Hopefully I return to blogging

I know I am missing from the blogging scene for a very long time now. I cannot help it. When school is there I am usually drowned in classes and assignments. Now that the internship, it is an exaggeration to say that I am bogged down by work. But then I attribute it to lack of enthusiasm and energy after a day's work at office.
But now I would like to get more regular with this blogging. Hopefully I will be able to stick to some writing from now onwards...

2008 - the year that it was.

Its been a long time and I have not paid my dues to this blog from a long time. I hope to get more regular with this from now on.
To start it off, here are some reminiscences of 2008

• University admits and rejects
• Visa preparations and visa approval
  
• K Gudi Trip with friends
• Mom's recovery from her illness
• Resignation from i2
• Continent shift to USA
• CMU hectic class schedule
  
• New friends - new gang
• New home
  
• Making pizzas and subs from subway as staple food
  
• Enjoying snow
• Mumbai terrorist attack stories

All in all.. I am relatively happy with the way my 2008 went. I am looking forward to a bright 2009 :)

Almost single - book review

When you want to pass time on a train or on a long flight, or you wish to hole yourself up for a private sunday, then there is no better way than reading a chicklit book. Last month when I was browsing the shelves of Crossword in Bangalore, I came across this book called Almost Single by a first-time authoress Advaita Kala.
The book cover said something like this "

My name is Aisha Bhatia, I am twenty-nine years old and single. I work as a Guest Relations Manager at the Grand Orchid Hotel. I dine at luxury hotels and stay in five-stars during my travels; I can name old and new world wines with great élan, and can tell my cheeses apart.I tolerate my job, hate my boss, and bond big-time with my friends, while routinely suffering from umbilical cord whiplash. I don’t really care for my vital stats at the moment, and I don’t have a cute/funny nickname either. Hence this introduction: it stinks, but it sticks. In fact, sometimes I think there should be support groups like the AA out there for people like me…’

Wickedly irreverent and laugh-aloud funny, Almost Single is a delightful romp through the five-star world of champagne brunches, gay soirées, and the dilemmas of hip, young girls on the lookout for love and matrimony."
This definitely attracted my attention, and I bought it just on a whim (which I rarely do!!) for Rs. 195. The investment was definitely worth it. The book is mainly about this girl Aisha, who is constantly confused about where her life is going. (Who isn't anyways!!) She is under pressure from her mother to find a suitable boy and get married, because the Mama thinks she is almost over the hill. Her boss always breathes down her neck to make sure she is on her toes all the time at work. She has two friends Misha and Anushka, and all three make up quite a gang who act not only as confidantes to each other but also as Stress relievers for one another. Misha is always on a lookout for a NRI guy to get married to, and settle down in a life of comforts and bliss. But life is not easy on her, she always runs into trouble mostly because of her miscalculations. And Anushka, who has tried marriage and failed at it when she found her beloved husband was cheating on her, tries to find peace with herself by trying weird things. To add to the comedy part, there are tales about their friends who are gays who make no bones about their status. Plus the moms add to the drollery of the story, exhibiting typical Indian mommy concerns and attitudes towards marriage and lives of these girls!!
When its a chicklit novel, there has to be a hero who has dropped right from the sets of Hollywood who has everything right.. Right from the his profession to vital stats!! So there is this another Mills and Boons-character called Karan, who has everything going for him except the girl he wants.
The deep humor, the weird twists in everyone's lives, the silly mistakes of the girls, the tippling and the smoking habits of today's generation women - all make a good read on your beanbag with a pack of nachos! There are a lot of parts in it, where every woman would feel she identifies with this. This familiarity quotient definitely would keep one's nose buried into it till the last page.
Advaita Kala, the authoress of the book, has come out with a book where I again see the bollywood flavor in it. I would definitely recommend Sushmita Sen for Aisha, Ameesha Patel for Misha and Vidya Balan for Anushka,and for Karan, it definitely has to be Salman Khan. I am sure Ritesh Deshmukh and Zayed Khan can also try for the cameo roles :D

