did you become friends ?
He was there with Divya and my best buddy Shiv.. You might be knowing them.. Divya is Mahesh's really close friend...
Shiv...Oh he was Harini Akka's friend too in college..
Really ? I did not know that...
We studied in Chennai together and even dated for sometime.. but adhu kidakudhu... you tell us about you and Mahesh...
Nothing...there is no story.. so we got introduced there...and we've been friends since then...
C'mon, there is more to this... We are all part of the same family now..You can tell us...We'll keep your secrets...
Harini, plssssssssss...
Nee summa irudi Shweta...
There are no secrets at all. Neway can I ask some qustions now ?
Of course...but just two questions and we will tell you...
This Mahesh... Was he always a woman's man ? See, he's just been here for 15 mts and he is already flirting with that girl.. Yaar aval ?
Oh adhuva.. She is Mythili...Brinda manni's neighbour's daughter...Avalukku eppovume oru kannu Mahesh mela...
Mythili akka is a University basketball player...See how tall she is.. Mahesh anna and she talk a lot about sports...
Is that all you had to ask ?
You haven't answered my question..
See Priya..Mahesh has a lot of women friends but none of them are close.. I mean, its all platonic relationships...Wait....Are you talking of Manjusha and Bhargavi ?
Yes. So you know everyone in Mahesh's life huh ?
You can say that...
Then how come you didn't know about me ?
Appdinnu oru act kudutha nambittela ?
No undue respect pls...
I don't think you have any competition...Mahesh has never taken any of those women home...
Who was talking about competition ?
I just thought you sounded a trifle insecure.
You are too much Harini. OK..One more question ? I assume you won't discuss any of this with Mahesh...
Of course not... Our lips are sealed
Why does your brother always watch movies from 2 to 6 ? Why this fetish for matinees ? Why does he hate staying out after 6 pm ?
Mahesh hates crowds
....so ?
Illa Priya.. what Shwets means is that Mahesh is not the kinda guy who will go out on a date when the streets are crowded so that he can flaunt his gal or something..He likes his space.. he values his privacy...Besides his point is that since we have come out anyway to watch the movie, how should show timings matter ?...I know thats crazy but thats him..
...but i like my afternoon siesta...
all the more reason why he prefers matinees coz he feels people waste too much time over the weekends doing nothing...
And what does he do later in the evening ?
Akka, idhu kooda theriyaadha.. Sunday evenings are for football in the TV or snooker at Raju mama's house and Saturday mornings are for cricket..Anna is the fiercely sporty kind...
I know...so idhu dhaan kadhaya ?
You speak good Tamil for a Kannadiga..
No No.. We are Thamizh and we speak thamizh at home... basically from Kumbakonam...
OK
So how long have you been going steady ?
No No.. I am not his girlfriend.. We are just good pals...
Ha Ha Ha
Nejama pa...
Ha Ha Ha
Harini, sirikaadha...Mahesh is coming..
Hey guys. sorry Pri but I got held up... and there's more bad news.. Periappa says no leaving without lunch..Why are giggling, Ajit ?
Onnum illa anna..
hey Harini, I can see that mischiveous gleam in your face.. Been upto your usual tricks ?Sathyama illapa.. You ask your girlfriend, naan onnume pannala...
Lets have lunch... we need to leave...

13:17:13

Why are you so silent ?
Nothing
C'mon, you can tell me. Did my cousins say something wrong ?
Not at all. On the contrary, they were great fun...
Yeah.. though I would not trust that Harini one bit....she is a real devil...
Hmmm
Did you get to meet any of my relatives ?
No
Amma told me she saw you...I am sorry..
Its OK
Aren't we having a very monotonous conversation ?
Yes
Did not know it was the day of monosyllables today..
Sorry...All your cousins think I am your girlfirend...
Is it ?
Thats not much of a reply...
So what do you think ?
I don't think I was ever asked...
Yeh sub poochna padtha hai kya ?
Of course.. why do you have to take everything for granted ?
OK OK.. I adore you...
Is that supposed to be comprehended as "You are my girlfriend"
You should have been a lawyer...
Hmmm..

13:22:55

The food was great, wasn't it ?
Awesome it was... the vada though could have had some more uppu...
Don't worry... we won't let it happen at our wedding....
Mahesh, you are impossible..
Why ? What is it now ?
Why do you keep doing it all the time ?
Now what deee....ayyoooo...
Wait...let me put it this way...did you just ask me to marry you ?
If you want to put it that way... but I thought you already knew...
I didn't.. In fact, look at it this way... I just heard that you were serious about our realtionship a minute back...
The girlfriend thing ?
Aur kya.. and now you talk about marriage....
I didn't know you were so slow in taking hints..I thought we had passed that stage a long time back...
Women don't know.. they need to be told Mahesh....
Fine
.......and are there any other suprises in store for me today ?
Now that you mention, I do have a ring in my jeans which I proposed to use later in the evening...
omigawddd.....
...but since we are already there, maybe I should do it now...
No No No.. DON'T....
No what ?
Don't propose..
But why ? You don't like me...
I know you are not going to like this... but hear me out.. I think we are rushing too quickly here.. Waittt.. Its not me.. I know I love you and I haven't wanted anything more than this... But I think I don't deserve you...You are way too nice...There are sides to me you haven't seen....I want you to think this through a little more carefully....
Can I make a point here ? Will you give me a little more credit ? Will you please let me decide what I want ?
Don't get angry Mahesh...Can you pls do this for both of us... Can you wait for some more time ? I want you to be crystal clear before you take this huge step..
I am clear even now..
Please....
Fine...
You ok ?
Hmmm
Look at me baba...
Am driving...
Don't sulk baba..
I am not..
If you're not feeling like it, we can ditch the movie..
No...
Neway which movie are we seeing ?
%$#@
Why are you swearing ?
Nothing..
Which movie are we going ?
Lucky: No Time for Love

Monday, April 18, 2005

Phillum kaattatta ??