The 3 mistakes of my life - book review

Chetan Bhagat seems to be looking for an alternate career by coming up with stories for Bollywood. With his first two novels turning into national bestsellers, and now being produced as bollywood movies with leading actors, his third novel is also designed on similar lines.
The story starts off with the main character - Govind, who is very keen on setting up a business as he thinks that its only a businessman who is respected in Gujarat. The story revolves around his two friends - Ish and Omi with whom he has spent his childhood, and he ropes them in to be his partners in his new business setup. Ish has a passion for cricket, and always dreamt for getting into the national team of India. Omi comes from a family of priests, and to escape becoming another priest in the family, he is ready to do anything with his friends. Together they venture into a business and set up a small cricket shop. Govind has bright ideas of turning this business big, but life is never straight and easy. So the story is about how he fights the odds of life. The story is also about a young child Ali, in whom Ish sees a gift and considers him to be a national treasure who can make into the national Cricket team. The story is also about Omi and his religious maama who wants these young lads to participate in Hindutva processions and politics. And when there is a bollywood story churning up, romance, love and sex cannot stay faraway. So the story is also about Govind's and Vidya's courtship also.
This is a potboiler which has something of everything that India likes - there is politics, religion, love, drama and friendship. It has Gujarat earthquake and Godhra train incident also deep in it.
The story begins very slowly, gains pace halfway and ends in the typical, predictable bollywood style of fighting and sacrificing for the other. Chetan Bhagat should be given credit to the way he has showcased the riots of Gujarat, and some emotions that he has tried to stir. But I am sad to notice that his style of writing has become very ordinary, when compared to his previous two books.
It makes a good read when you are traveling or want to do some time pass on a sunday when there is nothing better to do.
And I have already thought of characters for this bollywood movie: Govind - Ajay Devgan, Ish - Saif Ali Khan, Omi - Akshay Kumar, Vidya - Kareena Kapoor (obviously), Maama - Anil Kapoor & Ali - Shreyas Talpade :-)

Conversations on yahoo messenger..

Here is a conversation that happened between me and some loser who was pinging me on yahoo messenger, way back when I was in 3rd year engineering. I this conversation is funny, so am posting it here... And I have no clue who this loser is.

psst..I've changed his actual messenger name to loser, because what if he turns out to be someone you know.


ME : hey
ME : i usually dont add ppl whoom i dont knw
ME : so sorry
Loser : oh.. its ok
Loser : so wr r u working?
ME : am not working
Loser : ok.. then studying?
ME : even am not too sure
Loser: then r u doing anything?
ME : nopes...
ME : not doing anything at all
ME :
Loser : dats gr8.. i wish i could do the same
ME : hmm..
Loser : dont u get bored then?
Loser : or r u married?
Loser : but u say u r single on orkut?
ME : i am single
ME : have i said that]
ME : u havent read properly..
Loser : oh .. ya u havent said dat
Loser : but u r only 20 n very cute
Loser :
ME :
Loser : i dont think u r married
Loser :
ME : hmmm...think
Loser : cant?
Loser : engaged withy some1?
ME : nope...as far as i remmember
Loser : ok
Loser : u interested in dating?
Loser :
ME : whom is the question!!!
Loser : for u ofcourse ...
ME : whom shud i date??
Loser : me ?????
Loser : wat happ?
Loser : i m in bangalore only..
Loser : working in a software company
ME : oh cool
ME : if i have to date u
ME : there is one small problem
Loser : and wats dat?
ME : i have to take permission
Loser : from?
Loser : from whoim?
Loser : whom?
ME : from my boyfriend....da
Loser : oh... dont do dat
Loser : we can date in secret
ME : well well...usually i dont lie to him
ME : so it wont be fair on my part
Loser : but u cant say the same abt him ?
ME : i can
ME : i can vouch for him also
Loser : ok..,
Loser : so u not interested ?
ME : well interpret it howevre
ME : u want
ME : newayz me gotta go
ME : my BF is waiting for me
ME : bye
Loser : ok take my number
Loser : 9886995424
ME : i dont need it
Loser : ok.

Don't know how many more such losers are there on the internet....HaHAHA....