Saw Nayakan for the umpteenth time again on Saturday in Podhigai and could not but marvel at this masterpiece. Clearly one of Mani's timeless classics. Every scene is the movie is so carefully sculpted that it would be impossible to single out the best. Purely from a screenplay standpoint, here are some of the scenes that will always stand out in my memory

* when the Police Commisioner begs Kamal to avenge the injustice done to his daughter and Kamal's reaction & body language in the whole scene (It is believed that Varadaraja Mudaliar used to actually sit on the floor instead of the sofa and talk to his people, exactly the same way as Kamal does in the movie.. Now that's homework for you) Watch out again when the Police Commisioner returns to thank Kamal and also warn him. He departs saying his daughter is now truly happy - check out Kamal's reaction to that.

* when Kamal's daughter confronts Kamal in the courtyard after seeing Janakaraj and Co: indulge in violence near Jehangir Art Gallery. The dialogue in this scene is simply brilliant, showing how 'right' and 'wrong' is all a matter of perspective.

* when the ailing Kamal listens to Nizhalgal Ravi explain how he will eliminate the approver and then Kamal symbolically hands over reins to his son by calling him Naicker and offering him paan. Just watch how Ravi eats that paan. Waaaaaaaaaaaaaah !

* the entire chain of sequences when Nasser and the cops raid the slum in search of Kamal starting with Delhi Ganesh's arrest culminating in Anjamma setting herself on fire.

Of course I have deliberately omitted the two scenes that have become almost synonomous with the film namely the climactic "Neenga Nallavara Kettavara" scene and the death of Nizhalgal Ravi but then, IMHO, they are a tad over-rated.

Btw, Sunday night and Yuva was on in Zee Cinema. Though my views on this movie are well documented here, one small point that caught my attention this time around was that the color schemes that have been used for each of the three sections (red for AB, green for Ajay and blue for Vivek) of the first half are a lot more subtler than I had first imagined. For instance, when Michael goes to the villages exhorting the people to stand up for themselves, observe carefully that the doors for most of the houses are in green. Ditto for the walls of Michael's own home. In Lallan's case, many of the houses in the barracks where he stays have rusted doors / roofs which are mostly reddish brown in color.

It isn't often that Tamil audiences are blessed with The Super Star's movie release but then after the colossal failure of Baba, expectations were sky high of Chandramukhi. Slated to open on Tamil New Year's Day, the buzz in cine circles was not whether it would be a hit or not but whether it would do enough business to make up for even Baba. Even though The Super Star had promised to release lesser number of prints and price tickets affordably hoping to return to the old MGR formula of using House Full boards and word-of-mouth to ensure the success of the movie, ground reality was exactly the opposite. No suprises then when I heard that Rohini in Koyambedu was selling balcony tickets for Rs 225 over the counter and there were atleast 8 halls releasing the movie on the same day even in Bangalore. Advance booking for these movies is a farce so resolving to watch the movie in black, I set out on Thursday to my aasthana SriBalaji theatre.

"All shows Houseful saar. Inikku 5 shows, Rendu balcony tickets for matinee venuma...velay jaasthi..500 roobaah aagum...Evening show ticket irukkku...Rs 150 for one ticket...show 8 manikku" said my friendly watchman Veeresh.

I am a huge RAJINI fan (which Tamilian isn't...if not he ain't Tam) but for a minute I hesitated to shell out this steep rate simply because my friends who had seen Apthamitra had not had very nice things to say aout the movie and reluctant to waste such hard earned money on a prospective dud, I chickened out. A holiday still cannot be wasted so I went and watched Mumbai Express FDFS promising to myself that I would watch SUPER STARs movie over the weekend. Come Sunday and it was 1 in the afternoon when my weekend-movie-partner and I met for our usual rendezvous. The touts at Urvasi were asking for Rs 250 for a balcony ticket and Rs 150 for a rear stall ticket but there was still an hour to go for the movie. One of the biggest skill sets I have acquired over the last 3-4 years of movie watching is this ability to negotiate tough with touts at movie halls. The first rule to follow is that you must never reveal to the seller that you are depserate to watch the movie and that going back home is not an option. The second rule is that when there are more than one sellers you should shop around and pit one against another. After those inital minutes of carefully gauging the situation, you must put on a brave face and wait till the opponent blinks first. For example, I finally bought two C row rear stall tickets for Rs 100 each at around 1:50 pm when the seller was getting jittery that he might end up not selling some of the tickets (he had around 15 more) Of course in another 10 minutes with the movie slated to start at 2, he might have become even more desperate and sold it cheaper but then you might end up buying tickets for seats which are not together, seats which are too near the screen or as it happened in one case yesterday, the seller got so sick of his buyer's bargaining that he decided to see the movei himself again for the second time. Anyway, I got sidetracked. Coming back to the movie itself. CHANDRAMUKHI rocks... So what if its totally unlike any of the other Rajini movies where he simply hogs all the limelight, so what if there are no punchlines, so what if the fights are too few and far between, so what if there is no villain to hate, so what if the songs are very average, so what if the plot resembles that of an Amar Chitra Katha, so what if Jothinka thinks popping her (already) huge eyes out will win her a National award, so what if Saurav Ganguly keeps putting in guest appearances in every single reel, so what if the original Malayalam director is ranting at this murder of his super duper effort...CHANDRAMUKHI rocks.... simply because it is Thalaivar's movie and the only ratings that are possible are AWESOME and ABSOLUTELY AWESOME. Did I forget to mention that I almost died when I opened my big mouth and asked the guys sitting in front of me to sit down and watch the movie ? I cannot believe I was such a damn fool to ask genuine 'rasigars' to not enjoy/celebrate lyrics like

Annonda paatu attam poduda
Akkaraiya ketta artham nooruda (reallyy ???)

Sakkadaikkul pogi, southam seiyum pearu
naalu naal leevu potta, naari pokum ouru
Hey deavuda deavuda
Ezhu malai deavuda
Chududa chududa
Enga pakkam chududa
Enkalu ullamkal ellamea vairankal
Nee konjam patta thidda
Reapeat-eu

Dear God,

Get into thalivar's confused brain and make him sign one last 'masala' movie...Plsssssssss.....

Love,
Me

Friday, April 15, 2005

Wokay... Peace Peace....

Bloggy boy is behaving properly now so before I forget...I was off yesterday and hence could not wish all of you so here I go... Iniya Parthiba Varusha Vaazhthukkal...and to all my Mellu friends.. Happy Vishu...

...and of course, today is April 15th.. very special day....A couple of Birthdays...

Anjali,
Many Many more happy returns of the day.. Hope you get to go on that long bike ride tonite with Vinay by the fields of Ghatkopar :-)

*a big bear hug* Hooy MN,
Heppy Heppy Birthday deeee....Will call ya tonite where we can have looong talk about how you spent EVERY single moment of your day ;-)

Dear God,

Grant them both whatever they want today...Kootti kazhichu paarunga, kanakku seriyaa varum...

Love,

Me

!*&^%$ #@#%&^&

Hey, the following post will contain profanity so KIDS / GOOD GIRLS / GOOD BOYS stricktly not allowed beyond this line.

I tried countin' till 100...I tried to smile and try one more time... I tried not to cusss.. I tried to look at my GFs foto and regain control.. I tried to recite "Asotoma Satyamaya...(screw u Saran) I tried every damn fucking thing in this planet....It still didn't work.. Finally called for help....

I am soooooooooooooo blooody pissed nowwwww...so much so that I feel totally fucked up... Not F&^%ed up but FUCKED up... wasted 1.5 fuckin' hours trying to get my post in shape... simply because I don't like shoddy work... whoever the fuck invented HTML can go shove it up his / her ass... IT FUCKIN SUCKSSSSSSSSSSSSS....why can't somebody invent a language which is easy enougH for even doofus' like me to grasp...FUCK HTML....FUCK THIS BLOG...N YEAH, A BIG MIDDLE FINGER FOR ALL THOSE STUPID QUIZZES....I QUIT !!

Testing times...

...are here again....Bosses are on business travel...There is so much work and it doesn't help when Murphy has decided that its the perfect time to pay you that quarterly visit...An irate customer, a comp that crashes whenever I open a doc > 4MB, a VoIP fone whose ringtone and volume gets mysteriously reset every night, a coffee vending machine that's totally conked off...Life is back to normalcy. Neway no more cribbing...In the absence of anything interesting to write (I do NOT lie remember) here are a few tests that have been giving me sleepless nights and a million rounds of honest soul searching... Ensoii !!

Finally tests which speaks the truth - the whole and the absolute truth :-)))

Number One

Which Mix of the Hogwarts Houses are You?
brought to you by Quizilla

Slytherpuff

You're a Slytherpuff!: This is a rare combination but those that are true Slytherpuffs are not people you want to make your enemy. You take loyalty very seriously and if someone gives you their word you expect them to keep it. You either project a cold exterior and have a heart of gold inside or you seem all cuddly and nice on the outside and you are ruthless on the inside. People frequently underestimate you but this usually suits your purpose. Whoever has your loyalty is a very lucky person because you will fight tooth and nail to protect them. You have a protective streak and you like to champion the underdog. In life, experience has taught you that it's better not to be too idealistic or expect to much of other people. Still, deep inside you, you still have hope that everything will always turn out for the best. Your weakness is that sometimes you trust blindly, follow without question and this can lead you into trouble. With the loyalty of a Hufflepuff and the ruthlessness of a Slytherin you are a formidable person!

Number Two
Movie Recommendation.
created with QuizFarm.com

How-to-lose

You scored as Romantic Comedy. What the fuck? You scored Romantic Comedy. You love sappy shit. You're oblivious to what's happening as long as you have some guy for eye candy and a happy ending you wish you could happen in your own life. Time to rent some new movies.

Romantic Comedy 75%
Mindfuck 70%
Sadistic Humour 65%
Artistic 60%
Drama/Suspense 50%
Mindless Action Flick 40%
Sci-Fi/Fantasy 15%

Number Three

What sign of the Zodiac are you meant for?
created with QuizFarm.com

For Pisceans
You scored as Pisces. You get along best with the sign of Pisces. Although Pisceans can be very withdrawn, or hard to understand, they are extremely conscious individuals, and are very deep as well. Pisceans often have a very dry sense of humor. They are very mature (after all, they are the 'ELDERS of the Zodiac'), and are freakishly good at percieving the world around them, practically to the point of being 'psychic.' Few can understand the depths of these people, but the few who can remain close friends with Pisceans for a long time.