Kabhi kabhi Aditi

Ever since I have heard this song I've fallen for it. I got to know about this from chacha actually. I am totally in love with this song. It takes me back to those days when I used to enjoy being in love in a childish way, which I miss a lot. This song definitely wants you to be in love :-)

If you just want to sit back and relax, enjoy nice memories then Check this song out - click here

Here are the beautiful simple lyrics:
Beautiful music by A R Rehman sung by Rashad Ali and lyrics by Abbas Tyrewalla

Kabhi kabhi Aditi zindagi mein yuhi koi apna lagta hai
kabhi kabhi Aditi wo bichad jaaye to ek sapna lagta hai
aise mein koi kaise apne aansuoonko behne se roke
aur kaise koi sochde everything's gonna be ok
kabhi kabhi tho lage zindagi mein rahi naa khushi aur naa mazaa
kabhi kabhi tho lage hardin mushkil aur harpal ek sazaa
aise mein koi kaise mushkuraaye kaise hasde khush hoke
aur kaise koi sochde everything gonna be ok

Soch zara jaaneja tujhko hum kitna chathe hai
rotein hai hum bhi agar teri ankhon mein aansu aate hai
gaane to aata nahi hai magar phir bhi hum gaate hai
hey Aditi maan kabhi kabhi saare jahan mein andhera hota hai
lekin raat ke baad hi tho savera hota hai
kabhi kabhi Aditi zindagi mein yuhi koi apna lagta hai
kabhi kabhi Aditi wo bichad jaaye to ek sapna lagta hai
hey Aditi hasde hasde hasde hasde hasde hasde tu zara
nahi to bus thoda thoda thoda thoda thoda thoda muskura

Tu khush hai tho lage ke jahan mein chaayi hai khushi
suraj nikle baadlon se aur baatte zindagi
sun tho jara madhosh hawa tujhse kehne lagi
ki Aditi wo jo bichhadthe hai ek na ek din phir mil jaate hai
Aditi jaane tu ya jaane na phool phir khil jaate hain
kabhi kabhi Aditi zindagi mein yuhi koi apna lagta hai
kabhi kabhi Aditi wo bichad jaaye tho ek sapna lagta hai
hey Aditi hasde hasde hasde hasde hasde hasde tu zara
nahi to bus thoda thoda thoda thoda thoda thoda muskura

Suicidal days for students

Bangalore witnesses 6 suicides on an average PER DAY!! This was a shocking headline to read in the newspapers recently. When one tries to ponder over this issue, one cannot help but think what is on the person's mind when he/she decides to commit this deadly act. Everyone says that only a coward can take such an extreme step, but I think you do need a lot of guts to invite death on your own accord.
But on a serious note, its the suicide of the students that is a matter of concern. Why are students jumping to end their lives? Low marks, parents harassment, peer pressure etc.. Who are the people who are to be blamed for this show? Parents, schools, or society. I think we all are the stakeholders for this apathetic condition.

The major flaw, according to me, lies in the Indian parenting system. Though I consider myself too immature to comment on this, as I have no experience at it as of now, but I have seen enough to find many faults that is giving rise to this unhealthy condition for the children to grow and prosper. The parents right from the day the kid starts his schooling, they want him/her to top in the class. Even before the child has learnt about his/her own basic interests, likes and dislikes, he/she is made to accept the truth that to be successful (i.e. to earn money) he/she has to follow the beaten paths. How can a young child, say 14-15 years, be made to understand competition and asked to important career decisions??!! Our educational system hardly has any scope for counseling. A child needs guidance and counseling to make the right decisions. He/she should not be asked just to follow in the herd. But hardly this is the case in most of the Indian family households today.
Human beings are the only creatures who let their children come back home. And its high time that children are shown the human side of parenting. Children need to be talked to. They need to be made understand on how the world's rat race works. They should not be coerced to become another rat in this race. With care, love, comfort levels existing between the parents and children I am sure these things can come to an end. Signs of boredom, solitude should not be taken lightly by the parents. Children require guidance and sympathy far more than instruction. The best way to give advice to is to find out what they want and then advise them to do it. There are only two lasting bequests we can hope to give our children. One is roots; the other, wings.