Gemini 85%
Pisces
85%
Sagittarius 80%
Aquarius 70%
Scorpio 70%
Cancer 65%
Capricorn
50%
Aries 50%
Libra 45%
Leo 45%
Taurus 40%
Virgo 30%

Zee, are you listening ? ;-)

Number Four

You are 67 % Pisces


Number Five
What Is Your Seduction Style?

Your Seduction Style:
The Coquette



You are a pro at playing the age old game of hard to get.Your flirting style runs hot and cold, giving just enough to keep them chasing you. Independent and self-sufficient, you don't need any one person to make you compelte. And that independence is exactly what makes people pursue you.


Wednesday, April 13, 2005

Creativity and SP - Part 2

An evening in Barista
One of the greatest things about the Marketing course at SP was the fact that we got to do most of our assignments on the field. Needless to say, the pedagogy tended to place a lot of emphasis on 'Group work' but ground realities often offered a stark contrast to the Utopian principles under which the course was framed the way it was. Luckily for me, I was fortunate to be part of one of the best groups amongst our batch. To say that we were diverse would be an understatement since we had a fresher from IIT (Varun), a commerce grad (Koki), two experienced software engineers(Rags and I) and a masters in Business Economics (Shivam). Unlike a lot of the other groups, we were extremely clear from the very beginning that we would not waste our energies trying to pitch in for every assignment and would identify two owners, either by choice or by draw of lots, to take up responsibility for each subject.

Every wannabe marketeer knows that the key to success in the market is to understand Consumer Behavior and so when the first big assignment was a trip to Barista to observe a couple and report the findings, Rags and I jumped at the chance despite the fact that we had not chosen to own this particular subject. The initial enthusiasm was soon replaced by laziness and it wasn't till the day before the assignement was due that we realised we had a job at hand. Unfortunately most of the other groups had also not started on the assignment and so what happened was that the entire batch ended up flocking to the 2 Baristas in Juhu and Lokhandwala at almost the same time leaving little room for 'actual customers' to come in and be observed under the lens. By now, Rags and I had lost all interest and would have dearly handed it back to Koki and Varun if not for the verbal lashing we got from her. Bless her sweet soul :-) So dinner done, the three of us left for Juhu (she refused to trust us to do the outing by ourselves...In fact, she was right.. we had actually planned to cook it up..) at around half past nine leaving us with a little under two hours before curfew.

Once we reached Juhu, we weren't surprised to see two other groups already sitting there with the guys ogling at the half naked women and the gal-in-the-group desperately trying to get them to focus on the academic assignment. We ordered a couple of drinks, observed two sets of couples for an hour, got bored and returned to the hostel promising to send the final presentation to Koki by 7 am the next day so that she could review it before we presented it at 9 am. Once we were back in the hostel, Rags and I returned to our favorite pastimes - him watching TV and me chatting on IP. Koki employed a few spies from BH to report to her on the progress of our work but thankfully we identified the etappans and passed on doctored info across the great divide. Finally at around 1 in the morning, when Rags and I finally got down to work with piping hot chai and maggi to give us company, we knew we had to race against time. The first decision we took was to avoid the usual, boring form of presentations. Knowing that we had to strike a fine balance between being different and still fulfilling the requirements of the assignment, we were pondering over the possibility of presenting it as a story when Rags came up with this brainwave of using poetry to spin a story around our evening's observations (...and if ever there was an Archimedes Eureka moment in my life, it was this) The easier part of ideation done, we knew the real challenge was in the implementation phase. We decided to have 7 slides of 2 paras each with every para having 4 lines. As I rattled off on what needed to be covered, Rags spun his magic web of words. There were moments when we were totally stuck forcing us to take a 10 mt break to the TV room and then one of us would have a wild thought and we would rush back to see if we could fit it into the flow. Of course, there were numerous arguments and I played critic to the hilt knowing that Rags loved challenges and would deliver if only he was pushed properly. Whenever Americanisms filtered in, I mercilessly edited it forcing Rags to alter his style.

I have always been of the opinion that when you aren't entirely convinced about a particular idea and still have to take it up, the end product invariably turns out to be very shoddy. At the same, when you believe in whatever you are doing and set your heart and soul to it, the results speak for themselves. After 3 hours of blood and toil when we saw the final product we were thrilled with the output. But there was still something that seemed to be missing. The verses were wonderful but we knew we did not want to speak those lines. It was then that I casually suggested that maybe we should just put it in Auto Mode and do no talking. This suggestion sparked off a new train of thought and we finally settled on playing some music in the background and letting people follow the story through the slides. Of course, we chose Kenny G (don't remember which song now) for there is nothing more soothing that a sax playing in the background.

When we showed our presentation to Koki the next day, she broke into a huge smiling acknowledging that we had a sure winner on our hands but the dark circles around her eyes clearly told its own story - she hadn't slept much the previous night ;-) I would not be far off from the truth if I said that the class was stunned by our presentation and the Prof went delirious with joy. Rags was given a long round of applause (which was totally due) and specifically commended for his classy British sense of writing (for which I knew I deserved equal credit if not more). There is nothing more toxic than the praise that one gets from peers and I would have definitely understood if Rags had forgetten to acknowledge my contribution (however small) except that he did not. (In his own crazy way, he silently hugged me in private later than day :-p) As I keep saying, the Calcutta Test made a super star of Laxman but I am sure he would have been the first to appreciate the value of Dravid's knock. Sometimes we need to be a little less skeptic about team work coz, trust me, it works.

Dear God,

This song's been buzzing in my ears since morning and I know everyone runs when I sing but then, you don't have a choice....so here I go..


Some find it sharing every morning
Some in their solitary lives
You’ll find it in the world of others
A simple line can make you laugh or cry

You’ll find it in the deepest friendship
The kind u cherish all ur life
And when u know how much that means
You’ve found that special thing
Ur flying........

Missing her like crazyyyyyyyyyyyyy :-((((((((((

Love,

Me

Tuesday, April 12, 2005

Creativity and SP - Part 1

A couple of weeks back, I'd had the fortune of meeting one of my colleague's brother who worked for one of the Big Five. The problem with me is that when I disregard something/someone, I can barely manage to hide my contempt...Ditto with consultancy careers and IIMA grads who work in these outfits doing nothing but producing global gas...This particular meeting, which I hadn't exactly been looking forward to, thankfully set right a few of my biases and prejudices regarding the 'morons who worked there'. For half an hour Vignesh regaled me with stories of life at B school, the first job from campus, the accidental switch to consultancy, the goof-ups and gaffes of the first 6 months and how he had settled down slowly putting me at ease and actually convincing me that these guys weren't all nerds or jerks ;-)

After some more bonding, he casually mentioned that he had flown down to meet up with one of the summer trainees assigned to him and brief her about the forthcoming summer project. One thing led to another and we were soon discussing profiles, brochures and selection procedures when I started probing Vig into giving details about how exactly did companies decide on shortlisting people based on whatever little info was given out in the brochure. Surprisingly, he remarked that on most occasions while past pedigree certainly carried weight (read: studied in IIT / Stephens and worked abroad) what was more important was to present something that reflected your personality best, anything that made you stand out from the crowd, so that it would atleast give you a chance to make an impression in the next round. While this clearly appeared common sensical, I was in for a rude shock when I saw some of the write ups he showed me. While most of them mentioned something or the other about their academic achievements (ranging from NTSE in std 10 to best outgoing student to College Merit scholarships) very few seemed to think of it as an opportunity to sell themselves creatively.

It was then that curiosity took the better of me and I mentioned that at SP, the way we had done it was to have a common template for academic and work experience history and use the actual write up to present an insight into one's personality. He appeared to concur with me that it made more sense that way and asked if he could see our batch's brochure (of course, in between I had boasted a lot about how our batch was different and whacky and rocked and blah blah...) Today I received a reply where he has identified the 5 write ups which definitely intrigued him with a remark that he was very impressed in general with the quality of our Marketing batch...

Note: I know some of my batch mates might also be reading this and I don't want this post to take political overtones so I'll let it be known beforehand that I masked the names of the people before sending it to him ;-)

Here are the 'chosen ones' with Vig's comments laced in between, in the same order in which I received it:

"The impossible is often the untried" says India's representative at the ISC Symposium, Switzerland. Optimism & Confidence strengthen him. English literature, Poetry, Formula1 capture his imagination.

Classy write up. The best of the lot. I can almost imagine his personality - strong, decisive, ambitious. There is something about this guy that makes the reader of his profile sit up and notice. The only negative thing I can say is that he tries too hard to sell himself. He's used the 25 word limit and more too. Notice the & instead of 'and' so that he can bring that Switzerland angle ;)

Aspiring CEO and novelist. Sports, quizzing and literary enthusiast.

Brevity is the essence of life. Though the word limit was 25, this guy knew what he wanted to project about himself. His interests are, to put very mildly, extremely diverse.

With a desire to change the world, question conventions and redefine traditions, Amit is a go-getter looking forward to new challenges.

Might sound like a lot of mother-good statements but clearly shows a flair for the language which will help him in a consultancy career.

Dares to 'Dream Big' and believes that one who dreams most, does most. His interests range from trekking, script-writing, volunteering for NGOs to quizzing.

Very different opening. With B-schools full of ruthless go-getters (I do not need to look beyond the first person in the list) this dreamer comes across as a refreshing option. His interests seem to mirror his personality as well.

An IIT graduate with a natural flair for marketing. Believes that life and market opportunities lie in the villages. His interests include swimming and badminton.

This guy means business. Look at his guts - ready to stick his neck out on opportunities in rural India. Maybe has something to do with his background but I'd definitely have a look at this profile though he would not fit into a consultancy role.

Besides the above 5, I thought this one came pretty close too if it weren't for the fact that I am biased against Bengolis.

From extempore, skits, copywriting to classical music: Aunindo is in love with creative pursuits. Hardworking guy, likes saying "I'm ready todirty my hands!!"

Now, Now...I am sure this made someone's day...Wotsay ;-)

Monday, April 11, 2005

Forget Love, spare some time for this movie

What happens when our dashing, manly hero - the son of the Indian ambassador in Russia - meets a sweet yet naive schoolgirl who's immediate concern is to pass the impending Geography Exam... Hormones are on fire, sparks fly, parents oppose, chemistry leads to biology, religion and an evil uncle add to the confusion, an elopement happens followed by some rona dhona and the final get-together ? Nopes..All this is typical of the B grade Bollywood stuff churned out by down-on-their-luck producers but when it is a home production of the hero and backed by a prestigious music company, then what you get is
exotic locales, candy floss romance, eye popping visuals, mellifluous music, oh-so-cute scenes and a all-is-well-that-ends-well climax. Story ? Who cares ? ...and if you are still wondering if that is enough to pull audiences in, then just attach a tagline to the movie name and make it sound so mysterious and alluring...Lucky: No time for Love....Hullo ??

So why should you be seeing LUCKY

* Arre yaar, aren't you sick and tired of New Zealand and Switzerland ? Lush green fields, flowers, snow clad peaks.....Trust me, Russia looks fresh...icy blue lakes, falling snow, palaces, few Caucasian chicks...

* For a duo whose earlier claim to fame was directing Not-to-be-seen-with-family remix videos, Radhika Rao and Vinay Sapru do a fine job with their first attempt on celluloid. Though the screenplay could have been tighter in the second half, the duo show a flair for humour and romance not seen offlate in new directors. For me, the scene where Sallu asks Sneha about her boyfriend has to go down as one of the best I've seen in recent times (Yeah, hang me)

* After HDDCS, Sallu is back in top form playing yet another breezy, romantic role...He reminds me so much of that Tamil hero Karthik...Extremely under-rated !! If you loved those monologues Sallu has with his dead father in HDDCS, you'll love his incessant chatter with Peter, the statue in Moscow's cemetery...and those 2 reels starting from the escapade near the checkpost to that first night spent together in the Volkswagen are absolutely delightful..These are scenes when you cannot but marvel at Sallu's non-chalant sense of humor and timing in comedy.

* Sneha Ullal might appear to be a carbon copy of that beautiful mannequin Ms Rai but there is no denying the fact that the lassie can emote. LUCKilY for her, she gets to play a role that is easily as close as it will ever get to being herself. Secondly, realising the pitfalls of delivering an over the top performance (especially when you are portaying a gawky teenager) Sneha displays commendable restraint in more than a few sequences. Mark my words, this gal will go places. And hey, we don't even have to put up with stupid giggling and that absolutely dumb look a la Ms Plastic. Btw, Snehal Ullal is absolutely drooolable...Made me wish I were 21...sigh.....Of course, even a jenny looks like a Goddess @ 18 but...;-)

* The music by Adnaan Sami easily fits into the mood of the movie though the placement of the songs, especially in the second half, leaves a lot to be desired. All the songs are well picturised though my personal favorites are 'Shayad yehi tho pyaar hai' and 'Jaan Meri Jaa'. We paid a princely sum of Rs 150 for 3 balcony tickets and got our money's worth in the first fifteen minutes itself...And needless to say, everyone who was sitting in our hall was up on his feet jiving to....

hai rama rama ho
hai ho rama
dil main macha hai kyon
koi hungama
aayega koi
bahoan main leke
chumega mere
yeh lucky lips


(and that cute hand rotating routine...giggle...)

Absolutely rollicking track !! Zimbly loved it in the movie !!

Of course there are quite a few reasons why the movie is not-so-perfect especially with the script going haywire in the second half and Mithun-da's highly forgettable performance but as Kamal says in Pammal K Sambandam, sometimes you should not 'dissect', you must just sit back and ensoiiii !!!

ps: In Case I forgot to mention, Sallu does NOT take off his tee / shirt in this 16 reel flick...Now isn't that something ?

Dear God,

Can we have a week without Mondays ? Plssss ?

Love,
Me

Friday, April 08, 2005

More Movie Magic

KillBill

Everytime I watch a QT movie, the three things that come to my attention as strokes of sheer genius are
a. the immense amount of cross referencing sometimes to his own works
b. the sheer recklessness employed in the story telling
c. mad cap humour

Had an hour to spare yesterday evening and thought I would catch up a little with Kill Bill Vol 1...and here are a few more ovbservations...

# 1
Vernita Green does not like her codename Copperhead, the same way as Mr.Pink in Reservoir Dogs.

ReservoirDogsGiant

# 2
Even though The Bride's name is bleeped out in Vol 1, if you concentrate hard enough, you can actually get her name when she asks for a flight ticket from El Paso to Okinawa..The attendant at the counter passes her a ticket in which her name is written.

#3
Pulp Fiction, for all the criticism that it was gory and violent, had only 7 or 8 deaths. Kill Bill 1 has atleast 75 including a minimum of 50 in the restaurant showdown.

PulpFictionGiant

#4
No other film maker but QT would have dared to shoot something like that "Wiggle your big toe" scene and spend a good part of a minute and a half focusing on a not-so-interesting part of The Bride's anatomy...

Bow my head to Thee, My Lord !!

Btw, if Time permits and you are a PF fan, take this quiz here to find out which character you are :-)

I am Marcellus Wallace and my name alone strikes fear into others

*roars aloud*

Other movie recommends:
Socha Na Tha - 3/5
Hotel Rwanda - 6/5 (yeah)
Hostage - 2.5/5
Be Cool - 3/5 *
* revised rating since the print I saw in the theatres had 15 mts of extra footage which my thiruttu VCD didn't have...

Dear God,

A detailed 500 word movie review which is expected to toe the official line of the Sunday reviewer will then be compressed into a 20 word recommendation which will then appear WITHOUT my name in an obscure corner of the paper's supplement ? What sort of a sick joke is that ? Of course I don't write for name/ fame rather for pleasure but there's something called self respect...Besides the 300 bucks on offer would not even cover the DVD costs, dammit...

Pls get these miserly media houses to spend a little more.

Love,
Me

Thursday, April 07, 2005

Sollamal Thottu...

Sollaamal thottu sellum thendral
En kaadhal dhaevadhaiyin kangal
Nenjathil kotti sellum minnal
Kannoaram minnum aval kaadhal
Oru naalaikkullae mella mella
Un mounam ennai kolla kolla
Indha kaadhalinaal kaatril parakkum kaagidham aanaen

Sollaamal thottu...

Oah.....kaadhalin avasthai edhirikkum vaendaam
Naraga sugham allava
Neruppai vizhungi vittaen.... oah...
Amilam arundhivittaen
Noayaay nenjil nee nuzhaindhaay
Marundhai yaenadi thara marandhaay
Vaalibathin soalaiyilae
Ragasiyamaay poo parithaval needhaanae

Sollaamal thottu...

Yeh....pengalin ullam padu kuzhi enbaen
Vizhundhu ezhundhavan yaar? (Hear Hear Hear)
Aazham alandhavan yaar?.......oah
Karaiyai kadandhavan yaar?
Kaadhal irukkum bayathinil dhaan
Kadavul boomikku varuvadhillai
Meeri avan boomi vandhaal
Thaadiyudan dhaan alaivaan veedhiyilae....

Sollaamal thottu...

courtesy : Vaali@Dheena

Dear God,

You send one more very pretty chick to my floor and I'll strangle you, I swear...

Love,
Me

Wednesday, April 06, 2005

Very quickly....

A good friend recently told me that he felt sick when people 'judged' him by what he wrote in his blog...At that instant, I remember laughing away his comment but ever since I received a couple of mails / messages which seemed to suggest that I was also under the microscopic lens, I've had mixed feelings abt this whole damn thing.....Rather than adopt the convenient thing that my friend did which was to shut down the blog or the logical thing which was to join issue by replying to those mails / messages, I think I'll be different (Yes Tom, there is my OCD resurfacing again)...I think I will come clean on all my short comings...I think I will show the world how opinionated I am...I shall seek redemption for my shallow tastes...

Here I am...
This is Me...
An MCP...
Who loves Lucky...

:-)

Dear God,

Will someone pls teach me how to score less than 8 under par in this game ? And how to get a birdie on Hole 11 ?

Love,
Me

Tuesday, April 05, 2005

The Ones (concluding part)

Saturday, 2-4-2005, 15:49

We are way too early...
Better this way...Now you can atleast station yourself appropriately...
Station ? I am no sentry, ma'am.. Neway at 4, there is hardly going to be a crowd...
Fine Fine.. this is where we go our ways.. I sit here and you sit atleast 5 tables away and don't make yourself very obvious. Read that Mars vs Venus book if you're bored....
Baby, I've read enough Conan Doyle to do this...You chill...

Thanks precious..

Saturday, 2-4-2005, 15:56

Do we really have to run up this escalator ?
I don't want her to get the impression that I can't even come on time for a date....
Hey bhagwaan...
And don't you follow me...Let's split here...
You've gone mad.. this is not a spy thriller...
Where are you gonna be ?
Don't you fret...I know I will be able to identify Mahesh so I think I will go upstairs to PVR and observe from the third floor...
You are such a darling...

Saturday, 2-4-2005, 16:01

'Never talk on an empty stomach' said Confucius...What can I order for you, lady ?
Ahhh...Pardon...
Did I startle you ? Sorry...The name's Gopalan, Shiv Gopalan...like Bond, James Bond..
Puhleeez...You know I hate those stupid action flicks..
...But I do know that you like Paneer Parathas...and my friends tell me that Transit serves wonderful parathas.. May I ?
Yes, you may... and if i may recommend, we can have icecreams too...
Why talk of the end course when there's so much to do before we come to that...
Come on, stop talking like someone's who jumped out of a movie screen...
But I thought you liked mush...
Not as much as I love parathas.. Can you pls stop flirting and go and get us food ? I'll get the icecreams...What would you like ?
You know that...
Just checking...

Saturday, 2-4-2005, 16:07

How on earth did I let myself get conned into this stupid bodyguard exercise ? Shitttt...they are actually having food....I feel so hungry....Divya, you're a dead duck...

Saturday, 2-4-2005, 16:17

Gotcha...So you're sitting a couple of tables away, lurking behind that book and stealing glances, huh...That Tee is really cute...You jes wait, mister..You are gonna be in for a shock...I'm coming down there to your table...

Saturday, 2-4-2005, 16:18

I thought I was the foodie but you've hardly spoken anything ever since you started gobbling up those parathas...
For once, I thought I'd let you do all the talking and I'd listen...
...and why is that so ?
Since I am being judged... and probably watched too..
What do you mean by that ?
Come on, I am pretty sure Mahesh is here though I wouldn't fault you...
Hmmm...Anyway how did the Visa interview go ?
Okie dokie...
Congrats.. so when are you flying ?
You didn't deny what I said...
How long will it be ?
6 weeks...
Btw, is it true ? That Confucius quote...
Of course not, I was joking..
So typical of you...
..and what is that supposed to mean ?
Forget it..
There you go again...You start something and you leave me midstream.. I just hate this Divya..You know how I feel about this whole damn thing..
Okie..I am sorry.. Maybe I have carried this secrecy thing a little too far...The truth is I wasn't sure.....about us....

Saturday, 2-4-2005, 16:20

So you're Mahesh, huh ?
Excuse me...
Why don't you just let those two love birds be..I suggest we take a stroll outside and come back after 15 minutes...
Hullo, do we know each other...
Maybe.. Maybe not.. But I definitely know Shiv and you know Divya and I assume, by now, we both know why we are here..
I can't believe it...Don't tell me..
Then don't bother asking...
So do you have a name ?
The real one or the one you'd know me by...
Do you always speak in riddles ?
But I thought you liked 'em riddles...
I am waiting..
I'm Priyadhashini...My friends call me Pri...
Priyadharshini, I still don't understand how you could know me..
So how's the tennis going these days ?
This is the craziest conversation I've had for years...
...and how many of these were with very pretty women ?
Jesus Christ...
Tell me Mahesh, have you understood why Merseyside derbies are the most passionate encounters in English football ?
..that's coz of history behind the tie..In the late 1890s Everton and Liverpool both shared Anfield and then a rent dispute happened...and Evertonians moved to Goodison...wait.....why are we even discussing this ?
...but I've never seen it get violent..like say the Madrid clash...
So you watch football huh ?
Who do you think will die in HP6 ? You've ordered your copy ?
Nopes... and I sure hope it is that old bore Dumbledore...

Saturday, 2-4-2005, 16:27

So are you're telling me, he is actually sitting somewhere behind waiting to come to your 'rescue' if need be...
He was... till some girl just led him out...
He must be one helluva pal...
Hehehe..you make that sound funny but yes...He's a real darling...You were jealous of him, weren't you...
Naah...btw, did u say a girl just led him out...Omigawd...
Why ? What happened ?
I think I better explain...

Saturday, 2-4-2005, 16:30

We've now had bits and pieces of what can be loosely defined as conversation on 5 different topics...I don't understand this at all...Are you trying to unnerve me ?
Do you feel intimidated ?
By what ?
...by the fact that you might have met your so called "intellectual match" ?
Wait.... why do u use that particular phrase ? Are you someone from my blog ?
..or maybe you are nervous in front of a smart, pretty woman...
Of course not...
I am not pretty ?
I didn't mean that...
So I am not smart ?
I was referring to the nervous part...
So you agree that I am pretty and smart...
I'd be lying if I denied it..
Good..we are making progress..
...towards what ?
Are you single ?
Waitttttttt... how can you ask that ?
That was a simple question... All I needed was a Yes or a No ?
Its not as simple as that....
So is Pete Sampras the greatest tennis player you've seen ?
Yes
See, every question can have a simple answer - a Yes or a No.
Excuse me but I think I have to make a call...


Saturday, 2-4-2005, 16:32

...I am sure Pri would have scared the hell outta him by now...
So you think she'll do it..
Of course.. she's a tigress.. when she wants something, she will get it.. By hook or by crook...
Let's see...
So why hasn't he called by now ?
Patience..and watch the fun unfold

TRING TRING TRING

Yeah Mahesh, we are here at the Transit, second floor. Can you come up here directly...Have you booked tickets for the movie, darling ? Great...Bye... Love you...
Poor guy.. this is not fair Divya...

Saturday, 2-4-2005, 16:32

Sorry..Divya just called.. I need to go..
Btw, how tall do you think I am ?
5'10" ?
5'11" actually...and remember Sharon Stone, Scott Adams, you and I have something in common...
Omigawd... You're the KrankyKrook who comments on my blog ?
Hahaha..Yeah, I'm THE ONE ..You catch on slow...
Damnnnnnnnn you Pri... I just have to go...
Let me also join you...Shiv and I have to pack off too...

Saturday, 2-4-2005, 16:36

Hi Darling...Shiv, meet Mahesh my boyfriend.. Mahesh, this is Shiv...
Hi Mahesh.. I see that you have already met my friend Priyadharshini so I don't need to introduce you two...Divya was just telling me about how today is your first anniversary and how you've planned to celebrate by watching a movie... Congrats dude.. You are a lucky guy....When is the wedding happening ?
Yeah... yeah...Not decided yet but will happen soon....
Mahesh, why are you wriggling away..Feeling very shy, aren't you ? Sorry Shiv but he doesn't talk much with strangers...
So Mahesh, did Pri bore you a lot with her staccato talk ?
Not fair Shiv...
No... she was quite charming...
Hahaha.. How dare you tell that in front of your girlfriend, dodo...
Sorry Divya..I hope Pri didn't mind...
Of course not.. Mahesh was a perfect gentleman...

Saturday, 2-4-2005, 16:48

I think Pri and I need to move.. Don't want to spoil your plans.. Have a nice evening, Divya.. and you too Mahesh..
Bye Shiv and thanks for dropping by..
Bye Pri...
Bye Mahesh...

Saturday, 2-4-2005, 16:51

You still exchanged gifts ?
Let's see what he has gifted me...Goshhhhhhhhh...
Kyuuun.. Kya hua....
Love in the time of cholera....
Good book...
No useless..I got him the same book....
Serendipity...both ways...
Yeah....
Its such a pity that you didn't like him.....and did you really have to be so loud abt the fact that I am supposed to be your boyfriend...
Why ? You have designs on Pri ?
Hmmmm...
Okie... time for surprises....Here is something for you...
98802 92214...What is this ?
Pri's number ?
But she thinks I am your boyfriend...
Hahahahaha... Belated April fool's day precious....Shiv and I got you, didn't we....
You mean..................
Yes............
and does she....
Of course she does... she's probably waiting for the call...
Excuse me....

Saturday, 2-4-2005, 16:54

Hello....
I almost thought you wouldn't call...
Do you have to fly tomorrow pleaseeeeeeeeee?
Yes.. but don't we have the whole of tomorrow, loser....
I love ya...
Me tooo.....